The Secrets of the Shadow Hunter

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The Secrets of the Shadow Hunter is a document by Bureau 713 that investigates the origins of Edward Carnby.

This document can be found in the Prima Official Strategy Guide for Alone in the Dark: The New Nightmare.

Contents

The Secrets of the Shadow Hunter

Bureau 713 - Archives and Documentation Department
Date: 16th December 1999
Request received from: Agent Sparrow Hawk, 9th December 1999
Archive refs: Doc. 9306 / 107- Doc. 8541 / 10-3, Doc. 745 / 25-32, Doc. 5896 / 41-8.
Subject: Edward Carnby
Archivist: Agent (Documentation) 027

EC is an American citizen Race: White Height: 6'
Weight: 185 lbs.
Eyes: Gray blue
Hair: Brown
Distinguishing features: None
Date of Birth: 29th February 1968
Place of Birth: Richmond, Virginia, USA
Father: Unknown
Mother: Unknown
Last Known Address: White House Hotel, 18 Norman Avenue, Gloucester, MA, Room #17

Preliminary remarks: The complete report including annex and supplementary documents is available from the Departmental Director. The present document is only a summary.

EC was born February 29, 1968, in Richmond, Virginia. At least this is the date recorded in the registry of St. George's Orphanage. It appears he was admitted on the day he was born. The ex-director of the orphanage, Clark Smith, either could not or would not provide further information. In usual practice the child's surname becomes the name of the saint on whose day the orphan arrives. His first name comes from the saint of the previous day. Thus EC's name should be Roman August. However, breaking with this established tradition, it appears that Clark Smith christened Edward Carnby himself. This fact would be insignificant in itself, if there hadn't been at least two precedents.

In 1888, Robert Derleth, director of the same orphanage, gave the name Edward Carnby to a child born on February 29th. In 1928, the then director, August Bloch, named a child Edward Carnby, who was also born February 29th.

I did not believe this was a coincidence, so I researched the orphanage and its successive directors. St. George's Orphanage at Richmond is one of the oldest in the U.S. It was founded following the Civil War by a small group of humanists whose names are engraved on the building over the main entrance. It is worth noting that Philip L. Howard, its first director, was a member of the secret society MOL (Mystical Order of Luxis). Little is known about the origins, influence, or goals of the order. We do know that the orphanage received, and continues to receive, significant financial support, from local, national and international sources.

The institution initially housed 50 children but soon grew. When the expansion was complete, August Bloch became director of St. George's. Bloch was a key figure in the MOL organization. At least this is what his diary would indicate, although only several fragments of it remain today.

The MOL is the modern form of an order of knights dating back to beginning of humanity. It claims to continue the work of Saint George who hunted down and killed the dragon, which symbolized Hell's power. The origins of the legend date back to the birth of humanity itself. Bloch transcribed the legend in his diary:

"Long before the world became the world, Eniobis ruled over Uruk, capital of Sumer. Now, it came to pass that Eniobis lusted after a priestess of the temple of Adura, goddess of love and war. She did not respond to the mighty king’s advances. Wild with rage and passion, he had her arrested and brought to his palace. The young woman resisted him to the point that he finally took her life. The following day, he abandoned her body on the banks of the Euphrates. The Crocodile god noticed the lifeless body of the young priestess and brought the matter to the attention of Adura. He pointed out that if she left this crime unpunished, her worshippers would turn their backs on her to serve other gods more ready to defend themselves. Adura was devastated and dispatched one hundred demons to Uruk with orders to bring back the guilty party. The demons spread destruction through the town. Eniobis was panic stricken and sent for Al Iqour, his mighty sorcerer. He recounted the events of the night before. Al Iqour raised his arms to the heavens in a gesture of despair, and returned to his quarters where a young slave had just given birth to a boy. The boy’s mother had died in childbirth; tradition said that the master of the house should become the father. This barely worried Al Iqour; all his attention was on the danger that threatened Uruk an its inhabitants. The demons had already conquered the south and east suburbs of the town. In several hours, the next day at the latest, they would have invaded the palace, destroying the flowerbeds and ancient lemon trees. This would sound the death knell. A herald came to him, announcing that Eniobis had died. The king had rediscovered his former freatness, which had been writtled away by years of debauchery. He dessed in the finest armor, took up his heaviest lance, saddled his fastest horse and set off to meet the demons to challenge them in combat.

Al Iqour raised his arms to the sky once more. He was about to take to his bed and await his certain death when a servant grabbed his robes. “Sire, sire,” she said to him. “Come see the infant that is born to thee. Not only has he not yet cried but he has also called thee, sire, by name.” Al Iqour barely heard his servant’s words. The servant was not disheartened. “Sire! Sire!” she said to him. “Come see the infant that is born to thee. Not only have his eyes not closed, but they also seek thee out.” Al Iqour stared at the servant who was still clinging to the hem of his gown. “Sire! Sire!” she said to him. “Come see the infant that is born to thee. Not only is he not naked but he is also adorned with the finest and most solid of armors, and he holds in his already steady hand a sword of gleaming light.” After these words. Al Iqour followed the servant to the child. When he entered the modest slave chamber, the child rose, greeted him with respect and said “Father, I know why thou hast finally come to see me. I know that thou wishest me to fight the demons that are laying low the walls of our city. This task is my own if only thou wilt give me a name.” Al Iqour prostrated himself before the child and whispered “El War Qarn’bi” (the one who battles evil incarnate and hunts out the shadows)."

Here the legend ends.

Strange as it appears, "Edward Carnby" seems to be the anglicized form of "El War Qarn'bi." Moreover, the name "Edward Carnby" can be found in an unpublished work by tbe author Howard Philip Lovecraft. This text was adapted by Ashton Clark Smith in his short story The Return of the Sorcerer, published in 1931, but Smith was unaware of the origins of tbe name and renamed the story's sorcerer "John Carnby," most probably in homage to one of Lovecraft's first characters "John Towers" (in The Little Glass Bottle). The title of the original unpublished work by Lovecraft was The Return of the Sorcerer Child.

Little is known about the first Edward Carnby (EC1), born February 29, 1888. Some sources cite his year of birth as 1899, sources that are no doubt confused. We find EC1 mixed up in several strange affairs in the years 1920 to 39. We have no further records of him.

The life of the second Edward Carnby (EC2), born February 29, 1928, is even more mysterious. However, be seems to have emigrated to Europe early on, with Scotland bis initial port of call.

The information available on the third Edward Carnby (EC), born February 29, 1968, is more complete. EC spent his whole childhood within St. George's Orphanage. He was never placed with a foster family. Here are the recollections of other orphans at St. George's. "Carnby was a loner, as we all were. From what I can remember, he was given privileged treatment. Whereas we were forced to do normal lessons at the orphanage school, Carnby bad a lot of freedom. One thing I do know, because we used to spy on him, was that he spent long hours in the director's office and library. He was sent to Europe several times to attend special classes" (NB: almost certainly in other institutions belonging to MOL). "We were roommates. I noticed that at night he often lay awake for hours with his eyes open, like he wasn't there. Being an orphan got to us all in one way or another, but I must say he was the weirdest of all of us."

EC left the orphanage at the age of 15. Even though his exact movements are hard to follow, there is evidence of journeys to the South of France in 1983, Sicily the same year, Romania in 1985, and China (the Hailar region) in 1986. He returned to the U.S.A. in 1990 and moved to Salem, Massachusetts. At this time, EC worked for a charitable association financed by MOL. It was in this organization that he first met Charles Fiske, the brother of Robert Fiske, director of the association. It appears that Carnby began to distance himself from MOL. Charles Fiske, another former member, also broke ties with the secret organization in 1973. It should be noted that Charles Fiske was also an agent for Bureau 713 from 1973 to 1978. He resigned in circumstances that remain unclear. In 1980, Charles Fiske set up a private detective agency. His activities there seem to have little to do with either his work in our department or his status as an ex-member of MOL. It seems that the Fiske agency operated as an average detective agency, carrying out investigations, tailing, and protection — all the traditional tasks. Carnby joined Fiske's agency January 10, 1991.

Investigations in the neighborhood revealed nothing of significance. EC is described as a loner and as polite and respectful. He is not thought to have had any close associations except for Fiske. He appears to receive no mail or telephone calls other than from his employer. He probably has his mail addressed to the agency.

The search of his hotel room, conducted December 10, 1999, provided us with no additional information; he had few personal belongings and there were neither notes nor documents. Swabs and samples taken revealed no anomaly.

The search of Fiske's agency was not possible due to a security system that our agents were unable to deactivate.

Carnby left the United States on August 14, 1999 for London. It is highly probable, however, that he traveled widely in Europe, and perhaps even as far as Caucasus, before returning on December 15, 2001.

Conclusion: It is clear that Carnby's work at the Fiske agency is a cover (the same goes for the agency itself). Up to now, however, we have been unable to discover tbe exact nature of his real activities. It has been said that Carnby is an enemy agent, sent by a European power. This hypothesis is totally unfounded, however. It is more likely that EC and Fiske are pursuing personal objectives that are not unrelated to the activities of MDL.

Notes

• The documents point that Edward was raised at St. George's Orphanage. However, the Manual points that he grew up in St. Andrew's.
• EC1 (the first Edward Carnby) could be the one from the original trilogy. However, there's no mention of this lineage in The New Nightmare or in the 2008 entry, that is a sequel to the trilogy, which means this information could be non-canon with the continuity of the original Edward Carnby.