Trail of Cthulhu

A Submission for

Commoriom
General/structural comments: It would be good if, by the end, the protagonists have an idea of what KZ and his spawn might be, maybe where they came from. Do they also need a copy of the Book of Eibon Include !hule "ociety esoteric conspiracy # vril stuff $ne of the %ril "ociety ladies is with &obineau's team. (ave Ethelrod's manner of death depend on player actions) If they spot the &erman camp, perhaps he asks one of them what they think it is, and#or should we go there. If *E" then &obineau kills him there. If +$ then the &ermans follow them and &obineau shoots Ethelrod as they approach#enter the valley. If both these events are prevented then &ranger gets drunk and kills Ethelrod ,ust after they arrive in the valley -or the &noph.Keh kills him/. !he offspring of KZ have two forms) adult and ,uvenile. !he ,uvenile is simply a fissile off.shoot of an adult. It's about the si0e and appearance of a leech. $nly the ,uvenile can parasitise a human. !hey take about 1.2 weeks inside a human to reach adulthood. !here is a fro0en mastodon carcass in the upper chamber of the tower. 3hange both clues and instructions to the Keeper into second person. 3an e4uipment be defined in terms of opportunities for the use of 5reparedness Eg. 6inches, ropes etc. 7eview travel, supply levels and some physical challenges to make them properly player.facing and simple to use. But wait to see what 8aws comes up with in 9ythos E:peditions. 9ake format of clues consistent -bulleted / as per above "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 Before ice covered the land of (yperborea, a great marble and granite capital of vertiginous spires rose in a valley in the mountains. 6ill its rediscovery release once more, the monstrous force that brought about its doom In a hostile, isolated environment, a scientific team faces deadly opposition from the mysterious inhabitants of the ice sheet and from a rival e:pedition. "oon they will realise, however, that the real horror is beneath the very ice that they e:cavate. !he (yperborean 3ycle stories of 3lark ;shton "mith are the inspiration for this adventure. It is recommended that the Keeper reads at least The Testament of Athammaus and Ubbo-Sathla before running it. !he Call of Cthulhu scenario Trail of Tsathoggua by the late Keith (erber tells the story of the e:pedition that discovered the site.

The Hook
In <=>?, an archaeological team from 9iskatonic @niversity found evidence of an ancient settlement beneath the ice sheet in a remote valley in the mountains of 6est &reenland. !he protagonists are members of a <=1< e:pedition to e:cavate the site.

The Horrible Truth

!he archaeological site is the ruin of the lost (yperborean city of 3ommoriom. Entombed within it are a descendent of !sathoggua and his amorphous, parasitic offspring.

The Spine
!he team members voyage to Godthb, where they can confront a Rival Expedition from &ermany. !hey then begin their arduous overland trek in Evighedsfjorden. !he protagonists see strange Eskimo watching them from afar. ;nd a confrontation with the rival team may have deadly conse4uences. In The Valley of ommoriom! the protagonists can find the bodies of the last survivors of the &erman team, mysteriously burned to death. +earby, is a strange temple inscribed with a history of the early pre.human settlers. $n the valley floor, a shadow under the ice indicates the location of the archaeological site. !he is strange singing in the valley and the protagonists see the elusive figures of blond Eskimo. Excavation leads to the discovery of an ancient tower entombed in ice, containing the remains of ancient astronomical e4uipment. @nseasonal bli00ards harry the team as they work and they may glimpse a strange creature in the storm. !he problems escalate with damage to the camp and people attacked, until the 5rotagonists neutralise the Eskimo clan that is causing these problems. Aurther digging uncovers a stairway with a frie0e describing a history of (yperborea and eventually leads to a ity "nder the #ce where the team uncovers a device that sends their minds back in time to the disturbing origins of life on earth and merges them with the primordial mind of @bbo. "athla. ;s they e:plore and e:cavate, the city's dormant, parasitic inhabitants begin to awaken and infest the intruders, leading to the $%a&ening of 'nygathin (haum.

; rival &erman e:pedition believes the site is the ruin of the +ordic racial homeland of !hule. Initially gloating, they must humbly re4uest help from the protagonists as their own e:pedition encounters serious problems. 6hile they see themselves as civilised men, they will ruthlessly take control of the site or its artifacts if the opportunity presents itself. 8ikewise, they may use violence if threatened or obstructed. 6hen they need help however they will be humble and polite. ; tiny clan of latter.day (yperboreans -or BBlond Eskimo'/ lives near the coast to the west of the valley of 3ommoriom. !he Inuit of the region shun them for their foul religious practices. !heir ancestral myths warn that people disturbing the valley will awaken a giant fro0en in a city under the ice. !hey will do their utmost to protect the valley. !heir most effective tactic is calling a &noph.Keh to hamper the e:pedition. 6ithin the city itself is a colony of amorphous and parasitic entities descended from !sathoggua. Initially dormant, they will gradually awaken, and attempt to subdue and infest human hosts, gradually gaining control over their behaviour and using them to attempt to awaken their leader Knygathin Zhaum and the other spawn. 6hen sufficient numbers are awake they will launch a full.scale attack on the intruders. ; fourth potential antagonist is the team member Dr 3huck &ranger, whose alcoholism and mental health issues may cause him to become violent under the stresses of the e:pedition.

Running Commoriom with the Armitage Inquiry

!his scenario begins in late Cune of <=1< D a time when the ;rmitage In4uiry is in its formative stages. !hree years previously, ;rmitage, 7ice and 9organ scored a victory against the Dunwich (orror and soon Dr ;lbert 6ilmarth ,oined them after his encounter with the B$uter $nes' in the hills of %ermont. $n his deathbed in <=>=, 5rofessor 3urtis 9athieson revealed the truth about his <=>? &reenland e:pedition to his colleague Dr Arancis 9organ and 9organ shared the story with 5rofessor ;rmitage. "oon they were working with 5rofessor Ethelrod in England to organise a follow. up e:pedition for <=1>. (owever, in late <=1E, word reached them of a rival &erman e:pedition to the same region planned for <=1< and the pro,ect

Victory Conditions
%ictory in this scenario means discovering the nature of the site and the horror within it and escaping alive, preferably with the site safely sealed.

Antagonist Reactions
!here are four factions of potential antagonists in this scenario.

was hastened by a year, although it meant that Dr 9organ was unable to take part. )*ymbol: $rmitage #n+uiry, !his symbol defines sections that apply only to running the scenario as part of the ;rmitage In4uiry.

In <=><, the "hackletonD7owett E:pedition set out from 8ondon on what was considered the final episode in the (eroic ;ge of ;ntarctic E:ploration, during which "hackleton died. In <=>?, 7ichard E. Byrd claimed to have flown over the +orth 5ole. 9any dispute his claim. In <=>F, Byrd led a large e:pedition to ;ntarctica, and the following year flew over the "outh 5ole. &eologists of the Byrd e:pedition found fossils indicating a tropical past. In <=>F, Byrd led a large e:pedition to ;ntarctica, and the following year flew over the "outh 5ole. &eologists of the Byrd e:pedition apparently found many fossils indicating a tropical past. !he Dane Knud 7asmussen is currently on the si:th of his famous !hule e:peditions, this time to consolidate Denmark's claim on Erik the 7ed's 8and in East &reenland. In <=1E, ;lfred 6egener led his fourth e:pedition to establish permanent bases in central &reenland for measuring weather and the thickness of the ice sheet. !he team has not made contact in almost a year. In <=1E, the 5abodie E:pedition left from Boston on an ;ntarctic e:pedition. In Canuary <=1<, they flew over the "outh 5ole, reported a massive mountain range in centre of continent and described incredible fossils of utterly unknown species. ; storm inflicted severe casualties on the e:pedition. !his year, the Danish geologist 8auge Koch is leading another e:pedition to +ortheast &reenland. In <=>?, 5rofessor 3urtis 9athieson of 9iskatonic @niversity led an e:pedition to investigate a massive wall, carved with mysterious markings, in a glacier in East &reenland. ;fter it collapsed into the sea, the team travelled to the mountains near the west coast to search for a settlement it apparently described. !hey had to return after a series of accidents, bear attacks and severe weather inflicted a heavy casualties.

Running Commoriom as a standalone

*ou can also run this scenario as a standalone adventure or mark a dramatic beginning to an ongoing campaign. !he difference is that Ethelrod has organised the e:pedition with the British 9useum, independently of ;rmitage and his colleagues and motivated by his own desire to solve the mystery. )*ymbol: *tandalone, !his symbol defines sections that apply only to running the scenario as a standalone.

Geology:

Creating the Protagonists

;ppropriate roles for the e:pedition include archaeologists, geologists, anthropologists, biologists, e:plosives e:perts, drill engineers and radio engineers. ;ll team members should be healthy and fit, and be competent cross.country skiers D represented for game purposes as a minimum $utdoorsman rating of < and ;thletics of 1. !he e:pedition will also need a medic with 9edicine and Airst ;id of at least >. !he e:pedition leader is :enophobic and Arench applicants in particular need not apply. )*ymbol: $rmitage #n+uiry, If the e:pedition is organised by 9iskatonic @niversity, team members are likely to be ;merican, perhaps connected to the @niversity. (owever, Ethelrod may have brought British team members with him. )*ymbol: *tandalone, If you run the scenario as a standalone, the e:pedition is British as, probably, are most of its members. (owever, &ranger may not be the only ;merican to ,oin the e:pedition.

$rchaeology or $nthropology:

Prologue
!he 5rotagonists have each applied for a position on an e:citing e:pedition to &reenland. !he following clues are available about recent polar e:peditions) -istory:

Candidate Interviews (Directed Scenes

In order to introduce the 5rotagonists, role.play a short scene from each character's interview for their place on the e:pedition. Do this in front of the whole group. !his paints a picture of each 5rotagonist and helps establish those aspects of their characters that may be at stake later -their Drives and 5illars of "anity/ and thus enhances the sense of drama. !hese Directed "cenes are short, punchy and relatively independent of the flow of the narrative. !hey should establish three things about each 5rotagonist) ; general impression of their background, appearance and personality !heir Drive D their reason for ,oining the e:pedition Insight into one or more of their 5illars of "anity.

veteran of the 9athieson E:pedition, who has voyaged across the ;tlantic to ,oin them. $rchaeology: Dr 9organ has a good reputation as a scientist, adventurer and a man of integrity. -<. 5oint spend/ *ou have heard rumours from his colleagues that he has been involved in e:peditions and research of a rather unconventional and slightly controversial nature. )*ymbol: *tandalone, !he briefing takes place in a basement seminar room of the British 9useum. In this case, Dr &ranger has crossed the ;tlantic to ,oin the team.

Professor Ethelrods Presentation

; tall, distinguished.looking man in his ?Es walks to the front of the room and stands in front of the blackboard. (e has a slight limp, but seems to be in good shape for his age. $rchaeology! $nthropology! Geology or -istory: Ethelrod led an overland trek during the <=>? 9athieson E:pedition, in search of a settlement described in writings on a huge wall found in a glacier. $nthropology 1or a .anguages rating of 2 or higher3: Ethelrod has a reputation as an intelligent and accomplished academic specialising in the development of Indo.European languages. (e is rumoured to have an aristocratic background. GH In a polished, upper class English accent, Ethelrod introduces himself and, without wasting time on niceties, launches into the briefing. In 9ay <=>?, the 9athieson E:pedition of 9iskatonic @niversity investigated a stone wall of impressive dimensions found in the (elheim &lacier on the east coast of &reenland. (e passes around a photograph of the stone block with the e:pedition ship alongside. It appears to be about 1EE wide and approaching >EE feet high. It is dominated by a carving of a human figure with a curved blade, bending over some kind of slain animal. thulhu 4ythos or 0ccult will allow the viewer to recognise the figure as consistent with inhabitants of legendary (yperborea as described, for e:ample, in the Book of Eibon. 5ictographs found on the wall seemed to describe a large and ancient settlement in the 6estern mountains. Ethelrod led a trip overland in search of the site of the settlement. !he team found itself attacked by a large polar bear that stalked them into

Aor e:ample, the interviewer could ask about the applicant's 4ualifications, reasons for wanting to ,oin the e:pedition, their beliefs, what they would rely on to get through the ;rctic winter and so on. )*ymbol: $rmitage #n+uiry, If organised by 9iskatonic @niversity, 3hairman of the ;rchaeology Department, Doctor Ernest 9c!avish conducts the interview along with ;ssociate 5rofessor Arancis 9organ. )*ymbol: *tandalone, If the e:pedition is organised by Ethelrod in England, he conducts the interview himself, accompanied by his friend 6ilfred 8ipton, at Ethelrod's office in the British 9useum.

Scenes
!riefing
*cene Type: Introduction .ead/0ut: 5reparations, !he ;tlantic %oyage )*ymbol: $rmitage #n+uiry, !he briefing takes place in a seminar room at the ;rchaeology Department of 9iskatonic @niversity. ;ssociate 5rofessor Arancis 9organ is a self.assured yet soft. spoken field researcher in his early 1Es, who e:presses regret at being unable to attend the e:pedition due to it being brought forward by a year. (e introduces e:pedition leader 5rofessor Ethelrod, a renowned linguist from 3ambridge and

the mountains, leaving several members of the team dead or in,ured. (owever, they found a site with evidence of former habitation, including remains of a religious site and tantalising evidence of a ma,or structure underneath the thick ice cap. (e produces a photograph of a vaguely circular shadow beneath a thick ice sheet. !he e:pedition ended rather abruptly after several team members were killed or in,ured by a combination of climbing accidents and attacks from the bear. !he site was of such significance that the team agreed not to release full information until a second e:pedition could investigate it fully. !he ill health and death of 5rofessor 3urtis 9athieson in <=>=, the <=1E 5abodie E:pedition to ;ntarctica, and funding issues following the economic downturn, delayed a second trip under consideration. (owever, 5rofessor Ethelrod and the British 9useum worked closely with the 9iskatonic @niversity, in planning an e:pedition for the spring of <=1>. (owever, it was learned that a team from &ermany planned to investigate the same area in the previous year and plans had to be rushed forward. 7egrettably, this meant that Dr 9organ could not take part as planned due to his commitment to the upcoming dig in &uatemala. !he team will depart on a research vessel, for &odthIb, the capital of &reenland in three weeks. !he voyage should take J days. !he team is e:pected to spend the winter in &reenland and return in spring when the site is accessible by sea once more. )*ymbol: $rmitage #n+uiry, !he e:pedition ship is the Darlena, the same 9iskatonic.owned geological research vessel used in the <=>? e:pedition. It will depart from Boston. )*ymbol: *tandalone, !he e:pedition ship is the Beatrice, an ;rctic research vessel leased by the 7oyal &eographical "ociety. It will depart from "outhampton. !he two vessels are otherwise treated the same. $nce resupplied, the ship will sail north to Evighedsf,orden, where it will disembark. ;lthough the Evighedsf,orden route to 3ommoriom is slightly longer than the one, via &odthIbsf,orden taken in <=>?, the ascent is gentler, allowing the transportation of drilling e4uipment. !he route from &odthIbsf,orden involved two steep climbs re4uiring climbing e4uipment.

!he vessel will remain in radio range and the team on the ground and the team onboard ship will communicate at F;9 and F59 every day. !he overland team will use dog sleds and a snow tractor to reach the site, via a longer, but more accessible route than the 9athieson E:pedition. "ome climbing e4uipment will be provided, although no ma,or climbs should be needed to reach the site. !eam members will be issued with rifles to protect themselves from bears and other dangerous animals. $nce at their destination, the team will make an initial survey of the site then build their camp D a large cabin and outhouses for supplies and dogs. !hey will use the drilling rig, blasting e4uipment, the ice melting machine, and hand e:cavation to access and e:cavate the site. ;fter "eptember it will become difficult to approach by sea. If necessary, the team will remain on the ice sheet over winter until 9ay or Cune when the f,ord will become accessible again. In case of emergency, &odthIb is accessible overland on foot in about five days using climbing gear, although most of the e4uipment would not be transportable this way. 5rofessor Ethelrod stresses his 4ualifications as a hard.nosed scholar not prone to flights of fancy or bi0arre speculations. (owever, as the claims of the recently returned 5abodie E:pedition to ;ntarctica suggest, the poles may conceal secrets that would overturn our entire understanding of the past. $n the 9athieson E:pedition there were many things he e:perienced that shocked him and caused him to reconsider ideas about the world. (e believes that what they found in the &reenland ice were remains of a lost prehistoric civilisation, perhaps hinted at in &reek myths. (e introduces 6ilfred 8ipton, a round.faced 0oologist and friend of the Ethelrod family, and 3harles &ranger, a red.haired, red.faced man of around 1E, a second veteran of the 9athieson E:pedition who will be ,oining them on this trip. )*ymbol: $rmitage #n+uiry, 0ral -istory 5/ 6oint spend: !here are rumours that Dr &ranger has a drink problem. Ethelrod asks each team member to introduce themselves and assigns roles. $ssess -onesty: (enry Ethelrod is reserved, somewhat aloof and doesn't give much away.

$rchaeology or $nthropology: ;ccording to the e:pedition report, the team made transcriptions of a number of carvings on a large stone slab found at the face of (elheim &lacier on the east coast. ;rchaeologists have subse4uently associated these carvings with a &reenlandic colony of the e:tinct Dorset 3ulture. 5/point spend: "ome odd artifacts featuring strange figures wearing hoodless parkas with tall collars and women with large hairstyles were found on 3ape Dorset on Baffin Island in <=>?. It is generally thought that the &reenlandic Dorset culture is limited to the north.west coast of the island. 7iology or 0utdoorsman 5/6oint spend: 5olar bears are mostly found in coastal regions in the north and east of &reenland D they are largely unknown in the mountains although females with cubs are sometimes found in coastal mountainous areas in the north. $rchaeology! 7iology or Geology 16ipe3: !he disastrous 5abodie E:pedition to the "outhern 5ole, from which there were only three survivors, reported finding very well preserved specimens of si:.foot.long, barrel.shaped organisms with starfish.shaped heads. 6ipe: !he full significance of this clue will become clear to someone who reads !he Book of Eibon or e:plores the ruins of 3ommoriom.

released or why the second e:pedition was delayed for so long, Ethelrod seems somewhat evasive. 5 6oint *pend: (e is deliberately hiding something. Ethelrod will wrap up the briefing after three or four 4uestions, or if he doesn't like the direction the 4uestions are going.

Henr Ethelrod
!o interact with Ethelrod significantly, British characters need a 3redit 7ating of ?L, ;mericans and other Europeans need JL. ;nyone else will need to make a <.5oint spend in 3redit 7ating on each significant occasion. $bilities: ;thletics ?, 3redit 7ating M, Airearms M, (ealth M, "cuffling M, 6eapons J -it Threshold: 1 $rmor: .< vs all -if wearing ;rctic gear/ 8eapon: L< -.1F revolver/, L< -.1E.EJ bolt action rifle/, .< -knife/ !o portray (enry Ethelrod) "it or stand up in a stiff, military bearing 8ook past the person who is speaking to you as if looking for someone more important &uard your reactions vigilantly so as to reveal as little as possible

Questions and Answers

Ethelrod will ask if there are any 4uestions. (e may provide the following additional details and any others the Keeper deems appropriate. K 9athieson remained onboard ship, due to health problems. (e died of a heart condition in <=>=. K !he top of the structure was estimated to be under at least <?.>E feet of ice and to e:tend to unknown depths. (e declines to speculate on the age of the structure. K ;t an international archaeology conference in 5aris last year, Dr "ummers of Edinburgh @niversity, heard reference to a forthcoming e:pedition to e:plore what was Bnonsensically' described as Bruins of !hule found in 6est &reenland'. It isn't known what si0e the rival team is or when they will arrive. (e will wrap up the briefing after three or four 4uestions, or if he doesn't like the direction the 4uestions are going. $ssess -onesty: 6hen asked about the specifics of the first e:pedition, why the details were not

!ilfred "ipton
8ipton is a round.faced 0oologist in his mid.thirties. (e is family friend of Ethelrod, the son of Dr !homas 8ipton, one of Ethelrod's closest friends. (e went to Eton and graduated from $:ford and is taking a break after completing his 5hD. (e is well. built and athletic having bo:ed for Eton and been a member of the $:ford climbing team. 8ike Ethelrod he is something of a snob and a bigot, although he is somewhat less e:treme and more approachable. (e is a follower rather than a leader and he is loyal to his friend and his friend's relatives. If Ethelrod were to die he would volunteer to return the body to the ship, taking &ranger with him. If out.voted or overruled, he would follow the new leadership structure of the e:pedition. $bilities: ;thletics F, 3redit 7ating J, Airearms 1, (ealth ?, "cuffling M, 6eapons > -it Threshold: 2 $rmor: .< vs all -if wearing ;rctic gear/ 8eapon: L< -.1E.EJ bolt action rifle/ !o portray 6ilfred 8ipton)

"mile fi:edly in uneasy moments 7ub your chin pensively and furrow your brow &esticulate in a ,olly manner and pat people on the back

'esearching the &reenland

( tholog

of

#r Charles $Chuck% &ranger

&ranger is an archaeologist who studied with 5rofessor 3urtis 9athieson, took part in the 9athieson E:pedition and has recently completed an archaeology doctorate at 9iskatonic @niversity. In fact, although he has tried to get some help for it, &ranger still suffers from Bshell shock' from his e:periences on the 9athieson E:pedition. !his has only e:acerbated his drinking problem and now he is a full.blown alcoholic. $bilities: ;thletics M, (ealth 2, "cuffling J, Airearms 1 -it Threshold: 1 $rmor: .< vs all -if wearing ;rctic gear/ 8eapon: .> -fist/, L< -.1E.EJ bolt action rifle/, L< -Ethelrod's .1F revolver/ !o portray 3huck &ranger) "how a wide, friendly, but uneasy smile 8ook into the distance, as if preoccupied, but conceal or deny it "lur your speech ever so slightly

.ibrary "se: ;fter his travels between 11E B3 and 1>E B3, the &reek e:plorer 5ytheas makes the first known reference to the mysterious island of !hule Nsi: daysO sail north of Britain, and near the fro0en seaP. (e claimed that people keep bees in this place and in summer, nights are only two or three hours long. It's not clear whether he is referring to Iceland, &reenland, +orway or somewhere else altogether. !he ;ncient &reeks also tell of the (yperboreans who live beyond the north wind -the literal meaning of B(yperborea'/. !heir land was perfect, with the sun shining >2 hours a day, and the people free from war, disease and old age and always happy. !he people were blond and very tall. (yperborea has variously been located in north.east ;sia, 6estern Europe or Britain. In the <Mth 3entury, some "candinavians identified their own land as (yperborea. 5 6oint *pend: By the late <=th and early >Eth 3entury, the idea of !hule#(yperborea as a lost continent -possibly the same place as ;tlantis/ had become popular in certain European occult circles, including !heosophists, and &erman vQlkisch -nationalist/ groups. .ibrary "se 5 6oint *pend or 0ccult: ;ccording to legend an obscure and apparently ancient occult te:t called the Liber Ivonis or Book of Eibon was written by a sorcerer from (yperborea. .ibrary use: !he Book of Eibon in 8atin or English can be located in the library of the 9iskatonic @niversity or the British 8ibrary.

Pre"arations
*cene Type: $ptional -!ransition/ .ead/#n: Briefing .ead/0ut: !he ;tlantic %oyage !here are several potential areas of research the protagonists may choose to investigate. Each of these topics will take up to a week to research.

)ook of Eibon*"iber +,onis

.anguage: English#8atin *&im: 1 hours 6ore: JE hours *&imming this will provide < dedicated pool point in ;nthropology, ;stronomy or $ccult and < dedicated pool point for 3thulhu 9ythos spends related to !sathoggua or (yperborea. It also gives the following information) (yperborea 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, long.toothed cats and other animals now e:tinct.

'esearching &reenland
.ibrary "se: !ime spent in a ma,or library will grant a dedicated pool point for investigative spends in any field as it relates to &reenland, for e:ample, ;nthropology, ;rchaeology, (istory, &eology, $ccult or $utdoorsman. ; 5/point spend will grant > dedicated pool points. ; 9/point spend will grant 1.

!he earliest inhabitants were hairy pre.humans called B%oormis' who had a simple writing system, and worshipped a god called Zhotha44ah who lived beneath an e:tinct volcano. !he %oormis were originally slaves of Bsnake.people', but they revolted and won their freedom. (umans arrived and drove the %oormis into the mountains. !hey established 3ommoriom, the first capital city, on the site of a %oormis settlement. !he city was grand and beautiful place of granite and marble with many high towers. ; prophet called Bthe 6hite "ybil' predicted the fall of 3ommoriom and it was abandoned in the same year that Eibon was born, the city was abandoned, to a monster called BKyngathin Zhaum'. !he capital was moved to the city of @0uldaroum. Eibon became the greatest sorcerer, drawing power from his servitude to Zhotha44ah. Due to oppression from the sect of *houndeh the elk. goddess, Eibon was forced to live in a remote tower of black &neiss in a remote area called 9hu !hulan. Eventually the priests of *houndeh overran his tower and he fled through a magical door, and his book was passed on secretly in Europe and N;tlantisP. ; section of the book called N!he 5apyrus of Dark 6isdomP describes a history of life on earth that includes a succession of races and civilisations that have risen and fallen over aeons of time. !he eldest of these races, originated from outside the earth. Eibon calls them the 5olar $nes, described as Nse:less semivegetable carnivores with cylindrical and pentalobular bodies RwithS starfish headsP had a civilisation centred at the "outh 5ole and were responsible for creating terrestrial life, as a by. product of their breeding e:periments with a protoplasmic entity called @bbo."athla. ;nyone who knows of the starfish.headed crinoid specimens reported by the 5abodie E:pedition must make a 1.5oint "tability test, 9ythos related.

The (athieson E-pedition of ./01

.ibrary "se: !he information on the 9athieson E:pedition report, the Dorset 3ulture and the distribution of polar bears described in the 7riefing can be uncovered in a good.si0ed academic library by substituting point spends in 8ibrary @se.

The &erman E-pedition

Ainding out more about this e:pedition is very difficult as there is nothing published about it publically. Reassurance or :lattery will get Dr 9organ or 5rofessor Ethelrod to reveal that an associate of Ethelrod's, Dr "ummers of Edinburgh @niversity, heard a reference to a privately funded &erman e:pedition at an international archaeology conference in 5aris last year.

2utdoor Training
%arious independently sourced courses in outdoor skills may grant a protagonist up to > dedicated pool points in ;thletics or $utdoorsman, to be used in ;rctic and "ubarctic environments.

The Atlantic Voyage

*cene Type: $ptional, !ransition .ead/#n: Briefing, 5reparations .ead/0ut: &odthIb !his is an opportunity to roleplay various interactions between player characters as they get to know one another and their leader. !he voyage for &odthIb takes si: days, giving the 5rotagonists 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 Difficulty 1 is re4uired avoid seasickness. !he effect is the same as being (urt and lasts for >2 hours. RBegin sidebarS

The Crew
!he ship's crew consists of the 3aptain, Airst 9ate, 3hief 5etty $fficer and a crew of F sailors.

6oring over it -unlikely in time for the departure of the e:pedition/ provides L< to 3thulhu 9ythos, L> for someone who has encountered !sathoggua or his minions.

Captain 3ames (acAllen

; tall, lean, dour man who looks older than his 2? years. (e doesn't say much, but commands the respect of his crew. $bilities: ;thletics 2, (ealth ?, "cuffling J, 6eapons > -it Threshold: 1

8eapon: .> -fists/, .< -boat hook#improvised/

4irst (ate )ill Hewlett

;n e:perienced seaman who has worked closely with 9ac;llen for years, (ewlett is a somewhat portly man in his early 2Es, with red hair. $bilities: ;thletics 1, (ealth ?, "cuffling 2, 6eapons > -it Threshold: 1 8eapon: .> -fists/, .< -boat hook#improvised/

$ssess -onesty: &ranger is hiding something. -< point spend/ (e seems to be suppressing powerful emotions and hiding his reactions. 6sychoanalysis: -<.5oint "pend, in this instance used as an investigative ability/, &ranger appears to have a possible nervous disorder.

Chief Pett 2fficer Anders Pihl

5ihl is a large, friendly man of Danish nationality. (e is 1M, has a full beard and en,oys a drink. $bilities: ;thletics J, Airearms 2, (ealth M, "cuffling F, 6eapons 1 -it Threshold: 1 8eapon: .> -fists/, .< -boat hook#improvised/, L< -8ee Enfield rifle/ REnd sidebarS

If asked about drinking or his mental health, he denies there is a problem. (e has convinced Ethelrod that he has recovered and is so used to lying about his problem that ;ssess (onesty will not detect it.

&etting to 5now Ethelrod

Ethelrod is reserved and rather snobbish. ;nyone who spends a significant time with him 4uickly recognises that he regards most people -apart from upper.middle class Britons/ with disdain. (e generally avoids the company of the uneducated and ;mericans, who he tends to regard as vulgar. (e passionately despises the Arench. $ssess -onesty: Ethelrod may be hiding something. -< 5oint spend/ Behind the stiff.upper lip, Ethelrod is apprehensive about the e:pedition and that there are certain things about the current of previous trip that he is concerned people don't know. Reassurance, or :lattery) Ethelrod may also be asked 4uestions about the the e:pedition. "ee the 7riefing for details.

&etting to know !ilfred "ipton

8ipton seems amiable and loyal to Ethelrod. (e is more open than either Ethelrod or &ranger and has little to hide. $ssess -onesty: (e sometimes changes the sub,ect or puts a positive spin on things especially when Ethelrod's or &ranger's behaviour are criticised or the sub,ect of the 9athieson E:pedition is raised. -< point spend/ (e seems to be aware that his friend's behaviour causes offense to some, and is sometimes embarrassed by it. (e has concerns about the recruitment of &ranger and is aware that others may do too. (e is loyal to Ethelrod and seeks to save face on his behalf. (e doesn't appear to know much about the 9athieson E:pedition.

Surreptitiousl Ethelrods Cabin

Accessing

&etting to know Charles &ranger

;nyone spending a significant amount of time with &ranger will find him a friendly and competent scientist. Evidence ollection: -< point spend/ &ranger seems to have a slight tremble in his hands. 4edicine: -< point spend/ &ranger skin symptoms of long.term alcohol abuse.

If protagonists try to search Ethelrod's 4uarters discretely, they will be confronted with a locked door, re4uiring .oc&smith to open. !hey will also have to pass a "tealth test of Difficulty 2 to avoid being spotted acting suspiciously by one of the crew, another member of the e:pedition or Ethelrod himself. @nless the witness can be persuaded, threatened or bribed into keeping 4uiet -a 9 6oint *pend in Reassurance, #ntimidation or 7argain/, the conse4uences of getting caught are very serious D including e:pulsion from the e:pedition as an absolute minimum. Aor the details of the contents of Ethelrod's cabin, see Ethelrod's 5ersonal Effects on 5age TT.

If asked about 9athieson E:pedition, &ranger repeats the official account and doesn't add any more detail.

#odth$%
*cene Type: 3ore

.ead/#n: Briefing, 5reparations, !he ;tlantic %oyage .ead/0ut: 7ival E:pedition, Evighedsf,orden !he ship makes a scheduled stop in &odthIb, the capital of &reenland, for three days, to refuel, collect supplies and meet the sledding team. $nce the ship is prepared, a local boat is to transport the sleds and sled dogs to Evighedsf,orden in a separate boat. It is late Culy by the time the team arrive. !he mildness of the climate may be surprising to some. 9ost of the land and sea is free of ice. In spite of a near complete absence of trees, there is a fair amount of greenery and the rivers swell with melt water. &reenland at this time is a colony of Denmark and uses Danish currency and mostly Danish place names. &odthIb is the capital and has a population of around >EEE, mostly Eskimo, but with a few people of "candinavian descent. (ouses are mostly traditional Eskimo huts of stone and turf with a few "candinavian.style structures of imported wood. !he main industries here are whaling and fishing and there is a blubber boiling plant ,ust outside of town. !here is also a general store, a newspaper office, a small school, a seminary and a government building with a radio station. !o the east lies &odthIbsf,orden, the long, meandering f,ord with many inlets where the 9athieson E:pedition landed. .anguages 1;anish or #nuit3 $<; 0ral -istory or Reassurance 1:loating3: If the 5rotagonists go ashore and talk to the locals, they will hear of another foreign research ship that arrived over a week earlier. :ollo%/"p 1 redit Rating! Reassurance! :lattery or 7argain3: !he vessel dropped off a &erman research team in &odthIbsf,orden and left shortly afterwards. Ethelrod will get this information one way or another D from a member of the crew if not from the 5rotagonists. (e is furious and curses the &erman 'race'. Reassurance 5/6oint *pend: (e suspects that the &erman authorities were tipped.off about the site by a veteran of the first e:pedition, Cean 7aymond &obineau, who ,oined the +a0i cause a few years ago. R"idebarS

6ationalism in Europe in the 78s

6ith the benefit of historical hindsight, we know to what horrors &erman nationalism led. !oday, +a0ism is almost universally synonymous with almost stereotypical evil. ;nd indeed British and ;mericans would often have been less than favourably disposed towards the &ermans, but probably for slightly different reasons. 6hile many people regarded the +a0is as despicable at the time, overt racism was far more socially acceptable and the logical conse4uences of +a0i rule were less clear. ;nimosity from British and ;mericans towards &ermany at the time would probably have had more to do with nationalist and colonialist competition and memories of the &reat 6ar. 5layers might even decide that their characters are broadly sympathetic with +a0i goals. ;nd indeed this would be an ideal set.up for the BBig 7eveal' at the clima: of the scenario. R#"idebarS

The Rival &'"edition

*cene Type: $ptional, 7oleplaying .ead/#n: &odthIb .ead/0ut: Evighedsf,orden !he following day, a small freighter flying the &erman flag D the Wi er D arrives in port to resupply. Ethelrod will refuse to have anything to do with themU however, the protagonists may choose to approach them. $nboard is a crew of seven sailors, a radio engineer and an archaeological research assistant. !hey are in regular radio contact with the &erman team, although reception is increasingly patchy. !he &ermans will boast about being the first to reach and e:plore Nthe ruins of !huleP, about having a special right to the heritage of their ancestors. !he resulting humiliation is a <.5oint "tability test for the protagonists. #ntimidation: !he characters can avoid humiliation by giving as good as they get. ; 5/6oint spend allows them to recover < "tability point or tricks the &ermans into revealing the e:pedition route from &odthIbsf,orden north.northeast -the same route as the 9athieson E:pedition/. Reassurance or :lattery 5/6oint *pend) !he &erman 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 raceP 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. Reassurance or :lattery 5/6oint spend: !he &ermans reveal their route -north.northeast from &odthIbsf,orden, the same route as the 9athieson E:pedition/. $ssess -onesty: Behind the bragging, there is a slight sense of uneasiness. 5/6oint spend: the &erman crew seem to be worried about their team. :ollo%/up: Reassurance 9/6oint spend will get the &ermans to admit that they are being lead to the site by Cean 7aymond &obineau, a 9athieson E:pedition veteranU however, several of them believe he is unstable. (is behaviour is strange and occasionally violent and he drops hints of terrible creatures up on the ice sheet. ; "tealth test against Difficulty 2 will allow the protagonists to make a 4uick and surreptitious search of the ship under some prete:t. "tealing one of the books re4uires a 3onceal or Ailch test against Difficulty ?. *imple *earch: !he ship contains some supplies of food, fuel ammunition, radio e4uipment and so forth. !here is also a small library of books on relevant geographical, geological, anthropological, archaeological, historical, linguistic and occult sub,ects, almost all in &erman, including "trabo's !eogra"hica and (ermann 6irth's Der Aufgang er #enschheit -!he Emergence of 9ankind/. .anguages 1German3: ;n protagonist skimming the latter -> hours/ will learn about nationalist &erman beliefs in their decent from a +ordic super race that originated in the ;rctic region and once ruled the known world. $oring over it -<E hours/ grants > dedicated pool points in ;rchaeology, ;nthropology, $ccult or 8anguages. Evidence ollection: ;lso here is an enthusiastic letter of support from a senior member of the +ational "ocialist &erman 6orkersO 5arty named (einrich (immler to Doctor Ekkehardt Bauer, leader of the e:pedition. (immler refers to the site as both N@ltima !huleP and N;tlantisP and refers to something he calls B!hor's (ammer', a weapon of their divine ancestors said to be capable of flattening mountains.

Captain Alfred #reher

;round 1E years old, and fit, Dreher is in command of base.ship operations. Dreher is a keen &erman patriot and a true believer in the !hule myth.

&erald Huber
(uber is a round.faced Bavarian. (e is a little overweight, fairly 4uiet and serious, and a little less nationalistic than his companion is. $bilities: ;thletics 2, Airearms 1, (ealth 2, "cuffling 1 -it Threshold: 1 $lertness 4odifier: E *tealth 4odifier: E 8eapon: L< -9auser &ewehr =F rifle/, .< -Knife/, .> -fists/

2ther Crew (embers

$bilities: ;thletics J, Airearms 2, (ealth M, "cuffling F, 6eapons 1 -it Threshold: 1 8eapon: .> -fists/, .< -knife or improvised weapon/, L< -9auser &ewehr =F rifle/, L< -8uger =mm/

&vighedsf(orden
*cene Type: 3ore, !ransition .ead/#n: .ead/0ut: Evighedsf,orden &lacier ;bout <EE miles north of &odthIb, is the port of "ukkertoppen, where the ship harbours overnight. ;bout <E miles from there is the f,ord of Evighedsf,orden, which flows through a deep and sheer.sided canyon in a remote and mountainous region. "eals and even a whale of two are visible in the water and there are many varieties of seabirds. !here isn't much sea ice apart from an isolated iceberg or two as reminders of what this place is like in the winter. &lacier.carved canyons with meltwater streams running through them meet the the main channel of the f,ord at muddy beaches. 3aptain 9ac;llen or 5rofessor Ethelrod remind the team that in the colder months, the glacier stretches all the way to the sea. !hat and the build up of sea ice means that landing here by sea starts to become difficult from $ctober until 9ay or Cune. !he e:pedition vessel is met here by a local barge that drops off the sleds, sled dogs and mushers -dog

sled drivers/. !he plan then is to use it to ferry supplies, e4uipment and the e:pedition members onto the muddy shore. ;bout thirty feet from the water's edge is a low mound. Arom a distance, 7iology identifies it as the body of a whale. 5 6oint *pend reveals it as a narwhal.

If none of the 5rotagonists has Driving -!ractor/, Ethelrod will drive it. 0utdoorsman is re4uired to avoid getting hopelessly lost. +avigating under difficult circumstances D without a map, a compass or in poor visibility will re4uire $utdoorsman spends in order to progress in the correct direction.
$rctic travel on foot

Polar )ear
If the characters approach the whale's corpse will notice it move strngely several times. ; polar bear is behind it with it's head inside the body, eating it from the inside. ; "ense !rouble test against Difficulty 2 will let the characters spot the bear at about 1E feet, JE feet if they have not approached. !he bear will issue a vocal warning and if necessary fight to protect it's catch. Being attacked by the bear is a 1.point "tability test.
6olar 7ear

3ross.country skiing costs 2 ;thletics, Aleeing or (ealth per day in these conditions. 6ithout skis the speed is halved.
Travel by dog/sled

!his re4uires Driving -Dog "led/ in addition to the costs above. Dog teams will use J ;thletics pool points -or (ealth once these are depleted/ each day, 1 points are replenished at the end of the day if the dogs are rested and well.fed.
Temperature Table

!he bear can attack twice in a round D two claws or a claw and a bite. If it loses half it's (ealth, it will flee. $bilities: ;thletics <2, (ealth <E, "cuffling <J -it Threshold: 2 $lertness 4odifier: L> 8eapon: L< -claw/, LE -bite/ $rmour: .2

!his table below shows typical temperatures found in &odthIb and the valley of 3ommoriom. Day temperatures are about <EVA higher. +ight temperatures about <EVA lower. ;reas closer to the edge of the ice.sheet are about <EVA warmer than the 3ommoriom temperature. 4onth Canuary Aebruary 9arch ;pril 9ay Cune Culy ;ugust "eptember $ctober +ovember December Godthb <= <= <F >J 12 2E 22 22 1F 1E >J >< ommoriom Valley .>> .>> .>E .<E .> ? <E = 1 .? .<> .<=

A Cache
Ethelrod orders a cache of supplies to be left near the beach. <E man.days of food, >E rounds of ammunition and a barrel of diesel. Rbegin sidebarS

The Trek to Commoriom

!he team has three sledges and a snow tractor. !he sledges are pulled by teams of ten dogs, carrying the driver -called a Bmusher'/ and up to one passenger. !he sledges carry supplies D mostly food, camp gear and lighter e:cavation e4uipment. !here is also a team of si: ponies to help lift the e4uipment onto the ice sheet. !eam.members are on cross.country skis. !he diesel.powered snow tractor seats four, pulls the heaviest e4uipment on a series of four sledges -the drill, the diesel generator, the electric ice melter and a do0en barrels of diesel/ and sets a steady pace. It has a motorised winch on the back.

Effects of limate

Below >EVA e:posed characters without ;rctic clothing on act as if hurt. Below .>EVA, characters must make ;thletics tests -Difficulty 1/ to keep moving. Aor each further >EVA drop, the Difficulty increases by <. Difficulty is increased by > if the character isn't wearing protective clothing.

3haracters who fail this test lose < (ealth every <? minutes, or every ? minutes in a bli00ard. ;rctic clothing gives < point of ;rmor, but increases the Difficulty of ;thletics and Aleeing tests D and anything else re4uiring e:tensive mobility D by <. ; tent and small stove effectively raise the temperature by >EVA. ; cabin and more powerful stove raise it by 1EVA, 1?VA with the stove on full power.
ommunications

$bilities: ;thletics =, Driving 2, Airearms 2, (ealth F, $utdoorsman 1, "cuffling ?, 6eapons 2 (it !hreshold) 2 $lertness 4odifier: L< 8eapon: .> -fists/, .< -knife/, L< -rifle/, $rmour: .< vs any -;rctic clothing/
*led ;ogs

Ethelrod and the crew of the ship agree to communicate by radio twice a day) once at M;9 and once at F59.

$bilities: ;thletics <>, (ealth ?, "cuffling J -it Threshold: 2 $lertness 4odifier: L1 8eapon: .< -bite/ $rmour: .> vs any -thick fur/

E-pedition E9uipment
!his is a non.e:haustive list of e4uipment for the e:pedition that hasn't already been mentioned) 5arts for cabin and outhouses, including an oil stove -kerosene/, tents, arctic clothing, ice picks, a:es, JE !+! e:plosive charges with detonators, < rifle per team member, <EE rounds ammunition per rifle, camp radio with antenna -<EE 6, nominal range <EE miles depending on weather, >EElbs/, chain saws -diesel/, electric ice melter -about <EEElbs/, 1EE6 diesel generator -FElbs/, 2> : ?? gallon tank diesel -11E lbs each/, <E : ?? gallon tank kerosene -11E lbs each/, water pump -diesel, 1EElbs/, Buckets, Aood for dogs and humans for <> months -mostly two grades of pemmican, plus a few lu:uries/, two sets of standard climbing gear including 1EE feet rope, > powerful incandescent lamps -with 2E ft cables to attach to generator/, <E kerosene lamps, <E electric torches.
hainsa%

Sledding Teams
!here are three sleds with ten dogs per sled and three mushers -or fewer if any 5rotagonists are able drive a dog.sled/.
"&ale+

; stocky Inuit with bad teeth who seems to show them off with his smile almost all the time. ;pproaching middle age, he is an e:pert hunter and outdoorsman. (e speaks Inuit and Danish. $bilities: ;thletics J, Driving 2, Airearms F, (ealth J, $utdoorsman ?, "cuffling 1, 6eapons M (it !hreshold) 1 $lertness 4odifier: L> *tealth 4odifier: L> 8eapon: .> -fists/, .< -knife/, L< -rifle/, $rmour: .< vs any -;rctic clothing/
Tiria+

!all for an Inuit and around 1E, with a wispy moustache. (e speaks Inuit and Danish. (e is an e:pert at dog.handling and sled.maintenance. $bilities: ;thletics J, Driving ?, Airearms >, (ealth J, $utdoorsman 1, "cuffling 2, 6eapons ? -it Threshold: 1 $lertness 4odifier: L< *tealth 4odifier: L< 8eapon: .> -fists/, .< -knife/, L< -rifle/, $rmour: .< vs any -;rctic clothing/
=a&ob *>rensen

If someone should use this as a weapon at an stage, give it damage L<, but due to its general unwieldiness, users make attack tests at .<. Rend sidebarS

&vighedsf(orden #lacier
*cene Type: 3ore, 3hallenge .ead/#n: Evighedsf,orden .ead/0ut: !he 3limb to the Ice "heet !he first stage of the ,ourney is likely to last one day and is very challenging. !he loaded dog sleds must run uphill along the bottom of the canyon on gravel and mud, avoiding ice.falls from the glaciers overhead. !he canyon is about <1 miles long. Aor any 5rotagonists who are driving dog sleds this is a Driving test against Difficulty ?. Aailure means that one of the dogs is in,ured or the sled is stuck,

"Wrensen is a highly e:perienced cross.country skier, mountaineer, outdoorsman and guide. ;s the name suggests, he is of Danish descent and speaks Inuit, Danish and some English.

resulting in delays. Aor dogs this costs <E ;thletics pool points.

+ce 4all
;s they progress up the canyon, have everyone make a "ense !rouble test at Difficulty 2 to spot ice tumbling from a tributary into the path of one of the sleds. ;nyone who succeeds with "ense !rouble can call out a warning allowing the driver to take evasive action. ;voiding this re4uires a Driving test against Difficulty ? -2 if "ense !rouble is passed/U otherwise, all on board -and the dogs/ take L< damage and the supplies and e4uipment on the sled may be damaged.

!here are a number of possible methods and you may modify the below according to player ingenuity, however this process should be resolvable as two tests. ; 9echanical 7epair test against Difficulty <E -potentially cooperative or piggybacked/ represents applied understanding of leverage, traction, balance and so forth. "pends in 5hysics or $utdoorsman reduce the difficulty by < per pool point spent. If this fails roll again to determine the outcome) < !he ;thletics test Difficulty is increased by < > !he ;thletics test Difficulty is increased by > 1 !he ;thletics test Difficulty is increased by 1 2L Ethelrod loudly berates the 5rotagonist for his obvious errors. !he 5rotagonist must make a <. 5oint "tability test. !he Difficulty is 2 -1 with 7eassurance, Intimidation or Alattery/. If this is successful, the ne:t test is a piggybacked ;thletics test against Difficulty <> representing the collective effort of lifting the e:pedition supplies. If this is successful, the process goes smoothly and the leading 5rotagonist may refresh < "tability due to their boosted confidence. If it fails, roll again to determine the outcome) < > 1 2 ? J $8DE7 %E7"I$+ 7eview below ponies $ne method -both Ethelrod and 0utdoorsman will suggest this/ is that most members of the team climb the slope on foot, carrying ropes, -a Difficulty 1 ;thletics test, with failure resulting in a damage roll at .>/. +e:t, the team pulls various loads up using the ropes. Each of these steps re4uire "igg%backe ;thletics tests against various difficulties, with failure resulting in a retry and a loss of < (ealth D at the Keeper's option, a result of < might result in a tumble and damage for whatever load is being pulled up the slope. !he dog teams are led up -Difficulty 1/, then the humans and dogs together pull the tractor up -Difficulty ?/ D if a

)owling
+ear the top of the canyon, have the 5rotagonists make "ense !rouble tests -Difficulty 1/ to hear strange howling sounds. ;nyone with 0utdoorsman can reassure themselves and other characters that this is purely a natural phenomenon caused by the wind funnelling down the canyon, allowing any "ense !rouble points spent to be refunded. $therwise, this is a <.5oint "tability test. $ssess -onesty: &ranger is showing signs of stress or agitation. If asked, he refuses to talk about it and denies that anything is wrong.

A Quarrel
;t the end of the day, the group needs to make a camp near the top of the canyon. !hat evening, a 4uarrel can be heard in Ethelrod and &ranger's tent. *hado%ing or 5/6oint *pend in Evidence ollection: Ethelrod is repremanding &ranger for drinking. (e threatens to throw away his alcohol supply.

The Clim% to the Ice Sheet

*cene Type: 3ore, 3hallenge .ead/#n: Evighedsf,orden &lacier .ead/0ut: ;cross the Ice, &raves !his day begins with an even more difficult climb up a broken, icy slope onto "ukkertoppen ice cap above. "omehow, the sleds, the tractor and their loads need to be raised onto the ice sheet. !he team has a team of ponies, a hand.winch, human effort and perhaps the tractor itself to perform the lifting. Ethelrod publicly challenges the most 4ualified 5rotagonist -or one who has found irritating or a random one/ to lead this process. "tress that the 5rotagonist's reputation is at stake here.

5rotagonist can drive it, they will also need to make a Driving test against Difficulty ? to avoid problems as above. !hen tractor, humans and dogs bring up four regular loads -Difficulty 1/ and the drill -Difficulty 2/ on sleds. !he entire process will take the best part of a day and by the end of it, the players themselves should be feeling tired. Aollowing Ethelrod's directions, the team can spend the last hours of the day sledding in a south easterly direction across the ice.sheet, before camping for the night. 0utdoorsman or Evidence ollection 5/6oint spend) 8arge, strange footprints can be seen in the snow, perhaps distorted by melting. -If none of the protagonists finds it then one of the mushers does./ 0utdoorsman or 7iology: !he prints appear to be those of a large carnivoreU however, an e:tended claw in the middle of the foot shows that this wasn't a bear. In fact, they don't belong to any identifiable creature. 5/6oint spend: !here is something very strange about the gait. 9/6oint spend: !he bi0arre pattern of prints would almost seem to imply that it was moving on si: legs some of the time. thulhu 4ythos: !his may be the legendary si:. legged beast of the ;rctic, called !no"h-keh. !he mushers become 4uite e:cited and !iria4 refuses to continue. 0ral -istory or Reassurance: 6ith a 5/6oint spend, the mushers say there are old legends of a demon that haunts the Ice."heet that hunts men and takes their souls by free0ing them to death. It's called B!he (airy !hing'. Ethelrod struggles to convince !iria4. ; 5/6oint Reassurance spend will suffice. In contrast @kale4 and to a lesser e:tent "Wrensen want to hunt and kill the creature. Ethelrod is not convinced. ; 5/6oint spend in Reassurance or :lattery will change his mind. ;s soon as Dr &ranger sees the print, he becomes e:tremely agitated and begins muttering to himself. Evidence ollection: ; 5/6oint spend allows a character to overhear him mutter about a Nmonster of the iceP. $ssess -onesty or 6sychoanalysis: (e doesn't seem to be calming down. 5 6oint spend in 6sychoanalysis: (e may have a phobia or have had a traumatic e:perience in the past that has triggered

e:treme an:iety. $ssess -onesty 5/6oint spend: Ethelrod also seems somewhat alarmed although he is far more in control of himself. Evidence ollection 5/6oint spend: !he character notices that &ranger is secretly drinking from a hip. flask.

Hunting the )east

If the team attempts to hunt the beast, a 5/6oint 0utdoorsman spend is re4uired per day to track it on a wandering route roughly east southeast. ;fter about three days, they will arrive at the scene) BGraves'. During this trip the hunters may e:perience being spied on by a strange Eskimo -see ;cross the Ice, !he 6atcher/.

Across the Ice

*cene Type: 3ore, 3lue -Bonus/ .ead/#n: ; 3all for (elp .ead/0ut: $n the Edge !he e:pedition is now heading southeast over the fractured surface of the &reenland ice sheet. !wice a day, each member of the team must make a "ense !rouble test against Difficulty 2 -Difficulty 1 for vehicle drivers/ to safely avoid crevasses. If this fails, a Driving test -Difficulty 1/ is re4uired to avoid falling in for L< damage and possible loss or damage to vehicles, loads or dogs. !his stage will take two days. (owever, if the team passes a piggybacked Driving -!ractor or Dog "led as applicable/ test against Difficulty ?, reduce this to one day.
The 8atcher

;s the ,ourney progresses, the team gradually approaches a range of nunataks -mountains emerging from the ice sheet/ to the southeast. !here are a few smaller nunataks along the way. !owards the end of the last afternoon here, a "ense !rouble test against Difficulty 2 will allow the protagonists to spot someone watching them from the top of a ridge ahead. (e is perhaps half a mile away. ; 5reparedness test -Difficulty 1/ will give an 5rotagonist 4uick access to binoculars. If viewed through binoculars, he appears to be an Eskimo, but dressed rather strangely in a high collared parka. $nthropology or 7iology 5/6oint spend) (is features are unusual for an Eskimo, with a long face, large nose and elongated earlobes. $nthropology or $rchaeology 5/6oint spend will then suggest that his appearance is reminiscent of

figures depicted in artifacts of the e:tinct Dorset 3ulture. thulhu 4ythos: !he figure's appearance is reminiscent of descriptions of the inhabitants of (yperborea. ; successful ?.5oint 5reparedness test will allow a character to produce binoculars 4uickly enough to see that the Eskimo has a long, pale face and is strangely dressed in a high.collared parka with a sort of pointed hat instead of a hood. (e 4uickly disappears from view whether seen or not. 3limbing the ridge is a 1.5oint test. Aailure results in 1 points of damage. 0utdoorsman will find his tracks. 5/point spend: !he tracks appear to come from the east -the direction the e:pedition is headed/ and return the same way. ;nother 9/6oint spend is re4uired 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, re4uiring a 3hase using ;thletics versus ;thletics, with the Eskimo receiving a free success at the start of the chase representing the head start he has and a Difficulty reduced to 1 representing his e:perience of the terrain. ;nyone winning this 3hase will have an opportunity to take a single shot at the strange. looking Eskimo if they have a rifle ready. ;fter that, he disappears from view and a "ense !rouble test against Difficulty J is re4uired to avoid being ambushed by a ferocious attack with a hand.a:e. (e will fight to the death rather than be captured. "een close.up, it is clear that the man is no ordinary Eskimo. (e is lean, with fair hair, and a long face with elongated nose and ears. (e appears to be in his mid to late twenties. (e will refuse to talk and will try to escape at the first opportunity. #nterrogation: In broken &reenlandic Inuit, he will warn that the outsiders have strayed onto forbidden land, protected by the ancestors. !hey must leave at once or they will die a horrible death. ; 9/6oint 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. $ssess -onesty reveals no hint of deception. )*ymbol: German Expedition 4embers, !he &ermans, are e:tremely e:cited by the discovery of Bblond Eskimo' announcing that it is proof of a former ;ryan#+ordic civilisation in &reenland. $nthropology 5/6oint spend: %ilh,almur "tefansson reported blond Eskimo in the %ictoria Island area of 3anada in <=<E and there have been

several such reports, including in &reenland, since the <Mth 3entury.

(aakuk
$bilities: ;thletics <E, "cuffling F, 6eapons <<, (ealth = -it Threshold: 2 $rmor) .< vs all -hide/ *tealth 4odifier: L> $lertness 4odifier: L> 8eapon) LE -stone a:e/ !he team won't be able to travel much further today.

*n the &dge
*cene Type: 3lue -Bonus/ .ead/#n: ;cross the Ice .ead/0ut: !he Airst &erman 3amp, !he %alley of 3ommoriom ;bout a day from their destination, the e:pedition is moving along the top of a steep ridge. Evidence ollection: *ou see something two or three miles from the bottom of the ridge D an irregularity in the landscape. 6ith binoculars, you see what appears to be a series of mounds and a pole flying a &erman flag. !he face of the ridge, which the 5rotagonists would need to descend to reach the camp, is a near.vertical wall of icy rock over <EE feet high. 3limbing down is an ;thletics test -Difficulty J/. 3limbing back up the wall is Difficulty F. In either case, damage is <DJL1. If a safety rope is used the damage is reduced to <DJ.< and the ;thetics test must be attempted again.(owever, if the roll is a natural < the safety rope doesn't hold and the character falls. ;pproaching the mounds brings the protagonists to The :irst German amp. 0utdoorsman or Geology: ;nother route is possible that avoids the steep climb. It would mean going back along the ridge then heading south. $n 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 J hours. 0utdoorsman or Evidence ollection: !here are bolts in the cliff face where someone climbed up the face of the ridge. -< 5oint spend/ !his was within the last week or so and there were at least three in the climbing party. ;nyone remaining behind and passing a "ense !rouble test against Difficulty J will spot a figure,

similar to the previous one, watching them from a mountainside to the north. 7eaching the spot will take about half an hour and a climb re4uiring an ;thletics test against Difficulty 2. 0utdoorsman 5/ 6oint spend will successfully locate his tracks, while another 5/6oint spend will allow them to be followed westward and higher up the mountain where they are lost on the rocky surface. If 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. !he e:pedition will probably need to camp somewhere on the ridge or tonight. RBegin "idebarS

life are visible D men occasionally emerge to smoke, get some food, enter another tent or go to the toilet. If watched for as long as a day, some preparations begin -they are preparing to search for their teammates who climbed the ridge and are out of radio contact/. ;pproaching the vicinity of the camp undetected is a "tealth test against Difficulty ?. If the 5rotagonists wait until the dusky conditions of Bnight', it drops to 2. 8ast night, the &ermans lost radio contact with their forward e:pedition. !hey are nervous and suspicious of the ;merican#British group's appearance in the area. &obineau is rather unstable and paranoid and will be 4uick to resort to violence. Ethelrod advises his team to ready themselves as they approach. If the 5rotagonists attempt a surprise attack, Ethelrod will order them to stop D he wants to talk to them. 6hen they are about 1E yards away, he calls out to the camp in &erman. !hree men appear from tents, pointing rifles. If the 5rotagonists open fire, the &ermans will shoot too. $therwise, there is a standoff and a heated e:change between Ethelrod and the &ermans. .anguages 1German3) Ethelrod accuses them of stealing his plans and trying to take credit for his and 9athieson's discovery. (e blames someone called B&obineau'. (e tries to intimidate them and says that he and his men are going to come into the camp to look for evidence. $ne of the &ermans replies that if anyone who enters the camp will be shot. Ethelrod tells them they are outnumbered and that they must throw down their guns. #ntimidation: By demonstrating your superior numbers you are able to convince the &ermans to back down. !he &ermans put down their guns. Ethelrod asks for one or two people to help him look around while the rest of the team keeps the &ermans covered. Reassurance: *ou persuade the &ermans that your group is not a threat and both sides put down their guns. Ethelrod asks for one or two people to help him look around. Ethelrod marches to the doorway of one of the tents and ,ust as he reaches for it, it suddenly opens and he gasps NyouXP. !here is a gunshot and he falls back, mortally wounded. Cean 7aymond &obineau stands in the doorway holding a smoking pistol. !he remaining &ermans immediately make a grab for their rifles.

&thelrod+s Death
Ethelrod should die fairly early in the scenario for several reasons) firstly, it puts the protagonists into the driving seat and secondly, it potentially reveals several more aspects of the mystery. It also plays a dramatic role and adds to the feeling of isolation, confusion and insecurity. !wo scenes here describe his death. If the 5rotagonists climb down the ridge to investigate the :irst German amp, Ethelrod will accompany them and his death will occur there. If they press on towards the valley, the &ermans will climb the ridge in search of their missing compatriots, discover the Ethelrod E:pedition, assume they are responsible for the disappearances and try to launch a surprise attack. !he initial volley will kill Ethelrod. If, for whatever reason, neither of these is possible, Granger goes 4ad and kills Ethelrod. If both of these outcomes is prevented for whatever reason, have Ethelrod killed by the &noph.Keh. REnd "idebarS

The 4irst &erman Camp

*cene Type: ;ntagonist 7eaction .ead/#n: $n the Edge .ead/0ut: !he %alley of 3ommoriom ; red flag with a hooked cross flies over the camp. $nthropology or -istory: !his is the flag of the &erman +ational "ocialist political party, the +"D;5. !here are five tents, and there is smoke from a fire. !here is no movement visible from a distance. Discretely observing the camp for a while is a "hadowing test against Difficulty 2. "ome signs of

!he 5rotagonists have several options now, the most obvious being returning fire or negotiation. Reassurance) *ou are able to calm the situation from escalating immediately into further violence. -< 5oint spend/ *ou negotiate a truce with the &ermans while the unfortunate matter is sorted out. If convinced they are not a threat, the &ermans will attempt to persuade the newcomers to help them find their missing compatriots and to work together in the investigation of the valley. If attacked, the &ermans will defend themselves or flee. Escape without proper e4uipment in this environment means almost certain death. #ntimidation) -< 5oint spend/ ; sufficient show of force convinces the &ermans to surrender. #nterrogation) If asked the right 4uestions under interrogation the &ermans can give the following information. Each clue re4uires a < 5oint spend. If the characters decide to get physical and use any kind of torture they may forego the point spend, however each session involving torture is a >.5oint "tability test for the interrogator. o +$!E) !hey are members of the +a0i 5arty, with "" members, e: members of the !hule "ociety and %ril "ociety in their midst o !he team is led by Dr Ekkehardt Bauer. !he purpose of their e:pedition is to locate a site in a high valley in this area and determine whether the remains are those of an ancestral ;ryan settlement. ;fter a climbing accident, it was decided that some team members would camp here while the rest of the e:pedition pressed ahead. o !heir ship, the Wi er is anchored in &odthIbsf,orden. o !here has been no radio contact with the rest of the team since late the previous afternoon. !hey were considering whether to attempt to find them. o Cean 7aymond &obineau brought the site to the attention of the "" and ;hnenerbe and became a member of both.

o !he site includes an e:posed temple building and a buried tower. o ;ccording to &obineau, there may be descendents of the !hule.;ryans in the area, although seemingly degenerate. o ; second e:pedition, bringing workers and e4uipment to e:cavate the site, is coming within a few weeks. #nterrogation or :lattery) If &obineau is 4uestioned, each 5/6oint spend of either ability will grant a piece of information from the clues above, those in his ,ournal -see 5age ::/ or the information below. (e was asked by Dr Bauer to remain behind. (e does not agree with this decision as he only has a slightly sprained ankle. o $ssess -onesty: &obineau is confused and angry about Doctor Bauer's decision and believes that the Doctor is worried that &obineau will claim his glory. -< 5oint spend/ (e is narcissistic, insecure and paranoid and might be susceptible to Alattery o #nterrogation or :lattery: -> 5oint spend/ !he temple is dedicated to Zhotha44uah the god of a race of ancient subhumans. ;n unspeakable monster lurks in the temple. ; bi0arre man.eating bear.like beast haunts the ice plains. Reassurance! :lattery or 7argain: &obineau could be persuaded to act as a guide, however he will betray the 5rotagonists if he gets the chance.

The &erman Team (embers

Ernest 4?ller 1-urt3

;n amateur anthropologist in his late 1Es. 9Qller is an upper.middle class ;ustrian, slightly overweight with a medium beard and brown hair.
=ohan 7ec&er

"hort, athletic and fair. Becker is a trained archaeologist in his mid.1Es. (e is susceptible to bribery -Bargain/. $bilities: ;thletics M, Airearms ?, (ealth J-</, "cuffling ?, 6eapons 2

-it Threshold: 1 8eapon: L< -9auser &ewehr =F rifle/, .< -knife or improvised weapon/, .> -fists/
"lbrecht *ch@fer

Ethelrod's suppressed disapproval of this is noted with a 5/6oint *pend in $ssess -onesty. (e is drinking in his tent. If anyone goes to speak to him at this time, he will hurriedly hide his bottle of whisky. !he bottle or its lid can be spotted with Evidence ollection 5/6oint spend. ;nd signs of drunkenness will be detected with 4edicine or $ssess -onesty or Evidence ollection. ;bout an hour and a half later, Ethelrod ad,ourns the meeting and the attendees make their way back to their own tents. 8ipton lingers, talking to one of the 5rotagonists. ;nyone making a "ense !rouble test against Difficulty ? briefly notices a silhouetted figure among the tents mutter something in the dimness -N(enryXP/ and raise a gun. $ne simple action is permitted) ducking, starting to run, drawing a weapon or shouting a warning. $therwise, the first thing noticed is a very loud gunshot. !he Keeper should emphasis the confusion here. 6ho is the shooter 6ere they shooting at a threat ;re they a threat Is anyone hurt 6here is everyone else ; second "ense !rouble test against Difficulty 2 will identify the figure with the rifle as a threat. ;nd a 5/6oint *pend in Evidence ollection will identify him as &ranger. &ranger will pause for one round then, unless interrupted, begin taking pot shots at other members of the team. (e begins at 3lose range. (owever, he can spend no points on Airearms due to the darkness, his drunkenness and general lack of ability. ; 5reparedness test against Difficulty ? will allow a 5rotagonist to happen to be carrying a gun. $therwise, retrieving these from tents will take three rounds. Reassurance 5/6oint spend or successful 5sychological !riage calms &ranger down and he lowers the gun. ; second 5/6oint spend or successful 5sychological !riage convinces him to relin4uish it. If anyone moves towards him, &ranger will threaten them with the gun and shoot anyone who gets too close or who raises a gun towards him. 9eanwhile Ethelrod lies unmoving on the ground. In the darkness among the tents a "ense !rouble test against Difficulty 2 is needed to even notice him. 4edicine 1core! floating3: Ethelrod is mortally wounded, but he comes round briefly. (e will tell the protagonist to follow the route marked on the

!all, fair, athletic, "chYfer is a successful Industrialist, in his mid.1Es. (e is susceptible to Intimidation. (e is currently in,ured. (is abilities at full health are in parentheses. $bilities: ;thletics J -M/, Airearms 2 -?/, (ealth < -J/, "cuffling 2 -?/, 6eapons 1 -2/ -it Threshold: 1 8eapon: L< -9auser &ewehr =F rifle/, .< -knife or improvised weapon/, .> -fists/
7rAnhilde

!BD
=ean Raymond Gobineau

&obineau is a 1E year old mountaineer, dilettante, "" member and veteran of the 9athieson e:pedition. (e is a great grandson of the Arench racial theorist ;rthur de &obineau, whose racial theories were one of the primary influences on +a0i ideology. Cean 7aymond is highly racist himself, as well as being somewhat insecure. (e will refuse to have anything to do with non.white people at all and under stress could react violently to them. If somehow shown that his idealised theories of his origins were profoundly mistaken, he would go irrevocably insane. $bilities: ;thletics 2 -<E if he recovers/, Airearms >, (ealth 1 -F if he recovers/, "cuffling J -it Threshold: 2 8eapon: L< -9auser &ewehr =F rifle/, L< -8uger 5EF =mm 5arabellum/, .> -fists/

#erman Am%ush
!BD

#ranger goes ,ad

*cene Type: ;ntagonist 7eaction .ead/#n: !he %alley of 3ommoriom .ead/0ut: !he %alley of 3ommoriom ore lue: The route to ommoriom Valley 6hen the team sets up camp for the night, Ethelrod invites the others to talk about the ,ourney ahead, and in particular, techni4ues for avoiding crevasses. !he meeting takes place in a tent shared by up to three of the protagonists. &ranger opts to retire.

map in his personal pack. (e also warns them that the Nguardian of the temple must be placatedP but slips into unconsciousness before he can e:plain how. ; third Reassurance 5/6oint *pend or 5sychological !riage will get &ranger talking. (e raves and mutters incoherently about Nblond EskimoP, Nthe man.eating beast of the iceP, Nthe city of evilP, Nthe formless guardian of the templeP and Ethelrod stealing his whisky. (e soon lapses into a state of muttering, incoherent catatonia, from which, as 6sychoanalysis indicates, he is unlikely to recover without lengthy therapy.

!sathoggua. 6oring over it provides an additional > dedicated pool points.

$ 6reliminary #nterpretation of the Tsath/Co .anguage! by -enry Ethelrod and urtis 4athieson

.anguage: !sath.*o to English *&im: 1 hours 6ore: 1E hours Ethelrod and 9athieson compiled this provisional dictionary and grammar of the Tsath-(o hieroglyphic language based on their work prior to the <=>? e:pedition and the glyphs they found in &reenland. $nce *&immed, this book can be used as a reference, with sufficient time and point spends, te:ts written in !sath.*o can be translated with a reasonable level of accuracy. 6oring over it grants > dedicated pool points in 8anguages -!sath. *o/.
6ictographs in the Temple of (oth/$++ua

Ethelrods Personal Effects

Ethelrod left most of his personal possessions on one of the sleds. 7eliant as they were on Ethelrod, the rest of the team do not know with certainty the route to their goal. !hey may find this material while looking for his maps. Ethelrod's possessions include) ore lue: ; detailed map of 6est &reenland with handwritten markings showing both the route taken by the 9athieson E:pedition and the route planned for the current e:pedition Ethelro &s 'otes on the Liber Ivonis -see BEthelrod's "ecrets' sidebar/ lue 16ipe3: A $reliminar% Inter"retation of the Tsath-(o Language -see BEthelrod's "ecrets' sidebar/ $ictogra"hs in the Tem"le of the )oth-A**ua -see BEthelrod's "ecrets' sidebar/

.anguage: English *&im: > hours !his contains Ethelrod's translations of a set of !sath.*o hieroglyphs found on the walls of a temple in the valley of 3ommoriom. (e describes the pictographs as being of a more primitive type than previously seen and postulates that it was created by a people he calls B+oormis& and that the (yperboreans adopted this language and refined it. $nthropology or $rchaeology reminds the reader that such notions don't 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. thulhu 4ythos identifies this as !sathoggua. !he temple was consecrated by summoning one of Zoth.;44ua's children to guard it. !he high priest was then ceremonially sealed alive in the burial chamber behind the altar. thulhu 4ythos identifies the reference to a spawn of !sathoggua. !he temperature grew colder and people stopped following Zoth.;44ua and began to worship other gods, especially A uk,u that came from the north and was associated with the dropping temperatures. thulhu 4ythos suggests that this might be Itha4ua. ; civil war broke out between the followers of Zoth.;44ua and ;dukwu and the heretics were

RBegin "idebarS

Ethelrods Secrets
EthelrodBs <otes on the .iber #vonis

.anguage: English *&im: > hours 6ore: >E hours !hese handwritten notes were written in the late <=>Es, based on the 8atin version of the Book of Eibon. Ethelrod's notes focus on language, the geography, history and culture of (yperborea, the pre.human +oormis and the worship of their god )hotha**uah. *&imming this provides the clues from the 8iber Ivonis described on 5age TT plus < dedicated pool point to be used for $ccult, ;nthropology or 3thulhu 9ythos spends relating to (yperborea and

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 (yperboreans, Ethelrod suggests/. !hey began to trade, the builders of the city taught them writing, and the newcomers 4uickly learned the ways of economics and government. !he land continued to get colder, and trade dwindled. !he coming of the cold was a curse from ;dukwu or his long.dead followers. !here is a prophecy that the bare.skinned people would take the city. Eventually it would lie abandoned and ravaged by the cold.

middle of the ice.covered valley is a shadow that matches the one Ethelrod showed the group in the briefing -see The *hado% "nder the #ce/. Geology: !he ice could be up to a thousand feet thick. Evidence ollection: ;s you approach the cube. shaped structure, you see a blackened, scattered pile of debris on the ice. In fact, this is the remains of the &erman e:pedition -see The End of the 7auer Expedition/.

The &erman Camp

!he camp consists of two tents with two sledges parked nearby. !here is bedding for three men here. It appears to be deserted. 0utdoorsman: !he camp has not been used for days. *imple *earch: !he camp contains some supplies of food, kerosene, skis, ice picks, rifle ammunition, and so forth. Evidence ollection 5 point spend is re4uired to find each of the following in the camp) >E dynamite charges with detonators and fuse wire <> flamethrower ignition cartridges !he Cournal of Ekkehardt Bauer !he ;kraf,all "aga

REnd "idebarS

The Valley of Commoriom

*cene Type: 3ore .ead/#n: $n the Edge .ead/0ut: E:cavation, &ranger goes 9ad ore lue: The *hado% "nder the #ce

Arri,ing at the Site

;s the team progresses along the ridge, they see two mountain peaks ahead, between which they are heading. Beyond that, according to Ethelrod's map, lies the valley of 3ommoriom. !he ,ourney is uphill and hard going, re4uiring 2 ;thletics, Aleeing or (ealth pool points for half a day. !he 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 Temple of (hotha++uah/ s4uats on the lower slopes of the highest mountain. ;bout one mile away, on another slope of tundra is a small camp. !he wind blows harshly through the high valley, whipping up particles of ice and snow into dancing phantoms. ; "ense !rouble test against Difficulty 1 allows 5rotagonists to hear a strange droning sound. !his is a natural effect caused by the wind blowing between the mountains and through the valley. $nce this is established, allow any "ense !rouble points spent to be reclaimed. Evidence ollection! 0utdoorsman or Geology 1 ore lue3: ;lso about a mile away, close to the

RBegin "idebarS )*ymbol: 6ulp,

!echselapparat 4lamethrower

!e-

6hile it's unlikely to do much more than delay the horror they will face later, you could include an intact flamethrower at the camp. !his model is surplus from the &reat 6ar and consists of a backpack with fuel cylinders and a no00le connected by a hose. ; 9echanical 7epair test against Difficulty 2 is re4uired to understand the firing mechanism, with failure resulting in a wasted shot. &asoline, kerosene or diesel can be used as fuel. ; <E.chambered cylinder in the no00le contains the ignition cartridges. Its heavy -J? lbs/ and cumbersome nature and high visibility make it dangerous to wear, decreasing the wearer's (it !hreshold by < and increasing ;thletics and Aleeing Difficulties by <. It's also 4uite fragile) treat as having > ;rmour and 1 (ealth if damaged.

;amage: L< -and see below/ *hots: <E Range: +ear <otes: $nce hit, a target will continue to burn, inflicting LE damage for <DJ rounds -;thletics test against Difficulty J to e:tinguish/. .< to wearer's (it !hreshold. ; user can also douse an area before ignition, creating a fireball that inflicts similar damage to an e:ploding stick of dynamite -see Trail of Cthulhu rulebook pJM/. REnd "idebarS

Bauer describes &obineau as obno:ious and mentally unstable. Bauer feels he is more of a hindrance to the mission than a help. Bauer and &obineau fight sporadically. "trange.looking Eskimo were spotted watching from a distance. 8ater one of them approached. (e was a bearded old man with fair comple:ion and elongated facial features. (e resembled a "candinavian. Bauer felt certain that this was proof of the origin of the ;ryans on !hule#&reenland. !he man was not friendly. "peaking in a strange dialect, he appeared to threaten or warn them and left. !he following day, while caught in a sudden bli00ard, they were attacked by a huge, bear. like thing that was nevertheless definitely not a bear. !hey tried to shoot it without success. $nce they regrouped, they found that three of them were dead and two missing. !hey decided to press on with only three men left in the e:pedition.

The 3ournal of Ekkehardt )auer

.anguage: &erman *&im: 2 hours Doctor Ekkehardt Bauer was the leader of the &erman e:pedition. By the time the protagonists find him, he is dead. !his is his ,ournal, beginning several months before the e:pedition started. It includes 4uotations from (immler, (erman 6irth, and the -era Lin a Book. It includes the following clues) !he purpose of the e:pedition is to find evidence that the ancestors of the &ermans had a civilisation in ancient &reenland. !his search is supported by certain nationalist groups, and organisations, including important members of the +"D;5 -+a0i party/. In <=>=, Cean 7aymond &obineau, veteran of the 9athieson E:pedition and grandson of ;rthur de &obineau the famous race theorist, had recently moved to Berlin and ,oined the +"D;5. (e contacted &ustaf Kossinna, 5rofessor of &erman ;rchaeology at the @niversity of Berlin with unpublished information about the <=>? e:pedition. Kossinna, himself a nationalist and race theorist, encouraged Bauer to organise an e:pedition. 8ike Ethelrod and 9athieson, &obineau called the site B3ommoriom' in reference to a city mentioned in the 8ivre d'Eibon. Kossinna called it B@ltima !hule'. $n invitation, &obineau ,oined the e:pedition. It arrived in &odthIb in early Culy and, following &obineau's directions, landed in &odthIbsf,orden where the ship anchored in order to ma:imise radio reception.

The Akraf:all Saga

.anguage: !sath.*o and &erman *&imming Time: !he &erman translation) > hoursU translating from !sath.*o takes longer -see below/ !his book is a speculative translation by (erman 6irth of certain pictographs found etched onto a monolith in Ainland. 6irth interprets the symbols according to his own linguistic theories and wishful thinking. ;nyone familiar with !sath.*o will recognise the glyphs. .anguages 1German3 will reveal 6irth's interpretation) A go ess arose out of the earth an se uce a human. She gave birth to the !o -#an. The !o #an became a brave ,arrior an a lea er. 6irth associates this with the /arelian stor% of Ilmatar, the spirit of the air who gives birth to %YinYmQinen, the first man. There ,as a cit% in a high0 fertile valle% in Thule0 ,ith mountains to the ,est an forests to the south. The "eo"le of the cit% ,ere envious of the !o -#an an took him "risoner. The% cut off his hea an burie the bo %0 but he arose0 an kille one of the "eo"le. The% e1ecute him again an the same ha""ene . #ost of the "eo"le fle the cit%. -n the thir occasion0 he reveale his ivine form an evoure man% of the "eo"le until the last of them

fle . (ears later0 one of the inhabitants of the cit% returne an foun the cit% "o"ulate ,ith a race escen e from the go s. Thus began the civilisation of Thule an the Ar%an race. !his myth, argues 6irth, is an account of the divine seed from which the supreme +ordic.;ryan race appeared on !hule before they went on to rule the ancient ,orl . 2e also s"eculates e1tensivel% on the relationshi"s bet,een the "ictogra"hs an 'or ic runes. lue 1.everaged3: If using Ethelrod's !sath.*o dictionary, every si: hours work and 5 point spends in $rchaeology, .anguages, ryptography, $nthropology or thulhu 4ythos, one of the following points is translated) "oldiers from 3ommoriom captured the outlaw Knygathin Zhaum and brought him back to the city. ;ccording to rumour, Knygathin Zhaum was the product of the union of the Shakli" D the Bgranddaughter' of the god )hotha**uah and a sub.human %oormis. !he city e:ecutioner beheaded him three times and each time, witnesses later saw him alive, more monstrous than before. $n the first and second occasion, Knygathin Zhaum killed and ate one of the inhabitants of the city. By the third reappearance, he had metamorphosed into a fully alien entity, and had devoured many of the citi0ens, forcing the final abandonment of the city. ; former inhabitant of 3ommoriom returned to the city one day and discovered it repopulated with the monstrous offspring of Knygathin Zhaum.

!he group was burned with fuel, probably kerosene !here is an odd tarry residue here that you don't recognise as a normal by.product of chemical fires like this. It seems to be organic. o 7iology: !his isn't any known organic substance

:orensics: ;ll three men appear to have died from burns caused by an inflammable li4uid Evidence ollection: +e:t to the first man is a dark stone statuette. It is a s4uat, grotes4ue, vaguely toad.like form with a fat body, half.closed eyes, large ears and a lolling tongue. "eeing this is a <. point "tability test, 9ythos related. ;nyone failing this test is disturbed by a haunting sense of recognition, as if of a childhood memory or a dream. !hat night, they are visited by an unpleasant dream of this corpulent entity leering at them in some dark, subterranean place. !hey will lose a second point of "tability. thulhu 4ythos: "imilar toad.like statues were used by e:tinct ;merican Indian tribes in 3anada and +ew England. !hey supposedly represent a being called Tsathoggua. !here are interesting parallels with an entity called Sa og,ah associated with witchcraft in the ;uvergne region of Arance. ;ccording to the Book of Eibon, the worship of this god began on the lost continent of (yperborea, where he was known as )hotha**uah. !hree sets of footprints come from the direction of the cube.shaped structure. !hey were running. ; faint trail of fro0en moisture, mucus or slime, also coming from the cube.shaped structure

0utdoorsman or Evidence ollection:

!ranslating it or reading an accurate translation will grant < point of 3thulhu 9ythos. !he Keeper might consider using or adapting 3lark ;shton "mith's story The Testament of Athammaus for the content of the main body of the story.

8hat -appened -ereD

The End of the )auer E-pedition

Evidence ollection: !here are three charred bodies here in a blackened mass. !here are rifle cartridges scattered around. ;t least J shots were fired. hemistry:

!he three surviving members of the e:pedition entered the temple and -as instructed by &obineau/ recited the spell he brought with him -3ontact "pawn of !sathoggua/. !hey entered and began to e:plore. $ne of the men could not resist taking the idol of !sathoggua from the altar when they left. !hey fled, pursued by the spawn. !hey fired on it to no effect, but managed to set it on fire with their flamethrower. It attacked them, causing the

flamethrower to rupture and burning the entire group, including the spawn, to death.

The Temple of -hothaqquah

!his mysterious, ancient, weathered cube s4uats on the mountainside like a tomb or a memorial to something incomprehensibly ancient. It is built of dark grey stone with sides fifty feet, narrow slits high in the walls and an open, s4uare doorway about nine feet wide. Evidence ollection or 0utdoorsman: !here is a faint, short path leading from the ice plain to the doorway. Geology: !he building is constructed of basalt. !he profound erosion of this hard stone appears to imply that it is unfeasibly ancient. $rchitecture: Each wall appears to be formed of a single natural block. !he building bears no relationship to any known architectural style. !he walls and floor are covered in thick frost. !here are footprints across the floor and in places the frost has been scraped from the walls. Theology: Evidence ollection 5 6oint spend: In other places, the frost has been melted from the walls as indicated by dark scorch marks. Cust inside the door is a huge, three.legged basin of a corroded greenish material that forms a pool of green, several feet wide around it. hemistry or $rchaeology recognises it as e:tremely ancient bron0e covered in thick verdigris. !he bowl is si: feet across and three deep. If e:amined, the inside of the bowl is untarnished, in near.perfect condition. Evidence ollection: !he feet are in the shapes of feline.like claws. !he floor is seen to be tiled in a strange pattern of large, irregular, five.sided flagstones. 6hysics or $rchitecture: !his pattern of tessellated pentagons is unfamiliar and implies a sophisticated understanding of obscure geometry. "trange hieroglyphs -identifiable as a primitive version of !sath.*o/ can be seen covering the walls, in some still covered in frost and some already e:posed. !he glyphs relate a history of the original builders of the city as translated in Ethelrod's $ictogra"hs in the Tem"le of )othA**ua. $n the back wall is an empty two.tiered altar. Evidence ollection: ; bare spot in the frost and

wear on the stone indicates that an ob,ect rested on this altar for a long time time. 5/6oint spend recognises the outline of the statuette found at The End of the 7auer Expedition.
The 7urial hamber

Behind the altar, what may once have been a hidden doorway lies open with fragments of corroded bron0e chain on the floor nearby. hemistry indicates that the chain fragments have been in this position for only a few years. &reen stains on the door itself imply that the door was probably chained for millennia. !he windowless chamber beyond is almost fifty feet wide and about ten feet deep. $pposite the door seated on a large, bron0e throne is the striking figure of a mummified baboon.like ape dressed in the remnants of a red and purple robe and a feathered headdress. !ufts of orange hair poke through holes in the robe. !his is a 1.5oint "tability test -9ythos related/. 7iology: !he creature is of no known species of ape and possesses certain features, for e:ample the structure of the foot, which places it closer to human beings. !he throne is again of heavily corroded bron0e, but in better condition than the basin. !here 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 Shadow under the +ce

+ear the centre of the ice cap, there is a dark spot of roughly circular shape and about forty feet in diameter. Evidence ollection: ; structure of some kind, the top of which is around fifteen feet beneath the surface, descends deep into the ice. Evidence ollection 5 6oint spend or $rchitecture: It is difficult to see through the distortion, but it has a resemblance to the top of a tower complete with railed balcony. If, at any stage, the 5rotagonists balk at e:cavating the structure D to ensure they can leave the site before the sea.route is closed off by ice for e:ample D you can use a -ard ;riverE

Setting up Camp
;t some stage, the protagonists will probably want to build their cabin. ;nyone with 0utdoorsman or $rchitecture will know to build it on solid ground

rather than on ice. !here are several spots on the foothills at the edge of the valley to choose from. Building the cabin takes four days. If the 5rotagonists wish to do so, they can spend pool points from ;rchitecture or a relevant 3raft and reduce construction time by half a day per point spent. 6hile the team members are sleeping in tents and building the cabin, it might be a good time for their first e:perience of !he "inging -see sidebar/. $nce completed, the cabin has two rooms D a living space with a stove and simple kitchen and 4uarters that sleep eight people in bunks. $thers may need to sleep in the living space. Both rooms have one small window. !here is an outhouse for storage and another for the dogs.

offerings and prayers to 3thulhu, who they call B/ulu&. 5hysically, they look very different from other Eskimo people, being blond, with long faces, elongated ear.lobes and substantial facial hair. !hey wear hoodless, wide.collared parkas with hats. !hey believe that the thing that comes from the ice in answer to their song is a B6hite Bear "pirit' and wear amulets, mistakenly believing that they can offer protection from the &noph.Keh. $nthropology: !his primitive ,ewellery is an amulet depicting a fierce, stylised polar bear and possibly intended to offer protection of some kind. 7iology: !he pendant looks like polar bear bone and the necklace is decorated with bear teeth and claws. $nthropology: !hese men do not appear to be a members of any known Eskimo tribe, either in terms of their clothing or in terms of their fair hair, slender build, long faces, large noses or long ear lobes. $ne man, who may be a shaman, has motifs on his clothing and ornamentation in an unfamiliar style and a4uatic theme. 5/6oint spend: %ilh,almur "tefansson reported blond Eskimo in northern 3anada in <=<E, and there have been such reports since the <Mth 3entury. thulhu 4ythos: !he images of odd, octopoid beings dwelling in undersea towers on the shaman's long parka seem to be a depiction of 3thulhu and his race.
The $nge&o&! "lat

Attac.s %y )y"er%oreans
*cene Type: ;ntagonist 7eaction .ead/#n: !he %alley of 3ommoriom .ead/0ut: !he (airy !hing in the Bli00ard

the

!he tiny clan of Blond Eskimo has camped near the valley in order to drive the outsiders away and interfere with the dig. !his takes the form of sabotage and singing the ancestral song for summoning the &noph.keh from the ice.plains to wreak havoc in the valley. (aving 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 gnoph.keh to their enemies' camp. @nfortunately for them, while their song summons the creature, it offers no control or protection from it. If the caller is successful, they are as likely as not, to become victims themselves. Either toss a coin, a die or make a decision according to what is dramatically interesting in each instance. !his 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 si: times.

!his white.bearded man may be in his JEs. (e wears a long parka decorated with strange motifs and symbols and an odd, pointed hat. If @lat is pursued he will mutter incomprehensible curses and wave his hands around in a bi0arre, intimidating fashion. ;s a last resort he will attempt to defend himself with spells or a knife. @lat's long, colourful parka is decorated with a4uatic designs. thulhu 4ythos 5/6oint spend: !he images of odd, octopoid beings dwelling in undersea towers on the shaman's long parka seem to be a depiction of 3thulhu and his race. $bilities: ;thletics J, "cuffling ?, 6eapons ?, (ealth J -it Threshold: 1 8eapon) .< -knife/ *tealth 4odifier: L> $lertness 4odifier: L>

The H perboreans
!hese natives are, to the best of their knowledge, the last of an ancient race that once had great cities here. 9ost of their civilised culture has been lost D they are now simple hunter.gatherers, living harsh lives in the more remote parts of &reenland. !heir ancient religion has been lost and they make their

*pells: Dread +ame of ;0athoth, 3ontact &noph. keh, 3ontact 3thulhu, 3ontact "pawn of 3thulhu, 3ontact Deep $nes
The :ather! #sma

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 e:pedition's side while the team is e:cavating the site. !he Keeper should run these events fle:ibly to steadily terrorise and demoralise the 5rotagonists. !he fre4uency and time of summoning attempts, their success or failure, whether the summoner escaped alive or not and the intensity and nature of the &noph.Keh's attacks, should be determined by whatever works dramatically at the time. !he 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. $ne attack every couple of weeks is probably about the right sort of pace.
*inging

;ged 2J, this gri00led patriarch is the head of the clan. (is hair is greying, but he is still fierce and strong. If unable to escape, Isma will defend himself ferociously with his spear. $bilities: ;thletics M, "cuffling F, 6eapons =, (ealth J -it Threshold: 2 8eapon) LE -spear/ $rmor) .< vs all -hide/ *tealth 4odifier: L< $lertness 4odifier: L< *pells: 3ontact &noph.keh
The *ons! .aatu& and 4aa&u&

!hese two men are the sons of the patriarch, aged >M and >F. !hey are fierce, agile and almost fearless. $bilities: ;thletics <E, "cuffling F, 6eapons <<, (ealth = -it Threshold: 2 8eapon) LE -stone a:es, spears/ $rmor) .< vs all -hide/ *tealth 4odifier: L> $lertness 4odifier: L> *pells: 3ontact &noph.keh
The -ostage 8ife! 'inguya&&ii

; "ense !rouble test against Difficulty F -Difficulty J under tents at night/ allows a character to hear a haunting, rhythmic chant or song carried on the wind. $rt -istory or *inging: ; 5/6oint spend identifies it as traditional throat singing of some kind. ; further Difficulty 2 test -J at night/ is needed to locate the singer. ;nd a Difficulty ? "tealth test -2 at night/ is necessary to approach undetected, otherwise the singer will flee into the mountains. "imilarly, if the 5rotagonists delay before investigating the sound, the singer will have fled the possible approach of the &noph.Keh. 0utdoorsman will allow their tracks to be followed into the foothills. ;nd 5/6oint *pend will identify hide shoes and the fact that the wearer was running. !here is a real potential here for 5rotagonists to be caught out in the open when the bli00ard arrives -see below/.
-o%ling

$bilities: ;thletics ?, Aleeing ?, "cuffling 1, 6eapons 1, (ealth 1 -it Threshold: 1 8eapon) .> -fists/, .< -knife/ $rmor) .< vs all -hide/ *tealth 4odifier: E $lertness 4odifier: L< *pells: 3ontact &noph.keh
The hild! .amah

$bilities: ;thletics <, Aleeing <, "cuffling <, (ealth < -it Threshold: 1 8eapon) .1 -fists/ *tealth 4odifier: L< $lertness 4odifier: L< ;ll of the following antagonist reaction scenes run concurrently with e:ploration and e:cavation in the valley over a period of weeks or months until either

If the summoning was successful, a "ense !rouble test against Difficulty 2 will allow characters to hear strange and eerie howling sounds. !his is a <. 5oint "tability test. 7iology or 0utdoorsman: !his isn't any known animal, a realisation which increases the "tability test to >.5oint. !his is 4uickly followed by a snow storm blowing suddenly over the mountains from the ice sheet.

!he howling may be heard in the midst of the more severe bli00ards, heard with a "ense trouble test against Difficulty ?.
$ 7ody in the #ce

*helter/. If this is attempted at night, this is a 9/ 6oint spend.

If the singer is killed during an attempted summoning, a "ense !rouble test against Difficulty J alerts an Investigator to a brief cry in the distance, probably soon forgotten as a bli00ard arises. Evidence ollection: If the area is searched, this ability reveals the body of the singer, unless covered by snow. ; 5 6oint spend is needed if heavy snow has fallen on the area. ;nother 5/6oint spend: 3lose to the body is a figurine made out of ice, depicting a strange si: legged, horned animal. ;nthropology) !his is a totem D possibly used for calling spirits. thulhu 4ythos: !his is depiction of the &noph.Keh D the legendary beast of the ;rctic wastes. 5/6oint spend: !his carving is a totem for calling the &noph.keh. :orensics: !he manner of death is reveals the manner of death D goring, mauling crushing or hypothermia. If the body has been devoured, Aorensics indicates that a large carnivore is the culprit. ; 5/6oint spend reveals that this was not a polar bear, but something unknown and larger. 7iology or 0utdoorsman: @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, thulhu 4ythos reminds the 5rotagonist of the legends of the &noph.Keh.
*abotage

The )airy !li//ard

Thing

in

the

*cene Type: ;ntagonist 7eaction .ead/#n: E:cavation !he &noph.Keh is motivated by hatred and hunger. It will attempt to kill any human it encounters, probably by free0ing them to death, and devouring the remains if it can. $nce close to the camp, the creature will summon up a bli00ard, and if it sees vulnerable targets D disorientated, few in number or in,ured D it will attack in the confusion and blindness of the snowstorm. If it loses over half of its (ealth, the &noph.keh will retreat back to the ice.sheet. If it is killed, the Eskimo's song will simply summon a different &noph.Keh.
7liFFards

!he &noph.Keh can spend (ealth points to create a bli00ard. Aor details, refer to Trail of Cthulhu 5<12. !he potential for these bli00ards to inflict multiple casualties is high. 7ather than throw everything into one huge storm in the first assault, build the intensity of these bli00ards gradually. !he first bli00ard should be frightening and unseasonal, called up with 1 points of the &noph.Keh's (ealth. "ubse4uent bli00ards should increase this spend by one each time, with the intensity and duration steadily increasing accordingly. ;s a rule.of.thumb, the &noph.Keh won't take itself below half of its total (ealth in this way, but that still gives it up to M points to spend creating bli00ards. Each time it reappears, the &noph.Keh will be at full (ealth. If 5rotagonists -especially more than one/ are killed in this way, unless they have made significant errors, you have probably been too heavy.handed.
;irect $ssaults

;nother strategy the Eskimo may use is sabotage. !his will occur at night. !he team awakes to discover that some of their e4uipment is sabotaged D the drill in need of 9echanical 7epair, the Ice melter destroyed or, most dramatically, the diesel tanks set on fire. !he cabin itself may even be set on fire. ; "ense !rouble test against Difficulty ? will allow the protagonists to hear the culprits D most likely the two younger Blond Eskimo D at work. If someone is on watch, success indicates that their approach has been noticed.

Tracking Eskimo
0utdoorsman: ; 5/6oint spend will allow tracks to be followed southwest for about three miles -a little over an hour/ from the valley edge to a cramped shelter in the snow -see The *no%

Initial 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 ?E feet from the cabin is a potential target of direct assault. By the third appearance, the dog house might be attacked and some of the dogs killed, the rest frightened off. !he outside food store might be

plundered. ;nyone outside the cabin could be attacked. +on.player characters working at the dig might be targeted when a sudden bli00ard isolates them the cabin. !he drill or other e:cavation e4uipment might be damaged. !he radio mast might be smashed. By the fifth appearance, the 5rotagonists themselves could be targeted or the cabin directly assaulted.

!he 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. +ear the fire is a makeshift altar and a grotes4ue idol. !he altar is a ,agged, natural rock. In front of it, is a bowl of blood and the heart of a polar bear, sprinkled with tiny flowers. 5erched on the altar is a small, crude whalebone statue of a s4uatting creature with tentacles for a face. "eeing this re4uires a <.point "tability test, 9ythos related. thulhu 4ythos identifies it as a depiction of 3thulhu. ;ll of the surviving members of the clan will be here. ;pproaching without alerting anyone is a "tealth test against Difficulty M. If alerted, they will flee a strong group or attack a weak one. If surprised, they will be in or around the shelter. If cornered, they will fight fiercely to the death. In any case, Kinguyakki will be here with her son B8amah'. "he is visibly pregnant. (er first response is to beg -in Inuit/ for her and her child to be spared. $ssess -onesty: "he is genuinely afraid. If captured, Kinguyakkii will refuse to speak and will try to call the gnoph.keh to the cabin if she gets the chance. Reassurance or #ntimidation . and .anguages 1#nuit3: (er devotion to the clan and the Kulu religion is not as fanatical as the (yperborean Eskimo and she is vulnerable to persuasion, especially when it comes to the welfare of her child. If the child is taken from her or threatened or she is assured security for both of them, a 9/6oint spend between Reassurance and #ntimidation will get her to talk, revealing the following clues) !he woman was not born in this tribe, but in the /alaallit tribe. (er village was Itiv le*. "i: years ago, she was captured while gathering wild flowers and made to be the wife of 8aatuk, the eldest son of this tribe. (er captors are the last of an ancient race, called the B8omaruit'. !hey claim to be descendants of a great civilisation that originally ruled &reenland. ;fter the glaciers overwhelmed the land, the civilisation collapsed and the people scattered. 6hen other people arrived on the island, the 8omaruit were hunted down by her people, because of their worship of a

&noph;keh
Aor full details of the &noph.keh see the Trail of Cthulhu rulebook p<12. ;thletics =, (ealth <?, "cuffling >< -it Threshold: ? $lertness 4odifier: L< *tealth 4odifier: L> 8eapon: L1 -horn/, L< -claw/ $rmour: .? vs any -furry hide/ *tability .oss: LE

The Igloo
*cene Type: ;lternate .ead/#n: !he %alley of 3ommoriom .ead/0ut: !he (omestead !his is a small shelter carefully built up from bricks of packed snow and ice. (anging over the doorway is the skull of a bear. ; stone spike has been driven through its nose, giving it an almost 7hinoceros. like appearance. 0utdoorsman or $nthropology: !his small type of igloo is typically built as a temporary shelter for hunting trips, often on sea ice. $nthropology: !his may be a totem animal spirit, probably to protect the igloo. *imple *earch: Inside the igloo are a hearth, food for several days, bedding for one, and possible spare clothes or a stone spear, a:e or knife. 0utdoorsman: !racks of a dog sled can be found nearby. ; 5/6oint *pend is needed per day to track them to the homestead.

The )omestead
*cene Type: ;lternate .ead/#n: !he "now "helter ;bout four days away by dog sled, the clan's homestead is huddled in a narrow valley in the wild mountains near Evighedsf,orden.

forbidden god called BKulu' and because they sometimes took her people as offerings for their god. !he last 8omaruit woman died >2 years ago. "he was the mother of the two younger men. !he clan stole two women in a desperate attempt to stop the tribe from dying. !he 8omaruit say their god came down from the sky with his children in ancient times before there were any people. !hey were overthrown by ancient enemies and driven beneath the ocean, which is where they sleep now. But one day in the future the stars will be in ,ust the right places and they will return and free those who follow them. !he religion of Kulu is all over the world. ;ccording to the 8omaruit, their ancestors once lived in a great city in the valley below, but a giant called Inook came to the city and devoured many of the people there and the survivors fled. 6hen the ice came, Inook was fro0en inside the city. !he creature of the ice is a mighty bear spirit called +ook.(ek or Nthe (airy !hingP that the clan has been calling to protect the valley from outsiders.

widen the shaft enough for a man to be lowered on a rope. !he drill is obviously of little or no use for e:cavating the interior of the tower. !he operator-s/ must have 9echanical 7epair.
6oint *pend 7enefits

In any given phase of the e:cavation, a character running the drill can spend up to two pool points of 9echanical 7epair and reduce the length of that phase by one day per point.

(anual E-ca,ation
9anual e:cavation is slower, involves breaking the ice apart with ice picks and chainsaws then removing it with shovels and buckets.
6oint *pend 7enefits

In any given phase, a character e:cavating manually can spend up to two pool points of ;thletics and reduce the length of that phase by one day per point.

+ce (elter
!he ice melter is an electrical device with long cable that heats up when connected to a power source. In combination with a water pump, it can clear significant amounts of ice with little assistance. 5ower for both the melter and the pump are supplied by the diesel generator. !he operator-s/ must have Electrical 7epair.
6oint *pend 7enefits

&'cavation
*cene Type: 3ore .ead/#n: !he %alley of 3ommoriom .ead/0ut: !he 3ity in the Ice ore lue: The structure descends deep into the ice/sheetE There is an accessible stair%ay that leads thereE

In any given phase, a character operating the ice melter can spend a pool point of Electrical 7epair and reduce the length of that phase by one day.

E-ca,ation (ethods
!here are several methods at the team's disposal for e:cavating the site. E:act rates of e:cavation are not important.

E-plosi,es
E:plosive charges can be used to widen e:isting boreholes 4uickly or, used with great care, to break up ice inside the tower itself. !he character using e:plosives must have the E:plosives general ability.
6oint *pend 7enefits

#rilling
!he drill provided for the e:pedition is a standard cable tool rig, which can be operated by single engineer. It operates by repeatedly lifting and dropping a heavy boring tool at the end of a cable, pulverising everything beneath it. 6ater is added to the hole and debris collected periodically with a scoop.like device attached to the cable. !his process creates a borehole = inches wide. Either the ice melter or e:plosive charges could be used to

In any given phase, a character overseeing the use of e:plosives can spend up to two pool points of E:plosives and reduce the length of that phase by one day per point spent.

E-ca,ation Phases
&uidelines for the timings of the various phases of e:cavation are provided the various e:cavation phases described below. !he Keeper should feel at liberty to modify these timings for dramatic effect.

$ccessing the *tair%ay

!his phase takes <> days. 4ethods "sable: 9anual E:cavation, Ice 9elter, E:plosives $rchaeology or Evidence ollection: ; strange and grotes4ue ob,ect is uncovered in the ice near the top of the stairwell. It looks like a grotes4ue idol fashioned of some dark, mottled material, vaguely toad.like in shape, very dense and about the si0e of a melon. "eeing this re4uires a 1.point "tability test, 9ythos related. thulhu 4ythos: "tatues of grotes4ue, toad.like forms are used in the worship of !sathoggua. Geology or hemistry: !he ob,ect is not made of any known material. In fact, the ob,ect isn't a statue at all. It is a dormant organism D one of the "pawn of Knygathin Zhaum. $nce uncovered, the spawn will begin to thaw and awaken. "ee The #dol Tha%s. $rchitecture or $rchaeology 1 ore clue3: !here is a stairway descending deeper into the ice.

Accessing the <pper Structure

By default, this phase takes > days. 4ethods "sable: Drilling, Ice 9elter, E:plosives !he top of the structure is about <M' below the surface. Beneath that is the roof of the structure and a chamber D in fact the upper chamber of a tower. It is assumed that the team will create a shaft of pit to reach the tower then e:cavate the inside of it. !he Keeper may have to improvise somewhat if they take a very different approach. !he characters may decide to build a shaft ne:t to the tower and enter via one of the doors or windows on the balcony, or they may simply bore a hole directly through the roof. $rchaeology or $rchitecture: !he roof and floor are already partially collapsed. Geology) !he tower is black granite gneiss. ; 5/ 6oint spend establishes that it appears to be e:tremely ancient, perhaps tens or even hundreds of thousands of years old. $rchitecture) !he style doesn't resemble that of any known architectural tradition.

Tunnelling the Stairwa

It takes = days to reach the ice.free section of the stairwell. 4ethods "sable: 9anual E:cavation, Ice 9elter, E:plosives ; stairwell runs around the inner perimeter of the tower. "olidly constructed from granite, most of it is still intact. !here are places where steps have eroded or broken and places where there are gaps. $rchitecture: !he stairway is constructed in a possibly uni4ue 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. $n the wall, there is a series of long panels, seemingly of ancient ivory, with images and !sath. *o hieroglyphs. !hese tell a history of (yperborea, beginning with the time of construction and going deep into the past. 7iology: 3onfirms the material is ivory. (ow it got here from ;frica or ;sia is a mystery. ; 5/6oint spend notes that the ivory must have come from unusually large elephants. $nthropology! $rchaeology! ryptography! .anguages! or thulhu 4ythos: 6ith the help of the !sath.*o dictionary, each panel is about a yard

E-ca,ating the Chamber

!his phase takes >2 days. 4ethods "sable: 9anual E:cavation, Ice 9elter, E:plosives $rchaeology or Evidence ollection: !he remains of an unknown metallic device can be found in the upper chamber of the tower. 4echanical Repair -as an Investigative ability/) !here are moving parts D wheels, cogs and globes. !his is a mechanical device, but it's function is unclear. o $stronomy: !he device appears to be a moving model of the inner planets of the solar system Geology! $rchaeology or appropriate raft 1as #nvestigative ability3: *ou can see that this device has been decorated with gold, emeralds and rubies.

wide and can be translated in about an hour. !hree panels are probably e:cavated in a day. Aor every five panels translated, a 5/6oint spend is needed. !he content of the panels is as follows) <. !here are several yards where the panelling is blank >. !he cult of *houndeh, the Elk &oddess, forbids the worship of the old god Zhotha44uah. +ot daring to destroy them, the Zhotha44uah's cube.shaped temples are barred and locked. 1. King 8o4uamethros is on the throne of 3ommoriom, a high city of many spires and gardens. Zylac the ;rchimage, apprentice of (ormagor, is granted B!he "eer's !ower' in 3ommoriom 2. Zylac, uses sorcery to create a tower of black gneiss in 9hu !hulan ?. !he cult of *houndeh becomes the royally appointed religion. ; great temple is built in 3ommoriom. J. !he wi0ard (ormagor of ;bormis dies at the hands of the "phin: of ;bormis. !he town is abandoned. M. !he great wi0ard Zon 9e00amalech disappears mysteriously in 9hu !hulan. F. King 9ennamethros of 3ommoriom gives Zon 9e00amalech a tower in 3ommoriom, now called B!he "eer's !ower' =. Zon 9e00amalech parts the northern sea and leads the army of King 5harogill of 9hu !hulan there to plunder the treasures of a thousand sunken galleys <E. Zon 9e00amalech has a tower of copper built in 9hu !hulan <<. !he 6hite "ybil of 5olarion, a strange woman from the realms of ice, foretells an undescribed and abominable doom for all mortal beings who dare to remain in 3ommoriom <>. Zueen 8uthomne takes the throne of 3ommoriom. "he hold ecclesiastical courts. "he builds a high tower in 3ommoriom, which takes thirty years. <1. "econd city is built called @0uldaroum <2. !he 7eign of King (om4uat begins in 3ommoriom

<?. Aounding of 3ommoriom <J. 3ity called B8omar' settled by people from Zobna in the north <M. Early humans build temples to Zhotha44uah the old god of (yperborea, in imitation of the sub.human %oormis <F. !he %oormis are driven away. !hey congregate around 9t. %oormithadreth <=. Descendents of tall, thin antehumans leave homelands in @ltima !hule in the north and arrive in (yperborea. >E. 3old causes the gradual decline of the %oormis civilisation ><. %oormis build a settlement at 3ommoriom including a cube.shaped temple to Zhotha44uah >>. !he gods Itha4ua and ;phoom Zhah cause the continent to get steadily colder. ; realm of glaciers gradually grows in the north. >1. Zhotha44uah destroys the colony of serpent. men. !heir former slaves, the %oormis, are free and begin to establish their own civilisation on (yperborea with Zhotha44uah as their primary deity. >2. "erpent.men survivors from sinking of the continent of %alusia, found a colony in (yperborea, bringing %oormis as slaves and food source ;fter the eighth panel, the team discovers a fissure in the ice that grows until it is wide enough to crawl through. It then grows further to a tunnel averaging si: feet wide, stretching don into the darkness. 5rogress can be much faster now. RsidebarS

!hat if the )ore a =ertical Shaft>

!he protagonists may decide to forego the stairway altogether and instead use the drill in combination with e:plosive charges to bore a vertical shaft down to the base of the glacier D either through the centre of the tower or elsewhere. 7eaching the base of the ice sheet will take >E days of drilling and blasting, modifiable by up to ? 9echanical 7epair or E:plosives point spends as described in the E:cavation 9ethods sidebar on 5age TT. !his will produce a relatively smooth and vertical shaft with a diameter of 1 feet on average. 5eople

can be lowered or lifted one at a time by a companion on the surface using a belay device. !his is a series of three ;thletics tests against a Difficulty of ? for the person on the surface. Aalling means damage of L2, LF or L<> depending on height. If there is a safety rope, damage is reduced to .<, but there there is a < in J chance the safety rope will not hold. It will take around <E minutes to be lowered to the bottom and >E minutes to be lifted back up. !he protagonists may be able to devise a faster or safer method using dog sleds, drilling e4uipment or the snow tractor. REnd sidebarS

!rouble test against Difficulty J is needed to catch sight of a bi0arre black thing like a huge spider. If it's passing through the cabin door they will automatically spot a stream of thick, black oo0e passing through the keyhole. ;ttacking it will cause it to attack the protagonist. Evidence ollection: !here are traces of a dark greyish slime on any victims' bodies and wherever the creature has passed. If a 5rotagonist is attacked, a "ense !rouble test against Difficulty ? -F at night/ will alert them to the imminent attack. (unting it down, while it hides in the camp has the same Difficulty. ;waking to the thing attack a companion sleeping in the same tent or room is a Difficulty 2 test.

The Idol Thaws

*cene Type: ;ntagonist 7eaction .ead/#n: E:cavation !his nominally takes 2F hours or <J 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. !he organism will scuttle across the ground on many limbs and attempt to escape, probably at night. It can escape through holes smaller than < inch diameter, although such a small orifice would take it two minutes to oo0e through. Escaping under the sides of tents won't present much problem nor will getting through the interior door of the cabin. !he 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. !his creature will attempt to hide among the outhouses and e4uipment and ambush a lone human as they wander outside. If necessary it might enter the cabin and attack a lone sleeping host. !he 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 5rotagonists unwittingly sets himself up as an obvious target, the spawn should attack a non.player character) one of the mushers or &ermans -if present/. ; successful "ense !rouble test against Difficulty J -F if the attack is at night/ will allow protagonists to hear a strange sound in the camp. ; second "ense

Spawn of 5n gathin ?haum

;lso known as B5arasitic "pawn of !sathoggua', these entities bear a resemblance to their cousins, e:cept that they are smaller -about the si0e of a ? year old child/, and have the ability to parasitise human hosts. 8ike the formless spawn, they are black, oo0ing, plastic entities capable of taking almost any shape and of s4uee0ing themselves under doors and through small holes. Due to their li4uid nature, normal physical wounds will flow closed. (owever, this process is not instantaneous. !hey may be temporarily incapacitated by physical attacks, but even if completely dismembered and the members scattered, the parts will reassemble D by flowing, rolling into balls, s4uee0ing 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. !hey cannot be killed in this way D the amount of damage they take only determines the amount of time it takes for their (ealth to get above E and able to act once more. Aire damage does not heal in this way, nor damage from magical or chemical attacks. Due 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. !hey can attempt to subdue a target and then enter the body via an orifice -probably the mouth/. !he victim may be incapacitated or even killed during the attempt. !he spawn will need to remove some of the victim's internal organs in order to make space for it's own body. !his will take about ? minutes. !he rest of the body, including the brain will remain alive,

provided for by the spawn. 5artial recollection of the attack event is possible only after >2 hours and a successful "tability test against Difficulty ?. ;fter about >2 hours, the spawn can begin to take control of behaviour. !he host's previous Drive disappears and instead is substituted with the spawn's goals) trapping the humans and awakening Knygathin Zhaum and the other spawn to feast upon them. @nless the Investigator passes a "tability test against Difficulty 2, this change will be at a subconscious level. !o an observer, the host's personality and mind seem to be intact, but $ssess -onesty will detect a listless or Boff' 4uality that may be mistaken for shock or other mental health issue. ontrol -uman 7ody: !he parasite can also attempt full control of the host body at a cost of < ;thletics pool point per two minutes. 7esisting this is a contest between the parasite's ;thletics and the host's "tability. !he Difficulty for the host is >, plus < per day of infestation. ; controlled host can move and speak, but seems emotionless and sometimes confused about normal behaviour and culture. $ssess -onesty will notice something is amiss if the host is observed closely or interacted with. *uffocate: !he creature can use a tendril or limb to sei0e a victim around the neck or simply smother with its viscous body. ;pply the Drowning and "uffocation rules -!rail of 3thulhu rulebook 5JF/. 6hen being strangled, successful "cuffling contest -or 6eapons if a suitable weapon is available/ will allow a victim to break free. Grab: !endrils or limb attacks can be used to prevent escape or to render a target unable to fight. $nce grabbed, a "cuffling contest -or 6eapons if a suitable weapon is available/ is re4uired to break the grip. #nvade -ost: !he 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 Difficulty +umber of 1. If 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 1 rounds. $ttac& from -ost: By spending 1 e:tra "cuffling points, the creature can launch an attack from within a host body D via tendrils e:tending from the

mouth and nose for e:ample. ;t the end of the attack the thing can be outside or inside the original host as preferred.
*pa%n of 'nygathin (haum

$bilities: ;thletics <E, (ealth J, "cuffling <2 -it Threshold: 2 *tealth 4odifier: L< -LE in snow and ice, L1 in shadows or darkness/ 8eapon: .< -tendril/, LE -limb/, L< -pseudopod/ U can e:tend tendril attack at near rangeU limb can attack one to three targets simultaneously, adding one to the (it !hreshold for each additional target. $rmor: +one in normal state, .2 -vs any/ when within a host. (eals physical damage -e:cept fire, chemicals, e:plosives/ at 1 (ealth per round. *tability .oss: L< 6hile in a fro0en, dormant state, although very hard, the spawn can be cut or physically damaged. (owever, once it thaws, it will regain the ability to physically reassemble itself. !reat it as having ;rmor of .? -vs any/ in a dormant state.

The City in the Ice

*cene Type: 3ore .ead/#n: E:cavation .ead/0ut: !he Eye of @bbo "athla, !he !haw

#escent into the #epths

!he stairs descend about JEE.MEE feet under the ice.sheet. $rchitecture: !he engineering here is unusual or uni4ue. !he diameter of the spiral remains regular as it descends, and each wall is at a slightly overhanging angle, supporting the course of stairs above. !he walls are overhanging slightly. It soon becomes very dark and artificial light is essential. &etting to the bottom will take at least around half an hour. !here are two places where the stairs have completely collapsed creating gaps. !o create a rudimentary bridge is an appropriate 3raft test against Difficulty 2. (aving the right tools and materials to do so is a 5reparedness test against difficulty ?. $therwise, the first gap is an ;thletics test against Difficulty 1. !he second, wider gap is an ;thletics test against Difficulty ?. Aailure means the character falls for LJ damage. If a safety rope was used, the damage is reduced to .>.

The Cit +tself

!he prehistoric city is mostly covered by solid ice, but a number of areas have caverns and inter. connecting ice tunnels. !he city is pitch black, but any artificial light causes large areas to glow blue as the light reflects and illuminates the ice from within. Evidence ollection: It's surprisingly warm down here. ; thermometer can confirm that it's over >?VA. Events that occur during e:ploration of this area are detailed in the sidebar $ntagonist Reactions of the *pa%n.

stone door scattered around it. !he doorway leads to The .ibrary. !he passage continues for a similar length before reaching a second doorway. !his door is intact and open. 5assing through the doorway leads to The -igh *treet where one can turn left or right. 3losing the door for the first time is an ;thletics test against Difficulty <? and re4uiring tools to use for leverage. Aor subse4uent attempts, it is Difficulty <>.
Excavation

6alls 3obbles ;ncient Doors

High Street
Arom the Ice 3orridor this can be followed left and slightly uphill or right and slightly downhill. !he left branch terminates in a wall of ice and rock after some >EE yards. !he right branch leads to The *+uare. !he street is wide and the forms of ancient homes, towers, sidestreets and so on can be glimpsed along it's length offering a haunting vista of a primordial city imprisoned in ice. !he walls are wet and pitted with narrow fissures. !here are also walls of huge stone blocks, with what appear to be doorways and window spaces. 5rehistoric plants
Excavation: 59 hours

E-ca,ating in the cit

!here are several sites of interest for potential e:cavation here. $rchaeology! Geology or Evidence ollection: !he given times for e:cavation can be halved with a 5/6oint spend. Explosives: 6here these can be used they will half the given e:cavation times. ; 5/6oint spend in E:plosives will half the time again.

The )ase of the Tower

ore lue 1:loating3: #f excavated! the Eye of "bbo/*athla %ill be found here 1unless already found3E 7ubble and ice lie in piles, having fallen from the tower walls and the tunnels above
Excavation: G hours

Evidence ollection: !here are bone fragments here. $rchaeology or :orensics determines that the bone fragments are 4uite ancient. 7iology determines that they include what may be caribou, musk o:en and human remains. :orensics 5 6oint spend notes that some of them are human remains and some appear to be corroded as if from some kind of powerful acid. Evidence ollection 1 ore! :loating3: !here is a glass or crystal orb about the si0e of an orange and flattened at two ends -!he Eye of @bbo "athla/.

E:cavation of the fissures reveals they are channels leading into the ice. !here are also fissures behind the walls, doorways and windows. Buried deep in the ice, eventually another hibernating spawn will be found. 9ore of these can be found with a few more hours of e:cavation.

The S9uare
ore lue 1:loating3: The Eye of "bbo/*athla !his was once the central gathering place of the city. !he ceiling here is higher than in the passageways, arching up to around 2E feet in the middle. It is about >?E feet across. "hadows of tall buildings can be glimpsed, entombed in the blue ice walls. $ne side is dominated by the facade of a particularly grand structure. 6hen bright light shines on it, there is a suggestion of several towers e:tending upwards through the ice. !he facade is riddled with small holes and a trickle of water flows towards the ice.choked centre of the s4uare.

The +ce Corridor

Ice.walled tunnel follows ancient path over rock and cobble surface of prehistoric pathway, descending from base of tower in a series of stairways for about >EE yards before reaching a large doorway that lies open with the fragments of a

; glacier of sorts dominates the centre of this huge ice cavern, occupying half the floor of the s4uare and e:tending from a wide avenue, which is completely blocked with ice. ;n unblocked *ide *treet also e:tends away from the "4uare.
Excavation: 59 hours

*ithian script and the dot.based cipher of the Elder !hings. !he entire collection here behaves like any collection of 5nakotic 9anuscripts as described in !rail of 3thulhu 5age TT. 7ecovering each point of 3thulhu 9ythos worth of fragments to the surface takes at least a day. !ranslating, collating and interpreting this material is a pro,ect that would takes years. (owever, with the aid of the !sath.*o dictionary and a >.5oint spend in 8ibrary @se, it's possible to collate and translate enough of the material for an overview. .anguage: !sath.*o -with passages in Elder "cript and *ithian/ *&imming Time: <? hours, minus ? hours for each pool point spent in 3ryptography, 8anguages, ;rchaeology, ;nthropology or 3thulhu 9ythos "kimming grants dedicated pool points in ;stronomy, &eology and $ccult. 3lues) !his material consists of fragments passed down through many generations from the library city of 5nakotus archived by !he &reat 7ace. !his 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 5olar $nes at the "outh 5ole. It was translated and interpreted by priests called the 5nakotic Brotherhood over hundreds of generations !his library is a ,ust part of a larger collection distributed across ancient (yperborea.

Beneath the glacier in the central area is a raised, stepped area. $rchaeology: $n top of this are the remnants of a large block of fossilised hardwood. Evidence ollection: 6ith a 5/6oint spend, the head of a huge bron0e a:e can be found. Evidence ollection 1:loating! ore3: !he Eye of @bbo "athla
Excavation: 92 hours

!he grand facade is the front of the original 5alace of 3ommoriom. Knygathin Zhaum and his Binner circle' are hibernating here. 9ore dormant spawn can be found after <> hours. E:cavation accelerates the !hawing of the city -see 5. ::/ and reveals channels in the ice. E:cavation, particularly the use of e:plosives here will rapidly accelerate the catastrophic awakening of Knygathin Zhaum and his spawn -see The 7lac& ;oom on p. ::/. Ideally this should not occur until after the Eye of @bbo. "athla is found.

Side Street
!his is essentially identical to the -igh *treet, e:cept that it e:tends away from The *+uare and ends in a dead.end after about <EE yards.

The "ibrar
; large archway leads to a rubble.strewn room that includes rows of collapsed stone shelves. 5iles of dust and mould are fre4uent. Evidence ollection: !here are tablets of stone, pottery and bron0e among the broken shelves. !hese are covered in the !sath.*o script. thulhu 4ythos: "tudy of these te:ts recognises them as 5nakotic 9anuscripts. ; 5/6oint spend is needed to recognise the *ithian and Elder !hing scripts. ; 9/6oint spend suggests that much of the material here is previously unknown.

!his particular set includes the following spells) "ummon 5olar $ne -3ontact Elder !hing/, however poring over the fragments is re4uired to learn this $rchaeology or $rchitcture 1:loating! ore lue3: If the Eye of @bbo."athla has not been located elsewhere, the remains of a partially blocked stairway is discovered. ;ccessing this is an ;thletics test against Difficulty M. !his leads to the .ibrary Vault.

"ibrar =ault
ore lue 1:loating3: The Eye of "bbo/*athla ;nother historical frie0e is carved across the stone walls of this circular chamber. ; pale stone about

Commorian Pnakotic (anuscripts

!he library includes transcriptions and some original e:amples of manuscripts in the curvilinear

the si0e of a small orange -!he Eye/ is mounted on a plinth in the middle of the room.

a !hreshold however, beyond which he is afraid to look. !his trance will last for appro:imately half an hour. $n awakening from this communion with the mind of Zon 9e00amalech the viewer immediately loses < point of "anity. ;fter this and subse4uent instances, they must make a "tability test against Difficulty J to recall some of his understanding. If successful, they gain L< to 3thulhu 9ythos. @p to > points of 3thulhu 9ythos may be gained this way.
ommunion %ith "bbo/*athla

The &ye of 0%%o1Sathla

*cene Type: 3ore .ead/#n: !he 3ity in the Ice !his is a cloudy, oblate sphere about the si0e of an orange, slightly flattened at the ends. ;lso known as B!he 3rystal of Zon 9e00amalech', !he Eye of @bbo."athla is a device of unknown origin D perhaps a creation of the Elder things D that can send a viewer's mind into the remote past by uniting it with the collective ancestral mind. Aor mysterious reasons the crystal is ever tied to the sorcerer and his scrying efforts to find the Elder Keys thulhu 4ythos: ;ccording to the Book of Eibon, a powerful wi0ard of ancient (yperborea possessed a cloudy scrying stone in the shape of a slightly flattened orb. ; 5/6oint spend reveals that it was called B!he Eye of @bbo."athla' and possessed by Zon 9e00amalech. (e was able to view the very beginnings of life itself. ;pparently, he disappeared, taking the stone with him. !here is something tantalising and mysteriously familiar about the crystal and the temptation to ga0e into it immediately is a "tability test against Difficulty 1. !he same test is needed to resist using the crystal again, within >2 hours of its last use, with the Difficulty increasing by < each time it is used. *tability Test ;ifficulty: > when used the first time, no test on subse4uent uses. *tability ost: 2 plus additional losses depending on what was encountered D see below. @se of the crystal involves ga0ing 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 ivory. panelled chamber. !he situation is at once foreign and very familiar. !hey know themselves as Zon 9e00amalech, greatest sorcerer in (yperborea, in his high tower in 9hu !hulan. ;s Zon 9e00amalech, the viewer knows the sorcerer ac4uired this ancient orb from a sub. human temple and sought to use it to ga0e upon the wisdom of the Elder &ods who vanished before Earth life appeared. ; stream of visions appear of years gone by. (is efforts to peer into the past reach

!he first time the Eye is used, the player must attempt to pass a test with a Difficulty of J on behalf of Zon 9e00amalech to see beyond the !hreshold. !he Difficulty decreased by < for each subse4uent use. $n passing the test described above, Zon 9e00amalech's self.identity is swallowed up -along with the viewer's/ into a stream of numberless lives and deaths, aeons e:perienced in minutes, rushing back into the past along ancestral lines and close branches on the ancestral tree. In this case the trance will continue for around four hours. 7egression through collective ancestral memory continues until @bbo."athla, the source of all life on earth is reached. 9ost of these e:periences will not subse4uently be recalled, but even if they are not, they are inherently destructive to the viewer's sense of self, causing a loss of > "anity points. ; character who's "anity is reduced to 0ero in this way suffers a total loss of self, sitting unresponsively in a catatonic.like 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. *et recollections may come. !he viewer must make a "tability test against Difficulty ? to recall something. If they succeed, roll on the table below to determine the memory, then have them make roll more "tability tests until they fail.
Regression #nsights !ake two dJs and decide which is NtensP and which is NonesP. 7oll below) %esult << D <J (uman kingdom of (yperborea, battles

with %oormis, rise and fall of various cults etc *tability test: 1.point "tability test

>< D >J 5re.human %oormis kingdoms, including

J< D J> @bbo "athla is witnessed as the foul source

their worship of Zhotha44ah etc *tability test: 1.point "tability test

1< D 11 6hite ape.men are compelled by some

mysterious drive to raise a city in the ,ungle. !heir ancestors evolve rapidly and spread out across world as early humans. *tability test: 1.point "tability test. ;rives at sta&e: In the Blood 6illars of *anity at sta&e: Aamily, 7eligion
12D 1J

of all earthly life *tability test: 2.point "tability test -or ;nagnorosis/ *anity lost: < point -or ;nagnorosis/ ;rives at sta&e: ;nti4uarianism, !hirst for Knowledge 6illars of *anity at sta&e: Aamily, (uman Dignity and %alue, 7eligion
J1 D J2 @bbo."athla was a creation of the Elder !hings D a biological factory for breeding slaves. Earth.life is an accidental by.product.

%oormis gain freedom from "erpent 5eople, found (yperborean colony *tability test: 1.point "tability test genetically engineer simians into land hominids and a4uatic hominids to serve as slaves *tability test: 1.point "tability test *anity lost: < point ;rives at sta&e: ;nti4uarianism, !hirst for Knowledge 6illars of *anity at sta&e: Aamily, (uman Dignity and %alue, 7eligion

2< D 2> "erpent people in city called B*oth'

*tability test: 2 point "tability test -or ;nagnorosis/ *anity lost: > points -or ;nagnorosis/ ;rives at sta&e: ;nti4uarianism, !hirst for Knowledge 6illars of *anity at sta&e: Aamily, (uman Dignity and %alue, 7eligion
J? D JJ !he Elder Keys are viewed clearly. !he

21 D 22 "erpent people civilisation wiped out by

rise of dinosaurs *tability test: 1.point "tability test *anity lost: < point
2? D 2J "hoggoth rebellion defeated in Elder thing

civilisation *tability test: 2.point "tability test *anity lost: < point
?< D ?> "erpent people kingdom of %alusia

script consists of unintelligible clusters of dots, recognisable as Elder !hing script to anyone familiar with it or who makes a <. 5oint spend in 3thulhu 9ythos. !he e:act contents of the tablets should be e:tremely difficult to access and are beyond the scope of this scenario. *tability test: 2 point "tability test -or ;nagnorosis/ *anity lost: > point -or ;nagnorosis/ ;rives at sta&e: ;nti4uarianism, !hirst for Knowledge 6illars of *anity at sta&e: 7eligion L< 3thulhu 9ythos is granted for every three memories recalled. (ypnosis could be used to recover memories. !hese e:periences are not mere visions D the Bviewer' fully e:periences the life of the creature witnessed. !his means that the e:periences are hard to dismiss D seeing is believing in this case. "ome of these e:periences are capable of causing lost Drives or smashed 5illars of "anity at the Keeper's discretion.

*tability test: 1.point "tability test *anity lost: < point

?1 D ?2 3ataclysm raises 7Olyeh, arrival of

3thulhu, war of 3thulhu and the Elder !hings *tability test: J.point "tability test *anity lost: > points ;rives at sta&e: ;nti4uarianism, !hirst for Knowledge
?? D ?J Elder thing e:periments create vertebrates

*tability test: 2.point "tability test *anity lost: < point ;rives at sta&e: ;nti4uarianism, !hirst for Knowledge 6illars of *anity at sta&e: Aamily, (uman Dignity and %alue, 7eligion

The Thaw
*cene Type: ;ntagonist 7eaction .ead/#n: !he 3ity @nder the Ice .ead/0ut: 3hildren of Knygathin Zhaum ;wakenX !hese antagonist reactions are designed to create a growing sense of unease. !hey should be detailed and timed according to drama, atmosphere and

5rotagonist actions. !he events of the different sections should overlap.

Tha%ing

*omething in the *hado%s

;s soon as the protagonists enter 3ommoriom, the spawn begin to thaw and awaken. 3asually drop the following clues into your description to build atmosphere. !hese clues are picked up passively. Evidence ollection: It seems slightly warmer in the city than when the characters first entered. o ; thermometer will confirm that the temperature is now ,ust above free0ing 6ater is dripping from the ceiling 5ools of water are collecting "mall rivulets are running from that wall of ice !he surface of that wall seems more pitted than when we first saw it. I don't remember those holes being there

6hen two or more characters are moving through the city, with a successful "ense !rouble test against Difficulty J, they catch a glimpse of something slithering or scuttling among the ice and rubble. By the time they reach the spot to investigate, there is nothing there.
$ 6rotagonist is $ttac&ed

If a 5rotagonist is so foolish as to be alone in the city they may be targeted by one of the spawn. !he Keeper 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 !rouble test against Difficulty J will allow the character to catch a glimpse of movement or a sound as the creature approaches or waits in ambush. If they succeed, the spawn will 3hase them. !hree or four successful ;thletics or Aleeing tests may be enough to allow the character to reach the rest of the group, at which point the spawn will retreat. If they fail the "ense !rouble test above, the spawn will attack with surprise. 7uthless Keepers may want to consider a result of < or > on the "ense !rouble test as automatic infestation, in order to keep the victim's player in the dark about what has happened. Evidence from a successful attack will be similar to the *omeoneBs 4issingH section above. ;n infested character will have no memory of the attack, although when they awaken they may e:perience some odd symptoms) ; Bspaced out', apathetic feeling) treat as if *ha&en. 8oss of Drive. ;bdominal pain ; sluggish, bloated feeling

*omeoneBs 4issingH

$ne of the +on.5layer 3haracters -if there are any left/ working or moving alone in the city ruins is noticed as missing. ; "ense !rouble test against Difficulty 2 may allow characters to hear a cry for help. ;fter a search, the character is found unconscious, lying in a large pool of blood. 4edicine: !here is no obvious sign of in,ury. -< point spend/ (e appears to be in a coma. :orensics: -< point spend/ !here is no sign of in,ury apart from bruising around the neck and face.
4ore Tha%ing

;gain this is something that one of the 5rotagonists should notice passively. !his can occur more than once. Evidence ollection: ; black substance is oo0ing from holes in the -igh *treet or The *+uare o 6hen revisited, the oo0e is gone. o If a sample is taken the container is later found broken or overturned and the sample missing

!hese symptoms may initially be confused with Bnervous shock'. !he victim themselves will rationalise and ,ustify any unusual behaviour. !his is a good roleplaying opportunity for the player.
4utiny of the #nfested

6ith time, they will also begin to e:perience strange urges and black.outs. "ee the *pa%n of 'nygathin (haum sidebar on 5age ::. $nce fully under the control of the parasitic spawn, the infected character will seek to awaken Knygathin Zhaum and his spawn using the various e:cavation tools at The 6alace elsewhere.

+aturally this will accelerate the $%a&ening of 'nygathin (haum, although ideally this shouldn't occur until the team has found !he Eye of @bbo. "athla. $ther possible sabotage attempts include) 8uring as many people into the city as possible Blocking the escape route with e:plosives

convincing Investigative spends, from ;rchitecture or &eology for e:ample. "topping to take a shot at the pursuers will increase the Difficulty by <. Depending 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, shooting a bo: of !+!, rolling fuel barrels, detonation of planted !+! charges etc. !he Keeper should assess such attempts on a case.by.case basis. )*ymbol: 6ulp, If a 5rotagonist has the flamethrower, they could use it to delay the spawn with suppressive fire. Don't forget the two gaps in the stairs. !hese could be an obstacle or a boon depending on whether they need to be climbed or whether a bridge has been built. "abotaging a bridge, once it has been crossed, is an ;thletics test against Difficulty 2 -1 with 9echanical 7epair or ;rchitecture/. If the spawn fail the 3hase contest, 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/. (owever, as Knygathin Zhaum 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 e:tremely 4uickly, they will probably need to get to the snow tractor to escape.

If the spawn is found out and cannot escape it will attack from within the host body with its $ttac& from -ost ability. !he eyes will roll back and turn black, and sticky black tendrils will shoot from mouth and nose, striking anyone in range. ; "ense !rouble test against Difficulty ? to avoid being surprised. Being attacked in this way is a M.5oint "tability test.
The *pa%n and their I:atherB $%a&enH

!his eventuality is handled below in the scene hildren of 'nygathin (haum $%a&eH

Children of 2nygathin -haum Awa.en3

*cene Type: ;ntagonist 7eaction#3lima: .ead/#n: !he !haw ; "ense !rouble test against Difficulty J is re4uired to detect the approaching spawn. !he 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. !his is an F.5oint "tability test. 3haracters who don't flee immediately will be attacked in two rounds. Aor those who flee, this is a 3hase. If none of the protagonists passed their "ense !rouble, the test Difficulty is ?. !hose who passed get a head start and a Difficulty of 1. !hose who failed but were alerted by others get a Difficulty of 2. !reat 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 si: spawn is two rounds behind the first. Knygathin Zhaum and three spawn are moving at a steadier pace at the rear. !he 5rotagonists can't afford to miss a step. !he Keeper may also consider allowing 5rotagonists to reduce the Difficulty with

5n gathin ?haum
!he entity that was known an age ago, by the name BKnygathin Zhaum' is a dark, mottled and mammoth.si0ed entity D a bloated trunk, with a one.eyed Bface' emerging from its midsection, and a second eye beneath that. !wo long tentacles with Bfingers' like knots of writhing snakes emerge from its Bshoulders' and a cup.like mouth protrudes at the top. !he lower limbs are a mass of slender proboscides covered in suckers. Knygathin Zhaum can attack with each of its two tentacles in a single round. 8ike his spawn, he can assume the form of a viscous, black li4uid. ;nd most forms of physical in,ury will simply flow closed. $bilities: ;thletics <>, (ealth >>, "cuffling >F -it Threshold: 1 8eapon: L? -trample/U L> -tentacle/U L> -sucking proboscides/U a successful tentacle attack may, instead of inflicting damage, pull the victim to the many mouths for automatic damage on each following round

$rmour: .> -thick, mottled membrane/ (eals most physical damage -e:cept fire, chemicals, e:plosives/ at 2 (ealth per round *tability .oss: L>

&"ilogue
*cene Type: ;lternate .ead/#n: 3hildren of Knygathin Zhaum ;wakenX

If the 5rotagonists manage to escape from 3ommoriom with the Eye of @bbo."athla, there is a strong possibility that it's dire but compulsive insights will overwhelm them once they reach civilisation or during the voyage home. "uch a 5urist style epilogue would bring the scenario to a very nice end. It might also suggest possibilities for future adventures.