Nameless Horrors And Some Fell on Stony Ground By Pau Fricker “Lam in the Pitte, but I have gone so deep that T ‘an see the brightness ofthe Starres at Noon” — Peter Ackroyd, Hawksmoor Introduction ‘The scenario is suitable for two to six players, taking the role of townsfolk caught up in the midst of chaos. ‘This scenario is set in the 1920s, in the friendly small-town America we all know from television and the movies. People buy groceries atthe general store and greet each other on their way to work in the mornings. Kids play barefoot in the street. Any minor feuds, gossip, ‘or rumors only serve to add a litte spice to the otherwise happy-but-mundane lives of the townsfolk, ‘As you would expect, this is all about to change. A professor on the outskirts of town has discovered a way, to transform people’s lives. He shares his discovery with his friends and neighbors and, before long, the small town is anything but typical. The residents are increas- ingly converted to either one of the masters (Blessed) o cone of the slaves (Broken), ‘The town is a pressure cooker and partway through the game it will explode. When that happens, slaughter and mayhem ensue, leaving the investigators to fight for their very lives Overview of the Story ‘The game opens with an action scene. This is then likely to be followed by a period of investigation as the investi- gators get to the root cause of what is wrong in the town. After that is resolved, the second half of the game takes the form of survival horror, and is likely to feature com- boat and chase scenes, The game has a natural end point, and built-in support should the investigators decide to leave town eatiy If the Keeper pushes the pace of play then this sce- nario should be playable in one session. If you prefer a slower boil it could extend over two sessions. Adapting the Scenario Notes on using existing investigators rather than the pre-geneated ones ae provided (see The In- vestigators. page 84). Note that the investigators (and players) are likely to fee! more connected to the story if they have some personal investment in the town and its inhabitants. The town of Stowell, in which the scenario is set, could be exchanged for the hometown of existing investigators, Background for the Keeper Professor Melvin Hatt isa bachelor who, for many years, has lived alone in an old house on the edge of town. Asan amateur astronomer, Professor Hart has built a number of telescopes, and has converted his conservatory into an observatory. Recently, he fashioned a lens for his telescope that allows him to see things no man has seen before. Two weeks ago, using his new lens, he focused on a dim star that he was unable to find in any of his books. ‘As Professor Hart stared into the void, something touched his thoughts. He is now in tune with a con- sciousness that he refers to as the “Great Mind.” Every day for two weeks Professor Hart has gazed up at that same area of night sky, and each time he has understood the universe more flly.In game terms the experience has boosted his Cthulhu Mythos score tremendously. ‘The Great Mind is not selfish with its gift, and Professor Hart has shared the revelation with others Some react well to it and their minds expand with fresh understanding, They are referred to as the “Blessed.” But some fall on stony ground and fail to take root. For them. the Great Mind is incomprehensible or plain terrifying ‘These poor souls are referred to as the “Broken.” ‘The experience of looking through the telescope is something akin to viewing an optical illusion. Ttean take And Some Fell on Stony Ground84 44 moment for the person to really connect with what they are looking at. Then, Bam! It hits their mind lke a fieight train, sending them mentally reling as they try to get a hold on reality. Their mind is suddenly tuned into the Great Mind, and they understand the universe in a way thal was previously inconceivable, Touching the ‘Great Mind might be compared to being shown a fourth dimension or hearing the voice of God. Not everyone can cope with the experience. Some crack. Those who don't crack receive an understanding of the world and their place in it, This understanding bolsters them and they immediately start to see what they were doing wrong all this time. Whatever their profession or vocation, they suddenly become better at it In time they might become leading exponents in their field, Each one in their own way, is exploring and extending their kills and knowledge, as granted to them by the Great Mind. Fach is pushing forward in their own field of art and science, and one day soon they will come together to share their learning forthe good of humanity At that time the contents of their various minds will be correlated, and a new age will be born for all humanity AAs Lovecraft wrote in 1926: The sciences, each straining in its ewn direction, have hitherto harmed us litle; bt some day the piecing together of dissociated knowledge will open up such terrifying vistas of reality, and of our {rightful position therein, that we shall either go mad from the revelation o fle fromthe light into the peace and safety of a new dark age. ALP Lovecraft, The Call of Cthulhu ‘Then there are those who crack. For them the Great Mind is too bright and its touch burns their minds, leaving them afllcted. There are many ways in which the side effects manifest among the Broken ones. Some be- come violent and destructive, and have to be restrained ‘These people ate locked away to be used as experimental subjects by the town’s leading scientists, or butchered as sacrifices to the Great Mind. For others the side effects are more manageable and they are kept as slaves to per~ form the menial tasks and chores that would otherwise waste the time ofthe Blessed Every night more people look through the telescope. With each day that passes the Blessed are taking contro of the town, and more and more of its infrastructure is being delivered using the Broken slaves. Any calls for outside assistance from neighboring towns or cities are ignored once a call is made to Stowell’s police, who are keen to quash any dissent. The Blessed are keen that life in Stowell should be seen as normal to passers-through and those in neighboring towns. The public face of Stow- cll, such as gas stations and diners, is mostiy under their control already. Nameless Horrors Broken The Investigators ‘The game begins two weeks after Professor Hart first made contact with the Great Mind. Events have escalated gradually, but are now reaching a crescendo, Over the last few days the investigators’ lives have each been affected in some way. Only now are they beginning to realize that something is seriously wrong, Six backgrounds for the pre-generated investigators are provided (see Appendix B: Handouts). Each handout is repeated (following) along with a Keeper's note detailing what has occurred. A later section (Pushing the Players, see page 90) provides the Keeper with ideas on how to escalate these events and incorporate them into the game. Keeper's Information about the Pre-Generated Investigators Wesley Frost (pre-generated investigator) Glenda Ferguson, the sister of Wesley Frost, lives in town, After attending church on Sunday, she and her family’ drove to the Professor Hart's house, and each looked through the telescope. Both the sister and her husband are now Broken, but their welve-year old twin daugh- ters, Shitley and Maxine, are both Blessed, Glenda is somewhat mindless, but Donald, her spouse, was rendered dangerous and has been sedated, And Some Fell on Stony Ground