Session 1 - The Locked Room Mystery Pt. 1

Recap The protagonists were summoned to the Visitor Room of the Diogenes Club to solve a seemingly unsolvable crime, where it was established that Evangeline Croft has no respect for authority, but was nevertheless given information regarding a murder in Kensington that defied the ability of the Metropolitan Police ("Scotland Yard") to make much progress. Admittedly, the murder was very recent, and there was some possibility that the police might have gotten some sort of break, but the peculiarities of the murder scene itself confounded them to the extent that they apparently felt the need to request assistance.

The initial scene:

• Officer Adams is on the scene, apparently a secret liaison to the Club
• Victim is Hubert Heathering, a man in his 40s
• Body had ribcage open and heart removed
• Body had incision in back where liver was removed
• Most of the blood was removed from the body but almost none was found on the scene
• The door had been locked from the inside
• Runes in a magic circle had been drawn in blood around the body

Some initial observation:

• Dr. Dallinger observed that the ribcage was not split by precision tools, but perhaps a knife and main strength
• Mary noted that only someone the size of a child could have escaped via the chimney
• Aleister suggested a team could have performed the task: one or two adults with tarps to perform the murder and exsanguination, and a child to lock the door and escape via the chimney

Further examination and questioning:

• Ada discovered and questioned the ghost of Hubert's son, William, "Billy" who died some 15 (?) years ago
• Billy saw a man in a worker's outfit taking the heart from his father
• Aleister sensed residual supernatural power in the room
• Mary sensed that all the life energy had been taken from Hubert, even that which would cause normal decay
• The house staff revealed that Hubert had been increasingly despondent, having lost his son some time ago,and his wife more recently
• Lately his mood had been better; He seemed to have found a new circle of friends
• He had a party a few days ago, dismissing his staff beforehand, though not before some of the guests arrived; Hubert hustled them into the library without introduction; One of the guests was very elegant and pretty, like a rich person or aristocrat
• The group discovered the remains of a large chalk circle under the Persian carpet on the floor of the library
• The group discovered a mysterious journal, not in Heathering's writing. Out of game comparison to Renfield's journal seems apt and a thorough reading is required. In the book was a card with no name, but an address in Mayfair.

Characters Introduced:

• Fellowes - Diogenes Club attendant/usher
• Adams - Metropolitan Police officer
• Hubert Heathering - murder victim
• William Heathering - victim's dead son
• Currently unnamed butler and maid
• Currently unnamed brother of Hubert (mentioned; apparently in India)