Arthur says Well, they have in fact all happened at the Funereal Home. It is only rumor of course, I only have it on good evidence that this last disappearance happened for a fact. Arthur shrugs It could be rubbish yes, but then it could be not...
"I am being concerned about keeping too far from each other, yes? Gospozha Lawson, Gospodin Rasheed--we can be scouting, while Herr Doktor Jung and Gospozha Mei can perhaps stay some ways behind us. Five strange people walking together is odd; two or three, not so much."
"An acceptable plan, yes. Investigate the mortuary under the cover of night, then investigate in a more 'official' on Monday if so desired."
"If breaking an entering is our best option, I won't say no, though I fear my skills will be of more use when we speak with them openly on Monday."
Andrej shakes his head. "No breaking and entering now! Only looking around. For things that are not how they should be, yes?"
"Right, then. Who's coming along? As I said before, I don't know that all of us're really equipped to be movin' around quietly." Victoria walks forward, placing her steps carefully, displaying her own ability to move unheard. "I'll be comin' along, obviously, but what about t'rest of you?"
"I'm perfectly fine with staying along the sidelines, it is true that I am not very... Shènzhòng"
"Before we go, though, maybe we should check the library? I couldn't tell you off the top of my head what would goin' around stealin' corpses, but I bet we could find out." Victoria stretches for a moment before turning and walking towards the library. "That is, assumin' the Cabal ain't just got their foot soldiers lookin' for 'em, or that they ain't gettin' up and leavin' themselves. We gather some information, get on the train, and then prowl around a bit?" Victoria pauses, waving for the others to follow her. "Tomorrow we can ask around to some of their clients, see what we can figure out... after all, we don't know that they're not the ones movin' the bodies themselves. A funeral service would be the perfect cover for the Cabal lookin' to move some corpses... and a decent-enough trap for us."
Andrej starts to reply, then pauses and thinks for a moment. "I am wanting to get out and do something, but you are being right. Three questions to ask before we go and see." He ticks them off on his fingers. "First. Where has this happened before most, ah, recently? Second. Are any of the owners of this place known to us for anything? Third. Have they recently been hiring? We are looking at newspapers for job notices, yes?"
"Research in a library is much more my forte," Carl says. "And talking with others is my specialty. I believe that Miss Lawson's plan would be an excellent idea. Especially since we still need to confirm which bodies are actually missing and which ones aren't."
She nods along in agreement. "I find this course of action advisable."
Before hitting the books, Mei spends some amount time in the lab piecing together various spare parts, in the end crafting a rudimentary device capable of masking one's presence for a short amount of time. Pocketing it for now, taking care not to touch any of the exposed wires, she makes her way to the library in an attempt to discover anything relevant.
Carl is quick to join Mei in the library, delving into the books on the dead. Surely there must be something that might shed some light on what the Cabal is planning.
Rasheed speaks with the local Rippers and finds out the following.
1) There aren't any necromancers operating in the area as far as anyone knows.
2) There is a medium near Aylesbury named Madame Clara who several Rippers have gone to for help. She can speak with the dead and holds regular seances. She might be of assistance.
Carl and Mei use the Ripper library to find out a little about what might be at work in Aylesbury.
1) Necromancy is an obvious answer, some evil spellcaster animating corpses for nefarious purpose.
2) There is a creature known as a Ghoul or Ghul that eats the dead. It's unknown if they will eat dead that have been embalmed.
3) Newspaper reports from the area show only the third corpse made the papers because a relative of the corpse was found dead in the Funereal Home. The first two missing corpses never made the papers, this itself is curious. The victim, a nephew of the deceased, was found with his neck broken.
"Hm... whatever is behind this, it's fairly concerning..." She muses aloud to Jung, looking up from a news article.
Andrej stays out of the way of the more skilled folks, reading area maps, talking to other Rippers, and trying to get a picture of what's around the funeral home. Instead, he manages to waste the day looking at the wrong part of London.
"Indeed it is a bit... worrisome. But I suppose there's only so much we can learn from researching what might be. We'll need to investigate in person if we're going to confirm any of our theories."
The heroes board the Train for Aylesbury Sunday the 15th. A short time later they arrive in the small town of Aylesbury England.
Andrej rubbernecks a bit on the train ride, and says as little as possible where others can hear him. "Are we having names of disappeared people? Something to tell medium so she does not get too many answers?"
"Hmm... perhaps that's something we should be looking around for? A list of recent clients, to figure out what might've happened before we speak with the Medium." Victoria scratches the back of her head, then shrugs. "I wonder... d'you think they kept records of the disappearances? If not, that'd seem a li'l suspicious, right?"
"We certainly have the name of the latest missing body, so perhaps that's the best place to start," Carl points out. "Or maybe splitting up would expedite things. Some of us consult the medium about what we know while the rest try to uncover the identity of the remaining missing bodies."
Mei didn't feel as if she had much to contribute to the conversation for the moment, instead making sure all of her belongings are in order from the train ride.
"It is Sunday, Herr Doktor Jung. We will be having trouble researching today."
-Posted with Wayfinder
"Most places will be closed, yes," Carl agrees. "But the news never rests and obituaries are an excellent place to look for a dead person."
You do indeed have the recently deceased person's name as well as the nephew's name. George Spittle is the missing corpse's name, the nephew was one John Longs. You don't have names for the other missing corpses....since those didn't make the paper. Arthur knew of them through rumor only.
In Aylesbury there is a small newspaper that you might visit...there's also a police office you might find out more there.
-Posted with Wayfinder
"It's likely so, yes. Tell me- I have yet to confront such a mystic in this manner myself. What would one expect?" She asked, genuinely curious.
"That's not really somethin' I could tell ya, either. Maybe... well, I could help whoever goes lookin' for traces of whoever else disappeared." Victoria thinks to herself, trying to scrounge up an idea of where to go. "There's a small newspaper 'round here, they'd probably know somethin'. Of course they've got police, but that seems risky business for the moment... unless we want t'chance it."
"We are not needing to speak with police, nyet. At least I am hoping not, ha ha. Will they be having London newspaper here?"
"I doubt that the police would be willing to speak to us anyway. They have no reason to trust a group of strangers with information on missing bodies."
"Indeed not." She took out her device from earlier, fiddling with it and making sure it was all in order. Certainly not a masterpiece of a creation, but it would hopefully be effective all the same if an encounter was to occur. "Do we have questions prepared?" She questioned, placing it back away.
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Rasheed, yet again in silent contemplation while the rest debates, finally speak "Lads and lasses, as we have plenty a hook we could divide. One team goes to meet the medium and ask about the disappeared one and his deceased nephew while the other team can search clues in the newspaper to try and solve this puzzle that has presented to us." as he smiles, trying to gather a consensus "What do you say?"
"Herr Doktor Jung, Gospozha Lawson, and I go to medium. Gospozha Mei and Gospodin Rasheed go to newspaper. Agreed?"
-Posted with Wayfinder
She straightens her glasses, "I would have no issue with this. It is likely my stronger suit anyway."
"A meeting time and meeting place, more like," Victoria says, in agreement with Rasheed. "I still say this'd be the best damned trap the Cabal could set for us, and I'm not about t'get ambushed. We don't wanna meet near anywhere we're goin'... maybe we should meet back here, y'know? I'd say two or three hours time; from there, we can figure out who'll be snoopin' around tonight and what we wanna do tomorrow. Sound good, folks?"
"This seems to be a reasonable plan. I believe that it would be best to meet somewhere public a little after noon. Perhaps the town square."
The two foreign Rippers head out into Aylesbury and quickly discover that they have no idea where they should be going.
Rasheed manages to convince a skeptical looking man to give them directions to the Aylesbury Free Press. The two Rippers arrive and are greeted by an ink stained clerk wearing glasses. Yes. Might I help you? the tired looking man says.
The European Rippers head to find Madame Clara, and after a brief conversation with a passerby head straight to a rustic looking cottage. The sign above the door says Madam Clara's Occult Readings but the door is locked and shut.
Carl frowns. "Hmmm, perhaps she's out for the day." He raps on the door, seeing if anyone might be inside.
The Russian nods slowly, but looks around. "I am being suspicious."
-Posted with Wayfinder
The clerk says Oh, that business. Nasty stuff that. George Spittle missing, poor John dead. What er, related business do you have Mister uh. the man says, becoming a little suspicious at these two foreigners in his newspaper.
Carl raps on the door with no answer. Andrej looks around and finds nothing out of sorts. As Carl is standing and waiting for Andrej to finish looking around a young boy comes out of a nearby building. She aren't thar (there). She aren't opun on Sunday ya bloke.