"If there's one thing I've learned from all of this, it's not to rule out anything as impossible. Infinity is just too broad a scope for that. Even if that other group did manage to wipe out Shub-Niggurath entirely from every possible reality across an infinite number of multiverses, we have no idea how interdimensionality accounts for time. What happened could have technically been before that happened." He sighs, unable to think about anything other than how bloody enchanted his mother would be about all of this. It's a wonder she didn't attempt anything similar.
"Anyway, Chloe. We can probably assume he means Chloe Albright, one of the cultists." Gerry rubs his jaw roughly, pensive, wracking his brain for memories of his trip to the past to watch Nyarlathotep's ritual. "Dark-haired woman, angular features, big scar across her face from having a wine glass smashed against her forehead. Intense. She was high on the chain of command, seemed like. Functioned as the de facto leader in the absence of those above her. Led the ritual. Severe and coy, always seemed to know more than everyone else, but angry underneath that composure. Never seen anyone fully human go from complete calm to violent rage and back again so quickly. It's unnerving to see someone like her so unraveled."
He can't help but think of the man in the hotel, the cultist that they'd stolen their mask from. Arthur had never seen him, but John had. The man was a doctor, practiced medicine of all things, and yet he'd been willing to slit his own throat in service to...
Well.
Him.
He doubts that any of his patients would have believed it.
"It's also possible," John says slowly, "that Nyarlathotep is merely using the appearance of Shub-Niggurath to- to string people along. Repurpose followers dedicated to her for their own purposes." A small snort. "It's not like she'd be there to complain, after all."
He digs into his satchel and pulls out a notebook - both of the others might catch a flash of something pale and rounded in there, before the flap closes again - and starts making notes from Gerry's description.
"If the cult is dipping its toes into other gods' domains to try and secure more power," he comments, the concern obvious in his voice, "then we've got far bigger concerns than just Nyarlathotep. There might still be a Dark Young out there, if not in the basement of the lighthouse itself. If it gets into the cave system beneath the island..."
He sighs, snapping his notes shut. "We have no idea what it's capable of, if it retains any of the knowledge or powers of its former host. We don't know if there's anyone else out there with the knowledge or capacity to recreate this experiment. But I suppose it's as good a confirmation that one more of Nyarlathotep's cult is dead, and the lighthouse keeper..." He frowns, and looks back at Gerry. "Do we know if he had any relation to Chloe? Or was he part of the cult?"
"Good question. It doesn't seem like there was any actual relation. From what I overheard and what I talked about with others, Chloe seemed eager to throw her lot in with literally any Elder One if it meant she could earn some sort of... It's weird, it wasn't even power she seemed to be after, there was just this religious ecstasy to her that made it seem like she specifically wanted... Well, this." He gestures to the page. "A connection to the 'vile divine,' as they were calling it. The cult seemed to view madness as being a form of enlightenment."
Gerry lets out a sigh, scratching his head thoughtfully as he tries to put the pieces together from what he learned from the meeting, what he heard from the others after. The way Chloe had spoken to CT about being excited to have her mind and body unraveled. The way that Drelasa convinced Chloe that her own god, Dagoth-Ur, was also some sort of elder one, and how envious Chloe was of Drelasa's physical transformation into something Cthulhu-esque. To the point where Chloe was willing to abandon Nyarlathotep if following Dagoth-Ur could get her something like that.
And what of Elias? Gerry admittedly doesn't know him too well. The man is dodgy at best. But they are missing at least one cultist, if not two...
"It's possible that Coldwood is completely unconnected. Not particularly plausible, but not impossible. He's a... supernatural biologist, if I remember right, and he could have just been taking advantage of Albright's obsession. But this stuff here about 'I don't know how much of me will be left' and 'my last day'... It's sticking in my mind."
"Do we know if the gods or- even the demon family here have any particular... I don't know, territorial feelings, about their followers dealing in other gods?"
He tucks the notebook shut again so he can take Elias's from Gerry and scan it quickly himself. "Frankly it could be safe to assume that the He Elias keeps referring to might well be Nyarlathotep, regardless - we don't know what he'd do to a disloyal follower - but at the same time, we don't know if he even cares, either. Kayne certainly didn't seem to give a shit about team loyalty in our universe, and I can't imagine that he's that far changed an extention of Nyarlathotep to begin with."
Madness as enlightenment. People who'd throw their lot in with any Elder One.
He knows about people like that. He made people like that, used them, abused them. Or... perhaps it was the King in Yellow, but he remembers it, remembers the shapes and the shadows and the hollow feeling... it's as real as anything else in the room.
And that doesn't even touch what he'd done, what he'd been, in the Dark World.
But when Arthur asks a question, he pulls himself together and clears his throat.
"So... what are our major concerns? This tells us things but... what can we do with it? What are our priorities?"
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
lestercraft) wrote2024-11-29 01:38 pm
no subject
"Anyway, Chloe. We can probably assume he means Chloe Albright, one of the cultists." Gerry rubs his jaw roughly, pensive, wracking his brain for memories of his trip to the past to watch Nyarlathotep's ritual. "Dark-haired woman, angular features, big scar across her face from having a wine glass smashed against her forehead. Intense. She was high on the chain of command, seemed like. Functioned as the de facto leader in the absence of those above her. Led the ritual. Severe and coy, always seemed to know more than everyone else, but angry underneath that composure. Never seen anyone fully human go from complete calm to violent rage and back again so quickly. It's unnerving to see someone like her so unraveled."
cw self harm mention
He can't help but think of the man in the hotel, the cultist that they'd stolen their mask from. Arthur had never seen him, but John had. The man was a doctor, practiced medicine of all things, and yet he'd been willing to slit his own throat in service to...
Well.
Him.
He doubts that any of his patients would have believed it.
"It's also possible," John says slowly, "that Nyarlathotep is merely using the appearance of Shub-Niggurath to- to string people along. Repurpose followers dedicated to her for their own purposes." A small snort. "It's not like she'd be there to complain, after all."
no subject
"If the cult is dipping its toes into other gods' domains to try and secure more power," he comments, the concern obvious in his voice, "then we've got far bigger concerns than just Nyarlathotep. There might still be a Dark Young out there, if not in the basement of the lighthouse itself. If it gets into the cave system beneath the island..."
He sighs, snapping his notes shut. "We have no idea what it's capable of, if it retains any of the knowledge or powers of its former host. We don't know if there's anyone else out there with the knowledge or capacity to recreate this experiment. But I suppose it's as good a confirmation that one more of Nyarlathotep's cult is dead, and the lighthouse keeper..." He frowns, and looks back at Gerry. "Do we know if he had any relation to Chloe? Or was he part of the cult?"
no subject
Gerry lets out a sigh, scratching his head thoughtfully as he tries to put the pieces together from what he learned from the meeting, what he heard from the others after. The way Chloe had spoken to CT about being excited to have her mind and body unraveled. The way that Drelasa convinced Chloe that her own god, Dagoth-Ur, was also some sort of elder one, and how envious Chloe was of Drelasa's physical transformation into something Cthulhu-esque. To the point where Chloe was willing to abandon Nyarlathotep if following Dagoth-Ur could get her something like that.
And what of Elias? Gerry admittedly doesn't know him too well. The man is dodgy at best. But they are missing at least one cultist, if not two...
"It's possible that Coldwood is completely unconnected. Not particularly plausible, but not impossible. He's a... supernatural biologist, if I remember right, and he could have just been taking advantage of Albright's obsession. But this stuff here about 'I don't know how much of me will be left' and 'my last day'... It's sticking in my mind."
no subject
He tucks the notebook shut again so he can take Elias's from Gerry and scan it quickly himself. "Frankly it could be safe to assume that the He Elias keeps referring to might well be Nyarlathotep, regardless - we don't know what he'd do to a disloyal follower - but at the same time, we don't know if he even cares, either. Kayne certainly didn't seem to give a shit about team loyalty in our universe, and I can't imagine that he's that far changed an extention of Nyarlathotep to begin with."
this notif somehow got lost! my deepest apologies
Madness as enlightenment. People who'd throw their lot in with any Elder One.
He knows about people like that. He made people like that, used them, abused them. Or... perhaps it was the King in Yellow, but he remembers it, remembers the shapes and the shadows and the hollow feeling... it's as real as anything else in the room.
And that doesn't even touch what he'd done, what he'd been, in the Dark World.
But when Arthur asks a question, he pulls himself together and clears his throat.
"So... what are our major concerns? This tells us things but... what can we do with it? What are our priorities?"