THE MAGNUS ARCHIVES #23 - Schwartzwald
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- Опубликовано: 17 май 2017
- MAG023 - Case #8163103 - Albrecht von Closen
Statement regarding a discovered tomb near their estate in the Black Forest, Germany.
The Magnus Archives tells the tale of a letter sent to the founder of the Institute describing a strange mausoleum in an unknown graveyard and a disconcerting woodland encounter.
Starring: The Archivist - Jonathan Sims
Writer: Jonathan Sims
Director: Alexander J Newall
Editors: Alexander J Newall, Mike LeBeau, Murray Porter
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The Magnus Archives is distributed by RustyQuill.com and licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International Licence. 
Развлечения
Sometimes I read the comments while still listening and everyone is either incredibly vague about spoilers in episode or trying to help someone remember a name and it’s just nice
yeah it's great
@@rilla5058 We're all fans here.
It's really nice here
This is honestly the best ive ever seen a fandom act about spoilers ever. Either nobody says anything, or its under several lines so you can easily scroll past. Especially since he series is so long, i & im sure many others really appreciate that
Im listening for the first time now im im just so happy because I really like reading the comments and people really dont give spoilers whitout warning!!! Already loving this fandon🙌🙌
Martin hanging out pantless in his boss' office is the buddy comedy i never knew i needed until now.
I'm absolutely in love with this podcast! I've just started my 5th re listen. Each time episode 200 ends i feel lost so, I just start it all over.
Yeah they're... Buddies.
@@lelandbecker3233 besties
@@TonyToed historians will say they were the closest of friends
And they were roommates
kinda funny how schwarzwald means Blackwood in German, martin’s last name
dots omg
:O
Huh. Interesting...
Istg if anyone hurts Martin
kinda funny how that's an actual place and I just happen to live there O.o
The least believable part of this story is an old German family with no members named Johann.
And how well written the text from the German guy is
@@LittleBitch-bi3fx From everything that is described, he was probably a part of the aristocracy or at least very rich. His reaction to the loss of the books in the mausoleum suggests an extensive education. I think it's not too much of a stretch that he probably knew several languages quite well.
reading this i relised that i am the german person in my family named johanna, not johann, but close ahah
I’m German and even now I know like... idk 5 people named Johann
I got kinda confused at this like "yeah johann is a pretty popular name in the northern c-
Wait
I have an uncle named johan"
"This may be simple coincidence, but it concerns me"
Me too, buddy, me too
Which episode was Mary Key again? I can't remember
@@spaceyrogue pageturner
he was in two, buthe was also (not directly) involved in another one as far as i remember
@@spaceyrogue I feel like I need to listen to all of these episodes again, take notes about every single person mentioned, and then construct one of those pegboard collages with strings everywhere.
@@RelativelyBest same. Someone in the magnus archives needs to get a damn library Science degree and make a database
Okay does anyone else find it funny that presumably Jon is doing a voice for each different statement he does?
There's actually a reason for that. I mean, look at Jon. Hard-headed, thinks he's practical, sneering. But when he starts reading a statement, he drops into character and he's imitating the person's pacing and accent and voice tones as if he's living the person's experience. And then there's how so many of the statements, someone gets asked to talk about what happened and Behold! They have sudden clear recall and insight into what they were feeling and the factors leading up to it. It's a think to watch out for, hmm?
@@TelenTerror Capitalising the B in Behold? I See what you did there
@@eMe_peridot_hare It's there for those who have Eyes to see.
Yeah it amuses me greatly. I was wondering if anyone noticed it too. But I think it shows that he believes in the paranormal even as he plays the act of a skeptic. No one could show any real disdain in the follow-up and yet read the statements with such reverence.
@@spookyfable5367 Let's just say reading the statements with such reverence isn't entirely his own idea
"Martin. Good lord man, if you're going to be staying in the archives, at least have the decency to put some trousers on!"
This gives me big vibes of a friend of mine who had walked out of his room during camp (we're in highschool) in only a top and underwear. Lol
. . . my best friends both do not really bother with cloths around me, one sleeps compleatly naked in the bed beside me and than is astonished, that her mother supects we have a thing going on ^^
so i’m at 14:41 currently and ngl i think martin is my favorite person so far
i remember (before he got sick) i found it funny how much jonathan seemed to hate him and every time i was like damn it martin
and then he got sick and was still sick and i was worried
and then he dropped something on jonathan’s desk or something at the end of an episode
and then we heard his statement
i love him so much and he deserves the world
James I LOVE MARTIN
i've only had martin for two days but if anything happened to him i'd kill everyone in this archive and then myself
Yes
Murder is all ways the answer
Now he walks in on Jon recording in his underwear
k, i’m going through this series for the first time, and here’s what i’ve gathered so far:
those creepy books
that one shipping company
jared-someone
little miss bugs
update me on your thoughts? cause I love seeing ppl react to tma for the first time, cool observations btw
@@wywrd_mtnt k, update. i’ve finished season one.
*SEASON ONE SPOILERS*
--------------------
little miss bugs replaced sasha (;-;)
jonmartin is otp
mary and jared keay collect(?) the lightner books
jon’s now convinced he’s playing among us
that table, as well as the organ thing, are probably important
someone pls get jon some therapy
the lucas family, the vampires, are connected to the magnus institute directly, and are probably pulling some strings behind the scenes (hey that rhymed lol)
Vampires too 😌
Do you mean Jared hopworth(I forgot how to spell it) or Gerard Keay?
the only ship company i know is me shipping martin and jon on my first listen through.
Albrecht, probably : Ha, yes, my lovely wife Clara. Or is it Carla? I don't know. We last talked in 1800,when she asked me to pass her the pepper
Lmaooo
Lmfaooo ahshajja
Anyway, my dearest Jonah-
😂😂😂
Ah yes, Jonah and his very heterosexual letters.
Every time I hear that door open my heart stops
“Für die Stille” means “for the silence” just incase people missed it
Where was this phrase mentioned?
@@alessiapalma8823 on the back of the gold coin albrecht found!
It can also mean "for the silent ones" :)
@@paulinepicot9255 oh this bodes well! Thank you german speaking folk :)
@@paulinepicot9255 No, then it would have to be written as "Für die Stillen". Or are you referring to a dialect? An actual alternative translation would be "for the silent one" (with the one refering to a female person).
I love that Jon doesn't seem that shaken up when Martin interrupts him while recording, like we have seen happen with other people. Maybe they have grown accustomed to each other. Hopefully Jon doesn't despise Martin as much, and their relationship has improved xD
A cute detail regardless.
I mean, I guess you could say they've grown accustomed to one another.
@@biancamlf288 I guess, maybe possibly you could say 😕
_Meanwhile, at 2 am when no one else is in the archives..._
Jon: ANNIE ARE YOU OK
Martin: (slamming a cooking pot to the beat in the background)
Jon: WOULD YOU PLEASE STATE FOR THE ARCHIVES, THAT YOU'RE OK
😂 Omg
Omg that took me out lmao
"Righto."
Yep. Right-on my heart.
Yep righto roger that
Okay everyone jokes about Jon doing different voices for every statement but honestly if everytime I walked by my bosses office I heard a nearly different voice come out *everytime* I'd find it at least a little creepy. A little endearing but also yeah creepy as well.
Lmao *walks in* yo did we get a new boss- oh
this letter was sent in 1816.... the Institute was founded in 1816.... and the mysterious Key family re-emerges as well. this mysterious tomb book sounds a lot like the dreaded Leitners to me. I doubt it's a coincidence there's a German connection. Another branch of the family, perhaps? (this is my first time listening, btw, so this is genuine speculation)
I believe they said Leitner was Scandinavian.
The institute was founded 1818
Wasn't Leitner the series of books that Jon hates with such vitriol? He doesn't believe in the supernatural, and yet he seems to always take notice and become serious whenever the name pops up.
mrsbasia122 *evil laughter*
Jon has a particular, peculiar, and very personal reason to take the Leitners seriously.
@@mrsbasia122 I don't think he doesn't believe in the supernatural, he just doesn't believe most people's accounts of supposed encounters with them. When they have to do with Leitner books or the worm girl, though... He's obviously had some history with those specific things.
Love me some Martin
Was looking forward to Martin once I saw this. Was not disappointed in the least.
Martin keeps the depression
Away
@@seamusmohally-sheehan7522 this is so funny i-
This is the first time I've listened through this podcast; so take everything I'm about to say with a grain of salt. I think the reason that the Archivist before Jon was so disorganized is because they were trying to piece all of these cases together. That would explain why some cases are from the mid 2010s and others in the 1980s, etc. Also why some cases that are categorized together have varying dates yet some similar details. Such as the same shipping company, family names, and even similarly shared hallucinations.
👀
1st time listener hear too, would like to add I thought Gertrude's method was to sort the statements by similar entities instead of dates, but idk
@@thegaymothman same thought here!
I’m guessing you’ve finished by now, and I will say… you’re starting to put things together my friend
Yk this just makes me think why not have dividers or yk title it by category, but that'd be too easy, where's the story in that
;-; but ahhhhh the poor ppl
god i adore Martin. i really hope he makes it into the later seasons
ajae jackson from all the tumblr fan art I’ve seen he certainly does!! ;)
oh boy does he
@@RoseMultiverse ....explain please
this aged well
@@labrat_1this comment scares me😭
As a German, it is my civil duty to inform you, that Schwarzwald is spelled without a t.
...but pronounced with the 't'...spooky...
thank you, i was gonna say that too
Honestly these loud ads are scaring me more than the stories themselves cause when they come on I jump so hard 😭
You ain't alone there. Decided to binge listen and the loud ads make me think the worst is about to happen.
*laughs in RUclips Red*
SAME LIKE. IT MAKES ME GO "FOR FUCKS SAKE" SO MUCH MY MOM ALREADY SCOLDED ME
Just download an adblocker.
Bro, these are pretty quiet so I have turn the audio way up and the ads are so loud they literally make me jump
OMG Martin! He says "righto"! It's not important but I love it.
He is too adorable for this line of work.
It's very important. Anything Martin related is important. He's the best
Jonah really had all these Victorian men simping for him
There's a reason the early 19th century is also called the Romantic period, and that reason may or may not be due entirely to this one man's Rizz
Could it be the same cemetery as in Alone? Kind of like a travelling, supernatural type thing?
Exactly what i thought
Felt like the same place
Yea the same vibes ig, but I don't think there similar in any other way, the cemetery in alone was never found again and this one just genuinely seems like a cemetery, albeit a weird one
does not feel like the lonely to me though, like at all
Sorta spoilers??? Maybe but uh if u are confused by this then you’ll know at some point
I don’t rllt think so, alone has connections to the lonely especially since she unfortunately married someone from the Lucas family. And this one has connections to the beholding.
No but how the heck did Martin just think “yeah yeah, it’s totally resonable to walk around in my panties, I totally can’t hear my soon to be husband reading outloud the next cubicle over”
hey, what?
Aha ahahaha ⚠️ spoiler alert
Martin striding around the archives in nothing but pants and jumper.
Elias decides to look in on Jon...😯
I lived in the Black Forest, on the Württemberg side (the state is now called Baden-Württemberg, merging 2 previously independent regions). The forest in winter is exactly like that, so silent that it seems unreal. It's like a soundless dream state.
For some reason, it seems incredibly funny to me that in every comment section under each one of the episodes Mary or Gerard are mentioned in, literally only one or two people write their names correctly.
P.S. It's Mary and Gerard Keay Х)
Ikr??? Like i can understand people writing Gerard as Jared or something but Mary is like the most common name in the world.... How can you misspell Mary....
Well, most people are going off of just the audio - probably just getting bit by the bug and beginning to note recurring names in different stories.
The ones who spell it all correctly out themselves as those who are further along in the series than the current place, and well aware of everything.
Which, is fine - I'm here, too, enjoying watching others starting to get hooked. We just gotta be careful not to interfere.
Non-native languages are hard :((( Names in non-native languages are even harder :((((
LOL I COULD SWEAR IT WAS JARED KEY
WAIT THERES AN A IN KEAY???
14:02
Timestamp for, "Martin- Good lord, man!"
MARTIN ILY
Yup
WE ALL DO!
I have ptsd and my dreams are just terrible, so I try to avoid horror/thriller stories, but this is too captivating. luckily, so far my dreams aren't any different so hopefully i can keep watching.
Might help you with some dissociation
Id recommend that if you get a bit freaked out by one of the episodes to take a small break and then continue, as well as, to stop watching at around half an hour before you intend to go to bed, it should help (or at least it helps me)
@@vX-ter_ ... And then there's me, who listens to these specifically before going to sleep. They're my night time stories.
@@Ziorac thats actually kinda cool, good on you bud 👍
Pls look up a TW list for each of the episodes so you don’t watch any that may cause you any dreams!!
we need to talk about how gerrys great grandpa was a part of jonah’s harem
Okay, this comment just made me snort quite loudly. 😆
I don’t think I’ve ever seen Jonah’s gaggle of _“penpals”_ referred to as a harem before, but it certainly is fitting. 😂
Who's Jonah?
@@citra1885 Jonah Magnus, founder of the Magnus Institute. The recepient of this letter, as the sender Albrecht had said in the start 'My dearest Jonah'
*door swings open*
Jon and I both: ffs Martin
Jonathon's narrations are so good, I truly get as disrupted as he! haha!
Not gonna lie. When I heard Mary key. My jaw dropped lmao
i was like "YO I KNOW THAT NAME I KNOW THAT ONE PLOOOOOOOOT" lmao
Which one is that from?
Pageturner?
@@LucasDimoveo ex altiora
14:04
Fecken MARTIN
After listening to this I had to go back to the Pageturner episode and revisit it. Seems to me that Jorgen Leichtner was into some pretty dark business, and possibly had a bit of a following? I'm losing track of all these names and things but seems to me that eyes have something to do with everything. They keep on coming up, everywhere. Literally, everywhere. This episode, Pageturner, Burned Out, A Father's Love. And I am CONVINCED that the tomb and library in this episode have something to do with Leichtner. Then there's also the Key(?) family and I am so incredibly excited to have a clue what on earth is going on. I love this.
Don't forget Boneturner's tale. The librarian didn't know the name but it was obviously a Lietner
Yea I’m loving seeing more eye symbolism with the Keay family and Jörgen Leitner’s work. The library episode also had the Michael from the backstory of the speaker in Pageturner, bringing that more together.
The Keay family seems to be coming up a lot in these episodes... \:
I think that’s the pun
sorry, but...
*keay
@@icaruslukas7041 oops my bad, lemme edit it
I'm Arabic. so when he mentioned the book was written in Arabic, I got unreasonably excited!
Mild spoiler
Albrecht: the man had no eyes
Jonah: ah yes, life goals
BUAHAAH
I still can't figure out if he was a former Archivist that blinded himself or if he was an Avatar of the Dark
Martin barged in with only his boxers this too cute I CANT
You have no idea just how long I assumed Jonah Magnus was a woman
Same.
Yeah, it's wasn't until like season 3 when I realized how wrong I was😅
Me too. Idk why, Jonah is a usually masculine name
I thought so too at first but then reasoned that a woman probably wouldn't have been allowed to found an institution in 1816.
Episode: finishes
Me: (straight to the comments) WHO THE HELL IS MAERY KEEAY??????
The woman with the shaved head with the Leitner books. Had "her Gerard" (son) collecting them. She appeared in the episode with the book Ex Altiora
@May HOLY SHI- damn u may be right
Damn, finally thanks
Thank you! Was looking for someone to remind me, cause I remember the name but could remember who it was
Crazy that we got Jon reading a statement by Albrecht listening to Hilda recalling Tobias tell about Hans. We're four storytelling devices deep at this point.
when albrecht found the bookshelves, i immediately thought of the jurgen library . Like, I thought it couldn't be a coincidence, there must be some links, especially after the eyes mention. And the fact that every books but one were stuck together, that there was a single coin next to the only book that's not on a bookshelves, as if the coin was linked to the book... strange. Even more when it seems that the apparition really wants this coin.
And then at the end the Keay are mentioned as descendants from the guy living near the cemetery... I think I'm actually onto something. If later we find the book mentioned in this story has been in the jurgen library, I wouldn' be surprised.
O.O Jurgen library sounds so familiar, I already forgot tho
But I also wouldn't be surprised
As someone who is German and growing up with the legends and story surrounding the Schwarzwald, this feels extremely cool.
"Good Lord Man, if youre going to be staying in the archive at LEAST put on some trousers"
(Affectionate)
Jon's internal thoughts: "Good Lord man, you swanning about half dressed like that is seriously making me question my sexuality! Put on some Trousers before I run off with you."😊
I've been to Schwartzwald. It's a beautiful place, but it can definitely look spooky in the dark and when it's misty.
"I simply lay upon the ground, winded and afraid... SIONTZ AND KIRK! IF YOU HAVE A PHONE OR A COMPUTER, YOU HAVE A LAWYER!" God the ads throw me off so much.
I get those siontz and kirk ads all the time 😂😂 rip
This story is getting better each episode 🙌 👏
I love that we hear a story from the 1800s.
The Keay family seems to have huge part of what's going on.
bruh the moment he said mentioned the last name "key" i was hit with the realization that key was also the last name of that burned dude with the eye tattoos from the first aid episode... i dont wanna get spoiled but i feel like there is some correlation between this.
He was also in the pageturner episodeT
The one with the leitner dude amd the book that gives people vertigo
That's my fav ep. And Thrown Away
To get through these faster I've been putting them on faster speeds. This is so funny it's midnight and I'm laughing my ass off.
I’m re listening to this for the second time and im gonna do that now😭
Seeing an episode eerily close to my surname is... Concerning, especially when you know the meaning has been a recurring theme: Dark
Martin walking in was so unexpected, but so funny, but why would Martin go into those, i assume, archive rooms or office? based on what i know, it seems to be a room people dont typically need to enter, and Martin seemed suprised to see Jon, so i do not believe there are windows on the room, odd. (this is my first time listening so im genuinely curious)
I don't think there's an actual reason as to why he went in. I assume he was just being paranoid and as the episode suggests didn't expect Jon to be there. I would love recordings of Martin and his time alone in the archives (minor spoilers?) poetry and all the spookiness. Like a one-off episode/miniseries. Ig that's what fanfic is for.
@@biancamlf288 Have you heard the bonus episode Epiphany(?)? They made a fluff episode, it's hella sweet and pretty funny (especially when Alex is trying to narrate it as a human being)
I've been watching these for like 5 hours and it's currently midnight, and I need to go to bed, but I don't want to be in the silence, but I also don't want to make myself more paranoid with these episodes, but like IM SCARED OF STOPPING BUT LIKE DO YOU SEE MY PROBLEM
DEFINITELY NOT A GOOD IDEA TO LISTEN TO THESE AT 1 IN THE MORNING IN MY ROOM ALONE BUT YKNOW WE’RE VIBING
I suggest listening to welcome to nightvale when this one scares you too much,its also "horror" but satire in a way and quite funny and cute :) always calms me down
@@tsukinomiweasel551 I do listen to welcome to nightvale! I love it :D
@@OneSmallJellyfish yayyyyyy! Excellent :D it definitely takes an edge off the fear
@@tsukinomiweasel551 off the.. Fears ? sorry i had to-
gosh I'm so bad with names. Can someone tell me who Merry Kee is?
I believe it's the old woman with a shaved head in Pageturner.
And her son, Jerard Kee came up a few times and handled some things. Other that burning the book in pageturner. He also killed the dude who was the source of the lightless flame in first aid.
Thank you guys, I'm also bad with names lol
@@Not_Lilly42 not to mention the tomb was adorned with an open eye much like the tattoos jerrod was said to have
Mary and Gerard Keay are from the page-turner as others said :)!
Honestly being bad with names is my biggest curse when listening to this thing
I like coming back to this episode, it feels so cozy. I fantasize about walking in the black forest, dead of winter, an oil lamp lantern to keep everything alight and just take in the atmosphere.
This is the episode where John's tone starts to change. Is it perhaps because he saw Martin in his underpants?
Everytime they mention eyes, I just sigh with anguish, for there is no more space for them on my clue map. Should have made more space for them smh
First time listener here
here are some recurring stuff I've been able to keep track of so far:
- mysterious evil books by a mysterious evil author
- dude named jerald thats hunting said books down
- bug witch
- weird shipping company
- Lukas family/vampires
- what ever is going on with Gertrude
- LOTS of mentions of eyes
I really like these but I only get to listen infrequently. I think I need a glossary of characters without spoilers attached. Took me forever to remember whom Mary Key was and the person from the previous episode hounding Martin outside his door.
The characters/episode page on the TMA fanwiki should work, if you're careful not to go past the episode you're currently at
Oh, also don't click or hover over any of the links. Learnt that the hard way
if you don't want spoilers I think your best bet is the transcripts. They're freely available if you search for them and you can give them a good read through to remember things. the fan wiki is helpful but you're likely to get spoilers abut what may be potentially important
yeah it's be cool if every episode had a list of characters that appeared in every episode before it, and each episode could have its own list with characters from previous ones. that way spoilers could be avoided while still being a way to refresh a listener's memory
Martin's voice is so cute for a supposedly bigger man. What a cutie!
"Statement continues"
John: Frick, Frick, Frick!
Excellent! This story is reminiscent of Dracula’s Guest by Bram Stoker. Perfectly paced to stalk into dread through the dark swelling of an ancient wood beneath the last streaks of blood-tinged sunset that trickle down from the sky, leaving one observed only by the sentinel trees beneath a cold velvet infinite pricked with the unfeeling eyes of... stars?
Fyi, Schramberg is an actual small town about an hour by car from where I live
well... you wanna drive there and check for any suspicious graveyards?
@@lilalino I'm planning to go soon. There isn't a graveyard like that in real life, but I'm told Schramberg is very pretty in Autumn :))
Wish they could put subtitles
There's an unnofficial transcript
Someone usually pastes them here, but I can't find their comment for this one :/
Literally so many ppl would be open to taking that job up too :o
Honestly, fuck it, I'm gonna write drown every single name that they say, this is really hard for me to follow
Martin keeps the depression away
Yay, another episode that brought up a sweet-sweets memories from my past. I'm starting to feel like an 80+ old lady xd
I was in Schwarzwald at night, though it was summer, not winter, and it was a different town, near the South Schwarzwald, not the Middle that's near Schramberg. And I can confirm two things:
First, Schwarzwald is, indeed, very beautiful at night, even with all the foxes' bodies hanging on almost every branch.
And second, there are some unusual buildings you can find if you go deep enough in Schwarzwald. For example, me and my classmates managed to find an abandoned church with equally abandoned small graveyard and...well, it looked like lighthouse, with this huge light bulb thing on the top, but why would someone build a lighthouse in the middle of the forest?
Also, I hope that "1279" is indeed a year and not the number of the book...
that does sound nice, and also cool! thx for writing comments up !! : )
Now I need to look this up, im curious bout the abandoned places
The real horrifying mystery in this episode? What were Jonah's "opinions" on the North German Confederation? 🤣🤣
IKR????
some people want to know now!
That was literally my first question entering this episode, I was like wait hold up, what??? What opinions??? U can't drop a statement like that and then NOT say wtf it is, I wanna be in on the know wth
@@Angel-ni2ynThe German Confferation was quite controversial at the time and given that Albrect gives an example of a positive outcome (better roads) of the Confederation I'd hazard a guess Jonah Magnus wasn't a proponent.
Lmaoooo
Man, that guy’s got an eye for weird things- okay I’m trying to hard on that one.
This series has been giving me the weirdest, nightmarish feeling dreams ,but I never felt afraid. It was actually only confusing, especially when my brother stepped on a skull and it bled yellow goop
What kind of skull was it?
@@PrincessX-ke8tj human, I think
14:02 As a first time listener to this series, I love Martin so much and I hope he gets to stay for a while :,)
Same. I’ve just started it and I’m really hoping they don’t pulverize the wholesome character.
Who Mary Key? I literally cannot remember names, I’ve asked this type of question on like 4 separate episodes I’m so bad at this.
Iron Bars Jack same here brother.
bald lady with the tattoos on her head and the weird bookstore from episode 4
DanDamniel oh thank you, I’d check the wiki but I’m scared of spoilers.
Im super bad at names too, but someone shared this: snarp.github.io/magnus_archives_transcripts/episode/019.html
It's the transcript of every episode, and it really helps me to keep track of names of people, places and all that :)
She's also Gerard Key's mom, the guy that showed up in Pageturner and First Aid
That description of snow in winter reminded me of when I lived in Alaska.
I can't stop thinking that "Johann von Württemberg" sounds so alike to Johannes Gutenberg for some reason, idk if it's coincidence or a wink. Because, you know, all that thing with the books,,,
Okay but this guy's voice is deeper than my depression
why do I think the cemetery sounds so similar to the one in the "alone" where the woman get lost?
he pronounced the hell out of schwartzwald
Picturing the scenes described in this statement is such a treat. Especially the sleigh coach traversing the dark and snowy forest.
Hey, just wanted you guys to know that I’m new to your channel, but this is amazing work. Please continue writing these amazing stories 🤘🏻
"GOOD LORD MARTIN" 😂😂😂
Ok Martin Key is definitely familiar, or the last name key at the very least. And this is very similar to what happened to the girl in “Alone” minus the fog. Now my friend who got me into the series has explained without spoilers that these things are called fear entities, and I originally thought that the graveyard and fog were linked but they seem to be separate fear entities. And to my knowledge the eyes are what connects everything, either lack there of or far too many it’s eyes every time.
If you’re reading this Fog, hi I’m figuring things out!!
So I see.
Me, strolling into the comment section to make it less scary: Heyyy guys what's u-
*Last comment was from 9 months ago, most from at least a full year ago*
Guys. Guys come back-
Don’t worry there’s some people still here
@@dak3938 Yas ^(*^*)^
Hey buddy, I'm on a relisten. how goes it?
@@mimkyodar *Incoherent sobbing and flailing*
I finished it a little while ago (if that wasn't already clear, re: sobbing and flailing) and I still can't get over how good it is. Totally freaked myself out but man was it worth it.
@@io_online Yeah, it be like that.
Statement of Albrecht von Closen, regarding a discovered tomb near his estate in the Black Forest.
ARCHIVIST
Statement of Albrecht von Closen, regarding a discovered tomb near his estate in the Black Forest. Original statement given as part of a letter to Jonah Magnus, March 31st, 1816. Audio recording by Jonathan Sims, Head Archivist of the Magnus Institute, London.
Statement begins
My dearest Jonah,
Forgive my writing you this letter so soon after the last. You must think me dreadful for not even giving you a chance at a reply, but I recall that during your visit last spring you mentioned your fascination with the macabre and strange, and pressed upon me as to whether there were any such lore or legends that I myself were familiar with. Wolfgang writes me that you are acquiring quite the collection, and I feel that I now have something that belongs with it, far more than any of the fairy stories or old maids’ tales that I told you before. Put quite simply, I have had a most terrifying encounter. Two encounters, really, I suppose, and I pray to the Lord that I shall have no more. For I honestly believe I should die, from fear if not from violence, were I forced to meet the thing again.
I’m sure you must think me the most dreadful bore, speaking around the thing so, but I feel that to understand all I must begin my tale some time before the apparition itself appeared, with my travels down to Württemberg. My family has a small estate there, in the heart of the Schwarzwald, what you would call the Black Forest, near a small town by the name of Schramberg. This estate belonged to my brother, Henrik, and when he passed away it descended to my nephew Wilhelm. He was barely in his fourteenth year when Henrik died, and his mother had passed while birthing him, so myself and Clara have since made every effort to provide him with guidance and such affection as he may have lost. This felt especially keen, as we have ourselves been unable to conceive a child, and so we felt it our duty to teach Wilhelm what we would have impressed upon a son of our own. The profligacy of youth is always a danger, and we felt it our duty to help guide him, where we could, along the path of virtue. We needn’t have worried ourselves overly: I have never met so sober and prudent a soul as seems to exist within young Wilhelm. Nonetheless, because of this we have remained close with my nephew through the years, despite the distance. When he took ill this last winter, naturally we made arrangements to travel to his home in the Schwarzwald and offer what comfort we could.
The journey was difficult, as I suppose is to be expected when travelling in winter, but Wilhelm’s condition brooked no delays. At first, the worst we had to contend with, coming from Bavaria, was the lack of provision in the inns where we took lodging, as we were told over and over again how rare guests were this time of year. Still, say what you will about the German Confederation - and I know you certainly have a lot of opinions on that, my friend - but it has made travelling a lot quicker and I was certainly grateful for that. When we entered Württemberg, however, our way was much harder. The snow fell thicker in the Schwarzwald, compelling us at last to trade the coach for a sleigh.
You have never known winter in the Black Forest, have you? I know that you will say you have snows and forests in England, but I have seen what you call forests and can tell you that there can be no comparison to the Schwarzwald, its trees covered in a dense canopy of untouched snow. There is such a silence there as I have never encountered anywhere else on earth, with every sound seeming to die the moment it touches that soft white blanket of virgin snow. By day, it is the most beautiful serenity, this calm stillness. But by night, oh my friend, by night it becomes something altogether else. The quiet of the forest, it becomes like the world is holding its breath, waiting to strike, and in those parts where the canopy clears enough that the moon shines down, it casts everything into the most ghostly shades. I lost count of the number of times I swore I saw figures in the shadows, briefly illuminated by the moonlit glow of that frozen land. At one point I even demanded the sleigh be stopped so I could make an examination of the area with a brace of pistols, but of course I found nothing. It was in such a state of mind that we arrived at Wilhelm’s estate near Schramberg.
We were greeted by Wilhelm’s servants and told of their master’s condition. The doctor had, apparently, braved the roads from Schramberg some few days ago and had given what medicine he could. Since then, the servants told us, he had been steadily improving, but was still very weak. I will confess at this news to feeling slightly unnecessary, but upon entering Wilhelm’s chamber, the happiness evident upon his face when he saw Clara and myself put all such thoughts to rest.
Wilhelm was in recovery, but I had no intention of travelling back through that silent, icy stillness unless absolutely necessary, and Clara agreed. We made plans to winter there with Wilhelm. There was room enough for us, though our chamber was more modest than what we would have been accustomed to. I will admit that I didn’t entirely relish the thought of staying in the Schwarzwald until the spring thaw, but of the courses of action we had at our disposal, it was the one I found to be the most agreeable.
And so began what was to be lengthy sojourn near Schramberg, and truly have I never wished more keenly that I had been able to bring my library with me. I had but a few books with me and Wilhelm, despite his not-inconsiderable intelligence, had even fewer. In the end, we played a lot of cribbage and listened to Clara play many a tune on the pianoforte. My wife has never had a singular voice, but her skills upon the keys more than make up for it. I myself would often take long walks through the surrounding woods during the early afternoon, when the cold was tolerable. Sometimes I would make my way the two miles to neighbouring Schramberg, but more often I would simply choose a direction and stroll into the trees for as long as my fancy held me and then simply follow my own trail of footprints back to what was, for the moment, my home.
It was on one of these walks, some months into our stay, that I came upon that ancient graveyard. It must have been sunken slightly into the ground itself, as all I could see of the grave markers themselves were the merest tip of worn and crumbled granite above the snow. I could not guess at the size of the place, as every few seconds, whichever way I walked, I would spot another small bud of memorial stone blossoming through the frosted earth. I dug some snow from in front of one of the headstones - it had a broken angel atop it, both wings snapped and fallen - but the inscription was far too worn to make out any of the words. I had all but made up my mind to leave, as I knew I had little over an hour before the light began to fail me. As I turned to do so, however, I spied something not far removed among the trees, far larger and more intriguing than the graves I had found thus far.
It stood about five feet proud above the snow, and the stone was far better quality than what I had seen so far. A small mausoleum. The door, once a sturdy iron grate, had long since rusted off of its hinges, leaving only a gaping black aperture that seemed to lead deeper than the dimensions of the mausoleum would allow. Over the top, barely readable, but still most definitely there, was the name ‘Johann von Württemberg’. I was fascinated - I knew my local history well enough and certainly was not aware of any noble of the Württemberg line named Johann. I was sure he had never been a count or a prince. More than that, there had never been, as far as I could recall, any town or settlement near this spot that could have supported a cemetery of such size. So who was Johann von Württemberg, and why had he built a mausoleum here, in the middle of the Schwarzwald, six miles or more from Schramberg?
I had no time to investigate any further, for I realised that I needed to leave immediately if I was to return to my wife and nephew before sundown. I turned away and followed my path back as quickly as I dared. While I would normally be satisfied forging a new path the next day, something in the thought of that silent tomb drew me back, and I found myself marking trees with my pocket knife, to make my finding my way back the following day that much easier.
I asked Wilhelm that evening over dinner whether he had ever heard of Johann von Württemberg, or was aware of the mausoleum a few north miles from his home. He told me no to both - he rarely spent time in the forest around save for hunting, and the hunting was usually poor in the north, as the trees were too close together to easily navigate with a horse. And he had never heard of this ‘Johann’. I made some inquiries as to where I could look further into the history of the area, but there was no library of a decent size within near distance of Schramberg, and as I mentioned, Wilhelm had little in the way of books, so I let the matter drop.
Nothing else of note occurred that night, and so, making my apologies the next morning, I headed out early towards the old cemetery. I made no secret of my destination, and even offered the opportunity to accompany me to both Wilhelm and Carla, but neither saw the trip as worth the cold hours it would take to reach. So it was alone that I once again made my way to that forgotten place. My marking the trees had proven unnecessary, as there had been no fresh snowfall the previous night, and my footprints from the day before were still clear and very easy to follow.
The mausoleum looked exactly as I had left it, its door still yawning, and the sunlight seemed to make it very little distance over the threshold before darkness once again swallowed it. I had foreseen this, and packed a lantern for the purpose of exploring the place. I was about to light it, when I noticed a figure watching me from the treeline. Perhaps this place was not so forgotten after all. I had heard tales of brigands using places such as this for assignations, and was suddenly glad I had also thought to pack a pistol and shot. I approached the man, but he didn’t move to flee. As I got closer, I saw him in more detail. He was short and squat, wearing an old-fashioned, black frock coat and knee breeches, though his head was shadowed by a wide-brimmed black hat. By his costume, I assumed him to be an old man, perhaps a groundskeeper for this place, or simply a recluse that lived nearby. When I greeted him, though, the voice that answered held no quiver of age within it. He asked me, in low, peasant German whether I was planning to explore the tomb. I said I was, and asked if he was the keeper of this place. He laughed at that, a sharp, guttural exclamation that surprised me, and told me that the crypt I sought was a dangerous place. I asked him what I had to fear from the dead, and he stared at me. I could not see his eyes beneath the brim of his hat, but I could still feel his gaze upon me. He laughed again, and told me, “No, sir, you have nothing to fear from the dead.”
At these words I began to back away, ensuring my hand was on my pistol, not taking my eyes off this strange man until I reached the edge of the mausoleum. Only then did I look down to make sure my lantern was where I left it, and when I returned my gaze to the trees, he was gone. To speak plainly, I was rather shaken by my encounter, and considered turning back and trying my luck another day, but something within me balked at having all my work and preparation be for naught because of a single farmer who couldn’t mind his business. I lit my lantern, and -
ARCHIVIST
Martin! Good lord man, if you’re going to be staying in the Archives, at least have the decency to put some trousers on!
MARTIN
Oh god, sorry, sorry! I didn’t think you were in until later; it’s not even seven yet.
ARCHIVIST
I’ve been coming in early in the hopes of leaving this place before dark.
MARTIN
It’s been a week and we’ve seen nothing. Do you really think she’s still out there?
ARCHIVIST
I have no idea, but I don’t intend to take any chances.
MARTIN
(SIGH) No, I suppose not…
ARCHIVIST
Now, if you’ll excuse me.
MARTIN
Righto.
ARCHIVIST
Statement continues.
ARCHIVIST (STATEMENT)
At first I was confused, inside appeared to be empty. No monuments or coffins stood inside, and no plaques or sigils adorned the wall. Just a single slab of marble stood in the centre, like an altar. At first I thought that perhaps that was where the coffin should have sat, and someone had simply taken it, but as I walked around I saw what it was concealing. Behind the sharp-angled block was a staircase, descending deep into some unknown subterranean vault.
You will scoff at me, Jonah, when next we meet, I am sure of it. You will laugh at my bravado and call an unthinking adventurer, but the plain fact of it is that I descended those stairs with hardly a qualm. Any fear I may have had was solely focused on the man I had met outside, and I foresaw no danger within the vault itself. So I hoisted my lantern and I descended the stairs.
They were old, of that there is no doubt, but they were not worn, and I would wager that I was the first soul to go down there in at least a century. They descended for some time, until I was quite certain that I was deep within the frozen earth of the Schwarzwald. At last, the steps ended in a short corridor, and I could see the bricks that formed the walls and arched ceiling had crumbled and shifted in places, allowing ingress to the thick roots of the trees above, which coiled and splayed across those parts of the passage in most need of repair. After about a minute of walking, the passage opened out into a large chamber. In the centre stood another block of marble, almost identical to the one I had seen upstairs, but atop this one was a sealed, stone coffin. The name ‘Johann von Württemberg’ was carved here too, though preserved in much clearer detail without the elements to wear it away.
As I gazed at it, I noticed that the walls of the room did not appear to be stone, as the passage or the mausoleum had been. I walked cautiously closer, until my lantern illuminated it clearly. The walls were covered with bookshelves. Packed in with such a density that it was impossible to tell if there was a real wall behind them, or if the books themselves formed the only bulwark against the soil. They were, unfortunately, terribly rotten. The centuries had not been kind to them, and as I tried to move one of them, I realised that the damp had, over time, caused them to merge into a single mass of paper and bookcloth. Predictable as this may have been, I still felt the most acute pang of loss. To see such a volume of knowledge, possibly unique in all the world, utterly destroyed, was incredibly painful to me. The actual shelves were formed of the same marble as the two blocks, and seemed to have fared better. As I looked at them, I noticed a small engraving, carved at regular intervals along the edge of each one. It was a small eye, open and staring.
For some reason, it was only at that moment that I began to feel afraid. Of what, I couldn’t tell you, but those small eyes filled me with a dread that I have trouble describing to you now. Certainly I backed away from the bookshelves, and was all set to depart, when my lantern caught on something in the corner of the room. Or more precisely, two things: the first was a small gold coin that glinted on the floor. The second was a book, perhaps fallen from the shelves long ago. It was in far better condition than the others, perhaps due to where it had lain, and I was able to very carefully open it. I was disappointed to see that it was not written in German, or even French or Latin, but appeared to be in Arabic. It seemed to be an illuminated manuscript of sorts, produced by hand and utterly beautiful, though I could not for the life of me have told you what it concerned.
I took the book and the coin to study later, and hastily left the vault, the lingering fear making me feel as though some unseen pursuer might come upon me if I hesitated. I drew my pistol as I left the mausoleum, just in case the strange short man from earlier were waiting to accost me, but there was no sign of anyone outside in that clear daylight.
I hurried back, though I still had many hours before dusk. As I went I noticed that the snow on the trees was beginning to thaw, and took comfort in the knowledge that Clara and myself would likely be able to return to Closen soon. Wilhelm was fully recovered from his fever, and by the time I was at dinner, all traces of my earlier fear had disappeared and I was in excellent spirits.
I retired afterwards to smoke a pipe or two and examine my finds at greater length. The book, though beautiful, stubbornly refused to offer up any clues to its contents. With your permission, I’ll bring it over for your expert eyes next time I have the pleasure of your company. The coin, on the other hand, was more interesting. On one side, it had an engraved profile of a sharp-faced young man with long, flowing hair. Over the top ran the letters JW, and at the bottom was the number 1279. If this was the date the coin was produced, then I don’t need to tell you how exciting a find this might be. The other side was blank, save for three words, very small and worn, but I could just about read them. They read “Für die Stille”.
I was about to retire to bed, when one of the serving girls, Hilda - or was it Helga, I forget - asked me for a moment of my time. I obliged and she said had I been asking about the old graveyard out in the forest? I told yes I had, and she paled ever so slightly. She told me that she never went near the place, that no-one in the town did.
You see, Jonah, apparently there was an old man in Schramberg by the name of Tobias Kohler. He had lived nearly eighty years, and told tales of when he was a child and he and his friends would play a game they called “Johann’s Steps”. It was a game of bravery, where you had to creep down as many steps as you could into the tomb of Johann von Württemberg until you were seen, and then run back out as fast as you could. Tobias would never say who or what you were seen by, and always ignored the question. Well, apparently, the parents of these children found out about this game and one of them, the mother of Tobias’ friend Hans Winkler, decided to put an end to it. She stormed into the cemetery and, seeing Hans entering the mausoleum for his turn, she ran inside after him and down the steps. None of the children saw what happened, but they all heard the scream. They fled back to town, and when they told of what had happened, the town priest, whose name Tobias does not remember, simply nodded and, gathering up six strong, though deeply fearful, men, they headed out toward the cemetery. None of that party ever spoke of what they saw or found there, but Hans went to live with the Becker family out on their small farm. No-one played “Johann’s Steps” again, and the cemetery was once again left deserted.
The only other thing Tobias remembered was that he had once heard a great uncle refer to Johann von Württemberg as “Ulrich’s bastard”, which, if the date on the coin was correct, may be referring to Ulrich I or Ulrich II, but either way that place’s history must stretch back almost six hundred years.
But now, I feel I have talked around it long enough. I could fill a dozen more pages with preamble and research, yet none of that is why I have written to you as I have. No, I am writing to you to describe what I saw the last night I stayed at Wilhelm’s, the event that led to my and Carla leaving a week earlier than we had planned.
It was three days after I had heard Tobias’ story that it happened. I had packed the coin and the book away in a fit of superstition and had decided to take a short stroll as the sun was setting. It was beautiful, the crimsons of the darkening sky danced upon what snow was left, staining it deepest red. I walked around the house, smoking my pipe, until I came upon the tracks I had left when heading towards the old graveyard. As the snow melted it had formed my footprints into packed dirt and ice that almost seemed to glow in the waning daylight. I gazed at them, and froze. I had made two trips to the mausoleum that winter, and sure enough there were two stark sets of footprints heading north. But coming back towards the house, there were three sets of footprints. I felt the presence behind me, and I turned around.
It was the man from the cemetery. His wide brimmed hat was removed and he stared at me. His head was completely bald, and his eyes were missing. They were just empty sockets but they stared at me. They saw me. Believe or dismiss anything else in my letter as you wish Jonah, but I swear to you that I stood face to face with a man with no eyes and he saw me.
I backed away too quickly and slipped, falling hard upon the ground. In a second he was above me, and he smiled. He said something to me, but my mind was aflame with panic and I didn’t hear what it was. He reached towards me slowly, insolently, as though he sought to savour this moment but would not be rushed. Then, quite without warning, he stopped. His head snapped up to stare at something, like a gundog that hears a shot. He stood there, hand poised as though in indecision. And then… And then, he vanished, as though he had never been there, and I simply lay upon the ground, winded and afraid.
Night had fallen by the time I finally pulled myself together enough to run back into the house and begin packing. I told Carla we had to leave as soon as possible, though was vague as to the reasons. I still haven’t told her why. How do you tell your wife something like that happened to you?
We took the first coach the following morning and haven’t stopped. I didn’t even realise the coin was missing until I checked my luggage later. Whether to a light-fingered servant or just my own carelessness, it is gone, so I must apologise that I will not be able to share that particular piece of history with you. I must also apologise for the handwriting; I have been committing this to paper as well as can be done on a long coach-journey. Still, I look forward to showing you the book I have acquired, and the revelations you will no doubt glean from it.
Yours in trust,
Albrecht
ARCHIVIST
Statement ends.
Always a treat to find a piece of history tucked into the wrong section of the archive. Still, I can’t say I know much about Jonah Magnus or the origins of the Institute, so this is a rather pleasing discovery in some ways. Obviously there isn’t much follow-up to be done here, but to slake my own interest I have done a little bit of digging myself, which I include here for completeness sake.
I’ve only found one reference to any ‘Johann von Württemberg’ in any of the German history reference material we have available. Jan Moira’s Cradle of Germany - Württemberg through the Centuries mentions rumours that Ulrich I, Count of Württemberg had a second son out of wedlock in 1255. No name is listed, but certain enemies of the count were known to spread rumours that this exiled son was “keeping the company of witches”. 1279 was also the year that Ulrich I’s successor, Ulrich II, died. This may simply have been coincidence, however, as he was succeeded by his half-brother Eberhard I.
Something else I stumbled across, quite by accident, during my research was in Grim Tales, H.T. Moncreef’s exploration of unexplained and macabre deaths in early 19th century Europe. It mentions a death that took place in Schramberg in 1816. The man, one Rudolph Ziegler, was found dead at his home on the outskirts of town. What is interesting is that it says he worked in service on an estate nearby. Shortly after his death, one Wilhelm von Closen was investigated for the crime, as it was discovered the dead man had been stealing jewellery from the estate. It was eventually dropped, however, after four doctors attested that the ferocity of the wounds inflicted on Herr Ziegler were, and I quote, “beyond the capability of human violence”. It was ruled an animal attack.
I did try to find out what happened to Albrecht von Closen and his book, but I can find no mention of him in any volume of history, nor anywhere online. Perhaps I might find out more if I spent months sifting through the historical statements in the Archives’ back rooms, but I simply don’t have time to indulge my own curiosity like that.
I have located a genealogy for Wilhelm von Closen, though. He married and had children, and the family remained located in and around Schramberg for almost another century, before one branch emigrated to England in 1908. They had a daughter, Elsa, who went on to marry a man by the name of Michael Keay in 1920. In 1924, they had one daughter, whose name was Mary Keay. This may be simple coincidence, but… it concerns me.
End recording.
I knew before that things connected, and of course there was the connections between other episodes, but I’m pleasantly surprised at how early shit is starting to hit the fan in this podcast.
Martin sounds so cute 😭😭😭
I have a deep fear of graveyards and tombs and... well, this episode was The one for me
i see creepy book i immediately thing leitner.... the keys being involved also makes me think the book is connected to him somehow
I know it's really late, but I just found this and I love it
ah thank you! ^-^ i didn't know that's really cool
Maybe this isn't really relevant but Schramberg is an actual small town at the southern edge of the Schwarzwald. It's about an hour by car from where I live.
Beholding
Martin 💓💗💖💝💞💕
Anyone who just started this series on 2022?👁👁
Me on my second round of listening:
maniaical cackeling
seriously tho, enjoy yourself and please don't read any spoilers. It would seriously lessen the experience of figuring the mystery out.😄
me
✋
Me
yooooooo, in early 2023!
Mary Key... now we come back round to the beginning of this story again...
I immediately just thought about schwarzwäld kirschtorte. Now I’m hungry.
This is so good.
A few seconds in: A letter to Jona (Jonah? idk) MAGNUS??? From 1816??? Two years before TMI was established?? Is this "Jonah" person the founder of the institute??? Or maybe a relative? Maybe this is already known but nevertheless, the thick plottens...
and.... it mentions "his little collection of curiosities"!
Spoilers for Season 4
I find it interesting that Albrecht was unable to see or learn or discern anything concrete about the whole thing (at least at the time the statement takes place), thematically ironic since it's about The Eye. He must have learned more but he never says anything about it when Fanshawe visits.
He clearly went back and took the books, which Jonah Magnus later stole. The, ahem, symptoms Dr. Fanshawe described appears similar to Jon's withdrawal while traveling in season 3. I'd say Albrecht von Closen was an Archivist, and losing his archive eventually killed him.
okay this doesnt actually tell us that much about mary or gerard keay, bc the murdered guy hasnt been important yet. all it says is basically that the family existed for a long time and is trackable, and someone in the family commited a murder "beyond the capacity of human violence". it doesnt connect to anyone else we know or in this story (unless im bad at listening)
martin i love u, ure the best