CH1-11 Brichester Uni - Greg only.

Moderator: ghill

User avatar
ghill
Keeper
Keeper
Posts: 2649
Registered for: 15 years 1 month
15
Location: UK
Contact:

CH1-11 Brichester Uni - Greg only.

Post by ghill »

Only the sandwich and the coffee actually lived up to the horror stories Greg's stateside friends had told him of the British rail travel. It was barely past 11:30 and Greg found himself standing in the towering front doors of Brichester university, looking down a vaulted sandstone corridor towards a long lofty Gothic facade and high pointed windows. Despite the number of jeans and mini skirts in view Greg half expects a cowled monk to step into view at any moment.

Greg is signed in by one of the university porters and given a map of the university with his route to the faculty drawn on it.
User avatar
ImpInTraining
Keeper
Keeper
Posts: 4100
Registered for: 16 years 7 months
16
Location: Aberdeen, MD
Contact:

Re: IC - CH1 - Brichester Uni - Greg only.

Post by ImpInTraining »

ooc,Wow...sorry. Don't know why I never posted to this earlier. Must have been on the run when I checked it the first time.
Greg looks at the roster for Professor Adrian C Gossham and makes his way to the man's office hoping he is not currently in class.
User avatar
ghill
Keeper
Keeper
Posts: 2649
Registered for: 15 years 1 month
15
Location: UK
Contact:

Re: IC - CH1 - Brichester Uni - Greg only.

Post by ghill »

Following the map given to him by the university porter Greg soon finds the school of Eastern European studies. A helpful student points Greg towards the faculty office where he is met by Shauna Wilcox the faculty secretary (Greg recognises her as the woman he spoke to earlier this morning on the phone). The professor isn't present but Shauna assures him the Professor Gosshamm will be along in a few minutes as his lectures have just finished.

Just as Shauna is in the process of making a cup of tea for Greg the door bangs open and two men walk in the first a tall heavy man in his 50's who Greg recognises from publicity photos as Gossham is shouting into his phone which he shuts when he walks in, the second man tall in his twenties with short greying hair smiles and shrugs at Shauna. Gossham is clearly just about to blow his top over the phone call when he catches sight of Greg.

"Ah you must be Doctor ...Hammer, I'm awfully, awfully sorry but I'm going to have to cancel our meeting. I'm afraid that was the publisher for my latest paper on the phone . In an act of total incompetancy they have lost the source file I sent them for the paper they are supposed to be printing as I'm presenting the paper next week I need to go and sort things out. Now I would love to talk to you about the Verbetoi - almost to himself - fascinating, fascinating, subject. We could meet after next weeks symposium, would that be OK? Just so your journey wasn't an entire wasted young John here has offered to give up his lunch break to answer as many of your questions as he can. Now I'm awfully sorry but I must rush." With which the Professor rushes into his office grabs his jacket and laptop bag and rushes out of the office apologising as he goes.
OOC: Greg,It might be possible to persuade the Prof to stop and talk but it would require a [b]Critical Persuade Roll[/b] as he is trying to rush away and clearly doesn't want to be persuaded to stay.
User avatar
ImpInTraining
Keeper
Keeper
Posts: 4100
Registered for: 16 years 7 months
16
Location: Aberdeen, MD
Contact:

Re: IC - CH1 - Brichester Uni - Greg only.

Post by ImpInTraining »

Although Greg is persuasive in his attempt to dissuade the professor into such a sudden departure, he can't manage to sway the professor's decision, "Fine, of course, I understand. Perhaps if I live through it all, we'll have a chance to talk later." Greg turns his attention to the young man with the prematurely graying hair and offers his hand, "Hello, I'm Dr. Greg Hammer. I presume you are John? Is there somewhere where we can go to chat?"
User avatar
ghill
Keeper
Keeper
Posts: 2649
Registered for: 15 years 1 month
15
Location: UK
Contact:

Re: IC - CH1 - Brichester Uni - Greg only.

Post by ghill »

John smiles warmly clearly aware that Greg feels put out. "We can go to the Student Union (Student bar) its pretty comfy and it wont be to noisy at the moment. While we walk you can fill me in on what you are trying to find out about the Verbetoi."
User avatar
ghill
Keeper
Keeper
Posts: 2649
Registered for: 15 years 1 month
15
Location: UK
Contact:

Re: IC - CH1 - Brichester Uni - Greg only.

Post by ghill »

John and Greg fond a space in the bar. Having got them both a coffee John once again apologises for the professor, unfortunately he is under a great deal of pressure to get this paper out on time. All the research and travel was funded by a private sponsor and the 'balls up' at the printer, combined with the disruption of a fire at the proffessor's home only a little while ago has left him worn out and fearing the loss of the sponsorship deal.

It soon turns out that John is very much the stereotypical no nonsense Irishman. He admits the Professor has some pretty fanciful theories about the Verbetoi, he however does not stray from talking about the Verbetoi in dry traditional ethnological terms - much of which Liz has already discovered. Under pressure he does eventually talk about the Professor’s more fanciful theories. The first theory there are links between the Verbetoi and the "Writing People of Malta", which would not only seem to indicate an unbroken link between the two, while also as indicating the Writing people were the earliest example of a written language around two thousand years before the proto-Sumerian pictographic script.

The second and even more fanciful theory is Gosshamm's contention that human civilization evolved much earlier than is generally accepted and posits the existence of a progenitor civilization which existed over 15,000 years ago. John goes onto point out that there is no archaeological evidence to support this theory, but that the professor and his supporters cited sources such as past life experiences, psychic readings and the highly contested Tavernier Fragment, which Gosshamm claims is the sole surviving fragment of the Book of Skelos, a tome alleged to have existed in what Gosshamm calls the Post-Atlantean Age (circa 14,000 - 10,000 bc).

John is not prepared to go into any details about either and suggests Greg call on the professor again if he wants to talk about his more "imaginiative" theories.
User avatar
ImpInTraining
Keeper
Keeper
Posts: 4100
Registered for: 16 years 7 months
16
Location: Aberdeen, MD
Contact:

Re: IC - CH1 - Brichester Uni - Greg only.

Post by ImpInTraining »

ooc,Sorry for the delay. Guam is a pretty happening place, and having to work here most of my awake hours doesn't leave a lot for touring, eating, and other stuff. Throw a big pile of jet lag on top of it for fun.
Greg nodded to all the information and said, "It's all very fascinating, but I'm not really here to find out about their history. I'm dealing with them today." He waited for that to sink in before continuing. "Some of what I may tell you might be considered far-fetched. So I only ask that you please keep an open mind."

He leaned back in his chair and thought quickly about what he wanted to say, and then figured he should just start at the beginning. "A couple days ago, my associates and I were at the airport - all on non-related business. I didn't know any of them beforehand. This woman with horrible tattoo-like scars all over her body came up to me, and I blacked out. Come to find out, all of us (my associates I mentioned) had the same situation. When we came to, the airport authorities escorted us to a special area where they could question us. In the process of our investigation following that, we have come across some very strange instances and have concluded that it is indeed the Verbetoi involved in this strange tattooed woman's situation, and they are also probably to blame for a house fire that killed two people yesterday."

Greg took a drink of his drink and continued, "We've heard of some folklore regarding the Verbetoi and needless to say we are a bit worried about further investigations. All we really wanted was to protect this poor woman from the men who tortured her and apparently are hunting her. But it seems very risky. So I am looking for information that can help us with our investigation, and anything you might have that could offer us better protection against them. For instance, there was an old man with a rose bush near where the house fire took place, all of his roses were destroyed. We're not sure if that was an act of vandalism, or if perhaps roses are an offense to the Verbetoi and they did the damage. Anything, no matter how strange it may seem, will be welcomed information for me. I just want to make sure we have a fighting chance of getting out of this alive."
User avatar
ghill
Keeper
Keeper
Posts: 2649
Registered for: 15 years 1 month
15
Location: UK
Contact:

Re: IC - CH1 - Brichester Uni - Greg only.

Post by ghill »

"Well I know that the Verbetoi are heavily into people trafficking, it used to be heroin, then it was ciggarettes, now its people. So I'm not surprised they are chasing some poor girl to them she is a valuable commodity. Roses as far as I'm aware mean nothing to the Verbetoi so that sounds like mindless vandalism to me. The only thing I can think of on the protection front is gold. Gold is a holy metal and they'll do pretty much anything to get their hands on it. If you have gold on you and you offer it to a Verbetoi they pretty much have to listen to what you have to offer, appart from that the best advice I have is don't get mixed up with them"
User avatar
ImpInTraining
Keeper
Keeper
Posts: 4100
Registered for: 16 years 7 months
16
Location: Aberdeen, MD
Contact:

Re: IC - CH1 - Brichester Uni - Greg only.

Post by ImpInTraining »

"Avoidance, it may be too late for that," Greg responded. "What about their tendencies? Are they more likely set up a stronghold in certain areas? What sort of routines do they normally follow? And ... I know this may sound strange, but is there any way to ward yourself from their curses? I have reason to believe they are quite talented at setting things on fire from a distance, and I'd like to cover all my bases."

He pulled out his cell phone and texted the others, "We should get our hands on gold... a lot of it. Might give us a bargaining chip with these people."
User avatar
ghill
Keeper
Keeper
Posts: 2649
Registered for: 15 years 1 month
15
Location: UK
Contact:

Re: IC - CH1 - Brichester Uni - Greg only.

Post by ghill »

Tendencies? The verbetoi are much like any other ethnic community in the UK although they tend to be a bit less prone to ghettoisation. I'm not sure I know anything about a daily routine there religion from what I understand doesn't require any form of regular prayer like the Muslim faith for example. He pauses for a moment. "As for curses you'd have to talk to somone who is more into their folk tales and the like which isn't my thing I'm afraid. Now if you'll excuse me I have to go"
User avatar
ImpInTraining
Keeper
Keeper
Posts: 4100
Registered for: 16 years 7 months
16
Location: Aberdeen, MD
Contact:

Re: IC - CH1 - Brichester Uni - Greg only.

Post by ImpInTraining »

"Yes, of course. Thanks for your time. Please convey to Professor Gossham that if he would like to find out more of my predicament, he can call me later. And perhaps, if I still live, I might have an interesting story to share," Greg said to John as the man started to leave.
User avatar
ghill
Keeper
Keeper
Posts: 2649
Registered for: 15 years 1 month
15
Location: UK
Contact:

Re: IC - CH1 - Brichester Uni - Greg only.

Post by ghill »

OOC:,Give me a [b]Psychology roll[/b] - A success means that Greg realises John thinks he is a crank.
As Greg finishes his coffee and gets up to go he recieves a SMS from Clay suggesting they all get together at the Railway Tavern at Paddington (the station Greg's return train will take him to), he has he says got a good lead on the tattoo parlour.
User avatar
ImpInTraining
Keeper
Keeper
Posts: 4100
Registered for: 16 years 7 months
16
Location: Aberdeen, MD
Contact:

Re: IC - CH1 - Brichester Uni - Greg only.

Post by ImpInTraining »

Realizing that John thinks the worst of Greg after their discussion, Greg says to the departing man, "John, I know what you think. I've come to you for help because people's lives are at stake. But if I were in your shoes, I'd be thinking the same thing, I'm sure. If I get a chance to get some proof of what I say, I can try to sneak a shot with my phone and send it to you... provided you give me your email address or phone number. It's the best I can do to try to persuade you that what I've been saying is true. Otherwise, keep your eye on the tabloids... specifically, the obituaries."

He looked at his message on his phone, stood up and looked towards the exit. "I've got to be getting back. The others are meeting me soon. We have a lead on what some of the symbols we saw carved all over that poor girl might mean." Glancing back towards John, he said, "You're welcome to come with me and meet the others. Then maybe you won't be so hesitant to believe I'm just some lone madman. Not that having a group of madmen is any more comforting." He laughed at his own lame attempt to make light of the events.
User avatar
ghill
Keeper
Keeper
Posts: 2649
Registered for: 15 years 1 month
15
Location: UK
Contact:

Re: IC - CH1 - Brichester Uni - Greg only.

Post by ghill »

"I'm sorry Greg, but I have to do work with the under graduates this afternoon. Look send me what you have about the tattoos and I'll see if anything comes to mind. Look if I'm entirely honest there is so much of that we simply don't know about the Verbetoi, they are very insular both culturally and religiously. The Professor has been extremely lucky in that his latest studies have had any help from within the community. As soon as I have an opportunity I'll pass your questions onto him."
OOC: Greg,Its clear that Johns attitude has softened somewhat with Greg's speech, the apology is clearly genuine
User avatar
ImpInTraining
Keeper
Keeper
Posts: 4100
Registered for: 16 years 7 months
16
Location: Aberdeen, MD
Contact:

Re: IC - CH1 - Brichester Uni - Greg only.

Post by ImpInTraining »

Greg exchanged contact information with John and shook the man's hand. "Thanks for your time," he said in parting and headed back towards the station to meet up with the others.
Locked

Return to “Chapter 1 - The Girl With Fire in Her Eyes”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 5 guests