Jacob's Wicked Trail

Act 1

It was a chilly autumn evening in Boston, Massachusetts where Jeremiah Truesdale, a well-respected private investigator, was seated at his desk in his office. As he was going over some files, there was a light tap at the door and an enigmatic woman wearing an old-fashioned flowing dark silk cape entered the room. Jeremiah You must be in the wrong place. I don't normally investigate the cases of strangers. The woman My name is Nova Steed and I certainly hope I've come to the right place. I assure you that if you help me with this case, you won't regret it. Jeremiah What case might that be? Nova All around the city, there has been a series of random homicides that appear to be unrelated, but I believe these deaths are connected in some way. In every scene, a cryptic message is left written in what appears to be the same hand. He hasn't been caught, and I fear he'll strike again. Jeremiah That does sound like a difficult case. What can you tell me about the killer? Nova I have no specific knowledge, though others believe this killer to be of supernatural origin. Either way, I must find a way to catch him before more people die. Jeremiah, unable to resist the mystery of the case, readily agreed to help Nova. With that, she handed him a piece of paper with all the locations of the crime scenes and wished him luck, disappearing into the night before Jeremiah could ask any questions. When she left, there was just a chill in the air - as if a dark presence had wormed its way into his office and whispered a warning. Act 2

With her information, Jeremiah and his assistant, Fanny Porter, pointed out all the crime scenes and decided to do some investigating of their own. Their search leads to clues suggesting that there is something supernatural at work, though they had trouble understanding exactly what it meant. They met a few shady characters who claimed to know something but refused to say anything until they were promised a sizable sum of money. With their funds tightening, Jeremiah and Fanny realized they needed to move on their suspicions before the murderer strikes again. Meanwhile, panic began to rise among the people of Boston, and it seemed the streets were soon to be filled with unrestrained fear. Jared Perkins, a close friend of Jeremiah, had lost his daughter in one of these attacks and implored Jeremiah to solve this mystery. Act 3

Jeremiah and Fanny tirelessly investigated all of the potential suspects and possible motives to get to the bottom of the case. Hours turned into days, and soon, the day for the killer’s final strike is looming. While searching a known den of lawlessness in the city, Jeremiah came across some clues that pointed towards a certain religious order and upon further research they realized they were linked to the killer. As they were wondering how to break the code, they came across a possibility of a deal - they had to bring an offering to the designated location and exchange it for answers. It was their last chance as there was not enough evidence to make an arrest. The two decided to take a risk and went off to the location only to find that it was an abandoned church in the outskirts of the city. With the guidance of a local cabbie, the two brought their offering, a recipe from the famous Perkins family. Jeremiah and Fanny entered the dimly lit temple, marching further and further into the depths. As they continued on, their fear increased. Jeremiah realized that the killer was near and that this was his last chance to stop the madman. What's worse, as soon as they found the offered item in exchange for the answers, a cryptic message was left for them to decipher. Act 4

Overcoming his fear and with the cryptic message in hand, Jeremiah and Fanny began to piece together the clues they had collected, slowly solving the mystery. As they were on their way to confront the killer, the panic in the city was starting to reach an all-time high. Off in the distance, they could hear screams and see smoke. It was as if an entire demon horde was descending upon the city. Just as they reached the killer's destination, the fearsome figure of a spectral figure loomed into view. Jeremiah and Fanny gazed in horror as revealed the killer finally - a supernatural entity that feasted on fear. Acknowledging their determination, the entity offered them a deal - it would consent to surrender if they could find the amulet that had been stolen from the Perkins family. This was their only chance to save the city, so in a desperate move, Jeremiah and Fanny scoured the city in search of the missing artifact. Finally after days of searching, they found the relic in the ruins of an old courthouse, and taking it back, Jeremiah used the relic to force the supernatural entity to retreat, plunging the city back into relative safety. With the creature gone, life slowly returned to the city, but many were left with unanswered questions. The two returned Nova a victorious heroes, Jeremiah explained everything they'd uncovered. She merely replied with a knowing look before turning around and leaving, vanishing into the night as quietly as she had come. But Jeremiah and Fanny knew that it would not be the last time they would feel the chill of the supernatural forces searching for them.