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Chaosium Digest Volume 33 Number 11
Chaosium Digest v33.11
Saturday, May 05, 2001
King of Scabs (pt. 2)
A Call of Cthulhu Adventure
by Matt Sanborn
Monsterfashion@earthlink.net
The House: The house is set half into the hill, the front half covered by
bushes. a successful Spot Hidden roll finds a footpath going into the
brush. Crawling on their hands and knees, investigators can reach a five
foot tall opening in front of the door. Thorn bushes above weave together,
forming a thick ceiling. One of the keys opens the door. Upon entrance an
overwhelming smell of feces and urine hits the investigators. Players must
roll equal to or under their Constitution on a d. 20. Failure results in a
quick push through the bushes, and into the open air for a nasty vomiting
spell. In order to walk around the building, even those making the roll
will need to place a handkerchief or rag over their mouth and nose. Another
Con. roll can be made every five minutes for investigators who got sick.
Success allows the character to be fit enough to enter the house.
The house consists of three rooms and an entrance vestibule. In the ten
foot long, five feet wide entrance hall, there is a door to the right, and
an opening to the left which is covered by a blanket from inside the
chamber. This is where the strong odors are coming from. In the far left
corner of this ten by ten foot room is a pile of feces, urine, and other
excrement - the obvious source of the odor. In the far right corner,
directly across from the entrance, are several large holes which lead into a
rat nest. There are usually at least five to ten rats in this room at all
time.
Main Room: Straight down the hall is an opening leading into the room which
is inside the hill. The walls are all rock here, and there are wooden beam
supports every four feet, going three deep in the room and five across. The
dimensions are ten long and twenty wide. There are three cots, separated by
supports, on the right side of the room next to the wall. To the right is a
pot belly stove, whose pipe runs through the adjoining room to the outside.
There is a square wooden table and four rickety chairs. The table has a few
dirty plates and a bones of some animal.
In the center of this room is a large sheet of wood. It covers a pit
measuring five feet by five feet, ten feet deep. There are scraps of food
and animal bones at the bottom, as well as a muddy dirt floor. This is
where the two girls have been kept, and there is a great stench from the
excrement and vomit. The sides reveal that the girls tried climbing up but
could not make it. There may or may not be rats in the pit.
Study: The other key on the ring opens this door. It is the same size as
the rat room. There is a table at the far wall with the Book of the
Three Wounds. There is a small bookshelf near the door, containing 23
books. It is up to the Keeper what he or she would like to place here. In
playtesting, every volume was a diary kept by Yvonne Grier. There is also a
trunk in the far right corner, containing two worship masks and a set of
black robes with hoods.
Worship Masks: These masks are used during the worship and sacrifice for the
King of Scabs. They look like doctor's masks during the bubonic plague
period. They have goggles with dark red lenses. The eye part attaches to a
long leather beak which points straight down, and is capped with a piece of
white rubber. This blocks out the smell of the sulfur during the ceremony.
The beak is filled with herbs and powders which, when ignited, give the
wearer vivid hallucinations. If the rubber nub on the end is squeezed, it
sets off a tiny flint, sending a spark into the mixture. Smoke then rises
through the nose piece, and is breathed in through a screen in front of the
mouth and nose.
These hallucinations enhance the colors and shapes of what is in front the
viewer. There is a great sense of distrust and fear at first, calmed only
by the presence of the King of Scabs. If the beast is not around, the
viewer becomes frightened, seeing things out of the corner of his eye.
Through the red lenses everything looks bloody and dying. Sounds are
everywhere: screaming, insane laughing, inane babbling. An idea roll must
be made to rip the mask off. These hallucinations cost 1/1 d.6 Sanity
points.
If the mask is activated when the King of Scabs is around, the viewer sees
a human sized figure with blood red skin, brought before them to be crowned
king. This being must be worshipped, and all that is asked by him must be
done. An idea roll will allow the wearer to remove the mask, seeing the
King of Scabs in his true form. If the mask is worn, and King of Scabs asks
the viewer to do something, they will go about this task with a
single-minded mania, making death the only means of stopping them.
The Sulfur Swamp and the Altar of the King of Scabs: The Sulfur Swamp is
described in detail on page 56 in Return to Dunwich. It is a nasty smelling
place where successful Constitution rolls will be needed to avoid sickness.
A successful Spot Hidden roll will discover a footpath leading towards the
swamp. There is also one coming down from Sulfur Mountain, but two Track
rolls will be needed to follow the entire length due to the great hill's
rocky condition. The path leads to the edge of the swamp where another Spot
Hidden check reveals part of a raft sticking out from under a pile of leaves
and brush. The raft is 6'x6' logs tied together. It is more or less a
makeshift barge. There are many long branches which can be used to push it
along.
The altar is a little over 3/4 of a mile into the swamp, almost exactly
half way in. It is in about 9 feet of fetid, noxious yellow water. Trees
grow out of the water, never bearing leaves. They grow quickly, and gnarl
grotesquely, forming almost a roof over the area. The altar is buttressed
against two of these trees. The platform is 20'x20', made out of hard wood.
a 4'x4' square opening is cut into the middle of the floor, with the hatch
thrown open. A 4'x4' platform rests 20' above the opening, held up by
wooden scaffolding which boxes in the hole to the swamp. A ladder fashioned
out of the gnarled branches of the area, coming from the swamp, through the
opening, goes straight up the tower onto the platform. What is atop the
platform cannot be seen on ground level. The crown of razors can be seen
clearly on the lower platform.
Those climbing up the ladder need to make a successful Climb roll. Failure
means the climber will fall. On top of the platform rests the mutilated
body of Edna Wilson. The King of Scabs has eaten parts of her, drinking the
blood for power as Isaac Grier stood below, naked and dancing madly. Grier
then summoned King of Scabs down to receive his crown of razors. After the
coronation, King of Scabs sprayed Grier in the face with a mist of pus, and
left him there to die. Grier's body can be found nestled into the hollow of
one of the support trees, a victim of the Mist of Pus.
The Body: Before dying a death worse than imagination should take you, Isaac
Grier crawled into the hollow of this tree. His feet are slightly sticking
out, giving anyone checking the area a +10 % bonus when rolling for Spot
Hidden. Grier is naked except for boots and a necklace. His body is
covered head to toe with sores, boils, cuts and gashes, all hideously
colored and infected. The body is hairless and very bloated from its gases.
Anyone seeing the body needs to make a Sanity roll with a 0/ 1 d.4 loss.
Anyone touching the body needs to make a Luck roll or have a boil pop,
spraying them with a blackish bile. If the area is not completely submerged
in water within three minutes, the victim will begin to break out in a
horrible rash and develop a very high fever. Vomiting then fainting follow.
A Con. roll is needed. Failure results in death, success launches the
investigator into a coma. Immediate medical attention will be needed if the
coma victim is to survive.
The necklace is a sliver chain with what appears to be a red-metal key.
Wearing the necklace will give the owner disturbing visions of ill and dying
people, costing 1 Sanity point per day. These visions come and go
throughout the day, usually numbering a half dozen in a 12 hour period.
Some of the sites are more vivid than others.
If the body is left here, it should be immediately reported. It is up to
the Keeper whether the police can find the altar, the body, or are destroyed
and eaten by the King of Scabs. Missing police can add an even deeper level
to the story, but may sidetrack your players. A bit of pre-planning will be
needed if you want to add this sub-plot.
The Second Interview: The second interview should take place a day after the
physical investigation is done by the legal team. Needless to say,
investigators will certainly have quite a few questions for Ahmed Grier. If
they try to keep his books until he talks, Grier will become quite
belligerent until he gets what he wants. When and if he receives them, he
becomes very grateful and is willing to talk now.
He will deny knowing the existence of the altar, but will be quite
interested about the body found there. He will claim he does not know who
this could be, but deep down is excited that the King of Scabs has been
brought to earth. This feeling drowns out any sorrow he may feel about the
death of his brother. If Isaac's body has been identified by a coroner or
Dunwich local, Grier will say he did not know what his brother had been up
to. He also does not wish to be bothered with burial plans for his brother
or sister.
And idea roll will allow players to notice that the bandage on Grier's left
shoulder is gone, and he has full articulation of the limb.
Grier will also hold fast that the pit in his house was used to house
chickens, which were used for food. Yvonne used to go into the pit, and
that
explains the claw marks on the walls. He claims to have also no information
about the dead body in the well. Grier will state he has no idea where the
body is from or how it could have gotten into a covered well. If
questioning becomes too intense Grier will simply state he is tired and
wants to go lie down. He will thank the lawyers, gather his books, then is
escorted back to his cell by two burly guards. His finals words are,
"Everything you need to know will be in the swamp. Be seeing you soon."
Early The Next Morning: The phone wakes the players out of bed. It is their
boss letting them know that the farms of Richard Drinker and Silas Langley
have were burnt to the ground late last night. Though this does not
directly affect the defense for their client, it is still a ominous sign.
While the investigators dress, rain begins to pound down on the window.
This rain and lightning will continue late into the night.
Upon arrival at the office, more bad news: Grier is in solitary confinement
for what murdering a guard last night in the mess hall. There are few
details as of yet, but a call to the Middleton House of Correction by an
attorney will prove fruitful. It seems during dinner Grier was involved in
a confrontation with guard Max Schlem. Schlem struck Grier in the face with
an open hand. Grier then crushed in the guard's head. Lawyers will be
advised to go to the Lawrence General Hospital in Lawrence, Massachusetts,
to view the body, as Grier will be arraigned for another count of murder
tomorrow morning. The prisoner can have no contact today as he is still
going berserk in solitary.
Lawrence General Hospital: Attorneys will be allowed to view Shlem's body
which is being stored in the morgue. When the slab-drawer is rolled back,
Sanity rolls will be needed. Sanity loss is 0/1. Grier did not crush the
head of the guard, he withered it. The head appears to be but a deflated
football with a shock of black hair on the top. The skin, leathery and
completely blackened. This was no boating accident.
Return to Dunwich: The prison may not be the best bet right now. Grier has
not been arraigned and it is still not known who will be his attorney on
this charge. Enigma will not pay for more legal assistance towards this
case. The next step is probably to return to Dunwich. If the investigators
have not explored the swamp, Grier's parting remarks will surely get them
there now. It will rain all day with thunder and the occasional lightning,
depending on the season. The whip-or-wills are unbelievably loud despite
the weather. The ground is muddy and very difficult for automobiles.
Getting stuck is a very real possibility, and at least two driving skills
are needed to prevent the wheels from sinking deeply into the mud.
Early the Next Morning: A call from the boss around 5 a.m. wake the head
attorney. Somehow, Grier has escaped from the maximum security facility
while in solitary confinement. Little else is presently known.
Investigators need to get up and create a plan of action. At this point the
game can go many different ways. Players having encountered the altar and
the body may be hesitant to return there.
What Went on Late Last Night: Whether or not Grier received his books, he
has successfully escaped from prison. Grabbing and biting the head off a
rat which had made its way into Grier's cell, the warlock drew a magikal
gate with the vermin's blood. After incanting the proper words, he was
able to walk out of the cell and into another dimension. Grier is planning
to arrive back in the material plane at the Sulfur Mountain worship site.
However, this will take some time, and the gate there will open at noon
today.
What is About to Happen: Grier believes that the King of Scabs has been
crowned and is waiting below the yellow waters to rise and to reward the
faithful. Part of this is true: the King of Scabs is sitting on the bottom
of the swamp, slowly digesting the sacrifice. Grier knows how to call the
beast to the surface, but also knows he should have someone to sacrifice.
Grier will try to lure the investigators into the swamp and give them to his
master. How the game goes will be completely up to the player's actions.
Tracking Down Grier: Players searching the area near Sulfur Mountain will
hear Grier screaming gibberish into the sky at exactly noon. The escapee
will use a secret tunnel to get himself near the base of this structure.
The cult stashed a shotgun here, and Grier will come out of the hidden exit
brandishing the weapon and more than ready to use it. He will then, by any
means, get the players onto the raft and into the swamp. He needs only one
victim, and won't hesitate paring down the party to a single survivor. Once
at the altar he will shoot one of the investigators as soon as they get off
the raft. If he hits and kills the character, the King of Scabs will rise
up within two minutes.
If players are with a large posse, Grier will bait them into the swamp by
taunting and yelling at them to come get him. He knows the swamps very
well, and can hide with great adeptness. To spot the hiding Grier subtract
his Hide roll from the player's Spot Hidden roll. He will then bring the
players to the altar. If under siege, he will slit his own wrist, dropping
blood into the waters. Scab King will emerge to the surface in 1d. 10 +2
minutes.
King of Scabs: The extremely disgusting and highly dangerous mask of
Nyarlathotep must be brought onto the physical plane by spell. Nyarlathotep
cannot enter the world behind this mask without assistance. Once on the
planet, he may deem the wizards who brought him forth useful, granting them
spells, knowledge, and machinery. If he feels the followers are of no use
to him, he will destroy them without hesitation.
Description: The King of Scabs is a tightly muscled humanoid figure about
six feet tall, covered in open boils, sores, and cuts. Many of the wounds
have scabbed over, but soon will reopen and pus will flow freely. His eyes
are set deep into his head, all black with white pupils. His mouth opens
slightly and is covered with cankers and dried, dead flesh. No nose is
present.
Str: 35
Con: 40
Siz: 20 (appears as 6' tall man of average build, but weighs almost 325
lbs.)
Dex: 30
Int: 45
Pow: 75
Hps: 30
Attacks
Fist: 88% 1 d.6 + 2 d.d
Mist of Pus: 80% (4'x2' range). See below for damage.
Sanity Loss: 1/ 1 d.8 loss for seeing the King of Scabs. Seeing the King of
Scabs for the first time while wearing a Mask of Summoning, yields a 0/ 1
d.6 Sanity point loss.
Armor: Only blunt damage weapons, (hammers, clubs, large sticks, maces,
sledge hammers), do damage to the beast. Critical hits by projectile
weapons knock the creature down, and disallow all his attacks for the round.
However, he is unarmed and jumps up at the beginning of the next round. If
he is brought to zero hit points, the real form of Nyarlathotep bursts out
of the skin and heads screaming into the sky. Sanity rolls are needed with
a 1 d.10/ 1 d. 100 loss. If players are wearing a Mask of Summoning, the
loss is 1 d.6 / 1 d.20.
Special Attack: Mist of pus. The King of Scabs can, once every combat round,
spray a four foot long, two foot wide, cone of pus and phlegm. Should this
filth land on a living creature, any clothing or hair is immediately
disintegrated within the effected area, with 1 d.6 points of damage to the
flesh due to the above boiling temperature of the liquid. For every 2
points of damage, one point of Appearance is permanently lost.
Investigators must immediately submerge themselves in water or continue to
take this damage for another two rounds, doubling each time - 1 d. 6, 2 d.6,
4 d.6.
The Final Battle: Grier refuses to be taken alive and will use magic and
guns to the very end. The King of Scabs will just as readily kill him as
any other person present on the altar. If The King of Scabs loses more than
half its hit points, he will jump into the water and sit on the bottom for a
few weeks. Eventually, it will emerge, ready to go out and bring forth
terror, madness, and discontent. If the party flees during battle, neither
Grier nor his master will pursue. Parties returning even minutes later will
find both beings gone. Grier will never be heard from again. As for the
King of Scabs, the Keeper needs to decide if this most malignant form of
Nyarlathotep ever appears again or not.
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