Page 155 - Chronicles of Darkness

Mr. Let-Me-In become more of a looming threat that drives a story; instead
With a small change to his M.O., Mr. Let-Me-In can

He’s genteel and well-mannered of leaving those who refuse to let him in in peace, he returns
And ever so polite another night. At first, perhaps it’s every few days, gradually
But once you let him in your home increasing in frequency until he’s hammering on the door
You’re in for quite a fright! every night, several times a night, making it nearly impossible
Background: As near as anybody can tell, the legend to get any restful sleep (and thus regain Willpower). As stress
started somewhere around Kennebunkport, Maine in the and fatigue set in, Mr. Let-Me-In becomes the catalyst for
early 70s. Or at least, that’s the first time anyone ever wrote psychological drama and inter-character conflict.
anything down about Mr. Let-Me-In (sometimes called
the Knocker, the Doorbell Killer, or Charlie Knox), in a Mental Attributes: Intelligence 2, Wits 4,
Halloween-themed local-interest story in the York County Resolve 3
Coast Star. In that original version, a madman escaped from Physical Attributes: Strength 6, Dexterity 4,
a local lunatic asylum (never mind that there isn’t an asylum Stamina 4
within 30 miles of Kennebunkport) and went wandering Social Attributes: Presence 5, Manipulation 6,
through town, knocking on doors and calling out, “Let me Composure 3
in!” Conditioned by the rules of the asylum, he wouldn’t
dare break in, but if anyone was foolish enough to heed his Mental Skills: Crafts 2
request, he’d bludgeon everyone in the house to death. Physical Skills: Brawl 8, Stealth 4, Weaponry 6
The story spread down I-95, mutating as it went. Social Skills: Intimidation 3, Persuasion 2
Sometimes Mr. Let-Me-In was said to be the vengeful ghost Merits: Demolisher ••, Heavy Weapons ••••,
of a man who froze to death on the front yard while a kegger Iron Stamina ••
raged inside. Other times he was the devil himself, or at least
one of his servants, sent to drag souls off to hell. Most of the Potency: 4
time, the story is just that: easily disproven by even cursory Willpower: 10
research into local records. About every six years, though, Virtue: Polite
you’ll find something to the story — a spate of home invasions Vice: Murderous
with no sign of forced entry, or records of 911 calls reporting
harassment by someone pounding on the door all night long. Aspiration: To bash out brains.
Sometimes it’s not even houses, sometimes police find a car Initiative: 7
on the side of the highway, the passenger door wide open Defense: 4
and the driver’s skull little more than a red pulp. The verified
reports spread steadily southward, as though Mr. Let-Me-In Speed: 15
is going somewhere. Health: 9
Appearance: The stories all describe Mr. Let-Me-In as a Weapons/Attacks:
small, round man, dressed in business attire roughly 20 years
out of date, with pasty skin and a too-wide smile beneath a Dice
dapper pencil moustache. Some of the stories (namely the Type Damage Range Pool
ones that ascribe him supernatural origins) say that this is just Convenient 2L Melee 12
a disguise, and that if you peel of his face you’ll find noth- heavy object
ing but emptiness. A few eyewitness accounts by survivors Bans: Mr. Let-Me-In cannot enter a home unless
describe him as “odd,” or somehow slightly off-kilter. someone inside opens the door for him.
Storytelling Hints: Because he chooses his victims seem- Dread Powers: Home Ground, Jump Scare,
ingly at random and doesn’t stalk them extensively, Mr. Maze, Surprise Entrance
Let-Me-In works best as a Horror for a more proactive group
pattern of attacks, possibly even predict future victims before Nibbles the Clown
of occult investigators. Investigation actions can establish a
they’re targeted. Actually dealing with the threat will vary in Say it ain’t so, Joe!
complexity depending on which, if any, of the stories about Background: It’s a hard thing to not have a face of your
Mr. Let-Me-In are true; if, as the oldest legends suggest, he’s own. The world just doesn’t sit right around you. Some would
a homicidal maniac driven by monstrous urges, a group of call that a curse and crawl away to die in a deep dark hole.
characters might be able to lay a trap for him and catch or But the creature that, since the early 1950s, has been called
even kill him. If he’s a demon or a ghost, the only way to Nibbles the Clown has found a much more entertaining
banish him might be to enact a particular ritual at the place option. If you don’t have a face of your own, well, plenty
Mr. Let-Me-In entered this world, or to find a relic of his life of folks around the world aren’t putting theirs to good use.
that can be ritually destroyed. The name Nibbles the Clown first appears in an article
from the Calumet City News in 1952 about a bloody massacre
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Horrors and wonders-antagonists