Through Sorcerer's eyes - Oct 29, in which Snuff opens up to the Great Detective

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

Starts here.

October 29

Snuff goes back to the Good Doctor's farmhouse, which has cooled down in the interim, to look for bodies. He finds and smells none. He goes to the barn to see if the Experiment Man has come back. Instead, he finds a bat in the loft who reminds him of Needle. It being daytime, it takes him a while to wake him up, but it turns out that he was right. Needle seems to be up to speed on recent occurrences, and lets Snuff know that Rastov was not convinced by Owen to switch sides from Closer to Opener, so their killings may not have been motivated by their alignment.

Snuff remarks that he's almost acting as if he's still in the game. Needle says he is, but then they are both cut off by the Vicar - Needle's abrupt warning lets Snuff duck out of the arrow's way in the nick of time. Climbing back down to take care of him is a tense affair, as he must do so backwards, and Needle's attempts at distraction don't stop a second shot from coming out, only missing him because he'd jumped some of the way down. As he prepares a third shot, Linda Enderby comes in, and kindly but insistently calms the situation down. She is able to get the Vicar to leave, only to then close the barn door behind her.

The Great Detective drops pretenses, and starts talking to Snuff as a rational actor. An unusual series of killings and strange occurrences, as well as his investigations in the area once he figured out where the center of weirdness is, have given him a partial picture of the Game. Despite his reluctance, he has to admit that there is something supernatural afoot, especially due to knowledge he's gained about Larry Talbot's and the Count's conditions, and some personal experiences he alludes to. He thinks he can help Snuff, but only if he gives him a demonstration of trust. After mulling it over, Snuff starts communicating with him. The Detective explains the rest of his understanding, and asks to learn the site of the event. Snuff agrees, pointing out Dog's Nest and leading him there. The Great Detective, in turn, promises to help rescue Lynette, the Vicar's stepdaughter and potential sacrifice, if Larry should fail - which he thinks is likely, because his experience with drugs suggests to him that Larry's control might not be as firm as he'd like, and because the Vicar has prepared some silver bullets to take care of him.

The Great Detective shows immense Will here (among other things, as he speaks he isn't providing any kind of signal, including olfactory), and a bit of Lore. The Vicar also seems to have quite a bit of Will, considering he is able to ignore a bat mobbing his face to take aim at another target, and is close to fighting off the Great Detective's manipulation.

Sorcerers and Demons

• Jack - Binder of Snuff (probably 0 or +/-1), a wand, and a big knife (probably 0 or +/-1), as well as a Container of several Things. Keeps a curse connected to his knife which has him lose control to murderous urges. Has played the Game before, as a Closer, as far as anyone can remember.
• The Good Doctor - Binder (-3 or below) or just Summoner and Container of the Experiment Man, with the Hunched Man as accomplice. Weird science and stormy weather. Not a player. Missing.
• The Count - Binder of Needle, a blood-sucking parasite, and possibly the Ring. Telltale: needs to be invited in. Might have multiple places to sleep. Served by a group of Roma. Found staked, without the Ring. May still be in the game?
• Vicar Roberts - A sorcerer in his own right railing against sorcery, Binder of Tekela and of the Pentacle Bowl, the Ring, the Alhazred Icon, and the Sickle. Some combination of Satanism and Cthulhu Mythos. Sacrificed a policemean, and has a daughter from a previous marriage tied up for future sacrifice. Was trying to have a vivisectionist turn Snuff into a set of special candles via a ritual they did not understand. High Will.
• Larry Talbot - Possible sorcerer, definite werewolf, Binder of several plants. Pledges assistance to Jack, but is not a player. Plants confer some control over his transformation, but it in itself seems natural to the setting. High Lore.
• 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, as a Closer
• The Experiment Man, AKA The Big Man or The Corpse Man - a Possessor of a stitching together of several dead bodies. Not very bright or forceful, but strong, and a speed belied by the awkwardness of his movement. Probably high Stamina, low Will.
• Needle - a Passer whose cover is a bat. Still in the Game.
• Count's Parasite - Possible abilities: Perception: heightened senses, Shapeshift: Large Bat, Travel. Possible Need: other people's blood.
• Tekela - a Passer whose cover is an albino raven. High Will.
• Plants - Object demons. Possible abilities: Boost: Stamina (werewolf transformation), Boost: Will (retaining faculties)
• The Great Detective and his companion - Very perceptive, good at disguises (although the smell gives it away), not explicitly a player in the Game, but taking a keen interest in what is going on, to the point of moving into the neighborhood in disguise and befriending some of the players, and is on track to know what it's all about. Probably very high Will, some Lore.

Sorcery and Setting

• Larry's botany and the Great Detective's experience with drugs seem to relate in terms of their relation to control over his werewolf transformation.