The Awakening - Part 3

The party gathered to discuss their next steps after receiving a cryptic message from a ghost to "contain it, repair the damage" regarding a mysterious artifact. Rather than rushing to Syria based on the ghost's implied command, they decided to prioritize thorough research. They recalled being at the passport office and receiving a letter from Fire Chief Julian Freeland about the Langham Hotel incident. Their investigation focused on Corporal George Finlay, a relative of Nigel Finley who had been lost during a mission in Wadi Rum in 1917. The group carefully reviewed Lieutenant Brendan Scott's diary, learning he had been a British Army officer during the Great War who served in the Arab Bureau in Cairo. Scott had been introduced to a boy who found a clay jar and scroll, leading to an unsanctioned scouting mission south of Wadi Rum. The diary detailed a devastating ambush by an unknown entity during which Scott's team discovered additional artifacts, with Scott barely escaping while several others perished. After being disciplined for his unauthorized actions, Scott spent the remainder of the war at a desk in Cairo. Following the war, he became increasingly obsessed with the events, his diary filled with incoherent ramblings about "Jinn and Bagdana" before he froze to death during a winter morning walk following a total solar eclipse. The party debated how to secure the dangerous bowl artifact they possessed, considering various locations including a sister-in-law's house in Sussex or a derelict mansion. They ultimately decided to store it in a strong box at Everett's shop in Cecil Court, taking a taxi to transport it carefully. Meanwhile, they received a telegram inviting them to a black-tie event on Friday, June 10th, at Montague House for the "Unveiling of artifacts," though the invitation admitted only one person. John and the others scouted Montague House, which was currently a hotel but had been a private residence in 1921. They observed the building's layout, noting a servant's entrance at the rear, and discussed various strategies to get additional party members inside. Through social contacts, they learned the Montague Circle of Antiquity and Patrons was known among wealthy circles as a charitable group with no particular reputation either way. Options considered included disguising someone as a servant, forging additional invitations, or having someone pose as an aide to an injured guest. Alfie traveled to Poplar, his old neighborhood, taking great care to avoid being followed. He sought out criminal contacts to find a forger, eventually being directed to a man named Richard, known as "Dick," at the wharf. Dick, a forger with a wooden leg and a black coat, was skeptical and dismissive when Alfie explained his need for forged invitations. Dick insisted he needed to see the original invitation and proper fancy paper before he could do any work. At the British Library, Everett carefully read through Scott's diary and discovered the name Alexander Bates as a survivor of the desert mission. Reverend Grainger attempted to research "jinn" and "Bagdana" but only found Arabian Nights tales. Everett searched through October 1917 editions of The Times and found a small article from October 27th mentioning "losses on a patrol" in Jordan, which confirmed the mission had occurred and listed Scott, Nigel, Alexander, and other names. John contacted General Archibald Winterbottom, a family friend, seeking assistance in locating Alexander Bates. The general provided contact information for Alice Ferguson at the War Office, who could help find Bates's last known location through war pension records. Meanwhile, Alfie visited a derelict warehouse where he had previously hidden items. He removed carefully placed stones and retrieved a gun and blackjack from a hidden box, deciding to arm himself after the recent worm incident. While outside, Alfie looked up and saw what appeared to be a mirror hanging in space with cracks through it and a blue light shining through the cracks. The vision lasted about five seconds before everything returned to normal, and Alfie recognized the phenomenon as similar to what he had seen in the basement of Scott's house in Surrey before a creature came through. The weather dramatically shifted from fine to awful with heavy rain and swirling clouds before clearing again. As John and Everett prepared to leave the British Library, they noticed a man and a woman talking to the librarian who looked up, made eye contact with them, showed a flash of recognition, and then quickly headed off in separate directions. The party attempted to follow the suspects but both individuals expertly evaded their pursuers and vanished. They speculated that the individuals were professional agents, possibly from the Home Office or associated with Nigel Finley, who had been tracking them. Alfie returned to Everett's shop in Cecil Court and examined books, finding information describing jinn as protective spirits associated with powerful artifacts, particularly in desert contexts. He learned that "Bagdana" was a special subcategory of jinn, referring to guardians bound to artifacts for eternity to protect them from malign entities. Alfie approached a special locked room he was not permitted to enter and contemplated opening it. He unlocked the door and entered, finding an office with more esoteric books and a large metal strong box in the corner. Though tempted, Alfie ultimately resisted opening the strong box and carefully left the room, ensuring nothing was disturbed. The party presented themselves at Fire Chief Julian Freeland's station to discuss the Langham Hotel incident. Freeland confirmed he needed to speak with them as witnesses and asked if they had spoken to anyone official about the event. The party mentioned speaking with a professor from St. Albans and Nigel Finley, who had accused them of taking a jar. Freeland shared that the official story was a gas explosion, but he found this inconsistent with the evidence. He noted that no debris was found outside the property, no surrounding buildings were damaged, and the destruction appeared completely isolated to the Langham Hotel. Freeland revealed that recovered rubble showed pieces of wood, metal, and stone fused together at strange angles without any signs of charring or melting. The party mentioned exploring the hotel basement before the collapse and encountering peculiar, thick, opaque steam that did not smell like gas. Freeland offered to take them to the hotel site to help jog their memories, and they agreed to meet at nine o'clock the following morning. Reverend Grainger was informed by his landlady, Prudence Moffett, that the police had been looking for him regarding a man in an asylum. He met with a police officer who explained they had a man in custody for his mental health who could not be identified but only spoke Reverend Grainger's name and address. The officer took Reverend Grainger to [[Bethlem Royal Hospital]], where he met psychiatrist Dr. Philip Granger. The doctor explained the patient had been found wandering the streets in Soho, disheveled and injured but wearing nice clothes, suggesting he was middle class rather than homeless. The patient alternated between a catatonic state and a manic state where he spoke very fast, but had never identified himself or explained what happened. The only coherent things he had said were "William Grainger," the Reverend's address, and recently "urgent, urgent." Dr. Grainger mentioned that other patients were tense around him, and one patient had assaulted him the previous day. As they walked through the community room, an inmate called out, "You're going to see John! He doesn't belong here." The Reverend noticed the observation window on the patient's door was cracked, with a point of impact and radiating lines, suggesting something had hit it from the outside. Upon entering the room, the patient sat up, revealing himself to be Teddy Sharpe Lockhart, who recognized Reverend Grainger. Seeing Teddy alive triggered vivid flashbacks for Reverend Grainger of the hotel's destruction, including a starry sky not of this earth, the building evaporating into space, a bandaged creature being stripped to bones, people being attacked by living bandages, and Teddy being torn to pieces. The traumatic memories caused Reverend Grainger significant distress. Teddy spoke frantically and incoherently about reality falling to pieces and needing to fix it. He repeatedly stated they needed to "open the gate so that we can close it" and asked if Reverend Grainger had "the gate." Teddy mentioned "the gate in the jar" and "the cap of the gate," becoming increasingly agitated. Reverend Grainger informed Dr. Grainger that Teddy had been with him at the Langham Hotel event and was presumed dead after its collapse. Dr. Grainger expressed concern that Teddy was not safe at the hospital due to the reactions of other patients. As Reverend Grainger and Dr. Granger left Teddy's room, they observed inmates milling around at the end of the hallway with their heads tilted at strange angles, as if listening to something inaudible. The inmates began chanting "He doesn't belong here" repeatedly. Dr. Grainger attempted to calm them and asked them to return to their rooms, but four inmates at the front twitched and spoke in unison, as if one voice was coming through four mouths. The inmates began lurching down the hallway towards Teddy's room in a threatening manner. The police officer urged everyone to leave immediately, and Reverend Grainger, Dr. Grainger, and the police officer made a desperate escape through an emergency exit at the far end of the corridor. Dr. Grainger fumbled with his keys but managed to unlock the emergency exit, and they successfully escaped, leaving Teddy locked in his room for his own safety as the inmates approached. This was the end of Tuesday, June 7, 1921. The party is expected to meet Freeland at the Langham Hotel on Wednesday morning. The Montague House event is Friday evening.