Bartholomew Livingstone
A british archaeologist explorer with a handsome moustache and a gung-ho attitude.
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Children
Session 8 (11) - Fat Mabel's
22nd of January 1925
After reviewing the psychologist's notes, it is now late afternoon. The next lead to follow is the other speakeasy that Anastasia worked at. It's a bit early for that, so Charlie suggests that we ask Lt Poole at the police station about the Juju House.
We head there and sit down to talk with Poole. We ask if he knows anything about the Juju house, as it seems connected to the break in and attempted theft at the carlyle manor - which Poole was looking in to a while back.
He offers to provide back up if we get to the point that we need it, as there is no real evidence to allow the police in currently. Apparently nobody talks to the police in Harlem, especially if they aren't the right colour, and the police don't seem worried about most of the dealings that go on in there because 'they're just black people'.
Over the last 2 years, Lt Poole has linked at least 9 murders to the cult we are following, as the same symbol was carved on the bodies. The people are as follows:
Walter Van Buskirk, a private investigator
Rev. Elijah A. Johnson, a Harlem minister
Michael Conley, a longshoreman
Richard “Ritchie C.” Cederecci, a member of the local mafia
Roberta Barlow, a harlem woman
Adolf Thurmond, a new york man
Poole mentions that there were some further belongings found at the crime scene of Jackson Elias, and as he had no next of kin, he passes them on to us to give to Jonah Kensington. Most of it is clothing. There are a couple of business cards - one for the Penhew foundation, one for Emerson Imports with the name "Silas N'Kwane" written on the back. There is also a card for the stumbling tiger bar, but there is no such bar in New York.
While we have some daylight, we make for Emerson Imports. Everyone jumps in a car and I drive us there. Unfortunately we arrive after they have closed. The sign says open 7am-5pm, I guess we'll come back tomorrow.
To the speakeasy it is! We arrive at Fat Mabel's after 8pm. Its definitely not as upmarket as the cotton club, but is in a new-looking building. We enter and immediately realise we are the only white people to be seen. A very large black woman is standing behind the bar, persumably fat Mabel.
Florence asks for a drink, sliding $5 across the bar. The woman gives her a small measure of brown alcohol, it's some kind of imported canadian whiskey. Charlie buys a drink as well. I'm not sure about the whiskey, so I pay that woman $10 to make me a nice G&T. She looks somewhat impressed and actually cleans her hands before making my drink. She personally brings it to the table on a tray.
Nobody else in this place seems approachable, so I head over to the bar to ask Mabel if she knew anyone called Anastasia or Naderu. She recognises the second name, but can't place it's owner. I put another $10 on the bar and ask her if she might have time to jog her memory while preparing another Gin. She mentions that she rents out some rooms to people, and she will show me in there if I'd like to talk to them.
I go back to the table to update my colleagues. We decide that perhaps we wouldn't all be able to go in, but Florence volunteers to go with me as two people shouldn't be too much.
Most of the people in these accomodation rooms appear to be 'fresh off the boat' from Africa. They don't really speak any english. I ask them if they know of the Juju House, and that people have been disappearing around there. One person mentions Silas N'Kwane, that he helped get him in to New York to get work. I recognise the name from the back of the Imports business card. Also now that I think about it, we have met him - he was the shopkeep when Florence and I visited the Juju House.
Suddenly gunfire erupts from below, scaring the residents back into their rooms. I wonder if our friends perhaps started a fight down there... We draw our own pistols and start to head down, when two men wearing african masks and wielding knives emerge from the top of the stairs. They rush at us! I shoot one in the leg and he tumbles back down the stairs with a scream. The second one is too fast and slashes Florence with his machete, but she shoots him in the guts and his dead body follows the first man down the stairs.
We run down and I jump on the injured man, knocking him out. I sling his body over my shoulder and we continue to the main entrance. Everyone is basically lying on the floor - the rest of our group looks very injured. I don't know what happened, but it seems like it would be a very good time to leave. I remember seeing a back door by the stairs, and we flee that way.
We huddle in an alleyway out of sight of the bar and the street. Apparently the others were told that there was somebody trying to break into their car, and when they went to investigate they were attacked by some suspicious black men. They killed them but got badly injured themselves. Charlie thinks it wouldn't be a good idea to go back and try to start the car now.
Elizabeth bandages up everyone's wounds, and I tie up the black guy and bandage his leg. We head for somewhere abandoned to hide out for a while. Florence suggests an abandoned warehouse that used to belong to a company that makes aeroplane parts.
Session 7 (10) - The Cotton Club
22nd of January 1925
The group heads to the cotton club, as per the plan. There are lots of tables set up around the stage with jungle-themes decorations around. The place is full of affluent white males. There are a few women here but they seem to be here with groups of men.
We order a drink, but unfortunately there is no alcohol allowed here. As we wait for the drinks some dancers come on stage in leopard print bikinis. They all look very 'exotic'.
Florence asks the waitress if anyone knows Roger Carlyle, who used to frequent here. She is unsure, but mentions that "Saada" might know. I recognise this as the swahili word for help.
I mention to the others quietly that I think the waitress was trying to cryptically ask for help.
There seems to be a few groups of patrons who are more boisterous and loud than others. Charlie has a walk around, and a look at them. He notices people adding to their drinks from hip flasks. There is also another section of the bar at the back with two guards ushering people through.
One woman leaves the stage and approaches the table, she appears a bit older than some of the other dancers. "Imara said that you wanted to see me?" she asks. ("Strong One" in swahili)
Charlie asks her if she has a light, and she mimics patting her pockets - while wearing a skimpy bikini, exclaiming that she doesn't seem to have one.
He pulls a lighter out of his pocket and invites her to sit with us. I offer her my chair, but she opts to sit on my lap instead. I broach the topic of Roger Carlyle, asking if anyone knew him as we wanted to gather information and 'memories' of him after his death. She provides fake-sympathy and mentions that she knew Roger, she remembers him coming here often. She then invites us to come into the reserved area to talk about it.
Charlie talks to the bartender Nyo ("Star" in swahili) and pays a good sized sum to receive a membership for us. Accompanied by Saada we head downstairs into a basement, through the guarded door. There are people drinking, gambling, and many private booths.
Charlie decides he wants to join the gambling table, and leaves us. Hans and Elizabeth decide to sit elsewhere. Therefore it's just me and Florence left with Saada in the booth. We have another drink and get to know her a little bit.
She has been here in New York for 10-15 years. She mentions she didn't know an Anastasia, but she did know a Naderu, who seems to be the same person. She wasn't here very long, maybe 6 months. Saada mentions that lots of girls come and go, so it was difficult to remember. Naderu had just come over on the boat, and rapidly became a star attraction. This wasn't common, but it seems that she was beautiful and had a way with men. Then all of a sudden her and Roger never came back to the club.
I feel it is the time to ask about the Bloody Tongue cult, I switch to Swahili. Florence strategically slips out of the booth.
Saada looks very impressed that I speak her language. She doesn't know anything about the cult, but she mentions that there have been dealings in Harlem. She leans in close, faking an intimate moment to whisper that she has heard people are disappearing around the Juju House. She hurredly walks away.
The rest of the group rejoins me at the table, and we compile what we have learned. The others got a tip from the bartender that Anastasia also worked at a club called "The Fat Mabels" and we should check it out. I mention the Juju House tip.
It's quite late, and we don't particularly want to be wandering about harlem in the dark. We head back to Florence's suite to rest up and look at the material that was recovered from our fallen acquaintance at the carlyle estate.
It is a collection of Jackson Elias' notes and research on the Carlyle expedition. Jackson went to egypt and kenya and interviewed various people hoping to find out more. His notes mention that the massacre site was 'cursed' but the Bloody tongue god, and contained torn up bodies of the kenyan guides, but the white members of the expedition were never found. There is also a note about talking to a "Johnstone Kenyatta" in Nairobi, who seems to know about the Bloody Tongue cult. Apparently the cult is not liked by the local tribes, and their god is "not of africa". There is a hand-scrawled note by Jackson with no date on it, that seems panicked and speaks about things coming for him. It mentions dreams that he compares to the kind that Roger Carlyle had, and his need to check the phychologists notes.
Clearly our next step is to visit the office of medical affairs in the morning.
22 January 1925
Everyone meets up after breakfast and heads for the medical records. Florence and Elizabeth go in together and the rest of us loiter outside.
They remain inside for several hours. We menfolk sit at a coffee shop nearby and chat. Eventually they emerge, and explain that they found the files we were looking for.
There was a file on Roger: he started having dreams where a dark man with an egyptian symbol burned on his head would call his name. There was also a figure with animal fangs and talons and 'no shape' - sounds like what Bradley saw! Roger apparently did not see the dream as a nightmare, but a 'calling'. This was after he met Anastasia. He apparently was obsessed with her and saw her as a rival.
The file on Erica did not contain much of interest, just that she was troubled over her brother's death. Erica seemed adamant that Anastasia was gold-digging and manipulating Roger.
Apparently Robert was having an affair with one of his patients, who then committed suicide. Roger helped cover up the affair and used his leverage to blackmail Robert into going on the expedition.
Session 6 (9) - Catch up at the Speak-easy
21st of January 1925
After a long session of reading, we finally take a breather and head out for the speak-easy to keep our meeting with Antonio. We meet Ms Winters and Prof Stuffenschitz at the bar, as they spent the night elsewhere.
Antonio is there. Charlie gives him a nod as we enter. He escorts us through to the back room, where he conducts his high-stakes poker games. He had attempted to get hold of Charlie via a letter, but he never went to his office. The letter was basically supposed to warn us off the carlyles, but it was too late by the time Charlie recieved it. We apologise to Antonio and assure him that we have no further business with the Carlyles.
Antonio mentions that his boys are well aware of the Juju House, and they don't approve of them. He says that he doesn't deal in drugs or illegal labour, so he wouldn't mind if something unfortunate happened to them.
We show the books we read last night to Elizabeth and Hans, and upon seeing "Life as a God" Elizabeth gasps in horror, exclaiming that the leather cover is actually made from human skin. Charlie places the book down and proceeds to wash and sterilize his hands.
Our two next leads to follow are the cotton club - a black dancing club for white people only, and the medical records on Roger Carlyle. Elizabeth, being a nurse with good connections, should be able to access the records.
Seeing as it is late, the cotton club seems the best first choice. We leave the speak-easy and head there.
Session 5 (8) - The Bane of Bradley Grey
21st of January 1925
We return to the Carlyle conservatory with Bradley Grey, Charlie following a little behind.
Bradley seems pretty unsteady - it could be due to the memory of whatever happened in the study, or his excessive drinking, or perhaps both. Florence sits him down and tries to kindly coax some more information out of him. He draws a crude sketch of a shadowy dragon-like being, and explains that this is the "thing" that came through the wall. He mentions that it has given him nightmares, and he wonders if it was to do with Roger's "head-shrinky" stuff he was in to.
He blames everything on the negro woman that Roger was in a relationship with, and also mentions that Roger had a harem of two women he was dating - who both went on the expedition with him. Florence wonders if they knew about each other. He apparently used to frequent the Cotton Club in harlem, and would pick up women there also.
Bradley explains that he believes that miss Masters, the other girlfriend, was after Roger's money.
An estate employee brings in some books at the request of Bradley. I pick them up and take a look -
the first one is entitled "Life as a God" by Montgomery Crompton, the pages are un-numbered and it looks handwritten.
The next book is called "Africa's dark Sects", the green cloth cover is cracked and split, and there are notes written all through the margins.
Third is "People of the Monolith", it looks very nicely handcrafted with elaborate designs along the pages. The front cover has a medallion on it containing a thin slice of stone - Florence inspects it closer and decides it looks organic, but it can't be. Inside the front cover there is a message from someone called Tyler.
The fourth book is the "Pnakotic Manuscripts", it seems it was written in the 1400s, with pencil annotations and pieces cut out frequently.
The next book is "Selections from the Livre D'ivon", it is handwritten in french with grotesque images throughout and a recurring sigil. It looks old and ragged.
Last is "Monsters and their Kynde", I recognise this one as the one I sold to Erica recently.
Bradley explains that this collection has caused him a lot of difficulty, with multiple theft attempts and enquiries by other collectors. He never liked these books, and they are only here because Erica kept them in memory of her brother - in case he returned (which she desperately hoped would happen).
Therefore, Bradley gives them to us in the hopes that it might help us prevent further break ins and maintain the good image of the carlyles.
The topic of conversation shifts to the Carlyle expedition. The members were: Aubrey Penhue, a collector from London, was one of the members. Robert Houston, Roger's psychiatrist. Hepathia Masters, a photographer and girlfriend of Robert. Jack "Brass" Brady, a devoted friend of Roger, they met at University in California. Anastasia, negro girlfriend of Roger.
We take our leave, and thank Bradley for his help. When we exit the building, Ricardo, one of Antonio's boys who was guarding the study, is out having a smoke. He mentions that he might be able to get hold of some of the belongings of the people who they removed from the study, in exchange for some persuasion money. We pool together and provide a comfortable amount, and he promises to deliver as soon as he can.
Now the plan is: drop the books in the hotel safe to read later, have something to eat, follow up about Robert Houston's notes. Then head to the bar to meet Antonio like we promised yesterday. Maybe he will know something about the cotton club, too?
Florence tries to call Robert Houston's office number from the phone book, but it is disconnected. We get in touch with Jonah Kensington, and he has somebody look up Robert Houston's records - they are kept at the Medical Affairs Board.
For the rest of the afternoon we look through some of the books to fill in time.
Charlie skims through "Life as a God", it is sloppily written in a faux-egyptian font. Its an autobiography by a british soldier and artist. It details his dispatch into egypt in 1801, where he was injured and got occult fever-visions. It describes how he was inducted into a secret cult who worships "the Black Pharaoh". He then went back to live in liverpool and start his own british chapter of the cult, which was exposed and he was sent to an asylum. There is an after-note mentioning how this man was prone to delusions and believed he could achieve godhood through his cult practice.
Florence examines "People of the Monolith". The medallion centre appears to be stone, but on close examination, it looks like a cross-section of a worm like creature curled upon itself.
After a quick skim, this is a collection of poems written by Justin Jeffrey. The book seems very modren, all the poems have a similar structure to them. They seem to describe horrific creatures. A sample poem --
Out of the Old Land
"They lumber through the night with their elephantine tread;
I shudder in affright as I cower in my bed.
They lift colossal wings on the high gable roofs
Which tremble to the trample of their mastodonic hoofs."
I examine "Africa's Dark Sects". A collection of pages by Nigel Blackwell, an african explorer. There is a plate at the back of the book that states it belongs to the Harvard library! It was published in 1921, and mentions the fall of the christian church - africans started worshipping their own older deities - an ecstatic cult called "Hatoo" became popular. Nigel tries to convey in his book that the Belgians caused this to happen by enslaving the people and abusing them. There is a big focus on African people's rights. There is a compilation of his recollections while visiting french west africa and the congo, following these secret cults and religions to their roots.
A passage towards the end of the book touches upon a kenyan cult called "The Bloody Tongue" - with a symbol that I recognise from when it was carved into Jackson Elias's forehead!! It talks about rituals these cult members did to raise the dead and turn them into a "zambi" to do their bidding. The ritual steps are outlined in a very clinical manner. The cult members reside along a river next to the Mountain of the Black Wind, which seems to be their holy place.
Session 4 (7) - Gone and also forgotten
21st January 1925
We are sharing a drink in the speak-easy. Antonio, a suspiciously italian gentleman greets Charlie like a friend, and Charlie asks if he has heard anything about the Juju House in harlem. Antonio wants more details, and so Charlie mentions the missing artifacts from the Carlyle estate. Antonio recognises the name, and suggests he talk to his associates about it. We will meet again tomorrow night. Antonio claps me on the shoulder as he leaves, commenting on how good it is to see me bounce back so soon. Uh... right.
A serving girl comes around with cigars, and I gladly accept one from her. While I'm here, perhaps I should find out what exactly happened when I was here last night. I ask the bartender if he remembers me from last night.
He says I came in with some of Jimmy's boys, I looked rough and chilled to the bone. Something looked off. I ask who Jimmy is, and he points to a guy sitting in the corner.
Jimmy says he found me lying in a ditch last night in Westchester, he thinks I was on some kind of drug and had been roughed up. I thank him for his help and head back to the group table.
Wed 21 January 1925
After a good nights sleep, we meet in the hotel lobby for coffee and breakfast. Today the plan is visit the african artifact shop and the Carlyle Estate. The phone lines are working today, so I ring the Carlyles to book an appointment with them.
We head through harlem on the way there, to inspect the Juju House. We get there just after 10am. It is on Hampton Court, a tiny alleyway. The only other shop here is an abandoned pawn shop. The rest of the buildings look derelict.
Florence and I head into the shop alone, the others electing to stay in the car - 5 people at once might seem too suspicious. Charlie and Florence disguise me as a nondescript man in a suit just in case I'm recognised from last time I came here. The store is small and full of tribal artifacts. There are even weapons, but upon closer inspection, one can see that they are blunt and filed back.
The store feels very oppresive and cramped. The shopkeeper is a stooped old african man, he introduces himself as Seelas Inquanay. He has a large key hanging on a leather thong around his neck. Florence starts gushing over his shop and artifacts to keep him occupied. He claims that all of these are genuine african artifacts.
Upon closer inspection, I can see that these really are true african artifacts. Nothing has the cult symbol that we have seen before. Nothing stands out to me as suspicious.
Florence tries to snatch the key from around his neck while she is distracting him, and he catches her hand as she grabs it. She manages to explain it away commenting on how beautiful it is.
When the group reunites outside the shop, Florence mentions that she had to buy the most hideous stuffed giraffe she has ever seen to cover me, but I inform her regretfully that there is nothing suspicious going on. She tells us that the shop may not have been suspicious, but the shopkeeper is! Apparently when she looked in his eyes, he had a cold, menacing glare.
Charlie decides that the abandoned pawn shop next door would be a good location for a stakeout, if needed.
Upon arriving at the Carlyle manor, there seems to be some sort of renovation underway. Part of the wall and roof of the upper floor is covered by tarps. The main doors open, and Bradley Grey flanked by three larger gentlemen head out to usher us inside.
The bodyguards take our coats and pat us down for weapons. They remove Charlie and Florence's guns. Bradley escorts us to the conservatory, and I comment that I don't remember the same level of security here last time. He mentions that things have changed.
He offers refreshments to the group, then it becomes apparent that Erica Carlyle is not here.
When this is pointed out, he makes it clear that she is not going to see us. He seems upset with us, and won't give us information unless we clarify what happened. He claims that we were involved in trying to steal from them - when our previous acquaintances opened up a safe in the library. I reassure Bradley that Miss Winters and I had nothing to do with that, and in fact we have no recollection of what happened that night. He seems to believe me, but remains suspicious.
He mentions that Jackson Elias's latest project involved proving that Roger Carlyle survived the expedition. He asked for access to Roger's collection for information, which they would not give. Erica cherishes that collection as a memory of her brother.
Bradley states that this attempted theft is just the latest in a string of thefts this year, and he is doing his best to keep it quiet and keep the press away from the issue.
Charlie offers Bradley his help, as he points out that perhaps the death of Jackson Elias and the attempted thefts at the estate are linked. Bradley requests that no more attempts at theft are made. He offers to show us the damage caused by the last attempt, mentioning that it might jog our memory.
I recognise the library area of the house as we walk through, and as we travel further the house becomes very cold. There is a guard with a tommy gun outside the study door... he seems to be one of Antonio's guys.
Upon entering, part of the corner wall and roof is completely collapsed, leaving a large hole. Bradley pours himself another drink. He says some 'thing' came through the wall. There were many casualties. Apparently I was standing there with Bradley and Elizabeth when this happened. Bradley says that all he could manage to do was grab Erica and push her through the door to get away from it.
Elizabeth asks if any of the servants had memory issues like her and I had, and he says no. He says that he doesn't know if any servants were killed, it was just us and our previous group members in the room. So... did they die here? Bradley doesn't know, all he knows is that they cleaned up bodies afterwards. He is getting visibly stressed. The suggestion is made to leave the room and head back down to the conservatory.
Charlie hangs back to talk to the security guard. He joins us shortly, smoking a cigarette.
Session 3 (6) - Hitting the Books
20th of January, 1925
Tuesday the 20th Januray, 1925. Evening.
We plan to follow our leads in the city today, then book ahead with the carlyle estate to visit tomorrow.
The only option available in the blizzard is to walk, so we walk to the police station, which is closest. Charlie inquires about the negro man who they are holding in custody, and the officer informs us that he killed himself in the cell last night.
Charlie knocks on Lt Poole's office door, and is greeted warmly as an acquaintance. They discuss the man's death, he bit his own tongue off and choked on it. The recent murders are brought up in conversation. he mentions an 'unofficial' link relating this same occult symbol to multiple cases, but nobody wants to talk about it.
Poole invited the police contact, Mordecai Lemming - a doctor of folklore, to visit new york and provide his input. The snowstorm prevented Mordecai from reaching the city, but Poole thinks he might arrive by tomorrow.
The next closest stop is the library. We decide to look for books written by this Mordecai Lemming... and upon finding them, quickly realise they are utter fiction. When compared to Jackson Elias' books, it is easy to tell that this man has not researched any of his material.
The next person to come to mind was Anthony Cowles, the professor delivering the lecture that Jackson Elias attended the day before I arrived in town. His books are mostly about australian folklore - nothing seems related to what we have experienced in new york.
On a whim, Hans calls the university that Cowles works at, on the off-chance that we can contact him. An assistant answers - Louise Land. She is familiar with his research as she helped with his latest book. It is about a bat-worshiping aboriginal cult from hundreds of years ago, that would undergo human sacrifices by hitting the people with clubs with poisoned bat teeth attached to them. She mentions that Jackson and Anthony kept in good contact. She will arrange for prospero press to be contacted via telegram when Anthony returns to the university.
The last phone call to try is Miriam Atwright, the woman who wrote to Jackson regarding a book he had been tracking down. She explains that the book mysteriously disappeared from Harvard before Jackson could get a hold of it. The book was called "Africa's Dark Sect" by Nigel Blackwell. There is a book held in London that may have similar information, entitled The "G'harne Fragments". She explains that Jackson was doing some research on an African cult, but he didn't give her any further specifics. Apparently Nigel Blackwell is now deceased.
I have heard of the G'harne Fragments before. The book was written by Sir Amery Wendy-Smith, and is a translation of an old African expedition to investigate the G'harne civilisation - who were rumoured not to be human. According to Miriam, this book is held in the collection of the Penhew foundation. I recognise the name as one of the members of the Carlyle expedition.
It's possible that the carlyle estate library has more information, so I make a note to follow up on that tomorrow when we visit.
The african artifact store in Harlem was called "The Juju House" and Charlie suggests it could be some kind of front for smuggling, so we head to the nearest speakeasy to get in touch with some of his contacts in the 'underground'. A man called Antonio joins us at a table, remarking that he didn't expect to see me back here so soon.
Session 2 (5) - Reawakening
20th of January, 1925
January 20th, 1925
I drag myself in to the prospero press office in the midst of the snowstorm. Memory hazy, a splitting headache. What was I doing before I woke up in that bar? Investigating the Carlyle manor... what happened after that? How could I have forgotten so easily?
Several new faces are present in the office, but they are people I've seen before: Charlie, Florence and Hans, who I remember from a couple of years back in mexico. Elizabeth Winters is here, but the others - Ed and Joseph - seem to have gotten lost.
Jonah Kensington suggests we all collaborate on what we remember from our investigation so far.
We had been trying to figure out what Jackson Elias had been doing this past year before he died. We have a collection of newspaper clippings and notes from Jackson.
Florence reveals that she was able to sneak a look at Jackson's hotel room after the murder, and it was bloody, but she didn't notice if anything was missing at the time.
Jonah Kensington mentions that Jackson attended a lecture, and was interested in a book about africa. He digs up some correspondence with a Miriam Atwright, from Harvard, regarding the book.
After a lengthy discussion, we have several leads:
Jackson's research, including the book from harvard
the negro men who we have encountered, and the african cult they may be linked to
the carlyle's stolen african artifacts, and the african shop in Harlen
a captured thug at the police station - one of the men who jumped us.
the carlyle's estate and Roger's occult collection
the laywer Bradley Grey and the psychiatrist's notes on Roger Carlyle
find out what happened to Ed and Joseph.
Session 1 (Prologue/4) - The God of Mitnal
1923
Some time in 1923
the team:
Charlie Roberts. A private detective from new york. wears a trenchcoat and fedora.
Florence Merica. Daughter of a wealthy family. romantisies adventure, became a pilot. half italian half english.
Hans Stuffenschitz. German physicist who defected to america. Late 50s, greying. Teaches at Yale.
Evelyn Caverly. 27yrs, journalist. dark hair and eyes. Writes articles on crime for the police. Spanish ex husband. From new york.
Bartholomew Livingstone (me). late 30s, athletic, moustache, an archeologist/historian who works at a new york museum. Frequent expeditions to various areas.
after recieving a telegram from jackson elias, the group heads to campeche, mexico as per his request. Put our bags in the hotel, the manager is called carlos. After having a drink, the party heads to the railway station to seek out the Guillermo mentioned in the telegram.
Guillermo comes out of the station and speaks in broken english: Jackson Elias is not here but left a letter for us. He arrived about a month ago asking for help to go into the jungle to look for mayan ruins. He set out east on the train with 4 men. Elias came back a week later for supplies and said that he had made a discovery!
The letter contains instructions for reaching Jackson Elias' camp. The next train leaves in the morning, and Guillermo promises to acquire some supplies for us.
Charlie asks if there could be any rivalry or competition out to steal this discovery. Guillermo mentions the only thing he can think of is a gringo who came and sold a lot of weapons 9 months ago, his name was Esteban Santos.
Word on the street is that people have been disappearing out in the jungle in the last 6 months. People are very superstitious, despite being catholic, they believe in the old aztec and mayan gods.
The group decides to disguise themselves in local garments to head out of the hotel the next morning, to attempt to avoid being followed. We are given a pass for the train, which is normally freight only. The train has minimal crew. We are riding in one of the open flat cars with a few locals.
The 126th mile is the farthest point away on the loop, which is where jackson elias told us to stop off. The train track cuts through the rainforest, stopping here and there at small dwellings to unload and load people or goods. There are a lot of sisal plantations.
Later it starts to rain and becomes very humid. there are a few locals left in the middle of the car, an old woman is mumbling and clutching her rosary. Charlie curses the fact that he cannot light his cigarette in the rain and humidity.
We reach our stop, finally, in the dark. The engineer jumps off to check on us. The train fireman looks very worried, and the engineer mentions it is because his brother disappeared here.
We can catch the train again around midday if we wait by the tracks.
The group walks single file, a lantern holder at each end, down the path following the river. Mexican owls can be heard screeching above us, which Livingstone points out are associated with Ah Puch.
The jungle gets denser and darker, and Florence slips on a rock, hurting her ankle.
As bartholomew is clearing the jungle from the path, he notices an inscribed piece of stone with the carving of a skeletal figure flanked by two owls, with smoke rising around him. Mayans dressed in animal costumes surround him, they seem to be presenting items to him. A taller figure appears to be holding a pyramid. Evelyn takes a photo with the help of a few extra lanterns (74).
Evelyn sees something move into the forest, but can't make out what the dark shape was. She mentions it to the group, wondering if it was a jaguar. Bartholomew mentions that we should keep moving in that case.
A few minutes later, we reach the camp. It is somewhat overgrown, the tents destroyed, empty supply tins strewn around. it looks like it could have been abandoned for a few weeks. There are empty gin bottles and tobacco, suggestive of Jackson Elias.
A red glow flares up in the jungle ahead of us, and the smell of sulfur hangs in the air. A figure rises up with the sillhouette of a beaked head. He holds up a flaming skull, and yells something in spanish.
Charlie fires a warning shot at the figure. Two more people rise up on either side, looking ghostly and white, moving toward us. Evelyn tries to speak to the figure in spanish.
The unanimous decision is made to run, and the group flees back down the path. They don't seem to be following.
A sleepless night is spent somewhere along the path.
We head back along the path, stopping to check the carved stone in broad daylight. Evelyn takes some better pictures. Arriving back at the campsite, nothing much has changed.
There is a flat rock in the camp with traces of bloodstains on it, Hans thinks it is human blood. Perhaps from an altercation.
There is a biped track leading into the jungle where we saw the figure last night, and an indentation in the brush where another figure was. Further in there are empty tequila bottles, smell still lingering, discarded roaches, and some burnt looking ground with papery remnants scattered around.
The trail continues with broken branches and trampled undergrowth.
The jungle starts to open up, and soon an ancient river valley comes into view. A mayan pyramid can be seen down in the valley. About a dozen men can be seen moving around down the bottom. There are horses and donkeys tied up.
We know that Jackson Elias only took 4 men with him, so surely it can't be his group.
We can't be sure if these men are friendly or not, so decide to stop and observe them for a while before approaching. Each man is armed with a mauser rifle. They appear to be milling about, on guard duty. After a while, two people leave the temple and are replaced with two more. There is one caucasian man in the camp, the rest are mexican. But it's not Jackson Elias.
The team decides the best way to find out more information is to draw them out, then take a hostage for questioning. Now that it is dark again, Hans rigs up two bombs: one to cause a boom, the other to stun.
The first one goes off, and after a while a group of three men come to investigate. They get showered by the next explosion, and we fall upon them to incapacitate them. One of the guys smashes his lantern and catches on fire. Bartholomew dunks him in the river and manages to keep hold of him.
The party carries them a good mile away, doing their best to conceal their tracks. Now time for questioning. Charlie sits in front of the man with his machete drawn, and Evelyn begins questioning. The man says they are hiding from the police. He says the gringo is "Kimble", also known as Esteban Santos. He doesn't know who they are selling the guns to. He recognises the name of Jackson Elias, and says he is held captive in Mitnal Pyramid, because he stumbled upon their camp.
They admit that it was men from the camp who dressed up to scare people off, as they didn't want to be discovered. Arturo, Kimble's right hand man, was in change of that.
Charlie says he knows Kimble, he is an ex military man who is wanted by the texas rangers. He is a known smuggler and potential murderer.
The best plan of action seems to be to offer a hostage exchange - his three men for Jackson and his men. As we approach the camp, men start yelling. Men line up to meet us, and we see Kimble and Arturo standing in the middle.
We request for Jackson Elias to be returned to us, and when Kimble finds out that he is a writer he mentions that he is surprised, as he assumed he was working for the feds. He agrees to the hostage exchange, on one condition: We return his hostages to him, then in a few days time, they will pack up camp and leave, releasing all their prisoners then. It seems fair, and he seems to be speaking the truth.
Charlie requests to check on Jackson and his men before we agree, and he is accompanied into the pyramid. He is alive, but in bad shape after being held hostage for two weeks. There are 3 porters with him, and two local children.
We agree to the deal, retreat to set up a camp nearby, and wait out the two days.
Two days later, we hear two gunshots. Upon reaching the pyramid, we find that Kimble was true to his word - the camp is gone, and our hostages remain tied up, and alive.
Jackson Elias thanks us, and apologises for dragging us into his mess.
The group takes the train back to Campeche, ensuring the two children are entrusted to the locals to get home. After retiring to the hotel for the night, the next morning Carlos gives us a letter from Jackson Elias. He has left for Morocco, but promises to send us a copy of his book when it is finished!