Book Two - The Psychogeography of Terror

[makken123Tabs]

Eddie Sharpe, journalist as Horace Whately talking with Howard Lovecraft

"Ah yes, The Temple," he continues, responding to Eddie/Horace. "Well it is a pleasing enough yarn, as they say, though my vision for future stories is well beyond that. Tell me Mr. Whately of your own writing aspirations."

"For me," answers Whately, "it's all about real people who find themselves in unusual--weird--situations. Real: their thoughts need be described--believable, everyday people, like you or I; unusual: something unexpected that the jaded reader has not come across before, 'weird' is a fitting word, but not necessarily supernatural." He paused. "Pardon me if I'm waffling"--he smiles. "And you? What of your own writing aspirations and future stories?"

[Mant72]

Dr. Morgan:

After Mr. Wilkins comes to, Dr. Morgan carefully helps him to his feet and suggests, "I think it best we leave this place as soon as possible and get back to the bookstore. We need to tell Dr. Clarke and Edith about what has happened here. Reginald, you are obviously still shaken from your recent experience, so I'll drive us back. As night begins to settle in, Reginald gingerly leans on Frank and the two men stagger back to the car.

[Grognardsw]

Eddie Sharpe, journalist as Horace Whately talking with Howard Lovecraft

"And you? What of your own writing aspirations and future stories?"

Lovecraft responds to Eddie/Whately.

"The supernatural and horror story has potential to rise above the sensational. Witness Machen and Poe. I can only hope my stories reach such a plateau. The crass commercialism of today's 'pulp' market reduces the literary to the base common denominators of violence and raciness. Yet these magazines seem the only outlet for new writers."

"In my own work I explore otherworldly realities that for human beings is mind numbing horror."

[Grognardsw]

At the Courtyard

"...While you're there examine the floor. Look to see if it possesses the same geometric symbols that were found in the caves. Remember the circle of metal on the floor, about 6' in diameter. It was connected at three concentric points to the large metal box in the center which held the crystal.

Dr. Morgan looks about the ground in front of the mural. He sees only a few-foot perimeter of dead grass and concrete. It doesn't look anything like Dr. Clarke described. It seems doubtful the trapezohedron crystal was used here. The eyewitnesses to the McCoy/Carcosa chase reported no crystal being carried by Carcosa. Yet Raymond Randolph tampered with the metal contraption and was transported home and aged.

Dr. Morgan contemplates the matter while he and the recovered Reginald Wilkins return to the book shop. It is evening. Dr. Clarke is not there, most likely at the Biltmore Hotel. The others too are at their hotels, resting for tomorrow's activities including meeting Mr. Lovecraft and going to New York.

[makken123Tabs]

Eddie Sharpe, journalist as Horace Whately

"In my own work I explore otherworldly realities that for human beings is mind numbing horror."

"Alas, I am not an insect!--blissful oblivion is the fate that befalls us all," he muses; "have I contradicted myself, I mean can oblivion be blissful?" he pauses, mentally questioning himself over his convoluted thought. "I fear I have plagiarised Ambrose Carcosa," he adds.

[Grognardsw]

"Mr. Carcosa? Oh are you an acquaintance of his? He does have the most strange and oeuvre ideas, don't you think? It is a shame he doesn't put pen to paper."

[makken123Tabs]

Eddie Sharpe as Horace Whately

"Now that would be an interesting read, Mr. Lovecraft! Only a passing acquaintance, I'm afraid, we did correspond briefly but I moved apartment and in the upheaval lost his address," he says, clearly disappointed.

[Mant72]

Dr. Morgan:

Dr. Morgan and Mr. Wilkins return to the bookstore and anxiously await Dr. Clarke's phone call so that they may relay their experiences at the courtyard.

[Grognardsw]

At the John Hay Library
Morning, Sept. 16

Mr. Lovecraft speaks in remarkably well-formed sentences, his mind eschewing colloquilisms.

"My reason for writing stories is to give myself the satisfaction of visualising more clearly and detailedly and stably the vague, elusive, fragmentary impressions of wonder, beauty, and adventurous expectancy which are conveyed to me by certain sights (scenic, architectural, atmospheric, etc.), ideas, occurrences, and images encountered in art and literature."

"I choose weird stories because they suit my inclination best—one of my strongest and most persistent wishes being to achieve, momentarily, the illusion of some strange suspension or violation of the galling limitations of time, space, and natural law which for ever imprison us and frustrate our curiosity about the infinite cosmic spaces beyond the radius of our sight and analysis. These stories frequently emphasise the element of horror because fear is our deepest and strongest emotion, and the one which best lends itself to the creation of nature-defying illusions."

"In this Mr. Carcosa is a kindred spirit, for he too posits that horror and the unknown or the strange are always closely connected, so that it is hard to create a convincing picture of shattered natural law or cosmic alienage or “outsideness” without laying stress on the emotion of fear. The reason why time plays a great part in so many of my tales is that this element looms up in my mind as the most profoundly dramatic and grimly terrible thing in the universe. Conflict with time seems to me the most potent and fruitful theme in all human expression."

The above are Lovecraft's real words (minus the Carcosa tie in.)

At Charters Book Shop
Evening, Sept. 15

Time passes as Reginald Wilkins and Dr. Francis Morgan rest at the book shop and discuss the strange experience of the Find Gate ritual. Marius Albertoni the hunter listens with interest, skeptical but not unbelieving after his own strange experience at the Dark Pharoah Freak Show and Carnivale.

Reginald feels mentally drained, but at the same time secretly exhilerated. The spell worked. Magick is real. There is indeed realms beyond human ken. He has seen; he knows this truth deep in his heart. The cult lives in such truths, their motivations foreign, yet Reginald feels within reach. Timothy Carver understood these thing too well and his mind succumbed to madness. The fine balance of forbidden knowledge. Carcosa as the dealer of these dark truths. 

Reginald ruminates as time goes by. Dr. Clarke's call does not seem to be coming. Perhaps he is detained in some urgent matter.

[Mant72]

Dr. Morgan:

Does Dr. Morgan know Dr. Clarke went to rent a room at the Biltmore?

[Grognardsw]

Dr. Morgan:

Does Dr. Morgan know Dr. Clarke went to rent a room at the Biltmore?

Yes, I believe Dr. Clarke mentioned he was considering the Biltmore.

[Starbeard]

Marius Albertoni, hunter
Charters Book Shop

Marius tries to read a paper as Reginald and Dr. Morgan engage in uncomfortable and blasphemous discussion. He cannot help but listen to the conversation, enthralled at the prospect of experiencing such strange realities, but in the back of his mind he still finds it difficult to accept a supernatural explanation for his own experience at the Dark Pharaoh's gypsy wagon. It is much easier for him to simply avoid thinking about it, and therefore no explanation is required.

After a time he folds his newspaper and makes no pretense at continuing to read, now enthralled by their dialogue, but clearly understanding little of it. Reginald describes a sensation similar to one that Marius feels he experienced himself when the Dark Pharaoh hypnotized him, and he makes a motion to interrupt and describe his own experience. Before he opens his mouth, however, Dr. Morgan asks aloud about Dr. Clarke's call, and the conversation is detoured to why the call might have been delayed.

Relieved that conversation has returned to the realm of things imminently more comprehensible to him, Marius excitedly chimes in on the discussion. "Maybe he hasn't been able to get to a free telephone yet, it happens. You just said that he may have gone to the Biltmore? Well, a fancy place like that must have plenty of free telephones to use. Maybe he went somewhere else, then? We could always give the hotel a call and check."

[SocraticLawyer]

Reginald Wilkins, bookdealer
After discussing the strange experience with Dr. Morgan and Mr. Albertoni, Reginald still wonders at the xaqloui phrase that Carcosa used. While the other two try to track down Dr. Clarke, Reginald will again consult the Pnakotic Manuscripts to try to translate the strange phrase (if he has time and is able to do so).

Consult PM tome (50) [1d100] = 95

[Grognardsw]

Marius phones the Biltmore and is connected to Dr. Clarkes's room. Fancy digs to have a telephone in the room. The line rings... (DadsBusy...?)

Reginald scours the Pnakotic Manuscripts for the Xaqluoi phrase Carcosa said, but can't puzzle it out. It is familiar and the book dealer taxes his brain to put his finger on it. (Make a Know. roll if you can't recall.)

[DadsAngry]

Dr. Clarke:

Marius phones the Biltmore and is connected to Dr. Clarkes's room. Fancy digs to have a telephone in the room. The line rings... (DadsBusy...?)

Lets see if Dr. Clarke gets lucky
Luck 40% [1d100] = 35

The repetitive ringing of the telephone on the small table outside of the bedroom door accompanies a medley of other notes already in song. It not until 45 minutes later from the first ring that Dr. Clarke makes use of the telephone to see if his colleague has returned to the bookstore.

[SocraticLawyer]

Reginald Wilkins, bookdealer

Reginald scours the Pnakotic Manuscripts for the Xaqluoi phrase Carcosa said, but can't puzzle it out. It is familiar and the book dealer taxes his brain to put his finger on it. (Make a Know. roll if you can't recall.)

Isn't it from the chalkboard in the Club Z basement? If not:
Knowledge roll [1d100] = 82

[Grognardsw]

Marius eventually hangs up when there is no answer at Dr. Clarke's room.

Reginald finally remembers where he saw the Xaqloui words that Carcosa said. On the chalkboard in the basement of Club Zothique. It read: "Ph'ch' 'ai oltmyoi Ugthaa Tegoth." This means roughly: "He comes to reality, unknowing chattel."

Just as Reginald works out the words, the phone rings. Dr. Morgan answers - it is Dr. Clarke.

[Mant72]

Dr. Morgan:

Dr. Morgan sits up with a surprised jolt as the sound of the telephone jars him from his reverie. He quickly rises from his chair and reaches for the receiver "Hello? Dr. Clarke? Thank God it is you! We have been worried something unfortunate may have befallen you and Edith. We have much to discuss... bizarre things...things I am reluctant to speak of over the telephone. Would you like to come back here to the bookstore, or would you rather for us to meet you at the hotel? I think meeting at the hotel would probably be our safest bet." Dr. Morgan finishes his conversation with Dr. Clarke and places the phone back on its receiver. He then turns to relay the information to Maruis and Reginald.

[DadsAngry]

Dr. Clarke:

"Not to worry Frank. Edith and I are just fine. The Biltmore is quite a grand place. Yes I think coming here is a good idea chap. We acquired a suite and the front desk is expecting you. Yes, Yes see you soon."
Dr. Clarke hangs up the telephone.
"Edith, Frank is on his way. Best make yourself presentable." Dr. Clarke looks around the suite
"Have you seen my tie?"

[makken123Tabs]

Eddie Sharpe as Horace Whately

"Yes, quite so," he says in response to Lovecraft's soliloquy; when it is safe to do so, Eddie will raise an eyebrow at Isaiah. "Mr. Carcosa sounds like he's a remarkable and insightful gentleman. Can you give me his address?--I desire to write him again!"