[CoC: HotOE] Last Train to London
2017-Nov-18, Saturday 18:45![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dorchadas
Dramatis Personae
The party were shown to their berths:
The map of the train, with all the other passengers' pictures scattered around.
A variety of other people were also berthed in their car, from Egyptian antiquarians to Eastern European businessmen to a French count and countess. After introductions to their berthmates, the train blew its whistle and pulled away from the station, heading back across Europe toward London, but no longer in safety.
After the train got moving, the investigators all met up in the salon car to discuss their plans. Rosaline brought up the ticket taker's strange actions, but said it wasn't conclusive. After a moment, they realized that the simulacrum had to be in the cars that were bound for Paris--three sleeping cars and two fourgon. The countess suggested that the simulacrum might be in the parcel fourgon, having been mailed to Paris, but the would be no way to get there except under cover of darkness. They decided to try to get to know their fellow passengers, and split up to meet the others in the salon car. The countess had a countess-to-countess talk, Rosaline spoke to the Egyptian antiquities dealer, and Yan talked to the Eastern European businessman. The professor noticed an article in the newspaper about a shopkeeper murdered in Islington, and remembered that Makryat's shop was also in Islington.
They spent a little time checking the salon car, but found that the only place anything could be hidden would be in the locked wine cabinets. Before dinner, Elena found them and revealed herself as a British agent sent by the ambassador in Constantinople, and said she would stay out of the party's way unless they needed her. She clearly didn't trust then, and after that she took her leave. At dinner, the investigators ignored the water they brought and all ordered wine, and spent the dinner listening to the conversations around them. They did not hear any useful information.
Near bedtime, the investigators retired to their rooms. Martinelli snored like a buzzsaw, Gattling questioned the countess about the other passengers, Sir Robert banged on the door to Rosaline and Elena's room seeking an assignation, and Elena slept through it all. At 11:25, the train arrived at the Turkish border. Yan noticed that one passenger disembarked and went to the telegraph station--he thought it was the conductor, but couldn't be sure. He left the train and followed, getting a peek at the telegram:
They returned to their compartments and tried to sleep. As Yan entered the room, he noticed something draped over his luggage. He roused the professor, who brought a lantern and revealed a complete human skin, detached without a mark on it. Yan examined it, and found it was the skin of the conductor who had taken their tickets when they boarded. After discussing what to do, they decided that they didn't have enough information to act, and eventually went back to their room and went to bed.
In the night, the professor started sweating heavily. The countess's right arm broke out in sores, thinly oozing blood. Rosaline felt the skin on her scalp move slowly, creeping, without being under her control. At 3:20, the Bulgarian police came on to check credentials, and the party assembled. They couldn't help but notice that the Countess de Bruessy left Kurt Groening's compartment, but the party was too polite to comment on it. Rosaline disembarked to catch the night air, and noticed several Turkish people boarding the second-class car. Yan told the policemen about in, and the policemen thanked him and hurried off. When the train was pulling away, Yan noticed that the Turks were being detained. Then, the investigators snatched a bit of sleep.
As the train began to pull into Sofia, Yan--still awake due to his berthmate's snoring--noticed wolves pacing the train, following it as it slowed and pulled into the city. At breakfast, they discussed the skin in the room, the conductor, and what to do. They did not come up with any answers before the train stopped in Sofia, where Yan and the countess disembarked to take the air. In Sofia, Yan felt like the hair on his left arm began to grow thicker and more ropy, and the degradation of the others continued. Makryat's words were coming true.
As the professor and the countess walked out on the platform, they were ambushed by two Turkish men, obviously Brothers of the Skin! They seized the professor and the countess, and after they broke free, the cultists drew their knives. A scuffle broke out, and while the countess was stabbed, the investigators managed to get away and return to the train. On the train, Yan treated the countess's wounds and the professor took Elena aside and explained about the Brotherhood chasing them, though he left out any mystical associations, merely stating that it was the same group that had kidnapped the British ambassador's son. Elena thanked him, and said she'd keep an eye out.
In the salon car, Rosaline overheard Lord Margrave complaining that his paramour, Doña del Garda wasn't paying him the attention he was used to, and the investigators immediately assumed that she had been replaced by Makryat. The countess and Rosaline sought her out, and Rosaline noticed that her makeup was very amateurishly applied. They considered what to do, and eventually decided that they couldn't attack her without causing too much of a scene. And finally, lesions erupted from Yan and Rosaline's skin, the professor felt something moving inside his body, and the countess developed a horrible body odor.
At Crveni Krst, the investigators watched several people board the train. Unlike in Svilengrad, none of them were wearing fezzes.
The countess went to go speak to Doña del Garda in the salon car, making polite small talk while carefully observing her actions. She did not reveal the party's suspicions, and eventually went back to speak to the other investigators. Eventually, the professor spoke to Lord Margrave and Groening, introducing himself and trying to graciously steer the conversation toward the Doña. Lord Margrave eventually brought her up, but he didn't mention anything that the professor didn't know. Just that Doña del Garda had suddenly grown cold toward him, even though she usually had a "fiery Spanish" personality, and that it had started only that morning. The professor suggested that it might have simply been a bad dream, and the conversation moved on to other matters.
Might be soon, though. That clock on the simulacrum's corruption is ticking.
- Elena Costanza, British Agent of the Crown
- Luc Durand, French Professor of Linguistics
- Rosaline St. Clair, American Antiquities Dealer
- Valentina Durnovo, Russian Countess/Gentlewoman
- Yan Nikolaev, Bulgarian police inspector
The party were shown to their berths:
- Yan was berthed with Luigi Martinelli, an Italian opera singer.
- The countess was berthed with Jackie Gattling, an American gossip columnist.
- The professor was berthed with Sir Robert Harrow, a British artistocrat.
- Rosaline was berthed with Elena Costanza, who did not introduce herself.
The map of the train, with all the other passengers' pictures scattered around.
A variety of other people were also berthed in their car, from Egyptian antiquarians to Eastern European businessmen to a French count and countess. After introductions to their berthmates, the train blew its whistle and pulled away from the station, heading back across Europe toward London, but no longer in safety.
After the train got moving, the investigators all met up in the salon car to discuss their plans. Rosaline brought up the ticket taker's strange actions, but said it wasn't conclusive. After a moment, they realized that the simulacrum had to be in the cars that were bound for Paris--three sleeping cars and two fourgon. The countess suggested that the simulacrum might be in the parcel fourgon, having been mailed to Paris, but the would be no way to get there except under cover of darkness. They decided to try to get to know their fellow passengers, and split up to meet the others in the salon car. The countess had a countess-to-countess talk, Rosaline spoke to the Egyptian antiquities dealer, and Yan talked to the Eastern European businessman. The professor noticed an article in the newspaper about a shopkeeper murdered in Islington, and remembered that Makryat's shop was also in Islington.
They spent a little time checking the salon car, but found that the only place anything could be hidden would be in the locked wine cabinets. Before dinner, Elena found them and revealed herself as a British agent sent by the ambassador in Constantinople, and said she would stay out of the party's way unless they needed her. She clearly didn't trust then, and after that she took her leave. At dinner, the investigators ignored the water they brought and all ordered wine, and spent the dinner listening to the conversations around them. They did not hear any useful information.
Near bedtime, the investigators retired to their rooms. Martinelli snored like a buzzsaw, Gattling questioned the countess about the other passengers, Sir Robert banged on the door to Rosaline and Elena's room seeking an assignation, and Elena slept through it all. At 11:25, the train arrived at the Turkish border. Yan noticed that one passenger disembarked and went to the telegraph station--he thought it was the conductor, but couldn't be sure. He left the train and followed, getting a peek at the telegram:
URGENT JOIN SOE 0320 STOP MHe hurried back to tell the professor as the Turkish police checked the passengers' credentials. The others woke up and joined them in the salon car, and consulting a timetable, they realized that the 3:20 stop was Svilengrad, Bulgaria.
They returned to their compartments and tried to sleep. As Yan entered the room, he noticed something draped over his luggage. He roused the professor, who brought a lantern and revealed a complete human skin, detached without a mark on it. Yan examined it, and found it was the skin of the conductor who had taken their tickets when they boarded. After discussing what to do, they decided that they didn't have enough information to act, and eventually went back to their room and went to bed.
In the night, the professor started sweating heavily. The countess's right arm broke out in sores, thinly oozing blood. Rosaline felt the skin on her scalp move slowly, creeping, without being under her control. At 3:20, the Bulgarian police came on to check credentials, and the party assembled. They couldn't help but notice that the Countess de Bruessy left Kurt Groening's compartment, but the party was too polite to comment on it. Rosaline disembarked to catch the night air, and noticed several Turkish people boarding the second-class car. Yan told the policemen about in, and the policemen thanked him and hurried off. When the train was pulling away, Yan noticed that the Turks were being detained. Then, the investigators snatched a bit of sleep.
As the train began to pull into Sofia, Yan--still awake due to his berthmate's snoring--noticed wolves pacing the train, following it as it slowed and pulled into the city. At breakfast, they discussed the skin in the room, the conductor, and what to do. They did not come up with any answers before the train stopped in Sofia, where Yan and the countess disembarked to take the air. In Sofia, Yan felt like the hair on his left arm began to grow thicker and more ropy, and the degradation of the others continued. Makryat's words were coming true.
As the professor and the countess walked out on the platform, they were ambushed by two Turkish men, obviously Brothers of the Skin! They seized the professor and the countess, and after they broke free, the cultists drew their knives. A scuffle broke out, and while the countess was stabbed, the investigators managed to get away and return to the train. On the train, Yan treated the countess's wounds and the professor took Elena aside and explained about the Brotherhood chasing them, though he left out any mystical associations, merely stating that it was the same group that had kidnapped the British ambassador's son. Elena thanked him, and said she'd keep an eye out.
In the salon car, Rosaline overheard Lord Margrave complaining that his paramour, Doña del Garda wasn't paying him the attention he was used to, and the investigators immediately assumed that she had been replaced by Makryat. The countess and Rosaline sought her out, and Rosaline noticed that her makeup was very amateurishly applied. They considered what to do, and eventually decided that they couldn't attack her without causing too much of a scene. And finally, lesions erupted from Yan and Rosaline's skin, the professor felt something moving inside his body, and the countess developed a horrible body odor.
At Crveni Krst, the investigators watched several people board the train. Unlike in Svilengrad, none of them were wearing fezzes.
The countess went to go speak to Doña del Garda in the salon car, making polite small talk while carefully observing her actions. She did not reveal the party's suspicions, and eventually went back to speak to the other investigators. Eventually, the professor spoke to Lord Margrave and Groening, introducing himself and trying to graciously steer the conversation toward the Doña. Lord Margrave eventually brought her up, but he didn't mention anything that the professor didn't know. Just that Doña del Garda had suddenly grown cold toward him, even though she usually had a "fiery Spanish" personality, and that it had started only that morning. The professor suggested that it might have simply been a bad dream, and the conversation moved on to other matters.
Annals of the FallenParanoia! We figured out almost immediately the the conductor was Makryat, but didn't really have an opportunity to attack him. Now we know that Makryat is Doña del Garda, but again, we don't really have any opportunity to attack her. Even ignoring that Makryat probably has some kind of sorcerous protections on, how would we explain why we were attacking other passengers? We thought about trying to frame her for theft, but she'd just blame it on her maid. Eventually we might get to the point where we start trying to just off other passengers, but we're not there yet.
- Gianni Abbadelli, Italian Vatican Parapsychologist, arm torn off by čudovište in Vinkovci, February 8th, 1923.
- Demir Sadik, Turkish Revolutionary/Field Medic, devoured by the living lair of the Baba Yaga in the forests outside Orašac, February 13th, 1923.
- Jazmina Moric, Croat Linguist, killed by a thrown grenade during a battle with the Butchers at Sofiiski Universet, February 15th, 1923.
- Radovan Venclovic, Romani Ex-Soldier, driven to madness by the beast of flesh in the cemetery at Üsküdar, February 20th, 1923.
Might be soon, though. That clock on the simulacrum's corruption is ticking.
