(SK) Grimm Tale

[Martha Villiers]

Having gotten nowhere fast Martha felt as if she'd failed at some college examination.

Looking up from her maps she saw everyone else was working hard at their various projects and wondered if she'd missed something.

A sinking feeling, like she'd perhaps missed a page of questions on Latin Rhetoric, an explanation of the events of the Punic Wars or the Lives of the Early Saxon Kings.

She took another look over her maps.

No.

Nothing.

Another look at her brethren hard at work on their translations and studies only confirmed her view that she'd missed something.

While Martha sat there in silence and pondered her next course of action she found herself doodling a series of small and happy German Shepherd style dogs which now scampered along the margins of her largest map.

[Martha Villiers]

Martha fiddled with her false knee for a moment, then looked up to the gathered and busy scholars to quietly ask; "Has anyone, with any Art in prophecy or other magic, a means of perhaps using these maps..." she gestures to her annotations and notes on the maps at her hand, "and Arts to discern any locations of interest to us? Perhaps the location of our foes or allies or other clues that may help bring safety to the Prince's realm?"

[Swift]

Given the clarification we've been getting in the ooc thread, may I switch Dr. Swift's attentions to the map? He doesn't have any Auspex or the like, but maybe a mundane examination of the locations, both geographically and with regards to significance may reveal something?

[Aileen McFarlane]

Seeing as to how her examination of the book yielded no result, Aïleen stood up, and started pacing back and forth slowly along a wall. Sometimes, her arms could be seen moving as if swimming, but her eyes were clearly not focused upon anything. After a short while, the young Mekhet turned and walked toward the Herald. Leaning forward toward her, she whispered.

"Herald Villiers, how old were the two Kindred that were killed on the scene where the torn journal was found, please ?"

She didn't dare formulate her hypothesis, but when you have one text promoting Amaranth, and dead kindred, there may be a link. Also, the "bares pain" made her think of anything to reveal "pain", such as perhaps... glasses ?

[West]

Studying the photocopy that Alice Brown made of the skin parchment yields no more results, and Theodor is able to confirm the odd words the Grimm's fairy tale generates.

Looking at the mass produced copy that Dr. Swift brought, it raises the question why anyone would hand copy the entire book, when there are easier ways to hide a message.

Let's try to think outside the box here; alternately, you may examine the Grimm's again with a -5 penalty, with a target of 5 Successes needed (Auspex applies as a bonus).

[Swift]

It wasn't until he saw several people examining the copies he had made of the journal, but it did seem odd that the book had been copied out. He had assumed it was because the book was old, but he had also been unwilling to accept the authenticity of the age of the book on faith. And even then, the printing press had been around for centuries by the time the infamous G-brothers had penned their famous collection. By the Crone! I've been blind! Curse you and your constant wining, you useless beast!

"Why," he ponders putting no interrogative on the word. "Why would this be handwritten. Of course, it allowed the author to conceal their message. But that message is useless by itself. Ominous as a bottomless pit lined with lost baby teeth, but useless. It seems to indicate the journal has more to say. But half a dozen Kindred haven't found anything else."

He stares at the book: the thick leather covers, the metal bindings keeping the cover in tact, the symbol on the cover, the binding itself....the very thick leather covers. Leather wrapped wood as a cover for a book is about as classic as it comes, but still....

"And why would you write a message that indicates further clues in the same manner that you provide that clue. Of course it isn't in the text! That would be like hanging a key to a safe inside the safe. Why bother? So, the book itself -- not the text -- 'also reveals pain'."

Part of him wants to snatch the book back and begin tearing it apart, seeing what the binding looks like and breaking open the covers. That part of him, though, is the beast talking. He was an archaeologist. Not some damn adventurer with a bullwhip, a revolver, and a sexy scar. "May I?" he asks Brother Raluca, gesturing at the journal.

"We need, more than ever now, to get this to a lab where we can run some tests. I'd like to check the bindings, cover, pages, and ink. Confirm their age, and see if maybe the ink contains unusual chemicals. Does anyone know if we can access a GC-Mass Spec, and does anyone know how to operate one, or someone who does? Also, we should examine the pages for hidden text. Acid, heat, or ultraviolet light reveals most invisible inks, but could damage the pages, so we'll have to be very careful. I'd like to x-ray the journal at the very least, see if there is anything hidden in the covers. An MRI would be preferable, but the metal bindings would have to be removed."

He sighs and looks around. "We should, of course, exhaust any possible avenues tonight, but we should also plan an excursion. I can try to get us after-hours access to the local University's labs, but any assistance would be welcome." He fully expected the others to have similar influence or contacts that could help out.

In the interest of wrapping this up by our hard dead line (early April), let's get the next thread planned. Sorry this was less than productive IC, but at least we have a much better idea of what we're dealing with OOC. Dr. Swift can't bring himself to harm the artifact without more than a suspicion, so a trip to a lab seems the best next step. Also, thanks West for posting the pic of the book! It helps a lot in visualizing what we're dealing with!

[Martha Villiers]

Martha waited and listened carefully while Dr Swift outlined his excellent schemes and ideas and then, after nodding to visibly agree with his plans, she meekly wrote a few details down for Aileen. Handing her a small and neatly handwritten note accordingly;

"Capt Thomas O'Connor and Miss LeFleur were both old. Capt O'Connor was least old enough to have served, while Mortal, as an officer in the European Theatre of Operations during the Second World War. Miss LeFleur was, I believe, a little younger. Sadly, their exact ages elude me. I recall her Sire was of the Lancea and she was a native of this city."

[Aileen McFarlane]

As Professor Swift started explaining his analysis of their clues, it all seemed very logical indeed, and Aïleen was glad that their team was making some headway. She nodded in approval at Brother Raluca's words though. "I can come too, but... I'm like Brother Raluca here." she offered as a way of excuse.

The note written (in a beautiful script) by Supplicant Villiers only increased her former hypothesis, and she whispered it to her Cousin. "Herald Villiers, do you think it's possible that Capt O'Connor and Miss LeFleur may have succumbed to... Amaranth ? And what if the object hidden in the book was something to reveal those of us who'd have commited such heinous act ?" It wasn't anything but a supposition at this point, but perhaps it wouldn't be too far off the mark. Or at least give food for thoughts to those more knowledgeable than her.