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A Submission for

Trail of Cthulhu

Commoriom"I have yet to translate the terrible and

abominable legend telling how a certain doughtycitizen of Commoriom returned to the city after

its public evacuation, and found that it was peopled most execrably and numerously by the

fissional spawn of Knygathin Zhaum, which possessed no vestige of anything human or evenearthly " ! he #amily ree of the $ods, Clar%

&shton 'mith

The protagonists are members of an expedition toexcavate an ancient settlement buried beneath theGreenland ice. Faced with conflict from within andwithout, and the threat of approaching winter, theexpedition degenerates into a struggle to survive asthe team members realise that the real horror is

beneath the ice under their feet. And the greatesthorror of all may be truth itself.

This scenario is inspired by the Hyperborean Cyclestories of Clar Ashton !mith, particularly TheTestament of Athammaus and Ubbo-Sathla . "t isrecommended that the #eeper reads these shortstories before running this scenario. The story ofthe $athieson %xpedition is told in the Call ofCthulhu scenario Trail of Tsathoggua by the late#eith Herber and published in the supplementsTrail of Tsathogghua , &'() and The Compact Trailof Tsathoggua , &''*.

The Hook"n &'+ , an archaeological team from $is atonic-niversity found evidence of an ancient settlement

beneath an ice cap in a remote valley in themountains of est Greenland. The protagonists aremembers of a &'/& follow0up expedition toexcavate the site.

The Horrible TruthThe site is the ruin of Commoriom, the first capitalof the lost civilisation of Hyperborea, which thrived

before the last ice age. %ntombed in the city is a

dormant, monstrous race descended fromTsathoggua and an alien crystal that grants visionsof the disturbing origins of life on earth.

The SpineThe team members voyage to Godthb , where theycan confront a Rival Expedition from Germany.They then begin their arduous overland tre inEvighedsfjorden . Tensions increase between%thelrod, the team leader, and Granger, who isstruggling to conceal his alcoholism, leading to TheDeath of Ethelrod . From %thelrod they can ac1uirea dictionary of the lost Tsath-Yo language.

The team receives A Call for Help from the crewof the German base ship, which has lost contactwith the overland team, giving the protagonists amoral dilemma.

2uring their 3ourney, the characters find evidencethat strange %s imo are watching them and may

discover Graves of members of the Germanexpedition, apparently attac ed by an un nownanimal. A text in their possession, when translatedwith %thelrod4s boo gives hints about the historyof the site.

Arriving at the Site , the protagonists find a Cube-Shaped Stru ture with walls inscribed with ahistory of the pre0humans who first settled there.

5earby, the remains of the last members of theGerman expedition can be found. 6n the valleyfloor, a Shado! "nder the # e is visible.

They are harried by frea weather conditions andattac s by a mysterious $east of the # e Sheet ,

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which continue until they lin it with the clan ofstrange %s imo that has been following them, andneutralise it.

Ex avating the Stru ture under the # e leads tothe discovery of an ancient tower entombed in ice.2igging into The # e-Cho%ed stair!a& uncovers afrie7e describing a history of Hyperborea and

eventually leads to a Cit& "nder the # e . "n a vaultunder the ruins of a library is a crystal that can sendthe mind bac in time to the disturbing origins oflife on earth.

As the city4s inhabitants begin to awa en they try tofree their 8Father4, leading to the A!a%ening of'n&gathin (hau) . The protagonists4 only hope isto flee.

However, even if they escape, the insight granted by the crystal may still claim their minds.

Victory Conditions9ictory in this scenario means realising the horrorthat lies in Commoriom, and surviving it,

preferably with the site safely sealed.

Antagonist ReactionsThe rival Ger)an Expedition is not a 85a7iexpedition4 in any official sense :there is no suchthing until the formation of the Ahnenerbe in &'/; especially theesoterically inclined > believed in occult theories ofthe uni1ue :or divine< origin of their ancestors on alost northern continent :referred to as 8Thule4 orsometimes 8Hyperborea4 or 8Atlantis4 a time whenthe Armitage "n1uiry is in its formative stages. "n&'+(, Armitage, Bice and $organ scored a victoryagainst the 2unwich Horror and soon 2r Albert

ilmarth 3oined them following his encounter withthe 86uter 6nes4 in the hills of 9ermont. ust a fewwee s ago, the =abodie %xpedition returned fromAntarctica with stories of un nown prehistoric lifeforms and a vast range of mountains dotted withstrange structures.

6n his deathbed in &'+', =rofessor Curtis$athieson revealed a number of unpublishedsecrets about the &'+ expedition to his colleague2r Francis $organ. $organ shared the story with=rofessor Armitage and soon they were wor ing

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with =rofessor %thelrod in %ngland to organise afollow0up expedition for &'/+. However, in late&'/ , word reached them of a rival Germanexpedition to the same region planned for &'/& andtheir pro3ect was hastened by a year. -nfortunately,this meant 2r $organ was unable to ta e part, buthe persuaded Charles Granger, a veteran of the$athieson %xpedition, to 3oin.

*S&)bol+ Ar)itage #n,uir& This symbol definessections that apply only to running the scenario as

part of the Armitage "n1uiry.

Running Commoriom as astandalone

This scenario can be run as a standalone adventureor mar a dramatic beginning to an ongoingcampaign.

The difference is that %thelrod has organised theexpedition with the ?ritish $useum, independentlyof Armitage and his colleagues, who may have littleinsight into what really happened on the $athieson%xpedition.

*S&)bol+ Standalone This symbol definessections that apply only to running the scenario as astandalone.

Creating the ProtagonistsAppropriate roles for the expedition includearchaeologists, geologists, anthropologists,

biologists, explosives experts, drill engineers andradio engineers. All team members should behealthy and fit, and be capable cross0country s iers

> represented for game purposes as a minimum6utdoorsman rating of & and Athletics of /. Theexpedition will also need someone with $edicinerating of &D and First Aid of +D to fill the role ofmedic.

The expedition leader is highly xenophobic andFrench applicants in particular are not considered.

*S&)bol+ Ar)itage #n,uir& "f the expedition isorganised by $is atonic -niversity, team membersare li ely to be American, perhaps students or

professors at the $is atonic. ?ritish team membersmay have accompanied %thelrod.

*S&)bol+ Standalone "f the expedition begins inGreat ?ritain it is li ely that most of the team

members would be ?ritish. American membersmay travelled with Granger.

Prologue"n order to introduce their characters, it isrecommended that the #eeper run a short scenefrom his or her expedition interview as a 2irected!cene for each one :see The Dying of St Margarets

page (

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"n the ?lood might be interesting if the character isrelated to the Hyperborean ?lond %s imo.

Pillars of SanityThe dominant theme of this scenario is the dignityor otherwise of human origins.

6ne =illar of !anity that might be particularly

interesting dramatically is Family. A character withthis =illar will have a firm conviction in the dignityof their origins. "f Caucasian, they may believe inthe theory of the origins of their ancestors on thelost continent of Thule. They may have heard talesof 8blond %s imo4 in north0western Canada. Theymay even subscribe to racist theories li e the

5ational !ocialists of Germany.

As players can create their own =illars of !anity itis impossible to provide an exhaustive list, butseveral others from the Trail of Cthulhu ruleboothat may be particularly interesting areE

Beligious Faith

Human 2ignity and 9alue

The #eeper should try to encourage some players to pic from the pillars above.

2rives potentially undermined by %yeE

Anti1uarianism

Thirst For #nowledgeAdventure

!cholarship

Curiosity

Arrogance

.illars of Sanit&

Beligious Faith

Family

Human 2ignity and 9alue

!cientific =rogress "ntellect

Goodness of $an ind

$oral principles

Aesthetics

%picureanism

=atriotism

ove of Home City

ScenesBriefingS ene T&pe+ Core :"ntroduction alarge cabin and outhouses for supplies and dogs.They will use the drilling rig, blasting e1uipment,the ice melting machine, and hand excavation toaccess and excavate the site.

From 5ovember it will become difficult toapproach by sea. "f necessary, the team will remainon the ice sheet over winter until $arch when thef3ord becomes accessible again. "n case ofemergency, a team should be able to reach themfrom GodthIb overland in about five days.

=rofessor %thelrod stresses his 1ualifications as ahard0nosed scholar not prone to flights of fancy or

bi7arre speculations. However, there were manythings he experienced that shoc ed him and caused

him to reconsider ideas about the world. He believes that what they found in the Greenland icewere remains of a lost prehistoric civilisation,

perhaps hinted at in Gree myths.

He introduces ilfred -pton0!mith, a round0faced7oologist and friend of the %thelrod family, andCharles Granger, a red0haired, red0faced man ofaround / , a second veteran of the $athieson%xpedition who will be 3oining them on this trip.

*S&)bol+ Ar)itage #n,uir& 0ral Histor& 2-

.oint spend+ There are rumours that 2r Grangerhas a drin problem.

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%thelrod as s each team member to introducethemselves and assigns roles.

Assess Honest&+ Henry %thelrod is reserved,somewhat aloof and doesn4t give much away.

Ar haeolog& or Anthropolog&+ According to theexpedition report, the team made transcriptions of anumber of carvings on a large stone slab found atthe face of Helheim Glacier on the east coast.Archaeologists have subse1uently associated thesecarvings with a Greenlandic colony of the extinct2orset Culture. 2-point spend+ !ome odd artifactsfeaturing strange figures wearing hoodless par aswith tall collars and women with large hairstyleswere found on Cape 2orset on ?affin "sland in&'+ . "t is generally thought that the Greenlandic2orset culture is limited to the north0west coast ofthe island.

$iolog& or 0utdoors)an 2-.oint spend+ =olar bears are mostly found in coastal regions in thenorth and east of Greenland > they are largelyun nown in the mountains although females withcubs are sometimes found in coastal mountainousareas in the north.

uestions and !Ans"ers%thelrod will as if there are any 1uestions. He may

provide the following additional details and anyothers the #eeper deems appropriate.

J $athieson remained onboard ship, due to health problems. He died of a heart condition in &'+'.

J The top of the structure was estimated to be underat least &;0+ feet of ice and to extend to un nowndepths. He declines to speculate on the age of thestructure.

J At an international archaeology conference in=aris last year, 2r !ummers of %dinburgh-niversity, heard reference to a forthcoming

expedition to explore what was 8nonsensically4described as 8ruins of Thule found in estGreenland4. "t isn4t nown what si7e the rival teamis or when they will arrive.

He will wrap up the briefing after three or four1uestions, or if he doesn4t li e the direction the1uestions are going.

Assess Honest&+ hen as ed about the specifics ofthe first expedition, why the details were notreleased or why the second expedition was delayed

for so long, %thelrod seems somewhat evasive. 2.oint Spend+ He is deliberately hiding something.

%thelrod will wrap up the briefing after three orfour 1uestions, or if he doesn4t li e the direction the1uestions are going.

Henry EthelrodTo interact with %thelrod significantly, ?ritishcharacters need a Credit Bating of ;D, Americansand other %uropeans need D. Anyone else willneed to ma e a &0=oint spend in Credit Bating oneach significant occasion.

Abilities+ Athletics ;, Credit Bating *, Firearms *,Health *, !cuffling *, eapons Hit Threshold+ /Ar)or+ 0& vs all :if wearing Arctic gearhen surprised by the Gnoph0 eh at the site of the

scene 8Graves 4, Gobineau :li e many others< fled.

The creature hunted him down, illed him andconsumed his body at leisure.

Gra!esS ene T&pe+ 6ptional, Clue :?onusThe German expedition having ignored theirwarning, one of the omaruit :?lond %s imo< sangthe old song to call the Gnoph0 eh. The beaststal ed the expedition, called up a bli77ard andattac ed them. !ome of them tried shooting at itwithout much success. Three mere were illed and

the rest fled. Gobineau was followed and illed bythe creature. Another man :6tto $et7ger< died ofhypothermia on the ice. Three regrouped at thesame spot later, buried their dead and gathered their

possessions to continue.

Arri!ing at the &iteS ene T&pe+ Core/ead-#n+ 6n the %dge/ead-0ut+ The Cube0!haped !tructure, The

German Camp, The %nd of the ?auer %xpedition,The !hadow -nder the "ce

Core Clue+ The Shado! "nder the # e

As the team progresses along the ridge, they seetwo mountain pea s ahead, between which they areheading. ?eyond that, according to %thelrod4s map,lies the valley of Commoriom.

The 3ourney is uphill and hard going, re1uiring )Athletics, Fleeing or Health pool points for half aday.

The team reaches the top of a rise in the natural pass between the two pea s and has view of amountainous plateau, a valley around a mile across,with an ice cap covering what was once a valley.About + miles away, on the other side of the valley,a dar cube : The Cube-Shaped Stru ture < s1uatson the lower slopes of the highest mountain. Aboutone mile away, on another slope of tundra is a smallcamp.

Eviden e Colle tion3 0utdoors)an or Geolog&8Core Clue9+ Also about a mile away, close to themiddle of the ice0covered valley is a shadow thatmatches the one %thelrod showed the group in the

briefing :see The Shado! "nder the # e

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#ossinna, himself a nationalist and racetheorist, encouraged ?auer to organise anexpedition.

i e %thelrod and $athieson, Gobineau calledthe site 8Commoriom4 in reference to a citymentioned in the i"re &$ibon . #ossinnacalled it 8-ltima Thule4.

6n invitation, Gobineau 3oined the expedition."t arrived in GodthIb in early une and,following Gobineau4s directions, landed inGodthIbsf3orden where the ship anchored inorder to maximise radio reception.

?auer describes Gobineau as obnoxious andmentally unstable. ?auer feels he is more of ahindrance to the mission than a help. ?auer andGobineau fight sporadically.

!trange0loo ing %s imo were spotted watchingfrom a distance. ater one of them approached.He was a bearded old man with fair complexionand elongated facial features. He resembled a!candinavian. ?auer felt certain that this was

proof of the origin of the Aryans onThule Greenland. The man was not friendly.!pea ing in a strange dialect, he appeared tothreaten or warn them and left.

The following day, while caught in a sudden bli77ard, they were attac ed by a huge, bear0li e thing that was nevertheless definitely not a

bear. They tried to shoot it without success.6nce they regrouped, they found that three ofthem were dead and two missing. They decidedto press on with only three men left in theexpedition.

The Akraf?all Saga @+everaged clue/anguage+ Tsath0Oo and GermanS%i))ing Ti)e+ The German translationE + hourstranslating from Tsath0Oo ta es longer :see belowThe three surviving members of the expeditionentered the temple and :as instructed by Gobineau