(GMB) OOC

[andyw666]

Taavi, my apologies, would you be able to NPC Jory for the next week? Few problems to sort, should be back on deck by then. - Andy

[Taavi]

Since we have a bit of player turnover this seems a good time to take stock. How are people finding the game? I have gone for a multiple-plot-strings sort of campaign because a) Bookhounds is supposed to be "a seedy scrabbling on the verge of disaster" according to Hite, and b) because I figure that the slower, written online format enables people to keep better track of everything that's happening. But if the plot is too overwhemling or if there are other things you'd like changed, feel free to speak up.

[Priest]

HeLLo Chaps,

Seems I am about to join in as Anthony Llewellyn. Currently getting up to speed on character and events.

Toodlepip
Andy (Priest)

[Tabs]

Hi Priest.


Taavi, I feel G.M.B. could do with a good recap of story so far, incl. possible leads. Ol' Long John went to the shop expecting to be interviewed regarding his double identity, Robert Louis Stevenson; but now, the story regards Luke and one of Burton's books, I'm unsure what to do next: I cannot multi-task

This book, the 1885 Burton that Wellington had, is it still around? 'cos R.L.S. could have a peek.

[Cearlan]

Welcome to those who joined after me, Priest and Laraqua.

As for the idea of doing a recap I think that would be a good idea for the newer members, myself included. I like the multi-plot idea very much, but must confess that when I joined I found it daunting to make sense of it all, so can sympathise with both Priest and Laraqua if they were to feel this way.

With regard to Wellington and the 1885 Burton book ... I was going to look at that once I had done my psycho session in the office with the good Reverend. I was trying to keep the timing of this realistic for the kind of discussion the two of us would be having - whilst allowing for the "shop floor" to run at it's own, parallel, pace.

[Priest]

Yes a re-cap of events would be a splendid help, to remove some of the fear of attempting to join in. A kind of 'where we are now'. However have no fear, Llewellyn will be back.

[Taavi]

Where We Are Now

Deep background:
Formerly a staid bookshop catering to military gentlemen, both the financial exigencies of the times and the book orders of its most prominent patron, General R.F.C Fuller (retired) have caused the shop to drift sideways into occult and esoteric books, including the kind of "esoteric" imported in plain paper from Paris. Harwood, an out-of-work army clerk with an interest in the occult, has been employed to deal with "this stuff".

In the last few days:
Grants has been rocked by a series of bizarre and possibly inter-related events.

1) A book scout named Wellington, a great war veteran, brought in a hand-made book, pressed between wooden covers, which seemed to contain several plates from alchemical works of great antiquity (and price). Harwood became somewhat obsessed with the tome, especially after, the next day, Wellington vanished into thin air in full sight of the shop staff (while dropping another book, which he had perhaps also stolen from his killer). According to Harwood's translations, the book is a compendium of lore of the "Cor" family, scottish heretics who specialise in trapping spirits in bottles, and it is thought this is what happened to Wellington after he "obtained" the book. It is believed the current Cor family head is a doctor at King's college Hospital. Furthermore, the Cor necromancers apparently have a business selling the trapped spirits of departed authors to wealthy bibliophiles, who have formed a club of sorts around this pursuit, possibly within the bibliophile society known as "the sette of odd volumes". Apparently, obtaining the possessions of departed authors can assist in this process.

One victim of this process was the late Robert Louis Stevenson, whose ghost is now cohabiting the body of Long John Copper, a one-legged match seller and war veteran, for reasons which remain unclear.

2) Concurrently, Mr Grant was hired by Contessa Christiana di Napoli to obtain the writing desk, and if possible other possessions, of the late Washington Irving, which are being auctioned by the American Embassy to the Court of St James at Christies. A spanish Don with scottish ancestry called Don Alejandro Glencoe is also apparently planning on bidding on Mr Irving's possessions. A tramp, Laura, was hired to follow the Don but had something happen to her which she was unable to satisfactorily explain. Luke, the Catalogue agent, attempted to follow the directions given by Laura and also had something odd happen to him, from which he was rescued by Jory. This Auction is on Wednesday.

Harwood has some theories about the relationship between don Aljandro and the Cor family which strike gentlemen of breeding and discretion as frankly farfetched, which I will leave to him to describe.

3) On Saturday, Luke sold an occult book to Henry Rickmansworth, who (claimed to have) used it to win a horse race on Sunday afternoon, thus causing the wrath of Mr Sabini, a "colourful racing identity" to fall on all concerned, including Mr Grant.

It is now Monday morning. Time is running out.

[Cearlan]

Despite reading the threads connected to Luke when I joined, there was a lot of stuff in there I was not aware of - Thanks for filling in a lot of blanks

[Taavi]

I'm not sure that every character has actually had the opportunity to learn about all of that in character, e.g. Luke hasn't yet been told about Long John/RLS, and Mr Grant has been playing the auction pretty close to his chest, but I'll assume that you've all filled each other in, at least to that extent. There are various fine details elided in this summary, which you will doubtless hunt for when you realise that your lives and souls depend on them.

A nudge from the GM - comparing the annotations Mr Grant saw on the Irving Manuscript in the Christie's Auction room with those on the Burton may prove rewarding, or at least offer further lines of inquiry.

PS I have relabelled all the in character topics/locations with day 1, day 2, etc, to make the order in which things happened a bit clearer for everybody.

[Priest]

In case, which I doubt, no-one has seen this site;
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthrea ... 32&page=67
Some great pictures of London, many of which show areas as they were circa 1930. Great resource.

Cheers, Andy (Priest)

[Tabs]

No, I've never seen this site, thanks. Talking of sites, I noticed "Kelvin Grant" in Cast of Characters has some cool links; Mr. Sabini was a real person, see "Hoxton Mob."

A nudge from the GM - comparing the annotations Mr Grant saw on the Irving Manuscript in the Christie's Auction room with those on the Burton may prove rewarding, or at least offer further lines of inquiry.

I'll have a look at that. Also, I like the "Ruminations."

[Taavi]

Hi all. I have been away for a few days, hope it hasn't been an inconvenience.

A couple of notes to get things moving - I have been unsure of the extent to which people are waiting on me to drive events, or if you are still in "planning" mode. In order to know when I as the Keeper whould post somethng, I have been waiting for people to say things like "X leaves the shop in order to track down Henry Rickmansworth" in which case I would start a new thread on that location/topic or "Y uses Bibliography/Bookshop Stock to find a copy of this Glencoe translation of the Arabian Nights", or "Z uses Credit Rating to make the acquaintance of a member of the Sette of Odd Volumes", etc. Trail is structured so as to be very player driven and to enable you to get the clues to solve the mystery (or close the sale), even without points spent - point spends are like critical successes or spotlight grabs which provide extra degrees of success.
In a nutshell, I'd encourage your characters to take the bits between their teeth and start following leads withput worrying too much about whether they are the right leads to follow - look to your character's Drives to pick your course of action instead.
Hope this doesn't come across as too pushy/railroady, I've been enjoying the whole thing so far and hope that you are too!

[Taavi]

Hi all,
Apologies for light posting, real-world deadlines encroaching. Will try to keep things going regularly.

[Laraqua]

My character sheet isn't in the character thread and I've lost the copy you sent me. I imagine I have those three skills however so would be happy to spend points where needed to get me a map version!

[Bookman]

I am working on it, I think I can get this - although I am aware that this kind of insanity in a horror film leads to me in a room lined with tinfoil screaming about the angles.

[WinstonP]

Is there an effective way to keep track of skill points we've already spent? It has been about a year of play in real time and I worry I'll end up spending points I've long cashed in. Obviously we can go back and check our posts, but if there was some field or topic with tallied points, that would a lovely aid.

[Taavi]

Dear all,

Sadly, I am facing overwhelming work/life/time pressure with the move to Paris, my academic work here, children and so on, and I will have to cut everything in my life that is not totally essential. That includes Keeping for Grant's.

As I see it, there are three options here:
1) I will be returning to Australia and my regular job in August and will probably have more time then. If you honestly think that your interest would be held until August, then we can resume then.
2) If someone wants to step into the hot seat and take over keeping, I am happy to lay out the plot(s) for them and let them steer as they see fit.
3) If neither appeals, I am happy to "debrief" you all with a few posts which explain everything, or at least, the majority of things.

I apologise for the abruptness of this. Things are very difficult for me at the moment and don't look like improving for some time

Yours sincerely,

James Haughton aka Taavi

[WinstonP]

Taavi,

Thanks for trying to keep up the game, despite a shockingly full workload. I would feel busy with half of that to contend with.

That being said, I'd be happy to table the game for now with a plan to resume in August. I do not have the time to take over the game myself (and still barely understand the Trail system, certainly not well enough to run a game) but would welcome a different Keeper is someone will take it on.

Thanks for the fun so far,

Bret/WinstonP/Rev. Poole

[Priest]

I share WinstonP's sentiments. It will be hard, but I too am willing to pick it up later in the year.

Andy (Priest).

[Cearlan]

I would add my thanks for a game well played so far ... although I have run the game myself, (ToC not this particular adventure which has been finely played out btw), I feel that it would need your steady hand on the tiller as it meanders it's way through the Straits of Agamemnon en-route to Troy. I would be prepared to await further tales of derring-do on the streets of London as this mythos threat is given short shrift by the assembled group from Grant's Military Bookshop. Till Later my friend!

Cearlan / Norman / Luke Carse