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Chaosium Digest Volume 36 Number 10
Chaosium Digest Volume 36, Number 10
Date: Saturday, Oct. 4, 2002
Number: 2 of 2
The Thing from Jakarta, pt. 2
Contacting other members of the expedition
Of the 15 archaeological members listed (3 American, 2 Argentineans, 6
Japanese, 1 British (English), 2 French, 1 Canadian), seven are listed as
being killed by the rebels. Four more (excluding Stannard) died shortly
after returning home from the expedition. Official reasons of death is
either heart attack, burst appendix or another health related illness
brought on due to parasitic infection. In three of the bodies an abnormally
large parasite was found attached to the heart, lung or wherever. The
identification of the parasite has yet been unsuccessful. Any character who
reads the National Geographic or similar periodicals may be aware of these
facts as each scientist was remembered in an obituary.
The three remaining survivors (one Canadian, one American, and one French),
refuse to talk about Jakarta. They are well aware what happened. Fortunately
they are safe and free from infection. If the players visit the American who
lives in New York they require a FAST TALK or PERSUADE check for him to
reveal more. He'll give an account on how they unblocked a passage way and
found in the tunnels beyond a cave full of goo and small maggot-like eggs or
something. And that's when they attacked. "Those things. I couldn't believe
it. Creatures totally unknown to nature. We ran but most of us didn't make
it. They were killed by those things. They came from nowhere. Black as
night. I saw Jackson, the British guy, chopped in two at the waist. He had a
kid on the way." His account becomes more sketchy as he tells it. The
players see that his mind isn't here, but rather he's reliving the
nightmare. "The rest of us got outta there and kept on running through the
jungle. The next thing I know I was in hospital. It was two weeks later and
heard that the dig was over and Jakartan Commandos went in and destroyed the
site. I was lucky. I don't know anything else. Please go."
Javan legends and lore
Anybody who expresses an interest in Indonesian myths, legends or lore can
hit the books are the local library or talk to an expert on the subject. The
Internet may even dredge up information. Depending on what specific
information the player wants, research can take as little as half an hour to
several hours. Essentially this can be found: The mythology of Indonesia is
largely similar to Indian mythology and can be read in the epic tales
Mahabarata and the Bhatarayuda. Some indigenous native tribes do adhere to
occult practices rich with shamanistic practices, witchcraft, voodoo, and
sacrifice (not human though, or in very rare circumstances), but this is
generally frowned upon in civilized towns and cities - the practice of which
is punishable by imprisonment or death.
As the search unfolds a character might pick up a 1926 copy of Nicholas H.
Gutteridge's book, Primal Mythology of Indonesian Tribes. Those making a R/W
ENGLISH roll learn that tribal occult is rife with ghosts and demons and
realms in which they live. One legend pertains to an infernal realm deep
within our planet where a great race of demons live (an equivalence to Hell
you might say), and it is also said that on occasion a demon has found its
way to the surface where it lays waste to the people. For that reason it is
forbidden to enter caves and tunnels and it became tribal duty to seal these
entrances for ever. Certain tribes people still observe this practice.
Legend speaks of several tribes being utterly decimated by a demon almost
1000 years ago.
Oral tradition describes the demons as immense crab-like creatures with
numerous many angled limbs, standing nearly 10 feet in height. Its colour is
as black as pure onyx with a head that is sightless and faceless save for
its mouth. The demons are covered in sharp spines and ridges that can easily
slice a man in two.
Assorted Events
The keeper must set the events to coincide with his/her timeline. See the
timeline for pointers as to what can happen. Make stuff up yourself if you
want. Plan your events. Know where and when they occur.
Talking to the sewer workers.
The concerns of the sewer workers soon appear in the local press or news
broadcasts. These may interest the players and they might want to talk to
some of the sewer workers. Detective Weaver is interested, and so far he's
the only one who isn't utterly discounting their claims. The sewer workers
will talk to him since he has a legitimate reason for questioning them, but
they will be skeptical of our players' motives, but if the players are
sincere and can convince them (FAST TALK or PERSUADE) that they also believe
in what's in the sewer, then perhaps they might find out a bit more
information. Everyone will be spooked to some extent. One or two may even
have hit the bottle for comfort, and nobody's willing to enter the sewers as
a guide: "F*** that s*** man", comes one colorful reply.
Tantalizing information is all that can be obtained at the moment. Give
vague descriptions of the monster - which may or may not tally with what
somebody else says. "It was big and black. Like nothing I've ever seen
before", says one. "It wasn't no flushed pet alligator, I can tell you",
says another. "It's not of this earth". "It was all over in an instant,
there we were talking about last-night's ball game, then whoosh, it grabbed
Harry and dragged him under. We tried to help but there was no trace. All we
found was his hard hat and some of his blood". "I didn't see it, but I could
smell/hear it." "Yeah, I saw it. It was eating something. I didn't stick
around". "It was a black blur of teeth and claws".
The players can learn the locations of the sightings and plot them on a
plan of the sewers. Sightings come from everywhere, but by far the densest
area is just off Bloomfield Place & Clay Street. D'you think it means
something?
Talking to the police
As events progress, players may want to do their own investigation. All in
all there's not much to learn, other than who gets attacked and where it
happened. Without proper contacts or reasons, there's no reason why the
police would divulge information beyond public notifications to the players.
This is also true if the players try to talk to the pathologist who performs
the post-mortems on Stannard, the homeless person and whoever else winds up
on his slab in the morgue. There is one detective (Detective Ernest Weaver)
whom the keeper can throw in and use as much or as little as he / she feels.
Detective Weaver
At first he's antagonistic towards the players for whatever reason, but he
can become an ally. He has the knack of turning up places whenever the
keeper wants. If the players happen to be there also then so much the
better. With Weaver as an enemy, he'll have no second thoughts in arresting
the players for breaking and entering, contaminating a crime scene, or
busting 'em for a broken tail light.
This career cop was once a powerful man, but now though age he is beginning
to sag and fill out, but his attitude hasn't changed one bit. He has white
closely cropped army style hair, and has a facial scar running from his left
temple, down his cheek and across his chin and jaw. He's not soft spoken.
Abrasive. Direct, and always to the point. Firm but fair. Nothing personal.
This no nonsense detective hates things getting in the way when on a case.
He's a cop who never goes off duty. He just needs to look at somebody and
he'll know if they're hiding something, up to something, or just downright
dirty. If he sees something / somebody not to his liking he's very likely to
act on impulse, and this attitude has caused trouble in the past.
Should Weaver take a liking to the players, he might divulge a little bit
more information. He might say that for some reason he does believe the
sewer workers when they say there's something in the sewers, but he can't
act on it using departmental resources. They won't allow it, so for now he's
limited to his own private investigation. He might also reveal that he's
been down the sewers, and the only thing he found was a bit of strip of skin
hanging from a broken pipe. He carefully produces it for anyone wishing to
take a closer look at it. The slough of stiff rubbery skin, light brown in
colour, measures 2" by 5". It is as rough as shark skin. Rougher even, and
anyone handling it without gloves has their LUCK chance to avoid taking one
point of damage from its abrasive surface.
Should Weaver think the players may be of use to him, he may enlist their
help for a more thorough search of the sewers. With him as an ally, he might
be able to procure some additional hardware in the way of armour or
shotguns. But not assault weapons or explosives. Weaver has an 80% CREDIT
RATIING, and can almost certainly get some stuff for himself. For each
additional person he has to outfit, he loses 15 percent. So, for a party of
four he'd lose 60%. He only has one chance to get the equipment, but if he
calls in favours he can get another chance.
The Sewers
Eventually the players must venture down into the sewers to continue their
search. They'll probably go through a manhole that is close to the many
strange occurrences. The manhole cover is easy to lift providing a lifting
tool is used. The ladder rungs which lead down into the murky depths are
slippery and the characters require a DEXx5 or CLIMB roll to get down safely
otherwise they fall for 1d6 damage. This can be reduced should a JUMP roll
be succeeded. The sewers beneath are dank and smells of rot and decay. The
decomposing waste serves as a food source for the thousands of rats who
dwell here. Black greasy glistening water flows down the seven feet high
tunnels.
Preparing
You don't want to simply delve into the labyrinthine underworld without
preparation. Obtaining the sewer maps can be done by visiting the Office of
Public Works or City Hall. From the charts players discover that there are
dozens of miles of sewers underlying the city. For simplicity, assume the
sewers has the exact same layout as the city map. Some of the older sewers
date back to the late 1880s, and through urban modernization some tunnels
have been re-routed, bricked up or rebuilt. Some sections even appear to be
unused. For convenience, assume there is a manhole every 800 meters. It
might be an idea to invest in some fisherman's waders and flashlights before
entry.
Some areas of the sewers have dingy grime-encrusted lights about which flies
buzz. These areas are generally at cross-sections where electrical junction
boxes, pipe fittings and other industrial cabling are to be found. The water
in the sewer ranges from ankle to chest deep in parts. For the most part,
searching the sewers will be tedious. Have your players search about for as
long as you want without success then slowly begin to up the suspense as
they get lost or closer. At intervals, players may find signs telling them
where they are in relation to the world above. Use dramatic license to
create the required atmosphere; echoing wet slaps, splashes, weird gurgles,
hisses and other noises. Shadows move, the discovery of a half eaten dog, a
human arm, footprints - human or otherwise. A monstrous ear-splitting
screech. Because of the enclosed space and the echoes created, noise may be
distorted or reverberated oddly, thus making tracking, or judging distance
by sound very difficult.
Combat in the sewers
Firing guns in enclosed spaces is a bad idea. Sound is amplified and you
might go deaf temporarily. Any time a gun is fired roll a CONx5 to check for
deafness which lasts 5d20 rounds. Half or quarter all LISTEN rolls during
this time. Explosions are far worse and may even cause structural collapse.
Gas leaks are quite normal in the sewer, as are the build up of chemically
explosive toilet cleaners and the like, so an incendiary device might
flatten an entire street, but this is left to the individual keeper to
decide upon.
Sewer Events
These events are just some of the things the keeper can throw in to add a
little more excitement. You can roll the event or pick at random. The keeper
is free to make others up, like finding half eaten body parts (human or
otherwise), slime trails, or just lying there, somebody finds a flashlight.
It is switched on, but the light is dim due to failing batteries...
Alien faecal matter
A dry crumbly, ellipsoid pellet is found. It measures six inches from point
to point, and two around its widest part. Bits of bone and hair can be found
in it. It is odorless. Flies appear to be kept at bay.
Armour Plating
At a junction where two passages meet is a large black piece of monster
hide. Part of the wall has been broken off and the characters can see deep
gouges and scoring, by both something sharp and by acid. It looks as though
it was used as a scratching post. The molded skin is hard, almost like
armour and has a few razor-like ridges on it. It measures 8" by 11" by a
1/4" thick. Anyone handling it without gloves has their LUCK chance to avoid
taking 1d4 of damage from one of the ridges.
Rat swarm
Disturbed by light, sound, or whatever, a couple of hundred rats swarm down
the tunnel towards the characters. As the rats swarm past some begin to
climb up trouser leggings and get under clothing. Those failing a CONx7
check suffer 1d3 damage from claw or bite wounds. A sanity check is required
with a loss of 0/1d3.
A Glimpse of the thing.
As the players get within ten feet of a four-way cross section a black shape
darts from one tunnel down the other directly opposite. Since the view was
fleeting no real description is available. The unexpectedness of it all, as
well as the sudden adrenaline rush causes 1/1d4 sanity loss. Anyone who can
make a DEXx1 check can fire (at quarter chance) at it before it disappears
from sight.
A loose tile/brick falls from ceiling
A random character runs a 50/50 chance of being hit with said tile or brick.
It causes 1d3 damage. Should've worn a hard hat.
Weird hissing sound
From somewhere here or there a strange slow and rhythmic
inhalation/exhalation sound is heard on a LISTEN check. It sounds close to
some, distant to others. Did anyone else see that shadow move? This could be
a good time to briefly introduce the monster as it attempts to grab one
person and drag him/her way. Perhaps it's just an audible illusion.
Broken Light
The characters come a cross a broken light and a SPOT HIDDEN check reveals
that it may have been deliberately broken. In fact several lights here
appear to have been deliberately smashed. What's it all mean?
Human Scream
The piercing and agonized scream of a human is heard reverberating around
the tunnel. Its source cannot be properly determined. The suffering of the
victim lasts three to four seconds. The scream reminds the characters what
may be in store for them and so causes 1d3/1d6 sanity loss. Anyone who loses
5 or more sanity really has the desire to leave the sewers. What remains of
the victim may be found later.
A rat falls from an outlet above
A random character runs a 50/50 chance of being hit with a rat which causes
1d4 sanity loss. The rat does not attack, it just bounces to the ground and
scurries off. As the character jumps to the unexpected event he/she may
cause a similar loss of sanity to the other characters.
A hobo's home
The investigators notice that a few feet of the tunnel wall has been removed
and placed neatly to the side. They also see manhole close by, which leads
up to a cul-de-sac behind a restaurant. Behind the hole is a tunnel, It's
mostly dry with a little seepage. This section of the sewer 'belongs' to a
solitary hobo. His home consists of a vast collection of junk of no
particular worth - all scavenged from dumpsters. The stench of rot and decay
grows as the players enter, and laying on the worm infested mattress is a
corpse. Several rats gnaw on it. A CONx3 check is required to stand the
smell otherwise the character is repulsed.
The body is in an advanced state of putrefaction. He's been here several
weeks. The mottled green/black skin is blistered, and hangs loose. Adipocere
deposits are beginning to build up around the body. (This is a naturally
occurring grayish cheesy substance which forms when bodies are left in cool
damp areas.) It is infested with maggots. Greasy decomposition fluid and
barely recognizable semi-fluid, semi-solid abdominal organs pool on the
mattress and floor. Seeing the body is horrific and causes 1d2/1d4+1 sanity
loss to those unaccustomed to viewing bodies in this kind of state. The
actual cause of death is indeterminate without a proper inspection, but no
observable gunshot, stab or violent causes are seen. Most likely he died of
tuberculosis.
The corpse is dressed in a grubby pair of Nike trainers, frayed denim jeans,
a red Chicago Bulls t-shirt, a green ex-military jacket which is covered in
peace signs, cannabis leaf patches and anti-establishment slogans. He also
wears a bandanna. Looking at the corpse the characters see that the man, who
was probably in his late 50s early 60s at the time of his death has a chain
embedded into the left side of his face and jaw. Surgically implanted by the
looks of it. It takes a KNOW roll to understand what this means. The guy was
probably a Vietnam veteran, and this type of surgical procedure was used in
certain horrific facial injuries.
Moving the corpse to search him is tricky. The epidermis is loose and tears
easily, like a skin on a custard. Without due care an arm might come away in
hand (Sanity check with a loss of 1/1d6). He has nothing to offer save for a
couple of ounces of marijuana which may be ruined.
Detective Weaver
As the players approach a four way junction they may hear the sounds of
footfalls from one of the tunnels. Just then Detective Weaver emerges
wearing a yellow hard-hat with flashlight attachment. He's armed with a 12g
pump. A Glock 17 serves as a back up and nestles in his hip holster. He's
looking for the thing to see what exactly it is and to kill it. He knows
nothing more than what the players know or can find out. As everyone stands
there shooting the breeze, the thing may make an appearance from one of the
tunnels. It's moving at an extraordinary speed and by the time anyone
hears/sees it, it is almost on top of them. Maybe everyone has unwittingly
got too close to its lair. Its target is random. Allow one round of shooting
(at -25%) before melee begins. If the thing is reduced to quarter hits, it
attempts to flee. With its acidic blood oozing everywhere it will be pretty
easy to follow as it corrodes the floor. In an attempt to save its young it
lures the characters away from its lair. Four TRACK rolls trail it to a dead
end where it waits, nursing its wounds. Trapped. This time it fights to the
end. If the players decide that's it and go home after killing the thing;
let them. If they believe it has a nest somewhere and look for it they'll
eventually find it.
The Lair
Finally, as the players draw near to the lair of the thing, they find the
temperature to noticeably rise as does the humidity. A greeny-yellow slimy
mucus begins to coat everything and gets thicker and thicker making
remaining upright a little more tricky. All movement is reduced to 4 for the
duration they're in it, and any sudden movement requires a DEXx5 check to
remain standing. With goo getting into guns they will suffer an additional
5% misfire chance - so weapons that normally misfire on a 98 will jam on a
93+. The goo also emits a nasty smell that bites into the olfactory senses
like harsh vinegar, but hardy investigators can overcome it. Prolonged
exposure might cause some respiratory problems with a build up of phlegm
that has to be coughed out.
Unless the thing has been killed already it can be found here tending her
many thousands of tiny bluish and strangely luminescent maggot-like eggs.
It's only at night when the thing leaves to go foraging outside for suitable
food. The thing is generally back a few hours before sun up. It is left to
the individual keeper to have the thing present when the players first enter
the lair or have it out prowling the sewers.
In amidst the goo are as many as 10 bodies in various states of
decomposition and consumption. They also appear to have the densest
concentration of eggs. Anybody getting too close to the eggs runs the risk
of becoming a target as one or more eggs latch on to the bare skin of a
character like a leech before it slowly begins to burrow in through the
flesh. Through natural chemical secretions the character might not feel a
thing as it happens. The larva will travel through the body to take up
residence in the intestine where it feeds like a tape worm. Slowly it
gestates until maturity, which causes no pain or suffering to the host, when
upon it begins to eat its way out - which unfortunately is very painful..
To totally destroy the brood all the characters need do is spray the entire
place down with the equivalent of 45 liters of gasoline and then throw in a
match.
Conclusion and its reward
The scenario comes to an end when either all the characters die, they defeat
the monster and destroy its eggs, or leave - never to return. If left to its
own devices the thing will continue to abduct people or animals to use as
nourishment for its young. As it happens, the authorities will eventually
figure out what is going on and will take proper action. SWAT units or the
National Guard will be dispatched to take care of things - which ultimately
is hushed up. A situation will be created in order to evacuate the area of
all civilians. The old toxic spill ploy comes to mind. But maybe, just maybe
there is somebody out there who is infected and incubating another horror,
and perhaps it's one of our players.
Killing the monster is worth 1d10 sanity
Destroying the nest and making sure there are no surviving eggs nets another
1d6.
Fighting alongside Detective Weaver bring its own reward in the guise of the
odd favour here and there.
Statistics
The monster. Lesser Independent Race
By the time the players descend into the sewers and successfully track the
thing to its lair, it will have metamorphosed into its true form. A bipedal
entity standing 7.5 feet tall; singularly black in colour, with two powerful
arms and clawed hands. Its head has no observable eyes with which to see,
has a mouth dripping ichor. Its entirety is a monstrous slab of angular
armoured plating tipped with jagged saw-toothed razor sharp ridges and
spines, with a savage looking tail behind.
The thing exists solely to survive and to create more of its kind.
STR 35 CON 26 SIZ 18 INT 13 POW 12 DEX 15 MOVE 12 HITS 22
WEAPON ATTK % DAMAGE
Claw/Grapple* 65 1d8+2d6db
Bite 90 1d12+2d6db
Tail whip 35 2d6
Armour: 20 points shell., half on critical
Spells: None
Sanity: 1d6/2d6
Combat tactics
Claw/Grapple: Instead of clawing for damage, the monster may try to grapple
a victim so that it can bite him/her next round.
Tail whip: The tail can be used in the same round as a bite or claw/grapple.
It's primarily used to knock away combatants. A critical roll however
impales the target as the saw-toothed tail rips through like a chainsaw.
Anybody unfortunate to be standing close to the thing when it takes damage
is in for a surprise. Any critical damage results in a spray of bile yellow
blood and/or stomach acids over a 3 feet area. Anyone within range has a 1/2
LUCK chance of escaping an horrific consequence. In ALL cases the use of
first aid is quite useless. Proper medical treatment from a hospital is
required. If players are wearing body armour they might be afforded some
protection before the armour is ruined, so alter the result to reflect this.
ROLL RESULT
1 The deluge of acid completely engulfs the head, neck and upper
torso of the unlucky character. He/she screams in agony as the flesh and
bone melts into a dripping mess of molten goo. Death, unfortunately is not
instant, but soon. Character loses 3 hits per round until dead. CONx1 to
remain conscious during this agonizing time. Anyone conscious loses 90% from
all skills and must make a POWx1 roll to accomplish any task. Anyone who
sees this loses 1d8 sanity.
2 The character winces in agony as a spurt of acid splashes across
an arm raising blisters and welts. 1 point of damage is taken for the next 3
rounds. Phew that was lucky.
3 The surge of acid catches the character's neck, jaw and side of
face. The acid quickly eats into the flesh, tendons and bone. A gurgling
effort of a scream is all the character can do before the jaw falls free to
one side. Still choking, the character stumbles and falls forward head first
into the floor with a wet crack. Dead. Seeing this causes 1d8 sanity loss.
4 The pain is unbearable as the jet of acid coats the characters
right side causing painful burns. Fortunately it's not that bad. Character
loses 1 hit for the next 5 rounds..
5 The character twists to avoid the acid, but they weren't quick
enough as it splashes against their ribs, back and hip. Acrid fumes from the
melting flesh waft up as the character doubles over in a choking fit. 1
point of damage is taken for the next 6 rounds. Due to the pain the
character suffers a -35 to all rolls and movement is reduced by 2 for the
next 6+1d6 months..
6 The feeble squirt of acid just barely catches the character on
the thigh and causes 1 point of damage.
7 The character grits his/her teeth to stop from screaming as the
soft flesh, cartilage and bone of the knees and lower legs turn to jelly. 2
points of damage is taken over the next 3 rounds. No movement is permissible
other than a slow hobble, crawl, or dragging. CONx7 check or fall
unconscious. Character can fight from ground at half chance. If the
character survives he/she will be wheelchair bound for quite some time,
after which their movement is permanently reduced by 3. Sanity loss 1d6.
8 The acid gushes towards the character's face and instinctively
he/she raises their hands in defense. They cry out in extreme pain as they
watch their hands and lower arms bubble, blister and begin to melt into
stumps of fizzing goo. CONx5 to remain conscious. 2 points of damage is
taken for the next 4 rounds. Hands are ruined beyond all recognition and are
useless. Sanity loss 1d6.
9 Catching the character squarely in the chest, the acid begins to
eat through revealing the ribs, muscle and what lies beneath. A CONx3 roll
is required to remain conscious, during which 2 point of damage is taken
over the next 5 rounds. Due to the excruciating pain all rolls are made at
quarter chance until proper hospital attention is administered. Movement is
reduced to 3.
10 The wave of acid hits the character across the face causing 1
point of damage for 6 rounds. APP is permanently reduced per point of
damage. On a failed LUCK roll an eye is also destroyed, which reduces all
sight-based skills by 35%. Until the pain subsides (3+1d6 hours) the player
operates at a further -25 disadvantage.
Detective Weaver
STR 14 CON 13 SIZ 16 INT 14 POW 14 DEX 13 MOVE 8 HITS 15
Skills: Chemistry 35%, Climb 60%, Computer Use 25%, Credit Rating 80%,
Dodge 53%, Drive Auto 70%, Jump 35%,Law 90%, Library Use 75%, Listen 60%,
Locksmith 35%,Occult 20%, Psychoanalysis 15%,Psychology 65%, Sneak 45%,
Spot Hidden 70%, Track 40%
WEAPON ATTK % DAMAGE
fist/punch 80 1d3+1d4db
grapple 60 Varies
club/night-stick 50 1d6+1d4
handgun 70 1d10+2
shotgun 60 4d6
Equipment: Has all the resources you'd normally associate with a police
detective.
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