The Unspeakable Oath #07

Fall.
1992 Issue 7
Editor & Publisher
John Tynes
Columns
Art Director
The Dread Page Of Azathoth. by John Tynes 1 Jeff Barber
Scream And Scream Again, Letters From Lunatics 3
Proofreader
The Paranoia Flies. by Philip H. Garland 6 Brian Appleton
Mysterious Manuscripts, by Thomas M. Stratman 8
The Case Of Mark Edward Morrison, by Mark Morrison 9 Design & Layout
The Eye Of Light & Darkness. Reviews, News & Spews 11 John Tynes
A Tale Of Terror: The Carpet, by Steve Hatherley 14
Staff Armts
Mesc;age In A Bottle, by Marie E. Listopad 80 Jeff Barber
Dennis Detwiler
Features Blair Reynolds
CoC5YzR~ur~ ---------------------------------- Front Cover

Blair Reynolds
Introduction & Errata by John Tynes 16
Using SkiJIs, by John Crowe & Maria Douglas 17 Back Cover
Pen and Ink. by Maria Douglas 24 Dennis Detwiler
Thirties-Something by David Barras 30
The Arch Nemesis, by G.W. Thomas 34 Contributing Artists
Jason Bov'ee
Fu Manchu. by CL Werner 34 David Brown
The Randolph Pierce Foundation - - - - -- - - - - Jesper Myrfors
The I ast Dawn, by Kim Eastland 36
de Medici Manoscritto, by Kim Eastland 42 This issue, column logos
Magic of the Manoscritto, by Kim Eastland 49 <Such as the one at the top
of the next page) were
CyberCthulhu, by John Tynes 57 done by Dennis Detwiler.
This issue's logos depict
Scenario scenes that occurred when
Dennis ran the Masks of
Convergence, by John Tynes 58 Nyarlathotep campaign for
his players, and so you
subscription & mail order info can be found on pp. 78-79 may find several familiar!
The Unspeakable Oath, volume 2. number 3, Fall 1992 (whole number 7) is published quarterly by Pagan
Publishing, 403A N. 8th St. Columbia, MO 65201. Individual contents are ©1992 by the respective creators.
Package is ©1992 John Tynes. The term "Call of Cthulhu"® represents Chaosium, Inc.'s trademarked horror
role-playing game. and is used with their kind permission. The term "Cyberpunk"® represents R. Talsorian's
trademarked game of dark-future role-playing. and is used with their kind permission. The contents of TUO
are not to be considered "official" for Call of Cthulhu or Cyberpunk. but instead represent suggestions and
opinions by the writers for your personal use with those games. Due to a mistake, proper credit was not
given for the "Message In A Bottle" column in TU06. Gary Thomas' piece illustrated his interpretation of
the poem "Arlyeh." by Brian Lumley. "Alryeh" is ©1992 Brian Lumley. Sorry about that! Mi -Go mind controL
Issue 7, Fall 1992 The Dread Page Of Azathoth The Unspeakable Oath
mainstream bookstores across the nation
If you've been to GenCon in the past, you're no doubt
II:
~
aware that TSR always takes a large amount of floor
space in the dealer's hall, right in the center where floor
~o , traffic is the highest After all. it's their convention
-
Ul
Z
This past summer, at GenConiOrigins, TSR took a
Z
w huge amount of floor space. At one point several large
o companies threatened to boycott GenCon if TSR didn't
scale back their plans-thereby allowing other, smaller
companies to be present at the convention TSR did so
,
(for whatever reason).
, ,I At the convention, they still occupied about a sixth
of the total space. In this space, they erected a gigantic
castle made of styrofoam, costing (reportedly) more than
$200,000. As the convention got started, they made it
clear that this was their show.
Why? The answer is money. Word in the industry
was that TSR was planning on going public; that is,
offering stock in the company to investors. This could
mean a substantial investment in the company by big-
money people, which in turn would allow TSR to
"Censorship Sucks Is Very Good For You" expand and offer more products, higher production
-a button worn at the Pagan Publishing booth, values, more advertising-you name it.
GenConlOrigins 1992 This is not a bad thing. After all: as TSR goes, so
goes gaming. The better TSR does, the better the rest
perceptions, and money: three volatile
up, of the industry does, because moreso than any other
issues seem to strike the CBth moreso than company TSR has the ability to bring in new people
most gaming magazines. From the first issue, to the hobby.
we've made a point of pushing the envelope of what The reason for the huge castle and the sucking up
was allowable in gaming. There's a constant fear among of floor space that otherwise would have been used by
game companies that a big-time backlash is always on other gaming companies was-so the rumor went-that
the horizon, from the people that equate gaming with some of these big-money investors would be touring
Satanism, murder, suicide, and worse. TUO has tended GenCon, and TSR wanted to show them who the big
towards subject matter and (especially) artwork that boy was in the industry.
makes some people nervous. We don't do this out of This, in my opinion, led to some other rather
any great drive to tilt at windmills; such things largely unfortunate events.
occur instead as solely artistic or editorial decisions. TUO The morning of the first day of the convention, about
is produced in an area of consideration that includes the half-an-hour before the doors opened, representatives
quality of the magazine itself, but only rarely the from TSR came by and informed us that the cover of
perceptions of it by the gaming public and industry. our book "Courting Madness" was offensive and
So, we get heat sometimes. This summer's GenConl violated convention guidelines for what was saleable.
Origins convention in Milwaukee is a case in point In addition, the poster we had displayed showing the
GenCon is owned and operated by TSR. Inc. the cover of the book also had to be taken down
publishers of Dungeons & Dragons and many other Why? That's a damn good question
lousy games. TSR is, however, responsible for the We asked just What, specifically, was offensive; we
success of this industry. Their continued success and asked to see the guidelines that TSR went by in making
professionalism (at least on the surface) has made such decisions. The TSR representatives could not
gaming acceptable in many quarters, including financial identify any portion of the artwork as being specifically
ones. Due in large part to TSR's success, companies such offensive, and they said that. in fact. there were no
as FASA and White Wolf can get their games sold in guidelines for what was saleable-yet we violated these
TU07 -TU07 -TU07 -TU07 -TU07 -TU07 -TU07 -TU07 -TU07 -TU07 -TU07 -TU07 -TU07 -TU07
The Unspeakable Oath The Dread Page Of Azathoth Issue 7, Fall 1992
non -existent guidelines anyway, part in contributing to the attention our booth received
We debated and argued back and forth, as the clock as a result of their actions. Thanks a bunch.
ticked down to the time when the doors would open
and the gamers would come flooding in. Finally, we
suggested that we would leave only two copies of But it wasn't over with that, of course. Our problems
"Courting Madness" on display, and we would put black continued, thankfully without the involvement of TSR.
duct tape over the cover art on both to avoid offense. In TU06, one of our contributors was Richard Watts,
This satisfied them, and we did as we agreed, a talented Australian writer who has written a lot of
Notably, they did not have any problems with our COC and Stormbringer material for Chaosium.
other covers or posters; not the graphic violence of When Richard submitted an article to us, he included
TUOl, not the cover nudity of TU04 or TU06, It was a brief paragraph for our contributor's page. What was
only "Courting Madness" that they objected to, Since printed was taken from what he sent, to wit:
they themselves were selling the demeaning and "Richard Watts"Iis] a member of Queer Nation,
offensive "Women Of Fantasy" calendar (a collection of Australia's radical gay-rights movement Richard
semi-nude female pin- writes us that he can't
ups) perhaps even they be trusted around drugs
.
couldn't make that big
of a stink.
"...the parents said it sounded or attractive men. "
Needless to say, Rich-
Faced with the propo- ard never shies from
sition of selling a book like this guy was going to being confrontational.
with no cover, we did and is very outspoken
the next best thing: we about his beliefs.
took advantage of it I pick up their son, rape him, One of our wholesale
went to Kinko's and distributors reported to
rented a computer, using
it to produce a bunch of
and make him do drugs." us that a couple of the
gaming shops they ser-
"CENSORED" labels, vice had outraged par-
These we taped over the books and the poster, ents coming in, complaining about the above paragraph
Needless to say, word spread on the convention floor in TU06. The implication, in the words of the distributor
and as a result we got a lot of interest. Many people representative I spoke to, was that "the parents said it
came by just because they heard we had a "censored" sounded like this guy was going to pick up their son,
book, and sales improved as a result rape him, and make him do drugs."
Others were not so lucky. One company had, as part What? I felt like I was on another planet. Had they
of their display, a guillotine. There was nothing gross read the same magazine I had edited and published?
about it-no fake body or severed heads-but TSR The distributor expressed his concern that this had
demanded that they remove the guillotine or be thrown appeared on the contributor's page. He said that if it
out of the convention. Why? had appeared on an editorial page <Such as this one) that
Because it "promoted death: would be fine, but it wasn't right to print this on the
God forbid this should happen at a gaming contributor's page-it sounded like an advertisement for
convention, where 98% of the products and activities someone's way of life.
present involved killing, death, violence and murder, In the past I've mentioned on the contributor's page
often on large scales and often in graphic detail. that Steve Hatherley is a civil engineer. Should parents
God forbid a gaming company would be accused of be worried as a result that Steve is going to survey their
"promoting death" by another gaming company whose house? Is this an advertisement for civil engineers?
entire product line consists of games in which the 111 tell you what it is-it's damn stupid. Anyone who
players pretend to kill each other, cannot see the humor <and the message) behind
God forbid any of the big-money investors should Richard's description of himself-which is, after all,
waltz by and be disturbed by any of these things. what the contributor's page is for-is welcome to find
At any rate, GenConlOrigins was a great success for other reading material for their children.
us, and I'd like to publicly thank TSR for their own I suggest they try Dragon instead. ~
Issue 7. Fall 1992 Scream And Scream Again The Unspeakable Oath
had only the glow sticks. The living room had only the
table in the middle and on it the map of the sub. The
a: crowning effect was the whale song tape we played on
~
-~ a boom box hidden in the middle of the house. AlI the
/;j pinging and crying and the lone flashing lights. not to
o
(f)
z
mention the iolation of the closed-off dining room. just
z
UJ
heightened the events of the game.
o The two most sanity-blasting experiences I had (as
a player) were when Arthur and 1 were alone on the
upper deck and [deletedl. Jeff made some pretty
awesome sound effects over the walkie talkie. and our
blood curdled. As soon as the walkie talkie went dead.
we looked at each other and screamed in unison.
[deletedlWe were all alone. and something was scraping
across our hull ...
The second. and probably worst. experience was when
[deletedl. Bruce said "I don't know what it is. but it's
real big on the radar." We each grabbed something: 1
grabbed the black box and the video tapes. As I ran
to [deletedleveryone called to me "Steve! Steve! Hurry!"
because [de/etedl. 1 could feel the "boom_.boom._boom"
race Under Pressure" {from TUD2 and now of [de/etedl. As I ran down the corridor [deletedl past
Courting Madnessl was awesome. I thought all the port holes. huge dark shapes eclipsed the
you might like to know what happened this windows.
weekend because we did a few things differently. "Do you look?" asked Chris with an evil smile.
Overall. it was very effective. and we had a great time. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!" I screamed. looking
[Editor's note: sections of Maria's letter have been straight ahead. "What do you think?"
deleted to avoid giving away the scenario to those who [deleted]
haven't played itl What a night We started at 9-.30pm and ended at
Well. we ran the game in an Edwardian house in 3am Thanks for the terror.
Hayward. CA. There was a huge sliding wood panel Maria Douglas via the InleJllet
that we closed to separate the dining room and the fMaria's reactions (and SAN loss) are fairly typical.
living room. The living room was the lower deck of the At conventions we usually run it in about three-and-
Wallaby [the ocean-floor research vessell and the a-half hoursl
dining room was the upper deck. We turned off all the
lights. and used only green and pink glow sticks for
illumination. On the upper deck we also had a special
mag light with a yellow light at one end and a red light Scott Aniolowski is quite right [about "Leather on
on the other that flashed like the light on a police car. Willow." TUDS]. I am suitably humbled-there are
A special closet was one of the Joeys [mini-subsl. and plenty of Mythos stories set over here. But I still stand
whenever we went out in our diving gear. we went by what I said in the article about the Mythos in
outside and walked around the house. "checking the England-it sits somewhat uneasily here.
sub: When the minisub crossed into the anamoly. the Personally (and this is another subject altogether) I
players went upstairs to the big open hallway. don't rate the Campbell and Lumley stories especially
Jeff (my husband) and Chris Hockabout (our bud) ran high. When I think of the' Cthulhu Mythos. Glaaki.
the game with walkie-talkie headsets. The "crew" had Xiclotl, and Yibb-Tstll are not the creatures I think of.
their own set of two walkie-talkies so that whoever To me. they're nothing but fringe creatures. They make
remained in the Wallaby could communicate with for some okay stories. but I find they lack the flavour
whoever was in one of the Joeys. etc. The Keepers and interest of the "mainstream" Mythos creations. I
carried pen lights to reference the adventure. while we certainly have never had any desire to use them in my
The Unspeakable Oath Scream And Scream Again Issue 7, Fall 1992
games. someone nearby, makes things more sensible. This
That's the lettercol out of the way, now what did I shoudn't be abused, but it simplifies things. And the
think of COCSY2 ? Well, some of it I liked, and some Foundation is only as "well-equipped" as you want it
of it I didn't. Without going into detail. I liked the ideas, to be. No more, no less-it's still your own game, you
but hated the mechanics. know]
I find most of the modifications unnecessarily
complex-I like simplicity, I like it a lot. (Sometimes I
think garners like to complicate things for the sake of
complexity itself) More fundamentally, I don't see that I am sorry Adam Crossingham did not like ruos. I take
tinkering with the system is the best way to make CoC his point about Alfred Watkins' earlier works, but they
"campaignable: were minor works in comparison to The Old Straight
The problem instead lies with the scenarios. Or, more rrack. Besides, I'm sure the readers would not have liked
accurately, trying to tie published scenarios into some or felt this data necessary. I also think Adam may be
sort of campaign framework. It is easier to run these correct in his comment about Alfred Watkins not being
scenarios separately, with new investigators, rather than a Reverend. That title came up somewhere in the
contrive a hook on which to begin the adventure. And discussions about this material and it simply stuck,
Call of Cthulhu scenarios are often too good not to be though the criticism is somewhat petty.
run Michael Tice's work on Lunatic Asylums was good.
Instead, I would like to see the birth of the campaign It seems well-researched and informative. I cannot
framework. This is a broad campaign outline, including praise anyone enough who takes such time and effort
crucial characters, scenes and events. But more in his work. That article must have taken ages, unless
importantly, it includes essays on incorporating other the man is very well-informed. Well done.
(previously published) scenarios into the campaign For G.R. Theobaldc; Southampton. England
example, The Stars Are Right! suffers in that there is £Some players here put the article to good use when
nothing to tie the scenarios together. A campaign an investigator went insane-they promptly shipped
framework would do that. him off to the asylum with the worst cure rate and
At first glance the Randolph Pierce Foundation highest death rate in the state! Callous bastardsl
appears to solve this. However, the foundation lessens
the horror and isolation of the game. One of Cthulhu's
best elements is that there is mbody to turn to for help.
Not the police. Not the government. And especially not I just found TUOS at the local games shop.
a well-equipped foundation "Hmmmm: I said. 'This looks like just the thing for
Steve Hatberley Halton. I Hds. FngJand an upstart Keeper like myself. Low-priced, too."
[[ know (and guessed in advance) that many I bought it, took it home, and began to read. My brain
experienced Keepers might be leery of the Foundation, melted after the first page.
for the reasons Steve cites. I think what you have to "Hmmmm." I said. "It seems my brain is melting:
remember is that the Foundation (or anything like it) Well, not really. I read it cover-to-cover. TUO must
is still up to you to use as you like. It's not something have done something to my brain, though, because I'm
for the players to use against you-"We just call in so- hooked. Thanks.
and-so to cast Dismiss Bunyip and beat the scenario"- Joel Patton Travelers Rest. SC
but instead a tool to help you tell coherent. connected
stories. Anyone who's run (or played in) Masks of
Nyarlathotep knows what a logistical nightmare it is,
as you travel all over the globe to strange places. The I picked up and enjoyed issues S and 6 of ruo,
death rate is high; as investigators die and need to be especially the Blair Reynolds artwork, the Paranoia
replaced, credibility suffers. "Well. Thurston's dead. Bob, Files and Mark Morrison's column However, I was
roll up the hotel clerk and he7l join us." This kind of peeved by the Anglocentrism of your British Isles
crap really detracts from the experience of a campaign feature. Newgrange is far from being the only occult
The ability to wire the Foundation. who can then send site in Ireland. For example, the Hellfire Club, an old
someone else or put the investigators in contact with hunting lodge in the Wicklow Mountains south of the
rU07 -rU07 -rU07 -rU07 -rU07 -rU07 -rU07 -rU07 -rU07 -rU07 -rUO? -rU07 -rUO? -rU07
Issue 7. Fall 1992 Scream And Scream Again The Unspeakable Oath
Irish capital. Dublin. was the base of a genuine Satanic
cult in the 18th century.
Andrew Behan Dublin Ireland
[The following is in res[XJnse to Mark Morrison S letter
in TUOS, on the subject of "explaining" parts of history
with the Mythos-Jack the Ripper was a cultist. etc]
I've picked up the last few issues of TUO. and I must
disagree with the complaints about the "Lovecraft So adding history to CoC is "tasteless and stupid: This
Country" books. from a man with a valise of viscera as his contribution
The only one I have is 'Tales of the Miskatonic to the pages of TUO. Thank you. Mr. Morrison. Now.
Valley: and so far. my only problem with the book is garners. please remove all references to actual historical
"Regiment of Dread." There's nothing for the investi- events from your COC campaigns. your supplements.
gators to QQ in this one. I have a copy of Chaosium's your rulebook. It seems that the major villians of the
writer's guidelines. and they say to use historical past are off -limits-their careers and crimes are
accuracy. but only about a fifth of the adventure should somehow to be set apart from the gaming world. And
be background. This was all background. clearly written what is the reasoning? That our articles and games
by a Civil War buff for Civil War buffs. The only use belittle the victims of such men and women? No.
I could see for it would be to increase Library Use and Because a man who has been writing for years for CoC
combat skills between actual adventures. dislikes some of the newer written material.
This aside. my biggest problem with this. and indeed COC is a game. Mr. Morrison. and Keepers may do
most games. is that they all labor under the anything they wish with the game. If the desire is to
misapprehension that at any given moment. you can put in Abbott and Costello. so be it If the desire is to
just call up three or four friends and get them to meet add Hobbits. that too is fine. My understanding of TUO
in one place and play. is that it exists for the enjoyments of players. not the
I'd have to say that a good 600/0 of my games are opinionated judgements of writers. Who is fooled by the
one-player affairs. Very few of the packaged adven- ideas of myself or Mr. Barber? Does Mr. Morrison really
tures are well-suited for this ("Order of the Silver think we are "obscuring" the past? I have been studying
Twilight" works welD and so I am required to come up history for twenty years. and teaching it for five. I'll
with a different grand plot to destroy all life every week. do as I please with it when I am having fun. So too
twice on three-day weekends. But I think that the "one can anyone. including Mr. Morrison.
man against the universe" idea is very Lovecraftian. Finally. who is obscuring history anyway? A keeper
and we really should see a few books that tackle this who mixes fact and fiction. or someone who states
problem outright that Hitler was "arguably a genius?" Mr.
So. how about a few one-player adventures? Not the Morrison may be willing to argue. but few with any
"follow-the-path" kind in most games. but missions real understanding of the Third Reich would. Hitler was
that one player could go on and stand a chance of ordinary, mundane, banal. What he did cannot be
surviving. I for one gain a great deal of satisfaction in obscured by the use of fiction. Reality is far more
telling my players that a housewife on her own solved terrible. No one is going to be fooled. We don't aim to
an adventure that two groups of convention players fool. We aim to give enjoyment. even if it is "tasteless
couldn·t. and stupid: So be it.
flDl B~. 427 W. fYth Ave. Anchorage. AK 99515 Phil Garland Greenville, SC
Get your wallets ready, because the next issue of The

Unspeakable Oath is going to cost you $8.00. Why? Well
it's a double issue, of course! 160 pages, crammed with
longer scenarios and articles than ever. Includes an April
Fool's section IMth its own scenariO, and more wacked-out
weirdness than you can shake a fetch stick at. It's big, it's
bad, and it's spooging your way in the Spring of 1993.
The Unspeakable Oath The Paranoia Files Issue 7. Fall 1992
Sort of an ideological Great Old One_
What was the involvement of the Old Ones in the
~ rise of the USSR? Can details be discovered? Again.
~ as in past articles. much of this can be only speculation.
but that hasn't stopped us yet Investigators must go
forward. else we are lost to those outside.
In 1920. Russia is in the midst of Civil War; the
country has divided into two general factions. The
Reds-those who support the victorious Marxist regime
of the Bolshevik party under Vladmimir llyich Ulyanov
(Leniru-and the Whites-a disorganized mass united
only in their opposition to the Bolsheviks. The latter
are led by a coterie of Russian generals whose hate for
one another is scarcely outweighed by their opposition
to the Bolsheviks. and who are also tainted in Russian
public opinion by the problem of foreign intervention.
In addition to the two main factions of the war there
are English. French. American. Japanese. Czech and
Polish forces in Russia Up to 1920 it appeared that the
Whites would eventually win the war. but within the
year they were defeated. fleeing the country. and the
FILE THREE: FALL. 1992 Bolsheviks emerged victorious.
SUBJECT: THE RUSSIAN CIVIL WAR In 1921. Lenin allows limited capitalism to return. in
order to help the country recover from the devastations
he 1920s may have been roaring in the Good of the war (the New Economic Policy). His own
or USA. what with bootlegging and jazz and followers oppose this move-some of them openly. In
gangsters and all. but those of us in the know. 1922 Russia offically becomes the Union of Soviet
who have learned the dark and ancient secrets. think Socialist RepUblics. A new constitution is established.
of the "Roaring Twenties" in other ways-the roars of and Lenin's decline begins-he is dead by the beginning
the Great Old Ones seeking entrance to Earth. the of 1924. The result is more conflict until one man rises
baying of the Hound. the meeping of the Ghouls. and out of the struggle. That man is Josif Vissarionovich
the ceaseless cries of the whippoorwhils. We have Dzhugashvili-Stalin.
learned that Earth is insignificant in the face of the Old With Stalin we come to the heart of the matter. and
Ones. yet why then do so many investigators seem to the potential connection with the Great Old Ones. Born
think only in terms of the United States. or at most in Russian Georgia. Stalin had trained for the priesthood
the English-speaking world. as the center of Old One before becoming a Marxist. What ancient books might
activities? If they are out to get us <Careful-when you he have come across in his studies? Over the next seven
look behind you. do so slowly!) then foreign lands are decades his power would grow. his shadow spreading
not only places where cultists hide and ancient pre- like a stain over the world. What was his early hold
human remains are found; the Great Old Ones must be over Lenin? Why could the founder of Bolshevism not
active there also. and investigators of non-English dismiss his umuly lieutenant? Were Lenin's health
background must also be involved in the struggle. problems that allowed Stalin prominence natural? Was
If you look at the world of the Twenties with an open his death? Certain biographers have hinted that Stalin
eye. it must be obvious that where chaos and murdered Lenin. Most historians dismiss the charge-
destruction lie thick. the Old Ones must be close-and but is there some substance here? Other than Hitler.
where in that decade does chaos lie thicker than the what more completely evil figure existed in the early
young Soviet Union? Born in war and revolution. Twentieth century? Stalin survived-he lived a long
purged in civil conflict. the Societ Union emerged as life. and in its course killed somewhere between 20 and
a superpower with influence throughout the world-a 50 million of his own people. Was this some massive
juggernaut with tentacles reaching all parts of the globe. horrid sacrifice to the Great Old Ones? Did Stalin. like
. . TU07 -TU07 -TU07 -TU07 -TU07 -TU07 -TU07 -TU07 -TU07 -TU07 -TU07 -TU07 -TU07 -TU07
Issue 7. Fall 1992 The Paranoia Files The Unspeakable Oath
the sorcerers of old. seek immortality. and find that the (one of the founders of the IWW. in exile in the Soviet
blood required was far beyond the imagination of Union). and many more.
wizards of the past? Is he now among the Old Ones. What is the young Stalin like? Ruthless. intelligent
looking down on us and plotting to return? Was he <more so than he is usually given credit for-fools and
perhaps not a cultist. but a living avatar of one of them? imbeciles do not rule a superpower for thirty years).
What better candidate exists? calculating. always seeking more power. He has no
For investigations into Soviet Russia in the Twenties. sense of morality in a normal sense. and will do
there are perils aplenty. During the Civil War you may anything to reach his ends. The perfect servant of the
have soldiers available for investigators. After the war. Old Ones. Did he become one during the Russian Civil
there are plenty of journalists. Communist sympathizers. War? Was he born a fa Wilbur Whately. as the child
et al. around. There are enemies everywhere-the of some Old One. or was the human Stalin destroyed
CHEKA (after 1922 the GPill. which Stalin is closely so that an Old One could impersonate him and bring
associated with. the White partisans and terrorists. etc. to Russia its bath of chaos and destruction? We can
Soviet Russia is one place there they are all out to get only continue our studies. hoping to find the answer.
you. anywhere and everywhere. Historical figures are But be careful-answers. after all. are often more
in abundance-Lenin. Trotsky. Stalin. Big Bill Haywood horrible than questions. Watch out. investigators! £J
'.0'.-
. .....
...... ' .
' ::.: .
'.'
' . ."
' .......
,'. ..
'
The Unspeakable Oath Mysterious Manuscripts Issue 7, Fall 1992
accurately converse with one normal animal on a
relatively friendly basis. The effects last long enough
~ for five full questions to be answered. The minute-long,
~ whispered chant costs only 1 Magic Point but the shock
~ of first intelligent contact with an animal may cause
~ a 104 SAN loss if a POWx3 roll is failed.
~ It is important that the caster be within normal
:D speaking distance to the target creature and have a bit
of food present which is normal for the animal to eat.
Otherwise the animal will either not hear the caster or
will not dally longer than one quick question (gathering
food being much more important to the average animal
than chasing Cthulhuoidsl.
Keepers should remember that an animal's intelli-
gence is very limited in the ability to descibe the world
around them in human terms and their answers will
not be models of clarity.
Killian. Iknnan.
Dark P@ctic;es c( the Southwestern Tribes if North America
Killian. Iknnan. TheologicaVMythological study
Dark P@ctic;es c( tbe Northeastern Tribes c( North America (English. .2 Mythos. -103 Sanity. x2 Spell Multiplier. study time 12 hours)
TheologicaVMythological study Miskatooic University Press (2()() copies) 1914: reprinted 1924
(English.•4 Myth"" -IDS Sanity. x2 Spell Multiplier. study time 2:l hours) Spells, Become Spectral Hunter. Elder Sign. Ccrnrnand Gha>t. Summoo FIre
Miskatooic University Press (2()() copies) 1914: reprinted 1924 Vampire. BiR! rue Vampire
Spells, Create Curse Whistle. Enchant Spear. Heal Pipes or Madness. Soul
Singing. Animal Ccrnrnunicaticn Excerpt: "As September neared, fear gripped the
people of Chaco Valley. They knew the Anasazi
Excerpt: "The splinter group of the Adena cuI ture which Shamans would soon be able to call the "fire eaters" and
retreated into the terrible heights of the Appalachian battles atop the stone edifces would occur. Success by
Mountains took the name of "Wind Callers." They took the warriors meant another year of peace for the people
with them the secret of their totem bone whistles which of Chaco Valley. Failure would bring death into the
were vital to their ceremonies and worship of the "wind Great Kivas. Their wise men consulted with the
walker: Their Shamans professed the ability to play "ancestral friends" to learn the tactics of burning wisps
mesmerizing tunes and shrills which would cause their of light and how to defeat the dark shadows that m
enemies to have disorienting hallucinations or induce protected the sanctuary of the 'enemy ancestors.
a raving epilectic state which could end in death." This book is the second half of Donnan Gregory
Donnan Gregory Killian was born in Ireland and Killian's Masters Thesis in Anthropology at Miskatonic.
moved to America to attend college. He was intrigued The University produced a limited run of 200 copies
by the similarities of practices among the "evil" cults in 1914 but was disappointed by the lack of response
of pre-Columbus America and ancient Ireland. This is from other learned circles. Killian's theories never drew
an ethnological study of common practices among "evil" wide support outside of the ivy-covered universities of
tribesmen in the Northeastern Americas. Killian goes New England. Killian's books saw renewed interest with
to great lengths in his books to separate his subjects the publication of Killian's Doctoral work,
from the Amerindian culture as a whole. This book is
one-half of his Masters Thesis and made Donnan in and were reprinted at that time.
Killian a name in American Anthropology. Many of his In 1928, Dr. Donnan Killian began teaching Anthro-
theories are unsettling but have never been substan- pology and Ancient Religions at Miskatonic University.
tiated or dis proven by later studies. He advocated the establishment of a full degree
Animal Comunication; This spell allows the caster to program in parapsychology. :J
Issue 7. Fall 1992 The Case Of Mark Edward Morrison The Unspeakable Oath
his return. and have even left plates of his favorite food
II:
about the place in the hope that this will entice him
~ out of hiding. But he is gone.
~o As I sat quietly reading in my study this evening.
I heard an odd sound. quiet but insidious. With a rush
VI
z of horror. I realized that it came from the shadowed
z corner where I keep that abominable piece of luggage-
)!5
the case. the damnable case.
The sound came again. and then I knew with
shocking clarity that my dear pet had met the same
hideous fate as my books. my neighbors. my sanity. and
my psychiatrist-lost forever in the black bowels of that
stinking case! With a curdled cry of vengeance. I
fetched the wood-axe. and advanced slowly on the
leering portmanteau. even as those hideous strangled
sounds began anew from deep within its depths.
Animals have tremendous value in horror. There is
nothing scarier than an animal acting in an unnatural
manner. Animals are governed by strict behavioral
patterns. and to see them deviate in any way is evidence
n the course of these articles. I have neglected to that something is seriously wrong. that the natural
mention someone who has faithfully stood by me. order of things has collapsed. and that gibbering
irrespective of the increasingly bizarre circum- nightmare is about to descend.
stances of my daily existence. It is time then to Why is the dog growling at the fireplace? What
introduce you to my constant companion-my black cat made the horses bolt? Why has a flock of ravens landed
Unlike most humans. my cat has simple needs in life: on the roof of my house? Why did that goat attack
food. a warm fire. a comfortable lap. and the occasional us like that? The easiest use for animals is as a
mouse for amusement. Actually. not so many mice these barometer to gauge supernatural presences.
days. as the furry fellow has become a trifle plump. and Put simply. animals know. When Nyarlathotep
cannot pursue marauding rodents with his usual vigor. appears. every dog in the neighborhood raises its muzzle
But now my cat has disappeared. I have called him. and howls. If a Hound of Tindalos is about to manifest.
over and over again I have searched in all his favorite a cat indoors will flatten its ears. hiss at the corner. and
haunts. I have left doors and windows open to facilitate bolt out of the room; seconds later. the dripping jaws
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rU07 -rU07 -rU07 -TU07 -TU07 -rU07 -rU07 -rU07 -TU07 -TU07 -rU07 -rU07 -rU07 -TU07
The Unspeakable Oath rhe Case Of Mark Edward Morrison Issue 7, Fall 1992
of the Hound emerge from the wall. If someone is to story 'The Birds" launched the animal frenzy sub-
die out west of Arkham, the whippoorwills begin their genre, and since then we have seen films about killer
eerie call. If some aeon-frozen abomination is about to dogs, rats, bees, worms, piranha, and even giant rabbits.
lurch out of the swirling Antarctic snow, all the sled Other films have focused on a single killer animal. such
dogs will burst their tethers and flee into the blizzard. as a great white shark, a killer whale, a grizzly bear,
If a slavering horror from beyond the grave is crashing a rabid St Bernard, a giant sewer-dwelling alligator,
through the woods, all of the deer will burst out of the and even a vampire dog So, any keeper who wants to
trees and gallop across the meadow. unleash a ravening wave of animals upon the
Of course, investigators may come to rely on this if countryside has plenty of precedent to draw on But
it happens too often I would hate to see investigators please, no killer sheep, not if you want your players to
carrying around budgies in cages as early warning respect you in the morning
systems: if the budgie squawks, gasps, foams at the beak In truth, animals rarely attack humans, but in the
and falls dead off its perch, that either means that horror genre it happens a lot. Investigators will find
there's a gas leak or that some crouching extra-terrene themselves tangling with belligerent guard dogs,
predator is about to leap out of the dark and rip cunning lions, grumpy bears, hungry crocodiles, and
someone's head off. God knows what else. When it does happen, don't let
I remember a game in which a terrified investigator rules mechanics give humans all the advantages.
spent the whole night closely watching a raccoon that Animals are faster, stronger, and meaner. Everyone
had been trapped in his cabin, convinced that it would knows how terrifying and hard to handle an angry dog
show some sign if a monster was around. Neither of is at close quarters.
them got any sleep. Gunshots at a charging animal could be reduced to
Animals might provide a more direct and personal half -chance, because of the speed of the attack and the
warning One of the chills I will never forget when panic of the situation Generally you only get the one
playing Call of Cthulhu was when a husky looked at shot. and then it's on top of you. An animal's first attack
me and laughed in an oddly human tone. Out in the should be a Knockdown. Compare the SI'R+DEX of the
African night, no investigator can suppress a shudder animal to the SIZ+DEX of the human on the
when the insane cackle of hyenas mocks their petty Resistance rable. If the human's SIZ+DEX is overcome,
accomplishments. The first white men in Australia to they are knocked over. In a flash the animal will be
hear the cry of the kookaburra were convinced that it sitting on their chest and biting for the throat Other
was the Devil laughing at them from the bush. investigators trying to help out with gunfire are just
Animals can also be used in the same manner as old as likely to hit their friend. rhe person under the animal
school-teachers, close friends, policemen, and former cannot effectively use anything larger than a knife or
lovers: to show how the monster works. In just about a pistol. and is unlikely to live long enough to use those.
every horror film involving a stalking creature, a few Obviously the keeper should not go out of their way
paddocks full of sheep or horses or dogs get massacred to slaughter investigators (it isn't a hard thing to do),
first. "I don't know what it was, but it sure made a mess but do try to give animals the full benefit of their power
of Jeb Wilson's pigs. Weren't no bear: and agility. So, weird, unusual. or deadly behavior from
Then there are supernatural animals. No one can animals is a convenient source of unsettlement and
forget the rats in the walls of Exham Priory, unseen, unease. If the animals are the investigator's own pets,
invisible, and endlessly scurrying. Then there's the the horror can be even more exquisite.
Black Dog of British folklore which guides travelers lost As for my pet, I could not abandon him to such a
in the night, or leads them to their doom (depending terrible fate. Raising the axe in one hand, fully prepared
on which version of the story is told. Would you trust to chop the case to pieces and damn the consequences,
a pitch-black mastiff with glowing red eyes on a lonely I flipped the latch up with my free hand. The lid sprang
road in the dead of night? Can you afford not to?). open, and a chorus of sounds rose in protest at the light.
A mass of animals going berserk is a popular staple It seems then that the gender of my beloved feline is
of films and novels. Guy N.Smith has founded a writing no longer in question. I still do not know how he, or
career on giant flesh-eating crabs, and James Herbert rather, how she managed to crawl into the case to
has had similar success with plague-bearing rats. Alfred deliver her litter, but I am pleased to say that mother
Hitchcock's classic film of Daphne Du Maurier's short and offspring are doing splendidly. ~
rU07 -rU07 -rU07 -rU07 -rU07 -rU07 -rU07 -rU07 -rU07 -rU07 -rU07 -rU07 -rU07 -rU07
Issue 7. Fall 1992 The Eye Of Light & Darkness The Unspeakable Oath
Fernando Alves), Candy (Kaethe Cherney), and Billy
The Eye Of Light & Darkness (Paul Berchard)-are trying to outrun the police. Hawk
cr
~ killed a man over a drug deal and Chris was wounded
§
tiic
..... in the leg while fleeing. They escape the carnival
grounds by forcing Chandu, his daughter Lisa (also
-Z
Ul
played by Layton) and servant Felix (frank Brana) to
Z
~
take them to the magician's house. The house is the
second time we see the word Cthulhu, as it is written
in the iron scrollwork above the driveway gate. Thus
c, • we get "Cthulhu Mansion." Deviously clever, isn't it?
•• •
4~
One by one the stupid punks wander off alone to
•
meet less than original fates. Cindy is pulled into the
refrigerator by something that looks left over from Sam
Raimi's Evil Dead; Eva is wrapped up by creeper vines
I
•t and disappears; and Hawk gets a grou p of flying knives
stuck in his chest There's even a drug dealer who
sneaks into the house, only to get shot by Eva
Cthulhu Mansion is a ridiculous, unbelievable piece
Reviews. News & Spews of junk. The story is terribly unoriginal. the special
effects amateurish. and the acting grievous. The only
Cthulhu Mansion potential redeeming factor is the presence of Melanie
Republic Pictures Home Video Shatner (William's daughter). She has potential. like her
starring Frank F'mJay. Marica Layton. Brad F'lsher. old man, but it's going to take a hell of a lot more than
Melanie Paul Berchard. Kaethe Cherney. Luis Cthulhu Mansion to see it grow. I daresay that any
Fernando Alves. Frank Brana. and Emil linder. of you reading this probably have better actors in your
produced by Jooe G. and JP. Simon CoC groups than this film does.
directed by JP. Simon Being inspired by the writings of HP. Lovecraft" is
reviewed by J. Todd Kingrea fine. We've all been inspired by his writing. But to put
something recognizable-at least to certain people,
Does anyone out there have a camera and a few anyway-like Cthulhu on the front and then turn out
thousand feet of film they don't want? I wanna make this sort of tripe_well, that's a blasphemy.
a movie inspired by the writings of HP. Lovecraft." Save your $2 rental fees, brothers and sisters. Watch
These could very easily have been the words spoken something else. You're not missing a damn thing on this
by Mssrs. Simon and Maesso as they began planning videocassette.
Cthulhu Mansion. a film that has cannibalized HP. Rating: one phobia out of ten (and that's because I'm
Lovecraft's name to avoid potential legal entanglements. feeling particularly generous).
While the credits are being shown. we get to see a
flashback of Chandu the magician (Frank Finlay) and The Reswnxted
his lovely wife, Lenore (Marcia Layton). It seems that live Home Video
Chandu sacrificed his wife to the flames during one of starring John Tory. Jane Sibbett. Chris and
his carnival performances. This is interspersed with Rober t Romanus.
black-and-white footage of husband and wife touring, produced by Mark Borde and Kenneth Raich
vacationing and discovering a crinkled old book entitled directed by am O'Bannon
"Cthulhu." Yes, that's the name of the book, and the frrst reviewed by J. Todd Kingrea
of only two places we see the C-word during the whole
film I suppose we could say that Chandu killed his wife Finally! Someone besides Stuart Gordon and Brian
by summoning a fire vampire, but that would be giving Yuzna who can do an adaptation of H.P. Lovecraft
this film way too much credibility. The Resurrected is Dan O'Bannon's return to the
Cut to the present: a group of rebellious, punk kids- director's chair. The man who has helped write films
Hawk (Brad Fisher), Eva (Melanie Shatner), Chris (Luis such as Dark Star, Alien, and Total Recall once again
The Unspeakable Oath The Eye Of Light & Darkness Issue 7, Fall 1992
reappears as director for the first time since 1985's Overall. The Resurrected is a good film. Positive
Return of the Living Dead. acting, impressive story structure, special effects that
The film stars John Terry as private investigator John highlight the film mot cause it> and quality tension all
March, who is approached with a case by Elaine Ward combine to cause this movie to hit its mark.
(Jane Sibbett>. Elaine is concerned about her husband, If you've saved your $2 rental fee by not getting
Charles (portrayed nicely by Chris Sarandoru, who has Cthulhu Mansion like I mentioned, this is the place to
become increasingly elusive and secretive ever since he spend it
discovered a trunk full of old paraphernalia belonging And, if you like to be teased, rumor has it that
to his ancestor, Joseph Curwen Mrs. Ward explains how OBannon has expressed interest in doing another
her husband has moved into an old house out in the HPL-related project. Fangoria magazine reported in a
country, insisting on carrying out his ancestor's recent interview that OBannon has used The Resur-
fantastic experiments. rected as a sort of tune-up, before he really gets busy.
March, with his assistant Lonnie (Robert Romanus), Rumors abound about a possible film version of HPL's
investigates the strange behavior of Charles Dexter "The Call of Cthulhu." If anyone can do it, I'm sure
Ward and the unusual deliveries to his home. When OBannon is the man
the police are finally called in and Ward is carried off The Resurrected rates 7~ to 8 phobias.
to the mental institution, March, Lonnie and Elaine
descend into the bowels of the old house, uncovering Fearful
the fiendish experiments of Curwen and Ward. transpor tation adventures for Call cl Cthulhu
The Resurrected is a good adaptation of 'The Case Chaooillm, Ioc $18.95
of Charles Dexter Ward: one of HPL's longest and best reviewed by Kevin A Roo;
stories. It strays from the original a few times
(particularly the ending) but it isn't enough to really Fearful Passages contains nine 1920s scenarios, each
upset you or make you think, ·oh no, not another featuring a different form of transportation These
botched Lovecraft story!" The special effects are nicely transports range from the mundane <automobile, train,
done, although the stop-motion animation in parts is airplane) to the uncommon (dirigible, diving suit, canal
fuzzy. This isn't Re-Animator. though. It isn't black boat) to the exotic (elephant, sled, armored car).
comedy with lots of blood and gore. It's a serious Extensive information on the featured mode of
adaptation, and on its own terms works as well as Re- transportation is included in each scenario. I found the
Animator. information on diving, dirigibles, and armored cars
Perhaps one of the best aspects of The Resurrected ~rticularly enticing.
is the way in which OBannon handles the investigation For the most part, however, the scenarios themselves
into the affairs of Charles Dexter Ward. It's something fail to-er-take off. In emphasizing the transportation
we can all understand, as COC players and Keepers. The theme, several of the authors have eschewed sharp,
characters begin investigating their case, which leads frightening scenes, and instead have concentrated on
them further and further into the dark recesses of the journeys. This is especially true of the otherwise
Joseph Curwen's life-after -death plans. It's perfect story passable diving suit adventure ·Crash Dive" and the
structure. You almost get the feeling that the dismal elephant trek· Along the Indus." Neither has a
screenwriters have played a CoC scenario before by the strong sense of menace, or even a strong foe. The latter
way they structure the search. This is definitely a scenario is particularly weak: after an uneventful
players' movie. If the scene in the experimentation pits journey in India, it ends with the investigators
doesn't cause a few Keeper brain cells to pop, it'll sure pointlessly trading minds with various animals for a
elicit groans from any players watching. My players few rounds.
were pointing at the screen, yelling ·You've done that A couple of the scenarios do stand out "Fear of
to us! I know what they're going through!" Flying" (which appeared in a much different form in
Other positive aspects include a nice musical score by White Dwarf '72) features a trip aboard a period
Charles Band and some very Lovecraftian experiments airliner; one quibble is that the actual plane used here
by special-effects creator Todd Masters. If the river- never got off the ground in real life-why not use a
thing in the flashback sequence isn't Lovecraft-inspired, model that actually flew? An enjoyable trip, with
I don't know what is. intriguing characters and quite a few exciting scenes
Issue 7, Fall 1992 The Eye Of Light & Darkness The Unspeakable Oath
(though the denouement depends on a believability- E1 Viento
straining incident). video gpme cal Uidge for the Sega Genesis
"Slow Boat" is the other standout here. A British Renovation Products. about $45
occultist of suspicious nature leads the investigators on reviewed by John Tynes
a trip to another world-via canal boat. The Crowley-
esque occultist is extremely well-crafted, and is a fine "The year is 1928. In a distant galaxy, a monstrous
example of what an investigator gone slightly bad entity watches and waits. Though his purposes are
might be like. The journey takes the investigators to beyond the understanding of mankind, the mighty
a fantastic dying world which readers of Clark Ashton Hastur lives only to destroy ..:
Smith might recognize with some pleasure. A new CallofCthu1hu scenario? Nope. This is a home
The remainder of the scenarios vary in quality. 'The video game cartridge for the Sega Genesis system E1
Iron Ghost" features a ridiculously complex plot to drain Viento ('The Wind") is a side-scrolling action game.
the souls of train passengers for an Outer God's pleasure; You take the role of Annet, a young woman with
an inexplicable ghostly benefactor and passengers from magical powers and a supply of deadly boomerangs.
numerous time periods further muddle this one. The Annet is trying to stop the plans of the Hastur Group,
enjoyable and clever "Furious Driving" centers on a a clutch of cultists trying to build a shrine in the
deranged family and its fatal obsession with automo- currently - being -constructed Empire State Building and
biles, "Rigid Air" (which has ties to Keith Herber's Fungi summon Hastur to Earth.
From Yuggoth campaign-see Chaosium's Curse of On paper, and in the instruction book, the plot sounds
Cthulhu), deals with an airship that is tracking down great The Hastur Group is allied with a Chicago
and killing people with a mysterious connection gangster named Vincent DeMarco, whose thUgs stand
Editorial problems arise here: at conflicting points in the in your way. There's a number of different characters
text the dirigible is filled with helium or hydrogen The in the Hastur Group, and between each stage of the
somewhat hard -to-swallow "Armored Angels" in- game you witness conversations between them <some-
volves a trek into the Iraqi desert on a military mission times including Annet) about their plans.
seeking a lost archeologist; this one features armored In practice, though, E1 Viento is really just another
(and armed) cars, and should satisfy those gun-happy shoot-'em-up arcade game. It's not an RPG; you don't
players out there. "Sleigh Ride" features a long and make any decisions. You just run, jump and shoot
involved journey into Communist Russia in search of That said, E1 Viento is fun After owning it for
the abominable snowman; the confrontation with the several months, we've just recently gotten through the
snowmen and their god, followed by a long anticlimactic fifth stage in the game (hint: the tank at the end of
escape from the country, is barely worth the trip. The level one kept us stymied for weeks; jump behind it and
book also includes new automobile chase rules <Slightly stay there, jumping and firing, and you1l beat it). Areas
revised from fourth edition Coc). include a Chicago speakeasy, a temple in the Grand
A few other problems appear in proofreading,layout, Canyon, an auto factory in Detroit, and of course the
and art There are several (admittedly minor) typos, but Empire State Building
in at least one case a handout is unkeyed and Some of the monsters are rather Mythos-y, especially
unmentioned in the text. And the art ranges from a giant Cthulhuoid head with tentacles that rises out
mediocre (a fme dark young) to shoddy (poor serpent of the ocean A Byakhee, a Mi -Go and a Serpent Man
men and mi-go). However, Gustav Bjorksten's vehicle also show up. But regardless of the plot and the name-
diagrams & plans are nicely done, and show off the dropping, E1 Viento isn't a video version of a Call of
details of the various conveyances quite well. Cthu1hu session by any means. It is fun-fun to play
In sum, this is a disappointing book. Few of the and fun to see the Mythos in this form. But if you don't
scenarios create (Jet alone maintain) any sense of fear have a Sega Genesis, it's not worth $150 just to play
or awe, and most read like dull travelogues. On the it ($100 for the Genesis, about $40 for the game), On
strength of the scenarios, Fearful Passages rates three- the other hand, the Genesis does have a lot of fun games
and-a-half phobias. If the Keeper can make good use besides E1 Viento if you're into this sort of thing
of the transportation data, the rating might rise to four- E1 Viento rates three phobias as a Mythos game, but
and-a-half. on its own it easily rates six for shoot-'em-up fun.
continued on page 52
The Unspeakable Oath A Tale Of Terror Issue 7. Fall 1992
its keeper (and the cult assassin) is never far away.
2. The carpet contains the immortal soul of Kastajhan.
~ a sorcerer originally living in Constantinople in the
~ fifteenth century.
~ Legend has it that as soon as Kastajhan discovered
~ the source of true immortality he was sentenced to
J;; death. One hundred assassins were sent to his house.
:D and when the dawn light fell across Constantinople
none remained alive. As for Kastajhan. there was no
•
Sign
The script around the edge of the carpet describes a
short spell. the casting of which allows communication
with Kastajhan's spirit. Unfortunately. the spirit is now
,
,"
quite insane and babbles only nonsense.
(Note that it is quite possible that Kastajhan knew
of the Sedefkar Simulacrum [from Chaosium's Orient
." ., ExpressJ. Sadly. Kastajhan's spirit is so insane that any
"" l O' ,
',;jt ,"
, .'
useful advice the investigators may require is reduced
Steve Hather)ey to meaningless gibberish)
3. The carpet belongs to Y'Golonac. and is mentioned
The Carpet at least three times in the Revelations of Glaaki. The
t is a small carpet. barely eight feet long by three carpet is used by worshippers of the Great Old One.
wide. It is threadbare and worn. and of indetermi- Victims are sacrificed over the carpet while the chant
nate middle-eastern style. In the centre of the is recited over and over. Y'Golonac possesses the
carpet is an oval of abstract design. Surrounding this sacrifice for as long as it amuses him. 5J
is a long fluid line of wavy characters. possibly letters
from an obscure alphabet
Things are sometimes seen in the oval pattern in the
centre of the carpet A flicker on the edge of vision.
a suggestive shape or threatening shadow. They are
slightly unsettling. but vanish upon closer inspection:
a trick of the light.
The carpet might be found in a cultist's home. at an
auction or at a manor house. Perhaps it is delivered to
the investigator's house by mistake. a mix-up at the
post office or by the removals company. Perhaps the
investigators spot an illustration of it in an ancient and
forbidden book. unlocking the secrets to the language
around its edge.
Possibilities
1. The carpet is a cult weapon The words on the
carpet are known as the Circle of Suggestive Deaths.
If chanted within earshot of someone standing upon the
rug. that person will surely die. Whether by bullet.
knife. monster. accident. disease or injury. the result is
the same.
The investigators might find it in their possession
after angering the cult it favours. Wherever it is found.
Issue 7. Fall 1992 CoCSY2:Resources The Unspeakable Oath
Ul
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The Unspeakable Oath CoC5 1fzIntroduction & Errata Issue 7. Fall 1992
The material in this section is a real grab-bag of stuff.

John Tynes Once again. some parts may seem silly to you-rest
assured that others will delight in their presentation.
n TU06. we presented a wide selection of additions CoC tends to be elitist by nature (if not by design). but
and adjustments to Chaosium's Call of Cthulhu even elitists have differences of opinion.
Fifth Edition rules. These additions ranged from Following this section. you1l also find another entry
new skills and occupations to new rules for sanity and in our continuing support of The Randolph Pierce
•
magic. Foundation. a campaign setting for your 1920s COC
These were offered to Keepers to use selectively- games. This time. we feature a look at The Last Dawn.
taking only what parts were appealing and ignoring the possibly one of the most original and frightening groups
rest Most everything in CoCSY:z (our humble name for of cultists to ever appear in CoCo They have a very
it) was modular. and could be used or discarded without definite (and unusual) belief system. as well as a long
affecting the rest and colorful history. Their history. in fact. is tied very
In the quest to squeeze as much into one issue as much into that of the Foundation-but you can easily
possible-thereby concentrating information in one use them in any other campaign. if you wish.
easily-referable location-much was also squeezed out Finally. below you1l also find errata for COCS~ The
Hence. this is the "missing" chapter for the rules. This editor made a number of mistakes in putting the issue
chapter. Resources. is less rules-oriented. and consists together. and one big one is addressed here. If you find
mostly of articles on more tangential subjects-how to more. or have contributions or comments of your own.
use skills better. using classic villians from fiction. please let us know. A reprinting of this material with
running CoC in the 1930s. and more. Another selection the full set of Foundation and COCSY:Z materials is a
of "Resources" will also appear next issue. likelihood somewhere down the road. ~
The Incane c:harls below _e COlltlined Into ale 'U&12) areot allhe
with flelncaile al fle right. Income !tilts (p. 13, T
TU06. ...nIc:h made the chart al p. 13 u9819S6. Use lh9S6Insteact. And the OCCI~al at lett. and math
taille at right. ' V' means varlaille-d100ae accordlrg to Imesllgator backgrOUld or rOil randolljy.
Adventurer V MuSician 0 Annual Income Occupation Code Property Number Random
AntIq.Jarian ' 0 Paraps)<:hoIoglst' G 206x$1000 A 20$ 01
Artist 0 Park Ranger" 0 1 0841 000, +$3000 S 15$ 02
Alhel8le' V Police Detective l 1010)($1000. +$1000 C 14$ 03
OergyrTWl N POlice PatrOlman N 1 D8x$1 000, +$2000 0 13$ 04-05
Calaullrg Deleelve' H Private Eye' K 20441000. +$1 000 E 12$ ()6.()8
Dilettante A Profeseor" F 1 D8xS1 000, +$1 000 F 11$ 09-11

Dockworker (laborer) P Psychic Medium' J 1 06xS1 000. +S2OOO G 10$ 12-15
Doctor' C ReligiOUS H 2D3xS1 000, 41000 H 10$ 16-20
Ergln..r 0 Revolutialary 0 204x$1000 I 9$ 21-25
Fafii.erfNOCXIsman P Shaman N/A 10641000, +$1000 J 9$ 26-35
Gangster (Criminal)' E ShO'M'T\8l1' N/A 1D8x$1000 K 8$ 36-45
Hobo 0 SOldier of Fortune' M 10441000, +$2000 l 7$ 46-55
Inventor M Tribal Fisherman N/A 106x$1000 M 8$ 56-65
JoumailstiAutlor' I Tribal Warrior N/A 10441000, +$1000 N 5$ 66-85
Lawyer' S Wlktllte Huntertf'hotograp/1er" H 104x$1000 0 4 86-95
MIIttary commander M youthtul Sidekick' 0 104x$500 P 1 96-99
Mleelonary P , nBW occupalJon from TU06 104x$100 0 \I, 00
TU07 -TU07 -TV07 -TV07 -TV07 -TV07 -TV07 -TV07 -TV07 -TV07 -TV07 -TV07 -TV07 -TV07
Issue 7. Fall 1992 CoCSYzUsing Skills The Unspeakable Oath
charges. but gives him or her the knowledge of how

John Crowe & Maria Douglas much is appropriate to use and where charges should
be placed in order to have the desired effect. Those with
question often asked by players of Call of 40% or more of this skill can concoct simple explosives
Cthulhu is how much actual benefit and if the proper tools and materials are available.
knowledge does one get when purchasing FAS!' DRAW (base 00/0). This is the ability to draw
skills. Is there only a higher chance of being able to a handgun from a holster or belt swiftly and fire it
know a specific piece of information or successfully accurately in the same round. If successful. the rate of
conducting an action. or do any special benefits come fire is reduced by one for this round <minimum of one
with having more skill? Does an investigator with. say. shot) and if the roll is missed. the weapon is drawn
40% Biology skill automatically know certain things or normally and may be fired the next round. The
does he/she have to roll every time when even the most consequences of fumbling the Fast Draw roll can be
basic facts emerge? This article will address this issue shocking. A Luck roll must be made and if successful.
by providing a sample skill-level system for use with the weapon is accidentally flung away unless a DEXxS
firearms. In addition. a new skill-Graphology-is roll is made. whereupon it is stuck in the holster for
introduced and explained at length. It. too. is broken the round. If either roll is fumbled. the handgun
down into a similar skill-level system. discharges in the holster doing half damage to the
Readers will note that nothing drastic is changed shooter. A second Luck roll is required and if it is
about the COC rules; this system only gives players and missed. full damage is inflicted. Off -hand Fast Draw
Keepers a better idea of what skill levels mean. skill can be developed. but may never exceed the skill
Also contained herein are some new ski11s for with the user's strong hand. Optionally. it may also be
firearms. and some additions to the rules for re-loading developed for blade weapons. but would be rare and
times. weapons maintenance. and more. Use or ignore would have to be distinguished between knives and
whichever points you wish. swords.
OFF -HAND SHOOTING (base 10%). This is the
New Skills ability to shoot with one's weak or "off' hand. It applies
Some new weapons skills that you may find useful. only to handguns and allows the individual to shoot
BAYONE'I' ATI'ACK (base 10%). Most soldiers. even with either his or her weak hand only or with both
today. receive training with the bayonet When fixed hands at the same time. This skill may not exceed that
to a rifle. the bayonet can be a very formidable and developed for the strong hand.
intimidating weapon. Military training in game terms
would provide the soldier with large club attack skill
in conjunction with bayonet attack skill and parrying firearms Skill Levels
is part of this training. Those creating characters with Training. or lack of it. will greatly affect the
military experience should consider obtaining these performance of an investigator in any discipline. The
skills since they are common to most soldiers. Note that dangerous nature of firearms makes the value of
a hand-held bayonet is used with Fighting Knife ski11 training in this area especially vital. The guidelines
since it is effectively no different from a bowie knife. provided here will hopefully assist players and Keepers
kukhri knife. or similar instrument. in handling combat in Call of Cthulhll What follows
DEMOUnONS (base 00/0>. While not a firearms skill. are tables describing various skill levels and what
Demolitions should be mentioned since no skill in the benefits or hindrances they provide to the individual
current Call of Cthulhu rules addresses this. This skill involved.
not only allows the individual to know how to set
The Unspeakable Oath CoCSY:z:Using Skills Issue 7, Fall 1992
Handguns
Skill Remarls, edge roll (wtic:hever Is higher) In order to be able to Instan~y begin using
20% INCOMPETENT (br:e Skill). this persm IS com~etely lJ'lfamiliar Vtifl t1Is an unfamiliar handglJ'l.
\\18~ type. To be able to 8VW1 fire a slrrllIe revolver r&qI ires a 1IJOC88 40% COMPETENT. ThIs IndlvlckJai has enough skill, training, andA:lr eJ;l9rience
Idea or Kno>M8dge roll (...nlc:hever Is higher) ...nile loading one requires a to be able to cperate and maintain most handguns Vtith little or no trouble.
KnOVtiedge roll. To load or nre any ather ~ of handgun also req~res a 60% PROFESSIONAL Prole! iia'lals prctlably Shoot as part of their careers or
KnoVtiedge roll. Oeanlng the l'J8'pon will prove to be more difficult and are at least die-hard Shooting enlhJslasts (though not all police, soldiers,
requlr.. a INTx2 roll unlees detailed instructions are prll ant. e1c. have sldll this high). With a succuSlul DEXXS roll, Q'l8 extra Shot per
Failure fore .. the peraon to attempt a Luck roll to avoid damaging or round can be nred accurately discretion, scme weapons may be
disabling the weapon. FUmbling It results In an accidental dlsc:harge physically Incapable, due to condition or design, of such a s'Mn and
sometime during the clea'llng procees. In thiS case, II10ther Luck roll Is Sll&Ialned rate of ~re) . In addHion, Fast Draw skill ~ai to the sllOOte(s DEX
wwr.,\ed In order to avoid haWlg the err.,t bull. strike a bysI.lder or the Is gained.
handier. An IndlvlckJai Vtifl ba_ ald. has at"«lIutely no busina I! harding 70% EXPERT. this Indllllduai gains FaSl Draw skil equal to his or her DEX In
this ctaes oIlrearrre. addition to that gained previously (tOtal of DEXx2). HelShe also gains fle
25% NOVICE. This IndlvldUai knows the most basic elements 01 handgun abII~y to fire one extra Shot per round (again, Keeper's discretion).
operatlQ'l1rld malnlenance. lending, firlng, and cteanlng revolvers Is no 60% MASTER. A truly rare Individual, a handgun Master gains Fast Draw sldll
problem ...nile the cperlllon and maintenance of all ather h.IdglJl'l types ~aI to hI&tler DEX In addition to that gained previOUllly (total of DEXx3).
stll requires a KrIO'MI:lge roll. An extra ad may be Ired per round, ortwosldd'tloilh a SI'XU iIUI DEXx1
3O'Mo AMATEUR. The baaie cperatlon 01 ail types of h8OOgU1s Is Vtithln the roll. A Master's beee ranges are allincreaeed by 50%. Keapers should not
capabl~ty 01 a peraon 81 this levll. A more com~ex or unueuai ~ must allow new c:haracters to start \\oIth any firearm sid! higher than 60%.
1111 be exemill~ for a lew roundeln order to determine how to operate It 9O'Mo GRAND MASTER. This scary pereon has all of the aforementioned
(to deteiiijne how to chamber a round, nnd the safety, etc.). In an benefits e>capt bese r8Jlges are doubled. In a 8UCC866I\.j DEXx2
emergancy, an &ma*Jr nal:l only s'CClaaluily make an Idea or KnooM- roll Vti! permit a eecond extra ehot per round.
eo'Mo PROFESSIONAL Proia 1II:rl8Is prooably ahoo1 a8 part of their careers or

are at least dI.hard hunters and &hooting enlhuslasts (however, not all
Remarls.
§lIti police, eoIdlera, et:. have aldll this high). VIIdl a SlICC85 loJ DEXx4 roll, one
25% INCOMPETENT (ball akill). Thla peraon 18 completely, or almost com- extra ahoI per rOlJ'ld may be made unless the well IOn Is a high-powered
pletlly, unlamllar long gun!. To load, nre, or maintain boIt-ac1lon, boll-don rtne.
lever-actlon, re'lOivlng-action, and pump-don nrearrna requires a auc- 70% EXPERT. An individual at this level may fire one extra shot per rOlJ'ld H a
Clillulldeaor KnOVtiedge roll, ~18 To load or Ire a u,j- a r:c I : tJl DEXXS roll 16 made. The elCeplion to flls are high powered boll-
automate or auomlllc requlr.. a a'CCaaalui KnOVtiedge roll and action rlnee...nic:h require alCCwslui DEXx2 rolls to be able to fire at a
to maintain one ""'i.... ., INTx2 roll. Failure to make the appi'op!Iate roll higher rate (Kuper discretion).
'Mlen CI~ng a rine requI res the lUbject to make a Luck roll to avoid 60% MASTER. A rare persa I, a rile Master may fire one extra ahoI per rOlJ'ld
elCept for high pcl'JJIlred boll-acton rilles wticI1 req~re a a ICC B5sU DE Xx3
roll to nre more qulcldy (Kuper discretion). A Master's ba_ ranges are
is tAWT.t'l~ tOdet_Ii •• 'MaUler r:A 00 ..... ,.... bu•• ClkMtle hIId. InCreaeed by 50"-. Kupers at IOUId not allow new c:haracters to stan \\oIth
or a bysIIr1der. N1ym8 'tIoiIh IhISlevai 01 eIdII has no any firearm sldn c:Ner 60%.
guns and II given one, should probably uee It aa a club, cJlcket bat, or 9O'Mo GRAND MASTER. Such a person canes straight from a film or cartoon
...nere the hero magically never has to reloed. He 0( ehe gains all the
3O'Mo NOVICE. Novicee know the most baliC lIemenls 01 nne Irld 1tJ0IgUn benellts of a Master except all rine base ranges are doubled Qncludlng
cper"allrld maInIIMIC8. Ot1y and alAomatIc IIhofgun8 firing auge). a I STAXS roll, a long gun can be fired
are stili a problem Irld require a a'CCeeslui Idea 0( KnoVtiedge roll >MIh one arm, tu only III 50"- 01 the normal c:h1l1C8 alt8r all otler no:Illers
(wtichever Is hIgI :er) for op eratlon Irld maintenance. h..... taken Into account. ThIs the shooter Is not bracing the
35% AMATEUR. ThIs IndlYIQ oil know8.". ba8IC8 01 oper"rg Irld malntalnrg _.pen on anything . The base range ...nen pulling this stunt drops to
\Wee ily yards v.tlIch turns It Into a clumsy h. idgun.
the same aldll8 ~yIng to thl II typ lB.
4O'Mo COMPETENT. ThIs pll8Ol1 has enough 8k111, trairing, IIldo'or 8J;l1l18i1C81O Note thlll fle previous table assumas that aho~uns are firing slugs and that rilles
be ti, to oparatelrld maintain most rtnea and ahoIgUna ~dllltlfe or no and IIhO\:juns lSI under the same skin. ~ tlJckShol or blldahoI. tle shooter has
trouble. an extra 5%c:hance to~, but this does no! the skiU level of the shooter.
Issue 7. Fall 1992 CoCSY2:Using Skills The Unspeakable Oath
Submachlne Guns and Machine QJns

These weapon types use the RiflelShotgun table with
the following changes.
Skill Remarks
15% INCOMPETENT (base sldll)
20% NO\l1CE
25% AMATEUR
40% COMPETENT
60% PROFESSIONAL
70% EXPERT
60% MASTER
90% GRAND MASTER
Shooting Modifiers
AIMING TIME. Taking time to aim greatly affects the
chance to hit For each uninterrupted round used to
carefully aim (up to a maximum of three rounds). the
shooter receives an extra bonus to hit equal to 100/0 of
his/her shooting skill. If jostled. struck. startled by a loud
explosion. shot. or whatever. this bonus is lost So. if
a soldier armed with a bolt-action rifle has 40% skill
with it and takes three rounds to aim. he has an extra
12% chance to hit in addition to any other modifiers.
BRACING. This refers to bracing a weapon on a wall.
sofa. log. bipod. or similar object Bracing allows the
shooter to add an extra 10% of his or her shooting skill Weapon Maintenance
to the chance to hit
DOIX1ING TARGETS. Targets actively attempting While the maintenance of firearms will usually have
to make a Dodge roll force the shooter to suffer from little or no impact on a scenario. in some cases it can
a -25% modifier to hit even if the roll is missed. Of be important Firearms that have been left on a shelf
course. if the Dodge roll is successful. the shot misses or in a closet for years or decades may have an increased
regardless of how well the shooter rolls. chance of malfunctioning due to corrosion. In other
MOVING SHOOTER. Firing a weapon is difficult cases. weapons which are clogged with sand. mud. dirt.
enough. but when one is walking or running. the task and other such substances would probably have a
is even more difficult When walking. the shooter is at greatly increased chance of malfunctioning
75% of hislher chance to hit. Running shooters are at Investigators may wish to remedy this by conducting
500/0 of their chance to hit and those that are dodging thorough cleaning or preventative maintenance. All
are at 25% of their chance to hit (assuming the Keeper that is required is suitable skill or knowledge plus a
allows any even remotely accurate fire at aID. cleaning kit This generally consists of cleaning rods.
STATIONARY TARGETS. If the target is unmov- bronze or steel bore brushes (which screw onto the rods).
ing. a hit is much more likely. The modifier in such a fabric cleaning patches. gun oil. and gun solvent. Bore
case is +200/0. Note that only a complete fool would brushes are available in various sizes. being tailored for
knowingly stand utterly still when coming under fire certain calibers. The cleaning process takes a variable
and most spells when cast do not require the caster to amount of time depending on the skill of the person.
remain absolutely motionless. the weapon involved. and how thorough the owner
Other modifiers obviously exist such as those for wishes to be. Of course. an investigator would be left
darkness. high winds. and intervening light obstacles very vulnerable should cultists break in on him when
(windows. screens. etc), These must be addressed on a his .45 automatic is in pieces on the table in front of
case by case basis by the Keeper. him.
The Unspeakable Oath CoC51.?;Using Skills Issue 7. Fall 1992
Qeloadlng Qevlslted Notes

In light of the levels of expertise detailed previously. a A DEXlCS roll Is reqlired to be a1je to load one round Into any tid&-
the reloading of firearms must once again be addressed. lollded revelwr since Ile 8>qlended cartridge casing must first be temOlled. "
this article is based on one previously printed in ruOl. the roIlalls, the cart~e Is loaded In the next round.
The following charts are self -explanatory. b A r_se breek-open weill 101, (more collecUy called a "lip l4l" 'NIN!PCfl) Is Ialriy
rare. but the design can be lound In a lew Ialrty common Smith & Wesson
INCOMPETENT SHOOTERS rel/Olwr8. Ills similar to the classic break-open design, but With an odd tWIst.
The barrel Is hinged Iorward d Ile cylinder so liIotlen II sWings out, tl8 c~inder
alp 2 rounds to Insert rrust be temOlled In ord., lor nto be reloaded. One eXlTll round must be taken
Magazine 2 rounde to chang. balore and alter reloacing In order lor the ttloot., to &&Ali ,Ually diamsnUe and
Drum 2 rounde to change then reaS681,tJie hlsmer weapo:rr.
SId&-Lolldirg 1 cartrldg. par n:rund a c cap & ball ftl'88l'lTl8 are Incoownlent and slow to reload. To load one, first the
SWlrej.()\Jt 1 cartrtdga par n:rund guI1)O'Ml" Is poured Into Ile Chambar. Then the projecUIe(s) Is rarrmed Into
Break.Qpen 1 cartridge par n:rund place and ap8lQJesloo cap Is p"'ed on the hollow ", ippIe" abOYIIlheCha,Der.
Ra'i8' I B Break·Open (TIp Up) 1 cartrtdga par n:rund b ThIs 1"'\lU ,y process can be aggravating 10 the Be Ueed to metallIC cartridges
cap & Ball 1fJ cartrtdga par n:rund c d To load a second cartridge requires a successlul DEXx5 roll. Sld&-loaded
rel/Olw!S camel haw a &B~o"d cartridgeloe:ded In the sane round IIlless all
NOIIICE, AMATEUR, AND COMPETENT SHOOTERS e>qlanded caSIngs have already been retnoved.
Not.. e Loading a third cartridge requires a DEXx5 roll. Again, sld&-Ioaded revelv.,s
alp 1 n:rund to Ineart are greaUy slowed elnce an action Is II! entially wasted because cartridge
Magazl". , n:rund to Change c Ings are not conveniently ejected Irom the W8BfOOO as II fires
Drum , n:rund to Chang. I the proceas 01 relol (Ing tid&-loeded rel/Olw!S Is II. riblted by hailing to
Sld&-loading 2 cartridges par n:rund d rlllTlOw cartridge casings.
SWlrg-C>ut 2 cartridgaa per round g The lourth cartridge can be loaded II a sucx.esstul DEXx5 roll Is made.
BrNk.Qpen 2 cartridgu per round
Re'''' sa Break·Opan (TIp Up) 2 cartrlO~ I a par round b These charts assume the individual handling the
cap & Ball 2fJ cartrtdga par n:rund c weapon is trying to reload quickly and is obtaining
ammunition from an easily accessible source such as a
PROFESSIONAL AND EXPERT SHOOTERS bandolier. magazine pouch. or cartridge belt There are
NoI!I penalties for being poorly prepared or organized, Those
alp , n:rund to Ineart who insist on putting different calibers of ammunition
Magazine , n:rund to Change in a cartridge belt run the risk. especially in a high
0iU'ri 1 round to Change pressure situation. of either fumbling for the correct
Sld&-I oading 3 cartridges par n:rund • cartridge or loading in the wrong one, Luck or INT rolls
SWlrg.Qut 3 cartrlO~ I I par n:rund are appropriate in such situations,
Iireak.Qpen 3 cartridgaa par n:rund The reloading times given for incompetent shooters
All""'
cap
. Break·Open (TIp Up)
& Ball
3 cartridges par round
2fJ cartrtdga per n:rund
b
c
are provided under the assumption that either the
subject was instructed on how to operate that particular
weapon or that he/she made a successful Knowledge
MASTER AND GRANO MASTER SHOOTERS roll to figure it out.
Finally. the Keeper may wish to use a "pressure
alp factor" for reloading (or anything else. actually), One
Magazine option is to have characters attempting to reload to
0Ium make Luck roUs to avoid fumbling around and dropping
Sid&-LoadIrg Cartridges. loading magazines in backwards. inserting
SWlrg.Qut the wrong ammunition. etc, ,Those with war experience
Break.QPen or the like should have +25% to such a roIL In this way.
Re_ Break·Open (TIp Up) investigators will not just calmly reload their shotguns
cap & 'Ball when facing the Charge of the Ghoul Brigade,
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Issue 7, Fall 1992 CoCSY:z:Using Skills The Unspeakable Oath
Graphology
Since we were children, we have noticed that people
write differently from one another. Perhaps you noticed
that your mother drew circles above her 'i's" and not
dots, or that your father's writing was nearly illegible
because of the numerous flourishes and broad pen
strokes. Or, perhaps, you never noticed anything specific
about a person's writing, but it impressed you; and if
you could imitate your mother's handwriting, you could
forge away a world of trouble at school. A person's
writing is as distinctive as their fingerprints: it is their
personal imprint on the world around them, and it
cannot be easily imitated, at least not without great skill.
In literate societies like ours, our signature is better to
creditors than our word because it commits us to
something in a way that our verbal agreements do not.
It leaves a record of our statements that anyone can
recognize as our own whether or not they have ever
met us, and it can be easily stored away for reference.
The science of graphology, or graphoanalysis, is
founded on the premise that the electrical impulses of
the brain subconsciously transmit signals to our hands
that reveal our innermost personality traits in our
writing. rhe slant of our lines, the shapes of our letters,
the size of our loops, and the position of our t-bars are
only a few details that the graphologist examines to
ferret out the facets of our nature. While graphologists
are often referred to as handwriting analysts, they are
often confused with document examiners. Document
examiners review legal documents <e.g., wills, medical
records, contracts) for the validity of their signatures
and handwriting, without evaluating the personality of
the writer. Document examiners are often expert
witnesses in court cases dealing with forgery. For
gaming purposes, however, a graphologist can perform
those same evaluations.
An amateur graphologist can discern several differ-
ent personality traits about a writer from his or her
writing, and from it assemble some portrait of the
\ ¥,
writer's psyche. But a professional graphologist with a
r 0<.; background in psychology can bore deeply into the
writer's psychological terrain and evaluate certain
general aspects of the writer's physical and mental
health. Graphologists are sometimes consulted for
psychological assessments, pre-marital counseling, and
career evaluations.
Whether or not you subscribe to the basic premise
of graphoanalysis, the skill itself can add an interesting
dimension to your gaming sessions. When characters
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The Unspeakable Oath CoCSYz:Using Skills Issue 7, Fall 1992
need a deeper understanding of the NPCs (non-player more than the writer's psychological state at that point
characters) they encounter, or when they simply need in time, although that, too, may be very important,
to bolster their psychoanalysis skills to gain back sanity depending on the keeper's intentions. A single letter
during campaigns, a graphology skill will enhance their requires only Y2 to 1 day (4 to 7 hours) to examine.
abilities. A diary or collection of letters will reveal a great deal
more than any other sample because they both
Graphology as a SkIll represent a variety of moods, passions, and events. The
Graphology can be one of the primary skills of a character will be able to make an evaluation based on
Psychologist character. It can also be used by a layman those traits which prevail regardless of mood. A full
as a pickup skill. Neither the keeper nor the player needs analysis, however, can be lengthy. Depending on how
any specific knowledge of graphology in order to use many hours per day the character devotes to studying
it effectively in a campaign or in live role-playing. the sample, it can take 1-3 days to make a fair
Outlined here are some general guidelines and assessment The character's skill will also affect the
suggestions for its use. length of time it takes to assess a large sample. If a
player can roll under 20% of his or her skill in
Writing Sample Size at Evaluations graphology (a critical success), that may reduce the
The analyst's evaluation will be more complete number of days by half. The exact amount of time
depending on how many writing samples he or she needed may be randomly determined by the keeper if
obtains. A collection of letters or a diary will give a necessary.
much more complete analysis than a single letter or
note. A writer's mood can vary from day to day, if not Example
moment to moment, and it will prevail in their writing. Arthur later returns to the woman's flat to and
A single letter might reveal a great deal about the finds a collection of half-written detective stories, giving
writer's general mood at the time it was written, but him around 100 or so pages of handwritten material on
that mood may obscure other important traits and even lined paper. Arthur's player roles 103 for the number of
belie others. days it will take to make the analysis studying full time
For example, someone may usually be very optimistic and rolls a 2 (2 days). He then makes a Graphology Roll
about most things, but if they were to write about a and rolls an 04%. Since his Graphology skill is 54%, he
very unhappy incident, their writing may indicate a has rolled under 20".4 of his skill and cuts the amount of
great deal of pessimism Thus, both the subject and the study time to half, or 1 day. So, Arthur takes the manu-
writer's mood may be misleading. Keepers and players scripts home and studies them over the next day and
must be aware that a single sample represents little discovers that, among other things, the woman is overall
a very light-hearted, generous and optimistic person.
Example Arthur therefore concludes that the day the woman
Dr. Arthur Smelrich, a handwriting analyst, and his disappeared she was very upset about something and
friends investigate the flat of a woman who has recently was probably under some adverse conditions.
disappeared. He finds an un mailed letter written by the
woman the day she disappeared. Arthur's player rolls a So, although a graphologist may study a letter for
104+3; the result is 5 hours of study for the letter. Arthur two days, he or she is still limited to the general mood
studies the letter that evening (making a successful and tendencies of the writer. If the character has a
Graphology Roll) and discovers strong traits of agitation, Psychology skill, he or she may be able to gain one
and anger, among other things. Since Arthur's valuable insight into the mental and/or physical well-
sample covers only one day, he can conclude only that being of the writer from a letter-sized sample at half
the writer felt agitated, depressed and angry the day she their Psychology skill. If the character has several
disappeared, but is unable to tell if this is an overriding samples, that analyst can gain 1-3 valuable insights into
character trait for her. Arthur concludes that this might the writer's physical and/or mental health at half their
merely represent how she felt at the time she wrote the Psychology skill. The keeper may decide precisely what
letter, and perhaps she knew that some foul play might those insights" are and may delay revealing them to
befall her soon. the investigator until the appropriate time. A successful
Idea roll may reveal how to use those insights
Issue 7, Fall 1992 CoCSY2:Using Skills The Unspeakable Oath
effectively when dealing with the writer (that is, if the
player has not already figured out how to use them). Graphology and the Psychoanalyst
Graphology can also be used by psychoanalysts to help
Example them evaluate their patients. A successful graphological
The keeper has Arthur's player roll against his Psychol- evaluation may add 10-20% to the character's psycho-
ogy skill of 34%, and he rolls a 13. The keeper then has analysis skill on an appropriate roll. This bonus assumes
the player roll 103, and he rolls a 2, indicating that Arthur that the psychoanalyst was able to gain additional
has discovered two insights into the missing woman's insights into the patient's psyche to regain the lost
overall mental and physical health. When Arthur and his sanity.
fellow investigators finally locate the woman, she is
wandering down a dirt road. Immediately, Arthur real- Uve Role-playing
izes (perhaps prompted by the keeper) that she might be Graphology can be a powerful skill in live role-playing.
plagued with a weak heart and mild senility. The player In a game using mind transferral or automatic writing.
also makes his Idea Roll: Arthur decides that it would be a possessed character's scribbles can be evaluated by the
best to approach her with only one of the female inves- graphologist character to determine the identity of the
tigators and to identify himself as a doctor. possessor. Also, any pre-game knowledge a grapholo-
gist has regarding the other player's handwriting can
GrapholOQ\.l Skill Levels be a useful gaming element Obviously the time it would
The degree oiskill will determine exactly how much take to make a full graphological assessment would be
a character can learn about a person from their writing. prohibitive in real-time gaming. A keeper may have the
Below is a breakdown by skill percentage of amateur player "sit out" for 10 minutes or so as his or her
and professional abilities: character studies the writing, depending on the intended
length of the game, and then the keeper can inform
15% The graphOlogist Is a beglmer and can recognize Wl&r1 someone has the character of what insights they have gained.
attempted to Iorge the hardwrltirg a a I~end , Imy member or as 5 xlate,
parUCUIarty their signature. They have difficulty making any kind 01 full Cthulhu Then and Now
analysis baC"'., sid 101 gil they can accura18ly Interpt'811 to 8 rutSlandlr'g Graphology can be used as a skill for gaming in the
trlits, they camot .:0 • ,eel them to other trlits to obIsin a balanced portrait 1920s and any time thereafter without modification.
ot the Individual. My PS~hOIogl<:aI Inlights they obIain will be limited, The study of handwriting began almost 400 years ago,
although they may stili be ull8ful. although it wasn't until the late part of the 19th century
30% AI1hOugh an amateur graphOlogist, he or she has a trained eye end can that it began to resemble modern graphological analysis.
make a limited analysis. This character can, at a glance, get an overall Books on graphology from the '20s are a delightful
leellng abort the writer, but even a careful study wH no! reveal a detliled resource for keepers who wish to get some flavor of
portrlit They may njsscertlin detlils that Hnk trlits or flat balance others the skill without too many of the diagrams and charts
against one Graphology Is probeHy only a hobby lor Ills per8Cl1. that often proliferate in modern graphology books.
45% This graphOlogist probably belongs to a grllltldogical society and Isl.l'ld8r
some type 01 msntorshlp wtth a pra86filonal Qf8ltlOlogist. This person has Conclusions
a waII·trained eye and c.-. make a lUll Chareeler lnIIysls wtth carelli sludy. The knowledge that a graphologist can garner from an
60% GraphOlogy Is probably a part a this character's pr0i86filon as a cOU1S81or analysis is as varied as the characters that the keeper
or psychoanalyst. They UIl8 n ragol any lor ps~OIogical evaluations, pre- wishes to create. Since we can know a person fairly well
marnal couneeling and career counseling, a/1hough n Is probably not their and still not know everything about them, graphology
main evliuatlon too. can give us a more intimate understanding of those
100% ThiS Is a prol8lllional graphOlogist v.tlo teaches gr8ltlOlogy at an institute around us. If you are skeptical about the accuracy of
and Is probaHy a 'MII1·knovtn expert wltnee6ln docunent examnaUon and graphology, remember there are many skeptics about
c~inallorgery. This character would probably have his CMf1 buEinees and psychology, as well. Although both sciences are
would per10rm gr8ltlOllnalysislUl·Ume, perhaps :specIliizlng In one type a somewhat subjective in nature, many consider them
counseiing (688 above). ThIs graphologist Is a powerful analyst, using useful grounds for understanding the intricacies of the
graphoanalysls as his or her main too lor ps~hOIogicai evliuations. human psyche. ~
for an example of Graphology in use, check out the story on the next page...
The Unspeakable Oath CoCSY2:Pen and Ink Issue 7, Fall 1992
en an
Maria Douglas suggested that he had not "dressed up" in some time.
His greasy hair was slicked back from his forehead, and
a lock of dark hair fell over one of his thick eyebrows.
hillip swiped and dabbed diligently at his nose Phillip sniffed in disgust (or tried to sniff in disgust)
as James stared stupidly at the mounting stack and leaned his elbow against his desktop so that he
of requests on their desks. It was bad enough could prop up his miserably congested head. Why had
that the Randolph Pierce Foundation had "gone he even come to work today? he thought, but he looked
commercial": all the advertisements, radio commercials, at the stack of infinite requests, which were about to
neon flyers, and billboards that read, 'THIS IS A SIGN become infinity plus one. His dedication to the
rHAr YOU NEED US: with the tentacled logo Foundation when it was still a secret society was
waving its malevolent suckers at the back of some enormous. When the forces-that-were decided that the
unwary woman in a smart blazer and pumps. The world needed the Foundation's knowledge, the RPF
mounting requests for help soon began to evacuate the decided unanimously to open their doors and share their
small filing cabinet and stream onto the investigator's elder wisdom with the public. But they were not to
desks. Whether they were real or imagined threats, simply hand over valuable texts and tomes: they would
hundreds of requests for help trickled in each week, use their knowledge to help those in distress from the
which was far more than the Foundation had bargained rush of cultic activity that previously only plagued
for. They estimated now that perhaps less than 1% of Louisiana swamps and New England farmhouses. Cities,
the Applications for Investigation of Cthulhoid Abomi- suburbs, and every imaginable block of livable land was
nations were bona-fide cases of other-worldly activity; likely territory for the growing cults. Mental hospitals
most of the other requests they dismissed at a glance. with populations that were already strained lobbied the
But having the time to glance through them all was government for funding to house insane cultists
specifically what Phillip and James lacked. captured by police. Even though the Foundation only
"How in the world will we get through all of these found that less than 1% of the requests were actually
applications?" James asked, shrugging his shoulders so valid, that percentage indicated a dramatic rise in
that his thick round chin met his chest "And how will activity from the past three decades.
we get to the people who really need help in time to rhe man in the lobby looked around cautiously, then
protect them?" approached Richard at the front desk and mumbled a
"Probably by actually reading them instead of few words. Richard was a new member in the society-
wondering how we will read them: Phillip blustered a tall, fair young man with a theological degree, but
through his running nose. "Ah, God, I feel like hell it would be some time before he would be trained
today, on top of it all. And look at them: he said turning thoroughly as an investigator. Richard kindly greeted
towards the glass wall of the Foundation's office the man, and looked hesitantly up at the clock in the
standing between them and the reception area "They golden hexagram frame on the wall. Phillip couldn't
just keep pouring in like drinks in a drunk. Don't they make out what Richard then said, but he assumed that
know when we're about to close?" Richard informed the man that they were about to close
Just then, at five minutes to 5:00 pm after the last for the night But then Richard smiled and reached into
of a small mob had been finally ushered out, a short his drawer and handed a blank Application for
man with bristling dark brown hair stepped into the Investigation to the little man
small reception area, clutching a pair of black leather "What is he thinking?" Phillip exclaimed as his left
gloves in one hand and an old-fashioned tweed hat in eye began to water. "We're not accepting one more
the other. He looked neat enough, but the tight trouser bleeding application today!"
lines at his waist and the balling lint on his tie "Just calm yourself: James said, gathering the
rU07 -rU07 -rU07 -TU07 -rU07 -rU07 -TU07 -rU07 -rU07 -rU07 -rU07 -TU07 -TU07 -TV07
Issue 7, Fall 1992 CoCSYzPen and Ink The Unspeakable Oath
applications and putting them into neat stacks. "He "Richard, could I see that man's application?"
probably won't take long. And besides," he said, placing "Certainly," the young man said and smiled. It still
a stack directly in front of Phillip, "where do you think sat unfiled on the reception desk, so he handed it to
you are hurrying off to, anyway?" the congested investigator.
Phillip carefully studied the man's appearance this Phillip looked at it for a moment, puzzled. The
time, but didn't deduce much more than the man was handwriting was very unusual. something he decided
probably a bit reclusive and definitely uncultured. He that he would very much like to study in some depth.
sat hunched in one of the chairs with a clipboard in The application had deep pen marks all over it, the
his lap, filling out the application. Phillip's frustration whole of the script slanting at a startling angle to the
subsided, and he decided that his years as a left He could feel the unusually-angled letter forma-
psychoanalytical therapist had fmally caught up to him, tions begin to etch themselves into his subconscious.
putting the "anal" in his analytical thinking. He had Around the border were thick pen swipes that reminded
become a bore, and his handwriting showed it Phillip of some wards he had seen in one of the library
Fortunately, not many people were skilled handwrit- tomes here in the Pierce memorial library.
ing analysts, especially his girlfriends, so they had to "Could you make a copy of this for me, Richard?"
find this out the hard way. But Phillip was trying to The young man nodded as he took the proffered
rectify this by tutoring James in graphoanalysis. James application and turned toward the small copy machine
seemed to lack the fundamental mental acuity required against the wall behind him He handed the copy to
for perceptive analyses, but he did have some grasp of Phillip, who quickly folded it in quarters and put it in
the basics. In fact, James lacked the fundamental acuity the pocket with the clean kleenexes. "Thanks. Richard.
required for most concepts, but somehow his mind could Oh, and I won't be in tomorrow," he added as he pushed
weather tome after tome of mind-blasting horror and out the door without waiting for a reply. He truly hoped
he was in that capacity invaluable to the Foundation. that he could catch another glimpse of the suspicious
The two investigators turned towards sorting man, but hurried off down the corridor. He had an
through the requests, putting the hysterical. imaginative appointment to canceL
ones in one pile so that Richard could print out regret James slowly opened the office door. "Is he gone?"
letters to the applicants on the recycled letterhead with "He just left," Richard answered. ''Should I run after
the multi-tentacled logo in the lowerright-hand corner. h·un7" .
Sometimes, Phillip just could not stomach the degra- "No, no," James protested, waving his hand back and
dation of the Foundation, but his commitment to it was forth. "Let me see that application." He took it and
usually unwaverin~
"I'm going home. I feel simply horrible." Phillip
armounced, stuffing a half -used kleenex in his right
suit pocket, and a handful of unused ones in the other.
He opened up his briefcase to stuff it with several
applications and more kleenexes. His eye was drawn to
the small man in the lobby now standing at the
reception desk, handing the pen and clipboard back to
Richard. He imagined that Richard was now telling him
that he would be notified within three days, apologizing
for any horror he must deal with in the meantime, etc.
There was something about the growing anxiety in the J
man's eyes that caused Phillip some concern. The man
quickly left the lobby, his shoulders slightly hunched
as he disappeared out the door into the hall. a:
"I1l see you later, James," Phillip said, not taking his ~
eyes off the lobby door. "I might not be in tomorrow: ~
"Yes, I see. Do take care," James said, still looking at 0
the application that lay in front of him. ~
Phillip closed up his briefcase and entered the lobby. ~ _
The Unspeakable Oath CoCSY'zPen and Ink Issue 7, Fall 1992
looked it over with a profound sigh. "Well, I certainly tried to be objective: he really did have a strange feeling
cannot understand what has gotten into him." He looked about the man to begin with, and it was truly unfair
over the request. It was certainly urgent. and the to judge this man's request by his appearance.
symbols about the border of the application looked valid. Phillip knew that his dreams would bring horror.
He noticed the thick pen swipes and the severe left slant After four hours of exhaustive analysis, Phillip got up
of the writing, deducing that the man was a very from the light table and stumbled over to his bed, his
sensual person, if not a bit selfish. Aren't we all? he eyes gleaming with terrible insight He lay down, but
asked himself. 'This request does seem to warrant some the unusual writing had woven itself into his
investigation. I1l go check it out tomorrow: dreamworld. There was no doubt in his mind that the
Richard inhaled quickly, about to protest the seasoned man was not only deceitful. amoral and ambitious, but
investigator's strategy, but decided to keep his mouth he was almost insanely intelligent, and there was no
shut It didn't seem wise to go do any investigating on telling what his true intentions might be regarding the
one's own. "Won't you have Dr. Blackstone accompany Foundation. And he recognized the symbols. They were
you?" from one of the library's most enigmatic manuscripts:
"No, no." James countered again. "This chap seemed a small, grey cloth -bound book penned in faded brown
ordinary enough. He has an extraordinary problem is ink. Phillip closed his eyes for a moment, remembering
all. I1l take this one tomorrow, so I1l be calling in before well the awful incantations from that book. The book
I get there." had a title once, but it had been mostly obscured by
·Yes, Mr. Billington:' Richard said as he locked up what looked like acid drippings. All that anyone could
his drawers and shut off the copy machine. "Good make out was the unmistakable syllable of "thoth:
. htl"
rug . Beyond that, no one could determine its origins, except
That evening, Phillip sat on the edge of his bed, for some Sumerian influences which didn't surprise
blowing his nose and feeling as though the miasma of anyone at all.
Chaos itself was flooding his sinuses. No thanks to what Phillip got back up and looked at the writing on the
the Foundation paid him for his investigations as an application as it lay on the light table. He realized that
associate member, he had been able to nicely furnish he had been concentrating so hard on the writing itself
his flat with the fees he continued to accrue from his that he really hadn't given the same attention to the
private practice. Out front was his office, with its art- contents. The man described quite vividly strange ligh ts,
deco and walnut veneer desk. He had cancelled his particularly blue lights, that occasioned his attic. He
appointment with Mrs. Flotsheim this evening so that claimed that the original owner of the house had
he could rest and relax. Perhaps he would feel better apparently carved some strange symbols around the
tomorrow if he only got some sleep tonight. he thought attic door, which were the symbols that he sketched
as he neatly hung up the clothes he wore that day. The somewhat vaguely around the border of the application.
pocket of his suit rustled gently as he pulled the extra Phillip recognized them as binding wards and wondered
kleenexes from his pocket what kind of hideous, unearthly creature lurked within
That damned application, he thOUght He withdrew the confines of the attic. The lights, the man wrote, came
the folded photocopy, unfolded it. and took it over to and went, most particularly on the eighth day of each
his light table on the far side of his bedroom He laid month, and at all hours he heard shuffling noises,
the paper on top of the bright white glass plate in the among other sounds. He said that he couldn't afford to
center and picked up a pencil. never taking his eyes off move, had no family and desperately needed the
the unusual letters. Already he felt his curiosity Foundation's help.
twisting itself into an obsession as he began diagraming Comparing what the application said with the
the slant of the letters, carefully examining the odd line handwriting analysis, the investigator could not believe
spacing and waving lines. that this was the whole story. He acknowledged that
Picking up his magnifying glass he examined the the writing sample was small-a single page-and
eccentric, angled loops and odd hooks in every zone, therefore not the truest representation of the man's
from the top of each letter to the bottom. Each strange character. But why would these characteristics-the
configuration was the brush stroke of a mad artist deceit and amorality in particular-be so strong in his
painting a bizarre impressionistic portrait of the small application? He expected that rather fear and self-
man that sat in the lobby at closing that day. Phillip recrimination perhaps would weave in and out of the
Issue 7, Fall 1992 CoC5~Pen and Ink The Unspeakable Oath
text. Phillip decided that the characteristics he found were probably wood floors. Huge cobwebs strung
were strong enough to warrant strong suspicions of the dustily across the vaulted ceiling beams and the walls
man and his request. were filthy, the paint chipped and gouged as if this place
The investigator went to the medicine cabinet and once housed a menagerie. A couple of kerosene lamps
swallowed some vile green liquid in a plastic cup before sat lit on the living room table among various items:
the bed tempted him back to its sheets, wrapping his pots and pans, a couple of boxes. The chairs placed
drowsy body in their comfort. His mind was still around it were ragged, the tears in the upholstery laying
disturbed, but the medicine dropped a heavy veil over open like gaping wounds. Wires splayed colorfully out
his thoughts, forcing down the insidious panic of every socket and in a couple of places in the wall
threatening to well up inside of him because he knew the plaster had been smashed through by some
he was onto something. It wouldn't do any good to tremendous blow. James tried to smile pleasantly, but
alarm anyone at this late hour, he thought as he looked his unease was growing. The smell of sewage wafted
sleepily at the red LCD numbers on the clock at his past him, among other scents he could not identify.
bedside. And besides, no one would be foolish enough "You want to see the atticT the man asked, his voice
to investigate this application before doing some surprisingly pleasing. James thought he saw a thin smile
research in the grey book and other tomes, even though form on the man's lips. "Come." The man turned and
he and Anthony Jesper were both well-versed in its James reluctantly followed him into the shadows
magic. He decided that he would call a meeting of the towards the back of the house, making sure that he
available investigators in the morning. picked up one of the kerosene lamps as they passed
.- through the living room
Q
"Good morning: James said brightly as the decaying
door with cracked brown paint opened slowly before "Oh, God, no'" Phillip roared into the phone, nearly
him James had decided to pay this "Mr. Andrews of rupturing poor Richard's ear drum. 'That fool! And he
the Strange Symbols" a visit The little man with the knows he should never split the party'" He slammed
bristling hair stood in the dark doorway, peering at him down the glass he had just emptied to force small. red
wordlessly. Behind him it looked as though no sunlight decongestants down his throat.
had entered for eons: dust swirled behind the man's "Mr. Blackstone, what are we going to doT Richard
head as he blinked from the early brightness. asked, his heart thumping excitedly. This was the
"I am with the Randolph Pierce Foundation, and I closest he had ever come to the dangers of investiga-
am here to respond to your complaints regarding your tions.
attic.' James cleared his throat and looked up and down, Phillip could feel his back getting slightly damp, fear
visually gesturing towards the roof. The man's sallow driving into his chest like an icicle. His mind panicked
face and cold blue eyes remained expressionless, but as the unforgettable pen strokes continuously carved
after a moment he backed away from the doorway to dark signs into his subconscious. "Get me some backup,
admit the investigator. 'Thank you: James said,looking immediately' Five or more investigators, at least" He
around for some light before the door slammed shut made sure that Richard had the address. "Also, get the
behind him He clutched a small grey, cloth-bound book grey book from the library and call Anthony Jesper. He
under his left arm He, too, had recognized the strange knows that book better than anyone. I11 go straight to
symbols that the man had sketched around the text of the house and wait."
his request. He merely wanted to confirm their location "Yes, sir'" Richard replied anxiously.
that morning and gather some clues before forming a "And make sure at least two of the investigators are
plan armed. I have a very bad feeling about this man"
The man led him into the aging house. From the
outside it seemed merely old and in need of some repair; Q
the windows were boarded up, apparently to prevent "Mr. Andrews, perhaps we should look at the attic
vandalism. But on the inside, it looked positively before the basement," James said between shallow
condemned. The standing woodwork was decaying, and breaths. The two had entered an opening downward
the investigator's shoes stuck everywhere he stepped; into some sort of cellar. James heard a drip-dripping and
a black film that reminded him of asphalt covered what could feel the dampness in his suit already. He saw the
The Unspeakable Oath CoCStn.:Pen and Ink Issue 7. Fall 1992
blackened. moist walls and stopped after he took several his words now tinged with an unsettling accent. The
steps downward and held up the kerosene lamp. "I'm door slammed shut. and James ran up the steps to grab
afraid I am unable to continue this investigation until the doorknob. But when he reached the door. he saw
I've seen the attic." the symbols covering the doorway in a dark scrawl.
The man turned and looked at the investigator. "No. oh God!" he cried. damning himself for his
narrowing his eyes for a moment The man's face then stupidity. He could feel the magical strength of the door.
relaxed. "But I have other things to show you as well." He sat on the top step. put down the lamp. and quickly
his voice pleaded softly. pouring over James' anxiety like thumbed through the book. nearly tearing several pages
a rich. dark syrup. "I just discovered these other symbols. in his haste. Page after page confirmed that the
and I think they may be far more important" handwriting in the grey book was the same as that on
the application. and he began to sob with despair. The
sanity-rending truths that were penned on its pages
had never truly affected James' psyche. but now they
contained unbelievable horror. How could that small
man be old enough to have written this book?
'f ., A Whatever his key to longevity was. James thought. it
, was definately him As he skimmed through the
passages. his ears prickled. The dripping continued.
almost obscuring a faint gurgling sound that grew
louder and louder. hissing and churning. James dropped
the book when he looked down the staircase into the
wet abyss.
Phillip knocked at the decaying door and looked at his

--
•
•
·v J, . 4 ffl
~
sides nervously. nodding to the other investigators
standing just out of sight Three women and four men;
~ ~ he hoped that the stars were right Anthony Jesper. an
!!l extraordinary magician and researcher for the Foun-
~ dation. stood to his left. Anthony had searched
Sl everywhere for the grey book. and finally concluded
James clung to the grey book; he could feel it getting that James. being the twit that he is. must have taken
warm in his hand. "I understand your concern." he it with him to confirm the symbols. He was still fuming
stuttered. "but I feel like we're getting ahead of as they approached the house. but managed to gain
ourselves." The slick black walls reminded him of the control before they reached the door. angrily wiping the
sticky substance from the floor upstairs. sweat from his silver mustache with his fingertips. The
"Very well." the man said. "Let me show you the book's binding and pages and pages would soon decay
way." James stepped to the side. pressing against the if removed from the carefully controlled atmosphere of
wall to let him pass to the open doorway. Suddenly the Pierce library.
James grew very. very cold. He remembered something Footsteps lightly approached the door. It opened
about the handwriting on the application as he watched slowly. creaking slightly. and the small man with his
the small man step slowly through the basement bristling brown hair stood meekly in the dark opening.
doorway and turned to look at the investigator. James He smiled slightly. a thin line on his lips turning
stood halfway down the staircase. transfixed by the upwards. "Yes?"
nagging. stomach-wringing feeling that he remem- Phillip glanced at the older investigator and tried to
bered something about the handwriting. The man control a deep shudder. The dark. soothing voice did not
looked down wordlessly at James. as the investigator's match the man's appearance-his faded. sallow skin.
eyes now gleamed with recognition Suddenly. his heart yellow teeth and sharp blue eyes were too unsettling.
raged with terror. pounding at his ribs like a caged beast. Phillip felt the butt of his revolver pressing against his
"Here are the symbols. Mr. Billington." the man said. waist "Yes. we are from the Randolph Pierce
Issue 7, Fall 1992 CoCSY:z:Pen and Ink The Unspeakable Oath
Foundation, and we are here to investigate the lights one by one. The small man's mouth opened in a terrible
and noises you reported yesterday." scream, drowning out the hoarse shouts. Phillip could
The man drew backwards and admitted the inves- feel the wizard's incredible psychic strength trying to
tigators. Some of the other men and women positioned possess his mind. Unable to overcome Philip's will, the
themselves at two of the windows, with crowbars ready force slackened, and Anthony suddenly seemed to falter
to pry off the boards. Two more stood at the door, under the tremendous spiritual strain. They had taken
listening intently for signs of danger. this monster completely by surprise. and the wizard had
"I have found more symbols:' the man explained as not counted on the extra strength that the outside
he led the investigators toward the back of the house. investigators lent against him. His whole frame seemed
Both investigators cringed visibly as they looked to weaken as he slumped forward slightly in the
around at the disturbing condition of the house. Inside, doorway. Phillip quickly pulled the automatic out of his
it was very dim except for the single lamp on the table. holster. flipped the safety and opened fire.
Anthony recognized the smell of formaldehyde coming
from the east side of the house, mixed with smells of ~
sewage and rot. "I think you will find them more Phillip opened his eyes drowsily when he heard a knock
mysterious than those in the attic: on the door.
"You mean on the attic door, don't you?" Phillip said "Phillip! It's me, Richard!"
slowly, his hand quivering as it fought with his mind The analyst sat up, blinking slowly. The door.
to brandish the .38 in the holster under his jacket Like Richard. It was beginning to sink in.
lightning in a fierce storm, the realization struck him "I have the collection of requests the Foundation
with deadly electricity. The pronounced left slant in the asked you to review." the theology student said loudly.
handwriting on the application, the same odd angles and looking around himself to see if there was anyone else
the brown-penned lettering in the grey boolLthe spell in the halls.
erupted from his throat Groggily, the investigator got up and opened to the
"Ia! Ia!-" door. "Thank you. Richard. You've been very kind: The
The boxes on the table fluttered open and trash young grad student had visited Phillip every day since
scuttled across the floor. Confusion momentarily Phillip was released from jail on bail from the
darkened the small man's eyes when he heard Phillip Foundation. Phillip was preparing to plead "not guilty"
intoning one of the incantations from the grey book. to the charge of manslaughter, unable to convince the
He looked around as he heard the boarded up windows police he had been aiming for the wyrm when he hit
cracking from the investigators outside with crowbars. the small man. "And so has Anthony for reviewing all
Light broke through cracks in the board, tearing the applications for me."
through the elder darkness. "It·s nothing at all." Richard said. producing a large
The man ran towards the basement door as Anthony manila envelope. He looked around a bit and lowered
joined his comrade in a desperate chorus. The noise his voice. 'There is something here. though. that I
outside stopped as the other investigators stood in thought you had better look at" Phillip beckoned him
concentration, chanting, lending their will to their fellow into the living room/office. and the two sat and looked
magicians. The small man flung open the door to the at the papers. "I know that I've only started learning
staircase below. A huge maw, filled with hideous, graphoanalysis, but I'm certain this is significant" He
ragged teeth, belched forth the blasphemous black ooze, shuffled a bit through the pages and pulled one out.
flooding from the doorway the flayed carnage of laying it on Phillip's lap. "No one knows I've brought
Phillip's late friend James in a viscous pool of dark these papers to you:
porridge. The investigator choked, forcing the words As the investigator looked at the reviewer's signa-
into the thick air. willing control over his convulsing ture-Anthony's-on the bottom line of the application.
stomach as the great wyrm writhed through the a chill quickened in his body. The name on the
doorway. spewing bloody fragments and tarry rot The reviewer's line was Anthony Jesper, but the writing was
gun burned against his waist. but he knew it was that of their dead wizard.
useless. Dead?
As Anthony wildly drew signs in the air. the "You are right. Richard. You are certainly right" ~
investigators outside began to drop with exhaustion.
The Unspeakable Oath CoCSY:z:Thirties-Something Issue 7. Fall 1992
the depression they will be. It may be advantageous to

David Barras put a few investigators out of work at some point in
order to allow them to take crummy investigative jobs
he original Call of Cthulhu. set in the 1920s. for little financial reward. Of course we all know where
has proven its flexibility in transferring to crummy investigations can lead.
different time periods and involving the player For those that found themselves out of work in the
characters in daringly different role -play environments. 1930s prospects were bleak. Jobs were few and lines
However. in expanding the plethora of timescapes for waiting for interviews stretched monotonously around
COC. a period close to that of the original has been buildings. while here and there fights break out
overlooked-the 1930s. amongst the desperate people. Bitterness over the
If you run or playa Call of Cthulhu campaign from depression is rife and for investigators in big cities. the
the twenties base. then the thirties is an inevitable oppressive feel is heightened. Being hassled and hustled
destination. even if it isn't as exciting as R1yeh! for money all the time is not pleasant and any
This article contains information. both serious and investigator openly displaying wealth will likely be
fun. which can be integrated into a 1930s-based hounded on the streets. If they don't part with money.
Cthulhu campaign. Apologies to British investigators- they will be spat at. swore at. and generally abused.
the information herein is as American as invading Not everyone begs-some sell basic commodities like
inoffensive little countries (the Falkland Islands ex- fruit and vegetables but there are so many sellers that
cepted). The text should provide a general mood and hardly any of them make enough to live. Diners at
atmosphere for US.-based play in a decade that started fancy restaurants may find themselves the object of
in depression and ended swinging. abject stares from hungry-looking individuals outside
the windows. pitiful in their ragged street clothes. At
The Depression the back of restaurants fights break out for scraps in
At the end of the twenties. the Wall Street crash the trash.
damaged the US. economy beyond swift repair. Years At this point the division between rich and poor in
of buying stocks on credit fed a bull market in a china the States was at its most visual. Whole districts with
shop. a shop whose contents went to pieces both in the boards covering what used to be shop windows. beggars
US. and the rest of the world. By March of 1933. when on the streets and the ubiquitous apple sellers. But
President Herbert Hoover left the White House after perhaps the most telling visual representation of the
what most Americans considered to be a disastrous term depression were the shanty towns. or Hoovervilles as
of office. the American banking system had finally they were christened. a backhanded slap at the
collapsed. President blamed for them. Their existence was due to
Statistically. output was less than half that in 1929: the nomadic nature of a population in search of work.
the unemployed numbered almost fifteen million: Almost one million people were living this lifestyle
hourly wages had dropped 60% since the late twenties: during the great depression
and the whole country hit a low the likes of which have
not been seen since. Investigator Occupations
The land of opportunity had knocked itself out In the CoC rules most of the investigator occupations
Statistics are harsh and unfeeling: they do not reflect are well-to-do and generally high up in the structure
the practical realities of what life was like to live at of society. A selective look at what some professions
this time. Keepers should. however. take great glee in can expect job-wise follows.
reducing investigators' incomes based on these statistics. AuthorslJournalists-These two have been grouped
The lesser the job of the investigator. the worse hit by together for a good reason In times of great depression.
Issue 7. Fall 1992 CoCSYz:Thirties-Something The Unspeakable Oath
people tend to look for escapes from the hard times. hustlers. Smart-mouthed and shabby-suited heroes of
These days that would most likely be in the form of the hour. in fiction anyway. Cases tend to drop off when
drugs. but in the 1930s many sought refuge in the the populace can ill afford food let alone anything else.
popular culture. A magazine boom was in full flourish. The rich (those who still are) are always up to their ears
dime store novels were selling well and radio began to in corruption and may well need a sleazy. gun-toting
fulfill the expectations of its founders. All of the above dick to sort it out Homelessness and migratory
require writers of one variety or another; while it meant employment means lots of folks have vanished. leaving
doing the writerly equivalent of manual labor for scant no paper trail behind. Detectives will likely live from
pay. at least it was work. A drop in wages is certainly feast to famine; save those checks. brother. and don't
called for in all professions. however. spare the expenses.
ProfessorsIHistoriansJParapsychologists-Another
grouping. Most likely to work for an institution;
whether it be a University. a public or professional body. Selected prices, 1930-34, In dollars
There's no pretending: every level of society was hit by Automobile .................... 600.00
the depression. no one escaped unhurt. People working Raincoat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.69
in positions such as these are seldom hurt professionally Sweater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.69
by economic trends-if they have sufficient experience. Leather Shoes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.79
A long-term professor has seniority and status and Overcoat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1100
some degree of security; a young grad student paying Shirt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.47
his tuition through teaching is likely to be out of luck. Tuxedo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25.00
What is likely at all levels is an increased workload; Suit. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20.00
the classes left behind by those who lose their positions Vacuum Cleaner ................. 18.75
have to be absorbed. Costly expeditions and time off for Stove. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23.95
"research" are much less likely to be granted. something Six -room home . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.800.00
of concern to academic investigators. Cigarettes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.15
Doctolsll awyers- Professional people. Sickness is no Electric Shaver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15.00
respecter of poverty. in fact it thrives in such Typewriter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1925
circumstances. Doctors are likely to be very busy Gas (per gallon) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.18
treating infections and viruses spreading through cities Steak. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 029
and shanty towns. Less money for more work. Rural Ham (per pound) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.31
doctors may increasingly rely on trade and barter for Chicken . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 022
their services. and lose regular customers as they pull Milk (per quart) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.05
up roots to follow work elsewhere. Like ill health. crime Bread (loaf) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.05
also multiplies during hungry years and as such these Oranges (dozen) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 027
people need defending in court So the work was there.
though for perhaps uncertain pay. But while crime rises
public prosecutions fall due to lack of funds. Upper -class Crime and Violence
lawyers may find their clients newly bankrupt; lower- Desperate times induce desperate acts and in the thirties
class attorneys have plenty of work. but their clients crime was on the up. Because of the despondency of
may be equally destitute. many peoples' lives. some lawbreakers transgressed this
Dilettantes- The big question is. where was daddy's status and became folk heroes. Despised by authority
money? If it was in the stock market. or in companies and quasi-supported by the public. these modern-day
who speculated in the stock market. the easy-living outlaws led violent lives and met with violent ends. but
dilettante may find him or herself in dire straits. their presence in society may help to enrich the
Auctioning off the family heirlooms. selling land and background of your campaign
houses. even (gasp!) letting the servants go were Among the famed criminals of the time were John
subsequent options. Those with large cash reserves can Dillinger. Machine Gun Kelly. "Pretty Boy" Floyd. Ma
breathe easier-but watch how they live! Maintaining Barker and her boys. and the most famous double act
their former lifestyle will drain those reserves quick. before Sonny and Cher. Bonnie and Clyde. At the same
Private Investigators-These guys <and gals) are time. the forces of law and order coalesced in the shape
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The Unspeakable Oath CoC5J..2:Thirties-Something Issue 7, Fall 1992
of J. Edgar Hoover, head of the FB.l "cafe society: Out of the ashes of the old High Society
Although things got better when Roosevelt entered came the transformed rich; movie stars, gossip colum-
the Oval Office in 1933, the rest of the thirties was spent nists' hangers-on and sycophants all joined in the
pulling America back on her feet again, just in time for publicity-soaked '305 high life. With the repeal of
World War 2. prohibition the speak-easies had become fashionable
On the lighter side of things_ restaurants and New York resounded with forced
laughter and false flattery.
Popular Culture For the less fortunate it was ballrooms and theaters
Now your campaign has hit the thirties-is it all and swing. At times, thousands of youngsters would
depression and overstated violence? No. cram onto dance floors unfit for hundreds and swing.
Radio, cinema and 7. are the most popular Basically a jazz derivative, the frenetic dancing and
forms of entertainment and they all went through a pulsing rhythms had moralists calling for it to be
boom period in the depression Desperate to escape the banned-who says things change?
everyday practicalities of life, people chose fantasy as The New York Times quoted a psychologist who said
an outlet there was a "dangerously hypnotic influence of swing,
For those Keepers who enjoy basing their play in as cunningly devised to a faster tempo than seventy-two
realistic a background as possible, investigators can bars to the minute-faster than the human pulse."
partake of some of the following entertainments, to Benny Goodman, Count Basie, Harry James and Duke
contrast with the bizarre nightmares of the Mythos. Ellington were prominent purveyors of swing, and jive
On radio and in the sunday newspaper comics, Little talkin' became the language of the craze Big bands were
Orphan Annie, cowboy hero Tom Mix, Buck Rogers, the thing and gatherings were all-important. The small
Tarzan and Dick Tracy were all favorites. jazz clubs still existed but for many large dance halls
Cinema responded to the depression by churning out were the place to be. Strange dance crazes emerged like
gangster movies, horror films, and comedies-anything the black bottom, truckin', shag, stompin' and posin'.
to avoid focusing on reality. Jean Harlow and Clark Swing took the nation by storm and seeped into
Gable were among the big sex symbols of the time. American culture. Those who didn't like it were branded
Buck Rogers, Flash Gordon and Tarzan hit the silver strange names and listened to classical and other boring
screen Other personalities appearing at the time include tunes. Improvised, free music was in and the language
Mickey Rooney, W.e. Fields, the Marx Brothers, and that developed around it was probably the first national
director Frank Capra youth-speak. As we ourselves would say today, "most
excellent:
Notable films of the Thirties Conclusion
Dracula 1931 To conclude, the role of the Mythos in the thirties is
Frankenstein 1931 a difficult one. It is all very well and good to provide
Freaks 1932 information on the 19305, but it's all got to fit into the
King Kong 1933 Cthulhu milieu. In truth, not too much differs here from
It Happened One Night 1934 the twenties. Technology has taken a few more faltering
Mutiny on the Bounty 1935 steps forward, and the world has become a smaller place
Bride of Frankenstein 1935 thanks to communication advancements. In the twenties
The Wizard of Oz 1939 decadence and an unfaltering belief in the American
Gone With The Wind 1939 way kept the country going. A price had to be paid,
and that price was the depression Upheaval and chaos
followed; many people moved and the fluid population
Nightlife drifted from one town to another seeking work. Most
If serious background information is not your cup of of them eventually ended up in the big cities-New
slime and now and again you just want to relax your York, Los Angeles, Chicago, etc.
players before sucking out all their bodily fluids, then A depression of the human soul was occurring, just
this is the section for you. the climate in which cultists can warp the sensibilities
For those rich enough to join it, this was the age of of those in need. Offers of a new start, work, and a
Issue 7, Fall 1992 CoCSY:z:Thirties-Something The Unspeakable Oath
chance to move up could be used to entice the desperate
Jive Talkin' into sinister acts. Chaos abounds and the Mythos thrives
Alligator a swing fan in such circumstances. Human behavior becomes
Canary a female singer polarized in times of crisis; some sit back and let it
Cats swing musicians happen, while others stand up and fight for their lives
Corn bad music, uninspiring and their rights. All these ingredients are there for a
Cuttin' the rug dancing
,
wily Keeper to exploit and manipulate. Cities, shanty
Mothbox plano towns, dusty plains-the locations are endless for
Hepcat a swing afficianado effective role-playing.
Ickie someone who doesn't under- Use this information as fuel for plots and stories set
stand swing in the thirties. The depression may strike fearful
In the Groove "knocked ou t" by swing investigators as the beginning of the end; with so much
Jam Session swing musicians playing unre- abject misery, surely the time of the Great Old Ones
hearsed for personal pleasure must be drawing near! Play it up as a time of
Jitterbug a groovy kind of dance encroaching doom Who knows where your next meal
Kicking Out being wild and crazy is coming from? With that kind of basic insecurity, the
Knocked Out aroused and engrossed by the threat of the Mythos looms ever larger.
music. more than "in the groove.' Add the film nair style of countless thirties movies
Long Hair a square, a dull person and stories and the atmospherics really begin to boil.
One Nighter a one-off performance, for low Cold shafts of concrete and steel rear up about the
wages investigators in the city while the countryside is wide
Paper Man a musician who can't improvise open and exposed, encouraging agoraphobia Rain and
Platter a record darkness are other staples of nair; vampish women and
Scat Singer a vocalist who sings nonsense desperate, sinister men lurk in the background, to
lyrics unguessable purpose. You're being followed -cultists, or
Skins drums beggars? This is a time when humans are small, and
Swing unrestrained big band jazz, lots the forces of life are big. The Mythos is bigger still.
of improvisation The thirties were a time of great change. Poverty and
sadness started the decade and the War in Europe ended
examples: it In between are the elements described above, and
'ibat skin-beater sure is one hell eX a hepcat- many more. Setting scenarios in that time gives the
-The drummer is quite proficient Keeper a new set of tools to play with; turn the lives
of the investigators upside-down, while still keeping the
~ey paper man. kick it out for oncer pressure on them to do their best They may save a
-Try improvising instead of sheet music world that doesn't deserve saving, but that's their lot
and they'll learn to live with it
"What's that canary doing with an ickie like him- Remember, 'it don't mean a thing, if you ain't got
- Why won't that girl go out with me? that swing." ~
-nus ~t is knocking me out-
-1 feel great about the music.
'ibat platter is com-
- The record is crap.
"Shee, a one-nighter in Rlyeh with Cthulhu is
worse than a month with a long hair:
-1 would rather listen to symphonic music than
have my innards blasted by a gigantic relic of
some forgotten race.
The Unspeakable Oath CoC5~The Arch-Nemesis Issue 7, Fall 1992
G.W. Thoma() most famous, of course, is Neyland Smith's good buddy

Fu Manchu, though A. Conan Doyle's pesky Moriarty
claims that title as well. He only appeared in one story,
he old church is in flames. The minions of Iog- but came back again and again in film and the stories
soth -ot lie dead before the altar. The Great Old of other authors.
Ones have been banished back behind the Fu Manchu was created about the time Sherlock took
gate. Only the leader of the Cult of the Burning Sword up bee-keeping for good. As a foil for Neyland Smith,
remains_Rubal Khan! You push into the flames. There! Fu embodied the xenophobic "yellow peril" with his
Amongst the burning pews a figure wrapped in killer spiders and blow darts in dark alleys. These tactics
flickering, flaming death, as the ceiling collapses over are not unfamiliar to the COC investigator, who is as
him_ likely to get a poison cris in the back as he is to be
And so Rubal Khan perishes. Or does he? On your eaten by a Byakhee.
next investigation the team comes across a dead man The two elements meet under the pen of Robert E.
bearing a tattoo you've seen before. The burning sword- Howard, who was a member of the Lovecraft circle and
-the calling card of Rubal Khan! authored stories like 'The Black Stone" and "Dig Me
The recurring villian, the kith and kin of Fu Manch u, No Grave: not to mention the Conan books. One of
has much to offer the COC campaign. The unkillable Howard's earliest attempts was a story called "Skull-
arch -nemesis was a staple of pulp fiction. Perhaps the Face" which featured an ancient villian of Manchu-
Joyal to their diabolic master. By means of his 'Elixir Viti,'

u nc Fu Manchu never ages, hence his villainy may span the
centuries-reaching from victorian settings to modern
ones. Fu Manchu's plans revolve around world domina·
CL. Werner tion at any cost and his schemes and plots are often so
of arch-villians, the aforementioned Fu Manchu incredibly intricate and complex that only Fu Manchu
makes a great one. Here he is, straight from the decayed himself knows what is vital and what is only a red herring.
pages of the pulps. The Si Fan are known to operate in London from the
Dr. Fu Manchu, Master Fiend infamous Limehouse district while Fu Manchu's head·
STR 10 DEX 10 INT 21 quarters is in the snowy peaks of Tibet.
CON 15 APP 9 POW 18 Members of the Si Fan should have the following
SIZ 12 SAN 20 EDU 21 skills: Camoflauge, Climb, Jump, Hide, Martial Arts,
HP 14 Listen, Sneak, Track, Swim and proficiency in anyone
Skills: Anthropology 40%, Archeology 50%, Astronomy archaic Oriental weapon (Le. sais, nunchuka, throwing
50%, Botany 80%, Chemistry 75%, Cthulhu Mythos stars, etc.).
4O"k, Electrical Repair 60%, Geology 60%, History 8O"k, Among the accomplishments attributed to Fu Manchu
Law 75%, Library Use 70%, Listen 70%, Mechanical are botanical hybrids of fiendish capabilities (sleeping
Repair 60%, Native Language: Mandarin 98%, gas plants, camivorous flowers, etc.) and intricate machi·
Occult 70%, Operate Heavy Machinery 45%, Other nations of torture capable of breaking anyone's resolve.
Language: English 70%, Persuade 60%, Pharmacy For all his villainy, Fu Manchu intimated that he was only
80%, Psychology 80%, Spot Hidden 60%, Treat Dis· the servant of some greater being, something both
ease 50%, Treat Poison 50% superhuman and inhuman. Keepers may interpret this
Fu Manchu is the insidious leader of the Si Fan, a vile as you wish ...
group of depraved, villianous Eastern criminals totally
Issue 7, Fall 1992 CoC5Y.2:The Arch-Nemesis The Unspeakable Oath
esque style named Cathulos. Not to hard to figure which
Great Old One he suggests. Cathulos appears millenia
earlier in Kull's time as a scheming ventriloquist. He
survives to modern day 1929 through rites and practices
beyond ordinary men,
As for applying this pulp pardigm to Call of
Cthulhu-why bother? There are many good reasons,
the first being the enjoyment of the pulp atmosphere.
Imagine the thrill that races through the players as they
realize Baron von Evyl wasn't killed in that exploding
munitions warehouse; imagine, too, the fun the Keeper
has in explaining (dramatically, no doubt) just how the
Baron survived.
Secondly, the supposition of a master-mind behind
many of the activities investigators stumble upon gives
credence to a concept that is otherwise hard to swallow.
Could there really be ten different cults operating in the
New England area without anybody noticing? Seems
to be stretching it a bit But the ridiculous seems
plausible when you realize that all of these groups are
led by one man (or woman) and one only, a being of
such evil that he controls crime, the police, the
politicians, everyone! Where is it safe to hide? Certainly
not in dank crypts or lost islands, but with the master-
mind even the everyday world is a threat to the poor
investigators.
Thirdly, a master villian allows a thread of continuity
to work its way through many investigations. If players
meet to game infrequently, the arch-nemesis offers a
point of recognition for the players after a long hiatus.
Finally, a continuing villian builds paranoia and
suspense (or at least caution). Though not every
adventure will feature that dread Captain Brubaker or
the sensuous Lilli Gallant, your players will not know
this until the final chapter of the investigatiort Is this
the work of serpent men or is it Rubal Khan? Has Black
Jack Davies returned to Arkham from Ponape? Tune
in next week-.
As with all things in gaming, the Keeper must show
discretiort If every naughty thing that happens in
Providence is the work of your arch-nemesis, then the
concept becomes ludicrous. Even Rubal Khan is above
stealing the milk money off the tops of milk bottles.
You can keep events fresh by spreading them around.
Have several villians, with their own networks of thUgs a:
and cultists. And don't forget the isolated instances of ~
horror that have no earthly origirt ~
For no matter how powerful these arch-villians get, 0
there are always the Great Old Ones controlling them ~
from afar. ~ ~
The Unspeakable Oath The Randolph Pierce Foundation:The Last Dawn Issue 7. Fall 1992
An Orsan~tion of TelTdying Rationality

Kim Eastland At the beginning of the sixteenth century the
purpose of The Last Dawn changed forever. A new
force from within the movement. the Italian Cassini
he world of the Call of Cthulhu game is family. ripped control away from the old guard and
dangerous indeed. It is full of small. insidious spread a new philosophy within the ranks <see
cults and nutcase megalomaniacs trying to Philosophy below). Most of the remaining history of
summon and harness the frightening powers of eldritch this organization is interwoven with a powerful artifact.
beings to satisfy their own petty needs. These cults lack a tome known as de' Medici Manoscritto. The timeline
organization and foresight. which only makes sense in below charts the waxing and waning of the movement's
the light of their beliefs. Groups that believe in chaos power until the present century. please consult it for
and a horrible end of the world at the hands (tentacles?) the intricacies of the intervening years.
of some Outer God are not exactly organizational By the mid-nineteenth century The Last Dawn was
geniuses. But a CoC campaign is much easier to run. gaining in strength again. but its existence was even
and more enjoyable to play. if there is a definite human more secretive. Agent infiltration had occured within
enemy out there who has the manpower. means. and almost all organized religions. many political move-
motivation to sustain a continuous storyline. Cults and ments and governments. the most influential fraternal
kooks can come and go. but a coordinated enemy is organizations (such as the freemasons). and even some
always scheming and must be rooted out However. an corporations. Internationally. control of The Last Dawn
enemy this systematic must have a different mindset. was stilI centered in Europe but by the 1920s it had
a viewpoint far removed from the usual CoC power- begun to shift to America
monger; an enemy that is terrifying in its rationality. A shift in focus also occured during this time on how
TU06 presented the Randolph Pierce Foundation. a The Last Dawn's objectives would be fulfilled. Previ-
highly group of investigators dedicated to ously. almost all efforts had been aimed at a) obtaining
wiping out Cthulhuvian forces everywhere. This issue as much information as possible about de' Medici
introduces an organizaton far older; steeped in centuries Manoscritto with an eye on recreating the original
of intrigue. tenor. and mythos; originating at the very (especially discovering the lost spells). and b) securing
heart of Christianity itself. The Randolph Pierce enough influence and power to assure the continued
Foundation faces its greatest adversary in the secret. existence and growth of The Last Dawn. By the late
world-spanning movement known as The Last Dawn! 1800s The Marias Manual <see known copies of de'
Medici Manoscritto below) was in their hands. The
Origin search for the lost spells continues. During the 1890s
The history of The Last Dawn begins in the mid- a number of The Last Dawn members were finally
thirteenth century with the mad aspirations of a few secure enough in authority and prestige to allow those
members of the Inquisition. These men were cultists. as in control a feeling of confidence about the future. The
usually defined in the COC game. who had bored their turn of the century saw a reconcentrating of effort to
way into influential positions of the Holy Mother a) obtain more items of power. such as the Chronos
Church. Their interests were mythos laden. as most Term. so as to bring about more mythos occurences. and
normal COC cults are. but their true accomplishments b) do battle with opposing individuals or associations
lay in politics. Most notably they increased the terror which threatened the goals of The Last Dawn. such as
and twisted the purpose of the Inquisition. secured their the papal Revelare Nuncius <see the timeline later) and
own positions of power in the Church. and made very The Randolph Pierce Foundation in the 1920s.
dangerous enemies of two of Italy's most notorious
families. the Borgias and de' Medicis.
Issue 7. Fall 1992 The Randolph Pierce Foundation:The Last Dawn The Unspeakable Oath
The Last Dawn will be discovered by mankind. but since
Phllososphy that marks the end of the world <as revealed to Cardinal
Since the 1500s The Last Dawn has embraced a quasi- Cassini) The Last Dawn will have already accomplished
religiousloccult/mythos philosophy they call God's its mission and God's work. Its members. who have
Divine Design This Divine Design is explained as worked on God's behalf over the centuries. will be
follows. vindicated and they shall be praised by the righteous
"God. in His infinite wisdom. would provide man with on Judgement Day." -Disciple Carter Simon. 1900.
enough glimpses of Hell during man's time on Earth
as to assure his constant devotion to God. The more Philosophy Notes
civilized and intellectual man is. the more he questions It is important for the keeper to completely be clear on
God's motives and existence (organized religion calls a few points.
this turning away from God). God responds to this by ~ The philosophy of The Last Dawn does not alter the
introducing. in small. subtle doses. horrors that are "reality" of the game setting. It is a twisted rationale
neither civilized nor intellectually comprehensible. which allows this organization to operate quite
Therefore mankind has no defense against these horrors effectively in a COC campaign While a couple
except to return to blind faith in and obedience to God. members of The Last Dawn might be skeptics
The more civilized man becomes <and the more men themselves (or even members of a different cult who
who turn away from God) the greater the horror and have infiltrated The Last Dawn). the vast majority
the more frequent the occurences. Ultimately. by truly believe this philosophy.
showing mankind flashes of chaos and hells pawned .. Because of a member's fanatic rationalization. he
creatures. God helps man avoid being condemned to views the horrors of the mythos differently. as a
Hell eternally. Though mankind has free will. he must creation of a sane and loving God. This does not mean
be shown the consequences of rejecting He who granted a member of The Last Dawn cannot be frightened
free will. witless. it just means he or she handles Sanity loss
"However. only a few men of faith must know of differently. When mythos creatures are encountered.
this Divine Design. otherwise its very existence could a successful Sanity roll means the character loses no
lead to more questions about God's nature. The existence Sanity points. no matter the normal loss. Even a
of the horrors must be plausible enough to withstand missed roll means that a member will only lose half
the advancement of civilization and technology. In other the normal amount This rule also applies for
words. the horrors must have a believable mythos witnessing depictions. dreams. or other representa-
surrounding them to withstand scrutiny and must be tions of the mythos. No Sanity is ever lost for a
of immense power to withstand advanced weaponry. member of The Last Dawn from using a mythos item
They must be sanity-shaking enough to make men or reading a tome or manuscript.
question their own impotence and wish for the .. Last Dawn members ("Lastsi are still human beings
reassurance of God. Therefore God created the "Outer and so suffer normal Sanity loss from personally
Gods" and "Elder Gods.· along with all their servitor witnessing the carnage and butchery a mythos
races. histories. and machinations. to fulfill this position encounter can inflict on humans. Lasts who go insane
of "horror on Earth" in God's universe. are considered to have been weak in their faith. They
"Thus did God reveal His plan to Cardinal Francesco are usually dealt with kindly by their brethern and
Cassini in 1500. The Last Dawn. then. is God's tool for sent to special. hidden retreats for cure or confine-
introducing the hOllors of the mythos onto an ment.
unsuspecting. but increasingly cynical. world. Civilized .. The Last Dawn views what they do as directed by
men. investigating the existence of these "horrors." shall God for the fulfillment of His Design Therefore they
discover cults <evil men who have turned from God) may employ almost any methods to achieve their
who are trying to "return the Other Gods to power." The goals. For example. some research indicates that The
struggle to prevent this influx of chaos and evil will Last Dawn may have shared major responsibility for
spread as time goes on. eventually encompassing even the rise in power of Adolph Hitler and the beginning
those wrong and misguided deeds which are not mythos of World War 11 "The end justifies the means· is a
inspired. but which displease God nonetheless. Finally. major guideline of The Last Dawn. though they will
by 3000 AD. the true existence and actual purpose of not go out of their way to inflict pain or act evilly.
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The Unspeakable Oath The Randolph Pierce Foundation:The Last Dawn Issue 7. Fall 1992
.. The Last Dawn does not view organized religions or in a sphere report to the exarch. Collectively. prelates
associations. such as The Randolph Pierce Founda- are known as a "throng."
tion. as natural enemies or even misguided fools. All non-leader members are refered to as "heirs." All
There is no animosity there whatsoever. They feel members are also commonly referred to as brother.
that they have their uses for "bringing the lost into sister. or child by the leader position above them.
the light" However. they will attack any faction Collectively. members of The Last Dawn are referred
which they believe is hindering their operations. even to within the organization as "the flock" or "the body."
unto destructiolt As Cardinal Cassini once said. "God's There are hundreds of agents employed by The Last
sheep must be brought back to the fold. even if it Dawn who do not suspect its motives or actual
must be over the broken bodies of shepherds." existence. They are usually given their instructions by
.. Yes. there are huge gaps of logic in the tenets of The the local prelate. They know there is probably some
Last Dawn's beliefs. but its members function higher boss directing the prelate. but they usually have
primarily on blind faith to it's teachings and no idea who it is or where they are located. These agents
instructions. Arguing with them will get a person are formally known within the ranks of The Last Dawn
absolutely nowhere. as "instruments." These instruments are normally
------ employed for fulfilling a single task. such as assassi-
Structure nation. information gathering. "acqUisition." and so Olt
The Last Dawn has a centralized structure. somewhat Many dangerous groups in the world. such as the Black
like the Roman Catholic Church. The head of The Last Hand and various Tongs. started out as groups of
Dawn is called the Hierophant <always capitalized). The instruments.
Hierophant shall be covered in a later sectiolt
Each of the six populated continents is controlled by Structure Notes
a leader. known as a disciple. Disciples answer only to The Last Dawn is extremely devious and covert. Only
the Hierophant The six disciples are known collectively a disciple knows the locations of his specific spheres and
as the Council Break. It is almost impossible to trace diocese. Usually a scion is not even aware of what other
a disciple through other members of The Last DaWlt diocese exist on the continent he occupies <unless he
Each continent is divided into regions of control was trained there). Only the Hierophant knows all of
called "spheres." A sphere can be a specific region of a the disciples. spheres. exarchs. scions. diocese. and sees.
country. if it is advanced and powerful (such as The fronts for each diocese headquarters are usually
America>. otherwise a sphere is usually an entire as complex and well equipped as The Randolph Pierce
country (such as Canada) or a collective of countries Foundation. Normally. the front is so well established
(such as Central America). The leader of a sphere is and so respectable that any investigator checking up on
called an "exarch." A continent's exarchs are known it will not easily find anything suspicious. As a matter
collectively as a "college." of fact. police. elected officials. and even average citizens
Each sphere has one center of power called a "diocese" may try to hinder investigators from "slandering the
and many other. smaller areas of power. each known good name" of the front organizatiolt
as a "see."
A diocese is almost always located in a large city. The tielrophant
has dozens of loyal members. and has a rock solid "front The unquestioned leader of The Last Dawn is called the
organizatiolt" The head of a diocese is called a "sciolt" Hierophant. No name or number is attached to the title.
This front organization actually works on its own and so no one knows how long the Hierophant has been
has a headquarters building which also serves as the in control. When an exarch ascends to the position of
control center for that sphere's operations and a home a disciple. one of the things he is promised is a chance
for the exarch and the sciolt The scion answers to the at immortality. What he does not know. though. is that
exarch. but the scion handles the normal operations of The Last Dawn offers immortality at a horrific cost.
the diocese. There is no collective term for scions. If a disciple reaches old age. is not diseased. and has
A see usually contains six to twelve members who served The Last Dawn well. he is allowed to request
are responsible for keeping an eye on their individual "a place in the Hierophant." By this time the disciple
locales. Every see has a spokesman. called a "prelate." has met the Hierophant and knows what lies in store
sort of a leader with very limited powers. All prelates for him or her. but he has no other choice than death
Examples of Spheres, Diocese and

front Organizations (circa 1920)
CANADA
The Canadian School of Broadcasting
(education & training of future radio personalities)
CENTRAL AMERICA Diocese varl"

(Including the Caribbean every 25 yeIIrs,
CUll antly la
Panama City
The Central American Biological Union
(exploration and identification of fauna in the region)
Sphere: EAST AMERICA New Yor!t City

Inactive American Soldiers (lAS.)
(non-government sponsored veterans organization)
LOWER MIDWEST AMERICA St. Loula

The 51. Louis Browns Appreciation Ass.
(huge fan organization not sponsored by the Browns)
sigil of the Last Dawn
MEXICO Mexico City
The Golden Sun
(Sinister Realm) Hierophant (Dexter Realm) (national health care organization. especially handling
natural disasters within Mexico, like earthquakes)
I I
Disciples (3) I Disciples (3) Sphere: NORTHEAST AMERICA Boston
[Continents] Flamen (v) [Continents] The Loula Institute of Theatrical Studies
I I
Exarch (v) I
Volunteer
Exarch (v)
(education & training for theatre and voice)
PLAINS AMERICA Omaha

[Sphere] [Sphere]
Heirs (v) Pioneer Historical Society
(society for preservation of plains' history & geneology)
Scion (1) Scion (1) Sphere: UPPER MIDWEST AMERICA Chicago

[Diocese] Hierarchy [Diocese] The Hamilton Updike Association
of the (dedicated to stamping out illiteracy in America)
Last Dawn
Prelate (v) Prelate (v) Sphere: WESTERN AMERICA Loa Angel"
[See] [See] America Relief League
(central organization which coordinates hundreds of
private, legitimate relief agencies in America, for both
domestic and foreign aid)
Heirs (v) Heirs (v)
Instruments (v) Instruments (v) aboullhe chart: the chart at left shows the hierarchy of the laS! Dawn. as
deecrlbed in the accompanying article. Nurrbels in parenth86Bs r8pr8SBnt 1I1e
(Heirs and Instruments are of the same rank) number of Indl'<iduals with the UUe IISled ; "(v)" means 1I1e number Is variable.
The Unspeakable Oath The Randolph Pierce Foundation:The Lac>t Dawn Issue 7. Fall 1992
at this point. armed. In addition. they always know at least one attack
Neither a human or a creature. the Hierophant is a spell. such as Stun Limb. Wither Limb. Shrivelling. Fist
monstrosity of disciple body parts and intellects. Arms. of Yog -Sothoth. etc.. or can summon and bind a specific
hands. ball socket joints. sexual organs. and faces (and creature. It is these flamen. usually in their 20s and
facial parts) comprise most of the body of the devastatingly beautiful women (actually hermaphro-
Hierophant. The monster displays a history of many dites). who most disciples must deal with. while the
different races. ethnic backgrounds. and both sexes. It Hierophant is nearby hidden behind a screen. heavy
was created in the late 1SOOS by a miscasting of a Spell curtain. or protected by a spell which somehow masks
of Immortality (once available in the original de' Medici it from sight. Normally 8 to 14 (1D6+8) flamen travel
Manoscritto). Up to that point the Hierophant had with him. at least two of which are deaf.
always been an aging ecclesiastic. much like the pope. The Hierophant's statistics are not listed here. as the
who served until he died. But Marcello Cassini keeper should really develop him to match his own
(Francesco's great grandson) wanted more. he wished to game or campaign. Remember. the Hierophant is a
be the head of The Last Dawn until Judgement Day. multiple personality entity whose abilities are in
Attended to by another Cardinal of the Church. Cassini constant flux. Anytime the keeper wishes the Hierophant
misread the last stanza of the spell and physically to use a skill. speak a language. perform a spell. or
merged with Cardinal Mariballi. otherwise perform an ability. he should roll percentile
Since then. gruesome rituals have increased the dice. The result is the chance of the Hierophant being
power and size of the Hierophant. The ascension of a able to perform that ability for the next hour. Whenever
disciple includes the psychic digestion of the intellect. the keeper wishes to utilize the ability. he will roll
then devouring the body. This is the only time the against that number. Any other attribute chance is
Hierophant eats and it consumes everything. Within normally at 500/0.
hours. a new face emerges on the body. The Though the Hierophant has over thirty arms
more powerful the mind consumed. the more on which it can propel itself along the ground
prominant the face. Faces of less powerful &:- ~, (Move of 6). it can levitate itself (Move of 12)
disciples slowly dwindle over the con- constantly and still concentrate on performing
suming centuries and move to the back other tasks.
of the Hierophant or down the limbs. The Hierophant does have other powers
Thus the Hierophant ever adapts to which never alter. It can Gate or Portal
the modem era. yet maintains the wi th its entire
wisdom of the ages. entourage
The Hierophant is attended to
an order of priests called
"Theseflamenarephysi -
cally trained to defend
the Hierophantfrom
attack and are
always well-
<...
>
(J)
~
~
<;
m
m
Tua7 -TU07 -TU07 -TU07 -TU07 -TUa7 -TU07 -TU07 -TU07 -TU07 -TU07 -TU07 -TU07 -TU07
of flamen at will. It can telepathically communicate with
anyone within 100 feet of it. whether seen or unseen. The Call of Cthulhu
It has a type of danger sense (75% chance) which alerts
it to possible harm as someone prepares to attack it (with Bibliography
weapon. spell. or whatever). and will let it know the
potential attacker <if within sight). Finally. it can emit
a cacophonous scream once every other round which
will completely prohibit any ability requiring concen-
tration. such as spell casting. within 150 feet of it. This
am compiling a bibliography of almost every bit of
is why some of the flamen are deaf and cim continue
spell casting when others cannot material connected to Call of Cthulhu (rules/scenario
The Hierophant is seldom ever found outside of a books. magazine articles. miniatures. foreign books and
fane. a special combination of temple and dwelling for magazine articles and ephemeral material). The only
the Hierophant and his flamen. Each diocese front thing I am excluding is reviews. This is a big job and I
headquarters has an entire floor set aside as a fane. The
have gotten lots of help, but I still need more. I have built
Hierophant also has his own palatial fane where
hundreds of flamen dwell. No one quite knows where a database of 400+ magazine articles, and will start on
it is. though high in a mountain range (the Alps. the gamelscenario book list soon. What I need is infor-
Himalayas. Andes. etc) would be a good guess. Other mation on obscure material (magazine and especially
occupants of the palatial fane include an unknown the ephemeral material). Don~ bother with the easy stuff
quantity of volunteer heirs. These heirs live to serve
(Different Worlds, White Dwarf, White Wolf, Challenge,
their master and participate in his unholy orgies. These
volunteers are never seen again. but the issue of any Space Gamer, Dagon, Dragon, Polaris, Adventurer,
revolting tryst is the flamen. so it might be said that Imagine, Game Master IntI., and of course The Un-
the Hierophant is guarded by his own children. ~ speakable Oath). I have lots of other minor ones. but the
list is too long to print here. Send me a letter about what
THE CTHULHU MYTHOS CONVENTION you have. I am interested in acquiring xerox copies of
the articles or full bibliographic data: Magazine Name,
Issue I, Publication Date. Article Name, Author(s), Type
of Article (I have a long list of various types), Language
(if not English), and Miscellaneous Notes. I have a huge
collection of articles to trade if that interests you. I am
August 20-22, 1993 sorry that I cannot send out a copy of the bibliography list
Danvers, "assachusetts to everyone. it costs about $3 to copy & mail. But if you
are really interested I will trade it for articles I lack or for
Special Guest of Honor postage. I can be reached by normal mail or by Email
Robert Bloch and hopefully will soon be able to upload the database,
but my software is giving me headach~s. Postal ad-
Artist Guest of Honor dress: Brent Heustess, 4305 Duval St 1107. Austin. TX
Gahan Wilson 78751. I can be reached by normal mail or by Email
(BHeustess@utxvm.cc.utexas.edu). I will hopefully be
For more information, please send
publishing this bibliography, quite possibly through Pa-
a self-addressed, stamped envelope to:
gan Publishing. and will include everyone who has
lleaonomkon
P. O. Box 1320, Back Bay Annex helped in the credits. Please take pity on me and dig
Boston, Massachusetts 02117-1320 through your collections for the weird stuff. Thanks.
The Unspeakable Oath The Randolph Pierce Foundation:de Medici Manoscritto Issue 7. Fall 1992
(The Medici Manuscript)

Kim Eastland cousin who specializes in religious history. offers a
slightly more detailed and different timeline. Quintin
has been researching The Last Dawn in the past few
his Mysterious Manuscript is a powerful years. Quintin's different timeline observations are
driving force behind both the Randolph Pierce marked with a Q.
Foundation and their greatest enemy. The
Last Dawn (see other articles in this issue and issue '6 de' Medici Manoscrltto Tlmellne
of TUOl. You can use it exactly as written. with a few AD. 1233. The Dominican order is entrusted with the
of your own spells added to its contents if you so desire. Inquisition by Pope Gregory IX to make sure that all
for a Randolph Pierce Foundation campaign. Or you can of the clergy understand and preach the same theology.
use it as a boilerplate to redesign spells and create your Q. believes its original nature was well-intentioned.
own unique campaign history. You can even increase 1252 The Inquisition turns cruel. using torture for
the power of the spells and reduce SAN if you wish their purposes. Q. believes these few. rogue Inquisitors
W
to use it as a normal tome for a Wstraight COC scenario. formed the nucleus of The Last Dawn At first. it is
just a radical movement within the church by ambitious
clergy wishing to gain power through the fear of the
The history of de' Medici Manoscritto is extensive and mythos. Over the next hundred years they would start
probably will never be fully known It is a history of small cabals everywhere the church holds formidable
not only a particular artifact. but of the creation of two power.
very different organizations. The Last Dawn and The 1400. The Medici family grows in power and
Randolph Pierce Foundation influence in Florence. They have no connections with
The history we do have was compiled by Thaddeus The Last Dawn and any knowledge of the mythos is
Pierce and passed onto his son Randolph by the 1920s. limited at best
Some of it is derived from extensive notes within the 1414. The Medici family become bankers for the
Pierce copy. other information came through years of papacy. Their influence within the framework of the
Thad's research around the world. Yet more background . church increases dramatically.
was acquired by the elder Pierce through arcane or w
1469. Lorenzo de' Medici. wThe Magnificent . becomes
mythos means no longer at the family's disposal. And ruler of Florence (until 1492). He soon is one of the most
still more details are assumptions made in light of what powerful men in the world. Q. Almost immediately
facts are definitely known. Certain portions of the Lorenzo runs afoul of The Last Dawn. who are strong
Manoscritto are definitely missing by the '20s. probably in Florence. During this time he almost destroys the
powerful spells which were too dangerous to be allowed Florentine cabal and seriously battles with the rest of
to pass into the hands of other dynasties (and extremely the Italian faction
upsetting for game balance). Nonetheless. some hints are 1478. Giuliano de' Medici. Lorenzo's brother. is
provided for these "'lost spellswin the timeline. One such murdered in Florence's cathedral. Q. thinks this was
spell is believed to be some type of Earthquake creation. accomplished by The Last Dawn. an act which
though no version of it now remains. permanently sets the Medicis against the evil cartel.
Following is Thaddeus Pierce's timeline for de' Medici 1481 The Spanish Inquisition begins in full force. Q.
Manoscritto. also known to a few as the Pierce believes The Last Dawn somehow has gained control
Manuscript. Some additional viewpoints by Randolph over Ferdinand and Isabella by this time. though how
Pierce are noted. marked by a R. for those who wish and to what extent is unknown Spain becomes the
to know the variations from the original notes. center of power for The Last Dawn's hierarchy. By the
Furthermore. Quintin Pierce. Randolph's Canadian turn of the decade. power over all the cabals on the
Issue 7. Fall 1992 The Randolph Pierce Foundation:de Medici Manoscritto The Unspeakable Oath
continent was consolidated. though covertly. probably and defeated the traditional Lasts. Many important
without the pontiffs (and most of the cardinals! changes result from this. The first is that. while Spain
knowledge. and Portugal continue to provide most funds for The
1492 Roderigo Borgia (b. 1430) becomes Pope Last Dawn. and are still major strongholds of the secret
Alexander Vi faction. control over the entire organization shifts back
Torquemada. the inquisitor -general. orders all the to Italy.
Spanish Jews to convert or leave Spain The second change is in the basic doctrine of the
Lorenzo the Magnificent dies. and his son Piero movement. Leaders' (and soon most members! belief in
becomes ruler of Florence. the mythos changes from one of personal ambition and
Q. believes all three of these events were orchestrated power to the fanatic theology that still survives.
by The Last Dawn Borgia had been a neutral 1513-1521 Giovanni de' Medici. son of Lorenzo.
manipulator who was willing to deal with anyone who becomes Pope Leo X The tome is believed to have been
helped him into power. In Spain. the vast wealth of the first created by one of the lesser known de' Medicis
evicted Jews fills the coffers of not only the monarchy. during these years. Antonio. a Dominican monk. He was
but The Last Dawn as well. This sudden wealth assigned to research "forbidden" texts in the Vatican's
provides a much better lever with which to try and archives by his uncle. the Pope. Discovering ancient
usurp the Roman papacy. mysterious manuscripts. Antonio was determined to
14%. Cesare Borgia (b. 1475) is appointed a cardinal find a method of duplicating many of the spells without
by his father. Pope Alexander VI. Alexander also uses tapping into the power eminatting from mythos entities.
his daughter. Lucrecia. to expand his power through Whenever successfully using magic a being must draw
marriage and murder. from a source of magical energy. The Other Gods. The
Pope Alexander VI divides the '"New World" between Great Old Ones. and even some of the Servitor Races
Spain and Portugal. Q. This division indicates an attempt are powerful enough to generate their own energy.
by the papacy to placate The Last Dawn They probably Human beings and lesser races use their own POW to
spread overseas even at this early date. One member tap into a greater source of energy. such as said gods
is known to have sailed with Columbus to Jamaica on or even the ambient energy of the world around us.
his Second voyage. this year. but his name has been An example of Antonio's alteration of these arcane
lost in time. abilities can be seen in the Portal spell. His desire to
1494. Charles VIII of France (whom Q. believes is establish a magical. secretive method of movement not
secretly supported by the French faction of The Last depending upon "evil" sources was less for the concerns
Dawn) invades Italy. overthrows Piero de' Medici. and of his footsore. travelling brethern than for the
forces Pope Alexander VI to flee Rome. Q Pope furthering of Medici political interests. What resulted
Alexander. seeing The Last Dawn's hand in all this. is a more complicated magical formula which draws on
allies with the Medicis and creates the Holy League the Earth's ambient energy and is relatively undetect-
in1495. driving Charles out of Italy and seriously setting able in use by powerful forces of magic or mythos. thus
back The Last Dawn's efforts. Any further efforts to causing no SAN loss. but which consequently requires
lessen Alexander's power is dealt with harshly. such as more magic point usage.
burning at the stake (1498). book burnings (1501). etc. Notes indicate that Antonio successfully translated
Jews are expelled from Portugal. Q. The Last Dawn thirteen spells into non-sanity-Iosing versions before
begins to expand their Spanish base westward as a he went insane from the effort He was found floating
result of the Italian fiasco. face down in a well the night after he told a friend
1500. Q:s research indicates a full scale civil war that he had found a passage to R'lyeh. Confidants
within The Last Dawn itself. He has glimpsed a believed that he was trying to swim out of the Vatican
fragment of a secret diary kept by a Medici cardinal through the underground waterways. Q. All indications
of the time. referring to "inner strife within the Lasts." point to The Last Dawn murdering Antonio for the
The term "Lasts." for members of The Last Dawn. blasphemy of altering mythos spells and trying to
originates around the turn of this century. bypass the Other Gods in acquiring power.
1512 Q. believes that by the end of this year The Last Antonio is not easily found in the history of the
Dawn's civil war has been resolved. The Cassini family. Medici family or the Roman Catholic archives. It is
a power in northern Italy. has successfully challenged almost as if his existence had been expunged for some
The Dnspeakable Oath The Randolph Pierce Foundation:de Medici Manoscritto Issue 7. Fall 1992
unknown reason. But it is obvious that though his moves their foreign base of operations to Portugal.
works will not cause Sanity loss. his creation of them 1534. Cardinal Farnese becomes Pope Paul Ill. Q.
certainly did. Apparently unconnected with either the Medici/ Borgia
1523. Guilio de' Medici reigns as Pope Clement VIi alliance or The Last Dawn. Paul III purges the upper
The first known use of the de' Medici Manoscritto is ranks of the Vatican of this factional fighting.
upon the orders of Clement. It was through a Portal's 1542 Pope Paul III establishes the Inquisition in
secret passage that information was obtained to defrock Rome. Q. The Last Dawn begins to be hunted down
Cardinal Alfredo Cassini who was plotting the Pope's again. but this time for their religious beliefs. not
death and his own ascension to the papal throne. Q. because of factional differences. Through the Inquisition
Cassini was the head of The Last Dawn at this time. many names of The Last Dawn hierarchy are obtained.
the man who overthrew the old guard. His excommu- Soon most are in hiding or imprisoned.
nication. and subsequent disappearance. was a serious 1559. Giovanni Angelo de' Medici becomes Pope Pius
blow to the Lasts. Though he was forced to spend the IV. Q With a return of a Medici to the papacy The
remaining days of his life , -- - - -- ' - - - - - - - - - - = - - - - - - - - , Last Dawn loses all influ-
hiding from Medici and ence in the Vatican and in
Borgia assassins. he still Rome. retreating to western
maintained control over The Europe for security. In many
Last Dawn and passed it on cases members begin to in-
to his son. Alfredo. in 1526. filtrateProtestantmovements
1527. Protestant Refor- or royal courts and families.
mation fuels military inva- Ironically at this time. when
sions into Italy. When Pope their influence in Italy is on
Clement is imprisoned the the wane. their greatest coup
papacy is temporarily para- in the Vatican is accom-
lyzed. Q Though this inva- plished.An unassumingclerk
sion of Italy was not fully close to the papacy turns out
orchestrated by the Lasts. it to be a lifelong spy of the
is of extreme importance. So Lasts. Dnder torture he re-
effective was Clement's per- veals that only a few days
secution of The Last Dawn earlier he had completed a
that its complete destruction copy of de' Medici
in Italy may have been Manoscritto for The Last
possible if this respite had tll Dawn. Despite frantic ef-
not occurred. g forts. the Vatican cannot
1528. Lucindia Borgia. il- ~ retrieve the copy before it is
legitimate daughter of de' Medici Manoecrltto ~ whisked away to a safe
Lucrezia Borgia. uses the .., haven outside of Italy.
tome's contents to murder those whom she felt were 1560. King Francis II of France dies after but two
her mother's true enemies. R. No definite knowledge years on the throne. Because of intricate lineage.
exists on how Lucindia obtained the book. or how it Catherine de' Medici's son shall become Charles IX. but
was returned to the Vatican after her use for revenge. she is regent until he is of age in 1563. then Queen
Possibly she demanded its single purpose use in Mother until her death in 1589. Q. can find no definite
exchange for sexual favors. for which she was allegedly connections to the events of 1559. but the quick
quite sought after by many de' Medici male members expansion of de' Medici power in these two. short years
of the clergy. Q. A number of suspected. high-clergy beggers believability. Possibly some Borgia poison
members of The Last Dawn were poisoned during this helped Francis II along
year. This may have prevented them taking over the 1569. Pope Pius V (no. not a Medici) makes Cosimo
papacy while Pope Clement's power waned. de' Medici Grand Duke of Tuscany. Q. Through
1531 The Inquisition grows to full force in Portugal. expansion of Medici influence in Europe The Last
Q. The Last Dawn. still under Italian Cassini control. Dawn is on the run everywhere but Spain and Portugal.
TD07 -TD07 -TD07 -TD07 -TD07 -TD07 -TD07 -TD07 -TD07 -TD07 -TD07 -TD07 -TD07 -TD07
Though the Inquisition still existed in Europe until the by an Italian as First Minister.
19th Century. The Last Dawn quickly loses control of 1640&. As the English Civil War occurs. Henrietta
most of it as well. This lessening of power brings about Maria flees to Holland. In 1647. with her husband
the demise of the Cassini family's control for centuries. imprisoned. she is seen in England though supposedly
No one family picks up the reigns of power at this time. she is in France. Some evidence shows she Portaled into
Instead it is shared by the Council Break. a group of England from a ship. then helped her husband escape.
influential leaders from within the organization which However. she fled back to France alone when her
varies in size and control from century to century. husband was recaptured. Apparently Oliver Cromwell
1600. Maria de' Medici marries Henry IV. King of (the leader of the opposition) suspected that Charles I
France. continuing the Medici transferral of power to used "witchcraft" to escape and thereafter Cromwell
France. When he is assassinated in 1610. she becomes insisted on an end of allegiance to the King. No more
regent until 1617. when her son becomes Louis Xlll Her uses of the Henrietta book are indicated hereafter.
control of the French court is absolute (evidence 1701 Q. de' Medici influence in Italy. while declining.
suggests extensive use of de' Medici Manoscritto spells is still enough to force the Vatican to establish the
to hold power) and she even challenges her son in 1619 Revelare Nuncius (Latin for unveiling messenger or
for power. agent). This elite organization exists solely to investi-
1605. Alessandro de' Medici becomes Pope Leo Xl gate. expose. and/or neutralize occult organizations of
and dies the same year. He is the last Medici pope and a highly dangerous nature. such as mythos cults.
has no impact on anything. whether within or without the Holy Mother Church.
1616-1618. Richelieu becomes Minister of State for For centuries they have been the chief nemesis of the
Foreign Affairs and War in France. In 1618 he is exiled international organization of The Last Dawn
for intriguing with Queen Maria de' Medici. By the twentieth century. the group was bastardized
1619. Richelieu is brought back by Louis Xlll to help to Revel Nuncio. or simply Revelers. While most
make peace with his mother. Her power grows. Facts modern agents are recruited from the Jesuit Order some
suggest that in payment for his support. Maria de' specialists are actually laymen who have a deep
Medici has a French copy of de' Medici Manoscritto devotion to the church or simply to Christianity.
made for Richelieu. though an abridged version. 1Ts!. The last of the Medici ruling lords. The Grand
1622. Richelieu has used his copy well and is made Duke of Tuscany. dies. Francis. Duke of Lorraine
Cardinal. He becomes First Minister in 1624. Q. Recent receives Tuscany. He is the husband of Maria Theresa.
discoveries in the Vatican indicate that Richelieu may who ascends to the thrones of Austria. Hungary. and
have been the French member of The Last Dawn's the Holy Roman Empire. With the transferral of
Council Break starting this year. Tuscany. the Italian de' Medici Manoscritto leaves
1624. The Medici family influence expands when Italian soil and power. Though certain spells may have
Maria's daUghter. Henrietta Maria. marries King been separately recorded. it is not now thought that an
Charles I of England. Q. Believes that the French Queen entire copy was left in Italy for use by the Revelare
Mother Maria de' Medici passed a copy of de' Medici Nuncius. Maria Theresa used the book's contents
Manoscritto to her daughter to help keep Cardinal extensively. She held off both Frederick the Great and
Richelieu in check. France with it quite successfully. despite their many
1626. Q. Cardinal Richelieu's use of the spells are so wars. But because of this successful use of the spells
effective that by this year he has all the power of for espionage it is quite probable that France's copy.
France in his hands. Maria de' Medici visits Naples brough t there by Catherine de' Medici and shared by
during July. On July 30 a major quake strikes. Richelieu. was no longer available to the government
destroying the city and devastating dozens of villages. R. feels it certain that it was either destroyed by this
70.CXXJ are killed. Miraculously. she escapes but now time or in the hands of private users.
believes Richelieu is trying to kill her. 1746. The Austrio-Russian Alliance is formed.
1630. Richelieu overthrows Maria de' Medici's Certain notes from old czarist manuscripts reveal that
conspiracy and the next year she is exiled to Brussels. this alliance was sealed with a special gift from Maria
But she joins forces with her son. Gaston. the Duke of Theresa of Austria to Czarina Elizabeth of Russia; quite
Orleans. to bring about Richelieu's fall. His power is probably a Russian translation of de' Medici Manoscritto.
seriously broken When he dies in 1642 he is replaced Definite use of some de' Medici Manoscritto spells
The Unspeakable Oath The Randolph Pierce Foundation:de Medici Manoscritto Issue 7. Fall 1992
within Russia occur within 15 years of this alliance. spells. unknown by the royal family to have been copied
1750. The Chronos Term is unearthed in Greece. See from their manual. are also destroyed at this time. At
'The Magic of the Manoscritto" article. p. 49. most. only one or two English editions may have
1755. A major quake destroys numerous towns in survived.
Portugal throughout the year. including one in Lisbon 1789. The French Revolution forces the Nobility to
which destroyed 50.000 to 100.000 inhabitants. Q. emigrate. It is believed that Marie Antoinette's copy is
Though this may have been a misfire of the Earthquake taken to America by one of her attendants. Bridgette
spell. the severity makes me believe it was a multiple Rousseau. Four years later. when it was obvious the
casting of the spell against Portugal. Following these French royal family were not coming over. Rousseau
earthquakes there was a major purge by the govern- marries Ashley Bainbridge in the Louisiana Territory.
ment of The Last Dawn cabals still remaining in The book is handed down over generations through the
Portugal. No known members were alive by 1756. I females of the family. but seldom. if ever. were the spells
think some descendants of the Medici family decided used until 1887.
to clean off the Iberian 1C;;;::r;:m;;;:;;;;;;;;;:;;:;:;;;:rn:;;;;;:;;;;:;;~~~~1 1827. Five years after
penisula they invade Greece. Turkey
1762 Russian Czarina entersA thens.ThoughR ussia
Catherine II ascends the intervenes and forces Tur-
throne and signs the Russo- key out of Greece by 1829.
Prussian alliance against the Turks have already looted
Austria Maria Theresa. quite many valuables. including
infuriated about this Rus- the Chronos Term.
sian betrayal. almost cer- 1886. R.Sarah Hampstead
tainly provided her daugh- <see 1887) was visiting her
ter. Marie Antoinette. with mother in Charleston. South
her own copy in 1770 when Carolina in late August of
she married the Dauphin of this year. On August 31st
France. R. We are quite the worst earthquake ever
certain that this later copy recorded on the east coast
was even less complete than occured in Charleston. It was
Richelieu's abridged edition so great that it was felt even
In this way Maria Theresa in Omaha! I wonder if Sarah's
makes a secret ally of France mother misused the book.
against Prussia and Russia then passed it to her daugh-
1770. Q. For the next two ter in fear. or possibly Sarah
years there is a major exodus misused the spell herself.
to the New World of young the Codex 01 the
Whichever it was. her mother
Lasts. Whether this was an died a year later from inju-
organized exodus is unknown Within 10 years. though. ries sustained in the earthquake.
members of the Revelare Nuncius began joining 1887. Part of a diary inside the Pierce copy of the
missionary expeditions to the new world. tome provides a detailed account of its use. Sarah
1780. The Empress Maria Theresa dies. Absolutely Hampstead. a descendant of Bridgette Rousseau. resided
nothing has ever turned up about the fate of her copy. in Nanaimo. Vancouver Island. On May 4th her
except it is certain it passed out of Austrian hands upon husband. Sutter. was trapped in the Victoria coal mine
her demise. fire. which entombed all 170 miners. She used the Know
1788. The last known use of de' Medici Manoscritto Portal Locale and Create Portal spells to save her
in England was in 1647. In 1788. George III uses it to husband and three friends. This came as quite a shock
see his mistress. Coincidently. his first attack of mental to Sutter. as he was totally unaware of his wife's secret.
illness is shortly thereafter. Believing it to be caused Though the three men were sworn to secrecy Sutter
by the tome. upon his recovery he orders the book did not believe such a power could remain hidden long
destroyed. Several private transcriptions of individual and moved away with his wife during the night
Fearing the book's power he demanded that his wife destroyed with him in 1916. though certain spells are
destroy it. but she incinerated a dictionary instead. believed to live on in private copies.
secretly sending her copy of de' Medici Manoscritto to 1912 (Keeper knowledge only) James Loula Jr. returns
her adult. married daughter: Debra Pierce. to Boston. Ostensibly. it is to continue his father's work
Unlike her mother Debra shared the knowledge of in theatre. but secretly he plans to reorganize The Last
her gift with her husband. Thaddeus. He spent the next Dawn in North America into a powerful force which
30 years of his life interpreting the book into modern will someday reunite chapters the world over. He brings
English and researching its origins. During this time the back with him a copy of de' Medici Manoscritto which
original copy was either lost or destroyed. Q. I believe he has obtained in his travels. It is the only extensive
that a modern cabal of The Last Dawn. possibly based copy in the hands of the North American Last Dawn.
in San Fransisco picked up the trail of the Marie 1917. Thaddeus Pierce dies and Debra Pierce becomes
Antoinette copy after the Nanaimo usage. Evidence sickly. With no female heirs. she passes Thaddeus' copy
suggests they somehow managed to fool the Pierces of the manuscript to her son. Randolph Pierce.
into betraying its location by setting the Pierce home Accompanying the book are boxes of his father's notes
aflIe. We know that such a fire did occur. but when and research. Though Randolph had some small interest
the Lasts tried grabbing the tome from Thaddeus he in the occult by way of antiquities before the tome's
fought back. dropping the book down a staircase into arrival. it radically changes his life. He masters the spells
the heart of the fire. The Last Dawn probably felt that found in his father's translation. with his mother's
was the end of the matter and fled. not realizing occasional help. Upon her death his research into the
Thaddeus still had enough notes (safely hidden away other further spells ceases and he concentrates on the
at another locale) to reconstruct the book. portal spells. These he uses to acquire stock market
1902 (Keeper's knowledge only) James Loula Jr. information and build up his finances.
travels overseas to stay with his mother's family. the 1920. The Randolph Pierce Foundation takes on its
Cassinis. <See future Loula Institute article). current form. funded by the finances Pierce has
1903. Q. On April 29th. a giant mudslide wiped out acquired to "fight the evil which slithers about the
the village of Frank on Turtle Mountain in Alberta I foundations of humanity".
believe this was caused by the French -Canadian cabal (Keeper knowledge only) The Loula Institute of
of The Last Dawn trying to rebind the old Earthquake Theatrical Studies is one of the two strongest American
spell back into one of the only copies they possessed bastions of The Last Dawn. thanks to James Loula Jr.
in North America Rantings by dying Lasts at the site He now starts sending his students throughout the
suggest that only a few pages were saved by other. country to start new cells.
fleeing members when the book was torn asunder by
"a screaming priest who unleashed God's bolts upon the for those ploylng In the mld-1920s.
tome_ and upon our selves for blaspheming so." This 1923. Randolph Pierce is forced into semi -retirement
might indicate that the Revelers are somehow tracking by his sanity shaking adventures. Upon the recovery
down Lasts in North America of his mental health he dedicates most of his time to
1909. A civil war in Turkey deposed the Sultan. the rest of his father's work.
During the chaos Russian spies stole the Chronos Term. (Keeper knowledge only) The Loula Institute has
though no one knows for whom Coincidentally. Grigori hundreds of followers in place. though very few are
Rasputin. the "Mad Monk". (b. 1871l increased his power capable combatants. know spells. or even have more
over the court of Czar Nicholas II of Russia this year. than a 5% knowledge of the mythos. Through sheer.
Q. The term disappears by 1910. so it is possible Rasputin dumb luck one agent is in a Chicago bar at the right
discovered its powers and used it to influence the royal moment. He overhears Vinnie Fusco. of the Randolph
family. Working his way into the affections of the Pierce Foundation. bragging about his Italian roots. He
Czarina Alexandra. she shared her knowledge of the mentions that even a non-Italian friend of his.
long disused Russian copy of de' Medici Manoscritto. Randolph Pierce. relies on the ancient Medicis and their
Eye witness accounts indicates that he used it books for his income. Within hours Loula is told that
extensively. arrogantly. sometimes in full display in there is another copy of de' Medici Manoscritto on the
front of the nobility. Use of the term may have shaken east coast And its owner knows how to use it! ~
his sanity too much. Probably the Russian copy was
The Unspeakable Oath The Randolph Pierce Foundation:de Medici Manoscritto Issue 7, Fall 1992
The Marias Manual

Known Copies at Editions A Collection of 10 Ancient Spells
by: unknown, on the order 01 an unknown English lord.
de' Medici Manoscrltto (original) (English, no Mythos gain or SAN loss, x2 Spell Multi-
A Collection of 13 ·Purified" Spells by: Brother Anto- plier, study time: 70 hours)
nio de' Medici (Latin, no Mythos gain or SAN loss, x5 Printing history: unknown appearance, believed to
Spell Multiplier, study time: 100 hours) have been a secretly copied translation from Henrietta
Printing history: one beautifully handscribed copy, Maria's book ca late 1630s.
bound in gold and silver, for Pope Leo X, ca 1513 -1519 Spells known to exist: Cloak, Create Portal, Create
A.D. Scrying Orb, Find Orb, Incarn, Know Locale, Memorize,
One common Italian translation, also by Brother An- Stun Limb, Truth
tonio, bound as a breviary, ca 1519 -1521 A.D. Spells suspected to exist: • Some type of disguise or
Spells known to exist: Cloak, Create Portal, Create body altering spell
Scrying Orb, Find Orb, Incarn, Know Locale, Memorize,
Stun Limb, Truth The Codex of the Czarinas
Spells suspected to exist: • Some form of earthquake A Collection of Royal Spells by: unknown
spell 01 great power and great cost to cast· Some type (RUSSian, no Mythos gain or SAN loss, x1 Spell
of disguise or body altering spell • Some internally Multiplier, study time: 72 hours)
damaging assassination spell (believed to have been Printing history:' unknown appe'arance but probably
quite costly to cast) • Completely unknown spell expensive and impressive, ordered copied from the
original de' Media Manosaitto by Maria Theresa
de' Medici Manoscrltto (l500s) for Czarina Elizabeth in 1746.
The Maria Miscellany Spells known to exist: Cloak, Create Portal, Create
A Collection of 13 ·Purified" Spells Scrying Orb, Find Orb, Incarn, Know Locale, Memorize,
originally by: Brother Antonio de' Media Stun Limb
translated by: unknown, upon the order of the French
Queen Maria de' Medici from her mother's copy de' Medici Manoscrltto (1700s)
(French, no Mythos gain or SAN loss, x4 Spell Multi- A Spell Collection for the preservation of the Family.
plier, study time: 88 hours) by: unknown
Printing history: a gorgeous handscribed copy, bound (French and Austrian, no Mythos gain or SAN loss, x2
in hardwood and finest, tooled leather with inset jewels. Spell Multiplier, study time: 68 hours)
ca late 1590s A.D. Printing history: unknown appearance, believed to
• A small possibility that one common French or Latin have been ordered for Marie Antoinette by her mother,
translation was also secretly made by Cardinal Richelieu the Empress Maria Theresa of Austria, in 1770. This is
during ca 1616 -1625 A.D . the last known royal translation.
• A copy of Queen Maria's book is made for her Spells known to exist: Cloak, Create Portal, Create
daughter, Henrietta Maria upon her ascension to the Scrying Orb, Find Orb, Incarn, Know Locale, Memorize,
Queenship of England, in 1624. The book is purported Stun Limb, and an unknown spell.
to have excluded the assassination, unknown, and
earthquake spells, and to have been plainly bound and de' Medici Monoscrltto (19005)
quite unremarkable. The Pierce Papers translated and reconstructed by:
Spells known to exist: Cloak, Create Portal, Create Thaddeus Pierce
Scrying Orb, Find Orb, Incarn, Know Locale, (American English, no Mythos gain or SAN loss, x3
Stun Limb, Truth Spell Multiplier, study time: 64 hours)
Spells suspected to exist: • Some type of disguise or Printing history: simple appearance, somewhat like a
body-altering spell dictionary, hand printed and bound by its author. The
binding job is not too well done, ca. early 1900s.
Spells known to exist: Cloak, Create Portal, Create
Scrying Orb, Find Orb, Incarn , Know Locale, Memorize,
Stun Limb
Issue 7. Fall 1992 The Randolph Pierce Foundation:Magic of the Manoscritto The Vnspeakable Oath
, ,
lC e
Spells of Sinister Portent
to make its doors. The outlines of the portal doors are
Kim Eastland automatically traced out on the surface from which they
exit when the portal is created. These exterior doors are
he following spells are usually found in copies very faint. somewhat like well-made secret doors.
of de'Medici Manoscritto. They are not likely When closed. these doors require a successful Spot
to be found in any other tome. although it is Hidden roll at 1/4 the normal chance to be spotted by
conceivable that people someone who does not
have copied some of the know their exact location
spells from one edition of Only the portal's creator
the book or another. and can open the doors unhin-
inscribed them elsewhere. dered. anyone else must
CLOAK: increases a attempt a Resistence roll.
character's Conceal. Hide. The Active characteristic
and Sneak skills. each by on this roll is one half the
10%, for up to 15 minutes. magic points of the being
It requires 3 magic points trying to enter vs. the
to cast on oneself. or 6 magic points used to cre-
magic points to cast on ate the portal. Thus. when
another character. Cloak a portal is created the
will never increase a skill magic points used to make
chance beyond 8O%-that it must be recorded. If
can only be performed by characters wish. they can
natural mastery. "transfer" some of their
CREATE R>RTAI; a magic points to the creator
portal is a limited form of during the portal's cre-
the gate spell used to ation to add to its strength.
travel distances less than As always. these magic
200 miles. Normally a points are used up just as
portal can be opened from if they had cast the spell
a primary. studied locale to a secondary. studied locale. themselves (see "Group Casting" in TV06).
For a locale to become a "studied location" requires the If the creator wishes. he can leave the portal doors
character to actually be there. studying it for 8 hours. open so anyone can cross through. An open portal door
and seeing it clearly during the entire time. Portals can is only seen by someone standing directly in front of
be opened thusly from locale A to locale B. But a given it It looks like a rectangular pool of shimmering red
character can only have onefunctioning portal at a time. liquid. even if standing upright Anyone entering a
If the character desires to open a portal to a different portal must expend 2 magic points and make a
location he must forget either (as in "erase") locale A successful POWx5 roll. If a character fails this roll. he
or locale B to learn locale C. Once both locales are may try again but must keep expending 2 magic points
studied. a portal can be created between them. It costs for every attempt Only one individual may try to enter
no SAN to create a portal. but it does require a minimum per round. This means a character passing back and
of 5 magic points. forth through a portal will expend 4 magic points if
The maximum amount of magic points placed into he is successful on both rolls. Team members may wish
the portal depends on how strong the creator wishes to keep this in mind when transferring magic points
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The Unspeakable Oath The Randolph Pierce Foundation:Magic of the Manoscritto Issue 7. FaIl 1992
for the portal's creation. (CoCS. page 151). SpeIls cannot be cast through the orb
Entering a portal is like entering a starry tunnel. 25 in either direction. but if someone successfuIly sees the
feet long. with a slab of deep red metal which resembles orb being used (such as through the use of a Find Orb
a door at either end (this is how the human mind speID. they may be able to identify the watcher.
perceives it). TraveIling through the tunnel is best FIND ORB: makes apparant to the caster any orb
described as "free faIling." like a parachutist It takes scrying being used to watch a locale he is in (within
three rounds to go from end to end and normaIly no his normal vision for his present circumstances). This
more than three people can be faIling through the speII locates. it does not empower anyone to alter the
tunnel at anyone time. scrying orb or cast speIls through it. It does. however.
The danger with portals is that they sometimes aIlow the viewer a Spot Hidden roIl. at half his normal
intersect with other portal tunnels and gates that are chance. to clearly see the watcher on the other side of
being used. Each time someone successfuIly enters a the orb if he is within 10 feet of the orb's opening_
portal the Keeper should roIl percentile dice: 98-99 INCARN: closes wounds and heals back 104+2 hit
indicates a portal is open elsewhere within 250 miles points if they were caused by slashinglmpaling.
and intersects (Keeper's discretion as to who or what crushing. and so on G.n other words. non-poison or non-
is portaIling and their disposition. though it usuaIly is disease physical damage). Unlike the Heal speIl on page
a human creating it for human passage). a 00 indicates 155 of COCS. Incarn does not alter the character's natural
a major gate is being used. possibly summoning some healing rate. The speIl costs a number of magic points
dimensional creature. and things can get messy indeed equal to the hit points returned. but costs no SAN points.
(e.g.. a second percentile roIl should indicate how Incarn takes one round to cast and one to work (the
powerful and bad the gating creature is. a 00 would second round does not require the caster's attention). The
be something incredibly unpleasant). These intersecting recipient must be touched by the caster or the speIl
portals and gates are like an inter-dimensional pocket. cannot take effect. Of course. the caster can use it on
so numerous creatures can be in it at anyone time. SpeIl him or herself.
and device use within this pocket is left to the Keeper. KNOW LOCALE: expands the use of the Create
but interference from outside is impossible without Portal or Create Scrying Orb speIls. By spending magic
stepping through. As a matter of fact. the characters points the user may bypass the normal time required
outside wiIl not even know what is happening and wiIl to study a locale. The magic point expenditure is per
continue according to plan unless otherwise warned. locale. Guidelines for the magic points required to lock
CREATE SCRYING ORB: makes a crystal orb in a locale are as foIlows:
magical. aIlowing it to look into one specific locale. Mp Use If spending this much time at the locale
Creating the orb's scrying ability costs 6 magic points. 3 1 hour or more
Anyone using it spends 1 Magic Point per minute of 5 20 minutes to 1 hour
viewing. The orb used must be the very best crystal. 7 10 to 20 minutes
and so is very heavy and expensive. 10 5 to 10 minutes
Once the orb is enchanted it must be keyed to a 12 1 to 5 minutes
·studied locale: This ·studied locale" requires the 15 No time spent at locale but looking at the
character to concentrate on it for 8 hours. seeing it location with clear line-of -sight in fuII
clearly during the entire time. The locale scryed cannot light. even if through binoculars
be changed without recasting the spell. Observing 17 No time spent at locale but requiring an
through the orb is like standing in the locale for exceIlent photo (or film or videotape).
purposes of hearing and seeing (normal ligh t is required Primarily modern usage.
to see. SAN loss is normal for seeing creatures. a Spot 20 Mentaly linked with someone who has been
Hidden or Listen roIl might be required. etc1 Unless in the locale for awhile and can clearly
using specific counter-speIIs. though. no one at the remember it (requires an INT x 3 roIl for
locale is aware of the watcher. Know Locale can be used clarity).
in conjunction with this speIl. If no one looks through MEMORIZE: causes temporary improvement in
the orb for an entire minute the speIl is nuIlified. memory. It can be cast on oneself or another. and costs
The reflective properties of the Create Scrying Orb 3 magic points to do so. Once the speII is cast the
are different than the Create Scrying Window speIl character wiII completely retain anything he can
Issue 7. Fall 1992 The Randolph Pierce Foundation:Magic of the Manoscritto The Unspeakable Oath
physically hear of a non-magical nature and specifically
wishes to memorize. up to 30 minutes in duration He The Chronos Term
will retain this memory for 24 hours. then will forget The Last Dawn. through one of their American
it Only one Memorize spell can effectively be cast on branches (the Loula Institute) has been searching for
a character per 24 hours. any more will simply nullify an artifact known as the Chronos Term for years. In
the first casting. the last few months Randolph Pierce has also become
This was a particularly favorite spell of Cardinal aware of its existence and has instructed his agents to
Richelieu's. who would imbue an agent with the try and locate it The Pierce Foundation is aware that
memory increase and portal him into another part of someone else is also searching for this item and will
the palace. such as the Queen's chambers. Or Richelieu do almost anything to acquire its components.
would use it himself while scrying through an orb. then
write everything down that he had seen and heard. Description
Apparently Henrietta Maria helped Charles I escape by The Chronos Term is a term-that is. a bust used to
memorizing a map of the prison's surrounding area But mark the end of a boundry. Its origins are unknown.
no spell. foreign language or hieroglyphs can be learned but probably date to ancient Greece. Legend says it
or used <Other than repetition) through this spell because somehow grants information of an awesome nature. but
it does not increase comprehension. only rote memory. possibly at an incredible price.
STUN UMB: causes momentary loss of control of The bust is comprised of 16 separate sculptings of
the limb affected. The spell costs the caster 4 magic hands which are fitted together to form a bizarre skull
points and no SAN loss to cast It takes 1 round to cast (the separate sculptings can be of whatever material the
and the target must be within 30 yards. The caster must keeper desires-bronze. marble. iron. porcelain. perfectly
specify which limb is to be attacked when the spell is preserved flesh. or even an assortment). Once the term
cast. Overcoming the target's magic points with his own is complete it has magical properties. The name is
on a Resistence Table roll. the caster stuns the limb for handed down from ancient texts; Chronos. of course.
1D3 rounds. The first round is always total loss of refers to a diety of time.
control of that limb; if an arm. a sturdy item or weapon
held is dropped. or a spell requiring gestures is nullified; OrIRln
if a leg. the target must make a DEXxl roll or fall. in The Chronos Term first appeared in ancient Greece. It
any case he cannot move his leg. If the spell lasts longer was a gift from Nyarlothotep for a particularly
than 1 round. the subsequent effects are less severe; if deserving priest. At that time. its use was clear and it
an arm. all efforts using the hand or arm requires a did not fracture after use. But with the fall of the
DEXx2 roll to succeed; if a leg. movement is dropped mighty Greek civilization the Messenger of the Outer
to one-quarter normal and any other effort using the Gods altered the device slightly to tempt exceptionally
leg requires a DEXx2 roll to succeed. clever humans to madness.
TRUfH:compels the target to tell the truth. It costs The hands will not easily grasp each other. almost
4 magic points to cast The target must be within 10 as if they were held apart by magnetic fields. To
feet of caster. and the spell remains in effect for 10 completely interlock the pieces successfully an indi-
minutes. Once the spell is activated. anyone within vidual must make successful INTxl. POWxl. and
range must make a Resistence Table check every time DEXxl rolls. None of these may be modified by any
they try to deceive the caster. The Active characteristic means whatsoever. just the base scores. One roll for each
is their current POW. rolled vs. the caster's current score is allowed per day. Attempts at assembly are
POW. An unsuccessful roll means they cannot lie. they considered to take at least 6 hours. Characters trying
have started to deceive but suddenly blurt out the truth. to work together will never get even two pieces to fit
Even if they make a successful Resistence roll and are together. Only by working alone can it be assembled.
able to lie. the caster is still allowed an INT x 1 roll Note that a missed roll does not invalidate previously
to detect their untruth. he just cannot compel them to successful rolls; that is. if the INT roll is made. and the
speak it. The target is unaware if the caster is POW roll missed. the INT roll is still considered
successfully detecting his lies this way or not. successful for that person
Once it is assembled (all the rolls made and the
character is alone). time stops for him or her and no
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The Unspeakable Oath The Randolph Pierce Foundation:Magic of the Manoscritto Issue 7, Fall 1992
one else can intervene. Even the assembler cannot of questions such as, "How can I get Hastur to obey
return to the time stream without asking a question me?' or other such idiocies.
In other words, the keeper tells everyone else to be quiet Note: Though a character may be driven mad by the
and its up to the player who made the rolls. Once SAN loss, the answer from the term is always in his
assembled, the term will speak in a voice out of the ages mind. It is just up to the other investigators (and the
and explain he is there to answer one question only, keeper) as to how that info can be extracted.
then he will be gone. The assembler loses 21104 points
of SAN when it begins to speak. Collapsing
The most unfortunate aspect of the Chronos Term
Powers is that once the parts are aquired, it is assembled, and
The Chronos Term marks the outermost boundry of asked a question, it then undergoes a strange collapse.
answerable time for the device-the present. Each hand The hands seem to exert pressure on each other, and
sculpture stops all timekeeping devices within 25 feet the Term seems to quiver from the tension They press
of it, otherwise it offers no other powers to a possessor. harder and harder and the whole term begins to collapse
Once assembled, however, the term becomes very inwards, as the hands simply press themselves into the
powerful It can answer anyone question asked by the angles of time. In moments the Term is gone. Though
assembler, about events up to the point the term was appearing to phase out interdimensionally, the pieces
assembled. This last point is very important because the actually do stay on Earth. The distance the pieces travel
extent of the question and power its answer can grant away from the questioner also depends on the question
determines many things, all at the discretion of the If the answer provides little power, and thus little
keeper. chance for insanity, the pieces will re-emerge (separated
The Keeper must make the questioner write down his once more) within a few miles. If the answer provides
question for clarity's sake (and to avoid arguements later great power, and thus almost assured insanity, the pieces
on). The more intricate the question, with multiple can go to the borders of a continent Just think of it
phrases and nuances, the greater the force. The more as Nyarlothotep's way of balancing your game.
power the questioner receives with the answer, the No matter how far they go the pieces always seem
greater the force. The greater the force, the worse the to be found. They never go underwater or underground,
Sanity loss from knowing the answer. For example, if unless they are still accessable. It is almost as if they
assembled and asked, "Where is the closest copy of de' appear when someone can happen on to them An
Medici Manoscritto?' it might say "Boston" Then it inventive keeper can maintain a campaign for quite a
would collapse and be gone (see below). Sanity loss while just by tying all the investigator's adventures to
would only be a 104, because the answer is not enough finding the Chronos Term Option: If the keeper wants
to easily gain power. A question of "What is the address to make it a little easier to find the individual hands,
of the closest copy of de' Medici Manoscritto?" would he can use the option of having a piece in possession
deal a greater SAN loss, perhaps ID10 to ID20, because point to the nearest hand not in possession <SAN roll
the answer might assure its possession (ID10 for a for 011 loss for anyone the first time they see the
location that is almost impossible to get into, up to ID20 sculpture point). ~
for a simple residence). Massive SAN loss is the result
Gallles & Ho"blnes

27 North T enth
Columbia, MO 65201
(314)
Issue 7. Fall 1992 The Randolph Pierce Foundation:Magic of the Manoscritto The Unspeakable Oath
The Chron06 Term
The Unspeakable Oath The Eye Of Light & Darkness Issue 7. Fall 1992
proportions in this scenario. 1 suggest you run this one
The Eye Of Light & Darkness when all of your players are up and alert because theyll
continued from page 13 need every bit of smarts and luck they have to get out
of this one alive.
The Thing At The Threshold Overall. The Thing At The Threshold has a focus on
192Q; cam~ign for intellectual. survival and fighting skills that is put
Chaooinm, Inc. together well enough for the entire book to get a
reviewed by Les B. D:an slightly above average rating of 6 phobias.
This is a new three-part campaign. When you first The Stars Are Right!
thumb through this book. you1l fmd your appetite for adventures in the modern world of rtlll'
adventure wetted by the excellent artistry of the Chaooinm, Inc. $18.95
illustrations and handouts. In fact these are probably reviewed by Scott D. Aniolowski
the finest handouts as yet published in any of the
scenario books from Chaosium. In that same cursory The first thing that should be said about The Stars
glance through the book you will also find well-drawn Are Right! is that it is a big book: not big in size. but
and well-described NPCs and a few new items and big in content. Six of the seven scenarios squeezed into
spells. the book's 130 pages directly involve Outer Gods or
With all of this. the three scenarios have to be great. Great Old Ones! These are big scenarios. And they are
right? Wrong. The first of the scenarios is so poorly good scenarios-not a stinker in the bunch. although
written 1 had to read it twice to understand what was a few do outshine the others.
going on. And what is going on is inconsistent with "Love's Lonely Children" by Richard Watts is a
other Chaosium scenarios that deal with the same Great degenerate tale pulling drugs. prostitution. pornography.
Old One appearing here. Beyond inconsistencies. the and murder into its twisted clutches. Investigators must
first scenario involves a sub-plot about an escaped seek out drug addicts and flesh peddlers from the
mental patient that is just plain bad. and an opportunity seedier corners of the big city to track down important
for cruel Keepers to kill off an entire as-yet- clues. This scenario suffers somewhat from its single
unsuspecting group of investigators with a very path of investigation; however. characterization and
powerful monster. Overall. the first scenario is a very atmosphere are well done. and the manifestation of the
poor start for any campaign. deity chilling.
The second scenario. however. is true Coe. It includes "Nemo Solus Sapir" by John Tynes is a deadly
mysterious gates. strange villages on the sea. cryptic adventure set in Samson. California (the setting used for
clues. hideous monsters. madmen and secret rooms. I most of Chaosium's At Your Door campaign). The use
wholeheartedly believe this to be the best scenario in of spells by the villain is unusually well-done and an
the book and one 1 would be happy to run for a small integral part of the story. unlike so many other scenarios
group of investigators (a large one would be cumber- where magic and arcane powers are thrown in simply
some here). Overall this scenario will give your team as frivolous decorations. although a particular COC spell
of investigators that "I don't want to be here!" feeling. which the villain uses frequently is not reprinted in the
that Keepers strangely enjoy. character's description. Important characters are well
The third scenario's merits are a matter of taste. If thought-out and their motivations and actions justified
you integrate Indiana Jones-type adventures into your by the author. Several characters do. however. suffer
campaign you will enjoy this piece. If not. well it may from silly-name syndrome (you can always spot the
not be for you. This scenario is unabashedly a villain by how unusual his or her name is!). The grand
compilation of all three of the "Jones" movies. It involves finale of the piece is one of the deadliest. and the
obtaining a powerful old artifact (first film of the series). manifestation of the Mythos deity unquestionably the
encountering strange cuI tists (second film) and avoiding best done to date. My one major irritation with the
traps by solving riddles (third film). There is even a full scenario is its set-up. wherein one of the investigators
page illustration that greatly resembles "Indy" in this must perish for the story to proceed; killing off a
section of the book. By the way-like the movies. the character simply for the sake of the plot seems unfair.
opportunities for creative character deaths is of epic Another option is offered. but is rather cliched.
Issue 7. Fall 1992 The Eye Of Light & Darkness The Unspeakable Oath
"This Fire Shall Kill" by Andre Bishop is a powerful the Mythos-instead the character has a personal
scenario. well thought-out and wonderfully executed. agenda and goal which. however. requires the "use" of
This piece contains some great scenes and characters certain factions of the Mythos. Investigators are in for
(especially a rotten little girl with a squirt gun!). and a real treat. too. with some weird. surrealistic scenes and
promises to keep investigators on the move. This encounters. Try as I may. I can find nothing bad to say
scenario. like "Nemo Solus Sapit." can be deadly. but the about this piece. which is one of the best in the book!
good use of a heretofore poorly-used Mythos deity and I look forward to seeing more work by Gary.
its servants makes it well worth it; scenario writers will "The Music of the Spheres" by Kevin A. Ross is a
be hard -pressed to use these entities any better. One typical Kevin A. Ross scenario: grand and expansive.
error in the piece is the lack of explanation and over-crowded with characters. yet solid. well thought-
description of several new spells possibly discovered by out. and intelligent (and despite utter chaos inflicted
the investigator. and used by the villain. However. this upon the investigators. there is a certain subtlety in the
is an outstanding frrst scenario by a new writer. piece that can be called nothing less than artistic).
'The Professionals" by Fred Behrendt is a tangled. Dealing with radio astronomy. the Keeper must wade
twisted web of political intrigue. conspiracy. and through some rather dry areas of the scenario to get
madness. This is a scenario that will have the to the action. but the wade is worth it-the grand climax
investigators feeling frustrated and beaten every step bringing to mind the action-packed climax of the film
of the way. and even at the end they may not fully Lifeforce. Keepers may well feel overwhelmed by the
comprehend everything. or feel that they have large number of characters he or she must run and keep
accomplished much. This piece is ripe with interesting track of. but these characters could prove to make great
characters. James Bond high-tech toys. and corruption. character-fodder when the shit hits the fan (and hit it
As the investigators uncover layer upon layer of it does!). Ultimately. the investigators must deal with
conspiracy and cover-up they learn that everything the mind blasting fact that the stars may actually be
points back at the political campaign and nearing right. and the time of the Old Ones may be upon them.
election. A scene involving a "snuff film:' by the way. Oh. there are things the investigators can do to forestall
is undoubtedly the most gruesome. graphic scene yet the inevitable. but it may take a high toll. Survivors
done in a scenario-one which should leave the of this scenario will really feel that they accomplished
investigators and players alike with a chill or a pang something.
of nausea! The complicated plot of the piece. however. "When the Stars Came Right Again" by Steven C.
leads the investigators from place to place with little Rasmussen and D.H. Frew is an essay about the position
for them to do at times. and in the end they can do of the stars at the time of R1yeh's rising in 1925. An
little more than stand by and watch as the climax plays interesting essay. although of little actual use to keepers
itself out. Despite this. and despite the fact that some or investigators. I would have preferred a player hand-
of the high-tech gadgets are rather contrived. this is out section (conspicuously absent). or some other
a strong piece and my personal favorite scenario in The modern article of more use (new skills. weapons. travel.
Stars Are RightL While difficult both to run and play. prices. etc)
this is well worth the effort-truly a modern scenario. Finally. the artwork in The Stars Are Right! is
in every sense of the word. brilliant. from the cover depicting San Francisco ablaze
"Fractal Gods" by Steve Hatherley is a very modern by John T. Snyder. to the wonderful interiors by the
tale about computers and technology. While the ineffable Blair Reynolds (too bad the illustration on
scenario has some very good moments and scenes. page 17 is but a third of the original-the powers that
including a wonderful gateway to another. weird be at Chaosium headquarters felt it necessary to censor
dimension. it is the weakest piece in the book with a that one. Too bad-I saw the original and it was perhaps
few plot flaws. Computer buffs. however. should really the best illustration for the book!).
appreciate this tale. and will most likely find it more This set of sinister scenarios deserves 9 phobias-go
enjoyable that computer -illiterates (like myselfD. out and buy it. you won't be disappointed!
"The Gates of Delirium" by Gary Sumpter is a good.
solid scenario involving drugs and weird dimension. and [editors note: the censored illustration by Blair
makes great use of a little-used Mythos god. Reynolds appears. uncut. as the cover to our book
Interestingly. the villian is no worshipper or servant of Courting Madness.l
The Unspeakable Oath The Eye Of Light & Darkness Issue 7, Fall 1992
Tales of the Lovecraft Mytha; excise the Mythos allusions).
hardcover anthology eX pulp era Lovecraftian fiction Complaints? Well, a warning is in order that since
Fedogan & Bremer. SZ1 these stories are from the pulp era, they are definitely
reviewed by Kevin A Rm; pulpy, with occasional over -florid prose and story
conventions which will seem all-too-familiar to the
Editor Robert M. Price (of Crypt of Cthulhu fame) jaded horror fan. And some of the tales illustrate why
has put together the latest collection of fiction based their authors are not known for their Lovecraftian
on HP. Lovecraft's Mythos. Tales of the Lovecraft writings: Bertram Russell's "The Scourge of B'Moth"
Mythos boasts 20 stories from the pulp era (the earliest suffers from a too-wide scope, while Donald A
of these stories was published in 1929, the latest in Wolheim's "The Horror Out of Lovecraft" is another of
1966). While not always dropping specific Cthulhuoid those annoying HPL parodies that needs a stake driven
names, these tales are nonetheless definitely in the through its heart.
Lovecraftian spirit Arguing with the choice of tales in a collection such
The stories range from middling to good in quality, as this is risky, but here goes. Instead of the dull parody,
and sport an interesting cast of authors: from well- the Russell piece, and perhaps the E. Hoffman Price
knowns such as Robert E. Howard, Clark Ashton Smith, draft and the non-supernatural Howard piece, why not
August Derleth, Robert Bloch, and Fritz Lieber, to substitute more of the unsung/uncollected bits? Manly
lesser-known Weird Tales contributors such as Henry Wade Wellman's "The Terrible Parchment" and Donald
Hasse, Merle Prout, and C. Hall Thompson. Wandrei's "The Fire Vampires" and "The Tree-Men of
The strongest tales are Howard's "The Thing on the Mbwa" are rumored to feature Lovecraftian elements-
Roof: the two excellent Kuttner selections ''The and when was the last time anybody saw any of those
Invaders" and "The Bells of Horror: Derleth's extremely (let alone heard of them)? I personally would have
scarce "lthaqua" and "The Thing That Walked On The substituted Howard's "The Children of the Night" for
Wind" (arguably his best two Mythos stories), Prout's the "Asshurbanipal" version here; "Children" was
"The House of the Worm: Thompson's "Spawn of the criminally omitted from the Baen Books collection of
Green Abyss: and Lieber's "To Arkham and the Stars." Howard's Mythos tales (Cthulhu: The Mythos and
Editor Price has unearthed some intriguing gems Kindred Horrors). Also welcome would have been more
here for the Mythos collector. He states in his of Smith's works and perhaps another of C. Hall
introduction that a prime factor in the story selection Thompson's rare Weird Tales appearances.
for this volume was to illuminate some of the allusions But these are minor complaints at best. This is an
found in later, more-accessible Mythos soures. In this exciting anthology, and one that should be sought out
book, for instance, we find the stories which introduced by all Mythos fanatics. While the price is steep, the
Lloigor and Zhar (Derleth & Schorer's "Lair of the Star- rarity of many of the stories makes up for it. Price's
Spawn"), Zuchequan (Henry Kuttner's "The Bells of introduction is very informative and sets the tone quite
HOllor"), and several of the aquatic Mythos tomes used nicely, while Bloch offers a brief preface. And Gahan
in Brian Lumley's Mythos fiction (they originally Wilson contributes a brilliantly funny cover that
appeared in the Mythos version of Carl Jacobi's "The perfectly illustrates the evolution of the Lovecraft
Aquariam"). Mythos.
There are a handful of oddities here for the collector Price states in the introduction that a companion
as well. The version of Robert E. Howard's "The Fire volume may be produced, featuring the next/newest (?)
of Asshurbanipal" which appears here, for instance, is generation of HPL-ian writers. Let's hope that comes
a variant non-supernatural version of this Mythos tale. through. Until then, this volume will do quite nicely.
Editor Price also treats us to E. Hoffman Price's "The It's worth a good eight phobias, at least
Lord of lllusion: which Lovecraft later collaborated on (Order from Fedogan & Bremer, 700 Washington
to create the Randolph Carter tale "Through the Gates Ave. SE, Suite 50, Minneapolis, MN 55414. The price
of the Silver Key." And finally we have the original per copy is $27 + $3 shipping and handling) ~
versions of Robert A W. Lowndes' "The Abyss" and
Jacobi's "The Aquarium" (the latter of which was
contributed to August Derleth for an Arkham House
anthology-only to have Derleth rather capriciously
Issue 7. Fall 1992 CyberCthulhu The Unspeakable Oath
A rarer danger are those computer programs that can

John Tynes actually kill the hacker. by destroying his mind.
The Cyberpunk role-playing game from R Talsorian
yberPunk. for the uninitiated. is something of uses these trademark elements. and others. to present
a sub-genre or style of science fiction. Writers a game of life in a dark future. The world of the
who are frequently grouped behind the Cyberpunk RPG is our own. plus about thirty years.
"CyberPunk author" label include William A Gibson. Much is the same. but much more is different
Lewis Shiner. Walter Jon Williams. Bruce Sterling. and Cyberpunk and Call of Cthulhu share several traits.
others. Superficially. CyberPunk consists of two main as does the fiction that spawned each game. The most
features. important of these traits is a common theme: dehuman-
The first is an overriding nihilism and pessimism ization and degradation of the human experience. One
about the future. The worlds seen in CyberPunk fiction can easily draw a parallel between the loss of Sanity
tend to be dark. dismal. and depressing. The main in Call of Cthulhu through the gaining of Mythos
characters tend to be street punks. thugs. assassins. and knowledge. and the loss of Humanity in Cyberpunk
the like; they often draw their livelihood from what with the implanting and replacement of parts of the
would today be considered criminal or at least human body with technological marvels. In both games.
undesirable acts. although this may not be by their the cost of success is always the loss of self. if some
choice. sort of balance is not maintained. Other similarities are
The second feature is a similar usage of technology. less thematic; in both games. characters typically have
CyberPunk technology includes a large variety of little idea of what is going on around them. Plots unfold
human modifications. typically called CyberWare. This at the direction of unseen entities. with the conse-
may include superior eyes. hands or other limbs. or quences being played out by pawns in alleys. In
devices implanted into existing tissue such as weapons. Cyberpunk. these entities are the massive multinational
sensors. and the like. The desired effect is to make the corporations that erase political boundaries and truly
human body a more efficient machine. but typically run the world behind the scenes; in Call of Cthulhu.
such technology. in replacing parts of humans. has an these entities are the massive interstellar monstrosities
accom panying deh umanizing effec t Besides Cyber Ware. that aren't cognizant of human-drawn boundaries and
the single most important technology in such fiction is truly will destroy the world. given time.
the CyberNet. or just "the Net" The Net refers to the Because of these similarities. the thought of a
global network of computer systems and services. In "crossover" scenario has crossed the minds of numerous
CyberPunk. computer hackers access the net visually players and gamemasters. Such events have been run
and viscerally. by plugging themselves into a computer. at GenCon. and groups of role-players have done their
When they do. they "see" the computer net through a own such pieces. An official crossover work has not
massive simulation. Phone lines appear as pulsing light appeared between R. Talsorian and Chaosium. largely
streams; corporate computers appear as massive build- because a satisfactory proposal has never been made.
ings. with "guards" -computer programs that monitor Pagan Publishing and Prometheus Press decided to
access and deny it to those without authorization. In fill that void (the Four "P" Pact). through the agents
the Net. hackers battle such guards with programs on of our respective publications. The Unspeakable Oath
their computers. while witnessing and experiencing the and Interface. The present work is the result of
microsecond-long "combat" as the real thing. with brainstorming sessions between the two companies. and
swings. dodges. blows. and the like. The most common hopefully will provide the players of both games a little
danger Hackers face is simply being traced. so that real- something different in their role-playing diet.
world security forces can hunt them down and kill them To see the beginning of this. turn the page. ~
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The Unspeakable Oath Convergence Issue 7. Fall 1992
_nee
in which the investigators are seduced by science, then raped by it
unofficial group consisting of members of national law
John Tynes enforcement. intelligence. and the military. Delta Green
itself has no funding. but those who run it channel
his scenario is the fIrst of two. each of which funds. equipment. and personnel as needed from
examines CyberPunk concepts in Call of whatever agency or military branch they happen to
Cthulhu-and vice versa This scenario. a work for. Delta Green specializes in situations where the
1990s Cthulhu Now piece. introduces a few concepts members feel rivalries among different parts of
used in CyberPunk fiction as well as R. Talsorian's government would make efficient problem-solving
Cyberpunk role-playing game. It requires the Call of difficult. not to mention keeping things secret For the
Cthulhu 5th edition rules-or any earlier edition plus most part. this has meant dealing with the paranormal.
the Cthulhu Now rules-to play. The second scenario. and particularly the Cthulhu Mythos.
"Transference: will appear in issue 7 of Interface. a Delta Green. sadly. is not an intelligence-gathering
digest for the Cyberpunk role-playing game. It is a body; its focus is problem resolution Those who carry
2020s Cyberpunk scenario that features Mythos out Delta Green missions rarely learn anything about
elements. Each scenario stands alone. and can be played what they face; they simply go somewhere. do
independently. Their stories are interrelated. however. something. and come home. As a result. Delta Green's
despite the fact that they are set 30+ years apart organizers aren't very informed about the Mythos. nor
In Interface 7. a full conversion system will be do they want to be. They simply want to screen the
presented for transferring characters. creatures. sanity rest of the government from getting involved in such
rules. etc. from Call of Cthulhu to Cyberpunk. and vice peripheral problems.
versa As a result. COC players who want to use the Delta Green's agents are not full-time; they work. in
Interface scenario can play it using the familiar COC various capacities. for other groups such as the FBI. the
rules; likewise. Cyberpunk players who want to use the NSA. the Army. the IRS. etc. They are "assigned" to
familiar Cyberpunk rules can play this scenario using a Delta Green mission by their Delta Green-member
those conversions. In either case. however. it is strongly supervisors. who camouflage their activities as being
suggested that the time period and setting not be part of their regular duties. There are no regular
changed -even if run as a Cyberpunk game. this meetings. no headquarters. etc.; members simply contact
scenario should occur in the 1990s. Groups who play each other when their respective agency stumbles on
both games will have the easiest time of it something that Delta Green is better capable of
Beyond the scenarios. Interface 7 will also feature handling. Thus there is no Delta Green database. no
articles on cults of the future-why they still exist and files. no letterhead or reports. To gather a full profile
who joins them-and an article on EctoTech. a of all of their activities. one would have to comb the
paranormal technology brought about by Mythos files of most national government bodies. finding
forces. evidence of operations sanctioned hastily and with little
apparent result. Scattered thusly. Delta Green is hard
Preparation to locate; only if such reports were assembled and
Fitting this scenario into your Cthulhu Now campaign considered in the aggregate would a clearer picture
isn't easy. but then few published scenarios are. The emerge.
scenario assumes that the investigators are a grou p of In other words. Delta Green is little more than an
federal (preferably FBIl agents looking into the ad hoc assembly of people "in the know: an old-boy's-
background of an interstate fugitive with some strange network if you will. with no central command
abilities. In the playtesting session. these agents were whatsoever. When one member happens upon some-
also members of a group called Delta Green. an thing. he or she contacts a few others who might be
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Issue 7. Fall 1992 Convergence The Unspeakable Oath
of help and they deal with the situation Any
knowledge gained is effectively lost due to the lack of
any real structure.
If this background is incompatible with your game.
replace it altogether. But be aware that inter-agency
rivalries are a part of the scenario: in particular. agents
working for the National Security Agency crop up as
some of the villains of the piece.
Keeper Inforrnatlon
Under the ice in Antarctica lies the Outer God Ubbo-
Sothla. the Unbegotten Source. Ubbo-Sothla has been
there for eons. unthinking. unmoving. simply existing.
a massive bulk of primal ooze. The Elder Things long
ago used matter taken from Ubbo-Sothla to construct
their terrible Shoggoths: more recently. the Mi-Go have
begun experimenting with the properties of this strange
being.
Specifically. the Mi -Go have become interested in
new ways to prolong their lives. Organs. even extra-
terrene ones. give out eventually. To address this. they
are conducting numerous experiments on humans and
animals in the vicinity of Groversville. a small town
which you can place wherever you like. For this text.
we assume Groversville is in Eastern Tennessee:
references to adjacent states will be figured accordingly.
These experiments involve the abduction of SUbjects.
who are then subjected to surgery and strange
experimentation These subjects are then returned.
unaware of what has occurred. Occasionally the
experiment fails immediately. and the subject dies.
The principal experiments involve implanting Mi-Go
organs into the bodies of humans and animals. using
the adaptable proto-matter of Ubbo-Sothla to make the
tissue implant acceptable both to host and to organ But
other experiments are underway as well: the proto-
matter has been found to possess amazing qualities. and
many more experiments have been undertaken simply
ou t of curiosity.
One of these peripheral experiments. on a young man
named Billy Ray Spivey. involved the replacement of
the muscle tissue in his arms and legs with tissue
constructed of the Ubbo-Sothla ooze. The net effect is
that Spivey possesses tremendous strength and endur-
ance in those parts of his body. but he needs a
substantially higher caloric intake (more food) to replace
a:
w the calories burned in any heavy exertion. Due to the
m
a: drain on his system from the enhanced components. he
~ also suffers from a great deal of pain throughout his
u.
u.
w
..., body.
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The Unspeakable Oath Convergence Issue 7, Fall 1992
After being released, Spivey found himself in The investigators <hereinafter referred to as the
tremendous pain; unaware of what had occurred, he agents) may well be in different parts of the country
accidentally killed his father with his amazing strength. altogether; Delta Green's members are few, and so
He ran, robbing drug stores for painkillers and money, Derringer may very well request agents from other
crossing several state lines while he did so. The FBI areas be temporarily transferred. Appropriate paperwork
caught him, and an agent witnessed Spivey's strange is filed, a few favors are called in, and the agents find
ability. The case officer, a member of Delta Green, themselves in a meeting room at the FBI bureau in
examined Spivey and decided this was something Delta Nashville.
Green could best handle; the technological implications Brief the players on Delta Greert It is assumed that
of Spivey's "improvements" were too stunning to leave each agent has been on a DG op before; often as not,
in the confused hands of the normal chain of command. these don't lead to anything conclusive, so call for Luck
rolls. Those who succeed have 1D6 points of Cthulhu
Investlga1Dr Information Mythos, gained from past ops, with an appropriate
The investigators are assumed to be agents of the FBI deduction in maximum Sanity.
Note that they don't all need to be field agents; Derringer greets the agents in the meeting room, and
instructors, bureaucrats, accountants-any such special- pops a videotape into a VCR. He tells them that the
ists are possible. Delta Green members by no means all video they are about to see was from a gas station hold-
carry guns. They are all, however, competent, intelligent, up in Alabama four days ago.
and discrete. The picture comes to life on the 21" TV set, in blurry
These agents are summoned to a briefing by a black-and-white surveillance camera A young man
regional FBI supervisor, James Derringer. Derringer is approaches the gas station's counter, looking agitated.
a career FBI man, and participated in his first Delta He says something (there is no audio) and the cashier
Green op as a green marine in Vietnam Derringer is stares back at him blankly. The man lashes out and
a model FBI supervisor, except for his belief that some strikes the cashier on the side of the head with his fist
things are better taken care of outside of the normal The cashier's skull collapses, and his head is torn right
chain of command. off his shoulders by the force of the blow. The head
flies off -screen, as the headless corpse staggers for a
Why Delta Green? moment, blood gouting from the sundered flesh. The
Every sub-culture Oust like every culture) has its own young man takes a step back with a look of shock as
body of folklore. Among U.S . government employees, the cashier's hands go up and twitch spastically, before
there is a very minor of folklore passed around. An the body collapses to the floor. The young man then
employee of the I.R.S. is just as likely to hear it as an hits some keys on the cash register until the drawer
employee of the National Parks Service or the Navy. pops open, whereupon he grabs all the bills in the
This particular bit of folklore is that some employees' register. He turns and runs offscreen, returning
personnel files have a sticker placed by their names, a moments later with a handful of pill bottles, and then
sticker which consists of a small green triangle. Only runs offscreen again, not to returrt
those who have worked for more than one part of the The preceding scene requires a SAN roll to view, at
government for any substantial length of time will realize a cost of 011 SAN.
that this particular bit of folklore crops up in more than "This man held up six gas stations and drug stores,
one office. first in Tennessee, then in Alabama and fmally
What does it mean? Speculation varies, of course. The Georgia: says Derringer. "We caught him there; an
reality is that such individuals have, at some point, been agent and a state trooper put four bullets in him before
a part of a Delta Green (the green triangle) operation. he went doWrt
In fact, the "green sticker" designation is faulty; the "He lived. He's in the next room His name is Billy
stickers were last used on personnel files in the Vietnam Ray Spivey, and he's nothing more than a very scared
era, and have since been replaced with secret flags on young man_with a muscular structure that isn't
computerized files, where they don't encourage such humart"
speculation. But folklore doesn't die out, and thus the
triangle" story continues to this day. Billy Qa~ SpIvey
Spivey is, inaeed, little more than a frightened teenager.
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Issue 7, Fall 1992 Convergence The Unspeakable Oath
He's 18 years old, the only child of Rich and Angel
Spivey of Groversville, Tennessee. Spivey finished high About The Proto~tter
school not long ago; he was living with his parents, and The proto-matter of Ubbo-Sothla is the foundation of all
had applied for a job at the Saturn auto plant in Smyrna, native Earth life. The cells of the proto-matter reselilble
abou t an hour away. those of carbon-based organisms, with a crucial differ-
Entering the interrogation room where Spivey is held, ence. In the early stages of development, the cells of
the agents are greeted with the sight of a pudgy young terrestrial organisms become specialized, so that their
man dressed in sneakers, blue jeans and a Megadeth DNA will only produce more of that type of cell.
t-shirt Spivey looks a little dazed; Idea rolls suggest The cells of the proto-matter can be specialized in the
that he's heavily drugged. He's also bound to the chair same manner, but this specialization can be changed
with a seemingly-unnecessary assemblage of braces with the Mi-Go's breakthrough procedure. Thus, proto-
and wrappings. Three other (non-lX]) agents stand matter cells imitating skin continue to do so untN directed
guard in the room with M-16A2 assault rifles. They to become, say, cartiledge or white blood cells. At that
have orders to kill Spivey if he breaks free of his bonds. point the change occurs, and the cells imitate that new
Dellinger goes over the facts of the case briefly: structure until changed again.
o Spivey vanished 8 days ago from the home of his
parents in Groversville. He returned 6 days ago, dazed o Analysis showed that his muscle tissue had been
and with no knowledge of what had happened. He entirely replaced with a strange tissue that, while
was ill, and in a great deal of pain. His parents put mimicking human muscle tissue in every detail. also
him to bed, and had the local doctor examine him possessed a number of non-human characteristics
He found only that Billy Ray was in a great deal <see "About The Proto-Matter: above).
of pain and stress. He demonstrated a remarkable o Spivey possesses tremendous muscular strength. But
appetite, never hesitating to eat anything that was his skeletal structure was not changed, so that while
offered him. He had no bowel movements or urine he is strong enough to pick up a car and throw it.
releases during this time. his wrists would snap before he could lift it very far.
o Four days ago Spivey went into some sort of a fit. o Further examination found evidence of extensive
His father attempted to hold him down and quiet him; surgery, revealed in numerous scars all over his body.
Spivey punched his fISt right through his father's These scars are not visible to the naked eye, as the
chest, killing him almost instantly. He then fled the incisions seem to have been closed with the same
house, apparently distraught, and took off running non-human material as the replaced muscle tissue.
down the road toward town. With the above points in mind, Derringer made this
o In Groversville, he robbed the Sinclair Gas Station of a Delta Green op. The implications of the biotechnology
$65 and several packages of aspirin. He also took the involved in what was done to Spivey are staggering,
cashier's car and sped off down Highway 135. The and Derringer hopes to find out what's behind it before
cashier said that Spivey had no gun, but demolished allowing the dam of information to break loose.
the counter with his bare hands. The agents can question Spivey if they like, as well
o Over the next several days, Spivey raced into as Derringer. Spivey, though drugged with a muscle
Alabama and then Georgia Those who encountered relaxant, can still answer questions somewhat listlessly.
him said he was manic, with no real sense of what He has no recollection of his "missing time" eight days
he was doing. At the places he robbed, he always took ago, and the time since then is little but a blur of motion
money, food, and painkillers. and pain He can offer no explanation for his actions
o After the cashier in the videotape died in Alabama, except that 'it hurts: apparently a reference to the pain
the FBI took a very active interest in the case. resulting from the replaced tissue.
Derringer got involved and realized there was Derringer tells the agents when they are done
something seriously wrong. questioning Spivey that Groversville has had some
o At a roadblock in Georgia, an FBI agent and a state strange occurrences recently. Spivey's temporary disap-
trooper shot Spivey 4 times after he bent the trooper's pearance is not the first Derringer wants the agents to
riot gun in half. The four bullets were barely enough travel to Groversville, under a cover story of investi-
to drop him. He was then taken in, drugged, and gating fictitious "drug dealers" connected to Spivey, and
examined. find out what's going on They are to leave at once.
TU07 -TU07 °TU07 °TU07 °TU07 0TU07-TU07 0TU07 °TU07 °TU07 °TU07 -TU07 °TU07
The Unspeakable Oath Convergence Issue 7. Fal1 1992
Groversville
Groversville is the county seat of (fictitious) Grover
County in Central Tennessee. Grover County is mostly
agricultural. with numerous small towns scattered
about Groversvil1e has an official "town" population of
about 1200 people. but its facilities are better than this
would suggest. Its position as county seat and as the
main stop along this stretch of Highway 135 have led
to a greater prosperity than many of its neighbors.
Groversville is located at the east end of two rows
of steep hills. which converge at the GroversviIIe end
to form a sort of sideways-"V: The town's boundaries
officiaIIy end with those hills. but there is a substantial
number of farms in the area beyond the hills (as weII
as within them) which brings GroversviIIe commerce
and trade.
Four months ago. a group of Mi -Go established a
laboratory beneath an abandoned farmhouse east of the
vaIIey. From there. they began conducting experiments
using first the local cattle. and more recently the local
citizens. They were assisted in this. to some extent. by
agents working for a highly-placed official in the
National Security Agency.
The existence of the NSA has become public
knowledge only in recent years; it is an agency of the
US. Government responsible for the security of the
nation. especiaIIy in the area of communication. The
NSA monitors a great deal of communications traffic
within the borders of the US. ranging from phone lines
to computer networks.
Some years ago. the NSA was the first agency to
make contact with extraterrestrial intelligence. in the
form of the Mi-Go. The Mi-Go presented themselves
in altogether different <and manufactured) bodies-tall.
spindly humanoids with large black eyes and hairless
skin. They established a pattern of appearances
impossible to ignore (forming the basis of books such
as "Communionl and made contact with the NSA in
the late 1970s.
A deal was struck. The "greys" as they came to be
caIIed (owing to their pallid skin color) were all owed to
conduct experiments on US. citizens and operate on US.
property. in exchange for which the "greys" provided
inteIligence and technological information to the NSA
Those members of the NSA who possessed "grey-
clearance" told only a few other government officials. <..
m
'T1
namely those who could be trusted. Under the code 'T1
name "MAJFSfIC." the ruling body ("MJ-121 con- ~

JJ
m
ducted deals with the "greys" and passed on the m
JJ
technological benefits to selected areas of the govern- and those on farms which are serviced by the reservoir.
ment and the military. as well as some in the private have absorbed substantial quantities of the proto-
sector who had the money and the influence to stick matter into their systems. Through this proto-matter.
their nose in. the Mi-Go can vicariously experience anything that is
This arrangement proved very satisfactory to the happening near any such infected resident. and can
Mi -Go. who could now operate most anywhere in the control the residents' actions.
US. with agents of the NSA follOwing behind to This they do only rarely. as they quite frankly have
perform "clean-up: which usually entailed discrediting better things to do than monitor the town all day-there
reports of strange activity. brainwashing experimental are only a dozen Mi -Go acting in this experiment. and
victims. etc. This partnership. while inimical to the US. there are several hundred townspeople-and so they use
Constitution. has nevertheless continued under the this resource only when they have to. The NSA takes
guidance of a small but influential part of government care of the rest
for more than a decade. As a sort of autonomous monitor. the Mi-Go have
In Groversville. the Mi -Go began by experimenting used the proto-matter in the Groversville Board of
with putting tube-grown Mi -Go organs into cattle. Aldermen to join the bodies of the Aldermen together
using the proto-matter from Ubbo-Sothla as the into one creature. which inhabits the town hall 24 hours
bonding agent to make the bovine tissue accept that a day. From there. the board monitors and controls
of the Mi -Go. After ten weeks of this. experiments important townspeople. including the telephone opera-
spread to humans. tors and the sheriff's department For more information.
see "Town Hall."
Manipulating Groversville -------
Groversville is a minor hotbed of UFO activity. Investigation
Residents have been seeing strange lights in the sky The different areas of investigation are outlined below.
for several months. Some farmers have reported finding There are two important things that need to be
their cattle vivisected or otherwise operated on- discussed first. however.
including some who still live. Beginning a few weeks First. on the third day of the scenario (or whenever
ago. a few residents found that they could not account you feel is best) a courier will arrive from Supervisor
for periods of time. Ranging from a few hours to a Derringer. The courier brings word that the labs
couple of days. these residents' memories simply ended analyzing the strange proto-matter. while not yet
before the "missing time" and resumed at the end. understanding what it is. have found a simple and
NSA disinformation agents and monitoring officers reliable method for testing for the substance's presence.
have prevented the story from reaching the legitimate The courier has with him about six gallons of a
press-largely by conducting a disinformation cam- compound the labs rushed together that turns a bright
paign. calling regional media sources with crackpot ideas purple on contact with even a molecule of the proto-
and complaints. In addition. they screen out the real calls matter. This should help the agents identify people who
made by town residents. diverting them to agents who have been "altered" with the substance. as well as
claim to be the actual media source. and who then locating where the material is kept. This compound is
chastise the caller verbally for wasting their time. They dispensed in plastic spray bottles. like window cleaner.
have leaked misinformation to employees of the tabloid Not long after the agents receive this compound and
television show "Tough Stories: who are now working start testing things with it. they will make a horrible
on a story about Groversville's UFO activity. This. discovery: every person in town has small quantities of
combined with wild -eyed letters to various regional the proto-matter on their skin. as does the air they
UFO groups. have all but discredited the story in the breathe. The water from every tap in town (that is fed
eyes of the regional media 4 NSA agents are working by the reservoir) literally runs purple: proto-matter has
on-site to keep an eye on things. replaced all the microorganisms normally found in the
The residents of Groversville are being manipulated water. This means the residents have been drinking the
by the Mi -Go as well. As an experiment. the Mi-Go proto-matter. and have it in their systems. SAN roll for
deposited tremendous quantities of the Ubbo-Sothla the agents: 0l1D3 points. Since the agents have been
proto-matter into the town's reservoir in the hills North here several days. eating meals and drinking liquids
of Groversville. All the residents in the immediate town. prepared with the "water: they have the substance in
their system. too! SAN roll again. this time 1/1D6. See Grover County outside of a few isolated marijuana
"The Reservoir: later on. for the source of the patches. But this story will serve well enough for the
contamination. See "Quarantine." also later on. if the agents to use in their questioning.
agents wish to close off the town and quarantine the Sheriff Dan Oakley is expecting the arrival of the
residents because of the contaminated water. agents, and will be a bit sore if they don't touch base
Second. at some point one of the agents is taken by with him the first day are present Oakley is a
the Mi-Go. This needs to occur without anyone's responsible law enforcement officer, although he tends
knowledge, including the player of that agent Set it up to look on the job as an extension of his own blustery
either when the agents are asleep (assume the Mi-Go personality.
are able to kidnap a sleeping agent using knockout Oakley will be skeptical of the drug-dealer story. He
drugs on the rest) or when a given agent is alone. The assures the agents that if it is the case, they're probably
agent will be gone for a few hours. and then returned. dealers from outside the county, and they probably
He or she will have no memory of the time spent with haven't been in the area too long.
the Mi-Go, and will not even realize that they are Oakley will offer any help that he can Of course, once
missing time unless someone calls it to their attention. the Aldermen learn that the agents are in town they1l
If they were taken (and returned) during sleep-time. keep an eye on (or rather, through) Oakley to find out
they wiIl likely have no idea at all. what the agents are up to. Important developments will
During the time they are in the Mi-Go's hold, the be passed on to the Mi -Go.
Mi -Go perform a bizarre operation on them: their
bowels are replaced with more efficient organs that AnRel Spivey
process food, drink and the like to the point that there The nouse of Spivey's parents (where he lived) is about
are no solid waste products. The agent still urinates, but a mile south of Grover Valley. It rests on a smallish
never needs to go to the toilet piece of farmland. Spivey's mother, Angel. is the sole
As absurd as this may sound, the player is likely to resident now, but her sister and brother-in-law, Amy
find it rather disturbing. CaIl for an Idea roIl 24 hours and Joe Crista, are staying with her for the time being.
or so after the "missing time: A successful roll indicates Her husband Rich was just buried yesterday. She has
that the agent realizes they haven't had to go to the been interviewed repeatedly by state troopers and will
bathroom in all that time, for any reason. Failure on have little to offer the agents. She is a strong woman,
the roIl warrants another attempt the following day, and but nevertheless is greatly distraught at the way her
so on. life has been turned upside-down
Once the agent realizes this, they will probably keep She can tell the agents that Billy Ray's "missing time"
it quiet while they wait to see if the condition persists. began when he was coming back from seeing his
When it does, and they realize something has been done girlfriend, Jane Allen He drove off from her parent's
to them, call for them to make a SAN roll at 1/1])6. house at around 9pm, and didn't pull up in his parents'
The best moment for this SAN roll would be if the gravel driveway until 8:30pm, two days later. He was
agent uses the compound on themselves in private; unaware that any unusual amount of time had passed.
doing so reveals extensive scars across his or her but felt ill and was in some amount of pain. Angel and
abdomen, scars hidden just like Billy Ray Spivey's. her husband put Billy Ray to bed. where his pain grew
The above events, as noted, should be set as the (in fact, the Mi-Go painkillers were wearing off). The
Keeper wishes, but probably at least at couple days into doctor could fmd no cause for Billy Ray's symptoms.
the investigation. In the meantime, the agents have Angel did not witness the death of her husband. She
plenty to do. The following covers lines of investigation heard a cry from Billy Ray's bedroom, followed almost
in those flTst few days. immediately by Billy Ray running out of the house,
his right hand bloody to the elbow. Angel ran into Billy
Arrival Ray's room, and found her husband with a rough hole
The FBI agents' arrival in Groversville should probably through his chest, taking his last leaky breaths.
be pretty low-key. Their cover story, again, is that She is certain Billy Ray wasn't involved in any drug
Spivey had contact with some drug dealers. This is activity.
supposed to explain his crime spree-he was running
from them. There are, in fact, no drugs to speak of in
TU07 -TD07 -TD07 -TD07 -TD07 -TD07 -TD07 -TD07 -TU07 -TD07 -TD07 -TD07 -TU07 -TU07
and then only at town hall itself -calls to the aldermens'
BlIIl4 ~oy's friends homes only get responses like "oh, he's rarely home
Needfess to say, Billy Ray ran with a crowd of young these days. Try him at work." Those who know the
guys, who mostly just hung out and played music loud aldermen have been instructed, through the proto-
and got their older brothers to buy take-out beer for matter, not to fmd anything strange about the
them at Merle's Country Bunker, aldermens' behavior.
You can make these fellows up as needed, They can An appointment, as said, can be made-but only for
offer little information, though they all deny that Billy anyone alderman at a time. It is, quite simply, impossible
Ray had any drug connections (which is the truth, after to meet with more than one alderman at a time. The
all. as the agents are aware). If at some point they are excuses given-it's tax time for our county, much work
asked about favorite hang-outs where Billy Ray might to do-don't pan out if the agents check with the leaders
have hidden during his "missing time" they reply that of other towns.
the reservoir was the big hang-out spot at night and Any alderman that the agents meet is courteous,
on weekends. Sheriff Oakley and most any parent in friendly, and answers all their questions in as normal
Groversville can confirm this. a tone as possible. He or she will look grave at dire
warnings given by the agents, and will promise to do
The ~eservolr whatever it takes. What this means, of course, is that
Agents asking among Billy Ray's friends or other the aldermen will control the townspeople needed to
townsfolk about local teen -age hangouts will invariably cover something up.
be referred to the reservoir in the hills north of town Should an agent or agents force their way into the
On the assumption that Billy Ray might have been up aldermens' board room, a terrible sight awaits them,
there during some of his "missing time." or if they've Within, books and papers are scattered across the floor.
found out about the contamination in the town's water, Furniture is overturned, and the windows are covered
the agents may go up for a visit. up. Occupying about a half of the floor is a mass of
If they travel up before Supervisor Derringer has goo, Ubbo-Sothla proto-matter. It contains the absorbed
delivered the identification compound (see 'The Inves- bodies of the aldermen, and their faces play across the
tigation." below) they will fmd nothing of interest. The surface of the goo at different sizes, all speaking at once.
area around the reservoir does show signs of Any alderman who needs to be seen alone can sort of
occupation-empty beer cans, potato chip bags, the "bud" off from the main body, but not more than one
remains of campfires-but nothing suspicious can be at a time can do so without compromising the hold the
found, nor anything to do with Billy Ray Spivey. aldermen have over the town If combat occurs, use the
If they have the FBI compound, however, it's a Spawn• of Ubbo-Sothla stats provided at the end of the
different story. Spraying the compound around the scenario.
reservoir will turn up purple flecks everywhere: in the
air, on the grass, on the pump building by the reservoir.
If they spray water from the reservoir, it is the purest, This is a smallish (six-room) motel owned by Merle
brightest purple they have seen yet. Clearly, this is the Barn, the richest man in Groversville-which isn't
source of the contamination in the town. saying much. Merle is the head of th~ board of
The Mi-Go deposited a Spawn of Ubbo-Sothla here aldermen, and also owns Merle's Country Bunker (the
in the reservoir to protect it. If the agents attempt to only establishment in Groversville allowed a liquor
destroy, drain, or otherwise inhibit the flow of water license) and Merle's Auto & Body.
from the reservoir to the town, the Spawn will emerge Merle's Shut-Eye is the only place investigators can
from the water and attack. Note that dragging the stay while in town, short of renting a couple of rooms
reservoir or using sonar will not detect it; the Spawn from a farmer-which is rather irregular for pm agents.
is fluid enough to not be found by such attempts. At any rate, Merle's is a decent enough place and places
them in no special jeopardy.
Town Holl Two rooms at the motel contain people of interest to
If the agents want to speak with the town's leaders the investigation. One is Alan Smithee, editor of a UFO
(about the contamination in the water, probably), it's not newsletter, "Watch the Skies!" and a nearly-fanatical
easy. Appointments have to be made the day before, UFO researcher. He dies the day before the agents
arrive. The other occupant of note is Jane Allen, Billy the bottom of the door-which suggests that a towel
Ray Spivey's girlfriend. She is holed up at the Shut- has been placed against the door jam along the floor.
Eye, under the (former) protection of Smithee. Both of With a key from the front desk (obtainable at the
these individuals are addressed in detail below. flash of a badge) the front door, and a connecting door
to the next motel room, can be opened. The front door
Alan Smithee takes some shoving to get open
Smithee, editor of the rennessee UFO newsletter W.:tch The situation is as follows: Smithee, his senses acutely
the Skies! and a dauntless UFO researcher, is now intensified by the proto-matter, methodically sealed off
among the researched. He was abducted by the Mi- the room from outside sources of light He closed the
Go while examining the reservoir; his spinal and cranial curtains, put blankets over the windows sealed with
fluid was replaced with proto-matter as an experiment. duct tape, and did the same for the front door. He
As a result, he became hyper -sensitive and gained disconnected the phone, plugging the phone cord
fledgling telekinesis and telepathic abilities. He was directly into the modem on his portable computer. And,
unable to control these powers, however, and holed up he removed all of the light bulbs.
in his motel room at Merle's Shut-Eye. He kept all the These things gave him some comfort. He then
lights off and the windows covered-he could see attempted to contact associates of his via his computer
perfectly well in the dark, but daylight was much too modem, hoping that it would slip by anyone listening
bright for him to deal with, not to mention the heat at the telephone switchboard. It did, but did not remove
of the sun and the ultraviolet radiation he could him from surveillance by the Mi -Go, who were
experience as a physical sensation When he tried to observing his activities since the operation
communicate with the outside world, he was forced by Deciding that the experiment was concluded, the Mi-
the Mi-Go (through the protQ-matter in his system) to Go commanded Smithee (by means of the proto-matter
commit suicide. His body remains in the motel room, in his brain> to fill the tub, get in, and slash his wrists.
awaiting discovery. His body is awaiting discovery by the agents.
Most folks in town, if asked about the strange lights Those entering his motel room find themselves in a
and UFO activity, will mention Smithee (usually as dark room with a bad odor. Pulling the blankets off the
"that UFO guy"). Residents can tell the agents that windows, using flashlights or special-vision goggles, or
Smithee came to town about a week-and-a-half ago, screwing in light bulbs from the front desk all can
shortly before Billy Ray Spivey killed his father. There provide illumination The room is in a strange disarray.
is no direct connection, although the agents may suspect Many of Smithee's clothes are folded up neatly on a
otherwise. Background checks on Smithee show that table, while others are tossed in a corner (these, actually,
he's a resident of Knoxville, publishes a newsletter were judged to be too scratchy or "noticeable" to
called "Watch the Skies!" and has been arrested twice Smithee's hyper-sensitive skin>. Junk food containers
for trespassing, both times being sentenced to commu- litter the floor. On the bed rests Smithee's portable
nity service only. These charges came during various computer, a Macintosh Powerbook, currently plugged
misguided UFO investigations; Smithee was not a into the wall for power (see "Smithee's Computer" for
criminal. more information>. In the bathroom, a man lies in a tub
full of bloody water.
Smithee's ~oom The body is the most immediate thing of interest It
Smithee is registered at Merle's Shut-Eye, and is paid is the body of a man about 34 years of age, heavyset,
up for another three days. Since he's just a few doors with curly black hair and a bushy beard. The man wears
down from the agents' room, they may wish to pay him boxer shorts and a t -shirt (reading "Knoxville Fantasy
a visit The girl behind the front desk hasn't seen Con 1989"), and appears to have died from numerous
Smithee since the day before the agents arrived, but slashes inflicted on his wrist. Investigators who make
that isn't suspicious in and of itself. Phone calls to his a Medicine roll notice that the slashes are along the
room are answered by a computer modem; if the agents wrists, top to bottom, rather than across the wrists, left
call with a computer of their own (which they may well to right, as is often portrayed in movies. Those who
have) nothing occurs once the two connect. Knocking make the roll also know that this length-wise slashing
at his door produces no answer. A Spot Hidden roll is the most effective way to commit suicide in this
allows an agent to notice a bit of cloth sticking out from manner, but this is not a well-publicized fact
. . rU07 -rU07 -rU07 -rU07 -rU07 -rU07 -rU07 -rU07 -rU07 -rU07 -rU07 -rU07 -rU07 -rU07
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After a moment or two, the agents notice something
odd. There is a bulge on the top-right of Smithee's head, Smithee's ComPUter
a bulge of whitish tissue about three inches in diameter, Alan Smithee's portable computer is an important
with no hair upon it. This bulge does not look like resource for the investigators. Agents who wish to
human tissue. examine it need to make a Computer Use roll. or a Know
The water in the tub is dark with blood, and cannot roll at half -whichever is higher. Examining it, they will
be seen through. The proto-matter in Smithee's body find three things of immediate interest
has fled, and is now a free-moving glob in the water. The first is a file of notes Smithee has taken during
It is waiting for the drain to be opened, so that it can his investigations around town This file, "Groversville
re-enter the water supply. It has a limited sentience, as Notebook." is reproduced as Handout "'1; it should be
a part of the total proto-matter dispersed throughout given to the players for them to examine and follow
the town. The bulge on Smithee's head is more proto- up on. The results of such investigations are presented
matter, and can dis-attach itself whenever needed to below in the section "Groversville Notebook."
join the rest The second is a short file made by Smithee, the day
This scene, believe it or not, provides an opportunity of his death. It is in the top level of the directory, and
for intense drama A re-telling of what happened in is entitled "sze.t." This file is reproduced as Handout "'2.
play testing should demonstrate this. The file is largely nonsensical. and should serve only
Two agents entered Smithee's room, with a couple of to confound the players. It represents the state of
deputies and the Sheriff outside. They poked around the Smithee's (altered) thought processes shortly before his
room, then entered the bathroom. At this point they death.
already knew about the contamination in the reservoir The third is a file called "Message." This file is a
and water supply. In the bathroom, one of the agents digitized sound sample. of a message Smithee recorded
felt around in the tub for anything that might have over his car radio. The message. as transmitted, is slowed
been dropped there, and felt something run over his down and reversed. Making it intelligible (with a
hand (the proto-matter goo). Both agents panicked. One program on Smithee's hard drive) requires a Computer
kept his handgun trained on the tub, while the other Use roll. The message. once made clear. is as follows:
went to open the drain so as to release the water and "(garbled) has been a long time and we have many
see what was there. things to do, and you are not sure what you are doing.
The proto-matter shot out of the water and down Stop now. Stop now." The agents must make a Listen
the barrel of the first agent's handgun, then expanded roll to understand the metallic, squawky voice. Those
drastically in two directions, shattering the gun in the who fail hear instead: "Billy Webb has been a (garbled)
agent's hand. Both agents panicked again, and drew and we have many things to do and your note says
other guns. At this point they noticed that the bulge what your duty. Talk now, tone brown" Also, see the
on Smithee's head was gone, causing further panic. sidebar "The Real Thing" for instructions on ordering
Suddenly, a quantity of proto-matter in the pipes began the actual sound sample and editing program to use as
to bang against the drain stopper with a loud clank. The a real-life clue for your players to figure out
agents stepped back slowly, training their guns on the
tub, as the thumping got louder and louder. Suddenly, G'oversville Notebook
the drain exploded open and a massive quantity of This file <Handout "'1) presents notes Smithee took in
proto-matter gushed out of the drain and hit the ceiling, the course of his investigation In the interests of brevity
then splashed down allover the bathroom. One of the all of the encounters it may lead to are not described
agents dodged out the door, but the other was covered in detail: you1l need to ad lib these. Some guidelines
with proto-matter. He ran outside screaming, where the on what the agents will find:
proto-matter fled into his body through his nose, livestock Mutilations
mouth, and other orifices. Eventually he died. Those interviewed will report that the livestock listed
Play up this scene for all it's worth. The information were discovered in the fields. dissected by odd methods.
on Smithee's computer, once revealed, will be a suitable All the animals listed have long since been destroyed:
reward for the agents. no more are known to have been found. In some of the
cases, the farmers saw lights in the sky the night that
the animals were killed.
livestock Alterations Handout #1
Robert Gum can show the agents his cow, whose
udder was removed, leaving no scars. Examination with The follOwing are brief notes Smithee entered on his
the chemical solution will show that the strange proto- computer during his investigation. Each section begins
matter was indeed used to close the wounds and to with a short heading, followed by information.
cover the patch where the udder was removed. Mutilations
Laboratory analysis will reveal that the cow can still Jeff Owens (555-1243) 3 cows, 811, 8/4, 818
give milk; the patch of replaced tissue will extend Margaret Allison (555-4628) 1 goat, 812
nipples for suckling by calves if nuzzled, and will then Jeremy Dark (555-9258) about 20 chickens, 8/6
deliver milk as normal. Others?
Missing Thne
Those interviewed will deny knowledge of any such Livestock Alterations
event, even if intimidated. They clearly are lying but Robert Gum (no phone) 1 cow, missing udder but in
do not wish to discuss what happened. No amount of good health. purpose?
coercion, short of torture, will persuade them. All they Others like this-operated on and released?
remember in any event is that the missing time 918-Spotted three more in a roadside survey, not sure
occurred; they have no recollection of what happened who farmer was
during that time.
Chopper Sightings Mlaalng Time
These are sightings of the NSA agents' two black Bud Aldrich (555-4290) 818, 1 hour; 8115, 1 hour; 8129,
helicopters. One of the sightings occurred during their 3.5 hours.
mid-air battle with a stray Mi-Go, which resulted in Louisa May (555-9462) 8110, 3 hourS+?
the fungi's death. The other Mi-Go have taken no
action, to protect their cover as the "greys." Smithee Chopper Slghtlngs
made these spottings himself, and hence listed no Ameley's Hills Area (North) 918, 9pm; 918, 11pm; 9f7,
witnesses. 10:40 pm (muzzle flash & discharge)
lights
As Smithee wrote, virtually everyone in town has Lights
seen lights in the skies at night-or says they have. Many-everyone's a few. No correlation I can find,
What they've been seeing are, in fact, the pulsing glows but reports are very sketchy and unreliable.
used by the Mi-Go to communicate with each other
(see the description in the rulebook). People they ask will Crop Circles
tell the agents "just sit out and watch! You1l see 'em So Larame (555-9473), 8126; 9/3
too." If the agents wish to watch for the lights, consult
"Watching The Skies" for details. J.A.
Crop Circles P. 3 months. Refuses Rx, got a room for her at
Smithee found a few farmers who had crop circles the shut-eye.
appear in their fields. In UFO folklore, crop circles are
areas in a field where the grass, corn, wheat, or Allen, Barn, Thomas, Jacobs, Cartwright & Anderson
whatever has been beaten down in definite patterns- never go home.
as if some craft had landed there. These "circles"
sometimes appear as complex patterns, suggesting
intelligent design JA
In the case of Groversville, the circles are few and This is a reference to Jane Allen, Billy Ray Spivey's
are caused by an NSA helicopter <actually a gunship) Girlfriend. See "Jane Allen" for details.
making occasional. stealh -enhanced landings. The Allen Bam. Thomas. Jacob>. Cartwright & Anderson
agents can examine some of the circles and Idea rolls Smithee noticed that the members of the board of
will make it clear that they are caused by chopper aldermen never leave the building; checking on any of
landings (if a player asks this directly, they don't need these people reveals that they are aldermen See 'Town
to ma!<e the rolD. Hall" for details.
TU07 -TU07 -TU07 -TU07 -TU07 -TU07 -TU07 -TU07 -TU07 -TU07 -TU07 -TU07 -TU07 -TU0711J
Handout #2
Jane Allen
I am wondering about the possibility that the brain Jane is Billy Ray Spivey's girlfriend, which is no secret
translates information in terms of the extra sensory, and to anyone. Her family lives a couple miles from the
that's why it achieves intuition and common sense. Spivey farm.
for evidence of esp, or extra sensory perception, look for Jane's father is on the board of aldermen, and so is
coincidences especially within words of significance. if i never at home anymore. Her mother, Nancy, is
leave you with a few words that are significant to me constantly kept in a state of mild sedation by the proto-
personally as examples if you write down the word matter in her body from the drinking water. She doesn't
choice, underline the letters oi of choice, and under- worry about anything. Which is good; after all, her
neath insert the binary code that's oh 1 of course, you will daughter disappeared three days ago.
sea that the difference between the i and the 1 is of a This isn't the first time Jane Allen disappeared. Three
number with no head on it. weeks ago she was gone for 8 hours, during which a
but if consciousness is omniparent, or just is, or if strange experiment was performed on her by the Mi-
consciousness shall we say is on open network, we Go.
would expect in one or more of the languages the word When she was abducted, her uterus and cervix were
for choice to contain THE BINARY CODE! but we all also replaced. She was already pregnant (by way of Spivey)
expect in one of the words for reason, the word on but the replacement uterus and cervix served as
representing a consent code in the same way as the accelerators. Although only three weeks pregnant. she
ability of on on hte computer is a consent code. and you is already at the six-month stage of development Each
wsee if we read across the word reason in english, it week that goes by encompasses two months' worth of
would say RE AS ON. if you 'NI'ite down the word neuron, development by the infant-a week and a half from the
and with the same meaning the word neurone, you will start of the scenario she will give birth.
see that the last few letters of the each word neuron is Frightened by what was happening to her, and by
they would say the words 'you are on' by sound using what happened to Billy Ray, Jane sought help in the
lettels as symbols. the word neurone is able to say in the form of Alan Smithee. Pouring out her problems to him,
last few letters 'you are one.' if write the word science, she sought refuge, and he gave it. Jane is now holed
underline the letter i of SCience, write down the word up in another room at the Shut-Eye, a room rented by
genius, underline the letter i in genius, and two words, i Smithee "for research materials: No one at the Shut-
don' know whether you know in the french, je suis, they Eye knows anyone actually sleeps there; Smithee left
spell j-e-s-u-i-s, they mean 'i am,' of course, you see it is instructions for the room not to be disturbed.
able to say 'jeeze, you is.' no it is not about abysmal Jane hasn't come out of the room since she went in.
stupidity of the religions, it is telling you whether the Smithee planned to bring in a doctor from another
religions like it or not, whether we like it or not, conscious- county when it was time, but time ran out for him. Now,
ness is and on open network that's why we Jane is waiting for Smithee to come by with food and
breathe in and breathe out molecules, and that is why we news. She doesn't use the phone out of fear, and so is
eat drink and excrete molecules. because if conscious- difficult to fmd.
ness is omnipresent, and on open network, then even Each day, the agents may make a party Luck roll.
molecules achieve an ability to code as do the atoms If they succeed, they may notice someone watching
withn them as do sub-atoms within them because they them from behind the window blinds of one motel room.
belong to consC?iousness. so it not only expresses or This is Jane Allen. rhe only other ways they can find
explains the food chains it also explains fission and out about her are from questioning the front desk to
fusion or the creation of stars, galaxies, planets, rock ... learn about Smithee's second room, or from Smithee's
computer; see "Smithee's Computer" for details.
Jane will give birth a week-and-a-half into the
Special Note: the kinds of things that Smithee found scenario. The infant is human and appears normal to
(crop circles, altered livestock, lights, miSSing time) can doctors, but the amniotic fluids it is developing in are
also be found by the agents if they ask around. Use very different from the usual kind, and as a result the
Smithee's findings as guidelines, since the agents can child is essentially a Spawn of Ubbo-Sothla with
find more of the same, usually more recent human intelligence and form Jane is scared to death;
The Qe(]1 Thing

The sound sample mentioned in "Smithee's Computer"
exists. It was prepared by the author for the playtest
session, using Garrick McFarlane's freeware program
"Sample Editor." The sample is rather eerie. In play, the
players were given a diskette and directed to the author's
Macintosh. There, they experimented with the program
and the sound sample until they finally figured out how
to decipher it. It proved to be one of the most intense and
dramatic periods of play, as they all gathered around the
computer and kept refining the sound to figure out what
it was saying.
'Sample Editor" requires a 68020 or greater Macintosh
running System 7 or later. It also requires at least a 13"
8-bit color monitor to function .
To get the program and the sound file, send a formatted
Macintosh diskette (DD or HD) along with a self-ad-
dressed envelope with enough postage to mail your disk
back, to: Pagan Publishing; 403A N. 8th SI.; Columbia,
MO 65201 .
If you don't have the needed equipment, you can also
send a blank cassette tape (again, with a SASE) to the
same address. We'll put both the original sound and the
deciphered version on the tape and mail it back. In play,
let the players hear the first one, then ask for Computer
Use rolls. If any succeed, play the second one. The
players can make their best to the content, and
you can ignore the Usten rolls normally called for in the
•
scenario.
Finally, Handouts 11 & 2 (the "Groversville Notebook"
and "sze,t" files on Smithee's computer) were originally
not computer files. For playtesting, the author pur-
chased a blank book (available at most bookstores-a
small hardcover book with blank pages) and wrote the
information from the handout onto some of the pages.
The author also drew a sketchy map of the valley. The
book was then dropped and kicked about in several oily
puddles in a handy parking lot and allowed to dry. The
resulting prop was given to the players, who had the
expected difficulties deciphering the blurry handwriting.
Uke the computer sound file, this added a lot to play, and
it is recommended you try this if you have time.
Such "real" props are a natural extension of CoC's
trademark handouts. They give the players something
real to examine, and make the events much more
immediate. If you have examples of props you've used
~
cr: in any of your games, write us and share your experi-
;a ences.
u..
u..
w
~================~~~~==================~~
she has to eat a tremendous amount to "feed" the agents and ask them about the case. Agents can do
accelerated pregnancy. If Smithee doesn't bring her food nothing more than deny any accusations and refuse to
soon, she will have to go out and get some-a scary answer questions; they cannot confiscate the videotapes
proposition for her at best or arrest the reporters unless they actually break federal
She doesn't know about what has happened to her laws (local laws are up to the Sheriff to deal with).
father and the rest of the aldermen; if asked, she recalls If the agents go into Alan Smithee's room <see above),
that he was very busy the last few days before she left, give Carincola a Luck roll to be around when it happens.
and she didn't see him at all-not that she really wanted If so, the reporters hustle their gear outside the room
to. and shoot in from the parking lot at the events inside
the room Note that the bathroom is not visible from
Tough Stories outside.
As mentioned earlier, the NSA anonymously passed on Once the agents are being watched, there will always
information about Groversville's UFO sightings to the be a 'Tough Stories" staffer at the motel watching the
tabloid television show 'Tough Stories." A field producer agents' room, who will call the other reporters with
and his assistant are staying at Merle's Shut-Eye while information about when the agents leave and come
they poke around and decide if the story is worth back.
reporting on. The NSA's intent in doing so was to The crew represents little danger to the agents; they
discredit the story in the eyes of the mainstream press mostly exist to get in the way, If the investigation is
by getting the town's problems on 'Tough Stories: a going poorly, give the players something else to gripe
program barely respected, or even noticed, by the about: 'Tough Stories" airs a preliminary report on the
mainstream press. The two have been here for three investigation in Groversville, complete with footage of
days; they're aware of Billy Ray Spivey's crimes but the agents making angry denials in the parking lot, etc.
haven't heard about his "missing time." Unless they do, This can, at your option, lead to some more serious
they won't be terribly interested in him. problems: FBI higher-ups may ask questions about this
So far, the two have done little more than talk to investigation that Delta Green members won't want
local residents and stake out darkened fields for signs asked, particularly if any of the agents are not from
of UFOs. They haven't seen anything, and the stories the local bureau.
they've heard are flimsy enough that, barring some new -------------------
development, they11 be gone two days after the agents Qesolvlng Things
arrive and no story will be filed on "Tough Stories" or rhe preceding has established what is going on in
anyplace else. Groversville, and several likely lines of investigation for
But, they1l stick around if they hear some FBI agents the players. Below are the steps to take in resolving the
are in town asking about the UFO's. This is up to the scenario. Note that a sad and deadly end is hardly out
players to determine; if they ask a lot of questions about of the question; if so, this will probably be as
the UFO's <instead of just asking about Billy Ray's dramatically effective as a victory.
problems), or if they let word get out that Billy Ray
suffered from "missing time" before his violent Watching The Skies
outbreak, then the producer will probably hear about If the agents wish to spend a night <Or severaD watching
it and get interested the skies for UFOs, have them make a party Luck roll
Should this happen, the producer-Frank Carincola- among those who are watching. If unsuccessful. the
will spend two cautious days asking around town about night is wasted. If they make it, allow each a Spot
the agents and what they've been asking about. Hidden roll. If that roll is successful. they spot them:
Carincola will let his assignment editor at "Tough many-colored lights, pulsing in irregular patterns, in
Stories" know about the FBI's interest in the UFO's, and several clusters that flit about in the sky. If the agents
on the third day a camera crew will arrive. Depending try to follow them, the lights head east and disappear
on what's happened in the meantime, the crew will behind the hills.
either continue to stalk along after the agents, visiting Further observation closer to the east hills <Or a fast
and questioning those the agents visit and question, vehicle ready for pursuit) allows a payoff: the lights are
until they "ambush" the agents in the parking lot of clearly seen to emerge from a farm just past the hills.
the motel. With cameras rolling, they11 approach the See 'The Installation" for more details.
Assuming this worst -case scenario. the NSA agents
Q.jarantlne leave and are not revealed.
Assuming the agents discover the tainted water supply.
they will very likely decide to quarantine the town and The Installation
prevent this from spreading. This is certainly possible. On the other hand. if the agents learn about the farm
though a run-in with the Aldermen is likely (see 'Town and go there early enough (until the quarantine of the
Hall"). The FBI will bring in the EPA and shut the town town is fulIy in effect. that is) they can intercept the
down Let the agents make whatever such arrange- Mi -Go and stop the oncoming disaster.
ments as they wish; their orders will be carried out The barn looks normal from the outside. The Mi-
efficiently. If the reporters from Tough Stories are Go enter through the upper doors in the hay loft. which
present, dealing with them <and the others who will again looks normal. The inside of the barn below the
folIow) is a high priority. loft. however. is quite different
By this time. the Mi-Go will already be making AlI walls on the ground level have been reinforced
preparations to leave. with a sort of spray epoxy that makes them very strong
and also soundproof and ligh tproof. The doors are sealed
The MI-Go's ~esponse as a result. Opening them reveals a sheet of dry sap-
Inside a barn on an abandoned farm (the family went like matter. impossible to shatter. and too dim to see
broke last year. and the land belongs to the county) the through. Using ropes to go in through the loft doors
12 Mi -Go have constructed an extensive laboratory for is the only option
experimentation AlI but three of the Mi-Go have had Looking down from the loft. the agents see that alI
their minds transferred into organic automatons. to take interior walls below have been removed. leaving a large
on the appearance of the "greys." These Mi-Go are very open area about sixty feet long by thirty feet wide.
vulnerable; their stats are given later. Within. a large number of scientific (especially medica!)
If things aren't going well (i.e. the agents are doing instruments rest. The majority of these are too alien to
their jobs) then the Mi-Go wilI decide to pull out They be understood; describe lights. glows. pulsing bellows.
will prepare the barn for a massive explosion to cover all sorts of bizarre apparatus. There are five tubes filIed
their tracks. and as their fmal act order all the proto- with some transparent liquid. one of which holds the
matter in the town to mutate into a virulent and deadly body of a young boy (missing from a local farm since
virus (this was a suggestion by the NSA agents earlier last night) who is quite dead. There are several flat
on in the experiment) that will wipe out the town and surfaces that are obviously operating tables. complete
leave no trace of itself as anything other than a "simple" with numerous strange instruments nearby. Holograms
virus. a mutated flu strain gone berserk. The virus is shimmer in the air in several spots. showing constantly-
extremely contagious but it dies out completely 48 changing views of humans and some livestock. inside
hours after the Mi-Go give the order. thus preventing and out.
it from spreading far (something neither the Mi-Go nor At any given time there are from 6-12 Mi-Go
the NSA desire). present. Only three are stiII the usual Mi -Go; the rest.
This virus first displays flu symptoms. including as stated earlier. have had their minds transferred to
shortness of breath. high fever. and sweating. Inside of organic bodies resembling the "greys" of UFO fame.
five hours the victim suffers from horrible sinus These thin. short humanoids with large black eyes and
congestion. and his or her lungs begin to fiII with mucus. hairless skin bustle about the laboratory. checking
In the virus' final moments the victim vomits various machines and examining the hologram record-
uncontrolIably before his or her heart simply stops. ings of dissections and alterations. There is a large
Death occurs within 8 hours of the Mi-Go giving the enclosed vat at one end of the barn. in which is a
order. substantial quantity of raw proto-matter which is
Unless the agents avoided contact with water or food siphoned off through a complicated valve.
in GroversvilIe <and since they didn't know about the The "real" Mi -Go wiII require the usual SAN rolIs
contamination until after several days. this is unlikely) (see their stats). If not alI of the "greys" are present. only
they get sick and die in the same span of time. They one real Mi -Go wilI be here. The others are ferrying
wiII certainly be alive for the explosion of the barn. but the rest of the "greys" around the countryside. Any real
wiII be unable to do anything about it. ones present wiII be inactive. observing the proceedings
but not getting involved in the experiments Their heads "Run along now. little FBI men Bust a Mayor or
pulse in different colors as they talk back and forth. something." The NSA men will withdraw to their
The agents need to make Sneak rolls to observe the helicopter. climb aboard. and leave. They keep their guns
Mi -Go from the loft If they succeed. they witness all on the agents until they depart. including the heavy
that is described above. If they watch for more than machine cannons on board the chopper.
ten minutes. they witness one of the "greys" take some Play this scene out with as much tension as you can
proto-matter from the vat while another removes the manage. The NSA men will refuse to answer questions
boy's body from the tube. They then begin an operation unless Lepus finds it amusing: he may hint that they
aimed at replacing those cells worst damaged by death are also government agents. but will not reveal who
trauma with proto-matter. and then will attempt to they are working for (it is an old saw that NSA actually
bring the boy back to life. This experiment will consume stands for "No Such Agency"). Up until the point that
several hours and will cost 1/106 SAN to watch in its the black chopper disappears over the hills. the agents
entirety (OIlD3 if only a portion of the operation is should not be sure that the men won't just kill them
witnessed). The experiment will be a failure. and the outright Maintain the impression that everyone is on
boy will not respond to the attempts at resuscitation. the very edge of opening fire out of pure malice-which.
Assuming the agents attack. any real Mi-Go present in fact. they are.
will respond immediately with beam weapons (see stats). If the agents attempt to take on the NSA men. play
The "greys" will rush for cover. as they are very out the fight. The NSA men will fight to the death.
vulnerable to physical injury. in what is sure to be a short and very. very bloody
Once an attack begins. a mental alert is sent out. and combat. If the agents win. subsequent investigation will
the remainder of the Mi-Go will return within 306 identify the bodies as being individuals with various
minutes. ready to attack. They will enter the loft after military backgrounds. but no current employer. Again.
dropping the rest of the "greys" someplace safe nearby. the NSA will not be named. If the NSA men win the
and attack immediately. combat. the agents will. of course. all be killed.
The investigators will probably not have too much
trouble with the Mi-Go. The "greys" will meanwhile Aftermath
try to get to the proto-matter vat. and release the valve. Assuming some semblance of a victory (since about the
The substance that emerges will form a Spawn of only other option is death). the town of Groversvi11e
Ubbo-Sothla (see stats) and also attack. although the resumes a normal life. The proto-matter loses its
agents can make free attacks on it in the three rounds efficacy a few days after the Mi-Go are destroyed.
it takes to form causing substantial and probably fatal problems for any
"altered" individuals or animals. including any such
The NSA unfortunate agents. Jane Allen's child dies at this time.
If the agents all perish in the fight against the Mi- birthed or not.
Go. then the town is destroyed by the subsequent virus. The "official" story is largely up to the agents to
If the agents prevail or flee. they will find a black determine. with whatever help they need from
helicopter sitting in the field outside the barn. In various Supervisor Derringer. Derringer won't offer any guesses
tactical positions nearby are four NSA agents. Their as to what was going on. and will ask as few questions
leader is named Adolph Lepus: all four are cold -blooded as possible. When all samples of the proto-matter
killers. become inert. Derringer will close the files on the
When the agents emerge from the barn. the NSA investigation. after making them look as normal as
men will. with assault rifles trained on the agents. order possible. and consider the matter finished. Until it
them to lay down their weapons. If the agents comply. happens again.
Lepus will walk forward and demand to know what The NSA will continue their operations. although the
happened in the barn. non-"grey" Mi-Go destroyed by Lepus' agents makes
Lepus is a wiry little man in his late 4Os. He speaks the NSA more suspicious than ever of the true nature
with a nasal but thick Southern accent. though not the and intent of the "greys:
kind found in Eastern Tennessee. Upon hearing of Billy Ray Spivey. should any of the agents ask
whatever happened inside (or whatever the agents Derringer. tried to escape and had to be killed. Like so
choose to tell him). Lepus grins. three gold teeth glinting. much else in this world. this is a lie.
SAN Qewards
Saving Groversville 106 SAN
Finding and destroying the Mi-Go 106 SAN
Finding and helping Jane Allen 103 SAN
Finding and destroying the Aldermen 103 SAN
Finding and destroying each Spawn 103 SAN
Killing the NSA agents 103 SAN
Author's Notes
An obvious question at this point is probably, "where's
the CyberPunk?" That is, where's the net, where's the
slimy street life, the overwhelming megacorps, and all
the other accoutrements? Answer: not here, boyo.
Instead, "Convergence" applies some ideas that strike
CyberPunk fiction territory to Call of Cthulhu. Such as
the eroding of human rights, the experimentation on
and "improvement" of the human body, and the terrible
costs that result when there is authority without
conscience, leadership without responsibility, and gov-
ernment without oversighl
If you want all the "stuff" that goes with CyberPunk,
check out Interface7. Youll find it there. This scenario
lays the groundwork for some important Mythos
plotlines in the future world of Cyberpunk 2020.
As far as "Convergence" goes, you can take the
, .... skeleton and run it as a 1920s scenario, but itll stick
out like a sore thumb. The conventions of UFO folklore
it utilizes weren't common until the 1940s & '50s, and
many parts of the scenario will need to be trashed
outrighl Still, it may provide your 1920s campaign with
some ideas on using the Mi -Go.
This scenario is a tough one to beat. "Winning"
hinges on the agents finding the Mi -Go installation,
which they can only do if they watch the skies for the
"UFOs" and follow them to the farm. Otherwise, they're
toasl If you feel this is too harsh, or if your players
aren't going in that direction, feel free to soften the
ending, or give the agents other clues about the farm,
perhaps from farmers nearby who've seen the lights.
Thanks are due the play testers, who made the session
one of the most intense and involving I've had the
privilege to run: Brian Appleton, Jeff Barber, Craig
Pettus and Blair Reynolds. Additional thanks are due
to Jeff Barber, who provided the genetic explanation for
ex:
w
en
the proto-matter's McGuffinish properties, and to Peter
ex: Barker, who supplied much of the UFO stuff that
a'i inspired this scenario, and who provided the anonymous
lL
lL
W
--, rant I used as Handout '2. ~
Downt own Groversville, Tennessee
Jackiss, 20m Sonansa, 15m
Hwy135
1 Si1dair Gas 18 Magic Discount

2 HCI1Ci Mcr1 19 Family Video
3 RR Direr 20 Asseyor's Office
4 Downey & Son Taxidermey 21 Residence
5 John Deere 22 Residence
6 Town Hall 23 Second-HarK! Rose
7 WalDrug 24 Ameley Goods
8 Sheriffs Department 25 Sears-Roebuck Catalog Store
9 Jail 26 GTE
10 County Courthouse 27 County Light, Gas & Water
11 Residence 28 Residence
13 Uquor, Guns & Ammo 30 Stuffer Shack
14 Shining Heart Daycare 31 Merfe's Country Bunker
16 Rrst Methodist Church 33 Merfe's Auto & Body
17 Residence 34 Mer1e's Shut-Eye Motel
35 Aaming Cross Baptist Church
rU07 °rU07 °rU07 °rU07 °rU07 °rU07 °rU07 °rU07 °rU07 °rU07 °rU07 °rU07 °rU07 °rU07
Stats Notes from The J:leal World

Sample Mi-Go Scant days before this issue went to press, one of our
STR 12 CON 13 SIZ 13 INT 15
spies called our attention to the following article which
POW 14 DEX 12 HP 13 SAN 0l1D6
appeared in the Nashville Banner, November 13, 1992.
Move: 719
Damage Bonus: +104
Weapons: Nippers 30%, 106+104; Weapon 3O"k, COPTER F IRES ON MAN IN FIELD
2D6 In Lawrenceburg, TN, a St. Joseph Milling Co. em-
Armor: none, but the extra-terrene body causes all ployee, David Lopp, was waiting in the company truck at
impaling weapons to do minimum possible damage. the edge of the cornfield that was being harvested when
Notes: The Mi-Go's beam weapon is a tube with numer- he heard the sound of a helicopter. At first he couldn't
ous bulges. Pressing these (most easily done with the see it, then the helicopter rose up from a grove of trees
Mi-Go's nippers) fires the weapon. Humans have a base
and was flying suspiciously low. Lopp, 33, said that as
10% chance of success with the weapon.
soon as the copter reached tree level height the occu-
Sample "Grey" pants of the helicopter saw him. That's when a door slid
STR 10 CON 11 SIZ 9 INT 15 open in the side of the helicopter and they began firing
POW 14 DEX 9 HP 10 SAN 011 at him with what sounded like a machine gun.
Move: 6 Lopp said that he could barely hear the gunfire over the
Damage Bonus: 0 din of the rotors, but recognized that he was in immedi-
Weapons : Fist 25%, 1 D3 ate danger. He said, " I could hear it (the bullets) hitting
Armor: none. They take normal damage from weapons, the cornstalks behind me. I hit the ground:
but they regenerate at 2 points per round.
Lopp said he had tried to if there were any markings
Notes: These are actually the brains of Mi-Go implanted
in fabricated, organic bodies to appear as less-threaten- or numbers on the copter, but couldn't get close enough.
ing aliens, similar to traditional UFO sightings. The helicopter after firing upon him took off with a burst
of speed.
Spawn of Ubbo-Sothla Lopp said he was so shaken that he left the scene
STR 26 CON 18 SIZ 21 INT 0 immediately and notified the authorities. The Lawrence
POW 12 DEX 15 HP 19 SAN 111D8 County Sheriff's Department is taking the report very
Move: 10 seriously. Deputy Terry Beecham said that from the
Damage Bonus: +2D6 description it might have been a Huey. He said he has
Armor : immune to blows and cuts; fire, magic, and contacted the DEA and officials in Nashville and Bir-
enchanted harm normally.
mingham for information they might have on suspicious
Notes: Use these stats for the Spawn in the ReservOir,
at Town Hall, and in the vat at the M-Go installation. The aircraft flying in the region. There is no information as
agents will likely resort to incendiary rounds or explo- yet.
sives-or else will run, which isn't a bad choice. No
Spawn will pursue those fleeing, and they will die when
the rest of the proto-matter goes inert, once the Mi-Go
are killed or depart.
Sample NSA Agent

STR 10 CON 15 SIZ 12 INT 15
POW 14 DEX 15 EDU 15 APP 12
Hit Points: 14
Move: 8
Damage Bonus: 0
Weapons: H&K MP5 40%, 1D10 damage; 9mm Baretta
55%, 1D10 damage
Skills: Camouflage 55%, Climb 40%, Cthulhu Mythos
1%, Dodge 30%, Drive Auto 40%, Electrical Repair
3O"k, First Aid 40%, Hide 45%, Jump 40%, Usten 60%,
Mechanical Repair 30%, Sneak 40%, Spot Hidden 60%
rhe Unspeakable Oath Unspeakable Mail Order Issue 7. Fall 1992
I - - I
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I All the stuff on this page can be ordered through Chaosium, Inc.! The only thing we sell directly is Unspeakable I
Oath subscriptions and plush dolls-see the form on the next page. TU01, TU02, TU03, and Stark Raving
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In one, battle a spectral hound and something worse in the ruins of an abbey. Then, unravel an ancient legend that takes
you inside one of the Mythos' most awesome creatures .................................................................................... $4.00 I
TU06 is another giant, 80 pages featuring Call ofCtlulllul5 Vz. Chaosium's release of CoC 5th Edition left a few I
gaps, gaps that we've filled in. Our regular columns and features are absent to make way for pages of new occupations, I
new skills, and new ways to use magic and sanity. It even includes a revised character sheet for your new CoC5~ I
investigators. And just to top things off, we present every player's dream: The Randolph Pierce Foundation, a small
but complete organization of dedicated investigators worlcing to unearth lost knowledge and illuminate humanity. Your I
investigators can join with this issue's scenario, "Blood on the Tracks." .......................................................... $4.00 I
Alone On Halloween is a Call ofCthulhu supplement containing two scenarios. The first, "Alone On
Halloween," is a long solo scenario where the player delves into secrets best left hidden, on a dark and rainy Halloween
I
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night. The second, "The Old Dark House" is designed for the Keeper to tinker with. It includes floor plans and
descriptions for an English country manor, accompanied by numerous plot ideas, NPCs, villains and monsters, from
which the Keeper can pick and choose. The end result is a scenario uniquely suited to each group's temperament and
style of play. Awne On Halwween features a gruesome centerfold illustration by artist Blair Reynolds ........... $8.95
Cult of Cthulhu T-Shirts feature a new design by Oath cover artist Blair Reynolds. It depicts a
horribly violent confrontation between a handful of investigators and a mob of cultists. Bullets fly, swords swing, and
limbs and blood spray through the air. In the background sits a strange temple, while above it all hangs a sinister symbol,
the symbol of the Cult of Cthulhu! To make it complete, there's a Pagan Publishing logo on one shoulder. Available
in l...arge and X-l...arge-please specify! ............................................................................................................ $10.00
Killer Crosshairs. What Gun Control Was Meant To Be! Our exclusive hit-location system for use with
almost any role-playing game! Includes a transparent crosshairyousight against one of the ten different target
silhouettes included. Aim the crosshair on the part of the body you want to hit, then make your roll as normal. Simple
conversion system uses only one additional die roll to show you eXllCtly where you hit-or how far off you missed.
Includes optional guidelines for what happens when each part of the body is damaged. Resolves those "you can't hit
I my leg, I'm behind a trash can!" arguments for good. Fun, easy and way cool. ................................................ $4.00
II
All done? Okay, total up your purchases. If you're in the u.s. or Canada, add $5 for shipping and handling. If you're
overseas, to figure your shipping costs add 30% of your total order for Surface Rate, or 80% for Air Rate. Send a check
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or money order to: Chaoslam, Inc,; 9SO-A 56th Sbeet; Oakland, CA 94608. Or, use your Visa or MasterCard by
Lail, or by phone: [510] 547-7681. If you're using a credit card by ~I, include card #, expiration date, an~signature~
rU07 °rU07 °rU07 °rU07 °rU07 °rU07 °rU07 °rU07 °rU07 °rU07 °rU07 °rU07 °rU07 °rU07
Issue 7. Fall 1992 Subscriptions & Cthulhu Dolls The Unspeakable Oath
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to The Unspeakable Oath, the world's premiere digest/or the CaB of Cthulhu horror role-playing game
I One year,four issues. $16 in the U.S., $24 everyplace else.
I Check or money order to Pagan Publishing, 403A N. 8th St.; Columbia, MO 65201
I Name Begin with issue#

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: Address
II City, State, Country
II Zip/Postal Codes Phone#
LWOUld you like writer's guidelines? (include SASE)

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King Herod says: "Divideth ye thine photocopy in twain. And verily. the leftmost half shall be rendered unto the Chaosium,
and the rightmost half shall be rendered unto Pagan Publishing. Delivereth ye not the leftmost half to Pagan Publishing.
nor the rightmost half to Chaosium, for verily I say unto you that locusts and boils shall inhabit your flesh all of your days."
(Page 78 goes to Chaosium; page 79 goes to Pagan Publishing. Neither should go to the other! Got it?)
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I You didn't think it was possible-but it was! Adorable little plush Cthulhu doBs, great for significant others and I
Christmas or Birthday gifts. These soft doBs are about 9" taIl, and each one is hand-made by a lady in Milwaukee. These
I "baby Cthulhu" doBs have beady eyes and a mouthful of tentacles. You can stick your finger in its mouth and it'l1 dangle I
I there-awww! An affront to the dignity of that Moldy Old One and HPL purists everywhere. These doBs are I
exceptionally weB-made, and just the most amazing thing you'B see in a month of Sundays. You can get them in most I
I any color, but shades of gleen, blue or purple are recommended. Absolutely guaranteed to make people go "huh?" (like
I they don't already) . ....................................................................................................... ................................... $20.00 I
I Check or money order to Pagan Publishing, 403A N. 8th St.; Columbia, MO 65201 I
I Name Color Desired
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The Unspeakable Oath Message In A Bottle Issue 7. Fall 1992
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SummonIBlnd 113an Publishl03
If you have an IBM or
Macintosh computer and
a modem, you can now
ors
Scott D. Aniolowski wrote Alone On Halloween almost a decade ago and is
reach us almost daily on pleased it was finally published, after careful proofreading by Brian ~ppleton
the nationwide America who lathered himself in Crisco and rolled around on the pages knowmg only
Online computer network. the ones with typos would stick, much to the dismay of Jeff Barber who ~as
We sponsor discussion planning on using the Crisco to fry up a big mess 0' hog's feet but was sty~ed
groups, offer regular con- through the intervention of Scotsman David Barras who was at the time
ferences, give quick feed- sought by agents of Interpol as well as Outerpol (and for that matter NorthpoD
back to your questions, for committing crimes against nature in the laboratory under a nearby loch
and (soon) you can down-
with Jason Bov'ee, a madman a~cused of the stipling deaths ~f six~een
load articles from out-of- partridges; the pear trees, meanwhtle, were chopped down and whittled ~nto
print issues. Many other toothpicks by David Brown who proceeded to insert all of the fresh toothpIcks
game companies are there into the eyes of our noble friend and fascist-out-of -uniform John Crow~, who
as well (including Chao- promptly hurled the Macintosh he's wri~ing our .huge ltha9ua camp~lgn on
si um),andAmericaOnline 's in the general direction of Les B. Dean m the midst of Les Masters ~omps
features are extensive. If but fortunately failed to faze fim, I mean him, due to the sudden amval of
you'd like to try AOL out, Dennis Detwiler who placed himself in the path of the flying computer and
just call1-BOO-827 -6364 stopped it with his head, to the relief of Les' wife who is not, in fact, Maria
(3 p.m-ll pm. EST) and Douglas for Maria lives in another state and has neyer ev~n met Les, nor
request the start-up kit for that matter has Kim Faltland who was, at the tme, bemg mobbed by
This free kit includes in- a procession of Bavarian villagers with torches .~ho found him through. his
structions, free software, address in the last issue and who were led by Philip H.Garland, who sometime
and free time to try AOL before Christmas will receive the enlarged color photo of the dog's head he
out Remaining on AOL asked us for some while back but Steve Hatherley won't, because he didn't
costs fl .95 a month, which ask for it so there and if that doesn't show him J. Todd Kingrea will fly over
includes two hours' worth to Boney Old England and learn him some manners taught to ~im, in fact ,
of monthly online time. To by Marie E. Listopad who is now the second woman t? ap~ar m the Oath
reach us on AOL, send and it's about time since some readers may not be famllar With the concept
mail to "Pagan Pub" and (not to mention some staff members-ouch.~ but rest assured that Mark
we1l get back to you Morrison is and keeps several in his Case, to the chagrin of Yesper, I mean,
within a day. Or, use the Jesper Myrfors who can't get the editor to spell his name right but at least
keyword "OGF" for the he isn't Blair (Shea> Reynolds who doesn't know what his first name is or
Online Gaming Forums, Kevin A ~, who doesn't know where he lives anymore (having moved)
where you1l find discus- but in fact I've heard that Jesper lli ThomasMSttatman. who will be surprised
sion groups for our prod- to learn this no doubt but, like G.W. Thomas. will just have to learn to live
ucts and many other gam- with it since John Tynes. that's me. the editor, is writing all this and will say
ing companies' as well. what he darn well pleases about anyone except for CL. Werner, who has gone
AOL is a lot of fun, and to the store for another case of Crisco. Now aren't you well-informed? Not!
we recommend it highly.
Needless to say, we're always looking for more contributors to write ,and dra~ for The UnspeaJ:able Oath.
To get writer's guidelines, send a SASE to our address below. If you re an artist, send photocopIed samples
of your work (preferably Mythos!horror) and a SASE to Jeff Barber, Art Direct?r, ~gain at the a~dress below.
You can also reach us over the internet worldwide computer network (which mcludes serVices such as
CompuServe). See our Internet address below. Finally, feel free to call or fax us with questions or comments.
Pagan Publishing, 403A N. 8th St, Columbia, MO 65201 USA

Phone: [314] 442-4301 Fax: [314] 443-3892 ("Attn: John Tynes")
Internet Address: PaganPub@aol.com
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Fall.

CoC5YzR~ur~ ---------------------------------- Front Cover

Get your wallets ready, because the next issue of The

The material in this section is a real grab-bag of stuff.

Dilettante A Profeseor" F 1 D8xS1 000, +$1 000 F 11$ 09-11

charges. but gives him or her the knowledge of how

eo'Mo PROFESSIONAL Proia 1II:rl8Is prooably ahoo1 a8 part of their careers or

Submachlne Guns and Machine QJns

Qeloadlng Qevlslted Notes

Phillip knocked at the decaying door and looked at his

the depression they will be. It may be advantageous to

G.W. Thoma() most famous, of course, is Neyland Smith's good buddy

Joyal to their diabolic master. By means of his 'Elixir Viti,'

An Orsan~tion of TelTdying Rationality

Examples of Spheres, Diocese and

CENTRAL AMERICA Diocese varl"

Sphere: EAST AMERICA New Yor!t City

LOWER MIDWEST AMERICA St. Loula

PLAINS AMERICA Omaha

Scion (1) Scion (1) Sphere: UPPER MIDWEST AMERICA Chicago

(The Medici Manuscript)

The Marias Manual

Gallles & Ho"blnes

The Chron06 Term

A rarer danger are those computer programs that can

name "MAJFSfIC." the ruling body ("MJ-121 con- ~

The Qe(]1 Thing

Downt own Groversville, Tennessee

Jackiss, 20m Sonansa, 15m

1 Si1dair Gas 18 Magic Discount

Stats Notes from The J:leal World

Sample NSA Agent

I Name Begin with issue#

II City, State, Country

II Zip/Postal Codes Phone#

LWOUld you like writer's guidelines? (include SASE)

..9Z wotA t4~. .fr A wh-, tky

Pagan Publishing, 403A N. 8th St, Columbia, MO 65201 USA

- ... --- ,-, .--

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