THE CURIOUS AND PERPLEXING HISTORY OF DARC MANSION:

Darc mansion was built in 1817 by Gideon Darc, a wealthy industrialist who made his fortune selling cannon balls during the war of 1812. Gideon apparently had a secret formula for the metal used in his cannon balls, an alloy made from unusual compounds found in his own extensive network of mines. The cannon balls were unusually light in weight, yet dealt enormous damage when striking a target. Gideon Darc was accused of selling these cannon balls to both sides during the war, but several key witnesses vanished suddenly and formal charges of treason were never pressed.

After the war, Gideon's reputation grew much darker. His mines were said to be unsafe, with unusually frequent accidents. Large groups of miners were often lost, yet very few bodies were ever recovered. After one particularly bad incident, in which over 200 miners were crushed, Gideon Darc was reportedly found 'celebrating' in a local pub. Eventually, public sentiment led Darc to become a recluse, seldom leaving his estate.

Strange rumors persisted throughout the rest of Gideon Darc's life. It was said that his mines led down to subterranean caverns that had existed since the dawn of time. Some said the metals used in Darc's cannon balls were not of this earth. A few villagers even claimed Gideon Darc was in contact with horrible unnatural creatures, beings they referred to as 'the toad men'.

Gideon Darc took a bride at the age of 57. Gideon and Eudora Darc had seven children, six boys and one girl. All six boys died in various accidents, under peculiar circumstances, before the age of 13. Only the girl, Lydia, survived to adulthood.

Lydia Darc became a practitioner of black magic. Upon the deaths of Gideon and Eudora, Lydia began inviting fellow occultists to live in the spacious mansion. Eventually, an official organization was formed and 'Darc Academy' began enrolling students. But these students often went missing, and public outcry caused the academy to officially close in 1884. Lydia Darc lived the rest of her life in seclusion, but passersby often noticed odd flickering lights late at night in the mansion's center tower, and heard what they described as 'deranged laughter' echoing from the tower windows.

Shortly before her death in 1897, Lydia Darc transferred ownership of Darc Mansion to three men who claimed to be relatives from Romania.

Clarence Darc built the mansion's rear tower in 1899, to serve as a laboratory. The nature of his research remains unknown. Clarence went mad in 1902 and was institutionalized.

Nathan Darc constructed the mansion's West tower in 1904. He spent much of his time peering out across the horizon from the tower's highest room. When asked what he was watching for, Nathan would only laugh nervously. Nathan Darc was found dead in the West tower one night in 1908. The cause of his death remains unknown.

Edmund Darc spent the last of the Darc family's fortune having the East tower built. Upon it's completion in 1909 , Edmund immediately ran to the top and threw himself over the side, falling to his death.

Darc Mansion has remained vacant since that time. Lightning struck the mansion in 1924, causing a fire that raged throughout the structure. Heavy rains kept the roof from burning away, but most of the mansion's interior is now a charred and blackened ruin.

Several groups of paranormal researchers have since studied the property. Although there have been few reports of ghosts, there are frequent sightings of what witnesses refer to as 'shadow people'. These dark forms are seen only out of the corner of the viewer's eye, and vanish when the viewer looks towards them.

Recent investigations have uncovered tunnels leading away from the mansion's cellars. Although collapsed, it is suspected that these tunnels may once have lead to several of Gideon Darc's mines. A few rusted cannon balls were discovered and have since been studied extensively. They include at least three distinct types of metal completely foreign to this planet.

What is perhaps most unsettling is that scientists have now analyzed the mortar that's been holding Darc Mansion together all these years. The reason it's so strong, the reason Darc Mansion has refused to crumble after all this time, is because Gideon Darc had a secret formula for that too. The mortar he used, and which his descendants later used, was made from pulverized human bone.

Only known photograph of Gideon Darc, 1819