In reply to The Keeper (msg #82):

As ebullient as always, Storm exclaimed, "too bad I was escorting Ralph here and the good Doctor! I picked up a little knowledge of getting into locked supply rooms over the years while I was in the Army, I believe I can recall how to do that in the future if need be. Sorry for not bringing that up!"


Keeper's Note: I see Storm has some Locksmithing, therefore he can perform that service in the future if needed, although Darragh is of course much better at it than he!

In reply to Count Sigismund Bathony (msg #81):

"Would any of you folks care for some tea? Coffee? Please, let me get y'all something."

With Ralph's blessing he efficiently served them beverages and sandwiches.

In reply to Francis Simmons (msg #84):

Ralph accepted a cup of Indian tea and a deviled egg sandwich from Simmons.

"That is quite the story, Count! What a bounder, indeed. It brings to mind we don't know all that much about who was in the Carlyle expedition, as you say this "false Lord" accompanied them. Certainly, someone could have been added when they reached London. We shall research those involved further on the morrow, I wager."

"Africa's Dark Sects? That sound very familiar. I believe that was a book our friend Jackson Elias was seeking from the Harvard library! It went missing. As did the copy of Dark Sects here that was in the possession of the British Museum's reading room. Very interesting, not to mention suspicious. I should like to get my hands on a copy myself of this book."

He looked over at Dr. Weston.

"Doctor, what say you about what we found today? A few interesting and relevant pieces of information!"

In reply to The Keeper (msg #82):

The Detective Sergeant shoveled a watercress sandwich into his mouth and washed it down with some tea. He wiped his mouth on his sleeve and commenced talking as he chewed, which exacerbated his loutish Cockney accent. "Cor, I'm starving! That 'it the spot."

"Meself, oi couldn't cop nuffink out of that Tewffik bloke today at the Yard. 'E fancied 'avin' 'ave a go at yours truly 'e did, and oi would'a obloiged too roight. Oi 'ope yer 'ad yor wee fun messing at burglars today. Wot'd yer find there or at the library? Come on naow, don't everyone speak up at once!"

Once everyone has been refreshed with their light tea, Lampton has Simmons clear away the dishes and such, leaving the white cloth spread upon the table. He goes to his room and comes back with a cardboard box, which he places on the table.

"Here's the swag," he announces with a mischievous grin, "Perhaps, Darlington, you should avert your eyes."


He uncovers the box and lays out two sandstone vials, a silken skullcap, a black inverted Ankh, a black silk robe, two ebony sceptres, and a brass scroll tube. All appear to be Middle Eastern in style and workmanship.

"Well, Bathory, Fulty, what do you make of this lot?"

Cynthia addresses the Count. "Perhaps sir, since you seem so well-read on the topic, you might be able to assist us in deciphering this. We recovered it at Tefwik's. I'm hoping to scour the library tomorrow for clues, but frankly, I'm not even sure where to start looking."

She withdraws her etching of the mirror and lays it over the table, for all to see.

In reply to Howard Lampton (msg #87):

"Let's take a gander at that scroll and see if it is anything recognizable?"

The count steps forward and looks over the items arrayed before him. He carefully looked over the pieces taking in as much as possible. When Miss Holloway steps forward he asks;

"May I..."  before lifting up the piece of paper.

He stares at the drawing for sometime;

"You say this was from a mirror ?"

"Was the mirror above a piece of furniture ? Was it easily accessible ? Did it look like the mirror came off the wall a lot, I mean was there discolouration on the wall from it hanging there for sometime."

Park Lane Hotel

The Count examined the tracings Cyntia had made of the mirror frame, and they did seem somehow familiar. There were figures that were reptilian and vaguely humanoid, some wearing what appeared to be ceremonial dress. 

Carefully, John-Marc pulled out the scroll from the brass tube. It was made of papyrus, old but not ancient. Decades, maybe a century at most. Howard examined the papyrus closely and saw that on it was written a series of Egyptian hieroglyphs. For much of history (after the Emperor Theodosius I banned public writing of hieroglyphs in AD 394) their meaning was obscured and it was thought by the Romans to be some sort of purely symbolic, even mystical system of writing.

A hundred years ago, the discovery of the famous Rosetta Stone proved that while this may be true, hieroglyphs also functioned a conventional language, as phonetic sounds.

Aside from the tracing of the mirror frame, inside the box were some garments (a black silk skullcap and robe, both embroidered with an upside down Ankh in black thread. There was an inverted Ankh made from black metal on a metal neck chain. Further, there were two sealed sandstone vials and two black metal scepters (each a foot long, one tipped with a shepherd's (or Pharaoh's) crook and the other an inverted Ankh.

In reply to Howard Lampton (msg #87):

Fulty studied the scroll, looking puzzled.

"Hieroglyphics... I believe I've seen some of these before. I can't make head nor tails of this lot, though. Some kind of, what, religious rite?"

Leaving the translation and interpretation to Lampton, he moved onto the Sceptre, adjusting his glasses to peer at them, tapping them against the wooden table and then with a silver stirring spoon. "I'll be deviled if I recognise this metal. I thought it was iron of some kind, but they're far too light! From the sound, they're solid and not plated or hollow. But far too light."
This message was last edited by the player at 12:17, Tue 29 Nov 2011.

"Let me see what I can make of this," says Howard, bending over the scroll, "This will take a bit." He silent mouths syllables as he peruses it.

[ooc - Previous post should have been Fulty, not Lampton.]

"Indeed, you're right on both counts. It was hung in the bedroom, and clearly removed frequently. What do you make of it?"

"Well there is a muddling painter by the name of Miles Shipley who has garnered a following of sorts for his ghastly style of painting. Your rendering looks very much like his feeble work."

"Though from what you have said I would say the mirror is much earlier."
He pauses for a moment while still looking at the drawing.

"Yes indeed much earlier... how odd.

He puts the drawing back on the table before donning his gloves and lifting both of the black metal scepters. He holds them up to the light so he can study the detail on them.

In reply to Howard Lampton (msg #87):

Seeming to heed Howard's tongue-in-cheek advice, Darlington busied himself with demolishing the tea-time spread.

"Don't worry about me, squire, I ain't seen nuffink. You let me knaow quick-loike if you foind a murder weapon or signed confession in there, roight?"

Lampton looks up from the scroll. "This is something of a hash, actually.

"I'm not certain of the provenance, but I believe it to be of fairly recent origin, within the past century most likely. These are late period characters, properly used.

"It is some sort of ritual or formulary. Certain words to be spoken, gestures to be made. All to accomplish an effect called... near as I can discern, a body... warping, I suppose is the closest translation.

"The exact nature of the result isn't described, but it's attributed to someone or some thing called G'or-G'or-Uth, which is most odd. That doesn't seem Egyptian at all. More like... I don't know... Sumerian?"


He sets aside the scroll and takes up ihe ankh pendant.
This message was last edited by the player at 11:45, Wed 30 Nov 2011.

In reply to Howard Lampton (msg #97):

Howard felt he'd gleaned as much as he could from the scroll. Although the glyphs were correct and the language was Ancient Egyptian, the words were meaningless and what rituals they pertained to were not part of any body of Egyptian or Sumerian knowledge he was party to.

"Is a G'or-G'0r-Uth a good thing?"

Howard shrugs, "No idea really, Miss Holloway. But considering who we're dealing with, it seems doubtful."

"Is this body-warping common in Egyptian or Sumerian mythology? Do you know of any comparable myths?"

7 o'clock

Darkness fell over the city as over the next couple hours the group continued to examine the articles that had been found.

Lampton explained that Egyptian mythology featured many Gods with animal heads, although he was sure this wasn't the same thing. Sumerian mythology held no clear connection either.

Fulty examined the twin black sceptres.

He left the room, returning with a new-looking large leather case and a tripod. He opened it and took out a camera, also new with a black case. It was much smaller than expected.

"I took the opportunity to purchase this beauty today. I became quite handy with a camera on my digs, and developed my own film. In those days the cameras were much larger with no adjustable focal length, so bulky and awkward! This is a brand-new 35mm Lietz Lieca I camera, German made, just came out."

Fulty set up the tripod, camera and flashbulb. He arranged the other items on the white tablecloth to take pictures.

"Let me get some pictures of everything. I also bought the chemicals that will allow me to develop the film wherever it's needed, as long as I have a dark room."

He started taking pictures, and the room was filled with the strobes of the flashbulb. He paused after every shot to wind the camera and it made a quiet ratcheting noise, much smother and easier than earlier cameras which fed the film vertically.

"Excellent. You know, the black sceptres are very reminiscent of ancient Egypt. The crook symbolised the Pharaoh's role as political leader and shepherd of his people. The Ankh symbolises many things, among them strength and health, curious in that it's inverted. As well, Egyptians never wrought or depicted it in silver  like it is on the cap and gown, it's done in the the metal they associated with the sun: gold."

"I wish to make it clear, I believe I've never heard of anything quite like these sceptres, what with the black metal and inverted Ankh.

Placing the sceptres back on the table the Count takes a quick visual scan of the other items before picking up the scroll. He gave it a thorough going over as he would with any book. He gave the group a detailed analysis of the papers printing origin, manufacture date and it's sources geographical location.

"You said this man maybe involved in some sort of cult. Well we can probably safety assume the clothing are some sort of vestments of office or the like. As to what the vials are... probably used in rituals but who knows without more detailed analyses."

Bathony moves across the room towards Lampton:

"Could I make use of your telephone."

If given an affirmative answer. The count lifts the receiver and asks the operator;

"Covent Garden 24"

"Perkins....Bathony... Good, good, everything fine I trust. It's in relation to this auction tomorrow. Let the agent know our postal bid limited on the two manuscripts and the book of hours. He can go £10 pounds above our maximum and tell him to get the witch manuscript whatever it costs. Can you open at 10am tomorrow and close early around 2pm."

"Also let our people know we are looking for a copy of "Africa's Dark Sects" either to buy, borrow or if it exists in a public or private collection, do it through the agent, same terms plus 7 percent finders. I know but it is rare and unknown in a public collection."

"I probably won't be in as I have a few errands to run and I wont be at the auction obviously. I will see you on Monday. Thank you..... Goodbye"

Replacing the handset he lifts it again:

"Operator, Mayfair 98."

"Good evening... Count Bathony... is Mrs Evens at home."

"Sandra it is Sigismund... yes, yes but I have spent most of the day away from the shop..No not that I am aware of, Perkins is fine. I have to cancel our dinner plans, I have met an old friend who is in town."

"Also I won't be at Christies tomorrow, but my agent has new instructions so hopefully he will deliver it to you tomorrow night. I also may have something for you to look at... but I will say no more... yes  hmmmmmm.... yes that fine, until then goodbye."

Replacing the handset he turns to Mr Lampton:

"Thank you Lampton have the hotel send the bill to the shop."

"Well should we dine....either here or out ?"
This message was last edited by the player at 05:05, Sun 04 Dec 2011.

Finishing off the last of the crumpets, Darlington wandered over and cast a skeptical eye on their finds. "Well naow. Those dann't look loike our murder weapon. As loike to be a club wid' a large spoike or some such. Bugger."

He listened to Bathory's guess with a raised eye. "If our friend 'as any suspicion you lot nicked 'is gear, there'll be 'ell to pay, mark me words. You best be careful from 'ere on out, expect the gloves to come off right proper and these boys play rough, they do."

"Is me warnin' crystal to you lot?"

He then turned to Webley. "Phil, me lad, tell me all about the encounter what you 'ad in that alley. Those blokes, what'd they say, what'd they look loike?"
This message was last edited by the GM at 10:36, Sun 04 Dec 2011.

His analysis was professional and accurate. The scroll was made from authentic papyrus, not the imitation material that passed for it these days after English society went mad over anything Egyptian since the discovery of King Tut's tomb a few years ago. It was perhaps a century old, as was the writing, which seemed to have been scribed by a traditional papyrus reed brush.

Remarkably, he described how the scroll was made from authentic Cyperus papyrus reeds, commonly known as papyrus. The reed still grew along the Nile and was used for various purposes like fuel, weaving into mats, baskets and sandals. However, it hadn't been produced for some thousand years, ever since Arab traders had introduced methods of making paper from pulped wood. This was significant but the meaning is clear.

All his other personal business was conducted without a hitch. Again, everyone was reminded of the book "Africa's Dark Sects", a book that seemed rather difficult to locate and, in, fact, something of which they knew almost nothing about.

Keeper's Notes: My apologies, Lampton would have recognised before that Papyrus was an unusual material and hadn't been produced in over a thousand years. Not really a retcon but I could have made that clearer. Also, interestingly enough, London and many other UK cities had automatic exchanges at this time. Unlike the USA, telephones were a more modern 1-piece handset instead of the old-fashioned 2-piece separate earpiece and microphone attached to the base.

"Given the sergeant's warnings, perhaps best we ate in when we can. I'm sure we'll tire of the menu soon, but it's better than the alternative.

"So now that we have this, what is the plan for the morrow? I've never been very bookish. I hope it's not just another day in the library."