Pete Crowhurst (Disappeared in 2003, 29th april)

• My brother
• Architect, working on the hotel (Wanted to name the club in the hotel “KARS” for some unknow reason)
• Hears boy in tunnel, i don’t think that i ever sees him
• The VDU machine went mad, with the settings 271X632
• When using the coordinates a triangle symbol appears

KARS

• Started hearing strange things, and called me to solve the puzzle.
• Dr. Who fan
• Sleeps in the old waiting room

Timothy Pike  (Disappeared in 1947, 9th april.)

• Helped me get out of the tunnels, never saw him
• Told me to meet him at his secret place if i needed help
• Told me not to tell his dad that he was playing in the tunnels
• Told me that i should not go in the dark
• Mothers name is June.
• He was last seen near the tunnels
• His family is originally from London

• I found strange note, talking about working together, and telling the recipient of the note, to go to the place were he is stuck and think really hard, and then come back here so pike can see what is on his mind.

Polly White and Nigel Danvers (Disappeared in 2003, 29th april)

• Two students, studying paranormal activities (Alternative Science)
• Trying to prove the existence of ghosts
• Room 2D

Thomas Callum (Disappeared in 1947, 29th april.)

• Betty was hiding Thomas in room 1D
• Hiding from his father James Callum?

Betty Penfold (Disappeared in 1947, 29th april.)

• Room is on the 3D
• Daugther of Edith
• She is a musicians
• She is in love with Thomas

Matilda Fly (Disappeared in 1947, 29th april.)

• Lived in room 2B
• Stage and screen actress
• Fled London because of bad review, according to news paper article
• Bad actress according to the news paper articles in her room.
• Was black mailing Gloria

George Crabtree (Disappeared in 1947, 29th april.)

• Room 3F
• Photographer and owner of the hotel
• Handed out encoded letters, and pieces of skin with a symbol on it to some of the guests
• Lost his best friend Arther in WWII
• Arther and George are maybe more then Friends.
• He let out the Dark Fall together with Arther

Andrew Verney (Disappeared in 1947, 29th april.)

• Interesting in puzzles boxes, board games and astronomy
• Writer

Edith Penfold (Disappeared in 1947, 29th april.)

• Mother to Betty
• Room 3E
• Landlady since 1945
• Husband died in WWII

Gloria Grable (Disappeared in 1947, 29th april.)

• Signed in under a false name
• Room 1E
• Left the bar with Matilda, the night of the disappearance.
• Presumably the bank rubber Sly Fox, or maybe just the driver.
  • Stashed the cash under the floorboards in here room.
• Was being blackmailed by Matilda

Edward Tully (Disappeared in 1980)

• Started investigating the disappearances in 1980

Areas

Dark Fall

• Strange disappearances
• train station closed down, because of the disappearances
• One of the missing people was a young boy

Dowerton Hotel (The Station Hotel)

• Picture of Henry V
• Room 1F:
  • A thermometer showing 15 Celsius, and a camera
• Room 1E: Glorias room (false name).
  • Female voice telling me to get out of her room. picture on the wall
  • Communicating with the spirets
  • Stolen money, and another skin lyric (Used goggles to find it)
    
    

    Frenic

• Room 1D: Thomas was living in this room
• Room 1C:
• Room 1B:
  • Tag on the wall “EM EVAEL ENOLA” (Leave Me Alone) and symbols, circles with a cross though them
• Room 1A:
  • I hear a male voice, but i make it out. When looking out the window towards the station, i hear whistling.
  • Bed seat Trail 1
    
    

    Green, blue purple, red

• Toilet First floor:
  
  

  MALUS

• Room 2A:
  • Piece of paper with a food order (12th april 1947) (table 2) coverts 2, another mentioning the newly opened dining room. Shiccers stuck in the wall. Bible with book mark.
• Room 2B: Matilda Fly’s room
  • Female voice, complementing her work, an showing resentment towards the bad reviews, and telling me that i’m nosy poking around in other peoples things.
  • Found a piece of paper inside a clock, with a symbol that is reminiscent of the number four, when i looked at it, the symbol started to glow. Crabtree, told her to hide the piece of paper in her room
    
    

    Marcana

  • In a letter to a friend (Elenor Vandefis) Metilda mentions that she will return a rich women (because of the newspaper clippings?),
  • The letter ends abrupt with someone knocking at the door.
  • When writing Elenor, Matilda mistakenly wrote Barbera once.
• Room 2C:
  • Some kind of weird puzzle box.
    • Inside the box was another symbol
      
      

      Lussa

• Room 2D: Polly and Nigel’s room.
  • Locked. The key is located in the storeroom on the third floor
  • It has a lot a hi-tech equipment.
  • Mulder’s “I want to believe“ poster hangs on the wall
  • Polly left an audio diary, she was alone, Nigel went missing. She also mentions a chamber that they sealed up again, i need to use the thermo scanner to gain access, she has hidden coordinates for the scanner in the upstairs bathroom.
  • All 10 cams are viewable from computer terminal 2, the password is the only thing that Nigel likes from the menu (Chicky Chow).
    • All cams seem to work, except number 8
    • Coordinates  [00:20] [00:90]     [00:5] [00:40]
  • Terminal one, has a lot of information on the disappearances.
  • There are also some web pages
  • There is a phone located on the desk.
  • There are 3 take away menu, all of them have phone numbers
    • 01622-643853 (Usual order is nr. 15 Chicky Chow)
    • 01622-743852
    • 01622-048152
  • Found Radivision goggles
• Room 2E: Andrew Verneys room.
  • Book by Andrew Verney “Sights of the Northern Hemisphere” second edition printed in 1946. There was a male voice in this room, asking if i am interested in astronomy to.
  • Puzzle box with a combination lock 12|345|67 (Combination Raka 12/534/76)
    • Inside the box is a piece of skin with a symbol reminiscent of the one found in room 2B, but not exactly the same. It was giving to Andrew by Crabtree
      
      

      Crabtree

  • Book with star coordinates, written in the same format is the puzzle lock,
  • Andrew found new constellation.
  • There are to maps of constellations, in Andrew’s closet.
  • Torn up piece of paper with “IF  T=A?, T=B?, T=???, R either A or B?, R obviously I, I=R so D=W?”
  • Letter Written in code (By George. Crabtree)
    • Andrew TFZIW GSV HPRM DRGS  BLFI ORUV! R PMLD R HLFMW ORPV Z NZWNZM. VWRGS  RH UVVORMT  RMXORMVW GL KSLMV GSV KLORXV… BLF NFHG GIFHG NV. GSVIV RH  Z  TIVZG VERO DRGS FH SVIV RM GSV SLGVO. NB IVHZIXS RH TLRMT DVOO R QFHG MVVW GRNV Your trusted friend G. C.  P.S. WL MLG LKVM BLFI WLLI GSRH MRTSG GL ZMBLMV
    • Andrew guard the skin with your life! I know i sound like a madman. Edith is feeling inclined to phone the police… You must trust me. There is a  great evil with us here in the hotel. My research is going well I just need time your trusted friend G.C.  P.S. Do not open your door this night to anyone

• Room 2F:
  • Hi-tech camera with 12 pictures on it.
• Toilet Secound Floor:
  • Burnt note to Matilda, mentioning some dealings Matilda had with this person (Gloria Grable), it sounds illegal, the person who wrote the note also got a piece of skin from Crabtree. The sender disliked miss Matilda. The letter ended by saying that she should destroy the note or else.
  • Picture with the words, Srandstone and wood
• Room 3F: Crebtrees room.
  • Puzzle Box, the code is found on the pictures in the hotel (VIII|V|I)
  • In the box is a picture. The picture is of the table in this room. It’s the other half of the picture in the bathroom.
    • When placed like in the the picture, a message appears in the water
      • Olkas
        
        

        Olkas

  • There is also a note, with some insane ramblings, about paganism and rituals going wrong. It also says that “they“ know.
  • There is a book on alchemy, and another one explaining the power water, chalk wood bronze, sandstone and mercury.
• Room 3A: Arthers Johnathon Room
  • A lot of paintings and drawings, one says table 4, (it looks like the dining room)
  • There is another encoded note from Crabtree
  • ZIGSVI, R GSRMP RG DLFOW YV DRHV GL DIRGV LFI IV XLIWH ZMW WIZDRMTH FHRMT BLFI RMERHRYOV RMP R WL MLG DZMG GSV LGSVIH GL PMLD LU LFI KOZMH QFHG BVG…… BLFIH George
  • Arther, I think it would be wise to write our re cords and drawings using your invisible ink I do not want the others to know of our plans just yet…… yours George
• Room 3B:
  • Radio. News paper cliping about the missing boy Timothy Pike, last seen 19th april, a thursday. He was last seen near the tunnel
  • Book about Chaos Myths and legends of the south west, One story mentions the Crabtrees inn, wich is say to be cursed.
• Room 3D: Betty’s Room
  • Clock ticking? She has written a letter to Thomas, she is nervous about something. The letter says that Thomas should leave a letter in the store room if he wants to contact her
  • Found a musical sheat G G A B C
    
    

    Needs Practice

  • When played on the piano, it opened a secret compartment to another lyric
    

    Tyma

• Room 3E: Edith Room
  • Gramophone. Found another skin symbol
  • A note from Crabtrees, explanies that he has distubed something evil together with Arther, but Ather toke the secret to his grave. He has divided the only key to there salvation up, and giving a piece to all the guests. And Edith needs to remember the word IXIAM
    
    

    IXIAM

• Room 3C
  • Locked room
  • Slide five has another symbol
    
    

    MORTYM

  • A lot of notes
    • Trail 1: He mentions that Edith weaved a key into the bed covers
    • Trail 2 elements: fire, lightning, wind, wavesMORTYM
• Storeroom Third Floor: Found a key: Note from Betty to her mom, explaining that somebody is getting into the storeroom without a key (2D), and moving things around. Another note talks about the hotels suppliers. A ladder leads up to the attic
• Attic
  • Boiler (puzzle)
  • Locked suitcase, inside is another symbol
    

    OLIVIAK

  • Oioju board
    • What is your name? Thomas
    • Did you know Betty? Yes
    • How old are you? 19
    • Who killed you? Darkness
    • Are you alone? Yes
    • I’m I in danger? Yes
    • Can i help you? Yes
    • What can i do? You must do the trials
• Toilet Third Floor:
  • Found the coordinates that Polly spoke of, [00:20] [00:90]     [00:5] [00:40]
• Reception
  • Writing on the desk, “ES 4 DW”
  • Found some kind of note/drawing behind the desk (This is used to open the puzzle box in 2C)
    
    

    Puzzle Box Code

• Office
  • A note regarding floods, and the Constable Harold Perch, is interested in one of the guest, (Maybe Gloria).
  • There is also a code of some kind, this code is for the safe in the office
    
    

    Safe code

  • Safe: The bar key is in the safe
• Kitchen
  • Burnt note. Gloria used table one, but didn’t like it, move was move the table three, she also disliked that table, was later move to table four (Andrew Verneys table)
• Dining room:
  • The tables in here have the same patterns has the buttons below

  • 

    Table 3

    

    Table 4

    

    Table 5

    

    Table 1

    

    Table 2

• Bar
  • Piano
• Cellar
  • The year 1318 inscribe on the wall, some kind of hole next to it.
  • Locked door
  • Some weird looking buttons
    • Opens the locked door
    

    Door Puzzle

• Crabtree’s darkroom
  • Found crank
• Ruins under the cellar
  • Trial 2 elements: Top fire, left lightning, right wind, bottom waves.
  • Trial 3: Playback the sounds made from the left wall, Top, button, right, middle, left,
  

  Trial 1

• Tran Station Office
  • Lots of notes
  • Found a lantern
  • Symbol on the wall
• Outside toilets
  

  LARSUS

• Old Shed
  • Found screwdriver
• Caves under the shed
  • Runes

The Lurking Horror was released in 1987 by Infocom.

The main complaint i have about this game, is that the protagonist never really has a goal that he must accomplish, other then to finish his term paper, and therefore you as the player never feel like you know what you are suppose to do. So you spend a lot of time just exploring the area for no apparent reason other then to progress in the game.

But it is an interesting story and it has some really great puzzles that are fairly logical. And i also really liked the health/timer; let me explain, there are a lot of different ways to die in this game, but the main ones are, falling asleep or walking around in the dark, so to prevent the protagonist from falling a sleep, he carries a 2 litter Coke bottle around, which gives him a caffeine boost, and if you run out of coke you are pretty much screwed, the same goes for when your flashlight batteries die.

Here is a map i produced while playing.

And here are some of the notes I toke while playing

Barrow Hill – Game Notes

• Motel room 1:
  • Code 387
• Motel room 2:
  • Petes Aston room
  • Code 625
  • Diary
  • Radio
  • Phone charger
• Motel room 3:
  • Code 392
• People:
  • Conrad Morse:
    • Went to Middlestone University
    • Lead archeologist
    • Started drinking a lot during the dig
    • Dropped his drinking flask at the dig site (contains whiskey – BERLAY)
    • Started acting weird (talking to himself)
    • Hid two of the tree shards
      • 2778.447 — 7854,445 (Gas station fire extinguisher)
      • Buried at the ruins in the swamp
      • Chashed his car while trying to escape Barrow
        • License plate: 4X 68578 (274312)
  • Maggie
    • Works at the station
    • Called in sick on the 21. of September
    • Goes to night school
    • Only person in Barrow with ambitions
  • Pete Aston
  • Ben
    • Locked himself in the gas station office
    • Saw a family get killed
    • Died
    • Worked on the 21. Because Maggie was sick
  • George
    • Gas station manager
    • Dead
  • Lucy
    • Pete’s old flame
    • Lead scientist (She analyzed the soil samples)
  • Radio Host
    • Dog named Wincey (Wincey is her computer password)
    • Radio host – 15.4
    • 5852131
    • In the swamp
    • Stole the last shard

• Baligo
  • Pit 3
  • Soil sample contained – Fish bones
  • 1. To the left
• Melkah
  • Pit 2
  • Soil sample contained – Oil
• Dolment
  • Pit 4
  • Soil sample contained – Quercus seeds (Crushed) and some unknown red barriers
• Hammer
  • Pit 5
  • Soil sample contained – Barley seeds
• Henrik
  • Pit 7
  • Soil sample contained – Water
• Gavrok
  • Pit 1
  • Soil sample contained – 2x blackberries, gooseberries, pears
• Cailleach
  • Pit 6
  • Soil sample contained – Sodium chloride

Red = Fire

Blue = Air

Green = Water

Yellow = Earth

Purple = Soul

Water blessing combination (Candles in the cave): Blue – Yellow

Ascend Cover

Welcome to the post-apocalyptic Purgatory Wars, where the battle over “harvested” human souls has destroyed Heaven and Hell. Sebastian, a young human tragically killed and unwillingly drafted into the war, is reunited with his deceased brother, Gideon, the most powerful angel in the Legions of Heaven, who plans to lead a coup to regain power and restore order. Realizing he holds the key to ending the war, Sebastian must face his brother, before Gideon destroys the cycle of life on Earth. — From Amazon

Christopher Shy’s artwork is like looking at an image in a dreamlike state.  The the blurriness and the choice coloring give the book a really supernatural effect to it, which fits the story really well. Also the haze over the landscapes gives the comic a dark and cryptic feeling.
The only bad thing that I have to say about the artwork is that it’s the main characters look very similar, and therefore it can be hard to tell the difference, especially because of the dark tone in the coloring.
Ascend has a pretty interesting plot, and well throughout characters.
But storyline is a bit incomprehensible and things get very vague at certain points throughout the book, which can possibly be attributed to the fact that Keith Arem thought of the whole story line in his sleep

Overall: This book shows of the amazing talents of Christopher Shy, and I would recommend it for the art alone. The storyline is a bit too vague to really get anything interesting across, and I would have liked to see a bit more background story, and just slow the pacing of the book down a bit, by putting in some chapters, for instance I would have liked to see the siblings spending some more time on the battlefield, before being banished to earth.

Shadowplay Cover

This special collection presents the fantastic art of Ashley Wood and Ben Templesmith under one cover. In “Demon Father John’s Pinwheel Blues,” Amber Benson (Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s Tara) and Ben craft a tale of a syndicate of vampire street children that is turned upside down by new recruit Pinwheel. In “Shunt,” Christina Z and Ash present the tale of the perfect woman, who gives up the perfect life to uncover a heinous human slavery ring run by an elite group of vampires. Vampires who transform their beautiful female victims into the most sensually marketable product. Within the torture and depravity lies a twisted tale of obsessive passion and furious loyalty. — From Amazon

The artwork of Ashley Wood and Ben Templesmith is amazing and visually stunning, but it is also extremely graphic and very adult, so it may not be for all readers.
The two stories where pretty interesting, but they seemed to lack a smooth continuity, and at points it almost felt like there where pages missing from the stories, especially in the Ashley Wood/Amber Benson story.

Overall, two great stories and amazing artwork, I would recommend this book the any fan of modern horror comics, or just fans of Wood/Templesmith.