Stuart Barrow and Barbara Robson
An archaeological research team has found what appear to be the remains of an ancient city - in a relatively recently developed town just off a major highway. Upon examination, it appears that the ruins are just below the surface, such that it is highly unlikely that they would have not been noticed when the towns' foundations were laid, or, for that matter, when the highway was built. The building records and surveyors' reports are all completely silent on the matter.
1 Developers don't like pesky inconveniences
like sacred sites, endangered animals or archaeological digs showing up
in their surveyor's reports or impact assessment statements.
Consultants know this, and some are quite willing to tailor their
reports accordingly. The ruins are a marvellous find, but have always
been there.
2 The ruins are the remnants of a city which -
thousands of years ago - was cursed, and sealed in a remote part of the
Dreamlands. Isolated, the civilisation turned in upon itself, and
became corrupt and wicked. The stars are now right for its sorcerers to
try and return the city to the waking world. As the spells gather
power, more of the city will manifest, and the apparent ruins will
become more substantial, displacing the town's buildings. Before long,
the degenerate inhabitants of the city will be able to cross over into
the town at will, seeking human sacrifices to complete their magics.
3 The ruins are of an immense, city-sized
temple dedicated to Yog-Sothoth. A cataclysm destroyed the temple and
scattered the remnants throughout space and time, and fragments of the
foundations have appeared here and now. The pieces are still
metaphysically bound, and the connection might allow a strong (or
fractured) mind to travel the universe. It would certainly allow the
sorcerer-priests of Yog-Sothoth to travel here.
Copyright (c) 2001 Barbara Robson and Stuart Barrow
Click here to see Stuart and Barbara's other Tales of Terror.