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Issue 16 November-December, 1998

Free!

Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Woodson Pond . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Into the Depths . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

18

War Buddy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

29

The Archangels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

45

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Information
Editor, Writer and Art Director: Michael C. LaBossiere, ontologist@aol.com.
Cover and Interior Art: Michael C. LaBossiere, ontologist@aol.com.
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Some gaming companies permit third parties to publish material relating to their
games. Here are the current legal specifications from each company:
R. Talsorian Games
Mekton, Cyberpunk 2020 are Copyright; CyberGeneration, Castle Falk are
Trademarks.
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Call of Cthulhu is Chaosium Inc's registered trademark for their game of horror
and wonder in the worlds of HP Lovecraft. For more information, contact
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All rights reserved by White Wolf Inc., 1996. This article does not challenge any
property of White Wolf Inc.

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Contributors Guidelines1996,1997
Michael C. LaBossiere, ontologist@aol.com
Kelly Rothenberg, Lemarchand@aol.com
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Submission Format
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Woodson Pond 1998


By Michael C. LaBossiere
Ontologist@aol.com
Call of Cthulhu
Legal Information
This adventure is copyright 1998 by Dr. Michael C. LaBossiere. It may be freely
distributed for personal use provided that it is not modified and no fee above the
normal cost of distribution is charged for it. Visit the Opifex Phoenix web site at
http://user.aol.com/ontologist/index.html.
Call of Cthulhu is Chaosium Inc's registered trademark for their game of horror
and wonder in the worlds of HP Lovecraft. For more information, contact
Chaosium Inc., 950-A 56th St, Oakland, CA 94608 -- or call us at 510-547-7681. Visit
Chaosium's web page at http://www.sirius.com/~chaosium/chaosium.html.

Introduction
This adventure brings the investigators to the American South to help debunk the
claim that a tract of land is haunted. Unfortunately, the real estate agent who hires
the investigators will vanish while showing a client the land in question.
The action is set in Florida in modern times. With some slight modifications it
can be set in a different place and/or time. The adventure itself is fairly short and
straightforward, but is still fairly dangerous.

Getting the Investigators Involved


One of the investigators will receive a fax (or letter) from a college friend, Margaret
Hilton. Although Hilton sort of lost touch with the investigator, she has heard of
his/her activities through other friends of the investigator. Her fax/letter is as
follows:
Dear x,
How are you doing? Where have the years gone? It seems that only a short while
ago we were at school. As you remember, Im a bit blunt, so Ill get right to the point.
As you probably heard from Jane or David, Im working as a real estate agent in
Tallahassee, Florida. My company managed to pick up a large chunk of land near
Tallahassee that has a prime location for development. As you probably know,
Tallahassee has almost as many college students as roaches, so I could make a tidy
commission if I could sell the land to some sleazy developer.
So, you are probably asking, Why is old Margaret writing? Well, this will sound
weird, but the land is supposed to be haunted by someone or something. Some
people have even talked about a monster that lives on the land. Yes, it does sound
stupid to have a track of prime real estate left undeveloped these days because of

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some sort of superstition. Yet, it is the oddest thing: no one who has bought the land
has ever been able to complete the development. Almost as odd, no one has been
really willing to say anything concrete about it. I sort of think it is just one of those
real estate dead zones where nothing ever works (like Kevins Bar when we were in
school, which was Bills Tavern, Sams Restaurant, and about twenty other things
that never worked out). But, the land has a great location and its just perfect for
those cardboard units developers love to pack students into.
So, you are probably still wondering why I am writing. Well, I need someone to
come and do something about the land. Debunk the legend, that sort of thing. One
of our old friends hinted that you have been involved in some odd things, but that
you are still the very soul of discretion. I can offer you a percentage of the sale if you
are able to help me sell the land.
Tallahassee has an airport, although getting flights there can be a bit of a challenge.
Let me know if you want to make some easy money.
Margaret Hilton
Gulf Winds Realty
If the investigators accept Hiltons invitation, then the adventure can proceed.
Hilton will tell them that she is showing the land to a potential buyer and that they
should call her cell phone number as soon as they arrive in town. If they decline,
the investigator will learn of her mysterious disappearance.
When the investigators reach Tallahassee and call Hilton, the phone will not be
answered. If they call or visit her office, they will learn that she is not in. If the
investigator convinces the secretary that he/she is a friend of Hilton, the secretary
will say that Hilton never came to work and that she is very worried. At this point,
the investigators should realize that the action has begun.

Keepers Background
The land that Hilton is trying to sell is known locally as the Woodson plot. The
Woodson family was fairly successful in business and purchased a large chunk of
land near Tallahassee after the Civil War. The land was never really developed, but
Colonel Woodson, who married a woman from Tallahassee, had a house
constructed there in 1881. The Woodson family enjoyed a fairly solid reputation
until 1945, when John Woodson returned from the war in the Pacific.
Woodson had been a Navy pilot and was shot down in 1943 in the Pacific.
Woodson thought he was lucky when he was able to reach a small island, but he
changed his mind when he was taken captive by a the inhabitants. He quickly
learned the inhabitants, who were unknown to both the Americans and the
Japanese, were cannibals. Even worse, they worshipped a horror that dwelled in a
pond on the island. Subjected to constant torture and abuse, and exposed to the
creature, Woodsons mind eventually broke and he joined in the worship. In 1945
he was rescued by an American destroyer and brought a larvae from the horror
with him.

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When he arrived back at the family estate, he released the larvae in the pond and
kept it nourished on the blood of animals. After it grew larger, it demanded human
blood. Woodson gave it his elderly mother. Over the course of the next four
months, Woodson kept the thing well supplied with human victims. This phase of
the horror ended when David Woodson, John Woodsons brother, returned from
Europe. After David realized something horrible was going on, the two brothers
fought. The fight knocked over an oil lamp, causing the house to burn down. Both
brothers perished in the fire, but the creature lived on in the pond.
Denied regular fare, the thing in the pond went into a form of hibernation, waking
only occasionally when something disturbed its rest. Most people and animals
could feel that there was something wrong with the area and so avoided it. It also
took on a bad reputation, as people reported sometimes hearing or seeing odd things
by the pond. Sometimes the thing would take a human victim and, if the
disappearance were noted it would add to the evil reputation of the area.
The land passed from owner to owner but no one was ever able to develop it.
Workers would call in sick or simply not show up and even the owners would get a
bad feeling about the area. Eventually the area became so overgrown that it was
more or less ignored and forgotten, but not by everyone.
A few years ago some homeless people set up a camp on the land near the pond.
The thing became aware of their presence attacked them. The creature ate all but one
of them, sparring Fred Burton in return for his servitude. Fred served the creature
well by luring people into its grasp. In return, Fred was able to take any money or
possessions the victims might have.
Unfortunately, Hilton happened to drive by the land and was curious enough to
find out more about it. She was able to talk her boss into buying the land and then
she set out to sell it. She quickly learned that no one appeared to want it, mainly
because of its reputation. At this point she contacted the investigators. The night she
contacted them she took a client out to the land. Unfortunately for her and the
client, the thing was hungry that night. When he saw the two walking around,
Burton ran out of the bushes and grabbed Hiltons brief case and made sure to stay in
sight so Hilton and the client, Ted Nesk, would chase him. When he reached the
pond he stopped and the thing took Hilton and Nesk. After the thing was finished,
Burton mucked around in the water until he could find her purse and his wallet.
He then dumped the car in a bad neighborhood so it would be stolen.

Investigation
The following is useful information the investigators might be able to turn up.
Hilton and Nesk
The investigators can learn about Hilton from her office. By all accounts, she was
blunt, honest and responsible, just as the investigator will remember her from
college. There is no reason why Hilton would run off on her own.
Ted Nesk was a purchasing agent for a real estate developer. The developer he
works for does have some history of code violations and Nesk is known to have

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10

done a few shady deals. If the investigators check up on Nesk they will find that
there is no reason to believe that Nesk would have either harmed Hilton or run
away with her.
The police will find Hiltons car that night when they catch some kids joy ridding
in it. The kids will claim that some gross man just drove it into the neighborhood
and left it there, with the engine still running. The police will, of course, believe
none of this and the kids will be the prime suspects.
The kids (Tony Brown, Jamil Jackson and Henry Erics) do have minor police
records (some shoplifting and truancy) but do not seem to be the type of kids that
would kill two people and steal a car. The police will, of course, not find any
evidence that indicates that the kids did anything to Hilton and Nesk. However,
they will be charged with stealing the car and kept in jail.
If the investigators are able to talk to the kids or learn about their story (perhaps by
talking to the police or the press) they will be able to get a rough description of
Burton. However, the description would fit almost any homeless man.
Checking the Woodson Land
According to Hiltons office, she was showing a client the Woodson land. The
police will do a cursory sweep of the area (it is a large area, with plenty of brambles
and tons of kudzu) that will turn up nothing except the car tracks. If the
investigators do a careful search (a clever investigator might call Hiltons cell phone
and listen for the noise it makes) around the pond they might find Hiltons cell
phone, which she dropped when the thing grabbed her. If the investigators tell the
police about the phone, they will check the area more thoroughly.
If the police search the area more carefully, or if the investigators do, they have a
good chance of finding one of Burtons many nests. Burton has constructed, out of
various pieces of debris, discards and refuse, various hidden shelters on the land.
Searching these will turn up Hiltons briefcase. If the police find the briefcase, they
will search the area even more thoroughly and look for Burton. If the investigators
do not get the police involved, the rest of the investigation is up to them.
History of the Woodson Land
If the investigators check up on the history of the land, a check of the deed records
will reveal the land was purchased in 1881 by Colonel David Woodson. A check of
local newspaper records and such will reveal nothing unusual about the area or the
Woodson family, at least until 1945.
The following article appeared in the local paper in 1945:
Tragedy Strikes the Woodson Family
Late last night the Woodson house burned to the ground, causing the deaths of
Mrs. Evelyn Woodson, John Woodson and David Woodson. Evelyn Woodson was
well loved in the community and a regular contributor to local charities. Both John
and David served bravely during the war. David served in Europe in an armored
division while John was a Naval aviator. This tragic loss has brought sadness to our

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11

community...
Further investigation will reveal no other printed sources. However, if the
investigators talk to some of local people, they will learn that the area has a bad
reputation. For example, Bill Jenkins, who owns the land nearby, went to the pond
as a kid on a bet and saw part of the thing. He will say that he thinks he saw
something like a tentacle in the water, but he thinks it was a trick of the light and
his fear. Still, he will say, he never went near the pond again.

Maps
The map for the adventure details the area around Woodson pond. The land is
thickly wooded with plenty of kudzu growing over everything. As noted in the
Investigation section, Burton has various nests hidden about on the land. These
are not marked.
Woodson Road: The paved road that goes by the property. Colonel Woodson had
this section of the road built in the 19th century and it still bears his name.
Woodson House: The burnt out remains of the house. Hardly anything is left beside
the foundation.
Altar: The altar is made out of concrete and is covered in plants. The altar has
various odd symbols on it that were impressed in when the concrete was still wet.
The altar was made by Woodson in imitation of the stone altar used by the
islanders. Some of the marks on the altar do correspond to some known Pacific
culture occult symbols, but others are Mythos related. Successful use of the Cthulhu
Mythos skill will reveal that the symbols are mostly meaningless, although some
have a vague resemblance to marks associated with Cthulhu. Aside from the marks,
the altar is just old concrete.
Woodson Pond: The pond is murky and
has plenty of vegetation in it. It is fed by a
stream. The thing dwells at the bottom of
the pond. Bones and personal possessions
of past victims lie in the mud on the
bottom of the pond. If the pond were
dragged, one of Hiltons shoes and Nesks
toupee would be found.

Action
There are two main sources of action.
The first is Burton and the second, and
most deadly, is the thing.

Woodson
House
Altar
Woodson
Pond

N
60 ft

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12

Hunting for Burton


If the investigators learn of Burtons existence (from the kids or by finding his
nests), they will probably want to find him. Burton leaves the Woodson land
during the day to panhandle and wander about the town, trying to find people to
lure back to the thing. Trying to find Burton in town will be a real challenge, since
the investigators will not have a very good description of him. The investigators
could go after every homeless person in the city, but there are quite a few and if they
are too active the police would probably become involved.
Burton always returns to the Woodson land at night to sleep in one of his nests.
Sometimes he will bring people there, promising them food (they end up as food).
The investigators best bet of getting Burton is to search the land at night or early in
the morning before Burton leaves. Burton will try to avoid the investigators. If they
find him, he will seem nervous, but will try to bluff his way out. If he feels
threatened, he will fight and try to get to the pond in the hopes that the thing will
protect him.
Since so many things could happen with Burton, the exact events must be left to
the Keepers discretion.
Facing the Thing
At some point the investigators will have to face the thing. As noted above, it
lives in the pond. During the day it burrows deep in the muck and will avoid
revealing itself. It also will avoid large groups of people. It will attack people at night
if those people are only in small groups or alone. It will also attack if it feels
threatened.
The thing is immune to most poisons, so dumping stuff in the pond will not
harm it. It also lacks vital organs and reforms quickly, so explosives will not kill it.
There are really only two ways to destroy the thing. The first is to use magic. The
second is to kill it by getting it out of the pond and drying it out. This can be done
best by draining the pond. Blocking off the inflow will drain the pond in a couple
days and the investigators can also use pumps. When the thing realizes the pond is
emptying out, it will do its best to stop it. It will seek for any blockage and try to
destroy any pumps. Hence, the investigators will need to keep the thing busy while
the pond empties out. Naturally, the thing will fight viciously to preserve its
existence.

Conclusion
The adventure lasts until the investigators defeat the thing, they give up or are
defeated. If they destroy the thing, they should receive a 1D8 Sanity Point award. If
They simply flee, the thing will continue to take victims. Such cowardice should
cost the investigators 1D3 Sanity Points.
If the investigators are able to prove that the kids are innocent, they and there
parents will be grateful.

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13

With the destruction of the thing, the real estate agency will be able to sell the land
and make a tidy profit. Since the investigators do not have a contract with the
agency, they might get nothing for their efforts. If they are persuasive, they might be
able to get a small percentage of the commission.

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NPC

14

Fred Burton, Servant of the Thing


STR: 12 CON:11 SIZ: 13 INT:11 POW:09 DEX:12 APP: 7 EDU: 9 SAN: 00 HP: 12
DB: None
Important Skills: Conceal 45%, Fast Talk 15%, Hide 55%, Listen 55%, Persuade 24%,
Sneak 56%, Spot Hidden 37%
Weapons: Chair leg 35% Damage 1D6, Knife 40% Damage 1D4
Description: Burton has dirty black hair, a wild beard, and grey eyes. He dresses in
cast off and scavenged clothing. Burton once had a decent job, but unfortunately he
developed severe mental illness. He did seek help, but in the 1980s he ended up on
the streets and deteriorated even more. He eventually drifted to Tallahassee and had
the misfortune of encountering the thing. Burton serves the thing by bringing it
food and worshipping it. In return, he gets to keep anything he can scavenge from
the victims. Burton is cunning and careful and has established a sort of mental
rapport with the thing, which enables him to understand its commands.

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15

Mythos Beings
The Thing in the Pond
Description: This being is a hideous creature that is loosely associated with Cthulhu
and his ilk. These creatures are known to have been worshipped by a few very
depraved people in the Pacific.
The thing appears as a pale white-grey blob, with mottled splotches. From the mass
protrudes two thick tentacles that lash and twitch. The creature is horrid to look at
and typically has bits and pieces of semi-digested victims visible in its body.
The thing is less intelligent than a human being, but still thinks (in an alien sort of
way) and will act accordingly.
The thing attacks by grabbing and crushing with its tentacles. Having no mouth,
the thing rends its victims into pieces and absorbs the chunks directly into its body.
As noted below, the nature of the thing makes it very resistant to most weapons. If it
is killed but not dried out, burned, etc, it will reform itself in the pond at the rate
of 3 hit points every day. The thing is, however, vulnerable to fire and being dried
out. Each hour it spends out of water inflicts 1D3 points of damage to it and it takes
normal damage from fire. It can heal such damage, providing it can immerse itself
in water.
Characteristics

Rolls

Average

Stats

STR

3D6+6

16-17

19

CON

2D6+6

13

15

SIZ

3D6+10

20-21

22

INT

2D6

POW

3D6

10-11

12

DEX

3D6

10-11

12

HP

17-18

19

Damage
Bonus

+1D6

+2D6

Move: 4 (water) 1 (land)


Weapons: Two tentacles 45% Damage 1D6+DB
Armor: None, but the gelatinous body and lack of vital organs causes the thing to
sustain only 1 point from impaling (bullets) and blunt weapons (clubs). Slashing
weapons do half damage. Fire and acids will do full damage.
Spells: None
Sanity Loss: 1/1D8

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16

Handouts
Handout #1
Dear x,
How are you doing? Where have the years gone? It seems that only a short while
ago we were at school. As you remember, Im a bit blunt, so Ill get right to the point.
As you probably heard from Jane or David, Im working as a real estate agent in
Tallahassee, Florida. My company managed to pick up a large chunk of land near
Tallahassee that has a prime location for development. As you probably know,
Tallahassee has almost as many college students as roaches, so I could make a tidy
commission if I could sell the land to some sleazy developer.
So, you are probably asking, Why is old Margaret writing? Well, this will sound
weird, but the land is supposed to be haunted by someone or something. Some
people have even talked about a monster that lives on the land. Yes, it does sound
stupid to have a track of prime real estate left undeveloped these days because of
some sort of superstition. Yet, it is the oddest thing: no one who has bought the land
has ever been able to complete the development. Almost as odd, no one has been
really willing to say anything concrete about it. I sort of think it is just one of those
real estate dead zones where nothing ever works (like Kevins Bar when we were in
school, which was Bills Tavern, Sams Restaurant, and about twenty other things
that never worked out). But, the land has a great location and its just perfect for
those cardboard units developers love to pack students into.
So, you are probably still wondering why I am writing. Well, I need someone to
come and do something about the land. Debunk the legend, that sort of thing. One
of our old friends hinted that you have been involved in some odd things, but that
you are still the very soul of discretion. I can offer you a percentage of the sale if you
are able to help me sell the land.
Tallahassee has an airport, although getting flights there can be a bit of a challenge.
Let me know if you want to make some easy money.
Margaret Hilton
Gulf Winds Realty

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Handout #2
Tallahassee Democrat ,1945
Tragedy Strikes the Woodson Family
Late last night the Woodson house burned to the ground, causing the deaths of
Mrs. Evelyn Woodson, John Woodson and David Woodson. Evelyn Woodson was
well loved in the community and a regular contributor to local charities. Both John
and David served bravely during the war. David served in Europe in an armored
division while John was a Naval aviator. This tragic loss has brought sadness to our
community...

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Into the Depths 1991,1998


2300AD
Michael C. LaBossiere
Ontologist@aol.com
The tactical display showed a well done formation, well done for cadets, that is.
Suddenly, after the live firing exercise, things began to go wrong. Ship and aircraft
blips flashed red, then faded. Within minutes, all the blips were gone, my kid
brother among them. Satellite photographs showed the sea strewn with burning
wreckage and alive with native predators. The first rescue vessel in the area
perished quickly, as did the second. There wasnt a third.

Legal Information
This adventure is copyright 1991, 1998 by Dr. Michael C. LaBossiere. It may be freely
distributed for personal use provided that it is not modified and no fee above the
normal cost of distribution is charged for it. Visit the Opifex Phoenix web site at
http://user.aol .com/ontologist/index.html.
This item is not authorized or endorsed by Tantalus Inc. and is used without
permission. The item is for personal use only. Any use of Tantalus Inc.'s
copyrighted material or trademarks in this file should not be viewed as a challenge
to those copyrights or trademarks. In addition, this item cannot be republished or
distributed without the consent of the author.

Introduction
This adventure is set on a human colony world with a substantial amount of
water (Aurora would do nicely) and involves the PCs in an investigation of a wet
navy disaster. Do not read any further if you intend to play in this adventure.
Referees Introduction
A naval cadet training exercise accidentally re-activated a submerged alien base.
The bases computers took the cadets actions as an attack and it acted to destroy the
invaders. The rescue vessels were also seen as invaders and were destroyed. It is
up to the PCs to shut down the base before more people are killed.
Player Briefing
A naval cadet training unit consisting of six surface vessels and twenty aircraft
was completely destroyed by unknown forces. The wreckage has not been examined
and there have been no survivors recovered because any vessel entering the area is
destroyed. Satellite photographs indicate that the vessels and aircraft were fired on
from the water. When one vessel rolled over, gaping holes, similar to those that
would be produced by high energy lasers, were visible just before the ship sunk. It is

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believed that a submarine may be able to enter the area and investigate as well as
recover any survivors. The investigative/rescue force will consist of two Shark
attack submarines which will leave at night.
Referee History
An alien base was transported to the world several thousand years ago as part of
a military/scientific expedition by a now extinct race. These beings built to last and
the base is still mostly operational. It was abandoned and set on a sleep mode. One
of the conditions under which it will awaken is when it detects military activity.
The cadets live fire exercise was sufficient military activity to awaken the base,
which immediately dealt with the enemy. The base computer is convinced that
the enemies of its creators have returned and it will defend the base and the area
around it against all intrusions.
Getting the PCs Involved
PCs with appropriate occupations (military, troubleshooter, medical, etc.) can be
assigned to or hired on to the rescue team. Characters of other occupations may end
up on the team other ways. For example, a PC working for a news service may bribe
his way onto the team to get a story. Plausible reasons should be found for getting
the PCs involved.

First Mission
The first mission will be a complete and horrifying disaster. The military leaders
in charge of the mission are convinced that the stealthed Shark submarines will be
capable of entering the area without being detected. Unfortunately, this is not the
case.
When the submarines first enter the area, they will detect a large area of
electromagnetic distortion that interferes with many of the sensor and scanner
systems. It will be quickly determined that the distortion is a pod of Venries (see
details below) and the subs will plot a course to bypass them. Once the subs bypass
the interference, the subs sensors will detect that some sort of scanning beam is
being locked onto them. Seconds after this fact is reported, the submarines will be
rocked by substantial impacts. Warning lights will flash and warning sirens will
sound. The damage will be quite severe and both subs will begin to take on water. If
the PCs are on only one sub, the other will be hit again, crack open and plummet to
the bottom. The sub (s) the PCs are on will be hit again. It will lose all fire control
capacity, the engines will go off line, scanner and sensor systems will be disabled,
the escape pods destroyed, and several compartments will be flooded. The
submarine will be capable of reaching a safe depth where the crew can abandon ship,
provided the order to attempt to reach the surface is given immediately (an NPC
captain will give the order in time, if there is a PC captain it is up to him what to
do). If the order is given too late, the sub will be hit again and will plummet to the
bottom. How the PCs escape from the crippled sub is then up to them and the
referee, but it will be quite difficult as the emergency pods will have been destroyed.

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If the PCs reach the surface (either when the abandon ship order is given or via
an escape from the sunken vessel) their ordeal will not yet be over. The sea is home
to numerous predator forms which will attack humans. These creatures will be
killing people all around the PCs, but will not kill any PCs (they may take a nibble or
two, however, but nothing fatal). However, do not let the players know about their
(plot granted) immunity. Let them come up with a survival plan, and make it work
in a plausible manner. Be sure to convey to the players the horror of their situation:
Its a nightmare come to life. You can feel things moving by you in the dark water
and odd, glowing shapes are visible around you. Suddenly, one of the survivors
beside you lets out a horrible scream as she is lifted out of the water by some plated
monstrosity with bulbous eyes and row upon row of teeth. Her screams are cut short
as water floods her mouth when she is pulled under. Horribly, the cold water grows
suddenly warm around you. More screams break the night...
After the survivors have been on the surface for 10 minutes, a rescue plane will
arrive on the scene, only to be shot down in a spray of wreckage. The flaming bits of
aircraft will look very spectacular falling from the night sky and will attract some of
the larger predators up from the depths. The survivors will be able to see the lights
of a rescue ship nearby. When the survivors drift close enough, the vessel will fire
lines to the survivors. Some NPCs will get to the lines first and will be pulled
towards the boat, like fish on a line. Unfortuantely, the movement of those being
pulled by the ropes will attract even more predators and the hapless victims will be
quickly devoured. After another hellish hour or two, thePCs will drift out of the
danger zone and they will be picked up by the rescue ship and brought to shore.
There will be 2d6 NPC survivors from the ordeal in addition to the PCs.
Debriefing
After the PCs have received medical attention, they will be brought to a
debriefing session. They will be questioned about the mission. The questioners want
to know how the submarines managed to enter so far into the danger zone. If PCs
were on the bridge of one of the submarines, they might remember that they were
not attacked until after they maneuvered away from a pod of Venries. If the PCs fail
to make the connection, one of the scientists assigned to the investigation will
realize that the Venries electromagnetic fields prevented the submarines from being
detected. This realization will spur an investigation into the Venries.
Venries (Library Data)
Discovered by and named for Dr. Janet Venries, a noted French marine
xeno-biologist , Venries are large, aquatic animals that fill a role comparable to that
of the terran whale. Both are similar in that they feed on very small sea organisms
by filtering massive amounts of sea water. Venries are quite different from their
terran counterparts, however. Whereas whales are air-breathing mammals, Venries
are non-mammalian and have gills. Whereas whales rely on a natural form of

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sonar, Venries rely on the electromagnetic fields they generate to detect their food,
each other, and various objects (the sea floor, ships, etc.). Venries also seem to be far
less intelligent than their terran counterparts. In terms of size an appearance, adult
Venries range in size from that of a humpback to that of a blue whale. They look
somewhat like whales, but have three bladed flukes, thick armor-like plating on
their bodies, and have clusters of three eyes on either side of their head. Coloration
ranges from pale gray to black. The ventral regions are slightly lighter in color than
the dorsal regions.
Because their electromagnetic fields interfere with surface vessel controls, ocean
power station systems, and other electronics, a program was developed to create a
means to control the Venries in order to keep them from disrupting shipping and,
most importantly, to keep them from disrupting important underwater
communication systems and power stations. The result was an electromagnetic field
generating device which could effectively lure or drive away Venries with a 95%
success rate.
The Plan
If the PCs do not realize the potential of using the Venries as a cover, one of the
NPCs will do so. The naval planners will decide to equip a small Sea Dart
submarine with an electromagnetic device of the type used to attract/repel Venries
that was mentioned above. The device will be used to attract a pod of Venries which
will serve as cover for the submarines intrusion. Because of their great skill and
courage (as exemplified by their survival of the previous ordeal) the PCs will be
assigned to or hired for the second mission. Naturally, they will receive bonuses for
undertaking the mission so soon after their harrowing brush with death.
To aid the PCs in finding what has been doing the firing, unmanned drones will
be launched into the area every 20 minutes. Sensors will also be dropped into the
sea at the limits of the danger zone and the data will be sent to the submarine.

Second Mission
The second mission will consist of a single Sea Dart submarine, the PCs and any
NPCs required to fill out the crew. Naturally a few red shirts (the sci-fi equivalent of
spear carriers) should be brought along to be killed by the bases defenses.
Entry
The submarine will submerge and cruise around until a pod of Venries is
detected. This will take about an hour, using the electromagnetic device in the Sea
Dart to lure them in. Once the pod is detected, the device will be used to get them to
follow the submarine. The presence of the Venries will conceal the submarine. The
submarines systems have been shielded to protect them from the electromagnetic
emissions of the Venries. The submarine can still use its sonar, but its radar and
radio systems will be useless while the vessel is in the field. Communication will be
maintained via a laser communicator (this will become increasingly unreliable the
deeper the sub goes) and several radio buoys are available to send messages. These

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buoys consist of a recorder and a broadcaster. If launched, they will destroyed 2


minutes after they start transmitting. To see if anything exciting happens on the way
in, roll 1d10 each hour. On a 1, something happens. If something happens, roll on
the following chart:
Roll
1
2-3
4
5
6

Event
Electromagnetic device fails and the Venries begin to
swim away. Repair difficulty is up to the referee.
Predators (generate some large aquatic predators) attack
the Venries and begin to drive them away. The PCs must
deal with them or lose their cover.
Minor annoyance (strange smell in air system, lights
flicker) Task will be simple.
Minor malfunction in the submarine (hatch stuck, minor
systems failure, etc.). Task will be routine.
Serious malfunction in the submarine (sonar failure,
drive failure). Task will be difficult.

Ocean Pyramid
After three drones are destroyed in the zone, the sensors will have gathered
enough information to determine the location of whatever is doing the shooting in
the danger zone. This
information will be gained
from detecting energy
emissions from the fire
control and weapon
systems that are being fired.
This information will be
transmitted to the
submarine and will
provide the PCs with the
data they need.
When the PCs near the
coordinate points, the subs
sonar (if it is in use) will
detect a very large pyramid
on the bottom of the ocean
floor. As the submarine
gets closer, the PCs will be
able to see the structure via the submarines visual sensors. The object is a massive
pyramid structure, coated with slime and the local analogs to barnacles and seaweed.
The top of the pyramid is, in contrast, quite clean. This is because the weapon
systems are in the top section and the firing destroyed the material coating the top. If
the pyramid fires while the sub is close to it, the PCs will see the top of the pyramid

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emit blueish arcs of energy and glow faintly. Any objects between the pyramid and
its target (like fish) will be destroyed during the firing. Visible on each side of the
pyramid is what appears to be a docking tube. The tube will not fit the Sea Dart, but
the sub carries the equipment required to construct a temporary link. This operation
will require two people in the Swimmers. To construct temporary link: Routine.
Mechanical. 2 minutes.
The Alien Structure
The interior of the alien structure is similar to human structures in many
respects. This is because the builders were also humanoid. However, there are many
alien aspects about the structure. The most obvious is that the interior light is
orange and the interior is kept warmer than what humans find comfortable (about
88 degrees F). Less obvious, but more disturbing, is the differences between human
aesthetics and the alien builders aesthetic sense. The interior will seem vaguely
off to humans. There is no particular
thing that seems odd, it is simply the
effect of the whole thing. Finally,
equipment and control panels will feel
odd to humans because of the slightly
different hand structure of the alien
builders (their fingers were longer than
human fingers , they had retractable
claws in their fingertips, and the bone
configuration was a bit different). One
thing that will pleasantly surprise the
PCs is that the interior doors and lift
shafts will work automatically for
anyone using them.
Level 1
The first level consists of the air
locks.
1. Air Lock
2. Equipment Storage: Each storage room contains four Alien Swimmers (see
below).
3. Lift Plate
Level 2 Living Quarters
The living quarters level is empty. Each room has been carefully secured.
1-11. Living Quarters: Each room contains bunk beds for humanoid beings. based on
the size of the beds, the users averaged about 1.9-2 meters in height. There are also
two retractable desks and chairs in each room. Each desk has a keyboard, screen and
a interface cable (not compatible with human interface plugs, however). they
keyboard is slightly different in configuration from a human design and naturally

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has alien characters on it. The PCs can type on the keyboard and images will appear
in the screen (or slightly in front of it, it is a 3-D screen with holographic capacity).
The keyboards can be removed from the desks
and would be very useful to human linguists.
The computer is useless to PCs since they dont
know the language and safety features prevent
them from doing any damage through random
actions.
12. Larger Room: This room is like rooms 1-11,
but is designed for one being occupancy. The
keyboard set-up is more complex than the
others and this keyboard will not respond if
the PCs try to use it (they dont have the
activation key).
13. Empty Storage Room.
14. Eating Area/Rec Area: This area contains
several recessed tables and chairs as well as
recessed game consoles. The controls to the recessed items are simple buttons on the
wall. The furniture is strong enough to pick up a human if he or she happens to be
standing over it when the button that lifts it is pushed. Most of the games are
interface varieties (unfortunately, they are not compatible with human interface
plugs) but some are basic 3-D video games and there are some games with pieces,
maps and dice (after all, every intelligent race plays games).
15. Food Preparation: This room contains empty food preparation machines. They
have been shut down and will not do anything.
Level 3 Control Level
1. Control Stations: This area contains highly
advanced electronic equipment, most of which is
equipped for interface operations. It looks similar
enough to human control systems to be
recognizable as sort of a traffic control station,
probably for military operations. It is, in fact, just
that. The systems are all active and a few minutes
of study will reveal that the displays are showing
the area around the base. The disruption created by
the PCs Venries will be quite evident. Human
voices will be heard emanating from this room,
this should surprise the PCs, until they realize that
the voices are from radio broadcasts that the bases systems have picked up.
2. Control Stations: This area contains equipment similar to that of room #1. This
equipment appears to be fire control equipment, which it is. The displays show the
area around the base and several displays are replaying the bases previous attacks.
The PCs will not be able to work any of the controls as they have been taken over by

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the computer. There is also equipment in the room that looks like spaceship or
submarine control systems. Several of the displays in these systems show what
appears to be a course plotted to take the base closer to shore. Several human cities
are prominently marked on the maps.
Level 4 Computer Acess
The base computers access area for repairs and modifications. The computer is
highly advanced and is an artificial intelligence (but not self aware). It is capable of
very complex planning and plan implementation, but has some limitations (it
doesnt have much in the way of imagination and is
restricted to control over the bases systems). A
moderate explosive charge or a few rounds from a
plasma gun or grenade launcher would suffice to put
the computer out of commission. Unfortunately, the
destruction of the computer will activate the bases
final defense system: it will self destruct 10 minutes
after the computer is destroyed. The destruction of the computer will be followed by
a truly horrific warning siren, then an alien voice speaking a regular intervals (the
ten minute count down). The bases explosion will destroy the inside of the base and
crack the hull open, but will not have much of an exterior effect (there will be a
shockwave that will knock any vessels in the area about and it will kill a lot of fish).
Problems
The base computer will decide to bring the war to its enemies. It plans to move
the base (it can move at a rate of 20 kilometers per hour) to bring the human cities it
has detected into range. It will start to move 10 minutes after the PCs are on board
the base. It will take it 2 hours to get into firing range. The temporary link is not
strong enough to hold the submarine at dock (there will be enough warning for the
sub to disengage before the link is wrecked, however). Keeping the submarine in a
safe docking position will require an initial docking roll (To dock safely: Routine.
Sea Vehicle. Absolute, 2 minutes) and an additional roll every 5 minutes (To
remain docked: Routine. Sea Vehicle. instant). Failure to remain docked causes the
sub to back of safely and another docking attempt must be made. Mishaps will result
in damage to the docking link or the submarine (or both). If the base gets within
range, it will be able to do serious damage to the city (killing thousands) before the
military is able to destroy it. It will take the military 15 minutes to destroy the base
and this will involve heavy loses. If the PCs are on board the base when it is
destroyed, they will perish along with it.

Dangers
Naturally, the PCs cannot just waltz into the base, blow up the computer and sub
of under the sunset. The computer has at its disposal several methods of defense.
Alien Swimmers: Each of the alien swimmers is equipped for remote computer

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control. Fortunately, only two of them have legs (they were designed to work within
sunken vessels and on the ocean floor). These swimmers have oversized arms and
legs and have a streamlined, semi-spherical central body. They look remarkably like
B-movie humanoid sea monster robots. Country: Alien Weight: 400 kg Crawl: Not
Allowed Walk 8m Trot: 16 m Run: not allowed Swim: 20m Power Supply: Internal
Battery Power Duration: 96 hours Integral Armament: Two cutting lasers, function
as Rorttmann Lk-1fKz when switched over to pulse mode.Each pulse uses 2
minutes of power. Sensor Rang: 30km Signature: 1 Area Protected: All Armor
Value: 18 Initiative Penalty: -3.
Under computer control, the suits function as if they were controlled by a veteran
NPC. They are damaged as per the chart in the Equipment Guide (p. 31). An operator
hit knocks out the computer control link and renders the unit inactive. The suits
have an air supply-recycling system that is good for 96 hours. The controls are
simple enough that a human who is familiar with combat walkers could operate
one (increase task difficulty rolls by 1 point due to the fact that the swimmers are of
alien manufacture, for example a simple task would require a 3+). The other
(legless) swimmers are the same except they cannot walk or trot and swim 30m.
Defense Robots
The base is also equipped with 6 defense robots (two on each level, except lvl 4).
These are dull gray spheres with mechanical spider legs sticking out of them. The
legs can be magnetized, enabling the units to climb walls and ceilings, so they can
drop on the PCs heads (which should endear them to the PCs). The front section is
armed with a small laser weapon (treat as a Mueller-Rivera P-3) and each unit has
what looks like small buzz saws on telescoping arms (treat as knifes). Each unit has
an armor value of .9, a life level of 20, a signature of -8, an initiative of 11 and is very
difficult to hit. They have IR , visual, and motion sensors. They are computer
controlled.
It will take the computer 5 minutes to determine that the humans are invaders
and not returned base personnel. Once it comes to his conclusion, it will take it 5
more minutes to get its defense robots on line and 5 more minutes to ready the
walking swimmers for combat. It will do its best to kill everything in the base.
Fortunately for the PCs, it cannot control the doors , lift plate, life support, or lights
(thanks to accumulating software glitches).

Resolution
If the PCs stop the computer, they will be heroes (at lest until the sensation fades).
If they fail to stop the computer, but live, they will be respected for trying. If they are
killed, then they will be dead. If they managed to retrieve anything from the base,
numerous scientific organizations will be interested in acquiring the equipment for
study.

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New Vehicles
Sea Dart Submarine
The Sea Dart is a standard small submarine that is used for a variety of scientific
and military missions. Crews range from 7-20, depending on the mission. The Sea
Dart is
equipped
with a broad
range of
sensor
/scanner
equipment
including
sonar,
visual
systems,
radar, and so
forth. The
outer hull is
self sealing.
Deck 1
1) Bridge: Contains the vessels control systems. The submarine can be operated by
one person in an emergency (all task rolls are one level higher).
2. Crew Quarters: This area is equipped with a fixed bathroom facility but the rest of
the sections are modular, enabling the vessel to be tailored for the crew size.
3. Galley: Contains the dining area as well as the food storage/preparation area.
4. Engineering: Contains the engineering controls.
Deck 2:
1. Electronics/Tubes: This area contains the subs sensor/scanner array as well as the
torpedo tubes. The tubes are smaller than standard tubes and are most often used to
fire sensor torpedoes. Special missiles can also be fired from the tubes.
2. Loading area/Magazine/Storage: This area is equipped with an autoloader and
magazine on military Sea Darts. On scientific vessels, this area contains racks for
scientific and sensor torpedoes and is also used as storage.
3. Electronics: On military vessels, this area is equipped with sensor and espionage
gear. On scientific vessels, this area is equipped with scientific equipment.
4. Air Lock: The air lock area contains diving equipment (including Sea Sleds, lights,
and so forth.
5. Engineering: adjacent to engineering are the fuel cells.
Type: Submarine Crew: 7-20 Armor: All Faces 6 Signature: 3 Evasion: 2 Sensor
Range: 20 km Max Speed: 70 kph Cruising Speed: 35 kph Combat Movement: 175m

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Power: fuel cell Endurance: 96 hours. Price: Lv 80,000.


Note1: The double hull and ballast tanks have not been included on the map.
Note2: The Sea Dart on the mission is a military version and has been further
modified with a track system that enables it to store two Swimmers on the ventral
section of the hull and bring them (one at a time) into the modified air lock for
boarding.
Note3: The Sea Dart is equipped with a full supply of diving gear as well as a supply
of armaments (exact weapons are left to the referees discretion) .
Swimmer
a swimmer is a powered suit designed for underwater operations that require a
great deal of protection (operating at great depths, combat situations, hostile sea life,
and so forth). Like combat walkers, the swimmers limbs are slaved to the pilotss
movements and the unit has an internal monitor. The swimmer has more complex
instrumentation, because of the greater requirements of operating underwater. The
swimmers are also equipped with powerful underwater propulsion systems, and
have air tanks and a recycling system built in (good for the duration of the suits
power supply). There are a variety of swimmer types, depending on their mission.
Construction swimmers are equipped with welding and cutting equipment as well
as other tools. Scientific models are equipped with cameras and special sensors.
Military models are armed and often carry mines or explosives. Armament typically
consists of lasers and some models carry small torpedo weapons.
Country: USA Weight: 500 kg Crawl: n/a Walk: 7m Trot: 14 m Run: n/a Swim: 18m
Power Supply: Internal Rechargeable Power Cell Power Duration: 24 hours Integral
Armament: varies Area Protected: All Armor Value: 12 Initiative Penalty: -4 Price:
Lv: 26,000.
Note: The mission swimmers are armed with shoulder mounted Quin Darlan MK
4-A1 PGCW and an arm mounted equivalent of a Rorttmann LK-1fKz. The
swimmers are also equipped with the tools required to construct the temporary link
as well as 6 blocks of Plastique-9 each.

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War Buddy 1998


By Michael C. LaBossiere
Ontologist@aol.com
Call of Cthulhu
Legal Information
This adventure is copyright 1998 by Dr. Michael C. LaBossiere. It may be freely
distributed for personal use provided that it is not modified and no fee above the
normal cost of distribution is charged for it. Visit my web site at
http://user.aol.com/ontologist/index.html.
Call of Cthulhu is Chaosium Inc's registered trademark for their game of horror
and wonder in the worlds of HP Lovecraft. For more information, contact
Chaosium Inc., 950-A 56th St, Oakland, CA 94608 -- or call us at 510-547-7681. Visit
Chaosium's web page at http://www.chaosium.com/cthulhu/.

Introduction
This adventure is set in the 1920s era and takes place in the Maine woods. The
adventure can be set in other times and places with suitable modifications. The
adventure is intended to be part of a ongoing campaign, but can be played as a stand
alone adventure.

Getting the Investigators Involved


The investigators will be drawn into the horror by a desperate letter from Jack
Meredith, who has clearly become involved in something very dangerous. The
adventure is written based on the assumption that at least one investigator has a
military background. If this is not the case, the investigators will have to be brought
into the situation by a friend who was in the military with Jack Meredith.
The Letter
The adventure begins when a young man, dusty from riding in an open Model-T,
brings the investigator a special courier letter. If asked, and tipped, the young man
will tell the investigator that he has driven all the way from New York City to bring
him the letter. If asked about Meredith, he will say that Meredith looked tired and
that Well, it was a bit odd. He kept looking around, checking out the windows and
such. Like he was looking for something. He gave me a mighty strange look, like he
was trying to look right through my skin. Yeah, I know that is a weird thing to say,
but, Gods honest truth, thats how it felt. The young man does not have anything
else to say and will drive away.
Dear x,
Do you remember those days before the war when we were young and full of high

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ideals? I remember how funny it was to practice with the broomsticks because the
Army did not have enough rifles for everyone. How we all laughed and joked about
how we were going to send the Kaisers boys packing. Of course, we soon found out
things were not going to be so easy.
I do not have to remind you of the mud, the blood, and the death. Even in my
wildest nightmares I had never imagined such horrors. Like so many soldiers, the
madness of war wormed its way deep into my heart. In the fire of the machineguns I
could hear the chatter of demons, promising mutilation and death. In the
explosions of the artillery shells I could hear a roaring voice, saying God is dead,
God is dead, over and over.
The madness and horror chewed at my very soul, tearing away my faith in God
and country. All that I held dear seemed empty and meaningless. I do not know
how I survived those terrible days, but I did. Now, I think it might have been better
if I had died.
Perhaps if we had been able to go back together, things might have turned out
differently. But, on the return voyage I met another soldier, a man name Lance
Blake. Like me, Blake had been terrible affected by the war. Blake, like myself, had
lost his youthful connection to God and country. Unlike me, Blake had found
something else to replace them.
I can only hint at the dark secrets that Blake had learned in dark and horrid places
in the old land of Europe. Suffice it to say that Blake lead me blindly down a path
leading to a madness and horror greater than any I had witnessed in the war.
Possessed of an almost infernal charm, Blake was able to draw others into a group,
which he called the Order of the Ancient Stone. Many who joined thought it was
buy yet another group of eccentric spiritualists, but they soon learned, to their
endless horror, that Blake was offering something else.
Even now I cannot bring myself to write of all I know. Suffice it to say, that I have
done terrible things and participated in activities that no sane and God-fearing man
should engage in.
Ironically, it was Blake himself who caused me to turn against the group. He
thought he could trust me and revealed some of his true plans. The horror of these
words surpassed all the previous horrors and shocked me back to my senses. While
I realized that I am beyond redemption, Blake must be stopped. Although I have not
spoken to you in years, I know you to be a brave and good man. I hope I can count
on you, for Blake must be stopped.
I have stolen an important item from Blake and I have entrusted it to Father
Ronald Henesey. I have sent him to my family camp in Maine. You remember
where it is. You must meet the good Father there and receive the item. He will be
able to tell you more.
I now go to try to kill Blake. I fear that he cannot be slain by any mortal weapon,
but I must try. For my soul, I must try.
Yours,
Lieutenant Jack Meredith

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The Telegraph
Shortly after receiving the letter, the investigator will receive a special telegraph
delivery from Charles Meredith, Jacks father. The telegraph will say: Jack is dead.
Suspect foul play.
The telegraph should convince the players that they will need to act quickly. The
investigator who was a friend of Jack will remember where the camp is, since he
spent several summer weekends there with Jack and his family

Investigation
The following information will be available to the investigators. The Keeper
should be careful to keep the investigators on track. If they spend to much time
investigating, they will arrive too late.
Jack Meredith
The investigator who knew Jack Meredith will remember the following about Jack
Meredith: Jack was an active young man who was much given to flights of
imagination as a boy. Jack was very religious and kind, but was always in search of
something more. In the war, Jack fought bravely, but he held up badly under the
pressures of the war.
After the war, Jack sent the occasional letter to the investigator, telling of his latest
attempt to find meaning. Jack wrote of his experiences with spiritualism, mediums,
and other such things. Jacks next to last letter (the last being the letter that starts the
adventure) mentioned that he had finally found an answer.
Keepers Information
The answer that Jack found was Lance Blake, a man who had revived an ancient
cult dedicated to finding six stones. Jack joined Blakes cult, but was horrified when
he learned a small part of the actual truth. Jack contacted Father Henesey, whom he
had met a few years ago during his quest for meaning. He gave Henesey an item he
had taken from Blake and told him to go to the camp in Maine and wait for his
friend. Henesey, who is a member of a secret society devoted to fighting the forces of
evil and madness, took the item to the camp to await the arrival of Jacks friend.
Charles Meredith
If the investigator contacts Charles Meredith, Charles will obviously upset. Charles
is a wealthy man, but he lost his wife several years ago and now he has lost his only
son. He will be able to tell the investigators that Jack drifted from one group of
oddballs to the next. Charles will say that he received one letter from Jack a few
years ago, saying that he had found the answer. Charles tried to find Jack, but was
unable to do so, despite spending a considerable sum on private investigators.
The next time Charles saw his son was after the police called him. Jack was found
dead in his apartment, only a few miles from his fathers house. The doctor reported

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that Jack died of a heart attack. Because of the expression of pure horror on his sons
face, Charles thinks that someone killed Jack. He does not have any solid evidence,
but he feels that something terrible happened to Jack. Charles will urge the
investigators to find out more.
Keepers Information
Charles is correct. Jack was killed by a horror that Lance Blake sent to take care of
him. Blake knows that Jack took an item from him, but it will take him a short
while to figure out who Jack gave it to and where the person went. If the
investigators check Jacks apartment, it will be clear that it has been thoroughly
searched. If the investigators check the apartment, they will find nothing of interest.
Father Henesey
Once the investigators get to the camp, they can speak with Father Henesey. The
good Father has a photo of the investigator who knew Jack, so he will be able to
recognize him. Henesey is very cautious and will keeping a careful watch while he
waits.
Father Henesey knows a great deal more than he is willing to tell the investigators,
but he will share the following information:
The Eye
Clipping from The Eye, a skeptical, independent New York City newspaper that
focuses on occult and other unusual matters.
The Order of the Ancient Stone is, despite the Ancient in its name, a
relatively new group. Formed in the early 1920s by Lance Blake, the group
meets here in New York City. According to one member, who chose to
remain anonymous, the group is dedicated to ancient secrets, deep mysteries,
and really good poker games.
Ancient Legends and Myths,
Excerpt from Ancient Legends and Myths, by Dr. L. Prescott, Pilgrim Press, 1911.
There is a brief mention in the works of Lucetus, a little known historian in the
Roman Empire, of a Cult of the Ancient Stone. According to Lucetus, this cult was
dedicated to finding six stones that were brought from on high. It was reported
that the stones would open a door into the world that would allow it who waits
beyond the wall to come to earth.
Lucetus reports that this cult was initially popular in Rome, but he notes that the
cult died out when most of its leaders were found torn asunder into bloody bits.
Other Information
Henesey say that he knew Jack from a time when Jack was lost and looking for
answers: Jack was a lost soul. He came to my church, looking for answers. Sadly, he

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thought that God had abandoned him. We spoke at length and I must have made
some impression on him, for he called me in his time of need and entrusted me
with an item. I have had some experience with the sort of cult Jack had the
misfortune of falling into, so I took what he said very seriously. I am sure the cult
places a great deal of value on this item and I am certain that we must not let it fall
back into their hands.
Keepers Information
Henesey is telling the truth about how he met Jack. However, Henesey will not say
anything about the fact that he is a member of a secret society that has been waging a
war against cults and other servants of madness and evil. He will admit that he has
had some experience with unusual events, including an exorcism.
The item Henesey has is a shard from one of the six stones. He keeps the shard in a
lead lined box, to protect himself and others from its effects. The shard is detailed
below.

Maps
The following details the adventures two maps.
Main Map
The main map details the area around the cabin. The cabin is located
approximately six miles from the nearest town, which is Norway, Maine. The cabin
can only be reached by a well worn trail that winds through the woods for about a
mile and crosses a sturdy log bridge. Ripple Stream is shallow enough to be waded
across and contains brook trout.
The Cabin Interior
The cabin is built out of native pine. It has been painted a cheerful white color
with red trim. There are six glass windows which open by sliding one part of the
window up. The door has a place for a padlock, a latch, and a small bolt (intended
only to keep the door from swinging open-it can be broken by matching its STR of 7
on the Resistance Table). The roof is steep, to keep the Maine winter snows from
crushing it.
The interior of the cabin is decorated with paintings of hunting, fishing and other
nature scenes. There is a collection of camping gear, including folding cots, kerosene
lamps, two cans of kerosene, cooking gear, and other common items such as fishing
poles. There is even an Army surplus two-way radio in the living room along with
a conventional civilian radio and record player.
The cabin does not have electricity or indoor plumbing. Lighting is provided by
kerosene lamps. Water has to be poured from jugs and there is an outhouse behind
the cabin.
Living Room: The living room contains a large oak table, obviously an expensive
piece. It is carved with scenes of hunting. Merediths mother made his father take it

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to the camp because she thought the hunting scenes were out of place in her fine
house. Around the table are several well made oak chairs. The living room also
contains a well made brick fireplace. Over the fireplace hangs a double barrel 12gauge shotgun, in excellent condition. There is a box of 50 shells for it in one of the
cabinets.
Sleeping Area: The sleeping area contains two comfortable bunk beds, along with
extra blankets.

Action
If the investigators act quickly and head to the camp without unnecessary delay,
the action begins when the first of the forces sent to regain the stone arrive in the
area. Fortunately for the investigators, Blake will sorely underestimate the abilities
of the good Father Henesey and send only a relatively minor force against the
investigators. Of course, Blake will not make the same mistake twice.
If the investigators spend too much time investigating and delaying, they will
arrive to find the camp deserted. There will obvious signs of a desperate struggle (a
broken door, bullet holes in the walls and blood) but they will find nothing else.
Father Henesey will have been killed and the item Jack entrusted to him will have
been taken by Blakes agent. If this occurs, the Keeper will need to prepare another
adventure to give the investigators a chance to acquire the item.
The Ruffians
Lance Blake will eventually learn that Father Henesey has the item Jack took from
him and that Henesey is in the camp. Believing that Henesey is not a serious threat,
Blake will send Karl LeBlanc to recover the item.
After arriving in Maine, LeBlanc will hire some men of questionable character to
go to the camp and rough up Father Henesey. He will tell them to keep Henesey
there and that he will arrive at midnight with the rest of their money. Since the
men have been out of work for quite some time and they are not exactly upright
citizens, they will take his money without asking any questions.
Shortly after the investigators arrive and have had a chance to speak with
Henesey, the ruffians will show up at the camp. The will knock on the door,
pretending to be lost hunters. They do not expect the investigators to be there, so
they might be able to take the ruffians by surprise.
The ruffians will put up a stiff fight, but if they think they are losing, they will try
to escape. If they cannot escape, they will surrender and beg for mercy. If adequately
motivated, they will be willing to say all they know: Some guy hired us to come
here and rough up the guy we found here. We were supposed to keep him here
until midnight. The guy that hired us said he had some business, but hed be here to
give us the other half.
Karl LeBlanc and the Wood Shadows
LeBlanc knows how to summon Wood Shadows and decided, in his pride, to use

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them to kill Henesey. Since Wood Shadows can only act at night, he had to make
sure that Henesey would be in the cabin at night, so he hired the ruffians. Around
11:00 pm, LeBlanc will drive out to the trail to the camp and summon two Wood
Shadows. He will then send them to kill everyone in the camp. LeBlanc is a frugal
man, so he planned on getting his money back from the Ruffians.
The Wood Shadows will seep their way into the cabin and attack whoever
happens to be in the darkest area. Henesey will recognize them for what they are
and bring the silver blood into play. The Wood Shadows will attack madly until
they are destroyed or the inhabitants of the cabin are all dead.
LeBlanc will be wait outside the cabin until he is certain that everyone is dead. If
the investigators defeat the Wood Shadows, he will be a bit worried, but his pride
and fear of Blake will cause him to try to take matters into his own hands. If he is
defeated, he will refuse to talk, no matter how much he is pressed or tortured. He
has seen what happens to those who cross Blake and nothing the investigators can
do can compare with what Blake can do.

Conclusion
The adventure ends when the investigators defeat the forces sent against them or
they themselves are defeated.
If the investigators actively defeat the forces sent against them and they are able to
keep they stone, each investigator should receive a 1D6 Sanity Point award.
If the investigators escape without actively defeating the forces sent against them,
but they manage to keep the stone, they should receive a 1D4 Sanity Point Award.
If the investigators allow the stone to fall into the hands of the enemy, each
investigator should suffer a 1D3 Sanity Point loss.
If the investigators are able to keep Father Henesey alive, each investigator should
receive a bonus of one Sanity Point. If the Father is killed, each investigator should
suffer a one Sanity Point loss.
This adventure is intended to tie into the next adventure in the series. If the
investigators do not have the stone at the end of this adventure, the Keeper will
need to prepare another adventure in which the investigators have a chance to
redeem themselves.

NPCs
Father Ronald Henesey, Catholic Priest
STR: 12 CON:13 SIZ:13 INT:14 POW:15 DEX: 13 APP:12 EDU: 19 SAN: 72 HP: 13
DB:+1D4
Description: Henesey is forty years old, but still in excellent shape. He has black hair
and brown eyes. He has a thick beard and a scar on the left side of his face, from a
shell fragment. He will be wearing hunting clothes when he is in the cabin. As
mentioned above, Henesey is a member of a society that has been fighting against
the evil and madness of cults like Blakes for centuries.

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Henesey is a brave man and is not all afraid of combat, having served in the war
before taking his vows.
Important Skills: Climb 55%, Cthulhu Mythos 6%, Credit Rating 34%, Dodge 37%,
Fast Talk 35%, Hide 21%, History 35%, Library Use 55%, Natural History 25%, Occult
65%, Latin 55%, Persuade 55%, Rifle 55%
Spells: Create Silver Blood
Weapon: .45 Automatic 51% Damage 1D10+2 Range 15 Yards Attacks 1 Shots 7.
Items: Silver Blood in a silver flask, the Shard.
Karl LeBlanc, Cultist
STR: 14 CON:15 SIZ:13 INT:13 POW:14 DEX: 14 APP:14 EDU: 15 SAN: 00 HP: 14
DB:+1D4
Description: LeBlanc is thirty years old. He has brown hair, brown eyes and is
reasonably handsome. He is also quite evil and quite mad by normal standards.
LeBlancs biggest weakness is his great pride. He is certain that he is better than
almost anyone (except Blake) and this cause him to be overconfident. LeBlanc is also
enamored of magic, which is also a weakness.
Important Skills: Cthulhu Mythos 16%, Fast Talk 55%, Hide 34%, Law 24%, Occult
45%, Persuade 55%, Sneak 42%
Spells: Summon Lesser Word Shadow, Bind Lesser Word Shadow
Weapon: .32 Automatic 41% Damage 1D8 Range 15 Yards Attacks 2 Shots 8
The Ruffians, Hired Muscle
The Ruffians are desperate men, lacking in morals.
Characteristics

#1

#2

#3

#4

STR

14

13

16

12

CON

12

14

13

13

SIZ

15

15

16

14

INT

11

10

11

POW

10

DEX

12

11

13

12

HP

14

15

15

14

Damage Bonus +1D4

+1D4

+1D4

+1D4

Weapon

Knife 47%
1D4+2+db

Small Club
52% 1D6+db

.38 Revolver
23% 1D10
15 yard base
range, 6 shots,
Attacks 2.

Knife 41%
1D4+2+db

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Mythos Being
Lesser Wood Shadows, Lesser Independent Race
Description: Lesser Wood Shadows are foul creatures which dwell in shadowed
woods where human blood has been spilled in anger. They appear as tall, horribly
thin beings that seem to be composed of shadows that twist and writhe unnaturally.
They have no mouths or nose, but they have eyes that glow like dying embers.
Lesser Wood Shadows attack their victims with claws that appear to be made of
jagged and filthy wood. Having no mouth, they do not eat their victims. Instead,
they leave the torn bodies lying where they fell. Lesser Wood Spirits sometimes
attack humans and forest creatures in the deep woods, but most of the time they rest
in the shadows, barely aware of what is occurring around them. They can, however,
be summoned by those who know the right enchantment.
Lesser Wood Shadows are only partially material. Because of this, they are not
harmed by mundane weapons. They do, however, sustain full damage from
enchanted weapons. They are also vulnerable to sunlight. Full exposure to the sun
destroys a Lesser Wood Shadow, so they seek the dark places of the forest during the
day. Lesser Wood Shadows find light, including fire light, distressing and painful.
They do not take damage from light that is less intense than full daylight, but will
avoid any light sources if possible. To enter an area that is more light than shadow, a
Lesser Wood Shadow will need to roll under its POW X5 on a D100. Failure means
that it cannot enter the area.
The claws of a Lesser Wood Spirit are composed of fairly conventional matter and
can be parried. Normal armor is effective against their attacks.

Characteristics

Rolls

Averages #1

#2

STR

2D6

CON

3D6

10-11

13

12

SIZ

3D6

10-11

14

15

INT

2D6

POW

2D6

DEX

4D6

14

18

15

HP

10-11

14

14

Damage Bonus

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Move: 10
Weapons: Two Claws 50% Damage 1D4+DB
Armor: None, but mundane weapons have no effect on Wood Shadows. They
sustain full damage from enchanted weapons and spells.
Spells: None
Skills: Hide 99%
Sanity Loss: 0/1D6 Sanity Points to see a Wood Shadow.

Spells and Items


Silver Blood: Silver blood is an enchanted mixture of mercury, iron and more exotic
items. It is a thick fluid which will cling tenaciously to almost every metal except
silver. It is known as silver blood because it looks like liquid silver with thin veins
of red fluid (which is actually blood). When used to coat a weapon or projectile, it
enables the weapon or projectile to act as an enchanted weapon. The first attack with
a coated melee weapon will do full damage, the second attack half damage, and the
third one quarter. After that, the silver blood will have come off the weapon. Coated
projectiles can be used once. If a projectile hits, it will do full damage and the silver
blood will be left in/on the target. If the projectile misses, the silver blood will most
likely come off on whatever is hit.
If a weapon or projectile is coated with silver blood, but it is not used within about
15 minutes, the silver blood will gradually drip from the weapon or projectile. Steps
may be taken to prevent this from happening, such as pushing the silver blood back
onto the weapon or projectile. The effectiveness of such methods is left up to the
Keeper.
Shard of the Stone
This shard is from one of the legendary six stones. The shard appears to be made of
gray slate, but it has an odd metallic sheen to it. It is cool, almost cold to the touch. If
a person touches it or even gets within a few inches of the stone , strange images
will gradually appear in the persons mind. The images will grow stronger the
longer a person holds it. The images appear to be mathematical and geometric
symbols, odd curvings and anomalies of space-time, and brief, but horrific,
manifestations of indescribable things. If a person holds the shard for longer than
fifteen minutes, the images will manifest strongly enough to affect the persons
mind. For every fifteen minutes the person holds the stone, the investigator must
make a Sanity check. If the roll fails, the investigator loses 1 point of Sanity. A
successful roll results in no sanity loss. While the stone is held, the person will
receive, in addition to the maddening images, images that indicate where the full
stone is located. For every fifteen minutes the shard is held, the investigator should
roll 1D10 and note the results. This is the percent chance the person holding the
shard will receive a useful clue to the location of the stone. The chance of receiving
a useful clue is cumulative, so the longer a person holds the shard, the more likely
it is that they will receive a useful clue. Of course, the person will be risking his

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sanity in the attempt.


The effects of the shard are blocked by lead, which is why Henesey keeps the shard
in a lead lined box.
Create Silver Blood
Knowledge of the ritual to create silver blood enables the caster to transform a
mixture of mercury, iron shavings, and a small portion of his own blood into silver
blood. The ritual takes three hours of mixing and tracing symbols and patterns into
the fluid. The caster must expend six magic points to create enough silver blood to
coat the cutting edges of about six knifes, or about twenty small projectiles, such as
arrowheads. There is no sanity cost for creating silver blood.
Summon/Bind Lesser Wood Spirit
This ritual must be cast in a dark woods in which human beings have been killed.
It causes two Lesser Wood Spirits to ooze their way out of the darkest shadows of the
wood. The magic cost varies. For each point used, the chance of success increases by
10%. A result of 96-00 is a failure. Casting the spell also costs 1D3 Sanity points. Once
bound, the Wood Spirits will obey the caster.

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Handouts
Handout #1-Letter from Jack Meredith
Dear x,
Do you remember those days before the war when we were young and full of high ideals? I remember
how funny it was to practice with the broomsticks because the Army did not have enough rifles for
everyone. How we all laughed and joked about how we were going to send the Kaisers boys packing. Of
course, we soon found out things were not going to be so easy.
I do not have to remind you of the mud, the blood, and the death. Even in my wildest nightmares I
had never imagined such horrors. Like so many soldiers, the madness of war wormed its way deep into
my heart. In the fire of the machineguns I could hear the chatter of demons, promising mutilation and
death. In the explosions of the artillery shells I could hear a roaring voice, saying God is dead, God
is dead, over and over.
The madness and horror chewed at my very soul, tearing away my faith in God and country. All that
I held dear seemed empty and meaningless. I do not know how I survived those terrible days, but I did.
Now, I think it might have been better if I had died.
Perhaps if we had been able to go back together, things might have turned out differently. But, on the
return voyage I met another soldier, a man name Lance Blake. Like me, Blake had been terrible
affected by the war. Blake, like myself, had lost his youthful connection to God and country. Unlike
me, Blake had found something else to replace them.
I can only hint at the dark secrets that Blake had learned in dark and horrid places in the old land of
Europe. Suffice it to say that Blake lead me blindly down a path leading to a madness and horror
greater than any I had witnessed in the war.
Possessed of an almost infernal charm, Blake was able to draw others into a group, which he called
the Order of the Ancient Stone. Many who joined thought it was buy yet another group of eccentric
spiritualists, but they soon learned, to their endless horror, that Blake was offering something else.
Even now I cannot bring myself to write of all I know. Suffice it to say, that I have done terrible things
and participated in activities that no sane and God-fearing man should engage in.
Ironically, it was Blake himself who caused me to turn against the group. He thought he could trust
me and revealed some of his true plans. The horror of these words surpassed all the previous horrors
and shocked me back to my senses. While I realized that I am beyond redemption, Blake must be
stopped. Although I have not spoken to you in years, I know you to be a brave and good man. I hope I can
count on you, for Blake must be stopped.
I have stolen an important item from Blake and I have entrusted it to Father Ronald Henesey. I have
sent him to my family camp in Maine. You must meet the good Father there and receive the item. He
will be able to tell you more.
I now go to try to kill Blake. I fear that he cannot be slain by any mortal weapon, but I must try. For
my soul, I must try.
Yours,
Lieutenant Jack Meredith

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Handout #2-Telegram from Charles Meredith


Jack is dead. Suspect foul play. Charles Meredith.

41

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Handout #3-Clipping from The Eye.


The Order of the Ancient Stone is,
despite the Ancient in its name, a
relatively new group. Formed in the
early 1920s by Lance Blake, the group
meets here in New York City. According
to one member, who chose to remain
anonymous, the group is dedicated to
ancient secrets, deep mysteries, and
really good poker games.

42

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Handout #4-Excerpt from Ancient Legends and Myths, by Dr. L. Prescott, Pilgrim
Press, 1911.
There is a brief mention in the works of Lucetus, a little known historian in the
Roman Empire, of a Cult of the Ancient Stone. According to Lucetus, this cult was
dedicated to finding six stones that were brought from on high. It was reported
that the stones would open a door into the world that would allow it who waits
beyond the wall to come to earth.
Lucetus reports that this cult was initially popular in Rome, but he notes that the
cult died out when most of its leaders were found torn asunder into bloody bits.

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Maps

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The Archangels
1998 Ricardo J. Mndez
rmendez@geocities.com
Published by arrangement with the Delta Green Partnership. The intellectual
property known as Delta Green is and the Delta Green Partnership, who has
licensed its use here. The contents of this document are Ricardo J. Mndez,
excepting those elements that are components of the Delta Green intellectual
property.
What Are The Archangels?
The Archangels are a group of professional assassins that operates from New York.
They are hired by all kinds of people for all kinds of jobs, and their services don't
come cheap. Since they have been operating for sometime with different members
they are known in the underworld, although nobody actually knows who the
members are or who directs the group.
The group is actually a DG experiment on an external wetworks unit and fund
provider. Although DG isn't the only employer, they have used
TheArchangels as strike team several times. Nobody inside the group knows the
truth except their leader.
Maybe more important would be: what are they good for?
The Archangels were created with several purposes:
1. To provide an introduction to Delta Green for players that have already heard
about it and would be suspicious of anything set on the 90s. The light name and a
couple of high-powered Archangels adventures and they will be ready (or so they
will think) for whatever the Karotechia wants to throw at them. More importantly,
they may not realize what is going on until too late.
2. To create an underground funding framework for Delta Green. There has been
a thread on the DG list about how does Delta Green funds itself, and here is a
possibility. You can see more details in THE TRUTH ABOUT MICHAEL below.
The Lonesome October
Amidst other hundreds of its type in the city of New York lies "The Lonesome
October", a two story bookstore and cafe that sells anything from mainstream books
and best sellers to weird, out of print tomes. While most of its customers usually
state that the name would suit better a blues bar, the place is usually crowded and
first time customers tend to become regulars.

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It's manager and proprietor, a forty-something muscular man called Michael,


is always trying to please his customers and to make sure that everything is
perfect. Regular costumers speculate that he's the son of a wealthy family that
provided the initial money for the cafe's setup. He's helped by a staff of that
oscillates between 3 and 6 persons, depending on the season, that help customers
find books, locate titles on a topic and serve the delicious coffee that is usually
brewed by Michael himself.
Sometimes Michael isn't minding the store, but instead meets on a discreet back
room with a group of young men and women. This group of well-dressed and
apparently respectable people are really assassins, safe crackers, hi-tech criminals
and other types of criminals, called by Michael his Archangels. The name came
from a joke of a long-deceased member, and since then every member of the
organization takes as a pseudonym the name of the archangel that most strikes his
fancy (Michael excluded, of course).
Most of them had a criminal past before joining the association and had their
own reasons to do so. Maybe they were being chased by a previous employer,
maybe Michael found them and suggested the possibility of making even more
money in an organized fashion, maybe they had worked as freelance assassins for
the CIA and, knowing too much, were set for assassination themselves. As a
bonus, Michael has a contact that will erase the background of every member
and give them a new identity.
The Archangels
To be invited into the secretive group, a character has to excel at his activity and
have little or no morals. There is no way to contact the group except through
Michael, and none of the members know how it is done since Michael contacted
them.
The name appeared when one member once suggested that in their efficiency
they were like God's Sword striking the enemies of their current employer, with
the Archangel Michael heading them. Despite complaints to the corniness of
the name, Michael liked it and so it was decided. Since then new members take a
code name of one of the Archangels, and Michael has kept the number of members
in six. None of the current Archangels know if Michael has trainees waiting, but
on the sole case where they remember someone to have been "removed"
Michael was able to respond to the situation with a replacement almost
immediately.
Many members believe that Michael is an ex-CIA agent (or maybe even an
active one), and is using his contacts both to get them a new identify and interesting
jobs. None of the group knows the background of the others, that knowledge
being reserved only for Michael himself. They do have learned to trust each
other and work as a group, with failure to help their partners attain the mission
usually meaning death (whether from the group or the enemy). Each one knows
only the alias and every member attaches last names to their alias freely when

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needed, with Michael providing any documentation like passports or driving


licenses to back it up.
The Jobs
Usually the jobs for the Archangels range from stealing information or
documents to taking out a competing group of assassins to murdering the owner
of a high-profile social club. Nobody is allowed to turn down an assignment and
there is always the possibility of not returning.
For their services, they are rewarded depending on the task at hand, but the
amounts they are paid (near $20,000 each per job) have allowed all of them to live a
relaxed life of plenty on their spare time.
They, of course, don't know how much Michael was paid for the job and don't
have a clue about his cut. Nobody wishes to ask either.
Funding And Equipment
Archangels are expected to provide their own gear and ammunition, and the
fact is, most of them would like to do it anyway. Several might have favorite
or trademark guns, or might not trust how "clean" equipment provided by
Michael may be. Maybe they don't trust explosives made by someone else, or a
telescopic sight they haven't extensibly calibrated.
If the group needs to travel it is quite possible that Michael is the one to make the
arrangements for the flight, sending them on separate ways and routes so that they
aren't easily traceable.
If special equipment is needed, someone in the group may have underground
contacts to provide them. Michael may also be tapped in this kind of occasion,
although he will refuse to do it repeatedly (in case they expect him to become Q)
because it may expose the group.
The Biblical Archangels
This is a quick reference to the biblical archangels, so that members can know the
possible alias. Currently, Michael makes sure that members are strongly
discouraged from picking an alias out of the list to encourage team mentality.
There are also included possible variants for the name, in case the traditional name
would be too conspicuous for public use.
Descriptions have been taken from http://www.takeitbyforce.com/seven.htm and
the Book of Enoch (thanks to Mark Peacock!).
Michael:
The Archistratege. Who is as the Lord, Who is like God, Who is like
unto the Lord. Chief of the archangels. The archangel of the presence.
The great prince. Choosing this name is out of the question.

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Gabriel:
Hero of God, The mighty one. The archangel of annunciation and power.
The archangel of skill, understanding, encouragement, vengeance, death,
resurrection and revelation.
Raphael:
Healing of God. The archangel set over all the spirits of infirmity and the
wounds of the children of men. He who is over the spirits of men.
Uriel:
Fire of God. The archangel that fends off the satans. He who is over the
world and over Tartarus. Possible alternatives: Uriah, Umberto.
Raguel:
Friend of God. The archangel of the earth. He takes vengeance and brings
other angels into account. Who inflicts punishment on the world and the
luminaries. Possible alternatives: Rachel, Raquel.
Sariel:
Warrior of God. The archangel in charge of battling with the sons of
darkness. The angel set over the spirits of sin. He works to expel the accusing
satans from the presence of the Lord. Also known as Samuil, Sarakiel,
Saraquael, Saraqel, Suryal, or Suriyel Possible alternatives: Sarah
Jeremiel:
Mercy of God, Whom God hath set up. The archangel of the awaiting souls.
Set over those whose rise to the Third Heaven. The angel set over the souls
of those who wait in Paradise for the great Day of Judgment. Also known as
Phanuel, Salathiel, Ramiel, or Jerahmeel. Possible alternatives: Jeremiah,
Rommel
Usually members don't try to look for a mystic significance on the name they
chose, interested only in secrecy. They have been included just in case.

The Truth About Michael


Michael is, in reality, a member of Delta Green. He answers to cell M and is
maybe the only DG member to use a name that he also uses in public.
His past life is not of interest to us. Let it just be said that he was a person fond of
coffee, books and cold-blooded murder, but also someone who had a good eye for

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other people like him. The CIA used him during a period to get assemble tiger
teams that were less permanent than the Archangels but had pretty much the
same purpose. Thus, when he was approached to form an test external unit he
agreed happily.
The Archangels are used both by Delta Green for their own purposes as an
external wetworks unit, and by criminal contractors that have heard of the group's
underground fame for getting the jobs done, no matter the cost. At least half of
what this criminal contractors pay the Archangels goes directly to fund other
Delta Green operations, as well as the maintenance of the Archangels themselves.
Delta Green hasn't spent a dime in the group after the money that was needed
for the initial setup, and few inside Delta Green know of it actual existence, so there
is always the possibility that it might come under the scrutiny of another DG cell,
specially since they might be unknowingly hired by MAJESTIC itself.
None of the Archangels, of course, have half an idea about Delta Green's
existence or its relationship to them.
The one thing that is important about Michael is that the players don't see him as
a Jim Phelps type that mainly directs things, but also as a positively dangerous
man who could strangle any of them himself if needed be. His relationship with
them shouldn't be based only in respect but also on a cleanly stated fear of what
crossing him might bring.
As an interesting coincidence, when I posted the first draft of this document to
the Delta Green mailing list, I got a letter from Robert Thomas telling me about his
own DG agent Michael that also operates from New York
and had a CIA background. His Michael is younger than the one proposed here,
but it is indeed interesting as a possible character. You can check out the description
of Cell M at http://w3.one.net/~deltag/mcell.htm and also at the Delta Green web
site.
It is quite possible that eventually one of The Archangels decides to check on
Michael's background. What they will find is that his full name is Michael
Collins (pun intended), born in 1945 from a somewhat wealthy New York family.
His mother died on childbirth and his father when he was about to turn 21. The fact
that his father's death happened just when he was of age to use the family money
will give the players just the speck in his background that they will need to
swallow it, since having a too-clean image wouldn't do.

Tips On Running An Archangels Campaign


1. Don't throw them against Mythos entities or organisations right away, or at least
don't allow them to notice.

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2. Not only allow but encourage the players to get John Woo-esque about their
characters. That way the vulnerability backlash will be harder.
3. Watch a lot of spy and assassin movies. Several recent ones that come to mind
are:
a) The Replacement Killers
b) Mission: Impossible
c) The Professional (the Jean Reno movie)
d) Face/Off
e) Die Hard (a nice strike team)
f) Once a Thief (John Woo produced, not the classic movie)
g) The Big Hit (a recent movie with Lou Diamond Phillips)
[END OF TRANSMISSION]

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