The Gentleman From Hell |S1| Ep. 52

27m

Ben spirals; The Coldsparrow group gets unwanted guests; Loctrum and company discuss what to do next.


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--

Written by Mark Anzalone

Edited by Walker Kornfeld

Sound mastering by Steven J. Anzalone

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Mace voiced by Steven Zivic

Phyllis voiced by Aubrey Akers

Leon voiced by Sam Stark

Patricia voiced by Kelly Bair

Margaret Voiced by Jesse Van Hove

Ben voiced by Mark Anzalone

Cultist 1 voiced by Trenton Butt

Cultist 2 voiced by Harper Tacent

Cultist 3 voiced by Gina Smith

Elijah Sparrow voiced by Matt Van Hove

Cultist 4 voiced by Mark Anzalone

Cultist 5 voiced by Matt Van Hove

Dr. Loctrum voiced by Steven Zivic

Lenore voiced by Jessie Van Hove

Martin voiced by Steven Anzalone


--

Intro music by Steven Anzalone

Music and Sound effects are licensed from third party providers including Envato, Epidemic Sound, Artlist, Soundstripe, Melody Loops, Pond 5, Soundcrate, Music Vine, Youtube, Melodie, Slipstream, and Storyblocks

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Listen and follow along

Transcript

Rusty Quill presents.

Good evening, gentlemen and gentle ladies of hell.

First and foremost, thank you for tuning in.

Your support keeps the flames of the gentleman from hell burning bright.

If you're enjoying your descent into the infernal depths of our world and want to dive even deeper, consider supporting us on Patreon.

There, you'll unlock exclusive content, including original art from Mark Angelon, housed in the legendary Gallery of the Damned, deep lore and world-building treasures within the memorabilia of the House of Sparrows, and coming soon, the Testimonies of the Damned, a Patreon-exclusive audio series that expands the twisted mythology of the gentleman from hell.

Plus, fans of the wider Meltopia universe will uncover a trove of exclusive lore, audio dramas, artwork, behind-the-scenes videos, and much more.

Ready to explore the deeper circles of horror?

Join us at www.patreon.com forward slash Meltopia and embrace the darkness.

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I've just awoken into my bedroom at the mansion.

There's no escaping this.

Whatever this is,

they took me,

lifted me like a wretched thing,

and bore me through places no living soul was ever meant to see.

We passed through tunnels thick with coffins, their lids straining against the weight of unseen occupants, the air swollen with the reek of decay and remembrance.

They carried me over rivers of pale listless water, where the bridges were nothing but lattices of bone, slick and crumbling beneath their steps.

Above it all stretched a sky without depth or colour, a blank vault of endless drey, pressing down like a lid upon the world.

The winds,

they were not winds at all, but the sour exhalations of the dead, the last breaths of the forgotten, whispered final confessions, tangled together into a ceaseless, mournful gale.

I don't.

I don't even think time moved in that place.

I cannot say how long the whole journey lasted.

Hours, years,

eternities.

My mind broke and reformed.

I know not how many times.

By rights, I should be utterly mad.

Perhaps I am.

Perhaps that is what my father will have for me.

My mind.

Rupert!

Rupert!

Where are you?

Do you think me a fool?

What are you doing to me?

How much did he promise you, eh?

Is there a special provision in the will for treachery?

Are you hiding, Rupert?

Are you here?

I've been on to you for a while now, you bastard.

Your little excursions to that wicked apartment building.

What goes on there, eh?

What goes on in that wretched hole?

I saw the model of the city.

What horrible things are you planning?

She was right.

She was right, wasn't she?

Veronica McKay.

She was telling the truth.

Miss McKay.

Yes, that's right.

You told me what they did to my father, but I didn't listen.

His family.

My family.

They took him.

They did something to him.

Is that what this is about?

Perhaps it wasn't my father at all.

Perhaps it was them.

Are you one of them, Rupert?

Do you intend to do to me what they did to my father?

What's this?

A letter?

Ben, I decided to follow your lead and get out of town for some long overdue visiting.

If you get back before I do,

I shouldn't be long.

You fucking bastard.

You're not out visiting.

You're not out visiting anyone.

You've done your job and you're no longer required.

But now I cannot leave.

I'm cursed to return here again and again.

But that's not all, is it?

No, I'm to become one of those things, no doubt.

Like...

like like Milton, the butchering monstrosity.

Gathering with the rest of the ghouls and the dark rooms of some ruined apartment building to prepare a grand surprise for the next creature who walks through the door.

For God's sakes, what's happening?

Do you hear me?

What the fuck is happening?

Jesus Christ.

Is that what we have to look forward to?

Well, Ben never made them work for it.

At least not that we know of.

We've hurt the bastards a few times now.

We even killed some of them.

And I'm just getting started.

We need to remember that these things have limits, and like you pointed out, Mace, they appear to have a way of reversing the effects of whatever the tape did.

What that tape did was give us first-class tickets to hell every single night until we don't come back again.

I just wish there was a way to take the fight to the sparrows themselves.

Burn the fuckers down where they live.

We already know bullets don't work on them.

What if we plug the fuckers while they're inside the resonator field?

I really have no idea.

They operate by a completely different set of rules.

Yeah, but those rules overlap with some of our own.

Or else the resonator wouldn't work at all.

We have to find a way to go on the offensive.

Otherwise, we're just sitting ducks.

We'll have to think about it later.

It's getting dark, and we should be planning for the next black noon.

Yeah,

about

that.

What now?

Even with the resonator at full power, its effective range is only about the size of the room.

I'm afraid that if the effect of the ritual increases night overnight, our little bubble is gonna keep shrinking.

I'm trying to come up with something that might boost the range or maybe slow our descent into well.

You know,

it's one of the perimeter alarms.

I gotta get to the hub.

There's multiple alarms.

Quad two and seven.

The back deck entrance and the service door.

What the hell do we do?

Pulling up the surveillance video.

They're dressed in bird masks.

Cute.

They're right outside the door.

They're right behind the door.

Come on in.

We've been waiting for you.

You three get behind the desk desk and stay low.

Lots more where that came from.

They're coming from down the left-hand and center halls.

I'll sneak out the back and hit them from the library.

Keep them focused on you.

You got it.

Gee, Al, those fucks I dusted the bag of the church weren't friends of his.

Roll inside.

Over the shore.

Tell the others to hold outside.

And don't let anyone step out of that room.

Too late for that, asshole.

He's over here, around that corner.

Get him!

Forget about me, fellas.

There's more of him outside.

You should concern yourself with those of us who are inside the house.

Get in there and retrieve the woman.

That will be enough out of you, I think.

Leon,

Mace.

Come on, we gotta get out of here.

Follow me, they ran this way.

If you hurt them,

ah, you,

ah, ah,

motherfucker.

Where are the items you stole from the church?

Don't tell him shit.

If you give back what you stole

this could go so much better for you

Stole that was our shit to begin with asshole

be that as it may

I'm not going to ask again

You know I've always wondered what makes people like you tick fuck wits who are in such a rush to lick someone's boots.

God

Sir, we found the half-burned remains of a baseball glove in the fireplace.

So you burn them.

Well,

we've a remedy for that.

Get the syringe.

Yes, sir.

What the fuck are you gonna do with that?

Why to extract some of your blood, Mr.

Oates?

Is that so?

You fuckers didn't so much as tie us up or frisk us.

And that took more than my fair share of tasers at Cornico.

Nice.

Where you hit?

Copy me in the ribs, in the chest.

You're gonna be alright.

They use non-lethal rounds.

Feels like they broke my fucking ribs.

Can you stand?

We gotta find the others.

Yeah!

Yeah, I can walk.

And exactly where do you think you're walking to, gentlemen?

Oh, fuck you, miss him!

Like the darkness, we are all around you.

Surrender yourselves.

Last time I checked, the darkness didn't squeal like a stuck pig when you plugged it.

There are many kinds of darkness, Mr.

Rhodes.

We are but one.

They kill the power.

I believe

a second darkness approaches.

In here,

quick, behind the boxes.

You can come out, Phyllis Chambers.

I can see you.

I'm afraid that hide-and-seek is a bit much for these old bones.

I don't want to hurt you, Phyllis.

If the stolen materials cannot be reclaimed, you must procure replacements.

It will place the ritual in greater peril than I would wish.

But what is done is done.

What shall I bring you, my master?

Their blood.

Are you listening to me, Miss Chambers?

Exactly what does the ritual require, Patrick Bailey?

We know of your talents, Phyllis.

And knowing my name will do you no good.

Perhaps not.

But you do know, don't you?

Get her blood.

I'll look for the others.

Why does she think I'll tell her anything about the rite of dissension?

But there's...

something about her eyes.

Yes, of course I know, you wrinkled hag.

We will gather on on the night the sparrows were placed into unhallowed ground.

Wait,

what is she doing to me?

What did you just

give me your arm, you wait?

There's no need for all that.

I have some of the materials we stole from you here in my purse.

Very well.

Give them to me.

Whatever you say, Mr.

Bailey.

What the hell?

Uh, Phyllis,

are you okay?

Yes, I.

I think so.

Oh my god, what have I done?

Do you feel that?

It's getting cold in here.

It's

it's one of the sparrows.

They're in the mansion.

Then we've got to take our chances outside.

Are you crazy, Pat?

You know what's going to happen tonight.

What other choice do we have?

Oh, come on.

We've got to get to the backstairs.

It's like they're trying to tear the goddamn mansion apart.

I don't know, but I could definitely get used to this whole lifestyle.

Classy hotel rooms, fine dining,

the works.

You can have it.

I can't stand these places.

I much prefer the quietude of the countryside.

One of the hardest concessions I made after giving my teaching post up was moving into that dreadful townhouse.

Giving up our country home was no easy thing.

I can enjoy either.

The peace of the countryside has its charm, but I can't deny the allure of the city at night.

Although, after all that's happened, I think I'll be staying home nights.

You two find anything helpful about why our guys are poking around Cold Sparrow?

This place is practically a mecca for paranormalists.

So strange tales abound, but nothing really jumps out with me.

Nothing that smacks of the damned, I mean.

All their jobs since leaving the FBI have been contract-based, so whatever it is they're doing there, it's likely because they're being paid to do it.

And the Ingersoll sisters' involvement practically assures us it's something to do with paranormal.

Huh.

Huh.

Since the church sent us their picture, I'm gonna assume they're still alive and well.

They must be damn good at what they do, though.

Going in blind and still managing to figure out what they were dealing with you at least had some idea about the damn they probably knew next to nothing well the ingersols likely knew something of the topic mechanica and the paranormal are often mentioned in the same breath but you're right to have survived this long definitely speaks to their resourcefulness

do you think the praditionists know we're here I don't know.

I triple-checked car for trackers and I went out of my way to shake any possible tales.

It's It's always best to assume the worst.

What's more important is that they don't know the church is helping us.

If we can keep that card up our sleeve, we might have a chance of catching them off guard when the time comes.

Throwing off the cultists is one thing, and even the damned would have difficulty tracking us during the day.

But what about the thing that destroyed the lake house?

Yes, the Nephilim.

The offspring of the damned and mankind.

Can't believe I'm sitting here discussing them as I would any other real living thing.

But yes, their abilities are a bit trickier, I'd say.

The one they sicked on us, the one from Nukuatawa, was there anything in the chamber it was sealed in that might help us figure out a way to deal with it?

There wasn't much time for study, I'm afraid.

However, it is certainly clear that the flood water works against them, as they are mentioned as being destroyed by the rain and rising waters.

Interestingly, the flood also had additional effects upon the dam that survived and those who were risen afterward.

It appears to have rendered most of them infertile, which is why the Nephilim may be as prized as they are.

There aren't many of them left.

I'm sure there's a joke in there about rain, pregnancy, and wearing your rubbers, but

I haven't come up with it right yet.

You said it left most of them infertile.

What about the others?

I came across a fascinating treatise while we were driving, an account of the succubus and the incubus, creatures said to exhaust their wickedness through the act of sex.

According to the author, Marcus Cushing, these figures may in fact be rooted in the damned, the few who retain the power of sexual reproduction.

Cushing argues that such beings are among the rarest of the damned and guarded at all costs.

He further contends that while they are capable of reproduction, they can only do so once in a century.

That's interesting and all, but it's not much help.

All we really know is the things are at least partially resistant to the chime.

It walked right through the lake house's sonic defenses.

Which reminds me, I soaked some knives in the water.

One for each of us.

Could come in handy if they get a hold of one of you.

I wasn't planning on getting that close.

The ladies blackened saltfish.

And here's the gentleman's beef wellington,

and for you, sir, the lobster ravioli.

Huh?

What the fuck?

Is there an actual fire or just a false alarm?

I smell smoke.

You don't think they'd they'd burn the whole place down just to get to us, do you?

I say that's a very distinct possibility.

Come,

we've got to leave.

Get the water and the files.

Hurry.

Okay, I got all.

Let's get the hell out of here.

Stay close, the bastards could be trying to mix in with the crowd.

The hole's blocked.

We gotta find another way.

There's nowhere left to go.

We're trapped.

It's done.

The Gentleman from Hell is a Maltopia production.

Today's episode was written by Mark Ansloan and voiced by Stephen Zivick, Sam Stark, Aubrey Akers, Jesse Van Hove, Kelly Baer, Gina Smith, Trenton Butt, and Matt Van Hove, and Harper Taysent.

Sound editing was completed by Stephen Anslone and script editing was conducted by Walker Kornfeld.

Be sure to rate and review us on iTunes, Spotify, or your favorite podcast platform.

And follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter at Meltopia.

If you want unique art and animations of Meltopia's stories, visit our YouTube page or click on the link in the show notes.

And for more exclusive content such as additional lore, stories, and art, be sure to check out our Patreon at www.patreon.com forward slash Meltopia.

And we're back live during a flex alert.

Dialed in on the thermostat.

Oh, we're pre-cooling before 4 p.m., folks.

And that's the end of the third.

Time to set it back to 78 from 4 to 9 p.m.

Clutch move by the home team.

What's the game plan from here on out?

Laundry?

Not today.

Dishwasher?

Sidelined.

What a performance by Team California.

The power truly is ours.

During a flex alert, pre-cool, power down, and let's beat the heat together.

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You check the score and the restaurant reviews.

You check your hair and reflective surfaces and the world around you for recession indicators.

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Coach, the energy out there felt different.

What changed for the team today?

It was the new game day scratches from the California lottery.

Play is everything.

Those games sent the team's energy through the roof.

Are you saying it was the the off-field play that made the difference on the field?

Hey, a little play makes your day, and today it made the game.

That's all for now.

Coach, one more question.

Play the new Los Angeles Chargers, San Francisco 49ers, and Los Angeles Rams Scratchers from the California Lottery.

A little play can make your day.

Please play responsibly.

Must be 18 years or older to purchase play or claim.

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