Night of the Fendahl (audio story)

Night of the Fendahl was the twenty-fifth story in the Torchwood - Monthly Range by Big Finish Productions. It was written by Tim Foley and featured Eve Myles as Gwen Cooper.

It saw Big Finish's first use of the Fendahl, as well as Torchwood's first association with them.

Publisher's summary
Torchwood vs Monsters!

Marco makes films. You wouldn't like them. The lighting's shoddy, the sets are cheap and the sound's appalling. But there's an audience for them. Because they're films in which bad things happen to women.

Marco's latest venture is based on real events. Events which took place in Fetch Priory many years ago. It's an anthology piece, and Marco needs one final victim. But the last victim is not who anyone is expecting.

Death has returned to Fetch Priory. And Death is no-one's victim.

Plot
Gwen arrives at Fetch Priory to play the role of the final victim in a horror film about the Fendahl produced by Marco and directed by Derek. She is introduced to the two of them, as well as actor Phil and technician Ged, before the generator goes out and she goes with Phil to get dressed for her scene in which she will be sacrificed on an altar. The crew note that she seems "out of it" and she exhibits strange behaviour like ignoring a call from Rhys before acting as though she is on the telephone with him. Meanwhile, Ged is killed by a Fendahleen as he looks into the sabotaged generator.

Derek tells Gwen and Phil how a private security firm's reports on the Fetch Priory incident upon which the film is based were sent to the production company's website and about how twelve Fendahleen and a core are required to feed the Fendahl, although the film reimagines the real-life story as one in which the Fendahl succeeds. Phil tries to warn Gwen away twice before filming upon learning about Anwen, but she chooses to remain and Marco takes Phil outside to remind him not to get attached to the victims. On Phil's third attempt to warn her, she again refuses to leave and he calls her a terrible mother for not realising what is happening.

Gwen improvises a speech about the opening of the void as the cameras roll and lies on the altar to be sacrificed by Phil, who has killed several other women but is unable to kill Gwen. The supposed mannequins standing in for cultists are revealed to be Fendahleen and Marco locks Gwen, Derek and Phil in with them as he lets in two further Fendahleen: Ged and Colby. Derek is unable to move after looking in Gwen's eyes and learns that the Fendahl moved down Gwen's family tree to take control of her.

Marco reveals everything is going according to plan after they escape and demands they meet the Fendahl core in the house's basement. Meanwhile, Gwen, possessed by the core, taunts Derek, revealing his dark lust for violence and rape against women and transforms him into a Fendahleen. Phil calls his family and tries to speak with his daughter for help but his ex-wife cuts the line. Marco sets up and meets the Fendahl core. He reveals that he is actually descended from Dr. Fendelman and wants to become the Fendahl core, believing he is powerful enough and so deserves it. The Fendahl core reveals it gave the files from the 1977 incident to John Hartman who would give them to his daughter Yvonne who would deposit them in the Torchwood archive upon which Gwen Cooper would stumble, initiating the chain of events. The core tells Marco to come close so that he may possess it, however, it is a ruse, and it reveals that he is blinded by his sexist views and derogatory attitude towards women and he is transformed into a Fendahleen. The core orders the other Fendahleen to search for Phil.

Phil finds the car keys for the vehicle they arrived in and attempts to flee but is cornered by some Fendahleen. He manages to escape a second time, and makes it to the car, only to find the motor's dead. Gwen as the core enters the car, only to become herself again. She explains that the Fendahl preys on the weak and that it tried to prey on her and so she reversed it by using it back. She further explains how she read the case file and sickening things the men were doing at the house, luring in young women to make murder porn and then distributing said films on the black market, so she took it upon herself to use the Fendahleen to exact revenge for such disgusting acts. She then reveals Phil has been lying and that his son, who he claimed he wanted to get home to see, left him because he didn't like how he hit his wife. He begs Gwen for forgiveness and to take him back to Cardiff with her and she consents but only if he can move, which he realizes he cannot because he looked into Gwen's eyes while she was possessed by the core. She reveals that the Fendahleen will die once the sun comes up anyway, that she is going back to Cardiff to track down every buyer of their disgusting films to bring them to the police and face justice. She drives away just as the Fendahleen catch up and they transform a screaming Phil, unable to move, into a Fendahleen.

Cast

 * Gwen Cooper - Eve Myles
 * Phil - Bradley Freegard
 * Derek - Gavin Swift
 * Marco - Gerald Tyler
 * Ged - Guy Adams

Worldbuilding

 * This story serves as a sequel to TV: Image of the Fendahl, and so includes many references to that story
 * The film crew have a glowing skull (although it is a fake)
 * The filming is taking place at Fetch Priory
 * The Fendahl gains full control by taking 13 people - 12 worm like servants and 1 core. This is similar to the requirement of Duroc to take 13 lives before being unstoppable
 * It is mentioned that Fetch Priory burned down - the Fendahleen have hidden in the house since then
 * Marco is descended from Dr Fendelman
 * It is mentioned that Adam Colby is the owner of the land Fetch Priory was situated upon
 * The security files on the events of TV: Image of the Fendahl were stored by John Hartman, Yvonne's father.
 * Derek mentions that they had shot a film in the house in Fetch Priory in which their lead actress wore a leather bikini. Leela, the fourth Doctor's companion, was known for wearing a leather bikini and was featured in the original Fendahl story, TV: Image of the Fendahl. (TV: Meanwhile in the TARDIS 2'' )
 * Phil takes the fake skull and recites the line from Shakespeare's play Hamlet, "Alas, poor Yorick..."
 * Derek mentions that Gwen is perfect for the part of the "scientist" in their movie because of her dark hair. Thea Ransome was a scientist and had very dark hair like Gwen's before becoming the Fendahl core.
 * Gwen ignores a call from Rhys.
 * Phil has a son, Johnny.

Continuity

 * Rhys calls Gwen and their daughter Anwen is mentioned. (TV: The New World et al.)