The Yellow King - Pelgrane Press (RPGES episode)

"The Yellow King - Pelgrane Press" is the thirteenth episode of RPG Exploration Society. The episode aired live on July 3, 2017 on the Saving Throw Twitch channel, and is archived on the YouTube channel.

Summary
The Society plays the The Yellow King RPG by Pelgrane Press using the GUMSHOE system.

A group of four students in 1890's France investigate when they discover a friend they had thought dead has written a play which will be opening soon.

The setting is subtle indescribable horror, but this playthrough has much more of a farce/parody feel.

Full Synopsis
Episode starts with rule introductions and character creation (0:00:00--0:40:00)

Months before the events of the episode begin, our four protagonists were taken to a play by their friend Estrelle, The King in Yellow. Something about it was disturbing, not quite right, and stayed with them in their dreams - and then soon after, Estrelle died in mysterious circumstances.

Cut to the current day, the group is coming back from a night of carousing when they see a poster going up for a new play which is coming soon, Cassilda - which is clearly based on the King in Yellow. Looking closer, they discover the playwright is their friend Estrelle.

Agreeing that they have to investigate how Estrelle is alive and why she has not contacted them, Cheri suggests that they visit the poster's artist Vidaline, whose work she recognises. Tracking him down via a cafe he frequents, the group get his address and visit him at home.

Vidaline appears gaunt, haunted, and hasn't slept. He answers their questions but it quickly becomes obvious that he's somewhat unhinged, and became so paranoid about unseen forces he ate the reference images for the poster and mutilated his fingers to prevent being spied upon. He mentions someone else recently approached him about the poster, a Florist.

The investigators leave him and follow their other lead, Renee's friend Miette who performs at the Palais Garnier where Cassilda is going to be staged. Miette doesn't know much about the upcoming play except that Celeste is in the lead role, as her singing has been improving lately, and shares the gossip that Celeste left her Florist boyfriend Albert recently for a Duke.

The group confront Albert about his interest in Celeste and the poster, and in a frenzy he rushes off to plead with or kill Celeste. They give chase to Palais Garnier where the current play is already in progress, and Celeste is on stage in her minor role. Her performance isn't great, but improves when she looks up to the boxed seats, where Renee spots a grey gloved hand gesturing to Celeste.

In pursuit of this figure they find someone robed entirely in grey, wearing a pallid mask, who cuts a chandelier down and swings away to escape, killing spectators in the process. They give chase, swinging down onto the stage, behind the scenes, and then down into a trapdoor and through a corridor that is too long, beginning to defy physics and rationality as it opens out onto a beach that was pictured in the poster for Cassilda.

The figure in grey has kidnapped Celeste, and removes their mask, showing that it is Estrelle, who is ranting about the King in Yellow, and begins clawing her own face off. Henry punches out Estrelle, who falls into the water. They rescue Celeste, and as Estrelle drowns the bizarre and unnatural world around them begins to crumble.

Racing back up across the beach and through the corridor, they barely escape with their lives, but their sense of dread about the King in Yellow is worse than ever, and it is clearly a horror beyond their comprehension.

Locations

 * Paris, France circa 1895
 * Cafe Le Soleil d'Or
 * Palais Garnier opera house
 * Flowers of Florence Florist

GM

 * David Crennen

Main Cast

 * Henry Cosgrove, a writer with medical training and an alcohol problem, played by Eric Reichert
 * Cheri d'Klamp, a sculptor who served in the military, played by Amy Vorpahl
 * Dirk Harrington III, an architect with political aspirations, played by Jason Charles Miller
 * Renee, a socialite with impressive bon homie, played by Havana Mahoney

NPCs

 * Lucien Vidaline - The artist commissioned to paint the posters for the upcoming play
 * Estrelle Couvier - A friend of the group who, months ago, took them to see a play The King in Yellow, and shortly afterwards died mysteriously in a fire.
 * Miette - An acquaintance of Renee's, a chorus girl at the opera
 * Celeste - Performer at Palais Garnier who will be the titular character in the upcoming play Cassilda, the advertising poster was painted to look like her. Performing a more minor role in an opera currently being staged.
 * Albert - A young man who works at his uncle's Florist shop, was dating Celeste until she left him for a Duke.