The Unappreciated Man Session 2

Descending to the grimier side of Lambeth gnome mage Eric Smith visited the home of wolfman consulting detective J. Wolfington III, with his reluctant informant Jeffrey Williams. After a short interrogation in a previously occupied closet, Smith and Wolfington allow the cowed clerk to lead them to someone who will answer all their questions.

The clerk lead the investigators to 14 Ratslop Avenue, in St. Giles the worst slum of London. Wolfington left Williams behind, but taking his briefcase full of evidence before following Eric into the decrepit building.

Inside the building was dark, the first floor covered in the debris of the caved-in second floor. Wolfington called out, but there was no response. Shortly after entering, Wolfington heard the front door lock behind them. Both investigators turned to try to get out, as a large dark form lunged through the air on large black wings. Wolfington dodged out of the way, as the creature’s claws slashed into Eric’s skin.

In the air and on the ground the investigator’s attacks were deflected by the gargoyles thick stone skin. Fireballs streamed through the air as cunning swordplay chipped open the horrible Masonic monstrosity. The gargoyle was dispatched with a final thrust of Wolfington’s saber.

Ignoring their grievous wounds, the Gnome and the Wolfman managed to search the house for clues, finding three rooms. One was moldy and unused, another was a cheaply finished study, and the last a shoddy simple bedroom. In the study, Wolfington found a more detailed foldout version of the drainage map Gray found earlier, and a ledger. The ledger started out as a record of sewer digs and daily records of progress, then halfway through, the book’s the content changed. It appeared to be an attempted translation of a lengthy passage in an unknown language. The map had extensive notes and labels on the different parts of the pentacle.

In the bedroom, under the mattress, Smith found a common Thaumatergical primer, used by the guild for beginner students. The name on the front cover is John Mandrake.

The two returned to the door. Wolfington yelled out to Jeffrey, but the only response is a bullet hole near his head. Frantic, Smith and Wolfington began slicing into the door. The Gnome looked through fresh bullet hole in the door, seeing the porter from the Metropolitan board of works aiming a pistol at them. The door cracked open, Smith and Wolfington burst out, as the porter’s bullets narrowly missed them. The porter tooks aim at the gnome, as Smith threw his cursed knife. The knife missed, the bullet did not. Wolfington sliced into the porter’s leg, seriously wounding him. The porter ranted through the pain about an important work they cannot stop, that John Mandrake will clean the city by raising the spirits of the sewers.

Smith and Wolfington took the porter to a nearby hospital.