The year is 1928. Lord Ampney Crucis was a dashing young man, tipped to rise to the top of high society. But the Great War took an even greater toll on him than others of his generation, and a close encounter with something awful in no man's land drove Crucis quite mad. Upon recuperation he discovered that he had the ability to sense the presence of entities that lurk beyond the veil of our reality. Now Ampney, aided by his loyal butler Eddie Cromwell, investigate the rum goings-on that have begun to plague our green and pleasant land... youtube.com/watch?v=L7ZrWOGIbIE
Ampney Crucis Investigates is a series of occult detective stories that began in the British comic anthology 2000AD in 2008, one part P. G. Wodehouse and one part H. P. Lovecraft. Like the author’s previous comic, Leviathan (storytimed here a few weeks ago ), Ampney Crucis Investigates could be very easily adapted for an absurdly English game of Call of Cthulhu, where the traditional betentacled beasties from beyond are supplemented with a variety of other eldritch abominations, and lunatic cultists can pop up in the most unexpected of places...
"Howzat!" is a traditional exclamation in Cricket as a short form of "how's that" - a call for an umpire to declare whether a batsman has been knocked out or not.
Gavin Walker
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Cameron Johnson
The White Hart Line, owned and operated by Sir William Ashbless, would launch their vast new ship “Leviathan” in 1928. Its maiden voyage was not, shall we say, all smooth sailing. .
Bentley Harris
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Anthony Sanders
I don’t know what they seem so perturbed about, this looks like a perfectly wholesome village ‘round our way.
Tyler Cooper
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Oliver Sullivan
For the sake of sensitive members of the viewing public, the Ministry for Moral Hygiene have expertly doctored some of the following pages. We trust you will enjoy these improvements, no matter how minor they may be.
Aaron White
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Samuel Jones
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Camden Morgan
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Andrew Morris
>Unhand that man you wretched proletarian bastards!
William Parker
I'm sure you can, Mr Cromwell.
Hudson Nguyen
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Owen Price
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Michael Moore
I do enjoy it when the insane high priest of the Dark Gods is a genial sort.
>That’s an interesting design on his cigarette case. I feel like taking a cruise.
Hunter Hall
Good show! Let's have another!
Henry Perez
Motherfu-
I had no idea the Leviathan canon extended outside of that story.
Lincoln Hughes
I do believe you're in luck, sir, there's a rather large boat leaving for New York this year.
Keep an eye out, there's more to see. So to speak.
But of course, Sir. Might I suggest we bring out the good china and a fine ceylon? Or perhaps an iced cream might be more apropos under the circumstances?
Aaron Brooks
When you are told a really funny joke.
Kayden Cox
1929!
His lordship is keeping well, sustained by the bonds of familial kinship, centuries of good breeding, and a butler who can make a delightful vodka butter.
Grayson Phillips
Alas, matters of the heart cut keenly, especially when they appertain to one's lost loves and wretched gingers.
You might recognise Ampney's aunts as grand dames of the stage - Judi Dench, Imelda Staunton, Joanna Lumley and Helen Mirren (contemplating a breakfast meat in a most provocative manner)
Blacksands and its attractions is a combination of many British seaside resorts, primarily Blackpool. The title of this story "The End of the Pier Show" refers to the in-house theatre and variety acts which used to run on almost all pleasure piers during the Summer and Winter holiday seasons. Today, only one still survives cromerpier.co.uk/cromer-pier-show/ youtube.com/watch?v=GWH0H0vA3EA
Jackson Lewis
Balderdash and piffle, I meant to link to this delightful little number - I Do Like To Be Beside The Seaside, played by Reginald Dixon, resident organist at the Wurlitzer at Blackpool Tower Ballroom youtube.com/watch?v=7-dB513LGbM
The video also has colour footage of Blackpool pleasure beach in 1926, if you wanted to get a flavour for what the real place looked like at the time the story is set.
Oliver Hughes
I actually have all of Ampney Crucis (including the two or three which I've never storytimed before) and while it won't be immediately after this one ends I'm hoping to do some more later.
Hunter Brown
And while I remember, thank you for bumping and keeping the thread alive.
I also forgot to note in William Hogarth was an English painter, print-maker and satirist who is most famous for his f 'modern moral subjects', particularly A Harlot's Progress, A Rake's Progress and Marriage A-la-Mode. 'Hogarthian' tends to refer to this kind of comically debauched behaviour nationalgallery.org.uk/artists/william-hogarth
Samuel Foster
I will happily provide bumps
Logan Anderson
I have no idea what this poor girl is saying but it sounds diabolically Hunnish!
Luis Powell
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Jose Perry
I'm very grateful. I don't know about anyone else, but I really enjoy the audience participation bit of storytimes.
Hopefully it and the commentary isn't too distracting.
Andrew Morgan
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Jace Williams
Beer before liquor makes you sicker!
Juan Bennett
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Henry Wilson
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Justin White
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Gabriel Young
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Jacob Smith
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Henry Morgan
A toast: To the greatest British hero and his trusty dog. Huzzah!
Thomas Rodriguez
What does "cosy" mean in this context? Secretive?
Charles Hall
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Connor Martin
I would say in context its the normal meaning - warm, homely, comfortable, pleasant - to contrast it with the normal associations of the word "Coven" and to give it a nice bit of alliterative oomph. The witches are nice old ladies operating out of a small terraced house cum B&B. Were it not for the whole "accidentally raising the psychotic armies of the dead" thing, the worst you could say about them is that the lodge smells faintly of wee.
While this would all work well for Call of Cthulu, this particular plot point would also work well for Dark Heresy or, from the other side, Black Crusade.
Jose King
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Easton Russell
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John Rivera
>Postage stamps incomi-
Isaiah Mitchell
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Sebastian Parker
"I'd like to lick the Queen's behind" and similar vulgarities will not be tolerated.
There is actually a little bit of a pattern to the ones I picked
James Torres
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Aiden Ward
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Josiah Nelson
I am Harriet Vane. We all are Harriet Vane
Ryder Bennett
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Cooper Rivera
Good lord, Bolsheviks AND Fenians you say? The horror.
The Union Jack never inspired such ire since the Revolutionary War
Jeremiah Cox
Tomorrow, Eldritch Overlords of the Between-Spaces willing, we can move on to the next chapter: Ten Little Indians on an Airship with a Lovecraftian twist!
