"Yes, you're definitely onto something," says Oliver, inspecting the font. "I wonder if those stains might be blood. And we have seen those words before, you're right.."
Re: Chapt. 5 'Exham'
Posted: Sun Oct 11, 2015 12:52 am
by Supercape
"Surely this cannot be coincidence?" asked Maurice, griping his stout walking stick. "Something is afoot, and our host has been too long..." he suggested. It was a bold and paranoid suggestion, but boldness and paranoia infected any man who had been in the war...
Re: Chapt. 5 'Exham'
Posted: Sun Oct 11, 2015 1:41 am
by Mr. Handy
"Has it been that long?" asks Oliver, checking his watch. "This must have been here at least since Roman times. Ops is a Roman god, if I recall correctly. I doubt our host knows much about it, but we can certainly ask him."
Re: Chapt. 5 'Exham'
Posted: Mon Oct 12, 2015 10:50 am
by Priest
As Oliver finishes speaking the Vicar reappears, clutching a leather bound book in his hand, "I knew it was there somewhere, took me a while to lay my hands on it" He holds out the book as he approaches. "You were saying something about the Romans? Fascinating people, had a shrine near here I believe".
Re: Chapt. 5 'Exham'
Posted: Mon Oct 12, 2015 8:02 pm
by Mr. Handy
"Yes, quite so. This font here looks Roman, Vicar," says Oliver. "I'm sure you've noticed the Latin inscription, and my friend has noticed that it looks to be older than this church. I'm sure many churches were built on top of old Roman sites dedicated to pagan gods. Do you have any books about local Roman sites by any chance?"
Re: Chapt. 5 'Exham'
Posted: Tue Oct 13, 2015 2:43 pm
by Priest
Mathews, his eyes suddenly aglow with interest, shakes his head, "Sadly no Captain. Church records show no evidence of the building having been constructed over any earlier site. And as far as any Roman buildings in this area, only a suspected villa some three miles to the east may lie between us and Gloucester. But who knows"
At mention of the font he walks over and runs a hand, almost lovingly, over the deeply inscribed letters, "Yes 'magna mater' translates as Latin, it means 'great mother' but not 'div ops', at least Ihave no knowledge of it. My uncle used to think that it meant 'In the name of the great mother'. I think he had heard that from another person but I don't know who."
For a few seconds he gazes at the ancient stone as if seeing it for the first time, "According to church records it seems that it has always been here. Certainly it was in the 14th century and mentioned in the 17th century documents dealing with the trial for withcraft of Lady Trevor of Cornwall in 1614".
Re: Chapt. 5 'Exham'
Posted: Wed Oct 14, 2015 5:03 am
by Mr. Handy
"I believe Ops is the name of a Roman god," says Oliver. "I'm not entirely sure what 'div' means, however. We've seen these words before elsewhere. I'm not familiar with the trial of Lady Trevor in 1674, Vicar, but I would be interested in learning more, and what relevance the font had to her trial."
Re: Chapt. 5 'Exham'
Posted: Wed Oct 14, 2015 1:25 pm
by Supercape
"It sounds pertinent" agreed Maurice. "I wonder if there is locally library, or suchlike. With a bit of luck, we might find records of the trail itself?"
Re: Chapt. 5 'Exham'
Posted: Wed Oct 14, 2015 5:31 pm
by Priest
Williams’ face wrinkles in thought, “The nearest library would be in Anchester, but I doubt they would have any records of the Trevor case. I think you would need to go to Gloucester or Cheltenham, but I doubt you would find any more than the records held here will tell you.”
“Here, this is my uncles journal” he passes you the small leather-bound book he had carried into the church, “You may find the notes he made concerning the events up on the hill twenty years back, of use. Though he wrote little”
He turns and disappears once more into whatever room lay behind the door, “I shan’t be long, I’ll search out the parish records for 1674”.
Oliver,Flipping through the pages of Mathew Williams' journal quickly brings you to his somewhat brief notes on the Exham Priory occurrence. Most of what he has written tells you little that you didn’t already know. It seems that de la Poer was worried about strange noises he had heard beneath or even within the walls of the restored priory.
He had recruited aid from Captain Norrys (ret) and several others, [i]“...including a young curate from Gloucester by the name of Daniels...”[/i] A nightmare had ensued from which de la Poer had been dragged insane. Norrys was dead, and poor Thornton had lost his mind. Stories had circulated over the manner of the death, but the truth had been quietened for the sake of the young man’s family. The site of the priory was subsequently cleared, so no remains of the building should be visible. All that remained after the clearance was the single road that led to the hill top.
There is little of practical use within the writings, indeed you might find more detail in a newspaper article. However for the first time you have found mention of your uncles presence.
Re: Chapt. 5 'Exham'
Posted: Wed Oct 14, 2015 10:22 pm
by Mr. Handy
"Thank you, Vicar," says Oliver. He begins looking through the journal. "Well, this doesn't have much new information, but it does seem to confirm my uncle's involvement. Apparently there's nothing left of the old priory any more, just the road leading up to the top of the hill. However, there must still be things underground."
Re: Chapt. 5 'Exham'
Posted: Wed Oct 21, 2015 3:11 pm
by Priest
After a while the small door opens once more and the Vicar reappears with a large leather bound book in his hands. From its condition you guess it’s quite old.
“Church records” he puffs as he places the large book on a small table by the main door. With an almost loving touch he opens the book and turns to a section filled with the rather difficult handwriting of a past age. “Yes here it is, 1674 the trial and execution of Lady Margaret de la Poer, wife of Lord Geoffrey de la Poer of Anchester” he glances up his brow wrinkling with the obvious strain of reading 17th century English. “It states that the said Margaret, formerly of Cornwall, was found guilty of the crime of witchcraft, communion with demons, and other divers wickedness. She was also accused of the crimes of infanticide and cannibalism. According to the records she was hanged in the market square at Anchester, her body burned and her ashes mixed with salt were cast onto the holy ground of Exham Priory”
He smiles, “She was known as ‘the bane of children’ and her name is kept alive in local children’s nursery rhymes. But I digress, it seems that the main part of the evidence against her was that she had been caught holding a child by its feet over the font of the local St Michael’s Church at Exham”. Again he looks up from the pages, “That would be this font, it doesn’t say if the child was alive or dead”
He closes the book with a thump, “Of course the people of that time were more than a little superstitious, and showed more than a little willingness to believe all sorts of things” he glances towards the stained and chipped font, “Still you never know”.
Re: Chapt. 5 'Exham'
Posted: Wed Oct 21, 2015 7:09 pm
by Supercape
"I recall that in times past, any woman of dubious character might quickly be accused of witchcraft and have little defence" replied Maurice. "I attach little gravity to such accusations. As you say, it was a different time. Before modern thinking".
He ran a finger along the font. "I wonder why she would hold a baby above this font. It would not be a Christian thing to do, would it? outside of baptism. And Infanticide and Cannabilism are more concrete crimes that the vagueness of communion with demons. Who can say? Perhaps she was merely guilty of a certain feebleness of mind or deficit in sanity. Of course, in modern times we would treat such poor creatures in a more enlightened way!" he said, making sure he didn't think too deeply about their recent visit to the madhouse.
"I don't suppose we can clarify if Margaret de la Poer had any children, and if so, whom?"
Re: Chapt. 5 'Exham'
Posted: Thu Oct 22, 2015 4:11 am
by Mr. Handy
"Yes, it does seem that there must be something to these accusations," says Oliver. "Perhaps madness does run in that family, considering what happened with Mr. de la Poer twenty years back. Yet Mr. Thornton was also clearly affected, and he isn't related as far as I know."
Re: Chapt. 5 'Exham'
Posted: Sat Oct 24, 2015 9:07 pm
by Supercape
"I am minded to try my hand at genealogy, although I confess that art has never appealed to me before. The LaBoer family is a web of madness, and the more we look, the more we uncover!"
Re: Chapt. 5 'Exham'
Posted: Sun Oct 25, 2015 3:32 am
by Mr. Handy
"Yes, good thinking,' says Oliver. "Perhaps he even has living relatives. I wouldn't mind finding out more about my own family history, either. There've been whispers that members of my family on both sides have been involved in odd occurrences even before I heard about Stephen Daniels having been at Exham Priory."
Re: Chapt. 5 'Exham'
Posted: Tue Oct 27, 2015 12:53 pm
by Priest
Williams nods his head vigourously, at the suggestion of doind a little research into the de la Poer's, "The church has records of the families history. If you follow me gentlemen I will take you to where they are stored" He leads you through the door into what you think must be some kind of storage room, a room that has been little disturbed recently, if all the dust and cobwebs are to be believed.
Crossing the room he takes a battered oil lamp from a shelf, "Have you a match?"
At the far end of this cluttered room is a wooden trapdoor set into the flagstoned floor...
Re: Chapt. 5 'Exham'
Posted: Wed Oct 28, 2015 5:14 am
by Mr. Handy
Oliver fishes a matchbook out of his pocket and hands a match to Williams. "Here you go, Vicar," he says.
Re: Chapt. 5 'Exham'
Posted: Thu Oct 29, 2015 12:19 am
by Supercape
Maurice never liked flames. He walked over to the trapdoor and gave it a scuff with his shoe. He coughed despite best intentions. He didn't like dust either.
Gritting his teeth he pulled his handkerchief over his mouth.
"All ready gentlemen, but do forgive me if I become indisposed. The dust..."
Re: Chapt. 5 'Exham'
Posted: Sun Jan 15, 2017 7:16 pm
by Victoria Silverwolf
Unable to control himself, Maurice had another coughing fit. What really bothered him, however were the thoughts racing around his head.
Head's all a muddle. Not thinking straight. Should have asked about what happened to the cat back at the asylum. Reminds me of something. What was it? Some book or play. Madman kept asking for a cat. That's right, so the cat could eat the birds, and the birds eat the spiders, and the spiders eat the flies. "The blood is the life." Too much blood and the eating of flesh about this matter. Makes me want to become one of those vegetarian crackpots. God, I could use some laudanum!
"Excuse me, gents. Weakness of the flesh. Shall we continue?"
Re: Chapt. 5 'Exham'
Posted: Sun Jan 15, 2017 7:50 pm
by Priest
Wiiliams takes the match and lights the small oil lamp, at the same time looking concernedly at the gray faced Maurice, "Are you okay?" Then without awaiting an answer reaches down and pulls the trapdoor open, a short flight of rickety looking wooden steps lead down to a small stone lined chamber.
The chamber's walls seem to be lined with piles of books, all seemingly the same in appearance and all equally festooned with dust and cobwebs. Williams smiles, sheepishly, "I don't get down here much, and Ivy Jones the cleaner isn't as spry as she used to be"
At the far end of this chamber you can see an iron gate, you guess it must separate the Churches crypt from this 'storeroom'. Williams gesture toward the piles of books, "Church records. If there is anything to be found it will be in there...somewhere"
