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| | *Denotes RP/Journal entry | | *Denotes RP/Journal entry |
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| | == Prologue == | | == Prologue == |
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| | == The Story So Far ... == | | == The Story So Far ... == |
| | + | <span style="color:#800000">'''''The Years have their own dedicated archive pages. ––– the Campaign Archivist'''''</span><br><br> |
| | '''''[[The Dark Corners of the Earth: The Story So Far ... ––– 1867 (August - December)|The Year 1867 (August - December) ]]''''' ––– Our core party is formed, our first foes vanquished, and our initial affiliations cemented. <br> | | '''''[[The Dark Corners of the Earth: The Story So Far ... ––– 1867 (August - December)|The Year 1867 (August - December) ]]''''' ––– Our core party is formed, our first foes vanquished, and our initial affiliations cemented. <br> |
| − | '''''[[The Dark Corners of the Earth: The Story So Far ... ––– 1868|The Year 1868]]''''' ––– After a brief hiatus to regularize certain domestic affairs, our party resumes its service to the Crown in matters mundane and magical. <br><br> | + | '''''[[The Dark Corners of the Earth: The Story So Far ... ––– 1868|The Year 1868 (January-December)]]''''' ––– After a brief hiatus to regularize certain domestic affairs, our party resumes its service to the Crown in matters mundane and magical. <br><br> |
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| − | == London, January 1868 ==
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| − | '''03 Jan 1868''' - '''''[[Darya-ye-Nor| Mini Game: Darya-ye-Nor]]''''' - In which we stay the balance of the Christmas holidays in Ireland and return to England to news both interesting and perplexing.<br>
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| − | *'''11 Jan 1868''' - [[A Winter's Respite]] - (RP: Josephine, Katherine, and Evie)<br>
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| − | *'''12 Jan 1868''' - [[Thoughts]] - (Journal: Katherine)<br>
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| − | '''13-18 Jan 1868''' - '''''[[At the Queen's Reception]]''''' - The investigation and preparation for a State Reception of a rare jewel from India continues. The day arrives and surprises are had. <br><br>
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| − | == London and Trieste, January/February 1868 ==
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| − | '''18 Jan 1868''' - '''''[[Pachyderm & Packet]]''''' - The heist is foiled and our heroes enjoy a fortnight's break before being assigned the mission to transfer funds to Napier in Abyssina. We cross the Continent for Trieste and are reunited with our Russian ally from Ireland.<br>
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| − | *'''24 January 1868''' - [[Quiet Moments]] - (RP: Ezekiel,Katherine and Evie)<br>
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| − | *'''14 February 1868''' - [[Preemption Of The Heart]] - (RP: Josephine and Evie)<br>
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| − | *'''14 February 1868''' - [[Fusillade]] - (RP: Josephine and Kalashnikov)<br>
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| − | *'''14 February 1868''' - [[Shepherds & Wolves]] - (RP: Josephine and Evie)<br>
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| − | *'''14 February 1868''' - [[The Comfort of Thy Enemy]] - (RP: Josephine and Kalashnikov)<span style="color:#800000">''''' Fic Rating: R'''''</span><br>
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| − | *'''15 February 1868''' - [[The Morning After]] - (RP: Alexi Kalashnikov and his crew)<br><br>
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| − | | |
| − | == Egypt, February 1868 ==
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| − | '''20 February 1868''' - '''''Ruins and Foreign Shores''''' - We put to port in Alexandria and use our connections to attend a party to celebrate the archaelogical dig just outside the city, where we make the acquaintance of a scholar/librarian, Miss Rebecca Spencer. Local politics dampen the festivities and Flora and Katherine are kidnapped in a subsequent moonlight tour of the dig. Alexi and Ezekiel use their extrasensory and religious talents to discover the whereabouts of the women while Bertie takes the direct physical approach and pursues one set of kidnappers by raft up the Nile. The findings are grim. The route Katherine's captors have taken is a magical one, involving a portal opened by the human sacrifice of four workers from the dig. The vision Ezekiel receives of Katherine's fate is one of knives and blood, of the followers of Set. Alexi's powers suggest Flora's fate may be less inimical--pillows and cats and comfort are what he gleans. Ezekiel falls to his knees and prays for guidance from the Lord and in response, a flash of blinding light erupts over him, instantly stunning all non-Christians to unconsciousness. We emerge from the dig to find everyone working there asleep in their tracks. Any help we expected to gain from them in our pursuit of the kidnappers is gone. <br>
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| − | *'''20 February 1868''' - [[From the Journal of Katherine Fleming-Drake: Day One of My Inexplicable Captivity]] - (Journal: Katherine)
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| − | *'''20 February 1868''' - [[A Night of Much Ado]] - (Letter: Rebecca Spencer)
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| − | *'''24 February 1868''' - [[From the Journal of Katherine Fleming-Drake: Day Four]] - (Journal: Katherine)
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| − | *'''25 February - 01 March 1868''' - [[From the Journal of Katherine Fleming-Drake: Day Five and Beyond ...]] - (Journal: Katherine)
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| − | *'''20 February''' - [[A Sternly Worded Letter From Bertie to General Edward Stanton, England's Ambassador in Egypt]] - (Letter: Bertie)
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| − | *'''Date Undetermined''' - [[Bitter Reunion]] - (RP: Katherine and Flora)
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| − | '''20 February 1868''' - '''''Pursuit and Recovery''''' - We find a woman amongst the unconscious workers. Her name is Fatima. She is mysterious and mystic and despite the distrust of some of our party, proves very helpful in our search for Flora and Katherine. While we chase down leads in the daylight hours, Bertie takes to the halls of government to gain aid--by genteel blackmail if necessary--and sends off a rather forceful letter to England. Alexi makes improvements on his boat to allow it to go over land. It is soon put to the test when we steam upriver and hit a sandbar on our way toward Elephantine where we believe Katherine is being held prisoner. The boat performs wonderfully, getting us over the snag. Three days later, a team of catmen sneak aboard the boat under cover of darkness and Bertie and Ezekiel defend the boat. Rebecca uses rune magic to freeze the opponents but unintentionally freezes our party as well. Fatima executes a light spell to illuminate everything while Rebecca unfreezes our party. Alexi shows up after the battle is over with his Hussar bodyguards just in time to see Bertie questioning one of the two surviving beastmen. Under questioning the beastman admits he and the others were sent to steal Evie to bring her to Flora. Before we can continue with our questioning, he breaks away and impales himself on a conveniently sharp object. The other beastman is killed and tossed over the side. We sail on and after passing an island in the night, we spy a boat following in our wake when day breaks and to our compleate surprise, we see Flora is aboard--riding in Cleopatran splendor on pillows and rose petals. Alexi is unwilling to stop to take Flora on and Bertie yells over the railing at Flora to catch up, woman! When we reach our destination, Alexi sends the boat walking out of the water and uses it as a battering ram to breach the walls of the temple at Elephantine. Once inside, he fires all canons into it. Fatima throws chain lightning at the temple's defenders and Rebecca throws a chaos spell to further flummox the foe. Katherine is found choking her captors with her fetters' chains. It is a rout and Katherine is rescued. Fatima makes a beline to a demolished statue and there in the crumbled rock is something that looks like a dagger--Fatima warns everyone that it is evil, the Tooth of Set, and we have to pull it free with kitchen tongs to avoid contact. Rebecca finds a jewel casket to put the artefact in and tells Fatima to keep the Tooth--it is hers as part of her country's heritage. Fatima puts the dagger in the casket, closes it up, and sets about putting multiple wards on the box. Mwanwhile Bertie races back and 'rescues' Flora who arrives at the rear of our party. Alexi fires up the engines and walks his boat-cum-Russian-tank out of the rubble, the hero of the day.<br>
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| − | *'''March 02, 1868''' - [[A Moonlight Conversation]] - (RP: Josephine and Ezekiel)
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| − | *'''March 03, 1868''' - [[Markers]] - (RP: Evie and Josephine)
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| − | ==Italy, 1868==
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| − | '''March 06, 1868''' - '''''Inquisition & Acquistion''''' - We have ridden the Nile to the Mediterranean on the ''Odyssey'' and our first night on the open sea is broken by a scream from Rebecca's cabin. We rush to her aid to find her spread frozen in bed with the Tooth of Set floating above her. It has put her into a magical coma and we cannot revive her. We get the Tooth back in the box and chart our best course to the nearest mage or thaumaturge capable of undoing the spell. Alexi has heard of mages who can break the spell and he tells us they can be found at Apulia or Corfu. Bertie refuses Corfu because it's in Russian hands and England is still embroiled in the Crimean War with Russia. Apulia is also reputed to be the stronghold of the notorious Guiseppe Garibaldi but since he's already fought the Prussians, Apulia is marginally safer. And marginally is the operative word. Instead of getting imprisoned by Russians on Corfu, we get detained by the Church on Apulia and Ezekiel is singled out as a Jesuit heretic by the Inquisition. For five days he is questioned and tortured by escalating degrees and Katherine is frantic. And we somehow find someone able to release Rebecca from her coma. In the middle of all this, Garibaldi arrives from campaigning abroad and the island arranges for a gala to welcome him. In a ploy to gain money to ransom Ezekiel's release, Bertie has Evie and Char steal a portion of Garibaldi's war loot at one end of Garibaldi's stronghold whilst Bertie entertains Garibaldi at the other end. Gems and jewelry and coin go out the windwo by the sacksful. Evie is successful and Ezekiel is ransomed. The bulk of the haul ends up in the Church's hands but Evie is able to stash over a thousand pounds worth of gems for herself. Ezekiel limps back to our boat, his foot compressed by the Boot but not crushed, branded with a cross on his forehead, but little else injured. Katherine heals him and we leave Apulia before Garibaldi discovers his loss. We set our course for Venice. Bertie has discovered certain glassmakers on the island of Murano can make amulets to cast illusions over the wearer. He plans to put in at Venice to replace the amulet that Flora has lost in Egypt.<br><br>
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| − | '''25 March 1868''' - '''''High Times in Venice''''' - We put in to port at Venice and stay with Countess Scarpelli's parents. Bertie has heard he can get a magic amulet for Flora to replace the one she lost in Egypt, so as to restore her human appearance again. While there, a Monseignor of the Roman Catholic Church and the Grand Turk hold an outdoor court, wherein plenary indulgences are sold and audience with the Grand Turk is allowed. Bertie purchases several indulgences and even Josephine buys one. Chaos ensues when terrorists attack the court. They have a bomb but Rebecca throws a cage spell over it to contain it. It blows and the muffled explosion knocks Ezekiel down and out. We engage the terrorists. Bertie, Josephine, and Katherine keep them busy until the Italian Police arrive. They detain all of us for questioning but Bertie's silver tongue gets us out of trouble. We are allowed to leave.<br><br>
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| − | Before we leave Venice, Josephine telegrams the Colonel the report of what's happened and he telegrams back with orders: Bring Countess Scarpelli to stay with Bertie for the Season, Bring back Rebecca Spenser with the dagger, Dionysius will meet us on English soil to take possession of the dagger for safe keeping elsewhere. Bertie gets the magical amulet for Flora made by the Murano artisans and Flora's human illusion is restored. Two days later, we are ready to leave and the Scarpellis loan us a couple of carriages so we can take the train out of Genoa. <br><br>
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| − | We cross Europe over several days and board a boat to Plymouth. Once disembarked on good English soil, Dionysius is waiting for us with three carriages for our party. He takes possession of box with the dagger. He arranges to teach Evie proper comportment and bespells an amulet much like Flora's so she can look human. Evie pays him 1000 pounds' worth of her Garibaldi haul for a talisman that will maintain the illusion. <br><br>
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| − | '''English Newspaper News'''<br>
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| − | *Prince Kalashnikov has begun collaboration on a flying machine project in Paris, France, further cementing Franco-Russo relations.<br><br>
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| − | '''More News'''<br>
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| − | *[[Peace Talks]]
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| − | *[[Short Article| Short Article from Page 15 of a recent ''Times of London'']]
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| − | *[[From Page 3 of "News of the World" |From Page 3 of "News of the World" right below a saucy engraving of a woman scandalously clothed in only a corset]]
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| − | *[[From The Times of London Society Page|From The ''Times of London'' Society Page]]
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| − | == London, April 1868 ==
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| − | '''April 10, 1868''' - '''''[[London Town, Zombie Town]]''''' - Evie runs afoul of a powerful Underworld figure over her Garibaldi fortune and zombies walk in foggy London Town <br>
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| − | *'''April 25, 1868''' - [[Faces of the Lord]] - Katherine and Ezekiel ponder the nature of good and evil<br><br><br>
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| − | ==London, May 1868==
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| − | '''May 15, 1868''' - '''''[[Fighting for Respect, Fishing for Treasure]]''''' - A fight breaks out at the Royal Society presentation of Mdm. Selene Dashwood's monograph of scientific research into cellular life strands and Evie takes our party of adventurers into the sewers off the Embankment in search of murderous fishmen and possibly golden treasure.<br>
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| − | '''May 15, 1868''' - '''''A Legacy of Atlantis''''' - Our party goes deeper into the sewers beneath London, encounter more fishmen with illusion spells, recover an ancient manuscript with arcane powers, and Rebecca unwittingly sends a priest of the Old Gods to his doom. Dionysius capitalizes on the treasure, as does Evie. Rebecca receives a harsh dressing down. Josephine takes possession of the manuscript for safekeeping and everyone quits the sewers with stories of an ancient Atlantian race and knowledge that the Old Gods seek to return. <br>
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| − | *'''Date Not Given''' - [[Bringing In The Sheaves]] - (Journal: Dionysius)
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| − | *'''Date Not Given''' - [[Against the Darkness]] - (Journal: Katherine)
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| − | *'''May 16, 1868''' - [[Cutting the Strings]] - (Journal: Josephine)
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| − | *'''May 16, 1868''' - [[Morning After]] - (RP: Evie and Josephine)
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| − | *'''May 17, 1868''' - [[Tea and Inquiries]] - (RP: Josephine and Rebecca)
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| − | *'''Date Not Given''' - [[Royal Society Riot! | ''Royal Society Riot!'' Monograph Reading Turns into Staged Altercation]] - (News Article)
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| − | *'''Date Not Given''' - [[Billy's Letter To Josephine]] - (Letter: Billy Butcher)
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| − | *'''Date Not Given''' - [[Katherine's Invitation to Rebecca]] - (Letter: Katherine)
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| − | *'''Date Not Given''' - [[Letter from Ezekiel Drake to Rebecca Spencer]] - (Letter: Ezekiel)
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| − | *'''Date Not Given''' - [[Tête à Tête at Tea]] - (RP: Evie and Dionysius)
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| − | *'''Date Not Given''' - [[Negotiations]] - (RP: Katherine and Rebecca)
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| − | *'''Date Not Given''' - [[Verbal Fencing]]- (RP: Katherine and Ezekiel)
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| − | *'''Date Not Given''' - [[Of Doors and Dieties]] - (RP: Katherine and Ezekiel)
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| − | *'''May 20, 1868''' - [[Teasing Sympathy]] - (RP: Dionysius and Josephine)
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| − | *'''May 20, 1868''' - [[A Sin for Salvation]] - (RP: Dionysius and Rebecca)
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| − | *'''May 21, 1868''' - [[Letter from Josephine to Pop]] - (Letter: Josephine)
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| − | '''May 22, 1868''' - '''''Odds and Ends''''' - Dionysius Beignet resigns as the Fleming-Drake butler to pursue a career as a consulting thaumaturge. Unwilling to lose him completely, Katherine and Ezekiel retain his services as their financial manager. Fences are mended and new arrangements are proposed at a dinner party hosted by Ezekiel and Katherine. Evie is persuaded to allow Rebecca to take a sensate reading of her recurring nightmares to ascertain if she is being tormented by supernatural agents and the results has her in the clear. Rebecca and Josephine shake off a couple of tails on their cab ride home and Josephine luckily reconsiders the wisdom of confronting the unknown followers. Instead, she takes herself and Rebecca to the Diogenes Club to inform the Colonel what has happened. Josephine is ordered to surrender the artifact in her keeping before admittance and she is put up for the night in visitors' quarters. Rebecca is sent home with two Homeguards as escort and bodyguards. The following day, Rebecca and Dionysius visit Throckmorton over the Atlantian artifact and examine it at the Diogenes Club. Josephine returns home to find it thoroughly sacked. Evie and Katherine set out to shop for gowns for an upcoming ball and see Prince Alexi Kalashnikov's showy arrival at Big Ben in his derrigible. Katherine convinces the security at Whitehall not to arrest him and Alexi gives her and Evie a ride back to the Fleming-Drake estate aboard his airship.
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| − | *'''May 22, 1868''' - [[The Recitation of the Letter (A conversation betwixt Billy and Pop)]] - (RP: Billy and Pop)
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| − | '''May 25, 1868''' - '''''What Happened At The Ball, Part One''''' - Flora is increasingly troubled by blackmail notes she has apparently written to herself, followed by attempted kidnappings and suicides--all apparently self-inflicted. A seance over one of the notes during a dinner party at Katherine and Ezekiel's has the Goddess Bast deliver a warning that she is in terrible danger. Meanwhile, an investigation by a third party into Flora's orgins is afoot, Josephine encounters a gnome named Wescott asking about the burlary of her home, and Alexi sells back the rights to the Egyptian dig to Rebecca for the price of a single kiss. When the night for the ball arrives 2 days later, our party shows in their respective costumes and illusions, Alexi makes his grand entrance, Selene Saulnier is seen conversing with Col. Fleming; shortly before he is found horribley slashed to ribbons near death upstairs of the ballroom. Dionysius takes charge of the investigation and the culprit is deduced, though not actually found.<br>
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| − | '''May 27, 1868''' - '''''[[What Happened At the Ball, Part Two]]''''' - The investigation continues, an heir is found, another heir is created, and a long-standing grievance nears resolution and vindication.<br>
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| − | *[[Bloody Rampage At Hellfire Mansion - A News Of The World Exclusive]] - (News Article)
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| − | *'''May 27, 1868''' - [[Finding The Way]] - (RP: Evie and Josephine)
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| − | '''May 27, 1868''' - '''''At Odds And Ends''''' - Josephine and Evie visit Katherine and Ezekiel's estate where a surprise arrival of the Princess Royal's hunting party leads Ezekiel to issue a challenge to the 8th Duke of Leeds.<br>
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| − | *'''Somewhere in the past''' - [[Homesick]] - (Journal: Ilga)
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| − | *'''May 27, 1868''' - [[Three Miscreants]] - (RP: Billy, Pop, and Svetlana)
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| − | *'''May 28, 1868''' - [[Curiosity & The Cat]] - (RP: Josephine and Evie)<br><br><br>
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| − | ==Wales and England, May-June 1868==
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| − | '''May 29, 1868 - ''A Ruse in Wales''''' - Josephine investigates the source of her father's letter in Wales and discovers a trap has been set for her by the Thule Society. Alexi unveils an ingenious double decker omnibus-style train. Rebecca undergoes some distress over courtship rituals even as she plans to find the second half of the Atlantian Manuscript (reputed to be in Wales) at the reccomendation of Thaumaturgist (and Oxford Don) Throckmorton. Meanwhile, Katherine, Ezekiel, and the Colonel prepare to journey north to Yorkshire with Selene Dashwood and Hanny Saulnier. They will recuperate on the Fleming estate and watch over the hatching of Selene's dragon egg.
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| − | *'''May 29, 1868''' - [[A Welsh Denouement]] - (Journal: Josephine)
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| − | *'''May 29, 1868''' - [[An Evening's Divertissement]] - (RP: Billy, Pop, and Svetlana)
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| − | *'''Date unspecified''' - [[In My Dreams]] - (Journal: Flora) <br><br>
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| − | '''May 29, 1868 - ''Storming The Castle''''' - Throckmorton is viciously bludgeoned to death on a London train platform by dwarves in an attempt to steal the Atlantian manuscript, an attack by ice creatures and the Scottish pretender to the throne (backed by the French) is mounted against Col. Fleming's manor in Yorkshire, and Selene Dashwood achieves her crowning triumph when her dragon hatches and saves the day.
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| − | *'''May 30, 1868''' - [[Black and Blue Romance: A Confusion in Three Acts]] - (RP: Billy, Pop, Svetlana, and Josephine)
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| − | *'''May 30, 1868''' - [[A Cryptic Response]] - (Journal: Josephine)
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| − | *'''May 30, 1868''' - [[At Cross Purposes]] - (RP: Josephine and Rebecca)
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| − | *'''May 30, 1868''' - [[The Fog is Lifted]] - (RP: Rebecca and Christopher)
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| − | *'''June 01, 1868''' - [[Sometimes You Just Need Mother]] - (Letter: Katherine)<br><br>
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| − | '''June 01, 1868 - ''Fishing Expedition''''' - During the day, we are tailed by a small party of revenue officers. Later on, they attack Alexi's train to seize it for the Duke of Leeds, who has land nearby. A battle is fought on the train and off it, and Christopher Ashmore acquits himself handily in our defense. Free to continue on toward the coast, we do not linger after the battle but move on, arriving on the evening of the 3rd of June. <span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; color: #FF0000;">'''*''' </span>Under the moonlight, the island of Avalon appears off the coast of Wales. However, magic and music lure Flora into a fairy barrow nearby while Billy and Pop give chase. Once inside the barrow, Flora is transformed into a dryad protectress of the pixies who live there. Rebecca and Ashmore become better friends while Evie climbs the seacliff by moonlight. As she's clinging to the cliff, Evie spots Fishmen coming up from the water to the shore and calls out the alarm. She's captured in a bubble and taken to the caves on the island and the rest of the party mount a rescue. The Fishmen try their now-familiar ploys of illusion. Again, Ashmore proves valuable through his use of demon-controlling magic and Rebecca uses her rune magic as well. The party splits up and works together until the Fishmen are vanquished and everyone is reunited. <span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; color: #FF0000;">'''*''' </span>Once back on the mainland, Evie and Flora strike a deal with the pixies. Flora is returned to her Eldren form with Dryad wings, the curse transforming her into a cat now broken. Evie is permanantly transformed into an Eldren on the condition that she return the every other year for a single moon to serve as the protectress of the pixie barrow, alternating with Flora for the duty. In exchange, Evie will have the normal lifespan of an Eldren and no longer be a beastie. Josephine entreats Evie to consider carefully about what such a bargain would mean, but realizing Evie is set on her course of action, Josephine does not stand in her partner's way.
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| − | *'''June 02, 1868''' - [[Painful Goodbyes]] - (RP: Alexi and Ilga)
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| − | *'''June 04, 1868''' - [[Sunrise At Road's End]] - (RP: Josephine and Evie)
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| − | ==Yorkshire, England, Oct 1868==
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| − | *'''October 27, 1868''' - [[October Babies]] - (RP: Katherine, Ezekiel, and Miriam)
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| − | ==London, England and St. Petersburg, Russia, Nov-Dec 1868==
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| − | November 17, 1868--[[Endings and Beginnings]]: Josephine and her party return from Wales and life settles down for the next several months. Ezekiel and Katherine are wrapped up in new parenthood. Billy and Svetlana explore their relationship. Christopher and Rebecca discreetly court. Alexi and Evie cement their marriage while maintaining the public fiction that they are still only courting. Alexi buys a small house (it has 18 bedrooms) in London and installs Evie as a guest in it. She learns the ropes of managing a household while she's there. Billy and Pop maintain their criminal enterprises in the East End. <br><br>
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| − | Ezekiel and Katherine throw a dinner party when they finally return to London in November and invite all their close friends, new and old. Christopher, Josephine, Evie, Rebecca, Flora, Bertie, Alexi and his Hussars Ilga and Svetlana attend. Katherine has to be coaxed to leave her precious babies to join the party, but joins it she does. Thanks to the many personal relationships present at the table, the conversation gets a little heated over some sensitive topics, one of which is what should be done about Rebecca's black rune. It is also becoming evident that the rune has cast an influence upon Rebecca, one that blocks her natural sensate abilities. Such a pass cannot be allowed to continue, surely. A seance is decided upon to call forth the deceased mage Throckmorton--perhaps he can reveal what the rune's true nature is and what can be done about it. <br><br>
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| − | While preparations for the seance is being made, Evie draws Josephine aside and proposes they do something about the current Duke of Leeds so Evie can claim the title uncontested. Dionysius Beignet has the paperwork already laid in to prove she is the female in line to inherit, living in exile in Switzerland. There need only be a vacancy for the position to allow her to step up and claim it. But how? The plan is to pull a second-story job on the Duke's London residence and find sufficient evidence to blackmail the man into giving up the title. Since he has an unsavory reputation in certain circles, evidence should not be hard to find. A message is sent to Billy and Pop to meet Evie on the way to Leeds' residence and she and Josephine take an arranged carriage to the rendezvous. <br><br>
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| − | Meanwhile, Katherine and Ezekiel's babies are put in the protective care of Dionysius and Prissy in the upstairs nursery (complete with salt to ward off bad magic) as the seance takes place downstairs in the dining room. Throckmorton is summoned quite handily by means of a glass of liquor with the rune inside. He confirms that the rune is indeed blocking Rebecca's sensate abilities and that it and the Atlantian manuscripts have been hiding their true nature from her. Before he can say much more, however, the seance cirle is broken, allowing the rune to bring forth a demon from another dimension. Throckmorton is killed by it--no mean feat, since Throckmorton is already dead. Ezekiel draws his sword to kill the demon and Christopher does the same. It's a furious battle on top of the dining room table. Sword blows are struck and demon strikes borne. Katherine runs upstairs to check on the safety of her babies and finds them well protected, then runs down again to heal her friends. Flora has been affected by the interrupted circle and Katherine ministers to her first. The emotional backlash of guilt from the rune hits Rebecca hard, turning her suicidal with remorse and driving her to throw herself on the combatants' swords. <br><br>
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| − | Ezekiel pulls his sword thrust at the last possible second and his sword tip coming to rest on her throat without harm but Christopher's sword pinks her side. Not to be thwarted in her goal, Rebecca tries to impale herself on the swords again. Alexi throws his arms around her and drags her bodily off the table and putting his bare hands upon her skin, kisses her for all he's worth, drawing her away from the malevolent rune's control using every scrap of sensate ability he has. The guilt spell draws them both in and the two Eldren start drowning in it. The others' attempts to separate the two meet with failure.<br><br>
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| − | Josephine and Evie pick up Billy and the women change into men's clothing on the ride over to the Duke of Leeds. Properly attired, they stage a breakdown near the Duke's front gates. Billy and Pop accost the guards at the gate to create a diversion while Josephine and Evie sneak over the manor's wall and make their way to the main house. It doesn't take long before the guards are out for the count and Billy and Pop join Evie and Josephine on the roof of the service wing of the main house. A tower rises six stories between them and the public wing and the party climbs for the fifth floor where lights are burning. They split up to look through a window each and each finds something different. <br><br>
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| − | Pop spies a dog girl tied to a bed, naked and abused and whimpering. Billy finds a torture room complete with a wicked-looking chair--blessedly empty--through his window. Evie discovers a weasel girl bathing in a tub, her back covered in livid welts and cuts. Josephine's window reveals the Duke, a portly gentleman, and a Scots orc making ready to 'break' the dog girl in the torture room.<br><br>
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| − | Pop climbs in and whispers to the girl he's going to get her away from the Duke. Evie does the same with the weasel girl in turn. Billy breaks into the torture room. Josephine waits for her moment to move. When Billy is heard moving around in the room next door, the Duke announces the victim is being made ready and the orc is ordered to go in. The orc enters alone and once the door is closed, Billy comes out of hiding and lays him low with a vicious blow with his crowbar. Pop and Evie hear the noise and start getting the victimized beast girls out the windows to the roof below. The Duke and his guest go into the torture room to investigate and Josephine follows stealthily behind them. She draws her gun and pistol whips the Duke from behind. Billy knocks the guest out cold. The Duke staggers and brings forth a spell to clothe him in fire. Billy grabs him in a sleeper hold anyway and simply soaks the damage until the Duke goes down dead. Luckily for Billy, he falls before the flames can do much damage. A brief debate ensues: what to do with the Duke? <br><br>
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| − | Josephine knows his reputation and is all for killing him. An idea is quickly reached. Using her knowledge of crime scenes, Josephine stages a double murder between the Duke and his guest by putting her gun in the guest's hand and shooting the Duke with it. Then she and Billy climb down to join Evie and Pop, and all make a clean getaway. The victims of the Duke meet with the police called to the scene and give them their statements. <br><br>
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| − | Josephine goes straight to the Colonel at the Club to give her report. The Colonel uses his connections to conduct a smear campaign on the Duke in the papers the very next morning, using the two most recent victims as proof. Dionysius delivers two tickets to Evie in the morning. One ticket to take her across the Channel to France and another ticket back to England--first class--to stage her arrival as her alternate identity as Lara, exiled heir of Leeds. <br><br>
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| − | Her arrival and claim falls under scrutiny but her forged papers and her human illusion charm stand up to inspection. Though another heir is reputed to be alive in New Zealand as a sheep farmer, Evie pretty much has the title wrapped up. A party is arranged to celebrate her assumption of the title and everyone who is everyone is invited. During the dance, Alexi makes his appearance and together stages seeping the new Duchess off her feet. A declaration of undying love follows hard on the heels of the dance, as is Alexi's intention to marry her, making her Princess. <br><br>
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| − | Of course, given Evie is a Duchess, she needs permission from the Queen to marry, in accorance with the Royal Marriage Act. Evie would need powerful people to intercede on her behalf if she is to marry someone of Alexi's title and nationality. Again, Evie weathers scrutiny, this time by none other than the Prime Minister Disraeli himself. Is she prepared to have her foreign husband take her place in the House of Lords? The Crimean War against Russia barely concluded. Is she aware that marrying a Russian would not be looked upon lightly? Bertie saves the day by mentioning that Queen Victoria's very own daughter has married the Heir to the Russian throne. Surely it would not be so unusual for an English Duchess to marry a Russian Prince? <br><br>
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| − | Disraeli has to admit that this is true. He agrees to put in a word with the Queen and the word comes back: permission is given. <br><br>
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| − | At this point, it's all over but for the planning and the packing and the travel to St. Petersburg to be presented to Alexi's Grandmama. Rebecca is convinced to come along, rather forcefully, by Christopher. Evie is given a ccrash course in the Russian language along with customs of the Russian Court. Katherine and Ezekiel make arrangements to take their babies with them, once Katherine is convinced the cold would not hurt them. Bertie and Flora accompany them. Billy, Pop, and Josephine also make their plans to go. There is no way they will allow Evie to face Russia without them at her side. Josephine is also going with an eye to see what clandestine gains she can make.<br><br>
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| − | Alexi transports the entire party with him in grand style on his massive yacht. The several days' journey passes by pleasantly, if somewhat eventfully for some, and everyone arrives in one piece in St. Petersburg. Alexi goes forthwith to his Grandmama and presents to her his intended bride. Grandmama is a shrewd woman and questions Alexi and Evie about their attachment. She softens her stance once she has the measure of their relationship and judges it good: Alexi will need a firm hand to guide him and Evie's hand is already in place and growing skilled by the minute. Also, Evie has voiced no objection to giving Grandmama great-grandchildren. Katherine and Ezekiel's babies further soften the Kalashikov matriarch when introductions are made around. Everyone is introduced and Alexi fully outs Joesphine to Grandmama as a spy. Since Alexi did so in Russian, only he and Grandmama catch it completely, though Josephine has also been studying Russian for the trip and catches enough. She manages to keep a straight face, despite. After some further getting to-know-you talk, Grandmama announces the visit closed and everyone breaks for their assigned accommodations. <br><br>
| + | <span style="color:#800000">'''''More will follow as the future permits. ––– the Campaign Archivist'''''</span><br><br> |
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| − | Evie's presentation to the Empress's Court takes up everyone's attention for the next couple of days. The day finally arrives and the womenfolk of the party manage to attend. The venue is the Palace. The food is a cream tea. The language is Russian and French. The Empress is by turns bored and animated. Evie negotiates the topics of conversation and the Empress's scrutiny with skill and grace. By the end of the session, Evie is welcomed into the fold and her wedding to Alexi is approved. The rest of the tea is devoted to the assignment of bridesmaids amongst the Royal Family and the bride's friends. <br><br>
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| − | The wedding takes place on Christmas Day by the Gregorian calendar. The couple are wed amongst billowing clouds of incense, the sonorous notes of the Russian choir, and as many people as can be shoehorned into the cathedral. At the end of the ceremony, Christopher barely waits until the newlyweds are driving away in ther carriage before he goes on bended knee on the cathedral steps to present Rebecca with an engagement ring. Deeply mortified at the impropriety of his upstaging the wedding, Rebecca nevertheless accepts his proposal. <br><br>
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| − | Several more days are spent as guests before everyone save Evie and Alexi turn back for England. Once safely ensconced at home, Ezekiel is sending his babies upstairs to bed. "God bless you," he says as the three-month old babies are carried up. And then Baby Rachel turns to her father and says quite clearly to him, "He already has."<br><br>
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| − | And thus ends this chapter in the campaign. More may follow as fate and the story permits.
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| | <br><br><br> | | <br><br><br> |
| | ---- | | ---- |
| − | Return to [[The Dark Corners of the Earth | '''''The Dark Corners of the Earth''''' ]]<br><br> | + | Return to [[The Dark Corners of the Earth | '''''The Dark Corners of the Earth''''' ]]<br> |
| | + | Return to [[Dr._Penguin%27s_Iceberg#Victoriana|'''''Victoriana Campaign Index Page''''']]<br> |
| | + | Return to [[Dr._Penguin%27s_Iceberg| '''''Dr. Penguin's Main Page''''']] |
