RAVENLOFT: THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY, CHAPTER FOUR

[Adam]

Bennedict re-dons his clothing and nods. "Let me know if you find anything, or need any more samples."

He turns to the others. "Alright, what's our next move?"

[kintire]

Kat particpates in the rat capture with detached puzzlement, and seems nowhere in evidence when the public rat-wrangling takes place. She smiles warmly at the apprentice, and a little more demurely at the alchemist. Her attention sharpens, however at his request for further samples.

"I can get you those, Master Chymist. Anything I should get first?"

She then glances at Benedict

"Are we chasing this ash cloud or this murderer? Or do you think they are the same? It seems odd they should turn up at the same time..."

[ewancummins]

Kat particpates in the rat capture with detached puzzlement, and seems nowhere in evidence when the public rat-wrangling takes place. She smiles warmly at the apprentice, and a little more demurely at the alchemist. Her attention sharpens, however at his request for further samples.

"I can get you those, Master Chymist. Anything I should get first?"

She then glances at Benedict

"Are we chasing this ash cloud or this murderer? Or do you think they are the same? It seems odd they should turn up at the same time..."

Flammarion smiles back at Kat--with something approaching genuine friendliness evident in his expression--and says,
"Small creatures might absorb a taint more quickly than larger ones. Live roaches from the contaminated streets would be lovely."

The stooped, balding man then walks off toward his workshop with the samples, leaving his guests in the showroom and sending his apprentice to help them with any ordinary business, like purchases of reagents.

[RocEter]

THE NOTE

THOM FOUND



Dear Reader,

If you have found this note without finding me, then it may be I have come to a bad end, or my tormentor has recaptured me.
The skipper has called all men up on deck after the lookout sighted a steam plume from a big boat steering round a sandbar downstream, headed for us. My rescuers have left me, the lone woman aboard, below with the cargo. I fear the strange craft must be the Virago, with Captain Timothy at the wheel, come to reclaim me.
The boatmen have told me terrible stories of the 'Old Man of the River', how he once fed an unlucky gambler to ravening wolves on the moonlit riverbank, how he drowned his gypsy-bride, and other gruesome accounts. Is it all true? I do not know, for I was only with Captain Timothy a short time, but after what I found in the coal-room of the Vir




The note breaks off there, ripped at one corner.

Thom folds the note up and places back in the mirror. He thanks the glass-maker for his assistance and then leaves the shop, making his way back to the Port-Masters office.

[ewancummins]

THOM

A BIT LATER, ON HIS WAY INTO THE PORT-MASTER'S OFFICE


Thom hears the sweet, sad strains of a violin drifting down the wood-paneled hall leading to the office.

Inside, he finds the Portmaster reclined in a richly-upholstered chair near the window, arms crossed behind his head.
The man watches a comely girl who stands across the office floor playing a violin.

She's dressed like a painter's erotic fantasy of a gypsy--in not much more than veils and bangles.
Thom notes that she's wearing makeup to turn her fair skin nut-brown--he can see a spot near her hairline where it's sweated off or wasn't rubbed in properly to begin with.

The rotund PortMaster nods to Thom as the printer enters the chamber, but then returns his gaze to the young female entertainer.

SEE BELOW FOR MORE

[ewancummins]

PORTMASTER

http://i.imgur.com/Am4aayR.jpg

[Brock Marsh Runoff]

"Both are linked, I am thinking. Find the Woman-Killer, and we'll know what the cloud is about."

"We know he'll strike again, he can't help himself. He's drawn to women with beautiful hair. We should check the taverns and brothels for women who might fit his pattern, ask if they've seen him, and put out a warning."

[ewancummins]

THOM'S INVESTIGATION

After briefing the (rather distracted) PortMaster on his initial discoveries, Thom visits the cramped, musty archives of the port offices, looking for any mention of the Virago or the mysterious Captain Timothy...


After hours of searching through logbooks and ledgers--some of these barely legible with inkblots and yellowing pages, or filed in the wrong cabinet-- Thom has hunted down what he believes are all the archive's references to the Virago.
It seems the vessel formerly traded only on the upper Musarde and connecting waterways, in Arkandale: its name shows up often in transshipment records from twenty or more years back, yet the first mention of the Virago making fast at the quays of Pont-a-Mouseau appears only three years ago, when it dropped off a cargo of tobacco at a local warehouse.
The records show little more about the boat, except that it loaded coal and firewood each time it made port--unsurprising for a 'dragonboat' with an exotic steam-mill as its motive force--and that Captain Nathan Timothy has been both master and owner of the vessel as far back as the records go.
No mention of any passengers by name or sex, and only the vaguest references to anyone other than the Captain and crew embarking or disembarking...

When Thom replaces the last of the ledgers he's checked out, and looks out the window, he sees the sun has nearly set.
The search for information took longer than he had anticipated--he may have grown a bit rusty at this kind of exhaustive paper-chasing.

If he wants to make it home in time for dinner, he'd better hurry.

[ewancummins]

"Both are linked, I am thinking. Find the Woman-Killer, and we'll know what the cloud is about."

"We know he'll strike again, he can't help himself. He's drawn to women with beautiful hair. We should check the taverns and brothels for women who might fit his pattern, ask if they've seen him, and put out a warning."

ALCHEMIST SHOP AND AFTERWARD




The party discusses its next steps...


Other customers enter the shop and soon things get crowded--and decidedly not private.

One of the apprentices hands Benn a box--the investigator and scholar's regular order of reagents and other materials useful in his detective work and scientific experiments.

Flammarion emerges from his workshop to help fill orders as the shop becomes busier.
The chymist shoos Benn's party away with what Benn knows to be uncharacteristic politeness.


Some of the party may notice

VIEW CONTENT:

that the alchemist lets his eyes linger a little longer on Kat than on anyone else in the showroom.

spot DC 15


Out in the street, the rats in Sara's sack begin squealing and squirming anew, chewing at the canvas. They sound hungry.

Hornsby appears in the street, rounding a corner on the left of a row of brick houses.
The serving-man hastens to pavement near the party and then bows slightly before Benn.

"Master."
He glances at the shop door, then at the box Benn holds.
"No need for me to pick up the regular orders, then?"
With the small matter of supplies cleared up, Hornsby goes on-
"Master Thom the Printer stopped by the house while the Mistress was finishing packing. He's left a note there, but I can relay its contents to you now. He has invited you to dinner--you and your companions. The wives and children too, of course. Mistress Charlotte accepted tentatively-waiting on your approval. She says he seemed eager to see you and discuss this current matter."

[RocEter]

THOM'S INVESTIGATION

After briefing the (rather distracted) PortMaster on his initial discoveries, Thom visits the cramped, musty archives of the port offices, looking for any mention of the Virago or the mysterious Captain Timothy...


After hours of searching through logbooks and ledgers--some of these barely legible with inkblots and yellowing pages, or filed in the wrong cabinet-- Thom has hunted down what he believes are all the archive's references to the Virago.
It seems the vessel formerly traded only on the upper Musarde and connecting waterways, in Arkandale: its name shows up often in transshipment records from twenty or more years back, yet the first mention of the Virago making fast at the quays of Pont-a-Mouseau appears only three years ago, when it dropped off a cargo of tobacco at a local warehouse.
The records show little more about the boat, except that it loaded coal and firewood each time it made port--unsurprising for a 'dragonboat' with an exotic steam-mill as its motive force--and that Captain Nathan Timothy has been both master and owner of the vessel as far back as the records go.
No mention of any passengers by name or sex, and only the vaguest references to anyone other than the Captain and crew embarking or disembarking...

When Thom replaces the last of the ledgers he's checked out, and looks out the window, he sees the sun has nearly set.
The search for information took longer than he had anticipated--he may have grown a bit rusty at this kind of exhaustive paper-chasing.

If he wants to make it home in time for dinner, he'd better hurry.

Thom hurries out the dinner and makes his way to his house.

[ewancummins]

THOM'S HOUSE


Thom finds his servants waiting for him.
The staff has just finished the preparations for the evening (except, of course, for some of the cooking--as certain dishes ought to be cooked later and served hot).

[Adam]

"Seems I need to be hurrying home," Bennedict says, "And I agree, it seems like a hell of a coincidence that this ash cloud and Matyr should appear at the same time. However, I doubt we'll be effective simply wandering around and hoping to bump into him. Perhaps I can check with some of my informants and cast a wider net."

He looks down at his pack of alchemical supplies and then looks up to Hornsby. "I think we may need some additional sample tubes, for the ash and for some smaller insects. Can you see about purchasing them?"

He reaches into a pocket and pulls out a handful of silver coins, pressing them into the servants hand.

[ewancummins]

"Seems I need to be hurrying home," Bennedict says, "And I agree, it seems like a hell of a coincidence that this ash cloud and Matyr should appear at the same time. However, I doubt we'll be effective simply wandering around and hoping to bump into him. Perhaps I can check with some of my informants and cast a wider net."

He looks down at his pack of alchemical supplies and then looks up to Hornsby. "I think we may need some additional sample tubes, for the ash and for some smaller insects. Can you see about purchasing them?"

He reaches into a pocket and pulls out a handful of silver coins, pressing them into the servants hand.

Hornsby takes the coins.
''As you wish, Master.''

[Adam]

Bennedict smiles. "Excellent. Distribute them to any of these fellows that are volunteering to go find the vermin. I think it best if we gather them as soon as possible."

He looks dubiously at the bag. "They'll chew through that cloth in no time. The rats in Pont are large and voracious. I'd do something with those or release them, if I were you. I'll see you for dinner at Thom's."

With that he heads for home.

[kintire]

Kat nods.

"Yes, dinner and a plan! Both vital in these investigations. I will meet you later!"

Shge prepares to head over for the promised repast