RAVENLOFT: THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY, CHAPTER FOUR

[ewancummins]

Before going to the alchemist Sara puts a rat in the cage and hands it to Raen.

"Here, the rat is alive but I don't know how you will go around carrying it without getting suspicious glances."

At the alchemist's place Sara looks around trying to not touch anything.

The brown rat sticks its snout through the bars and sniffs its new surroundings.

[ewancummins]

IMPOUND WAREHOUSE

THOM THE PRINTER

"Did they find anything in there?" Thom says. "If they did, I would like to see what ever they found."

"I don't think they found anything, sir. But I'm not certain they looked everywhere, because I wasn't here. They could have missed something small, maybe..."

The guard shrugs.

"Want me to open it for you and you poke in?"

[RocEter]

IMPOUND WAREHOUSE

THOM THE PRINTER

"Did they find anything in there?" Thom says. "If they did, I would like to see what ever they found."

"I don't think they found anything, sir. But I'm not certain they looked everywhere, because I wasn't here. They could have missed something small, maybe..."

The guard shrugs.

"Want me to open it for you and you poke in?"

"Yes, if you would." Thom says.

After the guard opens the crawl space for him, he enters and searches the space for any additional clues.

[ewancummins]

THE CRAWLSPACE


Thom enters the space on his hands and knees.
It's narrow, dim, and smells of the river. Looks pretty much bare at first glance--but when Thom flashes his borrowed lamp into the furthest recesses of the space, two body-lengths in, he glimpses a reflection off some small object.

Crawling in deeper, he ducks his head under a cross-beam and scoots to within reach of the mysterious item.
Thom sees an eye staring back at him.
His eye. The little silvered-glass mirror seems to be stuck in between the floorboards of the crawl space.
But Thom manages to wriggle the caught lower edge loose and pull the hand-mirror to him.
It feels sticky--mud, and maybe something else...


Crawling back out, he sits on the deck to examine his find in a more comfortable and less gloomy spot.
The little mirror (it fits in his palm, with the handle sticking out just past his fingertips) may not be an art object that a collector in the city would put on display, but the simple owl motif engraved in a hollow square on the front edges of the steel frame and the nicely-carved antler handle suggest it was meant for something more than just the riverboat trade or the sort of cheap goods tinkers sell.
He finds what might be a maker's mark, chiseled into the back of the mirror frame: three small crosses in a line.
Looking again at the glass, Thom notes spots of what might be dried blood, and smears of mud. This wipes away easily.

[RocEter]

THE CRAWLSPACE


Thom enters the space on his hands and knees.
It's narrow, dim, and smells of the river. Looks pretty much bare at first glance--but when Thom flashes his borrowed lamp into the furthest recesses of the space, two body-lengths in, he glimpses a reflection off some small object.

Crawling in deeper, he ducks his head under a cross-beam and scoots to within reach of the mysterious item.
Thom sees an eye staring back at him.
His eye. The little silvered-glass mirror seems to be stuck in between the floorboards of the crawl space.
But Thom manages to wriggle the caught lower edge loose and pull the hand-mirror to him.
It feels sticky--mud, and maybe something else...


Crawling back out, he sits on the deck to examine his find in a more comfortable and less gloomy spot.
The mirror may not be an art object that a collector in the city would put on display, but the simple owl motif engraved in a hollow square on the front edges of the steel frame and the nicely-carved antler handle suggest it was meant for something more than just the riverboat trade or the sort of cheap goods tinkers sell.
He finds what might be a maker's mark, chiseled into the back of the mirror frame: three small crosses in a line.
Looking again at the glass, Thom notes spots of what might be dried blood, and smears of mud. This wipes away easily.

Thom wraps the mirror, in some cloth and stuffs in his satchel. He hands lamp he borrowed back to the guard, "Looks like I found our first lead." He says to the guard. "Tell the Port Master, that I am looking into this and once I have more information I will share it with him."

Thom will follow the guard to the exit. From there he plans on looking into maker of the mirror.

[ewancummins]

THE PORT-GUARD escorts Thom out of the impound warehouse.

From there, Thom is free to make inquiries in the city: glaziers, importers, riverboat officers, etc., looking for the origins of the mirror.

[ewancummins]

THOM

THE PORT-GUARD escorts Thom out of the impound warehouse.

From there, Thom is free to make inquiries in the city: glaziers, importers, riverboat officers, etc., looking for the origins of the mirror.

Thom spends much of the afternoon making inquiries.

He does not learn the definite source of the mirror, but he does learn from an ironmonger that the steel frame and antler handle resembles the imported craftwork of some of the townsmen of Arkandale.

Later, Thom visits a glass-maker's shop.
The aged glazier explains that the silvered glass of the hand-mirror was probably made separately from the frame, and fitted later. Likely, that artisan tells Thom, the mirrored panel was made in Dementlieu or some other country with a glazing industry--maybe even right here in Pont-a-Mouseau.Examining the item closely, he suggesats the glass can be removed by sliding a clasp at the top of the steel casing.


And when the man shows Thom how to open the clasp and --carefully-- slide out the glass,-- they're both surprised to see a flat, folded piece of yellow paper fall out from the backside of the mirror-glass.

[RocEter]

THOM

THE PORT-GUARD escorts Thom out of the impound warehouse.

From there, Thom is free to make inquiries in the city: glaziers, importers, riverboat officers, etc., looking for the origins of the mirror.

Thom spends much of the afternoon making inquiries.

He does not learn the definite source of the mirror, but he does learn from an ironmonger that the steel frame and antler handle resembles the imported craftwork of some of the townsmen of Arkandale.

Later, Thom visits a glass-maker's shop.
The aged glazier explains that the silvered glass of the hand-mirror was probably made separately from the frame, and fitted later. Likely, that artisan tells Thom, the mirrored panel was made in Dementlieu or some other country with a glazing industry--maybe even right here in Pont-a-Mouseau.Examining the item closely, he suggesats the glass can be removed by sliding a clasp at the top of the steel casing.


And when the man shows Thom how to open the clasp and --carefully-- slide out the glass,-- they're both surprised to see a flat, folded piece of yellow paper fall out from the backside of the mirror-glass.

Thom carefully unfolds the paper.

[ewancummins]

THE NOTE

THOM FOUND



Dear Reader,

If you have found this note without finding me, then it may be I have come to a bad end, or my tormentor has recaptured me.
The skipper has called all men up on deck after the lookout sighted a steam plume from a big boat steering round a sandbar downstream, headed for us. My rescuers have left me, the lone woman aboard, below with the cargo. I fear the strange craft must be the Virago, with Captain Timothy at the wheel, come to reclaim me.
The boatmen have told me terrible stories of the 'Old Man of the River', how he once fed an unlucky gambler to ravening wolves on the moonlit riverbank, how he drowned his gypsy-bride, and other gruesome accounts. Is it all true? I do not know, for I was only with Captain Timothy a short time, but after what I found in the coal-room of the Vir




The note breaks off there, ripped at one corner.

[ewancummins]

Before going to the alchemist Sara puts a rat in the cage and hands it to Raen.

"Here, the rat is alive but I don't know how you will go around carrying it without getting suspicious glances."

At the alchemist's place Sara looks around trying to not touch anything.

The brown rat sticks its snout through the bars and sniffs its new surroundings.

THE SHOP OF MASTER FLAMMARION,
CHYMIST




After a little while, a balding, stooped man dressed in a stained apron and charcoal-hued robe emerges from the back room.

Benn immediately recognizes this man as Flammarion.


''Yes? Oh, Monsieur Gehrman. Nice to see you, all that rot. Now, what is it you and your company need?"

The alchemist looks over Benn's companions, letting his gaze linger on the women before returning his attention to the Lamordian.


A faint sound of hissing and bubbling escapes the back room, along with a puff of orange smoke.

"Mind that alembic, boy!", Flammarion shouts over his shoulder.

[Adam]

Bennedict reaches into his coat pocket, pulling out the envelope of ash he had collected earlier. "I'm sure you've heard of the odd precipitation coming down, of late. I've noticed its properties seem to be quite peculiar. When I've touched the ash with my bare skin, it seems to sublimate and convert to vapor. I was hoping I could utilize your expertise to identify its composition?"

[ewancummins]

Bennedict reaches into his coat pocket, pulling out the envelope of ash he had collected earlier. "I'm sure you've heard of the odd precipitation coming down, of late. I've noticed its properties seem to be quite peculiar. When I've touched the ash with my bare skin, it seems to sublimate and convert to vapor. I was hoping I could utilize your expertise to identify its composition?"

''Of course I've heard of the cloud. I want to know what it is as much as anyone. Sublimates and converts to vapor, eh? That is odd."
Flammarion steps closer to Benn and leans over the envelope of ash.
He peaks inside.
"Hmmm...alright, let me have this whole sample. Come back in three days and I'll let you know what I have found."
He looks up. "I'll charge my usual rates, no markup, if you can bring more samples from the clouded zone-- ash, plants, animals, exposed clothing, stones, et cetera. Oh, and if you promise to involve no others of my profession in this matter for at least the next three days and nights. Just consult me. I want to be the one who solves the puzzle."

[alhoon]

CHYMIST SHOP:
Raen, approaches Flammarion. "If I may, this rat was escaping the cloud's zone when we captured it." He offers the man the cage with the rat. "My name is Raen." he says simply, not mentioning his profession.

[Adam]

Bennedict shrugs out of his overcoat. "I wore this while we passed through the area," he says. He offers his hands, which likely have signs of the ash-residue on them. "You may collect samples from here as well, if you wish."

[ewancummins]

CHYMIST SHOP


Master Flammarion retrieves a pair of scissors from a drawer in a narrow desk that stands against the back wall, snips a swatch of cloth from Benn's overcoat, and places the cutting into a glass jar.
He then takes the cage with the rat from Raen.

''Alright, this will do for now.''