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Click Here to read Chapter 32 in PDF format! [Follow the continuing eerie exploits of Phillip Shandler in the current, monthly, ongoing installment of "The Star of Unseen Stars", the chapters, of which, can be found Here on this website] |
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As Professor Schultheiss’ expeditionary group makes headway along the Mexican equator to the Yukatan province, Phillip passes the time (and distracts himself from the oppressive heat) by getting to know his fellow adventurers and the specifics of their destination - Quinana Roo and an ancient Mayan site called Uaxichal. Upon arriving at the ruins, the crew wastes little time researching the dig, unearthing numerous artifacts, hieroglyphs, and a unique, geological formation - a water-filled cave known as a cenote. And, something else nestled deep in its murky bowels... something primordial...evil... and hungry! |
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With the gruesome events of Chillacost, Maine, behind him (though, not far from memory), Phillip Shandler has barely enough time to look ahead and settle back into his routine when he's offered a position among an expeditionary group of German archeologists - lead by Professor Gunter Schultheiss - destined for the Yucatan and a Mayan excavation. Of particular interest (and the primary reason for Phillip's involvment) is a ceremonial site known as Uaxichal and the Mayan hieroglyphics uncovered there - ancient scripture with uncanny, cultish ties to the Necronomicon and The Great Old Ones! |
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Despoiler! The woods are full of shadows - and every one fills Phillip Shandler with dread! Bruised, battered, and bound, Phillip has fallen captive to the murderous Dr. Borchert, now nothing more than a thrall to insanity and the malevolence of Shub-Niggurath. Borchert means to guide his 'guest' down the path of enlightenment through the pages of the Necronomicon and include the intrepid interloper among his stable of misshapen, misbegotten minions. But, Phillip's intentions are neither. Quite the contrary, in fact - he'd much rather see this misanthropic menace and the entire cabin burned straight to barren ground and to whatever hellish hole it crawled out of! |
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During an impromptu gathering at a local tavern in Chillacost, lore and suspicion are bandied about as Phillip Shandler attempts to glean whatever he can from the townsfolk of the wayward historian and the mystery surrounding his disappearance (and curious sightings). Now, even more determined to track Borchert down, Phillip makes yet another excursion into the deep woods, fighting past the snow blanketing the region and the lingering chill that gnaws on his body, mind, and spirit. Retracing his steps back to the cabin, Phillip finds the ramshackle premises occupied - by Dr. Borchert! But, if the bloodied person of the doctor isn't Phillip's most startling discovery, the fleshy abomination accompanying Borchert and the hideous, outstretched, tentacled hand hungrily groping for him is! |
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Cabin in the Woods! Tracking Dr. Michael Borchert to a lone cabin deep in the snow-blanketed, Chillacost wilderness, Phillip Shandler fails to uncover the missing historian's present whereabouts, but instead makes some disturbing discoveries. If filtering through Borchert's notebooks referencing his research into the Black Goat Cult and its deep-rooted connections with Shub-Niggurath wasn't cause for concern, the numerous wooden figurines, strange fetishes, and rock fragments scrawled with faded inscriptions scattered about the sparse encampment only heighten his dread. But, with darkness gradually approaching, and little intention (and nerve) to stay the night cooped up in the cabin's bitterly cold confines, his continued sleuthing must wait until the following morning. But, what awaits him upon his return to the boarding house chills him to the marrow! |
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Resident of the Rotterson State Mental Hospital recovering from his traumatic ordeal at the hands of (the formerly deceased) Simon Carlisle, Phillip Shandler's troubled conscience returns to maddening thoughts of the diabolical Nyarlathotep and The Necronomicon. But, sinister forces converge around him, continuing to weave a web of doubt and uncertainty. Fighting past the haze of his drug-induced delirium, Phillip meticulously pieces together the puzzle of his fractured mind, bringing with it a moment of clarity: escape the mental bonds of his imprisonment, or be lost forever! |
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The Temple of Horror! Ushered by the ethereal Fiona Carlisle, Thomas Bode's escalating search for Phillip Shandler's spirited-away aspect among the twisted surroundings of the Dreamscape leads him to the ghastly structure known as The Tower of Nyarlathotep. Here, among the coiled miasma and tormented souls, he finds his quarry, a huddled mass of fear and chains. But, his elation is quickly drowned out by dread, for to free his friend from the malevolent clutches of the wretched Simon Carlisle comes at a terrible price! |
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Sleep of Reason! Though the train trip to Boston for Thomas Bode was uneventful, the destination serves otherwise. Arriving at the hospital bedside of Fiona Carlisle, Thomas' varied attempts to stir Fiona from her presently comatose state in the days that follow prove to be a lesson in futility. Weary and fearing his efforts, literally, falling on deaf ears, Thomas embraces the welcome respite of sleep. But, it is there, deep in his subconscious mind and the sea of dreams, that answers to his questions begin to surface — answers scarcely spoken, yet revealed by Fiona, herself! |
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After learning of Phillip's mysterious disappearance from the home of Miss Jennifer Addison, and finding no mundane, straightforward solution, Thomas Bode pursues more incredible possibilities and avenues of inquiry. Fearing his friend has been 'Spirited Away' by a supernatural force, Thomas seeks guidance from Madam Zabim, a spiritual medium of exceptional repute. The extraordinary events that play out only confirm his suspicions (and fears), leading him to Boston, and a fateful meeting with Fiona Carlisle! |
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"From the Desk of Thomas Bode." Phillip has gone missing! Now, it falls upon Thomas Bode - occult scholar and confidante of Shandler's letter-writing campaign - to shed light on his friend's sudden vanishing act. Thomas' findings lead him to Providence and Phillip's last known whereabouts - an antiquities shop whose caretaker relays her recent encounter with Phillip - a startling tale of meanderings, madness, and mysterious disappearances. |
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Back home in Providence, Phillip Shandler finds time to rest, recover from, and recollect on his ordeal (and the strangeness) in Wyoming. But, no sooner does the stress and chaos recede, Phillip finds his troubled thoughts straying towards the Necronomicon in his possession, and the profane and forbidden knowledge lurking behind its black, leatherbound cover. With each turn of the page, Phillip's obsession grows and so, too, does his lingering dread - a paranoia that festers in his mind of Simon Carlisle, The Cult of the Risen God, and a sleeping menace soon to awaken! |
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Phillip Shandler's harrowing exploits in Fairfax come to an explosive - and terrifying - conclusion! Determined to retrieve the stolen Pnakotic Manuscripts, Phillip makes one final, desperate shakedown of the Webber compound. Rummaging through the dilapidated residence, his search leads him to a second floor book depository - and a fateful encounter with the previously deceased Simon Carlisle! |
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Fear! It's the one thing that grips Phillip Shandler in an icy embrace as he desperately yearns to put Fairfield (and the dreaded memories of the Webber Farm) in his rearview mirror. But, fear has a sneaky means of wriggling its way back - for Phillip, it takes the form of Hank Webber, his morbid little son, and the ghastly thing in the barn! And, just like his memories (and fear, for that matter), they just won't go away until he's dead and buried! |
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Fear & Loathing in Fairfield! With little support from the local authorities, Phillip Shandler takes matters into his own hands, tracking down his assailant - Hank Webber - to a decrepit farmhouse on the far skirts of Fairfield proper. However, a cursory search of the ramshackle property uncovers a far more ghastly and hideous secret - some-thing he could scarcely have imagined! |
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Digging further into the ill-fated history of Lastbridge and the Fellowship of the Risen God, Phillip Shandler unearths both a deepening mystery intertwined within the tentacles of Nyarlathotep and the ghosts of a tragic past. His continued research leads him to borrowed passages from the Pnakotic Manuscripts, an unprovoked encounter with a brutish Fairfield resident, and audience to a hellish choir of the dead! |
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Storm of the Century! A chill wind blows through Fairfield, Wyoming, as Phillip Shandler's continuing investigations into Simon Carlisle and the tragic fate of the Fellowship of the Risen God leads him to Lastbridge - or what remains of it. Ravaged in the wake of a terrible storm, the last, known refuge of the cult was ripped from the face of the earth, leaving little but memories and folktales. However, events of the past yet haunt the residents of nearby Fairfield, as locals speak of spectral visions, ghostly encounters, and a dark tome called The Necronomicon. |
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With the shadow of winter lingering, Phillip Shandler takes refuge in his work, delving deeper into the history (and mystery) of Fiona Carlisle and the events leading to her present, comatose state. What his research uncovers chills him to the marrow — disturbing accounts of scandals, suicides, and the general madness that runs through the Carlisle lineage, not to mention the resurgence of the Fellowship of the Risen God, a dark cult with intricate and uncanny ties to The Silver Moon Society and the dread lord, Nyarlathotep! |
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When a Stranger Calls! Back in Arkham, Phillip Shandler ruminates over the chilling events of the past couple weeks and his expanded research into Nyarlathotep. Plagued by uncertainty, Phillip's only escape from the lingering dread that prevails him is (restless) slumber and the promise of Fiona Carlisle in the Dreamlands. Fiona rewards his anticipation - but "Simon", a nightmarish entity that shadows her, makes his presence known in an impossible (and disturbing) way! |
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Simon says… Join Us, or Die! His St. Louis escapades behind him (though not far from his mind), Phillip Shandler welcomes the respite provided by the train back to Boston to gather his thoughts and reflect on his latest happenings - and of the compelling woman of his dreams, Fiona Carlisle. But, his repose is fleeting, at best, when an inquisitive, young traveler draws his attention: a girl named “Simon” with deep, dark eyes, a piercing smile, and words of warning and ill-tidings for our intrepid investigator! |