Unhallowed Metropolis - The Curious Cases of Dr Bartlebee

Episode 1: Case File TC37C ??? Fires from the Skies part 2

Having left the elevated carriageway the group, on board of the corpse carriage, made their way through the main roads of??London??towards??London??Bridge. Before each carriage could pass over the bridge the carriage was to be inspected by the police. Satisfied the police let the carriage past and so Dr Edward directed the horses forward.

????????????????????????While crossing the bridge, the tall walls of the structure lined with Death Watch troops scouring the bridge for animates, the carriage was signalled by a soldier, a Lieutenant Mathews, and another fellow corporal. The Lieutentant, introduced himself and that he was there to meet the carriage, under orders from General Davenport. The papers with him checked out but with a keen eye Sir Arthur spotted the corporal had placed some device under wheels of the carriage. Soon enough guns were drawn, shots fired, Arthur grabbing the bomb and flinging it high above the wall of the bridge. As Mathews escaped, the corporal dead and Dr Edward suffering a broken foot from a shot, the Death Watch descended on the group and secured the area.

????????????????????????Taken to the offices at the top of??Tower??Bridge, the group awaited General Davenport. The gruff general with the prosthetic clawed arm informed them that they had found on the corporal a map, with notes in German, describing a route to a farm out in the outskirts of??London. They had until 8pm when some event would occur, presumably the weapon if it had been captured would be taken from the farm at this point.

????????????????????????Leaving the centre of??London, the weapon safely in the hands of the army now, the troupe made their way out into the farmlands of??London??to the east of the city. It was early evening and slowly getting darker as they passed each ring of fortified walls. After some time they dismounted their horses and crept along the roads and into the fields. These few areas of land that exist for farming are owned by the aristocracy and industrialists. After another twenty minutes on foot, making their way over low walls. As they got closer in the dwindling light they could make out a number of men patrolling the farm. Arthur got his rifle out and could see that there were some 20 men circling the farm. As they got ever closer the chance of being spotted increased, and soon they were. A pair of guards made their way out of the farm grounds and headed towards them, as Lottie, Arthur, Edward and Ophelia split up to hide. The guards walked past and then back, finding nothing. But, distracted by a stone thrown in the wrong direction, Ophelia emerged silently and in two clean swipes decapitated the guards.

????????????????????????Taking the uniforms, Arthur and Edward sneaked into the farm while Ophelia and Lottie made their way forward to get a closer look at the barn. Taking the right moment Lottie and Ophelia sneaked over the wall of the farm and hid in the small patch of trees while Arthur and Edward, thanks to Arthur???s ability to speak German, were able to get into the farm house. Here they found the man in charge looking over maps and details about the weapon. It seems that the spy had not yet returned from the attack at the bridge, and so Arthur and the others had the upper hand. Using a bit of distraction Arthur lifted a few papers, especially one that he noted that was written in English. However, outside all hell broke loose.

????????????????????????Ophelia and Lottie watched the guards shout orders as from the skies a large destroyer class British dirigible descended from the clouds and came into range with its undercarriage cannons. Soon enough the first volley of round were fired, obliterating the barn and the airship inside. Men ran looking for cover, others cried out in pain as splinters of wood tore through them. Together Arthur, Edward, Lottie and Ophelia ran for their lives as further shells were fired. The farm was levelled and what few Prussian remained escaped into the fields.

????????????????????????Once safe Arthur pulled out the papers he had stolen, and on the head of the one written in English, was a British coat of arms. It seems that the traitor within the British government is a noble. Something which of course Arthur found very worrying.

Unhallowed Metropolis - The Curious Cases of Dr Bartlebee

Episode 1: Case File TC37C ??? Fires from the Skies

????????????????????????The dirigible ???Zeus??? Claw??? descends through the smog and lightning the crackles about it. Thrumming Magneto engines propel the ship down and spot lights illuminate the hull of the lumbering airship as it begins to slow in order to dock with the extended arm from the gothic spire of the Airship port that towers above??London.

????????????????????????The hull of the airship opens and steps are lowered to the deck. In the howling wind passengers get out of the ship and onto the exposed deck. One of the passengers gets out, dressed in a long coat, glasses and brimmed hat.

????????????????????????Ship hand ??? ???Good afternoon sir. Welcome to??London.???

????????????????????????Man ??? ???Guten Arben. Thankyou.???

?????????????????????? Called upon by Bartlebee the group arrived at the Thornkirk and Drayton testing facilities to see a new weapon being put through it's last checks before being shipped out to the Airforce. The weapon, a behemoth of a device, almost like a large version of a Death Ray, rumbled into life, crackiling with energy and was used to destroy a target, a tank of Prussian design. The weapon fire, a beam of red hitting the target, and then nothing. Or at least so some would think. An expanding sphere of crackling energy consumed the tank and an area some 40 yards in diameter, before sucking back in on itself and vaporizing the area.
?????????????????????? Impressed, General Davenport, a veteran of many battles against the animates, his left arm now a hulking clawed prosthetic, asks the group to transport the weapon to the military base at the south of the city. The plan that the group come up with is to use a corpse truck as their cover, while Lottie goes to the East End and asks for help in the transport of?? precious goods. Of course Lottie gives the men that she meets the wrong date, as this is all a ruse to ensure that no one tries to sabortage the weapon.
?????????????????????? The next day, with the truck ready and the weapon mounted, the group ride out of the testing facilities in the early morning, and soon are making their way out of the West End and up onto the highrise carriage ways that sweep about the towers of London. With Dr Edward driving, Ophelia in the passenger seat, and Lottie and Sir Arthur up top keeping an eye out for people following they make good time but soon decide it may be best to make a last minute change of root.
?????????????????????? As they pass the north of central London the carriage way come up to the trainlines. A growing thrumming comes from behind the truck as a train starts to come up, but as it does it slows and the single freight carriage opens up and men with rifles start to take aim at the group. Shots are fired and Arthur starts to shoot, as the group are soon also attacked by a number of men on horses. Lottie, flicking a switch, lets a machine gun flip into place on the top of the carriage and starts to fire of a continuous burst at the train, peppering the vehicle with holes as men fall to their deaths from the open doors, tumbling to the ground far below.
???????????????????? With the train no longer a problem Dr Edward directs the carriage off the highway and throught the centre of London, heading to London Bridge, one of two that are able to take the size of their carriage.

To be continued

Unhallowed Metropolis - The Curious Cases of Dr Bartlebee

Prologue: Case File LW24B ??? Lady in White, City in Grey - part 2

?????? Having discovered that the hair sample has traces of agaptic serums, algae and tanning agents, Dr Edward, Sir Arthur, Ophelia and Lottie decide tohead to the East End and chase up the issue of who hired the gang.Taking a cab to the East End, Edward and Lottie head to the Wriggling Finger, hoping that they might find someone who spotted the man who hired the gang. However, after shelling out a few shillings Lottie simply found out that the man in the wide brimmed hat and with the rattler and talisman was in fact some one slumming it, someone with apparently fine boots. Meanwhile Sir Arthur and Ophelia headed down to the dock side, looking out for the leather working shops. After some time they started to head back to the Wriggling Finger, however, as Ophelia spotted, they were being followed. Taking a turing down a dark alleyway Arthur and Ophelia set a simple trap, eliminating their would be muggers with deft decaptating sword swipes and well placed shots between the eyes.
?????? Arriving at the inn and finding Edward and Lottie outside waiting they head back to the West End where Ophelia maintains her flat in a Mourner guild house. Once inside the head Matron of the house, making note of the time, suggests that Ophelia should let her guests stay in the lounge. Meanwhile Ophelia brings down a collection of books and she and Edward begin to start looking for the meaning of the talisman. It is also brought to their attention that Dr Bartlebee has sent them a letter, a quick message that he needs them to head into the East End to find Julia Eallen. Julia was a close friend of Josephine, and came to Barltebee to say that she had spotted Josephine heading to the East End, along the river side. Bartlebee urges that the party find Julia and then find Josephine. With Edward and Lottie pouring over the books Arthur and Lottie headed back into the East End, needing to act fast before it got any darker.
?????? In the East End, walking along the dock side, Lottie and Arthur once more check out the leather working shops, and after some time of walking about the docks they find Julia calling out for Josephine. Julia is not alone and has hired a guide.Sir Arthur approaches and is startled that Julia is not shocked by the idea that Josephine is still alive. Instead he quickly sends Julia back to Bartlebee's house. With Julia now out of the way Lottie and Arthur return to searching for Josephine. Speaking to some dock hands they soon found that one, who was now the subject of ridicule, has seen a woman in a night gown near to the crates just outside the Stalzen Leather Goods warehouse. But as soon as they started in the direction of he factory a whining began, an intermitant siren. All around the dock hands dropped what they were doing. There were screams and cries of terror. There was a possible outbreak in that part of the East End and there would be soon be Death Watch soldiers on the streets. Both Lottie and Arthur ran to the main street in order to find horses to ride out on. Spying in a linen warehouse a horse and cart. Arthur pulled out his pistol and shot at the lock but it didn't open the main doors of the warehouse. Taking the iniative Lottie simply cracked open the high windows of the warehouse and clambered in, followed by Arthur. With both of their weight on a crowbar they wrenched off the lock on the front doors. They swung open and to their horror, just across the street were the first of a wave of freshly turned zombies. Arthur legged it to the carriage and whipped the horse forward while Lottie took shots at the reanimated dead workers, nailing one in the forehead and destroying it's brain. However, in his haste, Arthur almost ran Lottie over, but she was much to quick and tumbled out of the way before leaping onto the back of the carriage, and as they made their desperate run to the gates of the sector Lottie let off another volley of shots from her pistol. The carriage sped along towards the walls of the sector, the Death Watch with their guns levelled, but fortunately they were let through at the last moment, the soldiers checking them for outward signs of the Plague. It seems Sir Arthurs position had once more given them the edge they needed.
?????? Returning to the Mourner's guild house, Lottie and Arthur described to Edward and Ophelia. In return Ophelia and Edward explain that they have discovered what the talisman is. The all seeing eye and the scalpels means that the man was working for a rumoured group, a cult known as the Lux ex Morte. Seeing that the streets of the East End would be empty, the group think that the time would be right to go back to the docks and finally end this mystery.
?????? Comissioning a small boat the group makes their way to the docks of the East End and make their way to the Stalzen warehouse.