"I pray God will curse the writer, as the writer has cursed the world with this beautiful, stupendous creation, terrible in its simplicity, irresistible in its truth--a world which now trembles before the King in Yellow.” Robert W. Chambers
This strange and hideous text appears in many Cthulhu tales but, given that it's a play and therefore a text - or even a collection of texts - it is very likely to turn up in Bookhounds, where book collecting is the whole premise.
What might that look like?
[incidentally Hurricane Ernesto darn near knocked out the internet for the weekend but I kept power, so yay for electricity. I even made a curry. I still have a roof. So, yay for roofs too.]
When I touched on this in Terms Of The Trade, I laid out a potential professional description of this hideous text and I'm going to draw on that description in this post:
- Author or heading.
- Title
- Imprint
- Edition statement
- Physical description
- Binding
- Provenance
- General condition
- References
- Note
Therefore:
- [Henry Hubert Alexandre Kistemaeckers]
- The King In Yellow
- Printed in translation by Russel of London
- First Edition Thus, Pinckham illustrations
- Folio, 123p, grangerized with inserted throwout plate Boyle, stage set. Slight foxing, made up.
- Half morocco, publisher's binding, rubbed.
- Association copy, Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree
- Good condition
- No references.
- Released in Paris without author attribution. Play in three acts, concerning the tragedy of Carcosa, following the arrival of a Masked Stranger.
The [] around [Kistemaeckers] indicates it's attributed to, not that his name is definitely attached. Printed in translation means this is in English translation from another language (French), and First Edition Thus means this is the first English edition. Pinkham is the illustrator's name. Association copy is a term meaning that this particular book is associated with someone of interest, in this case Sir Herbert, a very famous theatrical impresario.
That's the description which will be in the catalogue.
Let's think about what that description means.
It's the first English edition, which means there's a version in a different language out there somewhere. More to the point, it suggests that this English edition isn't that uncommon. Hard to find, perhaps. Limited print run. But it's not like the Necronomicon, or the Book of Iod. There will be copies of this on shelves, particularly in shops that specialize in literature, scripts, or things to do with the theatre. Or in collections kept by those interested in the theatre.
There are several names associated with this title. The illustrator, Pinckham; the stage set designed by Boyle; Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree, the previous owner. These are what make this particular book interesting to collectors. Other versions may not have the Boyle throwout plate or lack the illustrations by Pinckham. That's what grangerized means; someone added extra content to this book. The term comes from clergyman James Granger, and grangerization was very popular in the later 1800s. It usually refers to extra drawings, prints and other visual materials, so those Pinckhams and that Boyle may not be original to the book.
But Sir Herbert owned this in the later 1800s. Did he grangerize it? Was the impresario planning a stage performance? It would be in keeping; he was fond of adapting foreign plays. If that stage design and those illustrations are there because Sir Herbert was planning a show (that never took place) it would only add to the value of the book if the Hounds could prove that. Or if the Hounds can convincingly forge proof of that ...
The best way to do that would be to track down letters, contracts, bills of sale. That means finding out what happened to Sir Herbert's correspondence, or Pinckham's, or Boyle's. Or at least finding out enough about all three to convincingly fake that correspondence.
A 0-point clue discovers that Sir Herbert was a prolific father as well as an actor and has several illegitimate children. What if one of those, or a fake one of those, were to step forward and tell the world all about this edition, and why Sir Herbert chose not to perform it? Perhaps in a series of articles in literary magazines that the Hounds promote?
All this to say, as Keeper you start with a plain book - something worth X, whatever X may be - but there are ways to make that book more interesting to the buying public, and therefore the Hounds.
Whenever you create anything in-game your first thought ought to be 'how do the players access the fun?' Here, there's something for the Forger to do. Something for the one who likes to talk to do. Something for the one who likes investigating mysteries, and something for the one who likes scams.
Finally, there's room for extra bits. For example:
The Costume Department
After acquiring the Beerbohm King In Yellow, the Hounds discover that, in the run-up to what would eventually be his failed project, Sir Herbert got one of his favorite costume designers, Claudine Bell, to work on designs for his King. The play never got to the stage; Sir Herbert gave up on the project after a bad rehearsal. But if those designs still exist in Ms. Bell's sketch books ... After all, anyone can Grangerize a book. Even the Hounds.
Ms. Bell is no longer among the living; she died of Spanish Flu just after the war. Her nieces, who live in Fulham, are supposed to have all of her work. They're pack rats, seemingly; they've thrown nothing away.
When the Hounds track down the nieces they find the Bell twins living in a rackety old place not far from Putney Bridge. It didn't look too large on the outside, but on the inside ...
Why do the twins call themselves Camilla and Cassilda? Who is this Stranger they await?
Waiting For Godot (Broadway)
- Option One: Shared Delusion. The Bell sisters (not quite identical, but very close twins), remember hearing stories about the Beerbohm play from their aunt. These tales made such a deep impression on them that, to this day, they enact scenes from the half-remembered play, some of which exist word-for-word in the text and some of which do not. If the Hounds play along with this mild delusion they'll get access to the sketchbooks.
- Option Two: The Stranger. As Option One, but the delusion is more significant. They believe themselves Camilla and Cassilda, awaiting the Stranger. If the Hounds, using the play as a guide, act as the Stranger then they'll get access to the sketchbook and, as a special reward, also get access to the only completed costume: the Stranger's, which sits in pride of place in the attic.
- Option Three: We Are All Born Mad. Camilla and Cassilda await the Stranger in their palace and expect the deference due to royalty. The completed costume in the attic has a nasty habit of walking about the house and can be found in various different rooms. Camilla and Cassilda have an exaggerated fear of it and will not willingly stay in any room where the costume is present. According to them the rehearsal is still going on, in this house. Behind this door ...
That's it for this week. More tomes next week! Enjoy!
