Post by thecalebg on May 18, 2014 3:10:20 GMT
It is late June, 1924. Our story opens in northern Virginia, aa few hours outside of Washington DC, on the estate of William Henshaw. William owns a series of hotel chains in most major cities along the East Coast and is known for hosting grand balls several times a year. The Henshaw estate has been buzzing with activity for the past few days in preparation for tonight's event.
The property itslelf is quite large. The forests are lush and stocked with game. There are several small cottages and many hunting trails winding through the woods. The grounds are well-kept by a staff that lives on site. The Henshaw mansion dominates the grounds and has stood for many generations. William did not grow up in the mansion. He was raised in Massachusetts while his parents traveled through the New England area, opening new hotels. William returned to his ancestral home on his thirty-first birthday and his lived there ever since. He does not run his family business directly, but he is an active member of the board of directors.
William lives for the parties that he hosts. On most occasions, he invites his close friends and fellow members of the high-class side of society. Some of these parties will last for days at a time. But tonight is not intended to be one of those types of parties. Tonight, in addition to the modern-day aristocrats, William has invited members of various different professions to provide cultural diversion and entertaining interacton.
In total, there are about 50 peole attending the party, not including the staff.
As twilight settles over the estate, the Henshaw mansion lights up brilliantly. All the windows blaze and the lawn around the mansion are lined with small paper lanterns. Behiind the mansion is a long table, covered in crisp linen set for dinner. The serving staff are rushing about, preparing for the meal. Inside the mansion, waiters stand wtih trays holding glasses of champagne and plates of small sandwiches. On an elevated platform, a small group of musicians plays an incredibly popular jazz instrumental tune that had taken the world by storm just a few months earlier. Guests wander the house and ground, making small talk.
The highlight of the evening is the entertaining guests. There are musicians, actors, doctors, scientists, and sports stars. Some of these people are slightly ashamed to be part of such a spectacle, and others see it as all in good fun.
Thadeus Cromcastle. You were invited as an honored guest. Your time spent abroad makes you a fascinating guest, and you can barely get a taste of your drink before someone is asking you to share a new story. As a doctor and an archeologist, you have seen things first hand that the other guests have only read about in the papers. You try to keep your tales grounded in reality and fact, as you feel that truth and logic are the most important aspects of your job. Of course, some of the more privileged guests long for the wild tales of ghosts and horrors. Your home university is in Washington DC, and William Henshaw had not only sent a car for you, but personally drove you to attend this party. William is a fan of all things strange and arcane and has already spent hours quizzing you about any and every detail of your exploits and adventures. He has also dropped several hints that he would be willing to fund your next expedition if he would be allowed to travel with you. You are not entirely comfortable with the setting of this party. All these rich people that don't hold honest jobs (in your oppinion) put you on edge.
Helena Tunt. You were invited to the party as one of William's personal friends. You have been to the estate before, but this is the first gala that you have been able to attend. Even though you are the daughter of a railroad tycoon and the heiress to a vast estate, you are not the typical lazy wealthy individual. Your personal passion is in the collection and preservation of rare antiques. The world is rapidly changing and developing, but you feel in your heart that humanity cannot forget the lessons of the past. You have studied abroad and are well-traveled. Your greatest achievement to date is a private library of ancient manuscripts and scrolls from all over the world. Some of these you actually gathered yourself, some you purchased at auction, and some you obtained through your connections in the academic world. Ond of these connections is Thadeus Cromcastle. You have worked with him many times in the past and have funded several of his expeditions. You know him to be passionate about his work. He does not raid tombs or sacred monuments for the glory or menetary gain. He seeks to obtain knowledge.
Leonard Salvesen. You were invited as a member of both the sports world and the entertainment industry. The invitaiton came as shock to you, and you intitally considered it a joke. But then you learned a bit about the Henshaws and decided to attend. You were not in town at all, so you had to travel to get here. As there are no main roads leading to the Henshaw estate, you caught a ride with one of the trucks making a delivery of supplies for the party. This got you there rather early so, for the lack of anything better to do, you actually started helping out in setting up the tables and charis on the back lawn. When William noticed you doing this, he ushered you inside an apologized. It turns out that he is a huge fan of yours. In his childhood, you were his favorite wrestler. He was never allowed to go to any of the shows you performed at because his parents considered them a vulgur show for the common folks. But he did manage to sneak away and see your matches several times. As other guests arrived, William took you around and introduced you to everyone. This is all somewhat overwhelming to you. But you found people that seemed generally interested in your stories and experiences, and have spent the past few hours reliving the glory days.
The property itslelf is quite large. The forests are lush and stocked with game. There are several small cottages and many hunting trails winding through the woods. The grounds are well-kept by a staff that lives on site. The Henshaw mansion dominates the grounds and has stood for many generations. William did not grow up in the mansion. He was raised in Massachusetts while his parents traveled through the New England area, opening new hotels. William returned to his ancestral home on his thirty-first birthday and his lived there ever since. He does not run his family business directly, but he is an active member of the board of directors.
William lives for the parties that he hosts. On most occasions, he invites his close friends and fellow members of the high-class side of society. Some of these parties will last for days at a time. But tonight is not intended to be one of those types of parties. Tonight, in addition to the modern-day aristocrats, William has invited members of various different professions to provide cultural diversion and entertaining interacton.
In total, there are about 50 peole attending the party, not including the staff.
As twilight settles over the estate, the Henshaw mansion lights up brilliantly. All the windows blaze and the lawn around the mansion are lined with small paper lanterns. Behiind the mansion is a long table, covered in crisp linen set for dinner. The serving staff are rushing about, preparing for the meal. Inside the mansion, waiters stand wtih trays holding glasses of champagne and plates of small sandwiches. On an elevated platform, a small group of musicians plays an incredibly popular jazz instrumental tune that had taken the world by storm just a few months earlier. Guests wander the house and ground, making small talk.
The highlight of the evening is the entertaining guests. There are musicians, actors, doctors, scientists, and sports stars. Some of these people are slightly ashamed to be part of such a spectacle, and others see it as all in good fun.
Thadeus Cromcastle. You were invited as an honored guest. Your time spent abroad makes you a fascinating guest, and you can barely get a taste of your drink before someone is asking you to share a new story. As a doctor and an archeologist, you have seen things first hand that the other guests have only read about in the papers. You try to keep your tales grounded in reality and fact, as you feel that truth and logic are the most important aspects of your job. Of course, some of the more privileged guests long for the wild tales of ghosts and horrors. Your home university is in Washington DC, and William Henshaw had not only sent a car for you, but personally drove you to attend this party. William is a fan of all things strange and arcane and has already spent hours quizzing you about any and every detail of your exploits and adventures. He has also dropped several hints that he would be willing to fund your next expedition if he would be allowed to travel with you. You are not entirely comfortable with the setting of this party. All these rich people that don't hold honest jobs (in your oppinion) put you on edge.
Helena Tunt. You were invited to the party as one of William's personal friends. You have been to the estate before, but this is the first gala that you have been able to attend. Even though you are the daughter of a railroad tycoon and the heiress to a vast estate, you are not the typical lazy wealthy individual. Your personal passion is in the collection and preservation of rare antiques. The world is rapidly changing and developing, but you feel in your heart that humanity cannot forget the lessons of the past. You have studied abroad and are well-traveled. Your greatest achievement to date is a private library of ancient manuscripts and scrolls from all over the world. Some of these you actually gathered yourself, some you purchased at auction, and some you obtained through your connections in the academic world. Ond of these connections is Thadeus Cromcastle. You have worked with him many times in the past and have funded several of his expeditions. You know him to be passionate about his work. He does not raid tombs or sacred monuments for the glory or menetary gain. He seeks to obtain knowledge.
Leonard Salvesen. You were invited as a member of both the sports world and the entertainment industry. The invitaiton came as shock to you, and you intitally considered it a joke. But then you learned a bit about the Henshaws and decided to attend. You were not in town at all, so you had to travel to get here. As there are no main roads leading to the Henshaw estate, you caught a ride with one of the trucks making a delivery of supplies for the party. This got you there rather early so, for the lack of anything better to do, you actually started helping out in setting up the tables and charis on the back lawn. When William noticed you doing this, he ushered you inside an apologized. It turns out that he is a huge fan of yours. In his childhood, you were his favorite wrestler. He was never allowed to go to any of the shows you performed at because his parents considered them a vulgur show for the common folks. But he did manage to sneak away and see your matches several times. As other guests arrived, William took you around and introduced you to everyone. This is all somewhat overwhelming to you. But you found people that seemed generally interested in your stories and experiences, and have spent the past few hours reliving the glory days.
