From: "John or Christine Thompson" To: Subject: Chaosium Digest v33.2 Date: Tuesday, June 12, 2001 11:45 PM Chaosium Digest Volume 33, Number 2 Date: Tuesday, January 30, 2001 Number: 3 of 3 ZOMBIE REMORTIFICATION (pt. 3) by Mervyn Boyd - jack@ktana.freeserve.co.uk New Spell Empower Stone of Nyambe A stone, or rock or other suitable natural occurring substance the size of a clenched fist should be used as the receptacle. Empowering the stone requires a 30 minute African tribal ritual, 1 point of POW expended, three broad bands engraved round its circumference then total immersion (for eight hours) in the blood sacrifice of a creature of at least size 4. 1d3 sanity loss also occurs. Once this has been done the receptacle is ready to hold magic points. A Voodoo totem of some kind This ornately carved spear-like weapon measures 26 inches in length and is made of bamboo topped with an iron spike. The shaft of the weapon is bound with intertwining strips of leather and human flesh. Two shrunken human heads are tied with ligaments and sinew just below the iron barb and hand loose. Seeing this causes 0/1d3 sanity loss on a failed roll. Unless a mythos roll is impaled the exact identification of this totem will be unknown. This is a Fetch Stick - a magical weapon that can damage and kill extraplanar creatures. The spear has a base chance of 15% and does 1d6+1 damage. The Other Rooms The other rooms are mostly empty except for the odd box containing odds and ends and memorabilia. Nothing that'll interest the players. The Cellar The basement is full of junk mostly. Searching around the players come across, standing partially obscured in the corner of the cellar, a magicians "Vanishing Lady" cabinet. Next to that is also a magicians trunk sporting the legend "Rumbaldo The Clown" in flaking gaudy colours. The chest is locked but can be easily broken open. Inside is all you would associate with a magician or clown: Top hat and tails, wand, oversized novelty shoes, coat with several secret pockets, red nose, green wig and clown makeup and a broken ventriloquist dummy. The chest also contains a few vials and bottles of powder. There are also a few bronze bowls with engravings. Inside one of the bowls an observant character (who makes a SPOT HIDDEN -20 roll) notices a thin brown flaky crust. (If the Investigators have this analyzed they will find out that it is blood - human blood. Type A. A match for Rita.) CHEMISTRY or PHARMACY analysis of the bottled chemicals find that they are nothing more than stage props that change the colour of flames and other flash powders. The vanishing lady cabinet is decorated with assorted "magical" glyphs. Closely examining the interior of the cabinet the investigators require a successful MYTHOS roll (which the keeper should roll) to sense that one of the glyphs is magical. Another successful MYTHOS roll identifies the glyph as being part of a gate spell. This gate is specifically tuned to one person - Bedford. It only works on a given command word or gesture which is known only to him, so the investigators cannot pass through the gate should they already happen to know the spell. Visiting The Mine Once the players have discovered the existence of the mine by either the deeds, or by being told of it by Michaelson or another local they may well want to come out and have a closer look. Michaelson or Cockcroft can bring them out here to show them where it is. Both men can also take the players to the site where Rita's body was unearthed, though there is nothing there to interest the players. While walking through the woods, a successful NATURAL HISTORY or LISTEN roll reveals a total absence of large animal life forms (rabbits, foxes, birds, etc). Those who succeed a TRACK roll find that the only noticeable tracks are large hoof prints. Succeeding the track roll by half allows diligent characters to see there are only one set of prints walking side by side - as if made by a biped, rather than the normal tracks a horse makes. The hoof prints belong to a Dark Young of Shub-Niggurath, although they could have been made by a horse (for those who fail their Natural History roll.). Anyone who has encountered a Dark Young before may recognize its tracks. The tracks never form a traceable path and where they disappear into the undergrowth an observant character sees that the vegetation there is crushed and withered and several trees have been partially toppled as though pushed with immense strength. The Dark Young hides during the day, virtually undetectable. At night it stalks out from its lair and slays what livestock it can find, leaving behind only charred, perforated corpses - one or two of which the Investigators may find during their walk. A failed Sanity roll (with a loss of zero sanity) results in the character grimacing at the dried out husk of the corpse. As they continue through the woods, the characters, on a successful POWx5 roll, become aware of the smell of rotting vegetation wafting on the breeze. (This is the smell of the Dark Young). Eventually the investigators emerge in to the woodland clearing and mineshaft. The smell of rotting plants hangs strongly in the air here, although no rotting vegetation can be found close by. The hoof tracks the characters may have seen before are in great abundance here and can be readily seen without a track roll and appear to be concentrated around a solitary tree (see below). To the side of the mine entry shaft, there stands a single, partially collapsed wooden hut. (Nothing to find inside except a few rusty old tools.) Those who try to determine whether the place has been visited recently, or is being used, should roll a TRACK or SPOT HIDDEN skill check. A successful roll confirms that several people have been here recently, although how recently is unknown. As to proving whether the mine is still in use is indeterminate. To find that out the characters need to proceed into its depths. The solitary tree seems to be covered in some kind of bristly fungus that grows all over its trunk. Its branches are withered and twisted. Green goo oozes from 'open sores'. The smell here is astounding and the Investigators need to cover their noses while they breath. The smell now reminds the Investigators of corpses sweltering in a midsummer's heat. (BOTANY rolls determine this to be an unknown type of tree and indeed disease.) If the investigators come within 40 feet of the mine the Dark Young moves into attack flailing its limbs wildly. (After Rita discovered the mine and wandered in, Bedford summoned the Dark Young to protect the mine from further unwanted trespassers.) Should the Dark Young be slain, it begins to melt into a glutinous, mulchy goo at an alarming rate. Its already horrific odor becoming much, much worse. Within 45 minutes, there'll be nothing left of it save for a squelchy blackened damp patch of bare earth, where no plant will grow for decades to come. The Dark Young Of Shub-Niggurath STR CON SIZ INT POW DEX MOVE HITS 38 17 42 14 18 16 8 30 WEAPON ATTK % DAMAGE Armour: All firearms do minimum damage. Hand to Tentacle 80 4d6+STR drain* Hand weapons do normal damage. Trample 40 2d6+4d6 SAN: 1d3/1d20 * Within the Dark Young's numerous ropy tentacles it has four main ones with which it can attack. All four can attack independently. Should a victim become ensnared, he is held close so that he is bitten by the open sores. These "mouths" drain 1d3 points of STR & CON per round - permanently. Providing the unfortunate victim is still alive, he is rendered incapable of any action other than trying to free himself from its vile clutches. The Tin Mine A rich seem of tin runs through Uffington and is worth quite a fortune. The mine was originally owned by Bedford's father but a spate of accidents maimed and killed several miners twenty-odd years ago. The remaining workforce then refused to go back down which forced the mine's closure. Rumour has it that the mine is haunted because of that. The only way in to the mine is by the elevator which, surprisingly, still works. When the elevator reaches the bottom of the shaft the characters emerge into a dimly lit corridor. Echoing around them they hear the sound of steel on stone. Mining. Further up ahead, they see the mine is brightly lit and the light casts shadows upon the walls which dance and writhe (no sanity loss). About 20 feet into the mine shaft the characters discover several boxes which contain kerosene lamps, roughly 17 gallons of oil and assorted tools. Moving deeper into the mine the investigators soon come across a ghastly scene. About 20-25 figures, men and women, all with sickening sallow sunken features and dirty torn clothing. Some break ore with pickaxes, others load trolleys and when full, cart it off down a tunnel to another elevator. The ore-laden trolleys are then sent up to a barn where other zombie workers unload it on to vehicles that transport it away for processing. Once empty the trolleys are returned for another load. These zombies are watched by two human overseers. A sanity roll is required with a combined loss of 1d4/1d8 if the players realize that all the workers are - or should be dead and buried. If Cockcroft or Michaelson is here he will stand stunned and speechless at the sight, obviously traumatized as seeing many people they once knew - especially if one happens to be Michaelson's son. Overseeing the zombie workforce is one of Bedford's goons. He uses a whip to spur on anyone who seem to be slacking off, and is now using it with great enthusiasm on a luckless fallen zombie. If he is interrupted, and seeing that he is outnumbered, he orders the zombies to attack the intruders while he make good his escape to inform his friends. It would be madness to fight the zombies, their numbers will eventually overwhelm the few investigators and kill them. Any character equipped with an Elder Sign will soon be amazed to discover that these zombies are not affected by it. Even those carrying and using Bad-Corpse Dust will find that it has no effect. As previously mentioned, these zombies are live humans, so firearms do normal damage against them. The Zombies STR CON SIZ INT POW DEX MOVE HITS 9 12 13 5 1 8 6 13 WEAPON ATTK % DAMAGE The zombies either attempt to take a swipe at a Scratch/Nail/Grapple 30 1d3 character with a tool, or claw for damage, or try to Bite 70 1d6 grapple. Once grappled and held, the zombie attempts Applicable Tool 25 1d6+1 to bite the character. Grave Digging Once faced with the problem, medical type characters may wish to dig up a corpse or two in order to perform a post mortem. Cockcroft, says he's thought about that also, but decided to against it, as he's positive as to how the people would react if they found out. That's why he contacted the player in the first place. After discovering what is going on in the mine the investigators may well want to dig graves up - just to be sure. In either case this is what happens. The graves of everybody who has died from the Fever list will be empty, with the exception of Stewart Galloway - the most recently dead, and that of Rita - the girl Bedford killed. If the players decide to dig up graves without anyone's consent they will require a LISTEN roll (at some point) to hear Sergeant Michaelson and Constable Tanner - who both carry shotguns - arrive. The local minister, Thadeus Greene, can be seen lurking in the background. Michaelson intervenes just as the Investigators are about to open a coffin lid; he orders them to stop and threatens them with arrest for the crimes of grave robbing and possibly even body snatching (unless everyone is on friendly terms). Ignoring him and throwing open the coffin the Investigators may, or may not be surprised to find that it is empty, Michaelson, Tanner and the minister sure will be and will want to know what's going on. Depending on how the players handle this situation, the outcome will govern how Michaelson, and the rest of the town will react to the continued presence of the players. Further Events Should the investigators remain in Uffington overnight, or for several days, the keeper could throw these and other events in (or ignore them completely) at any time to give added drama, surprise and mystery to an otherwise slow moving scenario: · Thadeus Greene (the local minister) is attacked in the night and is found bleeding and unconscious in the graveyard the morning after by the Investigators or by someone else. Upon questioning, he says that he was disturbed last night around three in the morning with noises coming from the cemetery. Investigating what it was he was jumped from behind, but before he lost consciousness he managed to see two men wearing robes and masks making off towards the bridge. If the Investigators search the cemetery further they find the partially dug grave of Stewart Galloway, a lantern and some digging tools. Curious Investigators may want to take a look in the coffin, just to appease their suspicions. Opening it they find the body of Stewart. (The two men were attempting to retrieve the body and take it to the mine for awakening). Anybody wishing to track Rev. Greene's assailants need to succeed a TRACK roll. The tracks can be followed for 50 yards or so before the trail is completely lost as they cross the cobblestone bridge. It doesn't matter if the track roll was impaled, the trail is lost regardless. The men may return the next night to complete their task, but they will be wary and will look for sentries on guard before proceeding. · 1d3 zombies (or more) manage to escape from the mine and somehow find their way back into town at whatever time is convenient for the keeper. The Investigators are alerted to the hysterical screams of a woman in her late 40s early 50s. By the time the Investigators arrive on the scene a small crowd has gathered and bicker amongst themselves. Somebody tries to calm the woman down. A successful PSYCHOANALYSIS roll does this just enough for her to say that she found her dead husband (Jeffrey Chambers - died Nov 2, 1919) in the kitchen making something to eat. Entering her house and looking around is easily done. Down stairs is clear of zombies. But, upstairs and having looked in a room or two Jeffrey lurches suddenly from another doorway in an attempt to grapple and bite a luckless investigator. The attack is unexpected so a sanity roll is required with a loss of 1/1d3. (The other zombies who escaped - if any - can appear in this scene or elsewhere according to the keeper's discretion). If the characters capture, rather than kill Jeffrey, they see that he will stare around his surroundings blankly. No intelligible conversation can be had save for guttural growls. Resolving The Zombie Plague Investigators may take the direct approach by loading shotguns and going on a hunt, or they may try and obtain dynamite to blow the mine up. Unless they habitually carry dynamite they will find that there is absolutely no dynamite to be found in town. Another way of destroying them is to destroy the clay effigies, either by burning or smashing them. Whatever happens to an effigy will occur to one of the zombies. Throw an effigy on a fire, a zombie will burst into flames after a few rounds of smoking. Pull the head off an effigy will result in a broken neck. Smash an effigy to pieces sees all the bones in the zombie breaking as it falls to the ground in a saggy heap. If dynamite is used in the mine there will be a chance of a cave in with a chance equal to the greatest damage rolled. If the Investigators obtained the papyrus pages from Bedford's home and take the time to translate it they may release the zombies from their current state by casting the reverse of the zombification process. There is no time limit to do this, if the players want to come back a week next Tuesday to free the enslaved humans let them. If the characters discuss things with Thadeus he may offer to help since he can speak a little French. He's been a missionary you know. Given enough time, Thadeus translates enough of the papyrus pages (despite his shortcomings in understanding French-Creole) so that the de-zombiefication process can be attempted. Returning the zombies to their natural human form results in sanity gain, however killing the zombies then learning of the reversal process will certainly cause sanity loss. The End and its Reward Whether the characters ingratiate themselves with the local community and expose Bedford's evil scheme, or whether they are chased from town by a horde of angry villagers brandishing flaming brands and pitchforks a few things play on their minds: Who is Squire Bedford? Where is he? What's he involved with? What is this Sable Order of the Cloven Bough? What is the Book of Sakkuth? This gives the keeper boundless opportunities in generating further scenarios. Killing Nakumba +1d4 points Reverting a zombie to normal +1/5 point per zombie Killing a zombie then learning, or knowing, that they can be reverted -1 point per zombie killed Killing a zombie without knowledge of reversion process +1d3 points per 5 Player Handout 1. Uffington on the Marsh Cornwall 10 March 1920 Dear , Please forgive me for contacting you out of the blue like this. I know we haven't seen each other for almost ten years, but for some time now our village has been beset by a number of mysterious and fatal maladies. People have been dying off suffering from bouts of lassitude and then generally wasting away. I cannot find any cause that can be attributed to what the locals have begun to call "The Fever". I am at a loss and desperately need your experience and advice. Please come quickly to Uffington on the Marsh and shed some light on this miserable state of affairs. I shall reimburse you of your traveling expenses. Your Friend , Dr. Timothy Cockcroft. Player Handout 2 Dear Sir, Thank you for your interest in The Book of Sakkuth. Here are the details you wish to know, as per your request: The actual author of the treatise is purported to be an unknown maddened Benedictine Monk who took his own life in the 4th century by jumping from the monastery's bell tower - though rumor has it that he was pushed or thrown to his demise. Shortly after his death it was assured that his blasphemous work was destroyed, but evidently his work survived in one form or another, because today 1916 years later there appears to be several printed editions in circulation, though, by now, the original manuscript must've crumbled into dust. This particular book is a hard-bound leather tome with a flat black cover, which has a tarnished brass clasp to lock its pages in place. The book comprises 368 pages of illuminated hand-written (17th Century Late Modern English) text with no illustrations of any sort, though, it does have evidence of a color drawing on the very first page, but it has been torn out leaving only the very edge of the picture and part of a diction beginning; "O friend and companion of the void,.." According to the book, the magi of ancient Rome believed Sakkuth to come to Earth once every thousand years or so to possess a human body. He then spread dissension wherever he traveled while seeking out the Ajar-Alazwat - an artifact that fell from the sky in the Hyperborian age. The object apparently served as the focus for many dark cults in that time and in the years that followed, and has reportedly traveled as far and wide from Greece, to Russia to Atlantis and R'lyeh and both ice continents. If real, the artifact's current whereabouts is speculated to be no less diverse. Sakkuth is believed to be responsible for the Dark Ages which followed the destruction of Atlantis and Hyperborea. With the aid of the Ajar-Alazwat he would try to summon his masters, Yog-Sothoth and Shub-Niggurath to Earth - and to a lesser extent Hastur, where they would mate and give birth to the spawn that would gain dominion over the world. There is mention that Sakkuth is similar in many ways to a being called Nyarlathotep, but this may also just be another name for the King in Yellow (whoever that is). The book is filled with doggerel such as this, as well as containing several prayers and hymns, the book also contains instructions for certain rituals, convocations and summonings. By your request I also include information on one such spell that you were keen on knowing about. The spell purportedly summons forth a creature not previously described in other books of occult lore. It is described as being an "Hunter of Shub-Niggurath". This entity appears to belong to a powerful servitor race. The hunters are called into service from their home world for one purpose only - to hunt. When summoned and given the description of a victim, the hunter tracks down the target and will not stop until either it or the target is dead. The hunter has a special sense which allows it to home in on a person when provided with something the person has recently touched. From descriptions, the hunter is humanoid in appearance resembling an emaciated corpse. Its rough leathery hide taught against its skeletal structure. The being is completely devoid of hair and is dark brown in colour and is often filthy. Large bat like wings protrude from its back and it stands on large powerful legs that resemble that of a Satyr. When measured it stands roughly 8 feet tall. Its hands are human-like and terminate in a lethal array of long iron-like talons. Despite its scrawny appearance the hunter is very muscular and agile. The hunters' point of origin is as yet unknown. They could be from an entirely different dimension, or they could be the spawn from a nearby planet in our own solar system. The hunter does not speak though it is capable of a crude communication, through a rough form of empathy, which transmits the hunter's intentions and emotions to nearby beings. Apparently, hunters are unable to control this ability; thus, they project their mental conditions, such as they are, constantly. I hope this letter has been of some help to you and I look forward to hearing from you soon. Again, I thank you for your inquiry and I am pleased to inform you that I am willing to sell you the book for £15,000. Yours Faithfully, Ray McGoldrick -- To unsubscribe from the chaos-digest ML, send an "unsubscribe" command to chaos-digest-request@chaosium.com. Chaosium Inc., Call of Cthulhu, and Nephilim are Registered Trademarks of Chaosium Inc. Elric! and Pendragon are Trademarks of Chaosium Inc. 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