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

The Springer Mound Monsters

2006-07-22T08:40:05Z

203.211.86.85:

[[image:springer.jpg|right|200px|thumb]]

Two large winged creatures circling endlessly above Springer Mound near [[Clare Melford]]. One of these creatures attacked and killed [[Harold Jennings]] after he discharged a shotgun into one of the nine obelisks hidden on his land. It also hunted down and killed both of his dogs and the unfortunate local constable from Long Melford. The creature was seen clearly by [[Andrew Saunders]] as he witnessed its attack on [[Harold Jennings]] and less clearly by [[Nathaniel Browne]], but attacked neither of them. As far as anyone knows, the creatures are still there. Saunders managed to convince the police that the attacks were the work of Jennings' dogs who eventually killed the first policeman who accompanied Saunders back to the farm, and then each other .

Saunders described the creature as a man-sized insectoid horror with a head like a horse's skull. It had sharp claws on all four limbs, great leathery wings and dead grey eyes.

When the investiagtors returned to Springer Mound in early December 1928 the creatures had gone, along with the obelisks which they had apparently been guarding. The obelisks later turned up in Scotland.

The [[bone whistle]]'s owned by [[Lawrence Bacon]] and [[Henry Lister]] bear likenesses of these creatures.

The Springer Mound Monsters

2006-07-22T08:02:36Z

203.211.86.85:

[[image:springer.jpg|right|200px|thumb]]

Two large winged creatures circling endlessly above Springer Mound near [[Clare Melford]]. One of these creatures attacked and killed [[Harold Jennings]] after he discharged a shotgun into one of the nine obelisks hidden on his land. It also hunted down and killed both of his dogs and the unfortunate local constable from Long Melford. The creature was seen clearly by [[Andrew Saunders]] as he witnessed its attack on [[Harold Jennings]] and less clearly by [[Nathaniel Browne]], but attacked neither of them. As far as anyone knows, the creatures are still there. Saunders managed to convince the police that the attacks were the work of Jennings' dogs who eventually killed the first policeman who accompanied Saunders back to the farm, and then each other .

Saunders described the creature as a man-sized insectoid horror with a head like a horse's skull. It had sharp claws on all four limbs, great leathery wings and dead grey eyes.

When the investiagtors returned to Springer Mound in early December 1928 the craetures had gone, along with the obelisks which they had apparently been guarding.

The [[bone whistle]]'s owned by [[Lawrence Bacon]] and [[Henry Lister]] bear likenesses of these craetures.

Springer Mound

2006-07-22T08:00:53Z

203.211.86.85:

Spruinger Mound is a low hill on the land of [[Harold Jennings]] just outside the Suffolk village of [[Clare Melford]]. [[Andrew Saunders]] and [[Nathaniel Browne]] explored the hill and discovered a ring of nine holes surrounding a pool of viscous, tar-like liquid on its summit, which smelt of rotting fruit.

On its overgrown lower slopes, Saunders located nine uprooted obelisks, almost certainly the 'nine teeth' spoken of by [[Alexander Roby]]. These obelisks were of recent manufacture and had strange lines of poetry engraved upon them, referring in one place to '[[Hastur]]'.

Two flying creatures endlessly circled the Mound at a great height, and when [[Harold Jennings]], in an attempt to scare Saunders off his land accidentally discharged his shotgun into one of the stones, one of these creatures swooped down to attack, revealing the true nature of [[the Springer Mound Monsters]].

The nine stones and the smell of rotting vegetation both appeared in the dream that [[Doctor Frederick Bartlett]] had while visiting [[Weobley]].

The stones were removed by truck a week or so after Jennings' death and taken to Scotland. The creatures apparently disappeared at the same time.

Springer Mound

2006-07-22T08:00:31Z

203.211.86.85:

Spruinger Mound is a low hill on the land of [[Harold Jennings]] just outside the Suffolk village of [[Clare Melford]]. [[Andrew Saunders]] and [[Nathaniel Browne]] explored the hill and discovered a ring of nine holes surrounding a pool of viscous, tar-like liquid on its summit, which smelt of rotting fruit.

On its overgrown lower slopes, Saunders located nine uprooted obelisks, almost certainly the 'nine teeth' spoken of by [[Alexander Roby]]. These obelisks were of recent manufacture and had strange lines of poetry engraved upon them, referring in one place to '[[Hastur]]'.

Two flying creatures endlessly circled the Mound at a great height, and when [[Harold Jennings]], in an attempt to scare Saunders off his land accientally discharged his shotgun into one of the stones, one of these creatures swooped down to attack, revealing the true nature of [[the Springer Mound Monsters]].

The nine stones and the smell of rotting vegetation both appeared in the dream that [[Doctor Frederick Bartlett]] had while visiting [[Weobley]].

The stones were removed by truck a week or so after Jennings' death and taken to Scotland. The creatures apparwntly disappeared at the same time.

Clare Melford

2006-07-22T07:59:15Z

203.211.86.85:

[[image:longmelf.jpg|right|thumb|400px]]

[[image:cmelmap2.jpg|right|400px|thumb]]

[[image:cmelmap.jpg|right|400px|thumb]]

According to [[Delia Hartston]], a small Suffolk village where [[Alexander Roby]] claimed that 'nine teeth', of great beauty, had been erected for some undefined event of great significance due to take place in December of 1925.

The investigators arrived in Clare Melford on December 10th, 1928 and visited the Railway Tavern. In conversation with the locals, including landlord Dick Blair, they heard the story of the 'night of the curse', New Year's Eve 1925, on which five local residents died mysteriously in their beds. The victims were four elderly people and a young child.

They were also told about nearby [[Springer Mound]], on [[Harold Jennings]]' property, which [[Saunders]] and [[Browne]] visited the following day. There they appear to have found the 'nine teeth' - granite standing stones apparently brought up to the hill by [[Lawrence Bacon]] and his entourage.

Upon returning to the village at the beginning of December, the investigators found that the stones had been removed from Jennings' property one night a couple of weeks earlier and taken away in a couple of trucks. At least one of the stones was later found to have been re-erected near [[Loch Mullardoch]].

==Local History==

[[Andrew Saunders]] has researched the history of the Clare Melford Area.

== Clare Melford ==

Clare Melford is a tiny village midway between Clare and Long Melford. It basically comprises of a pub and a few houses. It is in the parish of Long Melford. There is no history of interest specific to it - nothing supernatural or any mention of a stone circle, apart from the standard EastAnglian ghost stories, in which ghostly dogs such as the hideous Black Shuck are a local specialty.

== Clare, Suffolk ==

Clare is a small town lying on the north bank of the River Stour in Suffolk, England, 22 km from Bury St Edmunds and 14 km from Sudbury.

Lying on an ancient road from Dunwich in East Anglia into the Midlands, Clare contains a large double-ditched "camp" which probably marks the first permanent settlement in the area. This location ensured Clare's importance which continued after the Norman Conquest, and a castle was built south of the "camp" on a high motte overlooking the town. The keep and parts of the inner and outer baileys still exist and the castle is part of the Clare Castle Country Park which contains the only railway station built wihin a castle in the UK, though it is now decommisioned. The town and castle were given to Richard Fitz Gilbert, Earl of Brion in Normandy whose lands became known as the 'Honour of Clare' and Fitz Gilbert called himself the Earl of Clare.

Established by Richard de Clare, Earl of Gloucester in 1248, Clare Priory is the first house of Augustinian Friars in England. Lying next to the Clare Castle Country Park, the Priory is still used as a retreat centre.

The late 15th Century parish church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul is one of the most beautiful churches in East Anglia.

== Long Melford ==

Long Melford, more generally known as Melford, is an ancient village in Suffolk, England, on the border with Essex. The border lying along the banks of the River Stour. Long Melford is approximately 16 miles from Colchester and 14 miles from Bury St. Edmunds.

Long Melford's most unusual feature is the Holy Trinity church which is large enough to be a cathedral and sports a celebrated stained glass three hares motif.

Long Melford contains two stately homes called Kentwell Hall and Melford Hall. Both are in excellent repair, having been built from the proceeds of the wool trade in the Middle Ages.

Loch Mullardoch

2006-07-22T07:54:25Z

203.211.86.85:

[[Image:loch_mullardoch.jpg|right|300px]]

Loch Mullardoch lies 8 miles to the West of the small village of Cannich, 30 miles of so South of Inverness, Scotland. Its Eastern end is surrounded by the private Mullardoch Estate and the former hunting lodge called Mullardoch House lies there. The Loch is 8 miles long and a little less than a mile wide at its broadest. It runs roughly East to West.

On the North shore lies the East Benula Forest and the mountain slopes of Sgurr na Lapaich and An Riabhachan. To the South are the peaks of Beinn Fhionnlaidh, Tom a Coinich and Toll Creagach. At the Eastern end is Mullardoch House and the road to Cannich, at the Western end is the West Benula Forest. The mountains that surround the Loch reach up to 4000 feet.

[[Image:mullardochhousex.jpg|left]]

[[Montague Edwards]] styles himself 'Laird of Mullardoch' and he chose the Loch as the site to bring the city of [[Carcosa]] to Earth in December 1928, taking [[Alexander Roby]] there to aid him.

The [[Hastur]] Cult that had gathered around [[Bacon]], and [[Edwards]] were told to meet in Inverness on December 5th. By December 10th, Carcosa had appeared spread around the Loch, although it could not be seen from a distance. Instead one found oneself already surrounded by the city without ever having knowingly entered it

[[Image:mulloch.jpg|centre]]

Mark Chiddicks

2006-07-22T02:07:31Z

203.211.86.85:

[[Image:amber.jpg|thumb|200px|Mark and Spawn]]

chiddicks@woosh.co.nz

A data analyst and father of 2 small eldritch things (aka children). A resident of of Auckland NZ since 1994, when his wife Sonja brought him back as a souvenir of her travels, Mark continues to be English despite being told to stop on several occasions. He has been playing Call of Cthulhu since the Great Old Ones were merely the Great Middle-aged Ones.

Mark turns 40 on August 1st 2006, and this is [[Mark's birthday present wish list]].

Mark has run Masks of Nyarlathotep two and a half times, Horror's Heart and Horror On the Orient Express twice each, Beyond the Mountains of Madness, Uttati Asfet, Shadows of Yog-Sothoth, The Fungi From Yuggoth, Realm of Shadows and Spawn of Azathoth once each and countless other one-off scenarios

He owns copy 127 of the leather-bound Miskatonic University Edition of the Call of Cthulhu rulebook, and 1/3 of the R'Lyeh Disk.

[[image:book.jpg]]

Lawrence Bacon

2006-07-22T01:01:22Z

203.211.86.85:

[[image:bacon.jpg|right]]

Lawrence Bacon is a London antique dealer and rumoured occultist, identified by [[Vincent Tuck]] as the leader of [[Alexander Roby]]'s circle of friends, which included [[Malcolm Quarrie]], [[Edwards]] and [[Coombes]]. [[Dr Lionel Trollope]]'s last letter implies that Bacon may know something about the [[Roby murders]].

Tuck revealed Bacon's address to be 112 Liverpool Road, N1. According to [[Vincent Tuck's report]] Bacon once killed a man using black magic.

Tuck describes him as tall and heavily-built with greying hair and a full beard. He looked about 55 years old in 1925.

When encountered by the canal on the night of November 27th 1928 Bacon seemed to be no older than 40. He used what appeared to be magic to kill a vagrant, then when challenged by [[Withers]] called for Coombes before charging into the attack. Withers fired, but the bullet appeared to have no effect on Bacon, who was chanting strange words and holding out his hands which appeared to be changing into the heads of snakes!

Despite shrugging off the effects of the first few bullets to strike him, Bacon was eventually injured. As he fought desperately for his life he trod on a loose stone and plunged into the canal. He did not resurface and is assumed dead.

In Bacon's shop the investigators found a number of interesting books and [[the Chime of Tezchaptl]], prior to being forced to flee by the appearance of creatures that [[Andrew Saunders]] tentatively identifed as [[ghouls]], coming up from his basement.

In a letter posted the next day [[Wilfred Gresty]] thanked the investigators for 'the murder of Bacon', but it is not known how Gresty knows Bacon is dead. The December 8th edition of "Occult Magazine" carried an [http://www.artistmonkey.com/Downloads/17_Bacons_Obituary.pdf obituary] for Bacon written under the pseudonym of "Perdurabo" (Latin for "I will endure"). This obituary was too well-written to have been the work of Gresty unless he was faking his poor literacy in the letters.

After the murder of [[Cec Watts]] the police went to Bacon's shop and found that it had been thoroughly ransacked.

Lawrence Bacon

2006-07-22T01:00:33Z

203.211.86.85:

[[image:bacon.jpg|right]]

Lawrence Bacon is a London antique dealer and rumoured occultist, identified by [[Vincent Tuck]] as the leader of [[Alexander Roby]]'s circle of friends, which included [[Malcolm Quarrie]], [[Edwards]] and [[Coombes]]. [[Dr Lionel Trollope]]'s last letter implies that Bacon may know something about the [[Roby murders]].

Tuck revealed Bacon's address to be 112 Liverpool Road, N1. According to [[Vincent Tuck's report]] Bacon once killed a man using black magic.

Tuck describes him as tall and heavily-built with greying hair and a full beard. He looked about 55 years old in 1925.

When encountered by the canal on the night of November 27th 1928 Bacon seemed to be no older than 40. He used what appeared to be magic to kill a vagrant, then when challenged by [[Withers]] called for Coombes before charging into the attack. Withers fired, but the bullet appeared to have no effect on Bacon, who was chanting strange words and holding out his hands which appeared to be changing into the heads of snakes!

Despite shrugging off the effects of the first few bullets to strike him, Bacon was eventually injured. As he fought desperately for his life he trod on a loose stone and plunged into the canal. He did not resurface and is assumed dead.

In Bacon's shop the investigators found a number of interesting books and [[the Chime of Tezchaptl]], prior to being forced to flee by the appearance of creatures that [[Andrew Saunders]] tentatively identifed as [[ghouls]], coming up from his basement.

[[Wilfred Gresty]] thanked the investigators for 'the murder of Bacon', but it is not known how Gresty knows Bacon is dead. The December 8th edition of "Occult Magazine" carried an [http://www.artistmonkey.com/Downloads/17_Bacons_Obituary.pdf obituary] for Bacon written under the pseudonym of "Perdurabo" (Latin for "I will endure"). This obituary was too well-written to have been the work of Gresty unless he was faking his poor literacy in the letters.

After the murder of [[Cec Watts]] the police went to Bacon's shop and found that it had been thoroughly ransacked.

Lawrence Bacon

2006-07-22T00:59:14Z

203.211.86.85:

[[image:bacon.jpg|right]]

Lawrence Bacon is a London antique dealer and rumoured occultist, identified by [[Vincent Tuck]] as the leader of [[Alexander Roby]]'s circle of friends, which included [[Malcolm Quarrie]], [[Edwards]] and [[Coombes]]. [[Dr Lionel Trollope]]'s last letter implies that Bacon may know something about the [[Roby murders]].

Tuck revealed Bacon's address to be 112 Liverpool Road, N1. According to [[Vincent Tuck's report]] Bacon once killed a man using black magic.

Tuck describes him as tall and heavily-built with greying hair and a full beard. He looked about 55 years old in 1925.

When encountered by the canal on the night of November 27th 1928 Bacon seemed to be no older than 40. He used what appeared to be magic to kill a vagrant, then when challenged by [[Withers]] called for Coombes before charging into the attack. Withers fired, but the bullet appeared to have no effect on Bacon, who was chanting strange words and holding out his hands which appeared to be changing into the heads of snakes!

Despite shrugging off the effects of the first few bullets to strike him, Bacon was eventually injured. As he fought desperately for his life he trod on a loose stone and plunged into the canal. He did not resurface and is assumed dead.

[[Wilfred Gresty]] thanked the investigators for 'the murder of Bacon', but it is not known how Gresty knows Bacon is dead. The December 8th edition of "Occult Magazine" carried an [http://www.artistmonkey.com/Downloads/17_Bacons_Obituary.pdf obituary] for Bacon written under the pseudonym of "Perdurabo" (Latin for "I will endure"). This obituary was too well-written to have been the work of Gresty unless he was faking his poor literacy in the letters.

In Bacon's shop the investigators found a number of interesting books and [[the Chime of Tezchaptl]], prior to being forced to flee by the appearance of creatures that [[Andrew Saunders]] tentatively identifed as [[ghouls]], coming up from his basement.

Lawrence Bacon

2006-07-22T00:54:37Z

203.211.86.85:

[[image:bacon.jpg|right]]

Lawrence Bacon is a London antique dealer and rumoured occultist, identified by [[Vincent Tuck]] as the leader of [[Alexander Roby]]'s circle of friends, which included [[Malcolm Quarrie]], [[Edwards]] and [[Coombes]]. [[Dr Lionel Trollope]]'s last letter implies that Bacon may know something about the [[Roby murders]].

Tuck revealed Bacon's address to be 112 Liverpool Road, N1. According to [[Vincent Tuck's report]] Bacon once killed a man using black magic.

Tuck describes him as tall and heavily-built with greying hair and a full beard. He looked about 55 years old in 1925.

When encountered by the canal on the night of November 27th 1928 Bacon seemed to be no older than 40. He used what appeared to be magic to kill a vagrant, then when challenged by [[Withers]] called for Coombes before charging into the attack. Withers fired, but the bullet appeared to have no effect on Bacon, who was chanting strange words and holding out his hands which appeared to be changing into the heads of snakes!

Despite shrugging off the effects of the first few bullets to strike him, Bacon was eventually injured. As he fought desperately for his life he trod on a loose stone and plunged into the canal. He did not resurface and is assumed dead.

[[Wilfred Gresty]] thanked the investigators for 'the murder of Bacon', but it is not known how Greaty knows Bacon is dead.

In Bacon's shop the investigators found a number of interesting books and [[the Chime of Tezchaptl]], prior to being forced to flee by the appearance of creatures that [[Andrew Saunders]] tentatively identifed as [[ghouls]], coming up from his basement.

Bacon

2006-07-22T00:53:32Z

203.211.86.85:

#redirect [[Lawrence Bacon]]

Loch Mullardoch

2006-07-22T00:53:08Z

203.211.86.85:

[[Image:loch_mullardoch.jpg|right|300px]]

Loch Mullardoch lies 8 miles to the West of the small village of Cannich, 30 miles of so South of Inverness, Scotland. Its Eastern end is surrounded by the private Mullardoch Estate and the former hunting lodge called Mullardoch House lies there. The Loch is 8 miles long and a little less than a mile wide at its broadest. It runs roughly East to West.

On the North shore lies the East Benula Forest and the mountain slopes of Sgurr na Lapaich and An Riabhachan. To the South are the peaks of Beinn Fhionnlaidh, Tom a Coinich and Toll Creagach. At the Eastern end is Mullardoch House and the road to Cannich, at the Western end is the West Benula Forest. Tjhe mountains that surround the Loch reach up to 4000 feet.

[[Image:mullardochhousex.jpg|left]]

[[Montague Edwards]] styles himself 'Laird of Mullardoch' and he chose the Loch as the site to bring the city of [[Carcosa]] to Earth in December 1928, taking [[Alexander Roby]] there to aid him.

The [[Hastur]] Cult that had gathered around [[Bacon]], and [[Edwards]] were told to meet in Inverness on December 5th. By December 10th, Carcosa had appeared spread around the Loch, although it could not be seen from a distance. Instead one found oneself already surrounded by the city without ever having knowingly entered it

[[Image:mulloch.jpg|centre]]

Loch Mullardoch

2006-07-22T00:52:41Z

203.211.86.85:

[[Image:loch_mullardoch.jpg|right|300px]]

Loch Mullardoch lies 8 miles to the West of the small village of Cannich, 30 miles of so South of Inverness, Scotland. Its Eastern end is surrounded by the private Mullardoch Estate and the former hunting lodge called Mullardoch House lies there. The Loch is 8 miles long and a little less than a mile wide at its broadest. It runs roughly East to West.

On the North shore lies the East Benula Forest and the mountain slopes of Sgurr na Lapaich and An Riabhachan. To the South are the peaks of Beinn Fhionnlaidh, Tom a Coinich and Toll Creagach. At the Eastern end is Mullardoch House and the road to Cannich, at the Western end is the West Benula Forest. Tjhe mountains that surround the Loch reach up to 4000 feet.

[[Image:mullardochhousex.jpg|left]]

[[Montague Edwards]] styles himself 'Laird of Mullardoch' and he chose the Loch as the site to bring the city of [[Carcosa]] to Earth in December 1928, taking [[Alexander Roby]] there to aid him.

The [[Hastur]] Cult that had gathered around [[Lawrence Bacon]], and [[Montague Edwards]] were told to meet in Inverness on December 5th. By December 10th, Carcosa had appeared spread around the Loch, although it could not be seen from a distance. Instead one found oneself already surrounded by the city without ever having knowingly entered it

[[Image:mulloch.jpg|centre]]

Loch Mullardoch

2006-07-22T00:51:28Z

203.211.86.85:

[[Image:loch_mullardoch.jpg|right|300px]]

Loch Mullardoch lies 8 miles to the West of the small village of Cannich, 30 miles of so South of Inverness, Scotland. Its Eastern end is surrounded by the private Mullardoch Estate and the former hunting lodge called Mullardoch House lies there. The Loch is 8 miles long and a little less than a mile wide at its broadest. It runs roughly East to West.

On the North shore lies the East Benula Forest and the mountain slopes of Sgurr na Lapaich and An Riabhachan. To the South are the peaks of Beinn Fhionnlaidh, Tom a Coinich and Toll Creagach. At the Eastern end is Mullardoch House and the road to Cannich, at the Western end is the West Benula Forest. Tjhe mountains that surround the Loch reach up to 4000 feet.

[[Image:mullardochhousex.jpg|left]]

[[Montague Edwards]] styles himself 'Laird of Mullardoch' and he chose the Loch as the site to bring the city of [[Carcosa]] to Earth in December 1928.

The [[Hastur]] Cult that gathered around [[Lawrence Bacon]], [[Edwards]] and formerly [[Malcolm Quarrie]] were told to meet in Inverness on December 5th. By December 10th, Carcosa had appeared spread around the Loch, although it could not be seen from a distance. Instead one found oneself already surrounded by the city without ever having knowingly entered it

[[Image:mulloch.jpg|centre]]

Carcosa

2006-07-22T00:45:06Z

203.211.86.85:

A wandering, dreamlike city, across the lake of Hali from [[Yhtill]]. The various versions of "[[the King in Yellow]]" all feature Carcosa as an important motif.

In early December 1928 a cult lead by [[Montague Edwards]], with the assistance of [[Alexander Roby]] somehow brought Carcosa physically to Earth. The city invaded this reality in Scotland, appearing on the shores of [[Loch Mullardoch]].

==Singularities==

1. It appeared overnight.

2. One could not tell from looking at it whether the city sat upon the waters of the lake, or beyond them.

3. When the moon arose, the towers of the city appeared behind it, not in front of it.

4. As soon as one looked upon the city, one knew its name

5. Unknown, but has something to do with the 'mystery of the [[Hyades]]'

[[image:Carcosa.jpg]]

Carcosa

2006-07-22T00:44:22Z

203.211.86.85:

A wandering, dreamlike city, across the lake of Hali from [[Yhtill]]. The various versions of "[[the King in Yellow]]" all feature Carcosa as an important motif.

In early December 1928 a cult lead by [[Montague Edwards]], with the assistance of [[Alexander Roby]] somehow brought Carcosa physically to Earth. The city invaded this reality in Scotland, appearing on the shores of [[loch Mullardoch]].

==Singularities==

1. It appeared overnight.

2. One could not tell from looking at it whether the city sat upon the waters of the lake, or beyond them.

3. When the moon arose, the towers of the city appeared behind it, not in front of it.

4. As soon as one looked upon the city, one knew its name

5. Unknown, but has something to do with the 'mystery of the [[Hyades]]'

[[image:Carcosa.jpg]]

Bone whistle

2006-07-22T00:40:37Z

203.211.86.85:

Dropped by [[Lawrence Bacon]] shortly before he fell into the canal, this whistle appears to be carved from black-stained bone. It is threaded onto a leather bootlace. the whistle is carved into the likeness of one of [[the Springer Mound Monsters]] wrapped around the shaft of the whistle.

Nobody has yet blown it.

A very similar whistle was carried by [[Henry Lister]] on the train to Inverness. After being dissuaded from continuing to Scotland Lister left the whistle behind with the investigators. He said that the whistles could be used to call or control 'the Children of Hastur', but that he had no idea how to use his and had never encountered such a creature. It seems that the cultists have these whistles as much as tokens of membership as for any practical purpose.

Bone whistle

2006-07-22T00:40:14Z

203.211.86.85:

Dropped by [[Lawrence Bacon]] shirtly before he fell into the canal, this whistle appears to be carved from black-stained bone. It is threaded onto a leather bootlace. the whistle is carved into the likeness of one of [[the Springer Mound Monsters]] wrapped around the shaft of the whistle.

Nobody has yet blown it.

A very similar whistle was carried by [[Henry Lister]] on the train to Inverness. After being dissuaded from continuing to Scotland Lister left the whistle behind with the investigators. He said that the whistles could be used to call or control 'the Children of Hastur', but that he had no idea how to use his and had never encountered such a creature. It seems that the cultists have these whistles as much as tokens of membership as for any practical purpose.

Bone whistle

2006-07-22T00:40:00Z

203.211.86.85:

Dropped by [[Lawrence Bacon]] shirtly before he fell into the canal, this whistle appears to be carved from black-stained bone. It is threaded onto a leather bootlace. the whistle is carved into the likeness of one of [[the Springer Mound Monsters]] wrapped around the shaft of the whistle.

Nobody has yet blown it.

A very similar whistle was carried by [[Henry Lister]] on the train to Inverness. After being dissuaded from continuing to Scotland Lister left the whistle behind with the investigators. He said that the whistles could be used to call or control 'the Children of hastur', but that he had no idea how to use his and had never encountered such a creature. It seems that the cultists have these whistles as much as tokens of membership as for any practical purpose.

Delia Hartston

2006-07-22T00:37:04Z

203.211.86.85:

[[image:deli.JPG|right]]

Delia Hartston (now Delia Morrison) is [[Alexander Roby]]'s former fiancee. When [[Dr Bartlett]] spoke to Roby, Roby initially seemed to think he was talking to Delia.

[[Grahame Roby]] expressed a distrust of Delia, suggesting she was in some way involved with the [[Roby murders]].

[[Captain George Withers]] engaged a private detective to locate her and traced her to Enfield, North of London, where she lives with her husband [[Peter Morrison]]. They married less than a year after Delia split with Roby, and he is 12 years her senior.

Withers and [[Bartlett]] visited her. She told them of Roby's dealings with [[Lawrence Bacon]], [[Malcolm Quarrie]] and [[Edwards]] and also mentioned [[Coombes]]. She also provided them with a copy of '[[the Walker by the Lake]]' and told them of [[Clare Melford]] and the 'nine teeth' that could be found there.

Withers believed that Delia's husband beat her, and was greatly troubled by this. When Delia invited Withers to her home on 21st November. ostensibly with information about the Roby case, Withers encountered a drunken, bellicose Peter and saw that Delia was sporting a black eye.

Challenged to fight by Peter Morrison, Wither soundly beat and hospitalised Delia's husband. Delia warned the stricken man to stay away from her.

After this event, Withers asked his sister Anna to take Delia in and Delia temporarily moved to Anna's house. Dining together at Anna's house shortly afterwards, both Delia and Withers struggled with their growing feelings for one another and the scandal that any relationship would surely cause.

When Delia received a note from Alexander asking her to meet him at [[Loch Mullardoch]] she immediately brought it to [[Withers]].

Alexander Roby

2006-07-22T00:36:01Z

203.211.86.85:

[[Image:Alexander_Roby.jpg|right]]
Born in 1892 to a wealthy middle class London family, Roby dropped out of Peterhouse prior to knocking around the Foreign Office for a couple of years. He left the FO and spent his time studying fringe interests (astronomy, art, the occult) and mixing with people of whom his family did not approve.

He was at one point engaged to [[Delia Hartston]], but Delia broke this off in late 1925.

On October 14th 1926 Roby's father Herbert and sister Georgina were brutally murdered at the family home in Curzon Street. Alexander was the also at home, and initially claimed responsibility. He was arrested, but instead of being charged with [[the Roby Murders]] was committed to [[St Agnes Asylum]]. The papers committing him were signed by Dr [[Highsmith]], Roby's older brother [[Grahame Roby]] and the Roby family physician, [[Dr Lionel Trollope]].

[[Highsmith]] believes Roby suffers from 'sympathetic mania', which manifests as severe night terrors, or scotophobia, that start each year at the anniversary of the muders and continue until the Spring. These attacks are being well-managed with laudanum, and Highsmith believes him fit for release to the care of his family or a convalescent home. Highsmith also believes Alexander innocent of the the [[Roby murders]].

His release hearing is scheduled for November 30th 1928.

Roby spends his time studying poetry and has made unusual marginal notes in his poetry books referring to various elements common to both the [[play]] 'Carcosa' and Robert W Chambers's '[[King in Yellow]]' stories.

He made an unusual [http://greywolfnz.homeip.net/wiki/attachments/Typed_Transcript_of_Alexander_Robys_Verbal_Responses.pdf statement] to [[Dr Bartlett]].

Back in 1923, a book by Alexander, called '[[Der Wanderer durch den See]]' was published.

In November of 1925, [[Grahame Roby]] hired [[Vincent Tuck]] to follow Alexander for 3 weeks to find out what he was doing when he was away from home. During this time, Roby spent his evenings with [[Lawrence Bacon]], [[Malcolm Quarrie]] and a man called [[Edwards]], meeting at Bacon's antique shop in Liverpool Road. Sometimes Roby stayed there until the early morning. Roby also visited the British Museum reading room once during this period, and also had a loud public argument with [[Delia Hartston]], which may have signalled their breakup.

The meetings with Bacon, Quarrie and Edwards were corroborated by Delia, who also mentioned Roby spending time with a man called [[Coombes]] who appeared to act as some kind of hired muscle for Bacon. Delia broke up with Alexander because of his increasingly erratic behaviour at this time, and says that when she last saw him he was continually talking about the 'nine teeth' prepared in the Suffolk village of [[Clare Melford]] for some great event due to take place in December 1925.

On December 30th 1928 his release hearing was held and his release approved, but before he could be transferred to the Kent rest home chosen for him he disappeared. At first he was believed to be murdered, but the facially mutliated corpse was later identified as nurse [[Thomas Clarke]] and is was realised that Alexander had either absconded with, or been kidnapped by [[Montague Edwards]] who had been at the Asylum all along posing as Nurse Mark Evans.

A few days later, Alexander sent a note to [[Delia Hartston]] asking her to meet him at [[Loch Mullardoch]] in Scotland.

Loch Mullardoch

2006-07-22T00:34:07Z

203.211.86.85:

[[Image:loch_mullardoch.jpg|right|300px]]

Loch Mullardoch lies 8 miles to the West of the small village of Cannich, 20 miles of so South of Inverness, Scotland. Its Western end is surrounded by the private Mullardoch Estate and the former hunting lodge called Mullardoch House lies there.

[[Image:mullardochhousex.jpg|left]]

[[Montague Edwards]] styles himself 'Laird of Mullardoch' and he chose the Loch as the site to bring the city of [[Carcosa]] to Earth in December 1928.

The [[Hastur]] Cult that gathered around [[Lawrence Bacon]], [[Edwards]] and formerly [[Malcolm Quarrie]] were told to meet in Inverness on December 5th. By December 10th, Carcosa had appeared spread around the Loch, although it could not be seen from a distance. Instead one found oneself already surrounded by the city without ever having knowingly entered it

[[Image:mulloch.jpg|centre]]

Session 7

2006-07-22T00:33:20Z

203.211.86.85: /* Monday 10th December */

==Session Report - Played Monday 17th July, 2006==

===Saturday 1st December===

''--- Continued ---''

As the shock of the latest revelations soak in, the investigators begin to discuss their next move. It is agreed that Roby must be located, and that the authorities would not be able to grasp the nature of the threat. Various lines of research are suggested, but no clear strategy is formulated.

Everyone goes home to sleep on it.

===Sunday 2nd December===

The Sunday papers report the discovery of the bodies of 2 vagrants in the area of the Regent Canal, and thoughts initially turn to [[Lawrence Bacon]] and his victim of Tuesday night, but the facts of the story do not fit this idea. Both men had been freshly murdered, and the killing of the second victim apparently witnessed, though details were sketchy.

With all offices and libraries closed, the investigators spend the day with family, or in private study.

===Monday 3rd December===

The "London World" this morning carries a lurid description of 'The Canal Monster', claiming that the witness who saw the second killing described a vaguely humanoid creature that walked with a wet sloshing noise which tore out the tramp's insides. The story was written by a reporter called [[Cec Watts]].

[[Withers]], wanting to be sure that neither victim was [[Lawrence Bacon]], while secretly fearing that the killer WAS him, calls the police with a story of a missing friend and visits the Islington police station where investigating officer DI Hodges is based. Hodges reveals little, and the sketches of the victims' faces show non-descript middle-aged men unknown to Withers.

Meanwhile [[Saunders]] follows up [[Edwards]]' application to the British Library and discovers that his references for a reader's ticket were [[Malcolm Quarrie]] and Dr Schwabe of the Slade School of Fine Arts. Saunders contacts Schwabe who has clear memories of Edwards as a young artist who showed talent but no desire for fame, or even success, and who left Slade without completing his degree. He also reveals that as a keen amateur archaeologist it was Schwabe who told Edwards of the 1907 dig at [[Springer Mound]], and showed him slides of the site. He remembers Edwards being very inetrested in the place, for reasons that were never clear. Schwabe has no idea where Edwards might be.

[[Browne]] calls [[Cec Watts]] at the London Globe with an offer of information about the Canal Killings. They arrange a meeting in a pub the following day.

[[Saunders]] tries to find familiar names in the Tewkesbury phone book. he contacts a couple of W Gresty's only to discover thats its a common name in the region, and neither know a Wilfred.

===Tuesday 4th December===

[[Browne]] meets [[Cec Watts]] in a pub and gives him an edited version of [[Vincent Tuck]]'s statement about [[Lawrence Bacon]], along with Tuck's name, in return for a promise to share information. Browne is hoping that Watts will come to suspect Bacon of the canal murders and will be able to find out more without directly involving the investigators. Browne gives Watt a PO Box number to contact him through.

===Wednesday 5th December===

A day spent watching, waiting and worrying. [[Bartlett]] places a small ad in an attempt to contact [[Wilfred Gresty]].

===Thursday 6th December===

The newspapers report the discovery of the body of [[Cec Watts]], found floating the previous day in Regent's Canal, an apparent victim of the Canal Killer.

[[Browne]], knowing he's been seen with Watts, visits the police and spins a tale to DI Hodges inventing an innocent explanation for the contact involving a story that he was writing, Hodges seems to buy the story. As Browne goes to leave, Hodge asks if the name Lawrence Bacon means anything to him. Browne manages to stop any shocked reaction from showing on his face and replies that he doesn't think so. Hodges says that Bacon's address was found of a slip of paper in Watts' possession and lets slip that Bacon's shop was visited by the police and found to have been thoroughly ransacked by unknown hands.

===Friday 7th December===

[[Dr. Highsmith]] phones [[Doctor Bartlett]]. He has been able to talk to [[Lucius Harriwell]], now under close confienment and in a straitjacket, but back at St Agnes. Harriwell told Highsmith a tale of overhearing the Devil talking with [[Alexander Roby]] about leaving with him to 'complete the work', shortly after which Harriwell heard terrible sounds from the next cell. The Devil then entered Harriwell's room, covered in blood and deep cuts. He threw one of his 'hands' (apparently a knife) to Harriwell and said '''"seven days for his work, Lucius, then five for mine."'''

Highsmith has told the police that he believes Harriwell met the real murderer, but Atkins is certain Lucius was the asylum killer, and would not listen.

The investigators think that it's possible that [[Edwards]] has taken [[Roby]] back to [[Springer Mound]], and as they have no other current leads jump in their cars and drive to Suffolk as fast as they can. At [[Long Melford]], asking about recent strange activity in the area they are told of trucks that arrived at Harold Jennings' old farm one evening, a week or so after Jennings' died.

The investigators head to Springer Mound and find that the [[Springer Mound monsters]] have gone, as have the nine stones - with evidence of trucks and heavy lifting equipment involved. [[Bartlett]] climbs the mound, smells the tar pit at its summit, has his dream come back to him anew - the smell of rotting fruit so terribly familiar - and insists on leaving.

In [[Clare Melford]], it is discovered that Dick Blair, the pub landlord who came to the village shortly after 'the night of the Curse' suddenly quit just after the trucks visited Springer Mound. The investigators return to London, feeling that events are moving on without them.

===Saturday 8th December===

The BBC and the morning papers report last night's killing of the supposed perpetrator of the Canal Murders by armed police in the railway engineering yard near Kings Cross Station. The details remain sketchy, but the police seem sure the killer is dead, though he has not been named and no picture has been released. The area remains sealed off.

The investigators gather at [[Bartlett]]'s home for lunch, but before he can leave barracks [[Withers]] is visited by [[Delia Hartston]] and his sister. Delia has just received a
[http://www.artistmonkey.com/Downloads/16_Robys_Note.pdf note] from [[Alexander Roby]], asking her to meet him at [[Loch Mullardoch]] near Inverness, Scotland, where he will prove that he was 'not chasing the devil'. Delia has no intentions of going, but knows Withers was seeking Roby.

Meanwhile, on the tube train to Wimbledon, [[Browne]] is leafing through 'Occult Magazine', new that morning, and finds an [http://www.artistmonkey.com/Downloads/17_Bacons_Obituary.pdf obituary] for [[Lawrence Bacon]] written by someone under the pseudonym 'Perdurabo' who clearly knows a lot about Bacon's past. The obituary is strange as Bacon is not officially dead, and useful as it refers to [[Montague Edwards]] as a mutual friend of both Bacon and the writer, and as the self-styled 'Laird of Mullardoch'.

With this new information, and the apparent timeline referred to by [[Lucius Harriwell]] the decision is made to travel as fast as possible to Inverness. A train leaves that afternoon, for an overnight stopover in Manchester and arrival in Inverness at 2pm the next day.

The investigators take that train, and spend a snowy night in Manchester.

===Sunday 9th December===

The train heads on Northwards towards Scotland. The investigators encounter a nervous passenger who is absently fiddling with a [[bone whistle]] just like the one they have. The turns out to be [[Henry Lister]], a pathetic excuse for a man whom Withers easily intimidates into telling all he knows.

Lister, who has been terrified of death all his life, joined an occult society that used to meet at [[Lawrence Bacon]]'s shop, because he had been told that Bacon knew the secret of conquering death. The society studied and eventually worshipped a being called [[Hastur]] who they endeavoured to return to Earth to bring about a golden age of art and wonder.

The order, or cult attempted to bring Hastur to earth at [[Springer Mound]], but Lister had backed out of the ceremony and saw nothing. He knows that not everyone returned from Suffolk, and that Bacon and [[Edwards]] were changed by the experience, and that [[Malcolm Quarrie]] left the order shortly afterwards.

After Springer Mound the cult began working towards a new end, of which he was told nothing. The great day was approaching, said Bacon, who still held meetings at his shop,though with much reduced frequency and attendance. Finally the members were told to travel to Inverness by December 5th, where they would be picked up at the station and taken to the place where Hastur would return to Earth.

Lister had dithered and prevaricated for days before finally deciding to travel to Scotland, several days late. However,the meeting with the investigators finally destroys his resolve and he leaves the train in the Lake District, abandoning his whistle and with it the Hastur cult.

The train arrives in a cold, snowy Inverness at 2pm. Saunders' relatives meet the inevstigators, who have no choice but to endure an afternoon and evening of Scottish hospitality. The decision is made to travel to [[Loch Mullardoch]] first thing on Monday morning. Heavy snow falls overnight.

===Monday 10th December===

The investigators drive to the village of Cannich, and beyond down the [[Loch Mullardoch]] road. They reach a gate marked 'Private Property' and pass through, but soon realise that with the heavy snow on the ground it is unsafe to attempt to take the car the whole way to the loch. They park the car as safely as possible and head towards the loch by foot.

The trees seem to be straining towards the loch, and as they get closer they seem almost to be creaking under some unnatural pressure. After a few miles, the sound of something large crashing through the treetops is heard and a creature somewhat like a living barrage balloon drags itself into view, using long tentacles to pull itself through the trees at treetop height. Its swollen body pulses and glistens. It is utterly alien and [[Bartlett]] thinks it beautiful, he has to be dissuaded from following it.

Shortly after the thing swims away through the air, the investigators encounter a clearing containing one of the monoliths from [[Springer Mound]], its top glistening with the slime of the alien creature.

With mounting trepidation the group trek on towards the loch, eventually cresting a small rise to see before them the dark surface of the water filling the valley ahead and at its near end the somewhat ugly 2 storey white hunting lodge that is Mullardoch House with a pair of snow-covered cars parked outside.

[[Image:mullardochhousex.jpg|right|Mullardoch House]]

The road dips back downwards, and the loch is out of sight. At this moment a mysterious mist or fog billows up from nowhere, cutting off visibility. They move forward a few steps, and out of the fog, between the investigators and the house, looms a large ornate marble archway that was not there a second ago. As the investigators stare open-mouthed at this wonder, the fog clears as quickly as it came, revealing that Mullardoch House and the investigators now stand in the midst of a vast city of baroque architecture which fills the valley behind them and ahead of them wraps around the shores of what was Loch Mullardoch, but which is now the Lake of [[Hali]].

Somehow each of the investigators knows the name of this place. It is the city of [[Carcosa]], and it has been brought to Earth!

''---to be continued---''

Session 7

2006-07-22T00:32:48Z

203.211.86.85: /* Monday 10th December */

==Session Report - Played Monday 17th July, 2006==

===Saturday 1st December===

''--- Continued ---''

As the shock of the latest revelations soak in, the investigators begin to discuss their next move. It is agreed that Roby must be located, and that the authorities would not be able to grasp the nature of the threat. Various lines of research are suggested, but no clear strategy is formulated.

Everyone goes home to sleep on it.

===Sunday 2nd December===

The Sunday papers report the discovery of the bodies of 2 vagrants in the area of the Regent Canal, and thoughts initially turn to [[Lawrence Bacon]] and his victim of Tuesday night, but the facts of the story do not fit this idea. Both men had been freshly murdered, and the killing of the second victim apparently witnessed, though details were sketchy.

With all offices and libraries closed, the investigators spend the day with family, or in private study.

===Monday 3rd December===

The "London World" this morning carries a lurid description of 'The Canal Monster', claiming that the witness who saw the second killing described a vaguely humanoid creature that walked with a wet sloshing noise which tore out the tramp's insides. The story was written by a reporter called [[Cec Watts]].

[[Withers]], wanting to be sure that neither victim was [[Lawrence Bacon]], while secretly fearing that the killer WAS him, calls the police with a story of a missing friend and visits the Islington police station where investigating officer DI Hodges is based. Hodges reveals little, and the sketches of the victims' faces show non-descript middle-aged men unknown to Withers.

Meanwhile [[Saunders]] follows up [[Edwards]]' application to the British Library and discovers that his references for a reader's ticket were [[Malcolm Quarrie]] and Dr Schwabe of the Slade School of Fine Arts. Saunders contacts Schwabe who has clear memories of Edwards as a young artist who showed talent but no desire for fame, or even success, and who left Slade without completing his degree. He also reveals that as a keen amateur archaeologist it was Schwabe who told Edwards of the 1907 dig at [[Springer Mound]], and showed him slides of the site. He remembers Edwards being very inetrested in the place, for reasons that were never clear. Schwabe has no idea where Edwards might be.

[[Browne]] calls [[Cec Watts]] at the London Globe with an offer of information about the Canal Killings. They arrange a meeting in a pub the following day.

[[Saunders]] tries to find familiar names in the Tewkesbury phone book. he contacts a couple of W Gresty's only to discover thats its a common name in the region, and neither know a Wilfred.

===Tuesday 4th December===

[[Browne]] meets [[Cec Watts]] in a pub and gives him an edited version of [[Vincent Tuck]]'s statement about [[Lawrence Bacon]], along with Tuck's name, in return for a promise to share information. Browne is hoping that Watts will come to suspect Bacon of the canal murders and will be able to find out more without directly involving the investigators. Browne gives Watt a PO Box number to contact him through.

===Wednesday 5th December===

A day spent watching, waiting and worrying. [[Bartlett]] places a small ad in an attempt to contact [[Wilfred Gresty]].

===Thursday 6th December===

The newspapers report the discovery of the body of [[Cec Watts]], found floating the previous day in Regent's Canal, an apparent victim of the Canal Killer.

[[Browne]], knowing he's been seen with Watts, visits the police and spins a tale to DI Hodges inventing an innocent explanation for the contact involving a story that he was writing, Hodges seems to buy the story. As Browne goes to leave, Hodge asks if the name Lawrence Bacon means anything to him. Browne manages to stop any shocked reaction from showing on his face and replies that he doesn't think so. Hodges says that Bacon's address was found of a slip of paper in Watts' possession and lets slip that Bacon's shop was visited by the police and found to have been thoroughly ransacked by unknown hands.

===Friday 7th December===

[[Dr. Highsmith]] phones [[Doctor Bartlett]]. He has been able to talk to [[Lucius Harriwell]], now under close confienment and in a straitjacket, but back at St Agnes. Harriwell told Highsmith a tale of overhearing the Devil talking with [[Alexander Roby]] about leaving with him to 'complete the work', shortly after which Harriwell heard terrible sounds from the next cell. The Devil then entered Harriwell's room, covered in blood and deep cuts. He threw one of his 'hands' (apparently a knife) to Harriwell and said '''"seven days for his work, Lucius, then five for mine."'''

Highsmith has told the police that he believes Harriwell met the real murderer, but Atkins is certain Lucius was the asylum killer, and would not listen.

The investigators think that it's possible that [[Edwards]] has taken [[Roby]] back to [[Springer Mound]], and as they have no other current leads jump in their cars and drive to Suffolk as fast as they can. At [[Long Melford]], asking about recent strange activity in the area they are told of trucks that arrived at Harold Jennings' old farm one evening, a week or so after Jennings' died.

The investigators head to Springer Mound and find that the [[Springer Mound monsters]] have gone, as have the nine stones - with evidence of trucks and heavy lifting equipment involved. [[Bartlett]] climbs the mound, smells the tar pit at its summit, has his dream come back to him anew - the smell of rotting fruit so terribly familiar - and insists on leaving.

In [[Clare Melford]], it is discovered that Dick Blair, the pub landlord who came to the village shortly after 'the night of the Curse' suddenly quit just after the trucks visited Springer Mound. The investigators return to London, feeling that events are moving on without them.

===Saturday 8th December===

The BBC and the morning papers report last night's killing of the supposed perpetrator of the Canal Murders by armed police in the railway engineering yard near Kings Cross Station. The details remain sketchy, but the police seem sure the killer is dead, though he has not been named and no picture has been released. The area remains sealed off.

The investigators gather at [[Bartlett]]'s home for lunch, but before he can leave barracks [[Withers]] is visited by [[Delia Hartston]] and his sister. Delia has just received a
[http://www.artistmonkey.com/Downloads/16_Robys_Note.pdf note] from [[Alexander Roby]], asking her to meet him at [[Loch Mullardoch]] near Inverness, Scotland, where he will prove that he was 'not chasing the devil'. Delia has no intentions of going, but knows Withers was seeking Roby.

Meanwhile, on the tube train to Wimbledon, [[Browne]] is leafing through 'Occult Magazine', new that morning, and finds an [http://www.artistmonkey.com/Downloads/17_Bacons_Obituary.pdf obituary] for [[Lawrence Bacon]] written by someone under the pseudonym 'Perdurabo' who clearly knows a lot about Bacon's past. The obituary is strange as Bacon is not officially dead, and useful as it refers to [[Montague Edwards]] as a mutual friend of both Bacon and the writer, and as the self-styled 'Laird of Mullardoch'.

With this new information, and the apparent timeline referred to by [[Lucius Harriwell]] the decision is made to travel as fast as possible to Inverness. A train leaves that afternoon, for an overnight stopover in Manchester and arrival in Inverness at 2pm the next day.

The investigators take that train, and spend a snowy night in Manchester.

===Sunday 9th December===

The train heads on Northwards towards Scotland. The investigators encounter a nervous passenger who is absently fiddling with a [[bone whistle]] just like the one they have. The turns out to be [[Henry Lister]], a pathetic excuse for a man whom Withers easily intimidates into telling all he knows.

Lister, who has been terrified of death all his life, joined an occult society that used to meet at [[Lawrence Bacon]]'s shop, because he had been told that Bacon knew the secret of conquering death. The society studied and eventually worshipped a being called [[Hastur]] who they endeavoured to return to Earth to bring about a golden age of art and wonder.

The order, or cult attempted to bring Hastur to earth at [[Springer Mound]], but Lister had backed out of the ceremony and saw nothing. He knows that not everyone returned from Suffolk, and that Bacon and [[Edwards]] were changed by the experience, and that [[Malcolm Quarrie]] left the order shortly afterwards.

After Springer Mound the cult began working towards a new end, of which he was told nothing. The great day was approaching, said Bacon, who still held meetings at his shop,though with much reduced frequency and attendance. Finally the members were told to travel to Inverness by December 5th, where they would be picked up at the station and taken to the place where Hastur would return to Earth.

Lister had dithered and prevaricated for days before finally deciding to travel to Scotland, several days late. However,the meeting with the investigators finally destroys his resolve and he leaves the train in the Lake District, abandoning his whistle and with it the Hastur cult.

The train arrives in a cold, snowy Inverness at 2pm. Saunders' relatives meet the inevstigators, who have no choice but to endure an afternoon and evening of Scottish hospitality. The decision is made to travel to [[Loch Mullardoch]] first thing on Monday morning. Heavy snow falls overnight.

===Monday 10th December===

The investigators drive to the village of Cannich, and beyond down the [[Loch Mullardoch]] road. They reach a gate marked 'Private Property' and pass through, but soon realise that with the heavy snow on the ground it is unsafe to attempt to take the car the whole way to the loch. They park the car as safely as possible and head towards the loch by foot.

The trees seem to be straining towards the loch, and as they get closer they seem almost to be creaking under some unnatural pressure. After a few miles, the sound of something large crashing through the treetops is heard and a creature somewhat like a living barrage balloon drags itself into view, using long tentacles to pull itself through the trees at treetop height. Its swollen body pulses and glistens. It is utterly alien and [[Bartlett]] thinks it beautiful, he has to be dissuaded from following it.

Shortly after the thing swims away through the air, the investigators encounter a clearing containing one of the monoliths from [[Springer Mound]], its top glistening with the slime of the alien creature.

[[Image:mullardochhousex.jpg|right|Mulladoch House]]
With mounting trepidation the group trek on towards the loch, eventually cresting a small rise to see before them the dark surface of the water filling the valley ahead and at its near end the somewhat ugly 2 storey white hunting lodge that is Mullardoch House with a pair of snow-covered cars parked outside.

The road dips back downwards, and the loch is out of sight. At this moment a mysterious mist or fog billows up from nowhere, cutting off visibility. They move forward a few steps, and out of the fog, between the investigators and the house, looms a large ornate marble archway that was not there a second ago. As the investigators stare open-mouthed at this wonder, the fog clears as quickly as it came, revealing that Mullardoch House and the investigators now stand in the midst of a vast city of baroque architecture which fills the valley behind them and ahead of them wraps around the shores of what was Loch Mullardoch, but which is now the Lake of [[Hali]].

Somehow each of the investigators knows the name of this place. It is the city of [[Carcosa]], and it has been brought to Earth!

''---to be continued---''

Session 7

2006-07-22T00:29:58Z

203.211.86.85: /* Friday 7th December */

==Session Report - Played Monday 17th July, 2006==

===Saturday 1st December===

''--- Continued ---''

As the shock of the latest revelations soak in, the investigators begin to discuss their next move. It is agreed that Roby must be located, and that the authorities would not be able to grasp the nature of the threat. Various lines of research are suggested, but no clear strategy is formulated.

Everyone goes home to sleep on it.

===Sunday 2nd December===

The Sunday papers report the discovery of the bodies of 2 vagrants in the area of the Regent Canal, and thoughts initially turn to [[Lawrence Bacon]] and his victim of Tuesday night, but the facts of the story do not fit this idea. Both men had been freshly murdered, and the killing of the second victim apparently witnessed, though details were sketchy.

With all offices and libraries closed, the investigators spend the day with family, or in private study.

===Monday 3rd December===

The "London World" this morning carries a lurid description of 'The Canal Monster', claiming that the witness who saw the second killing described a vaguely humanoid creature that walked with a wet sloshing noise which tore out the tramp's insides. The story was written by a reporter called [[Cec Watts]].

[[Withers]], wanting to be sure that neither victim was [[Lawrence Bacon]], while secretly fearing that the killer WAS him, calls the police with a story of a missing friend and visits the Islington police station where investigating officer DI Hodges is based. Hodges reveals little, and the sketches of the victims' faces show non-descript middle-aged men unknown to Withers.

Meanwhile [[Saunders]] follows up [[Edwards]]' application to the British Library and discovers that his references for a reader's ticket were [[Malcolm Quarrie]] and Dr Schwabe of the Slade School of Fine Arts. Saunders contacts Schwabe who has clear memories of Edwards as a young artist who showed talent but no desire for fame, or even success, and who left Slade without completing his degree. He also reveals that as a keen amateur archaeologist it was Schwabe who told Edwards of the 1907 dig at [[Springer Mound]], and showed him slides of the site. He remembers Edwards being very inetrested in the place, for reasons that were never clear. Schwabe has no idea where Edwards might be.

[[Browne]] calls [[Cec Watts]] at the London Globe with an offer of information about the Canal Killings. They arrange a meeting in a pub the following day.

[[Saunders]] tries to find familiar names in the Tewkesbury phone book. he contacts a couple of W Gresty's only to discover thats its a common name in the region, and neither know a Wilfred.

===Tuesday 4th December===

[[Browne]] meets [[Cec Watts]] in a pub and gives him an edited version of [[Vincent Tuck]]'s statement about [[Lawrence Bacon]], along with Tuck's name, in return for a promise to share information. Browne is hoping that Watts will come to suspect Bacon of the canal murders and will be able to find out more without directly involving the investigators. Browne gives Watt a PO Box number to contact him through.

===Wednesday 5th December===

A day spent watching, waiting and worrying. [[Bartlett]] places a small ad in an attempt to contact [[Wilfred Gresty]].

===Thursday 6th December===

The newspapers report the discovery of the body of [[Cec Watts]], found floating the previous day in Regent's Canal, an apparent victim of the Canal Killer.

[[Browne]], knowing he's been seen with Watts, visits the police and spins a tale to DI Hodges inventing an innocent explanation for the contact involving a story that he was writing, Hodges seems to buy the story. As Browne goes to leave, Hodge asks if the name Lawrence Bacon means anything to him. Browne manages to stop any shocked reaction from showing on his face and replies that he doesn't think so. Hodges says that Bacon's address was found of a slip of paper in Watts' possession and lets slip that Bacon's shop was visited by the police and found to have been thoroughly ransacked by unknown hands.

===Friday 7th December===

[[Dr. Highsmith]] phones [[Doctor Bartlett]]. He has been able to talk to [[Lucius Harriwell]], now under close confienment and in a straitjacket, but back at St Agnes. Harriwell told Highsmith a tale of overhearing the Devil talking with [[Alexander Roby]] about leaving with him to 'complete the work', shortly after which Harriwell heard terrible sounds from the next cell. The Devil then entered Harriwell's room, covered in blood and deep cuts. He threw one of his 'hands' (apparently a knife) to Harriwell and said '''"seven days for his work, Lucius, then five for mine."'''

Highsmith has told the police that he believes Harriwell met the real murderer, but Atkins is certain Lucius was the asylum killer, and would not listen.

The investigators think that it's possible that [[Edwards]] has taken [[Roby]] back to [[Springer Mound]], and as they have no other current leads jump in their cars and drive to Suffolk as fast as they can. At [[Long Melford]], asking about recent strange activity in the area they are told of trucks that arrived at Harold Jennings' old farm one evening, a week or so after Jennings' died.

The investigators head to Springer Mound and find that the [[Springer Mound monsters]] have gone, as have the nine stones - with evidence of trucks and heavy lifting equipment involved. [[Bartlett]] climbs the mound, smells the tar pit at its summit, has his dream come back to him anew - the smell of rotting fruit so terribly familiar - and insists on leaving.

In [[Clare Melford]], it is discovered that Dick Blair, the pub landlord who came to the village shortly after 'the night of the Curse' suddenly quit just after the trucks visited Springer Mound. The investigators return to London, feeling that events are moving on without them.

===Saturday 8th December===

The BBC and the morning papers report last night's killing of the supposed perpetrator of the Canal Murders by armed police in the railway engineering yard near Kings Cross Station. The details remain sketchy, but the police seem sure the killer is dead, though he has not been named and no picture has been released. The area remains sealed off.

The investigators gather at [[Bartlett]]'s home for lunch, but before he can leave barracks [[Withers]] is visited by [[Delia Hartston]] and his sister. Delia has just received a
[http://www.artistmonkey.com/Downloads/16_Robys_Note.pdf note] from [[Alexander Roby]], asking her to meet him at [[Loch Mullardoch]] near Inverness, Scotland, where he will prove that he was 'not chasing the devil'. Delia has no intentions of going, but knows Withers was seeking Roby.

Meanwhile, on the tube train to Wimbledon, [[Browne]] is leafing through 'Occult Magazine', new that morning, and finds an [http://www.artistmonkey.com/Downloads/17_Bacons_Obituary.pdf obituary] for [[Lawrence Bacon]] written by someone under the pseudonym 'Perdurabo' who clearly knows a lot about Bacon's past. The obituary is strange as Bacon is not officially dead, and useful as it refers to [[Montague Edwards]] as a mutual friend of both Bacon and the writer, and as the self-styled 'Laird of Mullardoch'.

With this new information, and the apparent timeline referred to by [[Lucius Harriwell]] the decision is made to travel as fast as possible to Inverness. A train leaves that afternoon, for an overnight stopover in Manchester and arrival in Inverness at 2pm the next day.

The investigators take that train, and spend a snowy night in Manchester.

===Sunday 9th December===

The train heads on Northwards towards Scotland. The investigators encounter a nervous passenger who is absently fiddling with a [[bone whistle]] just like the one they have. The turns out to be [[Henry Lister]], a pathetic excuse for a man whom Withers easily intimidates into telling all he knows.

Lister, who has been terrified of death all his life, joined an occult society that used to meet at [[Lawrence Bacon]]'s shop, because he had been told that Bacon knew the secret of conquering death. The society studied and eventually worshipped a being called [[Hastur]] who they endeavoured to return to Earth to bring about a golden age of art and wonder.

The order, or cult attempted to bring Hastur to earth at [[Springer Mound]], but Lister had backed out of the ceremony and saw nothing. He knows that not everyone returned from Suffolk, and that Bacon and [[Edwards]] were changed by the experience, and that [[Malcolm Quarrie]] left the order shortly afterwards.

After Springer Mound the cult began working towards a new end, of which he was told nothing. The great day was approaching, said Bacon, who still held meetings at his shop,though with much reduced frequency and attendance. Finally the members were told to travel to Inverness by December 5th, where they would be picked up at the station and taken to the place where Hastur would return to Earth.

Lister had dithered and prevaricated for days before finally deciding to travel to Scotland, several days late. However,the meeting with the investigators finally destroys his resolve and he leaves the train in the Lake District, abandoning his whistle and with it the Hastur cult.

The train arrives in a cold, snowy Inverness at 2pm. Saunders' relatives meet the inevstigators, who have no choice but to endure an afternoon and evening of Scottish hospitality. The decision is made to travel to [[Loch Mullardoch]] first thing on Monday morning. Heavy snow falls overnight.

===Monday 10th December===

The investigators drive to the village of Cannich, and beyond down the [[Loch Mullardoch]] road. They reach a gate marked 'Private Property' and pass through, but soon realise that with the heavy snow on the ground it is unsafe to attempt to take the car the whole way to the loch. They park the car as safely as possible and head towards the loch by foot.

The trees seem to be straining towards the loch, and as they get closer they seem almost to be creaking under some unnatural pressure. After a few miles, the sound of something large crashing through the treetops is heard and a creature somewhat like a living barrage balloon drags itself into view, using long tentacles to pull itself through the trees at treetop height. Its swollen body pulses and glistens. It is utterly alien and [[Bartlett]] thinks it beautiful, he has to be dissuaded from following it.

Shortly after the thing swims away through the air, the investigators encounter a clearing containing one of the monoliths from [[Springer Mound]], its top glistening with the slime of the alien creature.

With mounting trepidation the group trek on towards the loch, eventually cresting a small rise to see before them the dark surface of the water filling the valley ahead and at its near end the somewhat ugly 2 storey white hunting lodge that is Mullardoch House with a pair of snow-covered cars parked outside.

The road dips back downwards, and the loch is out of sight. At this moment a mysterious mist or fog billows up from nowhere, cutting off visibility. They move forward a few steps, and out of the fog, between the investigators and the house, looms a large ornate marble archway that was not there a second ago. As the investigators stare open-mouthed at this wonder, the fog clears as quickly as it came, revealing that Mullardoch House and the investigators now stand in the midst of a vast city of baroque architecture which fills the valley behind them and ahead of them wraps around the shores of what was Loch Mullardoch, but which is now the Lake of [[Hali]].

Somehow each of the investigators knows the name of this place. It is the city of [[Carcosa]], and it has been brought to Earth!

''---to be continued---''

Tatters of the King

2006-07-19T11:08:59Z

203.211.86.4: /* Sessions */

[[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

[[The Tall Man]] - Sinister stalker, possibly named [[Coombes]]

'''Chapter Three'''

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

[[Wilfred Gresty]] - Mysterious letter writer

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

[[Hillary Quarrie]] - Estranged wife of Malcolm

[[Atkinson]] - Cult leaded from the West Country

[[Montague Edwards]] - Alexander Roby's secret guardian

'''Chapter Four'''

==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''

==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

==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

Tatters of the King

2006-07-19T11:08:18Z

203.211.86.4: /* Locations */

Session 7

2006-07-19T11:07:24Z

203.211.86.4: /* Friday 7th December */

Session 7

2006-07-19T11:07:06Z

203.211.86.4: /* Friday 7th December */

Session 7

2006-07-19T11:06:18Z

203.211.86.4: /* Tuesday 4th December */

Murders

2006-07-19T08:16:46Z

203.211.86.4:

The following murders, related to the [[Alexander Roby]] case, have so far been committed:

[[The Roby Murders]] - Herbert and Georgina Roby: Curzon St, London, October 14th 1926

[[Cuthbert Yates]]: St Agnes Asylum, Weobley, November 27th 1927

[[Dr Lionel Trollope]]: St James' Park, London, November 3rd 1928

[[Frederick Long]]: St Agnes Asylum, Weobley, November 5th 1928

[[Thomas Clarke]]: St Agnes Asylum, Weobley, November 30th 1928

The murders of 2 unidentifed vagrants by [[Lawrence Bacon]]

[[The Canal Murders]]: Near Regent's Canal, Islington, early December, 1928

The Canal Murders

2006-07-19T08:15:56Z

203.211.86.4:

On the night of December 1st 1928 a pair of unidentified vagrants were slain near to the spot where [[Lawrence Bacon]] had fallen in the Regents Canal on the previous Tuesday. The murders were unpleasantly gruesome, with rumours of disembowellent and worse. A witness claimed to see an inhuman monster killing the second victim.

On Wednesday 5th the corpse of [[Cec Watts]] was found floating in the canal with similar injuries to the previous 2 victims. Watts had been investigating [[Lawrence Bacon]]'s activities at the instigation of [[Nathaniel Browne]].

On the night of Friday December 7th the police cornered and shot dead the apparent perpetrator in the Engineering sheds behind Kings Cross Station. Oddly, although the police have assured the public that the killer is dead, he remains unidentified and as yet no picture of him has been published.

The Canal Murders

2006-07-19T08:15:23Z

203.211.86.4:

On the night of December 1st 1928 a pair of unidentified vagrants were slain near to the spot where [[Lawrence Bacon]] had fallen in the canal on the previous Tuesday. The murders were unpleasantly gruesome, with rumours of disembowellent and worse. A witness claimed to see an inhuman monster killing the second victim.

On Wednesday 5th the corpse of [[Cec Watts]] was found floating in the canal with similar injuries to the previous 2 victims. Watts had been investigating [[Lawrence Bacon]]'s activities at the instigation of [[Nathaniel Browne]].

On the night of Friday December 7th the police cornered and shot dead the apparent perpetrator in the Engineering sheds behind Kings Cross Station. Oddly, although the police have assured the public that the killer is dead, he remains unidentified and as yet no picture of him has been published.

The Canal Murders

2006-07-19T08:14:44Z

203.211.86.4:

On the night of December 1st 1928 a pair of unidentified vagrants were slain near to the spot where [[Lawrence Bacon]] had fallen in the canal on the previous Tuesday. The murders were unpleasantly gruesome, with rumours of disembowellent and worse. A witness claimed to see an inhuman monster killing the second victim.

On Wednesday 5th the corpse of [[Cec Watts]] was found floating in the canal with similar injuries to the previous 2 victims. Watts had been investigating [[Lawrenece Bacon]] at the institagtion of [[Nathaniel Browne]].

On the night of Friday December 7th the police cornered and shot dead the apparent perpetrator in the Engineering sheds behind Kings Cross Station. Oddly, although the police have assured the public that the killer is dead, he remains unidentified and as yet no picture of him has been published.

Murders

2006-07-19T08:09:16Z

203.211.86.4:

Session 7

2006-07-19T08:08:19Z

203.211.86.4: /* Sunday 2nd December */

Session 7

2006-07-19T08:08:00Z

203.211.86.4: /* Monday 3rd December */

Session 7

2006-07-19T07:45:40Z

203.211.86.4: /* Monday 3rd December */

Session 7

2006-07-19T07:45:16Z

203.211.86.4: /* Sunday 2nd December */

Session 7

2006-07-19T07:44:56Z

203.211.86.4: /* Saturday 1st December */

Springer Mound

2006-05-30T06:15:12Z

203.211.86.193:

Spruinger Mound is a low hill on the land of [[Harold Jennings]] just outside the Suffolk village of [[Clare Melford]]. [[Andrew Saunders]] and [[Nathaniel Browne]] explored the hill and discovered a ring of nine holes surrounding a pool of viscous, tar-like liquid on its summit, which smelt of rotting fruit.

On its overgrown lower slopes, Saunders located nine uprooted obelisks, almost certainly the 'nine teeth' spoken of by [[Alexander Roby]]. These obelisks were of recent manufacture and had strange lines of poetry engraved upon them, referring in one place to '[[Hastur]]'.

Two flying creatures endlessly circled the Mound at a great height, and when [[Harold Jennings]], in an attempt to scare Saunders off his land accientally discharged his shotgun into one of the stones, one of these creatures swooped down to attack, revealing the true nature of [[the Springer Mound Monsters]].

The nine stones and the smell of rotting vegetation both appeared in the dream that [[Doctor Frederick Bartlett]] had while visiting [[Weobley]].

Session 2

2006-05-30T06:03:30Z

203.211.86.193: /* November 5th 1928 */

==Session Report - Played Monday 15th May, 2006==

===October 31st 1928, Halloween===

Halloween. The four friends meet at [[Dr Bartlett]]'s Wimbledon home on Wednesday evening, for a game of bridge. The house has been dressed with pumpkins and other 'spooky' accountrements by Mrs Bartlett. Dr Bartlett raises the subject of the [[play]] and mentions that he recently encountered references to various elements of its contents during a professional consultation.

[[Nathaniel Browne]] explains that such elements have already been published as part of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_W._Chambers Chambers'] work and that this would explain where Bartlett's patient most likely encountered it.

===November 1st 1928===

[[Dr Bartlett]] meets [[Dr. Lionel Trollope]] in his London home. Trollope describes the [[Roby murders]], and explains that he does not think [[Alexander Roby]] is now, or ever will be, fit for release.

Trollope seems drained and preoccupied.

[[Nathaniel Browne]], desiring to peruse a copy of '[[Le Roi en Jeune]]', calls [[Talbot Estus]] and reveals what he has so far discovered about the roots of the [[play]]. Intrigued by names in the play turning up in the [[works of Ambrose Bierce]] and thus having a possible source which predates 'Le Roi en Jeune', Estus arranges for Nathaniel to visit him for lunch the following day.

On his return home, Bartlett discovers that a man claiming to be a taxi driver was looking for his house earlier in the day, but never called. This appears to be [[the Tall Man]], who makes more appearances later on.

===November 2nd 1928===

[[Nathaniel Browne]] keeps his lunch date with [[Talbot Estus]]. Arriving at the home of Estus and [[Michael Gillen]], Nathaniel finds that Gillen is away on business. Over lunch, Browne and Estus describe their mutual enthusiasm for '[[the King in Yellow]]'. Estus is surprised and offended by Nathaniel's insistence that the [[play]] was not performed as written, but nonetheless is persuaded to lend Browne his copy of '[[Le Roi en Jeune]]'.

[[Dr Bartlett]] visits [[Grahame Roby]] who is belligerent and unhelpful, but does mention [[Delia Hartston]].

Roby clearly does not have the slightest intention of consenting to [[Alexander Roby]]'s release.

That evening, Bartlett dines with [[Withers]] and tells him what he has learned about the Roby case. Withers offers to attempt to trace [[Delia Hartston]].

===November 3rd 1928===

[[Nathaniel Browne]] begins his own translation of '[[Le Roi en Jeune]]', finding that it differs from [[Talbot Estus]]'s play in some significant ways.

Withers, prompted by [[Bartlett]] engages a private investigator, by telephone, to trace [[Delia Hartston]].

As evening falls, [[Dr. Lionel Trollope]] is murdered in St James's Park.

===November 4th 1928===

The [[Daily Express Reports]] the murder of [[Dr. Lionel Trollope]] in [[St James' Park]], one of the suspects matches the description of [[the Tall Man]].

A man, possibly [[the Tall Man]] delivers a housebrick to [[Captain George Withers]] at Victoria Barracks, in what appears to have been an exercise to confirm Withers' billet. Withers arranges to change his accomodation in reaction to this.

Later, [[Dr Bartlett]] recieves a posthumous letter ([http://www.artistmonkey.com/Downloads/09_Letter_from_Dr_Trollope_part_1.pdf page 1], [http://www.artistmonkey.com/Downloads/09_Letter_from_Dr_Trollope_part_2.pdf page 2]) from Trollope, mentioning [[Delia Hartston]], [[Lawrence Bacon]] and [[Vincent Tuck]]. The letter appears to predict, in exact detail, the circumstances of Trollope's death. Trollope also reveals that Roby once had a book published - '[[The Walker by the Lake]]'.

That afternoon, Bartlett receives a visit from [[Detective Inspector Andrew Taylor]], investigating the Trollope murder, who is interviewing all those who had appointments with Trollope in the days before his death. Bartlett is reasonably open with Taylor, mentioning the mysterious activities of [[the Tall Man]] and the possible connection to [[the Roby Murders]].

===November 5th 1928, Guy Fawkes' Night===

Fireworks at [[Dr Bartlett]]'s house. They discuss the events of the last few days, during which it becomes clear that everyone knows that Bartlett has been consulting on the case of [[Alexander Roby]].

[[Bartlett]] discusses the fact that he has been somewhat disturbed by his current work and that a friend of his ([[Dr. Lionel Trollope]]) has not only been murdered, but apparently predicted the exact circumstances of his demise in his letter to Bartlett. He urges [[Browne]] to find a book called '[[The Walker by the Lake]]' which may be pertinant to the case. Browne agrees but is frustrated by Bartlett's unwillingness to share details of the book such as its authorship.

[[Nathaniel Browne]] reveals the copy of '[[Le Roi en Jeune]]' that he borrowed from Estus. The [[Yellow Sign]] on the cover seems to writhe and move upon the page, disturbing [[Withers]] and bringing back memories of bad dreams for [[Andrew Saunders]]. This dream was the mirror of Saunders' previous doppelganger dream. in this version Saunders was the armed version of himself, attempting to seize a crown from his unarmed self.

Browne reveals what he has discovered about '[[Le Roi en Jeune]]' and its differences from [[Talbot Estus]]'s [[play]].

After [[Bartlett]]'s wife calls everyone outside for the fireworks (during which [[Browne]] sees the [[Yellow Sign]] formed by one of them, but the others do not), Bartlett recieves a frantic phone call from Nurse [[Price]] at the asylum, announcing the murder of [[Frederick Long]].

On the way home, [[Saunders]]' cab is cut off by a black car and Saunders is threatened by [[the Tall Man]], who warns Saunders to tell his friends to 'drop this matter'.

==Audio Recording==

[http://www.tentaclesandunderpants.info/downloads/download.html;jsessionid=1orm91qo6l1al?id=14004 Audio Recording of the Second Session]

Session 2

2006-05-30T06:02:44Z

203.211.86.193: /* October 31st 1928 */

==Session Report - Played Monday 15th May, 2006==

===October 31st 1928, Halloween===

Halloween. The four friends meet at [[Dr Bartlett]]'s Wimbledon home on Wednesday evening, for a game of bridge. The house has been dressed with pumpkins and other 'spooky' accountrements by Mrs Bartlett. Dr Bartlett raises the subject of the [[play]] and mentions that he recently encountered references to various elements of its contents during a professional consultation.

[[Nathaniel Browne]] explains that such elements have already been published as part of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_W._Chambers Chambers'] work and that this would explain where Bartlett's patient most likely encountered it.

===November 1st 1928===

[[Dr Bartlett]] meets [[Dr. Lionel Trollope]] in his London home. Trollope describes the [[Roby murders]], and explains that he does not think [[Alexander Roby]] is now, or ever will be, fit for release.

Trollope seems drained and preoccupied.

[[Nathaniel Browne]], desiring to peruse a copy of '[[Le Roi en Jeune]]', calls [[Talbot Estus]] and reveals what he has so far discovered about the roots of the [[play]]. Intrigued by names in the play turning up in the [[works of Ambrose Bierce]] and thus having a possible source which predates 'Le Roi en Jeune', Estus arranges for Nathaniel to visit him for lunch the following day.

On his return home, Bartlett discovers that a man claiming to be a taxi driver was looking for his house earlier in the day, but never called. This appears to be [[the Tall Man]], who makes more appearances later on.

===November 2nd 1928===

[[Nathaniel Browne]] keeps his lunch date with [[Talbot Estus]]. Arriving at the home of Estus and [[Michael Gillen]], Nathaniel finds that Gillen is away on business. Over lunch, Browne and Estus describe their mutual enthusiasm for '[[the King in Yellow]]'. Estus is surprised and offended by Nathaniel's insistence that the [[play]] was not performed as written, but nonetheless is persuaded to lend Browne his copy of '[[Le Roi en Jeune]]'.

[[Dr Bartlett]] visits [[Grahame Roby]] who is belligerent and unhelpful, but does mention [[Delia Hartston]].

Roby clearly does not have the slightest intention of consenting to [[Alexander Roby]]'s release.

That evening, Bartlett dines with [[Withers]] and tells him what he has learned about the Roby case. Withers offers to attempt to trace [[Delia Hartston]].

===November 3rd 1928===

[[Nathaniel Browne]] begins his own translation of '[[Le Roi en Jeune]]', finding that it differs from [[Talbot Estus]]'s play in some significant ways.

Withers, prompted by [[Bartlett]] engages a private investigator, by telephone, to trace [[Delia Hartston]].

As evening falls, [[Dr. Lionel Trollope]] is murdered in St James's Park.

===November 4th 1928===

The [[Daily Express Reports]] the murder of [[Dr. Lionel Trollope]] in [[St James' Park]], one of the suspects matches the description of [[the Tall Man]].

A man, possibly [[the Tall Man]] delivers a housebrick to [[Captain George Withers]] at Victoria Barracks, in what appears to have been an exercise to confirm Withers' billet. Withers arranges to change his accomodation in reaction to this.

Later, [[Dr Bartlett]] recieves a posthumous letter ([http://www.artistmonkey.com/Downloads/09_Letter_from_Dr_Trollope_part_1.pdf page 1], [http://www.artistmonkey.com/Downloads/09_Letter_from_Dr_Trollope_part_2.pdf page 2]) from Trollope, mentioning [[Delia Hartston]], [[Lawrence Bacon]] and [[Vincent Tuck]]. The letter appears to predict, in exact detail, the circumstances of Trollope's death. Trollope also reveals that Roby once had a book published - '[[The Walker by the Lake]]'.

That afternoon, Bartlett receives a visit from [[Detective Inspector Andrew Taylor]], investigating the Trollope murder, who is interviewing all those who had appointments with Trollope in the days before his death. Bartlett is reasonably open with Taylor, mentioning the mysterious activities of [[the Tall Man]] and the possible connection to [[the Roby Murders]].

===November 5th 1928===

Guy Fawkes Night. Fireworks at [[Dr Bartlett]]'s house. They discuss the events of the last few days, during which it becomes clear that everyone knows that Bartlett has been consulting on the case of [[Alexander Roby]].

[[Bartlett]] discusses the fact that he has been somewhat disturbed by his current work and that a friend of his ([[Dr. Lionel Trollope]]) has not only been murdered, but apparently predicted the exact circumstances of his demise in his letter to Bartlett. He urges [[Browne]] to find a book called '[[The Walker by the Lake]]' which may be pertinant to the case. Browne agrees but is frustrated by Bartlett's unwillingness to share details of the book such as its authorship.

[[Nathaniel Browne]] reveals the copy of '[[Le Roi en Jeune]]' that he borrowed from Estus. The [[Yellow Sign]] on the cover seems to writhe and move upon the page, disturbing [[Withers]] and bringing back memories of bad dreams for [[Andrew Saunders]]. This dream was the mirror of Saunders' previous doppelganger dream. in this version Saunders was the armed version of himself, attempting to seize a crown from his unarmed self.

Browne reveals what he has discovered about '[[Le Roi en Jeune]]' and its differences from [[Talbot Estus]]'s [[play]].

After [[Bartlett]]'s wife calls everyone outside for the fireworks (during which [[Browne]] sees the [[Yellow Sign]] formed by one of them, but the others do not), Bartlett recieves a frantic phone call from Nurse [[Price]] at the asylum, announcing the murder of [[Frederick Long]].

On the way home, [[Saunders]]' cab is cut off by a black car and Saunders is threatened by [[the Tall Man]], who warns Saunders to tell his friends to 'drop this matter'.

==Audio Recording==

[http://www.tentaclesandunderpants.info/downloads/download.html;jsessionid=1orm91qo6l1al?id=14004 Audio Recording of the Second Session]

Session 4

2006-05-30T06:01:57Z

203.211.86.193: /* November 11th 1928 */

==Session Report - Played Monday 29th May, 2006==

===November 9th 1928===

After dinner - the investigators decide what to do next. They have leads to [[Lawrence Bacon]], [[Malcolm Quarrie]] and [[Edwards]] and have been told of the 'Nine Teeth' prepared at [[Clare Melford]]. Over port and cigars they make their plans.

[[Withers]] offers to set his private detective the task of checking up on Edwards, Bacon and Quarrie - to see if their current addresses match those given by [[Vincent Tuck]].

The decision is made to drive to [[Clare Melford]] on Saturday.

===November 10th 1928===

In Japan, the Emperor Hirohito is enthroned. In England, the four investigators drive, in Saunders' Cowley, to Suffolk. The day is cold, but clear, with snow on the ground. They stop in Clare for lunch at the Plough Inn before heading into [[Clare Melford]].

In Clare Melford they visit the Railway Inn and meet the landlord, Dick Blair. He only moved to the village in early 1926, so is no help with regards to the events of late 1925, so they start to talk to the locals.

Talking to one of the locals, Saunders and Browne hear of [[Springer Mound]], and another team of archaelogical students who visited it in the pre-war years. They find out that Springer Mound is on the land of [[Harold Jennings]], who has kept a part of his land uncultivated and does not take kindly to strangers.

[[Nathaniel Browne]] asks Blair, the publican, if he remembers anything peculiar happening in the December of 1925, but it turns out that he did not move to the town until some months later. One of the barmaids, however, overhears the conversation and approaches the investigators' table to tell them of 'the night of the curse' on New Year's Eve 1925, when 5 locals (4 elderly and 1 small child) all died of apparently natural causes. None of the decendants was in good health, but that they all died in one night is particularly odd. [[Browne]] asks whether any strangers were seen to visit the town on or near that night, but none is remembered.

It is decided that a walk past [[Jennings]]' land on the public footpath is in order. While examining Springer Mound from a distance, the investigators encounter the bellicose Jennings and his large, vicious looking dogs, Henry and Lucas. Jennings is unfriendly and basically warns them off.

[[Nathaniel Browne]] spots two dark shapes circling high above the mound - others look at them through [[Withers]]' binoculars, but the best guess is that they are some kind of bat or large bird.

The group drives to nearby [[Long Melford]] and finds rooms for the night at the Ox Tavern. There they find locals who remember a large bearded man fitting the description of [[Lawrence Bacon]] who stayed in the village with a group of 'well-to-do Londoners' at New Year 1925. These men left the village on the evening of New Year's Eve and did not return. That night five people died in [[Clare Melford]].

===November 11th 1928, Remembrance Sunday===

[[Withers]] has to leave for Windsor first thing on Sunday to be back for the Armistice day ceremonies. he catches the train from Sudbury with [[Bartlett]] and the two men spend their day with Withers' regiment at both the ceremony and the extended drinking session that follows.

In Suffolk, [[Saunders]] and [[Browne]] decide to take a walk to [[Springer Mound]] from the [[Long Melford]] side. Trudging through fresh snow, they climb the hill where they discover a viscous pool of tar-like liquid that smells like rotting fruit.

Browne puts his foot in a hole hidden under the snow and falls heavily, spraining his ankle. The hole proves to be large enough to have held a standing stone. Looking down into the heavily overgrown area on the other side, Saunders sees several large stones lying on their side amongst the bushes and goes down to examine them, leaving Browne to rest.

There are nine stones, each a large granite obelisk of recent manufacture, engraved with lines of poetry, or ritual, in English. Saunders has just noticed a reference to '[[Hastur]]' when an angry [[Harold Jennings]] appears, with his dogs and starts waving his shotgun at Saunders.

As Saunders puts his hands up and tries to explain himself, Jennings fires - either a warning shot or an accidental discharge - and hits one of the stones. Saunders turns and runs. At this point, one of the two [[flying creatures]] seen above the Mound on the previous day, drops like a stone from the sky, straight past Saunders and [[Browne]], and swoops towards Jennings.

[[Harold Jennings]] screams, tries to raise his gun and is hit by a horror beyond imagining. Saunders stops running, turns around, and gets a clear view as the monster rips Jennings' throat out in front of him. Saunders continues his flight towards Browne, shouting 'Run, run!'

The thing that killed Jennings is taller than a man, part insect, part reptile, with huge leathery wings, sharp claws and a head like the skull of a horse, yet filled with knifelike teeth.

As Saunders and Browne flee across the snow, Browne hobbling on his bad ankle, the creature rises into the air, circles once then flies back down in the direction of Jennings' farm. Browne and Saunders make it to the Inn in [[Long Melford]] and immediately ask for a doctor.

They are directed to the local GP, Doctor Elsworth. Elsworth. On [[Saunders]]' frantic insistence he calls the local constable, PC Smith, who arrives in minutes. Saunders tells him that [[Harold Jennings]] has been attacked, maybe killed, by his own dogs. Smith borrows a shotgun from Elsworth and saks Saunders to direct him to the site of the attack.

On Jennings' land, they locate the corpse of the farmer, and almost immediately hear howls from the barn. Smith hurries towards the noise, but Saunders, who is unarmed, hangs back out of fear. He sees the policeman enter the barn, hears a gunshot, a scream and several indescribable noises - then flees in terror back to the village.

This time the police are called in force. Arriving within half an hour from Sudbury they hurry to the farm and discover the corpses of [[Jennings]] and Smith, as well as those of the two dogs. They conclude that the dogs killed each other after killing Smith, although there is some suspicion that a third animal may have left the scene and is now wandering the countryside.

[[Saunders]] and [[Browne]] are allowed to leave, and they drive back to London, badly shaken. On arrival they contact their friends and arrange to meet for lunch the next day. That night, both Saunders and Browne dream disturbing dreams.

Meanwhile, high above [[Springer Mound]], two black shapes resume their tireless circling.

===November 12th, 1928===

In the morning, [[Withers]] instructs his private detective, Walsh, to confirm the background information learned about [[Edwards]], [[Malcolm Quarrie]] and [[Lawrence Bacon]], to check which if any of them remain at their former addresses.

At lunch, [[Saunders]] and [[Browne]] describe the Suffolk horror, and the [[flying creatures]] to their friends. [[Bartlett]] offers Saunders a 'professional session' in the afternoon.

That afternoon Saunders visits the Tavistock Institute and talks to Bartlett. Bartlett ends the interview convinced that Saunders is telling the truth, and shaken by the details that match the dream he had in Herefordshire - the smell of rotten fruit and the nine stone obelisks on [[Springer Mound]].

Meanwhile, [[Withers]] returns to barracks to be confronted by a drunken, incoherent [[Peter Morrison]]. Morrison seems unsure what he wants, and leaves, but Withers realises that he very probably got Withers' card from [[Delia Morrison]] by force.

Le Roi en Jeune

2006-05-26T08:02:02Z

203.211.86.16:

[[Talbot Estus]] loaned a copy of this play to [[Nathaniel Browne]]. He claims to have adapted and translated it into his play "[[Carcosa, or The Queen and the Stranger]]". The Bibliotheque Nationale in Paris also has a single reference copy of the play.

The book, published in 1885, 8 years before Chambers' "[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_King_in_Yellow The King in Yellow]" is a thin black octavo volume with [[the Yellow Sign]] embossed upon its cover. The play is in French, and no author's name is listed. However, some sources name the playwright as 'Castaigne' and say that he killed himself after completing it.

Though not the notorious work of Chambers' stories this play was indeed suppressed and burned by the French authorities, for reasons that are unclear, and there are rumours of madness and death surrounding it.

Those who see the Yellow Sign on the cover sometimes appear to be psychologically affected by it, but this is by no means a universal reaction.

The play predates Chambers' work so seems to have been an inspiration for him as well.

Some of the names used in the play, such as [[Carcosa]] and [[Haita]] also appear in the [[works of Ambrose Bierce]], indicating that the either Bierce's stories were used in creating the names or that both the play and Bierce borrowed from and even earlier work.
There is evidence of older works with the same name - a fragment by Marlowe and a lost Restoration drama, but neither is available for perusal.

Browne has completed studying the play, though he's not sure that he fully understood it. It differs from Estus's work in several significant ways (for example [[Aldones]], the king of [[Alar]] is a character in this, but not in Estus's [[play]]), but is clearly the source of the Texan's play.

The copy borrowed from Estus has been heavily annotated in English by him.