Episode One
Listen - Opening cinematic scene. Pengellon and Emily chase Van Maasten!
It is Thursday June 9th, 1870. Early that afternoon, Lady Isabel Cavendish and Charles Belmont arrive at Brighton Railway Station, and are met by a carriage sent by Lord Lindsay Pengellon. It's around a twenty minute journey that takes them under the viaduct that marks the northern limit of the town, and out onto the downs.
Fairlie Place, Pengellon's grand residence, is high on a hill overlooking the road to London. It is a large red brick building, with a tower at the northern end. Tiered gardens lead all the way down to the valley. Pengellon greets Isabel and Charles, and shows them through to the drawing room to introduce them to two guests who have already arrived, Gwendolyn St Clare and Mr. Basil Carter.
Pengellon leads the way back towards the horses, the mist now cloaking everything. Somewhere, somehow, he leads his new friends astray. A flash, a blur on the edge of vision, and suddenly, the whole landscape changes. It is twilight. In a forest, with gnarled trees and spiky bushes all around. The party find themselves on one side of a clearing, and on the other, facing them, is a terrible sight.
Listen - Bring me Pengellon!
A translucent, floating female figure, pale skinned, a haunting moan drifting from her lips. Either side, six great hounds with human faces. Powerful wings beat, keeping the dogs a few feet off the ground. Pengellon murmurs quietly under his breath - 'My friends forgive me. We have somehow stumbled across the Faerie Veil.'
The Banshee tells Pengellon she has been expecting him, and wants him to lure his daughter to this place. She was not expecting Charles, Gwendolyn, Isabel and Basil, however, and sets her flying dogs on them. Charles moves himself between the ladies and an advancing Gabriel Ratchet, and parries its claw. Basil hits one of the dogs, but instead of being wounded, it vanishes for a second, and two re-appear. The same thing happens for Gwenny. The opposition is multiplying.
Pengellon suggests running away. Isabel runs ahead, through narrow, twisting forest paths, until she thinks she hears horses away to her left. The party run down into a valley, and leap across a brook, and in crossing the water they pass over the boundary. The sun returns, the familiar landscape of Hollingbury is back, and the view of Brighton is below.
That evening, back at Fairlie Place, Pengellon and his wife Katharin host a dinner of Roast Duck with all the trimmings. After dinner, Lindsay leads the way to his study on the first floor, accessed by a secret door in the morning room. Chairs have been set out in front of the desk, and brandies and cigars are on hand. Lord Rocher arrives soon after, and is introduced to everyone.
Listen - Enchanted!
Pengellon outlines recent events. He was burgled earlier in the week by notorious Prussian Cad, Klaus Van Maasten. Letters between Katharin Pengellon and King Ludwig II of Bayern were taken, as were The Buckley Street Blueprints. The Blueprints, stolen a few years ago by Pengellon and Rocher, are viable plans for a Steam Rocket steered by an internal Babbage Engine. A dangerous weapon that must not be allowed to fall into Prussian hands.
The Telegraph Terminus rattles into life. A message from Emily, already in Paris. She suspects Van Maasten will use the cover of the Belleville Ball on Saturday to pass the blueprints on to persons unknown. Pengellon asks all present to accompany him to Paris, and everyone readily agrees.
To Paris, then, via The Chain Pier, a Steam Packet, and Dieppe. Saturday night finds the party in their finery at the Belleville mansion on the eastern edge of the city. Guests stream into the grand ballroom. Pengellon introduces everyone to Count Rudi von Schilling, the Bayernese ambassador to France. Lindsay's beautiful daughter Emily is also here. She and Gwenny air kiss, whilst the gentlemen look on.
It is a masked ball. Many of the masks are ornate, some tied on, most simply held in front of the face. Spotting Van Maasten and sultry Prussian spy Birgitta Kaufmann could be difficult, and, indeed, the cunning pair have a deception planned. After an hour of dancing and socialising, Gwendolyn's finds herself partnered with a rather strange man. He is subtly and slowly moving her towards the open garden doors as they dance, and then puts a pistol at Gwenny's side. 'Come with me my dear', says the fiend, 'come with me into the garden'.
Luckily, Charles is dancing nearby, and has seen this. Excusing himself from his partner, he hurries to the garden, and spies Gwenny being lead forcefully down into the garden. Charles challenges the man, who appears to have a moustache beneath his mask and a German Accent. Gwendolyn removes her pistol, snug between her bosoms, and points it at her kidnapper, who cuffs her to the ground for her trouble.
Charles has at him. Swords clash, and Charles soon has him on the back foot, and The Prussian retreats back to the house, and up the stairs onto the balcony. The fight interrupts the ball, and everyone turns to watch the dashing swordsmen on high. Ladies feint. Basil Carter, however, thinks to check the front of the house. A shiny steam Renault automotive is chugging into life, and speeds away as Basil chases down the steps. A man with a grey moustache is at the wheel, an attractive brunette woman at his side. Gwendolyn's attacker is subdued by Charles, and his mask his removed. He isn't Van Maasten, so presumably the driver of the Renault was.
Pengellon bundles everyone into a coach, and orders the coachman to the Gare du Nord, but there is little chance of beating the automotive there. Basil, riding on top, watches as a horseman approaches the coach at speed, draws level, knocks on the door of the coach, which is opened. The tall, blonde gentleman dismounts and pulls himself into the coach.
It is Tom Olam, the legendary man from another world. He has news for Lord Lindsay. The Bayernese agent in Zwolle, on Belgium's east coast, says a Prussian Ironclad is sitting just outside the harbour. There is reason to believe that the train just about to leave Paris will head fast to Zwolle. Pengellon diverts the carriage.
In Chaumant Park, there is circus big top. A sign reads 'The Fabulous Bayernese International Circus Review!' A lever is pulled inside the tent, and the canvas concertinas down, revealing a giant oval gas bag, cabins beneath, and the trailing rudder folded flat on the ground. A Bayernese Aerovette, a magnificent machine combining Dwarven engineering with a sorcerous engine, technology that has given Bayern the edge over the Prussians.
On board, everyone admires the cramped but beautifully designed cabins, and then the views out over Paris after take off. The Vette speeds through the moonlit night, and after an hour has caught up with the train, and slows to match its speed. Ladders are lowered from platforms beneath the cabins. Basil descends first, and has to leap from the swinging rope ladder onto the roof of the rear coach. Charles is next, then Gwendolyn, Isabel and Lord Rocher.
The train is searched. Charles finds striking brunette Birgitta Kaufmann in a compartment near the front. She flirts with him, and as he kisses her hand, a ring on her finger sprays gas up into Charles' face knocking him out. Rocher, meanwhile has made his way to the front of the train, and de-couples the front coach from the steam engine. The train starts to slow. Gwendolyn, Isabel and Basil burst into the carriage, Gwenny pointing her gun at Birgitta. Isabel attempts to revive Charles using galvanism – it doesn't work, but the bulldog clips bring Charles round.
Gwenny hears scrabbling outside. Someone is climbing onto the roof, where, luckily, Rocher is waiting, soon joined by Basil. Van Maasten and Rocher exchange insults before Basil shoots The Prussian, and grazing him. Rocher then gets a cracking shot off. Van Maasten leans back, his arms flying up, sending the briefcase he is carrying high into the air. Van Maasten then falls off the side of the train. Basil catches the briefcase, which, as suspected, has the blueprints and letters inside.
Listen - Pengellon passes the snuff.
Back on the Vette, Pengellon is delighted. Captain Schteff sets course for Castle Falkenstein, arriving just after midnight, the many towers, battlements, buttresses and ornate decorations bathed in moonlight. The Aerovette lands, and King Ludwig himself greets his old friend Pengellon and his guests. Ludwig promises a dinner in his guests honour, and invites them to the Falkenstein summer ball in a week's time.
Charles Belmont
played by Dorian
Basil Carter
played by Shane
Lady Isabel Cavendish
played by Esther
Lord Rocher
played by Matt
Lady Gwendolyn St Clare
played by Teresa
Castle Falkenstein, Pilot Episode - A Parisian Ball
Written and Performed by
Peter Taylor
Game rules, the Castle Falkenstein world
created by
Mike Pondsmith.
Castle Falkenstein © Mike Pondsmith 1994.
Music and sound effects controlled using
RPG Soundmixer.
Episode played on Monday 7th December 2009.
Parisian Ball - Saturday 11th June 1870.
