Chaosium Digest Volume 26, Number 6 Date: Sunday, August 16, 1998 Number: 1 of 1 Contents: The Snake in Blood (Andy Clements) CALL OF CTHULHU Editor's Note: This time around, a short adventure outline for Call of Cthulhu. Send in those submissions for next issue! Shannon RECENT PUBLICATIONS: * Call of Cthulhu - _No Man's Land_ (Chaosium, 80 pg., $14.95), by Sam Johnson, is a tournament adventure for Call of Cthulhu. Based on a round of the famous GenCon Cthulhu Master's Tournament, this adventure takes investigators into the heart of Mythos horror during World War I. Perfect as a standalone or an introduction to a 1920s campaign. * Misc - _Tradetalk #4_ (Chaos Society, 48 pg.) is the fourth issue of the newest Glorantha fanzine. This one features info on Kethaela, including a history of the Kingdom of Night, points of interest, and more. There's also a short Pendragon article featuring three NPC knights. -------------------- From: Andy Clements Subject: The Snake in Blood System: Call of Cthulhu In this 1920s adventure, there is an Arkham-based cult which allegedly serves Kukulkan, a Mayan deity. However, this is just one of Nyarlothotep's guises, who is using the cult to summon itself to Earth, possibly for the mass torment of humans. The cult has also gained an ancient Mayan book containing several new spells, of which only one is essential to this adventure's plot. This spell is detailed at the end of the article. The adventure begins with a newspaper article, focusing on the death of a speak-easy owner (however, the newspaper will claim that he runs a restaurant--the dead man paid the editor well for "public-spirited" comments...). The newspaper offers the usual blurbs about '...well respected member of the community...', and '...tragic, yet mysterious death...'. However, the important thing is the description of the crime scene: the owner was dead with a fired shotgun in his hands, and the room was liberally covered in blood. The man's head had been brutally removed (the newspaper claims the work of a blunt machete) and there was a drag mark in the blood leading to the shattered window. There was glass both on the outside and inside of the window. The newspaper assumes that two people broke in, one of whom was shot, whilst the other dispatched the owner. Then the survivor dragged the body out through the window. The newspaper is unable to find a reason for how the intruders got in through a second-floor window, nor how they were able to leave. The actual murder was carried out like this: A Feathered Snake (new monster, see spell at end of article) sprang through the window using powerful muscles before biting off the owner's head, and spitting it out. The shotgun failed to have an effect on the Serpent, and the blood trail was actually caused by the serpent dragging itself through the window. Since the Keeper knows the actual events of the murder, it is probably best to leave the distribution of evidence to individual Keepers... this way, players reading this are unsure of how to accumalate the evidence they need--after all, they can't just race to the police and gibber about giant snakes. A week later (or longer at the Keeper's discretion) the shop is bought by an archaologist with a history of visiting South America. He converts the building into a folklore art shop, which sells Mayan art and sculpture. Nothing of Cthulhu taint is sold here, as the Archaeologist knows well enough what should be kept for "private" use... The Archaeologist is (as many Keepers will have quickly realized) the cult leader. The shop is merely a front for the purchase of the building. What the Archaeologist is interested in are the catacombs which run close to the cellar, knowledge of which Nyarlothotep granted him. If players decide to watch the Archaeologist's shop, they should see South Americans arrive at midnight on every other week, on the day of the Keeper's choice. If the Investigators break into the house, whilst the new owner is on "holiday" (i.e., travelling after rumours of new occult books), there is a 25% chance that there is a Feathered Serpent in the house on guard. If the breakin is successful, the players may steal the Mythos Tome that the cult is using. For Keepers who wish to add spells beyond that described, it is reccomended that they be blood related spells as well as those to do with Time/Space enitities and Great Old Ones, or Outer Gods. Call Nyarlothotep, of course, is necessary. The Tome also adds +10% Cthulhu Mythos, and has a x2 Spell Multiplier. Investigators looking through the house will also see a notice placing heavy significance on the next full moon--this is when Nyarlothotep will be summoned. If the players examine the cellar, they will see a crude tunnel leading to the catacombs. These catacombs contain a strange alien city which warps through strange angles, and incidently costs Investigators 0/1D4 sanity each. If the Investigators search for long enough, they may find a strange monument poised over an alien library. Inside this hideous place books wrapped in skins of something best left unknown may be found, and it is here the cult found further information on summoning Nyarlothotep. How the Investigators attempt to stop the ritual, or how Nyarlothotep manifests if the attempt fails, is up to Keeper discretion. If you wish to add a "finding an ally" sub-plots, then so be it. New Spell: Create Feathered Serpent ==================================== This costs the caster 1d4 Sanity, and requires the expenditure of 10 Magic Points. The spell must be cast on a willing recipient, and involves the sacrifice of a non-believer. The blood of the victim is then drunk by the recipient, whom begins to turn into a large Feathered Serpent. Watching this process for the first time costs 1d4 sanity unless the recipient is a friend, in which case the cost is 1D6+1, the cost of seeing a friend lose their humanity. New Monster: Feathered Serpent =============================== Strength: Roll 4D6 Dexterity: Roll 3D6 Intelligence: Roll 2D6-4 Constitution: Roll 3D6 Size: Roll 2D6+2 POW: Roll 1D6 Move: 15 Attacks: Bite 45%, damage 1D6+damage bonus. Inject Poison [following a successful bite attack], 50%, Potency 10 poison injected. Constrict/Crush 20%, damage 1D4 + damage bonus. Armour: 2-points of armour, plus regeneration of one point per two rounds, until death. Sanity Loss: Cost of 1/1D10 sanity loss: Feathered Serpents are alien, yet have human vestiges, and are obviously powerful... ============= Andy Clements Andy Andyc2@netcomuk.co.uk http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Stadium/1754/index.html --