Chapter 6a: The Museum (Harry and Helena)

[Ebinthetropics]

"I'm not too keen on splitting up. Our little cadre is already at less than full strength, and I'm only just now back in the fold after that kafuffle back at HQ.... seriously, Winton doesn't even have a mustache, and I've never even ridden a bicycle....." he trails off again.
A second later he shakes his head.
"I'd prefer to go as one unit, checking as many places as we can until we are scheduled to meet with the doc and sgt major, but I'll defer to the group. Captain, what say you?"

[andyw666]

Harry gives it a moment's thought. Much as he did in his days with the Somersets, he tends to make quick decisions, for better or worse...

"Well, all of the attacks seem to have happened well after dark or in secluded spots. I don't think we have too much to fear on the streets of London mid-afternoon. Aside the usual pick-pockets, horse dung and cholera."

"As long as none of us goes anywhere out of public sight, I think we should be fine. We can meet up at the Club at six."

"Ah, young James, have you brought your service revolver by any chance?"

[HelplessBystander]

OOC:   Lady is for the wife of a Lord; it wouldn't be applicable to Helena.

“Wait” says Paice. “If you’re planning to look for Faez, I’m going too. I said I’d stay at the club tonight, it’s only the afternoon now. You can take me later. This is not open to negotiation.” His tone of voice makes this very clear.

"So, what's your plan?"

"If it isn't too rude, I do believe that I can...procure firearms or ammunition if required. There is a few thing I am capable of. To claridy, our plan will start at six in the evening, then?" Helena said, observing the room.

ooc,...miss or madam, then.

[HoneyDog]

“No, we're starting now while it's daytime. I don’t think we need firearms at the present time. Let me fetch my coat and boots, and we’ll be off.” Paice rises from his seat and heads into a back room.

OOC,Shall we move on, then?

[HelplessBystander]

OOC:   Sure, no problem.

[HoneyDog]

“Let’s meet at the club after then” says Paice. “I’ll stay there, and you can meet your friends and go somewhere with Helena where you can discuss things. I’ll be fine there.”

The heroes set off into the chilly afternoon. They agree to search around the hotels around the British Museum in Bloomsbury, and further afield in Fitzrovia and Marylebone.

Everyone,Roll Luck. If you succeed, you've found him. The first successful roll will be good enough.

[Ebinthetropics]

As Paice locks up, James walks over to Harry.
"I left my service pistol back in my quarters. This.." he says in a hushed tone as he opens his coat part way, revealing the Colt, "is my own little number. I certainly don't want to be caught unawares should the bugger show up."

James heads off to Bloomsbury, and begins his inquiry.

ooc,if it's important that Faez's room is or isn't in Bloomsbury, and I get a result in opposition to that, please let me know and I'll edit it.

Luck Roll @65%,[dice]0[/dice]

[Ebinthetropics]

Spoiler:
Ebinthetropics rolled 1d100:
100

ooc,oh dear

[andyw666]

Luck,Harry's Luck is 85% and he rolls... [dice]0[/dice]

"Forward, the Light Brigade, charge for the guns," Harry says to himself as he heads off. Although there are a lot more pretty ladies in this particular 'valley of death' and he stops to raise his bowler to many of them as he makes his way.

[HoneyDog]

Trudging about in the freezing gloom, James catches a cold.

James,Lose 1HP.

Harry decides to take a quick look to the south along the Strand, before heading north. He is very fortunate as he checks his last destination, the Somerset. Faez is registered there, and the man using the name apparently matches the description of the man Harry met earlier that day.

[andyw666]

OOC,I presume the PCs hunting Faez have some plan to rendezvous every hour at a given point, something like that.

Harry, satisfied the quarry is located, heads back to gather the troops. With any luck, he'll have time to pop home and change into proper evening top hat and tails before the 6pm meeting at the club. Wonder how the doctor and sergeant-major are getting on?

[HoneyDog]

The companions meet again at the Army & Navy Club at the appointed time, and Harry reveals his discovery. Paice is safely ensconced in a room on the premises for the night. In order for Helena to be included in the discussion, the companions leave word for Reg and Dr. Preston to meet them at a nearby restaurant.

OOC,You can continue discussing but we need to finish up the other thread so this one will slow down a bit. Please be patient, it shouldn't take too long. Perhaps you can think of a plan regarding Faez. When the others finish, we will reconvene at Chapter 6: Werewolves of London

[andyw666]

Knowing that he had located the quarry, Harry seizes the moment to take a hansom back to his London address to change into top hat and tails, under winter coat and scarf. He is careful to ensure he still has his service revolver.

Once the three have migrated from the Club to a restaurant, Harry happily orders an entree of oysters, and a carafe of something red and decent.

"What's our next priority then? Hollingsworth, or this Faez chap? I assume old Paice will be safe inside the Club."

[Ebinthetropics]

James sits in the restaurant, huddled in his jacket trying to stay warm, alternating between taking bites of steak and sneezing into a handkerchief.
"I daren't say quite yet. I haven't met either of them. It doesn't sound like the colonel is very hospitable, but, ugh, ATCHOO! Ugh, pardon me, what was I saying? Oh right, but he also doesn't sound like a man who murders people in stealth for no reason. Just an irate wealthy blowhard who values his privacy.

"Did he seem like an exceptionally strong man that could crush bone and toss a man up onto a spiked fence? Did Faez, for that matter? Ooh, or that man of the Colonel's, the butler, what did you say his name was? Forrest or Fordy or some such?"

[andyw666]

Harry shakes his head and holds up a hand.

"No, no, young James, you misunderstand me. I do not suspect the colonel of these murders. I think the raid he led, and the damage they did or possibly treasure they brought back has resulted in this. Someone is seeking vengeance or wants their baubles back."

"My interest in the colonel now is that he and his wife are in danger, like old Paice. But the colonel is an obstinate man and will be hard to convince. We need to stop these savages before the colonel's wife or Paice get hurt."

[HelplessBystander]

“A suggestion is to either track down these killers before they do in the Colonel or protect the colonel and use this opportunity to track the killers. To my understanding, the murderer in question is a tall, strong man not native to England and was a resident of Abadan either looking for revenge on the troops for what they have done, or he is looking for the artefact that the colonel took.” Helena summarised. “From our meeting with Faez, we have found more information to help us deduce the man’s motives. The killer’s modus operandi seemed to lean towards subjugating his targets with raw strength and sheer violence using whatever weapons at hand rather than effective techniques or any presences in terms of weaponry. The balance of probabilities leans towards the conclusion that he is not a trained assassin and operates during nighttime because of the advantage darkness gives him to compensate for the lack of technique.”

“Of course, excuse me if my deductions were incorrect or wildly off the mark. But I believe this is an apt inference of the type of creature that we're tracking.”

[HoneyDog]

OOC:   Let's integrate the storylines and move back to Chapter 6.

[HelplessBystander]

OOC:   Alright.