1-on-1 Sessions: Expeditions in the last four years

https://www.prosperopublishing.com/2021/05/17/random-events-nyc/

Crew in the hospital: Admitted on January 15th - needs a week to attempt to remove the major wound (January 22nd)

Meeting with Dr. Mordecai Lemming

• Lemming lives at the Murray Hill Hotel, East 40th and Park Avenue.
  • A polite clerk at the reception desk greets the investigators and asks if he may be of assistance.
  • Anyone unknown to the clerk who attempts to climb the impressive gray marble staircase to Dr. Lemming’s apartment on the sixth floor is immediately challenged.
  • If they fail to acknowledge him, they are chased after by the two smartly liveried doormen who stand guard at the lobby entrance
  • Providing they comply or speak directly with the clerk upon arrival, the clerk asks the investigators to wait while he calls up to Dr. Lemming to see if he is at home to guests today. If the investigators look at all disreputable, then they need to succeed at a Credit Rating roll to have the clerk ring through. If they look presentable or have a letter of introduction (or a sufficiently impressive business. or calling card), then the clerk does not hesitate in his duty. Once the clerk has secured Dr. Lemming’s consent, he permits the investigators to climb the stairs.
• Inside Dr. Lemming’s Room
  • He looks delighted to see them and ushers them into his opulent but overcrowded rooms. Rococo detailing on the walls and ceilings fights for the investigators’ attention among a plethora of books and seemingly random objects from every continent, all with the shared theme of myth and folklore.
  • Questioning the doctor about Elias’ death and the other murder victims causes the elderly academic to giggle nervously before taking a medicinal nip of his “nerve-tonic” from a silver hip flask
  • He believes the mark to be that of an African death cult or, more likely, someone mimicking the symbol of an African death cult to stir up ill feeling
  • He is sorry to hear of Elias’ death and is thoroughly perplexed by it. Either the police have the wrong man in prison, or Adams must have been working with an accomplice.
  • “Should they wish to know more about such things as African folklore and cult histories, then Mr. Silas N’Kwane, the proprietor of Ju-Ju House in Harlem, may be able to help them. He regularly sends Dr. Lemming trinkets and fetishes he knows will be of interest to his studies, and charges a very reasonable price for them, to boot.”

Dr. Mordecai Lemming

• garrulous and often fascinating to listen to, it is clear that he loves his subject, even if he is somewhat squeamish about its darker aspects and woefully naive about some of his contacts in New York

1. (Pompously, adjusting his glasses) "Ah, Elias' work? A tad sensationalist for my taste. I prefer a more... scholarly approach to folklore."
2. (Excitedly, waving a dusty book) "This tome here? It's a rare collection of folk beliefs. Quite the cat's pajamas, if I do say so myself."
3. (Dismissively, chuckling) "An African death cult in New York? Oh, come now! That's just the bee's knees of tall tales."
4. (Distractedly, looking at an ink stain) "Oh, this? A minor casualty in the pursuit of knowledge. One can't be too fussy when delving into the annals of history."
5. (Curiously, leaning in) "That symbol on Elias' head? I've seen it in my studies. But the notion of such a cult operating today? Pure balderdash!"
6. (Obliviously, pointing on a map) "If you're curious about African artifacts, there's this quaint little shop, Ju-Ju House. The proprietor, Silas N’Kwane, is quite the character."
7. (Defensively, puffing up) "I may not have traveled the world, but I've journeyed through countless pages. There's more than one way to explore, my friend."
8. (Garrulously, lost in thought) "The beauty of folklore is that it's a window into the soul of a culture. Every myth, every tale, tells us something profound about the human condition."
9. (Slightly squeamish, looking away) "Some of these tales can be a bit... grisly. I prefer to focus on the more uplifting aspects of folklore."
10. (Naively, with a chuckle) "Murders linked to Ju-Ju House? Oh, you have quite the imagination! It's just a harmless little shop."

To roleplay Dr. Mordecai Lemming effectively, emphasize his academic demeanor, his naive outlook on the darker aspects of his studies, and his genuine passion for folklore