Carcosa
Carcosa has become somewhat of a meme amongst horror fiction greats, a name mentioned in passing by writers from Ambrose Bierce to H.P. Lovecraft. This is my own interpretation of the setting. While some basic themes will be shared with past works, the threads here will be completely original. I'm borrowing the seed of an idea –– no more, no less.Quote:
Along the shore the cloud waves break,
The twin suns sink behind the lake,
The shadows lengthen
In Carcosa.
Strange is the night where black stars rise,
And strange moons circle through the skies,
But stranger still is
Lost Carcosa.
Songs that the Hyades shall sing,
Where flap the tatters of the King,
Must die unheard in
Dim Carcosa.
Song of my soul, my voice is dead,
Die thou, unsung, as tears unshed
Shall dry and die in
Lost Carcosa.
— Cassilda's Song, The King in Yellow by Robert W. Chambers
My intent is to develop several story lines that span eras and, perhaps, dimensions. Some of these versions may parallel and fit into Althanas' setting, while some may be closer to the real world.
Story #1: Lost Carcosa
Closed to Olive.
It is 1943 and the world is caught up in the conflict of World War II. Carcosa is a territory of the United States, a small island off the coast of the Canadian Maritimes and New England, and remains fairly isolated and self-sufficient. It is largely inhabited by fishermen, farmers, and craftspeople, and has but one small city by the same name.
Carcosa's reputation is akin to the Bermuda Triangle of the North Atlantic. It's considered a bad luck place to live by most and has little to no tourist appeal. There are rumors of the strange, unusual, and paranormal, but nothing has been confirmed. Residents are superstitious and diverse, its history long, dark, and complicated, as it was settled by many different peoples, yet no settlements lasted more than a century until recently. There has been evidence of an ancient native culture, but only very little... until now.
More stories in the works, comment here or IM/PM me if you're interested in brewing up something.
