Session 15 Notes

General Summary

• We arrive in New Orleans on May 15, 1923, and we make our way to the boarding house recommended by Jackson Elias. A storm is moving in as we make our way from the train station to the boarding house.  
  • Cillian looked into Arnaud Cazenave. He is a big name in the high culture food industry in New Orleans. He has been instrumental in trying to bring the french quarter. He is referred to as the Count because of his regal bearing. He is French but he tends to joke about it and make light of his heritage.
  • His taste is a bit odd, in the art and sculpture their is a lot of nudity, that is anatomically correct.  
    • At the foot of the staircase there is a nude nymph with her head thrown back and a satyr placed in front of her in a very suggestive, not with the times, sort of way.

• We arrive at The Cazenave House and find a large two story manor house with large columns and a wrap around porch on both levels.

• The door is answered by a man who is dressed very formally and smiles as we approach. His nose is a bit red on the tip.  
  • When we tell him who we are he lets us into the house. The entry room is very nice, polished wood floors and paneling. There is expensive looking art on the walls, statuary around the place, and a very expensive looking rug that is very clean.
   
  • He tells us that Mr. Cazenave is not home at the moment, but he reiterates that we need to be present at 5:30 for an Absinthe celebration.
   
  • In the south the affects of prohibition are less noticeable.

• The butler, Anton Goubeaux, takes us on a tour of the house.  
  • In the sitting room there is a handsome looking woman who looks done up almost like she is heading out of the house.  
    • She has some gray in her hair, but still has a very youthful appearance.
   
  • There is a singular door that is not a swinging door or a sliding door like the others we have seen in the house, that the butler does not mention.
   
  • There are two wash closets just for the guests.
   
  • We all take rooms and the butler assures us that our luggage will be placed in our rooms of choice.

• We notice that there is a very young African American woman who was dressed as a maid who we have seen in the house. There is also someone working in the kitchen, but the butler does not take us through there.

• There is some time to kill before the ceremony at 5:30.  
  • Cillian and the Doc sit on the balcony and smokes and watch the street below.
   
  • Boris goes and introduces himself to the lady of the house.
   
  • Jon heads to the kitchen

• Jon and Boris note that down the hallway where we were told the family resides there is jazz music playing.  
  • As they make their way down the stairs they see the lady of the house, Josette Cazenave, and she looks at them both disapprovingly.  
    • Boris rolls a crit and is able to win her over just a little bit. He is able to learn that the Lady is mad because her husband is really getting into the occult with a woman by the name of Irina Martin who owns an occult book shop, Le Petit Arcane, in the french quarter.
     
    • Boris learns that Cazenave has a young adult daughter that Josette is concerned about her getting involved in groups she finds unsavory. Josette seems very traditional and Boris is able to learn they were originally from France.
   
  • Jon heads into the kitchen and he sees numerous casks and bottles of alcohol that just seem to be much more than would be needed for who lives in this house.  
    • There is an older African American woman who is cooking in there.
     
    • She takes pity on Jon and makes him a sandwich.

• Everyone but Cillian notices that Anton has a set of keys he wears on his belt.

• Cillian and Doc sit outside and find it rather pleasant, the breeze is nice, and the air is full of the scent of magnolias.

• We start heading toward the sitting room.  
  • Cillian gets there first and he catches Anton drinking something. He starts and almost drops something  
    • Cillian can tell that the little glass he was drinking out smelled a bit like an expensive cognac or liquor.
     
    • He is setting up a absinthe fountain, that is brass, and covered with nubile looking nymphs.
     
    • He says that the man of the house bought the bottle of Absinthe at an auction from the artist Teluse Latrec.

• Anton prepares some of the Absinthe and offers it to us before Jackson and the master of the house arrive.  
  • He tells us that both Jackson and Mr. Cazenave have been gone since yesterday. They left together and have not returned since. Anton says that this is perfectly normal and he does.  
    • He does not know where they went.
     
    • He thinks that they may have gone to Cazenave's restaurant.
   
  • Anton seems very awkward as a butler.

• 6 o'clock comes and goes and neither arrive.

• Jon and the Doc go up to check Jackson's room to see if there are any clues therein.  
  • It is identical to the other rooms, however, there is luggage and a carry bag that they recognize it as belonging to Jackson. There is a carnation and a piece of paper on the small writing desk inside.  
    • The piece of paper is an Invitation to a Collaborative Jazz Operetta. Absinthe was going to be served starting at 9pm. We are uncertain if that was last night or tonight.
     
    • The carnation is wilting.
     
    • Jackson's bag is still packed and it doesn't appear to have been used.

• Cillian chats up Anton and learns:  
  • Anton really likes Cazenave, but believes that he is doing something illegal and unsavory at his restaurant.
   
  • He also says that Cazenave should spend less time doing the strange architecture stuff he is doing and spend more time with his family at home.
   
  • If he is home he locks himself in his office.

• Boris is able to find out that Jackson and Cazenave went to an operetta last night and they has not been back. She believes he is sleeping it off.  
  • He is able to learn that the bookstore is on bourbon street, close to Cazenave's restaurant.
   
  • Jackson went to the bookstore yesterday.
   
  • His restaurant is at 811 Beinville street.

• Jon and the Doc find that the room where the jazz music was coming from is now open. Looking in they find that it is a young woman's room.  
  • There is a young woman inside, dressed in a trendy party dress. She is a beautiful blonde dancing to the jazz.
   
  • Germaine Cazenave seems mad that her dad would not let her go to the show, but she repeats that she has not seen him since yesterday.
   
  • She doesn't know where Tristan Torne, the guy on the invitation is.
   
  • She doesn't seem to think much of the bookstore either or of Martin.

• We have a moment to talk when Anton leaves to go get us some sandwiches. He comes back with some crackers on a tray and he goes and leans on the wall. He starts to look around and mumbling about faeries.  
  • Boris is able to pickpocket Anton's keys from him.
   
  • Cillian continues to distract him as the others leave the sitting room with the keys.

• Boris tries a few keys and finally finds the one that unlocks the door.  
  • Doc and Boris step into the office and find a very spartan room. The first notable thing is there are no windows in the room. There are some paintings on the walls that are more classical in natures. The desk has papers strewn all over it.  
    • Boris looks through the papers on the desk and finds a bunch of blue prints and sketches of buildings and architecture. One of the blue prints is for the Absinthe House House and there are also blue prints for The Count's Spot (restaurant).  
      • Flipping one of the drawings he finds a sheet that doesn't match the others. There are depictions of underground passages that don't make a lot of sense for New Orleans. There is a Pencil Sketch that looks like a long limbed figure moving down the passage. Is very disconcerting that someone might be able to draw the image while staring at this strange creature.
       
      • He comes across another Invitation to a Collaborative Jazz Operetta.
   
  • There is also a book case that has glass doors to protect the tomes behind the doors.   The Doc notices the bookcase is full of an odd collection of books. There are a lot of cookbooks and culinary books
    • the rest or medical texts and books and journals on anatomy and physiology.  
      • In particular there is one book that is older than the rest that stands out. The title is in French.  
        • Flipping through the book he finds it is also written in French. There are illustrations of disections. None of these creatures look like anything he has seen before and it causes the Doc to have horrible flashbacks to things he saw in Peru. L'antaomie Empyrée is part of the name.
   
  • Boris takes the book from Floyd and flips through it and sees the bizarre things inside. It makes him queasy to look at it.
   
  • They talk about taking the book, but decide not to.

• This may refer to the same book that Jackson referred to in his Telegram for New Orleans.

• As Boris and Doc sneak out they are met with an exclamation, a feminine "Oh" from the doorway across.

• We ended the session there.

Notes

The book found in the Count's study was later identified by Boris Mitkov as L’anatomie Empyrée.