c A L E N D A R Dates in bold type are the days ofthe new moon. Undertined dates are the days ofthe fll moon. october November December som Tower Fos su Tt w'y Fos su wy Fos ar arr falas 5 7,8 8 to tt iz t3 45678 8 10 204 5 6 7 8 {a So te 7 te 13 20 ty fe fo te ts te 7 § jo t t2 fo i 3s 21 2 23 24 28 28 27 38 19 20 2 m2 23 24 te 17 18 19 20 21 2 ba 23 50 31 23 28 28 2 30 28 24 25 28 27 2B 28 50 at January Febru March sur wr fs sur wt Fos smt"w't fe § fle ce se aioe i 2 42 67 8 8 Wt i a 456 7 8 8 345 6 7 8 8 fa t4 is Ge 17 13 10 fo tr fz ta is Ss te fo 11 i2 13 t4 is te 202 2 23 me a 2 7 ie 1e 0 2 17 38 19 20 21 BoB a 20 30 30 31 24 25 26 Br 28 24 28 28 27 20 39 30 31 April May June sur wres sur Wres suit wrt rs ween sg 8 v2 3 8 : 7 8 8 fo tH 2 fs BE eh rasa 08 10/1 2945 6 7 8 tq is te 17 18 19 20 2 fo ta is te 17 18 $ io 1 te i 14 Is 21 22 23 24 28 26 27 19 20 21 22 23 24 28 So 17 We 19 20 21 Pe) 26 dy ba 20 30 Ht 2 24 28 26 27 28 8 50 ut August September smrWres sur Wr eos eeu ewer rs yoo sg 123 $2 a8 5 6 78 9 Yo 1 iz ig 45 6 7 8 3 9 a 8 fo ty te ts t4 fe ts To 17 18 19 20 ty fo fo is ts te 7 fs 16 17 4B 19 20 at Bt 22 23 24 25 28 27 38 19 20 21 2 23 mt 22 23 26 25 26 27 28 2 26 30 3 25 26 72 33 29 30 31 2 30 october November December smr wT Fs suit wt Fos su rew'T fos T2734 8 53 Pa 5 6 Fe 6 7 8 8 10 tt te 245678 8 & 8 40 1 32 19 t4 13 4 15 16 7 a 19 fo ty 2 13 t4 ts ie fs fe i 18 19 20 21 20 21 22 23 24 2 28 Wa 19 20 we 2 Bm 2 26 7 2 28 29 30 St 24 25 26 or 28 29 90 39 30 51 January February March eu aver ts sur wt Fos suit iWw'T Fos v2 5 8 ; : 567 8 8 10 1 2345 6 7 8 2945 67 8 i2 3 ta ts ig 17 ie & fo i iz ta 4 is § jo ti 2 ts Je ts 13 20 Bt 2 23 4 25 fe 7 ie 19 20 2 fe 17 i 19 20 2 2 28 27 28 23 30 St 23 24 28 26 27 BABB 7 Be 50 Apa May une sur Wres sur Wres surwres 256 8 12 3 $238 5 eT, 67 8 9 10 1 iz 456 78 8 10 8 8 to ia iz ts ta fa is ts te 7 18 19 ty ig fe ts Ss to 7 Ss te 17 1 18 20 21 2b 21 22 23 26 25 26 ja 1 20 21 2 2s mH 22 23 2 23 26 7 2B 27 28 39 30 28 26 27 26 20 30 3 2 50 say August ‘September OU use y 0 sw Wt es surew rr s 123 4 8 12 S234 5 6 678 3 it 34567 8 8 78 8 to tt ie iy fo i4 is 36 17 ie 19 fo ty fe 3 t6 Gs te ta fs fo 17 te 13 20 20 2 22 23 24 28 2 M7 18 1 20 21 2 2 2122 23 24 28 28 27 be 39 30 St 2 25 28 27 2a 29 30 23 2% 3 3 october November December ea) tw eS sw wT Fos surew 't Fs 123 4 i fe 2ese asi 56 78 8 11 2345 6 7 8 7 8 8 to tt a2 fo i2 So ts is te 17 18 & to 1 2 is te ts i4 is 16 17 te 19 20 39 20 2 22 23 2 25 fo 17 We 19 20 2 a 21 22 23 24 25 28 27 28 27 be 29 30 51 eee) 23 29 30 3 This page may be photocopied for personal uso only. 1994 John H. Crowe, Il!IT Am The Ancient and my sorrow is great. Zant OF CONGR WAR 2 7 189 stars is the breath I tvaw and my Veins are as ice. I am humbled; I am reduced. But the keys of old shall yet find doors of yielding, and my fury shall find release on the cold ice and the burning sands alike, and my voice shall again be heard among the stars, and the spaces between them...“al Ia! Iehaqua, Ithaqual Ail Ail Ail Tthaqua ef ayak vulgemm vugtlagla vulgtmm. Ithaqua fhatagnl ‘August Derleth, “Beyond the Threshold’ by John H. Crowe, TII PrALGFACN. PeueB les HoleNp Ge oben EE osEeNe las, WALKER IN THE WASTES BY JOHN H. CROWE, III EDITOR & GRAPHIC DESIGNER JOHN TYNES ILLUSTRATOR DENNIS DETWILLER COVER ARTIST BLAIR REYNOLDS COVER DESIGNER JEFF BARBER PROOFREADER BRIAN A. APPLETON TECHNICALILLUSTRATOR JEFF BARBER PLAYTESTERS BRIAN A. APPLETON e ROGER BOLTON 0 STEPHEN BUCK e CHARLIE CONLEY ev HERIBERTO DEL PORTO co DENNIS DETWILLER 2 MICHAEL GAYFIELD o> MARC GOTOH © C. RAYMOND LEWIS 2° PETER LINK e2 CHRIS MANTERIA 2° ANGELA NIRCHI 2 CRAIG PETTUS o DANIEL RAAB © DAN STARK e JOHN TYNES e HEATHER VAN BLADAL © KEVIN VAN BLADAL Walker in the Wastes is a campaign published by Pagan Publishing for the Call of Cthulhu™ roleplaying game. Itis purely a work of fiction and any resemblance to people or events of the past or present is coincidental and. unintentional. "Call of Cthulhu"™*is Chaosium, Inc.'s trademarked game of horror and wonder, and is used with, their kind permission. The text of “Walker in the Wastes" is ©1994 John H. Crowe, Ill. Cover illustration is ©1994 ‘Tynes Cowan Corporation. Interior illustrations are ©1994 Dennis Detwiller. Quotations from other sources are © the respective authors. Everything else is ©1994 Tynes Cowan Corporation. No portions of this work may be reproduced by any means without permission ofthe relevant copyright holders, with the exception of pages 204- 215 and the inside covers, which may be photocopied for personal use only. All rights reserved worldwide. If you have questions or comments, send a SASE to: Pagan Publishing, 1910 N. 49th St; Seattle, WA 98103; USA. cee aera io) BY cCHAOSIUM, INC.Introduction - elcome to Pagan Publishing’ first fll length Call of Cthulhu campaign. Within this vol- ‘ume canbe found fourteen linkedadventuresand all the background material and player aids necessary to runthem. Ifyou intendto bea playerinthiscampaign, read nofurther. Avert youreyes,closethisbook,andlockitaway insecure place sealed with EiderSigns.Ontheotherhand, ifyou intend to moderate this and are reading these words, you have already demonstrated excellent judgement. ‘As with any campaign or scenario, reading the entire text thoroughly and completely is important. This is the greatest single piece of advice the author can give, The sheer size of the campaign demands that the moderator (from here on referred to as the "Keeper’) take time beforehand to prepare. IFreading all the adventures is not practical or seems overwhelming, ead the fist one afew times, and become familiar withthe support material given. inthe Resources section. They are not there to waste paper orlook pretty. They provide valuable information that can, ‘make orbreakthe campaign. Asyouprogress,eachadven= ture canbe tackled individually, but donot forgetthatthere isan ongoing storyline thatthe investigators need to inter- act with in order to succeed in the end. Despite its length, Walker in the Wastes is relatively simple fo understand, The basic premise has been taken froman analysis of real life religions and has been inspired in par by Brian Lumley's shor story “Bom of the Wind, ‘AugustDerleth’s*Ithaqua,"*The Thing That Walkedonthe Wind,’ and "Beyond the Threshold," and a number of historical incidents. A thorough overview of the campaign can be found on pages 6-10, but in brief, the investigators are battling Ithaqua and a cult worshipping him. If they succeed, Ithaqua can be kept in a relatively weak position for at least for a while, but failure could result in mass devastation worldwide. Despite this, thaqua generally remainsa menace hovering in the background rather than NPC can determine the group Luck rol 4 Introduction ‘ons on SAN ssn is campair SAN Tos comes i to ms rom reading Books and fom winessng a shocking cane nay nen oadng boot, Svs bole oath (lessor aknming book hate secondo imalloer case, tte ice tevin eccodsin a SAN wi ho sand occur when te i fad Noone gout rotate cameo go xa be ma Tite aot ans he | lovetPOW raingn be group, For xapl our ostgatr ae belgian aparmatanaaae ven offends tind | Inte tot only owen POW among te or ares keno account Kegprs sald vs quston te lptinay of Gloucs evan has POM rang mera Sor 40re, The Keopermust dec lhe ost wterine POW ofa andy animmediatethreat ready to pounce. Unlike Nyarlathotep, he very rarely interacts with humans. ‘As the campaign progresses, there are opportunities fornew characterstobe introduced and forinvestigatorsto improve themselves. At the conclusion of each chapter, investgatorsshouldbe permittedtomake theirskillchecks. “Atlonger intervals, bonuses and penalties in Sanity (SAN) pointsare dstibuted to both player charactersandifriendly rnon-player characters. By the end, survivors will probably bemuch poorerin the monetary sense, but canbe satisfied that they have had a great impact on the welfare of the planet “This volume is not a game by ise. When running it, hhave a copy of two of the Call of Cthulhu rules available. COtherthan that allthatisneededare the usualdice, pencils, paper, etc. A character sheet provided in the Resources section may be photocopied for useby players andisideal since i ists a numberof skillsimportant here that are not provided on the character sheets in the main rules. The authors intention isthat the presence ofthese skillson the sheet willinspre playersto purchasethemsincemany may otherwise resist doing so. Finally, prior to beginning, the author recommends thatthe Keeper read all the works of August Derleth and. Brian Lumley listed in the bibliography. Further, for those ‘withthe time and inclination, itis probably ideal to read a litle on the Inuit, the Arctic, and Babylonian religions ‘ouside of whats given inthis volume. Again, the bibiog- raphy contains numerous excellent sources which the Keeper may refer to. "Now that the administrative garbage is complete, you areready oread and ran Walker nthe Wastes. The author hopesall whoreadthisenjoyitasmuchashedidincreating it. Good luck! John H. Crowe, IIT January 13, 1993 forinionsvereading Walker in the WastesIntroduction Resources Campaign Overview Investigator Sheet World Map. Timetable & Locations About Ithaqua Child of the Wendigo Rituals ofthe Cult ‘whaqua's Many Names Legends & Folklore The Inuit “The Arctic Airships Aerial Combat New Spells & Skills Prologue: The Dead Of Winter Contents 6 ul 2 4 15 16 18 2 a 2» 31 3B 35 39 ‘Chapter One: Into the Realm of the Wind-Walker 59 Chapter Two: Onward to Endurance Chapter Three:Secrets ofthe Kuriles Red Herring: Chirihoi Chapter Four:The Camden Project Red Herring: The Osbrook House ‘Chapter Five: Camden's Dark Twin ‘Chapter Six:The Flight Noth ‘Chapter Seven: A Time For Decisions Red Herring: The Monolith Chapter Incident in iraq Chapter Nine: Seizing the Tablets Chapter Ten: Day of Reckoning Miscellany Player Aids Bibliography & Suggested Reading Index Afterword Contributors 3 8 103 120 127 204 216 218 22 23 Walker in the Wastes is a campaign that took well over four years to research, wite, rewrite, playtst, and prepare for publication. to acca the autho through various stages of urout and wir’ block and provided valuable advice to Bran Appleton who provided some ofthe early insplraton and latar suggestions. To John Tynes goes the greatest credit n ation Several points. Many thanks go {0 provcing some of the early background material onthe Inui, he assistd in smoothing out the Inconsistencies and fleshing out some sections. Final, the character Reinhold Blair was inpitad by some ofthe rolepiaying expla of tustatorBalr"Shoa" Reynols, ation ofthe author and ecto. These heinous gentlemen have long been patent wih the sometimes tomperamontal author of his work and to all of hem goes his undying gratitude. Thanks guys! I | ‘Obviously, na project of such magnitude, no reasonable person can clam allo the ced forts ceaton.Twoindivduals were kind enough Walker in the Wastes Contents & Acknowledgements 5Ss O U R C £E §& Campaign Overview any centuriesago, lthaqua was major deity wor- ipped worldwide under numerous names and. interpretations. Many of the world’s wind, storm, andweatherdeities wereactually thaqua, Quetzalcoat for the Aztecs, Susa-no-wo for the Japanese, Sila for the Inuit, Lei-Kung for the Chinese, Enlil for the Babylonians, and ‘Tha-thka for the Hitites are only a few of the many examples, Ithaqua’s worshipand influence were worldwide until he became embroiled in a conflict with the Elder Gods. He ‘was overwhelmed and had much of his life essence torn from him, cripplinghis powers when south of the equator. His essence was sealed in a mystical place known as the ‘Temple of the Winds, at the North Pole, within a chamber known as the Vault of Souls. The Great Seal locking the Vault isa huge Elder Sign which Ithaqua cannotapproach stymied in this manner for centuries, Ithaqua has been limited to the use of proxies — his human worshippers — inhis vain attemptsatbreaking the GreatSealandrestoring, his powers. Only now has humanity developed the technology to traveltoand surviveatthe North Pole. To further confound Ithaqua, the Temple of the Winds exists only for one twenty-four hour period every year. Not surprisingly, it arrivesonly on the day of the winter solstice, atime of total darkness (twilightactually) and harshextremesin coldand severe weather, Ithaqua wants his human (and non-hu- rman) followersto remove the Great Seal, thus releasing his life essence. Ifthis occurs, thhaqua’s power would increase astronomically and he would nolongerbecontained inthe ‘world’s frozen northem regions. The impact on humanity would be disastrous, The Cult of Ithaqua ‘The Cult of Ithaqua (for ack of a better term since it has no formal name) is composed of members from many ethnic ‘groups, nationalities, and social classes, Not surprisingly, a sizable percentage is Inuit or Native American, but many Europeans, North Americans, and Asians are members ‘On the surface, it seems like yet another esoteric religion (much like Buddhism) which is only in the early part ofthe twentieth century gaining adherence outside of 6 — Campaign Overview Resourcesdtsfounders. The membersofthecultcredititwith the usual things: reforminglives, bringing peace, uniting individuals, across lines of nationality and race, etc. Unlike other eso- tericreligionsof the time, the CultofIthaqua hasa very real and immediate goal: to make the great pilgrimage to the ‘Temple of the Winds, and to break the Great Seal, Few of the cults members understand the importance of this act, and fewer sill are fully aware of their deity’ ultimately malevolent nature. ‘The cult is generally non-violent and uses violence only if forced t0 oF fit is deemed necessary. The general attitude of atypical cutis isthat Ithaqua must be freed and nothing may stand in the way of this. Gratuitous violence and devastation willbe avoided andthe cultwillnot merely tumaway from wounded and injured people. Inthe event of disaster, wounded cult membersand even investigators may be dumped in front of a nearby hospital. Ifa conflict seems to be pointless, they will be open to negotiating though surrender is not an option in most cases. ‘Most have a sense that Ithaqua’s ascension is inevi- table. There slitle contempt for non-cultstsand most cult members easily blend into their respective societies and cultures. Not all fit this patter, however, Some, such as, Dyenen of the Blue Seal clan and Reinhold Blair of the Alaska cult tobe describediater), are moremalevolentand dabolical than a typical cult member. Overall, Ithaqua cultists are mostly inoffensive and non-threatening, Dueto the importance of the current cult plan, however, violent tactics are more likely to be employed than they would be ina normal situation. ‘Throughout the scenario, those cultists specifically described are given a SAN rating of zero, However, this is not true ofall cultists. Many have reasonably normal SAN ratingsand are tre believersin Ithaqua and his power. All hhave taken at least some SAN loss due to rituals and other causesand ll priests, elders, and leaders have no SAN, No ‘member of the cult has to make SAN rolls versus unusual phenomena since this is not unexpected and would be taken in stride (SAN loss may be assigned, but no negative effects would result other than to make the person more devoted) The Cult Master Plan ‘The cult has an elaborate plan designed to obtain the release of Ithaqua’s life essence from the Temple of the Winds. At four locations — Alaska, the Kurile Islands of Japan, New Jersey, and northern New York state — great airshipsare being constructed to provide a means of tavel ‘othe North Pole. Except forthe New Jersey dirigible, all of the projects are secret and unknown to any outside the cult. The New Jersey airship is a public project funded by numerous sponsors, including Goodyear, the U.S. Navy, and Howard Resources Hughes, and scentraltoan expedition which is supposed. tobe the firsttoflyo the Nom Pole on the winter solstice. Funds and materials from this project have been secretly diverted to facilitate the construction of the New York airship. ‘The Kuriles airship has been plagued with aumerous problems and recently, the project was indefinitely post poned, Instead, 2 small leet of aircrafts being assembled Each is being modified for polar service and this back-up planis going well Ifenough wamingisreceived and there seems to be enough incentive (such as knowledge ofthe destruction of other airships), the Kusiles airship could be constructed though it might be a rush jo. Inadditiontothe aforementioned airshipsand aircraft several individual aircraftare scheduled tofly from several farflunglocalesinordertoback up theairshipsand provide ‘ground crews at the destination. The airships and aircraft are supposed to converge on the North Polejustpriortothe ‘inter solstice of 1930 where they will disgorge scores of armed and well-equipped cultists ‘Once atthe North Pole, the cultists intend to enter the ‘Temple of the Winds and blow up the Great Seal with dynamite, thus releasing the life essence of Ithaqua. Once the seal is breached, thaqua's power will increase astro rnomically. No longer will he be confined to the northera, ‘wastes of the world, Rather, his reach will extend every- whereandwillhaveamassiveimpactuponthe worldasthe investigators know it Foiling the Plot IF the investigators do their job well, the only cultists who arrive at the North Pole will be those in individual aircraft More likely, one or two of the airships will also make it, as well as at least part ofthe fleet of aircraft from the Kuries. ‘The frst several chapters of the campaign will see the investigators doing a lot of research and deduction, with frequent effort at sabotage. Their goal should be twofold: first, to slow or haltas many of the cul'’splansas possible Second, to secure their own transpor to the North Pole as a final contingency against any successful cult fights. Should they fail als not lost — in fact, the campaign does not end at the Temple of the Winds. During their research, the investigators may leam of the Tablets of Destiny, Sumerian arifacts that could be used to weaken Ithaqua for a hundred years. The last four chapters ofthe campaign detail the investigators’ efforts at recovering these ancient weasures. Butthe ithaqua cult also has a use for the Tablets, and the final showdown is sure to be ‘memorable for your group. ‘The campaign ultimately ends with a moral dilemma for the investigators (and the players) to resolve, for the price of keeping Ithaqua at bay is measured in human blood, Campaign Overview 7Advice & Suggestions Walker in the Wastes is 2 long and complex campaign spanning the 1927 to 1931 or 1932 period. Technically, it begins in the early months of 1927 when the investigators are recruited fora two-year Arctic expedition. The expedi- tion departs in June of 1927 though actual action does not begin until November of 1928. Afterthe expedition ends in June, 1929, the group proceeds with the main body of the ‘campaign which runs non-stop until at least 1931, and possibly much longer. ‘Theauthorspentseveral years writing and researching, this campaign with the research alone amounting to hun- dreds of hours. Ths is partof the reason for the bulk of this volume. The complexity of the research combined with thatof the story demanded that his section be compiled to assist the Keeperin moderating the campaign. Itisstrongly ‘emphasized that only experienced Keepers who are will- ing to put the time into studying the storyline, characters, and background material take on a campaign of this mag, nitude. Inexperienced Keepersand those who failto famil- jarize themselves withthe contents willhaveadifficulttime handling this. Judge your abilities and determine what time you are willing o spend studying this before you even try to recruit players. Simply reading it once will not do. Active and repeated study is required though no additional outside sourcesareneeded, Okay, ifyouhavenotyetbeen daunted by this paragraph, the next three sections will hopefully make life a litle easier for you. Note that information provided here lacks specific details so it may be wise 10 return (o this section after reading the entire volume once ortwice Prologue: The Dead Of Winter ~The Dead Of Winter" is the type of scenario that should take no more than a few aftemoons to run, Itis reasonably simple and action is contained 10 a small portion of the Canadian Arctic. Init, the investigators, along with some NPC companions, compose an expedition charged with conducting general research on the region plus in-depth research on the remains of the Franklin Expedition as well asthe Inuit, They havealready been inthe areaforwellover ayearandareaccustomedtothe environmentandthe local Inuit population, Unfortunately, they are hampered by the fact that itis winter and that itis non-stop night for months onend. Environmental concerns aside, the main focus of the scenario is the recent escape ofa hibernating Gnoph-Keh froma kind of magical prison, Unrelated tothe Gnoph-Keh 8 — Campaign Overview Resourcesisa group of degenerate Inuit bent on gaining the favor of ‘dark god ofthe winds they call Sila (whichisanothername for Ithaqua), All other Inuit in the region are friendly and cengageintrade and other interaction withthe investigators. Asthe scenario progresses, the investigators should consult the local Inuit for information unless they go off half- cocked and try to huntthe Gnoph-Keh. The latter tactic will likely result in some of their deaths, but should convince them they are dealing with a powerful creature with pos- sible paranormal abilities. Sooner orlater, they should consult the local Inuitand eventually contact the Red Caribou clan, the * protectors" of| theregion Ifthey faltobelieve inthe supernatural andthus failtoseek nuitaidinthe formof magicandrituals, they will have a tough time here, However, witnessing the Gnoph- eh or perhaps the surnmoning of Sila at the camp of the Blue Seal lan should erase any doubtthatthe Inuitare the key. Inanextreme case, the leaderofthe Blue Seal clan may send a tupilak, a kind of supernatural creature made of, snow and/or animal parts, 10 torment the trespassing investigators though this should not be necessary. By the end of the scenario, the investigators, both player characters and non-player characters alike, should bbe staunch believers in the paranormal and will be recep- tive (0 future paranormal solutions to various problems. ‘Overall, “The Dead Of Winter” is short and should result in few, ifany, deaths though the injury rate may be quite high, ‘perhaps due to the effects of the environment as opposed to the actions of the bad guys. Chapters One through Six “The Dead Of Winter" essentially an introduction and a way to provide the group experience and incentive 10 continue. Chapter One: Infothe Realmofhe Wind-Walker marks the begining ofthe grand scheme free thaqua's lfeessence nordertoallowhimtobecomeamassiveforce inthe word ‘Not surprisingly, the rest of the campaign becomes quiteinvolvedand may pose someseriousproblemsforthe Keeper Almostfrom the starethere canbe problems, Fis, some players may decide that having exhausted survivors from the Prologue embark on a new expedition this time to Alaska, isunreasonable,Thatiscerainly ine. They may generate new charactersand save the retired ones for later tise as replacements. However, a east some should con: tinue on in order to provide vital knowledge and motva- tin for evens to come. The overall problem isasfollows. The CultofIhaqua istyingto release haqua’slife essence (orsoul or spititor ‘whatever you wantto cal from a mystical place known asthe Temple ofthe Winds, They are dedicated tothis end and serve as pawns of sors though they are mostly inde- pendent of Ithaqua, The investigators must discover the planand counter, One problem they Face isthe fact that Resources the cult will execute their plan in December of 1930 which gives the investigators only eighteen or so months to act. ‘This should be plenty of time, but there area series of red herrings hat may rip them up. lus, the cultisn'tjust sitting aroundbilithely waiting forthe good guystocome charging over the proverbial hill ike the 7th Cavalry “Thwarting the cult will notbe easy. The first stage isto discover the cultbase in Alaska, leam the cul’ plans, and, if possible, destroy the airship there, The investigators do notneedtogetaway with everythingand maybeledastray by any number of false leads, However, as long as they escape with a general idea of what is going on, everything, isfine. Essentially, they must know what the cults doing, (they're secretly assembling several airships around the world fora trip to the North Pole), when they are doing it (the arrival time is just prior to the winter solstice of 1930), and where action ishappening airbasesexistinthe Kuriles, Camden, New Jersey and Camden, New York). While it would be nice to know wy, itis unnecessary at this point Allthey must know is that if the cult succeeds in whatever they are doing, the world isin fora really hard time. The information can be obtained by capturing plans atthe cult base and the date of the final mission (winter solstice, 1930) ‘maybe obtained froman InuitorTlingitshamanwhoenters a trance to consult spirits, Even the location ofthe Temple Of the Winds may be revealed by a shaman though the airships should not be revealed in this manner. ‘Once they escape Alaska, life is fatty simple in a ‘general sense, Essentially, the group must go around the ‘world bustingairships. The more they destroy now, theless they have todeal with later. I they fail to hitsome, oreven all, that'sokay. Even ifthey nail every airship, they muststill travel to the North Pole at the appointed time in order to make sure some cultaircraft orunknown airship didn't get there anyway. Try to emphasize that they must be there prior to the winter solstice since the Temple of the Winds amives at 12.00.01 AM. on December 21 and stays until midnight Ifthey were toariveat noon, the cultwouldhave broken the Great Seal and Ithaqua would already be free. Oops. ‘Obviously, Chapters One through Six are much more involved than this and the body count may get fairly high. However, intelligent play should be rewarded by the Keeper. Ifthe group cooperates and acts like a team and, makes intelligent decisions and plans, they should prob- ably be given a break when and where appropriate. Poor roleplaying, bad decisions, and group infighting may be punished as the Keeper deems fit, but such punitive mea- sures should be used to prod them on to better paths, not justto cause pain and aggravation. ‘One important note remains here. In this campaign, there shouldbe anopportunity forthe investigatorstoleam, some magic. maybe from Invitor ingitshamansorfrom capturedcultjoumalsorboth. MostNative American magic should be off-limits and remain in the hands of shamans Campaign Overview 9only. However, certain spells (most notably Dismiss Sila) ‘may be taught, perhaps outof the knowledge thathelping these valiant “Europeans and Americans" can lead to the salvation of the world. (Of great importance also is some Cthulhu Mythos magic, most notably the Ritual of Knowledge. This ritual can be vital in Chapter Ten when (i) the investigators capture the Tablets of Destiny and are tying to figure out how touse them, While itis Mythos magic, itcertainly may be known by an Inuit shaman who may pass the know!- edge on to investigators he honestly believes ae tying 10 defeat Sila and keep humanity safe. He will wam against use of the ritual except in the most important of eircum- stances since itis believed to be dangerous black magic. ‘Thisisan understatement, buthe knowsofnoone who has, ever performed it.Ithey do use it, the results should come asa complete surprise and may result in some ofthe group being injured or killed Chapters Seven through Ten ‘Once the conflict atthe Temple of the Winds has been resolved, the investigators must find the final solution 10 their problems — the Temple, afterall, returns and is vulnerable every single year. By tis time, they may have realized thata certain Sumerian artifact, believed by schol- arstobe mythical, actualy existsandis probably the key to slamming the door in Ithaqua’s face for the duration. This anifactis the Tablets of Destiny, also known asthe Tablets of Fateorthe tupsimati However, unlessthe groupsplitup, they should have had their hands tied jus trying to counter the cult plans for the strike at the Temple ofthe Winds ‘Now they may seek the Tablets unhindered by other priorities. Infact, the Tablets are the only viable option for the group since (1) itis evident the cut also believes them to be important (in theory, thaqua revealed this informa- tion to his disciples and there would be no reason for him to lie to the cult) and (2) there are no other decent leads. Furthermore, unless they can find a way to completely eradicate the cult, something which isimpossible due to its size and diversity, they will simply keep striking at the ‘Temple of the Winds every winter solstice until they are finally victorious. ‘The search forthe Tabletsisan involved one requiring a trip to the British Museum and ultimately an encounter with an elderly scholar named Herbert Whiley. However, three red herrings are present that may lead them astray. ‘Two are rather devastating, One can be an expedition to Nippur where the Tablets may be thought to be housed if, the investigators go off half-cocked or are just grasping at straws. The other is a Serpent Man entombed near the location of the Tablets. Should he be inadvertently awak- ened and not quickly dealt with, he may seize the Tablets and lead the group on a merry chase around the world, Finally, the cult is also seeking the Tablets and will send 10 Campaign Overview ‘groups out to find the Tablets as well as groups out to kill the investigators Ifthe cult gains the Tablets, they will eventually rans- por them to British Columbia where they may be used in therrtualto free Ithaqua, As with the Serpent Man, thismay involve a mult-continent pursuit though this time the ‘group Would face a band of well-equipped and intelligent cultists, notatone, woefully uninformed Serpent Man. Ifthe cult does succeed in using the Tablets, the campaign ends with a total defeat for the group and the ruination of the ‘world ‘Another possibiltyisfor the investigatorstoobiainthe ‘Tablets, Leamingiouse them isdificultandwill mostlikely occurthroughthe use ofthe Riualof Knowledge. Ifthey re successfully used against Ithaqua, they remain (probably) inthe hands ofthe investigators. A section is provided that details how the Tablets impact the investigators in the period after the campaign. It should be noted that they are a powerful artifact not meant for human use and possess ‘reat potential for abuse. ‘Obviously, thisshortsynopsiscannotstandonitsown, ‘The Keeper should read the rest of this volume then return here. At that point it may serve to enlighten since many elements mentioned here are out of context and in poor detail Itshould be emphasized that during playtesting, al sortsof strange possbiltesarose. Infact, the groupsranthe ‘gamut One wastotaly eradicated during ChapterTwoand thatsession resultedin otal victory for thaquaandthe cult However, another group survived until the end and suc- ceeded in using the Tablets to destroy Ithaqua’s grand scheme. They did so with the lossof only one investigator. Obviously, there are innumerable possibilities with a cam- paign of this size. The effort has been made to take into accountasmany contingenciesas possible, including some thatareonly remote possibilities. However, thereisnoway fortheauthor(oreventhe Keeper) to anticipate everything, and you must be prepared forall sors of obtuse angles, strange plot twists, unusual investigator plansand actions, and the like. Iffor no other reason, this is why the Keeper ‘mustbe thoroughly versed in the material presented inthis, book, from character names and profiles to relevant his- tory, geography, andreligiontotheratherinvolvedstoryline ‘Without such preparation, Walker in the Wastes will not be just a challenge, but a total disaster. With such preparation, however, this campaign should provide you and your players with several months of fascinating deduc- tion, grisly encounters, and fast-paced thrills. ResourcesName (Occupation ___ Gender___ Age Nationality. Residence Schools & Degrees MAGIC POINTS Ded= 0 1 2 345 67 8 9 lo ll 12 13 14 18 16 17 18 19 20 21 Unconsciows= 0 1 23 4 5 6 789 wu 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 Damage Bonus Current Date Sea ENE EULER PORTRAIT (99-Ctbullu Mythos: Insanity= 0 678 9 01 12 13 14 18 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 2 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 38 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 68 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 14 75 76 7 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 8 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 44 95 96 97 98 99 Phobias. Mental Disorders. INVESTIGATOR $ C1 First Aid (30) Gi Forensics (00) 1 Geology (00) © Accounting (10) © Anthropology (00) OF Archeelogy (00) (Own Language (EDU 35) OP. io ontology (00) ( Woodcraft (10) 1B Blectrical Repair (10) © Zoology (00) CO Fast Talk (05) Art (05}: © Hide (10) = |B Pertuade (15) — Q —— | Bi History (20) — ] B Phermacy (00) — OQ | B Jump (28 — | Gi Photography (10) ae (1) Astronomy (00) | Bbw 05) == JB Physics (00) — Baca) — |B Bray Ue 25 —— | = Pile (00) © Biology (00) ee —— {oO — 1 Boating (10) = ja = 1 Botany (00) | Bo Martial Arts (00) o — Cartography (00) | B Mechanical Repair (20) Cl Paychosnalysis(00) | ___— TD Chemistry (00) | Bi Medicine (05) — OJ Psychology (05) _—_ 1 Climb (40), — | D Natural History (10) | 0 Ride (08) — 1 Conceal (15) | D Navigation, Land (10) — 1 Credit Rating (16) —— | Gi Navigation, Sea/Air (00) — Cifatke Mythos (00) ——— | ©) Oa (8 = |G Spor Hidden (25) D Dodge (DEX x2) —— | i Operate Hy. Machine (00) 1 Swim (25) a 1 Drive Auto (20) | = Other Language (00) 1 Throw (25) —s 1 Drive Sled/Sledge (10) © J Q2 1 Track (10) a 000 COMBAT Impale Damage HP Ammo ‘Weapon Shots Awth% Impale Damage HP Ammo ial ~ — a eee ‘permission granted to pholacepy Tor personal use only — copyright ©1984 John A. Crowe, Hl‘suid “eHUEN 62 (ayseuny pue nyosoig Buypaeu) {wone201 ev0Rm © eouNp.) “e8puauwen "UopuOT SL 12 World MapSs O U R C €E §& ” Timetable & Locations “Thistimetableisincluded forthe Keeper's usein order toassistin keeping track of important eventsin Chapters 1-6.Latitude & longitude of major locations in the campaign also appear, as some spells only work in certain places. Date Event Friday, June 10, 1927 Investigators depart Toronto forthe base near King Wiliam Island, Saturday, November 10,1928 Body found, Friday, June 14, 1929 ‘The survivors from the prologue retum to Toronto and begin the debriefing period. Sunday, July 14, 1929 “The debriefing period ends. Sunday, July 21, 1929 “The investigators depart Toronto enroute to Seattle and ultimately Anchorage. ‘Wednesday, July 24,1929 ‘The investigators ative in Seattle Monday, July 29, 1929, ‘The investigators depart Seattle on a freighter bound for Anchorage. Saturday, August 3, 1929 “The freighter arrives in Seattle and the group begins active investigation. Friday, October 25, 1929 “The first cult airship (in Alaska), the Wind-Walker, is completed and begins final checks. ‘Wednesday, October 30,1929 Maiden fight of the Wind: Walker. Several fairly short shakedown flights follow over the next year Wednesday “The publicly-funded airship christened Camdenis completed andbeginsfinalchecks. Saturday, ‘The Camden flies to Lakehurst, New Jersey on its maiden Flight. Saturday, July 19, 1930 “The Wind-Walker takes a long range test ight to the secret supply base on the north coast of Alaska. One week later, itretums to its home base. sunday, July 20, 1930 The Camden has its first long flight to Akron, Ohio, One week later, it returns to Lakehurst ‘Tuesday, September 2, 1930 The second cul airship (Camden, New York), the Death- Walker, is completed and begins final checks. ‘Tuesday, September 16,1930 Thefinalcultairship(onShimushu sland), the Wendigo,iscompletedandbegins inal checks (if it needs to be built. ‘Monday, December 15,1930 ‘The Camden departs Lakehurst enroute to Spitsbergen. Upon arrival, it begins pre- flight checks for the final hop to the North Pole. ‘Thursday, December 18, 1930 The Wind-Walkerleaves its base and arrives a the secret supply base. Final pre-ight checks begin, Saturday, December 20, 1930 At varying times, all airships take off on the final leap to the North Pole, Note that this js the maiden flight of the Death-Walkerand both itand the Wendigo have lengthy trips ahead of them. Sunday, December 21,1930 The Temple of the Winds appears at the North Pole. The airships artve prior to its appearance and have already established a base camp on the ice nearby. Survivors depart on December 22. ‘Sample Coordinates for Important Locales Location ‘Coordinates Location Coordinates Anchorage, Alaska GIPISN, 149°53'W Ottawa, Ontario, Canada 45°25, 75°42 Baghdad, aq 3°201N,44°26E Philadephia, Pennsylvania 39°37, 7ST W Istanbul, Turkey 1°2'N, 259 Tokyo, Japan 35°42'N, 139°40E London, England 51°30N,0°10W Toronto, Ontario, Canada 43°39N, 79°20.W New York City, New York 40°43N, 701 Resources Timetable & Locations 13R Lumley, certain characteristics were evident in the ‘god. Calledthe “Death-Walker"andthe*Wind-Walker" by some worshippers, Ithaqua was a titanic humanoid being with huge webbed feet that were known to leave distinctive prints in soil and snow. Worshippers offered human sacrifices to this temperamental deity. Ifa sacrifice or ritual were not done properly, the vengeful Ithaqua ‘would kill ll involved, seizing many and carrying them aloft while dashing others brutally to the ground, ‘Those who were taken could remain with him for monthsand laterbe dropped to the ground frozeninanice block or wrapped in an intricate cloak-like web of snow and ice crystals. When found, such victims wouldoften still beliving, butwould die within hours, being unabletostand, ‘warmth, as if extreme cold were vital to their existences. These survivorsmightcommunicate, butatbestthey would beina deliriumand babble only what seemslike nonsense to the layperson. Those familiar with the Cthulhu Mythos might be shocked by some statements since names and places may be mentioned (Hastur, Leng, the Tcho-Tcho people, Great Cthulhu, etc.) that will be quite disturbing. Just where the victim was and what he or she learned will remain a mystery Experienced investigators may be unnerved by tin- ‘kets occasionally found on the bodies of Ithaqua’s victims. Items could come from places as far flung as Tibet and Burmaand bodies couldbefoundin highly unusual places suchas south Pacificislands, Some ofthese itemscaneven, be things manufactured by the evil Tcho-Tcho people, indicating the Wind-Walker’s range is quite fantastic. Al- most always, any non-worshipper who sees Ithaqua will die or disappear within days or, at best, weeks. Later, their bodies might be found, frozen ina snowdrift, crushed asif droppedorthrown froma great height, inexplicably sealed. within a great block of ice, or encased in the aforemen- tioned snow-web, perhaps still living, Ti the Mythos fiction of August Derleth and Brian Encountering Ithaqua At various points during the campaign, the investigators ‘may see Ithaqua and survive the inital encounter. In such ceases, the Keepermustmakean essential decision, Keepers who are Lovecraftan purists will within daysafter such an encounterarrange forthe victimtodisappear, perhaps ater 14 About Ithaqua O U R C €E S§S : About Tthaqua to be found dead or dying. Those who wish to give the investigators sporting chance have other options. A Luck roll may be required and ifailed, the victim will disappear, ‘Another possibilityistoreducethe victim's Luckrollby 1096 forthe duration ofthe campaign and inall future scenarios, involving Ithaqua or taking place in the far north. The investigatormay increase hisorherchancesof survivingby fleeing southas quickly as possible since thaqua'sreachis| nt infinite. Many other options exist and itis up to the individual Keeper to make a decision which is deemed appropriate for the players involved. Note that such fates not only befell those who saw Mhaqua, but those who investigated disappearancesaswellso eventually theentire sroup could become the subject of this informal curse. Wthaqua ‘he Wind- Walker, tho Wendigo, the Doath- Walker STR 50 DEX «9 NT 10 CON 150 POW 35 = SIZ 100 0B +808 HP 125 Move 10/100 fying ‘Attacks: Wind Gust 100%, damage Lif and Drop 1D10x10 feat. Each 10 fest dropped Inficts 1D damage; Claw Attack | 0%, 606+do damage (damage ignores any armor) Grasp ‘Attack 80%, special damage; Stomp Attack 65%, BDS+d damage Notes on Attacks: Ifa victim is in relatively close proximity to imaqua (perhaps tty fet or more), he can use mighty winds to ‘sweep victims into the air The targets may roll onthe Resis- tance Table, matching tar strengths versus ithaque’s STR of 50, if mute targets are being assaulted in this manner, Ithaqua's sttengh is divided evenly among them. Note thal thaqua may us this to haul tims into thea wth him and may not necessary choose to crop them. Another method aqua may use a cary itis offs the Grasp Attack. it ts and the viebm fas STR versus STR rollon the Resistance Table, he ‘orsheis firmly held a massive hand and cannatmova or ven strug. ‘Armor: 10 points of skin and tick rime ‘Spells: All Call and Contact pels plus has the ability to contro the weather and environment. The later allows him to fo6z0 ielmsinaloealzodarea(porhaps veto tn fool damator) and ‘ven encase them ine. ‘Sanity Loss: 1D10/10100 SAN loss to see lthaqua; 1/106 ‘SAN oss o hear the how ofthe Wendigo onthe north wind ResourcesR C E § ” Chil of the Wendigo Child of the Wendigo is created exclusively by Tthaqua from humans captured by him. Rea- sons for the transformation are unknown, butthe result isthe ruination of the life ofthe victim Upon transformation, the victim becomes powerful, bestia ereature only generally resembling his/her Former selfThe beasteravesthe warmfleshof anything tcancatch, and its favorite prey is always the members of its own Tormer species, Although transformed, the creature does maintaina shadowy semblance of tsformer personality. In the intial stages of its life, this can lead to hesitancy or indecision on its part when attacking humans, Itmay even permit them to leave unharmed though this is an unusual and rare circumstance. Rolling 20% or less of its Luck roll ‘will cause ittolet human prey go and rolling under its Luck roll, but not under 2096 of it, will cause it to hesitate. If attacked, twillbecome enragedandattempttoslay ts prey despite the results ofthe abovementioned Luck rol ‘Aer a week or two, however, the transformation is finally complete and the above no longer applies. More- over, if during this time it succeeds in making a kill, the transformation is considered complete. The Child of the ‘Wendigo has an unusually long lifespan and as long as it does not cisplease its creator, something which is hard to avoid, it can live indefinitely. Once many decades have passed, the creature beginstotire ofitsexistence andagain may become hesitant. Though it will never allow prey to leave, fitissuccessfulinits Luck oll, itwillhesitatetoattack orgivea killing blow. Ifthe roll ismade at 20% of itsnormal chance, the creature may even converse with or otherwise interact with its prey. Thisis where it may show some ofits former personality. Despite this, the end result still is a savage assault though the interaction may delay this by up to several minutes. The reason the beast reacts this way is becauseitis confused by its vague memories ofalfe which some part of it deep down still misses, Below are the ‘modifications to a character that is transformed: STR x3 DEX xl INTXS CON x3 APP N/A POW x1 SIZ x1.25 EDU x1 “The victim's skills are modified when he/she becomes a Child of the Wendigo, according to the following + Allintllectualskillse Botany, Persuade, Pharmacy, Psychology, History, etc) degrade at the rate of one point each per day until all reach 096. ‘© Allpurely physical skils(e.g. crude weaponskillssuch as dub and knife attacks, physical attack skills such as Resources kick and grapple attacks, Sneak, Hide, Spot Hidden, Climb, Listen, etc) do not change except as detailed below. # Allwildemess skills (eg. Conceal, Track, Swim, ete) do not change. © Unless the victim possessed.a higher skillevel,itgains the following when assuming its new form: Climb, Fide, Jump, Listen, Sneak, and Spot Hidden each at 75%, ‘Track at 50%, and Sense by Smell 9096 (100" range) # Asitgains experience, its bestia” skills may increase just asa player character can improve. + Language skills don't degrade immediately, but over time. A creature forgets its languages at the rate of 2% peryearexceptforitsnative tongue which deteriorates atthe rate of 1% per year. The creature's native lan- guage will nt drop below 40%. “Attacks:Bite Attack 30%, 1D4+db damage; FisyPunch tack unchanged, 1D4+db damage; Kick Attack un- changed, 1D8+db damage; Crude Weapon Atack (knife, club, etc.) unchanged, variable damage, Weapons are almost never used, however, ‘Armor: one point of hide, minimum damage from physical attacks, and special (see below) Spells: none Special: A Child of the Wendigo is not particularly impressed when it is struck by a weapon or gunfive. However, ifa firearm nflicisan impaling wound, the beast ‘will flce dueto the fear that its icy heart could be melted by the scaldingly hot projectile. In addition, it fears ire when itis used as a weapon for the same reason, While itis not concemed by campfires, lanterns, or the like, a maniacal hunter wielding a flaming brand could force ito flee orat least retreat fora time. SAN loss:1/1D6. fitwasoncea companion orftiend, the SAN loss is 1/18. “The Child of the Wendigo is a large creature, usually seven feet in height. Its heavily muscled body is covered with a bluish-white skin that is disturbing to look at. Most will be garbed in the ragged garments they bore prior ‘0 theirencounter with Ithaqua. The face hasa distinct bestia appearance characterizedby razorsharpteethandiceblue eyes. Hands bear short claws thatare dangerous weapons, Encountering a Child is bad enough, but realizing it was, once a close fiend or companion is even more disturbing, and can result in greater loss of sanity points. Child of the Wendigo 15O U R C FE * Rituals of the Cult Il of the following rituals have a number of jings in common. Each is invoked in the ‘name of Ithaqua and many are designed to draw dieely on him for power, information, etc In all cases, rituals must be carsied out north of the equator and in a remote area devoid of structures and potential witnesses. ‘Most of these are unlikely to become known to investiga- tots, but they may be witnessed by them should the Circumstances (and Keepes) so dictate. A few may be key toprogressin the campaign fusedby the investigators. The Keeper should fee freeto creat rituals specifically tailored {othe conditions of the campaign ifthis seems warranted. However, they should be consistent with the general format laid down here. The Ritual of Knowledge “This tual is how the cult was able to obtain certain pieces of vital information from their god including the knowledge ofthe Temple of the Windsand thatthe weather conditions atthe North Pole would be clear during the days just prior to the winter solstice of 1930. Iti a rather routine ritual by cult standards, but the end result is quite shocking and repugnant A group of atleast twenty worshippersanda priestare required for this tual. It must be conducted in a remote area, preferably a clearing or field, located north of 12° north latitude and always between dusk and dawn. It begins with the worshippers standing in a circle holding handsandthe priestinthe center. Asthe worshippersbegin tochanta special phrasetaughtthemby the priest the priest, begins hisor her own chant in low monotone. This goes (on for the better part of an hour. Each worshipper donates ‘one magic point to the spell and the priest may donate as much as is deemed necessary as long as he/she remains conscious. For each point expended there isa one percent chance thatthe ritual will succeed, However, regardless of the number of worshippers, the spell always fails on a percentile die roll of 96 to 00. If it succeeds, after fifty ‘minutesthe wind will begin oincrease velocity noticeably Alter fifty-five or so minutes, it has increased to twenty or thirty miles perhour, Unlessthe worshippers stop chanting orbreak their circle, the ritual at this point is unstoppable, In the last couple minutes, a thin white fog will enter the area from seemingly nowhereandsweep inandoutamong, 16 Rituals of the Cult the participants ‘As the chant concludes after a full hour, the fox suddenly coalesces around. random worshipper (not the priest or any bystandes) and enters is orherbody through the mouth and nasal passages. If this entry is actively resisted (a tue cultist would not resis), a resistance roll versus thaqua'sPOW of 35 mustbeattempted, the victim loses, theeffectisthesameasit would beona willing cultist Ifthe victim wins the fog recoilsandappearsto boilangziy Icthen shoots over to the priest, occupies hinvher, and again has the same effect as on a willing cultst. The priest, cannotresistevenifheisnotawillingcultst.A gasmask will not inhibit this in any way. ‘Once the host has been occupied, it (yes..it) jerks uprightandbecomes glassy-eyedandstiff.Forthenextfive minutes, it becomes a sort of transmitter to Ithaqua and questions can be asked of it. The responses will be as accurate as possible, but eep in mind that Ithaqua is not ‘omniscient. The host may issue orders oF instnictions to devotees, but investigators asking questions will not be answered (ormay receive intentionally bogusresponses)if Ithaqua isaware of theirloyaltiesorbecomes suspicious of theirmotivesand goals. Once the five minute questionand answer periodhas subsided, tnebody givesa single violent jerk and collapses. A minute after that, it begins to go through the horrible transformation to become a Child of the Wendigo (Gee page 15) The transformation takes only cone round per point of POW the victim had prior to the beginning ofthe ritual. Once complete, the creature leaps upand violently attacks anyone it can get its greedy claws on. Culists are generally prepared fortis and eitherbind the body in chains and manacles while the host was answering questions or place the body in 2 deep pit or strong cage before the transformation ends. Inan extreme case, they may kill tas it transforms rather than let trun amok among their group. If the fog was forced to inhabit the body ofthe priest, the result is very different Rather than drop tothe ground, the priestinstantly becomes a Child of the Wendigo and is consciously directedy aniratethaquato slay (i.e. punish) asmany of those aroundas possible. there isa noticeable distinction between worshippers and investigators, the investigators will beattacked frst (which would notneces satily be the ease with a normal example ofthe creature) Once it has assaulted as many people as possible, the creature will be released by Ithaqua to go about its merry Resourcesway In addition to the magic point expenditure, each participant loses 1D10 SAN and the priestloses 1D10+1D6 SAN. This does not take into account the loss forseeing the Child of the Wendigo, The Ritual of Power ‘This ritual requires a minimum of thirty participants plus a priestandinvokes the name of Ithaquatoincrease the POW ofthe priest. Itmust be conducted at night and in a remote areanorthof 12° northlatitude. Aconscioushuman captive is needed and this person may be willing or unwiling, Firs, the captiveisstrappeddown toa flatstone slabor table, Next, the priest approaches the slab and is then surrounded by the worshippers holding hands to form a circle. As they begin chanting a phrase taught them by the priest, he or she begins a rather involved chant lasting ten ‘minutes. At the conclusion, the priest produces a large, sharp knifeand plungesitsblade into the chestcavity ofthe victim, The hear must be pierced and death must occur after only one blow. If properly done, each worshipper expends one magic point and the priest five points. These ppointsareadded upand provide the percentage chance for the ritual to be successful (a fumbled roll always indicates failure). I the ritual succeeds, the priest gains one point of POW. His or her POW rating may exceed 21, but may not ‘exceed 24, Each pantcipantloses 1D8SANexceptthe priest ‘who loses ID10+1 SAN. The Great ‘Ritual ‘The Great Ritual is carried out in only the rarest and most special of circumstances, [tis essentially an enhanced version of Call thaqua which result ina personal appear- ance from thisdeity.Likethe previousrituals,itmustbecast atnight in a remote area and invokes the name of Ithaqua, Unlikethe others, itmust becastnorthof 45° northlatitude. At least fifty worshippers plus one or more priests are required, “The ritual takes place with the worshippers in a loose grouparound the priest(s) who furiously chanttheir words of power. The worshippers merely stand by silently and ‘watch, The chanting takes an hour and at the end, seven ‘magic points are drained fromeach person withinone mile ofthe group, Those lacking the poinis perish in the process (kind Keepers may allow a resistance roll of some sort). If a total of at least three hundred and fifiy magic points (ten ‘per point of POW Ithaqua possesses) are seized by the ritual, there is thirty five percent chance that Ithaqua will personally show up on the scene within five minutes The arsival of Whaqua is not prety. The wind picks up andblowssnow, leaves, iter, and any otherloose material Resources skyward. Next, Ithaqua himself can be seen descending fromthe clouds above (requiring heappropriate SAN rolls, ofallnon-cultist witnesses). Hesetlesto the groundamong, the worshippers who calmly stand by only moving to get out ofthe immediate landing zone (those who don't are crushedby theuncaringgod!'smassive webbed feed. Once he has arrived, whatever special event is planned takes, place (perhaps the presentation ofa special sacrifice) and. Ithaqua then takes flight and deparss with a tremendous hhow/ (again, causingtheappropriateSAN oss), Ithescene isdisturbed while thaquaisamivingor whileheisthere, the temperamental god wiltake extreme displeasure onall he views including priests, worshippers, bystanders, ec, Vie- tims will be smashed under massive feet and crushed in ‘great gripping hands and none nearby issafe. The entice area will suffer from a deep freeze potentially causing