Commoriom Submission v3,22

8/13/2019 Commoriom Submission v3,22

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A Submission for

Trail of Cthulhu

Commoriom

General/structural comments:

It would be good if, by the end, the protagonists

have an idea of what KZ and his spawn might be,

maybe where they came from. Do they also need a

copy of the Book of Eibon

!hange both clues and instructions to the Keeper

into second person.

!an e"uipment be defined in terms of opportunities

for the use of #reparedness Eg. $inches, ropes

etc. %eview travel, supply levels and some physical

challenges to make them properly player&facing and

simple to use. But wait to see what 'aws comes up

with in (ythos E)peditions.

(ake format of clues consistent *bulleted+ as per

aboveInclude hule -ociety esoteric conspiracy vril

stuff /ne of the 0ril -ociety ladies is with

1obineau2s team.

3ave Ethelrod2s manner of death depend on player

actions4 If they spot the 1erman camp, perhaps he

asks one of them what they think it is, andor

should we go there. If 5E- then 1obineau kills him

there. If 6/ then the 1ermans follow them and

1obineau shoots Ethelrod as they approachenter

the valley. If both these events are prevented then1ranger gets drunk and kills Ethelrod 7ust after they

arrive in the valley *or the 1noph&Keh kills him+.

he offspring of KZ have two forms4 adult and

7uvenile. he 7uvenile is simply a fissile off&shoot

of an adult. It2s about the si8e and appearance of a

leech. /nly the 7uvenile can parasitise a human.

hey take about 9&: weeks inside a human to reach

adulthood.

here is a fro8en mastodon carcass in the upper

chamber of the tower.

"I have yet to translate the terrible and

abominable legend telling how a certain doughty

citizen 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

even earthly" ! Clar #shton $mithBefore ice covered the land of 3yperborea, a great

marble and granite capital of vertiginous spires rose

in a valley in the mountains. $ill its rediscovery

release once more, the monstrous force that brought

about its doom

In a hostile, isolated environment, a scientific team

faces deadly opposition from the mysterious

inhabitants of the ice sheet and from a rival

e)pedition. -oon they will realise, however, that the

real horror is beneath the very ice that theye)cavate.

he 3yperborean !ycle stories of !lark ;shton

-mith are the inspiration for this adventure. It is

recommended that the Keeper reads at least The

Testament of Athammaus andUbbo-Sathlabefore

running it. he Call of Cthulhuscenario Trail of

Tsathogguaby the late Keith 3erber tells the story

of the e)pedition that discovered the site.

The HookIn ?, an archaeological team from (iskatonic

@niversity found evidence of an ancient settlement

beneath the ice sheet in a remote valley in the

mountains of $est 1reenland. he protagonists are

members of a


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The Spinehe team members voyage to Godthb, where they

can confront a Rival Expeditionfrom 1ermany.hey then begin their arduous overland trek in

Evighedsfjorden.

he protagonists see strange Eskimo watching them

from afar. ;nd a confrontation with the rival teammay have deadly conse"uences.

In The Valley of ommoriom! the protagonists

can find the bodies of the last survivors of the

1erman team, mysteriously burned to death.

6earby, is a strange temple inscribed with a history

of the early pre&human settlers. /n the valley floor,

a shadow under the ice indicates the location of the

archaeological site.

he is strange singing in the valley and the

protagonists see the elusive figures of blondEskimo.

Excavation leads to the discovery of an ancient

tower entombed in ice, containing the remains of

ancient astronomical e"uipment.

@nseasonal bli88ards harry the team as they work

and they may glimpse a strange creature in the

storm. he problems escalate with damage to the

camp and people attacked, until the #rotagonists

neutralise the Eskimo clan that is causing these

problems.

Aurther digging uncovers a stairway with a frie8e

describing a history of 3yperborea and eventually

leads to a ity "nder the #cewhere the teamuncovers a device that sends their minds back in

time to the disturbing origins of life on earth and

merges them with the primordial mind of @bbo&

-athla.

;s they e)plore and e)cavate, the city2s dormant,

parasitic inhabitants begin to awaken and infest the

intruders, leading to the $%a&ening of 'nygathin(haum.

Victory Conditions0ictory in this scenario means discovering the

nature of the site and the horror within it and

escaping alive, preferably with the site safely

sealed.

Antagonist Reactionshere are three factions of potential antagonists in

this scenario.

; rival 1erman e)pedition believes the site is the

ruin of the 6ordic racial homeland of hule.

Initially gloating, they must humbly re"uest help

from the protagonists as their own e)pedition

encounters serious problems. $hile they see

themselves as civilised men, they will ruthlessly

take control of the site or its artifacts if the

opportunity presents itself. 'ikewise, they may use

violence if threatened or obstructed. $hen they

need help however they will be humble and polite.

; tiny clan of latter&day 3yperboreans *or Blond

Eskimo2+ lives near the coast to the west of the

valley of !ommoriom. he Inuit of the region shun

them for their foul religious practices. heir

ancestral myths warn that people disturbing the

valley will awaken a giant fro8en in a city under the

ice. hey will do their utmost to protect the valley.

heir most effective tactic is calling a 1noph&Keh

to hamper the e)pedition.

$ithin the city itself is a colony of amorphous and

parasitic entities descended from sathoggua.

Initially dormant, they will gradually awaken, and

attempt to subdue and infest human hosts, gradually

gaining control over their behaviour and using them

to attempt to awaken their leader Knygathin Zhaum

and the other spawn. $hen sufficient numbers are

awake they will launch a full&scale attack on the

intruders.

Running Commoriom withthe Armitage Inquiry

his scenario begins in late Cune of


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)*ymbol: $rmitage #n+uiry,his symbol defines

sections that apply only to running the scenario as

part of the ;rmitage In"uiry.

Running Commoriom as astandalone

5ou can also run this scenario as a standalone

adventure or mark a dramatic beginning to an

ongoing campaign.

he difference is that Ethelrod has organised the

e)pedition with the British (useum, independently

of ;rmitage and his colleagues and motivated by

his own desire to solve the mystery.

)*ymbol: *tandalone, his symbol defines

sections that apply only to running the scenario as a

standalone.

Creating the Protagonists;ppropriate roles for the e)pedition include

archaeologists, geologists, anthropologists,

biologists, e)plosives e)perts, drill engineers and

radio engineers. ;ll team members should be

healthy and fit, and be competent cross&country

skiers represented for game purposes as a

minimum /utdoorsman rating of < and ;thletics of

9. he e)pedition will also need a medic with

(edicine and Airst ;id of at least >.

he e)pedition leader is )enophobic and Arench

applicants in particular need not apply.

)*ymbol: $rmitage #n+uiry, If the e)pedition isorganised by (iskatonic @niversity, team members

are likely to be ;merican, perhaps connected to the

@niversity. 3owever, Ethelrod may have brought

British team members with him.

)*ymbol: *tandalone, If you run the scenario as a

standalone, the e)pedition is British as, probably,

are most of its members. 3owever, 1ranger maynot be the only ;merican to 7oin the e)pedition.

Prologuehe #rotagonists have each applied for a position

on an e)citing e)pedition to 1reenland.

he following clues are availableabout recent polar

e)peditions4

-istory:

In


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Candidate Interviews(Directed Scenes

In order to introduce the #rotagonists, role&play a

short scene from each character2s interview for

their place on the e)pedition. Do this in front of the

whole group. his paints a picture of each

#rotagonist and helps establish those aspects of

their characters that may be at stake later *their

Drives and #illars of -anity+ and thus enhances the

sense of drama. hese Directed -cenes are short,

punchy and relatively independent of the flow of

the narrative. hey should establish three things

about each #rotagonist4

; general impression of their background,

appearance and personality

heir Drive their reason for 7oining the

e)pedition

Insight into one or more of their #illars of

-anity.

Aor e)ample, the interviewer could ask about the

applicant2s "ualifications, reasons for wanting to

7oin the e)pedition, their beliefs, what they would

rely on to get through the ;rctic winter and so on.

)*ymbol: $rmitage #n+uiry,If organised by(iskatonic @niversity, !hairman of the

;rchaeology Department, Doctor Ernest (cavishconducts the interview along with ;ssociate

#rofessor Arancis (organ.

)*ymbol: *tandalone, If the e)pedition is

organised by Ethelrod in England, he conducts the

interview himself, accompanied by his friend

$ilfred 'ipton, at Ethelrod2s office in the British

(useum.

Scenes

!riefing*cene Type:Introduction

.ead0ut:#reparations, he ;tlantic 0oyage

)*ymbol: $rmitage #n+uiry,he briefing takes

place in a seminar room at the ;rchaeology

Department of (iskatonic @niversity. ;ssociate

#rofessor Arancis (organ is a self&assured yet soft&

spoken field researcher in his early 9s, who

e)presses regret at being unable to attend thee)pedition due to it being brought forward by a

year. 3e introduces e)pedition leader #rofessor

Ethelrod, a renowned linguist from !ambridge and

veteran of the (athieson E)pedition, who has

voyaged across the ;tlantic to 7oin them.

$rchaeology:Dr (organ has a good reputation asa scientist, adventurer and a man of integrity. * feet high. It is

dominated by a carving of a human figure with a

curved blade, bending over some kind of slain

animal. thulhu 4ythosor 0ccultwill allow theviewer to recognise the figure as consistent with

inhabitants of legendary 3yperborea as described,

for e)ample, in theBook of Eibon.

#ictographs found on the wall seemed to describe a

large and ancient settlement in the $estern

mountains. Ethelrod led a trip overland in search ofthe site of the settlement. he team found itself

attacked by a large polar bear that stalked them into


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the mountains, leaving several members of the team

dead or in7ured. 3owever, they found a site with

evidence of former habitation, including remains of

a religious site and tantalising evidence of a ma7or

structure underneath the thick ice cap.

3e produces a photograph of a vaguely circular

shadow beneath a thick ice sheet.

he e)pedition ended rather abruptly after severalteam members were killed or in7ured by a

combination of climbing accidents and attacks from

the bear.

he site was of such significance that the team

agreed not to release full information until a second

e)pedition could investigate it fully. he ill health

and death of #rofessor !urtis (athieson in =,

the


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$rchaeology or $nthropology: ;ccording to the

e)pedition report, the team made transcriptions of a

number of carvings on a large stone slab found at

the face of 3elheim 1lacier on the east coast.

;rchaeologists have subse"uently associated these

carvings with a 1reenlandic colony of the e)tinct

Dorset !ulture. 5point spend:-ome odd artifactsfeaturing strange figures wearing hoodless parkas

with tall collars and women with large hairstyles

were found on !ape Dorset on Baffin Island in

?. It is generally thought that the 1reenlandic

Dorset culture is limited to the north&west coast of

the island.

7iology or 0utdoorsman 56oint spend:#olar

bears are mostly found in coastal regions in the

north and east of 1reenland they are largely

unknown in the mountains although females with

cubs are sometimes found in coastal mountainous

areas in the north.

$rchaeology! 7iology or Geology 16ipe3:he

disastrous #abodie E)pedition to the -outhern #ole,

from which there were only three survivors,

reported finding very well preserved specimens of

si)&foot&long, barrel&shaped organisms with

starfish&shaped heads. 6ipe:he full significance

of this clue will become clear to someone who

reads he Book of Eibon or e)plores the ruins of

!ommoriom.

Questions and Answers

Ethelrod will ask if there are any "uestions. 3e may

provide the following additional details and any

others the Keeper deems appropriate.

(athieson remained onboard ship, due to health

problems. 3e died of a heart condition in =.

he top of the structure was estimated to be under

at least


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-mile fi)edly in uneasy moments

%ub your chin pensively and furrow your

brow

1esticulate in a 7olly manner and pat people

on the back

#r Charles $Chuck% &ranger

1ranger is an archaeologist who studied with

#rofessor !urtis (athieson, took part in the

(athieson E)pedition and has recently completed

an archaeology doctorate at (iskatonic @niversity.

In fact, although he has tried to get some help for it,

1ranger still suffers from shell shock2 from his

e)periences on the (athieson E)pedition. his has

only e)acerbated his drinking problem and now he

is a full&blown alcoholic.

$bilities:;thletics M, 3ealth :, -cuffling J,Airearms 9

-it Threshold:9

$rmor: &< vs all *if wearing ;rctic gear+

8eapon:&> *fist+, L< *.9&J bolt action rifle+, L B!, the 1reek e)plorer #ytheas makes the first

known reference to the mysterious island of hule

Nsi) daysO sail north of Britain, and near the fro8en

seaP. 3e claimed that people keep bees in this place

and in summer, nights are only two or three hourslong. It2s not clear whether he is referring to

Iceland, 1reenland, 6orway or somewhere else

altogether.

he ;ncient 1reeks also tell of the 3yperboreans

who live beyond the north wind *the literal meaning

of 3yperborea2+. heir land was perfect, with the

sun shining >: hours a day, and the people free

from war, disease and old age and always happy.

he people were blond and very tall. 3yperborea

has variously been located in north&east ;sia,$estern Europe or Britain. In the


8/40

he earliest inhabitants were hairy pre&humans

called 0oormis2 who had a simple writing

system, and worshipped a god called

Zhotha""ah who lived beneath an e)tinct

volcano. he 0oormis were originally slaves of

snake&people2, but they revolted and won their

freedom.

3umans arrived and drove the 0oormis into themountains. hey established !ommoriom, the

first capital city, on the site of a 0oormis

settlement. he city was grand and beautiful

place of granite and marble with many high

towers. ; prophet called the $hite -ybil2

predicted the fall of !ommoriom and it was

abandoned in the same year that Eibon was

born, the city was abandoned, to a monster

called Kyngathin Zhaum2. he capital was

moved to the city of @8uldaroum.

Eibon became the greatest sorcerer, drawing

power from his servitude to Zhotha""ah. Due to

oppression from the sect of 5houndeh the elk&

goddess, Eibon was forced to live in a remote

tower of black 1neiss in a remote area called

(hu hulan. Eventually the priests of

5houndeh overran his tower and he fled

through a magical door, and his book was

passed on secretly in Europe and N;tlantisP.

; section of the book called Nhe #apyrus ofDark $isdomP describes a history of life on

earth that includes a succession of races and

civilisations that have risen and fallen over

aeons of time. he eldest of these races,

originated from outside the earth. Eibon calls

them the #olar /nes, described as Nse)less

semivegetable carnivores with cylindrical and

pentalobular bodies RwithS starfish headsP had a

civilisation centred at the -outh #ole and were

responsible for creating terrestrial life, as a by&

product of their breeding e)periments with aprotoplasmic entity called @bbo&-athla. ;nyone

who knows of the starfish&headed crinoid

specimens reported by the #abodie E)pedition

must make a 9oint -tability test, (ythos

related.

6oringover it *unlikely in time for the departure of

the e)pedition+ provides L< to !thulhu (ythos, L>

for someone who has encountered sathoggua or

his minions.

The (athieson E-pedition of ./01

.ibrary "se:he information on the (athieson

E)pedition report, the Dorset !ulture and the

distribution of polar bears described in the7riefingcan be uncovered in a good&si8ed academic library

by substituting point spends in 'ibrary @se.

The &erman E-peditionAinding out more about this e)pedition is very

difficult as there is nothing published about it

publically. Reassurance or lattery will get Dr(organ or #rofessor Ethelrod to reveal that an

associate of Ethelrod2s, Dr -ummers of Edinburgh

@niversity, heard a reference to a privately funded

1erman e)pedition at an international archaeology

conference in #aris last year.

2utdoor Training

0arious independently sourced courses in outdoor

skills may grant a protagonist up to > dedicated

pool points in ;thletics or /utdoorsman, to be used

in ;rctic and -ubarctic environments.

The Atlantic Voyage*cene Type:/ptional, ransition

.ead#n:Briefing, #reparations

.ead0ut:1odthb

his is an opportunity to roleplay variousinteractions between player characters as they get to

know one another and their leader.

he voyage for 1odthb takes si) days, giving the

#rotagonists plenty of time to get to know the other

members of the team or to read in their cabins if

they prefer.

;n ;thletics test against Difficulty 9 is re"uired

avoid seasickness. he effect is the same as being

3urt and lasts for >: hours.

RBegin sidebarS

The Crewhe ship2s crew consists of the !aptain, Airst (ate,

!hief #etty /fficer and a crew of F sailors.

Captain 3ames (acAllen

; tall, lean, dour man who looks older than his :?

years. 3e doesn2t say much, but commands the

respect of his crew.

$bilities:;thletics :, 3ealth ?, -cuffling J,

$eapons >

-it Threshold:9


9/40

8eapon:&> *fists+, &< *boat hookimprovised+

4irst (ate )ill Hewlett

;n e)perienced seaman who has worked closely

with (ac;llen for years, 3ewlett is a somewhat

portly man in his early :s, with red hair.

$bilities: ;thletics 9, 3ealth ?, -cuffling :,

$eapons >-it Threshold:9

8eapon:&> *fists+, &< *boat hookimprovised+

Chief Pett 2fficer Anders Pihl

#ihl is a large, friendly man of Danish nationality.

3e is 9M, has a full beard and en7oys a drink.

$bilities:;thletics J, Airearms :, 3ealth M,

-cuffling F, $eapons 9

-it Threshold:9

8eapon:&> *fists+, &< *boat hookimprovised+, L


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.ead#n:Briefing, #reparations, he ;tlantic

0oyage

.ead0ut:%ival E)pedition, Evighedsf7orden

he ship makes a scheduled stop in 1odthb, the

capital of 1reenland, for three days, to refuel,

collect supplies and meet the sledding team. /nce

the ship is prepared, a local boat is to transport the

sleds and sled dogs to Evighedsf7orden in a separateboat.

It is late Culy by the time the team arrive. he

mildness of the climate may be surprising to some.

(ost of the land and sea is free of ice. In spite of a

near complete absence of trees, there is a fair

amount of greenery and the rivers swell with melt

water.

1reenland at this time is a colony of Denmark and

uses Danish currency and mostly Danish place

names. 1odthb is the capital and has a populationof around >, mostly Eskimo, but with a few

people of -candinavian descent. 3ouses are mostly

traditional Eskimo huts of stone and turf with a few

-candinavian&style structures of imported wood.

he main industries here are whaling and fishing

and there is a blubber boiling plant 7ust outside of

town. here is also a general store, a newspaper

office, a small school, a seminary and a government

building with a radio station.

o the east lies 1odthbsf7orden, the long,meandering f7ord with many inlets where the

(athieson E)pedition landed.

.anguages 1;anish or #nuit3 $


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;nyone who accepts will find themselves lectured

about the Nnoble origins of the ;ryan raceP and

how archaeological sites all over the world prove

that their ancestors brought civilisation to the

ancient world. ;nyone who vigorously disagrees

finds the offer of hospitality prematurely

withdrawn.

Reassurance or lattery 56oint spend:he1ermans reveal their route *north&northeast from

1odthbsf7orden, the same route as the (athieson

E)pedition+.

$ssess -onesty: Behind the bragging, there is aslight sense of uneasiness. 56oint spend:the

1erman crew seem to be worried about their team.

ollo%up: Reassurance 96oint spendwill get

the 1ermans to admit that they are being lead to the

site by Cean %aymond 1obineau, a (athieson

E)pedition veteranU however, several of them

believe he is unstable. 3is behaviour is strange and

occasionally violent and he drops hints of terrible

creatures up on the ice sheet.

; -tealth test against Difficulty : will allow the

protagonists to make a "uick and surreptitious

search of the ship under some prete)t. -tealing one

of the books re"uires a !onceal or Ailch test against

Difficulty ?.

*imple *earch: he ship contains some supplies of

food, fuel ammunition, radio e"uipment and soforth. here is also a small library of books on

relevant geographical, geological, anthropological,

archaeological, historical, linguistic and occult

sub7ects, almost all in 1erman, including -trabo2s

!eogra"hica and 3ermann $irth2sDer Aufgang

er #enschheit*he Emergence of (ankind+.

.anguages 1German3:;n protagonistskimmingthe latter *> hours+ will learn about nationalist

1erman beliefs in their decent from a 6ordic super

race that originated in the ;rctic region and once

ruled the known world.$oringover it * dedicated pool points in ;rchaeology,

;nthropology, /ccult or 'anguages.

Evidence ollection:;lso here is an enthusiastic

letter of support from a senior member of the

6ational -ocialist 1erman $orkersO #arty named

3einrich 3immler to Doctor Ekkehardt Bauer,

leader of the e)pedition. 3immler refers to the site

as both N@ltima huleP and N;tlantisP and refers to

something he calls hor2s 3ammer2, a weapon of

their divine ancestors said to be capable offlattening mountains.

Captain Alfred #reher

;round 9 years old, and fit, Dreher is in command

of base&ship operations. Dreher is a keen 1erman

patriot and a true believer in the hule myth.

&erald Huber

3uber is a round&faced Bavarian. 3e is a little

overweight, fairly "uiet and serious, and a little lessnationalistic than his companion is.

$bilities:;thletics :, Airearms 9, 3ealth :,-cuffling 9

-it Threshold:9

$lertness 4odifier:

*tealth 4odifier:

8eapon:L< *(auser 1ewehr =F rifle+, &< *Knife+,&> *fists+

2ther Crew (embers

$bilities:;thletics J, Airearms :, 3ealth M,

-cuffling F, $eapons 9

-it Threshold:9

8eapon:&> *fists+, &< *knife or improvised

weapon+, L< *(auser 1ewehr =Frifle+, L< *'uger=mm+

&vighedsforden*cene Type:!ore, ransition

.ead#n:.ead0ut:Evighedsf7orden 1lacier

;bout


12/40

sled drivers+. he plan then is to use it to ferry

supplies, e"uipment and the e)pedition members

onto the muddy shore.

;bout thirty feet from the water2s edge is a low

mound.

Arom a distance, 7iologyidentifies it as the body of

a whale. 5 6oint *pendreveals it as a narwhal.

Polar )ear

If the characters approach the whale2s corpse will

notice it move strngely several times. ; polar bear

is behind it with it2s head inside the body, eating it

from the inside. ; -ense rouble test against

Difficulty : will let the characters spot the bear at

about 9 feet, J feet if they have not approached.

he bear will issue a vocal warning and if

necessary fight to protect it2s catch.

Being attacked by the bear is a 9&point -tability

test.

6olar 7ear

he bear can attack twice in a round two claws or

a claw and a bite. If it loses half it2s 3ealth, it will

flee.

$bilities:;thletics < &VA e)posed characters without ;rctic

clothing on act as if hurt. Below &>VA, characters

must make ;thletics tests *Difficulty 9+ to keep

moving. Aor each further >VA drop, the Difficulty

increases by if the

character isn2t wearing protective clothing.


13/40

!haracters who fail this test lose < 3ealth every


14/40

resulting in delays. Aor dogs this costs

9 he ;thletics test Difficulty is increased by 9

:L Ethelrod loudly berates the #rotagonist for his

obvious errors. he #rotagonist must make a

9

:

?

J

/'DE% 0E%-I/6

%eview below

ponies

/ne method *both Ethelrod and 0utdoorsmanwill

suggest this+ is that most members of the team

climb the slope on foot, carrying ropes, *a

Difficulty 9 ;thletics test, with failure resulting in a

damage roll at &>+. 6e)t, the team pulls various

loads up using the ropes. Each of these steps re"uire

"igg%backe;thletics tests against various

difficulties, with failure resulting in a retry and a

loss of < 3ealth at the Keeper2s option, a result of

< might result in a tumble and damage for whatever

load is being pulled up the slope. he dog teams areled up *Difficulty 9+, then the humans and dogs

together pull the tractor up *Difficulty ?+ if a


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#rotagonist can drive it, they will also need to make

a Driving test against Difficulty ? to avoid

problems as above. hen tractor, humans and dogs

bring up four regular loads *Difficulty 9+ and the

drill *Difficulty :+ on sleds.

he entire process will take the best part of a day

and by the end of it, the players themselves should

be feeling tired.Aollowing Ethelrod2s directions, the team can spend

the last hours of the day sledding in a south easterly

direction across the ice&sheet, before camping for

the night.

0utdoorsman or Evidence ollection 56oint

spend4 'arge, strange footprints can be seen in the

snow, perhaps distorted by melting. *If none of the

protagonists finds it then one of the mushers does.+

0utdoorsman or 7iology: he prints appear to be

those of a large carnivoreU however, an e)tended

claw in the middle of the foot shows that this

wasn2t a bear. In fact, they don2t belong to any

identifiable creature. 56oint spend:here issomething very strange about the gait. 96oint

spend:he bi8arre pattern of prints would almost

seem to imply that it was moving on si) legs some

of the time.

thulhu 4ythos: his may be the legendary si)&

legged beast of the ;rctic, called !no"h-keh.

he mushers become "uite e)cited and iria"

refuses to continue.

0ral -istory or Reassurance:$ith a 56oint

spend, the mushers say there are old legends of a

demon that haunts the Ice&-heet that hunts men and

takes their souls by free8ing them to death. It2s

called he 3airy hing2.

Ethelrod struggles to convince iria". ; 56ointReassurance spend will suffice. In contrast @kale"

and to a lesser e)tent -Wrensen want to hunt and killthe creature. Ethelrod is not convinced. ; 56ointspend inReassurance or latterywill change hismind.

;s soon as Dr 1ranger sees the print, he becomes

e)tremely agitated and begins muttering to himself.

Evidence ollection:; 56oint spendallows a

character to overhear him mutter about a Nmonster

of the iceP.

$ssess -onesty or 6sychoanalysis:3e doesn2t

seem to be calming down. 5 6oint spend in6sychoanalysis: 3e may have a phobia or have had

a traumatic e)perience in the past that has triggered

e)treme an)iety. $ssess -onesty 56oint spend:

Ethelrod also seems somewhat alarmed although he

is far more in control of himself.

Evidence ollection 56oint spend:he character

notices that 1ranger is secretly drinking from a hip&

flask.

Hunting the )east

If the team attempts to hunt the beast, a 56oint

0utdoorsman spendis re"uired per day to track it

on a wandering route roughly east southeast. ;fter

about three days, they will arrive at the scene4

Graves2. During this trip the hunters may

e)perience being spied on by a strange Eskimo *see

;cross the Ice, he $atcher+.

RBegin -idebarS

*hy &thelrod must DieEthelrod2s death early in the scenario is important

for several reasons4 firstly, it puts the protagonists

into the driving seat and secondly it potentially

reveals several more aspects of the mystery. It also

foreshadows the insanity ahead and removes a

source of security. If Ethelrod2s death is somehow

prevented here, it is recommended that he is killed

in some other, preferably non&trivial, way. Aor

e)ample, he could be killed by the gnoph&keh.

REnd -idebarS

The Death of &thelrod*cene Type:!ore

.ead#n:he !limb to the Ice -heet

.ead0ut:; !all for 3elp

ore lue: The route to ommoriom Valley

$hen the team sets up camp for the night, Ethelrod

invites the others to talk about the 7ourney ahead,

and in particular, techni"ues for avoiding crevasses.he meeting takes place in a tent shared by up to

three of the protagonists. 1ranger opts to retire.

Ethelrod2s suppressed disapproval of this is noted

with a 56oint *pendin $ssess -onesty.

3e is drinking in his tent. If anyone goes to speak to

him at this time, he will hurriedly hide his bottle of

whisky. he bottle or its lid can be spotted with

Evidence ollection 56oint spend. ;nd signs ofdrunkenness will be detected with 4edicineor

$ssess -onestyor Evidence ollection.

;bout an hour and a half later, Ethelrod ad7ourns

the meeting and the attendees make their way back


16/40

to their own tents. 'ipton lingers, talking to one of

the #rotagonists. ;nyone making a -ense rouble

test against Difficulty ? briefly notices a silhouetted

figure among the tents mutter something in the

dimness *N3enryXP+ and raise a gun. /ne simple

action is permitted4 ducking, starting to run,

drawing a weapon or shouting a warning.

/therwise, the first thing noticed is a very loud

gunshot.

he Keeper should emphasis the confusion here.

$ho is the shooter $ere they shooting at a threat

;re they a threat Is anyone hurt $here is

everyone else ; second -ense rouble test against

Difficulty : will identify the figure with the rifle as

a threat. ;nd a 56oint *pendin Evidence

ollectionwill identify him as 1ranger.

1ranger will pause for one round then, unless

interrupted, begin taking pot shots at other members

of the team. 3e begins at !lose range. 3owever, he

can spend no points on Airearms due to the

darkness, his drunkenness and general lack of

ability. ; #reparedness test against Difficulty ? will

allow a #rotagonist to happen to be carrying a gun.

/therwise, retrieving these from tents will take

three rounds.

Reassurance 56oint spendor successful

#sychological riage calms 1ranger down and he

lowers the gun. ; second 56oint spendor

successful #sychological riage convinces him torelin"uish it.

If anyone moves towards him, 1ranger will

threaten them with the gun and shoot anyone who

gets too close or who raises a gun towards him.

(eanwhile Ethelrod lies unmoving on the ground.

In the darkness among the tents a -ense rouble

test against Difficulty : is needed to even notice

him.

4edicine 1core! floating3:Ethelrod is mortallywounded, but he comes round briefly. 3e will tellthe protagonist to follow the route marked on the

map in his personal pack. 3e also warns them that

the Nguardian of the temple must be placatedP but

slips into unconsciousness before he can e)plain

how.

; third Reassurance 56oint *pendor#sychological riage will get 1ranger talking. 3e

raves and mutters incoherently about Nblond

EskimoP, Nthe man&eating beast of the iceP, Nthe

city of evilP, Nthe formless guardian of the templeP

and Ethelrod stealing his whisky. 3e soon lapses

into a state of muttering, incoherent catatonia, from

which, as 6sychoanalysisindicates, he is unlikely

to recover without lengthy therapy.

Ethelrods Personal Effects

Ethelrod left most of his personal possessions on

one of the sleds. %eliant as they were on Ethelrod,

the rest of the team do not know with certainty the

route to their goal. hey may find this material

while looking for his maps.

Ethelrod2s possessions include4

ore lue:; detailed map of $est 1reenland

with handwritten markings showing both the

route taken by the (athieson E)pedition and

the route planned for the current e)pedition

Ethelro&s 'otes on the Liber Ivonis*see

Ethelrod2s -ecrets2 sidebar+

lue 16ipe3:A $reliminar% Inter"retation of

the Tsath-(o Language *see Ethelrod2s-ecrets2 sidebar+

$ictogra"hs in the Tem"le of the )oth-A**ua

*see Ethelrod2s -ecrets2 sidebar+

RBegin -idebarS

Ethelrods Secrets

Ethelrod?s hours

6ore:> hours

hese handwritten notes were written in the late

s, based on the 'atin version of theBook of

Eibon. Ethelrod2s notes focus on language, the

geography, history and culture of 3yperborea, the

pre&human +oormisand the worship of their god

)hotha**uah.

*&immingthis provides the clues from the 'iberIvonis described on #age TT plus < dedicated pool

point to be used for /ccult, ;nthropology or

!thulhu (ythos spends relating to 3yperborea and

sathoggua. 6oringover it provides an additional >

dedicated pool points.

$ 6reliminary #nterpretation of the [email protected]! by -enry Ethelrod and urtis4athieson

.anguage:sath&5o to English

*&im:9 hours

6ore:9 hours

Ethelrod and (athieson compiled this provisionaldictionary and grammar of the Tsath-(o

hieroglyphic language based on their work prior to


17/40


18/40

*aiting on the Ice*cene Type:/ptional, ransition

.ead#n:; !all for 3elp

.ead0ut: ;cross the Ice

If the protagonists decide to wait for the 1ermans

to reach them, they face a wait of two days on the

ice.An :nearthl Howl

;fter sunset on the first day there is a distant, but

terrible and strange howl, which will be noticed

with a successful -ense rouble test against

Difficulty ?. 3earing it is a points.

The Two &ermans

he 1ermans will be very grateful to the team for

delaying their e)pedition in order to help and they

will make it clear that their interest is in the search

and rescue of their compatriots and are happy to

follow the Ethelrod E)pedition2s lead on other

matters.

hey will, however try to persuade the English&

speakers to help them actively search for the

1ermans, perhaps by giving them some men to takeon a more southerly course towards where radio

contact was lost *i.e. in the direction of the scene,

Graves+. %e7oining the main group from this pointwould re"uire a steep climb *see 0n the Edge+.

!aptain Dreher decides to lead the rescue operation

personally, leaving his first mate in charge of a ship

manned by a radio engineer and a skeleton crew.

3e brings 1erald 3uber with him on a dog sled

with eight dogs. -ee #age TTfor details of these

two.-ections of the scenario that apply if the 1ermans

have 7oined the team are marked with the following

symbol4 )*ymbol: German Expedition 4embers,

+n,estigation

Reassuranceor lattery:he 1erman e)pedition

was following the same route as the (athieson

E)pedition. Each of the following additional pieces

of information re"uires a 56oint spend4

he site is thought to be a city called@ltima hule2, the capital of the lost

continent of hule, ancient homeland of the

;ryan race

Information about the site came from Cean

%aymond 1obineau, a veteran of the

(athieson E)pedition who moved to Berlin

in the late s

;ccording to 1obineau, the creature that

attacked the (athieson E)pedition was nota bear, but something far worse

here is a temple in the valley that one must

utter a special invocation to enter. 1obineau

claimed to know this, but protected it

fiercely.

he linguist and anthropologist 3erman

$irth translated glyphs found on a monolith

in Ainland describing the history or

mythology of this city

Across the Ice*cene Type:!ore, !lue *Bonus+

.ead#n:; !all for 3elp

.ead0ut:

he e)pedition is now heading southeast over the

fractured surface of the 1reenland ice sheet. wice

a day, each member of the team must make a -ense

rouble test against Difficulty : *Difficulty 9 for

vehicle drivers+ to safely avoid crevasses. If this

fails, a Driving test *Difficulty 9+ is re"uired to

avoid falling in for L< damage and possible loss or

damage to vehicles, loads or dogs.

his stage will take two days. 3owever, if the team

passes a piggybacked Driving *ractor or Dog -led

as applicable+ test against Difficulty ?, reduce this

to one day.

The 8atcher

;s the 7ourney progresses, the team gradually

approaches a range of nunataks*mountains

emerging from the ice sheet+ to the southeast. hereare a few smaller nunataks along the way.

owards the end of the last afternoon here, a -ense

rouble test against Difficulty : will allow the

protagonists to spot someone watching them from

the top of a ridge ahead. 3e is perhaps half a mile

away. ; #reparedness test *Difficulty 9+ will give

an #rotagonist "uick access to binoculars. If viewed

through binoculars, he appears to be an Eskimo, but

dressed rather strangely in a high collared parka.

$nthropology or 7iology 56oint spend4 3isfeatures are unusual for an Eskimo, with a long

face, large nose and elongated earlobes.


19/40

$nthropology or $rchaeology 56oint spendwill

then suggest that his appearance is reminiscent of

figures depicted in artifacts of the e)tinct Dorset

!ulture. thulhu 4ythos:he figure2s appearanceis reminiscent of descriptions of the inhabitants of

3yperborea.

; successful ?oint #reparedness test will allow a

character to produce binoculars "uickly enough tosee that the Eskimo has a long, pale face and is

strangely dressed in a high&collared parka with a

sort of pointed hat instead of a hood. 3e "uickly

disappears from view whether seen or not.

!limbing the ridge is a 9oint test. Aailure results

in 9 points of damage. 0utdoorsmanwill find histracks. 5point spend:he tracks appear to come

from the east *the direction the e)pedition is

headed+ and return the same way. ;nother 96oint

spendis re"uired to follow the tracks a significant

distance. ; skier will be able to travel faster than

the man on level ground, however he deliberately

heads over rough terrain, re"uiring a !hase using

;thletics versus ;thletics, with the Eskimo

receiving a free success at the start of the chase

representing the head start he has and a Difficulty

reduced to 9 representing his e)perience of the

terrain. ;nyone winning this !hase will have an

opportunity to take a single shot at the strange&

looking Eskimo if they have a rifle ready. ;fter

that, he disappears from view and a -ense roubletest against Difficulty J is re"uired to avoid being

ambushed by a ferocious attack with a hand&a)e.

3e will fight to the death rather than be captured.

-een close&up, it is clear that the man is no ordinary

Eskimo. 3e is lean, with fair hair, and a long face

with elongated nose and ears. 3e appears to be in

his mid to late twenties. 3e will refuse to talk and

will try to escape at the first opportunity.

#nterrogation: In broken 1reenlandic Inuit, he will

warn that the outsiders have strayed onto forbiddenland, protected by the ancestors.hey must leave at

once or they will die a horrible death.; 96oint

spendpersuades him to give his name and that he isa member of a small family that lives in a house

several days to the west of here. $ssess -onestyreveals no hint of deception.

)*ymbol: German Expedition 4embers, he

1ermans, are e)tremely e)cited by the discovery of

blond Eskimo2 announcing that it is proof of a

former ;ryan6ordic civilisation in 1reenland.

$nthropology 56oint spend:0ilh7almur

-tefansson reported blond Eskimo in the 0ictoria

Island area of !anada in


20/40

;nyone remaining behind and passing a -ense

rouble test against Difficulty J will spot a figure,

similar to the previous one, watching them from a

mountainside to the north. %eaching the spot will

take about half an hour and a climb re"uiring an

;thletics test against Difficulty :. 0utdoorsman 5

6oint spendwill successfully locate his tracks,while another 56oint spendwill allow them to be

followed westward and higher up the mountain

where they are lost on the rocky surface.

If none of the protagonists remain here, the mushers

will report the figure when they return and can take

the characters close to the spot where the figure

stood.

he e)pedition will probably need to camp

somewhere on the ridge or tonight.

)uman Remains*cene Type: /ptional,!lue *Bonus+.ead#n:/n the Edge, 1raves

.ead0ut:;ttack -ite, /n the Edge

In addition to the large patch of blood are some

pieces of bone and clothing. $itnessing this is a 9&

point -tability test. ; *imple *earchlocates papers

that identify the victim as Cean %aymond 1obineau,

a Arench national, 1erman resident and a member

of the 6-D;# *6a8i #arty+.

orensics4 he remains have probably been herefor almost a week. 56oint spend:he bones are

gnawed and crushed. he tooth&marks are possibly

from a bear or other large carnivore.

Evidence ollection or 0utdoorsman:he man2s

prints can be seen coming from the south. 'arge,

footprints can be seen in the snow, possibly

distorted by melting. Both sets of tracks have

followed the same route. 0utdoorsman or

7iology: he prints appear to be those of a large

carnivoreU however, the e)tended claw in themiddle of the foot shows that this wasn2t a bear. In

fact, they don2t belong to any identifiable creature.

56oint spend:here is something very strangeabout the gait. ; further 56oint spend:he

bi8arre pattern of prints would almost seem to

imply that it has si) legs.

thulhu 4ythos:his may be the 1noph&keh, thelegendary si)&legged beast of the ;rctic.

0utdoorsman 56oint spend:racing the prints to

their origin will take characters to Graves.Aollowing the creature2s subse"uent route will take

them northeast, deeper onto the ice sheet. ;fter two

hours, snowfall obliterates the trail.

!hat Happened Here=

$hen surprised by the 1noph&keh at the site of the

scene Graves2, 1obineau *like many others+ fled.

he creature hunted him down, killed him and

consumed his body at leisure.

The ,ounds*cene Type: /ptional,!lue *Bonus+

.ead#n:3uman %emains, he !limb to the Ice

-heet

.ead0ut:3uman %emains, he !limb to the Ice

-heet

hree mounds rise in the snow here marked with a

1erman flag. ; crushed man&drawn sled has also

been abandoned here, its load still partially onboardand partially piled on the snow nearby.

*imple *earch: he mounds are of course graves.Identity papers on the bodies will identify them as

1erman nationals.

*imple *earch: he sled holds camp gear,

provisions and a broken radio. here is also a

sealed brass tube containing a note from Bauer to

his missing countrymen, 1obineau and (et8ger. It

says that Bauer and his men have searched for a day

and been unable to find them. ;fter a vote, theydecided to continue to try for their goal. hey were

heading to the ridge to the northwest. ;nd they

should 7oin them there. hey would leave climbing

gear at the ridge.

Evidence ollection 56oint spend: @nder a layerof snow there are numerousempty rifle cartridges

as if there had been a substantial fire fight.

0utdoorsman or Evidence ollection:here are

several sets of footprints around the graves and

signs snow that has been dug up to pile on thegraves. ; 56oint spendreveals a snow&coveredtrail hinting that something large trampled through

this part of the valley several times, before the

tracks were mostly covered in snow. $ith another

56oint spend, its route can be followed either to

-uman Remains or to The limb to the #ce

*heet. In either case, 0utdoorsmanwill indicate

that after a couple of hundred yards the tracks have

little or no snowfall on them.

orensics:If disinterred and e)amined, one of thebodies appears to have been crushed, one appears to

have deep lacerations to the upper body and the


21/40

third has a deep, impaling wound in the abdomen.

5point spend:he first also had symptoms offrostbite. 5point spend:he wounds on the second

man are consistent with being mauled by a large

carnivore, but a bear2s claws are not sharp enough

to have inflicted those in7uries.

!hat Happened Here=

he 1erman e)pedition having ignored their

warning, one of the 'omaruit *Blond Eskimo+ sang

the old song to call the 1noph&keh. he beast

stalked the e)pedition, called up a bli88ard and

attacked them. -ome of them tried shooting at it

without much success. hree mere were killed and

the rest fled. 1obineau was followed and killed by

the creature. ;nother man */tto (et8ger+ died of

hypothermia on the ice. hree regrouped at the

same spot later, buried their dead and gathered their

possessions to continue.

The Valley of Commoriom*cene Type: !ore

.ead#n:/n the Edge

.ead0ut:E)cavation

ore lue: The *hado% "nder the #ce

Arri,ing at the Site

;s the team progresses along the ridge, they see

two mountain peaks ahead, between which they areheading. Beyond that, according to Ethelrod2s map,

lies the valley of !ommoriom.

he 7ourney is uphill and hard going, re"uiring :

;thletics, Aleeing or 3ealth pool points for half a

day.

he team reaches the top of a rise in the natural

pass between the two peaks and has view of a

mountainous plateau, a valley around a mile across,

with an ice cap covering what was once a valley.

;bout > miles away, on the other side of the valley,a dark cube *The Temple of (hotha++uah+ s"uatson the lower slopes of the highest mountain. ;bout

one mile away, on another slope of tundra is a small

camp.

he wind blows harshly through the high valley,

whipping up particles of ice and snow into dancing

phantoms. ; -ense rouble test against Difficulty 9

allows #rotagonists to hear a strange droning sound.

his is a natural effect caused by the wind blowing

between the mountains and through the valley./nce this is established, allow any -ense rouble

points spent to be reclaimed.

Evidence ollection! 0utdoorsman or Geology

1ore lue3: ;lso about a mile away, close to themiddle of the ice&covered valley is a shadow that

matches the one Ethelrod showed the group in the

briefing *see The *hado% "nder the #ce+.

Geology:he ice could be up to a thousand feet

thick.

Evidence ollection: ;s you approach the cube&shaped structure, you see a blackened, scattered pile

of debris on the ice.

In fact, this is the remains of the 1erman e)pedition

*see The End of the 7auer Expedition+.

The &erman Camp

he camp consists of two tents with two sledges

parked nearby. here is bedding for three men here.

It appears to be deserted.

0utdoorsman: he camp has not been used for

days.

*imple *earch: he camp contains some supplies

of food, kerosene, skis, ice picks, rifle ammunition,

and so forth.

Evidence ollection 5 point spendis re"uired to

find each of the following in the camp4

> dynamite charges with detonators and

fuse wire

flamethrower ignition cartridges he Cournal of Ekkehardt Bauer

he ;kraf7all -aga

RBegin -idebarS

)*ymbol: 6ulp,

!echselapparat !e-4lamethrower

$hile it2s unlikely to do much more than delay the

horror they will face later, you could include anintact flamethrower at the camp.

his model is surplus from the 1reat $ar and

consists of a backpack with fuel cylinders and a

no88le connected by a hose. ; (echanical %epair

test against Difficulty : is re"uired to understand

the firing mechanism, with failure resulting in a

wasted shot. 1asoline, kerosene or diesel can be

used as fuel. ;


22/40

Aleeing Difficulties by


23/40


24/40

hey fled, pursued by the spawn. hey fired on it to

no effect, but managed to set it on fire with their

flamethrower. It attacked them, causing the

flamethrower to rupture and burning the entire

group, including the spawn, to death.

The Temple of-hothaqquah

his mysterious, ancient, weathered cube s"uats on

the mountainside like a tomb or a memorial to

something incomprehensibly ancient. It is built of

dark grey stone with sides fifty feet, narrow slits

high in the walls and an open, s"uare doorway

about nine feet wide.

Evidence ollectionor0utdoorsman:here is afaint, short path leading from the ice plain to the

doorway.

Geology:he building is constructed of basalt. heprofound erosion of this hard stone appears to

imply that it is unfeasibly ancient.

$rchitecture:Each wall appears to be formed of a

single natural block.he building bears norelationship to any known architectural style.

he walls and floor are covered in thick frost. here

are footprints across the floor and in places the frost

has been scraped from the walls.

Theology:

Evidence ollection 5 6oint spend: In otherplaces, the frost has been melted from the walls as

indicated by dark scorch marks.

Cust inside the door is a huge, three&legged basin of

a corroded greenish material that forms a pool of

green, several feet wide around it. hemistryor$rchaeology recognises it as e)tremely ancient

bron8e covered in thick verdigris. he bowl is si)

feet across and three deep. If e)amined, the inside

of the bowl is untarnished, in near&perfect

condition. Evidence ollection:he feet are in the

shapes of feline&like claws.

he floor is seen to be tiled in a strange pattern of

large, irregular, five&sided flagstones. 6hysics or

$rchitecture:his pattern of tessellated pentagons

is unfamiliar and implies a sophisticated

understanding of obscure geometry.

-trange hieroglyphs *identifiable as a primitive

version of sath&5o+ can be seen covering the

walls, in some still covered in frost and some

already e)posed. he glyphs relate a history of the

original builders of the city as translated inEthelrod2s$ictogra"hs in the Tem"le of )oth-

A**ua.

/n the back wall is an empty two&tiered altar.

Evidence ollection:; bare spot in the frost andwear on the stone indicates that an ob7ect rested on

this altar for a long time time. 56oint spendrecognises the outline of the statuette found at TheEnd of the 7auer Expedition.

The 7urial hamber

Behind the altar, what may once have been a hidden

doorway lies open with fragments of corroded

bron8e chain on the floor nearby.

hemistryindicates that the chain fragments have

been in this position for only a few years. 1reen

stains on the door itself imply that the door was

probably chained for millennia.

he windowless chamber beyond is almost fifty

feet wide and about ten feet deep. /pposite the door

seated on a large, bron8e throne is the striking

figure of a mummified baboon&like ape dressed in

the remnants of a red and purple robe and a

feathered headdress. ufts of orange hair poke

through holes in the robe. his is a 9oint -tability

test *(ythos related+.

7iology:he creature is of no known species of

ape and possesses certain features, for e)ample the

structure of the foot, which places it closer to

human beings.

he throne is again of heavily corroded bron8e, butin better condition than the basin.

here is a long stone table at one end of the

chamber, which is empty apart from a few

fragments of ancient organic matter *the remains of

flowers, fruit and other foods+.

The Shadow under the +ce

6ear the centre of the ice cap, there is a dark spot of

roughly circular shape and about forty feet in

diameter. Evidence ollection:; structure of

some kind, the top of which is around fifteen feetbeneath the surface, descends deep into the ice.

Evidence ollection5 6oint spendor$rchitecture:It is difficult to see through thedistortion, but it has a resemblance to the top of a

tower complete with railed balcony.

If, at any stage, the Investigators balk at e)cavating

the structure to ensure they can leave the site

before the sea&route is closed off by ice for e)ample

you can use a -ard ;riverB


25/40

Setting up Camp

;t some stage, the protagonists will probably want

to build their cabin. ;nyone with 0utdoorsmanor

$rchitecturewill know to build it on solid ground

rather than on ice. here are several spots on the

foothills at the edge of the valley to choose from.

Building the cabin takes four days. If the

#rotagonists wish to do so, they can spend pool

points from ;rchitecture or a relevant !raft and

reduce construction time by half a day per point

spent.

$hile the team members are sleeping in tents and

building the cabin, it might be a good time for their

first e)perience of he -inging *see sidebar+.

/nce completed, the cabin has two rooms a living

space with a stove and simple kitchen and "uarters

that sleep eight people in bunks. /thers may need

to sleep in the living space. Both rooms have one

small window. here is an outhouse for storage and

another for the dogs.

Attac.s %y the)y"er%oreans

*cene Type: ;ntagonist %eaction

.ead#n:he 0alley of !ommoriom

.ead0ut:he 3airy hing in the Bli88ard

he tiny clan of Blond Eskimo has camped near thevalley in order to drive the outsiders away and

interfere with the dig. his takes the form of

sabotage and singing the ancestral song for

summoning the 1noph&keh from the ice&plains to

wreak havoc in the valley.

3aving tracked the outsiders to the valley, they

build their snow shelter and male members of the

clan take turns to be dropped off by sled, on a

possibly suicidal mission to draw the gnoph&keh to

their enemies2 camp.@nfortunately for them, while their song summons

the creature, it offers no control or protection from

it. If the caller is successful, they are as likely as

not, to become victims themselves. Either toss a

coin, a die or make a decision according to what is

dramatically interesting in each instance. his also

means that all the men of the clan bar one are likely

to be dead by the time the creature has been

summoned about si) times.

The Hperboreanshese natives are, to the best of their knowledge,

the last of an ancient race that once had great cities

here. (ost of their civilised culture has been lost

they are now simple hunter&gatherers, living harsh

lives in the more remote parts of 1reenland. heir

ancient religion has been lost and they make their

offerings and prayers to !thulhu, who they call

/ulu&.

#hysically, they look very different from other

Eskimo people, being blond, with long faces,elongated ear&lobes and substantial facial hair. hey

wear hoodless, wide&collared parkas with hats.

hey believe that the thing that comes from the ice

in answer to their song is a $hite Bear -pirit2 and

wear amulets, mistakenly believing that they can

offer protection from the 1noph&Keh.

$nthropology:his primitive 7ewellery is an

amulet depicting a fierce, stylised polar bear and

possibly intended to offer protection of some kind.

7iology:he pendant looks like polar bear boneand the necklace is decorated with bear teeth and

claws.

$nthropology:hese men do not appear to be amembers of any known Eskimo tribe, either in

terms of their clothing or in terms of their fair hair,

slender build, long faces, large noses or long ear

lobes. /ne man, who may be a shaman, has motifs

on his clothing and ornamentation in an unfamiliar

style and a"uatic theme. 56oint spend:0ilh7almur

-tefansson reported blond Eskimo in northern!anada in


26/40

-it Threshold: 9

8eapon4 &< *knife+

*tealth 4odifier:L>

$lertness 4odifier:L>

*pells:Dread 6ame of ;8athoth, !ontact 1noph&

keh, !ontact !thulhu, !ontact -pawn of !thulhu,

!ontact Deep /nes

The ather! #sma

;ged :J, this gri88led patriarch is the head of the

clan. 3is hair is greying, but he is still fierce and

strong.

If unable to escape, Isma will defend himself

ferociously with his spear.

$bilities:;thletics M, -cuffling F, $eapons =,

3ealth J

-it Threshold: :

8eapon4 L *spear+

$rmor4 &< vs all *hide+

*tealth 4odifier:LF. hey are fierce, agile and almost

fearless.

$bilities: ;thletics


27/40

7iologyor 0utdoorsman:his isn2t any known

animal, a realisation which increases the -tability

test to >oint. his is "uickly followed by a snow

storm blowing suddenly over the mountains from

the ice sheet.

he howling may be heard in the midst of the more

severe bli88ards, heard with a -ense trouble test

against Difficulty ?.

$ 7ody in the #ce

If the singer is killed during an attempted

summoning, a -ense rouble test against Difficulty

J alerts an Investigator to a brief cry in the distance,

probably soon forgotten as a bli88ard arises.

Evidence ollection: If the area is searched, this

abilityreveals the body of the singer, unless

covered by snow. ; 5 6oint spendis needed ifheavy snow has fallen on the area. ;nother56ointspend:!lose to the body is a figurine made out ofice, depicting a strange si) legged, horned animal.

;nthropology4 his is a totem possibly used for

calling spirits. thulhu 4ythos:his is depictionof the 1noph&Keh the legendary beast of the

;rctic wastes. 56oint spend:his carving is atotem for calling the 1noph&keh.

orensics: he manner of death isreveals the

manner of death goring, mauling crushing or

hypothermia. If the body has been devoured,

Aorensics indicates that a large carnivore is theculprit. ; 56oint spendreveals that this was not a

polar bear, but something unknown and larger.

7iology or 0utdoorsman:@nless covered bysnow, there may be prints nearby that can be

identified as not originating from a polar bear.

;fter finding either anomaly above, thulhu

4ythos reminds the #rotagonist of the legends of

the 1noph&Keh.

*abotage

;nother strategy the Eskimo may use is sabotage.

his will occur at night.

he team awakes to discover that some of their

e"uipment is sabotaged the drill in need of

(echanical %epair, the Ice melter destroyed or,

most dramatically, the diesel tanks set on fire. he

cabin itself may even be set on fire. ; -ense

rouble test against Difficulty ? will allow the

protagonists to hear the culprits most likely the

two younger Blond Eskimo at work. If someoneis on watch, success indicates that their approach

has been noticed.

Tracking Eskimo

0utdoorsman:; 56oint spendwill allow tracks

to be followed southwest for about three miles *a

little over an hour+ from the valley edge to a

cramped shelter in the snow *see The *no%

*helter+. If this is attempted at night, this is a 96oint spend.

The )airy Thing in the!li//ard

*cene Type: ;ntagonist %eaction

.ead#n:E)cavation

he 1noph&Keh is motivated by hatred and hunger.

It will attempt to kill any human it encounters,

probably by free8ing them to death, and devouring

the remains if it can.

/nce close to the camp, the creature will summonup a bli88ard, and if it sees vulnerable targets

disorientated, few in number or in7ured it will

attack in the confusion and blindness of the

snowstorm. If it loses over half of its 3ealth, the

1noph&keh will retreat back to the ice&sheet. If it is

killed, the Eskimo2s song will simply summon a

different 1noph&Keh.

7liCCards

he 1noph&Keh can spend 3ealth points to create a

bli88ard. Aor details, refer to Trail of Cthulhu#


28/40

in a sudden snowstorm. ;nyone further than ? feet

from the cabin is a potential target of direct assault.

By the third appearance, the dog house might be

attacked and some of the dogs killed, the rest

frightened off. he outside food store might be

plundered. ;nyone outside the cabin could be

attacked. 6on&player characters working at the dig

might be targeted when a sudden bli88ard isolatesthem the cabin. he drill or other e)cavation

e"uipment might be damaged. he radio mast

might be smashed.

By the fifth appearance, the #rotagonists

themselves could be targeted or the cabin directly

assaulted.

&noph?keh

Aor full details of the 1noph&keh see the Trail of

Cthulhurulebook p


29/40

civilisation collapsed and the people

scattered. $hen other people arrived on the

island, the 'omaruit were hunted down by

her people, because of their worship of a

forbidden god called Kulu2 and because

they sometimes took her people as offerings

for their god.

he last 'omaruit woman died >: years ago.

-he was the mother of the two younger

men. he clan stole two women in a

desperate attempt to stop the tribe from

dying.

he 'omaruit say their god came down

from the sky with his children in ancient

times before there were any people. hey

were overthrown by ancient enemies and

driven beneath the ocean, which is where

they sleep now. But one day in the future

the stars will be in 7ust the right places andthey will return and free those who follow

them. he religion of Kulu is all over the

world.

;ccording to the 'omaruit, their ancestors

once lived in a great city in the valley

below, but a giant calledInookcame to the

city and devoured many of the people there

and the survivors fled. $hen the ice came,

Inook was fro8en inside the city.

he creature of the ice is a mighty bear

spirit called 6ook&3ek or Nthe 3airy hingP

that the clan has been calling to protect the

valley from outsiders.

&'cavation*cene Type: !ore

.ead#n:he 0alley of !ommoriom

.ead0ut:he !ity in the Ice

ore lue: The structure descends deep into the

icesheetB There is an accessible stair%ay thatleads thereB

E-ca,ation (ethods

here are several methods at the team2s disposal for

e)cavating the site. E)act rates of e)cavation are

not important.

#rilling

he drill provided for the e)pedition is a standard

cable tool rig, which can be operated by single

engineer. It operates by repeatedly lifting anddropping a heavy boring tool at the end of a cable,

pulverising everything beneath it. $ater is added to

the hole and debris collected periodically with a

scoop&like device attached to the cable. his

process creates a borehole = inches wide. Either the

ice melter or e)plosive charges could be used to

widen the shaft enough for a man to be lowered on

a rope.

he drill is obviously of little or no use for

e)cavating the interior of the tower.he operator*s+ must have (echanical %epair.

6oint *pend 7enefits

In any given phase of the e)cavation, a character

running the drill can spend up to two pool points of

(echanical %epair and reduce the length of that

phase by one day per point.

(anual E-ca,ation

(anual e)cavation is slower, involves breaking the

ice apart with ice picks and chainsaws then

removing it with shovels and buckets.


In any given phase, a character e)cavating

manually can spend up to two pool points of

;thletics and reduce the length of that phase by one

day per point.

+ce (elter

he ice melter is an electrical device with longcable that heats up when connected to a power

source. In combination with a water pump, it can

clear significant amounts of ice with little

assistance. #ower for both the melter and the pump

are supplied by the diesel generator.

he operator*s+ must have Electrical %epair.


In any given phase, a character operating the ice

melter can spend a pool point of Electrical %epair

and reduce the length of that phase by one day.

E-plosi,es

E)plosive charges can be used to widen e)isting

boreholes "uickly or, used with great care, to break

up ice inside the tower itself.

he character using e)plosives must have the

E)plosives general ability.


In any given phase, a character overseeing the useof e)plosives can spend up to two pool points of


30/40

E)plosives and reduce the length of that phase by

one day per point spent.

E-ca,ation Phases

1uidelines for the timings of the various phases of

e)cavation are provided the various e)cavation

phases describedbelow. he Keeper should feel at

liberty to modify these timings for dramatic effect.

Accessing the :pper Structure

By default, this phase takes > days.

4ethods "sable:Drilling, Ice (elter, E)plosives

he top of the structure is about : days.

4ethods "sable:(anual E)cavation, Ice (elter,E)plosives

$rchaeologyorEvidence ollection: he remainsof an unknown metallic device can be found in the

upper chamber of the tower.

4echanical Repair *as an Investigative

ability+4 here are moving parts wheels,

cogs and globes. his is a mechanical

device, but it2s function is unclear.

o $stronomy:he device appears to

be a moving model of the inner

planets of the solar system

Geology! $rchaeology or appropriate

raft 1as #nvestigative ability3:5ou can

see that this device has been decorated with

gold, emeralds and rubies.

$ccessing the *tair%ay

his phase takes days.

4ethods "sable:(anual E)cavation, Ice (elter,

E)plosives

$rchaeology orEvidence ollection: ; strangeand grotes"ue ob7ect is uncovered in the ice near

the top of the stairwell. It looks like a grotes"ue

idol fashioned of some dark, mottled material,

vaguely toad&like in shape, very dense and about

the si8e of a melon. -eeing this re"uires a 9&point

-tability test, (ythos related.

thulhu 4ythos:-tatues of grotes"ue, toad&likeforms are used in the worship of sathoggua.

Geology or hemistry:he ob7ect is not made of

any known material.

In fact, the ob7ect isn2t a statue at all. It is a dormant

organism one of the -pawn of Knygathin Zhaum.

/nce uncovered, the spawn will begin to thaw and

awaken. -ee The #dol Tha%s.

$rchitecture or $rchaeology 1ore clue3:here

is a stairway descending deeper into the ice.

Tunnelling the Stairwa

It takes = days to reach the ice&free section of the

stairwell.

4ethods "sable:(anual E)cavation, Ice (elter,

E)plosives

; stairwell runs around the inner perimeter of the

tower. -olidly constructed from granite, most of it

is still intact. here are places where steps have

eroded or broken and places where there are gaps.

$rchitecture:he stairway is constructed in a

possibly uni"ue way, with the spiral of the stairway

growing narrow as one descends and the base ofone level seemingly supported by the level beneath

it.

/n the wall, there is a series of long panels,

seemingly of ancient ivory, with images and sath&

5o hieroglyphs. hese tell a history of 3yperborea,

beginning with the time of construction and going

deep into the past.

7iology:!onfirms the material is ivory. 3ow it got

here from ;frica or ;sia is a mystery. ; 56oint

spendnotes that the ivory must have come fromunusually large elephants.


31/40

$nthropology! $rchaeology! ryptography!

.anguages! or thulhu 4ythos:$ith the help ofthe sath&5o dictionary, each panel is about a yard

wide and can be translated in about an hour. hree

panels are probably e)cavated in a day. Aor every

five panels translated, a 56oint spendis needed.

he content of the panels is as follows4

. he cult of 5houndeh, the Elk 1oddess,

forbids the worship of the old god

Zhotha""uah. 6ot daring to destroy them,

the Zhotha""uah2s cube&shaped temples are

barred and locked.

9. King 'o"uamethros is on the throne of

!ommoriom, a high city of many spires and

gardens. Zylac the ;rchimage, apprentice of

3ormagor, is granted he -eer2s ower2 in!ommoriom

:. Zylac, uses sorcery to create a tower of

black gneiss in (hu hulan

?. he cult of 5houndeh becomes the royally

appointed religion. ; great temple is built in

!ommoriom.

J. he wi8ard 3ormagor of ;bormis dies at

the hands of the -phin) of ;bormis. he

town is abandoned.

M. he great wi8ard Zon (e88amalech

disappears mysteriously in (hu hulan.

F. King (ennamethros of !ommoriom gives

Zon (e88amalech a tower in !ommoriom,

now called he -eer2s ower2

=. Zon (e88amalechparts the northern seaand leads the army of King #harogill of

(hu hulan there to plunder the treasures

of athousand sunken galleys


32/40

his will produce a relatively smooth and vertical

shaft with a diameter of 9 feet on average. #eople

can be lowered or lifted one at a time by a

companion on the surface using a belay device.

his is a series of three ;thletics tests against a

Difficulty of ? for the person on the surface. Aalling

means damage of L:, LF or L depending on

height. If there is a safety rope, damage is reducedto &


33/40

internal organs in order to make space for it2s own

body. his will take about ? minutes. he rest of

the body, including the brain will remain alive,

provided for by the spawn. #artial recollection of

the attack event is possible only after >: hours and

a successful -tability test against Difficulty ?.

;fter about >: hours, the spawn can begin to take

control of behaviour. he host2s previous Drivedisappears and instead is substituted with the

spawn2s goals4 trapping the humans and awakening

Knygathin Zhaum and the other spawn to feast

upon them. @nless the Investigator passes a

-tability test against Difficulty :, this change will

be at a subconscious level. o an observer, the

host2s personality and mind seem to be intact, but

$ssess -onestywill detect a listless or off2 "uality

that may be mistaken for shock or other mental

health issue.

ontrol -uman 7ody:he parasite can alsoattempt full control of the host body at a cost of ,

plus < per day of infestation. ; controlled host can

move and speak, but seems emotionless and

sometimes confused about normal behaviour and

culture. $ssess -onestywill notice something isamiss if the host is observed closely or interacted

with.*uffocate:he creature can use a tendril or limb tosei8e a victim around the neck or simply smother

with its viscous body. ;pply the Drowning and

-uffocation rules *rail of !thulhu rulebook #JF+.

$hen being strangled, successful -cuffling contest

*or $eapons if a suitable weapon is available+ will

allow a victim to break free.

Grab:endrils or limb attacks can be used toprevent escape or to render a target unable to fight.

/nce grabbed, a -cuffling contest *or $eapons if asuitable weapon is available+ is re"uired to break

the grip.

#nvade -ost:he creature can force itself into a

victim via a bodily orifice *usually the mouth+ if the

target has been successfully suffocated or grabbed

in the previous round or is unconscious. ;gainst a

conscious victim, this is an ;thletics contest with

the spawn rolling against a Difficulty 6umber of 9.

If the mouth is being used as an entrance, the victim

will suffer the effects of -uffocation *as in

-trangling above+, until the contest is over and for

another 9 rounds.

$ttac& from -ost:By spending 9 e)tra -cuffling

points, the creature can launch an attack from

within a host body via tendrils e)tending from the

mouth and nose for e)ample. ;t the end of the

attack the thing can be outside or inside the original

host as preferred.

*pa%n of 'nygathin (haum

$bilities:;thletics


34/40

the character falls for LJ damage. If a safety rope

was used, the damage is reduced to &>.

The Cit +tself

he prehistoric city is mostly covered by solid ice,

but a number of areas have caverns and inter&

connecting ice tunnels.

he city is pitch black, but any artificial lightcauses large areas to glow blue as the light reflects

and illuminates the ice from within.

Evidence ollection:It2s surprisingly warm down

here. ; thermometer can confirm that it2s over

>?VA.

Events that occur during e)ploration of this area are

detailed in the sidebar $ntagonist Reactions of the*pa%n.

E-ca,ating in the cithere are several sites of interest for potential

e)cavation here.

$rchaeology! Geology or Evidence ollection:

he given times for e)cavation can be halved with

a 56oint spend.

Explosives:$here these can be used they will halfthe given e)cavation times. ; 56oint spendin

E)plosives will half the time again.

The )ase of the Towerore lue 1loating3:#f excavated! the Eye of"bbo*athla %ill be found here 1unless already

found3B

%ubble and ice lie in piles, having fallen from the

tower walls and the tunnels above

Excavation: D hours

Evidence ollection:here are bone fragmentshere. $rchaeology ororensics determines that the

bone fragments are "uite ancient. 7iologydetermines that they include what may be caribou,

musk o)en and human remains. orensics 5 6ointspend notes that some of them are human remainsand some appear to be corroded as if from some

kind of powerful acid.

Evidence ollection1ore! loating3:here is a

glass or crystal orb about the si8e of an orange and

flattened at two ends *he Eye of @bbo -athla+.

The +ce Corridor

Ice&walled tunnel follows ancient path over rock

and cobble surface of prehistoric pathway,

descending from base of tower in a series of

stairways for about > yards before reaching a

large doorway that lies open with the fragments of a

stone door scattered around it. he doorway leads

to The .ibrary. he passage continues for asimilar length before reaching a second doorway.

his door is intact and open. #assing through the

doorway leads to The -igh *treetwhere one canturn left or right.

!losing the door for the first time is an ;thletics

test against Difficulty


35/40

riddled with small holes and a trickle of water flows

towards the ice&choked centre of the s"uare.

; glacier of sorts dominates the centre of this huge

ice cavern, occupying half the floor of the s"uare

and e)tending from a wide avenue, which is

completely blocked with ice.

;n unblocked *ide *treetalso e)tends away from

the -"uare.

Excavation: 59 hours

Beneath the glacier in the central area is a raised,

stepped area.

$rchaeology:/n top of this are the remnants of alarge block of fossilised hardwood.

Evidence ollection: $ith a 56oint spend, the

head of a huge bron8e a)e can be found.

Evidence ollection 1loating! ore3:he Eye of@bbo -athla

Excavation: 92 hours

he grand facade is the front of the original #alace

of !ommoriom. Knygathin Zhaum and his inner

circle2 are hibernating here. (ore dormant spawn

can be found after hours. E)cavation accelerates

the hawing of the city *see #. ))+ and reveals

channels in the ice. E)cavation, particularly the use

of e)plosives here will rapidly accelerate the

catastrophic awakening of Knygathin Zhaum andhis spawn *see The 7lac& ;oomon p. ))+. Ideally

this should not occur until after the Eye of @bbo&

-athla is found.

Side Street

his is essentially identical to the -igh *treet,

e)cept that it e)tends away from The *+uareandends in a dead&end after about oint

spend in 'ibrary @se, it2s possible to collate and

translate enough of the material for an overview.

.anguage:sath&5o *with passages in Elder -criptand 5ithian+

*&imming Time:


36/40

"ibrar @ault

ore lue 1loating3:The Eye of "bbo*athla

;nother historical frie8e is carved across the stone

walls of this circular chamber. ; pale stone about

the si8e of a small orange *he Eye+ is mounted on

a plinth in the middle of the room.

The &ye of 0%%o1Sathla*cene Type: !ore

.ead#n:he !ity in the Ice

his is a cloudy, oblate sphere about the si8e of an

orange, slightly flattened at the ends.

;lso known as he !rystal of Zon (e88amalech2,

he Eye of @bbo&-athla is a device of unknown

origin perhaps a creation of the Elder things that

can send a viewer2s mind into the remote past by

uniting it with the collective ancestral mind. Aormysterious reasons the crystal is ever tied to the

sorcerer and his scrying efforts to find the Elder

Keys

thulhu 4ythos:;ccording to the Book of Eibon,a powerful wi8ard of ancient 3yperborea possessed

a cloudy scrying stone in the shape of a slightly

flattened orb. ; 56oint spendreveals that it was

called he Eye of @bbo&-athla2 and possessed by

Zon (e88amalech. 3e was able to view the very

beginnings of life itself. ;pparently, hedisappeared, taking the stone with him.

here is something tantalising and mysteriously

familiar about the crystal and the temptation to ga8e

into it immediately is a -tability test against

Difficulty 9. he same test is needed to resist using

the crystal again, within >: hours of its last use,

with the Difficulty increasing by < each time it is

used.

*tability Test ;ifficulty: > when used the first

time, no test on subse"uent uses.

*tability ost:: plus additional losses depending

on what was encountered see below.

@se of the crystal involves ga8ing into its beguiling

depths for several minutes. ;fter which, the user

finds themselves sitting and staring at the same

crystal on a table of dark wood, in an ivory&

panelled chamber. he situation is at once foreign

and very familiar. hey know themselves as Zon

(e88amalech, greatest sorcerer in 3yperborea, in

his high tower in (hu hulan.

;s Zon (e88amalech, the viewer knows the

sorcerer ac"uired this ancient orb from a sub&

human temple and sought to use it to ga8e upon the

wisdom of the Elder 1ods who vanished before

Earth life appeared. ; stream of visions appear of

years gone by. 3is efforts to peer into the past reach

a hreshold however, beyond which he is afraid to

look.

his trance will last for appro)imately half an hour.

/n awakening from this communion with the mindof Zon (e88amalech the viewer immediately loses

< point of -anity. ;fter this and subse"uent

instances, they must make a -tability test against

Difficulty J to recall some of his understanding. If

successful, they gain L< to !thulhu (ythos. @p to

> points of !thulhu (ythos may be gained this

way.

ommunion %ith "bbo*athla

he first time the Eye is used, the player must

attempt to pass a test with a Difficulty of J onbehalf of Zon (e88amalech to see beyond the

hreshold. he Difficulty decreased by < for each

subse"uent use.

/n passing the test described above, Zon

(e88amalech2s self&identity is swallowed up *along

with the viewer2s+ into a stream of numberless lives

and deaths, aeons e)perienced in minutes, rushing

back into the past along ancestral lines and close

branches on the ancestral tree. In this case the

trance will continue for around four hours.%egression through collective ancestral memory

continues until @bbo&-athla, the source of all life

on earth is reached. (ost of these e)periences will

not subse"uently be recalled, but even if they are

not, they are inherently destructive to the viewer2s

sense of self, causing a loss of > -anity points. ;

character who2s -anity is reduced to 8ero in this

way suffers a total loss of self, sitting

unresponsively in a catatonic&like state, then one

day, when the opportunity appears, suddenly

wandering off, probably never to be seen again.

;fter awakening from this deeper regression, a

character will be unable to recall much detail. 5et

recollections may come. he viewer must make a

-tability test against Difficulty ? to recall

something. If they succeed, roll on the table below

to determine the memory, then have them make roll

more -tability tests until they fail.

Regression #nsights

ake two dJs and decide which is NtensP and which isNonesP. %oll below4

%esult


37/40

J #re&human 0oormis kingdoms, including

their worship of Zhotha""ah etc

*tability test:9&point -tability test

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