Holmes & Dorian Craze

The TARDIS drifts gently, for a change, through the space/time vortex. Dorian Craze and Trixx explored the TARDIS, though they had been warned not to wander too far. With the first time to relax since his regeneration Holmes was in the Wardrobe Room choosing a more fitting outfit. His eventual choice was similar to the cricketing outfit worn by the 5th Doctor, but with a coat much like the 10th’s.

As Holmes entered the console room the TARDIS materialised [cue sound effects - oh, phone is still dead!] The readout says they are on the moon in the 54th Century, although the damage caused by Moriarty’s exploding time-ship (see episode 2Minutes) had messed with the readouts somewhat. Holmes activated the visual scanner, 50" plasma screen with 5.1 surround, and was given the view of a wooden fence. The group decided the best thing was to just go outside, and they found that the TARDIS had materialised in the back garden of a new looking terraced house. It was a joint back garden but neither resident was in; there was an ally between the houses.  They could tell it was early morning. They walked down the ally and found them selves in a street, a slight hill, with terraced houses on either side. It was now they noticed the thick smoke in the air indicating some form of heavy industry in the area.

A couple of miners were walking down the road, John and Alfred. Holmes was pleasant and found out they were in the town of Brierley Hill in the Black Country, England. The road is Delph Road and leads down towards one of the many collieries of the area. The year is 1910, and it is March 14th.

History lesson: Brierley Hill is in an area known as the Black Country. The area got its name due to the heavy industry in the area. There used to be many collieries and steel works. And an unrelated note, it was believed to be the inspiration for Mordor in Lord of the Rings.

John, a rough looking fellow in his 30’s, questioned why they were by Jones’s house. Holmes made excuses they were old friends. This caused John and Alfred to revela that Jones had moved aware after there had been a couple of unexplained deaths in the pit, that and the rumours of monsters. Alfred, who was no more than 17, seemed to believe in the monsters while John dismissed such things claiming folk just couldn’t hold their beer.

John and Alfred continue to work, and after a short discussion Holmes and his companions decide to investigate. As they reach the bottom of the Delph (Delph Road, it’s knows as the Delph) the colliery entrance is near the first of nine locks along the nearby canal. Dorian sees a squaddie by the side of the lock and goes to investigate. As he does he sees that he is just a Private, and there is tarpaulin covering something up the other side of the lock. Rather than investigate Dorian wakes the Private and chastises him for being asleep. Despite the Private accepting Dorian’s rank of Lt. colonel he says he still cannot let him see under the tarpaulin. Eventually Trixx & Homes walk over and Dorian tries his Torchwood credentials. Surprisingly the Private says Torchwood were expected and then lets them look. All that is under the tarpaulin is the wreckage of a barge. The group examine it and Holmes discovers that the pattern of the burn marks could only have been caused by a high intensity heat weapon, certainly nothing mankind has at current technology levels. The Private says that Captain Wainwright will want to see them, he is using a local primary school, Mount Pleasant, as a base of operations.

The group trek back up the Delph and find Mount Pleasant School. There are warning signs on the doors and windows advising parents the school is closed for health reasons, a cover story for the military.

More history: in 1910 Mount Pleasant School was indeed closed due to a diphtheria outbreak.

The School Hall is the base of operations and the group are greeted by the Scottish Sgt. Shaw who introduces them to Captain Wainwight. The Captain is a tall thin man, his uniform impeccable. After formal greeting the group learn that this military operation is under Torchwood control. They were sent here to investigate the two deaths and underground movement. The Captain has a high tech device much like a radar scope, another piece of technology out of time, this time provided by the Torchwood Institute. Holmes offers his help and the Captain asks if he can learn more from one of the miners who saw something but is now keeping quiet. Holmes agrees.

Sgt Shaw goes with the group as they travel in a new Dennis army van back down the Delph and down Brettell Lane where Mr. Smith lives with his wife next to the grocers. Mrs. Smith is friendly and puts on a pot of tea, but Mr. Smith just sits in his armchair before a flickering open fire staring into nothing. Holmes tries simple talk at first to no avail. Then he reaches over and touches Mr. Smith on the forehead [spending a story point to activate his latent Time Lord telepathy powers]. Mr. Smith’s attitude changes and he describes the monster he saw. He says that the mines open up into a series of large caves. The creature he describes is very much that of a Triceratops dinosaur!

The group travel back to the school with the intention of suggesting to Captain Wainwright that they search the mines. But when the arrive the Captain has just hung up the phone.
"Mr. Holmes," say the Captain, "Dudley Wood Colliery. There has been another murder!"

 

The army van pulls up at Dudley Wood, the PCs, Captain Wainwright, Sgt. Shaw and two soldiers get out and are met by the Foreman. He takes them to the body laid out in a small room next to his office. The dead man has severe burns to his chest, though no visible markings to his clothes. His face is that or terror!

Holmes questions some of the miners who found him but they saw nothing, so the group kit themselves up and investigate the mine. Captain Wainwright tells Sgt. Shaw to take the body back to the school.

The mine is dark and foreboding with their only light from their small helmet lamps. At one point Trixx & Dorian are startled, but that was just Holmes tripping over. Dorian looks about and sees movement, and heavy breathing can be heard. Turning a corner a humanoid reptilian can be seen, a SILURIAN. Holmes recognises the race as the original inhabitants of Earth, Trixx is unfazed but Dorian has to resist his feeling to run. The Silurian is injured and frightened, more than the PCs.

"Why did you kill that miner?" demands Holmes.
"I... did not," says the Silurian weakly. "He attacked me. He took my weapon and injured himself with it."
Holmes could clearly see now the wound in the Silurians side caused by the miners pick. Holmes tries to stop the bleeding.
"I am Holmes, we can help you."
"I am Soleen," replies the Silurian. "The name Holmes. That is the name of legend amongst my people. Centuries ago a traveller named Holmes created peace between my race and the humans. My Sect has lived in harmony and secret since then."
"I don't recall that. But it might not have happened yet," says Holmes.
"Then why are you here?" Trixx enquires of Soleen.
"The humans have disturbed another Sect of my people, but these are our warriors. They will not make peace with the humans. When we detected their awakening I was sent to try and deactivate their resuscitation units. I came to this mine as I thought there could be a way into their base, there is not. The only way is through the Delph mine."
"Well, seems simple enough what we have to do," says Holmes.
"But you also need to get the tracking device back the human took from me. If activated it could summon the DELPH!"
"What’s a Delph?" asks Dorian.
"A genetically engineered nearly indestructible monster."
"Oh. Great." Say the group together.

The PCs head back out of the mine carrying the wounded Soleen. They ask Capt. Wainwright where the body is, he tells them back at the school. Warning him of the danger Wainwright telephones the school but gets no answer. Holmes rants at humans messing with things they should leave alone.
"We need to get there. Where’s the truck?" asks Holmes.
"At the school, taking the body." Says Wainwright.
Not wanting to wait the PCs decide the sprint the mile and half to the school.

The doors of Mount Pleasant School have been ripped from their hinges. In the school hall they find the body of the dead miner along with two dead soldiers. Sgt Shaw is under a broken table severely injured but alive. Trixx phones for an ambulance.
They search the room and Dorian finds the device. He picks it up and it starts glowing.
"What was I saying about you stupid apes messing!" says Holmes. "Give it to me."
As Holmes tries to deactivate the device a monstrous creature crashes through the wall. Trixx & Dorian freeze in fear as it bears down on Holmes. The creature has the general appearance of a Silurian with brown scales, but it is nine feet tall, incredibly muscled, has a long thick tail and it’s left arm has been replaced by a huge bone blade. The creature is about to skewer Holmes as he deactivates the device (he needed a Story Point for that) and is able to send the creature away.

The horse & cart ambulance takes Sgt. Shaw away and the PCs decide to follow the Delph. They track it back to the lock near the Delph Road Colliery, it has obviously entered the water. After discussing for several minutes how they are going to go into the water they remember that Soleen told them the entrance must be through the mine. Still kitted out they go and see the foreman and convince him to close the mine for today while they investigate.

The adventure ends as the heroes decent into the Delph Mine...
 

Holmes, Trixx and Dorian Craze are searching the Delph mines for the Silurian base. Holmes is determined to broker a peace with the Silurians.

A few wrong turns, but the group eventually find the mine opening up into a large cavern. There is a slight green haze caused by the phosphorescent moss on the walls. This is when they hear the growl, a deep growl that echo’s around the cavern. Moving forward they see the Triceratops that terrified the miner. Dorian is flustered (failed a Fear check so takes a -1 to Presence & Resolve). Holmes, reasoning the dinosaur is vegetarian moves forward to sooth the creature. It didn’t like that and lightly butts Holmes sending him tumbling backwards. The dinosaur makes no further aggressive move, the group reasoning it is there just for fear factor. Holmes says it won’t eat them.

Discussion ensues on weather Trixx being a Vinvocci is actually a plant and thus would actually make a tasty meal for the Triceratops.

They decide to try and sneak past, it is a big cavern and that is actually a very easy challenge. Nevertheless Holmes fails it, trips and falls over the edge of a huge pit he had not seen in the darkness (the moss was not illuminating the whole cavern). With Holmes hanging by his fingers Craze & Trixx make several bumbling attempts to help him. If it were not for spending 3 Story Points Trixx would have been off the cliff too taking Holmes with him, and Craze had to spend a Story Point too to save Holmes.

After a 45 minute descent they find themselves at the bottom of the cavern and follow a passageway that opens onto a balcony overlooking an immense cryogenic facility. (seriously, I wrote this before seeing the huge city in The Hungry Earth). Lights are starting to blink on and there is a faint hum as the facility is slowly re-activated. Holmes determines there must be a million Silurians in stasis here.

"You are intruders," says a voice startling the group. They spin around to see three Silurian warriors with heat weapons pointed at them. "You will be taken to our leader."

The group comply for now and are taken to a holding pen, a cave with a force-field blocking the exit. After a few minutes another Silurian appears, his scales are black and he is noticeably taller than the others.

"I am the Warlord, you are the ape creatures. Soon my people will reclaim our planet and all of your kind will be dead!"

A long argument ensues. Holmes tries in vain to reason with the Silurian Warlord. But it becomes obvious that the Warlord is a self appointed ruler and simply seeks to destroy the humans.

After the Warlord has left Holmes Sonics the force-field and they escape. The group try to figure a way to get them back into hibernation, so they head to the heating control system. There is a single tech, but the group do not want to kill him (good on them). So Holmes manipulates Trixx’s shimmer to make him look like a Silurian. Trixx enters the room and (making a Convince & Presence check) bluffs the tech into leaving by saying the Warlord wanted to see him. Holmes then rushes in and turns the temperature to -10 and locks the controls.

Trixx points out that the cryogenic chambers are still active and the cold will kill all of the Silurians. Not intending the Silurians any real harm the group then head for the cryogenic controls. They manage to avoid a couple of guards and reach the domed controls room at the center of the facility. The tech present has already fallen to the floor through the cold so Trixx & Dorian carry him back to one of the chambers.

Holmes sets about shutting down the facility and putting the Silurians back into hibernation.

Just as Dorian has put the tech into the cryo chamber a guard rounds the corner and shoots. Dorian is unable to dodge and is shot and incapacitated. The Silurian, now weak drops to his knees but tries to shoot Trixx. Trixx runs at him but misses when trying to kick the gun from the Silurians hand, but due to the cold the Silurian misses Trixx. This Silurian is tough, he shoots and misses again and Trixx this time kicks the gun from his hand. The Silurian collapses unconscious and Trixx lifts him into the cryo chamber.

Holmes spins around when he hears footsteps to see the Warlord staggering into the control room, heat blaster rifle in his had. The Warlord curses Holmes who uses a chair as cover. Several missed blaster shots later and the Warlord has collapsed. Holmes takes him back to a cryo chamber then permanently locks the controls.

Holmes and Trixx carry Dorian back to the surface where Captain Wainwright has his medics see to him. The Silurian Soleen is grateful of the groups help. Holmes says he will use the TARDIS to transport the Triceratops back to prehistoric times and collapse the mine. Trixx & Dorian use their Torchwood clearance to stop mining in that area.

"What about the other monster?" asks Captain Wainwright, "The one in the canal. The Delph I believe your friend Soleen called it."

The group look at one another. "With the Silurians asleep it should not bother anyone anymore," says Holmes optimistically.