TheStarsAreRight:TheIrishRoseTimeline

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Plotlines

As I join, there are four main threads: (1) Investigating Dr. George Phillips - who has something to do with a blood disease and is a figure from Dr. Ecker's past ; (2) investigating Reverend Frank Scott and his "sister" - a shady preacher who works with the poor at Clark Park (James O'Keefe is interested in the preacher for some reason); (3) the beating of Katie Flynn by her common-law husband Danny; (4) working with the Purple Gang (JT Williams is seeking to expand his business

August 1932

Mon, Aug 1

• (Start of Session One - November 2011) 08/01/1932 - 08/04/1932
• Dr. DeWitt Ecker, JT Williams, James O'Keefe, and Victor Grayson find themselves thrown together at the Irish Rose speakeasy in Detroit, owing to events relating to "Katie" Flynn. Katie Flynn is severely beaten by her boyfriend, speak owner Danny Macklin. She is taken to Ecker's apartment for treatment for several broken ribs and other injuries. She begs the four men to retrieve her belongings from the Rose. They discover a hidden box which contains personal letters in French, a map of Los Angeles, and a medical journal. Dr. Ecker reads through the journal, which details a strange infection, with which Ms. Flynn appears to be inflicted.

Tue, Aug 2

• Led by O'Keefe, the group goes looking for Reverend Scott. Dr. Ecker, JT, and O'Keefe visit the Herman Keefer Hospital for Communicable Diseases, where Dr. Ecker has an old score to settle with Dr. Philips. The four men locate a 5th letter belonging to Ms. Flynn, which has already been translated to English. The letter raises more questions than it answers, with allusions to Weiss, Steele, Petit-Jean, Fae, Communion, Flynn, and Gautier).

Wed, Aug 3

• The group locates Reverend Scott at Clark Park. There is something peculiar about the way his sister paces behind the small group of people he is haranguing. They follow Mr. Scott, and he and his sister appear uncomfortably close. The group also follows Dr. Philips from the hospital. They steal some strange vials he has hidden in his car. JT sets up a meeting with the Purple Gang for Thursday.

Thu, Aug 4

• The four men meet with the Purple Gang at an Italian restaurant.

Fri, Aug 5

• (Start of Session Two - June 2012)
• The four men meet in the Irish Rose to consider their next move. Williams recruits Drifter Joe and Dr. Obediah Walters. Ecker, Joe, Walters and O'Keefe break into the Herman Kiefer hospital to investigate Dr. George Phillips, an old co-worker and rival of Dr. Ecker. They find a modified patient file on Vivian Cooper-Levitt. Frank Lovejoy, a reporter for the Detroit Evening Press, is there interviewing hospital staff regarding an ongoing corruption scandal at the hospital and witnesses the four men leaving in an unlicensed car. He attempts to tail them, but loses them outside of the redlight district.
• Meanwhile, Victor and Lila secretly go to talk to Katie (a.k.a. 'Heather') Flynn, who is sick.
• Daniel Flynn is murdered, and left hanging by his heels from the ceiling of The Irish Rose. Frank Lovejoy is assigned to cover the story on behalf of the Detroit Evening Times. He, O'Keefe, Ecker and Walters are all admitted to the crime scene by the Detroit police.
• That night, James and JT stake out Dr. Phillips. They see a fancy car drop by and Phillips exchanges a small object for an envelope. The car goes back to Vivian Cooper-Levitt's mansion, so this was probably her family buying a vial of the serum.

Sat, Aug 6

• Ecker, Williams and Joe kidnap Dr. Phillips as he leaves from his golf game, and discover details about the Fae blood condition (without that name).
• Lovejoy interviews Grayson and Clark in an attempt to determine the identities of the two mysterious doctors seen at the murder scene.

Sun, Aug 7

• No one can find Rev. Frank Scott that day. (Lila has a dinner date with a boring cab driver Ralph.) That night, Lila has the journalist Lovejoy meet with Katie/Heather, bringing a discrete doctor with him - who turns out to be Dr. Walters (!). He gives her the injection of serum that Lila supplied from Dr. Ecker. Lila reciprocates by giving an interview with Lovejoy.

Mon, Aug 8

• (Start of Session Three - August 2012)
• Grand re-opening of the Irish Rose under a new manager, Susie Q, a figurehead who faced down Russian strongmen coming around for protection money.
• An unknown wealthy woman in her 30s (dressed in white silk and furs, with two bodyguards and a greyhound) came and argued with the new manager. She introduced herself as Voison. She gave Dr. Walters a flask. The bouncer, Joe, took a shot of this and found his senses enhanced and a high up.
• Negotiated more with Purple Gang - plan on smuggling trucks down from Canada on Friday. They have four trucks and drivers and a regular route, but will be testing us (as a gang).
• Still failed to find Rev. Frank Scott so far.
• "Doctor" Eckers left town after Lovejoy wrote an article about him exposing his lack of license. (The player, Scott, dropped out of the campaign.)
• A new manager is hired at the Irish Rose (Susie Q). Mysterious Russians seek an audience with Lovejoy and the Irish Rose crew. The Purple Gang tasks JT's 'gang' with importing unspecified items from Canada on the 12th (Friday). A wealthy woman, Voisoine du Montaine, gives Obediah a strange elixir after causing a scene at the Irish Rose.

Tue, Aug 9

• (Start of Session Five - November 2012)
• In the morning, Lila and J.T. track down the woman, Voison, at the Armitage House Hotel after searching around at several high class hotels. She is Voison Montaine from France. She is with a socialite set who go out partying all night.
• Several are checking up on Rev. Franklin Scott. He is young, around 18-20, and his sister Katherine is a year or two older. He works among the poor out of an empty storefront, that he is staying above, as the "United Assembly of God".
• That evening around 6, Jim goes to check in on Rev. Scott - he is working for some government types who will pick him up. He brings them out front to where some government-looking suits are standing, asking about a boy named Franklin. The two put a silver cable around the reverend, and he sprouted limbs or tentacles and grabbed one of the agents, encasing him in a cocoon and dragging him away. The other fired his pistol into him to no effect, with Lila and J.T. witnessing. They ran, but Jim ran in and collected the surviving agent. Victor stayed with the sister, and the reporter Lovejoy came and talked to her. She says she is from Ireland originally, but been in the U.S. for many years.
• Back at the Irish Rose, checking his wallet, he is a Treasury agent, Michael Barnes. Jim calls the Treasury agency to have them collect their agent.
• The reverend shows up again for the service, and gives a thin cover story to reporter Lovejoy.
• Late that night, Doc Walters arranges to run into Voison at a bar. She offers to make him fabulously wealthy by brewing the unusually elixir in a new facility.
• Lila and JT track Voisoine to her hotel. O'Keefe and Grayson take a gander at Rev. Scott's home/ministry. Lovejoy follows up on a variety of leads. Grayson, JT, and Lila assist O'Keefe in his efforts to assist some government agents in apprehending Rev. Scott. Scott (allegedly) sprouts tentacles and devours one of the agents. All but Grayson return to the Rose with the remaining agent. Obediah can detect nothing physically wrong with him. Grayson encounter Lovejoy at the Scott's ministry. The alley where the attack happened has a strange symbol (recently) carved, a trail of slime, and six bullet holes in the alley wall. Obediah follows Voisoine from her hotel so that he can 'accidentally' run into her at a bar. She offers him a job producing the mysterious elixir and gives him a check for $2000.

Wed, Aug 10

• Article comes out of interview with Katie Flynn. Agent Carl Akins questions J.T., Lila, and Doc Walters about the incident with the reverend. J.T. and Lila deny they saw anything, claiming they stayed in the car - then Lila and the others

• (Start of Session Six - November 30, 2012)

• The group is going to meet with the Russians (under a leader known as "The Boyar") on Thursday.
• J.T. and Lila do a test run of the crossing to Canada planned for Friday.
• Lovejoy finds out that there is a Parkhurt Medical Foundation in Buffalo, New York. They say that Parkhurt moved to L.A., and give an address.
• Lovejoy comes to the Irish Rose to question Lila, and argues with her - saying that she was the connecting element over Danny's murder along with Ecker's and Flynn's disappearances.
• Victor, J.T., Doc Walters, and Lila meet with The Boyar after being fed nice Russian food with bulky guards around - and they brought in Lovejoy. The Boyar is a well-dressed in his 30s who commands attention. Victor says about Voisson and "tentacle monster" to The Boyar.
• The Boyar says that the real Voisson died, and the woman is a pretender capitalizing on her reputation. He is Rulyinof - father of Ilya the Czarina.
• He says the Purple Gang are involved with shady elements of the "Travellers" - Flynn's people who have varying degrees of a disease of the blood, called a "necrophage" by Parkhurst. The disease can be brought out of dormancy by injury.
• Flynn was involved with Maturin de Bonavault, a possibly dead or dormant figure who knew a lot. The journal may have a treatment for the disease, which Voisson wants to use to involuntarily treat rivals in the Travellers.
• The Boyar want to suppress the treatment. He is around for only a few weeks, and then will return to Russia. Parkhurst disappeared from his foundation a year ago, and now no one knows where he is. The Boyar and Russia would be interested in finding out - as well as the formula for aqua vitae (the elixir).
• Michael Barnes (the presumed leader of the government agents that were trying to capture Scott) interrogates the Irish Rose crew. Lila mentions that Scott exhibited octopus-like tendencies. Barnes offers her a job (possibly also JT... and he had previously offered O'Keefe a job... no one offers Victor or Obediah anything... bunch of jerks). It is mentioned that Lovejoy was at the scene, poking around. Barnes asks Victor (who agrees) to lure Scott to an isolated area so that they can capture him without alarming people (at some later date). Victor meets again with the Russians and returns to the Rose with an offer of a meeting (to be held Thursday or Saturday). He also meets up with the Katherine and Franklin Scott at Clark Park.

Thu, Aug 11

• (Start of Session Seven - March 17, 2013)
• PI Daphne Ferris points us to the Harvest Trust company...
• Meeting with Harvest Trust. They want to pay $200 per week for vague work to help protect against "Outsiders".
• Courier later from Trust comes - a 15 year-old girl who looked too perfect and had scintillating eyes. She agreed to take a message to Dr. Parkhurst asking for contact.

Fri, Aug 12

• Delivery for Purple Gang from Canada turned out to have wine, whisky, and at least 1, possibly 3 kids in a comatose state. (Turned out to have the 2 boys and 1 girl, all around 9-11 in age.) A courier from Harvest Trust showed up to give Doc Walters a retainer of $100.
• Talk with reporter Frank Lovejoy that night at the Irish Rose. That night, the same courier girl, Delphinus, returns to say that Parkhurst will meet them at 9 the next night. (...) Lila and J.T. follow her leaving and see her disappear into the shadows in an alley.
• (Give Lovejoy the letter from Mssr. Huber to Mssr. De Bonnevault found among Katie's papers at the Irish Rose.)

Sat, Aug 13

• (Start of Session Eight - March 30, 2013)
• Found that the Russians spoke well of Harvest Trust. Reporter Lovejoy found that Harvest Trust's public record of altruistic work checked out. Found Parkhurst last known in a house in L.A. with 10 or more people, owned by H. Rhyner.
• Sat evening met with Parkhurst in the Rose, who had two big bodyguards with beauty and strange eyes (a man and a woman). Parkhurst looks big, blonde, confident, and charismatic although not beautiful like the others. (He looks like a 30-year-old version of actor William Hopper.) He talked about the "necrophagic" disease, which over the course of it replaces the body, making the host stronger and more perceptive, and heal super quickly. Called "the condition" or "the birthright" (old-school), and makes a need to drink blood. The elixir replaces the need for blood, but creates a dependence, and they can no longer process blood after a while.
• Parkhurst talked about Carl Ellis who was the founder of Harvest Trust. Also about his own clinic, the Parkhurst Institute for Medical Research.
• J.T. told Parkhurst about smuggling the kids for the Purple Gang. He said he would do research and track them down. He confirmed that Voisson is an imposter is ... There are good and bad Russians, but creating new aqua vitae is not
• Lila talked to Parkhurst about him and Katie/Heather - who apparently was used to safeguard the notes. She said that he should copy and release them, and noted that he had endangered Katie, but he says that she knew what she was getting into.

Sun, Aug 14

• Bought a farmhouse from a farmer with cash from Voisson, to use as a base for producing aqua vitae. J.T. sent for his cousins Rufus and R.J. to oversee the brewing and distilling half of the operation. Rufus is muscle/driver, while R.J. knows the ropes of distilling. (Doc Walters would oversee the second half, using details yet to be provided by Voisson.)

Mon, Aug 15

• During the day, finalized the deed on the farmhouse. Parkhurst returns and says he had found kids at a farmhouse, and asked if we would help rescue the kids. In the evening, took trucks and attacked the farm with Parkhurst along with his two bodyguards and some human mercenaries. Defenders included a number people with the Condition. Victor was tossed out of a second-story window and hurt badly. In a hidden room, found a makeshift operating room where someone was dissected along with footprints to a car, and rescued 2 of the 3 kids. Lovejoy brought a photographer along who took many pictures of the events, including him carrying out the kids.
• Escape in the trucks, taking the two kids and the dissecting table covered in dark-colored blood. Parkhurst says that the two kids have the Condition, but are not part of his community in New Jersey.

Tue, Aug 16

• (Start of Session Nine - April 13, 2013)
• Began setting up the operation on the farm. One of Parkhurst's bodyguards (the man) and two human mercenaries (men) are staying at the farm. Take the dissecting table from the rescue to here. The farm now has two trucks and a car supplied by Parkhurst. The girl is silent, while the boy still seems to be in a deep sleep, though neither have obvious injuries.
• The bodyguard's name is Maurice. He is a big, dark-haired man with a small queue and hazel-gold eyes. The two mercs names are Robert (the big and bulky one) and Luke (the smaller one).
• J.T. comes back to Detroit to get supplies and recruits Lila. They get medical supplies, lots of groceries, furnishings like blankets.
• The farm has a cow, some pigs and chickens, and a cat or two.
• Bodyguard talks to the girl alone - and tells Doc Walters that the boy and girl are Jason (10) and Olivia (12). They are not related. Maurice doesn't know where the parents are. They have been separated from their family since at least March. They had spent some time in Egypt, and were kept sedated/drugged for much of the time.
• Taking advice from one of the two mercs, Doc Walters sets up a blood transfusion from the merc Robert to the boy. (Those with the Condition are universal receivers and donors.) The boy's condition improves but he does not wake up.
• Doc Walters entrusted J.T. with the $2000 from Voisson and $100 from Harvest Trust. We had not gotten any money from the Purple Gang for the one test run we did.
• Lila does a New Orleans voodoo ritual over Jason, with permission from Olivia and Maurice. Jason seems to improve, but does not wake up.
• During dinner, J.T. lets slip that we will be producing aqua vitae. Maurice, as one with the Condition, says that many will be very interested - since a.v. is the only thing that simulates alcohol, and it is very rare (only known source gone). Maurice told Olivia that Dr. Walters would "save the Queen."
• Olivia tells Lila that her parents are in England, named Rebecca and David (no last name). She tells J.T. and Doc Walters, but not Parkhurst's people.
• Victor has Dr. Parkhurst's journal, and trades it to the Russians in return for their promise to help Katie/Heather.
• Dr. Parkhurst shows up again at the farm and hears about his journal being given to the Russians. He has no leads yet on the childrens' parents.

Wed, Aug 17

• (Session Ten - April 28, 2013)
• New characters newpaper photographer Jack Casey (played by Chris) and Purple Gang member Michael McMann (played by Gene).
• McMann is a tall (6'2") red-headed man in his mid-20s, who immigrated from Ireland 2 or 3 years ago. He is a member of the Purple Gang.
• McMann and Casey talk to J.T. at the Irish Rose. According to McMann, the Purple Gang says that they were delivering the kids for a Lorenzo Farbeck. McMann heads to the farm where the children were being held prisoner.
• In the Purple Gang, there are 4-5 different bosses with independent rackets. McMann works for Abe Axel, who is a sub-boss for ??. J.T. got a letter from the someone else (liquor boss) in the gang who wanted to set up a meeting, and was satisfied with our performance.
• J.T. writes to the liquor boss asking to meet at noon on Friday the 19th. In Victor's absence, Michael temporarily takes over running gambling at the Irish Rose. The meeting
• Purple Gang lead by the Jewish brothers Joe, Abraham, Raymond, and Isadore Bernstein.

Fri, Aug 19

• J.T. and Victor go to meet the Izzy Bernstein, with Eddie Fletcher and Abe Axel along with muscle McMann. They meet at a room at the LaSalle Hotel, the swankiest in town. Bernstein agrees to continuing business relations.
• Casey shows his pictures from the farm: picture of the girl bodyguard Francis that shows small fangs, along with a picture of the discolored blood. Lila, Victor, and J.T. reassure him and tell him most of the story.
• Talking to McMann, he says that Lorenzo Farbeck was the one who smuggled the kids in. He is part of some medical research company.
• J.T. and Lila take the photographer Jack Casey blindfolded to the distillery farm. Jason by now is walking around and doing fine. He takes pictures as proof to McMann that the two kids are doing fine.

• Late that night, J.T., Lila, Victor, Casey, and McMann all go up to Canada to try to track down where the kids were delivered. They search the farmhouse by the drop point where rum-runners occasionally crash. In the cellar they find a locked bolt-hole, with stocks of whisky, and medical examination room with a flat table with various equipment including bottles of opium, ether, etc. There is a hidden safe with a few hundred dollars, maps, a ledger and schedule-book, and American and Canadian IDs. (Lila secretly pockets $20.)
• McMann finds the burnt remains of a book that has pages that survived. In the center of a ledger are 4 pages of medical notes, in an old-fashioned style; followed by 2 pages of a personal letter.
• In a hidden spot in the basement, Victor finds an old envelope with expensive stationary - dated June 1889, in a woman's handwriting, a letter to someone named Ruth on the farm, from her sister Anne. The letter is about a German, Matthias Dargon, buying property from her father with suspicious insistence. Anne is concerned that they will sell the farm.
• They wait hidden to see the night's shipment. With J.T. providing a distraction noise in the woods, Lila runs up to check the back. There is a package for Lorenzo Forbeck, shipped originally from New York. It feels like it has six half-gallon glass containers full of liquid.

Sat, Aug 20

• Early in the morning, a well-dressed Italian-looking man with wavy dark hair in a fancy sedan arrives and picks up that crate. McMann identifies this as Lorenzo Forbeck. They follow his car back to Detroit, to a house in an expensive rich district - the house where we met the Russians. This is the house of Vivian Cooper-Levitt. He seems to be staying there.
• Lila tells McMann about the source of this.

Sun, Aug 21

• (Start of Session Eleven- May 27, 2013)
• Lovejoy interviews Olivia and Jason.
• Lila, J.T., Casey, Walters, and Lovejoy journey through a portal to the Seelie Court.
• Note background - there were 7 bodies at the site of the rescue attempt, including 2 known Purple Gang members - plus 3-4 blobs of ichor.
• Photographer Casey develops his pictures of the burnt documents from the Canada farmhouse. He has lifted out good information on the 4 pages of medical notes, and semi-good information on 2 middle pages of a personal letter.
• The medical notes are a rough draft, written in a man's handwriting. It concerns a mutation in the Condition - not the one that Parkhurst talked about or the serum.
• There are also two middle pages of a letter written by Katie to Maturin. It also mentions a Franz, Jean-Marc, and Mssr. De Bonnevault.
• Lila and J.T. bring Lovejoy and Casey blindfolded to the farmhouse. They bring Lovejoy up to speed with what they found at the Canada house. Lovejoy has come to interview the two Fae children, Olivia and Jason. Lila and Maurice are in the room for the talk, but the kids are overjoyed to see him - since Olivia knows him as the man who rescued her.
• Olivia says she was attacked and knocked out in her house in Britain outside Bailey about 1 year ago. She only heard of Parkhurst from her kidnappers - as Regent to the Queen of the Seelie Court. They moved around the world, including Egypt where a rescue attempt happened in Thebes. Thebans set the house on fire, but then Paige St. Mar chased them off using illusions. The boss was not a human or someone with the Condition - he had eyes with pure-black irises, tall and big with brown hair.
• Jason says he is from Ohio and then later California, where he was kidnapped from a house near L.A. He says he saw Parkhurst once when he was in that house.
• They report that Ricky was an American who was kidnapped last.

• J.T. and Lila returned Lovejoy and Casey to Detroit blindfolded. At the Rose, there was a note from Voisson that she will be in town on the 25th and will meet there.
• Parkhurst arrives in the evening, fresh from a fight. He says to keep the Katie-Maturin letter a secret. Matthias Dargon was a mover and shaker from before Parkhurst's time - not a Fae. He implies the time difference and longevity, but hasn't said it clearly. Doc Walters admits that he was taken by Parkhurst to the community on the 14th to talk to people - he is mysterious about this.
• Parkhurst rests for a few hours, while they bring Lovejoy and Casey back to see him. He reports later that the third child, Ricky, is close to being rescued.

• Parkhurst takes J.T., Lila, Lovejoy, Casey, and Doc Walters through the root cellar into the community - supposedly in New Jersey, though the glow in the sky suggests something strange. There are apparently ~300 with the Condition, ~200 human staff, and ~400+ companions and other humans. There are no modern amenities, but various livestock except heavy plow animals or wagons. Parkhurst warns against seeing the "horses".

• They meet Theo - a man in pseudo-Renaissance-style clothes with riding boots. He is short (5'4"), stocky, and appears about 50 years old - with pure black irises. He tells them that the children were kidnapped to be used as tools - talented sneak thieves - by a Devarney. He intended to infect the children with a disease to strike at the Fae, inducing an atavism to a feral, animalistic state like the "Before Times". Devarney is dead now.
• He explains the time ratio of 60:1 with the community, and the Fae immortality - saying the oldest ever is around 1500 years old, while around here the oldest is probably around 300. He refers to the "Before Times" - before the Queen took over 3 years ago. After at first saying that he didn't know about them or their parents, he reports that their parents are dead.
• He says that the necro-phage is from Outside the universe, from a dangerous dimension that will begin incursions starting in October in New York. The three communities: Seelie Court in New Jersey, the less civilized Unseelie Court in New York, and the dangerous Enclave in eastern Europe (Devarney's group).

• The visitors briefly meet Theo's daughter, Sofia Weiss. They then split up and wander the community to learn more.

Sun, Aug 21

• (Session Twelve - May 31, 2013)
• The group (including Victor, now) have long conversations with Theo Weiss (who offers them some tasks) and Hannelore Rhyner.
• Theo wants to understand what is where the children were going (to get at the heart of the plan to try to use them to infect the community).
• Hannelore helps clarify a lot of the unanswered questions surrounding Katie/Heather Flynn.
• We learn that Parkhurst is an evil fiend (well, that's how Victor interpreted it!)
• The mystery of the barn is resolved.
• Sun, Aug 21: The group wander the community and discuss issues and evidence. J.T. found from Parkhurst that he found Ricky in Kansas City.
• Lovejoy theorizes about Macklin's murder - citing off the Seelie, Unseelie, unaligned, the Enclave, and the Russians (who might have protected some "Before Times" Fae using obscure magical technology).
• According to Doc, Parkhurst says that he gave Katie his journal. (He gave it supposedly because of the schism over the treatment within the community.)
• Theo says that Parkhurst has a high sense of personal honor, and is unlikely to lie. The Seelie court was created here 6 months ago shallow world time. A woman named Hannah, who also became Medea in 1929 just before the night of miracles, who also become the Queen. The Queen is a separate power figure - the Queen of Air and Darkness, while Medea is the one who brought the change (in France in 1929). The community was only created 6 months ago; while the Fae took residence about 4 months ago.
• The necrophage came here in an incursion ages ago. Those infected go into a 3-day transformation after they seemed to die. They adopt a new name and personality. They used to live alone or in small family groups. After many centuries, they become incorporeal Elders. (Vandervecken, who was "killed" in Kansas City a few years ago, was 700 years old and just recently became an elder. He is leader of the Unseelie.)
• There is magical life force, called the Ambient, which started rising years ago and took a giant leap up about 3-4 years ago. A group of Elders contacted the Enclave, who became riders of the Fae of the Enclave, allowing them to survive the Ambient. He says that the Fae cannot do magic.
• Heather, Franz, and Jean-Marc were travelling with Maturin De Bonnevault, who was a very old Nightfolk obsessed with Hanna/Medea, acting for the Enclave. When Maturin vanished, Heather was captured by Parkhurst. (We note the Farbeck had Heather's letter to Maturin. There was a Farbeck in the history of the Enclave - not clear if it is the same.)
• The Seelie and Unseelie have non-aggression agreement, and were both transformed by Medea.
• Theo says that Matthias Dargon (mentioned in the letter) was a cult leader, dead now. Carl Ellis is a good man. Hannibal King keeps his word.

• They arrange with Parkhurst to meet with Hannah. Looks to be in her late 30s, with brilliant grey eyes, with waist-length shiny black hair and pale skin. (Like a Gothic heroine)
• Hasn't seen Heather since she left L.A. Mssr. Huber might have information. (Mentions she had left Buffalo to go to L.A.)
• Says she has a position of leadership - more as a spiritual leader. Mentions raising children, the goals. harm children, impede progress, ...
• "I do not feel they owe me... chosen by ?fate?" ... was an alienist - into objective observation... Says that Dr. Parkhurst is the right person for the job and is trustworthy despite tendency to violence and to fly off the handle.
• Re: Theo, he feels he must to do what he must to preserve the shallow world...
• Ultimately, she would like the walls of the court broken down, living among the rest of you...
• She explains the current theory is that the space come through is inhabited by entities - some thinking, some not - and the barrier to that space is weakening. She believes this entirely, and wants to help...
• Maturin De Bonnevault was the head of the household, attended by majordomo Franz Huber, bodyguard Jean (professional criminal in France) and his son "Petit Jean", and Heather (infrequent companion to Maturin). Maturin tried to arrange Parkhurst to be Hannah's companion, and failing that he kidnapped Hanah from her house in Buffalo. Parkhurst located them, but Maturin escaped having done terrible things to Hannah.
• What happened to Franz (in the incident in the letter)? Hanna drank from him (Communion), and he was adversely affected.
• Parkhurst went crazy, and possibly tortured Miss Flynn to get information on where Maturin went. He was no longer a doctor in spirit after that. She was loyal to Maturin but gave out information, then became prisoner of the Seelie.
• Parkhurst found his serum a failure and stopped work on it. He sent copies to Theo Weiss and Mr. Ellis. Hanna asked Parkhurst for the serum; he refused; loyal Seelie beat him up to get the serum from him. He then gave the journal to Heather, telling her to take it far from the Seelie.
• Alanna shows up, young woman known as "Mistress of the Hunt". She shows them the horses, which look like jet-black horses with flexible necks, sharp teeth, and intelligent eyes. She warns especially to avoid their bite which is poisonous. J.T. and Grayson both try riding them in the corral, under Alanna's supervision. Grayson does particularly well, and J.T. does well enough to avoid being injured.

Mon, Aug 22

• (Session Thirteen - July 5, 2013)
• JT, Victor, and Obediah (and maybe Lila) remain behind at the Seelie Court for a couple of months, while the others return.
• Parkhurst sends Candide to stay with the group, and especially to protect Doc Walters. He is a small man, without the good looks of most of the fae, but still the brilliant blue eyes. He has a muddled European accent.
• In the evening, JT, Victor, and Candide meet with Axler. Axler indicates that something big is going to happen in the next few weeks and he wants the Irish Rose crew to be involved. JT indicates he is not interested in things like kidnapping children and Axler assures him that the job won't effect his delicate sensibilities.

Tue, Aug 23

• Victor and Candide stakeout Cooper-Levitt's house and see Farbeq leave. They decide to break in and poke around. They (well, mostly Victor) foolishly steal 4 bottles discovered in a box (the same box that was retrieved from the Purple Gang drop site).

Wed, Aug 24 - Aug 27

• (Session Fourteen - July 14, 2013)
• Over the course of these days:
• --Obediah meets with Voisoine. She offers to give him the secret in return for 'a favor to be chosen later' or to just supply him the ingredient for mixing. He defers this deal while he determines what he wants to do. When Candide departs for KC, Obediah returns to the Seelie Court.
• -- McMann continues to poke around trying to find the missing children. On the 27th, he encounters a prostitute who gives him a lead on Farbeq.
• Gangster Michael McMann vandalized J.T.'s car in order to get his attention. He gives hints to the group that Farbeck is based out of Kansas City, where the other ritual murder like the Irish Rose murder occurred.
• -- Lovejoy does some more research and heads down to Kansas City on the trail of the last missing child. He follows up various leads and eventually locates the likely location of the children at a farmhouse visited by the murdered housing agent, Bitterman.
• -- Candide mostly stays with Obediah to protect him. He journeys to Kansas City on the 27th to help locate the missing child with his 'special vision/senses'.
• -- JT and Victor revisit the Seelie Court before traveling down to KC to help locate the last missing child. They blunder about a bit, but eventually they show up to assist Lovejoy in his investigations.

Sun, Aug 27

• Aug 27 (Sat) - Most of the group travel down to Kansas City.
• Retracing Bitterman's movements, Candide finds that Fae of some sort are located at an abandoned farmhouse.

Sun, Aug 28

• Aug 28 (Sun) - Discussions among each other in a Kansas City hotel room in the afternoon.
• Lovejoy got an anonymous letter via the courier from someone claiming to know Flynn, based on reading his articles, and were interested in helping rescue the kids. Said congrats re: article. Contacted others regarding Purple Gang, and that their future is "anything but rosy". If in New York, would express their gratitude in "some tangible manner".
  • Generous funding into the background of the children. Dr. Parkhurst is an old associate, but had lost track of him, and had heard he fell prey to the same blood diseases that he had fought to cure. Miss Flynn is an old acquaintance who had been under Parkhurst's care. Mentions Institute in Berlin and places in Moscow working to make "biological weapons" of blood disease, and sterilization of afflicted in Germany. Also mentions New World Industries, and a Dr. Sergei Sergeivitch doing blood research.
• Lovejoy wrote to the Boyar to ask about the institute in Moscow.
  • The Boyar wrote back saying that he was surprised at our Fae connections (what he called the "American camp"). He does confirm that the institute in Moscow is a personal charity of the Czarina, and is doing research into blood disease. He also implies that the Czar is infected.
• Katie wrote to say that some people in the community had wanted to kill Hannah before she became Queen. The Seelie and Unseelie are under the queen's protection. The Enclave had joined with the Elders to survive the rising ambient, and were the ones pushing to kill her.
• Bitterman was a guy murdered in the style as Macklin. Got a list of farms that he had visited, and Candide had sensed other infected on a particular farm. This fits with Parkhurst's information that there was a trail on the missing kids leading to Kansas City.
• (Vic may think he is going crazy.)
• McMann offers to go out and drive by the farmhouse to check it out, and Lila offers to go with him. J.T. objects to this, and Lila goes out for a walk.
• Around 6PM, Candide arrives, and brings in four people with him - young Samson (America), Robespierre (French), Diego de la Vega (Mexican), and Miranda (British).
• We raid the farmhouse at around midnight. Just before the raid, Lovejoy reveals to the others that he has instructed his partner to call the police to raid the place at 4AM.
• Samson and Robespierre go in the back followed by Lovejoy and Lila. Candide, Diego, and Miranda go in the front followed by J.T. McMann watches from the front yard.
• J.T. picks the front lock quietly, while Samson and Robespierre climb inhumanly to the second floor up the back. However, the whole farmhouse is empty - stripped clean of any furniture and most interior walls. There is a door set in the middle of the first floor. Lila picks the back door lock and joins the rest with Lovejoy.
• Underground, find a facility with dead bodies in a refrigerated room, and 200+ feral people (Fae "abominations") in cages.
• In the attack, rescue 9 companions. In an attack on the final lab, the Seelie brought to help in the assault murder the American scientists who surrender, on orders from Candide. They kill a "Triad" of 3 ritual magicians / psychics (?) along with 4 scientists. However, after stopping them, we do capture 5 scientists.
• Lovejoy documents this, and then waits with one scientist for the police to arrive.
• The companions have many needle marks and many marks of "communion" - they were terrorized and held for from 3 months to a year and half.
• In the attack, all of the Abominations are destroyed, as well as a 'Triad' of psychics and many of the scientists.

Mon, Aug 29

• Aug 29 (Mon) - Hide out in an abandoned house and question first the scientists. By pretending to be allies of Boyar Rulinov, a scientist is tricked into giving up many details of the research.
• Interrogation reveals that an unknown contingent of Russians were attempting research that would allow them to create and control vast swarms of 'mindless' Fae abominations. They have had some success at producing a useful "weapon" - the beasts in the cages. They say that the other three (the Triad?) are very valuable resources, not easily replaced.

Tue, Aug 30 - Sep 1

• The surviving scientists are delivered to James O'Keefe, former friend and current member of the Federal Government.
• Everyone travels to the Seelie Court to assess matters.

Fri, Sep 2 - Sep 6

• Victor receives a letter from the Boyar inviting him and his allies to travel to Russia to meet with Tsarina Ineska.
• Before journeying to Russia, the group decides to spend 3 real world days (180 Seelie Court days) learning Russian and pursuing other interests in the Court.

Tue, Sep 6

• The group travels to New York and they meet with Meridon Caine.

Tue, Sep 6 - Thu, Sep 8

• (Session Fifteen - September, 2013)
• Returning with this information to the Seelie Court, there was some indication that it would be a good idea if someone were to go to Russia to look into this situation. Fortuitously, we had received an invitation to visit Russia from a guy named Boyar Rulinov.
• We decided it might be nice to learn Russian before leaving, so we spent a few (real world) days / (Seelie Court) months learning the language in the Seelie Court.
• While most were in Seelie Court, Lila was back in Chicago looking after the Rose and the kids (Olivia and Jason).
• Before leaving for Russia on the Boyar's ship, the Lavadia(sp?), we stopped by to talk with Meridon Caine. We also met with Comte de la Fer, and he imparted a goodly quantity of information - including dark secrets of Russia.
  • He described how communists were killed in the purge, along with most people (80% in urban areas, more like 25% in rural areas). Also described how another event happened in Egypt, with some similarities.
  • Lovejoy is a communist sympathizer, although more with unions / wobblies and not with Leninists.
  • The Comte says he is an entirely different person from Grimaldi, though he is in the same body. He says that Grimaldi is engaged to Usher's adopted niece - Nicoletta Usher (Roderick Usher's adopted daughter).

Thu, Sep 8 - Sep 17

• From September 8-September 17, we traveled by ship and rail to Moscow.
• Travel to Russia with PCs Victor, Doc Obediah Walters, moonshiner JT, reporter Frank Lovejoy, photographer Jack Casey, hostess Lila Clark, and gangster Michael McMann - joined by Boris Valenko; accompanied by Adela (JT's girlfriend), Candide (Fae), and Wilhelm Bauermann (Candide's Companion).
  • Wilhelm is dark-haired, in his mid-30's. He speaks German and French, but no Russian or English.
• September 17-18 was spent getting up to speed on Russian court etiquette and getting appropriate clothing.
• Finally encountering Vivian Cooper-Levitt, who appears to have near-terminal tuberculosis. She was traveling to Russia to consult with specialists there, having exhausted all options for either cure or remission in the U.S.

Sun, Sep 18

• On the night of the 18th we attended a party, which also included Tsarina Ineska, Boyar Rulinov, and Madeline Usher. The Boyar invited us to an after-party meeting to discuss our reasons for being in Russia.
  • Madeline Usher is a beautiful, imperious woman with pale blonde hair and pure-black eyes marking her as one of the Elders. She spent most time with the Tsarina Ineska, chatting like best girl friends.
  • Also Eva Drosky, a Alchemist leader who was at the ball. Greying hair, seems like peasant stock but well-educated.
• While leaving around 1AM, they see Doc Walters to be having an affair with the Tsarina.
  • Rulinov arranged for us to see Walters and the Tsarina. He suggests someone write to the Seelie - "It would be less painful that Medea hears of such new from a friend... rather than by casual gossip."
  • Rulinov has pure-black eyes, marking him as an Elder.
  • Vic hangs back with a young woman named Savina looking to see the sights.
• Summary of intelligence: Farbeq was a facilitator for setting up the Kansas City facility. Comte de la Fer and Boris Valenko gave a list of people to look into in Russia. Suspect Madeline Usher of being behind the facility in Kansas City.

Mon, Sep 19

• (Session Sixteen - October, 2013)

• After the party, the Americans talk back at the house they are staying at. Walters says that the Tsarina had invited her to his rooms, changed clothes, and asked him about Hannah.
  • Tsarina has a fraught relationship with the Seelie Court, and has apparently heard about Hannah's emotional state.
• Discuss that Victor or the Unseelie Court (perhaps Elder Vandervecken in the Court) are likely channels of information from Russia to the Seelie Court.
• Hannah thinks that Usher was behind the hit on Macklin, done through a human agent named Vladimir Zavanov (brother of exiled Russian alchemist Anton Zavanov). Zavanov was sent to get Parkhurst's journals, and killed Macklin just because. He may have been ridden by one of the Elders, and the ritual was to feed the Elder.
  • Candide says that in the old times, the Elders spoke through people, but would consume the humans they rode very quickly.
  • Hannah perhaps says that she is related to the Tsarina, but we do not know how.
• Contrastingly, Rulinov says that Vandervecken was probably behind the hit on Macklin.

• In the early morning, first Doc Walters, and then Lovejoy was visited by a young girl in servant's clothes - who quietly knocks, then tells him in Russian "Please hurry, wake the others, get dressed, come with me." Eventually admits that she was sent by Boyar Rulinov. (This turns out to be "Tiva".)
  • Taken via tunnel to a nearby building, over to a nightclub. A guy at the bar is 6'2", lanky, brown hair, green eyes. (Looks like modern actor Eric Balfour.) Introduced himself as as Dale Parsons or "James Hunter". Came highly recommended by Boris Valenko or Comte de la Fer. Says he is an enemy of "Joe the Boss".
  • Says had friends in occult investigations. Alexi Vichnaveski and Boris Valenko set him up here in Moscow. Said that they didn't know what would happen - including probably the Tsar.
  • Theodore "Buck" Holland is an African-American band leader from Kansas City, in the band in Moscow.
  • Natasha is a 20-year-old blonde women who also works for him.
  • Svetlana is another striking blonde woman going for the Marlena Dietrich look.
  • Says he is friends with the girl Tiva, and trusts her judgment.

• Doc Walters says that the Tsarina offered to have Rulinov taken as a prisoner to the Seelie Court. She said that Madeline Usher wants the incubator kids (Olivia and Jason).
• Victor and Lila bring up that we should definitely respond to this offer. Preferably
• Walters suggests that we should ...

• Dale and Lila talk about magic. He says about the symbiosis of the Rodina (the land), the Tsar, and the Tsarina.
  • There are things older than their bodies in the Tsar and Tsarina that are integrated.
  • Says about the river of blood, Alexi may have suspected but others probably did not (including the Tsar).
  • Suspects Madeline Usher of the plot with the mutant necrophage.

• Talk with Adela and Candide about the crimes of Rulinov. Adela wants Rulinov killed for his crimes, but Victor argued that his crimes were before he merged with an Elder.
  • Adela and Candide explain that the companions of Elders are drained of all life essence, becoming lifeless husks.
  • There were disembodied Elders, but they all embodied into Fae bodies with the rise of the ambient.

Tue, Sep 20

• (Session Seventeen - November, 2013)

• (Recap: Much earlier, back in Detroit, Victor had stolen 4 jars from Farbeck's house: one of aqua vitae, one with metal parts and two probes sticking out, and a strange liquor.)
• Found that the assassins were actually Russian soldiers looking for Boris.
• We discuss that Victor is under the influence of Rulinov, but we are not sure how or to what end - perhaps to take his side.
• The Americans plus Dale and his people go to talk to Alchemists - Yuri, Grigor, and Tachiko - in their workshop - a large industrial building.
  • They say they have magical energy batteries, and make weapons for the elite imperial guard. They note that the Japanese have interesting ways of dealing with demons.
  • We describe aqua vitae to them, and Grigor says that life essence can be extgracted safely with 24-48 hour recovery time, resting in the dark.
  • Discuss the possible hiring an alchemist to go to the U.S., if the Tsarina gives her blessing.
  • Ask about Vladimir Zabanov, killer of Danny Flynn, and his brother Anton. Vladimir had worked for Madeline Usher or a proxy. Anton was kicked out of alchemists for experimenting on people without consent. He thought that thousands of years ago humanity had advanced magica, and selective breeding could bring it back. He had gone to the U.S. to continue this work.

• Particularly from Lovejoy's request, we go to speak to an Outsider.
  • Dale's protege Natasha draws a lesser circle of protection, which she, Lila and Casey are
  • The alchemists flip some switches and stand behind a screen door, with Tachiko standing in front of it.
  • A thing, hard to remember, that is black and evil with limbs that rolls forward with undulating movement. It grasps Tachiko's ankle, after which she goes rigid and then speaks with its voice.
  • Lovejoy asks where it is from, and it reaches out a limb - which he accepts after asking the Alchemists if it is OK and getting a non-committal reply. He is comatose for several minutes, then comes back giggling uncontrollably.
  • Lila asks who would come through first in the convergence. Through Tachiko, it replies "All of them".
  • Doc Walters asks, "Will aqua vitae get you drunk?" - to which it replies "I do not know that."
  • J.T. asks "What do you want?" - "Everything that you are is valuable."

• Victor wants to stay and Lovejoy is incoherent. We drug both and carry them back to the house.
  • Lovejoy says that fighting the Outsiders is useless. He uses the lagoon and ocean metaphor, and says that we cannot fight a tidal wave with guns and weapons. We can only build a dike - but has no idea how. He also says that it is like a giant South American mold, which has no desires. He refers to his arm as "god scarred".

• We discuss about bringing the Boyar (Rulinov) back to the U.S., according to the Tsarina's request to Dr. Walters. Candide says that he could be killed here only by being caught in treason. Adelle says that he is most motivated by getting into the good graces of the Tsarina.
  • Discuss having Rulinov framed for treason, and then killed by Russia.
  • According to Adelle and Candide, Rulinov is guilty of murder of many people, and rape of the Queen - whom he infected with the necrophage. He was in the past a maker of beasts - and may be connected to those in Kansas City.

• The group goes to Dale's club, where Lila was invited to the club by John "Buck" Houghton. Adelle is introduced to jazz dancing. Candide takes a turn on the piano, bringing passionate new music from Harlem.
  • Mostly local Russians - many well-off police and military.
  • The band leader Buck takes a definite interest in Lila, and they dance when he is on his break, though she makes him work for her attention. Buck knows that his boss is into some weird stuff, but is not in the loop.
  • Near midnight, there is a shift in the crowd. Lovejoy senses an aura of fear, as most of the military men in the crowd all walk out in lock-step into the street where they stand shoulder-to-shoulder. Dale says that they are preparing to deal with a small (?) incursion - and that it will be dangerous, but "the Rodina would appreciate the help."
  • The club has a sandbagged machine-gun nest on the roof, and people are all prepared. Spotlights on the sky pick up a hole in space, showing unfamiliar stars, then a big winged creature comes through. The uniformed men open their eyes very wide and power seems to come through them - conducted through their bodies.
  • The creature stopped near the club, and released tendrils below it.
  • It was defeated, at the cost of many people. The remains of the creature rained down in ashen parts.
  • Survivors briefly drink and then go to bed.

Wed, Sep 21

• (Session Eighteen - December, 2013)

• McMahon is looking into studying as an alchemist, and received a letter from the alchemical council in.
• Lovejoy describes his feeling of the Outsider and the Rodina (the Land). The Rodina seemed like a construct and more mechanical - a human-created imitation of something. The Outsider seemed more mechanical.
• Victor reports five things from talk to Rulianov. (1) about alchemy, said to talk to Eva Droskey; (2) about Boris Valenko, who berated the Czarina and was exiled from Russia; (3) asked about taking Vivien Cooper-Levitt back to Seelie court, he had not comment; (4) asked about Frank, suggested having an alchemist look him for Outsider taint; (5) asked about compulsion, which he admitted to. Said we will have to deal with Madeline Usher.
  • Rulianov mentions on the side that he enjoys jazz. This is peculiar because the Elders can't appreciate music as part of their condition.
  • Vivien agreed to meet Victor.

• Discuss goals, including: (1) acquiring a Russian alchemist to return to the U.S.; (2) find out what Madeline Usher is up to; (3) who was behind the scientists and project in Kansas City.

• Go to see Eva Droskey at her office in a big government building. She is an older (60-ish) woman of sturdy Russian stock and build.
  • Lila senses that she has an invisible creature on her left shoulder, with its tail wrapped around her neck. She silently consults with it from time to time, during pauses in conversation.
  • Pitch to her that there is opportunity for us to sponsor an alchemical institute in Detroit.
  • Mentions a young lady, Mishka, in the South of Russia who is a journeyman expert in Outsiders; Janco is a Moscow local who also has some expertise in Outsiders.
  • Question of the U.S. government has alchemical work: previously New World Industries (now moved to Switzerland), and later Pentheus (who picked up NWI employees), and present government organizer O'Keefe.

• Talk to Boyar to say we are leaving in a few days, and convey that if Usher wants to talk to us, she should do so before then.
  • Frank feels that Rulianov is alien (like Outsiders but to a more limited extent).
  • After a short visit, go to the ballet using box seats that Rulianov offered.
  • Several then go to Dale's club after. Lila spends the evening with Buck.

Thu, Sep 22

• Interviews with three journey and two master alchemists. All very competent and well-educated.
  • Victor talked to Hannah ("Dr. Reiner") - who said that the Elder is not purely in control once it takes over a body. She says it would be better if he never left Russia, and that he is still largely responsible for his actions prior to the Elder inhabiting his body.
  • Frank expresses opinion on what the Elder is like, claiming that the Elder has taken over the personality - like wearing an empty suit of skin. He says that the Outsider, the Elder within Rulianov, and the fae part of Fae are all similar.
  • Candide says the old Elders had to withdraw to Outside, unable to live inside the world.
  • The Elder took over his body in 1930 or 1931 - after the Queen's Blessing.

Fri, Sep 23

• Interview with master alchemist Mishka Bersikov. Early 40s, dark-hair, very Slavic looking, fluent but accented English. Comes across as very professional and confident, but very remote personally. Seems uncaring about ethical questions.
  • Says that her reason for coming is ambition - to be in charge of her own facility (?). She has travelled about a little within Eastern Europe, but not farther.
  • Expertise in Outsiders - she studied a captured Outsider that was eventually put down by the Rodina. The only proven weapon against them is life essence, she says.
  • She says that life essence depends on identity - thus cannot easily be drawn from animals. Tapping it causes permanent damage to identity.

Sat, Sep 24

• Meeting with Madeline Usher. She indicated that she had some way to restore bloodlines to the Fae who had received the Queen's Blessing. After some argument, she gave JT a phone number that he could call while in the US that would (somehow) lead to proof of the validity of her claims. JT decided that he would not call the number until after the Incursion.
  • She might have implied that she would be interfering in New York in some manner, or that might be a matter of interpretation.