Chaosium Digest Volume 19, Number 11 Date: Sunday, June 8, 1997 Number: 1 of 2 Contents: The Wondrous Creations of Bolonath (Frank Sronce) COC DREAMLANDS Dunwich A Go-Go: A Mythos Deck (Cedric Chin) MYTHOS The Arkham Menagerie: A Mythos Deck (Cedric Chin) MYTHOS Editor's Note: Welcome to the set of two issues that bring an end to the nineteenth volume of the Chaosium Digest. Four and a half years, nineteen volumes, 228 issues, and almost 700,000 words ago, the Chaosium Digest was a much smaller thing. On January 31, 1993 there were 56 subscribers. Today there are 1,130. However, with this continued growth I've felt the need for some inevitable change in the Digest. Starting with Volume 20, these changes are going to take effect. First and most importantly, the Digest is dropping back to a biweekly publication schedule: every other Sunday. I hope I'll continue to see just as many articles. They will all continue to be published, just at this slightly more sporadic rate. Second, the Digest is going to relocate over to chaosium.com as its official site of distribution. Third, the subscription and unsubscription method for the Digest is finally going to become automated. Precise instruction will go out when the mechanism is totally set up in next week or two. Watch for the first issue of volume 20 in two weeks time. Despite these changes, it should look pretty much the same as the Digest ever has. In the meantime, let me say thanks to all the loyal subscribers from the last four and a half years, and also to the great people who have sent submissions to the Digest (and will hopefully continue to do so). With all that said, let me make a short note about this week's articles. In V19.11 and V19.12 you'll find a pair of articles about Bolonath and Karakal, both of the Dreamlands. Frank Sronce has written some other excellent Dreamlands-related articles which you can find in V17.2, V17.3, and V17.10. Also in this issue are a couple of Mythos Deck outlines by Cedric Chin, whose been writing interesting Mythos articles for a while. Shannon RECENT BOOKS OF NOTE: * Call of Cthulhu - _Don't Dream_ (Fedogan & Bremer, 400 pg., $29.00) is a collection of the Horror and Fantasy Fiction of Donald Wandrei. Most of it comes from Weird Tales and other pulp magazines of the 1920s and 1930s. Included are Wandrei's three contributions to the Cthulhu Mythos: "The Tree-Men of M'bwa", "The Fire Vampires", and "The Lady in Grey". ISBN 1-878252-27-5. Misc. 'Zines - Necronomicon Press has recently released its Spring 1997 catalog update listing a slew of new 'zines: The Dark Man #4, Lovecraft Studies #36, Necrofile #24, Crypt of Cthulhu #95, Midnight Shambler #5, Cthulhu Codex #10, Tales of Lovecraftian Horror #5, and The New Lovecraft Collector #18. You can order at 401-828-7161 or visit their web site at http://www.necropress.com. Speaking of books, Dane Johnson (danger@visi.com) suggests _His Master's Voice_ by Stanislaw Lem as a good read for people interested in _Delta Green_. It describes a gornmental project to decode a message from an advanced alien race, and has a similar feel to DG. NEW ELECTRONIC RESOURCES: Strange Vistas Online http://www.tecapro.com/usr/ricardo/strangevistas/ This project is collecting information on various real world backgrounds. See V18.9 for more information. -------------------- From: fsronce@tcac.com (Frank Sronce) Subject: The Wondrous Creations of Bolonath System: COC DREAMLANDS THE WONDROUS CREATIONS OF BOLONATH In the Chaosium Dreamlands supplement, mention is made of a spell known as "Bolonath's Furnace." For my "Children of the Worm" campaign I decided to write up Bolonath in greater detail. In the original campaign I made a decision that Bolonath had died several generations ago but that his heirs still lived. In retrospect, I think I should have left him as an active mage in the campaign, rather than a historical footnote. I may arrange for him to reappear soon, his "death" revealed as only a widely-believed rumor. In the following write-up, Bolonath is described as a worshipper of Karakal living in Thran, but any city where exquisite beauty would be treasured would be appropriate. Karakal is certainly a suitable deity for a blacksmith to worship, but he may be replaced with a god of earth more closely tied to blacksmithing if one exists in your campaign. Some of Bolonath's more famous creations and spells are listed as well. Special notes for the GM are enclosed in braces. For GM's unfamiliar with the Minions of Karakal, they appear to be spider-like creatures made out of fire and electricity. The merest touch of one of their legs delivers a mammoth electric shock which inflicts 2d6 damage (the victim must also resist the damage done with his CON or his heart will stop). BOLONATH THE MAGE-SMITH In his youth, Bolonath was a blacksmith of extraordinary skill. He honored Karakal, as did every blacksmith in Thran. Having reached the peak of his skills, he was not content. There were only so many things that could be done with lifeless metal. He beseeched the priests of Karakal for aid. They suggested that he make some great sacrifice to Karakal and pray for a boon. So great was his devotion that he created a splendid, jewel-inlaid sword whose blade was cunningly crafted in the likeness of a dancing flame. He offered this up in sacrifice to Karakal and the sword vanished into the sacred flame, but no other sign came to him. Bolonath decided that the offering had been insufficient. He began work on a new offering, an iron shield with beautful gold filligree spelling out the praises of Karakal. When he completed it at last, many people offered him bags of gems for a device of such beauty and craftsmanship, but he turned them all down and offered it up in sacrifice to Karakal. As before, it vanished into the sacred flame, but no response came. Despondent, he left his home and wandered for many days. In a distant land he watched magah birds at play and was inspired by their beautiful song. He returned to his disused workshop and embarked upon his most difficult project yet. He slowly crafted a clockwork bird so cunningly designed that its wings would flap like a real bird and it would give forth beautiful music as it moved. The bird was powered by a series of carefully measured springs which could be wound up using a golden key. When he offered this up to Karakal, he knelt and prayed by the fire for a long time. The priests reported that suddenly he was surrounded by a wall of fire and lost to view. They could hear his voice through the flame, but his exact words were lost in the roar of the fire. If any responses were given, they were inaudible to the priests. When the flames suddenly died out, Bolonath stood and turned from the temple and went on his way, carrying the very same mechanical bird which had vanished in the fire. He went into seclusion but some weeks later he came forth to the king of Thran to offer him a most splendid gift. It was the mechanical bird that he had made for his god, but somehow he had invested magical life in the device. It now flapped and sang on its own, composing lovely songs and moving without any springs at all. His majesty was so impressed that he named Bolonath the royal blacksmith of Thran. Bolonath prospered under his new rank, and made many beautiful devices and emblems for the nobles of Thran. He also became known for many fabulous weapons. He crafted swords and arms for the knights of Thran out of a kind of silver-colored steel which was more durable and held a better edge than any metal known. For Lhask, a famous swordsman who honored Karakal, Bolonath crafted a powerful magic sword named "the Hand of Righteousness." The praises of Karakal were drawn along the blade and the sword-blade would be shrouded in fire when wielded in the name of Karakal. For some years, "the Hand of Righteousness" was Bolonath's most famous creation. Eventually, however, Lhask was killed and the secret of the blade's power was stolen by a bandit chief, who wielded it as a weapon of terror. As it passed through the hands of several ruthless killers, the sword's reputation was tarnished, and it came to be known as "the Flametongue." Determined to outdo his now-infamous creation, Bolonath labored long and hard to create an even more powerful magic blade. This sword was named "the Tooth of Karakal," and is believed by many to be the most potent magic weapon in all of history. Distinctive for its unusual appearance, "the Tooth of Karakal" has a short, broad blade with a ruby of fantastic size somehow embedded in the center of the blade itself. It has a strangely oversized hilt and has always been kept in a special scabbard made from the hide of a dragon. It is said that the merest touch of the blade is death to any creature. "The Tooth of Karakal" was wielded by the Knight Champion of Thran, and was passed on to the next Champion when the current wielder perished or retired. However, it too was eventually lost when a Champion was murdered with a poisoned drink. "The Tooth of Karakal" has reappeared briefly several times, each time with a new wielder, but each time it has vanished again before the knights of Thran could be sent to retrieve it. Its current whereabouts are unknown. Bolonath still lives in Thran, but seems to have sworn off the crafting of magical weapons. He is still the royal blacksmith of Thran and makes annual offerings of great value to Karakal. His wife is dead, but some of his children and grand-children still assist at his forge, handling the more mundane tasks of his shop. ARTIFACTS OF BOLONATH The Flametongue (Originally "the Hand of Righteousness") A magical sword created by the mage-smith Bolonath. The Flametongue appears to be an ordinary weapon except for the praises of Karakal engraved upon its blade. It can be made to produce flame from its blade as though it had been dipped in pitch and then lit. It was originally given to the warrior Lhask, who paid homage to Karakal, but after his death it was wielded by a number of vicious thugs. Its reputation was tarnished and it became known as "the Flametongue." [To activate the blade's power the wielder must touch it to a flame while calling upon Karakal to bless the sword. This costs the wielder 2+ MP. The flame will cling to the blade for 30 minutes per MP expended. Persons struck with the blade take a base 1d8+2 damage and then an additional 1d4 points of burn damage. The flame burns with a brilliant light, and is obviously magical. As such its mere presence is often enough to cower ordinary people. If sheathed or otherwise cut off from oxygen, the flames will die out. Several specially constructed sheaths have been made for this blade at one time or another.] The Tooth of Karakal Bolonath's most legendary creation, this is a short, broad sword with an oversized hilt made from the skin of some strange creature. Supposedly a mere touch of the blade kills. The blade has a magnificent ruby built into it. [Within the ruby is imprisoned a Minion of Karakal. Its deadly electrical touch is channeled through the blade. The sword is a short, broad weapon that does a base 1d8 damage, plus 2d6 electrical damage. Anyone who so much as touches the blade takes the electrical damage and must resist the damage done with their CON or perish from heart failure. Metal armor, naturally, can stop the physical damage but provides no protection against the electrical strike. Even more dauntingly, unless specially insulated, any metal weapon used to parry this blade or even parried by this blade will conduct the electrical shock right into its wielder. Of course, it can be dangerous to use this blade on any opponent who is currently touching you. The ruby glows with a strange, inner light, and if examined closely the image of a Minion of Karakal can be seen within its depths, suspended by its sparkling legs. The hilt and scabbard are both made from the flesh of some strange creature and are both completely non-conductive. But, since even the wielder of the sword can easily perish by accidentally touching the naked blade, most of its owners have had fairly short careers. The Tooth of Karakal originally did more damage than it currently does, but the blade has dulled since then and few people have ever tried to sharpen it. Wielded by a strong man with a +1d4 damage bonus, this weapon does an average of 14 points of damage per blow and requires that the target resist the electrical part of the damage with their CON or perish. An impaling strike does not increase the electrical damage, but the target will continue to suffer 2d6 damage per round so long as the blade remains embedded in him. Of course, trying to extract the deadly blade without touching the corpse can be dangerous in itself. The Tooth of Karakal is a devestating weapon against opponents ignorant of its true nature. At one point a wielder of the Tooth slew nearly a dozen knights sent by a nearby king to seize the blade. To protect them from the blade's rumored deadly touch, the king had specified that his knights all wear the finest plate mail in his armory...] CAMPAIGN IDEAS INVOLVING BOLONATH Bolonath is a powerful mage in the Dreamlands with a very respectable reputation. As such, he could be a very powerful ally for any investigators travelling in the Dreamlands. He possesses great influence with the king of Thran and is highly skilled at creating enchantments and clockwork devices. Even if your investigators are only tourists in the Dreamlands, Bolonath could be a wealth of mystical lore for them to consult. Of course, Bolonath will probably want something in return for his aid. He would probably consider a description of a modern mechanical device to be adequate reward for any questions he might answer, but if the investigators want him to create an enchanted item for them, he will want a favor in return. Bolonath might send them looking for a lost artifact, or ask them to retrieve a crystal suitable for use in creating an intelligent creature with the spell Bolonath's Wondrous Enchantment. If the party includes a spell-casting character, Bolonath might be willing to teach that person one of his enchantment spells in return for some suitable price, but Bolonath should never expend POW for the investigators casually. Of course, Bolonath might have a dark side as well. Perhaps his life is so dominated by his art that he has little concern for the lives of others. At the GM's option, he might be obsessed with bringing a clockwork image of his late wife to life, a deranged quest which is bringing him closer and closer to the edge. Or, more simply, he might just be a poor businessman and be teetering on the edge of financial ruin. Perhaps he has soured on Karakal and now secretly worships a more potent deity of fire such as Tulzscha or Cthugha. When describing Bolonath's shop, be sure to stress the extraordinary beauty of all his craftsmanship. His art is too fine and wonderful to have ever been created in the waking world. -------------------- From: Cedric Chin Subject: Dunwich a Go-Go: A Mythos Deck System: Mythos Following is the outline of a Mythos Deck, based in part on the Kitab Al-Azif Card File (V16.5). Deck Design: Dunwich A Go-Go Adventures: * The Dunwich Horror * Knee Deep in Doom Cards: * Cards required for the Dunwich Horror * 40 points of monsters: Byakhees, Dimensional Shamblers, Shantaks * Kitab Al-Azif * Call Power of Nyambe * Angles of Tag Clatur The Plot: Having witnessed the terror of the Dunwich Horror, you resolve to _do it right_. Grabbing your copy of the Kitab Al-Azif, you summon eldritch monsters as your allies. But, a sudden change of heart causes you to cast the spell of Nyambe, destroyings both the damnable beings and the corrupt Whateleys as well. The Play: * The Kitab Al-Azif's ability to summon Monsters as Allies is just plain cool. However, since it's a Unique card, and no other card has a similar effect, bad luck may keep the card at the bottom of your deck. But, the Dunwich Horror's Unique cards make it likely you won't complete that Adventure until the deck is exhausted, so you'll end up with the Kitab in play before you finish the Dunwich Horror. * The Dunwich Horror is also a slow Adventure. By the time you play it, other players will have played their Adventures. You will not be a threat -- unless someone notices all the Monsters you've played as Allies, and the Call Power of Nyambe. If they threaten to bury the Kitab or Nyambe, point out that you have forty points of Monsters in your deck and they'll have to attack **somebody**... * Anyway, here's the trick. - Turn 1: Score the Dunwich Horror. - Turn 2: Cast Call Power of Nyambe on your Monster Allies, the Whateleys, and the Professors. - Turn 3: Score Knee Deep in Doom with 20 Sanity. Cheers, Cedric. -------------------- From: Cedric Chin Subject: The Arkham Menagerie: A Mythos Deck System: Mythos Here's another Kitab / Nyambe deck, based on the Great Menagerie Card File for Arkham, in V19.8. It's sexy more than anything else. Adventures: * Great Menagerie * Knee Deep in Doom and/or Seeking Everlasting Life I * The Great Epidemic Cards for Great Menagerie: * Explorer: Laban Shrewsbury and/or Etienne * Three Outside: Arkham Cemetary, Boston Train Station, Potter's Field, Hangman's Hill * City: 197 E. Pickman * Monsters of 4 sub-types: Varies with taste, but high-point Monsters overlap with Knee Deep, and you can summon Nyarlathotep with the Day Events you need for The Great Epidemic (and the Shining Trapezohedron). You might as well go for broke and use the Shoggoth / Mother Hydra / Father Dagon / Deep Ones / Jewelry of the Deep Ones combo. Cards for the other Adventures: * As required Other cards: * Create Gate * Devolution * Shining Trapezohedron (for Nyarlathotep) Comments: * I like this deck, if only because of it's uniqueness. This is the only Arkham deck that I have that can't use the less-than-sexy Interesting Shop, and makes use of Potter's Field. The thought of Nyarlathotep as an Ally is gratuitously humorous (even if he immediately goes to the Story Deck), as is any deck that could use a Giant Albino Penguin or two (those get to go to the Story Deck, too). * The Devolution / Resurrection / Nyambe / Kitab combo is a flexible and even useful combination. Play your 1-point Zombies or Deep Ones as Allies via Kitab, or Resurrect a Corrupt Ally. (If you Resurrect Herbert West, you get to pull out two cards from your Story Deck!) De-Evolve them into 4-point Monster Allies. Cast Power of Nyambe on them and gain Sanity. Woohoo. Alternately, use 197 E. Pickman / Kitab to get your Monsters as Allies, cast Nyambe, and score the Great Menagerie or Knee Deep without waiting until the next Round. Cedric. -------------------- The Chaosium Digest is an unofficial electronic 'zine about Chaosium's Games. In no way should it be considered representative of the views or beliefs of Chaosium Inc. To submit an article, subscribe or unsubscribe, mail to: appel@erzo.org. The old digests are archived on ftp.csua.berkeley.edu in the directory /pub/chaosium, and may be retrieved via FTP.