The Barker Street Irregulars case 1 Crowned Panic.

[Prof. Isambard Ravenwood]

"Yes, mad-house it is. My name is Hector Mallard, a high-functioning sociopathic private detective. Of course I could tell that you were a wildwoods ranger from a first glance. Judging by the fact that your face is brown as a nut, but not above the wrists, so you have been abroad, but not for leisure. The outfit sort of gives it away, a wide brimmed hat suggests a lot of time spent out side, and the duster coat is well worn and scratched, so you have been in dense forest and vegetation. There is a larger scratch on your back from an animal of some sort, and you have a sword on your back-suggesting that you have also spent time in he east, seeing as how you have the markings on the scabbard of shipping, two dates far apart, so you spent a long while there obviously learning the way of the sword. The sword is probably used for the dispatching of said large animal. But there's more... you have been shamed... something has forced you to travel over here, probably not work, and the look in your face suggests stress, also in the way you hold your self. Something has happened in which you have been falsely accused, dishonoring you enough to travel across the Atlantic... have I missed anything?"

[Ranger Reid]

Reid doesn't answer right off.  After a very long, electrically charged pause,  He answers in a low gravelly voice:


"Close enough to not need correction."

[Prof. Isambard Ravenwood]

Mallard turns to Celia, looking puzzled "Have I done something wrong?..."

[Steampunk Away]

Abraham had seen no less than 3 people enter. Perhaps four. As he stood up again, he spied the man in the white suit watching the building intently.

Dismissing this, Abraham apprehensively walked to the stairs of the abode.

[Ranger Reid]

Reid considered his own observations.    There were faded ink stains on the man's cuffs.  So he was learned and carried on correspondences, His suit had been fine, but the coat and edges of his trousers were frayed.  The pants were darker than the jacket though they were of matching print.  So he had replaced the trousers not the jacket, and even those were old. 
His shoes had odd scuff marks.

So....  good detective, willing to crawl on hands and knees looking for clues.  But business hasn't been too good lately.

There was something else.  The way he had spoken his observations without guile or pretense.   He operates at face value.  No hidden agendas.

"Good.  I can likely trust him." he thought.   (All of this was observation, but not spoken at all.)

[Stella Gaslight]

She shivered as something particularly nasty brushed against her wards seeking someone who just crossed the threshold.  Celia went to the door and opened it carefully as to not let whatever was out there get a look at anyone inside.  "You had better come in before whatever is out there decides to try its luck with my protection."  Celia shouted from behind her oaken shield.

[Steampunk Away]

Abraham slipped through the small crack in the door quickly.

"Sorry madame, I do not mean to disturb you. There was just this man in a white suit watching this house, and I was wondering as to why"

[Stella Gaslight]

"I may have some ideas as to what that is but I think we need a good meal first.  This is one hell of a tangle we have been dropped in to have the white hound on out heels.  At least I think that may be who is trying to darken my door. Hopefully it wanders off the wards could stop it but the cost would be more than I care to spend."  She waved her hand across the door in a complicated sign. "That should put a stopper in things for now.  We should go before dear Toby eats most of the spread.". 

[CPT_J_Percell]

"Captain James Purcell at you service. Apparently some of my less visible abilities are required. He said and as the lady and her other guest (he assumed) moved away from the door, he picked up his bags and headed inside, his silent companion strolling in behind him and moving into a corner out of the way.

[Prof. Isambard Ravenwood]

Mallard stood aside taking in everything about these new visitors, but he remained silent.

[walking stick]

The delivery man with a wheeled hamper straightened into an eccentrically dressed wealthy matron. Even knowing Biridonia (Beety) Tweedlewax as he did Mallard found it annoyingly hard to tell how she changed so completely. 
"Hello dears I brought a few things."
Smiling vaguely she brings out a well stocked cheese board a selection of chutneys, crackers,biscuits and a large tray of finely sliced meats. Followed by several cakes on stands.  The hamper seems to be a chaos of packages yet everything she produces is perfect.  Even the cakes are undamaged without so much as a smudge on the icing. 
She shuts the hamper and pats it "Everything else in there can wait until after the meal."

[Stella Gaslight]

Celia smilled at the lady that had come in through the kitchen door.  "Thank you Beety dear.  Toby will be very happy to see you are back."  The dining room was  not what one would expect from the outside.  The walls were a thick carved stone that would fit in better in an abby than dotted with well worn tables and utilitarian china.  "This is one of the old parts of the building so we should be safe and snug here."  She waved them all over to the large circular table near the intricately carved fireplace then waited until they were all settled in.  "This for those that don't know is the club. It has been a gathering place for the shall we say unique people since we started walking on two legs.  Because of the many layers built up here I ask that you don't go exploring on your own.  There are some residents that don't take kindly to interruption and the halls can get a bit tricky without a guide. Toby I see you reaching for that cake. "  The little hand that had been sneaking up from under the table vanished with a muttered darn.  "After lunch not before.  Anyway it will be a few hours yet until Charlie is ready to give us a full bill on the case we find ourselves entangled in so I suggest we eat and enjoy the calm while we have it.  Than we should get our own knowledge in order.  I get the feeling we are being drawn together for a reason."

[Steampunk Away]

 Abraham snuck a piece of the cake under the table to the young Toby.

"I seem to be uninvited compared to the others here who all have a call card, I most likely should be going, thank you for the hospitality"

Abraham gets up to leave and goes to reach for his jacket.

[Stella Gaslight]

"I wouldn't if I were you.  You may not have an invite but you are currently in what my grandmother would have called a red thread tangle." She paused to pour tea for the group.   "England is interesting. It rushes to catch the future but still holds the past to it's heart and that I where the trouble starts. She however can call her own defenders and that is like it or not what The Barker Street Irregulars are.  A ragtag little crew that takes on problems most people can't even see.   Not the most thrilling calling but sometimes rewarding ".

[Ranger Reid]

Reid surreptitiously slips off one glove and,holds the spoon for a moment.  Then replaces the glove.

His ,impressions from the contact are of many people who have eaten here before.  Most had clean motives and were determined to help protect and serve.  One had thoughts to further his own ends.  One was evil incarnate.

It was muddy.  "Hard to tell which impression was most recent.  Will have to watch this "team" in case the evil one is a current,member" thought Reid.

The last impression was the strongest.  The lady of the house, Miss Celia, so many dark secrets.  She doesn't trust easily because of her own inner darkness.   Interesting.

[Prof. Isambard Ravenwood]

Mallard, sitting silently at the table, observes Reid picking up the spoon glove-less...  he noticed that he grimaced when in contact with the metal... "so Celia's not the only one at the table with powers" he thought. "Yes, rewarding in many ways." he chimed in. "So, any idea what Charley's got up his sleeve this time? that troll under the bakery last time was something I wish not to have a repeat of..." he snapped to look at Drekar "Sweden, or Norway?..." he said, with a cold, calculating look at the latter.

[Steampunk Away]

"Mr. Mallard, guessing from your looks at me you are either trying to determine my country of origin, or if I have a bounty on my head. I can answer one of those, and the answer is 15,000 Swiss coins."

Drekar puts a smirk, as he has just thrown a monkey wrench in the works.

"And a troll you say," Drekar turns to Celia, "I should have come sooner, perhaps he knew my uncle."

[CPT_J_Percell]

Drops his bags on the floor and joins them at the table drinking tea.
"15,000 swiss francs you say?" before taking a sip.
"My Name is James Purcell. In this time I am just an airship captain that has survived being hanged!" He smiles at the shocked looks of those around him, "I have another name that i'm know by," he checks the date on his pocket watch, "In a few years time the name Grey Wolf will become known when a war between the light and the dark. I have travelled from 2015, but I have also traveled into the past." Looks to Celia, "I believe that is how you grand mother knew me. I have hidden abilities that earned me a bounty of 250,000 pounds Dead or alive, a bounty that still stand in 2015. The bounty is because I went through a troubled time of which is was most defiantly not the man I am today. During that time I singlehandedly killed over 2000 soldiers before turning on my master and getting killed by it."
Takes another sip of tea before continuing, "as you can see that the status of dead is not permanent for me and I get brought back to life."

[Prof. Isambard Ravenwood]

continuing his conversation with Drekar,"Well thank you, that has just confirmed my suspicions of your country of origin. You see, you mask your accent well, but the slight elongation of the "o"'s are a tell tale sign. Your blonde hair and blue eyes confirm that the accent is central European, and that suit you are wearing is made by a Swiss tailor who has recently moved to Norway, so Sweden or Norway? now your answer has told me a lot more than just your place of origin. Bounty? I was not aware, but it has confirmed a lot more than you think. Obviously, you are wanted for something, something serious given the amount of the reward. The way you hold yourself and your stance indicates someone of a nimble nature, so, good at climbing, and your gloved hands- coincidence? I think not, for you see, I can now be sure that this is someone of a light-fingered nature, more specifically, a seasoned and experienced master thief. I congratulate you, for i have followed the few accounts of your exploits, and can quite safely say you might be a welcome addition to us "ragtags" he said, with a smirk "And you were right, we could have used someone with your skillset chasing that troll..." he turned to face Purcell "did you say something?" he asked, completely oblivious to the table of jaws agape around him...

[Steampunk Away]

"That is good Mallard. Very good."

Abraham pulls a necklace out from under his shirt.

It is of a gold crescent moon.

"This is why I have a bounty"

Placing the necklace in the table, Abraham removes a card.

"Celia, Norris said to give you this.

[walking stick]

Beety opened her hamper and handed First Mallard and then Drecker small wrapped packages "You must be Ingmar's nephew." Beety looked, if anything, vaguer than before.  "Thirty years or so ago it was.  Such an ingenious boy, good at avalanches"  She patted his arm "And how many times have you claimed the bounty on yourself?  He managed eight as I recall." She turned to Purcell "Of course the dear captain has lost count of his own use of that trick.  It is still Captain at the moment?  I'm quite sure you haven't reached the first time we met." She handed him a seemingly ordinary piece of rope.

[Prof. Isambard Ravenwood]

Mallard looked puzzled. "umm... thanks Beety..." he said. He rattled it and asked "What is it?"

[CPT_J_Percell]

Looks confused at Beety, "What trick are you insinuating to my dear?" he asks looking wolfish while tying the rope into a hangmans noose without watching.
"Alas no, I haven't been officially a captain for over 40 years and my ship is now a tourist attraction at our head office. As too the first time we met, I do believe this counts as it, or at least in my time line it is!"

[Stella Gaslight]

Celia was unsure whether to smile or sigh.  The things fate dropped on her doorstep. Oh well at least life was never boring.  She helped Toby up to the table whipeing the sticky crumbs from his face.  His hat had fallen back revealing his pointed ears.  She patted his fluff of hair and put a plate piled with food in front of him.  "Eat up master hollow leg then off to study.  You won't be running about until that swelling goes down."  Smiling at her pride and joy Celia lokked around the table.  A rag tag crew but just maybe they were what was needed.  "Yes there was a real troll, no we are not sure how it got in to the city."  She looked at the notice from Norris and made a sour face.  "Well I can't say that wasn't expected but it will complicate things.  The city itself is hoping for a quick resolution to our case.  I hope you all are good at bird watching."

[Prof. Isambard Ravenwood]

Mallard looked at Celia, taken aback "Bird watching? you are not telling me that someone has lost a bird... Is Charley ever going to emerge and spill the beans?"