Session 4a: To Die For
The Quandry Chronicles Book One: The Lost Scarab of the Aethernauts! is an illustrated pulp adventure inspired by the tabletop gaming system Space: 1889 and shot in Second Life. Narrated in sessions like a tabletop campaign, QC will post weekly on Fridays, unless I get a bit ahead of myself :)
“My father was murdered?!” Cassiopeia cried out.
Her mentor, E.A. Wallis Budge, nodded grimly, catching the eye of everyone assembled in the drawing room of Halton House, the mansion of the impossibly wealthy Alfred Freiherr de Rothschild. “We’d believed Emmanuel Turner, the photographer who took those provocative pictures, was still at the Amarna dig site. After the fire at the Crystal Palace, I telegraphed him to warn him of potential threats to his safety. But I was informed that he had set sail for Cairo six weeks ago, and perished in the same steamship boiler explosion that claimed your father. It is possible it was an accident, but with the attacks on each of you, murder does seem likely. I am so sorry, dear girl.”
Doctor Singh reached over and took her hand, but his thumb sought out her pulse point, prepared for any fainting spell.
Mainwaring growled, “I don’t understand. From what you said, that photograph showed hieroglyphics that maybe indicated that maybe somewhere under tons of rubble is an artifact that maybe could make interplanetary navigation a reality. That seems far too many maybes to kill for. “
Budge nodded. “I suspect that snake Abbingdon has a piece of the puzzle we lack, something that makes all this either less speculative or a greater prize. Cassie, the young woman you mentioned sounds like the Earl’s daughter, Lady Laura, a most capable woman of particular integrity. She is so unlike her father one might even doubt her parentage. Her advice to make haste seems quite wise: we may lack knowledge, but we can move faster than the Earl, thanks to the generosity of our host.”
“Major, Cassie, I’m confident the two of you can put your heads together to make a comprehensive list of supplies, and to rent the fastest aether flyer you can find. Three days to get under way?”
Mainwaring shook his head. “Depending on the aether currents, we can leave by tomorrow noon. We’ll want to pick up our desert supplies in Cairo anyway, so we’ll only need to acquire some personal weapons and kit ourselves out for aether flight.”
Cassie and the doctor spoke simultaneously, then he deferred to her. “Sir, it will take rather longer to assemble necessary reference materials, and, Uncle Budgie, if I could borrow your archaeological tools – “ Budge shook his head. “No, for this, you should have the best – go to Hunniford and Sons, I’ll write you up a letter of recommendation. Doctor, you had a concern as well?”
Singh nodded. “Similarly, I lost quite literally everything but the shirt on my back in the fire. I’ll need to stock up on medical supplies and some scientific instrumentation as well.”
Mainwaring grumped. “How long?” Cassie and the doctor put their heads together and conversed animatedly. After a few minutes, the doctor said, “ Two days.”
Budge smiled. “Freiherr Rothschild and I will plan a diversion: make purchases, hire scores of workers, and make it look like we’re planning to send a huge expedition out by train in several weeks. Hopefully that will provide some cover, allowing you to depart swiftly, undetected.”
Mainwaring nodded briskly. “Then in 48 hours we take wing for Cairo. Now, let’s make some plans for staying alive in the meantime.“
Session 4a: To Die For
The Quandry Chronicles Book One: The Lost Scarab of the Aethernauts! is an illustrated pulp adventure inspired by the tabletop gaming system Space: 1889 and shot in Second Life. Narrated in sessions like a tabletop campaign, QC will post weekly on Fridays, unless I get a bit ahead of myself :)
“My father was murdered?!” Cassiopeia cried out.
Her mentor, E.A. Wallis Budge, nodded grimly, catching the eye of everyone assembled in the drawing room of Halton House, the mansion of the impossibly wealthy Alfred Freiherr de Rothschild. “We’d believed Emmanuel Turner, the photographer who took those provocative pictures, was still at the Amarna dig site. After the fire at the Crystal Palace, I telegraphed him to warn him of potential threats to his safety. But I was informed that he had set sail for Cairo six weeks ago, and perished in the same steamship boiler explosion that claimed your father. It is possible it was an accident, but with the attacks on each of you, murder does seem likely. I am so sorry, dear girl.”
Doctor Singh reached over and took her hand, but his thumb sought out her pulse point, prepared for any fainting spell.
Mainwaring growled, “I don’t understand. From what you said, that photograph showed hieroglyphics that maybe indicated that maybe somewhere under tons of rubble is an artifact that maybe could make interplanetary navigation a reality. That seems far too many maybes to kill for. “
Budge nodded. “I suspect that snake Abbingdon has a piece of the puzzle we lack, something that makes all this either less speculative or a greater prize. Cassie, the young woman you mentioned sounds like the Earl’s daughter, Lady Laura, a most capable woman of particular integrity. She is so unlike her father one might even doubt her parentage. Her advice to make haste seems quite wise: we may lack knowledge, but we can move faster than the Earl, thanks to the generosity of our host.”
“Major, Cassie, I’m confident the two of you can put your heads together to make a comprehensive list of supplies, and to rent the fastest aether flyer you can find. Three days to get under way?”
Mainwaring shook his head. “Depending on the aether currents, we can leave by tomorrow noon. We’ll want to pick up our desert supplies in Cairo anyway, so we’ll only need to acquire some personal weapons and kit ourselves out for aether flight.”
Cassie and the doctor spoke simultaneously, then he deferred to her. “Sir, it will take rather longer to assemble necessary reference materials, and, Uncle Budgie, if I could borrow your archaeological tools – “ Budge shook his head. “No, for this, you should have the best – go to Hunniford and Sons, I’ll write you up a letter of recommendation. Doctor, you had a concern as well?”
Singh nodded. “Similarly, I lost quite literally everything but the shirt on my back in the fire. I’ll need to stock up on medical supplies and some scientific instrumentation as well.”
Mainwaring grumped. “How long?” Cassie and the doctor put their heads together and conversed animatedly. After a few minutes, the doctor said, “ Two days.”
Budge smiled. “Freiherr Rothschild and I will plan a diversion: make purchases, hire scores of workers, and make it look like we’re planning to send a huge expedition out by train in several weeks. Hopefully that will provide some cover, allowing you to depart swiftly, undetected.”
Mainwaring nodded briskly. “Then in 48 hours we take wing for Cairo. Now, let’s make some plans for staying alive in the meantime.“