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Dime Novels and Penny Dreadfuls of events both prominent and fearful.

Lucky Moon - Chapter 1 - Part 1.

February 8th 1868 - The Hwangholhan Kiseu House, Limehouse, London
On a bitterly cold afternoon of early February, Chuang Moon found herself at a den of ill repute, as was her life of recent years she had travelled a very long distance on the instruction of her elders.

Her task to locate a man and question his knowledge of the evening of New Years, she found said man a characteristically red haired celt who she (after some difficulty owing to the fact she spoke no Western languages) learned was called Connor Hempstock.
Said celt had awoken from an opium bender, finally she managed to decypher his gibberish via the dens madam, but not before the arrive of an Aide from the Jade Courts, a spirit monkey, of note or perhaps concern was that this Connor could see the usually unseen spirit guides.

Much confusion ensued as he proceeded to talk to Moon, the monkey and the madam (all at the same time) at which point the madam admonished her young assistants for clearly giving their patrons 'the good stuff' and with that she asked Moon to escort the Irsihman from her premises.

Trio stepped out in the dark squalid streets of Limehouse, filthy waters slicked the pavements and dirt track roads, the buildings made of soot black brick, a miasma of smog lingering over the daytime streets.
Moon hiked up her ckoak and leggings to spare them from the dirt, whilst she was doing this Connor looked about the Chimeric world that overlaid the physical, noting that the dream world was darker still, large spiders webs stretched from the pavement to the arms of the street lights and shadowy forms scuttled in the eaves and crevasses.

Connor noted that whilst the Monkey didn't appear to see the Chimeric it did unconciously avoid objects such as wher ethe spiders web touched the ground.

The pair of them set off at a pace heading for somewhere to eat, Connor stopping to purchase a pie and successfully irritating the pie shop owner by talking to the monkey (which the owner couldn't see), he also perturbed the owner by oddly knowing his name.

As snow started to fall they hastily made their way to the boundary of Limehouse where Moon had previously located a Tea Shop, enroute Connor was stopped by a messenger, who by sheer lucky chance had been on the same street, pleased that he could deliver his letter the man bid Connor good day, opening the brown paper envelope he discovered an invitation to the following evenings Mummy Unwrapping at the Egyptian Hall on Picadilly.

The tempurature dropping quickly they hurired to the tea shop, its owner Carol again most surprised that Connor also knew her name, tea was ordered and it Moon's turn to be surprised as Connor now appeared to be able to speak Josun although this made things decidely easier.

As was both customary and polite Moon completed a Tea Ceremony where Connor notes small motes of power dancing about the ceremony.

Language difficulties seemingly overcome Moon resumed her questioning as to what he could remember from the day and ngiht of January 1st whilst he was in Dublin, however despite his head now being cleared from opiates he was no better able to remember anything, other than it had been a good night.

Frustrated Connor walked Moon back to her lodgings where they agreed to resume their conversation the following evening at the unwrapping.

Messers Potter and Balls - Chapter 1- Part 2.

February 9th 1868 - Harts Corner Curio Shop, The corner off Munden Street and Charlotte Mews, Hammersmith, London.
The following day Moon had matters to attend to so Connor dressed in a top hat and tails, set off for an exploratory stroll which by chance after several hours brought him to the boundary of Kensington and Hammeersmith, crossing the newly laid Hammersmith & Chiswick railway tracks he happened upon an antiques shop called Harts Corner.

The shop windows although tall revealed little of the inside hoarding having been installed to display a selection of antiques and old tomes.
Stepping inside Connor was immediately greeted by a vibrant chimeric place, in addition to the benches, shelves and display cases he noted half a dozen bookish elf like creatures occupying the tall ceilings eaves, brass spheres of the globe rotated and slowly flew around the ceiling, orbiting the chandelier.

The dark wood fixtures gave way to a spiral staircase to the rear and right of the shop, the left side of the rear wall housing a door which presumably led to the backrooms.

Connor Hempstock greeted the tall rangey man tidying the antiques, although the mans name didn't come to him, introductions followed revealing the man to be called Hart.

A slightly confusing exchange then ensued with Connor's objective for visiting the store being to purchase a gift for one Ignacious Graci, the host of tonights unwrapping the mans resemblance coincidentally featured on a poster for the Egyptian Hall upon the shops wall.
Spotting an ornate Hookah a haggle ensued however the 30 guinea price tag proved too rich for the Irishman, his attempt to test the hookah (his suggestion of an early afternoon pataking of some opium elicited a raised eyebrow) and his quick switch to some shag thwarted again by the price.

During proceedings a short portly man in a working class brown woolen suit exited out of the back of shop, the man having a rather blank expression and walking sideways as if negotiating an imaginary wall, connor looks somewhat dubious as to the mans behavour however Hart seems oblivious and asks whether the Irishman may have already indulged in some narcotics.
The short man is then joined by a taller serious looking man similarly in a working class suit playing an accordian, nothing further is said with Hart and Hempstock just looking at each each, the latter noticing that the book elves whilst trying to appear to be minding their own business have all moved up the eave to easedrop.

Connor revisited the collectables which to Hart's slight annoyance led to him picking an ornate compass rose from the HMS Gallant, decommisioned in the late 18th Century, the notable thing being that the compass was a potent fetish containing a sleeping star spirit, the vexation being that this was a back of shop item that had found its way to the front.

Next he picks out the spike from an elks horn, Hart once again regales him with its history a great elk finally brought down in the grounds of Balmoral some years past, Connor notes that the horn is a enchanted store of qunintessential power, something that Hart had previously missed only noting its age and history however he realises that their is something slightly more than normal around the Irishman.

Finally they settle upon an ornate Peacock head pipe for the price of a pound and agree to reconvene that evenign at the Egyptian Hall, as coincidentally Hart a frequent visitor also has tickets, although he is quick to point out that Connor's invitation is not from Graci but from a Lord Ducaine a noted explorer and publicist of the Hall.

Connor enquires as to where the two men have got to and whether they should be out by themselves, and no sooner than he’s mentioned them than they appear once again, as if he summoned them, provoking further raised eyebrows.

Proceedings are brought to an end as Harts assistant Fairfax Carstairs arrives back from the bank and Hempstock departs.

Ladies and Gentlemen - Chapter 1- Part 3.

The Evening of February 9th 1868 - The Egyptian Hall, The corner off Half Moon Street, Picadilly, London.
As luck would have it messers Hart and Hempstock's hansons arrived at the same time outside the Egyptian Hall, joining the sizeable queue Hempstock quipped much to Hart's amusment, the latter finding that he couldn't help liking the roguish Irishman.

Hempstock of course saw the chimeric world overlaid upon the mundance, the hall was built to resemble an ancient domed temple (albiet from sand coloured wood and brick), he took in the illustrated placards framing the huge doorway showing vistas of ancient Egypt.
On each side of the door stood a five yard tall jackal headed statue, paint worn and cracked, both statues heads turning to regard Hempstock who in turn dofted his hat, the crowd completely obvious to the statues movement thought him paying his respects to the show and did the same.

Arriving at the doors they noted that the throng were entering via two queues, reaching the front Hempstock of course knew the ticket teller by name, it transpired that Hempstocks ticket gave him a balacony seat whereabouts Harts was in the stalls, however the irishman had quickly persuaded the usher that Hart should accompany him at Lord Ducanes bequest, as they reached the balcony a further chair had been hastily found and they took a seat for the show.

The stage was adorned like a scene from an ancient Egyptian tomb, the mummy stood upright on a raised tressle sat within a wooden dias, they both saw that the theatre had seen better days with its chipped paint and slightly tattered curtains.

The Master of Ceremonies Ignacio Gerrant entered the stage amongst spooky background music and the priest officiating over a mystical ceremony preparing the area for the unveilling, with great aplomb and drama Ignacio set the scene of the mysteries of the grave, the precautions having been taken not to anger the spirits and protect the audience.

The audience ooo'd and aaah'd, the audience on tenderhooks Hempstock looked about, he had been chastised by many of the middle class patrons sat on the balcony for his narrating the show, in the chimeric he noted a figure sat along the balcony who had a fey form, a figure who seemed to be drawing power from the show.
The tension built Ignacio swept aside and the unwrapping dramatically commenced, each layer carefully cut and peeled away, upon reaching the corpse within the priest paused looking uncertain and stepping aside he revealed not a mummied body but a golden statue.
Ignacio swept back onto the stage seizing the audiences attention as they began to murmur, he told them they had witnessed history that never before had a great Ubashti statue been unearthed and mollified them with free tickets to the next show.

The show concluded Hart and Hempstock were approached by another usher who was again perplexed by the irishman knowing his name, shaking the confusion he informed them that Lord Decane would like to see them in the upper ofiices, which they found out was suspended in the shadows of the theatres roof and accessible by a gantry running across the ceiling.

Arriving and helping themselves to brandy the pair quickly encounted Lord Ducane and introductions made, his interest in Harts expertise immediately apparent, the meeting was short, his Lordship in a hurry he asked if Hart would travel to his estate in the Home Counties and checked further artefacts to prevent any further expected surprises and that Hempstock could assist him in identifying the perpetrators of vandalism upon his Dublin warehouses.

Both agreed to assist with Hart cautioning Decane to secure the statue securely and quickly, Hempsock on the other hand was more interested in inviting the fey up join them, having identified that it was a woman, Decane was dismissive and aquiesced she could come up once their business was concluded and he had departed.
Their travel arrangements sorted for the following day the Lord excused himself.

The evening drew to a close with Hart chatting with Igancio and Hempstock meeting the fey, a persian lady called Ashira and agreeing to have tea at 11 the next morning shortly before they departed for Decanes estate.