[IC] Chapter 1: Eton

[jp1885]

Tom Pritchard

Evading the rather preoccupied Lewis is child’s play compared to sneaking past Boer pickets during the South African war. You swiftly enter the library while his back is turned as he berates one of his underlings.

Even in the early morning light, finding the others is also easy; sitting as they are in the middle of the first reading room.

You wait a short while until the silence becomes oppressive, reminding you of night-time patrols across the veldt. Becoming uneasy, you skirt around the walls and make your way quietly towards the table. Just as you cross an open doorway, a junior librarian, pushing a trolley of books, comes barrelling through it…

Mr. Pritchard,Please take 1d4 damage from crashing into the trolley

Everyone else

Just as you are about to discuss your findings, you are startled by a loud CRASH!

Jumping out of your skins, you turn quickly to find that Pritchard fellow sprawled on the floor on top of an overturned book trolley and a hapless junior librarian.

Bearing down upon the tangle is an enraged Lewis.

“I knew it! Trouble! You clumsy oafs, wait ‘til the Provost hears ab-" he stops, recognising Mr. Pritchard. “What are you doing here!? You have no permission! Right, that’s it – out! All of you!”

[LTD1969]

I'll have a go at using my Persuade skill to try and mollify the outraged librarian.

"Steady on Lewis old chap, Pritchard's with us - he's helping out with the research Preedy asked us to do. He made an unorthodox entrance I grant you, but you have to make allowance for him having been in the wars." I tap meaningfully at my head.

Persuade skill 50% [dice]0[/dice]
[dice]1[/dice]

(ooc: sorry a bit of a cock up with the double roll, 35 is a success, 58 a failure - Jon, happy for you to take whichever one advances the story best).

[jp1885]

Somewhat mollfied, Lewis pauses mid-rant.

OOC:   Somebody make a luck roll please.

[Whitehorse]

Grigori looked up from the papers he had begun to lay out for inspection, crossing his fingers that the irate librarian would see the funny side of the incident...

Luck 45%,[dice]0[/dice]

[Mr. Handy]

"Oof!" cries Cynthia Knight as she is bowled over and lands on her back with Pritchard on top of her and her toppled book trolley. This is not how I wanted to swept off my feet! she thinks. To be honest, she had been daydreaming again, so she has to admit to herself that it might have been partly her fault, but the man truly did seem to have come out of nowhere. Her first thought is for the books, hoping that none of them have been damaged, before she realizes that he might have been hurt. "I'm sorry, are you all right?" she asks, flustered.

[jp1885]

Unluckily, some of the books have been damaged in the collision; a fact which appears to send Lewis into apoplexy.

However, as he is about to launch into a tirade about employing women as librarians (and indeed women in general), another lackey approaches and whispers in his ear.

A sly grin spreads across his face.

"It appears I am to be rid of you Miss Knight. The Provost has requested that you assist these 'gentlemen' in their endeavours. You all have one hour, and then I want you out!"

He stalks away, leaving you all to your own devices.

OOC:   Miss Knight, please make a DEX roll. Success means you have avoided any damage from the collision. Otherwise take 1d4 damage.

[Mr. Handy]

Cynthia is badly hurt from the collision. She tries to treat her injuries, but it's too awkward. All she can do is lie back and groan in pain.

OOC,DEX roll (60% stat) to avoid injury: [dice]0[/dice] Damage: [dice]1[/dice] First Aid roll (30% base skill) trying to treat her injury: [dice]2[/dice]

[Whitehorse]

"Baryshnya... Are you all right young lady!"

Grigori is concerned for MIss Knight, and kneels down to see if he can stem the blood that seems to be welling up...

First Aid 30%,[dice]0[/dice]

"Pritchard! Really... This is too much! Can't you see your haste has injured this poor girl!

You may need to fetch the school nurse to attend to her...."

[Mr. Handy]

Cynthia smiles at the handsome Russian gentleman, unsure at first whether or not she's hallucinating him. His hands feel real on her, though, and she rather likes the feeling. "Thank you, sir," she says, still feeling giddy. "I'm hurt, but I'm feeling better now, thanks to you." She extends a hand. "Cynthia Knight. Miss Cynthia Knight."

[speshul]

Tom picks himself off the floor and immediately goes the aid of the young lady he sent tumbling. Seeing she has her own first aid in hand, he apologises and leave her too it, attempting to collect up the books in a tidy pile next to the trolley not knowing how they were stored before.

Eventually he will check his injuries, and then pick himself up and head over to join the others. In a quiet voice he says "I apologise, I am used to walking quietly in this place, I'm Tom, Tom Pritchard, driver, handyman and social pariah. I not learned but i'm good at getting stuff, I 've supplies all gathered I think, some tools, food and drink. Snything else I need to get or might have forgetten? , anything I need to know?"

Damage taken [dice]0[/dice]
First aid roll vs 50 [dice]1[/dice]

[speshul]

OOC:   If allowed first aid vs Cyhtnia but two attempts have been made already [dice]0[/dice] @50%

"Here let me have a look at that, saw plenty of scrapes and cuts in the war, may I?" He says this matter of factly and not in a bragging or boastful way. He looks some what embarassed at his own inability to fix his own ailments but healing your own elbows is quiet difficult and that seems to be how he landed, his right hand seems to be slightly jarred and number which may be why he can't operate a bandage right now.

Once introduced he will then excuse himself to find the school nurse for them both, whilst trying to hide the pain he is in.

[jp1885]

Following such an unconventional and rather undignified introduction, both injured parties have their knocks tended to, either by the gallant Russian or by the no-nonsense school nurse.

Equilibrium thus re-established, the investigators are free to contiune their research.

OOC:   Mr. Pritchard and Miss Knight may both gain 1 HP thanks to these ministrations.

[Mr. Handy]

"We only have an hour in the library," says Cynthia, "so if I'm to help you gentlemen, I'll need to know what you'd like to research. Fortunately, I know this library like the back of my hand."

[LTD1969]

"I'm relieved to see you're not badly injured Miss Knight. Professor Henry Garrett at your service. As you say, we only have an hour left to us, so I suggest we proceed straight to business and introduce ourselves properly at a later time. I think I'd be most interested in the book the late Mr Barneby referred to so often: 'Memorials of Old Herefordshire’ by Reade, particularly if it contains any references to a wall, rituals involving fire or anything else supernatural in the area where Barneby lived. Possibly there may be other volumes in the library that might also assist, folklore, local histories etc? Some information on the man himself might not come amiss. Does the library run to a recent copy of 'Who's Who' I wonder?"

[jp1885]

Anyone familiar with the library's collection will know that there is indeed a copy of Who's Who in the contemporary section.

Memorials of Old Herefordshire and books of that ilk may be more difficult to find, given the largely theological and scientific nature of the antique works that make up the bulk of the college's collection.

The ease of finding other tomes is, of course, dependent on their nature.

OOC:   The library is a perfect place for a Library Use roll, is it not? Miss Knight, you may have a bonus die owing to your familarity with this seat of learning.

[Whitehorse]

"I'm sure there are no hard feelings, Pritchard, and I'm sure both you and Miss Knight will each prove invaluable in our mission.

Given that time is short, perhaps those of us used to scouring library catalogues can divide the work up. I have some interest in religious matters, so I shall take on Pearson’s Lives of Lesser Saints, and I shall look in it for anything of relevance, especially regarding JOK, Wergyn or Herefordshire in general..."

Library Use 50%,[dice]0[/dice]

"I'll also skim through these papers to see if there are any mention of financial transaction,land or inheritance that might provide some clues as to the lay of the land in that direction..."

Accountancy 20%,[dice]1[/dice]

[Mr. Handy]

Cynthia soon locates a copy of Memorials of Old Herefordshire. She also looks through the papers, but while ledgers are books, they aren't as interesting as the sort she likes.

OOC,Library Use roll (75% skill) looking for [u]Memorials of Old Herefordshire[/u]: [dice]0[/dice] Bonus die: [dice]1[/dice] Accounting roll (25% skill) about the papers: [dice]2[/dice]

[LTD1969]

"Good show - I'll take a gander at Who's Who, see if it's got an entry for Squire Barneby."

Library Use 60%
[dice]0[/dice]

[LTD1969]

(OOC: Per our host's invitation on the Provost Office's thread to introduce ourselves)

As we're wandering around the library looking for the relevant books and publications I announce myself thus:

"Professor Henry Garret at your service. Old school chum of Preedy's here at the alma mater. Must say he's done well for himself. A slightly less illustrious career for me, lecturer in History at Barchester University. Not sure why Preedy's invited me to help him out with this conundrum of his, but I'm at a loose end at present and I'm always glad to help out a fellow Etonian - duty calls and all that eh?"

[Mr. Handy]

"I'll help however I can," says Cynthia. "I'm not sure what this conundrum is, but it sounds like we're in for a grand adventure."