Our Dead Friend Jackson Elias

Overview

Location: New York City

Key Themes: Jackson Elias's death, cult activity, and investigations tied to the Carlyle Expedition and Nyarlathotep.

Focus Areas: The shocking murder of Jackson Elias, investigations into The Bloody Tongue, and the emergence of new allies and enemies.

Key Events and Developments

Jackson Elias's Tragic Death

The Setup: The group meets at Zas’ Bar but Jackson fails to show, later rearranging for dinner at The Blue Horse Restaurant (8th Ave and West 23rd St). When Jackson doesn't arrive, the group heads to his room at the Hotel Chelsea (Room 410) and discovers his mutilated body.

The Scene: Jackson's guts are spread across the room, with a symbol matching one from the Skin Book carved into his forehead. Three figures are present:

• White man: Black band with red fabric on his forehead.
• Black man with large blade: Speaking Kikuyu, a Swahili derivative from Kenya.
• Black man with black band: Fled during the confrontation, taking something belonging to Jackson.

The Fallout: Ellen sustains a major wound and is sent to the hospital. Jacob pursues one of the assailants, who escapes in a Black Hudson Touring Roadster with a New York license plate (specific details unreadable). Items taken from the room include a letter from Harvard and an Emerson Imports card (Silas N'Kwane's name). Remaining items include a silver Celtic coin in Jackson's pocket and a letter from Jackson's estate executor, Carlton Ramsey, confirming the funeral date.

Investigation Leads

Emerson Imports: Warehouse of African imports owned by Arthur Emerson. Silas N'Kwane is a customer, running a shop named Juju House.

Abigail Springhorn: A friend of Jackson's, joins the investigation. An explorer with fancy gear and a red ferret named Willow, she takes the group to regroup at Prospero House.

Prospero Publishing: Jackson's publisher, Jonah Kessington, provides details on Jackson's research:

• The Carlyle Expedition:
  • Cult activity suspected but denied by authorities.
  • Bloody Tongue Cult: Feared by other tribes, associated with child sacrifices and winged creatures.
  • Rumours that Jack Brady was seen alive in Hong Kong in 1922.
  • Corpses from the expedition showed no decay and were torn apart like by an animal.
  • Notes mention:
    • "God of the Black Wind" on Black Wind Mountain.
    • The cult's god being "non-African in descent."
    • Cairo as a key link to Kenya.
• Hilton Adams Case: A series of Harlem killings over the last year linked to Hilton Adams, now convicted of one murder and accused of others. Lt. Martin Poole, Murder Squad (7A), investigates the case. Poole visits Ellen in the hospital but is blocked by a mysterious dark leg when Imelda attempts dreamwalking into his mind.

Supernatural Encounters

Jacob's Dreamscape: Jacob dreams of a pyramid surrounded by people of various races engaging in grotesque acts. A black figure with an upside-down ankh emerges, chanting: "Become with me, a GOD." Imelda dreamwalks into Jacob's dream, seeing a muscular African American man also present. She follows him to another dream plane:

• A house with two dead bodies, bowels exposed, and symbols carved into their foreheads.
• The house's sign reads "Larkin."
• Inside, Augustus Larkin lies on the floor, a woman carving symbols into his chest. Nyarlathotep's name is invoked, and the woman is revealed to be a woman who looks similar, but not identical, to Frau Gartner - this is the woman who stole the black cube.

Ellen's Dream: Dreams of her younger family and wakes to see a figure resembling her daughter.

Lt. Poole and Cpt. Robson

Martin Poole: Lt. Poole investigates Hilton Adams's case and has a guarded dream portal, blocking Imelda's dreamwalking attempts.

Cpt. Walter Robson: Interviews Ellen about Jackson's murder but resorts to torture when she refuses to provide answers.

Unfolding Mysteries

Nyarlathotep and the Gartner woman: Gartner's connection to Nyarlathotep and her role in carving symbols into Augustus Larkin suggests ties to the Carlyle Expedition and the Skin Book.

Bloody Tongue Cult: The cult's fearsome reputation, child sacrifices, and winged creatures suggest deeper horrors linked to Black Wind Mountain.

Hilton Adams and Harlem Killings: How are the Harlem killings, the Bloody Tongue, and Hilton Adams connected?

Jackson's Research: The connections between Kenya, Cairo, and Hong Kong raise questions about global cult activity.