Episode 4: Genius Loci, Part I

**Alexandria**, **Lauren**, and **Harry** are at the SEU meeting room at MU and review the books they’ve collected, including *De Vermiis Mysteriis, The Revelations of Gla’aki Volume VI*, *The Book of Eibon*, *Cultes des Gulles*, and *The King in Yellow*. They obtain lists of spells for these. The investigators drop by **Professor Roland Romano** in the Department of Biology to see if he can analyze the spikes and fluid they collected from the **Brophy brothers’** workshop.

They are approached by another of their colleagues, **Stanley Ace**, a boxer in the SEU who was away at a fight when the investigators went out to Squatter’s Lake, who tips them off that they might find the other volumes of The Revelations of **Gla’aki** at the MU main stacks, which they do find successfully. He indicates that he has read these books and expresses surprise at their claim of seeing **Gla’aki** at Squatter’s Lake when “everyone” knows **Gla’aki** is in England.

Upon an initial read of the texts, the investigators learn about the history of **Gla’aki** and his relationship to **Azathoth** (family tree) and its ability to make Avatars and servants. The text also contains a handwritten note that **Gla’aki** wants to bring **Azathoth** to Earth now that he has learned more about humans. They also learn of **Yig** and his place in the Mythos as well as more history of Mu and the **Serpent People** and their diaspora and their goal of raising Mu and its confusion with R’lyeh. There are apparently **non-Serpent human cultists** who have allied themselves with the Serpent People to awaken **Cthulhu**.

Cut to **Nevada** at the Danvers State Hospital (in-aptly named as it is in Kingsport!), who is discussing his medical care with **Dr. Walter Case**, and he is physically healed, but **Dr. Case** expresses significant concern about **Nevada’s** mental health and would like him to meet with his psychiatric colleague, **Dr. William Berger**. **Nevada** agrees, but it is immediately obvious that **Dr. Berger** is touched by insanity, restraining him and imprisoning him in J Ward, where only the most dangerous patients/inmates are kept. While there, he is contacted through the wall by **Andrew MacBride**, another patient being imprisoned there, but he is occasionally let out and offers to smuggle out a letter if **Nevada** wishes, and he does.

Back to the investigator trio at the SEU, and they receive **Nevada’s** letter beseeching them to come rescue him from the mad **Dr. Berger**, only to be followed by a type-written letter that dismisses “his previous” concerns and asks them to stay away. Of course, the trio are suitably suspicious, and enlist the help of fellow SEU members **Stanley Ace**, **Dr. John Lucas** (physician), and **Gerry Thornhill** (journalist), who are more than eager to head off on a grand adventure.

Upon arrival, the sextet are able to get past the welcome desk and orderlies so they can all go back to see **Nevada** and they meet with **Dr. Berger**. **Dr. Lucas** attempts to reason with him, saying that he knows **Nevada** and, in his professional opinion, is psychically intact and sane, but **Dr. Berger** strongly disagrees. He does permit them to visit **Nevada**, taking several orderlies out to J Ward. Notably, the investigators observe a photo hanging on the wall of a friendlier **Dr. Berger** taking over the hospital from **Dr. William Shine**, are assaulted by a patient who runs up to them screaming “What do you know? What do you know!?”, and **Harry** experiences an unsettling encounter where he is pushed from behind but when he turns around, no one is there. As they walk towards J Ward, the patients become more decrepit and \_\_\_.  They note a wheelchaired patient drawing an unsettling picture of many-eyed creature.

When the sextet meets **Nevada** at his cell, the orderlies start to give them a few moments of privacy but the group decides to attack and attempt to break **Nevada** out of the hospital. This unfortunately was met with some bad luck, as they attempted to outrun, unlock a door, land in a puddle, and evade more combative orderlies and patients. When the dust settled, **Gerry** and **Alexandra** were knocked unconscious and **Dr. Lucas** was surrounded by patients in J Ward, while **Lauren**, **Harry**, and **Stanley** holding **Nevada** escape out of the hospital into their automobile. The fate of the new prisoners and the best way forward remain unclear…