Through use of the single naked light bulb, the small attic rooms only source of light since the solitary window had been blacked out to follow blackout regulations, you are able to read the small number of Newspaper cuttings. They tell you little that the shepherd, Jones, had not already told, and with no doubt as much fanciful details.
Mostly collected from local newspapers, with indifferent reporting, they tell of the strange happenings at the rebuilt Priory at Exham. It appears that a rich American businessman by the name of de la Poer (although it would seem he had changed his name slightly from the original Delapore to the name associated with the priory before its collapse), had spent a small fortune on the reconstruction of the priory that had existed in the sixteenth century prior to its destuction by fire. However following the events of August 1923 it had once again been abandoned and ruined.
Whatever actually happened, and the newspaper articles provide little help, it seems that the owner, de la Poer, had been found standing over the dead and mutilated body of his associate Capt Norrys ret. It seems that in the light of no real evidence to the murder of the captain, Mr de la Poer, having lost his mind, was committed to the care of Dr Stromberg at Hillside sanatorium on the outskirts of Cheltenham. As had been one of the other members of the party, a self styled psychic investigator Jonathan Thornton.
There are a few bizarre and obviously false eyewitness reports, including that of a Thomas Jones, but other than a few grainy photographs showing what you assume to be the priory the articles contain nothing useful, you assume that Stephen had merely kept them because of the subject matter.
The notebook however is different. It would appear to be an account of the happenings that night. Stephen Daniels, it seems, had been amongst the party that had descended below the priory, and had been present at the finding of de la Poer.
The somewhat crabbed writing of the journal takes several hours to peruse. It reads in places like some sort of M.R James ghost story. He writes of being asked to accompany de la Poer, Capt Norrys, Professor’s Brinton and Trask, Thornton and Moreton in the uncovering of a chamber thought to be below the cellars of the priory. And how de la Poer and Norrys had drifted away from the group, until they had eventually been alerted by a cats yowling to find de la Poer crouched over the corpse of Norrys, covered in blood, fingernails and teeth bearing the unmistakeable evidence of some unspeakable depravity.
Written in a most matter of fact, almost clinical, style several passages stand out;
“For the best part of two hours we searched for de la Poer and the Captain. During which time my eyes beheld such things as to almost turn my mind. Buildings of ancient construction and cyclopean conception yet as fresh as they had been built but yesterday, paintings and carvings of such beauty and awfulness as I had never set eyes on before. Yet everywhere the air was filled with that sickly, sweet miasma of death and decay, none more so than those strange labyrinthine catacombs where we were eventually to find de la Poer and what remained of Captain Norrys, God rest his soul.
God rest mine too, for many a time I have been tempted to return to that hill, find a way below and walk again in the cursed tunnels for there is much to be discovered there, much wealth and such power as has been unknown for the millennia’s since those blood red gods walked the earth. I often wonder if Brinton returned to those catacombs, yet I know he could not for the site was sealed forever. Lest that which had befallen de la Poer befall another.”
There is more, mostly descriptions of, and attempts to recreate some of the drawings and symbols, none of which seems to bear little resemblance to reality, mostly strange angles and proportions that do not correspond to any known mathematical scale. Everywhere there are hints to fortunes unseen for ages, and other hints to things long lost.
Only a few words seem recognisable,
“Div + Ops + Magna + Mat…” translated as, sign of the Great Mother?
The section finishes with;
“…where we found the book. The book that Brinton found so interesting, in fact we had to almost bodily tear him away from it to continue our search. I can not recall the name of this book for it was written in the same strange angular script as we had seen elsewhere, but it certainly fascinated the archaeologist since I overheard him telling Trask that they would return later and rescue it…”
There is no reference as to where this book was located, but as there is no further mention of it, it must be assumed to have been forgotten in the search for the missing pair.
OOC: May I suggest that if either of you have not read Lovecraft's 'Rats in the Wall', now might be a good time. |