Fantasy Horror Historical Earth OPEN The Encroaching Madness

“It cannot be seen, cannot be felt,
Cannot be heard, cannot be smelt,
It lies behind stars and under hills,
And empty holes it fills,
It comes first and follows after,
Ends life, kills laughter.”

― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit, or There and Back Again



Ever since the dawn of time the appearance of a comet was considered an ill omen. The sudden appearance of the bright ball of rock and ice, followed by the luminous and ethereal trail caused a primordial sense of dread in the hearts and minds of most regular people. To the enlightened persons of this new, twentieth century, these were mere superstitions, a remnant of a period of humanity's development, when the world was a scary and unknowable place. A place filled with monsters and magic. So these scientists simply dismissed them…



But they were wrong…

It is the year of our Lord 1930 and the world is standing at the precipice of the greatest storm of madness and bloodshed that humanity had ever imagined possible...

There were those who stepped forward to oppose the darkness, but they knew their numbers would not be enough. And so they quietly began to seek out those few whose talents and skills could be used to defend the world against what was coming.

About the Game:

Since I had to close down Calm Before the Storm, I decided to revamp some of the themes and general ideas from it into a game set in an alternative Earth, where magical and mythical creatures and persons, along with monsters exist, albeit their numbers have been dwindling throughout the centuries. There are secret societies who direct historical events and figures to cause great upheavals that fuel certain rituals to bring the dark forces to strength. WW1 was one such event.

Here fictional characters like Van Helsing, Victor Frankenstein, Sherlock Holmes, etc. exist along with historical figures (like Tolkien, Tesla, etc.) and are part of a network of people (think of it like the League of the Extraordinary Gentlemen, the BPRD and SHIELD) who hunt monsters, look for ancient artifacts that need protection from the dark forces.

The game will be episodic with each episode having its own theme, meaning for example there will be an Indiana Jones (who also exists in the universe) themed episode, a Holmes/Poirot themed episode, a spy thriller and so on.

If you like to play a magical creature you should note certain restrictions like having to conceal your true nature as in that enlightened age people no longer believe in them.

CS Format:

Name:
Gender:
Age:
Nationality (Race if a Magical Creature):
Physical description (picture if applicable):

• Height;
• Weight:
• Skin color:
• Hair color:
• Eye color:

Personality:

• Quirks:
• Likes/dislikes:
• Strengths/weaknesses:

Weapons:
Short Bio:

Rules:

1. Please PM me your Character Sheets first for approval
2. No God-modding
   
3. Obey the Boards’ rules
   
4. The GM’s word is law
5. If you have to pause your participation or would like to withdraw please notify beforehand so that I can accommodate
6. Have fun

 

GM Approved



Name: Nadia Lundin
Gender: Female
Age: 26
Nationality: White/Swedish
Physical description:

• Height: 5'6"
• Weight: 125
• Skin color: Pale
• Hair color: Dark blond
• Eye color: Ice blue

Personality:

• Quirks: Particular and fussy, Snappy, Deeply private
• Likes/dislikes: Likes cool cloudy nights, thunderstorms, sad classical music, the romanticism of death and the macabre. Cats. Dislikes crowds, uninvited guests, noise, sunlight
• Strengths/weaknesses: Can live on very little. Given to depression and loneliness

Weapons: Two handguns, small knives, vials of poison

Short Bio: Nadia was born in Stockholm, Sweden to a poor family. Both her parents died by the time she turned 15. She dropped out of school and worked odd jobs with her two siblings, while educating herself. A job as a clothing model gained her the notice of a theater manager. Critics called her presence "otherworldly" and "scary mysterious". After a few years of acting on the stage, her name reached across the ocean. At the age of 18, Nadia traveled to the United States and signed a contract with MGM. By 1929, she had starred in two successful films, Seductress (1927) and A Woman Came Between Us (1927).

 

Name: Lady Delfina "Delfi" Belmont of Duxford (Delfina Alberta Margaret Anne)
Nationality: British

Gender: female
Age: 22 as of 1930 (born 1908)
Physical description (picture if applicable):
*
Height; 5' 4"
Weight: 118
Skin color: fair
Hair color: pale blonde
Eye color: soft blue

Personality:

Quirks: packs too much, chatters when she's nervous, will try almost anything once, as long as it isn't too illegal
Likes: pretty clothes, parties, cute animals, music, travel & learning new things
Dislikes: bad food, messy chores, bugs, bullies, cruelty

Strengths: Curious, adapts well to change, knows her own limitations, strong-willed (which is usually a shock to people who only see a pretty girl), with more education than usual for a debutante.
Weaknesses: Physically small, average strength for her size. Not accustomed to manual labor and can be overwhelmed in a crisis. No knowledge of hand-to-hand combat, apart from a well-placed kick as needed
Weapons: a small pearl-handled revolver that Granny gave her for her travels ("a Lady knows how to defend herself, dear") and a small ivory handled dagger that she usually uses as a letter opener. She has been known to stash it in her garter. She has attended many shooting parties and spends much of September in Scotland stag-hunting on the estates of friends and cousins, so she is a fairly decent shot. She has also learned archery and fencing at school, but has only pursued them as sport, never in combat.

Family:
· Daddy (Albert James Edward Malcolm Belmont, the Earl of Amberleigh –Deceased 1917, Battle of the Somme)
· Mummy (Lady Caroline Alice Margaret McAllister Belmont) b. 1884
· Granny (Georgiana Elizabeth Anne Belmont, Dowager Duchess of Duxford, LVO, Lady in Waiting to HM Queen Mary) -65
· Granny Cee (Celia Arabella Rose McAllister, 17th Countess of Braemar) -68
· Grandpapa (Alistair Duncan Frazer Stewart McAllister, 17th Earl of Braemar KT) -72
· Bunky, Delfi’s eldest brother (Bernard Alexander Edward Belmont, 15th Duke of Duxford) -27
· Tufty, Delfi’s second brother (Flight Lieutenant Lord James Frederick Alistair Belmont, RAF) -24

Short Bio:
Lady Delfina comes from a very old English family. Indeed, seven of her ancestors were beheaded by the Tudors, and two of them are still said to haunt the family pile. Her paternal grandmother, the Dowager Duchess of Duxford, is a lady in waiting to Queen Mary. Her maternal grandmother is the Countess of Braemar, a cousin of the Duchess of York.

Her father, Albert, eldest son of the Duke of Duxford (who went by the courtesy title Earl of Amberleigh) died in the First World War, along with both of her uncles. She is the youngest of three. Her brother Bernard, (aka “Bunky”) is the current Duke of Duxford. Her second brother James (aka “Tufty”) is a Flight Lieutenant in the Royal Air Force.

Lady Delfina has all the accomplishments of a young lady, having attended Miss Malwort's Establishment for Young Ladies, with a year at the Chalet in Switzerland. She can arrange flowers, host dinner parties, do some first aid and a bit of cooking, play the piano, ride, shoot, dance, paint, embroider, and speak a few languages (English, Scots Gaelic, French, German, Latin, and a bit of Italian and Spanish). She also enjoys the usual country pursuits of the upper classes: tennis, riding, foxhunting, salmon and trout fishing, stalking, and shooting. She also enjoys bridge and whist, and has become quite keen on the modern fad for mah jong.

Delfi's family never emphasized intellectual accomplishments, but Delfi has an interest in history and geography. She spent hours in her father's library studying the atlases and fantasizing about traveling to all the different places she read about. She is a bit vague about science, and prefers popular novels to the classics of literature, but she is pretty good with numbers, which is useful when she needs to submit her monthly expense account to her brother.

She has a wide circle of friends and acquaintances and is always glad to expand it. She is not particularly a snob, and is just as happy to meet and chat with a member of the working classes as she is to meet a Duke (unless he's cute and single, in which case the Duke takes priority).

After her Season, Delfi was engaged to be married to the youngest son of the Earl of Locksley, and was devastated when he was killed in a fall from his horse in a point-to-point. She has had a few offers since then, but is not ready to commit herself.

*Image is probably the famous aviatrix Ruth Elder

 

GM Approved

Name: Sergeant Major (retired) Jack “Jackie” King
Gender: Male
Age: 32
Race: Human/Were-Croc (semi-voluntary)
Physical Appearance:


Height: Human – 6’0”, Croc – 7’2”
Weight: Human – 197 lbs., Croc – 384 lbs.
Skin Color: Caucasian human, light tan. Croc skin is grey and green
Hair Color: None
Eye Color: Human – Brown, Croc - Gold
Nationality: American
Personality:
Quirks: Jack loves being out in the sun and doesn’t mind the lack of shade, to the displeasure of many people who choose to stand and talk with him. Alcohol doesn’t seem to have as great an effect on him, due to his altered metabolism.
Likes: Jack loves the sun and being nice and warm. He also loves swimming and excels at it. He also loves hanging out at local pubs and people-watching
Dislikes: Jack hates being overly cold and dry climates.
Strengths: As a former Army sergeant during the war, Jack is an excellent marksman and has above-average fitness and endurance. He has good experience in leading small groups of people, and is very comfortable making conversation with total strangers.
Weaknesses: Large crowds sometimes make him uneasy, especially if he has put off regular “switches” for an extended time. He’s worried about his secret getting out, or accidentally hurting someone innocent.
Weapons: Keeps an old service rifle, a Lee-Enfield Mk III, at home, but generally carries a Colt M1908 Pocket Hammerless on his person when out and about, just in case. He also owns a Mauser C96, a souvenir earned in the trenches of Europe years back.
Special Characteristics: Jack’s big secret, known only by a select few of his most trusted friends and relatives, is that he is a were-croc. Most people are at least familiar with legends of werewolves, but other animal forms are even more rare. Jack is generally tight-lipped regarding how he came to be such a creature, and the most he has told anyone was that it involved a night of heavy drinking and a girl he met once after the war in Cairo. Even more curious is that his “condition” is somewhat controllable. Jack retains the ability to “switch” on command, most of the time. If he allows himself regular switch times, he finds he is able to maintain control. Going long periods without his voluntary switch usually leads to his form changing at uncontrollable moments. This, of course, has led to at least a couple of select people learning of his situation and the necessity to spill the beans to them to keep them from freaking out more than they already have. Generally, Jack finds himself still in the driver seat mentally when he voluntarily switches, but loses control if the switch is not his own doing or has been put off longer than normal.
Short Bio: Jack “Jackie” King was born in a small rural town in Texas. From a young age, Jack learned the value of hard work through various chores on the family farm. As he was coming of age, the war in Europe started up, and he signed on with several friends to go aid the effort. Working his way up the ranks, Jack was present at many major points of the war, notably the American intervention in the Ludendorff Offensive. During the operation, however, Jack suffered serious wounds that ultimately ended his service.

Once the war ended, Jack decided to settle abroad in the United Kingdom. It was here that he picked up his very peculiar “condition”. At first, the switches from one form to another were random, painful, and ever so inconvenient, often happening either in his sleep or on the street in broad daylight. It seemed the transformation was more prone to happen during a hot day than any other time, likely so the croc side of him could simply bask in the sun. Slowly, Jack learned to take control, and found that allowing the switches to happen gave him more composure of what he did as a croc, and fewer accidents. Soon, the urban legends of a crocodile escaped from the London zoo roaming the alleys were behind him, and he could live more normally. Still, there are a few who know his secret, but they have so far helped him keep a normal life.

It wasn’t until Jack truly got a hold on his alternate side that he found out the magical world was not just a fairy tale, but in fact a well-hidden side of everyday life. Sure, magic folk were tough to come by most times, but he gradually became aware of different enclaves of magic, and found he enjoys interacting when he gets the chance.

 

Name: Lady Orlanda (Ya'la Inone)
Gender: Female
Eyes: Dark brown almost black
Hair: Brown
Age: looks 25
Nationality: Fae (Looks human normally when around them.)

Personality:
Quirks: Enjoys the company of ladies more. Men who immediately make a play for
Likes/dislikes: Enjoys rich deserts, curling up alone with a good book, and art. Loathes men who make a frivolous play towards her, any who would try to control her. Weak women. Hate weak men even more.

Strengths/weaknesses: Magic. With magic and money, much can be done./Physical Strength. Prefers others to handle the heavy lifting.

Weapons: 4 slender black daggers. 3 dark hairpins hidden in her hair, a slender looking chain that is extremely strong, and can be used as a garote. Still able to use sword and bow and arrow, she prefers some of the more modern tools. She carries as "Britannia" air pistol with various darts. Small, quiet, and depending on what she tips in with, deadly.

Description: A beautiful young woman, with wavy long hair, and pale smooth skin of someone who has never had to work a day in her life. She carries herself as someone from a noble house and acts very regal.

Short Bio: Yala is a dark fairy. But she was not always one. She was once a happy, normal fairy, who dwelled in a forest that bordered on an area of humans. And while she loved the world of her own people, she dared to love a human. Such a thing caused her to be shunned by her own people. Except for the Queen, who only gave her a warning. But she was sure that from the way the man had treated her, that it would last.

But nothing ever lasts. After they moved away, they had been very happy. At least for a while. The man was royalty. They stayed together for many years, and she kept a mortal form, as she stayed with him. And even though she stayed loyal to him, he sought out another woman. A mortal human. She could understand this because he was Royalty, and he needed heirs, something she could never have. And he always ended up back to her. She gained power and prestige, things she grew to like. But more than that, he still returned to her, and she still helped him.

But a year passed, and soon the trips to visit her were becoming less and less. And she found out that the woman he was seeing was now his queen, and she was pregnant. Still, she knew that would be an outcome. But then one day, he stopped coming. And she found out from others that the queen had had a child. Yala was happy for him, and she went to congratulate him. But he had broken a promise and told his queen about Yala's true nature. The queen forbade her entrance into the palace. The new king showed up a week later to try and apologies, but Yala was hurt and drove him away, angry and his betrayal and broken promise. But basically, she was hurt at his total refusal to at least acknowledging her.

Then, one night, she was summoned to the palace. She thought that perhaps they would finally acknowledge her. Or at least thank yer, for it was her earlier spells and considerations that he had managed to gain his thrown. But as she got closer, she felt something was very wrong. But she had come prepared, just in case.

Once inside. She found out that the child had died. And the Queen was blaming her for the death. Yala looked over towards her ex-lover, expecting him to say something, anything on her behalf. But he didn't. He refused to even look towards her. And something inside of her snapped.

All the hurt and anger manifested at that moment. And she changed her form in from of them, except now, instead of colorful wings, her wings were as black as night. And she laid a curse on them, one that shook the entire building. Too late, the Queen realized that she had made a horrible mistake, in not remembering the magic of the fae. Yala didnt kill him, but she might as well had, in the state she left him.

And then she left.

She was dark and bitter for a long time. But she was also rich. Mortals seemed so interested in her little babbles. She maintained herself as a lady of 'high' standards. She is also incredibly vicious when angered. She viciously murdered a group of men who tried to claim her for their kingdom. Now outcast from 2 lands now, she wanders about, trying to decide on her next course. She uses those she can to further her goals, as she travels.

Abilities:
For the GM to know...and you to find out...

 

I met a traveller from an antique land,
Who said—“Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert. . . . Near them, on the sand,
Half sunk a shattered visage lies, whose frown,
And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,
The hand that mocked them, and the heart that fed;
And on the pedestal, these words appear:
My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings;
Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal Wreck, boundless and bare
The lone and level sands stretch far away.”

CHAPTER 1​

The Belmont Estate



The Professor, or the Old Man as some people like to call Johannes Petreus arrived at the mansion of the late Earl of Amberleigh. He was there on an important mission. One that had been handed to him by his predecessor. Who in turn got it from his, going back as early as Merlin.

Precisely, that Merlin.

Though given the nature of the mission, the Professor surmised that this was going even before the times of the venerable wizard.

He was here to check on certain artefacts of grave importance. The Belmonts have been their guardians for generations and if what the occultists were saying there has been a shift in the astral plane.

The Dark Man was on the prowl once again. The ancient enemy, who always seemed to come out during great tragedies. That added fuel to the idea that these events were not entirely natural, but were being directed from behind the curtains.

There had been debates and quarrels about that for centuries among the organization the Professor was helming. It did not matter, they have failed to prevent it once again. The signs, as usual, had been there, Haley’s Comet the chief among them.

After an Egyptian artefact went missing from the British Museum, he suspected that there was more going on, so the Professor sent a letter to the good old lady, the Dowager Duchess of Duxford, to whom he had been introduced in the past.

In the letter he explained the gravity of the situation and that he was tasked to make sure that the artefacts would not fall into the wrong hands. A shame that good old Sherlock decided to retire, he would have been much help in solving the case. At least Mycroft was there to smooth things over with Her Majesty’s government.

Waiting for the servants to announce his arrival he straightened his jacket and brushed off a speck of dust with one hand and with the other he gripped his cane. Hopefully there will be a day when such pompous ceremonies will be forgotten and people could get right to business.

Time was of the essence after all…

TAG: @Mistress_Renata

RMS Majestic - formerly SS Bismarck

Meanwhile, another Professor of Archeology was making a transatlantic trip from New York to Southhapmtpon, though Britain was not his intended destination. He was to spend a short time in Oxford, to check certain historical sources and then was to head to Egypt.

He was sitting at the bar, rotating the glass of whiskey in his hands before taking a sip. It was there where he was joined by a gorgeous woman. At first the Professor did not notice her, then blinked under the glasses.

“Forgive me ma’am, but aren’t you by any chance Miss Nadia Ludin?” he was not that well versed in the latest gossip or fawning over celebrities, but he enjoyed the movies from time to time and he had seen the Scandinavian beauty in the Seductress.

Besides would not miss the chance to converse with such an exquisite representative of the female sex.

“Pardon my manners.” he chuckled “I am Professor Henry Jones… Junior.”he grimaced slightly but then smirked “But my friends call me Indiana.”



TAG: @Ava G.

The Grenadier Pub, London



Tyler Petreus, the grandson of the Old Man, entered the drinking establishment. He was a former Lieutenant in the British Expeditionary Force during the Great War and the place was frequented by former military men.

He was a Monster Hunter in Her Majesty’s service, thanks to gramps and his friend Mycroft. Good thing his family was of small nobility so he could pretend that he was just a playboy going about, spending his fortunes.

But that was all a cover. He was part of the Security Service, a secret division that was specializing in hunting supernatural beings, monsters, vampires, werewolves and the like. Even in the Service not everyone knew his identity as in most documents he was referred as a double-O Agent. 004, that was his number.

The lovely Liesel van Helsing, was 003, as she had been introduced to Monster Hunting earlier, since her grandfather had been preparing her for the role ever since the whole Dracula debacle.

Tyler was there to check with a person who claimed to have seen the giant crocodile and was hunting it. He almost thought that M was making fun of him by sending him to hunt a wild animal when the boss explained to him that the resident occultist claimed that there was something more to the creature.

Hopefully the chap will be there. Looking around he did not see many people in. After all, it was still early evening. People were not drunk enough to believe such wild tales.

Noticing a familiar face from Cambrai “Sergeant Major King.” he approached the man “You here alone?” Tyler smiled broadly “Or you here to hear about the Crocodile of London?”

TAG: @Bodhran777

Sherwood Forest



Liesel van Helsing, the granddaughter of Professor van Helsing, was making her way through the undergrowth. Her quarry was making things difficult as all the fairies did, especially the bad ones.

She had to suffer through the small cuts and pricks of the low hanging tree branches and the thorns of the shrubs. All in the name of her mission.

Adding insult to injury was the strict order to bring her target alive. Those were the worst missions as it would have been much easier to use her crossbow and nail the witch, but her Watcher from the Service forbade it strictly.

This one was crafty. She evaded her in the village when Liesel flushed her out and now she was in enemy territory, having to chase a creature which considered the forest its natural habitat.

“Orlanda, stop these childish games!” she said out loud “I am just here to talk!” maybe having weapons with her did not help her cause, but one could never be sure with magical creatures.

TAG: @Ktala

 

IC
Nadia Lundin
RMS Majestic

Nadia stood at the railing and tried to enjoy the sunset. Beams of light flamed the clouds, and sparkled the waves, like a sentimental painting. Fresh ocean breeze roared over her ears, as people walked the deck, and talked and laughed. Nobody recognized her yet. She wore a black, wool, knitted poncho, and a black silk turban.

With filming for Lovers wrapped, the star decided she could use a holiday. Co-star Lewis Stone agreed to accept an Academy Award on her behalf, back in the States. She was pleased enough with a nomination. Damned if she could stand crowds.

Well, that sunset elicited a warm fuzziness within her chest cavity. But turning her back to these passengers for too long caused anxiety. To this day.

The Majestic drifted for Southampton upon vast waters, and she drifted for her quarters at the end of a too-narrow corridor. Once inside, she removed her clothes, examined her reflection, and felt so bold as to leave for the bar without a disguise. A rosy pink dress and a long black coat. Earrings. Fine then, a little lip stain.

Nadia managed to stay casual on the way to the bar, down halls and down stairs, past couples and strays. Somehow, she evaded obvious detection, all the way to ordering an ale.

“Forgive me ma’am, but aren’t you by any chance Miss Nadia Lundin?" He introduced himself as Professor Henry Jones Jr. Or Indiana. The man did strike one as a scholar. A handsome scholar with a relaxed, masculine voice.

What was that word? Rez-bla. Resbl'm.

"The resemblance is uncanny, is it not?" She looked over her shoulder at him and smirked. "But my accent is very American."

Naw, it would be Swedish as ever to him.

TAG: @TheAdmiral

 

Lady Orlanda (Ya'la Inone)
Sherwood Forest

“Orlanda, stop these childish games!” she said out loud “I am just here to talk!”

Orlanda smirked, as she listened to the woman calling out within the forest. Orlanda wove her fairy magic into the woods around her, as she listened to the woman's calls. Orlanda pursed her lips. The woman's voice was annoying. But perhaps the woman had something of interest to her. After all, the woman did seem to be rather insistent in meeting her. And if she knew who she really was, that she dared the woods, well that was another matter. She was also armed.

Delicious.

Ya'la Inone was known as Orlanda to the worlds of mortals. Perhaps this woman would be entertaining. Orlanda gestured, and dark moths around her. A silken swing type seat soon appeared. She sat down, looking in the direction of the woman's voice. Another gesture and a lone moth fluttered out to the warrior woman van Helsing. It would float in front of her face for a few moments, and then turned and headed back towards Orlanda.

"That's LADY Orlanda, thank you." Orlanda purred softly when the woman came into view. Orlanda's sharp eyes quickly scanned the woman, as the rest of the moths moved to settle around her. Orlanda recognized her. She had seen her in town earlier. A slight smile, as her dark eyes looked over the woman.

"You say you are here to talk? Then speak. What words, do you have for me to hear, hunter?"


TAG: @TheAdmiral

 

IC: Jack King
The Grenadier Pub, London

April 5, 1930

I think I was spotted…again. Maybe the sewers aren’t the ideal place to go when it happens. If I had known the first slip was going to attract attention like this, I would have taken matters outside of town. After all, I know a guy with plenty of countryside, and a pond to lay low at with barely any access from outsiders. Next time, that’s the idea, I think.

When I went to clean up the messes, I found some man poking around with cameras. Said he was going to get a photo…ANOTHER photo…of the “beast”. He sounded like he was off into the savannah photographing zebras. If he knew what was really going on, he’d realize it was more like being in a trench with Fritz bearing down, armed with only a camera. He was in over his head, and if I were another man, maybe in serious danger. I made sure to nick his bag, cameras, film, and the rest of it, while he wasn’t looking, but I didn’t lay a hand on him. Hopefully that keeps the evidence at bay a bit longer. Now to dispose of the film.

It’s been 3 weeks since the last switch. A bit longer than the last one, but I think I’m still good for a bit more time. Just have to sort out the mess I’ve made myself, and then I’ll go reset the clock.

Jack King sat alone in a booth, deep inside the pub’s dining area, as he worked on a glass of scotch and looked over a gathering of cameras and video recorders before him on the table. Several of them had obvious signs of use, others had muck stains from the sewers, and almost all of them had been opened to produce rolls of film, waiting to be developed.

Of course, Jack had no intentions of developing any of it. In fact, a number of rolls had been pulled open and gone over with a small knife to ensure they weren’t salvageable. Others had gotten a dose of the pub lighting, or better yet, the sun. What was left were a small set of instant camera frames that were rough, and barely showed anything at all. Most were too dark to make anything out at all.

Once satisfied with his results, Jack started shoving cameras and film into a sack, which sat next to him in the booth. He only spared the developed instant camera photos, leaving them on the table for now. Jack was interested in them, if only because of the “instant” aspect of them. He’d heard of some guy by the name of Shlafrock that had invented some sort of camera that didn’t need a full dark room, and these were the first pictures he had seen taken with the technology. Clearly they had a way to go before they were truly a major leap forward, but it was a small step, and a warning to Jack that photographers were getting an advantage. Next thing he knew, they might be able to develop pictures in seconds, and then his secret would be in danger.

As he was looking over the pictures, Jack heard a newcomer to the pub heading in his direction. When he looked up, he was surprised to see a fellow soldier headed his way.

“You here alone? Or you here to hear about the Crocodile of London?” the man said with a smile. He no doubt recognized Jack.

“Petreus!’ Jack said, smiling as he stood up. “Haven’t seen you in a minute or two, have I?”

Here was Tyler Petreus, an officer he’d had the pleasure of meeting back in the war, standing in front of him. He hadn’t run into him in years, but he still recognized him. He didn’t look too different than he had back in Cambrai. A bit older, sure, but so was Jack, though Jack might not have taken the past 13 years as gracefully as Tyler seemed to have.

“Come sit. I’m not expecting anyone, and there’s plenty of seats. Unless you’re expecting someone yourself.”

Jack offered a seat to Petreus across from him. He hadn’t missed the crocodile comment, which put his stomach in a sudden knot. Thirty minutes ago, he had felt confident that it was only a handful of old fishermen and nosy people that had gotten wind. Now, knowing that someone with connection like Petreus had picked up on news, things might get far more complicated. The waters were now murky, and Jack was nervous to go swimming. Still, he had to know what news was getting around.

“What’s all this about the ‘Crocodile of London’?” Jack probed. “Did Regent’s Park lose one of their animals or something?”

TAG: @TheAdmiral

 

IC: Lady Delfina Belmont of Duxford
Belmont Manor

"If you don't mind my saying so, it will be nice to see you in colors again, milady," said Lily, the young chambermaid.

Delfi turned from side to side, admiring the smooth fit of the skirt. Poor Simon had been dead for just over six months, and while she hadn't actually been married to him, it had only seemed right to honor his death by wearing mourning. Certainly his parents had been grateful for the gesture. She had returned all of the wedding gifts she'd received, but they had insisted on giving her the beautiful diamond bracelet and earrings from Cartier that he'd planned to give her as a wedding gift.

Poor, dear Simon. She had never been breathlessly, head-over-heels in love with him, but he was a nice chap. Kind to others, optimistic, full of fun, and quite a good catch. His recklessness and love of adventure were what had taken him away, with that terrible fall in the point-to-point last October. The coroner said he had died instantly, which was a small comfort. She had worn mourning and half-mourning all winter. But it was past sixth months, and with Easter coming, it was as good a time as any to put off the weeds. While she did look rather fetching in black, white, gray and lavender, six months of this was enough. She couldn't imagine how old Queen Victoria ever managed it.

She and Mummy had just gotten back from Paris and there were some lovely new things in her wardrobe, sleek gowns from Vionnet, elegant suits from Molyneux and Worth, some lovely sportswear from Chanel... and with alterations to some of her old wardrobe, she was all set for the Season, when she'd be back on the marriage mart. Oh, dear. That was a depressing thought. Well, the Duke of Ranelagh was still single, so that was something. The only other truly eligible catches were the Prince of Wales (too old for her), and her own brother (as hard as that was to believe).

Mrs. Lauder, the village dressmaker, finished putting a pin in the skirt of the old, gray silk tea dress. "There!" she said. "That will update it, a bit. I suppose I'll have a lot of work ahead, with waistlines moving up."

Delfi considered. "Will the dye take, do you think?" she asked.

"Oh, yes, milady. The gray will dull down the color a bit, but if I use a very vivid shade of green, it will be a lovely, muted moss. Perfect for next fall." She sat back. "And you wanted pink for the crepe de chine? And the dark rose for the suit?"

"Yes, and trim on the gabardine jacket, please. Dark blue, I think."

There was a knock on the door. Lily went to it, and spoke with someone in a low voice.

"Who is it?" asked Delfi.

"Begging your pardon, milady," said Lily. "The Dowager Duchess wants to see you in the Library right away. Freddie says there's a gentleman with her."

Delfi hesitated. She still had two more dresses to be altered, but her mother's lady's maid could do it. "I'll be right down," she said. She turned to Mrs. Lauder. "I've given you plenty to do, I'm afraid."

"Not at all, milady." The woman's face clouded. "There's so many out of work, a lot of my ladies aren't buying anything new, and they're doing their own alterations. I'm glad to be busy."

Delfi nodded. The stock market crash in America last fall had world-wide repercussions. Her family were fortunate so far, and hadn't seen much difference in their fortunes, but who knew what would happen? Her brother, Bunky, said that some of the tenants were having trouble with their rents. If he hadn't quietly invested money with friends who were in Trade, they might have had to economize much more severely. "And you think you can sell those?" She'd gone through the wardrobe, picking out some of the older, simpler gowns she had and was going to sell them through Mrs. Lauder's shop. The lady would make a few alterations to make them more fashionable, and she and Delfi would split the proceeds evenly, if they sold.

"Sure to, milady, they're good quality." Another knock on the door.

"Milady?" It was Freddie, one of the footmen, calling through the door. "Her Grace says--"

"Yes, I'm coming right down!" Delfi took off the dress and changed quickly into a simple gray wool skirt, with a matching jumper in a paler gray before walking briskly down the hallway and descending the grand staircase. She was surprised to see Lord Lionel lingering by the door. He wasn't usually about at this time of day. He glanced at her, then wafted through the wall, into the room. "Show off," she muttered, using the door.

There was a brisk fire going, and Granny was seated in her favorite seat by it. Opposite her was a tall, lean man, with a long nose and piercing blue eyes. He rose and bowed his head politely as she entered. She nodded in return.

Granny looked up at her. "There you are, gel! Whatever kept you?"

"I was with--"

"Oh, it doesn't matter. This is...an old acquaintance of mine, Professor Petraeus. Johannes, this is my granddaughter, Delfina."

"How do you do, Professor?" Delfi shook his hand, and took the chair that Granny pointed her to. There was a tea service set out in front of her, and she began to pour for their guest, knowing that was expected of her. "Cream and sugar?"

"Just a little cream, please." His voice was deep and rich. Lord Lionel drifted to the corner behind him.

"Delfi, my dear, the Professor has a small problem, and I think you might be just the person to help him with it." Her grandmother turned to the gentlemen. "Go on, Johannes."

TAG: @TheAdmiral


(Mamhead House, Exeter)

 

The Belmont Estate

The Petraeus’ family was of minor nobility, that allowed for the Professor to mingle with certain societal circles. Either way it did not matter to him that much, as long as he could operate the way he preferred to… from the shadows.

He was let into the Belmont Estate by a footman and greeted by his good old friend the Dowager Duchess. They exchanged pleasantries while she guided him towards the library. The Old Man had to remind himself not to be too hasty as to break the etiquette.

It was all part of the polite dance of not jumping right into business. Though once in the Library the old lady fixed him with a piercing glaze. Johannes knew what it meant and gave her a brief explanation. She was listening carefully and intently, then without turning to him she rang a small bell and a maid appeared.

The Professor remained silent while she gave her orders that she wished to see her granddaughter. That made him frown slightly. Why was she involving the young lady in all this? They had discussed it in the past, given her suspected “special” abilities, that young Delfina to be introduced into the Society.

Once the young lady came he stood up to greet her. She had grown and had became very beautiful. Good thing Tyler was not there as he could have made a fool out of himself in her presence.

“Lady Delfina.” he said softly “You have grown into a beautiful young lady.” the Professor smiled “I am sorry it has been a while since I last saw you, you probably don’t remember, you were very young back then.”

After the initial pleasantries were done he sighed “I am afraid my visit is due to unfortunate circumstances.” he grimaced “I am working together with the British Museum and you probably have heard about the recent robbery, it was all over the papers.” he continued “I am not sure how much your grandmother...” the Professor turned his head for a moment toward the Dowager Duchess “Have told you about the services your family is providing to the Crown by protecting certain… important artefacts.” he fixed Delfi with a piercing gaze “It is only a formality, but I was tasked to make sure they are safe...”

TAG: @Mistress_Renata

RMS Majestic - formerly SS Bismarck

Indiana raised an eyebrow at her comment. Was he wrong about who she was? The irony was that he could easily navigate long lost temples and find whatever he was tasked to retrieve, or read ancient texts, but had a hard time reading women.

Not that he did not have success with the fairer sex, on the contrary, he just had a hard time understanding them.

Besides he was not well versed in the current gossip and who was famous and who was not. It was all inconsequential to him. Sometimes when on boring travels he would read a tabloid rag or two, but that was all.

“I am sorry Miss…” he gave one of his lopsided grins “I must have been mistaken then. Let me buy you a drink...” he paused “As an apology.”

TAG: @Ava G.

The Grenadier Pub, London

Tyler grinned and sat opposite Jack. “Oh, some wild rumor the papers are pushing to sell their rags.” he chuckled “Someone started a rumor that it was an unnatural creature.” he turned and signaled a serving girl to bring him a pint “I hear there is a reward for bringing in proof.”

He then noticed what was on the table “New hobby?” Tyler raised an eyebrow. “Don’t tell me you want to be a reporter.” he grimaced then chuckled “Just remembered that guy poking around in the trenches for the latest scoop, how he almost pissed himself when the Huns started shelling us.”

Then he leaned forward “Or you were just fishing for information? You're on the hunt for it?” he whispered conspiratorially.

TAG: @Bodhran777

Sherwood Forest

Liesel rolled her eyes “Alright Lady Orlanda!” she said out loud, trying not to sound too sarcastic “It seems you have been a bit naughty...” she snorted “Gave those farmers quite the scare.” that was not the reason she was looking for her, Orlanda knew the rules, no killing and she would not be harmed or locked, though magical creatures like her found a loophole as there was no actual rule for scaring people.

“I am sure they deserved it...” given the way they looked at Liesel they probably had made an indecent proposal to the fairy or something along the lines and given how touchy they could be, if Tinkerbell was to be the norm…

Liesel almost reached for her weapon when Orlanda appeared “Be careful next time...” she smirked “Anyway, I did not come all this way to talk about farmers, but wanted to hear whether you knew anything about who might be interested in the stolen Ankh from the British Museum?”

TAG: @Ktala

 

IC
Nadia Lundin
RMS Majestic

A relaxed cheerfulness pervaded the ship bar like the pipe smoke and perfume. People laughed, told stories, tapped glasses. Warm lighting.

"Miss... Gin. Yes, Honey Gin." Nadia would play with the man. "But I will take a tall glass of rum and fruit juice. One rum, three juice." Apology accepted.

His smile was boyishly humble, she thought. Hers had been called dark, or sly.

"You're a professor. Did you bring any students along?"

@TheAdmiral

 

IC: Lady Delfina Belmont of Duxford
Library, Belmont Manor

Delfi listened as she was introduced, and smiled at his compliment. "You have grown into a beautiful young lady. I am sorry it has been a while since I last saw you, you probably don’t remember, you were very young back then.”

No, she didn't remember him. In her world, children were to be seen and not heard, and as a rule, she hadn't been introduced to most of the adult friends of her parents. Perhaps he had come for her father's funeral?

But he was continuing. ““I am afraid my visit is due to unfortunate circumstances.” He paused, grimacing, before going on. “I am working together with the British Museum and you probably have heard about the recent robbery, it was all over the papers. I am not sure how much your grandmother has told you about the services your family is providing to the Crown by protecting certain… important artefacts. It is only a formality, but I was tasked to make sure they are safe...”

"I did read about the robbery," said Delfi. She was quite fascinated by archaeology, and enjoyed reading of great discoveries as they were reported in the press. "They got some jewelry and an amulet of some type, didn't they? The Great Ankh, they called it." She glanced at Granny. "I don't think we have any artifacts, though, nothing of value. Well, maybe the cat statue, Bastet, that Great-great-great Grandpapa brought back from his Grand Tour, but..."

Granny sighed. "No, dear," she said. "He was speaking of something else." She looked apologetically at Professor Petraeus. "I am sorry. I haven't told her about any of this. My grandson knows, of course; he was told when he came of age. And now that he holds the title, the responsibility is on his shoulders." She turned to Delfina.

"There are, in the world, items, many artifacts which are said to have mystical powers. The Stone of Destiny, the Holy Grail, the Ark of the Covenant. Our family are the guardians and caretakers for three of these. We protect them on behalf of the Crown. By keeping them safe, we protect Britain."

Delfi looked from Granny to the Professor, and back again. "Items of power?" She glanced at Lord Lionel, who lingered in the corner. He nodded. "What items?"

"Our family hold the Mirror of Boadicea, the Staff of Merlin, and, of course, Excalibur."

"Excalibur?" Delfi looked at the others and laughed. "Oh, come on, Granny. Excalibur? As in King Arthur's Excalibur?"

"The very same." The Dowager Duchess passed her teacup to be refilled.

"But that's just a legend!"

"It's not," said Lord Lionel softly. He drifted from the corner behind the Professor to stand near Delfi. She didn't like that, since she would have to turn her head to look at him.

"It's not a legend," said Granny. Delfi stared at her, wondering if her beloved elder was beginning to go a bit dotty. She glanced at the Professor. He was listening attentively, clearly interested in the conversation.

"Granny," she said patiently, "Excalibur is a legend. When King Arthur died, Sir Gawain threw it back into the lake and the Lady of the Lake, who was some type of Faery or sorceress or something, took it back."

Her grandmother gave her a very direct look. "Arthur died," she said. "And Sir Gawain took it back to the lady who lived in a castle by the lake, the lady who had given it to Arthur originally. Vivienne du Lac. She had been a foster mother to Sir Lancelot. She gave it to her daughter, Niamh, who gave it to her daughter, Arianwen, who married a man named Geoffrey du Bel Mont. His descendant was knighted several hundred years later, changed the name, and the castle by the lake was destroyed in a war. The family were granted a dukedom and came here. With Excalibur."

Delfi still couldn't believe it. "You're joking!"

"She's not," said Lord Lionel softly.

She laughed. "You're telling me that we own Excalibur? That Bunky is the rightful king of England, or some sort of nonsense?"

"No," said Granny. She was getting irritated. "We do not OWN Excalibur. We are the custodians, and guardians. We hold it and protect it for the Crown. It has a power, it somehow spreads protection over Britain. Like the ravens in the Tower of London. If Excalibur were to be taken from the land, the United Kingdom would weaken." Granny looked at the Professor.

"The Staff is safe, I saw it on my way down to breakfast this morning. I think the Mirror is still safe, it's easy enough to check. I'd have to ask my grandson about Excalibur. After that close call, during the War, and when my husband passed, he decided to hide it someplace, and I don't know where he has put it. Tell me, did they get the Scroll of Isis as well as the Ankh?"

TAG: @TheAdmiral

 

Lady Orlanda
Sherwood Forest

Orlanda's eyes were quick to note how well the huntress had 'almost' made a reach for her weapon, as she had stepped into view. She did not worry. She chuckled softly at the mention of her being naughty. Really, such pettiness. She could care less about the 'farmers.' Crude, rough males, who did not have anything of interest in their minds. Annoying, but not enough to kill them. Orlanda looked at the huntress, bored.

“I am sure they deserved it...” the woman stated.

"Indeed."

“Be careful next time...” the huntress smirked, “Anyway, I did not come all this way to talk about farmers, but wanted to hear whether you knew anything about who might be interested in the stolen Ankh from the British Museum?”

Aha! Now, this was a piece of news that did pique her interest. "The crux ansata, you say? Curious." Orlanda crossed her legs, as she put her hand to her chin. The Cross of life? I could think of many who would be interested in such an item, after all, curios of Egypt are a hot commodity right now." Orlanda smiled as she stood up, her wings flapping slowly. "But, if it was the Great Ankh, perhaps someone is curious about its supposed magical properties."

Orlanda, when she did roam with the norms, she had noticed the rave about such artifacts. Mostly because it came from unknown lands. And people were busy trying to acquire as much as they could. She would call it stealing. But that was up for debate at another time. Orlanda shrugged her shoulders. "Or perhaps, someone from Egypt was tired of their family heirlooms being taken from them, and is simply trying to retrieve it."

Orlanda dropped her wings and looked back at the woman. "And why do you bother me with such things?" Orlanda gave a dark smile. "Unless, your silly council worries that someone IS trying to meddle in the magic of things, and make themself immortal, perhaps?"

She turned to face the huntress. "Or undead," she added, as she waited for a response.



TAG: @TheAdmiral

 

IC: Jack King
The Grenadier Pub, London

Jack listened as Petraeus spoke about the croc rumors and the reward for proof. On the outside, he was perfectly calm, interested even. Internally, he was getting very uneasy. If people were looking for what they thought was a plain crocodile, that meant his job of hiding was about to get all the more inconvenient. Especially so now that Petraeus assumed he was on the hunt too. It was more scrutiny, more excuses to be made.

At the mention of the camera equipment and reporting, Jack shook his head with a chuckle.

“Oh no! I’m not sure I’m built for that sort of thing. And I’m not about to turn into that poor shell-shocked idiot. He was in the wrong place, and he knew it after the shelling. I think he only lasted a couple days before he was packing out of there. I might have been too if I’d been armed with a camera instead of a rifle.”

He chuckled and waited for Petraeus’ pint to arrive before continuing to work on his scotch. Once his friend leaned in and whispered, however, Jack got the hint that Tyler wasn’t just making small talk about the croc. He was after it, and it was already clear he thought Jack might be too.

At this point, Jack had an idea that he hoped could cover his tracks. He took another sip of his drink, looking around a moment before leaning in.

“Alright, so I did a bit of poking around. Ran into a guy that said he had seen something in the sewers, so I went looking.” He lifted the bag of cameras up to show Tyler. “Found a bunch of trashed cameras that someone had left. The film is all ruined, of course, aside from the stills I have here. They don’t show much though, other than sewer entrances and such.” He arched a brow at Tyler, a bit curious. “What do you know of it? Something tells me you know something substantial.”

He studied the man, careful not to let on just how much he knew of the situation. His mind was thinking over possibilities now. If Petraeus was looking to take down the croc, that would be a major issue. He knew the man was a good soldier. If, however, he proved he could be fully trusted…well, having someone trustworthy with his level of status could certainly have its benefits. For now, he would play along.

TAG;
@TheAdmiral

 

The Belmont Estate

The Professor gave a small smile at the mention of the Bastet statue “Well, I am sure it is quite safe.” he said in a bit of an amused voice then nodded to the Dowager Duchess. “That is understandable.” he sighed “Though it would have been best if you had informed her.”

There were more items that should be added to the list, but that was beside the point. There was something peculiar in what the young woman was doing. She seemed to be focusing in the empty space. Maybe there was something wrong with her?

“What your grandmother told you is true.” Johannes nodded “It is indeed quite real and your family is doing quite a service to the Crown and to the entire world as a whole.” he smiled “Excalibur is quite a powerful artefact and if fallen to the wrong hands, it can cause quite the damage.”

He then focused back to the old lady “Yes, the Scroll was taken as well, unfortunately.” the Professor sighed “You understand why Mycroft is very worried. He sent agents here and there. Liesel is trying to find that fairy, Orlanda, hopefully she would know something.” and his grandson was hunting a giant crocodile in London.

“Maybe we can go and check it?” he tilted his head “Besides, I am sure young Delfi would be interested in seeing it...” he smiled.

TAG: @Mistress_Renata

RMS Majestic - formerly SS Bismarck

Indiana chuckled and shook his head “No, no, I don’t take students on trips.” he took a sip of his drink “Too big of a responsibility.” he chuckled again and sighed “Besides, I will never get the funding for a transoceanic trip.”

“Honey Gin.” he smiled, unconvinced, but decided to play along “What brings you to jolly old England?” Indiana leaned forward “A woman, alone in these uncertain times. Must be exciting?”

TAG: @Ava G.

The Grenadier Pub, London

Tyler chuckled “True, true...” he shook his head “I would not exchange my trusty Lee Einfield for a camera either. Though they had better food and did not have to sleep in a muddy hole.” he grimaced at the memory. Life in the trenches was a nightmare. Sometimes charging the enemy was preferable to staying in there.

“I don’t know, I have heard some wild stories about this crocodile.” he grinned “I heard someone claiming it was walking on two legs.” Tyler snorted “Some people are drinking far too much absinthe.” he sighed and grinned, though the good humour never touched his eyes. He was observing his friend.

Tyler did not buy into his story, though he was not sure why. Though most freelance monster hunters were very cautious and were very mistrustful. Some hid it because they did not want the others to believe them crazy. Others, because they were after the magical properties some of the monsters’ body parts had, or they just expected to be paid…

The smallest numbers were in it for the thrill of the hunt. Lions, bears, they were too mundane. There was an excitement to hunt a vampire, a wyvern, or even a giant. Those hunters were the most dangerous as they did not care for the consequences of their actions.

“Anyway, how have you been? Seen any of the boys?” Tyler decided to change the subject.

TAG: @Bodhran777

Sherwood Forest

Liesel grimaced “Yes, they are the rave right now...” she confirmed “Though we don’t think it was a collector. Especially since the Dark Man is back, we believe that whoever took it, they knew exactly what it was and what it can do.” she sighed and leaned on the trunk of a tree crossing her arms in front of her chest “There was magic involved.” she fixed her with a gaze.

“Fairy magic...” Liesel stated flatly. “And given your propensity to being naughty I thought you might know something.” she gave her a feral grin “Tell me Orlanda-ah.” she decided to goad her “Have you been to London lately?” she tilted her head.

TAG: @Ktala

 

Lady Orlanda
Sherwood Forest

Liesel grimaced “Yes, they are the rave right now...” she confirmed “Though we don’t think it was a collector. Especially since the Dark Man is back, we believe that whoever took it, they knew exactly what it was and what it can do.” she sighed and leaned on the trunk of a tree crossing her arms in front of her chest. “ The Dark Man was in the area and possibly involved? Well, that sounded quite dangerous. Lovely. Now things were peeking her interests. The huntress continued, "There was magic involved.” she fixed her with a gaze. Orlanda returned the look the woman was giving her. What was her problem?

“Fairy magic...” Liesel stated flatly. “And given your propensity to being naughty I thought you might know something.” she gave her a feral grin “Tell me Orlanda-ah.” she decided to goad her “Have you been to London lately?” she tilted her head.

Aha! That was the woman's twist. Orlanda recognized what the woman was trying to do. She slowly gestured, and a stream of black moths encircled her left arm, as Orlanda gently blew across them. She slyly looked at the woman. "I am never as you call it, naughty, hunter. Naughty is what you call a child or a vixen. I am neither. I am meticulous. I am regal. And I am not a fool who would leave a trail for the likes of you to follow to myself." Orlanda laughed softly, as she petted her 'moths'. She slowly stood up, and touched a leaf that had a drop of water on it. The water turned into a diamond. "I could easily pay others to obtain it for me, if I so wished, though why any of my kind would want with such a worthless trinket is beyond me. Perhaps was to gain something else? Orlanda gave the huntress a dark smile. "I am not the only being nearby with access to what you call 'fairy magic.'

Orlanda snorted, as she shifted her weight, looking at the woman. "And as far as London is concerned, there is nothing there I want. At least, nothing at the moment." Orlanda paused, "Though, I have thought of visiting some of the quaint little castles up north..." Orlanda gave the woman a wicked grin.



TAG: @TheAdmiral

 

IC: Jack King
The Grenadier Pub, London

Listening to the talk of the croc on two legs, Jack chuckled and shook his head, appearing amused on the outside to hide his unease inside. Too much had been seen already, that much he knew.

“I supposed next we’ll hear that it’s going around using tools and making small talk with the evening lamplighters,” he quipped, taking a last sip of his drink.

When Petraeus changed the subject, he had to admit he was a bit glad. At the mention of the “boys”, he knew he meant the old group the two of them had fought with. Despite the fact that Jack was an American and Petraeus a Brit, they had seen a good bit of action at Cambrai and been alongside a lot of good men.

“Eh, I see a few of them here and there. James was in here a week ago when I came for a visit and he and I did a bit of catching up. Said he’s working over at that new Ford factory in Manchester and was down here for family.”

James Blackwell had been a lance-corporal at the time, and spent a long period huddled up next to them in the trenches. Jack had always known him to be a crack shot with a Lee-Enfield and saved his hide on an occasion. After an assault by the opposing force, Jack had been distracted and nearly caught by an enemy with a trench shovel. If James hadn’t caught the soldier with the butt of his rifle in his back, Jack would have been face down in the mud in short order. Ever since, he had tried to keep up with him and stay in touch.

“As for me,” he continued, “I’ve kept busy with tea imports. It was rough right after we all got home with all the price controls, but after Parliament basically called tea a weapon of war, business is booming. Most of my stuff comes out of India, but I’ve been working on a trip to Africa to see for myself how the Kenyans grow their tea. Should make my Chinese contacts plenty aggravated.”

He chuckled and signaled a server for another drink before turning back to Tyler.

“What about you? I doubt you’ve been doing anything as mundane as tea or automobiles.”

TAG:
@TheAdmiral

 

Combo { Ava G. and the GM! }

"I felt a strong urge to escape across the ocean. I imagine that I will dine at restaurants. and visit a castle, or cathedral." She took a drink of juice. Fruity and tangy, not overly sweet. "Too much planning gives me a headache. Nothing kills excitement faster than an aching head."

Indiana chuckled softly "Well there are quite a lot of things to be seen in jolly old Europe." he smirked and took a sip "Say, if your travels take you to London I can give you a tour." he looked her in the eyes "I have spent some time there when I was younger and as a historian I can make the stay worthwhile." he paused for a moment "If I am not too forward."

They met eyes. What did Nadia have to lose? She felt that she was pretty good at sensing dark motives in other people. This man seemed open and honest, and friendly. "I will surrender to your expertise. Yes, you can give me a tour of London." Dice rolled on a table, and men said "Oooo!" High numbers.

Indy smirked and took another sip "I am honored, milady." he teased her "I will endeavor to show you the best sights." he bowed his head slightly "I will give you the contact details for the hotel where I am staying as I have some business to attend to before I come to London." He heard the gamblers and looked over his shoulder "Do you play?"

"The honor is all yours," Nadia teased back. She guessed that Indy was the type to carry a fountain pen and paper on his person wherever he went.

"I play games of chance... on occasion."

A man in a plaid suit with a heavy mustache caught their eye and waved, inviting them both over for a hand or two of cards.

TAGS: @TheAdmiral

 

A (long) joint post with our very creative GM!

Lady Delfina Belmont, The Dowager Duchess of Duxford, Professor Petraeus
The Belmont Estate

“What your grandmother told you is true. It is indeed quite real and your family is doing quite a service to the Crown and to the entire world as a whole.” Delfi was still staring in shock and disbelief. She realized her mouth was hanging open, and shut it quickly as Granny glared at her. “Excalibur is quite a powerful artefact and if fallen to the wrong hands, it can cause quite the damage.”

The Professor turned back to Granny. “Yes, the Scroll was taken as well, unfortunately. You understand why Mycroft is very worried. He sent agents here and there. Liesel is trying to find that fairy, Orlanda, hopefully she would know something.” He hesitated. “Maybe we can go and check it? Besides, I am sure young Delfi would be interested in seeing it...”

Granny pursed her lips and leaned back in her chair. "I'm not really sure where Bunky's hidden it." Delfi saw Lord Lionel wink out, and she relaxed, a bit. She wasn't afraid of him, but he normally didn't appear at this time of day, and never when strangers were visiting. Granny was explaining to Petraeus. "After it went missing, that Hentzau fellow, and then the War and poor dear Bertie's death...my husband hid it in a new place, only he didn't tell me. He told Bunky, my grandson, when he came of age, and after my husband's death, Bunky said he'd moved it."

Lord Lionel reappeared. "The sword is safe, my lady. Your grand dame need not fear."

Delfi risked a glance at him. "How would you know?"

The ghost frowned. "I know where the young man concealed it. I died to protect it, I would not have my death for naught."

Delfi rolled her eyes. "You were beheaded for messing around with Katharine Howard!" she whispered.

Lord Lionel drew himself up in indignation. "Nay, i'sooth! That bawdy chit? Nay, Henry wanted it, to use it wrongly. To set war upon the land, as if we had not enough of that already. I kept it concealed from those Welsh usurpers, and died for it."

"Who on earth are you talking to?" Delfi bolted up straight in her chair. Granny and the Professor were both staring at her.

The Professor's attention was divided between the old dame and her granddaughter. There was something very intriguing in the young lady. He had never heard before that she was not right in the head. Though families tried to conceal such things, but the Dowager's reaction was telling enough.

Sometimes mental illness can manifest itself at a later age, or maybe it was something else?

"Maybe this is a bout of hysteria at such a revelation?" He rubbed his chin "These things can be shocking for young and impressionable minds."

"Uhhh..." Delfi looked helplessly from Lord Lionel to her elders. Granny's eyes narrowed.

"You can see him, can't you?" she demanded. "Celia said you had the Sight, but I had no indication..."

'The Sight?' the Professor wondered, he had heard something like that, but it had always sounded to him like nonsense. Maybe the girl was taken by the still popular occult seances?

Despite having to deal with supernatural forces, Johannes kept a skeptical mind when it came to the abilities of regular humans. He had met so many charlatans that his first, rational, thought was to dismiss their claims.

But the way the young woman spoke indicated conviction and not madness. "Tell me, who do you see?" then turned to her grandmother "What does she mean by this, Sight?"

Granny cleared her throat. "She can see through the Veil between the Worlds, or so Celia says. It's probably from her mother's side of the family, the Scots you know. Although they did say that Vivienne du Lac was Fae, so I suppose there might be something in remaining in that bloodline--"

"Granny!" said Delfi with a sigh. She turned to the Professor and squared her shoulders defiantly, a bit irritated that he thought she might be hysterical.

"I see dead people, sometimes," she said. "Most of them don't know they're dead. A few do, and they don't care, because they're sticking around for their own reasons. And sometimes I have dreams which come true. But..." She looked to the corner. "This house has 3 ghosts. One of them, Lord Lionel, is here, with us. He says he's guarding Excalibur, and he just checked to make sure it's where it's supposed to be."

"Delfi! It's very rude to interrupt! And why didn't you say anything?" said Granny.

"I didn't say anything because no one ever believed me before. You all laughed at me and teased me about my 'invisible friends' when I was younger, so there wasn't any point. Although..." Delfi looked thoughtful. "Granny Cee always listened, and asked me about them and what they were saying."

"That's because she's got the Sight, too," said Granny. "Has for years. I thought she was a bit touched in the head, at first, but..."

The Professor rubbed his chin thoughtfully, considering what was being said. He was relieved that the girl was not touched in the head, as her grandmother eloquently put it, she also did not sound like a charlatan, as he had established already earlier. "I see..." he started, not sure how to proceed "Can you see only ancestral ghosts or you can communicate with others too?"

"I...I can see them anywhere. Some of them communicate. Many don't...they don't understand what's happened. Most of them can only materialize at night or very early in the morning. But if their death was very traumatic..." She glanced back at her grandmother. "That's why I prefer to avoid the Place de la Concorde. It's where they set up the guillotine, you know."

The Professor nodded and looked towards her grandmother "She can be very useful to the Society," he started. "If she can see and communicate with the deceased, she can help us locate artifacts and unveil mysteries." Johannes continued, "Especially in Egypt." He fixed the old woman with a gaze. "She will be perfectly safe." That was not entirely true, but the research teams did not hunt monsters or magical creatures, but still...

Granny nodded. She looked at Delfi, who seemed bewildered. "Perhaps you'd better explain, Johannes," she said. "She doesn't know about any of this."

The Professor nodded and paused, thinking how to proceed, then eyed Delfi "I will give you a brief summary as I will have to tell you the whole history of the world. Besides there are a lot of holes in our knowledge." he chuckled softly "The Society as we call it, is a governmental organization. Our current iteration is a descendant of the one established by Merlin." A faint smile crept on his lips "Yes, that Merlin." He paused then continued "Needless to say there are variations and sister organizations all over the globe. Our goal is to protect humanity and the forces of good from monsters and other supernatural beings that wish to harm, enslave, or bring darkness." That was rather simplistic, but would have to do for now. "Most creatures are already extinct, as well as a lot of the races, at least the ones who have not fully assimilated by humanity," the Professor continued. "Times of great upheaval and suffering are usually used by the dark forces to shift the balance. We, believe that the recent Great War was used as a powerful ritual, all the death and suffering has been channeled. To what end, we do not know, we are trying to find out." The old man sighed "That is a very brief and rather simplistic explanation, I know. But since you have not yet said whether or not you wish to join us, I cannot divulge everything." He gave a thin smile.

Delfi was astonished, and hardly knew what to say.

"There were so many members lost during the War," said Granny. "Celia kept saying that I should recommend you, but it didn't seem to be a suitable pastime for a young lady. Of course, I didn't know about your gift. And nowadays, well, young ladies seem to be capable of far more things than the gels of my era. But no one expected much of us. Anyway...it is important work. Although it can be dangerous. And you may need to travel quite a bit. No one will blame you if you choose not to."

Delfi sat for a moment, looking from one to the other, trying to take it all in. Excalibur was real. Merlin was real. Fairies and monsters were real. She stared into her empty teacup. She could refuse, and spend the Season at balls and parties, trying to catch a husband and facing the pity of everyone she knew. The same thing she had been doing for the last few years. Or...she could do this. Something important. Something that meant something. She came to a decision.

She put the cup down and looked at the Professor. "I don't know how much help I could be," she said, "but of course I'll join and do whatever I can. If nothing else, I do know how to make tea."

 

Sherwood Forest

Liesel listened to Orlanda and tried to gauge whether or not she was telling the truth. The problem was that non-humans or near-humans as some liked to call them it was hard to tell. The tell-tale signs were different and she did not have much experience with the fairy folk. She was used to hunting down vampires, ghouls and the like.

Fairies were notoriously difficult as Orlanda was proving herself to be.

“I see...” Liesel said a bit absently “I suppose it would be hard to find anyone to corroborate your story?” she tilted her head.

Then a thin smile appeared on her lips as an idea started to form in her mind “What would you say if I am to suggest a partnership?” she asked at last “You help me enter that establishment, the Grove...” it was a closed club where the few remaining supernaturals gathered and a rube human could not enter, nor see, without an invitation.

“As a reward I will let what you did to the farmers slide.” though she was not sure whether that will be enough “And I am allowed to offer a monetary reward for the sum of a thousand pounds.”

Oh she had not let Orlanda off the hook, but such a collaboration could prove useful for her to find out more.

“Or...” she shrugged “You can do it out of the goodness of your heart?” Liesel smirked.

TAG: @Ktala

The Grenadier Pub, London

Tyler chuckled and shook his head. But in his mind he wondered as this was a rather close description to what he had read in the reports. Well, the use of tools part, so far no lamplighter has bragged that they have conversed with a crocodile.

There was one person, but he was found in front of an illegal opium den, so his credibility was questionable.

“Oh, give him my regards.” he grinned at the mention of James “Tell him that he still owes me for saving his life.” the memory made him mentally shudder as he remembered having to drag the man out of the mud before it could swallow him. It was a really close call as it could have dragged them both into a very… nasty death.

“I am a partner at Universal Exports.” that was a dummy company used by the British Intelligence Agencies used as covers for their agents. He reached for his pocket and handed him a business card.

“Maybe I can introduce you to the other partners, there should be something we can collaborate with?” he smiled. Even a dummy company had to do business for appearances sake.

Besides, business people could be useful in creating a network. China and Africa, these were places with quite a lot still undiscovered and unresolved supernatural mysteries and artefacts.

TAG: @Bodhran777

King’s Cross Station, London



Irina Bezukhova was waiting on the platform for the train that was to bring a special girl to the Society. Her boss, Mycroft Holmes and the Professor Petreus had instructed her that she was to meet and greet young Delphi and bring her to the place of residence and answer most of her questions.

The old man had recruited her last week and Irina could commiserate with being uprooted from your home in such a short period. She herself had to leave her home, Imperial Russia, very fast as she used to be the Countess Bezukhova, but the Revolution had taken away her title and most of her family’s vast wealth.

She used to assist the Okhranka back home in the hunt of evil supernaturals and given her eidetic memory and knack for languages she worked in research. When escaping Petrograd she managed to smuggle some of her research and once in Constantinople she was recruited by the Society after the Great War.

The racket and the smell meant a train was approaching…

TAG: @Mistress_Renata

*****************************



Mycroft Holmes, or M as he was known to his subordinates, was pacing on another platform, hidden from Irina’s view. He had received reports that a certain famous actress was coming to London.

Normally that would not matter to a man like him, but what interested him was the second nature of the lady in question. Usually he would send a subordinate to do this task, but could not trust any of them to get a bit starstruck and to be played by her, if the what he had heard of her was true.

The burglary at the British Museum and now she appearing here, that was not a coincidence.

The train arrived, so he stepped towards the car that he was told she was traveling in. After it came to a full stop people started disembarking. Mycroft waited patiently by the door and when he saw the striking beauty he stood in attention.

“Let me help you, Miss Lundin.” he extended a hand to assist her with the steps.

TAG: @Ava G.

 

IC: Jack King
The Grenadier Pub, London

As Tyler spoke, Jack’s breath caught momentarily as his stomach worked itself into a small knot. This time, it was not over something that was said, which concerned Jack more. Doing his best to hide the sudden discomfort, he continued to listen to the talk of Universal Exports. Something about the name was jogging a deeply buried memory for him, though he wasn’t sure what it was. He had probably heard of the company before, but was, for some reason, having trouble placing it. Surely an export company like that, if it were going to attract people such as Petraeus, would be fairly well known, yet, he was having trouble recalling much about them, or even placing their location. Sure, Jack didn’t have an all-encompassing knowledge of all the businesses out there, but he felt he had a fairly good idea of the major companies.

“That might not be such a bad idea,” he replied, taking the card and giving it a once-over. “Exports…well, at least we’re not competitors, eh? That would-”

Jack paused as his stomach did another loop around, his hand resting on the table in front of him as if to steady himself. Meanwhile, he straightened his back and felt every vertebra in his spine issue a subtle pop. For many, such a thing would be met by a breath of relief, but for Jack, it was a different sign. Please not here, please not now, he thought to himself. He was acutely aware of the fact Tyler would find his sudden behavior rather odd, so he did his best to relax himself and smile somewhat at the man.

“Sorry, I think something I ate must not be agreeing with me,” he said, offering the first plausible excuse he could conjure before giving a grunt of discomfort.

Meanwhile, he was already sensing minor physiological changes. His sense of smell, for example, was already heightening, and he could detect numerous new scents that he was otherwise blind to before. The sweet bitterness of the beer behind the bar, the strong smell of peated scotch residue inside his glass, the metallic and sulfur twang of gunpowder and oil from the shotgun hidden near the bartender’s station in case of an unruly crowd, and the M1908 sitting in a leather holster all jammed into one of his coat pockets.

Lucky for Jack, a switch was far from an instantaneous process, so he still had some time. He just hoped he could extricate himself from the situation before Tyler noticed an eye color that wasn’t quite right, on get his chair leg knocked away by a tail. With another grunt, Jack worked himself up out of his seat and looked back over at Tyler, an apologetic look on his face.

“Sorry to be rude and run off so fast. However, I think it may be best if I head out. No need to make people think I’ve had more than my fair share of drink. If I have a chance in the next couple days or so, I’ll drop by your firm and see for myself what your group is up to these days. See if there’s an area we can come together on, yeah?”

His now sweating hand found the top of the bag of cameras and gripped onto it as he shuffled his way out of his chair, while he hoped Tyler would not think too much into his current state and would give him the chance to slip away before things got too outlandish. As much as he liked the man, he wasn’t sure what his reaction would be if he got an eye-full of Jack’s true state of affairs. Plus, he didn’t care to give the bar keep an excuse to fetch the shotgun.

TAG: @TheAdmiral

 

Lady Delfina Belmont
King’s Cross Station, London

“I don’t see why you can’t stay at home.” Delfi tried not to roll her eyes as Mummy said this for the millionth time. “I mean, really,” she continued, “why would you need to stay with a bunch of strangers? How will we reach you if we need you?”

“It’s not uncommon for members of the Society to work very late hours, dearest one.” Granny Celia had come down from Scotland for the Season. “It will be easier if she’s on site. And it is the 20th century. There is a marvelous invention called a telephone, you know.”

“Living in a house with a bunch of strangers?” Mummy wasn’t reassured.

“Not all strangers, Caroline.” The Dowager Duchess of Belmont straightened her skirts and looked around the platform. “I am personally acquainted with several members of the Society, all of whom are perfectly respectable.”

Delfi’s brother, Bernard Alexander Edward Belmont, 15th Duke of Belmont, chimed in. “Yes, one of my old school chums is working with the Society now. Freddy Stoddard, we called him Funky. Splendid chap! Capital batsman, too...I remember we were playing Harrow one year and—"

Granny Cee cut him off. Everyone had heard Bunky’s cricket stories. “For that matter, Caroline, your cousin Malcolm has been seconded to the Society by the Praeceptory at Rosslyn. There will be plenty of people she can call upon if need be.”

"But what if she needs something? How will we find her?”

“For heaven’s sake, Mummy, it’s London, not Darkest Peru! I’m sure I’ll be able to come home for tea or dinner from time to time,” said Delfi.

“Of course she will.” Granny Cee slipped her arm through her daughters. “And she’ll be able to attend parties or the theater or what-have-you in her free time. It’s not a prison.”

Delfi had been surprised, too, to hear that she’d be expected to live at the Society, but she was actually quite excited. To live away from her family, possibly to have more freedom than before? What could she do now, on her own time, without having to answer to her mother all the time? Of course there would be work to do, but she hoped it wouldn’t be all-consuming.

She looked down the platform. Her new ladies’ maid, Mary MacIntyre was with the other servants, helping sort out the luggage. Granny and Mummy insisted that she have someone to look after her, and Granny Cee had sent MacIntyre down from Scotland. She had once been a policewoman in Glasgow, Granny had said, and was well trained not only in the usual duties of a ladies’ maid but in a few other useful skills as well, though Granny Cee had been rather vague as to what they were. Much of the luggage had been sent ahead, and Delfi hoped that her own trunks had arrived safely at her new quarters.

Bunky came up to stand next to her, and after glancing around, he lowered his voice. “I confess, I am a bit concerned about you, old thing. I mean, it might be dangerous, so do be careful and look out for yourself, won’t you?”

Delfi smiled at him and squeezed his hand. “I’ll be sitting in an archive surrounded by dusty papers, no doubt. Safe as houses. You’re in more danger than I am, you’re a Guardian, after all.”

“Oh…” Her brother rolled his eyes. “I just find good hiding places, that’s all. Not much too it, really. I say, did you really see Lord Lionel? Did he have his head under his arm?”

“No, of course not. He looked just like anyone, only in very fancy clothing.”

“Oh.” Bunky was a bit disappointed by that. “Well, be careful. I’ve put some money at Cott’s for you, if you need it, and I’ll have your allowance delivered to you as usual. And if you need anything else, just send a message along.”

“I will.” She looked along the platform. “I’m supposed to be met by someone.” They all paused, looking around.

“We’re not leaving you here alone,” said Mummy firmly. “I want to meet this person who is bearing my daughter off to God knows where before I surrender you.”

Someone cleared their throat. They turned to see a very pretty young woman. Blonde curls, vivid blue eyes. Delfi judged her to be in her early thirties. Her stance was erect, her carriage, regal, but her clothes were somewhat worn. A gentlewoman, come down in the world? Delfi smiled, feeling excitement rising up in her. This was the start of her Adventure.

TAG: @TheAdmiral

 

Lady Orlanda
Sherwood Forest

Orlanda sat silent, as the huntress before her began to speak again. “I see...” Liesel said a bit absently “I suppose it would be hard to find anyone to corroborate your story?” she tilted her head.

"I have no need for an alibi, nor do I care to give one."

The Huntress gave a thin smile. “What would you say if I am to suggest a partnership?” she asked at last “You help me enter that establishment, the Grove...” she paused, as if in thought, then continued. “As a reward, I will let what you did to the farmers slide... “And I am allowed to offer a monetary reward for the sum of a thousand pounds.”

“Or...” she shrugged “You can do it out of the goodness of your heart?” Liesel smirked.

Orlanda slowly rose from her 'throne', her face growing dark. The dark moths swirled around her violently, like a mini-tornado, surrounding her. "First, you come into my realm and insult me, showing me no respect. You threaten me, as if I have done something to need you to, how did you put it?, 'Let me slide..' Then, you insult my intelligence, by trying to buy your way into the Grove, one of our most treasured landmarks, with no regard as to how those inhabitants would take it, many of them I am SURE, you have hunted or harassed at one time or another, with a sum of money that is an insult, as if I could be bought. They could revoke my privileges as well, just for letting you in! And to top it off, you ask for it out of the 'goodness of my heart!?'

Orlanda took a step, working hard to keep her temperament calm, even as the moths spun around her. She spoke softly, through clenched teeth. "I have dealt with your people long enough to know just how far, the goodness of THEIR hearts goes." Orlanda turned from her. "Goodness of my heart? That was stripped from me long ago."

Orlanda walked to the edge of the clearing, then turned to look back at the Huntress once more.

"Good luck with your trinket."



TAG: @TheAdmiral

 

The Grenadier Pub, London

As a monster hunter Tyler was known to be very observant and he could clearly see that there was something wrong with Jack. Maybe he was not feeling well? Something he ate? Or just caught a bug?

Then came the explanation “I see that you are losing the trench habits.” he chuckled, soldiers on the front were known to eat almost anything and live to tell the tale. “But yeah, you never know what they put in the food.” Tyler sighed and shrugged “Not like old times I guess.”

But before he could say anything more Jack almost ran off. That made Tyler frown. Well sometimes if you gotta go, you gotta go. But there was something fishy about the whole situation. A nagging thought came to mind, this whole thing happened after he broached the croc subject.

He finished his drink with a swift swig and left the money on the table. Hopefully he would catch Jack. Once outside in the cool air Tyler looked around and caught sight of the man’s back “Hey, I have a car nearby, if you want I can take you to see a doctor?”

TAG: @Bodhran777

King’s Cross Station, London

Irina was amused by the amount of luggage that the young woman was bringing. Not long ago she was in a similar position. Her journeys towards Petrograd was accompanied by a large amount of suitcases, boxes and whatnot.

That time was over…

There was a pang of sadness, but she pushed it back, there was no point in dwelling in the past.

Wearing her best smile on her lips she approached the group of women. The young one was surely Lady Delfina, who was probably accompanied by her mother, grandmother and brother.

“Good day!” she greeted them “Allow me to introduce myself, my name is Countess Irina Bezukhova.” she looked at the group “Professor Petreus and Mister Holmes asked me to greet you and escort you to the residence.” Irina smiled “They thought it would be better to have a woman do that.” a slight blush “I hope you travelled well?”

TAG: @Mistress_Renata

Near Stonehenge

Professor Petreus had to travel again, this time to fix Liesel’s blunder with Lady Orlanda. To her credit the Agent did not hide what happened, but the damage had been done. He and Mycroft felt that it would be for the best to mend fences with the fairy, the Society did not need another headache by having her run wild and causing problems just to spite them.

Through a friend oh his, a druid, he managed to pass the message that he wanted to meet with her. He even offered a place where he would be at a disadvantage, Stonehenge, a place with a powerful mystical field.

The old man saw a large boulder lying on the grass field. He headed towards it and pushed away the moss so that he could sit.

“Lady Orlanda, I am here and would very much like to have a talk with you and apologize for Miss van Helsing’s behavior.” he said out loud, good thing there was no one around or they would have thought that grandpa must have lost his marbles “I also bear gifts.” he reached for his pocket and fished a small crystal figurine in the form of a tiny woman, knowing that it had certain magical properties, used to focus energy. Nothing too dangerous.

TAG: @Ktala

OOC: @Ava G. just a reminder that you have an outstanding tag