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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
!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 $mith
Before ice covered the land of
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In The Valley of ommoriom! the protagonists
can find the bodies of the last survivors of the
@erman team, mysteriously burned to death.
3earby, there is a strange temple inscribed with a
history of the early pre$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
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)*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.
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-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.
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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
$):A, and returning in spring when the site
is accessible by sea once more. !he f#ord is
likely to be inaccessible from the sea
between 4eptember and 0ay. In case of
emergency, with climbing e+uipment,
@odthHb is reachable on foot in about five
days.
!he planned route is longer and gentler thanthe 56=> 0athieson E1pedition, allowing
transportation of heavy drilling e+uipment.
!hey will use dog sleds and a snow tractor.
!eam members will be issued with rifles to
protect themselves from bears and other
dangerous animals.
2 prefabricated cabin with outhouses for
dogs and storage will be provided. !hey will
use the drilling rig, blasting e+uipment, ice
melting machine, chainsaws and handdigging to e1cavate the site.
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Ethelrod%s closest friends.
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Zhotha++ah who lived beneath an e1tinct
volcano. !he ;oormis were originally slaves of
Fsnake$people%, but they revolted and won their
freedom.
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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.
$ssess 3onesty: @ranger is hiding something. 5point spend
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4eapon:$= 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.
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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
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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
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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.
$bilities:2thletics 6, Driving ), Airearms ),
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&vighedsforden #lacier*cene Type:*ore, *hallenge
.ead#n:Evighedsf#orden
.ead0ut:!he *limb to the Ice *ap
!he first stage of the overland trek is likely to last
one day and is very challenging. !he loaded dog
sleds must run uphill along the bottom of thecanyon on gravel and mud, avoiding ice$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.
$ssess 3onesty:@ranger is showing signs of stressor agitation. If asked, he refuses to talk about it and
denies that anything is wrong.
A Quarrel
2t the end of the day, the group needs to make a
camp near the top of the canyon. !hat evening, a
+uarrel can be heard in Ethelrod and @ranger%s tent.
2pproaching +uietly without interupting them is a
4tealth test against Difficulty (.
Evidence ollection: Ethelrod is repremanding
@ranger for bringing alcohol.
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Evidence ollection" /arge, strange footprints can
be seen in the snow, perhaps distorted by melting.
0utdoorsman/-iology: !he prints are those of acarnivore, perhaps a large bear. 5 oint spend
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The 4atcher
2s the #ourney progresses, the team gradually
approaches a range of nunataksmountains
emerging from the ice sheet to the southeast. !here
are a few smaller nunataks along the way.
!owards the end of the last afternoon here, a 4ense
!rouble test against Difficulty ) will allow the
protagonists to spot someone watching them fromthe top of a ridge ahead. will give a
rotagonist +uick access to binoculars.
Evidence ollection:If viewed through binoculars,
or telescopic sight, he appears to be an Eskimo, but
dressed rather strangely in a high$collared parka
with a sort of pointed hat instead of a hood.
!he Eskimo +uickly disappears from view whether
seen or not.
$nthropology:
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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.
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.anguages
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will grant a piece of information from the clues
above, those in his #ournal see age 11 or the
information below.
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#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 $ssess 3onesty.
briefly notices a silhouetted
figure among the tents mutter something in the
dimness
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!hese handwritten notes were written in the late
56=:s, based on the /atin version of theBook of
Eibon. Ethelrod%s notes focus on language, the
geography, history and culture of
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!he wind blows harshly through the high valley,
whipping up particles of ice and snow into dancing
phantoms. 2 4ense !rouble test against Difficulty (
allows rotagonists to hear a strange droning sound.
!his is a natural effect caused by the wind blowing
between the mountains and through the valley.
'nce this is established, allow any 4ense !rouble
points spent to be reclaimed.
Evidence ollection! 0utdoorsman or Geology lbs
and cumbersome nature and high visibility make it
dangerous to wear, decreasing the wearer%s
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/ike Ethelrod and 0athieson, @obineau
called the site F*ommoriom% in reference to
a city mentioned in the /ivre d%Eibon.
Kossinna called it F?ltima !hule%.
'n invitation, @obineau #oined the
e1pedition. It arrived in @odthHb in early
7uly and, following @obineau%s directions,
landed in @odthHbsf#orden where the shipanchored in order to ma1imise radio
reception.
Bauer describes @obineau as obno1ious and
mentally unstable. Bauer feels he is more of
a hindrance to the mission than a help.
Bauer and @obineau fight sporadically.
4trange$looking Eskimo were spotted
watching from a distance. /ater one of them
approached.
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!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
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!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
$rchitecturewill know to build it on solid groundrather than on ice. !here are several spots on the
foothills at the edge of the valley to choose from.
Building the cabin takes four days. If therotagonists wish to do so, they can spend pool
points from 2rchitecture or a relevant *raft and
reduce construction time by half a day per point
spent.
-hile the team members are sleeping in tents and
building the cabin, it might be a good time for their
first e1perience of !he 4inging see sidebar.
'nce completed, the cabin has two rooms 9 a living
space with a stove and simple kitchen and +uarters
that sleep eight people in bunks. 'thers may needto sleep in the living space. Both rooms have one
small window. !here is an outhouse for storage and
another for the dogs.
Attac/s %y the)y"er%oreans
*cene Type: 2ntagonist eaction
.ead#n:!he ;alley of *ommoriom
.ead0ut:!he
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?nfortunately for them, while their song summons
the creature, it offers no control or protection from
it. If the caller is successful, they are as likely as
not, to become victims themselves. Either toss a
coin, a die or make a decision according to what is
dramatically interesting in each instance. !his also
means that all the men of the clan bar one are likely
to be dead by the time the creature has been
summoned about si1 times.
The Hperboreans
!hese natives are, to the best of their knowledge,
the last of an ancient race that once had great cities
here. 0ost of their civilised culture has been lost 9
they are now simple hunter$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 >,
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$rmor" $5 vs all hide
*tealth 2odifier::
$lertness 2odifier:5
*pells:*ontact @noph$keh
The hild! .amah
$bilities:2thletics 5, Aleeing 5, 4cuffling 5,
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*abotage
2nother strategy the Eskimo may use is sabotage.
!his will occur at night.
!he team awakes to discover that some of their
e+uipment is sabotaged 9 the drill in need of
0echanical epair, the Ice melter destroyed or,
most dramatically, the diesel tanks set on fire. !he
cabin itself may even be set on fire. 2 4ense!rouble test against Difficulty > will allow the
protagonists to hear the culprits 9 most likely the
two younger Blond Eskimo 9 at work. If someone
is on watch, success indicates that their approach
has been noticed.
Tracking Eskimo
0utdoorsman:2 57oint spendwill allow tracks
to be followed southwest for about three miles a
little over an hour from the valley edge to a
cramped shelter in the snow see The *no%*helter. If this is attempted at night, this is a 6
7oint spend.
The )airy Thing in the!li00ard
*cene Type: 2ntagonist eaction
.ead#n:E1cavation
!he @noph$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
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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.
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.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.
7oint *pend -enefits
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.
7oint *pend -enefits
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.
7oint *pend -enefits
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
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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! $rchaeology or appropriate
raft
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0hu !hulan there to plunder the treasures
of athousand sunken galleys5:. Zon 0e&&amalech has a tower of copper
built in 0hu !hulan
55. !he -hite 4ybil of olarion, a strange
woman from the realms of ice, foretells an
undescribed and abominable doom for all
mortal beings who dare to remain in*ommoriom
5=. ueen /uthomne takes the throne of
*ommoriom. 4he hold ecclesiastical courts.
4he builds a high tower in *ommoriom,
which takes thirty years.
5(. 4econd city is built called ?&uldaroum
5). !he eign of King . Aounding of *ommoriom
5L. *ity called F/omar% settled by people from
Zobna in the north
5M. Early humans build temples to Zhotha++uah
the old god of
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against the elements and it will take a couple of
minutes to pass through the keyhole.
!his creature will attempt to hide among the
outhouses and e+uipment and ambush a lone human
as they wander outside. If necessary it might enter
the cabin and attack a lone sleeping host.
!he spawn will attempt to enter unconscious or
subdued host, smothering their sounds as it forcesitself down their throat and takes up residence in
their body.
?nless one of the rotagonists unwittingly sets
himself up as an obvious target, the spawn should
attack a non$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.
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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
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$rchaeology! Geology or Evidence ollection:
!he given times for e1cavation can be halved with
a 57oint spend.
Explosives:-here these can be used they will half
the given e1cavation times. 2 57oint spendinE1plosives will half the time again.
The +ase of the Tower
ore lue : feet across. 4hadows of tall
buildings can be glimpsed, entombed in the blue ice
walls.
'ne side is dominated by the facade of aparticularly grand structure. -hen bright light
shines on it, there is a suggestion of several towers
e1tending upwards through the ice. !he facade is
riddled with small holes and a trickle of water flows
towards the ice$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.
$rchaeology:'n top of this are the remnants of alarge block of fossilised hardwood.
Evidence ollection: -ith a 57oint spend, the
head of a huge bron&e a1e can be found.
Evidence ollection
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Excavation: 61 hours
!he grand facade is the front of the original alace
of *ommoriom. Knygathin Zhaum and his Finner
circle% are hibernating here. 0ore dormant spawn
can be found after 5= hours. E1cavation accelerates
the !hawing of the city see . 11 and reveals
channels in the ice. E1cavation, particularly the use
of e1plosives here will rapidly accelerate the
catastrophic awakening of Knygathin Zhaum and
his spawn see The -lac& =oomon p. 11. Ideally
this should not occur until after the Eye of ?bbo$
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
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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
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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:)$point 4tability test
*anity lost:5 point=rives at sta&e:2nti+uarianism, !hirst
for Knowledge
7illars of *anity at sta&e:Aamily,
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!he surface of that wall seems more pitted than
when we first saw it. I don%t remember those
holes being there
*omeoneBs 2issingI
'ne of the 3on$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
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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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