Casting Shadows

This entry continues the ghostbusters’ antics and off-beat progress through the list of prompts. Today, though, we temporarily sync with the expected prompt in Area 10 after having taken a detour through the mid to high 20 Areas, thanks to the features of the map infographic below.

When last we saw our other three ghostbusters, they had been seeking answers from a somewhat paranoid computer (Area 5). Lemmon’s way with ‘people’ had gained a clue, but before they could figure out what it meant or how it was useful, they had been attacked by animated vines which had burst into the room (Area 5) from a room (Area 6) across a long hallway which leads to the Areas that most other respondents will be talking about today.

The vines attacked them by surprise thanks to Lemmon’s player rolling a ghost while trying to charm the verbally interactive computer. Of interest and concern was that this computer had been able to identify Dr. Dieter Lemmon by name and by traits. No one had time to worry about these details though as they were soon fighting for their freedom against a very challenging and tenacious set of clinging vines.

With some lucky Moves rolls that started to swing the odds of rolling a ghost back toward normalcy for a single session, the characters were able to avoid the initial entanglement attempt that seemed to want to pull them out of the room and into a dank and fungal-looking nightmare with a purple glow.

“The hallway!” Gray Stent called, seized by an idea, and led them out into the hall where they could put up a united front against the reaching vines in a more confined space where they could do a lot more damage with their proton packs. The vines did not like that one bit, but could not stand up to the streams!

A few more decent Moves rolls later, the trio retreated down the hall and barricaded themselves into what seemed like some sort of staff or seminar room (Area 10) . The walls were lined with motivational posters, and charts showing departmental performance. A ‘researcher of the month’ picture is displayed proudly next to a large refrigerator emblazoned with the company’s neon purple logo. The whole room is done in very bright colors that were doing their best not to clash with the logo.

On the bulletin board, a notice of the site’s closure was oddly titled with the word ‘Eureka’ and a work schedule showed shifts assigned until the end of the following month.

“I thought this place had gone out of business and was abandoned, but this place seems like workers could walk in at any time. The EotM is up-to-date, the fridge is humming, the schedule is current, the the power is still on – [I interrupt to note that the power suddenly goes out] …most of the time,” Stent wonders aloud to the others.

“Focus, Gray. We can figure out what sort of ruse is being perpetrated by the apparent plant closure later. Right now we need to find Dunhill,” Diego intones seriously in the darkness, face underlit by his dangling Ecto-Visor and completely unaware of the pun he has just made, but Dieter picks up on it, winking and mouthing the words, ‘plant closure’ for emphasis.

“Well, I think it is relevant. If we know what these people want, we can figure out what they are doing with these giant plants and how they are animating them. That glow… do you think it could be a side-effect of infusing living plants with some sort of psycho-reactive substance able to store and harness PKE?”

“I’m more concerned about what they computer didn’t like me,” Lemmon states, but I can tell you what these people want and I bet if we had some light that Diego here could prove it with the documentation on the walls of this ikea-nightmare of a breakroom. We knew this place was government funded and we now know it is only pretending to be shut down while the management wrestles with a minor problem of aggressive animated meat-seeking vines. It’s obvious what they want!”

“The best things in life are free, but you can keep them for the birds and bees…” Stent begins to sing to be joined by Lemmon in a fine rendition/imitation/homage of the talented Barrett Strong.

“Now is not the time for the Flying Lizards,” begins Diego.

“That comment reminds me of the time you drilled a hole through your head, Diego,” states Lemmon with mock hurt.

“That worked…”

“Right, but it was so – so wrong!”

“Ah… the Beatles?”

Stent bursts in, “Motown! There is always time for Motown, especially when you are feeling down.”

“Ok, Gray – I stand corrected, but unless I miss my guess, Dunhill is dealing with a very high probability of a paranormal infestation that is both capable of prolific reproduction and possession of material objects. We are, too, for that matter, but he is on his own. We need to find him.”

“Okay, okay, keep your shirt on… please!” Lemmon says and snaps his fingers to help him think.

I inform them that the lights flicker and come on.

Lemmon immediately starts snapping his fingers.

“What’s the game plan?” Asks Stent excitedly.

“We had to come down a flight of stairs to get into this room, so I propose we keep going and hope that we encounter another spot where we can access the secret laboratory spaces that we know must be onsite and in which I believe Dunhill is being held for otherworldly experiments,” Diego says as he moves for the other door out of the breakroom.

“I like this plan!” Lemmon shouts.

“I’m excited to be a part of it!” Stent steals the line.

Questions: In what ways does this scene deliver what the players want? How does it offer opportunity for them to learn what the antagonist(s) of the scenario want? How well do they make use of that opportunity? What compels them to shirk off learning useful clues about the opposition?

Video: Later today a video will be embedded below which will go into the concepts behind this scene.