THE WHATELY HOUSE in Innsmouth Prologue

The house was where a murder had occured. I am an investigator of the police in Innsmouth.

THE WHATELY HOUSE IN INNSMOUTH
PROLOGUE


In 1909, Innsmouth police officers Paul Johnson and Eric Vandal received a cryptic call about a body at the Whately estate in nearby Innsmouth. The stormy night intensifies as they rush to the scene, where they find the corpse of a young man. Her death appears accidental, but the mention of the Whately name—known for its dark history—provokes unease. They learn he was a reporter investigating the estate’s owners, a theatrical group called The New Church of Whately. The troupe claims to be renovating the mansion for performances, but their secretive behavior raises suspicions. Johnson and Vandal decide to investigate further.

The officers visit the Whately estate and meet Daniel Waverly, the charismatic leader of the troupe. He insists they are an avant-garde theater company and dismisses any connection to the dead reporter. However, Johnson and Vandal notice strange symbols on the walls and overhear disturbing chants. Their investigation deepens when they discover that several other people have gone missing in Innsmouth under mysterious circumstances. They suspect the New Church of Whately is involved in something more sinister than theater. Despite warnings from local authorities to leave it alone, Johnson’s curiosity drives him back to Innsmouth.

The tension escalates when Johnson returns alone to find Vandal has disappeared while following a lead about another missing person. Johnson is now convinced that Waverly's group is using dark rituals to summon otherworldly entities. Determined to rescue his partner, he breaks into the mansion during one of their performances. He finds Vandal tied up as part of a ritual sacrifice intended to awaken ancient gods. As Waverly and his followers chant, Johnson fights through madness-inducing visions and frees Vandal moments before he is killed. Together, they disrupt the ceremony by setting fire to the building.

In the chaos, Johnson and Vandal narrowly escape as monstrous shapes emerge from collapsing walls. The fire consumes the mansion, leaving only ruins behind. With no bodies found among the wreckage, it appears Waverly and his group have either perished or vanished into another realm. The traumatic experience haunts both men; Vandal considers leaving Arkham for good while Johnson struggles with nightmares and questions about what he witnessed. The case remains officially unsolved, but Johnson has no doubt about what truly happened at the Whately estate—a brush with horrors beyond human understanding that almost cost them their lives.

























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