Bellgrove scratches his chin, "I do not know."

With a sigh he rubs his forehead, "Let's see.... What do we have? It seems as if this tape was integral to the machine's operation. These ashes suggest that either the tape was burnt in the process of sending, but since that does not seem to be what we saw... Perhaps the message sent is on this tape and the wise user burn the remains? We shall take a look at the spent tape that is unburnt..."

And having spoken he begins looking at the tape that is currently in the machine to see if there's anything that further than indicates how the device works and whether or not messages sent are left on the tape in the machine.

The device on the table is a box with a few dials and switches on it. In that respect, it doesn't look like anything Bellgrove has ever seen before.

However, there are parts of the box that fold out. One such part is a telegraph key but with a spark-gap emitter. The other part is the ticker tape device.

Since the man was still operating the device when you burst into the room, he wouldn't have had time to put the paper tape into his pocket. Also, the tape mechanism isn't anywhere near the ashtray. The ashes in the tray are most likely from previous transmissions that were burned after they weren't needed.

The paper tape from the man's pockets has a series of holes punched in it. It looks like Morse code.

The small device in the man's pocket just vibrates when turned on.

Bellgrove couldn't figure out the device, but that inspired little more than a sigh as we had not expected that he would manage to understand. Rather he looked at the tape the man had in his pockets, "Wait... This might tell us something."

Dash assumes a feigned look of surprise.

"What?!" he squeeks out, "You mean that that wasn't Professor Cavor who ran off? My associates were so certain it was him! No, no, of course they wouldn't hurt your associate -- they think he's Cavor!"

"That being the case, however, you are correct, Miss Iburra, better safe than sorry. Perhaps we should go and correct this misunderstanding." Dash gestures towards the door Iburras cohort had fled the roof via, earlier, "After you, Senorita." he says with a pleasant smile.

As a reporter who often had to file a story via telegraph, Bellgrove had learned Morse code, so while it is hard to learn to read it from a paper, it can be 'translated' into words. There is paper and pens in the room that he can do his translation.

'G-I-V-E  P-R-E-S-E-N-T  T-O-N-I-G-H-T  A-T  M-I-D-N-I-G-H-T'



Meanwhile, Iburra replies to Dash as she heads through the door.

"I have no idea where he's run off to, but I suppose he might have gone down to the lab in the dungeon."

She leads the way down to the lab where the others are, and you discover that they have, indeed, shot her associate.

"Oh, my God! They've murdered him! GUARD! GUARD!" she begins yelling as she turns and runs back the way you came.
This message was last edited by the GM at 06:16, Sat 14 Mar 2015.

Bellgrove shows Grimbsby what he has transcribed, "It seems that somebody is to receive a gift at midnight."

In order to do the transcription he had holstered his pistol, so when others enter he is leaning over a desk upon which the transcription lays. When he hears the woman's cry he looks up surprised and says in a low voice, "It seems we have an international incident here, my friend."

In reply to Bellgrove G. B. Wander (msg # 303):

Grimsby mutters "Could be awkward. Must hope the consul can speak for us. Explaining the Vril
to the locals may be hard.  Wonder if this lady is one." However,  he pocketed his gun and
assumed an air of patience.

"Bollocks that, let's get the hell out of here," Connor, who had been rather quiet up until this point as he observed the proceedings, growled to Grimsby and Bellgrove impatiently, the felinoid none too keen to be thrown into another cage...

He was of course quite curious to understand what was really going on in this strange place, but when somebody shouts bloody murder for guards, in his opinion it was time to skedaddle no matter what the circumstances, people tended to jail first ask questions later....

In reply to Connor Holmes (msg # 305):

OOC: Sorry it's taken so long to post; just kinda lost the time...


Dash had been expecting something like this -- well, he wasn't expecting to find a body apparently dead on the floor! -- which was why he'd wrangled things such that Senorita Iburra had preceeded him down here.

So, while there is little he can do about her shouts, when she turns to run out of the lab, it is to not only find Dash blocking her way, but also to find him pointing his short-barreled Mauser at her.

"I'm afraid you'll need to stay with us for a little while longer, Senorita." Dash said with serious demeanor, "And do stop your shrieking. While I may be a Boston Gentleman, I also fought in Cuba, and I am not abouve pistol-whipping a Spaniard into silence."

Without taking his eyes from Iburra, Dash adresses his companions, "By Thunder, fellas, did you have to kill the bloke?" he asks while trying to kick the lab door, behind him, into some semblance of closed, "How's he going to tell us anything? At least tell me he was Vril!"

"It appears that he was. We did not mean to kill him, but he refused to stop sending when we warned him we would shoot if he did not stop doing so."

He moves forward and hands the message he transcribed to Dash and passes the device to Connor, "He was using this to send it."

In reply to Denholm Hawkesbury (msg # 306):

Grimsby gratefully responded to Dash, "Very good timing,
Mr. Hawkesbury." He stepped briskly over to Iburra and examined
her wrist for the Vril tattoo, while continuing, "Still, Mr. Holmes has
a point too. We don't want a fight with Graustarkian guards if we can avoid it.
We owe them an explanation, but not now."

Connor accepted the sending device without comment, turning it over in his handpaws and examining it for the time being. "It's a wireless telegraph, a lot like what Mr. Tesla and Mr. Marconi have put out, although I've never seen one this small before, everything's been miniaturized inside and the capacity's been boosted, you could get a message just about anywhere in the world with this. There are several parts I don't recognize, although I'd hazard an educated guess that they have to do with encrypting the signals this apparatus puts out," he said after a few moments, looking up at the others, then at the Spanish lady, his expression becoming critical, for with his sensitve hearing he hadn't appreciated her screaming...

There seems to be some sort of misunderstanding. The device that sends and receives messages is about the size of a suitcase. It was sitting on a desk in the corner, though, in fact, it can be closed up like a suitcase and carried around that way. The small device that was found in the dead man's pocket is only about the size of a matchbox.


A casual examination of Iburra's hand wouldn't spot the Vril tattoo that's covered up by makeup, but since Grimsby is specifically looking for it, he sees that it is there.

Connor is on the right track. There's no encryption capability on the large machine on the desk, but the paper tape device is integral to it. It can be turned on to record a received message or to record a transmitted message. It can also be used to transmit a message without anyone there.

The small device seems to have some parts not unlike what Tesla is known to use. It has nothing to do with Hertzian waves, though.

In reply to GM StarMaster (msg # 310):

"I'm going to assume from this..." Dash holds up the scrap of paper that Bellgrove had decoded the Hertzian message upon, "...that these two Vril thugs had planned to either kill someone or destroy something important, here in Graustark, tonight. And, since we already suspected they were up to no good in regards to the Princess, I know which one I'd bet money on."

Dash glares at Iburra, but speaks to Grimsby, "Grimsby, my well-connected British friend, you might consider me just an uncouth Colonial for this, but I just really don't see any reason to let the Senorita, here, live. The Vril have tried to kill us three times, now, and have come dangerously close; Bellgrove and myself having been shot, and I had my back burned most unpleasantly."

"Now, we haven't been in Graustark all that long, we've met few enough people. And I know that you know I was bluffing, back in Scotland, but just now I am deadly serious..."

Dash raises his 7.62mm automatic pistol and points it at the center of Iburra's forehead.

"But if this homicidal fanatic does not tell us what they want with Cavor, and were we can find him, I am going to put a very large hole in the middle of her face. After which I suggest a quick tea and sandwiches, then head back to the blimp and Get the Hell out of Dodge, as they say."

"That won't be necessary," Sargent deCostas says as the door swings open to reveal the bright red jacket of the Sargent-At-Arms and Mercy. "Miss Kincaid has explained the situation to me. Not all of our dungeon cells have been converted to luxurious offices such as this one, so I'm sure we can find an accommodation for Miss Iburra."

"As a foreign national engaging in nefarious activities, our laws allow us to detain Miss Iburra for... a long time, whether she talks or not... until a trial can be held. Our magistrate is currently on vacation in Frontenerra. The beach attractions appeal to his... prurient interests, shall we say?"

"It is uncertain when he will return."

"As for the unfortunate gentleman on the floor, I confess I thought he had a mean look to him, even though he claimed to be an inventor. And he had a temper. I was sure that he would shoot someone before long. I must further confess, though, that I did not expect anyone to shoot back!"

All the while he spoke, he was studying the various pieces of furniture and other apparatus in the room, moving about as he did so.

"I shall have to have the Triad look at these possessions to see if they might be directly involved in Miss Iburra's nefarious activities, in which case I shall have to confiscate it."

"I've temporarily deputized Miss Kincaid so that she might escort Miss Iburra to her new accommodations. We wouldn't want Miss Iburra to make any claims of impropriety, now, would we?"

"Miss Kincaid, if you'll escort Miss Iburra down the hall..."

"And gentlemen, I would appreciate you stopping by my office, at your convenience, of course, and writing a brief report on this incident. For the record."

He turns to leave at that point. His own gun is not drawn, but you get the distinct impression he knows how to use it.

"The answer to your question," Mercy adds, "is that they believe Professor Cavor has the solution to making a dynasphere fly... or at least float."

"I was discussing the issue with the Triad. They've theorized that if the dynasphere can float or fly, an armored aircraft could be built around it that wouldn't need hydrogen to support it."

"While I can't see the Vril Society constructing such a ship on their own, as probable anarchists, they could easily pass on that engineering ability to one of the Balkan countries, such as Bulgaria."

"I'll meet you back upstairs. Oh, and if you fellas would be so kind as to carry the body upstairs so we can dispose of it properly?"

In reply to Mercy Kincaid (msg # 313):

Grimsby sighed and remarked "I was hoping Mr. Hawkesbury's offer would persuade the Vril lady to talk, but it seems we have been
preempted. At least Miss Kinkaid has learned what this is about. But I wonder how
a flying dynosphere relates to the sinister "present." Do we have 2 plots here , or just one?"

In reply to Mercy Kincaid (msg # 313):

All during Sargeant deCostas' exposition, Dashs aim -- and angry glare -- never waivered. It wasn't until Mercy moved into his field of vision to take Iburra into her custody, that he slowly raised his pistol, and flipped the safety.

"Miss Mercy, if you would," Dash says without inflection, "Humor me by pointing that lightning pistol of yours at this...woman...and use it if she even so much as blinks the wrong way. She's Vril, and she will kill you if she can."

Dash turned to face Grimsby as that worthy asked his question. Dash -- used to thinking interms of complicated, twisting business deals, considered the question.

"One plot, I think, my friend." Dash says, "But a plot composed of multiple parts. First we have Cavor, who is seeking a metal that will shield out the force of gravity. Then there is this dynasphere, here in Graustark; a floating magnetodynamic generator. And finally we have a clue that something has happened, or will soon happen, in Bourbony -- is anyone aware of any recent developments of technology in Bourbony?" Dash gives each of his companions an inquisitive look.

"Anyway, I think our Miss Mercy may have hit the nail on the head -- I believe our enemy is in the process of creating an armored flying engine of destruction."

"All of which doesn't help us locate Professor Cavor -- unless he's still on the black zeppelin." Dash frowns, "Well, I suppose there's nothing else for it. We must go to Bourbony."

Through the fast moving minutes that passed Bellgrove stood ready, but silent taking. When Mercy comes in with the Sergeant at Arms he is surprised and impressed. He gives her an appreciative nod.

In response to Dash and Grimsby's exchange he shrugs, "I am coming into this matter late, so if Bourbony seems like the next reasonable stop, so be it. We still have whatever is to occur at Midnight to consider, though. Assuming that this was not some sort of code. Do either of these Viril have code books on them or in their gear?

"Sergeant at Arms, were these two lodged within the Castle?"

Turning to Conner, "If we could tell where this machine sent this message that might help, eh?"

In reply to Bellgrove G. B. Wander (msg # 316):

"Miss Kinkaid's theory is plausible, but  I agree that the matter of the "present" is more urgent.
said Grimsby. Turning to Costas he asked, "Do you know anything of a gift to Her Highness
Princess Yetive?"

"I have never heard of this Vril Society," Sargent Costas replies. "Do they have some sort of mandate?"

"Yes, they have rooms here in the castle, in the guest wing."

"I am not aware of any gift they may have given the Princess. They made the usual token appearance before her when they arrived to thank her for the opportunity to work with the Triad, but they have not been in her presence since then."

"Could that item that was in his pocket be a gift? The Princess does like the new devices that are being invented daily it seems."


Neither the corpse or Miss Iburra has any codebooks on them.

"Yes, that's probably a prudent idea, Dash," Mercy replies to Dash as she pulls her gun out of her purse and points it at Iburra.

"As for where the message was sent, I would guess it was sent to the Black Ship alerting them that we were still on their trail."

"Unless you can transmit Hertzian waves in a tight beam at a specified target, the signal just goes out everywhere in all directions."

"True, but you can triangulate a transmitter's location if you have the right frequency, not that this equipment has anything to do with traditional Hertzian radio waves, although it is marginally similar, it is an impressive bit of gadgetry..." Connor said, still turning over the miniature device in his handpaws as he looked over the suitcase sized transmitter/receiver, intending to fold it up and take it with him so he could work a little engineering magic on it to make a tracker if there wasn't any.


"Right, all this speculation is wonderfully stimulating to the little grey cells, but without any hard data, it is useless. We know they have a plan, but we're not sure for whom or to what end, and given the sinister nature of the Vrill society, I think we should jolly well get cracking, there may be dire consequences to our failure."

Saying nothing more, the felinoid turned his attention to the suspected Vrill agent, abruptly seizing her by the chin and forcing her mouth open, apparently inspecting her teeth, although he kept out of the line of fire should she try something and Dash or Mercy be forced to put a bullet right between her eyes. "Checking for a cyanide capsule, some agents have a false tooth they can clamp down on and release the poison into their body to prevent them for spilling any secrets." If he didn't find anything, Connor would let her go without any further action, but if he did, he was more than capable of fishing out a fake tooth so they'd have a live subject to interrogate.
This message was last edited by the player at 03:29, Thu 19 Mar 2015.

In reply to Connor Holmes (msg # 320):

Grimsby looked a trifle chagrined, and murmured "I should have thought of that."
More loudly, he added "While you are looking. Mr. Holmes, you had best make sure she has
 no hidden weapons. The Vril we have met so far are more homicidal than suicidal."

Connor searches Miss Iburra for a secret tooth, but does not find one. Mercy already searched her for weapons, hidden or otherwise, and didn't find any; Connor's follow-up search doesn't turn up any either.

As near as Connor can tell, the small device in his hand has nothing to do with the Hertzian wave device.