Trail of Cthulhu

A Submission for

Commoriom
"I have yet to translate the terrible and abominable legend telling how a certain doughty citizen of Commoriom returned to the city after its public evacuation, and found that it was peopled most execrably and numerously by the fissional spawn of Knygathin Zhaum, which possessed no vestige of anything human or even earthly " ! Clar" #shton $mith The protagonists are members of an expedition to excavate an ancient settlement buried beneath the Greenland ice. Faced with conflict from within and without, and the threat of approaching winter, the expedition degenerates into a struggle to survive as the team members realise that the true horror is beneath the ice under their feet. This scenario is inspired by the Hyperborean Cycle stories of Clark shton !mith, particularly The Testament of Athammaus and Ubbo-Sathla. "t is recommended that the #eeper reads these short stories before running this scenario. The story of the $athieson %xpedition is told in the Call of Cthulhu scenario Trail of Tsathoggua by the late #eith Herber and published in the supplements Trail of Tsathogghua, &'() and The Compact Trail of Tsathoggua, &''*. before the last ice age. %ntombed in the city is a dormant, monstrous race descended from Tsathoggua and an alien device that inflicts visions of life1s disturbing origins.

The Spine
The team members voyage to Godthb, where they can confront a Rival Expedition from Germany. They then begin their arduous overland trek in Evighedsfjorden. Tensions increase between %thelrod, the team leader, and Granger, who is struggling to conceal his alcoholism, leading to The Death of Ethelrod. From %thelrod they can ac2uire a dictionary of the lost Tsath-Yo language. The team receives A Call for Help from the crew of the German base ship, which has lost contact with the overland team, giving the protagonists a moral dilemma. 3uring their 4ourney, the characters find evidence that strange %skimo are watching them and may discover Graves of members of the German expedition, apparently attacked by an unknown animal. text in their possession, when translated with %thelrod1s book gives hints about the history of the site. Arriving at the Site, the protagonists find a CubeShaped Stru ture with walls inscribed with a history of the pre0humans who first settled there. 5earby, the remains of the last members of the German expedition can be found. 6n the valley floor, a Shado! "nder the # e is visible. They are harried by freak weather conditions and attacks by a mysterious $east of the # e Sheet, which continue until they link it with the clan of strange %skimo that has been following them, and neutralise it.

The Hook
"n &'+,, an archaeological team from $iskatonic -niversity found evidence of an ancient settlement beneath an ice cap in a remote valley in the mountains of .est Greenland. The protagonists are members of a &'/& follow0up expedition to excavate the site.

The Horrible Truth

The site is the ruin of Commoriom, the first capital of the lost civilisation of Hyperborea, which thrived

Ex avating the Stru ture under the # e leads to the discovery of an ancient tower entombed in ice. 3igging into The # e-Cho%ed stair!a& uncovers a frie7e describing a history of Hyperborea and eventually leads to a Cit& "nder the # e. "n a vault under the ruins of a library is a crystal that can send the mind back in time to the disturbing origins of life on earth. s the city1s inhabitants begin to awaken they try to free their 8Father1, leading to the A!a%ening of 'n&gathin (hau). The protagonists1 only hope is to flee. However, even if they escape, the insight granted by the crystal may still claim their minds.

The ?lond %skimo :see below< will hold a special fascination for them. %ven more so, a device that allows them to see the 8glory of their ancestors1 and access the 8truths of the ncients1 might be enough to tempt them to betray or attack the %thelrod %xpedition. The strange, $lond Es%i)o are among the last direct descendants of the original Hyperboreans left in Greenland. Their shamans have long warned of a terrible cursed city that would one day overrun the world with evil and the clan seeks to drive all intruders away or destroy them. They are vulnerable and few in number and must rely on stealth, local knowledge, and their ancient songs for calling the Gnoph-keh from the icy wastes. The third group of antagonists are the Spa!n of 'n&gathin (hau) > descendants of Tsathoggua with a kinship to the formless spawn :and less visibly to the pre0human 9oormis<. The presence of human beings will cause them to begin to awake from their aeon0long hibernation. To them, human beings are both unwelcome invaders and a food source. Their kinship to humans allows them to parasiti7e them, and take control of their minds. They will attempt to trap the humans under the ice to present them as a gift for their #ing > #nygathin @haum. They are stealthy, intelligent and mobile and will attempt to lure humans into becoming infected, until they have the numbers and access to e2uipment needed to order to hasten the awakening and liberation of their father.

Victory Conditions
9ictory in this scenario means realising the horror that lies in Commoriom, and surviving it, preferably with the site safely sealed.

Antagonist Reactions
The rival Ger)an Expedition is not a 85a7i expedition1 in any official sense :there is no such thing until the formation of the hnenerbe in &'/;<, but it does include several party members and it has received support from nationalist organisations including the 5a7i =arty. !ome Germans at this time > especially the esoterically inclined > believed in occult theories of the uni2ue :or divine< origin of their ancestors on a lost northern continent :referred to as 8Thule1 or sometimes 8Hyperborea1 or 8 tlantis1<. The purpose of the expedition is to 8reclaim the ruins of Thule1 for Germany. !eeing themselves as cultured and honourable men of science, they are mostly non0aggressive towards their rivals. However, political relations with ?ritain and the -! are tense and the Germans subscribe to a supremacist ideology that seems to 4ustify the most ruthless behaviour :as history testifies<. They could become openly hostile if provoked or if their goals are obstructed. nd if an opportunity presents itself to glorify the Fatherland at the expense of other nations, they may take it. 6nce they have lost contact with their forward expedition, the surviving members are more pleasant and cooperative. They seek to persuade the %thelrod %xpedition to delay the dig in order to find the missing Germans.

Running Commoriom with the Armitage Inquiry

This scenario begins in late Aune &'/& > a time when the rmitage "n2uiry is in its formative stages. "n &'+(, rmitage, Bice and $organ scored a victory against the 3unwich Horror and soon 3r lbert .ilmarth 4oined them following his encounter with the 86uter 6nes1 in the hills of 9ermont. Aust a few weeks ago, the =abodie %xpedition returned from ntarctica with stories of unknown prehistoric life forms and a vast range of mountains dotted with strange structures. 6n his deathbed in &'+', =rofessor Curtis $athieson revealed a number of unpublished secrets about the &'+, expedition to his colleague 3r Francis $organ. $organ shared the story with =rofessor rmitage and soon they were working with =rofessor %thelrod in %ngland to organise a follow0up expedition for &'/+. However, in late

&'/C, word reached them of a rival German expedition to the same region planned for &'/& and their pro4ect was hastened by a year. -nfortunately, this meant 3r $organ was unable to take part, but he persuaded Charles Granger, a veteran of the $athieson %xpedition, to 4oin. *S&)bol+ Ar)itage #n,uir&- This symbol defines sections that apply only to running the scenario as part of the rmitage "n2uiry.

Prologue: Candidate Interviews

Ar haeolog& or Geolog& or Histor&+ 6verview of several recent polar expeditions 0 RasmussenEs , Thule expeditions :3enmark, &'&+ 0 present 0 he is currently in %ast Greenland< Sha %leton.Ro!ett Expedition to ntarctica :Great ?ritain, &'+&>++< Fifth Thule Expedition :&'+&>&'+)< was designed to Fattack the great primary problem of the origin of the %skimo race.F The mathieson %xpedition :&'+; or +,< ?yrdG claim to reach north pole by air, :-! , &'+,< ?yrdG ntarctic %xpedition, claim to reach !outh pole by plane :-! , &'+(0&'/C< lfred .egener %xpedition to %ismitte in central Greenland from Auly &'/C :geological< The =abodie %xpdition :&'/C0/&<, Lauge KochEs Three Hear %xpedition to %ast Greenland :3enmark, &'/&0 < "n order to introduce their characters, it is recommended that the #eeper run a short scene from his or her expedition interview as a 3irected !cene for each one :see The Dying of St Margarets page (<. %ssentially, these are short, punchy and isolated scenes that serve to establish character. These should establish three things about each =rotagonistG general impression of their background and personality Their 3rive, their reason for 4oining the expedition "nsight into one or more of their =illars of !anity.

Running Commoriom as a standalone

This scenario can be run as a standalone adventure or mark a dramatic beginning to an ongoing campaign. The difference is that %thelrod has organised the expedition with the ?ritish $useum, independently of rmitage and his colleagues, who may have little insight into what really happened on the $athieson %xpedition. *S&)bol+ Standalone- This symbol defines sections that apply only to running the scenario as a standalone.

Creating the Protagonists

ppropriate roles for the expedition include archaeologists, geologists, anthropologists, biologists, explosives experts, drill engineers and radio engineers. ll team members should be healthy and fit, and be capable cross0country skiers > represented for game purposes as a minimum 6utdoorsman rating of & and thletics of /. The expedition will also need someone with $edicine rating of &D and First id of +D to fill the role of medic. The expedition leader is highly xenophobic and French applicants in particular are not considered. *S&)bol+ Ar)itage #n,uir&- "f the expedition is organised by $iskatonic -niversity, team members are likely to be merican, perhaps students or professors at the $iskatonic. ?ritish team members may have accompanied %thelrod. *S&)bol+ Standalone- "f the expedition begins in Great ?ritain it is likely that most of the team members would be ?ritish. merican members may travelled with Granger.

The latter two are established here as later events may cause 3rives and =illars of !anity to be imperilled. The interviewer could ask about the applicant1s 2ualifications, reasons for wanting to 4oin the expedition, their beliefs, what they would rely on to get through the rctic winter and so on. *S&)bol+ Ar)itage #n,uir&- "f organised by $iskatonic -niversity, an interview would be conducted by 3octor %rnest $cTavish, Chairman of the 3epartment and ssociate =rofessor Francis $organ and at the rchaeology 3epartment. *S&)bol+ Standalone- "f organised by %thelrod, an interview would be conducted by %thelrod himself

and his friend and expedition member, .ilfred -pton0!mith. "t could be held in Iondon at the Boyal Geographical !ociety or ?ritish $useum.

rrogance
/illars of Sanit&

Drives
%specially dramatic and relevant 3rives for this scenario, which should be encouraged by the #eeper areG dventure nti2uarianism rrogance Curiosity "n the ?lood !cholarship Thirst For #nowledge

Beligious FaithJ FamilyJ Human 3ignity and 9alueJ !cientific =rogress K "ntellect Goodness of $ankind $oral principles esthetics %picureanism =atriotism Iove of Home City

"n the ?lood might be interesting if the character is related to the Hyperborean ?lond %skimo.

S enes
Briefing
S ene T&pe+ Core :"ntroduction< 0ead-1ut+ =reparations, The tlantic 9oyage Core Clue+ Ethelrod and Granger %no! the route to the ar haeologi al site2 ttendees have already been interviewed by %thelrod :and possibly $organ< and have been accepted as members of the expedition. *S&)bol+ Ar)itage #n,uir&- The briefing takes place in a seminar room at the rchaeology 3epartment of $iskatonic -niversity. ssociate =rofessor Francis $organ is a self0assured yet soft0 spoken field researcher in his early /Cs, who expresses regret at being unable to attend the expedition due to it being brought forward by a year. He introduces expedition leader =rofessor %thelrod, a renowned linguist from Cambridge and veteran of the $athieson %xpedition Ar haeolog&+ 3r $organ has a good reputation as a scientist, adventurer and a man of integrity. 3/oint spend+ "t is also rumoured that he has previously been involved in expeditions and research of a rather unconventional and slightly controversial nature. *S&)bol+ Standalone- The briefing takes place in a basement seminar room of the ?ritish $useum. 3r Granger has crossed to tlantic to 4oin the team.

Pillars of Sanity
The dominant theme of this scenario is the dignity or otherwise of human origins. 6ne =illar of !anity that might be particularly interesting dramatically is Family. character with this =illar will have a firm conviction in the dignity of their origins. "f Caucasian, they may believe in the theory of the origins of their ancestors on the lost continent of Thule. They may have heard tales of 8blond %skimo1 in north0western Canada. They may even subscribe to racist theories like the 5ational !ocialists of Germany. s players can create their own =illars of !anity it is impossible to provide an exhaustive list, but several others from the Trail of Cthulhu rulebook that may be particularly interesting areG Beligious Faith Human 3ignity and 9alue

The #eeper should try to encourage some players to pick from the pillars above. 3rives potentially undermined by %yeG nti2uarianism Thirst For #nowledge dventure !cholarship Curiosity

!thelrod"s Presentation
tall, distinguished0looking man in his ;Cs walks to the front of the room and stands in front of the blackboard. He has a slight limp, but seems to be in good shape for his age. Ar haeolog&4 Anthropolog&4 Geolog& or Histor&+ 3uring the &'+, $athieson %xpedition, %thelrod led an overland trek that discovered artifacts that have not been explained to everyone1s satisfaction. 0anguages 3-point spend or Anthropolog&+ %thelrod has a reputation as an intelligent and accomplished academic specialising in the development of "ndo0%uropean languages. He is rumoured to have an aristocratic family. "n a polished, upper class %nglish accent, he introduces himself and, without wasting time on niceties, launches into the briefing. "n $ay &'+,, the $athieson %xpedition of $iskatonic -niversity investigated a stone wall of impressive dimensions found in the Helheim Glacier on the east coast of Greenland. He passes around a photograph of the stone block with the expedition ship alongside. "t appears to be about /CC wide and approaching +CC feet high. "t is dominated by a carving of a human figure with a curved blade, bending over some kind of slain animal. Cthulhu 5&thos or 1 ult will allow the viewer to recognise the figure as consistent with inhabitants of legendary Hyperborea as described, for example, in the ook of !ibon. =ictographs found on the wall seemed to describe a large and ancient settlement in the .estern mountains. %thelrod led a trip overland in search of the site of the settlement. The team found itself attacked by a large polar bear that stalked them into the mountains, leaving several members of the team dead or in4ured. However, they found a site with evidence of former habitation, including remains of a religious site and tantalising evidence of a ma4or structure underneath the thick ice cap. He produces a photograph of a vaguely circular shadow beneath a thick ice sheet. The expedition ended rather abruptly after several team members were killed or in4ured by a combination of climbing accidents and attacks from the bear. The site was of such significance that the team agreed not to release full information until a second expedition could investigate it fully. The ill health

and death of =rofessor Curtis $athieson in &'+', the &'/C =abodie %xpedition to ntarctica, and funding issues following the economic downturn, delayed a second trip under consideration. However, =rofessor %thelrod and the ?ritish $useum worked closely with the $iskatonic -niversity, in planning an expedition for the spring of &'/+. However, it was learned that a team from Germany planned to investigate the same area in the previous year and plans had to be rushed forward. Begrettably, this meant that 3r $organ could not take part as planned due to his commitment to the upcoming dig in Guatemala. The team will depart on a research vessel, for GodthLb, the capital of Greenland in three weeks. The voyage should take , days. The team is likely to spend the winter in Greenland and return in spring when the site is accessible by water once more. *S&)bol+ Ar)itage #n,uir&- The expedition ship is the Darlena, the same $iskatonic0owned geological research vessel used in the &'+, expedition. "t will depart from ?oston. *S&)bol+ Standalone- The expedition ship is the eatrice, an rctic research vessel leased by the Boyal Geographical !ociety. "t will depart from !outhampton. The two vessels are otherwise treated the same. 6nce resupplied, the ship will sail north to %vighedsf4orden, where it will disembark. The vessel will remain in radio range and broadcasts will be made at ( $ and (=$ every day. The overland team will use dog sleds and a snow tractor to reach the site, via a longer, but more accessible route than the $athieson %xpedition. !ome climbing e2uipment will be provided, although no ma4or climbs should be needed to reach the site. Team members will be issued with rifles to protect themselves from bears and other dangerous animals. 6nce at their destination, the team will make an initial survey of the site then build their camp > a large cabin and outhouses for supplies and dogs. They will use the drilling rig, blasting e2uipment, the ice melting machine, and hand excavation to access and excavate the site. fter !eptember it will become difficult to approach by sea. "f necessary, the team will remain on the ice sheet over winter until $ay or Aune when the f4ord will become accessible again. "n case of

emergency, GodthLb is accessible overland on foot in about five days using climbing gear, although most of the e2uipment would not be transportable this way. =rofessor %thelrod stresses his 2ualifications as a hard0nosed scholar not prone to flights of fancy or bi7arre speculations. However, as the claims of the recently returned =abodie %xpedition to ntarctica suggest, the poles may conceal secrets that would overturn our entire understanding of the past. 6n the $athieson %xpedition there were many things he experienced that shocked him and caused him to reconsider ideas about the world. He believes that what they found in the Greenland ice were remains of a lost prehistoric civilisation, perhaps hinted at in Greek myths. He introduces .ilfred -pton0!mith, a round0faced 7oologist and friend of the %thelrod family, and Charles Granger, a red0haired, red0faced man of around /C, a second veteran of the $athieson %xpedition who will be 4oining them on this trip. *S&)bol+ Ar)itage #n,uir&- 1ral Histor& 3/oint spend+ There are rumours that 3r Granger has a drink problem. %thelrod asks each team member to introduce themselves and assigns roles. Assess Honest&+ Henry %thelrod is reserved, somewhat aloof and doesn1t give much away. Ar haeolog& or Anthropolog&+ ccording to the expedition report, the team made transcriptions of a number of carvings on a large stone slab found at the face of Helheim Glacier on the east coast. rchaeologists have subse2uently associated these carvings with a Greenlandic colony of the extinct 3orset Culture. 3-point spend+ !ome odd artifacts featuring strange figures wearing hoodless parkas with tall collars and women with large hairstyles were found on Cape 3orset on ?affin "sland in &'+,. "t is generally thought that the Greenlandic 3orset culture is limited to the north0west coast of the island. $iolog& or 1utdoors)an 3-/oint spend+ =olar bears are mostly found in coastal regions in the north and east of Greenland > they are largely unknown in the mountains although females with cubs are sometimes found in coastal mountainous areas in the north. Ar haeolog&4 $iolog& or Geolog& 6/ipe7+ The disastrous =abodie %xpedition to the !outhern =ole, from which there were only three survivors,

reported finding very well preserved specimens of six0foot0long, barrel0shaped organisms with starfish0shaped heads. /ipe+ The full significance of this clue will become clear to someone who reads The ?ook of %ibon or explores the ruins of Commoriom.

#uestions and $Answers"

%thelrod will ask if there are any 2uestions. He may provide the following additional details and any others the #eeper deems appropriate. M $athieson remained onboard ship, due to health problems. He died of a heart condition in &'+'. M The top of the structure was estimated to be under at least &;0+C feet of ice and to extend to unknown depths. He declines to speculate on the age of the structure. M t an international archaeology conference in =aris last year, 3r !ummers of %dinburgh -niversity, heard reference to a forthcoming expedition to explore what was 8nonsensically1 described as 8ruins of Thule found in .est Greenland1. "t isn1t known what si7e the rival team is or when they will arrive. He will wrap up the briefing after three or four 2uestions, or if he doesn1t like the direction the 2uestions are going. Assess Honest&+ .hen asked about the specifics of the first expedition, why the details were not released or why the second expedition was delayed for so long, %thelrod seems somewhat evasive. 3 /oint Spend+ He is deliberately hiding something. %thelrod will wrap up the briefing after three or four 2uestions, or if he doesn1t like the direction the 2uestions are going.

Henry !thelrod
To interact with %thelrod significantly, ?ritish characters need a Credit Bating of ;D, mericans and other %uropeans need ,D. nyone else will need to make a &0=oint spend in Credit Bating on each significant occasion. Abilities+ thletics ;, Credit Bating *, Firearms *, Health *, !cuffling *, .eapons , Hit Threshold+ / Ar)or+ 0& vs all :if wearing rctic gear< 8eapon+ D& :./( revolver<, D& :./C0C, bolt action rifle<, 0& :knife< To portray Henry %thelrodG !it or stand up in a stiff, military bearing

Iook past the person who is speaking to you as if looking for someone more important Guard your reactions vigilantly so as to reveal as little as possible

experiences on the $athieson %xpedition. This has only exacerbated his drinking problem and now he is a full0blown alcoholic. Abilities+ thletics *, Health ), !cuffling ,, Firearms / Hit Threshold+ / Ar)or+ 0& vs all :if wearing rctic gear< 8eapon+ 0+ :fist<, D& :./C0C, bolt action rifle<, D& :%thelrod1s ./( revolver< To portray Chuck GrangerG !how a wide, friendly, but uneasy smile Iook into the distance, as if preoccupied, but conceal or deny it !lur your speech ever so slightly

%ilfred &pton'Smith
-pton0!mith is a round0faced 7oologist in his mid0 thirties. He is family friend of %thelrod, the son of 3r Thomas -pton0!mith, one of %thelrod1s closest friends. He went to %ton and graduated from 6xford and is taking a break after completing his =h3. He is well0built and athletic having boxed for %ton and been a member of the 6xford climbing team. Iike %thelrod he is something of a snob and a bigot, although he is somewhat less extreme and more approachable. Abilities+ thletics (, Credit Bating ,, Firearms /, Health ;, !cuffling *, .eapons + Hit Threshold+ ) Ar)or+ 0& vs all :if wearing rctic gear< 8eapon+ D& :./C0C, bolt action rifle< To portray .ilfred -pton0!mithG !mile fixedly when he is uneasy Bub your chin pensively and furrow your brow Gesticulate in a 4olly manner and pat people on the back

Preparations
S ene T&pe+ 6ptional :Transition< 0ead-#n+ ?riefing 0ead-1ut+ The tlantic 9oyage There are several potential areas of research the protagonists may choose to investigate. %ach of these topics will take up to a week to research.

+esear hing *reenland

0ibrar& "se+ Time spent in a ma4or library will grant a dedicated pool point for investigative spends in any field as it relates to Greenland, for example, nthropology, rchaeology, History, Geology, 6ccult or 6utdoorsman. 3-point spend will grant + dedicated pool points. 9-point spend will grant /.

Dr Charles (Chu k) *ranger

Granger is an archaeologist who studied with =rofessor Curtis $athieson, took part in the $athieson %xpedition and has recently completed an archaeology doctorate at $iskatonic -niversity. nyone spending a significant amount of time with him will find him a friendly and competent scientist. 5edi ine will reveal the symptoms of long0term alcohol abuse. Assess Honest& will note that much of the time he seems to be suppressing powerful emotions. "f asked about drinking or his mental health, he denies there is a problem. He has convinced %thelrod that he has recovered and is so used to lying about this that ordinarily ssess Honesty will not notice it. 3-/oint Spend in /s& hoanal&sis :used in this instance as an investigative ability< notes a possible mental health issue. "n fact, although he has tried to get some help for it, Granger still suffers from 8shell shock1 from his

+esear hing the *reenland

,ythology

of

0ibrar& "se+ fter his travels between //C ?C and /+C ?C, the Greek explorer =ytheas makes the first known reference to the mysterious island of Thule Nsix daysE sail north of ?ritain, and near the fro7en seaO. He claimed that people keep bees in this place and in summer, nights are only two or three hours long. "t1s not clear whether he is referring to "celand, Greenland, 5orway or somewhere else altogether. The ncient Greeks also tell of the Hyperboreans who live beyond the north wind :the literal meaning of 8Hyperborea1<. Their land was perfect, with the sun shining +) hours a day, and the people free from war, disease and old age and always happy. The people were blond and very tall. Hyperborea

has variously been located in north0east sia, .estern %urope or ?ritain. "n the &*th Century, some !candinavians identified their own land as Hyperborea. 3 /oint Spend+ ?y the late &'th and early +Cth Century, the idea of ThuleKHyperborea as a lost continent :possibly the same place as tlantis< had become popular in certain %uropean occult circles, including Theosophists, and German vPlkisch :nationalist< groups. 0ibrar& "se 3 /oint Spend or 1 ult+ ccording to legend an obscure and apparently ancient occult text called the "iber #$onis or ook of !ibon was written by a sorcerer from Hyperborea. 0ibrar& use+ The ?ook of %ibon in Iatin or %nglish can be located in the library of the $iskatonic -niversity or the ?ritish Iibrary.

%ibon became the greatest sorcerer, drawing power from his servitude to @hotha22ah. 3ue to oppression from the sect of Hhoundeh the elk0 goddess, %ibon was forced to live in a remote tower of black Gneiss in a remote area called $hu Thulan. %ventually the priests of Hhoundeh overran his tower and he fled through a magical door, and his book was passed on secretly in %urope and N tlantisO. section of the book called NThe =apyrus of 3ark .isdomO describes a history of life on earth that includes a succession of races and civilisations that have risen and fallen over aeons of time. The eldest of these races, originated from outside the earth. %ibon calls them the =olar 6nes, described as Nsexless semivegetable carnivores with cylindrical and pentalobular bodies QwithR starfish headsO had a civilisation centred at the !outh =ole and were responsible for creating terrestrial life, as a by0 product of their breeding experiments with a protoplasmic entity called -bbo0!athla. nyone who knows of the starfish0headed crinoid specimens reported by the =abodie %xpedition must make a /0=oint !tability test, $ythos related.

-ook of !ibon./iber Ivonis

0anguage+ %nglishKIatin S%i)+ / hours /ore+ ,C hours S%i))ing this will provide & dedicated pool point in nthropology, stronomy or 6ccult and & dedicated pool point for Cthulhu $ythos spends related to Tsathoggua or Hyperborea. "t also gives the following informationG Hyperborea was a continent once located in the far north. !upposedly it once had a temperate or warm climate, with forests inhabited by huge, hairy elephants, long0toothed cats and other animals now extinct. The earliest inhabitants were hairy pre0humans called 89oormis1 who had a simple writing system, and worshipped a god called @hotha22ah who lived beneath an extinct volcano. The 9oormis were originally slaves of 8snake0people1, but they revolted and won their freedom. Humans arrived and drove the 9oormis into the mountains. They established Commoriom, the first capital city, on the site of a 9oormis settlement. The city was grand and beautiful place of granite and marble with many high towers. prophet called 8the .hite !ybil1 predicted the fall of Commoriom and it was abandoned in the same year that %ibon was born, the city was abandoned, to a monster called 8#yngathin @haum1. The capital was moved to the city of -7uldaroum.

/oring over it :unlikely in time for the departure of the expedition< provides D& to Cthulhu $ythos, D+ for someone who has encountered Tsathoggua or his minions.
Ex erpts

FThe sorceror %ibon, son of $ilaab, was born in the city of "22ua in the Hear of the Bed .orm. "n that same year the doom whereof the .hite !ybil had spake a century before came down upon the famous city of Commoriom and the king thereof, Ior2uamethros, and all his folk, rose up and fled into the south to establish the city of -7uldaroum amidst the 4ungles of @esh in the land of =harnath, abandoning forever splendid Commoriom to the abnormality #yngathin @haumF 0 The ?ook of %ibon QThe Iife of %ibon according to Cyron of 9araad by Iin Carter. Check copyright K rewriteR

F...the wise shall not too 2uickly dismiss the eventuality that the plaguing presence is to be identified with the black spawn of #nygathin @haum which once overran Commoriom.F

The %pistle of %ibon to #ing Thaboam of #alnoora, The ?ook of %ibon Qfrom %pistles of %ibon by Iaurence A. Cornford and Bobert $. =rice in The ?ook of %ibonR

Captain 6ames ,a Allen

tall, lean, dour man who looks older than his ); years. He doesn1t say much, but commands the respect of his crew. Abilities+ thletics ), Health ;, !cuffling ,, .eapons + Hit Threshold+ / 8eapon+ 0+ :fists<, 0& :boat hookKimprovised<

The ,athieson !0pedition of 1234

0ibrar& "se+ The information on the $athieson %xpedition report, the 3orset Culture and the distribution of polar bears described in the $riefing can be uncovered in a good0si7ed academic library by substituting point spends in Iibrary -se.

7irst ,ate -ill Hewlett

n experienced seaman who has worked closely with $ac llen for years, Hewlett is a somewhat portly man in his early )Cs, with red hair. Abilities+ thletics /, Health ;, !cuffling ), .eapons + Hit Threshold+ / 8eapon+ 0+ :fists<, 0& :boat hookKimprovised<

The *erman !0pedition

Finding out more about this expedition is very difficult as there is nothing published about it publically. Reassuran e or :latter& will get 3r $organ or =rofessor %thelrod to reveal that an associate of %thelrod1s, 3r !ummers of %dinburgh -niversity, heard a reference to a privately funded German expedition at an international archaeology conference in =aris last year.

Chief Petty 5ffi er Anders Pihl

=ihl is a large, friendly man of 3anish nationality. He is /*, has a full beard and en4oys a drink. Abilities+ thletics ,, Firearms ), Health *, !cuffling (, .eapons / Hit Threshold+ / 8eapon+ 0+ :fists<, 0& :boat hookKimprovised<, D& :Iee %nfield rifle< Q%nd sidebarR

5utdoor Training
9arious independently sourced courses in outdoor skills may grant a protagonist up to + dedicated pool points in thletics or 6utdoorsman, to be used in rctic and !ubarctic environments.

The Atlantic Voyage

S ene T&pe+ 6ptional, Transition 0ead-#n+ ?riefing, =reparations 0ead-1ut+ GodthLb This is an opportunity to roleplay various interactions between player characters as they get to know one another and their leader. The voyage for GodthLb takes six days, giving the =rotagonists plenty of time to get to know the other members of the team or to read in their cabins if they prefer. n thletics test against 3ifficulty / is re2uired avoid seasickness. The effect is the same as being Hurt and lasts for +) hours. Q?egin sidebarR

*etting to 8now !thelrod

%thelrod is reserved and rather snobbish. nyone who spends a significant time with him 2uickly recognises that he regards most people are not upper0middle class ?ritons with disdain. He will generally avoid the company of the uneducated or mericans, who he generally regards as vulgar. He passionately despises the French in particular. Assess Honest&+ %thelrod may be hiding something. 3-/oint spend indicates that behind the stiff0upper lip, %thelrod is apprehensive about the expedition and that there are certain things about the current of previous trip that he is concerned people don1t know. Reassuran e, or :latter&G %thelrod may also be asked 2uestions about the the expedition. !ee the $riefing for details.

The Crew
The ship1s crew consists of the Captain, First $ate, Chief =etty 6fficer and a crew of ( sailors.

Surreptitiously !thelrod"s Cabin

essing

"f protagonists try to search %thelrod1s 2uarters discretely, they will be confronted with a locked

door, re2uiring 0o %s)ith to open. They will also have to pass a !tealth test of 3ifficulty ) to avoid being spotted acting suspiciously by one of the crew, another member of the expedition or %thelrod himself. -nless the witness can be persuaded, threatened or bribed into keeping 2uiet :a 9 /oint Spend in Reassuran e, #nti)idation or $argain<, the conse2uences of getting caught are very serious > including expulsion from the expedition as an absolute minimum. For the details of the contents of %thelrod1s cabin, see %thelrod1s =ersonal %ffects on =age SS. Getting to know -pton0!mith Getting to know Granger

%thelrod will get this information one way or another > from a member of the crew if not from the =rotagonists. He is furious and curses the German 1race1. Reassuran e 3-/oint Spend+ He suspects that the German authorities were tipped0off about the site by a veteran of the first expedition, Aean Baymond Gobineau, who 4oined the 5a7i cause a few years ago. Q!idebarR

9ationalism in !urope in the :;s

.ith the benefit of historical hindsight, we know to what horrors German nationalism led. Today, 5a7ism is almost universally synonymous with almost stereotypical evil. nd indeed ?ritish and mericans would often have been less than favourably disposed towards the Germans, but probably for slightly different reasons. .hile many people regarded the 5a7is as despicable at the time, overt racism was far more socially acceptable and the logical conse2uences of 5a7i rule were less clear. nimosity from ?ritish and mericans towards Germany at the time would probably have had more to do with nationalist and colonialist competition and memories of the Great .ar. =layers might even decide that their characters are broadly sympathetic with 5a7i goals. nd indeed this would be an ideal set0up for the 8?ig Beveal1 at the climax of the scenario. QK!idebarR

Godth
S ene T&pe+ Core 0ead-#n+ ?riefing, =reparations, The tlantic 9oyage 0ead-1ut+ Bival %xpedition, %vighedsf4orden The ship makes a scheduled stop in GodthLb, the capital of Greenland, for three days, to refuel, collect supplies and meet the sledding team. 6nce the ship is prepared, a local boat is to transport the sleds and sled dogs to %vighedsf4orden in a separate boat. Greenland at this time is a colony of 3enmark and uses 3anish currency and mostly 3anish place names. GodthLb is the capital and has a population of around +CCC, mostly %skimo, but with a few people of !candinavian descent. Houses are mostly traditional %skimo huts of stone and turf with a few !candinavian0style structures of imported wood. The main industries here are whaling and fishing and there is a blubber boiling plant 4ust outside of town. There is also a general store, a newspaper office, a small school, a seminary and a government building with a radio station. To the east lies GodthLbsf4orden, the long, meandering f4ord with many inlets where the $athieson %xpedition landed. 0anguages 6Danish or #nuit7 A;D 1ral Histor& or Reassuran e 6:loating7+ "f the =rotagonists go ashore and talk to the locals, they will hear of another foreign research ship that arrived over a week earlier. :ollo!-"p 6Credit Rating4 Reassuran e4 :latter& or $argain7+ The vessel dropped off a German research team in GodthLbsf4orden and left shortly afterwards.

The Ri!al "#pedition

S ene T&pe+ 6ptional, Boleplaying 0ead-#n+ GodthLb 0ead-1ut+ %vighedsf4orden The following day, a small freighter flying the German flag > the %i&&er > arrives in port to resupply. %thelrod will refuse to have anything to do with themT however, the protagonists may choose to approach them. 6nboard is a crew of seven sailors, a radio engineer and an archaeological research assistant. They are in regular radio contact with the German team, although reception is increasingly patchy. The Germans will boast about being the first to reach and explore Nthe ruins of ThuleO, about having a special right to the heritage of their ancestors. The resulting humiliation is a &0=oint !tability test for the protagonists.

#nti)idation+ The characters can avoid humiliation by giving as good as they get. 3-/oint spend allows them to recover & !tability point or tricks the Germans into revealing the expedition route from GodthLbsf4orden north0northeast :the same route as the $athieson %xpedition<. Reassuran e or :latter& 3-/oint SpendG The German team become more amicable and recognise at least some of the group as kindred :either literally or in a spiritual sense< and will invite them onboard the ship, offering them drinks and food. nyone who accepts will find themselves lectured about the Nnoble origins of the ryan raceO and how archaeological sites all over the world prove that their ancestors brought civilisation to the ancient world. nyone who vigorously disagrees finds the offer of hospitality prematurely withdrawn. Reassuran e or :latter& 3-/oint spend+ The Germans reveal their route :north0northeast from GodthLbsf4orden, the same route as the $athieson %xpedition<. Assess Honest&+ ?ehind the bragging, there is a slight sense of uneasiness. 3-/oint spend+ the German crew seem to be worried about their team. :ollo!-up+ Reassuran e 9-/oint spend will get the Germans to admit that they are being lead to the site by Aean Baymond Gobineau, a $athieson %xpedition veteranT however, several of them believe he is unstable. His behaviour is strange and occasionally violent and he drops hints of terrible creatures up on the ice sheet. !tealth test against 3ifficulty ) will allow the protagonists to make a 2uick and surreptitious search of the ship under some pretext. !tealing one of the books re2uires a Conceal or Filch test against 3ifficulty ;. Si)ple Sear h+ The ship contains some supplies of food, fuel ammunition, radio e2uipment and so forth. There is also a small library of books on relevant geographical, geological, anthropological, archaeological, historical, linguistic and occult sub4ects, almost all in German, including !trabo1s Geographica and Hermann .irth1s Der Aufgang &er Menschheit :The %mergence of $ankind<. 0anguages 6Ger)an7+ n protagonist skimming the latter :+ hours< will learn about nationalist German beliefs in their decent from a 5ordic super race that originated in the rctic region and once ruled the known world. 'oring over it :&C hours<

grants + dedicated pool points in rchaeology, nthropology, 6ccult or Ianguages. Eviden e Colle tion+ lso here is an enthusiastic letter of support from a senior member of the 5ational !ocialist German .orkersE =arty named Heinrich Himmler to 3octor %kkehardt ?auer, leader of the expedition. Himmler refers to the site as both N-ltima ThuleO and N tlantisO and refers to something he calls 8Thor1s Hammer1, a weapon of their divine ancestors said to be capable of flattening mountains.

Captain Alfred Dreher

round /C years old, and fit, 3reher is in command of base0ship operations. 3reher is a keen German patriot and a true believer in the Thule myth.

*erald Huber
Huber is a round0faced ?avarian. He is a little overweight, fairly 2uiet and serious, and a little less nationalistic than his companion is. Abilities+ thletics ), Firearms /, Health ), !cuffling / Hit Threshold+ / Alertness 5odifier+ C Stealth 5odifier+ C 8eapon+ D& :$auser Gewehr '( rifle<, 0& :#nife<, 0+ :fists<

5ther Crew ,embers

Abilities+ thletics ,, Firearms ), Health *, !cuffling (, .eapons / Hit Threshold+ / 8eapon+ 0+ :fists<, 0& :knife or improvised weapon<, D& :$auser Gewehr '( rifle<, D& :Iuger 'mm<

"!ighedsf$orden
S ene T&pe+ Core, Transition 0ead-#n+ 0ead-1ut+ %vighedsf4orden Glacier bout &CC miles north of GodthLb, is the port of !ukkertoppen, where the ship will harbour overnight. nother /C miles beyond that is the f4ord of %vighedsf4orden, which flows through a deep canyon in a steeply mountainous and uninhabited area. "t is late Auly by the time the team arrive. The climate is surprisingly mild and rivers are swelled with meltwater.

High, steep cliffs. .hales, seals, and some icebergs. Ianding only possible between Auly and !eptember lthough the %vighedsf4orden route to Commoriom is slightly longer than the one from GodthLbsf4orden, the ascent is gentler, allowing the transportation of drilling e2uipment. The route from GodthLbsf4orden involves two steep climbs. The expedition vessel is met here by a local barge that drops off the sleds, sled dogs and mushers :dog sled drivers<. The plan then is to use it to ferry supplies, e2uipment and the expedition members onto the muddy shore. bout thirty feet from the water1s edge is a low mound. From a distance, $iolog& identifies it as the body of a whale. 3 /oint Spend reveals it as a narwhal.

alongside it, allowing a swifter pace. They carry mostly food, camp gear and lighter excavation e2uipment. Team0members are on cross0country skis. The diesel0powered snow tractor seats two, pulls the heaviest e2uipment on a series of four 5ansen sledges :the drill, the diesel generator, the electric ice melter and a do7en barrels of diesel< and sets a steady pace. "f none of the =rotagonists has 3riving :Tractor<, %thelrod will drive it. There is space for one passenger in the covered cabin. =rotagonists with the highest Credit Bating scores will be invited first. There are three mushers or fewer if any of the =rotagonists have this ability. 1utdoors)an is re2uired to avoid getting hopelessly lost. 5avigating under difficult circumstances > without a map, a compass or in poor visibility will re2uire 6utdoorsman spends in order to progress in the correct direction.
Ar ti travel on foot

Polar -ear
"f the characters approach the whale1s corpse will notice it move strngely several times. polar bear is behind it with it1s head inside the body, eating it from the inside. !ense Trouble test against 3ifficulty ) will let the characters spot the bear at about /C feet, ,C feet if they have not approached. The bear will issue a vocal warning and if necessary fight to protect it1s catch. ?eing attacked by the bear is a /0point !tability test.
/olar $ear

Cross0country skiing costs ) thletics, Fleeing or Health per day in these conditions. .ithout skis the speed is halved.
Travel b& dog-sled

This re2uires 3riving :3og !led< in addition to the costs above. 3og teams will use , thletics pool points :or Health once these are depleted< each day, / points are replenished at the end of the day if the dogs are rested and well0fed.
Effe ts of Cli)ate

The bear can attack twice in a round > two claws or a claw and a bite. "f it loses half it1s Health, it will flee. Abilities+ thletics &), Health &C, !cuffling &, Hit Threshold+ ) Alertness 5odifier+ D+ 8eapon+ D& :claw<, DC :bite< Ar)our+ 0)

Table showing temperatures and effects at different times of year. 5onth Aanuary February $arch pril $ay Aune Auly ugust !eptember 6ctober 5ovember 3ecember Godthab &' &' &( +, /) )C )) )) /( /C +, +& Co))orio) 6rd up7 0++ :0+C< 0++ :0+C< 0+C :0&;< 0&C :0;< 0+ :C< ; :&C< &C :&;< ' :&;< / :;< 0; :C< 0&+ :0&C< 0&' :0&;<

A Ca he
%thelrod orders a cache of supplies to be left near the beach. &C man0days of food, +C rounds of ammunition and a barrel of diesel. Qbegin sidebarR

The Trek to Commoriom

The team has three 5ansen sledges and a snow tractor. 5ansen sledges are pulled by dogs, but rather than sitting on the sledge, the musher skiis

?elow +CUF exposed characters without rctic clothing on act as if hurt. ?elow 0+CUF, characters must make thletics tests :3ifficulty /< to keep moving. t 0)CUF the 3ifficulty is )T at 0,CUF the 3ifficulty is ; and so on. 3ifficulty is increased by + if the character isn1t wearing protective clothing. Characters who stop moving lose & Health every &; minutes or every ; minutes in a bli77ard. rctic clothing also gives & point of rmor, but increases the 3ifficulty of thletics and Fleeing tests > and anything else re2uiring extensive mobility > by &. tent and small stove effectively raise the temperature by +CUF. cabin and more powerful stove raise it by /CUF, /;UF with the stove on full power.
Co))uni ations

<a%ob S=rensen

!Vrensen is a highly experienced cross0country skier, mountaineer, outdoorsman and guide. s the name suggests, he is of 3anish descent and speaks "nuit, 3anish and some %nglish. Abilities+ thletics ', 3riving ), Firearms ), Health (, 6utdoorsman /, !cuffling ;, .eapons ) Hit ThresholdG ) Alertness 5odifier+ D& 8eapon+ 0+ :fists<, 0& :knife<, D& :rifle<, Ar)our+ 0& vs any : rctic clothing<
Sled Dogs

Abilities+ thletics &+, Health ;, !cuffling , Hit Threshold+ ) Alertness 5odifier+ D/ 8eapon+ 0& :bite< Ar)our+ 0+ vs any :thick fur<

%thelrod and the crew of the ship agree to communicate by radio twice a dayG once at * $ and once at (=$.

!0pedition !<uipment
This is a non0exhaustive list of e2uipment for the expedition that hasn1t already been mentionedG =arts for cabin and outhouses, including an oil stove :kerosene<, tents, arctic clothing, ice picks, axes, ,C T5T explosive charges with detonators, & rifle per team member, &CC rounds ammunition per rifle, camp radio with antenna :&CC ., nominal range &CC miles depending on weather, +CClbs<, chain saws :diesel<, electric ice melter :about &CCClbs<, /CC. diesel generator :(Clbs<, )+ x ;; gallon tank diesel ://C lbs each<, &C x ;; gallon tank kerosene ://C lbs each<, water pump :diesel, /CClbs<, ?uckets, Food for dogs and humans for &+ months :mostly two grades of pemmican, plus a few luxuries<, two sets of standard climbing gear including /CC feet rope, + powerful incandescent lamps :with )C ft cables to attach to generator<, &C kerosene lamps, &C electric torches.
Chainsa!

Sledding Teams
There are three sleds with ten dogs per sled and three mushers :or fewer if any =rotagonists are able drive a dog0sled<.
"%ale,

stocky "nuit with bad teeth who seems to show them off with his smile almost all the time. pproaching middle age, he is an expert hunter and outdoorsman. He speaks "nuit and 3anish. Abilities+ thletics ,, 3riving ), Firearms (, Health ,, 6utdoorsman ;, !cuffling /, .eapons * Hit ThresholdG / Alertness 5odifier+ D+ Stealth 5odifier+ D+ 8eapon+ 0+ :fists<, 0& :knife<, D& :rifle<, Ar)our+ 0& vs any : rctic clothing<
Tiria,

Tall for an "nuit and around /C, with a wispy moustache. He speaks "nuit and 3anish. He is an expert at dog0handling and sled0maintenance. Abilities+ thletics ,, 3riving ;, Firearms +, Health ,, 6utdoorsman /, !cuffling ), .eapons ; Hit Threshold+ / Alertness 5odifier+ D& Stealth 5odifier+ D& 8eapon+ 0+ :fists<, 0& :knife<, D& :rifle<, Ar)our+ 0& vs any : rctic clothing<

"f someone should use this as a weapon at an stage, give it damage D&, but due to its general unwieldiness, users make attack tests at 0&. Qend sidebarR

"!ighedsf$orden Glacier
S ene T&pe+ Core, Challenge 0ead-#n+ %vighedsf4orden 0ead-1ut+ The Climb to the "ce !heet The first stage of the 4ourney is likely to last one day and is very challenging. The loaded dog sleds

must run uphill along the bottom of the canyon on gravel and mud, avoiding ice0falls from the glaciers overhead. The canyon is about &/ miles long. For any =rotagonists who are driving dog sleds this is a 3riving test against 3ifficulty ;. Failure means that one of the dogs is in4ured or the sled is stuck, resulting in delays. For dogs this costs &C thletics pool points.

I e 7alls
s they progress up the canyon, have everyone make a !ense Trouble test at 3ifficulty ) to spot ice tumbling from a tributary into the path of one of the sleds. nyone who succeeds with !ense Trouble can call out a warning allowing the driver to take evasive action. voiding this re2uires a 3riving test against 3ifficulty ; :) if !ense Trouble is passed<T otherwise, all on board :and the dogs< take D& damage and the supplies and e2uipment on the sled may be damaged.

method :both %thelrod and 1utdoors)an will suggest this< is that most members of the team climb the slope on foot, carrying ropes, :a 3ifficulty / thletics test, with failure resulting in a damage roll at 0+<. 5ext, the team pulls various loads up using the ropes. %ach of these steps re2uire piggybacke& thletics tests against various difficulties, with failure resulting in a retry and a loss of & Health > at the #eeper1s option, a result of & might result in a tumble and damage for whatever load is being pulled up the slope. The dog teams are led up :3ifficulty /<, then the humans and dogs together pull the tractor up :3ifficulty ;< > if a =rotagonist can drive it, they will also need to make a 3riving test against 3ifficulty ; to avoid problems as above. Then tractor, humans and dogs bring up four regular loads :3ifficulty /< and the drill :3ifficulty )< on sleds. The entire process will take at least / or ) hours and by the end of it, the players themselves should be feeling tired. Following %thelrod1s directions, the team can spend the last hours of the day sledding in a south easterly direction across the ice0sheet, before camping for the night. 1utdoors)an or Eviden e Colle tion 3-/oint spendG Iarge, strange footprints can be seen in the snow, perhaps distorted by melting. :"f none of the protagonists finds it then one of the mushers does.< 1utdoors)an or $iolog&+ The prints appear to be those of a large carnivoreT however, an extended claw in the middle of the foot shows that this wasn1t a bear. "n fact, they don1t belong to any identifiable creature. 3-/oint spend+ There is something very strange about the gait. 9-/oint spend+ The bi7arre pattern of prints would almost seem to imply that it was moving on six legs some of the time. Cthulhu 5&thos+ This may be the legendary six0 legged beast of the rctic, called Gnoph-keh. The mushers become 2uite excited and Tiria2 refuses to continue. 1ral Histor& or Reassuran e+ .ith a 3-/oint spend, the mushers say there are old legends of a demon that haunts the "ce0!heet that hunts men and takes their souls by free7ing them to death. "t1s called 8The Hairy Thing1. %thelrod struggles to convince Tiria2. 3-/oint Reassuran e spend will suffice. "n contrast -kale2 and to a lesser extent !Vrensen want to hunt and kill

%owling
5ear the top of the canyon, have the =rotagonists make !ense Trouble tests :3ifficulty /< to hear strange howling sounds. nyone with 1utdoors)an can reassure themselves and other characters that this is purely a natural phenomenon caused by the wind funnelling down the canyon, allowing any !ense Trouble points spent to be refunded. 6therwise, this is a &0=oint !tability test. Assess Honest&+ Granger is showing signs of stress or agitation. "f asked, he refuses to talk about it and denies that anything is wrong.

A #uarrel
t the end of the day, the group needs to make a camp near the top of the canyon. That evening, a 2uarrel can be heard in %thelrod and Granger1s tent. Shado!ing or 3-/oint Spend in Eviden e Colle tion+ %thelrod is repremanding Granger for drinking. He threatens to throw away his alcohol supply.

The Clim

to the Ice &heet

S ene T&pe+ Core, Challenge 0ead-#n+ %vighedsf4orden Glacier 0ead-1ut+ cross the "ce, Graves This day begins with an even more difficult climb up a broken, icy slope onto !ukkertoppen ice sheet above. !omehow, the sleds, the tractor and their loads need to be raised onto the ice sheet. 6ne

the creature. %thelrod is not convinced. 3-/oint spend in Reassuran e or :latter& will change his mind. s soon as 3r Granger sees the print, he becomes extremely agitated and begins muttering to himself. Eviden e Colle tion+ 3-/oint spend allows a character to overhear him mutter about a Nmonster of the iceO. Assess Honest& or /s& hoanal&sis+ He doesn1t seem to be calming down. 3 /oint spend in /s& hoanal&sis+ He may have a phobia or have had a traumatic experience in the past that has triggered extreme anxiety. Assess Honest& 3-/oint spend+ %thelrod also seems somewhat alarmed although he is far more in control of himself. Eviden e Colle tion 3-/oint spend+ The character notices that Granger is secretly drinking from a hip0 flask.

The meeting takes place in a tent shared by up to three of the protagonists. Granger opts to retire. %thelrod1s suppressed disapproval of this is noted with a 3-/oint Spend in Assess Honest&. He is drinking in his tent. "f anyone goes to speak to him at this time, he will hurriedly hide his bottle of whisky. The bottle or its lid can be spotted with Eviden e Colle tion 3-/oint spend. nd signs of drunkenness will be detected with 5edi ine or Assess Honest& or Eviden e Colle tion. bout an hour and a half later, %thelrod ad4ourns the meeting and the attendees make their way back to their own tents. -pton0!mith lingers, talking to one of the =rotagonists. nyone making a !ense Trouble test against 3ifficulty ; briefly notices a silhouetted figure among the tents mutter something in the dimness :NHenryWO< and raise a gun. 6ne simple action is permittedG ducking, starting to run, drawing a weapon or shouting a warning. 6therwise, the first thing noticed is a very loud gunshot. The #eeper should emphasis the confusion here. .ho is the shooterX .ere they shooting at a threatX re they a threatX "s anyone hurtX .here is everyone elseX second !ense Trouble test against 3ifficulty ) will identify the figure with the rifle as a threat. nd a 3-/oint Spend in Eviden e Colle tion will identify him as Granger. Granger will pause for one round then, unless interrupted, begin taking pot shots at other members of the team. He begins at Close range. However, he can spend no points on Firearms due to the darkness, his drunkenness and general lack of ability. =reparedness test against 3ifficulty ; will allow a =rotagonist to happen to be carrying a gun. 6therwise, retrieving these from tents will take three rounds. Reassuran e 3-/oint spend or successful =sychological Triage calms Granger down and he lowers the gun. second 3-/oint spend or successful =sychological Triage convinces him to relin2uish it. "f anyone moves towards him, Granger will threaten them with the gun and shoot anyone who gets too close or who raises a gun towards him. $eanwhile %thelrod lies unmoving on the ground. "n the darkness among the tents a !ense Triouble test against 3ifficulty ) is needed to even notice him.

Hunting the -east

"f the team attempts to hunt the beast, a 3-/oint 1utdoors)an spend is re2uired per day to track it on a wandering route roughly east southeast. fter about three days, they will arrive at the sceneG 8Graves1. 3uring this trip the hunters may experience being spied on by a strange %skimo :see cross the "ce, The .atcher<. Q?egin !idebarR

'hy "thelrod must (ie

%thelrod1s death early in the scenario is important for several reasonsG firstly, it puts the protagonists into the driving seat and secondly it potentially reveals several more aspects of the mystery. "t also foreshadows the insanity ahead and removes a source of security. "f %thelrod1s death is somehow prevented here, it is recommended that he is killed in some other, preferably non0trivial, way. For example, he could be killed by the gnoph0keh. Q%nd !idebarR

The (eath of "thelrod

S ene T&pe+ Core 0ead-#n+ The Climb to the "ce !heet 0ead-1ut+ Call for Help Core Clue+ The route to Co))orio) >alle& .hen the team sets up camp for the night, %thelrod invites the others to talk about the 4ourney ahead, and in particular, techni2ues for avoiding crevasses.

:irst Aid 6 ore4 floating lue7+ This general ability in this case used as an investigative ability. %thelrod is mortally wounded, but he comes round briefly. He will tell the protagonist to follow the route marked on the map in his personal pack. He also warns them that the Nguardian of the temple must be placatedO but slips into unconsciousness before he can explain how. third Reassuran e 3-/oint Spend or =sychological Triage will get Granger talking. He raves and mutters incoherently about Nblond %skimoO, Nthe man0eating beast of the iceO, Nthe city of evilO, Nthe formless guardian of the templeO and %thelrod stealing his whisky. He soon lapses into a state of muttering, incoherent catatonia, from which, as /s& hoanal&sis indicates, he is unlikely to recover without lengthy therapy.

S%i))ing this provides the clues from the Iiber "vonis described on =age SS plus & dedicated pool point to be used for 6ccult, nthropology or Cthulhu $ythos spends relating to Hyperborea and Tsathoggua. /oring over it provides an additional + dedicated pool points.
A /reli)inar& #nterpretation of the Tsath-@o 0anguage4 b& Henr& Ethelrod and Curtis 5athieson

0anguage+ Tsath0Ho to %nglish S%i)+ / hours /ore+ /C hours %thelrod and $athieson compiled this provisional dictionary and grammar of the Tsath-Yo hieroglyphic language based on their work prior to the &'+, expedition and the glyphs they found in Greenland. 6nce S%i))ed, this book can be used as a reference, with sufficient time and point spends, texts written in Tsath0Ho can be translated with a reasonable level of accuracy. /oring over it grants + dedicated pool points in Ianguages :Tsath0 Ho<.
/i tographs in the Te)ple of (oth-A,,ua

!thelrod"s Personal !ffe ts

%thelrod left most of his personal possessions on one of the sleds. Beliant as they were on %thelrod, the rest of the team do not know with certainty the route to their goal. They may find this material while looking for his maps. %thelrod1s possessions includeG Core Clue+ detailed map of .est Greenland with handwritten markings showing both the route taken by the $athieson %xpedition and the route planned for the current expedition !thelro&s (otes on the "iber #$onis :see 8%thelrod1s !ecrets1 sidebar< Clue 6/ipe7+ A 'reliminary #nterpretation of the Tsath-Yo "anguage :see 8%thelrod1s !ecrets1 sidebar< 'ictographs in the Temple of the )oth-A**ua :see 8%thelrod1s !ecrets1 sidebar<

0anguage+ %nglish S%i)+ + hours This contains %thelrod1s translations of a set of Tsath0Ho hieroglyphs found on the walls of a temple in the valley of Commoriom. He describes the pictographs as being of a more primitive type than previously seen and postulates that it was created by a people he calls 8+oormis and that the Hyperboreans adopted this language and refined it. Anthropolog& or Ar haeolog& reminds the reader that such notions don1t correspond with accepted human prehistory. people called +oormis came to this fertile valley from far to the south and built a city dedicated to their god )oth-A**ua. Cthulhu 5&thos identifies this as Tsathoggua. The temple was consecrated by summoning one of @oth0 22ua1s children to guard it. The high priest was then ceremonially sealed alive in the burial chamber behind the altar. Cthulhu 5&thos identifies the reference to a spawn of Tsathoggua. The temperature grew colder and people stopped following @oth0 22ua and began to worship other gods, especially A&uk,u that came from the north and was associated with

Q?egin !idebarR

!thelrod"s Se rets
Ethelrod?s ;otes on the 0iber #vonis

0anguage+ %nglish S%i)+ + hours /ore+ +C hours These handwritten notes were written in the late &'+Cs, based on the Iatin version of the ook of !ibon. %thelrod1s notes focus on language, the geography, history and culture of Hyperborea, the pre0human +oormis and the worship of their god )hotha**uah.

the dropping temperatures. Cthulhu 5&thos suggests that this might be "tha2ua. civil war broke out between the followers of @oth0 22ua and dukwu and the heretics were forced out of the city, and hunted down. few survived in the mountains. !trange people with no hair on their bodies, only on their heads, came from the north in boats made of skin :the ancestors of the Hyperboreans, %thelrod suggests<. They began to trade, the builders of the city taught them writing, and the newcomers 2uickly learned the ways of economics and government. The land continued to get colder, and trade dwindled. The coming of the cold was a curse from dukwu or his long0dead followers. There is a prophecy that the bare0skinned people would take the city. %ventually it would lie abandoned and ravaged by the cold.

This is an ethical and practical dilemma for the protagonists. "t is recommended that that the #eeper bring character 3rives into play here by using !oft :or even Hard< 3rivers, ideally encouraging conflict between characters. For example, the rrogance or Thirst for #nowledge 3rives might favour pressing on without the Germans, while 3uty may encourage a character to do 8the right thing1. "f they decline to accept, the Germans send a two0 man team to make its way independently. The investigators may encounter them later and the Germans will be less than positively disposed towards them. n obvious third option is that the protagonists agree to look for the missing team, which the Germans will gratefully accept.

Q%nd !idebarR

'aiting on the Ice

S ene T&pe+ 6ptional, Transition 0ead-#n+ Call for Help 0ead-1ut+ cross the "ce "f the protagonists decide to wait for the Germans to reach them, they face a wait of two days on the ice.

A Call for %elp

S ene T&pe+ Core, Boleplaying 0ead-#n+ The 3eath of %thelrod 0ead-1ut+ .aiting on the "ce, cross the "ce "f the team maintains the agreed schedule of twice0 daily radio communications, the following morning they receive some news. The team will probably be breaking the news of %thelrod1s death in the same broadcast. The base ship has been approached by crewmembers of the German base ship re2uesting assistance. The German expedition has been out of radio contact for three days. .hile this may simply be a technical problem, the Germans are concerned and would like help in looking for their teammates. This is honourable behaviour between international expeditions. "n particular, they would like to send two representatives to 4oin forces with them.
Captain 3reher, captain of the German base0ship, is available to speak directly to the characters if they wish.

An &nearthly Howl
fter sunset on the first day there is a distant, but terrible and strange howl, which will be noticed with a successful !ense Trouble test against 3ifficulty ;. Hearing it is a &0=oint !tability test. $iolog& or 1utdoors)an 3-/oint spendG This sound is not recognisable as a known inhabitant of Greenland. This insight increases the !tability test to + points.

The Two *ermans

The Germans will be very grateful to the team for delaying their expedition in order to help and they will make it clear that their interest is in the search and rescue of their compatriots and are happy to follow the %thelrod %xpedition1s lead on other matters. They will, however try to persuade the %nglish0 speakers to help them actively search for the Germans, perhaps by giving them some men to take on a more southerly course towards where radio contact was lost :i.e. in the direction of the scene, Graves<. Be4oining the main group from this point would re2uire a steep climb :see 1n the Edge<.

Helping the Germans would mean a wait of two days on the ice. 6n the other hand, by bringing a further two men with them and a sledge, the Germans could take %thelrod1s body and an incapacitated Granger back to GodthLb. They could also bring supplies and could simply take the places of %thelrod and Granger.

Captain 3reher decides to lead the rescue operation personally, leaving his first mate in charge of a ship manned by a radio engineer and a skeleton crew. He brings Gerald Huber with him on a dog sled with eight dogs. !ee =age SS for details of these two. !ections of the scenario that apply if the Germans have 4oined the team are marked with the following symbolG *S&)bol+ Ger)an Expedition 5e)bers-

The 8at her

s the 4ourney progresses, the team gradually approaches a range of nunataks :mountains emerging from the ice sheet< to the southeast. There are a few smaller nunataks along the way. Towards the end of the last afternoon here, a !ense Trouble test against 3ifficulty ) will allow the protagonists to spot someone watching them from the top of a ridge ahead. He is perhaps half a mile away. =reparedness test :3ifficulty /< will give an =rotagonist 2uick access to binoculars. "f viewed through binoculars, he appears to be an %skimo, but dressed rather strangely in a high collared parka. Anthropolog& or $iolog& 3-/oint spendG His features are unusual for an %skimo, with a long face, large nose and elongated earlobes. Anthropolog& or Ar haeolog& 3-/oint spend will then suggest that his appearance is reminiscent of figures depicted in artifacts of the extinct 3orset Culture. Cthulhu 5&thos+ The figure1s appearance is reminiscent of descriptions of the inhabitants of Hyperborea. successful ;0=oint =reparedness test will allow a character to produce binoculars 2uickly enough to see that the %skimo has a long, pale face and is strangely dressed in a high0collared parka with a sort of pointed hat instead of a hood. He 2uickly disappears from view whether seen or not. Climbing the ridge is a /0=oint test. Failure results in / points of damage. 1utdoors)an will find his tracks. 3-point spend+ The tracks appear to come from the east :the direction the expedition is headed< and return the same way. nother 9-/oint spend is re2uired to follow the tracks a significant distance. skier will be able to travel faster than the man on level ground, however he deliberately heads over rough terrain, re2uiring a Chase using thletics versus thletics, with the %skimo receiving a free success at the start of the chase representing the head start he has and a 3ifficulty reduced to / representing his experience of the terrain. nyone winning this Chase will have an opportunity to take a single shot at the strange0 looking %skimo if they have a rifle ready. fter that, he disappears from view and a !ense Trouble test against 3ifficulty , is re2uired to avoid being ambushed by a ferocious attack with a hand0axe. He will fight to the death rather than be captured. !een close0up, it is clear that the man is no ordinary %skimo. He is lean, with fair hair, and a long face with elongated nose and ears. He appears to be in

Investigation
Reassuran e or :latter&+ The German expedition was following the same route as the $athieson %xpedition. %ach of the following additional pieces of information re2uires a 3-/oint spendG The site is thought to be a city called 8-ltima Thule1, the capital of the lost continent of Thule, ancient homeland of the ryan race "nformation about the site came from Aean Baymond Gobineau, a veteran of the $athieson %xpedition who moved to ?erlin in the late &'+Cs ccording to Gobineau, the creature that attacked the $athieson %xpedition was not a bear, but something far worse There is a temple in the valley that one must utter a special invocation to enter. Gobineau claimed to know this, but protected it fiercely. The linguist and anthropologist Herman .irth translated glyphs found on a monolith in Finland describing the history or mythology of this city

Across the Ice

S ene T&pe+ Core, Clue :?onus< 0ead-#n+ Call for Help 0ead-1ut+ The expedition is now heading southeast over the fractured surface of the Greenland ice sheet. Twice a day, each member of the team must make a !ense Trouble test against 3ifficulty ) :3ifficulty / for vehicle drivers< to safely avoid crevasses. "f this fails, a 3riving test :3ifficulty /< is re2uired to avoid falling in for D& damage and possible loss or damage to vehicles, loads or dogs. This stage will take two days. However, if the team passes a piggybacked 3riving :Tractor or 3og !led as applicable< test against 3ifficulty ;, reduce this to one day.

his mid to late twenties. He will refuse to talk and will try to escape at the first opportunity. #nterrogation+ "n broken Greenlandic "nuit, he will warn that the outsiders have strayed onto forbidden land, protected by the ancestors. They must leave at once or they will die a horrible death. 9-/oint spend persuades him to give his name and that he is a member of a small family that lives in a house several days to the west of here. Assess Honest& reveals no hint of deception. *S&)bol+ Ger)an Expedition 5e)bers- The Germans, are extremely excited by the discovery of 8blond %skimo1 announcing that it is proof of a former ryanK5ordic civilisation in Greenland. Anthropolog& 3-/oint spend+ 9ilh4almur !tefansson reported blond %skimo in the 9ictoria "sland area of Canada in &'&C and there have been several such reports, including in Greenland, since the &*th Century.

the red spot brings the protagonists to Hu)an Re)ains. 1utdoors)an+ nother route is possible that avoids the steep climb. "t would mean going back along the ridge then heading south. 6n foot, this would take about a day each way, on unloaded dog sleds about half that, and on loaded sleds or a snow tractor, about , hours. 1utdoors)an or Eviden e Colle tion+ ?olts have been left where someone climbed up the face of this ridge. 3-point 1utdoors)an spend confirms that this was within the last week or so. nother 3/oint spend indicates that there were three in the climbing party. nyone remaining behind and passing a !ense Trouble test against 3ifficulty , will spot a figure, similar to the previous one, watching them from a mountainside to the north. Beaching the spot will take about half an hour and a climb re2uiring an thletics test against 3ifficulty ). 1utdoors)an 3/oint spend will successfully locate his tracks, while another 3-/oint spend will allow them to be followed westward and higher up the mountain where they are lost on the rocky surface. "f none of the protagonists remain here, the mushers will report the figure when they return and can take the characters close to the spot where the figure stood. The expedition will probably need to camp somewhere on the ridge or tonight.

,aakuk= the -lond !skimo= Age 3>

Abilities+ thletics &C, !cuffling (, .eapons &&, Health ' Hit Threshold+ ) Ar)orG 0& vs all :hide< Stealth 5odifier+ D+ Alertness 5odifier+ D+ 8eaponG DC :stone axe< The team won1t be able to travel much further today.

)n the "dge
S ene T&pe+ Clue :?onus< 0ead-#n+ cross the "ce 0ead-1ut+ The German Camp, rriving at the !ite bout a day from their destination, the expedition is moving along the top of a steep ridge. 1utdoors)an or Eviden e Colle tion+ There is a dark red spot on a slope, about a mile or so from the bottom of the ridge. ?inoculars suggest that it is a patch of blood with debris of some kind nearby. The face of the ridge, which would need to be descended to reach the camp, is a near0vertical wall of icy rock over &CC feet high. Climbing down is an thletics test :3ifficulty ,<. Climbing back up the wall is 3ifficulty (. "n either case, damage is & die D/, however, if a safety rope is used, unless the roll is a natural & :in which case the rope doesn1t hold<, the damage is reduced to 0&, with a second thletics test re2uired to complete the climb. pproaching

%uman Remains
S ene T&pe+ 6ptional, Clue :?onus< 0ead-#n+ 6n the %dge, Graves 0ead-1ut+ Graves, 6n the %dge "n addition to the large patch of blood are some pieces of bone and clothing. .itnessing this is a /0 point !tability test. Si)ple Sear h locates papers that identify the victim as Aean Baymond Gobineau, a French national, German resident and a member of the 5!3 = :5a7i =arty<. :orensi sG The remains have probably been here for almost a week. 3-/oint spend+ The bones are gnawed and crushed. The tooth0marks are possibly from a bear or other large carnivore. Eviden e Colle tion or 1utdoors)an+ The man1s prints can be seen coming from the south. Iarge, footprints can be seen in the snow, possibly distorted by melting. ?oth sets of tracks have followed the same route. 1utdoors)an or

$iolog&+ The prints appear to be those of a large carnivoreT however, the extended claw in the middle of the foot shows that this wasn1t a bear. "n fact, they don1t belong to any identifiable creature. 3-/oint spend+ There is something very strange about the gait. further 3-/oint spend+ The bi7arre pattern of prints would almost seem to imply that it has six legs. Cthulhu 5&thos+ This may be the Gnoph0keh, the legendary six0legged beast of the rctic. 1utdoors)an 3-/oint spend+ Tracing the prints to their origin will take characters to Graves. Following the creature1s subse2uent route will take them northeast, deeper onto the ice sheet. fter two hours, snowfall obliterates the trail.

signs snow that has been dug up to pile on the graves. 3-/oint spend reveals a snow0covered trail hinting that something large trampled through this part of the valley several times, before the tracks were mostly covered in snow. .ith another 3-/oint spend, its route can be followed either to Hu)an Re)ains or to The Cli)b to the # e Sheet. "n either case, 1utdoors)an will indicate that after a couple of hundred yards the tracks have little or no snowfall on them. :orensi s+ "f disinterred and examined, one of the bodies appears to have been crushed, one appears to have deep lacerations to the upper body and the third has a deep, impaling wound in the abdomen. 3-point spend+ The first also had symptoms of frostbite. 3-point spend+ The wounds on the second man are consistent with being mauled by a large carnivore, but a bear1s claws are not sharp enough to have inflicted those in4uries.

%hat Happened Here?

.hen surprised by the Gnoph0keh at the site of the scene 8Graves1, Gobineau :like many others< fled. The creature hunted him down, killed him and consumed his body at leisure.

%hat Happened Here?

The German expedition having ignored their warning, one of the Iomaruit :?lond %skimo< sang the old song to call the Gnoph0keh. The beast stalked the expedition, called up a bli77ard and attacked them. !ome of them tried shooting at it without much success. Three mere were killed and the rest fled. Gobineau was followed and killed by the creature. nother man :6tto $et7ger< died of hypothermia on the ice. Three regrouped at the same spot later, buried their dead and gathered their possessions to continue.

Gra!es
S ene T&pe+ 6ptional, Clue :?onus< 0ead-#n+ Human Bemains, The Climb to the "ce !heet 0ead-1ut+ Human Bemains, The Climb to the "ce !heet Three mounds rise in the snow here marked with simple wooden crosses. crushed man0drawn sled has also been abandoned here, its load still partially onboard and partially piled on the snow nearby. Si)ple Sear h+ The mounds are of course graves. "dentity papers on the bodies will identify them as German nationals. Si)ple Sear h+ The sled holds camp gear, provisions and a broken radio. There is also a sealed brass tube containing a note from ?auer to his missing countrymen, Gobineau and $et7ger. "t says that ?auer and his men have searched for a day and been unable to find them. fter a vote, they decided to continue to try for their goal. They were heading to the ridge to the northwest. nd they should 4oin them there. They would leave climbing gear at the ridge. Eviden e Colle tion 3-/oint spend+ -nder a layer of snow there are numerous empty rifle cartridges as if there had been a substantial fire fight. 1utdoors)an or Eviden e Colle tion+ There are several sets of footprints around the graves and

Arri!ing at the &ite

S ene T&pe+ Core 0ead-#n+ 6n the %dge 0ead-1ut+ The Cube0!haped !tructure, The German Camp, The %nd of the ?auer %xpedition, The !hadow -nder the "ce Core Clue+ The Shado! "nder the # e s the team progresses along the ridge, they see two mountain peaks ahead, between which they are heading. ?eyond that, according to %thelrod1s map, lies the valley of Commoriom. The 4ourney is uphill and hard going, re2uiring ) thletics, Fleeing or Health pool points for half a day. The team reaches the top of a rise in the natural pass between the two peaks and has view of a mountainous plateau, a valley around a mile across, with an ice cap covering what was once a valley.

bout + miles away, on the other side of the valley, a dark cube :The Cube-Shaped Stru ture< s2uats on the lower slopes of the highest mountain. bout one mile away, on another slope of tundra is a small camp. Eviden e Colle tion4 1utdoors)an or Geolog& 6Core Clue7+ lso about a mile away, close to the middle of the ice0covered valley is a shadow that matches the one %thelrod showed the group in the briefing :see The Shado! "nder the # e<. Geolog&+ The ice could be up to a thousand feet thick. The wind blows harshly through the high valley, whipping up particles of ice and snow into dancing phantoms. !ense Trouble test against 3ifficulty / allows =rotagonists to hear a strange droning sound. This is a natural effect caused by the wind blowing between the mountains and through the valley. 6nce this is established, allow any !ense Trouble points spent to be reclaimed.

several months before the expedition started. "t includes 2uotations from Himmler, Herman .irth, and the -era "in&a ook. "t includes the following cluesG The purpose of the expedition is to find evidence that the ancestors of the Germans had a civilisation in ancient Greenland. This search is supported by certain nationalist groups, and organisations, including important members of the 5!3 = :5a7i party<. "n &'+', Aean Baymond Gobineau, veteran of the $athieson %xpedition and grandson of rthur de Gobineau the famous race theorist, had recently moved to ?erlin and 4oined the 5!3 =. He contacted Gustaf #ossinna, =rofessor of German rchaeology at the -niversity of ?erlin with unpublished information about the &'+, expedition. #ossinna, himself a nationalist and race theorist, encouraged ?auer to organise an expedition. Iike %thelrod and $athieson, Gobineau called the site 8Commoriom1 in reference to a city mentioned in the "i$re &!ibon. #ossinna called it 8-ltima Thule1. 6n invitation, Gobineau 4oined the expedition. "t arrived in GodthLb in early Auly and, following Gobineau1s directions, landed in GodthLbsf4orden where the ship anchored in order to maximise radio reception. ?auer describes Gobineau as obnoxious and mentally unstable. ?auer feels he is more of a hindrance to the mission than a help. ?auer and Gobineau fight sporadically. !trange0looking %skimo were spotted watching from a distance. Iater one of them approached. He was a bearded old man with fair complexion and elongated facial features. He resembled a !candinavian. ?auer felt certain that this was proof of the origin of the ryans on ThuleKGreenland. The man was not friendly. !peaking in a strange dialect, he appeared to threaten or warn them and left. The following day, while caught in a sudden bli77ard, they were attacked by a huge, bear0like thing that was nevertheless definitely not a bear. They tried to shoot it without success. 6nce they regrouped, they found that three of them were dead and two missing. They decided to press on with only three men left in the expedition.

The German Camp

S ene T&pe+ 6ptional, Clue :?onus< 0ead-#n+ The Cube0!haped !tructure, The %nd of the ?auer %xpedition, The !hadow -nder the "ce 0ead-1ut+ The Cube0!haped !tructure, The %nd of the ?auer %xpedition, The !hadow -nder the "ce The camp consists of two tents with two sledges parked nearby. There is bedding for three men here. "t appears to be deserted. 1utdoors)an+ The camp has not been used for days. Si)ple Sear h+ The camp contains some supplies of food, kerosene, skis, ice picks, rifle ammunition, and so forth. Eviden e Colle tion 3 point spend is re2uired to find each of the following in the campG +C dynamite charges with detonators and fuse wire &C flamethrower ignition cartridges The Aournal of %kkehardt ?auer The kraf4all !aga

The 6ournal of !kkehardt -auer

0anguage+ German S%i)+ ) hours 3octor %kkehardt ?auer was the leader of the German expedition. ?y the time the protagonists find him, he is dead. This is his 4ournal, beginning

The Akraf@all Saga A/everaged lueB

0anguage+ Tsath0Ho and German S%i))ing Ti)e+ The German translationG + hoursT translating from Tsath0Ho takes longer :see below< This book is a speculative translation by Herman .irth of certain pictographs found etched onto a monolith in Finland. .irth interprets the symbols according to his own linguistic theories and wishful thinking. nyone familiar with Tsath0Ho will recognise the glyphs. 0anguages 6Ger)an7 will reveal .irth1s interpretationG A go&&ess arose out of the earth an& se&uce& a human. She ga$e birth to the Go&-Man. The Go&Man became a bra$e ,arrior an& a lea&er. .irth associates this with the /arelian story of "lmatar, the spirit of the air who gives birth to 9YinYmPinen, the first man. There ,as a city in a high0 fertile $alley in Thule0 ,ith mountains to the ,est an& forests to the south. The people of the city ,ere en$ious of the Go&-Man an& took him prisoner. They cut off his hea& an& burie& the bo&y0 but he arose0 an& kille& one of the people. They e1ecute& him again an& the same happene&. Most of the people fle& the city. -n the thir& occasion0 he re$eale& his &i$ine form an& &e$oure& many of the people until the last of them fle&. Years later0 one of the inhabitants of the city returne& an& foun& the city populate& ,ith a race &escen&e& from the go&s. Thus began the ci$ilisation of Thule an& the Aryan race. This myth, argues .irth, is an account of the divine seed from which the supreme 5ordic0 ryan race appeared on Thule before they went on to rule the ancient ,orl&. 2e also speculates e1tensi$ely on the relationships bet,een the pictographs an& (or&ic runes. Clue 60everaged7+ "f using %thelrod1s Tsath0Ho dictionary, every six hours work and 3 point spends in Ar haeolog&, 0anguages, Cr&ptograph&, Anthropolog& or Cthulhu 5&thos, one of the following points is translatedG !oldiers from Commoriom captured the outlaw #nygathin @haum and brought him back to the city. ccording to rumour, #nygathin @haum was the product of the union of the Shaklip > the

8granddaughter1 of the god )hotha**uah and a sub0human 9oormis. The city executioner beheaded him three times and each time, witnesses later saw him alive, more monstrous than before. 6n the first and second occasion, #nygathin @haum killed and ate one of the inhabitants of the city. ?y the third reappearance, he had metamorphosed into a fully alien entity, and had devoured many of the citi7ens, forcing the final abandonment of the city. former inhabitant of Commoriom returned to the city one day and discovered it repopulated with the monstrous offspring of #nygathin @haum.

Translating it or reading an accurate translation will grant & point of Cthulhu $ythos. The #eeper might consider using or adapting Clark shton !mith1s story The Testament of Athammaus for the content of the main body of the story.

The "nd of "#pedition

the

Bauer

$aybe they are all burned together outside :with the statue< and a trailW S ene T&pe+ 6ptional, Clue :?onus< 0ead-#n+ The Cube0!haped !tructure, The !hadow -nder the "ce, The German Camp 0ead-1ut+ The Cube0!haped !tructure, The !hadow -nder the "ce, The German Camp Eviden e Colle tion or 1utdoors)an+ s one approaches the cube0shaped structure, a blackened, scattered pile of debris can be seen on the ice. "n fact, this is the remains of the German expedition. There are two bodies here and a blackened mass of some sort. 6ne man is lying about +C yards away from the others. The following items are obviousG / $auser rifles / pairs of skis .echselapparat 8.ex1 Flamethrower :with five ignition cartridges remaining<

Eviden e Colle tion+ There are rifle cartridges scattered around. t least , shots were fired. There is a large, dark mark on the ice around two of the men and covering one of them completely > an oily or tarry residue with a strange smell.

Che)istr&+ The smell includes burned fuelT however, there is a strange and unfamiliar odour there too. :orensi s or 5edi ine+ 3 /oint spend in either of these is needed to establish each of the following factsG 6ne man seems to have died of a skull fracture The second :covered in the dark residue< appears to have been crushed to death and smothered by the dark substance. He also has burns across his body. third :about +C yards from the others< has two broken legs, burns and scorch marks to his body and died of hypothermia

idol of Tsathoggua from the altar when they left. They fled, pursued by the spawn. They fired on it to no effect, but managed to set it on fire with their flamethrower. ?efore dying and dissolving into the ice, it killed two men, the third, his legs broken and suffering from burns, died of hypothermia. Q?egin !idebarR

9ew %eapon
8e hselapparat A8ex? :la)ethro!er

Eviden e Colle tion+ 5ext to the first man is a dark stone statuette. "t is a s2uat, grotes2ue, vaguely toad0like form with a fat body, half0closed eyes, large ears and a lolling tongue. !eeing this is a &0 point !tability test, $ythos related. nyone failing this test is disturbed by a haunting sense of recognition, as if of a childhood memory or a dream. That night, they are visited by an unpleasant dream of this corpulent entity leering at them in some dark, subterranean place. They will lose a second point of !tability. Cthulhu 5&thos+ 3point spend reveals that similar toad0like statues were used by extinct merican "ndian tribes in Canada and 5ew %ngland. They supposedly represent a being called Tsathoggua. There are interesting parallels with an entity called Sa&og,ah associated with witchcraft in the uvergne region of France. The worship of this god supposedly began on the mythical lost continent of Hyperborea, where he was known as )hotha**uah. 1utdoors)an or Eviden e Colle tion+ 3-/oint spend in either of these is needed to reveal each of the followingG Three sets of footprints coming from the direction of the cube0shaped structure. They were running. faint trail of fro7en moisture, mucus or slime, also coming from the cube0shaped structure

This model is surplus from the Great .ar and consists of a backpack with fuel cylinders and a no77le connected by a hose. $echanical Bepair test against 3ifficulty ) is re2uired to understand the firing mechanism, with failure resulting in a wasted shot. Gasoline, kerosene or diesel can be used as fuel. &C0chambered cylinder in the no77le contains the ignition cartridges. "ts heavy :,; lbs< and cumbersome nature and high visibility make it dangerous to wear, decreasing the wearer1s Hit Threshold by & and increasing thletics and Fleeing 3ifficulties by &. "t1s also 2uite fragileG treat as having + rmour and / Health if damaged. Da)age+ D& :and see below< Shots+ &C Range+ 5ear ;otes+ 6nce hit, a target will continue to burn, inflicting DC damage for &3, rounds : thletics test against 3ifficulty , to extinguish<. 0& to wearer1s Hit Threshold. user can also douse an area before ignition, creating a fireball that inflicts similar damage to an exploding stick of dynamite :see Trail of Cthulhu rulebook p,*<. Q%nd !idebarR

The Cu e*&haped &tructure

S ene T&pe+ 6ptional, Clue :?onus< 0ead-#n+ The %nd of the ?auer %xpedition, The !hadow -nder the "ce, The German Camp 0ead-1ut+ The %nd of the ?auer %xpedition, The !hadow -nder the "ce, The German Camp This mysterious, ancient, weathered cube s2uats on the mountainside like a tomb or a memorial to something incomprehensibly ancient. "t is built of dark grey stone with sides fifty feet, narrow slits high in the walls and an open, s2uare doorway about nine feet wide. Eviden e Colle tion or 1utdoors)an+ There is a faint, short path leading from the ice plain to the doorway.

%hat Happened Here?

The three surviving members of the expedition entered the temple and :as instructed by Gobineau< recited the spell he brought with him :Contact !pawn of Tsathoggua<. They entered and began to explore. 6ne of the men could not resist taking the

Geolog&+ The building is constructed of basalt. 3 point spend+ The profound erosion of this hard stone appears to imply that it is tens or hundreds of thousands of years old. Ar hite ture+ %ach wall appears to be formed of a single natural block. 3 point spend+ The building bears no relationship to any known architectural style. The walls and floor are covered in thick frost. There are footprints across the floor and in places the frost has been scraped from the walls. Eviden e Colle tion 3 /oint spend+ "n other places, the frost has been melted from the walls as indicated by dark scorch marks. Aust inside the door is a huge, three0legged basin of a corroded greenish material that forms a pool of green, several feet wide around it. Che)istr& or Ar haeolog& recognises it as extremely ancient bron7e covered in thick verdigris. The bowl is six feet across and three deep. "f examined, the inside of the bowl is untarnished, in near0perfect condition. Eviden e Colle tion+ The feet are in the shapes of feline0like claws. The floor is seen to be tiled in a strange pattern of large, irregular, five0sided flagstones. /h&si s or Ar hite ture+ This pattern of tessellated pentagons is unfamiliar and implies a sophisticated understanding of obscure geometry. !trange hieroglyphs :identifiable as a primitive version of Tsath0Ho< can be seen covering the walls, in some still covered in frost and some already exposed. The glyphs relate a history of the original builders of the city as translated in %thelrod1s 'ictographs in the Temple of )othA**ua. 6n the back wall is an empty two0tiered altar. Eviden e Colle tion+ bare spot in the frost and wear on the stone indicates that an ob4ect rested on this altar for a long time time. 3-/oint spend recognises the outline of the statuette found at The End of the $auer Expedition.

The windowless chamber beyond is almost fifty feet wide and about ten feet deep. 6pposite the door seated on a large, bron7e throne is the striking figure of a mummified baboon0like ape dressed in the remnants of a red and purple robe and a feathered headdress. Tufts of orange hair poke through holes in the robe. This is a /0=oint !tability test :$ythos related<. $iolog&+ The creature is of no known species of ape and possesses certain features, for example the structure of the foot, which places it closer to human beings. The throne is again of heavily corroded bron7e, but in better condition than the basin. There is a long stone table at one end of the chamber, which is empty apart from a few fragments of ancient organic matter :the remains of flowers, fruit and other foods<.

The &hadow under the Ice

S ene T&pe+ Core 0ead-#n+ The Cube0!haped !tructure, The %nd of the ?auer %xpedition, The German Camp 0ead-1ut+ The Cube0!haped !tructure, The %nd of the ?auer %xpedition, The German Camp 5ear the centre of the ice cap, there is a dark spot of roughly circular shape and about forty feet in diameter. Eviden e Colle tion+ structure of some kind, the top of which is around fifteen feet beneath the surface, descends deep into the ice. Eviden e Colle tion 3 /oint spend or Ar hite ture+ "t is difficult to see through the distortion, but it has a resemblance to the top of a tower complete with railed balcony. "f, at any stage, the "nvestigators balk at excavating the structure > to ensure they can leave the site before the sea0route is closed off by ice for example > the #eeper should use a Hard Driver for /rotagonists with the following 3rives+ dventure nti2uarianism rrogance Curiosity 3uty %nnui Follower "n The ?lood =ower !cholarship

The -urial Chamber

?ehind the altar, what may once have been a hidden doorway lies open with fragments of corroded bron7e chain on the floor nearby. Che)istr& indicates that the chain fragments have been in this position for only a few years. Green stains on the door itself imply that the door was probably chained for millennia.

Thirst For #nowledge

&etting up Camp
S ene T&pe+ Core 0ead-#n+ The Cube0!haped !tructure, The %nd of the ?auer %xpedition, The !hadow -nder the "ce, The German Camp 0ead-1ut+ The Cube0!haped !tructure, The %nd of the ?auer %xpedition, The !hadow -nder the "ce, The German Camp t some stage, the protagonists will probably want to build their cabin. nyone with 1utdoors)an or Ar hite ture will know to build it on solid ground rather than on ice. There are several spots on the foothills at the edge of the valley to choose from. ?uilding the cabin takes four days. "f the =rotagonists wish to do so, they can spend pool points form rchitecture or a relevant Craft and reduce construction time by half a day per point spent. .hile the team members are sleeping in tents and building the cabin, it might be a good time for their first experience of The !inging :see sidebar<. Q!idebarR

ll of the following antagonist reaction scenes run concurrently with exploration and excavation in the valley over a period of weeks or months until either the outsiders leave the area, there is only one male member of the clan alive or the clan is defeated. -ntil then it will continue to be a thorn in the expedition1s side while the team is excavating the site. The #eeper should run these events flexibly to steadily terrorise and demoralise the =rotagonists. The fre2uency and time of summoning attempts, their success or failure, whether the summoner escaped alive or not and the intensity and nature of the Gnoph0#eh1s attacks, should be determined by whatever works dramatically at the time. The threat level should climb steadily, with more intense and bold attacks, more serious damage to assets and a growing certainty that there is something supernatural going on. 6ne attack every couple of weeks is probably about the right sort of pace.

The Singing
!ense Trouble test against 3ifficulty ( :3ifficulty , under tents at night< allows a character to hear a haunting, rhythmic chant or song carried on the wind. Art Histor& or Singing+ 3-/oint spend identifies it as traditional throat singing of some kind. further 3ifficulty ) test :, at night< is needed to locate the singer. nd a 3ifficulty ; !tealth test :) at night< is necessary to approach undetected, otherwise the singer will flee into the mountains. !imilarly, if the =rotagonists delay before investigating the sound, the singer will have fled the possible approach of the Gnoph0#eh. 1utdoors)an will allow their tracks to be followed into the foothills. nd 3-/oint Spend will identify hide shoes and the fact that the wearer was running. There is a real potential here for =rotagonists to be caught out in the open when the bli77ard arrives :see below<.

Antagonist Reactions the Blond "s+imo

of

"ntroduce + ntagonist Beaction sections as semi0 improvised events rather than strict scenes The tiny clan of ?lond %skimo has camped near the valley in order to drive the outsiders away and interfere with the dig. This takes the form of sabotage and singing the ancestral song for summoning the Gnoph0keh from the ice0plains to wreak havoc in the valley. Having tracked the outsiders to the valley, they build their snow shelter and male members of the clan take turns to be dropped off by sled, on a possibly suicidal mission to draw the gnoph0keh to their enemies1 camp. -nfortunately for them, while their song summons the creature, it offers no control or protection from it. "f the caller is successful, they are as likely as not, to become victims themselves. %ither toss a coin, a die or make a decision according to what is dramatically interesting in each instance. This also means that all the men of the clan bar one are likely to be dead by the time the creature has been summoned about six times.

The Howling
"f the summoning was successful, a !ense Trouble test against 3ifficulty ) will allow characters to hear strange and eerie howling sounds. This is a &0 =oint !tability test. $iolog& or 1utdoors)an+ This isn1t any known animal, a realisation which increases the !tability test to +0=oint. This is 2uickly followed by a snow

storm blowing suddenly over the mountains from the ice sheet. The howling may be heard in the midst of the more severe bli77ards, heard with a !ense trouble test against 3ifficulty ;.

The -liCCards
3efine rules for bli77ard creation Besearch K increase protection of cabin s a rule0of0thumb, the Gnoph0#eh won1t take itself below half of its total Health, but that still gives it up to * points to spend creating bli77ards. 6n an average day in ugust the temperature might be &CUF outside. "nside the heated cabin, that could be )CUF. The Gnoph0#eh could spend * Health to lower the temperature by (CUF to 0)CUF inside the cabin for three hours, re2uiring thletics tests every &; minutes to avoid losing Health to frostbite and hypothermia. The potential for these bli77ards to inflict multiple casualties is high. Bather than throw everything into one huge storm in the first assault, the intensity of these bli77ards should build up gradually. The first bli77ard should be frightening and unseasonal, called up with perhaps / points, with the intensity and duration steadily increasing. "f =rotagonists :especially more than one< are killed in this way, unless they have made significant errors, you have probably been too heavy0handed.

A -ody in the I e
"f the singer is killed during an attempted summoning, a !ense Trouble test against 3ifficulty , alerts an "nvestigator to a brief cry in the distance, probably soon forgotten as a bli77ard arises. Eviden e Colle tion+ "f the area is searched, this ability reveals the body of the singer, unless covered by snow. 3 /oint spend is needed if heavy snow has fallen on the area. nother 3-/oint spend+ Close to the body is a figurine made out of ice, depicting a strange six legged, horned animal. nthropologyG This is a totem > possibly used for calling spirits. Cthulhu 5&thos+ This is depiction of the Gnoph0#eh > the legendary beast of the rctic wastes. 3-/oint spend+ This carving is a totem for calling the Gnoph0keh. :orensi s+ The manner of death is reveals the manner of death > goring, mauling crushing or hypothermia. "f the body has been devoured, Forensics indicates that a large carnivore is the culprit. 3-/oint spend reveals that this was not a polar bear, but something unknown and larger. $iolog& or 1utdoors)an+ -nless covered by snow, there may be prints nearby that can be identified as not originating from a polar bear. fter finding either anomaly above, Cthulhu 5&thos reminds the =rotagonist of the legends of the Gnoph0#eh.

Pa ing the Atta ks

"nitial attacks by the beast should be indirect. t this time it should not be seen directly or at least not distinctly. terrifying shape may be glimpsed in a sudden snowstorm. nyone further than ;C feet from the cabin is a potential target of direct assault. ?y the third bli77ard, the dog house might be attacked and some of the dogs killed, the rest frightened off. The outside food store might be plundered. nyone outside the cabin could be attacked. 5on0player characters working at the dig might be targeted when a sudden bli77ard isolates them the cabin. The drill or other excavation e2uipment might be damaged. ?y the fifth bli77ard, the =rotagonists themselves could be targeted or the cabin directly assaulted. The radio mast might be smashed.

Antagonist +ea tion of the *noph' 8eh

The Gnoph0#eh is motivated by hatred and hunger. "t will attempt to kill any human it encounters, probably by free7ing them to death, and devouring the remains if it can. 6nce close to the camp, the creature will summon up a bli77ard, and if it sees vulnerable targets > disorientated, few in number or in4ured > it will attack in the confusion and blindness of the snowstorm. "f it loses over half of its Health, the Gnoph0keh will retreat back to the ice0sheet. "f it is killed, the %skimo1s song will simply summon a different Gnoph0#eh.

*noph'keh
For full details of the Gnoph0keh see the Trail of Cthulhu rulebook p&/). thletics ', Health &;, !cuffling +& Hit Threshold+ ; Alertness 5odifier+ D& Stealth 5odifier+ D+ 8eapon+ D/ :horn<, D& :claw< Ar)our+ 0; vs any :furry hide<

Stabilit& 0oss+ DC

&a otage
nother strategy the %skimo may use is sabotage. This will occur at night. The team awakes to discover that some of their e2uipment is sabotaged > the drill in need of $echanical Bepair, the "ce melter destroyed or, most dramatically, the diesel tanks set on fire. The cabin itself may even be set on fire. !ense Trouble test against 3ifficulty ; will allow the protagonists to hear the culprits > most likely the two younger ?lond %skimo > at work. "f someone is on watch, success indicates that their approach has been noticed.

The house is large structure of whalebone and hide construct, covered in ice and snow and out of sight of the valley. trickle of hearth smoke often emerges from a hole in the roof. 5ear the fire is a makeshift altar and a grotes2ue idol. The altar is a 4agged, natural rock. "n front of it, is a bowl of blood and the heart of a polar bear, sprinkled with tiny flowers. =erched on the altar is a small, crude whalebone statue of a s2uatting creature with tentacles for a face. !eeing this re2uires a &0point !tability test, $ythos related. Cthulhu 5&thos identifies it as a depiction of Cthulhu. ll of the surviving members of the clan will be here. pproaching without alerting anyone is a !tealth test against 3ifficulty *. "f alerted, they will flee a strong group or attack a weak one. "f surprised, they will be in or around the shelter. "f cornered, they will fight fiercely to the death. Q?egin !idebarR

Trac+ing the "s+imo

1utdoors)an+ 3-/oint spend will allow tracks to be followed southwest for about three miles from the valley edge to a cramped shelter in the snow. "f this is attempted at night, this is a 9-/oint spend. QK!idebarR

The Blond "s+imo

These natives are, to the best of their knowledge, the last of an ancient race that once had great cities here. $ost of their civilised culture has been lost > they are now simple hunter0gatherers, living harsh lives in the more remote parts of Greenland. Their ancient religion has been lost and they make their offerings and prayers to Cthulhu, who they call 8/ulu. =hysically, they look very different from other %skimo people, being blond, with long faces, elongated ear0lobes and substantial facial hair. They wear hoodless, wide0collared parkas with hats. They believe that the thing that comes from the ice in answer to their song is a 8.hite ?ear !pirit1 and wear amulets, mistakenly believing that they can offer protection from the Gnoph0#eh. Anthropolog&+ This primitive 4ewellery is an amulet depicting a fierce, stylised polar bear and possibly intended to offer protection of some kind. $iolog&+ The pendant looks like polar bear bone and the necklace is decorated with bear teeth and claws.

The &now &helter

S ene T&pe+ 6ptional Following the tracks will lead to a small igloo, after about an hour. Anthropolog&+ This small type of igloo is typically built as a temporary shelter for hunting trips, often on sea ice. Hanging over the doorway is the skull of a bear. stone spike has been driven through its nose, giving it an almost Bhinoceros0like appearance. Anthropolog&+ This may be a totem animal spirit, probably to protect the igloo. Si)ple Sear h+ "nside the igloo are a hearth, food for several days, bedding for one, and possible spare clothes or a stone spear, axe or knife. 1utdoors)an+ Tracks of a dog sled can be found nearby. 3-/oint Spend is needed per day to track them to the homestead.

The "s+imo %omestead

S ene T&pe+ 6ptional bout four days away by dog sled, the clan1s homestead is huddled in a narrow valley in the wild mountains near %vighedsf4orden.

&lat the Angekok

This white0bearded man may be in his ,Cs. He wears a long parka decorated with strange motifs and symbols and an odd, pointed hat.

"f -lat is pursued he will mutter incomprehensible curses and wave his hands around in a bi7arre, intimidating fashion. s a last resort he will attempt to defend himself with spells or a knife. -lat1s long, colourful parka is decorated with a2uatic designs. Cthulhu 5&thos 3-/oint spend+ The images of odd, octopoid beings dwelling in undersea towers on the shaman1s long parka seem to be a depiction of Cthulhu and his race. Abilities+ thletics ,, !cuffling ;, .eapons ;, Health , Hit Threshold+ / 8eaponG 0& :knife< Stealth 5odifier+ D+ Alertness 5odifier+ D+ Spells+ 3read 5ame of 7athoth, Contact Gnoph0 keh, Contact Cthulhu, Contact !pawn of Cthulhu, Contact 3eep 6nes

other members of the tribe. t the time first encountered, she is visibly pregnant. Her first response is to beg :in "nuit< for her and her child to be spared. Assess Honest&+ !he is genuinely afraid. "f captured, #inguyakkii will refuse to speak and will try to call the gnoph0keh to the cabin if she gets the chance. Reassuran e or #nti)idation 0 and 0anguages 6#nuit7+ Her devotion to the clan and the #ulu religion is not as fanatical as the Hyperborean %skimo and she is vulnerable to persuasion, especially when it comes to the welfare of her child. "f the child is taken from her or threatened or she is assured security for both of them, a 9-/oint spend between Reassuran e and #nti)idation will get her to talk, revealing the following cluesG The woman was not born in this tribe, but in the /alaallit tribe. Her village was #ti$&le*. !ix years ago, she was captured while gathering wild flowers and made to be the wife of Iaatuk, the eldest son of this tribe. Her captors are the last of an ancient race, called the 8Iomaruit1. They claim to be descendants of a great civilisation that originally ruled Greenland. fter the glaciers overwhelmed the land, the civilisation collapsed and the people scattered. .hen other people arrived on the island, the Iomaruit were hunted down by her people, because of their worship of a forbidden god called 8#ulu1 and because they sometimes took her people as offerings for their god. The last Iomaruit woman died +) years ago. !he was the mother of the two younger men. The clan stole two women in a desperate attempt to stop the tribe from dying. The Iomaruit say their god came down from the sky with his children in ancient times before there were any people. They were overthrown by ancient enemies and driven beneath the ocean, which is where they sleep now. ?ut one day in the future the stars will be in 4ust the right places and they will return and free those who follow them. The religion of #ulu is all over the world. ccording to the Iomaruit, their ancestors once lived in a great city in the valley

Isma= the 7ather

ged ),, this gri77led patriarch is the head of the clan. His hair is greying, but he is still fierce and strong. "f unable to escape, "sma will defend himself ferociously with his spear. Abilities+ thletics *, !cuffling (, .eapons ', Health , Hit Threshold+ ) 8eaponG DC :spear< Ar)orG 0& vs all :hide< Stealth 5odifier+ D& Alertness 5odifier+ D& Spells+ Contact Gnoph0keh

/aatuk and ,aakuk= the Sons

These two men are the sons of the patriarch, aged +* and +(. They are fierce, agile and almost fearless. Abilities+ thletics &C, !cuffling (, .eapons &&, Health ' Hit Threshold+ ) 8eaponG DC :stone axes, spears< Ar)orG 0& vs all :hide< Stealth 5odifier+ D+ Alertness 5odifier+ D+ Spells+ Contact Gnoph0keh

8inguyakkii and Child

#inguyakki is an "nuit woman with a five0year0old mixed0race son 8Iomar1. Her dark hair and stout physi2ue mark her as clearly different from the

below, but a giant called #nook came to the city and devoured many of the people there and the survivors fled. .hen the ice came, "nook was fro7en inside the city. The creature of the ice is a mighty bear spirit called 5ook0Hek or Nthe Hairy ThingO that the clan has been calling to protect the valley from outsiders.
'ingu&a%%ii

Q?egin sidebarR

"#ca!ation ,ethods
%xact rates of excavation are not important. Guidelines for the timings of the various phases of excavation are provided the various excavation phases described below. The #eeper should feel at liberty to modify these timings for dramatic effect. There are several methods at the team1s disposal for excavating the siteG

Abilities+ thletics ;, Fleeing ;, !cuffling /, .eapons /, Health / Hit Threshold+ / 8eaponG 0+ :fists<, 0& :knife< Ar)orG 0& vs all :hide< Stealth 5odifier+ C Alertness 5odifier+ D& Spells+ Contact Gnoph0keh
0a)ah the Child

Drilling
The drill provided for the expedition is a standard cable tool rig, which can be operated by single engineer. "t operates by repeatedly lifting and dropping a heavy boring tool at the end of a cable, pulverising everything beneath it. .ater is added to the hole and debris collected periodically with a scoop0like device attached to the cable. This process creates a borehole ' inches wide. %ither the ice melter or explosive charges could be used to widen the shaft enough for a man to be lowered on a rope. The drill is obviously of little or no use for excavating the interior of the tower. The operator:s< must have $echanical Bepair.
/oint Spend $enefits

Abilities+ thletics &, Fleeing &, !cuffling &, Health & Hit Threshold+ / 8eaponG 0/ :fists< Stealth 5odifier+ D& Alertness 5odifier+ D&

Investigation
Anthropolog&+ These men do not appear to be a members of any known %skimo tribe, either in terms of their clothing or in terms of their fair hair, slender build, long faces, large noses or long ear lobes. 6ne man, who may be a shaman, has motifs on his clothing and ornamentation in an unfamiliar style and a2uatic theme. 3-/oint spend+ 9ilh4almur !tefansson reported blond %skimo in northern Canada in &'&C, and there have been such reports since the &*th Century. Cthulhu 5&thos+ The images of odd, octopoid beings dwelling in undersea towers on the shaman1s long parka seem to be a depiction of Cthulhu and his race.

"n any given phase of the excavation, a character running the drill can spend up to two pool points of $echanical Bepair and reduce the length of that phase by one day per point.
Resour es Consu)ed

C.; barrels of diesel per day :X<

,anual !0 avation
$anual excavation is slower, involves breaking the ice apart with ice picks and chainsaws then removing it with shovels and buckets.
/oint Spend $enefits

9ew Spell
Conta t Gnoph-%eh

This spell must be cast in the fro7en wastes of Greenland or the 5orth =ole. small effigy of the beast must be made out of snow and ice. Stabilit& Test Diffi ult&+ ; :) with !inging< Cost+ / !tabilityK$agic Ti)e+ &; minutes of eerie singingT the beast appears in about half an hour. Qend sidebarR

"n any given phase, a character excavating manually can spend up to two pool points of thletics and reduce the length of that phase by one day per point.
Resour es Consu)ed

dditional man0days of foodX

I e ,elter
The ice melter is an electrical device with long cable that heats up when connected to a power source. "n combination with a water pump, it can clear significant amounts of ice with little assistance. =ower for both the melter and the pump are supplied by the diesel generator. The operator:s< must have %lectrical Bepair.
/oint Spend $enefits

enter via one of the doors or windows on the balcony, or they may simply bore a hole directly through the roof. Ar haeolog& or Ar hite ture+ The roof and floor are already partially collapsed. Geolog&G The tower is black granite gneiss. 3/oint spend establishes that it appears to be extremely ancient, perhaps tens or even hundreds of thousands of years old. Ar hite tureG The style doesn1t resemble that of any known architectural tradition.

"n any given phase, a character operating the ice melter can spend a pool point of %lectrical Bepair and reduce the length of that phase by one day.
Resour es Consu)ed

"#ca!ating the Cham er

S ene T&pe+ Core 0ead-#n+ %xcavating the !tructure under the "ce 0ead-1ut+ Clearing the Chamber This phase takes +) days. 5ethods "sable+ $anual %xcavation, "ce $elter, %xplosives Ar haeolog& or Eviden e Colle tion+ The remains of an unknown metallic device can be found in the upper chamber of the tower. n astrolabe, planetarium or similar Geolog&4 Craft or Ar haeolog&+ "t was decorated with gold, emeralds and rubies. Astrono)& or 3-/oint spend in Ar haeolog&4 /h&si s or 5e hani al RepairG "t was an optical device of some kind, possibly a telescope.

C.; barrels of diesel per day :X<

!0plosives
%xplosive charges can be used to widen existing boreholes 2uickly or, used with great care, to break up ice inside the tower itself. The character using explosives must have the %xplosives general ability.
/oint Spend $enefits

"n any given phase, a character overseeing the use of explosives can spend up to two pool points of %xplosives and reduce the length of that phase by one day per point spent.
Resour es Consu)ed

+ detonators per day. QK!idebarR

Accessing the &tairway &tructure

S ene T&pe+ Core 0ead-#n+ %xcavating the Chamber 0ead-1ut+ The "dol Thaws, Tunnelling the !tairway Core Clue+ The stru ture des ends deep into the i e-sheet2 There is a se)i-inta t stair!a& leading do!n2 This phase takes &+ days. 5ethods "sable+ $anual %xcavation, "ce $elter, %xplosives pictographs, EbooksE X, map showing location of $t 9oormithadrethX Ar haeolog& or Eviden e Colle tion+ strange and grotes2ue ob4ect is uncovered in the ice near the top of the stairwell. "t looks like a grotes2ue idol fashioned of some dark, mottled material, vaguely toad0like in shape, very dense and about

"#ca!ating the under the Ice

S ene T&pe+ Core 0ead-#n+ The !hadow -nder the "ce 0ead-1ut+ %xcavating the Chamber ?y default, this phase takes + days. 5ethods "sable+ 3rilling, "ce $elter, %xplosives The top of the structure is about &*1 below the surface. ?eneath that is the roof of the structure and a chamber > in fact the upper chamber of a tower. "t is assumed that the team will create a shaft of pit to reach the tower then excavate the inside of it. The #eeper may have to improvise somewhat if they take a very different approach. The characters may decide to build a shaft next to the tower and

the si7e of a melon. !eeing this re2uires a /0point !tability test, $ythos related. Cthulhu 5&thos+ !tatues of grotes2ue, toad0like forms are used in the worship of Tsathoggua. Geolog& or Che)istr&+ The ob4ect is not made of any known material. "n fact, the ob4ect isn1t a statue at all. "t is a dormant organism > one of the !pawn of #nygathin @haum. 6nce uncovered, the spawn will begin to thaw and awaken. !ee The #dol Tha!s. Ar hite ture or Ar haeolog& 6Core lue7+ There is a stairway descending deeper into the ice.

+. The cult of Hhoundeh, the %lk Goddess, forbids the worship of the old god @hotha22uah. 5ot daring to destroy them, the @hotha22uah1s cube0shaped temples are barred and locked. /. #ing Io2uamethros is on the throne of Commoriom, a high city of many spires and gardens. @ylac the rchimage, apprentice of Hormagor, is granted 8The !eer1s Tower1 in Commoriom ). @ylac, uses sorcery to create a tower of black gneiss in $hu Thulan ;. The cult of Hhoundeh becomes the royally appointed religion. great temple is built in Commoriom. ,. The wi7ard Hormagor of bormis dies at the hands of the !phinx of bormis. The town is abandoned. *. The great wi7ard @on $e77amalech disappears mysteriously in $hu Thulan. (. #ing $ennamethros of Commoriom gives @on $e77amalech a tower in Commoriom, now called 8The !eer1s Tower1 '. @on $e77amalech parts the northern sea and leads the army of #ing =harogill of $hu Thulan there to plunder the treasures of a thousand sunken galleys &C. @on $e77amalech has a tower of copper built in $hu Thulan &&. The .hite !ybil of =olarion, a strange woman from the realms of ice, foretells an undescribed and abominable doom for all mortal beings who dare to remain in Commoriom &+. Zueen Iuthomne takes the throne of Commoriom. !he hold ecclesiastical courts. !he builds a high tower in Commoriom, which takes thirty years. &/. !econd city is built called -7uldaroum &). The Beign of #ing Hom2uat begins in Commoriom &;. Founding of Commoriom &,. City called 8Iomar1 settled by people from @obna in the north &*. %arly humans build temples to @hotha22uah the old god of Hyperborea, in imitation of the sub0human 9oormis

Tunnelling the &tairway

S ene T&pe+ Core 0ead-#n+ ccessing the !tairway 0ead-1ut+ 3escent into the 3epths "t takes ' days to reach the ice0free section of the stairwell. 5ethods "sable+ $anual %xcavation, "ce $elter, %xplosives stairwell runs around the inner perimeter of the tower. !olidly constructed from granite, most of it is still intact. There are places where steps have eroded or broken and places where there are gaps. Ar hite ture+ The stairway is constructed in a possibly uni2ue way, with the spiral of the stairway growing narrow as one descends and the base of one level seemingly supported by the level beneath it. 6n the wall, there is a series of long panels, seemingly of ancient ivory, with images and Tsath0 Ho hieroglyphs. These tell a history of Hyperborea, beginning with the time of construction and going deep into the past. $iolog&+ Confirms the material is ivory. How it got here from frica or sia is a mystery. 3-/oint spend notes that the ivory must have come from unusually large elephants. Anthropolog&4 Ar haeolog&4 Cr&ptograph&4 0anguages4 or Cthulhu 5&thos+ .ith the help of the Tsath0Ho dictionary, each panel is about a yard wide and can be translated in about an hour. Three panels are probably excavated in a day. For every five panels translated, a 3-/oint spend is needed. The content of the panels is as followsG &. There are several yards where the panelling is blank

&(. The 9oormis are driven away. They congregate around $t. 9oormithadreth &'. 3escendents of tall, thin antehumans leave homelands in -ltima Thule in the north and arrive in Hyperborea. +C. Cold causes the gradual decline of the 9oormis civilisation +&. 9oormis build a settlement at Commoriom including a cube0shaped temple to @hotha22uah ++. The gods "tha2ua and phoom @hah cause the continent to get steadily colder. realm of glaciers gradually grows in the north. +/. @hotha22uah destroys the colony of serpent0 men. Their former slaves, the 9oormis, are free and begin to establish their own civilisation on Hyperborea with @hotha22uah as their primary deity. +). !erpent0men survivors from sinking of the continent of 9alusia, found a colony in Hyperborea, bringing 9oormis as slaves and food source t the end of this phase :where does this occur in terms of the panelsX<, the team discovers a fissure in the ice that grows until it is wide enough to crawl through. "t then grows further to a tunnel averaging six feet wide, stretching don into the darkness. =rogress can be much faster now.

Gap BC+ &) feet, 3ifficulty ;, 3amage & die Gap BD+ ( feet, 3ifficulty ), 3amage & die "f a safety rope is used, unless the roll is a natural & :in which case the rope doesn1t hold<, the damage is reduced to 0&, with a second thletics test re2uired to complete the climb. QsidebarR

If

they Bore &haft

Vertical

The protagonists may decide to forego the stairway altogether and instead use the drill in combination with explosive charges to bore a vertical shaft down to the base of the glacier > either through the centre of the tower or elsewhere. Beaching the base of the ice sheet will take +C days of drilling and blasting, modifiable by up to ; $echanical Bepair or %xplosives point spends as described in the %xcavation $ethods sidebar on =age SS. This will produce a relatively smooth and vertical shaft with a diameter of / feet on average. =eople can be lowered or lifted one at a time by a companion on the surface using a belay device. This is a series of three thletics tests against a 3ifficulty of ; for the person on the surface. Falling means damage of D), D( or D&+ depending on height. "f there is a safety rope, damage is reduced to 0&, but there there is a & in , chance the safety rope will not hold. "t will take around &C minutes to be lowered to the bottom and +C minutes to be lifted back up. The protagonists may be able to devise a faster or safer method using dog sleds, drilling e2uipment or the snow tractor. QKsidebarR

(escent into the (epths

S ene T&pe+ Core 0ead-#n+ Tunnelling the !tairway 0ead-1ut+ The stairs descend about ,CC0*CC feet under the ice0sheet. Ar hite ture+ The engineering here is unusual or uni2ue. The diameter of the spiral remains regular as it descends, and each wall is at a slightly overhanging angle, supporting the course of stairs above. The walls are overhanging slightly. "t soon becomes very dark and artificial light is essential. Getting to the bottom will take at least around half an hour. There are four places where the stairs have completely collapsed creating gaps. These will need to be bridged somehow or climbing gear will need to be used. Gap B3+ , feet, 3ifficulty /, 3amage & die Gap B9+ &+ feet, 3ifficulty ;, 3amage & die D/

The Idol Thaws

S ene T&pe+ ntagonist Beaction Trigger+ Clearing the Chamber This nominally takes )( hours or &, hours if left in a warm place like a tent or cabin, however it should take as long as is dramatically interesting. s it thaws, especially if it has been brought back to the camp, the dogs begin to act in a disturbed way, barking all day and night.

The organism will scuttle across the ground on many limbs and attempt to escape, probably at night. "t can escape through holes smaller than & inch diameter, although such a small orifice would take it two minutes to oo7e through. %scaping under the sides of tents won1t present much problem nor will getting through the interior door of the cabin. The door and walls of the cabin are well protected against the elements and it will take a couple of minutes to pass through the keyhole. QdefineK map layout of cabinR This creature will attempt to hide among the outhouses and e2uipment and ambush a lone human as they wander outside. "f necessary it might enter the cabin and attack a lone sleeping host. The spawn will attempt to enter unconscious or subdued host, smothering their sounds as it forces itself down their throat and takes up residence in their body. -nless one of the =rotagonists unwittingly sets himself up as an obvious target, the spawn should attack a non0player characterG one of the mushers or Germans :if present<. successful !ense Trouble test against 3ifficulty , :( if the attack is at night< will allow protagonists to hear a strange sound in the camp. second !ense Trouble test against 3ifficulty , is needed to catch sight of a bi7arre black thing like a huge spider. "f it1s passing through the cabin door they will automatically spot a stream of thick, black oo7e passing through the keyhole. ttacking it will cause it to attack the protagonist. Eviden e Colle tion+ A 3-/oint Spend :or a careful Si)ple Sear h< will reveal traces of a dark greyish slime on any victims1 bodies and wherever the creature has passed. "f a =rotagonist is attacked, a !ense Trouble test against 3ifficulty ; :( at night< will alert them to the imminent attack. Hunting it down, while it hides in the camp has the same 3ifficulty. waking to the thing attack a companion sleeping in the same tent or room is a 3ifficulty ) test. Q?egin sidebarR

black, oo7ing, plastic entities capable of taking almost any shape and of s2uee7ing themselves under doors and through small holes. 3ue to their li2uid nature, normal physical wounds will flow closed. However, this process is not instantaneous. They may be temporarily incapacitated by physical attacks, but even if completely dismembered and the members scattered, the parts will reassemble > by flowing, rolling into balls, s2uee7ing through cracks or even breaking out of containers :controlled by a unifying intelligence, thletics can still be used in this state< until the parts gather together and the creature is intact once more. They cannot be killed in this way > the amount of damage they take only determines the amount of time it takes for their Health to get above C and able to act once more. Fire damage does not heal in this way, nor damage from magical or chemical attacks. 3ue to the hominid strain in its ancestry, the spawn has an affinity for human biology and can live inside a human being, substituting natural biological functions with its own. They can attempt to subdue a target and then enter the body via an orifice :probably the mouth<. The victim may be incapacitated or even killed during the attempt. The spawn will need to remove some of the victim1s internal organs in order to make space for it1s own body. This will take about ; minutes. The rest of the body, including the brain will remain alive, provided for by the spawn. =artial recollection of the attack event is possible only after +) hours and a successful !tability test against 3ifficulty ;. fter about +) hours, the spawn can begin to take control of behaviour. The host1s previous 3rive disappears and instead is substituted with the spawn1s goalsG trapping the humans and awakening #nygathin @haum and the other spawn to feast upon them. -nless the "nvestigator passes a !tability test against 3ifficulty ), this change will be at a subconscious level. To an observer, the host1s personality and mind seem to be intact, but Assess Honest& will detect a listless or 8off1 2uality that may be mistaken for shock or other mental health issue. Control Hu)an $od&+ The parasite can also attempt full control of the host body at a cost of & thletics pool point per two minutes. Besisting this is a contest between the parasite1s thletics and the host1s !tability. The 3ifficulty for the host is +, plus & per day of infestation. controlled host can move and speak, but seems emotionless and

Spawn of 8nygathin Dhaum

lso known as 8=arasitic !pawn of Tsathoggua1, these entities bear a resemblance to their cousins, except that they are smaller :about the si7e of a ; year old child<, and have the ability to parasitise human hosts. Iike the formless spawn, they are

sometimes confused about normal behaviour and culture. Assess Honest& will notice something is amiss if the host is observed closely or interacted with. Suffo ate+ The creature can use a tendril or limb to sei7e a victim around the neck or simply smother with its viscous body. pply the 3rowning and !uffocation rules :Trail of Cthulhu rulebook =,(<. .hen being strangled, successful !cuffling contest :or .eapons if a suitable weapon is available< will allow a victim to break free. Grab+ Tendrils or limb attacks can be used to prevent escape or to render a target unable to fight. 6nce grabbed, a !cuffling contest :or .eapons if a suitable weapon is available< is re2uired to break the grip. #nvade Host+ The creature can force itself into a victim via a bodily orifice :usually the mouth< if the target has been successfully suffocated or grabbed in the previous round or is unconscious. gainst a conscious victim, this is an thletics contest with the spawn rolling against a 3ifficulty 5umber of /. "f the mouth is being used as an entrance, the victim will suffer the effects of !uffocation :as in !trangling above<, until the contest is over and for another / rounds. Atta % fro) Host+ ?y spending / extra !cuffling points, the creature can launch an attack from within a host body > via tendrils extending from the mouth and nose for example. t the end of the attack the thing can be outside or inside the original host as preferred.
Spa!n of 'n&gathin (hau)

Q%nd sidebarR

The City -nder the Ice

"mportant that protagonists have an idea of what #@ and his spawn might be, maybe where they came from The prehistoric city is mostly covered by solid ice, but a number of areas have caverns and inter0 connecting ice tunnels. The city is pitch black, but any artificial light causes large areas to glow blue as the light reflects and illuminates the ice from within. Eviden e Colle tion+ "t1s surprisingly warm down here. thermometer can confirm that it1s over +;UF. %vents that occur during exploration of this area are detailed in the sidebar Antagonist Rea tions of the Spa!n.

!0 avating in the ity

There are several sites of interest for potential excavation here. Ar haeolog&4 Geolog& or Eviden e Colle tion+ The given times for excavation can be halved with a 3-/oint spend. Explosives+ .here these can be used they will half the given excavation times. 3-/oint spend in %xplosives will half the time again.

The -ase of the Tower

Core Clue 6:loating7+ #f ex avated4 the E&e of "bbo-Sathla !ill be found here 6unless alread& found72 Bubble and ice lie in piles, having fallen from the tower walls and the tunnels above
Ex avation+ E hours

Abilities+ thletics &C, Health ,, !cuffling &) Hit Threshold+ ) Stealth 5odifier+ D& :DC in snow and ice, D/ in shadows or darkness< 8eapon+ 0& :tendril<, DC :limb<, D& :pseudopod< T can extend tendril attack at near rangeT limb can attack one to three targets simultaneously, adding one to the Hit Threshold for each additional target. Ar)or+ 5one in normal state, 0) :vs any< when within a host. Heals physical damage :except fire, chemicals, explosives< at / Health per round. Stabilit& 0oss+ D& .hile in a fro7en, dormant state, although very hard, the spawn can be cut or physically damaged. However, once it thaws, it will regain the ability to physically reassemble itself. Treat it as having rmor of 0; :vs any< in a dormant state.

Eviden e Colle tion+ There are bone fragments here. Ar haeolog& or :orensi s determines that the bone fragments are 2uite ancient. $iolog& determines that they include what may be caribou, musk oxen and human remains. :orensi s 3 /oint spend notes that some of them are human remains and some appear to be corroded as if from some kind of powerful acid. Eviden e Colle tion 6Core4 :loating7+ There is a glass or crystal orb about the si7e of an orange and flattened at two ends :The %ye of -bbo !athla<.

The I e Corridor
"ce0walled tunnel follows ancient path over rock and cobble surface of prehistoric pathway, descending from base of tower in a series of stairways for about +CC yards before reaching a large doorway that lies open with the fragments of a stone door scattered around it. The doorway leads to The 0ibrar&. The passage continues for a similar length before reaching a second doorway. This door is intact and open. =assing through the doorway leads to The High Street where one can turn left or right. Closing the door for the first time is an thletics test against 3ifficulty &; and re2uiring tools to use for leverage. For subse2uent attempts, it is 3ifficulty &+.
Ex avation

6ne side is dominated by the facade of a particularly grand structure. .hen bright light shines on it, there is a suggestion of several towers extending upwards through the ice. The facade is riddled with small holes and a trickle of water flows towards the ice0choked centre of the s2uare. glacier of sorts dominates the centre of this huge ice cavern, occupying half the floor of the s2uare and extending from a wide avenue, which is completely blocked with ice. n unblocked Side Street also extends away from the !2uare.
Ex avation+ 39 hours

?eneath the glacier in the central area is a raised, stepped area. Ar haeolog&+ 6n top of this are the remnants of a large block of fossilised hardwood. Eviden e Colle tion+ .ith a 3-/oint spend, the head of a huge bron7e axe can be found. Eviden e Colle tion 6:loating4 Core7+ The %ye of -bbo !athla
Ex avation+ 9D hours

.allsX CobblesX ncient 3oorsX

High Street
From the "ce Corridor this can be followed left and slightly uphill or right and slightly downhill. The left branch terminates in a wall of ice and rock after some +CC yards. The right branch leads to The S,uare. The street is wide and the forms of ancient homes, towers, sidestreets and so on can be glimpsed along it1s length offering a haunting vista of a primordial city imprisoned in ice. The walls are wet and pitted with narrow fissures. There are also walls of huge stone blocks, with what appear to be doorways and window spaces. =rehistoric plantsX
Ex avation+ 39 hours

The grand facade is the front of the original =alace of Commoriom. #nygathin @haum and his 8inner circle1 are hibernating here. $ore dormant spawn can be found after &+ hours. %xcavation accelerates the Thawing of the city :see =. xx< and reveals channels in the ice. %xcavation, particularly the use of explosives here will rapidly accelerate the catastrophic awakening of #nygathin @haum and his spawn :see The $la % Doo) on p. xx<. "deally this should not occur until after the %ye of -bbo0 !athla is found.

%xcavation of the fissures reveals they are channels leading into the ice. There are also fissures behind the walls, doorways and windows. ?uried deep in the ice, eventually another hibernating spawn will be found. $ore of these can be found with a few more hours of excavation.

Side Street
This is essentially identical to the High Street, except that it extends away from The S,uare and ends in a dead0end after about &CC yards.

The /ibrary
large archway leads to a rubble0strewn room that includes rows of collapsed stone shelves. =iles of dust and mould are fre2uent. Eviden e Colle tion+ There are tablets of stone, pottery and bron7e among the broken shelves. These are covered in the Tsath0Ho script. Cthulhu 5&thos+ !tudy of these texts recognises them as =nakotic $anuscripts. 3-/oint spend is needed to recognise the Hithian and %lder Thing

The S<uare
Core Clue 6:loating7+ The E&e of "bbo-Sathla This was once the central gathering place of the city. The ceiling here is higher than in the passageways, arching up to around )C feet in the middle. "t is about +;C feet across. !hadows of tall buildings can be glimpsed, entombed in the blue ice walls.

scripts. 9-/oint spend suggests that much of the material here is previously unknown.

thletics test against 3ifficulty *. This leads to the 0ibrar& >ault.

Commorian Pnakoti ,anus ripts

The library includes transcriptions and some original examples of manuscripts in the curvilinear Hithian script and the dot0based cipher of the %lder Things. The entire collection here behaves like any collection of =nakotic $anuscripts as described in Trail of Cthulhu =age SS. Becovering each point of Cthulhu $ythos worth of fragments to the surface takes at least a day. Translating, collating and interpreting this material is a pro4ect that would takes years. However, with the aid of the Tsath0Ho dictionary and a +0=oint spend in Iibrary -se, it1s possible to collate and translate enough of the material for an overview. 0anguage+ Tsath0Ho :with passages in %lder !cript and Hithian< S%i))ing Ti)e+ &; hours, minus ; hours for each pool point spent in Cryptography, Ianguages, rchaeology, nthropology or Cthulhu $ythos !kimming grants dedicated pool points in stronomy, Geology and 6ccult. CluesG This material consists of fragments passed down through many generations from the library city of =nakotus archived by The Great Bace. This knowledge was gathered from across the entire universe, from the future and the past. !ome of the material was inherited from the fallen civilisation of the =olar 6nes at the !outh =ole. "t was translated and interpreted by priests called the =nakotic ?rotherhood over hundreds of generations This library is a 4ust part of a larger collection distributed across ancient Hyperborea.

/ibrary Eault
Core Clue 6:loating7+ The E&e of "bbo-Sathla nother historical frie7e is carved across the stone walls of this circular chamber. pale stone about the si7e of a small orange :The %ye< is mounted on a plinth in the middle of the room.

The "ye of -

o*&athla

This is a cloudy, oblate sphere about the si7e of an orange, slightly flattened at the ends. lso known as 8The Crystal of @on $e77amalech1, The %ye of -bbo0!athla is a device of unknown origin > perhaps a creation of the %lder things > that can send a viewer1s mind into the remote past by uniting it with the collective ancestral mind. For mysterious reasons the crystal is ever tied to the sorcerer and his scrying efforts to find the %lder #eys Cthulhu 5&thos+ ccording to the ?ook of %ibon, a powerful wi7ard of ancient Hyperborea possessed a cloudy scrying stone in the shape of a slightly flattened orb. 3-/oint spend reveals that it was called 8The %ye of -bbo0!athla1 and possessed by @on $e77amalech. He was able to view the very beginnings of life itself. pparently, he disappeared, taking the stone with him.

Eiewing the !ye of &bbo'Sathla

There is something tantalising and mysteriously familiar about the crystal and the temptation to ga7e into it immediately is a !tability test against 3ifficulty /. The same test is needed to resist using the crystal again, within +) hours of its last use, with the 3ifficulty increasing by & each time it is used. Stabilit& Test Diffi ult&+ + when used the first time, no test on subse2uent uses. Stabilit& Cost+ ) plus additional losses depending on what was encountered > see below. -se of the crystal involves ga7ing into its beguiling depths for several minutes. fter which, the user finds themselves sitting and staring at the same crystal on a table of dark wood, in an ivory0 panelled chamber. The situation is at once foreign and very familiar. They know themselves as @on $e77amalech, greatest sorcerer in Hyperborea, in his high tower in $hu Thulan.

This particular set includes the following spellsG !ummon =olar 6ne :Contact %lder Thing<, however poring over the fragments is re2uired to learn this Ar haeolog& or Ar hit ture 6:loating4 Core Clue7+ "f the %ye of -bbo0!athla has not been located elsewhere, the remains of a partially blocked stairway is discovered. ccessing this is an

s @on $e77amalech, the viewer knows the sorcerer ac2uired this ancient orb from a sub0 human temple and sought to use it to ga7e upon the wisdom of the %lder Gods who vanished before %arth life appeared. stream of visions appear of years gone by. His efforts to peer into the past reach a Threshold however, beyond which he is afraid to look. This trance will last for approximately half an hour. 6n awakening from this communion with the mind of @on $e77amalech the viewer immediately loses & point of !anity. fter this and subse2uent instances, they must make a !tability test against 3ifficulty , to recall some of his understanding. "f successful, they gain D& to Cthulhu $ythos. -p to + points of Cthulhu $ythos may be gained this way.
Co))union !ith "bbo-Sathla

%esult && > &, Human kingdom of Hyperborea, battles

with 9oormis, rise and fall of various cults etc Stabilit& test+ /0point !tability test
+& > +, =re0human 9oormis kingdoms, including

their worship of @hotha22ah etc Stabilit& test+ /0point !tability test

/& > // .hite ape0men are compelled by some

mysterious drive to raise a city in the 4ungle. Their ancestors evolve rapidly and spread out across world as early humans. Stabilit& test+ /0point !tability test. Drives at sta%e+ "n the ?lood /illars of Sanit& at sta%e+ Family, Beligion
/)> /,

The first time the %ye is used, the player must attempt to pass a test with a 3ifficulty of , on behalf of @on $e77amalech to see beyond the Threshold. The 3ifficulty decreased by & for each subse2uent use. 6n passing the test described above, @on $e77amalech1s self0identity is swallowed up :along with the viewer1s< into a stream of numberless lives and deaths, aeons experienced in minutes, rushing back into the past along ancestral lines and close branches on the ancestral tree. "n this case the trance will continue for around four hours. Begression through collective ancestral memory continues until -bbo0!athla, the source of all life on earth is reached. $ost of these experiences will not subse2uently be recalled, but even if they are not, they are inherently destructive to the viewer1s sense of self, causing a loss of + !anity points. character who1s !anity is reduced to 7ero in this way suffers a total loss of self, sitting unresponsively in a catatonic0like state, then one day, when the opportunity appears, suddenly wandering off, probably never to be seen again. fter awakening from this deeper regression, a character will be unable to recall much detail. Het recollections may come. The viewer must make a !tability test against 3ifficulty ; to recall something. "f they succeed, roll on the table below to determine the memory, then have them make roll more !tability tests until they fail.
Regression #nsights Take two d,s and decide which is NtensO and which is NonesO. Boll belowG

9oormis gain freedom from !erpent =eople, found Hyperborean colony Stabilit& test+ /0point !tability test genetically engineer simians into land hominids and a2uatic hominids to serve as slaves Stabilit& test+ /0point !tability test Sanit& lost+ & point Drives at sta%e+ nti2uarianism, Thirst for #nowledge /illars of Sanit& at sta%e+ Family, Human 3ignity and 9alue, Beligion

)& > )+ !erpent people in city called 8Hoth1

)/ > )) !erpent people civilisation wiped out by

rise of dinosaurs Stabilit& test+ /0point !tability test Sanit& lost+ & point
); > ), !hoggoth rebellion defeated in %lder thing

civilisation Stabilit& test+ )0point !tability test Sanit& lost+ & point
;& > ;+ !erpent people kingdom of 9alusia

Stabilit& test+ /0point !tability test Sanit& lost+ & point

;/ > ;) Cataclysm raises BElyeh, arrival of

Cthulhu, war of Cthulhu and the %lder Things Stabilit& test+ ,0point !tability test Sanit& lost+ + points Drives at sta%e+ nti2uarianism, Thirst for #nowledge
;; > ;, %lder thing experiments create vertebrates

Stabilit& test+ )0point !tability test Sanit& lost+ & point

Drives at sta%e+ nti2uarianism, Thirst for #nowledge /illars of Sanit& at sta%e+ Family, Human 3ignity and 9alue, Beligion
,& > ,+ -bbo !athla is witnessed as the foul source

Antagonist Reactions the &pawn

of

of all earthly life Stabilit& test+ )0point !tability test :or nagnorosis< Sanit& lost+ & point :or nagnorosis< Drives at sta%e+ nti2uarianism, Thirst for #nowledge /illars of Sanit& at sta%e+ Family, Human 3ignity and 9alue, Beligion
,/ > ,) -bbo0!athla was a creation of the %lder Things > a biological factory for breeding slaves. %arth0life is an accidental by0product.

These antagonist reactions are designed to create a growing sense of unease. They should be detailed and timed according to drama, atmosphere and =rotagonist actions. The events of the different sections should overlap.

Thawing
s soon as the protagonists enter Commoriom, the spawn begin to thaw and awaken. Casually drop the following clues into your description to build atmosphere. These clues are picked up passively. Eviden e Colle tion+ "t seems slightly warmer in the city than when the characters first entered. o thermometer will confirm that the temperature is now 4ust above free7ing

Stabilit& test+ ) point !tability test :or nagnorosis< Sanit& lost+ + points :or nagnorosis< Drives at sta%e+ nti2uarianism, Thirst for #nowledge /illars of Sanit& at sta%e+ Family, Human 3ignity and 9alue, Beligion
,; > ,, The %lder #eys are viewed clearly. The

.ater is dripping from the ceiling =ools of water are collecting !mall rivulets are running from that wall of ice The surface of that wall seems more pitted than when we first saw it. " don1t remember those holes being there

script consists of unintelligible clusters of dots, recognisable as %lder Thing script to anyone familiar with it or who makes a &0 =oint spend in Cthulhu $ythos. The exact contents of the tablets should be extremely difficult to access and are beyond the scope of this scenario. Stabilit& test+ ) point !tability test :or nagnorosis< Sanit& lost+ + point :or nagnorosis< Drives at sta%e+ nti2uarianism, Thirst for #nowledge /illars of Sanit& at sta%e+ Beligion D& Cthulhu $ythos is granted for every three memories recalled. Hypnosis could be used to recover memories. These experiences are not mere visions > the 8viewer1 fully experiences the life of the creature witnessed. This means that the experiences are hard to dismiss > seeing is believing in this case. !ome of these experiences are capable of causing lost 3rives or smashed =illars of !anity at the #eeper1s discretion. Q!idebarR

Someone"s ,issingF
6ne of the 5on0=layer Characters :if there are any left< working or moving alone in the city ruins is noticed as missing. !ense Trouble test against 3ifficulty ) may allow characters to hear a cry for help. fter a search, the character is found unconscious, lying in a large pool of blood. 5edi ine+ There is no obvious sign of in4ury. :& point spend< He appears to be in a coma. :orensi s+ :& point spend< There is no sign of in4ury apart from bruising around the neck and face.

,ore Thawing
gain this is something that one of the =rotagonists should notice passively. This can occur more than once. Eviden e Colle tion+ black substance is oo7ing from holes in the High Street or The S,uare

o .hen revisited, the oo7e is gone. o "f a sample is taken the container is later found broken or overturned and the sample missing

,utiny of the Infested

.ith time, they will also begin to experience strange urges and black0outs. !ee the Spa!n of 'n&gathin (hau) sidebar on =age xx. 6nce fully under the control of the parasitic spawn, the infected character will seek to awaken #nygathin @haum and his spawn using the various excavation tools at The /ala e elsewhere. 5aturally this will accelerate the A!a%ening of 'n&gathin (hau), although ideally this shouldn1t occur until the team has found The %ye of -bbo0 !athla. 6ther possible sabotage attempts includeG Iuring as many people into the city as possible ?locking the escape route with explosives

Something in the Shadows

.hen two or more characters are moving through the city, with a successful !ense Trouble test against 3ifficulty ,, they catch a glimpse of something slithering or scuttling among the ice and rubble. ?y the time they reach the spot to investigate, there is nothing there.

A Protagonist is Atta ked

"f a =rotagonist is so foolish as to be alone in the city they may be targeted by one of the spawn. The #eeper may want to resolve this event privately, to avoid the possibility of the other players learning that one of their companions is infested with an parasitic monster. !ense Trouble test against 3ifficulty , will allow the character to catch a glimpse of movement or a sound as the creature approaches or waits in ambush. "f they succeed, the spawn will Chase them. Three or four successful thletics or Fleeing tests may be enough to allow the character to reach the rest of the group, at which point the spawn will retreat. "f they fail the !ense Trouble test above, the spawn will attack with surprise. Buthless #eepers may want to consider a result of & or + on the !ense Trouble test as automatic infestation, in order to keep the victim1s player in the dark about what has happened. %vidence from a successful attack will be similar to the So)eone?s 5issingF section above. n infested character will have no memory of the attack, although when they awaken they may experience some odd symptomsG 8spaced out1, apathetic feelingG treat as if Sha%en. Ioss of 3rive. bdominal pain sluggish, bloated feeling

"f the spawn is found out and cannot escape it will attack from within the host body with its Atta % fro) Host ability. The eyes will roll back and turn black, and sticky black tendrils will shoot from mouth and nose, striking anyone in range. !ense Trouble test against 3ifficulty ; to avoid being surprised. ?eing attacked in this way is a *0=oint !tability test.

The Spawn and their Progenitor AwakenF

.hether due to the use of T5T to excavate The =alace, sabotage by spawn0infested characters or simply the gradual, collective thawing generated by the spawn, at some stage all hell is going to break loose. This event should occur either as determined by =rotagonist actions, by antagonist reactions :sabotage by an infested character< or simply when the #eeper decides is suitably dramatic. "n any case it should be no longer than )( hours from when the =rotagonists enter the city. !pawn which until now had remained furtive and have assaulted only isolated characters, have awakened in sufficient numbers that they can launch a direct attack. 5ot far behind is #nygathin @haum itself. This eventuality is handled below in the scene The $la % Doo). Q%nd !idebarR

These symptoms may initially be confused with 8nervous shock1. The victim themselves will rationalise and 4ustify any unusual behaviour. This is a good roleplaying opportunity for the player.

The Blac+ (oom

S ene T&pe+ 0ead-#n+ 0ead-1ut+

!ense Trouble test against 3ifficulty , is re2uired to detect the approaching spawn. The first wave consists of five spawn, with others not far behind. !omething much larger can be heard :or even glimpsed< crashing, slithering and hissing in the rear. This is an (0=oint !tability test. Characters who don1t flee immediately will be attacked in two rounds. For those who flee, this is a Chase. "f none of the protagonists passed their !ense Trouble, the test 3ifficulty is ;. Those who passed get a head start and a 3ifficulty of /. Those who failed but were alerted by others get a 3ifficulty of ). Treat the leading wave of pursuers as a single entity. character who fails the chase contest will be immediately pounced on by one or two spawn and he must fight them. second wave of six spawn is two rounds behind the first. #nygathin @haum and three spawn are moving at a steadier pace at the rear. The =rotagonists can1t afford to miss a step. The #eeper may also consider allowing =rotagonists to reduce the 3ifficulty with convincing "nvestigative spends, from rchitecture or Geology for example. !topping to take a shot at the pursuers will increase the 3ifficulty by &. 3epending on their previous actions, it may be possible to create obstacles for the pursuers such as pulling a door closed behind them, burning pools of fuel, rolling fuel barrels, detonation of planted T5T charges etc. The #eeper should assess such attempts on a case0by0case basis. !hooting conveniently placed box of T5T. !uppressive fire 6n the third round of the chase, another spawn suddenly emerges from the left bank of the High !treet, blocking the =rotagonists1 escape. "t attacks the character with the lowest !ense Trouble pool points. %ach round of delay adds & to the test 3ifficulty. $"53 TH% G = "f the spawn fail the Chase contest, this means that the protagonists have reached at least temporary safety :a vehicle, the cabin, a vertical shaft

accessing the top of the ruins with the rope ladder pulled away etc<. However, as #nygathin @haum can probably get through most barriers, this freedom may be short lived. -nless they can come up with a way to seal the entrance to the city extremely 2uickly, they will probably need to get to the snow tractor to escape.

8nygathin Dhaum
The entity that was known an age ago, by the name 8#nygathin @haum1 is a dark, mottled and mammoth0si7ed entity > a bloated trunk, with a one0eyed 8face1 emerging from its midsection, and a second eye beneath that. Two long tentacles with 8fingers1 like knots of writhing snakes emerge from its 8shoulders1 and a cup0like mouth protrudes at the top. The lower limbs are a mass of slender proboscides covered in suckers. #nygathin @haum can attack with each of its two tentacles in a single round. Iike his spawn, he can assume the form of a viscous, black li2uid. nd most forms of physical in4ury will simply flow closed. thletics &+, Health ++, !cuffling +( Hit Threshold+ / 8eapon+ D; :trample<T D+ :tentacle<T D+ :sucking proboscides<T a successful tentacle attack may, instead of inflicting damage, pull the victim to the many mouths for automatic damage on each following round Ar)our+ 0+ :thick, mottled membrane< Heals most physical damage :except fire, chemicals, explosives< at ) Health per round Stabilit& 0oss+ D+

"pilogue
S ene T&pe+ lternate 0ead-#n+ The ?lack 3oom "f the =rotagonists manage to escape from Commoriom with the %ye of -bbo0!athla, there is a strong possibility that it1s dire but compulsive insights will overwhelm them once they reach civilisation or during the voyage home. !uch a =urist style epilogue would bring the scenario to a very nice end. "t might also suggest possibilities for future adventures.