A hanged man, an honoured request, a terrible realization...
Summary[]
After acquiring a hanged man’s eye, Arthur, John, and Yorick create a powerful artifact from the Dark World called the Hand of Malevolence, which they use to learn that Alexander is not who he seems. Arthur starts to show signs of illness. Afterwards, they arrive at the ominous Castle Kerringford.
Synopsis[]
After several hours, Arthur and John stop and find a gibbet that contains a dead man, though it is mostly obscured by fog. Arthur wonders if this implies they are nearing Castle Kerringford, their ultimate destination.
Arthur begins to show signs of illness, but reassures John that he is okay and blames it on the cold. Yorick interjects that Arthur is now an apostle of Horig, and carries his illness. Arthur and John deny this, with the former clarifying that he is physically fine. John asks for clarification.
Introspective, Arthur recalls his interaction with Horig and despairs that he folded so quickly, particularly given his formal hostility towards cultists. He wonders if other cultists were placed in similar impossible situations. John assures Arthur that he acted solely out of survival, and thanks him for keeping them both alive.
Before they continue on, Yorick requests that they fulfill his deal (modifying the witch’s hand). He wants them to retrieve an eye from the corpse in the gibbet. Though Arthur and John protest, Yorick says that if they refuse, they will break the promise. Arthur reluctantly agrees, but insists that Yorick reveal his intentions.
Yorick admits that he intends to make a Hand of Malevolence. After Arthur asks, Yorick answers that he is not intending to do them harm. Arthur does not believe him, but wanted to ask regardless.
For the gibbet, John notices a loose pin in the cage. Arthur and John work together to throw rocks in an attempt to loosen the pin. As they do so, Alexander lands on the cage and begins to peck at the corpse’s eyes to Yorick’s frustration. Arthur is forced to startle Alexander away by throwing stones. Alexander flies away, unhurt.
As Arthur continues his attempts to break the cage, he reminisces that he was never the athletic type, though he was envious of the athletes and the camaraderie of team sports. He didn’t think he would have been very good at sports, too self-conscious to let his struggling be perceived by anyone else.
Finally, Arthur succeeds. The cage falls and breaks apart. Immediately, something monstrous screeches in the distance. They move quickly and retrieve the eye from the corpse, before following Yorick’s suggestion to hide from whatever is approaching. Arthur falls down a ditch and they hide there.
Hidden from the creature, Yorick requests that they make the Hand of Malevolence. When John and Arthur protest, Yorick’s voice distorts and says that he has followed them since the fire covered the lake, since his previous master was beheaded by her brother. He demands they create the artifact.
Arthur acquiesces. Following Yorick’s instructions, Arthur closes the fingers of the witch’s hand around the eye and places the black candle (a ‘raven’s candle’) in her palm. There, Yorick reveals that this is an artifact from the Dark World, to John’s distress. John insists that Yorick works for something greater than them and should not be trusted.
Reluctantly, Arthur lights the candle, and the world around them goes silent.
Yorick reveals the power of the Hand of Malevolence: they can speak at a normal volume, as “she” (the creature in the mists) cannot hear them. Normally, Yorick explains, his motivations do not go behind fetching information asked of him, but he has made an exception. The Hand of Malevolence suppresses any magical effects from those around them, and offers a small radius of silence (the antithesis to a Hand of Glory, which gives light only to its holder).
Arthur probes for information about the creature. Yorick explains that they have been followed since they arrived here, referring to Alexander. Alexander is not only an owl, but Yorick is unsure of its true origins. She is not Mother Darkness, came from the same time and place Arthur did, arrived before them, and is not working with Kayne (but “quite the opposite”). Yorick does not believe she wants to help and believes she is capable of shapeshifting. John notes her intelligence, as the owl tried to prevent them from creating the Hand of Malevolence.
Yorick does not know what she wants, beyond that she may be waiting for something. She did not intervene when Arthur was killed in the witch’s caverns. However, she is very powerful, of similar strength as Nyarlathotep, though she is in a weakened state currently.
At this time, the candle starts to die. The Hand can be reused with another candle, though John and Arthur only have two more. Yorick recommends that they do not try to stop the creature stalking them due to her strength. He also reveals that she is weakened because she has only recently become whole again, upon which they realize that this creature is the woman that merged with Mr. Scratch back in New York.
Yorick also reveals that she can almost certainly hear John, and thus, all three of them will not be able to speak about her without the woman catching on. Arthur decides not to confront her. As they know what she is now, they will be able to gather information from what she tries to steer them towards or away from. John also admits that if they exposed her, she might easily change her form and return.
Before the flame fully dies, John apologizes to Yorick for his distrust and cites the source as his fear for the Dark World and his own feelings about himself. Yorick does remind them that while he is loyal to them now, his actions are defined by who he serves. Arthur also thanks him.
If they want to use the Hand again, Arthur recommends they use the codephrase “in the fell clutch of circumstance". John also warns Arthur that this whole scenario feels more dangerous than just Kayne, with ramifications beyond their own lives or those they love. Arthur agrees and abruptly apologizes to Yorick before blowing out the candle.
Immediately, Arthur pretends to rage at Yorick and refuses to light the Hand of Malevolence. John joins in the ruse.
They realize the creature has gone, and return to the road towards the castle. It’s now past nightfall.
Arthur asks about Prince Warin of Aravel, who he will pretend to be at Castle Kerringford. Yorick reveals some biographical details: that Prince Warin was given his title after receiving feudal land from King Louis the Eighth.
Suspicious of this, Arthur probes further, and Yorick reveals that King Louis VIII has been ruling for about 40 years after the murder of King John. King John and his family were murdered by land barons. Afterward, England was ruled by King Louis VIII: France successfully conquered England.
At this realization, John spots the castle atop a hill.
When Arthur presses for details about Warin, Yorick asks for a specific question. Arthur asks about this timeline’s politics. Both John and Yorick are confused by the sudden change in topic from Warin to the larger world. Given his lack of knowledge of Arthur’s timeline’s politics, Yorick states he is unable to answer. Arthur’s cough becomes increasingly apparent and painful.
John suggests that they rest, and Arthur insists they press ahead. He also asks about etiquette for the social situation they are entering. Yorick volunteers that other people are also waiting for Warin to arrive, and that due to Warin’s delay, he will likely be last. He will be shown to his room and expected to give his host a gift.
Warin initially wanted to bring livestock and settled on gold, which was lost. Arthur uses the ring from The Order of the Fallen Star as a substitute.
John describes Castle Kerringford: black rooftops, dark gray stone walls, gates that are made of black wood which appear almost burnt.
Arthur asks how they should address their host. Yorick answers: Lord Evrard. The letter detailed some things that caused Warin to question who this lord was, but Yorick does not elaborate.
Outside the gates, John requests that – due to his increasing illness – Arthur allow John to help fill in the blanks that Arthur is missing. Arthur agrees, and orders Yorick to answer John’s questions. Before John can, the gates open and they are greeted by a man in armor whose lips are sewn shut with old, faded stitches. They are led inside the deserted or ill-kept castle.
They go across the courtyard and to a set of stone steps that lead to a large set of faded red double doors. John notes their familiarity to the doors that led to the Dreamlands city.
Arthur requests to be led inside and they are admitted to Castle Kerringford.
Votes[]
- Chapter 231: Fulfill Yorick's Request [281] / Deny Yorick's Request [42]
- Chapter 232: Run [36] / Hide [289]
- Chapter 233: Reveal [130] / Deceive [179]
- Chapter 234: What was written in the letter the prince received? [114] / How was Warin intending to approach the meeting? [66] / With it being a different history, how do politics differ? [120]
- Chapter 235: No vote.
Trivia[]
The phrase “in the fell clutch of circumstance" is from the poem “Invictus” by William Ernest Henley.