THE NEW VANGUARD! HAUNT Issue #10 With special guest star STEEPLEJACK!

HAUNT DIFFICULTY 3 HP 17

Whilst he was not invisible and in some cases using the power to change the colour of his appearance would actually make him MORE visible from certain angles because he 'stood out' it mostly depended on what was behind him when he used it.

With brickwork behind him the pattern would be near impossible to quickly replicate but he could approximate. To someone looking in his direction the brickwork would be 'off' but no more if he remained immobile.

Creating suckers on his hands, knees and feet as well as his inner arms like an Octopus Haunt moved down the wall and glanced at the crowds below before risking a peek inside the room.

The room was crowded and LeStrade was busy dictating notes for a Policeman to write down. The fireplace had died out, the room was large and lined with books along the walls. A large sitting chair before the fire was being examined by the Police more specifically for the occupant. The legs of Sherlock Holmes were stretched out from the chair and from this angle Haunt could not see the Great Detective but knew the Police could. The door to the room opened and Dr Watson - a tearful Doctor at that - came in looking rather forlorn. With the window closed Haunt couldn't hear what was being said.

It seemed to be true then.

Sherlock Holmes was dead.

STEEPLEJACK DIFFICULTY 3 HP 42

As the policeman called out behind for calm and order Steeplejack jogged away back up the steps to the top of the hill where the guest house was. At the door a maid stood sobbing with her hand to mouth and looked distraught.

She offered no resistance to Steeplejack entering and he walked in through the hallway and heard more voices straight ahead through a doorway. Ignoring the stairs up and side doors he gently pushed the door to a kitchen open and saw pots, pans, food and cooking utensils along with a couple of maids sobbing and comforting each other. A glance past them showed a body in the back yard of the guest house.

It was of a young woman, another maid.

One of the grieving women looked up. "Who are you? Are the Police coming?"

Steeplejack explained he was a London Reporter on holiday and determined to find out the truth of what had happened. The women looked confused and didn't object when Steeplejack gently moved past to take a look. The maid was dressed in her working clothes with pinny and hat on to complete the look but was deathly pale, eyes wide and vacant staring...

A noise from the front of the guest house suggested the Police and an entourage had arrived and were making their way through from the front of the guest house...

With the window closed Haunt couldn't hear what was being said.

It seemed to be true then.

Sherlock Holmes was dead.

Moving to another window, hopefully, the unoccupied bedroom or kitchen or wherever but really want the bedroom if possible, the Haunt slips open the window enough to ooze into the room.  From there, he thinks a bit and decides to go all out instead of his original plan of disguising himself as a bobby and entering.  Instead, he changes his form into Sherlock Holmes himself in a disguise since he is famous for wearing such things.

ooc:  Ok, if necessary, grabs some of Holmes' clothes to help with the disguise.  I am thinking with my various powers and skills he could change into Holmes, clothes and all.  But if not, some of his clothes that Watson will recognize would be helpful.  Also if his disguise kit is nearby, quickly put on a beard and some bushy eyebrows, so I can enter disguised and reveal myself as Holmes by pulling those off.  With my acting skills and shapeshifting skills and having met him, I figure I can imitate his voice well enough. Then it is going to take some swift talking to convince everyone to let me examine the crime scene and the body.

HAUNT DIFFICULTY 3 HP 17

OOC Getting hard to surprise you guys. You'll see why later.

Moving in through the gap of an open upper window Haunt imagines himself as Holmes had been when he met him then morphs his form to be Holmes with a disguise, checking himself in the mirror in this room and perfecting it.

Then he walked down the stairs and into the room where the two policemen and Watson were examining the crime scene...

"Who the devil...?" spluttered LeStrade.

Watson gaped. "No! It can't be!"

The Policeman swiftly pulled a truncheon and moved forward with menace...

Haunt stripped off a fake beard and bushy brows, pulling aside a hat (all of which was part of his body) to reveal himself as...

"HOLMES!" spluttered LeStrade. "But... who... what...?"

Watson gaped, looking at the man in the chair - Holmes in his smoking jacket and pale/blue lipped and the man who'd revealed himself as Sherlock Holmes...

"Explain yourself man, or I'll have you arrested for wasting the time of the Queens' officers of the law!" spluttered LeStrade...

"LeStrade, kindly remove your men from my premises," Homes orders.  "Your men are destroying clues needed to solve this case.  You may stay, of course, but try not to move around.  And why would you arrest me for wasting your time when there has been an apparent murder in my rooms that need to be solved?  Watson, my magnifier please and tell me what you have noticed about the body while I do my own examination. Provide me a summary of who found what and when."

Detective skill to gather clues.  Charisma to get everyone moving as I want them to. He is going to carefully look over the room to also see how close it is laid out compared to how Watson describes it in his stories/histories of Sherlock's cases

ooc:  Obviously, I'm trying to find out if this is the real Holmes or someone or something else and how he was killed.

Admin wrote:STEEPLEJACK DIFFICULTY 3 HP 42

A noise from the front of the guest house suggested the Police and an entourage had arrived and were making their way through from the front of the guest house...

Steeplejack wasn't worried about being discovered and took the opportunity to examine the neck, for puncture marks. He looked over the rest of the scene and up above to ascertain what he could from the courtyard before the police disturbed the scene.

OOC: When the police get here I'll introduce myself as Jack Gibbs, Evening Standard, reporter etc. I'll talk about this being a real feather in the cap for the officer who finds these culprits and how my paper will cover the story if I've got access to what is going on...etc. I then want to try and find out what guests they had here, what they could tell me of their descriptions, accents, and where they stayed if they even stayed here.

Sj

HAUNT DIFFICULTY 3 HP 17

LeStrade spluttered "But... if you are you... who is this?"

Watson was baffled too but he turned to the inspector. "Holmes has been 'dead' before Inspector. But this... this is as remarkable a facsimile as ever I saw!" he said whilst glancing from 'new' Holmes to 'dead' Holmes.

Shaking his head and mopping his brow LeStrade shoos the policeman out and says 'Not to utter a word' to anyone outside whilst getting the Policemen on the other floors to leave.

Watson went over to a drawer and selected from an array of carefully laid out and polished magnifying glasses to bring one over.

Crouching, Haunt examined the cold pale form in the chair. He also noted that there were several items on a table next to the sumptuous seat. Several empty vials and a violin/bow.

Watson harrumphed "I have not moved the body as yet and so have not completed any examination. However my prognosis is that this... person suffered a massive overdose of Cocaine. I always said you needed to be careful with that stuff Holmes!"

OOC Perception...

Int 8 + Roll(2d12)+0: 7,8,+0 Total:15 (23) vs
OV6 + Diff 3 + Roll(2d12)+0: 2,5,+0 Total:7 (16)

+4 (to 12) vs RV6=6 RAPs.

1) The height, build and facial features look to be an exact match for Sherlock Holmes, even down to the odd facial mole or scar on a knuckle. The clothes are as Holmes would wear.
2-3) Looking around the chair there is a slight indentation in the cloth at about neck level.
4-6) There is the slightest of fingerprints around the window frame.

Conclusions...

Clue Analysis...

Int 8 + 4D Detective + Roll(6d12)+0: 6,8,9,2,1,10,+0 Total: 19 (27) vs
OV6 + Diff 3 + Roll(2d12)+0: 6,6,+0 Total:12 DOUBLE plus Roll(2d12)+0: 1,7,+0 Total:20 (29) Detective FAILED!

Haunt's mind is afuzz and he struggles to form any conclusions about what he is seeing, as before. He suspects that Time is once again interfering as it did before, and that everything he does in this era, like the Wild West, will seek to oppose him.

"Now listen here Holmes!" said LeStrade. "This is still a crime scene, that is a dead body and... and ... how are we to know if you are the REAL you? That the real Holmes isn't dead in that chair and that you are the impersonator? After all the pair of you look identical and for all we know... you might be the killer!"

Watson bristled at this and was about to argue when his brows narrowed and he turned to Holmes. "How would I describe you Holmes, in habits and of lifestyle?"

LeStrade moved forward and Haunt noted the man reached inside of his coat, most probably for his service revolver...

"Bohemian, Watson, bohemian. With no regard for contemporary standards of tidiness or good order, though cat-like in regards to my personal cleanliness. Now come examine this man's neck. See the indention of the cloth there? Tell me what you think." He smells the body before he backs away for Watson to examine.

"Holmes" backs away from the body while trying to remember where Sherlock would have kept his fingerprinting kit. If he remembers, he will go grab it, if not, continue with his examination of the room for more clues.

"Put that away LeStrade before you shoot yourself in the foot," he says irritably. "And stop moving about, you will destroy clues!"

He goes over to examine the fingerprints on the window to see if he can see anything about them. Making sure he cannot be seen from outside nor by the two men inside, he turns his face into a microscope to examine those fingerprints more closely.

Detecting again.

Crime Scene Forensics, LLC
History of Fingerprints

1858 - Sir William Herschel, British Administrator in District in India, requires fingerprint and signatures on civil contracts
Fingerprints have been used as a means of positively identifying people for many years. Here is a brief history of the
science of fingerprints:
1892 - Sir Francis Galton, a British Anthropologist and cousin to Charles Darwin, publishes the first book on fingerprints.
In his book, Galton identifies the individuality and uniqueness of fingerprints. The unique characteristics of fingerprints, as
identified by Galton, will officially become known as minutiae, however they are sometimes still referred to as Galton’s
Details.
1896 - International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), Establish National Bureau of Criminal Identification, for the
exchange of arrest information
1901 - Sir Edward Henry, an Inspector General of Police in Bengal, India, develops the first system of classifying
fingerprints. This system of classifying fingerprints. This system of classifying fingerprints was first adopted as the official
system in England, and eventually spread throughout
1903 – The William West – Will West Case at a Federal Prison in Leavenworth, Kansas, changed the way that people
were classified and identified
When a man named Will West entered the Leavenworth Prison
inmates. His face was photographed, and his Bertillion
measurements were taken. Upon completion of this process, it
was noted that another inmate, known as William West, who was
already incarcerated at Leavenworth, had the same name,
Bertillion measurements, and bore a striking resemblance to Will
West.
The incident called the reliability of Bertillion measurements into question, and it was decided that a more positive
means of identification was necessary. As the Bertillion System began to decline, the use of fingerprints in identifying
and classifying individuals began to rise. After 1903, many prison systems began to use fingerprints as the primary
means of identification.
1905 – U.S. Military adopts the use of fingerprints – soon thereafter, police agencies began to adopt the use of
fingerprints

1908 – The first official fingerprint card was developed

1911 - Fingerprints are first accepted by U.S. courts as a reliable means of Identification.
- Dec. 21, 1911, The Illinois State Supreme Court upheld the admissibility of fingerprint evidence concluding that
fingerprints are a reliable form of identification.

Thomas Jennings was the first person to be convicted of murder in the United States based on fingerprint evidence.
Jennings appealed his conviction to the Illinois Supreme Court on the basis of a questionable new scientific
technique. The Illinois Supreme Court cited the historical research and use of fingerprints as a means of reliable
identification in upholding the conviction, and thus establishing the use of fingerprints as a reliable means of
identification.

Jennings was executed in 1912.

1917 - First Palm print identification is made in Nevada. The bloody palm print, found on a letter left at the scene of a
stage coach robbery and murder of its driver, was identified to Ben Kuhl. (State v. Kuhl 42 Nev. 195 175 PAC 190 (1918)

1924 – Formation of ID Division of FBI

STEEPLEJACK DIFFICULTY 3 HP 42

Steeplejack pulled the maids collar aside and...

Saw two puncture wounds on the side of her neck. They were raised and puckered. There was pooled blood under the body and a couple of footprints in it from the staff member who'd tried to rouse her.

A noise alerted Steeplejack and he turned to see a Policeman moving from the house and he called out "Hey you! Step away from the body!"

When the police get here I'll introduce myself as Jack Gibbs, Evening Standard, reporter etc. I'll talk about this being a real feather in the cap for the officer who finds these culprits and how my paper will cover the story if I've got access to what is going on...etc. I then want to try and find out what guests they had here, what they could tell me of their descriptions, accents, and where they stayed if they even stayed here.

The Policeman scowled. "Press? This is a crime scene! Away with you! Have you no shame sir?"

He made it clear in no uncertain terms that Steeplejack was to leave the scene or be treated as a suspect!

More police were making their way through the house and Steeplejack left via the back gate into an alleyway. Looking up and down he saw bins, rubbish, the odd stray dog...

The bite on the neck had confirmed his suspicions. That the woman had been attacked and bitten, her blood drained until she was dead. The attacker can't have gotten far but he saw no one who matched the description of a fellow in a batlike cape and tuxedo with big fangs and a taste for the dramatic along with a complexion that needed a few hours in the sun.

He looked up. It was a cloudy day and the sun hadn't broken through. Could a 'Vampire' operate in such conditions? With a sigh he knelt and looked around in the mud in the alley for footprints. Nothing fresh going into the guest houses back yard.

OOC Any thoughts on where to look or the next course of action before the plot thickens...?

HAUNT DIFFICULTY 3 HP 17

Watson 'harrumphed' but seemed to accept the comment then came over to look at the back of the chair. "There is a hole here." he murmured. "An insertion was made here..."

LeStrade looked annoyed but held his tongue and put the gun away after it became clear Watson was at ease with the man now claiming to be Holmes.

Watson gently took 'Dead Holmes' head and tilted it forwards. There was a red dot/puncture mark in the back of the neck and it was clear a needle had been inserted through the back of the chair into the neck of the dead fellow in the chair.

There is an odd smell about the body. Haunt can't place it but it is not cologne.

Moving to the window he made sure he was not seen and looked to see the faintest of prints as if someone had climbed out of the window and gripped the frame. He glanced out of the window. There was a drop of around fifteen feet to the next sill on the floor below and from there someone could drop down to the street level.

OOC Haunt has a think about what he knows...
Int 8 + 4D Detective + Roll(6d12)+0: 11,7,11,10,7,9,+0 Total:22 DOUBLE plus Roll(2d12)+0: 6,10,+0 Total:38 (46) vs
OV8 + Diff 3 + Roll(2d12)+0: 8,1,+0 Total:9 (17)

+8 (to 16) vs RV 8 +3 Diff (11)= 5 RAPs

1) The 'Holmes' in the chair was sat there when someone else jammed a needle into their neck and injected something. That means... a glance around reveals a number of places to hide.
2-3) The killer then left by the window. The fingerprints need matching against something else but chances are there are no databases (thanks for the info) so won't be of much use.
4-6) Haunt knows that ADVENT have shape shifters that can impersonate anyone. There is a chance that the 'Holmes' in the chair is not Holmes at all but an assassin sent to Kill Sherlock Holmes who suspected something from the Housekeepers commotion when Holmes 'returned'. he prepared a concoction of powerful drugs and injected the would be Assassin after lying in wait then left via the window.

Haunt turned his eyes back to normal and looked at the body in the chair. Moving over he took the wrist in his hand.

"What are you doing?" asked Watson. LeStrade was equally puzzled.

Haunt waited with a hand holding the wrist, concentrating. Perhaps he was... 'badump'. A heartbeat! So slow as too appear dead even to professionals like Watson! This being was still alive! With a heartbeat every thirty or forty seconds it wasn't human, but it was alive, albeit in a comatose state from an overdose of cocaine. Holmes therefore might well be alive!

"What is it Holmes?" asked Watson. "I've felt for a heartbeat. Nothing!"

Admin wrote:STEEPLEJACK DIFFICULTY 3 HP 42

OOC Any thoughts on where to look or the next course of action before the plot thickens...?

Steeplejack took the time to look up and down the alleyway, it was too light to go swinging about on rooftops and besides chances where he'd only heighten any hysteria if he was seen swinging and leaping about. He didn't need that sort of heat to fall on him right now. Better to come back when it was darker.

After examining the place, looking for clues, he decided to mooch about in the Post office, pub, docks and so on looking to pick up social contacts, ask around, see if others had gone missing. He was also curious as to where the vampires might go to ground. Did they even need to evade the sun if it was shielded behind a northern block off the grey cloud?

He had too many questions and not enough answers, so it was time to start plodding doing the detective work, he could. The truth was he was a rubbish detective, he couldn't follow a clue if it fell on him, but he had to try. He wondered again where Haunt was...

Sj

1) The 'Holmes' in the chair was sat there when someone else jammed a needle into their neck and injected something. That means... a glance around reveals a number of places to hide.
2-3) The killer then left by the window. The fingerprints need matching against something else but chances are there are no databases (thanks for the info) so won't be of much use.
4-6) Haunt knows that ADVENT have shape shifters that can impersonate anyone. There is a chance that the 'Holmes' in the chair is not Holmes at all but an assassin sent to Kill Sherlock Holmes who suspected something from the Housekeepers commotion when Holmes 'returned'. he prepared a concoction of powerful drugs and injected the would be Assassin after lying in wait then left via the window.

Haunt turned his eyes back to normal and looked at the body in the chair. Moving over he took the wrist in his hand.

"What are you doing?" asked Watson. LeStrade was equally puzzled.

Haunt waited with a hand holding the wrist, concentrating. Perhaps he was... 'badump'. A heartbeat! So slow as too appear dead even to professionals like Watson! This being was still alive! With a heartbeat every thirty or forty seconds it wasn't human, but it was alive, albeit in a comatose state from an overdose of cocaine. Holmes therefore might well be alive!

"What is it Holmes?" asked Watson. "I've felt for a heartbeat. Nothing!"

"This man is still alive, Watson, but in some kind of coma that has reduced his heart-rate to almost nothing.  Almost like a Yogi trance but done by drugs.  See for yourself."  

He waves for Watson to take a pulse.

"He was an assassin sent to kill me.  Mrs. Watson made a commotion that gave me time to hide and prepare a much more powerful drug cocktail.  I was able to surprise him and inject him with the drugs and then left to make sure that he had no compatriots with him, hence the disguise.  The concoction I used should have killed him.  I have no idea why he is alive but he in no ordinary man.  He must be quite powerful.  And the fact that he looks just like me is astounding, that is no make-up.  And he smells ... different.  I can't place the smell yet but it is different."

He prods and pulls the "alien's" face to see if it will change shape.

After that bit of fun, he goes through "Holmes'" clothes looking for the time stone that the alien should have on him and any other clues/evidence he might have on his person.



If he can find a time stone, after all 3 have examined it, he will ask LeStrade to have one of his men carry it out of the house and down the street and then return. Hopefully, the alien will disappear, which will be a nice surprise for Watson and LeStrade.
If he doesn't, then we will have problems of how to hold him.

STEEPLEJACK DIFFICULTY 3 HP 42

OOC Steeplejack is a smart cookie by any measure. Genius in fact, but his lack of Detective skill is going to hurt him a lot but he can try. First of all, what does he find in terms of clues...

Int 10 + Roll(2d12)+0: 5,10,+0 Total:15 (25) vs
OV6 + Diff 3 + Roll(2d12)+0: 12,5,+0 Total:17 (26) FAILED

Steeplejack fails to spot anything of interest (though it was a long shot)

He needed to leave the scene before the Police got too uppity.

Walking through the fishing village of Whitby he saw people slowly moving back to their lives but most wore frowns and cast suspicious glances about, including some at Steeplejack.

He listened out and hoped to catch a snippet of something as he moved around...

"..terrible shock. Maisy was a lovely girl."

"...on the back of last nights storm. Most unseasonably said Grimes, an he should know."

"...looking for labourers..."

"...ship in the bay... foundered..."

"...Holmes was asked to send hi horse an cart down there. There were a few headed that direction..."

Steeplejack figured they were talking about the 'Demeter', the doomed ship that had smashed on the rocks and partially sunk. As for if he WAS dealing with a Vampire, he imagined that if the legends were true then direct sunlight would burn their skin and indirect or subdued sunlight would be uncomfortable but not unbearable. That meant such a creature could move out and about in daylight but might have more of a desire to wear a hat or parasol.

"...good money fer labourers up at t'old abbey. It's a ruin but looks like somebody has more money than sense!"

Steeplejack glanced up at one of the hills overlooking the fishing village. The ruins of an old abbey stood up like jagged teeth against the skyline.

HAUNT DIFFICULTY 3 HP 17

With a prod of his finger Holmes left an indentation on his comatose counterparts cheek that did not revert! Watson and LeStrade gasped and Watson, who'd been feeling for a heartbeat, looked up. "By jove! Not one heartbeat but TWO, in rapid succession after a gap of more than a minute! What on earth is this...?" he spluttered, standing back.

LeStrade blustered "Now listen up Holmes, what do you think you are ..."

Haunt/Holmes reached inside his counterparts clothing and found that the clothes were part of the creature. That meant if it were carrying a time stone or a fragment of one it might be held INSIDE the creatures body. He suspected - very much - that he was dealing with one of the 'faceless' sludge/putty like creature with skin that looked to be melting and a normal stature of around seven feet!

A VERY dangerous opponent in this time and place. Guns would have no effect on it and Holmes' needle must have been strong indeed to get through its skin!

On a hunch he checked the drawers of a dresser and found a number of needles, some long enough and thick enough to get through the skin of a Rhino!

"Ah yes." said Watson. "Holmes kept those from a case where a big game hunter had administered the poison to a prised and rare Rhino and the creature appeared unto death only to be revived later and sold for the highest bidder! No idea why Holmes kept the syringes and needles but then this whole house is full of clutter, paper, clues, fragments of evidence... the man... that is..." he said to leStrade "Holmes here... is a hoarder, and a most disorganised one! Mrs Hudson, the poor woman, must be at her wits end I shouldn't think!"

Haunt glanced back at the Faceless/Comatose version of Holmes.

He had the nastiest feeling it would soon be waking up...

With no way to explain what he was doing since time seemed to be of the essence, "Holmes" began to poke and prod hard at the alien, using his superstrength but as unobtrusively as possible, to feel for the hardness of the time stone in the putty man's body. Start squeezing at the head and work his way down.  If he could find it, he was going to rip it out of the alien's body and let those uptime take care of the wounds received.

"There's no other way," he told the others as he went about his task.

Admin wrote:STEEPLEJACK DIFFICULTY 3 HP 42

Steeplejack glanced up at one of the hills overlooking the fishing village. The ruins of an old abbey stood up like jagged teeth against the skyline.

From what he knew an Abbey, might have religious artefacts like a cross. Usually a dread weapon against the creatures of the night! But then again a ruin might also have catacombs - safe, dark and unlit places that would make sure that they could rest before feeding again? It seemed the place to try since all the other options seemed a bust. Besides which, anything that lead him away from prying eyes was a good thing right now.

OOC: Let's go check it out, I'm taking what precautions I can and seeking to find what clues I might discover on the way. The thought that there are already labourers being assembled to work there might mean its not a quiet as I am hoping, but then again it might mean they've not started work and it will get busier later. So seeking to be open to all eventualities.
Sj

HAUNT DIFFICULTY 3 HP 17

"What on Earth?" spluttered leStrade.

"Holmes! What are you doing man?" he said with a move to restrain his 'friend'. He gasped when his ordinary human strength failed to make a dent in Haunts vast superhuman strength!

Haunt said "There's no other way," and he thrust a hand into the putty like body of the 'man' in the chair. Rather than burst through the skin it moved aside exactly like if it was made of thick clay!

"My ... god!" exclaimed LeStrade. "What in the blazes is this? I lifelike mannequin of some kind?"

Watson dabbed at his head with a handkerchief. "Holmes! Explain this! I detected a heartbeat! This is... preposterous!"

Haunt stuck to the task and probed about with his hand in the things chest. He felt a stronger pulse and knew this being would wake very quickly! The dose of chemicals the real Holmes had cleverly administered from those he had at hand would not keep an alien FACELESS down for long and very very soon indeed this thing would be a towering melting creature or death!

There was nothing to find!

He was frustrated and about to give in when ...

OOC Perception check Int 8 + Roll(2d12)+0: 12,8,+0 Total:20 (28) vs
OV6 + Diff 3 + Roll(2d12)+0: 5,12,+0 Total:17 (26) +2EV (to 10)

10EV vs RV6+3 (9)=1 RAP.

Success!

He felt something different - more solid - and grasped it, pushing deeper into the body and ... grasped!

With a savage pull he yanked it clear and immediately the creature pulsed! LeStrade and Watson stumbled back, aghast!

Haunt had something in his hand. it was like a time stone but a fragment, perhaps if a time stone had been divided up into smaller fragments. That would mean ... the magic didn't last as long? Wasn't as effective?

The timestone had been broken up into fragments and each fragment given to one of ADVENTs agents. That meant... he glanced at the window. There could be dozens of these things, or others, out there. What were they after?

"Look at it's skin!" said LeStrade, at the holes haunt had made closing of their own volition. "What could this ... thing be? It looks... looked... like Holmes but..."

Watson spluttered "It's waking up! Look! It's hand!"

The skin colour was changing and turning pale cream/white and the fingers were morphing into claws!

"Quick LeStrade! Take this and have one of your men run down the street with it! We need to get out range with it before this monster wakes!"

"Holmes" hands the stone fragment over to LeStrade.

"Don't dawdle man! Lives depend on moving FAST!"

The Haunt prepares himself to fight the putty man if he wakes up before the stone gets out of range.

"Get back, Watson, I doubt your revolver will have any affect on him!"

STEEPLEJACK DIFFICULTY 3 HP 42

Steeplejack headed up the hill towards the ruined abbey on the crest over looking the village. The supernatural were not common occurrences for him in his day job not in his short time in the Executive. He knew of a group long abandoned called the Lore Knights and figured this was more up their alley but for now he would have to do.

Getting closer to the abbey he saw horse drawn carts bringing stone and mortar to bind them with. The labourers looked like local folk and eager to do a days work when there was nought else but fishing and that didn't suit.

As he crested the slope of the path with no effort after passing the huffing and puffing labourers he saw a curious sight.

A well groomed Victorian woman in traditional well to do garb was sat with a parasol covering her and was drawing the abbey whilst sat on a chair. She was in her late twenties/early thirties and very pretty but determined it seemed to capture the detail of the abbey before it was 'changed' by the reconstruction works.

Walking up beside her Steeplejack looked at her work. Remarkable. There was no other word for it.

She'd captured every stone every vine and any detail there to be seen.

In turn she looked at Steeplejack and breathed "You are not of this place, are you?"

Admin wrote:STEEPLEJACK DIFFICULTY 3 HP 42


She'd captured every stone every vine and any detail there to be seen.

In turn, she looked at Steeplejack and breathed "You are not of this place, are you?"

Steeplejack smiled and held out a hand, "Jack Gibbs Evening Standard..."  For a hero this whole lying thing seemed a bit too easy, an odd tinge from his conscious pinged off. "That may I say my lady is an uncanny piece of work, the talent of which looks equally...out of place though beautiful as this place is.  And whom might I have the pleasure of addressing?

Steeplejack didn't turn on the charm too much, he didn't want to overdo it.  But he knew how to speak to a lady and put that to good use right now.  Whilst he chatted he didn't allow himself to get too distracted by this beautiful woman.  Though he had to fight it, he was on the clock.  Although he appeared to be interested he took the opportunity to look around as opportunity was given to look away and to cast his eye naturally about without it seeming to be anything other than natural curiosity.

OOC: Ok will continue to plug away with some questions who is she?  Does she live locally?  Does she know about the murder?  What is happening here at the Abbey?  If she is local has she seen any visitors around at this time of year she hasn't recognised before...that sort of thing.  

I'm also interested in looking around the place and might venture to ask her to show me it, so that I might get to know her better and make sure she isn't herself a person of interest.

Sj

HAUNT DIFFICULTY 3 HP 17

"Holmes? What is this? Most irregular! Why I..." spluttered LeStrade then he was distracted...

Instantly the creature in the chair lunged to its feet, morphing into its natural state!



OOC Obviously I don't have one of 'Holmes' exploding from the chair but you get the idea!

LeStrade yelped, scooped the fragment from 'Holmes' hands and moved for the door, stumbling then fumbling with the handle as the creature behind reached a long, long arm for him!

Watson wobbled out his revolver on unsteady hands and 'CLICK' mumbled "What the...? I've not loaded it!!"

OOC Initiative. This may be harder than it should be. Haunt in his natural state is easily able to pound one of these guys into the floor but with the +3 Difficulty it may be trickier than before!

Roll(2d12)+0:
2 HAUNT (28) ,3 Faceless (22)

Haunt is up. This thing is 7'+ tall, melting, horrible and ready to - with one swing of its claws - forget its orders and KILL everyone in this room! It's entered KILLING COMBAT. Watson and LeStrade are both within range and very very likely to die with one single blow... You're up.

STEEPLEJACK DIFFICULTY 3 HP 42

"Mr Gibb. Charmed I'm sure." she said, offering a hand. "I am Penelope Harkness, recently arrived from London for a ..." she frowned and glanced at the Abbey. "You'll think me a foolish woman Mr Gibb.* Do you believe in fate, or the power of dreams? I had some disturbing dreams recently Mr Gibb and despite my father's protest jumped on a horse drawn cart immediately to the North, to this place."

She looked up at the abbey. "Remarkable that though I have never been to this place or shown any talent at drawing or other traditional womanly pursuits, I have been able to capture the abandoned Abbey in it's current state with such detail and accuracy. I would also add the drawing is quite beautiful without any modesty whatsoever, as I feel someone else has drawn it, as if to guide my hand."

She stood, straightening her voluminous dress and looked at the ruin. "Perhaps I was drawn here to capture the image of the Abbey before it is - to my mind - ruined by restoring it." She referred to the labourers drawing laden wagons up the steep path in order to start the restoration of the place.

"Or perhaps... I was drawn to something else." she whispered.

Shuddering, she turns to Jack Gibbs. "Forgive me, I prattle on so despite my not having met you before this moment." she smiled.

Then she looked at Jack and her eyes widened...

OOC Mind Probe 12 + Roll(2d12)+0: 12,1,+0 Total:13 (25) vs
OV10 + Roll(2d12)+0: 1,4,+0 Total:5 (15) +4 EV (to 16) vs RV7=9 RAPs

"Oh!" she gasped. "Oh I'm sorry. I was just wondering - my own foolishness and you must, I hope, forgive me - about where you came from before you got here and... I saw... America? A dusty plain, a name, William Bonny? And a rider all in white. A friend of yours I feel."

Suddenly she seemed quite faint and sagged to sit down on the grass. Jack leaned in to help her and she thanked him before gasping "The corset is too tight I fear. Every time I see of these ... visions... a strange turn comes over me. My apologies Mr Gibb. I have just met you and yet... I feel... I *know* I can trust of you and that you are a good, good man indeed." She gazed up at Jack into his eyes. "You must think me mad, and if not before, you will when I tell you I was drawn here to seek out and destroy... NOSFERATU!" she gasped.



*Victorian Times remember!

Admin wrote:STEEPLEJACK DIFFICULTY 3 HP 42

"Oh!" she gasped. "Oh I'm sorry. I was just wondering - my own foolishness and you must, I hope, forgive me - about where you came from before you got here and... I saw... America? A dusty plain, a name, William Bonny? And a rider all in white. A friend of yours I feel."

Suddenly she seemed quite faint and sagged to sit down on the grass. Jack leaned in to help her and she thanked him before gasping "The corset is too tight I fear. Every time I see of these ... visions... a strange turn comes over me. My apologies Mr Gibb. I have just met you and yet... I feel... I *know* I can trust of you and that you are a good, good man indeed." She gazed up at Jack into his eyes. "You must think me mad, and if not before, you will when I tell you I was drawn here to seek out and destroy... NOSFERATU!" she gasped.

"Lady Harkness!" Steeplejack said, as he grasped the lady gently and helped her to the seat she'd been using to draw on. Nosferatu, hmm, that was a name that rang all the wrong sorts of bells. But wasn't he just some film producers crazy idea of a vampire, could it have had some basis in reality? It might well be the case since Lady Harkness, Penelope clearly had some gift of foresight may be a latent psi power of some sort. And she had distinctly seen Haunt, perhaps she was key to this strange appearance of these vampires and her gifts might help Steeplejack where his lack of detective skills wouldn't.

"My lady are you feeling alright, the sun is high and I noticed you had a parasol earlier the heat must have been too much for you." He said to cover any suspicious looks he got from the men labouring away. Then quieter he said,"Madam you have an uncanny and rare gift, since we two are drawn here and that you know of this Nosferatu - who is sort of known to me, I suggest we work together to rid this place of this monster. But perhaps we should retire from prying eyes and find somewhere to talk more freely?"

Steeplejack knew that the times were ones of high fashion and higher standards. He'd have to tread lightly with his size 11 boots and make sure he didn't slip up. But if Lady Harkness proved to be whom she said she was, then there was a good chance he had found a vital clue and a probable ally.

Sj


Lady Harkness

Haunt is up. This thing is 7'+ tall, melting, horrible and ready to - with one swing of its claws - forget its orders and KILL everyone in this room! It's entered KILLING COMBAT. Watson and LeStrade are both within range and very very likely to die with one single blow... You're up.

"Holmes" moves quickly to save the others. He launches himself at the creature [great vid btw, really scary] attempting to do a diving tackle that will send both of them out through the window and out on the street or maybe even into the next building.

ooc: Basically trying for a knockback attack/grapple that will take the two of us as far as possible and maybe just out of range of the time stone, not really interested in doing damage, just primarily knockback. Can I use Acrobatics to attack? If so, use it to hit the putty man. Probably want to use some HP to make sure I hit him or increase knockback distance. Guess I have enough for 1 die.

btw, I downloaded a copy of a 1890s Nick Carter magazine from a pulp group I get emails from. Tried to upload it in our out of game board but it is a PDF file and this site doesn't seem to take PDFs. Or maybe I just don't see the button for that. I will try and see if I can get in here somehow.

STEEPLEJACK DIFFICULTY 3 HP 42

"No lady I'm afraid, until my father passes away. For now Penelope, or Penny if you please." she smiles. "The question I have is, what do my visions and dreams mean? For me they appear to be nonsense!"

She gathered her parasol and took Jack Gibbs' arm for a walk away from the ruined Abbey, her drawing and materials forgotten. Going along the clifftop path she spoke on.

"Who are you sir? A mysterious handsome stranger appears to me at the same time I am drawn to this place and my strange visions show him to be a man of travelling and of more mysteries. Who ARE you Jack Gibb? If there is to be an accord between us, a ... gathering of minds and resources... we should be truthful and clear about who we are and what our goals are. And..." she raised an eyebrow "perhaps a trip to the shops to get you out of that old clothing you wear. I swear you positively reek of fish and fishermen sir!" she laughed, covering her mouth as she giggled.

Despite ADVENT, time travel and dark forces abroad, Steeplejack couldn't help but smile at this woman who might just be the link and ally he needed to solve the mystery of why he was here! But how much of his story dare he tell her?