Cephalophobia N O .1 I SSUE 1 S PRING 2014 CEPHALOPHOBIA

In This Issue... Two Years of Squamous Horror 3 Academic Departments Classics Department 4 Cryptozoology 13 Vocational Education 16 Economics 21 History 27 Modern Languages & Literature 29 Study Abroad 31

The editors of Cephalophobia are particularly grateful to Ian MacLean for the use of his wonderful illustration “Beginnings” featured on the cover of this publication and as design elements throughout. We also wish to acknowledge MUP forum member Wordcraftian, whose suggestion “Cephalophobia” was adopted as the official title of this publication.

Cephalophobia is a free publication for the listenership of the Miskatonic University Podcast and other Lovecraft enthusiasts.

Supervisory Editor: Keeper Murf

Associate Editor and Layout: Professor O.E. Scriven

Additional Copyediting: Professor Charles Gerard

2 FOUNDER’S INTRODUCTION

Two Years of Squamous Horror

Two years since we started. I’d love to say I I’ve also been deeply gratified by the amazing response from knew this crazy idea would last. but the truth is that I had the Call of Cthulhu community. It’s hard to believe that no idea what would come of it. I’ve listened to podcasts our listenership numbered in the single dig- since late 2005, but making one was a whole new world. its when we began two years ago. And while other podcasts may boast larger In many ways, it started with Paul Maclean and numbers at their second anniver- Yog Radio. It was the first podcast I ever lis- sary, I think the MUP community tened to, and Yog-Sothoth.com (YSDC) stands out as one of the most ac- still stands out as a shining example of tive, informative and friendly on- amazing community builiding. It’s also line groups in Lovecraftian gaming. fair to say that Paul was responsible for creating the entire genre of recorded I’m humbled by the support and “live play” role playing games when friendship from everyone. It is an he accidentally left an audio recorder honor and privilege to supply an running during a D&D session back entertaining and informative presen- in 2003. When he later shared that file tation that benefits this amazing com- with the YSDC community, he changed munity. the hobby in a single stroke. YSDC set a benchmark for role playing game audio that We are in an exciting time for the role play- has served as an inspiration for me and many other ing game hobby in general, and Call of Cthulhu podcasters. in particular. I’m proud to be a part of keeping you informed and entertained in our little niche of a niche. We The Miskatonic University Podcast has been enormously have some pretty cool plans for the podcast to come. Here’s gratifying for me. Through this endeavor, I’ve met some to the next year, and whatever the future may bring. amazing people. My co-hosts have become my closest friends, without whom this show would have exploded on Go Pods! the launch pad. When I made the post on the Yog-Sothoth forums asking if anyone was interested in co-hosting, I didn’t expect to be so fortunate to find people I would bond Dan Kramer with like family. Dan Kramer Producer & Captain, Miskatonic University Podcast

3 4 Classics Department unless the investigators intervene andrelieveunless theinvestigators intervene Corycia’s grief. sure, fell under her spell, and has lain in the cave for several weeks, slowly dying. His death is certain exploring the foothills of Mount Parnassus. He stumbled across the naiad’s cave whilelookingfortrea Now, itis54CE,andMarcus Meridius Flavius, ayoung Roman patrician,hasgonemissing while life-force inhergriefforLycoreus. adventurers have stumbled uponhercave. One by onesheentrancedthem,slowly feedingontheir andstoppedbringingtributeto her.about Corycia, Over theyears, anumberofhaplessshepherds and tected flows nolonger, deprivingthenearby trees oflife-givingwater. Eventually, thelocalsforgot Not knowing hasmournedforlongcenturies.Thespringthatshepro thefateofherson,Corycia peak forcenturies,hislemure hauntingthedesolatepeak. right, andshenever sawhimagain.Struck down by Zeus forhishubris,Lycoreus’ bodyhaslainonthe for his rightful place in theheavens. He setoff for the peakof Mount - Parnassus todemandhis birth the sonbornfrom thisunionLycoreus. Comingofage,theyoung mansoughttochallenge thegods One day, Apollo caughtsightofherand fellinlove, wooingherinthewaythatgodsdo. She named flowing. of Mount Parnassus nearDelphi. Thelocaltribeshonored herwithofferingsasshekeptthewaters Since hasbeenlinkedtoaspringontheslopes timeimmemorial,thenaiad(awaterspirit)Corycia Keeper’s Introduction inasingle session,perhaps3hours. intended torun groupgetting a new of Cthulhu Invictus characters together. To that end, it’s and fairly straightforward diversion during a long campaign (e.g., This adventure ismeanttoexposetheplayers toaspectsof Greek mythology. It couldbeusedasa Scenario Background Invictus setting|by Matt Puccio non-mythosadventureA short, setinancientGreece, forthe Eternal Spring CEPHALOPHOBIA The Legacy of Arrius Lurco adventure) orasan introductory for Cthulhu - - CLASSICS DEPARTMENT

Investigators’ Introduction Involving the Investigators Marcus Meridius Flavius and his sister Flavia - wealthy, The keeper should have a reason for the players to become young and decadent Roman patricians - had been tak- involved in the search; perhaps they are looking for a patron, ing their leisure in Delphi, visiting there in advance of the or in need of money; or they need something else from Fla- upcoming Pythian athletic games. Flavia spends her days via, for example, an invitation to consult with the Oracle, or flirting with young athletes who train for the games. Her perhaps an introduction to someone important. The play- younger brother set about finding his own sort of thrill. ers may have a contact in common with her, or one of her agents (a trusted household slave) may contact them, having Flavius, intrigued by a legend of buried treasure in the near- heard that they are worthy investigators. The keeper should by hills told to him by locals over cups of wine in the local tailor their involvement based on the group’s needs. taverna, set off to find it. The story of a guardian spirit did not dissuade him; on the contrary, it inflamed his interests even more. Excited by the prospect of adventure, he set off Lycoreus my son, Offspring for the foothills of Mount Parnassus with a single slave at his side. of Apollo, He sought the

Two days later, the slave returned alone, explaining how highest peak To challenge Flavius commanded him to search an alternate path up the mountain. Finding nothing, the slave returned to the spot the gods. To question their where they separated, but was unable to find Flavius and eventually returned to Delphi. When the slave could do no wisdom. To ascend to his more than describe the general area where Flavius disappeared, Flavia had him tortured to extract the truth. Under rightful place amongst this maltreatment, he eventually died without revealing any further useful information. them. Alone now forever I pine for his return. While the local authorities mounted a cursory search for him nothing was found, and they have been too busy with the upcoming Pythian games to devote more resources to Corycia’s Lament locating the young Roman.

Since then Flavia has consulted with an haruspex, an augur who reads the entrails of animals; she has repeatedly prayed and sacrificed at the various temples in Delphi, and has -fi nally paid a large donation for a consultation with the Py- thia, the Delphic oracle. While the Pythia’s next available appointment is more than a week away, Flavia seeks investigators to go and find out what happened to her brother.

5 CEPHALOPHOBIA

Meeting with Flavia Beginning the Search Flavia takes her leisure in a luxurious tent on the grounds of One of Flavia’s slaves can show the players where the search the athletic fields of Delphi, where young men are training focused. If the players do any research in the town, with and practicing for the upcoming Pythian games. When the a successful Persuade roll in a local taverna they can find players arrive, she is busy flirting with one of the young ath- someone who knows the legend of a spring, a treasure and letes; at their appearance, she dismisses him, her demeanor its guardian spirit. They can hire their own local guide if rapidly changing to a more somber tone. they don’t trust Flavia’s slave. One way or another they can find the approximate location of the cave, although its exact Flavia is an attractive woman in her early 30s, who has no location will require a bit of searching. qualms about disregarding the social rules – by example, the only chaperone in her tent is a young slave girl. Meeting Although it’s been too long since Flavius disappeared for with strange men in a private tent would be scandalous to a Track roll to be useful, a successful Navigation roll will most unmarried Roman women, but Flavia doesn’t seem to speed up the time it takes players to find a dried up creek care about rumors that this meeting might arouse. bed that flows down the hillside from the slopes of Mt. Par- nassus, the most likely direction that anyone searching for a She will speak openly and frankly with the players, employ- cave would travel. ing whatever face seems most appropriate to the group: flir- tatious and forward if the group has attractive young bravos; savvy and political if the group is more intellectual; or de- mure and decorous if the players are more proper and staid • Natural World or Idea: It’s been a or when speaking to any female investigators. particularly wet springtime, and this creekbed should be flowing with water – Flavia asks the players to locate her brother, who disappeared but strangely, is not. several weeks ago. She will provide any of the details from the Investigators’ Introduction. She realizes that he’s probably dead, and asks them to recover his body to be returned to Rome, properly consecrated, and interred in the family crypts. She will agree to a sum of 500 sestertii to return his The Naiad’s Cave body, less if they can only provide proof of what happened If the players follow this creekbed upstream, they eventually to him. come to a cave entrance. Outside the cave is a large copse of very tall Thuja trees, a type of coniferous cypress, which are all dead and dried up. Close inspection reveals that nothing grows along the banks of the dried-up creek bed. • Insight: Flavia seems truly mournful about the loss of her brother, but she is easily distracted by the sight of an athletic, oil-slicked bicep. • Natural World: Thuja trees are resistant to insects, are used to treat warts, ringworm • Empire: Flavia and Flavius are from a and thrush, the concentrated oil of the tree Patrician family in Rome. Their father has can be toxic, and they are normally very recently passed away, making Flavius the aromatic. pater familias. Rumor has it that Flavia has a scandalous reputation, while Flavius • Occult or Other Kingdoms (Greece): is known as an unmotivated rake who’s Thuja trees are often associated with nature squandering his family’s political fortune. spirits.

6 CLASSICS DEPARTMENT

Following the creek into the cave, the creek’s channel leads • Art or Metallurgy or Engineering: these to an ancient stonework wall in which is carved a recumbent items are many hundreds of years old, if man, who holds an amphora on his hip, turned on its side. not older. Water appears to once have flowed from the mouth of the amphora. To one side of the carving, the stonework has been • Occult or Religion: these items were prob- pried out, stones and mortar spilled onto the floor, and an ably offerings placed here by worshippers opening big enough for a man to crawl through has been long ago. What they were worshipping is made in the wall. unknown, although ancient peoples often worshipped water entities.

• Critical Occult or Augury: Knucklebones • Art or Architecture or Engineering: The were used in astragalomancy, “prophecy by wall, cistern, and carvings appear to be throwing knucklebones,” and were often centuries old. left as offerings to spirits.

• Occult or Other Kingdoms (Greece):The carving in the wall is of Kephisos, a river Players who search through these items in detail and who god, his great-great-grandson Delphus make a Spot Hidden can either find a small item of rough founded the town of Delphi. jewelry, a handful of ancient coins, or a small figurine with Half Occult/Other Kingdom: Kephisos’ minor value, none of which are more than a handful of ses- daughter Corycia was a naiad, a type of tertii. All of these were at one time offerings to the water female spirit who presides over springs, naiad by ancient peoples. wells, and other bodies of fresh water. In the center of the grotto room is a deep, dark cistern: the Critical Occult/Other Kingdom: Naiads hole plummets further into the earth than any light can re- are known to be nearly invulnerable. veal. Anything that falls in is lost; anything dropped in may Fire does not burn them. No weapon of bounce off the walls but is never heard to reach the bottom. iron can wound them. Snakes bite them Although it’s easy to avoid the hole if the grotto is suffi- without effect. ciently lit, keepers can allow a player who for some reason does fall in to make a Luck Roll to grab onto the edge; those failing the roll fall into the earth, never to be seen again. The Grotto Beyond the broken wall, a rough tunnel leads up into the mountain. Torches or lamps will be needed to see. After a short distance, the passage levels out and widens into a Occult or Other Kingdoms (Greece): grotto. At the far side of the room an altar-like mound of There is a legend of a young girl who was rock rises out of the floor. There is evidence that water once turned into a water nymph in order to help drained out of a small hole in the altar, and down a channel her escape from a river god who sought to worn in the rock floor, pooling in a deep cistern in the floor rape her; the nymph is said to inhabit an of the room; this then flowed out of the room into the pas- underground river that connects Greece sage. All are dry as a bone. with Sicily. Interested keepers could use this as a scenario seed for fallen investigators. The floor of the room is littered with debris – pottery shards, clay statuettes, bronze figurines, knucklebones, the occa- sional clay flute or iron or bronze ring, and other items.

7 CEPHALOPHOBIA

Several skeletons of various ages and states of decay are scat- If they persist in moving Flavius’ body, she will repeat her tered about the room. On the floor near the altar is Flavius. warning “Touch not the mortal for he is mine! He shall sus- Although he initially appears lifeless, upon closer inspection tain me until my son returns!” and then use her POW at- he is not dead – there are no significant wounds on his body. tack on one of the players who is trying to remove Flavius. The pommel of his dagger bears the seal of House Meridius. The attack instantly freezes the victim in place, and initiates a POW vs POW contest. While the victim of this attack could be carried out of the grotto, he will suffer at least two Medicine: There are no wounds on Flavius, rounds of POW attacks from her before the other players and while his flesh is pallid and cool, and his can remove him from the cave. She won’t leave the cave or breath is shallow and infrequent and his pulse follow after them. If they make no effort to remove Flavius, weak, he does not appear to be suffering from she will not physically attack them, crying out in vain for any disease or poison. He does appear to be her missing son as they leave. slowly wasting away, however, his muscles beginning to atrophy and flesh sunken. He ap- If she is banished (by fully draining her Magic Points (MP) pears to be slowly starving to death. or through physical violence – see below), Flavius can be re- moved from the cave, and will eventually recover and, now released from her presence, will come out of his coma, but Once the players have been in the room long enough to he has lost considerable MP to her and is dehydrated and investigate, or as soon as they touch Flavius, Corycia will starving. With successful Medicine or First Aid and given appear out of thin air, perhaps behind the players. She ap- food and water he will recover his health but not his MP. pears as a nude, lithe, beautiful young woman whose skin He’ll never be quite the same again. is exceptionally pale and bluish. At first she is confused and thinks that one of the male players is her son Lycoreus, ex- If they back off from Flavius, her demeanor will calm a bit, claiming that he has finally returned to her after so long, she but her eyes and skin continue to flicker with color changes will move to him and plant kisses on his brow. Her touch as her emotions ebb and flow beneath the surface. is exceptionally cold and inhuman, calling for a SAN check on anyone touched (0/1d2 SAN). She’ll quickly realize her If the players engage her in conversation, perhaps asking error, though, and move to Flavius, caressing him and la- what happened to Lycoreus, she will respond: menting that he has left her, only to suddenly realize that he is not her son either. She is confused and has very little “Lycoreus my son, comprehension of mortal time, to her Lycoreus might have Offspring of Apollo, left days ago, or it might have been centuries. He sought the highest peak To challenge the gods. If the players try to take Flavius away, her visage will become To question their wisdom. a mask of sorrow, pain and anger, her eyes suddenly burning To ascend to his rightful place amongst them. with a cold flame and her skin turning black as night. See- Alone now forever I pine for his return.” ing this calls for a SAN check for all present (1/1d3 SAN) as she shouts out: Corycia will not negotiate or bargain with the players; she is a wild spirit: dangerous, willful, and chaotic. She’ll make “Touch not the mortal for he is mine! it clear that she will only release Flavius if her son Lycoreus For if I cannot have my son, is returned to her. then this mortal shall suffice To sustain me in my long mourning. Finding Lycoreus My son Lycoreus, long gone from my heart Trekking to the top of the mountain requires a few hours Left me here to await his return. but is fairly straightforward; eventually the players will be Long suffering, beyond grief, beyond despair. caught in a vicious afternoon thunderstorm. If they can My tears no longer shed for him make a Navigation roll, they will find shelter under an I have withered in mourning.” overhang of rock; otherwise, unable to take shelter from the storm on the bleak mountainside, a lightning bolt will arc 8 CLASSICS DEPARTMENT

from the clouds above. This triggers a party Luck roll. If this Initially the ghost is very hazy and insubstantial, appearing is failed, the player with the lowest Luck is struck by light- as a handsome young Greek, his face creased with anger. ning, suffering 1d8 armor-independent damage. The other He’ll curse the players: nearby players suffer 1d3 armor independent damage. All players are deaf for several minutes, and the targeted player “Begone, foolish ones, torment me no more! is made deaf for 1d4 hours. All are knocked to the ground, Begone, pawns of the gods. stunned for several minutes. Mighty Zeus! Have you not punished me enough? Lo these years I have been bound to this haunted crag. The Mountaintop Leave me be! Let me rest in peace!” Eventually, the players follow a winding path to the moun- If they bring word of his mother, he will initially think taintop. A search of the peak will turn up Lycoreus’ long- that this is some trick of the gods, taunting him with tales dead corpse on a precipice of rock. Bones, rusted armor, and from the living. However, with a successful Persuade roll brittle, rotted leather are all that remain, except for an un- the spirit will calm down and listen more closely to them. naturally beautiful, gleaming dory, a long, ash-hafted bronze Otherwise, it will continue to listen, but be reticent to ac- spear that appears to be untouched by the ages of exposure cept that they are not mortals tricked by Zeus into coming on the mountaintop. If any of the remains are disturbed, here to torment him further; they will need to be clever in Lycoreus’ ghost will appear. Players must make a SAN check convincing him otherwise. (1/d6 SAN) for seeing the lemure.

Corycia (Lamenting Spirit) STR 8 CON 18 APP 16 MAGIC POINTS 16 SIZE 9 INT 14 HP 10 Dodge 50% POW 16 DEX 12 MOVE 8 Armor: Special

Corycia appears as a nude, lithe, beautiful young woman whose skin is exceptionally pale and bluish. Grief-maddened, wild and dangerous, Corycia is a dangerous adversary should players attempt to confront her by force.

POW vs POW Attack: She will use this attack if a player tries to remove Flavius or if she is attacked. The target is immediately frozen (paralyzed rigidly) in place, and then is forced into a POW vs POW resistance contest with her each round; each round of failure drains d6 permanent Magic Points (MP) from the victim; if the target wins the round, Corycia loses d6 MP. If a player is reduced to 0 MP, he falls unconscious and will not awaken until she releases him from her spell, at which point he will have 1 MP. She may choose to restore a character’s permanently lost MP if they bring evidence of her son’s death to her. She can switch this attack at will to different characters; however, she can only attack once per round with it.

If she is reduced to 0 MP she is banished and cannot reappear until the next full moon. If this happens after she has com- pletely reduced a player’s MP, that player will be released from her spell, but will be unconscious until the following day, when he recovers to 1 MP.

She is impervious to normal physical weapons (including fists), fire, and poisons. If attacked with an enchanted weapon (either Lycoreus’ spear or some other enchanted weapon) she can attempt to Dodge; more likely she will make her POW vs POW attack on the player attacking her; if she takes damage in excess of her HP, she is banished until the next full moon as if she had been reduced to 0 MP. . 9 CEPHALOPHOBIA

If they gain some trust with him, he will explain how he If the players take the spear (or any of Lycoreus’ remains) came to find out that his father was Apollo and had given and do not do as he asks, he will continue to haunt them at him the enchanted spear; his hubris lead him to believe that inopportune moments, causing a SAN check (1/1d6 SAN) as an offspring of a god, he had a rightful place amongst to anyone nearby every time he appears. Thelemure will the gods, and he went to the top of Parnassus to demand continue to harass them even if they travel far away from his birthright as a hero, as a son of the gods. This of course Delphi. was fruitless, and Zeus, the king of the gods, struck him down. His lemure has haunted this mountaintop for centu- The Sunbather ries awaiting someone to lay his spirit to rest. The path Lycoreus indicated approaches a high cliff, passing If they win his trust, he will ask them to do two things for through a narrow cleft in the rock. Entering the cleft leads him: down a steep defile, ending in a rocky cave entrance.

1. Locate the nearby entrance to Hades. He has been un- As the players approach this narrow gap, the sun comes out able to cross the River Styx into the underworld because and the clouds part. Ask for a Spot Hidden roll. If this is he did not possess the coin necessary to pay for passage. made successfully, they can see a woman near the opening If they can find the entrance, enter it, and leave a coin of this cleft, basking in the sun on a rock. If they fail the on the boat which floats near the bank of the under- roll, they do not see her until they are much closer. If they ground river, his spirit can go to the Elysian Fields and call out to her from afar, she will stand and beckon them. finally know rest. Players can attempt to avoid her, although there is no direct way around her – a risky series of Climb rolls is required to 2. Return his physical remains to his mother so that she bypass the gap in the cliff. will know what happened to him, and apologize to her for him for his hubris. If they do see her and approach with some stealth (requir- ing successful Sneak rolls to get close without alerting her), If asked, they are free to keep his spear, as he has no more her eyes will be closed as they approach. She appears to be need for it. He will point out the direction of the entrance a youngish woman who is basking in the warmth of the to Hades, near a cliff at the edge of the peak. If they agree sunlight after the storm. Her damp tresses are splayed over to do the things he wants, his lemure will fade away, but will her shoulders; her simple wool chiton, wet from the thun- return to prod them along until they carry out his wishes if derstorm, steams as the sun dries her. they tarry. If they do not see her from afar, or if they fail to sneak up on her, she will stand up, startled. If they call out to her from The Spear far away, she will beckon them. When they approach closely His spear, a greek dory, was enchanted by Apollo, and is pre- enough, she will smile, revealing long, serpent-like fangs ternaturally sharp. It is especially light and quick and allows and reptilian eyes. They must make a SAN check (1/1d6 him to attack earlier in a combat round (as if his DEX were SAN) at seeing this Child of Lamia close up. With a growl, 1 point higher). It will never rust or become dull. However, she will spring forth and attack them. She is a vicious op- it attracts the attention of nearby magical/mythical entities, ponent, and will try to grapple the nearest player and use her making the bearer more likely to be attacked first by malevo- deadly Blood Drain on them. lent magical beings. If the bearer is hiding from a mythos or mythical entity, he is also at -20% to his Hide and Sneak rolls against such creatures.

Damage: 1d10+1 - HP: 30 - Other stats as per a hasta spear in the Cthulhu Invictus book.

10 CLASSICS DEPARTMENT

cave. A failed roll indicates that they cannot bear the stench, Child of Lamia vomiting and gagging reflexively and scramble back out into the clean air. The deeper they go, the stronger this smell STR 13 CON 14 becomes. Allow them a bonus to the roll if they cover their SIZE 10 INT 12 faces with a wet cloth or other crude protection. POW 14 DEX 13 APP 12 Move 10 After a few minutes of downward progress, the passage HP 12 Damage Bonus: +d4 widens into a room. Visibility is low due to the smoke and fumes. From one side of the room to the other a bubbling, Grapple: 45% (+Blood Drain); Bite: 50% (d3+DB); roiling river flows through openings in the stone walls. The Dodge: 30% river appears to be the source of the fumes, and in places the surface is on fire. Near the edge of the river cower and Blood Drain: When successfully grappling, she gets crouch ephemeral spirits of the dead victims of Corycia – an automatic bite on the victim and begins draining those who have died in the centuries of her mourning for d6 STR from him each round (in addition to the ini- Lycoreus. tial Bite damage). Once the target’s STR reaches 0, she begins draining CON at the same rate. When the Upon entering, investigators are mobbed by these spirits, target’s CON reaches 0, the victim dies. Each point who beg, plead with, threaten, and harass them in an agony of STR or CON drained by the Child refreshes her of madness and frustration – they all desperately want to HP. A victim left alive by the Child of Lamia regains reach the underworld but cannot because of their deaths STR and CON at the rate of one point per day of the at the hands of the naiad. Like the lemure of Lycoreus, they player’s choice. are incorporeal and cannot physically harm the players, but experiencing this pitiful and hideous scene causes a SAN Armor: 4 points of tough skin check (1/1d2 SAN). These tortured souls have gone mad over the centuries and there is nothing the players can do to • Occult or Other Kingdoms (Greece): Lamia help them reach the Elysian fields. was a mortal with whom Zeus fell in love. Jeal- ous, Hera cursed Lamia to become part serpent, At the edge of the river floats a small boat, unharmed by part human. She devours children, slaying the flames. Approaching the river close enough to place their parents. She gives birth to cold-blooded something in the boat causes 1d6 damage to a player. If the serpent-human hybrids who drink the blood of player attempts to get into the boat, he will suffer an addi- humans. tional 1d6 damage per round he is in it. If the investigator becomes immersed in the water, he will suffer 4d6 damage per round.

The Path to Hades If the players place a coin in the boat, Lycoreus’ spirit ap- The rocky path descends into a natural cave. pears in the room and gets into the boat, which begins to drift into the current and quickly floats out of sight. As he disappears he thanks them, reminding them to return his mortal remains to his mother and give her his apologies. Track: Only recent tracks from the Child of Lamia are visible. When Lycoreus disappears, the hovering lemures scream out in agony as they realize that they are now forever prevented The passage descends slowly into the earth. Within, a nox- from travelling to a peaceful afterlife. These terrible wails ious smell arises - a mixture of the rot of death, the stench provoke an additional SAN check (0/1 SAN) to those that of sulfur, and the choking smoke of burned charcoal. Inves- hear them. tigators must make a CONx5 check to continue into the

11 CEPHALOPHOBIA 2012-2014

Returning to Corycia with tiny white flowers. They are releasing a strong aromatic fragrance that fills the hillside. The creek now flows with If the players return to the grotto with the remains of water once again down toward the city of Delphi. Lycoreus, Corycia will tell them:

“My heart of hearts knew the truth His hubris was his end. Returning to Flavia Not even his father could shield him If the players return without Flavius (perhaps because they From the wrath of the gods. could not remove his body from the grotto), and tell Flavia I thank you for returning him to me. that he is dead or unrecoverable, she will be mournful but I can now truly mourn as only a mother can. thank them for finding the truth. She will give them 100 Please, sacrifice a ram at his father’stemple sestertii to pay them for their service. If the keeper has that his name can be cleansed a need for the players to visit the Pythia, she will And he can finally know peace.” also give them her reservation, handing them a small clay token inscribed with the symbol With that she begins to cry; as her of the serpent Python. tears fall onto the altar, the spring begins to flow and (magically) fill If they return with Flavius, whether the deep cistern, eventually flowing conscious or not, she will embrace out of the room and into the chan- him with tears in her eyes and call for nel outside, then pouring into the a doctor to treat him (if none of the creekbed. She fades from view as the players have been able to do so). She will water flows. thank the players graciously and give them Pythian Token 500 sestertii, as well as her reservation token With this, Flavius (along with any ensor- with the Pythia. celled investigators) is released from the grip of her spell and his Magic Points are restored, although he will still be unconscious, weak and starving until Sanity Awards Medicine or First Aid is used on him successfully. He will • For rescuing Flavius +1 SAN have to be carried down to Delphi for he is too weak to • For slaying the Child of Lamie +1d2 SAN walk. • For laying Lycoreus’ ghost to rest +1d2 SAN • For informing Corycia of Lycoreus’ fate and restoring When the players leave the cave, they will note that the grove the spring +1d2 SAN of Thuja trees has sprung back to life, and are blossoming

12 13 Cryptozoology - -H.P. Lovecraft, “The Beast in the Cave”, 1918 Cave”, in the Beast “The Lovecraft, -H.P. Cave Beast Lindsey by E. Walker ly absent save on the head, where it was of such length and abundance it was of such length on the head, where ly absent save The inclination profusion… the shoulders in considerable that it fell over the alternation in explaining, however, of the limbs was very singular, all the beast used sometimes noted, whereby their use which I had before the tips of the From and on other occasions but two for its progress. four, not were The hands or feet fingers or toes long nail-like claws extended. which, cave in the a fact that I ascribed to that long residence prehensile, the all-pervading mentioned, seemed evident from and almost as I before tail No anatomy. of the whole unearthly whiteness so characteristic seemed to be present.” “It appeared to be an anthropoid ape of large proportions, ape of large escaped, per- to be an anthropoid appeared “It a thing hair was snow-white, menagerie. Its some itinerant haps, from of a long existence within the inky due no doubt to the bleaching action thin, being indeed large but it was also surprisingly confines of the cave, Investigators will not be able to examine a cave beast without injuring, capturing or killing one, in injuring, capturing or killing one, without beast a cave examine be able to will not Investigators human origins. Sanity it’s which case, a successful spot hidden, biology or natural history will reveal roll may be able to the beast captured, just killed a human being is 0/1D4. If have you loss for realizing communicate in rudimentary language. or another appropriate English, Cave beasts will avoid combat, but will attack if at all threatened or cornered. They prefer complete They prefer or cornered. combat, but will attack if at all threatened beasts will avoid Cave very a poor weak nutrition have but due to They are bright lights. strong, from and will retreat darkness hit points. They can exist singly or in groups. constitution and low Cave beasts are human beings or decendants of human beings who have adapted to subterranean beings or decendants of human beings who have human beasts are Cave or on all fours like an ape. The either on two legs standing upright, beasts can move conditions. Cave and smaller than a gorilla, upon seeing one is of a white ape larger than a chimpanzee first impression their faces close examination, of hair on the head and face. Upon and lots with thin white body hair, without irises. sockets, and all black eyes human, but with deeply sunken eye are CEPHALOPHOBIA

Cave Beast Characteristic Rolls Averages Average Damage Bonus: +1d4 STR 3d6+6 16 or 17 Weapons: Claws 45%, Damage 1d8 + Damage Bonus; CON 2d6+2 9 Bite 30%, Damage 1d6 + Damage Bonus SIZ 2d6+6 13 Skills: Hide 60%, Jump 45%, Sneak 30%, Grapple 35% INT 1d6+1 4 or 5 POW 3d6 10 or 11 Habitat: The beast is known to inhabit Mammoth Caves in Kentucky, but similar adaptations could exist in cave or DEX 3d6 10 or 11 tunnel systems throughout the world. MOVE: 5 HP: 7-8

Homunculus by Jon Hook

A homunculus is a miniature representation of a human for written communication. A homunculus is incapable of being; this magically created creature’s sole purpose is to vocal speech, regardless of how or what it is constructed be a slave to the caster. The alchemical process to create a with. homunculus is an intensely evil one; it creates a link between creator and homunculus that allows the caster to see and The shared bond between creator and homunculus also hear through the homunculus construct at will. allows the creator to use the homunculus as a conduit to cast spells through. The caster can see and hear through The sight and sound link between the creator and homunculus the homunculus slave, and then cast a spell as if the caster is not continuous or involuntary; the creator must make a were standing in place of the homunculus. Because the conscious effort to reestablish the link, but the creator is homunculus is only a lens by which the caster is channeling able to do so without spending any Magic Points. Also, the a spell through, it is not required that the homunculus be creator may access and view any memories the homunculus capable of the complex speech or dexterous gestures that has collected while the creator was not mentally connected may be required to cast a spell. to the homunculus. A homunculus slave, by its very nature, is small, quiet, and Due to its low intelligence, the homunculus is unable to inconspicuous, making it an excellent spy for its creator. make complex decisions on its own. Similar to a chimpanzee And while a homunculus’s intelligence may be limited, it or a dog, the homunculus can be taught simple commands can be quite proficient at tasks that it has learned through and tasks, to include limited grammatical and spelling skills repetition. A homunculus is a creature of habit, and never tires of its duties.

14 CRYPTOZOOLOGY DEPARTMeNT

Homunculus (Diminutive Slave) Characteristic Rolls Averages Sanity Loss: 1/1d4 sanity points to see a homunculus, but the Keeper should feel free to adjust the potential sanity loss STR 1d3 2 based upon what the homunculus is constructed out of. If CON 3d6 11-12 the creature has a cloth body with a gourd for a head, then SIZ 1 1 1/1D4 would be appropriate, but if it were the animated INT 1d6+1 3-4 corpse of a deformed two-headed baby that had been pre- POW 1 1 served in a jar of formaldehyde, then maybe 2/1d8 sanity points would be more appropriate. DEX 3d6 11-12 MOVE: 3 Average HP: 5-6 As we reached the top of the staircase, the dinimutive Average Damage Bonus: -1d6 shadow fled once again around the corner – but we had Weapons: None seen just enough to confirm our mutual impressions. Armor: Usually none, but if the homunculus was constructed out of durable materials, then it might have 1 point of “Good God, Evanston,” said my companion in a hoarse, armor, or it could be resistant to fire or other harmful elements. shaking voice. “It is a child . . . an infant!”

Skills: Climb 60%, Conceal 75%, Creator’s Language 35%, Listen 40%, Sneak 60% But what kind of infant could move with such unnatural agility and silence, or have so terrible an aspect?

New Spell: Create Homunculus A homunculus is a miniature representation of a human one point of POW, spend another five Magic Points, and being. The homunculus can be constructed out of inanimate lose 1d4 Sanity Points. materials to look something like a miniature human, or it could be the animated body of a diminutive human corpse A caster is limited to only having one homunculus slave at a that has been well preserved. time. Should the homunculus be destroyed, and the special bond between creator and homunculus is broken, then the The caster must spend thirty nights constructing the caster suffers a backlash of magical energy and loses one homunculus, imbibing it with oils and incense each night; in point of POW. Thereafter, the caster is then free to create a addition, the caster must also spend five Magic Points each new homunculus. night. On the thirtieth night, the caster must then sacrifice

15 The

Fixerby Charles Gerard Need an NPC who can get you a car on short notice with no questions asked? Connect you to the black market? Broker delicate, backroom agreements? Obtain travel permits to get you out of war torn, third world nations? You need a Fixer.

Sometimes, you need a local contact to help you get things done. When a foreign journalist travels to an unfamiliar place to cover a story, his or her first move is to hire what’s known as a “fixer.” These professionals serve as the expert eyes an outsider lacks. They arrange things – transportation, accommodation, meetings, interviews, permits, or even hiring and managing local workers. They are the keystones of foreign reporting and many other kinds of overseas operations. They work miracles. They keep you safe. And their heroism usually goes unsung.

A good fixer knows the social landscape, the political nuances, and the cultural landmines. Sometimes a translator or a guide can also serve as a fixer, but they have very different skill profiles. There’s plenty of overlap, but if you only ask for a translator, you might end up with a university student who studies English, but has no idea how to blend in, to screen sources, or to call a bluff when needed. Still, there’s plenty of overlap in these professions.

Fixer skills will match the profession they’re serving. A journalist’s fixer is often a freelance hack or a working Language skills are a journalist on loan from a local paper. An archeologist’s fixer probably has some connection to the field. Word of mouth prerequisite. A good is the best way to find a fixer. Reputation is the fixer’s most fixer would know a local important feature. Check references. You’ll be sorry if you Vocational Education Vocational language or two on top of don’t. the lingua franca... Social Though a fixer might have to broker shady arrangements or skills and adaptation are navigate corrupt systems, integrity is their currency. They know that winning the trust of one client leads to more also key qualities. Having business, repeat business, and higher pay next time around. relevant connections is The best ones are legendary, and sometimes form lifelong partnerships with particular clients. An Egyptologist or a a must – the more well survey team might employ the same fixer for every visit to the connected, the higher the country. The BBC might rotate new foreign correspondents in New Delhi for a few years per posting, but a good local value. fixer would remain constant, keeping a relationship with the same post for decades, passing from reporter to reporter.

16 VOCATIONAL EDUCATION

The fixer not only has to know their own culture and Specialist Fixers subcultures, but has to understand the inscrutable mindset of the foreigner. In some countries, there can be a vast Fixers often specialize, so their skills match up to the kind of mismatch in sense of time and urgency. In some languages, clients they work for. The following are a few examples of the word for “tomorrow” can mean anytime in the next few the many kinds of Fixers that Investigators may encounter. days – that can spell disaster for a journalist working on hour-by-hour deadlines. Training a green fixer is a species Journalist Fixers of torture. A fixer for journalists would have contacts in the government, would know good local journalists, would know key players The fixer position can carry a certain amount of local status. in health, agriculture, disaster relief, and would likely have Thus, in places where the demand for the position is high, worked as a local journalist themselves. local jealousies can come into play, even sparking conflicts between villages, tribes of families. If a Kurdish fixer seems to Suggested Profession Skills: Bargain, Fast Talk, Psychology, be hogging all of the work, for example, a Shi’a Fixer might Photography, Law, Credit Rating, History (own) + 2 to 5 become suspicious, undercutting the Kurd’s reputation – Additional Languages. or worse. These sort of games are much more likely with inexperienced staff.

Language skills are a prerequisite. A good fixer would know a local language or two on top of the lingua franca. In the Peruvian Andes, if your guide speaks Spanish but Eddy al Wahid not Quechua, you’ll run up against big cultural barriers. Crackerjack Journo- & Development Fixer Even if your fixer knows how to speak the local language, Location: Yemen ethnic sensitivities are always a factor. It’s not unusual to Era: Present Day hire multiple fixers – or fixers who hire other fixers – when STR 10 DEX 1 operating in a diverse region. Social skills and adaptation are 4 SIZ 10 also key qualities. Having relevant connections is a must – INT 15 EDU 1 3 APP 11 the more well connected, the higher the value. CON 15 PO W 11 SAN 55 LUCK 55 KNOW 65 HP 13 Arabic: 75%, Bedawi: 65%, English: 40%, German: 30%, French: 30%, Bargain 45%, Fast Talk: 50%, Psychology: 30%, Photography: 20%, Law: 25%, Credit Rating: 55%, History: 35%

Eddy walks a fine line as a fixer for Western journalists in one of the most volatile areas of the Middle East. He is known as a fair-minded, scrupulously ethical contact who can be trusted by multiple news agencies and local groups. Much of that credibility is generated by his widely recognized sense of responsibility in communicating the human toll resulting from the ongoing conflict between militant groups (including AQAP), governmental forces and Western powers.

Eddy makes his permanent home in the capital city of Sana’a, but also has extensive familial ties among the tribal Bedouin communities.

17 CEPHALOPHOBIA

Film Industry Fixer Researcher/Academic Fixer These individuals know how to deal with government Fixers for archeologists or academics understand the permit permits for film, and would have some working knowledge process for setting up a dig site, as well as (possibly) how to of the technical requirements for a production, or how to calm tensions over the disturbance of ancestral burial sites wrangle up a large cast of local extras. Not a few are adept or sacred ground. They might know a local shaman or priest at striking deals with the right kind of people to ensure who could ask permission or give symbolic sacrifices to that directors, producers and stars are wined, dined and restive spirits. They would know how to hire careful laborers, entertained in the manner to which they’re accustomed. especially if there had been disasters in previous local digs.

Suggested Profession Skills: Credit Rating, Persuade, Suggested Profession Skills: Bargain, Fast Talk, Library Bargain, Charm, Art/Craft (Cinematography), Law, Drive Use, Law, Credit Rating, History, 2 Additional Languages, Auto, Procure, 2 Additional Personal Focus Skills 1 Academic Specialty

ConstantinE Kalitrates Landon Murrow Research/Academic Fixer Film Industry Fixer Location: Crete, Greece Location: Los Angeles Era: Classic Era (1920s) Era: Golden Age of Hollywood (1930s-50s) SIZ 13 STR 12 DEX 9 DEX 13 SIZ 15 STR 12 APP 14 INT 15 EDU 17 EDU 12 APP 14 INT 16 SAN 60 CON 13 POW 13 POW 12 SAN 60 CON 9 HP 11 LUCK 60 KNOW 60 KNOW 60 HP 14 LUCK 60 Bargain: 60%, Fast Talk: 45%, Library Use: Credit Rating: 65%, Persuade: 60%, Bargain: 50%, 55%, Law: 70%, Credit Rating: 65%, History Charm 40%, Art/Craft (Cinemetography): 25%, (Classical Greece) 70%, Turkish: 50%, German: Accounting: 20%, Drive Auto: 25%, Fast Talk 40% 40%, Archaeology: 45%

Landon Murrow has been in the entertainment Constantine Kalitrates is one of the most business since the days when touring theater sought-after liaisons with cultural authorities productions were the rage. With the advent of in post-Great War Greece. Prior to the outbreak the film industry, Murrow found that he was able of the Great War, he studied ancient history at to adapt quite nicely to the new times. Murrow is the University of Vienna. After the war, it was particularly adept at finding equipment, venues and largely through Kalitrates’ efforts that several even extras at a moment’s notice. major archaeological projects were successfully carried out during the political, economic and military turmoil in Greece throughout the No small part of that skill has to do with Murrow’s 1920s. He is perhaps best known for facilitating connections with local “businessmen” who control excavations on the island of Algina by James much of the street-level, unofficial commerce in L.A. Penrose Harland in 1926-7. and its environs. From time to time, the newspaper boy who appears on screen in an uncredited role is actually the son or nephew of a local crime A respected and influential lay member of boss. Murrow has a reputation for making certain the Eastern Orthodox Church in and around delicate problems “disappear.” In certain circles, Athens, Kalitrates is not adverse to using he gained some notoriety for pulling strings to keep his ecclesiastical contacts to broker business the pregnancy of an underage starlet from making arrangements when the need arises. headlines. All part of the job, Murrow reasons.

18 VOCATIONAL EDUCATION

Diplomatic Fixer/Driver Non-Governmental Organization Fixer Diplomatic Fixer/Drivers might be defined as one part A Fixer for Non-Governmental Organizations (in the chauffeur, one part diplomat, and one part security U.S. we call them nonprofits) would also have an intimate personnel. These individuals tend to be experts in local knowledge of other organizations in addition to those street conditions, particularly when they are driving on contacts a journalist fixer would have. The two are often their native turf. These fixers understand how to navigate interchangeable. the complex web of geography and culture that determines how efficiently a group of investigators can get around in an Suggested Profession Skills: Accounting, Bargain, Etiquette, unfamiliar location. Credit Rating, Language (Other), Psychology, Persuade +1 other skill Governmental Fixer/Drivers might be employees of an actual foreign service agency. These professionals are trained in liaising with local authorities, assessing the landscape, Leeches protective driving techniques, evasion, reaction to attack and coordinated, multi-car formations. Then, there are the terrible fixers. They often turn up where demand is high. In a rural natural disaster, for example, few Suggested Profession Skills: Drive Auto, Local Geography, people on the ground will have the needed skills. But in Psychology, Fast Talk, 2 Languages, Bargain, Mechanical desperate circumstances, scam artists pop up like worms Repair, Handgun, Procure in a rainstorm. As journalists and aid workers flock to the affected area, flush with foreign currency, anyone with a car suddenly becomes a fixer. Smart foreign journalists in these circumstances will travel with trusted staff, who in turn subcontracts good helpers. It can be a hot mess.

Eduardo CaLveras One more warning: It’s not unheard of for foreign nations to recruit local fixers as intelligence assets. The practice would Diplomatic Driver/Fixer extend, of course, to other interested employers. Consider Location: Caracas, Venezuela Era: Present Day Hakim from the Cairo chapter of Masks of Nyarlathotep – aggressively helpful citizens should always draw extra STR 14 DEX 15 SIZ 10 scrutiny. INT 15 EDU 14 APP 9 CON 12 POW 11 SAN 55 Caveat Emptor LUCK 55 KNOW 70 HP 11 Fixers usually charge a daily rate that compares favorably Bargain: 40%, Psychology: 35%, Mechanical to a local salary. In contemporary Southeast Asia, a local Repair: 45%, Local Geography: 65%, English: journalist could normally earn about $1000 per month, but 65%, Portuguese: 40%, Drive: 70%, Handgun: earn $100-$200 per day as a fixer. Translators might only 55% get half of that amount. The rate in conflict zones is much Eduardo Calveras is an American of Venezuelan higher; $300-$600 per day where local salaries are similar. descent. At age 23, he was recruited out of a In the 1920s, a reputable fixer in an undeveloped part of the police special forces training program in New world might earn $5-10 per week. Mexico to join the Foreign Service working in mobile diplomatic security. He was assigned to the American embassy in Caracas, and is responsible for conveying dignitaries and other state officials safely to and from various destinations throughout the city and beyond.

Part of Calveras’ work involves “keeping an ear to the ground” by gathering intelligence from non-official sources – street rumor, barroom talk, and so on. He tends to keep his profession as an employee of the American government confidential. He is unmarried and unattached.

19 CEPHALOPHOBIA

New Skills for the Fixer Profession “I know a guy who knows this other guy. . .” Procure Miscellaneous Yes, there are plenty of skills that cover this, but I think it’s Notable Fixers in Fiction or Fact time to put this specific skill description in the toolbox. Face from A-Team had it, and the best fixers have it in spades. You Sallah Mohammed Faisel el-Kahir (Raiders of the Lost need a jar of Jiffy Peanut Butter in the middle of Tanzania? Got Ark, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, et. al.): Sallah is it. Need the chemical components for thermite? Done. much more than a certain globetrotting archaeologist’s sidekick. The portly Egyptian exemplifies how valuable Local Geography local ties and connections are when it comes to booking passage on a freighter, bargaining for camels The derived “know” ability just doesn’t cover the degree to and horses, or securing the services of a translator of which a fixer can tell you exactly where something or someone ancient languages. Sallah’s large family also plays an is. This degree of local knowledge is represents conflates both understated, but important part in Indy’s adventures, geographical and cultural sense, the ability to understand not demonstrating why it’s useful to have a Fixer who has only where things are located, but why. substantial roots in the community where he operates. Etiquette Mr. Ugarte (Casablanca): “You know, Rick, I have many a friend in Casablanca, but somehow, just A huge part of a fixer’s value is knowing how to avoid offending because you despise me, you are the only one I trust.” locals. Is this a country where I can’t touch my shoes in Some might think of Ugarte simply as a petty crook, public? Should I point to my right elbow when I hand money but it’s clear that he knows how to weasel his way fairly to someone? This skill could also be used to diffuse volatile well through the treacherous streets and backrooms situations, smooth over tensions, or to loosen up distrustful of Casablanca, which can be useful to himself and NPCs. others. Ugarte is the type of Fixer who can can be quite resourceful in obtaining difficult-to-find items – such as exit visas – providing you can meet his price, and aren’t inclined to ask too many questions. Ultimately, “Look, whatever you do, don’t forget that you though, he’s unreliable and reckless, which makes him dangerous to himself and others. never, ever greet somebody using your left hand in this country, got it? You might as well Dith Pran (The Killing Fields): Dith, a photojournalist, served as a partner, translator and an all-around “fixer” suggest that they stick their fingers up your for New York Times correspondent Sydney Schanberg while he was covering the genocide perpetrated by backside while you’re at it, because that’s the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia during the 1970s. essentially what you’re telling them to do. Schanberg credited Dith with saving his life by successfully negotiating at gunpoint with Khmer Rouge militants. Schanberg was later able to engineer his Wait. . . what? You already did . . . . ? Oh, boy, own escape, and that of Dith’s family, from Cambodia. Dith, however, was obliged to remain behind and was that’s going to make it about ten times more taken into custody by the Khmer Rouge. He was expensive to get that dig permit now . . .” interned in a work camp for four years before making his escape on foot to Thailand. Dith is an outstanding example of a Fixer who is driven by ideological and humanitarian motives rather than private gain – a reliable, resourceful and heroic ally.

20 What’s it worth to ya?

Some thoughts on handling bribes and tips in classic-era Call of ECONOMICS DEPARTMENT Cthulhu games | By the MUP Faculty and Logar

Ed Dillon, investigative reporter, has just tracked Emeline Kelly to the Chesterton Hotel, a somewhat seedy establishment in a low-rent Boston neighborhood. After searching her room in her absence, he’s come up with the evidence he’d hoped to find – the wealthy socialite is in fact the high priestess of a strange cult operating somewhere near the waterfront district. But his job is only half done. Now he needs her to lead him to the dockside warehouse where her sinister congregation holds its rituals. Struck by sudden inspiration, Dillon stops in the hotel lobby where a sullen desk clerk is on duty. DILLON: I go up to the clerk and say, “Hey, buddy, what’s your name?” KEEPER: (Suspiciously) “Harry. Why?” DILLON: “Want to make some easy money, Harry?” KEEPER: The clerk gives you a considering look and shrugs. (Still suspiciously) “Depends. What’ve you got in mind?” DILLON: “You know Mrs. Kelly, right? The lady in room 23?” KEEPER: “Yeah, what about her?” DILLON: “Tell you what, Harry. Next time you see her come in, give me a call at this number.” I’m going to produce my calling card, write the newsroom’s phone number on it, and fold three twenty dollar bills around it. Then I push it across the counter to him. KEEPER: The clerk’s eyes widen. “Holy smokes! Sixty bucks? Yeah, sure, Mister. I’ll let you know when she stops back in. DILLON: “And she doesn’t need to know about this – right, Harry?” KEEPER: “Oh, yeah, right. Mum’s the word!” He slips the card money into his pocket and gives you a broad grin.

OW MUCH is too much for a bribe? Is hard cash a reliable way to get crucial information or cooperation? What might happen when a bribe goes wrong and why?

Tips and bribes are are familiar strategies to investigators who want to cut through red tape and get to a desired result with a minimum of fuss or scrutiny. Unsurprisingly, such transactions are among the most useful tools Call of Cthulhu players have for moving the story along rather than getting bogged down in minutiae, or trying to explain the unxplainable to an uninformed NPC (“So, you’re telling me you need the key to Room 23 because the lady staying there is the high priestess of what church?”) But even moderately experienced CoC players sometimes struggle with economic transactions in games set in other eras. This is particularly true of classic-era (1920s) investigations, where the currency is familiar enough to seem intuitively recognizable to players, and yet is significantly different in terms of actual 21 CEPHALOPHOBIA

purchasing power. While pages 144-5 of the 6th edition Bribery as an Economic Transaction rulebook provide some useful guidelines for ballparking bribe amounts and outcomes with respect to law enforce- You gave him how much??? ment officers, they leave a somewhat incomplete picture of All too often, Keepers see investigators hand out $10 and what we might think of as the labor value and/or social ca- $20 bank notes (or even more) as if they’re just generous chet of the dollar, or other mediums of exchange, especially tips, but not necessarily eyebrow-raising payoffs. The in the 1920s. problem here is relatively simple – an unclear sense of the power of the dollar in the pre-Depression economy. This is further complicated by the fact that such transactions are not only financial in nature – they have important A reasonable first step addressing this is to consider what social and psychological dimensions as well. Tips and bribes the hourly, weekly or monthly wage might be for the target often test the limits of what individuals may find personally, of the tip or bribe. Both Keepers and investigators may professionally or socially acceptable. How any given NPC well be unfamiliar with hourly rates and wage scales for might respond to an attempt to purchase their knowledge skilled or unskilled labor in the 1920s, but a little creative or cooperation should not only be contingent upon the digging can provide useful resources for establishing the amount being offered, but upon a range of variables includ- economic context. According to advertisements posted in ing that character’s ethical standards, personal motives or the classifieds section of a 1922 edition of the Boston Globe, pressures, social position, political or professional environ- for example, we find that a billing clerk might draw a wage ment, or even physical context. of $20 per week. An educated guess might place Harry’s income in the same ballpark – perhaps $25 per week for The following are some considerations for Keepers and in- simplicity. [Additional examples of wages by profession vestigators for handling tips and bribes in their classic-era in the Boston area for 1922 can be found on page 25 of games. We’ll look at some useful methods for determining Cephalophobia, courtesy of MUP Forum member Logar.] plausible amounts for bribes, and address possible fallout As it is, Ed Dillon’s $60 “suggestion” that Harry monitor the when Investigators bid too far above that threshold of plau- movements of a paying guest roughly equates to something sibility. We’ll also consider problems arising from over-re- close to three times the desk clerk’s weekly pay. By way of liance on bribery as an information-gathering method. Not perspective, we can use the Inflation Calculator provided all such transactions need to be played out in excruciating by the U.S. Department of Labor Statistics to arrive at a detail at the game table, of course. But Keepers and investi- modern equivalent of Dillon’s bribe – approximately $832 gators should be aware of how these kinds of exchanges can as of 2013. Given the context and circumstances, $60 is be leveraged as opportunities for building game authenticity likely to be far more cash than Harry usually handles at any and encouraging good roleplaying. given moment – the Hotel Chesterton is not the Waldorf Astoria, after all. Bribery: Not an Exact Science Risk and Effort vs. Gain As the 6th edition rulebook suggests, investigators as well as The Call of Cthulhu 6th edition rulebook Keepers should ask themselves what the target of the bribe provides useful tips for calculating plausible has to risk or invest in effort in order to fulfill the terms of bribes for police officers as they relate to the transaction. As risk and effort increases, so too does the misdemeanors, civil or criminal infractions in threshold of the bribe. relation to daily, weekly or monthly pay scales, as What Dillon is asking of the desk clerk involves relatively well as the risk vs. gain ratio. minimal risk to Harry himself, and while it’s not necessarily ethical for an employee of Hotel Chesterton to spy on the It would be a mistake, however, to assume movements of a paying guest, it’s not so far over the line as that the price of cooperation or information to justify a $60 payoff. A more reasonable amount might is arbitrary. Less quantifiable, but just as be a full day’s pay at best. Assuming Harry works a 40 hour important, are the context, circumstances and work week (an innovation gaining traction around this time), we are dealing with amounts in the $5 to $6 range. (above all) motives and personalities of those Had Dillon tried to recruit Harry to actually tail Mrs. Kelly involved in the transaction. or search her room, the amount should change accordingly.

22 ECONOMICS DEPARTMENT

Potential Fallout from Overbidding the more likely that may be to manufacture their product When investigators routinely exceed the limits of plausibility to meet demand. This is especially true when inordinately in handing out tips and bribes, it opens the door to large sums are on offer. In the case of Harry the Desk Clerk, potentially serious gaffes in an investigation. In cases where it’s not unlikely that he will be motivated to keep feeding our these kinds of gratuities are meant to purchase the silence or investigator information so long as it seems to be of value – tacit cooperation of their targets, over-tipping/bribing may even if he has to invent arrivals and departures, mysterious yield unexpected results, possibly even the opposite of what visitors, or other potentially marketable “facts” concerning is intended. Here are a few possibilities building off of our the elusive Emeline Kelly. In such cases, the target of the example of Ed Dillon and Harry the Desk Clerk from the bribe will probably try to ascertain more about what kind of Chesterton Hotel: information the investigator is after, and invent accordingly.

There’s One Born Every Minute: When information or It’s a Free Market: Once an investigator demonstrates that a cooperation acquires a monetary value, it easily becomes given piece of information has monetary value, the possessor “tainted.” Said another way, once the target of a bribe knows of that information may choose to seek out competitive that their knowledge or help is of value to an investigator, offers. An opportunistic (it is perhaps redundant to say

What Should I Roll for That? Roleplaying a bribe attempt can be a great opportunity for character building and a test of the ingenuity and inventiveness of the investigators. Rather than relying solely upon a “pass-fail” die roll to determine the success of a bribe attempt, Keepers and Investigators can leverage character skills, attributes or personality aspects to inform a good strategy for framing the bribe. Keepers should reward Investigators who ask perceptive questions or make sound deductions in making bribes, no matter what the dice say. Die rolls should accentuate good roleplaying, never replace it.

Psychology Idea Roll Know Roll The Psychology skill is the favored go- Keepers may consider using the Idea How an investigator approaches a to method for reading personalities, roll as the measure of an investigator’s bribe attempt may also be informed motivations or intentions. Players ability to intuit or deduce information by more general knowledge about will commonly invoke this skill when about the target of a bribe from the target or environment. In some making bribe attempts to get a sense any number of environmental or locales, knowing who to bribe may of the target’s character or state of behavioral clues, then volunteer (or be just as important as knowing how mind. A Psychology check might withhold) information accordingly. much to offer. Knowing which officers even indicate whether or not an NPC are on the take in the local police can be bought off in the first place. Example: As Ed Dillon continues to department is something that an But Keepers should also remember chat up Harry, the Keeper calls for investigative reporter like Ed Dillon that NPCs may be just as invested in an Idea roll. Dillon’s player makes an might be privy to. understanding (and exploiting) the outstanding success – 11 out of 75. Investigator’s intentions. The Keeper tells Dillon that Harry’s eyes seem unusually bloodshot, and Credit Rating Example: Ed Dillon’s player makes a the telltale gin blossoms are evident While Credit Rating is often used successful psychology check (31 out in his nose and cheeks. His glance simply as an index of character of 35) while chatting up Harry. The keeps straying to an empty bottle of income, the 6th edition rulebook Keeper shares that Harry doesn’t what was probably liquor sticking clearly indicates that it has less seem particularly surprised that out of a half-open drawer. At that quantifiable dimensions as well. A Dillon is asking after Emeline Kelly – point it’s up to Dillon to take the hint character with high credit rating in fact, the normally garrulous desk and leverage it or not. Dillon slips a is capable of expressing not just clerk seems rather guarded. Does he bank note out of his wallet and places economic status, but also social already know or suspect something it on the counter: “You know, Harry, connectedness and confidence. When about her? Could it even be that he’s even five bucks could buy a guy a lot making bribe attempts, characters one of her agents? Dillon makes a of liquid comfort . . . if you take my with high credit ratings might note of this and frames his approach meaning.” persuasively indicate that they accordingly, asking more probing have the resources and connections questions before proffering his money. to make life much easier – or very difficult – for the NPC in question.

23 CEPHALOPHOBIA

“unethical”) individual may even rat out an investigator Other Considerations in hopes of doubling his or her paycheck. Depending on how enterprising he is, Harry the Desk Clerk could even Bribery as a Social Institution approach Mrs. Kelly with an offer to disclose information Often enough, bribery and public corruption become so about the people on her trail – for the right price, of course. endemic as to achieve a certain degree of legitimacy. This is particularly true in developing nations or countries Chum in the Water: Perhaps Harry the Desk Clerk is a very under severe economic and social pressures, where the civil prudent fellow, but then again perhaps not. It’s entirely administration is incapable of meeting the needs of the possible that news of his $60 windfall may get around. public it ostensibly serves. In such places, bribery is often Flashing about large sums can effectively paint a target on an simply an accepted way of doing business, almost as if it were investigator not only for other leeches, but for out-and-out a legitimate surcharge or tax on regular civil transactions. thugs as well. Investigators who are prone to buying their In some parts of east Africa, such as Tanzania for example, way through obstacles should carefully consider the effects the extra gratuities and payoffs are simply and openly called of showing a well-filled wallet in even moderately respectable “paying the corruption.” environments. Keepers should also treat with skepticism investigators who claim to carry hundreds in cash on their Police or public officials in places where bribery is endemic person at any given time. At the very least, investigators are likely to shake down locals on a regular basis, and will who are unwarrantedly liberal in their tips and bribes will probably be inclined to come down especially hard on find it extraordinarily difficult to keep a low profile, much outsiders. Knowing who to bribe and when can be a critical less anonimity – a distinct hazard in a role playing game in factor in navigating such environments (see “Know Roll” which discretion and secrecy is often essential. on the previous page). Employing a local fixer (see pages 13- 16) is often a necessary and worthwhile investment. Buying favor strategically rather than wholesale may make all the Offering an implausibly large sum as difference to the success or failure to an investigation. a bribe is a good way to “spook” the Money Doesn’t Always Talk target, attract unwanted attention, In some cases, cash itself becomes more of a liability than or compromise the value of the an asset. This is particularly true among the disenfranchised – vagrants, beggars, children, etc. – who lack the social cooperation or information received. credibility to use currency, especially in large amounts. Such persons are easily victimized, not only by members of so-called respectible society who may choose to shortchange I’m in Over My Head: Unusually large bribes may spook a or cheat them, but by their own peers as well. Hard cash in target rather than entice them. Harry the Desk Clerk might significant denominations is often hard for disenfranchised be wholly justified in thinking that the stakes are too large persons to protect. for him if $60 is on offer just to make a phone call. Maybe Investigators may consider alternative methods of buying she’s in trouble with the Feds, or she’s a mobster’s girlfriend cooperation and information when dealing with persons on on the run, or something else of that nature. Harry may the margins of society. Offers of food, protection or (sadly) not be above taking a bribe on ethical grounds, but there are liquor (c.f. the Shadow Over Innsmouth) will often yield some situations it’s simply better to stay out of. more reliable and efficient results than the cash equivalent. The Untouchables: On a related note to the above, Keepers and Investigators should remember that some people just Tips vs. Bribes: What’s the Difference? can’t be bought, and will dig their heels in more deeply as On the face of it, the distinction between a tip and a bribe the amounts on offer increase. Bribery, in essence, is an seems intuitive enough as to not warrant particularly assault on a person’s ethical boundaries, and their sense of close scrutiny. But that distinction can be quickly (and, self-worth and integrity. The aphorism that every man has sometimes, usefully) blurred. Simply put, a tip is a gratuity his price might sound true enough in theory, but the reality for a service received, generally as part of the legitimate is often less simplistic. social or professional relationship between the parties involved. When that exchange exceeds the legitimate roles of the participants, we have moved into the realm of bribery.

24 ECONOMICS DEPARTMENT

For example, if Ed Dillon tips the hotel concierge to hail a In Conclusion taxi for him, that is a simple gratuity. However, if Dillon tips that same concierge to make sure he gets a taxi, but is Over-reliance on bribery may a game culture in which unaccountably unable to flag one down for Emeline Kelly a players assume they can buy their way past obstacles or few minutes later – that constitutes a bribe. plot points simply by throwing enough money at them. Investigations that are resolved by determining who has the As mentioned earlier, bribery involves testing the limits of deepest pockets tend to be unsatisfying and contradictory what the target of the bribe may consider to be either ethical to the ethos of the game. On the other hand, when played or merely pragmatic. Enterprising investigators will look for judiciously, bribery is a great engine for generating story ways to rhetorically frame a bribe as a tip so as to undercut and adding greater depth and color to the world around the psychological pressure on the target by providing a the investigators by contributing a certain degree of rationalization to accept. “Look, Harry,” Ed Dillon might economic, social and psychological realism. It can elevate say, “I don’t have time to explain, but the lady is in serious dull, two-dimensional NPCs to memorable figures with danger if she leaves this hotel. Do me a favor and make sure personalities, motives and priorites of their own. Keepers she stays put, at least for ten, fifteen minutes, okay?” and investigators alike will find it well worth their effort to imaginatively leverage these kinds of opportunities as they present themselves.

Appendix: Sample Boston 1922 Wage Scales

The following is a cross section of jobs and pay scales taken It’s worth pointing out that for some professions (cooks, from employment advertisements appearing in a 1922 hospital staff, domestic servants, etc.), room and board edition of the Boston Globe. Having real-world benchmarks are commonly included as part of the compensation. Jobs like these can help orient players and Keepers in terms of in sales can vary widely in terms of pay depending on the economics of the 1920s, and discourage the incautious the amount of experience or the product(s) in question. or inaccurate use of currency during the game. Actual Similarly, professions in academe (professors, headmasters, wages and prices from sources such as period newspapers etc.) command different amounts based on the type of give Keepers steadier, more purposeful numbers, building institution and the credentials of the individual. On game authenticity and player immersion. average, a school teacher might bring in about $800 to $1,000 per year. This is, of course, not meant to be a comprehensive list, but it can provide enough context for Keepers and investigators Lastly, keep in mind that these pay scales relate to male to make reasonable ballpark guesses at the income of other and female workers in the Boston area. The same job types of professions. Broadly speaking, we might assume might command a noticeably different wage in rural or the following for pay scales: economically depressed areas. For more comprehensive, less location specific references about professions and their • Heavy, unskilled labor draws roughly $12/week. earning power in the later 1920s, you can also consult the • A general job with some necessary skill or training federal “Prices and Wages Guide” on the University of (e.g. shipping clerk or stenographer) draws about Missouri’s library website at http://libraryguides.missouri. $20/week. edu/content.php?pid=298741&sid=2450560. • Tradesmen such as plumbers, blacksmiths or engineers bring in about 65¢ per hour, or $26 per 40-hour week. • Managerial/foreman positions earn $40/week.

25 CEPHALOPHOBIA

Male Position/Job Advertised Wage Position/Job Advertised Wage Billing Clerk $20/wk Hospital Orderly $40/month w/ Blacksmith 65-75¢/hr room & board; $75/ Boilermaker 65-75¢/hr month w/meals only Bookkeeper $20-30/wk Laborer (general) $45-50/month Butcher/Sausage Maker $25/wk Ledger Clerk $25/wk Carpenter/Joiner 65-75¢/hr Machinist 65-75¢/hr Car Inspector/Repairman $65/month Manager, retail $40/wk Chauffeur (experienced) $25/wk Packer $20/wk Chef (pastry, Sous, general - Press Operator $30/wk for hotels, schools) $30-35/wk Plumber $30-35/wk Dentist $30-35/wk Shipping/Receiving Clerk $20/wk Druggist $30-35/wk Stenographer $20/wk Druggist, Junior $25/wk Stockboy $10-12/wk Fireman $25/wk

Female Position/Job Advertised Wage Position/Job Advertised Wage Bookkeeper $16-20/wk Maid (cleaner) $10-12/wk Candy Packer $12/wk Office Worker (general) $12-15/wk Cook (pastry or general) $25/wk Pantry Girl $8/week w/room & Dishwasher $9-10/wk board File Clerk $12/wk Salesgirl/Counter Girl $12-20/wk Hospital Attendant (asylum) $10/wk w/room & Stitcher $12/wk board Stenographer $20/wk Laundry Sorter $25-30/month Switchboard Operator $15/wk Light Factory Work $10-12/wk Typist $15-18/wk Lunch Counter Girl $10/wk Waitress $8-12/week

26 The Plawson Tapes The secret history of the mysterious video footage that captures the HISTORY DEPARTMENT heart of depravity and madness | By Brian Sammons

N 1983 a series of horrible sex crimes rocked the small town of Plawson, Michigan. Over a dozen people were raped, sexually tortured, and murdered. The victims ranged in race, sex, and age and Ithere seemed to be no common thread connecting them. After ten months of nightmares, the terror just stopped and the killer was never arrested, but what turned this tale of murder and madness into an urban legend was a news report that discarded wrappers to blank Betamax video cassettes were found at three of the crime scenes. It was believed that the sexual sadist recorded his atrocities. Since then there has been whispers that men with deviant tastes might acquire these snuff films if they knew what dark shadow to look in.

That legend is true.

The “Plawson Tapes” have since been transferred to DVD. The identity of whomever first made the copies is unknown, but it is believed to have been the original murderer. It is unknown how many copies exist, but DVDs have been recovered from triple homicide crime scene in 1998 and in the collections of three serial killers. The location of only one of these DVDs remains known, that being in a Boise, Idaho police evidence room. The rest of the DVDs have disappeared. Perhaps quite coincidently, several police officers either disappeared or committed suicide shortly after the DVDs vanished. In one famous instance a Cleveland homicide detective murdered his entire family before putting a bullet through his head. What was not reported was that a melted DVD was found in his fireplace.

As for the original Betamax tapes, their location, like the identity of the one that made them, remains a mystery.

The truth behind all this is a man named Paul Culkly. In the early 80s, Paul was a very jaded devotee of pornography. In a quest to push his limits and feed his deviant desires, he found a group of secretive hedonists and managed to not only join them, but read their most forbidden text; excerpts from The Revelations of Glaaki, Volume XII. In doing so he became a conduit of Y’golonac, the lord of deprave desires and destructive self-indulgence. However instead of being used and quickly consumed by the glut- tonous Great Old One, as most are, the ancient evil allowed him to live. Perhaps Y’golonac found Paul to be a vessel worthy of repeat possessions, for the ancient evil would step into the man’s flesh, enjoy its pleasures, and then leave until the next time the Hand That Feeds’ hideous hungers needed sating.

It is unknown if it was Paul or Y’golonac that first thought to record their crimes, but the end result was a video diary of depravity. These videos provide a first person view of rape, torture, and murder. The video quality is jittery, blurry, and often static filled due to the poor quality from one of the first commercially available camcorders. The complete Plawson Tapes run over five hours and shows fourteen men, woman, and children being victimized in various ghastly ways. The face of the cameraman is never shown, but his hands are. Sometimes they are the bloodstained hands of Paul, using instruments of torture. Otherwise they are the bloated, empty, and green-tinged hands of Y’golonac wearing Paul’s flesh. In these instances they never hold weapons. They caress the cringing victims, leaving bleeding bite 27 The Plawson Tapes Video Mythos Tome - in English, recorded by unknown (Paul Culkly), 1983, 318 minutes.

An unknown number of copies of these videos exist but the wrath of Y’golonac who may send some of his loyal de- they are very rare. The vast majority are on DVD, although generates to deal with the viewers, or take more direct means Paul still owns the nine original Betamax tapes. Watching to smite them. the video without the sound causes 1D4 SAN loss per hour by all but the most hardened, or sociopathic, individuals. Spells: in hour three of the video there is a scene of Paul’s Watching the video with the sound on causes 1D6 SAN hands using blood to write on a bare wall in a mix of English, loss per hour for the combination of atrocities and mythos gibberish, and strange symbols. During this, the psychopath knowledge gleaned from Paul quoting from The Revela- can be heard chanting alien sounding words. When finished tions of Glaaki. This also grants +1% to Cthulhu Mythos the hands disappear from view, then grunts and sickly gur- per hour. gling sounds can be heard and a green glow commences. When next the hands appear they are the large, green-tinged Worst of all, just as reading a single page of Volume XII of hands of the “second cameramen” (Y’golonac). This is the The Revelations of Glaaki draws the attention of Y’golonac, spell Contact Y’golonac and performing it is very danger- so does watching the Plawson Tapes, but only with the ous as it draws the Great Old One’s attention and ire just sound on. If the viewer is of a morally debased nature then as if the caster had read the dreaded twelfth volume of The they may become a vessel of the Great Old One and find Revelations of Glaaki. themselves possessed by the deity. Otherwise they will draw

marks in their wake. Often the ghastly images on screen are bathed in a sickly green light.

The sounds that accompany these nightmarish images largely consist of the screams and pleas of the victims. When Y’golonac is in charge the Great Old One only chuckles low and menacingly. When Paul is in control he taunts the victims, shouts profanities, giggles insanely, and worst of all, recites passages from The Revelations of Glaaki.

As for what happened to Paul Culkly, he is still alive all these years later and still one with Y’glonac. He is now in his mid-sixties and while his whereabouts are unknown, he often haunts the darkest corners of the internet in the chat rooms where pedophiles, snuff film fans, those looking for real rape films, and anyone wanting the hardest of hardcore porn lurk. If he finds a truly depraved soul he just might offer to send them a copy of Plawson Tapes for both their, and Y’golonac’s, amusement.

28 29

MODERN LANGUAGES & LITERATURE

and filthy clothes, lit only by the pale glow of a monitor and disturbed only by the soft sounds of only of a monitor and disturbed by the pale glow lit only and filthy clothes, eddy often sat in the silence of a darkened bedroom, a room rank with the smells of teenage sweat with the smells of teenage sweat rank a room bedroom, silence of a darkened eddy often sat in the T The next day Teddy kneeled in an ill-lit room, the air choked with dust, the slough of a thousand or thousand a of slough the dust, with choked air the room, ill-lit an in kneeled Teddy day next The his skin dry and shallow, slitted, his pupils dilated, his breath were eyes a million dying bodies. His He touched her, his wet palms licking her face as he forced himself to breathe. She cringed, then she She himself to breathe. as he forced palms licking her face his wet touched her, He him away. and shoved screamed “You could come, too. You could see his hands.” You could come, too. “You “His what? Who?” “His “He wants me to be his priest,” Teddy said. Teddy wants me to be his priest,” “He Not long after he met a girl named Ashley Miller. She was young and pretty and conciliatory, and they and conciliatory, and pretty was young She long after he met a girl named Ashley Miller. Not She but she talked to him anyway. Teddy, the sortto kids like who talked both knew that she wasn’t what he had to do, and would laugh and chat and sometimes he would make jokes and he would forget that he knew. one day he told her about secrets Teddy’s destruction hall nose on a detention began when he was fourteen lying with a broken old, years Teddy’s shone in a beam of harsh light which and dust motes overhead, Air conditioning units rumbled floor. a lesson to were alone. “That’s They him, flushed and angry. over the shade. The teacher stood pierced You know up. get “Now menace than his fist. held a different and his voice the man said huskily, you,” looked up and knew fear and loathing, hatred Teddy little cocksucker.” little faggot, you what to do, you a cracked spine to and limp over and helplessness. An old book lay open on the table, its pages yellow knew what to do. He most sacrosanct. the words reveal A tinny voice replied in irritation. “You’ll break my heart, Kelley. Now shitcan the philosophizing.” Now my heart, Kelley. break in irritation. “You’ll replied A tinny voice Teddy never saw the men who watched him, grim-faced men in dark suits who sweated and stank in suits who sweated saw the men who watched him, grim-faced men in dark never Teddy see them, but strange cameras clicked and would never observation. He the endless stillness of their own heat and hatred. his shrine to breathless altar, his console, his whined away the hours as he sat before as he sipped Only one of them was not blank, waiting. staring, expressions, bland, bored The men wore and chilled if their memories haunted a cup of lukewarm coffee and looked at the others and wondered is viewing a digitized thirty four hours. Subject three “Zero spoke into a tiny microphone. them. He that You think as hell. bored rest of us are and the film of a woman tryingGerman shepherd, to fuck a says something bad about him, or us?” gasps and grunts from the computer’s speakers. He typed quickly and his breath was quick, his breath his breath was quick, his breath typed quickly and speakers. He gasps and grunts the computer’s from whole being with concentration, his would often be narrow eyes His and moist. was hot and shallow, half- teeth with his uploading, always waiting downloading, past, scrolled that the images on focused turned sometimes would lean forward as the intensity of his gaze and sticky in impatience. He bared and the glistening his worship, hiss. This was his church, would exhale in a low tense, and he more yet for a time. his deity, degradation were images and the sounds of ecstasy and CEPHALOPHOBIA

hot, his brain afire, his mouth slick and oily. The teacher wide.” The chair creaked with the weight of bloating lumi- was gone, for a time. You know what to do, you little cock- nescent flesh. A massive hand grasped the agent’s face, si- sucker. He looked up at a luminescence of bloated decaying lencing his scream as a hungry tongue and glistening teeth flesh. “You are too slow,” the voice told him. “Finish your met his own. task, and I will judge it. These morsels are not enough. Let them know My name that I may find them, and feed.” The The window shattered inward as a bullet slammed into the words of the old book seemed to rise fluid into the air and back of the hulking thing that once was Teddy. The other drift, poison truth, into the ether. He knew what to do. agent’s eyes widened for an instant as the thing turned to him, and then his weapon flashed and the swollen flesh He sat alone again in his room, dazed, insensate, sending erupted in oily blood and fetid meat. words out to the world. The screen flickered and died, and the sound with it, as power was cut off to the house. He did “Beta team, report!” not stir. Softly the door opened and two black-clad figures The agent’s gun clicked as it emptied the last round into the appeared, and then a red pinpoint of light formed upon his shivering dead mass. He stared with wide eyes. His partner forehead, gleaming through the window-pane. He did not writhed on the floor, somehow holding in his screams as he stir. One intruder drifted in with quick steps and went to the grasped the ruin of his face. Teddy’s bloody hand lay weedy console. He produced a wire cutter and in slightly over two and weak nearby, the dead glow already fading to darkness. seconds severed the computer’s links to the outside world. “Kelley, what the fuck is going on over there?”

*** The bizarre phenomenon continued today of copycat kill- The words of the book ings and mutilations, all bearing similar patterns of unusual tooth-marks, with savage attacks occurring in New seemed to rise fluid into the York, Atlanta, Great Falls, Vancouver, Istanbul, Notting- ham, Singapore…. air and drift, poison truth, At this time the FBI has offered no official statement. All representatives of the vaunted Behavioral Sciences unit declined to be interviewed officially, but Special Agent into the ether. Jean Qualls acknowledged the common circumstances of such widespread attacks are most unusual. She would not divulge any details, however, saying only, “We are on the case.” The figure looked up with a start as he heard a tinny voice report in his earpiece: “She’s down, subject is down. Marks Now here’s Nightly Report’s Jeff Chambers with the Life- look the same. Beta team, report.” style Report.

The agent in the doorway kept a submachine gun trained on Thank you, Trudy. You’ve probably heard about it before. Teddy, whose eyes turned dully now to regard the men with It is a problem of growing concern among internet users: a trace of comprehension. Junk Mail. It costs us time, and as every company manager can tell you, time is money! Over the past few days millions The man in the doorway hissed coldly. “On the floor, now, of computer users logged on to find the same unsolicited you little–” mail in their virtual in-baskets, a piece of bizarre apocalyp- cocksucker tic correspondence called the–let’s see if I pronounce this right–the “Y’golonac mail,” from the weird name in the “–bastard. You know what to do.” subject heading and in the body of the message. Religious experts are at a loss, and most say this is probably just a Teddy’s eyes and mouth widened in hatred, and then they prank by some bored kid. dulled and were swallowed by something else. The voice seemed to come from the chair, though it was not Teddy’s. *** “You are too late. The doors of my temple have opened

30 31

STUDY ABROAD

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a horrific idol, which he keeps in his stateroom. to Liverpool. It can be played on its own, or as part of a larger campaign. It would be ideal for as part or of a larger campaign. It on its own, can be played It to Liverpool. HIS scenario seed takes place on a transatlantic steamship on its return voyage from New York York New from voyage on its return takes place on a transatlantic steamship HIS scenario seed

• Secure • When • Divert

Investigators will become aware of a problem on the ship when the radio is disabled, or when people of a problem will become aware Investigators this but accident, a tragic explained as be could persons missing first The startonboard. missing going seem to be an may Armstrong this point, Mr. At people disappear. becomes less and less likely as more about both the sabotage and the disappearances. concern as he expresses ally, The Investigation: The and Armstrong on the boat, they hear gossip about the infamous Mr. arrive When the investigators by weapon is being prepared might speculate on what sort of secret NPC’s Different cargo. his secret for the next war against the Germans. Forge Armstrong In order to complete his ritual, Armstrong will need to complete the following objectives: will need to complete the following to complete his ritual, Armstrong order In Mr. Armstrong is the owner of Armstrong Forge, a manufacturing firm that rose to prominence in the rose to prominence a manufacturing firm that Forge, of Armstrong is the owner Armstrong Mr. that he is transporting to London, a believe a new prototype weapon and many on board War, Great has encouraged. belief that Armstrong Keeper information: Keeper human a preparing been has Armstrong Samuel industrialist departure, the to up leading weeks the In the King, which he believes to wake In order King”. as the “Dreaming known being to wake a sacrifice In Ocean. must be carried out at a particularto be an ancient god, the sacrifice Atlantic point in the in the has assembled a temple, complete with alter and other elements for this, Armstrong preparation the from has booked a large portion of the cargo area He his project, protect To cargo hold of the ship. also has a small contingent of steamship line with the instructions enter it. He member that no crew the cargo. guarding “employees” T In pursuit of these goals, Armstrong will also attempt to cut off communication from the ship by sabo the ship to cut off communication from will also attempt of these goals, Armstrong pursuit In taging the radios. connecting a US based campaign with the soon to be re-released campaign with the soon to be re-released connecting a US based CEPHALOPHOBIA

When someone tries to break into Armstrong’s private cargo Customizing the Scenario Seed: area, suspicion may fall on Felix Schmit, a mysterious ger- This scenario seed is meant as a jumping off point, and could man who some NPCs think was a spy during the Great War. be added to or customized to fit the needs of the Keeper. Armstrong will encourage these suspicions. Anything is possible, but here are some suggestions: As the investigators are isolated on the boat, much of the research will be limited to interviewing passengers, examining • Much of the story could be moved to New York, physical evidence, and perhaps perusing recent newspapers where there are more investigation options. In this brought on board before departing New York. The path of case, the investigators are probably aware of Arm- the investigation should lead the the investigators from be- strong’s plans before they board the ship. ing suspicious that Schmit is a spy/saboteur to realizing that • In lieu of or in addition to a temple, Armstrong he is aware of Armstrong’s plan and is trying to thwart it. could be transporting a Shoggoth or other creature Once investigators trust him, Armstrong will quickly kill that needs to consume a certain number of passen- Schmit or otherwise eliminate him as a threat. Depending gers before reaching the intended destination. In on how much information they gain from Schmit, the in- this case the the Idol could be used to control this vestigators will become Armstrong’s next target. creature. I n order to prevent the ritual from taking place, the inves- • The presence of Armstrong’s Idol might drive some tigators must either divert the ship away from the desired of the more sensitive passengers insane, leading to a coordinates, destroy the temple, destroy the idol, or prefer- spate of violent incidents. ably all three. Mythos Threats: Armstrong can summon some mythos creatures such as Byakhees and Fire Vampires, or others as deemed appropriate by the Keeper.

“The Dreaming King”

The identity of the “Dreaming King” is up to the Keeper. He may truly be one of the mythos deities, or a member of a lesser race masquerading as one. If the investigators prevent Armstrong from awakening him, they may never learn. If they fail, and Armstrong completes his sacrifice, the Dreamer is just as likely to turn on Armstrong as help him.

32 STUDY ABROAD

Key Non-Player Characters

Samuel Armstrong, Industrialist/Warlock Armstrong is a wealthy British industrialist based in New Age: 45 HP: 12 MP: 13 York but with holdings in both countries. His company, STR: 10 DEX: 8 SIZ: 12 Armstrong Forge was instrumental in producing machine guns, tanks, and war gasses during the Great War. INT: 16 EDU: 12 APP: 12 He is also a Warlock, and a follower of being he knows as the “Dreaming King”. The King speaks to him through an CON: 11 POW: 11 SAN: 55 obscene idol which he acquired during the Great War, and it has promised to help him take political control of Great LUCK: 55 KNOW: 60 Britain, and remake the British Empire. Spells: Contact “Drowned Dreamer”, Summon/Bind Other motivations could be used at the Keeper’s discretion. Byakhee, Summon/Bind Fire Vampire, Summon/Bind [Keeper’s Choice] Skills: Dagger 35%, Pistol 30%, Fast Talk 65%, Cthulhu Mythos 80%, others as needed

Felix Schmit, Former Spy Schmit is a former German intelligence officer who came in Age: 35 HP: 11 MP: 10 contact with the Mythos and Armstrong during the Great STR: 11 DEX: 10 SIZ: 11 War. No longer affiliated with the German government, he has become unhealthily obsessed with Armstrong and INT: 17 EDU: 11 APP: 9 thwarting his plans.

CON: 10 POW: 10 SAN: 50

LUCK: 50 KNOW: 55 Skills: : Pistol 45%, Sword Cane 35%, Cthulhu Mythos 35%, Sneak 65%, others as needed

Page 7 – Sources: Adapted from iStock Photo and www.texturelib.com Page 9 – Source: Adapted from an original photograph by Alaskdan Dude on Flickr.com. Used in accordance with the designated Creative Commons attribution license. Page 12 – Sources: Adapted from original photographs by Dynamosquito and Anders Sanberg on Flicker.com. Used in accordance with the designated Creative Commons Attribution, Share Alike license. Page 13 – Source: Adapted from an original photograph by Mike Baird on Flicker.com. Used in accordance with the designated Creative Commons Attribution license. Page 14 – Source: Adapted from an original photo by Dan Brandenberg / iStock Photo Page 16 – Source: Adapted from decisiveimages / iStock Photo Page 17 – Source: Adapted from U.S. Library of Congress / Bain Collection Page 21 – Soruce: Adapted from an original photo by Wystan on Flicker.com. Used in accordance with the designated Creative Commons Attribution License Page 26 – Sources: Adapted from an original photo by Wystan on Flicker.com. Used in accordance with the designated Creative Commons Attribution License; Coins image adapted from an original photograph by Jason Lugo / iStock Photo Page 27 – Source: sumnersgraphicsinc / iStock Photo Page 28 – Sources: Compact disc image by Jonas_ / iStock Photo. Spatter image by Zeds-Stock / deviantART Page 29 – Sources: Adapted from Microsoft Clipart. Elder Sign from 4Vector http://4vector.com/free-vector/elder-sign-clip-art-110926 Page 31 – Source: Adapted from U.S. Library of Congress / Bain Collection Pages 32-33 – Source: Original photo by kirbyzz / iStock Photo

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