Resurrection City III: The Breconshire Horrors

[JimAde]

Langan furrows his brow for a moment and rummages inside his coat pocket, pulling out a carefully folded slip of paper with something written on it in all capitals.

DEUM NODENTI, FLAVIUS SENILIS POSSUIT PROPTER NUPTIAS QUASUIDITS SUB UMBRA.

"My Latin's a bit rusty, Baron, but I believe it says something to the effect of 'The god Nodens, Flavius Senilis' -- which I'm assuming is a person -- something, something 'beneath the shadow'.

"Nuptias? As in Nuptuals? Marriage? Wedding?" He shakes his head and hands the paper back to Langan. "Some of those fellows you met today are the more scholarly sort, maybe they can make sense of it. They'll likely want to see the original stone, too if you have it. I'm afraid it's been a long time since my Latin class at Eaton. Where were you at school, then?"

 

[Andrew D. Gable]

"Where were you at school, then?"

"Trinity College, Cambridge," Langan says, finishing his drink. "Ahh, but look at the time!" he says, checking his pocketwatch. He offers Trevor his hand. "I did enjoy our conversation, Baron," he says, gathering up his coat and hat. "We can continue this on the train. I shall see you tomorrow morning. I'll bring that stone my uncle found."

*****

The group meets Edward Langan at Paddington Station promptly at 7:45 the next morning. "Good day, gentlemen," he says, bowing slightly. He is carrying a hatbox under his arm. "Something I received from my uncle," he says, tapping it slightly. "Ahh, and here's the train, right on time." The engine pulls alongside the platform, and the men board it.

Langan and the others are shown to their compartment. After they are seated and the door shut, Langan reaches under his seat and pulls out the box. "I was telling the Baron here about this last night," he says, as he opens it and pulls out a flat black stone, about the size of the keystone over a door. "See if one of you fellows can read this Latin inscription."

The description of the stone's given a few posts back.

 

[Old Fezziwig]

Diggory takes a look at the stone, mulling over a proper translation.

OOC: You'll have to forgive me for not finishing the translation started by y'all, but my Latin's rather rusty and the dictionary's in a box downstairs.

 

[Andrew D. Gable]

Letting everyone in the game know: I'm upgrading my computer (finally!) and won't have ready access to the boards until I get my cable modem hooked up. I'll still post, but not nearly so often as I was...

 

[Andrew D. Gable]

"Here, let me see that," Dr. Hewitt says, leaning over. "I'm a good hand with Latin." Langan hands it to him, and he glances over it for a few moments, hmming to himself. "'To the', I suppose that makes more sense." He glances back towards the others. "Ahh. 'To the god Nodens, Flavius Senilis has erected this pillar on account of the marriage beneath the shade.' Or something like that."

 

[Old Fezziwig]

"'Marriage beneath the shade.' Sounds lovely." Diggory gives a lopsided grin.

 

[JimAde]

Trevor shakes his head. "I don't remember Nodens in my classical myths course. Must be some obscure local deity."

 

[Andrew D. Gable]

Langan looks over at Trevor. "Well, Baron," he says, "I've made quite a study of the myths of the Celtic peoples of Wales and West Anglia. A hobby of mine. Nodens was the Romanized form of a Celtic water deity, the God of the Great Abyss, the sea; and yes, indeed, his worship was quite localized to the region surrounding Lydney. It's likely that Nodens was based on an older Celtic deity, most likely Nuada Silverhand." He pauses for a moment, staring out the window of the train. "Some folk in the Severn region particularly believe that Nodens is also the leader of the Wild Hunt."

The men spend the rest of their trip engaged in chatter on all manner of topics. Dr. Hewitt speaks of medicine and some of the more interesting cases on which he's worked; Trevor of the politics and affairs of the day's nobility; Diggory of his policework; Langan of Celtic mythology, English folklore, and other topics. The trip passes uneventfully.

Two days later, the train pulls in at a station in Wales; Abersyonan, Monmouthshire to be exact. Langan explains that this is the closest train stop to the Kelly estate. He hires a coach to take the group to another town, Partrishow.

This a tiny, picturesque Welsh village, population 400, in a low-lying valley in the Black Mountains. Near the town flows a stream called the Grwyne Fechan.

Well, I'm back online and I'll be able to post once more with regularity.

 

[JimAde]

Stepping down from the coach, Trevor takes a huge breath and holds it a moment, letting it out explosively. "Ah," he says, "such a beautiful place. I think I spend too much time in the city." He turns to Langan, "So where to from here, my good man?"

 

[Old Fezziwig]

"I know I spend too much time in the city. This is brilliant." Jamison grins.