The Case of the Carlyle Expedition Visits London - History

New York, NY, USA

February 20, 1925

Elise, Victor, Jack, and Curtis return to New York via Elise's family rail car to prepare for their transatlantic voyage. Jack quickly heads to the harbor to ask around about the photo of the Ship with DAR in its name that they found among Jackson's belongings. He learns that it's a Junk, but they know little else about it.

February 21, 1925 thru February 24, 1925

The group makes final preparations in New York before their departure. Everyone grabs letters of credit for use abroad. Erica Carlyle drops by and delivers passports that she's had drafted for the investigators so they can continue to track down any additional information on her brother. They all verify that they'll be traveling in first class cabins, Curtis sharing one with Jack.

Jack takes a leave of absence from the Pinkerton Detective Agency.

Victor closes his practice.

Elise lets her family know she's going abroad in search of new volumes for their library.

Curtis tries to explain the trip to his fiancée, but she's had enough of him running around on unexplained last minute trips. She claims that he's not the same man she fell in love with anymore, and his constant ramblings about his parents, death cults, and danger leave her no choice but to call the engagement off. She wishes him well on his journey and slams the door in his face. He doesn't take it very well.

Crossing the Atlantic Ocean

February 25, 1925

The group boards the RMS Mauretania, which departs around noon.

As soon as the liqueur cabinets are opened, Curtis begins to drink heavily, his recent reading of the Pnakotic Manuscripts and the events of the past several days weighing heavily on him.

The group (along with other passengers) notices that the electrical fixtures flicker - in a way that grabs the crew's attention, but doesn't really seem to present a problem.

Hanging out in the first class lounge that evening, they are surprised to hear a familiar voice at a nearby poker table. Heading that way, they find Walter Kimble, but he's going by the name Mr. Kern currently. The other members of the table are Prince Gabriel Konstantinovich (plus 2 bimbos with him), Alister Trimble, and 2 other men. Curtis watches confusion, recognition, fear, and then asserted control pass across Kimble's face in quick succession. Curtis immediately addresses Kimble, who pretends not to know them. The Prince's body guards escort Curtis away, and Jack helps to make sure he doesn't make a scene. Victor sits down and joins the table, getting everyone to tell a round of "tall tales." Victor relays The Case of the Missing Scoop as his tale, dropping names but not really bothering to embellish. Kimble fidgets but doesn't really react. The Prince shares a tale involving his survival of the Russian Revolution. At that point, Victor presses Kimble to share, but he bows out and the group breaks for the evening.

The investigators head to bed, except for Jack, who decides to attempt to tail Kimble. Jack is never heard from again!

February 26, 1925

Curtis awakes with a bad hangover, only to find that Jack never returned to the room that night. After stifling a panic attack as the thoughts of being alone bombard his already pounding brain, he knocks on Victor's door and lets him know, then they both tell Elise. Elise slips $5 to a servant to look for Jack. When he returns with no info, she slips him another $5 find out that Walter Kimble a.k.a. Mr. Kern is staying in room 403 in first class. The group heads to the lounge for breakfast in the hopes that Jack shows up.

Alister joins the group for breakfast. He's known to be an affluent womanizer and hunter. The group lets him in on what they know and their suspicions about Kimble's involvement. Spotting Kimble on the other side of the room, they approach and question him briefly about Jack. Kimble, of course, disavows any knowledge.

Alister speaks to the captain and helps to arrange a ship-wide search for Jack. In the process of the canvas, Curtis overhears enough snippets of conversations and electricity phenomenon that he pieces together that members of the crew are being barred from an area of the ship they could normally access. A little more money to Elise's favorite servant reveals that the captain has asked the crew not to enter a storage room off the generator room.

Alister checks on the Prince, who is staying in his cabin for the day. When leaving, he notices one of the Prince's body guards slip below decks. The group decides to investigate. Excited chatter from outside causes the group to briefly deviate to the deck to see what the commotion is about. A yacht has pulled up near the ship to check it out. We go back in and head below deck. First Curtis, then Victor, then Curtis again fail to be very sneaky, but the group makes its way to a stairwell where they overhear the crew discussing the Captain's new restrictions. While they feel he's a good man and must have cause, they are very puzzled by him restricting their access to the engine room. They move off, and we make our way to a long corridor leading to the engine room. A door slams shut ahead, so we backtrack and attempt to hide. One of the Prince's bimbos follows. Since Curtis can't be stealthy, he catches up with the group in a storage closet. He is carrying a tray of used dishes and only seems to speak Russian. Victor tries to sedate him, which just makes him start shouting. Victor is successful around the time that the crew comes to investigate the shouting. Curtis hides while everyone else tries to explain things away. Victor and Alister go with the crew to carry the bimbo to the infirmary, while Elise slips back to join Curtis. They head to the engine room with Elise playing lookout while Curtis goes ahead. Workers in the engine room spot Curtis entering, so he leaves quickly and he and Elise head back up to the lounge. After dropping the bimbo off, Victor and Alister join them.

The Captain comes by the lounge to confront the group about their movements below decks. He asks them all to stay above for safety and claims that all areas were thoroughly searched. Victor and Alister swing by the Prince's room, but no one answers. Prior to dinner, Curtis goes back to the Prince's room with Victor and attempts to pick the lock, but fails. Everyone has dinner.

After dinner, Curtis and Victor go back to the Prince's room. He's there now, and knows that Victor is responsible for his man being knocked out, shutting the door in their faces. Alister chats with Kimble. Elise runs into a 3rd class passenger with a Russian accent weeping that she doesn't know what to do. Elise takes her back to Elise's room. She says her name is Valentina Kurosov. Her sister, Anna Kurosov, was kidnapped by the Prince and made to be a slave. She was taken in the old country, and Valentina finally caught up with him. He keeps Anna hidden. Elise sends her back down to the lower decks and then finds Victor and Curtis and fills them in. Everyone goes to sleep.

February 27, 1925

At breakfast, the bimbo we didn't knock out seems to be keeping an eye on us. An announcement is made that we should arrive in London tomorrow or the following day. The group sets out to find Valentina Kurosov. She is with Mikhil Kurosov, her brother, who doesn't seem to speak English. Valentina, Mikhil and the 4 of us arm up and head below decks. We run into Walter Kimble in the long hallway to the engine room...

We get the drop on Kimble and threaten to take him out unless he starts explaining. He's being coy and eventually switches to Spanish, saying that the Russians are not related to "Anna" and that they'll kill us all if we let them get to her. Victor and Alister pick up on enough of what he's saying to turn on the Russians. Mikhil rushes Alister, who dodges. Victor slashes Mikhil's legs with his sword. Valentina takes off toward the engine room, but Curtis follows and tackles her. Elise tries to grab Mikhil's bag, but his grip is too strong. Kimble takes off the other direction. Alister pistol whips Mikhil, taking him out. Victor heads off after Kimble and agrees to go find the Prince while Kimble rejoins the fray. Curtis struggles with Valentina. Elise finds grenades in Mikil's bag. Valentina repeats the word "Romanov" while struggling. Alistor joins the melee with Valentina. Kimble points a pistol at the melee (Valentina) and tells her to stop. Curtis ties Valentina up. The Prince arrives in a shock and heads to the engine room. Curtis follows. He sees the Prince enter the storage room and talk to a pale dark haired woman in Russian. Curtis leaves them and rejoins the group. The Captain and the crew are summoned. We're taken to the Captain's room.

The Captain asks us to explain ourselves. Alister does most of the talking for the group. We are allowed to live and not be prosecuted, but are confined to quarters for the rest of the trip. We comply. Victor spends his time reading People of the Monolith. Electrical issues stop that evening.

London, England

March 1, 1925

We arrive in London. We book rooms at The Savoy. We take care of a bank visit and unpacking etc. and convene in the evening. Alister relates that in his travels in the Yucatan, he came across the stash of weapons, gin, and smokes we left behind there. Hearing the rough outlines of our adventures so far, Alister joins up with the group. We sleep.

March 2, 1925

Curtis makes some phone calls and learns that Inspector Barrington works for Scotland Yard. We go there and leave a message for the Inspector to contact us at The Savoy when he's available.

We head to the London Library. Alister hangs out at the East India Club next door. Victor, Elise, and Curtis fail their first round of researching, but then Elise and Curtis swap topics and find info on the Clive Expedition and Sir Aubrey Penhew of the Carlyle Expedition. Curtis also researches a bit of info on Prince Gabriel Konstantinovich. Alister hears rumors of a series of murders occurring in London recently, claiming 24 victims so far, predominately foreigners.

March 3, 1925

Alister's solicitor works on getting weapons permits for the Americans. We head to check out The Scoop. It's a small place and Mickey Mahoney is the only person in the place. After introductions, Mickey fills us in on Jackson's visit to London. He gives us copies of stories that Jackson was interested in (Shocking Canvases Bring Recognition, Slaughter Continues, and Police Baffled by Monstrous Murders) and lets us know that The Scoop is currently offering a reward of £24 for info on the current murders. He also says that Miles Shipley lives in Soho. Jackson wasn't terribly coherent while he was here. We share a toast to Jackson and head out.

The group spends the afternoon in the British Museum. Elise takes note that several Egyptian pieces are on loan from the Penhew Foundation, including a sarcophagus supposedly containing a minor noble mummy.

March 4, 1925

The concierge at The Savoy helps us track down Miles Shipley's address, which is 24 Berwick Street, London. Curtis leaves another note for Inspector Barrington. Elise has a phone call with the curator of the British Museum, learning that the Penhew Foundation has access to the best artifacts coming out of Egypt.

We all head to Shipley's place on Berwick Street. It's in disrepair, Elise taking note that things are shut up quite tight. A small, elderly woman opens the door after several knocks and a wrap at the window. She identifies herself as Miles Shipley's mother, Bertha Shipley. She invites us in when we say we're interested in purchasing some of his work. The musty smell of the house is easily noted as she leads us upstairs to the gallery. Here, a skylight allows natural light into the room that's basically a horror show. We each review a different horrific painting before Alister announces that he'll buy the whole lot. He insists that Miles come to meet us for a coffee and quick chat since he's spending so much. Since Bertha only accepts cash, we leave to acquire it and then return to pay. She's to have the paintings wrapped up and ready for pickup by a lorry that Alister will send. We return to The Savoy.

March 5, 1925

The concierge at The Savoy informs us of call from Inspector Barrington. Barrington agrees to come to Savoy immediately to talk with us. After we relay a brief history of our investigations to Barrington, he shares that he's been investigating the Brotherhood of the Black Pharaoh. Jackson's research led Barrington to identify the murders as the specific acts of that death cult. Victims are slowly and methodically beaten and at last put to death with a metal spike through the heart. London police are finding 1-3 new bodies monthly for the past several months, but Barrington was not exactly sure when it started. Bodies always found floating in the Thames. Barrington has reason to believe that the Blue Pyramid nightclub in London is a hub of the cult's activity, as it is the only seeming connection between some of the victims. One victim was found just beaten - no spike through the heart - and still alive. He cried out "hotep" before dying. Barrington believes it means "rest" or "peace." Elise confirms the translation. The police are being assisted by Edward Gavigan of the Penhew Foundation. With the assistance of the Penhew Foundation, a person of interest was identified - one Tewfik al-Sayed. Gavigan pointed him out as someone who led an expedition for the Penhew Foundation. Supposedly he made references to the Black Pharaoh while in Egypt 2 years ago. Barrigton lets us know that Gavigan was not impressed with Elias. Gavigan apparently thought Elias was losing his mind, which the group confirms may not have been far from the truth during his last trip through London. We asked the inspector about Miles Shipley, but Barrington hasn't come across him yet. Barrington's partner, Paul MacLean, disappeared while working this case a few months ago. Barrington leaves.

Elise asks the concierge - Reginald Laforge - where we could find some rare book collections in London. He recommends the British Museum or the London Library, but both are hard to gain access to. The Central News Agency is a good source for information on people. The Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology is a rival of the Penhew Foundation. The Penhew Foundation is also a good bet. Alister uses his London contacts to get visitor passes to the London Library for all of us (except himself).

Elise and Curtis head to the London Library and research Black Pharaoh and the Brotherhood of the Black Pharaoh, finding a link to Montgomery Crompton, author of Life as a God. Curtis also finds some similarities between the god figures they've come across, but nothing conclusive.

Alister and Victor head to the Isle of Dogs to check out the Blue Pyramid. Arriving around Noon the two entered the establishment and asking for the owner meet Abdul Nawisha using the excuse that they are looking for a place to throw a party. Abdul denies there being any place available at the Blue Pyramid for such an event. The club supposedly closes at 1am. He does recommend we stay away from the Lime House. They meet a young lady who works at the establishment but are unable to learn more from her at that time.

The group meets back at The Savoy that evening, where they are given a telegram. It's presumably from Jack, indicating that he's alive, in Vermont and making his way back to New York,NY! We send a telegram response to Jack.

March 6, 1925

Alister makes a call to the Penhew Foundation for us, and the group heads there after breakfast. Dorothy is working the desk and greets us. She has Ruth give us a tour. Mourice Patterson is currently occupying the visiting scholar room where he's assisted by Helen Coleson. The library is well stocked with the expected tomes. We run into Edward Gavigan in the hall (Alister ensures that Elise literally runs into Gavigan with a quick hip check). She talks our way into Gavigan's office, where we note a sizable safe behind the desk. Elise and Alister note that the safe is open. Egyptian bric a brac is everywhere. Gavigan mentions that the Clive Expedition is in Giza working on the Giza Necropolis. Dr. Henry Clive is the leader of that expedition. Martin Winfield is the factor (second-in-command). Gavigan speaks very highly of Winfield, speaking of him as his protégé. He is reluctant to discuss the Carlyle Expedition, but Elise persuades him to say a bit. Gavigan feels that Roger Carlyle was scammed by an African woman about a dark time in Egyptian history when a sorcerer rules the Nile Valley. The Penhew Foundation believes that woman absconded with the expedition's funds. Gaivgan then leads us upstairs where many people are working on uncrating, sorting, cataloging, and cleaning artifacts. Elise impresses the others in the room with her knowledge as she works on some artifacts. Curtis examines the file room, but finds nothing out of the ordinary. The group notes several guards about during the day, and when Alister asks, Gavigan mentions night watchmen as well. Elise gets the other researchers to answer some basic questions about the Carlyle Expedition, but nothing that's new to us. Victor uses the elevator to go back down, but takes it all the way to basement. Exploring in the near-darkness down there, he locates a crawl space with a wall where one shouldn't be - seems likely a secret area exists. Curtis heads down to the Library, but finds nothing interesting.

The group heads back to The Savoy to clean up, nap, and pregame before heading to the Blue Pyramid that evening.

They arrive at the Blue Pyramid around 8pm. The club is hopping. The young lady that Victor attempted to chat up yesterday whispers to meet her down the street at midnight. Alister attempts to get a meeting with the proprietor, Abdul Nawisha around 11, but no dice.

Alister and Elise stay in the club, while Curtis and Victor slip out to the rendezvous. The night air is cool, and Victor's girl arrives dressed in normal clothing. Her name is Yalesha. She is an Egyptian woman who fears for her life and is asking for help. She believes that her boyfriend, Anen, was killed by the Brotherhood of the Black Pharaoh, a dangerous cult. She knows very little about them otherwise, just that her boyfriend was involved with them. He thought someone was following him. He lived with his parents, and Yalesha gives us the address. Victor can tell that she is very nervous, concerned, and worried. She further confirms that Anen met the cult at the Blue Pyramid. She wants to be rid of all of this, and heads off into the night.

Elise notices reduction in staff around midnight; the bouncers seem to be missing. She and Alister decide to leave and check things out. They hear voices from behind the building and the low rumble of a truck. Heading down the alley to get behind the building to check it out, Elise makes out about a dozen voices under the sound of the truck. The voices sound British. Elise steps out and sees a truck pull away with several people in the back - white, presumably lower class, men (not Egyptian). She notes that the bouncing staff etc. were British. The truck is not driving directly toward clandestine meeting spot where Victor and Curtis were headed. Elise and Alister head toward the meeting spot and rejoin with Victor and Curtis. Yalesha is gone by that point, so the group heads back to The Savoy to sleep.

March 7, 1925

Inspector Barrington calls. Victor talks to him. A group of people was found murdered, and there appears to be an occult connection. Elise heads to the Central News Agency to research people.

The rest of the group goes to 432 Bethnal Green Rd where the murders took place and meet Barrington. He leads us down into apartment where the crime took place. 5 Egyptian gentlemen ages 20 - 40 were all similarly beaten and then killed with metal spike through the heart. Unusual to find so many in one spot (there had been single victims until now). Gunfire was reported by neighbors at 2am which alerted the police. Some of these men were shot before being beaten and stabbed. There is an inverted ankh painted on the wall, which has been there for a long time. Victor believes 2 of the men were dead from bullets prior to completion of the occult ritual. We find marks of bullet entry in the walls, and the police naturally already collected that evidence. The police inform us that the bullets were from revolvers. Curtis believes occult activity was an afterthought to killing these people. The place was tossed. We split up.

Victor goes to the morgue and examines the bodies. Their wounds seem consistent with a club like the one in literature and news. Bruising on 2 of them was postmortem.

Alister goes to the Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology. They do have expeditions to Egypt. He gets the sense that they are jealous of the Penhew Foundation as Penhew is much better funded.

Curtis goes to Anen's apartment. He attempts to fast talk his way past the man's parents to get a look around, but just ends up getting a door slammed in his face.

Everyone goes back to The Savoy. We share stories. Victor calls Mickey Mahoney and Inspector Barrington looking for information about Tylesman.

Elise and Alister go to Priest & Post looking for Kimble. They leave a note on message board per some cryptic instructions and then return to The Savoy for the evening.

March 8, 1925

Elise and Alister go to church in the morning. They notice that the note they left is gone. They endure an Anglican service by Father Oliver Plunkett.

Victor and Curtis go to Bannicker Park, a green area in the upper middle class neighborhood of Bayswater. The Sudan Memorial is easy to see, as it is striking and bit out of scale for the park. The memorial is an obelisk who's lower section is 16' square white stone slab that rises up 3 steps to a 12' square tier. Each side is decorated in bas relief sculpture depicting military scenes which Curtis identifies as the Mahdist War, fought from 1881 - 1899, which was a British colonial war where British and Egyptian forces fought against Sudanese. There are obvious, poorly repaired gouges in the base. The obelisk on top of the base is about 11' tall and about 2' wide and grey-black in color. All 4 sides are covered in hieroglyphics. It starts to rain; however, Victor notes that, although it's raining, the obelisk is dry. Touching obelisk dries our hands. Pouring liquid on obelisk leaves a mark that fades quickly. We head to the address where Tylesman's house was before the fire. It has been rebuilt. We knock on the door and have a brief chat with the new resident, learning that they rebuilt the house shortly after the fire and it was purchased through an estate sale.

We all meet back at The Savoy. Inspector Barrington calls and gives us the name of the asylum where Tylesman is held - Malbray Asylum.

We head back to the obelisk with Elise while Alister waits to see if we're contacted from the note. Elise identifies base as white sandstone and the obelisk itself as granite. She also translates the hieroglyphics as prayers to a being named Ka-Thigu-Ra as well as some recognizing some astronomical notations; however, she can't decipher more without a library. Elise also notes a dead bird on the steps. Victor confirms that it is a dead pigeon, slightly scorched, and has been dead for maybe a day. We go back to The Savoy to pick up Alister.

All of us head out together to Malbray Asylum. Victor's credentials get us in. We talk to Tylesman. He turns angry at the the mention of Gavigan. "That stone was his work." "The stone is cursed. It is hungry for blood. Gavigan is to blame." Gavigan brought the stone here. "I had dreams. Dreams of fire. So much fire. Saw the London fire, bonfires, thrown into fire, burned, flew to great burning star. My wife... <weeping> My dear sweet Eloise. Woke from a dream and my house was filled with fire and smoke." "Ball of blue-white fire floating at the window." He says his wife and family had fire dreams as well. He freaks out and is taken back to his room.

Returning to The Savoy, we receive another call from Inspector Barrington that another murder den has been found at 8 Brushfield St, London E1 6AN, UK. We go to check it out. 7 men were murdered here. Same ritual kill pattern, but no one appears to have been killed prior to the ritual slaying this time. Place is also tossed. Tucked away under a bed in the back wrapped in a cloth we find a bronze club with a pointy end. All victims were Egyptian men.

We head to Tewfik's shop. It's a small, neat, two-story building. The hours are posted M-Sa 9a-5p. The shop is closed now, but we can see spice racks in the windows. For now, we leave.

Back at The Savoy, an article in today's paper catches Alister's eye: Fire in Bayswater kills a man - Brendan White.

March 9, 1925

A woman by the name of Victoria calls for Alister and identifies herself as a representative of Priest & Post. She provides the address of a local pub, the Alley Cat for a meeting at noon.

We head to the library in the morning. Elise researches history of the Sudan Memorial. Curtis researches Ka-Thigu-Ra. Victor researches the star patterns. Only Elise is successful at first, but then Victor and Curtis find things as well. Victor learned that Fomalhaut is above the horizon late summer through mid-winter in this part of the world. It's in the constellation Piscis Austrinus. It is one of the brightest stars in the sky. Elise learns Tylsman was part of the committee to build the monument to Sudanese War. The obelisk was gift from Edward Gavigan and the Penhew Foundation (it was donated). The obelisk was supposedly obtained from a minor Kushite ruin in Sudan; however, Elise believes the obelisk is more likely from Alexandria. Elise and Curtis find articles on Ka-Thigu-Ra.

After morning research, we all go to the meeting with Kimble at the Alley Cat. Alister agrees to pay him $2500 total to get someone to break into the Penhew Foundation for us. Kimble upped the cost because he doesn't like us.

Elise and Alister catch a glimpse of someone following us. The pursuer does not look Egyptian. Elise and Victor continue ahead, while Alister and Curtis break off to try to circle around. He was a short, dark haired English gentleman in a shabby dark brown suit, but he escaped into the crowd. They rejoin Elise and Victor at The Savoy.

Victor & Curtis find the door to their room forced in and the room is tossed. The heavy metal iron chest containing the artifacts is still there and appears unopened, and nothing else is missing. Elise's room also tossed, with nothing missing there either. Alister's room is untouched. We call the hotel manager. He moves us a few floors down to less nice rooms, but Curtis and Victor now have an adjoining room with Alister, and Elise is across the hall. The police arrive, and we give statements. The hotel sends up complementary Champagne and things. Curtis gets drunk and passes out. Victor breaks out Makunga's artifacts, donning Makunga's Robes and swinging Makunga's Scepter around above his head. He feels slightly invigorated / tingling from the experience, but that's all. He packs it all back up and goes to sleep.

March 10, 1925

Victor tells everyone about his experience with the artifacts the next morning. Curtis leaves a message for Inspector Barrington about the break-ins. Elise takes another look at People of the Monolith and notes that the polished medallion on the cover is a nodule, a geode, but the cover leather and ink are both very strange. She recommends having a chemist or biologist examine them. Victor wants to examine under a microscope.

Victor, Elise, and Curtis call the Lancaster Royal Grammer School. Their motto: Praesis ut Prosis, ("Lead in order to serve"). The current headmaster is Rev. John Henry Shackleton Bailey, D.D., but he has no additional details to share about the fire in 1853.

Alister has a tall, dark, grey-suited (not terribly nice - not tailored), hard boiled man come calling for him who introduces himself as Malloy. The hotel manager points him out to us as a suspicious character after the break-in, but we quickly ascertain that he's here from Priest & Post. Malloy says he's not doing this alone - we're going with him. We all head up to Alister's room to confer with him. We agree to try to break into the Penhew Foundation, gain access to the secret room, and Gavigan's safe. We are to meet at midnight near the Penhew Foundation. Bring a torch (flashlight).

The microscope Victor ordered arrives, and he and checks out the cover of People of the Monolith with that. The cells of the cover appear to be a form of cellulose. Cells are perfectly regular even up to the edges, almost as though the cover and pages were grown to these dimensions. Victor accidentally spills a bit of tea on the book while studying it, but it is completely unaffected as the liquid beads up and rolls off of it. Experimenting, he drops a drop of blood on it, but it doesn't react. He uses a scalpel to shave a piece off, but the book regrows. He tries burning it, but it doesn't combust. The ink is something else, and he has no idea what it could possibly be made of.

Elise and Curtis go to the library to research fires and deaths around time of the Sudan Memorial's erection. There were an unusual number of deaths reported in that area, as well as unusual animal deaths - pigeons, cats, dogs, and a horse. All spontaneously combusted and were nearly completely consumed. The horse just had burns on face and neck. Police believe that a lunatic arsonist was on the loose. The death count was most severe in Autumn. Fires are all clustered in a year, but over the years, no particular pattern is discernible.

Alister finishes reading Livre D'ivon. Mentions unfathomable, Eibon, the Inscrutable. Land above the North Wind. Nodens mentioned. Contains Eibon's Wheel of Mist spell. Book is a commentary on Eibon's other writings. Written by Gaspard du Nord. Author is boastful of his studies under the wizard Nethare. Sathojue' is a furry toad-like diety worshiped by Eibon and du Nord. Deity described as a patron of sorcerers. Book ends with a battle against Nethare. Yellow eyes mentioned are related to the thousand-faced god, lord of night, black man, aka <something>.

March 11, 1925

The group heads out to meet Malloy at midnight to break into the Penhew Foundation. We enter through coal chute: Malloy first, then Alister, then Elise, then Curtis, then Victor. Other than some coal dirt, the entry goes smoothly. Unfortunately, we find no doors into secret area in the basement from the crawl space. Curtis reviews various crates around the basement. Some are from Egypt, some from New York, and one is marked to go to Shanghai on The Ivory Wind. Curtis tries, but Alister opens the Shanghai crate. Inside is some alien mess of wires and vacuum tubes and stuff we've never seen. Curtis tosses a piece into his backpack and reseals the crate. Malloy heads upstairs to "take care" of the guard and cleaning woman. When he returns to fetch us, he gives us all gas masks. When we get up there, we find their dead bodies. We head into the storage room. Victor and Alister note a hidden panel on the wall leading to Gavigan's office. There's a sarcophagus in the middle of the storage room with scratch marks on floor around it. Alister moves it easily, discovers a switch, flips it, and an electric motor engages, opening a trap door in floor with stairs leading down. We descend. The secret area is a small room with a desk, bookcases, crates, and boxes. The first thing we see is a wall with ancient symbols, occult, eldritch symbols and paintings, in a curated collection. Elise notes it is extremely old. The art depicts horrific creatures. Elise notes iconography of C'thugha. The bookcase is made of fine walnut and glass protected cases with books and scrolls. Books are written in Russian, German, French, Spanish, English (2), and Latin, along with scrolls (15) all of various looks and types. 6 Arabic scrolls, 4 Latin scrolls, 2 Egyptian hieroglyphic scrolls, 2 French, 1 Germanic scroll. A couple scrolls are tied with faded red ribbons. Alister checks out the crates, but all but 2 are open and empty. He finds 1 crate for Shanghai labeled Ho Fong Imports (like the one downstairs), 15 Kaoyang Road, Shanghai, China. Attn: Honorable Ho Fong. The crate contains a statue of an elephant man in corroded brass with tentacles holding scythes. The second crate is headed to Randolph Shipping Company, Port Darwin, Northern Territory, Dominon of Australia. Small letters: "Personal to Mr. Randolph". Statue in bluestone of (Cthulhu) which courses energy through Alister when he picks it up. Near the bookcases is a chest carved of sandalwood inlaid with silver depictions of humanoid things with giant claw arms. It contains 2 silver daggers, a pouch of dried bat wings, a vial of little eyes (frog or toad possibly), and talons from a small bird of prey. A stone jar sits next to it, which Elise identifies as soapstone. Victor finds a white lavender-tinged powder the consistency of confectioners sugar inside. They grab as much as they can carry (leaving the elephant statue and taking nearly everything else). Alister lights the room on fire on the way out.

Going upstairs, the mist has thickened. Malloy says it's not his gas, and takes off his gas mask. The place smells like burning hair, and the sarcophagus is open! Elise is grabbed by <something>, but manages to break free! We form a chain and begin making our way out, Malloy in the lead, then Victor, then Curtis, then Elise, then Alister. We make it into hallway when a bony hand grabs Alister. He shoots. A tendril winds its way up Curtis's body and tears his gas mask off. He screams. Victor turns, but sees nothing. Alister feels like the mummy is trying to hold him down, so he lets go of Elise to fight it off. Malloy trips. Alister is tackled to the ground by the mummy, putting his gun away and drawing his knife. Elise notes that the tentacle in the mist doesn't seem to like light. Curtis holsters his gun and draws his torch. Elise wields light like a lightsaber. The mummy begins strangling Alister, but he is able to hold his breath, for now, and keep fighting. The runners get to the loading dock, but the door is locked. Elise reminds us that we're on the inside and can simply unlock the door, and we make it outside. Malloy takes off. Alister cuts the mummy's arm off, but then it starts punching him. A tendril snakes into his nose and throat as well. Between the two, he is knocked unconscious.

Elise grabs the flare from Victor and runs back in, Curtis in tow, both of them brandishing silver daggers. Victor is given the books and told to wait outside. Elise begins hacking at the mummy, but Curtis is just taking punches. Victor casts his spell and contacts Nodens, asking for the power to help his friends. Nodens touches him in the chest, and his chest glows, then he's transported back. He runs into the building as Curtis goes down. Victor administers first aid to Curtis, reviving him but leaving him unconscious, as Elise stabs the mummy and fells it! They drag Curtis out, then run back in for Alister. They eventually get him out. Elise revives Curtis, but nothing can be done for Alister anymore. We dump Alister in an alley, take his identifiable belongings, and go back to The Savoy for some much needed rest.

When we come down stairs in the late morning for breakfast, we find the newspaper has story about the Penhew Foundation fire last night. Edward Gavigan apparently can't be found for comment. Victor also notices a small piece that reveals Tewfik al-Sayed was found dead above his shop last night. We retire back to Victor and Curtis's room and begin book and scroll translations. Elise reads Egyptian A: Prayer to the Bird of Yellow Aztura, a winged messenger of some kind and Egyptian B: Prayer to the Black Pharaoh. Curtis reads the "Germanic" scroll - it's actually old English, dated to 1000 - 1100 AD: Prayer to the Horned One, Lord of All Beasts, or the Black Huntsman along with Arabic scroll A: A series of prayers to a being called The Black Lion, described as a towering sphinx-like monstrosity with the body of a titanic black lion and head of a man but with its face a void opening into the depths of space - the prayer enjoins the being to destroy unnamed invaders of the lands once held by the children of the Iteru.

Suddenly, there's a knock at the door, which turns out to be the police. They tell us Inspector Barrington was killed last night. We're taken downtown, along with the 4 scrolls we just translated, though Victor manages to hide the Liber Ivonis he's begun reading. Inspector Arlie Tunt comes to interview us. He tells us Barrington was found shot at the front door of his home. Tunt has Tewfik's journal, which Curtis and Elise begin translating. The most recent entry is from 3/9. Penmanship becomes quite angry toward the end - writing was faster and heavier. There are many angry references to a "white devil," including comments that the white devil killed his people and took his group. There are also references to the Black Pharaoh, written reverently, along with some disappointment at the lack of response to prayers. The earliest entry is from May, 1920. Elise contacts Rowland Harrison-Archer, a lawyer, to get us out of holding since we aren't actually being charged with anything. He gets us out after 4 hours, and our scrolls are returned to us. We return to The Savoy with Tunt.

Our iron chest with all of our eldritch belongings is gone, along with all of Alister's stuff! A thorough search of the hotel reveals nothing. The chest seems to have been magically lifted / transported. Tunt moves us to a safe house, and we bunk down for the night.

March 12, 1925

In the morning, we go to Tewfik's shop. Tewfik died to beating and being stabbed through the heart, same ritualistic pattern we've seen before. Elise continues studying his journal and finds reference to "Gavi" before white devil reference, as well as a reference to a mirror. Unlike the other crime scenes lately, the shop has not been ransacked. Upstairs, in the living room, we find a large, asymmetrical gray-white metal mirror in a golden frame. Frame is inscribed and several sections appear damaged / chiseled away. Frame is made of warped inhuman sometimes demonic faces. Writing is cuneiform, a language used by Babylonia in ancient middle-east. Mirror itself is made from a speculum metal - an alloy of 2/3 copper 1/3 tin adulterated with arsenic able to hold a high polish. This is a particularly large piece - most ancient mirrors are far smaller. A shelf nearby holds Egyptian pantheon icons - nothing odd. There's a roll top desk which is locked, but we break in with a crowbar. Searching the desk, we find a hidden compartment with a robe, skullcap, a black metal ankh, a scroll in Egyptian heiroglpyics, 2 scepters, and 2 red-brown standstone vials. One scepter has a crook, the other an inverted ankh. Scroll is a spell that invokes Nyarlathotep to dramatically change the shape of the caster's body. Victor remembers seeing a poster for the great Nyarlathotep in the group dream he had in NYC. Skullcap and robe are embroidered with inverted ankh symbols and made of black silk. Victor dresses Curtis in robe, hat, and holding both scepters crossed over his chest. When crossed, the scepters glow. Victor checks out the vials as well. Vial A contains a syrupy red substance with a foul smell. Vial B contains black powder. A copy of the Quran sitting on a table is standard and for display, not well used. Nothing else of interest is found in the apartment. We drop the evidence at Scotland Yard.

The remainder of the day is spent at the London Library. Elise researches Nyarlathotep, the prayer to the Bird of Yellow Aztura, and the mist that smells like burning hair. Victor researches the Black Huntsman, the creatures depicted in the art in the basement of the Penhew Foundation, and the Liber Ivonis. Curtis researches The Ivory Wind, Ho Fong Imports, and Randolph Shipping Company.

After all the research, we return to the safe house to sleep.

March 13, 1925

The day begins with a call to Brown's Resident Clinic for the Insane in Glassgow where Alan Groot is held. He hasn't said anything except "Gavigan" since he's been there.

We go to Scotland Yard and Tunt speaks to the bobby that brought Groot in, Officer Pippin. Groot worked in the coal works, by the docks, by the Blue Pyramid. Pippin thinks he saw a 35' tall sparkling grey cloud that vanished when he flashed his light on it. He also smelled burning hair.

Tunt goes to look for clues about Anen and Brendan White. He finds info on missing Egyptians (nothing new for the group though). In looking into White, he finds that several dozen other minor fires have been reported in the Bayswater area, many of which involve deaths of animals (cats, dogs, a delivery man's horse). Police are looking at Rowan Thannery for the crimes. Large sparks have sometimes been observed before these fires. No physical evidence has been found. Tunt also goes for a visit to the Masonic Temple, where he learns what we already know about Edward Gavigan. He also learns that Gavigan is not a Mason.

Elise, Curtis, and Victor go to the London Library again. Elise researches the inscriptions on the mirror. Victor researches the G'harne Fragments and the author Amery Wendy-Smith. Curtis researches the Livre D'ivon and the author Gaspard du Nord.

Victor and Curtis proceed to the Central News Agency in an attempt to find more on Lars Torvak, but are unsuccessful.

March 14, 1925

The group heads out the next morning to the police station, intent on using the mirror held in evidence there. Curtis dresses in the robe and skullcap found in Tewfik al-Sayed's shop, crosses the scepters in front of his chest, then anoints mirror with Red Sulphur in an inverted ankh pattern. The mirror shows shadowy images as first, then, when Curtis concentrates on Edward Gavigan, he comes into vision. He is writing at a desk in a dimly lit room. Victor notices our iron chest just at the edge of view. We observe Gavigan writing for 16 minutes, then the mirror reverts to normal, though the shadowy images at the edges occasionally flicker by. Tunt then repeats the process, thinking of Horatio Campbell, an arsonist who should be in jail. Horatio comes into view, sitting in his jail cell. Tunt becomes more convinced that the mythos is real.

Following the success with the mirror, Elise, Curtis, and Victor head to the London Library for some more research. Elise researches Misr House. Curtis researches Red Sulphur. Victor attempts to research King Bur-ra Bu-ri-ia-as, uncovering the proper name Burna-Buriaš II. While they research, Inspector Tunt begins going through the police files on Hugh Tylesman, attempting to find dirt on Edward Gavigan without alerting anyone.

As the researchers leave the library, a shot rings out and hits Victor in the chest! He goes down hard, but somehow remains conscious. Elise performs first aid, but neither she nor Curtis can get eyes on the assailant in the chaos of the crowd. Curtis calls for an ambulance, and everyone gathers together at the hospital hoping their compatriot pulls through. The doctors spend hours working on Victor, and they eventually report the good news that he's going to pull through! They also retreive the bullet from the wound, a .303 caliber which Tunt believes would be fired from a SMLE (Lee-Enfield Mark III) rifle. Once alone with Victor, he tells everyone that, when shot, he went to Nodens' plane, where he saw bright stars in the sky. Fomalhaut appeared in the star formation, then disappeared, and something else was in the space between the stars. Nodens declared Victor his spear, and said he was being thrown at his enemy. Then Victor was sent back. The doctors return and say they want to keep Victor overnight, concerned that they haven't been able to discern a heartbeat. Inspector Tunt tries to persuade the doctor to falsify the report to lure potential attackers into a trap, but the doctor won't comply. Tunt sends a report back to Scotland Yard and issues a statement to the press that Victor saw his attacker and will be naming names. Victor and Curtis swap spells, but the night otherwise passes uneventfully.

March 15, 1925

Victor is released from the hospital in the morning. The doctors still can't find a heartbeat, but since he seems to be doing well otherwise, there's no reason to keep him. The group heads to the Central News Agency for some research. Elise researches Amery Wendy-Smith, Curtis looks up Lars Torvak, and Victor looks for info on The Ivory Wind.

Elise calls Wendy-Smith: He retired to his home in Yorkshire. He's very guarded in conversation, but Elise is very persuasive. No one believed his account after publication of the G'harne Fragments, and it cost him his position and place in society. The G'harne Fragments are a translation of notes about Sir Howard Windrop's expedition in an unknown ruined city in Africa. Amery interpreted the notes as information about a prehistoric, perhaps alien civilization. Amery found the notes during his expedition. His translation talked a lot about the collapse of their civilization when they were besieged by a race of subterranean creatures. Cosmology was very important in Windrop's notes, consisting of a catalog of our own solar system with planets beyond what we'd expect, including a planet beyond Neptune and a planet between Earth and Mars. There are also references to large, worn, stone blocks that locals were afraid of. G'harne would be somewhere in Sudan, but no one has been able to locate it based on these notes, which was the cause of Amery being discredited. The second expedition back had all white expedition members (and possibly others, though their deaths would have gone unrecorded) die in an earthquake. The locals would talk about a King of the Night sometimes, also known as God of the Bloody Tongue, The Black Wind, and an obscure Egyptian deity known as Nyarlathotep.

Curtis looks up Aleister Crowley and we all go to chat with him. Crowley declares Curtis is "Yates", an Irishman that sent vampires after him. He slams the door in their faces after a rapid exchange of insults.

Inspector Tunt looks into the weapons permits and finds that the processing has been put on hold by Alister's lawyer.

We all return to the police station to try looking for Alister with the mirror. Victor makes the attempt to find Alister / the man who shot him, but the mirror shows nothing.

Inspector Tunt calls Alister's lawyer. The lawyer last talked to Alister on 3/12. He knows he recently made a large purchase, but doesn't have details. Tunt follows up by calling Alister's banker. The banker confirms that a large purchase made on March 3, 1925 (the paintings).

Curtis, overcome with loss and not being able to cope with Victor's new condition, declares that he can't go on. He goes to the library, gets a job, and retires from active investigating...

March 16, 1925

Father Cillian Quinn makes himself known to the other investigators. He books a hotel room at a cheap hotel, and leaves contact info at Priest & Post for Mr. Kern.

Meanwhile, the group heads to Lime House to look for Lars Torvak. Quinn persuades the bartender to point him out. The group sits down with Torvak and starts talking to him about business. He says he's been running for the Penhew Foundation for the past year or two. Quinn notes that Lars seems drunk, nervous, and possibly evasive. He expects to be shipping out in the next day or two. His next cargo is already loaded for the next voyage. Victor convinces him (by slipping him $50) to give us a tour of his ship.

Torvak takes us on The Ivory Wind. There's a crew of 8 aboard, yet the crew quarters seem abandoned. The staterooms aboard the vessel seem to be taken by crew, presumably due to lack of passengers. Torvak says Ship with DAR in its name could be The Dark Princess. The entire cargo is labeled for Ho Fong Imports.

While in the docks area, the group leaves the ship and goes to check out the Blue Pyramid. A sign on door reads, "Closed until further notice." Tunt turns his back while Victor breaks a window. Now with signs of a possible break-in, we enter to check it out, but the place looks cleared out. There's nothing of note left.

The group returns to the safe house to sleep.

March 17, 1925

Victoria makes contact in the morning with Quinn. She sets up a meeting with Mr. Kern for that evening. Curtis found a contact address for Rowan.

The group splits up to do some research. Quinn goes to the Central News Agency to look for info on The Dark Princess.

The others hit the London Library. Elise researches Ne-ne-fe-ka. Victor looks for information on mummies and finds that they are flammable.

After that, Victor and Quinn go to meet with Mr. Kern. Kern agrees to supply a few grenades and rifles that will be ready the next day.

The group gathers back at the safe house to sleep.

March 18, 1925

First thing in the morning, the group decides to hit up a sporting goods store to pick up swords.

Next, they pay a visit to Mickey Mahoney. He informs that one of his "page 6" girls is missing. She was last seen in a SOHO bar - the Rose & Crown pub. Gwendolyn Edwards is her name. Her roommate is Amy Aldred. We call Amy and arrange to have her meet us at the Rose & Crown to discuss Gwen.

The group arrives at the Rose & Crown a bit early. When they meet Amy, she says Gwen was known to get together with "not the best people." She hopes Gwen found a nice guy and ran away, but fears that she found the wrong guy. Gwen was last seen on 3/5. Talking with the barkeep, they discover that Miles Shipley is a regular here - some of his art hangs behind the bar (not insanity art). Victor and Elise leave to pick up weapons while Quinn and Tunt stake out the bar. Around 4pm, Shipley comes in and the bartender points him out for Quinn and Tunt. Shipley looks rough, and he is clearly crazy. Upon asking him about disappearance of the girl, he gets progressively more nervous. Victor and Elise return just as Miles bolts.

We follow him back to his house. Quinn and Tunt go to check out the back. They notice someone at the back door, but quickly the window curtain is drawn shut. Victor and Elise knock on the front and Mrs. Shipley answers. Elise notices smell of reptiles. She and Victor go upstairs to check out the "art." At first Mrs. Shipley says Miles is upstairs, but then she says he's out. Tunt starts knocking on back door. Mrs. Shipley lets Victor into a padlocked closet to examine the art there before heading downstairs with Elise to see who is calling, leaving Victor alone in the gallery. Victor checks out the painting. It depicts a swampy area with serpents, an alter in middle, and he could swear the water starts to ripple and serpents move and the alter glows. He quickly covers it. Getting downstairs, Mrs. Shipley leaves Elise and heads back upstairs. Elise opens the door for Tunt and Quinn and hustles back upstairs. Mrs. Shipley's clothes and skin are discarded on the stairs. Quinn catches a glimpse of something on the ceiling. They start checking upstairs.

Checking around, they find a serpent creature behind door number 2. It's chanting something in an incomprehensible tongue. Naturally, the group starts beating on it. Quinn's blessed brass knuckles are the only thing that seems to touch the creature at first. The horrible serpent takes a bite out of Victor! Miles appears at the top of the stairs with a meat cleaver. Tunt and Elise take aim at him, Tunt taking him down with an incredible shot. Quinn scores a solid hit with his fists, killing the serpent as well.

The dirty work taken care of, the group begins searching around upstairs. There's nothing in room 2, and room 3 is locked, but they find keys in Mrs. Shipley's clothes. It's her bedroom, long unused. Tunt discovers a lacquered chest in the closet containing a syringe and a small vial. The little kit appears to be often used. Victor examines the vial, but it is completely foreign. The vial contains about 10 doses.

Then the group heads downstairs... to the basement... There's a normal looking room, but Elise and Tunt locate a hidden door behind some boxes. The hidden room has many mystic symbols, shelves with jars filled with strange substances, grimoires and tomes and scrolls, along with a stone tub with a stone lid against the other wall. Quinn grabs the writings. Victor knows that the mystical symbols are of no known human origin. Victor and Tunt decide to look into the stone tub. It contains the decaying decapitated head of Gwen. Tunt calls it in while the rest of us disappear. Congratulations are given to Tunt for wrapping up the case, then we all meet back at the safe house.

Taking time to look through the confiscated tomes, they note that the books are not written in any human language or by any human hand. Quinn notes that some heathens believe that a race of lizard people that co-existed with dinosaurs used this language format.

Osea Island, England

March 19, 1925

We acquire a (size 10) bull, and Curtis uses it to cast Bless Club. Father Quinn is distracted working up plans during this, so he's unaware of the sacrifice. Tunt knows a pilot - Manuel Delaroache - who should be able to fly us to the island. We leave in the afternoon, with the plan to arrive at dusk. The flight is choppy and it takes longer than expected, so it is on the dark side of dusk when we approach the island. Manuel cuts the engines on approach. Misr House looks as expected, but there are small clusters of buildings around the main house. There's an obelisk the height of the manor house with torchlight around it and a gathering of people (20 - 40 people) in the backyard. The landing is very rough (and noisy), but successful. Breeze has come up - a storm seems to be brewing (not supernatural), which may have helped disguise the sound of the plane landing.

As we approach, the sound of drums and chanting becomes evident. We use the marsh for cover. We head to the front of the house. There are 6 guards, spread out. Tunt times our approach (poorly), and we slip in the house but think we're noticed. Quinn knocks the cultist out with a blackjack when he opens the door while Elise and Victor hide in the pantry. Tunt tries to catch the cultist as he's blacking out, but mostly just softens his fall. They drag him into the pantry, and Tunt notices an inverted ankh around his neck. Cultist is an Englishman (not pretty). Elise finds a bathroom in the hall with a window out the back. She sees about 30 white English cultists with Gavigan in the middle. He is gathering the cultists. "Tonight we celebrate..." Seems like the beginning of a ceremony. We check the next door down the hall... another bathroom. We make our way into dinning room. Tunt smears animal fat on the drapes. Elise finds the library off the dinning room, but the books appear normal. Double doors from dinning room lead to a great hall that is large enough to take up half of house with an exit to the yard with cultists and a large fireplace. Victor searches the fireplace and finds that two bricks can be pulled forward, both opening secret doors with stairs leading downstairs. One is a priest hole, but the other leads down. Elise and Victor hear Gavigan clearly say "Pharaoh." Victor heads to the windows to take a look while the rest head downstairs. Gavigan is talking about the Black Pharaoh being reborn the White Pharaoh and the white race will rule the world with his power. Cultists begin to disrobe. Sex rites are getting going. Coming down from the sky, 3 large amorphous beings are descending. They look like frogs crossed with squid or octopodes, but ever changing. They are playing a dirge on flutes of bone.

Downstairs, there is an iron door at the bottom of the stairs. It is unlocked, and Tunt pushes it, creaking, open. A number (8) of "cells" made of iron and stone line the room. A sleeping man is in cell 3. The cell will only open by a key. A door at the end of the room leads to a torture chamber. We see an iron chest next to a desk at one end of the room. Statues and bric-a-brac lie around the room, among them a statue of the Black Pharaoh. We find the iron chest and open it. All of our artifacts are gone along with the weapons, but the books, papers, and scrolls are all present. We shove the contents in bags.

Heading back upstairs and then on up to the second floor, we quickly find that it has several bedrooms and bathrooms, but nothing interesting. We decide to open fire on the events outside. Looking out, Tunt passes out seeing the horrid display. Victor gets him up, but he's still shaken and terrified. Elise keeps it together. Seeing Manuel dragged into the center of the fray, Elise and Tunt open fire. Tunt misses, but Elise hits Gavigan. Then they take aim at the cultists holding Manuel. Elise hits one, and the others set him free. Then the tentacles start streaming through the windows. Tunt takes heavy blows and Elise gets knocked out. Tunt drags her out of the room. Father Quinn jumps out the window. They drop Elise out, and he breaks her fall. The others join him. Father Quinn shoots at the house to knock out a window, but just makes noise. Tunt heads into the woods with Elise, noticing a large force of British infantry coming toward them. Victor breaks a window and tosses a flare in. Quinn heads into the woods, and then Victor follows.

Tunt talks to the British forces and convinces them we're on their side. The infantry engages the cultists at the house. Victor and the infantry doctor see to Tunt and Elise's wounds. Military wraps up the encounter. Manuel was killed in the fighting. The sleeping old man in the basement was found and rescued. Gavigan is missing / unaccounted for. The military is on the lookout for Kern. Kern had stolen equipment from Colchester Garrison, which is where this military force is from. They are the Essex Yeomanry, 104th Brigade.

In the aftermath, Tunt interviews the old man. He knew of the other Egyptian people that were murdered. He's heard them talk about the Black Pharaoh. Egyptian friends had tried to recruit them to the cult before, but he held true to Allah. Elise and Victor check out the Obelisk. It is made of sandstone. It is a stele. It is original to the house, and not specifically connected to the Black Pharaoh. Some soldiers talk in whispers about flying amorphous creatures, but no one really admits to what they've seen. Quinn connects the missing artifacts from the chest to the shipment on The Ivory Wind.

London, England

March 20, 1925 thru March 21, 1925

Elise flies us back to London in the morning. Victor takes the rocket plans and circuit board to the University of Oxford and begins asking around. Head of their experimental philosophy (physics) department (Frederick Lindemann) looks at it. He says it's incredibly destructive but too heavy to fly. The circuit board is impossible technology. Integrated circuits cannot exist.

Curtis uses the Mirror of Gal to look for Gavigan. The mirror shows Gavigan in an old hospital bed in a very dimly lit room that is swaying a bit. He's presumably on a boat. It blinks out after a minute.

The group spends the remainder of the day and the following day (March 21, 1925) reading through the scrolls acquired. Scrolls: 5 Arabic, 4 Latin, 2 French. Arabic A, C & E have red ribbon (A already translated by Curtis on March 11, 1925). Quinn reads Latin A. Victor reads Latin B. Elise reads Arabic B. Curtis reads Arabic C. Tunt reads French A & B. French A: Written in haste in uneven handwriting and smeared passages. Prayer or invocation to Black Demon who is greatly feared. References to bodily sacrifice. French B: Finely made scroll like psalms. References to L'Homme Nuite or The Black Man. Latin A: Fragments containing a prayer to Black Caesar, the lord of all lands, and servant of the chaos before the titans. Latin B: Two parts. Arabic B: Series of instructions for calling upon the power of Thoth (Izzu-Tahuti) by invoking his secret name. Said to diminish the power of enemies and spirits and comes at a cost to the caster. Instructions are confusingly written and obscure. Arabic C: Lengthy prayer to Black Pharaoh (Nephren-Ka), master of all Egypt, Lord of the Shining Crystal, Voice of Black Fire and Death. Arabic D: Ritual magic used to control or ward against a strange d'jinn called "Dweller in Strange Spaces" or "Spider of the Void". Magician may use to reach distant places. Most text devoted to creating ritual knife of iron or silver for the ritual. Arabic E: Describes series of instructions to a student on preparation and casting of a spell to influence dreams of subject. Requires a bowl made of "Sky Copper". Requires herbs and blood of caster, and victim not more than 2 dozen miles away. P.S. Strange reference that author especially enjoys tormenting his victims with visions of a demonic cat. Arabic F: Curse calling upon the formless howler of the wastes and he who is lord over all beasts to bring a pestilence down upon one Hiiepha'Oto The Khem, an Egyptian sorcerer of some might. Curtis and Elise realize that the Arabic and Egyptian scrolls were written by the same person, but were written over the course of hundreds of years. French B: Passages include rites of animal and infant sacrifice and cannibalistic orgies to aid "the brothers of the earth". One passage describes the Black Man and calls him, "He who wore the serpent crown and howls as a blackness across the land." Latin B: Scroll in 2 parts. 1 - Introduction discussing origins of latter passage. Taken from library of an unnamed Apulian monastery and copied for potential heresy trial against monastery's abbot as original was too fragile. 2 - Prayer to Black Pharaoh similar in content to Latin A with a few lacuna. Latin C: Lengthy but incomplete prayer to a being descried as dark master with smoky wings, a monstrous bat-like being with a huge tripartite eye said to dwell in "the blackness beyond night." Prayer is cut off during a description of a great gem sacred to the being. Latin D: Series of prayers calling upon might of "The messenger of the Old Ones," a cloud-like amorphous being and a harbinger of great destruction. Prayers call upon being to lay waste to the armies of the "Bastard Charles and his Wicked Court."

March 22, 1925

The group packs our things and prepares to head to a secret library that Father Quinn urges the group to visit at Sacra di San Michele. We say goodbye to Inspector Tunt, who's elected to say in London. Curtis says his goodbyes as well, remaining in London to continue his work at the London Library. Curtis inherits Victor's Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost. Curtis sends a telegraph to Jack Falcon, instructing him to meet the others at Sacra di San Michele.

Mount Pirchiriano, Italy

March 23, 1925 thru April 5, 1925

Elise flies the group to Sacra di San Michele, located on Mount Pirchiriano in northern Italy, near the French border. Father Quinn separates from the group to give confession and report to the superiors of his secret order. The monks tell him to contact Gonzague de Reynold at the League of Nations to learn more about the technology schematics and find a guide for Shanghai. The monks are able to help us understand more about the artifacts that we used to possess through detailed descriptions.

During our time at the monastery, Jack arrives. He relays his tale of being thrown from the RMS Mauretania by a creature that vaguely resembles the ones the group faced at Misr House. He was rescued by a shipping vessel off Nova Scotia and taken to shore. The creature seemed to pursue him and the vessel for some time, but they were able to hold it off and stay clear of it. Once back on land, Jack made his way back to New York. He came into possession of the medical records of Dr. Robert Huston regarding Roger Carlyle and has them with him.

Elise and Victor spend the bulk of their time there reading the G'harne Fragments and The Book of Dzyon, respectively.

At one point, the monks let Father Quinn know that what we're about to face is things even the society has barely heard of. Guns probably won't work. We need to be on the lookout for things that can assist (possibly magic). The monks bless Victor's sword cane and one of Jack's swords to assist in the coming trials.

Geneva, Switzerland

April 6, 1925

The group leaves the monastery and heads to Geneva to visit the League of Nations. Elise flies us. We quickly find Gonzague de Reynold, who works for the International Committee on Intellectual Cooperation. He introduces us to Hendrik Lorentz, a dutch physicist, a 1902 Nobel Prize winner, and the committee chair. He identifies the technical schematic as a bomb and the delivery mechanism as some kind of large theoretical flying device. The tech doesn't make any sense though. We move on to getting info about China. Shanghai is an international city / port split up into 3 areas (concessions set up after the First Opium War): International Concession, French Concession (Catholics concentrated here), and the Chinese area. A variety of police forces will need to be navigated moving among these. Crimes committed in one jurisdiction cannot be followed if criminals escape to another jurisdiction, resulting in lots of crime. Permits for weapons are easily obtained by bribe / street purchase. There is no centralized government in China. The country is held together by a variety of local warlords. The League of Nations provides Li Wen-cheng as a guide. He's a young, smart catholic. At his advice on the fastest route, we book train passage to China.

April 7, 1925

We depart for The City of Shanghai.

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Skill Checks