Epilogue

It had been an epic night. The threatening storm had never unleashed its fury. Several people died, but many more monsters died. We had seen many Other Worlds. The realm of magic had been tapped. I had been driven insane, twice. And yet we all survived.

After Mandy had closed the last gate, there was a deafening pop that rolled its way through town followed by absolute silence. The dark clouds dissipated and let the stars have a fresh look at Arkham just before the warming sun rose. The monsters flying above the city disappeared. Mandy, Joe, and I met back at the Hospital where I tended to all of our wounds. We may have been a little banged up, but we would be all right.

Joe had killed two monster that night and closed four gates. He sat down on a bed and ate his unopened dinner from the previous evening. I walked over and tossed something on the bed next to him. He grabbed the small statue and looked up at me. "Where did you get this?" I told him I found it at the Historical Society just before Mandy closed the last gate. Apparently someone else had taken an interest in the statue and had stolen it from Joe. We still don't know who did it, but he could now fulfill the job of delivering the statue to the Silver Twilight Lodge, the reason he had come to Arkham.

I walked over to Mandy. I wasn't quite sure what to say. For being a University researcher, she knew how to dish out a good butt-whoopin. Her bag contained trophies from seven monster kills and the remains of five closed gates. She had lost her Tommy gun in the early hours of the morning, but the two cavalry sabers she had found quietly sat on a nearby counter. I asked her about the old tome called The King in Yellow she had carried all night. She hadn't translated it yet and she had hoped to have some quiet time over the night to research it. She just laughed when she told me that. I held out the .38 revolver she had given me before we split up earlier that night. She wouldn't take it. She told me I had needed it, now it needed me. She could be corny at times too. I asked her what she was going to do now. She would remain in Arkham and continue her studies at the University. Besides, if anything like this ever happened again, the town would need her to save them.

As for me, I decided to move on. I would miss the town and the people I helped save. It would be a while before I could sleep peacefully again there. I may return some day to visit my old friends, but for now I will continue practicing medicine in sunny Tucson, Arizona.

The secrets of that dark northeastern town would remain with me forever.

The Last Gate Closed

I left the church and went to the nearby Historical Society. I found a couple of things. The first was a parchment with the word "Cthulhu" on it, which was the same thing the man in the jail cell at the Police Station had said. That must be the name of the Ancient One threatening Arkham. The second thing I found would be dealt with at a later time.

Mandy stepped through the gate in the City of the Great Race and returned to Arkham through the gate in The Woods. She was met by the Flying Polyp. What would have driven many people insane, had little effect on Mandy. But the monster's intense horror did cause her to hesitate a moment at the scary sight. She knew her sabers wouldn't be very effective against this monster, so she pulled out her flask of holy water and threw it on the monster. The monster gave an otherworldly shriek and dissolved before her. Part of the thrashing monster flung on her and burned her arm, but that was a small price to pay for defeating the evil creature. She picked up a small intact part of it's shell and put it in her bag. With that unpleasantry out of the way, she began the procedure for closing the gate. A moment later, the last gate was gone...

Gates open: 0/8
Monsters in Arkham: 4/4
Monsters in Outskirts: 0/7
Terror Level: 3/10
AO Doom Track: 10/13

Southside Strangler Revealed

After recovering from his strange return to Arkham, Joe stood up and closed the Witch House gate.

And after hiding from flying monsters in the Silver Twilight Lodge, I made my way to South Church. I explained to the priest there how we three had been protecting Arkham by closing the gates and defeating monsters. I showed him the small humming crystal that I had picked up after closing the gate to R'lyeh in the Graveyard. He examined it and offered his blessing to one of us in exchange for the magical relic. We needed all the help we could get. So I handed him the crystal and I had him bless Mandy.

In the City of the Great Race, Mandy's situation mysteriously became more clear and soon she was able to see the return gate to Arkham in a nearby neighborhood. She headed for the gate.

At about the same time, a monster surge produced a Zombie from the gate in The Woods. But it ambled to the Outskirts of town with the other monsters.

A side story that has thus far been overlooked was that of the Southside Strangler. People had been found murdered in Arkham and the police were looking for the suspect. At one point they thought they had found him, but the killers turned out to be a Star Spawn and a Fire Vampire. Once discovered, the two monsters fled to the Outskirts. The town was now completely surrounded by monsters, causing the level of terror in town to increase.

The owner of the General Store, Ryan Dean, had enough. He couldn't risk staying in Arkham any longer. He locked up his General Store and left town. I'm glad I bought my .45 when I did.

There was only one gate left. According to Mandy's readings, if we could close that last gate this horror would be over!

Gates open: 1/8
Monsters in Arkham: 4/4
Monsters in Outskirts: 0/7
Terror Level: 3/10
AO Doom Track: 10/13

Climbing A Rope

Mandy left The Unnamable and made her way to the open gate in The Woods. She was pulled through the gate and sent to The City of the Great Race.

I left the General Store and went to the Silver Twilight Lodge. I was slowly working my way to the southeast part of town to South Church. I thought a blessing would help us in our cause.

As Joe continued his search for the return gate to Arkham on the cold Plateau of Leng, his foot slipped on the ice and he tumbled into a deep crevasse. The sides were too slick to climb back up, so he began walking the length of the crack looking for a way back up. And then he found a rope that lead upwards into a dense fog. He was getting nowhere where he was, so he climbed the rope. As he neared the top and entered the fog, he realized he had climbed out of the earth and was now in the yard of the Witch House in Arkham. He could see the open gate nearby that had sent him to the Plateau of Leng. It took a moment for the confusion to wear off.

And then a monster surge. A Flying Polyp flew out of the gate in The Woods. That is not what Mandy would want to see when she returned through the gate. A Mi-Go flew out of the gate by the Witch House, but it immediately flew upward and went to the Outskirts of the town.


Gates open: 2/8
Monsters in Arkham: 4/4
Monsters in Outskirts: 5/7
Terror Level: 2/10
AO Doom Track: 10/13

Monsters Above

Mandy left the Great Hall of Celeano and returned through the gate to The Unnamable in Arkham. She immediately closed the gate. Unfortunately she was not able to seal the location.

Joe left Independence Square and passed through several neighborhoods to get to the Witch House in French Hill. As soon as he neared the house, he was drawn into the open gate next to it. He was sent to the cold arid Plateau of Leng.

I left the Police Station and entered the nearby General Store. I still had $5 on me and if the store had something that would help our cause, I was willing to spend some cash. The most useful thing they had in stock was a .45 automatic. I could use a little more steel courage. Besides, the revolver Mandy had given me was a little lonely. So I spent my $5 and planned my next move.

No one was around, but there was another fizzle of electricity in the air near Independence Square. Sealing that location was one of Joe's best moves of the night. So far it had prevented two other gates and monsters from appearing.

The winged Mi-Go in the Northside streets took to the air. Now there were three monsters watching the Arkham streets for people. Everyone couldn't hide indoors forever.

Gates open: 2/8
Monsters in Arkham: 3/4
Monsters in Outskirts: 4/7
Terror Level: 2/10
AO Doom Track: 10/13

Independence Square Is Sealed

Having spent a second stay in the mental ward, I was ready (I hoped) to get back into the action. The nearest gate that needed attention was halfway across town at the Witch House. And I did not want to spend any more time than I needed to in the streets with the two Nightgaunts circling in the dark skies above, so I made my way to the Police Station and took cover.

In the Great Hall of Celeano, Mandy finally saw the return gate to Arkham and made her way to it.

Joe went through the gate returning him to Independence Square from The Dreamlands. Unfortunately, the Dark Young he had avoided earlier was still there. And this time it saw him! Having already seen the horrific monster previously, he was able to withstand its horror. In one swift movement, Joe brought out both his .45 automatic and the Derringer. "Open up and say AH!!!!" Joe screamed as he fired at the monster. It was probably more luck than skill, but the bullets found their way through the monster's tough exterior to the its vulnerable interior. He barely made it out of the way before the monster crashed to the ground beside him. He pulled off a chunk of the thick hide. He began to shake as his body reacted to the adrenaline rush. He recovered quickly, he wasn't done there. He turned to the gate and performed the closing procedure and... the gate closed. Having found the clues necessary to seal a location, he finished off the location by magically sealing it to prevent any new gates or monsters from appearing there. Then he sat down to catch his breath.

One of the men in the holding cells of the Police Station tried to intimidate me with stories about the things he'd seen. Sheriff Engle apologized and said the man was a drunk. But I knew of the things he spoke of. I had seen some of them. In fact, he mentioned something about Cthulhu. I would have to ask Mandy what that name meant... if I ever saw her again.

What were the chances of Mandy finding a second cavalry saber in an Other World? Much higher than the three of them saving Arkham from a sleeping Ancient One. She saw it lying near a stone well and picked it up. She wondered if she could wield both sabers effectively at the same time. I bet she would soon find out.

While resting at Independence Square, Joe felt the air sparkle with a slight shock, then smelled a burnt fizzle. He was sure it was a gate that tried to open. Luckily he had sealed the location. He rolled his eyes. They just wouldn't give up!!!

Both Nightgaunts hovered over the streets of Arkham, looking for prey. Almost everyone was safely indoors by now. Only a brave, or foolish, few still dared to walk the streets.

Gates open: 3/8
Monsters in Arkham: 3/4
Monsters in Outskirts: 4/7
Terror Level: 2/10
AO Doom Track: 10/13

University Searched

In The Dreamlands, Joe continued his search for the return gate to Arkham. I paid another $2 for some mental recovery at the Asylum. What a hero I had turned out to be. Mandy left the Black Cave and ran across town to The Unnamable in the Merchant District. With no monsters around, she entered the gate and was sent to the Great Hall of Celeano, the same Other World Joe had explored earlier that night.

Shortly after she arrived in the Great Hall, a Cultist attacked Mandy from the shadows. It was hardly a match for the veteran traveler of worlds. She collected the trophy as the Cultist lay dead at her feet.

A new gate appeared in the Woods in the Uptown neighborhood. We really needed to get that location sealed. A Warlock came through the gate and wandered to the Outskirts of town. The Nightgaunt that had been guarding the Witch House gate finally took to the skies looking for prey. It now circled overhead with the other Nightgaunt.

And for some mysterious reason, the three main buildings at the University were closed for a short period. I believe they were searching Mandy's office for clues as to what connections she had with what had been going on in town. People had caught glimpses of her, but not for long. In fact, they wouldn't find her any time soon for she was once again in an Other World. Little did they know she was helping to save their lives.

Gates open: 4/8
Monsters in Arkham: 4/4
Monsters in Outskirts: 4/7
Terror Level: 2/10
AO Doom Track: 10/13

Crazy Doctor, Injured P.I.

On Yuggoth, Mandy went through the return gate back to the Black Cave in Arkham. I returned to the Unvisited Isle and discovered a clue to battling the Ancient One.

Joe left Hibb's Roadhouse and sneaked through the Easttown and Downtown streets until he arrived at Independence Square. He wasn't sure he could take out the Dark Young, so his plan was to sneak past it and enter the gate. Joe was pressed against the back of a tree when the trees around him began to tremble, leaves fluttered around him. The earth shook as the thuds of giant hooved feet grew ever closer. He was sure the loud beating of his heart would give him away, but the Dark Young continued its march past the grove of trees where Joe was hidden. As soon as the monster was past, Joe sprinted toward the gate and was pulled in and sent to The Dreamlands.

Mandy arrived in the Black Cave and successfully closed her third gate. Now only two gates remained in town.

When I arrived at the Unvisited Isle, the willows swayed in a wind I could not hear or feel, and for a moment, the hatred of those ancient trees for the invader who returned to their island drove me to my knees. The pilot of the small boat must have noticed me fall to the ground, for the next thing I remember, I was waking up once again in the Arkham Asylum. I must not have been as mentally recovered as I thought. It looked like I'd be spending a little more time resting. I had lost my cross somewhere between there and the island. And my Wither scroll was missing. What else could go wrong?

Meanwhile, Joe was dealing with his own encounter. After arriving in The Dreamlands, a Shantak swooped past overhead and raked its claws across Joe's chest. The pain was almost unbearable, but Joe began looking for the return gate. Now he needed to get back to Arkham not only to close the gate but to get first aid from me or the Hospital. Hopefully I wouldn't still be in the mental hospital when he found me!

A new gate opened at the old house called The Unnamable in the Merchant District, the second gate to have opened there. This time a Chthonian came through in search of blood. Fortunately it headed to the now-empty Outskirts of town. At the same time, an ancient ghost ship arrived at the Merchant District, releasing another Chthonian and a Formless Spawn into the streets. They joined the first Chthonian in the Outskirts of town.

Gates open: 3/8
Monsters in Arkham: 4/4
Monsters in Outskirts: 3/7
Terror Level: 2/10
AO Doom Track: 9/13

Terror Level Rising

On the Otherworldly planet of Yuggoth, Mandy began her search for the return gate to Arkham. Meanwhile back in Arkham, Joe went from the Woods at the south end of town all the way to Hibb's Roadhouse in the Easttown neighborhood at the north end of town. There he found the two clues he had been looking for. He now knew how to seal a location after he closed a gate. He would soon attempt to close the gate at the nearby Independence Square.

And I paid $2 at the Asylum to rest for a little while and collect my thoughts. We had seen a lot that night, but I was sure we would see more. So for now I needed the mental rest.

While Joe searched the Roadhouse, a Maniac attacked him from the dark shadows. But the experienced Private Eye already had his .45 automatic drawn, so it was an easy task to defeat his first monster. Joe collected the trophy and continued his search.

On Yuggoth, Mandy saw a strange creature staring at her with burning eyes. It was as if the creature was trying to steal her soul. But she avoided contact with it and in the distance saw the gate she was looking for.

A new gate opened at the Witch House and a Nightgaunt flew out just as a rusty train arrived in Arkham. A Mi-Go and a Cultist came out of the train into the Northside streets. The Cultist wandered to the Outskirts of town. Now there were so many monsters surrounding the town that the terror level increased. Everyone now felt the heavy dread covering the town. Another one of our potential allies in this fight had enough. John Legrasse left town.

We were running out of time. If we weren't able to keep these gates under control, the Ancient One would awaken and who knows if we were prepared for that...

Gates open: 3/8
Monsters in Arkham: 4/4
Monsters in Outskirts: 0/7
Terror Level: 2/10
AO Doom Track: 8/13

The Doctor Goes Mad

The night had nearly driven me crazy. I may not have done this under normal conditions, but in the mental state I was in I took it upon myself to attempt to close the gate at Independence Square. That would not have been such a crazy move had there not been the Dark Young guarding the gate. I screamed as I ran towards the monster, repeatedly firing the revolver Mandy had given me into the air. The monster locked its gaze on me and I lost it. I went crazy and the world went black. When I awoke, I was lying comfortably in a room at the Arkham Asylum which ironically was next to Independence Square. Apparently my crazed screams had drawn the attention of some doctors outside and they dragged me to the safety of the Asylum. Unfortunately, in the ordeal I had lost my lucky cigarette case, the bottle of whiskey I had found, and two of my magical spells. Fortunately, I was still alive.

Mandy sprinted across town to the gate at Black Cave. "We will not cease our struggle," intoned the robed High Priest near the gate, "Until we have built Carcosa upon this land of ruined Reason!" With no bullets for her Tommy gun, Mandy now wielded the cavalry saber she had found in the deep darkness of The Abyss. "Well you better start building!" Mandy roared as the saber sliced through most of the vital organs of the High Priest. With a few unintelligable gurgles followed by silence, the fight was over. She took the Priest's mask and stuffed it into her bag. And then she was pulled into the gate to the planet of Yuggoth.

Joe left Another Dimension and returned to the Woods in the Uptown neighborhood. Joe had found enough clues to explain how to close a gate, and that's what he did. But he didn't know about sealing the location. Now there were only two gates left in town.

But the news that a family had been found butchered was enough to raise the terror level of the town. If people weren't concerned with the situation earlier, they were now. And we lost a potential ally in this fight, Anna Kaslow. She left town to stay with her cousin Larry near an inn in Vermont.

Gates open: 2/8
Monsters in Arkham: 2/4
Monsters in Outskirts: 7/7
Terror Level: 1/10
AO Doom Track: 7/13

Fourth Gate Closed

Joe maneuvered through Another Dimension, finally discovering the return gate back to Arkham.

Mandy jumped through the return gate she found in The Abyss and came out at the Historical Society. From the darkened alley behind the building, a patch of darkness seemed to detach itself, curling along the bricks and rising to block Mandy's path. It was the Formless Spawn. Even though she managed to avoid its horror, its tough exterior made her physical weapons less effective. But repeated bursts from the Tommy gun eventually brought the monster down. It toppled to the ground just in time, she had run out of bullets. She bent down and collected a trophy from the monster.

I left the Graveyard and crossed through the Rivertown and Merchant District neighborhoods to reach the Unvisited Isle. The painter in the Graveyard had told me he'd heard the island mentioned in the General Store when he was buying supplies earlier. I explored the Isle and found two clues regarding the sleeping Ancient One: While the Ancient One stirs in its slumber, the health and sanity of the living suffer. Was that why we all felt so tired this evening?

Mandy had successfully closed a gate at the old house called The Unnamable earlier in the night, so she repeated that procedure and was able to close the gate at the Historical Society. She picked up the remains of the gate, a small humming crystal, and added it to her bag. She was becoming a pro at this.

While on the Unvisited Isle, I came across a large pile of human bones under the boughs of one of the willows. It shocked me to see the human remains. A sudden doom enveloped me. The pressures of the night were taking their toll on me, I was almost to my breaking point. The gates, the monsters, the magic... and then I saw something in the pile of bones. I uncovered a scroll with an incantation called "Wither". If successfully cast, it would magically increase my chances of defeating monsters. Maybe there was hope after all...

And a gate burst open at the Black Cave in Rivertown. A High Priest strolled through, chanting something about their struggle and a land of ruined Reason. Three gates, three monsters, and three of us. The odds were finally in our favor.

Gates open: 3/8
Monsters in Arkham: 3/4
Monsters in Outskirts: 7/7
Terror Level: 0/10
AO Doom Track: 7/13

The Graveyard Is Sealed

Deep in the darkness of The Abyss, Mandy worked her way towards the return gate to Arkham. Joe was no longer Lost in Time & Space, he returned to Arkham near the gate in the Woods. Seeing the Hound of Tindalos lurking near the gate, Joe waited until the Hound was behind some large trees before running into the gate that took him to Another Dimension. And in R'lyeh, I stepped through the gate that took me back to the Graveyard in Arkham.

Mandy saw something reflect in the dim light of the distant gate, so she went to investigate. It was a cavalry saber, most likely left behind by some previous person roaming The Abyss. She picked it up in anticipation of her Tommy gun eventually running out of bullets.

Joe likewise had good fortune in Another Dimension. He found a collectors item that he knew would fetch $3 back in Arkham... if anyone was left to buy it from him. He put it in his bag.

In the Graveyard, I closed the gate to R'lyeh. Not only did I close it, but with all the clues I had collected, I knew how to seal the Graveyard so no longer could a gate open or a monster appear there. This was a minor victory for us. Now if we could only seal the other twenty-five locations in town, this terror would be over.

But my celebration was short-lived. Another monster surge happened. A Formless Spawn came out of the Historical Society gate. With the town overrun with monsters once again, the next two monsters went to the Outskirts; a Zombie from the gate in the Woods and an Elder Thing from the Independence Square gate.

The sealing of the Graveyard gate must have caught the Hound of Tindalos' attention in the Woods. In a flash he had run through Uptown, across the University grounds, through the Merchant District, and along the Rivertown streets to reach me. I was not prepared for that, but with the help of the cross I had grabbed from the Hospital I was unaffected by the horror the monster brought. Using too much magic can drive a person crazy, but in my situation a little sanity was a good trade for surviving this battle. I knew the Hound could not be hurt with physical weapons, so I cast one of the few spells I had learned and temporarily made my revolver a weapon of magic. And with a few pulls of the trigger, the Hound lay at my feet. I wasn't happy about edging closer to crazy, but at least I was still alive. I pulled out one of the Hound's teeth and put it in my pocket.

Gates open: 3/8
Monsters in Arkham: 3/4
Monsters in Outskirts: 7/7
Terror Level: 0/10
AO Doom Track: 6/13

We're Not in Arkham Any More

In R'lyeh, I could finally see the return gate near an old stone building that resembled a temple. It would take me a little while to get to it, but now I knew where I was going. Joe had regained consciousness but was still Lost in Time & Space.

And Mandy sprinted through the French Hill streets to the Historical Society where the newest gate had opened. But the Dhole was more deadly than any of the other monsters she had previously fought. Even she succumbed a bit to its horror. She let her Tommy gun do its thing, but many of the bullets bounced right off the hard exterior of the monster. Having suffered a little damage, the enraged Dhole thrust its tubular body down on Mandy and rolled off her. The necklace she had found after killing the last Mi-Go glowed for a brief moment and crumbled to dust. Although she suffered some minor injuries, she knew the magical necklace had absorbed most of the blow. She reached for her gun lying nearby and opened up another salvo on the beast. This time she hit the mark and the thing fell to the ground. The difficult battle had taken its toll on her. She would carry on, but she needed some of my first aid as soon as possible. She picked up a piece of the Dhole's tough hide as a trophy and entered the Historical Society gate to The Abyss. The darkness was almost overwhelming but she began her search for the return gate.

On my way to the return gate in R'lyeh, a Maniac jumped me from behind a stone building. Words can't explain how grateful I was that Mandy had given me her revolver. In a split second it was out of the holster and performing its job flawlessly. I picked up a trophy from the dead Maniac's body and neared the gate back to Arkham.

A new gate appeared in the Woods in the Uptown neighborhood. Out of the gate came a terrifying Hound of Tindalos. Had any of us still been in Arkham, it would have surely found us and attacked. Fortunately we weren't around yet for it to seek and destroy.


Sheriff Engle did manage to help. After we left the Police Station earlier in the evening, he sent a group of private security officers to rid the Arkham streets of monsters. They had surrounded the Vampire in Downtown and was able to defeat him. But the battle was close and as a group they decided this fight should be left in the hands of people more able to cope with the horror... us.

There were now four gates open, two monsters near the gates, and a monster flying above the town. And at the moment, none of us were there to deal with any of it.

Gates open: 4/8
Monsters in Arkham: 3/4
Monsters in Outskirts: 5/7
Terror Level: 0/10
AO Doom Track: 6/13

The Second Gate Closed

Joe continued his search for the return gate in the Other World called the Great Hall of Celeano. But before he could find it, the gate inexplicably closed and Joe was temporarily Lost in Time & Space. We were one step closer to victory. And now it was just a matter of time before Joe re-emerged somewhere in Arkham.

I, on the other hand, jumped through the gate in the Graveyard and was sent to the sunken city of R'lyeh. I saw a strange carving slowly falling past me, but I was unable to grab it. I'll never know if it would have changed anything in our situation.

With both of us in Other Worlds, Mandy went to the Silver Twilight Lodge to see if she could find any clues regarding how to seal a location from preventing any more gates opening there. She did find a clue. She also found an old parchment in the study but it proved to be of no use to her.

And then a new gate opened at the Historical Society in the Southside neighborhood. A tube-like Dhole came through the gate, bent on terrorizing the town. The Vampire that had been stalking Independence Square made its way to the streets of Downtown.

Unknowingly, an ancient stone had been disturbed by recent construction at Mistkatonic University. A Warlock and Shoggoth made their presence known in the Outskirts of the town.




A quick look at our situation: We have closed two gates, yet three remain open. I am in one of those, attempting to close it. One of the other two has been surrounded by dangerous monsters for a while, but we need to close it. I fear our blood will soon be spilled. And the Ancient One is closer than ever to awakening. If that happens, our world will crumble under its mighty foot.

Gates open: 3/8
Monsters in Arkham: 4/4
Monsters in Outskirts: 5/7
Terror Level: 0/10
AO Doom Track: 5/13

Joe Enters a Gate

Teamwork. We wouldn't survive the night without it. Mandy and Joe left the Police Station and made their way to the French Hill neighborhood. Mandy met the Ghoul in the street and her Tommy gun tore it up. She was picking up the trophy as Joe ran past her. He was pulled into The Witch House gate. Meanwhile, I left the Graveyard and entered the nearby Black Cave and found two more clues. I also saw an old book lying in the dust but I didn't want to take the time to check it out.

Joe had been sent to the Great Hall of Celeano. We had the chance to close another gate, as long as he survived long enough and could find the gate back home.

In a bright flash, I saw a gate open in the Graveyard I had just left. A Maniac rushed out of the gate and began lurking in the Outskirts of town.

The Mi-Go flying above Arkham spotted Mandy in the streets of French Hill and swooped down upon her. Her gun was still warm from its short conversation with the Ghoul when she pointed it up at the Mi-Go and squeezed the trigger. The Mi-Go disappeared and on the ground was an enchanted piece of jewelry. She bent down and picked up the golden necklace and put it around her neck. She felt it may come in handy during the night.

A group called the Sheldon Gang claimed the Uptown neighborhood as their area. Of all nights, tonight they decided to poke around a burial mound in Uptown. To their surprise, a Gug and a Zombie were stirred from the ground. Fortunately the monsters wandered into the Outskirts of town, but now the town was being surrounded in addition to having monsters wander the streets.

We needed to regain control... and quickly!

Gates open: 3/8
Monsters in Arkham: 3/4
Monsters in Outskirts: 3/7
Terror Level: 0/10
AO Doom Track: 4/13

The Painter and Joe Diamond

While Mandy headed to the Police Station in Easttown looking to recruit her Private Eye friend, I went to the nearby Graveyard in Rivertown looking for more clues to the gates and the Ancient One. I did find a clue, but I also met a mysterious man named Richard Upton Pickman who was painting a picture of one of the horrible gargoyles lining the walls of the graveyard. He was a painter visiting from Boston, the same city I left to come here. He said he could sense the growing danger in the city. I told him about our mission to save the town and he offered to teach me an incantation to help fight the evil creatures. He set his paintbrush down, pressed his fingertips together, and mumbled the words "red sign of Shudde M'Ell" and told me to repeat those words to weaken any monsters I encounter. It sounded strange but was worth a shot. He wished me good luck and returned to the painting he wished to finish before the rains came. I realized I had spent more time than I intended in the Graveyard and made my way to the exit.

Mandy had left the Merchant District, crossed Rivertown, and entered the Police Station in Easttown. Before she could find her friend Joe, the elderly Sheriff Engle saw her and asked her to step into his office. Word had spread of her battles with the monsters and he asked if there was anything he could do to help. She knew he was in no physical condition to join the fight, so said she was there to see Joe Diamond. The Sheriff led her to a waiting area and soon Joe came out.

Joe had taken what sounded like a simple job - pick up a statue at the Providence Museum and deliver it to a guy at the Silver Twilight Lodge in Arkham. The money was good and the dame who gave him the job had seemed sincere. Sadly, things never seemed to work out that easily for Joe. Now the statue was missing, two people were dead, strange cultists were on his tail, and all the clues lead to Arkham. He had tried talking to the Sheriff, but that proved to be worse than useless. And now one of his few friends in Arkham had come for him.

Mandy explained what was happening. He agreed to help if she would help keep an eye out for clues to the disappearance of the statue and the case he was trying to solve. She agreed to help... if they lived. In addition to the .18 Derringer that never left his body (even in sleep), he holstered a .45 automatic and grabbed the uneaten dinner he had packed for himself earlier that evening.


While both of us were busy, a gate opened at the nearby Witch House in the French Hill district. A Ghoul had emerged and was now lurking in the French Hill streets. The Nightgaunt at the Independence Square gate now joined the Mi-Go in the skies above Arkham. Conditions were quickly deteriorating in the town and our job was becoming more difficult.

Gates open: 2/8
Monsters in Arkham: 4/4
Monsters in Outskirts: 0/7
Terror Level: 0/10
AO Doom Track: 3/13

The First Gate Closed

I left the Woods and ran through Uptown, across the University grounds, and into the Merchant District to get the information on how to close the gates to Mandy. When I arrived, I saw The Unnamable in the distance with its nearby gate glowing brightly in the cool night air.

Mandy was crouched over picking up her Witch trophy when I yelled to her that she needed to enter the gate and come back through before it could be closed. She yelled back that she had already been through the gate. Wow, she doesn't waste any time! She only had a short amount of time left to close the gate. I explained the clues I had found in the Woods and she turned to perform the procedure. And then, from across the Merchant District, I saw the gate disappear.

Mandy bent down and picked up a small humming crystal, the physical remains of what was once The Unnamable gate. She stowed it away in her leather bag.


Another monster surge, this time producing a bulbous Dark Young monster and a flying Nightgaunt at the Independence Square gate. The Mi-Go that had been the first monster to come through the Independence Square gate took to the sky and was now flying above the town looking for a victim. The Vampire was still stalking Independence Square.


We knew we had to close all the gates that opened in the town, but Independence Square was too overrun with monsters. And each monster that emerged from the gate seemed to be more dreadful than the one before it. We didn't stand a chance there. So we decided to go enlist some help. Mandy had become good friends with Joe Diamond, a Private Eye who recently came to town to solve his own dark mystery.

Gates open: 1/8
Monsters in Arkham: 4/4
Monsters in Outskirts: 0/7
Terror Level: 0/10
AO Doom Track: 2/13

The Dreamlands and the Woods

Only time will tell if our next move was the right decision. I would head into the nearby woods to look for clues on how to close the gates while Mandy took her firepower to the gate by The Unnamable. Before we split, she pulled the revolver from her holster and tossed it to me. With a quick "Good luck", she sprinted away down the street.

Mandy made her way through the University grounds and to the Merchant District where the old house called The Unnamable stood with its open gate and flying Mi-Go. I'm not sure if it was the steel she was packing or the adrenaline rush, but most people would have been struck with horror while facing the giant insect monster. But not Mandy. In one quick motion, the scholarly researcher released the clasps on her "violin case" and pulled out a Tommy gun, letting the case fall to the ground. The shrieks from the Mi-Go were muffled by the staccato song her gun sang and as quickly as it had started, the fight was over. Nothing remained of the otherworldly creature. But lying on the ground was a flask of holy water. How it got there, she didn't care. But it rested in her jacket pocket now.

Meanwhile in the woods, I discovered two clues that could help us close the gates. While searching the dark woods, I tripped over a rusty lock box. Inside the box was an old bottle of whiskey. I tucked it into my first aid bag, you never know what may come in handy in desperate situations. According to the clues I found, one must travel through the gate into the Other World and return to our world through the gate. Only then could the gate be closed. I had to get this information to Mandy right away.

Unless it was too late. After defeating the Mi-Go, Mandy approached the gate and was drawn into the swirling hole. She had been sent to the Dreamlands. The pinkish rays could have been damaging had she not menatally prepared herself by reading about the various Other Worlds in the mysterious books at the University. I just hoped she could withstand the harmful energies long enough to make it back to our world.


In the blink of an eye, a monster surge caused a Witch to emerge from The Unnamable gate and a Vampire to come out of the Independence Square gate. The magical powers of the surge must have been what kicked Mandy back into our world through The Unnamable gate. She was glad to be back alive, but now the Witch attacked. Again, Mandy was able to withstand the horror caused by the hideous she-monster. The Witch was lovely and terrible all at once. A strange light shone in her eyes as she chanted "Ia! Ia! Shub-Niggurath! The Goat with a Thousand Young!" With Tommy gun still in hand, Mandy sprayed the Witch with lead, dropping her instantly. After this kill, Mandy bent down and picked up what was left of one of the Witch's hands. Gross, but a trophy to prove what she had defeated.

Gates open: 2/8
Monsters in Arkham: 2/4
Monsters in Outskirts: 0/7
Terror Level: 0/10
AO Doom Track: 2/13

Gates and Monsters

The air around town began to feel heavy. There was a slight dread wrapping itself around all living things. And I began to feel fatigued. But that was just the beginning.

Then I heard a nurse telling another doctor that a large swirling hole had appeared near the old house called The Unnamable in the Merchant District. A strange flying insect-like creature called a Mi-Go was seen emerging from the magical opening.

I grabbed my first aid bag, a cross, $9, and my lucky cigarette case. I knew we needed to act quickly against whatever was happening in town. The people around town were noticing the changes. They began talking amongst each other about the bizarre evening.

I left the Hospital and waited out in the streets of Uptown. Soon Mandy arrived with a large leather bag hung from her shoulder. She was also carrying an old tome called The King in Yellow and what looked like a violin case she referred to as "Tommy". I also caught a glimpse of a .38 revolver holstered on her hip under her jacket. Mandy meant business!

Dark clouds covered the stars and the moon and a chilly wind began to blow. A storm was coming. Before we could say a word, a person ran by yelling that a second hole had opened, this time at Independence Square in Downtown. A Mi-Go had come through that hole as well.

Mandy said those magical holes were the gates leading to Other Worlds. They allowed monsters to enter our world. And according to the prophecies, if too many gates were open at once, the Ancient One would awaken. It was clear what we had to do... close those gates.

Gates open: 2/8
Monsters in Arkham: 2/4
Monsters in Outskirts: 0/7
Terror Level: 0/10
AO Doom Track: 2/13

Mandy Thompson

I was at the General Store in the Rivertown district of Arkham this evening and ran into a researcher from the Miskatonic University, located on the western edge of town. She introduced herself as Mandy Thompson. As we talked, she revealed to me that she enjoyed delving into esoteric tomes filled with scientific information, historical reports, and sometimes even occult ramblings.

It was while reading an old book of prophecies last week that she first felt that she had stumbled onto something big. Mandy believes that certain signs and portents described in the book are taking place in Arkham right now - omens that indicate the return of a terrible being referred to as an Ancient One, which will grind the cities of Man beneath its loathsome tread.

Tonight, the full moon has turned blood red, which is the final omen of the return of the Ancient One. Could the unexplainable deaths I've seen be connected to the things described in Mandy's readings? If there really is an evil being ready to awaken and destroy Arkham, we will do everything within our power to stop it.

She left the General Store and returned to the Library at the University to gather some things she may need in our effort to save the town. I have returned to the hospital for the same reason. Soon we will rendezvous in the street Uptown and begin our hunt.

Meet the Doctor

My name is Dr. Vincent Lee. I am a Yale graduate of medicine and recently moved to Arkham from Boston to practice at St. Mary's Hospital. I have seen too many horrible and unexplainable deaths here - an elderly victim torn apart by unknown wild animals, a healthy young man whose heart exploded, and so many others. Their faces haunt my dreams each night. I have decided to investigate the mysteries of Arkham and put an end to the strange deaths in this quiet Massachusetts town.

The Setting

The year is 1926, and it is the height of the Roaring Twenties. Flappers dance till dawn in smoke-filled speakeasies drinking alcohol supplied by rum runners and the mob. It's a celebration to end all celebrations in the aftermath of the War to end all Wars.

Yet a dark shadow grows in the city of Arkham. Alien entities known as Ancient Ones lurk in the emptiness beyond space and time, writhing at the gates between worlds. These gates have begun to open and must be closed before the Ancient Ones make our world their ruined dominion.

- from the Arkham Horror rulebook

The daily summary I will use based on a 1-player game:
Gates open: x/8 (Ancient One awakens if 8 gates are open at once)
Monsters in Arkham: x/4 (max # of monsters in Arkham is 4, extras go to Outskirts)
Monsters in Outskirts: x/7 (max # of monsters in Outskirts is 7, the next one causes Terror Level to increase by 1)
Terror Level: x/10 (if 10 is reached, there's no monster limit and add one to Doom Track)
AO Doom Track: x/13 (if 13 is reached, the Ancient One awakens)