[Characters] Characters - Part one

[tsavatar]

Post here your characters including background, pictures and all the stats that are included on the character sheet.

For simplicity's sake i'd prefer if you would stick to one format. I am particularly fond of the one employed by Colonel Crow but any would do.

[zebedee]

Biographical Information Investigator Name: Catherine (Cat) Hawthorne Occupation: Chemistry Professor Colleges, Degrees: Smith College, BS Chemistry and Physics; Yale University, Ph.D. (Physical) Chemistry Birthplace: Salem, MA Mental Disorders: None Sex: Female Age: 38

Characteristics & Rolls STR 6 DEX 10 INT 15 Idea 65 CON 8 APP 15 POW 9 Luck 45 SIZ 8 SAN 45 EDU 18 Know 85 99-Cthulu Mythos 99 Damage Bonus -1d4

Points Boxes Sanity Points: 45 Magic Points: 9 Hit Points: 8

Character Portrait still looking

Investigator Skills Chemistry 82 Physics 75 Own Language (English) 75 Library Use 75 Electrical Repair 55 Mechanical Repair 55 Persuade 55 Credit Rating 40 Occult 40 Handgun 40 Bargain 30 Natural History 30 Archaeology27 Bargain 26 German 24 Ancient Greek 23 Spot Hidden 26

Income & Savings Income: My roll of 8 yields ??

Background and why Cat is in the Congo Catherine (Cat) Hawthorne is a beautiful youngish (38) professor of physical chemistry at Smith College. She is from that Hawthorne family, but fairly well-removed from the author. Nonetheless, her family is well-off and well-established. Cat had all the best private tutors growing up in Salem, and showed an early talent for mathematics and the physical sciences. She was sent to Smith to study chemistry, and was among the brightest and hardest-working students of her time. Her interests extended well beyond laboratory sciences, and she spent a semester as a guest student at Miskatonic University, taking a course in archaeology from Dr. Erwin Jeffries. She was the best student in the class, and by impressing and charming Dr. Jeffries, Cat found that doors opened for her that did not open for most women in the sciences. It was a letter from Dr. Jeffries that got Cat into the research lab of Josiah Gibbs at Yale University, where she earned a PhD in experimental physical chemistry. However, she came to see that there was little chance of a woman gaining access to the professorships she truly coveted. She spent several years trying, and grew bitter and disillusioned. But then she accepted to return to Smith to teach Chemistry and Physics. There she saw the opportunity to raise a new generation of women scientists, young ladies that the top universities of the world couldn't refuse. Her work includes simple spectroscopy, and so she has spent much of her time pondering the heretical ideas of Hertz and Boltzman, Schuman and Thomson... but most especially of Planck, whose recent work on blackbody radiation and the quantization of energy had shaken the science world to its core. She has spent some time reading his papers, and those of other bright names in the field, and she is beginning to suspect that something else is at play here... that math and physics is on the verge of describing something more than the physical world, that there are secrets beyond human understanding, that there are forces out there that perhaps shouldn't be understood. She has been doing some reading in the library that seems to link I'm reading The Dreams in the Witch House now old ideas of witchcraft with this new math, and this fascinates her... and frightens her. She has stayed in touch with Dr. Jeffries, and indeed, has done some collaborative work with him. He sends her soil samples and fragments of artifacts, and Cat uses her spectroscopic tools to asses chemical composition and aging. Together, they have produced some surprising papers describing artifacts from the Congo that seem impossibly old. They have also identified some compounds in the soil samples that are completely new. Cat is trying to convince Professor Josiah Cooke at Harvard to see what he can make of them. And now this. She receives a letter from Dr. Jeffries that could almost be dismissed as the ramblings of a fever. But there is an echo in those words. She knows that he speaks truly, that these clues that they have found together are the key to something... horrible. She has suspected it for months. Now she knows that only she has the knowledge necessary to make sense of his writings and whatever else he may have discovered. She takes leave from her teaching, burning quite a bit of good will as she does so. And she packs her case and makes her way to Boston, from where she hopes to take a ship to Africa. She has no idea what to expect, never having traveled outside of New England! But she doesn't lack courage, and doesn't have any qualms about going where small white women are not expected to go.

Appearance Cat is 5'2" tall, and beautiful. Long blond hair hangs to her shoulders - when she lets it hang loose, which is very rare. It is normally pulled back into a bun, as worn by proper teachers the world over. She has piercing blue eyes, and a ready smile. She is healthy, but hardly an athlete - she has spent her life in classrooms and labs, so she isn't strong, or hardy, or agile. She is pleasantly curvaceous, but quite thin. In public and in the classroom, she wears long skirts and blouses with high collars. But in the lab, she wears long woolen pants and men's work shirts. Her accent is old New England.

personality Cat is friendly and charming, and has made her career out of encouraging people to be their best, not to accept artificial limits on their abilities. But underneath her kind exterior is a spine of steel. She has fought tooth and nail to be accepted as a scientist in this very male-centric field, and she is fiercely proud and independent. She is a thinker, inclined to stop and analyze before committing to a course of action. In areas of her expertise, she is a dynamic leader, but she knows her own limits better than most, and is happy to work as the follower in situations that are not her forte. She is polite, and a good conversationalist. She has a self-deprecating sense of humor, but woe to those who take this as an invitation to also diminish her.

Equipment", or "Stuff in her bag And yes, I realize she can't carry all of this. This is what has made it to the dock. 1 enhanced letter opener 2 pairs of white linen pants 3 blue cotton men's work shirts 3 pairs ladies undergarments 3 pairs socks 1 pair mid-calf length leather boots - what would the "active" options be for women? riding boots? 1 yellow straw hat 1 clutch handbag 1 canvas backpack 2 tin canteens (one water, one Scotch) 1 small pocketknife 1 traveling makeup case with hand mirror 1 small ladies razor 1 hairbrush 1 pocket compass 1 fountain pen 2 oz ink 1 travel journal, cloth-bound 1 .32 revolver 1 box 100 .32 bullets 1 shoulder holster 1 sewing kit 1 English key adjustable spanner (given to her by Dr. Gibbs during her Ph.D.) 1 box matches Also, in however many traveling luggage cases it takes to carry: 3 sets ladies undergarments 3 pairs socks 2 pairs wool pants 1 evening dress 1 day dress 3 silk blouses 2 lace-trimmed hats 2 pairs kid button boots 1 full set of hand-tools Several recent scientific journals on spectroscopy

[copatt]

Image courtesy of Tony Steele

Biographical Information Investigator Name: Anana ("soft, gentle") Occupation: Tribal Member Colleges, Degrees: None Birthplace: Leopoldville, Congo Free State Mental Disorders: None Sex: Female Age: 23

Characteristics STR: 8 DEX: 9 INT:10 Idea: 50 CON: 8 APP: 13 POW: 16 Luck: 80 SIZ: 10 SAN: 80 EDU: 7 KNOW: 35 99 - Cthulhu Mythos: 99 Damage Bonus: 0

Points Boxes Sanity Points: 80/80 Magic Points: 10/16 Hit Points: 5/9

Skills Bargain 25 Climb 50 Dodge 28 Hide 24 Listen 40 Natural History 50 Occult 10 Other Language- English 21 Other Language- French 41 Own Language- Kikongo 55 Sneak 20 Spot Hidden 63 Swim 70 Throw 15

Background Born and raised in the nascent Leopoldsville, Anana never knew her father, only that the lightness of skin he had, in part, passed on to his daughter, spared her the worst of the abuses heaped upon other blacks. While friends and family, including her mother, were taken away from the fishing villages that formed the backbone of Leopoldsville to toil on rubber plantations and in copper mines, Anana was lucky enough to make a life for herself as a house and errand girl, work that has taken her to Boma and allowed her to quickly gain proficiency in the French and English languages.

Appearance Sickly as a child, Anana has grown into a small, thin woman. She has rich, brown skin that is far lighter than the other blacks in the region. Anana has a broad nose and a broad smile. she keeps her kinky, black hair shaved very short as required by her employer. Anana typically dresses in flimsy dresses or skirts and shirts provided by her employer. She has never owned a pair of shoes.

Personality Outwardly, Anana is all friendly smiles. Inwardly, she is a woman torn between two worlds. On one hand, Anana wishes she were more like her father's people- beautiful, white, educated, wealthy. On the other hand, she hates those same people for the atrocities they have committed. In particular, she hates the bounty on hands collected from villages that fail to meet their rubber quotas. On a more personal-- and much less severe-- level, Anana hates that her employer insists on calling her Anna.

[Colonel Crow]

Biographical Information Investigator Name: Jubal Sapp Occupation: Journalist Colleges, Degrees: University of Chicago, BA in History Birthplace: Indianapolis, Indiana Mental Disorders: None Sex: Male Age: 31

Characteristics & Rolls STR 9 DEX 8 INT 13 Idea 65 CON 9 APP 9 POW 14 Luck 70 SIZ 10 SAN 70 EDU 17 Know 85 99-Cthulu Mythos 99 Damage Bonus +0

Points Boxes Sanity Points: 70 Magic Points: 14 Hit Points: 10

Character Portrait

Investigator Skills Fast Talk 70 History 70 Library Use 75 Occult 70 Own Language (English) 85 Persuade 70 Photography 20 Psychology 50 Ride 45 Rifle 50

Income & Savings Income: My roll of 6 yields $3,000 if we're using 1890s rules or $5,500 if we're using 1920s rules.

Initial Background Jubal Sapp doesn’t have much use for fate, because fate has made such hard use of him. Fate found him at the Menger Hotel Bar in San Antonio, Texas in early 1898 when a mustachioed New York aristocrat named Roosevelt strode in looking for men who could ride and shoot. Jubal was in Texas making a desultory go at the family business of journalism—his father and uncles own a number of regional newspapers in Illinois and in Jubal’s home state of Indiana—but had found more to interest him at the bottom of whiskey glasses lined up on the copper-topped bar than in the news coming out of Indian country he was supposed to be wiring back east. He was an experienced rider, though, and a crack shot with a Springfield, so his last cable home read “Off to Cuba for the wars” and he began his brief career with the 1st United States Volunteer Cavalry, the Rough Riders. And ended it just a few months later, on his 28th birthday, in fact, July 1st, 1898, when a Spaniard conscript made a lucky shot with a Mauser down Kettle Hill that shattered Jubal’s right knee, and there was fate having its way with him again. The horses and mule train hadn’t made the crossing from Tampa—just one of the things that had gone wrong since the 1st Cav had mustered. That meant a tortuous walk from Santiago de Cuba to the coastal positions held by the Navy, then a fevered journey north to the ports of Long Island on a trip where men died of malaria and dysentery by the dozen. Jubal returned to Indianapolis weaker than he’d left it, but maybe just a little wiser. He walks with a noticeable limp, now, and has given up any notion he’ll ever be anything but a minor player in his family’s publishing business. He saw things in the San Juan heights and in the Cuban jungles that made everything at home seem dreary and gray by comparison, even if those same memories cause him to wake up sweating from nightmares nearly every night. Now his father and uncles have decided that their readers would welcome a taste of the exotic at the same time they’re looking for something to do with Jubal. Leopold II’s adventure in West Africa seems like it could make for good copy in the sedate cities of the Midwest, so Jubal found himself steaming for a part of Europe where they spoke French that sounded nothing like that he’d heard at the University of Chicago. And then he found himself steaming south, and south, and south, and feeling that heat again, that dank, desperate heat. Finally, staggering on a pitching deck with his bad leg, remembering there are just three and a third bottles left in his trunk, Jubal looks out across brown water to see the mouth of the river that swallows all rivers, the Congo.

Further Background and why Jubal is in the Congo Since there was no such thing as a degree in Journalism when he went to the University of Chicago in 1889--and since the last thing Jubal wanted to do was go into the family business, anyway--he worked hard to convince his father that the study of history was the next best thing. Once in the Windy City, he came under the influence and tutelage of the brilliant but eccentric Geoffrey Campbell, a historian best known among his peers for his radical view that society and history are shaped by secret societies and conspiracies. Reading under Professor Campbell was an exercise in tracking down obscure pamphlets and translated arcane texts more than it was in studying battles and the lives of so-called "great men." Alas, all good things must come to an end, and eventually Jubal found himself working for the family publishing business after all, at least until America's conflict with the Spanish and his unexpected martial journey to Cuba, related earlier. His wound and subsequent bout with tropical fever left Jubal a much weaker man than he had been, so now more than ever he has turned inward to the life of the mind, in particular the strange paths of thought that his old professor first led him down a decade past. He's heard that there are strange things to learn about in the Congo, but that is not why his publishing family has sent him there. Instead, many of their rival newspapers are among the rising worldwide chorus protesting the treatment of natives by Leopold II's Force Publique and officials of the dozens of intertwined corporations extracting the region's wild rubber. Missionaries and others have launched a fierce public relations campaign, one almost as fierce as Leopold's campaign of defense. Unfortunately, as his father and uncles have business connections to the Goodyear and Firestone Companies in nearby Ohio--major consumers of Leopold's rubber--his instructions are to "find the good" in the Congo situation. And then, an odd coincidence came to light just as Jubal was boarding the packet ship in Antwerp for the trip south. The Brussels and London papers, reporting on the disastrous end of yet another deep jungle expedition, mention the disappearance in the interior of none other than Richard Harp. Jubal had too much in common with Harp to truly call him a friend--both young men had ridden with Roosevelt in Cuba and both were even scions of publishing families--but the fact that someone he knew and had fought alongside was lost on some strange inland quest troubles him now, as the ship finally makes port in L'Etat Independent du Congo.

Equipment Jubal wears a rugged cotton suit and leather boots appropriate to the rigors of the journey. The only thing he kept from his time in the Rough Riders, besides haunted memories and a bad leg, is the hat he wears when sun or rain beat down. In his pockets, he keeps a pencil, a notebook, a pen knife, a pocket watch, and his wallet, which contains his travel papers and about three hundred dollars in mixed US, British, and Belgian currencies. In the kit bag he carries over his shoulder, Jubal has: a change of clothes a Kodak Folding Camera, or "Brownie" Extra film Fountain Pens Four bottles of ink A Men's Toilet Set A pair of binoculars A flashlight Five extra notebooks in a waterproof case Three bottles of Kentucky bourbon whiskey Five boxes of waterproof matches The last editions of the major New York, London, and Brussels papers he was able to lay his hands on before boarding Miscellaneous other items appropriate to his journey but light and compact enough to carry in one bag

[Anael]

Biographical Information Name: Allan Armstrong Occupation: KAR (retired) Education: Staff College (For British military officers) Birthplace: London, England Mental Disorders: None Sex: Male Age: 40

Characteristics and Rolls Stats: Str-13 Dex -9 Con-14 Pow-11 App-7 Int-11 Size-13 EDU-14 99 Cthulhu Mythos-99 Damage Bonus+1d4 Derived Scores: Luck -55 Idea- 55% Know- 70%

Point Box HP-13/13 Magic Points - 11/11 San-59/55

Investigator Skills Occupation Skills: 280 Credit rating-50% Hand Gun-65% Interrogation- 35% Navigate-55% African Lang- (Swahili?) 56% Persuade-45% Psych-40% Personal Interest: 110 Punch-60% Rifle- 45% Track-40% Spot Hidden-40% Grapple- 35% Kick- 40% (Medicine) +7%

Background, Appearance, Personality Education: Staff College -Allan Armstrong attended Staff College in his early twenties and before that received a large amount of education from his brothers and father who were all military men. It was due to his families resources and clout inside military circles that he enjoyed an easy entrance and an almost guaranteed career with a high rank. Having served his mandatory two years in the infantry and upon turning 21 he was eligible to become an officer. Background: Brigadier Allan Armstrong was born into a proud military family with service that goes back through the generations. At an early age he enrolled in the British army to find himself quickly rising through the ranks due to both his natural abilities and his families pull. After his stint in Staff college he was shipped off to Africa upon request. Tales from his brothers and father about the mysterious land spurred a latent longing for travel and adventure into the unknown for Allan. At first he served briefly during the construction of what the had become known as the Lunatic Railways but officially called Ugandan Railways. He saw it reach the Eastern shore of Lake Victoria. Their main duties were to stop any attacks against the rails in attempts to halt its progress. Once again his families pull upped his position and he found himself a Brigadier. During this time the Kings African Rifles main responsibility was the quelling of hostile natives and any rebellious uprisings. He saw his fair share of killing and had done his fair share as well. After Colonel Richard had slaughtered thousands of Nandi's and was cleared by presiding Brigadier Williams of any charges the KAR's reputation grew spreading fear throughout the land. They were not a force to be taken lightly. Allan was a stern and stoic man whose imposing frame only furthered his authority and he constantly put duty in front of his humanity. He was not always proud of the things that he had done but found pride in following the orders of the Crown. If he could help tame this harsh country in the name of his beloved motherland he swore he'd do whatever it took. Even if it meant turning a blind eye to some of the harsher actions his men would undertake. As the years went by he found himself wanting more to explore than handle his daily military duties. Always a fan of action and adventure he would join different expeditions into unexplored areas where he met many an interesting fellow and perhaps the most interesting was an Erwin Jeffries. He retired at the age of 40 and all his time in service left him without a family. His days are taken up by exploring, giving advice to new military recruits and spurts of drinking to tame the shame that would surface now and again. Personality: Allan has a very gruff and blunt exterior. He is quick to try and take charge of any situations as his military training has taught him. He is a good soldier and to that holds himself to the principles of such. Allan speaks his mind freely except to his superiors. Appearance: A war beaten veteran if there was one. He is a tall, stocky muscular fellow with many scars upon his face and body from his early exploits. He sports a mustache and wears his typical Khaki shorts with blue shirt. His brown hair is kept short and tucked away underneath his hat. Reason for being in Africa: Initially assigned by the military. Not much happened in Africa without Allan knowing about it. He had heard the disturbing news about Erwin Jeffries expedition going missing at first and then about the three malaria ridden survivors. Most disappointingly was the passing of a good military friend and officer in Colonel Barnaby. A rather pleasant fellow who he could let down his guard around and just talk and have a good conversation with. With these two tragic events he set upon visiting the particular locales in hopes of finding out more information to satisfy his own curiosity.

Items/Weapons Military Shoulder Bag (Contents: 2 boxes of ammunition -1 .303 box 90 bullets -2 .45 box 94 bullets Canteen 1qt 100 cigars + 2 boxes matches (150 total matches) Notepad Pen Pad Small not so great map of known terrain Shaving razor Spy glass ------------------------ Belt holster .45 revolver 1d10+2/15 yards/ attack per round-1/ Bullets in Gun-6/ ------------------------ On Back .303 Lee-Enfield 2d6+4/110 Yards/ attack per round - 1/2/ Bullets in Gun-10/ ------------------- In Shorts Small pocket knife 1d4+db Pocket Watch Compass -------------------- Duffel Bag Gas lantern Dress Pants Dress Shirt 2nd pair of Khaki shorts and blue shirt Water Bag- Empty Gauze bandages

[living questions]

Biographical Information Name: Greg Mortensen Profession: Mining engineer Colleges, Degrees: B.S. University of California Ph.D. Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College and Polytechnic Institute Birthplace: Yankton, Dakota Territory Sex: Male Age: 27

Characteristics & Rolls STR 12 DEX 8 INT 12 Idea 60 CON 12 APP 15 POW 11 Luck 55 SIZ 15 SAN 55 EDU 17 Know 85 99-Cthulu Mythos 99 Damage Bonus +1D4

Point Boxes Sanity Points: 55 Magic Points: 11 Hit Points: 14

Skills Investigator Skills (340 points = EDUx20) Chemistry 40% Electrical repair 50% Geology 70% Library Use 50% Mechanical Repair 50% Navigate 45% Operate Heavy Machine 53% Physics 61% Own Language (English) 85% Hobby Skills (120 points = INTx10) Astronomy 21% Other Language German 41% Other Language French 21% Ride 40% Swim 30%

Income & Savings Income: $3,500 using the 1920’s rules.

Background, History, and Appearance Background: Born in 1874, Greg grew up in the Dakota Territories, middle son to a prosperous mining family. While not being naturally gifted with above average intelligence, he was dedicated in school, especially in mathematics and science. His father wanted him to learn engineering and mining sciences to work in the family business, like his older brother, who was in college studying accounting and management. During high school, Greg, tired of snow and cold winters, convinced his father that California was the perfect location to get his degree. After one year in school, however, Greg had a revelation. The mines were profitable now, but where would they develop new mines? That summer in 1894, he convinced his father and older brother that Alaska might be worth investigating. His older brother set out and in a few years was at the forefront of the Yukon Gold Rush. After finishing his undergraduate degree, he moved to Virginia to study at the Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College and Polytechnic Institute. In 1899, with his Ph.D., Greg helped establish a coal mine in West Virginia. 1900 dawned with tragedy. The mine partners in Alaska forced out the Mortensen claim for the gold. To compound that, Greg’s older brother died in an avalanche in Alaska shortly thereafter. Beset by gambling debts, Greg’s father killed himself. The West Virginian mine’s accident was the final event in 1900. There was an explosion (some said set by an anarchist or a union organizer) and a tunnel collapse. The insurance was too high to maintain any profits from the mine, so it closed down. Greg cashed in a favor with a college fraternity brother and was hired by a new venture looking for minerals in the Congo. [The Ph.D covers the EDU roll of 17. The wealth roll of 3 explains family tragedies and loss of wealth] Personality: Greg doesn’t draw people to him, nor drive them away with his personality. He is straight forward and as honest as he can be in dealing with peers. He believes a man can control his life by determination and will. There are tragedies and impediments in every life; how we push past them is what makes us successful or not. He’s not loud, but he’s not afraid of speaking his mind. He knows how to charm women with an easy smile, compliments, and a streak of chivalry. A bit of money doesn’t hurt either. Since his father’s death, he has visited half a dozen mediums to contact him; all with less than satisfying results. [His SAN score of 55 accounts for dabbling in seances. Charming of women, APP 15; POW 11] Because of his below average dexterity, Greg doesn’t like hunting, billiards, or horseshoes. He does enjoy horseback riding. That and hiking are his favorite physical activities. [DEX 8]. Appearance: Greg is a big man. Just over six feet tall. Thick hands, stomach, and feet. He looks powerful, but is of average strength. He wears denim and wool in the field, with a bandanna around his neck, and a bowler hat covering his black hair; a bit like a cowboy from the Dakotas. In semi-formal situations, like a business meeting, Greg favors a walking stick and a grey suit. Well polished shoes. Reason for going to Africa: Greg was looking for a new chance. The Congo was ripe for opportunity, an area with few regulations and undiscovered natural resources, a perfect place to start a new mining endeavor in the new century.

Equipments Worsted Wool Dress Suit, Dress Shirt, Silk Four-in-hand Tie, Oxford Dress Shoes Cotton Union Suit Denim Pants Leather Work Shoes Bowler Hat Cooking Kit Camp Stove Binoculars Pocket Knife Hand Axe Hand Pick Two canteens Steamer Trunk 7x7 foot Tent .41 Revolver plus one box of 100 rounds Pocket Compass Self-filling Fountain Pen Writing Tablet Playing Cards Men’s Toilet Set

[Gath]

Name: Linus Swank
Occupation: Dilettante Explorer
Nationality: American
Sex: Male
Age: 35
Birthplace: San Francisco, California
Colleges, Degrees: Bachelor of Archeology with Anthropology minor, Columbia University, 1897

Bio:

In 1866, Linus Swank was introduced to the world via a wealthy family. His father, Phillip Swank, got lucky amid the buzz of the Gold Rush in San Francisco, California, during which he laid claim to a particularly lucrative piece of property. With his newfound wealth, he made some risky decisions that involved reinvesting his findings into the purchase of other properties. As it turned out, his team of prospectors was top notch and each of his claims turned a profit for the long term.

With no real restrictions placed on his upbringing, Linus wandered his way through his early childhood dealing mostly with nannies and tutors. As he grew older, his curiosity about the world grew with him and with his early teens came the desire to leave the family manse and explore. His father was supportive, but he believed in a structured investment, so Linus was afforded a modest allowance and encouraged to seek education. His mother, Samantha, catered to his curiosities and strove to formulate ways to turn her son’s interests into formal activities that his father would look upon as respectable investments. On the whole, she was successful and Linus began to pick up on the formulaic strategy in his late teens, when his lust for knowledge began to peak.

In 1886, Linus was admitted to the University of Southern California to begin studying for a general science degree. He meandered through the academic system at USC for several years, taking various courses that caught his interest, such as biology, astronomy, chemistry, even medicine and geology. His real discovery was when he met Professor Laden of the Archeology Department. Linus was immediately hooked and began to focus on archeology more intensely. But archeology is more than just the investigation of past civilizations. It is about people and cultures and the mysteries that they held hostage. With his explorations, he grew more and more fascinated by these mysteries as they pointed to various occult activities. His studies soon branched out into more mystical areas as well as anthropology.

But his lust for knowledge became too large for USC, so he applied elsewhere. After nine years of study, with the help of Professor Laden, Linus was admitted to Columbia University in 1893 where he met Professor Erwin Jeffries, head professor of the Archeology Department. Jeffries was captivated by Linus’ direction of research and provided him with all the support that he and the department could offer. Jeffries quickly took Linus under his wing and offered him a place in his more personal social circle. An avid hunter, Jeffries regularly invited Linus out to his estate on the weekends to practice with firearms, for sport mostly, but also as an excuse to sit around and smoke cigars and compare various brands of whiskey, bourbon and scotch over conversations better held outside the walls of the university.

Jeffries wasn’t publicly a follower of the mystical world of archeology and cultural sciences, but he was interested in what Linus uncovered as he delved deeper into the mysteries of the occult and curiosity got the better of him. It was not long before he shared his passion for mystical history with Linus. Together, they fabricated an independent research class structure that Linus would be able to use as a means of explore his mysteries without the fear of rising suspicion with the other professors and students. Jeffries even put together a custom grant to help fund the research.

Linus received his Bachelor’s Degree in Archeology in 1897, with a minor in Anthropology, but he stayed on at the university as an assistant professor. His pursuit of the occult continued at Columbia for another three years until he stumbled upon some real evidence that led to the African Congo. He knew, however, that any proposals based on his findings would not be taken seriously, so he produced a proposal from an anthropological perspective based on Morel’s articles in his newspaper, Speaker, outlining the atrocities befalling the natives of the African Congo. With this he found his way back to his parents’ home where he presented his father with a proposal for an expedition to Africa. He explained that it was to be the basis for his graduate research and that he and Professor Jeffries had already begun making preparations for the degree study and that the university had offered a small grant to assist in funding the expedition. The investment was substantial, but the proposal was solid. Phillip provided the money in cash on the last day of Linus’ stay at their manse.

What he didn’t tell his father was that the money would be used to help fund Jeffries’ own expedition. Linus became excited by the prospect of joining Jeffries on his expedition into the Congo to investigate the strange writings he had uncovered. The writings spoke of a ‘fabled city of stone’, deep in the heart of the Congo. Jeffries believed this was proof of ancient caravan routes from the Middle East as far down as the Congo and he was sure this was ‘King Solomon’s Mine’, or mines. Unfortunately, the topic was already popular in fantasy adventure novels, in particular those written by Allan Quartermain. Jeffries feared ridicule, so he remained secretive and only spoke publicly about a strange city of stone.

Linus returned to meet with Jeffries who had agreed to help him prepare for the expedition. Since his experiences with hunting had been so extensive, Jeffries felt he was a qualified expert in guiding Linus through the process. After things were in order, Jeffries took some time to go over the firearms he was providing. The revolver was one of the first guns that he had ever had, and its use was rather straight forward. Linus was nonplussed about the idea of having to reload every six rounds and the single bullet loading process was less than ideal. Jeffries pointed him towards a speed loader and Linus was sold. He later purchased them in bulk and had a bandoleer custom made to accommodate the ammunition cartridges along with the shells for the elephant gun that Jeffries was so proud to offer. The gun nearly took out his shoulder, but eventually, Linus got the hang of firing it, a powerful weapon indeed. Lastly, there was the Very Gun, a small handgun that shot flares into the sky. Jeffries joked that the flares would light up the night just long enough to show what he was running from. He couldn’t have been more right.

The expedition went off as planned, but something went wrong out on the Congo. Jeffries took several young researchers for his crew; among them were Linus and Richard Harp. Linus was struck by malaria soon after they had started and remained at the hospital in Leopoldville to heal. Having recovered from the disease, Linus prepared for a second excursion. With a resupply and the prospect of a new crew on the horizon, it was only a matter of time.