Liz listens to Brian as he gives her the rest of rundown.
“I find it interesting that one of the TVs is repairing itself, while the material you took from the scene started evaporating. I wonder if this activity is directly related to the building or the TVs themselves,” she ponders as she pulls up next to the building. “You said that the super found that old TV in the basement? Is it possible that he caused this to happen when he was messing around with it?”
The dissolving glass is curious, and a little disturbing since it i still dissolving while away from the ghost.
Well, Don didn’t smash the TV until it started acting up. I guess it’s possible that he did something prior to that, but he didn’t mention anything specific.
Right now I’d like to focus on who the ghost might be. The other tenants might have some clues.
Elizabeth and Brian park the Ghostmobile outside the apartment building; luckily, the same spot (with the same broken parking meter) is available. Moments later, Louis pulls up on his motorcycle, and parks it nearby.
The crew enter the building, and meet Gerald coming down the stairs, backwards. In his hands are several severed segments of the television’s electrical cord. Just above him, Don Davidson and Kristopher Seneca are struggling to carry a large, bulky, color television set down into Don’s apartment. It’s clear that Kris is doing most of the work! After a few moments, they manage to maneuver it into Don’s electronics lab and onto a workbench.
Kristopher rolled 15 (no ghost) to disassemble the television. MUSCLES rolls were made for both he and Don; neither one scored a Ghost.
It’s a matter of moments before Kristopher, with (or despite) Don’s help, has the set opened up and ready for surgery. Thinking carefully, he removes a vacuum tube, a capacitor, several assorted wires, and disconnects the television’s transformer. He manages to not electrocute himself during any of this, which is good, and he manages to not electrocute Don, which is nearly miraculous. He coils the power cord neatly to the side, and steps back to admire his handiwork.
Meanwhile, Liz breaks out her PKE meter and gives the apartment a quick scan; she compares her results with the others, but learns nothing new.
Louis is the first to notice that the duct tape, as expected, has begun to peel free of the wall, exposing the electrical outlet near Don’s small black-and-white television set.
The group discusses their next move…
I was not certain what that might be, so I left you all here for now. Take a look at Roll20 to see the map, or click here: Don’s Flat
I figure the time is around 2:00 pm… mostly because I want it to get close to 8:00 without having to say “ok now it’s 8:00” which is what I’m gonna do anyway so I don’t know why I bother but there you have it, I said it, can’t take it back now!
Do you allthink we should go visit the third floor and maybe the 4th, before 8:00? I’d like to know what’s going on up there
“Sure, let’s go visit the next floor up, that lady with the kids. We can come back real quick to see if the television set has fixed itself before we go up to Dr. Panama’s floor,” Kris says.
Kris begins heading up to the next unexplored floor.
Brian puts the duct taps back and props a seat cushion up over the outlet.
“Lets see what the ghost does with that”
He then joins the others on the way to the third floor
Lou volunteers to stay behind in Don’s flat to see what the TV does. If Don happens to be around asking questions about the equipment, Lou will answer enthusiatically but incomprehensibly.
Gerald quickly goes downstairs to the GhostMobile and trades his Tobin’s Spirit Guide in for one of the Ghost Traps, then rejoins the rest of the group.
Louis remains downstairs in Don’s apartment, keeping an eye on the television.
[spoiler]item list:
Gerald: Proton Pack, Ghost Trap, Mobile Telephone
Kristopher: Proton Pack, Ecto-Visor, PKE Meter
Professor: Proton Pack, PKE Meter, Video Camera
Elizabeth: Proton Pack, Ecto-Visor, PKE Meter
Louis: Proton Pack, Ecto-Visor, Ghost Trap[/spoiler]
As the Ghostbusters leave Don’s apartment and climb the stairs to the third floor, the sounds of children yelling and screaming can be heard behind the third floor door. They knock on the door… and knock… and knock…
After a moment, a small boy, about six years of age, opens the door and peers up at you. “Who are you?” he asks, speaking loudly to be heard over the noise from inside the apartment.
“We’re the Ghostbusters” you explain. “We’re here about the televisions.”
“Mooooooom! Somebody’s here, Mom!” he calls into the din. After a moment, a frazzled-looking middle-aged woman arrives. “Oh… hello there” she says. “I’m Maria Pogoni. Come on in… don’t mind the kids, they’re all a Bunch Of Little HELLIONS who are gonna be IN BIG TROUBLE if they Don’t STOP IT NOW!”
The children, running amok around the apartment, pay her threats no attention whatsoever. The small boy who answered the door clings to her apron and stares at you as his mother leads you into the living area, which is, to put it mildly, a disaster area. Toys, clothes, dirty dishes, and various household implements lay scattered everywhere, the mess constantly increasing as the children run about, having the time of their lives. Maria makes a half-hearted attempt to clean things as she goes, but the mess increases faster than she can put things away.
You look around the apartment, and the first thing that catches your attention is the fact that the living room has been converted into a bedroom for the boys. The ‘master’ bedroom belongs to the girls, and a section of the living area has been converted into Maria’s bedroom… this lone oasis of order stands in stark contrast to the rest of the apartment. “That’s my room. The kids know better than to go in there” explains Mrs. Pogoni, with a hint of threat aimed at the children.
A television blares from each of the childrens’ bedrooms, tuned to soap operas. There is no TV in the living area, nor in Maria’s bedroom.
Nobody pays even the slightest attention to the televisions.
In the kitchen, a small girl washes dishes, as her younger sister rummages through the refrigerator for something to eat. The oldest boy sits at the table, enjoying a bowl of Ghost Toasties breakfast cereal, as his slightly younger brother tries to climb to the top shelf of the cupboard for some forbidden cookies.
You carefully pick your way into the apartment…
Or don’t. I don’t care. Do whatever you want, it’s all about you isn’t it?! 
PS: Louis, please include a MOVES *or *BRAINS roll for me, sometime during today’s turn. Thanks.
I always forget to do this:
For those playing along at home: The Pogoni Place
For what it’s worth, the green bar above the kids shows their age (out of 10 years) instead of their Brownie Points. The oldest child is 9, the youngest is 5.
I’m tempted to use orate to quiet the kids down heh
Brian walks into the room and asks Mrs Poloni to tell them her experience with the ghost and the TVs
Kris begins to use the PKE meter around the apartment.
Kris rolls a 14(no ghost) for equipment expert.
Kris also begins talking to Ms. Pogoni, "Ms. Pogoni, I have a few quick questions for you, if that is OK. By the way, I’m amazed at hour beautiful you keep yourself looking with all these kids to care for. You must be a special person. Anyway, we’re trying to help with these TV’s popping on all the time and I’d like to throw a few quick Q’s at you.
First, has anything unusual been happening to you the last two months, something you might not be able to explain? Aside from the TV’s, that is.
Second, and I know this is sensitive, but we heard that your husband died recently. Very sorry to hear it, too. Have you tried to reach his spirit in the afterlife?
Lastly, do you have any information about the man who lives above you?
Thank you for answering these questions; I know it can be hard."
Kris added 2 brownie points to this roll for smooth talker(yes I did it first this time). He rolled a 9(no ghost), plus the two points for 11
Liz rolls her eyes at Kris as he sweet talks the mother. She makes her way into the kitchen and puts on her ecto-visor.
She decides to question some of the kids.
Liz added 1 brownie point on Brains roll for ecto-visor. Rolled 13, plus 1 brownie point for 14
MOVES = 18, no ghost.
Louis rolls an 18, no ghost, for MOVES
Louis turns and looks, just in time to see the seat cushion, formerly covering the duct-taped outlet, lean heavily and fall to the floor. He catches just a glimpse of a blue-ish glow coming from the outlet before it fades away. The duct tape remains in place, for the moment at least.
Liz rolls a (adjusted) 13 for BRAINS to use the Ecto-Visor
Liz dons her ecto-visor but can’t make anything out, since there is too much light in this apartment.
Because she knows you can’t use an Ecto-Visor in a lighted area, and because there’s nothing to see anyway, she doesn’t use a Brownie Point for this.
Kristopher pours on the charm, and attempts to engage Mrs. Pogoni in conversation.
One more time: to use brownie points, click the BROWNIE POINT dieroller in your character sheet once per point used, THEN click the dieroller for the skill to which you wish to apply these brownie points. I have rolled the points for you Mahaloth, since I didn’t see them in the game. You got 8 added to your SMOOTH TALKER roll of 9, for a total of 17.
Mrs. Pogoni isn’t used to people, especially handsome young men, flirting with her, and Kristopher easily woos her into telling everything she knows…
Questions, in order asked:
“Well, I dunno about no ghost, but I know the work of the Devil when I see it! He been comin’ round here all hours of the night, turnin’ our tee-vees to that awful chatter and all that sex and violence alla time! I ain’t never seen him myself, but you know the Lord helps to protect me and I thank Him for his Grace!”
“I ain’t seen nothing unusual, ‘cept for the Devil messin’ with my tee-vee! An’ that awful man upstairs, bangin’ around alla time, I’m sure he must be in league with the demons or why won’t he come out durin’ tha daytime?”
“My poor late husband, Ronald, God Rest His Soul. He died in a cave-in at the coal mines about three-four years back; thank The Lord that he was insured or I’d never be able to afford this wonderful home for my children and me! I pray to Jesus every night, for Him to hold my husband in His arms until I am finally Called Up to be with him once again!” A tear comes to her eye as she relates the story. “But if you’re askin’ if I practice witchcraft or somethin’ like that, you’d better think again sonny! The dead are with Our Savoir Who Art In Heaven, and it is not for us to speak with them until we join them in the glorious afterlife!”
“Alls I know is that man ain’t right somehow! I ain’t sayin’ I know for sure he’s in league with Lucifer, but how else can you explain why he ain’t never come out during daylight? How else can you explain the strange noises from up there at two in the mornin’? How else can you explain the strange odors wafting into our windows alla time? You tell me, doesn’t that sound like the handiwork of the Devil?!”
“I didn’t notice anythin’, not at first. These awful children of mine always have the tee-vee goin’ allatime anyway, I thought they was just bein’ all stubborn-like when I telled 'em to turn ‘em off, an’ they didn’t. But now I believe 'em 'cuz I’ve heard the tee-vees turn themselves on even when there ain’t nobody in their rooms to turn 'em on!”
“That woman is a Jezebel! She always havin’ those strange men comin’ into and outta my apartment buildin’ allatime, and it’s not always the same strange men either! I ain’t gonna say what they does down there in fronta the children but you know what I mean, don’tcha miss?” She gives Liz a pointedly judgemental look, as if she suspects that Liz knows all too well just exactly what she means!
“I ain’t noticed much else but what I told yas, nope. Not that I can 'member, at least!”
Kris rolls a 14(no ghost) for equipment expert to use the PKE Meter.
As expected, there is substantial psychokinetic energy throughout the apartment; in particular, in both of the childrens’ rooms… not only around the TVs, but also on the much-scribbled-upon walls. Every wall, in both of the childrens’ rooms, is covered with paint, crayon, marker, and pencil drawings of numerous figures, mostly current cartoon characters such as Bugs Bunny and Tom & Jerry. Many other fanciful childlike drawings abound, which you presume are their depictions of each other, various friends and family members, or just random drawings of people they’ve met.
Anyone who examines these drawings may choose to make a BRAINS, OBSERVATION, or similar dieroll to notice something odd about them. The higher the roll, the more accurately I will describe your results in a private message which you may choose to share with the others, or not, as you like.
Mrs. Pogoni’s room, in addition to being phsycially clean, is also spiritually clean; there isn’t a trace of PKE Energy in anything inside her room!
Feel free to continue your investigations!
Kris relates the information about the walls’ PKE readings to the group. “I suggest all of us examine the walls int here to see what we can find.”
Kris is already examining the walls.
Kris rolls a 7 for Brains(no ghost).
Brian rolls Brains 20, no ghost.
Brian examines the wall and pictures, looking for anything out of place.
He then joins Liz to speak to the children.
He asks them (and Mrs Polini) “Have you seen anything strange happen in the apartment while these TV’s come on by themselves?” “Does anything strange happen in the evenings between 8 and 10?”
Brian listens to the children and the mother all at once 1 brownie point used, 25 Listen, no ghost
My apologies everyone; I had a good meal last night and fell asleep early! Consider this the Midnight post.
PS: Elizabeth, I’m sorry, I completely misread your questions… I didn’t notice you were asking the children! I’ll correct that here first:
The children seem reluctant to discuss these matters in front of their mother; however, they do provide some information.
“The televisions turn themselves on all by themselves! They are really loud and usually boring grownup stuff, but sometimes we get to watch cartoons, and we like it when that happens. Mommy says that it’s the devil in the TV but I don’t know, she says that about a lot of stuff.”
“She’s really pretty, but Mommy says she’s not a nice girl so we aren’t allowed to talk to her much.”
“Mommy’s sad a lot and she works real hard. We try to help but mostly we can’t. She yells at us a lot now too, but that’s ok because we are naughty a lot and we deserve it.”
Louis and Don remain in Don’s apartment. The rest of the crew are still in Mrs. Pogoni’s apartment.
Nothing else of note happens during this time.
Kristopher and Brian will have private messages shortly.
Brian motions to Liz, asking her to draw the mothers attention away from him. He tells her “This child may have some information”
He takes the child aside and asks him/her about what they said, plus asks about the picture, who the figure in glasses is.
he asks quietly, so the mother can’t hear. Who is Mr Cartoon man? When does he appear? Why? Does he talk to you?
Brian adds to Liz, ask Mrs Polini to show you a picture of her husband
Kris looks at the pictures on the walls. He thinks, “Huh, odd pictures. I’ve never seen Mickey Mouse sitting down watching TV. Weird kids.”
Then, out-loud, “Guys, I’m going to pop back down to the first floor to check out the TV I disassembled. You can all stay here. We can head up to Dr. Panama’s apartment any time after I check the TV downstairs. Good?”
