Gathering Storms: A Fine March Madness, 07 Mar 1870
The Finches are invited to the Pickerings' to attend a seance commissioned to free their daughter of spirits who are haunting her. Mrs. Pickering hopes her daughter may make a favorable match once clear of supernatural nuisances. The Finches are most interested in measuring any Aetheric or Supernatural disturbances to further their research. Thackery is interested in selling a rare(ish) text to the Colonel so as to pay down his current gambling debts. Celebrated Spiritualist Nicholas Varney is interested in giving the Pickerings a good show by exercising his considerable talents as a con artist. Isabelle is interested in getting her mother off her back and submits to the whole silly production.
After a dinner laced with polite conversation (everyone) and impolite taunts (Thackery), Varny actually makes contact with one of the spirits surrounding Isabelle. Physical manifestations (and instrumental readings) are evidenced. No one knows what to make of it, save for Mrs. Pickering, who is utterly convinced that Varney is a miracle worker and her darling daughter has been freed of the taint of Haunting. Before anyone can make much headway into these developments, Col. Pickering's friend and colleague, Steven Watson, arrives unannounced and in some distress: his daughter has been kidnapped and her abductors have sent him her right pinkie finger wrapped in a ransom demand. He hasn't the money and his daughter must be rescued before she can be sold into white slavery.
The dinner guests quickly organize, using a combination of magic and mundane connections to find the opium den the daughter is imprisoned in. Isabelle fools her mother with the staff's help and sneaks out in disguise to join the rescue party. Pop the Weasel is also involved, as this is an unauthorized criminal activity in the territory he and his Crime Boss oversee. While Varney, Thackery, Finch, the Colonel and Stephen engage the opium den's staff in the front of the house, Pop, Ariadne, and Isabelle sneak in through the back and rescue the girl. Pop covers the women's retreat and makes an enemy of the Madame Manager of the Den.
In conclusion, our adventurers get clean away and they count themselves fortunate to have been successful. Stephen's daughter returns home safe and sound, with all ten fingers. (The severed finger came from another victim, as verified by Madame Manager). Mrs. Pickering is pleased that her daughter can start the rounds on the marriage market. Peter and Ariadne have a good amount of new data to process and record. Isabelle has had a clandestine adventure to savor. Thackery has managed to make a little money off the Colonel toward his gambling debts. Varney comes away with his reputation enhanced by the evening's spiritual manifestations and can expect more lucrative appointments in the future. Colonel Pickering is perhaps the least pleased, being out of pocket to both Varney and Thackery.
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