In the Halls of Shadows, Part 1

Victoriana this week. This mission is supposed to run more than one session.

A young blond haired man enters Edwin Ingram's shop. He knows about Edwin's investigative skills, and requests Edwin's assistance. His name is Edward West, and he wants Edwin to find his sister Lucy.

I had never met Lucy, but Edwin had. Edwin and several other of our companions were tracking down Elizabeth Turnth, who was missing. The trail eventually led to Dr. Zachary Edfield, a necromancer, and his assistant, Lucy West. Lucy West and Dr. Edfield had locked themselves in their ramshackle house before any of our party could reach them, and before entry could be gained, they got in an argument and shot each other, and Lucy escaped.

Edward tells Edwin that he saw her five months ago, long after Edwin's encounter with her. She was in a terrible fever, believing she was being hunted by dark shadows. She also mentioned a Somnium machine, and disappeared again two months ago.

Edwin asks if she had any friends, and Edward says he only knows of Zachary Edfield who is missing (but Edwin knows he's dead). However, he did find someone who had last seen her, some wolf beastman out of the docks named Kevin Smith.

I've had some luck with my research on Celtic gods by way of a stone tablet. It references Vinotonus, and indicates that he was obscure even to most Celts. No mention of specific domains, just great disasters, chaos and destruction. I am able to determine that the tablet originated from Spain.

Edwin gathers us, and updates us on the details of the newest case. We take a visit to this Kevin Smith, and we find out he's the assistant dockmaster. Edwin talks to him, and finds out that she went to Oslo, Norway. She took a cargo ship with Captain Selleck, and we make preparations to go the same way.

The trip makes me very grumpy. Edwin is not reassuring. But eventually we get to Oslo.

The dockmaster's name is Foss, and he's a plain but well dressed human. He suggests we check out the Bran Hest for lodging, which we go directly to after visiting a bank to change some money into the local currency.

It's obvious that "Bran Hest" refers to a brown horse, as the inn sign has it on one side. Inside is lively, and old by well maintained. The innkeeper, Mabel Rike, speaks broken English. I stay in my room for a bit, while the others take a look around.

Eventually, I come down, to find Edwin has been talking to some people to find Lucy West, and apparently one man reacted to Edwin's questioning, with the promise of money. He claims Lucy went to Russia, but after observing the two for a few minutes, it is clear that he's just leading Edwin on. I pull Edwin aside and let him know this, and Jeff is alarmed.

The man leaves, and Edwin follows him outside. A shot is heard, and Edwin stumbles back into the inn.

Father Amorth visits the main local church, and finds a gnomish priest there. He asks if there are any odd events, but the priest confirms that nothing odd is in the area, although there were two odd Americans who were asking questions a few weeks back. The priest sent them to the Bran Hest inn.

Sidney comes back from wandering around town, as I am tending to Edwin Ingram. Sidney takes over, and I go over to the innkeeper to ask some questions. Most of the other patrons have fled.

The innkeeper tells me the American that Edwin was talking to was also asking about Lucy West, and he said his name was Frank Philips, but he wasn't staying here. She didn't tell him anything, but she does remember Lucy West. Lucy hardly left her room, and her room was cluttered with papers and strange papers and wires. She seemed absolutely terrified, and seemed to be tinkering with some machine that she would hide if anyone came to the door.

Two weeks ago, two Americans named Gregory and Sampson had come asking about her, saying she was a childhood friend. They were middle aged, and very sharply dressed. They didn't get to talk to her, as Lucy was already gone. The innkeeper shows me a piece of paper she had left behind, and I am able to determine that it is related to energy transfer in the supernatural world.

A doctor arrives, and Edwin is tended to. Father Amorth arrives as well, and then two local constables arrives, who take us to the police station. We talk, and they confiscate our weapons, despite never being fired.

We go back to inn, and in the morning I talk to the innkeeper again. She tells me a little more. She knows that Lucy West went to Gothenburg, Sweden, and to talk to a merchant named Gunter Lead.

We visit Gunther Lead big summer blowout, real scorcher in June, and determine that Lucy West had gone with one of his shipments by horse. We arrange to do the same.

On our way out, we find out that a message indicating "competition" was sent to a nearby town.

The driver's name is Hans, and after a bit over another week, we arrive in Gothenberg. The town is bigger than Oslo, although it sprawls out quite a bit too.

Talking to the cart master sends us towards the south end of town. The two Americans have also been seen.

We find an inn owned by a pair of dwarves. They don't seem to get a lot of guests, so the stay is cheap. I have 11 kroner left, and one English pound on me as well

I suggest that Sidney look for the supernatural, as perhaps the energies from Lucy's device can be detected. Sidney doesn't see anything like that, although she does hear a poem that makes her want to find running water.

Father Amorth talks to the local clergymen, and finds nothing particularly useful.

We visit a few of the hotels, to see if any telegraphs were sent, and we find ourselves at one that implies that our two Americans are staying here. Unfortunately, we can't get much use out of the front desk, except being able to send a message. I tell them to say "Lucy has been found".

It gets them down here, but unfortunately I can't find any way to make use of it. After I admit I wasn't being truthful, Father Amorth tries to compel some answers out of them using one of his spells, but they see through it, and abruptly leave.

Father Amorth gets the room number from the front desk, and Sidney, who had been hidden outside, continues to keep watch over the Hotel.

Edwin, Father Amorth and I continue on to several other hotels, and we manage to find one with Frank Phillips as a guest. We make note of it.

Sidney sees the two Americans leave the hotel with a suitcase. The younger of the two asks the older if they should contact the others, but the older says it is their assigned duty.

Sidney sneaks into the hotel upstairs, and breaks into their room. Their room is clean and neatly organized, and at first Sidney doesn't find anything of use. But then, under the bed, she finds a hidden box made of dark wood, with no seams, and only a pointless knob.

She picks up the box, and the box sucks out her magical energies, causing her to fall. She feels that this box has seen great evil. She puts the box in her coat, and flees the hotel.

We meet back up at the inn. Sidney shows us the box. I touch it, and it feels draining.

Father Amorth touches it with his cold deathly touch, and as he does, the box suddenly opens, revealing an inky darkness. The spell is ripped from his fingers into the box, and the box closes again.

We retire for the night.

Morning comes, and we have visitors. The two Americans have tracked us down, and they want their box back. The younger, Sampson, is wearing a magical blindfold.

We try to get some information out of them, but they say they are bound to secrecy. They do tell us they wish to cleanse Lucy's device, and provide her counseling. The other American, Frank Phillips, is working against Lucy, and is under the employ of a powerful organization, Kinder von Ušumgallu.

They're reluctant for us to be involved, but mention that Lucy is probably located in one of the many abandoned houses in the south end of town. Eventually, we agree to turn over the box (which Edwin goes up to get from Sidney upstairs), and we agree to inform the other if any of the other finds Lucy's location.

Oh, and the Kinder von Ušumgallu are dangerous. Stay away from their priest, Gabreiel Lavell, who accompanies the pinkerton Frank Phillips, as this priest is very dangerous.

Sidney lurks around town, and eventually comes up with Lucy West's location. We inform the two Americans, and we eventually all arrive at the house Sidney found. Sidney says she can see a lot of supernatural energy here, and it's growing.

The two Americans of the order tell us that Lucy has a stone tablet, and whatever we do, make sure we don't touch it.

We enter, and inside we see Frank Phillips and the priest Gabriel Lavell poking at some debris. The priest is very tall, and they're surprised to see us.

The pinkerton shoots at Edwin, as if to finish unfinished business, but one of our allies of the order casts some sort of protective spell on Edwin, deflecting the shot. Sidney leaps in and knocks the pinkerton out with two mighty blows.

I take aim at the priest, but he tackles me. We proceed to beat him up.

Two two of the order stop chanting, and they magically bind the two Kinder. Sidney searches their bodies, and finds two pistols. The priest is covered in tattoos.

Sampson and Gregory suggest we check downstairs, and we proceed down.

There's a lab here, with all sorts of equipment. Lucy is standing in front of us, and she looks haggard. However, after a few seconds, it flickers out, and is replaced with a temple like area. Once again, we see our ideal selves. Lucy looks younger and she breathes a sigh of relief.

Somnium. But our allies, who look mostly unchanged (only the younger looks a little older), tell us that this is not Somnium itself, but the essence of Somnium brought to Gothenburg. They find the stone tablet, and it is collected into their box. Lucy mentions that the tablet was found in some sort of Indian burial ground.

We look outside, and the sky is dark and forbidding. Sampson and Gregory assure us they will take of matters here, but insist that we leave immediately, as survival here is not ideal. They also mention they are aware of Vinotonus.

Gothenburg is a desolate wasteland. Behind us, the house glows with unnatural power. Shadow monsters dart in the darkness around us. Giggling preteens can also be seen in the streets.

We head directly to the Inn, and collect our effects. The dwarves are in a panic, so we send them where we just came from.

Outside of Gothenburg is strangely forested. Two paths extend in front of us. Left is glowing wisps, and to the right, a dirt path leads into the trees. We head right on the dirt path.

Towards bright orange light that shines through the trees.

To be continued...

Dan wants to continue this mission next week, which is just fine with Jess.