Macabre Artist - The Disturbing Life of Richard Pickman

Richard Upton Pickman is without a doubt one of the most memorable characters created by H.P. Lovecraft. Protagonist of the fantastic tale "Pickman's Model", Richard was an artist, a painter whose artistic flair led him through a relentless search for inspiration. His inspiring muse, however, was morbidity, which finally aroused terrible needs in him and set the hideous transformation from Man to Ghoul.

The following text simulates an art magazine article in which Pickman's career is examined.

Artist du Macabre

An essay on the controversial Richard Pickman

In the current art scene, the controversy gained prominence thanks to exponents such as Francis Bacon and Anuard Janeau. But one of America's most controversial artists came much earlier.

Richard Upton Pickman was born in Providence, in the heart of New England in the year 1884. A member of an rich family, money was never an issue for the Pickmans from Rhode Island. The fortune flowed from successful contracts carried out throughout the 19th century when a direct ancestor signed advantageous deal with the Union during the Civil War.

Free from financial difficulties, young Master Pickman could dedicate himself entirely to his artistic career, even though he has studied the basic curriculum of architecture and engineering. Still a neophyte in the art world, he already demonstrated an enviable mastery of technique and an innate talent for portraits and landscapes. Even in his early works, the young artist's ability to compose works of a lugubrious nature with strong colors and striking features was evident. As his studies progressed, the boy gained some notoriety for his canvases depicting wild landscapes and equally sinister panoramas.

The few relatives and friends who had contact with Pickman described him as an eccentric young man fascinated by the dark colonial history, especially the infamous Witch Hunt that swept New England. Pickman recounted that an ancestor was one of those accused in the witch trials. Such a past did not cause him embarrassment, on the contrary, he expressed great pride, since this ancestor - a great-grandmother of the maternal branch, unlike many women unfairly accused, was in fact a sorceress. Pickman even studied the family tree, stating that he was a direct ancestor of the woman.

Those who knew him at the University of Fine Arts say his habits were unusual, to say the least. His walks through dark forests in search of inspiration were quite famous, as was his exploration of unsanitary places such as ancient cemeteries and old ancestral houses, some in a state of complete abandonment. He spent time inside these shadowy corners, observing for hours some detail that only his macabre perception could detect: a furtive shadow, a crack on a tombstone or a tiny lichen growing on the marble.

The few to whom he confided about these "walks" remember Pickman nostalgically recounting such explorations. Night was his natural ambiance, and his eyes became familiar with the most bleak surroundings, even when immersed in complete darkness, or so they said. These experiences shaped Pickman's deep sensitivity to portray the unusual and a clinical eye for everything that is bizarre, abject and disturbing to most.

Whatever his source of talent, Pickman undeniably displayed remarkable virtuosity. On his journeys he always carried a notebook with him in which he drew what he saw and catch his interest. The few pages that remain from this period show the ruins of old colonial houses, the wild heather growing in a neglected garden or the cracked headstones of an old cemetery.

When the time came, Pickman decided to leave Providence to attend the University of Minneiska in Wisconsin. At that time, Minneiska already had a community of bohemians fascinated by romanticism and decadence. Modern realist styles divided opinion among critics, but Pickman was in no doubt. Contact with poets fond of Lord Byron's melancholy poetry took their morbid instincts to a new level, that and possibly absinthe nights. However, the raw realism of Pickman's canvases made him shunned by fellow students.

He became something of a hermit among his peers. Criticized for excessive style and controversial canvases that shocked some teachers and several colleagues. Yet his brilliance was undeniable.

Upon completing his studies, Pickman settled in the city of Boston. He immediately began producing his work in the small house he rented in the North End. There he owned a loft in which he spent most of his time, except when he went out at night to roam like a lost soul in search of inspiration. Pickman used to carry a camera with which he recorded scenes, objects and people who served as his models. He recorded several peculiar figures he encountered on the streets of Boston, the destitute, the poor and the excluded. He used these models as a reference for his works, giving the real figures a fantastical aura. Beggars became monsters, harlots turno into witches, and desperate outcast, creatures of the night.

It is from this period the series of oil paintings known as "Sacrifice" in which Pickman presents his vision of religion. A good part of these canvases stem from his explorations of religious missions in which the artist found the figures he wanted to portray from his particular point of view. Several of these works were criticized and met with enormous resistance from the public. In an exhibition held at the famous Tuttle Gallery, one of Pickman's paintings was even vandalized by a visitor scandalized by its depiction of the nativity. Pickman had no particular disdain for religion, but he saw himself as a materialist willing to break away from formalities.

Pickman's art shocked, but attracted the attention of an audience interested in his transgressions. His following series, clearly inspired by the techniques of Henry Fuseli and Gustav Doré, were more successful, but did not guarantee the young artist financial return.

Although the public welcomed his next collection, called "uncommon glimpses", it is said that some of his canvases were acquired by art collectors. At that time, the family business, always affluent, began to show signs of wear off. Pickman moved to a modest atelier and began to supplement his income by teaching aspiring painters.

There are rumors that he was once hired to portray a high society lady. The result, however, insulted the model to such an extent that his employer buried what little reputation he had cultivated over the years. For a time Pickman was part of the Boston Art Club, but was eventually forced to leave the association by pressure from some of his peers who were said to be anoyed by the lewd canvases he produced. The "Nature of the Grave" collection featured a series of canvases showing naked and dissected corpses, these works are said to have been recorded after his visits to the Boston Medical Examiner's Office.

It would be the next collection that, however, would cause the greatest controversy and launch the name of Richard Pickman as one of the most provocative artists of his generation. Pickman, around 35 years old, reached the height of his creative maturity by painting a long-running series called "The Worms of Earth".

One canvas in particular was acquired by notorious Arkham occultist Cabot Jenkins shortly before he passed away under mysterious circumstances. Rumor has it that the controversial British mystic Alesteir Crowley considered Pickman to portray him. According to some, Crowley confided that only the painter would be able to capture his true essence. True or not, it is unlikely that Pickman and Crowley ever met in person.

Pickman's fame among scholars of the "occult sciences" is confirmed by letters written by himself: "I feel very close to this circle of so-called exotic people. Perhaps because they can understand what I want to achieve in my works." he once wrote to his art dealer. Some people who visited his studio commented that he kept strange paraphernalia linked to the occult and that he spoke on the subject as an authority.

In 1925, Pickman sold the painting "Salome" to poet Edward Pickman Derby (a distant relative) who in turn gave it to his fiancée Asenath Waite shortly before they were married. Asenath was recognized as an occult scholar and a woman "ahead of her time". The painting is said to have earned a place of honor at the couple's Crownshield estate.

Pickman's artistic output has always been questioned. For some he rarely finished a work, for others the walls of his studio on Grimanci street were always full of canvases. Some claim that the painter kept another loft in downtown Boston for a time and spent most of his time there. These same colleagues have hinted that several of Pickman's paintings were kept in this secret studio and are still waiting to be discovered.

In 1928, Richard Upton Pickman disappeared from his house in Boston, along with several of his canvases. Some believe he committed suicide as his career had been stagnant for some time. Others believe that the painter had simply given up his artistic career and sought the public's acquiescence in another activity.

A more bizarre explanation was given by the medium Anita Gershwin in 1932 who cryptically stated that "Pickman had reached another state of consciousness, something he could only scratch at in his provocative works".

We may never known the truth, for his whereabouts are never heard again.

In the decades that followed the artist's mysterious disappearance, some signed paintscontinued to appear. All of them with the peculiar painter's trademark: the aura of morbidity and corruption. Whether the canvases were painted by a forger or not is a matter of dispute, but it is a fact that they continued to appear. Specialists points to a similar style, but agree with new elements and techniques.

Pickman represents only a footnote in the history of American painting, at least until it was rediscovered in the 1960s by exponents of the counterculture movement.

In 1967, the famous cultural agitator Noah Crysholm organized an exhibition with eight paintings by the artist that were part of his private collection. The show was a huge success having been shown in New York and for some time in San Francisco. Pickman's visceral style was perhaps too much for its time, but in the turbulent 60's, fueled by rebelliousness and extravagance, they found full recognition.

In 1969, a painting by Pickman called "The Supper of the Damned" was acquired by demonologist and founder of the Church of Satan, Anton LaVey. In 1973 one of his works exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art in Boston was damaged by a former seminarian who threw acid on the canvas. The man, considered mentally disturbed, claimed that the work was an affront in the eyes of God. Despite the drastic action, the screen remained on display for a few more months until it simply disappeared.

In 1981, Pickman gained evidence once again through letters sent by the serial killer known as "The Butcher of French Hill". The killer, who leave a trail of death in the Arkham region with eight victims, claimed in one of the letters he sent to police that he killed to honor the genius of Richard Pickman. The letter sparked yet another Pickman fever in New England and sparked a controversial exposure called inopportune by the victims' families. The identity of the killer remains to this day, unknown.

More recently, Pickman has become an attractive name for collectors and dealers. He seems to have gained special appreciation in the European market, which has been avidly consuming his canvases, paying fortunes for works by a relatively obscure artist.

With so many twists and turns in his career, Pickman still seems to spark controversy and interest in the avant-garde of art. It is quite possible that his work will be rescued once more, and return hungry, to shock and amaze new generations.

The Elder Things: Part 2: From Decay to Disappearance

Even a quintessential civilization, millions of years old, can experience its decline and this is what happened to the Old Ones.

The passing of the Ages left deep marks and even the Elder Things began to feel the effects of the prolonged period of wars against powerful adversaries. It is not known when or how, but the species, at a certain moment, had also lost contact with the rest of its species. Millions of years on Earth have caused them to change and become increasingly aboriginal, incorporating traits that set them apart from those alien beings that had arrived millions of years before. In effect, they lost the ability to fly beyond the atmosphere and break the planetary boundaries - the Earth, initially its Colony, had increasingly become its definitive home world.

As a whole, they have adapted to the planetary conditions found here. Their webbed wings had stunted, their long, elegant tentacles were becoming shorter and more like fins and they were capable of breathing under water. The oceans became their main habitat, the sea depths watched the last breath of the race as they commanded the Shoggoth to build walls for their new underwater cities.

But about 65 million years ago, the Earth faced a new and more dramatic catastrophe. There are different conjectures about what hit the planet today, most researchers believe that it would have been the shock of a meteor of considerable dimensions, possibly reaching the current Yucatan Peninsula. This would have decreed the mass extinction of the great reptiles.

But there are rumors that this tragedy may have been caused as a result of some mysterious scientific experiment conducted by the Elder Things. The destructive meteor itself may have been attracted by their science, although there are other, even more frightening possibilities.

At that time, the Elder Things was involved with the creation of ever larger and more dangerous devices. Perhaps in search of a renewal of their cosmic importance, they plunged into a search for something great; a mechanism known as the Divine Trap. Its concept is too complex for the human mind to understand, but in general it would be like an artificial dimension, designed to attract, capture and confine beings of immense power. The purpose escapes understanding, but it is supposed to involve obtaining energy sources.

The daring enterprise was installed under the great Capital in Antarctica, under the mountains of the Continent. It would have been used only once, when it captured an unknown entity of immeasurable power. The machine was subjected to enormous pressure and almost ended up exhausted, but in the end it fulfilled its purpose. The process, however, may have attracted the meteor, or resulted in a monumental explosion, it is not known for certain. The only certainty is that something devastating happened shortly thereafter and the planet faced a period of instability. Indeed, the severe climate changes wiped out life forms that are unable to adapt themselves, especially the great Saurians. Which, in the long run, favored the development of mammals.

The same catastrophe also hit the Ancestral Race in full. Several cities were destroyed by the resulting earthquakes and were responsible for the rise of the mountain range mentioned by the Miskatonic Expedition in 1931. Many undersea cities were wiped out of existence, plummeting into underwater trenches that swallowed them forever. Fear took over most of the individuals suddenly plagued and they began to converge on the primordial city that had received them at the dawn of time. Gradually the other cities were emptied with their inhabitants migrating to Antarctica. Perhaps by this time, many already knew that the sunset was near and that the species needed to get together if it wanted to last for a few million more years. Another possibility is that the apparatus demanded the presence of members of the species that felt responsible for its permanent maintenance.

 

But despite all the obstacles, society endured by adopting a new posture in which it embraced its new condition as a spectator and not a protagonist. Not even the presence of the primitive Deep Ones bothered them, nor the wake of intelligent species on the surface. This was the cue for other species to emerge and develop on the planet, which until then was the exclusive domain of the Elder Things.

This brought a curious challenge, dealing with exhaustion and boredom after so many generations. Somehow, the Elder Things seemed to be purposely exhausted and knowing that it embraced the rapid decline. The Shoggoth realizing this, still attempted a final revolt, wich was stifled.

As the creeping cold intensified, covering the lush Antarctic jungle with a blanket of snow white, the Elder Things capital also declined. The buildings and terraces were abandoned and the walls without maintenance collapsed before the passing of the millennia. Gradually, its sleepy inhabitants voluntarily retreated to the icy oceans, not wishing to have anything more to do with the world on the surface. They began to live in a vast underwater complex formed by labyrinths of ice, where they possibly still live, hidden from all other beings.

Gradually the remnants of the passage of the Elder Things have disappeared from the Earth's surface. Although lasting, its spartan existence left a relatively small amount of artifacts on the surface. Even the cities, works of magnificent architecture, disappeared, being occupied by other races of Mythos, or being erased by the presence of the first evolved humans. Some of these places, naturally repulsed men and made them leave in search of places less haunted by their former inhabitants. In the Amazon, in the Arabian deserts, in Patagonia and in South Africa, the remains of their passage can still be found, buried under mountains or swallowed by impenetrable jungles.

The few who dare to search these locations, where the echo of the voices of the Elder Things can still be heard, are sorcerers, mystics and demented. Guided by dreams or tortuous lines written in forgotten tomes, they are drawn like moths to the flame. These adventurers eagerly collected what they could from past eras and kept these artifacts as treasures, some of which initiated cults and secret societies. Some have even reached our modern age, becoming the curious "artifacts out of time" that sometimes emerge from excavations causing surprise and amazement. Even the controversial "Astronaut Gods" theory popularized in the 20th century, seems to find a parallel in the Elder Things existence.

Few traces of the Ancestral Race remains, unless of course, by the confusing reports obtained by expeditions like the Miskatonic University (1930-1931) and by its successor Starkweather-Moore (1937) that supposedly found not only the ruins of the Capital Antarctica, but preserved specimens of the Elder Things. Considering the disastrous result of both expeditions, contact with the Old Race are strongly discouraged. As practical scientists, any interaction seems to be an opportunity for biological study. Nothing more.

There is a theory, defended by Russian scientists in the 1950s, that would have found records of the Elder Things pointing out that the human race would have been engineered for its mental potential. Going further, these same scientists claim that it would be a plan for our architects to use us as a resource when we are able to reach our full potential. The reports of the Kharkhov Project (currently deactivated), projected that the psychic training of man would be awaited by the Elder Things, that continues to observe us. But there is no corroboration of such theories.

Either way, it is essential to stick to proportions. In no way can humanity, a mere by-product of advanced genetic science, be considered on the same level as the Elder Things. The mere presumption of such a thing would be comical, if such beings were capable of understanding irony. The human race are an inferior and simplistic lifeform, although more developed than others planted on the planet.

Perhaps that explains why their scientists dissected all the humans they captured. Who can know what the implications would bring a sudden interest on the part of these creatures about us. Better not even contemplate such a possibility. If there is a truth about the Elder Things, is that attracting their attention represents a serious risk to our very existence.

Yog-Sothoth - The Gate and the Key Beyond Time and Space

The One Who stalks Beyond Limits.

The Gate and the Key.

The Opener of Ways.

There are many names for Yog-Sothoth, one of the most important and powerful Outer Gods in the Mythos Universe. Much is said about Azathoth's colossal influence, elevated to the rank of universal ruler in his Mephitic Court, but if the Demonic Sultan is Chaos incarnate, Yog-Sothoth has the role of Keeper of Knowledge and Bastion of the Order.

It is difficult to measure the importance and scope of Yog-Sothoth for cosmic ordering. Perhaps without Him, the universe itself, as we know it, would not exist and would eventually collapse completely. He is one of the most important entities in existence, the great modulator of reality and the maintainer of status, for it is said that Yog-Sothoth brings together in his Being the physical concepts of Time and Space, and without him neither one nor another would exist. Perhaps in the face of all this preponderance, the particular macabre mythology known as "Mythos de Cthulhu" could be better - or at least more correctly, called "Yog-Sothoth Mythos".

When the primordial spark was unleashed, and the wave of creation emanated from the Big Bang Nuclear Chaos, one of the first entities to form was Yog-Sothoth. Theorists conjecture that the lost consciousness of Azathoth would have been absorbed in some way by Yog-Sothoth, and if such a thing happened, would he not be an avatar of Primordial Chaos. The truth, no one knows.

Yog-Sothoh is, however, the verb made power.

The Necronomicon is the most reliable esoteric tome to comprehend the full extent of its existence, but even such pages are ridiculously incomplete to dissect Its grandeur. No work done by mere mortals could do it. Yog-Sothoth is far beyond any attempt of analysis or understanding of fragile minds. Those who tried to investigate its origin failed painfully, for it is not for men to contemplate the face of such an entity.

Still, it comes from Abdul Al-Hazred's pen the most laudable attempt to peek under the veil of mysteries that surrounds the Outer God. The mad Arab calls him "the one who knows and sees everything," reputing to him the gifts of Omnipresence and Omniscience. These faculties are linked to Yog-Sothoth's ability to see all planes and dimensions simultaneously. "His eyes are everywhere, his ears are all around the cosmos. If a noise is made he will hear." He is a kind of Monitor whose prerogative is to watch all incidents and occurrences in an endless chain of realities. The smallest of incidents, the subtlest and tiniest of things, goes unnoticed. He knows, for it is his prerogative to know.

He is the Keeper of the infinite universes.

This very important purpose has led countless species to seek in Him through the ages the source of knowledge and all universal answers. The Fungi of Yuggoth call Him "the one above," though they rarely offer Him worship.

The Great Yog-Sothoth is reputed as a kind of Demiurge, and as such sought after by those who pursue the ultimate truth. His followers cry out for His attention, begging for a fragment of His immeasurable wisdom. Some sages have weaved from this interaction parables filled with Kabbalistic and philosophical doctrines.

Patron of ascetics and mystics, hermits and cenobites, he is also the sponsor of Wizards who try to achieve a limited degree of control over time and space. In more than one narrative, it is said that Yog-Sothoth is willing to share His secrets with those who turn to him. It is said that the Outer God does not act in a particularly evil or perverse way, although in practice none of the Mythos Entities can be analyzed from the simplistic point of view of good and evil. Most likely, he is merely indifferent, and as such, does not care at all about the inferiority of other beings. However, those who seek to interfere with the laws of space and time or abuse the God's prerogative, end up incurring in His wrath. And these suffer untold misfortunes.

In ancient times, schools and mystical traditions were formed to peer into the wisdom of Yog-Sothoth. In Mu and Hyperborea, and possibly in the Nameless City, societies devoted to this God emerged, but it was in mythical Atlantis that the largest of these groups committed to absorbing His wisdom were formed. It is interesting to realize that rarely did people who gathered around the entity form Cults, as happened with other primeval Mythos gods. At most, around Yog-Sothoth arose sects without a determining religious nature. Its members saw themselves as academics willing to learn, unlike the sycophants who subject themselves to humiliation and are satisfied with crumbs.

The Atlantean philosophers sought to commune with Yog-Sothoth, which earned them a valuable arcane framework. Some even conjecture that it was from this interaction that the whole mystical heritage of the human race was born, a legacy that was spread throughout the world with the collapse of the Lost Continent. Followers of other gods equally regarded as patrons of magic, such as Nyarlathotep, Tsathoggua, and Ubbo-Sathla, contest this notion.

However, the essential importance of Yog-Sothoth in the formulation of innumerable spells and in the creation of all kinds of rituals is undeniable. Several spells require his name to be invoked and depend on his consent to work. Noteworthy are the spells that involve manifestation and depend on the Outer God, as he is responsible for opening the way, allowing the creation of portals and access to dimensions. Even other deities are believed to subject to Yog-Sothoth's will if they wish to move across distances and travel the cosmos. Without him, turning the locks of creation and opening the passages, the gods themselves would be confined within their spatial boundaries. It is His prerogative to grant the right of way or to prohibit transit through Its domains. "Leave a place without movement" this is the gift of Yog-Sothoth. Whatever a gate is opened depends of His seal, without which the paths would be closed forever. Through the thresholds watched by Yog-Sothoth only those he wishes may advance.

That truth is attested by the famous Necronomicon excerpt:

"Yog-Sothoth knows the Gate. Yog-Sothoth is the Gate. Yog-Sothoth is the Key and Keeper of the Gate. Past, present, future, all are one in Yog-Sothoth. He knows where the Ancients crossed in the past, and where they will break out again. He knows where they tread the fields, and where they tread yet, and why no one can behold whem they tread. "

The name of the Outer God is also part of the spell that brings dead beings back to life. "Through his intercession, even death can be reversed." Known as Resurrection of the Primordial Salts, this blasphemous magic, used by necromancer's brotherhoods, guarantees a certain dominion over death. By employing it correctly, the wizard is able to bring "back out of the void" individuals whose existence has ended. Similarly, the reverse of this spell causes the rapid physical degradation of the resurrected.

Yog-Sothoth is rumored to be the mortal enemy of Nodens and arch-nemesis of the Elder Gods. Some mythologies claim that the two face each other since the beginning, as antagonistic forces determined to destroy each other. Moreover, this confrontation would cause the destruction of the universe. Not all scholars agree with this notion, pointing out that Yog-Sothoth would be far more powerful than the God of the Abyss and all the Ancient Gods together. There may be misinterpretations or followers of Nodens have exaggerated their role in this cosmic feud.

Interestingly, while other deities have gained relevance among men in the last millennia, the original importance of Yog-Sothoth has faded. Cults dedicated to Cthulhu, Shub-Nigurath, Hastur, the various masks of Nyarlathotep and other Great Old Ones have become much more widespread, perhaps because they are more accessible. While negotiating with Yog-Sothoth demands some degree of arcane discernment and pedigree, the others are willing to bestow their favors on those who simply put themselves in servitude. Indeed, few human societies are concerned with the Outer God who became the preceptor of hermits and lone wizards. The exception would be an order of scholars at the height of the Aztec Empire and more contemporaneously the Hermetic Order of Silver Twilight, a society dedicated to explore the gifts offered by the Outer God.

In addition to governing Space, Yog-Sothoth is the undisputed Lord of Time.

The tides of the Past, Present and Future flow from and through Him and can be visited at His pleasure. Just as it is His faculty to grant passage through Space, it is up to Yog-Sothoth to govern the temporal flow, being able to guarantee the traffic of those who He deem worthy. Unlike those traveling through space, those wishing to travel through time rarely have His consent. It seems that Yog-Sothoth resents those who try to use Him for this purpose.

In the form of his avatar Umr At-Tawil (or Tawil at-Umr, The Prolonger of Life), Yog-Sothoth presents himself as the ultimate gatekeeper who watches over the Halls Beyond Time, a place inhabited by beings not subject to time itself. Such a place can only be accessed with artifacts like the legendary Silver Key that allows to unlock these mysterious doors.

Despite its cosmic importance, Yog-Sothoth can be drawn to Earth in order to respond to the call of individuals who knows the correct invocation. Stone circles high on hills or consecrated monoliths are necessary for the ceremony. The sacrifice of at least one conscious beings and the recitation of words of power are also essential. There are favorable dates for the ritual, especially the Lammas (August 1st).

Complex rituals often include safeguards that prevent the physical manifestation of the God from unleashing unwanted effects that could otherwise be catastrophic. If such measures are not properly fulfilled, the appearance of Yog-Sothoth can cause permanent damage to the temporal flow and open irreparable tears in the fabric of reality. It is rumored that more than one planet was devastated by the sudden appearance of Yog-Sothoth and when leaving, there was nothing left of these worlds, but ashes and oblivion.

Even with due protections, the invocation of the God is not an ordinary event, leaving permanent marks in the immediate vicinity. There are reports of "wasted time", people experiencing a strong sense of deja-vu and beings overwhelmed by all sorts of strange sensations. Living things are directly affected, some show unmistakable signs of aging while others inexplicably rejuvenate. Similarly, small dimensional rifts opens. The boundaries between dimensions become blurred, allowing some degree of interaction between the inhabitants on both sides. There are reports that in the exact place where He has been present, will be possible to hear, understand or even see other planes.

At times, when he answered the invocation, the Outer God fulfill predetermined purposes. He shares his knowledge, flooding people's minds with the information he wishes to convey. This experience can devastete as not everyone minds are prepared to that kind of contact.

However, Yog-Sothoth has also been invoked for other reasons as well. On one occasion he was brought in to fertilize a woman with her seed. In this bizarre incident in the village of Dunwich, the Outer God Himself impregnated Lavinia Whateley who gave birth to twins born with unique characteristics conveyed by the "father." It is unclear whether this case has been isolated or whether the God has been summoned at other times for the same blasphemous purpose.

Physically Yog-Sothoth takes the form of a huge cluster of iridescent globes joined by an unknown foamy substance sprouting tendrils that constantly extend and contract. The mass may extend over an area of ​​almost 100 meters in length, but may become much larger, spreading over 800 meters or more. The hundreds of globes emit a pulsating glow in shades of yellow, white and purple. This luminosity is filtered like rays of light passing through opaque glass. The globes, although they look like gelatinous structures, cannot be conceptualized as solid or gaseous. They are probably made up of alien matter that defies known physical state and changes through realities, appearing and reappearing at all times. Some observers claim that globes reflect scenes from the past, present, and future, and look at these structures for a long time reveals secrets that can destroy human sanity. The binding substance that surrounds the globes has a slimy appearance that produces electric current and causes a strong static charge.

The Outer God floats gently in the air like a cluster of slowly moving balloons. It can, however, disappear from one point and materialize at another, crossing immeasurable distances. Its delicate tentacles, smooth and agile, are used to probe the surroundings, grasp and manipulate, though rarely He make use of them. The entity makes no noise, but has a pungent odor of ozone, zinc and magnesium.

Yog-Sothoth does not express itself vocally, but can communicate through "unspoken language," a telepathic insertion cast directly into the mind of sentient beings. The experience is painful, causing a terrifying sensation as the brain is invaded by an absolutely alien entity. This may cause aneurysm and edema. The entity is obviously endowed with high intelligence, determination and self-will. In general, He does not seem to care about inferior creatures, solemnly ignoring them, yet He can be attracted to and respond to them.

When invoked, He stands motionless, floating upon the stone circle as He consumes sacrifices offered. If these are not satisfactory, Yog-Sothoth can simply return to his reality or consume anyone he sees fit as compensation. Touching the tentacles or spheres is horribly harmful, causing aging, burns and corrosion in all biological life forms. They drain the vital energy of His victims, leaving them physically and mentally mutilated. Such damage is permanent and incurable. Prolonged touch, on the other hand, is invariably fatal, killing in seconds, leaving only an empty and dry shell. Whether the God finds sustenance in this way is unknown, but He seems interested in consuming the energy of living beings whenever has the opportunity.

In the few times he is challenged, Yog-Sothoth defends himself in a stormy way. He can transport any target anywhere in the universe in the blink of an eye, removing him from his haughty presence. Whether it is the center of a star or the cold space vacuum, its victims are never seen again. Alternatively, when enraged, Yog-Sothoth can generate a powerful silver ray-like discharge that strikes everything within five meters in diameter. Those affected are disintegrated, their bodies turned to dust.

Although the Mythos literature contains many narratives involving the interaction between mortals and this Deity, it is possible that most of them are but fables. One in particular, which describes Moses releasing the entity from the interior of Mount Sinai, seems especially allegorical. If it serves as a warning, the most likely outcome for any bargaining attempt with this entity is complete and total obliteration.

Yog-Sothoth constitutes a principle of Cosmic Power, a regulating forces of reality and as such is far beyond our comprehension. To deal with Him is to court annihilation.

Dangerous Books - Editions of the Malleus Maleficarum with Mythos Lore

In his work, H.P. Lovecraft never quoted the Malleus Maleficarum, the infamous Witch Hunters Manual. He probably considered the book of no practical use in the Mythos Universe. A staunch materialist like Lovecraft would never validate religious beliefs and practices that he had see as an anachronistic nonsense of a dark time. Therefore, the things described by the authors of the Der Hexenhammer would be no more than mere superstition and ignorance.

However, one of the central ideas in the Mythos universe is that in their inability to understand the alien nature of these creatures of cosmic power, some would interpret them in the light of known beliefs. Such beings could be pictured in mythologies, particular belief systems, and religions, often as demons to be avoided, feared, and fought against.

It seems perfectly reasonable to assume that an important book such as the Malleus Maleficarum had received attention not only from witch hunters, but from people who dealt with the threat of Cthulhu's Mythos. It is likely that in this context there were apocryphal works from the original treatise written by Kramer and Sprenger, books that would address specific aspects of an even more pernicious evil than Witchcraft and Black Magic.

The core book of Call of Cthulhu RPG briefly mentions this abominable tome, but this can be considered the simple version of the book found in bookstores, libraries, or even on the Internet. Horrible as it may be, readers don't suffers sanity loss when flipping through your pages.

However, when the words of witch hunters mingle with ancient mythos lore, things change.

The following are some misleading versions of Malleus Maleficarum that refer to Mythos and can be interpreted as books of profane Knowledge, if not in full, at least in part.

For practical purposes, I used the statistics stats from the Cthulhu 7th Call books and tomes.

MALLEUS MALEFICAR
in German and Latin, author unknown, c. 1499

Sanity Loss: 1D4
Myhos de Cthulhu: +2/ +4 percentiles
Mythos Rating: 6
Study: 3 weeks
Suggested Spells: Contact Deity Nyarlathotep (in the form of the Black Man)

One of the first revisionist adaptations of the original manuscript, this unique volume has about 180 additional pages. The title was changed to "Malleus Maleficar" probably as part of the revision or maybe a grammar error.

The binding is from the late fifteenth century, a typical work of German printers in the city of Speyer in central Germany.

Additional pages mention details about the Black Man, a powerful avatar of Nyarlathotep (treated in the text as Narlato). The text mentions the existence of witch cults in Germany dedicated to worshiping this Black Man, who in return for carnal favors and sacrifices of unbaptized children, bestowed rewards in the form of magic and power. The book describes an exaustive ritual for contacting the Black Man and an enchantment that would supposedly trap him in a circle of magic. Once captured, the creature would fulfill its captors' wishes. It is likely that the Ritual is a version of the Contact Nyarlathotep Spell and that the part about capturing the entity is a gross (and dangerous) misinterpretation.

The book also contains notes on the borders of the original text, containing anottations that attempt to correct the authors' observations. Unfortunately part of the book has been damaged and some pages have been lost over time.

The volume was incorporated into the collection of the Nuremberg City Library. He previously figured in a private collection, having been donated anonymously in 2002.

Der eingelöste Vorschlaghammer

in german, author unknown, c. 1600

Sanity Loss: 1D3
Myhos de Cthulhu: +0/ +1 percentiles
Mythos Rating: 3
Study: 2 weeks
Suggested Spells:  None

The title of this revised and largely rewritten version can be roughly translated as "The Redeemed Hammer." It was written in the late 16th century and is a purged version of Malleus written by an unknown author, possibly a high member of the clergy.

The author claims to have made recurrent use of the book in his work as "witch hunter" in Germany of the period. In a tone of confession he says he never really believed in the book or its methods and that he used it only to gain power and influence among the society, at the expense of false accusations and mostly vicious claims against innocents. The author goes on to describe numerous manipulated judgments and legal frauds in which he actively participated.

He explains that his understanding of theology changed radically after an episode in Bavaria when he attests to have found a true witch dedicated to serving evil forces that would be far darker than Satan and his infernal hosts. The Inquisitor mentions interviews conducted with this witch, using torture in which she confesses her many sins and the existence of entities that dwell "beyond time, beyond space." At the end of the interrogation process, the Inquisitor claims that the accused disappeared from her cell, possibly resorting to some magical prodigy to escape the sentence. He later mentions having suffered reprisals from the witch he had tortured, being persecuted by her and her demonic allies, both awake and in his sleep.

Fearing for his life and determined to find redemption, the author withdraws from clerical life and becomes a hermit. During this period, he writes the book in which he seeks to denounce the falsehood of Malleus Maleficarum and the truth about the ancient forces that inhabit the earth.

The book was published in a small number in 1610 in Leipzig, and given its content, denouncing the Malleus Maleficarum, was eventually included in the Index Librorum Prohibitorum. Most of the volumes were collected and burned, leaving only two surviving editions, both currently in private collections in Europe.

DER HEXEN HAMMER - Mainz Edition
in German and Latin, c. 1620

Sanity Loss: 1D6
Myhos de Cthulhu: +3/ +6 percentiles
Mythos Rating: 12
Study: 7 weeks

Suggested Spells:  Dread Curse of Azathoth, Powder of Ibn-Ghazi and Contact/Bind Servitor of the Old Ones.

One of the most perfect and complete editions of the Malleus Maleficarum, it was printed in Mainz in two volumes by a specialist linked to Johannes Gutemberg.

The book was probably presented as a gift to the Cardinal of the City of Cologne in 1624 and is listed in his private library.

Unlike other editions, it had an appendix possibly censored in other copies of Malleus. This 30-page appendix included an excerpt from the Latin Necronomicon, dealing with Al Hazred's Pilgrimages and his journey to the legendary Irem, City of the Pillars. The passage describes among other things a Cannibal Cult that existed in the decrepit ruins of the city, unhealthy rituals practiced by its inhabitants, and a series of incantations used to conjure Servants of the Outer Gods.

Ironically, the additional content was not discovered until 1750 when an ambitious librarian named Dieter Stamph who worked for the Cologne Curia found it. Noticing this difference in the book, Stamph made a copy of the appendix and negotiated its publication. He was denounced in 1754 and excommunicated for heresy the same year. It is not known whether Stamph's copy survived or not, but the librarian tried to negotiate the material at Strassbourg in 1756, when he was assassinated.

The Mainz Edition, the first to be identified with the German title "Der Hexen Hammer" was held by the University of Cologne and for a short time was confiscated by Thule Society agents and incorporated into the private collection of Commander SS Heinrich Himmler . The book was found only in 2016, amid a vast collection recovered in Norway.

Once recovered and properly identified, the Hexen Hammer Edition returned to Colony Library collection from where it had been removed in 1937.

MAZZA DA STREGA - Edizione del Nunzio Paolo di Genova

in Latin with notes in italian by Titus Pauli, c. 1552

Sanity Loss: 1D3
Myhos de Cthulhu: +1/ +3 percentiles
Mythos Rating: 9
Study: 3 weeks
Suggested Spells: Contact Deity (Nyogtha)

This edition of Malleus Maleficarum was produced in a Genoa press in a circulation of no more than 400 copies. Many of them can still be found in collections and libraries around Italy.

The edition described here belonged to the Nuncio of Genoa Titus Pauli (1532-1596) an important ecclesiastical messenger responsible for establishing diplomatic relations of the Holy See in northern Italy. The story has erased most of the cleric's accomplishments, but the notes written on the edges of the book attest that he had a keen interest in the practicalities of witch-hunting and the fight against witchcraft. More, Pauli's remarks include notes on court proceedings and commentary in which he denounces witches who in his opinion practice "the darkest black magic."

The Nuncio notes mention a cult dedicated to a demon identified as Nyoghta, something that should not exist. This includes the transcript of an interrogation held in Genoa in which a woman accused of witchcraft exposes her sordid practices in collusion with this hideous being. It lists child and fetus sacrifices, creation of magical familiars, murder of innocent people, and glorification of evil beings.

After Pauli death, the book was incorporated into the Cervara Abbey Library in the Santa Margherita region of Liguria. The book was held by the Library until the property of the Abbey was sold in the mid-twentieth century. The collection was purchased by an Italian collector in 1967 and was rumored to have been recently aquired by a Chinese anonymous collector.

EL MARTILLO, con anotaciones del clérigo Ramiro de las Mercedes, querido hermano de la Orden de la Purificación.

in spanish, author Ramiro de las Mercedes, c. 1620

Sanity Loss:  1D6

Myhos de Cthulhu: +1/ +4

Mythos Rating: 9

Study: 10 semanas

Suggested Spells: Enchant Knife, Enchant Whistle and Summon/Bind Traveler of the Void (Byakhee)

The Holy Inquisition did not act only in Europe and the North American colonies, it was present in other corners of the world, especially in Spanish America. When the Conquerors traveled to South America in search of all the gold and silver they could plunder, they brought with them priests interested in catechizing these peoples. By force if necessary. During colonization they encountered resistance to tame what they thought it to be a sinful spirit. They create a version of the Inquisition Courts in the New World, the dreaded Autos de Fé.

In Lima, the richest Spanish colony in Peru, one of these public acts took place in 1639, led by Inquisidor mor Ramiro de las Mercedes. The cleric was member of the Order of the Purification, arm of the Inquisition that knew the Cthulhu Mythos, although interpreted them like demonic entities.

Ramiro claimed to have found in the New World, especially in Lima, evidence of the presence of nefarious cults and deities that were still venerated by natives descending from the Incas. Although there were small groups devoted to Hastur and Yog-Sothoth, in their fanatical zeal, the Inquisition made countless innocent victims. During the two years of the campaign to "clean up" the Colony, there were many arrests, torture and executions. The early prisoners, members of the Cult of Hastur revealed to Ramiro the basis for his most abhor rites. The chief Inquisitor made notes of his progress and later drafted an addendum to the Malleus Maleficarum which he called El Martillo (The Mallet), a compilation of interrogations and investigations into cults in the colony.

In 1641, the Inquisitor wrote a letter to the Holy See claiming to have purged the germ of heresy in the Colony. However, before leaving the port, de las Mercedes was poisoned and died on board the ship that would take him to Mexico, where he planned to carry out a similar crusade.

The book was collected by a close follower of the Inquisitor who mantened the chapters written by de las Mercedes that specifically refer to Hastur (called Xhastur) and the Yellow King mythology, according to the testimonies obtained. He also mentions torture, the use of spells against cultists, and presents a list of heretics who have been executed.

The work of Ramiro de las Mercedes was never published, although
"The Mallet" was later copied by members of the Order and preserved in churches or ecclesiastical libraries sympathetic to the Organization.

Wendigo - The Beast with hunger for Human Flesh

Wendigo is a wild beast, but he is not like any animal. He is like a spirit, but made of flesh. His skin is stretched over the bones, like a pale gray blanket. His deep eyes glittered in the darkness, gleaming with a supernatural red. He looks like a skeleton that was dug up from his grave. He has no lips and his teeth are always bloody. His body is dirty and his flesh covered with wounds that stinks with rot, corruption and death.

Wendigo

In the far reaches of the North America, the forests that surround the Great Lakes seem to have no end. The trees are tall and old, with thick woods and perpetual snow. It is a place of unspeakable beauty, but strange and terrible legends. In Central Canada there is such a legend. It speaks of an evil creature that casts fear into the hearts of all who hear about it. The natives know it through old traditions and oral histories, told by the parents of their parents, and by their parents. They call this being Wendigo, the beast with hunger for human flesh.

This creature of nightmares is a monster, but it has some characteristics common to men. Many believe that he was a man whose body was possessed and then turned into something monstrous by the action of an evil spirit. The legends tend to vary for each tribe, however there is common points: historically the Wendigo is associated with cannibalism, murder, cruelty, and the breaking of cultural taboos. Few things are more offensive to the tribes that inhabit the Far North than to break with the traditions and consciously defy the taboos of their ancestors. Wendigo may be a myth created to teach young people about the danger of acting against traditions. However, many believe that it is not a mere legend, but a creature that actually exists, dwelling in the depths of the forest where civilization never entered.

Known by many names - Windigo, Witigo, Witiko and Wee-Tee-Go - each of them can be translated in a similar way, as "The impure spirit that devours the man". The name says a lot about the legend and defines exactly what it is: a spirit that perverts the flesh, from the inside out.

The Myth is especially widespread among the Algonquian, Ojibwe tribes, between the Cree of the North and Cree of the Swamp, the Saulteaux, Naskapi, and Innu. All these people describe the Wendigo as giants, much larger than the tallest of men. Although the general description may vary, it is common to all peoples to see the Wendigo as perverse, cannibalistic creatures, born unnaturally and strongly associated with winter, northern, cold, and hunger.

The Algonquin describe the monster in the following terms:

"A giant with the heart of ice, sometimes some describe him as a monster totally made of ice, his body is skeletal and deformed, without lips or fingers, parts that the cold took. Sometimes it has antlers on the top of their heads, horns like the great moose. "

The Ojibwa add:

"It is a large creature, as tall as a pine tree in the heart of the forest. His mouth has no lips and can't hide his teeth, sharp as knives. His footprints leaves a bloody trail, as blood always accompanies him wherever he roams. If the monster encounters a man, a woman or a child, he will devour them. Wendigo has his own territory and does not admit invaders. Be killed by a Wendigo is not so bad. The worst happens when the Wendigo chooses a person to possess, and the latter becomes a Wendigo herself. It then lives only for the hunt, and to devour the flesh of other men. "

According to legends, a Wendigo is created when a man consciously resorts to cannibalism to survive. It is a curse, a punishment that manifests itself when one of the greatest taboos of the tribes - the consumption of human flesh, is broken. In the past, this horrible transgression occurred more often, for natives ended up lost in the frozen immensity, with snow everywhere and no sustenance. In extreme despair, they would give in and end by quenching their hunger in the flesh of other people. When a man in these mystical forests resorts to such an atrocity, the evil spirits that inhabit the place are attracted and tend to enter his body. Gradually he changes into an atrocious beast - the Wendigo.

There are other versions of the legend. They talk about men who are especially greedy, jealously or who indulge in excess. They are individuals who kill their companions for profit, who consume extra portions of supplies even though they know it will impact others, or people who force others to their whims. Those who commit perverse acts, torture or murder, also tend to attract evil spirits and become prone to be possessed by them. It is clear that the myth acts as an alert to avoid certain behaviors. Cooperation and moderation are virtues that practically all tribes incentive.

The transformation is described as something terrible. The first change, however, occurs in the mind of the individual. He loses control and the ability to restrain his animal instincts. An especially disturbing legend among the Cree describes a hungry man who murder his own brother and then consume his flesh. The act ends up inviting the forest spirits to take his body and when they do, the subject lose his mind. He sinks his teeth into his brother's flesh, rips it voraciously, biting whole pieces and swallowing with hideous pleasure. In another example, a hunter kills his mate to get valuable pelts that have been collected in the forest for months. The act of betrayal attracts the spirits and condemns hid existence forever. Under the influence of the evil spirits he rip off the skin of his former companion, as if he were one of the animals they had both hunted.

There is just a moment of sanity that follows the madness that affects the individual taken by the  evil spirit. After a episode of savagery and madness, the individual wakes up the next morning able to understand what happened. This is the time when he can find redemption, choosing to break the curse that has taken hold on him. To do so, he must take his own life. If the cursed individual does not take advantage of this opportunity to redeem himself, he will be doomed forever and when the sun sets he will be once more seized by the spirits, this time forever.

Curiously the legend refers to anyone as a candidate to become a Wendigo. There are no racial barriers for a person to become the monster: natives and settlers were subject to the curse. Ironically, after the arrival of white settlers, the natives believed that the number of Wendigos in their territory had increased, no doubt due to the presence of outsiders who did not understand the mysteries of those lands.

The legends describe the Wendigo appearance in gruesome details. He is treated as a large creature, two meters high, but that can be bigger as a oak tree. The body looks strangely emaciated, as if it had somehow dried up and then stretched out. The limbs become very long and thin, with long arms and legs that give it a skeletal appearance. The skin becomes pale and the hair turns white and continue to grow in furred patches. In many representations he appears with a large antler or a moose skull mask, which enhances his feral appearance. The eyes glow reddish in the darkness, as if they were two incandescent stones. The fangs stretch and appear between cracked lips that also rescind until disappearing completely. The appearance is utterly bestial!

Even so, the monster is endowed with a sharp intelligence that betrays its beastly appearance. The monster is a skilled hunter and know the limits of its territory. The Wendigo is a predator in the fullest sense of the word, he lives to hunt and delights in the pleasure of slaughter and the frenzy of killing. The smell of fresh blood makes him uncontrollable. According to the legends, although large, the Wendigo is able to sneak without making a sound, grab his victims and take them with him, without being noticed. Sometimes he captures his victims, but on other occasions he is content to simply attack without warning, killing all invaders who had had the bad luck to enter his territory.

Some tribes believe that the Wendigo are able to control the weather, cause sudden blizzards and use black magic to their advantage. They are portrayed as despicable beings who end up accepting the curse caused by the spirits and who somehow extract from it pleasure. The Wendigo, however, are never satisfied and their existence is marked by a perpetual quest for satiating their wills, be they hunger, wrath or greed.

There is no cure for the curse of Wendigo, condemnation is for eternity since the spirits are immortal. A possessed individual is doomed to wander forever across the land trying to fill his voracious appetites.

The legend lent its name to a medical term: Psychosys of the Wendigo, which is considered by some psychiatrists as a mental disturbance occasioned by isolation and which causes cannibalism. Ironically, this strange psychosis was quite common among people living on the outskirts of the Great Lakes in Canada and the United States, just where the legend of Wendigo came about. Wendigo's psychosis tends to develop in the winter in  individuals isolated for long periods and under certain conditions of restriction. The initial symptoms are lack of appetite, nausea and antisocial behavior. Subsequently, the individual begins to experience hallucinations and believes to be transforming into something nonhuman, usually something bestial and primitive. People with this psychosis tend to develop cravings for consuming raw meat, sometimes human flesh. At the same time they become paranoid, believing that others are trying to devour them.

There are cases of Wendigo's Psychosis in which the victims present physical changes, assuming an undeniably animalistic face. There are documented cases with a disturbing details that fit perfectly into the curse described by the northern tribes. There are cases of Wendigo's psychosis reported for centuries. In 1661, a Jesuit missionary described the following case in the vicinity of the Province of Manitoba:

"What caused us great concern while we were among the native peoples was their strange superstitions. One of them referred to men being transformed into monsters after cannibalizing their fellows. In the tribal nations we hear such stories of respected chiefs. We were told that a man had been captured and was waiting to be executed by the tribe: The poor devil was accused of having killed and devoured a neighbor in the height of winter when he had nothing to eat. They believed if he was set free he would become a wild monster determined to kill and eat other people. The disease had no cure and that the only way to avoid further misfortune was to kill him before its hunger became unmanageable.When we returned of our journey through the interior and passed through the same tribe again we learned that the man had been executed as planned and that the tribe was relieved. To them, to have a cannibal among theirs was the ultimate transgression. Killing him would be the only way to restore normalcy to the tribe. "

Another widely documented case occurred in 1878 when an Alberta Cree hunter named Swift Runner suffered from a case of chronic madness. Runner used to trade with the Hudson Bay Company who worked in the region employing natives and buying wild animal pelts. The man was married, had six children and was respected by both his people and the men with whom he traded. He even served as a guide for the Canadian Mounted Police on official missions in Alberta and was awarded for the services rendered.

During the winter of 1878-1879, Swift Runner and his family became isolated on their property. His eldest son was the first to starve and at some point in the confinement in the house, Swift Runner had an episode of Wendigo's Psychosis. He killed the other members of his family stabbing them, consumed their flesh and waited for almost two months. In the late winter, the Canadian police officers, search the place and  found a terrifying scene. There were semi-devoured corpses all over the hut. Swift Runner then appeared: he was naked, covered in blood and growling like a wild animal. At great cost, the police were able to capture him. Eventually he confessed to his heinous crimes and was executed in Fort Saskatchewan.

A Wendigo allegedly also appeared in a small town called Rosesu in northern Minnesota in the late 19th century. He left a trail of corpses that terrorizes the local authorities, until disappear as mysteriously as emerged.

Another well-known case about Wendigo's Psychosis involves a guy named Jack Fiddler, a tribal chief and healer of the Oji-Cree tribe known to have once faced a Wendigo himself. Fiddler claimed to have killed the creature on a hunt. He said he was constantly pursued by other Wendigo who wished vengeance.

In 1907, Fiddler and his brother Joseph were arrested by the Canadian authorities on charges of committing a horrible murder. The victim had been dismembered and parts of her body disappeared, allegedly having been thrown into a river. Jack committed suicide in jail. Before hanging himself, he left a long letter in which he recounted the circumstances in which he had killed the man and acknowledged his guilt. He claimed to have become a Wendigo after having killed a foreman to stay with his wife. He ended up being cursed, becoming a Wendigo and with his brother, killed an innocent and devoured parts of his body. Embarrassed and fearful, he finally decided put an end in his existence.

Joseph was tried for the crime and sentenced to life imprisonment. He received official pardon almost 15 years later and was sent to a Psychiatric Institution. There, he ended up killing another intern (biting him) and ended up returning to the prision. Rumors say he would have escaped or else that the other prisoners would have murdered him in an ambush, no one ever know for sure.

Among the Assiniboine, the Cree and the Ojibwe, there is a ceremony that is staged during times of famine. This ritual exists to strengthen the bonds of friendship and fellowship among the members of the tribe through which food is shared so that no one goes through needs. The purpose is prevent a Wendigo arise in the community in the face of the despair caused by hunger.

Currently, cases of Wendigo's Psychosis are quite rare and many psychiatrists believe the condition has been eradicated. However, the Wendigo myth remains widespread among native populations living in northern Canada and the Alaska border. There are people who believe that the Wendigo and the evil spirits responsible for raising them continue to lurk in the woods, watching the taboos being broken.