First Batch

Four Corners Edition

Left blank page before "Dracula" title:

Ex Libris
Elisabeth Rosenzweig Davidowitsch, Be'en Tuvia, 1905
Gabriel Godolphin Osborne 190--

p. 13, How these papers have been placed in sequence

Liesl:
Lieber Herman!
Ich glaube das du wiret dieser Buch sehr interessant finden! 
Er ist die "unkorrigierte" Version des Romans von Stoker.

Ich habe meine Beobachtingen in den Randern des Seiten geschrieben.

Deine Freudin,
Liesl R. Davidovitch
Beir Tuvia, 1905

Translation:
Dear Herman!
I believe that you will find this book very interesting. 
It is the uncorrected (*) version of Stoker's novel.

I have written my observations in the margins of the pages.

Your Friend,
Liesl R. Davidowitsch
Beir Tuvia, 1905

(*) GM NOTE: Liesl is incorrect. This is the first published 
version of the novel, much redacted and fictionalized.

p. 17, Chapter 1:

Jonathan Harker's Journal:

Gabriel:
I. Hilderscheim, I think? Who the f*ck is Jonathan Harker?
G. O.

Liesl:
Actuellement mon cousin Immanuel.
--ERD

Translation: Actually my cousin, Immanuel.

(Kept in shorthand):

Lisel:

Et en anglais.

A l'annee 1893 (vers?) un bureau des remplignments allemandaise 
a recrute mon cousin pour espion. Il a infiltre l'onganisant in 
anglaise EDOM qui a recrute Comte Dracula
-ERD

Translation:
And in English. (*)

In the year 1893 (approx?) (**) a German intelligence agency 
recruited my cousin as a spy. He infiltrated the English 
organization EDOM, which recruited Count Dracula.

(*) GM NOTE: Actually, of course, Hildescheim didn't write in 
either shorthand or English, but in Yiddish. Stoker didn't want to 
explain this (assuming he knew it), so changed it. Sadly for 
Hildescheim, Dracula did know how to read Yiddish. Shorthand 
would probably have been better.

(**) GM NOTE: That's about when the mission started, yes. 
However, Hildescheim was actually recruited years earlier, at 
the Paris Exhibition of 1889.

p. 20: Letter signed Dracula above 4 May entry:

Liesl:
Il est ne Nicholaus Olahus a la fin [strikethrough quarte] 
quinzieme sicele.
-ERD

Translation: He was born Nicholaus Olahus at the [strikethrough 14th] 
15th century.
-ERD

p. 21: 4 May entry, "If this book should ever reach Mina before 
I do":

Liesl:
_Mi_litarisch _N_achrichten _A_bteilung (Department des 
Lignaux Militarires) Bureau des renseigmentes militaire 
d'Allemagne.
-ERD

Translation: [German Acronym] Department of Military Signals. 
German intelligence agency.

p. 39: Chapter 2: 7 May "You know and speak English thoroughly!"

Liesl:
Moi, je preferais parler en francais avec M. le Comte.

son accent fut bien peculier et un peu demode -- en fait, un peu 
comme l'accent d'un quebecois d'Amerique du Nord.

--ERD

Translation: Myself, I preferred to speak in French with the Count.

his accent was very peculiar and a little old fashioned -- in fact, 
a little like the accent of a Quebecois from North America.

p. 41: "even the peasant you tell me of who marked the place of the 
flame would not know where to look in daylight":

Isabella: The flames open a "hyperspacial" portal to Dracula's 
castle. Hyperspace?
-Izzy

p. 60: Chapter 3: 16 May: The passage about the three women and 
how it may cause Mina pain:

Liesl:

Selon mon cousin, ce seine me, n'est passe jamais.

Il a ecoute que q'une qui rigole. Mais sans source visebel!
-ERD

GM NOTE: No translation given. As this is one of the passages 
Stoker HIGHLY fictionalized, I'm guessing it says something 
like "According to my cousin, it was nothing like that. He 
encountered tittering. But without a visible source!"

p. 83: Chapter 5:

Above chapter title (Letters from Miss Mina Murray to Miss Lucy 
Westenra):

Gabriel:
I never saw any of these letters. Not sure they're real.
-G.O.

GM NOTE: They're mostly not. The account of the Demeter is more or 
less accurate, apart from the date. Exactly what happened on the 
Demeter is something I'm leaving vague, but I'm guessing it went 
roughly like this: The captain was either loyal to Edom or an 
innocent who was paid by Edom, but knew nothing. German and / or 
Russian spies were trying to make sure Dracula never arrived in 
England. Things went pear shaped. Anyone Dracula killed was 
thrown overboard, which is why there's not a ship's worth of 
vampires. (You'll notice that Stoker has Dracula making the 
return trip without killing anyone. One wonders if he was trying 
to hint at the truth.)

Liesl:
Tiens! En fait "MINA" a ete bref pour un bureau de rensignmens 
militaire d'allemagne! C'est un "cryptonom" que Immanuel apu ecrire 
en ses lettres. M Harker, il me semble, a fait une nouvelle 
personnage pour son roman peut etre bare sur moi-meme! (Et aussi 
"Mrs. Pat" certer.) Que peniez-vous de ce "portrait litterair" 
de moi?
-ERD

Translation: Well! In fact "MINA" was short for a German 
Intelligence Agency. It's a "cryptoname" (code name) that Immanuel 
could write in his letters. Mr. Stoker, it seems to me, made a 
new character for his novel perhaps based on myself! (And also 
"Mrs. Pat" of course. What do you think of this "literary portrait" 
of me?
-ERD

p. 84: Letter, Lucy Westenra to Mina Murray

Liesl: personnage ficionalle. Elle ressemble Juliette, ancienne 
fiancee de Gabriel -- mais Mlle Juliette n'est jamais devenue 
un mort-vivant...
-ERD

Translation: Fictional character. She resembles Juliette, former 
fiance of [strikethrough Sebastian] Gabriel -- but Miss Juliette 
never became an undead.

GM NOTE: Juliette was formerly Sebastian's fiance, but broke it 
off with him after he had her brother arrested some years before 
the novel begins. She then became affianced to Gabriel, and they 
were still engaged by the end of the 1890s leg of the campaign.

p. 86-87: Lucy speaks of her suitors and the three proposals:

Liesl:
Arthur Godalming Holmwood = Gabriel Godolphin Osborne

Dr. Seward = personnage historique. Il me semble deux personnes: 
Sebastian Whimsy (*), et George Stoker, frere de l'auteur. En 
Roumanie durant la guerre entre les Russes et les Turcu il a 
decouverte un vampire. Pauvre homme, l'encounter l'a rendu 
derange.
(p 87) Il a habite dans un hopital psychiatrigue, sous les soins 
de Jack Seward.

Quincy = personnage fictionelle, un melange de Gabriel et Sebastien.

van Helsing: manias historique. Dans le roman il resemble 
Herman Sager!

Mina = moi meme
-ERD

Translation: Arthur Godalming Holmwood = Gabriel Godolphin Osborne

Dr. Seward = historical person. He seems to me like two people: 
Sebastian Whimsey, and George Stoker [the rest is ripped, but 
I'm guessing: brother of the author. In Romania during the war 
between the Russians and the Turks, he discovered a vampire. Poor 
man, the encounter rendered him mad.]

He (George Stoker) lived in a psychiatric hospital under the care 
of Jack Seward.

Quincy: Fictional character. A mix of Gabriel + Sebastian.

Van Helsing: historical maniac. In the novel, he resembles Herman Sager.

Mina: myself.


GM NOTES: It's "Wimsey", not "Whimsy"
I think there's also some Herman in Quincy.

(p. 86)

Gabriel, commenting on Liesl's equation of Arthur with himself:
Not nearly this pissant, didn't kill my fiance, also can't fix boilers.
(p. 87)
Gabriel commenting on the equation of Seward in part with Sebastian:
bah!

Gabriel commenting on the equation of Quincy with a conflation of 
himself and Sebastian:
God help us.

Gabriel on the equation of Herman with van Helsing: 
I believe it.

p. 90: Dr. Seward's Diary: R. M. Renfield, age 59:

Liesl:
Quelle horreur! Le mon de cette enteressantes dame, dome sur un 
manic! Comme une femme scientifique je metais jamais en agrement 
avec Dame Renfield, maie elle a eu un fraicheur d'esprit qui m'a 
inspire: Je crois que c'est une mechancete de vengeance de Stoker, 
a cause de la croyance de Mme. Renfield en les fees, comme M. A. C. 
Doyle.

(La vraie horreur de la mature des "feis" ne l'a justifie)
-ERD

Translation: What horror! The name of that interesting lady 
given to a maniac! As a scientist, I was never in agreement 
with Lady Renfield, but she had a freshness of spirit that inspired 
me. I believe this is a wickedness of vengeance by Stoker caused 
by Mrs. Renfield belief in fairies (like Mr. A. C. Doyle). (The 
real horror of the "fairies" doesn't justify it.)

GM NOTE: Lady Renfield was also a lot younger than Stoker's 
Renfield. Her husband might not be, as we pictured him as 
played by Patrick Stewart.

p. 91, continuation of the thought:

Liesl:

En fait, R. M. Renfield est hare rus Carl Bradford, agent 
des vampires, assasin manque de Herman Sager. Une fois, il 
m'a parle... mais ses pensies ont ete seller de Dracula... 
mais notre permier rondez-vous s'est passe a cause de cet 
evenement.
-ERD

Translation: In fact, R. M. Renfield is based on Carl Bradford, 
agent of vampires, failed assassin of Hermann Sager. One time he 
spoke to me -- but his thoughts were those of Dracula... but our 
first meeting was the result of that event.

p. 95: Chapter 6: Top of page:

Gabriel:
This doesn't sound like what happened with Carmilla at all. 
Where is Stoker getting this rubbish?
-G. O.

14 July Whitby:

Liesl:
Presque du chateau Misselthwaite
-ERD

Translation: Near Misselthwaite Manor ("Castle")
(Liesl probably should have said "l'Hotel Misselthwaite"]

p. 102: Dr. Seward's Diary: 5 June: "The case of Renfield":

Gabriel:
Isn't that the lady with the fairies? This sounds like more of 
Dee's crap.

p. 103, top header: Dr. Seward's Diary:

Gabriel:
Creep.

p. 137: Chapter 8: Mina Murray's Journal: Probably 13 August entry:

Liesl:
On droit chercher la signe de Rosenzweig!

Translation: One must look for Rosenzweig's sign!

GM QUERY: Which one is that? The mirror? The marks? Lack of breathing?

p. 157, Chapter 9: Lucy Westenra's entries for 24 and 25 August:

Beatrice:

There is nothing quite as horrifying as waking up and realizing you 
have no idea what has happened. My heart goes out to poor, dear Lucy 
here, and her surprising bravery. Well done Bram.
-Mrs. Pat

p. 161: Letter from Abraham van Helsing:

Liesl:

Mon Dieu! Stoker a fait un hero de ce type! Homme derange, 
meurtrier, medicin charlatan, fanatique de sa religion propre! 
La plus grand regret que je dois sur cette affaire c'est l'entre 
de van Helsing parmi nous! Mea culp, mea maximus culpa!
-ERD

Translation: My God! Stoker made a hero of this guy! Deranged 
madman, murderer, quack doctor, fanatic of his own religion! 
The greatest regret I have about this affair is the entrance 
of Van Helsing among us! Mea culpa, mea maximus culpa!

p. 166: 6 September Telegram from Seward to Van Helsing:

Gabriel on Van Helsing:

Cropped-ear EDOM operative Edward Kelly. Probably talking to 
that creep Seward a lot. Those EDOM people were always thick 
as thieves.

GM NOTE: Actually, Kelly wasn't ever EDOM. He was a MINA asset, 
sort of. That is to say, I figure MINA locked him up in the asylum 
as a consultant, possibly turning him loose on vampires every now 
and then, at least until Liesl contacted him and he escaped.

p. 169: Chapter 10: 7 September entry of Seward's Diary: "The 
first thing Van Helsing said to me":

Histoire curieuse sur ce homme, Sebastian me l'n raconte:

AVH a cree que il fut la reincarnation de E. Kelly, homme spirituel 
(ou charlatan) ami des magician Anglais Jean Dee. Moi, je n'ai cru 
jamais en cet histoire.

La chute dien homme des grande pouvoirs est prie et triste.
-ERD

Translation: Curious story about this man, Sebastian told it to me:

AVH believed that he was the reincarnation of E. Kelly, 
spiritualist (or charlatan), friend of the English magician, 
John Dee. I never believed in this story.

The fall of a man of great ability is dire and sad.

p. 170: Same entry:

Lisel: Ne croyez fras en la "compassion" et mesonyes de 
M. le docteur Seward -- il a ete un torturaire en la service 
a EDOM!
-ERD

Translation: Don't believe in the "compassion" and lies of 
Dr. Seward -- he was a torturer in the service of EDOM.

GM NOTE: Utterly accurate.

p. 171: VH's second call for "There must be a transfusion 
of blood":

Liesl:

Dans un cas qui a semple ce laste, jai refuse performer 
cet methode experimental -- alle a ete trop dangereuse en 
ses tempro!
-ERD

Translation: In a similar case, I refused to perform this 
experimental method -- it was too dangerous in those days!

GM NOTE: This was probably after the 1894 events, as Liesl 
did agree to perform it on Juliette. She did this for two 
reasons: First, Juliette would have died if nothing had been 
done. Second, her brother was the doner, which Liesl thought 
would make it less likely that the blood transfusion would 
kill Juliette outright. (I forget whether I based the success 
on the skill roll or whether I rolled an evens-odds die to decide.)

p. 181: 11 September Entry in Seward's Diary: Van Helsing's 
introduction of garlic:

Gabriel:

Oh God, it's Van Helsing + the Van Der pool garlic again. If 
you want to keep out vampires, use special garlic, I guess.

p. 220, Chapter 12, 20 September Entry in Seward's Diary, 
Lucy's Deathbed:

Gabriel:

Is this Lucy creature supposed to be my fiance? I suppose 
it's convenient they killed her in this lurid story, then.

This is disgusting.
-G. O.

p. 227: Chapter 13: 20 September Entry in Seward's Diary: 
Van Helsing saying he wants to cut off Lucy's head and cut 
out her heart:

Liesl:

Faites Attention, mon lecteur brave:

Ici trowez-vous des maies methodes de tuer des morta-vivants!

Translation: Pay attention, my brave reader!

Here you find the real techniques to kill the un-dead!

GM NOTE: Well, more or less. You're then supposed to stuff 
the mouth with garlic, then burn the body and scatter the 
ashes into running water. As the un-dead will not generally 
sit still for this, one often stakes the vampire, but it must 
be with a stake of a conductive metal. Not wood!

That said, there may be a brief window between death and rebirth 
where Van Helsing's (slightly) less invasive method would have 
worked. Alas, it's apparently thwarted because the maid was 
hypnotized to steal the cross left with Lucy. Unless there 
was some meteoric material in that cross, though, its presence 
would have done nothing. So, this may also be more of Stoker's 
fictionalizing.

p. 241: 25 September: Westminister Gazette Article: The 
Hampstead Horror: Another Child Injured:

Gabriel:

Oh God no, I see where this is going.

p. 230: Chapter 14: 25 September Entry in Mina Harker's 
Journal: Van Helsing: "you have good memory for facts, for 
deatils? It is not always so with young ladies":

Beatrice:

--or young men, Mr. Stoker.
Mrs. Pat

p. 291: Chapter 16: After Arthur kills un-dead Lucy:

Gabriel:

...disgusting.

Beatrice:

But the drama!

p. 299: Chapter 17: 29 September Entry in Seward's Diary: 
Mina has been crying while listening to Seward's diary, which 
really bothers Seward, but not Mina:

Beatrice:

Indeed, I too recommend a good cry when necessary.
-Mrs. Pat

p. 308: 30 September Entry in Mina Harker's Journal: 
"We women have something of the mother in us":

Beatrice:

Bram writing about women is hilarious.

GM NOTE: I kept reading that as "hideous", which amused the 
player, as it is also accurate.

p. (314-)315: Chapter 18: 30 September Entry in Seward's 
Journal: Renfield responding positively to Mina: "If this 
new phase was spontaneous, or in any way due to her unconscious 
influence, she must have some rare gift or power":

Beatrice:

or, you know, not torturing people makes them respond better.
-Mrs. Pat

p. 316: Same entry: Van Helsing saying that Mina "has man's brain"

Beatrice:

human's brain.
-Mrs. Pat

Van Helsing saying that the men are pledged to destroy "this 
monster, but it is no part for a woman" (who has taken the same oath):

Beatrice:

Jerk.
-Mrs. Pat

p. 321: 30 September Entry in Mina's Journal: Van Helsing 
saying Dracula can turn into a wolf or bat:

Beatrice:

The bats aren't actually him, per se, but his eyes.
-Mrs. Pat

GM NOTE: Mrs. Pat saw rats being used that way by Dracula, 
but she didn't see the attack on Quantock Lodge, where Dracula 
took wolf form and joined Gabriel's dogs in the attack on de 
Ville. Also, Carmilla could take the form of a panther, but 
I don't think that was something anyone saw in the 1894 leg.

p. 349: Chapter 20: Above chapter title:

Gabriel:

Is this book just not going to mention "Count De Vil" at all? 
That man murdered my servants. I'm glad he's dead.

GM NOTE: EDOM made Bram cut that material. The unredacted version 
I have (which I'm not using because it doesn't match what we 
created) has the whole de Ville business. Of course, de Ville 
IS Dracula in that version, and Quantock Manor is Coldfell 
House in London...

p. 379: Chapter 21: 3 October Entry in Seward's Diary: Mina's 
description of Dracula as she saw him, right before he spoke 
to her, fed on her, and force fed her his blood:

Liesl:

Sur le Toure de Londres avec mes yeux j'ni ver son apparition 
de cette memiere mystiere

Cet potrait du Comte est fidele -- je croix que peut-etre Stoker 
a fait la connaissance de Dracula...
-ERD

Translation: On the Tower of London with my own eyes I saw 
him appear (before me) in this manner.

This portait of the Count [the rest of the post-it has 
crumbled, so my best guess: is faithful. I believe the 
perhaps Stoker (unsure -- made the acquiantance of?) Dracula...

p. 380: Same entry, from "Then he spoke to me mockingly":

Top:

Liesl:

Je suis desolee que ce "roman" fut ecrit d'un auteur des 
spectacular melodramatique!
-ERD

Translation: I'm sad that this "novel" was written by an 
author of melodrama!

Bottom:

Liesl:

Pleussieur fois j'ai parler entre Nicholas. Il m'a pas 
parte comme cc! _Jamais!_

C'est une phantasie melodramatique
-ERD

Tranlation: Many times I spoke with Nicholas. He did not 
talk like that! Never!

It's a melodramatic fantasy!

Beatrice:

It does not matter how he spoke; tis was the feeling you'd get.
-Mrs. Pat

Liesl, did you _not_ feel bone-chilling terror here? 
Appreciate art!
-Mrs. Pat

p. 410: Chapter 23: 3-4 October Entry in Jonathan Harker's 
Journal: Van Helsing hypnotizing Mina to learn about Dracula 
through their link:

Beatrice:

This is in fact a thing you can do.
-Mrs. Pat

(You should wait until you have consent, though.)

p. 427: Chapter 24: 5 October Entry in Jonathan Harker's 
Journal: Mina making him promise not to tell her any plans 
while she's under Dracula's control:

Gabriel:

Mrs. Patrick Campbell was not nearly so cooperative.

Beatrice:

Bah! I kept myself out of your plans.

GM's NOTE: She really did. She had no idea she was expected 
to leak misinformation to de Ville, so she made sure to stay 
away from all information.

p. 430: 6 October Entry in Jonathan Harker's Journal: Harker 
makes his Will, naming Mina his heir, and after her, the 
rest of the Fearless Vampire Hunters:

Gabriel:

Pfah. To think Stoker was capable of poignancy. I made a 
will like that once.

p. 440: Chapter 25: 25 October Entry in Seward's Diary: 
Van Helsing continues to hypnotize and question Mina:

Gabriel:

The only person who did hypnotism is Liesl, as far as I 
know. Did VH do this too?

GM NOTE: Not in 1894.

p. 484: Chapter 27: 6 November Entry in Mina Harker's Journal:

Gabriel:

These entires remind me of Liesl.

p. 493: Blank Page after closing Note of novel:

Liesl:

Some Important facts about the creature "Dracula"

Dear reader, if you have read this far in this ridiculous 
melodramatic farrago of a "novel" then you deserve a measure 
of truth about its subjects, not the misdirection of Edom. As 
most of this book's readers will be English, I will express 
myself in that language.

Count Dracula was born Nicholaus Olahus in Wallachia at the 
end of the 15th Century and became the primate of Hungary 
under the Hapsburgs. He told me once he had attended the 
legendary "Scholomance", Satan's school of necromancy. I 
do not know what the truth of the matter is, only that 
he knew much that was hidden.

He is a being of formidable occult power, although I was 
able to deflect his power of obscuring his face by auto-mesmerism. 
Never underestimate his strength.

He has become a creature absolutely without empathy or humanity. 
And yet he feels a strange attraction to those qualities that 
perhaps could be turned against him. I was unable to do so. 
Perhaps you will fare better.

He warned me that he fought against enemies more terrible 
than himself. Perhaps; as for me, he never terrified me, 
only engaging my pity.

Beware, and always remember: he made himself and is not 
like other vampires. You generalize from them to him at 
your peril.

He was the most fascinating man I have ever met, and the 
most evil. I regret no longer speaking with him.

-Elisabeth Rosenzweig Davidowitsch, 1905