Copy Link
Add to Bookmark
Report
Chaosium Digest Volume 37 Number 10
Chaosium Digest Volume 37, Number 10
Date: Thursday, June 12, 2003
Number: 2 of 2
North Carolina, 1757
by Mervyn Boyd - jack@ktana.freeserve.co.uk
178 Dickson Drive, Irvine, Ayrshire, Scotland, KA12 9HB
General Info
As the title points out this scenario is set in the Colonial Era of 1757
America. A time of hardy pioneers, tri-cornered hats, and flintlocks. 1757
is a period of war. For three years England and France has been battling for
possession of these new fertile lands. Even in the Carolinas life is
turbulent. Growing rebel sentiment of independence stoke the fires of
insurrection and those loyal to the cause refuse to pay King George II's
taxes, and this often leads to run ins with Royalist troops.
The scenario contained herein is not so much a scenario, but more of an
extended event really. It can be played in one sitting, and is suitable for
all gamers - especially those new gamers who have just begun dabbling in the
mythos. It's essentially a no-brainer, so specialized characters are not
required. There is no timeframe, so events move forward as the players
progress. It has been loosely written, so the keeper must make up one or two
things should they arise.
Money & Trade
Money is always a contentious point for players - especially if they are
being hired for a job. And, back in the 1750's money in the small towns
consists of barter mostly. The good old British Pounds, Shillings, and
Pence.is relegated to officialdom, or in big cities. Bartering is best
described as swapping one item for another and hoping the other guy has
something of equivalent value which you want, and is willing to part with.
In the 1630s a law was passed that enabled full bore musket balls to be
allowed to pass as currency, but no one was allowed to accept more than 12
pence worth at a time (this worked out to be 48 balls). In addition to this,
one good quality beaver pelt could purchase either: five pecks of Indian
corn, ten pounds of pork, six fathoms of tobacco, two small axes, a pint of
shot, two pints of powder, six knives, twenty skeins of thread or two yards
of cotton. A beaver pelt also equaled the skin of: two foxes, two
woodchucks, four raccoons, one bear, one otter, or five pounds of feathers,
while a moose hide was valued at two beaver pelts. Among other money
substitutes were beer, wine and liquor, or the ability to have a person work
off a debt as a day laborer. In 1779 David Mowry purchased a book for five
bushels of corn, when a bushel of corn was valued at 12 shillings. So use
your judgment when offering terms of pay to your characters.
Fun fact: today Americans often give monetary values in terms of bucks. "It
cost me 15 bucks", for example. The term "buck" stretches back when you
could trade Buck skins as currency.
Stats for 1750's flintlocks
The flintlocks outlined in the CoC rules are for civil war era weapons.
These modifications reflect an earlier model.
Weapon Base % Damage Range Reload HP Mal
.70 Longarm 25 1d12 60 1/4 10 90
.70 Shortarm 20 1d8+2 10 1/3 8 90
Malfunctions either results in a misfire or jam. A jam could either be the
ball lodging in the barrel or the hammer jamming back. Treat a misfire with
one of the following possibilities: Maybe the flint has fallen out, or worn
away, or more likely not enough powder was used, or even more likely the
powder has gotten damp somehow. Any 00 roll has a failed LUCK chance of
breech explosion, which causes rolled damage to the musketeer.
Keeper's Info
John Campbell Munro is a wealthy landowner and is Magistrate of Ashevelle,
North Carolina - and he's in league with the scurrilous Fungi from Yuggoth.
How and when is unimportant. He just is, okay. In return for wealth, power,
and status Munro sees to it that their mining operation in the nearby
mountains remain secret. In truth, several of the town's wealthy patrons
conspire in the plot. As part of a recent (and secret) deal, Munro offered
his eldest son to the Mi-Go in return for immortality. The deal was accepted
and Munro was granted knowledge of the spell EXTEND. Our characters arrive
on the scene shortly after the taking of Munro's son, but just in time to
save the daughter of another conspirator. After seeing her back to safety,
and informing Munro of his "tragic" loss, they are sent to "avenge" him...
Player Intro
Happy Birthday! Yesterday a random character just turned the current age he
is and the revelry continued well into the night. It is now 01:20 am. He and
the rest of the party stagger through the streets having just been kicked
out the local boozer whether it's through fighting, lack of money, feeling
up the wenches... or it was simply closing time. For reasons of the plot,
nobody should be armed with weapons at his time.
If characters succeed a CONx5 check they suffer a -25 to all rolls due to
intoxication. DEX is also reduced by 2 points. Those who impale the roll
have held their liquor well and can ignore the minus. Those who fail incur
a -50 penalty and -5 DEX. A fumble sees our legless characters hit with
a -75 to all rolls, and DEX is halved (rounding down).
They then hear the screams of a woman. No roll is required. It wouldn't be
helpful if no one heard her and they all passed by. The panicked screams
come from up a nearby alleyway. Being the heroes they are, they should tend
to her help. In the dim shadows they see a woman knocked on her arse
desperately trying to scrabble back away from two attackers who are dealing
with her gentleman friend, who appears to be laying motionless on the floor.
Intruding on the scene causes a sanity roll with a loss of 0/1d6, as they
see, or think they see through blurred vision that the two attackers are in
fact two disgusting-looking winged crab-like creatures with pulsating,
throbbing brains that flicker different coloured hues. A muted buzz come
from them. Just at that, one of them spins round and levels some bizarre
cluster of twisted metal tubes towards our characters. It spews out a cone
of icy mist in a fat cloud which envelops everyone there. Since the
characters have never seen anything like it before, they cannot dodge the
attack. The Mi-Go has a 60% chance of causing 1d10 damage to anyone hit. It
also serves to create a screen that impairs vision greatly. On the second
round the other Mi-Go completes its task and both flit up into the night sky
and away albeit clumsily.
The woman can be identified with an IDEA, KNOW, or CREDIT RATING check to
be none other than 26 year old Abigail Thorpe (16 app), daughter of Daniel
Thorpe, the local surgeon of these here parts. Abigail is scared witless and
babbles, and stared at the lifeless corpse of Lochlyn Munro - son of the
town's magistrate. Blood pools around what remains of his head. The top has
been neatly removed, and his brain is missing. This causes 1/1d4 sanity
loss. A successful SPOT HIDDEN check finds an Indian tomahawk. Looks like
Tuscarora'n made. (The Mi-Go were going to plant it to implicate an Indian
attack).
Escorting Abigail home is easily done, and Daniel will be genuinely
concerned for her safety, as will her sister and mother. They'll want to
know the circumstances of what happened. It's up to the characters to reveal
what actually happened - or run with the Indian attack excuse. The Indian
explanation will be readily accepted - despite the Tuscarora'n Indians being
driven out of North Carolina back in 1713 for this kind of thing. The only
real reward our characters can expect here is a hearty handshake and thanks.
Abigail, if she is present at the meeting will recover just enough to begin
babbling abut a monster attack. She'll be told to be quiet, given a tonic to
drink, (The keeper can award a secret PHYCHOLOGY check to note Daniel
stifling a startled look with a mix of surprise when she says monsters - as
though he doesn't want the characters to hear her obviously delusional
babble), and then she'll be sent out the room - her mother too. If, on the
other hand they are open and babble about monsters, Daniel will humour our
drunken characters, he'll give them all tonics, and then say good night to
them. After being given the bums rush, Daniel will want to know more about
the Mi-Go attack. He'll talk to Abi, then head off to speak with John Munro.
Daniel will bide his time if he sees the characters heading off to Munro's
home.
Informing John Campbell Munro of his loss has a different turn of events.
Despite being genuinely shocked and saddened by the loss, a successful
PSYCHOLOGY reveals that it wasn't truly unexpected. But there is a hint of
betrayal too. (Which is true. JCM was given assurances that his son would be
well cared for and looked after. He never expected that they would betray
him and kill his boy. Ah well, such is the price for immortality, I
suppose.) JCM, a fine judge of character, will know the characters aren't
being truthful if they say it was an Indian attack. JCM is also a little
paranoid, and already he is thinking. He knows they know about the Mi-Go.
But do they know that he knows about the Mi-Go. They know too much. The
could jeopardize everything. They have to die. Yeah, that's it. They have to
die... but how? By sending them into a trap, that's how.
If the cover story is still Indians he'll play along. JCM reveals the
location of a suspected Indian encampment about 50 miles north of here in
the smoky Mountains, at the river's fork at Edward's Folly. If they are
willing to go and raid it, and bring proof, they'll be well rewarded. Say £5
each. (Putting things in perspective, £5 is pretty decent. A barrel of beef
retails at £3. A bushel of rye or barley goes for 6 shillings, and good dry
tallow sells for 8 pence a pound.) He'll draw out a map for them (see
below). If characters specifically ask for a psychology check here, let them
sense that JCM appears to be up to something - although he'll totally deny
it of course.
If the characters are open and freely talk about monsters, JCM mentions that
he's heard of such folktales from trappers. He thought it was all rumor and
superstition. Like Bigfoot, or the Loch Ness Monster. He politely informs
the characters to not go round speaking of it lest they be though of a
simpletons or fools. Hell, even my own grandmother used to see moon-men
creeping down the walls after she had a skin-full. If what you say is true,
then may I suggest you speak to Crazy George the prospector. I understand
he's in town this week spending what meager gold he's found on rotgut. He's
mentioned once or twice seeing things out there. He might be of help.
As soon as the characters leave JCM's home, he'll give them time to make
sure they're not coming back, and then he's out the backdoor casting Contact
Mi-Go in order to warn them of their involvement, and that they're going to
have company.
Crazy George
Seeing as it's now about 2:00 am, it might be an idea to go home and sleep,
and talk to George in the morning. Everybody wakes the next morning a little
refreshed and suffer no penalties, except for those who had -75. They now
suffer -25 until noon. Players soon find George as they bounce around town.
He's having his breakfast: eggs, bacon, fried bread, and coffee. He sits
alone. He knows what people think of him, but what do they know. There's
gold in them thar hills. They also say living alone with nothing but a mule
for company can't be good. Heaven knows what he gets up to on those cold and
lonely nights. George is more interested in eating than talking and gives
short answers. He's intensely guarded about where he goes, what he does, and
what he sees and hears. He will be offended if the characters try to ply him
with booze: "I only drinks with me own money, and I'm particular aboot who I
drinks with". If they persist in getting him to talk about the strange
things he's seen, he'll take a bite of toast and say: "Pay it no mind.
Ramblings from a crazy old man tanked up on booze. Man, that stuff'll addle
yer brain and loosen yer tongue".
Unless the characters expressly admit that they've seen stuff and describe
certain particulars, or succeed a FAST TALK or PERSUADE roll, they'll get no
help. If they do, George mulls over what they say, finishes his breakfast by
mopping up the grease with his toast and confides: "Well ok. It's nothin'
really. I gots a spot aboot 12 miles away at a bend in the river, an' I've
seen 'em up in the trees. I don't know whats they were or wheres they come
from. But there they were. I hid and watched. They were doin' nuthin' but
colectin' leaves. They neva saw me though, but I saw them... The first time
I saw 'em when I was prospectin' Edward's Folly. It was aboot then when I
found this...." He produces a large clear pebble-sized crystal with a crack
in it's centre. "I calls it the Devil's Eye. If ya hold it up at the light,
and looks through it, it changes to ... like fire." Anybody who picks it up
and peers through sees that the crystal's interior suddenly changes to a
fiery hell, and takes the form of an slit eye that looking back. To all
others around the table nothing seems to happen, but the viewer loses 1/1d4
sanity for the experience. This is about as much help as George can be,
except for drawing out a map should the players want one.
The Great Outdoors
The Great Smoky Mountains rise to above 6000 feet and is densely forested
terrain. The town of Asheville is situated on a plateau between mountains on
a confluence of both the French Broad and Swannanoa Rivers. Winter is cold
and summers are cool. The thick lush forest and valley floors are home to a
great variety of wildlife including Virginia Deer, Opossum, Raccoon,
Squirrel, Fox and Black Bears. At lower levels Pines, Oaks, Hickory, and
Poplar make up the majority of trees, and gradually give way to Birch,
Beech, Maple, Hemlock, and Spruce at the higher altitudes. The rich
undergrowth consists of Rhododendron, Azalea, Camellia, Dogwood, and Orchid.
For the most part, our characters are away from roads, tracks or trails so
travel by foot will be long and hard - but not to arduous for our rugged
characters. Occasionally, the way forward thins sufficiently to be regarded
as easy-going. Moving cross country through hilly rugged woodland limits
travel to 2.25km/h (1.4 mp/h). Swamps and marches are also widespread. A ten
hour hike gets our hikers from Asheville to Edward's Folly in four days -
give or take. The characters can knock off a day if they travel by canoe.
The river just happens to flow in their direction, but then, they'll have to
contend with rapids and waterfalls. Horses are only really useful if you
need to get someplace quickly over suitable terrain. It's not really
horse-friendly country out there. If players are persistent and want horses,
it's still gonna take four days to get there. They'll probably end up
leading them by the halter anyway for most of the difficult terrain.
The outward journey is generally quiet and unassuming - the weather being
the most problematic thing to put up with. To break the monotony, the keeper
is free to throw in various random events, some useful, others less so. You
can vary the order in which they are presented, use 'em time and again,
ignore them, or even throw in some of your own devising. There is enough
small game to hunt to sustain our characters.
Weather
Weather in mountainous areas is notoriously unpredictable at best. Within a
few minutes clouds can roll in and turn a bright sunny day into a freezing
downpour. On the higher exposed peaks blustering winds is a major problem.
Generally, at this time of the year weather ranges from 60-80 degrees
Fahrenheit, with 70% humidity, with moderate precipitation. The morning
usually sees the Smokies enveloped in a thick mist of low lying cloud -
which gives them it's name. The mist usually burns off by midday. It's up to
the keeper to include weather or ignore it completely. Those who fail to
take shelter from bad weather or torrential rain are soaked and chilled to
the bone. Until they can get warm and dry, characters suffer minus 2 from
their STR, CON, DEX, and INT stats, and -20 to all rolls. Any more of this
and they might die of hypothermia.
Every six hours, the keeper should pick (or roll a weather effect) from the
following.
Light / Moderate / Heavy Rain Light / Moderate / Heavy Fog
Light / Moderate Wind Nearby / Distant Thunder
Overcast Bright & Sunny
Events / Encounters
* The earth begins to tremble beneath foot. The effects are very slight, so
no worries. The mini-quake lasts about 45 seconds then subsides. Sanity loss
0/1 because it's unnerving. There is a 15% chance this occurs on a daily
basis. Eventually the characters become accustomed to it.
* A Black Bear comes into camp around 5am and begins to snuffle about, even
to the point of nudging characters with its nose. The bear will make off
with someone's pack should there be food in it. If characters act
threatening towards it, the bear will rear up on it's hind legs and roar and
may well attack out of self defense. If they take it easy and ignore the
bear and there is nothing to find the bear simply wanders away.
* A SPOT HIDDEN check allows keen-eyed characters to see that the nearby oak
trees have had the majority of their leaves removed. They're not lying on
the ground, and no tracks can be found.
* The party wander into a less dense part of the woodland which affords a
quicker pace. Sadly there are 1d4+2 Mi-Go here collecting leaves and are
disturbed. They decide to attack. The first sign that something is up is the
lack of animal noises, then the sound of wings beating, and a rustling of
leaves overhead. Looking up, the characters must check for surprise as they
see the Mi-Go drop down. These Mi-Go are not armed, and so must fight with
pincers only. For Mi-Go stats see your rules.
Stunned characters lose the round, but those who succeed can act as normal.
If the Mi-Go lose half their number, the remaining few will try to fly away
using the tree canopy as cover. Vision is obscured when firing through the
tree canopy. Reduce all chances to hit by half for one round's worth of
shooting.
* Those succeeding a SPOT HIDDEN check (keeper should roll) see 1d3+1 thing
flying awkwardly in this distance. At first they look like big eagles, but
then the realization hits them that it's more of those crab-creatures. They
are too far out to be effectively shot at. They appear to be carrying full
sacks beneath them. They also seem to be flying in the direction of Edward's
Folly.
* The characters come across the log cabin of fur trappers. Smoke wisps from
the chimney. The door is open. A dog strains on a rope and barks at the
characters, but nobody comes to investigate. Nobody answers calls. Traps and
snares abound. Pelts are pinned and stretched on frames, others wadded up in
tight balls steeping in a tanning solution. A TRACK roll finds a series of
pits and indentations like something a crab would make. Inside the cabin the
players find two bodies. A pot of coffee boils crazily on the stove. It
doesn't look as though the brothers had much time to react and are still
sitting there facing the doorway. Both have a look of sheer horror frozen on
their faces which causes a loss of 0/1d3 sanity. In fact, both men are
freezing cold to the touch. Mi-Go got 'em. A search of the cabin (with no
roll) finds clothing, assorted nik-naks & trade goods, food supplies, two
flintlock rifles, and enough powder and shot for 100 reloads.
* Tuscaroran Indians pickup the trail of our character and begin to shadow
them to see what they are up to. It's up to the keeper whether they want to
fight. To detect their tail characters are required to succeed half a TRACK
or SPOT HIDDEN check.
* The sound of ravens or crows is very loud just up ahead. Those who
investigate emerge upon a ghastly scene. 1d3+3 skinned corpses are strung up
in the trees and dozens of birds peck upon their flesh or the blood-stained
ground. The birds can be easily scared off. Seeing this causes 1/1d8 sanity
loss. They've been here about three days. Searching about the characters
find torn uniforms belonging to the French Army, Muskets require a LUCK roll
to be in working or serviceable order. There are powder horns, and 40
bullets per musket. Other equipment comprises, backpacks, bedrolls, trail
rations, water bladders, knives or bayonets. No sign of their skins though.
A successful TRACK roll shows that the men came in from the west. Held here
and started firing in all directions. Numerous crab-like impressions can be
found.
Getting Close
The closer the characters get to Ed's Folly, the more frequently they see
Mi-Go flitting heavily about on twos or threes. There are also more and more
leafless trees.
Crossing the River
Depending on the route chosen to come here the characters may have to cross
the river three times. Whenever this is done is up to them. The river is
generally 150 feet across, and fast moving, but not dangerous. Strong
swimmers could get across without undue danger with an appropriate SWIM
check. Those who succeed in swimming across emerge 20-30 yards downstream.
Perishables like gunpowder and maps will be ruined with undue care.
Of course, if somebody has a hatchet, and can fashion some kind of rope or
binding agent (like tree roots), they could construct a raft from the
plentiful trees. Any character who is adept at carpentry can attempt to
CRAFT WOOD to do so. All it then takes is a PILOT BOAT to get across safely.
Pooling Resources
If nobody in the party has the relevant skills (i.e. base chance or less),
do not despair. If everyone chips in and brainstorms I'm sure they could get
something up and running - well, floating. Average everybody's INT, DEX &
Craft wood stats, then double it, for a basic chance of success despite not
having the relevant skills. A failed result while making the raft doesn't
mean it's instantly going to fail or break apart. See below:
Impale / Success
The raft is of good solid construction. Quality workmanship. Everybody can
tick the skill.
Failed by 25%
It looks shabby, but seems safe enough providing it isn't overloaded. There
is a 5% chance it breaks apart 1d100% of the way across.
Failed by 50%
The raft is frail, and won't take much weight - say two people at one time.
So several crossings may be required. There is a 25% chance it falls apart
if two people are on board. Increase this by 5% per additional person.
Failed by 75%
The raft looks incredibly dangerous. It's already falling apart as it's
being dragged to the water's edge. I wouldn't risk it. I don't think you'd
get half way across. There is a 40% chance it immediately sinks.
Fumble
It's a friggin' death-trap. Even the woodworm are abandoning ship.
Controlling the Raft
This is similar to swimming across. Succeed the roll and you land a wee bit
downstream. A failed roll results in the raft being washed along for 50
yards before another roll can be made. A fumbled roll results in something
bad happening such as a random character (or piece of equipment) falling
off, the punt stick being ripped out of grasp, a percentage chance the raft
begins to break apart. Keeper's use your judgment. Of course, maybe a
swimmer could swim across and tether the raft to a sturdy tree...
Edward's Folly
Eventually they arrive at the fork in the river at Edward's Folly. After
crossing the river for the first or last time they must spend as much as
half a day combing the hillsides in order to find the alleged caves. It
might take a few days trudging about to actually find the mine. Perhaps, if
they are lucky, they can just blunder on it. For every four hours of
searching there is a cumulative 10% chance that they get within the right
place at least.
Sooner or later the characters make their way to a tree-line on the lower
slopes of a small plateau, beyond which is an extensive clearing. All the
trees and foliage has been removed. A mouth of a cave is seen, but rather
than the irregular natural formation, the characters see that is exactly
square in shape. A Mi-Go flies in from overhead, oblivious to our character
down below. It's carrying a large sack stuffed full of leaves. It enters the
cave. Dozens of Mi-Go tracks are seen on the ground. A SPOT HIDDEN check
spots twelve one-foot square slabs of a lack-luster crystal, which cannot be
identified. They are arranged, at six-foot intervals into an arrow point,
pointing directly to the cave mouth, around which three more have been
placed. At night the crystals illuminate brightly, and can be seen from
miles from the air. They act as homing beacons.
As the characters gather round the mouth of the cave a LISTEN check
succeeded by half hears a faint distant clanking sound. Unbeknownst to them,
they now stand at the entrance of a Mi-Go Mining Outpost. Here a small
detachment of Mi-Go mine the abundant feldspar (a group of rock-forming
minerals consisting of Silicates of Aluminum, Potassium, Sodium, Calcium,
and rarely Barium), and Lithium.
Main Tunnel
Like the cave mouth, the tunnel is square in shape, and very, very even save
for eight continual striations or gouges 18 inches wide and 3 inches deep on
each of the four surfaces. The shaft measures 20-feet wide, by 20-feet high,
and 250-feet long. It is unerringly straight and almost smooth. In fact it
resembles fine sandpaper. Waaaay at the far end, the tunnel turns sharply to
the right with absolutely no imperfections. Every corner is exactly 90
degrees square. It's like a master stone mason of supreme skill carved it,
but who or what could've done it remains a mystery.
1. Food Preparation
The first opening the characters come to, opens into a large irregular,
seemingly normal-looking cavern about 100-feet long and 40-feet wide.
Bizarrely, the room is jam-packed with a mix of mulch and leaves. A thick
fungus spreads over it. Two Mi-Go are here.
These Mi-Go are farmers (or drones) and spare no effort in gathering leaves
from the abundant forests. Dozens, or in deed hundreds of these workers, in
the larger colonies mash the leaves to a pulp, then wet it with a liquid
secretion from their abdomen and add it to a pile of similarly treated
leaves. The fungus that sprouts from the mix is tended to and harvested for
food, and the Mi-Go often transplant tufts of fungus to new batches to
encourage growth. The fungal growth is the mainstay of Mi-Go nutrient
intake, and it's cultivation is vital. These, Mi-Go gardens can be enormous,
often sprawling over dozens of levels.
2. Habitation Chamber
Before we proceed inside, it should be mentioned that the sound of machinery
can be heard from up ahead. This is another seemingly natural chamber,
similar in size to the first one. When it's time to rest, the Mi-Go come in
here and perch atop rocky outcroppings or within niches like gargoyles. The
chamber is dimly lit, and in the shadows there are, at any one time, 6d3-6
(0-12) Mi-Go sleeping. Only excessive noise will disturb their rest. The
Mi-Go sit there, unmoving, except for their slightly fluorescent fuzzy
pulsating brains. A buzzing resonates through out. The strange buzzing
causes 1/1d4 sanity loss.
* There is a 25% chance that the entire mountain begins to tremble and
shake. It lasts for 30 seconds. This causes 1/1d4 sanity loss.
3. Brightly lit cavern
The cavern is largely empty except for a ten-foot tall statue of a
three-legged monster, with clawed appendages. Instead of a face, it has just
a singular long blood-red tentacle. Placed within niches of the cavern are
eighteen shiny metal cylinders, each a foot high and a little less in
diameter. All have three curious-looking sockets arranged in a triangular
formation on the front surface. Six of the canisters contain the living
brains of assorted people. Why they are here, and for what purpose only the
Mi-Go can say. Perhaps they are occasionally sacrificed to Nyarlathotep -
but that's only this writer's assumption. In one of the cans is Locklyn
Munro's brain. Well, the Mi-Go did say they'd look after him.
4. Processing Chamber
As the characters approach the mouth of this vast chamber the noise gets
louder and louder until it's a thunderous din. Unfortunately the characters
cannot proceed into the chamber as the floor suddenly gives way like the
edge of a cliff. All they can do is stand at the precipice and marvel at
what's inside. It seems to be a vast foundry or processing facility of some
sort that spans several levels. It looks about a half mile deep. There are
machines of such futuristic design and conception that they boggle the mind
beyond rational comprehension. For seeing this everyone loses 1d3/1d8
sanity. From this vantage point we see, laser drills burning into the rock
creating vast plumes of white/gray smoke, presses, milling machines,
stamping machines that pound rock into granules,conveyor belts, sifting
machines, smelting units, white hot forges, and other weird grating and
clashing and rotating machines. There is a continual sheet of fiery sparks
and an occasional belch of flame which throws off a searing heat that washes
over the characters. At least a dozen Mi-Go are seen flitting about tending
to the machines, or pushing carts across stony walkways and gantries,
several of which lead into a storage rooms, where the processed ore and
minerals are transported through a Gate. Where that goes is for the keeper
to decide.
Of course, the first instinct our characters should have is to refuse to go
any further. No way, no how. Not on your life. And, not even for two Scooby
snacks. Anybody who does want to proceed further must climb. Without proper
precautions or equipment the climb is extremely hazardous, and if you fell
from here you'd be turned into instant raspberry jam upon impact.
5. The mine
If you thought room 4 was big, get a load of this. It's at least three times
as big. It's pitch black in here, and similarly to room 4, the entrance
suddenly gives way to a cliff edge. Echoing deep within the inky blackness,
the characters hear a the occasional squeal or grind of metal against rock.
The ground continuously rumbles and tremors here. Set on an automated course
here is a Mi-Go Mining machine that hews the mountain rock as though it were
hard cheese. Occasionally the machine hits a particularly hard bit and
begins to stammer, which causes the mini-earthquakes. Other than the mining
machine there is absolutely nothing of interest to the characters within
this gargantuan abyssal chamber.
Even if the characters could get up close to the mining machine's control
panel, the chances of anyone knowing how to use it correctly is just not an
option in the 18th century. Simply turning knobs, flipping switches or
whatever will certainly throw it off it's original course causing untold
damage of the keeper's choosing. It could even just plunge straight down
towards the planet's core carving a tunnel until it is destroyed by magma.
Getting Spotted
On a roll of a 1 or 2 on a d10, a wandering Mi-Go comes across, or at least
sees the characters. Rather than tackling them itself, it summons
reinforcements who attempts to capture the characters, rather than killing
them outright, unless the threat is too great. As security one or two Mi-Go
might arm themselves with mist projectors, and arrive later. Those who are
captured are given the one-time-chance of becoming an agent of them. Refusal
to do so results in the character being killed, or at least have their
brains put in a cylinder for some unspecified purpose. Those who agree are
made to swear a binding oath for which they lose 1 POW. They are then told
to basically go about their normal lives, but see to it that the Mi-Go
operation are kept secret. In return for loyal service, agents are to expect
wealth, and status. Those who become especially trusted and loyal will be
taught Contact Mi-Go spell. Additionally, from time to time, agents will be
called upon by the Mi-Go to carry out some kind of function which must be
carried out. Additionally, a surgical neural clamp will be
implanted into the brain so that if at any time the character thinks about
revolting against his masters, he will suffer excruciating headaches.
What Now?
Well, putting it simply; our characters aren't in a position to do much of
anything, and that might not make them happy. Obviously they'll have to
destroy the Mi-go mining operation somehow. But how, and is there any more
of it that we've not seen yet? Other than a few caverns within the
processing chamber, this is all there is, fortunately. In total there are
about 50 Mi-Go stationed here. There's always about 30 working in the
processing chamber, and the others rest, or are out gathering leaves.
The wisest course of action is to retreat and come up with some kind of
plan. Seeing as there is no time frame involved they can take as long as
they want. The keeper should listen to the course of action they finally
decide upon and judge its validity for success. Obvious options would be to
1) Go back to town, round up a militia and come back armed for bear, 2) Go
back to Asheville, buy up all the gunpowder they can and hope to blow the
mines up, and 3) Leave, and never come back. I have deliberately left this
open so that the keeper can tailor it to suit his/her scenario. Deal with it
as you want. There is a fourth option, they could also head back into town
and talk to JCM. They might even suspect him anyway. If they want to try and
blow the mines, the keeper could arbitrarily just decide that the Mi-Go have
extensively weakened the mountain through over-mining... a fact they might
spot with a GEOLOGY check.
Returning to John Campbell Munro
One of JCM's Negro servants opens the door and explains the he's not in.
Would they like to come back later. (This is true. JCM isn't in. He's out in
the woods about to cast the EXTEND spell.) Players might not believe the
servant who can be easily pushed aside. JCM's family will protest at this
outrage. The don't know anything of importance. They certainly don't know
about JCM's dealings with Mi-Go. At an opportune moment have a 12 year old
son of JCM enter the parlor behind the characters. He's armed himself with
a musket and he ain't afraid to use it (Musket 25%, 1d12 damage, Dex 12,
9hp). Being the man of the house when his pa's away he tells the character
to "sling their hook and git". As characters swoop through the house looking
for JCM or something else, they see that the house is opulently furnished.
While in the master bedroom, a SPOT HIDDEN check while looking about has a
character glance out the window. He sees a big bonfire through the trees
about half a mile away. If asked about it somebody says "John said he had to
take care of some business, but wouldn't say what"
A careful search of JCM's private study uncovers a hidden diary with a
successful SPOT HIDDEN check
The Diary
It makes for an interesting read. In it, he tells of the Mi-Go mining
facility deep within the Smokies about 50 miles away. They've been here for
"quite some time", and their existence must never be revealed. In return for
this help, JCM and other members society are involved, those being: Doctor
Cedric Beckerson, Notary David Collier, and Magistrate Nelson Phillips.
Through this they plan to grow fat, rich, and powerful - while at the same
time fund the rebellion against that tyrant King George II. JCM then goes on
to explain that he's recently made a secret deal with the Mi-Go - to which
none of the other conspirators are privy. In exchange for his eldest son,
and continuing loyalty, the Mi-Go have bestowed upon him the knowledge of
immortality.
Into the Woods
Without wasting time, the characters can rush off towards the bonfire. They
have a chance of getting there just in time. Everybody should roll 5d10 plus
the average of their DEX and CON. Characters arrive in descending order one
round after each other. If anyone rolls 50 or more they get there just in
time to intervene, otherwise it's too late - the spell is complete and JCM
is immortal.
As long as someone gets 50+ then they burst in on a scene where they see JCM
standing before a roaring fire. His back is towards the character. He's
speaking in some gibberish, and holds a big crystal above his head with both
arms and is about to smash it on the ground. JCM has a 50% chance of hearing
the disturbance behind him.
Shooting JCM may be the first thing that happens. The powerful blast from a
.70 musket throws him forward and almost into the fire. JCM has a 35% chance
to remain on his feet. Sadly, the crystal is dropped and has a 50% chance of
shattering in a flash as it's stored magical energy is released. If it
breaks, the bonfire instantly flares up and takes the form of a huge (siz
30) fiery bull that causes 1d6/1d20 sanity to see. The entity remains silent
for the duration, and waits until the ritual is complete or until it knows
nothing is going to happen - after which it just vanishes and the fire
returns to normal. JCM, if he's still alive, cannot command the beast to
attack, and nor will it simply because it can. JCM tries to plead for time
and his life: "let's be reasonable about this", "Let's talk", "I'll make it
worth your while" He'll say what he can "so long as you let me live!" If
asked what he's doing he'll brazenly admit that he's bargaining with the
minions of hell for immortality.... If at any time JCM can smash the gem and
utter these words, he will:
Oh, nameless, and ageless emissary of the realms of darkness
I beseech thee, Grant me, this day, Immortality.
As soon as those words are spoken, the ritual is complete, and the fiery
bull speaks but one word: "Granted" then vaporizes in a pall of thick black
smoke. JCM is now immortal. What he doesn't realize though, is that he can
still be killed. Immortality in this case just refers to not dying through
old age or disease...
If on the other hand the characters merely interrupt JCM, he'll stop what
he's doing and turn round and lower the gem. The spell is pretty much
complete, all he needs to do is smash the gem, and recite a line. "Ah, I see
you survived your trip. No matter. You are just in time to witness my ascent
to immortality", he raises his arms to smash the gem. (JCM has a DEX of 14,
and 13hp he is unarmed)
An important note on the spell EXTEND
The spell grants immortality to the caster, as outlines earlier. It costs 3
POW, 3d6 sanity, and 100mp. (The gem conveniently holds 100mp). The spell
requires a great fire, and the ritual summons some sort of entity - in this
case a fiery bull, although anything could turn up. The ritual creates a
pact between the caster and the entity, in which the entity ages instead of
the caster. If the caster then dies, the being replaces him on earth, while
the caster's corpse is magically sent to the dimension from which the being
came. If JCM is killed after being granted immortality, his body begins to
glow and a phantasmagoria of swirling coloured light begins to envelop him.
He also begins to levitate off the ground. All this causes 1/1d4 sanity
loss. At the same time the characters hear the trampling of hooves, and the
bellowing of a bull. The smell of sulfur is almost overpowering. The corpse
then disappears. Anybody who is remaining risks being trampled by the
charging bull. A DODGE roll gets out it's way, and once it's here it'll do
what bulls do best - RAMPAGE.
The Bull
STR CON SIZ DEX INT POW MOV HP
45 75 30 13 20 25 10 53
Db: +4d6
WEAPON ATTK % DAMAGE Armour: 10 point thick hide
Trample 80 3d10+db
Bite 50 2d6 Sanity: 1d6/1d20
Gore 70 1d10+db
Special
Since the bull is on fire, any flammable thing it touches runs the risk of
catching fire.
Water causes 1mp loss per half gallon poured on it. If either its mp or hp
are reduced to zero, it keels over and dies. If it dies through hp loss
rather than mp, it's flaming corpse will continue to burn losing 5 mp per
hour until the flames die out leaving behind a huge charcoal briquette.
Sanity Reward
Killing the Mi-Go or Putting an end to their operation +1d10
Dealing with JCM and his cohorts +1d3 per person
Vanquishing the bull +1d20
If the bull rampages through town causing damage and killing people reduce
the sanity gain by half.
The moral: It's not always a good idea to kill the bad guy. Hahaha.
_______________________________________________
Chaos-digest mailing list
Chaos-digest@chaosium.com
http://www.chaosium.com/mailman/listinfo/chaos-digest
