A puzzling headline begins a front-page article found in the Times of London. Three men, all identical in identification, were found dead in the same room of the Chelsea Arms Hotel. Then the home of a valued friend burns to the ground, severely injuring him in the process. It is the beginning of "Horror On The Orient Express" a European campaign set in the winter between January and March of 1923. Over the course of the campaign, the investigators are trying to collect the various pieces of an ancient statue called the Sedefkar Simulacrum. Night falls early then, and each night is long and cold. The campaign is made up of 11 scenarios, taking place in seven nations, the United Kingdom, France, Switzerland, Italy, The Kingdom of Serbs Croats and Slovenes, Bulgaria, and Turkey. All are stops on the path of the Simplon-Orient Express.
His pulse quickening, Andrew pulls out his Webley and grips it tightly, ensuring the safety is on. As Faccia's man comes around the corner and out of sight of the store room, Andrew swings the handgun across the back of his skull, pistol-whipping him.
Previously said: Archie doesn't have any points in scuffling, so this is the way.
OOC: Even if you have no points, Archie can always roll to try to separate the two fighters. General skill points are used to improve the result of the roll. If you don´t have any, you can always try the roll.
Virginia and Archie
Scuffle opposed rolls:
Virginia 1d6
Archie1d6
Andrew catches the man by surprise. He goes down with a muffled murmur. The gangster collapses and passes out. Briefly looking into the room, Clarence notices that now all of the four men are busy searching through the shelves, accelerating their search as if taken by a frenzy.
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Archie manages to grab Virgilia and pull her away from Caterina. Her blow misses. After Felicity's words, Caterina backs away shakily. She looks at Felicity, then at Archie. She stands motionless, panting. Time seems to freeze as the others stare at her, trying to figure out her next intentions. Caterina looks around confused, but she seems to have given up the fight.
Suddenly, a group of voices approach quickly from the corridor. There are at least three people calling.
"Virginia! Virginia! Come on, hurry up. You have to go on stage again."
Those calls are more than welcome by the singer. Without saying a word, she prepares to leave the dressing room, going towards the callers.
Caterina now seems to have lost her anger and with it, her strength. She sits on the floor. She then curls up, hugs her knees and bows her head over them. She remains like this, like an object long since abandoned, in a gesture of deep sadness.
"It will be all right, Caterina, you'll see," says Felicity. "Dr. Faccia is here, just down the hall. My friends and I will go get him and make him reverse the operation. And Archie here is a doctor too, a good one. He can help, and I can be a nurse. We could even do it ourselves if we can just find out how from Dr. Faccia or his notes. Come on, Archie, let's go find him. Caterina, wait here. Your sister isn't going anywhere while the performance is going on."
Disarming the unconscious man, Andrew moves back towards the room to observe the search and to see if he can spy where Clarence has gone, looking for an opportunity to distract them if Clarence gives the signal.
Clarence scans the room with a professional’s eye. This reminds him of the many times he’s taken an instant inventory, searching for antiquities in the souks of Marrakesh.
He tip toes on. On the other side of the room, he notices Andrew’s return. Now, where is that damned bust?
The four investigators are again together, at the doorstep of the store room. They see Faccia and his men rummaging through the items on the center shelf, but they appear to be close to completing their search in this area.
Felicity quietly fills the others in on what happened in the dressing room. "We need Dr. Faccia alive," she whispers. "Either we need to make him reverse the operation, or we need to find out from him how to do it, and Archie can operate. I could go in there and distract the men. I'm very good at that."
"I'm with you, Miss Heyward," Archie replied as he followed her onward. He rubs his tingling arm. Every day he worries more about whether he will ever know relief.
"That plan sounds workable, given our time frame. The rest of us can have weapons readied if things go pear-shaped."
Ive just reread Clarence’s description; he always carries a sword cane. Can I roll luck to see if there is something similar in the room. Also, I thought Clarence was on the far side of the room by now, creeping behind the shelves.
"I've already got one," whispers Felicity, patting her thigh where her own pistol is concealed under the skirt of her dress, on the inside of her leg. She could easily access it through the thigh slit when she wants, but it isn't visible to anyone who happens to be staring at her legs - which most of the men in the opera house have been doing. "Wish me luck, chaps." With that, she saunters into the room. "Pardon me, gentlemen," she says in Italian. "I was looking for the washroom. Do you know where I might find it?"
"Me, too," Archie replies, as he slips his pistol out of his jacket pocket, and readies it for use. "Slip that one somewhere. It probably wouldn't hurt to have backups."
Andrew shrugs, his companions are more well armed than he expected. He stows the henchman's gun in his suit and moves into a position where he can see and hear what is going on between Felicity and Faccia's men once she makes her grand entrance.
The four men stop what they were doing and turn around quickly. The three henchmen put their hands in their pockets. Then seeing Felicity well they relax.
Faccia looks at the woman with a stern look and thunders words of reproach.
"Access to this art of theater is restricted to designated personnel."
He waves his hand towards the corridor
"Please go back to where you came from and speak to the staff in the stalls. They will be able to direct you."
Clarence Yes, you can consider that you have been behind the shelf for a while. It is full of accumulated props and costumes. At first glance, the bust of the sculpture does not appear to be here. You find a sturdy rod that can be used well as a cane.
"Are those guns in your trousers, or are you just happy to see me?" asks Felicity with a smile. "I'd be happy to go, but I'm feeling a bit lightheaded. Couldn't one of you fine gentlemen let me lean on his arm and escort me there?"
Clarence can’t see the bust anywhere. Just because Faccia’s men are searching here, doesn’t mean it is here. He thinks to himself as he picks up the cane.
He winces as he listens to Felicity and gets himself ready to push over the nearest shelf onto the gangsters, should it prove necessary.
Archie grimaces as Felicity makes contact with the men. If the stakes weren't so high he would enjoy the performance, but all he can do is ready his weapon and hope for the best. Come on...come on...I know that would work on me he thinks to himself silently.
Face nods to one of his men who reluctantly decides to accompany Felicity. Face, in a gruff voice, adds:
"Miss, we have some work to do. He will show you the way to the stalls, then ask the staff for help."
