Lechance

Sir,

Just to let you know that your patrol has returned safe and well back home. We had some interesting discoveries along our way, which I would like to discuss with you, if I could beg a moment of your time either tonight or tomorrow?

Your humble servant,

Jonas Wilder (Sheriff)

[OOC notes: Players, please check ooc post here for more information. The ooc post will be updated as the thread progresses.]

They'd met in the Town Square shortly after 1.30pm.

When it was clear that every one was there, Jonas swung up onto his borrowed mount, called Digger near, and addressed the assembled folk from horseback.

"First off, may I jus' take the opportunity to tell you how grateful this town, and indeed myself and my team are for all your valuable help and support over this last while. Hopefully now we're actually getting somewhere, but I won't lie to you, this situation is still potentially very dangerous. And so I must urge you to practice extreme caution at every turn. Your safety is paramount above and beyond anything we may find. Stick together, no wanderin' off the path. Buddy up whenever you can, even if nature calls, beggin' your pardon. Deputy Charles has your names duly noted, and we'll be checking on folks along the way. Please be aware of everything around you. If you see something out of place, unusual tracks, items, sights, sounds, hell, even smells, please bring them to the attention of either myself, or Deputies Coleman or Charles."

He waited until he was sure everyone had absorbed the information so far before continuing. "Right, we're going to head up to the trail the patrol took and past their shelter from the other night, and up on up to the fissure to the co-ordinates that Sheriff Bowbuck left behind him when he left. If we encounter any strange weather on the way, everyone is to head for that shelter, is that understood?" 

The assembled patrol murmured their agreement. "Good, good. Right. I'll head up the column for now." He looked to his deputies. "Leo, can you take the back of the line, and Andrew, if you could ride out alongside as spotter? We'll be stopping for breaks along the way so that I can check on progress and where everyone is up to. First of these I suggest'll be just up from the shelter. There's a bit of a flat area just up beyond it. We'll stop there."

He looked around the folk gathered, "And I just pray that the good Lord'll be shinin' on us, and we'll find somethin' useful. Everyone got watches to hand?" He took his out of his waistcoat pocket, and checked it against the town clock. "Happen it's now 2pm. Worse comes to worse an' we get separated, everyone's to report back here afore 4.30pm. Any questions?" he finished, looking around. "Speak up now if so." 

His eyes scanned over those assembled to look for any hands, or people shouting out with questions.

By all accounts, it had been a crazy night for all involved – more crazy for some than others. The town's inventors for instance. Just as they'd been wrapping up their meeting at the museum, they began to hear sounds. They took a hurried vote and agreed they would all go to investigate the sounds. At first it seemed it was just a false alarm but then one of them noticed the slightest glint of metal on light. Very carefully they explored the area around the display and discovered three almost miniscule gears and what looked like a fragile, jointed leg.

They immediately went to look for Leroy. He was a hard man to find, the members of the neighborhood watch were looking for him as well. They'd gotten reports of incidents all over town. The report of strange noises at the library finally made sense, and when, both teams finally found the mayor and reported in, they discovered that the disturbance at the pub had merely been a new and enthusiastic dance patrons had been learning. As for the stables, well, there was a new couple who was rather embarrassed but entirely unharmed. The set about telling Leroy what had happened to them.

Not much later, members of the patrol returned to town and explained that they'd been caught in a high wind. The others looked puzzled – there'd been no such wind in town. They were all sent back to their homes to catch some sleep and asked to reconvene in the morning

And the next morning, the researchers came to Leroy's salon to tell the mayor that they'd broken the code. The strange numbers the previous sheriff had left where actually the location of the area around the fissure. The decision was made to send out Jonas and the patrol to explore.

The town crier was summoned, and she and Leroy worked out a statement. That day, at noon, the news was spread: The newly-formed groups had already proved beneficial. A trap design had been created and would soon be produced. Strange gears had been found in the museum and were being investigate; the patrol group was going to explore the trail to the fissure.

Late night, and most of the town were in their beds. Sheriff Jonas Wilder however, wasn't.
( cut for length )
.... He awoke in the early hours, still seated and slumped over at his desk, having finally exhausted and drunk himself into a restless sleep. Papers were still sticking to his face as he stirred at the cockcrow of early morning. He groaned as he unfurled his body, standing finally to clear things away. Papers back in the cabinets, books piled on his desk, cigar ash brushed away, and the decanter refilled and replaced. All before anyone else should awaken to the new day, and suspect what he'd been up to.

The announcement about the meeting had been cried every day for the past week; every citizen had been strongly encouraged to attend.

Since it had the possibility of running for a long time -- and to give it the appropriate sense of seriousness -- the meeting was held in the cathedral, one of the only places in LeChance that could seat most of the town. Leroy stood behind the lectern, quietly talking to Ms. Sheedy as the crowd gathered. He looked tired but determined.

He invited Jonas and his staff to sit at the front of the space with him, giving them a brief rundown of what he planned and giving them a chance to voice objections or suggestions before the idea was placed before the town. Others at the front of the hall included Father Marks, the judge, council members, a historian and the principal of the schools.

Finally, on the hour, Anastacia Mason, the town crier, stepped forward and called for all to be seated and settled. She read a few commonplace announcements before introducing Leroy and moving unobtrusively to the side.

Leroy stepped up, hands behind his back and took a breath as he ordered his thoughts.

( My fellow citizens... )

It started past midnight. The moon was dark tonight a bare sliver of light, and the dark side showing. It kept the streets dark while the town slept.

The animals noticed first. The stockyard was full of lowing cows, mournful and stampeded to one side of the pen. More than 10 chickens were found dead in pools of blood, beaks ripped open and tiny punctures on their necks bleeding them out.

The dogs started baying around 2am until their masters cuffed them into silence. The cats hissed and birds stayed in the air, unwilling to land.

Each house had a skitter, a scratch, across their floorboards in the dead of night. A scrape over the glass pane of a window. It quieted really, about 4 am. It would need a fine and careful eye to see the two inch spiders slowly spreading over the town.

"Oyez, Oyez, Oyez!" the town crier shouted in a voice that could be heard throughout the square. "This is a notice of importance for the City of LeChance on this, the thirteenth day of November, in the year of our grace eighteen hundred and seventy-three. Prepared and requested the right and honorable LeRoy LeChance, mayor of the same town, and spoken by your most humble servant Anastacia Mason." She took a deep breath, studied the paper in front of her with a tiny frown before continuing. "The people and person who bravely undertook to aid the members of the town stricken by a fire have to a person decided to stay indefinitely and aid in the rebuilding."

Tables had been dragged into Jonas' office and pushed together to help provide space for those invited to the meeting. Mrs Andrews had provided sandwiches and cakes, and her teenaged daughter was helping her in providing teas, coffees, and squashes as people arrived. His staff, including Deputies Andrew Charles and Ifan Jones, Mrs Andrews and her daughter, Ms Smith the administrative assistant, along with several chaperones from the Hotel, were milling around making light conversation with new arrivals.

Jonas waited until people had settled, and were all sat down around the tables. He stood up to address them all.

Wednesday daytime, and Jonas sends out personal telegraphs to the following people, either to their own residences, or addressed privately via the Hotel:
Santiago de la Vega
Simon Belgrave
Julian MacKallister
Benjamin Simoneaux
Daisuke Shimada
Missy Lee
Jonathon Stanton

The message reads:

'The Acting Sheriff of this town, Mr Jonas Wilder hereby invites you to an informal meeting to take place on this Sunday the 26th of October. The meeting will commence at 6pm in the Sheriff's Office. This meeting is to gather together a consultancy of sorts to discuss ongoing and current reports of unusual activity received by the Office.

Light refreshments will be available, and appropriate chaperones will also be in attendance.

Please feel free to bring along any persons you may feel will assist. Your help and assistance in these matters would be much appreciated.'

Jonas also talks to his staff, including new employee Leo Coleman, to inform them of the upcoming meeting, and to request their attendence also.

(Further to this post and this post)

Late Tuesday afternoon the town crier sends a notice around town. It announces the appointment, effective immediately, of Ms Leonora Coleman to the positon of Deputy Sheriff, working alongside current deputies Mr Andrew Charles and Mr Ifan Jones, under Acting Sheriff Wilder, servant of the town of LeChance.

Jon was sitting outside his office trying to enjoy the weather. He was smiling, but despite that he looked worried. He was now a married man and he toyed absently with the black leather band around his wrist. The week had been absolutely amazing. Ben was perfect and he couldn't have been happier.

Except.

Except for an odd occurrence on Friday night when muted voices had distracted the newlyweds from being..well, newlyweds. The voices got louder in the basement, but neither of them could find anything causing them. Jon had tried to play it off as someone poking a bit of fun at them, but something about it had set him on edge. He wondered if he should talk to someone about it. Maybe the Sheriff?

When someone walked by, Jon smiled and nodded his head. "Good morning," he said politely, "How are you this fine morning?"

Jonas had had a rough night's sleep, when he had finally found some that is.

He'd spent the the night at the stables, bunking down in the hay loft, a saddle for a pillow, to keep an eye on Ginger, and had awoken with Digger stretched over his legs. Not the most comfortable of positions to sleep in, he was stiff and sore, and more than a bit worried.

The noise he'd heard last night when he was in the stables hadn't repeated itself, but it had been unnerving as hell. The low noise, which had sounded all the world like steam hissing had gone on for a good twenty minutes before stopping as abruptly as it had started. The animals had kicked up an enormous fuss unsurprisingly, and it'd taken a long while to settle them again. He'd looked around but hadn't been able to locate a source for the noise, and that was somehow worse than the noise itself.

Looking around this morning, he'd still been unable to find anything, but he moved Ginger, and the chickens and ducks to the far side of the field to be on the safe side, making a makeshift fence to keep them there.

By the time he'd finished, he was tired, stressed and fed up. There'd been no eggs laid this morning either unsurprisingly, so he'd had to forgo his normal boiled breakfast egg.

Consequently, he ended up settling for a cup of coffee and a cigar, choices that Mrs. Andrews had been most annoyed about. He'd managed to eventually shoo her away on an errand, persuading her that yes, he would get a decent lunch, honestly.

He took a chair out front of the Sheriff's office onto the porch in order to drink his coffee, and smoke his cigar, respecting Mrs. Andrews' wishes that all smoking must be undertaken outside. 'Sides which, this way he could potentially eavesdrop on useful conversation, whilst looking nonchalent. Digger was sound asleep at his feet, snuffling occasionally, no doubt chasing rabbits in his sleep. Jonas twitched a small grin at the dog's own twitches.

Eventually he saw a figure approaching and called out to them, raising his hat in greeting. Mayhap they might have heard something this past evening that may help to explain things.

"Good mornin' to you, hope you are well?"

The telegraph came to the telegraph office at noon, Friday, October 17th, 1873. It was immediately forwarded to Leroy Lechance's private telegraph line.


By 1 pm, the Town cryer was spreading the word throughout the town that La Rosa, 50 miles inland, had been ravaged by a fire and needed aid, quickly. Certain professions were needed urgently to help with the repair: sheer labor, doctors, nurses...the quicker the better. Despite everyone who volunteered, Leroy would not empty the town and made some stay.

The train left by 7 pm.

Notices with the below information are posted around the town on the morning of the tenth of October by the Sheriff's deputies, Deputy Andrew Charles and Deputy Ifan Jones. These appear at the following places:
The Court House
The Library
The Town Hall
The Museum
The Hotel Lobby
The Post Office & General Store
Leroy's Salon

=========================

The town crier rang a loud bell that demanded passers by paid due attention, as she walked into the centre of LeChance town square.

"Oyez, Oyez, Oyez!" she shouted in a voice that could be heard throughout the square. "This is a notice of importance for the City of LeChance on this, the tenth day of October, in the year of our grace eighteen hundred and seventy-three. Prepared and requested by Acting Sheriff Wilder, servant of the town of LeChance, overseen by the right and honorable LeRoy LeChance, mayor of the same town, and spoken by your most humble servant Anastacia Mason.

Let it henceforth be known that the Sheriff's office now seek applicants for the position of Sheriff's deputy. Those persons seeking application should be of sound mind and body, honest and true citizens. They are also to be of the age of twenty one or above, and to have completed all life path training, as is right and proper for one seeking such a position.

All applicants should present themselves in the first instance to Acting Sheriff Wilder at the Sheriff's Office.

Furthermore, anyone with knowledge of the whereabouts of William Bowbuck, the erstwhile Sheriff of this parish, or any persons having any information pertaining to his disappearance, should present themselves immediately at the Sheriff's Office for inquiry. Investigations as to the disappearance of Sheriff Bowbuck are ongoing, and any and all assistance towards the resolution of this matter is greatly appreciated."

The woman turned and made a final salute before moving through the crowd. She would repeat the news throughout the town all day, then nailing the notice to the Town Square noticeboard.

Jonas sat leaning far back in his rickety, but comforting wooden chair, behind the desk that served as his space in the Sheriff's office.

Out on the street, he wondered whether his horse would be settled enough to ride yet, or whether she was still too spooked from the earthquake. All his animals had been rattled by it, he'd had no eggs for breakfast this morning either. He was still debating whether to go round to check on his horse in the paddock over the Ilen River bridge, when he saw someone approaching.

He lifted his hat in greeting, "Good afternoon, trust you are well?" he called over.

It was southern California. In a way, it couldn't have been much of a surprise when the earth moved in the early hours on Tuesday morning. Walls trembled, pottery shook, but, for the most part it was simply frightening, not actually damaging.

Except for the blue streak Leroy was swearing in the street outside of his house in the minute aftershocks.m