The Magnus Archives: RQ Network Feed Drop – Malevolent Part 1 “The Dark World”

Release Date: January 14, 2026
Podcast Host: Rusty Quill
Featured Series: Malevolent by Harlan Guthrie

Overview

This episode of The Magnus Archives features a special “feed drop” of the first episode of Malevolent, an acclaimed eldritch horror audio drama from the RQ Network. Malevolent immerses listeners in a tense, supernatural mystery, following private investigator Arthur Lester. Arthur awakens blind, terrified, and amnesic, guided only by a strange, disembodied voice sharing his mind. The narrative unfolds as Arthur wrestles with the consequences of opening a mysterious book, the death of his partner, and the shadowy link to an ancient, cosmic horror. Fans of immersive horror, mystery, and cosmic dread will find this episode particularly gripping.

Key Discussion Points and Plot Progression

1. Introduction and Context (00:00–01:28)

• Anousha (voice actor, Magnus Protocol): Sets the stage, describing Malevolent as “a thrilling Eldritch horror mystery audio drama—brilliantly combined with elements of choose your own adventure and actual play via their Patreon.”
• Introduces Arthur Lester (the protagonist), his condition (blindness, amnesia), and the unsettling voice guiding him.

2. Awakening in Darkness: Arthur and the Voice (01:28–04:50)

• Arthur Lester regains consciousness, disoriented and unable to see.
• He converses with the mysterious voice (B), which reveals itself to be “a friend. The best friend you have right now. The only friend you have” (01:53).
• They determine Arthur’s location: his own PI office. He discovers a dead body—his partner Peter Yang—on the floor.
• The voice firmly takes control of the situation:

  “Arthur, listen to me. I have your eyes now. So you’re going to shut the fuck up and listen to me.” (03:42)

3. Exposition: The Cursed Book and Shared Mind (04:50–07:02)

• Arthur learns that opening a mysterious book in his office has “cursed” him—and bound the voice to him:

  “In opening it, you’ve cursed yourself.” (04:39)
  “I am trapped inside you. I can see through your eyes. And as far as I can tell, I control nothing else.” (05:01)

• The voice guides Arthur through initial panic, instructing him to hide Peter’s body and compose himself.

4. Intrusion and Deception: Dealing with the Maintenance Man (11:02–16:29)

• Arthur narrowly evades suspicion from Eddie, the building maintenance supervisor, by bluffing and, at one point, contemplating violence:

  “If you aim straight ahead, you can’t miss. However, you would be killing a man who's done nothing wrong. Arthur, put the gun away.” (15:01)

• The voice advises Arthur to adopt a firm, threatening stance to drive Eddie away, showing the growing dynamic and tension between them.

5. Investigating the Cursed Book’s Origin (17:11–28:52)

• Search begins for the book’s origins:
  JD Ackerman Rare Books, Arkham, Massachusetts, is identified as the sender.
• Arthur recalls a previous case involving a missing girl, Emily McFarland, and a chilling symbol on a basement door matching the sigil on the book.
• Arthur and the voice reflect on the metaphysics of the “dark world” from which the voice originates:

  “That book isn’t from this world. It isn’t even from this side of the divide. It’s from a dark plane of existence.” (22:26)

• The voice gives a philosophical, cosmic explanation of parallel realities, death, and the “dark world.”

6. The Bookstore Interlude: Threats and New Revelations (27:55–37:07)

• At JD Ackerman’s Rare Books, they enter a cluttered shop and encounter an unknown masked figure, who likely sought the same book and fires a shot before fleeing.
• Arthur and the voice deduce the book was meant for Roland Cummings, the office’s previous tenant.

  “It means that the owner meant to send the book to Roland Cummings.” (36:51)

7. Revisiting the Scene of the Prior Case (37:56–47:06)

• They travel to 58 Pelican Lane—the house linked to the missing girl.
• Arthur, still adjusting to blindness, relies heavily on the voice for environmental descriptions and navigation.
• In the basement, they discover a secret mural of a monstrous deity, its “forest of despair filled with a thousand young… the all-consuming, all devouring end to life as we know it.” (44:15)

  Voice: “It is an enormous mass… more than death itself…” (44:41) Arthur: “All that is depicted in the mural?”
  Voice: “No.”
  Arthur: “How do you know that?”
  Voice: “I don’t know.” (45:19)

• Name revealed: “Job Negro.” Arthur and the voice debate whether the voice is this creature; the voice denies it but seems uncertain.

8. Descent: Unearthing the Cult Chamber (46:07–49:03)

• They unlock a concealed passage leading to an underground chamber, filled with grim evidence of ritual and murder: caged ceilings, a sacrificial stone, and bones.
• Evidence suggests that Emily may have stumbled upon the chamber before her murder, and that something monstrous may now be loose.

  “If there is even the slightest chance that whatever killed this man also killed Emily, that means it has been released…” (48:30)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the binding of the voice:
  • “Sharing a body means that we share a mind.” (05:11, Voice)
• On Arthur’s moral conflict:
  • “If bloodshed was all that I was after, then I’d be doing a bad job.” (16:53, Voice)
• On cosmic horror:
  • “Your world as you know it is on a singular path… Choices change our world… It branches off alternate pathways.” (22:37, Voice)
• On despair and the mural’s meaning:
  • “It is more than death itself. It is a forest of despair filled with a thousand young.” (44:15, Voice)
• Arthur’s new reality:
  • “Yes, I already miss it. Knowing I won’t see a loved one’s face… And… And…” (40:34, Arthur)

Important Timestamps & Segments

• Arthur’s Awakening and First Encounter with the Voice: 01:28–04:50
• Discovery of the Curse/Binding and Dead Partner: 04:39–06:02
• Hiding the Body and First Threats of Exposure: 06:44–16:29
• Discussion on the Book’s Origin and the Dark World Explanation: 17:11–24:50
• Confrontation at the Rare Bookstore and Further Revelations: 27:55–37:07
• Exploration of the Ritual Site and Mural: 42:03–47:06
• Discovery of Underground Ritual Chamber: 47:06–49:03

Tone and Style

• The narrative is gripping, tense, and laced with dread and confusion. The dialogue between Arthur and the voice is both combative and intimate, marked by desperation, flickers of humor, and existential horror.
• The voice’s temperament shifts from mocking and domineering to oddly paternal, and occasionally wounded.
• Arthur’s confusion and vulnerability are palpable; his moral struggle, fear, and emerging resolve drive listener empathy.

Summary Takeaway

This episode introduces Malevolent’s central mysteries: Arthur’s blindness, the murder of his partner, the enigmatic and sinister voice, and a cursed, otherworldly book. With flowing, atmospheric dialogue and gradually unfurling horror, it sets the stage for an investigation that intertwines personal guilt, cosmic dread, and hideous, ancient secrets. The final discoveries raise the threat, with hints that the true horror may have just escaped from confinement into the world.

For Further Listening:
Find Malevolent wherever you get your podcasts, or visit rustyquill.com or malevolent.ca for more.

End of Summary