Paranormal

There are unnamed entities in the world, ancient as the universe itself.

They cannot be perceived by human beings, as they belong to dimensions that our limited senses can't detect.

Spacetime and the Fifth Dimension

In physics, spacetime, also known as chronotope, refers to the four-dimensional structure of the universe. Introduced through general relativity, it is composed of four dimensions: the three dimensions of space, length, width, and depth, and the dimension of time. Together, they form the stage on which physical phenomena occur.

Some researchers have theorized the existence of a fifth dimension. This dimension is believed to be the first dimension of consciousness beyond the limitations of space and time. Beings that exist within the fifth dimension have no mass, and therefore are not subject to the effects of gravitational fields and other forces of our reality.

In string theory, multidimensional models suggest the existence of ten or eleven total dimensions. The fifth dimension may be understood as one of these layered dimensions, but with a special role: an interface between our spacetime and the entities that exist beyond it.

Carcosa

From this perspective, Carcosa is not merely a physical city, but a point of intersection between our reality and a higher plane of existence. Its architecture seems to bend and change before the eyes of those who witness it, reflecting the fluid nature of the fifth dimension: a space where the laws of causality and spacetime are distorted or completely ignored.

The city appears as a place of transition, a threshold between the sensory world and a realm of higher consciousness, inhabited by entities that reside within that invisible dimension.

Human Perception

Humanity's inability to exist within this dimensional plane has made human beings blind to the entities that inhabit it, and therefore easily manipulated by them.

Many have attempted to reach this "realm" through extreme and irrational methods: drugs, rituals, sensory deprivation, and other forms of altered perception.

Possession and Corpse Animation

These entities, however, are perfectly capable of interacting with our reality. One of the most effective methods is possession. They can take control of a human being who is near death, in a coma, or in a state of total deprivation, someone caught between two different realms and states of existence, controlling their body and using it as a 'vessel'.

Some research has also theorized that, in the hours immediately following death, these entities may exploit the body's remaining vital residue to enter it and "turn it into a puppet of flesh" (Draceau, Biblia Hastura).

Historians report various, and often disputed, accounts regarding Carcosa. One of the most infamous sources is the work of the 15th-century monk Drăceau. In his best-known text, Biblia Hastura, he records the surviving knowledge of the city and the nearby Lake of Hali.

The Hidden Monastery

During a lifelong investigation, Drăceau came into contact with texts describing ancient blood rituals and forgotten places. Among them, he discovered an old map that eventually led him to the a hidden monastery. Believing it to be abandoned, he was surprised to find people still living inside.

It is said that the monk experienced prophetic visions during long meditations in the crypts of the monastery, where he translated ancient manuscripts written in unknown and cryptic languages.

The Marked Monks

Drăceau wrote about the monks inhabiting the monastery: “They followed a rigid way of life, devoted to deprivation and the mortification of the flesh, in the hope of passing beyond and finally seeing the Black City.”

“Some monks went so far as to gouge out their own eyes and mutilate themselves. In a few extremely rare cases, when pain had brought them close to death, a yellow stain would appear upon their foreheads. When this occurred, the monk was considered “marked” and was idolized until death.”

"Their bodies were then sealed into crypts and made inaccessible even to the other members of the brotherhood."

The Raid

Several years after Drăceau's arrival at the monastery, a military unit raided the site. The monks began retreated into the crypts, which were forced opened. The soldiers followed, determined to exterminate any survivors.

Drăceau managed to escape, but there are no records of what had become of the other monks, nor what had happened to the soldiers. It is also not known who the soldiers were, nor who sent them to the monastery.

Taking refuge in a small village nearby, Drăceau spent the rest of his life writing the Biblia Hastura, recording every fragment he could recover from his memory concerning the rites, the cult, and the Black City.

Surviving Passages from the Biblia Hastura

"The structures of The Black City are tall and austere, made of an unknown material similar to black stone, with architecture that defies gravity and all sense of proportion. The surfaces are smooth and polished, reflecting the few weak lights that pass through the mist. The windows are small, often without glass, and appear as living eyes watching those who pass by them."

Chapter IV

"The Black Lake is a massive reservoir of an oily substance, moving as if by its own will. Waves, whirlpools, and splashes reflect the pale light of the two suns. No one knows what lies hidden in its depths, or what creatures dwell within it."

Chapter II

"Some witnesses speak of fleeting figures, of shadows moving against the current, or of the sound of distant musical instruments seeming to rise from the darkness."

Chapter VII

The dense and persistent mist wraps around walls and streets, creating a labyrinth of illusions and shadows. Winds carry faint and unsettling whispers."

Chapter III