Through Sorcerer's eyes - Oct 18, in which we find out what a moon-watcher is, and learn about the Vicar's underside

Part of a series analyzing Roger Zelazny's A Night in the Lonesome October through Sorcerer.

Starts here.

October 18

Since October 14, Snuff has been dragging the body whenever he could. Today he finds unexpected assistance. He is approached by a large, scary wolf - who turns out to be Larry Talbot. A werewolf! Apparently the common situation is that they only turn into a wolf on the full moon - Larry is able to have more control over his transformation on other days, although the natural transformation still leaves him with no control of his faculties. The way he does this is through some plant-based assistance. This might lend more credence to the big plant, or possibly plants, being actual demons conferring some abilities - although the context here is strange. Are werewolves part of the setting, which Larry violates, partially, through demonic intervention? Or, like with the Count, should we see his very transformation as demonic? This is a similar question to when we discussed how animals seem to be naturally able to talk to each other in this setting, but more extreme. For now, let's call the demon's ability a specialized version of Stamina and Will Boost, since it allows a physical transformation with mental retention of faculties.

Larry handily carries the corpse to the river, and they both watch it floating downstream, to Snuff's immense relief. Then Larry takes him over to the Vicar's chapel, where a dark ceremony is taking place, with all the trappings of a black mass: inverted crucifix, black candles, black fabric draped over the altar, nudity... but also a chant referring to Nyarlathotep, a Lovecraftian entity. This is still not enough to confirm to Snuff whether the Vicar is a player, which suggests that it might be a part of sorcery that is more idiosyncratic. He tries to get Larry to explain whether he, himself, should be counted, but he's got limited information to give, only knowing that he will be out of his mind that night of the full moon. This is important, let us recall, because the locations of the different players form a pattern which Snuff, and possibly others, can use to calculate where the event will take place. So Snuff is forced to suggest calculating the whole thing four ways, with and without the Vicar, and with and without Larry.

Later he has a conversation with Graymalk, who is trying to get some information out of him without giving too much away. She already suspects that it is unclear whether Larry is or isn't a player, and when Snuff confirms that, she tells him that the event can't take place in the middle of the road, according to Jill's metaphysical reasoning. He counts that confirmation of his own ruling out of an earlier candidate as leaving them even.

Finally he sits in what he call's Dog's Nest, a comfortable hill with big blocks of stone to lie down on and think, with a good view of the area. He figures out three different locations for the event, one of which is dangerously close to the Count, one that he's visited recently, and one that he hasn't gone near before.

Sorcerers and Demons

• Jack - Binder of Snuff (probably 0 or +/-1), a wand, and a big knife, as well as a Container of several Things. Described as cursed and having to do much of his work at night - perhaps his Price has to do with insomnia? Has played the Game before.
• Larry Talbot - Possible sorcerer, definite werewolf, Binder of Large Plant. Pledges assistance to Jack, thinks he's a Closer, almost certainly one himself. Large Plant confers some control over his transformation, but it in itself seems natural to the setting
• Vicar Roberts - A sorcerer in his own right railing against sorcery, no Bound demons of his own that we are aware of yet. Some combination of Satanism and Cthulhu Mythos.
• "Crazy" Jill - Witch, Binder of Graymalk, and a flying broom
• The Count - Binder of Needle, a blood-sucking parasite, and possibly the ring. Telltale: needs to be invited in.
• Snuff - a Passer whose Cover is a watchdog. High Will. Possible abilities: Command: dogs, Hold, Perception: heightened senses, Perception: sorcerous implements, Perception: sorcerous pattern, Special Damage: claws and fangs, Special Damage: holy hell. Able to trace paths between sorcerers. Keeps up with who has which tool. Able to communicate with Jack verbally right after midnight. Has played the Game before
• Large Plant - a Passer whose cover is a large flowering plant? Possible abilities: Boost: Stamina (werewolf transformation), Boost: Will (retaining faculties), Hint, Perception: Future
• Graymalk - a Passer whose Cover is a cat. Possible abilities: Cloak. Possible Need/Desire: burying and uncovering things.
• Needle - a Passer whose cover is a bat.
• Count's Parasite - Possible abilities: Perception: heightened senses, Shapeshift: Large Bat, Travel. Possible Need: other people's blood.

Sorcery and Setting

• Cthulhu Mythos is one way for sorcery, but an unusual one - and not necessarily relevant to the Game.
• Lycanthropy exists, and might just be a natural setting trope rather than a transgression brought on by sorcery.
• It is possible to reason metaphysically about sorcerous matters, which might not require demonic intervention.