Chaosium Digest Volume 25, Number 3 Date: Sunday, April 12, 1998 Number: 2 of 4 Contents: Return to the Monolith, Part Two (Mike LaBrossiere) CTHULHU NOW -------------------- From: Mike LaBrossiere Subject: Return to the Monolith, Part Two System: Call of Cthulhu [continued from V.25.2] PLACES The following section details the places the investigators will visit during the course of the adventure. Hungary The team will fly to an airport in Austria and they will be provided with suitable transportation (vans) at the airport. From Austria they will drive into Hungary. Steiger Inc. Will have made all arrangements so their trip will go smoothly. Stregoicavar Stregoicavar is not a real place, but Biscke is eighteen miles west of Budapest. The trip to Stegoicavar will take the team past the ruins were Count Boris Viadinoff who was killed long ago by the Turks. In the 1900s, Stregoicavar was a quiet little town, still living in the 18th century. World War II, the following Cold War, and more recent events have all but emptied the village. Most of the structures are still standing, but the young people have mostly left in search of better opportunities. Those who remain are mostly older people. The Inn The inn in Stregoicavar is still standing, although it has seen better days. However, it is still well kept and the team has reservations (they will be the only guests). Laszlo Yukarskin owns and runs the inn and he knows a fair amount of the local history. If he is treated well, and asked about Justin Geoffrey, he will tell them that "local legend has it that some English poet by that name went and looked at the stone. According to old superstitions, the stone is said to cause madness. In the case of the poet, it did its job. It is said he was found gibbering, drooling and moaning." If he is asked about the black stone, he will tell the team where to find it. If asked what he thinks about it, he will say, "Well, they say that the stone is...unnatural. I don't place much stock in ghost tales and the like. Then again, I've no desire to visit the stone, especially at night." If he is asked about the people who went missing, he will say that all three of them stayed at the inn and that he sent the belongings of two of them home. If asked about the third person, he will say he did not send his belongings because he was told that he had no relatives. If asked about the third person, the innkeeper will check his records and tell them that his name was Metz. If asked what he thinks happened, he will say that he doesn't know. He is willing to speculate about the mafia, but he will say they seemed like nice people. Talking to the Villagers Provided the investigators are polite (and speak their language) the villagers will be willing to talk about the stone. In general, the investigators will learn that the stone still has a bad reputation and that people stay away from it. Local legend has it that the stone was reared by some devil-worshippers who were killed by the Turks. Local legend also has it that there have been attempts over the years to destroy the stone. According to these tales, those who harm the stone suffer from "fits, madness, and terrible dreams." The best source of information in the village is Geoff Stakuski. Stakuski served in a German SS armored unit (under a different name) and retired (anonymously) to this small village. Stakuski, who married a local woman, was fascinated by the history of the area and learned a fair amount about it. He knows that the village was originally called Xuthltan. He believes that the monolith was reared by people who worshipped a "god not well known to men." His wife's mother befriended an American who came to the village in the 1900s. According to Stakuski, the American was part of a small group of men who came to see the stone. The men stayed in the village for some time and the American, named Sam Lorenzo, later returned for a short while, leaving some books and other items. If Stakuski is asked about the books, he will say that they were lost when the roof sprung a leak. He will say that they still have a notebook and a beaker of odd powder. The notebook is in English and is tattered and worn. The following passages are the most interesting and relevant: We have seen the horror that plagues this place on Midsummer's Night. It is something that is not to be spoken or written of. Dr. Harveld thinks that it is just an image from the past, somehow electrically trapped in the stone itself. I think it is something far worse. ... I have returned again to the village to visit Mary again. She is a fine woman, but the things I have seen and experienced prevent me from asking for her hand. After all, how can I promise to protect her, when there is no protection from Them? However, I can do some small thing for her. I finally learned the secret in the Arab scroll and found that the dust is as acid to the horrors. I have created a beaker of the dust, sufficient for two uses, and I have left Mary with instructions on how to use it. She seems skeptical, but she has seen the stone. I leave tomorrow in search of the island. I hope to someday return to Mary. If the investigators are persuasive, Stakuski will be willing to allow them to read the notebook. If they are very persuasive, he might be willing to allow them to take the powder. The powder is the Dust of Suleiman, which does 1D20 worth of damage when thrown on a Mythos creature, such as the Toade. Stakuski has two applications of the powder. Stakuski spoke extensively with Russell (then Metz) and his two friends when they came to the village. Stakuski thinks that they might have been killed by the mafia or that they had some sort of falling out. Stakuski will say that Metz "had a look in his eyes..." and that he might have done something. Because he knows that Stakuski might recognize him, Russell will avoid him. The Black Stone The Black Stone stands on the summit of a mountain near the village. The monolith is roughly octagonal in shape. It stands about sixteen feet high and is about one and a half feet thick. The stone appears to have been highly polished a marked with strange symbols. The stone has been defaced and the symbols have been badly damaged. The symbols on the stone do not appear to belong to any known language and they have been so damaged that is unlikely that anyone would be able to even attempt a translation. An investigator who makes a successful Archeology roll will note that the symbols seem vaguely like those found on a large, apparently man-worked stone found in the Yucatan. Most archaeologists have dismissed the Yucatan markings as being idle scratches or perhaps some type of art. If an investigator with Geology skill examines the stone and makes her skill roll, she will be able to tell that the rock appears to be volcanic in origin, but it definitely seems out of place in this area. The stone is surprisingly resistant to damage, although the use of modern equipment (powered drills) and explosives could break the stone into fragments. Unfortunately, physically damaging the stone will cause the stone to "yield" fragments and pieces of the horrible things that happened on or near it. The effect is that as the stone takes damage, people within 50 meters will have horrible images, feelings and sensations invade their minds. In game terms, for every ten points of damage done to the stone, anyone within 50 meters must make a Sanity roll. If the roll fails, the person loses 1 Sanity Point. If the roll succeeds, there is no loss. If the whole stone is blasted at once, their will be a massive "shockwave" that will cause a 1D6/1D20 Sanity loss to everyone within 50 meters, 1D3/1D10 Sanity loss to all within 100 yards, 1/1D6 Sanity loss to all within 150 yards, and 0/1D3 Sanity loss to all within 200 yards. The "shockwave" will cause bad dreams in people within 100 kilometers of the stone itself. If the stone is blasted to pieces, it will lose all its power and will simply be normal stone. Visiting the Stone During the Day If the monolith is visited during the day, it will seem odd, out of place and spooky. However, nothing will happen. Visiting the Stone at Night Visiting the stone at night is not a very good idea. Those in the presence of the stone will feel a faint chill, as if something cold is brushing their spines. The shadows falling in the area create a very convincing illusion that the stone is at the center of a vast, alien city of forbidding towers and dark, unnatural spires. Bringing artificial lights makes the illusion even stronger, as the bright lights will make the shadows seem somehow more solid. Spending time in this area at night will cost one Sanity Point, unless the investigator makes a Sanity Roll. Visiting the Stone on Midsummer's Night Visiting the stone on Midsummer's Night (June 23rd) is an exceptionally bad idea. As mentioned above, the stone has been imbued with the horror and madness that has occurred in its vicinity. This horror and madness is partially released every June 23rd. Anyone in the vicinity of the stone at this time will hear a faint moaning noise, which sounds almost like the wind through the trees. A scene from the past will be re-enacted near the stone by phantoms of the past. At midnight faint images of people will begin to form, growing more solid appearing as they move towards the stone. As they grow more solid looking, a priest will begin to lead them in an obscene ceremony. If a person watches the events that happen from 12:00 to 12:30, he will lose one Sanity point unless he makes a Sanity Check. At 12:30 the ceremony picks up, with young women dancing about the stone while the priest lashes at their bodies with a leather whip. While the dancing is going on, the other cultists begin to lash some terrified looking people to a wooden log, obviously in preparation for a blood sacrifice. At 1:00, those still present must make a Sanity Check or lose 1D3 Sanity Points. From 1:00 to 1:30, the cultists continue their rituals, culminating in a bloody sacrifice at 1:30. When the blood spills to the ground, the image of a horrid toad-thing will appear over the stone. Those seeing this phantom will need to make a Sanity Check or lose 1D6 Sanity Points. A successful roll still results in a loss of one Sanity Point. The bloody sacrifice is, as mentioned above, merely a horrid phantom from the past. While it can cost Sanity, the images are merely reenacting a scene from the past and can cause no other harm. While the images appear solid, they can be walked through. Moving through the images will have no effect on the ceremony, but will cause the person to feel the horror with even greater intensity. In game terms, the person will need to make an extra Sanity Check each time she moves through one of the images. A failed roll costs one Sanity Point. The Ruins The ruins where Boris Vladinoff died are still present, although they have been covered with years of debris and plant growth. If the investigators decide to muck about in the ruins, they will be able to find some bones, but they will also be able to tell that the ruins have been well picked over. ACTION The main action will center around Russell. Russell's general plan is to get the team to the monolith, summon the Lesser Toade and kill them all in a blood sacrifice. Russell is very cunning and will try to determine which of the investigators might be dangerous or armed before taking action. If possible, he will try to damage any guns the investigators might have brought with them. If the adventure is not taking place near June 23rd, Russell will have a plan to deal with the investigators. His specific plan is this. First, he will talk the team into having a team picture taken at night. When they agree, he will summon the Lesser Toade and have it wait in a nearby cave. That night, he will say that he is going ahead to set up the lighting. He will do this, but he will also visit the Toade and tell it to attack when it sees the flash. Russell will rig up the lighting equipment to create a powerful, blinding flash of light. If the team members make a Luck roll, they will be only party blinded for 15 seconds (half all visual based skill rolls, such as combat skills). If they fail their Luck rolls, they will be blinded by the flash for 15 seconds (all visual based skills at 25% of normal) and partly blinded for another 15 seconds. After the flash goes off, the Lesser Toade will tear into the nearest person, ripping and biting. Meanwhile, Russell will pull out his 9mm and start blazing away. The Toade and Russell will do their best to kill everyone. If things go against them, Russell and the Toade will try to flee. If the investigators are visiting the stone in June, Russell will do his best to get them to visit the stone on the night of June 23rd. Russell will hope the events will cause some of the team to go mad, thus increasing his chances of defeating them. In this case, he will summon the lesser Toade, which will act as if it is merely another image from the past. The Toade will then watch the team, waiting for the events and its presence (seeing the Toade will require a separate Sanity Check) to take their toll on the team members. If some team members go insane, the Toade and Russell will take advantage of this to attack the team. The Lesser Toade will tear into the nearest person, ripping and biting. Meanwhile, Russell will pull out his 9mm and start blazing away. The Toade and Russell will do their best to kill everyone. If things go against them, Russell and the Toade will try to flee. Conclusion The adventure ends when the investigators defeat Russell and the Toade, they flee, or they are killed (or go insane). If the investigators defeat Russell and the Toade, they should receive a 1D8 Sanity point award. If the investigators are able to destroy the monolith, they should receive an extra 1D10 Sanity point reward. If the investigators were working for Steiger Incorporated, they will be paid if they are able to complete their jobs. Steiger Incorporated will be very interested in hiring the investigators again in this case. If the investigators are unable to complete their jobs or events go badly (team members are killed, for example), then the Keeper will have to decide what happens. If the investigators flee without defeating Russell and the Toade, they will lose 1D3 Sanity Points. Russell will acquire sacrifices to bring back the "old religion" and he will soon gather a following of cultists and expand his operations. The investigators may return to face the greatly expanded evil at some point in the future. NPCs David Rolfe, Director STR:14 CON:15 SIZ:14 INT:13 POW:14 DEX:13 APP:13 EDU:19 SAN:70 HP:15 DB: +1D4 Important Skills: Bargain 55%, Credit Rating 45%, Direct 65%, Fast Talk 60%, Jump 45%, Law 15%, Mechanical Repair 40%, Occult 35%, German 25%, Russian 15%, Persuade 35%, Photography 27%, Psychology 37%, Spot Hidden 41%, Swim 55%, Handgun 40% Weapons: None Description: Rolfe is a tall, middle-aged man. He has tanned, weather-beaten skin, black hair, and a neatly trimmed beard and moustache. He generally wears "outdoor" style clothing when in the field. Rolfe is an experienced director and made his reputation covering various wars and disasters. Because of this, Rolfe is very good under pressure. He does not really believe in the supernatural, but will aid the investigators should he become convinced of its reality. Brent Travis, Vocal Talent STR:11 CON:12 SIZ:13 INT:11 POW:11 DEX:10 APP:15 EDU:15 SAN:55 HP:13 DB: None Important Skills: Bargain 25%, Fast Talk 32%, German 45%, French 55%, Japanese 45%, Russian 11%, Persuade 55%, Psychology 25% Weapons: None Description: Travis is a handsome young man, with perfect hair, a perfect face, and a perfect voice. He dresses stylishly and favors expensive clothes. Travis is rather empty-headed and does not believe in the supernatural. If he encounters anything dangerous or frightening, he will attempt to run away. Christopher Russell, Insane Photographer STR:12 CON:13 SIZ:13 INT:14 POW:12 DEX:14 APP:13 EDU:18 SAN:00 HP: 14 DB: +1D4 Important Skills: Bargain 21%, Fast Talk 35%, Hide 25%, Law 16%, Library Use 45%, Listen 35%, Mechanical Repair 37%, Occult 45%, Spanish 35%, French 25%, Persuade 24%, Pharmacy 15%, Photography 83%, Sneak 25%, Handgun 35% Weapons: 9mm Pistol 35% Damage 1D10 Range 20 yards Attacks 3 Shots 15 HP 8 Malfunction 99 Combat Knife 45% 1D4+2+1D4 HP 15, BlackJack 53%, Damage 1D8+1D4 HP 4. Spells: Contact Lesser Toade, Summon Lesser Toade Description: Russell (once known as Metz) is a thin, nervous looking man. He has brown hair, which is thinning badly. He is clearly well on his way to going bald. He smokes constantly and dresses in out of date clothing, mostly army surplus. He always has at least two camera bags with him (one of which holds his 9mm). Russell is a very good photographer and clearly knows his job. Russell is completely insane and is the loyal servant of his new master. Despite his madness, Russell is extremely clever and is very adept at tricking people into getting what he wants. Russell prefers to deal with problems indirectly, through deception, tricks, ambushes and such. He always desires to have an advantage in any situation and will carefully plan his actions. Russell is very careful to maintain his image as an eccentric photographer and is careful to never have anything incriminating on his person or in his gear. Sam Gussett, Camera STR:15 CON:14 SIZ:17 INT:13 POW:12 DEX:09 APP:11 EDU: 14 SAN:60 HP:16 DB: +1D4 Important Skills: Fast Talk 22%, Electrical Repair 55%, Electronics 15%, Drive Motorcycle 45%, Hide 25%, Law 15%, Mechanical Repair 60%, Operate Heavy Machinery 50%, Photography 65% Weapons: Knife 35% Damage 1D4+1D4 HP 9 Description: Sam is a very large, overweight man. He has dark brown hair, a thick beard, and blue eyes. He generally wears biker style clothing (leather jacket, T-shirts, jeans, and heavy boots), a left over from his days in a motorcycle gang. Sam is a skilled cameraman and able to lug around a lot of equipment. Sam has been in some nasty bar fights and is not afraid to have it out with people. Diane Gussett, Camera and Sound STR:12 CON:13 SIZ:11 INT:14 POW:12 DEX:14 APP:12 EDU:15 SAN:60 HP:12 DB: None Important Skills: Fast Talk 25%, Electrical Repair 35%, Electronics 25%, Drive Motorcycle 35%, Hide 20%, Listen 55%, Mechanical Repair 35%,Photography 60%, Sound Recording 60% Weapons: None Description: Diane is a thin, wiry women, with sharp and harsh features. She dresses like her husband, Sam. She has dirty blonde hair and blue eyes. She found God a few years ago and made Sam leave the gang and take up an honest life. Because of her religious beliefs, Diane does believe in the supernatural. Geoff Stakuski, Old Man STR:09 CON:10 SIZ:12 INT:14 POW:12 DEX:14 APP:12 EDU:15 SAN:60 HP:12 DB: None Important Skills: Bargain 45%, Electrical Repair 32%, First Aid 55%, Hide 55%, History 48%, Mechanical Repair 75%, Natural History 35%, Operate Heavy Machinery 56%, German 55%, English 24%, Handgun 28%, Machine Gun 55%, Rifle 45% Weapons: 12-gauge Double Barrelled Shotgun 60% Damage 4D6/2D6/1D6 Shots 2 Range 10/20/50 yards HP 12 Description: Stakuski is an extremely old man, with white hair. He keeps his hair very short and does not have a beard. Stakuski was in the SS during WWII, but he has long since put the war behind him. As mentioned above, Stakuski has useful information for the investigators. CREATURES Lesser Toade Description: The Lesser Toades are hideous, toad-like beings. These horrid creatures are servants of Tsathoggua and are related, in some odd way, to the Formless Spawn. The Toades are intelligent, speak many human languages and often serve as emissaries for Tsathoggua when that horrid deity has business in the world. They look like very large toads with oddly gelatinous bodies. Unlike typical toads, the Toades are huge, have jagged black fangs, and sharp claws. In battle, Toades attack with both claws and bite at their foes with their crooked and jagged teeth. Because of their odd, gelatinous composition, Toades sustain only half damage from kinetic energy weapons, such as guns and knifes. All Toades know two spells, Contact Tsathoggua, Contact Formless Spawn. Characteristics Rolls Average Stats STR 3D6+6 16-17 18 CON 2D6+6 13 16 SIZ 3D6+8 18-19 21 POW 3D6+3 13-14 15 DEX 3D6 10-11 12 HP 15-16 19 Damage Bonus +1D6 +1D6 Move: 7 Weapons: Two claws, 55% 1D6+db, Bite, 55%, 1D10 Armor: None, but a Toade sustains half damage from all kinetic energy weapons. Spells: Contact Tsathoggua, Contact Formless Spawn Sanity Loss: 1/1D8 HANDOUTS Handout #1 An aide brought to [the Count] a small lacquered case which had been taken from the famed Turkish scribe and historian, Selim Bahadur, who had fallen in the fight. The Count took therefrom a roll of parchment and began to read, but he had not read far before he turned pale and, without saying a word, replaced the parchment in the case and thrust the case into his cloak. At that very instant, a hidden Turkish battery opened fire, and ... the walls crash[ed] down in ruin, completely covering the Count. Handout #2 We have seen the horror that plagues this place on Midsummer's Night. It is something that is not to be spoken or written of. Dr. Harveld thinks that it is just an image from the past, somehow electrically trapped in the stone itself. I think it is something far worse. -.. I have returned again to the village to visit Mary again. She is a fine woman, but the things I have seen and experienced prevent me from asking for her hand. After all, how can I promise to protect her, when there is no protection from Them? However, I can do some small thing for her. I finally learned the secret in the Arab scroll and found that the dust is as acid to the horrors. I have created a beaker of the dust, sufficient for two uses, and I have left Mary with instructions on how to use it. She seems skeptical, but she has seen the stone. I leave tomorrow in search of the island. I hope to someday return to Mary. --