UMBRA SUMUS



From: Mysoreans Abroad — News from the Benighted West.

18: Sri Nripendra Rao: Bow, Bell & Betrayal

London
20th December 1768

Beloved Bapu-ji,

I write in a Brother’s Fear of Dhriti once more. It will be some Time before any of my Letters reach you in Mysore, and in writing to me she has taken no Chance that I may forget.

I have been much consumed by clerical Work and philosophical Research on behalf of my Companions; so when they informed me of a new Venture I was nothing loath to join them. Recently they laid by the Heels a bearded Sadhu and Musicians who had consorted with Asuras; but a notable Disciple of the Sadhu had escaped them and they wished to discover him and take him up in pursuit of further Intelligence.

This Belvedere sheepishly evaded capture having fleeced Dalits and Dacoity of their meagre Fortunes for the purpose of “transporting them out of this Life”. The poor untouchables believed this would be to another Loka where they would be cleansed of their Sin, perhaps Svarga. However, it was a desert Place, known to us, and more likely to be the Domain of the Pretas; they were immediately delivered to dog-faced Angamanians who no doubt promptly feasted upon them. Certainly my Fellows saw a Priest of the Angamanians make to sacrifice one, before they intervened.

Taking a Fee to deliver unfortunates to Pretas, who would consume their Prakriti if not also their Ātman, was Dacoity itself of the most villainous Order. So Belvedere must be apprehended.

At a temple Ceremony where the Blackguards had preyed on their Flock we had no difficulty in identifying Belvedere – an ascetic-looking Man with an unusual Gait – and Sidney Tallow followed him from the Building.

Disreputable byways such as Cutthroat Lane and Ladle Alley led us from the Temple of Paul and deeper into Shadwell, a dwelling place of Shudra and Dalits, but after Twists and Turns, Tallow shrewdly spotted a Man of different Appearance – fat instead of thin, but with the same unusual Gait – walking in the opposite Direction. Realising that an attempt had been made to throw off any followers, Tallow led us through the Jungle of Bricks ever closer to the Beast’s Lair.

More Alleyways followed. Mustard and I dropped back, our Mien being less mean and like to garner unwonted Regard; but all found our way in Time to Carter Yard where Belvedere had entered a Meeting House. Mustard and I left Tonkin and Tallow to watch for his exit and withdrew once more, as our Presence was indeed of Note to small Boys and other such Nuisances.

A Disturbance drew us back after no great Interval, and we arrived to find Belvedere in the Hands of Tonkin and Tallow. Of immediate Note was that the Vajra-musti of Tallow were glowing!

With all Speed, we retired with our Prisoner to his Place of Lodging, which we had discovered earlier. Our Fellows explained that, on leaving the Meeting Hall, Belvedere had seen the loitering Tallow as a likely Mark, and approached him. The discussion quickly descended to Blows upon which Tonkin the Ek-hath became involved. With a mighty Blow he struck the Tempter so hard that an Asura leapt full-formed out of him. Unstartled, Tonkin continued to belabour the Asura with ensorcelled Vajra-musti until, detecting a Fortress less-guarded yet strong, the Asura transferred himself once more into the Vajra-musti of Tallow.

Although this protected it for the Time, it left the Asura in our Power, and binding it we commenced to question it.

The Asura took a poor View of the Man whom he had inhabited, revealing that his true Name was Belwether but that it conferred no Power for the Man knew it not himself. Nonetheless by Guile the Asura was able to control Belwether for a Period of two Years; during which Belwether believed he was in charge. The Asura helped him to enslave lesser Asuras, to build a Temple of Śrāvaka who would follow and serve him in this Bhuloka, and to trade into the Eternal through the medium of Servants of the Annunaki. These Servants themselves he referred to as the Great Ones; and they appeared as Turks, for whom he gave us Names. Having learned as much as we might, we banished him.

Through rachitic Walls, Belwether’s Neighbours had heard Something of what was passing and in Panic set Light to their own Dwelling. In sudden Peril of our Lives, we broke through several of the Walls before privily departing the Building and escorting Belwether to the custody of The Tower.

The Tower is well-known in London as the place where Traitors are held before Justice, and it needs no qualification, though elsewhere it is known to be of The City.

In Belwether’s Coat, Boxes concealed a Wand and Bell made of Bone; mystical Charms for Whispers to pass between one Loka and another.

We revealed immediately to Belwether that we had banished his Demon, found his Charms, and knew of his dealings in that other Place with those appearing to be Turks. Requiring little further Pressure, he told us all.

He may have had a virtuous Motivation to start with, which he attempted to cling to in Desperation, but it was quickly corrupted when he chose to mell with the Asura. Having read the fallacious Beliefs of William Ashton (of whom I must tell you another Time), he sought to bring all to the Garden of Eden or the Holy Land (he confused the two) that they might be delivered of Sin.

(The Garden – which I may tell you I have seen, but not entered – is a Myth of the Abrahamists; a conflation of Tales from the Vedas of Prana and Rayi, and of the two Birds in the third Mundakam of the Mundaka Upanishad.)

Those who had been to the Garden would then return to tell us that we must bow to the Annunaki. Needless to say, none have actually returned (save a few I shall mention later), for they were consumed by the Angamanians. Dacoits were sent as they were most in need of purification of the Soul, and would test the efficacy of the Method; but even he could not excuse his acceptance of Payment for this “Charity”.

Probing further, it emerged that the “Bell” and the “Bow” (for so he named the Wand) were constructed from the Bone of “worthless People” on the Edge of Death, who were slain by him in sacrifice under the influence of the Asura. He constantly excused himself for this, claiming that although he had performed the Act, the Hand on the Knife was not his. Drawing the “Bow” across the Bell would allow him to hear a Voice from the other side. Of course, who knows what malevolent Influence spoke to him from another Loka, but he would not countenance it could be anything but good.

Despite what had been seen, he claimed to have had no collusion with the Angamanians; while he had fallen Subject to the Annunaki and their Servants who appeared to be Turks, the Angamanians were in service of The Successors (Powers previously unmentioned). At the news that the Angamanians had fallen upon the Victims he sent through, he cried that he had been betrayed, though he could not say by whom. That was not meant to happen, he wailed. “They were not meant to get there, they’re a Danger, they’re not the Truth”.

The Successors he described as “the ones that broke the Purity, Truth of the Annunaki, the Justice of the Judges”; while of the Annunaki he said that all Gods are reflections of them.

When asked of the Turks (or seeming-Turks) who served the Annunaki, at a Ceremony where the Bow and bell were used to summon Whisperers, the Asura within him had instructed him on how to open the Gate further, and on the other Side the “Turks” waited to speak Words of Control for the Annunaki. Belwether believed that Turks came for spiritual Reasons because they controlled the Holy Land in Bhuloka and beyond; for myself I believe that Turks were simply the original Victims of the Acts of William Ashton in foolishly opening a Gate there believing it be the Location of ancient Kadesh.

Most worryingly the “Turks” sent some People back with different Personalities – clearly possessed by Asuras, though of course Belwether denied the Possibility and insisted it was the Result of cutting away Impurities.

We came away with a Number of Names; for the Turks, from the compelled Asura, and for the possessed from Belwether: Deborah Gower, Blackaby Canton, Polly Anders and Prodsham Coward.

While neither Faction of the Wars in other Lokas may be viewed as favourable towards Men, the greater immediate Threat appears to be from the Annunaki who directly seek Influence in our realm of Bhuloka; while in opposing them the Successors tend to hinder this Ambition.

Namaste

Nripendra


Marginalia

The FRP index Umbra Sumus - The Prospectus - The Preamble - The Introduction - The Ancients - The Player Character - The Skills List - On Aspects - Some Systems - The Combat System - The Cost of Living

Introductions - Colonel Mustard - Jedediah Blunt’s Story
Events
- An Aide-Memoire - 00: Westward to the Orient - 00: A Glimpse of Eden – Nathaniel Pepper - 01: House of Jewels – Sabina Hedingham - 01: House of Jewels – Edward Wolfe - 01: House of Jewels – Nathaniel Pepper - 02: Summer Solstice 1 – Nathaniel Pepper - 03: Summer Solstice 2 – Edward Wolfe - 03: Summer Solstice 3 – Nathaniel Pepper - 03: Summer Solstice 4 – Sabina Hedingham - 04: Tasker’s Notebook – Nathaniel Pepper - 05: Flyte in the Hole – Nathaniel Pepper - 05: Harden’s Tale – James Harden - 06: The Fugitive – Nathaniel Pepper - 07: Widdershins – Nathaniel Pepper - 08: Around Again – Nathaniel Pepper - 09: An Indian Proposal – Nathaniel Pepper - 11: To the Berkshire Coroner – Edward Mustard - 12: The Golden Bull – Edward Mustard - 13: Unremembered London – Edward Mustard - 14: Memory – Nathaniel Pepper - 15: Betrothal – Nathaniel Pepper - 16: In Death’s Gardens – Nripendra Rao - 17: Turks in the Land of Dust – Edward Mustard - 18: Bow, Bell & Betrayal – Nripendra Rao - 18: Belvedere or Bellweather – Edward Mustard - 18: Enquiries - James Harden - 19: Christmas at Shere – Edward Mustard - 20: Panther in the Park, Aftermath – Sidney Tallow - 22: We have Turks! – Edward Mustard - 23: Deborah Gower – Edward Mustard new 23: Deborah Gower: A Report to Sir John Fielding — James Harden - 24: Faroush al Faroukh – Edward Mustard - 25: Re: Faroush al Faroukh – Nriprendra Rao

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