Difference between revisions of "NELAA"

Revision as of 17:38, 5 April 2013

The New England League Of Amateur Astronomers (N.E.L.A.A.) is a club uniting stargazing hobbyists from the greater Miskatonic river basin. They meet on a monthly basis, organize occasional field trips, issue a newsletter, and raise funds with a Christmas social. Hard times have cut the organization’s membership in half; it now numbers less than twenty-five. Full membership, including newsletter and voting privileges, costs two dollars per year. Auxiliary membership, allowing non-voting participation in meetings and social attendance, costs fifty cents.

Interaction with NELAA

Stargazing on the Solstice: Took a bus out of town up some hills with standing stones. Mattheu, Marriette, and Seamus travel with NELAA members

Eerie Things Going On

Hey, they all seem normal. Except that they've been tracking a "moving constellation", which some members seem to think is either a comet or an asteroid. No mention during their excursion on the notes at the end of Document 2 (page 2); Khthon-Cthonic, Thysia. Further research into these terms shows Thysia, Celestial sacrifices. At bottom of trench. Animal sacrifices bodies were shared and eaten (feast). For the underworld sacrifices (Cthonic), the sacrifices were bled then burned. Blood would drain in channel in altar stone.

Except that now Eddie has been found dead. He washed up on the shore of the river, just North of Arkham. The gang goes to see Dr. Sprague, the medical examiner to determine what happened. Given their link with the Inquiry, he was happy to oblige. Mari, with her medical and biology background, felt the most comfortable going in to see the body with Dr. Sprague. Matthieu and Seamus chose to wait outside. The body was in a most unusual state, and the cause of death quite outside of anything Mari or Dr. Sprague had seen before. The chest was ripped open, and the heart removed. It looked as if someone had stuck their hand into the boy and ripped his heart out. Clearly not an animal attack. Hard to imaging a human being strong enough and brutish enough to do this. Dr. Sprague feels that Eddie was likely dumped into the river approximately on Thursday, approximately 2 days ago. Notably, the terms above do not correspond with the condition of Eddie's body. He was clearly not bled, burned or eaten. So, why are these terms at the bottom of the document. What was Armitage's interest in them. Is there a link with Eddie and the other missing young man?

In talking to the local law, Seamus is able to get some additional information from the lead detective, Hank Lewis. There is a link in that another member of NELAA has been missing for approximately 3 months, Roger Little. No sign of him, including a body.

One notable thing about the detective is that he clearly did not like Thomas Ongine, the leader of NELAA, and the one mentioned in the document. Felt he was just "too happy". Is there something to the detectives instincts?

Notable People and Places

Members at the Autumnal Equinox event

Thomas Ongine, the balding organizer of the group drives the bus out of town to remote sites to better see the stars. He is in his 50s, very friendly, and strums traditional Appalachian songs on a battered guitar.

Heidi Pinion, a "retiree" in her late 40s, attends NELAA events (and other social functions in town) more out of curiosity than anything, really. She loves the night sky and loves people-watching. She and Thomas are on the "board" of NELAA, such as it is. She always seems to be smiling, possibly smirking.

Lily Hawthorne is a young woman in her twenties with jet black hair. She seems to have a fan club consisting of the younger men in the group.

Eddie Friedmann is in his 20s, a bit overweight, with curly black hair and glasses. He's a clerk at the First Bank of Arkham.

Troy Lasky is in his mid 20s. He works at Hayne's Hardware. He's built like a runner, clean shaven with tousled blonde hair.

Melisa Cambron is a housewife in her 30s. She is a "writer of small things". She keeps her wavy brown hair tucked nicely under a smart hat.

Jordan Purser is in his late 20s and has short cropped hair with a trimmed beard and moustache. He's an accountant at L. B. Smith & Associates here in Arkham.

Locations

The bus usually leaves from the ESSO station by the Garrison Street Bridge in [Arkham].

The Autumnal Solstice stargazing event took place just over an hour out of Arkham to the Upper Miskatonic Valley.