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Chaosium Digest Volume 19 Number 11
Chaosium Digest Volume 19, Number 11
Date: Sunday, June 8, 1997
Number: 1 of 2
Contents:
The Wondrous Creations of Bolonath (Frank Sronce) COC DREAMLANDS
Dunwich A Go-Go: A Mythos Deck (Cedric Chin) MYTHOS
The Arkham Menagerie: A Mythos Deck (Cedric Chin) MYTHOS
Editor's Note:
Welcome to the set of two issues that bring an end to the nineteenth
volume of the Chaosium Digest. Four and a half years, nineteen
volumes, 228 issues, and almost 700,000 words ago, the Chaosium Digest
was a much smaller thing. On January 31, 1993 there were 56
subscribers. Today there are 1,130.
However, with this continued growth I've felt the need for some
inevitable change in the Digest. Starting with Volume 20, these
changes are going to take effect.
First and most importantly, the Digest is dropping back to a biweekly
publication schedule: every other Sunday. I hope I'll continue to see
just as many articles. They will all continue to be published, just at
this slightly more sporadic rate. Second, the Digest is going to
relocate over to chaosium.com as its official site of distribution.
Third, the subscription and unsubscription method for the Digest is
finally going to become automated. Precise instruction will go out
when the mechanism is totally set up in next week or two.
Watch for the first issue of volume 20 in two weeks time. Despite
these changes, it should look pretty much the same as the Digest ever
has. In the meantime, let me say thanks to all the loyal subscribers
from the last four and a half years, and also to the great people who
have sent submissions to the Digest (and will hopefully continue to do
so).
With all that said, let me make a short note about this week's
articles. In V19.11 and V19.12 you'll find a pair of articles about
Bolonath and Karakal, both of the Dreamlands. Frank Sronce has written
some other excellent Dreamlands-related articles which you can find in
V17.2, V17.3, and V17.10.
Also in this issue are a couple of Mythos Deck outlines by Cedric
Chin, whose been writing interesting Mythos articles for a while.
Shannon
RECENT BOOKS OF NOTE:
* Call of Cthulhu - _Don't Dream_ (Fedogan & Bremer, 400 pg., $29.00)
is a collection of the Horror and Fantasy Fiction of Donald Wandrei.
Most of it comes from Weird Tales and other pulp magazines of the
1920s and 1930s. Included are Wandrei's three contributions to the
Cthulhu Mythos: "The Tree-Men of M'bwa", "The Fire Vampires", and
"The Lady in Grey". ISBN 1-878252-27-5.
Misc. 'Zines - Necronomicon Press has recently released its Spring
1997 catalog update listing a slew of new 'zines: The Dark Man #4,
Lovecraft Studies #36, Necrofile #24, Crypt of Cthulhu #95, Midnight
Shambler #5, Cthulhu Codex #10, Tales of Lovecraftian Horror #5, and
The New Lovecraft Collector #18. You can order at 401-828-7161 or
visit their web site at http://www.necropress.com.
Speaking of books, Dane Johnson (danger@visi.com) suggests _His
Master's Voice_ by Stanislaw Lem as a good read for people interested
in _Delta Green_. It describes a gornmental project to decode a
message from an advanced alien race, and has a similar feel to DG.
NEW ELECTRONIC RESOURCES:
Strange Vistas Online
http://www.tecapro.com/usr/ricardo/strangevistas/
This project is collecting information on various real world
backgrounds. See V18.9 for more information.
--------------------
From: fsronce@tcac.com (Frank Sronce)
Subject: The Wondrous Creations of Bolonath
System: COC DREAMLANDS
THE WONDROUS CREATIONS OF BOLONATH
In the Chaosium Dreamlands supplement, mention is made of a spell
known as "Bolonath's Furnace." For my "Children of the Worm" campaign
I decided to write up Bolonath in greater detail. In the original
campaign I made a decision that Bolonath had died several generations
ago but that his heirs still lived. In retrospect, I think I should
have left him as an active mage in the campaign, rather than a
historical footnote. I may arrange for him to reappear soon, his
"death" revealed as only a widely-believed rumor.
In the following write-up, Bolonath is described as a worshipper of
Karakal living in Thran, but any city where exquisite beauty would be
treasured would be appropriate. Karakal is certainly a suitable deity
for a blacksmith to worship, but he may be replaced with a god of
earth more closely tied to blacksmithing if one exists in your
campaign.
Some of Bolonath's more famous creations and spells are listed as
well. Special notes for the GM are enclosed in braces. For GM's
unfamiliar with the Minions of Karakal, they appear to be spider-like
creatures made out of fire and electricity. The merest touch of one of
their legs delivers a mammoth electric shock which inflicts 2d6 damage
(the victim must also resist the damage done with his CON or his heart
will stop).
BOLONATH THE MAGE-SMITH
In his youth, Bolonath was a blacksmith of extraordinary skill. He
honored Karakal, as did every blacksmith in Thran. Having reached the
peak of his skills, he was not content. There were only so many things
that could be done with lifeless metal.
He beseeched the priests of Karakal for aid. They suggested that he
make some great sacrifice to Karakal and pray for a boon. So great was
his devotion that he created a splendid, jewel-inlaid sword whose
blade was cunningly crafted in the likeness of a dancing flame. He
offered this up in sacrifice to Karakal and the sword vanished into
the sacred flame, but no other sign came to him.
Bolonath decided that the offering had been insufficient. He began
work on a new offering, an iron shield with beautful gold filligree
spelling out the praises of Karakal. When he completed it at last,
many people offered him bags of gems for a device of such beauty and
craftsmanship, but he turned them all down and offered it up in
sacrifice to Karakal. As before, it vanished into the sacred flame,
but no response came.
Despondent, he left his home and wandered for many days. In a distant
land he watched magah birds at play and was inspired by their
beautiful song. He returned to his disused workshop and embarked upon
his most difficult project yet. He slowly crafted a clockwork bird so
cunningly designed that its wings would flap like a real bird and it
would give forth beautiful music as it moved. The bird was powered by
a series of carefully measured springs which could be wound up using a
golden key.
When he offered this up to Karakal, he knelt and prayed by the fire
for a long time. The priests reported that suddenly he was surrounded
by a wall of fire and lost to view. They could hear his voice through
the flame, but his exact words were lost in the roar of the fire. If
any responses were given, they were inaudible to the priests. When the
flames suddenly died out, Bolonath stood and turned from the temple
and went on his way, carrying the very same mechanical bird which had
vanished in the fire.
He went into seclusion but some weeks later he came forth to the king
of Thran to offer him a most splendid gift. It was the mechanical bird
that he had made for his god, but somehow he had invested magical life
in the device. It now flapped and sang on its own, composing lovely
songs and moving without any springs at all. His majesty was so
impressed that he named Bolonath the royal blacksmith of Thran.
Bolonath prospered under his new rank, and made many beautiful devices
and emblems for the nobles of Thran. He also became known for many
fabulous weapons. He crafted swords and arms for the knights of Thran
out of a kind of silver-colored steel which was more durable and held
a better edge than any metal known. For Lhask, a famous swordsman who
honored Karakal, Bolonath crafted a powerful magic sword named "the
Hand of Righteousness." The praises of Karakal were drawn along the
blade and the sword-blade would be shrouded in fire when wielded in
the name of Karakal.
For some years, "the Hand of Righteousness" was Bolonath's most famous
creation. Eventually, however, Lhask was killed and the secret of the
blade's power was stolen by a bandit chief, who wielded it as a weapon
of terror. As it passed through the hands of several ruthless killers,
the sword's reputation was tarnished, and it came to be known as "the
Flametongue."
Determined to outdo his now-infamous creation, Bolonath labored long
and hard to create an even more powerful magic blade. This sword was
named "the Tooth of Karakal," and is believed by many to be the most
potent magic weapon in all of history. Distinctive for its unusual
appearance, "the Tooth of Karakal" has a short, broad blade with a
ruby of fantastic size somehow embedded in the center of the blade
itself. It has a strangely oversized hilt and has always been kept in
a special scabbard made from the hide of a dragon. It is said that the
merest touch of the blade is death to any creature.
"The Tooth of Karakal" was wielded by the Knight Champion of Thran,
and was passed on to the next Champion when the current wielder
perished or retired. However, it too was eventually lost when a
Champion was murdered with a poisoned drink. "The Tooth of Karakal"
has reappeared briefly several times, each time with a new wielder,
but each time it has vanished again before the knights of Thran could
be sent to retrieve it. Its current whereabouts are unknown.
Bolonath still lives in Thran, but seems to have sworn off the
crafting of magical weapons. He is still the royal blacksmith of Thran
and makes annual offerings of great value to Karakal. His wife is
dead, but some of his children and grand-children still assist at his
forge, handling the more mundane tasks of his shop.
ARTIFACTS OF BOLONATH
The Flametongue (Originally "the Hand of Righteousness")
A magical sword created by the mage-smith Bolonath. The Flametongue
appears to be an ordinary weapon except for the praises of Karakal
engraved upon its blade. It can be made to produce flame from its
blade as though it had been dipped in pitch and then lit. It was
originally given to the warrior Lhask, who paid homage to Karakal, but
after his death it was wielded by a number of vicious thugs. Its
reputation was tarnished and it became known as "the Flametongue."
[To activate the blade's power the wielder must touch it to a flame
while calling upon Karakal to bless the sword. This costs the wielder
2+ MP. The flame will cling to the blade for 30 minutes per MP
expended. Persons struck with the blade take a base 1d8+2 damage and
then an additional 1d4 points of burn damage. The flame burns with a
brilliant light, and is obviously magical. As such its mere presence
is often enough to cower ordinary people. If sheathed or otherwise cut
off from oxygen, the flames will die out. Several specially
constructed sheaths have been made for this blade at one time or
another.]
The Tooth of Karakal
Bolonath's most legendary creation, this is a short, broad sword with
an oversized hilt made from the skin of some strange creature.
Supposedly a mere touch of the blade kills. The blade has a
magnificent ruby built into it.
[Within the ruby is imprisoned a Minion of Karakal. Its deadly
electrical touch is channeled through the blade. The sword is a short,
broad weapon that does a base 1d8 damage, plus 2d6 electrical
damage. Anyone who so much as touches the blade takes the electrical
damage and must resist the damage done with their CON or perish from
heart failure. Metal armor, naturally, can stop the physical damage
but provides no protection against the electrical strike. Even more
dauntingly, unless specially insulated, any metal weapon used to parry
this blade or even parried by this blade will conduct the electrical
shock right into its wielder. Of course, it can be dangerous to use
this blade on any opponent who is currently touching you.
The ruby glows with a strange, inner light, and if examined closely
the image of a Minion of Karakal can be seen within its depths,
suspended by its sparkling legs. The hilt and scabbard are both made
from the flesh of some strange creature and are both completely
non-conductive. But, since even the wielder of the sword can easily
perish by accidentally touching the naked blade, most of its owners
have had fairly short careers. The Tooth of Karakal originally did
more damage than it currently does, but the blade has dulled since
then and few people have ever tried to sharpen it.
Wielded by a strong man with a +1d4 damage bonus, this weapon does an
average of 14 points of damage per blow and requires that the target
resist the electrical part of the damage with their CON or perish. An
impaling strike does not increase the electrical damage, but the
target will continue to suffer 2d6 damage per round so long as the
blade remains embedded in him. Of course, trying to extract the deadly
blade without touching the corpse can be dangerous in itself.
The Tooth of Karakal is a devestating weapon against opponents
ignorant of its true nature. At one point a wielder of the Tooth slew
nearly a dozen knights sent by a nearby king to seize the blade. To
protect them from the blade's rumored deadly touch, the king had
specified that his knights all wear the finest plate mail in his
armory...]
CAMPAIGN IDEAS INVOLVING BOLONATH
Bolonath is a powerful mage in the Dreamlands with a very respectable
reputation. As such, he could be a very powerful ally for any
investigators travelling in the Dreamlands. He possesses great
influence with the king of Thran and is highly skilled at creating
enchantments and clockwork devices. Even if your investigators are
only tourists in the Dreamlands, Bolonath could be a wealth of
mystical lore for them to consult.
Of course, Bolonath will probably want something in return for his
aid. He would probably consider a description of a modern mechanical
device to be adequate reward for any questions he might answer, but if
the investigators want him to create an enchanted item for them, he
will want a favor in return.
Bolonath might send them looking for a lost artifact, or ask them to
retrieve a crystal suitable for use in creating an intelligent
creature with the spell Bolonath's Wondrous Enchantment. If the party
includes a spell-casting character, Bolonath might be willing to teach
that person one of his enchantment spells in return for some suitable
price, but Bolonath should never expend POW for the investigators
casually.
Of course, Bolonath might have a dark side as well. Perhaps his life
is so dominated by his art that he has little concern for the lives of
others. At the GM's option, he might be obsessed with bringing a
clockwork image of his late wife to life, a deranged quest which is
bringing him closer and closer to the edge. Or, more simply, he might
just be a poor businessman and be teetering on the edge of financial
ruin. Perhaps he has soured on Karakal and now secretly worships a
more potent deity of fire such as Tulzscha or Cthugha.
When describing Bolonath's shop, be sure to stress the extraordinary
beauty of all his craftsmanship. His art is too fine and wonderful to
have ever been created in the waking world.
--------------------
From: Cedric Chin <cchin@frk.com>
Subject: Dunwich a Go-Go: A Mythos Deck
System: Mythos
Following is the outline of a Mythos Deck, based in part on the Kitab
Al-Azif Card File (V16.5).
Deck Design: Dunwich A Go-Go
Adventures:
* The Dunwich Horror
* Knee Deep in Doom
Cards:
* Cards required for the Dunwich Horror
* 40 points of monsters: Byakhees, Dimensional Shamblers, Shantaks
* Kitab Al-Azif
* Call Power of Nyambe
* Angles of Tag Clatur
The Plot:
Having witnessed the terror of the Dunwich Horror, you resolve to _do
it right_. Grabbing your copy of the Kitab Al-Azif, you summon
eldritch monsters as your allies. But, a sudden change of heart causes
you to cast the spell of Nyambe, destroyings both the damnable beings
and the corrupt Whateleys as well.
The Play:
* The Kitab Al-Azif's ability to summon Monsters as Allies is just
plain cool. However, since it's a Unique card, and no other card has a
similar effect, bad luck may keep the card at the bottom of your
deck. But, the Dunwich Horror's Unique cards make it likely you won't
complete that Adventure until the deck is exhausted, so you'll end up
with the Kitab in play before you finish the Dunwich Horror.
* The Dunwich Horror is also a slow Adventure. By the time you play
it, other players will have played their Adventures. You will not be a
threat -- unless someone notices all the Monsters you've played as
Allies, and the Call Power of Nyambe. If they threaten to bury the
Kitab or Nyambe, point out that you have forty points of Monsters in
your deck and they'll have to attack **somebody**...
* Anyway, here's the trick.
- Turn 1: Score the Dunwich Horror.
- Turn 2: Cast Call Power of Nyambe on your Monster Allies, the
Whateleys, and the Professors.
- Turn 3: Score Knee Deep in Doom with 20 Sanity.
Cheers,
Cedric.
--------------------
From: Cedric Chin <cchin@frk.com>
Subject: The Arkham Menagerie: A Mythos Deck
System: Mythos
Here's another Kitab / Nyambe deck, based on the Great Menagerie Card
File for Arkham, in V19.8. It's sexy more than anything else.
Adventures:
* Great Menagerie
* Knee Deep in Doom and/or Seeking Everlasting Life I
* The Great Epidemic
Cards for Great Menagerie:
* Explorer: Laban Shrewsbury and/or Etienne
* Three Outside: Arkham Cemetary, Boston Train Station, Potter's
Field, Hangman's Hill
* City: 197 E. Pickman
* Monsters of 4 sub-types: Varies with taste, but high-point Monsters
overlap with Knee Deep, and you can summon Nyarlathotep with the Day
Events you need for The Great Epidemic (and the Shining
Trapezohedron). You might as well go for broke and use the Shoggoth
/ Mother Hydra / Father Dagon / Deep Ones / Jewelry of the Deep Ones
combo.
Cards for the other Adventures:
* As required
Other cards:
* Create Gate
* Devolution
* Shining Trapezohedron (for Nyarlathotep)
Comments:
* I like this deck, if only because of it's uniqueness. This is the
only Arkham deck that I have that can't use the less-than-sexy
Interesting Shop, and makes use of Potter's Field. The thought of
Nyarlathotep as an Ally is gratuitously humorous (even if he
immediately goes to the Story Deck), as is any deck that could use a
Giant Albino Penguin or two (those get to go to the Story Deck, too).
* The Devolution / Resurrection / Nyambe / Kitab combo is a flexible
and even useful combination. Play your 1-point Zombies or Deep Ones as
Allies via Kitab, or Resurrect a Corrupt Ally. (If you Resurrect
Herbert West, you get to pull out two cards from your Story Deck!)
De-Evolve them into 4-point Monster Allies. Cast Power of Nyambe on
them and gain Sanity. Woohoo. Alternately, use 197 E. Pickman / Kitab
to get your Monsters as Allies, cast Nyambe, and score the Great
Menagerie or Knee Deep without waiting until the next Round.
Cedric.
--------------------
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