THE MAGNUS ARCHIVES #53 - Crusader
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- Опубликовано: 1 апр 2018
- MAG053 - Case #9970509 - Walter Heller
Statement regarding a discovery made near Alexandria in November 1941.
The Magnus Archives tells the tale of a retired army sergeant whose involvement in ‘Operation Crusader’ during WW2 led to a strange encounter below the streets of an Egyptian city.
Starring: Gertrude Robinson - Sue Sims; Walter Heller - Harvey Kesselman; The Archivist - Jonathan Sims; Martin Blackwood - Alexander J Newall
Writer: Jonathan Sims
Director: Alexander J Newall
Editors: Alexander J Newall, Mike LeBeau
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Развлечения
I love that every time Jon uncovers a piece of the mystery that is Gertrude and the job of an archivist his immediate reaction is:
Ha ha I'm in danger
Lmao
as opposed to Jon's constant skepticism, Gertrude's accepting of everything and her general knowledge of everything is really refreshing to be honest.
To be fair Jon was probably only genuinely skeptic at first, I imagine some time in between the first season he started believing but didnt want to admit it bc he felt...whatever it is watching him. Gertrude had the privilege of hearing so many stories correlate with one another that hardly anything surprised her--but her matter-of-fact and actionable attitude is very fun to hear. I hope we'll hear her voice more than three or four times after this
@@eliwhite6159 *makes popcorn to watch your future reactions*
@@mimkyodar finished the whole thing until the most recent episodes. conclusion; gertrude best grandma, worst boss
@@eliwhite6159 omg reading this vague conclusion im so excited to finish this lol
@@beltaya276 right? So mysterious. Adds a little extra oomf to the pull onwards that this all has.
After John apparently told everyone he stabbed himself accidentally so badly with a butter knife it needed five stitches, I can see why Elias said he is worse that Martin sometimes
Elias really said those two share a brain cell and Martin is keeping it safe most of the time.
no, he said it was a bread knife. butter knives are flat, bread knives are serrated. they're sometimes pointy at the end, but. yeah
@@nemnyoom ok that makes sense. I wa sjust assuming that butter knives are stupid sharp in England for some reason
Okay but Jon slowly realizing Gertrude actually wasn't a bad archivist
She also wasnt bad target practice
@@zealotoftheorchard9853 touche good sir, touche
What about it
I think she was an alright archivist, but she was a far better researcher
And apparently she liked to blow shit up
That comment from Martin seems so important to me. Just the implication that he thinks that Jon was self harming puts a whole new perspective on the season and Jon's mental state and whatnot. We as the audience know what's up, but it's a sort of dramatic irony type thing with Martin and Tim not having nearly half the info we do.
NOOO I didn't think about that! that makes it seem so worrying from Martin's end omfg
now i am also worried
Honestly thought the same thing at first, because i somehow completely missed jon getting stabbed by micheal.
oh no I didn’t pick that up that’s so sad
Yes, from his colleagues pov, Jon attempted suicide and now he made up an excuse for the scar. Any normal human being would be worried but Jon is like "why is he so interested, that's weird"
“or perhaps it too was ... once an archivist.” - C h i l l s
Sameeeee
Second watch but i read this right before she said it and got chills immediately
I'd love an episode where Gertrude, who knows a lot about paranormal, just add a supplemental saying "yeeaaa, this one was bullshit."
Are we just gonna ignore the fact that Johns coverup for getting stabbed by micheal was that he "accidentally stabbed himself with a bread knife" Also martin is a ray of sunshine😊
jon is obviously not the smartest boy lmao
to be fair, I've never managed to use a bread knife without unintentionally cutting myself. They be sharp.
Also I think it's interesting that it's heavily implied Martin thought Jon hurt himself with the knife on purpose
The bread knifes just want to be inside of Jon so bad...
Just like Martin ;)
@@frogonthebikeheh Whoa there buddy
It's interesting to hear Jon's walls coming down from intellectual cynic to man burgeoned by the idea of being yoked to fate.
Also I'm becoming very fond of Martin - I hope he continues to be a good adorable person (I think it's very cute that he's so stern - "quit stabbing yourself, Jon, also quit lying to us about how you got stabbed.")
*Air quotes* "Accidentally stabbed yourself with a butter knife" *Repeat air quotes*
so we really just gonna sleep on the fact that this man found rEMNANTS OF THE LIBRARY OF ALEXANDRIA?! AND DIDN'T TELL ANYONE?! monster aside, i'm appalled. THINK OF THE HISTORY
I only just now realized as I was reading this comment that as apposed to being a library in Alexandria, this was literally THE Library of Alexandria.
-and then gertrude blew it up-
@@tearez13 I'm not far into the series yet. But did Gertrude really blow up the library? I remember Jon told Martin "We are not in the business of destroying knowledge" or something along the lines. I thought he learned that from Gertrude as he is her assistant. If she still holds the same values, then it couldn't have been her, right?
@@bluberrystar7486 it's heavily implied...
I hyperfixated on this series for a like a week way back when I made that comment and then my friend got me into a new obsession so I don't know if it ever got confirmed.
@@tearez13 spoiler warning maybe dude
I did a very small google search so I can't be sure, but this specific place, the "Serapeum of Alexandria", is actually by some called "the *daughter* of the library of Alexandria", so no, I don't think it is. Could be though, and that was certainly the first thing I thought too
Statistic average British senior citizen purchases 750 pounds of plastic explosives per year is a statistical error. Gertrude Robinson, who purchased millions worth of plastic explosives per year is an OUTLIER and should NOT be counted
Season 1: “Gertrude was unorganized and stupid ):
LMAO
All of the voice acting in this podcast is incredible, but Kesselmann genuinely was top notch. I felt really felt for his character.
has that old tank boy feel really felt like a vet
Jon really should invest in a lock for his door
Or think hard enough that there is a lock
Maybe he has one. Maybe it just refuses to stay locked.
I don’t think a lock will be able to prevent the horrors from entering
Jon: I'm probably gonna die soon...
Martin: Do you want a sandwich? :D
Martin’s worrying is so nice. Treat him better Jon! Also the mystery of The Archivist is fascinating
My ship
Its not nice it's gay
@@fun-eral8952 It is nice AND gay
@@fun-eral8952 Its even better!!
16:48 "A single, lidless eye."
Didn't know Sauron got employment at the Library of Alexandria after the events of LotR. Good for him.
WHEEZE
Well he was quite the visionary, after all.
He gave out gifts, developed industry, and generated thousands of jobs.
No wonder he'd dedicate his remaining years to the pursuit of knowledge.
Good ol' Sauron 😌♥️
I must say that the voice talent of Mr. Kesselman is OUTSTANDING!!!!!! I feel certain that he must have had theatrical experience but regardless, if anyone is able to do so, please let him know of my deep appreciation for his excellent narration!
i dont get the fawning over his work, he's very obviously reading
@@sgtpepper91 to be fair, that's probably because of the writing itself and not the talent. a written story reads slightly differently than a spoken one. this va did a wonderful job with it
@@sgtpepper91 by this point you've probably made it past the point where you realize why the statements sound why they sound, but with that in mind, I think the fawning is well deserved
@@sgtpepper91 I actually felt like the reading was so obvious that, partly given his age, it made sense to me the character might have felt more comfortable writing down much of his statement to keep himself nicely on track for Gertrude's recording.
The most horrorific of this episode is the very real PTSD of a veteran remembering his fallen friend. 😢
Kinda, the man openly says he didn’t know Dicky, not even his last name.
"those who sing the night" is probably connected to that cult the roommate of that one girl was in right?
the dark demon or smth
the People's Church of the Divine Host. Also the ones involved with Robert Montauk, if I'm not mistaken
what episode was it?
Yea and the darkness
Okay but why is every single voice so... beautiful? Like, are they all sirens? Even this 85 year old man, I could listen to his voice all day.
It’s the British accents.👌
Good casting director.
Great acting
I don't think archivists are toys of fate as much as "they're killed when they learn too much". Then again, Jane Prentiss had no apparent reason to take an interest in Jon. Hmmm.
Jane didn't so much hate Jon as much as she hated "the archivist." Since being documented robbed the "flesh hive" of the fear and respect it deserves.
People just like screwing with them
Am I the only one who is horrified about that Gertrude apparently blew up thousand year old documents????
1) absolutely, 2) i love your username, i see you are a person of culture as well
How do you know it was Gertrude?
@@2001Pieps im a first time listener but well, she *did* say she would need to be careful about the creature. she was asking if walter heller replace the grate, so im assuming she could have blew it up.
And people. Don't forget the people.
Not to mention killing 17 people
"hated to waste time on the Italians"
"I remembered Naples as a smelly city full of rude people"
WHY DO YOU HATE ITALY SO MUCH, WHAT HAS IT DONE TO YOU
we've a saying in italy "it would be perfect where it not for italians" and naples sucking is a nationwide joke. honestly impressed they got it accurate
Tbf the statement giver who made the Naples comment spent a lot of that statement saying how lovely Italy was.
no just Naples lol (jk)
@@chrono4998 ah bho io Napoli la adoro
I'm getting the impression from the replies that shit talking about the south of Italy is the same as brits shitting on the south of England (yes even london)
I would like to say that I called Gertrude not being a bad archivist sometime back in the first 5 episodes.
I knew something was up with that around episode 15, because he kept complaining about it. I just didn't know If she malevolently sabotaged the institute or if she tried to obscur information for noble reasons.
Near the beginning of this one I thought i heard a door open in the background and was tense all the way through, lol. Also very smooth Jon, good cover up for meeting an eldritch entity, no one will question your mental health now.
“I felt like I was being watched by hundreds of eyes”
Me, who always feels like I’m being watched, noticing a reoccurring theme with eyes: *uh oh*
the magnus archives is just a chain store for supernatural memorabilia. it's all fake they just don't let the staff know
next ep jon is going to tear down another wall and find 20 teenagers on a class trip buying jane prentiss bumper stickers
@@debbiebishop86 (Not) Sasha found out and thats why shes been so weird recently. They also sell Martin's poetry.
That's a great concept for anything to be honest, "it's all fake except the staff doesn't know"
"its just a theme park but the staff doesn't know", "it's a movie set but the staff doesn't know"
@@lynnclaywood4043 "it's a movie set but the staff doesn't know" isn' that the lot of the truman show? 😹
That's why Gertrude got killed, she found out.
The fact that i feel like im sitting across a table intently listening to this veteran's tale is astounding. Amazing work guys.
Me, anytime I see Martin Blackwood/Alexander Newall in the credits:
🥳👂🏽👂🏽
Did the encounter with Michael leave him with stab wounds?
Yeah, he was stabbed by Michael if I'm not wrong.
do we know where he was stabbed?
@@komoriaibo-2086 i think it was his hand,but i could be wrong
@@komoriaibo-2086 it's never said, though Martin's incredulity at the bread knife story tempts me to hc it's somewhere that couldn't have happened like his shoulder or torso.
@@komoriaibo-2086 i don’t think it ever explicitly stated, but i personally pictured him getting stabbed in the stomach
Jon, Gertrude and Martin all have fantastic voices!
The voice actor for sgt. Heller is very convincing, making little verbal mistakes as an old man might do, bus remaining completely understandable. At 3:30 he says: “backed up by heavy art- infantry”. That is typical of a veteran more so than of a voice actor. Might be accidental, but still very well done.
Martin supervising Jon is so cute
P.S. Exploding the archives in Alexandria is such a Gertrude move
Any story: it was old. Very old.
My brain: Old as BALLS.
Martin asked if Jon wanted him to bring a sandwich back and Jon is like "FINE I'll come with you" XD
I saw Martin in the credits and automatically smiled
I check every time hoping to see his name, I absolutely adore him and his voice
Gertrude: unbothered. moisturized. blowing up previous incarnations of her workplace. focused. flourishing.
Honestly, i think maybe this is my favorite episode so far, the way the old man spoke felt so real that when he began to describe the dead of the man in the tank, i almost cried, his voice has a lot of emotion to, so much i could really felt what the character felt in the situation, this podcasts are really astounding
Here torch means an actual torch XD
No, they had flashlights in WWII.
I absolutely love the voice actors for this series, it's especially noticeable whenever John takes on the character of whoever has written a statement he receives! However I feel bad because it was really difficult for me to listen intently this episode due to the elderly man's voice. Can't deny, it was GREAT because I could really feel his character coming through, but I'm probably gonna have to relisten a few times personally cause I'm hard of hearing. Still, overall I really enjoyed this ep and the performance of everyone in it. Maybe I'll try reading a transcript as I listen next time around
Big same, being HoH and a podcast lover is really rough sometimes. At least this one has a good transcript online
if you ever re-listen to this ep i’ve posted the transcript in the comments! i have auditory processing issues, so i’ve been posting some transcripts for episodes that are missing them!
I struggled too because English isn't my first language, so old man voice + war lexical field were harder to follow. But, it will make the re-listening even more enjoyable
My phone was loading for a while, so I kinda forgot about it. I accidentally nudged a jar of seashells a soon as it started working. I thought that they were talking to me and I almost jumped out of my skin.
The voice actor is AMAZING. He really sounds like he's an old veteran telling a war story. He's almost too good, the part about his fellow soldier dying was too much for me. None of the supernatural stuff in this series really scares me, but the realistic war death? That makes me too sad to enjoy. Amazing episode though.
AMAZING. It's my second time listening now, and it's still one of the stories that moves me the most, the narrator is SO SO GOOD.
Walter's voice actor was absolutely phenomenal!
I think the tunnels described in this, the ones in Alexandria, connect to the ones below the Institute. If not physically then definitely in a more mystical way. Then again with magic doors that appear out of nowhere there is a chance that one could start wandering in England and end up surfacing in Alexandria...
So many Vampire The Masquerade Labyrinth vibes here.
Omg it's the labyrinth of Daedalus
@@ot7biasedmashupsHmm. The labyrinth is symbolically rendered as a spiral. The idea is to follow the path to the center, where you meet the some kind of divine experience. This might be a god, or death, or madness. The thing is, you're not supposed to stay lost. This is what people get wrong about mystic labyrinths. You go in then come out changed, or you die. There's no "wander forever". Thats just a hell, not the liminal.
Okay, linking The Archive to the Library of Alexandria was a good move. F-ing awesome. I love when supernatural stories sink their roots into history
The voice acting is just getting better and better. Shit's top tier, S tier even. That aside I want to hug Jon, Martin and the statement giver.
The veteran sounds like he deserves a hug.
Yeh Jon I said the same when I accidentally stabbed myself in my leg
the existence of prior organisations like the archives is so much like the previous iterations of the SCP foundation! that's pretty cool. now if only the foundation could give the archives some pointers on how to properly contain anomalies/paranormal events...
Yes! I get alot of SCP vibes from this podcast; something about the reading of case-files and the like.
In fairness, the Magnus Archives seems MUCH less well funded than the Foundation. Lot easier to keep nasties locked up when you can afford to build underground bunkers and mountain-side lairs all over. XD
We know from one of the very early episodes (before 15 iirc) that Elias really emphasizes that the Institute's purpose is to just watch/to observe, without interfering (and without containing)
I might be wrong, but isn't there another institution in this series that focuses on containment while MGA just researches. I could have sworn i heard a case being looked into by these people somewhere around the beginning.
The 'eyes staring at you feeling like a physical weight dragging you down' has got to be one of the biggest moods I've ever encountered
Man this is a Heller of a story
Actually I just finished it and it's actually just ok
@@sandymcneish7820 It's ongoing, 5 seasons are planned i believe.
No I meant I finished this episode :)
The Eye/ The Witness/ The Observer (nicknamed in similar convention to "The Vast") seems to be a distinct entity with the portfolios of "watching / paranoia / & knowledge".
The others among The Thirteen seem to make frequent use of being unknowable, unspeakable, and in "lost places". So, they probably don't get along all that well.
Because of this statement, I am now operating under the assumption that The Eye might be the closest thing we'll have to an allied "entity". Gertrude's suggestion that the vigilant figure may have been an archivist struck a cord with me, especially with the label "guardian". If The Eye wants to protect its place of power, it might employ a protector/avatar/champion of some sort, similar to what The Writhing did with Jane Prentiss.
Maybe, just maybe, Jon's ramping paranoia is a sign that The Eye is singing its own song to him; anointing/subsuming him with knowledge, encouraging his paranoia, and making him more afraid of "not knowing" than of the horrors that would ravage his mind if he beheld them. It makes him the perfect opposition to The Thirteen, because it might let him "know" them in a way that perhaps even they fear. I'd personally regard books as symbols of knowledge, and I feel like Michael Crew using Ex Altiora to banish one entity was a taste of what's to come.
Knowledge is power, so they say.
And as The Archivist, Jon is accumulating a great deal of it
[23:B:16:16-51=10]
Martin is so sweet,,,, john being annoyed with him makes me so sad
Of course she's not who you thought, Jon. She was a certifiable Bad-Ass. And then her very competent self was replaced by you. And you'll get there, somewhat, just... not to that same extent.
Wonderful voice acting from Mr Harvey, I always love hearing different voice actors here and he really got into his character!!
This is some of the most believable voice acting in this series so far
Lets all remember that this poor veteran will have nightmares about his supernatural experience until his death.
Lol I love how Martin just dotes on Jon, like a concerned parent/lover.
But how did he gain the ability to talk so long without taking a breath?
Waaaaaaaiitt... someone in a library scratching out their eyes?
Studying will do that to you
@@thatgirlmae8213 omg
YAY, GERTRUDE!
I see a lot of comments talking about how this guy's a good voice actor, and don't get me wrong I can really feel the emotion. But am I the only one whose having trouble understanding what he's saying in a lot of parts? Like if I focus I can understand him but I have to be focusing intently the entire episode and it's kinda frustrating.
Yeah, to me he sounded almost congested
I mean I feel like that’s the point he sounds elderly
There's a transcript online that you can read as you listen. I find it really helps a lot!! ❤️
whiterosesj Thanks. I actually used the transcript for the first time when listening the this episode. It’s unofficial but really helpful
@@smolson8471 me too!
so from what we can tell, the beholding avatars CAN have the following powers.
Overall survailance powers, throught several mediators(tapes,cameras, etc), truth extraction, see in the dark? maybe, and unsually long life span
My one issue, is that the Panzerfaust was developed in 1943. Though this could've been an oversight on Mr. Heller's part.
This episode is awesome from the voice acting, to the story and cute Martin probably thinking Jon self harmed because his mental health is dwindling.
However, the tunnels peak my interest. I have a feeling that they connect to the tunnels under the magnus institute. Physically that's not possible but there's obviously something supernatural in play. It kind of reminds me of the labyrinth of Daedalos. It accesses your brain and creates a maze that will drive you specifically crazy (like when Jon went in and something drew an arrow to test or mislead him). But if you manage to navigate it you can end up at the opposite side of the world. Like for example finding the library of Alexandria. Idk
I am just going to say this. To any new listener out here... NEVER check the replies on some comments ( or any just to be safe because you never know ) .
I just got spoiled on something because people can't label their spoilers.
At first I thought that I can read the comments safely, peak in on other opinions / theories, and ignore the labeled spoilers, guess not.
I don't even think I can continue listening to this amazing series at this point.
I hope you finished it :)
Damn, the way the guy describes entering the Library sounds eerily similar to a dream I had. Everything down to the feeling of being watched.
When she came round, the nurse was kind enough to inform me that I was one of the first wounded to have returned from Bir el Gubi, but they expected more. Sure enough, over the next few days the ward filled up and my peace slipped away beneath the steady stream of injured soldiers. I didn’t mind too much, as it was still a damn sight better than rolling over the boiling desert in an iron coffin. Not to mention the fact that it turned out I wasn’t going to lose the leg, which is the sort of news to put you in a very good mood. The doctors told me I’d probably always have a limp, as I’m sure you’ve noticed, but it wasn’t infected, and there wasn’t the nerve damage they had been afraid of, so all told it was a pretty good wound to get.
After a few weeks, I was walking on without too much pain, and the nurses advised me to start taking the occasional walk around Alexandria. I did so, but between the locals and the army, it was a crowded noisy place, even at night. I took to taking my walks further and further from the hospital and the city centre, and occasionally I’d find myself wondering some way beyond the city limits - at least, as far as my leg would allow. It was still hot, even in late December, but beyond the edge of the city there was a peaceful quiet that I just couldn’t find anywhere else.
It was two days before I was due to return to active duty that it happened. I’d been restless all week, and I couldn’t seem to settle down or focus on anything. Once I got out near Pompey’s Pillar, the crowd seemed to disperse and my mind finally cleared a bit.
I kept walking, though not paying any real attention to my surroundings, until I found myself rather lost. After several hours my leg was starting to ache badly and I took a moment or two to rest against a nearby door. The wood of the door was old and dry, and creaked as I put my weight against it. I didn’t even notice it buckling ‘till it was too late. The next thing I knew I was lying face down a dingy basement, my leg screaming in fresh pain.
It wasn’t broken again, which was a relief, but I still had to sit there for a while recovering from my fall. And nobody seemed to have noticed what had happened, or at least they didn’t care, and I took a few moments to look exactly where I was.
The basement looked old, really old. I’m not an expert on Egyptian architecture, but it didn’t look much like the rest of Alexandria. More than that, aside from the now-broken door, there didn’t seem to be any entrance of the place or anything connecting it to the building above. It was dry and cool, and there didn’t seem to be anything else of note, except for an old grate made of brass, or maybe bronze, that I assumed led to the city’s sewer system.
It was as I finally, painfully dragged myself to my feet that I saw it. From somewhere far beyond the grate, as the setting sun fell on it, came the glint of something round and white. It was only for a second, and if I hadn’t spent so long training to spot objects that distance I probably wouldn’t have noticed it, but there was definitely something there.
I approached the metal grate expecting to smell the sewer beyond, but instead there came the scent of something else. All that, at that point I had no idea what it was but I would have described it as not unlike wood. I tested the grate and found it came away easily from the floor, leaving a hole large enough to climb through without any problems.
I had taken to keeping a torch on me on my walks, as I sometimes had a tendency to wander too far, and so I’d be walking back in the dark. Shining it into the now-open hole revealed what looked like an old tunnel. Whether it was man-made, a naturally-occurring cave, or somewhere in between I couldn’t say, but it was easily big enough for me to walk down. And once again I saw that glint of pale white a long way down, so I went in.
I'm really squicky about war so this ep wasn't my fave, but I love Gertrude so muchhhhhhhh
My theory about this episode and what we know so far:
Guys. Guys! GUYS! The magnus institute is part of the open eye! Either magnus made the institute from the start to serve the open eye or it became an organ of the open eye afterwards, but it's definitely a part of it! The open eye is about knowledge, it's about having documents, so is the magnus institute, keeping all this knowledge inside and just examining it again and again, doing nothing else with it. The veteran felt watched once again after all those years once he entered the magnus institute, 'cause he was once again in the presence of the open eye entity. And the open eye entity and the dark entity are enemies! Which is why the dark entity has a cult with a closed eye as their symbol. I guess because the open eye is all about the knowledge while the dark entity is all about the not knowing. I wonder if Elias works and knows he works for the open eye or if he is a spy of some other entity. And I also wonder if the open eye is something of a good force in-universe. It has been helping out alot until now, gerard who works for it has killed some others who wanted to hurt people, has tried to find and burn the evil books and was protected by the open eyes tattooed all over his body when he was burned. And in general i don't remember a case where the open eye actually killed someone, though i could just be wrong here because i just don't remember.
How’s it going now, do you think?
:)
It was about two hours into the battle that it happened. The gun was now so hot I couldn’t touch it, and I was having to wipe a steady stream of sweat from my eyes every few seconds. The whole desert seemed to swell and sway in the heat haze, but I clearly heard Frank call an order to fire on a tank from the east.
Ralph brought the Crusader to a stop, and I heard poor Dicky call from inside that we were clear to fire, swearing all the time over his burnt fingers. I could see the dark shape of an Italian gun in the distance, and was trying to get the angle right, but my vision was so hazy from the intense heat that it was hard to focus my binoculars properly.
Then I saw it: a flash of light, a twinkling glint of sun from the enemy tank. In the back of my mind, I knew what it meant: the sun reflecting off their own binoculars, which were trained on us, but my head was so foggy that for all the world it seemed as though they were winking at me. I tried to say something to the rest of the crew, but my mouth was too dry, and all that came out was a dull croak. It was strange, but even with the intense sunlight reflecting off that endless expanse of bright desert, I still remember seeing the flash of their gun. I didn’t hear it, though. They always say that don’t they? That you never hear the shot that gets you. Well, I certainly didn’t.
Then I was on the ground with Frank and Ralph standing over me. Ralph was trying to say something, but I couldn’t hear it over the intense ringing in my ears. There was the smell of burning metal, and below it, another scent I couldn’t quite place. I tried to sit up, but there was such an intense shooting pain in my left leg as I did so that did I collapsed again.
A few yards away I could hear our Crusader, smoke pouring from the cracked armor. It surprised me how intact she seemed, until I saw the flames creeping up from the hatch. It was then the ringing in my ears faded enough for me to hear it: the screaming from inside the tank. Dicky was still in there. I looked at my companions, and saw in their faces that they heard it too. There was nothing they could have done to save the poor fool, of course. If, if they had trapped him in there, then, then getting to him would have been impossible, and trying would only have got them killed. So I had to lie there and listen to Dicky roast to death. I don’t know how long it took, but it felt like hours.
At some point, there must have been a retreat ordered, as I saw the rest of the Crusaders pulling back. Frank managed to catch the attention of one of them, and the commander agreed to take me back somewhere the medics could get a look at my leg, although there wasn’t room for us all, so they literally strapped me to the top of the tank, and we drove off, leaving Ralph and Frank to make their own way back.
It wasn’t until I tracked Ralph down almost 10 years later that I found they had been captured soon afterwards, and spent the rest of the war in an Italian POW camp. Oh, the way they described it, it had been quite comfortable, but as far as I knew at the time, we were leaving them to their death. If, if I hadn’t been so delirious in the heat and pain, I might have cried. My memory of the trip back is fragmented, and I have only faint impressions of the pain which every vibration of the tank’s engines sent through my injured leg as I passed in and out of consciousness.
Then there was stillness; shouting. I remember a faint prick in my arm, and then a different sort of haze settled over my mind as numbness and sleep spread through my veins. The next thing I recall with any clarity is my hospital bed. I’d been taken over the border, back to Egypt, and had ended up in the British military hospital in Alexandria. When I awoke, it was so quiet that for a minute I had the sudden, panicked thought that I might be deaf. But it was just that after 70 days of hearing the roar of one engine or another, the peace of an almost empty hospital was so deep and serene that I couldn’t understand it.
This little old war vet is baby and we will be feeding him tea and cakes until the end of time omg 😭💕
14:45 I’m actually binging this series while I’m linking together a chain mail top, so imagine my shock hearing this
So… Don’t you think that something suspiciously, that Martin or Tim, or Sasha came every time, when John is recording the supplements? Not every every time, but most times. Perhaps, John isn’t just a paranoid person. And I also suspect Sasha, because of she told nothing about how she ran out of Jane Princess or..somebody else, when she was under archives.
Yay, some Open Eye action! Finally it's stopped being just a silent observer!
Also, do you think that this...Eye-in-a-robe thing is what happens to Archivists if they work as...well...Archivists for too long?
Oh, man, the lore in this one, seen in retrospect after the whole series, and seen in its context as ep. 53 before we learned anything that would let us understand it, really...way too spoilery to mention specifics, but MAN. I wonder if Eric was ever able to hear this statement.
Martin is just a worried gay. i cannot. what if he finds out about the supposed couple of john and the police lady? He is gonna be hurt. I will cry if the gay child is hurt!
oh he would be so devastated
Mn, I'm very much a fan of this headcannon~
Cringe
I feel like Tim would be sensitive about it.
I’m just baffled everyone is convinced Martin is somehow gay, honestly ridiculous
GERTRUDE
And did you replace the grate?
WALTER
[stammering] The what?
GERTRUDE
The bronze grate over the entrance to the archive. Did you replace it when you fled?
WALTER
Oh yeah, yes - yes, I think I did.
GERTRUDE
One other thing. That feeling of being watched. Have you ever had it since?
WALTER
Well, I wasn’t sure when to say anything, but yes. I have just now. That funny turn I took on the way down the stairs, I felt it again. All those eyes watching me.
GERTRUDE
Thank you, Walter. Now, I -I need to check some maps with you, but I don’t think we need that on tape. Are you all right here for now?
WALTER
I should be.
GERTRUDE
It’s unlikely to happen, but if anyone else comes down here-
WALTER
I’ll tell them I’m an old friend of yours paying you a visit.
GERTRUDE
Thank you. This statement is off the record and I don’t want anyone to bother you about it further. Let’s keep it between us.
GERTRUDE
Well, that was certainly useful.
It’s taken a long time to track down someone still living who found the Serapeum of Alexandria. It’s not a full confirmation of my theory about ancient iterations of the archive, but I’m certainly feeling validated for pursuing it.
I had been working on the assumption that the great library itself would have fulfilled the function, but it makes a lot more sense that it would have been the Serapeum offshoot. The ruins of the main Serapeum itself near Pompey’s pillar are quite well researched, so this could be the secret caves mentioned in certain accounts of its destruction.
According to Eunapius, the destruction of the Serapeum in 391 AD was conducted by a Christian mob, emboldened by the reforms of Pope Theodosius the First, attempting to drive the worship of other gods from Alexandria. There are other accounts, however, that claimed the scholars barricaded themselves inside with prisoners and retreated to hidden caverns deep below. Some even go so far as to claim the captives were tortured into the worship of pagan deities or offered as blood sacrifices. There’s even one unnamed contemporary historian that describes the mob attacking the Serapeum not as Christians, but using a phrase which roughly translates as “those who sing the night”.
This is the best podcast ever.
It was slow going, as my leg was still weak and the floor of the tunnel was not level. I had to crouch at points and place my hands upon the dusty walls for support. After a few minutes I was deep enough that my torch was the only source of light, and the passage began to open up into what seemed to be a large room.
It was there, in a small alcove carved into the wall, that I saw what had caught the light. It was an old papyrus scroll lying amongst the shattered remnants of this case. I cast my torch around and saw more shelves carved into the walls of the chamber, each of which housed a scroll of its own. They were written in a language I didn’t recognize, but they were old and they smelled of age and dry decay.
It wasn’t the only room like that, there were dozens of chambers like it, all of different shapes and sizes connected like a warren. Some were empty, others still had a handful of old scrolls left in alcoves or fallen to the floor. It looked like the place had been looted long, long a time ago.
After checking through few rooms I was sure that whatever this was, it must have been a huge archeological find. I really didn’t know who to tell about it, but I knew I needed to tell somebody. As I turned to head back towards the entrance, my torch beam fell upon something dark in an adjoining room.
It was a body. From the looks of it, the corpse had endured a long, long time and the dry air had almost mummified it, leaving a desiccated skin stretched tight over the bony frame. It wore what looked to be the remains of chainmail and
a black Karloff Tabard with a pointed white cross emblazoned on the chest. A broken sword lay nearby, now rusted almost into nothing, and as I gazed at the dead man’s face I couldn’t stop a chill running down my spine. I tried to tell myself that it was just the way the skull had warped over the years that made him look like he was screaming. His eyes were gone, but rather than simply decaying into nothingness, there were ragged scratches around the edge of the socket, leaving messy, hollow pits.
I was feeling very afraid now and had just turned around to leave when my torch abruptly turned off. It was the strangest thing. It should have been pitch dark. Though there was no light at all filtering through into those underground caverns, but it still - I could see everything. Every detail of the shriveled corpse before me was as clear as day. There was no light to see it, I can’t explain it, even really describe how it felt, but it was absolute darkness and I could still see. At the same time I suddenly got the most intense feeling of being watched, like a thousand eyes turned to me at once.
I froze. From somewhere deeper within that strange, ancient library there was a sound of movement. The rustling of cloth, and a slow rhythmic step coming toward me. I started to back away towards the tunnel that had brought me there, but it was hard. The sense of being watched was getting stronger, an almost physical weight that seemed to drag me down.
I reached the mouth of the tunnel just as a figure came into view. It wore what looked like the remains of an ancient robe, and in the darkness I could see long spindly fingers stretching, probing toward me. From within its huge, flowing hood I could see nothing except a single lidless eye. I don’t know at what point I started screaming, but I know I didn’t stop until I was restrained by military police fleeing through the streets of Alexandria in the early hours of the morning. I spent another month there undergoing psychiatric evaluation before being discharged.
GERTRUDE
I see. Did you ever locate that basement again?
WALTER
Well, I wanted to, but I was supervised the rest of my time in Alexandria.
GERTRUDE
Did you tell any of your superiors about it?
WALTER
No. I was half convinced I’d dreamt the whole thing up.
Lmao the archivist curse. Its cool to see Gertrude as such a cool character.
I was just re-listening to this while working, and I really felt for Mr. Kesselman's character, (even tho I have to fight down a snort at someone being named "cauldron-man" playing a role of someone who was in the desert in a big metal box) but his pronounciation of "Panzerfaust" was just. So adorable somehow? He said it like "Pansah-faust". It translates to "tank-fist", but even though his German isn't bad by any standard, it was still kinda adorable
wait an old man with a limp? i feel like ive heard this before
Okay but is no one going to mention this adorable old guy’s really good voice acting?
Gertrude and Martin are stealing my heart ❤
Bloody hell that old boy knows how to tell a story
So... well, Gertrude's recordings always have A LOT of information in them, she knows a lot and the statements on it selfs are very... well, weird af if you ask me.
The man said that he felt watched, that many eyes were watching him, and right there *that* thing appears. The apparent "archivist"/One Eyed Creature. Jon feels the same reading the statements and I'm wondering if that is a bad omen, if that thing will appear again after Jon or if those statements can summon it somehow? Ugh, I have to be patient
In other note.... Gertrude wtf. You like to blow people up? I think that it was an accident but you never know.
Martin, cinnamon roll, don't worry Jon is not attempting against his own life- ghosts just hates him apparently-, you just go on and keep inviting him to eat sandwiches
That library sounds a lot like what the builders found / young gerald broke into
Oh no...
Coming here after listening to the latest episode of Welcome To Night Vale (It Sticks With You) is just soooooo much No. Nope. Stop going into dark places! If your flashlight/torch becomes next to useless turn the hell around!
As someone who loves historic objects, I let out a strangled sound hearing Gertrude destroy the Library of Alexandria. All that history... gone.... ;-;
There was more than one library in Alexandria...
Walter Heller's voice actor sounded almost like actor Toby Jones for a moment.
Martin is too pure for this world
Petition for Jon to stop being mean to Martin 😡
Gertrude blew the building, didn't she?
..... ooh it's been only 5 months. If you're like most other Magnus Archives listeners, you are probably done by now, so this isn't a spoiler.
You know the answer. It's not just a sheepish '.. yeah.. probably' it's a 'Hell friggen Yeah, She Did.'
Paranormal Panzerfausts in 41
Are…are we the ones watching the archivists?
This man's voice is so adorable.
That “creative commons license” or whatever in the end disclaimers never ceases to be a mouthful. Just a mind-numbing, bureaucratic jargon-filled, “share alike”, mouthful.
21:00 ah, here comes the existential crisis
Wait a second! The name of the person who is the voice of Jon is Jonathan? I've read credits for the first time and was confused ;)
Yes, he named the character after himself, for some reason that's really common in these horror podcasts, i know like five others that have done the same lol
@@l.k.9982 and Sasha was named after VA Jonathan’s wife.