The Moloch: a setting sourcebook for KULT
Chapter 4: News and Another Visit
After their visit with the professor the PCs stay underground for two further days, learning a bit of the ways and generally accommodating themselves as far as possible. Then they are given two newspaper cutouts. One of them deals with Dr. Steinmüller's disappearance along with his family, musing about nervous breakdown because of the big case he has been pursuing as attorney and which has grown to a potential scandal of international proportions. The other reports the bankruptcy of the company of Kurt's father and his (the father's) subsequent disappearance. There are charges of fraudulent bankruptcy and the police are searching for him.
Before the PCs can react they are called upon to visit Platon who is supposed to be another leader of the homeless. Herr Schmitt leads them through various tunnels, mentioning in passing that an audience with Platon is always worth the troubles you are going through to visit him. 'Troubles?' the PCs ask, but then they are led into a small, cold chamber and asked to strip. Herr Schmitt says the following procedure would be painless if uncomfortable, and the clothes will be returned afterwards. Their watches are also taken. Then they are led into a narrow and dark passage where they have to stoop to go on; this short leg of the journey ends at a row of barely discernible holes dug into the ground which are just a little narrower than you can stretch your arms and so deep that you could almost reach the top rim when you are standing in it - almost. The PCs are asked to climb down into different holes, and after they do heavy lids are put in place above them. There's no light and no sound apart from those they make themselves. Time passes.
Visual hallucinations flicker before their eyes, heartbeats become deafening (once they've stopped hollering). Peter decides to wait in the cold wet hole and finally falls asleep while Kurt finds tiny scratches in the wall which his improving tactile skills make out to be words etched into the stone. They start above his head and wind down to the ground in a spiral around the hole. He even finds that the letters appear like glowing glyphs before his eyes, and he begins to read the fretful confessions of a person incarcerated here for eternities - near the ground the report breaks off and Kurt's hand touches a cold and lifeless foot - his own, as he finds out.
Shortly after that the lids are removed and they are pulled out of the holes. They have no idea how long they were down there (though they were neither hungry nor thirsty and they didn't have to relieve themselves). Their clothes are returned but their watches aren't.
Someone leads them into a large room that looks like a part of the sewers more than a century old in which a number of people are assembled. There is a large wooden door, and their leader knocks on this door. It is unbolted from the inside and opened a narrow crack - the PCs are ushered in.
Inside some candles and glowing coals illuminate a small area with old furniture grouped around a table with a pot of tea and three cups, and a smallish man of some 40 or 50 years who greets them friendly, introducing himself as Platon.
They sit down for a nice hot cup of tea and Platon begins a nice chat. Meanwhile, their eyes becoming reaccustomed to light, the PCs discern symbols and arcane writings on the one wall they can see, made in blood, ashes, and excrement and running off into the shadows. The room itself must be a lot larger than the illuminated bit as there is a formidable echo.
Platon is willing to answer questions just as the Professor was; but his answers tend to be on the metaphysical side. He explains how the PCs have lived in a state of illusion, and how they are imprisoned in a cell made up of limited concepts of time and space. Throw these limitations aside and you are like unto god etc. yadda yadda. Platon's usage of temporal grammar is, to say the least, creative, which adds to the confusion. But the events of the past few days have readied the PCs to at least expect the unusual. Yet they ask for more tangible proof of the supernatural. Platon says he will send them a man who can provide that.
When their visit is over (Platon saying that he doesn't want to take any more of their time - which has a bit of a sinister ring to it after his disclosures) they leave the room to find that the room on the other side has changed in a number of ways - there are different people, the fruit crates used for furniture have been moved and stacked differently, Herr Schmitt who is waiting outside wears a different jacket - and there is a man of about 30 years waiting for them who introduces himself as Antonio Delgado. He wears a brown, dusty coat right out of a Western movie underneath which some kind of a blade gleams when he moves. He has a backpack complete with camping gear. He tells the PCs that Platon has asked him to show the PCs something; that was two days ago. The PCs inquire after the date and find that somehow almost three weeks seem to have passed.