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11:49, 28th March 2024 (GMT+0)

Grimsby at the Consul.

Posted by GM StarMasterFor group 0
GM StarMaster
GM, 138 posts
Thu 1 May 2014
at 20:50
  • msg #1

Grimsby at the Consul

Grimsby only had to wait about three minutes before the consul agreed to see him. He was escorted to the consul's office by a junior consul and shown in. The junior consul then left, closing the door behind him.

The door was one of those frosted glass-paneled doors with the name stenciled across it:
Sir Ambrose Farthingstoke, Esq. RVOLt
Consul of the United Kingdom.


As Grimsby walked in, the man behind the desk rose and extended a hand in greeting.

"Pleased to meet you, Mr. Baskerville," the man said. "I'm Ambrose Farthingstoke, British Consul here in Marseille. Nothing much goes on here, which is the way I like it. I'm mostly a watchdog for suspicious activities around the islands."

"Now what brings you into my office?"

Grimsby Baskerville
player, 98 posts
A Colonial agent
and wandering scholar
Fri 2 May 2014
at 00:47
  • msg #2

Re: Grimsby at the Consul

Grimsby smiled slightly and said "Suspicious activities are precisely what I am interested in, as you can see from my card. I believe my colleague Bruce-Partington at the Foreign Office can vouch for me." (Bruce-Partington was a code word confirming his card's mark that he was a British agent.) "On Her Majesty's service I am presently in pursuit of a cargo of Cavorite stolen from Scotland and believed to be en route to Graustark. I doubt very much that the airship involved would proclaim either its origin or its destination, but have you heard anything of an uncommonly swift airship passing nearby headed east, possibly making a hasty, furtive stop for supplies?"
GM StarMaster
GM, 140 posts
Fri 2 May 2014
at 01:55
  • msg #3

Re: Grimsby at the Consul

"How peculiar!" Ambrose replies with astonishment. "It hasn't been but an hour before you entered that I received a memo from Captain Donovan! He spotted a black airship landed in Roquevaire!"

"Of course, I'm sure Mr. Bruce-Partington will vouch for you, but it hardly seems necessary. Cavorite, you say? I don't believe I've ever heard of it."

"Anyway, this black airship caught the captain's eye. Curiosity, don't you know? Not a common sight. It appeared to be refueled and re-supplied from a wagon. When he approached, purely out of curiosity, they shot at him!"

"In his book... and mine!... that counts as suspicious activity. Whatever they were up to, they didn't want anyone else knowing it!"

"That'd be about two hours ago now. It required 20 minutes to take on supplies, and then it flew off to the southeast."

This message was lightly edited by the GM at 21:03, Thu 08 May 2014.
Grimsby Baskerville
player, 99 posts
A Colonial agent
and wandering scholar
Sat 3 May 2014
at 04:11
  • msg #4

Re: Grimsby at the Consul

Grimsby exclaimed "Indeed! A black airship --precisely what we are seeking --taking on supplies, shooting at passers-bye, and heading southeast. It must be the one. By your leave, I should return to my own airship forthwith to set her on the track, if one can speak of tracks in the air. Unless, of course, you have learned anything further that might be of use."
GM StarMaster
GM, 143 posts
Thu 8 May 2014
at 21:01
  • msg #5

Re: Grimsby at the Consul

"Nothing else has come across my desk," Ambrose replies. "But then such things often take hours if not days to reach me. I sometimes worry that the downfall of the Empire will be its sluggishness to act."

"The telegraph has done much to alleviate that, but secret codes don't transmit well or else are too easy to break."

"Do you wish me to cable you in Graustark if I learn of anything more?"

Grimsby Baskerville
player, 101 posts
A Colonial agent
and wandering scholar
Tue 13 May 2014
at 02:46
  • msg #6

Re: Grimsby at the Consul

Grimsby said, "Too true. Even with the telegraph, the empire can be too slow.  Look at poor Gordon. So I had best see that the mission I am on now is not delayed.  But if you do learn anything further, just cable in diplomatic code to the British envoy in Edelweiss -- at least the Graustarkian capital has telegraph. I will be in touch with him."
He rose and bowed saying, "Meanwhile, my thanks for your information, and I shall be returning to my ship."
Grimsby leaves the consulate, casting a keen glance about to ascertain that he was not followed, and walked back toward the airship through the dark streets with care, not losing time but not hurrying enough to attract attention.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:52, Tue 13 May 2014.
GM StarMaster
GM, 144 posts
Thu 15 May 2014
at 03:17
  • msg #7

Re: Grimsby at the Consul

When Grimsby leaves the Consul, he carefully looks around to see if he's being followed. Although he's not really expecting anyone to be following him, one can never be too careful.

His precaution proves prudent, as he actually spots two individuals that begin following him when he leaves the Consul. They are fairly competent, splitting up and each taking a different side of the street.

He's seen their kind before: they look much like the two would-be assassins from the Gas Lamp Club, just with a French overlay.
Grimsby Baskerville
player, 103 posts
A Colonial agent
and wandering scholar
Fri 16 May 2014
at 00:26
  • msg #8

Re: Grimsby at the Consul

Grimsby unobtrusively gets his right hand on the derringer that is always in his pocket. He will fight if need be, but he would prefer not to take on two apparently competent ruffians alone. He tries to keep to the better-lighted streets and is alert for the chance of a passing cab he might hail.
GM StarMaster
GM, 149 posts
Wed 28 May 2014
at 04:29
  • msg #9

Re: Grimsby at the Consul

Following the lighted streets actually takes Grimsby down to the docks, as only shipping-related businesses are open at this hour of the night.

He's seen this phenomenon in London: when you need a cab, there are none to be seen; and when you don't need one, they are everywhere.

At first, Grimsby thinks he's got the situation under control but he soon begins to feel as if he's being 'herded' by the two men when he realizes they aren't trying to hide any more. Of course, as long as he stays on lit streets, there's not too many places they can hide or lurk.


Just then, a carriage finally comes down the street.
Grimsby Baskerville
player, 109 posts
A Colonial agent
and wandering scholar
Thu 29 May 2014
at 03:52
  • msg #10

Re: Grimsby at the Consul

Grimsby eyes the carriage with a mix of relief and suspicion -- is it an honest cab that will give him a chance to get away?  Or have the men been herding him precisely in order to set a trap? Unless he sees something clearly suspicious, though, he will raise an arm to hail it.
Grimsby Baskerville
player, 113 posts
A Colonial agent
and wandering scholar
Tue 3 Jun 2014
at 03:54
  • msg #11

Re: Grimsby at the Consul

Seeing no sign of response from the carriage. Grimsby takes the risk of stepping into its path.  Will it pull up or try to run him down?  If the latter, he is poised to leap clear.
GM StarMaster
GM, 151 posts
Tue 3 Jun 2014
at 20:03
  • msg #12

Re: Grimsby at the Consul

When Grimsby steps out in front of the cab, the cab finally stops.

"Sorry, m'sieur, I did not see you. It is late and I was heading home. I may have nodded off for a moment. Starbolt here knows the way home." He nods at the horse.

"He used to be a race horse back in the day... a pretty good one, too."


As Grimsby starts to climb into the cab, two things catch his eye... perhaps even three things! He sees movement within... merely a shifting of the darkness. The closest of his followers has started running toward him.

The third thing is that he's lost sight of the other pursuer.
Grimsby Baskerville
player, 114 posts
A Colonial agent
and wandering scholar
Wed 4 Jun 2014
at 22:27
  • msg #13

Re: Grimsby at the Consul

Making a snap decision that (hopefully) one possible opponent inside the carriage is better than two outside, Grimsby tells the driver, "To the airship docks, and let Starbolt show that racing speed. Five guineas in English gold if he gets us there safe and soon."
 He swings himself aboard, jabbing his derringer in the general direction of the motion he saw in the darkness. hoping to get it against the body of whoever might be there, and hissing "Keep still, whoever you are."
GM StarMaster
GM, 153 posts
Thu 5 Jun 2014
at 00:57
  • msg #14

Re: Grimsby at the Consul

The tactic might have worked if Grimsby could actually see his target, but a glint of gold from a streetlight gives him scant warning about the cane that slams down on the wrist holding the derringer.

A moment later, the report of a revolver goes off in the cab and the bullet zips through Grimsby's jacket and embeds itself in the inside of the cab. In the brief flash of the gun, Grimsby sees a man dressed much like himself, but with a scarf pulled partially over his face, leaving only dark eyes revealed.


Whether Starbolt is frightened by the loud report is unclear, though it seems more likely that he thinks it the start of the race, for he leaps forward like a (star)bolt from hell!

As the lurching cab sways side to side in its mad dash down the street, Grimsby catches a glimpse of the other two men running behind, but they aren't about to catch Starbolt in the short haul.
Grimsby Baskerville
player, 116 posts
A Colonial agent
and wandering scholar
Thu 5 Jun 2014
at 23:30
  • msg #15

Re: Grimsby at the Consul

When the cane lands on his wrist, Grimsby gives a grunt of pain, but hangs on to the derringer, reflexively firing in the direction from which the blow came. With his other (left) hand, he makes a swift lunge, seeking to grip the arm that holds his enemy's pistol and force it down.

GM StarMaster
GM, 155 posts
Sun 8 Jun 2014
at 23:37
  • msg #16

Re: Grimsby at the Consul

I left it open as to whether Grimsby retained his derringer; if I thought it would have been dropped, I would have said so. I left it up to you to decide how you wanted to role-play it.


In the momentary light of the muzzle flash, Grimsby could see that there was a lone assailant, with a cane in his left hand and a revolver in his right.

Just as Grimsby moved his arm and hand to grab his assailant's gunhand, so too did the masked man move to re-aim his gun. Neither would have been successful had it not been for the lurching of the cab as it clattered over the rough road.

The movement threw the assailant back in his seat, forcing his arm upward slightly, right into Grimsby's grasping hand.

Grimsby's other hand fired his derringer. Once again, the bouncing cab worked in Grimsby's favor, as the derringer's bullet struck the cane just above the hand, forcing him to drop it.

The other man might actually have been stronger than Grimsby, but it was a close contest. He couldn't get a good shot now on Grimsby, but he fired anyway. The report was loud and bright, mildly disorienting to Grimsby, but the other man was quick to take advantage. He struck out with his now-empty hand and connected with the side of Grimsby's head.

It drove Grimsby back a bit, aided by the rocking carriage.

Grimsby had never had a chance to close and secure the door on his side. Now, another sudden lurch of the cab sent the masked man sailing over Grimsby's head and out the door!

By the time Grimsby recovered, the man was far behind the racing horse.

In the aftermath, Grimsby isn't sure whether the man jumped out, was accidentally thrown out, or if he instinctively tossed him out. However, in the last second before he exited the cab, a stray beam of light from one of the streetlights flickered across the man's hand, and Grimsby was pretty sure he saw the Vril Society symbol tattooed to the back of the man's hand.

In the next moment, there was a resounding crash and Grimsby is flung forward into the front wall of the cab.
This message was last edited by the GM at 19:10, Thu 19 June 2014.
Grimsby Baskerville
player, 117 posts
A Colonial agent
and wandering scholar
Mon 9 Jun 2014
at 00:19
  • msg #17

Re: Grimsby at the Consul

Grimsby finding himself hurtling into the front of the cab, does his best to brace himself to cushion the shock of hitting the front wall. His arms take the brunt of the collision, and the pain to his right arm, already hurt by the cane, is now almost more than even the hardened agent can bear. However, he contrives to protect his head and is still conscious, though groggy. He does his best to shift around and get a glimpse out the carriage door to see what the condition of the carriage is and whether any of his late assailants are still in pursuit.
Grimsby Baskerville
player, 119 posts
A Colonial agent
and wandering scholar
Wed 18 Jun 2014
at 01:16
  • msg #18

Re: Grimsby at the Consul

Grimsby, pleasantly surprised to see a few familiar friendly faces --as well as unfamiliar ones who seem to be on good terms with his known companions -- extricates himself from the remains of his cab. (Join Dash and Stella)
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