ic London Calling

[Exaccus]

He was ready for it this time however and threw himself into the blow, robbing it of its cohesion by scattering it across his body before it could find purchase in his flesh.

 

"that all you got ugly?!" he boomed and in a fit of pique spat on the creature, though this small amount of moisture quickly evaporated into steam he hoped that it had presence of mind enough to acknowledge it as an attempt to harm it, if not outright insult it

 

"C'mere! i got a magic trick to show ya" he says, keeping his front to it even as he back pedals towards the lake using his hands to twist the torn pipe into a closed end as tightly as he can in ripping it from the ground completely sloshing the water trapped within at the smouldering creature as he goes.

Edited December 20, 2017 by Exaccus

[Supercape]

GM

 

The flames once again licked at Dreadnoughts feet. It was quite a spectacular show, really. Better than fireworks. It was just that most people had fled and dared not look back. Mr. Murk seemed the only calm one, nodding quietly, but concern on his face. And Armitage of course, lost in a mumbling trance gazing at the fire. 

 

As Dreadnoight scooped it up and twisted the metal, there was a most dreadful hissing noise, like a burning cobra. But the terrible thing from beyond was caught in the pipe like a giant otherworldly flaming demon in a piping hot pipe. Which was exactly what it was. 

 

And the pipe was indeed most hot, and getting hotter by the moment. Enough to singe any hand but Dreadnoughts, and if it progressed, then either it would threaten to burn him, or the pipe would melt...

[Exaccus]

"oh no, Sparky, you're done with now." he says as he twists the pipe closed around it like the wrapper of a boiled sweet even as the pipe began to glow orange beneath his fingertips, singing his flesh ever so lightly but it was more of a dull throb of sensation than pain at the moment, though he felt rather sure that it would not long remain so.

 

Moving with speed but not haste he lifts the twisted leaden mass over his head and with a roar of annoyed exertion hurls it, some tonnage of lead and infernal rage careening through the air like a cricket ball towards the murky depths of the Thames Silt bed with a splash like a cannonball bouncing off the water.

[Supercape]

GM

 

The lead pipe weighed over a tonne. To even lift it was an inhuman feat. To throw it across Kew Gardens was beyond comprehension, even for Norwegian trolls. The sound as it hit the Thames was almost deafening. There would be a lot of wet people on either bank from the explosion of displaced water. 

 

"That...is going to cause problems" said Armitage, looking straight at Dreadnought. "Whilst I must confess I am shocked at your strength, and more than that, interested..." he said, stroking his beard. "The thing is no longer under my control" he explained. "I hope it drowns, for I would not want it to be set loose to plague the city..."

 

He neither approached Dreadnought nor shied from him. 

 

"You are a man of action, after all. Not some passive fool. But I wonder if you point that strength in the wrong direction. For, all said and done, Lord  Rhodes publicly revealed himself for what he is; a coward and a cad. And the wedding will be called off. A few burns. A few scars. But Ms. Longfield is free. Even her odious family would not press her into marriage now..."

[Exaccus]

"aye." he simply states as he walks towards the man "its never a question of not acting sir, merely knowing when and how to act." he states gesturing towards the gardens around him "this is an escalation of what began as simple discussion between yourself and I. each action begot the next in an aimless spiral as the world shook and burned"

 

"I believe the words are "look upon my works, Ye Mighty and despair" one domino toppling the next in a never ending chain." he says simply as he places a heavy hand on Armitages shoulder "As I said, We'd have been friends in another time and place; I am unsure if you will face punishment for what you have done here but I hope if nothing else you're wrath is now tempered by experience to be wielded as a scalpel to cut out the sickness rather than as a sledge hammer to smite the sick."

 

"I look forward to finding out." and with that he gently tapped his finger against the back of armitage's head and sent him crumpling to the floor unconscious.

[Supercape]

GM

 

Mr Ebeneezer Fiddle (Followed, more slowly - for obvious reasons - by Mr. Murk) came running up. The place was essentially empty now. Everyone had run. 

 

Ebeneezer was pale, clammy, and clutching his burnt arm. He groaned a little in pain. 

 

"Darn this! It's morphine for me, my friend" he grunted, looking at the flesh. "Hope I don't get an infection. I'm not doctor but this will give me a scar to remember the evening by, I should imagine. Oh curses, the pain! I shall have to get an ointment from Cressida Poppylocks" he sighed. 

 

He prodded Doctor Armitage with his foot. "And the only doctor he, you knocked out" he said with an ironic groan. "Not that I am complaining, of course. And I certainly didn't see you knock him out. Because that, Sir, might be construed as against the law, even if morally justified!"

 

 

Edited December 20, 2017 by Supercape

[Exaccus]

"I prefer to think of them as...guidelines." he stated simply as he turned to adress mr ebeneezer and mr murk "i apologize sir i fear your pain is my doing by my unwitting slowness to confront his creature." he sighs.

 

"If nothing else, Lord Rhoads has shown his true colours and the lovely ms. Longfield shall remain so until a time of her choosing." he says half contentedly "I do hope i didn't injure too many people in my attempt to contain the blaze, i fear what i have in power i paid for in finesse."

 

Turning once again to regard the now unconscious Doctor Armitage "He had noble intentions you know?" he says softly "wanted to rescue Ms. Longfield from Lord Rhoades, Save the world from those he believed corrupt and selfish, he just let anger overpower love and drive him into darkness and misery." he says with a sad sigh

 

"I have directed her to your services Mr. Fiddler I do hope that if by some means Rhoades or her family attempt to force her into something similar in the future she comes to you for your aid." he says placing his meaty hands again on the shoulders of the undamaged arm of mr fiddle and Mr Murk

 

"Thank you both for your help, in putting things right and for your noble intentions in the face of the forces of darkness, mortal and immortal both."

[Supercape]

GM

 

There was the peeping sound of blown whistles in the background. The fire brigade, maybe. Or the police. Likely both. 

 

"Irrespective of philosophy and morals, which I am sure Mr. Murk can lecture you on if you can stand his droning, these must take second place to the matter at hand. Namely, what to do with this odious reptile" said Mr. Fiddle, wincing as he clutched his arm and poking - perhaps a bit more hard than necessary - Armitage in the ribs. 

 

"He is a dangerous affront to nature, I am sure, but he has broken no laws, or at least ones we can prove. He is wealthy, connected and astute enough to dance through any legal process we might throw at him. At best, we can vex him with the law, but no more than that. And, to be honest, he is not a man easily vexed"

 

"If I had a gun, I would contemplate putting a bullet in his infernal skull, but I confess I would do no more than contemplate it. Yet, we are in a lamentable position. What to do???"

[Exaccus]

"Aye, I fear the battle was won, but the war continues to rage." he said softly "I have perhaps missed an oppertunity in not attempting to wake him from his trance and blowing any would be witnesses from the area." he laments as the sound of whistles and stampeding shoes on cobbles make themselves heard

 

"hmm...i fear i am going to catch the blame for this, perhaps rightly so." he says in a matter of fact tone "I will surrender myself peacefuly i think, and rely once more on your good council if you are so inclined." he says with a soft bow of his head "I shall keep in mind to be quiet until you are present this time."

[Supercape]

GM

 

The brave and noble police force of London, who were in no way, shape or form, corrupt oafs dragged of the street and chosen for their plentiful brawn and paucity of wit, arrived.

 

"Cor blimey! What going on here!" said the first to arrive, a fit whip like man. 

 

The more rotund sarge came not soon after, huffing and puffing. 

 

"Make way, make way. Police! Pol---good God almighty, its the Norwegian troll! I never seen a man so big, no Sir, I have not!" he gasped, eyes popping out of his skull. Same eyes did, however, glance at the prostate form of Armitage. 

 

"What the devil's going on? Blazing bonfires and the like, they say..." he gazed around the smoking trees of Kew. 

 

"Quite the business! What happened to the doctor, here? Gods know we could use one right now!" he finished. 

 

Mr Fiddler grunted, the pain getting to him, his lips and tongue now ossified with the stinging. 

[Exaccus]

"oh thank eaven's ya here officer!" he says in honest relief "Some right stuffs been appening around here tonight! im not sure what happened exactly sir but when the fireworks started th' bonfire whipped itself into a frenzy!" gesturing with his arms as if to imitate the rampaging flame.

 

"I did me best to try an' contain it i did but theres only so much one man can do." he says gesturing to the uprooted watermain and the flipped earth and the various minor wind damage he'd caused where the bonfire had once sat "I couldn't tell ya what hit th' doctor there but lotsa people got lit on fire when the thing exploded."

 

"they be needing medical attentions sir!" he says, letting a little bit of his honest distress at the collateral he'd either directly caused or failed to prevent slip through into his voice.

[Supercape]

GM

 

The Fire brigade were arriving on the scene - although scratching their heads as they did so. It was nay impossible for the pipes and pumps to stretch from their engines to the fires around them. True, they were self limiting - but a loyal Englishman would do all he could to protect the rare and splendid flora of Kew Gardens!

 

"Quite the mess, Gentlemen! Quite the mess!" offered the Captain, taking off his helmet and scratching his thinning scalp. "I dare say the good Doctor Armitage will have a word or two to say when he comes round. Best get him to an infirmary, I should imagine!" he concluded, ordering two privates to bundle him into a police carriage off to the nearest hospital. 

 

"If that is all, Sir, I think we best be on our way...I could do with a little medical attention myself" said the clammy Mr Fiddle, clutching his arm. 

 

"Of course, Sirs...quite understandable. I best be taking your names and details, however, for H'administrative and H'invetigative purposes" said the Sergeant, pulling out a notepad, pencil, and licking - quite redundantly - his finger. 

 

He proceeded to take notes on Mr. Murk and Mr. Fiddle, before turning to Dreadnought...

 

"And you Sir? Name, occupation, date of birth...and where are you residing?"

[Exaccus]

"Aye sir, I'm Joseph walker. i'm from liverpool and i work there as a shipwright, im visiting my acquaintance Mr fiddle and was invited to the park and i were born some 38 years ago, on 12th of march." he explained patiently as he looked around.

 

"iffin that'll be all, i'd best be moving on before folks start accusing me of causing this Ruckass." he says "A troll they call me, If i were i certainly wouldn't stand for such lip."

[Supercape]

GM

 

"Very well sir, I can see no reason to detain you from, ah, pressing matters" said the policeman, putting away his pad and pencil. 

 

"Not that we bloody well could if we wanted to..." chirped up one of his subordinates, to general agreement that even the seargant agreed with but would not, obviously, acknowledge. 

 

Mr. Fiddle made an effort to ignore his pain and grabbed Dreadnought by the arm, which meant he had to reach quite high. "Then good Sirs, I think we should all turn in. Quite the day, quite the night, I dare say we should all do better for a stiff glass of brandy and a roaring fire, hmm?" he said with a wan smile. 

 

This was thought a jolly good idea by all. 

 

However by the time Mr Fiddle, Mr. Murk, and Mr Walker had reached the outskirts of Kew, and tried to get a carriage (at most terrible monetary cost, what with the opportunity arisen for the enterprising coachman), the strain was telling on Mr. Fiddle, whose arms was burnt quite badly. He groaned, sweated, and cursed in a manner most unforthcoming. 

 

"Get me home and get me some Laudanum. By Beelzebub, this stings, I had no idea burns scorched so!" he said, Mr. Murk squeezing his hand in sympathy. They paid the coachman still further bribe for extra speed, and it was not long before....

 

Continued in Codex Immortus: Dreadnought

 

...But do not fret, dear readers, for this story thread will continue once the magnificent Dreadnought concludes his discussions and musings with the immortal Mr. Murk!

[Supercape]

And so, after the conclusion of Codex Immortus we continue our bold adventure set in the cold streets of London, yesteryear...

 

GM

 

It was early morning when the papers arrived, still dark on a cold London morning. 

 

Fiddle had been up, drowsy, the burns vexing him, but he was in no danger. Mr. Murk, of course, could not read, but listened attentively. 

 

"Stop Press!" read Mr. Fiddle, full of drama (for he had a little fancy with amateur dramatics. Always wanted to play Hamlet) "Further strange happenings and mysteries by Nelson's Column? Panic in government. Prime Minister urges calm. Advise avoid central London pending investigation by Police and appointed experts in the field of science". 

 

"Well that says pretty much nothing. Other than something is up, and nobody knows what it is" he sighed, slumping in his chair annoyed. 

 

He tucked into a soft boiled egg and tea. Mr. Murk was having kippers which smelled either very pleasant or very unpleasant depending on your taste for fish. 

 

"Except us merry threesome of course. I think time has caught up with us. Armitage is trying something...."

Edited December 31, 2017 by Supercape

[Exaccus]

"The ball is in his court now, i presume because he called it from the bonfire that creature is not the one he intended to call initially." He postulated "i was expecting something more....infernal than a mindless campfire turned loose, this felt like an exchange, of probed defenses in preparation for the true conflict."

 

"He has seen that i am vulnerable to magic but i have revealed only some of my strength, i have seen that he is helpless whilst focusing on more demanding spells but he has eluded our attempts to incriminate him."

[Supercape]

GM

 

"I agree" said Fiddle, fighting fatigue and his burns. "Yesterday, he was but testing the water with you, both in terms of your philosophy and your strength. Lamentably, he found nothing lacking..."

 

He sighed. "In hindsight, we should have perhaps played his game, and penetrated his defences, so to speak. And yet, I wonder, for he has the most damnable insight into human nature. I doubt anyone could fool him, at least not for long. He plays like the devil at poker, I can tell you. Took my money several nights at the Royal African Club" he sighed. "Sits there with a poker face analysing every muscle on your face and every inflection in your voice. Don't know how the Club stands him, really..."

 

"And now he plays his end game. The vortex of your arrival is still pregnant with power and he is well equipped to exploit it. I think perhaps we should go back to the place of your arrival. Trafalgar Square!"

[Exaccus]

"Aye, as sure a place as any to find him now, though i ask, what do we do once he is subdued to land him in his cell?" he asks "Last time he escaped justice...or are we simply hoping to exhaust the power he can draw from his event before he can put it to terrible use?"

 

"i fear that simply dealing with his minions is a half measure that leaves a whole problem." he didn't know what to do, short of maybe sending word out into the mystic community in general and hoping that someone more suited to containing him might appear.

 

"If needs must i will wrestle with him and his creatures till the ends of time." giving a slight nod of his head as he rose to his full height.

 

"I will not let him have his way."

 

 

[Supercape]

GM

 

And so, later on that morning...at Trafalgar Square...

 

'Twas the usual trudge through the streets of London, at Rush hour (such as it was for the city one hundred and fifty years ago), with the normal crowd surrounding him, blathering about Norway, Liverpool, Trolls and Giants. My, how the gossip spread and speculation consolidated to firm truth!

 

The crowds pestering Dreadnought melted away, however, once they reached Trafalgar Square. The police had blockaded the square. 

 

"I'm very sorry, Sir!" said the captain in charge. "Can't let you in, on accounting of peculiar circumstances. Namely, science, sir. Yes, indeed, science!" said the captain, proudly. 

 

He pointed to a scientist, dressed in tweed, with various strange contraptions of magnets, and copper, and chemical reagants. 

 

"My word, thats Professor Worthington-Smythe!" noted Mr. Fiddle. "One of the finest minds at the Royal Academy! Nervous wreck of a man, too. But a fine mind, nonetheless!"

 

"Indeed it is Sir!" said the police Captain proudly. "Serving King and Country with Science, so he is. So, if you would move along now, this is a matter for Scientists, not Liverpudlian giants, begging your pardon, Sir!" said the Captain giving an apologetic bow to Dreadnought. 

[Exaccus]

"Ahh indeed? I believed i might have been of some help to the good professor, having been here last night in person...i believe you can make out my outline in the street a little bit over....yes there." he says indicating the imprint he'd made in the street.

 

"Mayhaps its what hit my flying machine and sent me crashing into nelson's collumn." he postulates to himself aloud "but I understand, if the professor has it sorted out on his own then i shall delight in reading about it in the papers." he says with a nod of his head and turning to leave with a wink. to his acomplices, asking them to play along wordlessly "what say you gentlemen? im sure london has plenty more delights than those you have already shared with me!"

[Supercape]

GM

 

"Oh without question!" answered Mr. Fiddle whilst Mr. Murk smirked. 

 

"That is, if there is anything left of London to see. It would be a shame if some disaster of science occurred, and twice shameful if the Liverpudlian Giant was not around to avert it on accounting of protocol" he sighed. "I am sure men of science would be most displeased that science was some impeded from its noble and scientific progress on account of undue respect for the scientific nature of science!"
 

"Ah yes, well I see your point!" conceded the captain, and like a blob of mercury his mind and body melted around the issue whilst retaining its metallic bluster. 

 

"Far be it from me to impede SCIENCE! gentleman. I think you ought to see the professor!"

 

And so, in but a moment...

 

"Good lord, you are a giant, Sir! A miracle! What ails you, some form of pituatary giagantism? I am no doctor, but I would be happy to recommend one!" said the professor, peering at the Dreadnought whilst holding a copper tube full of fizzing purple chemicals. 

 

"But no! I must not be distracted! Something is afoot here, I am sure of it!" he said, cross with himself and studying his magnets. 

 

"Damned if I can work out what it is though..." he muttered as the compass dials spun this way and that. The astute would note that they spun ever more violently with passing seconds. 

 

 

[Exaccus]

"aye, crashed that cooky contraption i got shot up in, started off harmless enough though before whipping itself into a frenzy and sending me tumbling to t' earth, though i got to have a little face to face with lord nelson there." he says gesturing to the pillar behind him, still embeded in the street "i shall have to try and hold it in place for some folks who might be able to repair its cracked Collum" he mused.

 

"and to answer your questions sir, i haven't the faintest idea, them doctors who have attempted to take a look found their syringes bending on me skin and their scalpels worn blunt, whatever it is, made my skin tough too." he says eying the compass as it whirls vigorously in whatever kind of maelstrom Armitage was cooking up.

 

"looks like its getting itself going again though, might wanna seek shelter gentlemen!"

[Supercape]

GM

 

And wise were the words, for (to the cacophony of screams and panic) trouble was afoot!

 

Lord Nelson himself, made from stone and iron, turned on his column and gazed down to look at the crowds. His stony gazed fixed longest and hardest on Dreadnought. 

 

"You broke my column!" he said, voice of flat gravel. 

 

"I will have justice!" he added, pulling stony sword from stony sheath. At fourteen feet high, and probably considerably heavier, Lord Nelson was bigger than Dreadnought, and standing at the top of his mighty pillar, had a considerable advantage in spectacle. 

 

At least for now...

[Exaccus]

"Technically, i felt into the pillar, but whatever you say, Armitage." he says nonchalantly  as he thunders on over not intimidated by the stone statue moving and speaking to him "i beat your fire creature, ill beat your stone creature." he adds with an uncaring air as he places his heavy hands on the pillar and uproots it from the ground like a daisy and shunts it upwards towards the statue, attempting to launch it from its perch.

 

"it might as well be made of glass to me!"

[Supercape]

GM

 

Lord Nelson, standing high and proud on his column, gave some elegant swishes and slashes with his stony sword. They had a certain elegance, it was true, a certain keen intelligence controlling the statue, but Dreadnought could not help but notice that the statues movements were grinding, and slow. Slower than Dreadnought. 

 

And, out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of Armitage, standing on the steps to the British library, lost in a trance, his mind focused on his sorcery, and mouthing the words that came out of the statues lips. Of course, in the midst of such spectacle, nobody was paying him the slightest bit of notice...