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Chaosium Inc. Proudly Presents

Dead Leaves Fall

and Other Halloween Adventures

With Tales By

John A. Almack
Jon Hook
Rick Hudson
Timothy Hutchings
Joseph M. Isenberg
Tim Moriarity
Oscar Rios
Jeff Woodall
and
Simon Yee

®
 Table of Contents
Fear in a Bottle Great Old Ones on the
Adventure by John A. Almack
Great White Way
Adventure by Joseph M. Isenberg
The Lock-In
Adventure by Jon Hook
The Costume Party
Adventure by Tim Moriarity
The Ilsley Variant
Adventure by Rick Hudson
Lemuralia
Adventure by Oscar Rios
The Confessions of St. Augustine,
Chapter CCLXVIII 13 Black Candles
Adventure by Tim Hutchings Adventure by Jeff Woodall

Dead Leaves Fall

Adventure by Simon Yee

DEAD LEAVES FALL is published by Chaosium Inc. DEAD LEAVES FALL © 2011 Chaosium Inc. as a whole; all rights reserved. Text for DEAD
LEAVES FALL is © 2011 by the respective authors. “Chaosium Inc.” and “Call of Cthulhu” are registered trademarks of Chaosium Inc. Similarities
between characters in DEAD LEAVES FALL and persons living or dead are strictly coincidental.
Address questions and comments by mail to
Chaosium Inc., 22568 Mission Blvd. #423, Hayward, CA 94541-5116 U.S.A.

Our web site www.chaosium.com always contains the latest release information and current prices.
Chaosium publication 0406
ISBN10: 1-56882-361-4/ ISBN13: 978-1-56882-361-4
Published in October 2011. Printed in the United States.
 Fear in a Bottle
Wherein the investigators follow the trail of a dead thief,
find clues about an ancient evil and learn what they have to fear in a bottle.

By John A. Almack
Illustrations by Verric

“And Zhothaqqua begot Zvilpogghua, who be- recalling the antediluvian history of his people
gat the virgin Sfatlicllp, who is the Fallen Wis- (see section below), he does not notice the ob-
dom.” vious irony in this reckless course of action.
- Robert M. Price and Laurence J. Cornford, For his insane plan to succeed, Ssethraas had
“The Epistles of Eibon” to first obtain a magical artifact called the Flask
of Eibon. It was unearthed earlier this year at
Scenario Considerations an excavation of a presumed Shoshone Indian
The setting for this adventure is the witch- burial site and recently put on innocuous dis-
haunted town of Arkham, Massachusetts, and play at the local Exhibit Museum. In typical
its nearby environs during the last couple of serpent man fashion, he chose to use someone
days before Halloween in 1929. It is intend- else to do the hard work retrieving the item for
ed for two to five investigator characters hav- him. Preparing a week ahead of time, he used
ing past experience dealing with the Cthulhu the Black Binding spell on the freshly dug grave
mythos and is designed to be completed in one of a mobster to produce a zombie. Ssethraas
or two game sessions. Keepers may wish to ad- then cast Eyes of the Zombie to take direct con-
just the relative difficulty level for their own in- trol of his undead servant, broke into the mu-
dividual group of players. As written, it can seum at night and stole Eibon’s Flask.
be incorporated into an existing campaign as He now only has to wait three more days to
a sequel to other previously published works enact the completion of his nefarious scheme.
set in and around Lovecraft Country. In par- Assisted by a small number of degenerate ser-
ticular, keepers who have access to the “H.P. pent folk, and at the center of a circle of stand-
Lovecraft’s Arkham” and/or “Miskatonic Uni- ing stones imported from England last month,
versity” sourcebooks will find the additional Ssethraas will perform the necessary ritual cer-
background information that they contain use- emony to summon the Fallen Wisdom. He will
ful, but not mandatory, to running this scenario then offer up a human sacrifice to honor his in-
tended bride upon her return on All Hallows’
Keeper’s Information Eve.
This adventure concerns the somewhat mis-
guided attempt by an atavistic serpent man, Ss-
The Snake and the Toad
ethraas, to reverse the slow decline of his species Untold aeons ago, long before Mhu Thulan
known as the Curse of Yig. He hopes to do this was buried beneath glaciers of ice, the First Em-
by summoning forth a Great Old One named pire of the Serpent People fell with the coming
Sfatlicllp, a little-known relation of Tsathoggua, Age of the Dinosaurs. Those who were long
and mate with her, thereby reinvigorating his favored by Yig fled the destruction of Valusia
racial bloodline through her offspring. While and established places of refuge deep under-

Fear in a Bottle
3
 ground. The greatest of these subterranean cit- law Knygathin Zhaum, Eibon of Mhu Thulan
ies was built in the red-litten cavern of Yoth, un- would grow up to become one the most pow-
der what would later become North America. erful mages of the Hyperborean Age. As fame
There they flourished in the dark for millions of of his thaumaturgical exploits spread through-
years, protected from the ravages of geological out the land, the people of the new capital in
changes occurring on the surface world above, Uzuldaroum (fearful of a repetition of events
and free to conduct experiments in biology to from decades previous) petitioned the sorcer-
increase their knowledge er for his aid in ridding themselves of the noto-
both sorcerous and scientific. It is believed rious voormi hybrid. Accepting the challenge,
that these advanced, serpentine researchers Eibon led a band of stout warriors a day’s march
created the primitive race of fur-covered voor- into the old city. Bravely he fought against the
mis at this time to serve as their slaves. protean thing that had once been Knygathin
Alas, it eventually came to pass that the Yo- Zhaum, ultimately destroying the horrid mon-
thic civilization would meet its doom when a strosity with fire and sorcery, but at the terrible
passage was discovered leading downward into cost of most of his followers. At first rejoicing
black, lightless N’kai. Returning from explo- in the news of the hard-won victory, the Hyper-
rations of the Stygian realm below, the serpent borean people quickly began to dread the wrath
men brought back idols of onyx and basalt de- of the loathsome spawn’s extra-terrene mother,
picting the amorphous, toad-like Tsathoggua. Sfatlicllp, and demanded that the existential
Many amongst them soon abandoned their pa- threat posed by her be dealt with as well, lest
tron deity Yig to worship their new found god. she bore more eldritch abominations.
This greatly angered the Father of Serpents and This subsequent task presented a quanda-
in retribution for this serious transgression he ry for the heroic magician. A devoted acolyte
placed the Curse of Yig upon his apostate chil- of Zhothaqqua (Tsathoggua) himself, Eibon
dren. They were cast out from the depths and knew that he could not simply slay the fecund
destined to slowly devolve into the unintelligent granddaughter of the Sleeper of N’kai for fear
snakes whence they were originally formed. of causing offense to his patron god. Instead,
One sect of Yig’s disciples who had remained the sorcerer had a sturdy bottle forged from
faithful to the jealous god retreated to the safe- meteoric “star metal”, which men considered
ty of caverns underneath the extinct volcanic sacred, and engraved it with arcane runes of
cones of Mount Voormithadreth and, though powerful magic. Thus so prepared to confront
few in number, still continued in their advance- the mother of Knygathin Zhaum, he then made
ments. However, this state of affairs would not the dangerous journey alone into the Eiglo-
last forever. The thralls of the serpent people, phian Mountains and up the summit of Mount
having attained true sapience while in captivity, Voormithadreth itself. Enduring constant ha-
finally grew strong enough to successfully re- rassment by the savage voormis, Eibon cau-
volt and escape from their ophidian overlords. tiously entered a fissure on the mountain slope.
The newly-freed voormis would go on to create There he encountered the Fallen Wisdom as she
their own thriving civilization in (then tropical) lay asleep in the cave. Prudently placing de-
Hyperborea, bringing with them the worship of fensive wards around Sfatlicllp beforehand, he
Tsathoggua that they had adopted themselves, then cast a spell taken from the Parchments of
long before the coming Age of Man. Pnom to bind her will to the metal container
whilst simultaneously entrapping her physical
The Flask of Eibon form within extra-dimensional space. This in-
Born in the same year as Commoriom’s aban- credible feat of thaumaturgy accomplished, the
donment due to the depredations of the out- mage is recorded to have gone on to have other
remarkable adventures.
Fear in a Bottle
4
 Nothing is known about how, or even if, Ei- this backdrop of fear and uncertainty about the
bon ever made use of the flask that bears his future that your adventure begins.
name. Exactly what happened to it a century
later when the continent of Hyperborea suc- Beginning Play
cumbed to the great Ice Age also remains a How the players initially become involved
mystery. with investigating the theft of an artifact from
Eibon’s Flask may have been carried by Hy- the museum will depend on their characters.
perborean hands escaping the advancing ice Those with private eye backgrounds or contacts
sheets to Kranoria. Then when that colony be- within the Arkham Police Department may be
fell a horrible fate, it traveled westward with called in directly by Chief Detective Harden to
their tribal descendants who had intermarried assist in the formal investigation. Player char-
with the early Native Americans. acters who are students or have links to Miska-
Or it might have been stolen by the voormis tonic University can be asked by Curator Grewe
and brought with them (retracing the path of or another member of the MU faculty to quietly
ancient portal gates once used by their former conduct an informal inquiry into the burglary.
masters) back through N’Kai and into long de- Any that are employed as investigative reporters
serted Yoth. There it could have been uncov- for one of the local news services might simply
ered in the ruins by explorers from blue-litten be following up leads for a good story. It is even
K’n-yan who recognized the valuable tulu met- possible for those whose interests lie in more
al used in its crafting. antiquarian or occult subject matters to have
Whatever the case, the Flask of Eibon even- been tipped off about the apparent strangeness
tually became the property of degenerate ser- of the item by someone from the Eye of Ama-
pent people who still yet lived in the lands ra society shortly before the break-in occurred.
above. It was placed with veneration for one of The keeper is free to invent other plausible ra-
their dead inside a burial chamber, only to one tionales for their involvement, as desired.
day be found again by modern man. The players should also be given a copy of an
unusual news article (see Fear Papers #1) from
Investigator Information this morning’s paper, found buried between
In the last days of October, 1929, few believed more sensational stories about the continuing
the time of wealth and excess known as The financial slide on Wall Street, to further pique
Roaring Twenties would soon become history. their curiosity.
The inherent dangers of overspeculation and
long bottled up market forces reached an inevi- Dramatis Personae
table result on the 24th, “Black Thursday”, when The following is a list of important characters,
share prices on the New York Stock Exchange most or all of whom will be encountered by the
collapsed. The frightful djinn of market cor- investigators at some point during the scenario.
rection once released, the sense of panic among Complete statistics for each are located at the
investors continued into the following week as end of the adventure. Other people mentioned
the events were covered by newspapers across by name are less central to the plot and can be
the United States, even in sleepy college towns found in either “H.P. Lovecraft’s Arkham” or
like Arkham. While the common men and “Miskatonic University”. Keepers may refer to
women would not experience the full horrors the relevant entries in those books or create en-
of the Great Depression until several months tirely new statistics for them, if required.
and years later, in the minds of the rich and
powerful it seemed as if their whole world were
suddenly coming to an abrupt end. It is against

Fear in a Bottle
5
 Arturo “The Bear” Giovanni Nicodemus is officially at Miskatonic Uni-
versity to teach a course in Classical History
In life, Arturo was not a particularly good
and to replace Dr. Fuda, his fellow Hungarian
looking man, a fact that his current undead
countryman, while the latter professor takes an
condition has done nothing to improve.
extended sabbatical. Secretly, he has another
Standing at well over six and a half feet tall,
agenda as well.
with coarse facial features and a stocky frame
While still working in Czechoslovakia, Dr.
to match, he posed an intimidating figure even
Stavros came across fragments of a scroll that
before his death. His eyes have been surgically
had been found in the crypts of a local Ortho-
removed post-mortem by Ssethraas as part of
dox monastery. Deciphering the ancient and
a spell, not that the zombie really needs them
barely legible text, he discovered that it was a
to “see”. He had not been properly embalmed
portion of the legendary Pnakotica, a transla-
and therefore his mindless body continues to
tion in Greek of the equally fabled Pnakotic
rot, which will become increasingly obvious as
Manuscripts. This mysterious volume of eso-
time goes on.
teric lore was supposedly written by human
Belinda Chase (and possibly inhuman) scribes back in prehis-
Belinda is a lovely woman of twenty who is cur- toric times, the original of which is thought to
rently studying the exotic worlds of anthropol- no longer exist.
ogy and archaeology at Miskatonic University. After carefully making photostatic cop-
Her mother died during childbirth, while her ies of the crumbling scroll, he soon traveled
grandfather is Dr. Aaron Chase, the Director of to Arkham. He wanted to make an attempt at
the School of Rhetoric. Her most striking phys- comparative analysis with a later English ver-
ical traits are her pale skin and red hair, both of sion that is reportedly held in the Orne Library.
which she got from her dead mother. A mem- However, Dr. Armitage had previously placed
ber of the Gamma Delta sorority and several of that copy, along with many other tomes of for-
the academic clubs, Belinda has a reputation bidden knowledge, under lock and key in the
around Arkham of being a “good girl”, despite Restricted Collection shortly before his arriv-
taking an interest in outré topics not normally al. Nicodemus is now patiently waiting for a
considered appropriate for a lady. It is assumed response from the elder librarian to his petition
by most people in town that she will probably for gaining access to the restricted work.
marry someone like Paul, her boyfriend, right A man of some independent means, the pro-
after graduation and then move on to more so- fessor is presently staying in room 301 of the
cially acceptable pursuits. grand Hotel Miskatonic.
Belinda is totally unaware of any occult con- Paul Wilkenson
nection her grandfather might have to the Ros-
The only son of a prosperous, old family in
icrucians. She would likely find the idea fasci-
Arkham, Paul is fair-haired and clean shaven
nating, if she were to learn about it.
with the boyish good looks typically associated
Dr. Nicodemus Stavros with young manhood. An accounting student
Dr. Stavros is a visiting professor from Charles in his senior year at Miskatonic University, he is
University in Prague. A portly gentleman with often seen attired in a raccoon fur coat over an
a black beard, thinning hair and generally argyle sweater vest and a straw boater hat. Paul
swarthy appearance, he wears the stereotypical is a member of both the notorious Delta Phi
tweed jacket and pince-nez reading spectacles fraternity and the much more exclusive Shoot-
of an academic. It has been said by students ing Club, keeping a loaded hunting rifle locked
that his deeply-resonate speaking voice can be in the trunk of his sporty roadster convertible.
heard clear across the Quad.
Fear in a Bottle
6
He is also obviously much in love with his col- Since that time, Ssethraas has extensively
lege sweetheart, Belinda. traveled the world, from Europe and the Amer-
Paul will try to be courteous and helpful to icas to the Middle East and Central Asia, always
the investigators in their search for the missing seeking out more hidden knowledge and oth-
artifact. He is very familiar with the univer- ers of his kind. His journeys to mystical places
sity grounds and members of the faculty, and finally brought him to Arkham, home to many
knows the general locations of most important dark secrets.
places in town as well. About ten years ago, the serpent man set up
shop in town as an import broker. He uses the
Roger Kavanaugh contacts made during his travels to help facili-
A veteran of the Great War, Roger served in the tate shipments of foreign mechandise into the
United States Navy as a Machinist’s Mate in the country, as well as to provide cover for smug-
boiler room of a patrol vessel that escorted con- gling more questionable materials needed in
voys in the Bay of Biscay off the coast of France. his magical research. Until Dr. Armitage had
He is a rowdy sort of guy in his late thirties with most of the mythos-related works moved to the
prematurely graying hair, ruddy complexion, a Restricted Collection, Ssethraas also frequently
scraggly beard, and tattoos of an anchor and a perused the dusty grimoires on the shelves of
mermaid on his arms. Although still fast and the Orne Library.
strong for a man his age, his state of health His base of operation is inside a dilapidat-
has been suffering lately due to falling on hard ed warehouse located just down the street from
times. the Lucky Clover Cartage Company. He is on
After being discharged from the service, Ka- reasonably good terms with the legitimate side
vanaugh came back home to Arkham only to of that business, sometimes hiring one of their
find out that his wife had left him for another trucks to transport bulky items to a custom-
man. He soon began to drown his sorrows in er across town. Ssethraas does not interfere
cheap booze. Distraught over the loss and un- with Lucky Clover’s illicit activities, and in re-
able to find permanent employment, he eventu- turn, they do not pry into his. A majority of
ally ended up a vagrant, pan handling and do- the largely Irish drivers mistakenly believe him
ing the occasional odd job when sober enough. to be Jewish, owing to his keeping odd hours
Keepers are free to make whatever use of and lack of involvement with the Church, while
him as an additional resource to aid the investi- he does nothing to correct this rather racist as-
gators, as needed. sumption.
In his human guise as Samuel, the serpent
Ssethraas (a.k.a. Samuel Phineas Drake)
man appears to be an elderly Englishman who
Ssethraas is an atavistic serpent man, a throw- is almost completely bald, wearing a bowler hat
back to a bygone era when his race was still and frock coat that are at least a generation out
strong and powerful. Hatched from an egg in of style. He walks with a heavy ivory-topped
South Wales, he was raised in a cave by a small cane, which is expensive, but otherwise quite
band of degenerate serpent people who recog- ordinary. His most distinctive item of appar-
nized his superior potential. After he learned el is a pair of darkened glasses that are, in fact,
what little they could teach him of their culture, pure affectation. If they are removed, his eyes
history and magic, Ssethraas headed east to look perfectly normal (due to the powerful il-
England where he ambushed and devoured an lusion) and his vision is just fine without them.
unlucky human. Using the Consume Likeness He rarely comes outside into broad daylight
spell, he then assumed the unfortunate man’s where his serpentine shadow can be easily spot-
form and identity, becoming Samuel P. Drake. ted, for obvious reasons.

Fear in a Bottle
7
 Except for a newly-created zombie, and a ground burial chamber, accidentally discovered
tribe of degenerate serpent folk secretly quar- by prospectors searching for gold in the moun-
tered at a cabin in Billington’s Woods, Ssethraas tains near Casper, Wyoming.
is not currently allied with any of the occult fac- The disturbing photograph of a tiny, mum-
tions or entities in town. Keepers could expand mified body (tentatively indentified as a Sho-
the scenario to include associations with other shone Indian girl) is also present. A caption
antagonists in their campaign, if they choose. states that the miniature mummy was sent to
Harvard University for further examination.
October 29th - Burglary At Any investigator looking at the photo and mak-
The Exhibit Museum ing a successful Anthropology roll will recall
folklore about the Nimerigar, a race of canni-
The day that the investigators arrive at the mu- balistic “little people” believed by many Na-
seum, the sky is darkened by foreboding clouds tive American tribes to inhabit caves out west,
that cast a pall of gloom over the entire town much like those described in tales of the Brit-
and perfectly reflect the mood of the popu- ish Isles.
lace. Entering through a splintered set of dou- A final descriptive label for the missing, sto-
ble doors, they are immediately met inside by len artifact only has “anomalous metal flask,
George Grewe, the museum’s curator. The po- possibly Spanish in origin, meaning of en-
lice have gone, and unless previously acquaint- graved symbols unknown” written on it.
ed with the curator, the man hurriedly tells the If asked where he was while the crime was
investigators that the museum is closed to the being committed, Curator Grewe claims he
public until further notice. Upon learning that went home and was preparing for bed. There is
they are here to help investigate the burglary, he nothing in the man’s story to suggest that he is
enthusiastically thanks them and quickly ush- not answering honestly.
ers the player characters into the adjoining An- When questioned about his whereabouts
cient Cultures room at the front of the building. during the break-in, Tetlow says that he had
Once there, they are introduced to Lucas Tet- completed his rounds and was cleaning the
low, the caretaker, just as he has finished clear- floors at the back of the museum when he
ing up broken glass with a broom and dustpan. heard Rhodey, his German Shepherd, barking
A large display case with a smashed win- at something around 11:00 PM. By the time he
dow stands alongside other exhibits, which ap- had made his way up to the front, whoever the
pear untouched. It has obviously been dusted intruder was had already left the building. Ob-
for fingerprints, taken as evidence earlier by servant characters who make a successful Psy-
the police detectives should a suspect be appre- chology roll realize that the man is probably
hended. A successful Spot Hidden roll reveals withholding some information.
that the culprit was quite big and apparent- In truth, the caretaker actually did see the
ly used bare hands. There are no visible trac- perpetrator at the scene of the crime.
es of blood, as would have been expected from If Lucas is what he seems to be, a slightly
the amount of glass shards. Have investigators slow-witted janitor, then both he and his dog
who spot this make SAN rolls with those that were terrified by the huge, undead burglar. The
fail losing a single point of Sanity. caretaker is simply too afraid to admit it.
The shattered display still contains sever- On the other hand, if the keeper is using
al noteworthy items collected from the recent the mythos-connected version of Tetlow, then
excavation made by Miskatonic University. A something else happened. The man had tried
nearby wall placard explains that the assorted to use Stop Heart on the exiting thief, initial-
objects (beaded turquoise jewelry, simple stone ly not aware the target of his spell was already
and wood tools, etc.) were found in an under- dead. When that failed, it sufficiently unnerved

Fear in a Bottle
8
him enough to allow the zombie a chance to es- of the skull, which is still covered by sparse, red
cape with the flask. hair. In fact, she was a full-grown, degenerate
Whichever the reason, the caretaker will re- serpent woman, but there is no way for the in-
sist all attempts at divulging this fact to the in- vestigators to determine that.
vestigators. Characters who examine the rubbings must
For more details about Grewe, Tetlow, and make two Cthulhu Mythos rolls. Those who
the overall layout and contents of the Exhibit successfully make the first will recognize the
Museum, please consult the appropriate sec- large symbol engraved on the stopper as a Pna-
tions in the “Miskatonic University” source- kotic Pentagram, a magical ward against evil. A
book. success on the second roll identifies the other
At this point, the players must now decide runes as Tsath-Yo script, but does not provide
exactly where to proceed next. They may re- any help with translation to those who cannot
main as a group or split up to follow individual read it.
leads. Listed below are likely areas where the At the keeper’s option, if unable to under-
player characters might want to continue with stand the Hyperborean language, then the play-
their investigation. ers may be allowed to make Occult rolls. If suc-
cessful, they remember hearing about a book
Investigations at Miskatonic (The Kranorian Annals, Fact or Fallacy? by
University Garson Casterwell), which mentions similar
runes and is among the unrestricted volumes
A logical place to start their search is to find in the Orne Library. Investigators can locate
out more about the artifact in question at Mis- the copy in the Occult section with a success-
katonic University. Curator Grewe can direct ful Library Use roll, then make a Luck roll to
them to the newly-built Jonathan Edwards Hall see if they glean enough information from the
northwest of the museum. The Department of appendices of the book to interpret the writing.
Archaeology is on the fourth floor of the build- Please reference the entries in “Miskatonic Uni-
ing, which is where the investigators meet Be- versity” for more information about this book
linda Chase, a pretty anthropology student. or its author.
She is currently assisting Dr. Francis Morgan, Either way, it takes 1D4 hours to translate
while he remains on location in Wyoming, by the engravings as a short incantation for the
filing papers and uncrating boxes of relics for Call/Dismiss Sfatlicllp spell. Once translated,
the department. After initial introductions are actually learning the Call portion or its reverse
made, Belinda can show the player characters requires 20-INT more days of study and a suc-
more photographs taken of the burial tomb, cessful INTx3 roll, barely enough time for even
along with sketches and notes about the items high INT characters to accomplish before Hal-
recovered, and charcoal rubbings made of the loween night. Those who do memorize the
strange runes on the flask itself. spell will then be able use it normally. Desper-
The photos show a natural, dusty cave paint- ate characters who try to cast the spell direct-
ed with many pictographs of a female image ly from the translation without having learned
holding twin snakes on the walls. A successful it are required to make an INTx1 roll, before
Archaeology roll suggests a link to bronze fig- checking to see if the spell itself succeeds.
urines of a “Snake Goddess” found in ancient When asked if she knows anything else about
Minoan culture. the flask, Belinda replies that Dr. Morgan theo-
A detailed description of the mummy re- rized it was an ampulla. They were small con-
ports that she appeared to be small child, pre- tainers for holding precious fluids, especially
served by the dry air in the enclosed chamber. oils used for religious purposes in and around
She was apparently killed by a blow to the back the Mediterranean during the Middle Ages.

Fear in a Bottle
9
 How the object ended up in a North Amer- Investigations around
ican Indian gravesite is unknown. Perhaps it Arkham
was carried across the Atlantic Ocean by a
Spanish conquistador. Another area to search for clues is the neigh-
After receiving it, the flask was sent to the borhood immediately adjacent to the Exhibit
metallurgy department for analysis, which Museum. While the police failed to find any-
proved inconclusive. It was then carefully one willing to discuss the break-in, if the player
cleaned and put on display at the Exhibit Mu- characters casually ask around for witnesses to
seum. the crime, their efforts eventually lead them to
And the answer to the obvious question of Roger Kavanaugh, a man who is down on his
“what is in the bottle?” “Nothing,” she says luck. He only offers to tell them what he knows,
cheerfully. “Nothing to fear.” once they agree to buy him alcohol.
She then tells the player characters that they Unless they happen to have their own supply
are the third people to ask her about it this on hand, a successful Know roll from the play-
month. The second person was Dr. Nicode- ers lets them recollect the location of a speak-
mus Stavros, a professor in the ancient histo- easy on the north side of town across the Mis-
ry department, while the first was a funny, old katonic River. The bouncer at the door initially
Englishman. Belinda cannot seem to recall his balks at letting in Roger, due to his unkempt
name (in fact, Ssethraas never gave her one), clothes and shabby demeanor, but a successful
only that he wore dark eyeglasses. She assumes Fast Talk roll plus a small bribe will grant them
that he was one of Arkham’s many resident an- all entrance into the club “for one drink”. Inside
tiquarians and thinks she remembers seeing the bar, the generally low spirits of the other pa-
him once or twice at the library. trons are a sharp contrast to the garish Hallow-
Right before the investigators leave, a young een decorations festooned about the room.
gentleman arrives who nonchalantly kisses Be- After loosening his tongue with a glass of
linda on the cheek. While blushing, she intro- Canadian whisky, Roger begins his bizarre tale.
duces the man to the player characters as her The navy vet was looking for a safe place to
boyfriend, Paul Wilkenson. After getting ac- sleep for the night when he saw “a great bear
quainted, he reminds her about the big football of a man” shambling along West Street heading
game coming up on Thursday and inquires if northward from the direction of the museum.
she has her costume ready, which she does. If He thought the man was possibly drunk, un-
the investigators are now going to talk with Dr. til he saw his craggy face. The large man had
Stavros, Paul offers to escort them downstairs no eyes, just gaping holes where they had been.
to where the professor is conducting a lecture Those listening to this story must make SAN
on the history of Grecian architecture. rolls, for 0/1 Sanity loss.
Nicodemus may be approached by the char- Anyone glancing at the people sitting near-
acters when finished with his class. The man by, and who makes a successful Spot Hidden
is noticeably shocked upon hearing of the theft roll, sees one of the men overhear part of their
from the museum. He admits to being familiar conversation and silently mouth the words “the
with the artifact, but claims that he has no more bear”, as if it means something. Before the in-
knowledge about it or who might have stolen vestigators can react, however, the bartender
it than the players do. This is mostly true, al- motions to the bouncer to have them uncere-
though he does have some suspicions. The pro- moniously deposited outside. They have obvi-
fessor is busy tonight grading test papers, but is ously had enough to drink.
willing to research into the matter and promis-
es to contact them in a day or two, if he learns
anything important to the investigation.
Fear in a Bottle
10
Investigations at the Police Please read the applicable entries in “H.P.
Station Lovecraft’s Arkham” for more information
about the police department staff or the various
If the investigators have gotten a description of criminal elements in town.
the potential suspect from Roger, or even “the
bear”, they may now go to the Arkham Police Investigations at Potter’s
Station looking for answers. The desk sergeant Field
on duty smirks at them when given these details,
then leaves for a moment and returns bearing a Characters following the above line of clues to
folder. Within the folder are criminal records their conclusion will finally end up here just
for Arturo “The Bear” Giovanni, a small-time north of town.
street hoodlum who was once a member of the A successful Spot Hidden roll will allow an
Rocks gang of Italian youths. The police officer investigator to confirm that the dirt over Artu-
smiled because the former gangster’s records ro’s grave has been recently disturbed. Legal-
were filed under “deceased”. ly exhuming the body by court order requires
While refusing to show most of the sealed making a Law roll and a very good reason.
documents to the players, he does summarize Judge Randall is not likely to accept “suspicion
the autopsy report for them. Giovanni had of committing a burglary posthumously” as a
died from multiple gunshot wounds, the appar- valid excuse. If the coffin is disinterred, its lid
ent victim of a homicide. His body was later is found to be broken into. The corpse, as prob-
identified by Joe Portrello. Lastly, he notes that ably expected, is missing from the casket. Have
their suspect, having no known next of kin, was all players present make SAN rolls, for 0/1D2
buried in Potter’s Field at the town’s expense. Sanity loss.
An investigator may make a Know roll to see No more information can be learned during
if they recognize the name, Joe Portrello, as a daylight hours.
shadowy figure believed to be connected to the If the investigators should stake out the
Italian crime syndicate in Arkham. It is a clear gravesite at nighttime, they will ultimately at-
indication that Giovanni had “graduated” into tract the attention of a pack of ghouls. This
the mafia. requires another SAN roll, for 1/1D6+1 Sani-
Those prying into the exact circumstances of ty loss due to their number and the frighten-
the man’s death will soon run afoul of Detective ing circumstances. The ghouls will act strange-
Ray Stuckey, who quietly warns them not to in- ly wary of the player characters and not initiate
terfere with an official murder investigation. If combat.
they persist with their questions, the characters Any player attempting to parley with the
may spend the night as unwilling guests in a jail ghoul pack will need a successful Persuade roll
cell. The detective does not want Chief Nichols and either make a demonstration of strength
or Captain Keats to hear any rumors of an open or an offer of “food”. If communication can be
mob war brewing. established and they are questioned about the
If the police can be somehow convinced to grave robbery, then their leader will state that
compare the fingerprints taken from the mu- it was the work of “the snake who walks like a
seum to the ones found in Arturo’s file from a man.” He used dark magic to scare them and
previous arrest, they will turn out to be a match. steal their “rightful property.” Once befriend-
When the Chief of Detectives, Luther Harden, ed, the ghouls will let the investigators leave un-
learns about this, he harshly dismisses the find- molested.
ing and accuses the investigators of wasting the
department’s time and resources on someone’s
idea of an early Halloween prank.

Fear in a Bottle
11
 October 30th - Murder At the investigators see the stunned gunmen star-
The Miskatonic Hotel ing out of the windows in disbelief at the flee-
ing zombie. The crumpled remains of Dr. Stav-
On Wednesday, the player characters may still ros lies on the floor, requiring SAN rolls from
be conducting investigations carried over from everyone who views it. Those that fail lose 1D4
the day before. Those that visited the graveyard Sanity.
last night might choose to sleep late today. A successful Spot Hidden roll allows an in-
Nothing exciting happens until the after- vestigator to find a business card (see Fear Pa-
noon, when the investigators are contacted via pers #2) lying next to the professor’s body, ap-
telephone by Dr. Stavros. The man is in a hur- parently fallen out of his jacket pocket during
ry and cannot speak at length, but wishes to see the attack.
them tonight around 7:00 PM at his hotel room A photostatic copy of the Pnakotica frag-
to discuss something that he has discovered, ment is in plain sight on a nearby table. Beside
which could be of interest. it, written on hotel stationary, is a partial trans-
Unless the characters arrive early, they never lation in English of one of the passages (see Fear
get the opportunity to talk with him again. Papers #3), which Dr. Stavros obviously meant
The professor had remembered chatting to give to the investigators. Reading this pas-
with Ssethraas in the Exhibit Museum last sage alone awards 1 point of Cthulhu Mythos
week, and following a hunch, confronted him to the character, but at the cost of 1D2 Sanity.
this morning at his warehouse office. Although The rest of the Greek copy, transcribed
Nicodemus learned nothing definitive and left from the words of a voormi sage, largely deals
without incident, the serpent man decides to with Hyperborean history and contains the
kill the troublesome human anyway. He puts spell Enjoin Pnakotic Pentagram (see descrip-
his own iconic glasses on the zombie to conceal tion in “Miskatonic University”). This specific
its lack of eyes, then sends it to the Hotel Mis- fragment, for those who can read it, takes 32
katonic to deal with him. weeks of study to gain +5 Cthulhu Mythos with
As the undead minion strolls through the 1D3/1D6 resulting loss of Sanity.
hotel lobby on the way up to the third floor, it Amongst the broken window glass on the
is spotted by one of Danny O’Bannion’s hench- ground outside, players can locate the crushed
men. The hired thug is confused to see a sup- pair of eyeglasses belonging to Ssethraas with
posedly dead guy still walking and runs to get another Spot Hidden roll.
reinforcements, while the zombie goes to room The investigators will only have a few min-
301 and busts down the door. Inside the room, utes to search the area for clues before the po-
the surprised professor is attacked by the mon- lice show up and cordon off the crime scene.
ster and quickly strangled to death. Several of All those present are immediately detained for
O’Bannion’s men then enter the hallway, and questioning and Chief Detective Harden is fu-
following the sounds of a struggle, they witness rious. If he hought the burglary was some kind
the murderous zombie standing over the body. of bizarre joke, then with a man now dead, it’s
The horrified men open fire on the animated no longer a laughing matter.
corpse just as it proceeds to crash through a When the men are interrogated by the po-
window and plunge three stories to the pave- lice detectives, they claim to have only been
ment below. It sustains 8 points of damage, but defending themselves against the “big mook
gets back on its feet and stumbles off into the who bumped off the stiff and scrammed out-
darkness, returning to the warehouse. ta window.” Asked why the assailant would do
If the players keep their scheduled appoint- that, one of them offers “maybe he was steamed
ment, they make it in time to hear gunshots about losing dough on the market.”
coming from above. Upon entering the room,

Fear in a Bottle
12
 If the investigators are in a position to cor- which includes directions to the cabin, may
roborate their unlikely story, then they will earn also be obtained from City Hall with a success-
the men’s respect. In gratitude, the mobsters ful Credit Rating roll.
might be able to return the favor later, such as Searching the serpent man’s bedroom, a suc-
by giving them the location of the cabin in the cessful Spot Hidden roll discovers a leather-
woods from Lucky Clover’s delivery records. bound journal in a dresser drawer, concealed
Mr. O’Bannion himself, the owner of the under meager articles of clothing and other
Lucky Clover Cartage Company who also has personal effects. This handwritten book is in
a suite on the top floor of the hotel, is currently Aklo, requiring a successful Cthulhu Mythos
out of town in Boston dealing with his nervous roll to recognize. It otherwise appears to be in
“investors”. an unknown cipher.
For statistics of O’Bannion’s men, keep- If the players have some way to comprehend
ers may use some of the unnamed tough mugs it, they can learn much about serpent people
found in “H.P. Lovecraft’s Arkham”, if needed. culture in general and his life in particular. The
journal takes 12 weeks to read, for 1D2/1D4
Drake’s Imports Sanity loss and +3 Cthulhu Mythos. It also in-
cludes notations on the spells Consume Like-
If the investigators go to the address listed on
ness and Contact Serpent Person (see New
the card, they find that it leads to a two-story
Spells below). If any of the investigators hap-
brick structure in the old warehouse district.
pen to know the Aklo language, they may be
Only a faded sign labeled “Drake’s Imports” in-
given excerpts of entries made in the last month
dicates that the building is actually in use. Both
(see Fear Papers #4) at no cost to Sanity.
the front and service doors are locked, however
The laboratory is used by Ssethraas for al-
the back alley entrance is open for the zombie’s
chemical experimentation. A heavy granite
expected return.
workbench dominates the lab. Atop the work-
Unless they somehow arrive before Nicode-
bench are miscellaneous beakers and glassware
mus is murdered, Ssethraas will have already
filled with noxious chemicals.
left for the cabin, leaving his damaged zombie
Players must make Idea rolls to determine
behind with simple orders to kill anyone who
potential uses for the reagents. With a success-
intrudes onto the second floor.
ful Chemistry roll, they can formulate a strong
The first floor is mostly vacant, having only
acid (1D4 damage), enough to equip each in-
a few crates containing undelivered goods (ori-
vestigator with a vial.
ental rugs for Anderson’s Furniture and Car-
pets, imported violins for Manelli’s Music Store,
etc.) stacked to one side. A washroom is locat-
October 31st - Kidnapping At
ed next to the stairs leading up. There is noth-
The Athletic Field
ing incriminating to be found here. Today is Halloween. It is also the day of an
The floor upstairs has been divided into of- afternoon collegiate football game between the
fice space and living quarters, with a makeshift Miskatonic Badgers and the Bears from Brown
lab adjoining the bedroom. University.
Inside the office, the characters can easily The players may have had another long
find a small safe. Unlocking the safe requires night or might have waited until this morn-
a successful Locksmith roll. Within the safe ing to investigate Drake’s Imports. If they have
are various unimportant papers, a quantity of spare time, one or more can even attend the fes-
money (totaling 1D6 x $100) in both U.S. and tive game being held at the athletic field outside
British currency, and the land deed to a prop- Arkham.
erty in Billington’s Woods. A copy of this deed,

Fear in a Bottle
13
 At dusk, the investigators are approached Not knowing what else to do, he sought out the
wherever they are by Paul Wilkenson. The characters for their help in rescuing the girl.
young man is costumed like a Roman centu- Asked what exactly happened, Paul explains
rion (Mark Antony to his girlfriend’s Cleopa- that the couple had left the football game ear-
tra) and looks to be quite frantic. He has just ly and was returning to his car when they were
come from the Police Station, where he report- waylaid by what he mistook for a group chil-
ed that Belinda had been kidnapped. However, dren dressed as American Indians. At closer
upon seeing his outfit, they did not believe his range, he saw that they were, in reality, some
story and thought it was another college prank.
Fear in a Bottle
14
kind of hideous creatures. Trying to fend them at this point, have Paul suggest recruiting a few
off, he was hit over the back of the head and of his fellow fraternity brothers first. They can
knocked unconscious. When Paul awoke mo- be currently found lurking behind trees in the
ments later, all he saw was Belinda’s black wig Quad at Miskatonic University, wearing Egyp-
lying on the ground. Whatever they were, the tian mummy costumes and scaring the co-eds
attackers must have taken her with them into who pass by.
Billington’s Woods to the northwest.
With night falling, it will be virtually im- The Cabin in the Woods
possible to track the degenerate serpent people
The cabin is just a one-room clapboard shack
to their lair without the use of a bloodhound
off of Blair Road in the woods. Originally a
(or maybe a ghoul). If the investigators have
small hunting lodge, Ssethraas has converted it
learned the actual location of the cabin, they
into temporary housing for a group of degener-
will likely want to head there now. If the keep-
ate serpent folk.
er feels that they might need additional muscle

Fear in a Bottle
15
 They were sent east to Arkham by their trib- Ssethraas offers the prone Belinda as a suit-
al shaman to contact Ssethraas concerning able sacrifice to the now free goddess, who ac-
the tomb robbers from Miskatonic University. cepts and flows over the helpless girl, smother-
In exchange for his assistance in exacting re- ing her to death. Make yet another SAN roll,
venge for the desecration of their sacred burial for 1/1D4+1 loss of Sanity.
grounds, they have agreed to help him with his The serpent man then disrobes and pro-
plan. ceeds to mate with the willing Great Old One.
Inside the cabin, primitive bedrolls are This last act completed and having no further
strewn about the hardwood flooring. A cast- use for him, Sfatlicllp crushes Ssethraas with
iron stove sits unused against one wall, while in her body. She then unhinges her jaw and swal-
a corner rests a canvas sleeping cot. There is no lows the hapless serpent man whole. Make a fi-
interior light source. nal SAN roll, for 0/1D6 more Sanity loss.
Belinda will be gagged and tied to the cot While the rest of the degenerate serpent folk
after her capture, to wait until it’s time to com- flee for their lives, the Fallen Wisdom wan-
mence with the summoning ceremony. A suc- ders off, eventually making her way back to her
cessful Spot Hidden roll made after she is gone grandfather in N’Kai and giving birth to a new
will find one of her costume earrings rolled un- race of monsters.
der the cot.
Conclusion
The Circle of Stones If the investigators prevent Ssethraas from car-
An obvious path behind the cabin leads up a rying out his scheme, they are awarded 1D10
small incline and deeper into the woods. At the Sanity Points each. If they also managed to
top of the slope, the serpent man and his west- rescue Belinda alive, they get 1D6 more Sanity
ern allies have placed a circle of standing stones back. If Ssethraas successfully frees Sfatlicllp,
in a clearing. but the characters are able to defeat her anyway,
Shortly before midnight, Ssethraas will mes- then double the above awards.
merize the kidnapped girl, then he and his fol- If the Flask of Eibon is returned to the Ex-
lowers will take her to the stone circle and hibit Museum, the player characters receive a
perform the ritual. If any investigators are $500 cash reward to split among them-
searching the nearby woods, have them make selves, plus a 10 percentile bonus to Credit
Listen rolls to hear raspy, chanting voices echo- Rating when dealing with Miskatonic Univer-
ing from the direction of the hilltop. With suc- sity staff in the future.
cessful Sneak rolls, they can quietly approach Curator Grewe takes the problematic flask
the ceremony undetected. and instructs the caretaker to place it the mu-
Witnesses to the ritual ceremony can see seum vault, where it may never be heard from again.
about half a dozen figures dimly illuminated by
a weird phosphorescence emanating from the New Spells
stone menhirs. In the center of the ring lies Be-
linda, apparently unharmed but unresponsive. Call/Dismiss Sfatlicllp: this obscure spell calls
Beside her stands an undisguised Sse thraas Sfatlicllp to the Flask of Eibon. The spell costs
wearing dark robes and gesturing with the the caster and other participants a varying
Flask of Eibon. As he chants the words to his amount of magic points, and the caster loses
spell, the others repeat in cacophonous unison. 1D10 Sanity points. The arrival of the deity
All those watching this scene must make SAN costs more Sanity points. The arrival of the de-
rolls, for 1D2/1D6+2 Sanity loss. ity costs more Sanity points. The caster must
perform the spell ritual with the stopper of
Eibon’s Flask removed. The spell can be suc-
Fear in a Bottle
16
cessfully cast only on moonless nights or un- Degenerate Serpent Folk
derground. These degenerate serpent people are from a
The Flask of Eibon is enchanted and im- western tribe that has interbred with humanity
proves the total chance of casting either Call or over the centuries. They are dwarfish crea-
Dismiss by 25 percentiles. tures that can pass for short, ugly humans at a
A written copy of the spell is known to be in distance. Up close, their ophidian ancestry is
the long lost Parchments of Pnom. unmistakable. In combat, they will try to gang
Contact Serpent Person: the spell costs 8 magic up on single opponents and prefer to use non-
points to cast, and 1D3 Sanity points. Unless lethal tactics against those who are unarmed.
there are no serpent people nearby, it succeeds STR CON SIZ DEX POW HP DB
automatically. The spell must be cast at a loca- #1 13 11 6 15 10 9 none
tion where pockets of serpent people are known #2 8 11 7 16 10 9 -1D4
to live underground, such as the wilderness ar- #3 9 12 7 11 11 10 -1D4
eas of the British Isles or American West. #4 10 13 8 12 11 11 none
#5 10 8 8 13 12 8 none
#6 11 10 10 14 8 10 none
Statistics #7 12 10 5 14 9 8 none

Arturo “The Bear” Giovanni, Zombie Minion Weapons: Bite 30%, damage 1D3+poison (POT
equals 1/2 CON);
STR 16 CON 15 SIZ 16 INT 0 POW 1
DEX 8 Move 6 HP 16
Claws(x2) 55%, damage 1D4+db;
Club 45%, damage 1D6+1+db.
Damage Bonus: +1D4.
Armor: none.
Weapons: Bite 30%, damage 1D3;
Spells: none.
Grapple/Strangle 50%, damage 1D6+db.
Skills: Climb 80%, Hide 85%, Sneak 80%.
Armor: none, but impaling weapons do 1 point
of damage, and all others do half rolled damage Languages: Aklo/Serpent Tongue 50%,
(round up). English 35%.
Sanity Loss: 1/1D8 Sanity points to realize he Sanity Loss: 1/1D6 Sanity points to see the de-
is a zombie. generate serpent folk.

Belinda Chase, age 20, Anthropology Student Fraternity Brothers

STR 10 CON 12 SIZ 12 INT 14 POW 8 These four young men are members of the
DEX 11 APP 13 EDU 14 SAN 40 HP 12 Delta Phi fraternity and students at Miskatonic
University. They are the type of mischievious
Damage Bonus: none.
youths prone to playing elaborate practical
Weapons: all at base chances. jokes on campus. While not particularly brave,
Skills: Art(Pottery) 45%, Anthropology 71%, they are all quick to take on a dare or help a
Archaeology 71%, History 80%, Library Use friend in trouble.
90%, Listen 45%, Persuade 35%. STR CON SIZ DEX POW HP DB
Languages: Egyptian Hieroglyphs 21%, Donald 13 10 14 8 11 12 +1D4
English 95%, Latin 41%. Henry 11 8 13 12 10 11 none
James 11 13 13 11 9 13 none

Fear in a Bottle
17
 Thomas 9 11 16 10 12 14 +1D4 Skills: Anthropology 81%, Art(Oratory) 75%,
Weapons: Fist/Punch 70%, damage 1D3+db; Credit Rating 65%, Cthulhu Mythos 5%, Histo-
ry 90%, Library Use 85%, Occult 25%, Persuade
Grapple 45%, damage special; 75%, Spot Hidden 45%.
Kick 45%, damage 1D6+db. Languages: English 46%, Greek 41%, Hungar-
Skills: Credit Rating 35%, Throw 45%, and 260 ian 95%.
more points distributed in academic/social
skills of the keeper’s choice.
Paul Wilkenson, age 23, Belinda’s Boyfriend
Languages: English 65%. STR 10 CON 11 SIZ 11 INT 14 POW 13
DEX 10 APP 12 EDU 12 SAN 65 HP 11
Ghoul Pack Damage Bonus: none.
The ghoul pack is led by #3, the most human- Weapons: Rifle* 55%, damage 1D6+2 (6
looking one. All of them are intelligent and rounds).
several can speak understandable English in
addition to their own language of gibberings Skills: Accounting 70%, Bargain 75%, Credit
and meepings. They do not normally feed on Rating 45%, Drive Auto 50%, Law 45%, Psy-
live prey, unless hungry or provoked to vio- chology 45%, Sneak 40%, Track 40%.
lence.live prey, unless hungry or provoked to Languages: English 80%.
violence. *Can Impale
STR CON SIZ DEX POW HP DB
#1 19 14 12 15 13 13 +1D4
#2 14 14 13 16 13 14 +1D4 Roger Kavanaugh, age 37, Navy Veteran
#3 15 15 13 11 14 14 +1D4 STR 12 CON 9 SIZ 14 INT 11 POW 10
#4 16 16 14 12 14 15 +1D4 DEX 13 APP 10 EDU 13 SAN 50 HP 12
#5 16 11 14 13 15 13 +1D4 Damage Bonus: +1D4.
Weapons: Claws(x2) 30%, damage 1D6+db; Weapons: Fist/Punch 70%, damage 1D3+db;
Bite/Grapple 30%, damage 1D6+1D4 worry/ Grapple 45%, damage special;
round unless escape from grapple.
Head Butt 30%, damage 1D4+db;
Armor: firearms and projectiles do half of
rolled damage (round up). Knife* 45%, damage 1D6+db.

Spells: #3 knows Contact Ghoul. Skills: Climb 60%, Hide 30%, Jump 45%, Me-
chanical Repair 70%, Navigate 30%, Operate
Skills: Climb 85%, Hide 60%, Jump 75%, Listen Heavy Machinery 51%, Swim 45%, Throw 45%.
70%, Sneak 80%, Spot Hidden 50%, Track 65%.
Languages: English 75%, French 41%,
Languages: #1, #2 and #3 know English 75%.
German 21%.
Sanity Loss: 0/1D6 Sanity points to see a ghoul.
* Can impale.
Dr. Nicodemus Stavros, age 43,
Sfatlicllp, Great Old One
Visiting Professor of Classical History
STR 8 CON 10 SIZ 15 INT 13 POW 11 “Hail to thee, Sfatlicllp! Great Mother-Sister
DEX 9 APP 10 EDU 19 SAN 55 HP 13 who shared with us the primal seed of stars,
who lent Thy holy body to our cause, bestow-
Damage Bonus: none.
ing thus upon us one who raged insatiate & rav-
Weapons: all at base chances. ening as flame through all the proud streets of
Commoriom!”
Fear in a Bottle
18
- Ann K. Schwader, “Voormi Hymn of Deliver- Bite 100%, damage 1/2 db+1D6 STR drain/
ance” round.
Sfatlicllp is the daughter of Ossadagowah and Armor: suffers only minimum possible dam-
the granddaughter of Tsathoggua. A Great Old age from all physical, non-enchanted weapons.
One in her own right, she is the mother of the Fire, chemicals, electricity, spells and enchant-
formless spawn and various other monsters. ed weapons harm Sfatlicllp normally.
Distant memories of her may be the basis of
legends as diverse as Grendel’s mother and the Fear Papers #1
drakaina of Greek mythology.
Unlike her paternal relatives, she is more (Article from the Arkham Advertiser, October
snake-like than batrachian with oily, pitch- 29th)
black scales, a pair of reptilian claws and ropey
tentacles sprouting from the top of her gro- Break-in At MU Exhibit Museum
tesque head like prehensile dreadlocks. Her
vaguely feminine upper torso rises from an
The police were called before dawn this
amorphous mass that composes her lower
morning to the scene of a nighttime bur-
body, as if she were half-submerged in a pool of
glary at the Miskatonic University Exhibit
tar. She can extend feelers and other append-
Museum on the corner of West and College
ages from this protean base at will.
Streets. Sources at the museum say that
Cult: Sfatlicllp has no known cult among hu- the person(s) responsible apparently forced
mans, although she was venerated under differ- the lock on the main entry doors and
ent names by the early Minoan and Egyptian then proceeded to smash open one of the
civilizations. All of the formless spawn and glass display cases in the Ancient Cultures
some few voormis remaining in parts of Asia section. Exactly what was stolen is still
may worship her as a mother goddess. unclear at this time, except that it was an
Other Characteristics: Sfatlicllp, much like her artifact of some historical importance and
formless spawn, may freely change her body with little intrinsic value. The authorities
shape to ooze through small cracks or form have started an investigation into the theft,
hundreds of rudimentary legs to move around but currently have no suspects. They are
quickly. now asking for anyone who may have been
a witness or have other information about
Attacks & Special Effects: Sfatlicllp can either
the crime to contact the Arkham Police
attack with a claw or make an attempt to grap-
Department.
ple with her tentacles, once per round. With a
successful grapple, she may then make an au-
tomatic bite attack on the same or later rounds.
Her sharp fangs cause damage while she drains
her victim’s blood at the rate of 1D6 STR points
Fear Papers #2(Business card)
each round.
Sfatlicllp, the Fallen Wisdom
Samuel P. Drake, Import Broker
STR 18 CON 21 SIZ 27 INT 18 POW 21
DEX 17 Move 10 HP 24
Dealing in fine imported goods
Damage Bonus: +2D6. From Europe and the Orient
Weapons: Claw 60%, damage db;
451 West River Street, Arkham, MA
Tentacles 80%, damage special;

Fear in a Bottle
19
 Fear Papers #3
(Passage from the Pnakotica, translated from Greek)
And lo, it came to pass in the Year of the Crimson Serpent that Eibon the Unfathomable did
seek out she who had birthed Knygathin Zhaum. Great were the solitary hardships that he endured
in the Eiglophians, ancestral home to the voormis. And thus did he trespass under the holy peaks
of Voormithadreth. Verily, he did chance upon Sfatlicllp, our beloved Mother-Sister, as she slept
in her chambers. Wielding his runed flask, Eibon wove a mighty enchantment and banished her
to the outer darkness. Her formless progeny can only speak to the Fallen Wisdom in dreams,
while they await the time of her eventual return from the void.

Fear Papers #4
(Excerpts from the journal, written in Aklo)
Tuesday, October 1st
Today, I had one of the trucks from LC deliver the shipment of menhirs to the cabin. My cousins from the
west helped me to drag the stones uphill and arrange them properly into a circle. Tomorrow night, I will
begin the process of consecration.

Tuesday, October 8th

I visited the MU archaeology department this morning. A young female showed me the photographs tak-
en of the tomb and rubbings from the artifact. The flask itself was too well guarded, but I learned enough
to confirm its identity. The girl, Belinda, was easily mesmerized. I will make use of her again when the
time comes.

Monday, October 14th

I have just heard the fortuitous news that a large man was killed in a shooting late last night. Once he is
buried, his corpse will be perfect for my plan.

Sunday, October 20th

Tonight, I went to the site of the grave and poured the prepared concoction onto the dirt over the body in
accordance with the instructions. In a week, I should have my new servant.

Thursday, October 24th

This afternoon, I ventured into the Exhibit Museum and examined the flask for the first time. It was much
smaller than I imagined, almost too small to contain the power of a goddess. I met a man there, Dr. Stav-
ros, who recognized the ward placed on the stopper. I spoke to him for awhile and we exchanged cards. I
may have to eliminate him.

Sunday, October 27th

Last night, I went back to the gravesite. There were several ghouls lurking nearby who wanted the corpse
for themselves. I cast the Black Binding and scattered the disgusting brutes with magic. I must now pre-
pare my eyes for the next step, then rest awhile before I attempt to gain entrance into the museum.

Tuesday, October 29th

Success! At long last, Eibon’s Flask is mine. Very soon, I will perform the ritual spell in the woods and set
Sfatlicllp free. With her blessing, our many children will restore my once proud race to its former glory
and beyond.

Fear in a Bottle
20
Spells: knows all spells related to Tsathoggua, Armor: 1-point scales plus 3D6 (average 11)
Ossadagowah and the formless spawn, as well points of ablative protection from the Flesh
as any others desired by the keeper. Ward spell.
Sanity Loss: 1/1D10 Sanity points to see Sfatli- Spells: Black Binding, Call/Dismiss Sfatlicllp*,
cllp. Consume Likeness, Contact Serpent Person*,
Eyes of the Zombie, Flesh Ward, Hands of Col-
ubra, Mesmerize.
Ssethraas, apparent age 59, Disguised Ser-
pent Man Skills: Anthropology 31%, Chemistry 31%,
STR 11 CON 9 SIZ 12 INT 16 POW 19
Cthulhu Mythos 50%, History 50%, Library
Use 75%, Occult 55%, Pharmacy 31%.
DEX 13 APP 0(8) EDU 14 Move 8 HP 11
Languages: Aklo/Serpent Tongue 85%, English
Use the statistic in parentheses when in dis- 81%, Hyperborean Tsath-Yo 30%, Welsh 36%.
guise. Artifact: the Flask of Eibon.
Damage Bonus: none. Sanity Loss: none while in disguise, but 0/1D6
Weapons: Bite 35%, damage 1D8+POT 9 poi- Sanity to see the serpent man’s true form.
son; Cane 45%, damage 1D8+db. * New spells.

Fear in a Bottle
21
 The Lock-In
Written by: Jon Hook
Art by: Jon Hook

INTRODUCTION a pit of jealousy over how publishers seem to

favor the career of some authors, helping them
Some of the fat kids at Arkham High are miss- succeed, and how they can just as easily hin-
der the career of brilliant authors, such as him-
ing, but no one seems to care. On two previ- self. His growing anger, jealousy, and hatred
ous occasions earlier this year, heavy-set high eventually attracted the attention of the Great
school students went missing. The police in- Old One, Y’Golonac. The minor god was able
vestigated the disappearances, but found no to successfully overcome John’s mind, and now
evidence of foul play. So each case was ruled as John can transform into the god at-will.
a runaway. Now a third kid has gone missing, Once possessed by the spirit of Y’Golonac,
and again the initial police investigation has John was able to complete his edition of “Reve-
deemed it as a runaway. The family of the latest lations of Glaaki” in no time. John is now a high
missing child has reached out to the investiga- priest of Y’Golonac, and is ready to preach the
tors for their help to find their child. word of Y’Golonac to build a cult around his
“The Lock-In” is a modern day Call of Cthul- new god. Carol became his first convert. To-
hu adventure. The missing teens, as well as sev- gether, they hatched the plan to found “Teen
eral more overweight high school kids, are all Overeaters” so they could prey upon the weak
part of “Teen Overeaters;” a support group that and vulnerable first.
meets at the Arkham Public Library. The group
was founded by, and is led by, John and Car- CHAR ACTER GENER ATION
ol Haskell. John is an author of self-help and
how-to books, and Carol is a nutritionist. The This adventure is designed for three or four
Haskells also volunteer at the Arkham Public investigators. Ideally at least one investigator
Library as part-time clerks. It’s because of their has a personal relationship with the missing
relationship with the library that they have teen, Jack Parker, and his family to serve as the
been granted space in the library basement to source the family turns to for help, but it is not
conduct their group meetings. required. If none of the investigators have a
The sinister truth is that John and Carol pre-game personal relationship with the miss-
Haskell are also servants of Y’Golonac. John ing teen, then having at least one clergy inves-
discovered an incomplete copy of “Revelations tigator or private eye (or other law enforcement
of Glaaki” hidden in the library, years ago, while investigator) can serve as the source the Parker
researching material for a new book to write. family turns to for help in finding their missing
Since then, he became obsessed with writing son. It is assumed that the investigators already
his own complete edition of the book. As John know each other, so the Keeper and players
learned more about the gospel preached in should establish those relationships, if neces-
“Revelations of Glaaki,” he spiraled deeper into sary, before the adventure begins. The adven-

The Lock In
22
ture begins at noon on Saturday, October 31st, in her eyes, watching the investigators as they
Halloween. search the room.
Investigators that search the bookcase may
Part One – Jack Parker is attempt a Spot Hidden roll. A successful roll
Missing identifies several spiral notebooks Jack used
in school that have strange writings on sever-
The adventure opens with the investigators ar- al pages. A successful Idea roll informs the in-
riving at the home of Charlie and Betty Parker vestigator that the writings do not match any
at around noon. The Parkers are beside them- known language. In truth, the strange language
selves with worry over the disappearance of is Aklo, but only investigators with Cthulhu
their only son, Jack. He has been missing for Mythos knowledge will know that. Any inves-
ten days. The Parkers are anxious to help the tigator with at least 20% Cthulhu Mythos in-
investigators any way they can. As the investi- stantly recognizes the language as Aklo. Inves-
gators enter the Parker home they notice a fam- tigators with less than 20% Cthulhu Mythos
ily portrait prominently displayed; Charlie and can roll their skill to see if they recognize the
Betty have healthy body weights, but their son language. Any investigator skilled in Cthulhu
Jack is obese. Below are the Parker’s responses Mythos may attempt a skill roll to see if they
to questions the investigators might ask. can read the Aklo notes. A successful roll in-
“Do you know what Jack was doing when you forms the investigator of a few repeated passag-
last heard from him?” – Jack was on his way es, “the gospel of Glaaki,” “to serve in death as
home from school. in life,” and “food for worms is food.”
“Did Jack have any friends at school that he Investigators that search the desk may at-
might’ve talked to before allegedly running tempt a Spot Hidden roll. A successful roll iden-
away?” – Jack’s only real friends were the other tifies a calendar with the initials “T.O.” written
kids in his Teen Overeaters support group. on every other Saturday since the beginning of
the year, and the next “T.O.” date is today, Octo-
“What is Teen Overeaters? What do you know ber 31st. Today’s date is circled on the calendar,
about this support group?” – Several kids in and no other “T.O.” dates are written in the cal-
Jack’s school belong to it. They meet at the endar after Hal-
Arkham Public Library to discuss their prob- loween. The in-
lems and try to help each other as they try to vestigators also
loose weight. It’s run by a couple of clerks at the note that the last
library. week of Octo-
ber and the first
The Parkers agree to let the investigators week of Novem-
check out Jack’s room, if they ask. The Parker’s ber are noted as
have left his room just as it was the day he dis- “Art Show.” If
appeared. The police have previously searched the investigators
his room, but did not find any clues that they ask Betty Park-
deemed worthy to collect as evidence. The er about the art
room has a twin bed, a small desk, a bookcase, show, she will in-
a dresser, and a closet. The room looks like a form them that
typical teenage boy lives in it, except that there Jack had a piece
are no dirty clothes on the floor, (the Keeper of art accepted
should avoid pointing out the absence of dirty into the school’s
clothes until after a successful search of the art show on dis-
closet). Betty Parker hangs around with tears play at the library. Jack Parker
The Lock In
23
 Online Search Results for John and Carol Haskell: Investigators that search the closet may at-
tempt an Idea roll. A successful roll informs the
Library Use Roll Search Result investigator that Jack’s dirty clothes hamper in
Fumble The investigator acceses a website the closet is empty. If the investigator asks Bet-
that infects the library computer ty Parker about the dirty clothes, or comments
network with an aggressive virus. about the empty hamper out loud so Betty can
hear, then she says that she collected his clothes
All future computer searches have
on the morning he disappeared, but has not yet
a -15% penalty.
washed them because they still hold his smell.
If the investigators check Jack’s dirty clothes
Normal Failure The investigator is unable to find in the laundry room, they discover some
any information on the Haskells. strange stains on a few of his undershirts (no
Spot Hidden roll required). The stains are oval
in shape, approximately 5”x3”, and a light red/
Normal Success The investigator discovers Haskell’s
brown in color. All of the stains are located in
social networking website. The site the lower abominable area of the shirts. A suc-
has not been updated in a while, cessful Chemistry roll (through the use of sim-
but it does have some information: ple household products) confirms the stains to
*John Haskell - author of “Architect be blood. If the investigators ask Betty Parker
about the stains she says, “Jack has a skin con-
of Your Own Future” and “How to
dition due to his excessive weight. He develops
Travel Route 66 on $66 a Day”.
sores in some of the folds of his skin.” Investi-
*Carol Haskell - Nutritionist for gators may attempt a Medicine roll after hear-
Miskatonic University Medical Center.
ing Mrs. Parker’s explanation. A successful roll
*Teen Overeaters - the support group informs the investigator that Mrs. Parker is de-
they started to help Arkham teens with scribing pressure/bed sores, and that her expla-
eating disorders.
nation has logical merit. In truth, the soars are
*There are pictures of John and Carol due to Y’Golonac’s feeding on the kids as they
with some overweight teens, including
Jack Parker (none of the photos are are indoctrinated into the cult.


tagged, so none of the kids are identifi
able).
Part Two – Arkham Public
Library
Critical Success The investigator discovers the Haskell’s Since it is Saturday, October 31st, school is
social networking website, and all of the closed today; so the investigators can’t continue
noted information above, plus two their investigation there. The clues in the Jack’s
additional points of interest: room strongly point to the Teen Overeaters
support group held at the Arkham Public Li-
*In the background of one picture is the
brary. If the investigators are floundering and
cover of a coffee table book with a
lost, a successful Idea roll can nudge them to
strange title: Revelations of Glaaki. continue their investigation at the library.
*The investigator notices that over The library is open from 10:00 AM to 5:00
the course of several pictures, (that were PM today. If the investigators go to the library
obviously taken in different seasons and during the normal operating hours, they en-
counter Donna Booth, a pleasant and help-
different times of the year), that none of
ful librarian. If the investigators ask her about
the kids are losing any weight. the Teen Overeaters support group, she is able

The Lock In
24
to tell them that John and Carol Haskell run Internet for additional clues; the investigators
it. She tells them that they are a sweet couple use their Library Use skill to search the web. If
that is doing a lot to combat childhood obesity the investigators do a search on John & Carol
in Arkham. She also tells them that the group Haskell or Teen Overeaters, that information is
meets at the library every other Saturday at 7:00 listed nearby. If they search for other informa-
PM, after the library has closed to the public. tion, then the Keeper needs to determine the
But, Donna is not sure if the group is meeting availability of that information and the accura-
today or not. On the circulation desk where cy/authenticity of that information. No mythos
the investigators meet Donna is a stack of fly- information is available on the web.
ers that map out the library for its patrons. Give If an investigator notices the book title,
the investigators Lock-In Papers 1A, 1B, and 1C “Revelations of Glaaki,” in one of the photos on
(found at the end of the scenario). the Haskell’s social networking website, that in-
A cork-board near the front doors to the li-
brary has public flyers and notices posted on it. Online Search Results for Teen Overeaters:
Investigators that check the cork-board may at-
tempt a Spot Hidden roll with a +25% bonus Library Use Roll Search Result
to their skill. With a successful roll, the inves- Fumble The investigator accesses a website
tigator discovers a Teen Overeaters poster an- that infects the library computer
nouncing that the support group will be meet- network with an aggressive virus.
ing at the library on Halloween, and that this
All future computer searches have a
meeting will be an overnight lock-in to help
-15% penalty.
support teens through the pressures of can-
dy indulgence. The meeting starts at 7:00 PM.
Hand the investigators Lock-In Papers 2. Normal Failure The investigator is unable to find
Investigators may search the library for any information on the group.
books on nearly any subject. The Keeper should
first make a secret Luck roll for the inquisitive Normal Success The investigator discovers an online
investigator to see if the book being sought is article from the Boston Globe on the
even available. It is suggested that the Keeper
support group. Give the investigator
modify the roll based on the rarity of the book
being sought, with multiple copies of common Lock-In Papers #3.
books getting a +25% bonus to their skill, no
modification for regular common books, un- Critical Success The investigator discovers the Boston
common books getting a -10% penalty to their Globe article on the support group,
skill, rare books getting a -20% penalty to
but as the investigator digs deeper
their skill, and uniquely individual books (i.e.: the following is also discovered:
mythos tomes) getting a -30% penalty to their
*The reporter on the article, Alvin
skill. The modern day Arkham Public Library York, is a pseudonym. The reporter
does not have any mythos tomes in its collec- that files articles under the name of
tion, (at least none that the librarians will tell “Alvin York” typically does deep
the public about). After the Keeper has made
undercover investigative reporting
the secret Luck roll, the investigator must then that usually results in a major
attempt a successful Library Use skill check to
revelation of some kind. Which
see if the book, if available, can be found. makes one wonder why Alvin York
The modern day Arkham Public Library invested the time to file the report
has computers available for public use. Inves- on Teen Overeaters.
tigators may use the computers to search the
The Lock In
25
 vestigator is not be able to find any additional background have a -10% penalty on their Fast
information about it online, or in the library. Talk or Persuade roll.
The library closes at 5:00 PM, but the lock- Investigators that discover the Haskell’s true
in does not begin until 7:00 PM. Donna Booth address (785 W. River St, #227, in the Riverfront
is not able stay until the lock-in begins, and will Condominiums) find that they are currently
not ascend to letting the investigators stay in not home (they are gathering a few supplies for
the library unescorted until the lock-in begins. the lock-in). A successful Locksmith roll is re-
With a successful Fast Talk or Persuade roll, quired to enter the condo undetected. A suc-
Donna will give the investigators the home ad- cessful Mechanical Repair roll can also gain en-
dress on record for the Haskells, 602 Noyes St, try through any access to the condo, but only a
in the area of Arkham known as East Town. If critically successful roll results in an undetect-
the investigators go to that address, they find able entry. A regular successful roll results in
a small neighborhood park with playground damage to the entry point making it clear that
equipment. Obviously, the home address on re- someone broke into the condo. If an investiga-
cord with the library is false. The Haskells ac- tor fumbles the skill roll being used to gain en-
tually live at 785 W. River St, #227, in the Riv- try to the condo, then a neighbor has seen their
erfront Condominiums in Arkham’s Merchant nefarious activity, and has called the police.
Section of town. Due to a shortage of police officers, it is thirty
minutes before the cops can respond to the call.
Pa r t T h r e e –K i l l i ng T i m e It takes at least thirty minutes to give the
B e f o r e t h e L o c k -I n condo a quick search; it takes at least an hour to
give the condo a completely thorough search.
It is not required that the Keeper have access The search results are detailed nearby.
to the Chaosium gaming supplement “Arkham
Now,” the modern day setting of Arkham, Mas- Investigating Boston Globe
sachusetts. It’s assumed that the investigators
may want to pursue investigative leads that
Reporter – Alvin York:
have not been anticipated in this scenario. If the Investigators that want to follow-up on the
investigators do deviate from anticipated inves- Teen Overeaters article written by Alvin York
tigative threads, then the Keeper may find the may email either The Boston Globe publisher
“Arkham Now” supplement very helpful. But, or the reporter Alvin York. But the investiga-
a clever Keeper should be able to manage with- tor does not get any replies from emails. The
out the supplement by ad-libbing the locations investigator can successfully search for a phone
visited and actions taken by the investigators. number to The Boston Globe without making a
skill roll. If an investigator phones The Boston
Investigating The Haskells: Globe and asks to speak to Alvin York, that call
The Keeper should remember that it’s Saturday, is eventually routed to Managing Editor, Justin
so no public offices (like City Hall) are open Cline.
for investigators to inquiry about the Haskell’s “City desk, Justin Cline speaking. How may
true residential address. Neither John nor Carol I help you?”
has been convicted of a crime, so the Arkham Before any investigator is able to question
Police Department doesn’t have their address Cline, that investigator must first justify his
on record. But, any investigator with a medical worth and reasons to ask the questions. Any
background can attempt a Fast Talk or Persuade investigator that wants to speak to Cline must
roll with someone at the Miskatonic University first make a successful Credit Rating roll; in-
Medical Center to get Carol Haskell’s correct vestigators with a journalism or writing back-
home address. Investigators without a medical ground get a +15% bonus to their skill. Cline

The Lock In
26
does not have the time to chitchat with investi- The Van:
gators that fail their Credit Rating roll, and will The van is locked. A successful Locksmith
insist that they call back on Monday. roll opens any door; if the investigator is us-
Investigators that Cline does talk to must ing something similar to a “slim jim” to unlock
then roll their Fast Talk or Persuade to gain the door, there is a +15% bonus to the skill roll.
any information from Cline. Investigators with No skill check is required to smash a window
a journalism or writing background receive a to unlock a door. Once opened, the investiga-
+15% bonus on this skill as well. With a normal tors may search the van. With a successful Spot
successful roll, Cline tells the investigator: Hidden roll, the investigator discovers that the
“I can’t tell you anything more about the cheap carpeting on the floor in the back of the
piece Alvin filed on the Arkham couple. Be- van is loose and can be pulled back. The inves-
cause there’s nothing else to tell, there are no tigator finds a few discarded credit cards and
notes or other articles awaiting publication.” the driver’s license all for Erica Webb. If the in-
With a critically successful roll or two nor- vestigators try to leverage a police angle, maybe
mal successful rolls (one each from two differ- to try and raid the lock-in, they hit a dead end.
ent investigators), then Cline not only tells the Because Erica Webb has not been reported as
investigator the information above, but also the missing, and there is not enough evidence to
information below: warrant official police action.
Cline’s voice noticeably lowers as he says,
“Look… if you’re looking into Alvin’s arti- The Library:
cle, then maybe you can help me. As you may Between 6:30 PM and 7:00 PM, several parents
know, “Alvin York” is a pseudonym, taken from drop their kids off at the library, while a few
the infamous Sergeant York of World War I. In kids walk to the library without their parents.
truth, Alvin York is Erica Webb, my fiancé.” If the investigators try to talk to the parents or
“She’s an investigative reporter, the best I’ve kids to try to dissuade them from attending the
ever seen. She’ll go undercover and in-depth lock-in, they need a critically successful Per-
with nearly every story she’s working on, but suade roll to do so. All of the kids have been
she always finds time to call or email me. It’s looking forward to this event, as have the par-
been nine days since I’ve heard anything from ents, and no one is inclined to believe the com-
her. I’m worried about her. Please find her and plete strangers warning them away from the
get her back to me.” event. All of the children attending the lock-in
are obese.
Part Four – The Lock-In Both John and Carol attend the front door
If the investigators are hanging around the li- of the library, unlocking and locking the doors
brary at 6:30 PM, they witness John and Carol as they grant each child entry. If the investiga-
Haskell arrive to the library in their car, an old tors try to talk to them, they refuse to talk to
white panel van. There are no windows in the them, saying that they are trying to create a safe
back section of the van. Investigators with law place for overweight children to celebrate Hal-
enforcement background may attempt to run loween. If the investigators are persistent, John
the license plates to locate the Haskell’s true will threaten to call the police, but it is a hollow
home address. Law enforcement investiga- threat. A successful Psychology roll informs the
tors not part of the Arkham police force must investigator that John has no intention to call
first make a successful Credit Rating roll with the police.
a +20% bonus to get access to police records, If the investigators scout the exterior of the
and then a successful Library Use roll to get the library they discover the various emergency ex-
Haskell’s home address. its and windows for the ground level around
the building, but there are no windows for the
The Lock In
27
 basement level (years ago, when the building and transfer
was remodeled, egress windows from the base- them down to
ment were not required; and the building has the secret sub-
not been re-remodeled to install egress win- basement within
dows yet). All of the emergency exits are locked, the first thirty
and none of the windows are designed to open. minutes of the
All of the doors and windows are hooked-up to lock-in. So by
an alarm system. There are power junction box- the time the
es on the backside of the building. A success- investigators are
ful Electronic Repair disarms the alarm system able to disable
and the landline telephone system, since both the alarm system
systems share the same lines. Due to the com- and gain entry to
plexities of the alarm system, it takes 30 min- the library, the
utes to successfully disable the alarm. Only a Haskell’s should
critically fumbled skill roll will actually trigger already be in
the alarm; a simple failed skill roll results in no their temple to
change in the alarm system. Once the alarm is Y’Golonac.
disabled, a successful Locksmith roll opens any Carol Haskell
door. Library Details:
Most of the li-
The Haskell’s and the Lock-In: brary is normal and mundane. The library lo-
As soon as the kids arrived for the lock-in, cations noted in the “Lock-In Papers 1A, 1B,
the Haskell’s escorted them downstairs to the & 1C” are sufficient enough for any Keeper to
Community Room located on the Lower Level. guide a group of investigators through the li-
Once there, the Haskell’s served spiked punch brary. The modern Arkham Public Library
to the new kids attending the Teen Overeaters does not have any Mythos tomes available or
support group on this special night. In total, hidden for investigators to discover. This part of
fourteen kids are attending the lock-in, and the scenario details certain rooms in the library
of those, nine of that are key to this adventure.
them are willing Upper Level – Art Gallery: The current art
thralls to John show on display comes from students attend-
and Carol’s new ing Arkham Public High School. If an investi-
cult to Y’Golonac. gator spends less than thirty minutes in the gal-
The Haskell’s lery, a critically successful Spot Hidden roll is
drugged the five required to see a particular piece of art, but if
other kids so an investigator spends more than thirty min-
they wouldn’t utes in the gallery, then a normally successful
be able to resist Spot Hidden roll is sufficient. The piece of art in
being taken question is by none other than Jack Parker; see
down to their “Lock-In Papers 4” below.
secret worshiping Lower Level – Janitorial Supply Room: Next to
area located in the elevator is a door labeled “Janitorial Sup-
the secret sub- ply”. If the investigators are in the library during
basement. The normal operating hours, and they try the door-
Haskell’s are able knob, they discover the door to be locked. If the
to successfully investigators are in the library after hours, dur-
John Haskell
drug the kids ing the lock-in, after the Haskell’s have moved
The Lock In
28
the kids down to the secret sub-basement, and a +25% bonus to their skill roll. It is possible lift
they try the doorknob, they discover the door open the trap door without rolling the rubber
to be unlocked. mat off of it; if the investigators do not move the
Inside the first room of the Supply Room, the mat, the mat will flop back down over the trap
investigators find standard janitorial supplies. door after they descend through the trap door.
The second room of the Supply Room serves Once the trap door is opened, the investigators
as the storage room for all of the extra janito- see a sturdy aluminum ladder standing under
rial supplies (paper towels, toilet paper, mop the trap door. The trap door leads down to the
heads, garbage bags, etc). The door to the third library’s secret level (see map below).
room of the Supply Room is labeled “Electri- Secret Level: This secret level of the library dates
cal”. Inside, the walls of the room are lined with back to when the library was first founded back
electrical junction boxes that are wired to ev- in 1845. None of the current employees of the
erything electrical in the library. A large rubber library are aware of the secret level, not even the
mat that nearly fills the entire room covers the janitors. John incidentally discovered an old set
concrete floor of this room; the mat only expos- of floor plans to the library while researching
es a five-inch gap all the way around the room. a book he was working on, and it was not long
after that when he discovered the incomplete
Investigators with a successful Spot Hidden copy of “Revelations of Glaaki.”
roll in this room discover that under the mat is a
trap door. If an investigator informed the Keep- Secret Level – New Entrance: This room is
er that they were going to look under the map filthy and barren. The walls are thin with lots
during their search, then the investigator gains of wallboards missing, thus exposing the frag-
ile slats within the walls. The wooden floors
in this room (and throughout this secret sub-
basement level) have rotted to the point where
bare earth now shows through.
Secret Level – Empty Room: This room, like the
New Entrance room, is filthy and barren.
Secret Level – Former Boiler Room: This room
is also filthy and has fragile walls and a rotting
floor. A set of old boilers and pot-bellied stoves
are clustered in one corner of the room. They
are all rusted and fragile. Nothing is stored or
hidden in any of the old equipment. The old
boiler has a pipe that leads into an outer wall of
the room. If a person were to shout into that old
pipe their voice would be carried to an old vent
pipe on the side of the library. If it is daytime,
there is a 40% chance that someone will hear
the person shouting. If it is nighttime, there is
a 5% chance that someone will hear the person
shouting.
Secret Level – Sewer Access: This room is filthy
like the others. This room has two functional
doors; both doors are shut tight. Any investi-
The Painting gator entering this room can easily see in the

The Lock In
29
 dusty floor that people have recently come to both sets of double doors. With an easy Listen
this room and went through the door that leads +25% skill roll, the investigator hears chanting
to Secret Level – Corridor. The sewer cover is from beyond the sets of double doors.
old, heavy, and rusted into place. It takes a suc- In the far corner of the room is an ancient
cessful STR vs STR roll on the Resistance Table wooden stairwell that leads up to nothing. The
to successfully break the cover loose. The cover stairs have long collapsed and rotted into ruin,
is STR 15. If the investigators can get the cover and renovations that were done at the library
off, then two successful Navigation skill rolls decades ago long closed off the old and hazard-
will lead the investigators to safety in Arkham. ous stairwell.
Secret Level – Store Room: This room is filthy
like the others. There are mountains of old Secret Level – Ceremony Room: This room,
books down here, piled up in heaps; it is a cha- compared to the rest of this secret sub-base-
otic mess. The books are piled four feet high, ment, is very clean. Its clear that the earthen
and are concentrated in the nook at the back floor has been swept and that someone did
of the room. The books are moist and rotting, some light remodeling and maintenance here.
filled with mold spores that are creating an at- By the time the investigators find this room, the
mosphere that is toxic. Anyone entering this meeting and worship of Y’Golonac lead by John
room must make a CON x7 roll during their and Carol are in full swing.
first minute in the room. Each subsequent min- If the investigators enter the room while the
ute in the room will require a new CON roll at meeting is in session, they discover that ev-
a multiplier that is one less than the previous eryone is in the nude. The nine teenage cult-
multiplier (ie: CON x6 on minute two, CON x5 ists have painted strange runes on their bodies
on minute three, etc). Any failed CON roll in- in red paint. The five innocent kids that were
flicts 1 point of damage to the investigator. drugged have runes painted on their bodies in
Any investigator foolhardy enough to dig white paint. John and Carol are painted in both
through the pile of books will not find anything red and white paint.
other than more spores, molds, and fungi. Dig- Only candles light the room; each child
ging into the books kicks-up a much more in- holds a large candle, and there are dozens of
tense cloud of mold spores, requiring every- other candles scattered around the room. The
one in the room to make an immediate CON nine child cultists are seated in such a way as
vs STR roll on the Resistance Table. The mold to form a large circle. Inside the circle are the
spores are STR 12. Anyone failing this CON five kids that have been drugged; they are un-
check suffers 1D4 damage. The digging is all for conscious and are laying in a five-pointed star
naught, for there is nothing of interest in the pattern, so that their heads are all together at
pile of rotting books. the center of the star. John and Carol are pacing
Secret Level – Corridor: This room is slightly around the circle of children chanting prayers
less filthy than the other rooms. There is some to Y’Golonac from the Haskell edition of “Rev-
piles of old wood, most likely old broken up elations of Glaaki” (which John is carrying),
bookcases, but there are also three modern-day with the children repeating certain phrases on
square card tables and a dozen folding chairs in cue. The ceremony and prayers help facilitate
this room. Four battery-powered camping lan- Y’Golonac’s psychic attack on the unconscious
terns sitting on the tables light the room. Neatly children.
folded-up on the tables and chairs is shoes, cos- The goal of the ceremony is to subjugate the
tumes, and clothing. A Track +10% skill roll in- five new kids into the cult. If the investigators
forms the investigator that now the tracks in the do not interrupt the ceremony, then the new
dusty floor are of bare feet. The tracks lead into kids are successfully indoctrinated and pos-
sessed by a portion of Y’Golonac’s will, just like
The Lock In
30
the other kids already have been. If the investi- something to that effect, then they have forfeit-
gators enter the room they successful, but only ed surprise and combat will unfold normally.
temporarily, disrupt the ceremony; enraging John Haskell is fully possessed by Y’Golonac,
John and Carol into combat. and will transform into the Great Old One dur-
It is very easy for the investigators to get the ing the first round of combat. Y’Golonac has
jump on John and Carol and surprise them, also gifted Carol; she has been granted “The
but because the investigators do not know the Body and Strength of Y’Golonac”.
layout of the room until they enter it, its more
likely that the investigators pause their actions
just as they enter. The Keeper should only allow
the investigators the element of surprise if they
inform the Keeper that they are, “Bursting in
guns a-blazing,” for example. But, if the inves-
tigators only, “Open the doors and look in,” or

Y’Golonac and Carol

The Lock In
31
 JOHN HASKELL – High Priest of Y’Golonac CAROL HASKELL – blessed by Y’Golonac
STR 11 CON 9 SIZ 11 DEX 12 INT 15 STR 11(20) CON 13 (17) SIZ 10 (17) DEX 13
APP 12 POW 13 EDU 17 HP 10 SAN 0 INT 14 APP 14 (4) POW 13 EDU 12
Age: 43 HP 12 (17) SAN 0

Damage Bonus: +0 Age: 38

Weapons: Fist/Punch: 50%, 1D3 damage; Kick: Damage Bonus: +0 (+1D6)
40%, 1D6 damage Weapons: Fist/Punch: 50%, 1D3+DB damage;
Skills: Cthulhu Mythos: 23%, Dodge: 30%, Li- Kick: 40%, 1D6+DB damage
brary Use: 77%, Own Lang. (English): 85% Skills: Cthulhu Mythos: 17%, Dodge: 26%, First
Sanity Loss: None as John, 1/1D20 for transfor- Aid: 65%
mation into Y’Golonac Spells: The Body & Strength of Y’Golonac (see
Notes: It takes three full combat rounds for the New Spells section below)
John to transform into Y’Golonac. Once the Sanity Loss: None as Carol, 1/1D8 for trans-
transformation begins, John is instantly pro- formation due to The Body & Strength of
tected by Y’Golonac’s power; impale weapons Y’Golonac spell
do half damage.
Notes: Y’Golonac has blessed Carol by teach-
ing her a spell that honors the great and bloated
Y’GOLONAC – Great Old One (slightly god. All of Carol’s stats and Damage Bonus in-
weakened state) formation in parenthesis reflect Carol’s infor-
STR 20 CON 85 SIZ 20 D E X 1 4 mation after the spell has been cast.
INT 30 POW 28 HP 53
Damage Bonus: +5D6 TEENAGE CULTISTS
Weapons: Fist/Punch: 20%, 1D3 +DB; Grapple/ STR CON SIZ DEX POW HP
Touch: 45%, lose 1 INT & 1 POW each round #1 11 8 6 11 9 7
grappled; Devour: 100%, 1D4 non-healing #2 7 13 10 9 10 12
damage #3 12 12 5 7 6 9
Armor: Impale weapons do half damage #4 6 10 9 8 14 10
#5 10 9 11 11 11 10
Spells: all Summon/Bind spells, all Contact
#6 11 8 9 11 10 9
spells, and The Body & Strength of Y’Golonac
(see the New Spells section below for more in- #7 12 8 8 11 11 8
formation) #8 10 7 13 9 10 10
#9 11 13 9 10 12 11
Sanity Loss: 1/1D10+1
Notes: Y’Golonac is still weak and in need of
During combat, Y’Golonac will try to grapple
further worshipers to make him stronger, thus
with his victims in order to begin devouring
his reduced stats. Also, his great bulk acts like
them alive. But, if his Hit Points should be re-
armor, thus reducing the effects of impale
duced to less than 15 points, then a great rage
weapons, but fire does normal damage.
will overcome him, and he will just start smash-
ing his enemies to a pulp. If the Great Old One
should get below 7 points, he will begin casting
The Body & Strength of Y’Golonac on some of
the teenage cultists so that they can defend him.

The Lock In
32
 Once combat begins, Carol will cast The the Great Old One results in the death of John
Body & Strength of Y’Golonac on herself. Once Haskell, the investigators do not lose any SAN
transformed, Carol will punch and kick the in- for his death due to the nature of his death. If
vestigators, but once one is down, she will move the investigators can subdue, but not kill, Carol
onto another investigator. She is not trying to Haskell and the teenage cultists so they can be
kill any of them; she just wants to soften them turned over to the authorities, then they earn
up so Y’Golonac can feed on them. If her Hit 1D10 for the whole lot. If the investigators can
Points is reduced to 7 or less, she will try to flee. capture or destroy the John Haskell edition of
The teenage cultists will stay out of combat. “Revelations of Glaaki,” then they earn 1D8+2
They will drag the unconscious bodies of the SAN. Of course, the SAN earned by securing
other kids to a corner of the room and do their the book can just as easily be lost if they read
best to protect and defend the bodies so that the book.
Y’Golonac can have them later. The teenage If the investigators kill any of the cultists
cultists will only enter into combat if Y’Golonac (other than John), then they lose 2 SAN for
casts The Body & Strength of Y’Golonac on each murdered cultist. If any of the five inno-
them. cent children die, for any reason, the investiga-
The six columns in the room are load-bear- tors lose 3 SAN per child. If the ceiling should
ing columns. If four or more columns are de- collapse, the investigators lose 2D6+1 SAN.
stroyed, then the ceiling above will come crash-
ing down. Each column is made of brick and has Revelations of Glaaki – Haskell Edition:
15 HPs. Impale weapons do minimum damage Similar to the partial folio edition he discov-
to brick. If the ceiling does collapse, it will be ered, John Haskell wrote most of this edition
contained to just the Ceremony Room, and it of “Revelations of Glaaki” from research he
does 10D6 damage to each person in the room. conducted and then from dreams he received
A successful Dodge will reduce the damage by from Y’Golonac himself. This edition is writ-
half. It is possible that if Y’Golonac, or anyone ten in English, and despite the title is primar-
under the influence of The Body & Strength of ily a bible for the worship of Y’Golonac. Sanity
Y’Golonac, misses a fist attack, that they may Loss: 1D6/2D6. Cthulhu Mythos: +10%. Time
strike a column instead. So the Keeper should to read: 22 weeks. Spells: Body Warping of Gor-
keep careful notes on which columns have been goroth, Call/Dismiss Azathoth, Call/Dismiss
hit, and how much damage each one has taken. Shub-Niggurath, Contact the Crystallizers of
Dreams, Contact Eihort, Contact Glaaki, Con-
Conclusion tact Y’Golonac, Mental Suggestion, and The
Body & Strength of Y’Golonac.
If the investigators are able to search the Cer-
emony Room, a successful Spot Hidden roll
reveals four fresh graves in one corner of the New Spell – The Body & Strength of Y’Golonac:
room The graves contain the bodies of Erica
This spell reshapes the target’s body into a
Webb, the undercover journalist, and the three
form pleasing to Y’Golonac, adding hundreds
missing teenagers, including Jack Parker. SAN
of pounds of weight in both fat and muscle.
loss of 1/1D3 for the discovery of the bodies.
The caster must invoke the name of Y’Golonac
The ultimate goal for the investigators
and say a prayer aloud to him. The spell takes
should be to save the five innocent children the
1 round to complete. If the spell is cast upon
Haskells are trying to indoctrinate into their
an unwilling target, that target may attempt to
cult. The investigators earn 3 SAN for each in-
resist the spell with a POW vs POW roll on the
nocent child rescued. The investigators earn
Resistance Table; the caster of the spell is the
1D10 SAN for defeating Y’Golonac. Defeating
active POW. The spell cost the caster 6 Magic

The Lock In
33
 Points and 2D6 SAN. If the target of the spell
is not the caster himself, the target must also
lose 2D6 SAN due to the pain their body goes
through when the spell is cast. Anyone view-
ing the transformation must also make a SAN
check for 1/1D8 SAN loss.
The spell is designed to add approximately
half a ton of weight and mass to the target. The
target’s STR, CON, SIZ, and APP are directly
affected by the spell, and any derived stats are
also affected. The spell changes the target’s STR,
CON, and SIZ to 2D6+12, roll for each stat.
The target’s APP is changed to 1D4+1. The spell
only last 3D6 rounds.

Lock In Papers #3

The Lock In
34
 The Lock In Papers #1A-1C

The Lock In
35
 The Lock In
Lock In Papers #2

36
 The Ilsley Variant
A 1920’s Adventure for Call of Cthulhu
By Rick Hudson

Introduction: In investigating the language the investi-

gators learn of the historian Ervin H. Roberts
This adventure is set in Arkham in the classic who committed suicide after his career was ru-
ined due to his claims regarding the existence
1920s Call of Cthulhu period, however there is of a Hyborian civilisation being mocked and
little to prevent a keeper from changing the geo- discredited in academic circles. The Roberts
graphical and chronological setting. Dates and connection will lead investigators towards the
the exact chronology of events have been left manuscript of an epic poem The Road of Kings
open so that Keepers may adapt the scenario to which details the rise of the king depicted in the
fit their on-going campaigns. The plot concerns painting: an actual Hyborian ruler.
a prehistoric language that comes to the atten- The manuscript provides the investigators
tion of the investigators which points to a pre- with a wealth of information that will assist
historic civilization that existed on Earth some them in the future in their on-going struggle
12,000 years ago. On solving the mystery there with the Cthulhu Mythos. Nevertheless, the in-
will be plenty of questions left unanswered that vestigators are not the only parties interested in
can be exploited in further adventures into this the dead language: a Nyarlathotep cultist also
area should keepers wish. wishes to lay his hands on the Road of Kings
Reference is made in this adventure to Chao- as it contains the spell Kiss of Ishtar which he
sium‚s H.P. Lovecraft‚s Arkham (Ark) and Mis- needs to free the soul of a prehistoric sorcerer.
katonic University (Misk); however neither of
these books is essential for play. Stage 1: Halloween in Arkham:
Keeper Information: The player characters are invited to a Halloween
cocktail party at the home of the wealthy indus-
The artist Miles Gedney has always been sensi- trialist and art collector Clive Whyte. However,
tive to strange influences, and after one particu- should your campaign already include a suit-
larly vivid dream he painted The King on the able NPC who can fulfill this role then it is per-
Throne. In many ways this painting, despite its fectly possible to substitute them for Whyte.
quality, is unremarkable; it depicts a sombre an- When the players arrive at the party they will
cient king sat upon a stone throne and there are see that Whyte has replaced the usual paintings
no overtly supernatural or unrealistic elements and sculptures in his home with ones of an ou-
depicted in it. However, the painting portrays tré nature which are more fitting to the spirit of
an inscription above the throne in an unknown Halloween. Although many of these artworks
language. This language is the lost language are genuinely sinister and unnerving in them-
of Hyborea, a civilisation that predates any in selves, none have a Cthulhu Mythos connec-
commonly known history. tion.

The Ilsley Variant

37
 One painting in particular arrests the atten- French Hill district of Arkham of (Ark :103).
tion of the player with the highest of any of the He is quite prepared to talk to investigators
following skills: Linguistics; Anthropology; Ar- and despite his poor social skills is pleasant
chaeology or any historical expertise in Nor- enough. He can’t shed any light on the reasons
dic culture, or linguistic speciality in Scandina- why he painted The King on the Throne; he can
vian and /or Germanic languages. The painting only say that he felt compelled to do so after a
is The King on the Throne by contemporary dream. With regards to the runes in the paint-
Arkham artist Miles Gedney. It depicts a dark- ing, he believes that he just made them up‚ and
haired and sullen-eyed man, aged about forty they sort of felt right‚. A successful Psychology
brooding on a stone throne. A successful Histo- roll will reveal that he is being totally truthful.
ry roll will reveal that although the clothing and If the investigators ask to see any more of Ged-
architecture portrayed in the painting are ficti- ney’s art he will happily show them his portfo-
tious they are elaborations of known North Eu- lio. Gedney is a remarkably skilled artist and
ropean styles, particularly Germanic and Celt- there is no connection between him or his art
ic. and the Mythos. A successful Idea roll will lead
What strikes the investigators most of all an investigator to note that his recent painting
however is an inscription in the stone wall be- differs radically in style from all his other work.
hind the throne. A successful Linguists roll will Despite it depicting a fictitious scene The King
indicate that although it is not a real language on the Throne is Realist in style, whereas the
the characters are derived from Nordic runes. rest of Gedney’s work is decidedly abstract in
The investigator who is the most sensitive in the nature.
keepers view (or alternatively the one with the
highest POW) will be convinced that the paint- The Library
ing is deeply significant‚ in some way, but will A successful Library Use role will indicate that
not understand why. The painting and the in- the runes do not belong to any known language.
scription in particular will play on the mind of A successful Library Use roll combined with a
the sensitive‚ investigator until they complete successful Linguistics roll will suggest that al-
the adventure. though the language is fictitious it appears to be
The party will be a highly enjoyable affair elaborated from the Nordic runic alphabet and
and will pass with little upset. If the players need although the meaning of the runes in the paint-
some prompting then it may be useful to have ing cannot be translated, their patterning gives
an NPC Nordic history expert on hand, but this the impression that words follow a grammatical
should only be done if things really drag. In the logic of some form. The nearest contemporary
following days, if the players haven’t done so of language to the runes in the painting is modern
their own accord, the sensitive investigator will Icelandic.
be driven to distraction by the painting and feel The Professors
compelled to enquire into it further.
Key academics at the Miskatonic University
Stage 2: Initial Lines of Enquiry: who will be of most use to the investigators will
be Dr Aaron Chase, Chair of the Department of
The following are summaries of what informa- Classical Languages and Director of the School
tion may be found by following up on various of Rhetoric (Misk: 104-5), and Dr Stanley
leads. The keeper should feel free to embellish Whitman, Department of English (Misk: 106).
these if he / she wish to do so. Both of these academics are interested in the
The Artist principle that all languages may have derived
from a single, unified proto-language. If shown
Miles Gedney is a shy and awkward young copies of the runes either professor will imme-
man living in a garret on Pickman Street in the
The Ilsley Variant
38
diately identify them as belonging to the Ilsley 1883. The demise of the organisation is due
Variant (see below). Both professors believe to its key members being killed in a fire at
that the Ilsley Variant is a hoax, and if investi- their meeting rooms. More esoteric publi-
gators enquire about it either professor will be cations will state that the surviving Knights
able to inform them that, “About ten or twelve amalgamated with another fraternity call-
years ago there was a bit of a stir in our field; a
ing itself The Disciples of the Veiled Truth,
young linguist called Hector Ilsley claimed to
have discovered a new language. He claimed
which in turn became incorporated into an-
that an alphabet had evolved out of old Nor- other organisation: The Order of the Silver
dic runes to become a more sophisticated and Twilight.
complex written language that may have seen Despite dismissing the Ilsley Variant as a
use in Iceland and the more remote Scandina- fraud, all reputable linguists admire the sophis-
vian colonies in the middle ages. Ilsley’s only tication of the hoax. The linguistic and gram-
supposed ‘evidence’ of this was based on some matical patterns of the language appear com-
sketches he’d made himself of some artefacts he pletely convincing, and even the most advanced
claimed to have seen in a location he was un- scholars have been unable to explain why Ilsley
willing to reveal. Although the Ilsley Variant was able to create this language with such veri-
was dismissed by serious scholars as a hoax, it similitude.
did gain credibility with a few crackpots who Ervin H. Roberts.
published all kinds of nonsense linking it with
Atlantis and the pyramids and so on. Unfortu- Prof Ervin H. Roberts was an historian spe-
nately there were one or two reputed scholars cializing in North European ancient history at
who were taken in. One fellow called Roberts the University of Texas. Roberts was a scholar
ruined his career publishing a preposterous ar- who challenged conventional thinking in his
ticle in one of the lesser journals about it”. field and produced a small body of research
concerning European proto-civilizations. He
Stage 3: Further Visits to the Library. was disgraced and his academic career was ru-
ined when he made the claim that not only was
Once the investigators have become aware of the Ilsley Variant legitimate, but the language
Roberts and the Ilsley Variant they will prob- had not evolved from runic, rather runic had
ably return to the library to conduct additional devolved from an earlier more sophisticated
research. If they do so further successes with linguistic system. Roberts maintained that this
Library Use will enable them to find details on was evidence that North European cultures
the following: were the ancestors of an earlier more advanced
civilization he named Hyborea. Roberts‚ posi-
The Ilsley Variant
tion was based on the existence of a Latin man-
Further research will uncover that most uscript from the 2nd Century which purported
sources regard the Ilsley Variant as a hoax. to be the translation of an earlier work written
It is an invented language intended to indi- between the years when the oceans drank At-
cate that runic evolved into a more sophis- lantis, and the rise of the sons of sons of Aryas‚
ticated alphabet. Some sources claim that it entitled The Road of Kings.
has been used as a secret code within faux- Roberts‚ argument met with complete
mystical organisations. It was known to be mockery from the academic community, in
their eyes The Road of Kings was obviously a
used by the Boston based Knights of the
Roman epic set in a fictionalized world. Unable
Aesir a quasi-mystical brotherhood with to bear the shame and humiliation in the eyes
theosophical leanings. The Knights claimed of his peers and with his academic post sus-
to originate in 1779 and were disbanded in
The Ilsley Variant
39
 pended Roberts committed suicide by shooting The Order of the Silver Twilight.
himself with his own shot gun at his home in Is (or was depending on the run of your cam-
Cross Plains, Texas. paign) a Boston based philosophical society. If
Astute investigators (those who are from an the Keeper wishes to include any more infor-
academic background who make a Luck roll) mation on the Silver Twilight then this is left to
will note a possible oversight in in the criti- his / her discretion.
cisms of Roberts: none of the critics address the
fact that Roberts‚ position was centered upon Stage 4: A Journey to Texas
his claim that Latin copy of The Road of Kings
included a transcript of the original and that The investigators will only be able to pursue this
section is written in the Ilsley Variant. matter further if they travel to Roberts‚ former
home in Texas. They are most likely to travel
The Road of Kings from Arkham to Cross Pines by train. The ser-
This book is mentioned in a number of academ- vice is perfectly reliable and comfortable, but
ic texts however the investigators will be unable still takes two ˆ three days and involves nu-
to source a copy themselves; it is not listed in merous changes. Investigators who make a
the stock of any library. From what they read successful Spot Hidden check will see a fellow
of The Road of Kings in other texts it is gen- passenger who they recognize vaguely but can-
erally considered to be a Roman epic in which not place. If they succeed in an Idea roll, then
the unnamed author narrates the story as if it they will remember that he was a fellow guest at
were a history of a lost bygone age. It concerns Whyte’s Halloween party. The passenger makes
a king who rose from the position of barbarian all the same changes as the investigators and
mercenary to become ruler of the most pow- strikes them as a well presented business man
erful empire of this fictitious age. Roberts was aged about 36. If engaged in conversation this
reputed to have a copy of the manuscript, and passenger will freely chat with the investigators
it or a clue to its whereabouts may be in his old and comes across as a highly sociable individu-
family home in Cross Plains. al. He introduces himself as Spencer Wade, a fi-
nancier; he is a friend of Whyte from their uni-
The Knights of the Aesir versity days. Wade is a Bostonian through and
Despite this organizations claims there is only through, but is currently spending a lot of time
evidence of them existing between 1872 and in Cross Plains due to his business interests. All
1883. The building in which they met did in- this is entirely true; however what Wade doesn’t
deed burn down, although there appeared to add is the fact that he is a Nyarlathotep cult-
be no suggestion of suspicious circumstances at ist planning to liberate the soul of an ancient
the time. The site of this building has since been sorcerer.
subsumed by the railway yard (Ark: 67).
Cross Plains
The Disciples of the Veiled Truth
At this time Cross Plains is a small town
Now defunct mystical society of which very and other than a few stores, a post office
little is known. They are rumoured to have
which doubles as the offices of the weekly
invented their own pseudo-religion which
Cross Plains Crier, the Turkey Creek Hotel
centered upon the worship of space gods. All
sources treat the disciples as a group of amusing and the railway station, all other buildings
eccentrics. are domestic houses. The population of
1,200 citizens is currently expanding due
to the recent discovery of oil deposits in
the area. During their stay the investigators

The Ilsley Variant

40
will have to share a room if they stay at the It will take hours to go through the materi-
hotel due to high demand. al, whether at the library or back at the hotel.
Bob Whent, the postmaster / editor of the Much of what the investigators read will dupli-
Crier is a genial fellow who will happily provide cate what they have already discovered, how-
the investigators with any commonly known ever Roberts was absolutely convinced of the
information. He can direct the investigators legitimacy of his argument. Interestingly, any
to Roberts‚ former home “a large house on the academic character from a historical, linguis-
fringes of the town” but will tell them that it has tic or similar discipline will be impressed by the
been derelict since its owner’s death. It is owned thoroughness of Roberts‚ research and find his
by a relative in Austin, but as far he is aware argument compelling. Irrespective of the auda-
they have never visited and have shown no in- cious nature of Roberts‚ claims his case is dis-
terest in the property. turbingly convincing.
Importantly, amongst Roberts‚ papers is a
Stage 5: The House of copy of the full Latin manuscript of The Road
Professor Roberts of Kings:

The house is relatively secluded and shielded by

The Road of Kings. A year of study: +5% Cthul-
trees, as such the investigators will be able to
hu Mythos; +10% Hyborean Mythos; +5% Ar-
gain entry to the house and search it with ease.
chaeology; +5% Anthropology. SAN loss 1d3 /
Although exploring the old abandoned house
1d6
should be played up as a spooky experience by
the keeper there is little of direct value to the Spell: Draw Veil of Ishtar
investigators here. For a plan of the house use a
map from a previously used adventure, such as Although the investigators will not have time
Billington’s Mansion (Ark: 121). to study this book in depth during the adven-
Although the house still contains rotting and ture, they will be able to skim its contents and
crumbling day to day items and furniture there glean that it is a great epic poem that gives sig-
are no books on the bookshelves or any papers nificant insight into the prehistory of Europe,
in the study. If the players decide to suspect North Africa and Asia Minor. It also includes
sinister motives behind this, allow them to do the spell Draw Veil of Ishtar. Furthermore, the
so for a while. However, if they question any- spell is actually referred to in the body of the
one such as Whent they will be told that some epic itself, see “The Mirror of Zthul-za Dûm”
of Roberts’ effects were donated to Callahan below. Whilst the manuscript is not openly a
County Library by his executors. The library is Mythos text any investigator reading it making
in nearby Baird which can be easily reached by a successful Cthulhu Mythos test will recognize
train or car. that various gods mentioned are mere facades
Roberts’ Effects for Mythos beings. For example, the snake god
Set who is an evil deity worshipped by the en-
Good manners and a pleasant smile is all that emies of the Hyboreans can be none other than
is required to gain access to Roberts’ books and Nyarlathotep.
papers. They are kept in a storeroom at the back
of the library and have not been touched since
they were deposited there. A successful Credit New Spell
Rating roll or a letter of introduction from a
Draw Veil of Ishtar: Hyborian. This spell acts as
reputable university or learned organization
a means of blocking a Gate in space or time and
will be all that is required to borrow any or all
rendering it inoperable until the spell is dis-
of Roberts‚ effects.
missed or reversed. Once cast the Gate remains
The Ilsley Variant
41
 in place, but it is obscured by a patina of green- ‘Tell your tale stranger’‚ the king laughed,
ish mist through which no matter can pass. The ‘and if it be half as chilling as its teller then you
spell does not prevent magic, sound, light or will have succeeded in your task‚.
other energies from passing through however. ‘In ages past‚ the stranger began ,’there were
The spell casts one hour to cast and the cast- two sorcerer brothers of great power and evil.
er must sacrifice POW that equals the POW Together they delved into deep arcane knowl-
used to create the gate. The caster may, by link- edge and made dark pacts with darker gods.
ing hands with allies, share the POW cost. The They were named Zthul-za Dûm and Dja-
spell can be used as its own counter-spell. Cast- Kai Dûm and each took greater power and
ing Draw Veil of Ishtar incurs no SAN loss, but took greater riches. They amassed wealth and
the consequences of casting it or revoking it knowledge beyond the dreams of mortal men.
may well do so. Their magics became mightier and mightier,
and soon their sorcery was of such magnitude
“The Mirror of Zthul-za Dûm” that they murdered a god and took his immor-
During the narrative of The Road of Kings there tality for their own.
is an episode which runs as follows: The more the sorcerer brothers accrued the
“And it was on one night at the cusp of au- more envious they got. Jealous of imagined un-
tumn and winter that the king gave a great feast known treasures that they dreamed were ever
to chase the cold from men’s hearts. It was the waiting to be won. And that jealousy festered
custom at this feast for every lord and lady to and that jealousy grew. Soon, after a millennia
tell a tale of witchery and fear for the amuse- perhaps, their envies turned upon each other.
ment of all. The night was drawing to an end What secrets does the other have? What knowl-
and the king announced scornfully edge does he conceal from me? And each broth-
‘Your tales are but the dreads of children. As er plotted and each brother schemed. Contract-
warrior, thief, pirate and king I have seen ter- ing angels as assassins, gods as informants and
rors which trounce your feeble spectres one- demons as spies the brothers ceaselessly con-
thousand fold. Have none of you a yarn that spired to bring on the other’s demise.
will raise my blood’ Until one day, Dja-Kai dispatched a courier
The guests looked all ashamed and said to Zthul-za:
nought, but one guest who had hitherto gone ‘Enough brother of this squabbling. Are we
unnoticed stood up from the table and spoke not gods? We challenge all the heavens and
thus: all the hells with our power and glory, yet we
‘Good Highness, if you will permit, I ven- squander our splendour in futile never-ending
ture that I may have such a tale. If your maj- conflict when together we could conquer an in-
esty wishes, I will relate the fate of feared and finity of worlds. Why, I shall prove my faith in
mighty Zthul-za Dûm’. you and entrust all my riches to your steward-
All were silent for an age for the stranger ship. Come to me and I shall lay over my vault
was unknown to all and abnormal to behold. of treasures to you’.
He was garbed in a hooded gown as blue-black Zthul-za went to his brother; unwisely per-
as a Stygian’s beard. In one hand he held a staff haps, but who’s to say?
atop which was the insignia of a player’s mask ‘Come brother, come kinsman’‚ Dja-Kai
half cast in deep dolor and half cast in mock- greeted him, ‘to my vault now and all my trea-
ing joy. His face was hidden by the drop of his sures shall be yours’.
cowl and his hands of a shade blacker than his And Zthul-za followed his brother down to
cloak. He crooned his words with an intonation his vault.
and resonance that carried a disquieting beauty.

The Ilsley Variant

42
 ‘What trickery is this?’ Zthul-za demanded was traveling in Europe five years ago when he
when Dja-Kai guided him into a chamber that came across the Mirror of Zthul-za Dûm in an
was bare but for a long mirror on the far wall. antique shop. Recognizing the mirror’s mythos
‘Do not be hasty brother’, Dja-Kai smiled, significance he purchased it and returned with
‘this chamber is but a subterfuge. The true vault it to America. On investigating the mirror he
of my treasures lies beyond the mirror‰. was contacted by Zthul-za Dûm. The ancient
And this was true; for Zthul-za found that sorcerer promised Wade great power if he as-
he could step through the mirror’s surface and sisted him in breaking the Veil of Ishtar spell
into a great vault beyond. This vault contained cast upon the mirror’s surface.
every treasure of Dja-Kai in chests and coffers Wade has conducted his own investiga-
beyond calculation. Dja-Kai waved a magnani- tions and learned that the spell is contained in
mous gesture at his brother through the mirror. The Road of Kings. He suspects that the man-
‘All of this I give to your safe keeping brother. uscript is in Roberts’ house and travelled to
All of this is yours’. And then Dja-Kai laughed a Cross Plains three weeks ago in order to obtain
dark laugh of terrible victory and Zthul-za was it. Wade is a cautious man, and up until this
haunted with disquiet. point he has not explored the dead professor’s
‘Oh brother you are a fool’, Dja-Kai roared property. Several days ago he was called back to
with terrible mirth, ‘I have drawn the Veil of Boston in connection with his legitimate busi-
Ishtar across the glass; it will not grant you pas- ness and has only now returned to Texas. Wade
sage again. Enjoy eternity in your splendid cat- has rented a large property on the other side of
acomb; watch infinity pass through the mirror Cross Plains to Roberts’ house. It is of a consid-
that entrapped you. Once I dreamed of your erable size and, again, an available map can be
murder, but I have bested that: I have orches- used from an existing adventure.
trated your damnation’.
And with that Dja-Kai turned and left and How to Play Wade
laughed. Another tale tells of Dja-Kai’s fate; it Ostensibly Wade is a charming and urbane fel-
is darker still. But from the day of his broth- low; his behaviour does nothing in itself to sug-
er’s treachery Zthul-za raged in his prison. He gest he is anything sinister. Should he become
raged for millennia. He raged for Aeons. He aware that the investigators have an interest in
raged for Epochs. He rages still.” Roberts he may volunteer to assist them in their
The dark stranger turned silently on con- work. If Wade does assist the investigators then
cluding his tale and left the king’s hall. The once the manuscript is recovered he will turn
king could not explain why the story of Zthul- openly hostile and attempt to take it from them
za troubled him so. It may have been that his by force.
mind turned to an ancient mirror that adorned If the investigators enquire about Wade lo-
his bedchamber, the origin of which he did not cally in Cross plains they will be told by mid-
know. dle class and educated individuals that he is a
pleasant enough man, but prone to eccentrici-
Stage 6: The Machinations of ties such as taking late night walks (passing the
Spencer Wade Roberts house, should investigators press this)
late at night. He also has a tendency to stay at
Despite his claims, Wade has no business con- home a great deal of the time and keep his cur-
nections with the oil industry; the recent boom tains drawn even in the middle of the day. On
merely provides him with a cover story for his the other hand, working class individuals will
presence in Cross Plains. Wade has been in- state that he is rude and aloof and feel no com-
volved in the Mythos since his university days pulsion to conceal their feelings. He has abrupt-
and is an active servant of the Outer Gods. Wade ly chastised store keepers and delivery men

The Ilsley Variant

43
 with little reason or provocation. One man, if If the investigators return from Baird with
the keeper so chooses, will tell the investigators the manuscript, or if he suspects that they have
of weird and unnatural pictures‚ he has seen in it for any other reason, Wade will invite them
the Wade house when delivering furniture. This for dinner. Once in his house the investiga-
is down to the fact that Wade is a dreadful snob, tors will be persuaded to look at a rare artefact
his manners only extend to those he deems in Wade’s study (the mirror). Wade will then
worthy of them and he is down-right rude to subject them to a magical attack supported by
those he considers beneath him. This fact may Zthul-za Dûm (see details below).
well work to the investigators advantage at the If the players have the manuscript but do not
end of this scenario. accept Wade’s invitation (or leave Cross plains
Should the investigators put a watch on Wade immediately) then Wade will cast a Summon
they will confirm that he does take moonlight Hunting Horror spell with the aim of killing
strolls past the Roberts house and, unless he is them and bringing the book back to his house.
aware he is being followed, will on the night the The public rooms of the house are decorated
investigators choose to follow him, take a walk in a decidedly modern style. Wade is obviously
into the house’s grounds; though he will not en- wealthy and owns two or three paintings that
ter the building itself. Wade does indeed spend he displays on the walls of his lounge. These are
a great deal of time at home, however the claim all modern works and any character that makes
about the curtains is an exaggeration; it is just a successful Art (painting) roll will be able to
at one of the upstairs windows (the study) that identify them as follows:
the curtains are invariably drawn. If the house Unhallowed Vortex, by Clive Kern. A swirl
is observed at night a successful Spot Hidden of green, grey and black, this painting is com-
roll will cause a perceptive investigator to no- pletely abstract.
tice a greenish light flicker momentarily behind Utopia, by Marcel Du Croix. This painting
the drawn curtains. is a futurist representation of a city in which
On the third night of the investigator’s stay vast block like buildings are portrayed with no
in Cross Plains, unless he has been informed regard for perspective or a realistic regard for
by the investigators that it is not there for some proportion. The sky above the city ripples as if
reason, Wade will enter the Roberts house. Af- it were the underside of the surface of a large
ter a period of searching he will trash the place body of water.
in a fit of rage and leave. He will not think of The Dreams of the Dead, by Henrietta
checking out the county library, but spend the Lloyd. Surrealist Dali inspired desert landscape
entirety of the following day brooding. in which mollusc-like creatures and strange
crustaceans appear to be dancing about a large
The Wade House grandfather clock which is incongruously
If the players do not go to Baird themselves, placed in the centre of the painting.
then Wade will make his own enquiries and A successful use of Cthulhu Mythos will
travel to the library and get hold of The Road enable an investigator to pick out numerous
of Kings himself. With the manuscript in his Mythos figures and references.
position he will return to his house in Cross If the investigators enter the house, either by
Plains and study the book so that he may re- invitation or otherwise, the only room of direct
lease Zthul-za Dûm. Once he is engaged in this significance to the adventure is Wade‚s study
study he will not leave the house at all. He will which is upstairs.
have food delivered from the nearby store and
if called upon he will impatiently tell visitors
that he is ill and cannot be disturbed.

The Ilsley Variant

44
The Study mirror, either directly or indirect indirectly ˆ
such as shooting at Zthul-za Dûm ˆ will have
This room is a large double bedroom which
to match their POW against the mirror‚s POW
Wade has put aside for his studies. It contains
of 20 on the Resistance Table. Only if they fail
a large heavy desk and a series of bookshelves.
to overcome the mirror‚s POW they will be un-
On one mirror there is a rectangular mirror 6
able to take aggressive action against the mirror
x 3. When Zthul-za Dûm and Wade commu-
during that round.
nicate through the mirror it emits a spectral
Usually the mirror casts a reflection as a nor-
green light; consequently Wade keeps the cur-
mal mirror. However on a successful Spot Hid-
tains closed at all times and works, even during
den roll an investigator will notice that the im-
the day, under electric light.
age in the mirror is slightly distorted, the angles
The desk is very orderly, perhaps obsessive-
of the study walls are slightly more acute than
ly so. In one of the drawers is Wade’s journal it
they are in the room itself. There are some mun-
details his explorations into the occult and spe-
dane items in the room that cast no reflection
cifically details his research pertaining to the
and some items appearing in the mirror which
mirror. The journal fills in some of Wade’s back-
do not exist in the study (SAN loss 0/1d3). It
ground and motivations. However it grants no
is up to the keeper to determine what images
Cthulhu Mythos and incurs no SAN loss. Keep-
are struck by this effect. There is no significance
ers may wish to elaborate upon its contents,
in the phenomenon; it is merely an unnerving
perhaps adding links to future scenarios.
consequence of the primordial forces at work.
The bookshelves contain an array of occult
When Zthul-za Dûm wishes to communi-
volumes including:
cate with the world beyond the mirror the glass
mists over with a thin miasma that glows with
Book of Skelos (Latin trans.), 1d6 / 2d6 SAN an eerie greenish light. When the mirror is in
loss: +10 Cthulhu Mythos. this state Zthul-za Dûm can be seen silhouetted
in the mist. Until The Veil of Ishtar spell is re-
Of Evil Sorceries Done in New England (Eng- voked no material object can pass through the
lish), 1d3 / 1d6 SAN loss: +4 Cthulhu Mythos. mirror, however spells can be cast through it in
either direction.
Remnants of Lost Empires (German), 1 / 1d3
SAN loss: +2 Cthulhu Mythos.
Stage 7: Adventure Climax
The mirror is framed with a gray / green alloy If the investigators enter the house when Wade
which cannot be identified. The frame is in- is out (or dead) they will have plenty of time
scribed with a script in some alien language (if to search it and discover all the available clues.
they have encountered it before players will rec- When they are in the study they will be watched
ognize it as the language of R’lyeh). The mirror, by Zthul-za Dûm, the keeper should decide
had it not had the Veil of Ishtar spell cast upon what the sorcerer’s actions will be at that time
it, would normally act as a Gate which could be determining what is most dramatically appro-
passed through as detailed in the Call of Cthul- priate. He may simply watch the investigators
hu Rulebook. and inform Wade of their presence when the
In material terms the mirror is no stronger financier returns. He may summon a Hunting
than a normal mirror and can be smashed quite Horror to kill the character; or bewitch one of
easily. If this is done then Zthul-za Dûm will their number with the Mesmerize spell. Alter-
be trapped in his vault for all eternity. However, natively, Zthul-za Dûm may cause the mirror to
the mirror protects itself with a powerful mes- mist over and communicate with the investiga-
merizing effect. Anyone wishing to damage the tors: he owes Wade no loyalty, and if he thinks
he can get the investigators to free him he will
The Ilsley Variant
45
 try to do so. Zthul-za Dûm could well tell the magic such as Fists of Yog-Sothoth and Shrivel-
investigators that he is Wade’s prisoner and that ling.
Wade is trying to use him in some sinister plan Although the claims made in The Mirror of
against his will. Zthul-za Dûm‚ regarding Zthul-za Dûm’s pow-
If the investigators enter the house when er are a massive exaggeration, he is nonethe-
Wade is in then they will have to either surprise less a very powerful sorcerer. Keepers should
and over power Wade, or Wade will attempt to feel free to adjust his powers in accordance with
dispose of them. Wade’s strategy will be to lure the investigators‚ abilities: they need to be chal-
the investigators into his study so that he can lenged by this mighty sorcerer, but still have the
combat them with Zthul-za Dûm’s aid (see be- chance of thwarting his plans.
low).
If they accept Wade’s dinner invitation the Stage 8: Aftermath
investigators will be invited into Wade’s study
If the police are attracted by the noise of the
after the meal and brought before the mirror.
conflict then the investigators will have to ei-
Once there Wade and Zthul-za Dûm will attack
ther make a quick escape or have some explain-
them as detailed below.
ing to do. If the players are confronted by police
Showdown with Wade and Zthul-za Dûm then they are not necessarily in as dire straits
It is very likely that the investigators, one way or as they may think. Wade’s night time wander-
another, will find themselves with Wade before ings have come to the attention of the police
the mirror in the study. Irrespective of what and despite his outward civility towards the
has happened up to this point, when Wade middle class folk of Cross Plains some of his
and Zthul-za Dûm are in a position to simul- eccentricities have been mentioned to them by
taneously attack the investigators they will do his neighbours. Wade’s rudeness to the town’s
so, and do so aggressively. The keeper should humbler folk has been picked up on by officers
keep in mind that Wade is not only a powerful too. If over the preceding days the investigators
sorcerer, but also physically strong and will not have been polite, friendly and civil towards the
shy away from using his .45 automatic (he does townsfolk of Cross Plains, then the police will
not care if gunfire attracts the attention of the be prepared to believe that Wade invited them
police, he can deal with them after he has dealt for dinner and then turned aggressive and the
with the investigators). investigators were forced to defend themselves.
The police already think that Wade is odd‚ and
The attack by Wade and Zthul-za Dûm will be the presence of modern art, occult books and a
executed as follows: weird mirror in his home will only reinforce the
First the two sorcerers will try to confuse the opinion they hold. The investigators may well
investigators; Zthul-za Dûm will cast Create have to undergo formal legal proceedings, but
Mists of R‚lyeh and Wade will utilise Memorize unless they are difficult, rude or show them-
to disrupt the party. Following this Zthul-za selves to be as weird as Wade then the police
Dûm will attempt to crush up to three investi- will have already decided that they were victims
gators with Grasp of Cthulhu while Wade will of Wade’s strange behaviour.
strike at the investigator he deems to be the
greatest threat with Fist of Yog-Sothoth. Their
exact actions over the following rounds will be
decided by how the investigators respond; but
their general strategy is for Zthul-za Dûm to
befuddle and impede the investigators while
Wade strikes at them with more aggressive

The Ilsley Variant

46
NPCs and physically powerful one investigators, will
see him as a large shadowy form enshrouded
Spencer Wade in a spectral green mist on the other side of a
STR 14 CON 13 SIZ 11 INT 16 POW 18 sorcerous mirror: hence the possibility of SAN
DEX 12 APP 12 EDU 16 SAN 0 HP 12 loss).
Damage Bonus: +1d4 Future Adventure Possibilities:
Weapons: Fist / Punch 65%, damage 1d3 + db The artist Miles Gedney is a truly gifted artist
.45 Automatic 65%, damage 1d10 + 2 and comes to the attention of a wealthy social-
Spells: Dominate, Fist of Yog-Sothoth, Mes- ite who becomes his patron. Unfortunately for
merize, Shrivelling, Summon / Bind Hunting Gedney, the patron is a Cultist who seduces
Horror. Gedney and then exposes him to the horrors of
the Mythos. Adventurers will next hear of Ged-
Skills: Bargain 30%, Cthulhu Mythos 50%, Fast ney when they read in the Arkham Advertiser
Talk 30%, Occult 50%, Persuade 40%. that at a private view of a young artist’s work
gallery goers were deeply disturbed by the un-
Zthul-za Dûm wholesome nature of the paintings. One indi-
STR 16 CON 16 SIZ 16 INT 18 POW 23
vidual has become so troubled that they have
booked themselves into the Arkham Sanato-
DEX 12 APP 12 EDU 18 SAN 0 HP 16
rium.
Damage Bonus: +1d4
Weapons: Fist / Punch 60%, damage 1d3 + db
Dr Chase contacts the investigators to assist
Sword 70%, damage 1d8 + db him with an artefact that has been donated to
Spells: Create Mists of R‚lyeh, Dominate, Dread the Miskatonic University. It is a bronze crown
Curse of Azathoth, Fist of Yog-Sothoth, Grasp bearing an engraved text in the Ilsley Variant
of Cthulhu, Mesmerize, Shrivelling, Summon / runes. Chase states that the crown is obviously
Bind Hunting Horror. a fake, but all archaeological and metallurgical
analyses indicate that it is over 10,000 years old.
Magical Artefacts: It is highly unlikely that the
investigators come into direct contact with
Zthul-za Dûm; however if they do then the sor- In an antique shop on Curwen Street a mirror is
cerer has the entire vault of his brother’s trea- displayed in the window. It troubles one of the
sures at his disposal. It is up to the keeper to investigators because it is an exact duplicate of
decide if these treasures include any magical ar- Zthul-za Dûm’s. The shop owner does not re-
tefacts that can be used against the players. Al- member purchasing the thing, and is obviously
ternatively, if the keeper decides that he needs disturbed by its presence. He will happily sell
to up‚ Zthul-za Dûm’s power to give players a the mirror for a fraction of its actual worth.
greater challenge then he could be armed with
some artefact that allows him to project some
power through the mirror at his adversaries, or Hector Ilsley’s diary is found in an otherwise
a ring which stores a battery of 10 POW / MPs. unconnected adventure. It is the ravings of a
madman or the concoction of a gifted fantasist.
Skills: Astronomy 55%, Cthulhu Mythos 65%,
Ilsley states that he was in communication with
Contrive Evil Scheme 75%, History 65%, Oc-
“science-wizards from before the age of man”.
cult 75%, Persuade 70%.
In this diary Ilsley gives an elaborate account of
Sanity Loss: 0 /1d3 (although Zthul-za Dûm is a life in which he frequently exchanged minds‚
in appearance a normal human, albeit a large with the science wizards who granted him vi-
The Ilsley Variant
47
 sions of the far future and distant past. One The Disciples of the Veiled Truth who seek to
period of the past is detailed specifically, a pro- uncover the mysteries of the cosmos through
to-European civilization existing some 10,000 communing with something they call “The One
years ago or more. This account is accompanied Between Spaces”.
by drawings of artefacts which are all marked
by an ancient script with distinct similarities to
Nordic runes. If Wade survives he can recur at any later date
either intent on gaining his revenge, or mixed
up in some other fiendish scheme.
The investigators are contacted by a wealthy As Zthul-za Dûm broods in his vault he comes
industrialist whose son has become embroiled to the attention of Nyarlathotep. The Outer God
in a strange fraternity at college. If the players will offer him his freedom in return for his as-
investigate they will discover that the fraternity sistance in some amusing game he has in mind.
is a front for an organization which calls itself

The Ilsley Variant

48
 The Confessions of St.
Augustine, Chapter CCLXVIII
A Halloween Adventure for Call of Cthulhu
Scenario and Artwork by Tim Hutchings

In this scenario the players take on the role of ing other than varying levels of loss. Try to dis-
suade the players from resigning themselves to
veteran Investigators living in semi-retirement a Phyrric victory, keep dangling the carrot of
in 1950 Connecticut. A terrible accident un- hope before them.
balances their otherwise idyllic lives and they Be fluid, play fast and loose. Don’t drag
must deal with the repercussions. scenes out, either – if you see a further com-
Player’s Information: plication let the players have what they want.
The scenario can easily play out in three or four
Your band of Investigators have led long, hard
hours.
lives doing the world one good turn after an-
other. You’ve fought eldritch evil, Nazis, dark The Characters:
things from beyond – alien threats are com- This scenario is loosely tailored be run with the
monplace to you. Through it all you’ve kept included pre-generated characters, but it can be
a tenuous grasp on your sanity and your eth- used with a handful of retired PCs from your
ics. You are good people who have done great various campaigns. After all, most of them
things, and now is your time to rest. You’ve would eventually get out of the asylum/jail/bot-
earned it, but there’s one last thing you need to tomless void and would need a place to rest. Be
do, one last project is soon coming to its culmi- generous and let the players add a significant
nation. Now lets all listen to the radio and wait amount of skill points onto their old characters
for morning… – let them add to academic and physical skills,
Keeper’s Information: not the social skills. Skills aren’t what will get
the PCs out of this scenario so let them feel like
This is a scenario driven by the players, every-
they are getting a big treat with new, spendable
thing that happens will be influenced by their
skill points.
reactions to a single horrific, accidental killing
Regardless of whether you use pre-gens or
on Halloween night. You the keeper introduce
reactivate retired PCs, there will be some con-
nothing supernatural, nothing horrific beyond
ditions which will need to be insisted upon.
that first moment – leave that to the players. It’s
The first and most important condition is that
their job to stay alive and free until 6:26AM the
the PCs are all fundamentally good people,
following morning, it’s your job to use the mun-
heartless murderers will render the conceit of
dane world to make that as difficult as possible.
the scenario a non-starter. Emphasize that the
For the imploding style of this scenario,
PCs are good people, and that they are all on
think about stories like A Simple Plan – ev-
the brink of going insane – evil actions will be
ery action has repercussions which complicate
penalized with San loss.
the lives of the protagonists. This scenario is
not easy, there are no win conditions – noth-

The Confessions of St. Augustine

49
 The pre-generated PCs are listed in their or- a decade, the PCs are part of a community and
der of importance. St. Augustine is the most in- the neighbors are friends. An initial concern
tegrated in the scenario, Ronald Vanderbentte is not annoying them, not to visibly break the
the least. bounds of propriety and lose the town’s good
faith.
The House and Possessions: The house itself is large and sturdy, if the PCs
Pre-gens or not, for safety and comaradery the want a solarium give them a solarium, if they
PCs live together in a communal home. This want a widow’s walk give them a widow’s walk.
is a “city home” in Happy Vale, Connecticut. The surrounding stone wall is tall and requires
They enjoy a half acre of grounds surrounded a Climb roll to scale, failure means the climber
by a high stone wall topped with broken glass is cut on the broken glass for 1d4 pts of damage.
and perhaps inscribed with warding runes here The only conventional way onto the grounds is
and there. The home itself is a safe house, it a gate with an electrical buzzer opening onto
has any reasonable thing the PCs should like to the front walk, and the large iron gate closing
have and many unreasonable things as well. off the drive which leads to the garage.
Let the players have whatever equipment
they want as the need evolves during play. If The Device:
the PCs want dynamite, give them dynamite. Something is keeping the players from simply
If they want a bazooka, give them a bazooka – fleeing the house and disappearing into the
they’re attic is full of bazookas. All the more night. What that exactly is should be decided
rope with which to hang themselves. Take it as by the players and the keeper working together.
a given that there are well hidden guns in ev- There should be some device or arcane ritual
ery room, that the windows can be barred by which has taken years of preparation and re-
throwing an electrical switch. Imagine the sort quires a gigantic amount of equipment to enact
of ridiculous fortress that the players would and will finally resolve its task at 6:26AM on
build if you’d given them hours to plan, that’s November 1st.
where this game will be played. Be loose, be The requirements for this imagined device is
giving, don’t be afraid to say no when they play- that it requires ALL of the characters to be pres-
ers start tailoring their requests too much to the ent at 6:26AM for it to operate. If even one per-
situation at hand. Make the players understand son is missing, the device will not work prop-
that you retain the right to veto anything TOO erly. It is up to you the Keeper if a stand-in will
unreasonable that they request, and feel free work or not. What this device does should be
as the Keeper to demand Credit Rating checks decided by the PCs and Keeper together, but
from the requesting player if you feel in doubt. it should work a medium-sized good for both
Consider allowing the players to lobby for the world and the PCs personally. The Keeper
magical items as well, but make sure that every should guide the PCs towards a Device that is
piece of supernatural gear has a damning trick important enough that the PCs will risk their
built into it that the PCs may or may not know lives for it, but not SO important that players
about. If the PCs request a spell, consider giv- will heedlessly sacrifice their PCs for it.
ing it to them – make sure the SAN loss makes Ex. An occult machine cobbled together by
casting that particular spell overly risky for a the PCs out of various bits of arcane ephem-
group like this. era, weird science, and alien technology. At
The PCs also have neighbors. Beyond the the crack of dawn it will emit occult rays which
wall is a suburb with people who don’t like guns should thwart a Deep One plot to sink several
being fired, screams being throatily released, or nearby towns under the waves of the Atlantic
people creeping about their property. Remind Ocean. Thousands of lives are at stake!
the PCs that they’ve lived in this house for over

The Confessions of St. Augustine

50
 Ex. A mysterious ritual, years in the making, Scenario Timeline
will effectively summon forth fellow Investiga-
7:30pm, the death of Toby Dulane
tors long lost in the windy spaces between the
stars. Not only will their fellows be returned to At that first moment really push the players.
the Earth, but they had important information What exactly are they doing? The children are
on the methods needed to thwart the great de- outside the gate, they look afraid – they are go-
struction threatening the Earth in the form of ing to run away. Annoyed neighbors are right
the atom bomb. now calling in noise complaints to the police.
Ex. At the crack of dawn a Rube Goldsberg
arrangement of mirrors and lenses will direct
8:15pm, the Law’s first visit
the sun’s light at a wicked Mythos object the
PCs captured long ago, banishing it to the fires Deputy Parks will stop by and ask about the
at the center of the sun. This is the only time for barrage of gunfire. He is more concerned
the next hundred years in which this task can than suspicious and a reasonable explanation
be performed… will send him away. He will warn the players
You get the idea. The REAL purpose of the against any further disturbances. If there is
device is to give the PCs a good reason to stay obvious evidence visible to him, blood on the
in the house. Craft a Device which they won’t steps or bullet splats around the gate, he will be
easily abandon. very suspicious.

Introducing the adventure: 10:45pm, Where’s the kids?

1. Read the players the Player Introduction. The parents of any missing children are becom-
2. Hand out character sheets. Emphasize that ing concerned, they call around the neighbor-
the PCs are all lifelong friends. hood asking who has and hasn’t seen the chil-
dren. The parents will quickly deduce that the
3. Explain the living arrangements for the children were last seen around the PCs house.
house. Explain that the PCs have any reason- Phone calls and visits will pepper the rest of the
able equipment that they can think of. evening.
4. Work with the players to decide on a De-
vice which needs to be attended until morning.
What does it do? How does it work? What is it? 11:15pm, When did you last see the children?
Why does everyone need to be there at dawn? Deputy Miles will call the PCs, inquiring after
5. Read the Prologue to the players. Be sure to missing children. He will be very thorough in
have them contribute as described. his questioning.

After that you enter in-game time (See text box

nearby). 12:45am, But earlier you told Deputy Miles…
Sheriff Monteclif will show up around 11:45,
shining his flashlight through the gates and be-
coming more of a nuisance.

This, of course, is a sample timeline – the sce-

nario can easily spiral wildly out of control in
many ways.

The Confessions of St. Augustine

51
 Non-Player Characters: will radio into the dispatcher and give their sit-
uation and location no matter how mundane.
The Children The PCs can monitor the police dispatches by
Toby Dulane (deceased), aged 10 making an Electrical Repair roll to jury rig a
A smart boy from across the street, he helped working short wave set or a Credit Rating roll
out around the garden on occasion and painted to have a proper radio handy.
the garage last month. This is how he learned
the trick of getting the gate open without a key. Deputy Guy Parks
Poor Toby just wanted to play a trick on the STR 12 DEX 12 INT 10 CON 10 APP 8
somewhat friendly, somewhat scary men who POW 8 SIZ 11 EDU 12 HP 10 SAN 40
lived in the big house across the street. Toby
was wearing a home-made Frankenstein cos- Skills: Climb 35, First Aid 45, Law 35, Listen
tume when the accident occurred. 35, Photography 25, Drive Auto 35, Sneak 45,
Spot Hidden 45, Track 25, Handgun 35, Rifle
35, Shotgun 30
Joyce Randall, dressed as a ghost. Aged 10. An earnest deputy and an admirer of Harry
Robbie Svenson, dressed as a wolfman. Aged 9. Dock. The PCs will first meet him when he
Stan Perlin, “I’m dressed as a dead Dracula!” comes to investigate the barrage of gunfire re-
Aged 7. ported by the neighbors. He is attentive but not
overly suspicious at first.
Joyce, Robbie and Stan are neighborhood kids,
mostly well behaved and not terribly rambunc-
tious. Throughout the adventure, have them Deputy Chuck Miles
be afraid yet placid – don’t have them physi- STR 14 DEX 11 INT 10 CON 10 APP 11
cally fight the investigators. If one escapes he POW 9 SIZ 11 EDU 12 HP 10 SAN 45
will immediately come back and try to help the
Skills: Climb 35, Electrical Repair 35, First Aid
others escape before getting help. They will
45, Law 35, Listen 35, Photography 25, Drive
ask Mpangi where Toby is, and what is going
Auto 35, Sneak 45, Spot Hidden 45, Track 25,
to happen to them. Work the PCs to make
Handgun 35, Rifle 35, Shotgun 30
them feel awful for even considering threaten-
ing these kids. And the kids aren’t stupid, don’t Deputy Miles will be working the Sheriff ’s office
treat them as such – if an opportunity to affect on Halloween night. Phone calls placed to the
the story comes up and it’s interesting, let the office will go to Miles who will then use the po-
kids act. lice radios to contact other officers. Miles will
The children have parents. Use them. The only leave the office under dire circumstances,
last house the children will be seen at will be and only then after arranging for a replacement
the PCs, send the parents over for a visit. Make from the State Troopers station.
phone calls. Watch the house, sneak onto the
grounds. Use the parents.
Sheriff Ezra Montecliff
STR 14 DEX 13 INT 15 CON 10 APP 12
The Police POW 13 SIZ 13 EDU 14 HP 11 SAN 65
Deputy Parks and Miles and Sheriff Montcliff Skills: Climb 55, First Aid 45, Law 45, Listen
are the town’s police force. A State Trooper sta- 45, Photography 25, Drive Auto 45, Sneak 55,
tion is a ten minute drive out of town and is Spot Hidden 65, Track 45, Handgun 55, Rifle
in easy radio contact with the Sheriff ’s office. 55, Shotgun 40
When entering or leaving their cars, officers

The Confessions of St. Augustine

52
Use Sheriff Montecliff when things become vered; you have seen numerous friends and ac-
more involved. Montecliff will pick up on clues quaintances die yet you have always done what
and deduce quite well. As the evening wears was right for humanity. Even now a great proj-
on, he will automatically spot clues if wander- ect is reaching its culmination… <describe the
ing the grounds or looking through the gates. Device and where it is>. A hero’s work is never
Use Montefcliff to put the pressure on the in- done.
vestigators, let him find damning evidence and Once, on an aeroplane over a certain lo-
force their hand. Montcliff is not above getting cale in the Pacific, you saw both pilots and the
the judge out of bed to force access to the prop- mechanic and your faithful native guide dis-
erty, or sneaking onto the grounds himself if he solve into a pile of amorphous limbs ringed
is suspicious enough. with mouths singing a beautifully blasphemous
song. <Go around the table, each person con-
tributes one scene of horror which they bare-
State Trooper ly survived.> You are a well-oiled survival ma-
STR 13 DEX 13 INT 11 CON 10 APP 12 chine, your group has proven resistant time and
POW 13 SIZ 13 EDU 12 HP 11 SAN 65 again to supernatural threats. Thus it was cer-
Skills: First Aid 45, Law 25, Listen 45, Photog- tainly understandable that when a gibbering
raphy 25, Drive Auto 45, Sneak 55, Spot Hidden white robed minikin with a green, snarling face
65, Track 45, Handgun 55, Rifle 55, Shotgun 40 leaped through the front door, you did what
you do best.
If any sort of stand off develops, a dozen state
After the smoke cleared, none of you were
troopers can be at the house in ten minutes. A
certain who fired the shots that rang true - you
dozen more will arrive in twenty.
are only certain that the fusillade did it’s job. In
a moment you take in the results of your de-
cisive action - the being’s disembodied face ly-
Prologue: ing on the floor near it’s twisted little hand, an
Read this to kick off the adventure.: orange plastic pumpkin still spinning on the
“Your band of academics and doughty explor- floor discharging candy in lazy arcs, one little
ers have braved numerous hazards, traveling striped sock exposed to the cool evening air, the
the world by ship, train and aeroplane. You’ve widening pool of blood. Sixty feet beyond the
plumbed the depths of the Mahachu Caverns iron street gate stands open, gathered outside
in Steu-tempe, Mexico and brought forth the you see a band of children in various novel cos-
long lost tablets of Urnu-Haight which were vi- tumes. It’s Halloween. What do you do now?”
tal in the thwarting of a Deep One clan bent on
the destruction of Elswood, Mass. You donned
experimental quasi-living respirators craft-
Ending the scenario:
ed from de-sentienated shoggoth tissue and Hopefully the players will surprise you and
climbed to the peak of Mount Everest’s invisible find a happy ending to this scenario, but they
twin, evading living sheets of blood ice the en- probably won’t. If the scenario reaches a point
tire way, all necessary to make an impression of at which there are not surprises left to spring,
a Mi-Go ice stela which was in turn presented consider ending it. Stop the game BEFORE the
to an unnameable sorcerous being in exchange big gun battle with the besieging police, stop
for the preservation of New York City from an the game before the players crash through the
unknowable curse. The librams, tomes, manu- garage door in the hopes of a mad automobile
scripts and incanabula you have donated to a getaway against all odds.
nearby university have literally filled a library.
You have fought, bled, screamed, yet perse-
The Confessions of St. Augustine
53
 Hostage situations aren’t fun, neither is play- Spells: Wither Limb, Flesh Ward
ing out every hour when nothing is happening. Latin Latin Latin. If only you’d never learned
Let the players run the clock forwards as fast as Latin. Forbidden books written in Latin are
they like, but don’t let them resign to not car- what got you involved with the Mythos and
ing about their lives after the Device is activat- you think you’d be better off if you’d been a
ed in the morning. Activating the device isn’t a stable manager like your father. Your works on
win condition, it’s still a loss if the PCs are con- Herodotus’ Histories are well respected in the
demned to lives of pain and misery in an insti- academic world, but your great passion is the
tution. book of occult lore you are writing which you
To dissuade the PCs from giving in to the jokingly call “St. Augustine’s Confessions”. If
police too easily, point out that they have bro- anyone in your group found out about it they
ken many, many laws and angered many pow- would burn the book instantely, it’s your most
erful people over their lives – they will certainly precious secret - the work of decades.
serve life in prison or worse. Consider having You’ve lived a long and lucky life for this line
an FBI “men in black” squad show up, to make of work and you appreciate that. Sure, you’ve
sure the players know that their eldritch secrets seen horrible things you can never un-see, and
will fall into the hands of those who might use you know that not only isn’t there a heaven but
them for ill. if there IS a soul then yours will be claimed by
an eyeless slug-thing hibernating in the foot-
In short, gently push the players between hills of Nepal. It was a bargain you made in
self-preservation and the good of the Device. desperation, when you were young and a natu-
Chide them along with the ethical problems ral death seemed so impossibly far away…
from the fallout of the boys accidental death. You don’t want to die. It will either be the
Remind them that one person can’t take the fall void or eternal torment by Ali-tiikall-mabdi
or go insane before the Device is activated or it the slug thing of Tibet. You want to live a long
will fail. time, you are careful. Very careful.
Your right arm is slightly paralyzed due to
an electric shock
The PCs: received while
Simon Agnew St. Augustine, wheelchair working as a
bound Professor of the Classics (ret.) telegraph oper-
ator during the
b. 1867, Bristol, UK, aged 83
Great War. You
STR 7 DEX 6 INT 17 CON, 6 APP 7
broke a hip sev-
POW 16 SIZ 11 EDU 20 HP 8 SAN 25
eral years ago
Skills: Classical Literature 68, Accounting 11, and it still gives
Anthropology 33, Archaeology 43, Drawing your problems,
32, Astronomy 19, Chemistry 18, Climb 10, you can walk
Conceal 34, Credit Rating 22, Cthulhu Mythos in short spurts,
71, Dodge 14, First Aid 50, History 72, Law 13, but prefer your
Library Use 60, Locksmith 10, Martial Arts 14, wheelchair - your
Mechanical Repair 22, Occult 72, English 90, knees and back
Latin 80, Ancient Greek 75, Italian 50, French hurt all the time.
24, Japanese 11, Aramaic 23, Hebrew 44, Elder An eye was lost
Thing (written) 13, Persuade 20, Spot Hidden to an assassin’s
45, Handgun 50, Rifle 28, Shotgun 62, Fist 56 dagger in Peoria, Simon
Illinois and four
The Confessions of St. Augustine
54
toes were lost to frostbite in the Andes Moun- will have impart-
tains, rather than wear a glass eye you instead ed some sort of
paint that lens of your glasses black. Your chest cosmic truth the
bears a tremendous purple scar amongst the children and they
soft folds of flesh, an Amazonian arrow and the will be perma-
following infection having nearly claimed your nently changed,
life in 1929. their innocence
The house has an electric lift which you use tainted. They will
to quickly go up and down the stairs and to the not become evil,
basement, saving you the great pain of walking. but will become
You like it here in Happy Vale, Connecticut. sad and worldly
You often speak at the Women’s Auxiliary club, and will seem-
lecturing them on various bits of Greek history ingly know much
- you don’t think they absorb what you say but more than they
simply like to affect an air of sophistication. should.
You like your blanket and spot by the fire,
you like working on your Confessions, you like Keep on, Keep on
knowing there is a shortened police shotgun Harold
Rolling: St. Au-
concealed under the seat of your wheelchair. gustine can get
Here in this house you shall count out your around the house
days until Ali-tiikall-mabdi claims your soul. quickly and easily. There is a stair lift which
Keeper’s notes on Simon Agnew St. speeds him from attic to basement, and should
Augustine: he need to he can walk wherever he likes – he’ll
just be unhappy about it. Don’t let St. Augus-
“The Confessions of St. Augustine” is actually a tine be pushed out of scenes and conversations
potent Mythos tome in the making. Any per- because people don’t think he could physically
son reading it will be able to cast numerous be there due to speed or accessibility.
spells and rituals. For this to fall into the wrong
hands, or to be published will be disastrous. If
the PCs should summon Nyarlothtotep and at- Harold “Harry” Dock
tempt to bargain with him, he would require b. 1892, New York City, aged 58
that the book be published unabridged and
STR 9 DEX 10 INT 8 CON 15 APP 14
would offer the PCs any reasonable solution to
POW 10 SIZ 13 EDU 19 HP 14 SAN 25
their problems to have this done. “You want
your lens to destroy the Ineffable Tetrahedron? Skills: Accounting 56, Anthropology 12, Ar-
No problem. I’ll disappear the dead child’s par- chaeology 41, Dance 21, Astronomy 11, Bar-
ents, get the sheriff off your back, and wipe the gain 48, Chemistry 11, Climb 48, Conceal 64,
minds of everyone else involved – just publish Credit Rating 47, Cthulhu Mythos 51, Disguise
that book”. 32, Dodge 54, Drive Auto 32, Explosives 44,
Fast Talk 28, First Aid 58, Geology 21, Hide 50,
Jump 52, Law 48, Library Use 29, Lens Grind-
Good stories are always scary: If left alone to
ing 34, Listen 45, Locksmith 65, Natural His-
talk with the children, St. Augustine will inevi-
tory 20, Occult 42, Operate Heavy Machinery
tably begin telling them stories to try and keep
12, French 22, German 31, Latin 21, Persuade
them amused and quiet. Unfortunately, St. Au-
20, Pharmacy 35, Photograph 48, Physics 21,
gustine is so far gone that his stories are full of
Ride 12, Sneak 48, Spot Hidden 40, Swim 28,
infinite dread and horrible truths – have Au-
Throw 41, Handgun 41, Rifle 50, Shotgun 68
gustine make a sanity check. IF HE FAILS he
The Confessions of St. Augustine
55
 (+15 if shooting skeetlike objects), SMG 42, Fist ing and considered unrecoverable. Since the
68, Grapple 29 unholy resurrection, your skin is pebbly and
You were investigating unnatural secrets for dry - go figure.
years before falling in with your fellow investi- You are laced with numerous other scars
gators. It all began with a society kidnapping, from a hundred near death experiences, and
you thought it was a fraternity prank but when have been shot fourteen times. Your neck is
the bits of the body started showing up in mail- bent at a slight angle from a failed attempt to
boxes around Queens you realized different. hang yourself, and you are missing an eye from
But the bits of strangely softened body parts self-mutilation after witnessing a women ex-
were nothing compared to the… the… entity plode into a hundred tendrils of wet, living
you managed to seal up in the basement of the slime that sang you a song so blasphemous that
City Opera House - thank goodness for dyna- you went deaf for a year. You are missing many
mite. teeth from various incidents, but wear an ex-
But that was long, long ago. Since then pensive partial.
you’ve traveled the world with these people Your great comfort is a large calibre pistol al-
you call friends, seeing one horror after anoth- ways kept within easy reach.
er. Preserving the innocent, that’s your line and Keeper’s notes on Harold Dock:
you’ve done a long, good job of it. You were What, You Forgot Where We Planted Him?:
happy to officially retire to this home in Hap- The body of Doctor Raumsveldt is buried in the
py Vale, Connecticut. It’s peaceful and quiet backyard in an unmarked grave, along with the
and you can drink yourself unconscious and no bodies of several other investigators – but don’t
one really cares. You’ve earned it: you fought mention this unless asked. It is certainly possi-
in the First World War, you saved damsels in ble that the players will wish to dig up the Doc-
distress, you’ve fled from a fifty foot high howl- tor and use the magical horn to speak with him.
ing eyeball carried on the shoulders of a hun- He can convey to them the “Resurrection” spell
dred blank-faced Chinese. Yes, you’ve definite- which will raise Toby from the dead mostly in-
ly earned some quiet time to yourself. tact. Quickly reducing the body to it’s essential
You spend your quiet days pottering in the salts will require six hours in the converted coal
garden and grinding lenses for no particular furnace and a 1d6/1d10 loss to prepare it using
purpose. You’ve learned French and like to kitchen utensils and roasting pans. Toby will
shoot skeet. You are even taking dancing les- still be horribly marked and will probably be
sons at the Wimberly Hall from a Ms. Harper. insane, but not too insane to explain to the po-
A quiet, ideal existence if you didn’t know what lice what happened.
lurked beyond the thin veil of reality.
Your chest is a mass of horizontal scars from
the time a maddened lumberjack threw you Randall “Specs” Bowler, bitter newspaper
onto a gigantic circular saw while you and your correspondent
companions were investigating a group of Wen- b. 1890, Chicago, USA, aged 60
digo worshippers in the Siberian steppes. You
STR 12 DEX 10 INT 11 CON 15 APP 8
could say it was a miracle you survived, but you
POW 10 SIZ 12 EDU 19 HP 13 SAN 29
didn’t. You died, horribly and can remember
the pain. Your companion Doctor Raumsveldt, Skills: Accounting 42, Anthropology 12, Ar-
now deceased, apparently performed a profane chaeology 23, Typesetting 55, Bargain 32, Chem-
ritual which involved baking your body down istry 12, Climb 52, Conceal 23, Credit Rating
into it’s essential salts and then reconstituting 56, Cthulhu Mythos 42, Disguise 21, Dodge 62,
you. The scars across your chest are from the Drive Auto 49, Electrical Repair 50, Fast Talk
bits that were left on the saw blade and the ceil- 20, First Aid 38, Hide 42, History 30, Law 15,
The Confessions of St. Augustine
56
 Library Use 69, Lis- space bar. A seven inch scar runs across the top
ten 34, Locksmith of your bald head, it’s perfectly straight and just
10, Martial Arts appeared one day in 1932 while you were in-
38, Mechanical Re- vestigating what proved to be a mundane witch
pair 62, Medicine cult in Germany. Now you always wear a hat,
10, Natural His- even indoors. You have been shot eleven times
tory 15, Occult 48, and nearly stabbed to death twice.
English 99, French Whenever anyone mentions the Spanish you
14, Persuade 31, fall into an uncontrollable cussing fit and make
Pharmacy 14, Pi- empty threats against the speaker. You know
lot Boat 23, Ride that this is a mental problem, but can do noth-
22, Sneak 40, Spot ing to control it, you actually hold no grudge
Hidden 55, Hand- against Spaniards and would not react violently
gun 72, Machine if you were to meet one.
Gun 32, Rifle 76, As part of your self-imposed training re-
Shotgun 38, SMG gime, you long ago became a very competent
50, Fist 70, Grapple marksman and a master of the Japanese art of
Randall 28, Kick 40 judo. You also learned how to fix automobiles
You were follow- after you were stranded in the dark near Inns-
ing up a hot lead on a series of bizarre cannibal mouth, Mass.
murders when you fell in with the other investi- Your home in Happy Vale is safe but dull.
gators. You were instrumental in helping them You know enough to never let your guard down,
escape from the kitchen dungeons of a cult of but it’s so dull… You have an amateur typog-
mad man-eaters working right in the heart of raphy set which you use to lay out the newslet-
Chicago. When you heard the stories your new ter for the church down the street - it helps idle
friends told, you realized that this might be away the hours.
your Big Chance…
But no. There are things man was not meant Mpangi Josiah West, eternal student, adopted
to know, or at least not meant to print in the son of the group
newspapers. Since your retirement from ac- b. ? Mopokai Traibe, Ivory Coast, about 40
tively thwarting supernatural evil you have be- years of age.
come a clearing house for printed information, STR 12 DEX 12 INT 14 CON 8 APP 13
the clipping house in Hartford sends a messen-
POW 13 SIZ 15 EDU 15 HP 12 SAN 33
ger over almost every day with items for you.
Corresponding with friendly but Mythos-igno- Skills: Anthropology 42, Dollmaking 30, Draw-
rant newspaper and magazine editors across the ing 44, Astronomy 14, Bargain 20, Biology 33,
nation, you discreetly work to suppress writers Climb 50, Conceal 33, Carpentry 33, Cthulhu
who are getting too close to revealing the Awful Mythos 51, Dodge 40, Electrical Repar 20, Fast
Truth. You’ve even ratted people out to the Mc- Talk 14, First Aid 41, Hide 41, Library Use 55,
Carthy administration, getting good reporters Martial Arts 15, Natural History 45, Navigate
barred from writing because of alleged affilia- 28, Occult 51, French 22, English 80, Dutch
tions with the Reds. 38, Latin 44, Ancient Greek 34, Persuade 25,
You aren’t proud of that, but it’s necessary. Pharmacy 12, Photography 18, Psychoanaly-
Your right hand was bitten off by a Deep sis 19, Psychology 31, Sneak 42, Spot Hidden
One when cultists threw you into a canal near 62, Swim 32, Throw 48, Track 38, Handgun 55,
Waukesha, Wisconsin. You type one-handed Rifle 56, Shotgun 45, SMG 24, Fist 56, Kick 31
very quickly, using the false hand to slap the
The Confessions of St. Augustine
57
 You were hired as a guide for a band of white three bullet holes and an appendectomy scar
adventurers in Cote d’Ivoire when you were decorate your torso. On your right thigh is an
about fourteen years old. You and your brothers exceedingly horrific scar received when a burn-
and many members of your tribe accompanied ing skull flew up from a chasm and latched onto
them to a mountain near Lake Tekal, a long and your leg. You wear glasses and always carry a
circuitous overland journey which made little small revolver on your person.
sense. There you saw a vast stone building lift-
ed high into the air on the back of a jungle god Petty Magics: Mpangi can trade 1 San point for
seemingly made of snakes and tentacles, in the +4% bonus to a skill roll, trading any number
mayhem you followed the white men through a of San points in this way. Have the player men-
magic door they made in the wall. tion whatever strange charm or fetish is em-
You’ve been with them ever since. You ployed in getting this bonus. Any witnessing
speak English better than most and wear West- the magic being used may be forced to make
ern dress. You have received a rather eclectic a Sanity check depending on how the magic is
education from your fellow investigators, you made manifest, the potential loss is never more
can speak intelligently about Plato in French than half of what Mpangi spent on the bonus.
and can field strip most weapons in less than
two minutes. That said, you occupy an uncom-
fortable place in the larger community of Hap- William “Bucky” Malone, spirited adventur-
py Vale - it’s a “sunset community” and all non- er and man about town
whites are required to leave the city limits each b. 1898 near Mahood Falls, Canada, aged 52
evening. It is only because of a discreet favor
STR 13 DEX 14 INT 13 CON 11 APP 14
the investigators did for the last (and now de-
POW 10 SIZ 12 EDU 15 HP 11 SAN 34
ceased) mayor that you were given an excep-
tion. Skills: Anthropology 18, Archaeology 11, Bar-
At the age of 40, you are the youngest per- gain 40, Conceal 45, Credit Rating 32, Cthulhu
son living in the house. Everyone shares in the Mythos 34, Electrical Repair 44, Fast Talk 21,
chores as much as they can, though to you falls First Aid 41, Gamble 48, Hide 38, Jump 32, Li-
much of the heavy labor others are incapable brary Use 33, Listen 55, Natural History 43,
of. This further confuses outsiders about your Navigate 51, Occult 30, Operate Heavy Ma-
place in the house, many assuming you are a chinery 44, German 44, French 23, Various
servant. Nonetheless, you are very popular Amerindian Dialects 44, English 80, Persuade
with the children in the neighborhood and of- 31, Pilot Plan 63, Psychology 32, Sneak 44, Spot
ten make them apple-headed dolls. Hidden 50, Swim 50, Track 45, Handgun 55,
You know numerous petty magics associated Machine Gun 34, Rifle 60, Shotgun 50, SMG 44,
with your native people, some of them are pure Fist 74, Grapple 33, Headbutt 44, Kick 44
superstition but other have proved efficacious
when needed. You observe many small ritu-
Bill was raised in the northern wastes of Can-
als and taboos native to your peoples, though
ada, his father was a trapper and his mother a
the irony is that you have learned about many
half-indian. When the First World War started
of them through books written by Western an-
Bill lied about his age and was inducted into the
thropologists. You left too early to have been
Her Majesty’s Army Air Corp at the tender age
instructed in the mysteries first hand.
of sixteen. He flew with distinction until he was
You bear ritual pug-pug scars which frame
shot down over German lines and made pris-
your face and criss-cross your back. Mixed
oner. The rest of the war was spent as a gentle-
in with the pug-pug are numerous other scars
from your adventures; stab wounds, burns,
The Confessions of St. Augustine
58
man prisoner, popular amongst the upper crust ins with the unknown. You lost three fingers
of the fading German aristocracy. to a dog-headed monkey in the Andalusian
After the war you returned to Mahood Falls mountains, you bear a gigantic circular star on
in Canada, to care for your ailing parents. You your chest from a razor sharp tentacle suck-
set up the first bush pilot service, retrofitting a er. You think that last happened in Syria, but
decommissioned Bleriot recon plane with pon- things are blurry. You’ve been shot at least six
toons. Lucrative mail contracts quickly fol- times and once had your arm nearly cut off by
lowed. You were well traveled, a noted gambler a battle axe. Your back is always sore and you
and adventurer, a skilled hunter and unofficial wear glasses, but you’ve held up well everything
boxing champion of the Northwestern Terri- considered. Your hand is steady and your mind
tory. You became famous as a swashbuckling quick, though you are happy living in this quiet
hero of the north - which is how you met the community in Connecticut.
other investigators. You are unmarried but considered quite the
Your introduction to the Mythos happened catch in Happy Vale despite your age. You al-
in 1926, a motley assortment of what you ways carry a small automatic pistol in a trouser
thought were novelty seeking tourists hired you pocket.
to go glacier hopping on the edge of the Arctic
Circle. No matter how much you assured them Ronald “Ronsie” Vanderbentte III, Professor
that there were no penguins in the Arctic, gi- of Achaeology (ret)
ant and albino or not, they quietly insisted on
their trip. Drawn in by the easy money and un- b. 1898, Providence, Rhode Island, aged 52
known vistas, you signed on. STR 11 DEX 12 INT 16 CON 14 APP 15
The adventure was hellish and half of your POW 9 SIZ 9 EDU 18 HP 11 SAN 38
party perished. Freakish winds forced your Skills: Accounting 22, Archaeology 55, An-
plane down into a mountain range where gib- thropology 45, Bargain 33, Biology 21, Cthulhu
bering things half snake and half man attacked Mythos 56, Conceal 44, Credit Rating 67, Drive
your group with guns that shot lightning fog. Auto 85, Fast Talk 23, Hide 44, History 34, Law
A great mound of wet bones filled a mountain 21, Library Use 67, Occult 45, French 34, Eng-
pass hundreds of lish 95, Persuade 19, Physics 19, Pilot Plane 30,
feet deep, and was Ride 48, Sneak 56, Spot Hidden 64, Throw 32,
somehow alive. Handgun 60, Machine Gun 18, Rifle 52, Shot-
That’s all you re- gun 42, Gun Can 20, SMG 41, Fist 52, Grapple
member, and the 26
hunger… You
are relatively sure
you were reduced You are wealthy and always have been. You
to eating human have relatives and money and monied relatives
flesh to survive, always working for your best interests, your life
but this and many up until 1923 was easy-peasy as you might have
other things are said. But that year you were shipwrecked on
never discussed an island in the Pacific, an island inhabited by
amongst your fel- what you now know are called “Deep Ones”.
low investigators. You lived on the island for three months, hid-
Since this ini- ing and skulking and watching the rest of your
tial meeting you yachting party being found and carried off
have had many, one by one. It was horrible. When a band of
William well-armed white men came ashore you hailed
many other run-
The Confessions of St. Augustine
59
 them as saviors, guiding them to the forbidding Things lying about the house:
temple at the islands center and helping them
slip inside. After the island sank and you re- It is helpful to make cards for these items with
turned to Los Angeles with your new friends, the information known to the PCs written on
you found you couldn’t return to your earlier them. [Hey editor, I can write up and/or illus-
life. It was hollow and vacant. trate an item cut-out page if you like]
You spent the next few decades traveling the -“An alien device which academic research in-
world fighting those who would release cosmic dicates can reanimate recently slain. To look
evil upon the Earth and picking up a PhD in upon it hurts the eyes with its impossible twists
Archaeology along the way. It was horrible, but and folds. It is incorporated into a mass of wires
you survived and did a lot of good. Now you and transistors to render it usable by humans.”
are hiding from the public eye here in Happy For the Keeper:
Vale, pleased at the prospect of living out the
rest of your life in peace and quiet. It’s impor- A successful Physics roll will reanimate the
tant that you stay out of the news, not just be- corpse of Toby (1/1d4), returning his con-
cause people might be looking for you but also sciousness to a mechanically broken body
to preserve the family name. which can never die. He can speak and move
Once you were on Pluto, transported there after a fashion, but is in continuous pain and
by a chalk mark a prison convict drew on a wall. will never heal. A failed Physics roll (1/1d6)
The man told you that it was Pluto anyways. Or will return Toby to his body to never die, but
that it WAS Pluto a hundred million years ago. he will be driven insane. Mad Toby will scream
Anyways, while there you were bitten by a fluo- forever excepting brief lucid flashes which as-
rescent orange thing somewhat like a king crab. sure the PCs that he is actually alive.
The venom left you in pain for months and the
wound never properly healed, the swollen sore “A wooden war
on your stomach constantly leaks a poisonous club of North Af-
puss and requires having the bandages changed rican make that
twice a day. Since then, you’ve been seemingly seemingly causes a
rendered immune to snake bites. person to fall into a
You wear a scarf in all seasons to cover the state of mute idiocy
hideous scar across your throat received when when struck on the
a fellow adventurer went mad and tried to mur- head. it is carved
der you in your sleep. You have a tic in your with a mishmash
left eye and are missing your left thumb, thank of words and sym-
goodness you are right handed. You are also bols, many from
missing the lower half of your left leg and walk the Judeo/Chris-
with a cane, an expensive prosethetic conceals tian/Arab holy
your disability from casual observation. works.”
Your cane is of antique manufacture and has
a single .22 calibre bullet concealed in the tip. It For the Keeper:
is wildly inaccurate and is fired by twisting the The state of idiocy
handle. You also carry a small pistol on your is induced when
person at all times. t he combine d
damage delivered
by the club beats
the victims POW
in a vs test. On a
The Confessions of St. Augustine
60
critical failure, the body is possessed by a mali- “A blessed Australian bushmen spear that is
cious demon which will make life Hell for the guaranteed to slay it’s mark. Simon St. Augus-
PCs. The PCs know that a simple tap won’t ac- tine once threw it from a biplane in flight and
tivate the clubs powers, that it requires a real skewered the pilot of a pursuing plane, over a
wallop. hundred yards away.”
For the Keeper:
“Book of Baneful Bargains, it contains the It only works on things alive, it will not auto-
means to contact a being you are sure is Nyar- matically hit and slay the manikin but it will
lothotep. It also contains an authentic looking automatically slay Nyarlothotep’s man-in-black
spell that can turn the caster into a bat, though incarnation. If used on a PC have victim make
no one has ever tested it.” a POW vs 20 versus test, if he fails he is slain.
For the Keeper:
The PCs know the book contains the spells Bat “A hermetically sealed glass vat of shoggoth tis-
Form and Contact Nyarlothotep. Both can be sue. Watch it bubble!”
cast directly from the book, spells operate oth- For the Keeper:
erwise as per the rulebook. If successfully Con-
tacted, Nyarlothotep will appear at the front If the PCs mess with this it is up to the Keeper
door accompanied by several “men in black”. what happens. Don’t have the tissue replicate
He will flash a special FBI badge identifying and start destroying the town, that would dis-
him as the head of a special branch of the FBI tract the police from the PCs. If the PCs cre-
and begin negotiations to have St. Augustine’s ate that situation on purpose, give them heavy
book published. If the PCs decide to fight him, sanity penalties for innocent lives lost. If you
see rulebook for stats. Nyarlothotep and com- decide that the scenario could liven up with a
pany will go down easy, don’t make the conflict mini-shoggoth rampaging around the base-
complicated, but he will dissolve into a un- ment while the players talk to the police, here’s
nameable thing as per the rulebook and cause your tool.
1d10/1d100 San loss and destroy the house,
ending the game. If the PCs agree to publish “A cheap suitcase full of money taken from a
the book, they MUST do it – lying to Nyarlo- cult some years ago.”
thotep is not allowed in this case.
For the Keeper:
Most of it is counterfeit.
“A blessed Australian bushmen spear that is
guaranteed to slay it’s mark. Simon St. Augus-
tine once threw it from a biplane in flight and “A Napoleonic era powder horn which can be
skewered the pilot of a pursuing plane, over a used to speak with the dead. It is chased with
hundred yards away.” silver and inscribed with the The Lord’s Prayer
For the Keeper: written in Japanese”. For the Keeper:
It only works on things alive, it will not auto- If used on an insane person reanimated by the
matically hit and slay the manikin but it will alien machine, nothing will happen – the per-
automatically slay Nyarlothotep’s man-in-black son isn’t dead. If used on Toby while he is prop-
incarnation. If used on a PC have victim make erly dead, he will tell the PCs he is scared and
a POW vs 20 versus test, if he fails he is slain. that things are hurting him. Make the PCs con-
cerned and upset. To be used, the horn must be

The Confessions of St. Augustine

61
 pressed into the navel of the dead person and a and conceal it on its person. After satisfying
San check made for handling the corpse. the simplest interpretation of the orders, it is a
completely free entity and will take on a feral
life of its own. It knows all about the PCs and
“A child sized figurine of woven reeds bearing hates them as it hates all life. Things it might do
a human skull and cowry shells for eyes. It was given free reign: Don the dead child’s costume
found locked in a wooden cage in a Polynesian and scare the PCs, forcing San checks. Lure the
village and covered in blood. The village was PCs into performing violent acts in front of the
populated by corpses, with only one lone mad- neighbors or in some way rouse the neighbor-
man still alive. In your travels, you have seen hood against them. Attempt to murder lone
a similar figurine be made to walk and follow PCs.
simple commands by pronouncing the word
dabbed on it’s forehead. It has been residing in And yes, the manikin is just about the same size
a glass vitrine in the corner of your parlor for as poor Toby.
the past fifteen years.”
For the Keeper: “A soporific powder which dazes the user, send-
ing them into a trance state for several minutes
during which they can ask a yes or no question
Hideous Manikin of a seemingly higher power.”
STR 7 DEX 13 INT 11 CON 20
For the Keeper:
APP 3 POW n/a SIZ 4 EDU n/a HP 14
This works pretty much like described. If used
ARMOR: 2pts, only takes 1pt from stabbing
on an unwilling recipient, they must make a
weapons and half damage from bullets
POW versus test against 18. An aftereffect is
San loss: 0/1d4 for Investigators, 1/1d8 for that the user is unable to lie for 4d6 hours.
non-Investigators
----------------------------
Skills: Deceptively Clumsy 40, Feral Feroc-
Sample San loss chart:
ity 50, Hide 60, Sneak 60, Listen 60, Climb 70,
Jump 40, Chitter in Darkness 45 Harming a child slightly 0/1
Weapons: Straight Razor 60% 1d4 damage Doing actual injury to a child 0/1d4
Poisoned Stab 50% 1pt damage, Pot 10 poison Rendering a child unconscious 1/1d6
causes numbness and loss of use of limb for Causing a child to die (not including Toby)
1d4 hours. This attack comes directly from the 1d4/1d8
body of the manikin and can be delivered while
grappled without penalty. Resolving to commit actions to harm a child
0/1
Garrote 50% - as rules
Permanently silencing an undying, screaming
The manikin is horribly malicious, it can be corpse 1/1d6
activated by either an Occult or Anthropology
roll. If the roll is successful, the manikin will Preparing a fresh body for the Resurrection
stiffly toddle about and follow the gist of the spell 1d6/1d10
PCs orders. If the roll is failed it will not ap- Casting the Resurrection spell - as book
pear to animate, though it will simply be play- Burning a body in the furnace 1/1d3
ing possum and will slink off as soon as it’s left
unattended. Regardless, at some point it will etc.
pick up a dangerous and scary weapon, pref-
erably a straight razor from a medicine chest,
The Confessions of St. Augustine
62
 Great Old Ones on the

Great White Way
A parody, a pastiche, a homage, a musical comedy,
a mystery, and a horror story, all in three acts.

By Joseph Isenberg

“We can even find as much pleasure in lampoon- ance. A chorus of singing, dancing Deep One
ing his [Lovecraft’s] ideas and motifs as in taking hybrids also takes a bow upon the stage. The
them at face value.” Keeper may well be tempted to play these as
- Call of Cthulhu, 6th Edition straight terror elements, however, they are ab-
solutely nothing of the sort, and cost the inves-
“What did you mean, ‘kill the actors.’ Actors tigators little if any sanity loss when appearing
aren’t animals. Actors are human beings.” in a theatrical context. They are simply provid-
“They are? Have you ever eaten with one?” ed to allow for some madcap knock-about sil-
- Mel Brooks, “The Producers” liness of the sort for which the theater of the
period is known. The actual horror comes, cru-
Keeper’s Note: cially, off-stage as the investigators must thwart
a white-slavery ring operated by a madwoman
“Great Old Ones on the Great White Way” is and some Tcho-Tcho henchmen. Originating
a scenario for a small group of starting inves- in Manhattan, this ring preys upon star-struck
tigators. In addition to being a fertile period girls from the country, and ships them off to a
for the development of horror, mystery, and horrible fate in Burma. Lest the Keeper be un-
weird literature, the 1920’s saw the perfection der any misapprehension on this point, just as
of American musical theater, perhaps one of this scenario takes plot elements from Love-
the few innovative contributions of the United craftian horror and weaves it into the plot of a
States to world culture. Composers such as Ir- Broadway musical, it takes plot elements from
ving Berlin, Cole Porter, Jerome Kern, Richard Broadway musicals, and uses them to furnish
Rogers and George Gershwin, among others, the horror.
invented what subsequently became the quint- While this scenario is set in October, 1922,
essential American musical form. The coinci- and can be played as a stand-alone scenario, it
dent flourishing of musical theater and horror can also be used as an introduction to a pub-
writing seems to call for a response. Thus, we lished campaign such as Day of the Beast, by
see in the year 2011 the premiere of “Herbert the simple expedient of substituting the theatri-
West, Re-Animator, the Musical,” at the Steve cal agent offered in the scenario, Sterling Han-
Allen Theater in Los Angeles. In the same vein, sen, for the theatrical agent found in the first
this scenario is offered to divert both Keeper part of Day of the Beast, Herb Whitefield. Giv-
and Investigator alike. en that Julius Marsh is one of the Innsmouth
As the scenario is written, there are, con- Marshes, the scenario can also serve, as writ-
tained within the context of a musical the- ten, for an introduction to Escape From Inns-
ater production, a number of standard Call of mouth. The date can be modified as needed
Cthulhu tropes. A hitherto unknown artistic to fit the chronology needed for that purpose.
branch of the Marsh family makes its appear- The scenario also draws upon some of the ideas
Great Old Ones on the Great White Way
63
 presented in the source book, Secrets of New brids also attend Julius’ shows faithfully, though
York and can be used to draw investigators into usually heavily disguised.
a campaign centered on that city. So far, all of Julius Marsh’s shows have been both
Theatrically minded Keepers have many op- artistic and commercial failures, catastrophi-
portunities in this scenario to “ham it up” for cally bad. His accountant, Irving Kaminsky,
the entertainment of the players. There are a has pointed out a less ethical alternative. Not-
fair number of closely scripted scenes which ing that investors raise questions about success-
hearken back to well-known Broadway theat- ful shows, but rarely audit failures, Kaminsky
rical productions. A few snippets of songs are points out that producers of flops can effective-
presented in the text, and a longer song is in- ly keep any money left over. Thus, a low budget
cluded in the handouts for the Keeper to work dog may make more money than a high budget
through. hit. The problem becomes how to produce a
The scenario is probably best conceived of musical show so terrible that no audience will
as three or four acts. An introduction and gen- wish to see it.
eral investigation can be followed with a scene In the quest for the perfect failure, Marsh
at Mrs. Reardon’s boarding house, and an- and Kaminsky have engaged the services of a
other at the Marsh Theater. After the players very disturbed writer, Phipps Howard, of Cos
have worked through and either solved, or not Cob, Connecticut. Howard has produced a se-
solved, the very simple mystery provided, the ries of stories based on some alarming dreams
Keeper can show them what becomes when he has had, and some fairly good poems set to
Julius Marsh stages a play. The scenario ends music.
with a cast party which ties down a number of These horror stories have been turned into a
loose details, and bleeds into a dream sequence comedy, albeit a comedy in distinctly bad taste,
in which the Keeper may hand out sanity and by some of Marsh’s disreputable theater associ-
other rewards and penalties. ates. The whole play, set in ancient Rome, to
take advantage of some available sets and cos-
Plot Synopsis: tumes, has been called “The Stars are Right.”
Julius Marsh, one of the Innsmouth Marshes Phipps Howard does not know the extent to
who has not yet undergone the metamorpho- which his original, serious, work has been man-
sis into a Deep One hybrid, is trying to make gled by Marsh and Kaminsky. When he finds
a small fortune. His method is to start with a out, he will be upset. The composer, Zann, is
large fortune, and then doing shows on Broad- very nearly as disturbed as Howard.
way. These are uniform failures, and the news Marsh, who knows that more than just a bad
“Julius Marsh is doing a show,” is now greeted script and tuneless music are needed to ruin
with hoots of derision. As the scenario is writ- a production, has hired some of the worst ac-
ten, Julius carries the Innsmouth taint, and tors and dancers he can find, using the servic-
wants only a little more stress of failure in order es of a theatrical agent named Sterling Hansen.
for it to become complete. His relatives, waiting Hansen has referred two English immigrants
for the transformation, are happy to support his to him, Elsie Johnson, and Sue Lancaster. El-
efforts in the theater, and fund his shows rou- sie Johnson has no discernable talent at all, and
tinely. In addition, even though Deep One hy- has simply accompanied her friend Sue to the
brids in general, and the Marshes in particular, United States. Sue, on the other hand, has gen-
are insane, and evil, they are also a product of uine talent. Marsh has, accordingly, cast Elsie
the cultural milieu in which they were raised, in the lead female role, and consigned Sue to
and so occasionally enjoy a good night’s enter- the chorus and an understudy role. Sue’s tal-
tainment on the town. Thus, the Deep One hy- ent may or may not be supernatural in origin,
and there are some subtle hints that she may be
Great Old Ones on the Great White Way
64
more than she appears. This is left for the Keep- clients. Other investigators may be former cli-
er to resolve. ents, or relatives of clients. He has, on occa-
Elsie and Sue have lodged at the boarding sion, been known to hire private investigators
house of Mrs. Alice Reardon. Unbeknownst to track down errant clients in need of closer
to either of them, Mrs. Reardon has for some supervision.
years been drugging unsuspecting girls new to Investigators making Know rolls will recol-
the city, and sending them overseas in a white- lect that Schlockwitz’ deli is near enough to the
slavery ring. With the help of two Tcho-Tcho theater district to be favored by the casts and
assistants, Reardon places the victims on a ship, crews of the musical theater productions of
which hauls them to eventual death in Burma. Broadway. It is not unheard of for producers or
Mrs. Reardon, seeing Elsie and her lack of tal- composers of such shows to appear in the place,
ent, surmised that she would be nothing more either.
than a chorus girl, if that, in Marsh’s produc- Should the investigators accept, they will
tion, and so has kidnapped her. This has turned find Hansen waiting for them in a booth dis-
out to be a serious mistake, as Elsie has been creetly off to one side. After only the slightest
cast in a major role, and so her disappearance preliminary greetings, the party is interrupted
has not gone unnoticed. Mrs. Reardon has de- by two men who enter the deli, in an animated
cided to lie her way out of it, and is currently conversation about something. It is impossible
holding the girl in a ‘Chinese’ laundry operated to miss what they are saying, as their conversa-
by the Tcho-Tcho servants on the ground floor tion is quite loud. The older of the two men is
of her property. tall, and immaculately dressed in a dark busi-
When the scenario opens, on Monday, ness suit, elegantly fitted dress shirt, and a cra-
30 October, 1922, the Investigators are sum- vat rather than a tie. He has beautifully shined
moned by Sterling Hansen, a theatrical agent, shoes, and spats. His dark hair is well greased
to Schlockwitz’ delicatessen, a place well known down, and he has a thin mustache, also thor-
to the New York theatrical set, where he will set oughly waxed. The younger man is shorter, and
them to work on the problem of finding Elsie pear-shaped. He has thinning dark hair, and is
Johnson, preferably before the curtain rises on carefully shaved. His business garb, while cor-
Marsh’s new musical, on Halloween Night, 31 rect, is much less expensive and less well cared
October, 1922. for. He sports a yarmulke. Any investigators
with a theatrical background may have roll
Beginning Play: against Know x1/2 to recognize the taller man
as Julius Marsh, a rather unsuccessful theatri-
The investigators, who may or may not be
cal producer. His venue, the Marsh Theater, is,
known to one another, have been invited to
in fact, directly across the street from the deli-
have lunch with a casual acquaintance, Sterling
catessen. One or another of the pair exudes a
Hansen, at Schlockwitz’ delicatessen, at noon,
faintly fishy smell, as though a cod filet has been
on Monday, 30 October, 1922. Each received a
kept past its prime.
note, very brief, asking for the meeting, and ex-
The conversation of the pair ought to be act-
plaining that Hansen wants help with a delicate
ed out for the investigators:
problem. (Handout 1) (As mentioned in the
introduction, if the Keeper wishes to run Day of
the Beast at some point, Herb Whitefield may
“Allentown,” says the taller, “Allentown?”
be substituted for Sterling Hansen. Sterling is
“That’s what the landlady said, Julius, she
a theatrical producer, and has a wide range of
went back to Allentown last night,” says the
acquaintances. Singers and dancers are likely
shorter.
to be well known to him, and may well be his

Great Old Ones on the Great White Way

65
 “Yeah, well, that land lady is a crazy old bat tions invariably open and close quite quick-
anyway. Gives me the heebie jeebies. ALLEN- ly, however, Marsh always pays and pays well
TOWN? Where the hell is Allentown anyway?” while they do last. Hansen is entitled, as the
“In Pennsylvania, Julius” agent for Elsie, to a percentage of her wages,
“I know that, Kaminsky. What I mean is, which will not be insignificant. He wants the
who the hell GOES to Allentown. People only investigators to find Elsie, bring her back to the
come from there. It’s kind of like Innsmouth— theater, hopefully able to open tomorrow at 8
I came from there, and I sure as hell don’t want PM. If she is not there, he is out his commis-
to ever set foot in the place again unless I abso- sion. Like Marsh, he is skeptical that she left
lutely have to.” town, but has no other information to go on.
“No, Marsh, I guess people wouldn’t want to He suggests that the investigators might find
go back unless they had to.” last minute jobs at the Marsh Theater, as people
“Then why, Irving, why did she do it? The are always coming and going from work there.
production starts tomorrow, at 8 PM sharp. Marsh has produced a string of absolute flops,
Why go now?” but always seems to come back for more. The
“It was all going too beautifully too, Julius. I other man with Marsh is his new partner, Ir-
expect we will have to cancel the show. With- ving Kaminsky. Kaminsky handles the busi-
out the leading lady, we can’t put on the show ness end, while Marsh handles the talent. They
can we?” have found a writer named Phipps Howard to
“Irving, Irving, you have a lot to learn about write the book, and a small-time composer
the business yet. Think of the show. Think of from Germany named Zann to write the mu-
the music, and the songs, and the dances. We sic. If anything is to be done, it has to be done
can’t cancel that now. Think of the three most quickly. Hansen can meet their expenses, and
beautiful words in the English language: pre- will pay each investigator $20 dollars now and
paid ticket sales! We can’t give that up now. an additional $20 if Elsie is found. In addition
Especially that. Especially now. Look, after to the money, Hansen gives each investigator
lunch, go back to the theater. Get Elsie’s friend a slip of paper with the address where Elsie is
Sue Whasis out of the chorus. Tell her she has staying, the Boarding House of Alice Reardon.
the leading part, and she has from now until 8 Hansen knows Mrs. Reardon as a very harmless
PM tomorrow to learn it.” but eccentric old lady. The other woman men-
“Julius, do you think she will be ready?” tioned, Sue Lancaster, is not one of Hansen’s cli-
“Of course not! But, after all, is that such ents, but may also be staying there.
a bad thing? This is her big break, and ours,
just not quite in the same way. Don’t expect me At this point, the investigators have several
back to the theater right away. I have an ap- options, including a visit to the Marsh Theater,
pointment with the Widow Belmont.” or following Irving Kaminsky, who goes direct-
“Don’t we have enough money, Julius?” ly back to the Marsh Theater; following Julius
“Irving, you are an accountant for chris- Marsh; public record or newspaper research on
sakes—is there EVER enough money?” Julius Marsh and the Marsh Theater; or track-
The pair enjoys a hurried lunch, and will ing down one of the other individuals men-
quickly scurry off on their respective tasks. tioned—Sue Lancaster, Phipps Howard, or the
In the meantime, Sterling begins a quiet, but composer Zann.
brisk, explanation. He quickly explains that
one of his clients, Elsie Johnson, has gone miss-
ing. She had been cast to star as the leading
singer in the new Julius Marsh musical come-
dy, “The Stars Are Right.” Julius Marsh produc-
Great Old Ones on the Great White Way
66
At the Marsh Theater: He agrees with Hansen that the disappearance
is a bit odd. He will sweeten Hansen’s pay offer
Directly across the street from the delicates- by an additional $20 each if they can find her
sen, the Marsh Theater is not the most valu- by 7 PM tomorrow. He doesn’t believe the Al-
able theatrical property in the City, nor is it the lentown story anyway, and suggests that the in-
most run-down. Posters of the various Marsh vestigators start there. If the investigators want
productions over the last several years line the to ask questions, they are free to do so, but they
foyer, which is in need of renovation, but spot- had better do so quickly, as the show goes on
lessly clean. The Marsh productions staged here tomorrow, promptly, and things are going to get
include “The Laughing Queen of Scotland: A very busy very quickly. He rummages around,
New Musical Comedy about MacBeth;” “Oh and gives the investigators Elsie’s address, if
Poo!” Most recently, a Roman play, “Kickin’ they don’t have it already.
the Coriolanus” was also staged here. It is very On the way out of the office, each investi-
improbable that any of the investigators will re- gator speaking with Irving may make one Spot
member these one-day wonders. Hidden roll. With success, the investigator
Should the investigators seek work, they will pauses to pick up a handwritten note on a scrap
find that there are indeed vacancies, for stage of paper, which says simply: “Chorus arrives 10
hands, owing to two unfortunate deaths. There PM Monday, Gangplank, West Street 110.”
are also vacancies for chorus dancers and sing- There are many scripts and scores of the pro-
ers. Irving Kaminsky will have a very brief in- duction lying around the theater unattended.
terview with anyone who wishes to find work, If the investigators think to peruse either, they
and will invariably hire them at $7.50 per day, find nothing of interest. “The Stars Are Right,”
for as long as the show lasts. is incredibly bad. Indeed, a malicious Keeper
If asked about the recent death, Kaminsky, may wish to impose a 0/1d2 SAN check owing
or just about anyone else who is asked will say to the severe amount of drivel that an investi-
that Judson Fry, a recent arrival in the city from gator may have to wade through. Similarly, the
Oklahoma, was a stage hand and carpenter on music of the show, while highly modernistic
the set. While leaving work, Fry, unused to and atonal, is playable, and nothing unusual.
the big city, did not look where he was going Sue Lancaster is at the theater, and if the in-
while crossing the street, and so was hit by the vestigators want to speak to her, Kaminsky will
truck from the laundry service used by the the- allow them fifteen minutes tops, as he has to get
ater. Fry also had only one eye, as the result of her ready for the part as soon as possible.
an injury some years back and so probably had
vision problems that didn’t help matters. The Sue Lancaster’s Story:
other stage hand vacancy came about when
one of the laborers on the production, Wil- Sue Lancaster is a tall, possibly blonde woman,
liam Bigelow, decided to stage a hold up, and with an unusually full figure, which cannot be
was shot. In both cases, the police suspected entirely disguised according to the fashion of
nothing wrong and closed the cases. The news the day with the available technology of 1922.
made all the papers at the time. Insight or Psy- She is friendly, helpful; entirely willing to an-
chology rolls will reveal that Kaminsky is un- swer questions, and has the charming (or an-
happy about these developments, but is telling noying) habit of calling everyone ‘dearie,’ at
the truth about them. least once every few minutes. She speaks with
Should the investigators wish to speak about an English accent, which, while not exactly
Elsie Johnson, Kaminsky will be more than a lower class, is far from posh.
little relieved to see them. He also wants to find She arrived from England with Elsie John-
Elsie, and put her back on the stage if he can. son about three months ago, at the end of July,

Great Old Ones on the Great White Way

67
 from London. (“That’s in England, dearie”.) Sue With this, Irving Kaminsky ushers the in-
had always wanted to pursue a career on the vestigators out of the room, and takes Sue away
stage, but had been reluctant to do so in Britain. for rehearsals.
Elsie offered to go along and keep her company,
even though Elsie had never had much interest Public Record and Newspaper
in singing or dancing before this time. The two Research:
had shared a flat in Chelsea, a London suburb;
Elsie had had a huge number of gentlemen call- Should the investigators undertake research on
ers, and survived on their kindness, though Sue Julius Marsh, they will find that he purchased
declines to elaborate on this point. the Marsh Theater in early 1919, and invested
Sue and Elsie took up two apartments at considerable sums in renovation. The investi-
Mrs. Reardon’s flat, and Mrs. Reardon suggest- gators may seek to contact the Marsh Refining
ed they look for work in the theater district. Corporation mentioned in the article; if they do
Mrs. Reardon introduced Elsie to Sterling Han- so, one or another of the employees will state
sen; in August, Mrs. Reardon took Sue to Julius simply that Julius continues to have the full
Marsh directly when Mr. Marsh announced his support of the family, and that the family looks
new play. Sue was amazed when she and Elsie forward to attending the opening night perfor-
both found work in the new Marsh production mance.
of “The Stars are Right.” Elsie seemed to have Research in any public library will reveal,
some flair for this after all, and so Mr. Marsh with a successful Library Use roll, the articles
cast her as the lead singer. Sue was happy to get found in Handouts 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, and 10.
a part in the chorus. Sue is not envious at all, Each article will take a separate roll to find, and
and is glad of her friend’s success. the expenditure of 15 minutes of time times
Sue was surprised, (“so surprised you could 1d4. (In other words, each article takes any-
knock me over with a feather, dearie,”) when where from fifteen minutes to one hour to find,
Mrs. Reardon said that Elsie had gone to Allen- as they are all quite recent, and not the four
town. “That’s odd, dearie. As far as I know, she hour search called for in the standard rules.)
has no family there, and has never been there.” Researching the background of Alice Rear-
It was also odd for another reason. Over the don is a bit trickier, as she has led a quiet life for
last three months, Elsie has become rather nearly fifty years now. A search of the public re-
sweet with one of Mrs. Reardon’s Chinese laun- cords reveals that she purchased her boarding
drymen, Mei Thieu, and so Sue did not expect house in 1874. A search of the public library for
her to leave just now. Mei Thieu and Elsie were news articles will take the standard four hours
sort of thrown together after the Judson Fry ac- and a Library Use roll, and reveal a clipping file
cident; Mei Thieu had offered Elsie a ride in containing the different items of Handout 6.
the laundry delivery truck, and was distract- The articles concerning Marsh are all listed
ed when the old Ford hit Judson. “The whole as being in the New York Weekly Messenger,
thing was very sad, dearie. I guess the two con- described more fully in the Chaosium supple-
soled each other as best they could.” ment, Secrets of New York. If the Keeper wish-
Sue thinks her landlady Mrs. Reardon is a es, any other newspaper can be substituted, as
little eccentric and perhaps a little confused all of the newspapers of the city maintain a the-
now in her old age—that may explain the Al- ater correspondent and cover the subject fully.
lentown business. Elsie may have left to go on The theater reporter for the Weekly Messenger,
a tryst somewhere, but Mei Thieu is still at the H.L. Steyn, is a short, stocky man, with red-
business, so it is hard to say what has happened. dish hair and a beard trimmed to look like that
“Perhaps Mei Thieu has a room somewhere of King George V of England. Steyn is in the
else, dearie; it has been known to happen.” Weekly Messenger offices if the investigators

Great Old Ones on the Great White Way

68
think to check, and will happily swap Marsh leave the building, and across the street into the
gossip. He will be quite interested to learn of park, where they eventually settle down for a
the disappearance, and that Elsie was staying at nice luncheon.
the Reardon Boarding House. A quick confer- Investigators may attempt Hide rolls to find
ence with the police and court beat reporter will a place to eavesdrop. If they succeed, they may
reveal that the police have received a number of listen to the conversation between Mrs. Bel-
complaints of missing women in the area over mont and Marsh. If they fail, they will encoun-
the last several years, but have been stymied. A ter the butler, Blathers, who will come over, and
few drunks have claimed to hear screams com- ask one of the investigators, “May I help you
ing from the Burmah Star, a ship docked in that with something, Sir?” Of course, if Blathers is
section of the island. Should the investigators unsatisfied with the answer, he will summon
call police, they will find the officers unusual- the police to move the investigators along un-
ly uncooperative, dismissing the whole thing as der threat of general mopery charges.
the disappearance of slatternly girls who have On the other hand, should an investigator
run off from a bad situation, and the over eager think to engage the servant in forthright con-
ravings of a few drunks. versation about Marsh and his doings have the
Steyn, if asked, will also suggest that Marsh investigators make a Credit Rating, Fast Talk or
has been raising a great deal of money from so- Persuade roll. Should an investigator succeed,
ciety widows for this latest show; far more than Blathers will reveal his own misgivings about
has ever been raised for a Broadway produc- Mr. Marsh. For some weeks now, Marsh has
tion. He always thought it would be a good been calling upon Mrs. Belmont and persuad-
scam to pull—investors never audit a failed ing her to part with sums of money as an “in-
Broadway show, only a success. So, one could vestment” in a theatrical production Marsh is
put on a low budget failure, and raise a lot of cooking up. Blathers, a fount of information
money, and keep it. He does not know whether about the city, knows that Marsh’s shows rarely
Marsh is doing this routinely, or not. Certainly, last long, and Blathers is afraid that Mrs. Bel-
there are a lot of failures at the Marsh Theater. mont may lose a substantial sum of money. In
comparing notes with other servants of elder-
Following Julius Marsh: ly ladies, for example, the butler of one of the
Vanderbilt widows; and the lady companion
Should the investigators follow Julius Marsh, he
of a maiden aunt of one of the Astors, Blath-
will stop at a flower stand and purchase some
ers has discovered that Marsh has been collect-
inexpensive flowers, then walk up Seventh Av-
ing money from a lot of susceptible and lonely
enue to Central Park South, and then along to
old women. Blathers is uncertain of how much
one of the fancy apartment buildings that line
money is involved, but he has evidence that at
Central Park. Eventually, he will arrive at a
least $100,000 has changed hands so far. “Sure-
building containing the home of Mrs. Anson
ly it doesn’t cost that much to stage a song and
Belmont, a wealthy widow whose husband, a
dance show,” Blathers muses. In comparing
distant relative of the late financier, was killed
notes with the other servants, about the shares
during the sinking of the Lusitania. Mrs. Bel-
of the show that have been sold so far, Blath-
mont has been rarely seen in public recently,
ers suspects that Marsh has sold about 2000%
but is very elderly anyway. Marsh will go in
of the interest in it. This could be a problem, he
the apartment, and emerge a few minutes later
points out. He hasn’t gone to the police part-
with an elderly woman. (An Idea roll can iden-
ly because he is not certain of what to do, and
tify this as Mrs. Belmont, who was in the past
partly because he does not wish to cause a scan-
a well-known society figure.) They are accom-
dal in society. He is determined, however, that
panied by a butler, carrying a basket. The trio
something should be done.
Great Old Ones on the Great White Way
69
 Whether or not the investigators converse lodgings. Rent is very cheap, but payable for
with Blathers, if they remain hidden, they are two weeks in advance. Mrs. Reardon also fur-
able to hear the following snippet of conversa- nishes laundry services as part of the rent to the
tion between Marsh and Mrs. Belmont. tenants, and large laundry hampers are provid-
Marsh: “Just make the check out to the name ed for each room. She is able to do this as she
of the show, dearest.” rents a ground commercial space in her build-
Belmont: “What was the name of the show ing to two “Chinese” laundrymen, Mei Huan
again, Marshy Warshy?” and Mei Thieu.
Marsh: (cringing) “Cash, just Cash” Mrs. Reardon spent her early years in a stage
Belmont: “That is an odd name for a show. career, during the infancy of American musi-
Marsh: “Yes, a really modernistic sort of cal theater in New York City. As she is proud
thing we are putting on.” of saying, and will relentlessly remind everyone
willing to listen, she was the “second girl on
At the Boarding House of Alice the First Flying Velocipede.” That was in 1869
Reardon: or thereabouts. Now aged seventy-five, Mrs.
Reardon collects her rents and reminisces.
“Never cross Sixth Avenue if you can help it. This Because of her earlier profession, Mrs. Rear-
assumes that you are on the East Side to begin don has tended to specialize in tenants seek-
with.” ing work in the theaters of New York. She is ac-
“What caused you to come up with that?” quainted with most of the theatrical agents and
“Experience” producers of the city, who tolerate her with a
sort of bemusement. She happily refers ten-
- William A. Rusher, “Rusher’s Third Law,” as ants to the agents and producers she knows, and
quoted in “National Review” generally keeps abreast of opportunities. She
Mrs. Reardon’s boarding house consists of will also happily help her tenants rehearse, or
three adjoining tenement row houses on the offer acting, singing, or dancing pointers. Her
south side of West 42nd Street, between Dyer own talent is, in fact, pitiful, but she needs only
Avenue and Ninth Avenue. These proper- to know more than the students she purports to
ties, right on the fringe of the Hell’s Kitchen instruct. Though devoid of talent herself, Mrs.
neighborhood, have been purchased at differ- Reardon has a fair eye for spotting talent, and
ent times, and linked up by removing partition carefully nudges her boarders in the direction
walls, to make one large structure. Reardon’s she thinks they ought to go.
Boarding House caters to young, single, women All of this activity covers a more sinister op-
who have come to the big city from elsewhere eration. Kindly Mrs. Reardon is, in fact, quite
in search of fame, fortune, or both. insane, and is operating a white slavery ring on
While fame and fortune, and the search for behalf of a rather sinister Chinese smuggling
those, are understood to be part of the equa- operation, loosely supervised by a San Fran-
tion, older relatives of the lodgers can rest as- cisco criminal named Lang Fu. In 1870, Mrs.
sured that frivolity, frolics, and, especially, for- Reardon fell into the clutches of this organiza-
nication, are not tolerated by Mrs. Reardon. tion and was, literally, shanghaied to Shanghai.
Alice has very strict rules which she expects There, it was decided that rather than simply
the lodgers to keep. A strict curfew is in force; use her for immoral purposes, she would be re-
the doors locked after hours. Also, gentlemen turned to the United States with two Tcho-Tcho
callers are allowed only in the downstairs par- minders, in order to have a steady supply of vic-
lor area, and only with a chaperone. (This is tims.
usually Mrs. Reardon.) Even one or two vio- Since that day, Mrs. Reardon has retired
lations will find the offender looking for new from the stage, and has kept a low profile. She
Great Old Ones on the Great White Way
70
is, in fact, not really scouting for talented show business loading a cargo for Rangoon, or points
girls whose disappearance would raise ques- along the way. This process may take several
tions, but, instead, for talentless buffoons, pref- days or weeks. Eventually, the ship sails away to
erably with no living relatives, whose disap- Rangoon, delivering the victim to agents in that
pearance is easily attributed to immorality or city, who forward the hapless soul to the Tcho-
disillusionment with the cold, hard, reality of Tcho in Tibet for an unspeakable fate.
theatrical life. Mrs. Reardon’s latest victim was Elsie John-
When she finds such a victim, Mrs. Reardon son. Elsie seemed to meet most of the qualifi-
works to gain the confidence of the poor, unsus- cations. She had no living relatives in the Unit-
pecting girl, inviting her for tea and sympathy, ed States, having only recently come from to
or, occasionally, for medicinal brandy. The bev- the city with her friend Sue Lancaster. She had
erage is, eventually, heavily dosed with a poison no discernable talent and no prospect for suc-
made by Mei Huan and Mei Thieu, from secre- cess. Given that, Mrs. Reardon had no diffi-
tions of the Burmese cane toad, which the pair culty sending her to Julius Marsh to audition—
keeps as pets in their laundry office. Mei Huan Marsh productions never last longer than a day
and Mei Thieu, the grandsons of the original or two anyway, and cast and crew come and go.
Tcho-Tcho minders, then swing into action, Reardon thought Marsh would find a spot for
taking the victim away in a large laundry ham- Elsie in the chorus. Mrs. Reardon did not real-
per, which they deliver to a ship in the harbor. ize, until too late, that Marsh had cast Elsie in
This vessel, the Burmah Star, belongs to the leading female role, for reasons that were
the New World Lines, a subdivision of New utterly inexplicable. Sue, on the other hand,
World Industries. An elderly and dilapidated clearly seemed destined for at least modest suc-
scow, the Burmah Star plies an irregular route cess, and so Mrs. Reardon left her strictly alone.
between New York City and Rangoon, with Elsie, despite being the lead female singer in
stops as required along the way. It is one of the Marsh show, was kidnapped, and this has
many ships belonging to New World Lines run- caused complications. Mrs. Reardon has told
ning to and from New York. The laundrymen, an ultimately unsustainable lie, saying that El-
Mei Huan and Mei Thieu have a lucrative con- sie has gone back to Allentown, Pennsylvania.
tract to provide service to these vessels in New Any investigation at all will pierce this fabrica-
York, thus providing a legitimate front for more tion.
sinister operations. Further complicating Mrs. Reardon’s life is
The Burmah Star, with a rather odious-look- the fact that Mei Thieu has conceived an over-
ing crew of Tcho-Tcho hybrids, has an unsavory powering lust for Elsie, which is the closest thing
reputation on the waterfront of the city, though he can manage to romantic love. He has argued
no one can exactly explain why. Some of the va- with Mrs. Reardon about the matter, and with
grants who live on the wharves claim that they Mei Huan. When the scenario starts, this argu-
can hear muffled screams coming from the ship ment has led to the laundry basket containing
and that it is haunted, but no one has taken the Elsie being kept in the laundry, rather than be-
tales of worthless drunkards seriously. ing shipped off to the docks.
When Mrs. Reardon has identified and Should the investigators visit Mrs. Reardon’s
drugged a victim, Mei Huan and Mei Thieu boarding house, they will immediately notice
carefully place the unfortunate in a large laun- something is wrong. Despite being an elderly
dry hamper, which they then deliver, in the or- Caucasian woman, with a mix of red and grey
dinary course of business to the ship. This may hair, Mrs. Reardon affects the dress and man-
take a day or two. The Burmah Star’s crew locks nerisms of a Chinese noble woman of the last
the laundry hamper, victim and all, in a cell in century. She dresses in elaborate silk gowns,
the hold of the ship. The ship then goes about its and speaks with a voice accented as though
Great Old Ones on the Great White Way
71
 she were a caricature of a Chinese speaker of this up, it will be found to have traces of a white
English. Thus, she will regale the investiga- powdery substance on one side. This was the
tors with the tale of being the “second gill on means by which Mrs. Reardon delivered dose
the fiwlst frying verocipede.” Should Mei Huan of cane toad poison into Elsie’s drink. Should
and Mei Thieu appear, she will address them the investigators analyze this residue or have it
in an oriental language, which turns out to be analyzed, it will quickly be revealed to be some
Aklo, should the investigators understand that sort of toxin, very poisonous. Should a quick
tongue. A scholar of oriental languages may at- thinking investigator have a comparison made
tempt to understand what is said at one-tenth to a known sample of cane toad secretions, then
of his chance to understand Chinese, Hindi, or the two chemicals will be found to be the same.
Tibetan, and will, in any event, recognize that Should the investigators mention to Mrs.
the language spoken is NOT any with which he Reardon that Elsie did not, as she suggested, go
is familiar. Should a character ask, Mrs. Rear- to Allentown, and, in fact, has never been there,
don will attempt to pass the conversation off as then they will be treated to a prize winning
being in Han Chinese, which is clearly a false- performance as Mrs. Reardon babbles, stum-
hood to anyone trained in that language. bles and collapses on a couch. Mei Huan will
Mei Thieu will try to sabotage the keeping quickly usher the investigators from the house,
of Elsie, should he understand that the investi- claiming that the lady is not well, and will need
gators have come to the house in search of her. to rest. The investigators will not, of course, be
He will do this by dropping and releasing a box allowed to come back later.
of five Burmese cane toads into the parlor, and After stumbling around with the toads, Mei
then clumsily chasing them around while Mrs. Huan and Mei Thieu will return to their laun-
Reardon berates him in Aklo and the accented dry, where they will continue to argue. If in-
English for his ham-fisted behavior. Each in- vestigators think to follow them, and search the
vestigator should engage in a contested DEX/ laundry, they will find a back closet, containing
DEX roll, in which the toad is deemed to have a single laundry hamper. In it, they will find
a Dexterity of 15. Should an investigator catch Elsie. Should the investigators think instead
one of the critters, he will find the toad exudes to observe the building, Mei Huan and Mei
a slippery white substance from its back. Mrs. Thieu will very quickly bring a truck around,
Reardon will immediately tell the investigator into which they will load the laundry hamper.
to wipe his hands, then conduct the investiga- They will drive this vehicle straight down 42nd
tor to the bathroom and tell him to wash his Street, to the pier where the Burmah Star is
hands at once. She explains that the toads are docked. Other Tcho-Tcho crewmen will load
kept by the ‘boys’ in the laundry to ward off in- the hamper into the vessel, and secure it in an
sect pests (partly true) but that they are also empty cabin below deck. At the times when the
very poisonous to touch (also true); the poi- hamper is not in the truck or the vessel, inves-
son can cause paralysis if ingested (true). Mrs. tigators can hear a faintly audible noise coming
Reardon is being helpful because, of course, she from it. Mei Huan and Mei Thieu will fight one
wants no unwarranted attention from anyone. or two investigators, and will try to run away
A Psychology roll will reveal that she is nervous if more are present. The crew of the Burmah
about something. Star is quite large, however, the police would be
Should the investigators wish to see Elsie’s most interested in the report of respectable citi-
room, Mrs. Reardon will happily lead them to zens, rather than just bums, complaining about
a rather dingy furnished bedroom on the sec- the vessel, and will happily raid it if any coher-
ond floor. It is quite clean and quite empty. A ent explanation is laid before them. The crew is
Spot Hidden roll will reveal a small piece of wax probably too numerous for the investigators to
paper on the floor. Should an investigator pick take on alone, and so no statistics or plans are
Great Old Ones on the Great White Way
72
provided for the Burmah Star. If the police can Deep One Hybrid chorus will go on a rampage
be persuaded to raid the vessel, they will find through the city, looking for human women to
four other women who have been kidnapped, molest. Should one of the chorus find an un-
as well as Elsie if she has been moved from the fortunate woman, the monster will drag his vic-
laundry. tim off to some park or alley, and in seclusion,
If the investigators choose to visit the laun- attempt to mate with the woman. Thus, the
dry rather than the Boarding House, they will night after the production will see an increase
find Mei Huan and Mei Thieu busy working in assault and rape reports to the police. Inves-
away at cleaning costumes and other odds and tigators wishing to scope out the place may do
ends. The Mei brothers will pretend to speak so, but will need a successful Hide roll in or-
very limited English, and will respond simply der to remain out of view, and a successful Spot
with the comment “Elsie? Elsie no here, go Al- Hidden roll to witness the unusual nature of
lentown.” They will then argue heatedly, and, the chorus. A large truck (not the one from the
after shooing the investigators away, bring the Mei Brothers’ laundry) will shuttle the chorus
truck around and load up the laundry hamper to and from the theater, and they will enter and
as described previously. leave by the loading dock once there. The Deep
One hybrids cost their ordinary sanity loss to
The House of Erich Zann encounter once out of the theater.
The Keeper may locate this as needed. When
the investigators go there, they are ignored. Mr.
The Roar of the Grease Paint,
Zann can be heard, quite clearly, playing his vi-
the Smell of the Chorus:
olin. Nevertheless, he ignores their knocking, After some investigation, the players will have
calling or noise making. A neighbor dismisses either found Elsie, or not. When she is rescued,
this as nothing out of the ordinary. “He gets she is well-drugged by the Burmese Cane Toad
like this when he composes a new piece.” poison, and so is in no condition to go on stage.
Nevertheless, Sterling Hansen is willing to hon-
The Apartment of Phipps Howard or his commitment to the investigators and pay
Mr. Howard is in fact out of town. The super- them accordingly if they succeed. So, also, is
intendant of his building will state that he had Irving Kaminsky. The Keeper should bear in
left to visit the family farm in Cos Cob, Con- mind several key points. First, the kidnapping
necticut, and will not be back until tomorrow, of Elsie was a crime, but the Theater and Marsh
just in time for the start of the performance of had absolutely nothing to do with it. Second,
his new musical. The superintendant will not the Deep One Hybrids may indeed be insane
let the investigators into Howard’s room under and evil creatures, but, for tonight, they are sim-
any circumstances. ply eye candy, out to beguile the players. They
have done nothing wrong, and will do nothing
The Gangplank, West Street, 110. wrong until after the show. The players may be
tempted to machine gun them; this should not
This information may be omitted if the Keeper be discouraged, but if it happens, the players,
is not using the material contained in the Se- not the Mythos creatures, will be in the wrong
crets of New York supplement. The Deep One of it. As the curtain opens, Marsh and Kamin-
members of the production are lodged here. sky have done nothing wrong either—they plan
They will arrive at 10 PM on Monday, 30 Oc- to defraud lots and lots of little old ladies, but
tober, and will remain inside, except when they haven’t finished the job yet. They still need to
are rehearsing or actually producing the show, open and close the play.
with one exception. After the show, most of the

Great Old Ones on the Great White Way

73
 Nevertheless, curious investigators should pened or not depends upon whether the Keep-
be interested in seeing the show. If not, then er wishes to make Sue a Mythos related entity,
Kaminsky, Hansen or Lancaster, or possibly all or to leave her as an ordinary mortal.
three, will hand out tickets freely as a reward for The Keeper should call for a second Spot Hid-
success. As the investigators settle in, they no- den roll at this point, and a Listen roll. Success
tice that the pervasive odor of fish seems to fill with the Spot Hidden allows the investigators
the air of the theater; it hadn’t on their earlier to notice Julius and Irving mutter something to
visit. It is the same scent as Julius Marsh ex- one another, and stroll arm in arm out of the
udes, only more powerfully so. A private box theater. Success with the Listen roll allows the
above has been reserved for the Marsh family; investigators to hear what is said: “Come along
a sign in the foyer points the way, and an usher Kaminsky; if we stay very much longer, the au-
prevents anyone from entering the staircase to dience may decide to sacrifice US.” Kaminsky
the box. Should the investigators observe the and Marsh leave the theater and go across to the
entry way, they will see the deformed members delicatessen. They thus miss a theatrical mira-
of the Marsh family ascend the stair case, some cle in the making.
heavily veiled, others unveiled, but, frankly, The song as written requires Sue to sing and
hideously ugly and ichthyoidal. dance together with the chorus; the song is re-
The investigators, if they wish, may elect to produced below under the title “The Stars Are
sit in the front near the stage or in the back near Right,” for musically-minded Keepers as Keep-
the exits. If they choose the latter, a Spot Hid- er’s Handout 1. Also, she must periodical-
den roll allows a sharp eyed investigator to no- ly dodge a hook which reaches out from stage
tice Julius Marsh and Irving Kaminsky leaning right or left and tries to snag her. This is all
casually on columns near the exit. A very ner- carefully choreographed, and she evades each
vous man sits near the investigators, no mat- snag until the very end of the song. The hook
ter where they position themselves. He is tall, is made up to look like a green tentacle, so that
with a receding hair line, and very, very pale. it appears to the audience as though something
This is the author of the book, Phipps Howard. off stage is trying to grab her. At the very end
Promptly at 8 PM, Erich Zann steps to the po- of her song, the tentacle hooks on to her, and
dium, and begins to conduct his latest work, the drags her off the stage.
Overture to “The Stars Are Right.” The compo- The orchestra, which had turned in a lack-
sition might be good enough, but the perfor- luster performance during the overture, now
mance of the orchestra is abysmal; the audience has found a new musical talent and turns in
greets it with scattered, polite, applause. a wonderful up-tempo rendition. Similarly,
The curtain rises, to reveal Sue Lancaster, the chorus proves to be wonderful at dancing,
with a chorus of Deep One hybrids, and a cou- somewhat to everyone’s surprise. The result
ple of actors dressed as Mythos-related beings, captivates the audience.
such as Cthulhu or Nyarlathotep. An Idea roll As the audience warms to the production,
at half normal is required for an investigator to however, Phipps Howard becomes more and
realize that the Deep Ones are not, in fact, cos- more distressed. Eventually, he can stand it no
tumes, but genuine, ugly, creatures. Each inves- longer, and orders the curtain closed. He then
tigator should make a Spot Hidden roll. Success charges onto the stage, yelling:
allows the player to at least THINK that that his “Stop it, stop! I am the author. I wrote this
investigator has seen Sue Lancaster make a fun- to warn people about the evil of the Great Old
ny waive of her hands, and for the air to shim- Ones. They were, and they are, and they always
mer momentarily, once in front of the chorus, will be! They threaten us when the stars are
once in front of the orchestra, and once in front right, but when the stars are wrong they can-
of Sue herself. Whether this has actually hap- not stay here.”
Great Old Ones on the Great White Way
74
 At this, a green scaly arm reaches out from audience along with Sue Lancaster, and Erich
behind the curtain, holding a heavy sand bag Zann. Eventually, the remaining cast, in cos-
of the sort used to counter-weight the curtain. tume, and crew will cross the street to Schlock-
The arm swings, and misses, much to the de- witz’ delicatessen, which remains open for an
light of the audience, which laughs uproarious- after-show party.
ly, thinking it part of the show.
Howard carries on: “The stars are very near- At the cast party after the
ly right. I wrote to warn you all, not put on this show:
travesty! Great monsters are coming to devour
us all!” A number of well-wishers, audience members
At this, the voice of Sue can be heard clearly and on-lookers accompany the cast and crew
above the din. “Here, dearie, give me that. That to Schlockwitz’ delicatessen after the curtain
isn’t how you sand bag someone. THIS is how falls. Should the investigators wish, they have
you sandbag someone.” With this, Sue reaches no problem gaining entry. Sue Lancaster is par-
out from behind the curtain, and brings the bag ticularly happy—her performance this evening
down with great force across the back of How- will make her instantly into a major star in the
ard’s head. He continues for a moment, then theater circuit. She has arrived. Marsh and
collapses. As the audience roars its approv- Kaminsky, on the other hand, look pained and
al, still thinking it part of the play, the tentacle glum. Most of the Deep One chorus danced
hook comes out, snags Howard by a pant leg, off the stage earlier, followed by the Deep One
and drags him off stage right. spectators shortly thereafter; those that did not
The show continues to engage the audience jump in the Hudson River are engaged in a va-
right up to the closing number, by the Deep One riety of nefarious pursuits. Bob Marsh, damp,
hybrid chorus, “Your Human Girls,” sung to a oozing in what may or may not be a costume,
tune from 42nd Street, found below as Keep- and smelling distinctly like a halibut slightly
er’s Handout 2. Again, to the surprise of all, in- past its prime, however, remains at the party,
cluding the chorus, this proves a great hit, and and is happy to make merry with the rest.
is wildly applauded by the audience. After be- After a short while, early editions of the next
ing called upon to do an encore of the number, day’s papers begin are delivered, and the cast
the Deep One hybrids, still singing and danc- eagerly tears into the theater reviews, uniform-
ing, parade through the audience and out into ly positive, indeed, rhapsodic, with praise. The
the lobby, where they are joined by the mem- investigators hear little cheers go up as each re-
bers of the Marsh family. The assembled group view is read in turn.
leaves the theater, still singing and dancing, and “One New Star is Right for Marsh,” the Times
troupe down 43rd Street, until their noise re- (Marsh and Kaminsky look pained.)
cedes in the distance. An investigator following “Marsh’s End of the World a Joyful Romp,”
them will have no problems doing so, as they the Herald-American
make no attempt at concealment. Occasional- (Marsh and Kaminsky exchange worried
ly, a Spot Hidden or Track roll will reveal that glances.)
one or another of the group has slipped away “World’s End at Halloween Positive Fun,
for more nefarious activities, presumably with Who Knew?” the Tribune
one of those human girls. Eventually, most of (Marsh exclaims “Yes, that’s it, the end. Like
the hybrids reach the Hudson River, and imme- me, now, of course.” Bob Marsh sidles over, and
diately jump in. Their singing can be heard as puts a comforting arm around Julius. Marsh
they swim off downstream. Meanwhile, back at loosens his silk scarf, and absent-mindedly puts
the theater, Bob F. Marsh, the chorus leader, is it in his pocket, but he slumps down, so that his
busy accepting the accolades of the remaining neck is largely hidden by his shirt. A Spot Hid-

Great Old Ones on the Great White Way

75
 den roll will reveal what looks to be cuts or an and heads out the door after Bob. As he goes,
abnormal growth on each side of his neck.) Sue calls out, “That sounds pretty good, per-
“The crowd came wanting to throw fruit haps you can work on it and put it in your next
over the footlights, but they left wanting to show. Needs a little more work, though.” Julius
throw money under the ticket window,” the first responds, “Yes, and now I have all the time in
line of H.L. Steyn’s review! the world, forever, and nothing but time before
(Marsh laments, “Yes, of course, now they me.” Julius strides off, into the night, with Bob.
love it!” Spot Hidden checks reveal that Ka- A Spot Hidden roll, as Julius is playing with
minsky gets up from his seat, and leaves the his scarf, will show that several slits that look
delicatessen. Should an investigator follow, Ka- for all the world like the gills on Harvey can be
minsky is seen to go across the street, and go seen on his neck. The SAN cost for this discov-
into the theater. If he is followed, he goes into ery is (1/1d6).
a little business office, and retrieves a briefcase Should the investigators try to follow Julius
from a safe. Should an investigator do some- and Bob, Sue will intervene in an effort to keep
thing like attack him or mug him, the briefcase them from doing so. This is not sinister on her
will be found to contain $95,000 in silver and part—she just wants to keep the party going for
gold certificates. If he is not bothered, he will as long as possible. So she pleads, “Aww, don’t
get into a cab and ride off into the night.) leave now dearie—the party is just getting start-
At this point, Bob Marsh pipes up. “Julius, it ed.” If the investigators do go away, she insists,
cannot be that bad—everyone loved it. Come “Oh alright, but come back soon—the fun is
back to the family business in Innsmouth. here anyway.”
Come hear the jumping fish splashing in the Investigators who follow Julius and Bob can
ocean. And hear the waves crashing on the watch as they stride down the avenue, heading
reef. If you knew what was right for you, you for the nearest water. As they walk down the
would pick up your hat and come with me. You street, they are roaring old Tin Pan Alley tunes
can still write for the theater from the Marsh at the top of their lungs. Manhattanites are thus
Refinery office. The family would be thrilled to treated to impromptu renditions of “Alexan-
have you doing that. They came from all over der’s Rag Time Band,” “Carolina in the Morn-
tonight, didn’t they? So follow, if you like…. ing,” “Abie’s Irish Rose,” and the like. These are
Bob walks over to the door, looks back once, not really well rendered—Julius was never a
then walks out into the evening. He can be seen singer himself, and he did not hire Harvey and
in the distance lingering under a street light. the other Marsh family members for their sing-
Julius Marsh begins to hum a tune, a bit ab- ing ability either. This goes on, somewhat to the
sent-mindedly, composing as he goes. After a annoyance of the neighbors, until Harvey and
bit, he begins to try lyrics and to sing: Julius come to the Hudson River, where they
“Can you hear the splish, promptly jump in and swim off, their tuneless
Of those jumping fish? crooning receding in the distance.
In the Ocean Blue, If the investigators stay, or if they come back,
I’m going there too, Sue is right—the party is just getting started,
Splashing, Lashing, Thrashing, Crashing and it will keep going until dawn, when the last
Waves on Innsmouth Reeeeeeef ” actor or dancer passes out in one of the back
(sung to the title tune of 42nd Street) rooms of the delicatessen. The milkman is just
bringing the deli its delivery of milk and cheese
At this, Julius jumps up abruptly, and, reach- as the last of the seriously impaired but mobile
ing in his pocket, pulls out his scarf, tosses it in partiers staggers out the door. Other investi-
the air, catches it, throws it over his shoulder, gators, cast, and crew are scattered around the
place. At this point, the scenario is effectively
Great Old Ones on the Great White Way
76
over. Irving Kaminsky may or may not have was really quite clever of you discovering what
escaped with the money. Julius Marsh has, lit- happened to my friend like that. Other people
erally, gone and jumped in a creek. The inves- would have fallen for that Allentown business;
tigators have somehow settled down for sleep, Julius and Irving did, but not you; very clev-
comfortably in their own homes, or sprawled er of you. And that is very good. You saved
out on the floor of the delicatessen as the case Elsie from being the prettiest corpse anyone
may be. More to the point, they will either have ever did see.” At this point, the image of Sue
solved the appallingly simple Mythos crime begins to shimmer a bit, and a second glance
here, of rescuing Elsie from her captors, or they shows Sue has turned into a swarthy young
will have failed. The musical production, with man with a neat goatee and mustache though
its kick line of singing, dancing, Deep Ones, still dressed in gown and boa. He speaks with
is, frankly, just a distraction for the Keeper to a deep baritone voice. “Yes, very good indeed,
waive in front of the Investigators. On this ba- because we have plans for Elsie, and we cannot
sis, the Keeper may now proceed to the dream have a bunch of half-savage barbarians thwart-
sequence, and use it to hand out rewards and ing those plans by kidnapping her and hauling
penalties. her half way around the world. The stars are
very nearly come right, and some overly ambi-
Manhattan Babies Don’t Sleep tious fools could have wrecked it for thousands
Tight, (But They Do Dream.) of millennia. But I will say this—I had more
fun tonight than I have had in centuries, and I
After the Investigators have finished, either say- owe that to you. I thank you and I will give you
ing that they are returning to the party, or go- one piece of advice that will help your health
ing home, or elsewhere, as the case may be, they and longevity no end. ”
will fall asleep. Each investigator will have the The dream shimmers a bit. Sue is back
same dream, although the Keeper may wish to again, and is now changing into more conven-
split them up individually. The investigator first tional street clothing. She speaks again, and
sees the inside of a theater dressing room, lit up, says, sweetly, but still in the baritone voice,
with a mirror. It is initially blurry and in bad “You are a little old to believe in monsters,
focus. As the image comes into sharper focus, aren’t you dearie? This, then, is my advice to
the investigator can make out a figure sitting at you. Stay away from the food at that damned
the dressing table, removing grease paint with delicatessen. It is off, has been there since the
lots and lots of skin cream. It is Sue Lancaster. Wilson Administration was fresh and new, and
The player can decide whether the Investigator is clearly playing hell with your digestion, and
chooses to regard this as an erotic dream or not, giving you the oddest dreams at night.” This
but in any event, the content of the dream is the revelation seems oddly reassuring, and the in-
same, and differs only depending on whether vestigator rests comfortably for the balance of
the players solved the mystery or not. the night. The investigator receives 1d6 sanity
If the Investigators solved the basic problem if the party figured out what became of Elsie,
posed, and discovered the fate of Elsie, or res- but did not effect a rescue of her, or an award
cued her, the dream unfolds as follows: of 1d10 sanity if they managed to take her out
“Sue sits for some long time at the dressing of the clutches of Mrs. Reardon, Mei Huan and
table, removing grease paint. She is wearing Mei Thieu. If they recovered the money from
a very lavish show costume, with sequins and Irving Kaminsky, the investigator receives a
baubles, and has a very elaborate feather boa. further award of 1d4 SAN. If the investigator
After a while, she turns and notices you. She had no previous experience with the Cthulhu
says, “Oh there you are, dearie. I will be ready Mythos, he receives a Cthulhu Mythos skill of
in a second, and we can go out on the town. It 5% at this point, for the discovery that Deep
Great Old Ones on the Great White Way
77
 Ones are not particularly good choral society “Oh, did that bother you dearie? It should.
members. Otherwise, the investigator receives If something isn’t done quickly, Elsie will make
a Cthulhu Mythos award of 2%. the prettiest corpse you have ever seen. But
If the Investigators did NOT solve the mys- that isn’t all, far from it.”
tery and either discover the fate of Elsie, or res- The image of Sue wavers and shimmers, and a
cue her, the dream unfolds differently: tall, swarthy man, in a neatly trimmed goatee and
“Sue sits for some long time at the dress- mustache is standing in Sue’s place and in Sue’s cos-
ing table, removing grease paint. She is again tume. He resumes, “Far from finished. We had plans
dressed in costume and boa. After a while, she for Elsie, which we now need to quickly alter before
turns and notices you. She says, “Oh there you the stars come right again, though whether we can
are, dearie. I will be ready in a second, and we manage with a bunch of interfering half-savage bar-
can go out on the town. You really are a ghast- barians and their over-excitable elephant god med-
ly simpleton; you do know that, don’t you. You dling is hard to say. If we fail, we fail for thousands of
needed only to find out what happened to El- millennia.” At this point, the image shimmers again,
sie. Remember her? In case you have forgot- and says, still in the baritone voice: “Look at us when
ten, let me show you her future in a brief and we are speaking to you.” (The Investigator needs a
shining moment.” At this point, the Investi- POWx2 roll to avoid this from occurring.) If the
gator and Sue float up, out of the theater, and Investigator looks, he sees that whatever-this-is has
over the harbor. Sue shows the Investigator the partly removed a mask, and is allowing a glimpse of
Burmah Star, leaving harbor slowly. The Inves- waving, writhing tentacles where a chin ought to be.
tigator can see below decks, and can see Elsie, If not, the Investigator can look down at the floor,
bound and struggling, in a tiny, locked, dark- and see a shadow to similar effect—the SAN loss ei-
ened room. ther way is 1d6/1d10.)
“I don’t expect that it will be possible to stop “On the other hand,” continues Whatever-it-is,
the ship anywhere between here and Rangoon, “we did have more fun tonight than for many a cen-
but you can try,” Sue says, menacingly. “If you tury. You certainly made Julius Marsh look a fool, so
don’t, however, this is what remains to be seen.” we shall not destroy you now.”
The ship wavers and speeds up considerably, The room shimmers again, and Sue is back,
touching land in points in South America, Af- standing before the Investigator again, and is now
rica, and India, before finally arriving outside changing into more conventional street clothing.
of Rangoon. Elsie is again unceremonious- She speaks again, and says, sweetly, but still in the
ly thrown in a laundry hamper, and taken off baritone voice, “You are a little old to believe in mon-
the ship. The hamper is loaded in a truck, and sters, aren’t you dearie? This, then, is my advice to
driven off into the jungle. At some point well you. Stay away from the food at that damned delica-
outside of the city, the truck drives to a ruined tessen. It is off, has been there since the Wilson Ad-
temple. There, more sinister little men dance ministration was fresh and new, and is clearly playing
around the statue of an elephant with a strange- hell with your digestion, and giving you the oddest
ly distended trunk. As they dance and chant, dreams at night. Now beat it before we change our
the elephant statue begins to sway, and be- minds.” But somehow, this does not seem believable
comes more energetic. Finally, as Elsie screams after what has gone before. If the investigator had
and screams, it reaches down with its trunk, no previous experience with the Cthulhu Mythos, he
and places the distorted, livid, engorged tip of receives a Cthulhu Mythos skill of 5% at this point,
that trunk on Elsie. At this point, the scene be- for the discovery that Deep Ones are not particular-
comes black. The Investigator must deal with a ly good choral society members. Otherwise, the in-
SAN loss of 1/1d6. vestigator receives a 2% increase in Cthulhu Mythos.
The Investigator and Sue are now back in the
dressing room again. Sue continues:
Great Old Ones on the Great White Way
78
Handout 1: A Note from Sterling Hansen

Meet me at Schlockwitz’ delicatessen, corner of 43rd Street

and Broadway, at 12 o’clock noon, on Monday. I have a
problem, and I need help; I will make it worth your while.

Sterling Hansen

Handout 2:
Review of Julius Marsh’s new musical, “The Laughing Queen of Scotland”
By H.L. Steyn, New York Weekly Messenger, November 1, 1919.

“No Fair Day, Only Foul, in Marsh’s ‘Laughing Queen.’

Julius Marsh’s new musical ‘entertainment,’ if it may be given that appellation, “The Laughing
Queen of Scotland,” opened last night at the Marsh Theater on West 43rd Street. “Laughing
Queen” purports to be a comedic adaptation of Shakespeare’s MacBeth, told from the point of
view of Lady MacBeth. All the production really shows is that there is more than one way for the
curse which superstitious actors ascribe to the ‘Scottish Play,’ to take effect.
Afflicted with tortured dialogue, emphysema tic singers, and, literally, wooden dancers,
‘Laughing Queen’ might well aspire to become a comedic turn, as a silly piece it might well prove
a modest success. Indeed, the audience all laughed out loud at the romantic duet between Lady
MacBeth and her hen-pecked husband, entitled, “One Hand Washes the Other.” One suspected
with a song as corny as that, surely someone’s leg was being pulled.
But the full scope of the tragedy of the evening only became apparent later, when the audi-
ence was subjected to the spectacle of the chorus, dressed as Burnham Wood, singing the “Shuffle
off to Dunsinane Cakewalk;” a mediocre song performed loudly by the orchestra. MacBeth may
or may not murder sleep, but a pit orchestra in a Marsh production clearly forestalls that happy
consummation, devoutly to be wished for….

Great Old Ones on the Great White Way

79
 Handout 3:
Review of Julius Marsh’s new musical, “Oh, Poo!”
By H.L. Steyn, New York Weekly Messenger, September 23, 1920

“Oh, Poo! A Great Steaming Pile.”

The latest Julius Marsh production struggles manfully but clearly, someone needs a trip to the
woodshed out back, or some other shed.
“Oh, Poo!” claims to be a musical comedy, the term loosely applied here, about a magical
talking bear, seeking a quiet place in the woods while suffering from influenza, dysentery, chol-
era, dyspepsia, or, perhaps, simply, from having read the script and realized the misfortune of be-
ing caught in a Julius Marsh production. This distress spread to the audience like a contagion at
the Marsh Theater on West 43rdAvenue last night.
The sole reason we deign to notice the presentation at all is because this newspaper takes
seriously its obligations to protect the public health. People of refinement and good taste should
steer clear. Debs for President supporters will, of course, feel right at home. One question only
remains: Where does Marsh continue to get the money to fund this drivel?

Handout 4:
Review of Marsh production of “Kickin the Coriolanus”
By H.L. Steyn, New York Weekly Messenger August 19, 1922

“Kickin’ the Coriolanus Opening Night! Score: Romans, 0, Bad Taste, 1”

After a nearly two year absence from the stage, Julius Marsh thunders down the Great White Way
once again with all the subtlety and wit of an invading horde with his latest attempt upon Western
Civilization, “Kickin’ the Coriolanus.’ One simply spent two hours hoping the barbarians would
show up and flatten the theater.
The only light moment of the evening came when the hero, attempting to make a dramatic
entrance into Rome, tripped over a poorly placed step on stage. It turned out that much of the pre-
cariously constructed set was balanced upon that step, and immediately fell forward towards the
orchestra pit. We regret to report that the orchestra was unharmed and able to continue its depre-
dations shortly thereafter. If the chorus line had moved as vigorously during the rest of the pro-
duction as they did at that moment they might well have diverted the audience. As it was, cho-
risters and actors all scrambled away to safety, leaving the hero to stand in a doorway as the set
collapsed around him.
Rome wasn’t built in a day, nor torn down in one either. But clearly, Marsh sets are built
with the expectation that their productions will have the life of mayflies. Perhaps this means that
the supply of Marsh funds has finally been drained.

Great Old Ones on the Great White Way

80
Handout 5: “Announcement of Julius Marsh production, ‘Laughing Queen of Scotland”
By H.L. Steyn, Theater Correspondent, New York Weekly Messenger, August 1, 1919
“Julius Marsh to open rehearsals for new play based on MacBeth.”
Julius Marsh, heir to a Massachusetts shipping and metallurgical fortune, has succumbed to the
temptations of the big city, and has started rehearsals on a new musical play, “The Laughing
Queen of Scotland,” to open in November.
Mr. Marsh, 40, from Innsmouth, Massachusetts, said he has long felt constrained by the tiny
nature of his home town, and the stultifying dullness of working in the family business.
“I won’t deny that I have felt the call of the sea,” said Marsh, “but, frankly, helping my cous-
ins manage the business isn’t very interesting. The older members of the family are all quite capa-
ble, and the business is in quite good hands. So, with their blessings, I have decided to try some-
thing new and adventuresome.”
A spokesman for the Marsh Refining Company of Innsmouth, when reached for comment,
sated that Mr. Marsh, “enjoys the full blessing of the family, and that all look forward with keen
interest to the results.”

Handout 6: “Alice Reardon Sparkles as Girl on the ‘First Flying Velocipede.’

New York Observer, 1 September 1869
The Kiralfy Brothers’ production, “The Girl on the Flying Velocipede,” diverted audiences in the
Odeon Theater on Monday.
While the mechanism clearly must be worked by wires, these are so cunningly hidden that au-
diences will no doubt be amazed by the wonder of it.
Miss Reardon perhaps may not be the best singer we have ever heard, but her figure is shapely
and attractive enough, and we expect that she will enjoy a lengthy term on the stage as “Velocipe-
dette Number 2”

Handout 6b: Headline:

“’First Flying Velocipede’ becomes ‘First Falling Velocipede’ when wire breaks.”
“Miss Reardon taken away with injuries.”
New York Observer, 10 September 1869.

Handout 6c: Headline:

“First Flying Velocipede to go to San Francisco, Miss Reardon
recovered enough to continue.”
New York Observer, 15 November 1869.

Handout 6d: Headline:

“Velocipedette Missing in San Francisco,”
New York Observer 12 January 1870.

Great Old Ones on the Great White Way

81
 Handout 6e: Headline:
“Miss Reardon Surfaces in Shanghai, Claims no Memory of How She Arrived There.”
New York Observer, 25 March, 1872
After an absence of over two years, Alice Reardon, the Girl on the Flying Velocipede, has landed
in Shanghai, China, at the American Consulate there. She claims no memory of how she came to
be there, or of the intervening period of the time. Stories rife in the foreign quarter of Shanghai
that she was simply the latest victim of a ring of criminals led by a group of religious fanatics,
kidnapping European women for immoral purposes were dismissed by the American Consul. The
American Consul went on to suggest that perhaps more prosaic explanations of immoral behav-
ior, without recourse to criminal charges of kidnapping, could explain the matter. Miss Reardon,
stung by the allegations, has announced that she intends to retire from the stage and open a board-
ing house in New York City.

Handout 7: Marsh to open yet another production

By H.L. Steyn, New York Weekly Messenger, August 20, 1922.
Julius Marsh is at it again, with yet another venture into musical theater. The new production,
“The Stars Are Right” will open on Halloween night. It is based on a book by mystic and poet
Phipps Howard, with original new music by the German composer Erich Zann. Where Marsh
finds the financing for these productions remains a mystery. The less said about it the better.

Handout 8: Tragedy strikes Marsh Production

By H.L Steyn, New York Weekly Messenger, September 15, 1922.
Mr. Judson Fry, 39, formerly of McLain, Oklahoma, was struck by a delivery truck from the Mei
Brothers’ Chinese Laundry, yesterday outside of the Marsh Theater and killed. Mr. Fry had come
to New York to find work, and was employed as a carpenter and set builder for the new production
of “The Stars Are Right,” the new Julius Marsh musical.
Mr. Fry was well liked by the people of McLain, Oklahoma. Reached by telephone, the vil-
lage postmistress, Addie Annie Hakim could only mutter, “I cain’t believe po’ Jud really is dead.”

Handout 9: Further Tragedy Strikes Marsh Production

By H.L. Steyn, New York Weekly Messenger, October, 1, 1922.
Mr. William Bigelow, formerly of Boothby Bay, Maine, was shot and killed while attempting the
armed robbery of Ezekiel Bascombe. Mr. Bigelow had found work at the Marsh Theater as a stage
hand and roustabout. Details remain sketchy at press time, however, it appears that Mr. Bigelow
had managed to get a young woman in a family way, and, in a misguided attempt to provide for
his family responsibilities, turned his attention from honest, if temporary, work for Julius Marsh,
to a life of crime. As a result of his foolishness, one young woman, and her love child, will now
have to walk alone through life’s harsh travails.

Great Old Ones on the Great White Way

82
Handout 10: Strange Doings off of Cape Cod.
By H. L. Steyn, New York Weekly Messenger, October 17, 1922.
From the Boston Recorder, further evidence if any were wanted, that the Atlantic Fleet has better
taste in booze than in music. Also, evidence that the Navy Department needs either to enforce
Secretary Daniels’ prohibition against alcohol consumption on ships, or make the government
“issue” available to the taxpaying public, as the government stuff is clearly better than anything
available from a local ‘bootician.’
The article, dated October 15th, states:
“The crew of the U.S.S. Aylwin, a destroyer attached to the Atlantic Fleet, Lieutenant Com-
mander Joseph Cable, Sr. commanding, claims that they heard a chorus of mermaids or mermen
while their vessel was engaged in maneuvers off of Cape Cod. L. Billis, an able seaman, insists
that he heard one of the mermen shouting, “I want everyone to try this step. We have to open on
Broadway for Julius Marsh in two weeks.” Several sailors insist that they heard, clearly and dis-
tinctly, “kick, kick, turn, kick, kick turn,” from several voices alongside the ship. The Navy De-
partment declines comment upon the rumor that the entire crew has been ordered to the Bethesda
Naval Hospital for observation, or, possibly, drying out.

Non Player Characters: Mei Thieu, A Gentler, Kinder, Tcho-Tcho

Laundryman, 23
Alice Reardon, Former Show-girl, Current STR 11 CON 11 SIZ 10 INT 12 POW 08
Old Bat, 72 DEX 09 APP 08 SAN 0 HP 11
STR 04 CON 14 SIZ 12 INT 17 POW 17
DEX 11 APP 12 SAN 0 EDU 11 HP 13
Damage Bonus +0

Damage Bonus: -d4 Weapons: Club 50%; Handgun, 45%

Weapons: Knife, 30%; Rolling Pin (small club) Skills: Drive: 10%; Speak English, 75%; Pretend
40% not to Speak English 85%; Natural History 50%;
Martial Arts, 60%
Skills: Speak Aklo: 50%; Sing off key: 75%;
Dance clumsily: 75%; Pharmacy (make poi-
son): 80% Julius Marsh, Funny-Smelling Producer of
Funny-Smelling Musicals, 43
STR 16 CON 12 SIZ 14 INT 16 POW 10
Mei Huan, Tcho-Tcho Laundryman with DEX 09 APP 09 SAN 01 HP 13 EDU 14
Dirty Secrets, 25
STR 18 CON 12 SIZ 11 INT 14 POW 09 Damage Bonus: +1d4
DEX 13 APP 09 SAN 0 HP 12 Weapons: None
Damage Bonus: +1d4 Skills: Fast Talk 75% Has no other discernable
Weapons: Club: 45%; Handgun: 30% talents.

Skills: Drive: 15%; Speak English: 80%; Pretend

not to Speak English: 85%; Natural History:
50%; Martial Arts: 50%

Great Old Ones on the Great White Way

83
 Irving Kaminsky, Accountant who wants to Sue Lancaster, Talented Chorus Girl With A
be in Show Business (Don’t they all?), 30 Big Chance, 23
STR 13 CON 08 SIZ 09 INT 17 POW 14 STR 14(18) CON 11 SIZ 14 INT 17(19) POW
DEX 09 APP 09 SAN 70 HP 09 EDU 14 11(35) DEX 15 APP 16 SAN 55 HP 13 EDU
16
Damage Bonus +0
Damage Bonus +1d4
Weapons: handgun, 20%
Weapons: club 85%
Skills: Fast Talk 50%; Sneak 30% Hide 30% Ac-
counting, 80% Skills: Art (Sing): 60% ; Art (Dance) 55%;
(Spells): Sekhmenkenhep’s Travelling Philoso-
pher’s Shtick (new spell) Can, at cost of three
Bob F. Marsh, Deep One Hybrid Choreographer power or magic points, add 75% chance of suc-
STR 14 CON 13 SIZ 11 INT 15 POW 07 cess to any artistic roll involving song, dance,
DEX 15 APP 10 SAN 0 HP 12 or both. Can include an additional person for
Weapons: Spear 25%; Club 25% one additional magic point. Duration: 3 hours.
Skills: Art (Dance) 30%; Persuade, 50%; Art Notes: The Keeper will have to decide whether
(Sing) 25% Disguise, 25% Sue Lancaster is simply a chorus girl, or perhaps
some supernatural being, up to and including
Spawn with Human Girls, 90%
an avatar of Nyarlathotep If the latter, then the
Notes: Is never seen without some sort of hat, statistics in parenthesis pertain.
and is constantly fiddling with or rubbing the
brim of that hat.
The Marsh Family Dancers:
A Group of Deep One Hybrids ‘On The Town’
Elsie Johnson, Female Lead Who Feels
Cooped Up, 22 1 2 3 4 5
STR 12/1 CON 08/1 SIZ 13 INT 15/1 POW 08/1 Name: Tommy Gene Fred Harvey Al
DEX 14/1 APP 16 SAN 40/10 HP 11 STR 20 12 13 17 17

Damage Bonus +0 CON 12 10 6 10 13

INT 15 10 11 9 8
Weapons: none
SIZ 17 11 12 15 15
Skills: Art (Dance) 10%; Art (Sing) 10% Per- POW 11 13 13 7 5
suade, 50 DEX 6 12 10 8 4
Notes: The numbers after the slash describe APP 10 6 9 5 8
Elsie while under the influence of Cane Toad HP 15 11 9 13 14
poison; she is barely able to survive. The poison
effects will clear in 1d3 weeks, in the meantime,
she will remain bedridden.

Great Old Ones on the Great White Way

84
 The Costume Party
A Call of Cthulhu Adventure set on All Hallow’s Eve

By Tim Moriarity

Synopsis lieved to be worthless and of no particular in-

terest. Transportation to the island will depart
This adventure is set in the 1920s and intended at 8pm on October 30th, the party will be held
for a group of 1-5 investigators. The adventure Halloween night starting at 7 pm, with prima-
is rather short and can be completed in 1-2 ry entertainment around midnight. A boat will
hours. The difficulty can be increased or de- return everyone to the mainland the following
creased depending upon the experience of the day.
players and/or the strength of the characters.
Additionally, some of the NPCs in this scenario Keeper Information
could join the group if needed.
Cromley has been spending years researching
Player Information the secrets of Crossroads island and has found
information about the ability to transform him-
This story begins with one of the players in the self into a powerful servant of Yog Sothoth. The
group receiving an invitation from the eccen- fragments of the amulet are needed to recreate
tric millionaire Andrew Cromley to a costume the amulet that allows the ritual to enable the
party on Halloween in the mansion on Cross- transformation. Cromley has finally identified
roads Island found several miles off the coast of the location of all of the fragments of the amu-
Maine. Crossroads Island is famous for ancient let and one remaining document that he needs
rituals that were performed by Native Ameri- to perform the ritual. The costume party is a
cans on the site for centuries. Early in the 19th good excuse to get all of the pieces of the relic as
century, a large mansion had been built on the well as the remaining document. Additionally,
tiny island by a secretive religious order. There the guests will serve as an excellent meal for the
were rumors of different rituals being per- newly transformed Cromley.
formed by this group for a number of years be- Cromley has several guards who will help
fore they mysteriously all disappeared and were him complete the ritual and help keep the
never heard from again. The mansion had re- guests in line. There are 5 guards in total and
mained abandoned for several decades before it they will help secure the costume party as well
was purchased and restored by Cromley. as defend Cromley’s secret until it is no longer
Cromley has requested that you bring a necessary to do so. In addition to the guards,
small fragment of an amulet that you possess to there are several workers paid to help run the
help with the “festivities.” You are free to bring party and keep the mansion clean. They are not
as many friends as you wish. Transportation aware of the plan and will simply try to escape
will be provided to and from the island free of in dangerous situations.
charge as are the lodgings and meals. The amu- Guests will not be allowed to bring weapons
let referred to is piece of an older relic that is be- to the island and this should not seem suspi-

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 cious to the party since they are going to a cos- don’t have anything specific to point out. They
tume party. have simply a feeling that Cromley is up to
something unnatural. Some of the older mem-
Chapter 1 - The Arrival bers of the town can remember when the Order
of the Gate inhabited the island. If passing a
The boat to Crossroads Island leaves from the
Persuade or Fast Talk roll, the investigators can
small coastal town of Camden, Maine. The
get some history on the previous inhabitants
weather grows more and more threatening as
of the island and how they mysteriously dis-
the investigators approach the dock and rain
appeared. Right after they disappeared, there
has begun to fall. The members of the group
was something in the ocean that would attack
can do some research about the island, Crom-
people on boats and was suspected to having
ley or other items before boarding the boat and
caused brutal deaths of several members of
heading to the island.
town who were out near the water late at night.
Back when the Order of the Gate inhabited the
Research about Cromley island, there were frequent lightning storms
Although Cromley does not live in Camden, he localized to the island that could be seen from
has spent enough time there that he is known shore. These storms had stopped once the Or-
by many of the residents of the area. However, der had left, but had seemed to return in the last
most of the residents are afraid of Cromley’s in- year or so. One of the drunks of town, Arthur
fluence and are reluctant to talk about him. In Macorn, can be found in one of the local pubs,
general, they are concerned about what types called The Rusty Anchor, and had worked for
of activities are going on out on the island, but Cromley for a while before being released for
showing up to work drunk too often. If bought
The overall timeline for the adventure is as follows:
enough drinks, Macorn will reveal that Crom-
October 30th ley was looking for something that had to do
8 pm - Boat departs for Crossroads Island with “opening a secret gate.” Macorn also feels
transporting all invitees. that Cromley is up to no good, but quickly be-
comes unintelligible after too many drinks.
9:30 - 10:30 pm - Short social mixer to allow
guests to meet each other. Research about Crossroads
Island
October 31st The local library and town hall have a number
1 am - Elliott Harding and Caleb Lancaster at- of articles about the history of Crossroads Is-
tempt a summoning. land. Some of the key points of the island are
8 - 9:30 am Breakfast as follows:

9:10 am - Guards attempt to take the manu- - The original settlers of the area encountered
script pages from Penelope Blakely. a Native American tribe known as the Anang
who inhabited the coastal region and used the
12:30 - 2:00 pm - Lunch island for religious rituals. The Anang were
3:00 pm - Guards come to get the amulet frag- hostile to foreigners and many bloody battles
ment (if Cromley doesn’t already have it). were fought with them before they were over-
7:00 pm - Party begins with dinner. run. The Anang were known for their savage
religious traditions that seemed to include hu-
11:45 pm - The ritual begins man sacrifice.
- In 1868, the Order of the Gate purchased
Crossroads Island and built a large mansion
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86
that was used as the residence and place of wor- until things settle down. The staff at the island
ship of this cult. The mansion was completed in help the guests take their luggage into the man-
1873 and estimates are that there were roughly sion. The staff does ask for the fragment of the
30 to 40 members of the cult by 1880. In 1881, amulet at this time. They will not force the issue
there was a severe thunderstorm that seemed to if the party refuses, but it simplifies the adven-
center around the island. After that storm, the ture later if they give the fragment up willing-
Order of the Gate was never seen again despite ly. If any of the investigators became seasick, it
the fact that the mansion did not seem to take should reduce the amount of time they have to
more than cosmetic damage from the storm. explore the mansion before the costume party.
- After the storm in 1881, there were reports of
a sea creature that attacked boaters and people
Chapter 2 - Pre-Party
near the shore late at night. The creature was Activities
never captured and disappeared eventually. Although the original mansion of the Order
- If the investigators pass a Library Use check, of the Gate was not elegantly adorned, the
they find a set of documents in the town hall renovated and updated mansion is beautifully
that talk about a military group that arrived in decorated. The mansion is huge and can easily
1881 to eliminate the “dangerous entity” ha- hold 40 or more guests comfortably, along with
rassing the town. The document suggests that staff. The mansion has 3 primary floors and a
this group tracked down a large and unidenti- small basement under the main building. The
fied entity and disposed of it on Crossroads Is- mansion consists of one large central section
land. The document is vague about details, but and east and west wings. Crossroads Island is
suggests that several members of the military small and rocky. There is a dock for boats, but
group were injured or killed in the encounter. no other buildings on the island other than the
mansion. Additionally, there is no electricity
Boarding the Boat on the island and all lighting is handled via gas
lamps.
After exploring the town and performing the
desired research, they should board the boat to
the island. The investigators will not be allowed
Mansion Layout
to take any weapons to the island with them. If East Wing
the investigators resist, they will be assured that
1st Floor - Servant Quarters, Laundry, Linens
they can place the weapons in a safety deposit
and Cleaning Materials
box in town paid for by Cromley. Other guests
boarding the boat are distressed if the investi- There is nothing of interest in this section of the
gators insist on bringing weapons and cause a house. Investigators who explore this area will
commotion. The guards will not get into a fight find that the staff is busy preparing for the party
with the investigators, but will simply not al- and has little or no time to talk. Additionally,
low them to board. The local police will arrive they have all arrived recently and are not famil-
on the scene if the investigators become hostile iar with Cromley or the history of the house.
themselves. They simply know that they were offered good
The boat ride to the island is a bumpy one pay for the job and took it without question.
and characters must pass a simple CONx5 roll 2nd Floor - Guest Quarters (Including the In-
to avoid becoming seasick. Rain begins to fall vestigators’ Rooms)
harder the closer the boat comes to the island
and a storm is approaching. After arriving at In addition to the rooms of the investigators,
the island, the captain of the boat says that the there are 2 other rooms of interest on this floor.
waters are becoming too dangerous to go back The first is the room of Joseph Haney, the an-

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 thropology professor from Columbia Universi- unhealthy interest in the occult and has longed
ty. He possesses one of the other amulet pieces. to go to the mansion on Crossroads Island for
He has studied the amulet fragment and con- many years. As a result, Elliott has stolen the in-
cluded that it is simply from a piece of jewelry vitation from one of the other original invitees
from the Native American tribes indigenous and joined the festivities. Elliott has brought his
to the New England area. The material from necromancer friend Caleb Lancaster with him.
which the amulet is comprised are rather cu- They are not interested in the party, but have
rious, but he has not done extensive research knowledge of the island and wish to use it for a
on the piece beyond this. The second person summoning of their own. Elliott and Caleb are
of interest on the floor is Henry Stevenson, the not social with any of the other people on this
fisherman from Camden. The fragment of the island and keep to themselves. They only leave
amulet owned by Henry had been found by his their room for a short period of time to scout
father many years earlier on Crossroads Island out the mansion. If the investigators do gain
after the Order of the Gate had vacated the entrance to their room during this time, they
compound. Henry’s father, Hubert, had been will find parts of ancient documents outlining
forced to stop on the island during one of his a summoning ritual (different than the one that
fishing outings due to problems with his boat. Cromley intends to use). Although Elliott and
While working on his boat, Hubert noticed Caleb have ill intentions, they are not well ex-
the amulet fragment sitting on the shore and perienced at their craft and are as likely to get
had retrieved it. Henry has done no formal re- themselves killed as gaining any power if they
search into the relic and simply finds it curious. are able to complete a spell. As in the second
Henry is a serious and hardworking man and floor, none of the other rooms have anything of
may be someone who helps the investigators particular interest to the investigators.
later in the adventure. The other rooms are all
inhabited by random guests of the party. There West Wing
is nothing of interest in any of the rooms as the 1st Floor - Kitchen
guests have mostly just brought the minimum The kitchen is the best source of weapons on
necessities for an overnight party. the island since it contains many sharp cutting
3rd Floor - Guest Quarters knives (1D4 + Damage Bonus). As long as the
There are 2 rooms containing people relevant to investigators are not obvious about taking the
the scenario. The first is the room of Penelope knives when the kitchen is busy, it should be
Blakely. Penelope has brought the missing page easy to take several of the utensils for usage in
that Cromley needs to complete the ritual. Pen- potential battles later in the adventure. Other
ny, despite being a bank teller, has done some than the knives, there is very little of interest in
research on the page that she had received from the kitchen. The kitchen is busy with the staff
her father (a former professor). She doesn’t un- members around meal times but is otherwise
derstand much of the page, but does think it is largely empty. If the party does go into the
part of a larger document that entails some sort kitchen when the staff is working, they will be
of summoning. She is very reluctant to give up politely asked to leave, but none of the staff is
the page, as a result, and wants to talk to Crom- particularly concerned unless they are prevent-
ley about this. In the end, she will not give up ed from doing their job. If the staff observes the
the document willingly and it will need to be knives being taken, they do become concerned
taken forcefully by Cromley’s men. Details on and warn Cromley’s guards. The guards will at-
this are described later in this section. The sec- tempt to get the knives from the investigators
ond person of interest is Elliott Harding. Elliott and gaining access to these weapons will be-
was not actually invited to the party, but has an come much more difficult after that point.

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2nd Floor - Library room. Other than these items, Cromley’s quar-
The library is a large room with many rows ters largely contain items that one would expect
of various books. The tomes cover a number to find. One other item of note is that there is a
of topics, but none of the books visible on the staircase in the back of Cromley’s quarters that
shelves contain anything suspicious. If the in- leads down to the main floor (without a stop on
vestigators pass a Spot Hidden check, they find the second floor).
a small alcove hidden by a secret door on the Central Section
base of one of the columns in the room. With-
in this hidden alcove are some of the ancient 1st Floor - Lobby and Common Area
documents that outline the ritual that Crom- The first floor contains the lobby and common
ley intends to perform. These documents do area for the mansion. There are multiple sitting
not contain the actual words to the spells that areas and a bar on the east side of the room.
need to be performed (Cromley has those in There are staircases in both the front east and
the basement). Although the documents are west corners of the central area and these are
not written in English, the investigators passing the only ones accessible to the members of the
an Idea roll can recognize the fragments of the party. The lobby is generally populated during
amulet forming a single amulet. Additionally, it waking hours as this is the most convenient area
is clear that this amulet is used as some sort of for guests to mingle. Additionally, snacks from
focal point that allows something to enter our the kitchen are regularly brought to this area to
world from the realm beyond. Also contained encourage social activity in this section of the
within this document is the part of the spell mansion. All non-party meals are also served
that sends the creature back to the realm from in this area. If the investigators spend much
which it came. This is a relatively simple in- time in this area, they should have the ability to
vocation, although it will require the investiga- talk to almost all of the guests (except for Elliott
tors to pass a Occult check to realize what this and Caleb). Cromley also occasionally comes
is. There is nothing else of particular interest in to this area to socialize. His appearances are
the library. very brief, however, and the investigators will
3rd Floor - Cromley’s Quarters have very limited ability to ask him questions.
Cromley makes the excuse of “having much
This floor consists of a number of interconnect- party planning” to do and excuses himself if
ed rooms that are all used by Cromley as his any serious line of questioning begins. There
primary residence. The entrance to his room is is a locked and guarded door in the back of the
always locked and there are guards who regu- lobby area. This door leads to a stairwell down
larly monitor the doors. If the investigators are to the basement. Gaining access to the stairwell
able to avoid the guards and pick the lock suc- is very difficult since the guards and guests are
cessfully, Cromley’s quarters are actually rather always in the vicinity. Only during the party
boring. Cromley has moved most of his tomes is the door manned by a single guard and de-
and ritual documents into the basement in the void of guests. At this time the party could
case that someone entered his quarters. As a overpower the guard and gain entrance to the
result, searching the room largely yields noth- basement. Only Cromley has a key to the door
ing out of the ordinary. There are some docu- and requires the investigators to pass a Lock-
ments near Cromley’s bed that have the guest smith check. The door is very heavy and can-
list, highlighting the guests with pieces of the not be broken down without making significant
amulet and parts of the missing document. noise and alerting other guards and the guests.
There is really nothing about the list to indicate If questioned about what is behind the door,
any bad intentions, however. There is a small Cromley or the guards simply mention that the
handgun in a locked cabinet in the master bed-
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89
 materials for the party are there and they don’t years. Cromley eventually replaced the secret
want guests to see them and “spoil the surprise.” entrance to the stairs since it was difficult to
2nd and 3rd Floors - Main Hall open and very narrow. This change, however,
requires him to ensure that no unauthorized
This is a single large room that used to be the access to the basement occurs. As mentioned
central room of worship for the Order of the earlier, the door to the basement is protected
Gate. At the north end of the room is the gate by a large and secure door to which Cromley
through which Cromley is attempting to sum- has the only key. The ancient documents out-
mon forth a Yog Sothoth servant. The gate a lining the steps and incantations of the ritual
round stone structure is roughly 10 feet in di- are in the basement as well as the other pieces
ameter and appears to be simply a decorative of the broken amulet. There are a number of
part of the room made out of a smooth stone other valuable mythos tomes in the small base-
that seems to be somewhat luminescent. A ment, as well. The keeper can decide how many
successful Occult roll will allow the investiga- books of value should be available to the inves-
tors to understand that it is a potential portal to tigators should they access this room, but one
another world and not simply for decoration. of the books is a partial copy of the Book of Ei-
The rest of the room is open with a very high bon (unless deemed otherwise by the Keeper).
vaulted ceiling. There are balconies on both the
east and west sides of the room that are linked Order of Events
to the stairwells. This room is reserved for the
costume party and no other planned activities Short Social Mixer
are in this room. Cromley prefers that guests Shortly after arriving on the island, the guests
stay out of the room for the most part since he are invited to a short mixer to meet each other
wants to make sure everything goes well for and be given some information about the man-
the ritual. No guards are specifically posted, sion. The guests are free to explore the man-
but the room is monitored fairly regularly and sion, but are asked to be respectful of other
the party will be confronted if they linger too guests and not to hinder the activities of the
long in the room or attempt to damage the gate. staff. Cromley explains that he will be busy
The gate, however, is not susceptible to damage preparing for the party and handling some
from the party since they would not have any business transactions that came up at the last
weapons capable of destroying the stone. More minute and will not be able to mingle as fre-
information about the activities in this room quently as he intended. The investigators can
will be explained in the remaining sections of meet some of the other guests and this time and
the adventure. the keeper should specifically target the inves-
Basement tigators to meet Penelope Blakely. She has the
missing part of the manuscript that Cromley
The basement is deep beneath the mansion
wants and he will attempt to have it retrieved
and contains all of Cromley’s occult artifacts
the next morning. It may also be useful for the
and is where he does most of his research. The
investigators to meet Joseph Haney and Henry
basement is largely unchanged from when the
Stevenson at this time, but it is not necessary.
mansion was occupied by the Order of the Gate
The investigators should notice Elliott Harding
and contains many documents from them. The
and Caleb Lancaster at the social gathering, as
basement was hidden at the time when the cult
well. They come across as suspicious looking
lived in the mansion and was only discovered
and leave the mixer shortly after Cromley ad-
by Cromley after he had purchased the build-
dresses the guests. After the mixer, all of the
ing. As a result, all of the secrets of the cult con-
guests (other than Elliott and Caleb) go to bed.
tained within the room had been untouched for

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Elliott and Caleb’s Summoning Ritual After the fight, the guards will remove the dead
shambler and take Elliott and Caleb away. The
At 1 am, after all of the other guests are safely
party is thanked for helping defeat the monster
asleep, Elliott and Caleb begin a ritual to sum-
and asked to go back to their rooms to rest.
mon something into this world. The two are
They do not want the other guests informed of
not well experienced in the occult, but have
this since they may become alarmed. Elliott
a deep interest and have done their research
and Caleb will not be seen again for the rest of
around the gate and understand what it can do.
the adventure and they are “somewhere secure”
If anyone in the party passes a Listen roll, they
if the party asks about them later. If Elliott and
hear the two of them either going to the main
Caleb were convinced not to finish the sum-
hall or hear the sound of the ritual activity. If
moning, they could become allies of the inves-
the party does hear the ritual and goes to inves-
tigators for the remainder of the adventure.
tigate, they have several options on how to deal
with the issue. Both Elliott and Caleb are rather Breakfast
fearful about what they are doing and a simple
Breakfast starts at 8 am and is really just an op-
Persuade or Fast Talk roll can convince them
portunity for the investigators to socialize more
to abandon this effort. If the party is hostile,
with the other guests and possibly gain more
Elliott will attack the investigators while Caleb
information about the island’s past. Most of the
finishes the incantation. Caleb is nearly done
guests do not have much knowledge, but it may
with the incantation when the party arrives so
be helpful to fill in some facts that the party
he will complete it in any case where the par-
may have missed while in town. Shortly after 9
ty does not persuade them to stop. Caleb has
am, the party may notice that Penelope Blakely
a 60% chance of summoning a dimensional
leaves breakfast early and is heading back to her
shambler. If successfully summoned, there is
room. If the investigators follow, they will find
a 40% chance that Caleb loses control and is
that Cromley’s guards are searching her room
attacked by the shambler. If Caleb maintains
when they arrive. Penelope refused to give up
control of the shambler, this can become a very
the pages of the manuscript that she has since
difficult fight and 3 of Cromley’s guards come
she is worried that it is potentially dangerous.
to aid the party in taking care of the problem.
As a result, the guards have come to her room to
The guards use large blades and will eliminate
retrieve the documents without her permission.
the beast in 2 rounds if the party does not take
Penelope walks in on them searching her room.
care of the problem. None of Cromley’s guards
If the investigators did not follow Penelope, it
should be killed in the fight, although, they may
may be possible to have one of the investigators
be injured. Elliott and Caleb do not wish to
pass a Listen roll (-25% due to the distance) and
fight to the death and will give up quickly after
hear her struggling with the guards. If they do
being injured.
not intervene, Penelope is taken by the guards
and will not be found for the remainder of the
Dimensional Shambler adventure. Penelope is tied up and gagged in
STR 15 CON 15 SIZ 16 INT 8 the basement and can be rescued after the ritu-
POW 10 DEX 10 Move 7 HP 18 al. If the party does follow Penelope or respond
Dmg Bonus: +1D6 quickly to the sounds of a struggle, they come
across the guards. The guards do not want to
Weapons: Claw 30%, 1D8 + db create a large fight and will back down from a
Armor: 3-point thick hide confrontation. Cromley will later say that the
guards misunderstood his instructions and
Sanity Loss: 0/1D10
apologizes for their forcefulness. In the end,
Cromley believes that he can perform the in-

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91
 cantation without the missing pages, but wants Chapter 3 - The Party
them to be sure. What Cromley does not know
that the missing pages contain the information The party itself starts with a fine dinner at 7 pm.
about binding the summoned creature. As a All of the guests are wearing costumes, although
result, Cromley will not be transformed into the party is rather elegant so that costumes are
the creature, but instead be potentially attacked generally things like simple decorative masks. If
by it. If the party does rescue Penelope, she is anyone in the party selected a costume that hin-
very thankful and can become a NPC that helps ders their ability to move or see, that should be
them with other activities in the adventure. taken into account during the ritual (unless the
costume can be quickly removed). After dinner
Lunch completes, a brass quartet plays music for danc-
Lunch is served starting at 12:30 and is rather ing and drinks are continuously served. Crom-
uneventful. There is nothing of particular in- ley wants to make sure that everything goes
terest during lunch and is another opportunity well during the ritual and has had a chemical
to gain information if needed. Cromley does added to the drinks that dulls the senses of the
spend some time with the guests and can an- guests. The effects are not strong, but enough
swer some questions. He will, of course, avoid to cause the investigators to lose initiative dur-
questions about the ritual he wishes to perform ing any battles that ensue during the ritual. If
and merely suggests that it is purely for enter- the investigators have 1 drink or less, then the
tainment and nothing more. effects are very slight and can be ignored at the
Keeper’s discretion. Any player passing a Idea
Guards Come to Retrieve the Amulet or Pharmacy roll will suspect that the drinks
Fragment are tampered. Cromley and the staff will deny
If the party did not give up the fragment of the any knowledge of drink tampering, however,
amulet when they arrived to the island, Crom- and it cannot be proven by the investigators.
ley and his guards come to retrieve it now. All of the guests who have not been possibly
Cromley starts by trying to reason with the in- abducted (Elliott, Caleb and Penelope) are at
vestigators that this fragment of the amulet is the party and enjoying themselves. The investi-
a key piece to the entertaining ritual that he is gators really can’t obtain any more information
performing tonight and was the condition upon at this point since all of the guests are focused
which the party was invited. If the party still on having fun and not particularly interested in
refuses, all 5 guards, armed with guns and large serious conversation. Cromley spends most of
blades will attack the party. They will use their his time at the party, but will slip down to the
guns since they know that the amulet fragment basement to retrieve the necessary items for the
is necessary to complete the ritual. They will ritual later in the evening. The door to the base-
simply claim that the party members became ment will continue to be guarded the entire party.
hostile and attacked them. This is potentially a The Keeper should attempt to portray the party as
very deadly fight and should be avoided if at all a lively and entertaining event where there is really
possible. Convincing the investigators to give little or no foreshadowing of the ominous events to
up their fragment of the amulet is the best op- come. If the investigators have brought any weapons
tion. If not, the adventure probably effectively with them that they have obtained before the party,
ends at this point. Even if the investigators win, they should ensure that they are well concealed to
they will be apprehended by the police after the prevent attention from the guards. Dancing with
storm subsides. other guests can also result in the weapons being
noticed. At about 10 minutes before midnight, the
music stops and Cromley begins the ritual.

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Chapter 4 - The Ritual vestigators will need to use their Persuade skill
to convince the guests. Cromley will also try
Cromley starts by saying “My friends, no Hal- to convince the guests and is also very persua-
loween party would be complete without a ref- sive. Although the conversation will be quick,
erence to the supernatural. Enjoy the re-enact- Persuade should be used over Fast Talk in this
ment of a mock ceremony that was performed case since it is necessary to fully sway the guests
here by the past residents.” It is at this point and not simply for a short period of time. Both
that there are many possibilities of what can the investigators and Cromley should continue
happen next. The actions of the party in the to make Persuade rolls until one of them fails.
earlier parts of the adventure play a key part in If Cromley wins, the ritual will continue. If
the possible outcomes, as well as their actions at the party wins, Cromley backs off on his plans
this time. Here are the primary scenarios that since he knows his guards can’t control an en-
may come into play at this point: tire room of guests. This will effectively suc-
No Ritual cessfully stop the ritual from being performed.
Penelope can help in this cause and provide a
If the investigators had somehow obtained the +10% Persuade bonus to the investigators. El-
key to the basement from Cromley and over- liott and Caleb can also attempt to contribute
powered the guard, they could have taken all if the party has befriended them. They are not
of the components of the ritual and effectively viewed highly by the other guests, however, and
ended Cromley’s plans at that point. Only if actually cause a -5% Persuade penalty.
Cromley knows who took the amulet fragments
and manuscript can he instruct his guards to Cromley Completes the Ritual But Can’t
try to retrieve them. If not, he will attempt to Control the Creature
figure it out. If the investigators have concealed If the investigators aided Penelope and pre-
the ritual components well, then the party will vented Cromley from getting the missing man-
simply continue, although the Keeper should uscript pages, then the binding part of the ritual
attempt to get the investigators to make a mis- is not performed. As a result, the servant of
take and allow the ritual to occur. If Penelope Yog Sothoth passes through the gate separately
had been kidnapped then she would have been from Cromley and does not obey him. Instead,
freed by the investigators and could easily turn the first action of the creature is to consume
the guests against Cromley and the guards, Cromley in a very grisly manner, causing the
leading to a successful avoidance of the ritual. investigators to lose 0/1D3 sanity points. The
The Ritual Is Stopped guards will now either help fight against the
creature or attempt to run away (dictated by the
The investigators can attempt to stop the ritual
Keeper). The rest of the details of battling the
before the summoning is performed. This can
creature can be found in the “Fighting the Ser-
be done by physically attacking Cromley, al-
vant of Yog Sothoth” section below.
though his guards will intervene as will some
of the other guests since they think that party Cromley Is Transformed
is acting irrationally and are trying to protect If Cromley has obtained Penelope’s manuscript
their host. The most effective approach would pages, he completes the entire ritual and the gate
be to get the guests’ attention and try to per- is opened. A stream of light passes through the
suade them of the danger of the ceremony about gate and into Cromley who is then transformed
to be performed. Cromley will claim that the into the servant of Yog Sothoth. In this case,
investigators have had too much to drink and the guards will help protect the creature from
that the ritual is simply a source of entertain- attacks by the investigators or other guests. A
ment for the party and poses no danger. The in- straight fight in this case will likely be deadly

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 for the investigators since they would be oppos- in the party room that can be retrieved for the
ing the maximum and most powerful enemies battle as necessary. It may be possible to ob-
in the adventure. See the “Fighting the Servant tain a gun or knife from any of the guards killed
of Yog Sothoth” section below for details of this during the battle, as well. A direct battle with
battle. the creature (and potentially Crowley’s guards)
is very dangerous and will probably require the
Fighting the servant of Yog Sothoth help of some NPCs to be successful. If the party
As soon as the creature appears, the guests all has done a good job of socializing with some of
panic and begin rushing towards the stairwells. the key NPCs, the Keeper may decide to have
The creature is roughly 20 feet tall and has 4 them help with the fight. If the investigators
tentacles for arms. The creature also has a large are up against the creature and the guards, it is
mouth used to consume his prey. The crea- probably best for another option to be pursued.
ture will immediately begin consuming guests If the creature is defeated, it disappears or turns
by grabbing them with his tentacled arms and back into Cromley and the amulet shatters into
consuming them with his large mouth. The de- several pieces.
tails for the creature are as follows:
If the party found the hidden documents in the
library, they may have the incantation to send
Servant of Yog Sothoth the creature back through the portal. Using
STR 50 CON 45 SIZ 55 INT 15 the incantation requires that the investigator
POW 25 DEX 15 Move 15 HP 50 be in the same room as the creature and that
it has not yet left the vicinity of the gate. The
Dmg Bonus: +6D6
incantation requires 3 full combat rounds to
Weapons: Tentacle 60%, 1D8 + db complete and must be restarted if the investiga-
Bite 80%, 4D8 + db tor performing the incantation is injured dur-
ing this time. The investigator must success-
The creature will reach out with 2 tentacles per
fully complete an Occult role to complete the
turn grabbing targets. Each tentacle has a 20
incantation. Upon failure, another investigator
foot reach. The targets are typically brought to
(or NPC) can attempt the incantation, but any-
the mouth and consumed, but when fighting
one who has failed cannot attempt again. If the
larger groups of enemies, the creature will sim-
party has befriended Elliott and Caleb, one of
ply kill the targets with his tentacles. It takes
those NPCs may be a good choice to attempt to
one turn for a captured target to be brought to
exile the creature. If the incantation is success-
the creature’s mouth. If damaged more than 10
ful, the creature is pulled back into the gate and
HPs in a round, the creature drops whatever it
disappears. If Cromley was transformed into
is holding in it’s tentacles.
the creature, then he turned back into his hu-
Armor: 5-point thick hide man form. The guards and Cromley will lose
Sanity Loss: 1/1D10 the desire to fight at this point and surrender.
The amulet will remain intact if this option is
successful.
The party now has 3 main options: 1) If the party decides to flee, they must figure out
Fight, 2) Recite the incantation to vanquish a way to get to the staircases already being over-
the creature or 3) Flee. run by the other guests. Additionally, Crom-
ley’s men had locked all of the other doors to
If the party fights, they should utilize whatever the room before the ritual began and the char-
weapons they have procured during the adven- acters would need to pass a strength roll against
ture and brought to the party. There are 2 ad- one of the doors (strength 12) in order to break
ditional knives at some of the serving stations
The Costume Party
94
one down. All of the other guests are attempt- of these were accomplished with the investiga-
ing to go down the stairs and the investigators tors wearing ridiculous costumes (e.g a giant
would need to pass a DEXx5 roll to prevent chicken suit, etc.) then they gain an additional
from being knocked down and trampled (1D8 sanity point. If they fled from the creature, they
damage) on the stairs. The creature will remain hear of reports of attacks from a giant creature
in the room for several rounds, grabbing and over the next few weeks. As a result, for the
eating as many guests as it can. It will go to next 3 weeks, the investigators lose 1/1d4 san-
one of the staircases and begin grabbing guests ity points from hearing the reports. After that
there. After 5-10 rounds of eating guests (with- time, a group of military soldiers come into the
out being attacked), the creature will jump out area and no more reports are heard (the Keeper
a window in the room and land in front of the may wish to reveal that the creature was killed
entrance to the mansion. Many of the guests and introduce the amulet fragments again).
are running out of the mansion at that location
and are then consumed by the creature. Any Characters
investigator who has run out of the mansion
is now subject to these attacks, as well. If the Elliott Harding (Occult Enthusiast)
STR 14 CON 15 SIZ 16 INT 12 POW 14
investigators go up to the third floor or to one
of the wings of the building, they can avoid the DEX 12 APP 12 EDU 15 SAN 48 HP 16
attacks of the creature. If Cromley was success- Dmg Bonus: +1D4
fully transformed into the creature, however, Weapons: Fist/Punch 70%, 1D3+db
his guards will try to flush out any guests hid-
ing in the mansion to a spot where the creature Skills: Cthulhu Mythos 9%, First Aid 50%,
can eat them. If the investigators can defeat or Hide 25%, Occult 25%
hide from the guards, the creature will disap-
pear into the sea after about an hour.
Caleb Lancaster (Occult Enthusiast)
Chapter 5 - Conclusion STR 10
DEX 13
CON 11
APP 9
SIZ 9
EDU 18
INT 15 POW 11
SAN 36 HP 10
The storm that prevented passage to and from Dmg Bonus: None
the island subsides after a couple of days and all
surviving guests are returned to the mainland. Weapons: Dagger 40%, 1D4 + db, Fist/Punch
Depending upon the actions on the island, 50%, 1D3+db
some of the investigators could be in trouble Skills: Cthulhu Mythos 18%, History 40%, Lat-
with the police and be arrested. If the investi- in 40%, Listen 50%, Occult 55%
gators are the only survivors returning from the
island, they will need to explain to the police
what happened and will need to be very con- Penelope Blakely (Bank Teller)
vincing since it will look very suspicious. The STR 9 CON 12 SIZ 11 INT 15 POW 11
investigators would also have the possibility of DEX 13 APP 16 EDU 14 SAN 73 HP 12
going into the basement and retrieving books Dmg Bonus: None
from there (and possibly Penelope) before leav-
Weapons: Fist/Punch 50%, 1D3+db
ing the island.
If the investigators successfully stopped the Skills:Accounting 30%, Credit Rating 20%, Lis-
ritual from ever occurring, they gain 1d4+1 ten 40%, Occult 10%
sanity points. If the investigators defeated the
creature either by force or using the incantation,
they gain back 1d10+1 sanity points. If either

The Costume Party

95
 Joseph Haney (Anthropology Professor) Staff
STR 11 CON 13 SIZ 13 INT 16 POW 14 STR 11 CON 12 SIZ 12 INT 9 POW 10
DEX 13 APP 10 EDU 23 SAN 65 HP 13 DEX 15 APP 10 EDU 11 SAN 64 HP 12
Dmg Bonus: +1D4 Dmg Bonus: None
Weapons: Fist/Punch 50%, 1D3+db
Weapons: Fist/Punch 60%, 1D3+db
Skills: Listen 40%
Skills: First Aid 40%, Navigate 50%, Spot Hid-
den 40%, Throw 40%

Henry Stevenson (Fisherman)

STR 16 CON 15 SIZ 14 INT 8 POW 11
DEX 14 APP 8 EDU 8 SAN 58 HP 15
Dmg Bonus: +1D4
Weapons: Fist/Punch 60%, 1D3+db
Skills: First Aid 40%, Navigate 50%, Spot Hid-
den 40%, Throw 40%

Andrew Cromley (Eccentric Millionaire)

STR 13 CON 14 SIZ 13 INT 17 POW 17
DEX 13 APP 14 EDU 20 SAN 46 HP 14
Dmg Bonus: +1D4
Weapons: Fist/Punch 55%, 1D3+db, 9mm
Auto 35% 1D10
Skills: Art 15%, Bargain 50%, Credit Rating
85%, Fast Talk 60%, History 40%, Latin 60%,
Law 30%, Listen 40%, Occult 80%, Persuade
75%, Pharmacy 40%, Spot Hidden 30%

Guards
STR 16 CON 15 SIZ 15 INT 10 POW 13
DEX 15 APP 9 EDU 13 SAN 60 HP 15
Dmg Bonus: +1D4
Weapons: Fist/Punch 75% 1D3+db,
45 Automatic 55% 1D10+2,
Fighting Knife 60% 1D4+2+db
Skills: Fist/Punch 75%, Kick 50%, Listen 40%,
Occult 10%, Spot Hidden 40%, Track 20%

The Costume Party

96
 Lemuralia
An Original Scenario set within the world of Cthulhu Invictus

By Oscar Rios

Introduction conductor, to drive the Lemures from the Fluvi-

us villa once and for all. This might prove a dif-
T he Roman calendar has many holidays, festi-
ficult task, even for Oscarios Tabularius, Rome’s
most famous soul conductor. But the questor is
vals and holy days. The time is approaching for well funded, and the psychopompus is hiring
the feast of Lemuralia, three sacred days (May assistants. He’s offering 500 sestertii a day, for
9th, 11th and 13th) when all good Romans each day of Lemuralia, per man or woman will-
performed rites to exorcize the unwholesome ing to assist him. You can earn 1500 sestertii for
spirits of the dead from their homes. This was just three days work? That is more than most
accomplished by making offerings of beans and people make in a year!
mola salsa, special salted flower cakes made by
the Vestigial Virgins from the first ears of wheat
of a harvesting season. Such gifts usually were Keeper’s Information
enough to satisfy the restless dead for another
year, but every once in an unfortunate while the The villa of Sextus Fluvius Thalna is indeed
dead aren’t so easily appeased. haunted and a very dangerous place during Le-
Such a case exists in a home nestled in the muralia. Eighty years ago Fluvius Thalna, a ge-
valley between the Esquiline and Viminal hills nius in mathematics and architecture, pushed
in a neighborhood of the sprawling slums the boundaries of knowledge by experimenting
known as the Subura. Here, hidden away be- with the barriers separating realities. He locat-
tween cramped tenements and dens catering to ed a nexus point, a weak spot between realities
all manner of vice lies the villa of Sextus Fluvius and purchased the property, later building villa
Thalna. The family abandoned the property de- around it. The villa he designed has a subtle
cades ago as the slum rose to engulf it. No one but very unconventional design which exploits
lives there now; even the more hardened and non-euclidian geometry to amplify the instabil-
desperate of sorts won’t enter it. It’s known as ity.
The House of the Lemures, home to malignant The experiments drove him mad and ended
specters and the restless dead. It is without a tragically. By weakening the nexus point Thal-
doubt the most infamously haunted house in all na attracted Lumens to his home, strange crea-
of Rome. tures of living energy which can be quite dan-
But perhaps all that ends this year. Ru- gerous if threatened. They killed several people
mors has it that a young quaestor with an eye before he temporarily closed their entry point.
towards moving up the Cursus Honorum, in- Still Thalna pressed on with his work, next tear-
tends to cleanse the House of the Lemures as ing another small rip in the fabric of reality.
a way to win favor (and votes) with the people This opened a passageway to the realm of the
of Rome. He’s hired a psychopompus, or a soul Great Old One Abhoth, the Source of Unclean-

Lemuralia
97
 ness. Its spawn sensed the passage and invad- Part One: Who are you going to call?
ed the home, causing still more deaths. Thalna
quickly closed this breach, again temporarily The scenario begins with investigators seeking
so, and again pushed onward with his experi- out the psychopompus, Oscarios Tabularius.
ments. By now everyone but him had fled the He then hires them to assist him in cleansing
house; his family abandoning their paterfamili- the Fluvius Villa. They learn that the soul con-
as to his obsession. ductor is simply a civic clerk with an interest in
Ultimately Thalna accomplished his goal, investigating the unknown, working as a psy-
unlocking the secrets of passing between worlds chopompus in his spare time. Oscarios looks
through the use of strange geometry. But his to the investigators as colleagues and partners
breakthrough triggered an immediate attack rather than hirelings. Keepers should use this
by a Hound of Tindalos, which was attracted to push investigators to take the initiative in the
by his clumsy experiments. Thalna survived scenario but also allow the NPC to motivate
the initial attack, but ingested some of the blu- them should the team become stalled.
ish ichor dripping from the hound. This trans- The Ad
formed him into a Tindalosian Hybrid.
Today the nexus is only active on three Investigators may answer a posted ad, painted
nights per year, May 9th, 11th and 13th. On on walls here and there across Rome. They
May 9th the first rip re-opens, filling the house might also hear the same information read
with Lumens. On May 11th the rent into Ab- from several news readers on the days before
hoth’s realm re-opens and its spawn wander the start of Lemuralia. Oscarios’ ad reads, or is
into the villa. On the final night of Lemuralia, announced, as follows:
May 13th, Thalna himself returns to his former “Stalwart and able bodied people are needed to
home and hungrily seeks out prey, feeding off assist in the cleansing of the villa of Sextus Fluvi-
human souls. us Thalna. Generous payment offered for each of
The investigators must locate and close all the three night of Lemuralia. Contact Oscarios
three doorways. They can only be found af- Tabularius, at the Trajan on the 7th of May.”
ter they open but by then creatures from those
realms are already entering the villa. Investiga- At The Baths of Trajan
tors must defeat the Lumens (which can sim- This bath complex has its own gardens and li-
ply be avoided), the horde of Spawn of Abhoth braries, as well as baths. Oscarios Tabularius is
(whom attack anything they find within the vil- at the baths from the time they open until they
la) and Fluvius Thalna, the Tindalosian Hybrid close on the 7th, interviewing potential assis-
(who attempts to drain the souls of any humans tants in the cleansing of the Fulvius villa. He
within his home). is a regular here and has left instructions that
The weak points can be closed by tossing a anyone asking for him be led to wherever he
mola salsa into them. Ultimately if all three is. This is either in the gardens, the historical
breaks are sealed, the house is cleansed of the libraries or the baths themselves. Once the in-
haunting. However the design of the house vestigators meet Oscarios, he interviews them
inherently attracts distortions upon the natu- to learn if they are qualified to help him (See ˆ
ral nexus point and will never be a wholesome The Interview). If they can pass the interview
place to dwell. Once cleansed of its malignant he tells them a bit about the task they are being
influences the building should be destroyed. hired to assist him with (See ˆ The Mission).

Lemuralia
98
The Interview * The Villa was owned by the Fluvius family,
Oscarios questions prospective employees, try- who had a good name but had suffered finan-
ing to determine their skill set and how they cial hardships.
might be of help in this assignment. He asks * The Subura rose up around the villa, placing
about their education, their beliefs in Lemurs, the once stately home in the center of a slum.
magic and if they have any military training. * The builder of the house was a mathematician
While doing this he drops hints and asks slant- and engineer named Sextus Fluvius Thalna.
ed questions, hoping that investigators with
knowledge of the Cthulhu Mythos might show * He vanished under mysterious circumstances
their hand. If investigators impress him, or ad- while in the house 80 years ago.
mit to having encountered the mythos previ- * Strange lights are seen drifting around inside
ously, he hires them and explains the mission. the house on every May 9th.
The Mission * Over the last 80 years more than a dozen
people have been murdered in and around the
Oscarios details the mission of cleansing the house during Lemuralia.
villa of Sextus Fulvius Thalna, also known as
The House of the Lemurs. Anyone native to * Lemurs sometimes escape the house and ter-
Rome knows of the villa’s reputation as the rorize the neighborhood on May 11th; most
most haunted building in the city, non natives
realize this upon making a halved Know roll.
Oscarios Tabularius
Oscarios informs the investigators of his plan.
He hopes to locate the centers of the haunt- This freedman in his mid thirties is obviously
ing, the weak spots where the spirits are seep- non-Italian, likely a mix of Germanic and His-
ing into the house and close them. Oscarios panian. He’s lived in Rome all of his adult life
will lead the investigators in the Lemuralia rit- and purchased his freedom six years ago. Os-
ual and has acquired three very special mola carios was a civic slave, owned by the state who
salsa cakes to appease the ghosts with. Tomor- worked in various governmental bureaucracies
row is the 8th of May, the day before Lemura- as a clerk. Today he is a freedman, choosing
lia begins. Oscarios asks well educated investi- Tabularius (meaning clerk) as his cognomens
gators to look into the history of the property. and continues to work as a civil servant.
The freedman is a Tabularius, with nearly twen- He is a bright man with an eye for details,
ty years experience in public service. He in- meticulous in his investigating and focused
structs investigators to mention his name while on tasks he is given. Stoic in his philosophies,
attempting to access most government record. it gives him a rather fatalistic outlook which
Investigators who say to any civic clerk in Rome makes him brave and reckless all at once. He is
they are working for Oscarios gain admittance more comfortable behind a writing table than
to such records with a successful Luck roll. anywhere he might actually be in harm’s way.
The people he hopes to hire are the sort who
Research into The House of Lemurs can watch his back if things go badly.
Investigators find 2-4 (1D3+1) items of the fol- Keepers can have Oscarios be a member of
lowing information per successful Library Use Societas Cryptaegidis (The Hidden Shield So-
roll. They can also learn 1 item per successful ciety). If so he’s newly promoted commander
Persuade roll when questioning anyone who re- in the process of gathering his own team. For
sides within 1000 yards of the Fluvius Villa. more information on this secret society see The
Legacy of Arrius Lurco from Miskatonic River
Press, page 12.

Lemuralia
99
 local residents spend Lemuralia with relatives ready to conduct the Lemuralia rituals and con-
elsewhere in the city. duct the ghosts to their proper afterlife.
* Last Lemuralia the two most successful psy- The Walk to the Villa
chopompus in the Empire attempted to drive
the ghosts from the Fluvius villa. They were a As the investigators travel at the villa they see
Greek named Jason and a Roman named Licin- neighbors are either locking themselves in for
the night or are leaving the area entirely. Most
ius Philo. The Greek was found the next day
drained of all fluids, a withered husk, while carry bags with them, as if they won’t be return-
Philo remains missing to this day. ing for several days. One old woman stops the
investigators, explaining that this block isn’t
* A vigilis, Vibius Papus, was patrolling the area safe right now and that they should leave the
forty years ago. He stopped and questioned a area before dark. By the time the investigators
man seen exiting the villa on May 13th. The arrive at their destination the entire area is ef-
man claimed to live there, giving his name as fectively deserted.
Flavius Thalna. The vigilis, not knowing the vil-
la’s history, allowed the man to leave. The next The House of the Lemurs
morning three people were reported missing Located in the Subura, the villa’s exact location
from the area and another was found complete- is given as: “In the center of the hollow dip in
ly drained of fluids. Vibius Papus died twenty the street, up the block from the pottery shop,
six years ago. behind those three identical insula (apartment
Keeper’s Note : Vibius Papus was driven insane buildings) that got build a few years back, just
by the sight of the Tindalosian Hybrid, his mind a short way from the public restroom. The big
blocked out specific portions of the encounter. empty place, you can’t miss it.”
He did encounter and question Flavius Thalna, The villa sits in the middle of the crowded
but let him go after his mind convinced him slum but no other buildings crowd in on it. All
that there was nothing wrong with his appear- other structures are built a respectable distance
ance. from the villa, as if builders were afraid of get-
ting too close. This leaves the entire block sur-
* The property is now owned by the City of
rounding the House of the Lemurs underdevel-
Rome, as no surviving family has laid claim to
oped.
it for more than six decades. It is an eyesore
While once beautiful the place is fallen onto
which civic authorities would love to see torn
serious decay. The plaster is flaking off, the
down. They are unwilling to do so until the
paint has long since faded, the roof leaks and
spirits residing the place are laid to rest, as they
sags. The floors are warped and all the furni-
believe anything constructed on the site would
ture is ruined by mold. Strangely no pigeons or
end up haunted as well.
rats dwell here, nor can ANY signs that ANY
animals have ever made this urban ruin their
Part Two: House of the lair. Those looking over the structure with a
Lemurs critical eye can figure out with an INT check
The investigators meet Oscarios as he leaves that it should have naturally caved in on itself at
work just before sundown. Like all good Ro- least 20 years ago.
mans he has a bath (at an area bathhouse) and a Entering the House
meal (from a street cart), inviting the investiga-
tors to join him and paying for their bath and/ Once inside Oscarios asks the investigators to
or if they do. He then walks with them into the explore the house, instructing them to look for
Subura, to the door of the House of the Lemurs, anything out of place and listen for any odd
sounds. He asks them to describe to him what

Lemuralia
100
they see and hear; advising them to NEVER go * Gate #1 opens in the northern Ala (alcove)
off alone. “Stay in groups, or at least pairs, and on May 9th, releasing 3D12 dozen Lumens into
call out if you see anything”, he advises. The the villa.
psychopompus tries to remain with one of the * Gate #2 opens in the rear Triclimium (dining
investigators at all times, following his own room) on May 11th, and releases 2D4 Spawn of
rule. He explains, “We’ll wait and watch, and if Abhoth per hour.
the spirits make themselves known we’ll try to
put them to rest. “
The Lemuralia Ritual
The Plan This ritual is meant to cleanse the lingering
Oscarios plans to guide the spirits within the spirits from a home. The spirits are basically
house to their proper afterlife. He attempts to bribed with offerings, typically fava beans and
persuade them with the use of the Lemuralia special cakes. These cakes, called Mola Salsa,
ritual. If this fails Oscarios tries to find the are baked by the Vestal Virgins from the first
source of the Lemurs, which he suspects is a harvested wheat of a season. The ritual takes
gateway to Hades. Once he locates this passage- place during the Lemuralia festival, taking
way he attempts to seal it, exactly how he’s not place on the 9th, 11th and 13th of May.
entirely sure of. The head of the household stands bare-
foot and wears non-woven clothing free of
The House
any knots. This was because it was thought
The Fluvius villa matches the layout of a com- that footwear and knots interrupt the flow of
mon residence as detailed in the Cthulhu In- magic. He then makes a sign with his hands,
victus rulebook (See Welcome to Rome, Page joining middle finger and thumb, standing si-
13). Investigators making an INT times 3 check lently. Next he washes his hands with water
realize the angles of the walls, corners and ceil- from a fountain, turns around and gathers up
ings seem a bit off. Those who make this check the beans. These are tossed backwards as the
by more than half their needed score also re- person performing the ritual utters “haec ego
alize that in these places the dimensions seem mitto, his redimo meque meosque fabis”, nine
bigger on the inside of these rooms than they times. This translates to “I send these; by the
can possibly be giving their location within the beans I redeem myself and my dependents”.
house. Somehow the design of the villa allows it Once this is finished rings a set of copper sym-
to violate the laws of physics and investigators bols and cries out, again nine times, “Manes ex-
discovering this must make a Sanity Check for ite paterni!” or “Ghosts of my fathers be gone!”
0/1D2 points. The cakes of salted wheat are traditionally left
on the house’s lararium, or the shrine to the
The Gates
family’s personal spirits.
A detailed search of the house allows investiga- Unfortunately for the investigators this reli-
tors the opportunity to find various clues and gious ritual has no real magical effects. It does
signs as to where the weak spots in our real- not close the rents in the fabric of reality; ap-
ity are located. Investigators entering theses pease the Lumens, Spawn of Abhoth or the
locations should make a POW times 2 check, Tindalosian Hybrid who haunt the villa. How-
to sense that something just is not right in that ever, what is does is restore 1 point of Sanity
location. Those making a successful Spot Hid- to anyone partaking in the ritual, if they hon-
den check in these rooms notice that the decay estly believe that it may work (see Recovering
is especially bad, the walls showing signs of be- Sanity, page 82, in the Cthulhu Invictus source-
ing blacked and scorched in places. These loca- book).
tions are:

Lemuralia
101
 * Gate #3 opens in the Tablinum (office) on been turned upside down in the last year. Inves-
May 13th, and allows the Tindalosian Hybrid tigators who turn it upright (STR 30) discover
to re-enter this reality for the night. a beautiful Spatha (long sword), a puglio (large
knife) and a metal banded club. Oscarios can
Closing / Sealing a Gate identify these weapons as having belonged to
The three gates inside the House of the Lemurs his colleagues in the psychopompus communi-
open for between 3-5 hours (1D3+2). After that ty, Jason and Licinius Philo. All three weapons
the gates close until the next Lemuralia. The are enchanted, hidden here by Fluvius Thalna.
gates appear as a rip hanging in space, about
the width of a man’s spread arms. A gate can Part Three: Lemuralia, The
be closed before its usual span by either toss- First Night
ing an active Elder Sign or a freshly baked mola
salsa into one. An Elder Sign closes the gate On this night, at just about midnight, the first
forever, while the salted wheat cake only closes of the three gateways opens. There is a ripping
it for that particular day, allowing it to reopen sound followed by a smell, as if lightning has
normally the following year struck nearby, that fills the villa. Slowly 3D12
The unique shape of the house is the main glowing balls of light begin to slowly drift out
reason these gates exist, as the structure ampli- of the northern Ala.
fies the instability of the local nexus. Once the Fighting the Lumens
third and final gate is closed the entire house
begins to collapse in on itself. It is only the en- These creatures do not attack but simply drift
ergy of the instability that is keeping the natural about. If investigators avoid bumping into
aging of the house at bay. them they can easily bypass entering combat
with them. However, the Lumens are quite
The Hidden Lock thickly gathered around the riff they emerge
Hidden in the mud of the Impluvium (the from, so Investigators attempting to enter the
pool to catch rainwater in the villa’s atrium) is northern ala must make a standard DEX check
a leather bag. Inside it is a smooth river stone per round to evade contact with the drifting
with an odd sigil carved into it. The bag con- creatures. Investigators must travel through
tained a scroll as well but this has long since the room for two rounds before they can close
turned to mush. The scroll once explained what the riff with either an active elder sign of one
the stone was, what it did and how to construct of the mola salsa cakes. Investigators can enter
more. The sigil on the stone is an Elder Sign, the room, making a single DEX check, and then
made by the insane Fluvius Thalna in case he throw either the active elder sign or mola salsa
needed to quickly close one of the gates he was into the riff with a successful throw check.
attempting to open. Investigators attacking the creatures trig-
However, after becoming a Tindalosian Hy- ger a dangerous situation. Once threatened
brid, he realized the stone could pose a threat the creatures seek out targets, draining them of
to him. He could neither destroy it nor move it CON until either all the lumens or humans in
far. So he hid it, tossing it into the pool of scum- the villa are dead. Investigators with spells or
my water where it has sat for nearly 80 years. enchanted weapons could possible destroy all
Investigators must make a successful Cthulhu the lumens in the villa but such a conflict is un-
Mythos roll to identify what the stone is. necessary. Once the riff is successfully closed
the lumens slowly fade away at the rate of 2D4
The Hidden Weapons per hour, vanishing back to their home dimen-
Investigators making a successful Spot Hidden sion.
roll discover that a large stone flowerpot has

Lemuralia
102
Lumens, Lesser Servitor Race. such attacks turn red, blister and scald, and
“And coming our way over the broad expanse, smoke for a short time. Such wounds never
skimming along at treetop level, was an oblong heal. Afterwards, the pain is surprisingly mini-
cluster of faintly glowing lights. Lights. That’s mal, but later infection is highly likely aggravat-
what they were. Not glowing spheres. Not UFO’s ing the injuries further.
or any of that nonsense. They had no discernible Alternately, these ghostly floating lights lure
substance. There were just lights. Globules of hapless investigators into deep woods, swamps,
light I’d never seen light behave that way before- or other dangerous and desolate areas. This
it didn’t seem right or natural for light to concen- technique is most often used to get victims lost
trate itself in a ball. Or perhaps it was the way or trick them into falling down wells, stepping
they moved, gliding through the night with such into quicksand, stumbling into alligator dens,
purpose, cutting through the dark, weaving from or otherwise getting them in harm’s way.
tree to tree, floating by the topmost branches, and
then forging a path to the next. Almost as if the LUMENS, Pine lights, Witch Lights, Corpse
trees were signposts.” Lights, Jack O‚Lanterns, Will-O‚-The
- F. Paul Wilson, “The Barrens” Wisps.
Lumens are also known by a number of dif- Char.rolls Averages
ferent names: Pine lights, witch lights, will-o‚- STR 1D4 2 -3
the wisps, jack o‚lanterns, corpse lights, fairy CON 1D6 3-4
lights, or fox fires. They are the guardians of
special places across the world called “nexus SIZ 1 1
points”. Twice a year at these points the “veils” INT 3D6 10-11
that obscure reality become detached and for a POW 3D6 10-11
short period of time offer glimpses of the true
nature and horrors of our world obscured from DEX 3D6+12 22-23
man’s normal perception. Four such points are Move 10 flying HP 2-3
known: one near the east coast of North Ameri- Av. Damage Bonus: N/A
ca in New Jersey called “The Barrens”, one in Ti-
bet, and one in each of the poles. Other nexus Weapons: Cold Burn 50%, Damage permanent
points may exist. People brave enough to follow loss of 1D6 CON.
the paths that the lumens traverse through the Armor: None, but immune to all forms
night skies are ultimately led to nexus points. of non-magical attacks.
Animals and vegetation shun areas where
Spells: A Lumen with an INT of 15 of more
lumens congregate. Over time any terrestrial
knows 1D3 spells.
life in an area of lumen activity becomes de-
formed and abnormal in both appearance and Skills: Track 25%.
behavior. Sanity Loss: 0/1D4 for Sanity points to see lu-
Lumens rarely attack unless they are dis- mens.
turbed or are required to defend themselves.
They normally travel in groups of a hundred of
more and can attack en masse.
ATTACKS: Lumens attack by passing though
and inside their victims, creating a strong cold,
burning pain. This causes the permanent loss
of 1D6 CON points per round. Wounds from

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103
 Part Four - Lemuralia, The tures, monstrous mutant things, queer human-
Second Night oids, amorphous blobs, ect. Some spawn of
Abhoth fly, some swim, some crawl, some don’t
On the second night of Lemuralia, at about move at all. Abhoth scoops up and reabsorbs
2am, the next riff opens. This riff carries with some of its children. Those that escape their
it the stench of a carnal rot, part cesspool and sire’s grasp wander about in dark and lightless
brothel and battle field. Immediately there is subterranean lairs of even venture up into the
the sound of slithering, hopping, flapping of world of men or into the Dreamlands.
wings; hooting, howling and gibbering coming Abhoth’s spawn are mostly simple minded
from the triclimium (dining room). The inves- creatures which act and react on impulse. A
tigators find themselves immediately under at- few of these creatures tend to the alien needs
tack. of their sire, but most simply wander away. Be-
cause every child of Abhoth is different, each
Fighting the Spawn of Abhoth
has a different mode of attack. The keeper
Every hour 2D4 spawn enter the house and at- should determine the specific form of attack
tack anything they find. Keepers can have them for each child he or she creates. Characteristics
enter in a mass wave or creep in a few at a time. for the Abhoth-spawn vary greatly. For most
They are hideous to behold, each appearing statistics, the keeper must first make a random
unique. The spawn that can fit through the riff dice roll to see how many dice the statistic has.
tend to be of the smaller sort, so the damage of For example, STR is listed as 1-4D10. So the
their attacks is only about 1D6 and their Dam- keeper should first roll a 1D4 and then roll that
age Bonus only 1D4. While they have no armor many 1D10.
and can be harmed by normal attacks, they do
regenerate quickly so combat with them could
SPAWN OF ABHOTH, Spoor of a Great Old One
be challenging to investigators. The best tactic
Char. rolls Averages
would be to close the riff as quickly as possible,
STR 1-4D10 10-18
even in mid-combat with the Spawn if neces-
sary. CON 1-6D6 9-16
SIZ 1-3D10 10-12
ABHOTH, SPAWN OF, Lesser Servitor Race INT 1D10 5-6
There were things like bodiless legs or arms that POW 1-6D6 9-16
flailed in the slime, or heads that rolled, or floun- DEX 1-3D6 6-8
dering bellies with fishes‚ fins; and all manner of Move 1-3D6-3 4-6
things malformed and monstrous, that grew in HP 10-14
size as they departed from the neighborhood of
Av. Damage Bonus: +1D6 (In this case 1D4)
Abhoth. And those that swam not swiftly ashore
when they tell in the pool from Abhoth, were de- Weapons: Various 1D100%, as per mode of at-
voured by mouths that gaped in the parent bulk. tack (in this case 45% and 1D6)
-Clark Aston Smith, “The Seven Geases” Armor: None, regenerates 1D20 hit points per
The spawn of Abhoth are the carious creatures round.
which the Great Old One Sloughs off from its Spells: None
great fertile bulk. Unlike Sub-Niggurath’s off-
spring, no two children of Abhoth are alike, yet Skills: Sneak 50%.
unlike the brood of Ubbo-Sathla, the Abhoth- Sanity Loss: varies from 0/1D2 Sanity points to
spawn are generally complex life forms. Some 1/1D10 for Sanity points to see a very horrible
appear as unfinished bodies of singular body spawn of Abhoth.
parts, while others look like prehistoric crea-

Lemuralia
104
Spawn of Abhoth, The Villa Invaders (2D4 someone, to satisfy his ravenous hunger for a
per hour) human soul.
STR 14 CON 10 SIZ 10 INT 5 POW 9 The Final Battle
DEX 7 Move6 HP 10
Fluvius Thalna drops the decrepit cloak, show-
Damage Bonus: +1D4 ing the true horror of his appearance. His body
Weapons:Various bites, claws, fangs or con- is all cubes and angles, like a living man made
strictions 45%, 1D6+db of blocks. His appearance shifts dramatically,
as he moves to attack. This immediately re-
Armor: None, regenerates 1D20 points per
quires the investigators make a Sanity check
round.
(see below).
Spells: None Fluvius Thalna is a very weak hybrid, due
Skills: Sneak 50% mainly to the fact that he is only released on
one night a year to feed. The nature of his exis-
Sanity Loss: 0/1D6 points to see a Spawn of
tence means that he goes through long periods
Aboth, Villa Invader.
of near starvation. He is also still insane from
Part Five - Lemuralia, The his research. While his powers are formidable,
he is not very savvy in combat. Investigators
Final Night able to reduce him to zero hit points can defeat
The third and final inter-dimensional doorway him. Should investigators gain access to the Ta-
opens at 3am, with a racing wind and a wave blinum and close the gate, even if in mid com-
of dizziness washing over everyone. Two inves- bat with Fluvius Thalna, are also able to defeat
tigators can make an INT check to triangulate him as closure of the gate returns him to im-
the direction of the disturbance, which emanat- prisonment. If this is the third gate closed all
ed from the Tablinum (office). After a few mo- the gates are destroyed and the Tindalosian Hy-
ments a cloaked figure emerges from the office. brid is destroyed.
A wall suddenly appears where the door once
stood, which is as rotten seeming as the rest of Tindalosian Hybrids, Lesser Independent
the house. An investigator can batter through Race
this by inflicting 12 points of damage, or crash
“The figure that appeared was sharp and angu-
through it by beating a STR vs. STR 15 contest
lar and unrecallable as a bust of static electric-
on the resistance table. To close the gate and
ity. It was dark and it stood upright, and there
dispel the Tindalosian Hybrid, investigators
was a vaguely lupine are about it as it sprang
must enter the Tablinum.
forward∑ also something cold and partaking of
A meeting with Sextus Fluvius Thalna primal hunger which nothing in the universe
A figure exits the office of the villa, dressed in might fully satisfy.”
a filthy mold covered robe. It approaches the - Roger Zelazny, The Changing Land
investigators, asking who they are and why Tindalosian hybrids look like living cubist
they are in his home. He explains that this is paintings, all angles and sharp shapes. They
his property, gives his name as Sextus Fluvius generally try to maintain their human forms,
Thalna, and explains that they are trespassing. but their image often waves and ripples. Tin-
If the investigators claim to be psychopompus dalosians exist across hyperdimensonal realms,
attempting to cleanse the house of Lemurs, he and thus appear to shift and change when mere
thanks them for their efforts. Meanwhile, he is three-dimensional mortals can see only seg-
slowly trying to get within range of attacking ments of their being. They often dress in hood-
ed robes, billowing garments and veils, or long
Lemuralia
105
 trench coats and wide-brimmed hats to hide sacrificed, a hybrid can Twist Space around it
their Tindalosian features. When they don’t within a radius of POW feet. See nearby box
bother to keep human shape, their visible por- text for details.
tions change radically. Their hands appear as ATTACKS: Tindalosian hybrids may attack
conglomerates of triangular crystals reminis- with their hands/claws each round. They also
cent of wolfish claws. Their face is replaced by have several special attacks and effects.
what seems to be a wide gaping mouth, with a
set of long crystalline fangs. (The rest of a Tin- BITE: if a Tindalosian hybrid receives a spe-
dalosian hybrid is in other dimensions). Their cial success and the victim fails to Dodge, the
shape constantly shifts, as in small parts of them hybrid’s mouth seems to enlarge to the victim’s
were popping in and out of existence. Their size, while the victim seems to elongate, shrink,
exposed substance appears as a conglomerate and be sucked into the maw. The character is
of many angles, with no curves at all. The hy- gone. A hybrid can swallow up to its own SIZ
brids can extend a snake-like tongue of bluish *2.
color from these jaws. Although not obvious TONGUE: the process leaves a small painless
by sight, the soul immediately senses that this hole in the chest surrounded by traces of blue
is a predator, a wolf-like creature whose prey is ichor. Hybrids gain 1 magic point per point of
one’s inner essence. POW drained, up to their original maximum.
Tindalosian hybrids are not a naturally-oc- The tongue sucks the soul and all bodily fluids
curring species. They come into being through out of the victim at the rate of 1D2 POW and
magic and accident. By ingesting a bit of the 1D6 CON per round (the POW stays lost, but
blue ichor left behind by a hound of Tindalos, blood transfusions can restore the CON up to
a human may become infected (if he does not half of the total lost points). The tongue stays
die first) and mutate into a Tindalosian hybrid. attached until the hybrid disengages or the vic-
Certain spells and elixers may produce the tim dies or breaks away (STR vs. STR).
same effect. TINDALOSIAN HYBRIDS, Half-Breed Killers
A hybrid’s first priority is feeding, and it
Char. rolls Averages
must do so at least once a day. They like eat-
ing tasty souls, and always attack those with the STR 3D6+12 22-23
highest POW first. If surrounded and rushed, CON 3D6+12 22-23
a Tindalosian hybrid just rips, tears, and tosses
SIZ 2D6+6 13
people about. If it has enough magic points, it
delights in allowing opponents to flee and then INT 1D6+12 15-16
popping up in from of its prey, smiling as only POW 5D6 17-18
they can. It is very hard for a Tindalosian hy-
DEX 3D6+6 16-17
brid to keep itself looking human, since their
evil forms constantly shits, as is blatantly obvi- APP 3D6* / N/A 10-11* / N/A
ous in daylight, This is why the generally try SAN N/A N/A
to hide themselves beneath robes and coats. Move 10 HP 17-18
When they attack, they try to do it in the shad-
ows. Av. Damage Bonus: +1D6.
TIME-SPACE ABILITIES: a Tindalosian hy- Weapons: Claws 45%, damage 1D3+2d6
brid’s Hyper-Sight extends to an area of up to its Bite 38%, damage 1D6 + 2D6 + Swallow whole
POW X10 feet in radius per 1 magic point per (see above)
round. For 4 magic points per use, a hybrid can
Step-Through to another angle within POW*20 Tongue 70%, damage 1D2 POW drain (see
feet of itself. For one round per 5 magic points above)
Lemuralia
106
Armor: 2-point skin. Regenerates 3 hit points Within a few minutes all that remains is a pile of
per round. Mundane weapons do minimum quickly rotting timber, plaster and paint. Inves-
damage. By expending 4 magic points per tigators and Oscarius can report to the questor
round, a hybrid can shift its physical essence that all spirits have safely been conducted to
further into hyperdimensional space, becom- their final rest. Within 2 weeks construction
ing completely immune to mundane weapons. begins on a large insula project, with several
In all cases, magical weapons and spells have ground floor shops. The investigators are offers
full effect. If a hybrid drops to zero or below, rent free residence in one of these apartments
it dissipates. It is up to the keeper whether as a reward, or possibly one of the shops with
the Tindalosian hybrid is then truly dead, or a successful Bargain roll. Should investigators
whether some fragment regenerates over a long not wish to take up residence in Rome‚s most
period of time. dangerous slum the questor offers them an ad-
Spells: all hybrids know 1D10 spells, at the ditional 1000 sesterii as a bonus after. He is in a
keeper‚s discretion. generous mood as this public relations victory
earns him a lot of votes and he wins election
Skills: Dodge 75%, Hide 75%, Jump 70z5, Lis- into a higher office. Investigators gain +2% to
ten 70%, Scent Humans 85%, Sneak 80%, Spot their Status scores as news spreads that they
Hidden 75%, and other normal human skills, were responsible for riding the city of it’s more
although usually with higher levels of science haunted house.
and psychology-related skills.
Happy Halloween!
Sanity Loss: None in human form; to see tin-
dalosian hybrid form costs 1D2/1D12 Sanity Sanity Awards
points. For Each dimensional riff closed 1D3
For closing all three dimensional riffs 1D6
The Next Day
If investigators manage to close all three gates
the house begins to fall down around their ears.

Lemuralia
107
 13 Black Candles
By Jeff Woodall

This adventure is nominally set during the tion it has a fine Inn by name of the Silver Bell.
This functions not only as an inn but also a tav-
colonial period just following the close of the ern serving ales, wine and food from the local
American Revolution however some adjust- farms.
ments can easily make it suitable for 1920’s or The majority of the inhabitants of Aylesbury
Modern. are farmers or craftsmen and their families.
It is late October and Squire Tom Roberts The investigators will arrive a couple of days
is giving his annual All Hallows Evening par- before the event and make arrangements to
ty in the town of Aylesbury, Connecticut. He stay at the Silver Bell inn. The proprietor Mat-
has given this party every year since the end of thew Silver will greet them. He show them their
the American Revolution. It is a huge event in rooms and informs them dinner will be served
which people from the town of Aylesbury are a six thirty.
invited as well as his family and friends from Upon arriving for dinner they will notice the
elsewhere. The investigators have been invit- very large dining room has customers in it most-
ed to attend. It is assumed that they investiga- ly drinking ale and wine. A woman in her thir-
tors are coming from out of town and minimal ties and a girl of about fifteen are serving them.
knowledge of the area. The young lady greets the investigators and in-
Aylesbury is a quite somewhat secluded vites them to a table in the corner and brings
town in the Northern area of Connecticut. It ale, bread,
has several out- cheese, fruit,
lying farms and vegetable stew
a few wood- and roasted
ed areas. The chicken. They
main part of the over hear talk of
town has a vari- the upcoming
ety of business- event and local
es ad building news and gos-
that would be sip. Overshad-
need in a Colo- owing all of this
nial Era com- is the sad news
munity. There of an eight-year-
is an Episcopa- old boy by the
lian church in name of John
the town, which Sampson who
most everyone has disappeared
attends. In addi- the night before
13 Black Candles
108
last. Search parties have been looking for him should gather near the pumpkin patch outside.
since the yesterday. Eventually four men come Several eager youngsters run noisily towards
in and everyone stops and looks at them. One the pumpkin patch followed by their parents
says, “We haven’t seen anything yet.” They are and other spectators.
then escorted to another room by the propri- The squire gives the signal to begin.
etor. The investigators may wish to aid in the The children run to it searching for candy
search for this boy. It must be remembered that and small toys as the adults look on. A sud-
during this time period kidnapping is a rare den very thick fog arises covering the field
thing in the United States. In other parts of the and nearby woods. The cawing of crows can
world it is common for children to be sold into be heard. This eerie fog causes an uneasy feel-
slave labor sometimes called indentured ser- ing among the viewers. The investigators may
vitude to make it sound nice. It is assumed by note that this is very unnatural. The adults be-
most that John Sampson has been hurt some- gin calling for the children to come back and
where or is lost. The investigators may be the most do. However twelve do not return. Par-
only ones who suspect wrongdoing. They can ents begin going onto the fog to search for their
aid in the search if they wish. The keeper can children and everything is chaos for about an
give them clues as seems appropriate. hour when the local minister calls for everyone
to calm down and begins a systematic search.
The party starts at 3:00 in the afternoon and Lanterns are brought out as well as weapons.
lasts until well after dark. There is to be music The footprints of the children can be found in
and dancing, food, games, ghost stories, fortune the field as well as some booted feet of larger
telling and a scavenger hunt for the children. people. Some of these larger ones all lead to the
The house is large place the party is held in- woods. An immediate search begins. Sudden-
side in the main hall. The hall decorated heavi- ly the situation breaks down again with many
ly with jack-o-lanterns causing and other room people blaming the squire who protests his in-
to glow with an orange light. There are tables nocence. One of the investigators may notice
laden with food of all kinds and casks of ale. that the elderly man who was playing violin is
Children are bobbing for apples in a corner. also missing. If they ask about him they find out
A group of musician plays in the corner while his name is Mike Little. In addition the school-
couples perform dances in the center. master is missing as well.
As the investigators enter luxurious home Any investigators with a successful idea roll
Squire Roberts and His wife Jane greet them. or occult check may note that the 12 children
They can mingle with the guests they are intro- now missing along with John Sampson equals
duced to various people. In their conversations to thirteen, just the right number for a witches
they will hear various gossip. For one thing the coven.
minister Sam Hart is not present, most people Any of them with a skill in tracking may no-
suggest he has apprehensions about the event tice that the boot sizes leading to the woods are
and has chosen not to attend this year. He has of people with very large feet but the weight of
attended the event in the past but never seemed the person is very light especially considering
to enjoy himself. People say he longs for the that they may be carrying a child.
days of Salem to return. Also they remark on
how marvelous the music is especially under The children were captured by the Crow people
Mike Little’s direction. He is an elderly man who have taken the children to the mansion of
playing a violin. Mike Little. All of the children are placed in a
At about a half on hour before sunset the hypnotic state.
squire announces the scavenger hunt held for
the children is to begin and that all the children
13 Black Candles
109
 The members of the dark order of Baphomet few days after the event all of the children will
have all arrived and the ritual will begin at mid- disappear going to various localities where they
night. have set up arrangements to be cared for in a
The ritual they will employ will take several lavish lifestyle until the next time they will per-
hours to complete and on the dawn of All Hal- form the ritual fifty years hence.
lows Day the transfer will be complete with the Mike Little’s House
old bodies sacrificed by the Guardians with the
minds of the children in them. One of the largest houses in the entire state
The schoolmaster was one of the ones search- it was built about fifty years prior for another
ing for the children. He did not return and de- person. Mike Little moved in nearly two years
cided to go into the pine woods by himself. He ago and has become involved with the locals.
was found by the crow people and killed. A couple of miles out of town it is somewhat
Time is very important in this adventure. hidden away in a wooded area. He seldom has
The characters have one night in which to lo- visitors other than members of the cult. Few of
cate the children in order to save them. the town people have been to this place. He no
The Keeper can use any set time limit for his longer keeps human servants but has the Crow
or her group as desired. A suggested time lim- People do much of the required work.
it of three hours after the start of the All Hal- It has two levels the first contains a good-
lows Eve party with each half hour denoting an sized library, kitchen, drawing room, and din-
event. The keeper can let the players know the ing room. The library has books on various sub-
event if appropriate or the keeper may choose jects including the Occult. There are no mythos
to simply let the players know there is a time books in this room. The drawing room has the
limit and occasionally call out the time. This trophies of several animal on the walls as well
adds to the general paranoia and dread. as a cabinet containing three pistols and six
If the investigators are able to stop the ritu- muskets and gunpowder, ammunition, fuses,
al from taking place no permanent harm will some hunting knives and a saber. The kitchen
come to the children. They will however have to has a fireplace large enough to cook with a spit
face 13 cultists and the five crow people. and cauldron. It also contains various cooking
Interrupting the ritual will leave the chil- equipment. On All Hallows Eve the kitchen is
dren’s minds in the adult’s bodies and the adults in use to provide food for the Cult. There is a
in the children’s. They are also likely to face the small stairs leading down to a cellar that con-
avatar of Shub-Niggurath and the Crow people. tains various foodstuff and wine.
The cultist now possessing the bodies of the The upstairs contains four bedrooms and a
children will attempt to convince people to do water closet. In Mike Little’s Room there is a
away with the old bodies now containing the doorway hidden behind a wardrobe that leads
children’s minds. to the ritual chamber. The children will be kept
on the second level in the hidden ritual room.
If the investigators arrive at dawn or later they This room has an altar with various symbols
will find the children now possessed by the draw on it and a small statue of Baphomet. Un-
members of the order. The bodies of the elderly derneath the altar is the Book of the Dark Or-
people will be gone having been consumed by der of Baphomet. There is a large red rug on the
Shub-Niggurath avatar. The children’s souls are floor and black drapes on the walls. Candles
now lost forever. The investigators may not re- will light the room. In addition if the come in
alize at first what has taken place. When they upon the ritual each cultist will be paired with
do they will have to make decision on what to one of the children holding a large black can-
do next. Any attack on the children will prob- dle with a deep orange flame. The black candles
ably be seen as a criminal and immoral act and are specially made from human fat for this rit-
investigators may find themselves punished. A
13 Black Candles
110
ual. Sanity loss to see the statue and symbols is The Graveyard
0/1d3. If the ritual is taking place it is 1/1d6. If If perchance the investigators go to the grave-
Baphomet is eating the human bodies it’s a san- yard they will notice that two graves less than
ity loss of 3/3d4. a year old look as if they have been dug up re-
In addition to the house there is a barn that ap- cently. Uncovering the graves will reveal that
pears to be in disuse. In fact the barn is the hid- the bodies are gone. This was done by the crow
ing place of the crow people. Within are several people who were getting desperate and it was
large feathers and carrion of various animals done without Mike Little knowledge who has
the Crow People are feeding on. There are vari- insisted since their arrival a couple of months
ous weapons most with bloodstains upon them ago that they could only eat what they came
to be found as well. The schoolmaster’s body across in the pine woods. Investigators are like-
can be found in the barn ripening for a feast of ly to find more of the boot tracks that an ex-
the Crow People. pert tracker will note belongs to someone who
The Church doesn’t weigh very much. Also there are few of
the overly large crow feathers.
If the investigators search the church on the
night of the event they will find that the minis- The Pine Woods
ter has apparently hung himself. This large area of primarily large pine trees
There is a note that says only “I am guilty”. By has an evil reputation. It is said to be haunted
comparing his other writing with a successful by evil spirits, was once used by Indians for
check the investigators will note that it is a forg- strange rituals involving animal sacrifices. It
ery of his handwriting. With a successful med- has little game for hunters and the few who do
icine skill check an investigation of the minis- go into it for hunting hear strange sounds and
ters body will reveal several bruises around his see shadows that move in odd ways. Some have
body and the back of his head made by a blunt come out insane and only able to remember a
object and has caused severe internal bleeding. horrible walking corpse that chased them. It
In fact the crow people were sent to do away connects to various parts of the town and its
with the minister and make it look like he was paths are sometimes used by the more brave or
responsible for the children’s disappearance. foolhardy. Older children use it as a dare game.
Mike Little knew the minister was watching Investigators searching in here will find
him. prints of large boots. With a successful track
The reverend has a small house next to the check they can follow these to both the pump-
Church. If the investigators search they will kin patch by Squire Robert’s House and to Mike
come across his journal. Little’s house. The will also come across some
The reverend has been collecting informa- black feathers but very large. Those with a suc-
tion on Mike Little, which he has written in his cessful natural history, biology or other appli-
journal (See Reverend Hart’s Journal at the end cable skill check will note that it is a crow feath-
of the Scenario). er but much too large.
The Schoolhouse The legends surrounding the woods in regards
In John Sampson’s desk on his slate board is a to being haunted do have some truth to them.
crudely drawn picture of birds carrying weap- Long before the coming of the Europeans there
ons. was a group of Native Americans who lived in
this area. Among them was a man who went
mad and murdered several of his tribe in a
most horrible fashion. He was chased down

13 Black Candles
111
 and killed on a stone formation in the center of Baphomet
these woods. Str 28 Con 20 Siz 28 Int 21
His spirit still roams the forest mainly near Pow 40 Dex 18 HP 28
the stone formation. He will continue to haunt
Damage Bonus +1d8
the woods so long as the woods and stone for-
mation remain. Weapons claw 60%, Bite 55%, gouge with horn
45%, kick 20%
San loss 2/2d8
Ghost of Madman
Int 14 Pow 20
The Cultist
1d6 sanity to see
Mike Little Leader of the Dark Order of Baphomet
He appears as a rotting corpse, hairless, with
fanglike teeth, long finger nails and covered in He plays the part of a lonely widower who
the blood of his victims. has recently moved into the area to forget his
grief and use the rest of his time helping oth-
ers. He is to the public a humble, gentle man
who gives freely of his time and resources. His
The Dark Order of Baphomet behavior in private is often very different. He
This group is comprised of 13 elderly people is a violent tempered individual who lashes out
(each in their sixties) who seek to renew their at the slightest offense. Taking vengeance to
lives by using an elaborate mind switch spell on the extreme on the smallest of slights. He has
13 children. In addition this group participates hinted at passing on his wealth to some of the
in every vice and sin known to man. They wor- children in the church whom he feels deserves
ship a being called Baphomet who is actually the help. All thirteen of the children chosen to
a fairly stable avatar of Shub-Niggurath. This be the new vessels of the coven are in his choir
being appears as the drawing by John Dee. The group. He is the leader of the cult and has been
group also performs ritual sacrifices at each with them since their beginnings. A small but
equinox and solstice. immensely cruel man with a vast knowledge of
The have been active since the dark ages and the occult. He passes himself off as a wealthy
have preformed this rite many times. None ex- philanthropist who is a church going man. He
cept Mike Little are the original members. As alone is aware that the Cult deals with some-
accidents and other reasons have caused the thing beyond Satanism. He is the leader of the
early death of a member. When this has hap- local church choir and also plays organ, piano,
pened they seek out a new member, always violin, and flute extremely well and is familiar
some twisted, desperate, evil individual whose with various pieces and styles music from all
depravities matched their own. over Europe.

Baphomet Mike Little

Str 9 Con 13 Siz 7 Int 18 Pow 14
An avatar of Shub-Niggurath which appears Dex 11 App 13 Edu 14 San 0 MP 14
as a bipedal creature with a goat-like head, hu- HP 10
man-like torso, arms with claws for hands, goat Damage Bonus -1d4
legs, fishes tail and the reproductive organs of
Weapons dagger 35%
both male and female. It has an awful stench
Spells The Rite of Renewal (Mass Mind Trans-
and speaks with a deep voice. fer for up to 13 people), A Ritual Call Forth His
Dark Majesty Baphomet(Contact Deity Shub-
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112
Niggurath), To Call the Dark Friends(contact Female Cultist #1
Crow People), Raising the Mists of The Earth Str 5 Con 7 Siz 10 Int 10 Pow 13
(Raise Fog), Bind Soul
Dex 4 App 12 Edu 16 San 0 HP 9

None of the cultists aside from Mike Little lives Damage Bonus -1d4
in the area. All of them will arrive at his house
between October 29th and 31st. They come
in secret and are not noticed by anyone. They Female Cultist #2
avoid the inn and other public places. They are Str 9 Con 16 Siz 14 Int 10 Pow 10
put up in various rooms at Mike Little’s house. Dex 11 App 13 Edu 15 San 0 HP 15
All of them are elderly in her sixties but in good
health. If caught in the ceremony they will do Damage Bonus 0
whatever it takes to escape punishment.
Female Cultist #3
Male Cultist #2 Str 8 Con 11 Siz 13 Int 12 Pow 12
Str 11 Con 15 Size 12 Int 16 Pow 11 Dex 11 App 8 Edu 14 San 0 HP 12
Dex 7 App 13 Edu 13 San 0 HP 14 Damage Bonus 0
Damage Bonus 0
Female Cultist #4
Str 8 Con 9 Siz 14 Int 11 Pow 10
Male Cultist #3
Dex 12 App 17 Edu 11 San 0 HP 11
Str 13 Con 9 Siz 13 Int 16 Pow 6
Dex 12 App 13 Edu 13 San 0 HP 11 Damage Bonus 0

Damage Bonus +1d4

Female Cultist #5
Male Cultist #4
Str 9 Con 9 Siz 13 Int 11 Pow 12
Str 12 Con 14 Siz 11 Int 12 Pow 6
Dex 13 App 9 Edu 8 San 0 HP 11
Dex 12 App 6 Edu 9 San 0 HP 9
Damage Bonus
Damage Bonus 0

Female Cultist #6
Male Cultist #5 Str 10 Con 9 Siz 11 Int 9 Pow 9
Str 10 Con 11 Size13 Int 12 Pow 11 Dex 6 App 10 Edu 12 San 0 HP 10
Dex 8 App 10 Edu 10 San 0 HP 12
Damage Bonus 0
Damage Bonus 0

Female Cultist #7
Male Cultist #6
Str 9 Con 9 Siz 13 Int 13 Pow 12
Str 10 Con 9 Siz 11 Int 9 Pow 9
Dex 13 App 12 Edu 10 San 0 HP 11
Dex 6 App 10 Edu 17 San 0 HP 10
Damage Bonus 0
Damage Bonus 0

13 Black Candles
113
 Book of the Dark Order of his apprentice Mike Little a younger son of a
Baphomet minor noble. In time John Smythe died of old
age and Mike Little gathered others with simi-
Written in Old English it describes the rituals lar interest. Over the years many members have
and celebrations of the cult. Its cover is the hide come and gone but always Mike Little remained
of some unknown reptile. On the first pages is the primary force behind the cult.
an illustration of Baphomet slightly different
Spells: The Rite of Renewal (Mass Mind Trans-
from John Dee’s. Much of it deals with occult
fer for up to 13 people), A Ritual Call Forth His
concepts and practices some of it deals with
Dark Majesty Baphomet(Contact Deity Shub-
Mythos knowledge.
Niggurath), To Call the Dark Friends(contact
The Dark Order of Baphomet began in the
Crow People), Raising the Mists of The Earth
year 1058 in Britain. Founded by a renegade
(raise fog), bind soul, enchant candle.
Monk John Smythe who compiled his knowl-
edge from the Necronomicon, paganism and Sanity Loss 1d2/1d4
occult lore from the Church. The book details Mythos Knowledge + 3%
Occult Knowledge + 8%

Crow People, A lesser servitor race of Shubb-

Niggurath.
They appear as a bipedal crow covered in black
feathers. They are unable to fly as they have hu-
man like arms covered in feathers instead of
wings. Standing a little over five feet in height
the are very quick, agile, cunning and stealthy
but none to strong. They often aid human ser-
vants of Shubb-Niggurath as thieves, spies and
assassins. and when traveling attempt to dis-
guise themselves in heavy clothes and keep
their heads covered. They generally eat carrion
and have been known to raid human graveyards
to find food, sometimes warring with ghouls.
They were more common during the dark ages
and before but now are on the verge of extinc-
tion. The originate from Europe and many dark
legends about them are known there. Their ar-
rival to the colonies is something of a mystery
as they cannot fly and the close confinement of
ship would give their true form.
They speak a language of clicks, caws and
whistles but are able to understand human lan-
guages.
They are five of these creatures in this ad-
venture that live with and aid Mike Little. They
are the ones who will sacrifice the old bodies to
Shubb-Niggurath.

13 Black Candles
114
Crow Person Crow person sleeping potion
Str 2d6 Con 3d6 Siz 2d6+3 This serum will cause anyone failing a consti-
Int 3D6 Pow 3d6 Dex 3d6+6 tution check to become unconscious for 2d3
rounds.
Move 9 San loss 1/1d6 The exact ingredients are known only to
Weapons by weapon type of claw 45% 1d3 Peck crow people.
40% 1d3.
All crow people know how to make a sleeping The Children
potion and use it on darts and other weapons. Each of the children has been selected by Mike
Little to replace each of the cultist. He has al-
Crow Person 1 ready taken John Sampson for himself. Unfor-
Str 3 Con 12 Siz 11 Int 12
tunately for him this has left some clues for the
Pow 7 Dex 12 HP 11
investigators. Going to the children’s homes
will reveal nothing of importance. The parents
Weapons Scythe 40%, Dart 45%, Claw 45% of the children are very willing to help anyone
1d3, Peck 40% 1d3 who offers proof of where their children are.
They can however become a murderous mob at
the slightest provocation and if they have any
Crow Person 2 reason to suspect the investigators may turn on
Str 6 Con 9 Siz 11 Int 10 them.
Pow 6 Dex 13 HP 10
1. John Sampson 2. Robert Ellis
Weapons: Wood Axe 40%, Dart 45%, Claw 45%
3. Thomas Humfrey 4. Thomas Smart
1d3, Peck 40% 1d3
5. George Howe 6. John Pratt
7. Agnes Wood 8. Joyce Archard
Crow Person 3
Str 8 Con 8 Siz 13 Int 13 9. Jane Jones 10. Elizabeth Glane
Pow 12 Dex 18 HP 10 11. Jane Pierce 12. Joan Warren
Weapons: Bow 40%, Dart 45%, Claw 45% 1d3 13. Elizabeth Viccars
Peck 40% 1d3

Town People who may aid in the search:

Crow Person 4
Squire Roberts
Str 6 Con 8 Siz 12 Int 18
Str 12 Con 12 Siz 13 Int 12 Pow 10
Pow 6 Dex 13 HP 10
Dex 10 App 11 Edu 14 San 50 HP 12
Weapons: Pitchfork 40%, Dart 45%, Claw 45%
1d3, Peck 40% 1d3 Weapons Flintlock 30%, Musket 45%

Crow Person 5 Farmer

Str 10 Con 12 Size 12 Int 16 Pow 9
Str 7 Con 9 Siz 13 Int 16
Pow 6 Dex 13 HP 11 Dex 11 App 12 Edu 8 San 45 HP 12

Weapons: Pitchfork 40%, Dart 45%, Claw 45% Weapons: Musket 35%
1d3, Peck 40% 1d3
Miller
13 Black Candles
115
 Str 10 Con 11 Size 12 Int 12 Pow 11 Weapons: Musket 45%
Dex 8 App 10 Edu 10 San 55 HP 12

As the era used in this scenario is not common

Carpenter in Call of Cthulhu games pre-generated char-
Str 12 Con 13 Siz 9 Int 11 Pow 10 acters designed for use in this Adventure have
Dex 13 App 15 Edu 12 San 60 HP 11 been included.
Weapons: Musket 35%, Hatchet 55%
Professor from Miskatonic
Town Bully Str 9 Con 16 Siz 14 Int 10 Dex 15
App 13 Edu 15 San 50 HP 15
Str 14 Con 14 Siz 14 Int 6 Pow 6
Dex 12 App 6 Edu 9 San 30 HP 14 Weapons pistol 20%, musket 20%
Skills: Astronomy 30%, Biology 20%, Chemis-
Weapons: Musket 20%, Fist 35%
try 35%, Geology 20%, History 40%, Library
Has done work for Mike Little in the past but Use 40%, Physics 35%
doesn’t know of anything. He is a bully and
likes to antagonize strangers when they are
alone. The town’s folk tend to not put up with Colonel veteran of American Revolution
his antics and the squire once gave him a good Str 14 Con 16 Siz12 Int 15 Pow 10
thumping. He does manual labor around the Dex 14 App 10 Edu 16 San 50 HP 9
town to make a living. Weapons: Musket 45%, pistol 40%, saber 45%,
knife 60%, cannon 20%, club 50%
Baker Skills: Dodge 30%, Pilot cart, Ride 40%, lan-
Str 12 Con 13 Siz 14 Int 14 Pow 15 guage-French 45%, sneak 45%, search 55%,
Dex 11 App 12 Edu 16 San 75 HP 13

Damage Bonus: +1d4 Minister

Weapons: Musket 35% Str 8 Con 8 Siz12 Int 17 Pow 15
Dex 13 App 12 Edu 18 San HP 10
Weapons pistol 30%, musket 30%
Blacksmith
Skills: Accounting 35%, History 30%, Library Use 45%,
Str 13 Con 12 Siz 16 Int 9 Pow 8
Listen 25%, Other Language-Latin 30%, Persuade 35%,
Dex 11 App 10 Edu 10 San 40 HP 14
Psychology 20%, Religion 40%, Occult 35%
Weapons: Hammer 40%, Pistol 45%

Doctor
Innkeeper Str 9 Con 18 Siz 10 Int 12 Pow 11
Str 9 Con 18 Size 10 Int 12 Pow 11 Dex 13 App 9 Edu 16 San 55 HP 14
Dex 13 App 9 Edu 16 San 55 HP 14
Weapons: Pistol 35%, Musket 20%
Weapons: Saber 35%, Pistol 40% Skills: Biology 40%, Credit Rating 30%, First
Aid 45%, Latin 35%, Medicine 40%, Pharmacy
Silversmith 50%.
Str 11 Con 13 Siz 11 Int 12 Pow 10
Dex 13 App 12 Edu 14 San 50 HP 12

13 Black Candles
116
13 Black Candles
117
 Handouts
The Reverend Hart’s Journal
May 13, there is something odd about the new choir leader Mike
Little. I can’t quite place it. Many of the things he says do not
match with facts I know. In particular he claims to have at-
tended the College of William and Mary, however when I asked
him on particular of tenured professors there he seemed vague
and unable to recall certain specifics.
June 30, Mr. Little has proven to be quite the musician. He is
able to play a variety of instruments with a mastery I have
never seen before. He could very well play the courts of Europe
if had chosen. He has done quite well with the choir group if a
bit harsh. But still there is something odd about the man that I
canÕt quite place.
July 12, Mike Little’s behavior today was quite bizarre. He was
speaking to the trees seemingly. No one was there and all I
heard was the cawing and clicks of crows. When he saw me ap-
proach he quickly went down the road.
August 1, I heard Mike Little utter name Baphomet today, a
name which I have not heard in many years. He said it in only
a whisper and thought no one was around. Little did he know
in my youth I fought in the wars against Indians under Gen-
eral George Washington and learned by necessity to move with
little sound. I shall keep a closer eye on him. For Baphomet is
another name for the Archfiend himself.
October 30, He has been very cautious of late and I suspect he
knows I watch him. I have been unable to observe anything un-
usual for quite some time and I was beginning to think it was
all my imagination. Last evening I saw in conversation with
cloaked and hooded figures in the Pine Woods. I know not who
these people were but I suspect something is to happen on All
Hallows Eve a night of witchcraft if there ever was one. I will
keep watch on his house tomorrow night. I wonder if all this
has to do with the disappearance of John Sampson. I spoke with
the Squire but he is a Deist and considers me to be superstitious.
I will not speak with anyone else until I have some proof of
wrong doings. How things would have been different in Cotton
Mathers day.

13 Black Candles
118
 Dead Leaves Fall
A 1920’s Call of Cthulhu Adventure
Scenario and Artwork by Simon Yee

Introduction and wish to bring the horrible entity to earth so

they may be reunited. What connects most of
Halloween brings to mind candy and spooky the cultists together is that they mutate or par-
costumes, where wearing a mask and saying tially shed their human skin into monstrous de-
the magic words, “trick or treat,” rewards those formities the same time every year. Halloween.
naïve hunters in costume a bounty of future For the past three years they have been meeting
tooth decay. But for some adults it is a time of on Halloween at a small farm in Foxfield which
transition both physically and spiritually. The Grant had purchased. After Halloween, those
earth is shedding its skin like dead leaves falling who have changed too much stay on the farm,
and men reflect in fear on the past gone by. A while the others return to their places in soci-
time when the connection between our mean- ety.
ingless existence and the divine (or damned, as To complicate the situation further, a doc-
it may be) is at its closest. It is during this time tor from Bolton, Massachusetts has been hunt-
that the investigators are being called forth to ing down the cultists one-by-one. The doctor’s
recover five brittle pieces of paper taken from name is Earl Fairmount, and he is a specialist
an ancient book… in unexplained human mutation. It was Earl
who had brought the cultists together to study
Keeper’s Information and treat them in Bolton during the start of the
…the 14th Century Middle English version of
the Chaat Aquadingen. The five pages contain
the poorly written story or recollection of the
ritual for contacting Chaat, the Water God.
The book belonged to a Chicago collector of
antiquities, Herman Berk. Earlier in the week,
he had received the book back from a wealthy
Arkham citizen named Grant Willet. Grant
had cut the pages out of the book to have more
time to study the pages. You see, Herman only
gave Grant two weeks to read the book while
he was in Arkham. Herman was at Miskatonic
University overseeing the arrival of a collection
of artifacts from Cairo, Egypt, which he had
helped sponsor.
Grant is part of a cult of people who be-
lieve they are the long lost children of Chaat

Dead Leaves Fall

119
 century. During his study, Earl had sequestered an old book that
them together because of their particular trans- Mr. Berk owned.
formations during Halloween. It was during Jonathan will add
this sequestered time that the group became a that Herman is an
cult. Their close proximity created the possibil- influential bene-
ity for them to experience shared dreams about factor of Miska-
Chaat and realize their connection to Great Old tonic University
One. Initially Earl thought their belief was a and would greatly
shared delusion, but over time he recognized appreciate the in-
that they were a real threat to humanity. Once vestigator’s inter-
the truth dawned on him, he went on a ram- vention into this
page, killing off his clients with a shot gun. The matter since he
few who escaped went to Grant’s farm and have is in Chicago and
been meeting there every Halloween to under- not able to handle
go the change. the situation di-
At the start of this scenario, Earl has found rectly. (Players
and killed Grant at his home in Arkham but not may ask why Jon- Johnathan Rolls
before the 5 pages were given to Jeremiah Ke- athan does not do
ats, three days before. When the investigators this for Herman himself. He will reply he is too
find Grants body, Earl will be at the Miskaton- busy handling another matter for Mr. Berk at
ic University Library looking up the location to the Miskatonic University Museum, the exhibit
Grant’s farm and any information he can find from Cairo, Egypt. He will let the players know
about the cultist. that either they come highly recommended or
The cult is going to contact Chaat at mid- were the first people that came to his mind.)
night Halloween night and be taken away if Investigators will be given Grant Willet’s ad-
they are permitted. Earl will try to stop them, dress (3428 Lich Street) and be told that they
of course. will be given $10 for this service plus any ad-
To get the investigators involved, a represen- ditional cost, such as travel pay to deliver the
tative from Miskatonic University or Herman pages to Chicago (8511 Racine Ave). Jonathan
Berk will contact investigators in the morn- will smirk and half-heartedly brief investiga-
ing requesting them to do Mr. Berk the favor tors to the possibility that Grant Willet may not
of collecting the five pages from Grant Willet be home, and if so, then Mr. Berk will not en-
for a practical fee of ten dollars with any ad- dorse breaking into his residence. With a big
ditional expenses, such as travel. Herman will grin, Jonathan will add that Mr. Berk will reim-
want the investigators to deliver the papers to burse any expense that leads to the recovery of
him in Chicago. This investigation will start in his 5 pages and understands that complications
Arkham and end in Foxfield, Massachusetts. do happen which may require investigators to
hazard actions that Mr. Berk may not endorse
Investigators’ Information openly. The five missing pages will be described
as looking like old yellow vellum with a header
In the bright early morning of Halloween, play-
on each page saying “Chaat Aquadingen.” No
ers are contacted by a man named Jonathan
other description is given.
Rolls, identifying himself as representative of
the interests of Herman Berk, a Chicago col-
lector of ancient antiquities. Jonathan will ask
The Home of Grant Willet
the investigators to go to the home of a Grant A neoclassic-style house from the early 1800’s
Willet and procure 5 pages that were cut from located on 3428 Lich Street, in an area patch-

Dead Leaves Fall

120
worked with well-tended houses and houses If Orson is convinced that there was foul
that show marks of considerable deteriora- play, then he will immediately escort players
tion, two of which are abandoned. From the into the house and lead the way to the master
outside, the house seems to be two stories. A bedroom where the players will find the body
master-bedroom balcony looks over its well of Grant Willet tied to a chair and gagged. A
tended yard. Most of the leaves from the trees bullet hole is still streaming blood and cerebral
are gone; the grass is covered in a robe of yel- fluid down between his eyes. A roll for Sanity is
low and orange leaves. If this is the morning needed at this point (0/1D3).
and the first stop for players, then there will be On the floor in front of the body is a large
a small thin man named Orson Curwen in the ledger of what seems to be his accounts. It
front yard raking the leaves. is laying open to a page with a series of lines
through most accounts except the ones that
say: The Poles Farm, Foxfield. A Successful
Orson Curwen, age 31, Gardner Accounting roll will indicate that payments to
STR 9 CON 7 SIZ 7 INT 11 POW 14 The Poles Farm, Foxfield have been on going
DEX 13 APP 10 EDU 12 SAN 70 HP 7 for more than three years and that another pay-
ment coincided with each of these transactions
Damage Bonus: -1D4 to a certain J. Keats.
Weapons: Fist/Punch 57% 1D3 - 1D4 Searching Grant Willet’s body will produce a
Skills: Art (Landscaping) 70%, Biology 26%, thank you letter in his robe pocket from a cer-
Conceal 35%, Drive Auto 66%, Hide 55%, Nat- tain Jeremiah Keats, member of the Fellowship
ural History 65% within the Water, thanking him for getting the
last pages they needed and reminding Grant of
the annual reunion at midnight on Halloween
Orson has just arrived and started his morning Night. Players will also notice large malformed
job of tending the yard. He had seen Earl leave bumps on Grants body around his abdomen
the house as he was unloading his truck. Orson and left leg with hard reddish scaling on the
is pretty friendly and easily intimidated if need skin. A Biology or Medicine roll will indicate
be. He will greet players and let them know the formations seem to be chitinous in nature
that this is Grant Willet’s residence. If players more like that you would see on a crab or lob-
try to engage him about Grant being home then ster than a human. If for some reason players
he will state that he has not seen him so far, but attempt to cut the bumps open, they will dis-
believes he is home because he had a visitor that cover the premature growth of crustacean claws
had left when he arrived (describing a deter- and legs (SAN 0/1D3).
mined Earl Fairmount). If players are pleasant Orson knows how to get to Foxfield and will
to him and seem friendly enough, then he will offer to take players there if he overhears them
escort them to meet Grant. talking about the area, but he will first want
The door to the house has been left unlocked to call police and meet the authorities here to
and is left slightly ajar. Spot Hidden roll will re- explain the discovery of his employer’s death.
veal that the door was forced open and there Within 20 minutes of calling the police, an offi-
are some small fresh-blood finger print smears cer will arrive, seal the house down for investi-
around the side of the door (where Earl had gations, and take down Orson’s account of see-
used his bloody hands to close the door on his ing Earl leave the house and discovering Grant’s
way out). A Biology or Medicine roll will con- body. Players still present will also be detained
firm with confidence that the smears on the for questioning.
door are blood and probably from a human.

Dead Leaves Fall

121
 Miskatonic University Damage Bonus: +1D4
Library Weapons: Fist/Punch 57% 1D3+1D4; 1911A
.45 Pistol 57%, 1D10+2; 12 Gauge Shotgun
If by chance investigators wish to roll a Library
60%, 4D6/2D6/1D6
Use then this is the Library of choice in Arkham.
If the roll is to attain information related to Skills: Accounting 35%, Anthropology 30%,
Foxfield, The Poles Farm or anything found in Biology 62%, Chemistry 40%, Conceal 55%,
Grant Willet’s house like The Fellowship with- Disguise 25%, Dodge 56%, First Aid 90%, Hide
in the Water, then the librarian will introduce 75%, Library Use 68%, Medicine 93%, Persuade
them to Earl Fairmount who will be looking up 40%, Know Latin 65%
similar information. Earl Fairmount will ap-
pear to be a man in his early 50’s with a twirling
Earl will welcome help, but become suspicious
mustache, wire-frame glasses and brown der-
of those hesitant or unwilling to join him and
by hat. Not an imposing man, but one whose
believe deep down that possibly the hesitant
posture is aggresive. He does not respect other
person is one of the monsters or in league with
people’s comfort zones and will lean forward
them. He will avoid being caught and will not
with his head to touch his nose on other peo-
hesitate within the library to fire upon investi-
ple’s noses to explain that his name is Doctor
gators who threaten him. Earl has his own car
Earl Fairmount, not just Earl Fairmount. He
that can seat 3 others and has a 12 gauge shot-
will happily admit he killed Grant Willet and
gun and ammo in his trunk.
explain that he was protecting humanity from
monsters. Earl will go on to explain that he is
trying to kill the remaining patients who es- Aside from finding Earl at the library, other
caped his research study clinic in Bolton and types of information that investigators may
claims that one of the creatures killed his head come across are (Successful Library use roll):
nurse, Regina Veit. Earl will blabber on about
1) The Poles Farm is in Foxfield, Massachusetts,
how he found out that they were all transform-
25 miles out of Arkham. The road getting there
ing into monsters and would be singing in uni-
is along Aylesbury Pike. A description of the
son in some foreign tongue at night to some
land states that it is a 20-acre area along the
unknown entity called Chaat. The most horrif-
north side of the Fox River, west of the Picker-
ic aspect to the monsters was that they all seem
ing Mill. The deed to the farm dates back to
to change in some way on Halloween Night and
a family named Pickering and then mentions
that the date seemed to have some genetic link
a transfer of ownership to the town of Foxfield
for their mutation. Earl admits that there was a
with the Unitarian Church holding power of at-
lot that he does not understand, but he knows
torney for the land. 3 years ago the Unitarian
deep down that they were all evil. At the end of
Church and representatives of Foxfield’s town
Earl’s soap-box moment, he will invite players
council sold the land to Grant Willet.
to join him on his attack on The Poles Farm at
midnight tonight. 2) Research into the Chaat Aquadingen book
produces very little results, except a reference
that it may be in the British Museum and that
Dr. Earl Fairmount, age 57, Paranoid there may be no other copies in existence.
Researcher in Human Deformities Markings found around the reference indicate
STR 15 CON 14 SIZE 13 INT 16 POW 14 that it is a book of the occult with dubious au-
thorship.
DEX 12 APP 17 EDU 20 SAN 47 HP 14
3) Research on either Jeremiah Keats, Fellow-
ship within the Water or Dr. Earl Fairmount will
Dead Leaves Fall
122
produce news articles about a new
and innovative clinic that opened
up in Bolton, Massachusetts seven
years ago to solve unique medical
conditions. There is a case study
by Dr. Fairmount in the Journal of
American Anomalies about a group
he calls the Fellowship within the
Water. It is a short article and does
not come to any conclusion except
that the individuals under his study
share similar dream archetypes and
have genetic tumor expressions that
only occur at the end of October ev-
ery year. The demographic profiles
of the individuals were found in
various freak shows with some com-
ing from higher echelons of society.
Jeremiah Keats is identified as one
of the subject in the case study and ous mill town, it is now a shell of its former self
his condition is described as having multiple with none of the mills in operation. Most strik-
ocular tumor sites through out his body. A few ing when entering Foxfield is a huge church
reviews giving praise and hope to the research steeple from the Gothic Revival-style Unitarian
are found but most of it stops around three Church. The town does not employ police, and
years ago, after there is indication that the clinic relies on the Massachusetts State Police for legal
was burglarized and Dr. Fairmount is reported intervention. For the most part, there is no po-
missing. Reports of several murders during lice presence in the area unless they are called
this time in Bolton can be found and, with a in. It should take investigators 2-3 hours to get
successful Idea roll, investigators can conclude to Foxfield by automobile.
that some of the names seem similar or exactly Foxfield Unitarian Church
alike in the case study by Dr. Fairmount. All
deaths were by gunfire within the homes of the Investigators may come to the church through a
individual. lead they find in the Miskatonic University Li-
brary or because it is the most identifiable land-
Foxfield, Massachusetts mark when entering Foxfield. The church is a
Gothic Revival-style Unitarian Church. Inter-
“…explore farther up the street, past the church… im Minister Graham West currently oversees
to the Fox River and the ruins of the abandoned the church. Graham knows about the Poles
mill looming over the far bank. It’s the dry sea- Farm and can direct investigators to the farm
son, and the river is barely more than a trickle. if asked politely or with some level of courte-
Down Stream an old covered bridge crosses the sy. Graham gets along with the farm caretaker,
Fox River, and a dirt road leads past the mill, to- Jeremiah Keats, since Jeremiah was one of the
ward the northern farms.” first people to greet him with kindness when he
-Keith “Doc” Herber, “Proof of Life.” came to Foxfield. They go fishing together on
the river every other Thursday to pass the time,
25 miles or so Northwest of Arkham, just before
if the weather permits. Graham does not know
where the Fox River joins into Miskatonic River
about the secrets Jeremiah hides on the farm or
is a small town called Foxfield. Once a prosper-
Dead Leaves Fall
123
 the unnatural transformation Jeremiah is go- and the Old Pickering House (City Record De-
ing through. He vaguely knows that Jeremiah pot) do not have much information about the
is hiding from somebody. He just thinks Jer- Poles Farm and Jeremiah Keats. Most of the
emiah is an eccentric lonely soul. Graham will people just know the Poles Farm as one of a
explain that the farm used to house the Polish collection of farms which were actually stables
and Russian immigrant workers back in the day that housed the immigrant farmers and were
when the Pickering Mill was up and running. named after the predominant nationality of the
After the Mill burned down and there was no workers who stayed there. Some rumors that
work anymore, the immigrant workers left Fox- investigators can come across (Successful Fast
field to find labor jobs in other cities. The land Talk or Persuade roll):
and farm was sold off by the church and the 1)Jeremiah Keats is an odd fellow that keeps to
Foxfield town council three years ago to attract himself for the most part. He is good friends
developers. with the minister of the Unitarian Church in
town and they are sometimes spotted fishing
Graham West, age 28, Foxfield Unitarian along the riverbanks.

Interim Minister 2)The Poles Farm is rumored to be haunted.

There have been strange sightings late at night
STR 13 CON 11 SIZE 14 INT 16 POW 12
of strange shapes forming behind the windows.
DEX 12 APP13 EDU 16 SAN 60 HP 12
3)Once a year during Halloween strange people
Damage Bonus: +0 from out of town are seen traveling to the Farm
Weapons: Fist/Punch 50% 1D3+0 during Halloween. Some seem to have never
left. Maybe they are witches worshipping Sa-
Skills: Credit Rating 45%, Fishing 35%, Listen tan.
40%, Occult 35%, Know Latin 55%, Persuade
65%, Psychology 46%, Unitarian Religion 75%
Most of the town folks will be occupied with
setting up for the Halloween Party held in front
Graham is originally from Boston and has been of the Old Pickering House. Children will be
in Foxfield for the past two years filling in the seen running about in costumes and various
role of minister until the congregation is able booths in front of the Old Pickering House will
to search and elect a new Lead Minister. So far have bobbing for apples, a dunk-booth, and
there have been four candidates that have come dart-throwing at balloons for prizes.
through but none has satisfied the congrega-
Massachusetts State Police
tion’s spiritual needs. Graham sees his time in
Foxfield as a test of his own faith, since he does Most likely the police will be called to intervene
not really want to be there his wife (Michele) during the investigation by either the players or
and three children are still in Boston awaiting the town-folk for things that are going to hap-
his return. In the end, Graham sees his time in pen at the Poles Farm. If the police are called,
Foxfield as a way to gain leverage to get his own then the first responder will be State Trooper,
church in Boston as this assignment is a favor Author Dewy. He is a gruff no-nonsense type
for the Greater Boston Unitarian District. of man who will not be in the best of moods to
be called out to the middle of nowhere to deal
Foxfield General Store and other with anything short of a murder or bank rob-
locations bery. It will take him about 20 minutes to arrive
once police dispatch is called.
Other local places like the General Store, Cou-
riers office, Farm Implements & Stable store
13 Black Candles
124
Author Dewey, State Trooper insane by witnessing their transformation over
STR 17 CON 16 SIZE 16 INT 11 POW 10 the years. It was thought she was killed since she
disappeared during the time of Dr. Fairmount’s
DEX 12 APP12 EDU 14 SAN 50 HP 16
rampage. Carol, Larry and Euphemia are three
Damage Bonus: +1D6 of the members who have changed so much
Weapons: Fist/Punch 80% 1D3+1D6; Grapple that they cannot leave the farm. They linger in
75% special; Head 45% 1D4+1D6, Kick 65% the farmhouse during the day and shuffle out
1D6+1D6; .38 Revolver 87%, 1D10; 12 gauge the back-side of the house during the night to
Shotgun 70%, 4D6/2D6/1D6 live in the river. If people break into the house,
they will defend themselves the best they can
Skills: Bargain 35%, First Aid 66%, Law 55%, and try to escape to the river if necessary.
Listen 68%, Sneak 43%, Spot Hidden 65%, If Minister Graham West approaches with
Track 42%, Handcuff 68% the investigators, then Jeremiah will be civil but
meet with people outside given that Earl is not
The Poles Farm also present. If Earl is present, then he will try
Dilapidated Farm with a singular red barn, to convince Graham that he is a murderer and
rectangle-shaped house on the banks of the Fox the person he has been trying to hide from.
River with a covered dock protruding into the Trying to get the five pieces of paper from
river. The farmland is 20 acres heading from Jeremiah will be tricky. First off, Jeremiah will
the farm inland. Numerous sheep run unfet- try to make a deal with investigators promising
tered across the farm with visibly failed
attempts to grow vegetables in rows of
mounds of soil. Only a few pumpkin
plants seem to have prospered on this
land. If the Farm is approached before
midnight on Halloween, Jeremiah Ke-
ats will most likely be inside the farm
house and greet investigators from be-
hind the farm door with a shotgun in
hand. He is extremely paranoid of un-
solicited visitors and will only crack the
farm door open to peek and converse
with others. If he sees or hears Dr. Earl
Fairmount, then he will become hostile
and accuse him of being a murderer.
This may escalate to a straight firefight
if there are no cooler heads prevailing.
Inside the Poles Farmhouse with Jer-
emiah are three other members of The
Fellowship within the Water: Carol,
Larry and Euphemia. Also in the far
corner of the house is a catatonic Re-
gina Veit. The sad reality is that Re-
gina had warned the clients of Dr. Earl
Fairmount’s plan to kill them and had
helped them escape only to be driven

13 Black Candles
125
 to return the papers the day after Halloween. Skills: Bargain 35%, First Aid 36%, Listen 60%,
If he is put in a position where he has to give Sneak 40%, Spot Hidden 65%,
over the papers, then he will try to keep the last He has a special skill of not being able to sleep
piece of paper because it is the only piece he has and has eyes throughout his body in different
not fully memorized. He will even invite the shapes and sizes. During his summoning of
players to the midnight ceremony to call forth Chaat he will fully transform into one of the
Chaat, although he obviously will not say it is Children of Chaat. Please read the section on
for those reasons, describing it as a transforma- the Children of Chaat for more details.
tion ceremony

Jeremiah Keats, age 44, Ex-Book Editor/Cult Carol Langston, Ex-Freak Side Show Attraction
Leader STR 18 CON 17 SIZE 19 INT 14 POW 12
STR 12 CON 13 SIZE 14 INT 14 POW 10 DEX 14 SAN 0 HP 18
DEX 14 APP12 EDU 14 SAN 22 HP 14 Damage Bonus: +1D6
Damage Bonus:+1D4 Carol used to be known as the Melting Lady be-
Spells: Summon Deep Ones, Contact Chaat, cause her skin was sloughing off her body and
Summon/Dismiss Chaat, tumor-like bulbs bubbled up on her skin to pop
in yellow puss during her time in the carnival.
Weapons: Fist/Punch 50% 1D3+1D4; Grapple After being seen by Dr. Earl Fairmount and es-
45% special; Head 25% 1D4+1D4, Kick 35% caping to the farm, she has pretty much shed
1D6+1D4; Butcher Knife 37%, 1D6 +1D4; 12 her human skin and is a full Child of Chaat with
gauge Shotgun 50%, 4D6/2D6/1D6 all the stats that go with it. Please see Children
of Chaat section for more details.
Dead Leaves Fall
126
Larry Wipple, Ex-Freak Side Show Attraction
And Plumber
STR 14 CON 13 SIZE 16 INT 14 POW 10
DEX 10 APP 6 EDU 14 SAN 4 HP 14

Damage Bonus: +1D4

Larry has not shed his upper torso and floats on
the gossamer tendrils of his Children of Chaat
true form. He was once a married man with
three children before the changes took over
and he began seeing his legs become spaghetti
with additional legs sprouting from his hip. No
longer able to work as a plumber and keep his
family, he ran off to the circus to earn a living.
He sent what money he could back to his wife
and kids in anonymous letters. He was saved
by nurse Regina and finally wasn’t able to leave
the ranch last year. Currently his face is miss-
ing eyes in the sockets because they have de-
scended to stalks in his lower torso. Despite
being almost fully transformed, he can still talk
with his upper torso and has full function of his
arms and hands. If Jeremiah is killed, he will be Jeremiah Keats
the first person to pick up his shotgun and ex-
act revenge, despite having no skill at using the Regina Veit, catatonic nurse
shotgun. Please see Children of Chaat section STR 10 CON 13 SIZE 13 INT 14 POW 10
for more details. DEX 14 APP 15 EDU 13 SAN 0 HP 13

Damage Bonus: +0
Euphemia Vickers, Ex-Vaudeville Actress Regina was the nurse that helped the patients,
STR 18 CON 19 SIZE 20 INT 9 POW 16 called The Fellowship within the Water, escape
DEX 11 SAN 0 HP 19 from being killed by Dr. Earl Fairmount. In the
process of keeping the patients safe, she lost all
Damage Bonus: +1D6 of her sanity and is in a permanent state of cata-
Euphemia was a young scantily-dressed sing- tonia staring into space.
er for a travelling vaudeville act, but once her
skin became deformed into hard spiny tracks
she found hope with Dr. Earl Fairmount. Her
hopes were demolished by the nurse Regina Ceremony for Chaat
who revealed that Dr. Fairmount was killing his
patients. Euphemia fully transformed during At midnight, the ceremony for summoning
her first Halloween at the farm and has not left Chaat will start. 4 more members of The Fel-
since. Her transformation broke Regina Veit’s lowship within the Water will drive up to the
mind and created the catatonic state she cur- farm. The names of the 4 are Donovan, Felic-
rently exhibits. Please see Children of Chaat ity, Carmen and Eddy. If Jeremiah is dead and
section for more details. the papers lost at this point, then the 4 will still
transform all the way to become the Children
Dead Leaves Fall
127
 of Chaat and slither into the Fox River at mid- Awards
night. If Jeremiah is able to perform the cer-
emony then they will all meet at the docks and 1D4 SAN for returning the five pages
start the ceremony. It will be a simple incanta- 1D8 SAN for stopping the ceremony.
tion by candle and The Fellowship within the
Water will begin to transform into the Children The Fellowship within the Water
of Chaat. Half-way into the ceremony, 4 Deep (those arriving at midnight)
Ones will appear from the Fox River and in-
form Jeremiah that the spell is incomplete with- Each of these members will be arriving, paired
out a human sacrifice. This will cause a pause up with each other in a car. Felicity will be
among the members of The Fellowship within coming with Donovan, and Carmen with Eddy.
the Water because they did not know this was They are the last of the group who are able to
part of the ceremony. There is a 35% chance still go unnoticed in society. They each have
that they will not go through with the sacrifice. minor deformities but are able to keep them
If so, then when the water God Chaat comes he hidden from sight. By the end of tonight they
will destroy Jeremiah in the most horrific man- will transform all the way to their true form.
ner that the keeper can describe to the players Please see the section titled Children of Chaat.
like crushing his head like a pimple. If The Fel-
lowship within the Water goes ahead with the
Donovan
sacrifice, then they will need to find a suitable
STR 8 CON 13 SIZE 15 INT 12 POW 14
sacrifice. Without someone already captured
(like Earl or one of the investigators) or a per- DEX 10 APP 17 EDU 13 SAN 56 HP
son willing to be sacrificed, the members will
Damage Bonus:+0
select Regina Veit. The sacrifice will be grue-
some with the honored victim being pinned
down by the deep ones and Jeremiah taking a Felicity
knife and cracking open the victims ribcage to STR 14 CON 16 SIZE 14 INT 13 POW 16
withdraw the beating heart. (SAN 1/1D6 loss).
DEX 13 APP 13 EDU 14 SAN 67 HP 15
If Earl is alive and still around at this time,
then he will probably start killing members of Damage Bonus: +1D4
The Fellowship within the Water with whatev-
Weapon: .38 Revolver 87%, 1D10
er he has at hand and encourage investigators
to help.
After the sacrifice, it will take 5 rounds for Carmen
Chaat to form itself in the watery shape of the STR 12 CON 14 SIZE 18 INT 11 POW 12
conjuror Jeremiah and take The Fellowship
DEX 14 APP 16 EDU 11 SAN 34 HP 16
within the Water into its body before returning
to the dimension from whence it came (SAN Damage Bonus: +1D4
1/1D8 loss). The deep ones will then return to
the Fox River.
The 5 sheets of paper will be laying on what Eddy
is left of the docks. The investigators will be STR 14 CON 13 SIZE 16 INT 14 POW 10
able to take them without much problem and DEX 8 APP 16 EDU 14 SAN 22 HP 14
return them to Herman Berk in Chicago. This
will end the scenario. Damage Bonus: +1D4

Dead Leaves Fall

128
Children of Chaat
Not really a child of Chaat, per se, but someone
with the taint of the god’s influence. A cosmic-
inherited shifting found with certain people
who are genetically predisposed to revert into
the primordial form when Chaat roams freely
in the universe. Initially, people with this sen-
sitivity exhibit minor deformities of the body
which can evolve into aquatic creature-like fea-
tures such as lobster claws, fins, or tentacles like
with Grant Willet. In other instances, like in
the case of Jeremiah, the body becomes a hor-
ror with features that seem to eventually melt
into a liquid flesh with random features. The
event that connects these poor individuals to-
gether is the time period of October 31 every
year. During this annual phenomenon these
individuals undergo an acute transformation
and get closer to their true form. The transfor-
mation is truly horrific and when individuals
eventually change to their true form then they
will lose all of their sanity. The reason that this
specific date is the trigger for the transforma-
tion is unknown and probably beyond human
comprehension. One may speculate that the
spell to call forth Chaat is only done on this
date and that the spell itself holds significance
to linking the date with the transformation.
Another feature to the Children of Chaat is
that they seem to have more radical transfor-
mations when in close proximity of each oth-
er. Also, while being within close proximity of
each other they will begin to have dreams to-
gether and have some limited contact with the
thoughts of Chaat in these dreams in the form
of a yearning quest to reunite with Chaat.
The final true form of their transformation
starts with the shedding of the human car-
cass to reveal a top portion of transparent ten-
tacles flowering out of leafy base skirted by a
spiny shell with crustacean like legs, feelers and
claws. The under-belly floats a prismatic gossa-
mer collection of tendrils, leafy flaps and stalks
tipped with alien eyes. The body of the creature
seems to float about ignoring the laws of grav-
ity and has unknown means to propel itself in

Dead Leaves Fall

129
 small bursts of 5-10 feet with a small pause be- Weapons: Claws 25%, damage 1D6+db;
tween each burst. If a Child of Chaat is killed, Tendrils and Tentacles, damage
then its remains will melt except for the crusta- 1D4+db+special*paralysis (POT 16, failure
cean portion. 1D6 rounds of paralysis).
Armor: 2-point shell
Children of Chaat, Mutated Horrors Skills: Sneak 40%, Hide 35%
STR 3D6+8 CON 3D6+8 SIZ 3D6 INT 2D6+6
Spells: None
POW 3D6 DEX 3D6 HP 21-22
Sanity Loss: 0/1D6 Sanity Points to see one of
Move: 8 the Children of Chaat. 0/1D4 for witnessing
Avg Damage Bonus: +1D6 transformation.

Dead Leaves Fall

130
General Statistics used for all NPC’s after they
have transformed to the Children of Chaat Deep One (3)
STR 20 CON 19 SIZE 18 INT (previous)
STR 12 CON 11 SIZ 15 INT 14 POW 10
POW (previous) DEX 11 SAN 0 HP 19
DEX11 HP 13
Damage Bonus: +1D6 Move: 8/10 Swimming
Damage Bonus: +1D4
The Deep Ones Weapons: Claw 25% 1D6+db
Armor: 1-point
These creatures arrive during the ceremony and
provide the information on using a sacrifice to Skills: Hide in Water 25%, Listen 30%, Sneak in
finish the contact spell for Chaat. They are seen Water 25%, Spot Hidden 30%
as the minions of Chaat preparing for his ar- Sanity Loss: 0/1D6 Sanity points to see a deep
rival in corporeal form and have been watch- one.
ing the progress of The Fellowship within the
Water.
Deep One (4)
STR 14 CON 10 SIZ 16 INT 12 POW 10
Deep One (1)
DEX 7 HP 13
STR 14 CON 11 SIZ 17 INT 14 POW 14
DEX 8 HP 14 Move: 8/10 Swimming
Move: 8/10 Swimming Damage Bonus: +1D4
Damage Bonus: +1D4 Weapons: Claw 25% 1D6+db
Weapons: Claw 25% 1D6+db Armor: 1-point
Armor: 1-point Skills: Hide in Water 25%, Listen 30%, Sneak in
Skills: Hide in Water 25%, Listen 30%, Sneak in Water 25%, Spot Hidden 30%
Water 25%, Spot Hidden 30% Sanity Loss: 0/1D6 Sanity points to see a deep
Sanity Loss: 0/1D6 Sanity points to see a deep one.
one.

Chaat, Great Old One

Deep One (2)
STR 16 CON 8 SIZ 16 INT 13 POW 13 “Gh’neri nryu, hyanste wg’neh, Chaat!” They
DEX 12 HP 12 chanted the spell of the water god. The ankh fell
near the base of the infestation of heads…The gi-
Move: 8/10 Swimming gantic god formed from the water of Lake Michi-
Damage Bonus: +1D4 gan began to spread out its arms…”
Weapons: Claw 25% 1D6+db -Ken Asamatsu, The Plague of St. James Infir-
Armor: 1-point mary
Skills: Hide in Water 25%, Listen 30%, Sneak in Attack and Special Effects: Chaat is shapeless in
Water 25%, Spot Hidden 30% its original form. An amorphous watery god, it
temporarily wields extended cones of water to
Sanity Loss: 0/1D6 Sanity points to see a deep whip things from distance but prefers to crush
one. things caught in its mass by altering the den-
Dead Leaves Fall
131
 sity and pressure. When summoned or con- Acknowledgments
tacted, Chaat will assume the watery shape of
the caster. Chaat’s presence in the universe is at My wife Danielle for editing.
its very peak every year on October 31. Other-
wise he is trapped shifting in other dimensions The Foxfield setting was drawn from:
of existence never to be whole. While the Chaat
Aquadingen bears its name in the title the book, “Proof of Life”, 2008 by Keith Herber, in New
there is only a brief discussion of the water god Tales of the Miskatonic Valley, published by
and in some versions of the book the mention Miskatonic River Press.
of Chaat as a god is missing all together.
The interpretation of Chaat from Brian Lum-
Chaat, The Dark Water God ley’s Chaat Aquadingen was from:
STR 57 CON 85 SIZ varies INT 35 POW 45 “The Plague of St. James Infirmary”, 2005 by
DEX 24 Move 10 HP 85 Ken Asamatsu, in Night Voices, Night Jour-
neys: Lairs of the Hidden Gods, volume one,
Damage Bonus: +4D6 published by Kurodahan Press.
Weapons: Enveloping Crush 100% 3D10+db;
Water Whip 100% 1D10+db
My Monday gaming group, called Champions:
Armor: None. Not harmed by normal physical Sam Carter, Andy Blanchard, Chris Czerniak,
means. John Armstrong, and Albert Park.
Spells: All Contact and Summon/Dismiss spells.
Sanity Loss: To see Chaat in Original Form
1/1D6; In the form of Jeremiah transformed
1D3/1D10 Sanity points.

Dead Leaves Fall

132
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