Soapstones, Five-Pointed

Artifacts left by the lost Old Ones (1) of Antartica. The Miskatonic University Antarctic Expedition found soapstones, six inches across by one and a half inches thick, in the shape of five pointed stars. There was a smooth depression in the center. The tips were broken off and there were signs of other cleavage at the inward angles and in the center of the surface. With a magnifying glass, Carroll thought he could make out groups of tiny dots in regular patterns. The camp dogs seemed to hate these soapstones. The Expedition later found more of the star-shaped soapstones, among the bodies of several Old Ones; these stones were smaller than the previous specimens, with no marks of breakage except at some of the points. On returning to their wrecked camp, the Expedition found a pile including several of the greenish soapstone fragments with five-pointed rounding and faint patterns of grouped dots. When the Old Ones buried six of their dead in snow graves, the grave mounds resembled the soapstones with five points and the groups of patterned dots. From records in the Old One's city, the scientists inferred that the Old Ones used small, flat counters, five-pointed and inscribed, as money. The scientists theorized that the smaller of the various greenish soapstones found by their expedition were pieces of such currency. After returning home, the Expedition leaders refrained from showing the more puzzling of the greenish soapstones. [HPL Mountains (online text)]

The soapstones are reminiscent of both the magic signs mentioned by Zadok Allen, and the star-stones of ancient Mnar. Like the magic signs, the soapstones are attributed to "Old Ones"; however, whereas the magic signs are said to have a swastika marked on them, the soapstones are said to have patterns of small dots. One can imagine that a swastika could be formed as a pattern of small dots. However, we don't know the shape of the magic signs and whether they were five-pointed like the soapstones anyway.

Regarding the star-stones of ancient Mnar, they are definitely five-pointed like the soapstones, but are marked with the Elder Sign 2, which seems too complicated to be described as a "pattern of dots."

Albert Wilmarth mentioned the Antarctic soapstones [FL Terror2].

See also: star-stones; magic sign.

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