Spider shrugged at Jack.  "You talk to her.  Maybe she'll appreciate a mage-to-mage conversation."

The Serbian Problem pt 17

Spider settled back to watch Jack try to reason with the woman, alert to any trouble she might offer.

"You will never understand," the Countess said dismissively.  She almost managed to look haughty in a thick covering of blue paint.  She shook her head, splattering a few drops of the paint from her blonde hair, as if weary of it all.   "It is far beyond these borders, what I must do, far beyond your needs, your...investigation, and if a few people die, that is the way it must be.  Anika Vukanovic was one of our agents and she was feeding the bijeda.  It was intended to close the embassy and that has happened."  She shook her head again, wobbling a little.  "That - that stupid man - how can anyone learn so much and still be so stupid - he's gone.  He went away.  Said, he had to learn something else."  She swayed again, as if drunk, and laughed.  "End this ?  Why, why would I want to end ?  To end what ?  It is what I am to do."

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GM: Actions, etc, for the next few minutes of game time, please respond by Saturday, 4 December, next post Sunday.  Hope all is well with you and the Holidays are beginning to be busy.
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Spider finally said, "But why?  Why do you want, or need the embassy closed?  What's your ultimate goal?"

In reply to The GM (msg # 83):

Nolan's mind worked furiously in an attempt to catch up to Diana based on the sparse information she gave him. She was a BPRD agent assigned to track down Luke who, according to her, had gone rogue. That would definitely explain his admonition to keep Ben out of it. Luke was her trainer as well, he noted.

"A pleasure, Miss Maxwell. Pardon me but did you mention time travel and alternate dimensions? Also, in what way has this 'Luke', did you say his name was, gone rogue. I need to make sure I understand why I need to be on the look-out for him and what dangers he offers. Maybe you could start from the beginning? The future, maybe, given the mention of time travel? Finally, what consequences are you referring to?"

"Forgive all the questions but I am fairly new agent, after all." he said with a wink.

Jack feels his stomach drop out at the countess's unexpected revelation and sits in silent shock for a moment. Despite all the horrors he has witnessed, the fact that a fellow human would try to use otherworldly evil for their own gain still manages to take him by surprise.
     Spider's equally surprised question brings Jack back to himself. He has to restrain himself from grabbing the woman and shaking her. He can't help raising his voice, though.
      "What?! What are you talking about? Why on earth would you do that?!" He stops himself and takes a breath, then continues in a more normal tone.
     "All right. What is it you are to do? How far does this extend? Who told you to do this? Is it about the coming war? I doubt the doctor would have gone along with this -- is that why he left you on your own? Is it really worth the lives of those innocent people? The life of that little girl? I want to hear your justification."
     Even as he is asking his questions, Jack begins thinking of another possibility. The countess seems to be unsteady -- maybe she is under the control of someone (or something) else. He tries to come up with some method of freeing her from outside influence, using the materials they have (holy water, oil of the saints, etc.). If he can think of such a plan that he can perform here and now, he will do so, acting quickly and asking Spider to hold the woman still if necessary. On the other hand, if it seems too big a project to attempt on the street, he will simply suggest that they take her somewhere secure and secluded, and call for assistance from the other agents to try to free her, or at least question her.

The Serbian Problem pt 17

The Countess' horrible confession was enough to set Jack back, but what really chilled his soul was her derisive laugh at his demand for an explanation.   "What is you try to do, Agents, saving this world ?  It is lost, was lost, ages before.  Only those willing to pay price have any stake in this world.  Anyone who knows sila, zlaya magia, knows....."

 She swayed again, then simply folded up, Spider holding her, such that she didn't hit the floor of the Model T.  Her head slung back, still dripping blue paint, and she snored in a sudden sleep.  Spider also noticed something else - where the blue paint had dripped on him, the skin felt slightly numb.  The holy water did rinse a little paint off, but the woman was covered with it.  The nearest fountain was several blocks away, and would surely attract a lot of attention - a blue-painted woman was already drawing concerned stares.  As tempting as it might be to pitch the vile Countess into the Potomac river, it may cause more problems than it might solve.  The two agents elect to move along - but to take her to the Grey Building would enable her to find it again, if she could pass by the wards.  The woman seems to be in a deep sleep.  Shaking her only produces some mumbled Russian.  Clearly there was something afoot, and it did not look good, if this despicable creature was blithely killing people.

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GM: actions, etc please for the next few minutes of game time, please respond by Saturday 11 December, next post Sunday.  Hope you are all well and managing to deal with the holiday rush.
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Field Assignment: Nolan pt 5

Diana Maxwell looked into her empty coffee mug, then sighed, looking quite sad.  "I miss the Brewmaster.  Yes, Agent Nolan, I did, but it won't help you to tell anyone; they'll think you're crazy.  Lucius was one of the first to be pulled out of the outer dimensions.  He'd been in a place that no one survives for days, but he survived for years.  He was my mentor, my friend, and now, my target.  We need to find him before he disrupts the timeline.  You know by now that there's a time machine in the Grey Building, it's something every agent receives a warning about on their first day.  There will be one there when I am hired - a long time from now.  I can't tell you about the future.  Just that - so you might know, maybe to save you some worry - that we are watching the timeline.  If we can help, we do, but not to the point of causing timeline instability.  When he comes back to bother you, just, please tell him to stop this and go be retired and happy."  She swept up from her seat in a rustle of black leather, and strode from the cafe, the wood door slamming shut behind her.
"Whew," said the man at the counter next to Nolan, looking up from his coffee.  "Thought she'd never leave."  Nolan looked over at the man - and saw the same merry grin that Luke Macey had - but this version was at least twenty-five years younger, with thick salt-and-pepper hair.  "Yes, I know, this is the first time I met you, Mr. Nolan.  She worries too much.  I really got bald too, Jupiter's balls have more hair on them.  So, what I have to tell you, that the expedition south is very dangerous and that Ben will not survive it.  You must be sure of that, but if you tell him, it will change the timeline too much.   Knowing the future isn't always the same as being able to affect it, but he is the White Mage, so...I am cautious.  You are going to see some very terrible things.  Then there will be a war.  It is a war that will make the last one look like a school kid fight.  Stay behind the werewolf."   He waved at the waitress for more coffee, the thick gold ring flashing.  "So, what else do you want to know ?  She won't be able to find me for another few minutes, because she's looking for the wrong me."

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GM: actions, etc please for the next few minutes of game time, please respond by Saturday 11 December, next post Sunday.   Hope you are all well and managing to deal with the holiday rush.
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In reply to The GM (msg # 91):

Nolan looked at Luke, the younger, for only the barest of moments before his mind caught up to the situation. The good news was that he finally seemed to be adjusting to the myriad events, all of which he would have previously considered impossible, that whirled about him. Time travel, ghouls, magicians, werewolves? Sure, why not?

"Well, since you're asking." Nolan said with a smile. "Is Diana on the level and, if so, why is she looking for you? What are you trying to accomplish in the timeline? Ben is the White Mage? What is the White Mage anyway? Who or what is the werewolf and where can I find him or her or...it? What is the southern expedition and if I can't tell Ben, can I go with and help him without his knowledge? Are you sure it would effect the timeline to greatly for him to know?" He paused for a breath. "Wait, there is going to be another war?"

Jack looks grim at Spider’s revelation about the numbness, and hurriedly wipes off any paint on himself with a handkerchief.
“So the painter poisoned her. This keeps getting better. I’d like to chase him, but I don’t think we should split up. I could use the wand to get the paint off her — maybe open a fire hydrant or something — but I’m not going to kill myself for her sake, even if we need her information. Let’s take her to that new hospital, Gallinger. It’s at Independence and 19th Southeast, by the Anacostia River.” He starts to drive as he continues. “We’ll tell them she’s been poisoned and see if they can get it off her. Don’t get any more on you!”

Spider pursed his lips.  There seemed to be no good options to deal with this woman.  Then he smiled and turned to Jack. "What say we take her to the embassy?  It's closed,like she wanted, so it ought to be deserted.  Maybe we can get more information from her.  Or maybe she can communicate with the spirit there."

The Serbian Problem pt 18

Jack realised that the paint was somehow causing the soporific effects on the Countess. They follow up on his idea as Spider suddenly starts yawning.  They park at the hospital and hail some orderlies to come fetch the woman.  It takes a couple of hours, but she's washed, dressed in a plain shift and settled into a bed.  Without makeup, her blonde hair matted from being washed, she's still pretty, but not the great beauty they have seen before.  A puzzled doctor flips through paperwork, as a nurse checks her vitals as she snores.    He responds to the Agents.  "I've sent a paint sample to the lab for analysis," he says. "It is possibly Chloral hydrate, to judge from her state.  A Mickey Finn.  She might be out for another six hours.  Is she to be kept in custody ?  We have secure facilities here."

Spider seemed to be suffering nothing much from his exposure to the drug, just a mild sleepiness that the wretched coffee from the hospital's canteen was able to dispel.  There remained the Embassy - and the Countess' mission to close it, for reasons unknown.  They had the keys.

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GM: Actions, etc please, by Saturday 18 December, next post Sunday, then after the 19 December post we will be taking our usual Holiday break until the New Year.   Hope everyone is doing well and that you are looking forward to a better year in 2022.

Field Assignment: Nolan pt 6

Luke Macey grinned like a fox.  "You ask good questions.  She's a good girl, clever, but too much of the 'yes sir' when the boss gives orders.  I'm trying to help the mission succeed in the Antarctic, that's my ultimate goal, with the best possible outcome.  The White Mage...Doctor Benjamin Weintraub...he is the strongest spell caster in a millennia.  He knows the four spells of unmaking, and if he speaks them all, this world will end.  So far he has spoken two of them, circa 1925.  And I owe a debt to his eldest son, Donald.  Donald would be, maybe, seven years old now.  And the next world war, horrible, and it is already beginning in Germania.  As for what you may do, Captain Nolan, I have told you what is in the timeline for Ben.  What you do next, it is up to you.  Go South with the expedition.  See what is there.  Axe, rope.  Keep them handy to save a life."  Macey stood up, flipping a Morgan dollar onto the counter for his bill. "I don't think you can expense two meals for the same person.  Diana's on her way back and I'm going to head her off.   Omar will be downtown by mid morning.  We'll meet again, but not for a while.  May Fortuna smile upon you."  He tilted his hat to a rakish angle and strode from the cafe, lost to sight instantly.   There were no more unseemly interruptions to Nolan's breakfast.


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GM: Actions, etc please, by Saturday 18 December, next post Sunday, then after the 19 December post we will be taking our usual Holiday break until the New Year.   Hope everyone is doing well and that you are looking forward to a better year in 2022.
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This message was last edited by the GM at 21:57, Wed 15 Dec 2021.

[Spider from email]: "Yeah, keep her secured if you can.  She'll be a tough nut, mind you.  Come on, Jack.  Let's go stir up trouble at the embassy."  He yawned again.  "Unless you got a better idea."  He looked through the Countess's things, just for good measure.

     “Yes,“ Jack agrees with Spider’s instructions to the doctor. “We are holding her on suspicion of espionage. Someone may try to harm her again. And she herself is highly dangerous and manipulative, and an extreme escape risk. It would be best to keep her sedated and in wrist restraints until we come back for her. Do not let anyone speak with her under any circumstances, and do not tell telephone callers or visitors at the desk that she is even here. We will be back soon to move her to a more secure facility. Here is my card and our superior’s telephone number.”
     Jack will call the office and quickly fill in Ben, or Edith, about their situation with the Countess, speaking in vague terms and without names, including her statement that it reaches much further, her culpability for the “shut-down office,” and adding that “the manager’s secretary” was working for her and “feeding the animal” there. And finally adding that he and his partner are on their way to “clean” said office…

The Serbian Problem pt 19

Spider had a good search in the Countess' purse.  He came up with two gold coins with Russian lettering, a dark metal key of strange appearance, and 257$ in American bills.  There was a lipstick case of gold, with a blood red shade of lipstick and a compact with powder and a mirror as well.

Edith answers the telephone when they called in, sounding harried.  "You must be careful.  Someone's already died there, in fact, more than one person, so I hear.  That woman is very dangerous and whatever she's done, it will be even worse !"

-----The Embassy----

After telephoning the office and filling out the paperwork to secure the Countess in the hospital, Jack and Spider headed to the closed Embassy.  The building looked somehow dark and abandoned; even the bushes outside looked as if they were dying, even as the afternoon sun was shining.   They still had a decent quantity of Holy water and everything that Bitsie Black had recommended for the spell casting.

The twisting of the key in the lock seemed to echo throughout the empty building, the gloom inside it ominous, shadows shifting as if alive.   Chairs were knocked over, papers strewn everywhere, with a thick coating of cobwebs, though the building had only been closed for about a day now.  Spider reached the electric light switch and it flickered, then failed.  A rasping sound was in the vents, a hoarse laughter, chilling.  Jack found the wand in his hand, unbidden, the inlaid gemstones giving off a soft white glow.

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GM: Actions, please, at the Embassy, if you're busy with the holidays, I can wait.  Hope all is well !  Still posting on Sunday too
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In reply to The GM (msg # 96):

Nolan finishes his breakfast in silence, considering Luke's words carefully. Abruptly he pushes the plate away. "Well, let's go get Mills." He announces as he strides from the cafe. "Now all I have to do is find an excuse to get included in the expedition south." He thinks out loud, more to himself than Jenkins.

As he heads out into the street he quips, "Oh and I can't forget about an axe and a rope..." In the military, he had often found it helpful to talk to himself when attempting to address a seemingly overwhelming challenge. Humor he had used as a coping mechanism for as long as he could remember. It was a small matter to combine them as he considered how he would be able to save Ben's live without damaging the timeline. Easier said than done, since he didn't actually know how time would be affected in the first place.

Spider grimaced, then said, "Hang on a moment.  Be right back."  He ran to the car and popped open the trunk, and returned with his old mining helmet. He clicked on the light and said to Jack, "Let's do this.  I've got you covered."

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The Serbian Problem pt 20

Spider grabbed his mining helmet and returned to the Embassy, the trusty headgear once again providing good service.  He gathered up his gear, stuffing the extra flask of holy water into his inside coat pocket, and looked into the dark building.  It was eerie, a darkness that seemed to drink in any light, that settled heavily on the senses.  A whiff of decay and the rattle of bones added to the miasma of gloom.   Jack had that wand out again; it had been a help in Florida, but it also had been a liability.  Two steps into the building, and all light from the outside, all sounds of street traffic from the city, were gone, snuffed out by gloom and misery.  The bijeda had a huge amount of control over the building and they were hunting it in its own place.  The battle was on.
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GM:  Actions, etc, for the next few minutes of game time; include what area you are heading into, and what precautions you are taking.  Assume that you are in very hostile territory !  And we're taking our Holiday break until 2 January.   Hoping your holidays are merry and bright, and the New Year is better than the last one !
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Field Assignment: Nolan pt 7

Nolan leaves the cafe talking to himself, to the surprise of the other patrons, though there is a small whiskered nose pointed up at him from his coat pocket.  The library has opened its doors, and students are going to and fro with books and papers, but Faulkner homes in on Nolan quickly.

"Mills is beside himself, thought the ghouls got you," the acerbic librarian said, with a smirk. The afforementioned mouse is pacing across Faulkner's desk, and looks upon Nolan and Jenkins' return with shock.

"I was very worried !"  the Professor said, shaking a tiny fist at them.  "You could have been killed ! Eaten !  Or worse !"
Jenkins squeaked something that astonished Mills to a brief instance of silence.   Then Mills folded his furry arms and looked miffed.
"Very well then, if you had Lucius looking after you."  he said sulkily.  "I suppose we'd best finish up the mission and head back to the office.  Marcus, is there any literature you want us to take back to DC ?"
"I'm assembling a packet now.  Have a copy of the new book too, sent with the author's inscription."  Faulkner was shuffling papers into a wood crate, with a copy of a familiar book - the same one that Nolan had hidden away - The New England Legends and Lore by James Macey.  This was quickly covered by a folder of newspaper clippings, and a couple of letters in sealed envelopes, addressed to Ben Weintraub.  "Have fun saving the world," Faulkner said, offering a handshake to Nolan.  "Next time, bring up a bottle of bourbon from that Rebel libertine."
"He means Thorne, and I have no intention of trafficking illegal alcohol," sniffed Mills, as Jenkins laughed.

Shortly thereafter, in downtown Arkham, Nolan spotted the shiny bike, with Omar cheerfully selling newspapers to the passerby.  The boy took a sealed packet from his overlarge coat and passed it over to Nolan.  "I tried some different exposure times, got some strange pictures," he said.  "Please tell Edith thank you for the cookies."

The pictures were indeed good, clear and sharp.  Some of them seemed to indicate lines of force from the ground, where the grey matter was most concentrated.  The images were unsettling to look on, especially in light of what the old man had told Nolan about.  He had a sense that he was getting into something that had a lot going on - that saving the world was really the only option.

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GM: Any other actions in Arkham, please respond, and then in 2022 we will be moving into the next phase of the game, which will be The Big Expedition to Antarctica and all its preparation elements.  As this is a busy time of year, the game will be paused until 2 January.  Hoping your holidays are merry and bright, and the New Year is better than the last one !

OOC: Sorry I haven’t posted sooner. I (and several close family members) caught a virus (NOT Covid) at a Christmas Eve gathering, and I’m still laid up with a stuffy head and sore throat. Here’s hoping the new year improves from this point forward!
IC: If Miss Black gave any instructions on the use of the various components, Jack follows them scrupulously.
Otherwise, he will make sure that he and Spider each wear a bit of the old iron, and are both anointed with a dab of the oil of the saints. Then he will use the rest of the materials to create a “magic circle“ space in which they can confine the evil spirit. He will sprinkle the birch broom with holy water and oil, and plans to use it to direct the spirit toward the trap. Once it’s in there, he can trigger it to close and keep the thing there while he banishes it with a ritual. That’s the plan, anyway. (He puts away the wand purposefully and will use the other materials they brought, only using the wand if things get out of hand.)

Unless Jack had a better idea, Spider figured that wherever the bijeda did NOT want them to go, was where they should head, to beard the creature in its lair.  He kept his rifle slung over his shoulder, since he suspected it would not be of much use.  Instead the holy water and various components from Ms. Black were closer to hand.


GM:  Actions, etc, for the next few minutes of game time; include what area you are heading into, and what precautions you are taking.  Assume that you are in very hostile territory !  And we're taking our Holiday break until 2 January.   Hoping your holidays are merry and bright, and the New Year is better than the last one !

I hope everyone has a great Christmas and New Year!  Mel, I kind of hope the preparation for the Antarctic does not take too long.  I have been dying for that part of the game!

(And the GM laughs and laughs when the player says 'dying'.....)

The Serbian Problem pt 21

Jack and Spider went through the doors well prepared, as the bone-chilling cold frosted their breath in the air.  Spider had the comfortable weight of Matilda on his shoulder; if nothing else, he could use the heavy rifle's stock to smash anything coming at them.

Screeches and thumps echoed through the air vents, impossible to tell where they originated.  As they moved down the hallway, performing the ritual Miss Black had given them, the sounds got louder, more violent.  The Agents moved carefully, covering each other; a long-boned clawed hand made a swipe at Jack from a floor vent, but Spider kicked it away.  The Bijeda howled and the rattling of the vents rang in their ears.  They carefully laid out the spell components, Spider alert to what seemed to annoy the vengeful spirit the most.  As they neared the stairs to the boiler room, the noise was horrific, incoherent screams.  Spider kicked the door open after Jack unlocked it, his helmet lamp shining into seething masses of darkness.  Jack's wand swept up, sending light coruscating into the stairway; the darkness split as if pained by the light.  At the bottom of the stairs, there were six apparitions, vaguely shaped like humans; two looked male, the other four female, one of whom was a young girl.  Her features were the clearest; they'd seen her picture - Andjela.  The Bijeda was a formless, spiky darkness surrounding them; a flask of holy water sent it boiling away into the vents, shrieking.  The ghosts shimmered, as Jack and Spider added their iron, oil and holy water, incanting the spell to keep out the horror; then they slowly melted away.  The Bijeda wailed, the sound fading to a pathetic whimper as they treated the penultimate doorway; then there was only the Ambassador's office left.  It has been a nerve-wracking, exhausting experience for both Agents.

Hidden in the shadows behind the ruined flag, a withered grey creature snarls at them, shivering in the beam of Spider's helmet lamp.  Perhaps it is a trick of the darkness, but it resembles the painting on the wall of the Ambassador.  Without hesitation, Jack and Spider cast the last incantation with their supplies of spell components, and the thing dissolves into dust.   The lights flicker, then the lamp on the desk turns on, holes shining brightly in the lampshade, and the hallway lights turn on.  The darkness has lifted.  The air seemed warm, and the great pressure of evil has dissipated.   The smell of the oil was sweet in the air, with the tang of hot iron and the sharpness of salt.  Small scorch marks on the thresholds showed where the iron had been, with damp splashes of the holy water.

(Please carry on to the BACK IN DC !)

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Nolan's Field Assignment pt 8 and BACK IN DC ! (everyone)

Nolan made it back to DC with little problem, and he found he was glad to have the Grey Building in his sights once again.  Whatever was going on, it was important and he was a part of it now.  All that remained was figuring out what a time traveller had told him, and what he should do about it.  Damn shame Luke Macey hadn't dropped any important stock tips or horse racing winners.  Or had he ?  On a hunch, Nolan looked at the two letters Faulkner had put in the crate for Ben Weintraub.  One of them had the unmistakeable handwriting he'd seen in a file at work, and on the note in James Macey's book - definitely Luke Macey's writing.  The two mice seem happy to be home too, and go racing off.   Nolan puts the car into the garage, noting the disapproving glare from the silent old guard, and heads into the elevator.  It stops at the next floor, and the Egyptian-looking girl, Ginny, steps in.  Today her dress is deep red with detailed beadwork.   "Hello, Agent Nolan," she says, in a cheerful voice.  "We got the package from Maine and the other one from Minn....Minnesota.  I'm not even sure where that is."  She sashayed off the elevator at the next floor, heading towards the offices, where Nolan could hear the loud laughter of Thomas Thorne and Edith telling him he was being a silly fool.  There were two large crates, with straw packing material dribbling onto the floor.  Thorne was clad in a earflapped fur hat, a massive ankle-length fur coat, and was holding a thick pair of leather boots.  Trachenberg was trying on a pair of shearling mittens, while the Scot, Angus, was struggling to put on another pair of the heavy boots and failing, as Phyllis the clerk giggled.  Edith was smiling, shaking her head and refusing a pair of mittens that Thorne offered to her.  Ben's door was shut and the office was dark.  Ginny looked into the crates, drawing out another coat and reading off the label.  "Oh, here you have one," she said happily, and offered the thick shearling coat of jacket length to Nolan.
"I didn't order him one !"  Thorne said, and dropped his boots to go look at the shipping manifest. "We didn't even know he was hired when I put in the - oh."  He gave the papers to Trachenberg, who read it quickly and made a slight nod of comprehension.  The coat weighed about twenty pounds and looked as if it would stand up to severe cold quite easily.
"When you are ready, I'll take your paperwork, Mr. Nolan," Edith said, smiling at him.  "Welcome back.  I trust all went well ?"
"It's no use, they're not fitting," Angus said, and held out the boots to Nolan.  Unsurprisingly, it looked like they would be a perfect fit.  "Mukluks.  Invented by Eskimos.  I'm better off in the office anyway."
"And miss a chance to see the end of the world ?  The bottom end ?  Are you nuts ?"  Thorne asked, taking off the fur hat and long coat.
"Oh, leave it be, Tommy," Edith said, refusing the mittens again.  "Put Ben's stuff in his office for him."
"Phyllis, I know you're not going but I thought you might like a hat," Thorne said, pulling a grey furry hat out of the box, but Trachenberg quickly set up a coat, mittens, hat and boots for Ben.   Ginny was likewise gifted with a fur stole in dark brown.

Spider was checking the fit of his mukluks, thinking they were very soft indeed, and lighter in weight than they looked.  Thorne had spared no expense.  The coats were thick, durable and warm, and Thorne had also ordered a custom fit shearling rifle case for Matilda.   Jack's coat was particularly nice, with an extra set of pockets in the lining, one of which was the perfect size for the wand.  "The rest of the shipment is waiting at the docks, we'll pick it up after work," Thorne told Edith.  "We'll need the big truck.  The dogs are coming by train in three days."
"I doubt you'll get any more work done today, so you may as well go now," Edith said, with a chuckle.  The two men quickly left, and Ginny took over the handing out of the cold weather gear.
Everyone had gear - including Nolan, with the exception of Bitsie Black, Phyllis, Ginny and Edith.  Angus was more than happy to not go to Antarctica.  "Someone's got to keep up with the paperwork while you play in the snow."  The jocularity was good natured; but everyone there knew that this adventure would be challenging on many fronts.  The weather itself would be trying to kill them, and what lay beneath the ice was worse.

The truck returned with pallets of gear loaded; the sleds, which would be assembled on their icebreaker boat en route, ice cleats for their boots, axes, rope, crampons, pitons, harnesses, tents, crates of dog pemmican, tins of potted meat and gel cooking fuel, dried jerky and other dried foods, and a large crate mysteriously marked "Emergency Supplies".  Trachenberg took charge of it and wheeled it off to his workshop, where his loading equipment was kept, and was busy loading ammunition after that.  Their day tomorrow would be the planning session for the expedition South, with all the maps that could be found.  Their departure was only a week or so away, depending on the weather.

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GM: Please send in responses with any actions you would like to do prior to being stuck in a hostile, frozen wasteland full of horrible things.  Figure on about a week's worth of actions, including any special preparations you might like to make before you risk everything to explore the Mountains of Madness.....by Saturday, 8 January, next post Sunday.  As is fitting, we are getting a snowstorm tonight.

OOC:  J, Glad to hear it wasn't Covid, there is a wretched head cold making the rounds though.  Came through here mid-December and knocked out half the workplace.  And do not worry, everyone, there will be Mountains of Madness very soon.  Grease up the sled runners and feed the dogs !
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As the ghosts of the victims dissipate, Spider does his best to give them a comforting smile, to reassure them they are now free to travel onward.  And once he and Jack are finished, he said, "We're going to make sure this lot pay through the nose.  Not just for us, but for the folks who've vanished without a trace.  I'll give word to Edith.  I'm sure she can extract a just amount, and see it disbursed properly."  And as tired and exhausted as the Aussie felt, he knew Jack was probably suffering worse, having done most of the magical lifting.  So he once more takes the wheel for their ride back to HQ.


Spider was checking the fit of his mukluks, thinking they were very soft indeed, and lighter in weight than they looked.  Thorne had spared no expense.  The coats were thick, durable and warm, and Thorne had also ordered a custom fit shearling rifle case for Matilda.   Jack's coat was particularly nice, with an extra set of pockets in the lining, one of which was the perfect size for the wand.  "The rest of the shipment is waiting at the docks, we'll pick it up after work," Thorne told Edith.  "We'll need the big truck.  The dogs are coming by train in three days."
"I doubt you'll get any more work done today, so you may as well go now," Edith said, with a chuckle.  The two men quickly left, and Ginny took over the handing out of the cold weather gear.
Everyone had gear - including Nolan, with the exception of Bitsie Black, Phyllis, Ginny and Edith.  Angus was more than happy to not go to Antarctica.  "Someone's got to keep up with the paperwork while you play in the snow."  The jocularity was good natured; but everyone there knew that this adventure would be challenging on many fronts.  The weather itself would be trying to kill them, and what lay beneath the ice was worse.

The truck returned with pallets of gear loaded; the sleds, which would be assembled on their icebreaker boat en route, ice cleats for their boots, axes, rope, crampons, pitons, harnesses, tents, crates of dog pemmican, tins of potted meat and gel cooking fuel, dried jerky and other dried foods, and a large crate mysteriously marked "Emergency Supplies".  Trachenberg took charge of it and wheeled it off to his workshop, where his loading equipment was kept, and was busy loading ammunition after that.  Their day tomorrow would be the planning session for the expedition South, with all the maps that could be found.  Their departure was only a week or so away, depending on the weather.


At the planning session, Spider announced, "Listen up, mates.  I'm not an expert on surviving in frozen climates, but I know more about using this climbing gear than the rest of you combined.  Since this stuff may very well save our lives, tomorrow we are going to have a tutoring session.  I'll show you all how to put it on properly, tie proper knots, while wearing these gloves and mittens mind you, and get a taste of what wearing all this stuff is like.  We might even practice climbing some walls and such."  He was as good as his word, and even just the minimal experience hopefully had the others feeling a touch more confident.

Spider then spent the next couple of days and evenings with Cressida and the kids.  He was going to be gone for a long time, and he was going to miss them terribly.  "But you know me.  I'm too stupid, too bloody-minded NOT to come back and cause you more headaches."

Jack cannot help but shed a tear upon seeing the ghost of the young girl.
     “Rest in peace,“ he says as the six forms vanish. He is happy to let Spider drive home. “We have to do something about that witch,“ he says to his friend with unusual bitterness.
     When they arrive back at headquarters, he heads straight to Ben’s office. (If Ben is gone for the day, he will seek him out as soon as possible the next day.)
     “The embassy is safe now. We destroyed the bijeda. But there were six newly dead spirits there, including that young girl. The Countess was behind this evil, at least in part. She told us so. She has no remorse — she said it’s what she is meant to do. They’re holding her for now at the hospital in DC — I told them we want her for espionage  — but we need to put her somewhere more permanent. Some institution where they can hold her indefinitely, where she won’t be able to hurt anyone else, or escape. Can you arrange that?” He doesn’t seem like he will take “no” for an answer.
     “Someone will also need to go to the hotel and pack up her things, as well as her automobile. There may be clues to further plots she has in motion. And I suppose we should try to figure out who the painter was that tried to poison her. It may be an ally — or just a competing evil.” Jack tries not to sound weary, but can’t quite manage it.
     Assuming nothing further develops on that front, after a bit of rest, Jack will start preparing for Antarctica.
     He will frown in chagrin when he sees the wand pocket sewn into his outerwear. “This thing will be the death of me,” he says to no one in particular. He will hit their research library hard, as well as consulting his colleagues, looking for techniques to draw power for the wand from sources other than the wielder — the target, the environment, sacrificial chickens, spiritual entities that are not too hostile — he is open to any possibilities that may keep the wand from draining him irreparably.
     He will ask for a refresher (for everyone) on what their goals are in Antarctica, and will then try to wrangle together a useful but portable collection of reference materials to pack in a trunk.
     He will pay close attention in Spider’s climbing class, and even try to make a joke about spiders and webbing.
     In his personal gear, he will pack four Very pistols and a case of 24 flares (on top of whatever Thorne and Trachenberg ordered for the expedition). He will add a separate, unlabeled, carefully packed and locked footlocker with 24 sticks of dynamite. A selection of fuses and blasting caps will be sealed up and packed with his clothes.
     He will write long letters to his parents and his sister outlining the trip’s timetable, etc. — nothing that would endanger them or compromise him. And he will pay a farewell visit to Irina at Walter Reed, sitting with her and talking quietly about good times they had together, hoping she can hear him even though she’s not fully conscious.
     He will make time one afternoon to return to the church, hoping to speak with Reverend Atwell. Jack will tell him that he and Spider were successful at removing the spirit from the embassy and thank him again for his help and blessing. He will add that six people lost their lives and ask for prayers for them to find peace. He thinks about adding that he is heading to Antarctica to confront evils older than humankind, but decides not to bring it up, settling for absorbing what peace he can from his visit to the church.

In reply to The GM (msg # 106):

Nolan smiled to himself at the "lucky" mistake of the order of his cold weather gear. He was relieved to have his inclusion into the southern expedition a de facto reality without an administrative fight with his superiors. He patted he jacket pocket to reassure himself of the presence of the letters that Marcus had sealed for delivery to Ben. He would deliver them personally, he promised himself, and resisted the temptation try and get a peek before he handed them over.

After attending the Spider's seminar of climbing and its related gear, he used the lion's share of his time at work to avail himself of their significant resources and try to pull files on the White Mage, Luke Macey and Diana Maxwell. Additionally, he would see what he could dig up regarding the current and previous progress vis a vis the Antarctic expedition.

In his off-hours, he resolved to spend his time before their departure reading New England Legends and Lore, examining the pictures provided by Omar and going through the folder of newspaper clippings which accompanied Marcus' letters to Ben. He raided the libraries at both work and those of the surrounding municipalities for cold weather survival information and rumors or information regarding supernatural activities relating to Antarctica.

Nolan's bachelorhood was accentuated by his teammates' goodbyes to their families and friends and he found himself surprisingly drawn back to the Roman Catholic religion of his youth. He attended Mass and even met with the priest to talk about his mortality in advance of his mission. He wasn't sure what he expected to come out of it but he did feel reassured by the idea that he was not personally responsible to shoulder the weight of the world.

Before finalizing he equipment, he sought approval to pack his Springfield 30–06 rifle and his Colt semi-automatic M1911 with as much ammo as he could get away with along with any reading material or tools he had discovered may be of benefit on the trip. An axe and rope were, of course, paramount amongst he supplies. "Keep them handy to save a life." Luke had said.

Come Hell or high water, keep them handy, he would.