Having successfully resolved the 'problem of the Chinese Sorcerer who wanted to end the world', and sorting Sinead's problem with her box (!) , the characters gather their belongings and first class tickets for their trip to New York, via the luxury liner - the Mauretania.
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| ...appearing in glorious technicolour... |
Gathering crowds in Southampton herald a state of anticipation and dangerously infectious excitement, and that's just because the players are trying to hide their Lewis Gun! In the end, it is stowed in the luggage deck in a large unmarked crate.
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| "OY! Careful with Lewis Gun mate!" |
There are some passengers of note however:
- A well dressed Russian with a noble bearing, a food taster, a servant, and far too many armed bodyguards, whom the characters are convinced is a White Russian, on the run, and may just be the 'Count' whom Edward Call told them was 'a friend'.
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| Trustworthy Russians |
- A bald man who matches the description of the 'Police Consultant' who rifled the Chinese Sorcerer's library for books, and appears to have a large crate, which never leaves his side.
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| AI's version of 'bald apprentice sorceror with far too much interest in forbidden lore'...AI clearly needs a vacation. |
- An unkempt Priest with two younger members of the clergy appears to be taking an unhealthy interest in the Russian party...
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| Clearly trustworthy Priests |
The characters follow all three, noting that the Russian party, with plenty of cash, takes up most of the first class deck; the bald man too is staying in first class, near the characters; and strangely...the Priest's party is in a cabin well below decks..though they seem to have the run of the 1st class area because , 'well sir, they are Priests, after all. You never know when you might need one'. So true...
And amongst the crew, the Purser - clearly an ex military man, appears to be taking 'cash for favours' - at least from the Russian Count's personnel...stranger and stranger ...as it is clear that 'the Count' as the Russian is known, wants to take at least one day to take over the entire stern area of the first class deck to feed his shuffleboard habit.
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| 'Ladies and Gentlemen - you entirely competent and 'uncorruptable' crew for the voyage...' |
After lunch and Tiffin, the characters engage with the bald man - who, it turns out, is known to the Professor - Professor Felix Patterson of Miskatonic University in Arkham, a leading light in European History Studies of course, who had been contracted to Scotland Yard to research some strange cases that they could not solve - and is now returning home...
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| Extravagant opulence... |
Over dinner, the characters learn that he is not associated with The Order of Silver Twilight, thinking it beneath him, instead researching and corroborating his own information on 'fabled and forbidden books of Arcane Lore...'. Amazed at McDaid's grasp of some of the books 'not' in his collection, he immediately warms to the characters, and promises to show them 'something amazing' in his cabin later - even assuring them that he has a pet rat as a sacrifice!
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| The Pub |
The characters are less than convinced, but know enough to accompany him and ensure that he does hurt himself, or the crew or passengers - they being complete experts in this sort of thing of course.
...Sinead decides to wander, descending to the lower decks...encountering a group of South Pacific natives in overalls near the Engineering deck - the Engineering staff?...who appear to be wearing Elder signs around their necks...(it's hard to get the staff).
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| The Engine room - full of dodgy blokes |
...curiouser and curiouser... what could go wrong?
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