Masks of Nyarlathotep 19

Thursday 12th March

The fight at the hospital seems to be over, and apart from the shouts of terrified onlookers, things seem to be quietening down. There are several who require patching up, so I do what I can to provide first aid where it is needed. Patching up the ‘crocodile’ bite wounds on one of the older guys, he is chanting something in Arabic. It seems to be a prayer of some type. After cleaning his wounds, I notice that they don’t seem to be as bad as I first thought. As I watch, the wounds seem to be closing themselves up.

In the distance, we can hear sirens. Ahed Al-Dhahabi recommends that we return later, after things have quietened down. He does wish to speak with us though about what happened.

So we head back to the long bar, to get a slow drink and discuss what to do next. Waiting for us at the bar is a letter from Janwilliem Van Heuvelen, the Dutchman we had saved. It is a letter of thanks, and also includes an introduction to members of the Clive Expedition.

In terms of what to do next, we could investigate the site of the Clive or Carlyle dig sites, or the Frenchman hiding in the tailors – Warren Besart. The Frenchman seems to be the easy option.

Friday 13th March

Over breakfast, we see that the papers are talking about a criminal assault on the hospital. It mentions that it was attacked by bandits. There doesn’t seem to be any mention of us, though there is a French detective Emile Vabreaux still investigating.

With the help of our urchin friends, we head back into central Cairo. We are taken to the Street of the Scorpions. On the street, there is a tailor’s shop with a red door, which is apparently the residence of Warren Besart. The shop is run by a local Arab, who wants us to go away. I ask him about the Frenchman, and he definitely wants us to go away. Clayton wanders out of the shop, probably to try and find a way behind the shop.

The shopkeeper keeps glancing at the interior bead string curtain, whilst denying knowledge of the Frenchman. So I try to buy a dress, in order to distract him. This allows my colleagues to find Warren, who is complaining about needing ‘medicine’. They lead him out of the shop, whilst I purchase a couple of ‘dresses’ – one which looks high quality, and the other is one that will allow me to blend in.

Meanwhile, Monty and Lefty take Warren to a cafe and ply him with food. Warren admits that he used to work for the Carlyle expedition, but regrets it. He has been smoking hashish to forget.

Warren was hired to be a purchasing agent for Roger Carlyle, and he helped Roger’s discoveries to be whisked out of the country to the Penhew Foundation in London. He also was there to smooth out difficulties with locals.

Problems happened whilst investigating the Bent Pyramind at Durshar. His account of the events there pretty much boiled down to the following:

• The leaders of the expedition entered into the Bent Pyramid. However, after some time, there was still no sign of them.
• Jack Bradey went in to investigate, and came running out terrified. The rooms inside the pyramid were empty – the expedition had vanished.
• Bradey and Warren spent the night drinking.
• In the morning, the expedition came back out of the pyramid. Sir Aubrey forbade the others of speaking of what happened in there. Someone had changed in their manner.
• Some night later, an old woman came to the tent of Warren, warning him that the souls of the Expedition leaders have been consumed by the Messenger of the Black Wind. Only himself and Bradey have been spared.
• If he wants proof of what happened, then she tells him to go to the Collapsed Pyramid at Maydoum in the night before the dark moon. She says that she is the mother of one of the diggers at the pyramid.
• On the night before the dark of the moon, Warren witnesses a obscene rituals. The desert came alive with creatures, which tore out the throats of many of those in the ritual. Only the five expedition leaders, plus one more, survived. Then a great elephant sized beast with five heads arose from the sand and consumed the corpses.
• At the end, just the five leaders remained.

Warren went out into the desert, and saw hundreds of sphinxes waiting for the hour of madness to devour the world. He was found by the old woman, and was cared for by her and her son for two years. He eventually returned to Cairo, but has started having nightmares about what happened. This has led him to spending all his money on hashish.

We decided to help Warren get back to France, and whilst talking to our agent, realise that Clayton is not with us. He seems to have vanished sometime whilst we were at the tailor’s. Assuming that he will meet us back to the hotel, we head there.

Some time later, a rather sun burned Clayton turns up, speaking of various exciting events concerning crime bosses and fruit. We aren’t entirely sure what is true and what isn’t.

Saturday 14th March

We are staying in Cairo today. This morning, we will go and talk to Ahed Al-Dhahabi at the hospital. The next day, we will head to Al Wasta and Dashur.

When we get to the Mosque/Hospital, the Nazir Ahed Al-Dhahabi is there, along with Dr Ali Karfour.

Ahed says that the evil do’ers are not going to give up, and they intend to obtain the girdle by any means, presumably to reincarnate Queen Necrotis with. The Nazir has tried to have it destroyed, including placing it in a furnace, but it has survived everything. They even tried cutting it with the “Sword of Akmallah”, and that failed as well.

The previous wielder of the sword is currently ill. They want to move the girdle to the museum, and I fear we are about to be stitched up for something.

The sword is offered to “Lefty”, and he swears to use it fighting Evil. That afternoon, we will all get some basic sword training.

We also take the girdle to the museum, and spend the evening doing research onto how to destroy the girdle.

The Crown of Netocris could be destroyed by using a variant of a spell called Enchantment of the Living Flame. I remember seeing this spell in a book in Misr House. Lefty finds a reference to creatures called “Fire Vampires”, which might be able to consume it. I’m not sure about that latter. But I’m convinced by the spell? I’m not sure what I should believe.

The necklace can be destroyed by the Sword of Akmallah.

Aqua Regia, and the water of the stars (something that Ahed knows about), could be used to dissolve the girdle.

The French inspector, Emile Vabreaux, is a chemist who might know how to make Aqua Regia, so Dr Karfour contacts him. He pops over, and agrees to give it a try. I don’t think he knows exactly why we’re going to this length. Everything should be in place by Thursday.

Sunday 15th March

We consider getting a boat to go up the Nile to Al Wasta, but figure that a car would be a lot quicker, though not as relaxing. So we go by car, taking our weapons with us.

We take Mamood with us, which turns out to be a good choice, since few people this far from Cairo speak anything other than Arabic. Eventually, we find the old woman Nori that we are looking for living in a small hut on the banks of the Nile.

There is a one armed man digging outside the hut. It looks like his right arm and shoulder had been torn off from his body. He wants to know why we wish to speak with his mother, and I simply state that we seek to stop those that would do evil, and have heard that she may be able to help.

He says that his mother is not well, but leads us inside. Inside is an old woman, who has lost all her limbs. She vaguely indicates a pile of stuff in the corner, gurgling in a rather terrible fashion. There is a basket with an eye of horus on it. I go and collect it.

The man says that a thing came in the night from the desert. It attacked their house and destroyed it. It had claws and wings, and took their limbs. Inside the basket, is a pinkish limestone rock, with some hieroglyphics and an upside down Ankh on it.

The rock is similar to that which the Red Pyramid at Darshur is built from.

Looking at the signs, the Ankh seems to be merged with an eye of Horus, the symbol of protection.

It looks like we will be heading there next.