A Case at Hollow Creek
An independent investigator is called to the remote Hollow Creek Ranch following the death of a spiritualist medium. The household reports a supernatural cause. The investigator's task is to examine the premises, document physical anomalies, and interview the residents to establish a factual account of the events leading to the death.
Initial Crime Scene
The heavy parlor door swings inward on a single, slow hinge, releasing a breath of air that carries the scent of beeswax and something else—ozone-tainted, sharp. From the gloom beyond, the faint, rhythmic tick of a wind-up pocket watch sounds, counting seconds in the stillness. Dust motes hang suspended in a shaft of light falling on a gold scale sitting on the stone mantelpiece. To the left, the deep velvet of a drape hangs motionless. At your feet, the polished floorboards stretch toward a large, cold fireplace.
Crime Scene Environment
The interior is defined by a low, oppressive lighting profile, sourced from a single window and candles, casting long shadows. The air maintains a consistent, dry humidity with a persistent, underlying chill, especially near the fireplace and the root cellar vent. Acoustic density is minimal; primary sounds are the wind against the clapboard exterior, the tick of timepieces, and the occasional creak of settled wood. Allowed technologies are limited to pre-1890s frontier tools and materials, such as leather-bound ledgers, tintype photography, and gold scales.
Investigation Constraints
Pre-1890s frontier tools. Key mechanisms include: mechanical combination locks, handwritten ledgers & diaries, tintype photography, telegraph messages, gold scales, wind-up pocket watches, lye soap, dynamite blasting caps, cattle brands, and the natural phenomena of temperature (cold spots), wind direction, and animal behavior.
✦ Related Cases ✦
