Commoriom Submission v3,15

8/13/2019 Commoriom Submission v3,15

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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 timewhen the Armitage "n1uiry is in its formativestages. "n &'+(, Armitage, Bice and $organ scoreda victory against the 2unwich Horror and soon 2rAlbert ilmarth 3oined them following hisencounter with the 86uter 6nes4 in the hills of9ermont. ust a few wee s ago, the =abodie%xpedition returned from Antarctica with stories ofun nown prehistoric life forms and a vast range ofmountains dotted with strange 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?ac groundE Tell them what they now about the=abodie %xpedition, $athieson %xpedition and

egener %xpedition.

"n order to introduce their characters, it isrecommended that the #eeper run a short scene

from his or her expedition interview as a 2irected!cene for each one :see The Dying of St Margarets

page (


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!cholarship

Thirst For #nowledge

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

Pillars of Sanity

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

6ne =illar of !anity that might be particularlyinteresting 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 %yeEAnti1uarianism

Thirst For #nowledge

Adventure

!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.

After !eptember it will become difficult toapproach by sea. "f necessary, the team will remainon the ice sheet over winter until $ay or une whenthe f3ord will become accessible again. "n case ofemergency, GodthIb is accessible overland on footin about five days using climbing gear, althoughmost of the e1uipment would not be transportablethis way.

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

bi7arre speculations. However, as the claims of therecently returned =abodie %xpedition to Antarcticasuggest, the poles may conceal secrets that wouldoverturn our entire understanding of the past. 6nthe $athieson %xpedition there were many thingshe experienced that shoc ed him and caused him toreconsider ideas about the world. He believes thatwhat they found in the Greenland ice were remainsof a lost prehistoric civilisation, perhaps hinted at inGree myths.

He introduces ilfred -pton0!mith, a round0faced7oologist and friend of the %thelrod family, andCharles Granger, a red0haired, red0faced man of


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around / , 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.

%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 mountainous

areas in the north.Ar haeolog&3 $iolog& or Geolog& 5.ipe6+ Thedisastrous =abodie %xpedition to the !outhern =ole,from which there were only three survivors,reported finding very well preserved specimens ofsix0foot0long, barrel0shaped organisms withstarfish0shaped heads. .ipe+ The full significanceof this clue will become clear to someone whoreads The ?oo of %ibon or explores the ruins ofCommoriom.

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 the

structure.J At an international archaeology conference in=aris last year, 2r !ummers of %dinburgh

-niversity, heard reference to a forthcomingexpedition 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 the

1uestions are going.Assess Honest&+ hen as ed about the specifics ofthe first expedition, why the details were notreleased or why the second expedition was delayedfor 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 gear the8granddaughter4 of the god )hotha**uah and asub0human 9oormis.

The city executioner beheaded him three timesand each time, witnesses later saw him alive,more monstrous than before. 6n the first andsecond occasion, #nygathin @haum illed andate one of the inhabitants of the city.

?y the third reappearance, he hadmetamorphosed into a fully alien entity, and haddevoured many of the citi7ens, forcing the finalabandonment of the city.

A former inhabitant of Commoriom returned tothe city one day and discovered it repopulatedwith the monstrous offspring of #nygathin@haum.

Translating it or reading an accurate translation willgrant & point of Cthulhu $ythos.

The #eeper might consider using or adapting ClarAshton !mith4s story The Testament of Athammaus for the content of the main body of the story.

The "nd of the Bauer"#pedition

S ene T&pe+ 6ptional, Clue :?onusdisorientated, few in number or in3ured > it willattac in the confusion and blindness of thesnowstorm. "f it loses over half of its Health, theGnoph0 eh will retreat bac to the ice0sheet. "f it is

illed, the %s imo4s song will simply summon adifferent Gnoph0#eh.

The +liBBards2efine rules for bli77ard creation

Besearch increase protection of cabin

As a rule0of0thumb, the Gnoph0#eh won4t ta eitself below half of its total Health, but that stillgives it up to * points to spend creating bli77ards.

6n an average day in August the temperature might be & UF outside. "nside the heated cabin, that could

be ) UF. The Gnoph0#eh could spend * Health tolower the temperature by ( UF to 0) UF inside thecabin for three hours, re1uiring Athletics tests every&; minutes to avoid losing Health to frostbite andhypothermia. The potential for these bli77ards toinflict multiple casualties is high. Bather than throweverything into one huge storm in the first assault,the intensity of these bli77ards should build upgradually. The first bli77ard should be frighteningand unseasonal, called up with perhaps / points,with the intensity and duration steadily increasing.

"f =rotagonists :especially more than one< are illedin this way, unless they have made significanterrors, you have probably been too heavy0handed.

Pacing the Attacks"nitial attac s by the beast should be indirect. Atthis time it should not be seen directly or at leastnot distinctly. A terrifying shape may be glimpsedin a sudden snowstorm. Anyone further than ; feetfrom the cabin is a potential target of direct assault.

?y the third bli77ard, the dog house might beattac ed and some of the dogs illed, the restfrightened off. The outside food store might be

plundered. Anyone outside the cabin could beattac ed. 5on0player characters wor ing at the digmight be targeted when a sudden bli77ard isolatesthem the cabin. The drill or other excavatione1uipment might be damaged.

?y the fifth bli77ard, the =rotagonists themselvescould be targeted or the cabin directly assaulted.

The radio mast might be smashed.(noph%kehFor full details of the Gnoph0 eh see the Trail ofCthulhu ruleboo p&/).

Athletics ', Health &;, !cuffling +&Hit Threshold+ ;Alertness 4odifier+ D&Stealth 4odifier+ D+7eapon+ D/ :horn the drill in need of$echanical Bepair, the "ce melter destroyed or,most dramatically, the diesel tan s set on fire. The

cabin itself may even be set on fire. A !enseTrouble test against 2ifficulty ; will allow the

protagonists to hear the culprits > most li ely thetwo younger ?lond %s imo > at wor . "f someoneis on watch, success indicates that their approachhas been noticed.

Trac+ing the "s+imo0utdoors)an+ A 2-.oint spend will allow trac sto be followed southwest for about three miles from

the valley edge to a cramped shelter in the snow. "fthis is attempted at night, this is a 8-.oint spend .

P !idebarQ

The &now &helterS ene T&pe+ 6ptional

Following the trac s will lead to a small igloo, afterabout an hour.

Anthropolog&+ This small type of igloo is typically

built as a temporary shelter for hunting trips, oftenon sea ice.


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Hanging over the doorway is the s ull of a bear. Astone spi e has been driven through its nose, givingit an almost Bhinoceros0li e appearance.

Anthropolog&+ This may be a totem animal spirit, probably to protect the igloo.

Si)ple Sear h+ "nside the igloo are a hearth, foodfor several days, bedding for one, and possiblespare clothes or a stone spear, axe or nife.

0utdoors)an+ Trac s of a dog sled can be foundnearby. A 2-.oint Spend is needed per day to tracthem to the homestead.

The "s+imo %omesteadS ene T&pe+ 6ptional

About four days away by dog sled, the clan4shomestead is huddled in a narrow valley in the wild

mountains near %vighedsf3orden.The house is large structure of whalebone and hideconstruct, covered in ice and snow and out of sightof the valley. A tric le of hearth smo e oftenemerges from a hole in the roof.

5ear the fire is a ma eshift altar and a grotes1ueidol. The altar is a 3agged, natural roc . "n front ofit, is a bowl of blood and the heart of a polar bear,sprin led with tiny flowers. =erched on the altar is asmall, crude whalebone statue of a s1uattingcreature with tentacles for a face. !eeing thisre1uires a &0point !tability test, $ythos related.Cthulhu 4&thos identifies it as a depiction ofCthulhu.

All of the surviving members of the clan will behere. Approaching without alerting anyone is a!tealth test against 2ifficulty *. "f alerted, they willflee a strong group or attac a wea one. "fsurprised, they will be in or around the shelter. "fcornered, they will fight fiercely to the death.

P?egin !idebarQ

The Blond "s+imoThese natives are, to the best of their nowledge,the last of an ancient race that once had great citieshere. $ost of their civilised culture has been lost >they are now simple hunter0gatherers, living harshlives in the more remote parts of Greenland. Theirancient religion has been lost and they ma e theirofferings and prayers to Cthulhu, who they call8 /ulu .=hysically, they loo very different from other%s imo people, being blond, with long faces,

elongated ear0lobes and substantial facial hair. Theywear hoodless, wide0collared par as with hats.They believe that the thing that comes from the icein answer to their song is a 8 hite ?ear !pirit4 andwear amulets, mista enly believing that they canoffer protection from the Gnoph0#eh.

Anthropolog&+ This primitive 3ewellery is an

amulet depicting a fierce, stylised polar bear and possibly intended to offer protection of some ind.

$iolog&+ The pendant loo s li e polar bear boneand the nec lace is decorated with bear teeth andclaws.

$lat< the AngekokThis white0bearded man may be in his s. Hewears a long par a decorated with strange motifsand symbols and an odd, pointed hat.

"f -lat is pursued he will mutter incomprehensiblecurses and wave his hands around in a bi7arre,intimidating fashion. As a last resort he will attemptto defend himself with spells or a nife.

-lat4s long, colourful par a is decorated witha1uatic designs. Cthulhu 4&thos 2-.oint spend+ The images of odd, octopoid beings dwelling inundersea towers on the shaman4s long par a seemto be a depiction of Cthulhu and his race.

Abilities+ Athletics , !cuffling ;, eapons ;,Health Hit Threshold+ /7eapon E 0& : nife in fact the upper chamber of a tower.

"t is assumed that the team will create a shaft of pit

to reach the tower then excavate the inside of it.The #eeper may have to improvise somewhat ifthey ta e a very different approach. The charactersmay decide to build a shaft next to the tower andenter via one of the doors or windows on the

balcony, or they may simply bore a hole directlythrough the roof.

Ar haeolog& or Ar hite ture+ The roof and floorare already partially collapsed.

Geolog&E The tower is blac granite gneiss. A 2-

.oint spend establishes that it appears to beextremely ancient, perhaps tens or even hundreds ofthousands of years old.

Ar hite ture E The style doesn4t resemble that ofany nown architectural tradition.

"#ca!ating the Cham erS ene T&pe+ Core/ead-#n+ %xcavating the !tructure under the "ce/ead-0ut+ Clearing the Chamber

This phase ta es +) days.

4ethods "sable+ $anual %xcavation, "ce $elter,%xplosives

Ar haeolog& or Eviden e Colle tion+ The remainsof an un nown metallic device can be found in theupper chamber of the tower. An astrolabe,

planetarium or similar

Geolog&3 Craft or Ar haeolog&+ "t was decoratedwith gold, emeralds and rubies.

Astrono)& or 2-.oint spend in Ar haeolog&3.h&si s or 4e hani al Repair E "t was an opticaldevice of some ind, possibly a telescope.

Accessing the &tairwayS ene T&pe+ Core/ead-#n+ %xcavating the Chamber

/ead-0ut+ The "dol Thaws, Tunnelling the!tairway

Core Clue+ The stru ture des ends deep into thei e-sheet1 There is a se)i-inta t stair!a& leadingdo!n1

This phase ta es &+ days.


pictographs, Lboo sL X, map showing location of $t

9oormithadrethXAr haeolog& or Eviden e Colle tion+ A strangeand grotes1ue ob3ect is uncovered in the ice nearthe top of the stairwell. "t loo s li e a grotes1ueidol fashioned of some dar , mottled material,vaguely toad0li e in shape, very dense and aboutthe si7e of a melon. !eeing this re1uires a /0point!tability test, $ythos related.

Cthulhu 4&thos+ !tatues of grotes1ue, toad0li eforms are used in the worship of Tsathoggua.

Geolog& or Che)istr&+ The ob3ect is not made ofany nown material.

"n fact, the ob3ect isn4t a statue at all. "t is a dormantorganism > one of the !pawn of #nygathin @haum.6nce uncovered, the spawn will begin to thaw andawa en. !ee The #dol Tha!s .

Ar hite ture or Ar haeolog& 5Core lue6+ Thereis a stairway descending deeper into the ice.

Tunnelling the &tairwayS ene T&pe+ Core/ead-#n+ Accessing the !tairway/ead-0ut+ 2escent into the 2epths

"t ta es ' days to reach the ice0free section of thestairwell.


A stairwell runs around the inner perimeter of the

tower. !olidly constructed from granite, most of itis still intact. There are places where steps haveeroded or bro en and places where there are gaps.


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Ar hite ture+ The stairway is constructed in a possibly uni1ue way, with the spiral of the stairwaygrowing narrow as one descends and the base ofone level seemingly supported by the level beneathit.

6n the outside wall, there is a series of wide panelswith images and Tsath0Oo hieroglyphs. These tell a

history of Hyperborea, beginning with the time ofconstruction and going deep into the past.

Anthropolog&3 Ar haeolog&3 Cr&ptograph&3/anguages3 or Cthulhu 4&thos+ ith the help ofthe Tsath0Oo dictionary, each panel is about a yardwide and can be translated in about an hour. Three

panels are probably excavated in a day. For everyfive panels translated, a 2-.oint spend is needed.The content of the panels is as followsE

&. There are several yards where the panelling

is blan +. The cult of Ohoundeh, the %l Goddess,

forbids the worship of the old god@hotha11uah. 5ot daring to destroy them,the @hotha11uah4s cube0shaped temples are

barred and loc ed.

/. #ing o1uamethros is on the throne ofCommoriom, a high city of many spires andgardens. @ylac the Archimage, apprentice ofHormagor, is granted 8The !eer4s Tower4 in

Commoriom). @ylac, uses sorcery to create a tower of

blac gneiss in $hu Thulan

;. The cult of Ohoundeh becomes the royallyappointed religion. A great temple is built inCommoriom.

. The wi7ard Hormagor of Abormis dies atthe hands of the !phinx of Abormis. Thetown is abandoned.

*. The great wi7ard @on $e77amalechdisappears mysteriously in $hu Thulan.

(. #ing $ennamethros of Commoriom gives@on $e77amalech a tower in Commoriom,now called 8The !eer4s Tower4

'. @on $e77amalech parts the northern seaand leads the army of #ing =harogill of$hu Thulan there to plunder the treasuresof a thousand sun en galleys

& . @on $e77amalech has a tower of copper built in $hu Thulan

&&. The hite !ybil of =olarion, a strangewoman from the realms of ice, foretells anundescribed and abominable doom for allmortal beings who dare to remain inCommoriom

&+. Zueen uthomne ta es the throne ofCommoriom. !he hold ecclesiastical courts.

!he builds a high tower in Commoriom,which ta es thirty years.

&/. !econd city is built called -7uldaroum

&). The Beign of #ing Hom1uat begins inCommoriom

&;. Founding of Commoriom

& . City called 8 omar4 settled by people from@obna in the north

&*. %arly humans build temples to @hotha11uahthe old god of Hyperborea, in imitation ofthe sub0human 9oormis

&(. The 9oormis are driven away. Theycongregate around $t. 9oormithadreth

&'. 2escendents of tall, thin antehumans leavehomelands in -ltima Thule in the north andarrive in Hyperborea.

+ . Cold causes the gradual decline of the9oormis civilisation

+&. 9oormis build a settlement at Commoriomincluding a cube0shaped temple to@hotha11uah

++. The gods "tha1ua and Aphoom @hah causethe continent to get steadily colder. A realmof glaciers gradually grows in the north.

+/. @hotha11uah destroys the colony of serpent0men. Their former slaves, the 9oormis, arefree and begin to establish their owncivilisation on Hyperborea with@hotha11uah as their primary deity.

+). !erpent0men survivors from sin ing of thecontinent of 9alusia, found a colony inHyperborea, bringing 9oormis as slaves andfood source

At the end of this phase :where does this occur interms of the panelsX< , the team discovers a fissurein the ice that grows until it is wide enough to crawlthrough. "t then grows further to a tunnel averagingsix feet wide, stretching don into the dar ness.=rogress can be much faster now.


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(escent into the (epthsS ene T&pe+ Core/ead-#n+ Tunnelling the !tairway/ead-0ut+

The stairs descend about 0* feet under theice0sheet.

Ar hite ture+ The engineering here is unusual oruni1ue. The diameter of the spiral remains regularas it descends, and each wall is at a slightlyoverhanging angle, supporting the course of stairsabove. The walls are overhanging slightly.

"t soon becomes very dar and artificial light isessential. Getting to the bottom will ta e at leastaround half an hour. There are four places wherethe stairs have completely collapsed creating gaps.These will need to be bridged somehow or climbing

gear will need to be used.Gap 2+ feet, 2ifficulty /, 2amage & die

Gap 8+ &+ feet, 2ifficulty ;, 2amage & die D/

Gap B+ &) feet, 2ifficulty ;, 2amage & die

Gap + ( feet, 2ifficulty ), 2amage & die

"f a safety rope is used, unless the roll is a natural &:in which case the rope doesn4t hold either through the centreof the tower or elsewhere.

Beaching the base of the ice sheet will ta e + daysof drilling and blasting, modifiable by up to ;$echanical Bepair or %xplosives point spends asdescribed in the %xcavation $ethods sidebar on=age SS.

This will produce a relatively smooth and verticalshaft with a diameter of / feet on average. =eoplecan be lowered or lifted one at a time by acompanion on the surface using a belay device.

This is a series of three Athletics tests against a2ifficulty of ; for the person on the surface. Fallingmeans damage of D), D( or D&+ depending onheight. "f there is a safety rope, damage is reduced

to 0&, but there there is a & in chance the safetyrope will not hold.

"t will ta e around & minutes to be lowered to the bottom and + minutes to be lifted bac up. The protagonists may be able to devise a faster or safermethod using dog sleds, drilling e1uipment or thesnow tractor.

P sidebarQ

The Idol ThawsS ene T&pe+ Antagonist BeactionTrigger+ Clearing the Chamber

This nominally ta es )( hours or & hours if left ina warm place li e a tent or cabin, however it shouldta e as long as is dramatically interesting.

As it thaws, especially if it has been brought bac

to the camp, the dogs begin to act in a disturbedway, bar ing all day and night.

The organism will scuttle across the ground onmany limbs and attempt to escape, probably atnight. "t can escape through holes smaller than &inch diameter, although such a small orifice wouldta e it two minutes to oo7e through. %scaping underthe sides of tents won4t present much problem norwill getting through the interior door of the cabin.The door and walls of the cabin are well protected

against the elements and it will ta e a couple ofminutes to pass through the eyhole.

Pdefine map layout of cabinQ

This creature will attempt to hide among theouthouses and e1uipment and ambush a lone humanas they wander outside. "f necessary it might enterthe cabin and attac a lone sleeping host.

The spawn will attempt to enter unconscious orsubdued host, smothering their sounds as it forcesitself down their throat and ta es up residence intheir body.

-nless one of the =rotagonists unwittingly setshimself up as an obvious target, the spawn shouldattac a non0player characterE one of the mushers orGermans :if present


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passing through the eyhole. Attac ing it will causeit to attac the protagonist.

Eviden e Colle tion+ A 2-.oint Spend :or acareful Si)ple Sear h < will reveal traces of a dargreyish slime on any victims4 bodies and whereverthe creature has passed.

"f a =rotagonist is attac ed, a !ense Trouble testagainst 2ifficulty ; :( at night< will alert them tothe imminent attac . Hunting it down, while it hidesin the camp has the same 2ifficulty. Awa ing to thething attac a companion sleeping in the same tentor room is a 2ifficulty ) test.

P?egin sidebarQ

Spa"n of 7nygathin haumAlso nown as 8=arasitic !pawn of Tsathoggua4,these entities bear some similarity to their cousins,

except that they are smaller :about the si7e of a?order Collie by flowing,rolling into balls, s1uee7ing through crac s or even

brea ing out of containers :controlled by a unifyingintelligence, Athletics can still be used in this state the amount of damage they ta e only affects theamount of time it ta es for their Health to get above

and able to act once more. Fire damage does notheal in this way, nor may some magical or chemical

attac s.2ue to the hominid strain in its ancestry, the spawnhas an affinity for human biology and can liveinside a human being, substituting natural

biological functions with its own. They will attemptto subdue a target and then, in li1uid form, typicallyforce itself down his throat. The victim may beincapacitated or even illed during the attempt.The spawn will need to remove most of the victim4sinternal organs in order to ma e space for it4s own

body. This will ta e about ; minutes. The rest ofthe body, including the brain will remain alive, provided for by the spawn. The spawn will thenta e control of the brain, raiding his memories and

ta ing control of his actions. -ntil it fully settles in,for the first )( hours, a !tability test against2ifficulty will allow the host to have full controlfor a few minutes or allow some recollection of theattac event. P!tability test to resist it when itasserts controlXQ

The host4s previous 2rive disappears and instead is

subconsciously substituted with the spawn4s goals.To an observer, the host4s personality and mindseem to be intact, but Assess Honest& will detect alistless or 8off4 1uality that may be mista en forshoc or other mental health issue. A 2-.ointspend suggests that the host seems to lac sincereemotions.

Suffo ate+ The creature can use a limb to sei7e avictim around the nec or simply smother with itsviscous body. Apply the 2rowning and !uffocationrules :Trail of Cthulhu ruleboo = (


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However, once it thaws, it will regain the ability to physically reassemble itself. Treat it as having Health and Armor of 0; :vs all< in a dormant state.

P%nd sidebarQ

P!idebarQ

Antagonist )eactions of the Spa"nAs soon as the protagonists enter Commoriom, thespawn will begin to gradually thaw and awa en.

Eviden e Colle tion+ thawing of ice, watercollecting, dripping, rivulets, pitting of ice.

"nitially a single spawn on the loose.

!ense Trouble test against 2ifficulty to catchglimpse of movement or sound :could beanywhere when prompted to doso > the growing influence that the spawn has overthem. This can be handled in much the same way asroleplaying insanity.

6nce fully under the control of the parasitic spawn,the infected character will secretly see to awa en

#nygathin @haum at The unction The !1uare orrouse more spawn using the ice melter, fire,excavation tools or if, necessary, explosives. Thisshould not occur until the team has found The %yeof -bbo0!athla. !ee A!a%ening of 'n&gathin(hau) .

P%nd !idebarQ

City -nder the Ice The +ase of the To"erBubble, ice and a few bones including human

The .ce Corridor"ce0walled tunnel follows ancient path over rocand cobble surface of prehistoric pathway,descending from base of tower in a series ofstairways for about / yards before reaching the$ain !treet.

*ain StreetFrom the "ce Corridor this can be followed left andslightly uphill or right and slightly downhill. eftleads to the ruins of an ancient library and the9ault. Bight leads to The !1uare.

Haunting view of primordial city imprisoned in iceEstreets, buildings, homes, towers, palace etc

=itted, dripping walls of ice with a narrowcrawlspace. The spawn are dormant in here.

Ex avation+ reveals strange channels, possiblymore 8toad idols4 and explosives could result inaccelerated awa ening of the spawn

The S;uareCentral space, crossroads with fossilised bloc X :6ris this where #@ is still fro7enX< Human remainsX

Ex avation+ reveals strange channels, possiblymore 8toad idols4 and explosives could result inaccelerated awa ening of #@ and the spawn

The -ibrary$ore documentation of history, possibly moreartifacts. !omewhere there may be a spell forL!pea ing with @hotha11uah as his !tatueL. =ossiblya spell to call Adu wa from the icy wastes.

aultThis place must be accessible and obvious. hereis itX -nder the libraryX -nder a templeX -nder thetower itselfX

The historical frie7e spirals at right angles towardsa plinth built into the middle of the room and spiralaround the plinth to its top. A pale stone about thesi7e of a small orange is mounted there.

"tLs entirely possible that the crystal is embedded ina wall, table, statue etc. The Commorians Commorian sorcerer could have done so afterac1uiring it from @$. This might ma e it feel lessarbitrarily present.


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The "ye of - o*&athlaCthulhu 4&thos+ According to the ?oo of %ibon,@on $e77amalech possessed a cloudy scrying stonecalled 8The %ye of -bbo0!athla4E

3This ,i4ar&0 ,ho ,as mighty among sorcerers0ha& foun& a clou&y stone0 orb-like an& some,hat

flattene& at the en&s0 in ,hich he coul& behol&many $isions of the terrene past0 e$en to the !arth5sbeginning0 ,hen Ubbo-Sathla0 the unbegotten

source0 lay $ast an& s,ollen an& yeasty ami& the$aporing slime . . . ut of that ,hich he behel&0 )on

Me44amalech left little recor&6 an& people say thathe $anishe& presently0 in a ,ay that is not kno,n6an& after him the clou&y crystal ,as lost.3

9isions of the past, initially bac to sorceror, then 3umps to @$. Then barrier then 3umps into past allthe way bac to -! and tablets. Also addictive andleads to disillusionment with present0day realitywhich appears to be unreal. "dentification with @$then once past LbarrierL disidentification and loss ofselfhood. To onloo ers, perhaps enters comatosestate, then a while later suddenly leaves anddisappears :if somehow followed, seems to have

illed self


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later, especially in dreams or under hypnosis. D&Cthulhu $ythos is granted for every two recalledmemories. There may be costs to !tability and!anity on recollection. 5ote that the costs of havinga =illar of !anity smashed or a 2rive renderedmeaningless, override any other stated cost for thatrevelation.

These experiences are not mere visions > the8viewer4 fully experiences the life of the creaturewitnessed. This means that the experiences are hardto dismiss > seeing is believing in this case. !omeof these experiences are capable of causing lost2rives or smashed =illars of !anity.

AlsoE

!piders, amphibians

=rimitive vertebrates

Trilobites, molluscs, sponges etc"f the regression process of completed, the finalmemory experienced with be union with -bbo0!athla, the origin of all earthly life.

-bbo !athla produces the first earth life. "ose 7Stability89 Sanity..illars of Sanit& s)ashed+ Family, Human2ignity and 9alue, Beligion.Drives lost+ Anti1uarianism, Thirst for #nowledge

Anagnorisis for &+ !tability and + !anity loss,2rives are lost as is the sense of self0identity. Thecharacter should be retired at or before the end ofthe scenario.

6ther revelations may be chosen by the #eeper orrolled on the table below. !tart by establishing thenumber of memories recalled and then establishwhat they are.

0ther Revelations during Regression

Ta e two d s and decide which is KtensM and which is

KonesM :li e percentile dice & Human ingdom of Hyperborea, battleswith 9oormis, rise and fall of various cultsetc: point Stability test

+& > + L hite apesL :actually relatives of9oormis< under hidden influence of GreatBace, raise city in Congo, rapidly evolvingspread out across world as early humans.: point Stability test.Drives lost+ "n the ?lood.illars of Sanit& s)ashed+ Family :if it

involves beliefs about human race originsin Hyperborea / 9oormis gain freedom from !erpent=eople, found Hyperborean colony9 point Stability test

)& > ) ! erpent people in Ooth geneticallyengineer simians into land and a1uatichominids to serve as slaveslose 7 Stability89 Sanity..illars of Sanit& s)ashed+ Family,Human 2ignity and 9alue, Beligion.Drives lost+ Anti1uarianism, Thirst for#nowledge

;& > ;+ ! erpent people civilisation wiped out byrise of dinosaurslose ; Stability89 Sanity

;/ > ;) ! hoggoth rebellion defeatedlose ; Stability89 Sanity

;; > ; ! erpent people ingdom of 9alusialose ; Stability89 Sanity

& > + Cataclysm raises BLlyeh, arrival ofCthulhu. ar of Cthulhu and %lder Thingslose < Stability8: Sanity0Drives lost+ Anti1uarianism, Thirst for#nowledge

/ > ) % lder thing experiments create vertebrates

lose 7 Stability89 Sanity..illars of Sanit& s)ashed+ Family,Human 2ignity and 9alue, Beligion.Drives lost+ Anti1uarianism, Thirst for#nowledge

; > T ablets of the %lder Godslose 7 Stability89 Sanity.Drives lost+ Anti1uarianism, Thirst for#nowledge

Awa+ening of .nygathin/haumThe spawn and #@ gradually begin to wa e up,which builds into an antagonist reaction climax.

6nce they begin to awa en en0masse, the spawnwill abandon the infection strategy, switchinginstead to openly capturing the remaining humans.

ChaseTypically this will constitute a

Combat

9ictory


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7nygathin haumThe entity that was nown an age ago, by the name8#nygathin @haum4 is a dar , mottled andmammoth0si7ed entity > a bloated trun , with aone0eyed 8face4 emerging from its midsection, anda second eye beneath that. Two long tentacles with8fingers4 li e nots of writhing sna es emerge from

its 8shoulders4 and a cup0li e mouth protrudes at thetop. The lower limbs are a mass of slender

proboscides covered in suc ers.

#nygathin @haum can attac with each of its twotentacles in a single round. i e his spawn, he can

assume the form of a viscous, blac li1uid. Andmost forms of physical in3ury will simply flowclosed.

Athletics &+, Health ++, !cuffling +(Hit Threshold+ /7eapon+ D; :trample< D+ :tentacle< D+ :suc ing

proboscides< a successful tentacle attac may,

instead of inflicting damage, pull the victim to themany mouths for automatic damage on eachfollowing roundAr)our+ 0+ :thic , mottled membrane< Heals most

physical damage at Health per roundStabilit& /oss+ D+

All products and trademarks mentioned here are the properties of their respective owners. Trailof Cthulhu is 2008 Pelgrane Press Ltd. Call of Cthulhu is !8 " Chaosium" #nc. This scenariosu$mission is written $% &ustin 'ar(uhar.

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Commoriom Submission v3,15

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