Whispers by the Water

Pristaine Fall Spectacular

The rowdy festival crowd cheers as you finish your set, holding red plastic cups full of beer up to the stage in salute from their picnic tables before returning to their conversations. A few zip up their jackets to the chilling evening air. The crowd begins to fill in as the final act of the festival, headliner Mad Margie and the Big Little Band draws near.

It's near the end of the Saturday events of the town of Pristaine's autumn end-of-year blowout. In a few weeks, the last of the summer holdouts will pull their boats from the lake and head back to their rich city lives. Those with children have already left, leaving an eclectic mix of retirees, weekend fishermen and college partiers to make the crowd difficult to please.

After you've unloaded your gear from the sheltered stage, you see a man in a cheap suit waiting for you by your van. He's smoking a cigar of all things.


"My name is Markus Crane, and I have a proposition for you. But first, tell me... Do you really believe in ghosts?" The wind picks up just then, kicking up a small dust devil in the parking lot.

Let's have each of you describe your character, their thoughts, and finish setting the scene. Fell free to embellish the festival as you will.

"Why, are you one? I don't really believe the dead can haunt the living, no." Says Hoffmann with a voice strained from singing, rubbing his forearms due to the cold. He's clad in a similarly cheap suit, and it feels a tad too thin for the weather. On his head there's a fedora, and in his mind only thoughts of dinner.

"Ghosts don't exist!" Pips up Artur from behind his father. He wears a hat much like Hoffmann's, and a warm jacket over a button-up shirt. He eyes the stranger with curiosity. Was this a crank?

Huerago is fine with the breakup ending. Crowd looks to be a losing proposition. Another gig done. He had finished his bottle of vodka to keep himself steady. He had been on a hot streak for a while, so it was a fine time spent. Could get a heavy jacket on from the van too as it seems a touch chiller.

Keyboard Russian Huerago does interjects as he has his large keyboard with him preciously, "Well somethings do go unexplained. "

Owen, still enjoying the adrenaline of their performance, finishes getting his bass on its padded gig bag. That version of Voodoo Child was really something!
As he walks down the stage with the bag on his shoulder, his heavy leather jacket cuts the chilly wind easily.

"Ghost you say? They may exist alright, but are way less common than you think.
The last one I heard is still serving coffees downtown, I think his name was John"

Myles finishes putting his sax back in it's. Man he loved cutting loose on that horn. Almost as much as driving fast. He loves this kind of weather also so he is fine with the fall chill. As he comes down of stage with his case in one had and a beer in the other he hears the man and says"Hey Blue, did you hear this guy asking about ghosts?" He chuckles "Of course there are ghosts. Ain't you never heard of Casper?"

"Of course Zoot!
Such a baby face that Casper, but they say he drinks more than you, me and my grandpa."
Hahaha

"I would be more keen to all those horror movies."

"Good good," he says, and tips the ashes off his cigar. "I've got a proposition for you then."

When you've put your instruments away, he continues.

"Lakeshore Haven, a summer lake resort on the other side of this lake, was abandoned after a brutal mass murder twenty years ago. The site has since become the subject of urban legends and unexplained phenomena ever since. Strange sightings, eerie sounds, and disappearing locals near the lake have reignited interest in the location. Now it's scheduled to be torn down without any real attempts at uncovering the truth. I made sure you were invited to this festival knowing that you have a reputation for looking into, shall we say, odd occurrences."

He puffs on his cigar and says, "If you're interested, you can follow me there and I'll explain what I know. If you're not, then I will bid you good day and that's that."

"I believe in money if you're talking about propositions," Burt says. He quickly adds, "But not that kind. I don't go in for that, but I wouldn't be opposed to looking into your 'odd occurrences , I guess, if everyone else is willing also. I'm not going by myself. As an aside, don't you all think we need roadies? My drums are getting a little heavy. Maybe I'm just old."

"I wouldn't mind having roadies, nor some good old coin.

Having said that, we are not in any hurry for the next Gig, so we could entertain ourselves in this little project. 'Summer Lake Resort' does sounds fancy!"

Owen leaves the bass in the back of their van and picks up a cold beer on his way back to the group.

"So, Mr.Cigar, I'm guessing you own this resort, right? What was the proposition again?"

"A real mystery! Dad, can we?"

"Uh, sure. If we get paid..." Hoffmann notes that the stranger hadn't mentioned anything about paying them yet.

Myles loads his sax in the van and grabs another beer. "You know what they say money talks" Myles does love stuff like this though. He loves watching ghost hunters, mountain monsters, expedition bigfoot on tv in his spare time.

"Pay for food... we haven't eaten yet. Say, bring us to a nice eating place tonight, and tomorrow morning we check the place out."

"Oh! We could discuss the mystery over dinner tonight, and you could show us your research materials tomorrow!"

After putting away his keyboard and other fun stuff, The Russian notes, "Mystery sounds keen. " He is quickly ready for travel.

Myles looks over at Markus Crane "Well where you taking us for food there Daddy-O? I will follow you with the van. Or maybe Casper is cooking for us."

"Pay for water...?" Burt muses. I guess the tap doesn't work. Good to know, he thinks. "Sure. Let's drop our gear off and you show us what we need to see."

"Dinner first, is it? That's not a bad idea. Alright, follow me to the Watergate. That's a steak and seafood house."

He'll head off to his vehicle, a restored or otherwise well maintained International pickup from the 50s. After starting it, he'll await you loading up into your band van, and lead you out onto the side road around the lake.

The drive isn't long and you find yourself at a large log cabin looking establishment. There are only three vehicles in the parking. You can see a large deck hangs over the lake, although it's likely too cool for outside dining.

Once everyone is seated, Hoffmann orders the second most expensive thing in the menu for himself and his son to eat. Then he starts digging in.

Artur, meanwhile, produces a pen and a paper notebook from somewhere and gets ready to write things down. "You can start talking, sir."

"Well alright Mr Crane. You ready for some surf and turf there Burly?" Myles can't wait to inside and get a beer and a shot of kickin chicken.