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Chaosium Digest Volume 22 Number 06
Chaosium Digest Volume 22, Number 6
Date: Sunday, September 28, 1997
Number: 1 of 1
Contents:
The Guardian in Gray (Dale Meier) CALL OF CTHULHU
The Second Wave (Peter Devlin) CALL OF CTHULHU
Sir Haegirth and the Haunted Graveyard (Shannon Appel) PENDRAGON
Editor's Notes:
Welcome to the almost-halloween issue of the Chaosium Digest. Within
you'll find a few articles for Call of Cthulhu, supplemented by a
haunting NPC for the Pendragon game.
Submissions have been light recently, so send in those articles for
next issue!
Shannon
RECENT MAGAZINE SIGHTINGS:
* Call of Cthulhu - "An Atlas of the Severn Valley, Part 1", by
Shannon Appel, gives background on the Severn Valley, from Berkeley
to Clotton, as well a bunch of story ideas. To be concluded in the
next issue. Valkyrie #15.
Also of note is Shadis #40. No explicitly Chaosium articles, but there
is an article on Soloman Kane for GURPs, which includes a timeline and
other background notes, as well as an article on using Tarot decks in
RPGs.
RECENT BOOKS OF NOTE:
* Call of Cthulhu - _100 Fiendish Little Frightmares_ (Barnes & Noble,
600 pg., $7.98, ISBN 0-7607-0144-X) is yet another entry in the B&N
series of short horror story collections. The only Mythos stories are
"The Festival", by HP Lovecraft, and "A Man of Discretion", by
Richard Tierney. There are lots of interesting authors though,
including Cave, Smith, Wandrei, Derleth, and Wellman. A fairly high
proportion of the stories are from the 90s.
_Weird Tales: Seven Decades of Terror (Barnes & Noble, 438 pg.,
$7.98, ISBN 0-7607-0403-1), edited by Betancourt and Weinberg,
covers the entire length of Weird Tales' history, through all its
incarnations. And yes, this is genuinelly a different book from the
other 3(!) Weird Tales collections B&N has published. Stories of
note include "The Rats in the Walls", by HP Lovecraft, "The
Graveyard Rats", by Henry Kuttner, "The Dead Man's Hand", by Manly
Wade Wellman, "The Ring of Bastet", by Seabury Quinn, and "The
Pit-Yakker", by Brian Lumley (all real marginal mythos). More
interesting authors include: Derleth, Leiber, Bradbury, Moore,
Bloch, Howard, and Wolfe.
I suspect both of these books are only available through Barnes &
Noble.
NEW ELECTRONIC RESOURCES:
Nightscape #4
http://www.toddalan.com/~berglund/
Nightscapes #4 is now online, featuring Mythos fiction by Ron Shiflet,
Henrik Johnsson, R.S. Cartwright, and Mike Minnis, nonfiction (on
Abdul Alhazred) by Dr. Henry Worthy, and Mythos poetry by Franklyn
Searight, James Gruetzmacher, and Ron Shiflet. Special this issue is a
25th anniversary mini-sampler from the seminal (and extremely rare)
publication of _HPL_ by Meade and Penny Frierson, featuring fiction by
James Wade, Walter C. Debill, Jr., Al Attanasio, and Meade Frierson
III, nonfiction by Meade Frierson III and Richard L. Tierney, poetry
by Richard L. Tierney, Ralph Wollstonecraft Hedge, and Meade Frierson
III, and artwork by Robert Kline and Steve Fabian.
--------------------
From: Dale Meier <sylvrephire@hotmail.com>
Subject: The Guardian in Gray
System: Call of Cthulhu
The Guardian in Gray
Golem-n [Heb. orig, embryo; later, monster (> Yidd. goylem, dolt),
akin to Ar. Ghulam, lad]--Jewish Legend--a man artificially created by
caballistic rites; robot. (Webster's New World Dictionary, p.580)
I got the idea of introducing golems into Call of Cthulhu from several
different places--namely Dean Shomshak's "A Ghastly Grimoire" which
appeared in the October 1987 issue of Dragon Magazine (Dragon #126)
and episodes of "Extreme Ghostbusters" and "Gargoyles" which dealt
with the caballistic guardians. Shomshak's article included a spell
called "Activate Eidolon", which is similar to creating a
golem--albeit a bit nastier.
THE SPELLS
CREATE GOLEM: This spell allows the spellcaster to essentially create
and energize the body of a golem. Golems come in many sizes (up to SIZ
35, which would make it roughly 15 feet tall) but all are in the shape
of a human being; for every point of SIZ, the spellcaster must use 10
pounds of wet clay to build the body. The shape of the golem's body
must be human, but details could range from the appearance of
emaciated corpses and faceless guardians to horribly twisted giants.
Once the body has been shaped the spellcaster must perform the
creation ritual undisturbed for six hours. The ritual varies with the
spell; some require the use of animal blood to energize the clay body,
others may require blood (which is also a component of the Activate
Eidolon spell). It is rumored that yet another version must be cast
during a thunderstorm and that lightning must strike the golem in
order to be successfully cast. For each point of SIZ, the spellcaster
must invest four magic points in the casting of the spell. Should the
spell work, the next step is to awaken the guardian. If the creation
spell fails, the body must be destroyed and a new one must be
constructed. Below are the suggested stats for golems.
GOLEMS, LUMBERING GUARDIANS
---------------------------------------------
rolls averages
STR 4d6+3 44
CON SIZ/2 11
SIZ 5d6+5 22-23
INT 1d6 3
POW Special* Special*
DEX 2d6 10
Move: 5-8 HP: 10-100
Av. Damage Bonus: +3d6
* A golem's POW score is equal to the number of magic points spent in
creating it.
Weapons: Punch: 50%, 1d3+db (man-sized) to 1d20+db (SIZ 35); Throw
Clay: 75%, engulf; Kick: 25%, 1d6+db (man-sized) to 6d6+db (SIZ 35).
Armor: 12-point skin.
Spells: None
Sanity Loss: 2/1d8 Sanity points for seeing an active golem. No Sanity
points are lost for seeing a dormant golem.
AWAKEN GOLEM: This second spell is necessary in order to bring the
golem to life. To do so, the spellcaster must spend two hours reciting
the proper incantations. The spell culminates in the placement of a
parchment scroll within the golem's body (normally in its mouth if it
is larger than an average human). In the process, the caster expends
five magic points. Once the golem is awakened it will obey the person
who has awakened it--but only if certain conditions are met. Commonly
constructed and used as guardians for Jewish settlements and
synagogues in times of great peril and persecution during the Middle
Ages, golems cannot be awakened for trivial matters, such as moving
heavy objects or assassinating the spellcaster's enemies. Should a
spellcaster awaken a golem for such trivial things, he or she will
effectively unleash the creature against anything in its
path--including themselves. It is not known if any golems exist today.
ADDITIONAL NOTES
REGENERATION: Golems can regenerate lost hit points at a rate of 1d6
per turn. Because of their magical nature, golems can effectively
regenerate lost limbs, including those lost when the creature hurls a
gob of clay. Golems which have taken damage from fire or heat
regenerate at the same rate and can fully rehydrate themselves from
moisture in the air or ground in as many turns as their SIZ
score. Should a golem's hit points be reduced by 80%, the creature
will change shape into an amorphous blob and flee into the nearest
crack, sewer grating or other opening to safety; once out of danger,
the creature will repair its damage normally.
GOLEMS AND FIRE: Fire or intense heat can dry a golem's body out,
making it brittle and susceptible to melee attacks. A torch will cause
1d2 points of damage while a raging inferno will cause 1d20 points of
damage to the creature. When making melee attacks against a dried or
drying golem, treat the creature's armor as if the characters were
attacking a cement or sheetrock wall. However, even if a golem is
reduced to dust, the scroll must be removed from its remains to
effectively render it harmless. If the scroll is left in, the golem
will regenerate to wreak havoc again.
ADVENTURE SEEDS
THE GREY STALKERS: A string of bizzare murders and attacks are
plaguing the city. Survivors are found covered in clay--a clay which
seems to grow, engulfing its victims. The material has defied all
scientific analysis and the police are at a loss in solving the
case. In reality, the incidents are the fault of one man. Jacob
Mastelli, a local resident of high standing had an axe to grind.
Unfortunately he went about it in the wrong way. Having created
several man-sized golems, the middle-aged recluse sought to kill his
enemies and guard his fortune. In the process, he was killed by his
creations, which now stalk the dark alleys and streets, killing
anything that attempts to stop them. Now the PCs must track down and
neutralize the golems before they kill again.
WHO GUARDS THE GUARDIAN?: An area synagogue is defiled and vandalized
by intolerant youth; as a result, the Rabbi creates a guardian to
protect the community's religious center. But when the guardian kills
a young man one night and rages out of the Rabbi's control, the
investigators must find a way to stop its destructive rampage.
--------------------
From: "Peter Devlin" <pdevlin@scotsys.co.uk>
Subject: The Second Wave
System: Call of Cthulhu
The Second Wave
Peter Devlin copyright (c) 1997
"Would you care to make a donation? All are welcome at our Temple". A
group of Oriental monks is chanting, singing, and politely accosting
passers-by. They have shaven heads and wear brightly coloured loose
robes and yellow headbands. The monks are collecting donations for
their "church", The Second Wave of Serenity. The only English-speaking
monk explains that they are Buddhists who seek the ultimate serenity
of Nirvana.
Anyone who places money in the bronze collection plate receives a
blessing. They will also notice that the monk holding the collection
plate has a deformity. He has weblike ridges of skin growing between
his fingers!
1.) The brass necklace worn by each monk is a circle containing the
Chinese ideogram for "bloated woman". The monks are seducing
occult-minded Westerners to the worship of the Bloated Woman (Chinese
Nyarlathotep) and hence Cthulhu. The blessing psychically "marks" the
recipient, allowing the cultists to recognise a potential recruit.
"The Second Wave" refers to the second coming of the goddess and her
peers. According to the monks and their prophecies the second coming
is imminent and believers will see her in visions or dreams. The
marked unfortunate will be the subject of both dream sendings and
terrestrial recruitment visits from the monks.
The monks collect in their current location as it is close to the
offices of Aryan Chemicals. This is a petrochemical conglomerate that
is researching the potential of pitchblende derivatives as a fuel
source. The value of their stock is rising, fuelled by speculation
that they are close to a major breakthrough. The high priest of the
Order of The Bloated Woman plans to ensnare a few susceptible
employees to assist with the second coming.
2.) TSWOS is an innocent Bhuddist sect. It is in the process of being
infiltrated by Bloated Woman cultists who hope to use the sect as a
cover for their own plans. The Buddhists have fled war-torn China to
set up temples in a few Western cities. The Order of The Bloated Woman
is making good use of this unfortunate circumstance to spread its
tentacles.
The Mythos cultists initially play dumb in response to probing questions.
Anyone who appears liable to expose them receives a visit at home from
a group of staring-eyed hairless monks. They collect arms not alms!
(3) TSWOS is a Tibetan cult dedicated to eradication of Mythos
influence so that Man may achieve his rightful place on the sacred
wheel. The collector is a Chinese male who has (so far) successfully
resisted his transformation with the help of the Llama who leads the
Second Wave.
The "blessing" detects and marks those tainted by the Mythos (spell
users, those who have delved deeply, i.e. player characters). Anyone
who fits that category will occasionally notice Oriental monks
collecting on a nearby street corner. The monks will choose an
appropriate time and location to capture, interrogate, and possibly
kill these Mythos worshipping degenerates.
Cheers :-) --> :-0
Copyright (c) Peter Devlin 1997
pdevlin@scotsys.co.uk
--------------------
From: Shannon Appel <appel@erzo.org>
Subject: Sir Haegirth and the Haunted Graveyard
System: Pendragon
This article details Sir Haegirth, a knight for Pendragon, as well as
a certain Haunted Graveyard which has caused him no small amount of
trouble. Sir Haegirth is intended to be used as an NPC: an opponent
for tourneys, or a questing ally, perhaps. However, his rather strange
and unique condition will no doubt cause players knights much
confusion and consternation. You see, Sir Haegirth is haunted.
It all started at a graveyard overlooking the Severn River, not far
from Gloucester. It is a very ancient place that had been used for the
burying of corpses for millenia. Romans, Celts, and Picts are all
buried there, in strata-like layers, marking a history of Britain's
invasions. Sir Haegirth came to this graveyard as part of a quest: he
was seeking the thighbone of a sorcerer, and had determined that an
ancient Pictish sorcerer by the name of Dric was buried in this Severn
cemetary.
Unfortunately, Sir Haegirth found much more than he had bargained
for. In the cemetery he was set upon by wakeful ghosts. He found his
sword useless against this incorporeal creatures, but still he fought
a battle he was doomed to lose. In the end two of the ghosts possessed
him. Now, Haegirth wanders Britain, a man at war with himself.
Whenever Haegirth is met, the gamemaster should roll a D6 to see who
is currently in control of Haegirth's body:
1-2 Sir Haegirth
3-4 Trebius the Roman
5-6 Talist the Pict
Every 2D6 days, a new roll should be made, most likely resulting in a
new entity taking control. Characteristics remain the same for all
three personalities, but skills and personality traits differ, as
noted below.
Note that the spirits inhabiting Sir Haegirth could be banished if a
magician used his Necromantic talent and attained a total of 60 + the
Spirit Defense of the ghost. This is unlikely to happen as none of the
three entities has any reason to seek out magicians.
SIR HAEGIRTH
Cymric/Pagan
Glory 1,972
SIZ 12 Move 3 Major Wound 12
DEX 16 Damage 4d6 Unconscious 6
STR 13 Heal Rate 3 Knockdown 12
CON 12 Hit Points 24 Armor 12 (reinforced chain) + shield
APP 13
Combat Skills: Battle 12, Dagger 10, Horsemanship 18, Lance 19, Spear
10, Sword 16
Significant Traits: Energetic 12, Generous 15, Honest 13, Proud 16,
Valorous 16
Significant Passions: Fear (Graveyards) 12, Honor 15, Loyalty (Arthur)
16
Significant Skills: Awareness 10, Courtesy 12, First Aid 10, Heraldry
12, Hunting 6, Tourney 10
Heraldry: argent, a board's head couped gules, a label azure.
Horse: a roan charger, sleek and well-cared for, Damage 6d6, Move 9,
CON 10.
Appearance:
Sir Haegirth is the type of knight who fades right into the background
at a tourney. He's of medium height and girth. His hair is dark brown,
and his face is very plain. If not for his lancing skill Sir Haegirth
would be virtually unknown. His fair skill at such a young age (Sir
Haegirth is just 23) has brought him some reknown on the tournament
circuit, and many believe that he is destined for great things.
Demeanor:
Sir Haegirth also believes that he is destined for great things.
Unfortunately his pride and his fearlessness tend to get him into
trouble, the incident at the Severn graveyard just being the final
prideful mistake in a long series.
Sir Haegirth's pridefulness comes from the love of his Pagan
religion. He feels no animosity toward Christians, but he wishes to
show all that the Pagan ways are just as good; in every tournament he
dedicates his victories to the Pagan gods, and then proceeds to act
according to the Pagan virtues.
Still, Sir Haegirth is the soul of chivalry in court: polite to foes,
and helpful to women. This attitude has caused others to accept his
outspoken Pagan ways without animosity.
As of yet Sir Haegirth does not realize that he was possessed by
ghosts in the Severn Graveyard. Instead, he thinks he is going mad, as
he frequently loses days or weeks at a time. He refuses to admit his
infirmity to others, afraid of what they would do if they knew his
true condition.
Story Ideas:
* Sir Haegirth still seeks the thighbone of a sorcerer, an item that
he needs for a Pagan ritual which will increase the power of his
gods around his manor house. He has (wrongly) convinced himself that
there is no sorcerer at the Severn graveyard, but may ask friendly
player knights to help him quest for a thighbone elsewhere. The
thighbone he quests for may or may not be attached to a living
sorcerer, as the gamemaster prefers.
* Eventually Sir Haegirth will overcome his fear and return to the
Severn graveyard, believing that the answer to his problems lies
there. He will definitely seek steadfast friends to join him.
The Severn graveyard is a dangerous place. It has a high ambient
magic, and this has caused many ghosts to be trapped in the place.
There are numerous ghosts in the area which will seek to possess
player knights (they may do so by winning an opposed dice roll
based upon the personality trait or passion which ties them to
the world--for example Love for Trebius and Vengeful for Talist).
In addition, more corporeal skeletons and zombies also inhabit the
area. The worse revenant of all is the corpse of the Pictish
sorcerer, Dric, a dead necromancer who has attracted a cult of
followers from the nearby Severn valley.
The only way to free the graveyard from its awful curse is by
having a priest of God bless it. This will require not only
convincing a priest to do so, but also keeping him safe during
the ritual. If the graveyard is blessed, the free roaming shades
will finally rest, but Haegirth must still deal with the two that
possess him.
TREBIUS THE ROMAIN
Trebius died several hundred years ago, a member of a Roman legion
fighting the Cymric people of Wales. When he died he was engaged to
marry Decmia, a young Roman maid who lived in London. His last
thoughts were of her, and they tied his spirit to the Earth. Whenever
he gains control of Haegirth's body, Trebius strives to find her, a
fruitless task since she is hundreds of years dead. Only if Trebius is
able to find Decmia's grave will his spirit be allowed to go on to its
final reward, freeing Haegirth from one of the two spirits possessing
him.
Trebius
Roman/Christian
Spirit Defense 54
Combat Skills: Battle 15, Dagger 15, Horsemanship 2, Lance 0, Spear
12, Sword 21
Significant Traits: Chaste 16, Deceitful 14, Forgiving 14, Valorous 12
Significant Passions: Honor 5, Love (Decmia) 16, Loyalty (Roman
Emperor) 12
Significant Skills: Awareness 12, Courtesy 5, First Aid 14, Folk Lore
12, Heraldry 0, Tourney 0
Demeanor:
In contrast to Sir Haegirth, Trebius is fairly quiet and reserved. He
knows better than to talk of his Christianity, but definitely doesn't
say anything about Paganism either. Overall, Trebius is low-key and
polite. He doesn't drink much, avoids women, and is willing to turn
the other cheek. He tries to avoid the spotlight, except when he can't
due to whatever Sir Haegirth or Talist was doing beforehand.
Trebius is quite aware that he is a ghost inhabiting Sir Haegirth's
body. He doesn't speak of this, afraid that he might be banished by a
powerful necromancer. In general, he tries to pretend that he is Sir
Haegirth--although his demeanor is so much calmer that Haegirth's that
a change is obvious--while at the same time pursuing his personal
quest.
Story Ideas:
* Trebius, probably masquerading as Sir Haegirth, may approach the
player knights if they seem friendly to Haegirth. He tells them of a
new quest which requires him to find the last resting place of a
Roman girl, likely dead for several centuries. This is, of course,
Decmia. Decmia is buried in France, where she joined a convent after
Trebius' death. Discovering this final resting place will be a
tricky business. Descendents of her kin still live in Britain, not
too far from where they lived in Trebius' time, but they don't take
kindly to strangers looking into their familial affairs, and it will
take searching through the Latin-language records of the oldest
members of the family before even a hint is unconvered of the trip
to France.
TALIST THE PICT
Talist lived over a thousand years ago, in the waning days of the
Picts in Britain. He was a great warlord of the Ce tribe, and he
fought many battles against the invading Celts, but in the end he was
overwhelmed by their iron blades. He died bravely in battle.
Talist will be unable to rest until he sees that the remnants of his
tribe still live and prosper, in the lands North, beyond the wall. He
does not realize this, though, so instead takes this second life as an
opportunity for vengeance against the Cymric people who slew him so
long ago.
Talist
Pict/Heathen (boar spirit)
Spirit Defense 71
Combat Skills: Battle 21, Great Axe 24*, Horsemanship 5, Spear 19
* Talist's high great axe skill is due to his Heathen religious bonus.
Does +1d6 damage.
Significant Traits: Arbitrary 18, Honest 16, Indulgent 16, Proud 18,
Valorous 14, Vengeful 18, Worldly 20
Significant Traits: Hate (Cymrics) 13, Honor 10, Loyalty (Ce Tribe) 18
Significant Skills: Awareness 19, Courtesy 0, Faerie Lore 13, Heraldry
0, Hunting 20, Tourney 0
Demeanor:
Although just as active and outspoken as Sir Haegirth, in many other
ways Talist is his opposite. He is crude, rude, and will carry a
grudge beyond the grave. He believes he has been brought back to
continue his battles against the Cymric people. He understands
Arthur's society well enough to realize that becoming a black knight
would just send him back to the grave. So, instead, he uses the
tournaments of Britain to demand battles to the death for the smallest
slights. He is also eager to join in battles between knights,
something that still occurs, even in Arthur's Britain. Because of
Talist's exploits, Sir Haegirth is gaining quite a reputation as a
tactician, something which causes occasional problems when Sir
Haegirth suddenly finds himself at the head of a unit in the middle of
a war.
After a few early incidents, where Talist loudly claimed he had been
reborn, and acted without restraint, he learned that he needed to use
at least some subterfuge if he wanted to continued his quest for
vengeance. He is happy to let others think him mad, and does not
hesitate to immediately turn from whatever Haegirth or Trebius was
doing, but likewise he does not openly declare who and what he is.
Story Ideas:
* When Talist finally learns that his tribe, the Ce, still lives, he
will decide he wants to see them. Unfortunately, the Northern lands
are dangerous. He will wait until another expedition to the North is
being gathered (for some other reason), and then join them. Perhaps
he will encourage such an expedition by spreading (true) stories of
the strength and fierceness of the Ce about court. Talist plans to
join the Ce, betraying the Cymric knights of Arthur's court in the
process.
--
