Dark*Matter #11–Millennium Knights: Chasing the Ordo Octostium

1. Game date: 2016 Sep 10
1. PCs: Markov, Lester, Maverick, Mole
2. London, UK. 2013 May
1. With the data gleaned from the laptops passed onto the Millenium Knights, Supervisor Gordon-Yancy informs the agents that they have several leads. However, with Peter Bergson having escaped, the Ordo - whoever they may be - now knows that they are actively being pursed.
1. The Knights have intercepted a message on an encrypted channel that indicates the Ordo is interested in the works of Roger Bacon, an alchemist that was a contemporary of Michael Scot.
1. Bacon was purported to have discovered the secret of the Philosopher's Stone - an object that according to various legends, either turns lead into gold, or grants immortality.
2. Bacon was also a Franciscan friar - a disturbing connection to Nostradamus' first resting place.
3. Bacon was a young man when Scot left Britain for a post in Paris; a few years later, Bacon followed and took up a position in Paris as well, serving at the University of Paris.
4. Although the University is now split into 3 autonomous schools many of the original buildings remain, with the majority of the "old documents" remaining in the Sorbonne.
2. There is also mentioned in the computers that a Prince Wolfgang of Bavaria had recently acquired a stone tablet in a very private closed auction. It originated in Salon-de-Provence and is believed to be inscribed with the "Etoile d'Hesperia".
1. The prince is currently ninth in the line of succession for the House of Wittelsbach, the traditional rules of Bavaria. They don't have much political importance anymore, but are still a prominent family.
2. The prince resides at the family castle of Schloss Hohenschwangau, Germany. He is known to frequently have social events, and is likely to soon host a party to show off his new-found prize.
3. The identities of the gunmen traveling with Peter Bergson, as well as Bergson himself are found to have visited Barcelona several times over the past few years. In particular, files in the computer highlight the Church of Sant Pau del Camp.
1. Maverick learns that the church is at the site of an old monastery which was built in the eighth century, but scholars believe the site was used well before then. There are hints at a crypt beneath the building that is said to sit on a convergence of ley lines, a nexus of mystical energies.
2. The agents determine that the best lead is to investigate the Church of Sant Pau del Camp in Barcelona.
1. Markov, Lester and Maverick are joined by Agent Molenator - a former Delta force soldier on loan from MI-6.
3. Barcelona, Spain. 2013 May 27.
1. The agents arrive in Barcelona on train, and proceed to surveil the building. This is aided by the locale - it is now surrounded by a struggling neighborhood, leading to few visitors during the day, and sparse streets after sundown. During the evening, they don night-vision goggles and conceal themselves in some boarded up flats.
1. Shortly after 1:00 am, a pair purposefully make their way to a side door of the building. And an hour after that, another trio.
2. The agents proceed to the door, and after a moment of picking open the locks of what turns out to be cellar doors, descend the steep stairs to a pair of oil lamps flickering down below. But even from the top of the stairs, they can just make out the faint sounds - that of mumbling, or quiet conversation. Or yes, it could be chanting.
3. The bottom of the stairs open up to a simple passage, with a heavy, metal-bound door way at the end, and an opening half-way down on the left and the right.
4. On the left, set back from the passage is an old metal gate. Oiling the hinges, they proceed through to a small room acting as a storage closet. On shelves site candles, incense, clean bedding, dried and canned food, bottles of wine, and jars of what appear to be parts of animals. There are also some grey hooded robes, which they don.
5. Opposite the gate, a new wooden door that stands in stark contrast to the rest of the ancient stonework making up these underground passages. Carefully opening it again, the room beyond is likewise small and filled with several cots and a desk, sitting at which, is a figured wearing a gray robe and hunched over.
1. Molenator moves to subdue, when his rifle clinks on the low doorway.
2. Before the startled figure can turn around, Lester pushes in and brings his pistol down onto the back of her head, knocking her quite unconscious.
3. Taking a better look around the door, there are a handful of books on shelves, detailing rituals for meditation and "transcendence"
6. The group then approaches the last door; upon closer inspection, they can see inscriptions on the archway that suggests it was originally a mausoleum of some sort. Cracking open the door, they are able to see a small chamber inside that is dominated by a stone sarcophagus. A robed man is leading the chanting while wielding a brush to paint blood onto the top of the sarcophagus. A few other figures surrounding him are chanting in response.
1. Deciding not to take any chances, they throw three grenades into the room, instantly killing all four men.
2. Entering, they see the lid of the sarcophagus has runes drawn in blood, and an circle etched into the stone floor around the sarcophagus has runes filled with blood. The blood comes from a pair of goats, whose bodies lie crumpled in a corner.
3. Lifting the lid of the sarcophagus, the realize that it is entirely filled with blood. Reaching in, they begin pulling out pieces of a long-decayed body. But soon, they pull out the body of a boy of some 4 or 5 years.
7. Questioning the woman, Markov convinces her to tell her story. Her name is Sophia Trujillo, and her ardent hope is that the ritual going on in the other room will heal her son, who is suffering from a "tumore" of the brain.
1. She studies in the hopes that her devotion to Alejandro Rivera and his miracles will prove their worth. She met him at the Church of Sant Pau del Camp upstairs during her most desperate times of prayer. He promised her that he could help her son in exchange for her loyalty.
2. Maverick is able to confirm that a Spanish woman by her name has been in the news in the recent weeks for absconding with her ill son in search of a cure for a brain tumor. He further learns that Alejandro Rivera is a wealth property developer in Barcelona that had purchased the building and the land to allow the church to continuing its worship services.
3. Further questioning reveals that she has heard of an Esther West - who Alejandro referred to as "the conduit", but has not seen any American girl there. She's also heard that it had something to do with "El convergencia del aquaria".
4. Epilogue:
1. Supervisor Gordon-Yancy request that they bring Sophia Trujillo back to London for questioning.
1. The agents ask for support services for her as well.
2. XP: 3
5. GM:
1. Grenades are deadly in closed quarters.

Dark*Matter #10–Millennium Knights: The West Family

1. Game date: 2016 Sep 10
1. PCs: Markov, Lester, Maverick, Steve Thunderschwartz
2. London, UK. 2013 Mar 30
1. Briefing: Supervisor Gordon-Yancy calls the agents together and informs them that the night before, the Millenium Knights have intercepted a priority dispatch from Switzerland to a Peter Bergson. He promptly made travel arrangements to Cefalu, Italy.
2. She wants to get him under surveillance and determine what he is after; if necessary, to detain and/or neutralize him.
3. The location pricks Maverick's memory - Cefalu is the location of Thelema Abbey, the temple and spiritual center founded by Alestair Crowley… Nowadays, Cefalu is a seaside town with a brisk market for tourism.
4. They take a train to Rome, where a white-paneled van is rented for a short ferry ride to Sicily.
3. Cefalu, Sicily, Italy
1. 2013 Mar 31:
1. Markov, Lester and Maverick are dispatched. They are accompanied by Steve - a security detail with prior Navy SEAL and CIA experience, due to the recent violence in France.
2. Maverick is able to successfully determine that Peter Bergson has rented a suite at the Artemis - one of the most luxurious hotels on the island.
3. Meanwhile, the other three book a hiking tour and make their way to Thelema Abbey. They just find an old decrepit 2 story building without any sign of habitation. Further investigation inside just reveals the collected debris of a near-century of squatters. Structured mostly as an open central area, no hidden rooms or floors are found on thorough searching.
4. Settling down for the night, it turns out to be a quiet evening for the three.
5. Maverick spends the night in the van parked a quarter-mile up the gravel road from the Abbey… and is awakened by a knocking on the window. He manages to successfully convince the police officer that he is no more than a drunk tourist and promises to get a room. He drives back to town, then begins to drive back a half-hour later to rendezvous with the other three.
2. 2013 Apr 01:
1. Deciding to pursue another angle, they return to the Artemis where Markov procures a master key from a hapless maid. Disguised as plumbers, they manage to identify Bergson when he emerges from the suite - along with six other men.
2. Markov and Steve begin tailing the group as they leave to wander the various tourist shops and cafes of downtown Cefalu, when Steve suddenly realizes that the group of men themselves were tailing a couple and their daughter.
1. They were keep their own actions from notice from the family, so were obviously not security from them.
2. They have formed three groups to watch the family as they settled down for a outdoor brunch.
3. Taking the opportunity to further investigate, Lester and Maverick exit the van and use the keys to enter into the Bergson suite.
1. They find maps of routes in the area, as well as two laptops.
2. Maverick begins working his magic on the computers and is able to break into one to install backdoor access into it as well as begin looking into its records.
3. It seems that Bergson's group had a specific interest in a West family that was vacationing in Cefalu; a Chicago businessman Joshua West, his wife Mary West, and their 15 year old daughter Esther West.
4. As  Maverick begins to examine the second computer, a shudder - as from an earthquake - shakes the building.
4. A few blocks away, Markov and Steve manage to be at the epicenter - a tremendous explosion as a car parked further up the street goes up in flames.
1. In the ensuing panic, the agents see Bergson's men grab the young woman and shove her into a Volvo station wagon!
2. They notify Lester and Maverick, the latter who quickly realizes that the departing Vovlo would pass right by them on the way to the Abbey as he had already driven the route several times in the past day. He parks the van crossways in the street to create a roadblock, opening the hood as if the car is having problems.
5. A few moments later, the Volvo rounds the corner and slows as it approaches the van. The driver and Maverick get into a heated discussion, prompting Lester to quickly approach and fire a round into the back passenger seat where Bergson is seated!
1. He wounds the man, but in return, takes a punishing blow to the head, dropping instantly!
6. The gunshots spur the driver on, who veers onto the sidewalk to push itself around the van, with Maverick narrowly jumping out of the way of being crushed between the vehicles!
7. As the Volvo careens off, Markov and Steve continue the chase on a pair of Vespa's the pair acquired during the chaos.
1. Over the next few minutes, the car and scooters in pursuit jockey for position, gunshots occasionally ringing out.
2. At one point, Markov pulls alongside and opens up with a shotgun blast into the driver. The Volvo's passenger manages to grab hold of the steering wheel to prevent a crash, just as the car rolls up to the Abbey.
3. The sounds of fighting draw out another pair of gunmen who had made their way inside the decrepit building.
8. More gunfire is exchanged as Maverick - fresh from pulling the very lucky still-living but concussed Lester into the van - arrives on scene.
1. One of the gunman kills Steve with a lucky shot to the neck, and moves to do the same to Maverick. The young man barely ducks out of the door in time, with a few shots from his .357 out through the van passenger window.
2. The sudden loud echoing retort inside the van rouses Lester from his unconsciousness - where he stumbles to the front of the van and unleashes Johnson and Johnson into the startled gunman's chest.
9. As Markov's AK-47 tears into the remaining gunman, Maverick and Markov meet up into the door to the Abbey. Maverick pushes in on the count of three, with Markov a moment behind on four, where they see a bright light emanating from the middle of the room! Stepping into it, a wounded Bergson drags Esther West with him. Maverick leaps towards it, just as it fades and he finds himself landing on the filthy floor.
4. Epilogue
1. The agents call in an evacuation, and are told to lay low on the other side of the island before Supervisor Gordon-Yancy can plan an extraction.
1. They make a quick detour back to town, where Maverick traces the laptops to a trash dump just outside of town.
2. There is non-stop coverage of the terrorist attack at Cefalu, but attributed to intercine Mafia warfare. There was initial concern about a missing American girl, but that quickly fades amidst the reports of the deaths.
3. Back in London, Maverick pursues a further analysis of the retrieved computers, and gleans an intriguing point. The various searches and analysis revolve around looking for an Esther - who's name in Hebrew means "star", harkening back to at least one of the English translations in the quatrain on the computer:
1. "A star ascends from the house of west…"
4. XP: 2
5. GM
1. This is the first time we got to use the Chase rules, and it went very well! It showed them the importance of vehicle skills in such a situation.

 

 

Dark*Matter #8-London Calling

1. 2016 May 14
   1. PCs: Markov, Lester, Maverick, Angus
2. Date: 2012 Dec 17
   1. While in London, an Inspector Lestrade from Scotland Yard - a friend of the Knights is seeking the Millenium Knights help in investigating a pair of murders that are have suspicious ritual cultic activity. Supervisor Gordon-Yancy asks the agents for help in investigating the two suspicious murders as she notes that they have previous experience with ritual cultic serial murders, and that the Knight's local expert on cult activity was killed the week before during a burglary at his antique store.
   2. The two victims in the past few days have no known connection:
      1. Kendra Myers: DOB 22 Dec 1991
         1. An engineering student at the University of London.
         2. Slain at approximately 9 P.M. on Saturday, December 15 in her flat on Bedford Way in Bloomsbury (a district of London near the University of London).
         3. Body found at 9:40 P.M. by classmate Jeremy Burnham, arriving to study for upcoming engineering tests.
         4. Neighbors interviewed reported hearing no unusual noises or visitors around the time of death.
         5. Probable cause of death: massive bleeding caused by amputation of hands and removal of heart from chest cavity.
         6. Victim also had bruises on biceps, suggesting that she was gripped strongly by a powerful individual standing behind her. However, no defensive wounds or other signs of a struggle were found.
      2. Michael Grosvenor: DOB 22 Dec 1981
         1. A library assistant working in the British Library.
         2. Slain between 9:45 P.M. and 10:30 P.M. on Monday, December 17 in a reading room at the British Library.
         3. Body found at 8:20 A.M. on Tuesday the 18th by another library worker.
         4. Probable cause of death: massive bleeding caused by amputation of hands and removal of heart from chest cavity.
         5. Victim also had bruises on biceps, suggesting that he was gripped strongly by a powerful individual standing behind him. However, no defensive wounds or other signs of a struggle were found.
         6. Partial bloodstained footprint found near body; print resembles that of a great ape, but the species is as yet unidentified.
   3. The agents also request the details of the death of the local cult expert. There likewise is no connection with the two deaths, and the method of death was vastly different.
      1. Paramijt Singh: DOB 16 Jul 1953
         1. Antique dealer who operated a shop in east London.
         2. Time of death: approximately 8:45 P.M. on Friday, December 14 at his shop. Body found at approximately 9:30 A.M. on Monday the 17th by a customer.
         3. Probable cause of death: massive bleeding from multiple slash wounds across the abdomen.
         4. Current hypothesis: The victim interrupted a robbery in progress (as suggested by toppled shelves and ransacked storage). It is yet unknown what (if anything) might have been taken by the assailants.
         5. Analysis of the body found no defensive wounds or other signs of struggle.
         6. Fiber analysis revealed several reddish-brown animal hairs on the premises. Preliminary analysis indicates that they most likely belong to a primate, perhaps a baboon or orangutan.
         7. No signs of forced entry were found, suggesting that either the assailant had a key or was known by the victim.
3. Determined to get the investigation started early, they decide to head to Singh's Antiques in east London. In the midst of the Asian district, there is still a fair amount of activity in the evening time as customers made their way into 2nd hand electronics stores, book shoppes, shoemakers and such. The agents weave through the small crowds gathered around food stalls on the way from the tube exit to Singh's Antique. Sitting in the midst of the many stores, it stands out with the yellow police tape over the door.

1. Markov proves adept at making quick work of the lock as they gain entrance; he notes that the lock is intact with no signs of being forced. Inside, the small store is littered with toppled shelves and scattered items. The only other door leads to a small back room.
2. Picking through the evidence, they notice no bloody tracks, suggesting the killer was careful to avoid the large bloodstain on the floor. They find Singh's locked cashbox tucked under the counter with over 500 pounds inside, as well as several clearly valuable artifacts, such as those made of engraved silver or gold jewelry with inlaid semi-precious stones.
3. Sitting on the floor in the back room is an opened wooden crate that appeared overly large for the two items still carefully packed inside: a bronze vase inscribed with skulls and leaves, and a triangular iron spear tip decorated with a flame motif. Next to the crate is a page that appears to have been torn from a Sotheby's catalog.
4. They agents retire to their hotel rooms for the night.

1. 2012 Dec 18:
   1. Scotland Yard: The next morning, the agents meet with Inspector Lestrade who provides access to the medical examiner as well as accompanies them to the murder sites.
      1. When asked about why the Inspector contacted Gordon-Yancy at the Millenium Knights, he informed them that he has found them knowledgeable and helpful with the "strange ones. We used to have a chap who handled that kind of thing - Richard? Randall? Or something like that, but left the force six, or maybe eight years ago. Odd chap, to be sure."
         1. They ask Emma at Personnel to track down Reginald Falsworth.
      2. A quick inspection of the two bodies did not reveal any new information, and they are notified the bloodwork analysis is still pending.
   2. British Library:

    

   

   1. Accompanied by Inspector Lestrade, they have no trouble accessing the cordoned reading room - a comfortable chamber with several overstuffed chairs and a fireplace. The cozy room is marred by the enormous bloodstain soaked into the large rug in the center of the room.
      1. Markov notes that there is less blood splattered around that might be expected for such a gruesome killing.
      2. Lester points out a partial bloody footprint just inside the door.
      3. They also make note that while the fireplace is empty of tinder or ashes, the hearth bears a scorch mark. Curiously, in the center of the scorch mark is a round, unmarred area about 8 inches across.
   1. Kendra Myer's flat:

    

   

   1. Located near the University of London, the building sits among rows of other student houses. Students bustle to- and fro- to meet with friends, head to class, or participate in some collegiate activity.
   2. The hallway leading to Myer's flat is like the thousands of similar ones throughout the city, with only the bright yellow police tape marking the room as anything but usual. There are no signs of forced entry through the door, and likewise for the single window in the living room. The toilet window only opens a few inches, and there are no signs it has been tampered with.
      1. The sparse, but comfortable space is tidy, and the accoutrements of student life decorate the small room - books on engineering, photos of mum and sisters, class catalogs, etc. For whatever diabolical reason, her murder cut short the life of a promising young woman.
      2. Like the Grosvenor murder scene, there is less blood splattered around than might be expected for such a gruesome killing, again suggestive of a victim that did not struggle much.
      3. They agents notice however, that the edges of the bathroom sink are slightly charred, as if they had been exposed to direct flame. There is also a small soot stain on the ceiling directly above the sink.
   1. Around tea time, they return to Scotland Yard where Markov calls the Sotheby's Auction House in New York upon their opening.
      1. He confirms that Singh had previously purchased several items from southeast Asia - an Indian brass bowl, a Nepalese bronze ritual ewer, a Tibetan iron spear point, and an Indian copper dagger and sheath.
   2. Maverick meanwhile begins his research on the unique methods of death and is rewarded with information that suggests the practice of removing a heart and a hand was linked to a particularly sadistic worship of the Indian god Kali.
      1. Indian Mythology, AL. Trivedi, Ph.D.; © 1988 Panjabi Publishing "Kali is an emanation or aspect of Devi, one of the Asuras, whose name means "black." She was often called "Kali Ma." Meaning the black mother. She has a dark complexion; long, loose hair; a blood-smeared, tusked face; and three eyes. She has four arms: one handling a sword; another holding the severed head of a giant; and with the other two, she encourages worshippers. She is naked except for a belt made of rows of severed hands and a garland around her neck made of human skulls and of snakes. She is usually shown standing over her husband, Siva.
      2. "Her first deed was her battle with Raktavira. Unfortunately, each drop of blood Raktavira shed gave birth to a thousand giants as powerful as himself. She finally overcame him by holding him up, piercing him with her spear and drinking all his blood (which is why she is often shown with her tongue lolling out and dripping with blood.)
      3. "After the fight, Kali danced a victory dance that shook the entire earth. Siva begged her to stop, but Kali did not see him and he was trampled underfoot. From that time on, the gods would bribe or beg her to slay their foes. She gladly did this to satisfy her lust for blood.
      4. "Kali is waited upon by a great number of shapeshifting demons called Rakshasas, who feed upon flesh and are also known as Asra-pas or blood drinkers. Her worship includes orgiastic rites and human sacrifices, during which the victims' hands are severed and eaten while their hearts are cut-out and burned in a consecrated brass bowl. According to Indian calculations, the world will soon enter the fourth age of the cosmos. This age is called Kali Yuga or Kali's Age: the Age of Destruction. Most texts place the start of this age as December 22, 2012."
   3. The medical examiner confirms the two bodies contain elevated levels of copper in the blood, and at the site of the wounds
   4. Emma also is able to get a picture of Reginal Falsworth from the personnel files. He is a young man with black hair, and she tells them that he would be 46 years at that time. But she cautions them that the picture and information is almost 10 years old.
      1. Maverick once again takes to the computers and is able to find a match in the conspiracy theory forums for a man who claimed to be a part of Scotland Yard. He even finds that the handle "SpookyMan" was active even as of just a few hours previous. Further sleuthing reveals the man's IP address' physical location in Hyde Park!
2. Falsworth's flat:
   1. The agents accompanied Inspector Lestrade to Falsworth's flat anticipating a conflict  with a delusional man. They are met there by Angus McGillicuty, and they show Falsworth's picture to the landlady, who tells them his flat number.
   2. Breaking in, they find a surprised Falsworth - older and more disheveled than his decade-old photograph -  who turns out to be more relieved at finding a group open to believing his theories than upset at being confronted.
      1. He informs them that he believes that the murders are the work of a group aiming to summon the demon-god Kali. And further that he has identified the two other people that they will murder for the ritual to be complete - Vivian Brunswick, a nurse at St. Thomas Hospital, born 22.12.71 and James J. Sibley, a member of the House of Lords and Minister of Parliament,  born 22.12.61; both at 12:01 am.
      2. He is convinced that they will be targeted in the next few days, and that the Kali cultists have a Rakshasa servant. He emphasizes several times that they must do whatever it takes to prevent Kali from being summoned.
   3. Markov calls the Yard and threatens Sibley's life in all manner of colourful ways to ensure enhancement of his security. Inspector Lestrade hurriedly speeds off to aid in the security.
   4. A second call to St. Thomas hospital reveals that Brunswick is still working her shift. They ask her to be detained by security until they arrive. It is an hour trip on the tube.
3. Protecting (?) Brunswick:
   1. The agents, accompanied by Falsworth, meet with Brunswick, who becomes understandably concerned about her daughter's welfare alone at home when told about the danger to her. She is anxious to return home, so they decide to follow her discreetly whilst she travels; perhaps the cultists can be lured out!
   2. Forming an invisible protective bubble, they board the District Line to Beacontree. They keep a close eye on her even as the light crowd pushes in onto the train.  A few minutes later, they realize that Brunswick is exiting on Plaistow; the agents quickly debark with Angus staying on to ensure there wasn't any trickery going on. Markov quickly catches up and attempts to nonchalantly walk parallel to the widow, with Lester, then Markov and Falsworth following.
   3. Brunswick exits onto the surface streets where the crowds slowly disperses. After walking the streets a few minutes, she abruptly turns down into an alley. Markov quickly backtracks and enters the alley to see that 20 yards in front of her, a pair of men are slowly walking away. He rushes forward, attracting their attention - a young Asian man, and a large British man. As he pushes past Brunswick towards them, the Asian man simply tells Markov to "leave them". The Russian agent stops in his tracks - the command tugging at his brain; but pushing through the sudden urge to leave, Markov simply turns away… draws his pistol, completes his turn, and puts a bullets square in the Asian man's forehead.
   4. The distinctive crack of the firearm discharge spurs the other three toward the alley entrance where they see the other man striking Markov in the throat with powerful hands, dropping him. Not trusting to shoot past Brunswick, Lester runs up to her with his pistols appearing in his hands; a pair of shorts sees only one finding its home in the man's shoulder. Maverick meanwhile tackles Brunswick to the ground as Falsworth fires his .38 into the Brit as well.
   5. Unbothered by the two wounds, the man rushes forward and swings at Maverick, gouging thin streaks of blood onto his upraised arms. More shots ring out into the man's back, which seem only to enrage it further, who's furious swings at Maverick come close to tearing his throat out.
   6. Falsworth suddenly calls out for Maverick to "sacrifice the woman!" as he aims his revolver at the woman cowering behind Maverick; Maverick hesitates, but unleashes his next bullet again at the Brit. Is the blood loss getting to him? It almost appears as if the man's elongated fingers and thickly-haired arm are claws!
   7. In desperation, Lester charges in and fire Johnson and Johnson directly into the back of the man's head, finally causing him to drop. Kicking at the body, Falsworth is satisfied the threat is gone before taking the gun off Brunswick.
4. Epilogue:
   1. Quickly arousing Markov, the agents retrieve the dagger and bowl from the Asian man. They find no CCTVs in the dark alley and quickly leave the scene with Brunswick before the growing sirens arrive. A glance back at the Brit doesn't show any strangeness to his appearance; it must have been the light and the adrenaline playing with their senses…
   2. The agents contact Lestrade, who doesn't want to know any details. He is comforted by the fact that the woman is safe, and that there is no video evidence of the "Asian gang violence".
   3. XP: 3
5. GM:
   1. London Calling was originally a module released for the Alternity Dark*Matter game

by Andy Collins. It was originally published in Dungeon Magazine #83 (November/December 2000). It is available online at London Calling.

Dark*Matter #7–Millennium Knights

1. Game Date: 2016 March 05
2. PCs: Markov, Lester, Maverick, Bill
3. 2012 Oct 24, Wednesday
   1. Given a week off for leisure time in Europe after slipping out of Belgium, the group was enjoying a quiet vacation when Field Director Jones reaches out to them. In the continued forensics of the computers from the Noble Village Day Care Center for Challenged Children, the Institute recovered a cryptic file in a hidden folder entitled "Temple of Ashes".
      1. "Look into Michael Scot. The necromancer might have had what we need."
         1. Forensics revealed that the note was authored by an Mason Albright in England.
   2. Director Jones directs them to London where they are to meet with a daughter organization of the Hoffman Institute in Europe known as the Millennium Knights.
      1. They are met at a safehouse by Millennium Knight Supervisor Roberta Gordon-Yancy who provides them background on Albright. He is one of the noble families that maintained rank and some measure of wealth through the 18th and 19th centuries. As befits his heritage, he is a member of the House of Lords.
      2. She informs the agents that Lord Albright hosts regular parties, and that she has secured invitations for the group.
4. Party-time
   1. Socializing
      1. The agents decide to go in as individuals and dress up for the black-tie affair. In the course of the party, the agents discreetly investigate Albright while mostly avoiding the security stationed throughout the estate.
         1. Lester deflects suspicion by entertaining several of the elites with his new-found knowledge of cigars and potential business dealings of their imports and exports.
         2. Maverick's charms with a young woman allowed him to slip into several of the private hallways… only to leave her heartbroken when he snuck away into Albright's private chambers.
         3. Markov's lack of charm caused the only main commotion - but successfully used it as a distraction for Bill to scrumptiously joining Maverick in the office.
   2. Private Chambers:
      1. The pair make quick work breaking into a hidden safe which contained a handwritten journal and a vellum case.
         1. In the case, an old parchment written by a John Dee to Queen Elizabeth describing an old French quatrain he calls "ye Etoile d’Hesperia Quatrain”. He writes of it: “Ye Starre of the Occidente must needs be watched for as a heralde of the beginning of thinges either grande or terryble"
            1. Dee was a masterful scholar, but reportedly straddled the line between science and the supernatural.
         2. A Journal
            1. The vellum case was purportedly given to Queen Elizabeth I by Doctor John Dee just after the turn of the 17th century, and just prior to her death.
            2. Notes that Michael Scot wrote the quatrain and was a renowned thirteenth-century scholar and mathematician. Rumors held him to be a wizard of some power… and that he was buried at Melrose Abbey.
   3. Obtaining evidence of the preternatural, the agents depart without suspicion.
5. Melrose Abbey
   1. The agents board a train to Melrose, Scotland during which their investigations turn up that the Abbey was founded in 1136; many of the original buildings are now in ruins, but a structure dating to 1590 is still intact and now used as a public museum; the main attraction is the burial site of the cremated heart of Robert the Bruce.
      1. Setting up surveillance, the agents note that late in the night after the closure of the museum, a trio of figures made their way to, and apparently, under one of the outlying ruined walls.
   2. Investigation
      1. While Bill and Maverick provid overwatch, Markov and Lester investigate undetected, and find that one of the flagstones has been moved aside, revealing steps into the group. Moving inside, they note that the trio are armed with pistols and are systematically searching the bodies in the crypts; after a time, one of them calls the other two over to a body where he apparently has found an object of interest. Deciding to not take any chances, Markov and Lester quickly dispatch the three men.
         1. They did not carry any identifying papers, but one bears a letter with a map of the Abbey.
            1. "Mr. Mitchell, I have need of your services again. Look into the crypts under Melrose Abbey and see if Scot had in his possession anything that might confirm Dee’s claims. I will pay your usual fee. -M. Albright"
         2. The object they found was a piece of folded parchment. The agents bring it back to Supervisor Gordon-Yancy in London, where they were able to examine it carefully. Although smudged and scribed in old French, it was still readable:
            1. Une étoile monte du maison d’Hesperia mille fois et encore de la croix la lumière de roulement et signe avant-coureur des ténèbres un nouvel âge est inauguré sur son aile
         3. Translated into English, it reads: A star ascends from the house of the west one thousand times and again from the cross bearing light and harbinger of darkness a new age is ushered in on her wings
6. Epilogue
   1. The significance of this Quatrain to the Temple of Ashes and the connection to Albright are unknown.
   2. XP 3

Dark*Matter #6–The Last Equation

1. Game Date: 2016 March 5
2. Markov, Lester, Bill, Maverick
3. Investigating the leads
   1. Maverick recognizes the name Fascius Claudan and is able to plunge into the various internet theories about him and his most famous work - the Libri Plures Admiratio, or the Book of Many Wonders.
      1. Claudan was a Brussels-born sage who lived from 1535 to ~1561.
      2. First 6 books were published on astronomy and mathematics and responsible for many minor breakthroughs in science and technology. Some of his pulley systems, cog works and early machinery for pumping water as well as various knots are still in use throughout Europe.
      3. In the later years of his life, he was said to travel to Asia and Africa to learn from their sciences. Upon his return, he was said to be withdrawn and strange. His defaulted on his debts, and wrote a series of articles he called "Wonders" on astronomy, Asian and African-influenced science and alchemy.
      4. These were collected into his last book called the Libri Plures Admiratio. It contained a code which was thought to be an equation - this was regarded in small circles to be an epiphany or complete gibberish. Mathematicians and cryptographers throughout the ages have spent hours plugging away to solve the glyphs, with little to no success. This equation was called the Laqueus, a math puzzle he claimed to have learned from an Arab in Istanbul (Constantinople) in 1560. The book claimed that the Arab was 600 years old and had seen the "grand library of Nakotic," wherein lie the secrets of the ancient architects of the world.
      5. Caludan was incarcerated in an alms-house in the summer of 1561 and assumed to have died that summer from an outbreak of cholera which swept through Brussles and killed thousands.
      6. Only 6 known copies of the Libri survived to the modern age, and all but one were lost during WW2. What is believed to be the original copy resides in Brussels.
   2. In examining the photocopied book Bill had found in Wei's room, they learn that it was a photocopy of a copy in the university's library. It was published by an "Educationals Studies Book" and translated by Maurice Ester.
      1. The company ceased operations in 1944. The location of the company in the lower East side of Manhattan is now a Shack Burger, having previously been a Dunkin Donuts, a tire repair store and an art gallery.
         1. Ester died from progressive Alzheimer's disease in 1986.
         2. Lester, Markov and Bill begin cautious examination of the text.
         3. In the last pages, Lester and Bill realized that some of Wei's mathematical scrawls in the margins are interpretable.
            1. Lester makes out 2012 October 11 1458 followed by his own date of birth and then his own social security number and "hello!"
            2. Bill reads out 2012 October 11 1458 followed by his date of birth and 42.634 and -70.156
            3. The date and time correlate to this exact moment they are reading the book.
            4. Recognizing this, Lester realizes that everything in his life is predetermined by this equation; nothing that he does is going to change it, and starts to become particularly fatalistic.
   3. Determining that the others who had seen the equation may be in danger, Maverick hacks into the googlelists' moderator's email - one Dr. Julio Kimbrel, a professor of math at Alfred University in upstate New York. He sees that the email is unread in his account and recalls the email from the list and deletes all evidence of it from his computer.
      1. Maverick then begins to hack into the email accounts of the various list members. They include:
         1. Kelly Casselman, 29, a math teacher in a high school in Brinkman, Montana.
         2. Ben Philbeck, 44, a computer scientist at Lawrence Livermore labs, California.
         3. Kelly Pletcher, 21, a physics student at the University of Columbia, Missouri.
         4. Julius Sward, 31, a house-husband in Modesto, California.
         5. Tia Markell, 29, a math dabbler from New York City.
         6. Emile Tumlinson, 51, a chemist for Tyson Foods from Miami, Florida.
         7. Jamie Izzi, 19, a biochemistry student from Paris, France.
         8. Noreen Kuder, 22, a math student from Manila, Philippines.
         9. Dr. Eve Mehaffey, 39, a physicist from Brighton, England.
         10. Lawrence Badek, 42, a math and chess enthusiast from Wiesbaden, Germany.
   4. They spend the afternoon in a rented hotel as Markov and Lester continue their attempts at deciphering the Libri and Maverick works to hack the emails.
      1. Tia Markell's email is first as she is closest in NYC. The account proves easy to break into and Maverick removes the email from her Inbox.
      2. Maverick is able to confirm that Kelly Casselman had indeed read the email the day prior, but Philbeck's email sat in a spam folder unseen. Tired from the all-night drive as well, he is not able to stay up yet another full night.
4. 2012 Oct 12, Friday
   1. The next morning, Markov, Lester, and Bill opt to physically investigate Tia Markell as well. After confirming she is still at work at as a accounting aid at Morgan Stanley, they break into her apartment and confirm there was no sign of disordered thinking.
   2. Shortly afterwards, a call from State Trooper Blanet, who informs them that he had gotten a lead on the origins of the murder weapon. It was a Remington Model 870 shotgun serial number 2022998 that was registered to the New York Police Department and supposedly still at the 24th Precinct in NYC.
      1. The agents meet with Sergeant Marquez at the desk who escorts them to the basement weapons storage lockers. The locate the wooden storage box still nailed shut in the locker. Upon opening it, four of the 870s sit undisturbed, but an empty cutout in the foam shows where a fifth is missing.
      2. Markov stays with the box as Lester and Bill accompany Sergeant Marquez up to get a forensics team for fingerprints and find out who was responsible for checking the weapons in and out.
      3. The computer records show that Sergeant Marvin Herrera had checked out dozens of weapons on the morning of 2012 Oct 10 as part of the quarter weapons maintenance program. They were moved to the precinct parking lot for the gunsmith to work on for the day and just brought back down at the end of the day.
      4. Herrera is brought downstairs and questioned about the missing gun, but swears he knowns nothing about it. He is a 19-year veteran of the NYPD with a sterling record and informs them that it was a simple "pipe" replacement of the shotguns under the care of Jose Lopez of Long Island Firearms. He claims he never left the guns unattended.
         1. Upon further questioning, he remembers that he did walk away from the guns "for a minute or two" when an accident occurred at the other end of the parking lot as an exiting squad car hit a dog.
      5. They pull up video surveillance of the lot on that day and "around 9 or 9:30". As they watch, Herrera and Lopez are in the foreground with several wooden boxes of weapons. Bill makes out in the background of the video, Michael Wei standing just across the street from the parking lot. For about 20 minutes, he just stands there with a duffel bag regularly looking at his watch. Suddenly, he begins to walk to the west parking lot entrance. Some fifteen seconds later, a patrol car pulling out of the east entrance jerks to a stop as a terrier runs out in front of it chased by an older woman. The struck dog and frantic woman draws a crowd as well as the attention of Herrera and the gunsmith, who get up and walk to the other entrance. Just as they leave, Wei arrives at the boxes, uncovers the them and pries them open with a hammer he removes from under his jacket. He takes one of the shotguns and places it into the duffel bag, then hammers the box shut again before covering them and walking back away. The time stamp shows 09:21. A minute later, Herrera and Lopez return to their work.
      6. The Sergeants are obviously disturbed by what they saw and asking "how could that psychopath know we'd be gone for a minute?!?"
   3. Maverick continues to work on the email accounts of the mathgeeks as the agents investigate the driver of the squad car (Officer Jonathan Levy cleared), the owner of the dog (a pensioner Alice Richardson - cleared), and Jose Lopez.
      1. They drive to his home on Long Island and break in when they convince his wife that he had been in a bad car accident and they needed her at the hospital.
      2. The only math book of note they find is a picture counting book "for ages 2-4", likely belonging to one of the 11 grandchildren pictured in the various family photos.
      3. Maverick meanwhile finds that Kelly Pletcher had accessed the email the previous evening. Julius Sward's inbox was full of unread urgent messages "CALL ME NOW!", "what's going on?!??!!", "OMG are you ok???" from this morning. The googlelist email was read in the morning shortly after it was sent on 2012 Oct 10.
         1. Further research revealed on news sites revealed a house fire in Modesto, California that is suspected to have "claimed the lives of the Sward family - investigators on the scene now".
   4. With two suspicious events now connected with the Laqueous, Maverick calls Field Director Jones about the list of potential exposures and requests resources for help in containing the equation. They are requested to track down Casselman while the Hoffman Institute were sending other assets from St. Louis to investigate Pletcher and from California to Modesto. He states that he would be contacting sister organizations in Europe and Asia to look into the non-US names on the googlelist.
5. 2012 Oct 13, Saturday
   1. The four catch the first plane to Montana from NYC in the morning (with Maverick buying a nice hat prior to boarding).
   2. Upon arriving in Brinkman mid-afternoon, they surveil the unassuming single-story ranch house in a quiet neighborhood. No car in the driveway, and no lights on in the house. Various neighbors go about their Saturday business.
      1. Markov and Lester sneak up to the house and notice the front door slightly ajar. The stealthily move in and see the living room covered in a bizarre mixture of ripped and arranged pictures - mostly of teenagers.
      2. Moving further into the house, they find the young woman seated at her desk working on a computer spreadsheet; a Mossberg shotgun laying across her lap. As they approach, she smiles at them and asks quietly, "What is the answer?"
      3. Quickly replying "9920.29…" before trailing off, Casselman suddenly raises the shotgun. But Lester was anticipating the move and fires a pair of shots from Johnson & Johnson - hitting the gun and causing it to fall. A scuffle ensues with Casselman's Tai-bo put to good effect against the surprised Markov before they successfully restrain her.
      4. On her spreadsheet, a variety of math calculations has resulted in a series of seven 9-digit numbers. They delete all files on the computer (after Markov makes a backup copy). Then a quick call to Field Director Jones has them calling the police to detain the woman while being recommended to track down and destroy the copy of the Libri in Brussels.
   3. They depart on a red-eye to Chicago to head to Brussels.
6. 2012 Oct 14, Sunday
   1. The long flight gives time for Maverick to catch up on his rest while Lester and Markov study the Book of Many Wonders.
   2. Arriving in Brussels that evening, they secure a hotel room near the L'Universite libre de Bruxelles, where the Libri is located.
   3. While checked in the room, the news began running a breaking news story about an "unfolding situation" of a middle-aged man threatening suicide at the top of the Marktkirche Cathedral in Wiesbaden, Germany. Later that evening, the man had unfurled what appeared to be a bed sheet with numbers written on it in shoe polish. They recognize the same numeric sequence as at the Ridgway house. Sure enough, the man was later identified as Lawrence Badek, a previous math teacher. Even later, the Spezialeinsatzkommando stormed the rooftop to try to secure Badek, but it ended when Badek fell to his death along with one of the SDK SWAT commandos on live TV.
   4. Markov and Lester continue studying the photocopied English translation while Maverick finally manages to break into the email account of Emile Tumlinson. Scattered among a multitude of unread emails, are the occasional ones which had been read. Fortunately, the mathgeeks one is buried on the 12th page, unopened. It is quickly deleted from the email.
      1. Having spent close to the entire day trying to puzzle out the Laqueous, Lester manages to convince himself further that no only were his actions predetermined and non-malleable, so were those of everyone and everything in the world! To deal with these depressing thoughts, he wanders into the night of Brussels where he acquires - and immediately begins using - cigars; they calm his mind to rest from the constant thoughts intruding into it.
   5. Bill is able to get into contact with an acquaintance, Franc Petri; Franc had spent some time with Bill at the Hoffman Institute in New York. He was able to provide the agents with some pistols as they were unable to bring their guns into Belgium.
7. 2012 Oct 15, Monday
   1. Maverick works through the night and day to break into the remaining email accounts while the other three go to the Brussels University Library.
   2. The three find it quite easy to draw the attention of the librarian away from the small closed room where the special collections are stored and for Lester easily secreted the book away in his waistband. After a quick debate as to the merits of keeping the book, Lester regretfully sets it alight with a cigar.
8. Epilogue:
   1. The NYPD informs the agents that the fingerprints on the weapons box indeed matched that of Michael Wei
   2. Kelly Casselman was arrested and placed into a psychiatric ward. The numbers on her spreadsheet corresponded to the Social Security Numbers of 7 of her students.
   3. The Hoffman Institute also informs the agents that the body of the FBI mathematics crypto-analyst, Special Agent Sarah Comox was found Oct 15th at the Shaver and Sons - a small stock trading firm on the lower east side of Manhattan. Firefighters responding to the fire in the building (located at 229 9th Ave East) found her body on the ground where it appeared to have fallen nine stories from the room. It required several hours to id the body. Surveillance photo showed she accessed the safe and destroyed 2.3 million US dollars worth of bearer bonds by setting a small fire. Interestingly, the phone number of Shaver and Sons is 212-333-0229.
   4. XP 2