THE MALIGNANT EXORCIST SESSION THREE

We continued with our Malignant Exorcist campaign for the upcoming Strange Tales of New England (a new game based on the system in Strange Tales of Songling).

PARTY

Father Thomas Parfait: An exorcist who is obsessed with Malignant Magic and can't help but dabble in it. 

Eliza* Hawthorne: A spirit medium. 

George Stetson: A charlatan. 

INTRO

In the previous session, the party was investing a series of paintings that foreshadowed disasters. They discovered that the painter, John Damey was being haunted by the spirit of Evan Damey, his baby brother who had died shortly after being born. The portents in his paintings were a product of the ghost's ability to see into the future. During their investigation, they also discovered that the ghost was aided by a spirit medium, the serial killer Dan Barret, who killed their driver, Terry Philips and turned him into an undead creature. The corpse of Terry Philips attacked them in their home, killing their bodyguard but was driven away by Father Parfait's prayers to Saint Michael.  

SESSION THREE

The party traveled to speak with Isabel Wan again, hoping to learn how to contend with the raised corpse of their old companion, Terry Phillips. Along the way they noticed a red car following them. Getting the license, George sent it to his assistant, Dave Sobey, who quickly told them it belonged to the owner of a pizzeria in Beverly, Todd Alexander. They drove the pizzeria and the car stopped following. There they quickly learned it had been stolen after speaking with Alexander, who was visibly upset over the issue. They waited for police to arrive and answered all the cop's questions. As they had had many interactions with police during the investigation, the officers took special interest in them and told them they would be in contact with the detective handling the other cases they were involved in. 

At Isabel's studio they asked her about the Ankh on Terry's forehead. She told them based on the details of the attack, it sounded like a spell called the Spell of Life, which she had a copy of in The Occult Almanac by Anderson Parsons. According to Isabel the spell was a chant that could raise up a preserved corpse when special preparations were made. However in the case of Terry Philips, it seemed the spell had some unintended affect on a body preserved by chemicals used in the morgue. She warned them not to use the spell, but did say that chanting it would harm the creature that Terry had become (which she identified as a type of mummy). 

Before leaving they asked if she could help locate the man who placed the Ankh on Terry's forehead. Working with Eliza, she had a vision of an apartment on Boston Street in Salem and they quickly narrowed down the address. As they left, Isabel asked Father Parfait if she could have her friend Walter call him about an important matter, to which he said yes. 

Later the party waited in a lot near the killer's apartment in their car, but Eliza, saw the mummy corpse of Terry Phillips ambling toward them. Their new driver, Melissa Adams, reversed the car and knocked the corpse to the ground, then drove off. They instructed her to let the mummy follow, and were able to deduce it lacked deep intelligence by going over a bridge and waiting on the other side of the river to see how it crossed. It walked directly into the water. 

As they waited, the car turned off, then the radio turned on playing a childish song. The mummy stepped from the river and began walking towards the car. 

George said "Evan Damey if that is you, please let us converse about this mater so we may help you."

The rear view mirror broke off and slammed into the window next to George's head. 

"What are you afraid of Evan?" George asked. 

Father Parfait was flipping through The Occult Almanac when its pages flipped wildly to the Spell of Life, then the book was violently pulled from the priest's hands and smashed against the window. 

George had a long conversation with Evan, trying to calm but at times insisting he behave. Finally he asked what they could do to help Evan, why he was so angry. 

The windshield began to crack and formed the words "Forgotten. All must die." A moment later the glass shattered completely and the car turned back on. 

The party then went directly to John Damey's and told him about the corpse of Terry Philips (they showed him photos taken on one of their phones). Having seen Terry lingering near his apartment, John believed them and answered their questions more openly.

They learned that his brother had died of natural causes. The party had come to the conclusion that Evan Damey had met a violent death so they pressed him further but he was adamant and they believed him. Then he told them none of the family had been to visit the grave. 

"I think you should go visit the grave and have some words with your brother," George said. 

John agreed and they headed to the cemetery (which was around the corner). There they gave John privacy and he spoke with his brother, then placed a catholic medallion on the grave. Eliza felt the spiritual energy that had been menacing them evaporate. 

Convinced the spirit had been laid to rest, they went back to their car but their path was blocked by the corpse of Terry Philips. He strode towards them and father Parfait had no choice but to use the spell of life. As he recited the chant, the creatures flesh flaked away, but it pressed on and ripped apart Melissa Adam's shoulder with its jaws. 

Both Eliza and Father Parfait recited the chant, causing its flesh to continue flaking, while George and John ran for safety. Devouring Melissa's throat, the mummies corpse attacked Father Parfait, biting his lower back, devouring the muscle and nearly breaching the kidney. 

Eliza continued chanting and the body of Terry Philips disintegrated into the air. 

Father Parfait fell to the ground, alert but a large section of muscle had been completely eaten from his back. George called an ambulance. 

When the police arrived, they seemed to believe George's account (having seen a number of unusual things themselves while investigating Dan Barret). Father Parfait laid on the ground, awaiting the ambulance, when his phone rang. 

"Is this Father Parfait?"

"Speaking, you will have to forgive me I am on my way to the hospital, how may I help you?"

"I hope you are okay father."

"I am fine to speak, it will give me something to do during the ambulance ride."

"Thank you Father, Isabel Wan told me to contact you, this is Walter Hawley. I was hoping you would help me with my uncle. I haven't heard from him in weeks. He lives in Rutland and I think he has been involved in Satanic magic. I am afraid to go check on him myself and was hoping you could do so."

"I would be happy to my child," He said. "When I am recovered I will attend to your uncle, can you please give me the address?"

This is where the session ended. 

*Character incorrectly labeled Elijah in previous entry.