Masks of Nyarlathotep
The Carlyle Expedition led by 24-year-old Roger Carlyle, a millionaire playboy who inexplicably turned from the life of a wastrel to fund and lead an archaeological expedition to Egypt, departed from New York in 1919. The principal members of the expedition were Sir Aubrey Penhew (age 54), titled, wealthy, and a noted Egyptologist; Hypatia Masters (age 27), a beautiful society girl, accomplished photographer, and linguist; Jack “Brass” Brady (age 36), mercenary soldier, weapons expert, and Carlyle’s confidant and bodyguard; and Dr. Robert Huston (age 52), fashionable psychoanalyst and interpreter of dreams.
The expedition members in America sailed to London to consult with Sir Aubrey Penhew on matters concerning Ancient Egypt. Sir Aubrey then joined the team. After a few weeks in England’s capital, they departed for Egypt.
Using Cairo as a base, the expedition performed several
short desert excavations. An important find was rumored,
but the expedition refused comment to reporters.
The principal members departed for Mombasa, Kenya,
and quickly went inland to Nairobi. At the beginning of
August, the expedition hired 20 bearers and headed into
the wilderness and then vanished.
In March 1920 a Kikuyu
tribesman told authorities in Nairobi of a party of whites
near the Mountain of the Black Wind, a local name for
one of the high Kenyan peaks. Later, rumors intimated
that inhuman forces had destroyed the expedition.
On hearing about the missing expedition, Roger Carlyle’s
sister, Erica, traveled to Africa and hired a search party.
After ten weeks of effort, Erica, with help from the local
authorities, found the remains of the expedition. The corpses
were remarkably preserved, although what little was left
appeared to have been pulled apart and torn to shreds by
animals—a horrible death. The encampment was totally
destroyed. Despite reports to the contrary, the remains
were strewn about in the open, and no effort had been
made to conceal them.
Blame was quickly pinned on Nandi tribesmen. Some
mention was made of a pagan cult, powerful in the area,
but the authorities scoffed at the idea and did not follow
up such whispers, nor were such things mentioned in the subsequent trial. Fingers were pointed at some tribesmen,
who were tried and then hanged. The expedition members
were declared dead, and the incident was forgotten.
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