Book Three: Out of Time

[Starbeard]

Marius Albertoni, hunter

Reginald Wilkins, bookdealer and occultist

"Sadly, I wasn't able to get much done today. I thought that perhaps I had found a lead regarding the Pnakotic Manuscripts and the book's publisher, but nothing came of it.

"What did you learn about Mount Hatheg-Kla?"[/dialog]

Marius joins in Reginald's frustration at following his lead to a dead end. "It seems like for every step we take forward, we smack up against two brick walls."

He pulls out the notes he took at the library and shows them to Reginald. "Hatheg-Kla is now known as Mount Latmos. Clarke and Morgan led an expedition there not too long ago. From what I gather, it didn't go all that well. Anyway, I know there are symbols there, like the ones on the standing stones at Chertovski's place. My guess is it's of those mystic gates, and probably a big one. There are Greek myths surrounding the mountain about Selene and Endymion. They all say different things—I think my grandmama from Sicily may have even told me some of these as a boy—but they all have someone falling into an eternal sleep.

"Think about, Reginald. Gods cast into an endless sleep beneath some mystic gate that leads who knows where… it all sounds a lot like that stuff in the Pnakotic Manuscripts. Do you think Mount Latmos is the key to this whole thing? Maybe this Nyarlathotep guy lives there or something, and this cult we've been tracking is trying to tap into that."

Marius talks with the librarian. She holds up a picture of the classic myth of Endymion.


"Mt. Hatheg-Kla in Turkey is today known as Mount Latmos. It is said to be a possible location of the priests of the Greek goddes Selene. She is part of the Endymion myth. Apollonius of Rhodes is one of the many poets who tell how Selene, the Titan goddess of the moon, loved the mortal god-son Endymion. She believed him to be so beautiful that she asked Endymion's father, Zeus, to grant him eternal youth so that he would never leave her. In alternative translations, Selene so loved how Endymion looked when he was asleep in a cave, that she entreated Zeus that he might remain that way. Zeus granted her wish and put him into an eternal sleep. Every night, Selene visited him where he slept. Selene and Endymion had fifty daughters who are equated by some scholars with the fifty months of the Olympiad."

"Some say the myth of Endymion is that he is not dead but endlessly asleep, (the proverb - Endymionis somnum dormire, "to sleep the sleep of Endymion") ensured that scenes of Endymion and Selene were popular subjects for sculpted sarcophagi, when after-death existence began to be a heightened concern. In the Renaissance, the revived moon goddess Diana had the Endymion myth attached to her."

Marius vaguely remembers hearing that the Miskatonic professors Dr. Clarke and Dr. Morgan led an archeological expedition to somewhere in Turkey several months ago.

[Grognardsw]

In the Providence apartment of Reginald Wilkins, above his bookstore, Marius and Reginald are hopeful they are connecting pieces in a horrific puzzle.



In a Miskatonic University quad near the dorm of Asenath Waite, Dr. Clarke and Dr. Morgan split.

The young man follows Dr. Clark.

[SocraticLawyer]

Reginald Wilkins, bookdealer and occultist

Marius Albertoni, hunter
Marius joins in Reginald's frustration at following his lead to a dead end. "It seems like for every step we take forward, we smack up against two brick walls."

He pulls out the notes he took at the library and shows them to Reginald. "Hatheg-Kla is now known as Mount Latmos. Clarke and Morgan led an expedition there not too long ago. From what I gather, it didn't go all that well. Anyway, I know there are symbols there, like the ones on the standing stones at Chertovski's place. My guess is it's of those mystic gates, and probably a big one. There are Greek myths surrounding the mountain about Selene and Endymion. They all say different things—I think my grandmama from Sicily may have even told me some of these as a boy—but they all have someone falling into an eternal sleep.

"Think about, Reginald. Gods cast into an endless sleep beneath some mystic gate that leads who knows where… it all sounds a lot like that stuff in the Pnakotic Manuscripts. Do you think Mount Latmos is the key to this whole thing? Maybe this Nyarlathotep guy lives there or something, and this cult we've been tracking is trying to tap into that."

Reginald tries to make sense of what Marius is saying. But how can it be true? On the one hand, Reginald has seen these Gates himself; on the other hand, his discussion with Dr. Ferdinand seemed to cast doubt on what he has observed.

"I think you're on to something here, Marius," says Reginald. "It all seems so ... unbelievable. But we've seen it ourselves. It all seems too much.

"I only know a little of what happened with the Miskatonic expedition to Latmos. Something terrible happened there. The stolen crystal was there, and it transported one of the professors' companions across the globe, aging him horribly in the process. And one of the letters that we found in Carcosa's apartment made reference to Latmos, calling it 'the key.'

"So I think you're right. Someone, or something, is hiding out in Latmos. And based on the star charts we found at the Shunned House, there may not be much time before whatever is there comes out of hiding.

"Is it time to confront whatever is there?"

[Mant72]

Dr. Morgan:

Seeing the mysterious man trail after Dr. Clarke, Dr. Morgan tries to find a way to secretively circle back behind the stalker.

[Starbeard]

Marius Albertoni, hunter

Reginald Wilkins, bookdealer and occultist
"So I think you're right. Someone, or something, is hiding out in Latmos. And based on the star charts we found at the Shunned House, there may not be much time before whatever is there comes out of hiding.

"Is it time to confront whatever is there?"[/dialog]

"It is wacko, I admit. But after what happened at the Shunned House, I think I'm ready to believe just about anything. Who knows? Maybe even those caves I found with Isaiah—" Marius crosses himself and mutters a blessing for the dead—"weren't even beneath the Shunned House at all. If these symbols can zip people anywhere anywhere, like you're saying the ones at Mt. Latmos did, then we could've been anywhere." A realization suddenly dawns on him. "We even could've been right inside Mt. Latmos! Reginald, I know you don't like looking through that book, but I just gotta find out if there's anything in there about that owl lady."

He grabs the Pnakotic Manuscripts and returns to the references he found about Hatheg-Kla, reading around those passages for descriptions that might resemble the environs or creature he encountered found below the Shunned House.

Occult (6): [1d100] = 1

[DadsAngry]

Dr. Clarke:

David looks over his shoulder and isn't surprised to see the young man follow him and not Frank. He continues to stroll along the campus counting to himself quietly. "36,37,38… " When he reaches 120 which is about two minutes in his mind he stops and turns to face the young boy. He stand firm with a his right hand gripping the lapel of his suit jacket so the young man cannot see it tremble. His head he holds high with a fixed stern and fatherly expression. The same looks and stance he often would do at the beginning of his lectures to instill a sense of dominance among his students. Without consciously signaling any kind of fear of danger he calls out to the young man. "Can I help you young man?" while searching just beyond for Frank and hoping he gave his friend enough time.

[Grognardsw]

Marius anxiously pages through the Pnakotic Manuscripts and the translation notes. The discussion with Reginald about Mt. Latmos and the pending astronomical dates pointing toward the solstice a few months hence have given the men a renewed sense or urgency. What exactly happened with the Miskatonic expedition to Mt. Latmos? Dr. Clark and Dr. Morgan will need to be consulted.

With a sharp focus, Marius studies the ancient book and realizes that the stylized drawings of a woman (holding decapitated heads no less, a practice of this despicable cult) bare a resemblance to the horrible she-devil under the Shunned House. Was that an incarnation of the moon goddess Selene herself? Was she ever really that, or something more? Or is the woman an oracle priestess serving Selene?

Marius isn't sure, but he feels in his bones that there is some relationship between the the woman he saw under the Shunned House and the one in the Pnakotic Manuscripts. And that the theories of Gates must be somehow true.

See older posts or Pickman's Sketchbook for those pictures.
For what exactly happened on the Miskatonic expedition to Mt. Latmos, feel free to read the Past is Prologue thread.

Dr. Morgan glances at the dorm, his eyes finding the window of Asenath Waite's room. The window is dark; she must indeed be out as Edith said. But now is not the time, as the professor turns to follow as quietly as he can the man tailing Dr. Clark. (Mant please make Sneak roll to reflect how stealthy Dr. Morgan goes about it.)

A few tense minutes pass as Dr. Clarke walks back in the direction of his house. He stops.

"Can I help you young man?" Dr. Clarke says.

The man stops. "No sir, just taking an evening stroll. The stars are a fine sight tonight. Don't you think?"

[Mant72]

Dr. Morgan:

Knowing that his friend's life may very well depend upon expeditious stealth, Frank attempts to balance the unlikely combination of speed and caution. The usually gawky professor is surprised with his efforts.

Sneak (10%): [1d100] = 7

[DadsAngry]

Dr. Clarke:

"I'm an archeologist not an astronomer, so me eyes are always on the ground and not the sky. Are you a student here at the university? You look familiar. Didn't I see you earlier outside my home?" Dr. Clarke says pressing the boy hoping that Frank is close by for support.

[Grognardsw]

Frank listens from behind a bush. The man now talking to Dr. Clarke seems unaware of the lurking professor of anthropology.

"I was a student," answers the man. "I had to leave though. Outside your house? Which one is that?"

[Mant72]

Dr. Morgan:

Frank crouches behind the shrub, listening intently, and hoping he will have no need of the pistol tucked in his coat pocket.

He remains ready to spring forth at any sign of aggression.

[Starbeard]

Marius Albertoni, hunter

Marius scratches the stubble of his 5 o'clock shadow. "Take a look at this, Reginald," he says, indicating the images of the nude, head-holding woman in the Pnakotic Manuscripts. "I bet there's some connection between that owl lady and the moon goddess Selene in those ancient myths. A servant, or—oh, what do those easterners call it—an avatar, or something like that. Either way, I bet that gate we passed through was somehow connected to Latmos. We have to reach Clark and Morgan, there isn't much time."

He tries to get some sleep after preparing to catch the first train to Arkham in the morning.

[DadsAngry]

Dr, Clarke:

"If you're no longer a student here at the university, what are you doing on campus? Campus is for students and faculty members only and you are neither. I suggest you continue your walk right out of here."

[Grognardsw]

"Just taking a walk," the man answers Dr. Clarke. "No need to get your dander up."

He looks around for a moment. He doesn't seem to see Dr. Morgan hiding nearby. The man then keeps walking. Dr. Clark sees him leave the quad, reaching the street and turning right out of sight.





Elsewhere, in Providence, Marius Albertoni and Reginald Wilkins agree to visit the Miskatonic men in Arkham to discuss their theories and plan next steps.

[DadsAngry]

Dr. Clarke:

David is on edge as he keenly watches as the young man disappears from sight. He then fumbles into his inner jacket pocket and produces his silver cigarette case. His hands tremble as he clumsily acquires his favorite brand, Murad, the Turkish Cigarette. It's 100% Turkish blended tobacco will surely calm his nerves if he can steady his hand with the lit match. After several attempts he is able to put flame to flavor and inhale the strong taste of calmness. He looks around wonder if Frank is about or should he just continue on towards Ms. Waite's dormitory. In the silence that follows he wonders what has happened to him. A year ago he wouldn't have verbal assaulted someone like he just did. When did this sense of paranoia fall over him? When did every dark corner, every strange face become his enemy?

[Mant72]

Dr. Morgan:

Frank waits for the strange man to walk out of sight before emerging from the cover of the shrubbery. He slowly approaches David and asks, "Well, what the hell do you make of that? He was clearly spying on us. Should we proceed to Ms. Waite's or abandon our plans?"

Grog, how much time have we spent dealing with this man? Does it seem like we still have enough time to investigate Waite's apartment before she returns? Thanks!

[Grognardsw]

Dr. Clarke only walked two minutes before stopping, so it's about three minutes total. So you still have time to proceed with Asenath dorm room plan if you want.

[DadsAngry]

Dr. Clarke:

"Was he spying on us Frank? Or did we just perceive that he was spying on us? Have we grown so paranoia that every prying eye is out to get us? What's happened to us Frank? We didn't used to be like this. Listen we still have plenty of time. Let's get to Ms. Waite dormitory and get this over with."

[Grognardsw]

Dr. Clarke wonders if his perspective is being altered by the experiences of this investigation as he and Dr. Morgan reach Asenath Waite dorm. Her window is dark, as expected from Edith Walton's report that Asenath is out to dinner with her sister.

Following their plan, Dr. Clarke enters the building and makes his way to Asenath's room while Dr. Morgan keeps watch outside. Dr. Clarke is soon at her closed door.

I'm assuming your doing the original plan but feel free to change if you like.

[Mant72]

Dr. Morgan:

Frank tries to remain calm and vigilant while keeping watch.

He reluctantly grips the butt of the pistol nestled in his front coat pocket. "My God, what have we become?" he thinks to himself as he waits in anxious silence.