Thursday 19^th May 1892.

We decided today at breakfast to make the next stop on our tour of retribution the Salvation Works Foundry in a small town a few hours south of here by train. We got our gear together, with John, Abigail, and Tielle picking up supplies from the Venus. I asked Poulette to call in Quisitor Williams and one of my old squad Ephram Greene. While we were sitting on the train and it was passing through the Neckerdam countryside Abigail took Tielle aside for a bit and when she came back she pointed at John and Said “Daddy” we were all shocked, it seems that Abigail is not only an excellent Doctor, she is also somewhat of a prodigy as a teacher. The trip very quickly became boring, I must admit the Venus has spoilt us somewhat, being able to get anywhere on the planet in a matter of minutes makes a journey like this almost interminable, I understand the need for stealth in this case, the Venus is quite a high profile vehicle. The boredom was broken somewhat by the appearance of the lunch trolley. We eventually made it to Salvation about early evening.

Our little group got off the train at the station and stood around watching as the train pulled out, nearby was a middle aged man struggling with a large sack he had gotten from the train, he was wearing a postal uniform and he introduced himself as Wilson, we asked him where we could find accommodation and he said that he was going into town and would show us where the local boarding house was. When we got there we were met by a rosy cheeked lady of advancing years called Mistress Martha, she assigned us rooms and advised us that dinner would be served shortly. During the introductions I introduced myself as Quisitor Michael Stafford as my true name would only hamper our investigations due to the high profile nature of my current predicament. During dinner we were informed that the local reverend, Dan Jones, would be holding a sermon and afterwards there would be quilting and a potluck supper, after some discussion we decided to attend. Once we were ready to leave we were held up slightly by having to force Smith not to go out dressed in one of our Quisitor uniforms, not only did it look stupid being several sizes too big, but being caught impersonating a Quisitor carries a death penalty.

The sermon was quite interesting, and the potluck supper was exactly what I expected having experienced them before, but Smith managed to find a kitchen and some ingredients, and provided a plate of. . . well I’m not sure what, but neither did anyone else. They did seem to enjoy it. While I was walking around I noted that Abigail had positioned herself perfectly to pick up gossip and local info, among the quilting ladies, and seemed to be excelling herself at making a square for the quilt, I did note however that her stitches though technically perfect belonged more on a wound than a bedspread, she was getting equal parts admiration and ire from her nearby peers, given her skills with a needle. I was passing the food tables when I heard the insistent voice of one adolescent boy to another, and I surreptitiously listened in while looking like I was enjoying a blueberry rock cake (I wasn’t, it was terrible.) it seems the two teenagers were arguing about whether to go somewhere, eventually the one that was a bit reluctant capitulated and I saw their shadows as they snuck off. On a hunch I followed them at a distance, they eventually led me to a den of iniquity with a badly lettered sign proclaiming it “The Sinners Pit”

Just before they entered I collared them, they seemed to think that I was there to bust them for being naughty, so I pressed my advantage to get information from them. They told me that the largest portion of the workforce at the Foundry were Pagans and Moonstruck, the Foundry was broken up into cells so that no one person could know what they were building. The foundry had been visited by foreign people in military uniforms, and that no-one was really sure what was going on there but it had poured some large sums of money into the local economy so no-one was really questioning it.

I gave the boys a warning about the sorts of things that would go on inside the building they were so keen to enter, and told them that the moment they didn’t feel safe, to leave immediately. They got that look on their faces that all adolescents do when they imagine that they know everything and that what the Adult was saying made no sense because they were dumb. Damn I miss being a teenager.

Abigail got similar information from the quilting circle and eventually all of the ladies agreed that Abigail’s quilting was of excellent quality, Abigail donated the square she had been working on to the community quilt, to much praise.

We retired to our rooms and slept. Seven days left until my Trial.

Friday 20^th May 1892.

We awoke and breakfasted with the intent to go out as early as possible to the foundry, on the way out we ran into Wilson the postman again and told him where we were going, he got a bit funny and was stammering a bit. I held out my hand and said “we’ll take it for you.” He looked a bit relieved and handed me a letter that was addressed to the foreman of the foundry. We told him that we’d make sure the letter got to the foundry and he thanked us and went on his way, his work day now about an hour shorter seeing that he didn’t now have to go to the foundry for one piece of mail. I got a bad feeling about the letter so I opened it, with good reason, the gist of the letter was to stop production, destroy the foundry, and kill any witnesses, signed with Hezekiah Walker’s initials. Greene and Williams seemed shocked, I made a mental note to keep this letter close to me as it was a very damning piece of evidence against my detractors, Greene wanted me to give it to him for “safe” keeping but I felt it would be safer with me.

We still had a ways to go to get to the foundry and we discussed our plans on the way, at one stage I was deep in thought while the others planned, I turned to join the conversation and immediately went for my gun, as Hezekiah Walker was standing right there behind me, with that stupid shit eating grin on his face, it was only when he shifted back to look like Smith that I realised that he now had the ability to change how he looked and sounded very effectively, Smith and the others were discussing that he would come with us as Walker on an “inspection” tour to get full access to the foundry.

I must admit to being freaked out seeing and hearing Walker with us, and I went for my gun a few more times when he spoke unexpectedly, I hadn’t realised just how much Walker had got to me. We decided to go in as just a tour first so Smith resumed his usual form, we were met by the Foreman who took us in, we went through several areas, each had a number, we looked in the crates they were packing, all of the parts had numbers on them, I grabbed a piece from each area but was unable to work out how they went together. The foreman also said that some of them had tried the same thing to no avail. This particular foundry was responsible for about eleven different parts.

While I was talking to the foreman we split up, Abigail took Tielle outside under the pretence that she was bored and wanted to run about, she was really going to check out the Pagan living quarters and people. When she eventually came back she reported that the werewolf Jack that we met in Neckerdam was one of the Pagans being held here, she was pretty sure he had seen her but she had been unable to communicate with him. John and Smith did some poking about, and the other Quisitors were with me and the Foreman. Greene seemed a bit antsy about something but I put I down to nerves. We thanked the foreman and made our way back to town for lunch, and to prepare for the evenings sortie back to the foundry.

After we prepared we headed out just after dark, when we were getting close Greene offered to scout ahead, and so he did. When we caught up to where he was supposed to wait for us he wasn’t there, John shifted to Wolf form and took off following Greene’s scent trail. The rest of us continued slowly, until we heard a loud wolf howl coming from the foundry, we sprinted ahead with me tapping my abilities to get a greater burst of speed. I ran into the building to find John standing over Greene who was disembowelled and there were several guards arriving at the same time, John saw me enter and took off down a trapdoor that had been thrown open, I assumed that the foreman had gone down there.

I turned my burning gaze on the guards and told them to “Get Out” two of them immediately dropped their weapons and fled past me. The rest were in a standoff with me, I cranked my anger and let it show in my face, I screamed at the rest “LEAVE NOW!” they all dropped their guns and rabitted, I get the feeling that I was at least a little bit intimidating in my Quisitors robes with my sword glinting, standing over the body of a fallen Quisitor.

Just as they had left the building I heard several loud noises, and the floor of the room I was in erupted and something I couldn’t quite make out smashed through the floor from beneath and then out through a hole it made in the ceiling. Abigail meanwhile was freeing the pagans and the moonstruck, she was going to get them onto the train that was waiting on the spur that ran to the foundry off the main track. It seems that our normal operating procedure was well in place as the building now appeared to be on fire. I gave Greene the last rites before the building had the chance to fall down and cover him, I got out before tit could do the same to me. I could hear the train boiler and engine being fed and starting to build to the right pressure so that we could get out of there, Williams right on my heels. It seems that Smith was talking to the spirits of the fire to heat up the train quicker. John was near the cab of the train and he had the foreman, who appeared to be unconscious. John shifted to his Giant Manwolf form and shooed the others out of the cab, and using his enormous hands and great strength began throwing double hand loads the size of snowshovels of coal into the boiler, all in all the train was beginning to glow a nice cherry red and steam was issuing from the boiler. The train started up just as Abigail and Jack got all of the people on board. With us on last.

As we moved off John said that he could see something or several somethings flying above us, and he climbed up on top of the train to have a look. One of the somethings flew though a moonbeam and I could see that it looked like a Dragon albeit a mechanical one. I figured there would be a fight so I also climbed up onto the train roof as well. Just in time to see John reach up and drag one of the dragons down on to the train, then it went almost completely still, another one pacing the train did the same thing it went rigid and fell out of the sky, I took a running jump off the train towards it as the train also seemed to want to judder and stop, showers of sparks cascading from where the wheels met the rails. As I leapt from the train I could feel the air behind me superheat and I was doused in flames, the third Dragon was behind me. I hit the ground and rolled, got up and made my way to the grounded Dragon, I raised my Sword and empowered it with my life force. I brought down the sword and rent the head from the body. Unfortunately it picked that moment to explode, my cutting the head off I’m sure had nothing to do with it. The one that was still flying towards me turned towards the now juddering and slowly moving train, heading for John who was rending at the body of the frozen one on the roof of the train. Before I could shout a warning to him I heard a familiar scream from Tielle and suddenly there was a fourth dragon in the air, this one white, very much alive, and very protective of her daddy. She flew from the train and met it in the air over the fields, where she ripped its head off, it exploded, dropped to the ground and began to thrash about, the one on the train then exploded, destroying the rear half of the last carriage, and throwing John clear of the train just as it sped up again. I had caught up with Tielle at this point, I took the initiative and hopped on her back who knows when I’ll ever be able to ride a dragon into battle, in my robes waving a sword, that is one memory I will cherish, we stopped to pick up john and caught up with the train. Tielle alighting on the roof and letting us down.

The train was heading down the spur towards salvation, the speed it was going seemed to me to be excessive for this type of loco, Smith seemed very pleased with himself for some reason, in fact it was two reasons, the first was that he had spoken to the fire spirits of the mechanical dragon that was on the train and it exploded, the second was he had spoken to the fire spirits of the engine and made them a wee bit enthusiastic and the train was speeding along the tracks. Perhaps too fast I suggested to John and Smith, who shared a look and the rabbited for the engine car. A short while later the whistle blew long and loud, the train slowed a bit, and then some scant moments later, the train shuddered and slowed to a more comfortable speed. Then there was a loud explosion of steam and the train stopped entirely. Abigail and I shared a look of concern and headed for the front of the train, now I don’t know what they did, and I didn’t ask, but smith was standing proudly by the engine, looking up at the boiler which was doing its best chrysanthemum impersonation, the glowing metal split open along the seams, steam escaping into the night sky. Smith also looked a bit broiled and scorched and his hair was out around his head in a fluffy curly pouf not unlike a stick of candy floss.

We looked out and could see a crowd of people approaching us from the town of salvation, burning torches bobbing towards us in the dark. I walked out further from the train, John joined me as did Williams, and John was in his Wolf form. The train began to empty of refugees, the townsfolk; finally got to us being led by the local pastor, I got the feeling from him that he didn’t wish any ill, Williams quieted the crowd who were lets face it fairly scared, they had just been hearing a series of loud explosions coming from the direction of the Foundry, and now the night sky was brightened by the fires there as well as a few between the foundry and where the train finally died, which was also now on fire. We passed on to them that the foundry had been run by seditious elements of the government that want war; I left Williams talking to the crowd and went to find Jack and his Pagans.

They were having some talks amongst themselves about what they were going to do, unfortunately most of their plans involved violence or grand theft locomotive. I suggested that maybe I could help, but Williams did not think our in the field procurement abilities could stretch to getting a whole train to let some Pagans leave the country, I acted a as a go between for a while to no avail, then much to my disgust jack said “well, we’ll just have to use plan “B” “ it turns out they had an airship waiting all this time, I went off in a huff so as not to shoot Jack where it wouldn’t regenerate. Abigail followed Jack and the others into the woods. The townsfolk were muttering and grumbling at this, Tielle seemed to like the warmth of the fire being caused by the train fire, and she was basking in the heat. The townsfolk headed back to town, Smith and I followed them along with Williams and Poulette, John elected to stay with Tielle, and Abigail stayed with the Pagans. Six days left until my Trial.

Saturday 21^st May 1892.

At breakfast this morning it became quite clear that the landlady of the boarding house did not want us there any longer, when I went to talk to her in the kitchen, she asked me to get everyone to leave as son as possible. I tried to calm her but she was intractable on that issue, it was best though that we were planning to leave today anyway for a town called Ashbury which was next on our list, from the notes we found in Greene’s belongings. We managed to hire a carriage, and all but felt the sigh of relief as we left the town. Abigail asked to borrow my Bible to pass the time and we had quite a spirited conversation about some of the passages. Smith was riding in the open air on top of the carriage, and John went to join him, also to keep an eye on Tielle who was following us in the sky. After a while they called her down to us and then got on her to ride her up into the sky.

Eventually we made it to an old homestead, which was inhabited by a woman and her son; the father had gone missing some time ago. We asked if we could spend the night, and the woman was most accommodating, the men would stay in the barn and Abigail would sleep in the spare bedroom in the house. I was looking around for things to do to repay her hospitality. The fences were in some disrepair, so Williams took a look at them, while I chopped some wood for the fire and to put aside for winter. John and Smith went hunting in their fur coats, and came back with some rabbits for dinner; we ate and then retired to the barn to sleep.

Some hours later I heard a noise that woke me, metal on metal from the older more tumble down barn, I got up as did smith we made our way to the door and saw Abigail sneaking across the dooryard to the other barn. We followed stealthily to find that the son called Jamie was talking to a mechanical man not unlike the ones we fought in the caverns under Oasia, and he was talking to it as if it were his father. We figured that there was no real threat here so we carefully and quietly went back to bed. Not long after Abigail woke us all mentally by yelling in our heads, we got up immediately and quickly prepared for the worst, heading out of the barn.

Smith flickered out of sight as we got to the doors, the sight that met us was one of chaos, there were three strange men holding Abigail and The farm lady hostage and they were approaching the old busted up barn and were calling out to the mechanical man, Jamie stuck his head out of the barn and then quickly back in. I managed to distract one of the men long enough for Abigail to wind up and smack another one of them, it looked to me like she actually grew some sort of barky claws and she managed to not only hit him but take off most of his face, remind me never to piss her off, John had shifted to his big wolf form and leapt across the distance to the interlopers, when he got there he grabbed one of their guns and bit neatly through it, Smith then reappeared. I shot one, John got shot by another, The Mechanical man had by now come out of the old barn, Abigail managed to make the most of the distractions and grabbed the Farm lady and took her into the barn where her robotic husband had been until just now secreted. The guy I managed to shoot pulled out a pistol; his last compatriot then took it on his heels and ran out of the dooryard. Smith jumped at him and missed, John then ran past the mechanical man which had now stopped, and he continued on chasing the guy that was running. John quickly caught him up and brought him back to us unconscious, we had just about forgotten Tielle, whose contribution fell out of the sky, it seems there was a fourth attacker who Tielle had snapped up and flung over the barn to land lifeless in the dust of the dooryard. John propped up the unconscious guy between us and we began to search all of the bodies, they all bore the mark of the crown. It was then that we realised that Jamie was missing.

Five days until my trial.

Sunday 22^nd May 1892.

We were looking around and realised that Sherylin was also missing, then we heard a scream from up the mountain, the mechanical man turned and began heading off, Smith changed to his smallest form and jumped up to make a foxskin hat on the automaton, John called to Tielle and jumped on her back, leaving Abigail and I to run up the Mountain.

On our way up we were passed by the mechanical man making his way back down, with Smith attached to one of his legs being dragged in the dirt, I remembered that we had the dead and dying to deal with back at the camp, I mentioned it and Abigail turned and headed back to the farm, I turned on my speed. By the time I reached the clearing the fight was all over, there was a dead body that I covered up I am not sure what exactly happened as I felt the need to get Cody and Sherylin back to their home and calmed down, so I helped them down the hill while John and Tielle looked for more of the enemy.

Once I got back to the farmstead Abigail took over with Cody and Sherylin while I dealt with the remaining alive prisoner, I tied him up and sat him up, I also sat down to meditate and wait for him to wake up. I was briefly interrupted when a large canvas wrapped bundle dropped out of the sky, it was the tents and equipment of the men that had come looking for the mechanical man. Not long after that the prisoner woke up. I started talking to him but it seems that he only spoke Urssian. He wasn’t very pleasant even spitting at me. I made a great show of taking out my gun and taking out all the bullets except one, which using sleight of hand I palmed. I pointed the gun at him and asked him what he was doing here, then the loud click of the hammer hitting the empty chamber made him jump, I asked him again and another click followed, it was then that he began to shudder and foam at the mouth, when I called Abigail to me it was too late. We searched the other bodies for the crown tattoo and false teeth, finding them on all of the men, Abigail managed to extract the toothcap from one of them intact, so that she might be able to create an antitoxin.

John and Tielle arrived then carrying most of a cow, Abigail went back inside while I moved the bodies and concealed them under a tarpaulin behind the barn. Then I went to sleep.

LATER THAT DAY.

I got up and started the task of burying the bodies, Williams also helped me. We then moved on once the dreadful task was finished, on the way to the city we were met on the road by Sherylin, who turned out to be Smith in disguise. He told us that he was trying to get the metal man to go back to the farm, we eventually caught up with him whereupon Abigail had a mental conversation with him, it seems that he thinks that as long as he stays away from the farm his family will be safe. After that he turned and kept up his walk towards the town. We got to the outskirts just as rain started. We were moving along when all of a sudden John’s ears pricked up and he jumped out of the carriage and ran down an alley. I began to follow him when he came back and stole my change pouch off my belt and ran away again. I followed him a bit further before he came back again, and began to get in my way and block my path. It was at that point that Abigail joined us and began to commune with John, while she was doing this I spotted some children who saw me and ran off. From what Abigail was saying these children were playing “Team Grandeur” and John heard the “Scream” for help from “Daisy”.

I felt that we were still being watched, and looked to see some eyes on us from concealment. We eventually discovered that they had escaped from a man called “The Toymaker” it sounded like a factory to make more of the mechanical oddities that we had discovered on our recent travels. Abigail as the least intimidating of us went to speak to the kids while Williams went to get us accommodation. Abigail made her way back with “Smith” and “Abigail, they were going to show us where they escaped from, while “Damien” and “John” stayed with the others.

We made our way up the hills outside town and were alongside a river that was fed by a waterfall from the mountain proper. They said that they had fallen into a pool and were pulled through a crack in the rock, being sure that I could survive under water indefinitely I dove in and found the fissure that a significant pressure was coming out of. The water pressure was immense and the fissure was rocky and narrow, it amazed me that the children were able to make it through without significant damage or injury.

When I made it through to the other side I found myself in a swirling pool that was fed by the river I carefully breached the surface of the water and just allowed my eyes to be above the surface, I saw that I was in a natural cavern with water carved pillars and a natural bridge spanning the rushing water, Abigail was in contact with me mentally so I told her that I was in, and that maybe they should find another way in. which they did, at this time they had found the mechanical man from the farm and he led them to the actual entry. From where I was I could see a few of the other mechanical men, so I quietly and carefully climbed out of the water and silently made my way to a position of concealment where I could observe the immediate vicinity.

I prepared myself and then rushed the two mechanical guards, I leapt high in the air bringing my sword down slicing off one arm, quickly reversing my blade another arm clunked to the stone, then I was smashed to the ground by the other automaton as it turned on me. From the ground I slashed away its leg, my sword glinting with power and my heart racing with the extra bursts of speed. The one legged mechanical man fell off the bridge into the water, sparks and steam sizzling as it sank, the one clawed hand opening and closing spasmodically while the water closed over it. The remaining one armed guard started to turn toward me so I slashed out its legs. I had to roll out of the way as it slammed into the ground. I got up and began to dust myself off when the mechanical man began dragging itself towards me on its one good arm; I brought my sword down on its head killing it.

I crossed the bridge to the large metal door they were guarding, I was unable to open it however so I moved on. I went through another door into an antechamber, then down a corridor into a natural cavern that had a ramp of earth up to the left which I climbed. After that I passed over another naturally occurring bridge and through some man made tunnels. I kept my hand on or near the left wall and took the first left turning. I could see some flashes and hear noises from ahead. I sped up and spotted Abigail, with Smith in his large fox form fighting one of the robots, with another already down and out. Then I saw John who was covered in blood drop to the ground and Abigail ran to him. She began to glow, he suddenly seemed to be less injured and his chest began to rise and fall in a more regular rhythm. While she stood over him one of the Automatons shot at Abigail, just as I got there. The robot that was approaching closest to us suddenly was wreathed in steam and seemed to run down just as I slashed off its gun arm. At this stage both John and Abigail were down and out of the fight. Smith jumped across to them and touched them with his cold wet nose, and they both seemed less badly hurt.

Abigail leapt up immediately and went over to John, digging through her bag she brought out ointments and unguents, and began to minister to John. It looked to me like maybe Abigail had brought John back from the brink of death and maybe even beyond. Smith was whimpering and sticking out his tongue which had some nasty looking blisters on it. Abigail gave him some ointment for it and he seemed happier but not with the taste.

Smith was listening at the door that we were near and began to whimper so I went over to listen as well. I could hear a ticking noise coming from the next room, from what sounded like several dozen sources. We girded once more for combat and Smith opened the door carefully. The room was well lit, with a high ceiling, many tapestries lined the walls, at the far end of the room was a raised dais, with two chairs, one of them held a slumped figure. The ticking and tocking noise that we could hear was coming from dozens of clockwork figures that swamped the floor, also there were several floating clockwork airships, a long red carpet split the room down the middle and the floor seemed to throw back light strangely.

I went to go in, Smith leapt up onto my shoulder, the floor of the room was completely clear, and looking down I could see the missing children. As I approached the dais I could see that the figure was dressed strangely and was female, but was completely still. As I got closer I could see that the figure although humanoid was not human but some sort of life size doll. It was wearing a white dress with sparkling crystals on it as well as a Tiara on its head similarly sparkly. I directed Smith to go and find how to free the children. As he passed the figure, it came to life. It began to speak to us.

As I was more centrally concentrating on the plight of the children I don not recall the gist of the conversation beyond that the figure was speaking for a person or entity called “The White Queen” it offered us jobs working for it, and it asked all sorts of questions about the relative strengths of the P.S.A. and Brittany. I dimly recall getting into a heated discussion about the relative merits of freedom and free will. It was about now that John and Abigail came in. we began to argue around in circles so I simply chopped its head off. The tiara sparking back the light as the head flipped over and over. Smith then appeared out of an archway behind the dais pushing in front of him the man that must be the one called “The Toymaker”. When he got to the large room he made a break for it, I managed to snag the back of his coat and bring him up short. I then got him to tell me how to free the children because he told us that there wasn’t much time. We looked down to see that the room beneath the floor was filling with water, now beginning to lap at the youngster’s knees. It turns out that the door I was at after fighting the two machine men was the door I needed to open to free them.

I quickly retraced my steps, dragging the Toymaker with me, I got to the second bridge and realised that I could drop down to the level below and get to the door much quicker. The Toymaker was going to leg it the moment I left so I simply cold cocked him, and then I dropped to the next level down. I checked the remaining Automaton for a key of some kind but was unable to find anything. I looked at the door and realised I could get a grip beneath the door, I called up as much strength as I could muster, I gripped the door and began to pull. There was more and more water gushing out now, the door began to buckle and twist, the water became a torrent, and with a mighty screech the metal tore out of the wall. I was momentarily swamped with water and the flailing limbs of children, I managed to stop them falling to the pools below, eventually the water stopped and I was able to marshal the children together. I went inside the room to see if there were any casualties, luckily for whoever is masterminding this scheme there were no bodies, I did however manage to find one last little girl curled up in a ball inside a crate, I picked her up and went out to the rest of the kids.

I started to lead the kids out when I realised that I didn’t know the way out myself. I imagined that going up couldn’t hurt, so we climbed up ramps and through corridors and chambers until we came to an elevator not unlike the one in Oasia, but larger. I loaded the kids in and when the elevator got to the top we appeared to be in an airship hangar. I looked out of the large doors but there was quite a drop away from there. I cracked open some crates and was able to find some blankets, I smashed the crates to make a fire with the splintered wood, to warm up the kids. I contacted Smith on my armband and told him where I was, the area was quite open and cold, but Smith said that there was a barracks that would be much warmer, so I doused the fire and we trooped back down to it. When we got there Smith was waiting, with John and Abigail unconscious on a bed, There seemed to be something different about them that I couldn’t put my finger on. They did seem to be sleeping peacefully so I left them for now. I stayed with the children while Smith went out and found some food, which he cooked and brought back for everyone. While he was looking after the children I searched the Toymaker’s office, I found a letter to him from Hezekiah Walker and what looked like some plans for other items to be built.

Four days until my trial.

Monday 23^rd May 1892.

The others seemed more worn out than me so I stayed awake and kept watch, I could see Durlitz the Toymaker watching me so I pretended to be nodding off. It was funny, every time my eyes closed he’d scooch a bit further towards the door, and then took his chance when I put my head down on my chest to get up and run. I was ready for this and was up and around him in a flash, stopping him before he got to the doorway. A movement caught my eye and when I looked over at John and Abigail lying unconscious on a bed with several of the children, there was a small white dragon also asleep there, her head resting on John’s chest. It seems that Tielle now has three shapes, large dragon, small dragon, and human girl.

Everyone slowly awoke and began preparing for the trek out of the facility and down the mountain, Smith managed to find some supplies and make some truly excellent Pancakes for everyone. When we had looked for supplies earlier we hadn’t found any flour, I asked Smith where he had found it and he indicated it was in a large ornate cupboard in the corner of the kitchens, we figured that we just must have been too tired and hadn’t seen it at the time we searched. Also when I looked in the cupboard I found some truly excellent Maple Syrup. By this stage everyone was up and about, Abigail was wearing John’s coat, and they were discussing the previous days actions, it seems that they both have some gaps in their memories from the day before. I made sure that Durlitz was tied up securely, and we all headed out of the complex. After a few hours we found ourselves on the outskirts of the village.

We were spotted by a few of the villagers, who exclaimed at the sight of the children. The rest of the villagers came running out at the cry of “The children, they’ve brought the children back.” Amongst the hubbub of the reunions Quisitor Williams made his way over to us with the Mayor. The Mayor was very happy to see us and offered us everything and anything he could. There was a photographer there who freelanced for several of the newspapers, he asked us if he could take a picture of us for the newspaper, which we thought was a great idea, he got one of the whole group, and one of us in a sea of children. I asked the Mayor if he could write us a letter of thanks, which he was more than happy to do, he provided us with quarters, clothes and food by way of thanks. We thought that maybe we would want to leave soon so Abigail got Libra to call the Venus to here. Quisitor Williams officially arrested the Toymaker. As the Venus Hove into view, dragging part of its tether with it, John got down on one knee and proposed to Abigail that they get married, and she accepted immediately.

As we still had several hours before we were due at the rendezvous at the airship tower we took advantage of the hospitality of the villagers and had a hearty lunch. A thought occurred to me and I got John to go and find the children that were playing at being Team Grandeur and we took them for a ride in the Venus, they were ecstatic. When we got back we took aside Durlitz who was asking the Mayor for sanctuary, we advised him that he really had two options, the first being safely arrested by Quisitor Williams, and the second was waiting outside for him with ropes and torches, because if we were to leave him here he would probably be lynched. He was happy to stay with Williams.

The rest of us planned our activities for the night, such as how to get to New York undetected, and capture Walker and his Cronies. After some discussion we settled on a plan. Abigail would try to travel between a tree here and one in the Papal Gardens with a letter from Williams and I as well as the information we had gathered, which she did, getting back just before we were due to depart. We decided that we would “fly” the Venus to New York under water and park it either near or on a dock or abandoned warehouse. When we got there it was an easy thing to navigate over to the docks, and briefly jump the ship out of the waters, Smith got out and opened the dock doors on the warehouse, we scooted inside and then he closed them again. We were pretty sure no-one had seen us it turns out that the warehouse we had picked (mostly for irony’s sake) was mostly empty and belonged to the Boltwood’s. Williams was to stay on board with Durlitz.

We left the warehouse and made our way by carriage to the empire spire airdocks, the man at the base of the spire was very officious and was going to bar our way until we talked our way past him, with some judicious use of our occult abilities, we got into a lift and advised the attendant to take us to the twenty third level. As we got out of the lift I immediately spotted Walker waiting nearby, he saw us and drew a gun, I stepped into his line of fire and he shot at me, doing no damage as it seems that he’s a crap shot. In the scuffle Abigail managed to grab his Valise and his Portfolio. Suddenly the tower was bathed in lights, both walker and I were startled for a second, I regained my composure before him, and knocked him out. He dropped to the deck. That was when the airships gun ports opened and the mortar shells began raining down on us. I was not expecting this so I was actually quite badly hurt by the first blast, which also burnt and buffeted Walker about as well. I picked up walker and pushed him into the relative safety of the lift building nearer to where Abigail was. I gathered my strength, called on the almighty to guide my aim, and leapt out over the void towards one of the gun ports. In mid air a bullet found it’s mark impacting my coat, but bouncing off one of my buttons. I landed in the gun port, just ahead of a loud growl and crunch, I since found out that John had shifted to his giant wolf form and leapt across after I had. Suddenly there were more screams and tearing noises as the nine foot tall enraged wolf man tore his way into the ship. I figured that he would probably be in the grip of a berserk rage so I took off for the cockpit. On my way there I heard a grinding and screeching noise, not long after that the vibrations of the propellers stopped thrumming through the ship. The ship began to take on a pronounced tilt accompanied by more screams, with the sounds of growls following my path.

I made it to the cockpit, and locked the door behind me. I put every ounce of force I could muster into intimidating those that were there. The guards almost as one dropped their weapons and left the other door at speed and I could feel the escape gliders detaching and see them out the window dropping to the streets. There was only the captain and his first mate left. The captain stood up and asked me what I was doing. It was then that I felt the strange aura nearby, that of another Immortal. I asked the Captain if he wanted to do this here, he said yes and drew his sword. I battered his defences aside and in one fell swoop decapitated him, saying “There can be only one.” I braced for the quickening, which didn’t come. And the feeling of the Immortal was still there. I looked up at the first mate just as he pulled out a pistol and shot out the cockpit window. He turned and jumped out the hole and dropped, grabbing onto a chain that was tethering us to the tower. I followed him out onto the chain right behind him, in the skies above us I could see the shape of the Venus, as it manoeuvred around saving people from their deaths as the tower really did look and feel very unstable. I was hanging on and trying to get to the first mate who was climbing along the chain, a body dropped past me towards the Venus which was now below us. I looked at the first mate and drew my sword one handed, then chopped through the chain, he didn’t have as strong a grip on the chain as I did and he dropped into the action below. Because of the smoke I didn’t see where he landed. I used the chain like a swing and made for the platform below me, after a few swings I could drop off the chain onto relatively safer ground, I hit badly and rolled.

I began to climb down the outside of the tower. On the level below where I landed I found a pile of clothes that belonged to Smith. I bundled them up and took them with me. When I got to the next platform down the Venus hove into view and I climbed aboard, the view beneath us was the ship known as the Dauntless slowly dropping to the ground. We landed next to it, and I got out with my sword drawn looking for the other Immortal but he was nowhere to be found. Smith indicated that he had the log book from the Dauntless. We immediately set up a triage area on and around the Venus, while I was helping some of the less injured I heard a loud voice raised in anger that he would not accept aid from the evil heathen witch, I looked over and there was an older man refusing aid from Abigail, so I finished bandaging the woman I was working on and went over to Abigail and the man. He wasn’t too badly hurt so I simply bandaged his wounds, Abigail gave me a small tube of liquid to pour on the wound, she said it was called and Anti-biotic that would stop infection, the man looked at me strangely but I told him that it was a poultice made of holy water to keep out the evils around him and he was somewhat mollified. Not long after that the Emergency services arrived and took over the bulk of the casualties. Abigail then turned to our various injuries, Smith was bleeding and obviously hurt. John was missing a hand (again) I checked the time and found that it was after midnight, it occurred to me that it was now My Wedding Day!

Three days until my Trial

Tuesday 24^th May 1892.

I hadn’t slept but still felt buzzed from the fight, Abigail was healing Smith and John, she said that Smith would be fine immediately but that John’s hand would take some time to completely regrow. Once he was free of the medical bay John made his way to the bridge and we took off for Brittany.

The rest of us went to see Walker who we had trussed up in the cargo area. When we woke him up he seemed startled to be both alive and in our presence, he immediately began trying to get a deal, he was offering all that he knew for us to drop him somewhere safe and secure with money enough to survive, for the information that he had, we told him that we would do that for him once the information was confirmed, he asked for a pen and some paper. Abigail was using her mental abilities all the while I was talking to Walker, unfortunately she didn’t get anything really useful so we have to rely on walker’s information.

Smith, Abigail and I rested while John piloted us to Brittany.

We made our landing just outside The Manor house of Daisy’s estates, some of the staff came out and escorted us into the parlor. There was another man waiting there, it seems he is Daisy’s new neighbour Mr Rudolpho. Who daisy mentioned in her letter to me. He seemed quite nice up until I realised that he had designs on Daisy himself we had words and he stalked off. Not much later Daisy came to see me and we had quite an emotional reunion, until she was whisked away again for preparations for the ceremony and party afterwards. I asked John and Smith to keep an eye out at the grove for people in hiding to either try to disrupt the ceremony or take pictures or recordings of any kind. Tielle it seems had changed back into her little girl form, we were made aware of this by seeing her streaking through the house naked, being chased by some of the maids.

I went upstairs to bathe and shave, John came to see me while I was lounging about in my robe, we had a short talk about the ceremony and the situation we were in, until it was time for him to bathe as well. I was told by a footman that it was time to leave, so I went downstairs and climbed on board the carriage that took me to the grove. I was met by the local head druid who was already naked. I also disrobed and stood there with the others. John was standing nearby when we heard a scuffle from the bushes around the grove, John went to investigate, it turns out that Smith had found a photographer hiding in the bushes trying to get pictures of the ceremony, John and Smith managed to run him off without him getting any useful photo’s.

They returned to my side as the music swelled and the bridal procession came down the pathway, Daisy looked radiant in her pregnancy, with her hair elaborately styled. The ceremony went off without a hitch. We were robed again and taken by carriage to the marquee on the lawn where we had a wedding feast that went quite late. Abigail, John, and Smith were absent for some time. Coming back separately towards the end of the night. After the speeches and too much food Daisy and I left the reception and made our way to a Bower that had been made for us in the forest. Where we were soundly pranked by Smith, he had in effect short sheeted the bower, it took us some time to fix so that we could sleep comfortably. One of these days I’m going to get Smith back for all the pranks. I am supremely happy.

Two days until my trial.