“The Yellow Book” A Noir detective story set in the Paris of Robert W

Chambers’

1895 – A young English heir goes missing in the art scene of Paris, leading the protagonists into a world gripped by morbid decadence and moral panic following the publication of a forbidden play.

The HookLord Marlborough has lost contact with his son and heir Henry, in the artist’s district of Paris. He and his family are desperate to find him.

The Horrible TruthHenry Marlborough became involved in a Parisian artistic circle, influenced by a decadent play, The King in Yellow, which the government and the Church are desperately trying to suppress. His/Her fate was X.

Exposure to the mysterious Yellow Sign and to the play itself calls into question the nature of truth itself.

The SpineThe scenario opens with An Important Meeting in Paris in which friends and family of Lord Marlborough (or their representatives) are briefed by French law enforcement representatives. There is a climate of moral hysteria about some of the ‘Decadent’ art movements spreading in the city and the government is struggling to contain some of the more recent outrages.

Investigation begins with Marlborough’s Studio and his Apartment where a strange portrait by the artist shows a beautiful woman with a small figure in the background resembling Marlborough himself.

Interviews with friends and associates expands to include Oscar Wilde, Alfred Jarry and other influential members of the Paris art scene. They have their own weaknesses and secrets, which can be extracted by clever investigation and leverage. And these characters can be investigated in almost any order. It quickly becomes clear that many of these people have affected by and in some cases, succumbed to, despair and madness, associated particularly with various drafts of a new play Le

Roi en Jaune which the government has banned. There is a copy in Marlborough’s apartment.

Those investigators who have begun to succumb to the King in Yellow through exposure to the play and the associated Yellow Sign, experience events in a subtly or drastically different way, with increasing supernatural intrusions on their experience. In particular, a mysterious, pale stranger seemingly pursues them.

Further investigation leads to shady bookshops and distributors of the play, to the publisher Éditions Atlante, the owner’s possession of a mysterious brooch bearing the Yellow Sign and a freshly printed English version of the play, and to Marcel Schwob who translated and adapted the play from a much older Latin text.

The investigators can intercept a series of invitations to the Masque Jeune, a mysterious masked ball held in a remote mansion in the mountainous region in the French-Italian borderlands. There, a rare performance of Le Roi en Jaune takes place, provoking awful revelations, which differ according to the extent to which the viewer is under the influence of the King in Yellow. Depending on how they react, this could lead to either the rescue of Henry Marlborough or madness and enslavement to the King in Yellow.

Victory ConditionsFind out what happened to Henry Marlborough.

Shut down the French publishers of the play

Identify the Brotherhood of the Yellow Sign as the origin of the version translated from Italian (Latin?) into French and English.

Disrupt the performance of the play by the Brotherhood of the Yellow Sign in Rome

Remain sane, or at least staying in contact with the consensual view of reality.

Antagonist ReactionsÉditions Atlante

The Brotherhood of the Yellow Sign

Running this ScenarioThis scenario is intended to cause the investigators to become increasingly disorientated about what is and is not real. Are they experiencing something supernatural or are they going mad? Are they delusional or are their companions delusional?

Rule Changes

With its subtle, psychological horror, this scenario should be run with the Purist rules.

SanityFor the purposes of this scenario, Sanity represents your grip on conventional reality and loss of Sanity represents the descent into madness. In parallel, loss of Sanity represents growing insight into the awful truth of the King in Yellow and His dominion. Which of these is ‘actually’ true is a matter of perspective.

Sanity scores should be kept hidden. They have an important effect on the character’s experience of events.

Sanity Score Effect4+ Reality experienced conventionally1-3 Occasional supernatural intrusions

by King in Yellow experienced, as defined in individual scenes. Pursued by Pallid Mask.

0 Servant of King in Yellow. ‘Hasturised’ version of reality always experienced – receives occasional ‘telepathic’ messages and visions. Realises personal place of honour in King’s hierarchy and may seek to restore King’s dynasty on earth due to belief.

Characters remain in play even after reaching 0 Sanity, however they risk institutionalisation and, in any case, must retire at the end of the scenario.

Stability functions normally.

[Symbol]: ‘Hasturised’ characters[Symbol]: ‘Conventional’ characters

DrivingCarcosa Mythos

Seduction

Chamber’s The King in Yellow

The King in Yellow (the Entity)For me, the King in Yellow him/itself is an archetype or personification of spiritual evil (and death and madness). What I mean is that, it is primarily a private and intensely personal experience - either of being hunted as 'prey' or of entitlement. Some (those who surrender to him? the insane?) experience him as great and majestic. Others experience him as terrifying. He exists 'spiritually' in the mind and through visions of Carcosa, the Lake of Hali etc. Whether that means he exists psychologically or in some spectral dimension or is communicating telepathically from another galaxy not absolutely clear is ambiguous.

As cosmic/spiritual predator (with aspects of judge too) he is somewhat like Bob from Twin Peaks, Freddy Kruger, Satan or the more fearful aspects of Yahweh. Unlike Freddy Kruger however, even in wakefulness there is no escape from his labyrinthine but inevitable hunt. He also seems to manifest on earth or at least act on earth through pale/dead-faced strangers (appearing in two stories and seemingly within the play itself). In at least one of these cases this manifestation seems to have been a possessed corpse. Could this also be why Cassilda thinks the Stranger is wearing a mask when she is actually looking at his face?

If the visions and beliefs of those affected by the King in Yellow are literally correct then He seems to emanate from Carcosa - a lost, dead city located near the Hyades or Adebaran in the constellation of Taurus. An alien intelligence that reaches across the gulfs of space to haunt, hunt and control the souls of his victims. If the events hinted at in the play are literally true, it's not clear where they occur or when. But he seems to take over a palace/city/nation/world in some dreadful and inevitable way.

The Pallid Mask

Carcosa

The King in Yellow (the Play)The play itself is a device that allows people to see into the King in Yellow's world but allows him to see into them too.

The Yellow SignThe Yellow Sign seems may perform a similar function - granting the KiY and his servants control over people or drawing Him closer to his prey. At other times it seems to have little or no effect.

Chambers’ ParisBlending of history and fiction

ScenesBriefing

Witnesses of the Disappeared HeirLeads: The Play and its effects, the man in the painting, the Sharer, a copy of the play 

A copy of the playLeads: Marcel Schwob? Robert Chambers? (if the English version), the publisher

The SharerAn influential figure who has been sharing/promoting the play in Paris,Leads: copies of the play (French and English), the book-store, the distributor

The "Author": Marcel SchwobLeads: ancient origins of the play, effects of play on health, Publisher, Distributor, possessed by a work the pre-dated his adaptation

Oscar Wilde

Robert W Chambers

Paris Book StoreIn Latin Quarter, sells all manner of decadent literature, pornography etcLeads: copies of the play, Paris distributor

Paris Distributor of the play the copies disappear before the raid, but maybe a clue is left (the invitation?)

A Break-In

The ShadowLeads: clasp with the Yellow Sign

The Publisher (Rome or the border area with France, the Alps or the Torino area). Do they also publish the English version? This is where the Vatican may get involved. Invitation to the Masque

The Masque

Temporary Appendix

(Timeline)1883: Oscar Wilde in France. (Is there an early draft of the KiY in circulation at this time – or The Yellow Sign? Does the Brotherhood form at this time or is it ancient? )1884: Huysmans publishes À Rebours1886: Chambers arrives in Paris1891: Schwob begins work on prepares first translation drafts of a Latin text referred to as Rex Ultimus, which he shares with friends including Oscar Wilde as Le Roi en Jaune. Inspired by Le Roi en Jaune and its effects on people (including himself) OW publishes The Picture of Dorian Gray.1892: Le Roi au masque d'or published by Marcel Schwob (influenced by work on Le Roi en Jaune). He also shares drafts of Le Roi en Jaune to associates, spreading increasingly widely and influencing artists in Paris, then London. Robert W Chambers is among those exposed. Aubrey Beardley visits Paris and begins career as illustrator. 1893: Salome (also influenced by Le Roi en Jaune) published in French. Chambers (working on translation) leaves Paris (summer?). Death of Schwob’s Louise (Monelle), mourning.1894: Schwob becomes ill. Salome published in English. Marcel Schwob publishes Le Roi en Jaune1894-1897: The Yellow Book published

1895: Year of events of scenario. Now back in the US, Robert W Chambers publishes his translation

The King in Yellow. April 3-5: Libel case, Apr 6:

Wilde arrested. May 25: Wilde imprisoned. Alfred Jarry working in Paris after army discharge at and of ‘94. 1896: 11 February: Salome premieres in Paris. Spring: Jarry publishes Ubu Roi

Story Timeline ALT 1Hildred Castaigne acquires KiY (English) 1895The Mask – 1897, Paris, Jack Scott dating SylviaRepairer – 1899, NY The Yellow Sign – 1900, NYThe Court of the Dragon – 1894-1901, Paris

Story Timeline ALT 2Hildred Castaigne acquires KiY (French) 1893Chambers publishes English translation 1895The Mask – 1895, Paris, Jack Scott dating SylviaRepairer – 1897, NY The Yellow Sign – 1898, NYThe Court of the Dragon - 1895? Paris

Story Timeline ALT 3First English version of KiY 1893Hildred Castaigne acquires KiY (English) 1893The Mask – 1895, Paris, Jack Scott dating SylviaRepairer – 1897, NY The Yellow Sign – 1898, NYThe Court of the Dragon - 1895? Paris

Act One

Hear of ‘Rue Baree’ ?Those who have read the play are followed/investigated a pallid strangerOther supernatural events and growing evidence that apparent reality is a kind of theatrical illusionContacted by French government agent: will they help find/suppress publication? Does he want them to pose as potential customers or similar?Climax at the publication house[How are they – or some of them – exposed to the play?]Clues there to secretive annual meeting/performance in Rome

Act Two

Agent puts them in touch with Vatican agentBriefing by Vatican agent about secret society that holds a masked ball (The White Masquerade) once

a year. Asks their help by infiltrating it. The agent cannot do this himself due to his monastic vows. Perhaps they must read the play in order to infiltrate. Perhaps there are police coming in from the outside. Perhaps they are impersonating a specific English nobleman (arrested/delayed at the border)Investigation of secret society membersInfiltration of MasqueVarious IntriguesPerformance of Play is Dark Epiphany: Curtain opens, (to those who have read the play) revealing an audience behind it. Figures in the masked crowd start acting out events from the play, announcing the coming of the king in Yellow etc. The “audience” members gasp and some leave the “theatre”. The investigators must choose to remain on this side of the curtain or flee. One choice may represent permanent insanity, while the other represents hope.On the other hand, Henry Marlborough (or Rue Baree) is glimpsed in the crowd. Perhaps Henry Marlborough is also glimpsed in the “audience”, depending on who is looking

Act 3?

Will they try to save him? How? This implies that the party may split into two at this stage. Investigators who are missing may be replaced by new characters.