HEX Campaign, A knock on the door

England June 28th 1936

The last nine months have been hard for Grace Simms, the grief for the lost of her friends combined with a feeling of guilt over why she should have survived when they had not, the faithful events played over & over in her mind as she watch in horror the island disappear beneath the sea.
True that she had not been the only survivor of the terrible day but of her friends the others of the Society of the Blue Blooded she was the only one to return home.
                                    

A knock on the door brought Grace out of  the trance like state that was now her normal existence, yet she made no move to go & answer just sitting in the chair looking at the large piece of wood she held in her hands, the piece that had come to the surface & banged against the boat on that faithful day, a large piece of wood with strange markings on it.

Thump  thump came the sound again, heavier this time louder, rising wearily from the chair Grace went out into the hall & opened the front door, two man stood there one unknown to Grace the other vaguely familiar, but Grace couldn't be bother to search her mind to try to put a name to the face.

"Miss Grace Simms ?" ask the unknown man, in the kind of voice that said he already knew the answer.

Without answering Grace mentioned with her arm for the men to enter & then turned & headed back to the sitting-room followed by the two men who closed the front door behind them, in the sitting-room the same man who'd spoken before.
"Miss Simms, I'm Nigel Warren of His Majesty Government & this is Honorary Doctor Charles Lipton of the Royal National Geographic Society, I wonder if we might have a talk with you ?"
 Again un-answering Grace waved to a couple of chairs as she seated herself, the name Charles Lipton gaining recognition somewhere in the dept's of her mind.

Warren"Miss Simms before I begin I most emphasize on you that what is said is of the up most secrecy"Grace nodded her head & he continued,
"On the 9th of June a message from a German U-boat was intercepted, the massage read, Whiled surfaced we wear approached by a German fishing boat who in their nets had found a sealed container within was a written massage,If found please bring to the attention of  Major Klaus von Barlow Thule Society, Ultima found gain Knut Fraenkel's journal & follow if able"

When Grace made no reply Warren continued.
"To say we wear puzzled as to what it all meant would be an understatement, at first we thought that maybe Ultima was a person & it was only the fact that one of the team trying to work it out had heard of Fraenkel's journal that put us on the right track & lead us to the R.N.G.S, where Doctor Lipton informed us what  Ultima was & that the Society of the Blue Blood were the real experts on the subject"

Grace without lifting her head & in a half whisper"Forbes was the expert"
Warren"Pardon, what did you say ?"
Lifting her head & looking at them with hard cold eye's Grace repeated"Forbes was the expert & it costed him his life as well as the life of others, now if you Gentleman wouldn't mind seen yourselves out"

Lipton stood to leave but Warren remained seated & put a hand out to stop him.
Warren"Before I' leave Miss Simms there's one more thing I need to tell you, the massage was signed Uwe Gloup & dated 23 of November 1935"

Grace"What that can't be he was with Del & the others on the island as it blow its self apart & sank"
Warren" Its no mistake Miss Simms, we're reliable informed that von Barlow has already set sail on a U-boat for Ultima Thule in the company of this woman (handing a picture to Grace he continues) these are dangerous times Miss the Nazis are building up for war & searching the world for any artifacts that they thing might aid them"

The realization that her friends might yet be alive brought Grace to a more agreeable stat of mind & there was now a lot more vigor in her voice.
Grace"The date is 3 weeks after we lost them & if Gloup survived then its a fair bet that the other did as well, we've got to go get them & the woman is Helga she was on the island & escaped with us , I think she an Archaeologist "

Lipton now spoke for the first time.
Lipton" Miss Sim..
Grace" Oh stop with all this Miss Simms stuff my names Grace"
Lipton"Grace, from what I know of Ultima Thule which I admit is not a lot it all seems like a fantastical tale, a world inside the Earth that nobody ever been able to get to, or at least if they have then have never been able to get back out"
Grace"Fraenkel found away out"
Lipton"Fraenkel was found dead on an island on the other side of the world from where he set off, who's to say they weren't carried on the winds in their airship & came down on White island ?"
Grace" Yet not a trace of the airship was found or any sign of the others"
Lipton" It could have came down in the sea with only Fraenkel surviving & swimming to the island"

Grace" That's possible but all very unlikely & if that was what you gentlemen truly believed you wouldn't be here, so what is this really all about ?"
Warren" Either story seems as unlikely as the other, but the Nazis seem to think there's something in it & then there's the massage from Gloup is there any information you can give us that might help ?"

Grace" There are lots of names for what your calling Ultima Thule, Hyperborea, Shangri-La, Atlantis to name but a few, there might be some stuff in the library but like I said Forbes was the expert have you tried talking to his daughter Elaina ? she might have some of his stuff on the matter.
Warren" We've been in touch with Lady Elaina but she refuses to talk about it, it seems the tragic events of her father's death has hit her very hard"
Grace" I seen what happened to her father & nobody should ever have to see that happen to a loved one, I'll help you but on one condition, I'm going on the expedition"
Warren" I didn't mention any expedition but I can see your a very shape woman " & smiling he added " I was hopping you'd want to tag along, find what you can & be at this address in Whitehall at ten pm tomorrow"
With that they stood to leave.

As soon as they were gone Grace headed into the library & in something close to a frenzy spent the rest of the day pulling books from shelves & emptying draws, by the time she called it a day she had what she hope would be enough to be helpful, including translated copies of  his journal & massages that Fraenkel had sent to a friend.
That night Grace had a fitful sleep, the morning just couldn't come quickly enough.

To be continued.

Designer note, What you've just read was the first part of a new campaign I'm doing, it will be a bit different then what I'd normally do in that in some post there will be like in this one very few pictures, what kind of movies are these Frank ? I can hear you guys scream we want a refund :)
Well tbh with you guys my amount of stars & sets are quite limited & while I love nothing more then shown you guys pictures it can be limiting in what I can do, so I hope you guys will stay with me for what I hope will be a trilling adventure :)

As always my thanks for dropping in & if you'd care to be a movie critic your commend will be welcomed :)