The Barker Street Irregulars case 1 Crowned Panic.

[Prof. Isambard Ravenwood]

"so, they've been going through an open window and eating the chandeliers! all jokes aside, this is quite interesting. Ravens are often associated with death and black wax and string does sound like a candle... perhaps they've been used in some black magic ritual, one was sacrificed? or maybe it was deliberately being fed that by the feeder... I think we need to have a chat with him. any other deductions you've come to?" Said Mallard, seeming to temporarily forget his loathing of the man stood by him...

[Ranger Reid]

Excitedly, Reid blurted out "Dark magic?  The man in white said something about a gate.  Could they have gotten a gate open just for a second, and the other crow fell through or was pulled in?   I'm sorry, but I don't know anything about magic really."

Reid paused.  "The other thing is this..  "  he continued in a whisper "When we were apart, the half the crows were in the yard with you, half with me.  Now they are all walking the perimeter of THIS yard, pretending not to watch us.  But they ARE watching us closely.   There is something not right about them.  They are too big.  Corvas Corax should be smaller with a more narrow beak.   These look sort of like Corvas Tebitenas, but they are only in Tibet.  Otherwise there is no natural raven this large."

Even as Reid spoke, the birds hopped closer as if they were straining to listen.............

[Prof. Isambard Ravenwood]

"It's alright, I know next to nothing of it myself." Said Mallard loudly, he lowered his voice considerably and leaned in "Ah, you noticed that too. So you think the bids are duplicates... spies? not unknown for them to be used for that purpose, "the witches familiars" and all that. You don't think they're going to mount an attack, do you? because whether they're original or not, there are still six ravens here, and i don't want to make that zero- I have no interest to whether the legend holds true..."

[Ranger Reid]

"If there is anything of a natural raven in them, expect them to attack your face primarily.   It is what they do in the wild.  Otherwise, I have no idea."

As the ranger spoke all six birds kept hopping more closely.   All pretext of natural animal behavior was left behind.   Suddenly the birds opened their beaks to an unnatural angle and screeched!   IT was so loud, it was deafening.

The sheer volume of noise was debilitating.  Mallard and Reid both went to their knees under the onslaught. 

Reid pulled his dagger and held it up.   The noise diminished, but was still unbearably loud. 

The ranger called out  "The knife can't absorb all of it!  Do something!!!"

[Prof. Isambard Ravenwood]

"uuummmmmm... I don't know, I honestly don't know..." he said frantically, trying to think "I'm more of a chemist than physicist! let me think... ummmm... Sound waves are longitudinal waves that must pass through a medium, such as air, echoes are reflections of sounds... I've got it! they're being ordered to open the gate! the sound is at the exact frequency, that when amplified could cause a spacial-aetheric rift to open... the shape of the tower and courtyard is amplifying the waves, directing it to the center- the tower- it's a catalyst! MAKE AS MUCH NOISE AS YOU CAN! ANY INTERFERENCE COULD EITHER DELAY OR STOP THE GATE FROM OPENING, SCREAM AS LOUD AS YOU CAN!"

[Ranger Reid]

When Mallard said to "make noise" Reid suddenly smiled  "BRILLIANT!!!"   He handed the dagger flat to Mallard and said    " KEEP IT POINTED AT THEM"     Then the ranger drew his katana and swung it though the birds were still a good distance out   The same screeching noise that was flooding the men blasted out of the end of the long sword directly at the bird directly in front of the ranger.


The birds feathers could be seen flowing under the moving air the blast was so loud.   Within seconds the bird fell backwards, and scrambled away.

The incredible momentum broke!  All the birds seemed to deflate, and shrink.   And immediately they fluttered away like frightened natural birds.

Reid had fallen to one knee, but stood, sheathed his sword and held out his hand for his dagger.   He looked at Mallard and said  "I don't know what that was, but I know it was magic.  We should tell Celia, dont you think?"

[Prof. Isambard Ravenwood]

"Oh that was brilliant! I really wish that the outcome wouldn't have been the destruction of life as we know it, if it wasn't we could've watched to the end- a most amazing spectacle! combining science and black magic- amplified through the walls and tower- oh, it's my best day ever! tell Celia... yeah..." He was way too ecstatic about the previous near apocalyptic event to really care about informing people of the danger. suddenly, he snapped back "Yes, quite right, we must inform the rest of the irregulars about these events, we should probably clear off quickly before they try and do it again, I think we won't find much else here..." The two me walked to the gates, where they were intercepted by Doyle "What in the name of BLOODY HELL was that?" he shouted angrily "Well, I may be wrong, but I think that the wind blowing through the ramparts can make such a sound, obviously amplified by the shape of the courtyard, a pretty simple natural phenomenon." he said, smiling at the inspector as he strode past. He turned to Reid "you thirsty? I could do with another beer"

[Ranger Reid]

Reid clapped Mallard on the should and said "See?    All that talk and you finally said something that MATTERS!  First round is on me!"

The two men were laughing like drunkards already as they stormed out of the outer tower gate.  Otherwise they might have noticed the young guard who had been watching the inner courtyard staring at them darkly from a shadowy corner.  His face was mottled with rage, and his fists were clenched tightly.

[Prof. Isambard Ravenwood]

Several rounds later, and Mallard was already getting into his jokey, fun-loving self "HAHAHAHAAA...and then he comes storming in..HAHAHA... and  he screams... HAHAAA...where's my stepladder? AHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAA!!"

[Ranger Reid]

It was a few hours later when a cabby pulled up in front of the clubhouse.  Two slobbering drunks poured out of it and half crawled to the door and knocked.

[Prof. Isambard Ravenwood]

"C...Ce...Celery, we done a thing... by the way, which part of your doorstep do you feel would benefit most from a thorough vomiting?" He stammered.

[Stella Gaslight]

Celia did not know wether to laugh or yell at them.  "Oh for heaven's sake do that in the bushes and then come inside you are making a spectical of yourselves.  And don't bother the gargoyle we are trying to communicate with in the dining room."

[Steampunk Away]

Sven opened the book to a page containing the synopsis of the 5 factions.

"Pcik one and upset the others. And good luck finding them"

Abraham bristled at the thought.

"Sven, my friend, perhaps there are even darker circles you could direct me to?"

[CPT_J_Percell]

James had stood silently watching the conversation with the gargoyle as it had started outside before continuing inside. When it was stationary it looked like a Grey granite sculpture (which was odd it its own right) but its eyes gleamed with a light that continuously shifted between red and yellow like the heat of a forge. As it moved and communicated its joints made a grinding sound but didn't leave any dust on the floor. He had moved back into a corner of the dining room where his companion had joined his and they watch the communication. Some of the hand signs that the gargoyle used were similar to modern sign language, but some he didn't recognize and assumed that they were particular to the species. He cast a questioning look towards Mr. Smith but he shook his head in silent reply and continued to watch.
If he had come across this thing on his own he propbubly would be fighting it and not trying to talk to it.

[Prof. Isambard Ravenwood]

"Hiiiiiiiii Ceiling! heeheehee... Don't worry Reid, I expect she has some... incineration...incarceration... INCANTATION! that will make us...un-drunked!" slurred Mallard, the small part of his brain left untouched buy the beer was really wishing that he hadn't done this...

[Ranger Reid]

Reid had almost made it into the dining room.  He stood leaning against the door frame.  In reply to Mallard's mention of his name he replied "ZZZZZzzzzzzzzzz"  ( Snoring heavily)

[Stella Gaslight]

She wondered what the oldest gargoyle in London must think of them bit it would be hard to find out.  His hand speak was so old that she had to have four books from the library spread out on the table and Beety's help to get anything understandable out of him. So far all Celia had was that one of the ravens was in a black net and held in a place the gargoyles could not see.
 
When Mallard mentioned an alcohol cure the look on Celia's face should have given him pause.  "Yes I think I have just the thing but I am warning you that it speeds the entire process of sobering up."  She reached in to a little cabinet and handed him a bottle of violently green liquid.  "A mouthful will do you just fine."

Sven was silent and then spoke like a heavy weight was on his back.  "The order of Carmine's mantle should know something but there has been a takeover there in the last few months and I don't have a way in any more."  He did not mention that a way out would be much harder to find.

[walking stick]

Beety pushed him into the water closet (Toilet) "In there you'll need it."

[Stella Gaslight]

The gargoyle fluttered it's wings and made a gesture Celia could not  puzzle out.  "What does it mean when he make double wings like that?"

[Ranger Reid]

Reid stumbled the rest of the way into the dining room, and said "Ish perfectly clear.  Hesh shaying... hold on..  he has a horrible accent."   The ranger fluttered his hands at the gargoyle.  Immediately the stone beast perked up and flashed his hands and wings back at the ranger. 

"That IS interesting.  So...."   Reid flashed his hands, hopped on one foot (swaying madly since he was still drunk), and finally wiggled his ears.

The beast flickered his hands and wings both quickly.

"Oh... I never thought about that. .  .  Pidgeons huh?  "   Reid muttered.  "stay on topic.  What is this about?"  as he was speaking Reid did something that looked suspiciously like a futuristic dance called the macarena. 

The gargoyle looked confused.  He cocked his head to one side for a second.  Then he suddenly brightened up and made several (to humans) obscene gestures.

Reid turned to Celia and said  "Well, there you go.  That explains everything." 

He promptly fell on his face and passed out completely.

[Stella Gaslight]

"WAKE UP!" Celia shouted and shook him.  " Damn it we have been working at this for hours and he just staggers in and gets the secrets of life."  She slumped on the floor in frustration.

[CPT_J_Percell]

James watched the play going on in front of him with disgust, sure he had done some bad things under the effect of alcohol but he was sure he had never acted so distastefully. He watched Ranger reid dancing away doing his best effort not to laugh but when he finished, and fell to the floor, he couldn't stop the spurt of laughter escaping his lips in a very unprofessional manner.

[Stella Gaslight]

Celia squared her shoulders and turned Reid over. "All right boyo you are not going to like this but you don't leave me much of a choice."  She opened his mouth and poured in half the little bottle.  The cure catapulted him to sobriety but he hit every branch on his way up.

[Ranger Reid]

The first sign of how violent the process would be came as Reid suffered a full body spasm.  His eyes shot open, and he lost fluids.  Not in the traditional sense of lost bladder or up turned stomach.  It was all of that, plus every body system that possibly could shed fluid, did.  Reid had oily discharge from every pore, his nose, his eyes, his ears all shot out with the correct type of liquid.  He did soil himself, and "toss up", and all of it, every bit of liquid, smelled of alcohol.

This process took about twenty seconds, and left the ranger laying on the floor amid the worst smelling mess one could ever imagine.  

He rolled over and moaned "For the love of all that's holy..... someone kill me."  

Then the second wave hit.  It looked just like the first.

About fifteen minutes and seven waves of discharge later, Reid sat up.  His color started to return, and he seemed more himself, though haggard and tired.

Celia wasted no time throwing a towel to him, and demanding an explanation of the gargoyle's message.   His reply was not encouraging.

"I don't know what you mean.  I don't speak gargoyle.   If that's anything to really speak." said the poor man.

As everyone in the room sat stunned, he continued.

"I do remember flashes of pictures, but I thought I dreamed them.  I saw a toy soldier, with strings on his wrists and feet.  Then I saw an old crone, well, it was like an old lady, but then an image of a young beautiful woman drawn over her, she was on an icy plain, and she was surrounded by crows, who were worshiping her.  The last image was of a chair.  It was bronze looking metal and had a purple cushion.  I have no idea what any of this means."

There was silence, and then the ranger smiled an evil grin.  As he wiped his face, he said "You know, Ma'am.  Mallard is pretty clever. "  He reached for the bottle in Celia's hands.  "We should bring him around and see what he thinks about all this."

[walking stick]

"Toby bring down the tin bath, we'll need several buckets of water."  Reid was about to thank her when Beety interupted, "No child you can get cleaned up soon but this is for a council of war!"  She triumphantly produced a large watering can with an adjustable spout and a neat folding stepladder. "Shall I pour?" she asked the gargoyle politely as they began setting up for a serious conversation.