Marchbank Terrace

Location Overview

Bellamy rents the second floor of a modest but respectable terrace house on Marchbank Terrace, a narrow but genteel row near the British Museum in Bloomsbury. The lodgings comprise two rooms: a parlor-study and a sleeping chamber, separated by a folding door. The building is maintained by Prudence Middleham, the proprietary widow landlady who prides herself on discretion and propriety.

Exterior Description

Marchbank Terrace is a row of Georgian townhouses of faded russet brick, patched with soot. Bellamy’s building is indistinguishable from its neighbors: small front garden boxed by rusting railings, ivy creeping along upper windows, front step well-scrubbed. The overall impression is one of quiet respectability.

Interior Description

Entry & Staircase:

• Narrow entry hall with steep staircase
• Creaking treads; sounds carry through the house
• Bannister is worn smooth from decades of use

Parlor-Study (First Room):

• Cluttered with musical scores, half-filled notebooks, writing desk
• Cracked mirror hanging above fireplace
• Kettle and hearth indicate she took tea alone, often
• Drawers in desk are locked or jammed
• Scent of lavender sachets (old, fading)

Sleeping Chamber (Second Room):

• Spare but neat: narrow bed, carved armoire, travel trunk with tags from Bath and Brighton
• Window overlooking the street
• Personal items scattered (hairbrush, letters, clothing)

Overall Atmosphere:

• Abandoned; windows shut, dust accumulating
• Tea tin is dusty; hearth long cold
• Sense of sudden departure rather than planned absence
• Air stale despite lavender sachets

Key Discoveries (Handouts & Evidence)

Torn Diary Page (Handout):

• Found hidden beneath floorboard or in desk drawer (Spot Hidden required)
• Warns of “five voices beneath the floor” and “something that must be found before the solstice”
• References Rooke as “the old one below”
• Suggests a hidden chamber and imminent deadline

Order Signet Ring:

• Hidden in cracked mirror frame or beneath bed
• Bears Order of St. Aelfric emblem
• Confirms Bellamy’s true affiliation

Musical Scores & Notations:

• Many marked with Society-specific harmonic annotations
• Some bear strange notations in Senzar or unknown script
• One contains a partial transcription of Canticle material

Letters & Correspondence:

• Drafts of reports to Order contacts (unsigned, coded)
• Personal letters from family (revealing her cover identity as Isabel Grey)
• Correspondence with Royal Academy regarding her “auditing”

Bloodstain on Doorframe:

• Small but visible trace near the entry
• Suggests struggle or forced departure
• Requires Medicine or Forensic knowledge to evaluate

NPCs

• Prudence Middleham (landlady): Resident on ground floor; was last to speak with Bellamy

Investigation Opportunities

Access to the Flat:

• Persuade Mrs. Middleham (Hard): Appeal to concern for Bellamy’s wellbeing; claim Order authority
• Charm (Regular): Compliment the landlady’s care and discretion; gain her cooperation
• Bribery: Money usually works with modest landladies; must be subtle
• Locksmith: Force entry if necessary, but alerts Middleham and damages reputation

Information from Middleham:

• Last saw Bellamy ten days before campaign start
• Can describe her demeanor, anxiety, visitors
• May recall unusual nocturnal activity or late arrivals
• Might have found items Bellamy discarded or hidden
• Can testify to torn diary page or other evidence

Physical Evidence:

• Spot Hidden: Reveals hidden diary page, signet ring, bloodstain, jammed desk drawer
• Library Use: Deciphering musical notations and harmonic theory
• Psychology: Understanding Bellamy’s emotional state from her writings
• Locksmith: Opening locked desk drawers or armoire

Timeline Reconstruction:

• Letters and notations reveal Bellamy’s investigation progression
• Dated entries show increasing concern and urgency
• Last entries suggest imminent action (infiltration of sub-basement)
• Bloodstain and signs of struggle suggest forced departure

Keeper Notes

• The Landlady as Gateway: Middleham is the key to accessing the flat. Handling this NPC well sets the tone for investigation. Poor social rolls result in blocked access and reputation damage in Bloomsbury society.
• Emotional Resonance: The flat should feel like a moment frozen in time—a snapshot of Bellamy’s last days of freedom. Contrast this with the horrors of the Catacoustic Chamber later.
• The Order Connection: Finding the signet ring and coded correspondence confirms Bellamy’s true nature and provides legitimacy if investigators need to claim Order authority.
• Multiple Evidence Types: The flat contains physical evidence (blood, ring), documentary evidence (diary, letters, musical notations), and atmospheric evidence (abandoned state, signs of distress). Multiple investigation approaches should yield results.

Appearances

Relationships

• Located at Imogen Bellamy — Bellamy's residence before capture; contains evidence of her final days
• Owned by Prudence Middleham — Landlady; was last person to speak with Bellamy