Missing Person: Absconding Devil

Missing Person: Absconding Devil Actions for the Missing Person: Absconding Devil Venture are all found in Ladybones Road. You will need to raise your Investigating… quality to advance the Venture. When your Investigating… reaches 5, actions appear to continue you on the Missing Person: Absconding Devil Venture. Once this Venture is available, you can complete it multiple times.

NOTE: Most (all?) of these stories have been retired and/or rolled into the Engaged in a Case page instead.

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Their Money is Good. A Little Warm…but Good.

Retired?

Missing Person: Find an Absconding Devil

From time to time, Hell loses touch with devils resident in the city. This is generally because they're up to some sort of unsanctioned wickedness. You've been engaged to find one of these by their Embassy.

[You'll need to build up a Investigating… quality to at least 5 to complete this. ]
Unlocks: Watchful 12 (Not available at Watchful 23)

Accept the job.

Devils' money is just as good as anyone else's.

Reward spoiler

You've accepted the job.

The Absconding Devil was last seen in the company of a music-hall singer of scandalous reputation. That's probably your starting point.
Begun a new venture! Missing Person: Absconding Devil
Investigating… shows your progress in the venture.

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On the trail…

These actions are available to continue raising your Investigating… quality.

Retired?

Missing Person: Find an Absconding Devil

The Absconding Devil has left a trail of mayhem. A brawl, a seduction, a complicated scheme to sell boxes of spiders to innocent widows. But where is he now?

[You'll need to build up a Investigating… quality to at least 5 to complete this. ]
Unlocks: Missing Person: Absconding Devil 1

Follow the trail

By their works shall ye know them. Sooner or later you'll get a hint to his whereabouts. But he does seem to have gone quiet lately.
(Watchful challenge; modest at 13, straightforward at 17)

Reward spoiler

Promising…

Devils can't help but do mischief. You've unearthed another almost absent-minded crime, and you have another address to ask questions at. You're getting closer.
Watchful increase
Investigating… increase

Retired?

Find an Absconding Devil: the bohemians

The Absconding Devil had a taste for music-hall and the tavern-poetry of Veilgarden…
Perhaps these artistic types know something.

[You'll need to build up a Investigating… quality to at least 5 to complete this. ]
unlocked with Missing Person: Absconding Devil 1, Connected: Bohemian 2

Ask around the music halls and smoky taverns

Someone among these artists and their hangers-on must know something about the Absconding Devil. You'll probably have to buy some drinks, though.
Unlocked with 2 x Greyfields 1879
(Watchful challenge)

Reward spoiler

A fair trade

A consumptive poet saw the Devil a week ago. A carnival barker thinks he knows the singer he was talking to. You are a little closer, and they are a little drunker. Drunker? More drunk. More drunken? A few glasses of Greyfields can play hell with one's grammar.
Watchful increase
Connected: Bohemian increase
Lose: 2 x Greyfields 1879
Investigating… increase

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Progress Milestones

Retired?

Missing Person: Find an Absconding Devil: getting closer

You are close to finding the Absconding Devil.
Unlocks: Missing Person: Absconding Devil 1, Investigating… 5

Put the clues together

You have been on the trail of the Absconding Devil for a while. Do you have enough information to form some conclusions?
(Investigating… challenge; modest at 5)

Reward spoiler

Devilry and mortality

The Absconding Devil has been seen in the company of a music-hall singer. Witnesses spotted them at Dante's Grill, the Long Spoon and other spots where devils and mortals mix. You can only assume that the poor woman's soul is in great danger. Of course, that's hardly a rare occurrence in the Neath.

The Brass Embassy's agent is pleased by your progress and gives you an interim payment. He suggests that you try to find the Absconding Devil's latest bolt-hole.
Missing Person: Absconding Devil has increased to 2!
Your Investigating… Quality has gone.
Gain: 100 x Nevercold Brass Sliver

Retired?

Missing Person: Find an Absconding Devil: the bolt hole

You are close to finding out where this Absconding Devil lays his head. If he lays his head. Who knows whether devils sleep?
Unlocks: Missing Person: Absconding Devil 2, Investigating… 5

The bolt hole

He rents one of a row of cellar apartments, jammed in a back alley between a laundry and a tanner's workshop. Hardly a respectable address, but a good place to hide.
(Investigating… challenge; modest at 5)

Reward spoiler

The infernal lair

You missed the Absconding Devil by moments. The apartment is empty.

You look around the cramped, sulphurous room. There's a timetable for steamers heading to the tomb-colonies. Brochures from jewellers. Several outraged letters from vicars refusing permission to hold an unusual service in their churches. What is he up to? There is a neat stack of rostygold on the table, which you pocket as a bonus.
Missing Person: Absconding Devil has increased to 3!
Your Investigating… Quality has gone.
Gain: 100 x Rostygold

Retired?

Missing Person: Find an Absconding Devil: Where next?

The direct approach, and look for the Absconding Devil - or investigate this singer he's been seen with?
Unlocks: Missing Person: Absconding Devil 3

Investigate the singer

Is she just a devil's victim? Or is there more to her than that? [A connection with the Bohemians will be useful if you want to pursue this.]

Reward spoiler

After the showgirl

Is she just a devil's victim? Or is there more to her than that?
An occurrence! Your Missing Person: Absconding Devil Quality is now 4!

Go straight after the devil

The singer is a mere victim. The important one is the devil himself.

Reward spoiler

After the Absconding Devil

You will not be distracted from your quarry!
An occurrence! Your Missing Person: Absconding Devil Quality is now 5!

Retired?

Find an Absconding Devil: the singer

Is she the victim of infernal trickery?
unlocked with Missing Person: Absconding Devil 4, Investigating… 5

Follow the singer

Your bohemian friends tell you that she's appearing at the Mahogany Hall, a ragged old musical venue, for one evening. You'll have to be quick.
Unlocked with Connected: Bohemian 3
(Investigating… challenge; low-risk at 6)

Reward spoiler

On the line?

It turns out to be a surprisingly good performance. The singer has a low, smoky voice that captivates the audience. You glimpse the Absconding Devil standing at the back, but he sees you, tips his oddly-shaped hat your way and walks calmly out before you can struggle through the crowd.

You follow the singer after the performance. She heads straight for a nearby tavern for drinks with her music hall friends. They are keen to know about her current project. She leans close and whispers that he is 'on the line and almost ready to reel in'. They don't look convinced.
Missing Person: Absconding Devil has increased to 5!
Gain: 25 x Cryptic Clue
Your Investigating.. quality has gone!

Failure spoiler

Not here.

The music-hall singer is as elusive as her infernal companion. The trail is growing cold.
Investigating… decrease

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You've Tracked Him Down…

Retired?

Missing Person: Find an Absconding Devil - the conclusion

You have found the Absconding Devil! He is heading for the docks. He plans to elope with the music-hall singer to the tomb-colonies. Now. What to do?
Unlocks: Missing Person: Absconding Devil 5, Investigating… 5

Report his location to the Brass Embassy

They are the ones paying you, after all.

Reward spoiler

Business concluded

The Embassy dispatches a trio of shaggy, stinking goat-demons to recover Hell's wayward son. You are well paid, and apparently you can expect further business.

They leave the music-hall singer bereft at the dockside. She has some unladylike words for you and the Embassy. Still, you're sure it's all for the best.
Watchful increase
Gain: 150 x Nevercold Brass Sliver
Connected: Hell increase
Your Missing Person: Absconding Devil Quality has gone!
Your Investigating… Quality has gone!

Warn the devil

He may be in more trouble than he knows.

Reward spoiler

And then he was gone

You warn the devil that the singer will betray him, and that the Brass Embassy is on his trail. The Absconding Devil puts down his suitcase and smiles a little smile that has nothing to do with humour.

'Of course I knew. Of course.'

Devils are difficult to read. He is expressionless as he takes out a handkerchief. He wipes his yellow eye and presses something into your hand before heading up the gangplank.

In your hand is a teardrop-shaped diamond. Perhaps the Absconding Devil was playing with you. That's it. Devils are known for their sleight of hand.
Watchful increase
Gain: 10 x Diamond
Your Missing Person: Absconding Devil Quality has gone!
Your Investigating… Quality has gone!

Delay the music-hall singer until the ship sails

Eloping with a devil? Is she mad, or under some infernal charm?

Reward spoiler

Dockside curses

One carefully damaged buckle on the hansom cab's luggage rack and the singer's clothes come tumbling out into the street. You help her - slowly - to recover them. All the while, her words flay you for your clumsiness. The ship is gone before she reaches the docks, and the Absconding Devil is nowhere to be seen. She rounds on you:

'Damn you and your rescue! Yes, I know what you're up to, and you've cost me weeks of effort. That devil was ready to abandon Hell for me! I didn't care two figs for him, but he was rich, and nobody has ever done that before! Damn your eyes!'

You counter - was she simply outplayed? Perhaps that devil wanted her away from the city for some terrible purpose? Her bravado cracks. She was having second thoughts about it all. Perhaps it is for the best. She is no longer angry with you. Perhaps you would like to watch her perform, or visit her in Spite?
You've moved to a new area: After the Case
Watchful increase
The Devil has gone
You've gained 1 x Stolen Kiss
You've gained 1 x Romantic Notion
An occurrence! Your 'Detective's Progress' Quality is now 12!

Leave them to it

Are they really in love? Are you best out of it in any case?

Reward spoiler

They are gone

Watchful increase
Melancholy increase
This options seems to permanently remove this venture from Ladybones Road

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