THE MAGNUS ARCHIVES
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 25 พ.ค. 2020
- MAG143 - Case #0181606 - Manuela Dominguez
Statement regarding the fall of the People’s Church of the Divine Host.
The Magnus Archives hears directly from the former astrophysicist about their attempts to enact a grand ritual that was supposedly the culmination of their strange beliefs.
Content Notes: Gun shots, darkness, ritual acts, human sacrifice
Starring: The Archivist - Jonathan Sims; Basira Hussain - Frank Voss; Manuela Dominguez - Layla Mannings; Helen Richardson - Imogen Harris
Writer: Jonathan Sims
Director: Alexander J Newall
Producer: Lowri Ann Davies
Editors: Alexander J Newall, Elizabeth Moffatt, Brock Winstead
MERCH:
Crowdmade: crowdmade.com/collections/rus...
Teepublic: www.teepublic.com/stores/rust...
Redbubble: www.redbubble.com/people/Rust... - บันเทิง
![That was very stupid. [Magnus Archives Animatic]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/2Y2NcTLR0EY/mqdefault.jpg)
AHA
jon: i dont have a death wish what do you mean
manuela: it'll annihilate you
jon: *rubbing his little archivist hands together* alright bet-
This made me giggle
Such a mood
Worshiper of the dark: Our dark sun kills nearly everybody on sight
Jon: Gonna take a look on that
Companion92 mood
Jon made a comment in Martins lack of self preservation towards the start of season one, and now look at him
"Looking at it will literally kill you"
John:"Oh no"
John:"Anyway"
If looks could kill
Helen showing up at the end to pick up John and Basira has the same vibe as a mom picking up her kids from school
THAT'S IT, YOU'RE RIGHT
You can say that again
And then keeping a nice little cultist for itself as a reward for a job well done
@@l.raphaelnery7299 TBH if people are comfortable with a concept of Hell, the Fears are the closest thing to one, so if there's anyone who deserves to go to one it'd be her. I do kind of like the idea of Helen being a "Jailer" of sorts, for people and "things" that are actively hostile to humanity.
@@OFS_Razgriz The Spiral kidnaps innocent people mostly.
Manuela: they're dead. Because of you.
Jon: ME?
Basira: What did you do?
Jon: Nothing!..I don't think
I just love how Jon was like "oh shit did I actually kill them without knowing? Can I do that? "
Same, Jon was probably wondering he killed people from afar
And then I had that thought, that only Black out drunks and Steve Irkle can have: Did I do that?
I like how this entire series is just various people blueballing doomsday cults until the end of time
Yeah, about that...
😂
Yup thats why I love that there are like 20 factions and groups of interest
lmao it’s so funny tho, the edgy cult being edged when it comes to their doomsday ritual I couldn’t stop giggling when I realised that 😅
'Eyes peeled.'
'Was that a joke!?'
😏 vs 😐
The autism swag
john in a nutshell
someone: you cant just look into the anti-sun
john: YoU cAnT jUsT lOoK iNtO tHe AnTi-SuN
That's it. That's the whole show *ok spoiler warning* : That was the Axe to the table, refusing to let Yurgen Leitner leave, refusing to die, killing Peter Lucas over information
@@nateds7326 thanks for spoiling how peter dies for me :D real appreciated
@@lu-em6wr the comment started with "that's it that's the whole show" the hell did you think was gonna be written? I'm sorry about that, but also pro tip just do not read comments that start like that. Hell this wasn't even an open comment it was a reply to a comment.
@@nateds7326 i don’t know how fast you read but typically spoiler warnings are more noticeable so you can avoid them in time
“just don’t read the comments” you replied with spoilers on a comment that didn’t mention any, i didn’t know i had to be that careful?
@@lu-em6wr They literally put a spoiler warning, if you didn't want to ruin the surprise for yourself then why did you keep on reading?
There is no way Elias didn't know that the Dark ritual happened already. Once again, he sent them here to build up John's powers.
Elias, I hate you.
i mean technically thats good
Looks like Im the only guy who likes Elias and thinks he does stuff because he has to. People keep caling him and lucas evil but I dont feel that true.
@@lonewaffle231 .. can u reply when you have finished the series
@@vera-whatsurdiscord no, why would I? So I can spoil stuff for people by implying things? All the comments were spoiler free pu to this point
@@lonewaffle231 i didn't spoil you? and im sure you could get away with anything if u put a warning above your comment. i wanted to ask if u could re state your opinion after u have finished the series . im curious if you will stick to what you said, or if you'll change it
John is every DND meme I have ever seen:
*Something extremely cursed and dangerous is described*
John: I touch it/ hit it with an axe, ...
I pray my group will prevent me from touching cursed objects
John is really just a warlock with a super low Wisdom score
No no, only Tim, our bicon, can hit thing with an axe, while swinging it violently both ways.
Manuela: Only Maxwell, Natalie and I can look upon the Dark Sun without dying
The Archivist: Hold my beer
*Hold my recorder
@@carmelwolf129 ^ Underappreciated comment
Jon is just built different and we all know it
The Archivist is a professional looker, after all
"this sun kills you if you look at it"
John: 👁️👁️ "oh ow owie"
Wait until Martin hears about Jon literally looking into the “if you look into me you’ll die” thing.
Helen really just showed up like a mom picking up her son from a soccer game like "Okay sweetie go get your friend it's time to go home :)" and I love her for it
Just a protective Mama Spiral coming to pick up her little Archivist from his field trip
I just love helen
@@Vi_Vi_1 You deserve the bad ending.
@@Badficwriter Lol wtf?
"What did you do?"
"Nothing! I dont think!"
I love this podcast.
I just love how he cant be sure he did nothing😂
Helen has crawled her way into my heart, now I'm back to being a distortion simp
Same but, I do kind of miss Michael.
@@mistydevillier2197 yeah, i think we all do but Helen my absolute B E L O V E D
We're all simps here
I do miss the laugh though....
Helen: so how was it? Gazing upon the dark
Jon: I thought I was going to die
Helen: you seem to think that a lot
The interactions in the podcast are solid gold
To be fair, he is also close to dying a lot
i mean?? is he wrong?? how many near death experiences has he had by now??
too many
it's a mood
@@f_mva all of them
Jon’s powers but every time they activate his face has the 👀 emoji
He was all eyes.
Or 👀👄👀
I prefer 👁️👁️
Bold of y'all tpo assume this isn't what actually already happens
👁👁
^^ his face
*Jon:* How about I do anyway
He was literally the "Oh no! Anyway" meme
For the darkness to be destroyed, all it takes is looking into it...... i'm getting the idea that the darkness and the eye are the polar opposites in many ways.
After all you need light to see but the eye needs no light to see it can see the darkness for all it is
The strength of darkness is that it conceals whatever is within it. But the moment you can see through it, that protection is broken. And it's no coincidence that the weakness of the dark is the light. An absence is not a force, after all. As soon as that void is filled, the void is gone. Rather flimsy.
After all, the symbol of the darkness is a closed eye.
I bet Jon would be killer at staring contests
How does it feel to be the funniest person alive
Please tell me you got to S5 and Know How VERY TRUE this is!
@@artofboredom42 oh yeah this turned out to be much more literal than i expected
i am also very good at staring contests. id u meet him thats what were doing fr
This makes me wonder if the Eye is one of the few patrons that doesn't want or need faith from its followers, but it's form of faith is curiosity and doubt. It knows that humans crave connection and a need to tell their stories, which makes me think The Lonely is one of the few other powers that can effectively resist the Eye, only if people are strong enough to appreciate loneliness.
I think that the eye needs people’s statements as things instead of people
The Eye also seems to favor those that actually act and reach out to others. Sure Elias is quite strong, but it's notable that Jon's power is QUITE more acute in its rise in potency. And he's actively trying to balance things in some way. Elias is passive, and seems to be losing favor. Jon is active, as are his friends, and they're getting stronger by the day. I have to wonder if some patrons, in addition to simply not attempting rituals....if their followers are the ones that want the rituals to succeed. And not the entity. I suppose if this Watcher's Crown succeeds and then Jon undoes it, it turns out the Beholding didn't want it.
None of the powers need faith, in the magnus universe faith is meanigless.
All of the cults, groups and monsters are just using understood structures to translate what are most likley random noises into scripture and instruction.
420th like, hell yea
JON CAN YOU STOP BEING SELF DESTRUCTIVE FOR LIKE 2 SECONDS
Cant its an essential part of his personality now😋
You sound like Martin
@@sadclownschool9358
nah, Martin sounds like us.
@@clayxros576 Explains why we're Lonely too
@@doctorjay8673
^This guy gets it
I absolutely love the Spiral's everlasting fondness of Jon. It really just looked at him and though "this smol disfunctional bastard. imma keep him". Like, Michael and Helen are pretty different, but you can just look at the way they treat Jon and immediately go "yup, that's the same ol' Spiral I know and love".
Do you think people do actually have a choice regarding giving their statement? It seemed to me in this episode like Jon was threatening her with his spooky powers, but in the end she did decide to not subject herself to the whole extraction process and chose to tell him everything he wanted by herself instead. Just. Felt that way somehow. In the way she responded.
Also, in the previous episode somebody mentioned feeling bad for everybody who's given a statement because of alleged side-effects of nightmares and trauma. But Jon doesn't compel these people (and Gertrude obviously didn't either). They choose to come tell their story, and Jon just helps them talk smoothly and get everything out. It is very different. And Gertrude claimed giving a statement did help people in some way. I feel like there's a different power at play here. It's also obviously granted to them by the Eye, but it is much less intense than compelling, and, therefore, doesn't have such drastic consequences.
I feel like it has to do, once again, with a choice. You can give your story up willingly and be relieved of it, or you can act all stubborn and get your statement clawed out of you, leaving a nasty hole that's gonna bleed all over every single carpet you'll ever set your foot on.
It's funny. Once again, the Eye gives people a blind choice.
The Spiral is definitely way more sentient than the other entities, except maybe the Stranger and Beholden. And it straight up becomes whoever passes its trial. It's really awesome how both Michael and Helen had a fondness for Jon, but Helen is helpful and thus so is the Spiral, while Michael was spiteful and so caused a lot of problems.
i really like your choice of wording, "blind" choice, it's funny
i felt as though the response of the woman was an obvious "I'll say it myself no help needed" but then again, i kin jon heavily and feed into his personality to the point of seeing everything from his point of view nearly exclusively (if it weren't for the series stopping every now and then to shift the focus then i would be just as clueless as the archivist himself)
Are you talking about when Gertrude said that the one statement giver's dreams would stop? Because she was being misleading on purpose there in that they would stop because they'd be replaced with the eternal nightmares that result from directly giving an Archivist a statement
I think the previous episode makes it incredibly clear that literally no good comes from giving a statement, that doing so causes the person to literally relive the worst moment of their lives in the process akin to a PTSD flashback and fully restores the trauma of the moment to make it fresh and active from that point forward in spite of any past healing done, and apparently untreatably so at that
Wasnt the last episode of season 3 literally seeing that john watches every single person whose ever given him a statement, all the way back to Alone? And she gave hers willingly
potential spoilers under the cut! (I've been through the entire podcast like 5 times, so it's not theories, it's confirmed - but first time listeners still beware!)
Nah, the Archivist's first powers are to make it easy for people to give a concise statement in a calm, collected manner - that happens without them even realizing tho.
Then, later, Jon can compell people to give their statement, but they can still resist if they're alligned with a power - but even that is no protection later on, when he can force statements out of anyone he wants - even to the point of pulling it out of them, like he did to Breekon.
But people can choose to do the thing the Spooky Thing wants to Compell them to, like with the coffin - it tried to work its magic on Jon to enter the coffin, and the recorder-fizzle picked up, implying Powers are at play, but the noise died down when Jon told it there was no need for that, that he was going in willingly.
The same thing can happen with statements - the Archivist's powers make it so people can still give their statement in a concise, calm manner, but anyone who can FEEL the compelling happening can also willingly give into it, thus avoiding having it forced out of them.
Jon essentially has 3 options, which scale up in power-application, but all of them leave the statement-givers with nightmares (Gertrude knew this, and was just lying, knowing that woman's nightmares would just be replaced with different ones):
-the passive power that enables a clean statement, which happens whenever someone willingly gives a statement
-compelling someone to give a statement, which mostly means applying spooky eye powers, and there's no resistance - this is like the call of the coffin, something you can try to resist, but can also choose to give into (tho the second option is mostly only for Avatars, normal people CAN'T really resist usually) - this is what he did to that woman who complained about him
-forcing a statement out of someone/taking it - this is very invasive, and works even on powerful Avatars, but they're also the only ones where he really needs to apply that amount of force; this is more of a 14-powers-version of a dirct attack, like taking a bite out of someone's essence - it's what he did with Breekon
When Avatars ask him if he wants their Statement, they know that if they give it to him, they are essentially feeding him some of their own power - they've alligned themselves with a fear, and the more anti-thetical to the Eye _their_ fear is, the worse it is for them to, essentially, be Seen by the Eye, and thus feed it - it takes more out of them than if they weren't so anti-Beholder, like the Vast or the Spider
The Lonely is all about not being perceived, and the Dark is...well. It's supposed to be too dark to see shit, let alone BE seen - that's why Jon Beholding the dark sun is so bad for it
Helen's voice is getting more like Michael's.
Man I HOPE so
Helen coming in clutch with a door! Wooh! I know that its a pretty bad idea to trust an eldritch, abstractly humanoid entity that's based on a fear of losing a grip on your sanity and perceptions but also id die for her.
Nah, its fine. What's the worst she could do?
I probably shouldn’t say this about an eldritch horror that feeds off your fear and makes your doubt everything you see until you go insane but, Helen sounds sort of motherly...
Yall need to stop proving freud right i hate him
Manuela: you look you die there is no cha-
Jon: 👁👄👁
in conclusion, smart thoughts are chasing, but he's faster
Helen is so sweet I love her... still miss Michael's laught, but this embodiment of The Spiral is so calm and friendly, offering a fast way home :3
What if the rituals are never actually meant to usher in a new world? What if they are just "fattening" the cults up and the rituals, doomed or engineered to fail, are the harvest? The farmer doesn't move into the pig sty just to have their food closer at-hand.
This is a facinating observation. my only thing is that if that's so, then why do the "benign" fears seem to not want to do a ritual/stop the end of the world? If that was the case then you'd thing that The End would have a ritual.
@@notlurking2128 The End still wouldn't need one. Whether the rituals are designed to change the world in their Entity's image or to fail doesn't change the fact that everything ends and dies eventually.
Beholding feeds off of the statements, off knowledge, so it doesnt need to change the world
@@DerMoerpler What if The End already did it's ritual, and that's why everything ends eventually?
@@glumbortango7182 I don't think so, but the reason why would contain spoilers from later episodes.
Wow, the Dark is such a pansy they ruined their own ritual, and their big centerpiece could be destroyed by one Eye Boi looking at it. And here I thought the Buried ritual was flimsy...
The Hunt is such an incompetent fear that it wouldn’t let its own ritual end
I know they're bad guys and all, but I feel a little bad for them. Preparing for that long only for it to fail.
Also hi Helen!!
I seem to be feeling bad for a lot of the monsters... especially Breeckon
@@trucetruce335 especially breekon 🥺
@@trucetruce335 especially agnes😔
@@amphitritemists4595
Agnes got worse than she deserved. Outside of her cult's activities she seemed to work in a net positive in the world...which is ironic considering who she is the "child" of.
yeah, manuela was so.... broken....
Jon saying the darkness sun is beautiful really is something
HELEN!!!! Hi Helen I love you!
Tanis Madd Doesn't Matter
i read your comment and i was like :D!!! helen!!!
and then i realized that i dont like helen that much??? shes growing on me fast lmao
ok i listened and i love her-
@@thistleywistley681 THAT'S what we call character development
For some reason I think we're building towards the Eye's ritual, what with Jon's powers getting stronger and Elias continuing to pull strings behind the scenes.
*read your comment* "Yeah clearly, we'll have an Eye's ritual."
*rereading your comment* "Oh shit Elias was preparing Jon you're right !!" I didn't addded 2 and 2 before
"go find your basira" bro that's kinda cute
Me, shivering slightly and looking over my shoulder listening to the Magnus Archives:
The gummy bear riding a rainbow in the add banner: =)
Browsing the web without an Adblocker is the true definition of horror. It's like walking into the coffin without an anchor.
Better than the chicken dance fried food place that blasted at full volume
...I keep getting the Paw Patrol, help
i retract my statement in MAG 135 about the Ritual on the Nemesis and i replace it here with this:
"The Dark performs the WORST ritual, asked to LEAVE from the circle of the relevant entities"
um the bass boosted noise that rumbles when jon uses his powers is awakening something in me...
BITCH ME TOO THE FUCK
ALSO NICE NAME
“BASS BOOSTED” IM GOING TO CRYF
I'm getting strong Tears For Fears "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" vibes from all of Manuela's monologues. 'Turn your back on Mother Nature... It's my own design... There's a room where the light won't find you...'
OOOHHH that's a good call
“Tell me 👀”
I love how the static intensifies just for a second or two when Jon uses his powers and orders her to speak. That`s a neat detail
Love how elias is probably doing this purely for Jon to get more power stuff and Jon is just becoming an evil peoples and entities therapist
Go find your Barisa, then let’s get you both home.
HELEN I LOVE YOU, YOU ARE EVERYONE’S MUM
So, the Dark is basically ignorance and you can stop it just by knowing it? But ignorance and enlightenment always chase each other, so the Dark and the Beholding can never really overcome each other.
Glad I power-consumed these other the last 2 weeks to catch up from episode 1. Getting these fresh off the cassette is a real treat!
me too haha. btw, there's more available on Spotify and in their website that I still have to catch up on :o
If you go to the Rusty Quill website or any podcast service and look up "The Magnus Archives" you will find that the series is now in Season 5 with the current episode number being 168. A new episode comes out every Thursday.
bro we're WELL into season 5, they're just releasing old episodes on youtube
Lol, I love the phrasing of "power-consumed" like Jon on a statement binge
The dark always came across as kinda bumbling lol. Also someone else ages ago said it but it's kinda weird that The Dark is the only fear that seems to have formed a traditional cult.
The Cult of the Lightless Flame is also a cult. Even Jude Perry admits it. :)
I mean we as humans worshipped the imagery of Light and Dark since before history, and still do; it makes sense that a "traditional" element would form a traditional cult.
Same thing for the Desolation, too: fire imagery is also about as old as it gets.
@@maneater2066 Lightless Flame is a very specific take though. Heat, but not warmth. Death, with no rebirth. All the destruction, none of the good stuff.
The Dark definitely seems to have its priorities mixed up. It has it's own creatures independent from human followers, which in itself is rather unusual, yet it can also be used as a power source to functionally perform alchemy. But if it's ritual succeeds, it no longer is able to really draw fear. Desolation, Watcher, Vast, Buried, each of them provides some room for humans to exist and find comfort, only to have that ripped away if their ritual succeeds. The Dark is just a world of darkness. People would get used to that and the creatures which *stand out in the darkness* after probably a generation. And if they can still get food, then it'd just be life...while probably erasing the fear of the dark. Either the followers are doing the will of the darkness, or mr Dark Star got this idea in his own head.
@@TheNitpickChick the Lukas family is also debatably a cult
Man
I love that "They needed a door" has a very specific meaning in this series. Sheesh.
I hope we get a little more exposition on what actually happened when Jon Beheld the Black Sun. Just canceled out by the all seeing gaze?
Also curious what Gertrude actually did to stop them.
Bet you a fiver it involved dismemberment...
I find it funny how Helen calls basira his basira as if there are other's
i mean, it's not a completely isolated name
They did have a collection of Sachas back then
Manuela: did we fail? Was it our fault?
Also Manuela: no, it is the children who are wrong
I always do a little dance to the intro music forgetting that some one always gets traumatized and then I feel baf
*bad
This is Manuela Dominguez.
This is Manuela Dominguez on Archivist.
We still haven't learned anything about the ritual for The Eye but.... Does anyone think that stopping all of the other entities' rituals may actually be *part* of it? The only thing Gertrude ever said when she was asked about the ritual was that she "knew how to handle it," and The Eye seems to have somewhat of a tendency to try to keep things the same so that it can observe them... Maybe the current state of the world is even inherently tied to The Eye? Like instead of it being some sort of "natural" state of the universe, it might be the result of a ritual of The Eye being completed in the past? This is probably just wild speculation lol but no spoilers please
********SPOILERS********
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Oh wow I was right about the first part of this, but NOT in the way I was expecting
Ooh so Jon's experienced the Buried, the Dark, the Flesh and... am i missing smthng??
whatever the bugs are he's experienced that
Buried-the coffin; the web-the book when he was younger; the dark-this statement; the unknowing-nikola’s ritual; the vast-Michael crew; the slaughter-Melanie with the scalpel; the hunt- daisy when she tried to kill him; the devastation- burnt hand; the flesh- removed rib; and the big one with Jane prentis. He’s been in the es mentiras, I don’t know if that’s marked him. Those are what I’d say have marked him.
He's traveled through the Spiral, though I don't know if you could say he was ever caught by it. Maybe in the change between Michael and Helen? And his near-death -- specifically that he mentions making some kind of deal to *avoid* death -- might well have been the End.
If both of those are true along with all those mentioned above... that would only leave the Extinction and the Lonely.
So far:
Web - Leitner during his childhood
Eye - Being appointed Archivist
Corruption - Jane Prentiss and her worms
Spiral - Stabbed by Michael’s sharp hands and also travelling through the corridors
Desolation - Jude Perry’s handshake
Vast - Mike Crew making him fall at terminal velocity
Hunt - Daisy cutting him across the throat while trying to kill him
Stranger - Being inside The Unknowing
End - Being almost dead in a coma and choosing to forsake his humanity to teeter back into the world of the living
Slaughter - Melanie stabbing him right after her leg surgery
Flesh - Jared Hopworth removing two ribs
Buried - Rescuing Daisy from the coffin
Dark - Destroying the dark sun
That’s 13 out of 14 (or 15 if you count Extinction)
Just the Lonely left... 😉
@@TheNitpickChick 😉
Dude i love Helen sm- shes crawled her way into my heart and now im back to simping for distortions, boutta open any reapering door that wasnt there before to ask helen and micheal what else those fingers can distort
lmao I love this comment, it's perfect Distortion-compatible energy.
@@-S.L. Thank you, rusty quill can tear micheal and helen distortion away from my cold dead fingers
God you can hear Helen's cadence blending with Michael's old cadence the further things go on and its so creepy goood
I saw a comment that the Eye's form of faith is curiosity and tbh I'm concerned how Jon has made this whole journey in the pursuit of learning more about these entities and how to stop their rituals. And it's led to him becoming an Avatar and now the question of does the Eye wants to do it's ritual and what it entails. It's like, what if this is it? This long journey- what if it's a part of the ritual? If Jon is being built up as the focal point the same way Agnus had been; and the only way to stop the ritual is to sacrifice himself?
Like, I know she’s the spiral, but Helen is legit awesome! I love her! Also, John is very reckless. I’m worried about his mental health. He needs like a break!
*Helen* let me open a door to take you home
*Jon* fast travel unlocked
Miss Helen distortion i have very strong feeling towards you
i liked michael a lot but helen..... miss helen.... im luv u
Filipa Maria Costa yes ✨✨
yay, Manuela! almost forgot she had a penchant for rhyming. Jesus fucking Christ, Jon. Helen really likes that step-mother energy doesn't she.
Gotta be honest expected another big clash kinda deal but this was good all the same.
Classic Magnus Archives, subverting expectations all day, every day
not the season finale yet...
Well that was kind of a waste of a trip. The ritual was long destroyed and they pretty much just tide any loose ends.
It's like preparing to raid a boss only to find out someone else killed it.
at least they had a quick way home
Are the rituals supposed to work? I'm starting to feel like they're more ways to feed the beasts. Maybe make a temporary opening directly to the power and possibly make them stronger, but this is what, the 3rd ritual that failed without direct interference? Even the Slaughter ritual, which Gertrude thinks was supposed to end in being bombed might have just been supposed to be a string on murder that pulled the Slaughter closer. I think interrupting these is for shits and/or giggles and everyone thinks they're helping.
i love helen
This episode begins painting a horrifying picture that culminates in the season finale, which I recommend you take *slowly* . It hits HARD.
The Darkness apparently revels in ignorance, like Manuela's last statement states. So it seems the complete void of information of the outside was an important to the ritual. A closed bubble, like *certain communities* out there... Ahem... This also proves the Montauks were NOT of the Dark, as many people thought they were. I still adamantly believe the Montauks are a tribe if Hunters dedicated to hunt down the followers of the Darkness. And the Beast that hunts the Montauks is a manifestation of their hunting instinct, their "faith" if you will, being perverted by the Dark and turned against them.
The 11th Doctor would be SO READY for this shit. You know the episode....
Well, the difference between Beholding and Dark has been there since episode 9. One eye open, one eye closed. Ignorance just makes sense.
I DID NOT TAKE IT SLOWLY OH GOD.
im probably not going to take it slowly but jesus am i scared!
YOU CAN'T MAKE ME TAKE IT SLOW! *proceeds the full-series binge*
im not gonna take it slow, that much I can assure you and I'm saving this ep so when I finish the series I can tell you how guilty I feel for not taking it slow
Miss Helen Distortion if I bring you decor for your corridors and curly fries can we please be friends? 🥺
_curly fries_---
Okay Helen can provide teleport from everywhere to anywhere??? This is so damn useful! I want to be hey friend now.
She wants to be your friend to, just not a very good one.
Props to Meg Griffin being a Rusty Quill patreon
Manuela, you call it crude methods, Gertude calls it effective methods... And making use of C4
"If your so keen to undo the work of centuries" no offense ma'am but yeah they're keen your centuries work was going to destory centuries of civilization😬
Was looking forward to Martin and John this season ffs
OMG hi,, a recent comment :D
sameeee its not fair, i love this podcast so much but i just wish there were a few moments of happiness }:(
what's my sexuality you ask?? avatars of the distortion
Jon: *with a goofy voice* aNd I'll dO It AgAiN
Hellen really is best girl here. The friendly, helpful neighborhood eldritch horror with a conscience. ❤
vibes
DID JON JUST EAT A GODDAMN BLACK HOLE!?
om nom nom
But seriously, not a black hole. it was a miniature sun. But one that beamed out anti-light, not light. Black Hole sucks in light.
@@mimkyodar that's still some crazy tabletop RPG stuff
*Licks fingers* MMMM that was some good shit right there 👍
awesome! loved helen's appearance at the end :D now i just want jon to go home and get told off for eating statements off people
Right. Jon's a bad man for forcing people to relive their trauma, but Helen is a good entity because she kidnaps and eats anyone she can trick into her doors.
@@Badficwriter correction: jon is my meow meow and can do no wrong. but it is funny when he gets told off like he's a misbehaving cat. helen on the other hand is my wife and i think the atrocities are part of her charm
Helen!!! I love you Helen
[INT. PEOPLE’S CHURCH RESEARCH FACILITY, NY-ÅLESUND, NORWAY]
[TAPE CLICKS ON.]
[IN THE BACKGROUND, THERE IS A STEADY RACKET OF - WHAT EXACTLY, IT IS UNCLEAR, BUT SOMETHING. IT SOUNDS RATHER LIKE A DRYER WITH A PAIR OF SHOES INSIDE.]
BASIRA
Sure it’s this one?
ARCHIVIST
Yeah.
[A CLICKING NOISE - FLASHLIGHT?]
ARCHIVIST
Tape recorder thinks so, too.
BASIRA
Right. Something’s coming, then?
ARCHIVIST
Could be.
BASIRA
No windows. Guess that makes sense. We still alone?
ARCHIVIST
I never said we were. Just said I couldn’t see anybody.
BASIRA
(noise of understanding) Oh, I thought you meant, like, See see.
ARCHIVIST
Oh - No.
BASIRA
We need to figure out proper terms for this. (background noises intensify) What are you doing?
ARCHIVIST
Closing the door.
BASIRA
Leave it open. We need as much light as possible, and I’m not seeing any bulbs.
ARCHIVIST
Right.
[THE CLICK OF THE FLASHLIGHT AGAIN. THE BACKGROUND NOISE IS GONE BY THIS POINT, AND WE HEAR THEIR FOOTSTEPS AS THEY BEGIN TO WALK.]
BASIRA
Eyes peeled.
[PAUSE.]
ARCHIVIST
Was that a joke?
BASIRA
Yeah.
[SILENCE.]
BASIRA
Any clue where everyone is?
ARCHIVIST
Your guess is as good as mine.
BASIRA
Well, my guess is an ambush.
[THE ARCHIVIST SIGHS.]
ARCHIVIST
I don’t know. Everyone back at the research base seemed pretty sure this place was empty.
BASIRA
And you believe them?
ARCHIVIST
They weren’t lying.
BASIRA
Wait - You - Did your -
ARCHIVIST
(overlapping) Oh, yeah, no, I don’t think they noticed.
BASIRA
So they were serious. It’s been empty for, what, a year?
ARCHIVIST
Bit more. As far as they knew, anyway.
BASIRA
So, what, this was another waste of time? Like that Church near [unintelligible - Dasan?] (under her breath) I’m gonna kill that son of a bitch -
ARCHIVIST
No, I - (inhale) I think it’s here. I - I, I can feel it, like a - hole in my mind.
BASIRA
They just left it here.
ARCHIVIST
I - maybe. (shaky half-laugh) Kinda wish Daisy was here.
[SILENCE, BUT FOR THE FOOTSTEPS. THEN THEY, TOO, STOP.]
ARCHIVIST (CONT’D)
Basira?
BASIRA
Yeah?
[FOOTSTEPS RESUME.]
ARCHIVIST
Sorry. (shaky inhale) I know this isn’t - BEHIND YOU!
BASIRA
Down!
[BASIRA FIRES HER GUN, AND HITS SOMEONE, WHO GRUNTS IN PAIN. AT THE SAME TIME, WE HEAR THE SOUND OF GLASS SHATTERING - LIKELY THE BULB INSIDE BASIRA AND THE ARCHIVIST’S FLASHLIGHT.]
BASIRA
Don’t move!
[THE PERSON CONTINUES TO GRUNT IN PAIN. BASIRA AND THE ARCHIVIST MOVE CLOSER.]
[THE UNKNOWN FIGURE SPITS AT THEM.]
ARCHIVIST
Oh. Charming.
[THE PERSON STARTS BREATHING FASTER.]
BASIRA
Who are you?
[THE PERSON JUST GRUNTS ANGRILY.]
BASIRA
John?
ARCHIVIST
Who are you?
[THE NOW-FAMILIAR BASS COMPONENT OF THE ARCHIVIST’S STATIC KICKS IN. THE PERSON HAS A BRIEF MOMENT OF RESISTANCE BEFORE THEIR NAME SLIPS OUT:]
MANUELA
(resisting) Manuela. Manuela Dominguez.
[IN THE BACKGROUND, WE HEAR THE MID-TONE RANGE OF THE ARCHIVIST’S STATIC FADE OUT.]
BASIRA
Where is everybody?
MANUELA
(scoffs) Go to hell!
ARCHIVIST
(overlapping) Answer her.
[BIG, BOOMING STATIC AGAIN.]
MANUELA
They’re dead. Because of you.
ARCHIVIST
Me?
BASIRA
(to John) What did you do?
ARCHIVIST
(hey!) Nothing, I don’t think!
MANUELA
Your Institute.
ARCHIVIST
(soft) What?
MANUELA
So she sent you to finish the job?
BASIRA
Who?
MANUELA
Your Archivist -
ARCHIVIST
I -
MANUELA
- Gertrude Robinson.
ARCHIVIST
Gertrude?! I -
BASIRA
(overlapping) That doesn’t make any sense.
ARCHIVIST
I, uh… (inhale) What. Happened?
[BASS.]
MANUELA
Don’t - Don’t make me, please!
ARCHIVIST
Tell me.
[MANUELA EXHALES. THE STATIC INTENSIFIES. WE START TO GET THE MID-TONES AGAIN, AND NEARLY GET ALL THE WAY TO THE POINT WHERE THE HIGHEST SHIMMERY OVERTONE USUALLY KICKS IN.]
MANUELA
Fine!… Fine.
[THE STATIC IMMEDIATELY BEGINS TO FADE.]
MANUELA
And what do you wish to hear? Shall I tell you of the decades of preparation? Of the long wait for the eclipse? Three hundred years from the failure that birthed the thing that preached from the depths of Maxwell Rayner. The sacrifices made to birth the Dark Star that would make it all possible?
It was to be a week of night and horror, culminating in the eclipse that passed over Ny-Ålesund on the 20th of March, 2015, almost three hundred years after Halley’s eclipse passed over London. We had hundred of sacrifices prepared and ready, plunged into darkness and terror for days on end. All prepared to culminate in the unveiling of that point of purest night at the moment of the eclipse’s height.
It would open the door to a world of true and holy darkness, extinguish the sun, and take us to a place where we would be redeemed of our base and corrupt need for light and warmth.
Maxwell was here, with me, prepared for our moment of triumph, and our churches around the world were ready, in those lost and forgotten places of worship, shut up and left in shadow.
Hither Green was, I believe, where your Institute was watching, but Natalie’s efforts were but a small and meager part of the greater effort. When they collapsed, it was as nothing to the grand ritual, though… perhaps we should have seen it as the first sign of what was happening. But, we had no idea.
To begin our seven day feast, we slew the still and lightless beast, and drank of its stagnant blood, submerging the first of the sacrifices in the brackish water it had blessed with its stillness.
Maxwell plunged its claws into his chest, freeing the darkness within him, and we waited. And we sang. And we exalted in divine stillness.
The darkness was beyond anything that could be imagined, and even in my wildest experiments in the void of space, I could not have believed such a peace was possible, as I felt in the quiet whimpering terror of that place.
The sky was light, but we were well-protected, and we knew that when the sun was swallowed in eclipse, the darkness would be complete. We believed it far too late for anyone to stop us, and the crude methods of your Archivist least of all. The death of a few have never been more than an inconvenience, and that’s all she was ever really capable of.
You were not the first to try and stop us, you know. Not even within living memory. I was but newly joined when Lynette fled the church, and Maxwell had her silenced. But I remember her brute of a husband. He fed the beast for us, you know, when first he believed Lynette might still be saved. Then, later, we faithful served as his fuel to banish it.
But, not for long. That’s the thing about darkness, isn’t it? You try your hardest to eradicate, flood your surroundings with light, but it’s always there at the edges, waiting for the glow to weaken, to return and cover you forever. Robert Montauk discovered that the hard way. And someday, so will your Gertrude.
But we got so close. We touched it. There is another world, a world of still and quiet darkness, where no heat touches, and death cannot find you. You might wander beneath that empty sky of void forever, and never see a light to guide your way. No left, no right. No up or down. Only forward, into the crowded, shivering gloom.
For that night is not empty, far from it. Things move there, the sound of shuffling. Scuttling. Crawling. A scream. The fall of gentle stagnant raindrops that chills you as you try desperately to know if that is the sound of the storm… or something out there.
It is a world of the fear of darkness, and as I began to see it, I felt again that celestial terror that had not gripped my heart since first I gazed upon the pitch-black sun that I had created. The scream was mine, and it was joined by uncounted voices in fearful song. I was complete. It was so very close. We were to slice a hole in the world, and this paradise would flow through the wound like ink, smothering the sun, and all its children.
Maxwell had always had the visions, the drive. Whatever was inside him pulled him to this end, to this great undertaking, like a magnet, and I was so very honored to be his right hand. Natalie and the others followed, but they did not truly understand. Not truly, with their talk of peace and unity and Mr. Pitch. A friendly name, to try and hide from a concept they couldn’t grasp. Vardaan Darvish had an inkling, I thought, but he crossed a Montauk, which has traditionally gone poorly for us.
But as the hours turned into days, and the final dusk drew closer, it seemed as though all the uncertainty was washed away.
I don’t know exactly when it all started to come undone. I think Maxwell first felt the ripples four days before the eclipse was due. It was strange. Like a pause in the hysterical whimpering and fruitless prayers of the sacrifices. And a ripple that was felt through the waters, and the stagnant blood that bound us. A disruption. We would later learn that this was the collapse of the ritual at Hither Green. But it was only the first.
Our congregation in Alaska disappeared the next day, and Russia, as well. One by one, it seemed our scattered whisperers of night were falling, and holding it together, keeping the lightless world anchored to our star, bringing it closer, was becoming an almost unbearable strain on Maxwell. I helped as I could, but without knowing what was happening, there was little I could do to stabilize it.
I began to drown the sacrifices. Too soon, perhaps. But it worked, to keep it going, and keep it together, until at last, we felt it. The eclipse.
We had been worshipping in the deepest dark, and yet, when it crossed the sun, I felt it rolling over us, like a cooling balm on a summer’s day, plunging us into a deep, black void, far more complete than I can ever convey with mere words.
It was divine. And as we unveiled our new and absent sun, the sacrifices who remained screamed and fell in holy agonies, and the world of endless night we had been promised began to pour in, shining out and all around us. It touched and caressed our souls with the soothing fears of night, and I heard Maxwell weeping with joy at what we had done.
And then, it stopped.
It just. Stopped.
All at once, that loving embrace was stripped from us, and it began to retreat, to recede back into the place it had come from. (getting emotional) We were so close! (softer) We were so close.
I heard Maxwell cry out, scrambling desperately into the dark sun, stopping just short of touching it. But it was too late. Whatever it was that you and your Archivist did, it clearly worked.
We left, half of us dead, and the other half destroyed by coming so close to the true essence, (sigh) and being denied.
In my most wretched hours, I wonder - perhaps it was us. Perhaps we simply lacked faith. We weren’t worthy. The world wasn’t worthy. But - no. We were ready. We had earned our dark rapture. And we were robbed.
I don’t know how long we waited after that. It was weeks before anyone spoke. And then… when they did… the arguments began. The recriminations, the desperate resolutions to try again, to find what went wrong. But, I could see in his eyes that Maxwell was so very tired. And all the words fell to nothing. Instead, we began the search for his successor, a new host for his… continuation.
He would regain his strength, and we would plan our next move. It was difficult, though; the approaching culmination meant Maxwell had not prepared another host, and the search for another vessel was long and involved. Finally, about eighteen months ago, we found one: a child, whose father had, by coincidence, been directly marked by the Dark.
It was a desperate plan, but we were desperate, a shadow of what we had been. Maxwell left me here to guard the Black Sun, and everyone else left to help in his rebirth.
But it didn’t work, did it? I can only assume we were too weak to hide from you, and you struck when Maxwell was vulnerable.
For the first six months, I let myself hope that my suspicions were unfounded, that the silence I felt was simply… him lying low, recovering, before returning to his abandoned disciple.
But no. Soon enough, I could no longer fool myself. He had been slain, and I was alone.
And here I have remained. Perhaps I have told myself that I am preparing, gathering my own strength, and making plans to continue the church in his name. But I think in my heart, I have been waiting for this moment. For the final axe to fall, and finish the last remnant of our holy crusade.
And here, at last, you are.
[SHE SIGHS, BREATHY.]
MANUELA (CONT’D)
There. Now you can kill me like the others.
[A SIGH.]
BASIRA
She telling the truth?
ARCHIVIST
Yeah. I, I mean - Unless she can lie to me somehow. (inhale) You said it wasn’t the eclipse.
BASIRA
It’s not the time.
ARCHIVIST
Well. She believes it, at least. This doesn’t make any sense.
MANUELA
Well, where is she? Afraid to face what she’s done?
BASIRA
Just shut up.
MANUELA
(audible smirk) Coward. So, how did she do it? It’s been three years waiting, guarding this place without hope. At least do me the courtesy of telling me how she collapsed our moment of triumph.
[A SIGH AS SHE SPEAKS.]
ARCHIVIST
You really don’t know, do you?
MANUELA
Know what?
ARCHIVIST
Gertrude’s dead. She died right around the time of your ritual.
MANUELA
(smirk again) Ha. So, stopping us took everything she had.
BASIRA
You wish. She was murdered. Unrelated, as far as we can tell.
MANUELA
That’s - Well - Then why are you here? Maxwell is dead. The ritual failed. What’s left?
ARCHIVIST
(inhales) A good question. (exhale) Basira?
BASIRA
You said the Dark Sun was still here.
MANUELA
(light laugh) Fine. If you’re so keen to take everything, undo the work of centuries, it’s just through that door.
BASIRA
John?
[THE ARCHIVIST SIGHS. STATIC BEGINS.]
ARCHIVIST
How dangerous is it?
MANUELA
Only myself, Maxwell, and Natalie could even look upon it. It will annihilate you both in an instant.
BASIRA
Ask her how we can destroy it.
ARCHIVIST
I know how. I just need to see it.
BASIRA
See as in…?
ARCHIVIST
As in… actually see it.
MANUELA
Go ahead. Just try.
BASIRA
(overlapping) Look, it’s okay, John. No one else knows it’s here. And if we just leave it, no one will know.
ARCHIVIST
No, I - (inhale) I’m doing it. (another steadying inhale) Get out.
[BASIRA LEAVES. THE ARCHIVIST TAKES SEVERAL STEADYING BREATHS, AND THEN OPENS THE DOOR.]
[THE DARK SUN SOUNDS MELODIC, LIKE PIPES GROANING HARMONICS INTO THE WIND, LIKE THE MOURNFUL NOTES OF A CREAKING IRON GATE AS IT IS OPENED FOR THE FIRST TIME IN YEARS.]
[AN ENORMOUS RUSH OF STATIC BEGINS BUILDING; IT IS NOT THE ARCHIVIST’S STATIC, IS MUCH TOO REEDY AND WISPY FOR THAT.]
ARCHIVIST (CONT’D)
It’s - It’s beautiful.
[THE STATIC OVERTAKES THE AUDIO FIELD; MANUELA GASPS AND SCREAMS -]
MANUELA
No - NO!
[ALL AT ONCE THE STATIC RUSHES AWAY.]
BASIRA
John!
[BASIRA OPENS THE DOOR AND HURRIES BACK.]
ARCHIVIST
No, I, I’m okay.
[SOMETHING ELSE SHATTERS - THERE GOES FLASHLIGHT #2. THE ARCHIVIST YELPS. BASIRA SHOOTS.]
BASIRA
Get down!
[SHE SHOOTS TWICE MORE.]
ARCHIVIST
(breathing hard) Basira?
BASIRA
I’m alright, just - just one second.
ARCHIVIST
(background) Um…
BASIRA
Stay here.
ARCHIVIST
(after her) Look, I’m okay, I can help -
[BUT IT’S TOO LATE. BASIRA HAS WALKED OFF, PRESUMABLY IN PURSUIT OF MANUELA. THE ARCHIVIST GROANS IN FRUSTRATION. THERE IS A RELATIVE SILENCE, DURING WHICH HE CATCHES HIS BREATH.]
[THEN A SOFT STATIC BEGINS TO FUZZ IN THE BACKGROUND. IT IS ONE WE KNOW, ONE WE HAVE HEARD MANY TIMES BEFORE. A DOOR CREAKS OPEN.]
ARCHIVIST
Did you catch her?
HELEN
Yes.
[THE ARCHIVIST GASPS: THIS IS NOT WHO HE HAD BEEN EXPECTING.]
HELEN
She needed a door.
ARCHIVIST
H-H-How did you -
HELEN
Oh, finding this place was easy without the darkness.
ARCHIVIST
Will… she be coming back?
HELEN
(thoughtful) No. Uh… This one, I think I’ll keep.
ARCHIVIST
Why are you here?
HELEN
I told you! I’ve decided to help. I thought you might like a way home?
ARCHIVIST
Another door?
HELEN
If you want it. (short pause) How was it?
ARCHIVIST
Hm?
HELEN
Looking upon the Dark.
ARCHIVIST
I thought I was going to die.
HELEN
You seem to think that a lot. I remember when you thought you were going to die at my threshold.
ARCHIVIST
Yeah.
HELEN
Go find your Basira. Then let’s get you both home.
[THE ARCHIVIST EXHALES SOFTLY.]
[TAPE CLICKS OFF.]
Thank you:)))
You are welcome! :)
Petra Iván thank youuuu
also "you seen to think that a lot" i--
The distortion is so cool
At last, we've found someone who has even less of an idea what's going on than our protagonists.
The growth of...you know what? They shouldn't call herself Helen or Michael the name should have been Doris. Smh. Anyway the growth of the Doors has been really interesting.
You are a genius
Helen the true mvp, as always
Manuela: *wondering why the ritual failed*
Anyone re-listening after finishing the podcast, Knowing why: *cackling*
Manuela sounds sad ):
ikr :( Did not expect to feel sad for crazy Darkness cultists.
Liking all these uploads! 😁👌🏻
helen
Oh Helen distortion I love you
Well! Nice work! X
uzumaki wife saves the day
Oh man I love her... I feel so sorry for her
Start 1:44
Helen I luv u, plz don't change for the worse like everyone else in this series (bar Daisy)
Omg Helen
Holy... Helen sounds so weird. Is she... Helen still? I mean- i know she is not human but... person at least?
Why am i reminded of The Gremlins when they cant go near light 😂
There's a novel titled "The hear of darkness", if I remember correctly. I wonder if the title was chosen as a reference or call back, or just accidental/coincidence.
Gertrude did not mess around.
What happened to the dark sun?
Kirby noises
I like Helen but also I can’t make myself trust her completely. Please just be a creepy good guy
Our favorite Distorted gal is back. ❤