The Cobalt Sky Runner

The Morning of Day Five, when the investigators should wake up

to their first port of call, Maui, they are greeted with more endless oce-
anic horizons. Everyone aboard talks quietly about the event: “where are
we?” and “shouldn’t we be there by now?” The navigator of the vessel is
by Noah Lloyd and Matt Ryan
utterly mystified; all his instruments read that they should have arrived by
A cruise liner, the Cobalt Sky Runner, is leaving port this morning out of now, and now, mysteriously, none of their communication devices work.
Long Beach, Los Angeles, bound for Maui and Oahu. The round trip is a At midnight, Barclay stabs the goats, hangs them (with difficulty) from
full 14 days, with four days at sea on either end and three days at each of a horizontal flagpole off the rear of the ship, and drains their blood, re-
the two islands. The investigators play two couples, friends who have set taining it in several large milk jugs. He douses the bodies with diesel and
out together on their first vacation in years. All four of them are writers, burns them, and in the morning, screams of other passengers lead the
variously of mystery novels or investigative journalism. The couples have investigators to the swinging corpses.
side-by-side balcony cabins that look out over the water. Shortly after
The Voyage ends abruptly on day 6. The vessel is over 1,200 miles
arriving onboard, a steward delivers tickets to each couple: they have all
from land in any direction. Captain Barclay has been noticeably depressed
won seats at the “Captain’s Breakfast,” a luxury meal on the first morning
since leaving Maui: lacking any sign from his god, he believes that all his
(tomorrow) at sea. Only four other guests will be in attendance—along
hard work was in vain. At sunset, however, his sacrifices are answered
with the Captain, of course.
by thick storm clouds that swirl toward the vessel in all directions (SAN
Keeper’s Background: Captain Reginald Barclay, of Saint John 0/1D3). Spot Hidden notices a figure that’s climbed to the top of one
in the Virgin Islands, is an insane cultist. The Sky Runner is a doomed of the conning towers, throwing its arms upwards in exultation. Hard
vessel. Barclay intends to sacrifice everyone aboard the Sky Runner, over or Extreme Spot Hidden—or if the characters procure binoculars—
7,500 people, along with the vessel herself, to Shub-Niggurath. Several makes out that this is Steward Swift. As the clouds close in, she’s struck
gruesome steps are necessary to accomplish this summoning. Barclay by one of the first bolts of lightning, and dies instantly, never to look on
must murder one passenger each night of the voyage, picking the victim the form of Barclay’s god, which arrives…now. Something falls from
at random. He must also sacrifice two abnormally large goats (the size of the sky into the waters before the Sky Runner, something that looks like a
donkeys), which he has secreted away in the vessel’s storage hold, some- huge blackened tower (Spot Hidden or Natural World notices… fur?).
time on or around day 5. Closer inspection of the goats, or by trying to A few moments later, and another pillar crashes out of the sky onto the
feed them some of the hay stored nearby, reveals that they have several main deck of the cruise ship. Everyone can tell that its base is a great
rows of pointed, serrated teeth, in place of the usual incisors and molars cloven hoof…and in the sky, a thousand hideous mouths chomp and
(SAN 0/1D4). When the goats are brought on board their fur is a deep, smack in the swirling chaos of clouds and lightning (SAN 1/1D100).
midnight black. Depending on what day the investigators discover them, Lightning plays across the decks, the ship groans as the propellers strain
they slowly lose pigmentation, until, the morning of day 5, as the Sky against the new, phenomenal weight, and the leg that now pins the Sky
Runner should pull into Maui, they are a cream white (SAN 0/1D4). Bar- Runner in place pushes down hard, causing thousands of gallons of water
clay is paying one of the stewards, to spill over the gunwales of the lower decks. The investigators make for
Roopa Laghari (of New Delhi, In- the nearest lifeboats to escape, as nature itself turns against them, fleeing
dia), money on the side to take care for their lives.
of the goats precisely at dawn and
Once in the water, the investigators quickly realize that only a few
dusk. Laghari doesn’t know why, nor
other lifeboats seem to have made it, while the wails of thousands in
knows of the Captain’s plans.
the water berate their ears. Dark shapes move below the water’s sur-
Four Days at Sea: The Captain’s face, gently hunting the screaming survivors treading water. It’s up to you
Breakfast is held in one of the three gourmet (and gigantic) restaurants. if these sharks are tainted by Shub-Niggurath, multi-eyed behemoths
Captain Barclay is pleasant, friendly, and even likable. After a lovely of the sea with row after row of jagged teeth (SAN 1D3/1D8), or are
breakfast, a flustered steward (Laghari) runs to the Captain and announc- simply nature’s perfect killers. Either way, the three-day experience of
es, loudly, that someone has been found murdered. Psychology rolls can witnessing so much carnage takes its toll on the surviving investigators
tell that the Captain is terrified (which is true, Barclay has never killed be- (SAN 4/1D20+4). As an optional final scene, Captain Barclay arrives in
fore, and he is terrified of being caught). He seems adamant in his orders his own lifeboat, with no one else inside. He invites the survivors to join
and, after learning of their occupations, requests the investigators’ input him in waiting for rescue: “There’s safety in numbers,” he tells them.
on what he should do. He would likely lose his job if the cruiser returned
Contingency Plans. If the investigators are extraordinarily cagey, and
to port, he tells them, and no one would receive refunds.
dive into the mystery of the murdered passengers, it is entirely feasible
How the investigators react to the murders is up to them. The bodies that they discover Barclay’s plan and either stop him or kill him. Depend-
are found in different locations, each murdered differently (a two-hole ing on when they achieve this, the summoning of Shub-Niggurath to the
golf course stretches around the Leto Deck where someone was clubbed Pacific Ocean is still likely not avertable. Steward Swift still has fitful wak-
to death, while the Promenade boasts its own outdoor iMax theater, ing dreams, and can accomplish Barclay’s work for him in his absence.
where someone was strangled). The only commonality between the bod- Additionally, massive 25 foot-long sharks, tainted by Shub-Niggurath
ies is a ritualistic symbol carved into the flesh, which Cthulhu Mythos into resembling lamprey-like creatures, slowly eat away at the ship’s hull,
or a Hard Occult roll ascertains to be a ram’s horn. The investigators hungry for the feast awaiting them inside.
slowly build their suspicions, search for the killer, and get drunk on fruity
cocktails. If the investigators return to the bodies (which are stored in an
unused freezer on a lower deck) they quickly realize that the bodies are
going missing. Another steward, Patricia Swift (of Ireland), feels com-
pelled to dump the bodies overboard. She does this task almost in her
sleep, muscling a corpse onto her shoulder and lugging it to a quiet area
near the port propeller. Tossing it overboard, anyone watching witnesses
dark shapes under the water, drawing the body under (SAN 1/1D4).
Reckoning of the Dead Character Sheet Reckoning of the Dead Character Sheet
Name: Alex Spencer Gender: Name: Val Sawyer Gender:
Occupation: Investigative Journalist Age: Occupation: Weird Mysteries Editor Age:

Characteristics Characteristics
STR 50 DEX 60 12 INT 70 HP STR 60 DEX 50 10 INT 80 HP
25 30 35 30 25 40

10 14 9 12 16 13

CON 40 APP 50 POW 60 MP 12 CON 70 APP 60 POW 40 MP 8

20 25 30 35 30 20

8 10 12 14 12 8

SIZ 50 25
EDU 80
40
Luck Sanity 60 SIZ 50
25
EDU 50
25
Luck Sanity 40
10 16 10 10

Skills Skills
35 25 35 25
Art & Craft (Journalism) 70 14 Climb 50 10 Computer Use 70 14 Credit Rating 50 10

30 20 30 20
Credit Rating 60 12
Track 40 8 Appraise 60 12 Occult 40 8

30 20 30 20
Spot Hidden 60 12 Fast Talk 40 8 Persuade 60 12 Medicine 40 8

25 20 25 20
Psychology 50 10
Swim 40 8
History 50 10 Electronics 40 8

25 18 25 3
Navigate 50 10
Listen 35 7 Accounting 50 10 Cthulhu Mythos 6 1

Background & Equipment Background & Equipment

Married to an editor of weird mysteries, Val Sawyer, the two of you have agreed Married to acclaimed investigative journalist Alex Spencer, your editing career

to go on a cruise with one of Val's regular authors, Dallas Mayweather, and has taken a backseat to Alex's, and you've felt the marriage strain of late.
Dallas's spouse. You've written for several illustrious journals, and while you You love Alex anyway, and hope that this cruise will give you a chance to reconnect

hope to relax on the cruise, your type-A personality may be prohibitive. You've invited your author (and friend) Dallas Mayweather along, partly for support.

Reckoning of the Dead Character Sheet Reckoning of the Dead Character Sheet
Name: Dallas Mayweather Gender: Name: Reed Kensington Gender:
Occupation: Mystery Writer Age: Occupation: True Crime Author Age:

Characteristics Characteristics
HP 11 HP
25 40
STR 70 DEX 60 12 INT 50 STR 40 DEX 50 10 INT 80
35 30 20 25

14 10 8 16 10

CON 60 APP 80 POW 50 MP 10 CON 50 APP 60 POW 70 MP 14

30 40 25 25 30 35

12 16 10 10 12 14

SIZ 50 25
EDU 40
20
Luck Sanity 50 SIZ 50 25
EDU 60
30
12
Luck Sanity 70
10 8 10

Skills Skills
35 25 35 25
Charm 70 14 Credit Rating 50 25 Library Use 70 14 Op. Heavy Machinery 50 10

30 20 30 20
Fighting (Brawl) 60 12
Spot Hidden 40 40
Stealth 60 12
Credit Rating 40 8

30 20 30 20
Language (English) 60 12 Sleight of Hand 40 8
Intimidate 60 12
Science (Forensics) 40 8

25 20 25 20
First Aid 50 10
Throw 40 8 Fighting (Brawl) 50 10
Disguise 40 40

25 15 25 18
Firearms (Handgun) 50 10
Anthropology 30 6
Natural World 50 10
Dodge 35 7

Background & Equipment Background & Equipment

Married to true crime author Reed Kensington, you recently convinced Married to mystery novelist Dallas Mayweather, the idea of a cruise
Reed that going on a cruise with one of your editors, Val Sawyer, sounds, on the one hand, too ridiculous, and on the other, surprisingly
was a good idea. You love your work, and while technically a vacation, tempting. You're nervous about dropping your deadline for two weeks
you think the cruise might provide some good ideas. but everyone else you're traveling with has them, too, so it should be fine...