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Marius Albertoni, hunter

Marius smokes in the cabin. He puts his travel bag by his side, but it feels heavy against his body. He tucks it under his seat, but it begins to agitate his legs and feet. Finally he packs it away in the upper compartment, trying to forget about it. "I'll… wait until we get what we need in Providence," he tells Reginald. "I want to keep focused on the task at hand, first."

He tries to take his mind off the Pnakotic Manuscripts by chatting about Angell. "So I haven't met this guy Angell, yet. How does he fit into the investigation? Have you run with him before?"

Dr. Clarke:

"Alex Ford? Any relations to the Industrialist James Ford of New York?"

Not waiting for an answer Dr. Clarke jots down Alex's name in his notebook and underlines it heavily.

Dr. Morgan:

"Is there anything that you can tell us about this Foundation of the Church of Starry Wisdom?" Frank inquires of the professor.

"Come to think of it, I don't know if Alex was related to James Ford," answers Prof. Shapely. "He wasn't very talkative in class, and was a mediocre student. But I suppose I made an impression on him, if he thought to share my name for research."

"As to the Church of Starry Wisdom, I only know them as the organization that paid me. I recall the check was drawn from The Bank of New York, though I believe they are based in the United Kingdom."

Reginald Wilkins, bookdealer and occultist

Starbeard wrote:Marius Albertoni, hunterHe tries to take his mind off the Pnakotic Manuscripts by chatting about Angell. "So I haven't met this guy Angell, yet. How does he fit into the investigation? Have you run with him before?"

"Professor Angell is an expert on Semitic languages and linguistics," says Reginald. "He was one of my graduate advisors at Brown. He is a brilliant researcher. I haven't spoken to him in years, not since my days at the university...." Reginald trails off for a moment, lost in thought. Clearing his throat, he collects himself and continues.

"I would never have dreamed that Professor Angell was mixed up in this business. The letter we found at the Shunned House mentioned his investigation. My hope is that this refers to research similar to our own. Perhaps the professor's research can shed some light on our own. With any luck, we can stamp out this damnable cult, with his help."

I would never have dreamed that Professor Angell was mixed up...., thinks Reginald to himself. I would never have dreamed.

never have dreamed,

dreamed,

Reginald shakes his head to clear it. He gets a black coffee from the cafeteria cart (if there is one), hoping to rid himself of these strange thoughts.

Sorry for the delay in posting!!

Dr. Clarke:

"Thank you Professor you have been most helpful." David turns to Frank "Dr. Morgan do you have anymore questions?"

Dr. Morgan:

"No, Dr. Clarke, nothing else that I can think of." He turns to Professor Shapley, "Thank you for your time and answers, Professor. We truly appreciate your help."

In the office of Prof. Shapely...

"I'm glad I could help. I do hope you catch these despicable cretins. They must be foreigners, from the sound of this Carcosa fellow. For my part, I will be more selective in the future deciding for whom to do research."





The train pulls into Providence.


Reginald and Marius disembark and take a taxi to Reginald's apartment above his book store.



Marius takes in the shelves upon shelves of books. Reginald considers his next steps.

Marius Albertoni

Marius fingers across the spines of the many books in Reginald's place, wondering how a person could become so impassioned by such trivial and obscure things.

As Reginald considers his next steps, Marius sits helps himself to a coffee in Reginald's kitchen and places the copy of Pnakotic Manuscripts on the small table. He steels himself, lifts the front cover, then gets up and peruses some book on ancient Italy.

A half hour later he returns to the table for more coffee, and turns the occult book to the front page before flipping through Reginald's phonograph collection.

An hour later he makes more coffee and looks upon the book, hoping against his better judgment to find some information on how these "gates" work.

Professors Clarke and Morgan leave Columbia University. The astronomical information has been helpful, providing a date that Carcosa seemed focused on as well as several geographic locations of undetermined purpose.

Back at Manhattan BOI headquarters, the two Miskatonic men meet with Agent Mulder. He updates them on investigations that morning.

"The film was developed. I have the pictures," he says. Agent Mulder hands a folder to them.







The men look away, so horrid are the photos.

"Chertovski's Egyptian parchment was translated this morning," says Agent Mulder. "It's the darnedest thing, but the writing has nothing whatsoever to do with Chertovski, let alone being the incriminating evidence Reginald Wilkins claimed it was. That was the basis for his imminent arrest before Sam Archer murdered him. Why would Reginald lie? It makes me wonder if he is somehow getting too focused, too drawn in. Is he on the same path Archer took?"

"What do you men think?"

"The parchment was an ancient prayer to an Egyptian god or some such - Nie lath or something."

"The corpses found in Chertovski's cold room have been autopsied. They died of bodily wounds inflicted with skilled, if not medical expert, efficiency. There were wounds that match those in the photos, as well as attempts to attach and graft bodily parts onto others. One body had a strange, as yet unidentifiable green liquid in it. The doctors believe the liquid was injected into the body."

"Following up on the revenge theory for Sam Archer, we are deploying agents to watch out for him at the known spots of cult activity. Perhaps he'll turn up."





In the book shop of Reginald Wilkins in Providence, Marius succumbs to the temptation of dark knowledge, opening the Pnakotic Manuscripts translation notes and perusing its pages for references to gates. He realizes the weighty tome requires more than a passing scan; rather, a close reading and many hours to decipher and properly understand its secrets.

Grognardsw wrote: Back at Manhattan BOI headquarters, the two Miskatonic men meet with Agent Mulder. He updates them on investigations that morning.
"The film was developed. I have the pictures," he says. Agent Mulder hands a folder to them.

"Dear God!" say Dr. Clarke as he looks at only a couple before put the rest down, not wanting to view the rest. "Are they all like this. So, so grotesque?"

Grognardsw wrote:"Chertovski's Egyptian parchment was translated this morning," says Agent Mulder. "It's the darnedest thing, but the writing has nothing whatsoever to do with Chertovski, let alone being the incriminating evidence Reginald Wilkins claimed it was. That was the basis for his imminent arrest before Sam Archer murdered him. Why would Reginald lie? It makes me wonder if he is somehow getting too focused, too drawn in. Is he on the same path Archer took?"

"What do you men think?"

"The parchment was an ancient prayer to an Egyptian god or some such - Nie lath or something."

"Nyarlathotep? If so, it is a link to the cult we are chasing. The evidence still has merit."

Grognardsw wrote:"The corpses found in Chertovski's cold room have been autopsied. They died of bodily wounds inflicted with skilled, if not medical expert, efficiency. There were wounds that match those in the photos, as well as attempts to attach and graft bodily parts onto others. One body had a strange, as yet unidentifiable green liquid in it. The doctors believe the liquid was injected into the body."

"Agent Mulder have you seen the movie "Life Without Soul"? It's an adaptation of Mary Shelly's novel "Frankenstein" in which a medical doctor is convinced he can bring a lifeless corpse to life. The corpse is comprised of body parts from several cadavers. Perhaps Chertovski was trying to do the same, confusing reality from fiction."

Grognardsw wrote:"Following up on the revenge theory for Sam Archer, we are deploying agents to watch out for him at the known spots of cult activity. Perhaps he'll turn up."

"I hope you catch him before he disrupts our investigation again. So many unanswered question will remain so because of his hot-headedness. Plus I'd rather have not any more run-ins with the man. He is clearly a danger to society."

Dr. Morgan:

Although repulsed by the grotesque butchery depicted in the photos, Frank is unable to put them down. His hands begin to tremble and shake. Finally, he is able to place the horrid images on the table in front of him. "My God...," is all the Miskatonic professor can stammer.

Long minutes pass before Frank regains control and responds to the questioning of Reginald's motives, "No sir, Agent Mulder, I believe Reginald to be loyal to our cause. I cannot explain why he may have lied, but I believe him to be a good man."

The talk of dismembered corpses unsettles Frank as he turns to gaze at nothing in particular. The photos remind him of the flower-like visions he witnessed in the trapezohedron crystal. He suddenly blurts out, "Has anyone seen or heard from Father Vaughan? We should have agents looking into his whereabouts as well."

Reginald Wilkins, bookdealer and occultist
Reginald at first attends to his book shop, making sure that nothing is amiss after being close for so long. He goes through the mail, checks his accounts, and other trivialities of running the shop, hoping to keep his mind from the horrid things he has seen and experienced recently.

As Marius begins perusing the Pnakotic Manuscripts, Reginald resists the impulse to snatch the book away and continue studying its mysteries on his own. Instead, he calls Professor Angell to set up an appointment, as well as his old friend Harold Mathers.

"Hmm, well Dr. Morgan if you feel Reginald can be trusted, I'll go with that," responds Agent Mulder. "For now."

Speaking to Dr. Clarke: "Yes, all the pictures are this grotesque. We're dealing with twisted sons of bitches here. Evil is the word."

"This Nie-er-latho-tep, that's how you say it? That is one of their gods then that this cult worships?"

"I've heard of Frankenstein. I can't believe that could be real."

"On Father Vaughan, I've put a call into the Archdiocese to get contact information for the Vatican. He is based there, though seems to travel the world. That's just another example of the unsettling aspect of this damned case. Our own people, from Agent Baines and Agent Gibson, Sam Archer to Father Vaughan, crack and get dangerous or crazy. There is a darkness here that effects the mind."





Marius reads the translation notes for the Pnakotic Manuscripts, trying to understand the book's organization and over-arching theme. He looks for references to gates and otherworldy travel. The hunter is not a learned man; the going is difficult. But he is a stubborn and persistent man, so after several hours he slowly begins to clear the linguistic obscurities and catch sight of the trail of knowledge he seeks to follow. These are only the first steps though in the intellectual hunt.

Nearby in his office, Reginald calls Brown University and through the department secretary makes an appointment with retired Prof. Emeritus Angell for tomorrow at 11:00. At 12:30 he has a lunch with Harold Mathers, recently returned to campus. Later that day at 3:00 Reginald has his psychiatrist meeting.

Marius drinks more coffee than usual. He scoffs repeatedly and interrupts Reginald, professing indignation and horror at the blasphemy present in the book—in these books, and in the entirety of this whole occult subject. How can Reginald and his colleagues even allow these books to be kept at all, when they should be burnt and forgotten?

In truth, however, Marius is unaware of how apparent his own morbid fascination is, growing at each turn of the page.

He continues to feel filthy and angered for the rest of the day and the next morning before their meeting with Prof. Angell.

Reginald Wilkins, bookdealer and occultist
Reginald tries his best to make it through the day, focusing on mundane tasks. He occasionally lends a hand to Marius with the Pnakotic Manuscripts, although he is careful not to drag himself into its mysteries again. He is looking forward to seeing his friend Harold again. He also is eager to meet with the psychiatrist; Reginald fears that his mind is going down the same path that took Timothy's sanity.

Reginald is more apprehensive than he cares to admit about his meeting with Professor Angell. He worries that the professor has unearthed even more arcane knowledge, and what effect this might have on his fragile state.

After a fitful night's sleep, he counts the minutes until the 11:00 meeting.

Marius' eyes are drawn to the illustrations in the Pnakotic Manuscripts...

Dr. Clarke:

"Yes, Nyarlathotep is part of the outer beings that the cult pays homage to. I hope Father Vaughan has not been taken over by the crystal. It had significant effect on you Frank. How are you feeling being separated from the crystal Frank? It's is no longer in your vicinity. Could you feel it's presence when it was near?"

Marius reads through the Pnakotic Manuscripts. Reginald reluctantly helps him before acting weird and retiring to bed.

There are bibliographic notes in the beginning. The Pnakotic Manuscripts claim to predate the origin of man. The original manuscripts were in scroll form and were passed down through the ages. A "Great Race of Yith" is referenced. It is claimed they produced the first five chapters of the Manuscripts, which, among other things, contain a detailed chronicle of their history.

Reginald explains that the Pnakotic Manuscripts were originally held by the people of Lomar, who studied them diligently. Later, they were passed to Hyperborea and translated into the language of that land. Here the manuscripts were added to by the Voormi. The Manuscripts survived into historical times and been translated into Greek in this version known as the Pnakotica.

The core text of the Pnakotic Manuscripts, Pnakotos, was written in 4th century AD (Hellenistic or Koine) Greek by (alledgely) Hypatia herself, who recalled extremely accurately the libraries in which she studied while a resident of Pnakotos. It is hinted that she was under the influence of the oracle-mists of Selene the moon goddess. It has been supplemented and revised by 'Great Race' scholars and their 'victims,' and also by comparison with apocryphal texts said to have descended from the Great Race in historical time. It also includes many of the texts Hypatia saved from the Pnakotos 'disaster' (not identified) as appendices. These are mostly texts of Greek and Egyptian mystical philosophy and Alchemy. There are fantastic claims of spells and rituals connected with Time, the Great Race, and Greco-Egyptian neo-platonic and alchemical mysticism.

The Lost City of Pnakotus (also called the Library City, The Lost City of the Archives and Pnakotis) is the primordial city where the 'Great Race' housed their enormous library. The library of Pnakotus held the Pnakotic Manuscripts, a legendary tome containing a detailed chronicle of the Great Race's history, among other things. Copies of this manuscript would later be passed down through the ages, eventually falling into the hands of sinister cults which would guard them into modern times.

Puzzling references which relate to real world locale:

"No man had scaled to the home of earth's god since the time of Sansu, who is written of with fright in the moldy Pnakotic Manuscripts. Now it is told in the moldy Pnakotic Manuscripts that Sansu found naught but wordless ice and rock when he did climb Hatheg-Kla in the youth of the world. Yet when the men of Ulthar and Nir and Hatheg... scaled that haunted steep by day in search of Barzai the Wise, they found graven in the naked stone of the summit a curious and cyclopean symbol... like to one that learned men have discerned in those frightful parts of the Pnakotic Manuscripts which were too ancient to be read."

Consultation with ancient cartographies reveals Hatheg-Kla is in present day Turkey.

The Pnakotic Manuscripts refer to an entity called Nyarlathotep. The word can be traced to ancient Egyptian antecedents. The name is a contraction of ny har rut hotep, meaning "there is no peace (safety, rest) at the gate." The significance of this title is apparently that Nyarlathotep, in his role as messenger of the Outer Gods, is the "gateway" between the planes, and specifically between their dimensions and ours, or at least that is how the ancient Egyptian cultists viewed the matter.