More props and details have been added for Halloween Horror Nights 34 at Universal Orlando Resort, including a new corkboard in the office of Boris Shuster with several interesting pieces of lore, likely related to the upcoming Tribute Store.
Sahara Traders
Some of the first changes have taken place in Sahara Traders. The display shelf located in the back of the store has been rotated away from its usual position. This is likely to accommodate heavier flows of traffic from whatever the Palace Arcade is being used for.
There is a pile of crates that appear to be returning from the HHN decor from last year. They are being shipped to the Museum of Antiquities from Carey, Ohio. This city is the real-life hometown of one of the original HHN creators, so it is often referenced as a recurring setting for houses and scare zones.
These crates helped introduce the Tribute Store backstory last year, and it looks like that story is being expanded upon.
However, the most significant changes have taken place in the office window of Boris Shuster. Boris is private detective known for investigating supernatural activities. He was first referenced as a character for HHN 18 in 2008, and was later made an actual appearance for Case Files Unearthed: Legendary Truth, a Halloween Horror Nights 30 house. A section of the Halloween Horror Nights 32 Tribute Store was dubbed False Idols: Part 1 — A Boris Shuster Mystery.
The Cthulu-esque Idol and Bat Idol recently vanished from Boris’s office window. Now, he seems to have taken down the photographs to make way for a new corkboard on the back wall. The photo of the airplane and the “mysterious woman” are still visible in another area, but the photo of Boris and his brother Jake outside the office is notably absent.
The board includes a plethora of photographs, news clippings, handwritten notes, and more details related to Boris’s latest investigation.
The first section of the window includes a memo from management of the Museum of Antiquities to all staff:
With the new Occult Artifacts of the World exhibit coming soon, the museum will be on guarded lock down from closing until the next day’s opening.
This need for extended security is due to a growing concern of protesters and those who believe the artifacts are actually cursed and wish to remove / break them.
Please do not spread any rumors on these false accusations.
The area surrounding this memo includes a pinned post it from Boris saying, “Drop the veil, we know it’s cursed.” To the left is a paper with the logo for the IIAE – the International Institute of Antiquities & Exploration, which is printed over a globe with an arrow pointing through it. Other props in the nearby area include an old film reel.
Placed above the memo is a newspaper clipping.
MISSING STONE IDOL
ASSUMED STOLEN
FROM MUSEUM OF ANTIQUITIES
Amidst the preparations for an exhibit opening galaNothing is ever smooth sailing when “cursed” objects are involved. For the second time in history, the Museum of Antiquities has suffered a break-in. Yet the priceless paintings and other small high dollar items were ignored. The only missing object claimed by the museum was one of their newest acquisitions, a stone idol with a very unique bird like figure adorning the top portion. It belongs to a selection of 5 other idols, each with a distinct adornment yet strikingly similar vases with an unknown language inscribed below.
During the… CONT p.5
Boris has added a note nearby saying, “Inside job?”
To the left of that clipping is a lined piece of paper with a sketch. Someone, possibly Boris, has written “Vase?” and “Same vase as the others.”
Further to the left is a black and white picture of a sarcophagus, with a second image showing a close-up of its face. Below the images is another note saying “It was filmed? Find footage.”
A set of keys hangs on the board, with a tag labeled “20.” A nearby note says, “Night delivery?”
To the left of the clipping is a drawing of an idol that resembles the Creature from the Black Lagoon. Someone has written “Found submerged in…” and “amphibian creature of some kind.”
To the left of the vase drawing is more writing saying, “Broken into pieces?” and “Oddest looking of the idols.” Above these is a note saying “Need to figure this out fast or it’s curtains for us all.”
Above the sarcophagus image is a note saying, “Loud noises ‘screeching’ at gala.” To the left of the night delivery note is another post it that says “Did Baxter leave Global for IIAE?” which is a reference to Professor Elias Baxter of the Global Discovery Group from the now-closed Poseidon’s Fury attraction. Further reading will reveal his role in the situation.
Below all of these is a napkin from the KittyKat Club, which has a note handwritten in red and dotted with hearts:
Museum Loading Dock
Midnight
To the left of the Baxter note is a pinned copy of The Explorer’s Journal, authored in October 193* issue No. 13 by Professor Elias Baxter. The logo for the Global Discovery Group is printed in the center, and it is published by the Global Discovery Group “For Information of Its Members.”
This particular journal is subtitled Discovery of the Pithos of Epimetheus and other Occult Artifacts. Epimetheus is the Greek god of hindsight and excuses, who is also known as the brother of Prometheus. In some versions of the story, it is Epimetheus who opens Pandora’s Box.
A nearby newspaper clipping reads:
THE INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ANTIQUITIES AND EXPLORATION
Plans to bring new exhibit to the museum, known to be cursed
LOCAL EVENTS – Thanks to the wonderful efforts of Professor Elias Baxter of both the Global Discovery Group and IIAE, a brand new collection will be revealed soon within the halls of the Museum of Antiquities here in the city. This news however does not seem to please everyone as a small ** individuals have begun to protest the bringing of yet again another “cursed” item ** the museums collection. After the Living Mummy and Kong ** one would think the critics of bringing another unknown, dangerous object into the city even if experts declare it safe are a bit hazy at best… CONT p.6
A nearby flyer includes “Gala Information,” with a schedule of events:
FORMAL DRESS REQUIRED
TICKETS AT DOOR
4:45 pm – Start Festivities
5:00 pm – Kitchen Opens
6:00 pm – Intro by Prof. Elias Baxter
7:30 pm – Pithos Honorarium
9:00 pm – Press Open Houses
11 pm – Exhibit Social
12:00 am – Research Seminar
2:00 am – Event EndMUSEUM STAFF IS NOT LIABLE FOR CURSES ACQUIRED WHILE VISITING THE EXHIBIT FLOORS
Above the flyer are two gala-related posters. The first reads:
PITHOS OF EPIMETHEUS
open to the public
The Center Piece of Our Brand New Exhibit
Join Us
August 29th 5pm – 2 am
For the exhibits opening festivities
** Harryhausen Drive, New York, NY
The second poster has art resembling the Wonder of the Ancient Gardens used last year for HHN 33 and the and the Museum of Antiquities brochures that are part of Sahara Traders’ theming. A nearby note from Boris says, “Big space, big problems.” Overlapping both posters is one more Boris note, “Gotta pay for the renovations somehow.”
In the center of the board is a ripped piece of lined legal pad paper with a giant question mark drawn on it. To the right are two more posted notes. The first says, “6 idols so far?”
The second says “A story for another time” and is directly linked to a drawing of the Cthulu-style idol seen in the same Tribute Store for HHN 32. In that store, the plot of the area involved Boris and his brother, Jake, being hired to investigate the idol by a mysterious woman, eventually leading to Jake’s death. The image above was taken from the Tribute Store.
Two more photos are located in the top right corner, next to a note that says “You’re welcome.” To the left is a newspaper clipping titled “Local Private Eye Donates Artifact to Museum Collection.” In this corner is a map of museum facilities, next to a shipping manifest for “small statues.” Boris’s note says “Multiple shipments. All connected.”
One final newspaper article clipping has a title “POSSIBLE LINK BETWEEN NEW PITHOS ARTIFACT AND STONE IDOLS. Could the idols have come from the Pithos?” While the contents of the article are too small to read, Boris has a sticky note here that says an “Origin for the idols? It’s a stretch.”
Overall, these notes seem to involve a new storyline involving more cursed idols being investigated by Boris. The idol lore has usually been limited to the Tribute Stores for HHN, so this is likely connected to the upcoming HHN 34 store. For HHN 33, there was a connection to a bat creature (Batilda) seemingly summoned by an idol received at the museum.
Are you excited to see expanded lore surrounding Boris Shuster and the idols? Let us know in the comments.
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