Opening the WaY

Editorial
by MikeMason

You in YourSmallCorner

page 3

page 4

CthulhuNowscenario
by AndyBennison
$ave the Last Bullet forYourself!
LegionPartll
The FrenchForeign
by AdamCrossingham
lnvitationto the Dance
daYscenario
Twenties/Modern
by JeffMoeller
The Mandragora Project
realityfor CthulhuNow/Delta
An alternative
by Rik Kershaw-Moore
They Who Wait
of Gaia
TheChildren
by DavidPerrY
To MakeYour Aquaintance
GeorgePrice
by KearyBirch
The Return of Doctor Moreau
scenario
Twenties
by DavidConYers
l n si d e Ou t
NowstorYseed
Cthulhu
by Liz Mason
Crossed Lines
Scenarioseed
by KearYBirch
CryptograPhYof Cthulhu
thecode
Breaking
by Rik Kershaw-Moore
Aquaintances & Abodes
TheTenement
by AndyBennison
Items of Mutual Interest
Reviews
Acknowledgements& Thanks
co'uk
www.starrYwisdom'

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p a g e1 6

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ag
"Chdc is noc dead uhich can eceena([ie,
And iuich srRdnge aeons even deach nrag die"
The Call of Cthulhu.H P Lovecraft

speaking)sincethe last
the old gent has it right. lt's beena while(euphemistically
Sometimes
and
issueof TW and my thanksto those of you who haveofferedwordsof encouragement
This issuesee TW reborn;with morepages,morecontentand a colourcover(at last!).
support.
you
As ever,TW's missionis to continueto striveto bringyou,dearreader,more'Cthulhu'than
canshakea shoggoth
at. I hopeyou'llfindthisissuenotwanting.
on thisissueandgetyourinputintofutureissuesand
We'dliketo hearyourviewsandcomments
publications.
www.yog-sothoth.com
thenit'stimeto do so,as the
lf you'venot alreadydiscovered
placefor newsand other
great
forum
for The Whisperer,
as well as a
siteis hometo the official
Cthulhoid
madness.
It'sbeenfiveyearssinceTW issue1 was unleashed
uponthe world. At thattimesupportand
or
withjust the occasional
Chaosium
material
for the Callof Cthulhugamewas prettyminimal,
plethora
press
product
was
to
speak
of
the
of
PaganPublishing
beingreleased.There
no small
'golden
fanzinesseen in the
days' of the eightieswere long gone. The web was only just
vacuumI decidedthatenoughwas enough
beginning
to showsignsof promise.In thisrelative
I wantedto read,I'd betterdo it myself!
andif nobodyelsewasgoingto producethe magazine
Five years on the situationhas changed;The BlackSeal, publishedby TW 'old boy' Adam
issue,Chaosium
is publishing
morebooksthan
is soonto reachit'sthirdawesome
Crossingham,
great
sitesfocusingon Cthulhoidmattersand dark
everand the web is spawningall mannerof
horrorroleplaying- yog-sothoth.com,
shoggoth.net
anddemonground.org
to namebutthree.Not
greatgamesto a convention
near
onlythat,butin the US the guysof RogueCthulhuarebringing
you(l recentlyplayedin oneof RogueCthulhu's'Shubby
Sunday'scenarios
and it wasa blastliterally!).
Whilstin the UK,a hardenedcadreof Keeperstravelfromall overto writeand run CoC
games(if you haven'tyet playedin a 'CthulhuNational'gameyou'remlssrngout - come to the
in 2404.JI couldgo on.."
www.continuum.uk.net
and www.eurolog.org
conventians
So whatnext?Wellit'sreallyquitesimple.lf you'renotyet involvedin the Cthulhoidnewwaveit's
or The BlackSeal,
timeto jumpin andget involved;
whetherit'swritingan articleforTheWhisperer
'Masks
you've
been
to Chaosium,
startingthatwebsite
submitting
of Nyarlathotep'
the next
nearyouor simplyturningup to a
meaning
to do,or havinga go at runningCoCat a convention
convention
to play. lt couldbe as easyas gatheringa fewfriendstogetherin orderto startplayingCoCregularlyagain.Whateverit is,just do it andjointhe restof us madfoolsridingthe wave
fromR'leyh.
TillthemStarscomeRight!
MikeMason
Editor
www.starrywisdom.
co.uk

You in

Your Sraall Cornerr o.

by Andy Bennison

Jesus bid.s us shine lvith a cool clear lightt

Like a little
cand,le burnlng in the night.
In this lvorld of darkness so lve must shinet
You in your small corner and. I in mine.
01d Sunday School

The Premise
CatherineYoungdisappearedthreedaysago aftera row with
her husband.This morning she walked into Greenbank
House,a mentalasylumand askedto be admitted.In just a
few hours her conditionhas rapidlydeclined.The playeris
either a concernedfriend, a private investigatorhired by
Catherine'sfamily or a reportereager for a story.
The scenariois set in the presentday duringthe winter.
Sources of lnformation
Gatherine'sFamily
Catherine'shusband,Frank,is too distraughtto see anyone.
He blames himselffor what has happened.Their six-year
marriage has always been stormy, however,they always
managedto patch things up. Anyone wantingto speak to
Frankwill haveto get past his brother-in-law,
MichaelHarris,
who has broughthis pet Alsatiandog aroundto the houseto
deter callers.Frankand Michaelare old schoolmates.more
like brothersthan friends.
Michael does not hold Frank responsiblefor what has
happened.His sister always had a short fuse, but he is
understandably
concernedaboutCatherine'swelfare.Aftera
Debate
roll,Michaelwill revealthat Catherineleft
successful
after rowing with Frank about how to set up the timer on the
video recorder.Frankhas been to see Catherine,but she did
not recognisenor respondto him. Catherine'sbelongings
have been handedover to Frank:so far he has not examined
them.

Hynn

happyto gossipabout their constantrows and fights.They

willspareno detailsand evenmakesome up to impresstheir
audience."They'vehad rows in the streetand she'sleft him
moretimesthan I can count- then againwhat do you expect
when you marrya loud mouthedlout like'im,"Mrs Elliotwill
tellto anyonepreparedto listen.
lf Mrs Elliotis not interviewedshe will certainlyarriveon the
sceneto offerher "help",but reallyshe just wantsto find out
what her neighbourshavebeen up to this time.
lf other residentsare questioned,it will become clear that
there has been a long-standing
feud going on betweenthe
Youngs and the Elliots.First there was a dispute about
parking,then there were problemsabout the trees that Mr
Elliotplantedcloseto the Young'sfence.The situationcame
to a head when FrankYoungallegedlyreportedthe Elliot's
son, Joey,to the policefor receivingstolengoods.Joey was
releasedfrom prisontwo weeksago and is currentlystaying
with his mum and dad.
The Young'sother neighbours,John Watkins and Fiona
Keogh,are a youngcouplewith a baby daughter.Fionais in
most of the time but she does not want to get involved.lf
pressed,she will confirmthat the Youngsdo have frequent
rows, but then again the Elliotsare just as bad. Their son
oftenhas his friendscallinground,makingnoisetill the early
hours.(lt was actuallyJohnWatkinswho anonymouslycalled
the policeaboutJoey Elliot.)

Greenbank House
Catherinesits in a catatonictrance in the centre of her
Three clues can be found in Catherine'shandbag.Each
paddedcell.Occasionally
she sings the first verseof an old
requires a SPOT HIDDEN roll to discover.There is an
hymnshe learntas a child.Attemptsto moveher will be met
unfamiliar key, a till receipt dated yesterday for 13.50
with a violentreaction.AnyoneseeingCatherinewho failsa
stamped"Emily's"and a slip of paper on which (Catherine)
Sanity Roll will lose 1d2 sanity points. This loss is
has scrawled:
automaticfor anvonewho knew her well.
"AH 46. MuseumPress50. Belmont63. Panther75"
FatherDominicis a young Roman Catholicpriestwho acts
as chaplainfor the residents.The hospitalstaff tend to avoid
NeitherFranknor Michaelrecogniseany of these items.
him as he comesacrossas very intenseand serious.He has
taken
a special interest in Catherine'scase, as he was
The houseis full of booksand clutter.Catherinewas always
present
when Catherinemarched into the receptionand
trying out new hobbies - she would become wildly
demanded
to be lockedin a padded cell for her own protecenthusiasticabout a subjectand then after six monthsshe
tion.
Once
inside she seemed very relieved,but quickly
would drop it and start something else. Catherine's
regressed
to
her currentstate.FatherDominicis familiarwith
obsessions have included ornithology, aromatherapy,
the
verse
that
Catherinesings.He'striedto speakto the famamateur dramatics,photography,learning Spanish - she
and support,but they don't seem to be
ily
to
offer
consolation
was even involvedwith the local churchfor a few months.The
interested.
He
will
the investigatorsin any lawful way
assist
expense of all these whims was the cause of the
he
can.
majorityof Frank and Catherine'sarguments.Her current
hobby is metal detecting.(Shouldthe playersthink to look for The doctorsare vague about Catherine'scondition.They are
her new metal detector,it will be missingtogetherwith a still carrying out tests and are unwillingto commit to a
suitcaseand a few itemsof clothing.)
diagnosisat this earlystage.
The Neighbours
The Young'sneighbours,Mr & Mrs Elliot,will be only too

Only friends or investigatorshired by the family will be able

to access this information.Reporterswill have to resort to

www.starrywisdom.
co.uk

Fast Talk or briberyon the less professionalmembersof

staffat Greenbankto learnthe truth.

'Emily's'
"Emily's"can easily be located in the local Yellow Pages
telephonedirectory.lt's a tearoom on the sea front of a
nearbyrun-downholidayresort.The tearoomcatersmainly
for seniorcitizensand its young waitressesare less than
helpful.No one remembers Catherine. Anyone visiting
Emily'sand makingan IDEArollwill noticea hotelfourdoors
away.lf theydon't noticeit, they will certainlyspot the police
car parkedoutside.
The Regal Hotel
As it is now out of season,most of the hotelsand all guesthousesare closeduntilthe spring.The Regal is the largest
hotelthat is stillopen for business.lt does not live up to it's
name;it'statty,ram shackled,dirty and in desperateneedof
refurbishment.
lf the playersentertheywillwitnesstwo police
officersinterviewingthe receptionist.
They are lookingfor a
man called Ron Parrish,who works part time as a night
porter.He is currentlyon bailand shouldhavereportedin to
the stationthis morning.They'vecheckedhis lodgings,but
thereis no signof him.This is the only othercontactaddress
thatthey havefor him.Apparently,he didn'tturn up for work
lastnightand didn'tphonein.
Thereare only a handfulof guests currentlystayingat the
hotel.Shouldthe playerssneak a look at the guest book,
theywill noticethe followingbookings:
Room1: Mr & MrsWhittle.
(Elderly
couplecelebrating
wedding
anniversary)
Room2: MissH Jamesion
andMissV Jamesion
(Elderly
sisters,
oneis convalescing.)
Room10:Mr JohnHarman
(Middle
agedmanvisitingrelatives
in town)
Room14: MissC Harris
(Catherine
is stillsignedin underhermaidenname.)
Room15:Mr H Napier
Thereceptionist
will recogniseCatherinefrom a photograph
andconfirmthat she is still stayingat the hotel.None of the
guestsrememberher with the exceptionof Harry Napier.
Napier is a part time literature lecturer now in semi
retirement.He is staying at the hotel for a fortnight to do
somework on his latest book. He is over-enthusiastic
and
somewhateccentric.He tried to strike up a conversationone
morningwith Catherine,but she gave him a politebrushoff.
Nooneelsehas reallyspokento her much.To the hotelstaff,
she'sjust anotherblandguest.

How muchCthulhuMythosknowledge- if any - that can be

gainedfrom this book is left to the discretionof the Keeper.
In the wastepaperbin in the bathroomis a screwedup piece
of paper.lt is a page torn from a yellow pages telephone
directory.The sectionon Bookshopshas been ringed.The
addressesfor four local bookshopshave been underlined.
(See Bookshopsheadingfor more information.)
On a note pad by the phone is a local telephonenumber.
Anyonecallingit will get throughto the town'spublicLibrary.
The Public Library
The librarywas builtin the late 1950sand hasn'tseen a lick
of paintsince.The d6coris drab,the atmospheredulland the
buildinghas the odour of stale air and disinfectant.lt is
usually deserted except for a couple of pensionerswho
comein to readthe free papersand keepwarm.The waspish
librarian,PhilipManners,will rememberCatherine- she visited the librarytwo days ago and spentthe morninglooking
throughthe card indexes.Mr Mannershates his job. He is
perpetuallyboredand will speakto anyonewho comes into
the library.
Catherinespent some time looking through the thin SF,
Fantasyand Horrorsection.One of the booksthat Manners
remembersfindingfor her was "The PlanetBook of Who's
Who in ScienceFiction"- a glossycoffeetable book about
the pulps. She was looking for an author that Manners
wasn't familiar with. He had a strange middle name. lf
someone prompts him with Frank Belknap Long, he will
rememberthat he was the authorCatherinewas interested
in. Shouldthe playersexaminethe book,it will open halfway
throughwhere the spine has been recentlybroken.On the
facingpageis a shortbiographyof FrankBelknapLong.(See
HANDOUTand mark accordingly.)The
libraryhas no books
by the author.Catherinehas markedThe Houndsof Tindalos
in the bibliography.
Mannersalso remembersthat Catherine
checkedsomethingin the YellowPages.lf anyone looks in
the library copy they will notice that the section
coveringbookshopshas been torn out. (Anyonecheckinga
completecopy of the directorywill discoverthe four local
bookshopslistedbelow.)
Local Bookshops
Ernest Abbott and Sons
An antiquarianbookshop* crampedand dusty.The book
dealerwill rememberCatherineif shown a photograph.She
was interestedin ScienceFictionbooks.Mr Abbott doesn't

Thekeyin Catherine'shandbagis for room 14.Her bed has

notbeensleptin and the restof her belongingscan be found
here.At the foot of the bed is a new metal detector.On the
bedsidetable is a battered paperbackcopy of Talesof the
CthulhuMythos Volume 1, edited by August Derleth.Inside
is a stickerthat reads"AJ'sBookshop- e5".The storiesin the
bookare:
Call of Cthulhu(HowardPhillipsLovecraft)
The Houndsof Tindalos(FrankBelknapLong)
The SpaceEaters(FrankBelknapLong)
The Returnof the Sorcerer(ClarkAshton Smith)
(ClarkAshtonSmith)
Ubbo-Sathla
The BlackStone(RobertE Howard)
The Dwellerin Darkness(AugustDerleth)
Beyondthe Thresold(AugustDerleth)
The Salem Horror(Henry Kuttner)
The Haunterof the Graveyard(J.VernonShea)

www.starrywisdom.co.
uk

have much in the way of SF- just a couple of HG Wells

editions and some overpriced Doctor Who paperbacksand
annuals.
AJ's Bookshop
This dilapidatedshop is in the worst part of town. Most of the
premises on the road are closed down or derelict. The
grubbysign in the windowreads:
SpecialAdult Books, Magazines and Videos
American and Scandinavianlmports
The sleazy Mr Jones charges extortionateprices for the filth
he peddles. As well as the expected stock of magazines,
books, videos and DVDs, there is a small stack of battered
horror novels- mainly StephenKings and Pan anthologies,
but there are a couple of Lovecrafts,a Conan book and an
Arthur Machen's Novel of the Black Seal * all over priced.
Jones will not volunteerany informationuntil the investigator
buys something- spendingat least f10. He will remember
Catherine- he doesn'tusuallyhavefemalecustomers- she
was lookingfor a book,but he can't quite rememberthe title.
A furtherpurchasewill cure his amnesia.She was lookingfor
Frank Belknap Long's The Hounds of Tindalos. He will
confirm that he couldn't help, but she was very satisfiedwith
the book she did buy."lt had a funny title",he will remember
"and a pictureof an octopus on the front."
lf anyone asks Jones about other books, he will smile
furtively and whisper that he can get a copy of The
Necronomicon.He will admit that it is slightlydamaged,but
he wont part with it for less than f75. Anyone stupid enough
to hand over the cash will be presentedwith a copy of the
1977 H.R. Giger version - and serves them right tool
(Mr Jones gives no refunds and has some very nasty and
violent friends who just happen to be in the backroom
enjoying a private screening of one Mr Jones's latest under
the countervideos.)

LONG,FRANK BELKNAP
(1e03- 1e94)
Grandsonof the man who built the pedestalof the Statue of Liberty,
FrankBelknapLong studiedat the NewYorkSchoolof Journalism.
A stalwartpulp writer specializingin SF and Horror,he made his first
sale 'DesertLich' in 1924 to WeirdTales magazine.He continuedto
write throughouthis life.As the marketsfor Long'sfiction dried up he
underwentseverefinancialhardshioand wrote romanticfictionundera
pseuoonym.
Winnerof the World FantasvLifetimeAchievementAward 1978 .
Novels include:Space Station No. 1 (1957), Mars is my Destination
(1962),The Horrorfrom the Hills (1963), lt was the Day of the Robot
(1963), Lest Earth be Conquered (1966), This Strange Tomorrow
(1966),Journeyinto Darkness(1967),The Androids(1969),The Three
Facesof Time (1969),MonsterfromOut of Time (1970),SurvivalWorld
(1971),The Nightof the wolf (1972).
Short Story Collectionsinclude:The Hounds of Tindalos (1946),The
Rim of the Unknown(1972),The Early Long (1975),Night Fear (1979).
The Planet Wha's Who of SF

casket. The secret of its location was lost for millennia.

Shouldany of the playershave accessto a copy of the Book
of Eibon they can locatethe above quote with a successful
Library Use or Gthulhu Mythos roll (whicheveris highest).

After she fell out with her husband, Catherine decided to

spend a few days on her own to considerher marriage.She
bookedinto The Regal and went on long walks, idling her
time beechcombing.Earlyone morningshe discoveredan
iron box with an inlaidstar like designon the lid. She took the
box back to her room, opened it and discoveredThe Stone.
After gazinginto it she beganto sufferheadachesand nightThe Bargain Book Basement
mares in which she saw the demontrappedwithinthe stone,
A cheap clearinghousefor remainderedpaperbacks.No one
actuallya Houndof Tindalos.
remembersCatherinepayingthem a visit.
Next morning she rememberedstories that her late uncle
Lemon-Tree Books
to read to her from magazinesthat he used to collect.
used
This high street shop sells only new books - mainly best
There was one called Weird Tales. She visited the local
sellers,cookerybooks and life style titles.No one remembers
libraryand founda book about SF authors.This jogged her
Catherinevisitinghere either.
memoryand she recalleda tale by FrankBelknapLong.She
Background Notes - from The Book of Eibon
then set off on a hunt for a copy of Long's The Hounds of
"...and lo, Verdhisthe Black did imprison Rrhar'il in the Stone Tindalos.Tryingall the local bookshopsshe tracked down a
of Jhrelth a being of great power. Evil and malevolent was copy of Talesof the Cthulhu MythosVol.1.After readingthe
Rrhar'il for lt could scent out any man, woman or beast story (in the tearoom) she realised how to protect herself.
through the power within lt. All who drd see the foulnesscould She had herself admitted to Greenbank, knowing that as
not escape, even if they did hide in the deepest cave or flee long as she was in a paddedcell with no corners she would
to the far shores of Mhu Thulan. Lo, Rrhar'il could track and be safe. However,her dreams were still haunted and she
feast on their flesh and their minds and their fears and their soon lost her sanity.She constantlyrepeatsthe first verse of
lusts. Through mighty spe//s dld Verdhis trap the soul of "Youin your small cornef'to remind herselfof the danger.In
Rrhar'il within the Slone of Jhrelth and did use fhe demon to her haste.she left the Stone of Jhrelth in her hotel room.
kill his enemies, smite his rivals and bring terror to the people
Plot Developments
of Mhu Thulan.....On the Night of The Bronze Ox, Yydwayof
Ron Parrish,a dishonestdomesticat The Regal,stole the
The Five did scale the walls of the Towerof Verdhis stole the
stone from Catherine's room. This occurred on the first
Sfone and did hide it from the face of men. The Mage's men
That night Parrishwill look into
morningof the investigation.
did put Yydway to the torture for many months, but spoke he
the stoneand sufferthe same nightmaresas Catherine.Next
not and when the last drops of Yydway'slife was /osf, so hr's
day he will sell the stone to his friend Joey Elliot. On the
secret was /osl... Verdhis did call upon mighty magicks, but
following morning, a milkman will discover Parrish's
fhe Sfone did remain veiled unto his eyes and the power of
mutilated body. Newspaper reports will mention Ron's
Verdhis the Black did wane and his bones did turn unto dust
criminalbackground,as well as his associates,including
and still was the Sfone not found...."
Joey Elliot.Joey will be the next person to suffer dreams of
To completethe tale, Yydway hid the stone and buried it in a Rrhar'il.He will trv to sell the stone on. without anv luck.To

wwwstarrywisdom.co.
uk

garden.
be on the safeside,he will bury it in his neighbour's
Elliotwill be safe as long as the stone remainshiddenand
lockedin the box. lf the stone is not found within one day,
Michael's
dog will dig it up. Joey will soon die, and Frank,
Michaeland anyoneelse in the housewill be in danger.lf the
policediscoverthe stone,then furtherdeathswill result.

the bookshopsotherthan AJ's.I've also fleshedout some of

the locations,re-writtenthe book quote from the Book of
Eibon and added a player handout biographyof Frank
BelknapLong,which might be usefulto keepersunfamiliar
with his work.Asidefromtheseamendments.the scenariois
prettymuch as originallyprinted.

The Stone of Jhrelth

The Stone is a many sided semi-transparentcrystal.A
Geology roll will revealit to be of no known substance.lt
weightsvery littleand is almostimpossibleto breakor chip.
A strangecolourruns throughit, but the patternconstantly
changesshape.Anyone closely examiningthe stone who
failsa Luck roll will gaze into the stone and see Rrhar'il.
(Sanity
loss1d3/1d20)That
night,the victimwilldreamabout
the historyof the stone and glimpse the evil of Verdhis's
Tower(1d211d6
sanity loss).After this, the dreamerwill be
plaguedby a nightmare where they are chased and
devouredby Rrhar'il. (1d211d6sanity loss). This will
continueevery night until either the stone is destroyedor
Rrhar'il
slain.

The scenarioitselfcausedsome controversyin the Dagon

letterspage.One personcalledit "childish",anothersaidthat
it "misfiredhorribly."
Thomas Ligottihowever,called it "very
entertainingand instructivein the essentialsof horror";
I was quitegratifiedby his comments.
understandably,

Thecrystalis housedin an iron box engravedwith the Elder

Sign.lnsideis a thick velvet like materialthat mouldsitself
aboutthe stoneholdingthe crystalin place.Rrhar'ilis bound
to the stoneand will attackanyonewho looks upon him. lt
mustfirstleavethe stonethroughany of the corners.While
theboxis closed,everyoneis safe.lf the crystalis somehow
Rrhar'ilwill be free. He will brieflyappearto all
destroyed,
presentand then returnto his own dimension.Anyonewho
hasnot seen Rrahr'ilin a dream must make the necessarv
SanityRoll.
Destroying
the stone will gain the investigators
2d6 sanity
points.Findingsomewheresafe to hide the stone will gain
1d6 sanity points.However,at the end of the adventure,
everyone
mustmakea final Sanityrollwhenthey realisethat
thereis nothingthat can be done to help CatherineYoung
and save her from madness.This realizationcosts 1d3
Sanitypoints.
Catherine
will continuesingingand watchingfor Rrahr'ilfor
therestof her days.
RRHAR'IL,HOUND OF TINDALOS
STR 17
16
CON 30
SIZ
INT
18
POW 27
DEX 9
HP

23

D a m a g eB o n u s+ 1 d 6

This was my first attemptat a modern day Call of Cthulhu

scenario.lt raised a questionthat anyone running such
campaigns must address:did Lovecraft and his friends
actuallyexistin the campaignworld?In "Youand YourSmall
Corner" I treated Talesof the Cthulhu Mythos like a lowgrademythostome,similarto Peopleof the Monolith.Some
peoplethoughtthat this was too much.
In a short paragraphof notes (deletedfrom this version)|
describedthe scenario as a "no-win situation".This also
causedsomepeopleproblems.
One readersaidthatthe scenario didn'trewardgood roleplayingbecausethe situation
seemedinsoluble.On reflectionI don't think it is. lt is a nowin situationin that Catherine's
fate is sealed,but how many
horrorstorieshavecompletelyhappyendings?
CthulhuMythosstoriessometimesform the basisor inspiration for Call of Cthulhuscenarios.With "You in Your Small
Corner",it turned out to be the other way around. I was
flatteredand surprisedto read TheAlkahesfby LaurenceJ.
Cornford in Chaosium'srecently published The Book of
Eibon.The first half of the story is basicallyan expanded
versionof the backgroundto this scenario.Verdhisgets a
namechangeand becomesVerhadis,but the rest of the tale
remainsintactwith Rrhar'il,The Stoneof JhrelthandYydway
of The Five all appearing.Regrettably,the source isn't
acknowledged
in the book, but it's pleasingto think that l've
addedmy own tiny contribution
to the CthulhuMythos,even
if it is by the back door.
People either loved "You in Your Small Corner" or they
detestedit - l'll leaveit for you to judge.Fifteenyears on, it
seemshard to see what the fuss was about,

Editor's Note:

Attack: Paw 90% 1d6 + ichor+ damagebonus

Tongue90% 1d3 powerdrain per round
Armour: 2 point hide. Regenerates4 hit pointsper round.
lmmune
to normalweapons.
Spells: lmplant Fear, Raise Night Fog and Create Gate.
(CreateGate is only availableafter Rrhar'ilis freed from the
stone.)
SanityLoss: 1D311D20

Afterword....Fifteenyears on
"You in Your Small Corner" was originallyfeatured in
Dagon20 (November
1987).I don't usuallyrevisitold scenarios,but as Mike asked to reprintthis I couldn'thelp a little
tinkering.
I'veresistedthe temptationto makeany massivechangesto
the original.The additionsthat I've made do not affectthe
basicplot.Theinformation
on the publiclibraryis new,as are

I've run many a session of this scenario at games

conventions. Whilst Andy intended the $tory to be for a
singleperson,givena littleadjustment,the scenariocan be
run for group play too. My suggestionis to have the players
take some or all of the followingroles:
doctor - from GreenbankHause
researchassistant- from GreenbankHouse
psychiatricnurse - from GreenbankHouse
police detectives (2) - local constabulary
police officer - local constabulary
The team is broughttogetherto look in to the recentpast and
likely causes for Catherine's present situation, and to
investiagatewhethera crime has actuallybeen committedby
or to Catherine.Naturatly,with fewer players,the group could
take the roles of either the police (called in by Greenbank
House)or the Greenbankstaff themselves.
I agree with Andy - it's a perfectno win scenario. Enjoy.

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t..

SNW TIIE LA'T RALLETFOR TWRELF!

Far FlungMilitaryunits for use with call of cthurhu
by Adam Crossingham
'Save
the LastBullet for Yourselfis a seriesof articlesdealingwith militaryunits that may be encounteredduringthe course
of a Call of Cthulhuadventure.These unitshave been chosenbecauseof the placesin whichthey served,the potential
of
a mythosencounterin the regionswhere they mightbe encountered,
coupledtogetherwith the air of mysteryand elitism
that surroundfamousmilitaryunits.
Last issuewe examinedthe historyand backgroundto the FrenchForeignLegion. In part two we look at life in the
Legion,
ideasfor runningLegionbasedadventuresand characterdevelooment.

Life in the Foreign Legion

Joining the Legion
'l
was a general,mon colonel,'- a recruit,c.1920
Joiningthe FrenchForeignLegionrequiresgettingto France.
Any Gendarmestationor army garrisonwill be able to direct
the volunteerto the nearestrecruitingcentre.The minimum
age of enlistmentis 16, but boysof 14 havebluffedtheirway
into the Legion successfully"Criminalconvictionswill not
stop a man from joiningthe Legion'sranks,nor are political
refugeesrefused.lt is customaryfor men to take a false
name or even another nationalityas it allowsthe legionto
deny knowledgeof a recruit.Before 1881, Frenchmenare
obliged by law to sign up as foreigners;usually Swiss or
Belgian,thoughonce in the Legion,a soldier'snationalidentity is an open secret.

Basictrainingat Mascarawas leftto seniorsous-officers

and
althoughharsh,was designedto instilrespectfor authority,
disciplineand to keep the new l6gionnairealive in North
Africa.All commandsin the Legion are given in French,a
recruit havingto quicklypick up the rudimentsof Military
Frenchin order to avoid being struck or receivesome other
punishment.French,drill and marksmanshipare quickly
pickedup.At the same time the new recruitsare constantly
being put throughroute marchesof increasinglength and
worseningterrain.
Marchingbeginsin the firstweek with marchesof 24km. but
the distancesare rapidly increasedover the weeks as
staminais builtup.The finaltest is a marchof 50km carrying
45kg of kit across mountainsand bad roads. The time
allowedfor this distanceis eight hours.L6gionnairesare not
allowedto fall out and those who collapseare draggedby
cart untilthey start to walk again.No man is allowedto fall
out or be left behind,becauseif capturedby the Arabs he
would be put to death.At the end of the route march the
legionnaires
haveto builda 'muraillesd'Afrique'(acampwith
trenchesand defensivewalls) and then stand guard until
dawn. This was a reflection of actual operating
conditionsin NorthAfrica.

Recruitssign an initialcontractfor five years.Havingsigned

the recruitmentpapers,the new recruitis sent under guard
to Fort St. Jean in Marseilles.At Fort St. Jean the recruit's
civilianclothesare taken and sold, and the regulationblue
FrenchArmy uniformissued- hence 'les bleus',the Legion,s
nicknamefor new recruits.When enough men have been
musteredto createa draft,they are shippedunderguardto
Oran. The recruitsare then directedto Sidi-bel-Abbesbv Aftersuccessfully
completingbasictrainingthe 169ionnaire
is
routemarchor by train.
postedto his new regiment,which is the one that has the
At the Legion'sdepotthe new recruitsare examinedagainto most need for new bodies.
see if they are unsuitablefor Legion service,ill or insane. Punishment
Thosewho fail are returnedto Francebut not many men are Punishmentin the ForeignLegion is swift and harsh.The
refused. The acceptable recruits are then marched to Legionis notoriousfor its discipline,but in a tough environMascarafor four monthsof basictrainino.
ment, surroundedby hostile natives,the Foreign Legion
needsto maintainorder,sometimeswith an iron hand.public
Basic Training
'Here
punishmentaccompaniedby insults,is commonly
corporal
we make soldiersout of scum tikeyou'
meted
out by NCOs,or if the incidentis seriousenoughby
- Sergeant-majorLajaune
the officers.The next stage is corporal punishmentsand
- suchas sleepingin cells;deniedall
withdrawalof privileges
contactwith fellowl6gionnaires;orpack drill twice dailywith
a 20 kg packof stones.The punishmentat this stagecan be
ritualised
and publiclyhumiliating
enoughto'encouragethe
others'.Some punishmentssuch as 'la crapaudine,and
'la pelote'
are severe enough to be infamous outside the
Legion.

u',r'

Time couldalso be spentin the Legionprison,or 'Totte',for

offences.Such time spentin prisonis addedto the duration
of the 169ionnaire's
contract.One peculiarLegiontraditionis
that imprisoned169ionnaires
are inspected daily by an
officer,but only an officer with the same medals.Thus a
169ionnaire
with the Legiond'Honneurcan only be inspected
by an officer with the same award.The Legion also has

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Crueland Usual
La crapaudine
The most notoriousof Legion punishmentsinvolveslashing
the victim'swrists and ankles behind his back whilst in a
proneposition.Withinminutescrampwould set in and after a
few hours would cause agony. Some men were placed in
grainsilosand left for days in the dark withoutwater or being
able to stand or lie straight.The crapaudinewas officially
bannedin 1920and supposedlyreplacedby imprisonment
in
barrackcells,packdrillor both.The punishmentwas used in
the Gaslightperiod and almost certainly continuedinto the
mid-1920s.
Le pelote
ls a humiliating
ritualin whichthe l6gionnaire
is forcedto keep
performingdrill and tricks for NCOs and officerswhilst carrying a sack of rockswired to his back. Hesitation,slownessor
falteringis rewardedwith a beatingwith a wet, knottedrope.
Le peloteends with the l6gionnairebeing made to crawl back
to his barracksroom on his stomach.

l'1fi

#u

Legiongoes on campaignit takeswith it a number

punishment
camps where legionnairesare subjectto hard When the'followers'.
of
camp
Some are canteen women who are
labourand constantinspectionin the Saharansun.
usually
married
to
169ionnaires,
but the Legion also takes
Theworst punishmentis a postingto one of lhe 'Battalions with it the officiallyapproved prostitutesin the form of the
- FrenchArmy punishmentbattalionswhere life is 'Bordel
d'Afrique'
Militairede Campagne'.In Indo-China,the conglais
hard,even for a l6gionnaire.A typical day might involve qualifyas unofficialcanteenwomen.
havingto make a thousandmud bricks;failureto do results
Every garrisonwill have it's own Legionbrothel,where the
in foodbeingdeniedfor that day.
prostitutesare medically checked by the Legion's own
Althoughpunishmentwas harsh, a l6gionnairewho feels medicalofficers.Sidi-bel-Abbds
was infamousfor it'sVillage
victimised
by an NCO can alwayschallengehis tormentorto Negre districtfull of approvedand non-approvedladies of
an off-dutyprivatefight in order to settlethe matter.However, horizontalrefreshment.
most NCOs are NCOs because they can fight. Only a
confidentor experienced l6gionnaireshould consider Desertion
Many men realisetheir mistakeof joiningthe Legionwhen
challenging
his bullyingsous-officier.
confrontedwith the harshrealitiesof life,usuallyin desolate
Sidi-bel-Abbds
environments.Desertionis often the only way out of the
The Legion'sworld-wideheadquartersand depot is located Legionshort of a bullet.Postingsin Oran and Algeria are
in Algeria,60 miles south of Oran.'Bel-Abbes'(tothose in harder to desert from because of the landscape and
the know)is a new town plannedand builtby Legionon the environment,
but becauseof this opportunitiesfor desertion
siteof an Arab villagenamedaftera localhermit.The town's are also greater.The Legiondoes not consideran escapee
populationgrew to over 40,000 people serving the depot, l6gionnairea deserter until after six days as either the
froman initialpopulationof only 500.
desert,Legiontrackersor Arab bountyhunterswould usualMarriedl6gionnairescould live outside of the barraeks, ly claim the deserterbeforethe six days were up.
knownas the QuartierVi6not.The Legiontook an activepart
in runningthe civil side of Bel-Abbdsas well as the military, Dying in the desert or being caught by Legiontrackersare
some soldiersserving as council officials.Ex-l6gionnaires the preferred options, as the Legion pays Arab bounty
alsoset up businessesservingthe garrisonafter Liberation. hunters their reward regardlessof whether the deserter is
dead or alive. Consequently,bounty hunters usually only
Thereare also other attractionsin Sidi-bel-Abbds
such as bring back the deserter'shead as proof for the reward.The
the bars,brothelsand gamblingdens of the VillageNegre. Arab tribes will occasionallyaid deserters if they feign
Sidi-bel-Abbds
can also be a dangerousplace,especiallyon conversionto lslam or assist the desert tribes uprisingpay-dayas legionnairesattempt to drown their sorrows,get however this means court-martialand almost certain
laidand to settleold scoreswith civiliansand soldiersalike executionif the Legion later capturesthem.
in numerousfist and knifefights.
Of course, new recruits have a different view of Sidi-belAbbds,it's where basictrainingtakes place and NCOs take
pleasurein destroyingnew recruitsand rebuildingthem as
l69ionnaires.

Most attemptsat desertionare made when travellingto an

overseasposting.Jumpingship at Suez is the most popular
option but the deserterwill have the run the gauntlet of
armed Frenchmarineswith ordersof shoot-to-kill.

Sexand the L6gionnaire

The ForeignLegion maintainsthe liberal French attitude
towardsex.A l6gionnairewho plays by the Legion'sruleswill
findthat his requirementsof food, wine and women are taken
care of. Food and wine rations are good whilst in barracks,
but consist of only two basic meals whilst in the field.

Desertionwith a weapon is consideredmore seriousthan

desertingwithout.Desertingcarries a standardsentenceof
40 days in jail in additionto the roughingup the deserterwill
receivefrom his sous-officiers.
Pay,Gontracts and Pensions

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In the nineteenthcentury,a ldgionnairewas paid a sou a day.

A l6gionnaireis not allowedto have a bank account,instead
the Legion maintains a regimental account for him. The
169ionnaire
contributespart of his pay into legionfunds which
are used to pay for such as legioncelebrations,legionwhore
housesand such like.
Initiallya recruit signs on with the Legionfor five years and
can choose to re-enlist in five-year engagements.Some
sous-officierranks are only availableto men who re-enlist.
L6gionnairescan retireand claim a pension,but only after 15
years of service. A larger pension is paid after 20 years
service. 20 years is also the maximum officially permitted
length of service. Career soldiers have to re-enlist under
anothername in orderto continueserving.
The GompagniesMont6e
The MountedCompanies(CMs) were createdby Colonelde
N6grier in 1BB1to counter nomadic Arab war bands by

The Mythos and the Foreign Legion

Fifteen mythos connectionsfor a Legionnairecampaign:

combining mobility, endurance and firepower. Two men

shared a mule which carried both men's equipment,rations
for both the men and the mule,as well as one man riding.
The other legionnairemarched beside the mule at double
pace. Men and mule could march for up to 15 hours a day,
the men swapping position every hour, and there were no
knapsacksto carry or baggage wagons to slow down the
column.
The men selected to serve in the CMs were fit, mentally
stable and only served for two years - the rationswere very
basic (biscuitsand dried figs/dates),water was very scarce
and the CMs operatedin a forbiddingand lonelywilderness,
hundredsof kilometresfrom support.The range and martial
prowesssoon made them an 6lite within the nascentelite of
the Foreignlegion.

Leaving the Regiment

B. A presence in Djiboutigives France access to the Red

Sea and the Arabianpeninsulahinterlandshouldit need it.
lrem and the HiddenCity are just withinreach.

1. Cultistsof many gods and races can found in North

Africa, Middle East and South East Asia. The most 9. The Tcho-Tchomay be encounteredin Indo-Chinaon the
prevalent cults seem to be those dedicated to serving Laos-Cambodianborders.
Cthulhu,Shub-Niggarath
or Nyarlathotep.
10. Mi-Go may supposedly be found in the hills and
2. Sand Dwellerscan be found throughoutNorth Africa and mountainsof Cambodia.Their miningoperationsmay stray
the Middle East. These creatures normally shy away from east in Indo-China.The over curious may find themselves
contact with heavily armed humans such as l6gionnaires, on Plutoin a brain-case.
but should a straggler become separated from the main
column the last thing he might see is a Sand Dweller 11.The Tree-menof M'bwaservethe God of the Red Flux
in CentralAfrica, somewherebeyondthe Mountainsof the
stalkinghim.
Moon.
3. Ghouls have a long history intertwinedwith humanity's
and are found almostwhereverthe Legionis to be found,as 12. Nug and Yeb are worshippedby certain Druze sects in
the Legion is found at the scene of death and conflict.Egypt Lebanon,abhorredeven by other Druze.
and the Middle East have very well establishedwarrens.
13. Avatarsof Nyarlathotep- Ahtu is worshippedin Africa.
Shugoran
is worshippedin Africa and the hills of western
4. The Mediterraneanlies on top of what was once the
Hyborian age's Stygian Empire.Remnantsof it's evil glory Indo-China.B'moth is worshipped by some of the more
can be found along the shores of North Africa and the primitiveand superstitiousAfrican tribes.The SkinlessOne
Middle East. Serpent People may occasionallybe found is still worshipped by former Ottoman remnants of the
amongst the hordes in the ancient metropolisof the East Brotherhoodof the Skin in NorthernSyria.
attractedby the climate,the prey,the coverand the Stygian
14.Somethinglivesin a desertedtemple in Cambodiasome
artefacts.
miles from the Indo-China border. lf too many
5. Deep Ones may be encounteredon the Mediterranean travellers on the border disappear, a Legion expedition
coast of Morocco and Algeria, in the Indian Ocean, the might be despatchedto investigate,possiblyto suffer the
South China Seas and the Pacific.Their practicesof mating same fate of Delta Green's Special Forces operation in
with humans is the same and the threat is the same the 1969.
world over.
15. Nyogtha, the Dweller in Darkness, who served by
6. Cthonianswere imprisonedbeneaththe pre-humancity ghouls, can be summoned to Earth's surface through a
of G'harnein Mali.Do any Cthoniansremainin the vicinity? number of secret caverns and fissures, one of which is
reputedlylocatedin Syria,This is guardedby a cannibalcult
7. ln T'gaori, Ghana, people summon the Gn'icht Tyaacht of humans and ghouls,the secret of which is guarded and
handeddown from father to son.
tree spiritsto do their bidding.Spiritsor Dark Young?

r0

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At the end of his agreedperiodof service,a l6gionnaireis

presentedwith an honourabledischargecertificatein a
ceremony of Liberation. With this certificate the
ex-l6gionnaire
can applyfor Frenchresidencyor naturalisation,

Adventureseeds
Heartof the Storm
Whilstmanninga small isolated outpost the players are
besiegedby Arab tribesmen.Over severalnights,the Arabs
mount increasinglydangerous attacks on the outpost.
Casualties
are taken on both sides.Whilst the playersare
waitingfor the final assault,a desertstorm descendson the
areaand visibilitydrops to zero.In the storm do the players
hearscreamsor the howlinggale? After severalhours,the
stormabates,but where Arabs were there is now nothingnot even bodies.The next night guards think they see
'something'prowling perimeter
the
of the outpost.
Cursed
The playersoffenda 'waliy'or holy man whilst carryingout
theirorders.He cursesthem.Not by wavinghis handsabout,
notin a bad way, or by puttingthe evil eye on the soldiers.
Insteadhe cursesthem with kindness.As strangeincidents
increase,
the playersbecomeawarethat theyare blessed,or
actuallycursed, they will have to find someway of
removing
the curse.Which may be a problemif they shotthe
waliywhen he got in their way.

NationalityTables
Use thesetablesto randomlydeterminethe nationalityof
a NPC l6gionnaireor country of birth of a player
character.Use of the tables in character generation is
optional.
Gaslight: 1880 & 1890s

Nationality
Alsace-Lorrainers
German
French
Belgian
Swiss
Austrian
Other(roll1d4)
1, 2
Spanr'sh
3
British
4
Turkish
the gold for him and the rest of the company?
Added complications
includein whose territorythe treasury
is located,potentialdiplomaticincidents,raids by the local
tribesand finallywhatever,if anything,remainsto guardthe
treasuryaftera millenniaor two.Thenthereis the problemof
gettingthe gold home,..

ThreePharaohs
One of the player charactersdiscoversa treasure map Roleplayingand the FrenchForeignLegion
concealed
on the personof a capturedBerber.The ancient
A role playingadventureset in the ForeignLegionwill be in
pieceof papyrusis disgusting,havingbeen too closeto the
a strictmilitaryenvironment
wherethe playerswill subjectto
Berber,but is coveredin what lookslike lazy hieroglyphics.
ordersand conditionsoutsidetheirabilityto control,this may
Anybodywith a knowledgeof ancientEgyptianDemoticcan l e a d t o s i t u a t i o n s w h e r e K e e p e r s a r e c o n f r o n t i n g
usually maverickand care-freeplayers.Keepersshouldnot
OccupationTemplates
be afraidof followingthroughall the consequencesof players'actions
and responses.lf a playercharacteris insuborCompagniesMont6e L6gionnaire
to
superior
officer,therewill be repercussions.
lf a
dinate
a
Skills: Bayonet, Military Science, Natural History,
character
is
cowardly
he
may
face
least
court-martial
or
at
Navigate,Other Language:French,Ride, Rifle,Survival,
the contemptof his comrades.
andone skillto representa formerciviliantrade
Must have a CON of 12 or better.anda POW of 11 or
The Keeper may want to consider allowing one of the
better.
playersto be a juniorofficerand anotherto be an NCO,the
remaining players playing 169ionnaires.
lf some of your
L6gionnaire
playersare likelyto objectto beingorderedaroundby other
Skills: Bayonet, Fist/Punch, Heavy Weapons or
Machine-gunor Artillery,Knife, Military Science,Other players,make all the players humble l69ionnaires.Then
during the adventureremovethe NPC leadershipthrough
Language:French, Rifle, Survival, and one skill to
combatcasualtiesor simpleseparationfrom the main legion
represent
a formerciviliantrade.
group.
Officer
Skills: Credit Rating, History, Law, Military Science, Be preparedfor l6gionnairecharactersattemptingto desert
on the firstgood opportunity- if it'ssuitablefor the plot allow
Navigate,
Pistol,Psychology,Ride,& Rifleor Sword.
the escapeattempt.Rememberthat deserterscan alwaysbe
Sous-Officier(NCO)
capturedby native cultistsand show up later. Be equally
Skills:Bayonet, Block, Fist/Punch,Heavy Weapons or
preparedfor playersto fullyembracethe ethosof the Legion,
Machine-gunor Artillery, Kick, Martial Arts or Knife, and to fight like lionsuntilthe deathand refusingNPC offers
MilitaryScience,Other Language:French,Rifle,Survival, for their surrender.But the Keeoershouldalso bear in mind
andone skillto representa formerciviliantrade.
that the Legion'sArab, Chineseand Africanenemiesrarely
gave quarterto soldiersthey capture- a wounded player
readthe preciseinstructionson the locationof a Pharaonic characteris likelyto be a dead character,or a sacrifice,if
treasurysomewherein the wastesof the Great SandySea, caughtby the enemy.
between Sanussi Libya, British-controlledEgypt and
One final piece of advice- always keep the commanding
French-held
Chad.
officeran NPC or guestplayer.This allowsthe Keeperto
Soonnews of the discoveryis known to all of the players' iiterallyorderthe playersaround,shouldthere be a need to.
company.
Do the playersdesertand attemptto get the gold

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ll

Optional - Touched by Baraka

Barakais an ancientLegionterm appliedto igionnaires
who seem to be blessedwith the abilityto ignoreenemyfire and emerge
unscathedfrom situationsthat would leaveothermen in pieces.Sometimesbarakastayswith the l6gionnaire
who eventuallyand
inexplicably
reachesretirementage;sometimesit leadsthe foolishto his death;sometimesDeathwill ignorebaraka.ln Arabic,
Barakameans'divineblessing'andis associatedwith holy men or women,eitheraliveor dead.Barakacan be transferred
from
one personto another,or from a materialitemto a person.
In game terms a Keepershouldgrantbarakato a l6gionnaire
characterwho callsfor a Luck rollto avoidalmostcertaindeath.
The playermust cali for the Luckroll;barakashouldnot resultfrom a Luckrollawardedby the keeper.lf the player'sLuck roll is
successfuland the resultis also equalor lessthan his currentPOW,the characteris touchedby barakafor a while.The Keeper
shouldroll 1d20secretlyand recordthe result.This numberis the numberof timesthe charactercan escapebeinghurt by enemy
fire.Normalhits shouldbe ignored.Criticalhits becomeflesh-wounds
doing1 or 2 pointsof damageat worst.An 01 rollwill hit but
will only do minimumdamage.The Keepershouldrecordthe numberof timesthe characterwould havebeen hit.When the character'sbarakahas been used up he may be hit as normal.Barakawill work againstcultistsusingweapons,but it does not protect
againstminionsof the mythos.A characteriosesno SAN for beingtouchedby baraka.
Role playingthe effectsof barakashouldbe subtle.The playershouldnot be awarethat his characterhas beentouched;this is
somethingthat the characterlearnsfrom other169ionnaires
and when new recruitsstartto whisper'baraka'when
the character
passesthem.L6gionnaires
will not immediately
see a comradeas blessedafterjust one escapefrom death,as war is full of similar incidents,but when it happensthreeor four timesthe old sweatsstarttalkingabout'baraka'andihe character.
A foolishcharacterwilltest the limitsof his blessingand will soon use up the gift,allowingdeathto claimits prize.A characterwhobecomes
cautiouson learninghe has beentouchedby barakashouidnot be allowedto keepthe gift barakatouchesthosewho have
alreadybeen touched by death, but are fated for more, but will move on if wasted.

literallyorderthe playersaround,shouldthere be a needto.

L6gionnaire'sSeryice Number
The Ldgionnaire'sService Number is known as the
'Matricule'.Originally
the matriculenumberwas 3 digitsand
then around 1935 became four digits long. Randomly
generatea matriculeby rolling3d10,or 4d10.The matricule
may used in place of duplicatesurnameswithin a unit to
avoidconfusion.
Choosing a Regiment
Depending on the time chosen for the adventure,only
certainregimentswill be available.See the Brief Historyof
the Legion published in TW3 for details of specific
regimentaloperations.

Le cafard
A cafardis a madnessbroughton by stress and canstantfear"
The legionnaires
manningfortsand outpostsin the'bled'cr
wastelandsof North Africa were subjectto the cafard as hostile tribesmensurroundedthem. Officersand
sous-officiers
fearedthe cafardand fought it with constanttrivial duties.Where these failed they reliedon harsh legion punishment.
A cafardis a small black beetleand the madnessi$ likenedto
havingbeetlesrunningaround in the soldier'shead (or 'cafard
en fefe). Le cafardis a deep suicidaldepressionand under it's
influencel6gionnairesattackedcomrades,committedsuicideat
their own hand or by chargingthe enemy,mutilatedthemselves
ar fell into a cetalonicstupor.

1er R6gimentEtranger(1er RE) based in $idi-bel-Abbes, The Spanishare battlingwomanisers;at ease with women,
quick to pick a fight in bar or barrackand brave enoughto
Algeria.
get themselvesin troubleon the battlefield.
2e R6gimentEtranger(2e RE) based in BOne,then Saida,
The ltalians,the Polesand the Hungarianshavea reputation
Algeria;later Morocco.
for enjoyingthe Legion'sway of life and of soldiering,and are
1er RdgimentEtrangerde Cavalerie(1er REC)formed1921, particularlynoted for supportingthe women of the Legion's
based Souse,Tunisia
brothels.
Autonomou$CompagnieMonteesfrom 1882

The Britishare known as good soldiers,but ones prone to

insubordinationand desertion.However,those who haven't
For ease of play,Keepersshould ensurethat charactersare
been busted back to l6gionnaire2nd class or who have
eitherfrom the same unit or experienceconditionsin which deserted,are oftenfoundsteppinginto the breach
when the
men from severaldifferentbattalionsor even regimentsmay sectionleadersare killedor incapacitated.
end up servingtogether,such as a bataillonde marche.

Legion Stereotypes
The Legionis a multinationalforce
and it has beenobserved
that each national grouping develops certain traits. These
might be crude stereotypes,but like all stereotypeshave an
elementof truth aboutthem.The traitsare also quite useful;
allowing the Keeper to quickly characteriseNPCs and
allowing players a quick template on which to base their
publicpersonaon at least.
169ionnaire's

Weapons of the French Foreign Legion

Mle 1866 Bayonet
A 'yataghan-style sabre bayonetissued with the Chassepot
and Gras rifles. Supersededby the Mle 1886 bayonet,but
livedon in the ranks becauseof usefulnessas a tool.

Mle 1886 Bayonet

The Lebel rifle's 6pee-style,triangular-sectionbayonetwas
unpopularwith troops as it was 55 cm long, and too easy to
break using it for the real jobs like opening tins, that
The Swiss and Germans are good, well disciplined
bayonetsare also used for other than stabbingpeople.
l69ionnaires, though German sous-officiers have a
reputationof brutalitywhich they often live up to. The $wiss
are often fighting men lookingfor a war.

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Mle 1855 lnfantry Officer's Sabre

lssued to Legion officers and warrant officers in the
nineteenth
and earlytwentiethcentury.
1lmm Mle 1873service revolver
t-ength:
241 mm
Operation:Doubleaction
Weight:1.08kg
Capacity: 6 chambers
The Modele 1873 service revolverwas the first centrefire
weaponadoptedby the FrenchArmy. Manufacturedat the
St.Etiennearmoury,it is a solid,robustand heavydoubleactionrevolver.
lt is side loadingwith a Colt-styleejectorrod.
Half-cocking
locksthe hammerand cylinderfor carriageand
handling.Supposedlyreplaced by the Mle 1892 service
revolver,
the Mle 1873 was carriedby adjutantsuntil 1910,
andNCOsafterthat.
8mm'Lebel'Mle 1892servicerevolver
Length:
254 mm
Operation:Doubleaction
Weight:0.79 kg
Capacity: 6 chambers
'1892
The Moddle
service revolveralso originatesfrom the
St.Etiennearmouryand is popularlyknownas the Lebelor
Modeld'Ordnance.
Smallerand easierto handlethan the
Mle1873,the Lebelhas a swingout cylinder(thefirstsuch
revolveradopted in Europe)for quicker reloading,and no
safety.
Unfortunately
the cylinderswingsto the right making
reloading
by righthandedusersharder.

French Foreign Legion Ranks (with equivalentUK ranks)

TheKeeperdecidesrankof the playercharactersthroughconsultation
with the players.Alternatively
allowthe Keepermay
allowthe playersto purchasetheir currentrank by using charactergenerationpoints.lf the characteris demotedthe
playerdoes not get the pointsspenton the formerrank back,once they are spentthey are lost.
Certainsous-officierranks are only availableto re-engag6eswhich meanscharacterwill be at least 25 years old, if not
older.
% Pointsrequired
nla
nla
nla
nla
nla
nla
200
100
80
7A
65
60
40
35
75
70
65
55
45
40
20
5
0

ForeignLegion

Mar6chalde France
G6n6rald'Arm6e
G6n6raldeCorpsd'Arm6e
G6n6raldeDivision
G6n6raldeBrigade
Officierssup6rieurs
Colonel
Lieutenant-colonel
Commandant
Officierssubalternes Capitaine
Abolished1890
CapitaineAdjutant-major
Abolished1890
Capitainede tir
Lieutenant
Sous-Lieutenant
Aspirant
Sous-officiers
Major
Adjudant
Sergent-major
Sergent-chef
Sergent
*
Hommesdu rang
Caporal-chef
Caporal
Soldat(lt*gionnaire)
de 1re classe
Soldat (l6gionnaire)de 2e classe

Britishequivalent
FieldMarshal
General
Lieutenant-General
MajorGeneral
Brigadier
Colonel
LieutenantColonel
Major
Captain

Lieutenant
SecondLieutenant
WarrantOfficer I
WarrantOfficer ll
Staff Sergeant
Sergeant
Corporal
LanceCorporal
Private

. Caporal-chefis a rank that is peculiarto Frenchforces,only achievedwith

at leasteightto ten years'service.lt is a unique

rankas the l6gionnairecan't progressfurther.lf the l6gionnairelater decidesthat he wishes to progressfurther then he
will revertback to the lower rank of Caporaland then re continue.

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co.uk

l3

WeaponsSummaryTable
Name

Date in
Skill
Damage
Base
Service
Range
Bayonet M1866
1 8 6 6 B a Y o n e to r 1 d 8 + 1 + d b Touch
or
K n i fe
1d4+2+db

RoF

B a y o n e to r 1 d 8 + 1 + d b Touch
or
Knie
f
1d6+1+db

Magazine

HP

N/a

IJ

N/a

10

N/a

20

6
6

10

Bayonet M1886

1886

Sabre

1822

Sword

Mle 1873
Lebel Mle 1892

18 7 3
18 9 2

Handgun
Handgun

1 d1 0
1d8

10
15

Gras
Lebel
M 1 8 9 0& M 1 8 9 2

1874
1886
18 9 0

R i fl e
R i fl e
Rifle

2d6+5
2d6+3
2d6+3

80
100
70

1/3
112
1/2

112
8+1
3 or 5 clip

Berthier
Hotchkiss

1902
1897

Rifle
2d6+3
M a c h i n e g u 2d6+3
n

100
110

1/2
burst

3or5clip
30 stripor
250 belt

75mm M1894

1894

500

1t4

1 d 8 + 1 + d b Touch

Artillery

1Od6/2y

M a l fu n c t i o n

0
0

IU

0
12
11

n
n

12
12

n
99

40

99

11mm Mle 1874 Gras rifle

L e n g t h 1: 0 1 6m m
Operation:Bolt action
Weight:3.4kg
Capacity: 1

8mm Berthier Mle 1907'Colonial'rifle

Length:1320mm
Operation:Boltaction
Weight:3.8kg
Capacity: 3 clip

The Moddle 1874 Gras rifle replacedthe famous Mle 1866

Chassepot rifle, and is essentially a centrefire cartridge
updateof the consumablecartridgeChassepot.The Gras is
a single shot bolt-actionrifle. The Gras was progressively
replacedby the Lebelin the mid-1890s.

This rifle was issued to colonial troops in the Arm6e

d'Afrique.lt was developedfrom the Berthier carbine.When
faced by weapon shortages during the Great War, the
Berthier was also issued to metropolitantroops as it was
quickerto reloadthan the Lebel.

8mm Mle 1886 Lebel & Mle 86/93 rifles

Length:1295 mm
Operation:Boltaction
Weight:4.22k9
Capacity: 8 tubularmag

8mm Mle 1897& Mle 1904Hotchkiss heavy machine-gun

Length:1270mm
Operation:Gasoperated
Weight:23.58
kg
Capacity: 30 stripor belt

The Moddle 1886 Lebel rifle replaced the Gras in French

service and continuedin servicein one variantor another
untilthe SecondWorldWar.The Lebelriflewas the firstsmall
bore militaryrifle in the world using smokelesspowder.The
rifle used a similarbolt to the Gras and has an eight shot
tubularmagazine.Singleroundscouldloaded,allowingquick
top-ups, leaving the magazine as a reserve.However,the
GreatWar demonstratedthat the tubularmagazinewas slow
to reloadonce it was empty.The tubularmagazinealso distorted the rifle's balanceas shots were fired.The Lebel was
modifiedin 1893 with no affecton game mechanics.

The standard French machine-gunfrom 1897 onwards.

Reliablebut heavy,it's biggestdrawbackis the use of strips
of cartridgesratherthan belts.These were in 24 or 30 round
sizesand couldalso be linkedtogetherto form an unreliable
belt.The tripodweighedanother20 kg.

8mm Mle 1890 & 1892 carbines

Length:945mm
Operation:Boltaction
Weight:3.1kg
Capacity: 3 clip
lssuedto Frenchartilleryand cavalryin 1890 insteadof the
longerLebelrifle.The carbinewas designedby Berthier,had
a Lebel-stylebolt action and a permanentMannlicher-style
box magazine,loaded using a chargerclip.The 1890 and
1892 models had a 3 round magazine.The carbinewas
adopted by the mounted companies at the turn of the
century.

14

75mm Mle 1897 Field Gun

The Legion formed several artillery companies before and
after the Great War, using the standard Moddle 1897 field
gun in FrenchArmy service.The Mle 1897was the firstfield
gun to solve the problem of recoil but was quickly
supersededby other countries.In the hands of trained
gunners the Puteaux could fire 10 rounds a minute.The
ammunitionwas carried in a separatecaisson.
Other weapons
The ForeignLegiondid make use of other weaponsduring
it's history.For the periodthat this article covers it should be
noted that other field guns were also used by some Legion
units,and that some unitsin lndo-Chinamay haveaccessto
semi-automaticrifles. The stats for these are left to the
interestedKeeper.

wwwstarrywisdom.co.
uk
r

Bibliography
Ezell,EdwardClintoneditor;1983.SmallArms of the World:
a basicmanualof smallarms,11thedition.Stackpole
Books,
Harrisburg,
USA.ISBN0-8117-1558-2
Geraghty,
Tony;1986.Marchor Die: Franceand the Foreign
Legion.
GraftonBooks,LondonUK. ISBN0-246^11975-6.
Hunter,Robin; 1997. True Stories of the Foreign Legion.
VirginBooks,London,UK. ISBN0-7535-0130-9,
Parker,John; 1998. lnside the Fcreign Legion: the
sensational
story of the World'stoughestarmy.Judy Piaktus
(Publishers)
Ltd.,London,UK. ISBN0-7499-1856-X.
Windrow,Martin; 1981. Uniformsof the French Foreign
Legion1831- 1981.BlandfordPress,Poole,UK" ISBN 07137-1010-1.
Young,John Robert;1984.The FrenchForeignLegionlthe
insidestory of the world-famousfighting force. Guild
Publishing,
London,UK. ISBN0-5000-1342-X.

WargamesMiniatures
lf you wish to use mini*turesto play combat between
the ForeignLegionand the forcesof the Mythosthere
are severalrangesavailablein 25-28 mm, the scale
RAFM and GrenadierCthulhumonstersare made for.
Dixon Miniaturesproducea Dahomeyrangefeaturing
Ldgionnairesand French regulars as well as
Dahomeanopponents.
MatchlockMiniaturesalso produce l6gionnairesand
colonialFrenchminiaturesin 25 mm suitablefor Tonkin
and NorthAfrica.
'Sons
Old Glory have a
of the Desert'range which is
suitable for the classic age of the pre-Great War
Legion.The rangealso includesArab opponents.
RedoubtEnterprisesproduce'Marchor Die',a similar
range to Old Glory;featuringpre-WW1 ldgionnaires
and Arabs. Be warned howeverthat Redoubt figures
are more 30 mm than 25 mm and do not mix verv well
with other ranges.

www.starrywi$dom.
co.uk

t5

Lr..itation to the Dance

By Jeff Moeller
A twentiesor modernday scenarioconcerninggraveyards,
witchesand the Dreamlands.
lntroduction
Invitationto the Danceis a short scenarioset in Bennington,
Vermont,which can be stagedeitherin the 1920sor in the
modern day and works best with a small number of
investigators.lt must be stressed at the outset that the
'witch-riding',
scenario deals with
whereby New England
witchesof legendwould have sexualrelationswith sleeping
'ride
men and
them'throughthe sky, in parallelto the Lilith
legendscommonto Judaicfolklore.Althoughsuch relations
betweenhumansand the forcesof the Mythosare a frequent
elementof Mythostales and publishedscenarios,they are
usuallypart of the back-story,
or at leastoccur'off camera'.
In this scenario,theyoccurvery much'on camera',and those
who might be offendedby this may wish to run a less adult
scenario. Caveat lector.

What's Going On, ln a Nutshell

In the quiet churchyardof St. Peter'sChurchin Bennington,
Vermont(VT), the headstonesof JeremiahMoon (d.1790),
and ConstanceJeffries(d.1789),have mysteriouslymoved
from one corner of the yard to the opposite end without
apparent explanation.Why? Poor Jeremiah was buried too
close to a plot of unconsecrated ground used to bury
witches. One of these witches was Constance Jeffries, a
notorioussorceress,who was executedin 1789.Constance
would come upon sleepingmen, seizethem, and 'ridethem'
through the sky.Constancewas a devoteeof the demoness
Lilith, and is referenced (in certain occult works of that
period)as a woman known to come to men in the night in
response to their lustful dreams. When Constance was
buried, mysticfortificationswere added to the churchyardto
ensure that she did not continueto plaguethe men of the
town, even after death. This was a wise precaution,as
Constance'sspirit continuedto dwell in the Dreamlands,
albeit unable to affect the Waking World thanks to the
mystic precautions.

Unfortunately,the march of progress has disrupted the

status quo. A road crew, working on widening and
expandingUS Route 7, accidentallydamaged the wards
sealingthe churchyarda few weeks ago. Constance'sspirit
can now affect the Waking World to a limited extent. Her
influence is limited to the graveyardand its immediate
environs.However,withinthe graveyard,she has been able
to break down the barriers between the Waking and
Dreamingworld,particularlyat midnight.
A midnighton the nightof the lastfull moon,her spiritleaked
throughintothe graveyardand encounteredthat of Jeremiah
Moon, one of her old victims.Delighted,the foul, decaying
spirit of ConstanceJeffries'rode' that of Jeremiah Moon
through the night skies, to his great torment. This hm
manifesteditself in the Waking World by the tombstone of
JeremiahMoon 'fleeing'to the other end of the churchyard,
'followed'by that of Constance Jeffries.
The tombstone of
JeremiahMoon ended lying name-upon the ground, with
that of ConstanceJeffriesrestingupon it perpendicularly,in
a reflectionof sexualactivity.Had the bodies been exhumed,
the skeletonswould have been found in a similarpose.The
gravestoneswill continue to move about periodically as

InvestigatorHandout1
Spooks at St. Peters'Churchyard
Unknorvn r.andalsu.orking during the middle of
the night desecratedtrvo graves at St. Peter's
Churchyard in Bennington, VT, earlier this
rlreek, mor"ing tr,r'ogravestonesfrom one corner
of the yard to another. Sherilf Thomas Hudson
reported no leads.The tombstonesbelongedto
trvo personsrvho died in the late 18th century,
Jeremiah Moon and Constance Jeffries. The
stones,eacheasilyweighing over 100 pounds a
piece, and having been in the earth for hundreds
of years, rvere found neatly stacked on top of
one another, one flat on the ground and the
other standing atop it. Despite the churchyard's
location in central Bennington, no one apparentlv u.itnessecl the incident, which must have
taken the vandalssome time to complete due to
the weight and age of the gravestones. Sheriff
Hudson speculatedthat it must har.e been the
work of school-agedpranksters.

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Constancerenewsher tormentsof Jeremiah,comingto rest

in a parodyof sexualactivityuntil someonedoes something
aboutit.

GettingStarted
One of the investigatorswill notice a lighfhearted article
aboutthe initialmovementof the headstonesin the Sunday
supplementof their local newspaper.See Investigator
Handout 1. This could pique their curiositysufficientlyto
particularlyif they have alreadycome acrossthe
investigate,
nameof ConstanceJeffries within occult texts prior to the
adventure
takingplace.
Betweenthe time that the investigatorsread the article and
the time that they manage to get to Bennington,the
gravestones
will have moved again in the night,unseenby
anyone.This time they will have to come to rest in a
semblanceof the missionaryposition.lf the investigators
needfurther motivation,any journalistsor authors in the
groupmay be sent by their editorsto write a humaninterest
pieceaboutthe phenomenon.Privateinvestigators
mightbe
askedfor (or to return) a favour by a friend in their local
diocese,or flat-out hired once the gravestoneshave moved
the third or fourth time. Alternatively,one or more of the
investigatorsmight simply decide to go for a weekend in
Vermontand stumbleonto the situation.
Constance can't actually affect too much, either in the
churchyardor outsideof it, but that doesn'tmean she can't
Bennington,
VT
mess with their heads.As soon as the investigatorsarrive,
Benningtonis a town of a few thousand souls in extreme Constance will go out of her way to keep them busy.
south-westernVermont, about 10 miles north of the Suggestions as to how to do this appear in the notes
VermonVMassachusetts
border.lt lies along US Route7, aka throughoutthe scenario.
the 'Ethan Allen Highway', connecting Pittsfield,and
Burlington.
Settledin 1749,Benningtonwas the earliestcapi- Constance's powers in the Waking World consist of the
tolofVermont.Between1920and 1925,Benningtonwas the following:
factorysite for the MartinWasp, a luxury automobilein compursueand tormentthe spiritof Jeremiah
petitionwith the Rolls Royce.The Wasp Six made its debut 1. Constancecan
gravestonesto move instantaneously
Moon,
their
causing
in 1924,on a 144 inch chassisand pricedat around$7,000.
about the churchyardin the WakingWorld.She will do this
AnearliermodelWaspwas amongthe favouriteautomobiles
nightlyat midnightin an effortto lure the investigatorsinto an
of DouglasFairbanks.Wasps were elegantand distinctive,
in-the-churchyard
stakeout,where she can really have some
witha loyalfollowing
amongsttheirowners.(HemmingsAuto
fun with them.
Newscontinuesto be headquarteredin Bennington,which
hostsa majorannualantiqueauto show in the fall today).In 2. Constance can cause people to fall asleep on a
NorthBennington,BenningtonCollege opens its doors in successfulPOW vs. POW check, at a cost of 1 Magic Point
1932to a women's student body. 'Grandma Moses', aka per attempt.Once they are asleep,she can (and usuallywill)
Anna Mary Robertson (1860-1961)has her studio in use her Send Dreams abilityto tormentthe dreamerwith
Benningtonbetween 1927 and 1935. Later both Norman disturbing,eroticdreams.
Rockwell,as well as, Robert Frost lived and worked here.
Today,
Benningtonis a sleepycollegetown, most noteworthy 3. Constancecan cause small, poltergeist-likeeffectsas far
for the (now) co-educational and expensive Bennington as the inn. She is adept at makingthese eventsseem like
College,
as well as, SouthernVermontcollege,locatedin the accidentsor coincidences.
castle-like
mansion
of
a
19th-century
4. Constancecan, with a supreme effort (15 Magic Points)
industrialist.
hex a victim, with the result that they fumble their next Luck
roll.
TheBenningtonlnn
The Bennington Inn is a very nice, three-story, late
Investigationsin Bennington
colonial-era
inn with a restaurant,a bar (dependingon the
There
are severallines of backgroundinvestigationto
year)and a helpful staff. The inn is able to accommodate
in Bennington.
undertake
The investigators
will probablytalk
whateverreasonable room arrangements that they may
police,
to
the
locals
the
talk
to
Rev.
Mckenzie,
the church
and
desire- the investigatorswill probably want rooms with a
grounds.
rector,
and
the
church
Experienced
survey
goodview of the churchyard.

TheDance
Sincesittingaroundan inn in SouthernVermontis probably
the investigators'
idea of a nice vacation,it's perhaps
fortunate
that Constance
Goode'sperceptions
extendas far
as the inn and she will lookto havea littlefun with them.

investigators
will probablylook throughthe recordsat St.
Peter's,conducthistoricalresearchaboutBennington,
and
conductoccultresearchaboutthe town,the principals,
and
the church.They may also consult occult sources for
information
abouteitherConstance
Jeffries,the town,or the
phenomenon
of movinggravestones
in general.

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co.uk

r7
--

off by a new section of fence. The churchyard is full to

capacity,with the earliestmarkerdatingfrom the 1750sand
the latestdatingaround'1840.
The plots were the moving headstoneswere originally
locatedcan easilybe located.Constance's
was in the corner
closest to where the missing pillar was, with no graves
nearbyand with a substantialzone of clearancearound it.
JeremiahMoon'swas burieda short distanceaway,with a
few gravesin between.There are no signs of digging,soil
disturbance,fingerprintsor other signs of human activity
around any of the gravesites.There are footprints,of course,
as neitherthe sheriff nor Rev. McKenziehas closed the
churchyard,but they are few and inconsistentin depth with
movinga coupleof 1O0-poundplus headstones.While the
investigatorsare satisfying themselves that there is no
rational explanationfor the movement of the gravestones,
Constancemight take the opportunityto mess with their
headsin somesmallway,such as by feelingthem up and or
unzippingtheirflies.
The three remainingstone pillars at the corners of the
churchyard are particularly noteworthy.They are granite
blocks,abouttwo feet in diameterand eightfeet high,with a
numberof small symbolscarved around the bases.To the
trained eye, they appear to have occult significance.A
Cthulhu Mythos roll suggeststhat they are some sort of
ward.lf any of the investigators
knowthe Banishmentof Yde
Local Gossip
Residentsof town are willing and able to talk about the Etad, they may recognisethe symbolsas similarto those
ongoing'vandalism'at the churchyard.There have been no used to cast that particular spell. Alternatively, the
witnessesto either incident.The gravestones,
which easily investigatorsmay copy the symbols and consult with
weigh 100 poundseach,werefoundon top of one anotherin appropriatetomes. The result of such an approach is disvariouspositions.This is somewhatsurprising,as the (fairly cussed below.
limited) local constabularyand especiallythe staff at the
church were trying to be vigilantafter the first incident.How Exhumation?
the vandalsaccomplishedtheir work is the primarytopic of The investigatorsmay want to dig up the gravesin the hopes
speculationin town.Reportedly,no signsof draggingor any of findinga clue.There is plentyto find, none of it pleasant.
footprintswere found in the churchyard.The stonessimply Exhumationeffortscan play out in severaldifferentways.
'moved'.
Firstly,the investigatorsmay try to secure permissionto
exhumethe bodies.Rev.McKenzieand the local authorities
At the keeper'soption, the investigatorsmay not be the
should be expectedto resist this idea, perceivingit as
only group in town interestedin the phenomenon. This
unnecessary^
Resolutionof this debate with the Reverend
adventurelends itselfto reappearanceof a historicrivalof
and the localauthoritieswill haveto be playedout, perhaps
the investigatorsputting in an appearancein an effort to
resolved with the intercessionof a Persuade roll. With
solve the mystery.In the modern-day,this is preciselythe
permissionto exhumethe graves,they will find no bodiesor
sort of thing that a tabloid televisionshow or magazine coffins where they belong, not even holes. Evidently the
would take an interest in, and a camera crew may be in
headstoneswere not placedwhere the bodieswere actually
town trying to capturethe incidenton videotape.
buried.
The locals may be inducedto talk aboutthe other problem
withthe church.St. Peter'sChurchhas a minorreputationfor
havingsome odd acousticproperties.Localscan explainthat
the church bells sound one way in most parts of town, but
sound different(softer and more musical)from inside the
churchyard.However,recently,this strange acoustic effect
has ended.The locals are not sure why, althoughmost are
aware that the change coincidedwith the roadwork in the
area of the church, which ended a few weeks ago. No one
has made the connection,however.

It is entirelypossiblethatthe investigators
will stealout under
cover of darkness and somehow try to do some covert
exhumation.
Rememberthat the churchyardis in downtown
Bennington,with a rectoryadjacentand a sizeablehotel right
acrossthe street. Peopledrive by and there is little cover.

A more enlightened tactic, which may occur to the

investigators,is to dig where the gravestonesare. Politely
phrased requeststo dig under the gravestones,lookingfor
trace evidenceis unlikelyto draw a serious objectionfrom
Rev.McKenzie;afterall,the deadwon'tbe disturbed.Directly
and not very deep under the gravestones,of course, is
Poking Around the Graveyard
where the bodies are, locked in a skeletal,coital embrace
The churchyardis about 500 squarefeet, surroundedby a 6 mimickingthe current positionof the gravestones.SAN loss
foot high iron stake fence, with three stone pillars at the 1/1d3 for realisinghow impossiblethis is, not to mention
corners.The fourthpillaris missingand the cornerhas been disgusting.No matter what the investigatorsdo with the
roundedoff by a nice new segment of paved road, blocked remains, the next time that the gravestones move, the

IB

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bodieswill be underthem, in a matchingposition.SAN loss

The
forthe secondtime wouldbe fairlyset as high as 111d6.
bodyof the femaleskeletonbears a sickeninglybrokenneck,
of Constance'shanging.
indication

Tryingto'Observethe Dance',from Afar

A stakeoutof the churchyardin an effortto catchthe vandals
maybe attempted.Assumingthat the investigatorsare doing
so from outsideof the confinesof the churchyarditself,they
willfailto identifyany culprits,but may convincethemselves
thatsomethingweird is goingon.
No matterhow vigilantthe investigatorsare, they will not see
the gravestonesmove as it happens instantaneously,A
usefulpatternfor both mood and pace is to manipulatethe
into nightly stakeouts,with the implausibilityof
investigators
missingthe eventquicklybecomingincreasinglyso. Minor
SAN losses (0/1) should be handed out when the
is distractedfor 15 secondsor so and missesthe
investigator
event.

St.Peter'sChurch
Locatedin downtown Bennington, St. Peter's Church is a
small,grey stone,colonialera structure,built by the Vermont
Congregationalists
around 1755 and presentlyin use by the
EpiscopalChurch.There is a bell tower which chimesthe
hour daily between 6am and 9pm (note that persons
sleepingin the graveyardand fallingunder Constance'sspell
willhear the bells chime midnightas well).lt is a one-level
affair with a bell tower in the steeple with a separate,
adjoiningrectory.
AnyNew Englandtour guide or generalhistorysourcethat
discusses
Benningtonmay brieflymentionSt. Peter'sChurch
as a quaint example of colonialarchitecture. The same
sourcewill also mention that St. Peter's is noted for the
unusualmusical propertiesof the churchbells,particularly
whenheardfrom the churchyard.This phenomenonis due to
the ward, which retains the sound. The bells at present,
however,sound just like any other set of churchbells.

the Montague Summers school of theology, he does not

believein witches,ghoulsand goblins.Of course,McKenzie
likewise won't believe that the graves are moving
themselves, so he might be persuaded to let the
investigators"sift through the dirt for evidence"around the
gravestones.
McKenziewill happilydiscusswhat happenedto the missing
corner post of the churchyard.His superiorsin the diocese
are suing the State and the road crew for damagingchurch
propertywithout authorisationor paymentof compensation.
The road crew demolished it a few weeks ago when
wideningthat segmentof road.

St. Peter'sGhurch,Old ChurchRecords

The investigatorswill probablywant to go snoopingthrough
the old church records at some point, heading straight for
those aroundthe years 1789-90.This will bear fruit with a
little bit of work. The old church records(LibraryUse check)
are not in the best of order, but are complete and kept in
chestsin the basementof the church.
Unfortunately,the recordsfrom 1789-90look pretty normal.
A broad look at the church recordsfrom 1789-90may reveal
(LibraryUse at 1/2 or Spot Hidden)that certain records are
inexplicably
missing.One week'sworth of the rector'sdiary
is missing,one older page of birth reportsand one sermon
givenin 1789will not be where it belongs.Basically,
all of the
records pertainingto ConstanceJeffries have been pulled
(ldea roll).A file containingall of the missinginformationhas
been concealed behind a loose stone in front of which a
largechestfull of files has been stationed.The readinglight
is rather poor in the basement,so it is likely that the
investigatorswill haul out the chest and take it upstairsfor
better reading.A Spot Hidden notes the protrudingstone,
whichis markedon closeinspectionwith markingssimilarto
thoseon the cornerpostsin the yard.lnsideis a sheafof

ReverendMcKenzie
ReverendNorbert McKenzie is the current rector of the
churchand lives in a small rectoryon the property.McKenzie
is a kind,friendly,podgy,unmarried60 yearold Episcopalian
ministerwho knows littleof the occult.He has no idea what
is goingon in the graveyard,but finds it disturbingfrom the
perspectiveof someone who doesn't like having his church
He has been having some disturbingdreams
vandalised.
lately,
eroticin nature,and is unlikelyto mentionthem unless
directlyquestioned.He will agree to requeststo look through
churchrecordsif given a plausibleenough reason.He has
seennothingsuggestingwho is vandalisingthe graveyard,
up until now he has been content to let the police do their
jobs.However,after the investigatorsarrive and the stones
startmovingon a nightlybasis,he will pick a nightor two to
try andcatchthe 'vandals'red-handed.
He will haveaboutas
whichis to say none.lt is posmuchluckas the investigators,
siblethat he might be persuadedto camp out in the graveyardwith the investigatorsafter becomingfrustratedwith his
ownunsuccessfulefforts.Whetherhe becomesConstance's
target or whether this fate is given to an
investigator
depends upon the Keeper.
McKenziewill not take kindly to requests to exhume the
gravesof JeremiahMoon or ConstanceJeffries.Not beingof

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The Road Crew

InvestigatorHandout 2
The box of documents includes:reports of services at
which Jeremiah Moon behavedas though bewitched;
diary excerptswherein JeremiahMoon confessesto the
authoringreverendof beingvisitedin carnaldreamsby
ConstanceJeffriesand "ridden"by her throughthe night
skies over New England;several increasinglyimpassioned sermonsabout the continueddangersof witchcraft;and finally,the transcriptof a secretwitchtrial held
againstConstanceJeffriesin 1789 by the town fathers.
There is also a considerable
amountof correspondence
betweenthe town fathers and membersof the clergy in
Bostonas to how one shouldhold a witchtrial.
Summary of Information
The churchfathersin Bostontook the positionthat the
populaceof Benningtonhad taken leaveof its senses,
however,there is a great deal of disturbingdetailin the
lettersfrom Benningtonpleadingfor advice.These letters include numerous details about Jeremiah Moon
being carnallytormentedby MistressJeffries,even in
her (apparent)absence.
Finally,in desperation,the people of Benningtonlook
overseas for assistance and procured the services of
one Zbigniew Czyzny, a reputed witch-hunterfrom
Poland.Czyzny conductedthe witch trial. However,the
trial did not go as anticipated.
Czyznywritesin his transcript how ConstanceJeffriesscoffedat the allegations,
scoffed at Czyzny, and sneered at Czyzny's religion.
Worse,throughoutthe courseof the trial, Czyznyfinds
himselffondledand caressedby unseenentitieswhile
MistressJeffriescleaned her nails or whistleda tune.
JeremiahMoon testifiedin graphicdetail and at length
about the night-timevisitationsof Mistress Jeffries,
which include"riding"him to the witches'sabbatsas far
away as Boston. Mistress Jeffries was promptlyfound
guilty.After a long debate,the consensussettledupon
hangingas the form of execution.Followingthe execution, Czyzny elected to take "certain precautions"with
the body,creatinga ward around the churchyardwhere
Constancewas disposed of. Czyzny refers to the ward
as the Banishmentof the Bells.Whileit is apparentfrom
the correspondence
that buryingher in a cornerof the
churchyardwas a controversialdecision, Czyzny convinced the populacethat the sound of the bells would
keep her spirit at bay.

Road crewsare a frequentsight in the New Englandof the

'1916,Congressenactedthe FederalAidRoad
mid-1920s.In
Act, providinga large influxof federalfunds to states for the
purposeof highwayconstruction.Roads in New England,
wellsuitedto automobiletravel,soonexploded.The firstconcrete roads sprang up in large urban areas, but
town-connectinghighways soon followed. By 1925, the
highway system was so complex that the American
Associationof State Highway Officialsformed and devised
the nationalhighwaynumberingsystemout of necessity.
The road crew currently in Benningtonare working on
widening U.S, Route 7 a lew miles North of town. The
foreman of the crew, John Phillips, is happy to talk to
investigatorsaboutthe work in the area of St. Peter'sChurch.
He is friendly but defensiveabout committingany error,
insistingthat he'followedthe drawings'.Phillipswill acknowledge that his crew,as well as the projectengineer,is being
sued by the churchdiocesefor strayingfrom the plans and
damagingthe churchyard.
The curb cut shown on his plans,
whichhe willgladlyshowto the investigators,
clearlycallsfor
the demolitionof one of the cornerpillarsof the churchyard.
The plansshowthatthe engineerwho plannedthe work was
TonyTralha,employedby the State of Vermont.Astute players
may
recognise this
name
as
an
anagramof a familiarMythosfigure.Effortsto find Mr.Tralha
fail utterlyas he does not actuallyexist.
Phillipsdid not keep the wreckageof the stone cornerpost
from the churchyard,but can confirmthat it was coveredwith
similar'ornamental'carvingsas the other three.He can not
describethem in any great detail, beyond that they were
vaguelystar-shaped.

Occult Research
The local libraryand other avenuesof researchmay yield
usefulinformation;
here organisedby topic.

Old New England

Witch-riding and Transvection

Many occulttexts such as the MalleusMaleficariumor the

CompendiumMaleficarum
of Guazzocan relaythe following
information
on transvection.
The abilityto fly was one of the
fundamentalaspectscommonto all witches.Althoughmany
people commonly associated witches with flying on
broomsticks,
this is only one mannerof flight.Oftenwitches
were reportedto fly by ridingnaked men throughthe sky.Nor
was there any doubleentendrein the notionof ridingnaked
church records all pertainingto Constance Jeffries and/or menthroughthe nightsky,the inferencewas intended.There
Jeremiah Moon. These are described in Investigator are many storiesof witchescomingto unwarymen or enemies in the night,seducingthem within their dreams,and
Handout 2.
then ridingthem throughthe air to the witches'sabbat.
The trial transcript and related documents take
JeremiahMoon
approximately20 hours to study, and a successful Read
Althoughthere is no specificmentionof JeremiahMoon in
Englishroll.The readergains +3% Occult,+1% Cthulhu
occulttomes,textssuch as Thaumaturgical
Prodigiesin the
Mytho, spell x5 multiplier (the single spell detailed is New EnglishCanaanwill mentiona Moon familyresidingin
Banishmentof the Bells).The transcriptis quiteclearthatthe Western Massachusettsand Vermont as notorious and
fourthpost is the most important,and mustbe circumscribed determinedwitch hunters.
aboutits basewith any witch'smarksappearingon the body
ChurchBells
of the accused.The transcriptmentionsthat a witch'smark
Church bells figure in two prominentwitch-relatedlegends,
was found under the left breast of the accused, but sadly, one positiveand one negative.The first, which can be found
does not clearlydescribeit.
in just about every text that is devotedto witches, has to do

20

www.starrywisdom.
co.uk

withtheir efficacyat wardingoff witches.lt is widely reported

thatthe ringingof a churchbell will forciblygrounda flying
witch within earshot. Such reports can be found in the
Malleus Maleficarum among many other sources.
properlypreparedbells were rumouredto give
Alternatively,
sorcerersthe power to raise the dead if laid in a grave for
sevendays.

Witch's Marks

Witch'smarks are discussedin any significanttreatiseon

witchcraft.One of the reportedlyempiricalways of detecting
a witch would be the discoveryof one or more witch's marks
on his or her person.This was a mark on the witch'sskin,
from which their familiar allegedly drew blood as
nourishment.Witch's marks were typically found in
concealedareas of the body,such as underthe tongue or
The Carvings on the Cornerpost
near the genitals.Witch's marks would not bleed when
Examinationof the symbols and consultation with pricked.Noted New England witch hunter, Cotton Mather,
appropriateoccult or Mythos texts reveal that the symbols was especiallyconvincedin the probativevalue of witch's
aresimilartothose involvedin the Banishmentof Yde Etad. marksas evidenceof guilt.
lf anyof the investigators
knowthis spell,they shouldbe able
They may be ableto surmisefrom this The Dreamlands
to notethe similarities.
that the ward is targeted against a particularbeing and Although there is little chance that the investigatorswill
localisedin effect.
researchoccurrencesin the Dreamlandsat first,shouldthey
encounterConstancein the churchyardone night,they may
wellturn to Dreamlandssourcesfor advice.Mythostomesof
A New Spell
comparativelyrecent vintage,particularlythose discussing
interactionsbetween the Waking and Dream worlds, may
Banishmentof the Bells
havesome coverageof ConstanceJeffries,(eg.The Tomeof
This spell secures a defined area against the power of
the Masked One, from the scenario Nightcap in Pagan
one particularsorcereror Mythos being. lf the sorcerer
Publishing'sMortal Colls would be an example of such a
or Mythosbeing (or their mortal remains) is physically
book). Experienced dreamers may also travel to the
presentwithin the area, they are trapped and powerless
Dreamlandsand consultknowledgeable
Dreamlandsfigures
for the durationof the spell.The spell requiresa bell of
for information.
ln such an event.the followinoinformationis
any size or tone, as well as four pillars carved with
available:
arcanesymbolsdetailedin the spell.The last pillarmust
1. Constance Jeffries is not known by name in the
includeamongstits carvingsthe beings personalsigil
Dreamlands.
(eg.the witch's mark) of the target.Once the pillarsare
erected,a total of 5 POW points, plus 1 POW for each
2. A storyabouta witchor sorceresswho pursuesmen and
100squarefeet to be warded, must be sacrificedby the
ridesthem throughthe nightskiesis anothermatter.Such a
caster(s).(Thus, 10 POW would haveto be sacrificedto
sorceressis known to haunt the EnchantedWood, and is
ward the churchyardusing the existingpillars).Each
said to be devotedto the goddess Lilith. Men who have
castermust know the spell.The caster(s)engagein the
tarriedtoo long in the EnchantedWood have been known to
specifiedchant for a number of hours equal to the
be tormentedby disturbing,eroticvisionsupon occasion.
amount of POW and the bell must be rung
continuouslyduring the chanting.Once the spell is
Trying to Observe the Dance, Midnight in the
complete,the area continuously resonates, with the
Graveyard
soundof the bell,belowthe thresholdof humanhearing.
Sooner or later, the investigatorswill probably opt for a
Destroyingone or more of the pillars breaks the
midnight stakeout in the graveyardin an effort to find out
protectionof the spell, although they can be repaired
what'sgoing on. Constancewill encouragethem to do this
and reused in a subsequentcasting.SAN loss for each
casteris 1d6.
In Constance'scase, the fourth and last pillarincluded
her witch's mark. As noted in the St. Pete/s Church
records,her witch's mark is found under her left breast,
but is not describedin the records.
At the Keeper'soption,certainMythostomes may describe
the Banishmentof the Bells spell in its entirety,although
personalsigilwill not be included.Her personal
Constance's
sigilwillhaveto be obtainedthe hardway.

SpectralEvidence
Lookinginto the phenomenon of moving gravestonesin
particular,
the investigatorswill find a few mentionsof such
mattersin the forms of warningsagainstburyingthe victimof
a witchtoo close to the unconsecratedground used to bury
the witch herself.Numerouswitch trial transcriptsnote that
the victimswould suffer at the hands of and be chased by
unseen assailants 'in spirit form'. The unexplained
movementof gravestoneswas sometimesattributedto the
pursuitof the victim by the restlessspirit of the witch.

www,starrywisdom.
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2l

only for conversation,during which time the man can

identifyhimself as Jeremiah Moon and how he is being
bewitchedby ConstanceJeffries.As far as he knows or is
are
concerned,he is alive,the year is 1790,the investigators
dressedstrangely,and there'sa witchon his tail.

Slow Dancing in the Moonlight

Constancewill shortlyappearwhereverher gravestonewas
last located.Constanceis a foul sight, being an executed,
dead and one-yearburiedwitch circa 1790.Her decaying,
worm-infested
head lollsat an impossibleangle.Her rotting,
bodyhalf-oozesand half-sashays
in a lewd,
once-voluptuous
suggestivefashiontowardthe nearestmale in the churchyard. She half-croaks,half-whisperssuggestive'littlenothings' and her grave-rottedclothing slips away in a
fashionthat might be enticing,were she not an animated
for the investigatoris
or Moon,she also
corpse.Unfortunately
movessurprisingly
fast.
witch of the East
CONSTANCEJEFFRIES,nymphomaniac
I N T1 7
STR 25
D E X1 7
coN18
POW20
S I Z1 O
EDU OO
APP 04
SAN OO
HP 14
DamageBonus: +1d6
Education: N/A
Skilfs: Dance RevoltinglyB0%, Cackle 65%, Leer 47%,
plusothersat the Keeper'sdiscretion.
Languages:English90%.
by tormenting them to the extent necessary.The last
scheduledringingof the churchbellsoccurs at nine o'clock.
The investigators
in the graveyardwillfind it quitedisturbing,
as a result,when at midnightthe churchbellsunexpectedly
chime13 times.SAN loss0/1.
The investigators'gear
and personalbelongingswill remain
unaffected,but they will at this point have been shifted into
the Dreamlands.Anyonecampedoutsideof the churchyard
will simply see that the investigatorswithin have quietly
fallenasleep.lt will all be over by the time they can get inside
the graveyardto try and awakenthe rest of the investigators,
to
as everythingin the graveyardhappensinstantaneously
the outsideobserver.

combat skills: Grapple 80%' if constance successfully

grapplesa victim'she fliesoff with him throughthe nightsky
strippinghim of clothing,article by article,then subjecting
him to her amorousattentionsover the rest of the evening,
until she drops him naked and in shock at some
embarrassing
locale.
SpecialAbilities: Fly,Constancecan fly at speedsof up to
100 mph with the aid of any numberof traditionalwitching
devices,includinga broomstickand flyingointment.

Special Defences: Constance ignores damage from

conventionalsources. Spells and enchanted weapons do
normaldamage;fire also does normaldamage.The ringing
of churchbellswill ground Constance,causing appropriate
DreamBennington
fallingdamage,and incapacitateher while they are ringing.
Insidethe churchyard,thingsappearsubtlydifferent.Do not
Constanceis essentiallya spirit,however,and killingher only
advise the playersthat they are now in the Dreamlands,
dispels
her until the next midnight. Constance is not
rather,state that a night mist has swirledup to the edges of
the churchyardas the bells'tollthirteen,and the sky seems impressedby any displayof religiousartefacts.
somehowdarker and stiller.No electriclights can be seen
Spells: Blight Crops, lmplant Fear, Send Dreams, Call
throughoutthe town, obscured as it is by the mist, and the
gravestonesseem newer, less worn with age. Keep things Shub-Niggurath, Summon/Bind Dark Young of
Summon/BindNightgaunt,ContactGhoul,
ambiguousas long as possible.ExperiencedDreamersmay Shub-Niggurath,
Contact
the
Horned
Man.
recognise that they are now in the Dreamlandsfrom the
description;othenruise,they should be granted appropriate
rolls when they find themselves abruptly awakened in the SAN loss: 1/1d8 for gazing upon her loveliness;more
dependingon what she does to you.
Churchyardafter things are all over.
The gravestoneof Jeremiah Moon is nowhereto be found.
Almost immediately,a thin, old man with sunken eyes and a
harried look, dressed in a gown and a night cap, comes
runningfor his lifefrom one cornerof the churchyard."Mercy,
for the love of God," he cries.There will be a few moments

22

Constance'splan is simple;graba man,fly off into the night

sky, and subjecthim to her own special brand of tormentfor
the balanceof the night.Describingthis sufficientlyto convey
what has happenedwhilst avoidingstrayinginto the overtly
lurid is an importantpart of the scenario.

www.starrywisdom.
co.uk

SAN loss 111d3.Oddly,it is alwaysmidnightin Constance's

and the moon is alwaysfull.The
It takes Constance,in all likelihood,one round to grab a segmentof the Dreamlands,
victim,a secondto get airborne,and anotherthree roundsto interiorof the churchis an odd mix of weatheredbonewalls,
get completelyout of range. In the likely event that the twisted church trappingsand opulent luxuries.By way of
investigatorsare unable to stop Constance, they awaken
example,here is a statue which, on casual examination,
shortlythereafterand suffer a 111d4SAN loss.The victim is
inexplicablyfound naked, shivering, and locked in an appears to be a Madonna with child. Upon close
embracewith the skeleton of Constance Jeffries. He may, examination,the Madonnabears an uncomfortableresemupon becoming lucid, be able to relate several hours of blanceto Constanceherself.while the child bears a facial
inventive
torment, courtesyof MistressJeffries,as she rode resemblanceto any captured investigators,othenruiseto
himthroughthe nightsky. SAN loss of 3d6.
JeremiahMoon.

DancingCheekto Cheek

Anyonewho is victimised by Constance Jeffries has a

numberof thingsto contendwith, beyondwhat is likelyto be
an incapacitating
SAN loss.Firstly,their soul is Constance's
playthingand trapped in the Dreamlands.Worse, the
investigatorwill continue to suffer nightly visitations, no
matterwhere he goes, resultingin a 1d3 SAN loss each
night,untilthe end arrives.The end, in this case, would be
the deliveryof the child of the investigatorand Constance
Jeffries,'born' on the night when the investigator'sSAN
finallyreaches0. The investigator
will be kept up to date on
thestatusof the pregnancyon a nightlybasis.

Solutions

Although Constance'sstatisticsare the same, here there is

no SAN loss for viewingher. She appears as a beautiful,
young woman, with a quick smile
voluptuous,raven-haired
and a readywit. She will not moveto attackthe investigators
at first, insteadinquiringas to why they have come so far. lf
forcedto fight,she can callupon 1d4+1ghoulsto do her dirty
work for her.She prefersto lure the investigatorsinto a false
sense of security,claimingthat she is innocent,that they
have the wrong person, and that they are being frightfully
rude by intrudinginto her sanctuary.lf the investigators
tell
Constancethattheywantto freetheircompanion,she invites
them to go behindthe altarand get him,but he won'twantto
leave.Dependingon how much time has passed,she may
appear and/or act pregnant,which should provokea SAN
checkof 111d4tt the investigators
realisewhat this probably
signifies"

Assuming
that the investigators
have done their homework,
theywillhavefiguredout that they can renewthe ward in the
graveyard,and since everythingwas fine before the road
crewwreaked its havoc, restoring it should put an end to
Constance.However,to restore the ward, the investigators
will have to obtain a copy of Constance'switch-mark.The
location,
under her left breast,is describedin the transcript
of her witch trial. Getting a look at it could be a bit of a
Any 'captured'investigator
will be foundchainedby the neck
problem.
(withdelicate,silverchains)to the parodyof an altar.They
The investigators
may try a more-or-lessdirect assaulton are consciousand coherent,but simplywon't want to leave.
Constance.
Here, the successof the scenariodependson It'spleasanthere,and besides,he wouldn'twantto abandon
playing
Constanceas a credibleopposition.Her perceptions "his
family."The chainsare easy enoughto remove,taking
do extend as far as the Inn, so any plans that the
about
2 roundsto accomplish.
Oncethe chainsare removed,
investigators
mightbe planningmightbe overheardand prethe investigator'sattituderevertspromptlyto normal.
paredfor.
The church bells are the investigators'greatest weapon.
Ringing
the churchbellsincapacitates
Constanceboth in the
wakingand dreamingworld.lf the investigators
discusstheir
plansonlywhilstthe bellsare ringing,Constancewon'tknow
aboutthem.

Whilst the investigatorsdeal with their companion,

Constancewill call forth her ghouls and attemptto add the
rest of the investigatorsto her collection.lf killed in her
sanctuary,Constanceis dead for good. Constancecannot
leave her sanctuaryin pursuit of the investigatorsif the
Oncethe investigatorshave incapacitatedConstancethey Banishmenthas been restored.
havethe opportunityto look at her witch's mark, which
resemblesa seven-pointedstar. ln Dream Bennington,
Conclusionand Rewards
'killing'Constancewill dispel her until
the next midnight,
put the spiritof ConstanceJeffries
however,this will allow the investigatorsto operate in the Shouldthe investigators
then
graveyarduninterruptedand unmolested,for to rest by any means,
award each investigator1d10
Wakingworld
suchpurposesas renewingthe Banishment.
SAN. Shouldthe soulsof one or more investigators
remain
the eternal playthingsof Constance, charge the other
TheDreamlands
investigatorsa 1d10 SAN penalty each. The SAN of the
Constance
keepsa fairly low profilein the Dreamlands,but
maintains
a lair of sorts in the EnchantedWood - a dark, tormented investigatorwill take care of itself; as the
twistedreflectionof the church and graveyardin Bennington. investigatorloses SAN at a rate of 1d3 per day, he will begin
The churchand churchyardlook normal from a distance, to have dreams of Constance as an expectant mother,
exceptfor the fact that the church has no bell tower, only a biddinghim to join her forever,with the dreamsleadingup to
the investigator
will haveno choice
stubthat looksto have been left by a lightningstrike.As the an aMul birth.Ultimately,
give
pleas
grey
to
in
to
for
family
as
his
sanityslipsaway.
unity
investigatorsapproach, the
stone of the church but
changesto weatheredhuman bones,closelyfitted together,

www.starrywisdom.co.
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23

T r-Ig MAN DFUAtrIISFUAFNc:JTtrT

By RikKershaw-Moore

rlfh,
ffix',Lr-:K;#ilr':i:*',ffi
That living mortals, hearing them, run mad."
Romeo and JulietAct IV Sceneiii

seedfor DeltaGreen.
realitycampaign
An alternative
In t h e Be g i n n i n g
On 13thJune 1943,despitethe valianteffortsof a groupof
time travellingDelta Green agents,Germanforces,lead by
KarotechiaBischoffHans Kammlersuccessfullylauncheda
3 kilotonnucleardeviceagainstLondon,England.
At precisely10.51amon thatfatefulday,the alteredV1 bomb
detonatedover Hyde Park.This single action was to provide
the turningpointof WorldWar ll. For whilstEnglandwas still
reelingfrom the shock of loosingthe heart of it's empire,it's
King and it's Prime Minister a simple message was
broadcast:
"UnconditionalSurrender or else.
You have 24 hours to comply."

weren'tenough. That morning,40 of the new D1 nuclear

flyingbombswere launchedfrom a speciallyadaptedflotilla
of GermanU-Boats.Of the 40 launched,only 14 made it but
within days the death-tollin New York city 1 million and
rising.
Then came another attack, this time on the Western
Seaboardcities of Los Angeles and San Francisco. Worsl
was yet to come, as a squadron of Ju-390s long range
bombers managed to launch a similar attack against
Washington DC. Luckily for the American seat of
government,none of the D1s ever reachedtheir targets,but
the pointwas well made.The United States had been shown
as it once had thought.
that it was not as invulnerable

After this final attack, a message was broadcast to the

people:
American
The hastilyconvenedwar cabinetstruggledto come to terms
with what had happened.Yet of one thing they were certain
- this bomb was a sport. lt was all a tremendousbluffsince, "Capitulate. Youmay have your continent of North America,
the rest belongs to the Axis."
according to decrypted ULTRA messages from Bletchley
Park, the German high command were as confused as It was a chillingmessage,but one in keepingwith the goals
anyone.
of both Germany and Japan. Germany wanted the
When the deadlinepassed,and Englandfailedto surrender,
Kammler let loose his second wave of nuclear devices.
Within hours, the cities of Portsmouth,Southamptonand
Bristol were targeted by wave after wave of V1 bombs, all
armed with a lethal mixture of Amatol high explosiveand
highlytoxic Thalliumand Zinc 95. Suddenly,the peoplein
thesecitieswere fallingsickand dyingof radiationpoisoning.
Clearly this was no empty threat the Germans were
broadcasting.

Lebensraum(livingspace) of continentalEurope and Africa

whilst Japan wanted to create a New Order for the
Asian-pacific.Forthe Japanese,theirgrandschemehadtwo
phases. In phase one, the Dutch,British,Portugueseand
AmericanterritoriesincludingNew Zealand,Australia,and
India(plusthe remainderof China)would be invaded. Once
controlin thesenew conquestshad stabilised,then the conquest of South and Central America, the Yukon and
finallyAlaskawouldbegin.

As America stood shocked, the Japanese pressed home

their advantageas millionsof Yen were funnelledinto the
Japanesenuclearprogrambased at Konanin Korea. Soon
the massive cyclotron plants were converting the locally
minedThoriumore into highly radioactivecompoundsthat
to
fight
on
as
could be used to attack Japan's next targets, New Zealand
at
cowardice,
vowed
stunned
Britain's
America,
the
Germans
had
used
and Australia.
that
whatever
weapon
they believed
that
the
Roosevelt
demanded
a
range.
Franklin
D.
had limited
Manhattanprojectbe accelerated.Clearlythe US could not By the time WashingtonDC had been attacked,Japan had
already unleasheda assault against North lsland, New
be left behindin this new nucleararms race.
Zealand,that relied heavily on toxin nerve agents such as
Germany
Japan.
in
both
and
Tabum
and Sarin as well as radioactiveStrontium.
Events were moving fonruard
provided
the
had
strange
Although the Kammler, who
nuclearwarhead,had vanishedlikehe neverexistedthe wire Whilst this was happening, the United States was
loop voice record he made and the details of the nuclear desperatelytryingto formulatesome kind of responseto this
sudden and terriblehand that fate had dealt. Roosevelt,like
weaponhe launchedstillexisted.
so many others, believedthat America's only hope was to
October
was
made
1943,America
developa nuclearweapon, but even that hope was dashed
On the morningof 18th
painfullyaware of how the thousandsof miles of ocean just when the ManhattanProjectresearchcomplexwas raisedto

Finally,on the 15th June 1943 at 00.03 hours, Britain

surrendersignalsto all of its units.
transmittedunconditional
As far as Germany was concerned the war in Europe had
been won.

2+

co.uk
www.starrywisdom.

the ground in what was at first believed to be a reactor

accidenl.However,this evaluationhad to be rapidlyrevised
followingthe testimonyof an eyewitnesswho claimedthat
shortlybeforethe explosionthe complex was surround by
motesof lightbrighterthan the noon-daysun.
This one event was to prove to be the straw that broke
America's
will. With the Axis powersbayingall around,the
houndsof isolationnippingat his heals,and all of America's
bestscientists
dead, Rooseveltfelt he had littlechoicebutto
accedeto the demandsof the Axis partners.
On the 2nd March 1944, Roosevelt signed a
none-aggression
treaty with the representativesof the
Germanand Japanesegovernmentsinsidethe Oval Office.
As he walkedawayfrom that meetingthe Presidentsuffered
a fatal cerebralhaemorrhageand died, leavingbehind a
shocked
and defeatednation. Thrswas as PresidentHarry
S.Trumanlaterwrote - truly America'sblackesthour.
In the aftermath of this twin shock, the White House
launchedan investigationinto the eventssurroundingboth
thePresident's
deathand the Los Alamosincident"Included
in theseinvestigative
teams were CommanderMartinCook
andMajorGeneralDonovan.The two men, rapidlycameto
theconclusion
that both eventswere precipitated
by outside
preternatural
agencies.
Armed with knowledge that Karotechiaagents, or Fifth
Columnists
were operatingwithin the bordersof the United
States,it suddenlyseemedthat P-Divisionshouldgo on the
offensive.
They have not stopped since.
ln early 1946 P-Divisionbegan to round up every cultistit
couldfind,workingon the principlethat thosewho dabblein
the black arts must by definition be working for the
Karotechia.The capturedfanaticswere taken awayto a speciallyconstructed
internmentasylumin the RockyMountains
knownonly as Camp Sunshine.
CampSunshinewas heavilyguardedand the prisonerswere
keptunderheavysedationto preventthem causingtrouble.
Therewere those in Congresswho argued that all these
cultistsshould be killed to preserve National Security.
Trumanfeltthat this would be a step too far, althoughhe did
givetheorderto havethesecultistssterilisedto preventthem
frombreeding.
WithinP-Division,
a vocal minoritybeganto suggestthat the
USA should harness the researchesof these captured
cultists,
especiallysince it seemed that this was the only
weapon
that the UnitedStatescouldemploywith any means
of success.Initiallyboth Cook and Donovanbelievedthat
thiswas not the way. Their attitudewould change.
Whilst Major General Donovan was reluctant to use
P-Division's
Mythos knowledgeas an offensiveweapon, he
saw no reason not to use those who were sensitive to
esotericvibrationssuch as psychicsand spiritualistsas a
possibleearly warning system"So began a crash training
coursethat took psychicvolunteersand trainedthem in the
artsof detectingthe presenceof the Cthulhu Mythos,which
Donovancalled Wafchers.

training it was discoveredthat certain psychics had the

power to locate Mythos entities and artefacts rather than
detectingincomingattackers.
Thesepeoplewouldbe trained
differentlyand they would eventuallybe known as Seekers.
By usingthe separateWatcherand Seekerunits,Donovan
was ableto pinpointthe locationof mostof thesesignals.To
his great astonishment,
most of these signalswere coming
from undergroundlocations. Donovan realised that there
must be Mythosentitieslivinginsidethe continentalUnited
States. At a loss as to what to do, Donovan consulted
WingatePeasleeof the MiskatonicUniversityto see if he
could suggest a means by which this threat could be
neutralised.
Peaslee was only to willing to help, but somehow the
Karotechiafound out about the meeting. When Donovan
arrived,WingatePeasleewas nothingmore than shattered
wreck of his former self. Somehow,the eminent professor
had been drivenmad by somethinghe had been subjected
to. With a heavy heart, Donovanhad Peasleecommittedto
the SeftonAsylumfor the Insane.Vowingrevenge,the Major
Generalthrew his lot in with those who wantedto use the
creatures of the Mythos as a weapon. Cook, however,
remainedunconvinced.

As soon as the Watcher network went live, Donovan was

staggeredto learn that there were Mythos signature
emanatingfrom within the United States as well as those In 1947 the peopleof occupiedBritain discoveredthe truth
being broadcast from the rest of the world. During the behindthe Nazi'sfinal solution.The uprising that followed

www.starrywisdom.co.
uk

25

was savagelyput down as wave after wave of German made

atomic devicesfell on the British lsles. Withinthree days,
most of Britainwas reducedto a nuclearwaste land, leaving
approximately 90% of the population either dead or
hideouslymaimedand countlessthousandsdying in Europe
from the radioactivefallout.
In January194BTrumansignedExecutiveOrder45-09-12C,
after intense lobbyingfrom Major General Donovan,which
gave P-Divisioncarte blanche to explore whatever means
theyfelt fit to aid the Americanpublicin theirwar of survival.
Donovan'sfirst idea was to release a being that had long
been cagedbeneaththe Louisianaswamps. lf this organism
could be bargained with, then it might prove to be a
powerful alley. Things went badly wrong and the team he
sent into the swampsnever returned. The creaturethey had
released nearly decimated the region, infectingthose that
lived there with a taint that left them psychotic.

threefates that the Greeks believedcontrolledthe destinvof

mankind.
On 17th March 1952,three of America'spreciousThresher
Class submarinesslippedfrom their mooringsand began
their long and perilousjourneys;journeys none of them
wouldeverreturnfrom. The operationswhilst,beingsuicide
missions,were highly successful. Lachesiscalled up the
spiritof the undead EgyptiansorcererNephren-Ka. Using
his sorceressways, the seventhousandyear old spirit soon
amasseda mighty undeadarmy that almost succeededin
throwingthe Germansout of Egypt.
OperationClothotravelleddeep into the Black Forestwhere
they opened the gateway and let the Black Goat of the
Woods into our world. In Japan, OperationAtropos brought
forth the BloatedWoman in the middle of Kvoto'sTeramachi
District.

In the chaos that followed millions died, most of those

innocents, but the message to the Axis powers was
One of the lessonslearnedfrom this debaclewas that such clear- you are not invulnerable.You may hold the secretsof
beings,when left to roam, causeda tremendousamountof the Atom, but we Americanshave power as well. So it went,
chaos and damage, tying up men and resourcesthat might a cold war developedbetweenAmerica and the Axis powers.
be best deployed elsewhere. Donovan realisedthat if the Thiswar had no battles,but stillpeopledied. One of the earliest casualtieswas MartinCook who was killedin the only
beings that were caged within territory held by the Axis
Karotechiareprisalraidto take placeon Americansoil.
powerswere to be freed, this would take the pressureoff thB
United States, providing a valuable breathing space. AmericaToday
Reluctantly Cook agreed knowing full well that P-Division America in this world is a very differentplace to the one we
was attemptingto do what they had so long battledagainst. know today. America is a strange mix of the near deserted
remainsof citiesand rollingemptycountryside.lt is as if the
populationhavevanished. Most of them have gone underground,livingin massivecitiesburiedbeneaththe earth,to
a depth that should prove invulnerableto most atomic
weapons.The design of these undergroundcities is more
akinto the work of ErichKettelhut(set designerfor the 1926
SciFi masterpiece Metropolis), being grey warrens of
square apartment blocks that rear up from the ground to
The recruitswere initiallytrainedas spies,taughtfield craft terminateagainstthe top of the man-madecaverns.
skills and the given languageand culture training before
pipedfrom the
being exposedto the full horrorsof the CthulhuMythos.This The citiesare lit by a mixtureof naturall(;ht, carefully
generated
from
surface
and
artificiallight
massive
Sterling
engines.
training coursewas to last for three years,and by the end of
it, a frightening60% of the recruitswere either dead or Travel between the cities is via a vast underground
driven mad. By the end of the three years, twenty recruits
had successfullycompletedthe course and were ready for
the task in hand.
Initially,P-Divisionaskedfor twentyvolunteerswho would be
trained in the mind destroyingjob of freeing the Mythos
beingsfrom their chains. Over three hundredpeoplefrom all
walks of life volunteered,allowing Donovan and Cook to
chose best fifty people. These were to be the first
Locksmiths of the Mandragora Project, named after the
Mandrakeroot.

Duringthe three years,the Axis powershad not been idle. In

the June of 1949,Hawaiifell to the Japanese,then lessthan
a year later Japan tested an large atomic device over the
island of Revillagigedo,as a precursorto the invasionof
Panama.Menawhilein Germany,1951sawthe launchof the
world's first manned space capsule.Despite being a propaganda success,Germanyneverfollowedthis flightup.
By 1952, everythingwas ready. The Watchersnetworkwas
now fully established,the Seekers had already detected a
number of possible candidates for realise, and the
Locksmiths were fully trained. lt was time for Americato go
back on the offensivewith a three'prongedattack(calledthe
Lachesis, Clotho and Atropos, Operations)named for the

26

www.starrywisdom.
co.uk

pneumaticrailway system that allows easy and efficient

travelfor those who are allowed to do so. Access to the
surface is provided by colossal lifts that can carry whole
regimentsto the world above.
Fromthe apartmentblocks,millionsof Americanswalk or
ride to work in the huge undergroundfactories,farms and
offices. The largestemployeris the government,employing
approximatelyB5o/o
of the population.The rest are employed
by the few businesses not under-direct governmental
control.

use transistortechnology,magneticcore memory and punch

cardsfor both inputand output.
There are no fast food restaurants, nor are there any
hamburgersor pizza, The citizen'sfood is strictly rationed
and controlledand is largely producedfrom soya proteinas
most of the food producedgoes to feed the Army and Navy.
Probablythe single most technologically
advanceditem in
any Americanhouseholdis the governmentsuppliedcable
television unit known as the Telecaster,which acts as
entertainment unit, video phone and electronic
eavesdropper.

Most of the people the governmentemployswork either for

centralgovernment,one of the branches of the armed Unsurprisingly
it is in the field of weaponstechnologythat
forces,or in the massiveundergroundfactoriesthat produce Americashines. Realisingthat stealth was the key factor to
everythingfrom munitionsto food.
long term survival, American scientists have spent years
creating the world's quietest submarines.The size of
Pacifistsare given a simple binary choice, leave Americaor America'ssubmarinefleetis trulygiganticrunningfrom small
live above aground in one of the huge argro-communities2-mancraftrightup to mammothcargosubs largerthan any
thathavebeen establishedin lowa,Kansas,Nebraska,Utah SuperTanker.
and Oregon; areas that have traditionallygrown much of
America'sproduceand are thoughtto be safe from attack.
Strangely,America has remained a democracy, although
therehavebeencertainchangesmadeto the legislative
arm
Also above ground is the chain of large and heavily of Government.The biggestsinglechangeis that the House
defendedforts that stretch right around the sea and land of Representatives
has beendisbandedand mostof the their
boardersof North America. Inside these forts are the powersceded upwardsinto the Senate,
Watchersof P-Division who stand ready to alert the
publicto impendingattack.
American
TheAmericangovernmentis no longerbasedinWashin$onDC,but
has been movedto a purposebuilt undergroundqty, called New
Washin$on,
in lGnsas,at the cenhemostpointof the UnitedStrates.
All news and entertainmentthe American People receiveis
carefullycontrolledby the Departmentof Informationthrough
the AmericanPress Federation(APF) and the Government
EntertainmentNetwork (GEN). The Department of
lntelligence
is also responsiblefor collatingand gathering
intelligence
on all Americancitizens.

Accessto this city is strictlymntrolled,and unlikeall tfe othercities,

NaruWashington
is an architecturalmanel,witha cenfe piecebeing
the massivePresidentialpalaceknownas the Libefi Tcnruer
whicfr
stands at the very centre and dominatesthe Nery Washington
cavem.

Technologicallysuperior in some ways, America, is

nonethelessbackwardsin others.The privatelyowned motor
car does not exist,neitherdoes the PC, the internet,email,
or aircrafi(the American air force was disbandedin 1956).
Whatcomputersthere are, are monolithicmainframeswhich

One final change was the realisationttat sinoe the world is

seeminglyalliedagainstthem,the citizensof Americacannot,if they
want to suMve, discriminate
againsta significantproportion of
p
o
p
u
l
a
t
i
o
n
g
r
o
u n d so f s k i n c o l o u r .
their
on the

wwwstarrywisdom.co.
uk

27

Running The MandragoraProject

Campaignldea: OperationGeryon

The most important points to consider when running

Mandragora Project games is to get the atmosphere and
settingright. This Americais a bleak place. A dark under'
ground realm, where the citizensshuffle down ill lit grey
concretestreets. They are down trodden, living in fear both
from the evil waiting without and also from a Government
that spies on their personal life via the Telecaster.To get
some idea of the tone, it would help if Keepersread 1984by
George Onvell,and watchedthe films Brazil,Metropolisand
Things to Come, both for the statement they make about
oppression and for their view of the future and its
architecture.

Once long ago therewas a race of beingsthat came from the

starsto Earth. On Earth they inhabitedthe bodiesof strange
conicalcreatures"For many millionsof yearsthey existedin
peaceuntilsuddenlyanotherraceappeared.This raceof flying polypswas only partiallyvisible,could fly even though
they had no wings and they spoke in a strange piping
language.

Keepers also need to stress to their players that the

members of P-Division are siding with the forces of
darkness. They shouldbe uneasyabout moral implications
of the missionsthey are asked to carry out, and the effectsit
will have not only on the innocentbut also on themselvesas
they too becometaintedwith the evil of the CthulhuMythos.
When writing adventures that revolve around freeing
membersof the CthulhuMythos,it needsto be remembered
that most of the membersof the Locksmithshave some kind
of mental illnessor phobiato deal with. Party structureis
also a consideration.Normallya releasemissionteam will
compriseof membersfrom all three branchesof P-Division
with the possibilityof a few normalsoldiersto roundout the
party size.

These creaturesfed on the minds of the Great Race,who

warredwith them, defeatingthem and banishingthe Flying
Polypsto cavernsdeep belowground. Here the Polypsbuilt
huge cities bidingtheir time until they could emerge once
moreand strikedownthe GreatRace. The ironvof this is not
loston those in P-Division.
The plan is to open the doonruays
to these cities,freeingthe
Polypsfrom theirlong imprisonment.The hopeof thosewho
have planned this is that the Polyps will wipe out the
enemiesof America,leavinga planetthat will be readyto be
re-colonisedby the victoriousAmericans.

OperationGeryon is brokendown into three Phases.

Phase One: The entrancesto the FlyingFolypcitiesmustbe identified. Thiswillrequiremuchin depthresearchbothinsidethe United
Statesandelss&hereacrosstheworH,as the irvestigatorsfind leads
and folloru-upclues that lead to the locationsof the twenty Fllng
Folypcities.The Investigators
will needto visitthe bombedout ruins
to
of London searchfor the remainsof the BritishLibrary as well as
Keeperswill also need to considerthe travelsequencesthat penetnatirgsomeof the world'soldestLibrariesin occupiedFrance
shouldbe playedout. Since most traveloutsidethe United and ltaly.
Statesis via submarine,this is a goldenopportunityto throw
PhaseTwo:Somemeansof destroyirqthe Folypsmustbe fourd,
together every Submarinemovie clich6 ever devised.For
for it is inconceivable that the Flying Polyps will
example,the stress of travellingthrough undenvatermine
simplyleareoncetheyhare wipedout rnostof humanity.Onceagain
fields,being depth chargedand lying on the bottomof the
this will irvolve researchand trarel as they try to locate the last
ocean. Then there are the Mythos elements to these remainingGreat Race city. Finally,they must tnavelto Western
journeys. How will a party of Deep Ones react to being
Australiaand to the citythat lies buriedtherebeneaththe sard, to
innocentlydepthchargedbecausea P-Divisionmini-sublies locatethe lightningguns
the GreatRace usedto destroythe Ftying
close by? Considerfilms like U-571 and Run Silent Run Folyps.
Deep when executingthis stageof the scenario.
PhaseThree:Oncethosetwo mnditionshanebeenmet,then a e
Once the lnvestigators
are'in country',then it is time to swap ordinatedeffortto open theFlyirg
all
Folypcitiessimultaneously
must
genres slightly and think about war films, speciallythose
be launched. Here the irvest$ators compriseone of the twenty
such as Where Eagles Dare or Operation Crossbovy. Here teamsthat hauebeen assignedto open a Flyirq Folypcitiy,located
the investigatorsare working deep inside enemy territory,
in the heartof Germany.
maybe attempting to summon Hastur in the middle of
downtownBerlin. They must stay clear of guard patrols,and As the campaignprogresses,perhapsthe irvestigators@in to
quislingswho will turn them in to the authorities,
especiallyif realisetheirtakingpartinthesemissbnsmayrnt onlyost themtheh
this is in the heartof Germany.
lives,butalsoit willhaneresounding
nnral implications.
Theywill,by
theiractions,
be condemningmost of the world's populationto
Finallythere is the concept of how to get them out of it. death.
There is a very good chance that once the Mythos being is
releasedor summoned it will round on the investigators. CharacterTemplates
Thereforeinvestigatorsmust be at least given some kind of
fightingchanceto returnto the UnitedStates.
Whilstit is assumedthat most of the investigatorscreatedfor
the Mandragoraprojectwill be membersof P-Division,
there
Of course not all scenarios need to revolve around these is nothing to stop you writing scenarios that involve using
release missions. P-Divisionteams are often called in to charactersfrom other branchesof Government.Most of the
investigate Karotechia activities within the environs of Character Templates in Delta Green are valid with the
continentalAmerica. Such missionscan give an interesting exception of the US Coast Guard, Space Command,
change of pace, since these can be structuredlike a spy NationalReconnaissanceOffice and Departmentof the Air
story. Perhapsthey are called in to root out the Karotechia Force.
mole inside P-Divisionor something similar. For such
scenarioslook to the works of people like John Le Carr6 for Watchers
inspiration.
Watchershave been trainedto sense the ethereal powerof
Mythos Science. To start watching, the Watcher must roll

2A

www.starrywisdom.co.
uk

theirPOW x 5 or lesson a D100. lt costs 1 MagicPointper

hourto keepthis watchup. ln this time,the Watchercannot
be distractedsince this will break their concentrationand
anotherPOW x 5 roll will be requiredto beginagain. Once
somethinghas been detected,the Watcherwill be able to tell
its approximate
speed,directionand purpose.This is useful
whendealingwith ariel creaturessuch as the FlyingPolyps.

rolls 97, a critical failure, and alerts the Cthonian to his

presence. Ihe SAN loss required in such a case is 1D20.
The Seeker rol/s, looses 14 points of SAN, and is left a
screaming wreck by the experience.
Skills Template: Cartography,Listen, Navigation/Land,
Navigation/Sea
& Air, Occult, Spot Hidden,Track + any 1
Language+anylother.

Shouldthe initialPOW x 5 roll be fumbled,then the Watcher

looses1D10 SAN as they have channelledsome of the Spell Template: Either Create Barrier of Naach-Tithor
powerof the attack directlytowardsthemselves,unlessthey SenseLife.
havesuccessfully
cast a CreateBarrierof Naach-TithSpell.
Sample Character
Skills Template: Cartography,Listen, Navigation/Land, LieutenantSusanWelsh,Age 23
Navigation/Sea
& Air, Occult,Spot Hidden+ any 3 others.
STR 9
DEX 7
INT
12
APP 11
CON 7
POW 15
SpellsTemplate: Either Create Barrier of Naach-Tithor SIZ
14
SAN 63
EDU 19
DeflectHarm.
HP
11
15
MP
DamageBonus:none
SampleCharacter:
Occupation:Seeker
CorporalPaul Collins,Age 20.
Skills:Cartography53%, Listen 56%, NavigationlLand42%,
STR 12
DEX 12
INT
10
Navigation/Sea
& Air 43%, Occult37o/o,Spot Hidden53%,
CON 12
APP
15
POW 17
Track63%
SIZ
13
SAN 72
EDU 14
Languages:
English95%,Japanese61%
HP
13
MP
17
Weapons:M3A1 SMG 640/o- 1D10+2DAM
DamageBonus:+1D4
Spells:SenseLife
Occuoation:Watcher
Skills:Cartography35%, First Aid 51%, Hypnosis 38%, Locksmiths
Listen56%, Navigation/Land32o/o,Navigation/Sea& Air Locksmithsare expertsin the CthulhuMythosand Mythos
32%,Occult28%, Spot Hidden62%
magic.They are highlytrainedin the Mythosarts but tend to
Languages:
English70%
be mentallyunstable.
Weapons:Winchester
M70 Rifle48% -2D6+4DMG
Skills Template:CthulhuMythos,Demolitions,LibraryUse,
Spells:CreateBarrierof Naach-Tith
Occult,Spot Hidden,Track+ any 2 Other Languages+ any
Seekers
1 weaponskill.
Seekers are like Watchers, except that they have been
trainedto seek out those who have been tainted by the Spefls Template: Voorish Sign, + any 2 CalllDismissDeity
CthulhuMythosas well as CthulhuMythosbeingssuch as Spells+ Any 1 ContactSpells+ 1 Summon/Bindspell.
DeepOnes,Cthonians,etc. The abilityhas been compared
to that of RADAR. with the Seeker as the antenna that Sample Character:
sweepsa givenarea.
CaptainDavidBlackwood,Age 31
STR 8
DEX 10
INT 18
Tolocatea beingor object,the Seekerneedsto decidehow coN 7
APP 15
POW 1 8
far he wishesto extendthe searchradius,and then deduct SIZ
11
SAN 59
EDU 1 7
thereouirednumberof MaoicPoints"
HP9
18
MP
DamageBonus:none
SearchRadius
Magic Points
Phobias:Dendrophobia
4
10 Metres
Occupation:
Locksmith
100Metres
2
Skills:
Cthulhu
Mythos38%, Demolitions48%, LibraryUse
1 Kilometre
4
62%,
Occult
74%,
Spot Hidden52o/o,Track41o/o
10 Kilometres
8
Languages:
English
85%, Aklo 73Yo,German62%
100Kilometres
16
pons: Wnde# M1912 12 gae sh@m 54%- 10D1016D{UG
Wea
1000Kilometres
32
Spells:Call Cthugha,ContactCthonian,DismissCthugha,
Nextthe Seekermust roll undertheir POW x 5 on a D100to SummonFireVampire,VoorishSign.
establish
the sweep. lf anythingis detectedthen the Seeker
willknowits exact geographiclocationand also a sanitised
versionof what is there. Seekers are very much like the
RemoteViewersof the CIA's Star Gate project.

Sources

Henshall, P. The Nuclear Axls - Germany,Japan and the

Shouldthe Seek roll be fumbled.then the Seekerhas drawn Atom Bomb Race1939-45,SuttonPublishingLondon,2000.
the attentionof the Mythos entity they were searchingfor.
Meaning
that the Seekerrollsthe SAN lossthai a failedSAN Williams,P & Wallace,D. UNIT 731. The JapaneseArmy's
rollwouldusuallyrequire.
SecrefofSecrefs, Hodderand Stoughton,London 1989.
Forexample,a seeker tries to spot a adult Cthonianbelieved
to be in the area. Ihe seeker's POW x 5 is 70. The Seeker

www.starrywisdom.
co.uk

29

On the surface,'the Children'(asthey callthemselves) leaflets. Unwittingly,they stumbled upon a fertility

appearto be a modestlysizedecologicalactiongroup, symbolthat was associatedwith Shub-Niggurath.The
devotedto the protectionof the environmentand the group'sresearchbegan to follow a new direction,that
prosecutingof industrialdespoilingof the natural of collatingmaterialabouttheirnew found'fertilitydeity'
environment.
leading members to become more and more
enthralled.
The definingmomentcamewhenthe group
The Children are commonly known for organising successfully enacted a ceremony to summon
protest marches and demonstrationsagainst major
Shub-Niggurath.
Fromthat momentthe cultwas born.
corporationswho they feel are raping the natural
resources of the planet. Other more mundane Repeatedcontactwith their dark god has drivenwhat
activitiesinclude leaflet distribution,fly posting and sanity remains from the elite inner circle, who now
lobbying.
believethatShub-Niggurath
is the'EarthMother'.They
regardtheirfightfor the environment,
their worshipand
At the publiclevel,the organisationboastsaroundtwo sacrificesas all part of the struggleto save the planet.
hundredmemberswho it can rely upon to turn up and
activelyprotestand anotherfive hundredwho will sign The cult has access to all the money raised by the
petitionsand donatemoney.
Childrenof Gaia and has contactsin the media,as well
as some useful friends in the police who are
Unknownto the majorityof the membership,
is a small sympathetic
to their'public'cause. Whilstthe majority
'secondlevel'hard-coregroup of twentywho engagein
of
the
Children's
membershaveno combatexperience,
a regime of 'monkey-wrenching'activities - the the twenty 'monkey-wrenchers'are familiar with
deliberate sabotage of environmentallyharmful saboteur techniques and two have demolitions
projects.
experiencefrom militaryservice.Some membershave
Until now the sabotage has always been done to recently begun to stockpile shotguns, pistols and
propertyhowever,recently,these extremistshave been explosivesin the belief that outrightterrorismwill be
aims.
advocatingoutrightterrorismto bringwider attentionto essentialto furtherthe organisation's
the movement'sgoals.
graduallyin
The Childrenof Gaiashouldbe introduced
t
o
a
c
a
m
p
a
i
g
n
,
a
l
l
o
w
i
n
g
t
h
e
i
r
t
h
r
e
a
t to build
The final layer of the organisationis known only to an
and unconsciously.Investigators
should
innercircle,comprisingten individualsand theirleader. incrementally
of
the
organisation
through
slowly
become
aware
These eleven people constitute a cult worshipping
Shub-Niggurath. The cult started when the original television, newspapers and slogans painted on
founders of the Childrenof Gaia began researching underpasses. Perhaps the investigatorsbegin to
symbolsthat could be used to promotetheir cause in shown concernat the use of Mythos relatedsymbols
daubedin paint on the walls of factoriesand industrial
plants.
Another possibility exists. Player characters may
actuallybe membersof the Children,activelyjoiningin
demonstrationsand donatingmoney,unawareof the
evilat the root. Scopeexistsfor such an investigator
to
be slowly drawn into some of the more questionable
activitiesof the organisation,perhaps even to the
extentthat they are unwittinglysupportingthe goals of
the innercircle.

www.starrywisdom.co.
uk

rl\

\--l

i\

il
u
\

The Gate & The Key

to Call of Cthulhu roleplay

our quaintance:

rge

Bv Kearv Birch
Georgeis tall and thin with black lank hair and an odd lopsided expression. He wears a long brown woolen coat and large workmanlike boots. He lives alone.
GeorgePrice lives in a large run down town housein the worst side of town. Every eveninghe comeshome from his job at the abattoir
wherehe has spent the day disemboweling the deadbodies of large animals. No matter how much he washesthere is always the faint
odourof blood about him, such that most animals shy away from him. He has a squint in his left eye where a bone shard from a mostly deadcow cut through the soft muscles on the outer edgeof his eyelid many years ago.
After speakingwith Georgefor any length of time you becomeawarethat he never breathesthrough his nose, only through his mouth.
Thisis a defencemechanismcreatedby his body againstthe constantspray of blood and bodily fluids that mist the air aroundhim when
he is at work.
Eachmorning George gets up at one hour to day break. He does this subconsciouslyas he does not own an alarm clock. He
washes
in a cold sink, puts on clean clothes and goesdown stairs. He breakfastsmost days on dry toastexcepton the frrst of eachmonth
whenhe has a fry-up which includes black pudding, fresh from work (he says). He always drinks tea, black and hot. He never eatsany
dairyproduce- well you wouldn't,if you did his job would you?
Afterbreakfasthe puts on his work shoesand his long brown woolen coat and walks slowly to work. He always walks through he park,
eventhough it is always dark when he does so. He has never had any problems.
Georgetakesa packedlunch to work (to do otherwisewould arousesuspicion),wrappedin greaseproofpaper and tied up with butcher's
stringwhich he gets from work. Georgegoes into the park at lunchtime and eatsalone.
In the evening, after work he showers, although he makes sure that he works a little bit longer than the others so that the
showersare empty, if a little cold, when he gets there.
After leaving the abattoir he wandersback towards home, via the part of town where seedybookshopsstay open until way after dark.
He browsesand places any books or magazinesthat he purchasesinto old carrier bags that he keepsin crumpled bags in his pockets.
Georgehas a high First Aid skill and can be used by keepers to 'stabilise' the rescue any character that has been found in a
distressed
stateduring the hours of darkness.
What is Georee? Does it matter? Who wants to know?

wwwstarrywisdom.
co.uk
E-

The
ilfloreilu
Beturn
ofiloctor
Al$20s
Call
of{,thu
hu$cenario
lVritten
hvDavid
ConvorsilIaps
by0avid
Conyers
lloum
oilhin,
IIirhthe
llantlthal
naliet
"llitfuthe
istlnllantlthal
IIis
irthslland
thalnauntls,llis
honlt,"
||.fi.lhlls.thelilnnt
otlortor
,llnrcaa
Near the equator,on the easternedge of the PacificOcean
lies Noble lsle. Volcanic,jungle-clad,home to numerous
fumarolesand protectedby extensivecoral reefs, Noble lsle
holds many secrets.Most notablyis the race of beast people
created long ago by the infamousVictorianmedicalsurgeon
Doctor Moreau.Even by the 1920sthe legacyof his research
liveon, worshippingCthulhuin their basaltcaverns.But they
are not the only inhabitantsof Noble's lsle for there is a new
Moreau,aided by one of the CthulhuMythos'most advanced
interstellarvisitors.Togetherthey are creatinga new species
of animal abominations,for a greater purpose,or so the new
Moreauhas been told.
This scenariois based upon H. G. Wells'classic1896 tale
The lsland of Doctor Moreau.lt is writtenas a continuationof
that tale, and draws it into the world of the CthulhuMythos.
Keepersare advised to read Wells' story before runningthe
scenario.
Keeper's Background
Duringthe heightof the Victorianage,BritishsurgeonDoctor
Moreau was hounded and misunderstoodby the medical
communitydue to his unethicaltreatmentof animals in
experimentation.
In 1876to escapehis peershe retreatedto
the small Pacificisland Noble'slsle, situatedfar off the coast
of SouthAmericawhere his researchwouldnot be disturbed.
His goal becamethe surgicalrebuildingof animalsthrough
the processof vivisection,formingthem into humansor at
least close approximations.To his creations,the hybrids,he
tried to teach them the meaningof humanityfor he was
attempting to create the perfect species, and in a sense
becomea god.To controlhis hybrids,Moreautaughtthem a
law which he formulated himself, one that strictly
pronouncedthe instinctsof animalwere wrong,whilehuman
behaviourswhere righteousand proper.AidingMoreauwas
his drunkardassistantMontgomeryand the lumberingbeast
servant M'ling and togetherthey maintainedpeace on the
island.For a time the island'spopulationof sixty-oddhybrids
remainedstable.

Confrontedby the hybrids, Prendickwas soon horrified by

their mutation,scaring and unnaturalforms. After meeting
their creatorand master - Doctor Moreau - it was explained
to Prendickthat these creatureswere created through the
process of grafting parts of different animals onto other
animals while still conscious.Moreau was attemptingto
createa form of life with no flaws, but all Prendickcould see
was pain,miseryand deformity.
Even though Moreau'slaws said it was wrong to eat meat,
eventuallythe hybrids discoveredthat the humans were
made of the same flesh and blood as their own and thus
couldbe killedand fed upon.Withthis knowledgethe hybrids
murderedMontgomeryand Moreau leaving Prendick alone
withthe beastpeople.SomehowPrendicksurvivedamongst
their number.He burnt Moreau'sand Montgomery'sbodies
on a pyre of brushwoodand then lived as a savage amongst
the hybrids.Over the followingmonths Prendickwatched as
the hybridsslowlytransformedback into their animalforms,
but
not
into
to
creatures known
human
science,ratherbizarremixturesof animalscomposedof their
mixedbody parts.Then after almosta year on Noble'slsle,
Prendickset sail on a raft to be rescueda few days later by
a brig set for San Francisco.
His part in this tale came to an
end.
Howeverthis would not be the end of Moreau'sinvolvement,
for other parties were interested in the late Doctor's
experimentation,
notablythe Mi-go- the FungifromYuggoth.
Duringthe late 1BB0sthe Mi-gowere regularlyscoutingthe
Pacific Ocean since they had recently detected signs that
Cthulhu'sgreatabodeR'lyehitselfwas rumbling,suggesting
that could re-surfaceany day now. They saw that it was
inevitablethat this would happen,that the starswould come
right again and thus humanity would be destroyed as
Cthulhuconqueredthe earth.The Mi-goweren'tpleasedfor
they wishedto continuestudyinghumansfor some time yet
and the returnof Cthulhuwouldput their researchto an end.
Humans were of interest not just because of their strange
illogicalthought patterns,but also becausethey held the
potentialof becoming a viable servitor species,that was if
'taught' to
they could be
not behave in irrational and
unpredictablepatterns.Moreau'sexperimentswere seen as
a potentialanswerto this problemand so the Mi-godecided
to restorelifeto the surgeonso he couldassistthem.

Then in February 1887 the ship Lady Vain was lost at sea
after a collisionwith a derelict.Britishgentlemanand young
diplomatEdward Prendickwas one of the few survivorswho
escaped on a weathered lifeboat.When all seemed lost he
was then rescued by the lpecacuanha.Montgomerywas on
that ship and so nursedPrendickback to health.Returning
to
Noble's lsle with several caged animals
collected from around the world, Montgomery convinced Not only horriblymutilatedby the hybridswhen he was killed,
Prendickto join him when they arrived at his island, a Moreauhad also been burnton a pyre by Prendick.A simple
resurrectionwas not possible,so the remains of Moreau's
decisionPrendickwould later reqret.

32

www.starrywisdom.co.
uk

charred body were contained within a semi-organic

robotic body, transferring him into a cyborg so that his
fragilebody would hold together.Moreau agreedto help the
Mi-go,since their technologyoffered him means beyondhis
imaginationto create the perfect form, regardless of his
deformities.They told him his experimentswould allow
humansto becomea higherspecies,one which could join
the Mi-goas equalsto conquerthe stars.
Soon Chilean constructionworkers, human agents of the
Mi-go,arrivedon the islandto rebuildthe facilities.Oncethe
compoundwas completed,Moreau used the labourersas
hisfirsttest subjects,creatinghis new breed of hybrids.Only
one man was spared,Franz Boren who provedto be an able
allyin controlling
the hybridsand maintaining
the compound.
Fordecadesthe experimentations
went well and the island's
populationgrew to hundreds of hybrids.This time the
creatures
did not revertbackto theiranimalform.Polynesian
islanders or survivors from the occasional Far East,
Americanor European cruiser were often kidnappedand
usedas test subjects.The only problemwas that no matter
how many experimentsMoreau performed,he could never
createa hybridthat could retain its intelligence,an important
criteriato the Mi-go.
Inthe meantime the hybridpopulationhad discovereda statue of Cthulhu,unearthedmillenniaago by Deep Ones,and
nowworshippedit in theircave.By the 1910sthe hybridshad
finallyconvincedthemselvesthat Moreauwas not the god he
made himselfout to be, not a real god like Cthulhu,and
rebelledagainsthim. The Mi-go,dissatisfiedwith Moreau's
resultsabandoned the Doctor to the mercy of the hybrids
and broughtin anotherscientist,Oxfordborn biologistDoctor
MiltonMcGrathwho had for a shorttime becomeone of their
willingagents.They found McGratheasy to manipulate,for
she
had
her
own
that
needs
the
Mi-gocould address.Born as a woman yet forced to dress
and act as a man by her parents from an early age, she
identifiedherselfas a male.Thus the Mi-go promisedher a
male body if she succeeds in creatinga servitorspecies
whichmet their specifications.

li
i

By the time the investigatorsenter the story it is some time

in the 1920sor 1930s.McGrathhas had some successwith
hisexperiments,but still has a long way to go. Littleknownto
McGrathand her staffis that Moreaustill lives,hidingon the
islandplanning his revenge.The reanimatedcorpse has
seenthroughthe Mi-go'splanto enslanehumansand hopes
to cease their activitieson Noble's lsle. Investigatorswill
soon become the pawns in the battle between these two
scientistsand the Mi-go,most likelyas the next test subjects
for hybridexperimentation.

laboratorywhere they begin the transforminginto hybrids.

lf the investigators
are seasonedCthulhoidhunters,then a
strongerhook will be required.Investigators
could read an
article regarding a recently captured beast by Peruvian
fisherman,a creaturenot known to science.Travellingto the
Pacific port of Callao in Peru, the investigatorscould be
duped by sailorsworkingfor Boren,kidnappedand takento
McGrath again for experimentation. Alternatively
investigators
who haverecentlybeen investigating
the Mi-go
might also find themselvescaptured by the Fungi from
Yuggothwho takethem to Noble'slslefor the same purpose.
Detailson how the investigatorsreach Noble'slsle are left up
to the Keeper. lt is advised however that the best
opportunities to present the horror and nightmare of
Moreau'slsland are when the investigatorsarrive on the
island with the minimal number or absence of weapons.
Negotiating
with hybridswhetherthey will be on the menufor
their next feast will be much more difficult for
investigators
withoutguns readilyat hand.But there are lots
of hybrids on the island and against hordes of these
creaturesbulletswill diminishquitequickly.
Noble's lsle
The island, which was of irregular outline and lay low upon
the wide sea, had a total area, lsuppose, of sevenor eight
square miles.lt was volcanic in origin, and was now fringed
on three srdes by coral reefs; some fumaroles to the
northward, and a hot spring, were the only vestiges of the
forces that had long since originated it. Now and then a faint
quiver of earthquake would be sensib/e,and sometimes lhe
ascent of the spire of smoke would be rendered tumultuous
by gusfs of steam;but that was all.
-H. G. Wells, The Island of Doctor Moreau
Nobles lsle is a small, tropical Pacific island located at
4' S and 100'W, approximately1,200km(750 miles)south
west of the Galapagoslslands.Officiallythe islandis owned
by Ecuadorbut it has remaineduninhabitedby humansfor
most of its history.Temperaturesrange between 20oC and
30oC (70oF to 90oF) and humidity is often at one hundred
percent.lt rains heavily most days and tropical storms are
not uncommon.

lntroducing Investigators
The best option in presenting this scenario is as an
introduction
for new investigatorswho are yet to experience
the horrorsof the Mythos. Like Prendickbefore them, they
findthemselveslost at sea, driftingfor days on end, fearfulof
the sharksencirclingtheir boat.The lack of fresh water and
absenceof food will quicklyclaim them... That is untilthey
see Noble'slsle on the horizon and so make for its shores.
Alternatively,such investigatorscould be sailing the high
Pacificseas in a cabin cruiser only to have their boat
attackedby McGrath'sforeman Franz Boren and his hordes
of hybrids.Captured investigatorsare taken to McGrath's

www.starrywisdom.co.
uk

The Sunken Wreck

A coupleof yearsago the 9m (30ft)Australiancabin cruiser
The MidsummerNightdroppedanchorat Noble'slsle so the
passengerscouldenjoya short,relaxingbreakon the beach.
It did not take long for the hybrids to discover the
visitors,and so led by Boren and the hybrid Sinbad they
killed half the crew and captured the rest. Those that
survivedended up as experimentalsubjectsin McGrath's
Laboratoryand are now hybridsliving on the island,their
Jungle trails criss-cross Noble's lsle. These are memories of the events now little more than disturbed
predominately
the creationof hybridstakingthe same path nightmares.$arah Lightfootwas the only still-human
every day when out scroungingfor food. Tracksare quickly survivor,and she now lives in McGrath's House as a
overgrown and are more commonly than not marked by mistressdescribedlater.
scent only.Investigatorswill need to make Track or half Spot
Hidden skill rolls every 100m (330ft)to ensurethat the trail Todaythe mast and the tip of the bridgeare stillvisiblein the
is not lost. For full hybridsthe scent of the trail is easy ocean if observed from the south eastern corner of the
enough to follow without requiring skill rolls. In time island. lt is possibleto swim to the wreck, some 300m
investigatorstransforminginto beastswill detectthe passage (1000ft)on the edge of a coral reef where sharks patrol. lt
requiresthree $wim skill rollsto get out there and three to
of scents.
get back,plus a successfulSwim and Sport Hidden to dive
The beachesof the islandare of pristinewhite sand sporting down into the wreck to see if there is anythingsalvageable.
coralfragments,starfishand numeroustropicalshellsin the Determine which swimming investigatorshave the lowest
surf. A few cliffs up to 40m (130ft) are rnore common in the Luck score and get that investigatorto roll for the group to
north. Investigatorsfleeing hybrids could jump off a cliff see if sharksattack"Re-rollevery2D10 minutes.
safelyinto the ocean.Such a feat would requirea Jump roll
to avoid 1D6 damagefrom landingbadly and a Luck rollto Amongst the wreckage investigatorsmight find a crate
avoidthe craggyocean rocksfor 6D6 damage.The islandis (SlZ 5 with STR 10 padlock)of usableweapons, including
surroundedon the most part by coral reefs that are home to six .45 revolvers,two .30-06 bollaction rifles and several
numeroussea turtles and millionsof fish, but which other- knives.There are approximately50 roundsof ammunitionfor
wise keep out larger marine predators. Beyond these the revolverand 40 rounds for the rifles. Investigatorswho
protectedwaters hungry sharks are {ound in large numbers. have met Sarah Lightfoot might find her photograph in a
brokenframe;with her arms around a man {her husband
Most hybridsavoid the seawaterbecausethe choppywaves Martin). Showing her this photograph might help in
scare them and the salt water seems alien. however,a few convincingher to join with investigators.
will catch fish in shallowerwaters. For the most part brave
investigatorswill find that the ocean can offer a temporary McGrath'sGompound
Secure behind a 3m (10ft) high fence constructedfrom
haven.
woodenpoles and crossbeamssecuredwith barb wire, the
To the northern end of the island are hot springs,some of compound is home to Doctor McGrath, Sarah Lightfoot,
which are warm enough to swim in and othersthat cause Franz Boren and Boren'shybridcompanionCharleston.The
heat and acidic burning.Investigatorsfalling into a toxic hot compoundconsistsof two buildings,
the Main Houseand the
spring loose 1DGhit pointsper round and will have all their Laboratory.
Otherstructuresincludesa 3m by 3m by 2m (1Oft
physicalskills halved afterwardsuntil healed.Fumarolesin by 1Oft by 7ft) high fresh water tank that catches
the same parts as the springs are the other geothermal rainwaterrunningoff the roofsof the two buildings,a diesel
danger, expunging large volumes of carbon dioxide, generatorand dozensof fuel drums identicalto the drums
superheated water vapour, sulphur dioxide, hydrogen found by the Jetty.Tearingthe fence down will requireoversulphide and other noxious chemicals into the air. Use coming its STR of 50, somethingthe hybridshaven'tworked
drowning rules for each round exposed to the gas. lf over- out how to do yet. A pair of wire cutterswould do the job in
come an investigatorlooses 1D3 Hit Point per round until undera minute.Twogates lead out of the Compound,each
free of the gas, or 1D6 if within enclosedspaces such ns with padlocksof STR 40. Only McGrathand Boren have keys
natural caves. Some low-lyingland can trap these heavier to these padlocks. Palms and other tropical plants grow
than air fumes, so while an investigatorcould safely walk throughoutthe compoundprovidingshadeand aesthetics.
throughsuch regions,sittingdown, restingor sleepinghere
Main House
could provefatal.
The main house is builtfrom stone and wood with a tiled roof
Jetty
reminiscentof a tropicalbungalow Rooms and windows are
ln a small sheltered bay on the southeasternside of the
large allowingair to circulatein the heat. All windows have
island is a small, wooden jetty.This is the mooring point for
supply ships and where Boren keeps his outboard motor- bars (STR 30) and many of the rooms can be locked both
boat, capableof speeds up to S0kmph(30mph)and a range from insideand outside(STR 25). Furnitureis made from
of 100km(160 miles).Two wooden huts 3m by 3m (10ft by bamboo and wood taken from rainforesttrees. The house
10ft) flank the shore. The first holds a couple of bunks for has running water and electricity and on the whole is
visitingcrew who wish to sleep on dry land,while the second comfortableand pleasant.
stores 12 barrels of engine fuel. lf detonated,each barrel
explodesfor 6D10 damage,decreasingby 1D10 pointsper Veranda: Surroundsthe entirehouse.Charlestonand Velma
1m (3ft) from the blast centre.The shed can be locked(STR sleep underthe verandaat nights.Severalhammockshang
20 doors) and the tiny windows have bars acrossthem (STR betweenthe rafters.
35).

The majority of the island interior consists of a dense,

tropicaljungleof coconutand bananapalms,breadfruitand
cassowarytrees, lianas,stranglervines and tall emergent
trees. In placesmangrovesgrow at the ocean'sedge.Most
of the fauna has long ago been eaten by the hybrids,
however, birds, rodents and flying foxes are still found in
large numbers.Fresh water is easily obtainablefrom the
numerousstreamsand poolsdottedacrossthe island.

34

uk
www.starrywisdom.co.

NoBLE'g IsLE
The Return of Doctor

Moreau

F-quqt-ol

;ot
'''"

.Noble's
Isle
Pacific
Ocean

Atlantic
Ocean

Moreau'sCave
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Hybrid Cave

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Wreckof The
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Stream

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Waterfall

t-

Ocean

David Conl ers O 2003

tr41
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0

2
I

www.starrywisdom.co.uk

3kilometers
2

3miles
35

Dining Room: The main livingarea consistsof large cane

chairsfor relaxingand a mahoganytable with straightback
chairs where meals are served. Polynesian masks and
paintingsof seascapesdecoratethe walls,manystolenfrom
ships raidedby Boren.A drinkscabinetis well stockedwith
hard liquorand some rare Frenchwines.McGrathlistensto
classicalmusic on the room's gramophonewhenevershe
stops here to relaxor read.
Library: The room is covered in wallto-wall shelves filled
with thousandsof books.Manytitlesseem out of place,as if
there is no particular subject matters of interest (this is
because most of these books were stolen from cabin
cruisersraidedby Boren).One sectionwhichdoes standout
is the collectionof books on biology,chemistry,surgeryand

Bathroom and Toilet: Functionaland practicalwith running

water.
Kitchen: All meals are preparedhere using a kiln oven.
Velma,the house hybridpreparesmost of the meals under
the supervisionof SarahLightfoot.Largeknivesare plentiful
in this room. Fruit such as bananas,coconuts,pineapples
and figs grow in abundanceacrossthe islandand a plentiful
collectionis alwayskept in the kitchen.
Pantry: Enough salted meat, tinned food and stable
provisionssuch as flour, sugar and rice could last half a
dozenpeoplesix months.

Sarah's Room: Sparsewith only a bed, a dresserand a

small collectionof clothes.Sarah has concealeda knife
(damage1D4) in her mattressrequiringa half Spot Hidden
Sharks.Carcharodon
Carcdarias
Thesharkssurrounding
Noble's
lslemeasure
3m to 4m rollto find if her room is searched.Her only readingmatteris
magazinesand newspapers,months or years out of date
(1Oftto 13ft)in lengthand can swallowanythingup to
taken
fromvisitingsupplyshipsor from Boren'scaptives.The
theirSIZ in a singlegulp.Theyoccasionally
aftacksmall
door
to
Sarah's room has an extra bolt on the outside
rowboatsor patrolthe surf to snap prey at the ocean's
increasing
its STR to 35.
edge. Superb hunters, they have high-speed

manoeuvrability
and whilsttheirvisionis poorand lacksa
senseof colour,they are highlysensitiveto lightand can
detectpreyoverlongdistances.
Becauseof their size very few of these sharks can
penetratethe coral reefs protectingthe island.Yet every
now and then after a tropicalstorm,an occasionalshark
might find itself washedinto the coral enclosure.Such
sharksare able to feed freelyon the abundanceof food
within, includinginvestigatorsout for a casual swim.
Assumeall sharkshavethe sameattributes.
Sharks,OceanPredators
STR22
CON18
SIZ20
P O W1 1
D E X1 3 H P1 9
Move(Swim):10
DamageBonus:+2D6
Armour:3-pointskin
Attacks:Bite40%,DMG2D6+db
Frenzy25%,ScentBloodB0%,SpotHidden
Skills:Feeding
70o/o.Track
40o/o
naturalism.Stashed amongst these books is a copy of The
Ponape Scnpfures.Left discardedon the readingtable is a
book on pathology with notes in the margin that refer to
McGrath'stests on a drug calledFormulae-18and how this
new drug might be more successful in retaining the
intelligenceof test subjects.He concludesthat this 'should
please my masters'but doesn't say who his mastersare.
Store Room: This room is always left locked.lnside Boren
and McGrath stash goods that they have nowhere else to
keep.lnquisitiveinvestigatorsare likely to find typewriters,
suitcases, old clothes, spare batteries, globes for
torches,tool kits,old surgicaland medicalequipment,tents,
campinggear, gardentools, platesand bowls,cutleryand so
on. Investigators
who spendan hoursearchingthe roomand
who succeedin Spot Hidden find two 12-guageshotguns
with 40 shells plus ammunitionfor almost every other gun
found on the island(3D10 roundseach weapon).A second
Spot Hidden uncovers1D3+2gas masks,which will protect
investigatorsfrom the sulphurfumes in the north of the island
for short periods(up to t hour), but will otherwisereduce
perceptionbasedskillsby 20%.

36

McGrath's Room: Very much a man's room with hairnets,

tobaccopipes,a wall mountedgun rack and a loungegown
hangingfrom a coat rack. On the wall is a photographof a
stern looking man and woman with a young boy between
them (McGrath'sparentsand herself as a child).A Spot
Hidden recognises the child as McGrath. British

The Ponape Scriptures

Originally
writtenin 1734by Kingsportsea captainAbner
FzekielHoag,it is supposedto have taken information
from translationsof Muviandocumentsand first hand
accountsof Pacificlslanderswho worshippedand bred
with Deep Ones. Referencesto Cthulhu and his
star-spawnare numerous,as well as Cthulhu's"sons,"
Ghatanothoa
andZoth-Ommog.
lt alsocontainsa roughly
sketchedmapof R'lyehanddiscusses
thatsomedaysoon
the starswill be rightand the citywill risefromthe waters
of the OceanfreeingCthulhu.Investigators
who haveseen
the statueof Cthulhuin the HybridCavewill be able to
identifythis GreatOld One from this text if they are not
alreadyawareof thisdeity.Thisversionpublishedin 1794
on heavypaperand measuring10cmby 17cm(4" by 63/4').
Studyingthis book awardsskill checksto Anthropology
and Occult.Sanityloss 1D4I1DB;CthulhuMythos+7
percentiles; average 16 weeks to study and
comprehend/32
hoursto skim.
investigatorswho succeed in a Know roll identify the
building behind the three as part of Oxford University.A
doctoratedegree from the same universityalso hangs upon
the wall.Numerousscientifictextbooksare beside McGrath's
bed, her late night reading.Everythingin this room is very
neat and precisein its arrangement.
Boren's Room: This room has a repulsiveodour matching
that of the man who sleeps here. Everythingis in disarray.lt
would take an hour to searchthis room to turn up nothingof
interestexcepta collectionof old photographsof nude Latin
Americanprostitutes.
Spare Rooms: Emptyapart from a few beds and bedpansin
each room. Like Sarah's room. each door has an extra bolt

www.starrywisdom.co.
uk

MCGRATH's
COMPOUN
The Return of Doctor Moreau
F,--Tf
L i , i! r;l ,dl
J.irr

ElriJ

Dresel

l Generator

Ll

-a t.

f^ ! Fuel
OUI Drums

a
a

Laboratorv
Toilet
t

Library

I Gate
Kitchen

Main
House

Sarah

Fence

15

30

45 feet

www.starrywisdom.
co.uk
---

David Conyers'O2003

37

on the outsideincreasingits STR to 35. lnvestigators

will be gruesomedetailcosts 1i1DOSanitypoints.
kept here if they end up as McGrath'sguests,but only until
she drugs them for experimentation,
in which case they will Body Parts: Kept in crates and preserved in transparent,
light-greenliquidnextto the Cold Cubeare limbs,ears,eyes,
be movedto the cells.
tongues,tusks,jaws, hands,feet, hooves,claws and other
McGrath's Laberatory
animal body parts which McGrath uses for her surgical
Whilethe Main Housemighthave an air of peaceand quiet, experimentation.
The organs are alive and they regularly
the real horrorson the islandtake placeinsidethe McGrath's twitchcausing0/1D4Sanitypointsto observebut are otherLaboratory.Duringthe day McGrathlocks herselfwithinthe wise harmless.The green-liquidkeeps them alive. Body
four walls. Agonizingscreams from test subjectscan be parts removedfrom the fluid quickly deteriorate,die and
heard half way across the island as she cuts them open decompose.
modifyingtheir shape and form. Here is the reason why
DoctorMoreau'soriginalsurgerywas called'The Houseof Brain Cylinders: Left in one corner are four Mi-go brain
Pain' - McGrath's laboratorv shares the same cylindersand one set of speech,visualand audiosensors.
reputation.
Gate to Yuggoth: On this wall are strange painted
geometrical
designscontainedwithin an irregularlypainted
Like the main house,all the windowsare barred(STR 50)
and the two doors are always locked with bolt latches and circle.Some of the symbolsare mathematicalin natureand
padlocks(STR 45). The architecturalstyle of ihe laboratory a successfulPhysics or Mathematics skill roll determines
matches that of the Main House. Windows are alwavs that these are calculationsspecific to multi-dimensional
space.A Cthulhu Mythos skillroll revealsthe true natureof
curtainedso it is impossibleto see in.
the painting,for this is a gatewayto anotherworld.Stepping
Some nights,McGrathlocks herselfin the Laboratoryand throughcosts I Magic Points,1 point of Sanity and takes
speaks with visitingMi-go for hours on end discussingthe travellersstraightto Yuggothand outside the contextof this
latest results and observations.lnvestigatorswho observe scenario. Keepers can alternatively have the gateway
'locked'so that it remains inaccessible.
Mi-go arrive and
from the outsidewill notice multicolouredlightsflashingin
depart from the island through this gate, so destroyingit
odd rhythmsfrom within.
delaysany interference
by the Fungifor 1D3 days until the
Veranda: Surroundsthe entirehouse.
gate can be repaired.
Gupboards and Work Benches: Contains chemicals,
drugs, syringes, swabs, bandages, operating tools,
chloroform{POT 20 versus CON or unconsciousness
for
1D3 hours),Bunsen burners,flasks,microscopes,stitches,
acids (damage 1DG) and numerous other pieces of
equipmentcommonto a laboratory.In one lockedcupboard
(STR 10) are blood samplesof every experimentalsubject
that ever passed throughthe operatingtable. lf investigators
are transforminginto hybrids,their blood sampleswill be
here and they will require these if they wish to create
Formulae-86to reversethe process.Other blood samples
include virtually every known species of mammal.

Moreau'sExperimentalNotes
Writtenbetween1876and 1877in a large,leather-bound
notebook.these hand-writtennotes recount Doctor
Moreau'ssuccessesand failuresin experimentation
on
animals using vivisectionto transform them into
approximaticns
of humans.Within the notes Moreau's
Laws are documente,includingnot going about on all
fours,not eatingmeat and reveringMoreauas a god.
Studyingthese notes awardsskills checksto Biology,
Medicineand NaturalHistory.Sanity loss 1D3/1D6;
CthulhuMythos+1 percentiles;
average3 weeksto study
andcomprehend/8
hoursto skim.

At leastthree-dozensamplesof Formulae-18
are keptin one
cupboard. Other items stashed away are Moreau's 'spare
McGrath'sExperimentalNotes
parts'and the Mi-go ControlDevice,each item requiringa
These
noteswrittenby McGrathhave been typed on a
Spot Hidden to find. Moreau'sand McGrath'sexperimental
Remington
Typewriter
and boundtogetherby string.They
notes are left discarded on one of the work benches.
Surglcal Table: While transformationusing Formulae-18
works withoutthe use of surgeryand vivisection,McGrath
still likes to experimentwith the knife - hoping to fix any
'abnormalities'that might
appear during the process of
change.Subjectsare restrainedon the table by STR 35 manacles and are kept alive and conscious while
undergoingthe torturous cutting and slicing inflicted by
McGrath.Witnessingsuch an operationcosts 1/1D6Sanity,
but being the subject of such torture is worse, costing
1D411D20Sanity points and 1D6+1 Hit Points damage.
Surgicalgowns and bed sheets are saturatedin blood after
such experiments,
and a recentlystainedsheetmightbe left
for the investigatorsto discover.
Preserved Specimens: Not all of McGrath's experiments
are successful,in fact more often than not they go horribly
wrong.ln largeglassjars alongthe backwall are body parts
and dissectedorgans of hybrids and humans that didn't
properly transform. Seeing these samples in all their

3B

continuouslyrefer to Moreau'sExperimentalNofes and

expandon the ideaspresentedwithin.RecentlyMcGrath
has developeda new drug called Formulae-18that
supposedlyretainsintelligence
in its subjects.$he also
discusses
Formulae-86
whichcanreversethe hybridisation
process.The notesexplainhow to createbothdrugs,but
to do so wouldrequireaccessto a fullystockedchemical
laboratorysuch as this one or Moreau'scave.Creating
eachdrug requires1D3daysand successful
Biologyand
Chemistryskill rolls.McGrathoften refersto her "Star
Friends"in hernoteswho'veprovidedassistance
withtheir
"BrainCylinders"
and "AlienTechniques."
The notes containone spell, Speak with Star Friends
{ContactMi-go}.Studyingthesenotesawardsskillschecks
to Biology,Chemistry,ElectricalRepair and Medicine.
Sanity loss 1D4l1D8; Cthulhu Mythos +3
percentiles;average
5 weeksto studyandcomprehend/16
hoursto skim.

www.starrywisdom.
co.uk

Mi-go Technology
Formulae-18
This is the latestdrug used by McGrathto transformhumansinto animal-humanhybrids.lf this thick-ambercoloureddrug
is eitherswallowedor injectedinto a person,after a few hoursthey beginto transformtaking on the characteristicsof the
animals whose cells (DNA) is mixed in with the sample. For example, pig and puma DNA mixed together and
injectedinto an investigatorwould create a pig-puma-humanhybrid.
Transformation
usuallytakes weeks, there is no resistanceto this drug. STR is increasedby 2D6 points at 1 point per
day,CON by 1D6 pointsat one point per day, SIZ by 3 pointsat 1 point per 5 days and DEX by 6 pointsat one point per
day.INT reducesby 6 pointsat the rate of 1 pointevery3 days. lf a victim'sINT drops to 7 or less they forgettheir human
pastand becomea Keepercontrolledcharacter.Knowledgeskills drop by 10o/o
for each point of INT lost. Sanity loss is
1/1D6pointsper day as a victim becomesmore bestial.At the same time, they gain the use of claws,teeth, tusks, horns
and other naturalanimal attacks.APP drops by 1 point per day until it reacheszero.
The process is only reversible through the use of Formulae-86,but only if administered before the complete
transformation
to hybridoccurs,otherwisethe hybridisationprocessis irreversible.
Transformationback to human occurs
at the same rate as transformationinto a beast,but suchvictimswill alwayscarry some characteristicsof the animal DNA
stillmixedwith their own.

Mi-go Cold Cube

This small black cube is approximately1Ocm(4") along all lengthsand is extremelycold to the touch. Anyone touching
the boxwith bare flesh will find that they loose 1D2-1(0 to 1 Hit Points)damagewhile releasingtheir grip, as skin frozen
to the surface is torn away.Afterwardsthe cube quick dissolvesthe torn skin thus retaining its smooth, glass-like
surface.Watchingdissolvingskin costs 0ll pointsof Sanity.
The air up to a metre (3ft) from the cube remainsat -1OoC(1soF),thus McGrathuses it to freeze-preseryespecimens
for later use. Little does McGrath know that the Cold Cube also acts as an observationtool, for Mi-go look through
anothercube on Yuggothto watch McGrathat work throughthis cube. lf investigatorstake hold of this device,Mi-go will
be ableto track them anywhere.

Mi-go Brain Cylinder

Thesedevices are approximatelya third of a metre high (1ft) and somewhatless in diameter.They have three sockets
withinan isoscelestriangleover the front of a convexsurface.Containedwithin each,floatingin a solutionof nutrientsis
a humanbrain.Audio,visual and speech attachmentsfit into each of the three socketsallowingthe personwithin to see,
hear and speak.Without the sensory attachments,the brain falls into a trance like state.The cylinderhas 12 points of
armourand can absorb 20 pointsof damage beforeit and the brain insideare destroyed.
Thereare four cylindersin this room, each containingbrainsof babblinghumansfrom aroundthe world. None make any
senseand speak in French,MandarinChinese,Ancient Egyptianand Englishrespectively.
Any investigatorwho spends
time talking to one of the captive brains and succeeds in the appropriate language skill and a Psychology or
Psychoanalysisskill roll determinesthat each brain is here for insertioninto a new body.What McGrathhasn't told the
heads is that he is planning to transplantthese brains into bestial bodies as an alternativemethod of maintaining
intelligencein the hybrids,but is yet to performthe operation.Investigatorscapturedby the Mi-go mightend up as a brain
in a cylinderfor this very purpose.

SpareParts for Moreau

This jumble of organic blue-green rods, pumps, wires, and pistons looks alien to investigatorseyes, but are in
fact mechanicalbody parts for an artificialhuman, or robot. lt is kept stashed away in a cupboard.A half ldea roll, a
Physicsskill or an ElectricalRepairskill roll identifiesthese dsrices as somethingakin to artificiallimbs.These are spare
partsfor Doctor Moreau constructedby the Mi-go.The Mi-go Control Rod, if used properly,will allow these parts to
cometo life.

Mi-go Control Rod

Thisorganic,blue-greenrod approximately20cm (8") in length is kept in one of the cupboards.A red crystal is inserted
on one end while organic-styledknobspopulatethe centreof the rod.Thereare no seams or any obviousmeansof openingthe device.Althoughit looks like the rod is livingand slimy,it actuallyfeels mechanical.A Cthulhu Mythos skill roll or
an Electrical Repair and half ldea roll are required to work out its function. lf investigatorsget it working, they'll
find that they can controlthe spare parts,causingmechanicalhandsto open and close, limbs to flex and body parts to
shutdown or come backto life.lnvestigatorswho work out how to use the devicegain 1D10%skill pointor at a skill equal
to their Operate Heavy Machineryin the new skill, OperateControlRod.This device can be used to controland possibly deactivateMoreau.lf McGrathdiscoversthat Moreau is still alive,she will take this device in an attemptto shut him
downpermanently.

www.starrywisdom.co.
uk
E-.

39

ISLAND
CAyEs
The Return of f)octor MoreaLr

40

Cells: In the second,windowlessroombehinda lockeddoor

(STR45) are five cells.Each cell front is made of iron bars
(STR40) and containonly of straw beddingand wooden
buckets,one for drinking water and one for defecation.
Unusablebody parts left over from surgery are thrown into
cellsto feed captives.Used to hold humans and hybrids
betweensurgicalsessionsor to restrainhuman captives
broughtto the islandby Boren,there will be 1D3-1hybrids
detainedin these cellsat anv one time.

armour and 20 Hit Pointsto destroy.

Throne: This crude rocky constructionis Hampstead's

throne.He sits up herewhen he is commandingthe hybrids.
Anyoneotherthan Hampsteadwho sits on this throneis put
to death immediatelyand eaten. Not every hybrid on the
islandfollowsHampsteadin his worshipof Great Cthulhu,
but those that do are initiatedinto his 'cult'when he stands
over them on his throne and pees over their body, thus
marking these hybrids as is own. Smart investigatorswho
The Hybrid's Cave
smearthemselvesin Hampstead'surinewill not be touched
Locatedon the western edge of the island at the base of a by his hybridsanywhereon the island,but gettingholdof this
30m (100ft)cliff is the undergroundlair of the hybrids.The bodyfluid wouldbe a challengein itself.
caveis almostimpossibleto see sincejunglegrows rightto
its mouth,but there is a trail that leads here and hybridsin Back Entrance: This narrowercave leads upwardstowards
large numbers congregateto and from the cave day and the cliff but narrowsthe closer it gets to the surface,hence it
night.At any one time there couldbe up to 30+3D10hybrids is rarely used except by the smaller hybrids. Anyone
in or around the cave at any one time. Followinghybrids attemptingto escape through this exit must fal a SIZ x5
downwind(so they are not smelt) is one good way of finding rolled under D100, othenruisethe exit proves too small for
that personand they might even get stuck if they don't fail
the cave.
anotherSIZ x5 roll.
lnsidestinksof the half-animalsand their dung.Visibilityis
Harem: One half of the cave contains1D6 of
poorexceptfor a large hole in the roof of the cavern8m (26ft) Hampstead's
the more 'attractive' female hybrids, kept here for
highfrom which sunlightshinesdown.
pleasure.The otherhalfof the caveis filledwith
Hampstead's
poolof fresh,cleanwaterfor drinkingand bathing.Anyone
a
lnvestigatorswho find the top entrance and fall into it take
otherthan Hampsteadand his haremcaughtin this care are
4D6pointsof damage,reducedby 1D6 if a Jump skillroll is
immediatelykilledand eaten.
made.Water pools in places and drips like rain from the roof,
particularly
after a heavy downpour.Hybridssleep,eat and Ceremonies
groom in every corner of the cave. Investigatorswho go Hampstead'shybrids have for a long time worshipped
insanedown here are likely to develop Claustrophobia. Cthulhuand his star-spawn.
McGrathbelievesthat this is just
Hampstead,
a lion-ramhybrid,rulesthe hybridsand spends a silly superstitionbased solely upon their find of their
mostof his days in the cave.
strange 'Polynesian' statue and the Mi-go have not
MainEntrance: Concealingthemselvesin the jungle,there contradicted her belief. Moreau knows the truth and is
arealways1D10 hybridsguardingthe entrance.Theywantto fearful of Hampstead'spotential power.However,as far as
knowthe businessof any visitor,humanor hybridbeforethey Cthulhucult leadersgo, Hampsteadwould be consideredan
allowaccess or beforetaking them to Hampstead.The path amateur.
intothe cave leadsgentlyupwards.
Ceremoniesusuallytake placeduringa full moon insidethe
MainChamber: Dark and dank,this is the hometo manyof main cavern.At that time on clearnightsthe moonlightoften
the island'shybrids.The entranceto the main chamberis a shines down through the hole in the roof illuminatingthe
ledgeon the southwallthat descends5m (17ft)to the base statueof Cthulhu.Due to the natureof the moonlighton the
of the cave. Painted on the wall in ochre are depictionsof rock,it sometimesseems as if the statueis ripplingand alive.
humans,hybridsand fishlikehumanoidsworshippinga huge This effect is only noticeableon a failed ldea roll costing 1
tentacle-headed
creaturewith bat-likewings risingfrom an pointof Sanityif the Sanitycheckis failed.
ocean.A Gthulhu Mythos skill roll identifiesthis as a
Hybridsdance, grunt, howl and chant to their god. Often
depiction
of the time whenthe starsare rightand Cthulhuwill
ceremonies turn into orgies and many of the hybrids
be set free to rule the earth again. A second Cthulhu
procreate,the only time Hampsteadwill allowhis subjectsto
Mythos skill roll identifiesthe fishlikehumanoidsare Deep
act out theirsexualurgesin his presence.Hampsteadhopes
Ones.
that he can summonup Cthulhubut is unawarehe lacksthe
Cthulhu Statue: When the sun reachesits middayheight, knowledgeto do so. Ceremoniesas a whole often end in
the brilliantrays shine down throughthe hole into the roof violence and debauchery,even for hybrids.Occasionally
directlyonto this 3 tonne statue of Cthulhu.The hybrids tempers flare and hybrids are killed. Such victims are
foundit here long ago and startedworshippingthis GreatOld quicklydismemberedfeedingthe hybridsthat are starvedof
One in place of Moreau.The rock is of an algae-likegreen- fresh meat. Watching or participatingin a ceremony costs
colourrun throughwith streaksof paleyellowand feelsslimy 1/1D3pointsof Sanity.
andorganicto the touch, even though it is dry.A Geology
Moreau's Gave
rolldeterminesthat this rock is not of this earth.Just looking
Situationon the northeasternend of the islandoverlookinga
'1D2
pointsif the roll is
at the statuecausesa Sanityloss of
20m (65ft) cliff, Moreau'sCave is in the heart of the island's
failed.Anyonewho sleepswithin3m (10ft)of the statuewill
hot springs and noxiousfume-emittingfumaroles.The air
have vague dreams of undenruatercities and fish people
here is toxic, which is exactly the way Moreau likes it.
(R'lyehand the Deep Ones) costing 1 point of Sanity if the
Although few hybrids know about this cave, none can get
rollis failed.Castingthe spells ContactCthulhuand Contact
close without being overcome by the fumes. Moreau of
Deep Ones have a +25% increase in their likelihood of
murse no longer needs to breatheso can come and go as
succeeding.The statue has the equivalentof 20 points of

wwwstarrywisdom.co.
uk
-----

4r

he pleases.

Characters

Following are the main charactersthat appear in this

scenario.Each entry notes what a Know roll would yield.
lnsiderknowledgeincludesfacts, rumoursand storiesabout
a character obtained through an appropriate skill roll or
investigatorbackgroundthat might provide these insights.
Plot denotes how the keeper can use the character to
enhance
the scenario.Appearanceis a descriptionof the
Entrance:Yellowsulphuricacidflakesare depositedaround
physicaltraitsand mannerisms.
characters'
the entrance.lt takes 1D6+3roundsto traversethe entrance
to the cavernat a run, which leads graduallyupwards.The
FranzBoren
journey takes twice as long if walking. In that time each
Know: Investigatorswho have spent time in the merchant
person without appropriate breathing apparatus (such as
navy or are of Chilean nationalitymay be aware that Franz
wearing gas masks found in the Main House) must roll
Boren is an old-sea hand who has spent his entire life on
Drowningdamage or take 1D6+1 hit points damage from
SouthAmericanregisteredtramp freighters.
concentratedsulphur fumes. At this point the victim must
make a CON x5 roll or pass out, after which they continueto Insider Knowledge: Boren was always consideredan outtake damage until rescued or die. Closer to the cavern, sider who never opened up to anyone and never had a
natural vents allow for the flow of fresh air, enough to woman to call his own. He loved animals,especiallydogs
comfortably sustain humans and hybrids for indefinite even though he treated his pets harshly.Boren does speak
periods.Moreau can exit and enter the cavern in 4 rounds some English, but often pretends not to too avoid
while carrying a human or hybrid thus minimisingtheir unnecessaryconversation.
He is a habitualliar.
chancesof inhalingdangerousgas.
Plot: Franz Boren was hired to manage the construction
Hot Springs: These thermal springs contain bubbling, crew who built Moreau'snew facility on Noble's lsle. He
heatedwateraveragingaround70oC (160oF).Any hybridor stayedon afterwardsas part of the maintenancecrew and is
human falling into these pools looses 1D3 Hit Points per now all the remains of that staff. He likes the hybrids, his
round from burns" Moreau often bathes in these oools to favouriteis Charleston,a Jaguar hybridwho is always at his
cleansehis alien roboticframe.
side protectinghim like a faithfulhound.While Boren is fond
of Moreau'sand McGrath'screations.he is not afraid to use
Power Generator: Originally a diesel generator, Moreau
strongforce againstthem or killingthem when they step out
converted it so geothermalgases escapingfrom fumaroles
of line.Todayhe believesthat Moreauis dead, and glad that
would power it. He keeps it runningtwenty-fourhours a day
he is because he always felt uneasy around that strange
every day except for rare occasions when it requires
living dead organism. Boren believes that the British
maintenance.The power is used to light the cavern.
governmentfunds the islandand that McGrathowns a secret
Desk: Moreau has lots of notes and booksbut most of these radio,hiddenin her laboratorythroughwhich she speaksto
are now illegiblesince the humidityand heat has caused her masters.
pagesto sticktogetherand ink to run.Moreauhas foundthat
with his new body his memorywas now photographic,
thus Several years ago Boren was attacked by a hybrid and
books and journals it seemed were now no longer horribly scarred. McGrath performed the operation that
necessary. In the draws of the desks are numerous savedhis life,but in the processremovedhis left hand,which
chemicals,test tubes, scalps, and other laboratoryand she laterattachedto the hybridChin-see.lf Borenlearnsthe
surgicalequipment.Not as extensiveas the equipmentfound truth regardinghis mutilationhe won't act on his own to
in McGrath's laboratory, Moreau's collection is still extract revenge, but could be convinced to join with the
sizable,stolen over the years from McGrath'slaboratory.
investigators
to kill McGrath.However,he is a ruthlessman
and
won't
think
twice about acting against investigatorsif it
SurgicalTable:This old surgicaltable is old, salvagedfrom
purposes.
suits
his
Moreau'sdays when he ran the experimentsfor the Mi-go.
The interior of the cave is hot and humid but bearableto
humansand hybridsif they get this far. Investigatorscan find
this cave by trackingMoreau here,or allowingone of the few
knowledgeablehybridsto show them the way. Moreau himself could forciblebring them here.

He still conductshis own experimentson hybrids,mostlyto

learn what recent developmentsMcGrathhas includedon
her latestexperimentalsubjects.

Boren knowsnothingof the Mi-go,or that they even exist.He

has seen the strangelightsin McGrath'slaboratoryand the
odd conversationsthat go on in there at night.Not following
Holding Pen: A 3m (10ft) gap separatesthe holdingpen Englishall that well he has no idea what the conversations
from Moreau's laboratory.The drop seems to go on forever are about. Boren knows of McGrath's sexual identitv
into darkness,but in fact drops only 40m (130ft) costing confusionbut pretendsalongwith her.
13D6 Hit Points of damage if someone fell into it. The
numerous noxious fumes down there would quickly over- Franz Boren, age 51, SweatyChileanForeman
come anyone who fell anyway. Moreau can easily leap STR 14
S I Z1 5
INTO9
coN 10
acrossthe gap with ease carryingone personor hybridwith POW OB
DEX1O
APP 08
EDU 07
him as he does so. Anyone else requiresa Jump roll or SAN 08
HP 13
they'll fall to their death. The walls prove to be of fragile, DamageBonus:+1D4
sharprock,and such attemptsto Climb out are penalisedby Weapons:Fist40%, DMG 1D3+db
25Yo.Moreau keeps his experimentalsubjects or captured Knife60%,DMG 1D4+2+db
investigatorsin here.So far no one has managedto escape HookedHand40%, DMG 1D6+db
this naturallvoccurrinocell"
.30-06Rifle70%. DMG 2D6+3
Skills:ElectricalRepair 60%, Listen40%, Locksmith50%,

42

wwwstarrywisdom.co.
uk

MechanicalRepair 60%, Navigation30%, Operate Heavy

Machinery 50%, Pilot Boat 6A%, Sailing 40%, Sea
Navigation
35%, Spot Hidden50%,Tiack30%.
Languages:
English30%, Portuguese15%, Spanish60%.
Appearance:This middle-aged,rounded Hispanic has
thinninghair, burnt skin and a wrinkledface. His body is
coveredin white hair.Large livid scars acrosshis bellyand
hismissinglefthand(replacedwith a hook)givehim a mean,
grizzledlook. He wears dirty pants and dirty white shirts
stainedyellow from sweat. He smells bad too, talks very
littleand only understandsEnglishwhen it is convenientfor
himto do so,
Sarah Lightfoot
Know: lnvestigatorshailingfrom Australiamight know that
SarahLightfootwas the wife of a Sydneybasedindustrialist.
Bothof them disappearedat sea nearthe Galapagoslslands
severalyearsago and were presumeddrowned.
lnsider Knowledge: Born Sarah McHollandof Melbourne,
she was from a poor working class family but succeedin
marryinginto moneywhen she capturedthe heartof Martin
Always regardeda strong willed woman, Sarah
Lightfoot.
dedicatedthe rest of her lifeto supportingcharitiesand just
CAUSES.

Plot: Sarah and her husband Martin were sailing from

Sydneyto San Franciscoon their privatecabin cruiser,The
MidsummerNlghf when they were attackedby Boren and a
crewof bloodthirstyhybrids.Most of the crew were killed,
while Martin, Sarah and the cruiser'scaptainwere taken
prisoner.
Withina few weeksthe two men were transformed
intohybridsand Sarahwas kept on as McGrath'smistress.
At first Sarah resistedMcGrath'sunnaturaladvances.She
escapedthe compoundand went in searchof her husband,
onlyto find him transformedinto a beast.lt was at this point
shefinallysnappedand gave into McGrath'swishes,erasing
herhusband'stransformation
from her mind.McGrathfound
her unconsciousin the jungle and was surprisedthat the
hybridshadn'ttaken her. In truth Moreau had rescuedher,
keepingher in his cave for a short period,nursingher back
to health.Sarah'smemoriesof this eventare vague,but she
recallsenough knows where he can be found. She has
mentioned
nothingto McGrathor Boren.
Sarahis is far from being beaten.While she might appear
submissiveand cold, she is still harbouringa plan to kill
McGrathand Boren,and escapethe island.Both men trust
her now,allowing her to swim every day in the ocean down
bythejetty,but Sarahis doingthis to buildher strength.She
enjoysswimmingin the shelteredcoral bays, it is the only
placeshefeelssafe.Everynow and then shipspasscloseto
Noble'slsle and one day she'sgoingto makea breakfor it.

husband,she looses 1D6+3Sanity,screamsthen falls into

catatoniafor 1D6 hours.Afterwardsshe remembersnothing
and refusesfrom then on to acknowledgethat Martin may
stilllive.
Sarah Lightfoot, age 29, CaptiveMistress
C O N1 4
S T R1 1
S I Z1 1
I N T1 5
P O W1 7
D E X1 4
APP 17
E D U1 5
SAN 33
H P1 3
DamageBonus:+0
Skills:Cthulhu Mythos 03%, First Aid 40%, Hide 55%,
LibraryUse 60%,Sneak55%,Spot Hidden70%, Swim60%.
Languages:English80%, French15%,Spanish20%,
Attacks:Fist 50%. DMG 1D3
Knife50%, none in possessionbut one underher bed
Appearance: Sara is a tall, beautifulwoman with shoulder
length blond hair that is roughlytrimmed since she cuts it
herself.Physicallyshe is very fit with an athleticbody since
she swimsfor two to threehoursa day in the ocean.McGrath
hates the water and won't go near her while she is swimming.McGrathkeepsher clothingto a minimum,and insists
she wear expensivedresseswhich are unpracticalfor the
island.

Asfar as the investigators

are concerned,she has seentheir
kind come and go all too often in the past. However, Doctor Milton McGrath
investigators
who have some successagainstMcGrathwill Know: Milton McGrath obtained a Medical Degree and
win her respect.Perhapsthen she'lljointhem if they havea Bachelor of Science, London University followed by a
realisticplan to escape the island.lf a female investigator Doctorateat OxfordUniversity.He was consideredone of the
'cell knowlwithan APP of 15 or more startsto win McGrath'scharms, best biologistsof his era with radicaltheorieson
Sarahwill feel threatened and feel forced to act straight edge' believingthat if the compositionof a cell could be
away.She will either attemptto murder McGrathand Boren altered, an animal would transformfrom one species to
andflee underseeminglyimpossibleodds,or try to convince another.McGrath'stheorieswere seen to align with Darwin's
the investigatorsto help her achieve these ends. With a Theory of Evolution. However, McGrath disappeared
substitutemistresson hand, McGrathwill not hesitateto do approximately a decade
ago under mysterious
away with Sarah, for she has often proved to be more
circumstances.
troublethan she is worth.

www.starrywisdom.co.
uk

rt3

Insider Knowledge: Biologists, British scientists or

academic staff at Oxford University might know that
McGrath's peers always consideredhim to be an outsider,
whose experimentationalways skirted the edge of cruelty
and the obscene.He used to performcruel experimentson
monkeysand rats killingthem in the hundreds.There was
alwayssomethingodd about McGrath'smannerisms,but no
one couldever put a fingeron what that was.
Plot: Born Emma McGrath,she was the only child of an
academiccouple who always expectedher to follow in their
footsteps.They were equallydisappointedin her because
they believedshe would never make it in the world as a
woman and so forced her to dress and behave as a man.
From the first day at boys' school she was called Milton and
forcedto dress as one of the boys.Teachersand school kids
thought she was weird, but very few ever picked up that
Miltonwas actuallya girl.Once a groupof boys strippedher
nakedand threwher into a swimmingpool.No longerableto
hide behind her confused sexual identity she quickly
developeda morbidfear of water.
Withdrawinginto her self, Miltonfelt the need to change her
physicalappearanceso to align with her mentalstate.She
studiedbiologypleasingher parentseventuallyobtaininga
Doctorate from one of the world's most prestigious
universities.Her experimentationswith animals were
promisingbut ethicallyquestionable.
Then one day a human
agenl of the Mi-go, a Mr Noyes, contactedher and offered
her'unconventional
work'which showedpromisein the field
of biology,the likes of which she'd never seen before.Mr.
Noyes convincedher of the virtues of working for his alien
mastersfor her scienceseemed promisingand could lead
the way to designinga human species capableof space
flight and the mental stamina to comprehendthe hidden
worlds of the cosmos. Quickly convinced after meeting a
Mi-go,she was transportedto Noble'slsle taking over the
work of Doctor Moreau.When McGrathcreatesa hybridthat
meets the specificationsof her masters,they promiseto
provideher with a male body.

Skills:Biology80%, Chemistry70%, CthulhuMythos25%,

First Aid 80%, Medicine B0%, Natural History 75%,
Persuade20%, Spot Hidden40%.
Languages:English 1O0Yo,
French 50%, Latin 25%.
Attacks:Fist 55%, DMG 1D3
Bullwhip75%,DMG 1D3-1or entangle
.38 Revolver600/0,
DMG 1D10
.30-06Rifle60%, DMG 2D6+3
Spells:ContactMi-go.
Appearance: McGrathalwaysdresseslike a man wearing
immaculately
clean clothes,mostlywhite in colourincluding
loose shirts and pants over riding boots. Outside she
regularlywears a sunhatprotectedwith a mosquitonet and
always carries a revolverand bullwhipattachedto her belt.
McGrath'sskin is pale and her short-cropped
hair is red.She
burnseasily.McGrathmay be a woman,but her mannerisms
are thoseof a man. lt takes a Spot Hiddenor a Psychology
skill rollto see throughthis pretence.

DoctorMoreau
"Ihese creatures of mine seemed strange and uncanny to
yau so soon as you began to observe them; but to me, just
after I make them, they seem to be indisputably human
beings. lt's afterwards, as / observe them, that the
persuasionfades.Firstone animaltrait,then another,creeps
to the surface and sfares out at me. But I will conquer yet!
Each time I dip a living creature into the bath of burning pain,
I say, 'This time I will burn out all the animal;this time I will
make a rational creature of my own!' After all, what is ten
years? Men have been a hundredthousandin the making."
- H. G. Wells, The Island of Doctor Moreau
Knowr Londonbased investigators
or those with a medical
backgroundmightrecallthename Moreaubeingattachedto
an infamous London surgeon who performed horrific
experimentson animalsin the early 1870s.He disappeared
a few years later shortly after he was expelled.

lnsider Knowledge: London based historiansor medical

practitioners
may knowthat Moreau'sexperimentswhere so
horrific
and
barbaric he was shunned by the scientific
McGrathis motivatedby two things,the first is to continually
community
of
his day. Through surgery he was always
act in a mannerthat supportsher masculineidentitysuch as
planning
to
create
better, perfect specimens of earthly
possessinga mistress like Sarah and the second is to
creatures.
create a super race of humans.In contradictingbehaviour
she looks at other humans as either servants (Boren),
Plot: Moreau'shistoryis describedin the introduction.
When
possessions(Sarahor female investigators
with an APP of
brought back to life and given his alien robotic body, at first
15 or more) or experimental subjects (the majority of
he believedthat the Mi-go were an interstellarrace who
investigators).Even if confrontedwith the truth that the Mi-go
plannedto aid and assisthumansin becomingsuper-beings
are only developingthe hybridsas their own servitorrace
who would join their interstellarfriends and togetherthey
and not for the benefitof humanityas they claim,McGrath
would colonise the stars. The Mi-go wanted Moreau to
will remainunwillingto believethis truth.She will act for her
believethat, but after a while Moreaustartedto see the truth
mastersto the death.
that Mi-go only wanted humans for two purposes; as
Cruel to the hybrids,she whips them into submissionand servantsand as experimentalsubjects.
speaksto them as if they are dumb animals.She seesthese
During his years of servitude Moreau came to see the
creaturesas failures but instead of blaming herselffor their
mistakes of his ways and began to reform despite his
misfortune, she blames them for not becoming the best
sanity shattering experiences and decidedly non-human
speciesthat they could be. lt is their fault they are the way
body.He saw himselfin the Mi-go,so hatingthem now as he
they are, not hers.
hates himself.Initiallyhe tried to modify the hybridsto fight
Doctor Milton (Emma) McGrath, age 41, Mi-goAgent and againstthe Mi-gobut when the Fungisaw throughhis plans
they attempted to kill him. They believe he is dead
Biologist
and are unaware that he lives in the north of the island,
STR 10
coN11
SIZ 09
I N T1 B
continuing his experiments on hybrids so that they will
POW 09
DEX12
APP 08
E D U2 1
remain inclined to turn against their masters. Recently
SAN OO
HP 10
Moreau came to the conclusion that this task was
DamageBonus:None

4rt

www.starrywisdom.co.
uk

impossible,
for the Mi-go were too powerful,too intelligent Some,such as Hampsteadand Charleston,have important
compared
to humans,and so he gave up.
rolesto play.Otherssuch as Chatterand Velmaoffer options,
opportunities
and evendangers.For otherhybridencounters
Moreau's
ultimategoal now is to die, but he is unableto do use the average characteristicsand choose one or two
sobecausehis programmingdoes not allow him to act out attacksas providedunderNew Creature- Moreau'sHybrids
thiswish.Moreau'sgoal is to obtainthe Mi-go ControlRod and then reuseas necessary.
andthusdeactivatehis 'preservation'
settings.Then he plans
to killhimselfin the most destructivemeanspossible,and if Charleston,Jaguar-WolfHybrid
thatmeanskillingMcGrathand Borenin the process,thenall Like a faithfulhound Charlestonis alwaysby Boren'sside,
thebetter.
ready to kill for his master.While Charlestonis a fierce
creatureand one of the more powerfulhybridson the island,
Of all the people on the island, Moreau is potentiallythe he is not very smartand can be easilyconvincedthat someinvestigators
most helpful ally. He knows he started this thing is true when it is not. Boren treats Charleston
mess,but eightyyearsof life and livingdeath have allowed appallingly,
but investigators
who show Charlestonkindness
himto see the errorsof his way.He is also the most in-tune willfind that their effortsare in vain,for he is extremelyloyal
characterto what is really behind the Mi-go schemes. to his brutishmaster.
joiningsideswith Moreauwill requiresometruston
However,
both sides. lf Moreau believes he will be betrayed or STR 28
coN18
S I Z1 8
I N T7
enslavedto the investigators(particularly if they gain POW 9
DEX24
HP1B
Move 12
possession
of the ControlRod) he will killthem as quicklyas DamageBonus:+2D6
possible.
Additionally,unless the investigatorshave the Weapons:Bite40%, DMG 1D6
appropriate
scientificskills, Moreau offers the only viable Claws50%,DMG 1D6+db
alternative
to creating Formulae-86.After rescuingSarah Armour:1 pointof fur
andfinallydoing some good, he now has a soft spotfor her Skills:Climb
50%,Hide40%,Jump80%,Scent80%,
and her plight, so if she has joined with the Sneak40%,Spot Hidden40%,Track70%
investigators
Moreauwill be more inclinedto work with them. Languages:
English20%, Spanish30%
DoctorMoreau,age B0+,Living-DeadCyborg
Chatter, Fox Hybrid
STR35
coN 17
stz 25
INT
1 8 This diminutivecreatureis timid and mostly confused.He
POW01
DEX16
A P P0 1
E D U 2 1 has some memoriesof his past as a Maori sailor,but those
SAN05
HP21
memoriesbringpainfulthoughts
so he avoidslookinginto his
Damage
Bonus:+3D6
past. Chatter was recently caught stealing food from
Armour:
5 pointsof cyberneticcoverings.Only takes 1 point Hampstead'slair and so is now fair game to any hybridon
ofdamagefrom impalingweapons.
the island. lf investigatorsrescue or otherwise aid this
Skills:Biology 90%, ChemistryB0%, Climb 65%, Cthulhu stutteringcreature,they'llfind an ally who can show them
Mythos20%, ElectricalRepair 50%, Electronics25%, First most places on the island,includingthe lair of the 'Metal
Aid85%, Hide 40%, Jump 65%, Listen50%, Mechanical Ghost'Moreau.
Repair
40%, Medicine85%, NaturalHistory75%, Persuade
20%,SpotHidden40%.
STR 12
coN10
stzT
t N TI
Languages:
English90%, French65%, German 25%, Lalin P O W 1 O
DEX19
Move9 HP 9
40%,Spanish25%
DamageBonus:none
Attacks:Pincher
Hands65%, DMG 1D8+db
Weapons:Bite
30%,DMG 1D4
Pincher
Grapple65%, DMG special
Claws30%,DMG 1Do
SanityLoss: 1l1DBSanitypointsto see Moreaufor the first Armour:1 pointof fur
time.
Skills:Hide
50%,Scent40%,Sneak30%,SpotHidden30%,
Track30%
Appearance:
All that is left of this man is a charredblacken Languages:English40o/0,Maori40o/o
bodyreminiscentof a mummifiedcorpse with blackened
bones
and rib cagesshowingthroughwhat is leftof his skin, Chin-see,Baboon-WarthogHybrid
muscle
and fat.Wrappedalmostas if it were a stranglervine Formerlya Chinesesailor,Chin-seehas retainedmoreof his
grownover his body are organic blue-greenrods, pumps, human featuresthan most hybrids even though his face
wiresand pistons creating an artificial lattice-likeframe looks like a cross betweena baboonand a warthog and his
providing
Moreauwith life and mobility.Strangealienfluids body is coveredin thick hair.Chin-seeis one of the Cthulhu
pumpthrough transparenttubes while audio, visual and worshippinghybridsloyalto Hampstead.The most striking
speech
devices,similarto thoseon the Mi-gobraincylinder, featureis his left hand, which is that of a human.A Spot
replace
his ears, eyes and mouth.Part-robot,parfzombie Hidden combinedwith an ldea roll will identifythe hand as
andpart alien bug, Moreau is a horror in anyone'seyes. once belongingto Boren, a successfulgraft performedby
Investigators
who have seen the spare parts and the remote McGrath years ago. The right hand and feet are ineffective
controlin McGrath'slaboratorywill make the immediate hooves.
connection
betweenthe two.When Moreauspeaks,his voice
is modulatedand unnatural, expressing no emotion S T R 1 5
coN12
S I Z1 3
I N T1 0
whatsoever.
POW 8
DEX16
MoveB HP 13
DamageBonus:+1D4
SampleHybrids
Weapons:Fist40%,damage1D3+db
Thefollowinglist is a sample of some of the hybridsthat Hoof30%, DMG 1D6+db
investigators
may encounterwhile exploringNoble's lsle. Tusk20%,DMG 1D8+db

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co.uk

45

Armour:none
Armour:3 pointsof hide
Skills:Hide 30%, Scent30%, Spot Hidden60o/o,Track
40o/o Skills:Climb30%, Spot Hidden30%, Swim 20% (onlyout of
Languages:
English15%,MandarinChinese30%
necessity).
Languages:Spanish20%
Hampstead,Lion-Ram Hybrid
Hampsteadis the ruler of the Cthulhuworshippinghybrids. Tar-Shan,Gorilla-TapirHybrid
lmposingboth physicallyand in personality,
Hampsteadis a This large, ape-like monstrositywith the face of a tapir is
brute of the highestorder who sees himselfas a kind of god Hampstead'sbodyguardand assassin.While at the hybrid
to the hybrids.Those he doesn'tlike or who speak against cave he acts as 'The Gatekeeper'determiningwho is and
him are killedand eaten.He spendsmost of his time in the who isn't allowedaccess into the dark confines.When he's
hybridcave with his haremof femalehybridsand most of that out and abouton the islandhe is 'The Messenger'delivering
time is spent sleeping.When he speaks,he refersto himself death to those
who opposed Hampstead'sreign. Not very
in the third person.The only way investigators
might be of
bright,nonetheless
he is veryfaithfulto Hampstead,who has
use to Hampsteadis if they can convincehim that they can
allowed
Tar-Shan
his
own femalecompanion.
get hold of guns or other a viableweaponswith whichto kill
McGrath.Hampsteadwill then likelykill anyonewho helped STR 26
coN 21
SIZ18
I N T6
him, for he doesn'twant anyonesmarterthan him challeng- POW 13
DEX16
Move8 HP 20
ing his leadershiplateron.
DamageBonus:+1D6
Weapons:Fist45%, DMG 1D4+db
STR30
CON 20
SIZ20
I N T1 1
Club25%,DMG 1D6+db
P O W1 4
DEX 22
Move10
HP 20
Armour:1 pointof fur
DamageBonus:+2D6
Weapons:Bite
40%, damage1D8
Skills:Climb
40%,Spot Hidden50%,Tiack60%
Gore2Oo/o.
DMG 1D6+db
Languages;English20%
Claws50%, DMG 1D6+db
Velma, Gat-Llama Hybrid
Armour:3 pointsof fur
Skills:Cthulhu
Mythos10%,Hide60%,Jump50%,
One of the more human-appearingand the more
Scent70%, Sneak B0%,Spot Hidden7}o/o,Track
600/o
intelligentof the island'shybrids,Velma was adopted by
Languages:
English30%, Spanish10%
McGrathand used in the Main Houseas a maid, performing
Spells:ContactCthulhu
all the house hold duties such as cooking and cleaning.
McGrath tried to make her wear clothes, but she always
Rumble, Pig-GiraffeHybrid
Lookinglike a pig with the horns and the skin textureof a found ways of destroyingthem, tearingthem to shreds.She
giraffe, this hybrid was once Sarah's husband Martin. sleepsunderthe houseat nightand is fearfulof Charleston
Investigatorswho have seen Martin's photographon lhe who regularlyrapes her. Investigatorswho come to Velma's
MidsummerNight and who succeed in a Spot Hidden and aid create a friend, but her memory is short and she forgets
ldea roll identifyhim as such.As Rumble,this hybridremem- her loyaltiesafter a few hours.She knows about the strange
bers nothing of his past, except that he knows he has lost lightsin McGrath'slaboratoryseen sometimeslate at night,
somethingvery importantin his life,he wishesto find it but but is terrifiedof approachingtoo closely.
cannotrememberwhere he lost it. Unalignedto Hampstead,
Rumblelivesalonewanderingthe island.He will be friendly STR 14
CON16
S I Z1 1
I N T1 0
to investigators
who do not harm them and can take them P O W 1 5
DEX 21
MoveI HP 14
aroundto the variouslocationson the islandif they offerhim DamageBonus:+1D4
food. lf Rumbleand Sarah meet, Rumblegoes into a rage
Weapons:Bite
30%,DMG 1D3
and killseveryonehe can and then runsoff intothe jungleto
Claws30%,DMG 1D4+db
be aloneagain.He is a tragicfigure.
Armour:none
STR 26
Skills:Cleaning40%,ClimbB0%,Cooking40%,
CON14
slz20
r N T7
P O W1 4
DEX13
Move8 HP 17
Scent70%, Spot Hidden80%,Track70%
DamageBonus:+2D6
Languages;
English50%
Weapons:Bite
30%, DMG 1D4
Hoofs40%, DMG 1D6+db
New Creature
Armour:1 pointof fur
Moreau'sHybrids, Lesser Servitor Race
Skills:Hide80%, Navigate50%,Sneak40%,
"The next most obvious deformity was in their faces, almost
Spot Hidden4oo/o,Track40o/o
all of which were prognathous, malformed about the ears,
Languages:
English40%
with large and protuberant noses, very furry or very bristly
hair, and often strangely-colouredor with strangely-placed
Sinbad,Rhino Hybrid
eyes. None could laugh, though the Ape-man had a
This rhinoceros hybrid is not one of the Hampstead's
chatteringtitter.Beyondthesegeneral characterstheir heads
followers,ratherthe leaderof a group of bullieslocatedon
had little in common;each preserved the quality of its particthe southernend of the island.They often work for Boren to
ular species:the human mark distarted but did not hide the
capture the crews and passengersof passing boats. ln
leopard, the ox, or the sow, or other animal or animals, from
return Sinbad and his team are allowedone or two of the
which the creature had been moulded. The voices. too.
crew as fresh meat.
varied exceedingly.The hands were always malformed; and
though
some surprised me by their unexpected human
STR20
coN 14
SIZ18
I N T9
appearance,
almost all were deficient in the number of the
POW,12
D E X1 1
MoveB HP 16
digits,
clumsy
about the fingernails, and lacking any tactile
+1DG
DamageBonus:
sensibility."
Weapons:Hoof 50%, DMG 1D6+db
- H. G. Wells, The lsland of Doctor Moreau
Horn20%, DMG 1D10+db

45

www.starrywisdom.co.uk

Createdthroughthe scienceof surgery,vivisectionand later

genetic engineering, Moreau's Hybrids are a mixture of
animalstransformedinto a more human form, or humans
whosegenetic coding has been altered to take on bestial
aftributes.Almost always a transformationfrom human to
animalresults in a permanentloss of reasoningability and
deterioratinglong-term memory. Most hybrids are tragic
figures,walking the line of succumbingto their animal
instinctsand behaving as rational, emotional creatures.
Manyhybridsin their confusionhaveturned to the worshipof
Cthulhuand his minions.

can create a human servitorrace.

This however is not what they told Moreau and then later
McGrath.Insteadthey offeredtheir researchas a means of
assistinghumansto reach their potentialin new and better
bodies to better equip them to survive the rigors of space
traveland the colonisationof interstellarworlds.Moreausaw
throughthis argumentand turned againstthem, McGrathis
blindedto the truth.

Z'ak'lus
This Fungi is a scientistfrom Yuggothwho is responsiblefor
assisting McGrath with her experiments.Z'ak'lus visits the
Moreau'shybridsare found on Noble's lsland locatedfar off island every 2 to 3 days through the gate but who will not
beyond the laboratory.Z'ak'lus can bring McGrath
thecoastof South America in the PacificOcean.Othersmay venture
most tools and services that she requires including more
havebeen transportedto other parts of the world for further
weaponswithin 1D2+1days.lf the situationon Noble'slsle
experimentation
and study.
deterioratesand can no longer be controlled by McGrath,
Z'ak'luswill send up to five Mi-goto deal with the problem.
Knownhybridsare almostexclusivelymammalian,mixtures
They may be sent to disposeof the investigators.
of one to three animals in each creation. Species used
includebaboon, bull, cat, cheetah, chimpanzee,dog,
elephant,
fox, giraffe,gorilla,horse,lion, llama,jaguar,pig, Z'ak'lus, Mi-go Scientist
coN 14
SIZ10
INT16
ram,rhinoceros,tapir, sloth, warthog, wolf and many other STR12
POW
15
DEX
16
Move
7/9
flying
HP 12
crossbreeds.

DamageBonus:none

Attacks:all Moreau Hybrids can attack in some form or

another.Many will have special attacks based upon the
animalor animalsfrom whichthev were bred.
Moreau'sHybrids, Beast People
Characteristic
rolls
averages
STR
5D6
17-18
coN
4D6
14
SIZ
3D6+3
13-14
INT
2D6
7-8
POW
3D6
10-11
DEX
3D6+6
16-17
Move:8
H P :1 5
Av.DamageBonus:+1D6
(cat hybrid)35%, DMG 1D4
Weapons:Bite
Bite(cheetah,lion & jaguar hybrids)40%, DMG 1D8
Bite(dog & wolf hybrids)40%, DMG 1Do
Bite(horsehybrid)30%, DMG 1D4
Claw(cat, cheetah, lion, jaguar, dog, sloth & wolf
h y b r i d s4) 0 % , D M G 1 D 6 + d b
Club(baboon,chimpanzee
& gorillal11brids)
2SYo,DMG1D6+db
Fi$(baboon,cfrimparzee& gorillahbrtls) 45%,DMG 1Dl+db
Gore(bullhybrid)35%, DMG 2D6+db
Gore(ram hybrid)25%, DMGID6+65
l-lod(bull,
ram, pig, horse, llama, tapir & giraffe hybrid)
2 0 % ,D M G 1 D 6 + d b
Horn(rhinoceroshybrid)25%, DMG 1D1O+db
Tusk20% (elephantand warthoghybrid),DMG 1D8+db
Armor:0-3 points of hide dependingon species
Spells:none
SanityLoss:0/1DGSanity pointsto see a hybrid
TheFungi FromYuggoth
For a long time the Mi-go, or Fungi from Yuggoth, have
wished to understand humanity. Now that humans are
rapidlyadvancinginto a technologicallyadapted species it
seemsthat Cthulhu and the Great Old Ones shall soon
returnand destroythem once and for all as a species.In the
meantimethe Mi-gowant to study and use humansas much
as they can, and in the case of Moreau'sisland,see if they

Skills:Chemistry90%, CthulhuMythos80%,
DistinguishInfrared35%, Dodge 35%, Earth Biology90%,
Electronics95%, FungiBiology95%, Listen50%,
Medicine95%.
HumanLanguages:English50%
Attacks:Nippers30%, DMG 1DO+ grapple
Armour: none, but the extra-terrenebody cause all impaling
weaponsto do minimumpossibledamage.
Spells: Contact Mi-go, Create Gate, Shrivelling,
Summon/BindDimensionalShambler.
SanityLoss:0/1D6Sanitypointsto see a Mi-go.

Mi-goArmaments
MistProjector
Shapedlikea chaoticarrangement
of metaltubes,a mist
projectorexpelsa coneof icy mist in the form of a dense
cloudof thickwhitefog3m (10ft)across.lt is intenselycold
doing 1D10 pointsof damageper round of exposure.
Victimswearingartic clothingor thickwarm winterwear
can reducethe damageby 3 points.The mist can be
sustained,normallyprojectedover a target until it kills
them.Becausethe mistis muchslowerthan a bullet,it is
possibleto usethe Dodgeskillto avoidthis attack.
With a successfulldea roll an investigatorcan work out
how to use this weapon.lt has a base chanceof 25o/o.
Eachweaponhas20 shotswith eachshot lastingan entire
combatround.
Bio-Armour
greenslimeare oftenworn
Thesewebsof semi-luminous
by mi-gowho bearsarms.The harnessprovidesI points
of armouragainstbluntattacks,flame,cold and the like,
butnot againstimpalingweapons.

wwwstarrywisdom.co.
uk

Five Armed Mi-go

#1
#2
#4
#3
#5
sTR
16
12
13
10
15
coN
13
17
11
09
11
14
slz
12
10
08
12
12
INT
16
13
15
10
POW
15
10
09
12
11
DEX
19
21
10
14
15
HP
13
14
10
12
12
+1D4
+1D4
Dmg +1Move:7/9 flying
Weapons:Nipper35%, DMG 1D6+db+grapple
Mist Projector55o/o,
DMG 1D10
Armour:bio-armourprotectsagainstordinarydamagefor 8
points but does not protectagainstimpales.All impalesdo
minimumpossibledamageto these extra-terrene
entities.
Spells: Mi-go of POW 15 or higher know at least the
followingspells:DreadCurseof Azathothand Shrivelling.
Skills:DistinguishInfrared35%, Dodge35%, Listen50%
SanityLoss:0/1D6 pointsfor seeinga Mi-go.

*/34'

@
-\

Runningthe Scenario
The Return of Doctor Moreau is presentednot so much as
an investigativestorylinebut rather a detaileddescriptionof everyhumanon the island.He mighteven lead an attackon
an enclosed environmentin which the investigatorsfind the Compound.
themselves.What, how and why they do what they do on Moreauis the biggestenigmaon the island.Eventhoughhe
Noble'slsle is left open.Beforethe investigatorsarrivea form is an artificialcreationof the Mi-go,he has retainedenough
of equilibriumhas settledover the inhabitants.lnvestigators of his humanityto know that he needs to right his many
wrongs. Moreau is the best opportunity the investigators
beingthe peoplethat they are will likelychangeall this.
have to revert back to their human forms, but his assistance
Boren is sly and uncommunicative
and unconcernedabout will comeat a price,and that is to kill McGrathand Borenand
the bigger picture. He may be the first inhabitantthe to destroyany possibilityof future experimentation.He also
investigatorsmeet when he and his hordesof hybridsraid an wishes to end his own life, so there should be plenty of
investigator'sboat to capture everyone. Normally Boren negotiationbetweenMoreauand the investigatorsbeforean
pretendsto be adrift at sea in his outboard motor boat, his alliancemay be formed.
hybridsled by Sinbadhidingundertarpaulinsuntilthey pull
Lastly,there are the Fungi from Yuggoth who desperately
alongside passingboats.Then they attackin swarms.Some
wish to maintaincontrolon the island.They will not reveal
deathsare requiredto pay off his Sinbadand his gang.The
themselvesstraightaway,but when they do it will be to act
rest are taken to McGrathfor experimentation,incarcerated
swiftly, destroying perpetrators who bring chaos and
immediatelyin the cells.
destruction to their carefullv orchestrated scientific
lf investigatorsarrive on the island of their own accord, experiment.
McGrath will at first treat visiting investigatorscordially
At the end of the adventure,investigatorswho began the
askingfor news of the world and perhapsexplaina bit about
transformationinto a hybrid yet manage to return to their
the hybrids,but will soon drug and incarcerateher visitorsas
human form are rewarded1D10 Sanity points.Additional
the next round of experimental subjects. Perhaps the
1D2 points are rewarded for each of Boren, McGrath,
investigatorsarrive unconscious,almost drowned on their
Hampstead and Moreau if they are killed or othenvise
ship and are alreadydruggedwith Formulae-18,
or it is feed
permanentlydisposedof. Helping Moreau bring about his
to them in their meals.Until such time as they do take the
own death provides 1D3 more points of Sanity while
drug, McGrathknows it is in her interestto treat investigators
destroyingthe laboratoriesand any possibilityof continuing
with respectand appear as their ally.
the experimentation
rewardsanother1D3 points.The Mi-go
Sarah at first will be cold and distant to the investigators are the other factor, if they are killed and the gateway to
knowingthat their fate is sealed and they are doomed.Only Yuggothis permanentlydeactivatedaward an additional1D6
if they can win her trust and display strength and success Sanitypoints.
against Boren and McGrath will she join with them. She
Before the scenario comes to an end, an all out conflict is
knowsof Moreauand may aid investigatorsto searchout the
to be let loose on Noble'slsle. Can investigatorsstay
about
mysteriousabode of this man.
alivethroughit all and retaintheirhumanityat the otherside?
Amongst the Hybrids, Hampstead is likely to be the Only the keeperand the playerscan answerthat question.
investigatorsswornfoe or untrustworthyally.He knowsof the
likelihood of guns being present in the wreck ol The Good luck and enjoy!
MidsummerNight and so may'mark'the investigatorsas his
own property if they cooperatein obtainingthese weapons
for him.With guns, Hampsteadwill becomebraveenoughto

www.starrywisdom.
co.uk

INsideOUt
Bu LirMasoo
A storgseedlor Cth.'lh,' Notn'& Delta Greeo
At the case conference,Dr. Justin Lloyd said, "ln my
experiencepatientswho smear excreta always do so after
havingcommittedan act of violence."He then sat back with
a self-satisfiedsmile and closed his hands across his
stomach.

balls of his feet, he tuckedhis chin tight in to his chest and

concentrated.He was directinghis whole attention,his whole
focus inwards,down deep in to his intestine,in to his bowel
where They were.

Onthe ward,Simeonhuddledin his room. He was not aware

of the world around him. He had not committedany acts of
violenceand was probablynot capableof doing so. In fact he
probably could not have said that he was on a
psychiatricward or what time of day it was. He was so
focusedon the task that he had to achievethat he did not
evensense the room temperature,his thirst or hunger,He
leanedin to the corner of the room and wedged his head in
to the right angle betweenthe walls. Then, squattingon the

"l have to and you must help" he whispered, "they have

summonedhim, the one from the stars and planted his
seeds insideme."The temporarysanityseemedto fade from
him, "he will grow and his is mightyand terrible."At the last
moment Charge Nurse Mitchell'sfrustrationover took her
and she did a very foolishthing;she let go of Simeonand as
he sank to the floor, she walked out of the room.

Simeon's friend had told him that there were magic

Sue Mitchell, the nurse responsiblefor the patient in mushroomsgrowingon the hill,so Simeonhad beenthereat
question,also sat back from the table.She had her eyes half dawn to look. He had pickedone or two and was about to go
closedand to the others around the table her smile was home when he suddenlyfound himselfin the middle of a
enigmatic,
Charge Nurse Mitchellwas very tired of Lloydand group of monks or suchlike. He had seen no sign of them
prior to their appearence,they had completely,silently
hisunjustifiedself-satisfaction.
surroundedhim. They had half whisperedhis name, their
The patient was called Simeon. He was a boy of about voicesmalign,sinister. Simeonknew instinctively
that their
nineteen. He had been found naked and mumblingto intentionstowardshim were evil, but he had no will to run or
himselfon the top of nearby Beacon Hill. Dr. Lloyd had told to fight. Instead he watched the twist and sweep of the
his colleaguesthat the boy was delusional,possibly monk's yellow robes as they walked round and round him,
probablya manic depressiveand definitely listeningto the monotonousinsidiouswhispering.He began
schizophenric,
proneto obsessive-complusive
tendencies.C.N. Mitchell to slip in to a state beyond dreamingwhere consciousand
believedthat Simeon had witnessed a traumaticevent and unconsciousdistinctionshorriblyblurred.
wassufferingfrom post traumaticstress. She was probably
right. Dr. Lloyd was, unfortunatley,not a particularlygood Now he had but one task. The seeds within him must be
psychiatrist.
purged. His sole purpose to extinguishthe seeds of life
growinginsidehim.His headtuckeddown and his eyeswide
Althoughhe was an intelligentman, Lloydwas the productof open, he staredat his body tryingto see throughhis skin to
his era. During training,his mentorshad been old school the centre of his being. He searchedwithin his mind and
psychiatristswho still had a firm belief in Freud. Dr. Lloyd squeezedwith his musclesto expelthe seeds.At all costshe
himselfcould see the powerfulattractionof Freud'stheories; had to push them out, but his will power was not enough.
however,
he trainedduringBritain'sThatcheryears,when all Reachingup with his fingersand then his hand, he grasped
of societywas in a culturalturn that made Freud'stheories and grabbed.
insupportable. Being torn between his mentors and the
culturehe was livingin, had been incrediblyhardfor him and Sue Mitchell returned wearily from the case conference,
the schism was to shape the whole of his latter life. To his resignedto her colleague'sincompetence.
The young nurscolleagueshe was a source of fustration;he could never ing assistant assigned to observe her patient was
decideon a diagnosisfor his patients,he couldneverchoose shakingoutsidethe patient'sbedroomdoor.
whetherto be a clinicianor a manager.Worse still, he
As Simeon'shand,then wrist and then arm disappearedup
seemedto use Martyrs Cross to hide from reality.
his own rectum,the nursingassistant's
face grew paler."He's
Simeon'snurse raisedthe issuethat has been botheringall doingit again,"he stammeredto Sue Mitchelland then vomofthe stafffor some time, "Simeonis smearingfaecesfour or ited.
fivetimes a day. lf he continueslike this he is going to damDoing something that had never been done before in the
agehis bowel."
historyof MartyrsCrossHospital,C.N.Mitchellunlockedthe
Lloydtutted, "Violence,"he said forcefullyand continuing bedroomdoor and walkeddecisivelyup to Simeon.Taking
equallyforcefully,"stop the violence and you will stop the him in her arms,she rockedhim back and forth and begged
smearingJ'With the last word he closed one fist over the him "pleasedon't do this, please."The force of her action
other and then fearing he may be called upon again to somehow registeredwith the boy and he looked at her, his
got up and abruptlyleft the case conference.
contribute,
eyeswide with suddenlucidity.

The young nursing assistant had recovered himself and

www.starrywisdom.co.uk

+9

Crossed l ines
j'Til

By Keary Birch
(or how to add depth and fun to
any long-running game)
A scenarioseed

*n--541:'il
1-:^'

.0

r"^r/!ia->ffi

-/

raised his eyebrow.Sue Mitchellansweredhis

question, "there's nothing that can be done" she said,
making no attempt to disguise her feelings. "He's just
anothercrazy.Go find Dr.Lloyd,tell him he was rightand ask
if the boy can be medicated."She sat down heavilyon the
chair outsidethe bedroomand was surprisedto feel tears
stinging the backs of her eyes. "l need a change of job"
she muttered to herself, "and I need to rememberthat
I am a psychiatric nurse and these are my patients."
In a matterof minutesLloydappearedwith a syringeand a
vial of chlorpromazine.
He drew up 300m9 and passedthe
chartto C.N.Mitchell
to countersign.They enteredthe room.
Simeon didn't registertheir presenceand he did not fight
them off as they injectedhim. Lloydstartedto observethe
effects of the drug and within forty five minutes they were
able to lay Simeon on to his bed. He had a peacefuland
benevolentsmilespreadingacrosshis face.

The charactershave just got back to the hotel that is

currentlytheir home. No-one knows that they are
stayingthere, or so they think. They settle down in
one of their rooms when all of a sudden the phone
rings. Surprisedthat they are gettinga call, one of
them picksit up, expectingthe desk clerkto ask them
some inanequestionabout checking-out.
Take the playerout of the room away from the other
players. Try to get them out of earshot of the others
and then speakingin a low voice,explainthat there
appearsto be a very cracklyline,and in the distance
can just be made out a femalevoice" Quietly(make
sure your voice is faint) the voice says "<name of
character>/"pause"<nameof characten is that you?
You'revery faint!"
The playershouldrespond,
"<name of characteF you must know that whatever
happensI will alwayslove you. lt's not my fault. lt's
making me do it. I don't mean to harm anyone,
especiallynot our baby. Forgiveme!"

In his office Lloyd picked up the telephoneand said "lt's

done."Therewas a briefsilenceand then the linewentdead.
Returningthe handset,Dr.JustinLloydsat back in his chair,
The linegoes dead.
crossedhis handsover his stomacheand closedhis eves.
Questions and Possibilities
1. Charge Nurse Mitchell may discoversomethingabout
Simeonor Dr. Lloydand call in help to get to the root of the
mystery.
2. Dr. Lloyd is not all he seems to be and may come to the
attentionof the investigators
throughexternalagencies.
3. Simeonescapesand a man hunt pursues.
4. What happenedto Simeon'sfriendwho told hirnaboutthe
magicmushrooms?
5. Just what is insideSimeonif anythingat all?

Takethe playerback to the othersand don't answer

any questions.
Possibilities
1)The sharacterhas amnesiaand does not remember an importantpart of their life.
2) The Mi-Go have capturethe wife/girlfriendof the
characterand placedtheirbrainin a brain-case.They
have just discovereda way of communicatingbut
have been discoveredby the Mi-Go. But why don't
the charactersremember?

6. lf Simeon is successfulin expellingthe seeds {probably 3)TheYithianshavetradedplaceswith the futurewife

causinghis death)what happensto the seeds?Will the cult of the character. She has retained some of their
try again?And on who?
timetravelcapabilities.This is a messagefrom the
7. How many other patientsat MartyrsCross Hospitalhave
there been, over the years, suffering from similiar
conditions?
8. Just who does Dr. Llovdcall?

50

future but can the characterswork this out.

4) An escaped lunatic has been following the
charactersand has formed an obsessionabout one
of them.

www.starrywisdom.co.
uk
L

The Cryptosraphyof Cthulhu

By XOQ QKXYNGC.SUUXK
(RikKershaw-Moore)
Codes,ciphersand other hiddenwritingscan attractcertain
Callof Cthulhuplayersand turn others right off.There is no
doubtthat many Keeperswould love to have their cultists
usingcodesand ciphersto keeptheir actionssecret,except
of coursefor the problemof how the investigators
are going
to decodethe notesthey find.

as simpleas possible.For scenariosor campaignsthat run

on beyonda singlesession,more complexcipherscan be
employed.

TranspositionCiphers
In a transpositioncipher,the letters of the message are
simply rearrangedto make an anagram.Whilst this isn't a
Beforegoing on, a coupleof simpledefinitionsare probably very secure means of encryptingshort messages,longer
appropriate.A code is a method by which the messageis messagestend to be stronger.
obscuredby replacingeach letter or word of the message
withanotherletteror word, usuallytakenfrom a code-book Bear in mind that if the messageis rearrangedin a totally
of some kind. A cipher is a meansof hidinga messageby randommannerit would be impossibleto decode so some
replacingeach letter of the originalmessagewith another simple and repeatablemeans of scramblingthe message
letter.The means of lockingand unlockingsuch ciphersis needs to be devised,and both partiesmade aware of this
done via the use of a key. This article will concentrate method.
mostlyon the use of ciphers.
Noneof the basic charactersheets from Call of Cthulhu5.x
makesany mentionof code breakingskills and it is only
whenwe get to Pagan Publishingand Delta Green with it's
Cryptography
Skillthat anythingapproaching
this kindof skill
appears.So what is a Keeperto do? Well there are a few
optionsopen:

There are a coupleof basictransposition

techniqueswhich
can be usedto hide a message.One methodis to scramble
the messageby breakingthe lettersdown into letterpairsor
digraphsand then swappingalternativedigraphs.
For examplethe message:
WE SUMMONHASTURAT MIDNIGHTTONIGHT

l.Write all notesin plaintext,this is probablythe simplest ls first splitintothe letterpairs:

and easiestsolution all round. lf you favourthis solution
simplystop readingnow and go and do somethingmoreuse- WE SU MM ON HA ST UR AT MI DN IG HT TO NI GH TX
fulinstead.
The trailingX is added to bring the last letter pair up to
2. Write all the notes in a languagethat is foreignto the strength.The letterpairs are then scrambledin this way to
investigators,
such as French, German, Latin and Aklo. give:
Chancesare that one investigator
will at leastbe ableto read
MM ON WE SU UR AT HA ST IG HT MI DN GH TX TO NI
oneof these languages.Perfectionist
Keepersmay wish to
producehandouts written in these languageswhich will
This messageisn't terriblyhard to decode and should not
requireat least some knowledge of the languages in
give the averageplayerany significanttrouble.
question.For the internet enabled amongst us, there is
alwaysBabelFish (http://uk.altavista.comipos/babelf
ish/trns) Anothermethodis to use the 'rail-fence'schemewhere the
which can help to translate between a wide variety of messageis writtenwith alternativeletterson separateupper
languages,
but currentlyneitherLatinnor Aklo is supported. and lower lines.The sequencesare then fitted together,so
the top rowwill becomethe frontpartof the messageand the
3,Graba copyof DeltaGreenand use the Cryptography
Skill
lowerrow makingup the last lineof the message.
or alternatively
try this method.An initialEDU x 5 roll or less
on a D100 is requiredto identifywhat type of type of cipher For example,using a simplefence transpositioncipher,the
was used to encode the message.lf the roll fails then the message:
cipherremainsunknown.lf a criticalfailure
is rolled,thenthe
WE SUMMONHASTURAT MIDNIGHTTONIGHT
cipher has been misidentified. With the cipher
successfully
identified,the Investigator
must rolltheir INT or Wouldbe fencedas:
lesson a D100 to successfullydecode the message.The
WSMOHSUAMDIHTNGT
timeit takes to decipherthe cipher can be determinedby
EUMNATRTINGTOIH
countingthe numberof lines in the messageand times by
give
1D4 to
a total in hours. For example,a message To givethe codedmessage:
containing
3 lineswouldtake 3 x 1D4 hoursto crack.
WSMOHSUAMDIHTNGT
EUMNATRTINGTOIH
4. Use one of the followingciphersto producelhe codes
required.
The ciphershaveall been selectedso that they can D e c i p h e r i n gt h e m e s s a g e i s s i m p l y a m a t t e r o f
be used by investigatorsfrom Victorian right through to r e v e r s i n gt h e p r o c e s s .T h i n g s c o u l d b e m a d e m o r e
moderntimes. When consideringthese ciphers Keepers c o m p l i c a t e db y a d d i n g e x t r a f e n c e r a i l s .B u t o n t h e
p a r t i c u l a r l ys e c u r e a n d s h o u l d
needto bear in mind that if the playersare to crackthem in h o l e t h i s c i p h e r i s n ' t
orove
an
easv
taroet.
a realtime gamingsituationthen it is bestto keepthe cipher Substitution'Ciphers

www.starrywisdom.co.uk

t-

5l

Substitution Ciphers
Breakdown into:
Substitutionciphersare some of the oldestin the world.In a
Letter
substitutioncipher the plain text letter is substitutedfor a
R=T
ciphertext letter.One recommendedmethodis to pair letters
K=H
of the alphabetat randomand then substituteeach letterin
L=l
the original message with its correspondingpair. For
Y
=M
example,if we havethe followingletterpairs:
Z=N
Plaintext
A B C D E F G H lJ
KLM
B=A
Ciphertext
U M T F I S O Y K D G E Z
O=G
Plaintext
NO
P O R S T UVWXYZ
P=O
Ciphertext
L V N A H B R P W C J Q X
U=S
V=U
Swappingthe plaintext lettersin the message:
C=D
F=E
WE SUMMONHASTURAT MIDNIGHTTONIGHT
H=R
l=W
Wouldgive the encipheredmessage:

Gount
5
3
3
3
3
2
2
2
2
2
1
1
1
1

So a frequencyanalysisattackwhichblindlyreplacesthe top
9 most frequently used letters with ETAONRISH would
Anothermethodis knownas the CaesarShiftCipher.ln this produce meaninglessrubbish. Therefore Keepers are
cipher,the lettersare not chosen randomly,but are a shifted encouragedto use the same cipherfor messagesused by a
alphabetby a set numberof lettersto either the left or right. cultistgroupso that the playerscan buildup a largeenough
In the followingtable,the cipheralphabethas beenshiftedby statisticalsampleto analyse.
6 characters.so that it A = G.
Routes
Plaintext
A B C D E F G H I J K L M Routes are a code system,which was createdduring the
Ciphertext
G H I J K L M N O P O R S AmericanCivilwar.They have a very basicstructure,which
Plaintext
N O P O R S T U V W X Y Z
is designed more for speed of creation than total secrecy.
Ciphertext TUVWXYZ
A BCDEF
plaintext arranged
The Routecombinesword transposition,
in columns,enoughnullsto confuseand a pre-setpatternby
Thereforethe message:
which to read the columns.The main issue is that the
decodingRoute needs to be transmittedwith the message.
WE SUMMONHASTURAT MIDNIGHTTONIGHT
CI BPZZVLYUBRPHUR ZKFLKOYRRVLKOYR

For examplethe followingmessagehas been created:

Would be encipheredas:

TAPSE12 CONSTABLECHIEFROBE 42 MOON FULL FARM

MEET 26 MIDNIGHT AT HIM SUMMON WE
Once again both people must know the correct cipher MLqSONIC
LODGE MESSENGERLOOK TO THE SUN TRAIN
sequence.This might be somethingas simpleas a pieceof BOAT41 ARRIVESDOOMOF BRINGERPLESANCESTREET
paper saying;forexampleA = G, or it could be a complete NOONBRINGSACRIFACE
OVERLOOKGOATSWOOD
copy of the cipher that the cultist has carelesslyleft lying
aroundwaitingfor an investigator
to find it with a successful Before a route can be started. a code word needs to be
Spot Hiddenroll.Substitutionciphersare also open to what chosen.In the above examplethe code word of the Route is
LAPSE.The code word tells the decoder the number of
are calledfrequencyanalysisattacks.
columnsin the messageand the order of those columns.
Frequencyanalysisattackswork by countingthe numberof LAPSEhas 5 lettersso thereare five columnsand the order
differenttypes of letters in a piece of ciphertext.The word of the columns is alphabetical.The first column is
ETAONRISHis a favouritewith cryptanalystsas it is made up representedby the LetterA, the Secondby E and so on.
from the most commonly used letters in the English
language.The precise ordering of some of these letters However, the code word does not tell the decoder the
tends to vary, but the letter E tends to top the count as the numberof words per column or the word order.The word
by the numbers12,whilstthe numberof
mostfrequentlyused followedby the remainingletters:T,A, orderis represented
per
words
is
the numberof charactersin the code
column
O, N, R, l, S, H. There are otherfrequencypattersthat can
plus
word
5,
the
number of characters in the word
be analysedsuch as common letterpairs such as AN, EN,
order
2,
a
total
of
7.
The
column starts after the code word
ER, ES, HE, lN, NT, RE and TH as well as repeatingsame
the
number
12.
LASPE
and
lettergroupssuch as OO, EE or MM.
CK YASSUTNGYZAX GZ SOJTOMNZZUTOMNZ

Such attacks only work when there is a large enough The word order is derived by the sequence of the two
sampleto get a staticallymeaningfulresult. For examplethe numbers 1 and 2. Since the number 1 is first this indicates
that the words in the first columnare printedin reverseorder,
31 lettersthat make up the encipheredmessage:
whilstthe wordsin the secondcolumnare in theirrightorder,
CI BPZZVLYUBRPHUR ZKFLKOYRRVLKOYR
and so on.
lf the message is too short then some kind of code word
must also be used to tell the receiverthat the message has
finished.In this case the word OVERLOOKhas been used.
The messagecan thereforebe separatedinto columns:

52

www.starrywisdom.co.
uk

Column 2
Column 3
Column 4
Column 5
PLESANCE CONSTABLE MASONIC
TRAIN
STREET
CHIEF
LODGE
BOAT
NOON
ROBE
MESSENGER 4 1
BRING
42
LOOK
ARRIVES
SACRIFICE MOON
TO
DOOM
OVERLOOK FULL
THE
OF
GOATSWOODFARM
SUN
BRINGER

become RF.
2. lf both lettersare in the same column,they are replaced
by the lettersimmediatelybeneatheach other.GN would
becomeNW. lf one letteris at the bottomof the column,then
it is replacedby the letter at the top. WG becomesON.

3. lf the letterpair is neitherin the same row or column,then

penultimateword in the Column 2 is the key word each is exchangedfor the letter found in its own row but in
RLOOK,so ignoreeverythingbeyondit, includingitself. the column where the other letter appears.ThereforeTU
the messagein columns1 and 2 only is:
becomesRY"
MEET26 MIDNIGHTAT HIM SUMMONWE PLESANCE
STREETMIDNIGHTBRINGSACRIFICE
stilldoesn'tmake any sense until the word order in
1 is reversed:

So applying these three rules the message can be

encipheredas:
yO MZ pU NL pG BN Ry AF RO KG OG HJ ll AW KH JF

Playfairis a fairly strong cipher,given the resourcesof the

1890sand 1920s,but is consideredweak in moderntimes.
It is open to attack by looking for the most frequently
routes use simple words and phrases they are fairly occurringdigraphsin the cipher text. These digraphscan
to crack, but the red herrings they contain can lead then be comparedwith the most commondigraphsfound in
to come up with an answers which may send a the Englishlanguage.
spinningoff in a totallydifferentdirection.
Realistically,it may take an averageplayer days to crack a
Playerencipheredmessage,so this is anothercasewhere a
cultist
beingcarelesswith eitherthe key word or a complete
Playfair cipher was one of the more impressive
grid will pay off.
Playfair
of the 19thCentury.The eminentscientistCharles

WESUMMONHIM AT MIDNIGHT26 MEETPLESANCE

STREETMIDNIGHTBRINGSACRIFACE

designedthe cipherfor his friend(and Speaker

the House of Commons) Baron Lyon Playfair of
Andrewsand was first unveiledat a dinner party for Prince
in 1854.

ADFGX Cipher
Col. Fritz Nebel createdthis cipher for the German army
duringWorldWar One primarilyfor transmissionvia radioor
telegram.ThelettersA, D, F,G, and X were chosenbecause
ciphermade practicalsensefor use in wartime,sinceit the Morse code for these letters is very distinct and the
jumblingthe encipheredmessageslim.
extremely
easy to use, requiresno complexchartsor chanceof
and the key word can be quickly changed if The cipher uses a 5 x 5 grid mntaining 25 alphabetical
red.
lettersscatteredat rardomlythoroughthe griJ.The missingletterin
cipherconsistsof a group of lettersplacedin a 5 x 5 grid is the letter Y becausethe Germm alphabethas no Y. For
grid lookslikethis:
lettersI and J count as 1). The key word, containingno example,an ADFGX

letters,is writtenhorizontally
fromleftto right.The
spacesbeingfilledby the restof the alphabet.
For
, the keyword in this case is LOVECRAFT,and the
grid looks like:
LOVEC
RAFTB
DGHIIJK
MNPOS
UWXYZ

ADFGX
ANHFPK
DGAIWE
FOORBL
GMJDXZ
XTSVUC
In the first step, the plain text letters of the message are
substitutedfor pairsof lettersthat are createdby readingfirst
from the side and then the top, so W would become DG.

encipher
the cultists'message:

The plaintext phrase:

WESUMMONHASTURAT MIDNIGHT
TONIGHT

WE SUMMONHASTURAT MIDNIGHTTONIGHT

messageis first split it into digraphs.lf a doubleletter Becomes:

is found then the letterX is used to split them. For
DG DX XD XG GA GA FA AD XD XA XG FF DD XA GA
, MM would be splitto form MX M:
DF GF AA DF DA AD XA XA FA AA DF DA AD XA
SU MX MO NH AS TU RA TM ID NI GH TT ON IG HT
y the letterpairs could be in the same column,the T h e l e t t e r p a i r s a r e f u r t h e r e n c i p h e r e d b y
row or totally separate. Enciphering follows three p l a c i n g t h e l e t t e r s i n h o r i z o n t a l r o w s a c r o s s
rules:
a pre-set number of columns, say 15. Once
all letters have been placed the numbers 1
.lf bothlettersare in the same row,they are replacedby the t o 1 5 a r e a d d e d i n a r a n d o m o r d e r a b o v e
to their immediateright.For exampleAT would become t h e s e
letters.
These
numbers
are the
lf one of the lettersis at the end of the row, it is replaced t r a n s p o s i t i o n k e y :
the letter at the beginning of the row, thus BA would

www.starrywisdom.co.
uk

53

DGDXXDXGGAGAFAA
D XDX
A X G F
DFGFAADFDAADXAX
A FA
A A D F D

F
A

Aquainfances
andAbodes

Finally the message is written as groups of letters read in

numericalcolumnorder:
XXFA GXFF XA.AAGFFD XGDF GFDA DDGA AGA GDAD
ADAA AAX DDDA FAXA DXAD AXDX

TheTenernert
by Andytsennison

The biggestweaknessof this cipher is that requiresboth the

senderand receiverhavingthe same ADFGXand numerical
The tenement provides a base for the impoverished
grid to encipherand deciphermessages.
investigator.The tenement is designed to be a base for a
group of characterswho were students at the Miskatonic
The Solitaire Gipher
Finallyone other worthy of mentionis the SolitaireCipher University.Details and occupants should be introduced
createdby BruceSchneierand used by Neal Stephensonin gradually.Some of the residents may provide useful
his book Cryptonomicon.The Solitairecipher uses a pack of information,leads or contacts.
cards as the key.For more detailson the SolitairecipherconIn the worst part of town,the tenementstandsjust behindthe
sult either a copy of Cryptonomiconor visit Bruce Schneier's
railwayline on the edge of a run down industrialarea. lt's in
Website:http:/iwww.counterpane.com.
a particularlypoor state of repair, no thanks to Zeke the
janitor.The landlord,Zeke'sUncleHabbakuk,is neverseen.
with his
UncleHabbakuklivesout of townand communicates
Notes and Sources
nephew by letter and the occasionalabruptlyshort phone
call.
Singh, S. Ihe Code Book,
FourthEstate,London,1999
Ground Floor
The receptionsets the tone for the rest of the building.lt's
Stephenson,N. Cryptonomicon,
shabby and in need of a lick of paint. The carpets are
Arrow Books,London2000
threadbareand the lightingdim.There is a pervadingair of
and stalecigarettesmoke.The only saving
age, dilapidation
Wrixon, F. B. Codes, Ciphersand Secret
grace is that the rooms are relativelycheap.
Languages,
There is an old sofa againstone wall, the frequentresting
HarrapBooks,London,1989
placefor the tenement'smost long standingoccupant,Mrs
Horowitz.There is a noticeboard that hasn'tbeen updatedin
years; displayingservicetimes for the local chapel,faded
postcardsfor now bankruptbusinessesand out of date fire
regulations.
There is a poorly typed set of "House Rules"
l
which includes"No children,No Pets and No visitorsafter
10.00pm".
I

Thereis a smallhatch,usuallyopen,throughwhich you can

see Zeke's disorganised office. A tatty "Please Ring for
Attention"sign is peelingfrom the wall above an antique
buzzer that doesn't work. The office itself is cramped and
squalid.lt's amazingthat Zeke finds anythingin there.There
are stacks of old newspapersand comics that go back over
ten years.Zeke'sroom is evenworse.
The laundryroom hasn'tbeen used properlyfor years.Only
the sign on the door gives a clue to it's originaluse. Zeke
uses it to store cleaningequipment,bits of junk and an old
bicycle.Mrs Horowitz'sginger cat Jesse can often be found
snoozingon some old sacksin the corner.

V
jq

,{

The lift is in a poor state of repairand regularlybreaksdown.

Most tenantsdon't botherto use it.
(;

54

The generatorroom is kept locked.Zeke is very protectiveof

the clappedout piece of engineeringthat chugs, belches,
groans and generally keeps everyone awake all night.
Occasionally,it managesto keep the water on the right side
of lukewarm.

Zeke, the janitor

Zeke seems to spend his days sat in the office readingpulp
magazineslike OrientalTales,Spicy-AdventureStories,The

www.starrywisdom.co.
uk

and ThrillingMystery.
Skipper
He doesn't
Heis tall, ungainlyand somewhatovenryeight.
careabout his physicalappearance.His hair is an untidy
mopand his chin usuallysports a few days growth.Zeke
seemsto wear the same worn out and stainedpair of
always
His speech is ponderous.The caretakeralways
Cungarees.
seems
to pause in mid sentenceas he tries to find the right
word.Despite his appearance,Zeke is quite clever and
greatoffenceif patronised.His revengehoweverwill be
takes
calculated
and well planned.lts no coincidencethat Nicky
Angel's
flat is more prone to cockroachesthat anyoneelse's
crthatold man Rasmussen'splumbingis alwaysbreaking
Jown.
Hedoteson old Mrs Horowitzand often deserts his post to
runher errandsor make her a fresh pot of coffee.
lhecaretakeris an opinionatedracist.He isn'timpressedby
thenumberof what he calls 'dirtyforeigners'whoturn up at
MrWarren's
door.He can't understandit. MrWarrenis such
aniceman. He's alwayscheerfuland polite.He also keeps
stockedwith magazines,so he can't be all bad.
Zeke

I
I
I

i
I
I

Yard
I
I

Frrerscape !
I

WC
Zeke'sRuom
Generator
Room IT
ilffice

Io Zekethe tenementis a palace.He is very proud to be

for Uncle Habbakukand to have sole responsibility
rvorking
forsucha wonderfulbuilding.

lF
I

eceptr0n

Laundry

FirstFloor
1A- SamMaddocks,a dockworker,his wife Sophieand their
noisynewbornbaby live in cramped conditions.They will
soonhave to leave the tenement,but Zeke is lettingthem
stayuntilthey can find somewhereelse to stay.
18- Mr Ho is an immigrantelderlyChineseman. He speaks
litile
Englishand works as a washer-upper
" " ""rruvili-i
1C- Wolf and Alfred Kahler are two middle-agedbrothers
whoworkin a nearbycanningfactory.

iLift

of perceptionand the humanpsyche'His

his radicaltheories
accentis a hybridof American,Germanand Russianwith a
hint of the Balticthrownin. When he speakshe often drops
in German phrases and words without realising. He
'doctor
of the mind' and will happily
describeshimselfas a
discusssuchtopicsas philosophyand psychologywith great
authority.He is also a learnedoccultist.In his rooms he has
a selectlibraryof occultbooks includinga batteredand badly
Kulten
damagedoriginalGermancopyof Unasuprechlichen
that he was discoveredin an ancientmansionoverlooking
the Rhineback in 1897.He is reluctantto.showthis book to
anyone because of the dangers inherent in perilous
knowledge....that's
what he tellseveryoneanyway.

1D- Mrs Horowitzwalks with the aid of two sticks.She

mostof her time in her room.On a good day she will
spends
hobbledown to the reception and sit chatting to Zeke,
repeating
the same conversations
from one day to the next.
Shelovesto reminisceabout how she emigratedfrom her
Germanyas a youngwoman and of how she met and
native
lellinlovewith her longdead husband.She shouldbe in hospital,but she is much too stubborn.She has no family,but
Zekelooksafterher as besthe can.Sometimesshe criesout 'Doctor'
Mellingerhas neverleft America.His schoolingwas
inthenight.
limitedand his knowledgeof the occultis minimal.He'sjust
SecondFloor
a lonelyold manwho likesto dreamthat he is someoneelse.
2A- Mr Warrenis a small time businessman.He uses his lt's got to the stage now were he actuallybelieveshis own
roomtwo or three nightsper week. His businesscard says fantasies.He does have a small library- most of the books
'lmporter'.
He regularlychats to Zeke in order to find out are in German and Russian.Only a handfuldeal with the
businessand to checkthat the authoritieshaven't occult.The only book of any worth is a copy of Darnley's
everyone's
beenpokingtheir noses in.
Kulten is
Maygar Folklore.His copy of Unasuprechlichen

sanchez
isinherearry
twenties.
She,yg,k:,":
28-Monica
3"i:,1y#ffii::?::??'iH",iffiil
ffi["ir*?"i??f:ii
anusherette.
Her boyfriendis in prison.She is a 'friend'of

a CthulhuMythosRatingof 1%.He is awareof a few mythos

namesand placesand will drop them into the conversation
he's
ZC- Dr Mellingerhas lived in the tenementfor some twelve in orderto impresspeoplewith his knowledge.Basically,
quite
first
impressions
can
be
deceptive.
harmless,
but
and rakethin, he is sprighilydespite
fears.BeardeJ,OatOing
years' He was a lecturerat the B.3rlinllstituje
eighty-five
2D - Harry Moiloyis surrytwenty-threeyear otd rabourerwho
[is
h!,.h'd.?n
disagreementwith tle u3v^]sity often has rowdyfriends visit untitthe earty hours.
Fnlil
.unspecified
He then chose to emigrateto America to teach
huthorities.

NickyAngel'

I
t

www.starywUOorn.co.uk
1

55

Third Floor
34 - The Hadenfamily,a middleaged coupleand their son,
live in particularlysqualid conditions.They just seem to
spendall day arguingand listeningto a very loud radio.

---'i

Yard

38 - Nicky Angel is a small time hood. He fences stolen

goods and organisesillegalgamblingrackets.He works for
one of the smallercity gangs.He has an innocentcherubic
faceand a gentlevoice.He also has a flickknife,a shorttemper and several very nasty friends. His some-time
girlfriend,LorraineKramer,occasionally
staysoverin his flat.
The five-inchscar on her right arm wasn't caused by an
accident.Nicky is also friendlywith MonicaSanchez.Nicky
likes to talk big, throw his weight around and impressthe
ladies.

RoomC

3C - Availablefor rent.The previousoccupantdied in the

room a fortnightago.Some of his belongingshave not been
removed.

Bathroom
&WC

3D - Carl Schnabelis a thirtyyearold widowedtaxi driver.He

works nightsand tends to get annoyedif there is too much
noiseduringthe day.

RoomD

Fourth Floor
44 - MickeyBrook and Marion Heyserare a young eloped
couple,pretendingto be married.Marionworks at the hotel
in the kitchens with Mr Ho fromlB. He works as a
deliveryman.
48 - An elderly couple,Mr and Mrs Logan constantlyrow.
The police have been called to their flat on several
occasions,but no chargeshaveever been brought.
3C - Don Gruberworks in a slaughterhouse.
His wife, Eva,
cleans officesand serves in the all night diner.They have Using the Tenement
severe debt problemsand have borrowedheavilyfrom local The criminalactivitiesof NickyAngeland Mr Warrenprovide
loan sharks.
plenty of scope for subplotsand mini adventures.Should
Warren
discoverthat the playershave found any interesting
4D Ed Rassmussenis a retiredfailed businessman.He
relics,
then
he will do his best to relievethem of their gains.
often has drunkenbingesand aggressiveepisodes.
Similarly,Nicky Angel will be interestedin anyone who
suddenly comes into money. Hannah Felton has the
Fifth Floor
5A - The roof leaks quite badly,makingthe room unusable. potential to become a useful NPC with links with the
Togetherwith DoctorMellingerand Jim Garrison
Zeke has tried to fix it, but has now given up. lts now full of university.
clutter,brokenfurnitureand old boxes.In a cornerare some she couldbe a linkintofull scaleCthulhumythosadventures.
suitcasesthat belongedto a previoustenantwho left without
Some Questions
paying.
58 - Hannah Felton is an impoverishedsemnd-year student of
archaeology.Her parentsdo not approveof her decisionto study.
Theywantedto marryher off to a dentist,so she left homeand hasn't
spoken to
them
since. Hannah has to
supportherself.She works part time in an all nightdelitwo blocks
auay.Hannahusedto livein 2C, butthe noiseftom her neighbour
provedtoo much for her.At night her rusty\paruriter can be heard
datering amayand echoingabouttte upperfloor.
'Smiling'
5C Jim Ganison works as an attendantin the
mortuaryat the local hospital.A i:vial and mild mannercdman he
takes great pleasurein tendingto the departed.He'svery matterof
hct abouthisjob and speaksof he deadwitr revercnceand respect.
Cheerfuland friendly,Jim wouldhelpout any investigators
with informationaboutthe hospitalor ifs staff.Houeler, he will not breakthe
lar or breachany mnfidentiality.
5D - Arailaile for rent

56

1.What liesin the suitcasesin 5A and why did the occupants

leave?
2. Who are Mr Warren'sassociates?
3. Who livedin 3C and how did they meet their death?
4. Just who is UncleHabbakuk?Does he reallyexist?
Theseare all possiblemini scenariosopen for development.
Followingis a table of other,more ordinaryoccurrenceswithin the tenement.
Random Occurrences
RollaD20
1) A large unmarkedcrate arrivesfor Mr Warren.Mr Warren
is currentlyout of town.
2) NickyAngel gets a visit from rival mobsters.
3) Mrs Horowitzcollapses.

www.starrywisdom.co.
uk

Oneof the tenantsis evictedby Zeke for non-payment.

gets drunk and aggressive.He picksa fight
Rasmuusen
one of the playercharacters.
Mr Ho is mugged.
A large family want to move into the tenement. Zeke
them accommodation
and a fight ensues.
Theelectricsshortout and the entireblockis plungedinto
ESS.

Twobogus"healthinspectors"arrive.
MarionHeyser'sfather tracks her down.
1) An occultist who has heard of his fabulous book
visitsDoctorMellinger.
LorraineKramerand MonicaSanchezaccidentallv
meet
NickyAngel'sflat.
Loansharksvisitthe Grubers.
) A cards school in Room 2D gets out of control.A brawl
out.
A mysteriousstrangerarrivesand startsaskingawkward
of Zeke. (lt's a customs official on the trail of Mr
Mr and Mrs Loganrow with HannahFeltonand complain
the noise of her typewriter.

7)Mobsters
try to extortprotection
moneyfromZeke.
Some of Nicky'scronies beat up MickeyBrook.(They
y suspecthim of snitchingon them to the police.)
The lift breaksdown,trappingsome of the residents.
A pairof evangelistspay visitthe blockand try to convert
residents.
in the tenementis neverouiet.Thereis alwavsnoiseand
. Residentschangeat regularintervals.OnlyZeke,Mrs
, Doctor Mellingerand air of dilapidationare con-

t. Enjoyyourstay.

cwAogturf
tt\rTtftuK

CTHULHU
YoUT00CAt\r
Local supportfor conventionand tournamentorganisers,
includingpromotionalmaterialfor prizes is availablefrom
Alan Gloverat
servitor@chorazin.org.
uk
and
ChaoisumUK Liaison,PO Box 459, CambridgeCBI
9QB. Pleaseincludean indicationof the size of the
eventand detailsof which Chaoisumgame/swill be run.

www.starrywisdom.
co.uk

s7

ITEMS OF MI.JTT]AL
INTEREST
NamelessCults - The CthulhuMythosFiction
of Robert E. Howard
Editedby RobertM. Price
PublishedDecember2001 by Chaosium
353pp Softback$15.95
tsBN 1-56882-130-1
Much of Robert E. Howard'swritings typify the best and
worst of pulp fiction. His stories are often fast paced action
packed adventures. Unfortunately,they often include two
dimensionalheroestogetherwith sexistand racistsupporting characters.NamelessCultsactuallycomes with it's own
healthwarning:"The storieshereinare completeand unexpurgated.Some contain racist stereotypesand references.
Readerscan judge them for themselves."Bob Priceis perfectlyrightto pointthis out. Some of these storiesare - and
lets not mince words - racist.lt can be argued that these
descriptionsand charactersare "of their time" - writtenfor
the masses seventyyears ago. However,if you considerthe
currentresurgenceof the xenophobicpoliciesof the far right
acrossEuropeand beyond,the attitudesexpressedin some
of these tales is no differentfrom the views of some sections
of modern day society.

BitesBack".
This neatlybringsup backto my initialquestion- shouldthis
book have been published?This answerhas to be a "yes."
Chaosiumare assemblingwhat is turningout to be the most
comprehensive
rangeof CthulhuMythosfictioneverattempted. You cannot have that withoutacknowledging
the contributionor importanceof RobertE. Howard.
As Bob Pricerightlysays- readerscanjudgefor themselves.
Reviewedby Andy Bennison

St lves Ghost Walk

St lves,Cornwall,Mondayand Tuesdayevenings
Adultsf3 Childrenf2

Everbeentemptedto go on a ghostwalk?They can be found

in many Britishcities and towns that rely on tourism.They
tend to be organised by impoverished university
studentsor amateurdramaticssocieties.You
can usuallyrely
on a cheap and cheesy night out being guidedaround the
I don't want to turn this review into an essay about free streetson an unfamiliartown accompaniedby a couple of
speech versus politicalcorrectness,but it is an issue we theatricaltypesdressedin top hats who tell you a mixtureof
allegedlytrue and mostlyfabricatedtalesof scurrilousdeeds
shouldnot ignore.
and ghostlyencounters.For the kiddies,you may get people
But what of the stories themselves?Nameless Cults is dressedup in sheetscreepingaboutin the distanceor for the
somethingof a mixed bag, containinga broad range of adults,a selectionof trulyawfulpuns.Usually,the walk ends
Howard'sfiction - sword and sorcery,horror,weird menace, up at a decentpub.
adventure,posthumouscollaborationsand ends with the
completeround-robinstory "The Challengefrom Beyond". lnterested Call of Cthulhu Keepers can usually pick up a
The tales include his direct contributionsto the Cthulhu coupleof ideas for scenariosand encounters- particularly
mythos, those whose ideas were incorporatedinto the for Cthulhu by Gaslight.
mythosby otherwritersand somethat show the influenceof
The St lves Ghost Walk is a little different.There are no
Arthur Machen.Comparedto Baen's1987 Release"Cthulhu
gimmicksor "leapers"who jump out at people and shout
and other kindredhorrors",whichcoverssimilarground,this
"Boo!"or anythingsilly likethat.
collectionprovidesa wider mix of tales.The only relevant
piecefrom the Baen book not presentin NamelessCults is The tourtakesyou around'ordinary'streetsand eventuallyto
a singleverse poem entitled"Arkham".
the cliffs overlookingon the beaches.There are tales of
houses where no one will live, the ghosts of shipwreck
You only need to compare "Worms of the Earth" or "The
survivors- there's even the local branch of Woolworths is
ShadowKingdom"to the bulk of the rest of the talesto see
supposed
to be haunted.All the stories are based on
where Howard'sstrengthslie as a writer.Togetherwith "The
researchcarriedout by lan (the guide)and his friends.
BlackStone"they stand head and shouldersabovethe rest.
The much-praised"Skull-Face"is dull, over-longand repeti- lan also runs ghost walks in Penzance and visits to
tive. lt perfectlyillustratesHoward'slimitationsas a writer of PengersickCastle - reputedlythe most haunted place in
detectivefiction.I would have preferredto see more posthu- Britain.Start times and further informationcan be found in
mouscollaborations
instead,particularlyRichardL. Tierney's Cornishtourist informationcentersor on website address
"Templeof Abomination."
www.ghosthunting.org.
uk
NamelessCultsdoes not show Howardat his consistentbest The tour was supposedto last just over an hour - after two
- you get glimpses,but you have to balanceclassicslike
hourslan was stillgoingstrong.He was more than happyto
"Wormsof the Earth"with the racisttrite of "The BlackBear talk with peopleas we walkedfrom one point to the next.He

58

www.starrywisdom.co.uk

stayed on and chatted with four of us for another

of an hour after evervone else had left and to talk
some of the other stories that he didn't have time for.
lancertainlyknows his subject- there was an enthusiasm
told you he wasn'tjust doing the tour to make a little
m0ney.

Bottled in Blonde.There is a serious treatment of current

socialissues;childabuse,poverty,cults,prostitution
and surprisingly enough considering Bottled in Blonde,
alcoholism- and that's just in two stories! In his afterword
Cave statesthat he regardedthese tales as some of his best
work and you can see why.Officer Coffeyisn't a policeman.
He's an AttendanceOfficerwho works with delinquentor
in all,a pleasant- if ratherunsettlingevening.lf you live potentially
delinquentyoungpeople.The storiestacklesocial
Cornwallor intendto visit there on holiday,these ghost concernsthat you don'tusuallyassociatewith the pulps.The
arecertainlyworth a try, especiallyif you'veneverbeen presentationis clear and functional.Appropriatelyenough,
onebefore.
the bookletis printedon what appearsto be recycledpaper.
Caveonly wrotethree Coffeystoriesand two of them are feaby Andy Bennison
tured here.The third and longest,Loose Loot gets a chapbook all of it's own, and comes frbm a different
publisher,The SidecarPreservationSociety.ln Loose Loof,
Officer Coffey is investigatinga spate of petty thefts by kids
from libraries.This leads to something much more
Bottledin Blonde
dangerous..
.. Boththesebookletare producedon short print
byHughB. Cave
runs (250and 175copiesrespectively)
and are quicklygoing
Published
2000 by Fedogan and Bremer
out of print,but thereare stillsome availablefrom speciSlist
241 pages $29
Hardback
dealers.
ISBN:1-878252-48
B
lf you're lookingfor a social commentarythat reflectsthe
concerns of the 1930's, then don't read Frosf. Wandrei's
detective fiction output was greater than his horror and
sciencefictionoutput combinedand this book collectsthe
first eight tales from the pages of C/uesDetectiveSforles.

0fficer Coffey Sfones

byHughB Cave
Press
2000by Subterranean
Published
Paperback
48 pages$12
tsBN1-8292284-71-5

ProfessorL V Frost is Donald Wandrei'sserial detective;a

sort of cross between Sherlock Holmes and Bruce Wayne
(That'sthe Bob Kane version,not the AdamWest one.)This
is true comic book action.These storieswould make great
graphicnovels.The hero is an aloofdilettantescientist,more
interestedin solving mysteries than taking care of his
Frost
physicalappearance.He drivesaround in the "Demon",his
byDonaldWandrei
bullet proof car and is assisted by his attractiveand lethal
Published2000 by Fedogan and Bremer
assistantJean Moray.With a hero like this,the villainshave
306 pages$29
Hardback
to be largerthan lifetoo. Frostfinds himselfpittedagainstevil
ISBN:1-878252-42-9
geniusesand cold calculatingmurderers.Eventhe plotsare
Withthe increasedpublicationof pulp and Cthulhufiction, out of the ordinary.Where PeterKane solvescrimesof pasinterestin pulp writer's non-genre work is also on the sion and greed in seedy bars and down town docklands,
1997 saw the releaseof the excellentThe LastPin Proffesor Frost cases involve mute dwarfs, mad scientists
increase.
byHowardWandreiand there has recentlybeen a trickleof and bizarreincidents.
pulp fictionby familiarnamesfrom the horrorfield.
detective
These four books show some of the range of the genre.
HughB. Cave's Bottled in Blonde presents a more typical Hopefully,we'll see another Frost volume beforetoo long.
to the genre and as such is of more interestto Call Don't Senda Boy, a secondHowardWandreianthologywill
approach
Cthulhu
Keepers who want to run characterswho are hopefullysee print in the next year.Alternatively,try looking
of
private
eyes.The storiesare tongue in cheek and cliched- in your local branch of discountedbooks, where if you're
andthat'sfor the good. PeterKane is an alcoholic.Indeed, luckyyou mightstillbe ableto pickup remainderedcopiesof
hespendsmost of the storiessmashedout of his skull or 100 Crooked Little Crime Sfories. lt contains half a dozen
as well as
fightinga raging hangover.These stories would not be Caveshorts(writtenundervariouspseudonyms),
writtentoday.They are decidedlynot politicallycorrect.The stories by August Derleth, Henry S. Whitehead and E.
herodriveshis car when he is clearlyover the limit.One of Hoffman Price.There's even Peter Cannon's mythos short,
the supportingcharactersis a disabled bartendercalled The Lettersof Hatpin Chalmers.
"Limpy".
There'seven a dumb cop calledLieutenantMoroni.
lf you'venever'triedany detectivepulp fiction,give it a go.
Youcan tell Cave enjoyedwritingthesetales.
Youdon'tknowwhat you'remissing.
Kaneseems to blunder,or more accuratelystagger,into
Reviewedby Andy Bennison
trouble,
as typifiedin the title storywhere Kane gets lentthe
keysto a liqueurstore,only to find a dead body ratherthan
his favourite bottle of whiskey.They are fast paced and
a naivet6that movesthe actionalong.Enjoythese
contain
i
storiesfor what they are - pure escapism.

loose Loot
byHughB Cave
Published
July 2001by SidecarPreservationSociety
Paperback
32 pages$7

Cave'sOfficerCoffeySforiesforms an interestingcontrastto

www.starrywisdom.
co.uk

59

The FreeportTrilogy

which now includeshumansas well as SerpentPeople.As

each scenario progresses,the party will learn more,
includingthat membershipof the Brotherhoodof the Yellow
Sign may go very high and may be linkedto the currentSea
Lord's personal project - the construction of a giant
lighthouseacross from Freeport,known as Milton'sFolly.
Could this be part of a plan to summon the Unspeakable
One once again?

Death in Freeport
Writtenby Chris Pramas
Publishedby Green Ronin
ISBN:0970104812

Terrorin Freeport
Written by Robert J. Toth
Publishedby Green Ronin
ISBN:0970104820

The Freeportis far from straightCall of Cthulhu.lt being a

D&D adventure,it is far moreheroicin feeland tone,than the
stark desperationof classic Call of Cthulhu.This is reflected
in the differencein sanityrulesbetweenthe two games,central to one, peripheralto the other.And also in the climaxof
the trilogy,whichis somethingof an anticlimaxin eitherstyle
of game.

Madnessin Freeport
Writtenby WilliamSimoni
Publishedby Green Ronin
ISBN:0970104839

So of what directuse is the Freeporttrilogyto the Keeper?

None as such, but the adventureshas possibilities
as a set
of slightlymore heroicthan the norm adventuresthat can be
When is Call of Cthulhu scenarionot a Call of Cthulhu? run as part of a Dreamlandscampaign.That is, if you want to
When it's a Freeportscenariofrom Green RoninPublishing. include such D&D rercesas Elves, Dmarves,Gnomes, et al,
withinyour game.
This trilogy of adventures (comprising Death in Freeport,
Terror in Freeport, and Madness rn Freeport)is designed As it is, these are still a worthy,Lovecraftianflavouredset of
under the terms of Wizards of the Coast's Open Gaming scenarios which might just add a little sparkle to a
Licensefor theird20 system.Morespecifically
theseare sce- Dreamlands
campaign.
nariosfor the new Dungeons& DragonsThird Edition,which
may put some peopleoff.Yet this seriesis worth a look,not Reviewedby Mathew Pook
just for its Mythoselements,but also becausethey'redecent
adventuresin themselves.
A set of Third Edition Dungeons & Dragons scenarios by
Chris Pramas,RobertJ. Toth& WilliamSimoni.

The setting is Freeport,a pirate city in the islands in the

islands known as the Serpent'sTeeth.Ruled by a pirate
captain known as the Sea Lord, the city has become a
powerful force rivalling many nations (the setting is
purposefullydesignedto be slottedinto any D&D campaign,
as neither the name nor the nature of these nations is
mentioned).Millenniaago, though, these islands were a
continentruled by the Serpent People Empire of Valossa.
Faithfulworshippersof Yig, Fatherof Serpents,the Serpent
Peoplebecame advancedin the ways of both scienceand
magic.Yet they were arrogantenoughto ignorethe rise of a
new faith, the Brotherhoodof the YellowSign until it was too
late and the Brotherhoodsummonedtheir own dark god, a
Great old One known as the UnspeakableOne. This
shattered both Empire and the continent into islands,
scatteringthe SerpentPeople,allowingthe rise of humanity
and other races.

Shadows Bend
By DavidBarbourand RichardRaleigh
PublishedOctober2000 by Ace Books
311pp.Softback.
Price:$13.00
ISBN:0-441-00765
Have you heard the one about HP Lovecraft and the
prostitute?lt soundslike a bad joke, and guess what? lt is.
All thosemonsters,gods and ancientbooks- he didn'tmake
them up. They're all true! Honest. Shadows Bend joins
Pulptime,Lovecraft'sBook and countlessshort stories in the
sub-genrethat featureHPL as a character.
The story kicks off with a worried HPL travelling to see
Robert E. Howardin Texas.Howardis the only person he
reallytrusts.This stretchescredulitya littleand we'reonly on
chapterone. HPL had lots of friends he knew and trusted
more than Howard. Many of them lived a whole lot nearer.
Lovecrafthas been sent a strange idol called a 'kachina'.
Lovecraft's dreams are becoming more horrific and
sometimesthe doll takes on the image of Cthulhu.HPL
wants Howardto accompanyhim on a journeyto visit Clark
Ashton Smith, who just happens to have a copy of the
Necronomicon.
On the way, the boys rescue a lady of ill
repute,Glory McKenna,from a gang of thugs. She joins
them on their travels.From here on our protagonistsseem to
wander about, not quite sure where to go (rather like the
plot.)There are strangerson their trail and HPL and REH
turn theirthoughtsto theircompanion.

Enterthe players,who havetravelledto Freeportlookingfor

work. The first adventure,Death in Freeport,which won the
2001 Origins Award for Best RoleplayingAdventure,is
designed for a small party of first level characters,with the
trilogyintendedto take them throughto approximately
fourth
and fifth levels.They are asked by a clericof the Brotherhood
of Knowledge,BrotherEgil,to lookfor Lucius,a missingcolleague.This is not the firsttime that he has gone missing,as
six years previously he
had undergone a
personality change, asking strange questions before
When he returnedfour yearslater,he was his
disappearing.
old self.Shadesthen, of the mind transferringtime travelof
the Great Race of Yith?
By this time I had failedto care aboutwhat happenedto any
the characters.While there is an excellentattemptto capture
The path of the investigation
leads into a conspiracyinside
Lovecraft'smannerof speech,it is difficultto identifywith any
the Brotherhood, and pointing towards a return of the of the characters.I can't imagineLovecraftwantingto spend
Serpent People and the Brotherhoodof the Yellow Sign, any time in the companyof someonelikeGloryMcKenna,let

60

www.starrywisdom.
co.uk

alonelaughingat one of herjokesthat has the word 'anus'in

thepunchline.ClarkAshtonSmithfareseven lesswell.He's
merelya device:someoneto find, someoneto conveniently
havea copyof a bookthat resolvesthe plotand someonefor
Gloryto sleepwith. lt's as if he's includedjust so all threeof
WeirdTalesmost famous contributorsappear in the same
story.

also provides a wealth of previously unpublished

biographicalinformationand gives an informedinsightinto
Blackwood'suniquecharacter.

Much of Algernon Blackwood'sfiction was based on his

actualexperiences.One of the most interestingaspectsof
StarlightMan is the way in which Ashley relates incidents
from Blackwood'slife directlyinto the storieshe would later
ShadowsBend reachesit nadir when it turns to Lovecraft's write.He also capturesBlackwood'sfascinationwith nature
sexualfantasiesand then revealsthat his fatal intestinal and how this becamethe majortheme of the writer'soutput.
cancerwas caused through the machinationsof Cthulhu. Blackwood'sawe of the world around him and his at times
Thisis nothingshort of bad taste.lt's fortunatethat neither childlikewonderwas mirroredin his fiction.In a sense,his
HPL or REH weren't survived by any close relatives.I personalityand philosophywere his fiction.To understand
wouldn'tlike to read these sort of fictional'revelations'about one is to understandthe other.
my family.Shadows Bend is offensive and disrespectful.lt
workor wouldliketo know
doesnothingto promotethe threeauthorsand just addsfuel lf you enjoyAlgernonBlackwood's
more
about
this
undeservedly
neglected
writer,do yourselfa
to someof the distortedlies that surfacefrom time to time on
goes
favour
it
and
buy
this
book
before
out
of print.I haveno
the internetor in the fan press.
doubt that StarlightMan will become the definitiveAlgernon
ShadowsBend is subtitled"a novelof the fantasticand the Blackwoodbiography.
unspeakable".
The descriptionis only half right.
Reviewedby Andy Bennison
Reviewedby Andy Bennison

S t a rlig h t M a n , T h e E xtra o rd i n a ry L ife of

Algernon Blackwood
By MikeAshley
Published
2001 by Constable
Hardback395ppf20
lsBN 1-84119-417-4
The other year saw the fiftieth anniversaryof the death
AlgernonBlackwood,but rnformationabout him is still very
scarce.There is Blackwood's autobiography,Episodes
beforeThirty,but preciouslittleelse.I'm fortunateenoughto
own of copy of Fpisodes and the book only covers the
periodof Blackwood'slifebeforehe startedwriting.As many
of the subjectswere still alive when the book was written,
many of the names were changed. Blackwood also
deliberately
did not includehis involvementwith the occult.
Therehave been occasionalarticlesover the years about
Blackwood,but nothingelse substantial.StarlightMan is the
first majorbiographyof AlgernonBlackwood.
long-awaited

CthulhuMash
By DavidM Niecikowski
Published2003 by The Evil PolishBrothers
Randontile & monstergeneratingboardgame
Boxedgame $30.00
wwwjumpgate.com
Cthulhu Mash is random tile generationgame, similiarin
conceptto PaganPublishing'sThe Hill RiseWild. Insidethe
boxyou find 16 map segments,loadsof monster,health,and
item icons (all in full colour on good card stock), not
forgetting4 charactertiles with plasticstands,dice and of
course,a rulebook.

Boardsegmentsare laid out as you go (so the board is not

revealeduntilyou movethrougha gate to a new segment).
As your character(ArticExplorer,MarinerMerchant,Private
Eye or Psychotherapist)
moves into a new board segment
you generatemonstersin random locations.All the usual
suspects are here - Cultists, Elder Things, Mi Go,
Gnoph-Keh,Leng Spidersand Moon Beasts. As you travel
The stereotypedpictureof an author is of someonewho aroundand despatchnumerousmythosmonsters,you also
writes about life rather than experiencingit. Algernon collect items which can help you and hinder the other
Blackwoodturns this stereotype inside out - traveler, players.
journalist,spy, supernaturalinvestigator,member of the
GoldenDawn, socialite,playwright,radio performer- it's a The nicethingabout MonsterMash is that you can play it in
wonderthat he ever found time to pen any supernatural four distinctways, includingco-operative(all playerswork
together),death match (you alone againstthe other players
storiesat all.
and the monsters),capturethe flag (team play)and solo.
Mike Ashley has spent over twenty years of writing and
researchto achievehis dream of completingthis biography. All in all, CthulhuMashis greatfun. Takingfrom the tradtions
'Mash (as
we
He'scarriedout extensiveinterviewsand has had accessto of board,role-playand computergames,the
picking
it)
call
is
well
worth
up.
Whilst
it's
relatively
easy
to
manypublishedlettersand manuscripts.
is
fan
He a devoted
of AlgernonBlackwood,but there is nothing'fannish'about pick up in the USA, UK resdientsmightwant to pestertheir
this book. lt is a serious,detailed,objectiveand thorough local game store in order to get copies in. The game
appreciation
of Blackwood'slife and work.This is backedup certainlydeservesa wider audience.
with copious notes and an excellent,althoughshortened,
bibliography.
There is an infectiouseagernessin the writing Reviewedbv Mike Mason
to tell Blackwood'sstory and encouragethe readerto track
downhis manv novelsand short storv collections.
The book

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Si lent C h i l d r e n

Arkham'sMastersof Horror

By RamseyCampbell
Hardback352pp
Publish.ed
2000 by Forge$24.95
tsBN 0-312-87056-6
Softback375pp
PublishedNov 2001 bv Tor $6.99
rsBN 0-812-56872-9

Editedby PeterRuber
Published2000 by ArkhamHouse
444pp.Hardback.Price:$32.95
lsBN 0-87054-177-3

The contents of Arkham's Masters of Horror reads like a

Weird Tales Who's Who. lt collects rare and unpublished
work from 22 Arkham House authors.With one exception,
LeslieAmes is comingto terms with her recentdivorceand none of the tales have previouslyappearedwithin Arkham
the problemsshe is havingwith her teenageson, lan. lt's a House covers. This editorial decision leads to some
fairlytypicalreal lifesituation,butwhen the buriedremainsof unexpectedchoices.
a murderedchild are found under her house. a crime of
which both Leslie and lan are totallv innocent, it has Robert E. Howard'sValleyof the Lost is a horror tale with a
western setting. Donald Wandrei's contribution is in the
nightmariihramifications
thriller/mysteryvein, while the underatedCarl Jacobi'sDyak
Familyrelationships
are a key themein Campbell'sfiction.At Reward is a gruesome Borneo adventure.HP Lovecraft is
the centre of the novel is a comparison of relationships represented by unpublished excerpts from his
between lan and Jack and their respectiveparents.The correspondencewith August Derleth.(One letter even critinovelis aboutthe two families- how they communicate,
what cisesone of the storiesfeaturedfurtheron in the book!)This
they hide and how they feel about each other. The selection criteria means that the stronger stories tend to
familiesalmost become charactersin their own right.As the come from those authors with only one or two Arkham
novel progresses,the emphasisof the narrativemovesfrom volumesto their credit.This is only to be expected,as the
one characterto the next with no singleone dominatingthe editorhad moreto choosefrom.(ClarkAshtonSmith'sstory
story.This is one of the strengthsof SilentChildren.
amountsto onlytwo pages.)PeterRuberbreakshis ruleonly
once, with a reprintof Ray Bradbury'sThe SmallAssassrn.
The supporting characters are similarly carefully crafted. This perfectlyillustratesthe point, as the story stands out
RamseyCampbellonceagainshowshis skillforcatchingthe between "second choice" tales. Some of the tales do not
pomposityof people who think they are important,be they representthe authors at their best, but a simple "Best of'
journalists,neighbours,customersor teachers.Campbell
anthologywould have defeatedthe point of the book. The
must have had an awful time at school.Characterslike Mr preservationof rare pulp horror was the reason for Arkham
Brandand Mr Cardiganonly appearin a coupleof chapters, House'sfoundingback in 1939.
but they are so well observedits easy to think that they are
aroundfor much longer.His snapshotof care in the commu- There are no Cthulhu mythos stories, but what's more
nity is also sadly accurate.I've worked in care homes in the disappointingis an absenceof weird verse.There are many
past,and I've come acrossplacesjust like Haven.
poems by the likes of Howard or Frank Belknap Long that
would havefitted into this book.Betterstill, I would have liked
SifentChifdrendeals with contemporaryissues.ln The One incfusionof the DuaneRimel/HPLcollaboration
The Dreams
Safe Place, Campbellexaminedthe portrayaland effectsof of Yith.
violence.In this book he sensitivelyhandlesthe topicof child
killers.lt would be interestingto read Campbell'sviews of Peter Ruber introduceshis anthologywith a robust essay
how recent real-world cases have been covered by the that firmly puts August Derleth'scriticsin their place.This
media;particularlythe naming and shamingcampaignand book is as much about Derlethas Arkham House.In many
the incident where one woman was harassed by ways August Derleth was Arkham House. Each tale is
neighbours who didn't know the difference between a prefaced by a short biographyof the featured author. lt is
paedophileand a paediatrician.
here that the book truly comes into it's own and stands it
apart from other horror collections.lt celebratesthe authors
Like lhe One SafePlace,Silent Childrenis veryfast paced. themselves - their lives and sometimes their failed
The final thirdof the booktakingplaceovera singleday.The aspirations.The most tantalisingsection covers the fraught
speed of the narrativeadds a senseof urgencyand is made writing relationshipof August Derleth and Mark Schorer,
all the more frustratingbecauseCampbellknowsjust when whereRuber'sfinalparagraphreads;" The quotationsI have
to heighten the tension by switchinglocations.He also used about Schorerhave been severelytruncated.They are
provesthat when it comes to horror,less is more.Seemingly but the tip of more devastatingrevelationswhich are best laid
innocentstatementsor actionscan be more disturbingthan to rest in the Derleth archives- and forgotten." And that's
'gore.
gratuitous
Hector Woolie's attempts to cheer up where Ruber leavesit.
Charlotteare truly grotesqueand unsettling.
August Derleth was never a stranger to controversy,and
At the end of SilentChildrenthereis a feelingof lifegoingon, thirtyyearsafter his death,he's stillat it! Arkham'sMasters
of victims of crime trying to come to terms with their of Horror is a fitting tribute to his memory. Without his
experiences - life goes on. You wont find real horror in loyalty and perseverance,many of the featured authors
gothic castles. lt doesn't have fangs, tentacles or suckers. would not have had their work preservedand HP Lovecraft
Real horroris the emotionaland physicalviolencethat one could well have been just anotherforgottenpulp writer.
persondoes to anotherfor no reason.When it comes to real
horror,RamseyCampbellis the governor.
Reviewedby Andy Bennison
Reviewedby Andy Bennison

62

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