Statement
Out for a Drive
Content Warnings: Unsafe Driving, Murder, Stalking
Case Number: S-01-20241704/01-01/B24-a
Intake Agent: Shao Jing
Account of: Jase Baxter
Date(s) of Incident: January 3rd 2024
Location(s) of Incident: Highway 19, south of Nappanee
Associated Materials:
Account Begins: I’m not a murderer. It wasn’t my fault, I didn’t do it, okay? I’m not confessing anything, I’m telling you I didn’t do it. The only reason I’m coming to you all and not the cops is… well, it still doesn’t make sense. It couldn’t have happened the way it did, but it did. But how could it?
I’m not making sense. Let me start at the beginning.
I work at Rusty’s. It’s a salvage place just outside of the Nappanee; you know, strip down the vehicle for anything you can sell second hand, recycle the rest. It’s pretty solid, gets the bills paid alright, and most of the guys you work with aren’t dicks. Used to count Noah Stutzman among them, but that was before all this happened.
One thing I’m qualified for at Rusty’s is operating the compactor, and so is Noah. It’s not extremely technical, but the boss, that is to say Sam Johnson, didn’t bother training anyone else on it so it was typically one of us. Double check there’s nothing of value inside, get the car in, run the crushing cycle. Takes a bit, but it is kinda satisfying you know?
So last fall we’re working the same shift and this guy shows up in, I shit you not, a ‘82 Porsche. Black but with this sweet red trim, sick as hell. Older guy too; I don’t remember much about him, I was too busy staring at the car, and so was Noah. I mean, this was the real deal; seeing something like that at a salvage yard in bumfuck nowhere Indiana? Absolutely insane.
What’s more insane is, Mr. Johnson comes up to me and Noah like ten minutes later. Apparently the old guy wanted to crush it.
I mean we start protesting right away, but he waves us off before we can even really begin. Apparently he tried to talk the guy into selling it instead, but he just flashed a wad of cash too big to argue to get us to crush it instead. No, really, he was paying US to take and crush this thing. Mr. Johnson suggested off handedly the old dude must be losing it in a divorce or something and wanted it gone, which… scummy, but whatever.
The only stipulation was, this old dude wanted to watch the process. Make sure it was done I guess? Well, there goes our chance to save this beauty, but we agree. Noah drives it over while I get the machine prepped.
I should mention about Noah, he’s from an Amish community originally, but when he got old enough he left and did not look back. Now he’s even more of a car junkie than I am, so I could tell he was feeling really bad about crushing this thing. So I strike up a conversation with the old guy, and give Noah a chance to snag himself a souvenir; I know he loves collecting hood ornaments, and this is one I’m not gonna give him a chance to miss out on.
Sure enough, as the machine is going and this old guy is watching a piece of art get destroyed, Noah shows me the little badge he snuck off the hood. All good I think, though I do remember now the old guy gave Noah a funny look as he left.
I know this seems tangential, but it’s all related, because over the next couple months Noah gets… weird. I mean like I said he’s from an Amish community so he’s already got a few odd habits, but he gets weirder. His jokes are a little more crass, he is constantly showing up like just barely on time. We didn’t exactly hang out a lot, but he gets more distant too; I didn’t do anything with him outside of work until the night this all happened.
Rusty’s was closed the week after New Years, which was good because I had been at a party and drank way too much the night of. Spent most of the first and second on my couch either asleep or wishing I was, so when I wake up on the third and see an invite out for supper from Noah on my phone my stomach practically agrees for me. Didn’t matter that I stuffed my face at lunch, I still found myself eager to eat that night.
He even offers to pick me up, and figuring I’ll be in a bit of a food coma afterwards I take him up on it. When he does I spy that hood ornament from the porsche on his dashboard, but I don’t think much of it- it probably would look odd on the hood of a ‘16 Chrysler, right?
Anyways, we got to the place, an Asian buffet in town. We load up our plates and get eating, and it isn’t until the second round that I notice how quiet Noah is. I mean, not sullen or anything- he’s just not chatting much. I was there for the food, sure, but usually Noah is the chattier of us so it strikes me as weird. I asked him about it and he said it was nothing, but it gets my attention
That’s when I notice he’s rocking this black leather jacket, a bit light for early January, and black pants. I even notice he’s slicked down his hair, and I start feeling self conscious because I just threw something on and hadn’t been thinking of this as anything more than just dinner- had he hinted this would be a date or something?
It put a bit of a damper on the rest of the meal, but if it was a date, we still split the check. So we leave, and as we get into the car my unease is well gone; I’m ready for a nap at this point. Took me a bit to snap out of it and realize we’re not heading for my place- we’re suddenly on the highway south of town.
This gets me confused and I look at Noah, but he’s focused on driving. It takes me raising my voice to get his attention, and instead of answering he just says he ‘needs to drive off the meal’. Says he won’t take up much of my time.
I’m annoyed but not freaked out- at least not at first. Then I realized we’ve been driving too long- that stretch of Nineteen is only like five miles before it turns, but we’ve been going like ten minutes by now. I also realized I haven’t seen any turn offs, which… that just isn’t right. There’s no stretch of highway this long I think in the entire state? But as I think this we pass a sign and I can see it says we’re still on Nineteen.
That’s when I realize how fast we’re going. I glance over at the dashboard, and yeah, we’re doing like 90. Somehow this freaks me out more than the impossibly long highway, and I ask Noah to slow down- he just laughs. Laughs! Like I made a joke! Then he says he can’t, because then they’d get away.
I’m about to ask who they are when I realize we’re following someone. Not right on their tail, but I see our headlights reflecting off a bumper ahead. They’re driving just as fast, heedless of any black ice or sudden gravel they might hit. If anything happens to them, no way we’re stopping before we hit them.
And as if he was waiting for me to think that, Noah speeds up. Slowly that bumper comes closer to ours; thirty feet, twenty, ten, five.
Then we made contact. Noah isn’t going that much faster than they are so it’s barely a tap, but by this point I’m white knuckling the dash and still jerk in my seat. The other driver must have freaked out, because they overcorrect and wind up going into the ditch. Noah lets out a whooping laugh at this point, the first sound he’s made in what feels like hours now, and pulls us into a flawless one-eighty as we come to a stop. Then he lays on the gas and drives us back to the other car.
I finally vocalize my growing freakout, but he just waves off my curses and demands for an explanation, saying he just has to take care of something. Then he reaches into the back as he opens his door, and when I see he has a hammer in hand I get very, very quiet- nothing about his demeanor suggested to me that was for breaking glass and rescuing someone. So when he climbs down into the ditch and rears back with the hammer at something laying beside the flipped car, well, I look away. I don’t need to see it.
I found myself staring at that hood ornament. The one from the Porsche, right? That’s why I even remembered him getting it and included it here. Because for the first time I see it up close, and it… it wasn’t right. The red stripes were too crimson, the weird curved lines too sharp… and the horse in the middle? I know it was just a tiny little silhouette, but the horse… it looked terrified. And somehow, as I hear Noah’s grunting and the wet impacts of the hammer outside of the car, I just know it’s connected.
The rest is a blur. The next thing I remember is stumbling out of the car in front of my apartment, with Noah saying he really enjoyed himself. Saying he wanted to do it again some time. I thought about calling the cops, but if he found out and they didn’t arrest him…
That was over three months ago. I keep making excuses, and Noah… he keeps acting understanding. But eventually I think he’s going to realize how scared I am. And I am worried he’s gonna come for me next.
You gotta help me. I didn’t do anything. It was Noah, not me. I’m not a murderer.
Game Notes
Monday, June 24rd, 2024
24 years old, Jase has no record with the police and a history of higher education for auto manufacturing. However he has worked at Rusty’s since graduating college four years ago, with no immediate signs of planning to leave.
This changed a month ago as he began showing up to work irregularly. He claims it is due to health issues, but in truth he is convinced that Noah is stalking him and does not wish to leave his home for fear of being Noah’s next victim.
23 years old from the Bremen Amish community, Noah took to the outside world and left home as soon as he was able to. His uncle (who similarly left home at a young age) is a friend of Sam Johnson’s and got Noah a job there, where he took to the trade with a vengeance, though he officially quit a month and a half ago. He drives
Ever since acquiring the Ornament Sam has felt the urge to drive more and more, feeling the thrill of the chase in what he does. He’s recently sought to acquire membership to the North Eastern Gentleman's Association, and has been tasked with bringing in Jase to earn true membership.
49 years old and the owner of Rusty’s. Sam is a bit more old school in his dealings with customers, and he is not afraid to speak his mind. He would rather be honest than be accused of being a liar and a cheat.
With Noah leaving and Jase more and more irregular, Sam is becoming increasingly stressed and is actively looking for people to replace them both.
Deceased at age 62, Mr. Wright was both the man who brought in the 82 Porsche to be crushed and the victim Jase witnessed Noah kill. His own parents died in a hit and run when he was in his teens (unbeknownst to all he was the driver), earning him a sizable inheritance that enabled him to not need to work his adult life. He was active enough in philanthropy to stave off inquiries as to his more murderous hobbies, including membership with NEGA, and favored chasing victims in his Porsche. However he eventually had an epiphany as to the evil nature of what he was doing and chose to destroy the car, which had become as much an instrument of his cruelty as it was a beast with its own hateful heart. The surviving piece of it, the Ornament, carries only the smallest shred of that hate in it now.
Noah is seeking membership into the North Eastern Gentleman’s Association. While his acts in hunting and killing Christopher Wright got their attention, the powers that be in the NEGA have not yet been convinced he has the stomach for their sorts of activities, and they have tasked him with capturing Jase and bringing him to them (alive and properly terrified) to prove he has what it takes.
Without evidence of Noah’s insanity or anything connecting him to Christopher Wright’s death, the police will not be interested in stories about his murderous driving.
Attempting to investigate the NEGA at this point will only reveal it is an old hunting club, with nothing particularly sinister about it.
All locations are in or around Nappanee IN, two hours north of Lafayette IN. PC’s can commute, or acquire lodging on the Foundation dime (2 rooms max).
Located just east of Nappanee, the scrapyard doesn’t have anything out of the ordinary when viewed. Boxer the Rottweiler prowls around the office at the front of the yard and is friendly enough, following the PC’s around. Sam is inside and will be more helpful than he was over the phone, though wary about answering questions regarding his employees. He won’t immediately remember the old man and the Porsche if asked, but if a picture of Christopher Wright is produced or more details provided (such as being paid to crush it) he will remember and freely share what little he knows.
If PC’s can get at the computer, it is a Programming 3 check to gain access to the scrapyards records. Half an hour of searching will reveal a record of a C. Wright and a demolition in September of the previous year that matches the description of the Porsche from Jase’s statement.
Intrusion: Another customer arrives and Sam chooses to prioritize them.
Jase lives in the north end of town in a four-plex, the upper-left apartment 1. The suite has a buzzer and parking in the back, where a car is in his spot. His apartment shows signs that he hasn’t left in quite a while, with a number of order-in bags and a musty scent to the entire place.
IF VISITED BEFORE 06/24/24, 5pm: It will take a couple buzz’s before Jase will answer, though he will only partially crack open the door. He will demand proof of the players belonging to the Hungerford Foundation before allowing them inside. He will be angry the Foundation took so long to follow up, and will explain that he has been hiding from Noah, convinced that his former friend is now stalking him.
If the PC’s want to convince him to leave with them it will be Difficulty 5 Persuasion or Intimidation. To get him to go to the police will take the same difficulty, however without some form of evidence linking Noah to the crime Jase will not get protective custody.
VISITING 06/24/24, anytime after 5pm: As the PC’s arrive a vehicle will swerve around the opposite end of the street before gunning it away, followed by a green 2016 Chrysler 200. If the PC’s have located images of either Jase or Noah they will recognize them as the one fleeing and the one chasing respectively, and it will be Difficulty 3 Driving to follow them as they flee town. Doing so activates Horror Mode, and requires 2 successful checks to follow them out of town to Highway 19: one failure at this point results in losing them.
VISITING 06/25/24 or later: There are signs that Jase has left in a hurry, though no sign of a struggle or violence within.
Intrusion: Jase becomes very upset with the group and tries to demand they leave; Persuasion or Intimidation 3 required to let them remain, though a second intrusion will result in him trying to force them out.
Noah lives in an in town apartment on the third floor. He keeps his home very tidy and seems to do a lot of home cooking going by the extensive collection of spices and knives on his counter. His apartment has two bedrooms, though he lives alone. The second bedroom has a padlock on the door; it is a Difficulty 4 to pick the lock, but Difficulty 3 to break the door down. Perception check of 5 will locate a torn up letter in the trash- while most of the shredded paper has been stained to illegibility by sauce from a meal, a letterhead stamp that reads NEGA can be found.
VISITING 06/24: Noah is not home. The lock on his door is Difficulty 4 to pick, or Difficulty 4 to break the door down. However if the PC’s try and gain access from the outside (No fire escape) the windows are unlocked (Difficulty 4 to climb to window)
VISITING 06/25/24 or later: Noah is home and will greet the players cordially, and will feign ignorance of anything having happened with Jase. However he secretly has a severely injured Jase locked up in the second bedroom (Perception 5 to hear sounds of his struggle).
LOCKED BEDROOM: Inside this bedroom the window has been covered with several sheets pinned to the wall, with four cork boards hung up on one wall to create one large one. Multiple pictures of Jase, along with painstaking notes about his habits, personality, history, friends and family have all been arranged on them, along with a date: June 25th. PC’s gain 1 stress from seeing this display of obsession, 3 if Jase is present (and horribly beaten).
Intrusion: Noah arrives home while the players are broken in and gets the jump on them!
Leading south from Nappanee towards Etna Greene, the highway is by all accounts completely normal. It features a few curves and sharp turns, nothing like the long straightaway described in the statement.
IF FOLLOWING OR BEING CHASED BY NOAH: HORROR MODE activates (or heightens), and all PC’s gain 2 stress upon realizing what is happening. The highway is a straightaway without end, without any turns. Players must succeed on 3 Drive checks (Difficulty 5) to either help Jase escape, or escape Noah and the highway themselves, at which point they’ll soon arrive in Etna Greene with no sign of him. However, failing 3 Drive checks will result in either losing track of Noah and Jase, or having their own vehicle run off the road by Noah, requiring a Might difficulty 4 check: Failure results in a serious injury, success results in 3 stress. At this point Noah will get out of his own car and attack the players directly with a hammer.
The Ornament
Name: The Ornament
Associated Entity: The Hunt
Level: 3
Form: The hood ornament from a 1982 Porsche, closer examination suggests it might be a forgery given how slightly off it appears to be. The red is too crimson, the lines too sharp, and the horse silhouette gives the distinct impression of being frightened.
Stress: 1 upon close examination of the hood ornament, 2 upon knowing use of its powers.
Effect: Placing this in contact with a vehicle eases Driving tasks by one step, giving an unexplained boost to one's skills.
Fear: The driver overextends themselves, and must make a Intellect defense roll. Success brings them to a stop as they realize what is happening, failure means they push themselves too far and get in an accident.
Noah Stutzman
Name: Noah Stutzman
Motive: Join NEGA, enjoy the thrill of the chase
Environment: Bars, streets, highways
Health: 12
Damage Inflicted:
Movement: Short
Modifications: Driving as 5, Stealth/Perception/Tracking as 3
Combat: Serious injury (w/Hammer)
Interaction: Will try and play friendly, suggesting that Jase was drunk that night. However interacting with him will make him 'interested' in the party, and if not dealt with he may return for future hunting.
Use: Possible future threat, connection to NEGA.
Loot: The Ornament