A campaign idea...

[Craig]

The Mortuary at Scotland Yard.
Gentlemen, you are looking at the body of one Jebediah Rowley, former Quay-master of the Empire Dock. He was found this morning floating face down in the dock amongst the wreckage of his cutter. Yes, Lord Derby, I agree that he isn't a pretty sight. There is a red bucket in the corner should your breakfast disagree with you.

Initially, the Dockyard Police concluded that his cutter had got caught between a larger ship and the quay. It would no doubt have been reported as a tragic accident if it were not for who he was and the markings on his body.

To put it bluntly, Rowley was scum. About as unholy and corrupt a man as can be found in London. He was completely in the pay of Abel Caine and thus well protected. He inherited his position from his father who was, by all accounts, a fine and scrupulous man. This made him invaluable to Caine's smuggling operations and he exploited this need as far as he could without upsetting his benefactor.

So, if you wished to hurt Caine, killing Rowley could be considered a good first move. No doubt Caine's men are currently moving through the docks 'interrogating' all likely suspects. Chief Inspector I would keep an eye on the mortuaries over the next few days.

Which brings us to the manner of his death. Jacobs, if you be so kind as to help me turn the body over...ugh... thank you. Are you alright Lord Derby? Would you like to postpone this examination? No? Good, then I shall continue.

As you can see Rowley's back has been sliced open from neck to anus with a single stroke, completely destroying the spinal column in the process. My assistant, Jacobs, postulated that this might be from a large steamship propeller while Rowley's body was in the water. This would seem reasonable except for a few issues.

The first is that no ships arrived or departed from the Empire dock last night.

The second is the sharpness of the cut. There is no crushing or tearing as is common for propeller hits. Whatever did this was as sharp as a surgeon's scalpel. Whoever wielded this blade though must have been much stronger than an ordinary man as the cut was accomplished in a single, downward stroke.

The third and final issue is that the necrosis of the flesh on either side of the cut. We estimate that Rowley had been in the  water for only a couple of hours as he was seen in the Waterman's arms only three hours before being found in the dock. However, the level of corruption is that of a corpse at least a week dead, and that corruption is spreading rapidly.

My conclusion gentlemen, and why I brought such a varied assemblage together, is that something terrible has debarked from one of the ships currently in the dock. Furthermore, examination of the wreckage of the cutter has revealed the  shattered remains of what was once a sturdy crate similar to those used to move large machine parts or statuary.

I am thinking, as no doubt are we all, that Rowley 'acquired' something he should not have and paid a terrible price for his curiosity and greed.

So chaps, where does this story go from here? What sort of campaign could you put together and, which companies would you deploy?