The Barker Street Irregulars case 1 Crowned Panic.

[CPT_J_Percell]

"Thank you dear Cella, but I don't intend to manifest anything. I just need to borrow some energy from the circle to make a spiritual crossing. I need to speak to Yuki Onna, a demigod who was once a mortal but now a member of.." He took a deep breath considering her words carefully and studying Cella to make sure she could be trusted, "She is a member of the council of fate. If something is out of place here then they may know."
He placed his bags on the floor outside the door along with the clothes he haddn't put back on. Removed a grey hooded cotton robe from the bag along with a hand sized crystal and entered the room, closing the door behind him.

[Prof. Isambard Ravenwood]

Eventually the two men arrived at the front gate.  As they approached a guard stepped out in their way.  Before they had a chance to argue or announce themselves, another fellow in a tweed jacket and bowler leaned out from behind the main gate and yelled, "Let them through."  The guard didn't show any emotion, but simply stepped aside. 

As they entered the front hallway the man addressed Mallard.  "This your Yank bird expert then?"  Reid braced himself for the snide remark.  As they entered Reid was already looking around.  Any signs out here might lead to better information inside. 

"Not really an expert, Inspector, he just likes to think he is. Tell me, Inspector, have you found anything that may be of use?"

[The Corsair]

Damn boy doesn't know half of what he's got into... thought Johnny. Blast this damn vessel. The deal he'd been promised was tenfold sweeter than this. At least a 12 year old is easier to hide than a full-grown human...

Johnny followed the ragtag group, watching to see who was more dangerous. In the interim, he did his best to obscure the tiny 12-year-old body he was stuck with. Broad daylight wasn't the easiest place to hide, but the Channeler hadn't picked Johnny for no reason. It was a shame Jed had fucked that whole thing up. Typical panicking Brute...

Still, they'd got the letter. If someone needed JJ, they knew about the Channeler. This could well be the chance for revenge. Revenge and freedom.

[Stella Gaslight]

That was another thing she didn't know in a job where her survival was heavily influenced by how much knowledge she could gather.   She was very glad to have Beety along to watch her back.  There had been a few flashes of hell on the way down here and that always unsettled her.  Celia wondered like she often did when alone and worried if she was nothing more than a pawn in a game more vast than she could know.  She could see the future but could she fight it?

Toby had been dozing warm and comfortable but then something shifted and startled him awake.  His eyes darted around the room but he could not be sure what had set him off.

[Ranger Reid]

  "This your Yank bird expert then?"  Reid braced himself for the snide remark.
"Not really an expert, Inspector, he just likes to think he is.

Hearing this, Reid was frustrated.   He had tried to meet the man halfway in the pub.  But the ass had refused to be mature.  His ego was simply too fragile and his pride had been wounded.  "Very well," thought Reid, "I will make a few observations that this moron will disagree with out of spite, then I will leave.   Damn the bird, and damn this petty little man."

[CPT_J_Percell]

Once the door was closed to the outside world James removed his cloths and pulled on the robe. He looked at the circle in the middle of the floor and noticed that it hadn't been used for a while, the writing around the circle was of a species he knew even he he didn't understand what the words and glyphs meant. He walked barefooted across the circle being careful not to disturb any of the markings. Sitting down crosslegged in the middle he placed the clear crystal on the floor and took some deep breaths. The crystal glowed with a slow pulse like a heart beat and watched as the circle around it glowed closing his eyes he opened the mind link to Yuki Onna and and discussed his concerns.
The Council new naught of the events happening and Yuki Onna said that they felt like a shadow was over London. Finishing his communication he left the circle, changed back and left the room just as he remembered it before grabbing his bags and heading back upto the dining room.



***This section cut short for the sake of the game but if this is converted to book then I will expand it.***

[Prof. Isambard Ravenwood]

They walked for a while, again, none of them speaking- the constable obviously sensing the tension. Mallard raised his hand to the inspector, signalling him to stop "Look, I know you would wish to accompany me, but I prefer to work alone, I can only put up with so much stupid and having this one next to me is quite sufficient." The inspector looked a bit disgruntled, but he knew that he would have to in order to get Mallard to work- "God he can be difficult" thought Inspector Doyle. The Ranger and Detective walked for a while, until they came close to the tower, and to the Raven pens. Mallard looked dead ahead, but spoke all the same "Look, I think it is quite obvious that I don't like you, and something tells me- an amazing deduction from past conversations- that the feeling is mutual. Now, we can circle each other and growl, sleep with one eye open, but that thought tires me. So I propose that we try to see past our differences for the good of the case, for the groups camaraderie and most importantly, our own sanity. what do you say" said Mallard, back in his totally serious mode.

[walking stick]

Beety was waiting in the dining room with a large map spread out on the table. Any news Captain? All I know myself is that  the Djinn have taken our young friend and one of them is mad.  To be fair none of them are sane by our standards but this is worse.  They are hidden but we can find where their magic has been."  She handed out tools "Toby the hazel wand, Celia the obsidian mirror, I believe my best chance is with the dowsing crystal.  You Captain already have your weapon."

[Ranger Reid]

" what do you say" said Mallard, back in his totally serious mode.

Reid stopped and gave Mallard a hard stare.   After the moment lingered for a while he turned on his heel and continued down the hallway towards a spot of streaming sunlight, where  an iron gate opened into a small courtyard.  Reid waited at the grating, and then said over his shoulder "This looks like the place."

[CPT_J_Percell]

Beety was waiting in the dining room with a large map spread out on the table. Any news Captain? All I know myself is that  the Djinn have taken our young friend and one of them is mad.  To be fair none of them are sane by our standards but this is worse.  They are hidden but we can find where their magic has been."  She handed out tools "Toby the hazel wand, Celia the obsidian mirror, I believe my best chance is with the dowsing crystal.  You Captain already have your weapon."

"My dear, one could say that I have too many weapons in my possession, considering what I am. No, my contacts say that there is a kind of shadow over London that prevents them from seeing what is happening."

[Stella Gaslight]

The stone warmed in her hands, it remembered her touch.  "Beety is that one of yours?  Because it isn't one of mine." The gargoyle looked mightily out of place perching on the ramshackle warehouse across the street.

[Prof. Isambard Ravenwood]

"I'll take that as a no, then." he muttered to himself. "Look, I understand that you don't like talking, but sometimes you're just bloody rude." He said walking up to the gates. "If that's your attitude then I suggest that we just focus on the case and talk to each other only to disclose our observations" unless you are up for another verbal sparring session, but I don't see how that will help."

[Ranger Reid]

A guard standing by the gate seemed shocked at the two men standing there.  He jumped and stood at attention.  When he  realized that it wasn't a superior, he looked at the men and demanded "And what do you two think you are doing then?"

Reid just kept his hard stare and brushed right past the startled man.  As he passed, he asked "Is this where the birds stay?"

The young man replied "This is the inner ward sir.  They mostly stay here and over at the tower green.  It all connects inside sir."

Reid walked past the man with no further word.   

As he past the gate, he looked around.  It was a large courtyard inside of what he would call a castle.  Walls jutted out at odd angles, and the inner yard seemed broken into sections by the different parts of the building.   

In the middle of the yard were two very large ravens.  The observed the men with little interest.

[walking stick]

Beety looked out. "Not mine but one I've seen before, it's not nearly so simple as friend or foe.  There are at least five factions.  There's several paintings, including a rather garish depiction of a Tower execution, showing Ravens flocking around gargoyles that are not part of the official architecture.  Believe me it's not a case of artistic license I've seen it at various events over the last few decades, all of them involving ancient powers."

[CPT_J_Percell]

"My Dear's, should I assume form and enquire into that gargoyles business?"
James own crystal felt warm in his hand, he had forgotten to put it back in its case and now he knew why.

[Stella Gaslight]

"I think we best all go. I have only met three of the five clans and most of them required a very formal ceremony if you don't want to be attacked.  I wish I had brushed up on their hand speak."

[CPT_J_Percell]

Ah In that case, assuming form may not be the best option.

[Stella Gaslight]

"Keep it at the ready if you can."  Celia tucked the mirror in to her belt.  It seemed to vibrate slightly as if ready for use. "They may just be bringing us a message but we can't be sure.  They are silent unless it is raining because they need water to power their voices.  I am rather hoping they don't summon a storm because the day is lacking."

[CPT_J_Percell]

James picked up his rifle, inserted the large crystal into the rear chamber then opening another compartment selected six different crystals and inserted them into cylinder. the rifle gave off a spectral hum that was echoed by the pistol in the holster on his hip. He slung the rifle over his shoulder took off his jacket and put his black leather hat on his head.
"After you ladies." he said summoning his wolfen senses but not his transformation. Sight sound and smell grew infinitely more complex and is link to the darkness grew to a level that he could sense the gargoyle. He let the ladies past him and fell in line a few feet behind.

[walking stick]

Beety walked forward as if James was an entire honour guard. In passing she folded the map neatly with one hand and hung a set of three dowsing crystals on her chatelaine with the other.  Celia almost laughed Beety's early career on the stage became apparent at the oddest moments.  Toby hoped she'd teach him some more stage magic soon, it was so different from the real thing.

[Stella Gaslight]

Celia spread her arms as if they were wings then with a deep bow she delicately folded them behind her in the universal polite greeting  the gargoyle leapt off the roof shaking the ground with it's steps.. Celia let her fingers linger near the mirror until her bow was returned.  A wave of relief came over her as it failed to ready it's claws for battle.  She cocked her head in question enquiring as to the reason behind his visit. And it made a an odd shape with it's hands and extended a claw.  Celia turned to Beety. "I am not sure what it is saying. I have never seen that symbol before."

[Prof. Isambard Ravenwood]

Mallard observed everything, every detail, every speck of information that might give some bearing on the case. Nothing. He had to find something soon, he had to. He couldn't let the ranger be the one to track down the culprit, determine the motive or anything else, he really just had to get something soon, the embarrassment might kill him. "Doesn't seem to be any sign of forced entry, unless it's been repaired by magic." he put on his goggles, their was no sign of any magical aura. "Ah, footprints, down there, very faint, but he's stepped in some form of magical substance, could be generated by himself, or, more likely, he's been somewhere where something has been positively dripping magical energy- there are plenty of magical beings in the sewers, so that confirms the suspicion of coming from underground."

[Ranger Reid]

Reid walked the perimeter of the lawn.  The crows were doing a decent job of ignoring both men.  Failing to see anything of note in the inner ward, Reid proceeded to the area the young man had called the tower green. 

In desperation the ranger went to hands and knees.  He even took a piece of scat from the ground and rubbed it between his fingers hoping to determine something from the texture.  He hoped to find a clue without the final act of tasting it.............

As he crawled, Reid noticed something but he had no idea what it meant.  He had seen something odd, but he would need Mallard to put it together.

He called the detective to him.   Reid dreaded having to ask for help.

"C'mere a sec.  See what you make of this..."  he called.

[Prof. Isambard Ravenwood]

"Yes, what is it?" he said, looking up and darting his head like a dog on the scent.

[Ranger Reid]

In hushed tones the Reid showed Mallard his finds.

"I found bird crap everywhere of course.  But, as I was running my hands through it, "  At this Mallard's eyes got big and he almost laughed at the ranger

"I found 5 specific spots where the scat contained black wax and bits of string.  a couple of the string bits were burned. "

"I will show you where."