ph_logs | Historical Society

Historical Society

Point of Contact: Dahlia Leeds
Meeting Spaces: Leeds Manor, Greymare Public Library

About.

Run by wealthy socialite and scholar Dahlia Leeds, the Pumpkin Hollow Historical society seeks to ensure the town's future by understanding its past. With frequent meetings to discuss useful and intriguing historical findings and exclusive access to Dahlia's archive, this is the place to be for inquisitive minds. A secular group, the Historical Society also maintains a respectful and neutral relationship with the church.

You can find fliers related to meetings on the bulletin boards located around the Greymare Public Library, a surprisingly austere stone building not far from town hall. A stroll past the bubbling decorative fountain and carefully-shaped topiaries will reveal said board hanging from the wall just beside the door. Look for the stamp of a death's head hawkmoth and you'll be sure to find a helpful advertisement indicating their robust meeting schedule.

Use this post to RP threads that take place at or in relation to the Pumpkin Hollow Historical Society! More details on the organization and its workings can be found under the drop-downs.

Membership.

Joining. You'll have to work very hard to convince the other members of the group you are trustworthy and not just here to mooch off of Dahlia or steal secrets for someone else's gain, and missing gatherings or questioning Dahlia's decisions are strictly prohibited.

Benefits. Dahlia's wealth and influence can be used to increase your financial stability, resources, and occasionally call in a favor to get out of a sticky situation. Dahlia's got your back! Additionally, you'll have access to more information.

Drawbacks. Members of this group die much more frequently under mysterious circumstances. They may also feel some impact from Dahlia's ongoing feud with Ocularum leader Neil West.

Philosophy.

The mistakes of the past are doomed to be repeated if they are forgotten. The Historical Society prides itself on researching, analyzing, and sharing the history of the town and surrounding island for the benefit of its modern residents. This includes and even prioritizes trying to understand the start of the island's curse. It is the hope of the Historical Society that discovering the origin of the curse will lead to uncovering the method by which it can become undone. In the meantime, their useful research on monsters and spirits is used to help locals combat the frequent paranormal problems they experience.

The Historical Society is decidedly secular, welcoming members regardless of religious beliefs. They do not require any sacrifices, offerings, or devotional acts--- only a dedication to learning and research. The one stipulation is that Dahlia maintains a fairly rigorous meeting schedule.

CODE BY MARWOOD

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"I wouldn't know what to compare it to!" Jean's back to cheerful here, we're entering Sensical Territory at last. "But aside from shelving and organizing and helping my Patron Librarian with research my job was to meet guests of the Library in mortal combat to prevent them from checking the books out. This sounds more convenient even if I can't figure out how you're turning a profit..."

Staff isn't free either.

"...Anyway!" Back on topic. "Are you sure you don't need some live-in staff? I've got experience! I won't get blood on the books! And it's..." Searching for words, searching for - "...familiar. The Library was better than my other job."

What a fascinating creature.

"I don't know if they're hiring. I work for town hall, so I know what kinds of work are on offer for the growth project. Those come with housing. The library would not."

With barely-restrained eagerness: "Is town hall where I'd inquire about working here at the library?"

Listen they have RESEARCH TO DO and if no one's sleeping here they're gonna, hell or high water.

"I... yes, I suppose you could. Or at the front desk," Dahlia said, looking a bit overwhelmed. "Let it be said though, that it still wouldn't be appropriate to sleep here. Town Hall is providing proper housing to newcomers, and that means you. So no living in public buildings is permitted, or necessary. Am I clear?"

"Seems like a waste of floor space but you're very clear!" Dahlia, you're about to be subject to the patented Overenthusiastic Handshake if you don't do something about it and fast. "Name's Jean, new hire - erm, arrival - anyway! Name's Jean, trying to get my bearings here. Hence the encyclopedias! People woulda killed for these back home." Beat. "...Well actually they tried to but ha ha! Nothing doing for them."

A handshake, she could handle. As a matter of fact she seemed to have quite a firm grip. For someone so slight, she seemed impressively strong.

"Well, good to meet you, Jean. I'm Dahlia," she replied. "I can't say I particularly envy someone from a world where books are scarce enough to warrant violence, but anyone who can appreciate a good encyclopedia is alright in my book." She grinned. Pun intended, obviously. "I am actually a bit of a scholar, myself, and I'm a native Marrow Islander. I can answer questions if you have them!"

"There are many questions! Hence the encyclopedias! But I repeat myself." Jean gestures at the stacks of books anyway. "History, law, taboos...oh! Oh oh, actually!" They turn back and lean in, caught up in the excitement. "The mines. Where are they, who owns them, who works in them? Someone's mining the Brass, or Mister Degas thinks so anyway. Sure would like to know more!"

Beat.

"...It occurs to me that this sounds a bit like I'm trying to rob the local mint! Hahahahahaha but no that is not what I'm doing."

"Well, if you must know," she replied, raising an eyebrow, "technically I own the mines. I don't run them, but I am technically the property owner. Inherited from one of my elder brothers when he died. A lot of businesses on the island are owned or invested in by my family, and considering I'm the only one left, all those things fall to me."

She moves to a nearby window, pointing out at the view as the sun takes a more established place in the morning sky. There amid the fog of the early hours is a crooked mountain reaching up from the tall pines like a bird taking flight. "That's Crane's Ridge. The mine is on the far side of its base. A number of metals and other deposits like coal come from there. The train that runs that way is then loaded up with said metals and they're brought back to town for processing at a factory, also owned by my family. Coins for use in Brass currency are minted upon request from the local government, more specifically Mayor Poe. Operations are handled by management working at these facilities, so I'm afraid I don't know too much more about the intricacies, but that's the gist of the process."

Jean pays careful attention during the explanation, looking out where Dahlia points to and even writing notes down. When they speak up again their voice is thoughtful, and a bit quieter than usual; they're trying out their Best Behavior for what turns out to be the OWNER OF THE ISLAND FUCK -

"I asked Mister Degas something about my job here, and now I think I should probably ask you: are you sure this island only has one curse?"

Dahlia opened her mouth to respond, then let it fall closed as she furrowed her brow.

"That's an interesting question," she muttered. "That's complicated. It seems like the cause of the island's problems are less a curse and more a gathering of intense evil magical energy, but it's entirely possible that it could have multiple sources. I'll pose the theory to the Historical Society. Do not say anything to that bastard shrink out by the woods about this. I can't have him snooping around just for the sake of showing me up."

"I am going to need a more specific description and possibly a name!" Jean turns to Dahlia, all interest now. "And! I would like to tour the mines. I could do the corporate espionage thing and just show up asking for a job but I think after this conversation that might be a bit obvious! I think there might be something to learn down there and if there isn't that's something to learn too!"

Beat.

"...Is there a bounty on useful information or is the white-haired lady the only one paying for curse-related job duties?"

Unfortunately, this was entirely the incorrect thing to say to Dahlia.

"Why don't I give you his address while I'm at it? Mark his location on a map?" She asked sarcastically. "And maybe I can write down all the things I told you not to tell him so that you can hand it all over to him when you get there? No, I think I'll handle the mines myself, with my own people, thank you."

Ahhh, sarcasm. This is more familiar! Jean beams, they really do. "Okay! You're looking for the brass itself! It's very odd, is the thing ma'am - brass shouldn't be an ore, it's an alloy, it happening in nature would be like..."

Beat.

Beat.

Beat again.

Jean's brain all but visibly shorts: "Well it doesn't happen in nature! So if it's natural here, good to know! And if it's not, well, who made it? If you need a tomb robber after your inspection I'm for hire!"

Beat. This time their brain works. "Also the earlier question still stands I honestly have no idea who this is you're having problems with!"

"What? It is an alloy. Who told you that? Degas?" She sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Why on earth would a small-town preacher know off the top of his head the metal composition of brass? You mean to tell me that someone mistakenly told you something they didn't actually know, and you were so willing to take that for granted that you were going to risk irreparably damaging your reputation here by doing corporate espionage?"

What a mess. Thank goodness she'd been able to correct this before it got out of hand.

"It's copper, for the record," she added. "The primary metal found in the Crane's Ridge mine is copper, and a bit of zinc."

The writer would put 'beat' here but we'd need enough of them that there'd be a dubstep album at the end.

"Hahahahahahahaha that makes so much more sense! But if I can make sense back if I was actually going for corporate espionage I wouldn't have used those words, precisely, to the owner's face!" Jean Gestures. What kind of gesturing? Platonic Gesturing, they're expressing several emotions at the same time. "Please forgive me I am used to taking very clear orders! This new independence is beyond the scope of my professional experience."

"...You know, wherever you're from, I don't think you should go back," Dahlia remarked. "It doesn't seem like it was good for you."

She was clearly frustrated, but didn't seem to hold any true malice for them. But she would be keeping an eye on this one.

"I need to get to work now. I'd just come here for an errand. And you need to unmake this makeshift bed and go back to your real one," she scolded. "A bit of advice for you--- if you want to go sniffing around for information, then not every thought you have should come out of your mouth. And stay away from the Ocularum."

"I'll try!" Jean is obediently working on rearranging the books. Two piles are being made on the desk; the ones they've finished, and the ones that need to go back on the shelf. "Good luck at work!"

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