Another Day at Misktaonic U.
Or a look at student life at the weirdest uni in the world.
This is a bit of experimental storytelling. A modern epistolary story, told via a Mastodon instance. Let me know what you think and if you’d like to see more of what’s happening in Jess’s life.
Social Media posts from the halls of Miskatonic U.
Arkham, MA 01666
The following is from the Mastadon Social Media Instance for Miskatonic University -
Jess Murphy @Mouse
#Introduction #HiTHere
Well, since we got our logins today for all the school systems I thought I’d go ahead and introduce myself. I’m a #Linguistics major. I grew up as a military brat. My dad was in Air Force Intelligence and I think it was he who gave me the language bug. We were stationed in a lot of strange places. It was during a six month tour in Thailand that I got my introduction to the madness that we attempt to uncover and understand here at MU. More on that later I guess.
I did a lot of research to find a place that would encourage and enable me to study languages that are barely linked to any human tongue. We still don’t understand who spoke or wrote the words found in tomes like the Necronomicon or on the Black Stones. But here I am, preaching to the choir. Finally, I found this place.
I know not everyone who comes through the front door of Ellery Hall knows about the madness. There are normal men and women who haven’t been touched as we have. After all, the money for our occult studies has to come from somewhere, but I’m thankful to have this place and you folks to talk about this with.
In addition to my regular coursework, I think I’m most looking forward to my two Onyx Schedule classes. I’m taking Al Azif 101 and The Pnakotic Manuscripts. I wish I could take more, but I do have a full load this year. I look forward to seeing you in classes and on this forum.
James Durham followed you.
James Durham
@Durham1997@Arkham01666
James Durham favorited your status.
Felicity Chan followed you.
Felicity Chan
@MadUnicorn@Arkham01666 favorited your status.
Felicity Chan favorited your status.
Felicity Chan @MadUnicorn
@Mouse - It’s good to see another lady on here. This place is a real sausage fest, but most of the guys here are easy to get along with. I’m in my second year. If you need anything, I’m on the second floor in Ellison Hall. We should grab lunch and talk about the madness and our place in it. I’m a double major History/Women’s Studies and my Obsidian focus is Elder Goddesses and Female Magic. It’s even more of an independent study than usual. Only by the grace of Dr. Addams is it even a thing.
Jess Murphy @Mouse
@MadUnicorn - It was so good to meet you and grab coffee. I look forward to reading Dr. Addams work and seeing what we can cook up.
James Durham @Durham
@Mouse @MadUnicorn - #NotAllObsidianMen
Felicity Chan @MadUnicorn
@Mouse @Durham *rolleyes*
Kidding, mostly. James is a good guy. One of the only good ones in the pre-med program. The rest are all pretty handsy.
The following is from the Mastadon Social Media Instance for Miskatonic University -
Jess Murphy @Mouse
#WeirdShit #AnotherDayAtMU
You know it must be some weird shit for me to put it out here. I think I’ve finally cracked something open that’s been waiting on us for centuries, if not millennia. I know, you’ve all heard this before on these forums, I’m sure. Hear me out.
I was in the library, the mundane one, which is the surprising part. I was researching a topic for Intro to European History. I’ve had a bug for finding the actual location of Lemuria. I can’t put my love of the mysterious aside for even a minute, it seems. I was poring over some old maps, and I found a scrap of parchment that had been folded four or five times. At first, I thought it was a candy wrapper, but I plucked it out and was about to throw it away when the message reached my brain from my fingers that this wasn’t paper.
I unfolded it, and it was covered in spidery script too faint to read clearly. I’m still trying to figure out if it’s a known language or not. I’ve scanned it, enlarged it, and played with contrast to the point where I think I’m going to go mad. Every time I get it to the place where I can make out words my PC crashes. Help?
John Kilgallon followed you.
John Kilgallon
@BigBad@Arkham01666 favorited your status.
John Kilgallon @BigBad
@Mouse I might be able to help you. Some arcane symbols don’t play well with modern electronics. I’ve developed some scripts that will harden your PC against such things.
Jess Murphy @Mouse
@BigBad Yay! I know a fair amount about computers but this would have had me stumped. You’d think they’d give us that sort of thing pre-loaded.
John Kilgallon @BigBad
@Mouse You’d think, but even the youngest profs here who are in the know are scared of anything invented after the 1950s. Bring your laptop to the cafe.
The following is from the Mastadon Social Media Instance for Miskatonic University -
Jess Murphy @Mouse
#HotBoy #ColdShoulder
I met with @BigBad at the cafe yesterday and he showed me how to install the stuff to make my lappy boogum proof. He’s soooo cute. But, when I asked him on a date, he said his classwork keeps him too busy. Oh well, his loss maybe?
I was able to scan it and tweak it enough to get it legible.
[image]
I’ve run this through the translation software I have AND the translation routines at the research desk at the library but nada. Zippo. Zilch. Thoughts? Encouragements? Death threats?
Leo Jerez @EspookyShit
Hey Jess! Don’t be too hard on John. He’s painfully shy. Keep on asking him
Far as that picture goes? It looked familiar, so I went through some of my books. I’m majoring in Arcane Languages 15,000 CE to 1000 CE. Minoring in Soft Textiles. I hope to knit a copy of the first ten pages of the Ne_ro_omicon. That language you have there is a dialect of the language spoken on the Island of Satanazes. Known as Diabolonzes or Infiernes, there are no known living speakers. The island has been missing for about four hundred years. There is a sort of Rosetta stone equivalent for it.
Zuane Pizzigano found a book of fairy tales written in Diabolonzes and Italian. From what he could gather, some Italian had gone to the island and recorded native fairy tales and translated them into Italian.
Jess Murphy @Mouse
Thank you! Does that mean you can translate it?
Leo Jerez @EspookyShit
I’ve been working on it. It’s tough since it’s not the whole page and even though you did a great job there’s still damage due to fading. There’s mention of “the Great Demon” and a date that could be “the birth of the year 2026”. Then there are what looks like basic summoning instructions.
Jess Murphy @Mouse
Then what we have here is a blueprint for summoning a great demon?
John Killgallon @BigBad
Did someone mention my name?
Leo Jerez @Espooky Shit
Yeah, you’re the great demon.
Jess Murphy @Mouse
BWAHAHAHAHA!!! No @BigBad. I did @ you, but it was in good fun. @EspookyShit and I have been talking about the manuscript you helped me upload.
Very good! I really like it.