Opifex 16

Issue 16 November-December, November-December, 1998

Free!

Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Woodson Pond . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Into the Depths . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 War Buddy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 The Archangels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

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Information Editor, Writer and Art Director: Michael C. LaBossiere, [email protected]. Cover and Interior Art: Michael C. LaBossiere, [email protected]. Writer and Archive Master:  Ricardo J. Méndez, [email protected]. Web Page Th e web page provides readers with links to acquire the software needed to view issues, information about the ezine as well as direct access to the current issue. The address is: http://user.aol.com/ontologist/web/opifex.obm.html. ex B i - M o n t h l y : R a nd nd o m U n i v er er s es es   Acquiring O p i f ex Opifex Bi-Monthly: Random Universes may be reliably acquired by the following means:

•Subscription: To subscribe send email with the message “subscribe OBM” to [email protected]. The subscription issues are mailed as binhexed pdf files. America Online will automatically decode such files. Users of other services may need to acquire a utility such as Aladdin’s Stuffit Expander (available for both Mac and PC platforms) in order to decode the binhexed file. Naturally, Adobe Acrobat Reader will be needed to read the pdf files. •Online Viewing: The current issue of Opifex Bi-Monthly: Random Universes can  be viewed viewe d directly direct ly by using u sing a web browser equipped e quipped with Adobe’s Adob e’s PDFView plug-in. Viewers which support helper applications can also be used to view the pdf file indirectly by downloading the file and then opening it using Adobe Acrobat Reader. Go directly to http://user.aol.com/opifex2/obm/obm.cu.html. http://user.aol.com/opifex2/obm/obm.cu.html. •Download: The current issue of Opifex Bi-Monthly: Random Universes  can be downloaded by opening an FTP session to user.aol.com/opifex2/obm. Simply download the issue (it will be the obmrux.pdf file, where x is the issue number). Back Issues Ricardo J. Méndez has set up an FTP archive site for past issues of Opifex O pifex Bi Mo nt hl y: R an do m Un i ve rs es . Each issue is available as an individual ZIP file. ZIP archives can be unzipped by a variety of PC utilities as well as Stuffit Expander (freeware for the Mac and PC). The site is http://www.geocities.com/~rmendez/obmru/

Legal Information Opifex Bi-Monthly: Random Universes ©1996. All rights reserved. Fees Opifex Bi-Monthly: Random Universes  is a free ezine.

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Trademarks Most product names are the trademarks of the companies producing those products. Use of a trademark to identify a product discussed in this ezine should not be taken to imply the sponsorship of the holder of said trademark, nor should the use of a trademark without explicit mention of its status as a trademark be construed as a challenge to the trademark status. Copyright Information Unless otherwise noted, all of the material in this ezine is protected by the relevant copyright laws. Contributors have given permission for their material to be used in this ezine. Contributors retain all rights to their material. Third parties wishing to make use of any material within this ezine must contact the relevant party or parties in order to secure permission. Distribution Opifex Bi-Monthly: Random Universes may be freely distributed provided that: •The ezine is not modified. •No fee is charged for the ezine over and above the normal cost of distribution. The “normal cost of distribution” includes the fees for online services, the cost of a shareware CD-ROM and such. •Distributors who wish to include the ezine on commercial CD-ROMs or shareware collections request and receive permission for such distribution.

Game Companies Legal Information Some gaming companies permit third parties to publish material relating to their games. Here are the current legal specifications from each company: R. Talsorian Games “Mekton, Cyberpunk 2020 are Copyright; CyberGeneration, Castle Falk are Trademarks.” Chaosium “Call of Cthulhu is Chaosium Inc's registered trademark for their game of horror and wonder in the worlds of HP Lovecraft. For more information, contact Chaosium Inc., 950-A 56th St,Oakland, CA 94608 -- or call us at 510-547-7681. Visit Chaosium's web page at http://www.sirius.com/~chaosium/chaosium.html.” White Wolf “This article contains terms that are Trademarks and Copyrights of White Wolf Inc. All rights reserved by White Wolf Inc., 1996. This article does not challenge any property of White Wolf Inc.”

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FASA Corporation X is a Registered Trademark of FASA Corporation. Original X material Copyright 19XX by FASA Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Used without permission. Any use of FASA Corporation’s copyrighted material or trademarks in this file should not be viewed as a challenged to those copyrights or trademarks. Tantalus Inc. This item is not authorized or endorsed by Tantalus Inc. and is used without permission. The item is for personal use only. Any use of Tantalus Inc.'s copyrighted material material or trademarks in this file should not be viewed as a challenge to those copyrights or trademarks. In addition, this item cannot be republished or distributed without without the consent of the author.

Contributors’ Guidelines©1996,1997 Michael C. LaBossiere, [email protected] Kelly Rothenberg, [email protected] Submission Conditions

Opifex Bi-Monthly will Bi-Monthly  will consider any submission that falls within the scope of the ezine, however certain conditions must be met in order for material to be considered. 1. The person submitting the material must be its legal owner and must give Bi-Monthly . permission for the material to be included in Opifex Bi-Monthly. 2. The person submitting the material must assume all responsibility for his/her material. 3. The person submitting the material must include his/her real name with the material along with an email address. 4. Any person submitting game related material must secure permission from the company which owns the game in question and include the company’s standard disclaimer in the material. This applies only in cases in which the company in question requires that such conditions be met. Some companies have given Opifex Bi-Monthly permissions Bi-Monthly  permissions to publish material relating to their games. For the current list, look at the Legal Information section of this issue. 5. In no case will illegal material be accepted. 6. People who wish to make submissions submissions that are larger than 100K (compressed) should contact the staff before sending the file via email.

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Submission Format

General: Submissions Submissions are accepted via email. Files should be sent as attached mailings whenever possible instead of being included as text in email. Hqx files should be attached as files and not sent as email text. Files sent from users owning Windows 95/NT should use the DOS naming conventions (8.3) since there are currently some problems with handling Windows 95 files. Whenever possible, files should be compressed using mainstream compression software, such as Stuffit, Compact Pro or PKZip. Rare or unusual compression methods should not be used. The type of file(s) submitted should be identified in the accompanying email. Text Submissions: Text submissions should be in WordPerfect for the Macintosh files, if possible. Version 3.5 files are preferred, but earlier versions are acceptable. WordPerfect 6.1 (for PCs), RTF files, Microsoft Word (5.1 for the Macintosh or earlier), MacWrite II and plain text files are also acceptable. Contributors who cannot save files in any of the above formats should contact Michael LaBossiere ([email protected]). Text should be formatted and can be styled, but not excessively so (unless doing so is necessary). The font used should be Palatino or similar. Articles titles should be in 18 point bold, the author’s name and email address should be in 14 point plain, and the main text should be 12 point plain. Section headers should be 12 point bold. Unusual, rare or proprietary fonts (such as those in Adobe Type on Call) should not be used without making prior arrangements with the staff. Contributors should spell check their work before submitting it. Text files with embedded graphics (such as maps and illustrations) should be sent in a format that preserves the graphics and their layout. RTF is a useful cross-platform format for this purpose. Graphic Submissions: Graphic submissions should be no larger than a half page, unless the art is intended for the cover. Color art is acceptable and is, in fact, desirable. Acceptable formats include PICT, Photoshop, BMP, TIFF, GIF, JPEG, Deneba’s Canvas, Macromedia Freehand, Microfrontier’s Color It! and Adobe Illustrator. Graphic submissions should include the artist’s identifying signature or mark in the body of the graphic. The mail accompanying a graphic file must include the author’s name and email address. Submission Specifics Games: The primary focus of Opifex Bi-Monthly game section is on horror and science fiction games, although general gaming material and material on other areas of gaming will be considered. Sourcebook style material, rules variants, adventures, NPCs, scenarios and such are all welcome. Many game companies are extremely protective of their games and do not pe rmit anyone else to publish or even distribute material relating to their games. Hence, those making game related

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submissions must determine whether or not their work infringes on the rights of a company. It is known that both TSR and Palladium do not want a ny material relating to their games distributed by others. Hence, no material relating to these games will be considered. Some companies tolerate third parties publishing material relating to their games. For the current list see the Legal Information section of this issue. Submissions of any reasonable size will be considered and extremely large submissions might be serialized. Send submissions to Michael LaBossiere, [email protected]. Rights The person making the submission grants Opifex Bi-Monthly one-time Bi-Monthly  one-time publication rights, with all other rights reverting to the author afterwards. Authors will be contacted for permission to publish rewrites. The person making the submission retains all other rights, including copyright ownership and the right to publish the material elsewhere. Payment At this time no payments or compensation of any kind are offered for contributions.

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Woodson Pond ©1998 By Michael C. LaBossiere [email protected] Call of Cthulhu Legal Information This adventure is copyright 1998 by Dr. Michael C. LaBossiere. La Bossiere. It may be freely distributed for personal use provided that it is not modified and no fee above the normal cost of distribution is charged for it. Visit the Opifex Phoenix web site at http://user.aol.com/ontologist/index.html. Call of Cthulhu is Chaosium Inc's registered trademark for their game of horror and wonder in the worlds of HP Lovecraft. For more information, contact Chaosium Inc., 950-A 56th St, Oakland, CA 94608 -- or call us at 510-547-7681. Visit Chaosium's web page at http://www.sirius.com/~chaosium/chaosium.html.

Introduction This adventure brings the investigators to the American South to help debunk the claim that a tract of land is haunted. Unfortunately, the real estate agent who hires the investigators will vanish while showing a client the land in question. The action is set in Florida in modern times. With some slight modifications it can be set in a different place and/or time. The adventure itself is fairly short and straightforward, but is still fairly dangerous.

Getting the Investigators Involved One of the investigators will receive a fax (or letter) from a college friend, Margaret Hilton. Although Hilton sort of lost touch with the investigator, she has heard of  his/her activities through other friends of the investigator. Her fax/letter is as follows: Dear x, How are you doing? Where have the years gone? It seems that only a short while ago we were at school. As you remember, I’m a bit blunt, so I’ll get right to the point. As you probably heard from Jane or David, I’m working as a real estate agent in Tallahassee, Florida. My company managed to pick up a large chunk of land near Tallahassee that has a prime location for development. As you probably know, Tallahassee has almost as many college students as roaches, so I could make a tidy commission if I could sell the land to some sleazy developer. So, you are probably asking, “Why is old Margaret writing?” Well, this will will sound weird, but the land is supposed to be haunted by someone or something. Some people have even talked about a monster that lives on the land. Yes, it does sound stupid to have a track of prime real estate left undeveloped these days because of 

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some sort of superstition. Yet, it is the oddest thing: no one who has bought the land has ever been able to complete the development. Almost as odd, no one has been really willing to say anything concrete about it. I sort of think it is just one of those real estate dead zones where nothing ever works (like Kevin’s Bar when we were in school, which was Bill’s Tavern, Sam’s Restaurant, and about twenty other things that never worked out). But, the land has a great location and it’s just perfect for those cardboard units developers love to pack students into. So, you are probably still wondering why I am writing. Well, I need someone to come and do something about the land. Debunk the legend, that sort of thing. One of our old friends hinted that you have been involved in some odd things, but that you are still the very soul of discretion. I can offer you a percentage of the sale if you are able to help me sell the land. Tallahassee has an airport, although getting flights there can be a bit of a challenge. Let me know if you want to make some easy money. Margaret Hilton Gulf Winds Realty If the investigators accept Hilton’s invitation, then the adventure can proceed. Hilton will tell them that she is showing the land to a potential buyer and that they should call her cell phone number as soon as they arrive in town. If they decline, the investigator will learn of her mysterious disappearance. When the investigators reach Tallahassee and call Hilton, the phone will not be answered. If they call or visit her office, they will learn that she is not in. If the investigator convinces the secretary that he/she is a friend of Hilton, the secretary will say that Hilton never came to work and that she is very worried. At this point, the investigators should realize that the action has begu n.

Keeper’s Background The land that Hilton is trying to sell is known locally as the Woodson plot. The Woodson family was fairly successful in business and purchased a large chunk of  land near Tallahassee after the Civil War. The land was never really developed, but Colonel Woodson, who married a woman from Tallahassee, had a house constructed there in 1881. The Woodson family enjoyed a fairly solid reputation until 1945, when John Woodson returned from the war in the Pacific.  Woodson had been a Navy pilot and was shot down in 1943 in the Pacific. Woodson thought he was lucky when he was able to reach a small island, but he changed his mind when he was taken captive by a the inhabitants. He quickly learned the inhabitants, who were unknown to both the Americans and the  Japanese,  Japa nese, were cannibals. canni bals. Even worse, wors e, they t hey worshippe worsh ipped d a horror horro r that tha t dwelled dwe lled in a pond on the island. Subjected to constant torture and abuse, and exposed to the creature, Woodson’s mind eventually broke and he joined in the worship. In 1945 he was “rescued” by an American destroyer and brought a larvae from the horror with him.

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When he arrived back at the family estate, he released the larvae in the pond and kept it nourished on the blood of animals. After it grew larger, it demanded human  blood.  blo od. Woodson Woo dson gave gav e it i t his hi s elde e lderly rly mot mother. her. Over Ove r the t he course cou rse of the next nex t four fo ur months, Woodson kept the thing well supplied with human victims. This phase of  the horror ended when David Woodson, John Woodson’s brother, returned from Europe. After David realized something horrible was going on, the two brothers fought. The fight knocked over an oil lamp, causing the house to burn down. Both  brother  bro therss perish pe rished ed in the t he fire, fire , but b ut the creatu cre ature re lived live d on o n in the pond. pon d. Denied regular fare, the thing in the pond went into a form of hibernation, waking only occasionally when something disturbed it’s rest. Most people and animals could feel that there was something “wrong” with the area and so avoided it. It also took on a bad reputation, as people reported sometimes hearing hearing or seeing odd things  by the pond. pon d. Someti Som etimes mes the thing thi ng would wou ld take tak e a human hum an victim vic tim and, and , if i f the t he disappearance were noted it would add to the evil reputation of the area. The land passed from owner to owner but no one was ever able to develop it. Workers would call in sick or simply not show up and even the owners would get a  bad feeling feeli ng about a bout the area. a rea. Eventuall Event ually y the area became beca me so s o overgr ov ergrown own that t hat it i t was wa s more or less ignored and forgotten, but not by everyone. A few years ago some homeless people set up a camp on the land near the pond. The thing became aware of their presence attacked them. The creature ate all but one of them, sparring Fred Burton in return for his servitude. Fred served the creature well by luring people into its grasp. In return, Fred was able to take any money or possessions the victims might have. Unfortunately, Hilton happened to drive by the land and was curious enough to find out more about it. She was able to talk her boss into buying the land and then she set out to sell it. She quickly learned that no one appeared to want it, mainly  because  bec ause of its i ts repu r eputati tation. on. At this t his point p oint she contacte cont acted d the th e invest in vestigat igators. ors. The night nigh t she sh e contacted them she took a client c lient out to the land. Unfortunately for her and the client, the thing was hungry that night. When he saw the two walking around, Burton ran out of the bushes and grabbed Hilton’s brief case and made sure to stay in sight so Hilton and the client, Ted Nesk, would chase him. When he reached the pond he stopped and the thing took Hilton and Nesk. After the thing was finished, Burton mucked around in the water until he could find her purse and his wallet. He then dumped the car in a “bad neighborhood” so it would be stolen.

Investigation The following is useful information the investigators might be able to turn up. Hilton and Nesk The investigators can learn about Hilton from her office. By all accounts, she was  blunt,  blu nt, honest hon est and respon res ponsibl sible, e, just jus t as a s the t he invest inv estiga igator tor will wil l reme r emembe mberr her h er from fro m college. There is no reason why Hilton would run off on her own. Ted Nesk was a purchasing agent for a real estate developer. The developer he works for does have some history of code violations and Nesk is known to have

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done a few shady deals. If the investigators check up on Nesk they will find that there is no reason to believe that Nesk Nesk would have either harmed Hilton or run away with her. The police will find Hilton’s car that night when they catch some kids joy ridding in it. The kids will claim that some “gross man” just drove it into the neighborhood and left it there, with the engine still ru nning. The police will, of course, believe none of this and the kids will be the prime suspects. The kids (Tony Brown, Jamil Jackson and Henry Erics) do have minor police records (some shoplifting and truancy) but do not seem to be the type of kids that would kill two people and steal a car. The police will, of course, not find any evidence that indicates that the kids did anything to Hilton and Nesk. However, they will be charged with stealing the car and kept in jail. If the investigators are able to talk to the kids or learn about their story (perhaps by talking to the police or the press) they will be able to get a rough description of  Burton. However, the description would fit almost any homeless man. Checking the Woodson Land According to Hilton’s office, she was showing a client the Woodson land. The police will do a cursory sweep of the area (it is a large area, with plenty of brambles and tons of kudzu) that will turn up nothing except the car tracks. If the investigators do a careful search (a clever investigator might call Hilton’s cell phone and listen for the noise it makes) around the pond they might find Hilton’s cell phone, which she dropped when the thing grabbed her. If the investigators tell the police about the phone, they will check the area more thoroughly. If the police search the area more carefully, or if the investigators investigators do, they have a good chance of finding one of Burton’s many “nests.” Burton has constructed, out of  various pieces of debris, discards and refuse, various hidden shelters on the land. Searching these will turn up Hilton’s briefcase. If the police find the briefcase, they will search the area even more thoroughly and look for Burton. If the investigators do not get the police involved, the rest of the investigation is up to them. History of the Woodson Land If the investigators check up on the history of the land, a check of the deed records will reveal the land was purchased in 1881 by Colonel David Woodson. A check of  local newspaper records and such will reveal nothing unusual about the area or the Woodson family, at least until 1945. The following article appeared in the local paper in 1945: Tragedy Strikes the Woodson Family Late last night the Woodson house burned to the ground, causing the deaths of  Mrs. Evelyn Woodson, John Woodson and David Woodson. Evelyn Woodson was well loved in the community and a regular contributor to local charities. Both John and David served bravely during the war. David served in Europe in an armored division while John was a Naval aviator. This tragic loss has brought sadness to our

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community... Further investigation will reveal no other printed sources. However, if the investigators talk to some of local people, they will learn that the area has a bad reputation. For example, Bill Jenkins, who owns the land nearby, went to the pond as a kid on a bet and saw part of the thing. He will say that he thinks he saw something like a tentacle in the water, but he thinks it was a trick of the light and his fear. Still, he will say, he never went near the pond again.

Maps The map for the adventure details the area around Woodson pond. The land is thickly wooded with plenty of kudzu growing over everything. As noted in the Investigation section, Burton has various “nests” hidden about on the land. These are not marked. Woodson Road: The paved road that goes by the property. Colonel Woodson had this section of the road built in the 19th century and it still bears his name. Woodson House: The burnt out remains of the house. Hardly anything is left beside the foundation. Altar: The altar is made out of concrete and is covered in plants. The altar has various odd symbols on it that were impressed in when the concrete was still wet. The altar was made by Woodson in imitation of the stone altar used by the islanders. Some of the marks on the altar do correspond to some known Pacific culture occult symbols, but others are Mythos related. Successful use of the Cthulhu Mythos skill will reveal that the symbols are mostly meaningless, although some have a vague resemblance to marks associated with Cthulhu. Aside from the marks, the altar is just old concrete. Woodson Pond: The pond is murky and has plenty of vegetation in it. It is fed by a stream. The thing dwells at the bottom of  the pond. Bones and personal possessions of past victims lie in the mud on the  bottom  bott om of o f the pond. pond . If the pond were dragged, one of Hilton’s shoes and Nesk’s toupee would be found.

Action There are two main sources of action. a ction. The first is Burton and the second, and most deadly, is the thing.

Woodson House  Altar Woodson Pond

N 60 ft

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Hunting for Burton If the investigators learn of Burton’s existence (from the kids or by finding his “nests”), they will probably want to find him. Burton leaves the Woodson land during the day to panhandle and wander about the town, trying to find people to lure back to the thing. Trying to find Burton in town will be a real challenge, since the investigators will not have a very good description of him. The investigators could go after every homeless person in the city, but there are quite a few and if they are too “active” the police would probably become involved. Burton always returns to the Woodson land at night to sleep in one of his “nests.” Sometimes he will bring people there, promising them food (they end up as food). The investigators best bet of getting Burton is to search the land at night or early in the morning before Burton leaves. Burton will try to avoid the investigators. If they find him, he will seem nervous, but will try to bluff his way out. If he feels threatened, he will fight and try to get to the pond in the hopes that the thing will protect him. Since so many things could happen with Burton, the exact eve nts must be left to the Keeper’s discretion. Facing the Thing At some point the investigators will have to face the thing. As noted above, it lives in the pond. During the day it burrows deep in the muck and will avoid revealing itself. It also will avoid large groups of people. It will attack people at night if those people are only in small groups or alone. It will also attack if it feels threatened. The thing is immune to most poisons, so dumping stuff in the pond will not harm it. It also lacks vital organs and reforms quickly, so explosives will not kill it. There are really only two ways to destroy the thing. The first is to use magic. The second is to kill it by getting it out of the pond and drying it out. This can be done  best by drain d raining ing the pond. pond . Blocki Bl ocking ng off o ff the th e inflow in flow will drain drai n the th e pond po nd in i n a couple cou ple days and the investigators can also use pumps. When the thing realizes the pond is emptying out, it will do its best to stop it. It will seek for any blockage and try to destroy any pumps. Hence, the investigators will need to keep the thing busy while the pond empties out. Naturally, the thing will fight viciously to preserve its existence.

Conclusion The adventure lasts until the investigators defeat the thing, they give up or are defeated. If they destroy the thing, they should receive a 1D8 Sanity Point award. If  They simply flee, the thing will continue to take victims. Such cowardice should cost the investigators 1D3 Sanity Points. If the investigators are able to prove that the kids are innocent, they and there parents will be grateful.

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With the destruction of the thing, the real estate agency will be able to sell the land and make a tidy profit. Since the investigators do not have a contract with the agency, they might get nothing for their efforts. If they are persuasive, they might be able to get a small percentage of the commission.

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NPC Fred Burton, Servant of the Thing STR: 12 CON:11 SIZ: 13 INT:11 POW:09 DEX:12 APP: 7 EDU: 9 SAN: 00 HP: 12 DB: None Important Skills: Conceal 45%, Fast Talk 15%, Hide 55%, Listen 55%, Persuade 24%, Sneak 56%, Spot Hidden 37% Weapons: Chair leg 35% Damage 1D6, Knife 40% Damage 1D4 Description: Burton has dirty black hair, a wild beard, and grey eyes. He dresses in cast off and scavenged clothing. Burton once had a decent job, but unfortunately he developed severe mental illness. He did seek help, but in the 1980s he ended up on the streets and deteriorated even more. He eventually drifted to Tallahassee and had the misfortune of encountering the thing. Burton serves the thing by bringing it food and worshipping it. In return, he gets to keep anything he can scavenge from the victims. Burton is cunning and careful and has established a sort of mental rapport with the thing, which enables him to understand its commands.

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Mythos Beings The Thing in the Pond

Description: This being is a hideous creature that is loosely associated with Cthulhu and his ilk. These creatures are known to have been worshipped by a few very depraved people in the Pacific. The thing appears as a pale white-grey blob, with mottled splotches. From the mass protrudes two thick tentacles that lash and twitch. The creature is horrid to look at and typically has bits and pieces of semi-digested victims visible in its body. The thing is less intelligent than a human being, but still thinks (in an alien sort of  way) and will act accordingly. The thing attacks by grabbing and crushing with its tentacles. Having no mouth, the thing rends its victims into pieces and absorbs the chunks directly into its body. As noted below, the nature of the thing makes it very resistant to most weapons. If it is “killed” but not dried out, burned, etc, it will reform itself in the pond at the rate of 3 hit points every day. The thing is, however, vulnerable to fire and being dried out. Each hour it spends out of water inflicts 1D3 points of damage to it and it takes normal damage from fire. It can heal such damage , providing it can immerse itself  in water. Characteristics R o l l s

Averag e

Stats

STR

3D6+6

1 6 -1 7

19

CON

2D6+6

13

15

SIZ

3D6+10

2 0 -21

22

IN T

2D6

7

8

PO W

3D6

1 0 -1 1

12

DEX

3D6

1 0 -1 1

12

HP

1 7 -1 8

19

Damage Bonus

+1D6

+2D6

Move: 4 (water) 1 (land) Weapons: Two tentacles 45% Damage 1D6+DB Armor: None, but the gelatinous body and lack of vital organs causes the thing to sustain only 1 point from impaling (bullets) and blunt weapons (clubs). Slashing weapons do half damage. Fire and acids will do full damage. Spells: None Sanity Loss: 1/1D8

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Handouts Handout Handout # 1 Dear x, How are you doing? Where have the years gone? It seems that only a short while ago we were at school. As you remember, I’m a bit blunt, so I’ll get right to the point. As you probably heard from Jane or David, I’m working as a real estate agent in Tallahassee, Florida. My company managed to pick up a large chunk of land near Tallahassee that has a prime location for development. As you probably know, Tallahassee has almost as many college students as roaches, so I could make a tidy commission if I could sell the land to some sleazy developer. So, you are probably asking, “Why is old Margaret writing?” Well, this will will sound weird, but the land is supposed to be haunted by someone or something. Some people have even talked about a monster that lives on the land. Yes, it does sound stupid to have a track of prime real estate left undeveloped these days because of  some sort of superstition. Yet, it is the oddest thing: no one who has bought the land has ever been able to complete the development. Almost as odd, no one has been really willing to say anything concrete about it. I sort of think it is just one of those real estate dead zones where nothing ever works (like Kevin’s Bar when we were in school, which was Bill’s Tavern, Sam’s Restaurant, and about twenty other things that never worked out). But, the land has a great location and it’s just perfect for those cardboard units developers love to pack students into. So, you are probably still wondering why I am writing. Well, I need someone to come and do something about the land. Debunk the legend, that sort of thing. One of our old friends hinted that you have been involved in some odd things, but that you are still the very soul of discretion. I can offer you a percentage of the sale if you are able to help me sell the land. Tallahassee has an airport, although getting flights there can be a bit of a challenge. Let me know if you want to make some easy money. Margaret Hilton Gulf Winds Realty

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Handout Handout # 2 Tallahassee Democrat ,1945 Tragedy Strikes the Woodson Family Late last night the Woodson house burned to the ground, causing the deaths of  Mrs. Evelyn Woodson, John Woodson and David Woodson. Evelyn Woodson was well loved in the community and a regular contributor to local charities. Both John and David served bravely during the war. David served in Europe in an armored division while John was a Naval aviator. This tragic loss has brought sadness to our community...

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“Into the Depths” ©1991,1998 2300AD 

Michael C. LaBossiere [email protected] The tactical display showed showed a well done formation, formation, well done for cadets, that is. Suddenly, after the live firing exercise, things began to go wrong. Ship and aircraft blips flashed red, then faded. Within minutes, all the blips were gone, my kid brother among them. Satellite photographs showed the sea strewn with burning wreckage and alive with native predators. The fi rst rescue vessel in the area  peri  pe ri sh ed qu ic kl y, as di d th e seco se co nd. nd . Th ere er e wa sn’t sn ’t a th ir d.

Legal Information This adventure is copyright 1991, 1998 by Dr. Michael C. LaBossiere. It may be freely distributed for personal use provided that it is not modified and no fee above the normal cost of distribution is charged for it. Visit the Opifex Phoenix web site at http://user.aol .com/ontologist/index.html. This item is not authorized or endorsed by Tantalus Inc. and is used without permission. The item is for personal use only. Any use of Tantalus Inc.'s copyrighted material material or trademarks in this file should not be viewed as a challenge to those copyrights or trademarks. In addition, this item cannot be republished or distributed without without the consent of the author.

Introduction This adventure is set on a human colony world with a substantial amount of  water (Aurora would do nicely) and involves the PCs in an investigation of a wet navy disaster. Do not read any further if you intend to play in this adventure. Referee’s Introduction A naval cadet training exercise accidentally re-activated a submerged alien base. The base’s computers took the cadets’ actions as an attack and it acted to destroy the “invaders”. The rescue vessels were also seen as invaders and were destroyed. It is up to the PCs to shut down the base before more people are killed. Player Briefing A naval cadet training unit consisting of six surface vessels and twenty aircraft was completely destroyed by unknown forces. The wreckage has not been examined and there have been no survivors recovered because any vessel entering the area is destroyed. Satellite photographs indicate that the vessels and aircraft were fired on from the water. When one vessel rolled over, gaping holes, similar to those that would be produced by high energy lasers, were visible just before the ship sunk. It is

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 believed  belie ved that a submar su bmarine ine may be able a ble to enter e nter the area a rea and investiga inve stigate te as a s well wel l as recover any survivors. The investigative/rescue force force will consist of two Shark attack submarines which will leave at night. Referee History An alien base was transported to the world several thousand years ago as part of  a military/scientific expedition by a now extinct race. These beings built to last and the base is still mostly operational. It was abandoned and set on a “sleep” mode. One of the conditions under which it will “awaken” is when it detects military activity. The cadets’ live fire exercise was sufficient military activity to awaken the base, which immediately dealt with the “enemy”. The base computer is convinced that the enemies of its creators have returned and it will defend the base and the area around it against all intrusions. Getting the PCs Involved PCs with appropriate occupations (military, troubleshooter, medical, etc.) can be assigned to or hired on to the rescue team. Characters of other occupations may end up on the team other ways. For example, a PC working for a news service may bribe his way onto the team to get a story. Plausible reasons should be found for getting the PCs involved.

First Mission The first first mission will be a complete and horrifying disaster. The military military leaders in charge of the mission are convinced c onvinced that the stealthed Shark submarines will be capable of entering the area without being detected. Unfortunately, this is not the case. When the submarines first enter the area, they will detect a large large area of  electromagnetic distortion that interferes with many of the sensor and scanner systems. It will be quickly determined that the distortion is a pod of Venries (see details below) and the subs will plot a course to bypass them. Once the subs bypass the interference, the subs’ sensors will detect that some sort of scanning beam is  being locked lock ed onto o nto them. Seconds Seco nds after a fter this fact is report re ported, ed, the submarine subma riness will wil l be rocked by substantial impacts. Warning lights will flash and warning sirens will sound. The damage will be quite severe and both subs will begin to take on water. If  the PCs are on only one sub, the other will be hit again, crack open and plummet to the bottom. The sub (s) the PCs are on will be hit again. It will lose all fire control capacity, the engines will go off line, scanner and sensor systems will be disabled, the escape pods destroyed, and several compartments will be flooded. The submarine will be capable of reaching a safe depth where the crew can abandon ship, provided the order to attempt to reach the surface is given immediately immediately (an NPC captain will give the order in time, if there is a PC captain it is up to him what to do). If the order is given too late, the sub will be hit again and will plummet to the  bottom.  bott om. How the PCs escap e scapee from fr om the t he cripp c rippled led sub is then th en up u p to them and the referee, but it will be quite difficult as the emergency pods will have been destroyed.

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If the PCs reach the surface (either when the abandon ship order is given or via an escape from the sunken vessel) their ordeal will not yet be over. The sea is home to numerous predator forms which will attack humans. These creatures will be killing people all around the PCs, but will not kill any PCs (they may take a nibble or two, however, but nothing fatal). However, do not let the players know about their (plot granted) immunity. Let them come up with a survival plan, and make it work in a plausible manner. Be sure to convey to the players the horror of their situation: Its a nightmare come to life. You can feel things moving by you in the dark water and odd, glowing shapes are visible around you. Suddenly, one of the survivors beside you lets out a horrible scream as she is lifted out of the water by some plated monstrosity with bulbous eyes and row upon row of teeth. Her screams are cut short as water floods her mouth when she is pulled under. Horribly, the cold water grows suddenly warm around you. More screams break the night... After the survivors have been on the surface for 10 minutes, a rescue plane will arrive on the scene, only to be shot down in a spray of wreckage. The flaming bits of  aircraft will look very spectacular falling from the night sky and will attract some of  the larger predators up from from the depths. The survivors survivors will be able to see the lights of a rescue ship nearby. When the survivors drift close enough, the vessel will fire lines to the survivors. Some NPCs will get to the lines first and will be pulled towards the boat, like fish on a line. Unfortuantely, the movement of those being pulled by the ropes will attract even more predators and the hapless victims will be quickly devoured. After another hellish hour or two, thePCs will drift out of the danger zone and they will be picked up by the rescue ship and brought to shore. There will be 2d6 NPC survivors from the ordeal in addition to the PCs. Debriefing After the PCs have received medical attention, they will be brought to a debriefing session. They will be questioned about the mission. The questioners want to know how the submarines submarines managed to enter so far into the danger zone. If PCs were on the bridge of one of the submarines, they might remember that they were not attacked until after they maneuvered away from a pod of Venries. If the PCs fail to make the connection, one of the scientists assigned to the investigation will realize that the Venries electromagnetic fields preve nted the submarines from being detected. This realization will spur an investigation into the Venries. Venries (Library Data) Discovered by and named for Dr. Janet Venries, a noted noted French marine xeno-biologist xeno-biologist , Venries are large, aquatic animals that fill a role comparable to that of the terran whale. whale. Both are similar in that they feed on very small sea organisms  by filte f iltering ring massive mas sive amo amounts unts of sea s ea water. wate r. Venries Venr ies are quite quit e diffe d ifferent rent from their thei r terran counterparts, however. Whereas whales are air-breathing mammals, Venries are non-mammalian and have gills. Whereas whales rely on a natural form of 

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sonar, Venries rely on the electromagnetic fields they generate to detect their food, each other, and various objects (the sea floor, ships, etc.). Venries also seem to be far less intelligent intelligent than their terran counterparts. counterparts. In terms of size an appearance, adult Venries range in size from that of a humpback to that of a blue whale. They look somewhat like whales, but have three bladed flukes, thick armor-like plating on their bodies, and have clusters of three eyes on either side of their head. Coloration ranges from pale gray to black. The ventral regions are slightly lighter in color than the dorsal regions. Because their electromagnetic fields interfere with surface vessel controls, ocean power station systems, and other electronics, a program was developed to create a means to control the Venries in order to keep them from disrupting shipping and, most importantly, to keep them from disrupting important underwater communication systems and power stations. The result was an electromagnetic field generating device which could effectively lure or drive away Venries with a 95% success rate. The Plan If tthe he PCs PCs do do not realize the potential potential of using using the Venries Venries as a cover, one of the NPCs will do so. The naval planners will decide to equip a small Sea Dart submarine with an electromagnetic device of the type used to attract/repel Venries that was mentioned above. The device will be used to attract a pod of Venries which will serve as cover for the submarine’s submarine’s intrusion. Because of their great skill and courage (as exemplified by their survival of the previous ordeal) the PCs will be assigned to or hired for the second mission. Naturally, they will receive bonuses for undertaking the mission so soon after their harrowing brush with death. To aid the PCs PCs in in finding finding what has has been doing the the firing, firing, unmanned unmanned drones drones will will  be launc l aunched hed into the area every eve ry 20 minutes. minu tes. Sensors Sens ors will also be drop d ropped ped into the sea at the limits of the danger zone and the data will be sent to the submarine.

Second Mission The second mission will consist of a single Sea Dart submarine, the PCs and any NPCs required to fill out the crew. Naturally a few red shirts (the sci-fi equivalent of  spear carriers) should be brought along to be killed by the base’s defenses. Entry The submarine will submerge and cruise around until a pod of Venries is detected. This will take about an hour, using the electromagnetic device in the Sea Dart to lure them in. Once the pod is detected, the device will be used to get them to follow the submarine. The presence of the Venries will conceal the submarine. The submarine’s systems have been shielded to protect them from the electromagnetic emissions of the Venries. The submarine can still use its sonar, but its radar and radio systems will be useless while the vessel is in the field. Communication will be maintained via a laser communicator (this will become increasingly unreliable the deeper the sub goes) and several radio buoys are available to send messages. These

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 buoys consist c onsist of a recorder recor der and a broadcaster. broa dcaster. If launched, launch ed, they will destroyed dest royed 2 minutes after they start transmitting. To see if anything exciting happens on the way in, roll 1d10 each hour. On a 1, something happens. If something happens, roll on the following chart: Roll 1

2-3 4 5 6

Ev e nt El e c tr o m a g ne ti c d e v ic e fa i ls a nd the V e nr ie s b e g in t o swim away. Repair difficulty is up to the referee. Predators (generate some large aquatic predators) attack the Venries and and begin to drive them away. The PCs PCs must deal with them or lose their cover. Mi no r a n no y a nc e (st r a n g e sm e ll i n a i r sy s t e m , l ig h t s flicker) Task will be simple. Mi no r m a lf u nc t i o n in th e su b m a r in e (h a tc h st u c k , m in o r systems failure, etc.). Task will be routine. Se ri ou s m a lfu nc t io n in th e su b m ar ine (so na r fa ilu r e , drive failure). Task will be difficult.

Ocean Pyramid After three drones are destroyed in the zone, the sensors will have gathered enough information to determine the location of whatever is doing the shooting in the danger zone. This information will be gained from detecting energy emissions from the fire control and weapon systems that are being fired. This information will be transmitted to the submarine and will provide the PCs with the data they need. When the PCs near the coordinate points, the sub’s sonar (if it is in use) will detect a very large pyramid on the bottom of the ocean floor. As the submarine gets closer, the PCs will be able to see the structure via the submarine’s visual sensors. The object is a massive pyramid structure, coated with slime and the local analogs to barnacles and seaweed. The top of the pyramid is, in contrast, quite clean. This is because the weapon systems are in the top section and the firing destroyed the material coating the top. If  the pyramid fires while the sub is close to it, the PCs will see the top of the pyramid

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emit blueish arcs of energy and glow faintly. Any objects between the pyramid and its target (like fish) will be destroyed during the firing. Visible on each side of the pyramid is what appears to be a docking tube. The tube will not fit the Sea Dart, but the sub carries the equipment required to construct a temporary link. This operation will require two people in the Swimmers. To construct temporary link: Routine. Mechanical. 2 minutes. The Alien Structure The interior of the alien structure is similar to human structures in many respects. This is because the builders were also humanoid. However, there are many alien aspects about the structure. The most obvious is that the interior light is orange and the interior is kept warmer than what humans find comfortable (about 88 degrees F). Less obvious, but more disturbing, is the differences between human aesthetics and the alien builders’ aesthetic sense. The interior will seem vaguely “off” to humans. There is no particular thing that seems odd, it is simply the effect of the whole thing. Finally, equipment and control panels will feel odd to humans because of the slightly different hand structure of the alien  builder  buil derss (their (t heir fingers finge rs were w ere longer long er than t han human fingers , they had retractable claws in their fingertips, and the bone configuration was a bit different). One thing that will pleasantly surprise the PCs is that the interior doors and lift shafts will work automatically for anyone using them. Level 1 The first level consists of the air locks. 1. Air Lock 2. Equipment Storage: Each storage room contains four “Alien Swimmers” (see  below). 3. Lift Plate Level 2 Living Quarters The living quarters level is empty. Each room has been carefully secured. 1-11. Living Quarters: Each room contains bunk beds for humanoid beings. based on the size of the beds, the users averaged about 1.9-2 meters in height. There are also two retractable desks and chairs in each room. Each desk has a keyboard, screen and a interface cable (not compatible with human interface plugs, however). they keyboard is slightly different in configuration from a human design and naturally

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has alien characters on it. The PCs can type on the keyboard and images will appear in the screen (or slightly in front of it, it is a 3-D screen with holographic capacity). The keyboards can be removed from the desks and would be very useful to human linguists. The computer is useless to PCs since they don’t know the language and safety features prevent them from doing any damage through random actions. 12. Larger Room: This room is like rooms 1-11,  but is designed design ed for one being b eing occup o ccupancy. ancy. The keyboard set-up is more complex than the others and this keyboard will not respond if  the PCs try to use it (they don’t have the activation key). 13. Empty Storage Room. 14. Eating Area/Rec Area: This area contains several recessed tables and chairs as well as recessed game consoles. The controls to the recessed items are simple buttons on the wall. The furniture is strong enough to pick up a human if he or she happens to be standing over it when the button that lifts it is pushed. Most of the games are interface varieties (unfortunately, they are not compatible with human interface plugs) but some are basic 3-D video games and there are some games with pieces, maps and dice (after all, every intelligent race plays games). 15. Food Preparation: This room contains empty food preparation machines. They have been shut down and will not do anything. Level 3 Control Level 1. Control Stations:  This area contains highly advanced electronic equipment, most of which is equipped for interface operations. It looks similar enough to human control systems to be recognizable as sort of a traffic control station, probably for military operations. It is, in fact, just that. The systems are all active and a few minutes of study will reveal that the displays are showing the area around the base. The disruption created by the PCs Venries will be quite evident. Human voices will be heard emanating from this room, this should surprise the PCs, until they realize that the voices are from radio broadcasts that the base’s systems have picked up. 2. Control Stations:  This area contains equipment similar to that of room #1. This equipment appears to be fire control equipment, which it is. The displays show the area around the base and several displays are replaying the base’s previous attacks. The PCs will not be able to work any of the controls as they have been taken over by

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the computer. There is also equipment in the room that looks like spaceship or submarine control systems. Several of the displays in these systems show what appears to be a course plotted to take the base closer to shore. Several human cities are prominently marked on the maps. Level 4 Computer Acess The base computer’s access area for repairs and modifications. The computer is highly advanced and is an artificial intelligence (but not self aware). It is capable of  very complex planning and plan implementation, but has some limitations (it doesn’t have much in the way of imagination and is restricted to control over the bases systems). A moderate explosive charge or a few rounds from a plasma gun or grenade launcher would suffice to put the computer out of commission. Unfortunately, the destruction of the computer will activate the base’s final defense system: it will self destruct 10 minutes after the computer is destroyed. The destruction of the computer will be followed by a truly horrific warning siren, then an alien voice speaking a regular intervals (the ten minute count down). The base’s explosion will destroy the inside of the base and crack the hull open, but will not have much of an exterior effect (there will be a shockwave that will knock any vessels in the area about and it will kill a lot of fish). Problems The base computer will decide to bring the war to its enemies. It plans to move the base (it can move at a rate of 20 kilometers per hour) to bring the human cities it has detected into range. It will start to move 10 minutes after the PCs are on board the base. It will take it 2 hours to get into firing range. The temporary link is not strong enough to hold the submarine at dock (there will be enough warning for the sub to disengage before the link is wrecked, however). Keeping the submarine in a safe docking position will require an initial docking roll (To dock safely: Routine. Sea Vehicle. Absolute, 2 minutes) and an additional roll every 5 minutes (To remain docked: Routine. Sea Vehicle. instant). Failure to remain docked causes the sub to back of safely and another docking attempt must be made. Mishaps will result in damage to the docking link or the submarine (or both). If the base gets within range, it will be able to do serious damage to the city (killing thousands) before the military is able to destroy it. It will take the military 15 minutes to destroy the base and this will involve involve heavy loses. If the PCs are on board the base when it it is destroyed, they will perish along with it.

Dangers Naturally, the PCs cannot just waltz into the base, blow up the computer and sub of under the sunset. The computer has at its disposal several methods of defense. Alien Swimmers:  Each of the alien swimmers is equipped for remote computer

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control. Fortunately, only two of them have legs (they were designed to work within sunken vessels and on the ocean floor). These swimmers have oversized arms and legs and have a streamlined, semi-spherical central body. They look remarkably like B-movie humanoid sea monster robots. Country: Alien Weight: 400 kg Crawl: Not Allowed Walk 8m Trot: 16 m Run: not allowed Swim: 20m Power Supply: Internal Battery Power Duration: 96 hours Integral Armament: Two cutting lasers, function as Rorttmann Lk-1fKz when switched over to pulse mode.Each pulse uses 2 minutes of power. Sensor Rang: 30km Signature: 1 Area Protected: All Armor Value: 18 Initiative Penalty: -3. Under computer control, the suits function as if they were controlled by a veteran NPC. They are damaged as per the chart in the Equipment Guide (p. 31). An operator hit knocks out the computer control link and renders the unit inactive. The suits have an air supply-recycling system that is good for 96 hours. The controls are simple enough that a human who is familiar with combat walkers could operate one (increase task difficulty rolls by 1 point due to the fact that the swimmers are of  alien manufacture, for example a simple task would require a 3+). The other (legless) swimmers swimmers are the same except they cannot walk or trot and swim 30m. Defense Robots The base is also equipped with 6 defense robots (two on each level, except lvl 4). These are dull gray spheres with mechanical spider legs sticking out of them. The legs can be magnetized, enabling the units to climb walls and ceilings, so they can drop on the PCs heads (which should endear them to the PCs). The front section is armed with a small laser weapon (treat as a Mueller-Rivera P-3) and each unit has what looks like small buzz saws on telescoping arms (treat as knifes). Each unit has an armor value of .9, a life level of 20, a signature of -8, an initiative of 11 and is very difficult to hit. They have IR , visual, and motion sensors. They are computer controlled. It will take the computer 5 minutes to determine that that the humans are invaders and not returned base personnel. Once it comes to his conclusion, it will take it 5 more minutes to get its defense robots on line and 5 more minutes to ready the walking swimmers for combat. It will do its best to kill everything in the base. Fortunately for the PCs, it cannot control the doors , lift plate, life support, or lights (thanks to accumulating software glitches).

Resolution If the PCs stop the computer, they will be heroes heroes (at lest until the sensation fades). If they fail to stop the computer, but live, they will be respected for trying. If they are killed, then they will be dead. If they managed to retrieve anything from the base, numerous scientific organizations will be interested in acquiring the equipment for study.

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New Vehicles Sea Dart Submarine The Sea Dart is a standard small submarine that is used for a variety of scientific and military missions. Crews range from 7-20, depending on the mission. The Sea Dart is equipped with a broad range of  sensor /scanner equipment including sonar, visual systems, radar, and so forth. The outer hull is self sealing. Deck 1 1) Bridge: Contains the vessels control systems. The submarine can be operated by one person in an emergency (all task rolls are one level higher). 2. Crew Quarters: This area is equipped with a fixed bathroom facility but the rest of  the sections are modular, enabling the vessel to be tailored for the crew size. 3. Galley: Contains the dining area as well as the food storage/preparation area. 4. Engineering:  Contains the engineering controls. Deck 2: 1. Electronics/Tubes: sensor/scanner array as well as the Electronics/Tubes: This area contains the subs sensor/scanner torpedo tubes. The tubes are smaller than standard tubes and are most often used to fire sensor torpedoes. Special missiles can also be fired from the tubes. 2. Loading area/Magazine/Storage: This area is equipped with an autoloader and magazine on military Sea Darts. On scientific vessels, this area contains racks for scientific and sensor torpedoes and is also used as storage. 3. Electronics: On military vessels, this area is equipped with sensor and espionage gear. On scientific vessels, this area is equipped with scientific equipment. 4. Air Lock: The air lock area contains diving equipment (including Sea Sleds, lights, and so forth. 5. Engineering:  adjacent to engineering are the fuel cells.

Type: Submarine Crew: 7-20 Armor: All Faces 6 Signature: 3 Evasion: 2 Sensor Range: 20 km Max Speed: 70 kph Cruising Speed: 35 kph Combat Movement: 175m

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Power: fuel cell Endurance: 96 hours. Price: Lv 80,000. Note1: The double hull and ballast tanks have not been included on the map. Note2: The Sea Dart on the mission is a military version and has been further modified with a track system that enables it to store two Swimmers on the ventral section of the hull and bring them (one at a time) into the modified air lock for  boarding. a s well as a supply Note3: The Sea Dart is equipped with a full supply of diving gear as of armaments (exact weapons are left to the referee’s discretion) . Swimmer a swimmer is a powered suit designed for underwater operations that require a great deal of protection (operating at great depths, combat situations, hostile sea life, and so forth). Like combat walkers, the swimmer’s limbs are slaved to the pilots’s movements and the unit has an internal monitor. The swimmer has more complex instrumentation, because of the greater requirements of operating underwater. The swimmers are also equipped with powerful underwater propulsion systems, and have air tanks and a recycling system built in (good for the duration of the suit’s power supply). There are a variety of swimmer types, depending on their mission. Construction swimmers are equipped with welding and cutting equipment as well as other tools. Scientific models are equipped with cameras and special sensors. Military models are armed and often carry mines or explosives. Armament typically consists of lasers and some models carry small torpedo weapons. Country: USA Weight: 500 kg Crawl: n/a n/a Walk: 7m Trot: 14 m Run: n/a Swim: 18m Power Supply: Internal Rechargeable Power Cell Power Duration: 24 hours Integral Armament: varies Area Protected: All Armor Value: 12 Initiative Penalty: -4 Price: Lv: 26,000. swimmers are armed with shoulder mounted Quin Quin Darlan MK Note: The mission swimmers 4-A1 PGCW and an arm mounted equivalent of a Rorttmann LK-1fKz. The swimmers are also equipped with the tools required to construct the temporary link as well as 6 blocks of Plastique-9 each.

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War Buddy ©1998 By Michael C. LaBossiere [email protected] Call of Cthulhu Legal Information This adventure is copyright 1998 by Dr. Michael C. LaBossiere. La Bossiere. It may be freely distributed for personal use provided that it is not modified and no fee above the normal cost of distribution is charged for it. Visit my web site at http://user.aol.com/ontologist/index.html. Call of Cthulhu is Chaosium Inc's registered trademark for their game of horror and wonder in the worlds of HP Lovecraft. For more information, contact Chaosium Inc., 950-A 56th St, Oakland, CA 94608 -- or call us at 510-547-7681. Visit Chaosium's web page at http://www.chaosium.com/cthulhu/.

Introduction This adventure is set in the 1920s era and takes place in the Maine woods. The adventure can be set in other times and places with suitable modifications. The adventure is intended to be part of a ongoing campaign, but can be played as a stand alone adventure.

Getting the Investigators Involved The investigators will be drawn into the horror by a desperate letter from Jack Meredith, who has clearly become involved in something very dangerous. The adventure is written based on the assumption that at least one investigator has a military background. If this is not the case, the investigators will have to be brought into the situation by a friend who was in the military with Jack Meredith. The Letter The adventure begins when a you ng man, dusty from riding in an ope n Model-T,  brings  bring s the investigat invest igator or a special speci al couri c ourier er letter. le tter. If asked, ask ed, and tipped t ipped,, the young man will tell the investigator that he has driven all the way from New York City to bring him the letter. If asked about Meredith, he will say that Meredith looked tired and that “Well, it was a bit odd. He kept looking around, checking out the windows and such. Like he was looking for something. He gave me a mighty strange look, like he was trying to look right through my skin. Yeah, I know that is a weird thing to say,  but, God’s God’ s honest ho nest truth, trut h, that’ t hat’ss how ho w it felt.” felt .” The young you ng man m an does doe s not no t have ha ve anything anyt hing else to say and will drive away.

Dear x, Do you remember those days before the war when we were young and full of high

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ideals? I remember how funny it was to practice with the broomsticks because the Army did not have enough rifles for everyone. How we all laughed and joked about how we were going to send the Kaiser’s boys packing. Of course, we soon found out things were not going to be so easy. ea sy. I do not have to remind you of the mud, the blood, and the death. Even in my wildest nightmares I had never imagined such horrors. Like so many soldiers, the madness of war wormed its way deep into my heart. In the fire of the machineguns I could hear the chatter of demons, promising mutilation and death. In the explosions of the artillery shells I could hear a roaring voice, saying “God is dead,” “God is dead,” over and over. The madness and horror chewed at my very soul, tearing away my faith in God and country. All that I held dear seemed empty and meaningless. I do not know how I survived those terrible days, but I did. Now, I think it might have been better if I had died. Perhaps if we had been able to go back together, things might have turned out differently. But, on the return voyage I met another soldier, a man name Lance Blake. Like me, Blake had been terrible affected by the war. Blake, like myself, had lost his youthful connection to God and country. Unlike me, Blake had found something else to replace them. I can only hint at the dark secrets that Blake had learned in dark and horrid places in the old land of Europe. Suffice it to say that Blake lead me blindly down a path leading to a madness and horror greater than any I had witnessed in the war. Possessed of an almost infernal charm, Blake was able to draw others into a group, which he called the Order of the Ancient Stone. Many who joined thoug ht it was  buy yet anothe a notherr group gr oup of eccentr ec centric ic spiritu sp iritualist alists, s, but bu t they the y soon soo n learned, lea rned, to their th eir endless horror, that Blake was offering something else. Even now I cannot bring myself to write of all I know. Suffice it to say, that I have done terrible things and participated in activities that no sane and God-fearing man should engage in. Ironically, it was Blake himself who caused me to turn against the group. He thought he could trust me and revealed some of his true plans. The horror of these words surpassed all the previous horrors and shocked me back to my senses. While I realized that I am beyond redemption, Blake must be stopped. Although I have not spoken to you in years, I know you to be a brave and good man. I hope I can count on you, for Blake must be stopped. I have stolen an important item from Blake and I have entrusted it to Father Ronald Henesey. I have sent sent him to my family camp in Maine. You remember where it is. You must meet the goo d Father there and receive the item. He will be able to tell you more. I now go to try to kill Blake. I fear that he cannot be slain by any mortal weapon,  but I must try. For my soul, so ul, I must try. Yours, Lieutenant Jack Meredith

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The Telegraph Shortly after receiving the letter, the investigator will receive a special telegraph delivery from Charles Meredith, Jack’s father. The telegraph will say: “ Jack is dead. Suspect foul play.” The telegraph should convince the players that they will need to act quickly. The investigator who was a friend of Jack will remember where the camp is, since he spent several summer weekends there with Jack and his family

Investigation The following information will be available to the investigators. The Keeper should be careful to keep the investigators on track. If they spend to much time investigating, they will arrive too late.  Jack Meredith The investigator who knew Jack Meredith will remember the following about Jack Meredith: Jack was an active young man who who was much given to flights flights of  imagination as a boy. Jack was very religious and kind, but was always in search of  something “more.” In the war, Jack fought bravely, but he held up badly under the pressures of the war. After the war, Jack sent the occasional letter to the investigator, telling of his latest attempt to find meaning. Jack wrote of his experiences with spiritualism, mediums, and other such things. Jack’s next to last letter (the last being the letter that starts the adventure) mentioned that he had finally found an answer.

Keeper’s Information The “answer” that Jack found was Lance Blake, a man who had revived an ancient cult dedicated to finding six stones. Jack joined Blake’s cult, but was horrified when he learned a small part of the actual truth. Jack contacted Father Henesey, whom he had met a few years ago during his quest for meaning. He gave Henesey an item he had taken from Blake and told him to go to the camp in Maine and wait for his friend. Henesey, who is a member of a secret society devoted to fighting the forces of  evil and madness, took the item to the camp to await the arrival of Jack’s friend. Charles Meredith If the investigator contacts Charles Meredith, Charles will obviously upset. Charles is a wealthy man, but he lost his wife several years ago and now he has lost his only son. He will be able to tell the investigators that Jack drifted from one “group of  oddballs to the next.” Charles will say that he received one letter from Jack a few years ago, saying that he had found “the answer.” Charles tried to find Jack, but was unable to do so, despite spending a considerable sum on private investigators. The next time Charles saw his son was after the police called him. Jack was found dead in his apartment, only a few miles from his father’s house. The doctor reported

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that Jack died of a heart attack. Because of the expression of pure horror on his son’s face, Charles thinks that someone killed Jack. He does not have any solid evidence,  but he feels f eels that something some thing terrible terr ible happened happ ened to Jack. J ack. Charles Char les will urge the investigators to find out more. Keeper’s Information Charles is correct. Jack was killed by a horror that Lance Blake sent to take care of  him. Blake knows that Jack took an item from him, but it will take him a short while to figure out who Jack gave it to and where the person went. If the investigators check Jack’s apartment, it will be clear that it has been thoroughly searched. If the investigators check the apartment, they will find nothing of interest. Father Henesey Once the investigators get to the camp, they can speak with Father Henesey. The good Father has a photo of the investigator who knew Jack, so he will be able to recognize him. Henesey is very cautious and will keeping a careful watch while he waits. Father Henesey knows a great deal more than he is willing to tell the investigators,  but he will wil l shar s haree the t he fol follow lowing ing inform inf ormati ation: on:

The Eye Clipping from The Eye, Eye , a skeptical, independent New York City newspaper that focuses on occult and other unusual matters. The Order of the Ancient Stone is, despite the “Ancient” in its name, a relatively new group. Formed in the early 1920s by Lance Blake, the group meets here in New York City. According to one member, who chose to remain anonymous, the group is dedicated to “ancient secrets, deep mysteries, and really good poker games.”  An ci en t Le ge nd s an d My th s , Excerpt from A from Anc nc ie nt Le ge nd s an d My th s , by Dr. L. Prescott, Pilgrim Press, 1911. There is a brief mention in the works of Lucetus, a little known historian in the Roman Empire, of a Cult of the Ancient Stone. According to Lucetus, this cult was dedicated to finding six stones that were “brought from on high.” It was reported that the stones would “open a door into the world” that would allow “it who waits  beyond  beyo nd the t he wall” w all” to come c ome to earth. e arth. Lucetus reports that this cult was initially popular in Rome, but he notes that the cult died out when most of its leaders were found “torn asunder into bloody bits.” Other Information Henesey say that he knew Jack from a time when Jack was lost and looking for answers: “Jack was a lost soul. He came to my church, looking for answers. Sadly, he

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thought that God had abandoned him. We spoke at length and I must have made some impression on him, for he called me in his time of need and entrusted me with an item. I have had some experience with the sort of cult Jack had the misfortune of falling into, so I took what he said very seriously. I am sure the cult places a great deal of value on this item and I am certain that we must not let it fall  back into their thei r hands.” ha nds.” Keeper’s Information Henesey is telling the truth about how he met Jack. However, Henesey will not say anything about the fact that he is a member of a secret society that has been waging a war against cults and other servants of madness and evil. He will admit that he has had some experience with unusual events, including an exorcism. The item Henesey has is a shard from one of the six stones. He keeps the shard in a lead lined box, to protect himself and others from its effects. The shard is detailed  below.

Maps The following details the adventure’s two maps. Main Map The main map details the area around the cabin. The cabin is located approximately six miles from the nearest town, which is Norway, Maine. The cabin can only be reached by a well worn trail that winds through the woods for about a mile and crosses a sturdy log bridge. Ripple Stream is shallow enough to be waded across and contains brook trout. The Cabin Interior The cabin is built out of native pine. It has been painted a cheerful white color with red trim. There are six glass windows which open by sliding one part of the window up. The door has a place for a padlock, a latch, and a small bolt (intended only to keep the door from swinging open-it can be broken by matching its STR of 7 on the Resistance Table). The roof is steep, to keep the Maine winter snows from crushing it. The interior of the cabin is decorated with paintings of hunting, fishing and other nature scenes. There is a collection of camping gear, including folding folding cots, kerosene lamps, two cans of kerosene, cooking gear, and other common co mmon items such as fishing poles. There is even an Army surplus two-way radio in the living room along with a conventional civilian radio and record player. The cabin does not have electricity or indoor plumbing. Lighting is provided by kerosene lamps. Water has to be poured from jugs and there is an outhouse behind the cabin. Living Room: The living room contains a large oak table, obviously an expensive piece. It is carved with scenes of hunting. Meredith’s mother made his father take it

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to the camp because she thought the hunting scenes were out of place in her fine house. Around the table are several well made oak chairs. The living room also contains a well made brick fireplace. Over the fireplace hangs a double barrel 12gauge shotgun, in excellent condition. There is a box of 50 shells for it in one of the cabinets. Sleeping Area: The sleeping area contains two comfortable bunk beds, along with extra blankets.

Action If the investigators act quickly and head to the camp without unnecessary delay, the action begins when the first of the forces sent to regain the stone arrive in the area. Fortunately for the investigators, Blake will sorely underestimate the abilities of the good Father Henesey and send only a relatively minor force against the investigators. Of course, Blake will not make the same mistake twice. If the investigators spend too much time investigating and delaying, they will arrive to find the camp deserted. There will obvious signs of a desperate struggle (a  broken  brok en door, d oor, bullet bull et holes hole s in the walls wall s and an d blood bl ood)) but bu t they th ey will w ill find nothing noth ing else. else . Father Henesey will have been killed and the item Jack entrusted to him will have  been taken take n by Blake’s Blake ’s agent. ag ent. If this thi s occurs, oc curs, the Keepe K eeperr will need to prepare pr epare another anoth er adventure to give the investigators a chance to acquire the item. The Ruffians Lance Blake will eventually learn that Father Henesey has the item Jack took from him and that Henesey is in the camp. Believing that Henesey is not a serious threat, Blake will send Karl LeBlanc to recover the item. After arriving in Maine, LeBlanc will hire some men of questionable character to go to the camp and rough up Father Henesey. He will tell them to keep Henesey there and that he will arrive at midnight with the rest of their money. Since the men have been out of work for quite some time and they are not exactly upright citizens, they will take his money without asking any questions. Shortly after the investigators arrive and have had a chance to speak with Henesey, the ruffians will show up at the camp. The will knock on the door, pretending to be lost hunters. They do not expect the investigators to be there, so they might be able to take the ruffians by surprise. The ruffians will put up a stiff fight, but if they think they are losing, they will try to escape. If they cannot escape, they will surrender and beg for mercy. If adequately motivated, they will be willing to say all they know: “Some guy hired us to come here and rough up the guy we found here. We were supposed to keep him here until midnight. The guy that hired us said he had some business, but he’d be here to give us the other half.” Karl LeBlanc and the Wood Shadows LeBlanc knows how to summon Wood Shadows and decided, in his pride, to use

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them to kill Henesey. Since Wood Shadows can only ac t at night, he had to make sure that Henesey would be in the cabin at night, so he hired the ruffians. Around 11:00 pm, LeBlanc will drive out to the trail to the camp and summon two Wood Shadows. He will then send them to kill everyone in the camp. LeBlanc is a frugal man, so he planned on getting his money back from the Ruffians. The Wood Shadows will seep their way into the cabin and attack whoever happens to be in the darkest area. Henesey will recognize them for what they are and bring the silver blood into play. The Wood Shadows will attack madly until they are destroyed or the inhabitants of the cabin are all dead. LeBlanc will be wait outside the cabin until he is certain that everyone is dead. If  the investigators defeat the Wood Shadows, he will be a bit worried, but his pride and fear of Blake will cause him to try to take matters into his own hands. If he is defeated, he will refuse to talk, no matter how much he is pressed or tortured. He has seen what happens to those who cross Blake and nothing the investigators can do can compare with what Blake can do.

Conclusion The adventure ends when the investigators defeat the forces sent against them or they themselves are defeated. If the investigators actively defeat the forces sent against them and they are able to keep they stone, each investigator should receive a 1D6 Sanity Point award. If the investigators escape without actively defeating the forces sent against them,  but they manage mana ge to t o keep ke ep the t he stone, st one, they should shou ld recei r eceive ve a 1D4 Sanity Sanit y Point Po int Award A ward.. If the investigators allow the stone to fall into the hands of the enemy, each investigator should suffer a 1D3 Sanity Point loss. If the investigators are able to keep Father Henesey alive, each investigator should receive a bonus of one Sanity Point. If the Father is killed, each investigator should suffer a one Sanity Point loss. This adventure is intended to tie into the next adventure in the series. If the investigators do not have the stone at the end of this adventure, the Keeper will need to prepare another adventure in which the investigators have a chance to redeem themselves.

NPCs Father Ronald Henesey, Catholic Priest STR: 12 CON:13 CON:13 SIZ:13 INT:14 POW:15 DEX: 13 APP:12 APP:12 EDU: 19 SAN: 72 HP: HP: 13 DB:+1D4 Description: Henesey is forty years old, but still in excellent shape. He has black hair and brown eyes. He has a thick beard and a scar on the left side of his face, from a shell fragment. He will be wearing hunting clothes when he is in the cabin. As mentioned above, Henesey is a member of a society that has been fighting against the evil and madness of cults cu lts like Blake’s for centuries.

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Henesey is a brave man and is not all afraid of combat, having served in the war  before  befo re takin t aking g his hi s vows. vo ws. Important Skills: Climb 55%, Cthulhu Mythos 6%, Credit Rating 34%, Dodge 37%, Fast Talk 35%, Hide 21%, History 35%, Library Use 55%, Natural History 25%, Occult 65%, Latin 55%, Persuade 55%, Rifle 55% Spells: Create Silver Blood Weapon: .45 Automatic 51% Damage 1D10+2 Range 15 Yards Attacks 1 Shots 7. Items: Silver Blood in a silver flask, the Shard. Karl LeBlanc, Cultist STR: 14 CON:15 CON:15 SIZ:13 INT:13 POW:14 DEX: 14 APP:14 APP:14 EDU: 15 SAN: 00 HP: HP: 14 DB:+1D4 Description: LeBlanc is thirty years old. He has brown hair, brown eyes and is reasonably handsome. He is also quite evil and quite mad by normal standards. LeBlanc’s biggest weakness is his great pride. He is certain that he is better than almost anyone (except Blake) and this cause him to be overconfident. LeBlanc is also enamored of magic, which is also a weakness. Important Skills: Cthulhu Mythos 16%, Fast Talk 55%, Hide 34%, Law 24%, Occult 45%, Persuade 55%, Sneak 42% Spells: Summon Lesser Word Shadow, Bind Lesser Word Shadow Weapon: .32 Automatic 41% Damage 1D8 Range 15 Yards Attacks 2 Shots 8 The Ruffians , Hired Muscle The Ruffians are desperate men, lacking in morals.

Characteristics

#1

#2

#3

#4

STR

14

13

16

12

CON

12

14

13

13

SIZ

15

15

16

14

IN T

11

10

11

9

PO W

10

9

8

7

DEX

12

11

13

12

HP

14

15

15

14

Da mag e Bo nus +1D4

+1D4

+1D4

+1D4

We a p o n

Knife 47% 1D4+2+db

Small Club 52% 1D6+db

.38 Revolver 23% 1D10 15 yard base range, 6 shots, Attacks 2.

K nife 4 1 % 1D4+2+db

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Mythos Being Lesser Wood Shadows, Lesser Independent Race

Description: Lesser Wood Shadows are foul creatures which dwell in shadowed woods where human blood has been spilled in anger. They appear as tall, horribly thin beings that seem to be composed of shadows that twist and writhe unnaturally. They have no mouths or nose, but they have eyes that glow like dying embers. Lesser Wood Shadows attack their victims with claws that appear to be made of   jagged  jagg ed and filthy filt hy wood w ood.. Having Ha ving no mout m outh, h, they t hey do not eat their thei r victim vi ctims. s. Inste I nstead, ad, they leave the torn bodies lying where they fell. Lesser Wood Spirits sometimes attack humans and forest creatures in the deep woods, but most of the time they rest in the shadows, barely aware of what is occurring around them. They can, however,  be summon sum moned ed by those tho se who know kno w the t he right rig ht enchan enc hantme tment. nt. Lesser Wood Shadows are only partially material. Because of this, they are not harmed by mundane weapons. They do, however, sustain full damage from enchanted weapons. They are also vulnerable to sunlight. Full exposure to the sun destroys a Lesser Wood Shadow, so they seek the dark places of the forest during the day. Lesser Wood Shadows find light, including fire light, distressing and painful. They do not take damage from light that is less intense than full daylight, but will avoid any light sources if possible. To enter an area that is more light than shadow, a Lesser Wood Shadow will need to roll under its POW X5 on a D100. Failure means that it cannot enter the area. The claws of a Lesser Wood Spirit are composed of fairly conventional matter and can be parried. Normal armor is effective against their attacks.

Characteristics

R o lls

A v e ra g e s # 1

#2

STR

2D6

7

8

9

CON

3D6

10-11

13

12

SIZ

3D6

10-11

14

15

IN T

2D6

7

7

6

PO W

2D6

7

8

5

DEX

4D6

14

18

15

HP

10-11

14

14

Da m a g e B o n u s

0

0

0

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Move: 10 Weapons: Two Claws 50% Damage 1D4+DB Armor: None, but mundane weapons have no effect on Wood Shadows. They sustain full damage from enchanted weapons and spells. Spells: None Skills: Hide 99% Sanity Loss: 0/1D6 Sanity Points to see a Wood Shadow.

Spells and Items Silver Blood: Silver blood is an enchanted mixture of mercury, iron and more exotic items. It is a thick fluid which will cling tenaciously to almost every metal except silver. It is known as silver blood be cause it looks like liquid silver with thin veins of red fluid (which is actually blood). When used to coat a weapon or projectile, it enables the weapon or projectile to act as an enchanted weapon. The first attack with a coated melee weapon will do full damage, the second attack half damage, and the third one quarter. After that, the silver blood will have come off the weapon. Coated projectiles can be used once. If a projectile hits, it will do full damage and the silver  blood  bloo d will wi ll be left in/on the target. targ et. If the th e proje p rojectil ctilee misses mi sses,, the th e silver si lver blood bloo d will wi ll most m ost likely come off on whatever is hit. If a weapon or projectile is coated with silver blood, but it is not used within about 15 minutes, the silver blood will gradually drip from the weapon or projectile. Steps may be taken to prevent this from happening, such as pushing the silver blood back onto the weapon or projectile. T he effectiveness of such methods is left up to the Keeper. Shard of the Stone This shard is from one of the legendary six stones. The shard appears to be made of  gray slate, but it has an odd metallic sheen to it. It is cool, almost cold to the touch. If  a person touches it or even gets within a few inches of the stone , strange images will gradually appear in the person’s mind. The images will grow stronger the longer a person holds it. The images appear to be mathematical and geometric symbols, odd curvings and anomalies of space-time, and brief, but horrific, manifestations manifestations of indescribable things. If a person holds the shard for longer than fifteen minutes, the images will manifest strongly enough to affect the person’s mind. For every fifteen minutes the person holds the stone, the investigator must make a Sanity check. If the roll fails, the investigator loses 1 point of Sanity. A successful roll results in no sanity loss. While the stone is held, the person will receive, in addition to the maddening images, images that indicate where the full stone is located. For every fifteen minutes the shard is held, the investigator should roll 1D10 and note the results. This is the percent chance the person holding the shard will receive a useful clue to the location of the stone. The chance of receiving a useful clue is cumulative, so the longer a person holds the shard, the more likely it is that they will receive a useful clue. Of course, the person will be risking his

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sanity in the attempt. The effects of the shard are blocked by lead, which is why Henesey keeps the shard in a lead lined box. Create Silver Blood Knowledge of the ritual to create silver blood enables the caster to transform a mixture of mercury, iron shavings, and a small portion of his own blood into silver  blood.  bloo d. The T he ritua r ituall takes ta kes three thre e hours ho urs of mixing m ixing and tracing trac ing symbols symb ols and patterns patt erns into the fluid. The caster must expend six magic points to create enough silver blood to coat the cutting edges of about six knifes, or about twenty small projectiles, such as arrowheads. There is no sanity cost for creating silver blood. Summon/Bind Lesser Wood Spirit This ritual must be cast in a dark woods in which human beings have been killed. It causes two Lesser Wood Spirits to ooze their way out of the darkest shadows of the wood. The magic cost varies. For each point used, the chance of success increases by 10%. A result of 96-00 is a failure. Casting the spell also costs 1D3 Sanity points. Once  bound,  boun d, the t he Wood W ood Spirits Spiri ts will w ill obey o bey the caste c aster. r.

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Handouts Handout Handout # 1-Letter from Jack Meredith Dear x, Do you remember those days before the war when we were young and full of high ideals? I remember how funny it was to practice with the broomsticks because the Army did not have enough rifles for everyone. How we all laughed and joked about how we were going to send the Kaiser’s boys packing. Of  course, we soon found out things were not going to be so easy. I do not have to remind you of the mud, the blood, and the death. Even in my wildest nightmares I had never imagined such horrors. Like so many soldiers, the madness of war wormed its way deep into my heart. In the fire of the machineguns I could hear the chatter of demons, promising mutilation and death. In the explosions of the artillery shells I could hear a roaring voice, saying “God is dead,” “God is dead,” over and over. The madness and horror chewed at my very soul, tearing away my faith in God and country. All that I held dear seemed empty and meaningless. I do not know how I survived those terrible days, but I did. Now, I think it might have been better if I had died. Perhaps if we had been able to go back together, things might have turned out differently. But, on the return voyage I met another soldier, a man name Lance Blake. Like me, Blake had been terrible affected by the war. Blake, like myself, had lost his youthful connection to God and country. Unlike me, Blake had found something else to rep lace them. I can only hint at the dark secrets that Blake had learned in dark and horrid places in the old land of  Europe. Suffice it to say that Blake lead me blindly down a path leading to a madness and horror greater than any I had witnessed in the war. Possessed of an almost infernal charm, Blake was able to draw others into a group, which he called the Order of the Ancient Stone. Many who joined thought it was buy yet another group of eccentric spiritualists, but they soon learned, to their endless horror, that Blake was offering something else. Even now I cannot bring myself to write of all I know. Suffice it to say, that I have done terrible things and participated in activities that no sane and God-fearing man should engage in. Ironically, it was Blake himself who caused me to turn against the group. He thought he could trust me and revealed some of his true plans. The horror of these words surpassed all the previous horrors and shocked me back to my senses. While I realized that I am beyond redemption, Blake must be stopped. Although I have not spoken to you in years, I know you to be a brave and good man. I hope I can count on you, for Blake must be stopped. I have stolen an important item from Blake and I have entrusted it to Father Ronald Henesey. I have sent him to my family camp in Maine. You must meet the good Father there and receive the item. He will be able to tell you more. I now go to try to kill Blake. I fear that he cannot be slain by any mortal weapon, but I must try. For my soul, I must try. Yours, Li eut enant Jack Jack M eredi redi t h 

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Handout Handout # 2-Telegram from Charles Meredith  Jack is dead. Suspect Suspect foul play. Charles Charles Meredith.

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Handout Handout # 3-Clipping from The Eye.

The Order of the Ancient Stone is, despite the “Ancient” in its name, a relatively new group. Formed in the early 1920s by Lance Blake, the group meets here in New York City. According to one member, who chose to remain anonymous, the group is dedicated to “ancient secrets, deep mysteries, and really good poker games.”

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from An ci en t Le ge nd s an d My th s , by Dr. L. Prescott, Pilgrim Handout Handout # 4-Excerpt from An Press, 1911. There is a brief mention in the works of Lucetus, a little known historian in the Roman Empire, of a Cult of the Ancient Stone. According to Lucetus, this cult was dedicated to finding six stones that were “brought from on high.” It was reported that the stones would “open a door into the world” that would allow “it who waits  beyond  beyo nd the t he wall” w all” to come c ome to earth. e arth. Lucetus reports that this cult was initially popular in Rome, but he notes that the cult died out when most of its leaders were found “torn asunder into bloody bits.”

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Maps

N

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The Archangels ©1998 Ricardo J. Méndez [email protected] Published by arrangement with the Delta Green Partnership. The intellectual property known as Delta Green is and © the Delta Green Partnership, who has licensed its use here. The contents contents of this document are © Ricardo J. Méndez, excepting those elements that are components of the Delta Green intellectual property. What Are The Archangels?

The Archangels are a group of professional assassins that operates from New York. They are hired by all kinds of people for all kinds of jobs, and their services don't come cheap. Since they have been operating for sometime with different different members they are known in the underworld, although nobody actually knows who the members are or who directs the group. The group is actually a DG experiment on an external wetworks unit and fund provider. Although DG isn't the only employer, they have used TheArchangels as strike strike team several times. Nobody inside inside the group knows the truth except their leader. Maybe more important would be: what are they good for? The Archangels were created with several purposes: 1. To provide an introduction introduction to Delta Green for players that have have already heard about it and would be suspicious of anything set on the 90s. The light name and a couple of high-powered Archangels adventures and they will be ready (or so they will think) for whatever the Karotechia wants to throw at them. More importantly, they may not realize what is going on until until too late. 2. To create an underground funding framework for Delta Green. There has been a thread on the DG list about how does Delta Green funds itself, and here is a possibility. You can see more details in THE TRUTH ABOUT MICHAEL below. The Lonesome October

Amidst other hundreds of its type in the city of New York lies "The Lonesome October", a two story bookstore and cafe that sells anything from mainstream books and best sellers to weird, weird, out of print tomes. While While most of its customers usually state that the name would suit better a blues bar, the place is usually crowded and first time customers c ustomers tend to become becom e regulars.

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It's manager and proprietor, a forty-something forty-something muscular man called Michael, is always trying to please his customers and to make sure that everything is perfect. Regular Regular costumers speculate that that he's the the son of a wealthy family that that provided the initial money for the cafe's setup. He's helped by a staff of that oscillates between 3 and 6 persons, depending on the season, that help customers find books, locate titles on a topic and serve the delicious coffee that is usually  brewed  brewe d by Michael Micha el himself. hi mself. Sometimes Michael isn't minding minding the store, but instead instead meets on a discreet back room with a group of young men and women. This group of well-dressed and apparently respectable people are really assassins, safe safe crackers, hi-tech criminals and other types of criminals, called by Michael his Archangels. The name came from a joke of a long-deceased member, and since then every member of the organization takes as a pseudonym pseudonym the name of the archangel that most strikes strikes his fancy (Michael excluded, of course). Most of them had a criminal past before joining the association and had their own reasons to do so. Maybe they were being chased by a previous employer, maybe Michael found them them and suggested the possibility possibility of making even more money in an organized fashion, maybe they had worked as freelance assassins for the CIA and, knowing too much, were set for assassination themselves. As a  bonus,  bonu s, Michael Micha el has a contact cont act that will erase the backgrou back ground nd of every ever y member me mber and give them a new identity. The Archangels

To be invited into the secretive group, a character has to excel at his activity and have little or no morals. There is no way to contact the group except through Michael, and none of the members know how it is done since Michael contacted them. The name appeared when one member once suggested that in their efficiency they were like God's Sword striking the enemies of their current employer, with the Archangel Michael heading them. Despite complaints to the corniness of  the name, Michael Michael liked it and so it was decided. Since then new members members take a code name of one of the Archangels, and Michael has kept the number of members in six. None of the current Archangels know if Michael has trainees waiting, but on the sole case where they remember someone to have been "removed" Michael was able to respond to the situation with a replacement almost immediately. Many members believe that Michael is an ex-CIA agent (or maybe even an active one), and is using his contacts both both to get them a new identify and interesting  jobs. None of the t he group g roup knows know s the th e backgrou back ground nd of the others, othe rs, that knowledg know ledgee  being  bein g reser r eserved ved only for Michael Mich ael himself. himse lf. They do have learned lea rned to trust trus t each e ach other and work as a group, with failure to help their partners attain the mission usually meaning death (whether from the group or the enemy). Each one knows only the the alias and every member attaches attaches last names to their alias freely when

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needed, with Michael providing any documentation like passports or driving licenses to back it up. The Jobs

Usually the jobs for the Archangels range from stealing information or documents to taking out a competing competing group of assassins to murdering the owner of a high-profile social club. Nobody is allowed to turn down an assignment and there is always the possibility of not returning. For their services, they are rewarded depending on the task at hand, but the amounts they are paid paid (near $20,000 each per job) job) have allowed all of them to live a relaxed life of plenty on their spare time. They, of course, don't know how much Michael was paid for the job and don't have a clue about his cut. Nobody wishes to ask either. Funding And Equipment

Archangels are are expected to provide their own gear and ammunition, and the fact is, most of them would like to do it anyway. Several might have favorite or trademark guns, or might not trust how "clean" equipment provided by Michael may be. Maybe they don't trust explosives made by someone else, or a telescopic sight they haven't extensibly calibrated. If the group group needs to travel it is quite possible possible that that Michael is the one to make the arrangements arrangeme nts for the flight, sending them on separate ways and routes so that they aren't easily traceable. If special equipment is needed, someone in the group may have underground contacts to provide them. Michael may also be tapped in this kind of occasion, although he will refuse to do it repeatedly (in case they expect him to become Q)  because  becaus e it may ma y expose expo se the group. The Biblical Archangels

This is a quick reference to the biblical archangels, so that members can know the possible alias. Currently, Michael makes sure that members are strongly discouraged from picking an alias out of the list to encourage team mentality. There are also included possible variants for the name, in case the traditional name would be too conspicuous for public use. Descriptions have been taken from http://www.takeitbyforce.com/seven.htm and the Book of Enoch (thanks to Mark Peacock!).  Mi  M i c h a el : The Archistratege. Who is as the Lord, Who is like God, Who is like unto the Lord. Chief of the archangels. archangels. The archangel of the the presence. The great prince. Choosing this name is out of the question.

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Gabriel: Gabriel : Hero of God, The mighty one. The archangel of annunciation and power. The archangel of skill, understanding, encouragement, vengeance, death, resurrection and revelation. Raphael : Healing of God. The archangel set over all the spirits of infirmity infirmity and the wounds of the children of men. He who is over the spirits of men. Uriel: Uriel : Fire of God. The archangel that fends off the satans. He who is over the world and over Tartarus. Possible alternatives: Uriah, Umberto. Raguel : Friend of God. The archangel of the earth. He takes vengeance and brings bri ngs other angels into account. Who inflicts punishment on the world and the luminaries. Possible alternatives: Rachel, Raquel. Sariel: Sariel : Warrior of God. The archangel in charge of battling with the sons of  darkness. The angel set over the spirits of sin. He works to expel the accusing satans from the presence of the Lord. Also Also known as Samuil, Sarakiel, Saraquael, Saraqel, Suryal, or Suriyel Possible alternatives: Sarah  Je  J e r e m i e l : Mercy of God, Whom God hath set up. The archangel of the awaiting souls. Set over those whose rise to the Third Heaven. The angel set over the souls of those who wait in Paradise for the great Day Day of Judgment. Also known as Phanuel, Salathiel, Ramiel, or Jerahmeel. Possible alternatives: Jeremiah, Rommel Usually members don't try to look for a mystic significance on the name they chose, interested only in secrecy. They have been included just in case.

The Truth About Michael

Michael is, in reality, a member of Delta Green. He answers to cell M and is maybe the only DG member to use a name that he also uses in public. His past life is not of interest to us. Let it just be said that he was a person fond of  coffee, books and cold-blooded murder, but also someone who had a good eye for

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other people like him. him. The CIA used him him during a period to get assemble assemble tiger teams that that were less permanent permanent than the Archangels but had had pretty much the the same purpose. Thus, when when he was approached to form an test external unit he agreed happily. The Archangels are used both by Delta Green for their own purposes as an external wetworks unit, and by criminal criminal contractors that have heard of the group's underground fame for getting getting the jobs done, no matter the cost. At least half of  what this criminal contractors pay the Archangels goes directly to fund other Delta Green operations, as well as the maintenance of the Archangels themselves. Delta Green hasn't spent a dime in the group after the money that was needed for the initial setup, and few inside Delta Green know of it actual existence, existence , so there is always the possibility that it might come under the scrutiny of another DG cell, specially since they might be unknowingly hired by MAJESTIC itself. None of the Archangels, Archangels, of course, have half an idea about Delta Green's existence or its relationship to them. The one thing that is important about Michael is that the players don't see him as a Jim Phelps type that mainly directs things, but also as a positively dangerous man who could strangle any of them himself if needed be. His relationship with them shouldn't be based only in respect but also on a cleanly stated fear of what crossing him might bring. As an interesting coincidence, when I posted the first draft of this document to the Delta Green mailing list, I got a letter from Robert Thomas telling me about his own DG agent agent Michael that that also operates from New York and had a CIA background. His Michael is younger than the one proposed here,  but it i t is indeed indee d interesti inte resting ng as a possible pos sible character chara cter.. You can check chec k out ou t the descriptio descr iption n of Cell M at http://w3.one.net/~deltag/mcell.h http://w3.one.net/~deltag/mcell.htm tm and also at the the Delta Green web site. It is quite possible that eventually one of The Archangels decides to check on Michael's background. What they will find is that his full name is Michael Collins (pun intended), intended), born in 1945 from a somewhat wealthy New York family. His mother died on childbirth and his father when he was about to turn 21. The fact that his father's death happened just when he was of age to use the family family money will give the players just the speck in his background that they will need to swallow it, since having a too-clean image wouldn't do.

Tips On Running An Archangels Campaign

1. Don't throw them against Mythos entities or organisations right away, or at least don't allow them to notice.

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2. Not only allow but encourage the players to get John Woo-esque about their characters. That way the vulnerability backlash will be harder. 3. Watch a lot of spy and assassin movies. Several recent ones that come to mind are: a) The Replacement Killers b) Mission: Impossible c) The Professional (the Jean Reno movie) d) Face/Off  e) Die Hard (a nice strike team) f) Once a Thief (John Woo produced, not the classic movie) g) The Big Hit (a recent movie with Lou Diamond Phillips) Phillips) [END OF TRANSMISSION]