[Scenario Seed] Father Benedictus.

[Catsmate]

Father Benedictus, the ghost monk of Westminster Abbey.

As with old cities London has a lot of history, oddities and ghosts associated with it. Here is one of them.

Westminster Abbey, or properly The Collegiate Church of St. Peter, is a old church. The current structure is only a thousand or so years old, commissioned by Edward the Confessor and taken over by the invading Normans. But there was a church there five centuries earlier (commissioned by king Serbert), and later a Benedictine monastery.
Even that wasn't the first; king Lucius had founded a church there in the first century CE, and that was (like many Christian places of worship) built on Roman temple to the sun god Apollo. Then there are the links of the are to pre-Roman Druidry. That is a lot of history and psychic energy.

• Of course back in the 6th century and before the area that is now 'Westminster' was a swampy, inhospitable island rising from the marshy banks of the Thames, where the Tyburn Stream merged into the river.joined it.
  

The church is the burial place of numerous English and British monarchs, and about three thousand others. So it's not surprising that the place has ghost stories.

• Many of them in fact. While I'm looking at one ghost in particular here a little research will provide many other possibilities, such as the spectral soldier, said to manifest next to the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior, and is a recent addition (first seen in 1920). John Bradshaw, the seventeenth century judge who passed the death sentence on the deposed King Charles I, and now lurks in the  Deanery. In the South Cloisters the seated statue of Daniel Pulteney holding a book has sometimes been known to turn a page or two.
  
  

'Father Benedictus' as he's known was first definitely seen (or encountered) in 1900 (which may or may not be significant), though there are older stories of a monk (or monks) wandering the abbey. On that occasion he kept a small group entertained for more than twenty with stories and details of the abbey; before backing through a wall and disappearing.
What's interesting about Benedictus is that he seems to be, in modern terms, 'interactive'. Unlike most ghosts who seem to repeat a 'pre-programmed' sequence, Benedictus can, and supposedly does, interact with people. Especially visitors...

The story of how he got the name 'Benedictus' is itself interesting; sometime between 1900 and 1926 (where the story was noted) two American visitors to the abbey, who'd arrived in the late afternoon, got lost in it's hallways. Trying to return to the main areas they encountered a monk who helped them to find their way.
They returned the next day to continue their viewing and to thank the helpful monastic, and asked for Father Benedictus. Of course they were told that there was no-one there of that name, and have been no monks in residence since 1529.

• The name 'Benedictus' is not an impossible one, monks often assumed a new name when entering a monastery. Alternatively he may have a sense of humour.
  

Benedictus is only seen in the afternoons, sometimes walking in the cloisters around four o’clock (after the traditional canonical hour of Nones and before Vespers). He appears to be perfectly aware of his surroundings and amenable to a conversation with visitors, especially if they should be fluent in Latin. He's very rarely seen after 6PM (the hour of Vespers).
One of these rare exceptions was the night before the wedding of the then Prince Albert and Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon (the future King George VI and the late Queen Mother, which took place on 26SPR1923); then Benedictus was noted as being in the abbey by several people involved in preparing for the Royal wedding.

So who and what is, in Whoniverse terms, Benedictus and how could he appear?
In the Whoniverse ghosts seem to be of two varieties; temporal anomalies and psychic echoes. The latter seem to be mere echoes of past minds and events (as in Kneale's The Stone Tape, itself a good basis for a scenario) with little awareness.
So the temporal phenomenon seems to better fit Benedictus. Perhaps he was a monk who became involved in some temporal anomaly, centuries ago, only to 'phase in' again in the late nineteenth century (by coincidental accident or the effect of an investigation perhaps). He seems limited in scope, never appearing outside the abbey and only appearing in the late afternoon (which could be limitations of the effect that sustains him).

Idea.
On a visit to the abbey the PCs meet and interact with Benedictus, unaware of his true nature; they may think him a real monk or a guide for visitors. He provides them with some minor assistance and makes a cryptic comment before departing (he is known to walk through walls).
Then, later in their timeline, centuries earlier the PCs again encounter Benedictus, this time as a living man who becomes embroiled in their activities but is killed/disappears into a temporal effect.
Finally the story culminates in a third scenario set around 1900 when the players actions inadvertently return Benedictus, creating the ghost.



Comments? Ideas? Suggestions?

[grinch]

Father Benedictus sounds like a fun NPC. If a group of aspiring investigators discovered how exactly to trigger his haunting, he could make for a good source of information.

Of course, I could also see a villain trying to replicate said effect of Benedictus’s’ ghostly state worldwide in order to discover a means to ‘save’ or otherwise download the entire human race should it ever face extinction.

Dare I say, but maybe if he truly is tied to the Abbey, even if it was destroyed if a small piece of it was somehow saved or preserved he might be able to travel along with it? Would enable him to be more mobile at least should your PCs find themselves in a truly apocalyptic future. 

[Catsmate]

Nov 15, 2022 13:16:03 GMT grinch said:

Father Benedictus sounds like a fun NPC. If a group of aspiring investigators discovered how exactly to trigger his haunting, he could make for a good source of information.

Of course, I could also see a villain trying to replicate said effect of Benedictus’s’ ghostly state worldwide in order to discover a means to ‘save’ or otherwise download the entire human race should it ever face extinction.

Dare I say, but maybe if he truly is tied to the Abbey, even if it was destroyed if a small piece of it was somehow saved or preserved he might be able to travel along with it? Would enable him to be more mobile at least should your PCs find themselves in a truly apocalyptic future. 

If I was to include him, maybe as someone the Misfit Mob occasionally deal with, I'd have him be a temporal echo of some sort and not explain it much. Perhaps he was on the periphery of  temporal accident and survived, bound to the precincts of the Abbey and phasing in and out of temporal sync.
Perhaps he could be moved from the Abbey precincts? Your putative villain might succeed somehow, perhaps with a mix of chronal technology and finding whatever part of the Abbey is Benedictus' anchor. Which might end with him in the safe custody of someone, like the Mob, who employ him as an archivist.

[grinch]

Nov 16, 2022 10:55:09 GMT Catsmate said:

Nov 15, 2022 13:16:03 GMT grinch said:

Father Benedictus sounds like a fun NPC. If a group of aspiring investigators discovered how exactly to trigger his haunting, he could make for a good source of information.

Of course, I could also see a villain trying to replicate said effect of Benedictus’s’ ghostly state worldwide in order to discover a means to ‘save’ or otherwise download the entire human race should it ever face extinction.

Dare I say, but maybe if he truly is tied to the Abbey, even if it was destroyed if a small piece of it was somehow saved or preserved he might be able to travel along with it? Would enable him to be more mobile at least should your PCs find themselves in a truly apocalyptic future. 

If I was to include him, maybe as someone the Misfit Mob occasionally deal with, I'd have him be a temporal echo of some sort and not explain it much. Perhaps he was on the periphery of  temporal accident and survived, bound to the precincts of the Abbey and phasing in and out of temporal sync.
Perhaps he could be moved from the Abbey precincts? Your putative villain might succeed somehow, perhaps with a mix of chronal technology and finding whatever part of the Abbey is Benedictus' anchor. Which might end with him in the safe custody of someone, like the Mob, who employ him as an archivist.

Oh definitely. A Time Lord or a member of a more advanced species may be able to offer an explanation but an Earthbound group wouldn't have the foggiest. Would just be all conjecture on their part and to be honest, not something worth digging too much into. After all, if they went too far they might somehow cause Benedictus to stop appearing or be exorcised so to speak. 

I could see a villain attempting to replicate Benedictus's' ghostly effect by using other visitors to the Abbey as guinea pigs. Possibly by using Benedictus's' anchor? Then, due to the actions of your PC's the villain would be thwarted and ultimately become a part of the Abbey. Trapped within its walls, conscious but unlike Benedictus unable to materialise into the physical world. 

Mind you, that could lead to the beginnings of a new ghost story for the Abbey. With visitors claiming to hear distant screaming from somewhere within the walls of the Abbey... 

[soultaker666212]

What if Father Benedictus is an incarnation of The Monk who is using Westminster Abbey as a hideout location or somewhere to conduct one of his plans?

[Catsmate]

Nov 16, 2022 15:03:59 GMT grinch said:

Nov 16, 2022 10:55:09 GMT Catsmate said:

If I was to include him, maybe as someone the Misfit Mob occasionally deal with, I'd have him be a temporal echo of some sort and not explain it much. Perhaps he was on the periphery of  temporal accident and survived, bound to the precincts of the Abbey and phasing in and out of temporal sync.
Perhaps he could be moved from the Abbey precincts? Your putative villain might succeed somehow, perhaps with a mix of chronal technology and finding whatever part of the Abbey is Benedictus' anchor. Which might end with him in the safe custody of someone, like the Mob, who employ him as an archivist.

Oh definitely. A Time Lord or a member of a more advanced species may be able to offer an explanation but an Earthbound group wouldn't have the foggiest. Would just be all conjecture on their part and to be honest, not something worth digging too much into. After all, if they went too far they might somehow cause Benedictus to stop appearing or be exorcised so to speak. 

I could see a villain attempting to replicate Benedictus's' ghostly effect by using other visitors to the Abbey as guinea pigs. Possibly by using Benedictus's' anchor? Then, due to the actions of your PC's the villain would be thwarted and ultimately become a part of the Abbey. Trapped within its walls, conscious but unlike Benedictus unable to materialise into the physical world. 

Mind you, that could lead to the beginnings of a new ghost story for the Abbey. With visitors claiming to hear distant screaming from somewhere within the walls of the Abbey... 

Excellent ideas!
Which brings me to something that struck me while I was reading your post. We've mentioned 'investigating organisations' before, agencies like UNIT, LONGBOW, Torchwood, the Shadow Directory, Secret Congress et cetera, but what if the Abbey housed the remnants of one such?
Surely at some stage, before the Protestant schism, the church investigated such matters? As the existence of the Library of St John the Beheaded suggests. Presumably this was, partially at least, incorporated into Henry VIII's Agentes in Rebus and merged into the later secret agencies of Dee and Walsingham.
But what some of the Abbey's staff are still 'in the know'? A complicating factor.....

[Catsmate]

Nov 16, 2022 15:06:47 GMT soultaker666212 said:

What if Father Benedictus is an incarnation of The Monk who is using Westminster Abbey as a hideout location or somewhere to conduct one of his plans?

Hmmm, interesting.
Or maybe Mortimus was stranded, out of phase with reality, and is trying a subtle, long term, plan to escape?

Pity it's not St. Paul's and we could blend in the legend of the 'Burnt Auction'.

[soultaker666212]

Nov 16, 2022 18:36:21 GMT Catsmate said:

Nov 16, 2022 15:06:47 GMT soultaker666212 said:

What if Father Benedictus is an incarnation of The Monk who is using Westminster Abbey as a hideout location or somewhere to conduct one of his plans?

Hmmm, interesting.
Or maybe Mortimus was stranded, out of phase with reality, and is trying a subtle, long term, plan to escape?

Pity it's not St. Paul's and we could blend in the legend of the 'Burnt Auction'.

Perhaps so, but since the first sighting occurred in 1900 we could argue Mortimus is checking up on 20th century history Earth perhaps? Whether or not that is for research or even could be stranded like you said might be interesting. 

[Catsmate]

Nov 16, 2022 18:49:47 GMT soultaker666212 said:

Nov 16, 2022 18:36:21 GMT Catsmate said:

Hmmm, interesting.
Or maybe Mortimus was stranded, out of phase with reality, and is trying a subtle, long term, plan to escape?

Pity it's not St. Paul's and we could blend in the legend of the 'Burnt Auction'.

Perhaps so, but since the first sighting occurred in 1900 we could argue Mortimus is checking up on 20th century history Earth perhaps? Whether or not that is for research or even could be stranded like you said might be interesting. 

Perhaps he was checking on something in or around the Abbey? Or elsewhere in London and got mixed up with events.

Offhand I don't recall any suitable Fortean events in London in 1900, though the Horniman was being constructed and (in my game universe) it's around the time Barrlyght was developing his infamous oscillator....

[soultaker666212]

Nov 16, 2022 20:39:48 GMT Catsmate said:

Nov 16, 2022 18:49:47 GMT soultaker666212 said:

Perhaps so, but since the first sighting occurred in 1900 we could argue Mortimus is checking up on 20th century history Earth perhaps? Whether or not that is for research or even could be stranded like you said might be interesting. 

Perhaps he was checking on something in or around the Abbey? Or elsewhere in London and got mixed up with events.

Offhand I don't recall any suitable Fortean events in London in 1900, though the Horniman was being constructed and (in my game universe) it's around the time Barrlyght was developing his infamous oscillator....

Maybe not something Fortean but regular as well, an Influenza outbreak on 9th January 1900 and also the opening of the London Hippodrome 6 days later might be of some interest.  

[Catsmate]

Nov 17, 2022 0:08:04 GMT soultaker666212 said:

Nov 16, 2022 20:39:48 GMT Catsmate said:

Perhaps he was checking on something in or around the Abbey? Or elsewhere in London and got mixed up with events.

Offhand I don't recall any suitable Fortean events in London in 1900, though the Horniman was being constructed and (in my game universe) it's around the time Barrlyght was developing his infamous oscillator....

Maybe not something Fortean but regular as well, an Influenza outbreak on 9th January 1900 and also the opening of the London Hippodrome 6 days later might be of some interest.  

Interesting, the 'flu outbreak makes me think of the Devil Doctor himself, Dr. Fu Manchu. It's a bit early for him but he may have been preparing resources and bases in Britain for later operations.

[grinch]

Nov 17, 2022 9:49:17 GMT Catsmate said:

Nov 17, 2022 0:08:04 GMT soultaker666212 said:

Maybe not something Fortean but regular as well, an Influenza outbreak on 9th January 1900 and also the opening of the London Hippodrome 6 days later might be of some interest.  

Interesting, the 'flu outbreak makes me think of the Devil Doctor himself, Dr. Fu Manchu. It's a bit early for him but he may have been preparing resources and bases in Britain for later operations.

Mind if I include that fact within the write up for Fu Manchu when I get around to finishing The Further Adventures of the Paternoster Gang?

Would be a rumour about his activities in the early years come the downfall of the Napoleon of Crime. 

[Catsmate]

Nov 17, 2022 14:41:46 GMT grinch said:

Nov 17, 2022 9:49:17 GMT Catsmate said:

Interesting, the 'flu outbreak makes me think of the Devil Doctor himself, Dr. Fu Manchu. It's a bit early for him but he may have been preparing resources and bases in Britain for later operations.

Mind if I include that fact within the write up for Fu Manchu when I get around to finishing The Further Adventures of the Paternoster Gang?

Would be a rumour about his activities in the early years come the downfall of the Napoleon of Crime. 

Absolutely.

In my 'Doctor Who Manchu' notes I speculated that the person who would use the 'Fu Manchu' alias might be in Europe in the 1890-1905 period, either to recover any items or information Magnus Greel had left behind, establish bases and caches for later operations, or to attend universities in Europe (Fu Manchu supposedly attended Edinburgh, Heidelberg and the Sorbonne).

There is no mention of Glasgow in the biographical speculations on Fu Manchu, but don't let that stop you from linking him to Barrlyght oscillator if you're so inclined.

 

[grinch]

Nov 17, 2022 20:45:37 GMT Catsmate said:

Nov 17, 2022 14:41:46 GMT grinch said:

Mind if I include that fact within the write up for Fu Manchu when I get around to finishing The Further Adventures of the Paternoster Gang?

Would be a rumour about his activities in the early years come the downfall of the Napoleon of Crime. 

Absolutely.

In my 'Doctor Who Manchu' notes I speculated that the person who would use the 'Fu Manchu' alias might be in Europe in the 1890-1905 period, either to recover any items or information Magnus Greel had left behind, establish bases and caches for later operations, or to attend universities in Europe (Fu Manchu supposedly attended Edinburgh, Heidelberg and the Sorbonne).

There is no mention of Glasgow in the biographical speculations on Fu Manchu, but don't let that stop you from linking him to Barrlyght oscillator if you're so inclined.

 

He could have helped cultivate a strain as a test of his abilities. Something to create some chaos as you suggested leaving him to build up his resources.