Tatters of the King - User contributions [en-gb]

Carlo Schippone

2006-08-29T07:18:31Z

203.211.85.83:

[[Image:Schippone.jpg|right]]

Session 11

2006-08-29T07:08:00Z

203.211.85.83: /* Saturday December 21th 1929 */

=== Monday December 16th 1929 ===

The investigators meet this evening at Dr. [[Bartlett]]'s house to discuss events in the Severn Valley and what should be done with the information gathered there. [[Saunders]] has arrived back in England that very morning.

the decision is made to visit Milan as quickly as possible in order to be back in London by Christmas.

=== Tuesday December 17th 1929 ===

Tickets and guidebooks are purchased, excuses are made to spouses, bags are packed.

=== Wednesday December 18th 1929 ===

The 8.30am boat-train is caught, via Dover, arriving in Paris in late afternoon. With 4 hours to kill before the sleeper rain leaves for Milan, the investigators walk by the Seine and dine at a pleasant bistro in the shadow of Notre-Dame. The sleeper train leaves for Milan.

=== Thursday December 19th 1929 ===

[[Image:milan1.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Central Milan]]

The investigators arrive in [[Milan]] at 7.30am and book into the Hotel des Anglais. The desk clerk arranges an interpreter/guide, and young [[Paolo Tuminardo]] - well-dressed, polite and a fervent member of the Fascist party is introduced.

The investigators tell him they need a guide for the tourist sites later, but for now they need an interpreter to help them with some urgent business. They ask for his aid in finding the shipping office of [[Giuseppe Colombo]] in Milan's ''Navigli'' region and he leads them to a cab and thence into the winding streets of Southern Milan's canal district.

Asking for directions at a small cafe, Tuminardo locates Colombo's office and leads the way inside.

In the office a strange pair of companions sit at a desk above which hangs a version of Da Vinci's "Last Supper" painted from the rear. The two men in the office are a wizened, bald old man with a milky eye and a sour expression and a somewhat effete looking young man with a startlingly sharp nose and long hair.

Tuminardo explains that his friends are looking for [[Malcolm Quarrie]] or [[Thomas Villiers]], at which point the young man stands and introduces himself in a refined English accent as Villiers.

The old man sits silently, scowling. "Don't mind Signor Colombo." says Villiers.

The investigators ask about Quarrie, at which point Villiers happily responds "The official story is that they have gone to Tibet, but in reality they are on a Pilgrimage..."

Colombo explodes into angry, rapid Italian invective. Obviously he understands enough English to realise what Villers is discussing. The old man shouts at Villers, telling him that he should not tell these strangers such things and that the [[King in Yellow]] will crush the likes of them - at least thats what Tuminardo was able to gather from his tirade.

Villiers suggests to the investigators that they accompany him to his studio, he has no idea whats got into Giuseppe, but clearly they have outstayed their welcome. On the way to his studio, a few doors from Colombo's, Villiers explains that he knew Quarrie in London and came to Italy with him when they both broke with their former friends in England.

The investigators dismiss Paolo and tell him to meet them outside later, then enter Villiers' cramped studio. They are surrounded by dark abstract paintings and blank canvasses. Villiers goes to get a bottle of grappa and some glasses and returns to explain the philosopy of [[The Brothers of the Yellow Sign]] and the purpose of [[Malcolm Quarrie]]'s Pilgrimage.

He tells how he and his friends believe that the Christian Trinity is a distorted version of the true Trinity of [[Hastur]] and that Quarrie, along with the university professor [[Roberto Anzalone]] has gone in search of their God. At about this time [[Browne]] notices a page of notes pinned to a blank canvas. Several phrases leap out at him - '[[Springer Mound]]', '[[The King in Yellow]]', '[[Nepal]]' and '[[Drakmar]]'. It seems to be [http://www.artistmonkey.com/Downloads/25_Notes_found_in_the_Studio_of_Thomas_Villiers.pdf notes for a planned tryptich]showing the Trinity of Hastur. Browne pockets the paper.

Just as Villiers is about to explain the Pilgrimage in detail he suddenly stops talking. A strange look comes across his face as if he's suddenly realised that he's telling private business to stangers. He says 'I just need to get something' and makes for the door.

Before anyone can react, the artist opens the door and cries out "Angel! I bound you and I release you!". He steps out, slams the door shut behind him and a heavy thump comes from the roof.

The investigators look up just as the skylight implodes and a [[byakhee]] crashes down to the floor, almost on top of [[Bartlett]]. Bartlett barely has time to register surprise as the creature tears his stomach open with a single grab of its great claws, spraying gore across the room.

Browne dives for the window, Saunders grabs an easel and Withers picks up a nearby poker and lays into the monstet, cracking a perfect blow against its snout, breaking bone and crushing flesh. the byakhee shrieks and with a thundrous flapping of wings flies staight up and out into the night sky.

Outside, Browne gives chase to Villiers, catching him, landing an ineffective blow and then receiving a well-aimed kick to his bad ankle that leaves him writhing as Villiers flees into the night.

Back in the studio, the others try to aid Bartlett, but he is already dead. The rest of the investigators stand in stunned horror for a few seconds, but still have the presence of mind to search the studio for further clues, of which they find none.

The police and an ambulance are called and the investigators explain that their freind was killed by Villiers using some kind of metal implement that they did not see properly. Inspector Materazzi of the Milan police takes them in for questioning and the studio is seasled off as a murder scene.

The police hunt for Villiers, as the prime suspect in Bartlett's murder, and the respectable nature of the investigators is to their advantage, as their story is believed.

=== Friday December 20th 1929 ===

The day is taken up with further questioning, formal identification of the body, contacting Bartlett's family and the Tavistock Institute and all the other inevitable mess that follows a death by foul means.

That evening [[Thomas Villers]] is found dead, floating in the canal, an apparent suicide. Materazzi considers the case closed.

=== Saturday December 21th 1929 ===

Saunders decides to take the opportunity to do a little local research with Paolo's aid and visits the university library. While there he remembers that the unievrsity funded [[Quarrie]] and [[Anzalone]]'s expedition so he makes a call, presents his credentials from the British Museum and ends up having an afternoon meeting with Dr. Bacci, Anzalone's colleague who tells him what he knows of [http://www.artistmonkey.com/Downloads/27_Newspaper_Article_on_the_Departure_of_Italian_Archaeological_Expedition.pdf the planned expedition].

Using information provided by the Englishman, Quarrie, professor Anzalone hopes to discover the lost city of Jiwakhar, former capital of the Southern Tibetan kingdom of Gungthang. Bacci lends an 1845 book anout the area to Saunders, and from it, and maps available in the library discovers that Gungthang is immediately North of the little known Nepalese kingdom of [[Mustang]], which was mentioned in [[Villiers]]' notes and which may be the true destination of the '[[Pilgrimage of Grace]]'.

Bacci says that Anzalone and Quarrie trvelled with [[Carlo Schippone]], a graduate student, and Major [[Ricardo Delnegro]] of the ''Alpini''. Delnegro's involvement is indicative of the Fascist government's desire to be involved in all significant Italian endeavours in order to take its share of the credit.

Bacci believes the expedition will be gone for at least 6 months.

Saunders decides to keep the book and post it back from England.

=== Sunday December 22nd 1929 ===

Italy being a pious nation, not much is open on Sunday. The surviving investigators rest, read, mourn their friend and start planning a trip to Nepal or Tibet - though nepal will be problematic as the nation is closed to Westerners.

=== Monday December 23nd 1929 ===

The day is spent travelling back to London. Bartlett's coffin is met by relatives ehrn they reach Paris.

=== Tuesday December 24th 1929 ===

The surviving investigators arrive in a snowbound London on the morning of Christmas Eve. They are hardly in the mood for celebration, but they all have at least one or two people they need to buy presents for, and they seperate and agree to meet up again at Bartlett's funeral, which is arranged for New Year's Eve, Monday 31st December, 1929. Bartlett's story will end with the decade.

Session 11

2006-08-29T07:06:54Z

203.211.85.83: /* Thursday December 19th 1929 */

=== Monday December 16th 1929 ===

The investigators meet this evening at Dr. [[Bartlett]]'s house to discuss events in the Severn Valley and what should be done with the information gathered there. [[Saunders]] has arrived back in England that very morning.

the decision is made to visit Milan as quickly as possible in order to be back in London by Christmas.

=== Tuesday December 17th 1929 ===

Tickets and guidebooks are purchased, excuses are made to spouses, bags are packed.

=== Wednesday December 18th 1929 ===

The 8.30am boat-train is caught, via Dover, arriving in Paris in late afternoon. With 4 hours to kill before the sleeper rain leaves for Milan, the investigators walk by the Seine and dine at a pleasant bistro in the shadow of Notre-Dame. The sleeper train leaves for Milan.

=== Thursday December 19th 1929 ===

[[Image:milan1.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Central Milan]]

The investigators arrive in [[Milan]] at 7.30am and book into the Hotel des Anglais. The desk clerk arranges an interpreter/guide, and young [[Paolo Tuminardo]] - well-dressed, polite and a fervent member of the Fascist party is introduced.

The investigators tell him they need a guide for the tourist sites later, but for now they need an interpreter to help them with some urgent business. They ask for his aid in finding the shipping office of [[Giuseppe Colombo]] in Milan's ''Navigli'' region and he leads them to a cab and thence into the winding streets of Southern Milan's canal district.

Asking for directions at a small cafe, Tuminardo locates Colombo's office and leads the way inside.

In the office a strange pair of companions sit at a desk above which hangs a version of Da Vinci's "Last Supper" painted from the rear. The two men in the office are a wizened, bald old man with a milky eye and a sour expression and a somewhat effete looking young man with a startlingly sharp nose and long hair.

Tuminardo explains that his friends are looking for [[Malcolm Quarrie]] or [[Thomas Villiers]], at which point the young man stands and introduces himself in a refined English accent as Villiers.

The old man sits silently, scowling. "Don't mind Signor Colombo." says Villiers.

The investigators ask about Quarrie, at which point Villiers happily responds "The official story is that they have gone to Tibet, but in reality they are on a Pilgrimage..."

Colombo explodes into angry, rapid Italian invective. Obviously he understands enough English to realise what Villers is discussing. The old man shouts at Villers, telling him that he should not tell these strangers such things and that the [[King in Yellow]] will crush the likes of them - at least thats what Tuminardo was able to gather from his tirade.

Villiers suggests to the investigators that they accompany him to his studio, he has no idea whats got into Giuseppe, but clearly they have outstayed their welcome. On the way to his studio, a few doors from Colombo's, Villiers explains that he knew Quarrie in London and came to Italy with him when they both broke with their former friends in England.

The investigators dismiss Paolo and tell him to meet them outside later, then enter Villiers' cramped studio. They are surrounded by dark abstract paintings and blank canvasses. Villiers goes to get a bottle of grappa and some glasses and returns to explain the philosopy of [[The Brothers of the Yellow Sign]] and the purpose of [[Malcolm Quarrie]]'s Pilgrimage.

He tells how he and his friends believe that the Christian Trinity is a distorted version of the true Trinity of [[Hastur]] and that Quarrie, along with the university professor [[Roberto Anzalone]] has gone in search of their God. At about this time [[Browne]] notices a page of notes pinned to a blank canvas. Several phrases leap out at him - '[[Springer Mound]]', '[[The King in Yellow]]', '[[Nepal]]' and '[[Drakmar]]'. It seems to be [http://www.artistmonkey.com/Downloads/25_Notes_found_in_the_Studio_of_Thomas_Villiers.pdf notes for a planned tryptich]showing the Trinity of Hastur. Browne pockets the paper.

Just as Villiers is about to explain the Pilgrimage in detail he suddenly stops talking. A strange look comes across his face as if he's suddenly realised that he's telling private business to stangers. He says 'I just need to get something' and makes for the door.

Before anyone can react, the artist opens the door and cries out "Angel! I bound you and I release you!". He steps out, slams the door shut behind him and a heavy thump comes from the roof.

The investigators look up just as the skylight implodes and a [[byakhee]] crashes down to the floor, almost on top of [[Bartlett]]. Bartlett barely has time to register surprise as the creature tears his stomach open with a single grab of its great claws, spraying gore across the room.

Browne dives for the window, Saunders grabs an easel and Withers picks up a nearby poker and lays into the monstet, cracking a perfect blow against its snout, breaking bone and crushing flesh. the byakhee shrieks and with a thundrous flapping of wings flies staight up and out into the night sky.

Outside, Browne gives chase to Villiers, catching him, landing an ineffective blow and then receiving a well-aimed kick to his bad ankle that leaves him writhing as Villiers flees into the night.

Back in the studio, the others try to aid Bartlett, but he is already dead. The rest of the investigators stand in stunned horror for a few seconds, but still have the presence of mind to search the studio for further clues, of which they find none.

The police and an ambulance are called and the investigators explain that their freind was killed by Villiers using some kind of metal implement that they did not see properly. Inspector Materazzi of the Milan police takes them in for questioning and the studio is seasled off as a murder scene.

The police hunt for Villiers, as the prime suspect in Bartlett's murder, and the respectable nature of the investigators is to their advantage, as their story is believed.

=== Friday December 20th 1929 ===

The day is taken up with further questioning, formal identification of the body, contacting Bartlett's family and the Tavistock Institute and all the other inevitable mess that follows a death by foul means.

That evening [[Thomas Villers]] is found dead, floating in the canal, an apparent suicide. Materazzi considers the case closed.

=== Saturday December 21th 1929 ===

Saunders decides to take the opportunity to do a little local research with Paolo's aid and visits the university library. While there he remembers that the unievrsity funded [[Quarrie]] and [[Anzalone]]'s expedition so he makes a call, presents his credentials from the British Museum and ends up having an afternoon meeting with Dr. Bacci, Anzalone's colleague who tells him what he knows of the planned expedition

using information provided by the Englishman, Quarrie, professor Anzalone hopes to discover the lost city of Jiwakhar, former capital of the Southern Tibetan kingdom of Gungthang. Bacci lends an 1845 book anout the area to Saunders, and from it, and maps available in the library discovers that Gungthang is immediately North of the little known Nepalese kingdom of [[Mustang]], which was mentioned in [[Villiers]]' notes and which may be the true destination of the '[[Pilgrimage of Grace]]'.

Bacci says that Anzalone and Quarrie trvelled with [[Carlo Schippone]], a graduate student, and Major [[Ricardo Delnegro]] of the ''Alpini''. Delnegro's involvement is indicative of the Fascist government's desire to be involved in all significant Italian endeavours in order to take its share of the credit.

Bacci believes the expedition will be gone for at least 6 months.

Saunders decides to keep the book and post it back from England.

=== Sunday December 22nd 1929 ===

Italy being a pious nation, not much is open on Sunday. The surviving investigators rest, read, mourn their friend and start planning a trip to Nepal or Tibet - though nepal will be problematic as the nation is closed to Westerners.

=== Monday December 23nd 1929 ===

The day is spent travelling back to London. Bartlett's coffin is met by relatives ehrn they reach Paris.

=== Tuesday December 24th 1929 ===

The surviving investigators arrive in a snowbound London on the morning of Christmas Eve. They are hardly in the mood for celebration, but they all have at least one or two people they need to buy presents for, and they seperate and agree to meet up again at Bartlett's funeral, which is arranged for New Year's Eve, Monday 31st December, 1929. Bartlett's story will end with the decade.

Milan

2006-08-29T06:01:10Z

203.211.85.83:

Milan, or ''Milano'' is the largest city in the Northern Italian province of Lombardy. It is a thriving industrial city of 850,000 people and is one of the cities where Mussolini's Fascists have their strongest power base.

[[image:milanmap.jpg|right|thumb|500px|Map of Central Milan]]
Milanese companies such as Alfa Romeo and Pirelli provide a large number of relatively low paid jobs and consequently the city has a large number of tenement blocks, locally called ''Ringhieri''.

In contrast to the urban sprawl of tenements and factories Milan also contains a number of architectural and cultural treasures to rival any in Rome including its famous cathedral, the internationally reknowned La Scala opera house and Leonardo Da Vinci's painting 'the Last Supper'.

[[Image:milancath.jpg|left|thumb|250px|Milan Cathedral]]

[[Image:navigli.jpg|right|thumb|250px|The Navigli]]

Milan is home to a faction of [[The Brothers of the Yellow Sign]], members of which include [[Giuseppe Colombo]], [[Thomas Villiers]], [[Roberto Anzalone]] and [[Malcolm Quarrie]]. Colombo's offices are found in the ''Navigli'' region of Milan, an industrial area threaded by a network of canals used to transport goods

Abzalone and Quarrie's '[[Pilgrimage of Grace]]' was funded by the local university, and is supported by the Italian army, who sent along a captain from the local ''Alpini'' regiment of skilled mountain troops.

Tatters of the King

2006-08-29T06:00:26Z

203.211.85.83: /* Player Characters */

[[Image:Tatters_Cover.gif|right]]
'''Tatters of the King'''[http://catalog.chaosium.com/product_info.php?products_id=773&osCsid=07f84f248e3a49f3cf6199ee7fbb6629] is a new Call of Cthulhu campaign written by Tim Wiseman and published by [http://chaosium.com Chaosium] and through which our role-playing [http://tentaclesandunderpants.info group] is currently being run. Play started on May 8th 2006. See [[current events]] for next session date.

The game is being played in the suburb of Ellerslie, in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auckland Auckland, New Zealand].

==Setting==

The game is initially set in [http://www.yog-sothoth.com/docs/article-london-guide-1928.pdf London], [http://greywolfnz.homeip.net/wiki/attachments/1928.doc 1928]. It is the start of a bitterly cold winter, the worst in decades.

London is the capital of an empire covering a quarter of the globe and governing one quarter of the human race. The people busy themselves with concerns of politics and government, finance and production, work and recreation. How fragile things are. What ignorance there is.

There are those whose engage in different pursuits - who would see an inhuman power come to Earth such that it would make mundane activity seem like a last twitch before dying.........

==GM==

The Keeper of Arcane Lore is [[Mark Chiddicks]]

==Players==

The players are:

[[Nicola Bishop]]

[[Julia Blackmore]]

[[Marcus Gustafsson]]

[[Darryn Mercer]]

==[[Player Characters]]==

[[image:crew.jpg|right|200px]]

[[Doctor Frederick Bartlett]] (deceased) - Eminent research psychologist, played by Marcus Gustafsson.

[[Nathaniel Browne]] - A failed writer, looking for his big story, played by Darryn Mercer

[[Andrew Saunders]] - British Museum curator and proud Scot, Played by Julia Blackmore.

[[Captain George Withers]] - Coldstream Guards. Career soldier. Played by Nicola Bishop.

==Notable Non-Player Characters==

'''Prologue'''

[[Talbot Estus]] (deceased) - American novelist, now debuting as a playwright

''The Group'' - an amateur theatrical troupe:

[[Michael Gillen]] - Retired publisher, amateur actor and acquaintance of [[Doctor Frederick Bartlett]]. Estus's friend and companion.

[[Hannah Keith]] - Amateur Actress and sister of [[Andrew Saunders]]

[[George Keith]] - Amateur Actor and husband of [[Hannah Keith]]

[[Walter Paige]] - Amateur Actor

[[Jean Hewart]] - Amateur Actress

'''Chapter One'''

[[Dr. Charles Highsmith]] - Asylum Superintendent

[[Alexander Roby]] - Incarcerated Madman

[[Lucius Harriwell]] - Incarcerated Madman

[[Price and Evans]] - Asylum Nurses

'''Chapter Two'''

[[Dr. Lionel Trollope]] (deceased) - Roby family physician

[[Grahame Roby]] - Financier, Alexander Roby's brother

[[Detective Inspector Andrew Taylor]] - of New Scotland Yard

[[Delia Hartston]] - Alexander Roby's former fiancee, now [[Delia Morrison]]

[[Peter Morrison]] - Abusive husband of Delia

[[Vincent Tuck]] - Private Detective, hired by Grahame Roby

[[Coombes]] (deceased?) - Sinister stalker, Bacon's ex-bodyguard.

'''Chapter Three'''

[[Harold Jennings]] (deceased) - Unfriendly Suffolk farmer

[[Montague Edwards]] (deceased) - Alexander Roby's secret guardian

[[Lawrence Bacon]] (deceased?) - Antiquarian, occultist and sorcerer

'''Chapter Four'''

[[Cec Watts]] (deceased) - Tabloid Journalist

[[Henry Lister]] - Terrified cultist and necrophobe

[[Quentin Spence]] - Poet and Failed Cultist

[[Noss]] of Yhtill - Leather worker from an alien world

[[Yolanda]] - Noblewoman from [[Cassilda]]'s court

[[Aleister Crowley]] - Famed Occultist

'''Chapter Five'''

[[Wilfred Gresty]] (deceased) - Writer of letters and spy for the Goatswood cult

[[Hillary Quarrie]] - Estranged wife of Malcolm and priestess of the Goat

[[Atkinson]] (deceased) - Ailing leader of the Goatswood Shub-Niggurath cult

'''Chapter Six'''

[[Paolo Tuminardo]] - Milanese Guide and young Fascist

[[Giuseppe Colombo]] - Ancient, curmudgeonly Italian Brother of the Yellow Sign

[[Thomas Villers]] (deceased) - Insane artist and Brother of the Yellow Sign

[[Robert Anzalone]] - Professor of Asian History and Brother of the Yellow Sign

[[Carlo Schippone]] - Graduate student and Himalayan adventurer

Major [[Ricardo Delnegro]] - ''Alpini'' officer and Himalayan adventurer

[[Malcolm Quarrie]] - Elusive scientist and occultist

==Literary Works==

[[Carcosa, or The Queen and the Stranger]] - a fantasy in two acts, [http://greywolfnz.homeip.net/wiki/attachments/CARCOSA.pdf script] by [[Talbot Estus]]

[[Le Roi en Jeune]] - a rare French play, playwright anonymous

[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_King_in_Yellow The King in Yellow] - a collection of short [http://www.yankeeclassic.com/miskatonic/library/stacks/literature/chambers/stories/kinginye/contents.htm stories] by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_W._Chambers Robert W Chambers]

[[An Inhabitant of Carcosa and Haita the Shepherd]] - by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ambrose_Bierce Ambrose Bierce]

[[Der Wanderer durch den See]] - by [[Alexander Roby]]

[[British Gods]]: Religion and Myth in the Western Kingdoms of Anglo-Saxon Britain - by [[Malcolm Quarrie]]

[[The Turner Codex]]: A translation of Mesoamerican prayers and libations to Hastur - trans. M. Turner ''et al''

[[The Tatters of the King]]: A book of short stories by [[Nathaniel Browne]]

[[The Revelations of Glaaki]]: The Goatswood cult's compilation of occult knowledge

==Locations==

[http://www.mdx.ac.uk/www/study/mapengwa.htm Map of England and Wales, 1928]

[http://www.yog-sothoth.com/docs/article-london-guide-1928.pdf London], England - [http://www.londonancestor.com/maps/roads-central.htm Map of London, 1926]

The [[Scala Theatre]], Charlotte St, London

[[St Agnes Asylum]], [[Weobley]], Herefordshire, England

[[Clare Melford]], Suffolk, England

[[Loch Mullardoch]], near Inverness, Scotland

[[Carcosa]], a dream city made flesh

[[Goatswood]], an area of the Severn Valley in Gloucestershire

[[Nug's Farm]], Hillary Quarrie's home, in the Goatswood region

[[Milan]], Lombardy, Italy

==Sessions==

''As referred to in the session reports below, there have been a number of [[murders]] related to the Roby case.''

[[Session 1]] - Opening Night

[[Session 1.5]] - The Madman

[[Session 2]] - The Plot Thickens

[[Session 3]] - Alexander's Friends

[[Session 4]] - Teeth of Winter

[[Session 5]] - Four Go Mad in London

[[Session 6]] - Death by Night, Death by Day

[[Session 7]] - Missing Persons

[[Session 8]] - To Walk Upon the Earth in Carcosa

[[Session 9]] - Aftermath - a Year in the Lives...

[[Session 10]] - Nug's Farm, or "Are You Local?"

[[Session 11]] - Il Frateilli di Signo Giallo

Tatters of the King

2006-08-29T05:59:52Z

203.211.85.83: /* Notable Non-Player Characters */

[[Image:Tatters_Cover.gif|right]]
'''Tatters of the King'''[http://catalog.chaosium.com/product_info.php?products_id=773&osCsid=07f84f248e3a49f3cf6199ee7fbb6629] is a new Call of Cthulhu campaign written by Tim Wiseman and published by [http://chaosium.com Chaosium] and through which our role-playing [http://tentaclesandunderpants.info group] is currently being run. Play started on May 8th 2006. See [[current events]] for next session date.

The game is being played in the suburb of Ellerslie, in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auckland Auckland, New Zealand].

==Setting==

The game is initially set in [http://www.yog-sothoth.com/docs/article-london-guide-1928.pdf London], [http://greywolfnz.homeip.net/wiki/attachments/1928.doc 1928]. It is the start of a bitterly cold winter, the worst in decades.

London is the capital of an empire covering a quarter of the globe and governing one quarter of the human race. The people busy themselves with concerns of politics and government, finance and production, work and recreation. How fragile things are. What ignorance there is.

There are those whose engage in different pursuits - who would see an inhuman power come to Earth such that it would make mundane activity seem like a last twitch before dying.........

==GM==

The Keeper of Arcane Lore is [[Mark Chiddicks]]

==Players==

The players are:

[[Nicola Bishop]]

[[Julia Blackmore]]

[[Marcus Gustafsson]]

[[Darryn Mercer]]

==[[Player Characters]]==

[[image:crew.jpg|right|200px]]

[[Doctor Frederick Bartlett]] - Eminent research psychologist, played by Marcus Gustafsson.

[[Nathaniel Browne]] - A failed writer, looking for his big story, played by Darryn Mercer

[[Andrew Saunders]] - British Museum curator and proud Scot, Played by Julia Blackmore.

[[Captain George Withers]] - Coldstream Guards. Career soldier. Played by Nicola Bishop.

==Notable Non-Player Characters==

'''Prologue'''

[[Talbot Estus]] (deceased) - American novelist, now debuting as a playwright

''The Group'' - an amateur theatrical troupe:

[[Michael Gillen]] - Retired publisher, amateur actor and acquaintance of [[Doctor Frederick Bartlett]]. Estus's friend and companion.

[[Hannah Keith]] - Amateur Actress and sister of [[Andrew Saunders]]

[[George Keith]] - Amateur Actor and husband of [[Hannah Keith]]

[[Walter Paige]] - Amateur Actor

[[Jean Hewart]] - Amateur Actress

'''Chapter One'''

[[Dr. Charles Highsmith]] - Asylum Superintendent

[[Alexander Roby]] - Incarcerated Madman

[[Lucius Harriwell]] - Incarcerated Madman

[[Price and Evans]] - Asylum Nurses

'''Chapter Two'''

[[Dr. Lionel Trollope]] (deceased) - Roby family physician

[[Grahame Roby]] - Financier, Alexander Roby's brother

[[Detective Inspector Andrew Taylor]] - of New Scotland Yard

[[Delia Hartston]] - Alexander Roby's former fiancee, now [[Delia Morrison]]

[[Peter Morrison]] - Abusive husband of Delia

[[Vincent Tuck]] - Private Detective, hired by Grahame Roby

[[Coombes]] (deceased?) - Sinister stalker, Bacon's ex-bodyguard.

'''Chapter Three'''

[[Harold Jennings]] (deceased) - Unfriendly Suffolk farmer

[[Montague Edwards]] (deceased) - Alexander Roby's secret guardian

[[Lawrence Bacon]] (deceased?) - Antiquarian, occultist and sorcerer

'''Chapter Four'''

[[Cec Watts]] (deceased) - Tabloid Journalist

[[Henry Lister]] - Terrified cultist and necrophobe

[[Quentin Spence]] - Poet and Failed Cultist

[[Noss]] of Yhtill - Leather worker from an alien world

[[Yolanda]] - Noblewoman from [[Cassilda]]'s court

[[Aleister Crowley]] - Famed Occultist

'''Chapter Five'''

[[Wilfred Gresty]] (deceased) - Writer of letters and spy for the Goatswood cult

[[Hillary Quarrie]] - Estranged wife of Malcolm and priestess of the Goat

[[Atkinson]] (deceased) - Ailing leader of the Goatswood Shub-Niggurath cult

'''Chapter Six'''

[[Paolo Tuminardo]] - Milanese Guide and young Fascist

[[Giuseppe Colombo]] - Ancient, curmudgeonly Italian Brother of the Yellow Sign

[[Thomas Villers]] (deceased) - Insane artist and Brother of the Yellow Sign

[[Robert Anzalone]] - Professor of Asian History and Brother of the Yellow Sign

[[Carlo Schippone]] - Graduate student and Himalayan adventurer

Major [[Ricardo Delnegro]] - ''Alpini'' officer and Himalayan adventurer

[[Malcolm Quarrie]] - Elusive scientist and occultist

==Literary Works==

[[Carcosa, or The Queen and the Stranger]] - a fantasy in two acts, [http://greywolfnz.homeip.net/wiki/attachments/CARCOSA.pdf script] by [[Talbot Estus]]

[[Le Roi en Jeune]] - a rare French play, playwright anonymous

[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_King_in_Yellow The King in Yellow] - a collection of short [http://www.yankeeclassic.com/miskatonic/library/stacks/literature/chambers/stories/kinginye/contents.htm stories] by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_W._Chambers Robert W Chambers]

[[An Inhabitant of Carcosa and Haita the Shepherd]] - by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ambrose_Bierce Ambrose Bierce]

[[Der Wanderer durch den See]] - by [[Alexander Roby]]

[[British Gods]]: Religion and Myth in the Western Kingdoms of Anglo-Saxon Britain - by [[Malcolm Quarrie]]

[[The Turner Codex]]: A translation of Mesoamerican prayers and libations to Hastur - trans. M. Turner ''et al''

[[The Tatters of the King]]: A book of short stories by [[Nathaniel Browne]]

[[The Revelations of Glaaki]]: The Goatswood cult's compilation of occult knowledge

==Locations==

[http://www.mdx.ac.uk/www/study/mapengwa.htm Map of England and Wales, 1928]

[http://www.yog-sothoth.com/docs/article-london-guide-1928.pdf London], England - [http://www.londonancestor.com/maps/roads-central.htm Map of London, 1926]

The [[Scala Theatre]], Charlotte St, London

[[St Agnes Asylum]], [[Weobley]], Herefordshire, England

[[Clare Melford]], Suffolk, England

[[Loch Mullardoch]], near Inverness, Scotland

[[Carcosa]], a dream city made flesh

[[Goatswood]], an area of the Severn Valley in Gloucestershire

[[Nug's Farm]], Hillary Quarrie's home, in the Goatswood region

[[Milan]], Lombardy, Italy

==Sessions==

''As referred to in the session reports below, there have been a number of [[murders]] related to the Roby case.''

[[Session 1]] - Opening Night

[[Session 1.5]] - The Madman

[[Session 2]] - The Plot Thickens

[[Session 3]] - Alexander's Friends

[[Session 4]] - Teeth of Winter

[[Session 5]] - Four Go Mad in London

[[Session 6]] - Death by Night, Death by Day

[[Session 7]] - Missing Persons

[[Session 8]] - To Walk Upon the Earth in Carcosa

[[Session 9]] - Aftermath - a Year in the Lives...

[[Session 10]] - Nug's Farm, or "Are You Local?"

[[Session 11]] - Il Frateilli di Signo Giallo

Session 11

2006-08-29T05:55:03Z

203.211.85.83: /* Saturday December 21th 1929 */

=== Monday December 16th 1929 ===

The investigators meet this evening at Dr. [[Bartlett]]'s house to discuss events in the Severn Valley and what should be done with the information gathered there. [[Saunders]] has arrived back in England that very morning.

the decision is made to visit Milan as quickly as possible in order to be back in London by Christmas.

=== Tuesday December 17th 1929 ===

Tickets and guidebooks are purchased, excuses are made to spouses, bags are packed.

=== Wednesday December 18th 1929 ===

The 8.30am boat-train is caught, via Dover, arriving in Paris in late afternoon. With 4 hours to kill before the sleeper rain leaves for Milan, the investigators walk by the Seine and dine at a pleasant bistro in the shadow of Notre-Dame. The sleeper train leaves for Milan.

=== Thursday December 19th 1929 ===

[[Image:milan1.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Central Milan]]

The investigators arrive in [[Milan]] at 7.30am and book into the Hotel des Anglais. The desk clerk arranges an interpreter/guide, and young [[Paolo Tuminardo]] - well-dressed, polite and a fervent member of the Fascist party is introduced.

The investigators tell him they need a guide for the tourist sites later, but for now they need an interpreter to help them with some urgent business. They ask for his aid in finding the shipping office of [[Giuseppe Colombo]] in Milan's ''Navigli'' region and he leads them to a cab and thence into the winding streets of Southern Milan's canal district.

Asking for directions at a small cafe, Tuminardo locates Colombo's office and leads the way inside.

In the office a strange pair of companions sit at a desk above which hangs a version of Da Vinci's "Last Supper" painted from the rear. The two men in the office are a wizened, bald old man with a milky eye and a sour expression and a somewhat effete looking young man with a startlingly sharp nose and long hair.

Tuminardo explains that his friends are looking for [[Malcolm Quarrie]] or [[Thomas Villiers]], at which point the young man stands and introduces himself in a refined English accent as Villiers.

The old man sits silently, scowling. "Don't mind Signor Colombo." says Villiers.

The investigators ask about Quarrie, at which point Villiers happily responds "The official story is that they have gone to Tibet, but in reality they are on a Pilgrimage..."

Colombo explodes into angry, rapid Italian invective. Obviously he understands enough English to realise what Villers is discussing. The old man shouts at Villers, telling him that he should not tell these strangers such things and that the [[King in Yellow]] will crush the likes of them - at least thats what Tuminardo was able to gather from his tirade.

Villiers suggests to the investigators that they accompany him to his studio, he has no idea whats got into Giuseppe, but clearly they have outstayed their welcome. On the way to his studio, a few doors from Colombo's, Villiers explains that he knew Quarrie in London and came to Italy with him when they both broke with their former friends in England.

The investigators dismiss Paolo and tell him to meet them outside later, then enter Villiers' cramped studio. They are surrounded by dark abstract paintings and blank canvasses. Villiers goes to get a bottle of grappa and some glasses and returns to explain the philosopy of [[The Brothers of the Yellow Sign]] and the purpose of [[Malcolm Quarrie]]'s Pilgrimage.

He tells how he and his friends believe that the Christian Trinity is a distorted version of the true Trinity of [[Hastur]] and that Quarrie, along with the university professor [[Roberto Anzalone]] has gone in search of their God. At about this time [[Browne]] notices a page of notes pinned to a blank canvas. Several phrases leap out at him - '[[Springer Mound]]', '[[The King in Yellow]]', '[[Nepal]]' and '[[Drakmar]]'. It seems to be notes for a planned tryptich showing the Trinity of Hastur. Browne pockets the paper.

Just as Villiers is about to explain the Pilgrimage in detail he suddenly stops talking. A strange look comes across his face as if he's suddenly realised that he's telling private business to stangers. He says 'I just need to get something' and makes for the door.

Before anyone can react, the artist opens the door and cries out "Angel! I bound you and I release you!". He steps out, slams the door shut behind him and a heavy thump comes from the roof.

The investigators look up just as the skylight implodes and a [[byakhee]] crashes down to the floor, almost on top of [[Bartlett]]. Bartlett barely has time to register surprise as the creature tears his stomach open with a single grab of its great claws, spraying gore across the room.

Browne dives for the window, Saunders grabs an easel and Withers picks up a nearby poker and lays into the monstet, cracking a perfect blow against its snout, breaking bone and crushing flesh. the byakhee shrieks and with a thundrous flapping of wings flies staight up and out into the night sky.

Outside, Browne gives chase to Villiers, catching him, landing an ineffective blow and then receiving a well-aimed kick to his bad ankle that leaves him writhing as Villiers flees into the night.

Back in the studio, the others try to aid Bartlett, but he is already dead. The rest of the investigators stand in stunned horror for a few seconds, but still have the presence of mind to search the studio for further clues, of which they find none.

The police and an ambulance are called and the investigators explain that their freind was killed by Villiers using some kind of metal implement that they did not see properly. Inspector Materazzi of the Milan police takes them in for questioning and the studio is seasled off as a murder scene.

The police hunt for Villiers, as the prime suspect in Bartlett's murder, and the respectable nature of the investigators is to their advantage, as their story is believed.

=== Friday December 20th 1929 ===

The day is taken up with further questioning, formal identification of the body, contacting Bartlett's family and the Tavistock Institute and all the other inevitable mess that follows a death by foul means.

That evening [[Thomas Villers]] is found dead, floating in the canal, an apparent suicide. Materazzi considers the case closed.

=== Saturday December 21th 1929 ===

Saunders decides to take the opportunity to do a little local research with Paolo's aid and visits the university library. While there he remembers that the unievrsity funded [[Quarrie]] and [[Anzalone]]'s expedition so he makes a call, presents his credentials from the British Museum and ends up having an afternoon meeting with Dr. Bacci, Anzalone's colleague who tells him what he knows of the planned expedition

using information provided by the Englishman, Quarrie, professor Anzalone hopes to discover the lost city of Jiwakhar, former capital of the Southern Tibetan kingdom of Gungthang. Bacci lends an 1845 book anout the area to Saunders, and from it, and maps available in the library discovers that Gungthang is immediately North of the little known Nepalese kingdom of [[Mustang]], which was mentioned in [[Villiers]]' notes and which may be the true destination of the '[[Pilgrimage of Grace]]'.

Bacci says that Anzalone and Quarrie trvelled with [[Carlo Schippone]], a graduate student, and Major [[Ricardo Delnegro]] of the ''Alpini''. Delnegro's involvement is indicative of the Fascist government's desire to be involved in all significant Italian endeavours in order to take its share of the credit.

Bacci believes the expedition will be gone for at least 6 months.

Saunders decides to keep the book and post it back from England.

=== Sunday December 22nd 1929 ===

Italy being a pious nation, not much is open on Sunday. The surviving investigators rest, read, mourn their friend and start planning a trip to Nepal or Tibet - though nepal will be problematic as the nation is closed to Westerners.

=== Monday December 23nd 1929 ===

The day is spent travelling back to London. Bartlett's coffin is met by relatives ehrn they reach Paris.

=== Tuesday December 24th 1929 ===

The surviving investigators arrive in a snowbound London on the morning of Christmas Eve. They are hardly in the mood for celebration, but they all have at least one or two people they need to buy presents for, and they seperate and agree to meet up again at Bartlett's funeral, which is arranged for New Year's Eve, Monday 31st December, 1929. Bartlett's story will end with the decade.

Session 11

2006-08-29T05:54:16Z

203.211.85.83: /* Tuesday December 23nd 1929 */

=== Monday December 16th 1929 ===

The investigators meet this evening at Dr. [[Bartlett]]'s house to discuss events in the Severn Valley and what should be done with the information gathered there. [[Saunders]] has arrived back in England that very morning.

the decision is made to visit Milan as quickly as possible in order to be back in London by Christmas.

=== Tuesday December 17th 1929 ===

Tickets and guidebooks are purchased, excuses are made to spouses, bags are packed.

=== Wednesday December 18th 1929 ===

The 8.30am boat-train is caught, via Dover, arriving in Paris in late afternoon. With 4 hours to kill before the sleeper rain leaves for Milan, the investigators walk by the Seine and dine at a pleasant bistro in the shadow of Notre-Dame. The sleeper train leaves for Milan.

=== Thursday December 19th 1929 ===

[[Image:milan1.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Central Milan]]

The investigators arrive in [[Milan]] at 7.30am and book into the Hotel des Anglais. The desk clerk arranges an interpreter/guide, and young [[Paolo Tuminardo]] - well-dressed, polite and a fervent member of the Fascist party is introduced.

The investigators tell him they need a guide for the tourist sites later, but for now they need an interpreter to help them with some urgent business. They ask for his aid in finding the shipping office of [[Giuseppe Colombo]] in Milan's ''Navigli'' region and he leads them to a cab and thence into the winding streets of Southern Milan's canal district.

Asking for directions at a small cafe, Tuminardo locates Colombo's office and leads the way inside.

In the office a strange pair of companions sit at a desk above which hangs a version of Da Vinci's "Last Supper" painted from the rear. The two men in the office are a wizened, bald old man with a milky eye and a sour expression and a somewhat effete looking young man with a startlingly sharp nose and long hair.

Tuminardo explains that his friends are looking for [[Malcolm Quarrie]] or [[Thomas Villiers]], at which point the young man stands and introduces himself in a refined English accent as Villiers.

The old man sits silently, scowling. "Don't mind Signor Colombo." says Villiers.

The investigators ask about Quarrie, at which point Villiers happily responds "The official story is that they have gone to Tibet, but in reality they are on a Pilgrimage..."

Colombo explodes into angry, rapid Italian invective. Obviously he understands enough English to realise what Villers is discussing. The old man shouts at Villers, telling him that he should not tell these strangers such things and that the [[King in Yellow]] will crush the likes of them - at least thats what Tuminardo was able to gather from his tirade.

Villiers suggests to the investigators that they accompany him to his studio, he has no idea whats got into Giuseppe, but clearly they have outstayed their welcome. On the way to his studio, a few doors from Colombo's, Villiers explains that he knew Quarrie in London and came to Italy with him when they both broke with their former friends in England.

The investigators dismiss Paolo and tell him to meet them outside later, then enter Villiers' cramped studio. They are surrounded by dark abstract paintings and blank canvasses. Villiers goes to get a bottle of grappa and some glasses and returns to explain the philosopy of [[The Brothers of the Yellow Sign]] and the purpose of [[Malcolm Quarrie]]'s Pilgrimage.

He tells how he and his friends believe that the Christian Trinity is a distorted version of the true Trinity of [[Hastur]] and that Quarrie, along with the university professor [[Roberto Anzalone]] has gone in search of their God. At about this time [[Browne]] notices a page of notes pinned to a blank canvas. Several phrases leap out at him - '[[Springer Mound]]', '[[The King in Yellow]]', '[[Nepal]]' and '[[Drakmar]]'. It seems to be notes for a planned tryptich showing the Trinity of Hastur. Browne pockets the paper.

Just as Villiers is about to explain the Pilgrimage in detail he suddenly stops talking. A strange look comes across his face as if he's suddenly realised that he's telling private business to stangers. He says 'I just need to get something' and makes for the door.

Before anyone can react, the artist opens the door and cries out "Angel! I bound you and I release you!". He steps out, slams the door shut behind him and a heavy thump comes from the roof.

The investigators look up just as the skylight implodes and a [[byakhee]] crashes down to the floor, almost on top of [[Bartlett]]. Bartlett barely has time to register surprise as the creature tears his stomach open with a single grab of its great claws, spraying gore across the room.

Browne dives for the window, Saunders grabs an easel and Withers picks up a nearby poker and lays into the monstet, cracking a perfect blow against its snout, breaking bone and crushing flesh. the byakhee shrieks and with a thundrous flapping of wings flies staight up and out into the night sky.

Outside, Browne gives chase to Villiers, catching him, landing an ineffective blow and then receiving a well-aimed kick to his bad ankle that leaves him writhing as Villiers flees into the night.

Back in the studio, the others try to aid Bartlett, but he is already dead. The rest of the investigators stand in stunned horror for a few seconds, but still have the presence of mind to search the studio for further clues, of which they find none.

The police and an ambulance are called and the investigators explain that their freind was killed by Villiers using some kind of metal implement that they did not see properly. Inspector Materazzi of the Milan police takes them in for questioning and the studio is seasled off as a murder scene.

The police hunt for Villiers, as the prime suspect in Bartlett's murder, and the respectable nature of the investigators is to their advantage, as their story is believed.

=== Friday December 20th 1929 ===

The day is taken up with further questioning, formal identification of the body, contacting Bartlett's family and the Tavistock Institute and all the other inevitable mess that follows a death by foul means.

That evening [[Thomas Villers]] is found dead, floating in the canal, an apparent suicide. Materazzi considers the case closed.

=== Saturday December 21th 1929 ===

Saunders decides to take the opportunity to do a little local research with Paolo's aid and visits the university library. While there he remembers that the unievrsity funded [[Quarrie]] and [[Anzalone]]'s expedition so he makes a call, presents his credentials from th British Museum and ends up having an afternoon meeting with Dr. Bacci, Anzalone's colleague who tells him what he knows of the planned expedition

using information provided by the Englishman, Quarrie, professor Anzalone hopes to discover the lost city of Jiwakhar, former capital of the Southern Tibetan kingdom of Gungthang. Bacci lends an 1845 book anout the area to Saunders, and from it, and maps available in the library discovers that Gungthang is immediately North of the little known Nepalese kingdom of [[Mustang]], which was mentioned in [[Villiers]]' notes and which may be the true destination of the '[[Pilgrimage of Grace]]'.

Bacci says that Anzalone and Quarrie trvelled with [[Carlo Schippone]], a graduate student, and Major Ricardo Delnegro of the ''Alpini''. Delnegro's involvement is indicative of the Fascist government's desire to be involved in all significant Italian endeavours in order to take its share of the credit.

Bacci believes the expedition will be gone for at least 6 months.

Saunders decides to keep the book and post it back from England.

=== Sunday December 22nd 1929 ===

Italy being a pious nation, not much is open on Sunday. The surviving investigators rest, read, mourn their friend and start planning a trip to Nepal or Tibet - though nepal will be problematic as the nation is closed to Westerners.

=== Monday December 23nd 1929 ===

The day is spent travelling back to London. Bartlett's coffin is met by relatives ehrn they reach Paris.

=== Tuesday December 24th 1929 ===

The surviving investigators arrive in a snowbound London on the morning of Christmas Eve. They are hardly in the mood for celebration, but they all have at least one or two people they need to buy presents for, and they seperate and agree to meet up again at Bartlett's funeral, which is arranged for New Year's Eve, Monday 31st December, 1929. Bartlett's story will end with the decade.

Session 11

2006-08-29T05:52:37Z

203.211.85.83: /* Friday December 20th 1929 */

=== Monday December 16th 1929 ===

The investigators meet this evening at Dr. [[Bartlett]]'s house to discuss events in the Severn Valley and what should be done with the information gathered there. [[Saunders]] has arrived back in England that very morning.

the decision is made to visit Milan as quickly as possible in order to be back in London by Christmas.

=== Tuesday December 17th 1929 ===

Tickets and guidebooks are purchased, excuses are made to spouses, bags are packed.

=== Wednesday December 18th 1929 ===

The 8.30am boat-train is caught, via Dover, arriving in Paris in late afternoon. With 4 hours to kill before the sleeper rain leaves for Milan, the investigators walk by the Seine and dine at a pleasant bistro in the shadow of Notre-Dame. The sleeper train leaves for Milan.

=== Thursday December 19th 1929 ===

[[Image:milan1.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Central Milan]]

The investigators arrive in [[Milan]] at 7.30am and book into the Hotel des Anglais. The desk clerk arranges an interpreter/guide, and young [[Paolo Tuminardo]] - well-dressed, polite and a fervent member of the Fascist party is introduced.

The investigators tell him they need a guide for the tourist sites later, but for now they need an interpreter to help them with some urgent business. They ask for his aid in finding the shipping office of [[Giuseppe Colombo]] in Milan's ''Navigli'' region and he leads them to a cab and thence into the winding streets of Southern Milan's canal district.

Asking for directions at a small cafe, Tuminardo locates Colombo's office and leads the way inside.

In the office a strange pair of companions sit at a desk above which hangs a version of Da Vinci's "Last Supper" painted from the rear. The two men in the office are a wizened, bald old man with a milky eye and a sour expression and a somewhat effete looking young man with a startlingly sharp nose and long hair.

Tuminardo explains that his friends are looking for [[Malcolm Quarrie]] or [[Thomas Villiers]], at which point the young man stands and introduces himself in a refined English accent as Villiers.

The old man sits silently, scowling. "Don't mind Signor Colombo." says Villiers.

The investigators ask about Quarrie, at which point Villiers happily responds "The official story is that they have gone to Tibet, but in reality they are on a Pilgrimage..."

Colombo explodes into angry, rapid Italian invective. Obviously he understands enough English to realise what Villers is discussing. The old man shouts at Villers, telling him that he should not tell these strangers such things and that the [[King in Yellow]] will crush the likes of them - at least thats what Tuminardo was able to gather from his tirade.

Villiers suggests to the investigators that they accompany him to his studio, he has no idea whats got into Giuseppe, but clearly they have outstayed their welcome. On the way to his studio, a few doors from Colombo's, Villiers explains that he knew Quarrie in London and came to Italy with him when they both broke with their former friends in England.

The investigators dismiss Paolo and tell him to meet them outside later, then enter Villiers' cramped studio. They are surrounded by dark abstract paintings and blank canvasses. Villiers goes to get a bottle of grappa and some glasses and returns to explain the philosopy of [[The Brothers of the Yellow Sign]] and the purpose of [[Malcolm Quarrie]]'s Pilgrimage.

He tells how he and his friends believe that the Christian Trinity is a distorted version of the true Trinity of [[Hastur]] and that Quarrie, along with the university professor [[Roberto Anzalone]] has gone in search of their God. At about this time [[Browne]] notices a page of notes pinned to a blank canvas. Several phrases leap out at him - '[[Springer Mound]]', '[[The King in Yellow]]', '[[Nepal]]' and '[[Drakmar]]'. It seems to be notes for a planned tryptich showing the Trinity of Hastur. Browne pockets the paper.

Just as Villiers is about to explain the Pilgrimage in detail he suddenly stops talking. A strange look comes across his face as if he's suddenly realised that he's telling private business to stangers. He says 'I just need to get something' and makes for the door.

Before anyone can react, the artist opens the door and cries out "Angel! I bound you and I release you!". He steps out, slams the door shut behind him and a heavy thump comes from the roof.

The investigators look up just as the skylight implodes and a [[byakhee]] crashes down to the floor, almost on top of [[Bartlett]]. Bartlett barely has time to register surprise as the creature tears his stomach open with a single grab of its great claws, spraying gore across the room.

Browne dives for the window, Saunders grabs an easel and Withers picks up a nearby poker and lays into the monstet, cracking a perfect blow against its snout, breaking bone and crushing flesh. the byakhee shrieks and with a thundrous flapping of wings flies staight up and out into the night sky.

Outside, Browne gives chase to Villiers, catching him, landing an ineffective blow and then receiving a well-aimed kick to his bad ankle that leaves him writhing as Villiers flees into the night.

Back in the studio, the others try to aid Bartlett, but he is already dead. The rest of the investigators stand in stunned horror for a few seconds, but still have the presence of mind to search the studio for further clues, of which they find none.

The police and an ambulance are called and the investigators explain that their freind was killed by Villiers using some kind of metal implement that they did not see properly. Inspector Materazzi of the Milan police takes them in for questioning and the studio is seasled off as a murder scene.

The police hunt for Villiers, as the prime suspect in Bartlett's murder, and the respectable nature of the investigators is to their advantage, as their story is believed.

=== Friday December 20th 1929 ===

The day is taken up with further questioning, formal identification of the body, contacting Bartlett's family and the Tavistock Institute and all the other inevitable mess that follows a death by foul means.

That evening [[Thomas Villers]] is found dead, floating in the canal, an apparent suicide. Materazzi considers the case closed.

=== Saturday December 21th 1929 ===

Saunders decides to take the opportunity to do a little local research with Paolo's aid and visits the university library. While there he remembers that the unievrsity funded [[Quarrie]] and [[Anzalone]]'s expedition so he makes a call, presents his credentials from th British Museum and ends up having an afternoon meeting with Dr. Bacci, Anzalone's colleague who tells him what he knows of the planned expedition

using information provided by the Englishman, Quarrie, professor Anzalone hopes to discover the lost city of Jiwakhar, former capital of the Southern Tibetan kingdom of Gungthang. Bacci lends an 1845 book anout the area to Saunders, and from it, and maps available in the library discovers that Gungthang is immediately North of the little known Nepalese kingdom of [[Mustang]], which was mentioned in [[Villiers]]' notes and which may be the true destination of the '[[Pilgrimage of Grace]]'.

Bacci says that Anzalone and Quarrie trvelled with [[Carlo Schippone]], a graduate student, and Major Ricardo Delnegro of the ''Alpini''. Delnegro's involvement is indicative of the Fascist government's desire to be involved in all significant Italian endeavours in order to take its share of the credit.

Bacci believes the expedition will be gone for at least 6 months.

Saunders decides to keep the book and post it back from England.

=== Sunday December 22nd 1929 ===

Italy being a pious nation, not much is open on Sunday. The surviving investigators rest, read, mourn their friend and start planning a trip to Nepal or Tibet - though nepal will be problematic as the nation is closed to Westerners.

=== Monday December 23nd 1929 ===

The day is spent travelling back to London. Bartlett's coffin is met by relatives ehrn they reach Paris.

=== Tuesday December 23nd 1929 ===

The surviving investigators arrive in a snowbound London on the morning of Christmas Eve. They are hardly in the mood for celebration, but they all have at least one or two people they need to buy presents for, and they seperate and agree to meet up again at Browne's house after Christmas.

Talbot Estus

2006-06-02T23:51:43Z

203.211.85.83: /* Facts */

[[Image:Talbot_Estus.png|right]]
Talbot Estus, born Waldo Easterman in Lansing, Texas is a noted American novelist, producing works of what he calls romantic horror or macabre romances (though critics can find little difference between the two).

Talbot's earlier works were popular, but his later works suffer from either lack of originality, or, on the odd occasion they are inventive, excessive peculiarity.

He is a tanned, active-looking man with a thick moustache and full head of hair. He has poor eyesight and uses 3 different pairs of glasses for varying tasks. A fastidious dresser, he has a weakness for Panama hats.

His homosexuality an open secret, he shares his London flat with his former publisher, [[Michael Gillen]]. Gillen is worried about Estus, believing that he has an irrational fear of the stars (astrophobia) and an unhealthy obsession with the play "[[The King in Yellow]]".

Estus told [[Nathaniel Browne]] that he had read and enjoyed the stories of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_W._Chambers Robert W Chambers], but it was his discovery of the French play, '[[Le Roi en Jeune]]'
that showed him the true importance, and power of this material.

Since the play predated Chambers it must have been his source, but according to the literary world, Chambers invented it all himself. The existence of the French play disproves that, and it goes far beyond Chambers' mere hints, so Estus wrote to Chambers about it some months back. Chambers, somewhat rudely, has not replied at all. Estus suspects that Chambers is embarassed as being found out as a plagiarist of a far greater work. Estus himself freely acknowledges the play as being the root of his own work.

==Works==

The Grey Lady (1905) - heavily influenced by 'The Turn of the Screw'

The Haunting of Agatha May (1912) - his biggest success

The Curse of Beydelus (1921) - a tale of a magician's pact with a demon

Evilroot (1926) - a ghost story and an excursion into Egyptology

The Revenant King (1928) - a poorly received tale of medieval horror

[[Carcosa, or The Queen and the Stranger]] (1928)

According to [[Michael Gillen]], Estus is working on an epic treatment of '[[The King in Yellow]]' in novel form.

==Facts==

Talbot is currently working on a novel treatment of the same material from the play [[Carcosa, or The Queen and the Stranger]]. His attachment to the work seems almost maniacal. In the play itself, he appeared as [[the King in Yellow]].

Talbot is homosexual, and his lover is [[Michael Gillen]] though this relationship may be less than secure (or perhaps non-exclusive) as he mistakenly attempted to seduce [[Nathaniel Browne]], confusing respect for his work for personal affection, during a visit.

Talbot often checks windows and seems fearful of the sky at night. [[Doctor Frederick Bartlett]] has suggested that Talbot may suffer from [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astrophobia astrophobia].