The investigators continued their perilous journey through Shanghai, chasing leads that tied the mysterious Dark Mistress to a powerful cult. Their search led them to Fergus, a wary bartender who revealed the existence of the Order of the Bloated Woman and its feared leader, Ho Fang. After a brief respite of rest and shopping, the group pressed deeper into danger, ultimately breaking into Ho Fang’s warehouse, where new secrets and new threats awaited.
Key Characters Introduced
- Fergus Chum: Bartender at the Stumbling Tiger Bar who distrusts outsiders but eventually reveals information about the local cult.
- The Order of the Bloated Woman: Cult revealed during the session, feared in Shanghai and connected to sinister activities.
- Ho Fang: Powerful Shanghai figure, suspected leader of the cult, with influence tied to a warehouse on the Whangpoo River.
Key Events
- Observation of the Dark Mistress
- The group spent the early morning hours watching the ship. They noticed its industrial, reinforced design, very different from other local vessels, and saw it depart Shanghai. This raised immediate suspicion about its purpose and its crew.
- Following the Crewman into Shanghai
- Bessie, Virginia, and Ezekiel tailed one of the ship’s men to a house where he entered and extinguished the lights soon after. The team marked the address, giving them a potential lead to pursue later.
- Meeting Fergus at the Stumbling Tiger Bar
- At dawn, the party returned to meet Fergus, the bartender tied to their matchbook clue. After some awkward exchanges, Fergus reluctantly shared the cultist’s details with the party, being especially wary of Percy. His information confirmed their suspicions of a larger network in Shanghai.
- Revelation of the Order of the Bloated Woman
- Fergus revealed the cult’s name and its leader, Ho Fang. He explained that they controlled the Dark Mistress and spread fear throughout Shanghai. This marked a turning point, providing investigators with a concrete enemy and faction to pursue.
- Link to Sir Aubrey Penhew
- A visit to the British Consulate revealed the Dark Mistress was registered to Sir Aubrey Penhew, a member of the infamous Carlyle Expedition believed to be dead. This shocking discovery tied their current investigation back to the global conspiracy.
- Rest and Resupply at the Palace Hotel
- After being awake all night, the investigators took much-needed rest. This scene emphasized Call of Cthulhu’s mechanic of exhaustion and gave time for character interactions, including shopping for clothes, books, and supplies.
- Planning and Suspicion Around Short Round (Li Wen Chen)
- Doubts grew about their local guide, Short Round, as some investigators suspected his intentions were not entirely trustworthy. Fergus later confirmed that Li Wen was a legitimate guide, but tensions within the party persisted regarding their trust in him.
- Staking Out Ho Fang’s Warehouse
- The team discovered Ho Fang’s warehouse along the river. They noticed a second ship, the Luxuriant Goddess, moored nearby. Both the location and the vessel hinted at larger cult operations and wealth.
- Breaking into the Warehouse
- Under the cover of darkness, Omar picked the lock to the warehouse. Inside, they discovered multiple offices filled with shipping papers and documents, which Omar photographed. This party believed that cult activity was hidden behind legitimate trade.
Standout Moments
- Omar: Boldly picked the lock to Ho Fang’s warehouse, opening the way for the investigators to uncover hidden evidence of cult operations.
- Virginia: Shined her flashlight to guide the party inside the warehouse, discovered an office full of papers, and set them up for Omar to photograph.
- Ezekiel: Joined Emerson in forming a “book club,” spending downtime poring over Mythos texts, showing his scholarly focus amidst the chaos.
- Bessie: Secured valuable supplies during the shopping trip, including a new dress and essentials like batteries, proving her practicality and foresight.
- Emerson: Stood guard and kept a watchful eye outside and inside the warehouse, embodying his role as the party’s protector during their risky infiltration.
- Percy: Ventured upstairs alone, uncovering a loose stair with light glowing beneath it. His discovery closed the session on a tense cliffhanger, making his moment the most significant.
Session 23 in Shanghai took the investigators deeper into the city’s shadows, where whispered cult names and hidden ledgers hinted at a larger conspiracy. Fergus’s uneasy cooperation confirmed what they had feared: the Order of the Bloated Woman holds sway in Shanghai, with Ho Fang and his warehouse at the center of its influence. Each step drew the party closer to danger, yet also closer to the truth.
The session ended on a knife’s edge, with Percy alone upstairs, discovering a loose stair hiding a strange glow beneath it. What secrets lie beneath Ho Fang’s warehouse, and how far will the cult’s influence reach? The answers await in the next chapter of their perilous journey through Masks of Nyarlathotep.
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Investigators Handbook: https://amzn.to/4fHaRdi
Keeper Rulebook: https://amzn.to/4dilnpG
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