Issue 12

March-April

Free!

Table of Contents
Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Contributors Guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

NewsFlash: Back Issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Quotes from Call of Cthulhu Adventures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Last Stop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

10

Return to the Monolith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

17

Review: Dark Forces 2: Jedi Knight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

33

Review: Archimedean Dynasty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

36

Random Universes

Information
Editor, Writer and Art Director: Michael C. LaBossiere, ontologist@aol.com.
Cover and Interior Art: Michael C. LaBossiere, ontologist@aol.com.
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Random Universes

Chaosium
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Contributors Guidelines1996,1997
Michael C. LaBossiere, ontologist@aol.com
Kelly Rothenberg, Lemarchand@aol.com
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NewsFlash: Back Issues

Due to popular demmand, back issues of Opifex Bi-Monthly:
Random Universes .are now available. Ricardo J. Mndez has
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Quotes from Call of Cthulhu Adventures

Michael C. LaBossiere, ontologist@aol.com
Here are some quotes from various Call of Cthulhu adventures Ive run over the
years.
From an adventure involving some nasty undead and an alien stone:
Player: I check my pulse.
Keeper: You dont have one.
Player (very quietly): I dont tell anyone.
A player, after a bad encounter with Deep Ones:
All frogs must die. The big ones. The little ones. But especially the big ones.
A player, after toasting some bad things:
Nothing likes being set on fire.
A player, after seeing some Mi-Go:
I dont think theyre from around here.
A player, after killing some cultists and being caught by the police:
Well, officer, I suppose you are wondering about all the dead bodies...well, it was
probably a mass suicide. Like Heavens Gate. Yeah. Thats it.
A player, just about any adventure:
You go first.
A player, just about any adventure:
I went into the dark, scary basement last time. Its your turn.

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10

Last Stop 1992, 1998

By Michael C. LaBossiere, ontologist@aol.com

Dark Conspiracy
I traced my missing friend to Wilsons Off Road Store. It looked like any other off
highway convenience store, but something about it gave me the willies. Ive
watched it for the past three hours and Ive seen four people go in there who never
came out. I guess Ive got to go in. I just hope Im not number four.

Legal Information
This adventure is copyright 1992, 1998 by Dr. Michael C. LaBossiere. It may be freely
distributed for personal use provided that it is not modified and no fee above the
normal cost of distribution is charged for it. Visit the Opifex Phoenix web site at
http://user.aol.com/ontologist/web/opifex.anchor.html.
This item is not authorized or endorsed by Tantalus Inc. and is used without
permission. The item is for personal use only. Any use of Tantalus Inc.'s
copyrighted material or trademarks in this file should not be viewed as a challenge
to those copyrights or trademarks. In addition, this item cannot be republished or
distributed without the consent of the author.

Introduction
This adventure can be set almost anywhere that has functioning highways. It is a
short adventure intended for a small group of PCs.
A group of insectoid type extraterrestrials has taken over a off highway
convenience store and is using it as a base for scientific experiments on humans.
The aliens capture travelers who they deem fit for their experiments and who can be
captured with minimal risk. It is up to the PCs to expose the aliens operation and
put a stop to it.
Getting the PCs Involved
A PCs friend or relative who is traveling to visit the PC will call him or her from a
pay phone in Slaterville. After telling the PC how long they have left to travel, they
will say that they are going into the store to buy some coffee. This will be the last the
PC will hear from them. When the PCs friend fails to show up, the PC is likely to
want to investigate.

Investigation
If the PCs decides to go looking the missing friend/relative,they will find the
following information at each source they check.
State Police
The state police will report that a vehicle matching the missing persons was

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11

found. If the PC investigates, they will find that it is not his/her vehicle. The police
will list the person as a missing person, if he/she has been gone over twenty four
hours. An officer will say to the PCs Im sorry. We do all we can, but there are so
many missing people these days were swamped. I wont lie to you. We cant do
much for you. But, off the record, weve been hearing some odd stores about
Slaterville. You might want to look there. One last thing, if you find something bad,
dont hesitate to give us a call.
Morgues/Hospitals:
If the PCs checks these places, the PCs will find a few people who match the
missing persons description, but he/she wont be in any of these places.
The Trucker Grapevine
If the PCs check the local highway rumor mill (by going to a trucker bar, for
example), they will, provided they get the truckers to talk, learn that there have been
an unusual number of disappearances in and around Slaterville. Many of the
truckers say they now avoid the place, but others say that its just a rumor, nothing
more. If the PCs friend/relative was the sort of person that would be remembered
(very attractive, very weird, etc.), one of the truckers might remember seeing
him/her going into Wilsons Off Road Store.
Slatverville
Slaterville is a typical off-highway town. It consists primarily of gas stations,
convenience stores, motels, hotels, and truck stops. Due to the current conditions in
the US, the town is surrounded by a barbed wire fence and most of the buildings are
made of reinforced concrete. Slaterville is fairly peaceful since it is on a functioning
highway, but there have been occasional raids by outlaws and gangs. Most of the
time these people drive into town, throw a few Molotov cocktails at the buildings,
shoot up some signs, and leave.
Virtually everyone who lives in the town works in one of the businesses. There are
few children and they all go to school in a nearby community since Slaterville
doesnt have any schools. It also lacks a police station, fire department, and post
office. It does have a few mail boxes, however. The people are fairly suspicious of
outsiders, but they are usually polite since their livelihood depends on the highway
travelers who stop for food and fuel.
If the PCs ask about the missing person, everyone will say they never saw him/her.
If they ask about the disappearances, the local people will either claim to have heard
nothing about them or say that they are unfounded rumors.Successful use of
Human Empathy or Psychology skill (the task is average) will reveal that the locals
are aware that something is wrong and that they are lying to the PCs. They are
actually aware of the disappearances, but are unwilling to say anything out of fear of
losing business. Most will do their best to obstruct the PCs (by refusing to sell them
food, gas, or lodging) or mislead them (by saying that the disappearances really took
place in nearby Carterville), provided it does not put them in any danger. Some may

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12

aid the PCs if they are convinced that the PCs can handle the situation without
ruining the towns reputation. The average people in town are just that, average,
and are novice NPCs. They should not (unless enraged to mob action) be of great
hindrance or help to the PCs. Unfortunately for the PCs there is a group of Igors who
are employed by the aliens. Most of them work at the store but others are under
cover at other businesses. These Igors look for victims and occasionally take people
(from their motel rooms, for example). They also have their eyes open for any
suspicious individuals (like the PCs).If they become suspicious of the PCs they will
try to drive them away (by harassing them, vandalizing their vehicle, etc.). If they
think the PCs are getting too close to the truth, they will attempt to kill the PCs.

Wilsons Off Road Store

The store looks like almost any other off-highway convenience store/gas station on
the surface, but beneath it is a den of alien evil. The owner of the store, Wilson, was
captured by the aliens
and offered to let them
use his store as a base
Pumps
of operations and to
aid them in their
activities if they would
let him live. The
aliens agreed and soon
set up shop under his
store. They have been
harvesting humans
M
for their experiments
Garage
and food ever since.
W
ICE
Store
Surface Map
All the rooms in the
Office
store are monitored by
hidden TV cameras(
difficult observation
task to spot) which are linked to a viewer in the aliens living area. There will
always be an alien watching the viewer.
Pumps: A bank of standard fuel pumps, including diesel. The pumps are full service
(which is very odd in these times), but the gas prices are as low as self serve. The full
service routine gives the Igors a chance to look into the vehicles to see how many
people are present. There will be at least two igors working the pumps at all times.
Ice: An ice machine. A sign on it indicates that it is out of order.
Store: The interior contains the usual over priced snack foods, drinks, and so forth.

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13

Astute PCs (those that make an average observation roll) will note that the shelves
are set up so as to block the view of the interior of the store from the outside.
Office: The office has the service window (bulletproof) behind which always sits one
bored looking igor. The office contains some old, tattered furniture as well as the
safe. The safe contains a surprising amount of money as well as items of jewelry,
watches, and so forth. Many of these items can be traced to various missing
individuals. There is a locked trap door hidden under the stained rug. Spotting it is
a difficult task using observation skill.
Mens Room/Womens Room: The rest rooms are fairly nasty: stained seats, damp
floors, and so forth. The walls have thick panels set in them (soundproofing) which
seem odd. Set into each rooms floor is a trap door. A door can be spotted by making
a difficult observation skill roll. When the aliens wish to capture a victim, they lock
the bathroom door using an electric locking mechanism , they then unlock the trap
door and the victim falls through it. The door is then unlocked to ready it for the
next victim. If the victim avoids falling into the trap ( a difficult task using agility if
the person is not expecting trouble, average if he/she is), an alien will enter via the
trap door to attack. Only one alien can enter a bathroom, due to its small size. If the
victim is especially troublesome, the igors will rush to help. The aliens generally
take their victims at night and select victims who are alone, or when they are
confidant they can capture all of the victims at once. They also avoid taking the
obviously wealthy or powerful, since they have been informed that that will draw
undue attention.
Garage: The garage is a greasy, oily mess with tools scattered about. Service is terrible
here and is likely to leave the vehicle worse off than when it was brought in. The
garage contains a hidden lift plate (a difficult task to spot using observation) that is
used to lower victims vehicles for disposal. The lift is operated by a control box set
into the wall. Unlike the rest of the place, the box looks new (an average observation
task to notice this). There are always at least two igors here, generally smoking
cigarettes and drinking beer.
Subsurface Map
The subsurface was hollowed out by the aliens using their advanced technology.
The walls are made of a thick, chitin like material and are coated with a slimy, foul
smelling substance. The place is dimly lit with red lights and an alien scent pervades
the air.
Vehicle Area: This is where the vehicles end up that are lowered from the garage.
There are tools in the room for cutting and disassembling vehicles. The igors are
quite good at dismantling the cars. The parts of the victims vehicle are taken into
the dump and disposed off.

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14

Dump: The aliens, aware of the amount of waste material (bodies, vehicle parts)
their operation would
generate, dug a pit to
dispose of it. The dump
is a deep shaft dug in the
earth with reinforcing
poles of alien material
set into its wall. The pit
is about 10 meters deep
and contains human
bones, rotting corpses,
auto parts, and small
scurrying creatures not
of this earth which feed
on the remains. The
dump site smells of
gasoline, oil, and rotted
flesh.
Capture Area: This is
were the victims end up if they fall through the trap doors. The victims fall onto
soft, squishy material which cushions their fall. There will be at least one armed
alien per victim present to subdue the humans. A subdued human is stripped
naked and dragged into the pen.
Pen: The walls of the pen are composed of the thick, slimy chitin like material. The
door is made of steel and is set into the walls. It is kept locked and is guarded by an
alien at all times. There are currently six people here, including the missing person
the PC is looking for. The people are in terrible condition due to the terror of the
situation and the fact that the aliens dont feed their captives. At the referees
discretion, some of the victims may have been modified: grafted limbs, surgical
modifications, cyborg parts, etc.
Lab: This chamber is filled with weird looking, semi-organic Dark Tek laboratory
equipment.It is here that the aliens conduct their experiments on humans. Their
research is aimed at producing a human based fighter to use in their battles with
other E.T.s They are working with grafting cloned organs and limbs from their own
race to humans as well as cyborg modifications. So far, they have been unable to
produce a controllable fighter. Most of them went mad and had to be destroyed. At
the referees discretion, the lab might contain one or more such experiments. These
beings would be as likely to attack the PCs as the aliens if freed.
Living Area: This is where the aliens sleep and feed. The aliens feed primarily on
the brains and central nervous systems of higher animals (including humans) and
they prefer their meals as fresh as possible (alive). The PCs may run into the aliens

Random Universes

15

while they are feeding, which would be a horrible scene to witness.

Power/Computer: This room is a horrifying tangle of partially living computer and
power plant components, some of which were once part of human beings. The
computer is not terribly advanced or powerful and is used primarily to store data
from the experiments.

Resolution
The aliens will continue to operate and expand their operation (by taking over
more businesses and houses) unless they are stopped. If the PCs defeat them, they
will abandon their operations in Slaterville for a while, but will eventually try
again. If any of the aliens escape, they will rejoin others of their kind and seek
revenge. If all of them are killed, a four being team will be sent in to determine what
happened and they may learn of the PCs involvement and seek revenge. Those who
the PCs rescue will be quite grateful (once they recover) and may be able to aid the
PCs later.
The referee may wish to continue the action by having one of the aliens more
dangerous experiments escape. It would then be up to the PCs to track the person
down and stop them. The individual would have various grafted limbs as well as
cyborg parts, making him/her a dangerous opponent. While the person would be
insane, they would possess a great deal of cunning.
NPCS
Bubba Wilson
Level: Experienced
Skills: Small Arms (pistol) 4, Small Arms (rifle) 5, Forgery 4, Streetwise 4, Vehicle
Use (Wheeled Vehicle)
Physical Description: Wilson is an obese man with a scraggly beard and a balding
head. His eyes constantly move about, as if he is always looking for something. He
always seems slightly nervous, as if he is being watched.
Personality/Notes: Wilson is a former cop (who left just before coming under
investigation) who took ownership of the store by killing the former owner and
forging the deed when Slaterville was still in turmoil and largely abandoned.
Wilson was captured by the aliens when he was out in the woods burying a person
he had just robbed and killed. A greedy, selfish, and evil man, Wilson was only too
glad to work for the aliens. He is utterly without moral scruples and will do
anything to further his own profit and enjoyment. He is generally in the store at
night, so he can loot the bodies of the aliens victims.
Weapons: S&W Model 29/16.5 (always carried under his jacket), Mossberg M500
(kept in pickup, or in the office when he is there).
Igors
There are fifteen Igors in the town. See page 176 of Dark Conspiracy for details.
They are armed with a mix of knifes and handguns, although a few (6) have

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16

shotguns. They are cowards on their own or if outgunned, but are brave when
they outnumber and outgun their victims.
Type II Insectoid E.T.s (Chiikaga)
Strength: 6
Education: 6
Constitution: 6
Charisma: 1
Agility: 4
Empathy: 2
Intelligence: 6
Initiative: 4
Special: Armor value 1

Move: 4/12/20/30
Skill/Dam: 7/1D10
Hits: 20/40
#Appear: 1D6

The Type II Insectoid E.T.s, known as Chiikaga (what their name for themselves
sounds like in English) are related to the more common insectoid E.T.s. They are
not as advanced as their cousins, but are physically tougher. Like their cousins, they
consider humans an excellent source of food. Unlike their cousins, they see humans
are potentially useful and desire to find an effective way of using humans as troops.
Chiikaga inevitably live underground when on earth, typically under an
abandoned or conquered human structure. They build primarily with organic
materials that they process themselves. Their lairs are very unpleasant places for
humans to be, for they are vile and coated in slime (which keeps the organic walls
fresh).
While they are Dark Minions, they are hostile to their insectoid cousins and have
fought wars with them in the past, generally over the issue of who gets to exploit
and feed on various populations of other worlds. These hostilities have continued
on earth. Unlike their cousins, the Chiikaga are not well established on earth. So far
they only have a few secret outposts in human cities and towns and they have yet
to become involved in corporate activity to the degree their cousins have.
Physically, the Chiikaga are horribly repulsive to humans. They walk on four legs,
while using two arms for manipulation. There bodies are composed of hard chitin
like material which oozes a thick slime at all times. Their heads are rather small
(the brain is in the main body) and they have a wicked array of biting, grinding,
sucking, and chewing organs.They also have two main eyes that detect only motion
and a set of smaller eyes that are as good as human sight. Their only redeeming
feature is that they can be killed.

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Return to the Monolith 1998

By Michael C. LaBossiere
Ontologist@aol.com
Call of Cthulhu
They say foul beings of Old Times still lurk,
In dark forgotten corners of the world,
And gates still gape to loose,
On certain nights,
Shapes pent in Hell.
- Justin Geoffrey, People of the Monolith

Legal Information
This adventure is copyright 1998 by Dr. Michael C. LaBossiere. It may be freely
distributed for personal use provided that it is not modified and no fee above the
normal cost of distribution is charged for it. Visit the Opifex Phoenix web site at
http://user.aol.com/ontologist/web/opifex.anchor.html.
Call of Cthulhu is Chaosium Inc's registered trademark for their game of horror
and wonder in the worlds of HP Lovecraft. For more information, contact
Chaosium Inc., 950-A 56th St, Oakland, CA 94608 -- or call us at 510-547-7681. Visit
Chaosium's web page at http://www.sirius.com/~chaosium/chaosium.html.
This adventure is based on People of the Monolith which appeared as a bonus
scenario in Shadows of Yog-Sothoth , published in 1982 by Chaosium. This scenario
was in turn based on The People of the Monolith from Robert E. Howards Tales
from the Cthulhu Mythos, which was published by Arkam House.

Introduction
This adventure is set in the 1990s and is intended to be a follow-up on the events
that took place in 1920s Hungary, as detailed in Chaosiums People of the
Monolith.
In this adventure, the investigators will be part of a team creating a documentary
on ancient occult sites. More specifically, the investigators will be traveling to
Hungary in search of a monolith with a dark and troubling past. They will find the
monolith, but they will also find more than they bargained for.

Getting the Investigators Involved

The investigators will be contacted by a man name Bruce Baston who is
representing Steiger Incorporated. Baston will inform the investigators that Steiger
Incorporated, is producing a show for television. The show is to feature several site
around the world that have occult significance. Since many shows have already
covered the best known areas (such as Stonehenge), this show is going to cover
more obscure, but still interesting locations and features. Because of their reputation
in such matters, Baston will say, Steiger Incorporated wants to hire them to work on

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one of the segments.

If the investigators are interested, Baston will arrange to meet with them, at a
restaurant, to discuss matters. Baston will tell the investigators that he wishes to
hire them as special consultants for a segment on a curious black stone in Hungary.
If they ask for more details, Baston will say that he has been informed that the stone
has a dark and curious history, but that part of the investigators job will be to learn
more about the monolith and its history.
If the investigators agree to take the job, Baston will assign them appropriate
responsibilities and prepare contracts which specify appropriate payments for the
completion of the tasks. For example, investigators with high Library Use will be
hired to do research.
Some alternative means of getting the investigators involved are given below.

Keepers Background
Untold years ago, people who worshipped a foul, toad-like being came to an area
in what is now known as Hungary. These people raised up a monument to their
god and performed terrible rites around the stone, the vilest rites taking place on
Midsummers Night (June 23). The presence of a minion of their god, which took
on the appearance of a green, toad-thing and their wicked rites imbued the stone
with a great and evil power: shadows of the very beings who worshipped and
presided there became part of the stone itself.
The area festered with evil until Turkish soldiers encountered the toad-thing and
destroyed it using blessed weapons, ancient magic and fire. Unfortunately, the death
of the toad-thing did not entirely dispel the horror. As mentioned above, the stone
itself had become tainted with evil and madness. Because of this, shades from the
past appear around the stone on Midsummers Night, bringing madness and horror
to any foolish enough to visit the stone.
The stones existence was only known to the local people and a few odd scholars,
until an English poet named Justin Geoffrey visited the stone, wrote a poem about
it, and then went mad. Shortly after Geoffrey died in an asylum, a few brave souls
were hired by his publisher to investigate the monolith. They visited the stone on
Midsummers Night and witnessed the horror and madness. Returning home, they
took up the battle against the Mythos.
The stone was largely ignored by outsiders until 1995 when Dave Bunson, David
Metz (now known as Christopher Russell) and Sarah Killeans went to the monolith
for an occult magazine. Metz, who was into the occult, suggested that they visit the
stone on Midsummers Night and the others agreed. This fateful decision would
result in Metz (who was never very stable) going insane. In his madness, Metz
killed his friends as sacrifices. After hiding the bodies in a nearby cave (ironically,
the same place the Turks killed the toad-thing) Metz wandered the world, hoping to
find a way to serve his new god.
Metz dyed his hair, had some minor cosmetic surgery, changed his name to
Christopher Russell and established his new identity. After that, he spent the next
few years researching books better left unread and meeting with people and things

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who possessed knowledge better not known. Russell learned a spell to contact
beings, the Lesser Toades, which serve the god associated with the black stone.
Summoning one of the Toades, he was told he would be rewarded with power if he
were to revive the ancient sacrifices at the stone. Completely and irrevocably insane,
Russell eagerly agreed.
Through his connections (Russell had rapidly built a reputation as a weird but
strangely gifted photographer) Russell learned about the Steiger documentary and
arranged to get on the team. Russell does not know that Steiger has some
knowledge of the Mythos and is, in part, sending the investigators to see if anything
is going on with the black stone.

Investigation
The investigators will, of course, want to acquire some information before leaping
into things. The following sections detail some of the information the investigators
can turn up.
Books and Articles
There are several books that the investigators might find, through Library Use or
other means, in the course of their search for information.
The Monolith
If the investigators seek for a reference to a monolith in what is now Hungary,
they might find Dostmanns Remnants of Lost Empires, which was published in
1809 in Berlin. This book is rather difficult to find and the full edition is available
only in German. There is a partial translation in English, which was written by an
American graduate student in 1973. There are only a few copies of the English
partial translation, which was done by Hilary Stanton. Stanton died of a drug
overdose before she completed the work.
Dostmann claims that the monolith is a relatively recent construction, probably
erected to commemorate a Mongolian victory. Dostmann bases this on his claim
that the defaced characters on the monolith are Mongolian in origin. Dostmann
does admit that he was never actually able to clearly make out the characters on the
monolith, yet he does not let this count against his claim about the origin of the
stone. Dostman does note that the village near the stone is known as Stregoicaver,
which translates as witch town.
If the investigators find the partial translation by Stanton, they might decide to
follow up on that lead. If they do, they might find an article, written in a rather dry
anthropology journal, will be of interest. In her article, Cult Artifacts in Eastern
Europe, published in 1972, she cites Von Junzts Inaussprechlichen Kulten.
(Nameless Cults ): Otto Dostmann's theory that the monolith is a remnant of the
hunnish invasion and had been erected to commemorate a victory of Attila over
the Goths is as logical as assuming that William the Conqueror reared Stonehenge."
(from page 63 of Shadows of Yog Sothoth).
Stantons article refers to several books which will prove useful to the

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investigators. These books can also be found by independent research if the

investigators do not find the Stanton article.
In 1901 Magyar Folklore , by Dornly, was published. In his chapter on Hungarian
Dream Myths, he mentions a stone knows as the Black Obelisk. According to
Dornly, this obelisk has strange and terrible powers. If someone sleeps near the
obelisk, he will be plagued with terrifying nightmares for as long as he shall live.
Dornly also mentions various folk tales that speak of people visiting the obelisk on
Midsummers Night. Such visits, the tales claim, end in madness and death. Dornly
also notes that the area in which the obelisk was located was called Xuthtlan.
Dornly points out that Xuthltan is not a Magyar name and is, in fact, a rather odd
name.
The investigators might wish to investigate the word Xuthltan further. A book
by Schuman called Myths and Magic was published in New York City in 1912. This
book is rare and will take some effort to find. The book explicitly mentions
Xuthltan as a town with an evil reputation. According to ancient takes, the
inhabitants were prone to capturing young women as sacrifices in their evil rites.
Schuman writes that the inhabitants of the village were slain by the Turks. Later
people from Schomvaal, a nearby village, moved into the ruins and, after
rebuilding, called the place Stregoicavar.
Stregoicaver
The investigators might also wish to investigate more into the place known as
Stregoicaver, Schomvaal and the Turkish invasion.
In his 1892 work, Back Roads of Hungary, Rachismoff writes about Stregoicavar. In
his book he asserts that Stegoicavar is a beautiful and fertile valley in the
Carpathians. As a point of historical note, he mentions that a battle took place in
1526 at Schomvall. In this battle, Count Boris Viadinoff fought against the forces of
Suleiman the Magnificent. The town, according to Rachismoff, is a three day coach
ride from Biscke. Rachismoff suggests that the traveler watch for various ruins from
the Turkish war along the road sides.
If the investigators pursue their investigations, they can find Larsons 1890 book,
Turkish Wars. This massive six volume series mentions, in a chapter, the battle of
Schomvaal. According to Larson,
An aide brought to[the Count} a small lacquered case which had been taken from
the famed Turkish scribe and historian, Selim Bahadur, who had fallen in the
fight. The Count took therefrom a roll of parchment and began to read, but he
had not read far before he turned pale and, without saying a word, replaced the
parchment in the case and thrust the case into his cloak. At that very instant, a
hidden Turkish battery opened fire, and ... the walls crash[ed] down in ruin,
completely covering the Count. (from page 63 of Shadows of Yog Sothoth).
Without the leadership of the Count, his army was crushed by Suleimans forces.
The chapter closes with the lines: "Today the natives point out a huge and

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moldering ruin near Schomvaal beneath which, they say, still rests what the
centuries have left of Count Boris VIadinoff."(from page 63 of Shadows of Yog
Sothoth).
Justin Geoffrey
The only recent book mentioned in Stantons article, David Dormleys Men, Myth,
and Madness (1970)mentions Xuthltan as well as Justin Geoffrey. Geoffrey is said to
have been a brilliant young poet whose career was cut short by his commitment to
an asylum and his untimely death in the early 1900s. Dormley asserts that Geoffreys
strangest poem, People of the Monolith, was written as the result of his journey to
a place called Xuthltan. Dormley also asserts that Geoffrey was driven mad by
what he saw and experienced in Xuthltan.
If the investigators seek out further information on Geoffrey, they will be able to
find a collection of his poems. The work, Complete Works of Justin Geoffrey,is still
being printed by a small press. People of the Monolith is his last and strangest
poems. The other poems are of high quality, but are quite different from People of
the Monolith.
In the 1920s Justin Geoffrey went to Hungary in search of the monolith. If the
investigators found the Complete Works of Justin Geoffrey they will learn from the
introduction that Geoffrey went to Hungary and then went mad. If the investigators
contact the editor of the book, Diane Hutton, she will be able to tell them a great deal
about Geoffreys poetic style and early history. If she is asked about People of the
Monolith she will say that it is his most unusual poem. If asked about his fate, she
will tell the investigators that he went to a village called Stregoicaver. There, the
story has it, he found a black stone that drove him mad. Hutton is mainly concerned
with poetry and she has little information about the black stone.
If the Keeper wishes an alternative way to get the investigators involved, they
could be hired by the small press to research the black stone. The small press has
very limited resources, so the investigators would have to provide their own
transportation.
The Missing People
If the investigators are thorough, they will learn that they are not the first people
to go in search of the monolith. Justin Geoffrey visited the stone in the early part of
the twentieth century and went mad. There are also some rumors and stories about
other people who visited the stone, some of whom never returned. The most recent
story, which is also the only one backed with hard evidence, is about two free lance
journalists who went missing in 1995. According to the story, which made some
newspapers in 1995, Dave Bunson and Sarah Killeans were doing a story on a black
stone located in some obscure part of Hungary. According to the story, the two
journalists never returned from Hungary. The local authorities investigated the
disappearance, but found nothing. Some journalists privately speculate that the
journalists, who were on assignment for Secrets of the Occult Magazine, stumbled
across some local criminal activity and were killed. It is also speculated that the local

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authorities were paid to find nothing. The two reporters are missing and
presumed dead. Their families are still holding out hope and have made several
efforts to find them.
Another alternative way for the investigators to become involved in the
adventure is to have them contacted by the families of the two missing people.The
families have limited resources, so the investigators would have to provide their
own transportation.

Places
The following section details the places the investigators will visit during the
course of the adventure.
Hungary
The team will fly to an airport in Austria and they will be provided with suitable
transportation (vans) at the airport. From Austria they will drive into Hungary.
Steiger Inc. Will have made all arrangements so their trip will go smoothly.
Stregoicavar
Stregoicavar is not a real place, but Biscke is eighteen miles west of Budapest. The
trip to Stegoicavar will take the team past the ruins were Count Boris Viadinoff who
was killed long ago by the Turks. In the 1900s, Stregoicavar was a quiet little town,
still living in the 18th century. World War II, the following Cold War, and more
recent events have all but emptied the village. Most of the structures are still
standing, but the young people have mostly left in search of better opportunities.
Those who remain are mostly older people.
The Inn
The inn in Stregoicavar is still standing, although it has seen better days. However,
it is still well kept and the team has reservations (they will be the only guests).
Laszlo Yukarskin owns and runs the inn and he knows a fair amount of the local
history. If he is treated well, and asked about Justin Geoffrey, he will tell them that
local legend has it that some English poet by that name went and looked at the
stone. According to old superstitions, the stone is said to cause madness. In the case
of the poet, it did its job. It is said he was found gibbering, drooling and moaning.
If he is asked about the black stone, he will tell the team where to find it. If asked
what he thinks about it, he will say Well, they say that the stone is...unnatural. I
dont place much stock in ghost tales and the like. Then again, Ive no desire to visit
the stone, especially at night.
If he is asked about the people who went missing, he will say that all three of them
stayed at the inn and that he sent the belongings of two of them home. If asked
about the third person, he will say he did not send his belongings because he was

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told that he had no relatives. If asked about the third person, the innkeeper will
check his records and tell them that his name was Metz. If asked what he thinks
happened, he will say that he doesnt know. He is willing to speculate about the
mafia, but he will say they seemed like nice people.
Talking to the Villagers
Provided the investigators are polite (and speak their language) the villagers will
be willing to talk about the stone.
In general, the investigators will learn that the stone still has a bad reputation and
that people stay away from it. Local legend has it that the stone was reared by some
devil-worshippers who were killed by the Turks. Local legend also has it that there
have been attempts over the years to destroy the stone. According to these tales,
those who harm the stone suffer from fits, madness, and terrible dreams.
The best source of information in the village is Geoff Stakuski. Stakuski served in
a German SS armored unit (under a different name) and retired (anonymously) to
this small village. Stakuski, who married a local woman, was fascinated by the
history of the area and learned a fair amount about it. He knows that the village was
originally called Xuthltan. He believes that the monolith was reared by people who
worshipped a god not well known to men. His wifes mother befriended an
American who came to the village in the 1900s. According to Stakuski, the
American was part of a small group of men who came to see the stone. The men
stayed in the village for some time and the American, named Sam Lorenzo, later
returned for a short while, leaving some books and other items. If Stakuski is asked
about the books, he will say that they were lost when the roof sprung a leak. He will
say that they still have a notebook and a beaker of odd powder.
The notebook is in English and is tattered and worn. The following passages are
the most interesting and relevant:
We have seen the horror that plagues this place on Midsummers Night. It is
something that is not to be spoken or written of. Dr. Harveld thinks that it is just
an image from the past, somehow electrically trapped in the stone itself. I think it
is something far worse.
I have returned again to the village to visit Mary again. She is a fine woman, but
the things I have seen and experienced prevent me from asking for her hand.
After all, how can I promise to protect her, when there is no protection from
Them? However, I can do some small thing for her. I finally learned the secret in
the Arab scroll and found that the dust is as acid to the horrors. I have created a
beaker of the dust, sufficient for two uses, and I have left Mary with instructions
on how to use it. She seems skeptical, but she has seen the stone.
I leave tomorrow in search of the island. I hope to someday return to Mary.
If the investigators are persuasive, he will be willing to allow them to read the

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notebook. If they are very persuasive, he might be willing to allow them to take the
powder. The powder is the Dust of Suleiman, which does 1D20 worth of damage
when thrown on a Mythos creature, such as the Toade. Stakuski has two
applications of the powder.
Stakuski spoke extensively with Russell (then Metz) and his two friends when
they came to the village. Stakuski thinks that they might have been killed by the
mafia or that they had some sort of falling out. Stakuski will say that Metz had a
look in his eyes... and that he might have done something. Because he knows that
Stakuski might recognize him, Russell will avoid him.
The Black Stone
The Black Stone stands on the summit of a mountain near the village. The
monolith is roughly octagonal in shape. It stands about sixteen feet high and is
about one and a half feet thick. The stone appears to have been highly polished a
marked with strange symbols. The stone has been defaced and the symbols have
been badly damaged.
The symbols on the stone do not appear to belong to any known language and they
have been so damaged that is unlikely that anyone would be able to even attempt a
translation. An investigator who makes a successful Archeology roll will note that
the symbols seem vaguely like those found on a large, apparently man-worked
stone found in the Yucatan. Most archaeologists have dismissed the Yucatan
markings as being idle scratches or perhaps some type of art. If an investigator with
Geology skill examines the stone and makes her skill roll, she will be able to tell that
the rock appears to be volcanic in origin, but it definitely seems out of place in this
area.
The stone is surprisingly resistant to damage, although the use of modern
equipment (powered drills) and explosives could break the stone into fragments.
Unfortunately, physically damaging the stone will cause the stone to yield
fragments and pieces of the horrible things that happened on or near it. The effect is
that as the stone takes damage, people within 50 meters will have horrible images,
feelings and sensations invade their minds. In game terms, for every ten points of
damage done to the stone, anyone within 50 meters must make a Sanity roll. If the
roll fails, the person loses 1 Sanity Point. If the roll succeeds, there is no loss. If the
whole stone is blasted at once, their will be a massive shockwave that will cause a
1D6/1D20 Sanity loss to everyone within 50 meters, 1D3/1D10 Sanity loss to all
within 100 yards, 1/1D6 Sanity loss to all within 150 yards, and 0/1D3 Sanity loss to
all within 200 yards. The shockwave will cause bad dreams in people within 100
kilometers of the stone itself. If the stone is blasted to pieces, it will lose all its power
and will simply be normal stone.
Visiting the Stone During the Day
If the monolith is visited during the day, it will seem odd, out of place and spooky.
However, nothing will happen.

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Visiting the Stone at Night

Visiting the stone at night is not a very good idea. Those in the presence of the
stone will feel a faint chill, as if something cold is brushing their spines. The
shadows falling in the area create a very convincing illusion that the stone is at the
center of a vast, alien city of forbidding towers and dark, unnatural spires. Bringing
artificial lights makes the illusion even stronger, as the bright lights will make the
shadows seem somehow more solid. Spending time in this area at night will cost
one Sanity Point, unless the investigator makes a Sanity Roll.
Visiting the Stone on Midsummers Night
Visiting the stone on Midsummer's Night (June 23rd) is an exceptionally bad idea.
As mentioned above, the stone has been imbued with the horror and madness that
has occurred in its vicinity. This horror and madness is partially released every June
23rd. Anyone in the vicinity of the stone at this time will hear a faint moaning
noise, which sounds almost like the wind through the trees.
A scene from the past will be re-enacted near the stone by phantoms of the past. At
midnight faint images of people will begin to form, growing more solid appearing as
they move towards the stone. As they grow more solid looking, a priest will begin to
lead them in an obscene ceremony. If a person watches the events that happen from
12:00 to 12:30, he will one Sanity point unless he makes a Sanity Check. At 12:30 the
ceremony picks up, with young women dancing about the stone while the priest
lashes at their bodies with a leather whip. While the dancing is going on, the other
cultists begin to lash some terrified looking people to a wooden log, obviously in
preparation for a blood sacrifice. At 1:00, those still present must make a Sanity
Check or lose 1D3 Sanity Points. From 1:00 to 1:30, the cultists continue their rituals,
culminating in a bloody sacrifice at 1:30. When the blood spills to the ground, the
image of a horrid toad-thing will appear over the stone. Those seeing this phantom
will need to make a Sanity Check or lose 1D6 Sanity Points. A successful roll still
results in a loss of one Sanity Point.
The bloody sacrifice is, as mentioned above, merely a horrid phantom from the
past. While it can cost Sanity, the images are merely reenacting a scene from the past
and can cause no other harm. While the images appear solid, they can be walked
through. Moving through the images will have no effect on the ceremony, but will
cause the person to feel the horror with even greater intensity. In game terms, the
person will need to make an extra Sanity Check each time she moves through one
of the images. A failed roll costs one Sanity Point.
The Ruins
The ruins were Boris Vladinoff died are still present, although they have been
covered with years of debris and plant growth. If the investigators decide to muck
about in the ruins, they will be able to find some bones, but they will also be able to
tell that the ruins have been well picked over.

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Action
The main action will center around Russell. Russells general plan is to get the
team to the monolith, summon the Lesser Toade and kill them all in a blood
sacrifice.
Russell is very cunning and will try to determine which of the investigators might
be dangerous or armed before taking action. If possible, he will try to damage any
guns the investigators might have brought with them.
If the adventure is not taking place near June 23rd, Russell will have a plan to deal
with the investigators. His specific plan is this. First, he will talk the team into
having a team picture taken at night. When they agree, he will summon the Lesser
Toade and have it wait in a nearby cave. That night, he will say that he is going
ahead to set up the lighting. He will do this, but he will also visit the Toade and tell
it to attack when it sees the flash. Russell will rig up the lighting equipment to create
a powerful, blinding flash of light. If the team members make a Luck roll, they will
be only party blinded for 15 seconds (half all visual based skill rolls, such as combat
skills). If they fail their Luck rolls, they will be blinded by the flash for 15 seconds (all
visual based skills at 25% of normal) and partly blinded for another 15 seconds.
After the flash goes off, the Lesser Toade will tear into the nearest person, ripping
and biting. Meanwhile, Russell will pull out his 9mm and start blazing away. The
Toade and Russell will do their best to kill everyone. If things go against them,
Russell and the Toade will try to flee.
If the investigators are visiting the stone in June, Russell will do his best to get
them to visit the stone on the night of June 23rd. Russell will hope the events will
cause some of the team to go mad, thus increasing his chances of defeating them. In
this case, he will summon the lesser Toade, which will act as if it is merely another
image from the past. The Toade will then watch the team, waiting for the events
and its presence (seeing the Toade will require a separate Sanity Check) to take their
toll on the team members. If some team members go insane, the Toade and Russell
will take advantage of this to attack the team. The Lesser Toade will tear into the
nearest person, ripping and biting. Meanwhile, Russell will pull out his 9mm and
start blazing away. The Toade and Russell will do their best to kill everyone. If
things go against them, Russell and the Toade will try to flee.

Conclusion
The adventure ends when the investigators defeat Russell and the Toade, they
flee, or they are killed (or go insane).
If the investigators defeat Russell and the Toade, they should receive a 1D8 Sanity
point award. If the investigators are able to destroy the monolith, they should
receive an extra 1D10 Sanity point reward.
If the investigators were working for Steiger Incorporated, they will be paid if they
are able to complete their jobs. Steiger Incorporated will be very interested in hiring
the investigators again in this case. If the investigators are unable to complete their
jobs or events go badly (team members are killed, for example), then the Keeper will
have to decide what happens.

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If the investigators flee without defeating Russell and the Toade, they will lose 1D3
Sanity Points. Russell will acquire sacrifices to bring back the old religion and he
will soon gather a following of cultists and expand his operations. The investigators
may return to face the greatly expanded evil at some point in the future.

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NPCs
David Rolfe, Director
STR: 14 CON: 15 SIZ: 14 INT: 13 POW: 14 DEX: 13 APP: 13 EDU:19 SAN: 70 HP: 15
DB: +1D4
Important Skills: Bargain 55%, Credit Rating 45%, Direct 65%, Fast Talk 60%, Jump
45%, Law 15%, Mechanical Repair 40%, Occult 35%, German 25%, Russian 15%,
Persuade 35%, Photography 27%, Psychology 37%, Spot Hidden 41%, Swim 55%,
Handgun 40%
Weapons: None
Description: Rolfe is a tall, middle-aged man. He has tanned, weather-beaten skin,
black hair, and a neatly trimmed beard and moustache. He generally wears
outdoor style clothing when in the field. Rolfe is an experienced director and
made his reputation covering various wars and disasters. Because of this, Rolfe is
very good under pressure. He does not really believe in the supernatural, but will
aid the investigators should he become convinced of its reality.
Brent Travis, Vocal Talent
STR: 11 CON:12 SIZ: 13 INT: 11 POW: 11 DEX: 10 APP: 15 EDU: 15 SAN: 55 HP: 13
DB: None
Important Skills: Bargain 25%, Fast Talk 32%, German 45%, French 55%, Japanese
45%, Russian 11%, Persuade 55%, Psychology 25%
Weapons: None
Description: Travis is a handsome young man, with perfect hair, a perfect face, and a
perfect voice. He dresses stylishly and favors expensive clothes. Travis is rather
empty-headed and does not believe in the supernatural. If he encounters anything
dangerous or frightening, he will attempt to run away.
Christopher Russell, Insane Photographer
STR: 12 CON:13 SIZ:13 INT:14 POW: 12 DEX:14 APP:13 EDU:18 SAN:00 HP: 14
DB: +1D4
Important Skills: Bargain 21%, Fast Talk 35%, Hide 25%, Law 16%, Library Use 45%,
Listen 35%, Mechanical Repair 37%, Occult 45%, Spanish 35%, French 25%, Persuade
24%, Pharmacy 15%, Photography 83%, Sneak 25%, Handgun 35%
Weapons: 9mm Pistol 35% Damage 1D10 Range 20 yards Attacks 3 Shots 15 HP 8
Malfunction 99, Combat Knife 45% 1D4+2+1D4 HP 15, BlackJack 53%, Damage
1D8+1D4 HP 4.
Spells: Contact Lesser Toade, Summon Lesser Toade
Description: Russell (once known as Metz) is a thin, nervous looking man. He has
brown hair, which is thinning badly. He is clearly well on his way to going bald. He
smokes constantly and dresses in out of date clothing, mostly army surplus. He
always has at least two camera bags with him (one of which holds his 9mm). Russell
is a very good photographer and clearly knows his job.

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Russell is completely insane and is the loyal servant of his new master. Despite his
madness, Russell is extremely clever and is very adept at tricking people into getting
what he wants. Russell prefers to deal with problems indirectly, through deception,
tricks, ambushes and such. He always desires to have an advantage in any situation
and will carefully plan his actions. Russell is very careful to maintain his image as
an eccentric photographer and is careful to never have anything incriminating on
his person or in his gear.
Sam Gussett, Camera
STR: 15 CON: 14 SIZ:17 INT: 13 POW:12 DEX:9 APP:11 EDU: 14 SAN:60 HP: 16
DB: +1D4
Important Skills: Fast Talk 22%, Electrical Repair 55%, Electronics 15%, Drive
Motorcycle 45%, Hide 25%, Law 15%, Mechanical Repair 60%, Operate Heavy
Machinery 50%,Photography 65%
Weapons: Knife 35% Damage 1D4+1D4 HP 9
Description: Sam is a very large, overweight man. He has dark brown hair, a thick
beard, and blue eyes. He generally wears biker style clothing (leather jacket, T-shirts,
jeans, and heavy boots), a left over from his days in a motorcycle gang. Sam is a
skilled cameraman and able to lug around a lot of equipment. Sam has been in
some nasty bar fights and is not afraid to have it out with people.
Diane Gussett, Camera and Sound
STR: 12 CON:13 SIZ: 11 INT:14 POW:12 DEX:14 APP:12 EDU: 15 SAN: 60 HP: 12
DB: None
Important Skills:Fast Talk 25%, Electrical Repair 35%, Electronics 25%, Drive
Motorcycle 35%, Hide 20%, Listen 55%, Mechanical Repair 35%,Photography 60%,
Sound Recording 60%
Weapons: None
Description: Diane is a thin, wiry women, with sharp and harsh features. She
dresses like her husband, Sam. She has dirty blonde hair and blue eyes. She found
God a few years ago and made Sam leave the gang and take up an honest life.
Because of her religious beliefs, Diane does believe in the supernatural.
Geoff Stakuski, Old Man
STR: 9 CON:10 SIZ: 12 INT:14 POW:12 DEX:14 APP:12 EDU: 15 SAN: 60 HP: 12
DB: None
Important Skills: Bargain 45%, Electrical Repair 32%, First Aid 55%, Hide 55%,
History 48%, Mechanical Repair 75%, Natural History 35%, Operate Heavy
Machinery 56%, German 55%, English 24%, Handgun 28%, Machine Gun 55%, Rifle
45%
Weapons: 12-gauge Double Barrelled Shotgun 60% Damage 4D6/2D6/1D6 Shots 2
Range 10/20/50 yards HP 12
Description: Stakuski is an extremely old man, with white hair. He keeps his hair
very short and does not have a beard. Stakuski was in the SS during WWII, but he

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has long since put the war behind him. As mentioned above, Stakuski has useful
information for the investigators.

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Creatures
Lesser Toade
Description: The Lesser Toades are hideous, toad-like beings. These horrid creatures
are servants of Tsathoggua and are related, in some odd way, to the Formless
Spawn.
The Toades are intelligent, speak many human languages and often serve as
emissaries for Tsathoggua when that horrid deity has business in the world. They
look like very large toads with oddly gelatinous bodies. Unlike typical toads, the
Toades are huge, have jagged black fangs, and sharp claws. In battle, Toades attack
with both claws and bite at their foes with their crooked and jagged teeth. Because of
their odd, gelatinous composition, Toades sustain only half damage from kinetic
energy weapons, such as guns and knifes.
All Toades know two spells, Contact Tsathoggua, Contact Formless Spawn.
Characteristics

Rolls

Average

Stats

STR

3D6+6

16-17

18

CON

2D6+6

13

16

SIZ

3D6+8

18-19

21

POW

3D6+3

13-14

15

DEX

3D6

10-11

12

HP

15-16

19

Damage
Bonus

+1D6

+1D6

Move: 7
Weapons: Two claws, 55% 1D6+db, Bite, 55%, 1D10
Armor: None, but a Toade sustains half damage from all kinetic energy weapons.
Spells:Contact Tsathoggua, Contact Formless Spawn
Sanity Loss: 1/1D8

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Handouts
Handout #1
An aide brought to[the Count} a small lacquered case which had been taken from
the famed Turkish scribe and historian, Selim Bahadur, who had fallen in the fight.
The Count took therefrom a roll of parchment and began to read, but he had not
read far before he turned pale and, without saying a word, replaced the parchment
in the case and thrust the case into his cloak. At that very instant, a hidden Turkish
battery opened fire, and ... the walls crash[ed] down in ruin, completely covering the
Count.
Handout #2
We have seen the horror that plagues this place on Midsummers Night. It is
something that is not to be spoken or written of. Dr. Harveld thinks that it is just an
image from the past, somehow electrically trapped in the stone itself. I think it is
something far worse.
I have returned again to the village to visit Mary again. She is a fine woman, but the
things I have seen and experienced prevent me from asking for her hand. After all,
how can I promise to protect her, when there is no protection from Them?
However, I can do some small thing for her. I finally learned the secret in the Arab
scroll and found that the dust is as acid to the horrors. I have created a beaker of the
dust, sufficient for two uses, and I have left Mary with instructions on how to use it.
She seems skeptical, but she has seen the stone.
I leave tomorrow in search of the island. I hope to someday return to Mary.

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Review: Dark Forces 2: Jedi Knight,

LucasArts
Ricardo J. Mndez,
ricardo@tecapro.com
5 out of 5

System requirements
100% Windows 95, DirectX compatible
computer
Pentium 133 MHz (Pentium 166 MHz
recommended)
PCI graphics card (graphic accelerator
recommended)
16 MB RAM, 32 MB recommended
2x CD-ROM, 4x or better recommended
I played my head out when I found
DooM. I also did it with DooM II, but
bythe end I was already more than a
little tired of it. Then I found
LucasArts' Dark Forces, their first
foray into the first person shooter that
took things so much beyond what
DooM had accomplished. Its
extensive, wonderful levels, strong story and great variety of missions made such a
strong impression on me that I decided that 2-1/2D engines couldn't be taken
beyond that, and I stopped playing shooters until Quake came out.
But then I got a PC Gamer issue with a preview of Dark Forces 2: Jedi Knight
and its true 3D engine.
By this moment, Jedi Knight has gathered quite a few awards. PC Gamer's
Game of the Year, Computer Gaming's Game of the Year, Gamecenter's Action
Game of the Year and Gamespot's Best Action Game of the Year are only a few of
the waves this game is generating. You have most likely read a review already, and
also read somewhere on the net that it doesn't measure up to Quake or Quake II
standards in graphics, or that it's AI is less than stellar, or that the deathmatch mode
can't even start to lick Quake's boots.
Well, if you're an action gamer and you haven't checked out Jedi Knight you're
really cheating yourself out of one of the best games out there.
Indeed, the models used for the enemies have less polygons than Quake's, and
indeed it doesn't include cooperative mode. But what else is there about Quake
besides high-polygon count enemies? Lots of running around and running into
switches.
When I downloaded the Quake shareware version, I was blown away. It was the

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most impressive graphics that I had seen, and they moved quite smoothly on
my Pentium 90. As eager as the next guy, I started running around, shooting my
enemies off the face of the planet and opening as many doors as I could to get to the
next level. About the same thing on the next level, and the next, and the next...
When I got to the end of the first episode, I was so bored with the repetitive
gameplay and I never got around to buy the full retail version. At the same time, I
started waiting for Jedi Knight.
I waited for about two years for it to come out, in fact. When I was finally able to
get my greedy paws on the demo, which I was a little disappointed at first to see that
included only one level. But by the time I had finished that impressive, huge, well
designed level, I just had to sit back and breath for a moment before I started it again.
I played it from start to end for about 3 times before I got myself a 3D accelerator.
And then I had to play it all over again to see it in a whole new light, and ran to the
store to get a copy of the full version.
Send Quake to the scrap pile. It was *then* that I was really blown away.
Jedi Knight had all the features Quake didn't have: logical environments, story
and level related puzzles, great cutscenes to advance the story, two camera modes
(first and third person), incredible levels, duels with other Jedi and something that
Quake had never heard about: a branching story that depends on how you act.
Let's start with that.
Please stop me if you've heard this one before. You're a young man called Kyle
Katarn, and you just learned that your father got murdered by a Dark Jedi. You
embark on a trip for revenge and adventure, discovering meanwhile that you have
powers inside you that you didn't know. The power of the Force.
But that's unfair. After this rather familiar start, the game develops a story of its
own, a story that unfolds with each mission and that differs later on depending if
you choose the Dark Side or the Light Side. You'll find more and more about what
is going on when you finish the levels via cutscenes that mesh perfectly with the
story. Only in Realms of the Haunting I have seen live action video meshed so well
with the game.
The level design in Jedi Knight is impressive. The levels in the game are fully
working pieces of a greater world: you get aqueducts, ventilation system, innocent
by-standers fending off thugs, even bar brawls.
The weapon selection hasn't changed much since Dark Forces. Some weapons
have been modified, though. For example, the sequencer charges can now be set on
walls. There are only two additions: the tusken bowcaster, and the Jedi Light Saber.
Just let me say that when you find the light saber, the other weapons will start
gathering dust, and yes, you can deflect laser fire with it and chop arms off. Han
Solo never knew how wrong he was about old religions and blasters.
And speaking of which, the old religions are alive and well. One of the great
things Jedi Knight has are the Force Powers. There are 4 general force powers, and 5
for each side of the force. This introduces a small roleplaying element to the game,
since you have to assign Force Stars to these force powers and the number of Force
Stars they have assigned will indicate how strong you are in that power. Force Stars

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are won at fixed points during the game. I strongly suggest that you look for each
and every secret on a game, since that will get you an extra force star. The good
news is, secrets are relatively simple to find if you're careful. Hard to reach areas or
slightly cracked walls are premium candidates for secret rooms.
The music in Jedi Knight is a nice mix of John Williams' original soundtrack, and
is linked to the sections of the levels in a great way. For example, the generic music
will start to change to the Cantina Band Theme when you get near a bar. And I've
got to say that there is nothing more ominous that when the music suddenly goes
silent and start playing dark notes when you're about to open a massive door.
The game includes 21 levels, 7 of which are duels with Dark Jedi. These are maybe
the best part of the game, and you'll have to carefully examine their fighting
method, since there is not one technique that will work for all of them. They are
also played best from the third person view. Multiplayer games are quite good, and
here are two modes: Capture the Flag and Jedi Training (death match). But the
multiplayer games have a great twist on them, since each player can configure his
character both with different force powers and physically. If you're thinking Bobba
Fett with a light saber, you can get it.
And last but not least, this game might be one of the best reason to get a 3D
accelerator. It doesn't just give you eye candy, but the level of detail that is added to
the game is amazing. You'll be able to see traps better, you'll see the shadows your
light saber casts or displaces on dark corners, and you'll see it all with no
performance hit.
As if we weren't getting enough, the game is one of the most stable games I've
played. In the countless hours I've spent on it (having finished it twice, once for
each side of the force), it hasn't crashed on me even once. Not in multiplayer games,
not on the single player games. For all it's good things, there are a couple of things
that could have been improved. The two paths don't differ that much. They give
you a different set of force powers, and there is one duel that is different. Also, there
are a few more cutscenes in the Light Side, although the Dark Side has a quite more
satisfying ending; but I had hoped for at least an extra level for each side. Oh, and
the average enemy AI is just plain dumb. Once you relieve them from their
weapons, they'll just run around and not even try topick them up or punch you.
But don't worry, the duel AI more than makes up for the rest of the grunts.
While the cutscenes are good and the rendered scenes are great, the actor that plays
Kyle is just plain bad. I'm sure he was selected just because he looked like the art on
the first game, although the drawing was a better actor.
The game could also have used a replay camera la Tie Fighter for the duels and
some nice scenes that just happen. It is something that is sorely missing, and
apparently it is not going to be fixed in the upcoming expansion set.
But let's wrap things up. Believe me, if you've had the patience to read this far,
you should just go out and get Jedi Knight. If you have the bucks, get a Stealth II
while you're at it and play it with hardware acceleration. And when you're awed by
the architecture, just remember that it gets better as the game goes on.

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Tips and tricks

- The levels weren't thrown in at a whim, young jedi. When you are stuck on
some puzzle, try to act as you would if you were inside a Star Wars movie.
- Use the external camera Luke. At least when you're using the light saber.
- Use Force Pull on your enemies, and they will just run around like blind pigs
and you'll be able to do some nice saber practice on them.
- There is a point in the game where you can assign force stars to both light and
dark powers. Whatever stars you assign to the light side will be lost if you choose
the dark side later on, and the other way around.
- The AT-ST can be harmed only by explosions or your light saber.
- When dueling with the Dark Jedi, don't bother to use anything but the Light
Saber and your force powers. They seem to be almost immune to any other kind of
weapon.
- On multiplayer games, try the following: place 4 or 5 sequencers one on top of the
other, and then slowly walk away. The explosion will kill anyone nearby when it
goes off.

Review: Archimedean Dynasty

From Blue Byte and Massive Entertainment
Ricardo J. Mndez, ricardo@tecapro.com

4 1/2 out of 5
System Requirements
- 486/100MHz or better
(Pentium 90MHz
recommended), 8 MB
RAM (16
recommended)
- Hi-Color SuperVGA
640x480 (supports
3DGFX chips)
- Sound Blaster or
compatible sound card
- CD-ROM drive
(double speed or
better), joystick
recommended
Blue Byte Software (Publisher) http://www.bluebyte.com/
Massive Entertainment (Developer) http://www.massive.de/
Finally, it has happened. We blew one nuke too many, and humanity has been
forced to live under the sea by its own carelessness. There is has thrived for

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hundreds of years, clustering on several communities all around the globe, usually
where old underwater mines were set, separated of course by the same social issues
that divided them when on the surface.
Now it's the year 2661, some good 600 years after the cataclysm started
aboveground.
On that scenario your adventure starts. There you are, Emerald "Dead Eye" Flint,
one of the best sub pilots in all of Aqua, plowing along on the quiet seas, guarding a
sulphur shipment and wondering why someone thought that sulphur would need
such a high escort. But suddenly and seemingly out of nowhere a group strikes,
stealing the cargo you were guarding and destroying your sub with barely enough
time for you to escape on a life pod without a clue about who would want to steal
sulphur so bad as to attack a heavily guarded boat.
It also leaves you with bad news to report to your employer, a grumpy mancalled
El Topo, who sent you on the mission. Who might as well have set you up, for all
you know.
So begins Archimedean Dynasty. To be completely sincere, when I saw the
advertisement for the game on early 1997 I didn't take it too seriously. When a game
promises to be the "underwater simulation of the decade", with among other things
an "impressive arsenal of weapons", interaction "with hundreds of characters" and
a "realistic motion simulation", you just can't take it too seriously. But then I
started reading favorable reviews and comments about it, so I decided to go for it.
Well, I have to say that this game gets 99% of everything right. Even the box in
which the darned game comes in.
It's an amazing surprise to see a game that really delivers all that it claims on its
advertisements. But Archimedean Dynasty manages to deliver in almost each and
every aspect. There are a few details, but we'll get to them eventually. Let's first talk
about the game itself.
The long video introduction is not just window dressing, but the setting in a
carefully designed mix of action and adventure with a little dash of trading. Yes,
this game is not just another shoot-em-up, but has a storyline that you follow along
with its missions, and several side missions that you can choose to take if you wish.
We could say that there are two play modes, and you're constantly going from one
to the other during the game. One consists of traveling from city to city, having
conversations with the locals to gather information; upgrading, repairing or restocking your submarine; and maybe take on a mission or two. The other is the
combat mode, where you are on the sub and have to fight your way to whatever the
mission goals are.
The missions are plentiful, varied and interesting. Some consists of your typical
kind: protect someone, take a package from city A to city B, destroy ship X, etc; but
others are somewhat different, like escaping from pursuers or delivering and
picking up a diver who has to deliver a bomb.
What makes the missions really stand apart form the pack is the way that they are

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implemented. On a bodyguard mission you spend some time quietly swimming

along the mother ship with the other guards, listening to their engines and all of
their radio chat. Suddenly you an enemy sub comes into view and all your
comrades jump into action, their chatter changing. You can almost taste the switch
from boredom to sudden urgency on those messages.
The sub simulation is nothing to scoff at, either. Underwater currents are
simulated, and if you learn to ride them you can sometimes just turn off your
engines and glide along undetected by the enemies. Also, your ship's shape affects
it's performance underwater, as do the kind of engine you have put on it, the angle
at which you're going and a lot of other small details.
All of those details are explained in not one but two printed manuals. The User's
Manual has both the explanation of how the game works and all the background
information by way of stories, transcription of speeches, timelines and even a map
of how is the world organized today; and the Weapons Manual describes all the
different subs, vehicles, torpedoes, magazines, turrets, engines, armour and a host of
other add-ons, including software that will allow you to automate the turrets in case
you wish to do so.
Besides taking missions, another way that you can make money is a rather
simplistic implementation of trading. Some cities sell and buy equipment at higher
prices than others (and the way they're distributed makes perfect sense, by the way),
so you can make a pretty penny out of knowing where to sell that special magazine
you just got at a fair deal. Unfortunately, you can only sell the equipment you have
installed, and all the tripping back and forth can get a little repetitive.
But with all this banter we're leaving out the real star: the story. The problem
with the "sulphur" shipment is just the beginning on a intricate plot which is
further developed after you solved the problem. Every time you do something
relevant to the story, you'll be rewarded with a cutscene that advances it. All of
these are simple but great looking, and have voice overs by Flint himself explaining
what is going on, or rather, what he believes is going on. The actor they chose to
play Flint's voice really fills the part as the world-weary underwater warrior.
So, if it's so great why not give it a 5 out of 5? Well, it does have some minor
problems and details. The engine slowed down sometimes on my K6-166MHz on
uncomplicated scenes, but that's understandable since the engine is taking a lot of
items into account like about a three dozen ships, water current, torpedoes and so.
There were also some clipping problems, and on one weird occasion I found myself
at -100 meters *below* the bottom of the ocean, which is impossible. On a funny
detail, sometimes when you blow up a ship a small corpse stays floating on the
water but when you shoot at them the corpse explodes too, as if it was full of
powder. Also, some of the later missions can take you about half an hour to finish,
and since you can't save during a mission replaying them can get a little annoying.
And In these days of 3D acceleration, the vanilla graphics look a little bit dated.
When you get to the ending of the game, it's so satisfying that all this minor
quibbles don't really matter. And since Massive is working on a sequel, the best
thing you can do for yourself is getting Archimedean Dynasty right now that Blue

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Byte is offering it at the ridiculous price of US$10 and play your head out until the
second part comes along. I just hope that it includes Direct3D support.
Tips and tricks
- Stick to the bottom of the ocean
when being chased by torpedoes.
- The sonar helps, but not always.
When an enemy is trying to lock
on youfor a torpedo attack, turn it
off so that the your noise level is
reduced.
- When destroying turrets, turn off
sonar and engines (not the same as
juststopping) so that they don't detect you.
- Ride the currents whenever possible.
- Turret software to target torpedoes helps, but it is better to have software that
targets your enemies, even if with a low accuracy. That way you'll keep them too
busy to fire any torpedoes at all.
- Some places sell equipment at a higher price than others, so you can make a pretty
penny via arms dealing. Later on the game and depending on what you trade, you
can make over 30,000 credits on one trip. And believe me, you'll need the money to
pay for all the upgrades.
(Graphics for this review were downloaded from the developers and distributorss
web sites.)