Letters sent after the demise of the Cabal.

Nigel would read this to Murphy, before sending duplicate letters via the lodge messenger to Ivan & PM:

Dear Lady and Doctor,

I hope this finds you both well in your respective houses, and enjoying the small measures of peace we are sometimes afforded in between our onerous tasks.  As you know our meetings at the Lodge offer little time to see to secretarial concerns, so I hope you do not mind me taking the initiative to see to some unfinished business, and also, to inform you of some recent happenings at Avendale. Burn after reading, please. 

1. The chalice/wood sigil/athame borrowed from the Order--Insp. Hood has refused my return of these items, and has agreed to allow us to retain them for safekeeping and study in our archives. Unfortunately it seems the gold cup may no longer have its visionary properties.

2.  The relics collected by the priest and constabulary at the swamps of Wigan. 

•  while we are without tigerclawed paws, there are some potions from the Rakshasa said to be for strength, speed, and vigor which I have placed in the laboratory. 
• enough of the horrible remnants of one of Spinner's creatures was preserved to afford several more Adrenal pumps* or strength extracts. I have placed the  parts on ice/in preservative until the Doctor returns.
• The Rakshasa's  gold-threaded sherwani robe and gold amulets were also retrieved. While these items are purely mundane, they do depict Hindu devils and demons-- I had the antiques & curiosities purveyor ( from whom I purchased my Bohemian dress suit). Look them over, and he has agreed to pay 5 pounds for the robe and also, to see to the melting of the evil idols. The scrap value is 25 pounds. If this is agreeable to you, I shall make the trade and we can determine the use of the proceeds when we meet again. 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• To my dismay, it seems some poor quality rifles, ammunition, old boots and pocket-money were collected from the fallen and sent our way-- probably about 3 pounds worth at most. I suggest we send these items to the priest, along with an additional supplemental donation, for him to use to help the poor who can use these things for peaceable means. I think we should do this as a token of our thanks for his assistance in the fight, and also for retrieving the items of more note to us. He also saw to the burial of the severed limbs in separate consecrated grounds. 
• Hollis' bone-spear was also retrieved, and is being studied by the GH, as it is obviously very dangerous. We also received parts of his shattered deer-mask, which have no arcane effect or value. 

3.  *Be careful NOT to agitate one who has had the pump placed inside! 

4.   In addition to giving a donation to the priest, I would ask you to consider giving Prospero some measure of the monies obtained from the Rakshasa's golden items.  If he is not interested in monetary rewards, perhaps we should consider offering him one of the extracts?  His defeat of Henry "The Knife" Blackwell and his razor-slinging thugs, along with other recent contributions to our cause, should not go unrecognized. We may discuss this at our next meeting. 

I ask for a response within two days, so that I have time to arrange for the necessary delivery of the goods to the priest and the antiques dealer, if you are in agreement that this is the proper course of action. 

Yours very truly,

NC.

PS. I read this to JM, so he is thus aware of the same information and also may share with us his opinion.  ~NC.

~~~~~~~

 A letter would be sent a little later in the day back to the lodge via courier:

Lord NC,

I see no reason to destroy the artifacts we recovered from the Rakshasa. If they are no longer a threat or dangerous perhaps we should create a trophy room for relics we have recovered. These types of antiquities could bring the lodge some serious credibility. Perhaps we should talk with Lord Hood on how best to proceed for creating a room to display such items?

As for equipping the men and women of Wigan, I do think this is a good idea. Perhaps a donation to them for the troubles caused by the recent incursions could be set in place as well. If Prospero wishes to claim any trophies from the battle, that is fine as well. He proved an exemplary member of the conflict and he helped buy us the time we needed to stop whatever Hollis was trying to accomplish.

The spear is an interesting weapon. I would be very interested in finding out exactly what it's properties are before anyone dare use it. If the thing is malign in nature we should have it destroyed. If it could prove beneficial to our cause and not be a corrupting presence I would like to see its use turned against the very things we combat.

Hoping this finds you in good health and peace,

PM

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Delivered to the lodge later that evening:

Dear Nigel,

I am in agreement with your suggestions regarding those items we have acquired from our latest struggle. The Priest, and Prospero especially, should be compensated for their contributions to our cause.

Further regarding Prospero, in lieu of placing my own monetary value on his services, I am content with what he and all involved deem fair.

I very much appreciate you seeing to this task.

Sincerely,

Ivan Olegovich

 ~~~~~~

The next morning, via the Lodge messenger, a new letter appears-- along with a small unostentatious bouquet of orange spotted tigerlilys and a few gold petaled, dark-centered sunflowers mixed with some wild-gathered fluffy clouds of autumn grasses. The letter has not been copied to Ivan nor read to Ivan.

Dear PM--

I am no Lord, but thank you so kindly for your rapid response. Unfortunately, it seems there may be some dissension on what to do about these golden amulets.  I should not say unfortunate, for our party's strength is indeed in its different abilities and mind-sets. So upon our next summoning to Avendale we will  discuss their disposition.

Know I am grateful for your opposing view, for that is how we reach greater understanding--  however I do want to remind you that sometimes objects which do not seem to have any latent magical power on their own can be activated by ritual.  Was not the Lord God quick to command the destruction of golden idols, too? It is my deepest concern that we inadvertently let evil objects fall into evil hands. I am not sure about creating a display or calling them trophies. But I am not any better, for my referring to them as "artifacts catalogued in the library" is a false sheen of gentility.  It  is no different than a hall of decapitated game heads and preserved bottles of animal corpses  whereby one may  learn from by observation if unable to witness them in life. Know I am biased by my belief that certain objects may retain a soul as certainly as a human, an animal, or a saint's relic.  I am recording all we know and placing the artifacts in the library for now, except for the bone-spear.

As of this moment I'm afraid I have more questions than answers. It is a formidable artifact, perhaps something so significant we are not capable of destroying it without destroying ourselves. I do not intend to sound secretive-- I simply do not know yet. I will share with you in confidence that until we fully understand, no one should wield it.

Now, please accept my apologies as surely you have begun to recognize some of the weaponless powers I have. Despite whatever happened in that swamp that caused that scream, know I do not intend to harm any of us, ever!  It also may seem I am not sharing these gifts equally with you as the others-- I am still learning and try to prioritize defensive protections over offensive glories. However, if you feel that the latter shall best serve our cause, I will endeavour to help your blade and shot strike true, and pray that your person be protected by the wings of your heavenly guardian.

Be well, my brave and strong Pride Mother. Please accept this small bouquet-- I don't intend to invoke any foolish floriography this time. Instead I thought you would be cheered as I was by the sunlit colors of these blooms, which seem to be a last glimpse of summer as the year wanes. It is my sincere hope that one day soon these flowers are the only surprise lions and tigers to enter our lives.

Yours with fond respect,

 ~NC.