Commoriom Submission v3,27

8/13/2019 Commoriom Submission v3,27

1/40

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

!he offspring of KZ have two forms" adult and

#uvenile. !he #uvenile is simply a fissile off$shoot

of an adult. It%s about the si&e and appearance of a

leech. 'nly the #uvenile can parasitise a human.

!hey take about ($) weeks inside a human to reach

adulthood.

!here is a fro&en mastodon carcass in the upper

chamber of the tower.

*an e+uipment be defined in terms of opportunities

for the use of reparedness Eg. -inches, ropesetc. 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 0ythos E1peditions.

Ekkehardt Bauer" real archaeologist who did a lot

of work for 2lfred osenberg and #oined the

34D2 in 56(5.

7ohannes !8ufer 9 possible pseudonym. 2uthor of

56(: article on ;ril Vril. Die Kosmische Urkraft.

"I have yet to translate the terrible andabominable 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 $mith

Before ice covered the land of


2/40

In The Valley of ommoriom! the protagonists

can find the bodies of the last survivors of the

@erman team, mysteriously burned to death.

3earby, there 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.

!here is strange singing in the valley and theprotagonists see the elusive figures of blond

Eskimo.

Excavation leads to the discovery of an ancient

tower entombed in ice, containing the remains of

ancient astronomical e+uipment.

?nseasonal bli&&ards 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 theseproblems.

Aurther digging uncovers a stairway with a frie&e

describing a history of


3/40

)*ymbol: *tandalone, !his symbol defines

sections that apply only to running the scenario as a

standalone.

Creating the Protagonists2ppropriate roles for the e1pedition include

archaeologists, geologists, anthropologists,

biologists, e1plosives e1perts, drill engineers andradio engineers. 2ll team members should be

healthy and fit, and preferably are competent cross$

country skiers 9 represented for game purposes as a

minimum 'utdoorsman rating of 5 and 2thletics of

(. !he e1pedition will also need a medic with

0edicine and Airst 2id ratings of at least =.

!he e1pedition leader is 1enophobic and the Arench

in particular need not apply.

)*ymbol: $rmitage #n+uiry, !eam members are

likely to be 2merican, perhaps connected to the?niversity.


4/40

-ilfred /ipton, at Ethelrod%s office in the British

0useum.

Scenes

!riefing

*cene Type:Introduction.ead0ut:reparations, !he 2tlantic ;oyage

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

place in a seminar room at the 2rchaeology

Department of 0iskatonic ?niversity. 2ssociate

rofessor Arancis 0organ is a self$assured yet soft$

spoken field researcher in his early (:s, who

e1presses regret at being unable to attend the

e1pedition due to it being brought forward by a

year. :s walks

to the front of the room and stands in front of the

blackboard.


5/40

research vessel used in the 56=>

e1pedition. It will depart from

Boston.

o )*ymbol: *tandalone,!he

e1pedition ship is theBeatrice, an

2rctic research vessel leased by the

oyal @eographical 4ociety. It will

depart from 4outhampton.

!he team should be prepared to overwinter

in @reenland, facing temperatures as low as

$):A, and returning in spring when the site

is accessible by sea once more. !he f#ord is

likely to be inaccessible from the sea

between 4eptember and 0ay. In case of

emergency, with climbing e+uipment,

@odthHb is reachable on foot in about five

days.

!he planned route is longer and gentler thanthe 56=> 0athieson E1pedition, allowing

transportation of heavy drilling e+uipment.

!hey will use dog sleds and a snow tractor.

!eam members will be issued with rifles to

protect themselves from bears and other

dangerous animals.

2 prefabricated cabin with outhouses for

dogs and storage will be provided. !hey will

use the drilling rig, blasting e+uipment, ice

melting machine, chainsaws and handdigging to e1cavate the site.


6/40

Ethelrod%s closest friends.


7/40

Zhotha++ah who lived beneath an e1tinct

volcano. !he ;oormis were originally slaves of

Fsnake$people%, but they revolted and won their

freedom.


8/40

doesn%t appear to know much about the 0athieson

E1pedition.

&etting to know Charles &ranger

2nyone spending a significant amount of time with

@ranger will find him a friendly and competent

scientist.

Evidence ollection: 5 point spend@rangerseems to have a slight tremble in his hands.

2edicine: !remors of the e1tremities can

be a symptom of Delerium !remens, caused

by alcohol withdrawal.

2edicine: 5 point spend@ranger%s skin showssymptoms of long$term alcohol abuse.

If asked about 0athieson E1pedition, @ranger

repeats the official account and doesn%t add any

more detail.

$ssess 3onesty: @ranger is hiding something. 5point spend


9/40

4eapon:$= fists, $5 boat hookRimprovised, 5

/ee Enfield rifle

#odth$%*cene Type: *ore

.ead#n:!he 2tlantic ;oyage

.ead0ut:!he ival E1pedition, Evighedsf#orden

!he ship makes a scheduled stop for three days in

@odthHb, the capital of @reenland, to refuel, collect

supplies and coordinate with the sledding team.

'nce the ship is prepared, a local barge is to

transport the sleds and sled dogs to Evighedsf#orden

separately.

It is late 7uly by the time the team arrive. !he

climate is surprisingly mild. 0ost of the land and

sea is free of ice apart from a few small icebergs

called Fgrowlers%. In spite of a near complete

absence of trees, there is a fair amount of greeneryand the rivers swell with melt water.

@reenland at this time is a Danish colony with

Danish currency and mostly Danish place names.

@odthHb is the capital and has a population of

around =:::, mostly Eskimo, but with a few people

of 4candinavian descent.


10/40

2nyone who accepts will find themselves lectured

about the noble origins of the 2ryan raceC and

how archaeological sites all over the world prove

that their ancestors brought civilisation to the

ancient world. 2nyone who vigorously disagrees

finds the offer of hospitality prematurely

withdrawn.

Reassurance/8lattery: 5$oint spend !he@ermans reveal their route north$northeast

from @odthHbsf#orden, a similar route to the

0athieson E1pedition.

$ssess 3onesty: Behind the bragging, there

is a slight sense of uneasiness. 5$oint

spend !he @erman crew seem to be

worried about their team.

o Reassurance: = oint spend !he

@ermans admit that they are being

lead to the site by 7ean aymond@obineau, a 0athieson E1pedition

veteranW however, several of them

believe he is unstable. .

*imple *earch: !he ship contains some supplies of

food, fuel ammunition, radio e+uipment and so

forth. !here is also a small library of books on

relevant geographical, geological, anthropological,

archaeological, historical, linguistic and occult

sub#ects, almost all in @erman, including 4trabo%s

%eogra&hica and


11/40

with the build up of sea ice means that landing here

by sea starts to become difficult from 'ctober until

0ay or 7une.

2 local barge is in the process of dropping off the

sleds, dogs, mushers dog sled drivers and a team

of ponies on the beach. !he plan is to then use it to

ferry supplies, e+uipment and the e1pedition

members onto the muddy shore.Evidence ollection:2bout thirty feet from thewater%s edge is a low mound.

-iology: Arom a distance it appears to be

the body of a whale. 5 oint 4pend It%s

clearly a dead narwhal.

Polar +ear

2 polar bear is behind the whale%s body with it%s

head inside, eating it from the inside. 2 4ense

!rouble test against Difficulty ) will let thecharacters spot strange movement from the body at

about (: feet Difficulty > at L: feet, if they have

not approached. !he bear will issue a vocal

warning and will charge at the humans to protect

it%s catch. !hey will have two round before it

reaches those closest to it.

Aailing to detect the bear means they will be only a

few feet away from it when it emerges, provoking

an attack. Being attacked by the bear is a ($point

4tability test.

7olar -ear

!he bear can attack twice in a round 9 two claws or

a claw and a bite. If it loses half it%s


12/40

December =5 $56

Effects of limate

Below =:A e1posed characters without 2rctic

clothing on act as if hurt. Below $=:A, characters

must make 2thletics tests Difficulty ( to keep

moving. Aor each further =:A drop, the Difficulty

increases by 5. Difficulty is increased by = if the

character isn%t wearing protective clothing.

*haracters who fail this test lose 5

minutes, or every > minutes in a bli&&ard.

2rctic clothing gives 5 point of 2rmor, but

increases the Difficulty of 2thletics and Aleeing

tests 9 and anything else re+uiring e1tensive

mobility 9 by 5.

2 tent and small stove effectively raise the

temperature by =:A. 2 cabin and more powerful

stove raise it by (:A, (>A with the stove on full

power.

ommunications

Ethelrod and the crew of the ship agree to

communicate by radio twice a day" once at M20

and once at N0.

Sledding Teams

!here are three sleds with ten dogs per sled and

three mushers or fewer if any rotagonists are able

drive a dog$sled.

"&ale+

2 stocky Inuit with bad teeth who seems to show

them off with his smile almost all the time.

2pproaching middle age, he is an e1pert hunter and

outdoorsman.

3it Threshold:($lertness 2odifier:5

*tealth 2odifier:5

4eapon:$= fists, $5 knife, 5 rifle,

$rmour:$5 vs any 2rctic clothing

;a&ob *>rensen

4Xrensen is a highly e1perienced cross$country

skier, mountaineer, outdoorsman and guide. 2s the

name suggests, he is of Danish descent and speaks

Inuit, Danish and some English.

$bilities:2thletics 6, Driving ), Airearms ),


13/40

&vighedsforden #lacier*cene Type:*ore, *hallenge

.ead#n:Evighedsf#orden

.ead0ut:!he *limb to the Ice *ap

!he first stage of the overland trek is likely to last

one day and is very challenging. !he loaded dog

sleds must run uphill along the bottom of thecanyon on gravel and mud, avoiding ice$falls from

the glaciers overhead. !he canyon is about 5( miles

long. rogress is slow due to the team of ponies

accompanying them. Aor any rotagonists who are

driving dog sleds this is a Driving test against

Difficulty (. Aailure means that one of the dogs is

in#ured or the sled is stuck, resulting in delays. Aor

dogs this costs 5: 2thletics pool points.

5ce 6all

2s they progress up the canyon, have everyonemake a 4ense !rouble test at Difficulty ) to spot ice

tumbling into the path of one of the sleds. 2nyone

who succeeds with 4ense !rouble can call out a

warning allowing the driver to take evasive action.

2voiding this re+uires a Driving test against

Difficulty > ) if the driver passed 4ense !roubleW

otherwise, all on board and the dogs take 5

damage and supplies on the sled may be damaged.

)owling3ear the top of the canyon, the rotagonists must

make 4ense !rouble tests against Difficulty ( to

hear strange howling sounds. 2nyone with

0utdoorsmancan reassure themselves and other

characters that this is purely a natural phenomenon

caused by the wind funnelling down the canyon,

allowing any 4ense !rouble points spent to be

refunded. 'therwise, this is a 5$oint 4tability test.

$ssess 3onesty:@ranger is showing signs of stressor agitation. If asked, he refuses to talk about it and

denies that anything is wrong.

A Quarrel

2t the end of the day, the group needs to make a

camp near the top of the canyon. !hat evening, a

+uarrel can be heard in Ethelrod and @ranger%s tent.

2pproaching +uietly without interupting them is a

4tealth test against Difficulty (.

Evidence ollection: Ethelrod is repremanding

@ranger for bringing alcohol.


14/40

Evidence ollection" /arge, strange footprints can

be seen in the snow, perhaps distorted by melting.

0utdoorsman/-iology: !he prints are those of acarnivore, perhaps a large bear. 5 oint spend


15/40

The 4atcher

2s the #ourney progresses, the team gradually

approaches a range of nunataksmountains

emerging from the ice sheet to the southeast. !here

are a few smaller nunataks along the way.

!owards the end of the last afternoon here, a 4ense

!rouble test against Difficulty ) will allow the

protagonists to spot someone watching them fromthe top of a ridge ahead. will give a

rotagonist +uick access to binoculars.

Evidence ollection:If viewed through binoculars,

or telescopic sight, he appears to be an Eskimo, but

dressed rather strangely in a high$collared parka

with a sort of pointed hat instead of a hood.

!he Eskimo +uickly disappears from view whether

seen or not.

$nthropology:


16/40

wall of icy rock over 5:: feet high. *limbing down

is an 2thletics test Difficulty L. @etting back up

the wall is a test against Difficulty N. In both cases,

damage is at (. If a safety rope is used the damage

is reduced to $5 and the 2thetics test must be

attempted again. . If the

rotagonists wait until the dusky conditions of

night, it drops to ).

Evidence *ollection" !he camp is in a state of

disarray. 4everal of the tents appear to be damaged

and heavy snow has been only partially cleared.

!he remains of one completely destroyed tent lied

nearby.

!he @ermans are nervous and suspicious of theEthelrod E1pedition%s appearance in the area.

@obineau is rather unstable and paranoid and will

be +uick to resort to violence.

Ethelrod advises his team to ready themselves as

they approach. If the rotagonists attempt a surprise

attack, Ethelrod will order them to stop 9 he wants

to talk to them. -hen they are about (: yards away,

he calls out to the camp in @erman. !hree men

appear from tents, pointing rifles. If the

rotagonists open fire, the @ermans will shoot too.

'therwise, there is a standoff and a heated

e1change between Ethelrod and the @ermans.


17/40

.anguages


18/40

will grant a piece of information from the clues

above, those in his #ournal see age 11 or the

information below.


19/40

#ranger goes -ad*cene Type:2ntagonist eaction

.ead#n:!he ;alley of *ommoriom

.ead0ut:!he ;alley of *ommoriom

ore lue: The route to ommoriom Valley

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

invites the others to talk about the #ourney ahead,and in particular, techni+ues for avoiding crevasses.

!he meeting takes place in a tent shared by up to

three of the protagonists. @ranger opts to retire.

Ethelrod%s suppressed disapproval of this is noted

with a 57oint *pendin $ssess 3onesty.

briefly notices a silhouetted

figure among the tents mutter something in the

dimness


20/40

!hese handwritten notes were written in the late

56=:s, based on the /atin version of theBook of

Eibon. Ethelrod%s notes focus on language, the

geography, history and culture of


21/40

!he wind blows harshly through the high valley,

whipping up particles of ice and snow into dancing

phantoms. 2 4ense !rouble test against Difficulty (

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 4ense !rouble

points spent to be reclaimed.

Evidence ollection! 0utdoorsman or Geology lbs

and cumbersome nature and high visibility make it

dangerous to wear, decreasing the wearer%s


22/40

/ike Ethelrod and 0athieson, @obineau

called the site F*ommoriom% in reference to

a city mentioned in the /ivre d%Eibon.

Kossinna called it F?ltima !hule%.

'n invitation, @obineau #oined the

e1pedition. It arrived in @odthHb in early

7uly and, following @obineau%s directions,

landed in @odthHbsf#orden where the shipanchored in order to ma1imise radio

reception.

Bauer describes @obineau as obno1ious and

mentally unstable. Bauer feels he is more of

a hindrance to the mission than a help.

Bauer and @obineau fight sporadically.

4trange$looking Eskimo were spotted

watching from a distance. /ater one of them

approached.


23/40

!he Keeper might consider using or adapting *lark

2shton 4mith%s story The Testament of Athammaus

for the content of the main body of the story.

The End of the +auer E-pedition

Evidence ollection:

!here are three charred bodies here in a

blackened mass.

!here are rifle cartridges scattered around. 2t

least L shots were fired.

hemistry:

!he group was burned with fuel, probably

kerosene

!here is an odd tarry residue here that you don%t

recognise as a normal by$product of chemical

fires like this. It seems to be organic.

o -iology:!his isn%t any known organic

substance

8orensics:2ll three men appear to have died from

burns caused by an inflammable li+uid

Evidence ollection:3e1t to the first man is adark stone statuette. It is a s+uat, grotes+ue, vaguely

toad$like form with a fat body, half$closed eyes,

large ears and a lolling tongue. 4eeing this is a 5$

point 4tability test, 0ythos related. 2nyone failing

this test is disturbed by a haunting sense ofrecognition, as if of a childhood memory or a

dream. !hat night, they are visited by an unpleasant

dream of this corpulent entity leering at them in

some dark, subterranean place. !hey will lose a

second point of 4tability.

thulhu 2ythos: 4imilar toad$like statues

were used by e1tinct 2merican Indian tribes

in *anada and 3ew England. !hey

supposedly represent a being called

Tsathoggua. !here are interesting parallelswith an entity called Sa$og/ahassociated

with witchcraft in the 2uvergne region of

Arance. 2ccording to the Book of Eibon, the

worship of this god began on the lost

continent of


24/40

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

large, irregular, five$sided flagstones. 7hysics or

$rchitecture:!his pattern of tessellated pentagons

is unfamiliar and implies a sophisticated

understanding of obscure geometry.

4trange hieroglyphs identifiable as a primitive

version of !sath$Go can be seen covering the

walls, in some still covered in frost and somealready e1posed. !he glyphs relate a history of the

original builders of the city as translated in

Ethelrod%s*ictogra&hs in the Tem&le of oth-

Aua.

'n the back wall is an empty two$tiered altar.

Evidence ollection:2 bare spot in the frost andwear on the stone indicates that an ob#ect rested on

this altar for a long time time. 57oint spend

recognises the outline of the statuette found at The

End of the -auer Expedition.

The -urial hamber

Behind the altar, what may once have been a hidden

doorway lies open with fragments of corroded

bron&e chain on the floor nearby.

hemistryindicates that the chain fragments have

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

stains on the door itself imply that the door was

probably chained for millennia.

!he windowless chamber beyond is almost fiftyfeet wide and about ten feet deep. 'pposite the door

seated on a large, bron&e 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 ($oint 4tability

test 0ythos related.

-iology:!he creature is of no known species of

ape and possesses certain features, for e1ample the

structure of the foot, which places it closer to

human beings.

!he throne is again of heavily corroded bron&e, but

in 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 5ce

3ear the centre of the ice cap, there is a dark spot of

roughly circular shape and about forty feet in

diameter. Evidence ollection:2 structure of

some kind, the top of which is around fifteen feet

beneath the surface, descends deep into the ice.

Evidence ollection5 7oint spendor

$rchitecture:It is difficult to see through the

distortion, but it has a resemblance to the top of a

tower complete with railed balcony.

If, at any stage, the rotagonists balk at e1cavating

the structure 9 to ensure they can leave the sitebefore the sea$route is closed off by ice for e1ample

9 you can use a 3ard =riverF

Setting up Camp

2t some stage, the protagonists will probably want

to build their cabin. 2nyone with 0utdoorsmanor

$rchitecturewill know to build it on solid groundrather 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 therotagonists wish to do so, they can spend pool

points from 2rchitecture 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 e1perience of !he 4inging see sidebar.

'nce completed, the cabin has two rooms 9 a living

space with a stove and simple kitchen and +uarters

that sleep eight people in bunks. 'thers may needto 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: 2ntagonist eaction

.ead#n:!he ;alley of *ommoriom

.ead0ut:!he


25/40

?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 si1 times.

The Hperboreans

!hese natives are, to the best of their knowledge,

the last of an ancient race that once had great cities

here. 0ost of their civilised culture has been lost 9

they are now simple hunter$gatherers, living harsh

lives in the more remote parts of @reenland. !heir

ancient religion has been lost and they make their

offerings and prayers to *thulhu, who they call

FKulu#.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 F-hite Bear 4pirit% and

wear amulets, mistakenly believing that they can

offer protection from the @noph$Keh.

$nthropology:!his primitive #ewellery is an

amulet depicting a fierce, stylised polar bear andpossibly intended to offer protection of some kind.

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

claws.

$nthropology:!hese men do not appear to be a

members 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 unfamiliarstyle and a+uatic theme. 57oint spend:;ilh#almur4tefansson reported blond Eskimo in northern

*anada in 565:, and there have been such reports

since the 5Mth*entury.

thulhu 2ythos:!he images of odd, octopoidbeings dwelling in undersea towers on the shaman%s

long parka seem to be a depiction of *thulhu and

his race.

The $nge&o&! "lat

!his white$bearded man may be in his L:s. , -eapons >,


26/40

$rmor" $5 vs all hide

*tealth 2odifier::

$lertness 2odifier:5

*pells:*ontact @noph$keh

The hild! .amah

$bilities:2thletics 5, Aleeing 5, 4cuffling 5,


27/40

*abotage

2nother 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 9 the drill in need of

0echanical epair, the Ice melter destroyed or,

most dramatically, the diesel tanks set on fire. !he

cabin itself may even be set on fire. 2 4ense!rouble test against Difficulty > will allow the

protagonists to hear the culprits 9 most likely the

two younger Blond Eskimo 9 at work. If someone

is on watch, success indicates that their approach

has been noticed.

Tracking Eskimo

0utdoorsman:2 57oint 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 6

7oint spend.

The )airy Thing in the!li00ard

*cene Type: 2ntagonist eaction

.ead#n:E1cavation

!he @noph$Keh is motivated by hatred and hunger.

It will attempt to kill any human it encounters,probably by free&ing them to death, and devouring

the remains if it can.

'nce close to the camp, the creature will summon

up a bli&&ard, and if it sees vulnerable targets 9

disorientated, few in number or in#ured 9 it will

attack in the confusion and blindness of the

snowstorm. If it loses over half of its


28/40

0utdoorsman or $nthropology:!his small type

of igloo is typically built as a temporary shelter for

hunting trips, often on sea ice.

$nthropology: !his may be a totem animal spirit,

probably to protect the igloo.

*imple *earch: Inside the igloo are a hearth, food

for several days, bedding for one, and possible

spare clothes or a stone spear, a1e or knife.

0utdoorsman: !racks of a dog sled can be found

nearby. 2 57oint *pendis needed per day to trackthem to the homestead.

The )omestead*cene Type: 2lternate

.ead#n:!he 4now 4helter

2bout four days away by dog sled, the clan%s

homestead is huddled in a narrow valley in the wildmountains near Evighedsf#orden.

!he house is large structure of whalebone and hide

construct, covered in ice and snow and out of sight

of the valley. 2 trickle of hearth smoke often

emerges from a hole in the roof.

3ear the fire is a makeshift altar and a grotes+ue

idol. !he altar is a #agged, natural rock. In front of

it, is a bowl of blood and the heart of a polar bear,

sprinkled with tiny flowers. erched on the altar is a

small, crude whalebone statue of a s+uattingcreature with tentacles for a face. 4eeing this

re+uires a 5$point 4tability test, 0ythos related.

thulhu 2ythos identifies it as a depiction of

*thulhu.

2ll of the surviving members of the clan will be

here. 2pproaching without alerting anyone is a

4tealth test against Difficulty M. If alerted, they will

flee a strong group or attack a weak one. If

surprised, they will be in or around the shelter. If

cornered, they will fight fiercely to the death.In any case, Kinguyakki will be here with her son

F/amah%. 4he is visibly pregnant.


29/40

.ead0ut:!he *ity in the Ice

ore lue: The structure descends deep into theicesheetF There is an accessible stair%ay that

leads thereF

E-ca)ation (ethods

!here are several methods at the team%s disposal for

e1cavating the site. E1act rates of e1cavation arenot important.

#rilling

!he drill provided for the e1pedition is a standard

cable tool rig, which can be operated by single

engineer. It operates by repeatedly lifting and

dropping 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 6 inches wide. Either theice melter or e1plosive 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

e1cavating the interior of the tower.

!he operators must have 0echanical epair.

7oint *pend -enefits

In any given phase of the e1cavation, a character

running the drill can spend up to two pool points of0echanical epair and reduce the length of that

phase by one day per point.

(anual E-ca)ation

0anual e1cavation 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 e1cavatingmanually can spend up to two pool points of

2thletics and reduce the length of that phase by one

day per point.

5ce (elter

!he ice melter is an electrical device with long

cable 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 operators 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

E1plosive charges can be used to widen e1isting

boreholes +uickly or, used with great care, to breakup ice inside the tower itself.

!he character using e1plosives must have the

E1plosives general ability.


In any given phase, a character overseeing the use

of e1plosives can spend up to two pool points of

E1plosives and reduce the length of that phase by

one day per point spent.

E-ca)ation Phases@uidelines for the timings of the various phases of

e1cavation are provided the various e1cavation

phases describedbelow. !he Keeper should feel at

liberty to modify these timings for dramatic effect.

Accessing the


30/40

2ethods "sable:0anual E1cavation, Ice 0elter,

E1plosives

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

upper chamber of the tower.

2echanical Repair as an Investigative

ability" !here are moving parts 9 wheels,

cogs and globes. !his is a mechanical

device, but it%s 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


31/40

0hu !hulan there to plunder the treasures

of athousand sunken galleys5:. Zon 0e&&amalech has a tower of copper

built in 0hu !hulan

55. !he -hite 4ybil of olarion, a strange

woman from the realms of ice, foretells an

undescribed and abominable doom for all

mortal beings who dare to remain in*ommoriom

5=. ueen /uthomne takes the throne of

*ommoriom. 4he hold ecclesiastical courts.

4he builds a high tower in *ommoriom,

which takes thirty years.

5(. 4econd city is built called ?&uldaroum

5). !he eign of King . Aounding of *ommoriom

5L. *ity called F/omar% settled by people from

Zobna in the north

5M. Early humans build temples to Zhotha++uah

the old god of


32/40

against the elements and it will take a couple of

minutes to pass through the keyhole.

!his creature will attempt to hide among the

outhouses and e+uipment and ambush a lone human

as they wander outside. If necessary it might enter

the cabin and attack a lone sleeping host.

!he spawn will attempt to enter unconscious or

subdued host, smothering their sounds as it forcesitself down their throat and takes up residence in

their body.

?nless one of the rotagonists unwittingly sets

himself up as an obvious target, the spawn should

attack a non$player character" one of the mushers or

@ermans if present.

2 successful 4ense !rouble test against Difficulty L

N if the attack is at night will allow protagonists to

hear a strange sound in the camp. 2 second 4ense

!rouble test against Difficulty L is needed to catch

sight of a bi&arre black thing like a huge spider. If

it%s passing through the cabin door they will

automatically spot a stream of thick, black oo&e

passing through the keyhole. 2ttacking it will cause

it to attack the protagonist.

Evidence ollection: !here are traces of a dark

greyish slime on any victims% bodies and wherever

the creature has passed.

If a rotagonist is attacked, a 4ense !rouble test

against Difficulty > N at night will alert them to

the imminent attack. haum

2lso known as Farasitic 4pawn of !sathoggua%,

these entities bear a resemblance to their cousins,

the formless spawn e1cept that they are slightly

smaller, more viscous and thus slower and lessagile, and have the ability to parasitise human

hosts. /ike their relatives, they are black, oo&ing,

plastic entities capable of taking almost any shape

and of s+uee&ing themselves under doors and

through small holes.

Due to their li+uid nature, normal physical wounds

will flow closed.


33/40

4uffocation rules !rail of *thulhu rulebook LN.

-hen being strangled, successful 4cuffling 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 4cuffling contest or -eapons if a

suitable weapon is available is re+uired to breakthe grip.

#nvade 3ost:!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. 2gainst a

conscious victim, this is an 2thletics contest with

the spawn rolling against a Difficulty 3umber of (.

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

will suffer the effects of 4uffocation as in

4trangling above, until the contest is over and for

another ( rounds.

#nvade 3ost


34/40

$rchaeology! Geology or Evidence ollection:

!he given times for e1cavation can be halved with

a 57oint spend.

Explosives:-here these can be used they will half

the given e1cavation times. 2 57oint spendinE1plosives will half the time again.

The +ase of the Tower

ore lue : feet across. 4hadows of tall

buildings can be glimpsed, entombed in the blue ice

walls.

'ne side is dominated by the facade of aparticularly grand structure. -hen bright light

shines on it, there is a suggestion of several towers

e1tending upwards through the ice. !he facade is

riddled with small holes and a trickle of water flows

towards the ice$choked centre of the s+uare.

2 glacier of sorts dominates the centre of this huge

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

and e1tending from a wide avenue, which is

completely blocked with ice.

2n unblocked *ide *treetalso e1tends away fromthe 4+uare.

Excavation: 56 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 57oint spend, the

head of a huge bron&e a1e can be found.

Evidence ollection


35/40

Excavation: 61 hours

!he grand facade is the front of the original alace

of *ommoriom. Knygathin Zhaum and his Finner

circle% are hibernating here. 0ore dormant spawn

can be found after 5= hours. E1cavation accelerates

the !hawing of the city see . 11 and reveals

channels in the ice. E1cavation, particularly the use

of e1plosives here will rapidly accelerate the

catastrophic awakening of Knygathin Zhaum and

his spawn see The -lac& =oomon p. 11. Ideally

this should not occur until after the Eye of ?bbo$

4athla is found.

Side Street

!his is essentially identical to the 3igh *treet,

e1cept that it e1tends away from The *+uareand

ends in a dead$end after about 5:: yards.

The "ibrar

2 large archway leads to a rubble$strewn room that

includes rows of collapsed stone shelves. iles of

dust and mould are fre+uent.

Evidence ollection: !here are tablets of stone,

pottery and bron&e among the broken shelves.

!hese are covered in the !sath$Go script.

thulhu 2ythos: 4tudy of these te1ts recognises

them as nakotic 0anuscripts. 2 57oint spendisneeded to recognise the Githian and Elder !hing

scripts. 2 67oint spendsuggests that much of thematerial here is previously unknown.

Commorian Pnakotic (anuscripts

!he library includes transcriptions and some

original e1amples of manuscripts in the curvilinear

Githian script and the dot$based cipher of the Elder

!hings.

!he entire collection here behaves like any

collection of nakotic 0anuscripts as described in

!rail of *thulhu age VV. ecovering each pointof *thulhu 0ythos worth of fragments to the

surface takes at least a day.

!ranslating, collating and interpreting this material

is a pro#ect that would takes years. hours, minus > hours for eachpool point spent in *ryptography, /anguages,

2rchaeology, 2nthropology or *thulhu 0ythos

4kimming grants dedicated pool points in

2stronomy, @eology and 'ccult.

*lues"

!his material consists of fragments passed

down through many generations from the

library city of nakotus archived by !he @reat

ace. !his knowledge was gathered from across

the entire universe, from the future and the past.

4ome of the material was inherited from the

fallen civilisation of the olar 'nes at the 4outh

ole.

It was translated and interpreted by priests

called the nakotic Brotherhood over hundreds

of generations

!his library is a #ust part of a larger collection

distributed across ancient


36/40

thulhu 2ythos:2ccording to the Book of Eibon,

a powerful wi&ard of ancient to recall

something. If they succeed, roll on the table below

to determine the memory, then have them make roll

more 4tability tests until they fail.

Regression #nsights

!ake two dLs and decide which is tensC and which is

onesC. oll below"

%esult

55 9 5L


37/40

slaves

*tability test:($point 4tability test

*anity lost:5 point

=rives at sta&e:2nti+uarianism, !hirstfor Knowledge7illars of *anity at sta&e:Aamily, 9 )L 4hoggoth rebellion defeated in Elder thing

civilisation

*tability test:)$point 4tability test

*anity lost:5 point

>5 9 >= 4erpent people kingdom of ;alusia

*tability test:($point 4tability test

*anity lost: 5 point

>( 9 >) *ataclysm raises Qlyeh, arrival of

*thulhu, war of *thulhu and the Elder

!hings

*tability test:L$point 4tability test

*anity lost: = points

=rives at sta&e:2nti+uarianism, !hirstfor Knowledge

>> 9 >L Elder thing e1periments create vertebrates

*tability test:)$point 4tability test

*anity lost:5 point=rives at sta&e:2nti+uarianism, !hirst

for Knowledge

7illars of *anity at sta&e:Aamily,


38/40

!he surface of that wall seems more pitted than

when we first saw it. I don%t remember those

holes being there

*omeoneBs 2issingI

'ne of the 3on$layer *haracters if there are any

left working or moving alone in the city ruins is

noticed as missing.

2 4ense !rouble test against Difficulty ) may allow

characters to hear a cry for help.

2fter a search, the character is found unconscious,

lying in a large pool of blood.

2edicine:!here is no obvious sign of in#ury. 5

point spend


39/40

The *pa%n and their J8atherB $%a&enI

!his eventuality is handled below in the scene

hildren of 'nygathin (haum $%a&eI

Children of 3nygathin.haum Awa/en4

*cene Type: 2ntagonist eactionR*lima1

.ead#n:!he !haw

2 4ense !rouble test against Difficulty L is re+uired

to detect the approaching spawn. !he first wave

consists of five spawn, with others not far behind.

4omething much larger can be heard or even

glimpsed crashing, slithering and hissing in the

rear. !his is an N$oint 4tability test.

*haracters who don%t flee immediately will be

attacked in two rounds.

Aor those who flee, this is a *hase. If none of theprotagonists passed their 4ense !rouble, the test

Difficulty is >. !hose who passed get a head start

and a Difficulty of (. !hose who failed but were

alerted by others get a Difficulty of ).

!reat the leading wave of pursuers as a single

entity. 2 character who fails the chase contest will

be immediately pounced on by one or two spawn

and he must fight them.

2 second wave of si1 spawn is two rounds behind

the first. Knygathin Zhaum and three spawn aremoving at a steadier pace at the rear. !he

rotagonists can%t afford to miss a step.

!he Keeper may also consider allowing

rotagonists to reduce the Difficulty with

convincing Investigative spends, from 2rchitecture

or @eology for e1ample.

4topping to take a shot at the pursuers will increase

the Difficulty by 5. Depending on their previous

actions, it may be possible to create obstacles for

the pursuers such as pulling a door closed behindthem, burning pools of fuel, shooting a bo1 of !3!,

rolling fuel barrels, detonation of planted !3!

charges etc. !he Keeper should assess such

attempts on a case$by$case basis.

)*ymbol: 7ulp, If a rotagonist has the

flamethrower, they could use it to delay the spawn

with suppressive fire.

Don%t forget the two gaps in the stairs. !hese could

be an obstacle or a boon depending on whether they

need to be climbed or whether a bridge has been

built. 4abotaging a bridge, once it has been crossed,

is an 2thletics test against Difficulty ) ( with

0echanical epair or 2rchitecture.

If the spawn fail the *hase contest, the protagonists

have reached at least temporary safety a vehicle,

the cabin, a vertical shaft accessing the top of the

ruins with the rope ladder pulled away etc.

haum

!he entity that was known an age ago, by the name

FKnygathin Zhaum% is a dark, mottled and

mammoth$si&ed entity 9 a bloated trunk, with a

one$eyed Fface% emerging from its midsection, and

a second eye beneath that. !wo long tentacles with

Ffingers% like knots of writhing snakes emerge from

its Fshoulders% and a cup$like mouth protrudes at the

top. !he lower limbs are a mass of slender

proboscides covered in suckers.

Knygathin Zhaum can attack with each of its two

tentacles in a single round. /ike his spawn, he can

assume the form of a viscous, black li+uid. 2nd

most forms of physical in#ury will simply flow

closed.

$bilities:2thletics 5=, trampleW = tentacleW = suckingproboscidesW a successful tentacle attack may,

instead of inflicting damage, pull the victim to the

many mouths for automatic damage on each

following round

$rmour: $= thick, mottled membrane


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