My Arkham Weekend

It was Friday, and despite the promising whiffs of deliciousness flowing out from Mrs. O'Flaherty's kitchen, it was decided to investigate the building collapse on East Derby Street as well as the rumors of a "scantily clad man" running from the building. Was this just sensationalism on behalf of the press or something substantial? It was pleasant, if overcast, spring evening, and the intrepid investigators decided to take a brisk walk to the site. The house, which seemed do date from the first half of the 19th century, was in bad shape after an oddly symmetrical hole or opening had appeared in the back of the building. The police had cordoned off the building, and the two families that lived there had been evacuated, so there was not much more to see. Also, the thought of Mrs. O'Flaherty's cooking made Mackie's stomach growl, so it was tome to return to Jules Pollack's comfortable house. Diana Spinoza was still around, and although still in a saddened state, she did join the investigators for a great dinner full of inspired banter and the occasional crude remark.

Saturday turned out to be a gorgeous day.  Moira Baker went out early to visit the Arkham PD and inquire further about the collapse of the house. She was greeted by an officer Alex Jones, but for whatever reason, he was not interested in helping the public, and a frustrated Moira Baker stormed out of the police station. Meanwhile, Jules Pollack went out to purchase some office supplies in form of a knuckle duster before returning to studying the books that the late Dr. Spinoza had checked out from the Miskatonic University Library. It seemed as if Dr. Spinoza had spent quite some time studying the Himalayas and the southern extension of the Rocky Mountains, and there were numerous notes scribbled in the margins as well as a newspaper clipping wedged in between the pages of the 1908 National Geological Survey:

ARKHAM ADVERTISER

September 1, 1924

MINERAL FINDS IN NEW MEXICO BAFFLE BOFFINS

Geologists at the The New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology claim to have discovered several types of new minerals and possibly even rare earth elements in Lincoln County, New Mexico. The exact location remains undisclosed, as there are concerns of unapproved prospecting as well as issues with the Bureau of Indian Affairs.  

Irwin Bowers decided to go out to do his own investigations, and brandishing his press card for the LA Times, he managed to meet with Corinne Hill, the journalist (and suffragette, and political activist) who he met in Martin's Beach a few months earlier. They decided to have lunch on Tuesday, and it struck Bowers that although Ms. Hill was fun and great to talk to, she was also a commensurate professional. Any information would have to be bartered for.

Corinne Hill

As the intrepid investigators gathered for cocktail hour, an enormous explosion rocked Arkham, with an echo that seemed to rumble across the narrow streets and alleyways. A pillar of smoke could be seen somewhere southeast of J. Pollack Fine Antiques. As on queue, the investigators dashed into Pollack's Ford, and avoiding pushing Dr. Brown's three buttons, they dashed to the site of the explosion. Howard Lake was becoming increasingly anxious as they approached the smoke cloud, and his worst fears did indeed materialize in front of him. Where Lakeview Books used to be, there was only smoldering debris! And what about Melissa and Violet, his mother and sister, who worked in the book store? It took several frenzied minutes before Lake found them amongst the concerned spectators. They were uninjured, but aghast at the destruction. 

As Moira Baker walked around the gathering of Arkhamites, she managed to talk to both the Arkham Fire Chief, Marshal Burke, and Lake's landlady, Mrs. D'Agosto. Burke was obviously quite busy, but Mrs. D'Agosto mentioned that a man had been looking for Howard Lake at Lake's apartment, and that he said that he's be back later. Moira Baker instantly made a plan: tomorrow she'd be staking out Lake's building from the restaurant of the Natural History Museum across the street.

Sunday was another fantastic spring day, but Arkham was a town in shock. Houses collapsing, houses exploding, a retiree being gunned down by a presumed mobster. What next? Mayor Bryce called Governor Fuller to discuss mobilizing the National Guard. Howard Lake, on the other hand, decided to lay low and ship off Melissa and Violet to Martin's Beach. Joe Zumwalt of the Most Enlightened Fellowship of the Star of the Sea was contacted to make sure that the Lakes were taken care of. Howard Lake and Irwin Bowers concocted a cunning plan so that the Lakes wouldn't be spotted as they left Arkham, and this seemed to work quite well. But what was going on? Why were the Lakes of Arkham targeted?

                                                    

Governor Fuller

Moira Baker was drinking her third cup of coffee at the Museum of Natural History when she saw a tall and broad-shouldered man enter the foyer of Lake's building at 110 West Curwen Street. She downed her coffee and proceeded cross the street and up the stairs. The man turned around as Baker was almost at the top of the staircase, and he was brandishing a Tommy gun in each hand! Moira Baker bolted down the stairs as the man fired off a lengthy burst above Moira's head. He followed Moira down the stairs, and a police officer, namely the aforementioned Alex Jones, that happened to be walking by yelled at the man to drop his Tommy guns. Officer Jones fired two revolver rounds at the man, who simply replied by another long burst from his two guns. Officer Jones was torn into shreds before his inert body hit the sidewalk. Moira Baker was fortunate to have avoided a similar fate, and she was quite out of breath when she ran in through the back entrance of J. Pollack Fine Antiques.

That Monday, April 6, was the day of Irwin Bower's appointment with Mr. Bogislav Klimnik at the  Topsfield Power Plant. The intrepid investigators had been up late the previous evening to work on their equipment, which included a Geiger counter and various cameras as well as cover stories for all except Howard lake, who'd remain at J. Pollack Fine Antiques, since he anticipated that the machine gunner might turn to other book dealers and antiquarians to find the whereabouts of Howard Lake, or any Lake, for that matter. Bower was going to play the part of the LA Times journalist, Mackie McNamara was the designated photographer, Jules Pollack the driver and Moira Baker the technical assistant.

The Topsfield Power Plant

Bower, Baker, McNamara and Pollack rolled up to the Topsfield Power Plant just before 9 AM. It was an odd location for a power plant, being built in a marshy area away from major roads and with a small canal feeding the waters of the Miskatonic to the turbines. Lots of photographs were taken, although functions of the vast array of cables, transformers and isolators were way beyond the expertise of the investigators turned journalists.

Bogislav Klimnik

The security of the plant was impressive, and the guards of a security company searched the party thoroughly. The investigators entered a very modern power plant, the paint still fresh on the walls, and with works of modern art adorning the office annex. Mr. Bogislav Klimnik was utterly charming, a tall and thin man who spoke passionately about the power plant and the future of Arkham with a warm and resonant voice. He also showed the investigators some of the schematics for the plant, and he was done after exactly 30 minutes. When asking for a tour of the facilities, Baker, Bower, McNamara and Pollack were escorted by one of the engineers, Mr. Samuel Moss, Everything looked fantastic, but there was one spot that did register on the Geiger counter. What was going on in the Topsfield Power Plant?  

Klimnik's office

Meanwhile, a menacing figure entered J. Pollack Fine Antiques, and he towered above Burlington Jones while Howard Lake took a stealthy look from the upper floor. The man pretended to look around the store for a bit before asking if Jones knew of a Mr. Lake. Burlington Jones assured the stranger that he did not, to which the stranger replied that he might return later. As the stranger left the store, Howard Lake slid out to follow him.

*

A conversation in the car going back from the Topsfield Power plant. Jules Pollack's Ford is bulging with equipment, including cameras, flashes, and the odd Geiger counter.

"Jules, darling, hop on the pedal. I am getting snackish." Mackie McNamara was rifling through her kit to find something to satiate her appetite. The breakfast had worn off, but she could only find a half-full tin of breath mints. Quite disappointing, but she nevertheless made a point of handing each of of her friends a single breath mint.

"Well, that was an interesting visit. Positively Buck Rogers like, or to the moon and back. I wonder if we'll ever be able to to into space?" Jules Pollack sucked at the breath mint, hoping that this wasn't one of Doc Brown's reconstituted products.

"I found Mr. Klimnik to be quite informative. He really seems to know what he's doing. Just imagine that we'll  have electricity in all of Arkham County with surroundings in a bit more than a year. Why, we should perhaps consider an electric sign for Jules's store!" Irwin Bowers was clearly enthused about these ideas, to which Pollack replied with a curt "nonsense."

Mackie was still going over her many cases of film and handing them to Moira Baker, one after the other. "What am I going to do with a bunch of photos depicting a power plant on a Monday morning?"

"A Futurist exhibition perhaps, although the hoi polloi apparently do not consider mere photographs real art." Moira Baker was however thinking about one of her favorite art spaces, the Mütter museum in Philadelphia. Perhaps it was time to plan a summer vacation? Beach and morbidities?

"We really should write a nice thank you note to Mr. Klimnik for being so accommodating". 

"Sure, we can do that". Jules replied to Irwin. "I have some nice cards in my office".

"But first, lunch!" Mackie insisted. "Then, I want to develop the photographs and get it over and done with. Also, what shall we tell Diana Spinoza? Everything seems darb with the Topsfield Power Plant."

                          

*

ARKHAM ADVERTISER

Sunday, April 5, Evening Edition

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TOWN IN TERROR

With Arkham reeling from mob violence, including the brutal killing of Officer Alex Jones as well as random explosions, Governor Fuller has decided to deploy National Guard units to Arkham. Lieutenant Gorman, who is commanding of one of the units, stated that his men are well trained and ready to act on any threat: "This will go smooth, and by the numbers". The Arkham Police Department will continue to investigate the current violence in Arkham. According to Mayor Bryce, there will be arrests within the next 24 to 48 hours.

Striking Miners Clash with Workers

This Saturday, a massive brawl erupted as the Barrow and Locke Mining Company brought in laborers from West Virginia to reopen the mining operations in the Halliburton Hills southwest of Newburyport that have been closed since March 18. The striking miners are once again reminding the Arkham Advertiser about the hazardous working conditions and that several miners have developed a variety of ailments after having worked shifts in certain parts of the mine complex.

Nefertiti Studios Panning to Expand in New York  

Famed fashion feature Mr. Patrice Montague, who has been the talk of the town in Paris and London, is planning an opening in New York for his Nefertiti Studio House of Fashion. His inspired fashion design has seen the twentieth century joined with images of antiquity, be it from Ancient Greece or Egypt of the Pharaohs. The couture of Mr. Montague is being torn off the rack at exorbitant prices, and New York is eagerly awaiting his next event.

A Nefertiti Studios dress for the Spring salon.

Field Marshal Hindenburg to Run for President

The retired Field Marshal Paul von Hindenburg, age 77, will be a candidate for the presidency of Germany. Field Marshal Hindenburg had originally retired in 1911 and subsequently in 1919, but he is now re-entering the political scene as an icon of both the Great war and German patriotism. The elections will be held on April 26, and Field Marshal von Hindenburg claims that he is devoted to "social justice, religious equality, genuine peace at home and abroad." 

Mines & Monsters!

The three amigos eventually decided to leave the abandoned Seventh Adventist's church they'd spent Christmas Day in, and they proceeded to follow tracks from the gruesome monstrosity that stalked the ghost town of White Oaks. Ashford, Cannon and McCloud were all feeling the ill effects of a disturbed night's sleep, and the stark sunlight seemed unnaturally bright. They stabled McCloud's horse, grabbed necessary equipment, and then walked cautiously towards the Broken Toe Mine. The investigators were not the only early birds in the mountains, though: a dozen brutish-looking cattle hands were surveying a mass of destroyed mining equipment. Not a single item seemed to have avoided denting, crushing or shredding. The leader of the roughnecks stepped forward, and after a brief "howdy", he asked the three investigators what they might be up to on a fine Friday morning. The conversation was far from warm and including, but it was clear that the hoodlums were looking for whoever might have killed their companions and destroyed much precious equipment. "Whoever" soon turned out to be the Antahueca Apache, although the thugs used more derogatory language. Frank Cannon flashed his P.I. badge, and insisted that the trio were stalking a dangerous killer that had fled into the mine. Boss Martin and his gang - for this was indeed Boss Martin - paid scant attention to the investigators, as they had their eyes set on a different prize. They rode off to meet up with Sheriff Donahue while Ashford, Cannon and McCloud entered the mine with the latter taking point.

Boss Martin

Boss Martin had warned them from straying off the main passage, as the mine was old and there were deep shafts that were difficult to spot for the unwary. The mine was indeed forbidding, and there were still remnants of the old mining operations: boxes, crates, graffiti, and the odd broken implement. Lotus Ashford did notice something out of the ordinary, though: an empty box for a Geiger counter from MIT, including a partially destroyed user's manual. Another more disturbing discovery was a pile some three or four feet across with what seemed to be decayed human remains that somehow seemed to have been molted off something else, perhaps something bigger. More pieces of rotting flesh were found as the trio proceeded, one of them still sporting a tattooed blueish heart pierced by an arrow.

A partially collapsed floor forced the three amigos to attach themselves with ropes and carefully sidestep the lightless pit. However, disaster almost struck as Lotus Ashford lost his footing and started slipping into the abyss, leaving Frank Cannon mere inches from taking the plunge together with Lotus. McCloud acted quickly, as he used the old sleepers to brace himself, and after much cursing and flailing about, they managed to get out of a truly frightful situation, but only after causing the remaining floor around the pit to collapse in a cloud of fetid dust. Unperturbed, the trio proceeded forward, hoping to find a way back through some other passage. As they reached the end of the main passage, it branched out to two narrower passageways, the right at an acute angle downwards, and the left one straight and level. Ashford turned around, and he shuddered as the light from the entrance of the mine was blotted out for a fraction of a second. Was there someone between the investigators and the mine entrance or was his mind playing him tricks?

As McCloud proceeded down the left passageway, it split up again. McCloud first shone his lantern to the right, but it was when he turned to his left that he saw a new form of abomination. Almost surreal in its execution, this seemed to be a new amalgamation of body parts attached to each other in a most unholy fashion. The beast was wheezing like a deranged steam engine, and the enormous stitched together mouth tried to form word as slobber-like fluids dropped down the corner of the orifice: "muuuust, musst, destrooooooy...". Both McCloud and Cannon shrieked in panic, and dashed for the exit from the mine. Lotus Ashford was equally terrified, but he fired off several rounds from his revolver at the monstrosity. The rounds seemed to have effect, as ichor ran out of the horrendous wounds, but the creature proceeded to chase the investigators. With an abomination before them and a bottomless pit in front of them, the situation was dire indeed. Cannon and McCloud had cut off their ropes, and Frank Cannon was sprinting towards the exit while attempting to jump across the six- or seven-foot gap in the passage. He jumped with all of his strength, but to no avail, as his arms flailed to grab anything to hinder him from falling into the abyss. Fortunately, McCloud jumped after Cannon and after being helped up on his feet, Frank Cannon pulled out a dynamite stick from his rucksack. Meanwhile, Lotus Ashford emptied his revolver at the monstrosity, but it seemed as if the unnamable thing was preparing to jump after the investigators, stretching its rubber-like body in a gelatinous fashion. Frank Cannon fought his urge to just run out of the mine, and his trembling hands lite the fuse and threw the dynamite stick. It exploded just as the beast jumped, showering the three amigos with all kinds of body fragments and goo. 

The investigators were more than a little shaken as they emerged  from the darkness of the mine. In the real world, it was only about ten in the morning, but it felt like they had spent days down in the underworld. They were much in need of a clean-up a change of clothing. Fortunately, there was still a working well in White Oaks, and as they cleaned themselves, many questions surfaced. "What about the radioactivity?" "Are the Apache behind all of this freakish Frankenstein stuff after all?" Should we meet up with Boss Martin?" "What are those flying things?" "Why did Bill's horse not panic at these Frankenstein things, although the scratching things, whatever they are, seemed to terrify the poor horse?" Come to think of it, Bill McCloud realized that his friend Christobal Correira down in Carrizozo might know something about all of this. Correira was an avid and enthusiastic ethnographer and entomologist, but also somewhat of an eccentric.

As the trio left the stable with aforementioned horse, a lone figure on horseback with a cradled carbine faced them, stating "I was gettin' just a trifle concerned" in a broad West Texas dialect. It was nurse Agatha Pettenkoffer, dressed in a riding outfit, but still with a medic's insignia around her left upper arm. Frank Cannon could only think of his deceased wife.

The Legend of Skin-Bob

It is said that he (for we think Skin-Bob may have been manfolk, but we're not entirely sure) has been sighted around dawn or dusk, standing at the side of the road and waitin' for a ride. Skin-Bob is typically wearin' a horseman's overcoat, a scarf and a hat, and he has a voice smooth as honey. He'll really want that ride, since he wants to know you real well. Real well...

Now, Skin-Bob wants somethin' besides the ride. He'll sweet-talk you for quite some time, never removin' his garments, and you'll just see his eyes and hear that voice. Skin-Bob's eyes seem to dee-fi descriptin, an those who survived meetin' Skin-Bob always remember them eyes, but not what they really look like. After listenin' to him for a while - some folk it's hours, some say even days - he'll reveal what he really wants, and you will barely notice as that short an' razor-sharp knife of his enters your body. Some folk says it's a claw, other that he's bitin' you, but I say it's a knife, a skinner's knife. You see, Skin-Bob wants just that your skin. That's the one item he's lackin' - skin. When he jumps out of that coat, he's flayed as a deer after huntin' season, and he needs new skin, since even if he has some form of life, his skin rots, and peels, and falls off in shreds and tatters. He will seek you out for a new skin-suit, and you'll eventually be left a skinless bloody thing at the side of the road, perhaps even livin' in real pain for some time until the hurtin' really does you in.

- Eliza Hawkins, Brattleboro, Massachusetts. Recorded in 1915. Recording kept at The Brooklyn Museum, New York. 

Robert Skinner was queer man, living by himself and minding his own business in a stately residence outside Worcester around the time of the Revolutionary War. He was a learned man, but some say that he also delved far into the arcane and the unwholesome, although he was more known for providing his community with many of the necessities others couldn't afford. Despite these endearing qualities, persistent rumors spoke of other things, especially strange visitors during Maundy Thursday and Walpurgis, visitors that seemed to leave unnatural footprints in the planters outside Skinner's mansion.

Robert Skinner was also a patriot, and he enlisted in the Massachusetts Militia under Colonel Wilkes as the war started. Skinner was given a captaincy in the regiment, and he attacked both Tories and the British with much ferocity during several of the early battle of the war. As rumors started spreading about his conduct, many of the New England Tories wanted to see him dead, and they eventually caught up with him outside Westfield. He was forcefully dragged out of the private library were he was temporarily residing. The Tories mocked him for his name, and decided to demonstrate their skills with the knife. Thus, Skinner was indeed flayed alive, and before succumbing to the gruesome treatment, he cursed the Tories and swore to make sure that none of the laughing miscreants were to see their next birthday. That was to be the case, and the offending Tories were said to be found in sad states of dismemberment during the week before their respective birthdays. This eventually grew into the legend of "Skin-Bob", who would hunt Tories, British and Hessians for their skin.

Robert Skinner being apprehended by Tories.

- E. F. Robinson. Macabre and Patriotic Tales of the Revolutionary War. Providence: Charterhouse Publishing, 1878.

...there are also indications that the legend of Skin-Bob may have its origins in Indian myth and legend that may have become part of the early colonial storytelling, perhaps as early as the mid-seventeenth century. Legends similar to the tale of Skin-Bob can be found in the lore of several Indian tribes, all the way from New England to the west and possibly as far as certain Apache and Navajo tribes in the southwestern territories of the United States, where the tales of the Skinwalker (yee naaldlooshii or yig naaldloshii) can be found. There are also similarities to the folklore surrounding the Flayed Lord in Aztec culture.

- Thomas D. Marcus. Indian Mythology. Arkham: Miskatonic University Publishing, 1911.