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Chaosium Digest Volume 10 Number 11
Chaosium Digest Volume 10, Number 11
Date: Monday, June 12, 1995
Number: 1 of 2
Contents:
The Third Order, Part One (Sandy Antunes) CALL OF CTHULHU
Editor's Note:
You will probably have noted that this Digest originated from
erzo.org, rather than the old erzo.berkeley.edu address. This is
officially the new address of my machine. Although the old address
will stick around for as long as possible, I'd appreciate it if you
start sending things to erzo.org. In addition, if you control any
FAQs, FTP site or WWW sites that mention the Digest, please change
them to reference erzo.org.
Shannon
appel@erzo.org
RPG RELEASES:
* Call of Cthulhu - _Miskatonic University_ (Chaosium, 80 pg, $12.95)
is a brand new sourcebook for that famed Arkham university in the
1920s, written by Digest contributor Sandy Antunes. It contains
settings, characters, plot seeds and lots more.
_The Unspeakable Oath #12_ (Pagan Publishing, 64 pg, $4.00) contains
the usual mix of blasphemous scribblings, including adventures,
reviews and background.
--------------------
From: Sandy Antunes <sandy@clark.net>
Subject: The Third Order
System: Call of Cthulhu
"The Third Order"
A Tournament Call of Cthulhu module for up to ten players,
playing time 4 hours.
by Sandy Antunes
copyright 1995, all rights reserved
"In the small sleepy town of Arkham lies the prestigious Miskatonic
University. Under the auspices of Dr. Claude Laurent, the 'French
Club' meets weekly for conversation and socializing... and keeping
active within their secret order. Shortly after giving each of the
members an ornate playing card as a gift, Dr. Laurent turns up
murdered, and something begins stalking them."
INTRODUCTION
This Investigation is designed as a highly linear adventure for
running as a tournament module. It has a high lethality, and requires
the assistance of one outsider to pose as an Investigator for the
first ten minutes. This "Plant" will be killed early to impart a sense
of urgency and threat to the other Investigators, who will be attacked
in sequence until either the case is solved or there are no more
Investigators. The module requires a deck of cards (regular or Tarot),
of which ten will be given to the players. Some of these cards will be
destroyed; in any event, we recommend letting the players keep the
cards as souvenirs.
The organization of this module is, well, terrible. However, it has
the virtue of being very thorough. In attempting to bring together
pieces from the original draft and the final version as played out, I
hope no additional errors were introduced. Comments are always welcome
(to sandy@clark.net)
CAST OF NPCS
in order of appearance or mention
Claude Laurent, French professor
Gerald Rahn ("rain"), local fortune teller, clueless but a good artist
(the closest thing to a red herring in this adventure)
Diane Squire, librarian for the night shift
Rachel Hunt, philosophy student and part-time library clerk
Janet Waters, english student, crew coxwain, and bicycle paper
delivery person
Allison Grant, innocent freshman french student victim
Lt. Bolton, police sergent, plus Officers White and Babcock
Eduoard Laurent, ancestor who came over in 1600s to escape execution by
the french gov't for unspecified crimes. Not bloodthirsty, just
insane & pragmatic & imprisoned in hell. Vunerable to water.
Lisa <unknown>, local flowergirl
CAST OF INVESTIGATORS
in order of the cards they receive
Each player should draw a playing card to see which character they
will play. Dr. Laurent (the NPC) has card 0, the Joker (Fool) in his
possession. If you are using Tarot cards, substitute Pentacles for
Diamonds, Swords for Spades, and Staves/Wands for Clubs. No player
will receive Hearts (Cups). The symbolism is:
(Suit) (Meaning) [Symbolism to the entity] (Aspect)
--------- --------- ------------------------ ---------
Pentacles = youth, strength [walls don't stop it] The material
Swords = middle age, power [weapons cannot defeat it] The will
Staves = old, wisdom [magic is useless] The intellect
Cups = female, water [it fears water!] The emotional
The Keeper should make up simple character sheets for each of the
following PCs (not included here for sake of space):
Card traits
1C they must be reckless, split, and die (this is the "Plant")
2D rich strong lucky privileged
3S lone walker of dangerous paths
4C seeker of truth, loyal to friends
5D strong and secretive
6S sacrifice, family
7C artist, solitary
8D strong, smart, yet lacking status
9C knowledgable but a little absent minded
10S daring but a little rash and forgetful
The PCs actually possess the cards that the players drew. They were a
gift from Claude, given out to each as "a token of my esteem and a
bond between our group." Cards cannot be lost, and somehow always come
back. They can be given away though (specifically to the haunting
spirity; see below).
KEEPER'S BACKGROUND
The local Masonic Head, Dr. Claude Laurent, was turned down for 7th
degree Mason. He had reached prominance largely through his family's
history and connections (as warlocks, lords and aristocrats), and
politicking. The committee stated flatly that, although his normal
merits and background were appropriate to reaching 6th degree, it took
more than background to go further, and they did not feel he had the
heart of the order well understood.
Embittered, Laurent dug up old family tomes and found a ritual of
ascension with an odd history. He decided to call the only ancestor of
his family who DID reach 10th degree and beg his assistence. He
followed the ritual as described in his family bible, binding the
players to it by giving them the aforementioned cards. However,
Laurent was a bit confused with the last lines.
Eduoard, who he summoned, is now reclaiming the cards. Each person he
claims removes 100 years of its own millenium sentence of torment (as
he had botched the ritual himself, and was sentenced to 1000 years of
death). Each sacrifice he can make, of course, sentences the victim to
that 100 years. Sort of like time-sharing hell. :) Thus, while not
particularly bloodthirsty years ago, Eduoard is now quite insane and
very pragmatic about the deal, for he believes the need of the one can
be oblivated by the suffering of the many.
Edouard should be played in a light, entertainingly lethal style. He
is very improvisational, and will try to be different every time he
strikes. So strangling, beating someone to death with a book and
dropping bricks on someone, all appeal greatly to his sense of verve
and humor.
A mysterious organization known as The Third Order is working behind
the scenes to help the players. Their predominant imagery is water,
and indeed water not only keeps Edouard at bay, but can ultimately
destroy his mortal link. Because of the connection between Edouard and
the Third Order, the forces of devastation/fire and healing/water
should be emphasized, so as to better set up the final victory (of
whichever side is victorious). The cards especially can be used as
focuses for the imagery.
A Note on the Cards
The cards are the crux of the adventure, for they are the focus that
Edouard uses to seek his victims. They cannot be lost or destroyed;
something else always comes up to save them. Winds blows them away and
then back, that sort of thing. Cards CAN be given to Eduoard, and he
won't be bound to hunt that particular player then, unless they are
the next in the sequence in which case he will still attack. The cards
are finders and bunders, not the goal.
Secret Societies: Masons, The Second Order and The Third Order
One of the most respected societies in Arkham is that of the Masons.
The professor, the players and many other notables all belong to it.
The Mason's Code is "morality, charity, and obedience to the law of
the land", rewritten (as were other Masonic details) for this
adventure to be "duty, honor, and obedience to the law of the land"
Edouard had written of the family being part of the 2nd Order, a group
which is in opposition to the Masons. Their code is simply "those who
reject the Freemasons". Their true purpose was only the first two
points of the Masonic credo, "duty and honor", and they placed
themselves above the law (especially the law of the Masons). The 2nd
Order is extremely underground, and practices lore forbidden by the
Masons. The Masons are aware they exist, and that some of their
members may even be Moles for the 2nd Order, and despise them.
The 3rd Order, no one knows about (those who found out were wise
enough never to commit it to print.) They only know one code, "Duty".
They consider their duty is to humankind, their enemies those who call
forces beyond human ken, their mission, to defend, and if not defend,
to rectify the damages.
PLAYER'S BACKGROUND
See Below: "Handout for Players"
ADVENTURE TIMELINE
I. Character selection
II. regular Sunday meeting, Lodge Master is not there. Police inquiry.
Internal debate, the first attack, oh no! Death! Sunrise...
III. Gathering info, the second attack is foiled! Hence more clues.
IV. Somehow, they find clues and reach the ancestral tomb of the
Laurents, on the outskirts of Arkham. There is a moldering body
in a surprisingly dust-free tomb. They meet the simple local
flower girl, who is soon to be a sacrifice. They find the tomb.
The adventure resolves.
Id imperfectum manet dum confectum evit.
(it ain't over 'til it's over)
PRELUDE: THE SUMMONING
The scenerio begins shortly after Dr. Claude Laurent's ill-fated
summoning of his ancestor. In his notebook, Claude described the
ritual as follows:
1) stop by library if possible, recheck numerology
2) call Edouard to fetch the cards, give him back his 1000 years+1,
sacrifice virgin
3) use ancestor's cues to complete summoning of XXXXX [for those who
like such details, it is Quachil Uttaus]
Problem is, Claude botched step 2, so his "kindly ancestor" took his
life (card 0) and then left. He couldn't take the girl, since she
hadn't willingly accepted the oath or a card in lieu of the oath. The
girl was sedated during the meal and now remembers nothing. The police
are trying to keep the issue and quiet and didn't mention that they'd
found her nude on the bed, totally unconscious, with the dead prof
nearby.
The Game starts on Sunday, March 13, 1920.
FIRST HOUR
Scene One: Waiting for Claude
The players meet are at the Society Room at the President's House.
Provide a map of Miskatonic and Arkham for orienteering and offer the
following introduction:
You meet at 7pm as usual. Although the night goes pleasantly, by 9pm
Claude has still not shown up.
Calling Claude's house will result in the police answering. Players
can head over, else, around 9pm, a cop will stop by because he saw the
lights, inquire politely, and mention the fate of Claude.
The story from the police:
Ummm... we want to keep this quiet, but you are his friends... we
received a neighbor's report of a scream, went to the Laurent
residence, there was a sobbing and, um... unclad young female
freshman in a semi-catatonic state, on his bed. He was wearing only
a robe [note-- a robe that only Masonic Masters wear!] and, well, we
suspect he invited her for dinner, drugged her wine, and luckily for
her had a stroke from the the excitement before anything much
happened... there was clearly alcohol involved, at the very least...
well, the poor girl is in shock at suddenly waking up nude and
seeing a dead body, we have her under sedation in the hospital
[note-- she is clueless, out of it, and a virgin], we'd rather keep
this story quiet and not besmirch either of their reputations, it'd
be the best for the girl... we're reporting it as a fatal stroke,
brought on by alcohol. Let's keep this quiet, though, can we? If
asked about anything unusual, he just mentions "well, there was 1/2
of a playing card on him, no clue why he was carrying it."-- officer
will give that up as evidence to anyone with high social standing
who persuades him well.
Scene Two: The First Attack
Somewhere in the next few minutes, as they wander or whatever, a
very well dressed older man will approach the group. He looks very
serious although his eyes seem to dance with laughter at some unspoken
joke. He is dressed in tophat and tails, in a very out-of-date fashion
[characters with history will date it to 1600's colonial, but in
excellent repair!]. He gets the party's attention, gestures to the
Plant, and says "May I have a word with you alone, it's about Claude."
He smiles and beckons.
HOPEFULLY, the other players will suggest he talk to them all, it's
the Plant's role to play tough and say "No, I'll talk to him, no
problem." They walk perhaps 20 feet away, then they see the old man
move improbably fast and viciously rip out the throat of Plant with
his teeth! [fake combat here, of course] He seems to reach inside
plant's shirt as the body slowly falls (and the others rush to catch
up), then strolls very rapidly into the nearby trees.
The First Death
When others reach the body, they will see 1/2 of the card remaining on
dead Plant. [As GM, I ostentatiously ask for Plant's card, rip it in
1/2, give it back, and say, "Sorry."]. They hear "la marsailles"
faintly being whistled in the woods. [Examining body, wound is normal
teeth but incredibly strong]
If they pursue, he will go for the next number. He is much stronger
than any one person, and VERY FAST.
If not pursued, he will stalk and go after the next number. Police
were not very far from here, and could be contacted by screaming :)
Scene Three: The Second Attack
In the next attack, as the player is losing, there is a very loud
bang of gunpowder (sounds like an elephant gun), and a substantial
hole appears in the middle of this old guy. He looks... surprised.
Strangely, there seems to be no blood, and in fact he lopes away,
one hand trying to hold his insides in. A second shot is fired,
hitting him cleanly in the middle, yet somehow he keeps going at a
faster-than-normal running pace, and soon he is gone. Yep, he seems
prenaturally fast. The person with the elephant gun is hidden in
shadow, and clearly tries to flee (but will be caught easily by a
fast player, or tailed without difficulty-- she's not moving very
professionally.) The person is still carrying the gun.
[Note: This victim will now be able to get rid of his card without
problem. Due to this timely interference, he's clear.]
Rachel Hunt's Story
The person who fired the gun is a young M.U. junior, Rachel Hunt.
Police sirens will arise, and she is (likely) arrested. In any case,
she will say nothing, just "I happened by and saw the attack, and
since I happened to be taking my elephant gun for cleaning, well, I
suppose I shouldn't have gotten involved."
She persists in telling the cops it was a wild animal attacking,
perhaps a badger or wolverine. When confronted with the fact that the
gunsmith would be closed, she says, "Oh, I was going to leave it at
the doorstop for the morn." Puzzling, but she tries to play the ditz.
She actually is a bit weirded out by the whole thing; she'd never had
to face this sort of thing firsthand before. She will NOT be released
by the police until her parents return. They're in Boston for a
conference (aha! Yep, the pop's a mason), so for now she's in an
apartment with a guard.
[Spot Hidden-- she is wearing a Masonic ring! In fact, it's the
Plants! She insists it's hers, or that she'd found it at work]
Rachel works in the library, which is the local NE home for the 3rd
Order, also called Order of the Forgotten Queen ("who would ever
suspect Arkham? (heh)). The are older than the Masons, but have had
generally friendly relationships in the group's history. (Okay, they
are a very old organization, descended from Lilith, if you want to get
picky) Consider the Masons as Adam and Eve, the 2nd Order as the
Serpent, and the 3rd order is Lilith. Local members include Diane
?????, the library clerk, and Janet, a local bicycle delivery tomboy.
SECOND HOUR
This is more vague, as the investigators will run around getting
clues. The following are details for this:
The Shadow of Edouard
Edouard will be seen during the day, strolling through town and
following the party. He looks fine, same outfit even. If they try to
engage him, he will duck down alleys or play innocent to the crowd for
support. He never smiles. If they are alone, he will attempt to attack
the next person (NOT the one from the previous night-- that person is
FREE because of the 3rd order's interference) Note that Edouard only
has to sacrifice 6 more (served 200 years of punishment + Claude +
Plant) and he's free. He might tell them this. He will also mention
"If I can but get free, ah, then the promised gift will be mine!
<mumble> will come and I will live forever!" He will NOT cross the
river except on the one stone bridge across!
The Shadow of the Third Order
Janet, a local bicycle delivery girls, stealthily following the
players the whole time. If pressed, she'll fake being a journalist
after "the real story on what happened to Professor Laurent." A good
pretext, yes? Actually, since Rachel was locked up, she's the only
defender of the Third Order left.
Investigating: The Claude House
At the Claude crime scene is his diary, locked away in a drawer. Most
of the pages are innocuous, until the recent ones:
[See Below: Insert #1]
There are no more entries.
Hunting for his family bible finds it prominant on the shelf :) It has
notes in the back on his family history, which I will make up as we
go. Notable is the history of Edouard making 10th degree Master Mason.
This section of the notes also comments on being contacted by the 2nd
Order, on agreeing to their oath of "Duty and honor", and on the great
gain this will undoubtably bring his family. Afterwards, there is a
bit on how the mason-led politicos forced Edouard from the country
with their obviously jealousy-motivated charges of abusing his
peasants, and how he will go to America, and complete his work.
There are also several strings of gibberish in this part of the
history. No need to write these, but mention the Great Old Ones.
Other notable phrases amidst the gibberish include the mention of 1000
years of torment to he who fails, that the sacrifice of each soul is
worth a lifetime's relief, that to succeed in calling forth Quachil
will bring immortality, to fail, damnation.
The next entry in the historical notes is by Edouard's son, saying "we
laid father to rest in the Arkham graveyard, god rest his soul. We
know not what caused his death, nor why the look of agony upon his
face, but wish him peace in the bountiful busom of god." Not much of
interest is mentioned after that.
Among Claude's papers, the investigators may also find the mysterious
papers in Insert #4.
Investigating: The Library
No one knows what Claude was researching; they ignored him. Diane,
another member of the Third Order, who works at the library nights,
knows only one book he referenced, on numerology. It's stamped as
being from Edouard Laurent's library, by cracky! Much of it is dry
text, but there are notes in the margin, written by E.L., with the
comment "clearly I cannot connect these with the numerical scheme from
the ritual. Is 1 an end or a beginning? What should I fear? What
does HE fear that makes him spin such riddles? I shall press on
nonetheless." No mention of who HE is. The riddle/poem is scrawled on
the back cover [See Below: Inserts #2 and #3].
If approached appropriately, Diane may reveal certain other
information to the players.
Diane may comment that they've known to watch the kin of Laurent, for
fear the ritual be completed and things not of our earth gain too much
control on this world. Thus the sacrifices must be stopped, lest he
get free ('specially 'cause we don't know how to stop him directly.)
She may also reveal that they are of the order of the Forgotten Queen
(Lilith), and that their code is "Duty only". They are very secret;
some masons know of them but respect their privacy.
Investigating: The Fortune Teller
The local fortune teller one of the characters goes to see knows a lot
about the Masons, knows of the 2nd order, and is clueless on the rest.
He is also the person who made the Tarot cards, and guarantees that
they are not enchanted. In fact, he thought it was a rather kind gift
for the old geezer to give his proteges.
Investigating: The Laurent Tomb at the Graveyard
See Below: Third Hour
[continued in V10.12]
--------------------
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