Starlight on the
Gutter (or, “Prophecy”)
A Victorian Era Scenario by Simon Lee & Dean Engelhardt
What is Cthulhu Eternal?
The Cthulhu Eternal System is a multi-era, multi-
setting ruleset for tabletop roleplaying. At its
core is a streamlined set of universal D100-based
rules which govern most elements of the game.
Cthulhu Eternal is intended to be an “open
source” system  — its core rules are available as
free downloads, and provide everything needed
to run a game session. Because the rules are all
designated Open Content under the (Wizards)
Open Gaming License, other creators can reuse,
re-cycle, or re-purpose them to form part of their
own creations. Such new inventions can be freely
distributed (for free, or for profit) as long as the
terms of the OGL are adhered to.
This scenario has game statistics and rules that
work with the Cthulhu Eternal Victorian Era SRD.
Clear Credit
Scenario written by Simon Lee & Dean Engelhardt
Copyright © 1995—2022 by Simon Lee & Dean
Engelhardt
Original Interior Illustrations: Reuben Dodd
Other images from public domain or stock. The Yellow
Sign sigil was designed by Christian Knutsson for
Pelgrane Press, who have released it as free to use for
personal or commercial purposes.
Cartography: Dean Engelhardt
This edition published by Cthulhu Reborn Publishing in
April, 2022.
The Cthulhu Eternal name and logo are trademarks of
Cthulhu Reborn Publishing
This scenario is published under an Open Gaming
License. See page 48 for details.
While the text of this publication may make indirect reference
to prior published game materials, it contains no content
sourced or extracted from referenced works.
 The Long Road ... Down to the Gutter
The scenario you hold in your (virtual) hands … it has a history. A 25-year history.
I first encountered this wonderful adventure (or at least, the core of it) in January of 1996, when its principal
author — Simon Lee — shared it on the “Chaosium Digest” email list.
In today’s world, infused as it is with pervasive Internet and social media in everyone’s pocket, it is almost impossible
to remember what passed for an “online community” in the last days of the 20th Century. The World Wide Web
hadn’t yet gathered much steam, so fans of RPGs didn’t have snazzy graphics-driven places to hang out and fight
religious wars about which system was best, or what was the “proper” way to play. Instead, gamers had to use (and
abuse) an earlier generation of technology to debate their favourite hobby. For the most part, that was USENET News
(home to the alt.horror.cthulhu newsgroup) or specialist subscriber-only email lists that catered to particular interests.
Shannon Appelcine (who in more recent times wrote several influential books on the history of the tabletop RPG
hobby) founded one such email list in January 1993, dedicated to sharing content for all manner of Chaosium games.
It was called the “Chaosium Digest”, and it featured a diverse range of (mostly brief) text-only articles offering
original content for the full range of RPGs being published by Chaosium at the time. Call of Cthulhu, Pendragon, and
Stormbringer/Elric! were frequently represented, and later on Nephilim attracted its fair share of articles too.
I personally stumbled across the Digest in 1995 — to my great advantage. Since not long after that, the Digest hit
a particularly fertile period where some incredible scenarios and game concepts were shared. Many of these were
scenario manuscripts by famous game designers, shared at no cost via email. I later discovered many were originally
written for publication in Chaosium books that somehow never eventuated.
Simon Lee’s Victorian-era scenario — which melds Oscar Wilde’s masterful play Salomé with weird forces of the
Cthulhu Mythos — wasn’t specifically written for publication, but rather for a convention. In the preamble to the
original email posting, he noted:
[This scenario] was originally written for the South African role-playing convention ICON 1995. It was designed
as a tournament scenario with a three hour maximum duration … [it] is a role-playing adaptation of a classic
theatrical premise: the play-within-a-play. It could, perhaps, be termed a “play within a role-play”.
When I first read through the adventure it struck me as both strikingly original, and utterly inspired in the connections it
sought to draw. It was a clever idea, executed with a deft sense of nuanced subtlety that made it work in unexpected
ways. It was intelligent. It was true to the weird fiction that underpins the games. It was everything I wished I had the
talent to write.
Almost twenty years later, when another established game designer I knew was fishing around to create a brand-
new anthology of Victorian era Lovecraftian adventures, my mind went back to Simon’s scenario. Could this brilliant
convention one-shot be adapted to fit the longer-form needs of a fully-fledged scenario? The core of the adventure
was so strong that I was sure that it could work … but how could this brilliant gem of an idea be fleshed out into
detailed investigative horror mystery? I set myself the task of trying to create new subplots and scenes to fill in
some of those gaps, hopefully in a sympathetic way. The new Victorian anthology never got off the ground, but the
expanded scenario was written and completed. With the recent advent of Victorian Age Cthulhu Eternal, it finally has
an opportunity to break into the world.
By way of clear credit, I should note that the cool atmospheric setup and denouement of this scenario are 100%
Simon’s work. The kick-off meeting with Bosie and the cut-down version of Oscar Wilde’s beautifully poetic script
is almost completely unchanged from the version featured in his original 1996 email. What I’ve added is a kind of
“middle act” — a clue trail that takes the Protagonists through a tour of both the seedy and glamorous (and even
glamorously seedy) aspects of 1890s London. The yellow herrings are mine too, as are the weird powers of a certain
Mythos artefact. The intent of all this “middle stuff” is to give players a chance to interact with the evocative game
world, give them alternative paths to follow, and hopefully feed them some important details that can help when the
scenario reaches its inevitable climax. Of course, there’s a wealth of useless detail there to uncover as well … it would
hardly be a mystery scenario without a smokescreen of interesting-but-irrelevant clues.
I sincerely hope that your players find this longer version of the scenario entertaining, even if not always a comfortable
experience. If your gaming group falls in love with the wonderful fusion between the Cthulhu Mythos and Decadent
art, they can thank Simon. If they groan in distaste at the grimy, petty motivations of the aesthetes and their associates,
they can blame me. Both elements can provide a satisfying game experience, and perhaps it’s the combination of the
two that affords this scenario its real charm.
After all, as Oscar Wilde famously wrote “we are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.”

— Dean Engelhardt, 28 April 2022.

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 Introduction_]
Oscar Wilde —the most notorious playwright and
poet of 1890s Britain — once wrote “There is no such
thing as a moral or an immoral book. Books are well
written, or badly written. That is all.” While those
well-versed in the Cthulhu Mythos would understand
the folly of such a sentiment, artists of the bohemian
Decadent school (among whom Wilde is foremost) are
revolutionizing British art, seeking to free all creative
expression from the traditionally restrictive confines
of Victorian morality. It should come as no surprise
that this pursuit of “art for art’s sake” places them on
a collision course with the malign and shadowy force
known only as The King in Yellow.
Game Moderator
Information
This scenario takes place in January of 1895
and concerns itself with an ill-fated production of
Oscar Wilde’s most controversial play, Salomé. This
disturbing and little understood piece of (real-world)
Decadent literature was originally written in 1891
(in French) while Wilde was living in Paris. It was
later translated into English, first by Alfred Douglas
(Wilde’s homosexual companion, affectionately known
as Bosie), and later by Wilde himself.
Despite previous attempts to bring Salomé to the
London stage in 1892, the play has still yet to premiere to
English audiences, thanks to a ban placed on the play by
the Lord Chamberlain (the licensor, and hence censor,
of all plays for the British stage). His stated objection
stemmed from the play’s inclusion of Biblical characters
(John the Baptist and Herod’s court), although it seems
likely that it was actually the lascivious, shocking and
2
subversive undertones in Wilde’s retelling of the Bible
story that truly caused offense. While the Chamberlain’s
ban was motivated by moral propriety enflamed thanks
to the scandalous content of Wilde’s play, it inadvertently
avoided a terrible Mythos event.
For Oscar Wilde’s Salomé is something much
more than it appears. Written at a time when Wilde —
in an absinthe-fuelled Parisian haze — reached out in
desperate longing to escape a decaying relationship
with Bosie, the play represents the product of his
unwitting contact with a greater source of decadence
than even he could imagine. As he sifted through
old and obscure French poems and plays in shady
bookstores, Wilde stumbled upon a copy of The King in
Yellow, an incomprehensible narrative stamped with
the mind-warping image of the Yellow Sign. Unwisely
he read the play, becoming infused with its corrosive
moral influence and, in the 24 hours that followed,
his own play Salomé was written in a feverish trance.
Although Wilde’s play is not a Mythos tome in itself, it
is seeded with decadent imagery and concepts which,
when performed to a large audience, weaken the
barriers between dimensions. This makes it far easier
to summon The King in Yellow to this world.
This was the plan engineered by the subtle forces
of the Mythos, to be executed upon an unwitting
audience at the Palace Theatre in 1892. The Lord
Chamberlain’s ban put an end to that scheme. But the
dark forces of the Cthulhu Mythos are nothing if not
patient. Silently, for the past four years imperceptible
wheels have been turning behind the scenes. First,
the English translation of Wilde’s play appeared with
shocking illustrations by Decadent artist Aubrey
Beardsley. Then, a new Lord Chamberlain was
elected. Lastly, an unexpected and unlikely friendship
was forged between Walter Sickert, an Impressionist
painter of Wilde’s circle and a peer of the Realm.
All of these events, insignificant in themselves, have
allowed for something extraordinary to occur: as
the result of a request from Arthur Symons — one
of Wilde’s friends — the ban on Salomé has been
silently lifted. A theatre — the celebrated St James’s,
no less — has been booked for a run of six weeks, and
an enthusiastic young up-and-coming director named
Jonathan Ogilvie has been hired to help breathe life
into the production. However, as the weeks have
passed, Oscar’s mind seems to have become more
and more befuddled. Despite concern from Wilde’s
friends — and in particular his companion Bosie —
the production continues to hurtle towards its opening
night on January 26 with Ogilvie at the helm.
Unknown to Wilde or any of the various artists
and poets who have signed-on to help with the play,
Jonathan Ogilvie is a servant of The King in Yellow.
His introduction to Oscar was no coincidence, but
carefully engineered. Thoroughly insane yet guided
by occult forces, he is intent on using the first
performance of Salomé as a ritual of sufficient artistic
depravity to summon his god’s presence. The audience
at the opening night performance, as well as some of
the performers themselves, will serve as convenient
sacrifices to satisfy the hunger of the Great Old One.
Unknown to Wilde or any of the various artists
and poets who have signed-on to help with the play,
Jonathan Ogilvie is a servant of The King in Yellow.
His introduction to Oscar was no coincidence, but
carefully engineered. Thoroughly insane yet guided
by occult forces, he is intent on using the first
performance of Salomé as a ritual of sufficient artistic
depravity to summon his god’s presence. The audience
at the opening night performance, as well as some of
the performers themselves, will serve as convenient
sacrifices to satisfy the hunger of the Great Old One.
Running the Adventure
GMs can involve player characters in the events of
this scenario by one of two means. Firstly, they could
be hired as theatre-staff somehow involved with the
production of Salomé at the St James’s Theatre; whether
as an actor, set builder, or other creative professional
who witnesses some of the unusual goings-on around
the play. This is a good option for involving middle-class
(or, in a push, lower-class) characters into the game.
For the purposes of the remainder of this scenario, the
term “actor” Protagonists will be used to describe such
characters (although they don’t have to be actors). Basic
statistics for a selection of actors and other theatre staff
is provided at the end of the scenario; any one of these
could be elaborated to become a Protagonist (Rose
Vanburgh and Hugh Vincent – lead actors in the play –
make particularly good choices).

A Note on Tone
Commonly, Lovecraft stories set in Victorian England evoke a tone which counterpoints the civility and
bluff “stiff-upper-lip” propriety of the British Empire against the raw and ancient Cthulhu Mythos. Such
games focus on manners and firm morality. This scenario should feel quite different to that.
Both by virtue of the locations and the characters encountered, the overall feel should be grittier and
seedier with a strong whiff of a dubious amorality distasteful to the Victorian mind.
While British Theatre of 1890s was a respected and popular form of entertainment, that respect did
not generally extend to the middle-class actors and theatre owners who created it. Both were often
seen as distrustful and vaguely dishonest, barely a step above traveling showmen, “Gypsies”, and
other fraudsters.
The Decadent school of artists, of which Oscar Wilde was the foremost example, were similarly seen
as untrustworthy sorts — coming from privileged backgrounds, these men chose to spurn the hard-
working and morally upright spirit that “made the Empire great”, and instead concentrate on exploring
the limits of indulgence under the excuse of creating great art. They were generally viewed as faintly
disreputable dandies, yet a fascinating source of prurient gossip to a hungry public. They were seen
as “Yellow” in a Parisian kind of way (the term a designation of bohemian decadence).

3
 The other option for involving characters is more
traditional: they could be men or women of good
character approached by Oscar’s friend and lover
Bosie, concerned that his friend has been behaving
very oddly of late. In this case, the “gentlemen”
Protagonists chosen by Bosie will be charged with
the task of getting to the bottom of Wilde’s malaise
and returning him to his affable self. Such characters
will be individuals that Bosie knows Wilde has some
reason to trust; he will contact them by letter with a
request to meet at his club.
For a more complex game, a GM could even
run separate groups of “actor” and “gentlemen”
Protagonists, who begin with different motivations
but find reason to join forces as the investigation
unfolds.
The Script
Oscar Wilde’s Salomé is the hub around which
this scenario revolves. In order for the GM and players
to authentically depict rehearsals and collaboratively
stage the scenario’s final climactic scene — the play’s
opening performance — a cut-down version of the
Salomé script is provided.
The use of a script strengthens the theatrical feel
of the action and provides players with “guidelines”
within which to structure their actions. This is not
to say that Protagonists shouldn’t be allowed to
improvise  — on the contrary, their very lives may
depend on being able to break the course of the play
free from the script at critical junctures.
Note that the version of the script provided at the
end of the scenario contains special “event markers”
which the GM will use to direct actions during the
final performance. When providing copies of the script
to players, the GM should ensure that these markers
are removed — the chilling events of the opening
performance should come as a surprise to the players.
4
Act_One:]
Introductions>
(or, “In The Gutter, Looking
To The Stars”)
A
Depending on the types of Protagonists the
players will be running, the GM will run either one or
both of the two introductory scenes described below.
“A Drink With Bosie” introduces any “gentlemen”
Protagonists through the conceit of having them receive
handwritten invitations to meet with Bosie at his club.
“Dress Rehearsal” introduces the action at the Theatre
by having the play’s director Ogilvie run the actors
(voiced by the players) through a section of the script.
The scene at the Theatre also involves a (brief
and befuddling) encounter with Oscar Wilde. Because
of this — and also because the Theatre is likely to be
a first port of call for the “gentlemen” following their
meeting with Bosie — if running both introductions,
GMs should run “Dress Rehearsal” last.
A Drink With Bosie
“Gentlemen” Protagonists begin the scenario
having each received a handwritten invitation to meet
Lord Alfred Douglas for dinner at a well-known West
End gentleman’s club, Pilkington’s, on Tuesday 22
January, 1895. The notes mention that Lord Douglas
would like to discuss the deteriorating health of his
good friend, Mr. Oscar Wilde. If the Protagonists
have some prior association with Wilde, the note goes
on to mention that Lord Douglas thought it prudent
to confide in someone who is familiar with Oscar’s
eccentricities (otherwise it mentions some other
reason for Bosie having chosen the Protagonist for
the task, perhaps a reputation for discreetly solving
delicate problems).
When the “gentlemen” characters meet Lord
Douglas (Bosie), he is nervously smoking a cigarette in
a corner of the club. Four empty whiskey glasses are
arranged on the table in front of him. It is clear from his
demeanor that he is in a great deal of distress. When
the Protagonists approach, he introduces himself and
thanks them profusely for responding to his request. He
orders drinks and then immediately begins an account
of his concerns regarding Oscar Wilde’s health.
Evidently, ever since production began on the
new play Salomé, Oscar has been anything but his
jovial and gregarious self. In fact, for the past week he
has refused to see anyone except Jonathan Ogilvie, the
director of the play. What’s more, after Bosie spent a
month gathering together all Oscar’s favorite artists
to provide drawings and set ornaments, the obstinate
playwright won’t even meet with them to discuss what
he wants. He has even lost weight (very unusual for
Oscar) and on the rare occasions that Bosie has seen
him in public, he has appeared listless and devoid of
any emotion. Bosie’s attempts to call at his residence
have all been rebuffed, and correspondence has been
unanswered; until two days ago, when he received a
short postcard from Oscar written in a shaky hand.
Bosie is willing to read the note to the Protagonists
(see the nearby box). Both the contents and the manner
of the letter suggest that Oscar Wilde is suffering
some form of mental anguish. Bosie is hoping that
Oscar will respond favorably to the “gentlemen”
Protagonists, and that the characters will be able to
determine the cause of his malady.
The distraught Lord Douglas suggests several
opportunities for meeting with the reclusive
playwright. Firstly, Wilde has a habit of stopping
in at the St James’s late some mornings to see how
preparations for Salomé are progressing. Secondly,
some of Oscar’s more scurrilous writer friends — the
people behind the infamous literary quarterly “The
Yellow Book” — are throwing a party in honor of
the play on Friday night; Oscar is certain to be there
(he is never one to miss a party held in his honor).
Finally, Bosie says that there is absolutely no chance
that Oscar — no matter how oddly he is behaving —
would miss opening night.
“In anticipation of eventualities,” Bosie informs the
“gentlemen” Protagonists, “I have secured on your behalf
invitations to The Yellow Book party.” He has already
provided them tickets to the opening night of Salomé,
included with his original letter requesting to meet.
Bosie is prepared to discuss with the Protagonists
any other issues that may be of relevance to the
present situation.
About Oscar
If asked about his relationship to Oscar Wilde,
he will say that they are good friends. If pressured
on this point he will remain silent and refuse to
speak on the matter any further. He will never be so
crass as to mention that his relationship with Oscar
might be anything other than friendship, but the
Protagonists should be able to deduce this without
direct, embarrassing questions.
About the Play
If Bosie is questioned about the play itself, a brief
look of distaste crosses his face. He admits that he
has never liked the subject matter, and that he found
the language and imagery of Salomé to be garish,
provocative and disturbing. He further mentions
that Oscar had asked him to translate the play from
French, but that his inherent dislike of the material
prevented him from completing the project. He is not
sure from where Oscar received his inspiration for
the play, but he does remember that the text sprang
in to being “almost overnight” — the entire play was
written in under 24 hours. His own opinion is that
Oscar condensed the works of numerous French poets
to produce Salomé.
Bosie says that he just wishes that Salomé would
just “slink off back to her hole in the desert and leave
us all in peace.” An Insight test will confirm suspicions
that Lord Douglas’s jealousy and indignation have
pushed him to the point where he may do something
rash — bringing in the “gentlemen” Protagonists is a
last effort at resolving his frustrations in a civil manner.
About the Production
If asked more about the impending production,
Bosie indicates that he was surprised that Ogilvie
managed to secure the services of so many respected
actors to perform in Salomé. He suggests that it
5
 Handout 1: Oscar’s Postcard

My dear Bosie,
A thousand sincere apologies for my gross neglect of you over the past fortnight. I have been consumed with worry
about the play, and have had little time for any other pursuits, or any of my friends.
I have been out-of-sorts recently, as you are no doubt aware, and I fear that my health begins to desert me when I
most need strength and fortitude. The physicians tell me that it is nervous tension, but I am not so sure. As the days
pass I feel overcome by a pervasive sense of dread, such as I have never experienced before. I find myself drawn
to, yet at the same time repulsed by, the work of art that is nearing completion in the St James’s Theatre. Ogilvie is
by all accounts directing superbly, but I cannot escape the worm of disquiet that gnaws on my sensibilities.
I hope you understand why I cannot see you at present and why, indeed, I cannot bring myself to see any person.
I beg that you understand, and forgive me.
Always yours,
Oscar.
6
may have something to do with the young director’s
reputation as being both brilliant and unremittingly
controversial. Ogilvie has risen to prominence in
theatre circles over the past months for his daring
and often iconoclastic interpretations of traditional
dramatic works. Last year he produced a particularly
scandalous production of a W.B. Yeats play. Once word
got around that Ogilvie was directing, actors became
far more interested in taking up parts in the play.
Of course, Bosie reiterates while puffing out his
chest, the caliber of person working on the play is
in no so small thanks to him as well. “From the first
moment that Oscar said he’d done what was asked
to get the Lord Chamberlain’s ban lifted – right from
that time, I have worked tirelessly to marshal artists
and other sundry notables from among London’s
greatest Aesthetes to become supporters of Salomé.”
Protagonists with a relevant Empire Lore or Art skill
at 60+ will be familiar with (though not necessarily
approving of) the recent artistic movement of
Aestheticism, based upon the concept that the only
important aspects of an artwork are those which
demonstrate some kind of intrinsic beauty rather than
attempt any allegorical or symbolic meaning.
Bosie goes on to relate how he recruited
illustrators and painters to donate their art for the
sets and playbills. Bosie says he was even responsible
for first bringing the play to the attention of “those
scurrilous Yellow Book people.”
All of this is delivered with a very sardonic and
bitter tongue – it is clear that Bosie is not pleased
by recent events, and feels somewhat slighted. An
Insight test suggests an underlying feeling of social
alienation and embittered rage, but gives no insight
into the source of these deep-seated emotions.
Events Leading Up To Now
If questioned, Bosie can provide a very Bosie-
centric view of what Oscar had been doing in the
weeks leading up to his sudden change in behavior.
“Well, the idea of staging Salomé was mine really.
Oscar was working last November on finishing up
some other piece of tat that he’s been knocking around
when I suggested the idea. Of course he’d tried to get it
staged back in ‘92 but that old bearded buffoon Lathom
had other ideas and had the blessed thing banned. I
had only just been speaking with Arthur Symons, who
told me that someone in his crowd of Yellow Book
gasbags could probably pull some strings and get the
new Chamberlain, that colonial fellow, to take a more
sensible view. All Oscar would need to do was go
meet someone — Symons didn’t say who. But anyway,
apparently they did so and everything got sorted.
“The job then turned to how to quickly get a
production off the ground. Again, Oscar really couldn’t
have done it without me – he’s a brilliant man, but has
no eye for mundane details. Symons and I booked the
St James’s Theatre – word has it that the owner was
desperate to have another booking to fill in for that
Domville dross which has recently been getting such
terrible reviews. When Oscar went to inspect the venue,
he bumped into that fellow Ogilvie who volunteered to
direct the play; I thought the man’s Yeats show last year
was jolly good fun and really stuck it to the old guard,
so we said yes. Ogilvie brought along a crew and other
assorted mundane trappings. Meanwhile I did all the
serious work lining up who would do the art! Of course
nobody remembers that now that Robbie Ross seems to
have hijacked the show.”
The Lord Chamberlain’s Ban
Bosie does not know how Oscar managed to get
the censor’s ban on Salomé lifted. Wilde was very
cagey whenever the topic came up in conversation; all
he would say is “I don’t believe in good influences,
but it is always good to know people with influence.”
If questioned further about which other of
Oscar’s circle of Decadent artists and writers has
been involved in the production to date, Bosie will
affect an air of disinterest but will still provide some
basic information:
• Arthur Symons was involved with getting
the production off the ground, but since
then seems to have been too involved with
The Yellow Book to spare much time getting
involved with the ins and outs of preparations
for opening night. He’s very enthusiastic about
the show, though ... and is probably the one
who suggested that The Yellow Book throw a
big party to celebrate Salomé. He was probably
the last of the Aesthetes to meet with Wilde
before the playwright started acting peculiarly,
although “he claims he doesn’t understand it
any more than the rest of us”.
• Robbie Ross is almost the exact opposite — he
too is a poet and someone Oscar has known for
a long time, but he tried tooth-and-nail to con­
vince Wilde not to try to stage Salomé. Since
failing in that endeavor, he has tried to do
everything he can to get the production stopped.
7
 • There were three artists that Bosie originally
picked to contribute to the production —
“Aubrey Beardsley did all the scandalous ink
drawings for the book publication of the Salomé
script; it seemed only obvious that the basic set
designs should be based off his drawings. He
got a little miffed about it, but secretly I think
he loves the attention.” The landscape detail
for the backdrop was designed by renowned
Impressionist painter of the outré, Walter
Sickert. Lastly, one of the truly beautiful props
featured in the play is the gorgeous fan (carried
by the character Herodias). This is an original
silk artwork painted by the famous Charles
Conder, recently back in England. “He seems
to be a bit of a perfectionist about it; always at
the theatre doing something-or-other.”
• Bosie doesn’t have much of an impression of
Jonathan Ogilvie; ever since the man was
given the go-ahead to head up the production,
he hasn’t spoken a word to either Bosie or
Symons. It’s as though now the director has
full control he doesn’t want to have anything
to do with those close to Oscar . . .
Wrapping Things Up
As soon as conversation slows Bosie will excuse
himself, saying that he is not feeling well and would
like to retire early. He will again thank the Protagonists
and urge them to call on Oscar as soon as possible.
Bosie will provide them with an address in Cadogan
Place (his mother’s house) where he may be contacted.
Dress Rehearsal
This scene introduces both the “actor” Protagonists
and the activities that are taking place at the St James’s
Theatre. If the GM has elected to run a game with no
“gentlemen” Protagonists (i.e., all “actors”), he or she
should jump directly to this scene as the beginning of
the scenario. Otherwise, this scene should be staged on
the morning following the meeting with Bosie.
Introducing the Play and the Actors
Those involved with the production of Salomé
have been rehearsing for the past 3 hours. All “actor”
Protagonists are taking a short break between sections
of the play. The director, Jonathan Ogilvie, is earnestly
discussing an aspect of decor with landscape artist
Walter Sickert and the backstage team. Charles
8
Condor, another talented artist of Wilde’s circle, is
lurking around fussing over something. The entire
theatre has an air of excitement that only occurs when
a masterful dramatic piece is nearing completion.
Players running “actor” Protagonists (whether
they be actual actors or other theatre-folk) are aware
of the following background information:
1. The actors have been rehearsing hard for the past
four weeks. The play will undoubtedly be one of
the most impressive London has ever seen.
2. Jonathan Ogilvie is obviously a perfectionist,
but his numerous demands are sometimes rid­
iculous. He seems driven to succeed at all costs.
3. All the actors have meshed perfectly with
the production, and with one another; it
sometimes seems as if they really are their
Salomé characters.
4. None of the Protagonists have seen very much
of Oscar Wilde. On the few occasions that
he has stopped by, he has spoken exclusively
to Ogilvie. He has never watched an entire
rehearsal.
5. There is a swanky party being held on Friday
night to celebrate Salomé, being thrown by a
faintly scandalous literary journal called The
Yellow Book. All the cast and most of the crew
have been invited.
The GM, as Jonathan Ogilvie, should begin the scene
by running the players through a short rehearsal of
a fragment of the play with the players each taking
on an allocated character from the play. Any players
who are controlling actors should read the lines for
their corresponding Salomé-character; other parts
should be handed out to the players by the GM. The
GM should “fill in” any minor characters. Keep this
rehearsal going for as long as the players seem to be
enjoying it; from time to time Ogilvie will interrupt
dictatorially requesting the actors repeat a section
until he is satisfied that it is “perfect”.
A Visit From Oscar
At some point during the rehearsal, any
Protagonists present at the theatre will notice
Oscar Wilde enter the theatre and take a seat near
the back of the stalls. The playwright will wait until
the rehearsal is almost over and will then approach
Jonathan Ogilvie, drawing him aside for conversation.
Wilde has a document with him that the players
9
 will recognize as a recent draft of the Salomé script.
Ogilvie carries a black leather notebook with a strange
symbol on the cover — the Yellow Sign. Whenever
Wilde indicates something in his text, Ogilvie seems
to consult the notebook and then shake his head.
Although the players will not be able to hear what is
being said, they will notice that Wilde is extremely
upset. He gesticulates often and his entire stance
speaks of barely suppressed rage. Ogilvie, by contrast,
seems relaxed and unconcerned. Suddenly Wilde
calms completely, turns and walks slowly towards the
theatre exit. Ogilvie returns to conclude the rehearsal,
a smile briefly flickering across his face.
The Protagonists have unknowingly witnessed
the power of the Cthulhu Mythos. Wilde has made a
last, desperate attempt to replace the existing material
in Salomé with work that is more of his own creation,
and less derivative of The King in Yellow. Ogilvie’s
notebook is, of course, a copy of said volume.
Ogilvie’s intentions depend on keeping Wilde
under control, so he has used the powers of a strange
Mythos artifact — the Roi de Jaune (see page 27)  —
to compel Oscar to return home and forget about
his visit to the theatre. His challenge repelled, the
performance script continues to pay homage to the
Unspeakable King.
The Gentlemen Arrive
If some or all of the players are running
“gentlemen” Protagonists, the GM should aim to have
these characters arrive at the St James’s just as Oscar
Wilde is leaving. Unfortunately, the “gentlemen”
will find the playwright under the influence of a
supernatural effect and quite incoherent. He will
briefly lecture them on the cathartic properties
of indulgence and the artifice of poetry, before
proclaiming ill-health and staggering home. He will
not answer any questions.
During the visit by the “gentlemen” Protagonists,
Ogilvie remains in the background as much as possible.
If he is asked about Oscar’s condition, he says that
Mr. Wilde is nervous and overcome by the stresses of
a demanding schedule. He will then excuse himself
and leave the theatre. Thus abandoned, “gentlemen”
Protagonists may choose to make the acquaintance of
the members of the Salome cast and crew (including any
“actor” Protagonists) and perhaps make a quick search
of the St. James’s Theatre. Each of these will lead them
into further mysteries, as described in the next section.
10
Jonathan Ogilvie
Born in 1855, Jonathan Ogilvie’s career in the
British Theatre has been less than notable with the
exception of the fame he has attracted over the
past 18 months. A long-time resident of Brighton,
Ogilvie was a member of several theatre
companies who staged performances around
the city. In the early ‘90s, apparently out of
frustration at his lack of recognition, he abruptly
quit England and travelled to Paris to immerse
himself in the emerging Decadent culture.
While in France he met several other Britons
similarly basking in the fin-de-siecle culture,
including Samuel Mathers, who had recently come
to Paris to found the French Temple of the Order
of the Golden Dawn. Through this connection,
Ogilvie came to know that W.B. Yeats had plans
to stage his first play in London. Also while in
Paris, he encountered a curious individual who
went by the name “Castaigne” — this mysterious
man gave Ogilvie a worn and tattered book with
an old playing card inside, the latter apparently
having been used as a bookmark. The book was
the play called The King in Yellow, and the card
was the Roi de Jaune (see box on page 27).
Both forever changed his life.
Receiving an epiphany while reading this slim and
battered volume, the director returned to London
full of purpose. Armed with a letter of introduction
from Mathers, Ogilvie’s meeting with Yeats went
well — the poet was only too happy to have
Ogilvie direct his play, The Land of Heart’s Desire.
On the back of that play’s success, Ogilvie found
it easy to secure further high-profile London shows.
Then, in November of 1894, he received a strange
letter — unsigned, but bearing the weird yellow
sigil he knew to be associated with his lord and
master, The King in Yellow. The letter instructed him
to be at the St. James’s Theatre on a particular
date, where he would meet Oscar Wilde and
agree to take charge of a new production that the
playwright had planned for 1895...
If Ogilvie survives the events of this scenario, he
could potentially return as an ongoing nemesis for
the Protagonists. Or he could move somewhere
completely different with the aim of spreading
mayhem on behalf of The King in Yellow.

Act_Two:]
Complications>
(or, An Investigation of Some
Importance)
A Calling on Oscar
It should be obvious to Protagonists – whether they
be “gentlemen” engaged by Bosie or “actors” working
at the theatre — that there is something strange going
on behind the scenes of the Salomé production. Despite
the fact that there is only a scant few days before the
play’s opening night, there is still time for some hasty
investigation to try to get to the bottom of what is affecting
Oscar Wilde, Ogilvie, and the rest of the production.
However, getting clear and unambiguous answers
in the form of “clues” will prove difficult, for several
reasons:
1. Jonathan Ogilvie, the source of the unclean
influence, is both paranoid and extremely
careful in covering his tracks — there are hints
in his behavior and the contents of his office
that point to odd behavior, but nothing will
unambiguously pin down his cultist affiliations
(prior to the events of opening night);
2. Several of the Decadents of Oscar Wilde’s
circle that have been brought on to the Salomé
production for artistic contributions bring
with them their own plots and intrigues.
These artists are uniformly larger-than-life
characters, whose outrageous excess and
struggle for the limelight will naturally attract
attention even though they are largely ancillary
to the investigation. Rivalries between the
Aesthetes create several apparently bizarre,
yet ultimately irrelevant, “yellow herrings”
to complicate the investigation (see “More
Herrings of a Yellow Kind” on page 16);
3. As the time for The King in Yellow’s arrival
draws close, the St. James’s Theatre is
becoming increasingly suffused with strange
Mythos energies which herald his prophesied
appearance in this world (even though the
summoning has yet to take place). These will
manifest in a couple of strange, yet inexplicable
supernatural encounters, whose significance
will likely remain a baffling surreal mystery.
Overall, the GM should aim to provide his or her players
with an investigative experience that is filled with
discoveries, but elusive and ambiguous when it comes
to concrete facts about what is going on. This dream-
like quality mirrors the fleeting and imponderable
nature of the Mythos play The King in Yellow, which
poisons Salomé.
Probably the one person the Protagonists will be
most keen to speak with further is Oscar Wilde himself.
This is simply not possible. Protagonists can call at
Wilde’s residence at 16 Tite Street in Chelsea, where a
well-dressed servant will admit them to an immaculately
decorated drawing room. After taking their calling cards
and leaving them to wait a few minutes, the servant
returns with a simple message: “Mr. Wilde informs me
that he is sadly not at home today. Would you care to
leave a note before you depart?” Any notes left behind
will receive no response, regardless of their contents.
There is nothing of interest to be seen in Oscar’s
home (at least the part of it they can easily see), and
any indecorous actions such as threatening the servant
or forcibly bolting down the corridor, risk intervention
by the constabulary. Such tactics also won’t work — the
playwright is cloistered behind a pair of locked doors;
by the time any forceful action has dispensed with these,
the neighbors and several burly bobbies will be at hand
to arrest the “clearly afflicted” Protagonists.
Investigating The Play
Protagonists researching Salomé and the current
production through traditional routes (searching
through library tomes and newspaper morgues) discover
very little. While it is easy to track down a copy of the
play’s script (printed in 1894, complete with lavish
and provocative illustrations by Aubrey Beardsley),
reading it reveals little. Similarly, it is possible to find
newspapers reporting the Lord Chamberlain’s ban
forbidding performance of Salomé in 1892, but short
of relaying the predictably blustering and indignant
statements made by Wilde at the time — and his threats
to move to France permanently in disgust — they offer
nothing of note.
11
 There is, however, a wealth of information about
Salomé and the current production available through
interviewing members of Oscar’s circle of Decadent
artistic friends. While normally, tracking down such
individuals, particularly at short notice, may prove
challenging, the circumstances of this scenario make
this fairly easy. Several of the key Aesthetes loiter
around the theatre from time to time; and all will be in
attendance together at the party being thrown by the
publishers of The Yellow Book (jointly in celebration
of their recent publication and in celebration of Wilde’s
“wicked play”). See the nearby box for information on six
Decadent artists (all real historical figures), which the
GM may use to impart information through interviews
or absinthe-fuelled party conversations. Statistics for
each are given at the end of the scenario.
One problem the Protagonists should face as they
talk with artists of Oscar’s circle is that while these
eccentric and idiosyncratic characters are not reticent
in agreeing to talk at length, most affect a meandering
and indulgent mode of speech which refuses to stay on
any one topic. A concrete question about whether the
artist has seen anyone acting strangely can easily end
up rapidly descending into a discussion about morality
and the arts, the best club in London to buy tobacco, or
the artist’s recent time in the Colonies. The Aesthetes
will treat such interviews as a kind of “performance,”
designed to convey their devotion to art and hedonism
above everything else. Suffice to say, an Insight test
will determine that this veneer is fake, but says nothing
about what the artist truly believes.
By word of mouth, the Protagonists can readily
find out the following about the play and Oscar Wilde
(some of which is factual, some mere rumor and gossip):
• The story of Salomé is based on events from The
Bible, but Oscar has put his own unique twist
on things to create something quite shocking;
• Some are skeptical that Salomé is truly Oscar’s
work, believing it to be a pastiche of one or
more French symbolist poets;
• Opinion is divided as to why Oscar is behaving
strangely: some find it odd that over the past
weeks he has spoken to almost nobody; others
see it as a ploy to gain attention. A few put his
behavior down to simple exhaustion;
• All agree that the only person who Oscar has
spoken to recently is Jonathan Ogilvie.
12
More in-depth questioning of artists, in conjunction
with a relevant roll (Charm, Persuade, or Art are likely;
Alertness might be used to overhear a conversation
from afar) can reveal more. At the GM’s discretion, the
following items can be learned by such means:
• Things have been going missing recently
around the theatre; nothing large, but people
are starting to keep their valuables locked away
(see “Thefts at the Theatre” on page 17);
• Another small annoyance has been caused by
the fact that the foreman in charge of the set
design — a boozy Irishman known only as
“Old Charlie” — has simply stopped coming
to work, with no notice or explanation (see “A
Watcher in the Scenery” on page 21);
• Inexplicably there was a recent delivery to the
theatre of a large quantity of colored feathers;
no­body knows what they are for, or where
they are now (see “Beardsley’s Conspiracy”
on page 20);
• A few people close to Aubrey Beardsley have
received a sly hint from the scurrilous artist
to “watch closely on opening night; there
could be a surprise” (another reference to
“Beardsley’s Conspiracy”);
• Oscar’s publisher friend Arthur Symons was
the one who had the original idea to attempt
a new production of Salomé, claiming to know
some way to get the ban lifted; some believe he
knows some dark secret about the new Lord
Chamberlain (Lord Carrington).
One fact about the production, known to a few
individuals, but kept a closely-guarded secret that
should only be learned after some good roleplaying
(and perhaps a critical success with Charm or
Persuade) cajoles an artist into “spilling the beans:”
• The truth behind the lifting of ban is a secret
(although quite a prosaic one): artist Walter
Sickert is a close friend of the Royal Family
thanks to a close personal association with high-
living “Prince Eddy” (some of whose hijinks
are described in the box “The Cleveland Street
Scandal” on page 25) when the latter was still
alive. That influence was enough to coerce Lord
Carrington into reconsidering the ban.
 Researching the Aesthetes
Name Biographical Sketch
Famous for scandalous Art Nouveau
Aubrey ink drawings poking fun at Victorian
Beardsley sensibilities; Art Editor of The
Yellow Book; chronic sufferer of
Tuberculosis; Illustrated the English
published version of Salomé
Decadent painter of some renown;
Charles spent significant time in Australia
Conder where he contracted a venereal
disease, treatment of which has left
him weak and destitute (something
he hides)
One of the leading proponents of
Walter the British Impressionist school of
Sickert painters; paints sometimes grotesque
scenes from real life; has a fixation
about Jack The Ripper whose hidden
identity he believes he knows
Of Scots heritage, but born in France
Robert and raised in Canada; Journalist
Ross and critic; a former homosexual
lover of Oscar Wilde, now acting as
a kind of motherly protector steering
him away from dangerous liaisons
(like that with Bosie)
Son of a Welsh minister; a
Arthur Decadent poet fixated on erotic
Symons themes; also frequently a literary
critic and regular contributor to The
Yellow Book
Noble member of an Estonian
Count Eric peerage, but educated in England
Stenbock where he has lived most of his life.
Long-term opium and absinthe fiend
and rumoured to be quite mad as a
result. Now in extremely poor health,
some believe near death
Involvement in Opportunities Scandal and
Salome to Encounter Rumor
His black & white Offices of The Bodley Rumored to have an
Salomé drawings were Head (publishers of ongoing incestuous
“borrowed” to become The Yellow Book), relationship with his own
the set designs; as a Yellow Book Party, also sister, Mabel
form of revenge he an occasional visitor to
has a joke of his own the St. James’s Theatre
planned
Contributed one of his Lurks around the While once possessed of
splendid ornate painted St. James’s Theatre, a sharp mind, some have
fans to be a featured looking for small items noticed him to be much
prop for the play to steal and pawn; distracted since his return
Yellow Book Party from the colonies
Oversees the design of Yellow Book Party and Rumors abound of a
the painted backdrops opening night mistress and an illegitimate
for the play; was child
secretly the person
responsible for getting
the Lord Chamberlain’s
ban lifted
Concerned with the Occasional visitor to Robbie Ross’s former tryst
effect the play will have the St. James’s Theatre; with Wilde is an open
on Oscar’s reputation, Yellow Book Party and secret, but many still do
he has tried to have the opening night not understand the enmity
production shut down he has for Oscar’s latest
(or at least softened) to conquest, Bosie
no avail
While heavily Haunts the Public Pall Mall Gazette: “Mr.
involved in initiating houses where the old Arthur Symons is a very
the production of “Rhymers’ Club” used dirty-minded man, and
Salomé, now has little to meet; Yellow Book his mind is reflected in the
involvement Party puddle of his bad verses.”
None, although he has Yellow Book Party Extreme and eccentric
travelled all the way and opening night behavior: always carries
from his deathbed (though unavailable in a pet monkey; has a
in Brighton to be at preceding days, as still life-sized wooden doll
the opening night in Brighton) he refers to as his son
performance of Salomé (amongst lots of other
weird stuff)
13
 Investigating Jonathan
Ogilvie
Protagonists are likely to be interested in
learning more about the young director who seems so
instrumental in the production of Salomé. Questions to
Wilde’s Decadent circle of artists reveal a few intriguing
facts and rumors:
• Despite Ogilvie’s last three plays getting quite
good reviews, nobody really knows what he did
before that; his rise to fame seems unnaturally
rapid;
• Those who have witnessed Ogilvie directing,
speak of his talents in awed tones; when he
gets it right it’s as though the whole cast moves
as part of a single machine;
• Ogilvie is reputed to have a fierce temper,
particularly when he is directing. Several
actors have been reduced to tears by a tirade
occasioned by what the director called “dissent
in the ranks” during a rehearsal;
• There is a rumor that Ogilvie has some kind
of connection with the Golden Dawn society;
some even point to the fact that he produced
a play for W.B. Yeats, a well-known Golden
Dawn member;
• Like many in theatre, Ogilvie is a little
superstitious and reportedly won’t direct
unless he has his “lucky charm” with him,
although nobody actually knows what this
refers to;
• Ogilvie has a reputation for drinking just
before his shows, and encouraging his actors
to do likewise.
The last two of these items refer to Ogilvie’s curious
Mythos artefact, the Roi de Jaune (see page 27).
14
Newspaper and library investigations into the
background of Jonathan Ogilvie turn up surprisingly few
references to him in the annals of British Theatre. Prior
to 1894, no reference can be found to him whatsoever.
However, several items of recent note can be discovered
via Research tests. The first is a review from “Theatrical
World of 1894” (see Handout nearby).
Further Research rolls discover similar mentions of
two other productions by Ogilvie later in 1894. These are:
• “An iconoclastic production of Shakespeare’s
Richard III (14 to 27 July) by up-and-comer
Jonathan Ogilvie certainly has raised more
than its fair share of eyebrows, what with the
bleak portrayal of Richard as an immoral and
bloody murderer of the sort one only expects to
find in the fogs of Whitechapel on a cold night.”
• “Marlowe’s Jew of Malta (November 23 to
December 4) received a somewhat contro­
versial treatment at the hands of young Jonathan
Ogilvie. His version cast the titular character
as a wicked man who schemes to become
richer than the king through the assassination
of prominent Catholics. Not popular with the
brisket beaters!”
Incidentally, should any Protagonist with police contacts
make enquiries with the authorities about Jonathan
Ogilvie or his productions they will find an odd entry in
a police file, which simply records that on 13 May, 1894
the entire cast of Ogilvie’s Land of Heart’s Desire were
interviewed by Scotland Yard detectives in relation to
several disappearances.
[GM’s Note: This last curious item has no actual
bearing on this scenario and is actually a part of an
entirely separate web of intrigue surrounding the
dramatic works of prominent Golden Dawn member
W.B. Yeats. The GM is welcome to expand this “stub” in
any way he or she desires, including developing it into
an entirely separate follow-on scenario.]
 Theatrical World of 1894
For the sake of record I mention the appearance at the Royalty of an American “short-skirt
artiste,” named Miss Hope Booth, in a “variety comedy” by C. T. Vincent, entitled Little Miss
‘Cute* The play was utterly futile, and beyond a pretty face and a neat figure, the performer
seemed to have no particular qualifications for the walk of life which she had chosen. Neither
her acting, her singing, nor her dancing was of any account. Miss Booth is said to be advertised
in her own country as “’cute, cunning, and curly.” This eulogy she doubtless merits; and among a
public which is content with such qualities, she ought to command success. The only noteworthy
piece of acting in the play was Mr. Ivan Watson’s performance of an Italian villain. I wish Mr.

Handout 2: A Review From “Theatrical World of 1894”

Frank Wyatt would take a lesson from Mr. Watson in broken English.
Rather more of a pleasant variety of surprise was rendered by the notable production of the
latest fanciful faerie-tale from W.B. Yeats “The Land of Heart’s Desire”** staged at the Avenue.
The substance of the play itself, was, of course, the usual sort of semi-mystical hokum that we
have come to expect from members of a certain society. Yet previously unknown director J.
Ogilvie somehow managed to draw something special from the elusive depths of the text and
present something that should have been a compelling piece of theatre. I say “should have”, since
this production was afflicted by the same problem which recently rendered A Comedy of Sighs
into a Comedy of Groans. Simply, the players had taken no account of the defective acoustic of
the Avenue Theatre so that I, for one, heard only about half the dialogue and that imperfectly
and with a painful strain. There can be no doubt that the little piece is prettily written, but its
spiritual motif, so to speak, eluded me. The fairy’s power over Mary Bruin must surely symbolise
something in her nature, or, at any rate, there must be something in her nature or circumstance
to give the Good People a hold over her. Surely such was their reason for taking her to the other
side. Now what this something was entirely escaped me, whether by the author’s fault or the
actors’ I cannot tell.
But despite these limitations, Mr. Ogilvie’s direction shone through and created something
of note. Surely this man – only recently returned to England from some years abroad studying
in Paris with the likes of Marcel Schwob – is in the ascendant. His opening night address to the
audience spake of him being a “changed man, imbued with a clarity of direction” thanks, one
assumes, to his studies in France. One can only hope that this “changed man” still remembers
what it means to be British! We have seen all too many “changed men” coming back across the
channel of late!
This brings me to a discussion of the rather lamentable state of affairs in the once-strong
British

* March 22. Does not seem to have been repeated.

** March 29 - April 14 ; April 21 May 12.

15
 “Tell Me, Have You Read
The Yellow Book?”
Protagonists (or players) who have some level of
experience with the Cthulhu Mythos, and in particular
with the machinations of The King in Yellow, may be
alarmed to hear mention of a modern literary journal
called “The Yellow Book.” In truth, this periodical
is exactly what it seems to be — just a somewhat
disreputable quarterly periodical publishing poetry,
prose and drawings by artists from the Aesthete school.
Attempts to investigate The Yellow Book, in search
of some nefarious connection, will unearth the following
basic details, but nothing more sinister:
• The Yellow Book was founded in 1894 and
is published by The Bodley Head (who have
offices on Vigo Street);
• The name “Yellow Book” is presumed to refer
to the French book-shop practice of wrapping
controversial books in plain yellow covers,
although some cite a reference to Oscar Wilde’s
famous 1891 novel The Picture of Dorian Gray,
in which a “yellow book” is described as being
one of the corrupting influences upon the title
character; More Herrings of a Yellow Kind
• At the time of this scenario, three issues of the While the core of the investigative section of this
periodical have been published — the party on scenario is the Mythos plot of Jonathan Ogilvie, getting
Friday night is a launch for the fourth issue; to the bottom of his scheming is greatly complicated
by the need to discount several other tangled plots and
• The pages of The Yellow Book have so far been
intrigues at play. Depending on the GM’s preferred
filled with regular contributions by some well-
style of game, some or all of these can be brushed
known writers and artists, including wicked
over or eliminated completely — alternatively, the
satirist Max Beerbohm, Arthur Symons, Ernest
GM can use these numerous unrelated plotlines as a
Dowson, painter Walter Sickert, among many
mechanism for keeping players feeling like they are
lesser-known names;
never quite on top of the investigation.
• The scandalous covers, as well as many of the
interior illustrations are by Aubrey Beardsley Beardsley’s Joke
who, in conjunction with American Henry Aubrey Beardsley, the man whose art graces the
Harland, is the editorial board of the journal; Salomé sets, has a devilish sense of humor. He also holds
a grudge. When those initially involved in creating the
• Literary critics seem to be mixed in their
Salomé production (Bosie and Arthur Symons) chose to
impression of the journal — some find it
use his art without first asking permission, initially he
bemusing, some offensive, some shower it in
was a trifle annoyed. But, Beardsley eventually decided
qualified praise.
that rather than being a boor about it, he would have a
GMs in search of Decadent color to inspire their little wicked fun of his own. To this end, he has been
presentation of this scenario can find it in spades in the conspiring with one of the set designers to arrange for
PDF scanned versions of The Yellow Book. Issues are avail­ a special hidden apparatus to be constructed as part of
able for free at The Internet Archive (www.archive.org). the Salomé set. Its purpose is simple: when triggered,

16
eight spring-loaded wooden struts extend out through
small holes in the set, carefully concealed by the
painted black and white pattern. Beardsley and his co-
conspirator plan to attach large and colorful peacock
feathers to these struts, such that they remain entirely
unseen until someone pulls the triggering mechanism
at a suitably dramatic moment during the opening night
performance. Then, a halo of peacock feathers will
unexpectedly emerge, surprising not only the audience
but also the actors on stage.
Protagonists can stumble upon this childish plot in
a number of ways. While searching the theatre they may
find the strange apparatus (see “Beardsley’s Conspiracy”
on page 20), or while observing people backstage they
may spot Bearsdley and his co-conspirator talking in
hushed tones (see “People Watching: The Artists” on
page 21). If nothing else, they will certainly notice
Beardsley’s device should it be activated on opening
night (see “Event G” on page 32); ironically, this stunt
may actually help Protagonists break free from the
Mythos effects of the play.
The Lord Chamberlain’s Ban
As described in the section “Investigating The Play”
(page 11), there is a great amount of secrecy around
the exact circumstances that led to the lifting of the
Lord Chamberlain’s ban on performing Salomé. This is
a purely mundane mystery, but the evasiveness of those
in the know is likely to make it seem far more sinister.
Thefts at the Theatre
Another purely mundane mystery that Pro­
tagonists may assume to be more significant is the
recent spate of thefts from the St. James’s Theatre.
Several small items have gone missing from all
over the theatre, never to be seen again. The truth
behind these disappearances is very simple: the items
have been stolen by Charles Conder, an artist of
the Decadent Circle who has contributed one small
artistic piece to the production. Conder, personally
bankrupt yet desperate to maintain the appearance
of his former well-to-do life, has taken to haunting
the theatre in search of items he can pawn to pay for
expensive restaurant meals and top-shelf absinthe.
There are numerous options a GM could employ to
use this “Yellow Herring” (see “People Watching: The
Artists” on page 21 for some ideas).
Ogilvie’s Golden Dawn Connection
Thanks largely to the fact that he was involved
with directing a much-publicised play written by
W.B. Yeats — one of the most famous members of the
The Show Must Go On
It is likely that Protagonists will quickly conclude
that there is something very wrong with the
production of Salome about to open at the St
James’ Theatre. They may decide that the best
course of action is to stop the play from going
ahead. This will not be easy to do.
For “gentlemen” Protagonists, one possible course
of action would be to use influence around
London to have the productions funding cut.
When meeting with their powerful associates,
they will quickly learn that Ogilvie has some very
influential friends of his own that will need to
be overcome before the financiers will pull their
backing. The GM should run a series of opposed
tests wherein Protagonists pit their Permanent
Resources against the Resources (initially 18) of
Ogilvie’s shadowy backers. Each success that
either side makes will reduce the other party’s
Resources by 2 — only when the Protagonist’s
Resources rating exceeds that of the backers will
the play’s support be withdrawn. As always, the
GM should reward clever ideas put forward by
players, perhaps rewarding them with a +20%
or +40% bonus. The GM should also decide
whether Resource points lost due to these efforts
at inciting scandal are permanent or temporary.
“Actor” Protagonists might hit upon the idea of
simply abandoning their (leading) roles under the
belief that this will stop the play. Sadly, all such
efforts are destined to do is to highlight the fact
that in Ogilvie’s eyes nobody is irreplaceable –
within an hour of an actor’s resignation he has
arranged for an understudy or minor member of
the company to take the role. Conceivably the
Protagonists could try to petition the entire cast
to walk off, but this will require much diplomacy
and numerous social interaction rolls (Persuade or
Harangue are most likely to succeed). After all,
for minor actors the departure of a “big name” is
a wonderful opportunity to finally get their break.
Golden Dawn society — rumors abound that Ogilvie
himself is a member of that magickal fraternity. For the
purposes of this scenario, it doesn’t matter whether
this is true or not; the GM should feel to use this
connection if it enhances his or her game or otherwise
leave it as a dead-end. If using the society extensively
in a follow-up scenario, Pagan Publishing’s excellent
sourcebook The Golden Dawn is highly recommended
as a helpful D100 gaming resource.
17
 Investigations at the Theatre
The St. James’s Theatre is the focal point of both
the mundane and Mythos happenings that take place
in this scenario. The “actor” Protagonists will likely
spend the majority of their time (at least the daylight
hours) situated within the cold walls of this majestic
building. Depending on the threads of investigation
followed by “gentlemen” Protagonists, they too may
spend considerable time poking around backstage
looking for clues. The final events which conclude the
adventure — the summoning of the King in Yellow
onto this earthly plane — take place entirely within
the confines of the theatre.
Layout of the Theatre
The St. James’s Theatre is a large (around 1,200
seat) theatre located on the Southern side of King
Street, right in the heart of London’s West End theatre
district. The building dates back to 1835.
From the street, the St. James’s appears as an
understated if refined neo-classical structure. Two
short flights of steps lead up through a three-bay
portico (of Ionic columns) to the large doors that form
the theatre’s main entrance.
Foyer & “Crush Hall”
Immediately inside the main entrance is a square-
shaped foyer area, decorated in red and gold. The lush
carpeting has a busy pattern running through it. To
one side of the room, a narrow window at waist-height
allows access to a ticket-seller working in a small box
office. Opposite the street entrance, stairs rise to an
oval-shaped room called the “Crush Hall”, which
serves as the main entrance into the theatre stalls.
To the left and right of the main entrance archways
lead into corridor areas incorporating stairways to
the upper levels. The area to the right also provides
access to a small cloak room. For the couple of hours
prior to the opening night performance, the foyer area
will be crowded with society types; for the rest of the
time it will be empty.
Saloon
Immediately above the foyer, at the top of the
stairs, is a large and lavish saloon lounge where
theatre-goers can partake of drinks and light
refreshments prior to the performance and during
intervals. A massive chandelier dominates this room,
which is decorated in rich purple tones.
18
Auditorium & Orchestra
The auditorium is decorated in Louis Quatorze
style, which by the 1890s is a little old-fashioned but
still exudes a classic appeal. In general, the walls are
unadorned but contrasted by extremely elaborate
carved and gilt woodwork decorating both the
proscenium arch (rising above the stage) and the front
faces of the many boxes which rise to a second and
third tier above the floor.
The floor seating area — the stalls — caters to
several hundred patrons. This tiered area is below
the level of the “crush hall”, extending almost all the
way to the stage. Unlike many more modern theatres,
which hide the orchestra away in an “orchestra pit”
or beneath the stage, the St. James’s is arranged in
the old-fashioned style which squeezes the musicians
into a small roped-off section of floor immediately
between the front row of seating and the stage.
While the stall seating is available for the “paying
public”, most of the well-to-do theatre audience
choose seating either in boxes to the left and right of
the auditorium, or in higher tiers of seating at the rear.
This latter area consists of a “dress circle” and “upper
circle”, both accessible from the saloon. The private
boxes are appointed in a remarkably luxurious style;
the most lavish of these — the Royal Box, described
separately on page 23 — more than lives up to its
name (and actually is frequented by Victoria herself
on a regular basis).
Stage & Sets
The St. James’s Theatre has a large stage
area, which allows its productions to feature some
remarkably elaborate sets. For Salomé, these are truly
exquisite — literally works of (Decadent) art. Two
main set areas have been constructed with a large
painted backdrop extending behind both of them.
The backdrop shows a bleak and somewhat indistinct
rocky landscape. This is a new painted piece created
specifically for Salomé under the direction of Walter
Sickert. In style and detail, it is highly reminiscent of
paintings by one of Sickert’s major influences, French
Impressionist Degas. The area to the right of stage
depicts an external section of Herod’s majestic palace;
the area to the left shows the cistern, which serves as
Jokanaan’s prison. The structural sets for both these
areas are a mix of painted canvas and more detailed
wooden pieces, each starkly painted in black and
white to mimic the outlandish ink drawings of Aubrey
Beardsley. The end result is quite a remarkable visual
combination of the graceful and the grotesque.
19
 Protagonists who inspect the set constructions
in close detail may notice a curious mechanism
concealed within their structure. See the nearby box
“Beardsley’s Conspiracy”.
Backstage: Offices & Dressing Rooms
The St. James’s Theatre features a large backstage
area, extending down one entire side of the building
(some sections originally formed part of a different
building, incorporated into the theatre after its initial
construction). In contrast to the open, lavish and
bright appearance of the publicly-accessible areas,
these parts of the theatre are dark, narrow and
undecorated. The only entry into this area is via a
doorway at the side of the auditorium (lockable, but
seldom locked).
The areas closest to the street and foyer constitute
the business offices, occupied by theatre-owner George
Alexander and a few others. The areas towards the
back of the theatre mostly consist of a handful of shared
dressing rooms, although one of these areas has been
commandeered by Jonathan Ogilvie to be his personal
office. This is quite presumptuous for a director, but
nobody seems to have complained. The front offices
and the dressing areas are typical of their kind — the
GM can elaborate on them as required. The contents of
Ogilvie’s office are described on page 22.
Catwalks
Rising above the stage, a pair of catwalks serve
as access ways for lighting and scenery fitters. The
St. James’s is fortunate to have been fitted with all
the most modern of lighting apparatus, embracing the
newest electrical techniques of illumination.
Trap Room
The area below the stage is traditionally known as
the “Trap Room” (because it is from here that various
trap doors to the stage area can be constructed). The
St. James’s has a large room for this purpose, but its
poor lighting and general clutter make it far from a
pleasant place. Because the theatre lacks a dedicated
storeroom or workshop, this area doubles as both of
these. This means that corners of its cramped depths
store countless years’ worth of dust-shrouded props
and musty scenery flats, some in a state of semi-decay.
Other areas perpetually smell of thick, heavy paint
and other noxious chemical smells.
The most obvious feature in this room is the
scaffolding and trap door that has been set up beneath
the on-stage cistern, which will serve as Jokanaan’s
prison. While this creaky L-shaped two-stage stair­
20
Beardsley’s Conspiracy
Protagonists, whose suspicions are raised by the
occasional unexplained visits by Aubrey Beardsley
to visit one of the construction crew and inspect the
wooden set, may choose to inspect it in detail. For
the most part, the elaborately painted pieces are
exactly what they seem — simple but gorgeous
parts representing the faux palace of Herod.
A successful Search roll reveals one curiosity,
however. One section of the set appears to
incorporate some kind of concealed spring-loaded
apparatus, approximately three feet square. Some
care has obviously been taken to build this into the
set itself — it is entirely invisible from the audience
side, and when viewed from behind appears to
be nothing more than an inconsequential part
of a structural joist. If asked about this unusual
apparatus, none of the riggers or set designers
claim to know anything about it (although an
Insight test may detect one of them is lying).
Although this curiously-concealed apparatus seems
quite sinister, it is actually part of an elaborate
joke that artist Aubrey Beardsley has planned for
the opening night performance (see “Beardsley’s
Joke” on page 16). Depending on exactly
when Protagonists discover the trick mechanism, it
may or may not already be fitted with its colorful
feathers and primed – this happens very early on
the morning of the performance.
Late night investigations at the theatre might also
accidentally unearth hints of this conspiracy, as
night-times are the only opportunity for testing
or priming the device. Strange sounds, a lurking
shadow around the set, or an unexpected early-
morning delivery of peacock feathers — all are
possible events the Protagonists may witness.
case seems dangerous, it is actually quite sturdy.
Protagonists looking over this structure with some
care (succeeding in a Search roll) notice that several
small but indistinct patterns have been carved into
the scaffolding, with traces of chalk dust surrounding
them. A successful Unnatural test reveals that these
sigils are somehow connected with the control of
otherworldly creatures. In truth they are mystical
markings which Ogilvie will use when he summons
a disgusting creature from the King in Yellow’s foul
court, causing it to materialize in the cistern during
the performance of the play (Event J). These marks
are part of the ritual preparations to bind this beast;
if Protagonists tamper with these marks, or somehow
remove them, the summoned creature (a Patchwork
Courtier, see page 40) will ignore Ogilvie’s command
and instead search out the nearest convenient victim.
This could be actors on the stage, or even the director
himself, if the GM so desires.
A second Mythos influence — much less obvious,
though infinitely more dangerous — can also be
encountered in the eerie and dimly lit storage area at
the back corner of the Trap Room. It is here that many
old and musty painted scenario backdrops are kept,
one of which has been infected by the influence of the
coming King in Yellow (see the box “A Watcher in the
Scenery”, immediately below).
People-Watching at the Theatre
Prior to the commencement of the scenario,
“actor” Protagonists have spent several weeks with
Ogilvie and the crew of the St. James’s theatre and
are thus familiar with their normal routine. They
will probably be less familiar with some of the more
unusual activities that some of the cast and crew
engage in when they believe they are unobserved.
The Crew
The backstage crew for the production of Salomé
are made up of two distinct groups. The first are
workers employed by the theatre, mainly costumiers, set
A Watcher in the Scenery
As the time draws closer for The King in Yellow’s
prophesied arrival in the St. James’s Theatre, subtle yet
disturbing changes are taking places wherever items
have some kind of thematic resonance to the terrible
Great Old One. The GM can use this as a means of
introducing all manner of surreal yet ephemeral visions
or encounters. One such example is described below;
another curious and dangerous encounter is described
in “Late Night Dancers” on page 23.
At the very back of the St. James’s Trap Room, in
the dust-strewn corner reserved for old scenery
backdrops, sits a large painted flat canvas depicting
an idyllic rural West Country lake scene. While
perfectly beautiful in a faded, old-fashioned way,
this relic from a forgotten play is now faintly linked
with the far-off Lake of Hali. While most people
looking at the painted scene will see nothing out
of the ordinary, those of a bohemian or Decadent
persuasion (any artist, anybody intoxicated, and
anybody whose POW is 17+) will see, not a
Somersetshire pastoral scene, but instead a view of
an alien lake beneath twin moons. This compelling
vision costs 1/1D6 SAN points [Unnatural]. This is
designers and set riggers. Generally, these people have
a friendly and sunny disposition, being more than happy
to joke with the actors and visitors in a friendly way.
In contrast to this, the second group of crew
members appear dark, sullen and dispirited, with
little cheer. These people — the lighting director,
fly crew, and two director’s assistants — have been
brought to the production by Ogilvie, and have
worked with him on his previous productions. These
unfortunate individuals have had more than their fair
share of influence from Ogilvie’s occult powers of
manipulation, with the end result being they display
very little of their own will at any time. One or two
of the men seem to have oddly burned or distorted
skin (the result of minor damage resulting from
supernatural attacks Ogilvie has made in retaliation
to, usually minor, mistakes).
The Artists
Three artists from Wilde’s artistic circle drop by
the theatre from time to time to “supervise” the final
preparations of their artistic contributions:
• Walter Sickert is an infrequent visitor, but
the set construction crew cringe each time he
enters the room thanks to his overwhelming
fondness for equivocating over minor details.
not, however, the worst of it – the mystical connection
which allows such viewers to see the Lake of Hali
also works in the other direction, allowing the
grotesque things that lurk beneath its greasy waves
to perceive and attack such Protagonists. The most
likely horrors to break the foul surface are the slimy
fluid tentacles of a Hali-Spawn (see page 40).
Protagonists who are attacked in this way will seem
to others who do not perceive the “hallucinatory”
lake scene as simply thrashing around as though
attacked by an invisible foe. Should a victim be
seized by a tentacle and drawn towards the rubbery
bulk of a Hali-Spawn, they will be seen by others
to suddenly and inexplicably disappear from view.
Perhaps the only evidence of their passing will be
a curious ripple now visible (to everyone) on the
surface of the painted West Country lake.
Although a very minor footnote to the events of this
scenario, the terrible predations of the watching
Hali-Spawn are the true explanation behind the
theatre’s missing construction foreman (a chronic
alcoholic who chose the wrong place to sneak to for
a lunchtime tipple).
21
 • Aubrey Beardsley comes to the theatre every
couple of days to speak with the crew who are
preparing the set elements based on his art.
Curiously, Beardsley only ever seems to want
to speak with one of the construction crew, a
man with whom he seems “thick as thieves”.
Indeed, anyone watching closely enough may
even spot the two of them conspiratorially
slipping out of the theatre together to dine at a
nearby establishment (Beardsley pays the bill).
In truth, this is as it appears — part of a small
plot; see “Beardsley’s Joke” on page 16.
• Charles Conder is at the St. James’s virtually all
hours of the day; nobody can really understand
why. While he does spend a great deal of time
fussing over the ornately decorated fan he has
contributed to the production, he can also be
found simply wandering around in apparently
random backstage locations. Protagonists may see
him coming out of a dressing room, Alexander’s
office, Ogilvie’s office, or even rummaging
through the Trap Room. If confronted, he has no
explanation for his actions.
As described in “Thefts at the Theatre” on
page 17, the destitute Conder is the source
of the recent spate of small but valuable items
being pilfered. The GM can use Conder’s
surreptitious activities as a tool for creating
suspense or suspicion as they discover him
(or perhaps just hear him) lurking backstage at
night. Alternatively, the GM can have Conder
come to an unfortunate end as the result of
his scavenging bringing him face-to-face with
the Mythos; either in the back of the Trap
Room (see “A Watcher in the Scenery”) or at
the hands of Jonathan Ogilvie furious at the
discovery of Conder attempting to pick the
lock on his office.
Jonathan Ogilvie
The Protagonists may choose to keep a close eye
on the actions of the director; for these final days before
opening night, he is occupied for most of the day either
working with the actors or with crew, prop-designers
and costumiers. Nothing untoward will be observed in
any of these interactions; Ogilvie appears as nothing
more than a professional, if somewhat driven, man.
In contrast, Protagonists who secretly watch
Ogilvie when he is alone will see a man wracked by
nervous — almost neurotic — obsession and doubt.
Between rehearsals and other tasks, he makes a circuit
22
of seemingly random locations, endlessly checking to
see everything is exactly right. Protagonists observing
this odd behavior can follow silently (with a successful
Sneak) to see him complete such a circuit, fussing over:
• the bottom step of the scaffold below the
Cistern,
• the locked box in his office,
• a spot in the stage wings, towards the front, and
• the front-most row of seating in the Royal Box
These areas are all part of the Ogilvie’s plans to
summon The King in Yellow, and his continual
repetition of visits to these locations is his obsessive
attempt to ensure that everything is ready. Because he
has no desire to draw attention to his plans, he will
not undertake any such actions if he thinks there is
any chance that he is being observed.
Ogilvie’s Office at the St James’s
Ogilvie’s office is the only room in the backstage
area that is routinely kept locked. Protagonists may
view this as suspicious, but in truth this is motivated
more by the recent spate of petty thefts than anything
else. The door lock can be overcome with a successful
Mechanical Knack roll; more desperate Protagonists
could break down the STR 11 door, but they had better
have a good explanation for their actions.
The director’s office is a scrupulously well-
ordered and neatly organized. The table is entirely
clear of clutter, the walls are bare and all chairs,
furniture — and even pens in the drawers of the
table — are carefully arranged to be entirely square.
This is clearly the domain of an obsessive individual.
Apart from discovering Ogilvie’s predisposition with
classical Latin books a search of this Spartan space
only unearths a single item of interest.
Locked Box
On the floor under the office table, there is a
large and heavy metal box secured by a solid padlock.
A Mechanical Knack test at –20 is needed to open
this well-crafted lock. Inside the box are a couple
of items of obvious value. The first of these is an
expensive-looking crown, which actors will recognize
as the bejewelled prop worn by Herod during the
play. Crafted in similar style, and also adorned, is
a strangely shaped oriental knife. This will not be
familiar to Protagonists, and is actually the enchanted
knife that Ogilvie will use to summon the Patchwork
Courtier on opening night.
The Royal Box
Protagonists who have covertly followed Jonathan
Ogilvie on his obsessively rounds of the theatre, may
have seen him spend some time carefully adjusting
the front row of seats in the Royal Box. If they come
back at another time and search the box thoroughly
(succeeding on a Search test with –20 modifier),
they will find what has been hidden here. Ogilvie’s
personal copy of the play The King in Yellow — one
of his most prized possessions — is craftily concealed
in a hidden pocket underneath one of the seats. The
book is the Paris, 1875 edition. Its cover is embossed
with an image of the dread Yellow Sign, which causes
anyone who observes it closely to become immediately
disoriented and lose 0/1D6 SAN [Unnatural]. If a
character somehow manages to read the entire play,
he or she loses 1D4/1D6+2 SAN [Helplessness].
If the book is removed from its hiding place it will
have no effect on the terrible summoning ritual the
director has planned, as the book’s terrible influence
has already infected Salomé. It will, however, tip
Ogilvie off that someone is on his trail and will also
deny Oscar Wilde the opportunity to purloin the book
during the performance and upstage Ogilvie with it
(see “Mr. Wilde Has The Last Word”, page 33).
Late Night Dancers
Protagonists who stake out the stage area late into
the night may witness a curious alien manifestation,
one of several heralding the prophesied arrival of The
King in Yellow. Two pallid revelers appear suddenly,
materializing from nowhere and basking in an eerie
white glow in the very centre of the stage. Both
revelers hold golden masks to their faces. One of the
revelers is dressed in Salomé’s costume from the play.
If the Protagonists watch long enough, they
witness the revelers move through their initial routine
and into a queerly hypnotic choreography, which
parodies the dance steps in the play. In particular, the
figure dressed as Salomé proceeds into a strangely
graceful, if utterly alien, variation on the Dance of
the Seven Veils. As “she” dances, she removes pale
diaphanous veils from her costume and discards
them on the stage. All the while the reveler always
keeps her mask firmly in place on her face. Strangely,
as the figure discards its final veil, a horrible truth
is revealed. Beneath the outfit lies no normal body
of flesh and blood, but rather a wooden frame like
a marionette (SAN 1/1D4 [Unnatural]). If allowed to
complete the dance to this point, shortly after this
shocking revelation the wooden struts of the “Salomé”
figure collapse in on themselves. Mysteriously, the
reveler and her partner disappear, along with all
discarded items of costume (even if in the possession
of one of the Protagonists).
These peculiar manifestations are actually strange
Mythos beings called Pallid Revelers (see the statistic
block on page 41). If left to complete their weird
dance unmolested, they are effectively harmless.
However, should any Protagonist attempt to interrupt
their graceful choreography they turn quickly into
ruthless killers, drawing (previously invisible) blades
and striking mercilessly.
23
 The Yellow Book Party
The party held by The Yellow Book on the Friday
night just prior to the opening of Salomé represents a
perfect opportunity for Protagonists — both “gentlemen”
and “actors” — to mingle with socialites of Oscar Wilde’s
circle, question them, and hopefully unravel some of the
intrigue surrounding the play. It also promises to be an
opportunity to encounter Oscar himself, something that
has not previously been possible.
The Yellow Book Party is described below as a
series of events. It is assumed, however, that these
are interspersed with more free-form action in the
form of Protagonists mingling with the numerous key
NPCs present at the party and questioning them over
cocktails. With the exception of Ogilvie’s speech at the
end of the night, the GM should feel free to reorganize
the sequence and flow of events to shape the party
into an experience where the players feel they have
directed or influenced the outcome rather than simply
being led by the nose through a sequence of clues.
A Gathering in Cleveland Street
The scruffy invitation to the Yellow Book Party
directs invitees to “gather outside the Strand Union
Workhouse promptly at six o’clock”.
The Strand Union is on Cleveland Street in
Westminster, an insalubrious location which feels
like it is drawn from Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist
(indeed there are workhouses of “street arabs” here
little changed from Dickens’ days). Cleveland Street
is a narrow, grimy road and few hansom cabs or other
traffic disturbs the assembling group. By the time that
6PM comes around it is cold, dark and lightly raining.
After fifteen minutes of waiting in the cold and
wet, a cab pulls up and the extraordinary hawk-nosed
figure of Aubrey Beardsley steps out. Beardsley — one
half of the Yellow Book’s editorial board — explains
that tonight the partygoers are in for a “special treat,”
urging everyone to follow in his footsteps. After just
a couple of minutes of damp walking, Beardsley stops
at an obviously abandoned house a little further
along Cleveland Street. The partygoers start to look
at one another quizzically, but Beardsley continues
unperturbed, proceeding to climb the steps and
pull aside the wooden plank barring the door. With
a flourish he opens the heavy oak door. He says,
“Welcome dear friends to the infamous Number 19 ...
well, perhaps for some of you it’s ‘welcome back’?”
(see the nearby box on the “Cleveland Street Scandal”
for information on the history of this place).
24
YOU
are cordially invited to
attend a grand soiree to
celebrate the latest issue of
THE YELLOW BOOK
on Friday next
Gather outside the
Strand Union Workhouse
promptly at
six o’clock
Inside the Abandoned Brothel
It is dim inside the house; heavy curtains cut the
place off from the gaslights in the street. A vast number
of lit candles lie scattered around a large and somewhat
shabby-looking room filled with tables bearing lavish
food and opulent liqueurs. An incongruous string
quartet — four filthy young boys, likely from workhouse
up the street, equipped with the finest polished European
instruments — strikes up a jaunty tune in the corner.
The decor of the room itself is somewhat less
than opulent – the striped wallpaper is torn in several
places, the velvet upholstery on the several chairs
and chaise longues is shabby and worn from overuse.
There are altogether too many unidentifiable stains
on the richly patterned, if somewhat crushed, carpet.
Overall, the place looks like it is trying for beauty but
somehow only achieving a tired imitation.
If anybody asks, Beardsley will happily state that
no permission has been obtained from the property
trust that owns the abandoned building.
Beardsley’s Speech
After the partygoers have had a short time to
mingle and get their first drinks, Aubrey Beardsley
gives a short speech on behalf of The Yellow Book.
This particular celebration, he says, has three distinct

The Cleveland Street
Scandal
The house chosen for the Yellow Book Party —
19  Cleveland Street — is a notorious place,
vacant since 1889 when it was revealed to be
the centre of a shocking male prostitution scandal.
The so-called “Cleveland Street Scandal” was
unearthed by police almost by accident. In July
1889, while investigating thefts from the London
Central Telegraph Office, authorities first
became aware that several of the messenger
boys employed to deliver telegraphs to their
recipients were also employed to visit gentlemen
and provide sexual favors. The centre of this
illicit enterprise was the house at 19 Cleveland
Street, which served as a male brothel of sorts.
The police raided the address and seized a
roster of regular clients.
As the police enquiries deepened, a lurid picture
emerged of well-to-do London gentlemen —
some of them members of the aristocracy —
enjoying secret and illegal liaisons with young
boys at Cleveland Street. Two notable names
that were implicated in the boys’ stories were
Henry Fitzroy (the Earl of Euston) and Lord
Arthur Somerset. The latter served as the head
of Royal stables for the Prince of Wales. After
several interviews with police, Somerset fled to
the continent to escape the criminal charges that
were ultimately laid against him.
Several court cases followed, but notably, aside
from Somerset, none of the other figures of
influence implicated as clients of the brothel were
ever publicly accused or charged. When the
director of public prosecutions was considering its
charges, Somerset’s appointed lawyer suggested
they drop the matter since, if pursued, the names
of certain even more distinguished customers of
Cleveland Street would come to public attention.
He cited the initials “PAV” as an example, which
was generally accepted to be a reference to
Prince Albert Victor — the playboy older son
of the Prince of Wales (commonly called “Prince
Eddy” and third in line to the throne). Whether
true or not, the taint of involvement stuck to the
Prince for the remainder of his short life.
motivations. The first is to celebrate the most recent
issue of the literary journal — shortly to be available in
all booksellers “who have sunk to the level of peddling
such filth”. The second reason for the party is to
foreshadow a successful and acclaimed run of Oscar
Wilde’s latest play, Salomé. The final purpose for the
current celebration is to give Number 19 Cleveland
Street a final huzzah; the men from the salvage and
wrecking yard are due any day now.
The Dance and the Incantation
A few hours into the celebration, Protagonists
will witness an odd series of events. Initially it seems
as though Jonathan Ogilvie is warming up to make a
speech — indeed, he even steps atop an overturned
absinthe case, which is serving as podium, and clears
his throat. However, before he can begin, the attention
of the room is diverted by a very loud and drunken
display by Arthur Symons, who has arranged for a
large dark-skinned man to put on a lurid dance routine.
Anybody watching Ogilvie while this takes place can
see that he is furious at the disturbance of his plans.
As the dance begins, he steps down angrily from the
case and strides directly over to a nearby table and picks
up two glasses filled with absinthe, one in each hand.
He throws these back quickly, thrusts his hand into his
pocket and seems to descend into a meditative pose.
What he is really doing is activating the Mythos artifact
in his pocket — the Roi de Jaune playing card (see the
box on page 27) — in order to enact a petty moment of
revenge against those who have upstaged him.
About halfway into the dance routine, several of the
many artists at the party (including Symons) can be seen
to suddenly jolt upright and, in perfect unison, begin a
sonorous and repetitive chant in Latin. It seems bizarre
to everyone at the party, and deflects attention from the
disgraceful dance routine, which ends in an anticlimax.
Any Protagonists who suspect that this strange chant is
part of some odd ritual are welcome to attempt a test
against the Unnatural skill; regardless of the result,
the recitation does not seem to be related to any known
ritual or spell (in fact, it is just a passage in Latin from
one of Ogilvie’s favorite classical authors, used here
simply to make Symons and his friends look like fools).
Once the dance completes, the chanters also abruptly
stop (after having risen to a crescendo). Things return
quickly to normal. Ogilvie seems to have abandoned any
plans to give a speech and is now slumped against a sofa
seemingly drunk (although actually recovering from the
effort of activating the magical effect).
If questioned afterwards, none of the partygoers
who participated in the chant will be able to explain why
they did it, or even what it was that they were chanting.
25
 Where Is Oscar?
As the night goes on, people start openly wondering
whether Oscar will be making an appearance or not.
If asked, Beardsley or Ogilvie baldly state that they
hope that Wilde makes an appearance soon — they are
relying on him providing some appropriate witticisms
to close the party. As midnight approaches, it seems
increasingly obvious that he will not.
Ogilvie’s Midnight Speech
When midnight strikes, Arthur Symons (now
marginally more sober) again attracts the attention of
Map of London
West End
26
the room and apologizes for the fact that Mr. Wilde
had not made an appearance. He conjectures that
perhaps the Irish playwright is “burning the midnight
oil” with last minute preparations, although those that
know Wilde find this unlikely. In his place, Ogilvie is
finally given license to make a short but curious speech
extolling the virtues of both Salomé and of the Empire.
As he speaks, a supreme air of confidence oozes
from his words, growing steadily as he continues. It
almost seems as though Ogilvie revels in the power
of having the room’s attention and becomes literally
drunk with the power of the moment.
 The Roi de Jaune Playing Card
The Roi de Jaune appears as nothing more than a simple,
if somewhat old-fashioned and beaten, playing card –
the King of some obscure “suit” (the symbol is actually
a rendition of The Yellow Sign). In truth it is something
ancient beyond knowing and utterly foreign to humanity.
Although appearing fragile, the flimsy piece of card is
actually physically indestructible — at least by any means
available to characters in this scenario. No amount of effort
will tear it. If immersed in water, it remains completely
dry and solid. Similarly, even if placed in the middle of a
raging fire, it refuses to ignite.
Possessing the Roi de Jaune card imbues unusual mental
powers on the user, giving him or her enhanced and magical
abilities to compel others to follow mental commands. There
is, however, a significant limitation to this ability — an
individual must already be sufficiently “like-minded” to the
card holder, either intrinsically or through an altered mental
state, to be affected. This makes it useless as a means of
compelling an adversary, but helpful in compelling allies.
Ogilvie uses the artifact to pull off his extraordinary
seamless direction of players on a stage.
In game terms, the powers of the card can be used in two
distinct ways; either against an entire group, or focussed
on dominating the will of a single person. It is triggered by
simply visualizing the target or targets, and picturing them
as being subordinate to one’s will. This process is instinctive
to anyone handling the card that makes an INT×5 test,
feeling like a familiar yet indistinct memory just out of
reach. Attempting to use the card in either manner costs
the cardholder 1 Willpower Point and 1 point of SAN. To
be affected by the card’s powers an individual must be
within 20 yards of the cardholder, but he or she does not
need to be visible to the cardholder, nor does the target
need to be able to hear the cardholder’s voice. Triggering
the card is practically instantaneous, and is performed by
simply holding the card in one hand and concentrating on it.
A trigger attempt can be made once per round if desired
(as long as the Willpower Point and point of SAN are paid).
Group Domination
If used against a group of people, the cardholder must
succeed in an opposed roll which matches his or her own
POW against a number obtained by multiplying the
highest POW of the group by a factor between ¼ and 6.
This factor should take into account:
• the number of targets (it is harder to dominate larger
groups),
• the degree to which the group of targets is of a “like
mind” to the cardholder (it is much easier against “like
minded” targets), and
• the number of times the group has previously been
dominated in this way by the cardholder (it is easier to
dominate familiar targets).
For the purposes of this scenario, it is assumed that the
drinking of absinthe reinforces the kind of Decadence
Ogilvie is channelling for the production; thus, if both he
and the actors consume the liquor prior to the performance,
they will be more “like-minded” and hence easier targets
for his domination.
It is important to note that if overall the group is not at all
like-minded with the cardholder (i.e., antagonistic or even
neutral) the roll will automatically fail.
Once the factor has been determined, the opposed roll
is made — if the cardholder obtains a better result, all
members of the group are affected.
Group domination by a successful use of the Roi de Jaune
lasts 5 minutes, during which time the target must loosely
follow the mental suggestions of the cardholder as long as
they are consistent with the common belief system or mental
state shared by cardholder and target.
Example of Group Domination
Ogilvie is giving a speech to a small group of people, trying
to convince them to do his bidding. The first thing the GM
needs to determine is how “like minded” the audience is to his
Decadent view of the world. If he is addressing a trade union
meeting in a workhouse, the audience has almost nothing in
common with Ogilvie’s views, thus the Roi de Jaune has no
chance to affect such an audience. Conversely, if the director
is addressing a poet’s convention, the audience is likely to
have quite similar views to his (particularly if both he and the
audience are drunk, i.e., behaving decadently)  — the GM
may rule that Ogilvie’s attempt succeeds against such a crowd
if he can overcome the groups highest POW divided by 2
(i.e., if the group had no individual with POW above 16,
Ogilvie would succeed if he overcame 16÷2 = 8 with his own
POW of 18).
If, instead of it being a small group of poets it is an entire
hall filled with hundreds of sober poets, the GM may decide
he would need to overcome their highest POW×2 (i.e., for a
group with no POW higher than 16, the opposed roll would
compare 18 vs (16×2 =) 32. At the other end of the spectrum,
if the original small group had been successfully dominated
by Ogilvie many times before, the target of (highest POW ÷
2) may be lowered still further to (highest POW ÷ 4).
If Ogilvie succeeds in any of these group domination attempts
(and pays a willpower point and a SAN Point), for the next
five minutes he has some limited ability to compel all members
of the dominated group to behave in a way which is consistent
with the viewpoint they share with him. So, he could compel
the poet’s group to go forth and cover the walls of London
in flowery prose, but not to raid Parliament and plant a
gunpowder bomb under the Speaker’s chair (unless somehow
he can construe this as a Decadent artistic statement).
Group Domination of the Salome Actors
The group of actors in Salomé constitutes a small group
that have a very similar outlook to Ogilvie and have been
previously dominated several times by him. This means that,
if most imbibe absinthe before the performance, he only
needs to succeed in a POW vs (highest actor POW × ¼)
roll; even if they don’t imbibe, his roll is POW vs (highest
POW × ½).
Continued on next page . . .
27
 The Roi de Jaune Playing Card, cont’d
Individual Domination
If used against an individual, the cardholder needs to
overcome the halved POW of the target, further reduced
if the target is extremely like-minded or has been
dominated many times before.
This is a more powerful effect — the cardholder can compel
the affected target to perform any action that is not obviously
intended to cause him or her personal harm.
Individual Domination Example
After an evening at his club, Ogilvie is waiting for a hansom
cab – one arrives, but a gruff retired Army colonel (POW
17) pushes in front of him and tries to take it. Incensed, the
director tries to use the Mythos playing card to dissuade the
military man by directing its “individual domination” power at
him. To resolve this, the GM first considers the degree to which
the bewhiskered old soldier is “like minded” with Ogilvie — if
he is a typical old-fashioned buffoon, dead sober (perhaps
a member of a Temperance Union), it is unlikely that he has
anything in common with the director. In this case, the card
simply has no chance of affecting the colonel.
If, on the other hand, the Army officer has a secret penchant
for dubious and decadent practices or is perhaps drenched
in whiskey or absinthe, the GM might decide that despite his
outward differences to the young aesthete his altered state
renders him “like minded” enough that Ogilvie can enchant
him by overcoming the colonel’s halved POW (17 ÷ 2 =
9) with his own POW (18). If, instead of an old Colonel,
the cab had been hijacked by a drunken young poet (POW
17), the GM may rule that the target is particularly “like
minded” and hence even easier to compel (perhaps only
requiring Ogilvie overcome POW÷3; i.e., 17 ÷ 3 = 6).
If Ogilvie succeeds in one of these domination attempts
(and pays a Willpower Point and a SAN Point) he can
compel the affected person to do anything that would not
cause him or her personal harm. This is a significantly more
Finding Le Roi
Stepping down from the speaker’s crate, Ogilvie
is visibly brimming with pride and self-confidence
(a side-effect of using his Mythos artifact). Buoyed
by the thrill of the moment, he does something very
foolish. Without thinking, he removes from his pocket
the Roi de Jaune playing card, thrusting the card high
into the air in a gesture that is part defiance, part
show of imperious supremacy, and part a flourish of
celebration. The audience, now having returned to
their drinks, takes little notice of this strange display.
Quickly righting his composure, Ogilvie moves to an
occasional table, puts down his card for a moment to
confidently snatch up a goblet of wine . . . then walks
away, apparently forgetting to pick the card back up.
Any Protagonist observing Ogilvie can witness this error
and find the card for themselves, still sitting discarded
28
powerful effect than that delivered by group domination —
for example, he could compel the colonel not only to give
up the hansom cab but also to knock out the driver and
take his place (at least for the next five minutes until the
domination effect wears off — or is renewed by Ogilvie).
Long Term Use
Long-term users of the magical card begin to experience
subtle but unavoidable changes. Firstly, the cardholder
becomes possessed of an “affinity” with the card; he or
she will always know (in vague terms only), where it is.
Note that these sensations are very imprecise; descriptions
such as “in a gentleman’s home, south of the Thames” or
“approaching the Theatre District in a hansom cab” are
about as precise as can be achieved.
A second long-term effect of using the Roi de Jaune is that it
slowly enhances the user’s sense of self-confidence and self-
importance, to the point that the cardholder begins to feel
invincible. GMs should feel free to ask for additional rolls
to avoid careless errors and oversights caused by a lack of
attention due to over-confidence. This scenario includes an
example of this effect at work — Ogilvie misplacing the
card at The Yellow Book party due to carelessness.
Fine Print
Note that only one active “domination” by the card can be
in effect at once — if the cardholder makes an attempt to
trigger a new domination (e.g., focus attention on just a single
individual, or target a new group of people), any targets
still under the influence of a previous successful domination
are immediately freed from that influence, regardless of
whether the new trigger attempt succeeds or not.
Individuals affected by the magical influences of the Roi
de Jaune never feel that they have been coerced, either
while the domination is occurring or afterwards — the
ideas and motives all feel genuinely to be their own.
on the table. Even those not specifically shadowing the
director may stumble upon the artifact by accident.
If no Protagonist finds and takes the card, the GM
should decide what happens to it — ideally, some other
NPC decides to take it home as a trinket (only to incur
Ogilvie’s wrath as he desperately tracks it down to get
it back before opening night, see “Ogilvie Distempered”
below). The decision as to which, if any, NPC pockets
the card can be decided based on the GM’s preference.
Perhaps there is an NPC which the Protagonists have
forged a particular friendship with, and whose brutal
treatment at Ogilvie’s hands would be particularly
shocking. Or perhaps none of the NPCs take the card,
instead leaving it to be opportunistically snatched by
one of the “street arabs” from the string quartet who
are also pressed into duty packing up after the party.

Wrapping Up The Party
The Yellow Book party steams on for a short time
after Ogilvie’s quizzical speech, allowing Protagonists
to conduct any final discussions with other partygoers.
Most conversation by this stage of the evening is
nonsensical. Talk in the room is dominated by the fact
of Wilde’s absenteeism — some are worried, some
indignant, a few even convinced that the playwright
has fled the country to France anticipating arrest
because of his outrageous play.
Ogilvie Distempered
The closing moments of the Yellow Book Party
see Jonathan Ogilvie entirely drunk, both on alcohol
and on power. By the time he wakes the next morning,
however, he is in a very different state and quickly
becomes highly disturbed by the loss of the Roi de
Jaune (the circumstances of which he cannot even
recall). Ogilvie desperately needs the playing card to
maximize the chance of the summoning succeeding
(although it is not essential to the spell). Its loss shakes
his overwhelming confidence, but equally it inflames
both his anger and his sense of paranoia — the latter
fuelled by the fear that somehow, someone has stolen
the item. His reaction will be very clear — he will
stop at nothing to get the Roi de Jaune back.
Actors at the theatre for morning rehearsals will
see Ogilvie arrive late, and in a dishevelled state. His
rumpled clothes and wild hair provoke a number of
sideways glances and smirks. The director attempts
to run the cast through a full rehearsal of the play,
but it is obvious to everyone that he is distracted.
The overall performance fails to gel in the manner of
previous rehearsals. After only a short time, Ogilvie
instructs the actors to continue without him, and
abruptly storms off backstage.
For the remainder of the day, he will focus on
nothing except tracking down the person who has
his artifact. As a long-time user of the Roi de Jaune,
Ogilvie has a level of affinity with the card which
gives him a very vague sense of its location at any
time (see the box describing the artifact). He will use
this sense in combination with his knowledge of the
most likely “thieves” — the artists who were at the
Yellow Book party, and any Protagonists who have
either asked probing questions or otherwise been on
the wrong side of his temper.
He will aim to track down Aesthetes and/or
Protagonists at their society clubs (or elsewhere),
threatening them with words fuelled by increasing
rage and desperation. If he feels that he is getting close
to recovering the Roi de Jaune, he may even undertake
physical or magical violence against an individual (in
an isolated back-alley or other location where he is
unlikely to be observed). If the GM wishes, one of the
Aesthetes may even be found having wandered into a
police station late in the afternoon, horribly disfigured
by curious burns and unable to remember anything of
the day’s events.
Obviously, if a Protagonist has the card the GM
will need to decide whether Ogilvie ultimately tracks
them down and if so, the outcome of the encounter.
Ultimately, if the director recovers the Roi de Jaune
card, he returns confidently to the theatre and resumes
his final and dictatorial preparations with the actors.
If he fails, and is forced to return empty-handed, he
will remain obviously disturbed but will continue with
his plans nonetheless; the opening night performance
will be technically far less perfect, and this will make
it easier for the Protagonists to thwart the summoning
(see “How Do I Get Out Of This Play?” below).
29

Act_Three:]
Resolutions>
(or, King’s Return Foretold)
A participating “actor” characters read their own lines
Opening Night
Salomé opens at the St James’s theatre on Saturday,
26 of January, 1895. A light rain covers London, dark
th
under a new moon, but neither seems likely to dampen
enthusiasm for Mr. Oscar Wilde’s latest dramatic
masterpiece. The performance is scheduled to commence
at seven in the evening, and carriages begin to arrive as
early as five in the afternoon. The performers have been
at the theatre since early that morning.
Any “gentlemen” Protagonists can arrive at
whatever time suits them, but early seating is advisable
as the theatre is expected to be full to capacity. Once they
enter the foyer of the St James’s and divest themselves
of their coats and umbrellas, they will be able to mingle
with the upper crust and avant-garde of contemporary
London society. The GM can introduce whatever
memorable (or forgettable) theatre-going characters are
deemed appropriate. A few suggestions would be: the
jaded society woman with her manicured poodle; the
retired officer unsure of whether he should be attending
an obviously “blasphemous and unpatriotic” piece of
work by that “Irish scallywag”; the pretentious young
artist holding forth on topics ranging from symbolism to
socialism. Two people the characters will not encounter
are Oscar Wilde and Bosie; both are nowhere to be seen.
Backstage, the crew is putting the final touches to
costumes and sets. Actors are nervously reviewing lines
and Jonathan Ogilvie moves from one to the other with
words of encouragement. He seems excited almost to
the point of hysteria, but the Protagonists have no way
of knowing that this is more due to the impending
appearance of his master, The King in Yellow, than the
performance of Salomé.
If a Protagonist pays particular attention to Ogilvie
(and makes a successful Search roll) just before the
curtain goes up, the director will be seen to remove a
30
thin, dull-bladed knife from his rehearsal bag and place
it in his belt. This is the enchanted blade (formerly in
his locked box) that he will use in a ritual to summon
a Patchwork Courtier during the performance. The
characters are unlikely to know this, of course, although
there is bound to be speculation as to why Ogilvie would
need a knife.
The curtains open and the performance begins
at quarter past seven. Exactly how the play proceeds
is left in the hands of the GM. It is suggested that any
as they arise, with other players who are not directly
involved reading other parts. The GM should read the
smaller parts (the page of Herodias and the young Syrian).
The GM must also co-ordinate activities on stage and in
the audience to match the flow of the performance.
The Salomé script is marked with event markers in
square brackets. Events occur as the dialogue they are
linked to is spoken. Where necessary the GM should
briefly interrupt the reading of the play to describe what
Protagonists may see or hear.
As described in the box “How Do I Get Out Of This
Play?”, Ogilvie’s plan involves keeping the actors under
the influence of the Roi de Jeune for as much of the play as
possible. This will ensure that the ritual actions necessary
to summon The King in Yellow are flawlessly followed.
The actions of the Protagonists may force him
to adapt — if characters from the backstage crew, or
“gentlemen” from the audience seem to be attempting to
disrupt his creation, he is likely to abandon his magical
domination over the actors and redirect the effects to
these adversaries. The GM will need to adjudicate a
difficulty rating for such attempts (see the Roi de Jaune
box on page 27) — “gentlemen” who consumed a
drink or two in the saloon waiting for the play to begin
may regret their indulgence, as this makes them easier
targets for domination.
Events
The events of the performance, in order, are:
Event A. A successful Alertness test by any
Protagonist in the audience detects a disturbance near
a back entrance to the theatre auditorium. If anyone
turns to look, they will see Oscar Wilde entering the
theatre and standing against a back wall.
Event B. Protagonists in the audience notice that
all extraneous noises, even the casual ones associated
with large crowds, have disappeared. Only the play
can be heard.
 How Do I Get Out Of This Play?
The performers on-stage for the opening night of
Salomé are affected by potentially two different
magical effects. The first of these comes from the
Roi de Jaune card. If Ogilvie has regained this card,
he will gulp a large glass of absinthe just prior to
the curtain rising and attempt to use the card to
exert a “group dominance” over the whole cast.
He will re-activate the card every five minutes
(assuming he still has Willpower Points), in order
to maintain a continuous control over every nuance
of the performance. While he has the card, GMs
should make an opposed POW test every five
minutes on behalf of Ogilvie (as described in the
box on page 27 describing the powers of the
Roi de Jaune) — each success means that the card’s
influence will be in place for the next five minutes
of the performance. During such periods, all actors
are compelled to follow any mental suggestions
provided by Ogilvie, as long as they are consistent
with the fundamental goal of producing a sublime
and beautiful work of art.
Once the play passes Event C, a second magical
effect begins to exert a controlling influence over the
actors, a by-product of the powerful King in Yellow
summoning spell that Ogilvie has initiated, woven into
the very performance of the play. From this point on,
it becomes extremely difficult for performers to divert
from their rehearsed lines and actions. In order to do
or say something that is not part of Salomé, performers
have to make a successful roll, as follows. Characters
who are under “group domination” by the Roi de Jaune
card (see the box) must succeed in an POW×1 test to
break free; if not under the influence of the card a
POW×3 roll is needed. In either event, any external
intrusion on the play (shaking a character, breaking the
scenery, etc.) immediately grants performers +20% to
their attempt to break free of their rehearsed actions.
If an actor fails a roll, they are compelled to continue
playing out the script, as rehearsed, for at least the
next 2 minutes. Even if they do break free but remain
on the stage, they must make a POW×3 roll again
every two minutes. Failure means they return to the
words and actions set out in the play.
Event C. If an “actor” Protagonist currently
onstage (or nearby) makes a successful Search roll, he
or she will see Ogilvie in the wings near the front of
the stage. He has a knife in his hands and seems to be
watching the audience intently.
Note: from this point on the performance begins to
develop its own, hell-bent momentum. If any of the per­
formers wish to act out of character, they must make a roll
to do so (see box nearby). Characters in the audience are
only constrained from action by their sense of decorum.
After Salomé’s dance (Event G) it gets harder again
to break free from the script. From this point onwards,
all actors have their effective POW reduced by a
penalty (–1 for each success Rose obtained on her
Art (Dance) tests) for the purposes of this roll. Note
that this penalty is applied prior to any multiplier.
Furthermore, if a character is subject to the “individual”
influence of the Roi de Jaune card (described in
the box), that character will automatically fail any
attempt to escape the pre-determined course of the
play until such time as that effect is lifted (e.g., the
card owner’s chooses to change focus to directing a
different character or group).
Example: Hugh Vincent, the actor playing Herod, has a
POW of 10. At the beginning of the play, Ogilvie use
the Roi de Jaune card to place a “group domination”
over the entire cast. This makes Hugh loosely compelled
to follow any “artistic” direction. However, once Event C
has passed, Hugh will find it difficult to do anything other
than what is in the Salomé script. Because he is still under
the “group domination,” he must roll an POW×1 roll
(10 or under) to break free. If Ogilvie drops the “group
dominance” Hugh still must make a POW×3 roll (30 or
under) to act freely. However, if someone intrudes into
the play (regardless of whether the dominance holds),
this gives him a +20 on the next attempt to break free.
Things get harder again after the Dance of the Seven
Veils. Of the seven Art (Dance) rolls, Salomé succeeded in
three. This means that, assuming the “group dominance”
still holds, Hugh now must make an POW×1 reduced by
–3 (penalty of 1 per successful Dance roll. This calls for
a roll of 7 or less. If the group dominance is dropped
the roll is a POW×3 check against the reduced POW,
or a roll of 21 or less. If shaken by an outsider either test
would receive a bonus of +20.
Any time he succeeds in a roll to break free, Hugh
can act without constraint for the next 2 minutes,
after which he must make a POW×3 test (with POW
modified by –3 after the Dance of the Seven Veils);
failure means he falls back under the play’s influence.
This is something he will need to check every two
minutes until he either fails or leaves the stage.
Event D. Protagonists in the audience who make a
successful Alertness test hear a fluttering somewhere
in the auditorium (loose papers perhaps?). They also
feel cool, musty air washing over them.
Event E. Characters onstage (or nearby) can
attempt an INT≤5 test. If they succeed, they realize
that the blood seeping from the body of the young
Syrian is very real. His body also seems very dead.
They must immediately make a Sanity roll or lose
1/1D6 SAN [Violence].
31
 Event F. Characters in the audience begin to
notice an unpleasant odor of cloying sweetness.
They hear more rustling near the back of the theatre.
If they turn to look, they see, only for a moment, a
pale, cadaverous form staring back at them out of the
shadows. They must make a SAN test or lose 1D3
SAN [Unnatural].
Event G. Pre-arranged by Aubrey Beardsley,
one of the crew triggers the spring-loaded apparatus
which (assuming it hasn’t been tampered with by
Protagonists) causes a halo of peacock feathers to
suddenly appear from the section of set just behind
Herod, accompanied by a loud and sudden noise of
lacquered wood sliding against wood. The actors are
not expecting this (it is Beardsley’s little opening-night
surprise), but the shock has the effect of allowing them
an instant check to break from the play’s momentum,
made with a +20 bonus.
Event H. Characters in the audience hear more
movement near the back of the theatre; suddenly
there is an indrawn exclamation and a sound like the
snapping of bone. Small droplets of moisture land on
the characters’ faces. If they smell or taste it, they
realize it is blood (lose 1/1D6 SAN [Violence]).
32
Event I. As Salomé performs the Dance of the
Seven Veils, various elements of the set and performers’
costumes become inexplicably and suddenly trans­
formed to more closely resemble the setting of the
play The King in Yellow. There are seven possible
transformations, although not all of them may take
place. As changes occur, the play’s grip on the actors
becomes stronger still — for each transformation that
takes place, a cumulative penalty is applied to rolls
made by any actor trying to break out of the script (see
the box “How Do I Get Out Of This Play?”).
The number of changes that occur depends on the
quality of the dance; as Salomé, Rose Vanburgh must
make seven Art (Dance) rolls, each determining how
well she has performed one part of the Dance of the Seven
Veils. If Rose is a Protagonist character, her skill rating
will be whatever the player bought during character
generation — otherwise use a rating of Art (Dance) 60%
rolled by the player reading her lines (or the GM).
For every successful roll, a transformation
will take place (and penalties will be cumulatively
applied from this point forward). The set/wardrobe
transformations are listed below — these will occur
in the order listed (i.e., the first transformation takes
place when Rose succeeds at her first Dance test, the
second takes place on her second successful roll, and
so on):
1. The painted backdrop of the set subtly warps
when nobody is watching; the sky now contains
two pale moons
2. The backdrop warps again; instead of a desert
scene, it now shows a vast mist-shrouded lake
3. The wig that Salomé (Rose) wears changes
color from black to a pure white
4. The wooden set structures which make up the
adjacent buildings of Herod’s palace blacken
and twist to become a series of black domes
with the suggestion of monolithic towers in the
distance
5. Herodias’s costume changes from being a
simple yet elegant dress into an ornate and
regal robe reminiscent of those worn in public
by Queen Victoria. She now wears a plain but
iridescent diadem
6. The twin moons painted into the backdrop
begin to move, sinking into the lake
7. Herod’s costume changes into a strange
collection of yellow rags; a pale and featureless
mask appears over his face
Event J. Protagonists on stage may make a Search roll.
If they succeed, they see Ogilvie holding the knife aloft
and chanting something under his breath. (In an effort
to aid the larger summoning spell — that of The King in
Yellow — he is summoning a Patchwork Courtier into
the cistern. For the purposes of this scenario the ritual
costs him 5 Willpower Points and is successful).
Event K. As the Executioner enters the cistern,
the Patchwork Courtier attacks and dismembers
both him and the unfortunate Miles Jamieson (the
actor playing Jokanaan). Protagonists on stage can
hear strangled screams and the rending of flesh.
Protagonists in the audience can hear the same with
a successful Alertness test. Anyone who hears this
loses 1/1D3 SAN [Unnatural].
Event L. The Patchwork Courtier emerges from
the cistern, bearing the grotesquely mutilated head
of Miles Jamieson on a silver platter. The Courtier
presents the head to Rose Vanburgh and then
disappears. Poor Rose loses 1D6/2D6 Sanity Points.
Screams can be heard from the front of the audience
(and the back, where The King in Yellow’s Avatar is
gratefully gorging itself on sacrifices).
Mr. Wilde Has The Last Word
At some point between [Event F] and [Event G],
Wilde begins to move through the audience towards
the stage (Search rolls from Protagonists in the
audience notice this). He is carrying a slim leather-
bound notebook with him; observant Protagonists
may recognize this as Ogilvie’s copy of The King
in Yellow, which Oscar has purloined from its hiding
place in the theatre’s Royal Box. As he moves down
the aisles, Wilde tears pages from the book and
throws them into the audience. He also mouths a
string of curses and other denigrations regarding
the book, the play and the director. Protagonists
are left with no doubt that he is insane. When he
reaches the base of the stage, he hurls what is left
of the book at the performers. Besides enraging
Ogilvie, this action has the fortunate consequence
of granting the performers an instant check to
break free from their rehearsed lines, made with
a bonus die. Ogilvie immediately attacks Wilde
with a Chaconne for the Yellow King ritual (see
page 39), which should provide the characters
with some leeway in which to act courageously.
Assuming Oscar does not succumb to the director’s
spell, he is available to the GM as an additional
character to aid the Protagonists in the efforts
to defeat the terrible plans of Ogilvie and The
King in Yellow. In particular, if the players are
struggling to determine an effective way to derail
the momentum of the play, Wilde can quickly
realize what needs to be done.
Climbing up onto the stage, Wilde will literally step
into his own creation to try to stop its performance.
He will happily strut around the stage, loudly
critiquing the actors and the sets as he does so:
“No, no, no . . . such a sincere performance? A little
sincerity is dangerous enough, but such a dose is
absolutely fatal!” He believes that such actions
will disrupt the actors and hence the play — it is
up to the GM to determine whether he is correct
and whether Ogilvie will react by focusing the full
power of the Roi de Jaune against the playwright.
Ironically, the audience observing Wilde’s antics
on-stage find them amusingly bohemian and
applaud and laugh with gusto throughout.
Event M. The electric lights on stage begin to
flicker and then die. A thick atmosphere of dread and
death falls on the theatre. Members of the audience
run screaming in all directions. The King in Yellow
can be seen gliding between the terror-stricken
people. Blood slicks the theatre floor.
Event N. Ogilvie can clearly be seen completing his
incantation and smearing blood on his sacrificial knife.
33
 Event O. The actors playing the soldiers,
maddened by terror, crush Rose Vanburgh beneath
their shields and then flee from the theatre. The King
in Yellow finishes feeding and, pleased with Ogilvie’s
efforts, transports him (and itself) elsewhere — perhaps
to another dimension, or perhaps to wreak havoc on
Queen Victoria herself (see “A Yellow Apocalypse”
nearby for the latter). The characters are left among the
dead, the dying and the insane. The curtains close on
the first and last production of Salomé.
Obviously, the Protagonists will want to interrupt
events before they reach this advanced stage. Most
likely this will involve any Protagonists in the audience
or backstage attempting to disrupt the performance
and/or trying to dispel The King in Yellow. Ogilvie
will actively try to prevent interruptions of the play
and will target meddling characters with a Chaconne
for the Yellow King ritual (see page 39) or individual
domination effects of the Roi de Jaune (see page 28).
Bringing the play to a halt before its apocalyptic
conclusion is one way of dispelling The King in Yellow.
The other is to overpower or kill Ogilvie himself. Either
of these actions will break the tenuous link that allows
The King in Yellow to remain in this dimension, and the
Avatar will return to its own plane in a shower of bloody
fragments. Attacking the Avatar itself is an exercise in
futility, but foolhardy Protagonists should be allowed to
sacrifice themselves in this way if they so wish.
Aftermath
The aftermath of the performance depends on
whether Ogilvie is thwarted or not. If he manages
his translocation, characters will be left to drag the
dead from the theatre and the stage. Life, it seems,
is ephemeral before the power of Art. If the worst of
the apocalypse is avoided, the characters nevertheless
have much to do, healing the injured and providing
solace to the insane.
Whatever the outcome, it is the end for Wilde’s
much-anticipated London production of Salomé. The
play’s one performance does not even receive a review
in morning edition of The Times.
Unsurprisingly, the ban on performance of
Wilde’s play is silently re-instated.
The St. James’s Theatre closes its doors for a
week or more to repair any damage to the facilities
(hopefully the Protagonists were able to put a stop to
things before the entire auditorium was ruined).
A problem looms, however — the theatre was
booked by Ogilvie for a six-week run. Whatever will
34
they find to take its place? Fortunately, for this crisis
at least, the much-recovered Mr. Wilde (assuming he
survives) has a ready solution: “It is a fortunate fact
for those who find goodness in the vulgarities of my
dramatic work, that I presently do have another play
written to some completion. I suppose that particular
trifle could be staged with haste using sets from one
of my earlier comedies. In truth this new play has
neither the purity nor simplicity of Salomé — not
that truth can ever be said to be imbued with either
of these qualities… but, well, for all its absences I
believe in earnest it does still have something to say
of Importance.”
A Yellow Apocalypse
If the ravages of The King in Yellow are allowed to
play out unopposed, the horrible extraterrestrial
monarch grants its disciple Ogilvie the dubious
honor of being whisked away from the St. James,
presumably to continue their decadent revels in
some other reality. Such an ending leaves the
Protagonists to mop up the damage wrought by
the supernatural incursion and salvage what they
can from the ruins.
The GM doesn’t need to let the players — and
Victorian Britain — off so lightly. Instead you can
allow the ravages of The King in Yellow to continue
throughout London, perhaps even culminating in an
“Apocalypse” wherein The King’s brand of yellow
decadence has replaced Victoria’s conservatism.
Such a dystopian alternate-1890s is described
in “A Yellow and Unpleasant Land”, one of the
scenarios in the APOCTHULHU Core book.
If you’d like to treat this scenario as a prelude to
that weird Post-Apocalypse, it is relatively easy
to do so: when Ogilvie and The King in Yellow
disappear from the St. James, they are not bound
for another dimension at all. Instead they have
eyes on the throne of Empress Victoria herself.
Translocating from the theatre to Buckingham
Palace, the pair put on a private performance
for the Queen — the culmination of which is
her capitulation at the feet of the Empire’s new
ruler. Sickly yellow lights shine forth from the
palace, bemusing all onlookers. Weird pallid
masked figures burst forth across London. The
reign of the Libertine King has begun … see the
APOCTHULHU scenario for a hint at how it might
be defeated. Perhaps.

Rewards_and<
Penalties]
In the following days the Metropolitan Police
will be certain to carefully investigate the events at
the St. James’s Theatre, particularly if many people
(especially society figures) were killed or injured. The
Protagonists will almost certainly be interviewed and,
unless they have been scrupulously careful or lucky,
will find themselves charged with sundry offenses
ranging from destruction of property through to
murder. In particular, if the Protagonists killed Ogilvie
in sight of the theatre audience they will face some
extremely difficult questions. Any Protagonist charged
with a serious crime will lose 1D6 points of Permanent
Resources and, if held for any length of time in a
Victorian prison, will also lose 1D3 SAN [Violence].
Protagonists who somehow entirely averted
Ogilvie’s summoning of The King in Yellow earn
+1D10 SAN; those who lived through the terrible
performance of the play but thwarted it reaching its
nauseating conclusion receive +2D10 SAN — they
have earned it. Protagonists who fail to derail the
director’s plan, allowing the play to be performed to
completion can be considered as having failed but
receive no additional penalty. They will likely never
look at Theatre the same way again.
Statistics]
Oscar Wilde, playwright, age 40
STR 12 CON 09 DEX 10 INT 18 POW 16 CHA 19
HP: 11 DB: 0 SAN 37 BP: 32 WP: 16
Unarmed 25%, damage 1D3-1
Skills: Art (Poetry) 85%, Art (Playwright) 75%, Charm 91%,
Dodge 27%, Empire Lore 44%, Foreign Language
(French) 80%, Foreign Language (German) 70% Foreign
Language (Greek) 65%, Foreign Language (Latin) 65%,
History 67%, Insight 55%, Occult 39%, Persuade 87%,
Research 90%, Search 42%, Social Etiquette (Dress
Well) 75%, Unnatural 8%
Resources: 12
At the time of this scenario in early 1895, Oscar
Wilde is at the height of his fame and success — not
only the most celebrated of living playwrights but also
a renowned poet and rapier wit. He has a reputation
for living a lifestyle that is regarded by most as
extraordinarily extravagant and bohemian.
Born in 1854 to a family of successful Dublin
intellectuals, Oscar studied Classics at Trinity College
and later Magdalen College, Oxford, where he was
first introduced to the rising artistic movement of
Aestheticism — art for art’s sake. This philosophy became
a driving force in both his writing and the way in which
he lived his life. Even prior to graduating from Oxford
in 1878, Wilde had already developed a reputation as a
poet, a form of writing in which he continued to excel
after moving to London (setting himself up as a bachelor
in Chelsea with the last of his inheritance).
Wilde briefly travelled to America in 1882, but the
majority of his time was spent rubbing shoulders with
London Society (to whom he was somewhat of a curiosity,
but also a guilty pleasure). He became close friends with
many writers, poets and painters and formed a “circle”
of like-minded Aesthetes around him. In addition to
writing poems, Wilde wrote essays and short stories
with a child-like beauty. His greatest successes came,
however, from the somewhat scandalous novel The
Picture of Dorian Gray (1890) and a string of successful
stage plays written between the late 1880s and 1895.
During this latter phase of his creative life Wilde spent
long periods in Paris where his appreciation of the
Decadent ideal blossomed still further.
Oscar Wilde is a large, shabbily dressed dilettante
with features that are best described as “homely.”
Despite his appearance he is a superb and celebrated
speaker, much in demand in London social circles.
His recent experience with The King in Yellow and
Salomé has left him visibly drained of vitality. He
shambles from place to place and can hardly manage
more than a whisper when spoken to.
Lord Alfred Douglas (Bosie), young
aristocrat and companion to Oscar Wilde, age 24
STR 09 CON 10 DEX 15 INT 14 POW 11 CHA 15
HP: 10 DB: 0 SAN 64 BP: 44 WP: 11
Boxing 25%, damage 1D3
Skills: Art (Poetry) 41%, Charm 54%, Dodge 38%,
History  34%, Empire Lore 39%, Foreign Language
(French) 15%, Foreign Language (Latin) 34%, Insight 37%,
Occult 10%, Persuade 44%, Regional Lore (London) 65%,
Research 50%, Search 40%, Social Etiquette 50%
Resources: 15
35
 Lord Alfred Douglas is a sallow but good-looking
Englishman in his early twenties. He is obviously a
recent product of the better public schools, and still
dresses in the Eton “boater hat” fashion. His manners
and accent are impeccable, although he does drink a
little too much when under stress.
The Aesthetes
Aubrey Beardsley, Talented and scurrilous
artist, age 22
STR 10 CON 05 DEX 13 INT 17 POW 15 CHA 12
HP: 8 DB: 0 SAN 70 BP: 60 WP: 15
Charles Conder, Painter and Aesthete, age 26
STR 16 CON 13 DEX 17 INT 14 POW 09 CHA 11
HP: 15 DB: +1 SAN 35 BP: 27 WP: 9
Walter Sickert, Well-Connected Aesthete, age 34
STR 11 CON 12 DEX 14 INT 12 POW 16 CHA 10
HP: 11 DB: 0 SAN 57 BP: 48 WP: 16
Robert Ross, former lover of Oscar Wilde and
art critic, age 25
STR 11 CON 13 DEX 15 INT 16 POW 10 CHA 17
HP: 12 DB: 0 SAN 50 BP: 40 WP: 10
Arthur Symons, poet and wag, age 29
STR 10 CON 09 DEX 13 INT 15 POW 14 CHA 11
HP: 10 DB: 0 SAN 59 BP: 56 WP: 14
Ernest Dowson, poet, novelist and alcoholic,
age 27
STR 14 CON 12 DEX 16 INT 11 POW 09 CHA 16
HP: 13 DB: +1 SAN 28 BP: 27 WP: 9
Count Eric Stanislaus Stenbock, Insane
aristocrat and sometimes writer, age 34
STR 07 CON 05 DEX 10 INT 16 POW 17 CHA 08
HP: 6 DB: –1 SAN 07 BP: 0 WP: 17
Aesthete’s Skills: Art (various) 80%, Foreign Language
(French, Latin, or Greek) 35%, History 40%, Social
Etiquette (Adopt Pose) 60%, Weapons at base chances.
Aesthete’s Resources: 12 to 19
36
Jonathan Ogilvie, Avant-garde director
and servant of the King in Yellow, age 39
STR 10 CON 12 DEX 15 INT 17 POW 25 CHA 14
HP: 11 DB: 0 SAN 0 WP: 25
Knife 56%, damage 1D6
Handgun 35%, damage 1D10
Skills: Art (Theatre) 80%, Art (Writing) 40%, Art (Sing) 60%,
Athletics 38%, Dodge 44%, Harangue 78%, History 42%,
Insight 40%, Firearms 35%, Foreign Language (Latin) 18%,
Melee Weapons 56%, Occult  56%, Persuade 63%,
Regional Lore (London) 22%, Search 70%, Unnatural 20%
Resources: 11
Rituals: Summon/Bind Patchwork Courtier, Summon The King
in Yellow, Supernatural Armor, Chaconne for the Yellow
King (see “New Rituals” on page 39).
Magickal Items: Roi de Jaune playing card (see page 27)
Jonathan Ogilvie’s appearance is anything but
conventional, but even his extraordinary looks do little
to betray his inner depravity. He is hopelessly insane
and will use any means available to achieve his ends.
Ogilvie’s ceremonial dagger has been enchanted
with magickal energies; using it in the Summon/Bind
Patchwork Courtier spell increases the chance of
success by 50 percentiles.
Actors & Audience
Rose Vanburgh, actress (playing Salomé), age 31
STR 11 CON 08 DEX 12 INT 18 POW 16 CHA 14
HP: 10 DB: 0 SAN 80 BP: 64 WP: 16
Unarmed 20%, damage 1D3-1
Skills: Alertness 60%, Anthropology 40%, Appraise 40%,
Art (Acting) 40%, Art (Dance) 60%, Charm 60%,
Disguise 30%, First Aid 30%, Insight 60%, Mechanical
Knack 40%, Navigate 50%, Reassure  50%,
Research  50%, Scavenge 50%, Search 60%, Social
Etiquette 50%, Streetwise (West End Theatre-
folk) 30%.
Resources: 4
Bonds: 3 (inc. St. James Theatre Troupe [Community] @ 7)
Rose grew up in Yorkshire, the daughter of a
humble farmer. From an early age she dreamed of a
life as a “proper” actor in the Shakespearean tradition;
so far she has been able to accumulate a modest career
in the West End playing support roles in popular light
comedies and drawing room farces.
 Oscar’s Downfall: Crossing Queensberry
The months immediately following the setting of this
scenario do not prove to be happy ones for Oscar
Wilde, despite his play The Importance of Being
Ernest receiving some significant acclaim when it
opens on February 14th, 1895.
Bosie’s father, the Marquess of Queensberry (creator
of the famous rules of modern boxing) had never
particularly approved of the friendship between
Oscar and his son. The two had clashed in the past,
but Oscar had managed to mollify the aristocrat
to an extent. Queensberry had firmly formed the
impression that there was a homosexual relationship
between Oscar and Bosie, which, under the laws
of the time, was illegal. He told Wilde “I do not
say that you are it, but you look it, and pose at it,
which is just as bad. And if I catch you and my son
again in any public restaurant I will thrash you.” At
the opening of Ernest, Queensberry planned to ruin
the night by smuggling rotten vegetables into the
theatre, which he would throw at Wilde when the
latter made his customary playwright’s bow to the
audience. Fortunately, Wilde somehow learned of
this nefarious plot and had Queensberry barred
from the St. James’s.
But this wasn’t the end to the nastiness. A few days
after the play’s opening Queensberry paid a visit to
Wilde’s club, the Ablemarle, and left him a calling card
inscribed by hand to read either “For Oscar Wilde,
posing sodomite[sic]” or “posing AS sodomite[sic]” (the
handwriting was unclear). Wilde was not impressed
and, somewhat egged on by Bosie and others, filed
a private prosecution against Queensberry accusing
him of criminal libel (made possible because sodomy
was a criminal offense). This went to trial amid a
crescendo of press and popular hysteria on April 3rd,
but things did not go well for Oscar. Under British
law, the only viable defense against an accusation
of libel was to prove that the allegation was actually
Recently she was asked to play the lead in a new
one-act play by Oscar Wilde, a part she is particularly
suited to because it involves an elaborate solo dance
sequence that few actresses could pull off. The subject
matter of the play is a little controversial — her
church-fearing father would never have approved —
but it’s the kind of role that could make her career, so
Rose would never dream of giving it up.
She has confided her concerns to her husband,
though, who seems happy that the new play will “stick
it” to the conservative establishment.
true, thus Queensberry’s lawyers set out to present a
mountain of salacious stories about the outrageous
and lavish lifestyle Wilde had led. In the end it was
not difficult to establish to the judge’s satisfaction that
Oscar Wilde had indeed posed AS a sodomite (i.e.,
lived a life which had that appearance ... regardless
of whether he was, himself, a sodomite).
The libel case was dismissed but was followed very
quickly by a counter-case. Even as Wilde was leaving
the court, plans were afoot for arresting him on
charges of sodomy and gross indecency. The warrant
was issued by the Crown on the basis of the many
scurrilous tales that had been aired in the first court
case. Robbie Ross found Wilde and a friend in a hotel
in Knightsbridge and urged him to flee immediately
to France. Oscar’s plucky Irish mother counselled
him to stay and fight the charges like a man. Wilde
listened to his mother and did stay to fight: the case
opened on April 26th, by which time the playwright
was already imprisoned on remand. The trial lasted
a little under a month, with the judge’s final verdict
convicting Wilde of the crime of “gross indecency” (a
term whose legal definition amounted to homosexual
acts not including sodomy); the sentence was two
years’ hard labor, the maximum penalty allowed for
the offence. The judge publicly rued the fact that he
could not issue a more severe punishment.
Wilde served his full sentence and was released
in May 1897, although his health had declined
significantly while in prison. He left England the very
next day, to live out the remainder of his life — just
another three years — financially destitute in France.
Wilde died in a dingy hotel in Paris in October 1900;
his (somewhat famous) final words were reported to
be “My wallpaper and I are fighting a duel to the
death. One of us has got to go.”
Hugh Vincent, actor (playing Herod), age 33
STR 15 CON 08 DEX 06 INT 14 POW 10 CHA 13
HP: 12 DB: +1 SAN 50 BP: 40 WP: 10
Rapier 50%, damage 1D6+1
Rifle [@ home] 60%, damage 1D10+2, base range 50yds
Skills: Administration 50%, Alertness 60%, Appraise 40%, Art
(Acting) 60%, Art (Poetry) 40%, Athletics 70%, Charm 40%,
Disguise 30%, Empire Lore (British)  40%, Firearms 60%,
Harangue 50%, Insight 60%, Melee Weapons 50%, Military
Training (Army) 40%, Search  60%, 30%, Social Etiquette
50%, Streetwise (South of the River) 40.
37
 Resources: 9
Bonds: 3 (inc. St. James Theatre Troupe [Community] @ 13)
Hugh comes from a solid middle-class family
with an equally solid military tradition. His father
was a career Army man, so he thought that’s what his
life would be too. And initially life in the military did
fit Hugh’s button-down mind very well, but all that
changed when he got deployed to serve in Afghanistan.
The visceral terror of seeing such wanton bloodshed
and brutality — on both sides — soured him to the
honorable Army tradition. He delisted as soon as he
could and returned to London, unsure of what to do.
By chance he was asked to try out for a part in the
theatre and found that his quick tongue, deep booming
voice, and stern expressions suited many leading
roles. Now he has a successful career, and a wife who
is also an actor (in another troupe), and life seems to
be going well. He is still occasionally haunted by the
dark side of the Empire, but hopes that a life “on the
boards” will soon wipe that out.
Miles Jamieson, actor (playing Jokanaan),
age 35
STR 15 CON 13 DEX 16 INT 16 POW 13 CHA 16
HP: 14 DB: +1 SAN 58 BP: 52 WP: 13
Blackjack 50%, damage 1D4+1
Skills: Appraise 40%, Art (Acting) 60%, Athletics 70%, Craft
(Carpentry) 40%, Disguise 50%, Dodge 50%, Drive 40%,
Harangue 50%, Heavy Machinery 50%, Insight  60%,
Mechanical Knack 70%, Melee Weapons  50%,
Scavenge  50%, Search 60%, Stealth 50%, Social
Etiquette 50%, Streetwise (Soho Cabbies) 30%.
Resources: 4
Bonds: 3 (inc. St. James Theatre Troupe [Community] @ 2)
Miles grew up in Limehouse, South of the River,
and comes from a line of scrappy salt-of-the earth types
who have always been poor and destitute. Most of the
people he knew growing up wound up in some kind of
vaguely illegal profession; for a short time he (to his
shame) also supported himself through petty thievery.
Although he was actually well-suited to stealthy
theft, his moral code was never comfortable with that
life. So, he became a cabby instead, driving his social
“betters” around the streets in hansoms. It was a fair
living, and sometimes the tips were exceptional.
He always found the best fares were those to
and from the West End theatre district, and it was
38
while filling one such fare that he picked up George
Alexander, owner of the St James theatre. After
talking to him for a while and inspecting his chiseled
features, George suggested to Miles that he had a
“wastrel weathered look” that would play well on the
stage. Spurred on by the recommendation he applied,
and George gave him a first job on a brand-new
production of a play by the notorious Oscar Wilde.
What a baptism of fire!
Cicely Kemble, actress (playing Herodias),
age 42
STR 13 CON 10 DEX 11 INT 09 POW 10 CHA 14
HP: 12 DB: +1 SAN 50 BP: 40 WP: 10
Unarmed 20%, damage 1D3
Skills: Administration 50%, Alertness 60%, Anthropology 40%,
Appraise 40%, Art (Acting) 60%, Craft (Bookbinding) 40%,
Empire Lore (British Raj) 40%, First Aid 50%, Harangue 50%,
History 30%, Insight  60%, Research 70%, Search 60%,
Social Etiquette 50%, Streetwise (Music Halls) 30%.
Resources: 11
Bonds: 3 (inc. St. James Theatre Troupe [Community] @ 6)
Cicely is a rare example of a Victorian woman who
has served an important role in the vast administrative
machine of the British Colonial Office. Born in India,
daughter of a diplomat and plantation owner, she was
well educated in the local school for colonial ex-pats,
where her grades would have been poor but for her
talents at coercing other students — and sometimes
teachers — into doing her assignments. Eventually
she graduated with grades that surprised everyone —
no one more than her father — and she was offered an
opportunity to take on a minor administrative role in
the local colonial office.
Applying her skills at manipulation, she soon
found herself promoted and eventually offered a role
back in England. It was only after moving to London
that Cicely’s past maladministrations caught up with
her. Unceremoniously ejected from her job by a
sneering cadre of bewhiskered men (who told her she
would never work again), she was at a loss.
But a chance conversation with one of her cousins
who worked in the theatre gave Cicely the idea of
turning her blustering and cajoling abilities to the
task of winning audiences. So far, her acting career
has been going well … and the best part is nobody
knows (or cares) about her past.
 New Rituals
Summon/Bind Patchwork Courtier
Complex Ritual. Activation: 2D6 Minutes; WP 5+5+5;
SAN 1D6
This ritual involves some elaborate preparation, including
the creation of an enchanted knife (sacrificing 5 WPs to
energize) and the etching of protective wards close to the
place where the summoning will occur (another sacrifice of
5WP). Once these are complete, the summoning itself is
relatively straightforward: the caster simply recites a short
formula and sacrifices a final 5WP. He or she then attempts
a POW×5 test — if successful, the ritual has made contact
with a random creature from the Carcosan court of the
King in Yellow. It will arrive in 2D4 minutes, quietly seeping
into our reality by stepping out of a shadow into the
warded location. The foul monstrosity will act according to
the will of the ritual caster.
Note that if the protective warding symbols etched into
the summoning location have been removed or tampered
with, the summoning still succeeds but the beast is unbound.
It may simply rampage violently in search of food, or it
may seek out the upstart sorcerer who sought to deprive
it of its freedom.
Summon The King in Yellow
Complex Ritual. Activation: 30 Minutes; WP 45 or 10;
SAN 1D10
This ritual involves the full-cast performance of a dramatic
work that has been infused by the decadent themes and
imagery associated with The King in Yellow. This could be
the play which is named after the King (which was first
published in France in the 1890s), but equally it could be
another play into which the same cloying and destructive
ideas have been woven. Oscar Wilde’s Salomé — or at
least the bastardized version being performed at the St.
James — is one such work. The performed piece must run
to at least 30 minutes to have any chance of attracting The
King’s attention. Thereafter, the performers in the play give
up Willpower Points (either knowingly or unknowingly) and
a roll is made to determine the success of the summoning.
The number of WP needed to attract The King depends on
whether any of his kindred entities — courtiers or Nobles
from Carcosa — are already present at the location. If
no such entities are present, the minimum commitment of
Willpower Points is 45 although ritual casters are advised
to supply more if they can. The Willpower Points can
come from the ritual caster (as WPs or via a sacrifice
of permanent points of POW, each of which supply the
equivalent of 10WPs), or from cast members who are
thoroughly absorbed by the play (who can donate WPs
or even POW for the same benefit as the ritual leader).
In this scenario, only actors under the influence of the Roi
de Jaune artifact are sufficiently immersed to be a source
of WPs. Each WP sacrificed adds 1% to the chance of a
successful summoning.
On the other, things are much easier if familiar entities
from Carcosa are already at the summoning location. The
minimum investment of WPs is just 10. Again, these can
come from either the ritual caster or from performers who
are immersed in the play. Each WP sacrificed in this case
adds 10% to the chance of a successful summoning.
After all sacrifices have been made, the roll is made to
determine the outcome of the ritual. If it succeeds, the King
arrives shortly, heralded by a mysterious flapping of wings.
Supernatural Armor
Simple Ritual. Activation: 1D3 Minutes; WP and SAN cost
varies
This ritual encircles the caster in a temporary supernatural
barrier — a pallid alien glow — which deflects all kinetic
damage aimed at the caster. It effectively grants him or
her additional points of (unnatural) armor. The caster can
choose the amount he or she is willing to sacrifice, and the
effect is determined by that amount, as per the table below:
WPs Sacrificed Points of Armor SAN Loss
6 2 1
9 4 1D4
12 6 1D6
15 8 1D8
The Supernatural Armor does not last for a prescribed
amount of time, but rather until the glowing field has
absorbed sufficient damage on behalf of the caster. Each
time one or more points of damage is absorbed, the
effective Armor rating of the field reduces by 1. When it
reaches zero, the ritual effect is ended.
Chaconne for the Yellow King
Simple Ritual. Activation: Seconds; WP 8; SAN 1D6
This ritual involves the repeated harmonic intonement of a
short, repetitive chant of a faintly musical yet discordant
timbre. It’s peculiar rhythms sound alien, but far worse is the
supernatural effect they create. When directed at a single
target, this song causes the physical attributes of the victim to
wither and fade, as though the vitality were literally being
drained from their body. For the effect to succeed the caster
must succeed in an opposed roll of POW vs POW. If won,
the caster chooses which physical attribute — CON, STR, or
CHA — is to be drained. That attribute is reduced by 3D4
points, permanently. The skin of the victim bubbles and warps
as though subject to a terrible heat. Although everyone in the
vicinity of the ritual can hear the otherworldly chant, it is only
the targeted victim that suffers these effects.
Note that reductions to CON or STR might affect Hit
Points, and reductions to STR may change the character’s
Damage Bonus. Any attribute reduced to zero results in
the victim’s death.
39
 George Alexander, Proprietor of the St James
and Actor (playing the Young Syrian), age 36
STR 15 CON 08 DEX 12 INT 14 POW 13 CHA 10
HP: 12 DB: +1 SAN 62 BP: 52 WP: 13
Prop Sword 50%, damage 1D6+1
Skills: Administration 40%, Appraise 60%, Art (Acting) 40%,
Charm 60%, Empire Lore (British) 20%, Foreign Language
(French) 40%, History 80%, Law (British) 20%, Melee
Weapons 50%, Military Training (Royal Navy) 20%,
Occult 50%, Research 60%, Persuade 60%, Search 60%,
Social Etiquette 50%.
Resources: 12
Bonds: 3 (inc. St. James Theatre Troupe [Community] @ 20)
George is the owner of the St James Theatre, and
also an actor of some experience. The latter comes in
handy when filling out a cast of performers — if there
are smaller parts, he doesn’t need to suffer the expense
of hiring an actor to fill them; he can do them himself.
George comes from a middle-class Navy family,
and did serve a short stint at sea — but it wasn’t for
him, but did earn him enough to put down payment on
the purchase of the St James. It’s not the goldmine he
had hoped for: there are all those actors to pay and the
recent upgrades to install the electrics has bitten hard
into the Theatre’s bank balance.
The recent approach by several friends of Oscar
Wilde, determined to stage a new production of his
(only recently un-banned) play Salomé is hopefully
the answer to many financial problems. Although
Wilde’s reputation is scurrilous — and he’s scarcely
likely to see Victoria in the Royal box for any of the
performances — there is a certain bohemian set that
follows his many scandals and cannot get enough. If
the ticket fees don’t pay for the production costs, the
takings from the pre- and post-show bar certainly will.
Minor Actors (George Denny, Thomas Schild­
kraut, Ivor “Hanky” Pankov), Cast and Crew
STR 09 CON 11 DEX 11 INT 11 POW 12 CHA 11
HP: 10 DB: 0 SAN 55 BP: 44 WP: 12
Skills: Art (Acting) 80%, Charm 40%, Insight 35%, Melee
Weapon (Sword) 40%, Persuade 55%
Generic society “Dandy” (use for any audience
members that become involved in the action)
STR 09 CON 13 DEX 15 INT 11 POW 09 CHA 15
HP: 11 DB: 0 SAN 45 BP: 36 WP: 9
Skills: Complain About Poor 50%, Look Down Nose 70%,
No Combat Skills.
Resources: 18
40
The Thing in the Cistern: A
Patchwork Courtier
Patchwork Courtiers are disgusting monstrosities
which appear stitched together from a dozen different
species of alien corpses. They are fleshy analogies of
a patchwork quilt, spare parts pulled together and
granted terrible life to serve as courtiers to do the
bidding of The King in Yellow. In his palace on the
Lake of Hali, scores of these hybrid horrors reside —
each a unique and disgusting abomination.
The individual brought to the theatre by Ogilvie
to aid in his summons to the King resembles a 12-foot
tall ape-like body fused with insectoid head and owl-
like razor-sharp talons.
STR 19 CON 17 DEX 10 INT 07 POW 10
HP: 18 WP: 10
Talon 45%, damage 1D8+2
Armor: 3-point thick hide
vs Lethal Damage: RESILIENT — The Thing in the Cistern is
a massive monstrosity; hence a successful roll on a Lethal
attack does not ‘kill’ it but rather inflicts Hit Point damage
equal to 2D10 minus its Armor rating of 3.
Skills: Dodge 30%.
Sanity Loss: 0/1D10 to see the Thing in the Cistern.
The Watcher in the Scenery,
Hali-Spawn
Beneath the surface of the Lake of Hali swim
legions of vast and alien tentacled horrors. This
disgusting specimen comprises a rubbery amphibious
body the size of an elephant from which sprout a dozen
uneven tentacles. Some of these rubbery appendages
stretch 40 feet or more and are imbued with powerful
muscles designed to squeeze the life out of prey and
render them a gelatinous mass ready to be eaten.
STR 41 CON 19 DEX 11 INT 18 POW 26
HP: 30 WP: 26
Tentacle 75%, damage 1D6+4, or PINNED.
Armor: 10-point thick and rubbery hide
vs Lethal Damage: RESILIENT — The Watcher is a massive
monstrosity; hence a successful roll on a Lethal attack does
not ‘kill’ it but rather inflicts Hit Point damage equal to
2D10 minus its Armor rating of 10.
Sanity Loss: 1D6/1D20 to see a Hali-Spawn.
Pallid Revelers
Both revelers have identical statistics.
STR 14 CON 16 DEX 27 INT 20 POW 25
HP: 15 DB: +1 WP: 25
Hidden Blade 65%, damage 1D6+1 and Mesmerize
(see below)
Strangulation 30%, damage special (see below)
MESMERIZE: If hit by one of the Revelers’ blades, a victim
must succeed in an opposed POW vs POW test against
the entity or be mesmerized into immobility, as whirling
filaments of the reveler’s costume inflict another 1D4–1
damage each following round. A victim can re-attempt
the opposed POW roll at the end of each round.
The King in Yellow
[No statistics required]
The King in Yellow is human-seeming, clad in
tattered yellow rags and wearing the Pallid Mask. The
rags are extensions of the entity’s flesh, and the Mask
covers horrible pseudopods that can attach to a target
and drain POW. The King can cause paroxysms of fear
by gazing at a target. The target must make a POW≤3
roll or lose 1D6 SAN per round.

STRANGULATION: The Dancer slips its rags around the victim’s

throat and tries to strangle them. The victim can make a
STR×5 or DEX×5 test (player’s choice) to break or slip free.
While they are being strangled, the victim must make a CON
test every turn. For the first turn, this test is at CON×5; if they
fail, the check goes from CON×5 to ×4. If they fail again, it
goes to ×3, and so on all the way to CON×1. If this last roll
is failed, the victim dies of suffocation.

Skills: Dodge 75%.

Sanity Loss: 0/1D3 to witness the unnatural grace of the

Pallid Revelers [Unnatural].

41
 GM’s_Script<
(including Event Markers)

SALOMEA Tragedy in One Act

Translated from the French of Oscar Wilde by Lord Alfred Douglas

THE PERSONS OF THE PLAY:

Herod Antipas, Tetrach of Judea. . . . . . . . . . . . . Hugh Vincent (read by player)

Jokanaan, the Prophet. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Miles Jamieson (read by player)
Herodias, Wife of the Tetrach. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cicely Kemble (read by player)
Salomé, daughter of Herodias. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rose Vanburgh (read by player)
The Young Syrian, Captain of the Guard. . . . . . . George Alexander (read by player)
The Page of Herodias . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Read by GM
Namaan, the Executioner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Read by GM
Soldiers and Slaves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Read by GM

SCENE: A great terrace in the Palace of Herod, set above the banqueting-hall. Some soldiers are leaning on the
balcony. To the right is a gigantic staircase, to the left, at the back, on old cistern surrounded by a wall of
green bronze. Moonlight.

KEEPER (YOUNG SYRIAN): How Beautiful is the Princess Salomé tonight!

KEEPER (PAGE OF HERODIAS): Look at the moon! How strange the moon seems! She is like a woman rising
from a tomb. She is like a dead woman. You would fancy she was looking for dead things.

KEEPER (YOUNG SYRIAN): She is like a woman who is dead. She moves very slowly . . . How beautiful is the
Princess Salomé tonight!

KEEPER (PAGE OF HERODIAS): You are always looking at her. You look at her too much. It is dangerous to
look at people in that fashion. Something terrible may happen.

PLAYER (VOICE OF JOKANAAN) (offstage): After me shall come another mightier than I. When he cometh,
the solitary places shall be glad. They shall blossom like the lily. The eyes of the blind shall see the day; the
ears of the deaf shall be opened.

KEEPER (FIRST SOLDIER): Make him silent. He is always saying ridiculous things.

[EVENT A: Oscar Enters the Theatre]

KEEPER (SECOND SOLDIER): No, no. He is a holy man. He is very gentle, too.

KEEPER (FIRST SOLDIER): Who is he?

KEEPER (SECOND SOLDIER): A prophet.

42
KEEPER (FIRST SOLDIER): What is his name?

KEEPER (SECOND SOLDIER): Jokanaan.

[Enter Salomé]

PLAYER (SALOMÉ): I will not stay. I cannot stay. Why does the Tetrach look at me all the while with his mole’s
eyes under his shaking eyelids? It is strange that the husband of my mother looks at me like that. I know
not what it means. In truth, yes I know it.

[Enter A Slave]

KEEPER (SLAVE): Princess, the Tetrach prays you to return to the feast.

PLAYER (SALOMÉ): I will not go back.

PLAYER (THE VOICE OF JOKANAAN) (offstage): Rejoice not thou, land of Palestine, because the rod of him
who smote you is broken. For the seed of the serpent shall come forth from a basilisk, and that which is
born shall devour the birds.

[EVENT B: Unnatural Silence Falls Over The Audience]

PLAYER (SALOMÉ): Who was that who cried out?

KEEPER (SECOND SOLDIER): The Prophet, Princess.

PLAYER (SALOMÉ): This prophet, is he an old man?

KEEPER (SECOND SOLDIER): No Princess, he is quite a young man.

PLAYER (SALOMÉ): What a strange voice! I will speak with him.

KEEPER (YOUNG SYRIAN): I fear it is impossible Princess. The Tetrach does not want anyone to speak to him.

PLAYER (SALOMÉ): I will speak with him. Bring forth the Prophet.

KEEPER (SOLDIERS): We dare not, Princess.

PLAYER (SALOMÉ): [looking at the Young Syrian] You will do this for me, will you not Narraboth? You know
that you will do this thing for me. And tomorrow when I pass in my litter by the bridge of the idol-buyers,
I will look at you through the muslin veils. I will look at you, Narraboth, It may be that I will smile at you.

KEEPER (YOUNG SYRIAN): Let the Prophet come forth . . . The Princess Salomé desires to see him!

KEEPER (PAGE OF HERODIAS): Oh! How strange the moon looks. You would think it was the hand of a dead
woman who is seeking to cover herself with a shroud.

[EVENT C: Ogilvie Draws The Knife; The Play Takes Momentum]

[The prophet comes out of the cistern. Salomé looks at him and steps slowly back]

PLAYER (SALOMÉ): How wasted he is! He is like a thin ivory statue. He is like an image of silver. I am sure
he is chaste as the moon is. His flesh must be cool like ivory. I would look closer at him.

KEEPER (YOUNG SYRIAN): Do not stay here, Princess. I pray you do not stay here.

43
 PLAYER (JOKANAAN): Who is this woman who is looking at me? I would not have her look at me. Wherefore
doth she look at me with her golden eyes, under her gilded eyelids? I know not who she is. I do not wish
to know who she is.

PLAYER (SALOMÉ): I am Salomé, daughter of Herodias, Princess of Judea.

PLAYER (JOKANAAN): Back! Daughter of Babylon!

PLAYER (SALOMÉ): Speak again, Jokanaan. Thy voice is wine to me.

PLAYER (JOKANAAN): Get thee behind me! I hear in this place the beating of the wings of death!

[EVENT D: Sound of Fluttering Wings]

PLAYER (SALOMÉ): Jokanaan, I am amorous of thy body! Thy body is white like the snows that lie on the
mountains, like the snows that lie on the mountains of Judea and come down into the valleys. Thy mouth
is like a band of scarlet on a tower of ivory. Thy mouth is redder than the feet of the doves who haunt the
temples and are fed by priests. There is nothing in the world so red as thy mouth . . . Let me kiss thy mouth.

PLAYER (JOKANAAN): Never, daughter of Sodom! Touch me not.

KEEPER (YOUNG SYRIAN): Princess, do not speak such words to him!

PLAYER (SALOMÉ): I will kiss thy mouth, Jokanaan.

KEEPER (YOUNG SYRIAN): Princess, do not speak such things. I cannot suffer them . . . Princess, Princess . . . Ah!

[The Young Syrian kills himself and falls between Salomé and Jokanaan. Jokanaan turns and goes down
into the cistern]

[EVENT E: Real Blood Seeps From The Dead Syrian – Ogilvie’s First Sacrifice to The King in Yellow]

PLAYER (SALOMÉ): I will kiss thy mouth Jokanaan. I will kiss thy mouth.

[Enter Herod, Herodias and all the Court]

PLAYER (HEROD): Where is Salomé? Where is the Princess? Why did she not return to the banquet as I
commanded her? There she is!

PLAYER (HERODIAS): You must not look at her. You are always looking at her.

PLAYER (HEROD): The moon has a strange look tonight. She is like a mad woman, a mad woman who is seeking
everywhere for lovers. She is naked, too. The clouds are seeking to clothe her nakedness, but she will not let
them. She shows herself naked in the sky . . . Pour forth my wine. Salomé, come drink a little wine with me.

PLAYER (SALOMÉ): I am not thirsty, Tetrach.

PLAYER (VOICE OF JOKANAAN) (offstage): Lo! The time is come! That which I foretold has come to pass.

PLAYER (HERODIAS): Bid him be silent. I will not listen to his voice. This man is forever vomiting insults.

PLAYER (HEROD): Do you not see your daughter, how pale she is?

PLAYER (HERODIAS): What is it to you if she is pale or not?

PLAYER (HEROD): Never have I seen her so pale.

44
PLAYER (HERODIAS): You must not look at her.

[EVENT F: Cloying Odor, Arrival of Pale Cadaverous Form]

PLAYER (VOICE OF JOKANAAN) (offstage): In that day the sun shall become black like the sackcloth of hair,
and the moon shall be like blood, and the stars of the heavens shall fall upon the earth!

PLAYER (HEROD): Dance for me, Salomé.

PLAYER (SALOMÉ): I do not desire to dance, Tetrach.

PLAYER (HEROD): Salomé, daughter of Herodias, dance for me.

PLAYER (HERODIAS): Do not dance, my daughter.

PLAYER (HEROD): Dance for me, I beseech you. If you dance for me you may ask of me what you will, and I
will give it to you, even unto half the kingdom.

PLAYER (SALOMÉ): Will you indeed give me whatsoever I ask, Tetrach?

PLAYER (HEROD): Everything, even half the kingdom.

PLAYER (SALOMÉ): You swear it, Tetrach?

PLAYER (HEROD): I swear it, Salomé.

PLAYER (HERODIAS): My daughter, do not dance!

PLAYER (HEROD): Ah! Look at the moon, she has become red as blood. The prophet prophesied truly. Did he
not prophesy that the moon would become red as blood?

[EVENT G: Beardsley’s Secret Apparatus is Deployed; the shock to the actors allows them an attempt to break
free with a bonus]

PLAYER (VOICE OF JOKANAAN) (offstage): Who is this who cometh from Edom, who shineth in the beauty
of his garments, who walketh mighty in his greatness? Why is thy raiment stained with scarlet?

[EVENT H: Sounds of Snapping Bone at Rear of Theatre]

PLAYER (HERODIAS): Let us go within. The voice of that man maddens me.

PLAYER (HEROD): I will not go in until she has danced. Salomé, dance for me.

PLAYER (SALOMÉ): I am ready Tetrach.

[Salomé dances the dance of the seven veils]

[EVENT I: Rose must make seven Art (Dance) rolls — one for each “veil” removed during the dance.
Every time she succeeds, an element of either the set or costume morphs into a form more fitting for
the play The King in Yellow. Keep track of the number of transformations that occur; each one gives a
cumulative penalty to all subsequent attempts to break free from the play’s script]

PLAYER (HEROD): Ah! Wonderful! Wonderful! Come near, Salomé, come near that I may give you your
reward. What wouldst thou have?

45
 PLAYER (SALOMÉ): I would that they presently bring me in a silver charger...

PLAYER (HEROD): [laughing] In a silver charger? Surely yes, in a silver charger. She is charming, is she not?
What would you have in a silver charger?

PLAYER (SALOMÉ): The head of Jokanaan.

PLAYER (HERODIAS): Ah! That is well said, my daughter.

PLAYER (HEROD): No, no Salomé. Do not ask me that.

PLAYER (SALOMÉ): You have sworn, Herod. Do not forget that you have sworn an oath.

PLAYER (HEROD): I know it. But I pray you, Salomé, ask of me something else. Ask of me half of my kingdom,
and I will give it to you. But do not ask of me what you have asked.

PLAYER (SALOMÉ): I ask of you the head of Jokanaan.

PLAYER (HEROD): You are not listening. You are not listening. Suffer me to speak Salomé. Listen. I have
jewels hidden in this place - jewels that even your mother has not seen...

PLAYER (SALOMÉ): The head of Jokanaan.

PLAYER (HEROD): Let her be given what she asks! Of truth she is her mother’s child.

[EVENT J: Ogilvie Uses Knife in Ritual to Summon Patchwork Courtier]

[The Executioner enters the cistern]

PLAYER (SALOMÉ): [she leans over the cistern and listens] There is no sound. I hear nothing. Why does he
not cry out, this man? If a man sought to kill me, I would cry out . . . I would struggle. No, I hear nothing.
There is a silence, a terrible silence.

[EVENT K: Patchwork Courtier Kills Miles Jamieson (Jokanaan) in the Cistern then Dismembers Edwin
Kemble (the Executioner) — Ogilvie’s second and third sacrifice to The King in Yellow]

[EVENT L: Patchwork Courtier Rises From Cistern, Presents Jamieson’s Head]

[The Executioner comes forth from the cistern, bearing on a silver shield the head of Jokanaan. Salomé
seizes it. Herod hides his face with his cloak. Herodias smiles and begins to fan herself]

PLAYER (SALOMÉ): Ah! Thou wouldst not suffer me to kiss thy mouth, Jokanaan. Well, I will kiss it now. I will
bite it with my teeth as one bites a ripe fruit. But wherefore does thou not look at me, Jokanaan? Thine eyes
that were so terrible, so full of scorn, are shut now. Ah! Wherefore didst thou not look at me, Jokanaan? If
thou hadst seen me thou would have loved me. I saw thee Jokanaan, and I loved thee. I love thee only . . . I
am athirst for thy beauty; I am hungry for thy body. I was chaste, and thou didst fill my veins with fire.

PLAYER (HEROD): She is monstrous, thy daughter. In truth, what she has done is a great crime.

PLAYER (HERODIAS): I approve of what my daughter has done. And I will stay here now.

PLAYER (HEROD): [rising] I will not stay here. Surely some terrible thing will befall. Put out the torches. I will
not look at things, I will not suffer things to look at me. Put out the torches! Hide the moon! Let us hide
ourselves in our palace. I begin to be afraid.

46
 [EVENT M: Stage Lights Go Out, Panic Ensues]

[The slaves put out the torches. A great black cloud crosses the moon and conceals it completely. The
stage becomes very dark. The Tetrach begins to climb the staircase]

[EVENT N: Ogilvie Finishes Incantations, Smears Blood on Knife]

PLAYER (VOICE OF SALOMÉ) (on-stage, but in darkness): Ah! I have kissed thy mouth, Jokanaan. There was
a bitter taste on my mouth. Was it the taste of blood? But perchance it was the taste of love? They say that
love hath a bitter taste ... But what of that? I have kissed thy mouth, Jokanaan.

[A moonbeam falls on Salomé, covering her with light]

PLAYER (HEROD): [turning round and seeing Salomé] Kill that woman!

[EVENT O: Rose Vanburgh Crushed By Soldiers, King in Yellow Feeds on Audience]

[The soldiers rush forward and crush beneath their shields Salomé, daughter of Herodias, Princess of Judea]

FINIS

47
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numeric game data, Ritual descriptions included in boxed text on page 39.