Limehouse Docks - 02

[TheUdjat]

Everyone-

At this distance, it’s impossible to get a very clear look at the crates, or any labels on them. They are tall, large, heavy-looking crates, and the men seem to handle them with care. It’s possible they have been marked ‘fragile’. Whether their shape is at all unique is impossible to discern without knowing the other contents of the warehouse.

But watching the men at work, they don’t seem to take the trouble to move the crates very far into the warehouse; assuming they don’t get moved around by someone else, it shouldn’t be hard to locate them again. At the very least, the warehouse doesn’t appear to be very busy. There may not even be very many other crates within.

It isn’t the most comforting of situations, but it will have to do. Around the docks, in broad daylight, there is simply no adequate place to hide with a better vantage point. Further, Tommy notes that this is the sort of territory that won’t be guarded by traditional security. They’d be thugs and disreputable sorts if any, the kind more willing to kill than detain. He doesn’t see any lurking about now, but one never can know...

Before much time has passed, the loading dock for the warehouse is sealed shut, and the handful of men from the truck amble off in their own directions; apparently the truck belongs to the warehouse—which possesses no label or logo at all, though with some effort a faded address can be spotted on a signpost towards the front of the building. Indeed, if you didn’t know that there are still some men inside, it might look abandoned.

Unable to discern anything more without a closer look, Tommy proposes his plan to stake out Tewfik’s home, perhaps emboldened by his suspicions about the Penhew Foundation being confirmed. Thurman, on the other hand, points out that finding some way into the warehouse—perhaps at more discreet hours—might be more likely to garner evidence and clues. But being no good with such covert operations, he looks to the others for input.



List of clues

[VemuKhaham]

Grey tells Tommy to put down in his notes the license plate number of the truck before it drives off. "God only knows if we might see that truck again..." Grey considered the possibility that if this operation was, as Tommy half suggested, in any way aligned with the murders and the cult happenings at the Blue Pyramid, this truck might well be among those they will pursue soon. If not, well, it couldn't hurt.

Grey was unsure if there was any other way he could help. Dress in shoddy clothes or break into Tewfiq's house? As for the former, he doubted if they would be disguised sufficiently even with shabby outfits, there was more than mere cloths distinguising the upper and lower classes of London, and Colonel Grey wasn't sure he would be any good at faking a laborer's attitude and way of talking. But neither would he be much help in a burglary.

But one thing that he could not do was turn a blind eye to Tommy's breaking and entering. He would either be fully against it, or partake in it and share the risks involved in it, for such was the nature of their shared mission. Upon that remark, he simply said: "You don't let others take the fall for you; when the call for a charge is made, you charge, regardless of whether you are first or last in the line of fire, and no matter if you agree or disagree with the command. If you need my help in breaking into Tewfiq's house, or if you think I can be of use in exploring this warehouse, you have my service. If not, I will put myself to use by contacting dr. Clive, perhaps directly without Gavigan's interference, for as long as our trust in him is not yet validated."

[Japic]

(I can try to break in, but frankly my skills are not up to par. I feel there is strength in numbers though and hopefully enough of us could pull it off, while a few are more likely to be outnumbered and outclassed.)

[TheUdjat]

The license plate of the truck is easy enough to note, and when all other surveillance is taken care of, the group retreats back to Thurman's abode, to plan the evening's activities and to meet up with Sam, just now returning from Southampton with a new addition to the group, a man who was set to join the investigative team from the beginning but couldn't make it to New York at the time of Elias's visit--probably best for the man, all things considered.

With Rebecca leaving, it is good to have some fresh blood on the case. Of course, it means catching up yet another person on the ever-more-complicated mystery...

SPOILER: Click to show

[Welcome to the game, Rojito. Consider your character and Maestro's acquainted with one another, at least somewhat, and called in to investigate your specialty--unnatural occurences. Anyone is free to give Rojito's character a summary of what's happened, or you can just do it in OOC to speed things along (assuming Rojito hasn't read the existing campaign already). Rojito, if you can tie in kidshadawau's character to your own, so much the better for me.

Rebecca will be assumed to be an NPC at this point, and heading back to her hometown of Arkham. She can be utilized to shuttle anything back to America (like books/copies of data) and as an overseas contact to help the investigation from afar. Maybe like what Tommy wanted to do with Miriam Atwright. Or you guys can ignore her. Whichever. The option's there, though.

Now, please figure out which place you guys are checking out and who's going where. ]

[Yakumo]

Tommy scribbles down all his notes with haste as they ride back to Thurman's home. While they await for Sam and his acquaintance Tommy paces. "Mr. McGregor, it is nice to meet you," Tommy extends his hand to shake the newcomer's, McGregor notices that Tommy has particularly unsteady and somewhat clammy hand. "Allow me to fill you in on our particular investigation, although I'm sure Sam has given you some of the information." Tommy leafs back through his notebook for the case stopping a few pages before the start of the notebook, it appears he was taking notes for the investigation before he even met Mr. Elias.

SPOILER: Click to show

[Please correct me if I miss anything or I miss state this.]

"Jackson Elias, a writer of moderate acclaim had contacted a number of us, seven actually, for a private investigative team for him. His particular specialty was Death Cults. When we arrived at his hotel we found him murdered with a gruesome symbol carved into his head." Tommy's voice breaks a moment at this point, a memory wells up in his head that seems to have a deep impact on him. "His murderers still there. We killed them and found a number of clues as to what mr. Elias had wanted. We started to look into places he had investigated and things that he was researching, out of curiosity, guilt, or obligation we all started looking. After a bit of looking we found a few books that spoke of a cult in New York that was responsible for the deaths. Myself, a young man who lived on the streets, and the profession boxer- you might know him 'Jackhammer Joe', staked out the place we suspected was the cult's headquarters... actually in reality I just wanted to squeeze information out of the clerk who seemed to be connected somehow. He never came out, and dozens of men went into the store when it was closed and didn't come out." Tommy clears his throat. "We went in, and into the basement, there we saw a woman and a homeless man killed by an exotic priest as his followers chanted. He was flanked by fucking zombies for christ's sake!" Tommy starts to have more and more trouble telling the story.
"Jeremy knew the old man and took a shot at the priest, a damn good shot but it didn't hurt the man. They saw us and we had to run. After that they hunted us down. Jeremy is gone some god knows where, dead probably. And Joe- he was gutted in an alley... The reported left us, probably changed his name and left for good. It's only a matter of time before they get me too...." The man looks a lot worse for wear when he finishes.

"So we came here to London, where Elias last was. There is another cult here, Elias said it was responsible for the murders. I just know that that Tewfik has something to do with it. So we are going to do a little hands on investigation at his house. We need something physical and I won't leave there until I have it. You don't mind people bending the law do you?"

After a moment of thought Tommy continues with his plan.
"Tewfik's place. We'll all go together. There will be five of us, as long as you all agree to go. Two of us will wait out in the car, watching the place while the other three head inside and try to find out exactly what the Pharoah there has to hide.

[VemuKhaham]

Grey too extended a greeting hand to mr. McGregor and Gravener, both of whom he had never met before. "I heard much about you, mr. Gravener," he said to Sam. "A pleasure to meet you, mr. McGregor."

He looked at the two men with curious eyes, briefly glancing over them both. He dearly hoped the new guy knew what he was getting himself into, though for sure, in some subtle way, he looked more like the kind of person than he himself to be aware of what this kind of adventure would entail. Sam seemed a pleasant man, and Grey was interested in learning more about them both.

As Tommy went on to tell of what had happened thus far, he said: "I only joined the group in London, so Tommy would know best what happened until then. But I could add that here in London, we have been pursuing two leads so far. Tommy seems determined that Tewfiq al-Sayed, an Egyptian man of good reputation, is somehow involved in cult activity, which he also links to local Egyptian murders that seem to lead to an Egyptian club named the Blue Pyramid. He has yet to convince me, and tonight I will give him a chance that I dearly hope will turn up something, for I do not take illegal actions lightly." Grey shook his head sadly, as if still bothered by the prospect, but he looked firm regardless on his decision to let it happen. "I allow it since our other, less subversive lead, in the form of Sir Gavigan, director of the Penhew Foundation, who met mr. Elias, has turned up little so far."

"Yet, given my insignificant experience in breaking and entering, I shall be glad to be on guard duty during this venture," Colonel Grey admitted. It was probably the best place for him to be
anyway, for efficiency's sake.

[MaestroXC]

[Sam and Col. Grey HAVE met.]

Sam gives a small wave to the group as they approach, nodding at Thurman and Tommy.

"Good evening, Colonel Grey, it is a pleasure to see you again. Gentlemen, allow me to introduce Mr. William McGregor. As you know I originally contacted him on Mr. Elias' behest prior to his arrival in New York; for better or worse, he was otherwise occupied at the time, but is now able to offer whatever help he can.

Like Miss Devereaux, Mr. McGregor has undertaken extensive study of all manner of strange and unexplainable events." At this point, Sam gives a nervous smile to the assembled gentlemen. "Hopefully his scholarship will not go unrewarded."

Once McGregor is introduced, Tommy launches into his recounting of recent events. Sam doesn't speak out to stop him, but he seems to wince a bit at Tommy's bold-faced account. Surely we could ease into this a bit more? he thinks.

"Ah, yes, so you see what we are dealing with here, Mr. McGregor. Before we undertake anything particular, what do you think?"

[Japic]

(I'ma wait on the noob Rojito, not much to offer before then)

[Rojito]

(sry guys, didn't notice i was already in the thread )
William shakes hands with everyone and says, "Please call me William. Zombies, cults, and pyramids, I like it. As to the issue of the law, well the law and civilization itself takes a back seat to the truth! The truth must be brought to common knowledge. As to Breaking and Entering.. well sometimes you must goto extremes to get the knowledge others would deny you. I can get in there if you need my aid."

[Japic]

Straightforward, Thurman liked him right away. Though judging by Tommy's ever increasing paranoia he can only wonder if this new William fellow might be half cracked too. Tommy was getting worse by the day and with the way things have been going, the group was likely to find some things that would fuel suspicions further. Hell as long as they kept the paranoia to folks outside the group they should all be fine. If we turned to infighting, things would go infinitely worse.

"Welcome to London Sir." Thurman says, offering a handshake for greeting. "I'm sad that you had to hear all that so quickly," he continues with a slight frown at Tommy, "but rather unfortunately we're in the thick of things and there is no time to ease you into it all."

To Sam he offers a handshake and says "Nice to have you with us again, I think we'll be needing your brains again, things are getting confusing around here." Now addressing the group as a whole he speaks on. "So, tonight we're off for some reconaissance at Tewfik's", he begins, the name still strange on his tongue, "then, depending on how things go we should consider looking into the Penhew shipment. If we can pull both off tonight, it would probably be to our benefit."

{He suggests finding some ratty clothes for disguises. It would not do well to be breaking and entering and still look like distinguished members of any commmunity. Vagrants do that sort of thing all the time, and after we've cleaned up, any witnesses hopefully won't associate the two.}