Lovecraftian Adventures

in the world of Clockwork & Chivalry

BY PETER CAKEBREAD & KEN WALTON

Interior Art: Tim Rigby and Gary Buckland

Cover and Interior Graphics: Gary Buckland
Maps: Tim Rigby and Ken Walton
Proofreading: M. Steinman Arendsee / MANDEM
Renaissance System Design: Ken Walton and Peter Cakebread
Clockwork & Chivalry Line Developers: Peter Cakebread & Ken Walton
Publishers: Dominic McDowall-Thomas
Production Manager: Dominic McDowall-Thomas
Copyright: Clockwork & Cthulhu, Clockwork & Chivalry 2nd Edition and the Renaissance system ©2012 by Cakebread & Walton.
All rights reserved. Reproduction of this work by any means without the written permission of the publisher is expressly
forbidden. This material is protected under the copyright laws of the United Kingdom. Some of the content of this book is
released under an Open Gaming License. This product is a work of fiction.
Printed in the USA.
Credits
DEDICATION
Peter: To Molly.

Ken: To James “The Doom That Came to Lancaster” Walkerdine – for years of Evil Wizardry.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Thanks to Dom McDowall-Thomas and everyone at Cubicle 7 Entertainment, Tim, Gary, MANDEM, Newt
Newport, The Tuesday Night Folks (Bil, Han, Marian, Pete, Spanna), Angus Abranson at Chronicle City, Stuart
Boon, Colin Chapman, Sarah Newton, Jonathan at Battlefield Press, Adrian and Chris at Steam Driven Publishing,
Aaron Huss at Roleplayers Chronicle, Phil at CONpulsion, the organising team at CONfusion 2012…and special
thanks to all the many authors, artists and game designers who have kept H.P. Lovecraft’s legacy alive over the
years.

RENAISSANCE ON THE WEB

Cakebread & Walton have a website at http://www.clockworkandchivalry.co.uk. Check it out for the latest news,
downloads, etc. Clockwork & Chivalry also has a dedicated forum on Cubicle 7 Entertainment’s website at
http://cubicle7.co.uk.

Product Identity: The following items are hereby identified as Product Identity as defined in the Open Game License version
1.0a, Section 2(e) and are not Open Content: All trademarks, registered trademarks, proper names (except historical characters
and places) dialogs, plots, storylines, locations, artwork and trade dress. The Introduction, Chapter 4 and pp.56-160 contain no
Open Content.

Open Content: Except for material designated as Product Identity (see above), the game mechanics of this Cakebread &
Walton product are Open Game Content, as defined in the Open Gaming Licence version 1.0a, Section 1(d). No portion of this
work other than the material designated as Open Game Content may be reproduced in any form without written permission.

References to the works of H.P. Lovecraft are from and remain in the public domain.

Clockwork & Cthulhu is published by Cakebread & Walton under the Open Game License version 1.0a. Copyright 2000 Wizards
of the Coast.

System Reference Document: A system reference document for the Renaissance game engine is available for download at
http://www.clockworkandchivalry.co.uk
Contents
Introduction............................................................................................................4
Chapter 1: The Mythos.........................................................................................9
Chapter 2: Sanity.................................................................................................13
Chapter 3: Mythos Magic...................................................................................20
Chapter 4: Factions..............................................................................................25
Chapter 5: Bestiary..............................................................................................33
Chapter 6: Adventures........................................................................................55
Appendix: Ready-to-Play Adventurers.........................................................154

3
Introduction

Introduction
In which the gentle reader is first
acquainted with a world turned inside-out

“We live on a placid island of ignorance in the midst of black seas of infinity,
and it was not meant that we should voyage far.”

– H.P. Lovecraft

Welcome to Clockwork & Cthulhu, the role-playing when they might rise up and finally overwhelm all
game of alternate Seventeenth Century Lovecraftian before them.
horror.
In the world of Clockwork & Chivalry, powerful magicks
and strange clockwork technologies collide. Religious
divisions have turned into outright hatred. Friend
What’s in this book
fights friend for the future of England. Some side with
This book provides the information required to play in
the Royalists, others with Parliament. Both sides ac-
and run Lovecraftian horror games set in the world of
cuse their opponents of rebellion and treachery.
Clockwork & Chivalry.
In Clockwork & Chivalry the king is dead and the world
This Introduction gives an overview of the Clockwork
is turned upside down, but the war continues.
& Chivalry universe for those unfamiliar with the set-
In Clockwork & Cthulhu we learn that beyond the hu- ting.
man conflicts that blight the lands, there are even
Chapter One provides information on introducing
greater horrors. There are things that lurk beyond hu-
Lovecraftian horror to that universe.
man understanding. Perhaps these creatures have been
there forever, at the edge of experience, the root of all Chapter Two provides rules for handling the debilitat-
subconscious fear. But now it seems the stars are align- ing mental effects of mind-bending horrors.
ing. Amid the chaos of war, famine, and plague, these
Chapter Three provides guidance on how magick
alien powers are stirring. Aided by the human cultists
works in relation to Lovecraftian creatures.
that worship them, they are preparing for the day

4

Chapter Four contains information on new Mythos-
related Factions for the Clockwork & Chivalry world.
Chapter Five is a bestiary, detailing a selection of crea-
tures, some of which feature in the adventures con-
tained later in this book.
Chapter Six contains three adventures. Each of these
provides enough material for several sessions of play
and can be run as a standalone adventure, or the ad-
ventures can be run as a series forming one long cam-
paign.
Finally, the Appendix contains six pre-generated
ready-for-play Adventurers.
What Else is
Required?
Aside from a group of friends and your imagination,
you will each need a set of polyhedral dice, some paper
(for making notes, drawing maps, etc.) and, for those
that like using them, appropriate miniatures.
Clockwork & Cthulhu can be run using just the free
Renaissance RPG ruleset, which is available for down-
load at:
www.clockworkandchivalry.co.uk/renaissance/
The Renaissance rules include all the game mechanics
essential for the playing of the game.
For those wanting more detailed setting information
on the alternate Seventeenth Century, the Clockwork &
Chivalry Core Rulebook 2nd Edition is highly recommend-
ed. It is available directly from Cubicle 7 Entertainment
RENAISSANCE RPG
Renaissance RPG is a free ruleset that includes
everything you need to play tabletop RPG games
set in the age of black powder. For those unfamiliar
with the black powder/Early Modern era – this is
the age of sail, when grand treasure galleons cross
the seas and wars are fought between soldiers or-
ganised into massed musket and pike formations,
while dashing cavalry charges and swashbuckling
duellists still have their place. This is the time of the
beginnings of modern science, the forming of mer-
cantile empires, and of early colonial settlement.
Introduction
UNFAMILIAR WITH
CLOCKWORK & CHIVALRY?
For those unfamiliar with the Clockwork & Chivalry
universe, the game is set in an alternate Seven-
teenth Century England, at the time of the English
Civil War.
The country is divided, The Royalists, termed
“Cavaliers” by their opponents, are led by Prince
Rupert in their attempt to restore an absolutist
monarch to the throne. The Parliamentarians,
sometimes mockingly named the “Roundheads”,
follow the Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell in defi-
ance of the kingship and support of the rights of
Parliament.
In the world of Clockwork & Chivalry, King Charles
was beheaded in 1645, in the aftermath of the
Battle of Naseby. The second edition Clockwork &
Chivalry Core Rulebook contains an account of that
battle, and an in-depth description of the entire
setting, including dozens of character options and
a wealth of Games Master materials.
For those playing just using the Renaissance rule
set, this chapter provides some setting information
to help bring the period to life.
(http://shop.cubicle7store.com/) and from all good
local RPG stores.
Historical Gaming
Clockwork & Cthulhu is set in an alternate universe, with
alchemical magick, satanic witches, and advanced
clockwork technology, but there is no reason why,
with very little work, the material here couldn’t be
used to run “real” historical games where the only
fantastical elements are the creations of H.P. Lovecraft.
Those already comfortable with the Civil War period,
or in possession of the Clockwork & Chivalry Core Rule-
book, can run a purely historical horror game. Life in
the Seventeenth Century is grim and weird (to modern
readers) as it is, and makes the perfect backdrop for
dark and gritty tales.
In addition, the Renaissance RPG rules are designed so
they can be used to run games set in many different
settings, from Tudor England through to the Napo-
leonic war. The possibilities are many, although it will
5
Introduction
take a little more work for Games Masters wishing to
flesh out alternatives to the Civil War era.
THIS IS THE SEVENTEENTH
CENTURY
Note: Readers already familiar with the Clockwork &
Chivalry world can skip the rest of this introduction and
move straight onto Chapter 1.
The Seventeenth Century saw the beginnings of new
scientific methods. In the world of Clockwork & Chivalry
this includes wonderful new clockwork technologies
and mystical alchemical advances. Social relationships
are changing and the rise of merchant capitalism is
undermining old feudal bonds. The success of the wool
trade and the colonisation of the New World have
opened new markets for the English, and there has
been an accompanying influx of new goods and wealth
into the country. An expanded merchant class finds
itself, at times, at odds with the old aristocratic order.
Meanwhile, the religious Reformation of the last centu-
ry has resulted in previously unthinkable religious
questioning and division.
Yet much of life still closely resembles patterns that
have been in existence for hundreds of years. Plagues
still sweep the lands, periodically devastating the dirty
and overcrowded population centres of the age. There
is no germ theory, and disease is thought to be spread
by noxious miasmas. Cures are often esoteric, unrelia-
ble, and downright dangerous. Starvation is common-
place – one poor harvest might be managed, but a
succession leads to great want and misery throughout
the land. Recent harvests have been wretchedly poor
due to a run of cold years.
A belief in the malevolent power of Satanic Witches is
commonplace (although not completely universal) and
of course, in the world of Clockwork & Chivalry, these
fears are warranted. Superstition is generally rife, and
the increased uncertainty of the current time has led to
an intensification of fear – fear of the unknown, fear of
the Satanic, fear of strangers, fear that the end times are
coming and, in particular, fear of foreign spies and
Catholic plots.
Although King Charles has been beheaded and the
land divided by war, many rural tenants continue to
work their farms, oblivious to the “bigger picture”, still
looking to their local Lord for protection. Although the
last century has seen London and some of the other
larger towns grow, most people still work the land.
Enclosure of the common lands is slowly changing the
6
landscape, but many farm using the same methods that
have been in existence since medieval times. Many
rural workers rarely travel further than the next vil-
lage, a rare trip to the nearest town on market day
being the only exception to this parochialism. Yet
many others find themselves newly landless, dispos-
sessed by war or landlords, forced to make a living on
the margins or to relocate and try their luck in the
towns.
The law is also little changed from that of the Middle
Ages. Branding and mutilation are common punish-
ments for those serious offenders not sentenced to
execution; pillories, stocks, and floggings are still the
lot of the petty criminal. There is no organised police
force, and many communities still take matters into
their own hands, administering rough justice to those
they regard as anti-social nuisances (such as gossips,
wife-beaters and cuckolds). Whereas some wealthy
men settle their differences in the courts, the more
vigorous prefer to take their disagreements to the duel-
ling fields. Wit and courage are considered the mark of
a gentleman, and although the supremacy of the
knight on the battlefield is becoming a thing of the
past, the days of chivalry and the defence of honour in
single combat are not considered past.
Like much of Europe, the nation is at war with itself.
Families are divided, and deep-seated local hostilities
and jealousies feed into wider religious and political
differences causing a foment of turbulence and rebel-
lion. Younger sons battle against their fathers and the
King has been beheaded; the very concepts of loyalty,
obedience, patronage and hierarchy have crumbled (as
exemplified by a people prepared to bind their king in
chains, the head has symbolically and literally been cut
from the body).
Patriarchal authority is also being questioned. In some
quarters women are finding a political voice. Women
are even cited as taking a role in military affairs, lead-
ing the defences of besieged estates, or disguising
themselves and joining military units. Although such
instances are rare, and oft quoted to create a general
sense of moral disquiet, they are a nevertheless further
examples of a challenge to traditional ideas.
It really seems that the world has been turned upside
down. Some see this as an opportunity for forging a
different world. Levellers assert that the political rights
of the ordinary folk should be restored, while Diggers
squat the common land and attempt to build model
communities. Agitators, pamphleteers, and ranters de-
cry their enemies from street corners. Yet even those
that welcome revolution are uncertain, groping in the

dark, attempting to forge a whole new way of being,
but ill-prepared for the task.
THE WAR
The English Civil War is fought between the Royalists
and the Parliamentarians. The Royalists support the
monarchy, fighting for the monarch’s right to rule
supreme over his or her people. The Parliamentarians
fight for a variety of causes: some fight for a more
limited monarchy, constitutionally bound to consider
Parliament; some argue for an abolition of monarchy
and the institution of a Republic; some merely fight
against the Royalists because they feel the court has
been held under the unsavoury sway of a “cavalier”
and Catholic faction working against the interests of
the country and its monarch; and more recently some
fight for Cromwell himself, who is increasingly being
treated much like a monarch by some of his own fol-
lowers.
Soldiers are organised into regiments, usually raised
by rich gentlemen (although Cromwell, on the Parlia-
mentarian side, has begun to form a New Model Army,
where ability rather than simple patronage affords
promotion). Much of the fighting is small-scale – small
groups of soldiers skirmishing as they meet while raid-
ing, spying, or patrolling in enemy territory.
When massed armies meet, they deploy whatever artil-
lery pieces are available, massed infantry in pike and
musket formations, and dragoons and cavalry. The
Royalists are aided by Battle Alchemists, who are
trained to fight using magick potions and spells. The
Parliamentarians have the New Model Army Clock-
work Regiment (NMACR), a special regiment who use
fearsome clockwork machines in battle.
The last major clash between the two massed field
armies was at Naseby. The battle saw the first mass use
of alchemy and clockwork on the battlefield, and the
result was devastation. Both sides left the field crippled
and reeling. King Charles was captured during the
battle, and subsequently beheaded.
Prince Rupert, the premier Battle Alchemist, now leads
the Royalists. He does so on behalf of his ward, the
young Prince Charles. Prince Charles lives exiled in
France, awaiting the right moment to make his return
and take the throne. Meanwhile, Prince Rupert has set
up a capital in Oxford, where he commands the Royal-
ist forces.
Meanwhile, following Naseby, Cromwell has consoli-
dated his own power base, which he administers from
the Parliamentarian capital, London. Cromwell has
Introduction
been appointed Lord Protector by (an increasingly
side-lined) Parliament and finds himself, aided by var-
ious committees, now in charge of the Parliamentarian
territories. He has ordered the construction of a system
of winding stations throughout Parliamentarian-con-
trolled territory to wind the NMACR’s vehicles – many
of these are converted from water- and wind-mills,
which has led to local resentment in many places.
The events of Naseby have caused both sides to fear a
further major battle. They are more focused on consol-
idating what remains of their armies, and on desper-
ately reformulating their plans. Even though both
Cromwell and Rupert usually prefer aggression to
conciliation, Naseby has caused an uneasy peace to
break out between the two main opposing field armies.
Both sides fear the next battle will be their last. For now
the Parliamentarians largely control the east of Eng-
land, while the Royalists hold the west and Wales. In
the Midlands two field armies are engaged in a bitter
trench war, but Rupert and Cromwell are both reluc-
tant to risk more troops to sway the fight in these
Debatable Lands.
Yet the small scale skirmishes continue and there are
enclaves of Parliamentarian supporters throughout the
west, and Royalists in the east. This has resulted in a
multitude of sieges, up and down the country. Towns,
castles and manor houses hold out, in hostile territory,
the inhabitants praying that their fortunes will change
and a relief force might come to their aid.
Many places suffer from frequent raids by requisition-
ing parties from both sides. These parties seize food
and supplies and rarely pay for what they take. Other
places change hands repeatedly, as the fortunes of the
two main armies ebb and flow – and at each turn the
inhabitants are subjected to pillage and assault. Such
depredations have caused some areas to form a third
force – the “clubmen”. Clubmen range from small self
defence forces, located in a single locality, to whole
armies prepared to fight either side if they threaten the
countryside within which they operate.
RELIGION
Religion has been at the heart of the conflicts of the 17th
century, both abroad, in the European wars, and at
home. England, Wales and Scotland are largely Protes-
tant. There are few areas that still boast a large Catholic
population (Lancashire and the Scottish Highlands
being the exceptions). Yet there are some noble Catho-
lics that still have positions of power in the Royalist
7
Introduction
army, and many people suspect a Catholic takeover is
planned, via invasion from Ireland or the continent.
Charles I married a Catholic Queen, Henrietta Maria;
he was implicated in a plot to bring Catholic troops
from Ireland to fight in his army; and he presided over
a church regarded by many as “Popish”. Religion may
not be the only cause of the continuing conflict, but it
has certainly increased the bitterness between the par-
ties, and the sense of righteous indignation of the com-
batants, many of whom fear not just for their lives, but
for their immortal souls, should the enemy win.
Charles I favoured a form of Protestantism that many
could not accept – one with a traditional church hierar-
chy (led by the unpopular Archbishop, William Laud),
and a traditional order of worship. Laud was anti-Pu-
ritan and intolerant of non-conformity. Meanwhile the
Puritans and other Calvinist non-conformists held that
their own relationships with God and personal jour-
neys to salvation (a matter preordained by God, rather
than the church) were paramount, and thought the
“Popish” pomp of the Laudian (High Anglican or An-
glo-Catholic) church should be dispensed with.
Perhaps Laud and his bishops managed the church in
keeping with the original Protestantism founded un-
der Henry VIII, but they were largely out of step with
an increasingly non-conformist population. It was the
attempt to reassert religious conformity in Scotland (a
largely Presbyterian country), through the introduc-
tion of a new Prayer Book, that started the first in a
succession of wars that led to the current situation.
Laud has since shared his King’s fate, having been
beheaded.
Royalists tend to follow the more orthodox “Laudian”
practises, and prominent Catholics are still included
amongst their ranks. Parliamentarians tend to belong
to the Puritan or associated “Independent” tendencies
(Anabaptists, etc.). Presbyterians are increasingly di-
vided; originally supportive of the Parliamentarian
cause, they now suspect that their particular dream of
some orthodoxy amongst the Calvinist tendencies will
never be realised. In addition there has been a flower-
ing of minor, but rapidly growing, sects, and a prolifer-
ation of individual ranters, who propagate a whole
host of different religious, social, and political ideas.
This is particularly the case in the Parliamentarian
areas where there is more toleration for such non-con-
formity of worship.
8
HOW THE WORLD WORKS
Although largely based on real history, Clockwork &
Chivalry is set in an alternate universe. There are more
fundamental differences than the king having been
beheaded four years too soon.
Firstly, there have been huge developmental leaps in
clockwork technology. Originally spurred by the inno-
vative designs of John Wilkins, clockwork is now the
obsession of many scholars at Cambridge University,
and also of engineers, involved in the design and mass
production of clockwork war machines for the Parlia-
mentarian cause.
Secondly, building on the magickal discoveries of
Francis Bacon, the Royalists have developed a power-
ful practical alchemy. Magickal power can be stored in
Philosopher’s Stones and used to create potions or cast
spells that can change the course of a battle.
Needless to say, both sides see the innovations of their
opponents as ungodly or heretical. The general popu-
lation is terrified of both developments.
But the most fundamental difference between the
Clockwork & Chivalry universe and our own is the way
the world actually works. In Clockwork & Chivalry,
many of the fundamental laws of science are consid-
ered to conform to the Seventeenth Century view of the
world, rather than that of our own. In Clockwork &
Chivalry the fear of Satanic Witches is well-founded, as
there really are Satan worshippers who believe their
magickal powers are bestowed by the Devil. In Clock-
work & Chivalry, creatures from myth and legend are
rare, but they do exist (and many suspect they are
becoming increasingly prevalent due to the increased
use of magick). Disease really is spread by miasmas or
is the result of “bad humours”. The theories of Aristo-
tle have been proved correct: everything in the world
is made of the four earthly elements, and beyond the
world, a fifth element, Aether, exists. Our earth is the
centre of the universe, and around this point the heav-
ens revolve.
Except...as we find out in the next chapter, this last is
not precisely true. For there are also other worlds and
dimensions. What’s more, some of these intersect with
our own. From some of these alien places come horrors
that defy all belief and reason, horrors that existed
before humanity, and horrors that will still be there
when we are long gone.

Chapter 1
In which things are revealed which man was
not meant to know
“The most merciful thing in the world…is the inability of the human mind
to correlate all its contents.”
– H.P. Lovecraft
This chapter deals with using the creations of author
H.P.Lovecraft in the Clockwork & Chivalry universe.
Lovecraftian
Themes
COSMIC HORROR AND
MYTHOS GODS
Clockwork & Cthulhu draws on Lovecraft’s fictional
concept of cosmic horror. In his stories there exist
inter-dimensional and ancient beings, with god-like
powers (such as Cthulhu, Nyarlathotep, and others,
some of whom are described in Chapter 5). Most
(although not all) of these “gods” act largely with
indifference to humanity – yet this indifference does
The Mythos
not reduce the threat of them breaking through into the
world of humans and destroying or enslaving all in
their path. Some ancient human civilisations were
more aware of these cosmic horrors than current
societies; some human cultists still revere them. These
alien gods sometimes reach into people’s minds; they
can grant strange knowledge or power, and, at times,
can even manifest themselves in our world.
ANCIENT CIVILISATIONS
Lovecraft also described other fantastical creatures
who, while not possessing the inter-dimensional or
cosmic powers of the Mythos gods, are nevertheless
alien, or descended from truly ancient civilisations,
long since lost to prehistory. Some of these creatures
have retreated beneath the earth, displaced by
environmental changes or the rise of a competing
species, others still inhabit the more remote areas upon
the surface.
9
The Myrhos
H.P. LOVECRAFT
From the end of the 1910’s, up until his death in the
1930’s, Howard Phillips Lovecraft wrote numerous
highly influential weird tales, combining horror,
fantasy and science fiction. Mostly short stories,
occasionally novellas, these dark tales have
influenced a swathe of authors since their
publication, and in more recent years have
spawned a further host of multi-media homages.
THE ROAD TO MADNESS
The inter-dimensional and alien nature of Mythos
creatures, the level of threat they pose to humanity,
and the magickal and immense powers that they
wield, are all capable of unhinging the sanest of minds.
Whether as a result of their shocking appearance, their
undermining of a person’s beliefs and values (e.g., that
the hopes and dreams of people mean nothing to these
powerful inhuman gods), or the sheer terror when
confronted with the realisation that the human race is
so vulnerable, most people who confront the more
fearsome Mythos creatures and survive will be, at best,
forever unsettled and haunted; more likely, they will
be driven completely insane. See Sanity, p.13.
10
MYTHOS
The term “Mythos” is used throughout Clockwork &
Cthulhu. Sometimes this is in reference to a
particular skill used in the game, such as Lore
(Cthulhu Mythos), as on p.12. “Mythos” is also
used to refer to the whole package of gods,
creatures, and sources of forbidden/secret
knowledge, as imported into the Clockwork &
Cthulhu setting from Lovecraft’s fiction.
What is Known
About the Mythos
in 1645
Most people know nothing about the Mythos, its gods,
creatures, or any of the other ancient secrets pertaining
to them. In the Seventeenth Century such knowledge
would be seen as blasphemous and heretical, and
would also be (if at all possible) brutally suppressed.
Were most people to encounter Mythos creatures or
rituals they would make the assumption that what
they were witnessing was the work of Satan (or, in the
case of cultists, of Satan’s human servants).
There are some sources of knowledge about the
Mythos that might be found – old tomes and
manuscripts that speak of the Mythos, or which at least
allude to aspects of it (see p.23).
There are also some primitive cultures that retain some
artifacts and lore relating to the Mythos, although
contact with such cultures is likely to be rare in the
Seventeenth Century.
In addition, some Mythos creatures do operate within
(e.g., Serpent People) or on the margins of (e.g., Deep
Ones) human society. These creatures usually follow
their own secret agendas, and attempt to keep their
real identities hidden, although sometimes their base

INTERDIMENSIONAL BEINGS
The gods of the Mythos are interdimensional
beings. They intersect with our universe, that is
with time and space itself, in a way that is not easy
to define or explain. They cannot be truly killed
(and thus are immensely powerful), and in some
ways may not be truly alive. This seemingly
contradictory state of affairs (currently the gods are
said to sleep in the lost city of R’lyeh, yet they also
live, at the centre of the cosmos) is at the heart of
understanding (or failing to understand) the multi-
dimensional and inter-dimensional nature of the
Mythos gods. Their very existence is beyond the
scope of human understanding, so it should be of
no surprise that their purposes or agendas (if they
have any) are equally oblique.
One blessing for humanity is that there are certain
cosmic conditions that prevent the gods simply
operating as they please – only when the stars are
right (and the correct rituals observed) can they
live, for a while, upon the earth. Such is their
power, that at times the gods can influence the
minds of people, heightening emotions throughout
a whole society, or drawing people to or away from
an intended destination, bestowing the knowledge
necessary for their designs, or clouding the minds
of those that oppose them.
Some of the gods have shifting, chaotic forms (such
as Yog-Sothoth), others (such as Nyarlathotep) can
adopt different appearances, but all are no mere
creatures to be encountered and banished -
characters who survive an encounter with a
Mythos god should be left in no doubt that they
have witnessed an impossibly powerful, reality
shattering event that will haunt them for the rest of
their tortured lives.
The Mythos
natures or secret researches require human victims,
which might be noticed. Inter-dimensional beings also
sometimes reach out into human minds, offering
visions of different times and different places,
including strange alien worlds. These dreams go
beyond mere nightmares; they can actively influence
the recipients, reveal to them great secrets, or simply
drive them mad.
Then there are human cultists who worship certain
Mythos beings as gods to be revered and sacrificed to,
and whose eventual domination of the world is to be
striven for. Some examples of such cults can be found
in the Factions chapter, p.25.
Finally, there are a few individuals who have some
knowledge of the Mythos, and fight against the
Mythos creatures and their human servants. These
learned or/and brave individuals are few in number,
and have to tread extremely carefully – not only do
they oppose mighty inhuman forces, they also risk
being ostracised or worse by the rest of humanity for
possessing or propagating such blasphemous beliefs.
Non-Mythos
Creatures
In the world of Clockwork & Chivalry there are other
fantastical creatures that, although rare, do exist (see
the Bestiary Chapter of the Clockwork & Chivalry Core
Rulebook or the Renaissance rules). These are largely
creatures drawn from traditional folklore, myth, and
legend. There is no reason that some of these creatures
might not be more entangled with the Mythos – either
as servants, enemies, or neutral observers
pragmatically trying to stay out of the notice of such
horrors.
11
The Myrhos
New Character
Options
The following new character rules and options are
specific to the Clockwork & Cthulhu world background,
though they could also be used in other horror-themed
worlds too.
NEW ATTRIBUTES
Adventurers (and other characters) in Clockwork &
Cthulhu have two new Attributes:
Sanity Points (SP): These represent your character’s
mental well-being. They determine how much mental
damage your character can sustain before he begins
gaining Major Insanities and possibly going
completely insane. Sanity Points are equal to the
Adventurer’s POW.
Major Insanity Level (MIL): When your character
takes this amount of mental damage in one shock, he
or she suffers a Temporary or Permanent Insanity
(depending on whether Sanity Points remain above or
have fallen below zero). Major Insanity Level is equal
to total Sanity Points divided by two, rounded up
(POW/2).
NEW ADVANCED SKILLS
There are two new advanced skills in Clockwork &
Cthulhu, Lore (Cthulhu Mythos) and Lore (Occult).
LORE (CTHULHU MYTHOS)
Lore (Cthulhu Mythos) represents a character’s
knowledge of Mythos creatures and secrets.
Lore (Cthulhu Mythos) is not acquired in the same way
as the other advanced skills in Clockwork & Chivalry.
Newly created Adventurers may only buy the
advanced skill with the permission of the Games
12
Master, and must have a very convincing reason for
doing so, such as being a member of a Mythos cult or,
more likely, of a secret Faction that exists to combat
Mythos creatures and cultists (such as the Righteous
Soldiers or New Mission, pp.25-32). The starting level
of the skill will only be at INT/2 + the amount
conferred by the relevant Faction, and may not be
advanced beyond this level before play. (Thus a New
Mission priest with an INT of 16 will start with a Lore
(Cthulhu Mythos) of 16/2 + 15% = 23%). The skill may
then only be improved in-game through improvement
rolls (which should only be granted if the Adventurer
has encountered the Mythos) and through researching
Mythos tomes.
Lore (Cthulhu Mythos) also has an effect on the
Righteousness of the character. A character’s
maximum Righteousness in any non-Mythos Faction
can never exceed 100-Lore (Cthulhu Mythos). Thus the
faithful risk losing their beliefs the more they learn
about the Mythos.
LORE (OCCULT) (INT X 2)
Lore (Occult) is a measure of the character’s
understanding of non-Mythos occult beliefs. Unless
there is a very good reason otherwise, this
understanding will be confined to occult practices in
the character’s native culture. A well-travelled or well-
read individual may have a broader range of
knowledge about such matters. Most people carry out
various superstitious rituals and may even
unknowingly participate in occult-related activities
(such as participating in festivals or rituals with pre-
Christian origins), and the skill represents a deep
knowledge of such pagan activities.
The following professions all start with Lore (Occult)
at INTx2, and may increase the skill in the same
manner as other advanced skills, through spending
Free Skill Points during character creation:
Cunning Man/Wise Woman; Devil’s Horseman;
Physician (Herbalist); Witch/Warlock.
Characters from other professions may still buy the
skill (at the usual extra cost, see the Character Creation
chapter of Renaissance or Clockwork & Chivalry Core
Rulebook).
 Sanity

Chapter 2
In which the rules governing the inevitable
mental deterioration of the unfortunate are
explicated
“The sciences, each straining in its own direction, have hitherto harmed us little;
but some day the piecing together of dissociated knowledge will open up such
terrifying vistas of reality, and our frightful position therein, that we shall either
go mad from the revelation or flee from the light into the peace and safety of
a new dark age.”
– H.P. Lovecraft

Example 2: The Reverend Jamie Barchester is investigating

Sanity Checks a series of cultist murders. The first time he sees a

Characters have Sanity Points, which equal their POW.
When characters experience something of a shocking
or horrifying nature (such as seeing an eviscerated
family member, or meeting a creature of the Cthulhu
Mythos), they must make a successful Sanity Check
using their Persistence skill.
PENALTIES AND BONUSES
The Persistence roll may be modified by the Horror
Rating of the event (see Horror Rating, p.18) –
particularly gruesome or sanity-blasting experiences
will require a penalty to the Persistence roll, while
things to which the character is becoming inured
through repeated sights might gain a bonus at the
Games Master’s discretion.
Example 1: The very sight of the great being known as
Cthulhu is enough to damage the sanity of any rational
individual. Anyone seeing the this vast entity must make a
Very Hard (-60%) Sanity Check.
gruesomely eviscerated body requires a Difficult (-20%)
Sanity Check. But the check for the second body discovered
in the same state is Normal (no penalty), the third Simple
(+20%), the fourth Easy (+40%). For further such
discoveries, the Games Master rules that the Reverend
Barchester has become inured to such sights and does not
need to make further rolls – until the character finds that the
next body is that of his own father, at which point the Games
Master rules a Normal (no penalty) Sanity Check is required
in this particular case.
SANITY CHECK RESULT
The results of the test are as follows:
CRITICAL SUCCESS
If a character has a critical success on a Sanity Check,
the character is not only unperturbed by the horrific
situation, but also has a chance of rallying others to
stop them from being frightened. Such a character can
make an Influence roll and, if successful, can choose
one other character nearby to gain +20% to Persistence
for their own Sanity Check. If the character has the

13
Sanity
Oratory skill, he or she may use that skill instead, in
which case all characters associated with that character
will gain a +20% to Persistence for their own Sanity
Check. The character may say something as simple as
“Steady, lads!” in a sufficiently confident voice to
forestall the fears of others.
SUCCESS
If a character succeeds in their Sanity Check, he or she
suffers no ill effects and can continue to act as normal.
FAILURE
On a failure, the character suffers mental damage – the
resulting damage must be deducted from the
character’s Sanity Points. All supernatural creatures,
and a number of common horrific situations, cause a
certain amount of mental damage according to their
Horror Rating. This is rolled to find the number of
Sanity Points the character loses on experiencing the
event or on seeing the creature. A character who fails
their Sanity Check is also frozen with fear for 1D4
combat rounds, and cannot react in any way for that
time.
Losses to Sanity Points represent minor fears, although
these can add up and become sanity-threatening if a
character gets enough of them. If a character takes
mental damage equal to half his starting Sanity Points
in one shock (i.e. equal to his Major Insanity Level), the
character gains a Major Insanity (see Insanity, below)
on top of the loss of Sanity Points. Once a character’s
Sanity Points drop to a negative level equal to his
starting Sanity Points, he must make a successful
Persistence roll every combat round or go completely
insane (e.g., a character with 15 Sanity Points to begin
with must begin making Persistence rolls to stay sane
once his Sanity Points drop to -15). This represents the
fact that the character has seen so many horrific sights
in such a short time that he is on the edge of breaking,
and even the slightest further shock will send him over
the edge.
FUMBLE
A character who fumbles a Sanity Check not only loses
Sanity Points, but must also make a successful
Resilience check or faint with fright and remain
unconscious for 1D6 minutes. If the Resilience roll is
successful, the character is still frozen with fear for 1D4
combat rounds, as above.
14
COMPLETE INSANITY
If a character takes double his or her original Sanity
Points in one go, he or she is automatically completely
insane (e.g., a character with 15 Sanity Points will
automatically go completely insane if he takes 30
damage in one shock). The only way for an Adventurer
to avoid going completely insane, in this instance, is by
the use of Hero Points (if Hero Points are used in your
game of Clockwork & Cthulhu).
A character who has gone completely insane is entirely
incapable of interacting with the world in a meaningful
way and must be retired as an Adventurer, in the same
way that a dead character is out of play.
How the character behaves after this point is entirely
up to the Games Master. A character will likely have a
more extreme version of one of the Permanent
Insanities on the Major Insanities table on p.16, but will
be completely incapable of functioning in the world
and will likely need to be locked up for the good of
himself and others. Sanity Points are no longer relevant
for such characters, who should be played by the
Games Master in terms of their symptoms. Generally
complete insanity takes the form of an intensified
version of a Major Insanity – intensified to the point
whereby the insanity completely dominates the
consciousness of the sufferer. For instance, complete
withdrawal (rocking back and forth, staring at the
wall), nonsensical raving (possibly with violence), or a
mixture of the two. On a critical success on a
Persistence roll, such a character may have 1D6
minutes of lucidity in 24 hours. Likewise, in treating a
completely insane person, a Physician who critically
succeeds on a Healing Roll might cause the patient to
become lucid for 1D6 minutes, at the Games Master’s
discretion.
HERO POINTS
Hero Points can be used to re-roll a failed Sanity Check,
as with any other dice roll. Spending one Hero Point
will also allow your character to:
Ÿ Downgrade a Permanent Insanity to the
equivalent Temporary Insanity. Your character
still takes the full damage to his or her Sanity
Points, but suffers the inconvenient effects of a
Temporary Insanity, rather than the often
debilitating effects of a Permanent Insanity.
Ÿ Downgrade a Permanent Insanity to normal Sanity
Points loss. Your character still takes the full
 Sanity

OPTIONAL RULE: NO HERO POINTS FACTIONS AND MENTAL ARMOUR

POINTS
Players and Games Masters who want to
emphasise the futility of existence and the horror of This table shows which Factions provide Mental
a life which is “nasty, brutish and short”, may Armour Points and which don’t.
decide to disallow Hero Points in the game. This
makes Adventurer survival less likely, and Yes No
complete insanity more likely, which suits the
stories of Lovecraft. Anabaptist Adamite
Catholic Clan
mental damage to his or her Sanity Points, but does Covenanter Clubman
not suffer the inconvenient effects of a Temporary
Insanity. Fifth Monarchist Deist
Ÿ Avoid complete insanity. A character who would
Laudian Digger
normally go completely insane for whatever
reason (see Complete Insanity, p.14) will narrowly Presbyterian Friends of Truth
avoid complete insanity due to some lucky
circumstance. The character will remain catatonic Puritan Gang
for 1D4 hours and will awake with 0 Sanity Points.
Satanist Guild
SANITY POINTS Tinker Horseman’s Word
Character takes Sanity Point loss equivalent to their Invisible College
MIL in one go, but still has a positive number of
Sanity Points: Character must make a successful Leveller
Persistence roll or develop a Temporary Insanity.
Character takes Sanity Point loss equivalent to their
New Model Army
MIL in one go and has a negative number of Sanity Parliamentarian
Points: Character must make a successful Persistence
roll or suffer a Permanent Insanity. Ranter
Sanity Points at minus starting level or below:
Character must make a successful Persistence roll both
Royalist
when SPs drop to this level, and each time they drop Self-Interest
further; failure means the character goes completely
insane.
Character takes double starting Sanity Points in one Righteousness Points change, his or MAPs should be
go: Automatic complete insanity. adjusted accordingly.
A character’s Mental Armour Points are subtracted
MENTAL ARMOUR from mental damage before it is applied to his Sanity
Points. But although Mental Armour Points will help
Some Factions provide mental armour against sanity protect against loss of Sanity Points, they will not
loss – a character’s Mental Armour Points (MAPs) are prevent Major Insanities. If the resulting mental
equal to one tenth of the character’s Righteousness damage, after mental armour has been subtracted, is at
Points, rounded up. Not all Factions provide mental the character’s Major Insanity Level or higher, then a
armour – see the accompanying table to see which do. Major Insanity has been inflicted. Even a character
A character whose Faction does not provide Mental with strong beliefs can have their beliefs shaken by
Armour Points have MAP 0. If a character’s horrifying events and sights.

15
Sanity

MAJOR INSANITIES
There are two types of Major Insanities.
Ÿ Temporary Insanities: If mental damage is
greater than a character’s Major Insanity Level,
and their Sanity Points remain above 0, the
horrified character gains a Temporary Insanity.
Ÿ Permanent Insanities: If mental damage is
greater than a character’s Major Insanity Level,
and their Sanity Points drop to 0 or lower, the
horrified character gains a Permanent Insanity,
and he or she may go permanently insane.
MAJOR INSANITIES
If a character receives a Major Insanity, he takes a
Sanity Point loss as normal. On top of that, the Games
Master should roll D10 and reference the
corresponding column on the correct Insanity Table
below (i.e., the Temporary Insanity column if the
character’s Sanity Points are still above 0 or the
Permanent Insanity column if they drop to 0 or below),
to see what type of Insanity the character has suffered.
The Games Master (possibly with the player’s help)
may wish to choose or come up with a particular
Insanity to suit the occasion, rather than rolling
randomly.
Mental Healing
Healing can be performed in one of four ways: using
the First Aid skill, the Healing skill, a magickal spell, or
through natural healing – resting while the mental
injuries heal themselves. It is also possible to stave off
the effects of Mental Damage with alcohol (see p.18),
but this may have unwanted side-effects...
NATURAL HEALING
Negative Sanity Points represent shock and fear. A
character who spends time resting completely (not
getting into further scary situations!) will have their
Sanity Points return at the rate of 1 per hour, until they
reach 1, at which point recovery becomes slower.
Sanity Points of 1 or more: Once a character’s Sanity
Points are 1 or more, they regain POW/4 (round
down) Sanity Points per 24 hours, as long as the
character does not engage in any more frightening
activity.
Temporary Insanities usually cease to have an effect
once Sanity Points return to their full level. See the
Major Insanities table for details of each individual
insanity.
Permanent Insanities can never be healed through
natural healing – they remain even after all Sanity
Points have been restored to full.

D10 Temporary Insanity Permanent Insanity

(If half original SPs lost in one fright) (If SPs drop below 0, or are already below 0)
1 – Trembling You begin trembling uncontrollably, and are at -20% to You begin trembling and never quite recover. You lose
all DEX-based skills until Sanity Points are back to full. -2 to DEX permenantly, and must make a Persistence
roll whenever you hear a loud noise, or recieve a
sudden shock; on a failed roll you are at -20% to all
DEX-based skill for 1D6 minutes.
2 – Withdrawn You withdraw into yourself and find it hard to connect You become very withdrawn and uncommunicative.
to other people. You are at -20% to all CHA-based You lose -2 to CHA permentantly. When meeting
skills until Sanity Points are back to full. strangers, you must make a Persistence roll, or you
become shy and nervous and are at -20% to all CHA-
based skills for 1D6 minutes.
3 – Anger Your fear is transmuted into anger. Blaming everyone Your fear is transmuted into anger. Blaming everyone
and everything for the thing that frightened you, for and everything for the thing that frightened you, for
the next 1D6 rounds you will attack those around you, the next 1D6 rounds you will attack those around you,
friend and foe alike, with fists or hand weapons. After friend and foe alike, with fists or hand weapons. After
this, you calm down and become withdrawn as in 2, this incident, you remain easily irritated; if anything
above, until Sanity Points are back to full. annoys you, or reminds you of the situation that origi-
nally scared you, you will see red and for 1D6 rounds
you will attack all those around you, friend and foe
alike, with fists or hand weapon.

16

D10 Temporary Insanity
(If half original SPs lost in one fright)
4 – Coward The fright you have had makes you cowardly. If you
find yourself in a stressful or dangerous situation, you
must make a Persistence roll or flee the situation,
attempting to find a safe place to hide until the situa-
tion is over. Once your Sanity Points return to full, you
will cease to be a coward.
5 – Nightmares You appear to be unshaken by the fright, but the next
time you go to sleep, you must make a Persistence roll.
On a failed roll, you wake up screaming from terrible
nightmares and cannot sleep for the rest of the night.
thus losing one level of Fatigue. The nightmares will
continue every night until all your Sanity Points are
restored.
6 – Loss of Focus Your terrible experiences make it hard to concentrate
on the task at hand because you can’t stop thinking
about the horror. You are at -20% to all INT and POW-
based skills until all your Sanity Points are restored.
7 – Phobia You gain a phobia associated with your fright, which
lasts until your Sanity Points are restored. If you en-
counter the thing or situation of which you are fright-
ened, you must make a Persistence roll or
flee/faint/scream and panic (as best suits your charac-
ter); you will attempt to rationalise why you want to
avoid such situations. Try to choose a phobia that is
general rather than specific – for instance, if you were
frightened by being trapped in a dark crypt with a
family of ghouls, you may become afraid of the dark,
or enclosed spaces, or graveyards, but not ghouls.
8 – Unbelief Your beliefs are shaken by your experiences. You lose
30 Righteousness Points immediately, and your RPs
cannot go above this new level until all your Sanity
Points are restored, at which point your RPs will re-
turn to the previous level at a rate of 5 points per day.
9 – Paranoid You are convinced that the terrible things you saw are
the result of some sort of conspiracy, which knows you
know about it and seeks to get you. For instance, if you
see a ghoul eating a Catholic friend of yours, you may
become convinced that there is a world-wide conspir-
acy of Catholic-eating ghouls, who are plotting with
anti-Catholic forces to gain more food; and now you
are in their sights because you know their secret. You
will continue to see signs of the conspiracy until your
Sanity Points are restored.
0 – Voices Due to your terrible fright, you hear voices in your
head; these may try to warn you of more terrible
things to come, try to persuade you that it is all your
fault, etc. These voices come and go, but when they are
present they are very distracting. Each day you must
make a Persistence roll; on a failure, the voices are
particularly distracting, giving you a -20% to all INT-
based skills until next time you sleep. The voices dis-
appear once all your Sanity Points are restored.
Sanity
Permanent Insanity
(If SPs drop below 0, or are already below 0)
The fright you have had makes you cowardly. If you
find yourself in a stressful or dangerous situation, you
must make a Persistence roll or flee the situation,
attempting to find a safe place to hide until the situa-
tion is over.
You appear to be unshaken by the fright, but the next
time you go to sleep, you must make a Persistence roll.
On a failed roll, you wake up screaming from terrible
nightmares, cannot sleep for the rest of the night and
lose one level of Fatigue. The nightmares will happen
every night that you fail a Persistence roll.
Your terrible experiences make it hard to concentrate
on the task in hand because it is hard to stop thinking
about the horror. Lose -2 to INT and POW permanent-
ly. If you use any INT- or POW-based skill, you must
first make a successful Persistence roll, or you will be
at -20% to the subsequent skill roll, due to lack of
concentration.
You gain a phobia associated with your fright. If you
encounter the thing or situation of which you are
frightened, you must make a Persistence roll or
flee/faint/scream and panic (as best suits your charac-
ter); you will attempt to rationalise why you want to
avoid such situations. Try to choose a phobia that is
general rather than specific – for instance, if you were
frightened by being trapped in a dark crypt with a
family of ghouls, you may become afraid of the dark,
or enclosed spaces, or graveyards, but not ghouls.
Your beliefs are shaken by your experiences. You lose
30 Righteousness Points immediately, and your RPs
can never go above this new level in your current
Faction. You may be converted to another Faction that
offers comfort against the horrors you have seen, in
which case you gain RPs in the new Faction in the
usual way, with no upper limit.
You are convinced that the terrible things you saw are
the result of some sort of conspiracy, which knows you
know about it and seeks to get you. For instance, if you
see a ghoul eating a Catholic friend of yours, you may
become convinced that there is a world-wide conspir-
acy of Catholic-eating ghouls, who are plotting with
anti-Catholic forces to gain more food; and now you
are in their sights because you know their secret. Your
current Faction is replaced with Paranoia (Your Con-
spiracy), and starts with Righteousness Points equal to
your INT+POW.
Due to your terrible fright, you hear voices in your
head; these may try to warn you of more terrible
things to come, or try to persuade you that it is all your
fault, etc. These voices come and go, but when they are
present they are very distracting. Each day you must
make a Persistence roll; on a failure, the voices are
particularly distracting, giving you a -20% to all INT-
based skills until next time you sleep.
17
Sanity
FIRST AID AND HEALING
First Aid can restore Sanity Points, through the use of
calming potions, kind words of reassurance, etc., but
cannot remove the effects of Temporary or Permanent
Insanities.
Healing can restore Sanity Points, through the use of
calming potions, kind words of reassurance, etc., and
also can remove the effects of Temporary Insanities,
but it cannot remove the effects of Permanent
Insanities.
MAGICKAL HEALING
However magickal healing is achieved, whether from
a spell or potion, it has an instantaneous effect. Certain
spells can be used to cure Sanity loss, as follows:
For to Bring the Touch of Healing (Alchemy Earth spell,
Clockwork & Chivalry Core Rulebook, p.233, and
Witchcraft spell, Clockwork & Chivalry Core Rulebook
p.250): A Magnitude 6 or higher casting of this spell
will negate the effects of a Temporary or Permanent
Insanity, as long as the character is not completely
insane. The spell must be cast within 6 hours of the
insanity being gained.
For to Create a Healing Bouquet (Alchemy Earth spell,
Clockwork & Chivalry Core Rulebook, p.233): Anyone
within the cloud of aroma gains a +5 to their POW for
the purposes of regaining Sanity Points from Natural
Healing (see p.16).
For to Intuit the Emotions of Another (Witchcraft spell,
Clockwork & Chivalry Core Rulebook, p.256): This spell
will not in itself heal Sanity, but a successful casting of
the spell will allow the caster a +20% bonus to a
subsequent First Aid or Healing skill test to restore
Sanity Points to the character on which the spell was
cast.
For to Restore Blighted Health (Witchcraft spell,
Clockwork & Chivalry Core Rulebook, p.257): This can
restore Characteristic loss caused by Major Insanities,
but not skill penalties.
Note that neither the Alchemy spell For to Mend a
Broken Body nor the Witchcraft spell For to Treat Wounds
have any effect on the mind.
ALCOHOL
A character who is suffering from a Major Insanity
(whether Temporary or Permanent), can decrease the
effects of the affliction by drinking alcohol. Every drink
18
(a pint of ale, a glass of wine, a shot of spirits, etc.) will
increase the chances of passing a Persistence roll
associated with the character’s insanity (but no other
Persistence rolls) by +5% – but all other skills will be
reduced by -5%. This effect will last for a number of
hours equal to the number of drinks consumed, though
the penalty to skills will decrease by 5% every hour
after the character has stopped drinking for at last an
hour.
Example: John Aubrey was once trapped in a crypt full of
ghouls and barely escaped with his life. Ever since, he as
suffered from nightmares. To try to prevent them, he
regularly has six shots of gin before going to bed. This adds
+30% to his Persistence roll, decreasing his chances of
suffering nightmares that night. But it also gives him a
-30% penalty to all skills. He makes his Persistence roll, and
manages to stave off the nightmares enough to bed down by
his camp-fire. But three hours into his sleep, he is woken by
the sound of wolves howling in the forest nearby. He grabs
his sword and prepares to fight, but is still groggy from the
gin. Because it is three hours since his last drink, the skill
penalty is reduced by 15%, but he is still at -15% to all skills.
Horror Rating
All supernatural entities, and many unpleasant events,
have a Horror Rating (abbreviated HR) which
measures two things: the difficulty of the Persistence
check needed to avoid mental damage and the mental
damage caused if the check is failed. This is written as
two figures separated by a slash. For example:
HR: -20%/1D6
This shows that the Sanity Check must be made with a
-20% penalty, and on a failure the character takes 1D6
mental damage, which is subtracted from Sanity Points
in exactly the same way as physical damage is
subtracted from Hit Points, with Mental Armour (see
p.15) protecting the character.
CREATURES OF CLOCKWORK &
CHIVALRY
The creatures of the Cthulhu Mythos which are
described in this book (pp.33-55) have their Horror
Rating calculated. Below is a table showing the HR of
frightening creatures from the Clockwork & Chivalry
Core Rulebook. Normal creatures such as dogs and
sparrows do not cause sanity loss (unless a character
has some sort of phobia already!), but supernatural
creatures do. When using standard Clockwork &
 Sanity
Chivalry creatures in a Clockwork & Cthulhu (or any HORRIFIC EVENTS
other genre horror Renaissance game), use the
following HRs. Other events may cause Adventurers to make a Sanity
Creature HR Check, at the Games Master’s discretion. In some cases,
what triggers a Sanity Check in one character may not
Basilisk 0%/1D4 do so in another – for instance, an experienced Soldier
Dragon -20%/2D12 may not take fright at the sight of an eviscerated
Elemental* 0%/1D8 corpse, but a wealthy Noblewoman who has had a
Ghost 0%/1D4 sheltered upbringing might. Bear in mind that
characters in the 17th century will likely take for
Ghoul -20%/1D10 granted sights that people today would find horrifying
Sea Serpent Hatchling 0%/1D6 – dead bodies are a reasonably common sight in this
age, when plague is common and most people die (and
Sea Serpent Adult -20%/2D12 are laid out) in their own home. Public execution is also
Sea Serpent Leviathan -40%/2D12 a common event, attended by large crowds, and this
includes such gruesome spectacles as hangings,
Stoorworm 0%/2D6 burnings and people being “hung, drawn and
quartered”.
* Alchemists do not have to make Sanity Checks on seeing an
Elemental unless it is Large or Huge and either out of control or Some sights and events that might cause a Sanity
being controlled by a hostile Alchemist.
Check are listed in the Horrific Events table, together
with their Horror Rating.

Event HR
Unexpectedly finding a corpse 0%/1D4

Unexpectedly finding part of a corpse 0%/1D6

Unexpectedly finding the mangled corpse of 0%/1D6+1

a friend or relative
Watching the execution of a friend or loved -20%/1D8+1
one
Having ears cropped or tongue slit, or being 0%/1D6
branded or whipped as punishment for a
crime
Undergoing “watching and searching” by a 0%/1D4 per day
Witch Finder
Undergoing torture -20%/1D10

Trapped in a confined space with no exit 0%/1D4

Seeing a Whirling Engine of Righteousness -20%/2D10

bearing down on you
Seeing a Leviathan bearing down on you -20%/2D12

19
Mythos Magick
Chapter 3
In which rituals of awful might and tomes
of blasphemous knowledge are revealed to
the incautious seeker after hidden truths
“There are horrors beyond life’s edge that we do not suspect,
and once in a while man’s evil prying calls them just within our range.”
– H.P. Lovecraft
Magick in the universe of Clockwork & Cthulhu is not
that different from the standard forms of magick used
in Clockwork & Chivalry (or indeed the Renaissance
system). Most practitioners of magick use either
Alchemy or Witchcraft to perform their spells. There
are, however, some spells that are specific to certain
gods, cults, and creatures of the Mythos, some of which
are cast in non-standard ways. It should be emphasised
that most of the spells in this chapter will likely only be
available to NPCs at the whim of the Games Master,
who is free to make them available in whatever form
seems appropriate for the scenario being played.
MYTHOS MAGICK AND
THE RISE OF SCIENTIFIC
ALCHEMY
Since time immemorial, cultists have summoned
creatures and gods of the Mythos. This has always
been a difficult process, with cultist sorcerers having to
20
study for years to gain enough MAG to cast really
powerful spells. Most cults use Witchcraft in the same
way as in standard Clockwork & Chivalry, with cultists
increasing their MAG in the same manner, as
knowledge is passed on by others in the Faction to
which they belong. The leader of a cult may well know
the spell For to Call on the Power of a Coven or the new
spells listed on p.21, For to Call on the Power of Animal
Sacrifice and For To Call on the Power of Human Sacrifice.
Powerful gods of the Mythos can only be summoned
using spells of very high Magnitude, which prevents
any but the most experienced cultist – or one with
many followers and/or sacrificial victims – from
summoning them. Unfortunately, the recent rise of
scientific alchemy means that a powerful alchemist can
create a philosopher’s stone with enough Magick
Points to summon a powerful Mythos being without
the years of study necessary to understand the
potential pitfalls of such a summoning.
It is somewhat debatable which is worse – a Mythos
creature summoned by an Alchemist who doesn’t

know what he’s doing, or a Mythos creature
summoned by a cultist who knows exactly what he’s
doing but is completely insane!
Spellcasting
CULTIST SPELLCASTING
Cultists will tend to use Witchcraft to cast their spells,
and will learn magick and increase their MAG in the
same way that Witches do, learning their magick from
the cult Faction to which they belong. The Games
Master may wish to alter (or even dispense with) the
ingredients of standard Witchcraft spells, to better
reflect the beliefs of the Faction in question. They may
know a few or more standard Witchcraft spells from
the rulebook, as well as suitable spells from the Mythos
spells listed below – though they are unlikely to
differentiate between the two, believing that all magick
comes from their dark god or gods.
ALCHEMICAL
SPELLCASTING
Alchemists who learn Mythos spells will be able to cast
them using standard alchemical techniques, spending
the Magick Points in their Philosopher’s Stones to do
so. The spells do not fit into any particular element, so
the caster can use the highest of his or her Elemental
Casting skills.
OTHER FORMS OF
SPELLCASTING
Some Mythos spells, at the Games Master’s discretion,
may be cast without expenditure of Magick Points or
need for a MAG attribute, simply by reading the spell
aloud, singing some ancient chant, performing certain
actions, etc. Such spells can be cast by making a
Persistence roll while doing the actions necessary. On
a success, the spell is cast, but the caster loses fatigue in
the same manner as a Witch casting a spell.
Mythos Magick
MYTHOS SPELLS AND
SANITY LOSS
In the case of most Mythos spells, the casters
performing the spell must make a Sanity Check; if this
fails they will lose Sanity Points equal to the
Magnitude of the spell, once the casting is complete.
Sanity loss, however, does not generally occur when
casting spells of Protection or Dismissal, though
casters may lose sanity simply from seeing the entity
that they are trying to dismiss!
Mythos Spells
Note that most of the spells below do not have
ingredients listed. These will vary according to the cult
faction that is using the spell, although it will almost
always be something unpleasant!
FOR TO CALL ON THE POWER OF
ANIMAL SACRIFICE
Special
This ceremonial spell is used by Mythos cultists to gain
magickal power from the sacrifice of an animal. The
spell requires a ten minute ceremony (details vary
according to cult beliefs) followed by killing the animal
in question; methods vary, depending on size and
include slitting its throat, stabbing it through the heart,
strangling it, etc. Once the animal is dead, the person
performing the ceremony gains a temporary boost to
their MAG attribute equal to half the Hit Points of the
animal sacrificed (rounded up). This increase must be
used to cast another spell within half an hour of the
sacrifice, or the benefits will be lost.
Note that this spell can be used in conjunction with For
to Call on the Power of a Coven so that MAG from both
the sacrifice and the members of a coven can be added
together for the casting of a subsequent spell, but no
more than one animal can be sacrificed in a single
casting of this spell.
21
Mythos Magick
FOR TO CALL ON THE POWER OF
HUMAN SACRIFICE
Special
This ceremonial spell is used by Mythos cultists to gain
magickal power from the sacrifice of a human being.
The spell requires a ten minute ceremony (details vary
according to cult beliefs) followed by the ritualistic
murder of the victim in question. Once the victim is
dead, the person performing the ceremony gains a
temporary boost to their MAG attribute equal to twice
the Hit Points of the person sacrificed (rounded up).
This increase must be used to cast another spell within
half an hour of the sacrifice, or the benefits will be lost.
Note that this spell can be used in conjunction with For
to Call on the Power of a Coven so that MAG from both
the sacrifice and the members of a coven can be added
together for the casting of a subsequent spell, but no
more than one person can be sacrificed in a single
casting of this spell.
FOR TO CONTACT (MYTHOS GOD)
Duration 1 hour, Magnitude 1
Each god has its own contact spell, which must be
learned separately. With this spell, a character can
contact a particular Mythos god. As well as
successfully casting the spell, the caster must make an
SUMMONING, DISMISSING AND
CONTROLLING MYTHOS BEINGS
It is not possible to use magick to summon, control,
or dismiss most creatures of the Mythos, and it is
impossible to control a Mythos god, though all
gods can be summoned and dismissed. Most
Mythos creatures are independent members of
alien races, and can no more be summoned than a
human could be. Two creatures in this book
however are presumed by those who have studied
such things to be “servitor” creatures, designed by
someone or something in the distant past
specifically to serve the summoner. These two
creatures are shoggoths and Winged Things.
It is worth emphasising that each spell of
summoning, dismissal, or control is learned
separately; e.g. For the Summoning of a Shoggoth
must be learned separately from For the Summoning
of Shub-Niggurath.
22
opposed Persistence test against the Persistence of the
god in question. If successful, the god will come to the
caster in dreams during the night following the casting
of the spell, and tell the caster what its aims in the
world are, and how the caster can further them. On a
fumble of the opposed Persistence test, the god will
become angry with the caster, who will be killed in
some suitably unpleasant way.
If a character who is not already a worshipper of the
god in question attempts this spell, he will, if the spell
is successful, automatically change Faction to the cult
of the god he has contacted, with a Righteousness of
POWx2+2D20 and Beliefs (god contacted) at base level.
FOR TO CONTROL (A SERVITOR)
Duration 5, Magnitude 1, Progressive
Each servitor type has its own control spell that must
be learned separately. If the spell is cast successfully, a
summoned servitor will obey the commands of the
caster for the duration of the spell. Servitor species
have no great sense of self-preservation and will obey
any order given, though they will not attempt to do
anything that is plainly impossible for them. Once the
spell wears off, the servitor may well attack the caster
of this spell, if it is not dismissed quickly.
FOR THE DISMISSAL OF (A
SERVITOR/GOD)
Instant, Magnitude 1, Progressive
This spell dismisses a Mythos servitor or god from the
earthly plane, which will disappear entirely in 1D3
combat rounds. The Magnitude of the spell is equal to
the POW of the servitor or god to be dismissed. The
caster must make a Persistence roll with a penalty
based on the Horror Rating of the servitor/god being
dismissed or suffer loss of sanity equal to one fifth of
the POW of the dismissed creature; this roll replaces
the normal Sanity Check required when casting a
Mythos spell.
FOR THE SUMMONING OF (A
SERVITOR/GOD)
Duration 15, Magnitude 1, Progressive
This spell summons forth a Mythos servitor or god,
which will manifest after 1D3 combat rounds. The
Magnitude of the spell is equal to the POW of the
servitor or god to be summoned. The caster must make
a Persistence roll with a penalty based on the Horror
Rating of the servitor/god being summoned, or suffer

SUMMONING AND DISMISSING GODS
Gods of the Mythos tend to have very high POW.
This means that they can only be successfully
summoned using For to Call on the Power of a Coven
and/or For to Call on the Power of Human Sacrifice or
For to Call on the Power of Animal Sacrifice. If the
creature/deity is summoned in conjunction with
For to Call on the Power of a Coven, the sanity loss will
be split equally between all those taking part in the
ceremony. An Alchemist attempting to summon a
god by using a powerful philosopher’s stone
stands a very good chance of going insane.
loss of sanity equal to one fifth of the POW of the
creature being summoned.
FOR THE SUMMONING OF THE FAIR
FOLK
Instant, Magnitude 1
This is not a summoning spell such as For the
Summoning of (a Servitor/God), but merely a means for a
human to send a message attracting the attention of the
Fair Folk. The Fair Folk are not bound to come when
called, but will likely turn up – either because they can
recognise the identity of the caster in the summoning,
or because they don’t recognise the caster’s identity and
want to know who knows about them. It requires a ten
minute ritual in a stone circle built by the Fair Folk in
centuries gone by.
The Necronomicon
of John Dee
“For books are not absolutely dead things, but do
contain a potency of life in them to be as active as
that soul whose progeny they are; nay, they do
preserve as in a vial the purest efficacy and
extraction of that living intellect that bred them.”
– John Milton, Aeropagitica, 1644
Much knowledge of the Mythos can be gained from
ancient books, many of them hand-copied and passed
about among scholars of the occult since the invention
of writing. Of them all, the most infamous is the
Mythos Magick
dreaded Necronomicon, written by the mad Yemeni
poet Abdul Alhazred around 700 AD. He is said to
have spent years in the ruins of Babylon, the secret
underground places of Memphis, and the great
southern deserts of Arabia, seeking out secrets that
man was not meant to know. The book was originally
known as Al Azif, and it is said that its author, a
worshipper of Yog-Sothoth and Cthulhu, was
devoured by an invisible monster in broad daylight in
front of a crowd of witnesses.
In 950AD the book was translated into Greek by
Theodorus Philetas of Constantinople, who first
renamed it the Necronomicon. After causing trouble in
the Eastern Empire for over a hundred years, the book
was banned and all known copies burned by the
patriarch Michael. After that it became a rarity, rarely
heard of outside occult circles. A Latin translation, by
Olaus Wormius, was made in the thirteenth century
(1228), printed in Germany in the fifteenth century,
and re-printed in Spain in the seventeenth. John Dee,
the court astrologer to Queen Elizabeth of England,
translated a copy into English in the sixteenth century,
though it was never printed – the original manuscript
is currently in the library of the secret cabal of
alchemists known as the Invisible College (see
Clockwork & Chivalry Core Rulebook, p.119-20). There are
some battle alchemists within the Invisible College
who argue that the knowledge contained within the
Necronomicon should be used to further the war aims of
the Royalist cause, expressing the opinion that there is
very little difference between summoning an elemental
and summoning a shoggoth on the battlefield; so far,
wiser heads have prevailed, with Robert Boyle being a
voice for moderation – but if fighting in the civil war
were to intensify again, it is not known whether he
could stand against the more hot-headed and
ambitious young Cavalier-Alchemists.
The book is on the Index Liborum Prohibitorum, the list
of books banned by the Catholic Church, and is
mentioned in John Milton’s passionate tract against
censorship, Aeropagitica, itself banned in 1644.
Reading Time: 50 weeks to study and comprehend
properly.
Spells: All Mythos spells described above.
Skill Bonuses: Lore (Cthulhu Mythos) +15%, Lore
(Occult) +5%
HR: -20%/2D10
23
Mythos Magick
MYTHOS TOMES IN THE
GAME
The Necronomicon, and indeed other tomes containing
Mythos lore, can sometimes be used by Adventurers to
seek hidden knowledge, usually in an attempt to fight
the creatures and gods of the Mythos. The
Necronomicon, Ptolemy’s Esoterica (p.60) and Antiquities
and Customs of Northern England (p.144) are all detailed
in this book. Readers will need to make an appropriate
Language check to understand the tome. Remember, at
this point in time Scholars haven’t unlocked the secrets
of Egyptian hieroglyphics or Mesopotamian cuneiform
writings (although that is not to say that in the world
of Clockwork & Cthulhu there may not be someone in
possession of the key to such ancient secrets).
Lore (Research) checks might also be required if the
reader is skimming through the book for a specific
piece of information, or spell, rather than reading the
whole volume.
GMs wishing to create further Mythos tomes should
consider which spells a book contains, how long it
takes to read the tome, what are the mental effects (the
tome’s HR) of reading the tome, and what skills the
book might infer (Lore (Occult), Lore (Cthulhu
24
SPOILER WARNING: GAMES MASTERS
ONLY
A Games Master wishing to tie in the Mythos to the
Kingdom & Commonwealth Campaign for Clockwork &
Chivalry may reflect that the civilisation currently
on the Moon, as described in the adventure
Quintessence (Kingdom & Commonwealth Omnibus
II), may well know a lot more than is told in the
Necronomicon. Indeed, Lady Arabella may be
travelling to the Moon to seek Mythos knowledge
rather than quintessence, leading to a rather
different ending to that particular adventure...
Mythos) etc.) once read. Some tomes might have a
mental impact beyond a simple HR test (for instance,
see the effects of reading Ptolemy’s Esoterica on p.60).
GMs may also judge that some of the spells contained
within Mythos Tomes can be read aloud, directly from
a tome, rather than learnt and recited from memory
(see above, p.21). Otherwise spells are learnt using the
Learning Spells rules from the Alchemy chapter of the
rulebook.

Chapter 4
In which the veil of secrecy is drawn back
from a number of previously unknown
Factions
“Bunch together a group of people deliberately chosen for strong religious feelings,
and you have a practical guarantee of dark morbidities expressed in crime,
perversion and insanity.”
– H.P. Lovecraft
Factions represent an individual’s main passion or
cause. The following additional Factions are available
for characters, supplementing those listed in the
Renaissance/Clockwork & Chivalry Core Rulebook rules.
Most of these new Factions will be more suitable for
NPCs, although Adventurers may also find themselves
gravitating toward such Factions as a result of their
adventuring experiences.
Note: The skills and Magick bonuses listed for the
following Factions should be considered suggestions,
rather than advantages to be routinely granted to every
Faction member – such advantages will depend on the
character’s position within any organisation of which
he or she is a member, and the access he or she has to
forbidden knowledge. Or, in other words, not every
member of a cult will necessarily have Magick, and not
every member of every cult will have a uniform
understanding regarding the Cthulhu Mythos.
Factions
FACTIONS AND BELIEFS
Factions in Clockwork & Cthulhu work much the
same way as Factions in the standard
Renaissance/Clockwork & Chivalry Core Rulebook
rules. It is possible for to be a member of one of the
organisations mentioned in the following Faction
descriptions (Cthulhu cult, OED, etc), but to
actually belong to a different Faction. This most
commonly occurs when someone is a Spy or a
member of the “Self Interest” Faction. If the starting
character is mainly motivated by Self Interest, they
will still be awarded +10% Beliefs (Faction) in their
organisation’s Faction as per p.139 of the Clockwork
& Chivalry Core Rulebook, and Lore (Cthulhu
Mythos), but again at a lower rate, -5% of whatever
is listed under the Faction description.
25
Factions
The Association
Ÿ Fear is power – Fear nothing. Be the most feared.
Ÿ Death is ecstasy – Relish destruction. Embrace
death.
Hate, kill, destroy – Because you can.
Allies: None
Enemies: Everyone
Zeal: 70
Bonus Skills: Beliefs (Association) +25%, Lore
(Cthulhu Mythos) +10%, +50% distributed between
combat skills.
Magick: None
Other: None
“I have always known that I am an outsider; a stranger in
this century and among those who are still men.”
– H.P. Lovecraft, “The Outsider”
You live to terrify others. You live to kill. You live to
die. You are a member of the Association, although the
few that have heard of your Faction, and lived to tell
the tale, refer to you as “The Butchers”. The
Association are a group dedicated to causing pain,
suffering, and carnage. Having joined the Association,
you will never be allowed to leave alive. Your initiation
consisted of carrying out a brutal and risky killing, and
since your acceptance into the group you are expected
to regularly repeat the act.
The Association is a network of assassins, thieves,
smugglers and thugs, whose name is rarely spoken
outside of the criminal fraternity, and within that
group only in whispers, if at all. Only the truly
desperate contact the Association. They are known to
carry out contract killings, but it is also known that
murder is their hobby, so drawing their attention is,
too say the least, a risky business.
The closest Faction to the Association is the Satanists,
but members of the Association don’t truly worship
anyone, not even Satan. You might be aware of some
26
of the Great Old Ones, but they are not gods, merely
more efficient killers than even you. The Association
do carry out rituals, however. The organisation reveres
killing and admires murder, and there are formal
celebrations, sacrifices, hunts, and other dark
ceremonies, all designed to reflect on the act of slaying
another, or dying in the attempt.
Association members tend to be recruited when the
deeds of a criminal individual reach the ears of other
Association members. Deeds that attract such notice
are notorious and cruel. The Association admires
bravery only in the sense of a preparedness to risk
one’s life; they hold no regard for honour, chivalry or
mercy. A vicious bully might be recruited from a gang
of thugs; a highwayman might be recruited if terrible,
rather than romantic, tales are told about him; a
military commander might be approached, if lurid
stories of atrocity surround him. There is no option to
refuse the call to join the Association – either the recruit
embraces the Association without reservation, or they
are murdered out of hand. Membership, once gained,
requires only that the individual attends key
ceremonies, and maintains absolute secrecy and
discretion regarding the Association itself. Any
member breaking these simple rules is slain at the
earliest opportunity. Membership is not without some
rewards however – such is the reputation of the
Association that, although most have not heard of the
organisation, those that have will pay handsomely for
their services. The Association is very wealthy. While
members are expected to win physical battles for
themselves, Association money is freely employed to
subvert the law, cover member’s tracks, etc.
The Association is organised in Chapters. There are no
leaders. Disputes within a Chapter, so long as they do
not contravene the general principles of secrecy, are
resolved through single combat. The Association
employs secret signals and signs in order to
communicate with members in regions away from
one’s home Chapter. There are sister organisations in
other cultures, but the Association characteristically
will be very unlikely to allow them to operate in
England. The Association prides itself on its lack of
toleration, empathy, and morality, and will brook no
challengers to their claim to be the most notorious
brutal fiends in the known world.

Cult of Cthulhu
Ÿ Cthulhu sleeps – The great god Cthulhu lies dead,
trapped in R’lyeh, his underwater domain.
Ÿ Cthulhu dreams – Cthulhu’s powers are great.
Even in his dead-like state he dreams, and his
dreams influence the world of men.
Cthulhu will Rise – One day Cthulhu will break
free from his watery tomb.
Allies: Deep Ones, Shub-Niggurath Cultists
Enemies: All non-Mythos Factions
Zeal: 70
Bonus Skills: Beliefs (Cthulhu) +25%, Lore (Cthulhu
Mythos) +10%
Magick: +1 to MAG. Characters who do not already
have the MAG attribute gain it at (INT+POW)/10+1
Other: Human Cthulhu Faction cultists can
communicate with Deep Ones. Your cult gives you
access to the Mythos spells For to Contact Cthulhu, For
the Dismissal of Cthulhu, For the Summoning of Cthulhu,
and many water and weather-related Witchcraft spells,
which you can learn in the usual way.
“Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn - In
his house at R'lyeh dead Cthulhu waits dreaming.”
– H.P. Lovecraft, “The Call of Cthulhu”
Factions
You worship the great god Cthulhu (see p.48). You
may be aware that Cthulhu is the High Priest of the
Great Old Ones and that one day, when the stars are
right, he will return, leading his kind to dominate the
world forever. While the stars are wrong he lies dead
in the underwater city of R’lyeh. But, even so, his
dreams can reach out and affect the world. He is a
being that cannot be understood in human terms, and
thus can never be considered truly dead or alive as
your puny mind might conceive it. He is at the root of
the most ancient of mankind’s nightmares, and will be
there, at the end, when humanity finally perishes.
Typical worshippers of Cthulhu include the Deep
Ones and the humans with which they have had
dealings (who often are human/Deep One hybrids).
There are also other individuals who are drawn to the
worship of Cthulhu, whether from ancient racial
memory, the baleful influence of Cthulhu stretching
out from R’lyeh, the acquisition of second-hand
knowledge, or the unearthing of relics from aeons past.
Where worshippers live in close proximity to each
other the cult can take on a more formal aspect –
engaging in rituals, which usually involve human
sacrifice, and building secret temples in honour of their
deity. These secret temples often contain artefacts
made from mysterious unearthly substances.
The longer a (human) individual serves as a follower
of Cthulhu, the more they will be drawn to their mas-
ter. This usually begins with frequent dreams of their
god and his underwater home. After a while the
dreams will lure them to either a Deep One/human
hybrid community, where they might be accepted, or
to a watery grave.
27
Factions
Cult of Shub-
Niggurath
Ÿ Shub-Niggurath is coming soon – We must
prepare the way for the Lord of the Woods.
The Thousand Young are sacred – The children of
the Black Goat are to be cherished, for when their
father comes in glory, they will rule over us. Those
who have spurned them will suffer torments
unimaginable.
Nothing matters but the preparing of the way –
All Earthly wars and religions are inconsequential;
oaths and loyalties to people and organisations
may be taken and broken if it furthers the arrival of
Shub-Niggurath.
Allies: Fair Folk, Cthulhu Cultists
Enemies: All other Factions
Zeal: 60
Bonus Skills: Beliefs (Shub-Niggurath) +25%, Lore
(Cthulhu Mythos) +10%
Magick: +1 to MAG. Characters who do not already
have the MAG attribute gain it at (INT+POW)/10+1
Other: Your cult gives you access to the Mythos spells
For to Call on the Power of Animal Sacrifice, For to Call on
the Power of Human Sacrifice, For to Contact Shub-
Niggurath, For the Dismissal of Shub-Niggurath, For the
Summoning of Shub-Niggurath plus all Witchcraft spells
from the rulebook, which you can learn in the usual
way.
“Ia! Ia! Shub Niggurath! The Black Goat of the Woods with
a Thousand Young!”
– H.P. Lovecraft, “The Whisperer in Darkness”
You are a member of a coven that worships Shub-
Niggurath, who is also known as the Lord of the
Woods, the Black Goat of the Woods with a Thousand
Young, and the Old Man of Coniston. Shub-Niggurath
is a being from beyond space. He appears to cultists as
a dark-skinned man with the horns, eyes, and hooves
of a goat. Non-believers might mistake him for Satan,
but you know better! Satan is merely a myth, based on
28
tales of the Black Goat, as are the ancient stories of Pan.
His true form is altogether less substantial - see p.54.
The cult of Shub-Niggurath has been active in the
Coniston area of England for thousands of years. It was
probably introduced by the Winged Ones during their
explorations of the area in search of minerals, and
passed on down to their human servants. Worshipping
him is such a feature of the area that the highest
mountain in the Coniston Fells, the Old Man of
Coniston, is named after him. Numerous stone circles,
large and small, dot the area, sites where coven
members commune with him.
Shub-Niggurath is a profoundly sexual being. He often
couples with his female human worshippers, who later
give birth to swarthy-skinned babies with
disconcerting features. His infant offspring show signs
of magickal ability from an early age, being able to cast
the spell For to Give a Withering Look from the age of
four, or even younger. Those who do not know the
secrets of the cult call these children “changelings” –
they say that the real child has been stolen away by the
Fair Folk and replaced by these evil fairy children. But
again, you know better – they are none other than the
Thousand Young mentioned in the ritual chants to
your god.
You may be a Witch who knows some Cthulhu Mythos
spells (see p.20); but many cultists are the equivalent of
Satanic Cultists (see Clockwork & Chivalry Core Rulebook
pp.242-3), who have no magickal ability themselves,
but have sworn an oath to Shub-Niggurath in return
for magickal services from a Shub-Niggurath-
worshipping Witch.
It is said that “when the stars are right” Shub-Niggurath
will “seep down from the stars” and govern the Earth in
his true form, and that his children will rule beneath
him. It is therefore right that you protect and nourish
the Thousand Young, so that you will survive his
coming, which you believe will happen soon. If you
have borne one of his children yourself, you are deeply
in love with the Lord of the Woods (add another +20%
to Zeal) and will do anything to protect your child. If
you are married, it is unlikely that your husband
knows the true father of your child – he may assume it
is his own, or blame its strangeness on the Fair Folk.
Note: If you wish, all Satanists in your campaign may
actually be worshippers of Shub-Niggurath without
knowing it.

The New Mission
Ÿ There are beings of immense power who threaten
humanity – These beings have an alien nature.
Ÿ These beings are worshipped by human followers
– Foolish cultists serve their terrible masters.
Humanity must not realise the extent of the threat
they are facing – For such knowledge would
extinguish faith and hope.
Religious division is insignificant – In the face of
the greater hidden dangers theological differences
are petty.
Ÿ Threats must be found and destroyed – Someone
must work to prevent the destruction of the world.
Where necessary, help must be sought – Assistance
must sometimes be sought to wipe out cultists and
impede the designs of their deities.
Allies: All enemies of Mythos cults
Enemies: All Mythos cults
Zeal: 60
Bonus Skills: Beliefs (New Mission) +25%, Lore
(Cthulhu Mythos) +15%
Magick: None, but see below.
Other: The New Mission makes copies of the various
Dismiss (A Servitor/God) spells, which it issues to its
agents on a need-to-use basis. (See Other Forms of
Spellcasting, p.21)
“Never Explain Anything.”
– H.P. Lovecraft
You are a member of the highly secretive New Mission.
The reason for this secrecy is the dark truth about the
New Mission’s purpose. You are charged with
combating the Great Old Ones, a race of inhuman and
unchristian deities, and the human cultists who worship
them.
The New Mission is a tiny organisation. It was formed
by a group of individuals, most of whom belonged to
the Society of Jesus, a Catholic order more commonly
known as the Jesuits. Although it would be strenuously
denied, the knowledge of the threat to humanity posed
by cultists, and the terrible deities whom they serve, has
been leaked from secret Vatican archives. Perhaps those
that leaked the information were concerned that the
current state of the world might be a sign that the stars
Factions
will soon be right for the Great Old Ones to attempt to
break through and enslave or destroy humanity. Europe
is at war with itself; there have recently been bizarre
magickal discoveries made; and creatures, once thought
to have belonged to legend, stalk the lands. These events
have been accompanied by a surge in the formation of
new cults, and increased activity within long
established ones.
The New Mission is considered heretical by both the
broader Catholic Church and the Jesuits, and all
knowledge of your Faction is suppressed. However,
your order does have a few powerful allies, who do
their best to protect their heretical brethren so that you
might be able to conduct your vital business. The church
cannot afford for the threat to humanity to become
public (the Reformation has already split your faith, and
such knowledge could destroy it completely), however
the threat cannot be totally ignored. The New Mission
probably recruited you in one of the many Jesuit
seminaries, scattered across Catholic Europe. You will
have been selected as someone that might be relied
upon to understand the implications of the forbidden
knowledge with which you have been entrusted, and
trained to act on it accordingly.
You may have been sent out to gather information,
monitor activity and recruit others (although they
should remain unwitting as to the full extent of what
they are facing) to your cause. Or you might be trained
to fight your enemies yourself. The New Mission even,
at times of dire need, sanctions the use of heretical
magickal ritual – believing that at certain critical
moments, fire must be fought with fire.
You might still turn to your Catholic faith for comfort
and succour, or you might have turned your back on
God, prepared to fight simply for the sake of your
fellow man, rather than for any higher spiritual
principles. Either way, unlike other Jesuits, when you
are dispatched into the world you are not expected to
work to recruit others to the Catholic faith, and you are
even permitted to deny your own faith, if it serves the
higher purpose of combating the Great Old Ones.
Understandably, membership of such an organisation
is fraught with danger. You will be hunted: Protestant
authorities suspect you are a secret Catholic; your own
church considers you a heretic (most of the Church
hierarchy know nothing of your group’s existence);
and the cultists will come after you, if they become
aware that you are working against them. The life
expectancy of a member of the New Mission is usually
quite limited. Good luck!
29
Factions
The Order of
Esoteric Discoverie
Ÿ The OED acquire lost and forbidden knowledge
– There are occult tomes and manuscripts that
contain powerful secrets and long-lost knowledge.
Ÿ Knowledge brings power – The OED can use
forbidden knowledge and magick for their own
advancement.
Ÿ Theology is wrong – Much of the forbidden
knowledge acquired by the OED suggests that
traditional views on theology and nature are
completely wrong.
Ÿ The OED serve hidden masters – There are
ancient beings of immense power in existence.
Humanity can only tremble before them. The OED
serve these beings.
Allies: The Invisible College (but not all IC members
know of the OED)
Enemies: Most non-Mythos Factions
Zeal: 50
Bonus Skills: Beliefs (OED) +25%, Lore (Cthulhu
Mythos) +15%
Magick: +1 to MAG. Characters who do not already
have the MAG attribute gain it at (INT+POW)/10+1
Other: Your cult may give you access to many Mythos
spells and Alchemy spells, which you can learn in the
usual way; but not all Lodges know all spells.
“Knowledge itself is power.”
– Francis Bacon
You are a member of the Order of Esoteric Discoverie
(OED), a secret society that operates within the higher
echelons of society. The OED are organised in cells (or
Lodges) scattered throughout many of the larger
30
towns and cities in England. Each cell operates
independently of the others, so the entire extent of the
network would not be exposed if one cell were to be
rooted out. The Order is relatively new, although many
of its members claim ancient antecedents. Certainly the
Order should be viewed as just one head of a many-
headed beast – throughout the civilised world similar
groups exist, all seeking knowledge of the occult in
general, and their hidden masters, the Great Old Ones,
in particular.
Each cell is usually structured in a similar manner – a
Knight of the Order presides over the Inner Circle and,
where numbers and resources allow, other Acolytes
serve to do their bidding. Many Acolytes are little more
than hirelings, who carry out their orders in return for
cash or favours. The cells do not co-operate with each
other, and may even aggressively compete for
resources. However there are several signs
(handshakes, body language, passwords) that
members may use to indicate their secret allegiances
when not in their home towns, and there is a common
rulebook dictating the structure of the organisation
and some of the basic rituals that should be followed
(for induction into the inner circle, election to
Knighthood, punishment for the unfaithful, etc.).
Although the general rules of service to the Old Ones
and the accumulation of ancient knowledge are
common to all members of the OED, the actual goals of
the OED vary somewhat from cell to cell. All members
of the inner circle are inducted into some of the secrets
of the cult, including the knowledge that there are
ancient hidden masters that the cult serves. However,
some cells have in their possession more in-depth
knowledge regarding these hidden forces and the
strange nature of their masters. These more informed
cells usually have more access to magickal spells and
books of real power. Members of other cells, who
might have access to some minor occult tomes, their
rulebook, and little else, are more inclined to believe
that much of the OED ritual is symbolic. Often, in these
more ignorant associations, the members treat the OED
as being more about personal advancement and
providing access to influential connections, rather than
a road to real forbidden power.

Paradisians
Ÿ People must return to nature – People are but
lowly animals and should act as such.
Ÿ Knowledge is senseless – And imprisons us,
turning people from their true nature.
Ÿ Nature is honest – Nature is a perpetual state of
war, domesticating ourselves divorces us from our
true tendency toward savagery.
Ÿ In nature our masters reveal themselves – in
ancient times our gods moved amongst us,
revealing themselves to us.
People are hunters, people are prey – The gods
feast on people, people hunt animals. That is how
it should be. Might is right.
Allies: Cult of Shub-Niggurath
Enemies: All non-Mythos Factions
Zeal: 60
Bonus Skills: Beliefs (Paradisian) +25%, Lore (Cthulhu
Mythos) +10%
Magick: None
Other: None.
“I am as free as Nature first made man,
Ere the base laws of servitude began,
When wild in woods the noble savage ran.”
– John Dryden, The Conquest of Granada
The Paradisians are dedicated to returning to a natural
state. Great gods reveal themselves to primitive
savages, and the best way to reconnect to the old ways
is to revert to such a state yourself. All learning and
civilisation is an attempt to create distance between
people and their innate birthright – that of slaves to
greater beings beyond our feeble understanding.
The Paradisians often recruit amongst the more
outlandish Factions. Members of the Adamite, Ranter,
Factions
Deist, Satanist and Fifth Monarchist Factions are all
viewed as possible sympathisers, and lured to
Paradisian meetings. Such gatherings share certain
common practices. They attempt to avoid using
modern language as a means of communication.
Formal speech is dispensed with and guttural grunting
is encouraged, although some chanting in a strange
language occurs at certain points during the meetings.
Books or technological items are symbolically
destroyed. Clothes are dispensed with, worshippers
covering themselves only with mud and body paint.
Spontaneous wrestling bouts and acts of fornication
are encouraged. At this point sometimes matters get
out of hand, and it is not unknown for frenzied
Paradisians to start beating each other to death. As the
meetings reach their conclusion, the worship of strange
alien beings takes place – crude rock carvings of
monstrous forms are placed at the centre of the
gatherings, and all prostrate themselves before the
idols and speaking the tongue of the ancients, a strange
rhythmic language that the human voice is ill-suited to
produce. Proceedings are sometimes led by a high
priest, or chief, but often even this crude hierarchy is
dispensed with (usually when attendees are longer-
standing members of the cult, all aware of the order of
worship).
Those who attend such meetings, even if they are not
eventually converted to the Paridisian way, tend to
keep quiet about their attendance. Speaking out would
bring accusations of witchcraft and would likely result
in the punishing of the accuser (and the strenuous
denial of the other attendees).
The Paradisian hatred of knowledge sometimes brings
them into conflict with other cultists. Paradisians even
seek and destroy occult and Mythos tomes – for they
believe that ancient rituals are god-given, and don’t
need to be collected and codified. Writing knowledge
down tames and contains the human spirit – whereas
destroying such trappings frees people from their
enslavement to civilised codes, and brings people
closer to removing the veil that separates them from
their true natures.
31
Factions
The Righteous
Soldiers
Ÿ Evil is everywhere - and it must be rooted out.
Ÿ God has sent abominations to test us – We will
show ourselves worthy.
Ÿ The Devil has many human agents - Secret
societies work against God. They must be
destroyed.
Ÿ The Righteous must fight all abominations – We
are already saved by God’s grace; we must face the
Earthly demons he has sent to test us.
Purity is strength – If our hearts are pure, we will
prevail.
Allies: Covenanters, New Model Army, Presbyterians,
Puritans
Enemies: Everyone Else
Zeal: 60
Bonus Skills: Beliefs (Righteous Soldiers) +25%, Lore
(Cthulhu Mythos) +10%, Lore (Secret Societies) +25%
Magick: None
“Unity without verity is no better than conspiracy.”
– John Trapp, English Puritan army chaplain.
You are a member of the Righteous Soldiers, a hard-
line, mainly Puritan, secret society, dedicated to
vanquishing all enemies of God. The Righteous
Soldiers tend to recruit those suited to action, rather
than contemplation. You see yourself as a warrior in
God’s service. You are probably prepared to die for
your faith.
Righteous Soldiers spend most of their time hunting
down and destroying any secret societies that are not
dedicated solely to the service of God and the salvation
of the soul. Nearly every non-Puritan sect fits into this
category, and most Righteous Soldiers do not
32
distinguish between the multitude of factions that they
believe oppose them. If someone is not a member of the
Elect (predestined for heaven by the will of God), then
they are damned – if they work toward any other
spiritual or religious ends than the spreading of the
Calvinist message, then they are acting directly against
God’s will and are an enemy.
Righteous Soldiers are largely recruited from the
Parliamentarian Army, and in particular from within
the New Model Army. Whole units can experience
religious fervour and find themselves sworn in to
undertake a Righteous Soldier mission – the only
exception to the generally martial composition of your
Faction is the Rectors of Righteousness, who undertake
such recruitments and assign the details of the
missions. Typical missions range from helping Witch
Hunters to round up witches, to assisting Iconoclasts in
smashing up Papist iconography, to raiding houses
where priests might be hiding. Military units who have
been co-opted to fight the good fight are usually
released from their service to the Righteous Soldiers
once their immediate objectives have been achieved.
There is another type of Righteous Soldier, again
usually recruited by the Rectors of Righteousness. This
is the rare individual considered to be of such potential
that they might permanently act as a paladin for the
cause. Such an individual should be an exceptional
physical specimen and of unwavering faith. These
implacable loners are inducted into the deeper secrets
of the Faction – where they are instructed in the whole
gamut of secret societies and corrupted practices
undertaken by sinners. Although outwardly stern and
unbending, the Righteous Soldier is often in turmoil
within, examining themselves continuously for sin and
weakness, and often convinced that they themselves
must be purged, as unworthy, dirty, weak, fleshy
vessels.
These Righteous Soldiers, and the Rectors who mentor
them, have at times come up against cults who claim to
operate in the service of strange, ancient pagan gods
and twisted magickal beings. As a Righteous Soldier,
even faced with such maddeningly unusual foes, it is
your duty to stay strong, hunt them down and, when
you find them, erase any such blasphemers from the
face of God’s earth.

Chapter 5
In which creatures both abhorrent and
unnatural are described to the aghast reader
“The Old Ones were, the Old Ones are, and the Old Ones shall be.
Not in the spaces we know, but between them. They walk serene and
primal, undimensioned and to us unseen.”
– H.P. Lovecraft
In his fictional works, H.P.Lovecraft described a host of
strange creatures and god-like beings. Some are
extensively detailed in his stories – their culture, habits,
and intentions explored. Others are simply referred to
with little more than a name provided for reference.
Some of these creatures are unique to Lovecraft’s own
writings, others were his homages to the creations of
other writers. The following section includes a
selection of these creatures from Lovecraft’s Mythos
stories. Some of these creatures appear in the three
adventures in this book; others are developed for
Games Masters to incorporate into their own Clockwork
& Cthulhu campaigns.
The following creatures supplement the Bestiary in
Clockwork & Chivalry 2nd Edition, but should be used
slightly differently. The Clockwork & Chivalry default
setting does include some fantastical beasts, but they
are largely creatures from traditional mythology and
conform to seventeenth century expectations.
Although in their way many of the “traditional”
Clockwork & Chivalry creatures are terrifying to
encounter, they are all “of the World”.
Bestiary
The creatures in Clockwork & Cthulhu are more
disquieting because their existence denies the whole
premise of the world as understood by most people
(the Adventurers, probably, included). There is an
alien, unknown, inter-dimensional, sinister and cosmic
aspect to these creatures, which both challenges the
core beliefs of those encountering them and defies
reality itself.
In particular, these gods of the the Mythos are both
worshipped as gods and have god-like powers. In the
traditional Clockwork & Chivalry world most people
believe in the Christian God, though they might fight
tooth-and-nail over the best means of worshipping
him. But that God does not manifest in reality (and
although Witches believe they get their powers from
Satan, likewise there is no confirmation that this is
actually the case). The Gods of the Mythos, although
inter-dimensional and semi-dormant, are,
nevertheless, a very real threat, and are able to
manifest (even if not fully) in a variety of ways. The
mere sight of such creatures leads to madness – due
both to their sickening appearance and to the fact that
their very existence contradicts established beliefs
about how the universe is ordered.
33
Bestiary

Creatures of the Mythos

CHANGELING (CHILD OF SHUB-NIGGURATH)
Note: For more information on
changelings, see the Shub-Niggurath
Faction, p.28.
Children of Shub-Niggurath, born of
human women, tend to be swarthy-
skinned, with black hair. Although
human, they will have at least one
non-human feature. Roll on the
following table:
D6 Feature

1 Goat-like eyes with horizontal

slit pupils
2 Small nubs of bone on the
forehead, like the beginnings of
horns
3 Goat-like hooves instead of feet
4 A vestigial tail
5 1D2 extra nipples
6 Roll again and gain another
feature

All have MAG at INT+POW+4, and

gain use of the spell For to Give a
Withering Look by the age of four.
Adults are also likely to have INT-2
other Witchcraft spells, including
some Mythos spells (see p.20).
Anyone noticing one of the above features on a changeling for the first time must make a Sanity Check. A
changeling has Horror Rating on 0%/1D4.
Children of Shub-Niggurath can be any age, as the cult has been going for thousands of years; some are killed at
birth as abominations, and in the current witch-fearing age, many have been hung as Witches. They can come
from any social class (depending, of course, on that of their mother), and may take any profession, though many
gravitate toward being Witches or Warlocks.
A child of Shub-Niggurath may only be an Adventurer character with the Game Master’s permission, and should
probably expect to die horribly at some point in the campaign!

CHANGELING STATISTICS
All changelings are different. Games Masters can create changeling characters to fit the campaign or add the
requisite changeling features and spells to an NPC chosen from those listed in the Clockwork & Chivalry Core
Rulebook p.344-5.

34
 Bestiary
CLOCKWORK MINER
STR 4D6 (14) CON 3D6+6 (17)
DEX 2D6+6 (13) SIZ 3D6+6 (17)
INT 3D6 (11) POW 3D6 (11)
CHA 1D6 (4) DM n/a
HP 17 MWL 9 Move 20
Mining Tools 50% (1D8+1)
Armour: 3/1 (except the head, which
has no armour)
Skills: Craft (Mining) 78%, Persistence
30%, Resilience 60%, Unarmed Combat
50%
HR: -20%/1D8
Spells: None

Clockwork miners are made by

fusing Parliamentarian clock-
work technology with fair folk
technology to create a creature
which is mostly machine but
with the head and mind of a
human miner. Clockwork min-
ers look somewhat like giant
mechanical ants; their perpetu-
ally horrified-looking faces
give them a nightmarish as-
pect, particularly when met in
the dark in a confined space.
They are all insane due to the
terrible change they have been forced to undergo, though their knowledge of mining makes them good workers.
Most have only a vague glimmering of their life before they were transformed (which is probably a mercy) though
a few retain enough memories to make them wish they were dead. However, they have been programmed by the
fair folk to resist suicide, to mine day and night to the best of their abilities, and to attack intruders on sight.
Each miner is slightly different physically, since not all have the same tools fitted to their limbs. There are limbs
specialised as picks, jackhammers, drills, shovels, etc. Each miner will have 1D3+1 tools, which they can use
simultaneously in combat with no penalties – so a clockwork miner with a drill, a jackhammer and a pick would
have three attacks per round all at his Unarmed Combat skill. For ease of play, each tool does 1D8+1 damage.
Clockwork miners need to be rewound once a day (there is a winding station in the mines); a clockwork miner
which is not rewound will cease functioning within 24+1D3 hours after its last winding, although its human head
will remain alive and aware for 1D3 days after the last time the miner was wound up.

35
Bestiary
COLOUR FROM THE WELKIN
STR n/a CON n/a
DEX n/a SIZ 3D6* (11)
INT 3D6+6 POW 3D6* (11)
CHA n/a DM n/a
HP n/a MWL n/a Move 20
Armour: n/a
Skills: Persistence 80%
HR: -20%/1D8
Spells: None
Other: Mental Attack - The Colour can
mentally attack one human, living in the
radius of the taint, at a time. Each day the
victim must make an opposed Persistence test.
If The Colour wins this roll, it increases its
POW and SIZ by 1. The victim’s failure also
results in the loss of 1 point of his or her POW
And 1D8 mental damage. Victims of such
mental attacks may make a Persistence roll,
and if successful attempt to leave the area.
However, these Persistence rolls become more
difficult each day. There is a -20% penalty to
these rolls for each day after the first day of the
Mental Attack. When the victim drops to 0
POW they are absorbed completely by the
Colour (and dead). The Colour might inhabit
the victim for a time before returning to its
landing point, thereafter leaving the victim’s
corpse a calcified, twisted husk.
Taint Land - Each day the taint caused by the Colour extends a further half a metre radius from its original source (see below).
Disintegrate Matter - The Colour can dissolve any material on which it settles (at a rate of 2D6 HP per round). Armour is not
effective long-term protection, in as much as it too is dissolved at the same rate.

“It was just a colour. But not any colour of our earth and heavens... It was just a colour out of space—a frightful messenger
from unformed realms of infinity beyond all Nature as we know it.”
– H.P. Lovecraft, “The Colour out of Space”
The Colours are strange alien miasmas, capable of blighting the land and turning people insane. From whence
they fall is unknown, but certainly they don’t come from the Moon or any similarly benevolent orb. The taint they
spread is not dissimilar to that caused by the alchemical cocktail that has ruined the Tainted Lands near Naseby
(for more information, see The Alchemist’s Wife in Kingdom & Commonwealth Omnibus I), although, if anything,
where a Colour resides the impurity is even more entrenched.
The Colour falls to earth on alien rock. The rock dissolves, leaving the Colour behind. The Colour will dwell at, or
near to, the point of the original landing, although it may move around the area that it is tainting, it will regularly
return to, and settle at, this spot.
The Colour itself is the size listed (growing as it saps victims of their POW), but it also acts as a source of a wider
tainting of the land. Each day the radius of this taint grows, gradually impacting all living things (and even the
land itself). At first animals and plants will seem unusually healthy (although they are virtually inedible, tasting
foul and unwholesome), but as the days pass their appearances change, becoming distorted and twisted. Animals
become maddened, deformed, and eventually die. The plants that remain become ever more stunted and warped.
Once dead, the plant and animal matter appears calcified, covered in a layer of unwholesome grey dust.

36
 Bestiary
Aside from the rest of the flora and fauna, the Colour will mentally attack any humans in the area within the lands
that it is tainting. It will attack one individual at a time, and won’t stop until that individual flees or dies, at which
point it will immediately turn its attentions to a fresh victim.
The Colour can move around the land it taints, flowing along surfaces, dissolving them when it wishes (it can use
its Disintegrate Matter ability to eat through doors, etc). It can also fly back into the heavens (but will only do so
if it is driven out or decides to leave of its own accord). Driving out, capturing, or destroying a Colour is difficult
(and may even be impossible). Colours are immune to physical attacks and the elements, and can dissolve
surfaces. If something might be created to contain one it would probably be through magickal means and, as of
yet, such a spell or device has not been discovered.

DEEP ONE
STR 4D6 (14) CON 3D6 (11)
DEX 3D6 (11)* SIZ 3D6+6 (16)
INT 2D6+6 (13) POW 3D6 (11)
CHA 2D6 (6) DM +1D4
HP 14 MWL 7 Move 12 (Swimming 18)
Claws 45% (1D6+1D4), Fish Spear 35%
(1D8+1D4)
Armour: 1 AP due to scales
Skills: Athletics 65%, Close Combat 30%,
Dodge 30%, Persistence 40%, Resilience
40%, Unarmed Combat 30%
HR: 0%/1D6
Spells: Some Deep Ones may have a MAG
of up to POW and 1D6 spells
*When out of the water Deep Ones have a
lower functioning Dexterity – subtract 2
from Dex when on land.

“Their predominant colour was a

greyish-green, though they had white
bellies. They were mostly shiny and
slippery, but the ridges of their backs
were scaly. Their forms vaguely
suggested the anthropoid, while their
heads were the heads of fish, with
prodigious bulging eyes that never
closed. At the sides of their necks
were palpitating gills, and their long
paws were webbed. They hopped irregularly, sometimes on two legs and sometimes on four.”
– H.P. Lovecraft, “The Shadow Over Innsmouth”
Deep Ones are aquatic creatures. It is unclear how many colonies of Deep Ones exist, but they are certainly more
numerous than their elusive nature would suggest. Deep Ones are generally stronger and larger than humans.
Although they can breathe outside of the oceans and bays in which they dwell, they are less suited to being on dry
land, and shuffle more slowly and clumsily when out of their native habitat.
Deep Ones worship their god, Cthulhu, and interact with human cultists who do likewise. Where Deep Ones and
humans come together it is usually in more secluded or inaccessible coastal places, where their activities are less
likely to attract the attention of larger human settlements. Aside from worshipping together, Deep Ones and
humans interbreed. Cultists usually revere such a match. At other times unwilling non-cultist humans are
abducted, by cultists or Deep Ones, for the purpose of breeding.

37
Bestiary
The hybrid offspring of Deep Ones and human matches are sometimes able to pass themselves off as completely
human, although usually traces of their Deep One heritage can be detected by those that know what they are
looking for. Generally speaking these more human hybrids are well-built, ugly, bulging-eyed, with clammy skin
of an unusual pallor. Others are unmistakably not human. Hybrids might also find themselves transforming at
some stage into fully-fledged Deep Ones, and even those not aware of their ancestry might be granted visions of
Cthulhu, and find themselves drawn to the water and to their Deep One kin.

ELDER THING
STR 6D6+12 (33) CON 4D6+12 (26)
DEX 3D6+2 (13) SIZ 6D6+3 (24)
INT 2D6+12 (19) POW 3D6 (11)
CHA 0 DM +2D6
HP 25 MWL 13 Move 10 (Flying 12)
Armour: 8/4 AP due to tough skin
Skills: Athletics 70%, Dodge 10%,
Persistence 50%, Resilience 90%,
Unarmed 35%
HR: -20%/1D6
Spells: Some Elder Things (25%
chance) have access to alchemy and
1D3 spells
Other: Tentacles - An Elder Thing
can attack twice per round using its
tentacles to grapple (35% chance for
each). If it succeeds it can choose to
constrict, causing 2D6
choking/crushing damage (revise
Major Wound descriptions
accordingly).

“Six feet end to end, three and

five-tenths feet central diameter,
tapering to one foot at each end.
Like a barrel with five bulging
ridges in place of staves. Lateral
breakages, as of thinnish stalks,
are at equator in middle of these
ridges. In furrows between
ridges are curious growths – combs or wings that fold up and spread out like fans. . . which gives almost seven-foot wing
spread.”
– H.P. Lovecraft, “At the Mountains of Madness”
The Elder Things came to the Earth in ancient times, before the creation of animal life. Indeed, some unchristian
folk might believe, having studied the detailed carvings that depict their complex histories, that the Elder Things,
rather than any god, created the conditions in which other life could sustain itself. Any information on the Elder
Things tends to come from recovered impossibly-ancient artefacts depicting their civilisation, although larger,
more permanent, remnants of their vast ruined cities still exist, remote and submerged. Physically, Elder Things
have five mouths, five wings, five eyes, star-fish like appendages at the top and bottom of their strange barrel-
shaped bodies, and are they are incredibly tough. They move about using the appendages at the bottom of their
two metre barrel-like bodies, and the appendages at the top mean they loom nearly a metre higher than most adult
humans. Their language seems, to human ears, to be a whistling, chiming sound. They are able to sense their
surroundings in the absence of a light source.

38
 Bestiary
The Elder Things, or at least their Shoggoth slaves, created the vast cities where the Elder civilisation reigned for
millions of years. The Elder Things were technologically advanced, particularly in the area of biological
engineering, although over time such knowledge was lost. A combination of wars against other alien races,
rebellion (by the Shoggoths), and finally the Ice Age, drove the Elder Things from the face of the Earth. Elder
Things that survive are confined to the ruins of their distant underwater or underground cities. Such survivors are
few and far between, and have little motivation to make their presence known.
The Elder Things were originally able to fly out into space, but over the years they have lost this ability, although
they can still fly short distances. Unlike many of the other Mythos invaders, the Elder Things lack inter-
dimensional qualities, although they have utilised (and possibly even created) dimensional anomalies. They have
no religious or cultish followers. In present times they have completely lost control over the Shoggoths. The Elder
Things breed through jettisoning spores, but they tend to avoid breeding unless it suits their plans for colonisation
or expansion – so surviving earth-bound Elder Things tend to be very old.
The 17th century antiquary and Oxford scholar, John Aubrey, is very interested in ancient ruins and books of old
lore, and would be interested in having the Adventurers’ help on any investigation of Elder Thing ruins or
artifacts discovered in the British Isles.

FAIR FOLK
STR 3D6 (11) CON 3D6 (11)
DEX 4D6 (14) SIZ 3D6 (11)
INT 2D6+6 (13) POW 2D6+6 (13)
CHA 1D4+2 (4) DM +0
HP 11 MWL 6 Move 15 (18 in flight)
MAG 0
Nippers 40% (1D6)
Armour: Due to their non-earthly
physiology, all weapons (except weapons
created by the Fair Folk themselves) do only
minimum damage.
Skills: Close Combat 10%, Dodge 30%, Gun
Combat 60%, Persistence 60%, Resilience
80%, Unarmed Combat 40%
HR: -20%/1D6

“The common name applied to them

was ‘those ones’, or ‘the old ones’,
though other terms had a local or
transient use. Perhaps the bulk of the
Puritan[s]... set them down bluntly as
familiars of the devil, and made them a
basis of awed theological speculation.
Those with Celtic legendry in their
heritage... linked them vaguely with
the malign fairies and ‘little people’ of
the bogs and raths and protected
themselves with scraps of incantation handed down through many generations.”
H.P. Lovecraft, “The Whisperer in Darkness”
Note: The Fair Folk are usually called “mi-go” in Lovecraft’s stories, as that is what the “fungi from Yuggoth” are called in
the Himalayas, but since very few people in the England of 1645 have heard of the Himalayas, in this book we will use the
term by which they are most often known in the districts they inhabit.

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The Fair Folk are said to come from a place called Yuggoth, which some people place in the sky, and others in
some sort of Celtic Otherworld accessible through hollow hills and remote caves. An intelligent race not native to
the Earth, they are “pinkish things about five feet long with crustaceous bodies bearing vast pairs of dorsal fins or
membranous wings and several sets of articulate limbs, and with a sort of convoluted ellipsoid, covered with multitudes of
very short antennae, where a head would ordinarily be.” (Lovecraft, “The Whisperer in Darkness”).
They are called “Fair Folk” not because they are beautiful to look upon (they’re not!), but in a superstitious hope
that, if people call them that, the creatures will treat them fairly and not do unpleasant things to them. The
existence of the Fair Folk is entangled with much folklore involving the fairies, and to the German miners who live
in the area, they are often known as “kobolds” after the sinister mining fairy associated with the “kobold ore”
otherwise known as cobalt, a blue mineral often found in the same seams as copper.
The Fair Folk are expert miners, visiting this world for certain minerals not available in Yuggoth. With technology
far advanced on anything available to humans in the 17th century, they have been digging for rare nuggets of
Quintessence far beneath the surface of the Earth. Their biological science is very advanced – they can remove a
brain from the body of a human and place it in a cylinder, in which it can live and communicate via a speaker.
Once a Fair Folk has been killed, its body will dissolve completely in 1D3 hours, leaving no sign of its presence
but a small puddle of pink slime.
Note: Owners of the adventure Quintessence (in Kingdom & Commonwealth Omnibus II) might like to know that Fair
Folk also visit the Moon, where they have extensive mining complexes in the mountains. They are very active in
the long lunar night, and are often worshipped as minor gods or demons by those inhabitants of the Moon living
closest to them.

FLYING POLYP
STR 4D6+26 (40) CON 2D6+18 (25)
DEX 2D6+6 (13) SIZ 4D6+36 (50)
INT 4D6 (14) POW 3D6+6 (17)
CHA 1D4 (3) DM +4D6
HP 38 MWL 19 Move 10 (15 flying)
Tentacle 70% (1D10)*
*The tentacle does not receive a damage
bonus, as it is the sting, rather than the actual
force of the blow, that causes the damage.
Armour: None (but see Damage Reduction
below)
Skills: Dodge 30%, Persistence 50%,
Resilience 60%, Stealth 30%, Track 50%
HR: -40%/1D20
Spells: 25% chance of having knowledge of
witchcraft and 1D3 spells, though they do
not need to use ingredients.
Other: Damage Reduction - Successful
attacks, including Critical Hits, only do
minimum damage to Flying Polyps. The only
thing that causes them full damage is
lightning.
Invisibility – Flying Polyps have the ability
to become invisible at will. In this state they
may give themselves away by whistling,
although attacking them is still at a penalty
(-40%).

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Wind Mastery – The Flying Polyp can blast victims with wind (50% chance), causing their Damage Bonus in damage to all targets
within 20 metres. -1D6 damage is caused per 20 metres range after the first 20 metres, giving a maximum range of 61-80 metres, at
which just 1D6 damage is done. The damage takes the form of stripping flesh off bone – adjust Major Wound descriptions accordingly.
Anyone taking damage is also knocked prone.

“A horrible elder race of half polypous, utterly alien entities... They were only partly material and had the power of aerial
motion, despite the absence of wings.”
H.P. Lovecraft, “The Shadow Out of Time”
The Flying Polyps are utterly alien and inter-dimensional. Their strange nature can cause them to appear
somewhat dislocated from ordinary dimensions, so they seem to be not quite there, or on the periphery of one’s
vision, although they are solid enough to touch and be attacked. They have tentacles, which form and dissolve
upon their strange pulsating bodies, giving them the ability to “swim” through our dimension as though it were
water. The Flying Polyps communicate using keening whistling noises. They actively enjoy being cruel and hate
all other species.
They arrived on Earth hundreds of millions of years ago, building great cities on the land, although the Elder
Things prevented them from colonising the ocean as well. They fought against the Great Race of Yith, and their
minds are so alien that the Great Race of Yith could not penetrate their minds and swap into their bodies. They do
not see, but rather they sense what is around them, even sensing what is hidden behind walls and other barriers.
During their wars with the Great Race of Yith, they were driven underground; their cities were left abandoned,
even though the Flying Polyps eventually managed to rise up and slay their foes, they returned afterwards to their
new underground homes. Flying Polyps still inhabit these underground complexes, usually located at the bottom
of giant wells, sunk beneath ancient ruins. Flying Polyps will ruthlessly destroy any who enter their lairs.
It is possible that the caverns under Nottingham Castle, inhabited by vagabonds and other peasants (see Clockwork
& Chivalry Core Rulebook p.307), lead to deeper caves inhabited by Flying Polyps, which would explain the recent
disappearances in the area. They could also be present in the extensive cave networks under the limestone hills of
Yorkshire, planning to take advantage of the chaos caused by the civil war.

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SERPENT PERSON
STR 3D6 (11) CON 3D6 (11)
DEX 2D6+6 (13) SIZ 2D6+6 (13)
INT 3D6+6 (16) POW 2D6+6 (13)
CHA 3D6 (11) DM +0
HP 12 MWL 6 Move 15
MAG: 2D6+6 (13)
Bite 40% (1D6+Poison)*
* If poisoned the victim must successfully
make a Resilience roll or take a further 1D8
Poison damage
Armour: 0/1 (scales)
Skills: Alchemy 60%, Close Combat 40%,
Craft (Poison) 60%, Dodge 45%, Elemental
Casting (All) 50%, Gun Combat 50%,
Influence 50%, Persistence 60%, Resilience
50%, Stealth 50%, Unarmed Combat 40%,
Witchcraft 60%
HR: -20%/1D6 (If revealed as Serpent People)
Spells: 1D4 (Pick as appropriate from
Alchemy or Witchcraft spell lists)
Many Snake People will have many more
skills and spells than those given in the list
above. In particular, Snake People might have
more advanced Lore Skills than those
possessed by most characters in Clockwork &
Chivalry. They also may have access to more
advanced technology.
Other: Disguise - Snake People can magickally disguise themselves so that they cannot be identified in human societies. This is an innate ability
and so does not require any casting (the Snake Person merely has to will the effect on or off). This disguise is generally impenetrable,
unless anyone is actively attempting to scrutinise the Snake Person. If anyone is actively looking for such an illusion or is closely
inspecting the individual to uncover a disguise, then a successful Persistence roll will allow them to see the Snake Person in its true
form.
Influence - Snake People can exert a mesmeric influence over humans. In order to do this they must have a reasonable opportunity to
converse with the target and win an opposed Persistence roll against their intended victim. Once successful, all the Snake Person’s
future CHA-related rolls (Influence, Righteousness, Oratory, Seduction, etc) will be at +40% to the relevant skill when dealing with
that particular victim. On a fumble, the attempt will actually be noticed by the intended victim (who might also be permitted to make
a Persistence roll against the Snake Person’s Disguise ability, as above).

“They were of the reptile kind, with body lines suggesting sometimes the crocodile, sometimes the seal, but more often nothing
of which either the naturalist or the palaeontologist ever heard. In size they approximated a small man, and their forelegs bore
delicate and evident feet curiously like human hands and fingers. But strangest of all were their heads, which presented a
contour violating all known biological principles.”
– H.P. Lovecraft, “The Nameless City”
In appearance Snake People look rather like giant snakes, but with two arms and two legs. Like snakes, they vary
somewhat – in their markings, the shape of their heads and “hoods”, colouration, etc. Snake People are able to
infiltrate human society by means of an innate magickal ability that causes them to project the illusion that they
are in fact human (“cloaking” their true appearance).
Snake People once ruled much of the Earth. They lived in vast cities over 250 million years ago. Their society
utilised great magicks. Displaced, first by the dinosaurs, and later by humanity, they retreated underground and
to the most remote jungle regions. The new underground societies developed advanced technologies, but the

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Snake People were no longer numerous enough to attempt to recolonise the planet, and many have entered a
dormant state, awaiting the right time to make their move. In England, very few Snake People still remain on the
surface. But some do still exist – monitoring, plotting, or simply living their lives in the midst of the human
populace.
Snake People are divided into as many Factions as humanity, but their Factions have different motives and beliefs,
connected with their own history, gods, and culture. Snake People sometimes plot against, or go to war with, each
other. Although much of their ancient knowledge has been lost, they still have a propensity for expertise in magick
and technology, and some limited access to secrets not available to humanity.
It is possible that Snake People in disguise have positions of power in the country, and are encouraging the civil
war for their own nefarious purposes – perhaps two Snake People factions are fighting a proxy war using the
people of England, with the winner gaining some prize incomprehensible to humans.

SHOGGOTH
STR 20D6 (70) CON 12D6 (42)
DEX 1D6 (4) SIZ 20D6+20 (90)
INT 2D6 (7) POW 3D6 (11)
CHA n/a DM +8D6
HP 66 MWL 33 Move 8 (24)*
*Generally Shoggoths move slowly, but
they can occasionally gain momentum and
“flow” at greater speeds. There is a 10%
chance (per round) that the Shoggoth can
“sprint” in this manner.
Crush 60% (1D6+8D6), Tentacle Swipe 40%
(1D6+4D6)
Armour: None
Skills: Persistence 40%, Resilience 99%
HR: -40%/ 2D6
Spells: None
Other: Damage Reduction - Successful
attacks on Shoggoths only do the minimum
damage (including minimum damage
bonus). Critical hits on a Shoggoth only do
ordinary damage (rather than maximum
damage).
Regeneration - Shoggoths regenerate 1D4
HP at the end of each round.

“Formless protoplasm able to mock and reflect all forms and organs and processes – viscous agglutinations of bubbling cells
– rubbery fifteen-foot spheroids.”
– H.P. Lovecraft, “At the Mountains of Madness”
Shoggoths are an ancient servitor race once enthralled by the Elder Things. They are unimaginably appalling to
look at; their shifting forms flow like tar, limbs and tentacles emerging and disappearing into the amorphous
globular whole. Although not completely unintelligent, attacking Shoggoth tend to rely on their immense bulk. A
typical Shoggoth measures 5 metres across, though many specimens grow to a much bigger size. Shoggoths
eventually overthrew the Elder Things and now inhabit some of the old ruined places in which their masters once
lived.

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Because the Necronomicon (see p.23) contains details of how to summon a Shoggoth, it is possible some
enterprising Alchemist in the Invisible College will experiment with using them on the battlefield at some point;
this is unlikely to end well.

WINGED THING
STR 5D6 (18) CON 3D6 (11)
DEX 3D6+3 (14) SIZ 5D6 (18)
INT 3D6 (10) POW 3D6 (11)
CHA 1D6 (3) DM +1D6
HP 15 MWL 8 Move 15 (45 in flight)
MAG 9
Bite 40% (1D8+1D6), Claws 40% (1D6+1D6)
Armour: 2 AP due to tough, leathery hide
Skills: Dodge 30%, Perception 50%,
Persistence 60%, Resilience 40%, Unarmed
Combat 40%
HR: -20%/1D6
Spells: Winged Things generally have 1D4
Mythos spells
Other: Grab - Using this particularly deadly
form of attack, a flying Winged Thing can
grab a victim (by making a successful
Unarmed grapple attack). Once grabbed the
grapple rules apply; if the Winged Thing
wins it may choose to carry the victim off into
the air. The victim can choose to keep
resisting, and if they are successful they will
take falling damage according to how far the
Winged Thing has managed to ascend before
the victim breaks free. Once in the air the
Winged Thing can also choose to let go, in
which case the victim might judge (in their
last few seconds) that it would have been
best to have kept grappling, in the faint hope they could have hung on and avoided the fall!

”A horde of tame, trained hybrid winged things...they flopped limply along, half with their webbed feet and half with their
membraneous wings.”
H.P. Lovecraft, “The Festival”
Winged Things are not of this earth, but they can be summoned through the use of a For to Summon a Winged Thing
spell, and controlled using a For to Control a Winged Thing spell. Winged Things can fly at high speeds, swooping
down to attack with ferocity and strength. When grounded they are more ungainly, yet they still pose a real
danger due to their strength and size. Cultists summon Winged Things both for their offensive capabilities and,
occasionally, to use as a means of transport. Winged Things are capable of carrying one human sized passenger.
Witches who are members of a Mythos cult often use them as a means of travelling to a sabbat; fearful country
dwellers, hearing their sinister screeching high in the sky, often attribute the calls to the Wild Hunt come to claim
the souls of sinners. A rider who loses control of her Winged Thing mount not only risks being torn apart by the
beasts, but also being carried off into space.

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YITHIAN
STR 5D6+20 (38) CON 4D6+10 (24)
DEX 2D6 (7) SIZ 8D6+36 (64)
INT 4D6+6 (20) POW 2D6+6 (13)
CHA 1D4 (3) DM +5D6
HP 39 MWL 20 Move 10
Lightning gun 30% (1D10 per one-charge
shot*, see next page), Pincers 30% (1D6+5D6)
Armour: 6/3 Tough skin
Skills: Lore (Science) 100%, Persistence 90%,
Resilience 50%,
HR: -20%/1D6
MAG 2D6+6 (13)
Spells: For to Summon Up a Mighty Wind plus
5% chance of knowing 1D2 alchemy spells
Other: Swap Form – On a successful
opposed Persistence test, a Yithian can swap
bodies with a victim. A victim who
successfully resists can never thereafter, be
“occupied”. However, on a failure they will
find their consciousness no longer resides in
their own body (which is deemed under
Yithian control) and that they are trapped in
whichever body the Yithian left.

“They seemed to be enormous,

iridescent cones, about ten feet high
and ten feet wide at the base, and made
up of some ridgy, scaly, semi-elastic
matter. From their apexes projected four flexible, cylindrical members, each a foot thick, and of a ridgy substance like that of
the cones themselves. These members were sometimes contracted almost to nothing, and sometimes extended to any distance
up to about ten feet. Terminating two of them were enormous claws or nippers. At the end of a third were four red, trumpetlike
appendages. The fourth terminated in an irregular yellowish globe some two feet in diameter and having three great dark eyes
ranged along its central circumference. Surmounting this head were four slender grey stalks bearing flowerlike appendages,
whilst from its nether side dangled eight greenish antennae or tentacles. The great base of the central cone was fringed with
a rubbery, grey substance which moved the whole entity through expansion and contraction.”
– H.P. Lovecraft, “The Shadow Out of Time”
Members of the “Great Race” of Yith, a highly psychic and clever species, are able to swap their consciousness
(and thus their bodies) with those of another species. They are able to make such transfers through time and space.
Over 250 million years ago, the planet Yith was dying, so its people transferred their consciousnesses to a species
native to Earth (the creatures whose strange forms are described in the quote above). The Great Race of Yith
created large cities on Earth, which survived for around two hundred million years. But their civilisation was
destroyed when the Flying Polyps, which they had kept locked underground (after beating them in a terrible war)
for millions of years, eventually managed to escape. The Yithians themselves survived, having foreseen the
calamity they transferred their consciousnesses into a beetle-like race from the far future (long after humanity’s
time).
They do not just make these swaps en masse, they also send individuals into the lone minds of other creatures from
different species and different eras. They can then gather information while in the body of the individual they
have swapped with, while other Yithians can cross-examine the captive (who temporarily resides in the Yithian’s
body). This allows the Yithians to satisfy their innate curiosity.

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Although the individuals “occupied” in this way are captives, if they prove to be compliant they are allowed some
freedom to explore Yithian culture, including the great Yithian libraries that hold the secrets of many species,
including those of humanity, from both past and future times. When returned to their own bodies, former captives
have their memories of the Yithians wiped, though they are usually plagued by nightmares for the rest of their
days.
In a fight, Yithians tend to prefer using technological weaponry (such as their lightning guns, developed to fight
against the Flying Polyps) rather than going toe-to-appendage in close combat.
Perhaps the Adventurers may come across an eccentric preacher who has been captured by the Yithians and
returned, and is now preaching a new religion based on his confused memories of his time among the aliens. Or
maybe an important person has been possessed by a Yithian and claims to know who will win the civil war.

YITHIAN LIGHTNING GUN

Weapon Damage Range Load STR/DEX Size1 ENC Cost
as gun
Lightning Gun 1D10* 100m 1 11/5 L 2 n/a

*Lightning guns use charge packs that have enough energy for 20 one-charge shots. On a Fumble the gun melts – the chance of a fumble is
increased by 1% for every extra charge fired in a single round (all 20 charges can be expended if the firer keeps the trigger pressed for the entire
round - which will give a 20% chance of the gun melting).

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Gods of the
Mythos
The following creatures are so powerful that they are
described as “gods”. Certainly they are inter-
dimensional, have some degree of immortality, and
cannot be fully understood in human terms. Likewise,
to a greater or lesser extent, they are worshipped by
cultists as if they were gods. They might in fact better
be described as aliens, but such a distinction is
AZATHOTH
cacophonic music. He lives outside of time and space, although aspects of him can be summoned, controlled, and
dismissed by anyone insane enough to want to. He usually appears as a formless chaotic energy, although sometimes
he might take on different aspects, all unpleasant, such as a hellish daemon, a bumbling giant, or a crazed writhing
mass; whether this is a result of the tune being played to him (he will always be accompanied by thin piping music)
or the state of mind of the viewers is anyone’s guess.
Bestiary
unnecessary here, as to all intents and purposes our
seventeenth century heroes will struggle to
comprehend them as anything other than malevolent
unearthly gods.
Mythos gods are very powerful, and combat is rarely a
realistic option when confronted with such
monstrosities. If Adventurers do encounter any of the
following creatures, their best bet will be magickal
banishment (such as spells For the Dismissal of (A
Servitor/God)) or, where appropriate, disrupting any
enchantments that are actively allowing the presence
of the god on Earth/in their dimension. Without such
means to control or dismiss such powerful beings, the
Adventurers’ only other option is to get as far away as
possible, as quickly as possible.
STR n/a CON 300
DEX n/a SIZ Varies*
INT 0 POW 300
CHA n/a DM +20D6
HP 300 MWL 150 Move 0
*Variable and infinite.
1D10 Pseudopod Swipes 40% (1D100+10D6)
Armour: None/Varies according to form at
GM’s discretion.
Skills: Persistence 40%, Resilience 200%
HR: -60%/1D100
Spells: None, but can command all other
Mythos Gods and change reality.
“The monstrous nuclear chaos beyond
angled space which the Necromonicon
had mercifully cloaked under the name of
Azathoth.”
H.P. Lovecraft, “The Whisperer in
the Darkness”
Azathoth is the “blind idiot god”, the
daemon sultan, the Lord of All Things,
who sits at the centre of infinity.
Immensely powerful, yet mindless
and uncaring, he sits and dreams
while his terrible servants play
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Azathoth can’t be destroyed, and possibly the universe would collapse if anyone was suicidal enough to try. He has
immense power, but no intelligence. His few human followers are completely insane – only the most desperate, who
have nothing left to lose, are likely to worship him. Sadly, in this time of civil war, famine, and plague, there are many
who have lost everything and are willing to try anything in an attempt to regain some control over their lives.

CTHULHU
STR 150 CON 150
DEX 20 SIZ 300
INT 40 POW 40
CHA n/a DM +25D6
HP 225 MWL 113 Move 20 (Swimming 20
Flying 16)
Claws 75% (1D100+25D6) - can scoop up
and crush up to 60 SIZ points in one go.
This might be a single target, such as a
Leviathan, or multiple targets, such as
people. If scooping up multiple targets
they must be within a 6x12m area, per
scoop), Tentacle 75% (1D20+12D6)
Armour: 14/7 AP (leathery, blubbery hide)
Skills: Persistence 200%, Resilience 200%,
Unarmed Combat 75%
HR: -60%/4D6
Spells: All alchemy, witchcraft and
Mythos spells at will.
Other: Regeneration - Regenerates 10 HP
damage at the end of each round.
Resurrection - If “killed” Cthulhu
dissipates and then reforms within 1D6
minutes.
Dream Contact - Cthulhu can reach out
into the dreams of mortals, “granting”
visions of R’lyeh, and even of himself.

“If I say that my somewhat

extravagant imagination yielded
simultaneous pictures of an octopus, a dragon, and a human caricature, I shall not be unfaithful to the spirit of the thing. A pulpy,
tentacled head surmounted a grotesque and scaly body with rudimentary wings.”
H.P. Lovecraft, “The Call of Cthulhu”
Cthulhu is one of the Great Old Ones, said to be the High Priest of his kind. He is an ancient, alien, inter-dimensional
being. As such it is hard to be definitive when describing him – he lies dead but dreaming, in the underwater city of
R’lyeh. Such is his power that even in his trapped state Cthulhu is able to communicate with people’s minds, in
particular reaching out into dreams and distorting them into nightmares. These dreams often transcend time,
granting visions of R’lyeh and the world as ruled by the Great Old Ones in ancient and future eras.
It is hard to really gauge the true scale of the creature, due to his inter-dimensional and alien nature, but Cthulhu
usually appears to be the size of a small mountain, with a correspondingly mighty stride. Cthulhu is also an incredibly
powerful swimmer when out in the deep ocean. Understandably it is almost impossible to defeat him in battle, but
even if he is slain, he will merely fade away and reappear, 1D6 minutes later, fully recovered and ready to destroy
some more.
If Cthulhu is disturbed or summoned forth, this does not mean that he should be considered permanently loose to do
havoc throughout the world. The Great Old Ones will only return permanently when the stars are right. If that day
has not come, Cthulhu will return to R’lyeh and lie dead once more, until the next time he is disturbed, or until he is
ready to rise forever.

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While the cult of Cthulhu has been prevalent in isolated seaside communities for centuries, it is also gaining some
popularity among sailors hoping for protection on long voyages of trade and exploration, possibly picked up from
the inhabitants of remote Pacific islands and spread in whispers among crews in the dark huddle below decks.

NYARLATHOTEP
“Men advised one another to see
Nyarlathotep, and shuddered. And
where Nyarlathotep went, rest
vanished; for the small hours were
rent with the screams of
nightmare.”
H.P. Lovecraft,
“Nyarlathotep”

Nyarlathotep, the “Crawling

Chaos”, is a powerful inter-
dimensional being. As well as
acting as the servant of
Azathoth (and manipulating
Azathoth for his own ends),
Nyarlathotep also operates
directly amongst humanity. He
takes different forms, or
avatars, according to his own
designs. These individual
forms are a part of an
unknowable “whole” that
lurks beyond our dimension –
but they share a common
desire to create chaos and
madness wherever they go.
Nyarlathotep often gifts people
with spells or other powers.
These gifts usually have some
sinister undertone, or
drawback.
Nyarlathotep can adopt a thousand different aspects, but in the Clockwork & Cthulhu setting there are three avatars of
particular significance – The Prisoner, The Soldier and The Innocent. Each of these three individual avatars has its
own set of followers, and at times these servants might even seemingly work against each other. This is all part of
Nyarlathotep’s deeper design to sow discord and chaos throughout the world.
Of course, there is no reason why a GM shouldn’t develop further avatars. Nyarlathotep might turn up as a
plague-bearing spreader of miasmas, an alien gibbering horror, a charismatic criminal mastermind, or in any number
of other forms you wish, as suits your adventures.

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THE PRISONER
Human Form
STR 20 CON 30
DEX 20 SIZ 15
INT 80 POW 30
CHA 20 DM +1D6
HP 23 MWL 12 Move 15
Armour: Tough Skin 6/3
Skills: Alchemy 100%, Craft (Poison) 100%, Dodge 75%, Elemental casting (All) 100%, Influence 100%, Oratory 90%, Persistence 100%, Resilience
100%
HR: n/a
Spells: All Alchemist Spells
Other: Natural Alchemy - Although the Prisoner can cast all Alchemist spells, he does not require a Philosopher’s Stone to do so (although he
might make a show of using one if wishing to deceive someone regarding his true powers).
Manipulate Guards – Although ostensibly a prisoner, The Prisoner’s guards are always in their captive’s thrall. They will defend him with
their lives and do his bidding. His guards will never be able to remember any details regarding The Prisoner (his “true” identity, why he
was imprisoned, how long he has been imprisoned for, etc.), and trying to do so will cause them distress. For some reason the authorities
too seem unaware of why The Prisoner is in the system, and if ever his presence is questioned, they soon forget to check on the matter.

In the human form of The Prisoner, Nyarlathotep appears as a very tall man, with fine long curly hair, whose face is
obscured by an ornately made, but firmly riveted, mask. The mask has no eye, nose, nor mouth slits, yet the Prisoner
can apparently see and breathe without difficulty, and his beautiful sonorous voice is unmuffled. In fact the mask is
the prisoner’s face, completely fused to his flesh. His skin is unnaturally tough, although it isn’t apparent why.
The Prisoner is, unsurprisingly, usually to be found in captivity, confined in a chamber in the Tower of London
(although he may simultaneously appear at other gaols throughout Europe). He has access to an alchemical
laboratory, and his guards always allow him free reign to conduct his experiments and to receive whichever visitors
he chooses.
If slain, The Prisoner simply dissipates in a cloud of cloying black smoke, disappearing through a barred window, or
under a locked door. He will reform, although he will usually not reinstall himself in a gaol he has already been
“killed” in.
In the Tower of London, The Prisoner often holds court to Alchemists, who travel in secret, taking great risks to breach
the Parliamentarian security, to meet him. For some reason, the Alchemists always seem to be able to enter and leave
the Tower (even though it is well-guarded and deep within enemy territory), unless The Prisoner has some reason to
allow them to be caught, in which case they find themselves gaining the attention of every enemy soldier in the
vicinity. The Prisoner is renowned for being an expert Alchemist, and for his ability to teach new spells. He is in fact
influencing his visitors to create mischief – both arming them with destructive magicks and turning them against each
other, as well as their Parliamentarian foes. The Prisoner has a small following within the Invisible College (a small
group of elite Alchemists) who know of his true identity (as an avatar of the great god Nyarlathotep) and directly
serve him.

50
 Bestiary
THE SOLDIER
Human Form
STR 26 CON 30
DEX 20 SIZ 20
INT 20 POW 20
CHA 20 DM +2D6
HP 25 MWL 13 Move 15
Armour: 10/5 (Very Heavy Armour+Tough Skin)
Skills: Athletics 100%, Close Combat 90%, Dodge 80%, Gun Combat 90%, Influence 100%, Lore (Tactics) 100%, Persistence 100%, Ranged Combat
90%, Resilience 150%, Unarmed Combat 90% (1D3+2D6)
HR: n/a
Spells: n/a
Other: Transform - The Soldier can transform into his monstrous form at will. Statistics and description of this form can be found below.
Transformation is instantaneous.

The Soldier travels the country with a loyal group of men (who are, in fact, cultists as well as soldiers). He appears to
be extremely rugged and handsome, with a superhuman build. He wears full plate armour, although he wears a
lobster-pot helmet, rather than a full helm. His eyes are a mesmeric shade of blue, but anyone attempting to remember
any other detail of his features will realise that they are unable to do so. He is proficient with every weapon known
to man.
He and his unit operate independently, attacking all sides and none, mainly targeting civilians. They are able to
effectively avoid confrontations with larger forces, always being able to convincingly claim allegiance to either side if
challenged.
The Soldier and his men specialise in committing barbaric atrocities. The scale of brutality will be enough to horrify
even the most hardened soldiers. Villages and small fortifications that fall to The Soldier are left by him as testament
to the cruelty of war. He does not kill for the sake of killing, but rather uses torture to drive survivors, and those
unlucky enough to find the sites he has devastated, mad. For some reason, blame for the atrocities never seems to be
laid upon The Soldier and his men. Instead, the actions generate more hatred and hostility toward whichever wider
“enemy” the victim’s side already hates, and usually this leads to an escalation in conflict and brutality in an area,
allowing The Soldier to move on and decimate a fresh target.
If The Soldier is killed in human form, he will regenerate instantly into his monstrous form (with full HP), an aspect
he is also able to transform into at will whenever he so desires.
Monstrous Form
STR 60 CON 80
DEX 20 SIZ 40
INT 20 POW 20
CHA n/a DM +0
HP 12 MWL 6 Move 20
Pincers 70% (2D6+5D6), Step 50% (2D10+5D6)
Armour: 24/12
Skills: Resilience 100%
HR: -20%/1D10
Spells: None

In his monstrous form, The Soldier appears as a giant clockwork automaton. Humanoid in shape, the creature is 8
metres tall and extremely chunky. His main form of attack is his terrible pincers, although he sometimes lifts a mighty
foot to step on an opponent, crushing his victim like a bug underfoot. If defeated he falls down in a terrible grinding,

51
Bestiary
clanking heap, the debris rusting and dissolving impossibly quickly, until he is no more. It won’t be long until The
Soldier reappears, in another war-torn country, to continue his mission.

THE INNOCENT
Human Form
STR 15 CON 20
DEX 20 SIZ 8
INT 20 POW 20
CHA 30/0* DM +0
*See his Obsession ability below.
HP 14 MWL 7 Move 15
Armour: Tough Skin 2/1
Skills: Influence 100%, Oratory 100%, Persistence 100%
HR: n/a
Spells: None
Other: Obsession - Any who fail a Persistence roll will become obsessed with either causing The Innocent harm or protecting him, at all costs.

The Innocent appears as a young noble boy. He causes terrible division wherever he goes. He has the ability to cause
those around him to view him as either a deceitful and evil boy, who must be killed, or as a sweet innocent, who must
be protected at all costs. Usually he will put himself in a situation where people are already on different sides (easy
enough in seventeenth century England) and his presence will cause the situation to become even more bitter and
divided.
The Innocent is tougher than he looks, but killing him is a relatively easy task (though all the more messy and
appalling) because he will never fight back. After The Innocent’s death, those who believed the boy evil will begin to
have doubts as to what possessed them, and the killers themselves will suffer from permanent Melancholic Humours.
The protectors will despise those that did the killing, and their hatred for the opposing side will harden.
Once slain, The Innocent’s body quickly rots away, and the avatar will reappear, in similar circumstances, in a far-off
place.

52
 Bestiary
SHUB-NIGGURATH
Shub-Niggurath is a
mysterious inter-dimensional
being worshipped as a fertility
god by the Fair Folk and by
numerous witch cults
throughout Europe. In other
times and places the god has
had a female aspect, but
currently (perhaps due to the
prevalence of female
worshippers over their male
counterparts) it has an aspect
that is definitely male. Known
as the Black Goat of the Woods
with a Thousand Young, the
Lord of the Woods, and (in the
English Lake District) the Old
Man of Coniston, the god is an
intensely sensual being,
encouraging his mainly female
worshippers to sexual excess
and fathering many children
upon them. As a male fertility
god, he much resembles both
the ancient Greek god Pan and
the more recent conceptions of
Satan. It could be that all
members of Satanic cults in the
Clockwork & Chivalry game-
world are (knowingly or
unknowingly) actually
worshipping Shub-Niggurath, and it is possible that the Ranters are actually Shub-Niggurath cultists – see Satanist
(p.137), Horseman’s Word (p.117), and Ranter (p.133) in Clockwork & Chivalry Core Rulebook for more on these Factions.
Shub-Niggurath has two forms; his humanoid avatar, which can seemingly be present at several sabbats at the same
time, and his true form, a cloud-like entity which induces sexual insanity in its victims.

LORD OF THE WOODS

Humanoid Form
STR 20 CON 30
DEX 20 SIZ 15
INT 21 POW 30
CHA 40 DM +1D6
HP 23 MWL 12 Move 15
Armour: Tough Skin 3/1
Skills: Dodge 75%, Persistence 100%, Resilience 100%, Seduction 140%, Unarmed Combat 79%, Witchcraft 150%
HR: -20%/D8 for straight men and gay women only; straight women and gay men find the Lord of the Woods attractive and need not make sanity
checks on seeing him.
Spells: All Witchcraft Spells

53
Bestiary
Other: Natural Witchcraft - Although the Lord of the Woods can cast all witchcraft spells, he does not require ingredients to do so.
Fertility – Any woman who has sex with the Lord of the Woods, no matter her age, will give birth to a changeling child nine months later.
(Gay men who have had sex with the Lord of the Woods will also become pregnant – realising this is a HR -40%/2D6 shock, and giving
birth will kill the “father”).

As the Lord of the Woods, Shub-Niggurath takes the form of a handsome, muscular, dark-skinned man with
horizontally-slit pupils, magnificent curling goat horns on his forehead, and goat hooves instead of feet. He is a
commanding presence, whose overpowering charisma is very attractive to women and makes men feel inadequate in
his presence. He regularly turns up at witches’ sabbats, taking part in their unholy rituals, and has been known to visit
individuals, particularly witches (though warlocks too), to teach them spells in return for their loyalty. He can also be
met by anyone wandering alone in a forest – women who meet him in such a place will be wooed, while men will be
challenged to a wrestling match, although Shub-Niggurath will not be offended if either one rejects his suggestions.
If engaged in combat in his humanoid form, Shub-Niggurath will use his Unarmed Combat skill, but if he takes a
Permanent Major Wound, or is in danger of being captured, he will disappear suddenly, leaving only a scent of
woodland behind.

SHUB-NIGGURATH
True form
STR n/a CON n/a
DEX n/a SIZ 100+
INT 21 POW 100
CHA n/a DM n/a
HP n/a MWL n/a Move 1m
Armour: n/a. In mist form, Shub-Niggurath is totally immune to physical weapons. He can be temporarily dispelled with the spell For to Part the
Clouds, though he will reform once the effect of the spell wears off. He can also be disrupted by For to Summon Up a Mighty Wind, but will return
within 3D6 minutes. The only other effective spell is the Mythos spell Dismiss Shub-Niggurath.
Skills: Witchcraft 150%
HR: Special
Spells: All Witchcraft Spells
Other: Induce Insanity: As a fertility god, Shub-Niggurath induces a form of sexually obsessive madness in his victims. For every minute after the
first five spent in the fog of the entity’s cloudy body, the victim must make a Sanity Check, with each subsequent check at -10% off the
previous check. Instead of gaining any of the insanities mentioned on the Major Insanities table, victims who fail their check will gain an
obsession with sex. As a Temporary Insanity, this will manifest as a desire to have sex with anyone nearby with a CHA of more than 6, of
either gender, with or without their consent. As a Permanent Insanity, the victim’s INT will drop to 0, and only sexual desire will remain;
this is incurable. If the victim encounters the cloudy form of Shub-Niggurath in a wood or forest, they are subject to an extra -20% to Sanity
Checks.
Whimsical: If summoned in his natural form and not dismissed, Shub-Niggurath will stay for an indeterminate period, spreading out all
the time. The Games Master should roll D100 – this is the number of days the god will stay on Earth, increasing in diameter by 2.8km per
day. After that, he will get bored and go off to some other dimension.

In his natural form, Shub-Niggurath appears as an enormous cloudy mass, a creeping grey vapour that hangs on the
tops of mountains in the manner of low cloud, slowly spreading down into surrounding valleys. To the unwary it
appears no different from the clouds that appear naturally over hilltops in upland areas, although anyone making a
Lore (Regional) roll for the area, or a Lore (Weather) roll, may recognise that the cloud is perhaps at odds with the
current weather conditions – staying stationary on top of a hill when there is a strong wind blowing, or when the sun
is shining and no clouds are visible on other surrounding hills. If summoned, Shub-Niggurath will appear on the
closest hill-top if there is one, or form a patch of fog if the ground is flat. This will start with a diameter of around
100m, and spread slowly outward at a rate of 1m per combat round in all directions, flowing down into valleys and
across open ground.
Anyone entering this cloud will find themselves in a thick, cold, dank fog, with visibility less than 10m. For the first
five minutes, they will sense nothing untoward, but after that time will seem to hear voices whispering at the edges
of their hearing, and will see signs of movement in the fog, as if shadowy humanoids are prowling nearby – though
those creatures will disappear from sight if looked at directly. For members of the Shub-Niggurath cult, these voices
and visions will be comforting, but for all others, they will be disconcerting. The voices and visions will slowly

54
 Bestiary
become more concrete – the voices will whisper of lascivious deeds and the shadowy figures will cavort sensually,
inflaming the sexual desires of the target (see “Induce Insanity”, above). Anyone who fails to escape from the fog in
time will become an insane drooling idiot, all sense and morals gone, interested only in satisfying their base sexual
desires. Any woman impregnated by a man in thrall to this madness-induced lust will inevitably conceive a
changeling child (see p.34).
Animals caught in the cloud of Shub-Niggurath’s being will also be affected by lust – this includes horses, dogs,
familiars, etc., belonging to any Adventurers.

YOG-SOTHOTH
STR n/a CON 300
DEX 3 SIZ varies
INT 40 POW 100
CHA n/a DM n/a
HP 300 MWL 150 Move 100
Energy Bolt 75% (If the target is hit and
fails to Dodge then death is automatic)
Armour: None (See Damage Immunity
below)
Skills: Persistence 200%, Resilience 200%
HR: -60%/4D6
Spells: Any
Other: Resurrection - If “killed” Yog-
Sothoth dissipates and then reforms
within 1D6 minutes.
Damage Immunity - Yog-Sothoth
is immune to non-magickal weapons.
Grant Power - Yog-Sothoth can
grant powers (at the GM’s discretion) and
spells (at base level of recipient’s
INT+POW).

“Imagination called up the shocking

form of fabulous Yog-Sothoth—only
a congeries of iridescent globes, yet
stupendous in its malign
suggestiveness.”
– H.P. Lovecraft, “The
Horror in the Museum”
Yog-Sothoth is a creature consisting of shifting globes of magickal energy and lives in the spaces between dimensions.
His human followers are usually wielders of magick, or those that worship such practitioners. Yog-Sothoth is
constantly attempting to break free from the interstices in which he is trapped, so that he might feed off the life-force
and energies contained in each dimension. He is sometimes able to enter other planes, including our world, but only
for a while, and only if the circumstances are right – the stars are aligned, the rituals are followed, the gate is open,
etc.
Yog-Sothoth sometimes appears in the form of a shadow beyond a shimmering veil (and in this form does not cause
mental damage). He uses this ruse to grant power and favours (usually in the form of magickal knowledge, or
knowledge of the future), although this knowledge always comes at a price (possibly involving sacrifice or some other
grisly pact) and is usually designed to hook the avaricious into Yog-Sothoth’s sinister schemes.
To some of those studying alchemy at Oxford university, worship of Yog-Sothoth is seen as an easy way to shortcut
all that boring study that the tutors insist upon. Those foolish enough to go down this path will live to regret it.

55
Adventures

Chapter 6
In which several adventures are described
only for the eyes of the Games Master
The three adventures, The Doom That Came to Oxford, ways that the Adventurers might become involved in
The Bay of Terror, and The Whisperers in Furness are the action.
designed so that they can be run either as a series, or as
For Games Masters running the Kingdom &
“one-offs”. There are no rigid pre-defined and dated
Commonwealth Campaign for Clockwork & Chivalry (or
timelines, and the adventures can be played in any
their own campaigns) the following adventures might
order. There are some clues contained in each scenario
be best moved forward (perhaps a full year or two, to
which may lead the Adventurers to the other scenarios
1646/7), so that they can be inserted mid-campaign.
in the series, as well as advice on other (less subtle)

THE DOOM THAT CAME TO The Bay....................................................................89

OXFORD.................................................................57
Torrisholme............................................................93
Adventure Background........................................60
Bare...........................................................................95
The Order of Esoteric Discoverie.......................61
Heysham..................................................................98
A Stranger in the Town........................................62
Poulton..................................................................106
Meeting with Sir Reginald..................................63
THE WHISPERERS IN FURNESS...................118
Brazen Nose College.............................................65
Introduction..........................................................119
Captain Lungeworth’s Quarters.........................71
Keswick.................................................................120
The House of Gerald Hughes.............................74
On the Island........................................................127
The Cellar Laboratory...........................................75
The Grave..............................................................131
Further Investigations..........................................78
Among the Monoliths........................................133
The Recital..............................................................80
A Journey..............................................................135
Ending the Adventure..........................................83
Coniston................................................................141
THE BAY OF TERROR........................................84
The Mines.............................................................145
Running the Bay of Terror...................................85
Goats Water..........................................................150
What is Going On..................................................87
Aftermath..............................................................153

56
 The Doom That Came to Oxford
The Doom That
Came to Oxford

57
The Doom That Came to Oxford
The Doom That Came to
Oxford
The following scenario is set in the Royalist capital of
Oxford. It is important to read through the whole
adventure before attempting to run it. Although events
have a rough running order, there are plenty of things
that could change depending on the actions of the
Adventurers.
The Adventurers will initially be required to
investigate a murder – the death of a clergyman, Rector
Gordon Britton. The trail will lead them to discover
that the original investigator (and, in fact, the culprit),
Captain Lungeworth, has also died. Their
investigations will possibly take them to the cellars of
a mad Alchemist, and eventually to the uncovering of
a sinister plot that threatens to entirely destroy the
temporary and uneasy peace that currently prevails
between the Parliamentarian and Royalist field armies.
OXFORD TOWN
Oxford was a large town before the war. Now it is
bursting at the seams. Space within the town walls is at
a premium, as traditional industry and university life
have become over-shadowed by Rupert’s court and the
accompanying gathered host of his army, hangers-on
and refugees. Compared to much of England, Oxford
is thriving. The university, court and soldiery all bring
money to the town – but they are also the cause of
much tension.
There was already a clear divide between “town and
gown” before the current invasion. Despite the wealth
that the scholars have bestowed on the place, there has
been a tradition of such unruly behaviour amongst the
students that many viewed them as a mixed blessing.
In the past there have been such widespread conflicts
58
between the townsfolk and scholars that members of
the University have had to flee the town (one such
conflict centuries ago led to a large breakaway group
of academics leaving to establish the newer university
at Cambridge). The hostility mainly manifests itself as
a constant state of low-level warfare between the
students and the local apprentice boys.
Lately though, the hostility has reached whole new
levels. The University is largely Royalist; the Royalist
court dominates the colleges now, and much of the
Royalist army is garrisoned in the town. But the
townsfolk themselves are largely supporters of the
Parliamentarian cause, religiously Puritan and
passionately anti-Royalist.
So as not to inflame the situation, the soldiery are not
allowed to carouse in town. Similarly the students are
discouraged from going out of their halls (but being
students, they still do). Important Royalists are advised
to stay within the college grounds (or within the
military installations), for fear of assassination on the
streets. Although most of the townsfolk restrict
themselves to grumbling about the Royalists, rather
than provoking them (they do have a whole army and
a bunch of powerful Alchemists at their disposal, after
all!), there are religious and political fanatics who
might make such an attempt. In addition to the
genuine court functionaries, various refugees have
managed to find their way into the town – amongst
them many theatrical types and aspiring rakes whose
manners alienate the original inhabitants to the point
of riot.
Due to the current over-crowding and the recent poor
harvests, accommodation and food is expensive (up to
double book price). But the sheer range of available

goods and services, including Luxury and Regal
quality items, is second only to those that can be found
in London.
THE COURT
Following the outbreak of the English Civil War, the
Royalist forces were forced to retire from London. King
Charles I held his new “court-in-exile” in Oxford.
There he planned military strategies with his advisors,
marshalled his forces in preparation for battle, and
conducted those civil affairs that could not be deferred
even in a time of war.
Since Charles’ death at Naseby, Prince Rupert has
continued to use Oxford as his capital (until such time
as Charles II formally takes the throne). Since Naseby,
the war has almost ground to a halt in the south.
Royalist and Parliamentarian leaders alike seek time to
reorganise and resupply. Both sides are unwilling to
commit to a large-scale battle until they have (or
believe they have) an overwhelming chance of
winning and ending the conflict once and for all. Thus
the court has taken on an air of permanence, and
regularly sits to consider matters of state. Prince
Rupert may be a man more suited to action, but the
concentration of highly placed Royalist peers,
diplomats, and professional courtiers, all begging for
the attention of the prince, has inevitably led to the
constitution of a more formal and permanent court
than Charles I ever maintained in the town. Most of the
leading Royalist Alchemists, and certainly nearly all of
the leading theoretical Alchemists, have at some point
studied at Oxford University. Although more practical
than learned, Prince Rupert enjoys being at the hub of
alchemical researches, and likes to keep an eye on what
the university Alchemists are up to.
The royal court itself, when in session, is usually held
in the main hall of Christ Church College (where
Rupert is quartered), and the most important
diplomats and courtiers inhabit the surrounding
buildings. However, members of the court are
scattered over, and associated with, all twenty of the
Oxford colleges. Many of the college buildings have
been given over to temporary quarters for courtiers
and foreign diplomats, or designated as barracks and
guard houses, placed for the protection of the visitors
to Rupert’s Court. The military, based in the castle, has
The Doom That Came to Oxford
CHRONOLOGY OF EVENTS
10 Years Ago: Wilson returned from his travels and
formed the Order of Esoteric Discoverie (OED).
5 Years Ago: Gerald Hughes’ wife died. He did not
bury her body, vowing to “make her better”.
Over the past 10 years: The OED have been
gathering occult tomes; recruiting members; and
seeking one book in particular, Ptolemy’s Esoterica,
a copy of which was rumoured to be held at an
Oxford college.
2 Months ago: Rector Gordon Britton found the
Esoterica at Brazen Nose college.
5 Weeks Ago: Captain John Lungeworth killed the
Rector and took the Esoterica.
17 days ago: The OED stole the Esoterica from
Lungeworth’s home.
15 days ago: Captain Lungeworth died.
The Present: Sir Reginald Perkinson wishes to
recruit a party to investigate the murder of Rector
Gordon Britton.
In a few days time: Sir William Davenant is due to
perform a recital for an exclusive audience at
Brazen Nose college.
the long city walls to guard and maintain, and also
controls access to and around the colleges to safeguard
the inhabitants.
THE COLLEGES
Despite the occupation of the colleges by the court and
military, the university is still well attended. Despite
being traditional and Laudian in their religious
attitudes, the colleges are nevertheless hives of
progressive Renaissance learning. The recent
explosions (figuratively and literally) in alchemical
practise and research have emanated from the colleges
of Oxford. The best theoretical Alchemists in the
country, and the only officially sanctioned ones, are
trained there, and many of them are also members of
Rupert’s Court. It is not untypical for Alchemists to
have a position in the college, court, and army.
59
The Doom That Came to Oxford
Adventure
Background
This section explores the immediate background to the
scenario, in particular the events that precede the
request for the party to become involved.
A few weeks before the Adventurer’s initial meeting
with Sir Reginald (at which they will be asked to begin
their investigation. See “Meeting Sir Reginald”, p.63),
Captain John Lungeworth was conducting a routine
night-time tour of the grounds of Brazen Nose College.
He was inspecting the guards, checking to assure that
they were challenging anyone approaching their posts,
acting with due vigilance and diligence, and were all
abreast of the correct and current passwords.
Just as he was coming to the end of his tour of the
college, Captain Lungeworth saw the doors of the
college chapel suddenly flung outwards, almost
crashing off their hinges. Intrigued, he investigated.
From the entrance archway Lungeworth saw the
Rector, Gordon Britton, standing at the altar rail and
reciting from a book. Captain Lungeworth
instinctively knew the holy man was up to no good. At
first he thought maybe Britton was a secret Catholic,
reciting a Latin mass. But Lungeworth had a talent for
languages (before the war he had been working
translating medical texts), and he quickly realised that
what the Rector was reading wasn’t Latin. The Rector
was speaking a combination of Arabic, and some other
strange foreign tongue. Lungeworth could see alien
symbols, chalked onto the altar, glowing and shifting.
As the preacher recited the chilling incantations, the
chapel became unnaturally cold and gusts of wind tore
around the sides of the church. Other voices began to
join with the Rector’s, building a strange cacophony of
sound, although the Captain could see no other people
present in the church.
Without thought, the Captain strode toward the lectern
where Gordon Britton gripped the unholy tome. The
Rector’s voice was reaching a crescendo now, while the
strange storm still gathered apace. Lungeworth
commanded the clergyman to desist, but his words fell
on deaf ears. The air crackled and shapes began to form
all around the edge of the chapel. Gripped with fear,
Captain Lungeworth drew his sword and struck the
priest through his chest, piercing his heart and killing
60
him with one blow. The winds subsided, the chattering
cacophony abruptly came to an end, the symbols
settled, and the strange visions vanished.
Captain Lungeworth had rooms with his wife, in
Oxford. But as an officer he also had a private billet at
the college. He retired there, cleaned himself off, and
spent a few of hours pacing about, worrying about
what he had done. Eventually, still in the early hours
of the morning, the Principal sent for him. The murder
had been reported and the Captain, responsible for
security, was asked to head the investigation.
THE REST OF THE
BACKSTORY
Most of the university colleges have been recently
reorganised in order to make room for the garrison and
court of Prince Rupert. Brazen Nose is no exception.
The old halls and chambers of college were cleared out
to make space for the incomers. The college was only
instituted in the last century, but has been a site of
learning since early medieval times. In the process of
this reorganisation, many lost tomes and manuscripts
have been discovered. The Rector had been tasked
with sorting through the various bequeathments to the
chapel, and asked to submit an ordered list of what
might still be of value to the Principal of the college. In
the process the Rector discovered a lost work, an occult
tome written a millennium and a half ago.
PTOLEMY’S LOST WORK
The tome that the Rector found was written by
Ptolemy 1,500 years ago. Ptolemy gathered together
forbidden knowledge from even more ancient works –
in all likelihood drawn from manuscripts recovered
from the Ancient Library of Alexandria. The book he
compiled from these sources, the Esoterica, alluded to a
race of strange cruel gods who ruled over earthly
slaves and, more disturbingly, laid out some of the
magicks the servants of the gods had employed, along
with keys to alternate maps of cosmos that intersected
sickeningly with Ptolemy’s own previously
established cosmology. Once Ptolemy had completed
the Esoterica, he wondered at the thing he had created.
He realised that the book contained powerful secrets,
many of which contradicted his own established
philosophies, and eventually decided that it should not
see the light of day. He could not bring himself to
actually destroy the book, electing instead to keep it
unpublished and hidden away.

PTOLEMY’S ESOTERICA
Ptolemy’s Esoterica contains many lost secrets,
collected from still more ancient and forbidden
manuscripts. How Ptolemy survived the process of
writing the tome is a mystery (perhaps he didn’t!).
Reading and understanding the Esoterica is extremely
dangerous.
As well as talking about races of prehistoric powerful
beings, it contains various rituals and incantations
for the summoning of these beings. It also has
necromantic formulae, including instructions for
how to animate the flesh of the dead.
The book itself presents a multitude of risks to any
who take the time to seriously study it. Before its
secrets are revealed the reader will likely be turned
mad. Anyone holding the book will need to make a
successful Persistence test, in order to resist wanting
to hide the book away for later perusal. Individuals
who do resist, and aren’t cultists or Satanists, will be
able to destroy the book. To read the book requires a
successful Languages (Arabic) or Hard (-40%)
Languages (Latin) roll. The reader (unless a member
of one of the Mythos Factions), must make a
Righteousness test every day spent successfully
The volume found in the Brazen Nose Chapel is not the
original. Despite Ptolemy’s wish for the book to remain
unread, much of it was found and (a few) copies made
by later Arabic scholars. This particular version was
bequeathed to the college by the descendent of a
returning crusader. Many of the passages in the book
have scrawled Latin translations scribbled in the side
margins. The donor donated much of his library (he
had no surviving heirs to inherit), and the Esoterica was
just one of many books that were unceremoniously
dumped, archived, and never properly or closely
examined at the time of their bequeathal.
The Order of
Esoteric Discoverie
The Oxford-based chapter of the Order of Esoteric
Discoverie (OED) is determined to gather together
occult knowledge in order to gain power (and in the
case of the leader of the group, Alderman Wilson, to
serve his hidden masters, the Great Old Ones).
The Doom That Came to Oxford
studying the tome. Success will mean they don’t lose
RPs. Failure results in the loss of 1D10 RPs. Once RPs
are zero in the reader’s original Faction, they will
begin to acquire RPs at the same rate, in the Self
Interest (Obsession with the Esoterica) Faction.
However, individuals who are already fanatics (i.e.,
have 100 RPs in their Faction) are immune from
losing RPs while reading the Esoterica.
In addition to Faction change, reading the book can
(and probably will) cause mental damage. Each day
spent reading the book requires a HR -20%/2D4
Sanity Test; on top of Sanity Point loss, failure means
the reader is unable to put the book down. The
Games Master should apply any applicable
Temporary or Permanent Insanity as he or she sees
fit.
It takes two weeks to completely read the Esoterica,
although it is possible to just read a section (if the
required Persistence roll is made). Successfully
reading the whole book increases the Lore (Mythos)
skill by 15%. The tome also includes the following
spells: For to Call on the Power of Human Sacrifice, For
to Contact Cthulhu, For to Contact Nyarlathotep, For to
Control a Shoggoth, For the Dismissal of a Shoggoth, For
the Summoning of a Shoggoth.
Although small and secretive, the group includes one
of the wealthiest merchants in the city and one of the
richest Lords – which means the OED can assemble
significant resources. The OED traced the Esoterica to
Brazen Nose years ago, but their agent there failed to
find the book. The manner of the Rector’s death came
to the attention of their agent, and the group resumed
the hunt for the tome. In this event they needn’t have
bothered. The traumatised Captain Lungeworth
remembered an inquiry made of him years ago, by one
of the OED, and turned to him for help in destroying
the book. The OED stole the tome and left the Captain
to die.
MEMBERS OF THE ORDER
The OED seldom meet in person, and when they do
they all wear hoods and masks. However, most of the
inner circle know the identities of the other members,
and all are pretty much there at Wilson’s invitation.
The inner circle is comprised of Alderman Wilson (a
wealthy merchant), Lord Maurice de Vane (a wealthy
courtier), Daniel Greenwood (a Fellow of Brazen Nose
college), and Sir William Davenant (poet, dramatist,
theatre manager and Cavalier). When his services are
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The Doom That Came to Oxford
urgently required, Gerald Hughes (a brilliant, yet
eccentric, scholar) is also invited to meet with the
others (the inner circle don’t really wish to reveal their
true motives to Gerald, but he is an integral part of
their organisation, as they rely on his knowledge to
correctly inform the complex rituals they undertake).
Outside of the inner circle are a few other acolyte
cultists, who have been converted by Alderman
Wilson over the years. He is careful only to recruit
those that he can rely on, and if he begins to doubt the
fanaticism or loyalty of any of those he has recruited,
he orders his mercenaries to dispose of them.
Note: Wilson is leading just one cell of a larger
organisation – but the implications of such a
conspiracy go beyond the scope of this adventure...
AGENTS OF THE ORDER
As well as the aforementioned inner circle and their
acolytes, the OED has various other agents at their
disposal. Lord Maurice de Vane has a small household
guard, and Alderman Wilson maintains a force of
cultist mercenaries. The OED is also not above hiring
third parties to achieve their goals. These mercenaries
and messengers are usually unaware of whom they are
serving, but happy enough to take the coin in return for
carrying out whatever services are required of them.
Gerald Hughes is one such third party – his knowledge
of the occult and his ability as a translator and
researcher mean that he is considered integral to the
OED, although he is not privy to the identities of all the
inner circle.
As the party investigates the goings on in Oxford it is
very likely they will begin to uncover the OED, or at
least the activities of some of its members. There is no
set plan for how the OED will handle this interference,
but it is likely that at first warnings will be sent and, if
these warnings are not heeded, assassins dispatched to
deal with the Adventurers.
62
A Stranger in the
Town
Prince Rupert is secretly hosting a guest on a very
delicate diplomatic mission.
Following the devastation at Naseby, both Royalist
and Parliamentarian armies have retired from active
campaigning. That is not to say the war isn’t still being
fought – sieges are still maintained, scouting parties
still skirmish, but the leaders on both sides are
reflecting on how best to move the fight forward
without exposing their forces to the threat of total
annihilation at the hands of the enemy. There are also
highly placed advocates of peace in both camps –
Henry Ireton, shocked at the death of the king, has
made his reservations known to Oliver Cromwell, and
likewise Sir Reginald Perkinson has been discretely
lobbying at court for the Royalists to draw up a more
official truce.
It is in this spirit that a scheme has been devised to
begin cautious talks between the two sides. Neither
side wants their supporters to know (for fear that such
negotiations would be seen as a sign of weakness). In
reality both Oliver Cromwell and Prince Rupert have
no real desire to negotiate – Cromwell wants to rule the
entire country, and Prince Rupert is determined to
hand an uncontested throne to Charles II – but both are
interested in assessing the other’s intent, and both see
the advantage of spinning out the process, to placate
those promoting peace and to buy the necessary time
they want to rebuild and redeploy their forces.
It was decided that an ambassador would be sent from
each camp to bring terms to the other. Prince Rupert
has sent his brother Maurice to meet with Cromwell,
and Cromwell has sent his son, Richard, to meet with
Prince Rupert. By agreement, both ambassadors were
to travel in total anonymity, and their business to be
known to only a very select few. At the end of the
discussions both men are to be escorted to a
rendezvous point, where they might be returned to
their own sides.
The mission was doomed from the start. Prince
Maurice is a rake and, when not fighting, an archetypal
cavalier. Richard Cromwell is almost as dissolute, and
despite his father’s hopes, not cut out for the task.
Negotiations ground to a halt before they really began,

and both men are currently doing little more than
being entertained by their enemies, whilst awaiting the
moment they might be exchanged for each other and
returned to their own side.
The OED are aware that Richard Cromwell is in
Oxford (and Wilson, courtesy of de Vane, is aware that
Prince Maurice is under Oliver Cromwell’s protection
in London). Wilson hopes that he might shatter the
peace by killing Richard Cromwell, and wants to kill
the man in such a way that will cause consternation
throughout the land.
Meeting with Sir
Reginald
Perkinson
Sir Reginald Perkinson is an ideal patron to set the
party on the road to investigating Rector Britton’s
murder. Sir Reginald Perkinson is a wealthy and
influential Alchemist, who is directly accountable to
Prince Rupert. Sir Reginald privately works toward
building a peace between Royalists and
Parliamentarians. Prince Rupert indulges Sir Reginald,
although he doesn’t share his aims. The Prince is
The Doom That Came to Oxford
aware, although he would never admit it, that the
Alchemist’s network of correspondents are
occasionally diplomatically useful (to negotiate
prisoner exchanges or to address other matters of
national importance, where official cooperation
between the two warring parties is impossible, but
private communication is necessary).
Amongst Sir Reginald’s close correspondents are many
influential figures from a host of factions, including
Henry Ireton (who as a younger man attended
university in Oxford where he was befriended by Sir
Reginald), who is seen by many as Cromwell’s second-
in-command.
If you would prefer a different route into the
adventure, most of the major personalities from the
Parliamentarian and Royalist factions have their own
spies, gathering information for their paymasters.
They may have heard vague whispers about a secret
society operating within Oxford or of strange events at
Brazen Nose college, and thus dispatched the party to
investigate. If Sir Reginald doesn’t directly recruit the
party himself, he might hear of their presence in the
town and send for them anyway.
WHY GET INVOLVED
Royalist Adventurers will likely have Sir Reginald as
a patron or close friend. Adventurers might be
attached to Sir Reginald’s household. They may be
students, or former students, of his from Oxford, or
they may be a part of his social clique.
Parliamentarian Adventurers have possibly been
ordered to Oxford by their own patron, Henry Ireton,
or one of his close allies. Ireton maintains a
correspondence with his friend Sir Reginald and will
have asked the Adventurers to check in on Sir Reginald
while they are in Oxford. Henry will order
Parliamentarian Adventurers to treat all Sir Reginald’s
requests as if they were his own. Parliamentarians will
have to keep their allegiances hidden while at court or
in the colleges, but a small bribe and a reasonable cover
story regarding the purpose of their visit to Oxford
should suffice as far as gaining entry to the town is
concerned. Remember, the townsfolk are mainly
Parliamentarian, and so as long as the Adventurers can
come up with a plausible and non-military reason for
their presence, they won’t attract the particular
attention of the guard.
Adventurers from Other Factions might have a
variety of motivations for assisting Sir Reginald, be it
for the love of adventure, personal glory, or just good
63
The Doom That Came to Oxford
old-fashioned avarice (Sir Reginald has deep pockets
and will pay the party well for carrying out their
investigations).
Oxford is over-crowded. Everywhere people complain
about the high prices. Fights break out between cavaliers
and townsmen. Actors are assaulted by the Godly. And
students scuffle, as they have always done, with rowdy
apprentice boys. The hubbub of activity can be heard
everywhere, the market seems to be forever open, and the
inns are doing a roaring trade. The stench is over-
powering, with so many people and animals jammed
together within the town walls. Many fear the return of
plague, borne on ill and reeking winds. Despite the
cramped and unsavoury conditions, Oxford is also a
place of opportunity and advancement. One such
opportunity has just arisen. You have been invited to
dinner at the house of Sir Reginald Perkinson, a high
ranking and influential Alchemist.
AN INVITATION
The party will be invited to Sir Reginald’s townhouse.
He will invite any Adventurers who aren’t Peasants to
dinner (Peasant Adventurers will be invited to eat in
the kitchen, with the servants. Sir Reginald isn’t a snob,
he just doesn’t wish for anyone to feel embarrassed at
table). After eating, he will invite the party into his
study to smoke a pipe and discuss the purpose of their
invitation:
“I apologise for gathering you here to discuss such
mundane matters, but I have a task that I would like you
to assist me with. Before I proceed, I must ask you all to
vow that you will act with discretion and not publicly
reveal anything that you ascertain as a result of the
enquiries I wish you to make, without first seeking my
permission to do so.”
Once the necessary assurances have been given, Sir
Reginald will continue:
“Some weeks ago a most tragic and foul murder was
committed, in the chapel of Brazen Nose college. Brazen
Nose is one of the finest seats of learning in this fair
town. The murder was especially horrific as the victim
was a holy man, the Rector of the college chapel. What’s
more, it transpires that the fellow was struck down at the
very altar at which he was worshipping. Now, you must
understand, it is imperative that we avoid scandal. I will
be frank – much mischief has been spoken by the
Parliamentarians, and even by some of the simple folk of
Oxford, imagined fictions about good Rupert’s court and
the hard-working scholars at the various colleges. Stories
of murdered Rectors are not helpful in dismissing the
spiteful gossips.
64
The Principal at the college is a personal friend, and he
has asked me if I might provide some assistance in the
matter. I thus sought your counsel, as I believe you might
be up to such a task. There was an internal investigation,
but the investigator himself has been tragically struck
down. The civil authorities are simply over-stretched. I
wish you to look into the matter, with detachment and
subtlety and, if at all possible, arrest the felon.”
Sir Reginald isn’t being completely frank. And with
good cause. The Parliamentarians produce an endless
stream of propaganda pamphlets accusing Prince
Rupert, and all his Alchemists, of witchery; the
Royalists of all being Catholic sympathisers, if not
actually secret Catholics; and the Royal Court of being
a hotbed of scandal and indelicacy. Oxford itself may
be the Royal capital, but the Puritan townsfolk favour
Parliament. In addition, Richard Cromwell is due to
visit Brazen Nose soon, to attend an entertainment in
his honour. The Principal of Brazen Nose has been
browbeaten into hosting the event, on account of the
machinations of one of the Senior Fellows (Daniel
Greenwood). Sir Reginald and the Principal, Doctor
Samuel Radcliffe, want the matter cleared up and the
murderer caught, before the Richard Cromwell’s visit.
Doctor Radcliffe has confided in Sir Reginald that there
were strange Satanic symbols scrawled upon the altar
of the chapel where the murder took place. At this
stage Sir Reginald will respect Doctor Radcliffe’s
confidence and not reveal this information to the party.
Sir Reginald will offer generous recompense (between
100 and 500 shillings, depending upon the status of the
Adventurers) and letters of introduction (his signature
will give the party reasonable access throughout the
Oxford colleges and royal court).
At this stage Sir Reginald has nothing helpful to
suggest, other than that the party go to the college and
talk to the Principal. As the adventure progresses, and
if the party thinks to consult him, he might help them
begin to deduce the involvement of the OED. Sir
Reginald is aware that over the years various occult
texts have been stolen from numerous colleges and
that the works are all tomes with unsavoury and
unchristian reputations. If the Adventurers are
assaulted by Wilson’s mercenaries, or third party hired
thugs, then Sir Reginald will suspect that perhaps a
wider plot is afoot.
Sir Reginald will be unwilling to provide soldiers to
aid the party, unless they garner really firm evidence
suggesting serious danger. If the party does find
evidence implicating Lord de Vane or Alderman
Wilson, Sir Reginald will urge the party to try to find
 The Doom That Came to Oxford

out more about any threats they pose, and will ask the
Adventurers to head off any trouble themselves, if at
all possible. He won’t want to move openly against
such powerful individuals unless he really feels he has
to.
If questioned, Sir Reginald might also impart the
following:
About Oxford: “A wonderful town, but not without its
tensions. The colleges here are the best in the world, but
business is hardly carrying on as usual. There simply isn’t
room. What with the students, the court, and the military,
the place is packed.”
About Brazen Nose: “I seldom visit there myself, as the
college lacks a proper laboratory. But it is a fine institution.
The Principal is a warm fellow, well-disposed to his
About the former investigator: “I really don’t know. I
believe he died, but I have no knowledge of the
circumstances. Perhaps Doctor Radcliffe will know more?”
WHERE TO STAY
Unless one or more of the Adventurers lives in Oxford
the party will have to find somewhere to stay. There
are plenty of inns, but space is hard to come by. Prices
will be up to double those listed in Clockwork & Chivalry
2nd edition, and Adventurers will be probably be
expected to share a room. While the party is working
for him, Sir Reginald might use his influence to secure
them a better room, and will perhaps even pay for their
lodgings.

Brazen Nose
students. Like most of the colleges, they are host to a number
of courtiers and other individuals of importance who have
been forced to seek refuge.”
About the murder: “The dead chap’s name was Gordon
Britton. No surviving relatives, by all accounts. Apart from
that, I’m afraid I only really know what I have already told
you.”
College
About the Principal: “Ah, Doctor Radcliffe. A fine fellow
Brazen Nose was only formally instituted as a college
and wonderful scholar. Of course, he is getting on a bit now,
in the last century, but there have been halls of learning
but aren’t we all? He never really took to the modern
on the site since early medieval times. Although not
alchemical sciences, but he is an eminent natural philosopher
the largest college in Oxford, it is nevertheless an
and learned gentleman. Please do not mention it, for I would
impressive building complex (see picture above).
not insult him, but I do worry that he is becoming careworn.
There is no need to go into detail about every building
I wish I could reduce his troubles. Perhaps if you could
reassure him there isn’t a murderer at large about his college – most of the halls are overcrowded, as courtiers and
it might allay some of his concerns.” diplomats have been assigned rooms; some are still
used for lectures; and a few are used for research and
study. The Principal lives in his own private lodgings,

65
The Doom That Came to Oxford
on site, and there are several libraries, a dining hall,
and of course, a small college chapel. Access to and
from the college is restricted to the main gates so the
guards can monitor any would-be troublemakers
(access through nearby Lincoln college has also been
blocked).
Armed with the letter of introduction from Sir
Reginald and the knowledge that a murder has been
committed, the party will need to formulate a strategy
for conducting their investigations. The first port of call
will likely be Brazen Nose college itself; in particular,
they should probably request a meeting with the
Principal. If they decide to have a look around before
meeting the Principal, let them. In this event, Sergeant
Gripps will be alerted to the party’s presence by the
gate guards and he will hurry to meet them at the
college gate. Gripps will agree to take them wherever
they want to go within the college quadrangle.
SERGEANT GRIPPS
Profession: Soldier Age: 32
Faction: Royalist RP: 55
STR 14 CON 13 SIZ 12 INT 11 POW 10 DEX 12 CHA 10
DM +1D4 HP 13 MWL 7 AP 2/1
Skills: Athletics 55%, Close Combat 65% (Halberd
1D8+2+1D4), Dodge 55%, Gun Combat 65% (Carbine
2D6+1), Insight 40%, Perception 50%, Persistence 50%,
Resilience 60%, Ride 45%, Unarmed Combat 55% (1D3+1D4)
Sergeant Gripps was the direct underling of Captain
Lungeworth, and now finds himself temporarily in
command of the soldiers guarding the college. Gripps
66
never socialised with his Captain. Whereas
Lungeworth was prone to intellectual introspection,
Gripps is a professional Soldier – rough, tough, and
no-nonsense in his manner. That said, he quite liked
his Captain and wasn’t at all resentful of him. As far as
Gripps is concerned, the army is built on gentlemen
doing the thinking and proper soldiers doing the
fighting – that’s how it’s always been and there’s no
point in worrying about it.
If questioned, Gripps will impart some or all of the
following:
About Oxford: “Town’s full of ranters. I just do as I’m
told, but I’ve been in friendlier billets.”
About Rector Gordon Britton: “Never had anything to
do with him. The chapel’s for the scholars, see? We have our
own chaplain and worship separately.”
About Brazen Nose: “Can’t tell you much. Us soldiers are
just here to guard the place, and I don’t pay much mind to
the gentlemen who live here.” And, “Well, there’s the
scholars, the students and professors, and then there’s some
of the visitors to court staying as well. And there’s a few of
us soldiers billeted here to look after ‘em. They all get on,
though I think some of the students put on some airs to
attract the eyes of their betters. But I guess that’s to be
expected. Gets a bit rowdy sometimes, but never been any
real problems.”
About the Principal: “Always looks a bit worried. Guess
he has lots to do, what with it being so busy.”
About the murder: “A grim business. The preacher was
found in the chapel. He’d been stabbed. He’d been there a
while I reckon. They found him in the morning, but I reckon
as he’d been dead the night before.”; “No-one seems to have
seen anything. Or at least, they’re not admitting it if they
did. Poor Captain Lungeworth questioned the porters and
the guards, but it were a waste of time. Place was in a state
though. The doors were right off their hinges, and the air was
horrid.”And, “I saw the body. The Captain sent me and
some lads to fetch it. I’ve seen wounded folks, after battle an’
all. I think he was run through with a sword, not a dagger.
And by someone who knew how to handle one.”
About Captain Lungeworth: “Good man. Bit of a thinker
though. Not really soldier material, but then he was an
officer, no offence. Such a shame for his widow. Guess there’s
been a lot of widows lately.” And,“He was in charge of
finding the murderer. Truth is, I don’t think the Principal
was too keen for people to find out about the Rector. You
know how it is. The other colleges think Brazen Nose is full
of ranters and whisper that the students here are at the point
of joining the rebellion. Meanwhile the townsfolk think the
place is Papist. But neither seems right. The college seems
solid enough, apart from that traitor Greenwood. Anyway,
 The Doom That Came to Oxford
the chapel was sealed off, the coroner came and went, and it – the room wasn’t ransacked, but everything had been
was left to the Captain to hunt down the felon.” In regards moved about (Daniel Greenwood has been in the room
to the Lungeworth’s death, he will say: “The Captain looking for the Esoterica).
took ill. He didn’t seem at all well the morning that we found
the Rector’s body. Anyways, he soon got so sick that he left
his duties. Then a week or two ago it turns out he died. You
MEETING THE PRINCIPAL
know, come to think of it, you don’t think there was foul play The party will probably want to meet with the
involved, do you? ... Then there’s something else. I hadn’t Principal. Even if they don’t head straight to see him,
paid it any mind, but one or two of the men, they remember
once Doctor Radcliffe realises who the party is, he will
seeing the Captain doing his rounds on the night of the
send for them. The Principal’s Lodgings are fine
murder... I hope it weren’t remorse that drove him to his
indeed – although the treasures within belong to the
grave.” This last piece of information will probably be
college, not the Principal himself, and a sharp eyed
the most useful. Gripps really hadn’t considered that
Adventurer will notice that some of the plinths are
Lungeworth might have been responsible for the
empty and there are spaces where some artworks have
murder himself, till now, but the party’s investigations
been removed from the walls (having been sold to
have prompted him to process his nagging doubts.
stave off the college’s creditors).
Gripps is able to tell the Adventurers where Captain
Lungeworth had lodged. SAMUEL RADCLIFFE
About Daniel Greenwood: (Gripps won’t offer this
information unprompted, but might if the party asks
about possible troublemakers, follow up on Gripps’
own comment, etc.) “Can’t see why they let a roundhead
stay at the college. Everyone knows he sides with the traitors.
I think he’s hoping Doctor Radcliffe will leave so he can take
over. Fat chance of him ever getting the job even if the old boy
does retire.”

BRAZEN NOSE CHAPEL

If the party decides to inspect the chapel where the
Rector died, they will find it has been cleared up, the
hinges on the door replaced, and the bloodstains
scrubbed (although they can still find traces of blood
around the altar area). It is a typical small Laudian
college chapel. The Rector has not been permanently
replaced (Doctor Radcliffe not having gotten around to
making another appointment to the post). Church
services are still being held, conducted for now by
ordained members of the college faculty.
Profession: Principal/Scholar Age: 67

THE RECTOR’S PRIVATE Faction: Laudian RP: 12

STR 10 CON 9 SIZ 11 INT 16 POW 13 DEX 9 CHA 13
CHAMBERS DM 0 HP 10 MWL 5 AP 0/0

If the party thinks to examine Gordon Britton’s
quarters, they will be shown to the clergyman’s private
chambers. He only had a small living area, located near
to the chapel (he was moved from his former larger
billet when the courtiers moved into the college). It is
clean and tidy (on account of the college staff, not the
Rector) and there is nothing of note to be found. If the
cleaning staff is asked, they will complain that since the
Rector died someone has been poking around his room
Skills: Beliefs (Laudian) 70%, Commerce 50%, Insight 67%,
Lore (Aristotelian Science) 90%, Lore (Regional) 80%, Lore
(Theology) 83%, Lore (Research) 80%, Oratory 72%,
Perception 48%, Persistence 60%, Resilience 20%, Teaching
90%, Unarmed Combat 20% (1D3)
Doctor Samuel Radcliffe is the Principal of Brazen
Nose college. He looks elderly and is physically frail.
Although popular enough as a Principal, in the time he
has presided over the college it has consistently

67
The Doom That Came to Oxford
hovered on the brink of financial disaster. Early in the
war he declared himself for the Royalist cause, and
under his direction Brazen Nose joined with the other
Oxford colleges in selling much of their plate to raise
money for the Royalist war effort. Now the college is in
even more debt and has scant means of raising the
money to meet the losses.
Brazen Nose has a reputation for being the most well-
disposed of all the Oxford colleges towards Puritanism
on account of the number of Puritan ministers trained
there earlier in the century. Doctor Radcliffe will be
upset at any suggestion that the college isn’t now
solidly Royalist, Laudian, and respectable. He is
extremely sensitive regarding any criticism of his
leadership or suspected scandal at his college. He feels
he has enough to deal with already, without any
unhelpful rumours undermining his authority. The
recent murder of his Rector has upset him greatly.
Doctor Radcliffe is also annoyed that Greenwood has
arranged for a recital at Brazen Nose in Richard
Cromwell’s honour. He has had no choice but to agree.
The burden is on Prince Rupert to be a good host to his
enemy, and as Rupert would not refuse such a direct
request from his guest, Radcliffe can’t from his prince.
But Radcliffe is aware that Brazen Nose is already
suspected of being more open to Puritan and
Parliamentarian tendencies than the other Oxford
colleges, and this won’t help remove that taint. He also
recognises that the invitation is a blatant attempt by
Greenwood to undermine the Principal’s authority,
and simultaneously ingratiate himself with Richard
Cromwell (and by association, Oliver).
Doctor Radcliffe is generally supportive of the recent
developments in alchemical research, but has no desire
to learn much of such things himself (as he feels he is
too old to start dabbling beyond his existing areas of
expertise). He is, however, rather concerned to keep
practical experimentation to a minimum within Brazen
Nose – his approach has hardened against
unauthorised experimentation as a result of a series of
unfortunate explosions, and the accompanying
redecoration and burial costs.
The party will be invited into the Principal’s office, and
he will send someone to fetch some extremely fine
wine (the college may be hard up, but it still manages
to maintain a very fine cellar). Once everyone is
comfortable, the Principal will tell the Adventurers
most of what he knows.
68
WHAT THE PRINCIPAL KNOWS
The Rector’s body was discovered in the early hours of
the morning by a college servant. The servant didn’t
investigate the scene herself, but from the door the
frightened woman could see the blood running over
the floor and the dead preacher stretched out on the
floor of the chapel. She ran straight to the Principal’s
Lodgings, and Doctor Radcliffe hurried to see for
himself what had happened. He stopped at the
gatehouse to request that Captain Lungeworth escort
him to the chapel. Daniel Greenwood trailed along as
well, intrigued at seeing the Principal up so early in the
morning – he and Radcliffe might be implacable
enemies, but Greenwood is a Senior Fellow and so
Radcliffe didn’t challenge his presence. When they got
to the chapel they were horrified. Even the Captain
looked sickened, and he was a military man, and
former Physician to boot!
What they found was not only that the chapel doors
seemed to have been blown off their hinges from
within, but also that there were strange marks chalked
upon the altar. The marks were unfamiliar to Radcliffe,
but undeniably of concern (Radcliffe can’t remember
what the marks actually were, but he believes they
were Satanic in nature. Greenwood knew precisely
what they were, and realised that it was possible that
the Rector had possession of the lost Esoterica. He
informed the OED). Desperate to maintain the college’s
reputation (undeniably the idea that the preacher had
been slain in a Satanic ritual or, heaven forbid, had
been conducting one, could possibly cause a riot)
Doctor Radcliffe himself removed the offending
marks, and swore Lungeworth and Greenwood to
secrecy regarding the strange symbols. To his surprise
they both readily assented. Satisfied, Radcliffe charged
Lungeworth with investigating the matter, and asked
him to get some of his men to move the dead Rector to
somewhere more dignified (and to clear up the bloody
mess).
Samuel will tell the party about the events of that
morning, but will not willingly reveal to the
Adventurers the fact that there were occultish marks,
unless pushed (if, for instance, they return with
Lungeworth’s journal; or at the point where the
Adventurers have proven themselves to be loyal and
trustworthy).
Aside from the above information, Doctor Radcliffe
can also offer the following:
About Oxford: “The town has always resented the colleges.
Foolishness, for the traders make their fortunes over-

charging us for everything.” Doctor Radcliffe is not
happy about the amount the colleges owe town
merchants, and the amount of pressure those
merchants are putting on him to clear the debts. Doctor
Radcliffe won’t want to admit that the college is
struggling, but he has commissioned various
extensions and improvements for which there are no
funds available.
About Rector Gordon Britton: “He was a fine chap. Such
a shame.” The Rector was noncontroversial and rather
boring, both traits that Doctor Radcliffe was grateful
for in a college chaplain. Aside from that, the Principal
has little to add. The Rector was unmarried, lived alone
at the college, and seemingly had no vices.
About Brazen Nose: “It has been my privilege to serve and
lead this wonderful institution. It has grown so much since
my arrival, all those years ago, and I hope when I am gone
the place continues to go from strength to strength.” Doctor
Radcliffe is extremely proud of the improvements he
has overseen, and secretly worried that when he dies
the place will go to ruin through his financial
ineptitude.
About himself: “I do my best for the college and its
students.” Doctor Radcliffe is genuinely motivated by a
desire to help as many people as possible improve
themselves through education. He also believes that he
is the only person with such motivations, and that if it
was left to others standards would drop intolerably.
About the Murder: “Like I say, one of the servants found
the poor man. A terrible state he was in. Blood everywhere.
Tragic.” There is nothing much to be gained from
talking to the servant, but if the party insists Doctor
Radcliffe will send for her. The frightened girl, Beth
Horthner, will relate that on her way to her work in the
kitchens she noticed the broken chapel doors, peered
in, and saw the body. She then ran to the Principal’s
Lodgings to report the accident/crime. Doctor
Radcliffe will describe the scene, on his arrival, as
follows: “Captain Lungeworth was responsible for
investigating the matter. But with no witnesses, he didn’t
get very far. There is a curfew at night, to prevent the
students and guests causing trouble in the quad. All was
quiet, and none of the soldiers reported anything unusual.
Look, I just want the matter cleared up, if at all
possible...and...I’m concerned. We have an important
occasion lined up. Hush, hush, so I can’t say more, but it
pays to be careful, so please be discreet.” If really pushed,
he may reveal that “There was something disquieting
about the scene. There were symbols, etched in chalk. I didn’t
recognise them, but they brought me to mind of the lurid
stories in the pamphlets of Satanic sacrifice. I beg you,
The Doom That Came to Oxford
no-one must know of this. But if you are going to be
investigating, I suppose you need to know the truth.”
About Captain Lungeworth: “A former student, you
know. Wanted to be a Physician, but he was always late
paying his fees and the war began before he finished his
studies. A keen enough scholar though, when he attended. A
sad loss.” And, “He looked pale when we went to see poor
Gordon’s body. He fell more seriously ill, soon after the
investigation started. His wife came to me to apologise for
her husband’s absence. Charming girl, although a little
weepy. Anyhow, he never came back. Probably a fever or
some-such that did for him. Shame. And of course his loss
hampered the investigation into the killing of Gordon.”
About Daniel Greenwood: “There is no love lost between
us, it’s true. He wants my job, and he can’t have it. In his
younger days he was all hot and Godly. His indiscretions
even drew the attention of the Archbishop himself.” And,
“He is a jealous troublemaker. But it is a sign of our
tolerance. The rest of us are for Rupert to the man, but we
can manage to work with a fellow scholar despite our
political differences. It would never happen at Cambridge,
Cromwell purges all dissent from his ranks.” Also, “He
came with me when I went to see poor Gordon. He’s an
efficient enough Senior and a quick enough scholar. But I
don’t trust him for a minute.”
The party may decide to go and visit Daniel
Greenwood, as his name has been mentioned. The
Senior Fellow will tell them he is far too busy to talk,
and won’t be intimidated into anything. He might just
decide to grant them a short audience to get rid of
them, and so that he might assess their worth and
report back to the OED.
DANIEL GREENWOOD
Profession: Scholar Age: 45
Faction: Cultist (OED) RP: 100
STR 12 CON 13 SIZ 13 INT 15 POW 13 DEX 12 CHA 11
DM 0 HP 13 MWL 7 AP 0/0
Skills: Athletics 40%, Beliefs (Presbyterian) 50%, Close
Combat 50% (Rapier 1D8), Dodge 55%, Insight 59%, Lore
(Alchemy) 67%, Elemental Casting (Fire) 57%, Elemental
Casting (Water) 59%, Lore (Aristotelian Science) 55%, Lore
(Cthulhu Mythos) 23%, Lore (Regional) 80%, Lore
(Theology) 64%, Perception 62%, Persistence 59%, Resilience
44%, Sleight 57%, Stealth 62%, Teaching 68%, Unarmed
Combat 60% (1D3)
Spells: For the Befuddlement of the Mind, For the Confusion of the
Tongue, For to Contact Azathoth, For the Dismissal of an Undine,
For to Extinguish a Conflagration, For the Ignition of a Consuming
Flame, For to Raise a Great Fog, For the Summoning of an Undine,
For the Warming of the Mortal Frame
69
The Doom That Came to Oxford
Daniel is a Senior Fellow at Brazen Nose college and,
in his mind at least, next in line for the Principal’s job.
He has a stern and forbidding countenance and is
unpopular with the rest of the faculty. It is very
unlikely that he would ever be offered the Principal’s
job, unless things rapidly change and Cromwell takes
Oxford. Daniel claims to be a Presbyterian (in fact he is
a cultist) and will protest that as such he is not alone in
supporting his monarch loyally, despite having
reservations about the Laudian church being a hotbed
of Catholic sympathisers. He is dissembling – in reality
he has made overtures to Cromwell promising his
support (although he makes a lousy Parliamentarian
spy, as everyone suspects him) and is furthermore
playing a deeper game for the OED. Before the war
Greenwood had been criticised by Laud himself, who
sent a grumbling letter of complaint aimed at the
Puritans of Brazen Nose, and Daniel in particular.
Daniel is abrupt, and can be downright rude, even
when he is doing his best to be civil. He is in fact a
totally devoted follower of the OED, dedicating his life
to serving his hidden masters, the Great Old Ones, and
working to bring them forth to rule the world.
Daniel has been instrumental in organising a recital in
honour of the secret guest of Prince Rupert, Richard
Cromwell. Richard, unlike his father, enjoys such
diversions. Wilson has decided that Richard Cromwell
will be eliminated during the event.
About Oxford: “A fine town full of hard-working folk.”
About Rector Gordon Britton: “Dull chap. Uninspiring
preacher. Otherwise I know little about him.” If asked
70
Daniel will explain he is a Presbyterian and goes to a
church in the town.
About Brazen Nose: “As a Presbyterian I am committed
to a life of learning. What better place to be?” And, “Truth
is, I worry about the college. All that glisters is not gold,
isn’t that what they say? Well, there isn’t much gold at
Brazen Nose. The college is bereft of money.” Also, “I should
be the Principal. I understand administration and I could
sort this place out.”
About himself: “I’m a Senior Fellow at the college. In fact,
I do much of the running of the place, although I don’t
control the purse-strings, more’s the pity.” And, “I teach, I
study, I pray.”
About the murder: “Yes. Terrible.” And, “I saw the
Principal in all of a hurry, so I escorted him to the chapel.
Wasn’t a pretty sight, quite put me off my breakfast. I hope
you catch whoever did it.”
About Captain Lungeworth: “Who?”... “Oh, yes, the
military chap. I don’t really know him. I’m too busy trying
to shore up this place, without befriending every soldier that
guards it.” And, “Dead you say? Oh, dear. Still, there is a
lot of it going round, what with the war and plagues, and
whatnot.”
About the Principal: “He’s too old to do the job properly.
Time he stepped aside and let a younger man take over.”...
“Look, he was a good enough teacher in his day, but he
doesn’t know how to manage a college of this size.” And,
“Everyone knows there’s no love lost between us; there is no
point in denying it.”
About the “Satanic” symbols on the altar: “Can’t say I
noticed anything like that. All the blood was a bit much for
me. Afraid I rushed out without looking round much.” (An
Insight roll will tell the Adventurers that he’s lying). If
pushed: “Yes, there were some strange marks on the altar.
I’d prefer if you kept it quiet – the college is doing badly
enough with Radcliffe as Principal without it getting a
reputation for harbouring Satanists in our midst. Shocking,
really, a man of the cloth like that...”
WIDENING THE SEARCH
If the party questions the other soldiers, the Fellows,
students, college guests, or servants, other than those
personalities listed above, they won’t find out much
more. Nobody witnessed the murder of the Rector.
Most people are aware that a murder has taken place,
and some will murmur lurid and inaccurate
allegations (ranging from Papal-funded assassins
through to a student stunt gone wrong), but no-one
else has anything really useful to add. The party may
pick up on some general dissatisfaction – the servants
 The Doom That Came to Oxford
feel overstretched and under-resourced, and the WIDOW HELEN LUNGEWORTH
wealthier residents think the place is under-staffed and
the kitchens meaner than those in some of the other
colleges (a general indication of the college’s financial
difficulties). Eventually the Adventurers will probably
decide to find out more about Captain Lungeworth
(whose home address can be garnered from Sergeant
Gripps or the Principal).

Captain
Lungeworth’s
Quarters
Captain Lungeworth was a native of Oxford. He and
his wife rented a floor in a neatly appointed house in
the centre of the town. His wife, Helen, still lives in the Profession: Goodwife Age: 25
apartment. Before the war, Lungeworth attended Faction: Puritan RP: 30
college, although he often had to undertake other work
STR 11 CON 11 SIZ 10 INT 11 POW 11 DEX 11 CHA 12
to subsidise his studies. He wasn’t a man of great
means and he wanted to provide well for his wife. He DM 0 HP 11 MWL 6 AP 0/0
had been training to be a Physician, but he spent much Skills: Beliefs (Puritan) 40%, Courtesy 50%, Evaluate 40%,
of his time translating works for others, as he had a Insight 30%, Lore (Regional) 60%, Persistence 50%, Resilience
natural gift for languages. He made most of his living 40%, Unarmed Combat 25% (1D3)
translating Arabic medical texts into Latin or English.
Goodwife Lungeworth is in a bad way. Wracked with
During this period he met Gerald Hughes, a fellow
grief at the loss of her husband, she hasn’t recovered at
translator, as well as natural philosopher and
all from the initial shock of the loss; that shock has been
Alchemist, who let it slip that he was searching for
compounded by the invasion of her home, and
certain occult tomes, including the Esoterica. At the
ransacking of her husband’s study, by mercenaries;
time Lungeworth didn’t give it a second thought – he
moreover, she has found out that her husband has left
hadn’t encountered the book, and told Gerald that.
her in debt; and she has recently discovered that she is
When war broke out Lungeworth willingly joined the pregnant.
Royalist cause. Unlike many of his fellow townsfolk, he
She hasn’t eaten much over the past few days, and she
was appalled that the country was in rebellion against
is puffy eyed, prone to fainting and very tearful. Her
their rightful king. He managed to secure a
friends often visit, and have done their best to comfort
commission, although he had to go into debt to do so.
her, but they are worried that she isn’t taking care of
His wife is a Puritan by faith, but her devotion to her
herself and that she is going to need to find a position
church had no impact on her love and respect for her
soon (perhaps as a Lady’s Maid) or get into financial
husband and she has absolutely no interest in politics.
difficulty. In fact, she is already in difficulty – her
The Lungeworths previously had no children but,
husband has left her with debts, due to his purchase of
cmpounding her panic and despair, Widow
a commission in the Royalist army. Helen is in trouble
Lungeworth now finds herself with child.
and doesn’t know what to do.
Helen has her husband’s diary. She has read it, and she
is frightened that it holds information which reflects

71
The Doom That Came to Oxford
badly on her husband’s sanity, and that any rumours
about such mental instability might be held against her
unborn child (as such madness is probably hereditary).
More shockingly, it reveals her husband might have
been a murderer. The Adventurers, if they explain they
are investigating the murder of the Rector, will
represent an authority that Helen feels she must defer
to, but she is in a terrible quandary. She might give in
and fetch the diary when interviewed, or she might
find the Adventurers and pass the diary to them at a
later stage.
After her husband approached Gerald, the apartment
was ransacked. Men in dark clothing, wearing hoods,
with their faces covered in scarves, bundled into the
apartment, ransacked the office, and stole the Esoterica.
They paid no heed to Helen, who cowered in her
bedroom. She saw them take a sack full of papers and
a book from her husband’s study, but they merely
looked around the other rooms, satisfied that they had
everything of possible interest. Her husband
committed suicide shortly after, but Helen’s vicar
assented to bury him. He was so emaciated that the
vicar assumed he had been very sick and had merely
hastened an end that must have been very close
anyway. The kindly vicar decided to turn a blind eye
to the matter, for the sake of Helen.
Helen can impart the following information (between
sobs):
About herself: “What do you want with me, sirs? I am but
a poor grieving widow. I will carry my burdens, but pray,
trouble me not.” And,“Sirs, I beg you, leave me be. I am
bereft of my husband, thoroughly destitute, and with child.
Why must you torture me with your questions?” If any of
the Adventurers are able to do anything at all practical
to help Helen (find her a position, give her some
money, etc.), then she will be much more amenable
and frank for the rest of the conversation (although she
will not actually make any requests directly to the
party, not believing anyone would want to help her).
About Captain Lungeworth: “He was a good man. Oh, I
miss him so much.” And, “It was such a shame. At the end
I hardly knew him, who I held so dear...he became so ill.” If
properly comforted and reassured, Helen will explain
that her husband at first became withdrawn, locking
himself in his study when not at work. Then, he failed
to go into work altogether. He never seemed to sleep
or eat, and only went out once in the last couple weeks
of his life. If asked where he went she will remember
that her husband had been muttered, under his breath,
a name: “Gerald.” Helen won’t be able to recall anyone
72
called Gerald at first, but she might eventually
remember that her husband used to work with a fellow
translator, and scholar at Brazen Nose college, Gerald
Hughes.
About the murder: “My husband told me little of his work,
sirs.” ... “I think something happened that troubled him
deeply. Perhaps even set him on the road towards his grave.”
If Helen has been soothed and given some assurances
that the party will behave honourably, she will
add:“Oh, sirs. Please help me. I wish to tell you all, but I fear
that I must be assured that my husband’s name and
reputation will remain intact. If not for my sake, for the
babe’s.” If the party makes the correct promises, Helen
will fetch her husband’s diary.
About the Ransacked Study: “Robbers came. They must
have known my John was weak, or they would not have
dared. They strode in, took some things, and left. I stayed
away from them, I was so afeared they might... and John
could not rise to resist, they left him on the floor of his study,
but I fear he fainted, rather than suffered a blow.” ... “Why,
they took no money. Just some of John’s papers, and one of
them was clutching a book.” And, “They were odd and
foreign looking. I could not see their faces, but their eyes were
dark, shrouded behind hoods and masks.”
If the Adventurers ask to look around the apartment,
Widow Lungeworth won’t protest.
CAPTAIN LUNGEWORTH’S
STUDY
There is nothing of note in the study, aside from the
obvious fact that it has been ransacked. Manuscripts
are strewn everywhere, but close examination will
only reveal (to anyone who makes the appropriate
successful skill rolls) that these are fragments of
translation work that Lungeworth undertook as a
student Physician, before joining the Royalist army.
Widow Lungeworth will explain that there were far
more books and manuscripts in the study, but whoever
ransacked the place must have removed them. Indeed,
this is the case. The agents of the Order threw most of
the writings into a sack, to examine later, in case there
was anything else relevant to the occult. There wasn’t,
and the materials have been pushed back into the sack
and are currently stashed in a lazy fashion, simply
discarded on the floor of Gerald’s laboratory.
 The Doom That Came to Oxford

The entry made the night after the slaying of “Father” Britton reads as follows:
“That which I have done is of grave dishonour. Yet the act is mine alone. I nowe seeke cause or reason for that which
possessed me, for possession can be the only explanation. I feare that the preacher was in league with the devils, and
the symbols of the devil were certainly upon his altar. What to do? Do I betray myself or do I do my utmoste to preserve
my name, for the sake of my deare wife?”
The next entry, made a week after Captain Lungeworth acquired the book, reads:
“My health is failing me, and I shalle be punished. I wish I could rise and away from the tome, but I finde it compels
me. It is a most ancient text, of that I am sure. It was written by no Christian hand, and it speaks of horrors. I believe
it to be the Esoterica, that booke that Hughes was seeking before the warre. I must force myself from my bed to see the
fellow, for he mighte know more of the truth of the matter. I believe that the preacher was casting forth an evil spell,
contained within the book, and had I not interupt’d him he would have caused muche pain. I console myself that I acted
for goode, but I feare that I shoulde have destroy’s the tome when I had the power within me to do so.”
The next entry reads:
“Hughes was in his home. He seemed distracted and displeased to see me. He was at work in a laborotorie thate he has
constructed himself. His manners changed when I told him the purpose of my visit. When I explained I had found the
dread book and the profound effect that it has upon me he became moste interested and animated. I confesse that in my
disordered state I felt almost scared of the passions that seemed to rise within the fellowe. I can not tell if it is the illness
with which I am beset or the truth of my meeting, but this milde man menaced me for possession of the book. I took my
leave, as rather than offer me solace or counsel, Hughes compounded my miseries.”
The final journal entry, compiled two days before Captain Lungeworth’s death:
“My dreames became more fever’d as time bore on. I dread’d the nocturnal terrors that await’d me, yet could scarce
stop them or stop myself from reading that moste dreadeful tome that muste have caus’d them alle. I moste often found
myself falling and hurtling downe in a moste sicken’ng fashion, such as to cause the bile to rise in my throate, my eyes
to bulge and my tongue to flop frome my mouth. I would awake at a start, all sweats, with a sore fever, my hearte
quickened.
Afore long I start’d to dream of the creature. I came aware I was not falling, but floating rather, as if the air was
honeyed. I fell not in any direction at alle. I mov’d up, down or to one side. I could not telle. So curious was I
concerninge the direction of my travels I became distract’d from my frighte. Thus distracted I founde that I moved more
slowlie through the dreamer state. But, rather than bringe order to my visions, this sloweness caus’d me to make divers
observations. Observations of no comfort, but herald’d my ende. First I merely observ’d shadowes, or glimps’d
movement. I soon realis’d the movement was not of divers smalle creatures, but parts of some whole great’r than one
could imagine. Movement was accompannie’d by noise. A loathesome, bubbling sound and a distante chattering. I
shift’d, mov’d around in the stickiness void, fully turn’d away from the leering thing. But whichever way I did turn’d
the blubberie size of the thinge faced at me, divers multitudes of eyes open’d in that most fetid of visages. As to the side
it was also above and belowe. It threat’nd to envelope me completelie. I smell’d a noxious stenche, sicklie sweete, suche
as a butcher’s yard mighte reek. That face whiche was no face, but the bloated hide of the beast, mouths slavering all
over its carcass, imposs’ble tongues and tendrils extend’d towarde me. To probe and give explore. The beast seem’d
only scant aware, yet it’s attent’n shift’d towardes me nowe. Crushing.
I awoke that nighte and scream’d. My mouth stille tast’d of that bittersweet stench of the charnel house. I scream’d
verily until the morning. Sleepe now constant threatenes to bringe me backe to that moste impossible thing. I beg my
men to wake me if ever I fall asleepe. It seemes I muste perish exhaust’d. Of lately I feele myself falling. I crawl throuw
the emptie space, in some hither to unknown directione, nowe in the houres of my waking. In this dayetime I sense the
presence, subtlety, as yet, shifting at the corners, but looming ever closer. The presence of that moste foule beaste. I
have told not my fellowes, but the creature is there, close nowe. Mayhaps, if I can finish the wretched booke, the dreames
will stop and then I mighte reclaim bothe my dayes and nightes from the hideous monster. Mayhaps. But, I am so close
to exhaust’d, so close to sweet oblivions, that I know not if I have the strength. I must succumbe to my waking
slumberes. Succumbe to that foul creature. I scribe these words as a moste terrible warning, so others mighte not make
my misfortune. So others might burn the wicked tome, tho I mighte not. Pray walk away. Discard all temptation.
Preserve ye minds and soules.”

73
The Doom That Came to Oxford
CAPTAIN LUNGEWORTH’S
DIARY
Captain Lungeworth keeps a locked journal. Luckily
the journal was kept in his bedchamber, rather than the
small study. Most of the journal is confined to chit-
chat, reflecting on money worries, or romantic
musings regarding his wife. After the night of the
murder of Gordon, the writings take a more sinister
turn; see previous page for the text.
By now the party should be aware that there is a
dangerous occult book that has been stolen by agents
unknown. They should also be aware of Gerald
Hughes. If they ask about at Brazen Nose they will be
told that he is a Senior Fellow at the college, but that he
has not been at the college for some time. Most people
will remember him as very eccentric; a few will say
that he was never the same after his wife died, years
ago; and if the party mentions the name to Daniel
Greenwood, he will immediately warn the rest of the
OED (who will step up attempts to eliminate the party,
as they seem to be getting too close for comfort).
Gerald was told not to reveal the location of his new
house, but the scatter-brained academic forgot that
instruction and let its location be known to the
Principal and various others, when they asked him
where he was moving to when he quit his Brazen Nose
lodgings (hence, his former friend, Captain John
Lungeworth, also knew where to find him).
The House of
Gerald Hughes
Gerald Hughes owns a well appointed townhouse,
near to Brazen Nose college. The house is a tall and
narrow three-story affair, on the end of a terrace of
similar properties. There are no gardens. The front
door is directly accessible from the street. The house
has a slightly shabby feel, for although the servants
keep it clean and tidy most of the furnishings are old
and worn.
GAINING ACCESS
The household servants are a middle-aged couple,
Edward and Margaret Flogger, who between them
74
look after the house. If asked they will say Gerald is far
too busy “working” and Henrietta is “bed-ridden”, so
Edward and Margaret are given free reign to manage
the place as they see fit. Edward and Margaret are
actually agents of the OED, loyal fanatics who work for
Alderman Wilson. It is likely that if the party visits
Gerald, he will be in his cellar and Edward will answer
the door (unless the party performs a more violent or
clandestine raid). They do not enter the cellar, and do
not interfere in Gerald’s work; they are, however,
charged with keeping an eye on him.
Edward will state that his master is out and mistress
indisposed, and will suggest the party make an
appointment to meet Gerald at the college. (In reality
Gerald seldom attends the college now, only leaving
his laboratory to sleep, or if summoned to meet with a
messenger from the OED. Gerald used to live within
the college grounds, and would have been shunted
into more wretched lodgings but for the assistance of
Alderman Wilson, who owns the townhouse.
Alderman Wilson also funded the conversion of the
cellar – loaning Gerald the money, although the
hapless academic doesn’t even realise the scale of his
debt to the merchant, such mundane matters being
beneath his attention).
If the Adventurers persist, Edward will only very
reluctantly let them in and inform Gerald of their
presence. Edward and Margaret really don’t want
trouble, and will try to keep out of the way if the party
is confrontational, but at the first opportunity one (or
both) of them will leave, in order to warn Alderman
Wilson. Their contact with Wilson is a messenger,
stationed at one of the merchant’s warehouses on the
outskirts of the town. Wilson, if warned early enough,
may dispatch some agents to kill the party (and Gerald
if he has revealed too much).
If they do question the servants, the Adventurers
might find out the following:
About Gerald: “We are but simple servants. We keep the
place clean for Master Hughes. We haven’t been in his
employ long, but we are well catered for, and have no
complaints.” ... “The Master is always very busy at his
work. He says he mustn’t be disturbed.” If the
Adventurers inquire as to where Gerald actually is, the
servants will say they have been told not to tell anyone,
as Gerald does not want to be disturbed. A successful
Insight roll will mean Adventurers notice that the
couple (or whichever of the couple they are
interviewing) glances toward the small study and
cellar steps.

About Henrietta: “The Mistress is indisposed. She is
unwell, Master Hughes says, and he won’t allow any to
attend her, apart from himself.” A successful Insight roll
will allow the Adventurers to work out that something
is not quite right about the explanation. Henrietta is in
fact, long dead. Gerald has spent years trying to find a
“cure” for her skeleton. The servants know that there
is a skeleton in the upstairs room, but it doesn’t
concern them. They were warned by Alderman Wilson
that Gerald was mad before they took the post. If the
party finds the corpse and challenge the servants, they
will shrug their shoulders and say, “It is the Master. He
isn’t...well. We humour him.”
If put under pressure: “Sirs, we don’t want any trouble.
Please understand, the Master is eccentric, but we leave him
to his work. It is no business of ours. Please speak to him if
you must, but don’t bother us anymore.”
Even if for some reason the party suspects the servants
(although there is really no reason they should at this
stage), they will not be able to garner any more useful
information from them. Both are fanatical and would
rather die than reveal whom they work for. They will
insist that they are nothing more than innocent
servants, to the end if necessary. They won’t fight back,
unless they feel they have a real chance of winning.
THE HOUSE
Ground Floor: The ground floor has a kitchen, small
study, and dining area/hall. Originally larger, the
kitchen is small, having been divided in two to make
room for Gerald’s study. The cellar (which houses
Gerald’s laboratory and the experiments that he wishes
to conduct privately, away from the college) is
accessed via a staircase leading down from a hatch
located in the study.
First Floor: The first floor is comprised of Gerald’s, and
his dead wife Henrietta’s, bedrooms. If the party goes
into Henrietta’s room they will find “skeletal remains,
dressed in a faded frock, shrouded by dry flower petals.”
Top Floor: The top floor is given over to the servants.
They have nothing incriminating.
The Doom That Came to Oxford
The Cellar
Laboratory
The cellar is a single large room, accessible from
Gerald’s study.
As you enter the cellar a myriad of strange smells assail
your nose, and the accompanying sights are just as
disconcerting. The room is larger than you would have
thought; the cellar must run beneath the street, as it
seems much larger than the ground floor of the house
above. The place is lit up with a strange bright greenish
light, emanating from lanterns, affixed to the basement
walls. There are various work benches running around
the walls, all of them a mess, cluttered with various
alchemical apparatuses. In the centre of the room are
large containers. The place appears to be a burial place,
for the containers look like large graves, such as one
might find in a church, except they lack ornamentation.
And, if Gerald is in the cellar when the party
arrives: One of the containers is open, its heavy lid lifted
to one side, and stooping over the strange sarcophagus is
a man. He is grasping the wrist of whoever is interred
within, and you can see a viscous liquid running down
the corpse’s arm. Suddenly the hand of the corpse
spasms, and the fingers clench and unclench. Whoever is
in the sarcophagus must still be alive!
Whatever the party intends to do about Gerald will
have to wait, as the corpse that has just been animated
will sit up in its coffin, drag itself over the side, stand,
and then randomly attack someone.
ANIMATED CORPSE
STR 20 CON 30 SIZ 12 INT 2 POW 2 DEX 12 CHA -
DM +1D6 HP 21 MWL 11 AP 0/0 Move 15
HR: -20%/1D6
Skills: Persistence 75%, Resilience 80%, Unarmed 45%
(1D3+1D6)
The animated corpse is imbued with an unnatural
strength and constitution. It cannot speak, although it
does make enraged, guttural gurgling sounds. The
gurgling is caused by the thick green fluid that the
creature was drenched in. The solution will also cause
the floor to be especially slippery. Anyone engaged in
Close or Unarmed Combat with the corpse will either
need to fight carefully (-20% modifier), or make a
75
The Doom That Came to Oxford
successful Athletics roll to avoid falling over.
Grappling the corpse is impossible. The corpse does
not have to make Resilience tests on receiving a Grave
Wound to an arm or leg – the limb is severed, but it just
keeps coming, crawling if necessary. It takes a Grave
Wound to the abdomen, chest or head (and a failed
Resilience roll) to “kill” it.
Once the corpse has been dealt with, the party will
have to decide what to do about Gerald. If the entire
party has gone down into the cellar without having
restrained the servants, the pair will be long gone, and
assassins might arrive to attack the party (and possibly
Gerald). Gerald will thank the party if they help him
fight the corpse, and then try to get back to his work. If
the party tries to physically stop him, he might even
attack them with his hammer. If they strike up a
conversation with him, as he goes about his business,
he will be more receptive (see some possible
conversation options below).
GERALD HUGHES
Profession: Scholar Age: 42
Faction: Self Interest (His Work) RP: 100
STR 15 CON 13 SIZ 11 INT 19 POW 13 DEX 13 CHA 10
DM +1D4 HP 12 MWL 6 AP 0/0
Skills: Close Combat 50% (Hammer 1D6+1D4), Language
(Arabic) 84%, Language (Greek) 76%, Language (Hebrew)
72%, Language (Latin) 93%, Lore (Alchemy) 92%, Lore
(Aristotelian Science) 100%, Lore (Cthulhu Mythos) 24%,
Lore (Occult) 34%, Lore (Regional) 80%, Lore (Research)
76
100%, Perception 62%, Persistence 60%, Resilience 60%,
Teaching 45%, Unarmed Combat 45% (1D3+1D4)
Gerald is an insane genius. Although a member of the
OED, Gerald has no real interest in working for the
Order. He is much more interested in getting his hands
on the forbidden works that the Order is seeking, so
that they might aid his studies. Gerald is not interested
in religion or politics – he just wants to find a means to
bring the dead to life. He is completely driven toward
this end.
Gerald believes that his wife is ill, and he is determined
to solve the riddle of eternal life before she actually
dies. In fact, she died a long time ago. Recently Gerald
has been successful in preserving flesh, by use of an
alchemical formula (he had experimented by soaking
experimental subjects in a bath of his solution), but he
made this discovery too late to prevent his wife’s
decomposition. Now he seeks a way to restore the flesh
to his wife’s emaciated remains, and then restoring
movement, and finally consciousness. Since acquiring
a copy of a few of the pages from Ptolemy’s Esoterica,
he has managed to animate the flesh of some of the
cadavers he acquired (from grave robbers).
Unfortunately the animation alone doesn’t seem to
restore the subject’s intelligence – but Gerald thinks he
is close to finding a way to restore and animate flesh,
and that the brain too might be restored, so he is
working ever more frantically to refine his experiments.
Physically, Gerald has a naturally wiry toughness. If
the party challenges him, he will deny all wrong-doing
and will just try to ignore them, returning to his work.
Gerald won’t be scared by any threats to himself,
although he will fight to remain in his laboratory.
Gerald will respond to any threats toward his wife’s
corpse (or if it is pointed out that his lack of co-
operation will result in his wife being left alone and
without a “cure”). He might share his information
about the OED if the Adventurers humour and
reassure him, or if they will agree to leave him and his
household alone once he has told them what they want
to know (in his madness his judgment is very poor, and
he won’t even realise when he is incriminating himself).
The OED (or rather, Alderman Wilson) are frustrated
by Gerald’s lack of dedication to their cause, and his
obvious insanity, but they tolerate him as he is
extremely knowledgeable when it comes to research
and translation. Gerald doesn’t know his servants are
working for the OED (nor even who pays them).
If handled correctly, Gerald might impart some or all
of the following information:

The animated corpse: “Oh fret not, I just must have used
too much solution. But that confirms my notions, so nothing
has been wasted. I have had the means to create movement,
but not to restore reason. I am convinced that it is possible
though.” ... “Ungodly? Why, no. Am I not one of God’s
creatures? I do not work to create new life, merely to cure
illness, as might any Physician.” This is obviously
spurious, and most Adventurers will probably be at
pains to point out that Gerald is in fact restoring life to
those whose time is up. But Gerald will have none of it.
His extreme delusions are such that he has rationalised
death as nothing more than a severe and reversible
illness; and, “Look over here,” Gerald opens a large box, and
takes out a writhing finger, “You see, this digit has full
motion, and has done for over two days. The formula in the
Esoterica is sound, my embalming formula is sound, now
all I need is to perfect my regenerative solution, and I’m
away. Great stuff, hmm?”
About himself: “Hmm, hmm, what? I’m a Fellow at the
college, of course. Not that I have the time to attend, I’m too
busy working on this project. Can’t stop and talk, things to
do, formulae to discover, cures to find.”
About his wife: “She’s a treasure. She has been ill for so
long, and yet suffers with such dignity. My perfect rose.”
The party may confront Gerald with the news that his
wife is dead, but he won’t have it. He will fight if they
try anything too confrontational, or try to disturb her
corpse, but otherwise he will just shake his head, smile,
and mutter that “You just don’t understand. I have an
acute understanding of such matters, second-to-none. I
know my onions, and they will cook up a treat.” And,“To be
frank, I think she is just melancholic. She eats so little, she is
quite wasting away. I need to put some flesh on those bones,
and colour in those cheeks, and then she’ll be as neat as nine
pence.”
About his work: “I am so close to completion. Being away
from the college is liberating. There are so many distractions
there, and they haven’t got the facilities that I need. And I
don’t think they would understand. It’s much better here, in
my cellar. Now excuse me, but I must get on.”
About Captain Lungeworth: “Ah, yes, I’ve known John
for years.” And, “I should think he was turned mad by the
book. He brought it to me, you know?”
About the OED: “Do I work alone? Hmmph, well, ‘no man
is an island’, or so Donne would have had it, although I find
poetry a little rich, and if I were alone on an island, with just
my wife and my little workshop, I would be happy enough.”
And, “Apologies, I did not mean to be obtuse. I wonder, if I
The Doom That Came to Oxford
mixed my embalming unguent with a little less substrate
whether that might be more or less conducive to the
regeneration formulae I’ve been working on, what do you
think? Hmm, what? Oh, yes, I couldn’t possibly have
afforded this house and workshop myself. I am tasked with
little jobs, and this is my payment.” ... “Oh, they are a funny
lot. I mean, they like to dress up in silly robes and they are
obsessed with occult heathenism. Some of them have been
here. Other times they ask me to come and meet them,
usually late at night, in a churchyard, or some other out of
the way place. I don’t pay much attention to them, but they
ask me to help them translate manuscripts, and things like
that. And they have money. Some of the materials I have
needed aren’t cheap, and they certainly pay me better than
my students. Normally they just drop stuff off, and I have to
sort through it. Most of it is rubbish, like those translations
from Lungeworth,” Gerald points to a sack on the floor, full
of the manuscripts and books (minus the Esoterica) stolen
from Captain Lungeworth’s study. Depending on how
you want to play out the rest of the adventure (see
Further Investigations, below), you might allow Gerald
to give a few more clues, although he really doesn’t
know the names of all the other OED for sure, he might
describe the foreign mercenaries, have recognised
Daniel Greenwood’s voice, or have opportunely
overheard a name of one of the other members of the
OED.
The Esoterica: “Of course, my work has been hastened
along by that book of Lungeworth’s. The Esoterica contains
many secrets...and truth to tell, it is a base and cruel book.
But it is also of immense scientific interest. I had perfected
preservation, but with just these few scribblings from the
Esoterica, a little substrate, and a Philosopher’s Stone, I
have managed to mobilise the immobile.” Gerald will show
the party a copy of the “Formula for to Animate the
Flesh of a Dead Thing”, which he copied out of the
Esoterica; “The tome was written by Ptolemy, the genius of
his age, although much of it seems to have been based on still
more ancient works, by authors unknown. I have had the
dubious privilege of scanning through it, and assisting with
some interpretations. It is quite unsettling, but I prefer not
to think on the implications of what I have read. I think
Ptolemy himself was surprised at the discoveries he made.”
And, “The book itself has a power. I felt it when Lungeworth
brought it here. It is unsettling, but I had to control myself
not to snatch it from him. Since then it has been brought here
for me to look at some of the sections of translation, and I
again had to restrain myself from devouring the whole book.
It is a compelling read.”
77
The Doom That Came to Oxford

Further KEY MEMBERS OF THE

ORDER OF ESOTERIC
Investigations DISCOVERIE
The following NPCs are all key members of the OED.

Once the party has visited Widow Lungeworth and ALDERMAN BINGLEY WILSON
Gerald Hughes, they may be a little wiser to what is
going on, or they might still have little idea that there
is a wider plot afoot. What happens next will depend
on both what the party has managed to find out, and
partly on how you want to manage the finale. If the
party is still in the dark, then they might report back to
Sir Reginald or/and Doctor Radcliffe. Once they meet
with their patrons they will be thanked for whatever
they have uncovered. They might be subject to assault
at the hands of agents of the cult, or they might just
hear nothing until the afternoon of the recital (see The
Recital, below).
Alternatively, the party might be successful in making
more deductions. If they try to find out who owns
Gerald’s house, or they manage to follow Edward
and/or Margaret, back to their contact, then the party
might become aware that Alderman Wilson is
involved. If this happens, then the finale will still go
ahead. The Adventurers could be involved in an
assault on Wilson’s household (which is defended by
his mercenaries), or you could allow the action to occur Profession: Merchant Age: 37
“off camera”, and have Sir Reginald order the arrest.
Faction: Cultist RP: 100
The party might try to persuade Gerald Hughes to act
STR 12 CON 11 SIZ 12 INT 15 POW 16 DEX 10 CHA 12
with them (although if his servants escaped it is
unlikely to work, and more likely they will all be DM 0 HP 12 MWL 6 AP 0/0
attacked at Gerald’s house), but he is very unreliable, Skills: Commerce 86%, Evaluate 89%, Gun Combat 60%
and has to wait for the OED to come to him, rather than (Duelling Pistol 2D4+1), Insight 72%, Languages (Arabic)
the other way round. That said, it is possible, if they 50%, Languages (Italian) 58%, Languages (Latin) 48%, Lore
haven’t been alerted, that one of the agents of Lord de (Cthulhu Mythos) 29%, Lore (Logistics) 82%, Lore (Occult)
Vane or Alderman Wilson (or even they themselves) 74%, Lore (Regional) 91%, Lore (Research) 36%, Oratory 48%,
will visit Gerald with a message seeking the translation Perception 68%, Persistence 74%, Resilience 52%,
of a small passage from the Esoterica. Shiphandling 63%, Unarmed Combat 36% (1D3)

Feel free to adjust those present at the finale according
to how much you want to develop the
investigation/the Adventurer’s actions; whatever else
happens, Sir William Davenant will still be present at
the recital, and in possession of a copy of the spell For
the Summoning of a Shoggoth. When you are ready to
run the finale, move on to The Recital.
Spells: For to Contact Azathoth, For to Contact Cthulhu, For to
Contact Nyarlathotep, For the Summoning of a Winged Thing
Grammar school educated, and from a relatively
humble family, Wilson has a real aptitude for business.
He has carved out a veritable trading empire and
become one of the wealthiest men in Oxford. In his
younger days Wilson travelled extensively,
developing business links throughout the
Mediterranean, the New World, and even the Mughal
Empire. He became aware of the Old Gods during this

78
 The Doom That Came to Oxford
time, and indeed, many of his trading connections are
with fellow cultists from other, larger, secret societies.
It was through this network that he learned of
Ptolemy’s lost work (and other forbidden tomes), and
he has been trying to track it down ever since,
believing it holds the key to the coming of a new
golden age. Wilson is the founder of the OED and is
fanatically devoted to his cult. He believes the Old
Gods will soon return, and that the OED will be
instrumental in this. He assumes that once this
glorious day occurs he will be inaugurated as the Chief
Anti-Pope of the cult, and that Lord Maurice de Vane
will be placed on the world throne, governing an
enslaved humanity on behalf of the gods. Wilson
maintains a small group of foreign mercenaries, all of
whom are inducted into the OED plot and loyal to the
cause. These men are generally used to guard meetings
of the inner circle (Alderman Wilson, Lord Maurice de
Vane, Daniel Greenwood, Sir William Davenant, and,
when his services are required, Gerald Hughes),
although they also participate in rituals when required.
document that traces his lineage to the House of York.
WILSON’S MERCENARIES He believes the House of York and therefore, by
association, himself, are directly descended from a line
STR 14 CON 13 SIZ 12 INT 11 POW 11 DEX 13 CHA 11
of ancient and powerful pagan kings of Albion. Lord
DM +1D4 HP 13 MWL 7 AP 0/0 de Vane has always preferred politics to action,
Skills: Close Combat 50% (Scimitar 1D8+1D4), Dodge 50%, although he lacks political ability. He is perfectly
Perception 55%, Persistence 45%, Resilience 45%, Stealth happy to throw his weight around and bully those
45%, Survival 55%, Unarmed Combat 35% (1D3+1D4) weaker than himself, but prefers only resorting to
violence when there is little risk of retaliation. His
If anyone asks, and few dare, Wilson says that his
undisguised ambition, matched with a lack of tact and
mercenaries all hail from a Berber tribe. They seldom
courtesy (his manners quickly become thuggish when
speak, but when they do the language will not be
he is thwarted), have caused him to remain an
recognisable as any known dialect. They dress in black
unpopular and marginal figure at court. He attempted
hooded robes, though they wear English-style wide-
to gain Prince Rupert’s favour, but was rewarded with
brimmed hats. They are fanatically loyal to Wilson and
a public rebuke that bordered on an accusation of
will fight to the death on his behalf.
cowardice. This added to his political isolation, and has
LORD MAURICE DE VANE resulted in his nursing a vengeful hatred toward Prince
Rupert and his favourites.
Profession: Lord Age: 25 Lord de Vane doesn’t really understand Wilson’s plans
Faction: Self Interest (Ambition) RP: 100 in relation to unleashing the Old Ones into the world,
but he is prepared to throw his lot in with anyone who
STR 14 CON 16 SIZ 17 INT 10 POW 11 DEX 10 CHA 10
is promises to help him achieve his dream of becoming
DM +1D6 HP 17 MWL 9 AP 1/2 more important. Being offered the chance of being
Skills: Close Combat 55% (Rapier 1D8+1D6), Lore made King of the World, in charge of an enslaved
(Heraldry) 40%, Lore (Occult) 32%, Lore (Regional) 65%, mankind, seems perfectly reasonable to the
Oratory 22%, Perception 28%, Persistence 72%, Resilience megalomaniacal Lord de Vane.
60%, Unarmed Combat 60% (1D3+1D6)
Like Wilson, Lord de Vane is extremely wealthy,
Lord Maurice de Vane is a ruthless and ambitious although he is squandering his inheritance at quite a
courtier. He is tall, fat, and a bully. He dresses in pace. He also maintains a private household guard.
military finery, even though he has no official military
position. Lord de Vane believes that he is the rightful
heir to the throne of England. He has a (spurious)

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The Doom That Came to Oxford
LORD DE VANE’S HOUSEHOLD GUARD
STR 11 CON 11 SIZ 11 INT 9 POW 11 DEX 12 CHA 10
DM 0 HP 11 MWL 6 AP 2/1
Skills: Close Combat 50% (Short Sword 1D6+1), Dodge 45%,
Gun Combat 50% (2D8+1), Persistence 44%, Resilience 55%,
Unarmed Combat 50% (1D3)
*Generally William wears no armour, although when on
military duty he does have AP 1/2
Skills: Art (Poetry) 74%, Art (Prose Writing) 80%, Athletics
60%, Close Combat 75% (Rapier 1D8+1D4), Courtesy 75%,
Dance 60%, Dodge 60%, Influence 80%, Insight 70%, Lore
(Mythos) 12%, Lore (Regional) 75%, Oratory 90%, Perception
60%, Persistence 60%, Resilience 60%, Ride 70%, Seduction
60%, Sing 57%, Unarmed Combat 65% (1D3+1D4)

Lord de Vane’s guards are selected on the basis of their
penchant for cruelty, as much as for their loyalty.
Indeed, Lord de Vane actively encourages his men to
commit atrocities, on the condition that they are not
caught. None of the bawdy houses in Oxford will
release their women to Maurice de Vane’s manor, as in
the past women have disappeared following such
visits, and the place has a notorious reputation
amongst the servant classes. The guards aren’t aware
of the cultist ambitions of their Lord, but they are paid
well above the going rate (and unlike the soldiers in
Rupert’s army, they actually get paid on time). So his
soldiers are prepared to turn a blind eye to any slurs
against their Lord and, within reason, will fight
determinedly on his behalf. They are however
generally ill-disciplined and somewhat prone to
drunkenness, even while on duty.
SIR WILLIAM DAVENANT
Spells: For the Summoning of a Shoggoth (in written form)
Actor, dramatist, poet, and latterly soldier in the
service of the Royalists, Davenant is a man of many
talents. Although a generally likeable fellow, those
who don’t know him are often taken aback by his
appearance. He has lost much of his nose due to
contracting the Great Pox (and the subsequent mercury
cure). His friends don’t comment, but strangers
sometimes do, and the generally amiable fellow is then
thrown into a humiliated rage. Davenant has been
fiercely loyal to the Royalist cause, but his recent
seduction into the OED is a result of both his ambitious
nature and the hope of restoring his former good looks.
Wilson recruited Davenant to the OED with the
promise that the cult was unlocking secrets that might
heal the playwright’s features; Davenant has been
promised that the transformation will occur soon after
the recital.
His prose is not to everyone’s tastes, but at court he is
nevertheless considered the second greatest bard in the
land and before the war (and the closure of the London
theatres) his plays were hosted in the finest
playhouses, as well as at court. (He is considered
second only to Ben Jonson, although in truth Jonson’s
influence has long since waned). Davenant is also
known as a brave and talented fighter, having won his
knighthood at the siege of Gloucester.

Profession: Entertainer/Cavalier
Faction: Self Interest (Pride)
STR 14 CON 13 SIZ 12 INT 16 POW 16 DEX 14 CHA 12
DM +1D4 HP 13 MWL 7 AP 0/0*
The Recital
The recital is to take place in the dining hall, at Brazen
Nose. A carriage will transport Richard Cromwell and
his guards from Christ Church to Brazen Nose. The
journey would only take a few minutes on foot, as the
colleges are quite close to each other. But the
formalities of the occasion have to be observed.
On the afternoon of the recital, Sir Reginald will
Age: 39 summon the party. He will explain that there is to be a
performance at Brazen Nose directed by the celebrated
RP: 75
cavalier poet and dramatist, Sir William Davenant. The
performance will be a combination of readings by the
celebrated poet, and a masque entertainment in the

80

RICHARD CROMWELL
Profession: Lawyer Age: 19
Faction: Parliamentarian RP: 40
STR 11 CON 13 SIZ 12 INT 11 POW 10 DEX 11 CHA 10
DM 0 HP 13 MWL 7 AP 0/0
Skills: Insight 30%, Lore (Law) 50%, Lore (Regional) 65%,
Oratory 35%, Perception 38%, Persistence 42%, Resilience
50%, Unarmed Combat 30% (1D3)
Richard is Oliver’s third, and eldest surviving, son.
Although Richard is still young, his father is worried
that he is far too given over to idling and frivolous
pastimes, and that he should now be stepping up to
more serious responsibilities. Oliver sent Richard to
negotiate in part because he needed someone as
important to himself as Maurice is to Rupert, but also
style of a (scaled down) court performance. Aside from
Richard Cromwell, a few other selected guests will
attend (mainly minor courtiers who are already
staying at Brazen Nose, none of whom know that
Richard Cromwell is in town). The guests have all been
asked to wear masks (supposedly to add to the
decadent air of the performance, but in reality to keep
Richard from being recognised by the other attendees).
Sir Reginald feels it would be prudent to ask the party
to attend, to keep an eye on proceedings, and he has
arranged for the soldiers at the college to be extra
vigilant in their vetting of guests to the college.
“There will be a special guest in attendance, and I wish
you to ensure that the evening runs smoothly. You
The Doom That Came to Oxford
in the hope that it would give him a taste for politics
and diplomacy. Richard enjoys the finer things in
life, and although he is not debauched, he lives a life
of relative leisure. His mission quickly stalled. Prince
Rupert was bored by the boorish and uninspired
fellow, and it quickly became clear that Richard had
neither the authority to make any real concessions
nor the imagination to progress his case. Prince
Rupert has allowed Richard to indulge himself, and
granted his wish to attend the recital to which he had
been invited by Daniel Greenwood. Unlike his father,
Richard is not a fighter, although he does have a
small escort of guards, who go with him everywhere
for his protection. At any sign of trouble he will seek
to flee or to hide behind his escort.
CROMWELL’S GUARDS
STR 13 CON 13 SIZ 12 INT 11 POW 11 DEX 12 CHA 11
DM 0 HP 13 MWL 7 AP 2/1
Skills: Close Combat 55% (Rapier 1D8), Dodge 45%, Gun
Combat (Pistol 1D6+2) 55%, Persistence 50%, Resilience
55%, Unarmed Combat 50% (1D3)
A party of four guards protect Richard while he is in
Oxford (though truth to tell, he has been confined to
Christ Church college for the duration of his visit, so
they haven’t had much to do). The bodyguards are
hand-picked – all loyal to Prince Rupert and
politically reliable. Having been ordered to look after
Richard Cromwell, they will do their best to protect
him, or they will die trying. Over the course of dinner
Richard has been urging them to relax and enjoy the
evening, suggesting that they look too stiff and
formal and that they are spoiling the mood. They are
doing their best to remain alert, but they have
succumbed and partaken of a little wine.
mustn’t approach the guest, who will be wearing a
golden mask, as his identity is to remain a secret.”
Allow the party some time to make their preparations,
as they see fit (to dress up in their finery, acquire some
bejewelled masks, find an imaginative place to hide
their pistols, etc.).
The OED will be making preparations as well. Some of
Wilson’s mercenaries will be in attendance - they will
join the rest of the performers shortly before the
commencement of the evening. Lord de Vane’s men
will attempt to secure the exterior of the dining hall by
barring the exits from the outside to prevent those
within escaping. Lord de Vane will be present at the
recital, but Wilson will stay away. Sir William
Davenant has two copies of the script – during the
81
The Doom That Came to Oxford
show he will swap the ordinary one for the one which
has the spell For the Summoning of a Shoggoth written
within it.
Dinner will be served for all the guests, the party
included, just before the show.
The food is scrumptious, the guests neatly attired, and
the warmth from the braziers and quality of the wine
conducive to conviviality. There are only thirty guests
gathered, including yourselves, seated along two long
tables on either side of the room. At one end of the room
there is a curtained off section, behind which performers
are preparing for the evening’s entertainment, and in
front of the curtains is a small raised platform, which will
serve as the stage. From the other direction servers bring
platters full of delicious food. Seated at the end of one of
the tables, near to the stage area, is a man with a golden
mask. He has long fair hair, which flows down his back.
He is dressed well, but not regally, nor particularly
stylishly. On the other table, opposite, are a group of
ladies. Other guests begin to arrive and you are invited
by one of the servers to sit together, near the back of the
room, at the other end of the long table on which the
golden-masked man is seated.
The masks are not full-face affairs (so as not to impede
the copious amounts of eating and drinking that take
place at such affairs). They nevertheless cover
everything above the mouth and chin. When everyone
has eaten their fill:
The plates are cleared away. The servers set up a small
area within the hall, on which they place several flasks of
wine, with which to keep you all topped-up, and a few
plates of dainties, for those who can manage just a little
more food. Supplies thus secured, the doors are sealed, the
lanterns extinguished, bar those illuminating the small
stage, and the narrator strides out, his booming, yet
honey-toned, voice, demanding the audience’s attention.
THE PERFORMANCE
BEGINS
The performance is due to last for several hours. Long
monologues are delivered by Davenant, who is an
accomplished and engaging orator, interspersed with
dramatic scenes delivered by a selection of costumed
players. As the hall is not very large, and an area has
been curtained off to allow the actors to get changed
between scenes, reducing the available space even
further, there are no lavish special effects. But
generally the standard is good – the actors revelling in
the opportunity to entertain.
82
The theme is tragic-comic, the script avoiding the deeper
political questions of the day and mainly musing on love,
platonic love, and infidelity. The narrator is engaging,
waxing lyrical, his voice is soothing, and almost
hypnotic. As he introduces each scene the actors whirl on
to the small stage, and dance beguilingly, recreating
Greek myths and Roman Bacchanalian festivities. The
moral is always the same, lusty desire resulting in
tragedy. As the actors prance about the wine continues
to flow, and it is obvious that everyone is enjoying the
performance.
The play should flow for a while before anything
untoward occurs. Richard and his guards are clearly
enjoying the show, perhaps a little too much. Richard
is very drunk now, and his laughter is very loud,
grating, and not always appropriately timed.
The narrator is telling a quirky little tale, a comic piece,
mocking quack doctors and their bizarre cures. He reads
a prescription that includes the "Essence of
dissimulation to enforce Love" and a curious doggerel
poem to be rendered forth when one wishes to avoid one’s
creditors. The poem is long and indecipherable, the
curious phrase “Tekeli-Li, Tekeli-Li,” repeated every
other line.
Davenant is casting the spell For the Summoning of a
Shoggoth. It will only be three rounds before he
summons the Shoggoth. The Adventurers may make a
Lore (Mythos) test, and if successful will realise that
something is afoot straight away. Otherwise, they will
start to notice when:
The narrators voice is raised ever louder, and it seems to
be causing the entire room to vibrate. Wine flasks tumble
from the table, your ears begin to ring, and unnatural
lights flash all around. The actors leave the stage, and are
replaced by half a dozen men, dressed in some kind of
eastern attire. A strange wind seems to be whipping
around the room.
The Adventurers had better quickly decide whether
this is all part of the performance or something more
sinister. Within another round:
The air crackles and flashes, and in the centre of the room
something seemingly impossible is occurring. A huge
amorphous shape flickers, coalesces and forms in front of
you. The space between the two tables is suddenly
occupied by a fantastically large beast, which oozes like
hot tar, lazily consuming a dinner guest with one of the
many mouths upon its bulk, while strange tendrils
flicking out from another part of it entwine themselves
around another hapless victim. One or two of the guests
seem to have simply vanished beneath the beast, unlucky
enough to have been sitting near the centre of the room.
There is a pause, as everyone seems too stunned to move,

and then the poet resumes his chant while everyone else,
aside from the men flanking the poet, begins to scream.
SHOGGOTH
STR 80 CON 60 SIZ 110 INT 7 POW 11 DEX 4 CHA -
DM +10D6 HP 85 MWL 43 AP 0/0 Move 8 (24)*
HR: -40%/ 2D6
Skills: Crush 60% (1D6+10D6), Persistence 40%, Resilience 99%,
Tentacle Swipe 40% (1D6+4D6)
Other: Damage Reduction*, Regeneration*
A huge amorphous blob, the Shoggoth’s “skin” flows
like tar. Its eyes and mouths form and reform on the
surface of its bulk, while tentacles and other
malformed limbs grow and contract. The Shoggoth
mainly fights by crushing its foes with its huge bulk.
*For more information on the Shoggoth, including its
special abilities, see p.43.
MANAGING THE FIGHT
The mercenaries will defend Sir William while he
performs the summoning. If the summoning is
successful Sir William will continue the chant, for if he
stops he will lose control of the beast. He will direct the
Shoggoth to kill everyone in the room, aside from
himself and the mercenaries. Lord de Vane’s men have
captured or killed any college soldiers on duty, barred
the exits from outside, and will attack anyone trying to
smash their way out. If the Adventurers are struggling,
Sergeant Gripps might turn up with a few soldiers in
the nick of time (and send runners to fetch more
reinforcements).
If the Shoggoth is defeated, then Sir William and
Daniel (if he has revealed himself an ally of the cultists)
will join with any remaining mercenaries and try to
fight their way out and escape from the college, and
then Oxford. If the cultists get their way, as mentioned,
they will oversee the slaughter of all present, aside
from themselves. Then they will lead the Shoggoth out
The Doom That Came to Oxford
to destroy the rest of Oxford (which it will probably fail
to do - as big as it is, it is unlikely that it will be able to
defeat the combined forces of the Alchemists from the
other colleges, or the soldiery, once they get their act
together) – Lord de Vane and Alderman Wilson will
wait to see what happens before showing their hands.
Ending the
Adventure
If the party manages to save Richard, although they
(and the events) will not be publicly acknowledged,
they will have earned the favour of Prince Rupert, Sir
Reginald, Doctor Radcliffe and the Cromwells. They
will be rewarded generously by all parties.
If they fail, and Richard Cromwell dies, things won’t
turn out so well. Prince Maurice will be imprisoned by
Oliver Cromwell, and the war might intensify once
more. The nature of Richard’s death will be hushed up,
but rumours of Satanic or Catholic gatherings at
Brazen Nose will lead to the townsfolk trying to raze
the place to the ground, and in his anger Prince Rupert
might just let them.
The future of the OED will depend on whether their
agents have been identified or, in the case of those who
have identified themselves, whether they can ensure
all the witnesses are dead and secure their escapes.
They may reappear in later adventures, and it is likely
that Alderman Wilson will retain the Esoterica, and use
it to cause further mischief. Alternatively, if Wilson’s
mercenaries or de Vane’s soldiers are identified, the
trail might lead back to the inner circle, and you might
want to allow the party to be attendant at the cultist’s
arrests. If so they might lay their hands on the Esoterica.
If they are lucky, and manage to avoid its malign
effects, they can destroy the tome.
83
The Bay of Terror

The Bay of Terror

84

The Bay of Terror
It is important to read through this entire adventure,
before running it. There are multiple ways that the
Adventurers might approach their investigations, and
a variety of possible outcomes.
“The Bay of Terror” is set on the coast of North
Lancashire, in the northwest of England, on the eastern
side of a large bay. In modern times the area is known
as Morecambe Bay. In the era in which this adventure
is set, the area is simply referred to as “The Bay”. When
the tide is out, vast tracts of mudflats and sands are
revealed in the upper part of the Bay, and these are
known as the “Ken Sands”. See the map, p.88.
Running The Bay
of Terror
The Adventurers will be asked, or will feel obliged, to
investigate sinister goings on in the Bay. How they
approach the investigation can vary considerably, and
they should be allowed plenty of free reign to conduct
their inquiries as they see fit.
If the Adventurers are openly very partisan (for
instance, if they are a Parliamentarian or Royalist
military unit) then they might be restricted in what
local assistance they can call upon (if they decide that
they are unable to deal on their own with the threats
they uncover). They will need some proof of what is
going on and will have to be able to persuade their
patrons, or the local commanders of their particular
Factions, to take action. Whether they can elicit some
The Bay of Terror
support, or if the local commanders will claim they are
unable to help (as their forces are needed elsewhere), is
at the GM’s discretion. Whatever happens, they will
certainly be given no help if they haven’t first
themselves made an effort to find out what is going on
in the area.
WHY GET INVOLVED?
The Adventurers might already have some clues that
all is not right in the Bay. They may have experienced
the events in “The Whisperers in Furness” and heard
the rumours from Sir Daniel Fleming, or they may
have read manuscripts referring to a cult in Poulton,
during “The Doom That Came to Oxford” (the other
two adventures in this volume).
Alternatively, they may have been recruited by a local
commander who has lost scouts in the area.
LANCASHIRE POLITICS
Lancashire mainly supports the Royalists but, as in
the rest of the country, every community is divided
to a greater or lesser extent. Lancaster, the area’s
largest population centre, has a castle garrisoned
by the Parliamentarians (although every so often a
Royalist force attempts to lay siege to the place).
Though there are some members of all the various
religious denominations in the county, Lancashire
has more Catholics than any other part of the
country. Even those who don’t identify themselves
as Catholic often attend Laudian services that are
so “Anglo-Catholic” as to seem indistinguishable
from the old faith.
85
The Bay of Terror
Parliamentarians may receive orders from the current
commander of Lancaster Castle, located just a few
miles inland from the Bay. A Royalist party may have
travelled further, recruited to the task by Lady Derby
(in her husband’s absence). She lives a few days
journey away from the Bay, at Lathom House, near
Ormskirk. This is not to say that, if it suits the way in
which you wish to run the adventure, there might not
be more local Royalist forces, perhaps investing the
town of Lancaster and laying siege to the castle there.
Another option, perhaps most suitable if you are
running the Kingdom & Commonwealth Campaign for
Clockwork & Chivalry and feel like running the “Bay of
Terror” at some point during that epic series, is to have
the party commanded to the area by their patron
(probably Sir Reginald Perkinson, or possibly Henry
Ireton). Sir Reginald Perkinson might have heard
rumours of disappearing soldiers or have received a
letter from the people of Heysham expressing their fear
that their Rector, William Ward, has stirred up some
ancient evil in the area.
Non-partisan Adventurers will be offered financial
rewards by any of the above patrons, for finding out
about the missing soldiers or investigating the claims
of the vexed Rector.
A further, and perhaps simpler option, is that one of
the Adventurers receives a letter from a relative
requesting his or her aid. The relative, Annie Hunning,

Dear Cousin,
I am writinge to you to express my moste grave concernes. As you know, little of
consequence takes place in the sleepie hamlet in whiche I dwelle. My husbande
and I had little concerne for the goings on about the countrie, and moste
pleased we were for it, as the times are harde and the countrie in madnesse.
However tradgedie has strucke even hereabouts. I am sorrie to saye that I am
alone. My husbande Stanley, as brave and deare a soule as you muste know, has
left me in abandonement. Do not condemne him in haste, for I doubte not with
all my hearte that he has been taken from me with force. I cry daily for him and
glance forever at the roade expecting to see him gaily returne to the bosom of
his homesteade. But I feare suche hope is in vain and thate he has entered unto
the Lord’s Companie.
Stanley had business to conducte in Polton, having acquired properties in the
area, expandinge the farmes being his utmoste concerne, his attendances to his
familie not withstandinge, for it was for our comfort that his ambitiones were
alwayes conducted. I afeared for him the instant he revealed his intentions, for
the denizens of that place are knowne as surlie and backwarde. He never
returnede and despite my humble entreaties to the commander at Lancester I
can avail no constable or assistance to searche for him. Having none other to
turne to, yet not wishing to take all advantages, I am ashamed to have to
humblie entreat you to my assistance. If it would serve, and doubte not that my
favour would be forevere yours if you can assist me in this matter, please attende
me with all swifte haste. If you have companiones of goode standing that
woulde also suffice, as alone I woulde be afeared you woulde meet the same
darke fate of youre moste beloved and esteemed uncle.
Affectionately Yours, Youre lovinge and devoted cousin,
Annie

86

lives in Torrisholme, a small hamlet near to the Bay.
Goodwife Annie Hunning has lost her husband,
Stanley. Stanley was a successful Farmer and a popular
upright member of the local community. He purchased
some lands in Poulton, despite the warnings of his
peers that the place was best avoided. The lands were
cheap and seemed too good a bargain to let slip.
Stanley went to view his new acquisitions and never
returned. Desperate for help, Annie first tried to drum
up local aid. She found that impossible; the villagers of
Torrisholme are too frightened of the Poulton
residents. Law enforcement has simply broken down
locally – the local Magistrates are all away fighting in
the war, or too busy dealing with matters elsewhere in
the county, to bother with a solitary disappearance.
And the commander of the Lancaster garrison, while
happy to prosecute miscreants brought before him, is
unwilling to leave the confines of the castle to actually
make arrests. With nowhere else to turn, Annie has
written to her cousin (adjust the precise relationship if
such a cousin doesn’t fit into the back-story of any of
the Adventurers), begging for assistance in finding her
lost husband.
What is Going On
There are two main threats residing in and around the
Bay.
Firstly, there is an enclave of Deep Ones, living out in
the Bay. For generations they have been breeding with
the cultist inhabitants of Poulton. “The Arrival of the
Deep Ones”, below, explains how they came to be
living in the area. The cultists and Deep Ones are
planning a ritual, to be performed when Venus hangs
above the Sands of the Bay at one of the lowest tides of
the year. This ritual might be the climax of the whole
adventure. The exact timing of the lowest tide should
be determined by the GM, but whenever you decide it
should take place the Adventurers should have a few
days to conduct their investigations in the area first.
Note: Cthulhu and the Deep Ones are classic Lovecraft
and amongst the best known Mythos stories. While the
players, if they are Lovecraft fans, might suspect Deep
Ones (just on account of the action taking place in a
Bay), the Adventurers shouldn’t. Ideally they should
be reeled in by the cult slowly, the story turning from
the macabre to the truly horrific as the action
intensifies and the adventure progresses.
Secondly, there is a gigantic Stoorworm, which had
been sealed away beneath the sea. The Stoorworm has
The Bay of Terror
survived, dormant in its labyrinth, for centuries –
occasionally awakening to eat careless Deep Ones or,
more lately, human sacrifices provided by the Poulton
cultists and delivered by the Deep Ones. The entrance
to its home (or prison) has recently been disturbed,
leaving it free to escape its labyrinth and terrorise the
inhabitants of Heysham. “The Heysham Worm”, p.88,
details how the Stoorworm came to be sealed in, and
subsequently released from, the labyrinth .
THE ARRIVAL OF THE DEEP
ONES
The Deep Ones have been living in the Bay for at least
seven hundred years. They originally came to the area
with a group of Norsemen. The Norsemen were
survivors of an ill-fated expedition to Greenland.
Following in the wake of Gunnbjorn, who first
discovered Greenland, Snæbjörn Galti led an
expedition of exploration and possible settlement.
He landed and soon made contact with an Inuit tribe,
who were fleeing in terror from some unknown
enemy. Snæbjörn was undaunted by the apparent
panic amongst the natives, and decided to find out
what it was that frightened them so. Unable to
communicate effectively with the terrified natives, he
ordered his men to slay them all, and then went in
search of what he assumed was a fantastical beast,
perhaps a mighty bear or sea serpent, which he wished
to slay so that tales of his might would be related in
future sagas.
What his party found was another group of Inuit. But
these natives had a strange look about them, and they
seemed to be enthralled in the worship of a strange and
terrible god. Snæbjörn was all for slaying this tribe too,
but his own crew, seduced by the peculiar natives,
betrayed him. The Norsemen turned on each other,
and Snæbjörn was killed in the fight. The survivors
stayed for a while, and were inducted further into the
secrets of the tribe. The tribe worshipped the great god,
Cthulhu, and were in contact with his Deep One
servants.
The surviving Norsemen decided to head back south.
Depleted by in-fighting, they had not the strength of
numbers to settle the new lands, and they were
reluctant (and unable) to fully integrate with their new
allies. They set off, with an escort; some of the Deep
Ones left their frozen colony, and followed the
Norsemen southwards.
87
The Bay of Terror
The Norsemen at first attempted to settle on the coast
of Ireland, but were quickly expelled by the disgusted
inhabitants. They crossed the Irish Sea to the coast of
Lancashire. Heysham had already been settled by
Vikings generations before, but the Norsemen who
survived the journey from Greenland formed a second
wave, settling in Poulton (a largely uninhabited and
isolated spot at the time, the few poor Farmers who
already had holdings in the area were quickly
murdered or assimilated into the cult). While the Norse
built new homes on the land, their new compatriots
built a home out at sea, beneath the waves of the Bay.
For centuries the enclave has survived, relatively
isolated from the outside world. Some of the
descendants of the original settlers have taken wives
from the surrounding villages (they have been a lot less
willing to allow male outsiders into the area, with the
occasional exception), and often these women have
been delivered into the clutches of the Deep Ones. The
Deep Ones and the people of Poulton have a history of
inter-breeding (which has affected the physical
appearance of the locals to varying extents). The
Poulton folk have also acquired others (usually
unwary travellers, but sometimes their own children)
for sacrifice in dark rituals that take place out in the
Bay at low-tide (some have died on a watery altar,
sacrificed to Cthulhu; others have been similarly
dedicated to the god but delivered to the Heysham
Worm, see below).
This had been an occasional event, but lately there has
been an increase in abductions. Not only has the
number of isolated disappearance increased, but the
cultists have even ambushed small military scouting
parties – the need for more sacrifices has been due to
an increase in the frequency and intensity of the rites
and rituals that the cult has been carrying out, and their
preparation for a forthcoming larger Low-tide Ritual
designed to summon their god from his deep slumber.
There has also been an increase in the fevered dreams
that the cultists share, pertaining to the coming of their
god, Cthulhu. It is not only the land dwelling cultists
that think the time of Cthulhu’s coming is fast
approaching – there has been an accompanying
increase in Deep One activity, and their generally
rapacious appetites have become even more frenzied
than usual.
For the most part, the residents of the surrounding
villages have just ignored Poulton. They are all
suspicious of the peculiar folk who live there, but
would prefer to simply have nothing to do with them
(rather than investigate any further). Poulton has no
Christian chapel, although there is a tiny underground
88
temple dedicated to Cthulhu, and the folk are
considered particularly ungodly. The inhabitants of
the surrounding villages would at one time have been
content to just mutter about their neighbours, and
avoid fishing too far from their own local shores.
Lately this disquiet has turned to fear – many of the
fisherfolk are avoiding the waters altogether, causing
hardship and, for some, near starvation.
THE HEYSHAM WORM
The Heysham Worm is an ancient Stoorworm. The
Worm stalked the salt-marshes throughout the Bronze
and Iron ages, killing at will. The tribes living in the
area knew to avoid the marshes, settling only on the
higher ground. When the chapel of St Patrick was built
(in the Dark Ages), the Worm was banished to the
labyrinth (which also dated back to prehistoric times)
beneath the chapel. Whether it was St Patrick himself
who actually commanded the beast out of the marshes
and into its prison has been largely lost to history, but
once the slabs of stone were placed over the ground,
the Worm was trapped. The enchantment that
prevented the beast smashing the consecrated stones
held that only a holy man of the parish might approve
the removal of the seal.
The Worm has survived on a meagre diet over the
centuries, spending most of its time dormant to
conserve energy. There is one way into the central
chamber: a small pit out in the Bay leads down into the
middle of the labyrinth. It is too small for the
Stoorworm to navigate and causes the labyrinth to be
flooded most of the time. The water only drains away
at very low tides. Although the Worm is largely
inactive, it occasionally wakes up. If large enough prey
enters its labyrinth, via the pit, it will smell the intruder
and awaken to feed. Centuries ago the Stoorworm
consumed a few wandering Deep Ones in this manner.
Eventually the Deep Ones realised the manner of the
beast lurking in the pit, and they decided to venerate it.
At very low tides they sacrifice human victims by
throwing them down the pit shaft.
In the process of renovating St Peter’s chapel (which is
very close to the ruins of the chapel of St Patrick), the
Rector at Heysham, William Ward, decided to excavate
the ruins of St Patrick’s and re-use some of the stone.
William Ward’s predecessor had died suddenly, and
was thus unable to hand over the sacred charge to
leave the ruins alone (and the war has caused so much
upheaval in the church hierarchy that William’s
superiors have also lost the details of the secret of St
Patrick’s). The seal is now broken, and the Stoorworm

can leave the labyrinth. As of yet, the beast has only
made tentative forays into the outside world. It is still
sluggish from centuries of imprisonment and reluctant
to stray far from the labyrinth. The Stoorworm is a
truly colossal specimen – once fully awake it will be
extremely difficult to stop.
The Bay
When the tide goes out, it can recede a full 12 km –
exposing the bottom of over half the entire bay. At such
low tides huge areas of mudflats, sands, meandering
channels and tidal pools are revealed. The locals refer
to this area as the “Sands” or the “Ken Sands”. It is
possible to cross the sands from south-east to north-
west (or vice versa) when the tide is low, although the
safe routes are known to just a few local guides.
FURNESS
KEN SANDS
The Bay of Terror
Crossing the bay directly in this way saves a long
journey around the edge of the bay (it is half the
distance from Poulton to the opposite Furness
peninsula, travelling directly across the bay), but is
extremely hazardous. The tide can come in at an
alarming rate from the west (“faster than a horse can
gallop”) and quick-sands suck under any who wander
from the correct path. And of course the Deep Ones
render the “safe” routes anything but safe. Most of the
shoreline is low-lying, consisting of muddy beaches
when the tide is out, but at Heysham there is a high
rocky headland, with cliffs rising up to 30 metres
jutting out into the bay. The local fisherfolk harvest
shellfish such as cockles when the tide is out, and
shrimp when the tide is in.
n
Ke
ve r
Ri
River Lune
Bare
Torrisholme
Poulton Lancaster
Heysham
89
The Bay of Terror
SETTLEMENTS OF NOTE
The small villages of Poulton and Heysham (where
most of the action takes place) are located in
Lancashire, along the eastern side of the bay. Heysham
is fairly isolated due to being surrounded by salt-
marsh, although there is a raised trail, running
between ancient ditches, that links it with Poulton.
Most of the locals in Heysham also know the route
through the marshes from Heysham to Lancaster.
Poulton is just a couple of miles to the northeast of
Heysham, along the coast of the bay. A short distance
inland, to the east of Heysham (and southeast of
Poulton), is the large town of Lancaster. Poulton’s
nearest neighbours are the small hamlets of Bare and
Torrisholme. Bare lies above Poulton, further along the
bay; while Torrisholme is inland, between Poulton and
Lancaster. See map, p.89.
RANDOM ENCOUNTERS
AROUND THE BAY
The following encounters can be used to add
atmosphere to the adventure. They can take place at
any time the Adventurers are wandering between the
villages or around the Bay. There is no need to run
them all. You can roll 1D6 to randomly determine the
encounter (discarding any results that seem
inappropriate), and consult the appropriate table
(Daytime or Dusk/Night-time Encounters), or simply
pick an encounter that you feel best suits the given
situation.
Daytime Encounters
1. The party is hailed from the side of the track they
are travelling upon. The person calling them is a
wounded and dying (unless, at your discretion, the
party can heal him) Parliamentarian dragoon. The
soldier, Christopher Mayburne, was on a scouting
mission just outside Poulton when villagers
attacked his unit. The dragoons were dismounted
when the attack began, but even so, normally such
an attack would have been one-sided – the
dragoons were tough military men, after all.
However, the villagers attacked with surprise on
their side, and with such ferocity and strength that
the dragoons were quickly overwhelmed. Only
Christopher managed to escape, dragging himself
to the hollow where he now lies. He is half-mad
with delirium from his now infected wounds. He
may be able to tell the party that he thinks some of
90
his patrol were captured rather than killed (the
assailants threw nets over some of the soldiers),
but he can’t be certain, as he was too busy trying to
escape. He will describe his attackers as “mad
peasants”, but doesn’t know for sure where they
came from. Likewise, he will mention that the
assailants seemed like men possessed of an
unnatural strength, “verily, some fought with the
strength of two”. If the Adventurers examine him
(making a successful Healing roll) they will find
that the stab marks on his back seem to have been
made by the raking of claws, rather than by a
man-made bladed weapon. The Adventurers
might escort him to a nearby village to recuperate
(he will probably promptly expire) or relate the
tale to the commander of Lancaster castle (who
will probably just ask the Adventurers to
investigate further. If they complain that they can
hardly be expected to take on such a task,
especially when the military is thus overwhelmed,
the commander will accuse them of exaggeration
and cowardice, and explain his hands are tied – he
simply can’t spare the men to help, as he is
managing a Parliamentarian garrison in Royalist
territory).
2. A scruffy individual is swaying along the track. He
will possibly bump into the Adventurers or, if they
are mounted, fail to get out of the way of their
horses, stumbling into a hedgerow as they pass
him. If so, he’ll rant and rave that “yer no better’n me
ye pompous prigs”. The man, George Kiffen, is
wretchedly drunk. He is carrying a sack, in which
are the tools of his meagre trade (he is a travelling
cobbler, leather-worker and oddjob man). George
is drowning his sorrows. To be fair, although
George has been overly fond of a tipple for a long
time, he has been recently exposed to the shocking
sight of the Heysham Worm, stirring from its lair,
and now simply wishes to blot the sight from his
mind. George decided to camp out on Heysham
Head, sheltering in St Peter’s graveyard or the
ruins of St Patrick’s (as he had done many times in
the past, weather allowing, when travelling
through Heysham hawking his trade). George
didn’t even get to setting up camp when he saw an
impossible sight. Running along the edge of the
graveyard was a moving thing. It was higher than
the boundary wall and just seemed to go on
forever in either direction, along the length of the
whole graveyard. George had already had a drink
in the inn, so was uncertain exactly what it was he
had witnessed, but knew he had to leave
immediately. He can best describe the sight as “a
 The Bay of Terror
movin’ wall o’ chainmail, an unat’rel thing, all slinkin’ when he came to Heysham, and so they built a
along, stinkin’ o’ a bog”, but won’t readily offer that chapel in his honour, the ruins of which can still be
description unless the party takes time to find out seen. She will say that the chapel was built on a
what is wrong with the staggering sot. He has been special old spot, beloved of the folk that lived in
travelling and drinking all through the night, so is the area long before the Romans arrived to enslave
very worse for wear. everyone, and that the ancient pagans knew it as a
place of special power (if anyone in the party raises
3. On a successful Perception roll the Adventurers
eyebrows at this she will say it is just an old legend,
will notice a strange groove running along the
and that she is, of course, a good Christian
Sands (if they are on the coastline), or through the
woman). Goodwife Aldis will also gossip about
mud (if they are more inland). On further
the Rector of St Peter’s, saying he is a terrible man,
investigation they will note that it seems to form a
and that things have slid since he arrived at
trail, hundreds of metres long and several feet
Heysham and started to change things (the real
wide (although, after a while, it will disappear into
reason she doesn’t like the Rector is because he had
a channel or the salt marshes). Anyone passing a
been telling the villagers they shouldn’t go to
Hard Perception test (-40%) will detect the faint
Goodwife Aldis for remedies, but rather come to
whiff of sulphur in the air, lingering all around the
his church and pray for salvation in their times of
trail (it is the trail of the Heysham Worm).
need).
4. Goodwife Aldis steps out onto the trail as the party
5. The party meets a small group of peasants, who
approaches. Goodwife Aldis is a Wise Woman
will beg for alms. They are the families of fisherfolk
who lives alone in her shack in the salt-marshes.
and they are near the point of starvation. They are
People used to call for her in times of need,
women and children, who should be hard at work
although that has tailed off recently (as all the
mending nets, but their menfolk are off jobbing for
locals are scared of travelling about due to the
day labour at the local farms, as they refuse to set
abductions). Goodwife Aldis will tell the
their nets and traps in the Bay. The wretched
Adventurers that she “knew you were a’coming” and
villagers are extremely frightened. They don’t
offer them a drink and hot meal, if they want to
want to be on the roadside begging, as they know
come and stay at her home overnight. If the party
that people have disappeared in the locality, but
decides to take her up on her offer (and don’t
they are so hungry and desperate that they have
threaten to burn her as Witch, or simply ignore
decided to take the risk. If the party questions
her), she will be true to her word. The
them, and gives them some food or coin, they
accommodation will seem mean and
might reveal: “the men say the Bay is curs’d. T’ain’t
uncomfortable to any wealthy Adventurers, and
right, but they won’t catch us dinners.”; “They’re jus’
the food will all taste a little smoky. The shack is
afright o’ them Poulton buggers. Can’t says I blames
also fairly cluttered with bundles of strange herbs
‘em, they’re a rum bunch o’ bullies, but we ‘as to eat
(which Physicians will know as being common to
summat.”; and, “Not right we should ‘ave to be out a
most apothecaries). Note: Goodwife Aldis can be
beggin’. Folks gone missin in these parts.”
used to give the Adventurers whatever
information the GM thinks fit. She might know 6. The Adventurers will be greeted by a party of 3D4
that the folk of Poulton are all strange and vaguely Royalist scouts, led by their officer, Edward Bailey.
inhuman (for some reason they completely avoid
the Goodwife, rather than attempting to abduct ROYALIST SCOUTS
her), but doesn’t know the exact nature of their
STR 11 CON 11 SIZ 11 INT 10 POW 10 DEX 11 CHA 10
cult. She knows there is “summat strange” out in the
Bay and will have heard (or rather had passed DM 0 HP 11 MWL 6 AP 2/1
down to her the knowledge from former Wise Skills: Close Combat 40% (Mortuary Sword 1D8), Dodge
Women) that ”there are strange folks as wander out 40%, Gun Combat 50% (Carbine 2D6+1), Persistence 50%,
there at night, some of whom look mighty queerlike. Resilience 55%, Ride 60%, Unarmed Combat 50% (1D3)
T’ain’t nat’rel, cos the tides are terrible, and tis said
The scouts are out looking for information regarding
some din’t come back.” Goodwife Aldis might have
another unit of Royalists (who were slaughtered or
heard the Heysham Worm slithering through the
captured by the roughs in Poulton). Their leader is
salt-marsh. She may even recall an old legend
handy in a fight, but an incompetent commander,
regarding St Patrick – that he banished a dragon

91
The Bay of Terror
which is having an adverse effect on the morale of the
scouts.
“MAJOR” EDWARD BAILEY
Profession: Soldier Age: 26
Faction: Self Interest (Pride) RP: 90
STR 14 CON 13 SIZ 13 INT 9 POW 10 DEX 12 CHA 10
DM +1D4 HP 13 MWL 7 AP 2/1
Skills: Athletics 55%, Close Combat 60% (Sabre 1D6+1+1D4),
Dodge 45%, Gun Combat 65% (Carbine 2D6+1), Persistence
40%, Resilience 50%, Ride 70%, Unarmed Combat 50%
(1D3+1D4)
Edward Bailey is an arrogant bully. The younger son
of a gentleman farmer, Edward has spent most of his
life resenting his lack of position. Edward embraced
the coming of war, sensing an opportunity for
improving his lot. Sadly, though he might be good in a
fight, his foolish pride and complete lack of tactical
awareness mean that he is not cut out for command.
He was rejected at the outset of the war by Lord Derby,
who considered Edward unfit to serve due to his
erratic nature. However, Lord Derby is away on
campaign and, wanting to ensure that his wife has
enough men at her disposal, he relented and
commissioned Edward last year, assigning him a
Captain’s rank and requesting that he mustered a
troop to be put at Lady Derby’s disposal.
Edward’s father was unwilling to fund the troop, but
didn’t wish to appear disloyal to Derby, so grudgingly
set up his son with the necessaries. Edward quickly
alienated Lady Derby at Lathom House, and at the first
92
opportunity she dispatched him to search for a lost
scouting party. Edward has spent most of his time split
between railing at the ignorance of the local peasantry
and lying, to anyone who is of higher rank than
himself, about his achievements – he claims he is a
Major; he claims he killed a score of “Clockwork
Horsemen” at Naseby (he wasn’t there, and he has
never seen an Iron Horse, so his lies will be obvious to
anyone with any knowledge of the fact that a human
rider sits atop the machine); he even claims he is Lord
Derby’s favourite, and will no doubt be adopted by the
great man once the war is over. Edward’s men
intensely dislike their delusional and incompetent
Captain, and sneer at his affectations – they are for the
most part of similar social rank as their officer. Many
are seriously considering desertion.
On encountering the party, Edward will assume they
are potential murderers of his scouts (he doesn’t really
believe this, he thinks the troop probably just
deserted). He will also possibly accuse them of all
manner of other crimes – witchcraft, treason, or
whatever he thinks most appropriate. He will order his
men to “interrogate” the party, but will show no
interest in talking to them himself, unless there is
someone in the party of high status who is known to
Edward – in which case he will happily regale them
with tales of his brave command.
Despite the frustration that an encounter with Edward
should cause, there are some positives that the
Adventurers might be able to take from the encounter.
Information
Ÿ If suitably persuaded, the scouts will be able to tell
the party that they have visited all the villages
surrounding Lancaster, and tell them a little about
each one.
Ÿ The troopers are convinced that the inhabitants of
Bare, Poulton and Heysham are all a superstitious
and strange bunch. On a successful Influence roll,
the Adventurers will be able to ascertain that the
scouts found the inhabitants of Poulton
particularly weird, aggressive, and peculiar to look
at (although the troopers won’t be able to precisely
put their finger on what it was that was so odd
about them).
Ÿ The troopers haven’t found much evidence of their
missing men, but suspect that they have met a
nasty end. They have uncovered the corpse of one
horse that seemed to have been hacked and
clawed, and though the branding wasn’t Derby’s,
it was probably a military beast. (It was in fact one

of the Parliamentarian’s horses. The other beasts
have been dragged off and butchered by the
cultists for consumption, the inedible parts
rendered down or thrown into the Bay).
Assistance
Ÿ The Adventurers could try to get Edward and his
men to assist them (most likely if the party
encounters them after they have already visited
Poulton and been threatened by the villagers, or
once the party has become aware of, or
encountered, the Heysham Worm). Edward will
have no truck with such a notion, unless the party
has concrete proof regarding the disappearance of
his men. His troops might be persuaded to help. If
any of the Adventurers is of a higher rank than
Edward (higher than his real rank of Captain,
rather than his imagined rank as a Major) and
makes a Difficult (-20%) Influence test, then the
troopers will desert their commander and assist
the party. This will cause Edward to fly into a
temper and attempt to arrest everybody (he will
need to make a Persistence test to stop short of
attacking his own men!).
Dusk/Night-time Encounters
1. The weather suddenly changes. The skies open
and it rains with such intensity that the trail begins
to disintegrate as the party progresses. Carts might
become stuck in the mud (Drive tests should be
made), riding becomes difficult (Ride tests should
be made to avoid being thrown, having a a horse
injured as it loses its footing, etc.), and those on
foot will be reduced to a painful trudge. As the rain
increases, so does the wind. Almost unnatural in
its intensity, it threatens to bowl the party over,
and causes anything not tied down to be blow
away.
2. There is a small, ghostly figure wandering along
the track, ahead of the party. On closer
examination it is the luminescent shape of a young
girl, stumbling along. If the party gets too close, the
child falls over and disappears as she hits the
ground. Once the party is far enough away the
scene repeats itself, and continues to do so
throughout the night.
3. The Adventurers see a frightened man running
along the track toward them. He will simply dash
by, if the party lets him. He will explain he is in a
hurry, needing to get to a sick relative in a nearby
village. His name is Tom Redfearn, and he is
actually being pursued by a Witch Finder. He and
The Bay of Terror
his family were accused of witchcraft, but Tom
managed to escape on the way to Lancaster Castle
(where he was to have been imprisoned and tried).
He is hoping to hide out with his sister, who
married a lad from Poulton. Whether Tom actually
is a Satanic Witch is at the GM’s discretion.
4. The Adventurers will hear horses galloping
towards them. There are two riders, the Witch
Finder Nehemiah Cast-Down-Thine-Eyes Bubbsy
and his companion, Jamie Brown. They were
transporting a prisoner, Tom Redfearne, from
Pendle to Lancaster Castle, to stand trial as a Witch
(they have already searched and watched him, and
they are convinced of his guilt). Their prisoner
escaped; he got free from his bonds and hopped
out of a window while Nehemiah and Jamie were
negotiating with a barkeep. They have followed
his trail for the last day, and into the night, and
they are sure that he has come this way. Have the
Adventurers seen him?
5. Looking out across the Bay the party can see lights.
There are figures crossing the Sands. They are too
far away to be identifiable, but it seems to be a
sizable party. After a time, as they near the centre
of the Bay, the lights flicker out, until eventually
nothing can be seen in the distance. Note: It would
be extremely foolish for the Adventurers to
investigate without a guide – they could be cut off
by the tide or fall into quicksand.
6. The party is assaulted by a group of 1D3 Deep
Ones and 0-5 cultist villagers, determined to carry
the Adventurers off to the Deep Ones’ lair in the
Bay. For villager and Deep One statistics, see p.108
and p.117.
Torrisholme
Torrisholme is a small hamlet, situated between
Lancaster and Poulton. Most of the locals are farmers,
working for one of the larger farms (which were
formed by dividing some of the old manorial lands,
although the manor itself is still intact). The people see
themselves as more respectable than those from the
other nearby villages, and are largely happy to be
away from the bustle and conflict in Lancaster (the
nearest large town). The actual manor is called
Torrisholme Hall. It’s fairly small, and the current
owner, John Brockholes, is away. Most of the locals are
supporters of the Royalist cause, and some of the men
have already gone off to fight. But while talk may
93
The Bay of Terror
occasionally turn to muttering darkly about the castle GOODWIFE ANNIE HUNNING
being garrisoned for Parliament, those remaining are
mostly content to forget about the war and get on with
their lives. Otherwise, the villagers will be generally
polite to any visitors (unless the party goes out of their
way to be rude), and the Adventurers will have no
problem finding a small room in the inn.
The locals can offer the following gossip:
About Lancaster: “Thar don’t want to go there. Too much
rushin’ abaht, thar knows.”
About Bare: “Ah shouldn’t say it, but they’s an ignorant
bunch. Too near the waters and too far from the town, an
thar gets ign’rnt thar knows. They’re fair desprate a
t’minute, round ‘ere scroungin’ fer work where there is
none.”
About Heysham: “Not worth the bother. The new vicar’s
an odd sort. Thought as we should trek all the way to ‘is
church. If thar wants to get piss thru and muddy then walk
it, but Ah would rather stay indoors.”
About Poulton: “Ugly and as thievin’ a lot as live there,
If the Adventurers have come to Torrisholme at the
there i’nt, an no mistake. Steer clear if yer know what’s good
request of Annie, they will be offered comfortable
fer yuz.”
rooms in the pleasant farmhouse in which she resides.
About the Bay: “The fishes taste good, but we’ve not ‘ad Annie, while by no means actually wealthy, is
owt from Bare fer awhile, and Ah wouldn’t buy ‘em from reasonably well off. She is pretty, hard-working, and a
Poulton, as they’d rob yuz soon as look at yuz.” loyal wife. She will repeat the story of her husband,
It may be that the Adventurers have gone to meet with Stanley, acquiring lands on the outskirts of Poulton,
Goodwife Annie Hunning. If so, the villagers won’t be and reiterate her request that the party investigate his
able to offer much advice aside from: “Stanley were a disappearance. She will offer any reasonable assistance
good man. But ‘e should o’known better’n t’leave village. or payment, but will not accompany the Adventurers
Thar knows Poulton is a queer place, full o’ queer folk, an on their travels. She will tell the party that the farm her
thar should steer well clear o’ it.” husband purchased is called Green Farm, and that it is
located just outside of Poulton, to the southeast of the
If, following their investigations, the Adventurers coastal hamlet. She knows nothing about the area,
return to Torrisholme with evidence regarding the aside from the common gossip known by the other
cultists in Poulton, then the locals might (very Torrisholme locals.
reluctantly) rally round to help (they will need to be
lots of successful Influence tests, and Annie Hunning
will have to lay on the guilt convincingly). There aren’t
TORRISHOLME SIDE QUEST
many men left to assist, but 2D6 farm labourers and
Also located in Torrisholme, just to the north of the
one or two Farmers might help. They will urge the
hamlet, is a large hill, topped by a round barrow. It has
party to enlist the support of others, not believing that
nothing to do with the rest of the adventure. However,
such a small force will stand much chance against the
at your discretion, you might want to allow the
surly Poulton folk (who have the reputation of being
Adventurers to hear rumours of old treasures to be
good in a scrap).
found under the ground. The locals won’t want the site
disturbed, but perhaps one of the local Farmers will
mock his superstitious peers, and suggest that he
found something of value in the nearby fields (perhaps
a golden bracelet, or a ring). If you do let the party dig
about, they might find an entrance leading to tunnels
(and perhaps even a chamber containing a Barrow
Wight or two, animated once the burial chamber was

94

disturbed). If you are feeling generous there might
even be some old ancient treasures.
BARROW WIGHTS
STR 20 CON 4 SIZ 13 INT 2 POW 2 DEX 12 CHA -
DM +1D6 HP 9 MWL 5 AP 0/0 Move 15
HR 0%/1D6
Skills: Close Combat 55% (Long Sword 1D4+1+1D6), Dodge
48%, Persistence 76%, Resilience 49%, Unarmed 35%
(1D3+1D6)
These are the ancient Bronze Age warriors, awoken
from the dead. They appear as black mummies, their
flesh preserved but darkened by the ages. Rags of
tattered clothing and bits of ragged armour (not
enough to provide protection) cling to them. They
carry crumbling long daggers, which have a 25%
chance of breaking with every blow. (If the dagger
breaks, the target takes only half the normal damage).
If their daggers break, they will attack with fists and
feet. They cannot be reasoned with. The Barrow
Wights have night sight (Clockwork & Chivalry Core
Rulebook p.177).
The Barrow Wights are as fast as a normal human
being and very much stronger. Thankfully, their CON
is fairly low, so they have low Hit Points, but do not
have to make Resilience tests on receiving a Grave
Wound to an arm or leg – the limb is severed, but they
just keep coming, crawling if necessary. It takes a
Grave Wound to the abdomen, chest or head (and a
failed Resilience roll) to kill one of these creatures.
Bare
A tiny hamlet, set above and just along the coast from
Poulton, Bare consists of a couple of farmhouses, some
small strip farms, a few other rough dwellings (tiny
cottages, inhabited by farm labourers or fishermen and
their families), an old tithe barn, and a small manor
house (which is really no different from the other
farmhouses). The buildings are constructed from
sandstone blocks, cobbles from the beach, and rough
grey mortar.
There has often been conflict between the fishermen of
Bare and those from Poulton, and the Bare folk have
invariably come off worse. The Bare fishermen have
recently abandoned their boats and baulks (wooden
fishing traps) after a spate of accidents and
The Bay of Terror
disappearances; truth be told, they think that there is
something otherworldly lurking out in the Bay.
Thanks to the loss of their trade, the locals are
wretchedly poor. They work the small strip farms, and
the men have taken to wandering to find day work (but
not in the direction of Poulton – rather they head off to
the north and west), but they’re not having much
success.
The locals can offer the following gossip:
About Lancaster: “Aye, t’is the big city. What of it? Heard
as there’s bin all manner o’ trouble there, what with the war,
n’ fightin’ an’ all.”
About Bare: “I think we’re all accursed. Shame, t’was a
pleasant enough place, but the times are hard.”; “Used to be
a grand spot fer a bit o’ fishin, but the boys don’t go out no
more, n’ last winter were hard. Don’t think we can hang on
here much longer.”; and “Place is all a bit tragic. Goodwife
Gwendin lost ‘er kiddies, drownded they reckon, and no-one
wants to stay no more. It’s dangerous hereabouts these days.”
Goodwife Gwendin’s three children were
playing/working on the rocks by the beach, when they
were abducted. She believes they must have wandered
off and the tide must have come in and swept them
away, although she doesn’t really understand how, as
the tide was out when they left to play, and still out
when she began to search for them. Although they had
played in the same spot many times with no problems,
Gwendin blames herself and her husband, who has
since perished in a “boating accident”, for not
supervising the children. If pressed, the fishermen who
went to help in the search will say they think the
children were abducted – there were strange splayed
tracks in the sand, which indicated a struggle ending in
the children being hauled out into the Bay. The
fishermen are divided in their thinking: the kidnappers
may be from across the Bay; Martin Martindale (see
Guides to the Bay, below) might have had something to
do with it, as he knows the Bay and its channels so
well; perhaps Goodwife Gwendin is a Witch who
cursed her children and her husband; or perhaps more
sinister supernatural forces are responsible.
About Heysham: “It’s too far, and thars too much bog to
cross to git thar, t’bother with t’place.”
About Poulton: Mainly the response to any enquiries
about Poulton will be a stream of invectives and curses,
tinged with an undercurrent of fear. There has been a
bitter feud between Poulton and Bare for a long time.
If the Adventurers haven’t already been to Poulton,
then the folk of Bare will warn them to be careful, and
if any of the Adventurers are people of status, they will
95
The Bay of Terror
urge them to round up the inhabitants of Poulton and know the small area within which they are used to
take them all to the gallows. “Them’s all thugs and fishing. So, although they know their fishing grounds
roughs. Wouldn’ be surprised if they weren’t responsible fer extremely well, they will be reluctant to venture any
all the disappearances.”; “They are all accursed. They got no further. However, there are a few people who have the
church an’ they probably all worship Satan. Place needs knowledge required to cross the entire bay from one
burnin’ an’ all the folk with it.” (Incidentally, there is no coast to another. There are even routes that are safe for
church in Bare either. Anyone who points this out will horses and carriages but, without a guide, undertaking
get scowled at); and, “Truth is there’s bad blood ‘tween such a journey will no doubt end in tragedy. Over the
them an’ us. But there’s bad blood ‘tween them an all folks. past few years most of the guides have stopped
We avoid the place. Can’t ‘elp thinkin that some of ‘em are traversing the Bay. One or two had disappeared
throwin’ their weight around all the more since the war (abducted by Deep Ones), and the trade between the
start’d. No justices local at the minute see, an’ bastards like two shores was drying up anyway, as a consequence of
them’ll take advantage.” the war. The only guide left in Bare is Martin
About the Bay: “Used to be our livelihood. Nah it’s just a Martindale (though you may wish to have the party
reminder of all ‘a’ts wrong with the place. Sad it tis.”; “We encounter Martin elsewhere, perhaps in Heysham).
lost a boat last winter, ‘n them kiddies drownded out there.
The basterds from the next village ‘av been threatenin’ to
MARTIN MARTINDALE
stave us in if we keep fishin the waters, an’ with all the luck
as we’ve ‘ad, we’ve given it up fer no good.”; and, “Only
Martin’ll go out there now. The rest of us leave it to the
Devil, an’ ‘ees welcome to it.”
The locals have all witnessed unusual things out in the
Bay (the fishermen actually out in the Bay, or the other
villagers watching from the shore). Most of the time it
is just glimpses – shapes moving out in the Sands when
they shouldn’t be; overlarge fish that have become
adept at biting through nets or smashing baulks; the
sound of eldritch singing, travelling on the winds, in
the dead of night. A couple of the ex-fishermen might
tell a tale of a young Deep One (“’T’were a right queer
lookin’ mess. Some sort a’ cursed deformity. I reckon ‘t’were
a seal, born daft.”), trapped in the baulks, whom they
weren’t sure whether to bury or cook up. (They ended
up doing neither, abandoning the corpse to the
quicksand).
All the villagers have experienced a strange sensation
of late. The Bay projects a sense of foreboding and loss
Profession: Guide Age: 36
that makes everyone feel uneasy. At night, the locals
bolt their doors and avoid looking out to sea, not Faction: Laudian RP: 40
wanting to be reminded of recent tragedies. STR 17 CON 14 SIZ 11 INT 13 POW 11 DEX 17 CHA 12

GUIDES TO THE BAY DM +1D4 HP 13 MWL 7 AP 0/1

Traditionally there have always been guides who
know the best route across the Sands when the tide
goes out. If ever the Adventurers do decide to venture
out into the Bay at low tide, they will either have to be
extremely lucky or will need to employ a guide to help
them cross the Sands. The Sands are treacherous, even
at the lowest tides. There are deadly channels,
quicksands, and thick sticky mud, and the tide hurtles
in at an incredible rate. Most of the fisherfolk only
Skills: Athletics 90%, Close Combat 50% (Dagger
1D4+1+1D4), Dodge 65%, First Aid 50%, Lore (Regional)
90%, Persistence 50%, Resilience 80%, Ride 50%, Sleight 83%,
Stealth 95%, Survival 82%, Track 84%, Unarmed Combat 60%
(1D3+1D4)
Martin has been working as a guide since boyhood. He
was trained by his father, who in turn had been trained
by his father before him. Once Martin was respected
locally, his expertise as a guide was valued, and his
opinion sought on many matters, but he has become

96

less popular of late – perhaps his association with the
Bay irritates his fellow villagers, or maybe they suspect
that he is up to no good while out exploring the Sands.
Martin knows the Bay and the Sands so well that he
seems to navigate them by instinct – sensing the
incoming tides and always finding the safest paths (of
course, this is all experience and knowledge, but so
ingrained as to seem an intrinsic facility).
You might want Martin to provide information to the
Adventurers, particularly if they are struggling to
work out what is going on. Likewise, if he thinks they
are serious in wanting to combat whatever threats are
out there in the Bay, Martin will offer to accompany the
Adventurers if they decide to investigate the Sands,
disrupt the Low-tide Ritual, or look for the Bay
entrance to the Worm’s labyrinth. He won’t like going
into the centre of the Sands, and will even counsel
against it, but in his heart of hearts he knows that there
is something out there that is too big a threat to ignore
forever.
Martin rarely goes out onto the Sands any more, but
his expertise in stealth and tracking mean that he might
have have survived witnessing more of the strange
activities in the area than most (how much knowledge
he has is at the GM’s discretion). Martin might have
glimpsed the Deep Ones; though because he had the
sense to not get too near, he believes they are strangely
armoured soldiers (the silhouettes of their bulky forms
mere shadows in the distance) that are up to no good.
He might have seen Deep One tracks, and if so he is
convinced that there is a strange species of giant frog
living out at sea. He might have secret knowledge,
handed down through the generations, that leads him
to believe that far out, in the centre of the Sands, there
are tunnels leading to secret caves (which he will have
avoided all his life; the knowledge that getting too
close to the tunnels entrance is extremely dangerous
has been beaten into generation after generation of
Martindales). Martin also might know that the
residents of Poulton go out into the centre of the Bay at
low tide, and if so he will suspect that they are
conducting Satanic rituals out there, near the ancient
tunnel entrance. If you do want Martin to know this
much, then he will also know on which evenings of the
year to avoid going onto the Sands, so as to avoid the
“satanists”, though when taking people from Bare to
Furness he wouldn’t go that near the dead centre of the
The Bay of Terror
Bay anyway (as mentioned, to avoid the forbidden
dangerous area).
In all cases, Martin has also found a strange item while
crossing the Bay. The item is a small statuette (no more
than nine inches tall) carved in some unknown
material best described as “a greenish-black
substance.” The statue depicts a strange figure with an
octopoid head, a dragon-like body, and powerful
clawed limbs. The statue is both incredibly intricate
and impossibly smooth. Martin won’t readily offer the
statuette for inspection, as he has no idea that it might
be relevant to anything. He might remember having it
if Adventurers ask him if he has ever found anything
odd while out on the Sands. Anyone owning the statue
will be haunted by strange dreams all the while it is in
his or her possession. The dreams will all involve
drowning, and the drowning is accompanied by a
strange and perverse feeling of exhilaration. The
dreams will not be so pervasive as to cause Fatigue, nor
so chilling as to routinely cause Mental Damage (the
first night the Adventurer should make a Persistence
roll. If the roll is fumbled then the statuette will have a
greater effect – causing Righteousness Points to slip
away at a rate of 1D4 per night. Eventually when RP hit
zero the dreams will begin to reveal the underwater
world of the Deep Ones and glimpses of Cthulhu
himself, and the Adventurer will begin to worship the
statue and the god it embodies, gaining
POW+CHA+1D6 RPs in the Cthulhu Cult faction,
p.27). Martin won’t be able to shed much light on the
statuette, assuming it had been dropped overboard by
someone travelling on a boat out to sea and washed
ashore over time. He will be happy enough to be rid of
it, if any of the party wants to take it off his hands.
Martin will be very interested in the Adventurers,
particularly if they ask questions about the Bay. He is
torn – on the one hand he feels that the Bay has been
completely lost to respectable fisherfolk and legitimate
trade, and that the disappearances in the locale are no
doubt linked to some dark force out in the waters. On
the other hand, he will not just offer up everything he
knows. He is wary of people generally, and is by
nature a quiet, solid, unassuming type, who just wants
to carry on his job as a guide and custodian of the
Sands.
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The Bay of Terror
Heysham
Heysham (pronounced Hee-sham) village consists of
two hamlets, Higher and Lower Heysham. Each
hamlet has a small manor, surrounded by the humbler
dwellings of farm labourers, farmsteads, and
fisherfolk. The hamlets nestle atop a hill that is the only
really suitable part of the parish for a village site. The
local church, St Peter’s, is located a short walk from the
main settlements, nearer to the cliff-edge.
The other, more outlying, buildings in the Parish
belong to Farmers and are located at suitable breaks in
the mossy wetlands that surround the place. The
village of Poulton (and beyond Poulton, Bare) is above
Heysham, along the coastline to the northeast.
Lancaster lies inland, to the east.
Remember to create an atmosphere in keeping with the
relative isolation of the settlement. The track to Poulton
is in poor condition, although navigable. The route to
Lancaster is more treacherous and boggy, ill-
maintained despite the importance of Lancaster in the
county. Without a local guide, the track is all but
impassable. For centuries it has been the tradition that
officials from Lancaster should respect the
independence of Heysham Parish and only cross the
Parish boundaries by invitation and with an escort –
there is little complaint from the Lancastrians, as
finding their way into the area alone is too dangerous.
The weather is often windy, and the sea can very
quickly turn from relative calm to bleak storms. The
main village offers some protection from bad weather,
but the cliff-edge feels very exposed to the elements.
POSSIBLE EVENTS
The Adventurers may encounter the Heysham Worm
while staying in the village. They might discover that
the Rector of the local church has inadvertently
released the beast. They might discover information
about the beast from the lady of the manor, Jane
Leyburne. And they might investigate the labyrinth
the creature has been living in for the past millennia.
They may even attempt to lure the creature back into
the labyrinth and imprison it there once more. Or they
could just flee the village (perhaps only to encounter
the creature later, out in the Bay).
98
HEYSHAM VILLAGE
The people of Heysham are proudly independent, but
they are usually warm hosts. At the moment, the
village is in a state of fear. Similar to the residents of
Bare, the Heysham fisherfolk have become too scared
to tend to their baulks. They are nearer the Deep One
settlement under the waves. Although, for the most
part, they haven’t witnessed the Deep Ones directly,
they are aware that their traps seem to have been
smashed by something coming from the ocean beyond
the Bay. They are also aware that there have been
strange gatherings out in the Bay. They suspect that the
people of Poulton (whom they dislike and avoid,
preferring to track across the salt-marshes to trade with
the Lancastrians, rather than venturing north along the
coast) are up to no good; they suspect (rightly) that the
night-time processions out into the Bay emanate from
Poulton. But the main cause of the current atmosphere
of terror concerns their Rector, and whatever evil he
has disturbed.
The Adventurers will be able to find good food and
lodgings available in the Inn in the village (although
they may also be offered hospitality by Jane Leyburne
or William Ward).
The villagers might impart the following pieces of
gossip:
“Thar’s bin folks goin’ missin’, thar knows. ‘Appen over
past ten year or so there’s bin ‘alf a dozen just from ‘ere.
Mostly they bin taken from t’road though. Curate
vanished last week, and he weren’t on t’road.”
“The Rector’s taken queer. ‘E locked ‘eself in ‘is house,
and aint come out for o’er a week. Come t’think it, ‘e’s
been locked in thar since t’curate vanish’d.”
“Thar should visit Lady Jane. She’s posh, thar knows.
She don’t have owt to do with us, save takes our rent.
She fell out with us, because she’s an ‘eathen.”
“None o’ us’ll go to the ‘eadland. The vicar’s been up to
summat up there, and whate’er it is, we don’t want to
find out.”
“The vicar were getting this village into a fair ol’ shape.
But I reckon he is a flash in the pan, as they say. ‘E’s got
the money t’build ‘is house, but now he’s stopped
vicaring.”
“At night we all keep our doors locked. Don’t like to
travel far in the day either. Between those queer folk
from Poulton, and whatever ‘tis that’s skulking round
here at night, t’ain’t safe out.”
 The Bay of Terror
THE CURATE’S WIFE JANE LEYBURNE

The wife of the missing curate will probably approach

the party (particularly if they aren’t heading to the
Rectory of their own accord). Goodwife Magot
Mitchell will be in tears. She will say that she hasn’t
seen her husband for the past two weeks. The morning
after her husband’s disappearance she asked the
Rector if he had seen him, and the Rector raved at her,
saying the curate had been “swallowed unto hell”. She
has asked the other villagers to help, and they have
turned up at the rectory to ask the Rector why he has
stopped delivering services, but so far they have been
unsuccessful in getting any sense out of him. She will
beg the party to speak with the Rector, and might even
reveal her secret worry that William Ward may have
murdered her poor husband and thrown him off the
cliff-side.

HEYSHAM MANOR
Heysham Manor is owned by Jane Leyburne. In fact,
she owns most of the area. Nearly everyone, aside from
the Rector, has to pay her some form of rent. She even
owns the mill, the salt marshes and the fishing rights.
Jane married into the Catholic Leyburne family at the
turn of the century, and the manor came with her, as
part of the marriage deal. Since then, her husband has
died (although not before fathering Jane’s four
children), and her son William was slain fighting for
the Royalist cause, early in the war. An ardent Royalist
and devout Catholic, Jane is at loggerheads with the
rest of the village. Whereas many of the villagers have
abandoned their Catholicism due to the hectoring of
the Rector, Jane has not. She is the only resident who
still pays a recusansy fine, due to her refusal to
worship at the local chapel. She despises the Rector for
turning people against her and her faith.
If the Adventurers arrive at the Manor and ask for an
audience:
You are ushered in by the elderly retainer. He escorts you
into the main hall, then backs away deferentially. Sitting
on a grand old chair is an elderly woman. She looks you
up and down, and seems unimpressed. She asks, “And
who might you be?”
Successful Perception tests (and possibly Beliefs tests)
reveal that aside from family portraiture, there is also
a lot of Catholic art on display.
Profession: Lady Age: 67
Faction: Catholic RP: 76
STR 10 CON 13 SIZ 10 INT 14 POW 14 DEX 10 CHA 13
DM 0 HP 12 MWL 6 AP 0/0
Skills: Beliefs (Catholic) 60%, Commerce 65%, Courtesy 74%,
Evaluate 66%, Lore (Regional) 80%, Persistence 60%,
Resilience 40%, Ride 52%, Unarmed Combat 20% (1D3)
If the party has made the effort to meet Jane, how
willing she will be to help them will depend on their
affiliations and their attitude towards her. She is
intensely proud, and very angry at what she considers
to be a series of betrayals – the betrayal of her faith by
the village, the betrayal of the country by the
Roundheads, and the Rector’s betrayal of a sacred
trust. Jane doesn’t want harm to come to the village,
and she doesn’t want the Worm to remain at large. But
she will need to be handled with diplomacy. If the
party offends her, threatens her, mocks her religion, or
insults her in any way, she will order them to leave,
and even if they don’t she will remain tight-lipped
throughout. If the party can persuade her they are
friends, act respectfully, and avoid offence, she will
offer the following:
About Jane Leyburne: “I won’t pretend the last few years
have been easy. I lost my husband, but that was a while back,
and though I miss him, time has healed the wound, and I
have my faith. But my son...the loss of my son has been a

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The Bay of Terror
THE WORM PAPERS
The Worm
In ancient times a large Worm terrorised Heysham. It fed on the population, and none could stand before it.
Heysham was cut off from the rest of the country, as the Worm resided in the salt marshes that surrounded
the village and headland. Eventually St Patrick came to Heysham and drove out the Worm, imprisoning it in
an ancient labyrinth beneath the Bay.
The Seal
The Worm could not leave its watery prison because a chapel was built on top of the labyrinth and dedicated
to St Patrick. The floor of the chapel was sealed in a holy ceremony, using stones that had been blessed by
Patrick himself. From that day forth the seal could only be dismantled at the order of the priest of Heysham,
and each priest would be made aware of their sacred duty to keep the beast imprisoned, until the rule of the
saints, when the beast might be slain. There is a map of the labyrinth carved by the ancients onto a large rock,
just near the ruin of St Patrick’s.
The Relic
The owners of Heysham Manor would be forever entrusted with information regarding the secrets of the
village. They were also charged with the safety of an ancient relic; the artifact had once belonged to Patrick,
who used it to lure the Worm of Heysham to its prison. The documents suggest that the artifact is dangerous.
The Banishment Liturgy
The sacred words that Patrick used to banish the beast are inscribed on an old parchment. The words must be
read by the priest of the parish while the blessed stones are used to seal the pit in which the creature is to be
imprisoned.
(This last detail might cause some consternation, as the original flooring has crumbled. But the Hogback Stone
is still intact – and it is also imbued with the saint’s blessing, as well as the magickal Viking enchantment that
caused it to survive the demolition work. If the priest of the parish, William Ward, can be persuaded to read
the liturgy while the creature is in the labyrinth, when the stone is placed above the pit it will begin to glow
and transform, growing in size until it seals the entranceway once more.)

terrible sore blow. He fell fighting in the Queen’s Regiment About the Headland: “It’s an ancient place. It was
at the beginning of the war.” beloved by the people who were here before our Lord was
born. St Patrick, honour and thank him, knelt on the cliffs
About Heysham: “I have lived here all my life. My father
and consecrated them. And the invaders too knew that it was
bought the place, afore I was born. I loved it too, truth be
a special place, and left their markings for all to see. I visited
told. But much has changed. The people here have forgot the
the headland much as a girl. And of course, my family are the
old ways, like so many of their countrymen. More fool them.
new custodians of the headlands, and all its secrets.”
They’ll regret their betrayal now. Let’s see where their new
found faith gets them.” About the “Secrets”: If Jane has begun to trust the
party she will reveal more. “The Rector has opened a pit
About the Rector: “He is a disgusting man. An oafish
in the old chapel ruin. That is why he is afraid. And with
commoner who would never have been ordained in the old
good reason. I believed the villagers deserved their fate. But
times. He has bad-mouthed my family name, and turned my
I was angry, and would not wish real harm on another,
tenants against me. But he is not so sure of himself now. I
however they betrayed me. Does not our faith teach
believe he is locked away in his newly built home. Well, I
forgiveness and mercy? My family inherited custody of
have been ostracised these past two years, since his arrival,
papers, and of an item of which the papers speak. I have a
let’s see how he likes his own medicine.”
little Latin, enough to know that they relate to a creature
About the curate’s wife: “She is a shrew, and so is her banished long ago, but not enough to understand much
husband. But...if it’s true, I feel sorry for her loss. I wouldn’t more. Perhaps you will be able to decipher them?”
wish that on anybody.”

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 The Bay of Terror
Like the church authorities, the Lords of the Manor of In addition to providing the above information Jane
Heysham have traditionally safeguarded knowledge might invite the party to stay for the night. If any of the
of the Heysham Worm. Whenever the manor has Adventurers are fellow Catholics, she will insist.
changed hands, so have the sacred secrets therein. Jane
knows that the Rector is responsible for releasing the THE RECTORY
Worm. She also has in her possession documents, and
an artifact, relating to the creature, although she The Rectory, when finished, will be a fine building, not
doesn’t realise the significance of them, beyond that quite as grandiose as the manor, but not far off. It is
they are to be kept safe and pertain to a creature currently unfinished, although the shell of the
beneath the waves that will return if the priest of structure is mostly in place. If the Adventurers try to
Heysham fails in his duty. rouse William he will try to ignore them. But he might
If Jane provides the party with the papers relating to be encouraged to open the doors if the party members
the Worm, successful Lore (Research) and Language have suitable authority, offer to bring him some
(Latin) tests will be required to decipher the supplies (he is nearly out of food), or are suitably
knowledge within. The papers contain the four pieces soothing in order to gain his trust.
of information showing in the “Worm Papers” box
(you might require separate rolls for each piece of
PASTOR WILLIAM WARD
information, or give all four on a critical success).
If the party shares their newfound knowledge with
Jane (and she will demand that they do), she will be
very amused to hear that the Rector will be required to
recite old exorcisms to reseal the pit. She might make
the connection (at the GM’s discretion) that the
Hogback Stone was part of St Patrick’s chapel floor,
and may be used to reseal it. She will be awed by the
fact that she has a relic of St Patrick, and will want to
examine it at once.
The artifact is in a very old lead-lined box. The relic is
Patrick’s bell. It is a small hand-bell, cheaply made, yet
it has survived the ages. It still rings. If the bell is taken
from the box, the creature will become aware of its
presence, but not its precise location. If the bell is rung
the creature will know exactly where it is and make all
speed for it. The creature is both attracted and
maddened by the ringing, and will stop at nothing to
destroy the bell and any who are near it.
If the Jane or the party takes the bell out of the box, they Profession: Rector Age: 40
will hear the sound of screams. The creature is abroad, Faction: Laudian RP: 12
and has begun attacking people on the outskirts of the
village (putting the bell back in its box will cause the STR 13 CON 13 SIZ 10 INT 13 POW 13 DEX 12 CHA 16
creature to lose interest in it for the moment, and it will DM 0 HP 12 MWL 6 AP 0/0
probably slink off back to the labyrinth, the Bay, or the
Skills: Beliefs (Laudian) 73%, Commerce 68%, Lore
marshes). If the bell is rung, the Worm will head (Regional) 30%, Lore (Theology) 73%, Persistence 40%,
directly for the source, assaulting the manor house and Resilience 45%, Unarmed Combat 20% (1D3)
trying to kill everyone within it (for stats, see p.106). If
it is prevented from entering (its sheer size means only The Rector at St Peters is a stern and devout Laudian,
the sturdy front door is a big enough access point), it William Ward. For the past two years he has
will circle the manor, smashing the windows and ministered to the people of Heysham (until his recent
churning up the flowerbeds, until just before dawn, crisis, see below), preaching with a charismatic
when again it will forget about the bell, and slink off. fanaticism that has scared the locals into conformity.
He hectored the people with such vigour that he has
even managed to dissuade Catholic sympathisers from

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The Bay of Terror
non-attendance (with one exception, Jane Leyburne),
and he has preached a message of such stern austerity
that the more Independent minded Puritans and
Presbyterians feel at home (or at least that they can
tolerate the Laudian ceremonialism that also features
in his services).
He has also managed to enforce tithes (which
elsewhere in the country have broken down due to
their unpopularity). His fund-raising has been so
successful that he has been able to begin building a
new rectory and carry out some restoration work at his
chapel. The workers employed to carry out the
improvements on the chapel have long since fled. They
were excavating some old stone from the flooring of St
Patrick’s chapel. As they moved them, the large paving
slabs crumbled into dust. Only one of the stones
remained, an irregular piece called the Hogback stone,
which used to jaggedly poke out of the otherwise
smooth floor – they dumped this surviving rock in St
Peter’s before they departed. Beneath the slabs was a
pit that led down under the headland and out to sea.
The pit stank of sulphur, and the workers believed they
had uncovered something unholy. Frustrated, the
Rector, accompanied by his curate and the disgruntled
builders, marched onto the headland to show the
workers they had nothing to fear.
As they peered into the pit, a huge snake-like mouth
loomed out of the darkness and swallowed the curate
whole. The workers ran off, never to be seen again, and
William spent the entire night ensconced in St Peter’s,
with the Worm sliding round and round the
churchyard until it got bored and, mercifully, returned
sluggishly to the labyrinth, rather than heading down
the track to the village to eat more people.
William finally plucked up the courage to leave his
chapel when the curate’s wife appeared. William
shouted at the poor woman that her husband had been
“swallowed unto the bowels of hell”, and retired to his
half-built rectory, from whence nothing has been heard
since. He has locked and bolted the doors and ignored
the pleas of the villagers and the curate’s wife to re-
open them.
Perversely, William is trying to convince himself that
he was just seeing things, but he is scared of returning
to the headland, for fear that the vision might return.
He is just about to run out of food (he has no house-
keeper, and his wife and children are currently living
in Lancaster until the building work is complete).
William is normally confident and charismatic, but his
wits have temporarily deserted him. If they return
(possibly with the Adventurers’ aid) he will become
102
much more assertive. But for now, he is a nervous
wreck. If the party gains enough of his trust to be
allowed in, they might find out the following
information. In each case the first piece of information
is delivered while William is still petrified and the
second after he has managed to calm down and
received some Healing:
About William Ward: “It was a trifling doubt at first. But
now ‘tis a failing of my faculties. A fissure can become a
cavity with such little pressure, if that pressure be applied at
a spot of particular weakness. I am broken, unhinged, a
fragmented shell. Oh, what to do?”; and, “I apologise. It is
the strain. I saw...such a sight. Or did I dream it? A beast of
seemingly infinite length, it rose from beneath the earth and
I fled.”
About Heysham: “The place is accursed, for I have ne’er
felt a lack of grip ‘pon my faculties till I came here and
dream’d such madness as I saw that night.”; and, “I had
such high hopes. But how can any place survive when it is
imperilled by such a deadly foe?”
About St Peter’s: “Twas my sanctuary, but now my
nemesis. I shan’t return, for twas there that my doings were
undone.”; “I wished to extend the place. My flock had grown
these two years past. But the builders heaved the old rock
into the church, and I with it, and such a chill and
loathesome night I had, the beast circling, that I can hardly
bear the thought of returning to that hallowed place.”
About the work at St Patricks: “They say pride comes
afore a fall. And what a fall unto the vision of a dark and
ruinous pit.” He then wrings his hands and gibbers a little.
And, “I merely wished to utilise the stones. But when we
removed them they all crumbled, bar one. And the pit below
was revealed. That was when the dragon, or serpent, revealed
itself.”
About the curate: Mopping the sweat from his brow, and
paling considerably, he says, “I dreamt I saw him taken by
the beast and plunged into the abyss.”; and, “Eaten whole.
One gulp. Then gone.”
The party might try to persuade William to take them
up onto the headland, for a look at the pit, to visit St
Peter’s, etc. If he is suitably soothed and reassured (and
particularly if some successful Healing has been
delivered) he will relent and face his fears. He might
even be persuaded that he should cast the Banishment
ritual, if the party can lure the Worm into the labyrinth
(or if it is in there anyway), and is prepared to lower
the stone in place, while he recites it.
Aside from his involvement with the events
surrounding the Heysham Worm, William also knows
about the timings of the Low-tide Rituals that the
inhabitants of Poulton attend. He may have only been
 The Bay of Terror

Graveyard

in the parish a couple of years, but he has noticed, from

the headland, that at particular low tides people stream
THE HEADLAND
out of Poulton and head into the centre of the Bay. He
The hamlets of Heysham terminate in a headland,
will even be able to hazard an educated (and correct)
jutting out into and overlooking the Bay. The headland
guess at when the next very low-tide will be. He will
is the site of the current parish church, St Peter’s, and
only impart this information if the party inquires, or if
beyond that, the ruins of the former parish church, St
he gets to know them better and it occurs to him that
Patrick’s. Just below St Patrick’s on a rocky plateau is
they might be interested.
the Labyrinth Stone, carved by the ancients. In St
Peter’s is the Hogback Stone, the only surviving piece
of St Patrick’s floor; it didn’t crumble when the seal
was broken due to the Viking magicks that protect it.

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The Bay of Terror
Under St Patrick’s, the entrance is now exposed to the
long tunnel that leads to the labyrinth itself.
ST PETER’S CHAPEL
St Peter’s chapel is Heysham’s parish church. Some of
the other villages in the locality have no church, but
Heysham has long been a holy place. The current
Rector has been appointed following his predecessor
having an unexpected accident. Thanks to the Civil
War, the usual induction and advice from the
Bishopric has not been forthcoming, and William Ward
took up his post with no knowledge of the parish
secrets.
By force of personality, William united his flock and
embarked on a building programme – he intended to
extend St Peter’s (using some of the masonry from St
Patrick’s in the project) and build himself a new
rectory. His grand plans have been derailed.
The church itself is quite beautiful, and quite small
(which is why, now everyone is attending the church,
William wanted it extended). Recently, William has
been unwilling to visit the place, and has even refused
104
to deliver services the last two weeks. Last time he was
there he witnessed the Worm devouring his curate.
As a last act, before they abandoned the job for good,
the workers employed to demolish St Patrick’s, and
extend St Peter’s, dumped the Hogback Stone in the
South Aisle of the chapel.
The Hogback Stone is more than an interesting piece of
old masonry. It doesn’t merely tell an old Viking Saga
– it also contains the image of the Heysham Worm. The
Viking invaders were inducted into the secret of the
beast below St Patrick’s chapel, and made their own
seal, adding it atop and merging it with the original
one. If the Adventurers inquire, the villagers, the
Rector, and Jane Leyburne all know the Hogback used
to reside over the floor of St Patrick’s. Jane might
realise it could be used to reseal the pit.
If the party does head to the church, it might be a good
time to have the Worm attack. Remember, it has a
fearsome breath weapon and can move fairly swiftly.
It will hurtle toward the Adventurers, only just (if they
are lucky) giving them time to slam the door shut. How
long you want the beast to menace them is at your
discretion.

THE LABYRINTH STONE
Below St Patrick’s Chapel, just along the cliff-top and
stepped down on a ledge, is the curious Labyrinth
Stone. This prehistoric carving is actually an accurate
map of the labyrinth that can be accessed from St
Patrick’s Chapel (or from the pit in the centre of the
Bay).
THE RUINS OF ST PATRICK’S CHAPEL
St Patrick’s Chapel is little more than the ruined shell
of a tiny old chapel. It fell out of use centuries ago,
when St Peter’s was built – the latter being larger and
more sheltered from the elements. The Heysham
Worm had been trapped under a seal in the floor of the
chapel for centuries. Now that the seal has been lifted,
steps can be seen leading down into the labyrinth
below. When the party arrives, read or paraphrase the
following:
The tiny chapel is in ruins, just a few crumbling walls
remain. The detail on the archway of the rear wall is the
only indication that the spot was once a holy place. The
floor of the ruin has been recently lifted, revealing a large
pit that stretches the width, if not the length, of the ruin.
Steps head down into the abyss...
The Bay of Terror
THE LABRYINTH
If the party decides to enter the labyrinth, they will find
it impossible at high tide, when the tunnels are totally
flooded. If they wait till low-tide, it is possible to
navigate the tunnels (although they will have to wade
through knee-high water, and when the tide advances
the tunnels will fill up extremely quickly! The tunnels
follow exactly the map etched onto the Labyrinth
Stone. The scale is quite incredible though – the long
straight tunnel stretches out for over two miles, in a
northerly direction, before the labyrinth begins to wind
into the pattern inscribed. The tunnel is roughly
rounded, three metres tall and three metres wide. The
Worm is so large that it almost fills the entire diameter
of the passage. If the Worm is between the party and
the entrance, then the party will feel the breeze behind
them drop, such is the creature’s girth.
At the centre of the maze is a chamber, not over-large,
but big enough for the Worm to manoeuvre itself
upward and twist about, so it might turn itself around.
Turning in this way is painful for the beast, for its coils
almost fill the space as it tangles itself around. This is
the only place the beast can change direction and head
back out of the labyrinth, anywhere else it is committed
to heading in the direction it is facing. The chamber has
an access shaft at the top – big enough for a person (or
Deep One) to fit through, but too small for the Worm.
It is through this shaft that the Deep Ones and cultists
throw their sacrifices to the Worm. It might be possible
to crawl up, out of the shaft, but without a ladder it is
difficult to see how, as it is nearly five metres above the
floor of the maze.
There is a sulphurous stink throughout the labyrinth.
HANDLING THE WORM
If they spend much time in Heysham, Adventurers will
probably eventually realise that there is a huge Worm
in the area, and that it has been released from its prison
under the Bay. They might see the beast. And they may
learn more about it from Jane Leyburne. They may
even venture into its lair.
The difficulty is going to be beating the beast. There
will be little chance of the party being able to defeat it
in a straight fight, even if they have alchemical or
clockwork technology. If they persuade the Rector to
reseal the labyrinth, with the creature in it, then they
will at least have restored the status quo.
Another, and potentially more interesting solution,
would be to lure the beast into the Bay at the time of the
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The Bay of Terror
Low-tide Ritual. The beast may have been fed by the
Deep Ones and cultists over the years, but it bears them
no loyalty. Luring it to the ceremony would be a neat
way of disrupting the ritual (the Adventurers escaping
with their lives and sanity would be the icing on the
cake!). Even if the Adventurers don’t think of it
themselves, the beast might still make an appearance.
A large gathering, in the open, might present too tasty
a treat for the creature to turn down.
Of course, averting the completion of the ritual is one
thing. But leaving the Worm alive and on the loose
might have further consequences. You might decide
that the Worm will head out, into the Irish Sea, and
concentrate its wrath on the Deep Ones who live out
there. Alternatively, it could come back to the land,
making the salt-marshes outside Heysham its home
once more, in which case at some point the party might
need to defeat the beast, before it lays waste to all the
settlements around, feeding off the people of
Lancashire.
THE HEYSHAM WORM/OUTSIZED
STOORWORM
STR 60 CON 30 SIZ 64 INT 9 POW 15 DEX 7 CHA 3
DM +4D6 HP 47 MWL 24 AP 7/3 Move 15
HR -20%/2D6
Skills: Athletics 30%, Persistence 40%, Resilience 25%,
Stealth 35%
Regeneration: A stoorworm regenerates two hit points per
Combat Round. Regeneration will cease if the stoorworm
dies.
Weapons: Bite 55% (1D10+4D6), Breath 100% (Poison)
Stoorworm breath is poisonous.
Stoorworm breath
Type: Inhaled
Delay: Immediate
Duration: 1 Combat Round
Potency: 72
Effect: 1D6 damage and -1 penalty to victim’s CON. The
CON penalty is removed when the HP damage is healed.
The Heysham Worm looks like a gigantic snake, over
twenty metres long, with a crested head. It is jet black
and covered in scummy mucous. It smells of
sulphurous pond water and its eyes are a virulent
green. The Worm can emit a cloud of poisonous gas
once per round. The cloud remains for one round
before losing its effectiveness.
106
Poulton
The Adventurers will likely visit Poulton, either at the
direct request of their patron, or simply because of the
things they have heard about the place during their
time in the Bay area.
One difficulty the Adventurers will face is gathering
any concrete information about Poulton before
travelling to the area. The locals seldom leave (apart
from late night forays out into the Bay or jaunts into the
countryside to abduct travellers) and no-one visits,
such is the reputation of the place. The party may
know that Green Farm on the outskirts is the property
that Stanley Hunning purchased. They may have
heard people talking of a relative that left to marry
someone in Poulton (and that “they don’t visit us no
more. ‘N I ain’t gonna visit ‘em either. Shame, that.”).
Aside from that, they probably know little else.
THE INHABITANTS OF
POULTON
The locals are of two sorts: those living in the fishing
shacks/cottages near the shore are tough roughs who,
if they interact at all, will be aggressive towards the
party; while the farmers, who live slightly away from
the shore, have been more accustomed to hiding their
cultish ways, and will grudgingly try to cover up their
activities and belay any suspicion. Remember, the
locals will know little of the world beyond their hamlet
and will be ignorant of, and disinterested in, current
events.
That said, all the locals are a generally rough and hardy
lot. Backing down from a fight is considered “soft”.
Although the wider country is currently in a state of
lawlessness, Poulton has pretty much always been that
way. There are no Lords holding sway locally (the local
manorial lands were divided generations ago, and now
are spread across a few mean farms – their holders are
the nearest thing to gentry, although economically they
are hardly more than peasants. There is no religion,
aside from the cultists. Most of the menfolk are
ostensibly fishermen, rather than farmers, and most of
the womenfolk spend their time tending to the nets
and traps.
All of the population are, to some extent or other,
interbred with the Deep Ones. They carry various signs
of their genetic heritage. Mostly, these signs convey
 The Bay of Terror

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The Bay of Terror
just a hint of otherness, and are only really apparent
when the viewer actively looks for them – eyes that
bulge a little too much, a pallid colouring, a certain
scaliness (which might, at a pinch, be a skin condition).
Sometimes there will be more obvious signs, such as
webbed feet or hands, or fishlike eyes. In this case,
gloves, footwear or wide-brimmed hats or veils might
be used to disguise their piscine nature. Until recently,
those too deformed to pass as human were either
hidden or left the town to join their aquatic relatives.
Since the war, and the increased isolation of the hamlet
(not that it was ever particularly frequented by
strangers), things have become more lax.
The entire hamlet and its population smell faintly of
fish, which in itself is not surprising in a fishing
community living so close to the sea. But the scent is
cloying. In the farms there are no farm dogs or cats, just
a few miserable livestock confined to mean sheds,
swaying and groaning unhappily (they can sense, and
are terrified of, the Deep Ones). Generally, the villagers
will sullenly refuse to engage with the Adventurers, as
late, all of the villagers have been experiencing
much as possible, and the roughs will possibly look for
increasingly vivid dreams of their god, Cthulhu,
an opportunity to overpower them (if they do this,
calling to them in their sleep.
then Sammy will abandon all hope of keeping the
cult’s activities secret, and simply have them moved to
the Holding Chamber, accessible through the cellar in GREEN FARM (A)
his pub, in preparation for transfer to the Low-tide
Ritual). Ownership of Green Farm should never have been
offered outside of Poulton but through a serious of
The following statistics can be used for “average” adult misfortunes the death of the former occupant, Ranold,
villagers/cultists: ended with the property being sold at auction. Ranold
had married an outsider from Lancaster, who officially
DEEP ONE HYBRIDS/POULTON died childless (in fact, her children now live out in the
CULTISTS ocean) – as a result, his nearest legal relative was his
wife’s sister. She died alone in Lancaster shortly after
STR 13 CON 10 SIZ 13 INT 9 POW 11 DEX 9 coming into her inheritance, but papers suggesting that
CHA 8 she would have had an entitlement to Green Farm
were found by the executor of her estate. As there were
DM +1D4 HP 12 MWL 6 AP 0/0 Move 14 no surviving next of kin, this enterprising executor
Skills: Athletics 40%, Close Combat 35%, Dodge 30%, proposed the property should be sold by auction, and
Persistence 40%, Resilience 40%, Unarmed Combat the money raised should go to the town of Lancaster
35% (1D3+1D4) The cultists might have provided a host of fictitious
relatives to claim Ranold’s estate, had they known
Weapons: Claws 35% (1D6+1D4), Cosh (1D4+1D4), what was being planned, but they know little of the
Dagger (1D4+1+1D4) legal system, and the first they knew of the sale was
The people of Poulton are all to a greater or lesser when Stanley Hunning turned up to inspect his new
extent inbred with the Deep Ones, the only exception property.
being women who have married into (or been The old farm building looks dilapidated. Its rough walls
abducted to) the village. This manifests itself in a of mortar and cobbles are crumbling in places, and the
variety of ways – ridged features, wide lips, bulging roof is patched and scrappy. The farm itself is not
eyes, signs of gill development, webbed or clawed overlarge;, the small untended fields are located on both
fingers and toes, etc. All the villagers are strong sides of the main track to Poulton. The fields look as if
swimmers (+40% to Athletics tests for swimming). Of they have been neglected for a while. There is evidence

108

that there was once a small vegetable plot, to the rear of
the building, but this too has been neglected and become
overgrown.
Searching the farm will reveal signs of a struggle (e.g.,
torn scraps of clothing, fingernail marks etched upon
the door-frame, blood on the floor of the cottage, the
door left open, Stanley’s knapsack with his lunch split
and scattered). There are scuff and drag marks heading
a little way into Poulton. The Adventurers might get
the direction on an Easy Tracking test (+40%); on a
Normal Tracking test they will be able to ascertain
there were about four assailants; but they will only be
able to follow the tracks all the way to the entrance of
the Slit Gizzard Inn (run by Sammy O’Tutter) on a
Very Hard (-60%) Tracking test. A Hard (-40%)
Tracking test will reveal that Stanley’s horse has been
led across the fields to Colin Butcher. If the party does
find leads to Sammy’s or Colin’s the local men will, of
course, deny everything (well, truth be told, Colin will
probably just assault them).
If the party searches the house they will find just a few
moulding possessions belonging to the former owner,
Ranold, and little else of interest.
STAYING IN POULTON
If the Adventurers decide to stay in Poulton (perhaps
to find out what has happened to Stanley Hunning, or
to investigate the disappearance of the troopers, or just
because they are intrigued about why the place has
such a bad reputation) they will be limited in their
choices of where to stay. On the outskirts of the hamlet,
assuming the party travels from inland there are a few
farms (Green Farm is the most outlying of these);
Coming from up or down the coast, they will arrive at
the fishing shacks and pub instead (see The Coastal
Hamlet, below).
STAYING AT GREEN FARM
They could stay at Green Farm, but they won’t learn
anything there, beyond those things already
mentioned above. Either the villagers will ignore the
travellers staying at the farm (at least, until after the
ritual) or (if they think they are weak) they might
attempt to overwhelm them at the farmhouse.
STAYING AT ANOTHER FARM
If the Adventurers decide that they wish to avail
themselves of the hospitality of one of the other small
farms in the area (of which there are only three), they
will find that their welcome is less than warm. The
The Bay of Terror
farmers tend to be a little more accustomed to dealing
with non-cultists, but will still be discomforted, and
will head off to The Slit Gizzard to consult with Sammy
O’ Tutter on the best way to deal with the outsiders. He
will urge caution, for now, and will suggest that they
try to get rid of the Adventurers, rather than trying to
murder them in their beds, unless the party appears to
be particularly weak or of very low status.
The farms are all small, but large enough to employ
and house a few day labourers, as well as all the family
members. Conditions will be cramped and unhygienic,
and the food and drink will be foul. Crops and
livestock are distinctly unwholesome; the cloying
atmosphere in the hamlet seems to taint the land itself.
STAYING AT THE INN
The Adventurers might decide to try to stay at the inn.
Sammy may allow them to do so, but they will find the
place a dilapidated mess, ill-prepared for guests, and
Sammy will urge them to leave and “go back t’wherever
it is you come from, as ye’ll be more comfort’ble.”
THE COASTAL HAMLET
If the Adventurers enter Poulton proper, either coming
from the farms inland or along the coast from north or
south, read or paraphrase the following:
Entering the bleak coastal hamlet you see the familiar
sight of ragged, dirty, children. They look up from where
they are playing some game in the mud, and briefly stare
at you with hungry eyes. They scatter, running back to
their mean little shacks, and the doors are shut firmly
behind them, their mothers undoubtedly wary of
strangers. The only building of note, standing larger
than the ramshackle fishermen’s huts, is an inn. The inn
looks far from welcoming. A tattered wooden sign creaks
in the wind. The inn’s name is long washed away, the
faded picture of some slaughtered animal just discernible
on the salt-stained timber. The inn has tiny windows, too
thick and grimy to see through, and a solid, though
battered, wooden front door, from which old paintwork
also peels.
If the party thinks to investigate the place where the
children were playing, they will find a disturbing sight.
It seems the youngsters (who were all small infants)
had been playing with the dismembered remains of a
baby pig.
If the Adventurers decide to try and gain access to the
inn, by rousing the innkeeper, banging on the door,
etc., eventually Sammy will answer and let them in.
(He would like to assess the strangers and make a
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The Bay of Terror
decision whether to brazen things out with them, or SAMMY O’ TUTTER
allow the local toughs to attempt to overwhelm the
party, rather than letting them wander about prying
elsewhere). If the villagers see the Adventurers enter
the inn, it won’t be long before a couple or more toughs
enter the bar to check up on them as well.

THE SLIT GIZZARD (B)

If the Adventurers enter the bar, read or paraphrase
the following:
The first thing that hits you is the rancid smell. The fetid,
matted straw strewn over the floor looks dirtier than the
muddy track outside. There is little in the way of
furnishing, just some crude benches to squat on. There is
no back door, as far as you can see. A rough, open stair
leads up to the top floor. The room is dark, as the
windows are so tiny. There is a bar, also a ramshackle
looking affair that most landlords would be ashamed of,
and a space behind for the barman to stand. Your host is
an older man wearing workaday clothes and a grimy
apron. A small bunch of keys hang from his belt. He
Profession: Barman/Warlock Age: 36
retreats behind the bar and taps a keg. “Pint, is it?” he
asks, an obviously forced smile upon his lips. Faction: Cthulhu RP: 100

The Slit Gizzard is the only inn in town. It is a low-dive
where the cultists go when they want to meet together,
have a brawl, or merely get blind drunk.
The barman, Sammy O’ Tutter, is also the High Priest
and Warlock of the cult that is based in the hamlet.
Despite his status as High Priest, the Poulton dwellers
don’t afford each other a lot of respect, and this
indifference extends to their leader. They might
grudgingly do as he tells them, but once out of sight are
as likely to just ignore whatever instructions they have
been given.
There are no proper guest rooms at the inn. The filthy
upstairs rooms are little used, except by Sammy
himself. The downstairs bar is undecorated, and the
filthy straw covering the floor stinks so badly that it
makes anyone unfamiliar with the smell retch (it smells
of urine, faeces, and dead rotten fish). The bar only
offers one type of badly brewed beer (brewed on the
Poulton farms). There is no lit fire in the grate (nor sign
there ever has been) and there is no food on offer (if
any Adventurers ask, Sammy will say they don’t do
food. If they insist, then he will get one of the other
villagers to bring some food in, made off-site in their
own fishing cottage. The meal will be fairly rancid and
undercooked, and it will be impossible to tell what sort
of animal the mystery meat in the cold pottage has
come from).
STR 13 CON 12 SIZ 13 INT 12 POW 13 DEX 10 CHA 9
DM +1D4 HP 13 MWL 7 AP 0/0 MAG: 7
Skills: Athletics 60%, Close Combat 60% (Cudgel 1D6+1D4),
Dodge 55%, Insight 59%, Lore (Cthulhu Mythos) 50%, Lore
(Regional) 60%, Perception 62%, Persistence 50%, Resilience
40%, Sleight 40%, Unarmed Combat 60% (1D3+1D4)
Spells: For to Call on the Power of a Coven, For to Catch the
Wind, For to Contact Cthulhu, For to Give a Withering Look,
For to Smother the Gasping Victim, For the Summoning of
Cthulhu
Sammy o’ Tutter is the Landlord of the “Slit Gizzard”,
and is also the head Warlock and High Priest of the
Poulton cultists. Sammy is cursed with being a bit of a
thinker. Although, on the one hand, he is a totally
crazed and fanatical worshipper of Cthulhu, on the
other, Sammy is worried that if the “end days” are not
upon the world then the actions of the local cultists will
result in the destruction of Poulton, the killing of all its
inhabitants, and the hunting down of his Deep One kin.
Sammy realises that the increase in kidnappings, and
in particular the capturing of several scouts from both
the Royalist and Parliamentarian sides (carried out by
some of the “hard boys” from the town), could
possibly result in an investigation by the authorities.
Sammy is keen that such an investigation should find
nothing, and that anyone conducting such an
investigation should not be harmed (unless it becomes
necessary to preserve the cult’s secrets). The only

110

motive he has for such leniency is that he wants to
avoid a greater armed force coming to Poulton. The
other cultists do what Sammy tells them, at least when
he is in earshot, though otherwise they do pretty much
as they please.
Sammy is not helped in his strategising by his terrible
temper. One moment he is a calm and perfect host. The
next he becomes violently aggressive. The other
cultists are considering doing away with him – the
toughs think he is too timid, and the few calmer heads
believe he is too erratic and temperamental. All that is
saving him is that he knows the complex Low-tide
Ritual better than anyone else. Sammy’s main objective
is to hold things together until the next Low-tide
Ritual. He is intending for it to be bigger than ever –
involving every villager (and hostage) in Poulton. He
believes that with such a conclave the ritual might
actually break through the veil, and result in the
summoning of his god to rule over the earth.
HOSPITALITY
Sammy will try to find out what the Adventurers
intentions are, while giving nothing away. Remember,
he has a terrible temper, so he might have an outburst
even though he is trying not to. If the Adventurers ask
to stay overnight, he will attempt to put them off, say
that there are no rooms to be had, etc. But he might
relent, if he thinks they are going to try and stay
elsewhere in the hamlet instead. He would rather he
kept an eye on them, allayed their fears and persuaded
them to leave, instead of letting the thugs in the village
take matters into their own hands. That is, unless he
thinks the party particularly weak or believes that they
won’t be missed. If there are no officials or military in
the party, he will happily allow the cultists to kill or
capture the Adventurers.
He will have the following sort of things to say:
The Adventurers: “So what brings you to these parts? We
don’t get many visitors. An’ those we do don’t stay long.”;
“Just be off wi’ you, there’s nowt fer you here. You hear me?
Go back to yer own place and LEAVE US BE!”; and, “Look,
I don’t want trouble. It’s just thar don’t want to bother with
us. We ‘av our ways and like to be left alone. But tell me what
ye want, and I’ll try to help.”
Sammy: “Own t’pub. Work t’pub. It’s a job.”; “This place
is just fer the fisherfolk. Not the likes of you. Take the
warnin’ and LEAVE US BE!”; and, “I ‘ave no family. Just
this village. And I ‘as to look after it. Best if yer don’t
interfere.”
The Bay of Terror
The Other Villagers: “They work ‘ard and all they want
is to be left alone.”; “If yer not brought up next to the waves,
yer won’t understand. They ‘is all ignor’nt, but they ‘ave
good hearts.”; and, “I’d just as well leave them be. They
don’t like strangers. Not surprisin’, outsiders are always
stirrin’ things up. We’re not int’rested. So bugger off and
leave us to it.”
Stanley Hunning: “Never ‘eard of ‘im.”; “Green Farm, yer
say. Awld Ranold’s place, weren’t it? Ranold ne’er really fit
in. Lived too far out the village and married a Lancaster girl.
Didn’t know it ‘ad bin sold.”; and, “Look, no-one round ‘ere
knows owt. Ye shouldn’t be a pokin’ yer noses in. He
probably just left an’ thought he’d see a bit o’ the world,
rather than get back to his wife and the daily grind. You
know what foreigners are like, can’t sit still.”; and, “I don’t
like yer tone. If you want to come back with a magistrate and
warrant, then we’ll all be happy to help. If not, I suggest yer
all bugger off and LEAVE US BE!”
Poulton: “Everyone’s gotta live somewhere, ain’t they?”;
“Nowt to it. Couple o’ farms, everyone else fishes. Good
views when it ain’t blowin’ a gale.”; and, “Nowt ever
‘appens here, and we’re happy ‘bout that.”
Bare: “Never bin. Can’t see the point, same as here, in’t it?”
Torrisholme: “Never bin. Soft lot from what I ‘eard.””
Heysham: “Been there. Not goin’ back. Can’t say as I
remember owt about it.”
If the Adventurers are threatening, Sammy will weigh
up his chances. He will be prepared to use spell For to
Give a Withering Look and has a string prepared with
three Magnitude 7 spells For to Catch the Wind which he
will use; plus, he knows that if he shouts, the cultists
would like nothing more than to bundle into a fight. If
he thinks the party is a pushover he will suggest they
join in a night-time boxing match (see Fight Club,
below). Otherwise he will try to put them off, tell them
to get a Royal Warrant, or grudgingly let them stay a
night (if they seem to be the sort of really important
folk that could bring trouble to the cult) and get rid of
them in the morning (or through a night-time attack).
UNDER THE SLIT GIZZARD
1 – THE BEER CELLAR
The cellar of the Slit Gizzard is (strangely) only
accessible via the rear of the bar area (usually there
would be an access point from outside, so that barrels
of fresh beer could be delivered directly through the
cellar, rather than dragged through the snug bar).
Steps go down from the access hatch behind the bar,
leading to a damp and dirty beer cellar. (A successful
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The Bay of Terror
Perception test will indicate that the cellar smells briny,
like the ocean).
Behind some old barrels, on the westerly wall, is a
“secret” door. Well, it is moderately secret, but as there
are seldom any visitors there is rarely much of an
attempt made to hide its location. If the Adventurers
have been sniffing about the hamlet, then Sammy will
ensure that it is at least shut. Otherwise there is some
battered wooden shelving, running across the door,
but it is chipped in such a way that it fails to completely
hide the door behind. If the Adventurers find the room
when the hamlet is deserted (on the night of the ritual)
the barrels won’t have been shifted back, and the door
will be swung open.
2 – THE TEMPLE
Behind the “secret” door is a room, roughly the same
size as the beer cellar. There are two doors to the
Temple, the eastern “secret” door leading from the
beer cellar (1), and on the west wall is another door,
behind which is a tunnel, leading further westward (3).
The temple is neglected and little used. The cultists
mainly fulfil their rituals out in the Bay, and seldom
bother with the small shrine in Sammy’s basement.
Nevertheless there is a three foot statue of Cthulhu
(made of the same alien material as the statuette in
Martin Martindale’s possession), resting on a small
altar, against the north wall. There are a couple of
rough benches and a rotten mat in front of the shrine.
There is also a bookshelf, on the south wall. One of
Sammy’s predecessors was obviously more interested
in occult writings than Sammy, but if the Adventurers
examine the texts they will all be found to have
mushed together and rotted away. The old books are
unreadable. On a successful Perception test the
Adventurers will notice that some of the books seem to
be bound in human skin, others in the skins of
unidentifiable animals. The only legible thing on the
112
book shelf is a letter, discarded onto the pile of
waterlogged tomes. The letter is from Alderman
Wilson, one of the members of The Order of Esoteric
Discoverie, based in Oxford. He seems to have
stumbled on information about the cult and wants to
know if they might help him in his own forbidden
researches. Unfortunately for Wilson, Sammy has no
intention of replying and no interest in the scholar’s
inquiries; the messenger sent with the letter was
sacrificed weeks ago, having been captured after he
discharged his duties. The letter is reproduced on the
next page.
3 – THE PASSAGEWAY
This passageway links the Temple (2) with the Holding
Chamber (4). Anyone entering the passage from the
Temple end might (on a successful Difficult (-20%)
Perception roll) hear groaning sounds from the
Holding Chamber.
4 – THE HOLDING CHAMBER
There are two doors to the Holding Chamber – the
easterly door leading to 3, and the westerly door,
leading to 5. The room is 5 metres wide and 10 metres
long.
The Holding Chamber is where the cultists keep those
that they have abducted and intend to sacrifice at the
Low-tide Ritual.
The Holding Chamber is only a few dozen meters from
the coast. Although underground, the tunnel slopes
above the beach and is usually damp rather than
flooded; when there are very high tides water pours in
under the western door, rising to a height of a couple
of feet. This is a further torture for the miserable
inhabitants, the freezing waters and threat of
drowning adding to their terror.
As long as the Adventurers reach it before the Low-
tide Ritual, there will be eleven people in the room –
 The Bay of Terror

“Dear fellowes,

If my messenger has delivered my missive then he has confidence you are likened unto us. He will tell you more of
whom we are and our affairs shoulde you, as you undoubtedly will, require of it. Prithee indulge my requests and
read my pleas. I have heard tale that the peoples of Polton are wise in matters of interest to my friendes and
myself. This is written in sagas longe loste to all but a few scholars. The inn is the temple and the temple the keye.

We too are engaged in conducting great workes for the glories of our masters. We have at hand many learnings
and tomes, for we live in a towne of education, but withe regret our library is incomplete. The work of Ptolemy,
that is not widely known or listed in order, escapes us. Yet my friends believe this tome bears secretes which
mayhaps advance our science and researches and youre predecessor the innkeep and custodian Erasmus
Thorne of the century laste is said to have acquired a copy, transcribed from the lost Oxforde copy or otherwise.
If you have such a copy, then I would beg and implore you to loane or sale the item to your fellowes here.

We have great glories planned, and woulde do muche to advance our mutual cause. On receipt I can arrange for
the sum of fifty poundes to be sent to belay your inconveniences, and more to followe should the worke be sound,
but I knowe that such material concerns will pale as unto the delighte that the workes we do shall generate so
consider entrusting the tome to my faitheful messenger.

In your debt,

Tekeli-li,

B.W”

five manacled to the north wall, six to the south. Only
nine of the occupants are alive, the other two have
already died in captivity (both soldiers, who have died
from their wounds). The prisoner’s manacles are
stretched so taut that they can barely lie, and mostly
they are slumped in seated positions around the edge
of the room. They are forced to relieve themselves
where they sit.
One or two of the prisoners will shout if they can hear
anyone approaching, but their voices are muted, as
they are so parched with thirst. The others are too
shocked to do much other than to stare into space.
Sammy is a lax gaoler. The prisoners have been fed and
watered very infrequently, and they have taken to
lapping at the condensation, which is so salty that it
has made them delirious. Aside from the material
conditions in the cell all of the prisoners are
traumatised by their abductions.
Six of the living prisoners are soldiers (three
Parliamentarian dragoons, John Carter, Matt Collins
and Henry Clayton, and three Royalist scouts,
Humphrey Shorebrook, Cecil Glover and Percy
Partes). All of them have sustained wounds to one
degree or other, although all bar one require little more
than First Aid, warming up, and a decent meal (Percy
is slowly dying of a wound to the head). Two of the
other prisoners are travelling tinkers, Andrew Bird and
his daughter Rosie, both of whom are insensible with
fear. The remaining captive is Stanley Hunning, who
was dragged to the cellars of the Slit Gizzard soon after
his arrival in Poulton. Those captives who are able to
speak will mention that they overheard the cultists
saying that all the prisoners would be dead next low-
tide, as they were going to be sacrificed in some sort of
midnight ceremony.
It will be impossible to remove the manacles with bare
hands, but if the Adventurers don’t have Sammy’s
keys they might manage it with a knife, or some other
suitable tool (but it will take 1D10 minutes per
manacle).
If the Adventurers find themselves in the Holding Cell,
as a result of being captured by the cultists, they will
need to either find a way of engineering an escape, or
wait until the Low-tide Ritual, when they will be
escorted along with all the others out into the Bay to be
sacrificed (see “The Low-Tide Ritual”, below).

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The Bay of Terror
5 - THE PASSAGE TO THE BEACH COLIN “THE BUTCHER” BUTCHER
There are two entrances to this passage. The eastern
one leads to the Holding Chamber (4). The other, to the
west, is concealed amongst the rocks at the top of the
shore, leading out onto the Sands (or sea, if there is a
high tide). The tunnel gradually descends downward
from east to west, until it terminates in a rusted gate.
The gate is not locked, although it is difficult to open
(and won’t fully open). The gate is half submerged at
high tide, but at low tide the top half is visible,
although the rocks help obscure it (at any distance
greater than 50 metres away from the entrance, a
successful Hard (-40%) Perception test is required to
notice it, and it is only noticeable from out on the
Sands, being completely hidden from the shore behind
or beach directly parallel). When a sacrificial ritual
takes place victims are led out of the gate, onto the
Sands. Some of the cultists accompany them, others
come directly from their shacks (they are a slovenly lot,
even when carrying out a ritual procession).

FIGHT CLUB Profession: Butcher/Cultist Age: 33

The local roughs enjoy nothing more than a fight. In
the lead up to the Low-tide Ritual these fights take on
a more organised aspect. All the young men in the
hamlet (and some of the older ones) fight with each
other in a series of bouts, the idea being to determine
the strongest. If anybody loses too badly, they are
liable to be sacrificed to the Worm. The victors escort
any of the women who have been selected to mate with
the Deep Ones, and are permitted to join in carnal
festivities. The older cultists aren’t obliged to fight,
having proved themselves as youths, but a few do, just
because they enjoy the violence.
Every evening during the week or two before the Low-
tide Ritual, everyone gathers behind the line of
cottages, in front of the pub, and watches a few bouts.
Weapons aren’t used, but otherwise there are no rules,
and the ring is only defined by the circle of people
surrounding the combatants. If the Adventurers get
drawn into watching, or even participating in, a fight,
they will notice that the battle goes on up to the point
where one or other fighter is knocked completely
unconscious!
If an Adventurer has been brave (or stupid) enough to
take the challenge, then he will quickly realise that the
villagers have no intention of playing fair. From
behind the huddled little crowd a giant of a man will
head toward the contender, clearly intending to wade
straight into melee.
Faction: Cthulhu RP: 100
STR 17 CON 14 SIZ 19 INT 9 POW 9 DEX 10 CHA 8
DM +1D6 HP 17 MWL 9 AP 0/1
Skills: Athletics 80%, Close Combat 60% (Large Meat
Cleaver 1D6+1+1D4), Dodge 30%, Persistence 40%,
Resilience 80%, Unarmed Combat 68% (1D3+1D6)
Armour: Leather Apron
Colin is a huge brute of a (fish)man. His webbed
fingers certainly don’t detract from the power of his
punch. He will keep fighting until he has demolished
his opponent (assuming he does). If Colin beats an
Adventurer it will be seen as a general cue for all the
villagers to rush the Adventurers and consign them (if
they survive!) to the Holding Room beneath the Slit
Gizzard. If an Adventurer bests Colin, it will give the
cultists pause for thought. (One of the toughs might
even take it into his head that the Adventurer is a most
fine specimen, and offer for the Adventurer to join the
villagers, for a “special celebration”).
THE FISHING COTTAGES
(C)
The fishing cottages are little more than tumbledown
shacks. One of them, on the edge of the coastal hamlet,
along the coast to the north, belongs to Colin “The

114

Butcher” Butcher. If the party investigates the place
(and don’t get attacked) they might find the
dismembered remains of a horse (Stanley’s). What will
seem odd is that there are barrels and barrels of
rendered remains (from the horses that belonged to the
soldiers attacked by the cultists). Much of the actual
meat has already been distributed, and the inedible,
unrenderable parts thrown out to sea, but there is still
a lot left. The stench from the place is even more
revolting than that permeating the rest of the hamlet.
POSSIBLE ENDINGS
There is no set way to run the adventure in Poulton, or
to draw it to a conclusion.
The Adventurers might just poke about on the fringes,
and never get to the heart of the matter – in that case
feel free to force their hand by sending a group of locals
against them. Likely as not, they will investigate
enough to realise there is a dire threat. How they then
handle the threat might vary.
It is very possible that the Adventurers will be forced
at some point during their stay into making a fighting
retreat from Poulton. If they get out alive, they will
need to regroup and work out what to do next. If the
party is unaware of the ritual, but in the Bay area on the
night it takes place, then Martin Martindale (p.96), or
Goodwife Aldis (p.91), might approach the
Adventurers, concerned that they have seen a
procession heading into the centre of the Bay, leading
a group of what seem to be prisoners. But hopefully the
party will have had a little time to recruit others to their
cause, or formulate some kind of plan.
The Adventurers may be able to investigate the cellar
under Sammy’s bar by stealth. If they visit the pub,
Sammy might be called off to attend to a quarrel
outside. The party may then risk some exploring.
Likewise, if they stay in the pub overnight, and aren’t
attacked, they might sneak about once Sammy is
asleep.
Some possible outcomes resulting from the
Adventurer’s visit to Poulton are explored below,
followed by some more information about the Low-
tide Ritual, an event that you might want to run as the
climax to the adventure. But be prepared to be flexible
and allow the Adventurers to make their own
mistakes, achieve their own successes and tell their
own story.
Three possible “endings” are as follows:
The Bay of Terror
BURN THE TOWN
This ending doesn’t necessarily have to terminate in an
actual fire, but represents all the possible outcomes in
which the Adventurers manage to defeat the villagers
before the evening of the ritual. To do this (unless they
are a veritable host of super-powered Solomon Kanes),
they will probably need to enlist some assistance. They
might be able to convince the local garrison in
Lancaster, or some of the locals from the nearby
villages, that the ritual has to be stopped or all will be
lost. They might have their own allies close enough at
hand. Or they might be able to defeat the villagers
piecemeal, possibly by stealth, ensuring that the
opposition is never sufficiently numerous to
overwhelm them. If it becomes apparent that the
village is under attack (perhaps due to being set alight,
perhaps due to the sounds of gunfire and battle), the
Deep Ones will emerge from the water and rush to the
defence of the inhabitants. Only if they too take a
beating will they retreat, far out into the Bay, never to
be seen again (probably abandoning some of their
part-human kin in the process. Others villagers will
flee into the waters with the Deep Ones, to start a new
aquatic life).
DISTURBING THE RITUAL
If the Adventurers haven’t managed to intervene
before the night of the Low-tide Ritual, they may on
that evening realise that the entire village is setting off
on some peculiar errand. If they investigate the
Holding Chamber, then they will probably know that
a ritual is being attempted. If they haven’t realised the
danger themselves, they will be approached by Martin
Martindale, who will inform them that “summat’s
afoot”. Without Martin, the Adventurers will have a
difficult time crossing the bay.
KIDNAPPED
It might just have all gone horribly wrong for the party.
They might find themselves captured by the villagers,
or Deep Ones. If so they will be locked in the Holding
Chamber, in irons, until the night of the ritual. Then
they will be hauled out along with the other prisoners,
down the tunnel, to the gathering in the Bay. There
they will be thrown to the Stoorworm (if it is still alive)
or sacrificed on an altar, as part of the ritual designed
to bring Cthulhu into the world. The party may have
several opportunities to escape from captivity – they
might escape in the tunnels, survive the Stoorworm
labyrinth, or flee from the Warlock at the altar. Or, they
might not!
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The Bay of Terror
THE LOW-TIDE RITUAL
Convinced that the stars are right, Sammy and the
cultists have high hopes that the next Low-tide Ritual
will be the one that successfully summons their god.
Venus is particularly bright, high in the west after
sunset, which the Deep Ones see as a good omen. The
ritual involves going into the centre of the Bay, late at
night, on one of the lowest tides of the year. Usually the
cultists have contented themselves with a select few
going for some cavorting with their Deep One
relatives, and the tossing of a few innocents to the
Heysham Worm. This time they are preparing to
attend en masse, and make a mass sacrifice to their
god, Cthulhu.
If the Adventurers try to venture out without a guide,
then they should make successful Difficult Survival
tests (-20%) to avoid getting into trouble, as they move
out over the Sands. They will also need to dispense
with lanterns, if they want to avoid being spotted.
There is just enough light from Venus and the cultists
are busy and distracted, but if the Adventurers carry
lanterns or torches, or make too much noise, they will
give themselves away, which will mean they have
much more of a fight on their hands if they want to get
close enough to disrupt the ritual.
At the outset of the Adventurers’ journey across the
Bay, read or paraphrase the following:
The mudflats are slick in the glimmering light of Venus,
the ground cloys at your boots, ever threatening to drag
you under. In the distance you see a large group of
people, in the centre of the Bay. They are arranged in a
semi-circle, looking outward, towards the Irish Sea. You
spot another group, a ragged line, heading out from the
coast, seemingly intent on joining with the others.
If the Adventurers are prisoners of the cultists, read
or paraphrase the following (obviously you might
want to expand this whole scene, and adapt it
according to the party’s escape plans):
A group of people, robed in coarse, black-hooded gowns,
burst into the fetid chamber and begin to remove the
manacles fastening you to the walls. You are gripped by
the cowled figures, and bundled along a tunnel, and
through a rusty iron gate. Even the light of Venus,
hanging balefully in the west, seems bright after having
being held in dank darkness for so long. You are on a
beach, but have little time to think, as you are dragged on,
out onto the mud of the Bay. The tide is out, so low that
it appears to have completely vanished, leaving the slick
mudflats exposed for miles around.
116
You are cajoled forward to the centre of the vast Bay, the
Irish Sea now visible. You seem to have reached your
destination. It seems that an entire village has gathered
out in the darkness, forming a semi-circle around a lone
figure. The figure (you can tell the players it is
Sammy, assuming they have encountered him
already) stands on the slab of rock. Beside the low wet
platform is what looks to be a pit, descending down,
beneath the Bay.
As the Adventurers (and their allies) near the
gathered cultists, read or paraphrase the following:
As the gathered semi-circle of people begin to chant, their
leader looks away from them now, out toward the sea.
Between the chanters stand small children; obviously the
whole village is here. The other clustered group are lined
up near to the pit, guarded by more hooded figures. You
witness an impossibly monstrous sight. As the cultists
chant louder, “Ia! Ia! Cthulhu fhtagn!”, they are joined
by creatures that are wading out of the ocean. The
newcomers are strangely bloated and inhuman, yet these
giant fish are bipedal, hold spears, and gutturally croak
in unison with the chanting throng. They form their own
semi-circle, joining up with the others to make a ring. As
the circle is completed, there is a cry – the first of the
captives is hurled forward, into the pit.
Obviously, if the Adventurers are captives, adjust the
last scene appropriately, so that they are the subjected
to the threat of sacrifice. (If you judge the Worm is not
in the labyrinth, and they survive the fall, then any
Adventurer tossed down the pit will have a chance of
escaping through the tunnels, but they had better run
– the waves come in very quickly.
Stopping the Ritual
Killing Sammy, delaying the ritual long enough to
allow the tide to come in, or summoning the
Stoorworm (or its independent decision to feed on the
gathering), would all be enough to cause the ritual to
fail. Of course, if the Adventurers kill Sammy, they will
still have to fight off the vengeful cultists and Deep
Ones; if the tide comes in the Adventurers will be at a
disadvantage fleeing, compared to the Deep Ones (and
even the cultists, all of whom are strong natural
swimmers); and if the Worm arrives, the party had
better run before it makes a meal of them as well.
If you decide the Worm should arrive of its own
accord, you might want to read or paraphrase the
following:
As the chanting increases in intensity, the sky begins to
light up, lightning flashing almost in time with the
strange liturgy. There is a crackling in the air, a
humming, buzzing, painful noise. The cultists and the
 The Bay of Terror
gathered beasts look expectant, some of them have fallen sheer scale of the thing. The tentacles that writhe from its
to the floor, and are writhing together in a frenzy. The mouth, the claws that could scoop up a regiment, the
Warlock raises his voice in a perverse counter-chant, folded wings that threaten to envelop all things, and the
seemingly imbued with magicks. The gathering is screaming noise of its call. The call blots out all other
suddenly disturbed, however. Coming from the waves sensations, as it screams directly into you head; the
slithers a vast darkness. Before anyone can respond, the cultists murmurings are a mere echo of their master’s
creature, a dark, huge, crested snake, breathes a cloud of song. Your lips seem to move of their own accord, as you
sulphurous poison, opening its mouth, and swallowing feel yourself impelled to cry out, “Ia, Ia”, your knees are
one of the fish-beasts whole. It doesn’t even slow down as dragged impossibly down, and your every instinct is to
it turns to consume another victim...some of the strange worship your new master, whose coming will spell the
cultists attack the creature, others flee, abandoning the end of all days...
ritual.
The following statistics can be used for Deep One
If the ritual is delayed long enough for the tide to encounters:
come crashing in, read or paraphrase the following:
DEEP ONES
There is the noise of rushing. The
cultists curse and rage at the full STR 14 CON 10 SIZ 16 INT 13 POW 11
moon, rising in the east. It takes DEX 11/9* CHA 10
a while to work out what is
causing such *Dex is 11 underwater, 9 on land.
consternation, but it DM +1D4 HP 13 MWL 7 AP
soon becomes 0/1 Move 12 (18 in water)
apparent. You are
far out in the Bay, HR 0%/1D6
and the tide is
Skills: Athletics 65%,
coming in,
Close Combat 30%,
seemingly
Dodge 30%, Persistence
impossibly fast.
40%, Resilience 40%,
Abandoning their
Unarmed Combat
chanting, the gathering
turns, and all thought of 30% (1D3+1D4)
ceremony is lost as the Weapons: Claws 30%
gathered horde advance (1D6+1D4), Fish Spear 30%
toward you. (1D6+1D4)
If the Adventurers fail to When fighting on land the
disrupt the ritual, and you are Deep Ones are more
feeling particularly mean, you might want sluggish than when fighting
to read or paraphrase the following: underwater. This is reflected in their reduced Move
As the chant reaches its crescendo, the Warlock raises his and lower Dexterity while on land.
arms, his own discordant liturgy rising above the general The Deep Ones of the Bay live out in the Irish Sea, in
cacophony. Lightning begins flashing in the sky, causing their underwater home. They come to the Sands to
strange colours to stain the heavens. Out in the ocean meet, mate, and perform rituals with the cultists from
something impossible is starting to happen. You realise Poulton, and to feed the Heysham Worm. If the
that the bubbling and frothing are insignificant, the mere Poulton cultists are wiped out, the Deep Ones might
edge of a monstrous stirring. The waters of the Irish Sea
come ashore to wreak their revenge, but soon will
part, mighty waves being generated that threaten to
retire (defeated or not) to their watery homes, and
overwhelm the coastline. Somehow those gathered in the
won’t be seen again for a long time. It is unlikely the
Bay are protected from the tidal madness, although you
Adventurers will be able to completely wipe out the
see walls of water scoop distant villages from the
Deep Ones. The necessary flotilla and magicks to
coastline, leaving empty scars where people once lived.
actually penetrate their lair will be beyond most
It seems that a living island is rearing up, out of the adventuring parties (and indeed, be beyond anyone).
depths. The size of the monster would be enough to turn
a sane mind mad, but there are further terrors beyond the More about the Deep Ones can be found in the
Bestiary, on p.37.

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The Whisperers in Furness
The Whisperers in Furness

118

The Whisperers in Furness
Introduction
WHERE THE ADVENTURE IS SET
The Whisperers in Furness is set in the Lake District, a
remote, mountainous areas of England, where small
villages huddle in isolated valleys, often cut off from the
outside world during the winter snows. The area is
divided into three counties. To the west and east,
Cumberland and Westmorland (51 and 12 on the map
on p.301 of the Clockwork & Chivalry Core Rulebook) take
up the bulk of the area; the small area to the south,
known as Furness, is part of Lancashire. (The rest of
Lancashire is across the bay, opposite Furness, and is
mostly not a part of the Lake District – 28 on the map).
The area, as its name suggests, contains many long
lakes, filling the valleys beneath mountains that,
although not tall by the standards of European peaks
such as the Alps, are nevertheless craggy, spectacular,
and difficult to traverse.
The adventure begins in the small town of Keswick
(beside Derwentwater), visits the ancient Castlerigg
Stone Circle, travels south to the village of Coniston on
Lake Coniston, and comes to a grand finale in the mines
up in the hills above the lake, beside the small and
sinister tarn known as Goats Water.
The area is an important mining area, mainly for copper.
Keswick is the centre of this activity, being the home of
the smelters to which the products of the mines in the
surrounding mountains are brought. Of course tourism
is not yet a factor in the life of the area, and the whole
region will seem backward and somewhat barbaric to
anyone from more civilised parts of England.
The Whisperers in Furness
While most counties of England are subdivided into
areas called “hundreds”, Cumberland and
Westmorland are divided into “wards”; this is a legacy
of the centuries-long military administration needed to
keep the area free of marauding Scots.
The whole area is nominally Royalist, though there is
very little evidence that a civil war is going on at all,
outside of the major towns such as Carlisle and Kendal
(neither of which are very close to the centre of this
adventure).
It should be remembered that in the 17th century the
Lake District was not seen as a place of great natural
beauty as it is today – fashions in landscape aesthetics
were different then, and Daniel Defoe described it as
being “eminent only for being the wildest, most barren and
frightful of any that I have passed over in England, or even in
Wales itself.”
ADVENTURE SUMMARY
The Adventurers are called in to find out what is going
on in Keswick, after a rampaging mob destroys the
copper smelting works. Following a sinister encounter
with changelings, they can begin their investigations.
Blame is laid on the wives of a group of German miners
who live on an island in Derwentwater. The
Adventurers visit the island, where they discover that
the men were taken south to Coniston to do some
mining and have not returned – which is strange,
because the Adventurers will have been told by the staff
of the smelting works that the mines closed at the
beginning of the war.
The miners’ wives tell the Adventurers about the mine
supervisor, James Nicholson, who recruited the miners,
but further investigation will reveal that he died months
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The Whisperers in Furness
before he was last seen by the miners. If the Adventurers With the help of one of the mechanical miners, the
investigate his grave, they discover the rotting corpse of Adventurers travel through the mines –all the while
one of the Fair Folk in the coffin. avoiding Fair Folk, renegade Parliamentarian soldiers,
and insane mechanical miners – in a race to disrupt the
Someone sees Nicholson leaving town. If the
human/alien sabbat taking place at Goats Water, on the
Adventurers follow him, he leads them to Castlerigg
other side of the mountain.
Stone Circle, where he meets with a group of Fair Folk,
who may attack the Adventurers. If Nicholson is killed,
it is revealed that he has a Fair Folk brain inside his A LETTER
human skull.
One of the Adventurers receives a letter from an old
The Adventurers travel south toward Coniston, in friend in the Lake District (see next page).
search of the missing miners. Along the way they have

Keswick
various encounters and learn more of the peculiar
beliefs of local people. There is much talk of increased
Witchcraft in the area, and tales that a sabbat is to take
place somewhere near Coniston on the next dark of the
moon. Many speak of the changelings, those who “bear
Keswick (pronounced KEZ-ick), is a small and rather
the mark” of the Old Man. Shub-Niggurath, known
shabby market town with a population of about 600. It
locally as the Old Man, or the Old Man of Coniston,
nestles in a valley surrounded by spectacular
appears to the Witches as a dark-skinned man with the
mountains, about a mile from the northern shore of the
curled horns and horizontal-pupils of a goat. Many of
lake called Derwent Water. It is the centre of the mining
the Witches (and other local women) have borne him
trade, and until recently was home to the smelters that
children, strange swarthy babies with the power of the
took copper from all the mines round about, with ore
evil eye, many of whom are now in their late teens.
delivered by pack-horse from as far away as Coniston.
Everyone, it seems, knows a family who has one of these
There is a market along Main Street every Wednesday
children, who are known collectively as “the thousand
and Saturday, when farmers come from the
young.” (See the Shub-Niggurath Faction, p.28).
surrounding valley and hills to sell vegetables, meat,
Once in Coniston the Adventurers make the and the like.
acquaintance of Sir Daniel Fleming, a member of the
local gentry who has some knowledge of local legends THE KING’S ARMS
and the Cthulhu Mythos and can be a valuable ally.
They discover that the miners ventured up to the mines The King’s Arms is a coaching inn (see Clockwork &
in the hills above Lake Coniston, and have not been seen Chivalry Core Rulebook p.198) on the Main Street of
since, although there have been mysterious sightings of Keswick. It is a two-story white-washed building with a
flying creatures at night, and strange sounds from the snug eating area, a bar below, and rooms above. There
hills. are currently no coaches running in the area – they were
Venturing up into the mountains, the Adventurers find few and far between before the war, as the roads in the
the mines apparently deserted; certain clues lead them area are very poor, and since the conflict started, they
into the mines where they find the shocking truth – have ceased to run altogether. Trade is poor, and the
Parliamentarian clockwork engineers have teamed up landlord Geoffrey Standish, and his wife, Bess, rely
with a group of Fair Folk. Together they have created mostly on local drinkers and visitors to the market for
mechanical mining machines controlled by the custom these days.
disembodied brains of the German miners. The The owners of the inn can be questioned about events in
Parliamentarians may think the Fair Folk are on their the vicinity (see p.122), and there will be one strange
side, but these strange helpers have motives of their incident (see “Unsavoury Customers”, below) before
own. The Fair Folk are using the clockwork miners to Jack Parsons arrives to talk to the Adventurers about the
gather a peculiar, quintessence-rich ore that is found troubles in the town.
only beneath the local mountain known as “The Old
Man of Coniston”. With this ore, and the help of the
Thousand Young, they intend to summon Shub-
Niggurath.

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 The Whisperers in Furness

My Deare Friend,

I write to you at somethinge of a loss, in the hope that you maye be moste disposed to assist me in my cause. The smelting workes at
Keswick (and alonge withe the same, my home) have been destroied, and I am currently without alle emploiment. Worry not on that
count, for my wife’s familie are more than generouse and have taken us under their roofe and provided us with divers generosities. It is the
cause and nature of the destruction that troubleth me.
As you probablie knowe (I am sure that I have bored you to deathe with the detail of my trade over divers ales ere nowe), the smelters
in Keswick take in ores (for the moste part copper) from throughout southern Cumberland and northern Furness. At the outset of the
current troubles, the mines throughout the area were closed down. I have kept the smelters going on ore already stockpiled, which has gone
to the Royalist war efforte, as the owners of the Companie of Mines Royal are loyal to the crown.
But on Friday laste, a mob did appeare at my gates. They bore lit brandes, and it was soon apparent, by their voices and the exclamations
made in broken English, that they were the wives of the colony of German miners who live upon Vicar’s Isle in the lake nearby. Before
I knew what happenstance was upon us, they had broken down the gates and set fire to the stores of firewood. It was not long before the
whole place was ablaze, and my familie and I were forced to flee, even for our lives.
One of the women was apprehended by the local watchman, and when questioned about the women’s unseemly and moste destructive behaviour,
said ‘twas revenge for the taking away of their husbands. It seems that, three months since, the mining companie representative, James
Nicholson, came to the miners with news that one of the local mines was to be re-opened, and all hands were needed for that task. The
miners went prompte away with him, and nothing hath been heard from them since.
The aspect that confoundes is as followes; although the miners’ wife swore it was James Nicholson who came to them and offered unto
them employmentes – I attended to his funeral in Keswick churchyard and saw him laid unto reste.
I fear there is foule witchery afoot, though I know not from what quarter.
The locals, already suspicious of the foreign workers living on said island, are now moste hostile to the Germans, and the Germans believe
they are being deceived by the authorities in Keswick, and will have nothing to do with theme. Mayhaps an outsider such as youreself
could untangle this moste strange and sinister puzzle. The coffers of the Companie of Mines Royal are deep, and all reasonable expense
will, of course, be reimbursed. The landlord of the King’s Arms on the Main Street should have ample accommodations for your
partie, and has been instructed to offer hospitalities should you arrive.
I hope you will be able to assist in this matter, and I look forwarde to seeing you withe haste,
As ever sincerely yours,
Jack Parsons

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The Whisperers in Furness

tolerant man, but refuses to serve anyone he suspects of

GEOFFREY STANDISH being a changeling.

Profession: Pub Landlord Age: 45 Geoffrey has opinions about various things:
Faction: Self Interest (Gluttony) RP: 70
STR 13 CON 11 SIZ 18 INT 11 POW 9 DEX 10 CHA 10
DM +1D6 HP 15 MWL 8 AP 0/0
Skills: Commerce 48%, Craft (Brewing) 55%, Close Combat
50% (Cudgel 1D6+1D6), Dodge 38%, Persistence 45%,
Resilience 40%, Unarmed 50% (1D3+1D6)

Geoffrey has been the landlord of the King’s Arms for

over twenty years. He is a large man in every
dimension, having partaken rather too much of his
wife’s excellent cooking and his own excellent beer.
With the current troubles, he has considered changing
the name of the coaching house to something more
neutral, but locals of all political persuasions know he
hasn’t a political bone in his body (some doubt whether
there are any bones in that mound of flesh at all!) and
there has been no trouble so far. He is a naturally

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 The Whisperers in Furness
The wrecking of the smelters: “Ah, terrible do, that were.
As if there weren’t enough people without jobs as it is. Never
liked them forriners on th’island.”
About the “forriners”: “Dutchmen or summat, they say.
Brought ‘em over to work the mines, families an’ all. But they
never fitted in round ‘ere. They stay on their island an’ the
company provides everythin’ for ‘em.”
About James Nicholson: “Pleasant enough bloke. Died last
year sometime, some sort of rockfall, I think it were. Still
alive? Tup’s bollocks! They buried ‘im, an’ ‘ad the wake right
‘ere, afterwards. Cracked, them krauts, if you ask me.”
And after the Unsavoury Customers incident:
About changelings: “Changlings, them were. They say the
Fair Folk stole away the real children, and left them... people
(if you can call ‘em that)... in their place. There’s summat not
quite right about ‘em, summat... goatish an’ unnatural, like.
You wouldn’t know it, but one o’ them two is the youngest
son of Sir John de Muncaster – ‘e don’t look a bit like ‘is
brothers, I’ll tell you.”
suspect that they are all Witches, as no decent woman
About the Fair Folk: [whispering] “We don’t talk about would resort to such behaviour.
‘em much. Live up in the hills, they do, since time
Bess is much more opinionated than her husband:
immemorial. Best not to talk about ‘em, if you know what’s
good for you.” The wrecking of the smelters: “Its a flinkin’ scandal.
Ought to be burnt at the stake, the lot of ‘em. Bitches! Or
About the Fair Folk (if the Adventurers saw the
witches, more like. I ‘eard ‘em, chantin’ their ‘eathen chants
illusion): [obviously scared, and whispering] “One of the
as they wrecked the place.” [They were actually chanting
Fair Folk. Never seen one before, though I’ve ‘eard ‘em a-
buzzin’ in the hills at night. Let’s not talk about them, an’ “Where are our husbands? We want our husbands!” in
p’raps they’ll leave us alone.” German, but Bess won’t be convinced of that.]
About the “witches”: “Furrin devils. Proper women don’t
BESS STANDISH be’ave like that. Stands to reason there’s summat sinister
goin’ on – why else would they live on an island? An’ we
Profession: Pub Landlady Age: 38
never see ‘em in church of a Sunday.”
Faction: Self Interest (King’s Arms) RP: 60
About James Nicholson: “Still alive? No, ‘e died – last
STR 11 CON 13 SIZ 10 INT 12 POW 11 DEX 12 CHA 11 summer, it were. Gave ‘im a good sendin’ off in ‘ere, we did.
If ‘e’s walkin’ the streets again, it’s them kraut witches, risen
DM 0 HP 12 MWL 6 AP 0/0
‘im from the dead. Wouldn’t put owt past ‘em.”
Skills: Commerce 44%, Craft (Cooking) 50%, Close Combat
30% (Cudgel 1D6), Dodge 42%, Persistence 50%, Resilience And after the “Unsavoury Customers” incident
35%, Unarmed 30% (1D3) (assuming she’s well enough):

Landlady of the King’s Arms, Bess does most of the
cooking, and has charge of the staff (2 chambermaids
and 2 barmaids), who she treats in a motherly fashion,
unless they show signs of dishonesty, in which case they
are sacked with no compunction. She is as thin as her
husband is fat. She shares his dislike of changelings, but
is more generally prejudiced, also strongly disliking the
Germans who live on Vicar’s Isle (see p.128). (The
Germans are known locally as “Dutchmen”, from
Deutchman, the German word for “German”). She is
convinced that they are somehow evil, and the recent
attack by the women on the smelters leads her to
About changelings: “Scum! Evil scum at that. Burnin’s
too good for ‘em.”
UNSAVOURY CUSTOMERS
The Adventurers are expected by Geoffrey, who greets
them warmly and says that Jack Parsons will be meeting
them later. They are shown to private rooms on the first
floor, and then invited to eat in the main bar area.
The bar of the King’s Arms is a pleasant place with a
roaring fire and a scattering of tables and benches. There
is no-one else there when the Adventurers arrive; if

123
The Whisperers in Furness
questioned, Geoffrey will admit that this is not unusual
– custom has been poor since the war started.
While the Adventurers are eating (a tasty mutton stew
with fresh-baked bread), and the Standishes are busy,
two men come into the inn. Both are shabbily-dressed,
swarthy-skinned men, probably in their thirties, with an
unsavoury look about them. They look at the party out
of the corners of their eyes, and slink away to the
furthest table from the Adventurers. Both wear wide-
brimmed hats pulled down low, making it difficult to
see their faces properly. Have the Adventurers make a
Perception check – anyone who succeeds will notice that
one of the men appears to have eyes with horizontal slit
pupils, like those of a goat. But it was only a quick
glance, maybe the Adventurer was wrong?
The two men sit muttering in a corner, and will pay no
attention to the Adventurers, unless the Adventurers
pay attention to them. If one of the Adventurers insists
on staring at the newcomers, or goes over to engage
them in conversation, the one with the goat-eyes will
glare at the intruder, growl, “What you lookin’ at? Mind
your own farkin’ business!” and cast the spell For to Give a
Withering Look at Magnitude 1. The Adventurer so
struck must make a Resilience roll to avoid falling over,
and must also make a Sanity Check with a HR 0%/1D4.
The strangers will then attempt to leave the inn, pushing
past the Adventurers if necessary. If the Adventurers
are set on fighting the two, see “An Altercation”, below.
Otherwise go to “A Warning”.
If the Adventurers don’t bother the strangers, Bess will
eventually go over to take their orders, at which point a
scene will ensue.
You see Bess, the landlady, go over to the strangers in the
corner to take their orders. Suddenly she erupts. “Get out!
I’ve told you two once before, I don’t serve your sort in
‘ere!”
The two men stand up suddenly, and one of them glares at
the woman. “Shut your mitherin’, you stupid woman,” he
growls, and she falls to the ground, twitching. The two
men then make for the door.
Again, if the Adventurers are set on fighting the two, see
“An Altercation”, below. Otherwise go to “A Warning”.
A WARNING
The swarthy strangers turn in the doorway and look
around at you all. One of them points a finger at you.
“When the Lord of the Woods returns, you’ll treat us
differently, or not one stone of this place will be left
standing!” Before you can say anything in reply, they
turn and leave.
124
If the party follows the two out into the street, they will
have mysteriously disappeared. There’s nothing
magickal about this, they’ve just ducked up an alley that
isn’t apparent from the inn door, but by the time the
Adventurers figure this out, they’ll be long gone.
AN ALTERCATION
If the Adventurers attempt to attack the two
changelings, they will quickly find things getting
unpleasant. Although the two are armed only with
knives, they have some nasty Witchcraft spells, and the
ability to cast them at a high level. As soon as the
Adventurers show hostile intent, de Muncaster will cast
the spell For to Create a Phantasm at Magnitude 6, making
it appear that a Fair Folk (see p.39) has come through the
door from the kitchen. All players who see it must make
a Perception test at -20% to see if they disbelieve it; any
who fail think it is real and can be damaged by it. All
seeing it must make a Sanity Check – even if they don’t
believe it’s solid, it’s still a ghostly Fair Folk, and pretty
frightening.
Both de Muncaster and Ludly will engage in fighting if
necessary, but will cast For to Cause Great Fear or For to
Bring Down the Curse of the Moon on anyone with whom
they can make eye contact, and will do their best to
escape, using their For to Run Like Unto a Hare talismans
to hare off up the street with a Move of 45m!
If possible, they should both get away, as they will be
met again at the end of the adventure – but if the players
are too clever, don’t worry, as there many more of the
Thousand Young who can take their place.
In the event that the Adventurers manage to capture
one or more of the changelings, they will get nothing
coherent out of them, and the captives will do their best
to escape, using witchcraft until they are exhausted, and
then starting again when rested. If tested by a Witch
Finder, they both have undoubted features that could be
considered “witch marks” (de Muncaster has goat eyes,
Ludly has hooves) and they will be locked up, prior to
being sent to Carlisle (the county city of Cumberland)
for trial.
WILLIAM DE MUNCASTER
Changeling and Noble Vagabond
Profession: Noble Age: 35
Faction: Shub-Niggurath RP: 85
STR 12 CON 11 SIZ 11 INT 11 POW 9 DEX 13 CHA 12
DM 0 HP 11 MWL 6 MAG 11
Skills: Athletics 55%, Beliefs (Shub-Niggurath) 76%, Close
Combat 65% (Side Sword 1D8), Dodge 55%, Gun Combat

65% (Flintlock Pistol 1D6+2), Insight 40%, Lore (Cthulhu
Mythos) 35%, Perception 50%, Persistence 50%, Resilience
60%, Ride 45%, Unarmed Combat 55% (1D3+1D4),
Witchcraft 65%
Changeling feature: goat eyes
HR: 0%/1D4 (on seeing his eyes)
Spells: For to Call the Fair Folk, For to Call Shub-Niggurath,
For to Cause Great Fear, For to Contact Shub-Niggurath, For
to Create a Phantasm, For to Dismiss shub-Niggurath, For to
Fly Through the Air, For to Give a Withering Look, For to See
Visions in a Scrying Bowl
Witchcraft Items: A small talisman in the form of a
hare’s legbone, enchanted with the spell For to Run Like
Unto a Hare, Magnitude 6; a small talisman in the form
of a figurine of a Fair Folk, for use in the spell For to
Create a Phantasm
William de Muncaster is, despite his slovenly
appearance, the younger son of a noble family. At least,
that is what is believed; he is in fact one of the Thousand
Young of Shub-Niggurath. His mother, Lady Elaine de
Muncaster, swore an oath to the Lord of the Woods, in
return for the disposal of an inconvenient lover, and she
subsequently bore the dark god’s child. William has
been a twisted individual ever since he was an infant;
his penchant for torturing small animals, and later the
servants, led to him being cast out of the house by his
father. He is now dedicated to returning his true father
to the Earth.
The Whisperers in Furness
PRESTON LUDLY
Changeling and Townsman Vagabond
Changeling and Noble Vagabond
Profession: Vagabond Age: 31
Faction: Shub-Niggurath RP: 65
STR 9 CON 10 SIZ 11 INT 8 POW 9 DEX 13 CHA 6
DM 0 HP 10 MWL 5 MAG 7
Skills: Athletics 55%, Beliefs (Shub-Niggurath) 76%, Close
Combat 65% (Cudgel 1D6), Dodge 45%, Lore (Cthulhu
Mythos) 15%, Perception 50%, Persistence 50%, Resilience
60%, Ride 45%, Unarmed Combat 55% (1D3+1D4),
Witchcraft 40%
Changeling Feature: goat hooves (hidden in special
shoes)
HR: 0%/1D4 (on seeing his feet)
Spells: For to Bring Down the Curse of the Moon, For to Fly
Through the Air, For to Give a Withering Look
Witchcraft Item: A small talisman in the form of a hare’s
legbone, enchanted with the spell For to Run Like Unto a
Hare, Magnitude 6
Preston Ludly comes from a family of Witches who
have terrorised the district for hundreds of years. His
mother was hanged for witchcraft when he was nine,
and since then he has lived by his wits, running errands
for other Shub-Niggurath cultists. Although he has a
certain innate cunning, he looks up to de Muncaster and
has become, in effect, his servant. He constantly refers to
125
The Whisperers in Furness
his master as “milord,” despite being told not to on Can we dig up Nicholson’s body?: [Parsons goes a bit
frequent occasions. pale] “I reckon it wouldn’t be a bad idea to ‘ave a look. But I
wouldn’t let the vicar know. ‘E wouldn’t like you diggin’ in
JACK PARSONS ARRIVES ‘is consecrated ground, ‘e’d ‘ave you up for ‘eresy and
witchcraft soon as look at you. Best do it at night, if you’re
About 10 minutes after the changelings leave, Jack goin’ to. Leave me out of it, though – if anyone asks, I know
nothin’. Since I lost me job, me reputation’s all I’ve got left.”
Parsons, the smelter manager and friend of one or more
of the Adventurers, arrives. He will talk to the Who saw James die?: “Couldn’t rightly say. Someone up at
Adventurers about the events of the night of the fire, but Manesty Vein, I guess – but the whole place is shut down for
has little to add that was not in the letter he sent. He will the duration, an’ I know for a fact the mine foreman went off
answer questions as follows: to Manchester to join the Round’eads, and took most of ‘is
lads with ‘im. Wasn’t an open coffin – thought at the time it
About the riot: “Terrible night, that were. All the women
must be ‘cause ‘ee were mangled in the accident. ‘Is widow
chantin’ and wavin’ brands, then the fire startin’ – I feared for
might ‘ave seen ‘is body, but she left town an’ went back to ‘er
me little ones’ lives, I can tell you. Little Jamie an’ Matthew
parents somewhere up near Penrith.”
were cryin’ and the smoke were everywhere, an’ me an’ the
missus tryin’ to get out o’ there before the gunpowder stores How much are we getting paid?: [If any of the
went up... terrible.” Adventurers are Nobles, Jack will look surprised that
money is even mentioned, but will continue anyway]
About the Germans: “Well, we’ve never ‘ad any trouble
“Well, I went down to Kendal an’ talked to the bosses at the
with them in the past. Good, ‘ard workin’ lot. Come from
company offices there – they’ve authorised 4 shillings a day
Augsberg they did, originally, back in old Queen Bess’s day.
each, plus reasonable expenses. I can give you an advance of
Three generations of ‘em been workin’ for the company now.
12 shillings each, but you only get the rest if you actually find
Keep ‘emselves to ‘emselves on that island o’ theirs. It’s not
the missin’ miners. Can’t haggle on that – that’s what the
that they’re a secretive lot, more that the folk round ‘ere never
Company of Mines Royal say, and that’s all I’m allowed to
took to ‘em.”
give.”
About the missing miners: “Don’t know what to make o’
that. All the mines round ‘ere shut down at the start of the JACK PARSONS
war – a lot of the men (not the Dutchmen, of course) went off
to fight – mostly for the King, though not all. The company
kept the Dutchmen on a retainer, but I never ‘eard anythin’
about the mines re-openin’. I’d ‘ave known if there were new
ore bein’ dug. It would ‘ave to come ‘ere for smeltin’. It’s
copper they were minin’ – mostly from close by, but there’s
one group of mines down in Furness, ‘round Coniston way,
an’ the miners from the island used to ‘ave to go and stay there
if they were workin’ that mine – two weeks on, a few days off,
usually.”
Can we talk to the miners’ wives?: “Course you can!
You’ll ‘ave to get out to the island, of course. They don’t often
come ashore, an’ them that was arrested was sent to the jail in
Carlisle to await trial. I’d take care, they’re a feisty lot. You’ll
need to get ferried out to the island – there’s an old bloke lives
in a shack down near the shore, ‘e’ll take you. ‘E’s a bit
peculiar, but ‘is boat’s sound enough, an’ that’s the main
thing.”
About James Nicholson: [Parsons crosses himself in a
Catholic manner, then looks nervous] “Sorry, force of
habit, somethin’ my old mum used to do. Poor old James –
died in a rockfall at Manesty Vein, over Borrowdale way.
Buried ‘im in the churchyard ‘ere, then ‘ad a wake for ‘im in Profession: Clerk Age: 40
this very inn. But, the thing is...” [he looks round Faction: Self Interest (Family) RP: 55
nervously, then whispers] “... if we didn’t bury James, ‘oo
STR 10 CON 11 SIZ 11 INT 13 POW 11 DEX 11 CHA 11
did we bury? I ‘elped carry the coffin, and there were
summat ‘eavy in it.” DM 0 HP 11 MWL 6 AP 0/0

126

Skills: Commerce 40%, Dodge 50%, Influence 45%, Lore
(Bureaucracy) 60%, Lore (Logistics) 60%, Lore (Mining) 50%,
Lore (Regional) 82%,Persistence 40%, Resilience 40%,
Unarmed Combat 35% (1D3)
Jack has lived in Keswick all his life, working his way up
from lowly tea-boy to administrator of the smelting
works – a livelihood which is now gone. He is plainly
dressed, although the quality of his clothing shows that
he is reasonably well-off. He has a short, greying beard
and a slightly worried expression. Although he is trying
to maintain an air of confidence, the fire at the smelters
and the loss of his job has severely shaken him, as he
knows he cannot live on his wife’s parents’ charity
forever, and fears he will have difficulty in finding
another job locally in these troubled times. He is also
spooked to hear that his dead colleague, James
Nicholson, might still be walking the earth. Although he
will give the Adventurers any information he can, he
will not join them in their investigations; he will claim
that this is because he does not want to prejudice
witnesses against him, but a successful Insight roll will
reveal that he is scared.
WHAT NEXT?
The Adventurers have two leads to follow – the German
miner’s colony on Vicar’s Isle (“On the Island” p.127), or
the grave of James Nicholson (“The Grave”, p.131).
They may choose not to follow up on the second lead
(depending on how keen they are on grave-robbing!).
Either way, once these two investigations are out of the
way (and any others the players come up with), move
onto “Among the Monoliths”, p.133.
THE MYSTERIOUS JAMES NICHOLSON
The truth is that James Nicholson did die in a mining
accident, but his body was stolen by Fair Folk. The brain
was removed from the corpse and replaced with the
living brain of one of the Fair Folk. The Fair Folk knew
that there were no Germans at the Manesty Vein mine
at the time of Nicholson’s death, and that the Germans
keep to themselves, and would therefore not know of
the funeral. The alien/human construct, pretending to
be the company’s representative, approached the
miners with offers of more work in the Coniston mines,
and lured them away from the island. Nicholson’s body
was replaced in the coffin by that of the headless Fair
Folk, whose brain now inhabits Nicholson’s skull.
The Whisperers in Furness
On the Island
The Adventurers will probably want to visit Vicar’s Isle,
in Derwentwater, and visit the miners’ wives at some
point, probably the day after their arrival in Keswick,
and maybe the night after digging up the grave of James
Nicholson. It is a fifteen minute walk from the town
down to the edge of the lake.
Derwentwater is a sinister sight – a long dark lake
stretching off into the distance southwards, surrounded by
rugged blue-grey mountain peaks, and with a scattering
of forested islands in the foreground. A rowing boat is
drawn up on the shingly shore nearby, near a ramshackle
hut, outside of which is an old man with a long white
beard, mending a fishing net.
THE FERRYMAN
The old man with the long white beard is Bill Skiddaw
(known locally as Old Bill Skiddaw, see below). When
the Adventurers ask him to take them over to the island,
he will begin mumbling:
“Over there? Arr... rumununum, yarbidy Dutchmen.
Yarbidy funny lot. Ina boat. Twopence. Each, atis.
Masters’ll want to know. Ah tell ‘em.”
Bill is asking for two pennies each for ferrying the
Adventurers to the island. Once they’ve paid up, he will
happily row them to the island. He will ply them with
mostly incomprehensible questions along the way, and
might answer a few too.
“Not frum round ‘ere, are ye? Rumununum over
t’mountains, what ye doin’ ‘ere? Masters’ll want to
know.”
In reply to questions, Bill will answer:
About the Germans: “Arr, Dutchmen. Yarbidy miners, lot
of ‘em. Gone now. Masters took ‘em. Over them ‘ills an’ far
away.” [He waves in a vaguely southerly direction.]
“Poor buggers.”
About the “Masters”: “Masters. Buzzy bodies.
Whisperers... in Furness.” [He waves in a vaguely
southerly direction.] “Ya, ya, shrub nonsense. Beware!
Beware the Black Goat! Yarbidy rumunununum! ...lousy
beer.”
It takes about five minutes to get to the island. The boat
pulls up next to a rickety wooden landing stage, where
a muddy path leads off into the trees. If the Adventurers
don’t give Old Bill specific instructions to wait for them,
he will begin rowing back immediately and they will
127
The Whisperers in Furness
have to spend a good deal of time later trying to attract
his attention to get back to the mainland.
BILL SKIDDAW
Profession: Boatman Age: 65
Faction: Self-Interest (Serve RP: 90
Fair Folk)
STR 13 CON 11 SIZ 11 INT 11 POW 10 DEX 12 CHA 10
DM 0 HP 11 MWL 6 AP 0/0
Skills: Boating 80%, Lore (Cthulhu Mythos) 20%, Lore
(Occult) 50%, Lore (Regional) 90%, Perception 60%,
Persistence 50%, Resilience 52%, Unarmed Combat 45% (1D3)
Old Bill Skiddaw is a peculiar man. With his sun-
darkened skin, straggly white beard and piercing blue
eyes, its possible the Adventurers might mistake him for
a changeling. He isn’t, but he does work for the Fair Folk,
and this has had its effect on his sanity over the years.
Seventeen years ago he stumbled upon a Fair Folk ritual
at an old stone circle, while poaching in the hills. The
Fair Folk captured him, and only let him go once he
promised to be a spy for them. He, terrified of the alien
creatures, agreed. As the main ferryman, who gets
people to and from Vicar’s Isle, he has been spying on
the activities of the German miners for years. He meets
with his alien masters up in the hills once a week to pass
on any information. He will often mumble things that
seem on the verge of revealing vast secrets about the
universe, but rarely make complete sense. Skiddaw has
an almost impenetrable Cumberland accent; most non-
locals will probably only understand one word in three,
128
the rest of which will probably sound like
incomprehensible mumbling.
THE ISLAND
Read or paraphrase the following:
The muddy path from the landing stage leads between the
trees to a clearing surrounded by a cluster of small wooden
shacks. A few chickens scratch about in the dirt and
grubby children chase each other. When they see you, the
children stop their playing, and with cries of “Achtung!
Achtung!” run for the safety of the houses. Soon, women
begin appearing from the houses. All are between the ages
of about 15 and 30, clad in shabby home-spun dresses,
and have an air of sadness and worry about them. Most
carry weapons of some kind – a rusty sword, a pitchfork,
a meat cleaver. They huddle together in the centre of the
clearing, behind a tall, thin woman with a long tangle of
brown hair, who holds a musket trained on you. She raises
her chin and looks at you challengingly. “Vhat you vant?”
PERSUADING THE WIVES TO TALK
The leader of the German miners’ wives (the one with
the musket) is Katrina Hoffmann, a woman in her late
twenties, and the mother of two young children. Since
the women’s husbands disappeared, Katrina has rallied
them, and she was instrumental in leading the attack on
the smelters.
The women’s lack of contact with the locals means that
they have very little idea of what is happening in the
outside world – they vaguely know that there is a civil
war taking place, but don’t really know the issues
involved. Their lives revolve around their families and
their tiny island community, and the disappearance of
their husbands is by far the most important event in
their lives. At the moment, they trust no-one, and the
Adventurers will have to gain at least a modicum of
trust before the women will open up and talk about
what has happened. A good beginning to the first
meeting is essential if the party is to get any information
out of the Germans. The Games Master should ask for
an opposed test of either Influence or Oratory against
Katrina’s Righteousness in Self Interest (Protection of
Family), with suitable modifiers based on the player’s
role-playing and how they try to win the women over.
If Katrina can be won over, the rest of the women will
bow to her judgment. If one Adventurer fails to
persuade her, another may have ago, but with a -10%
penalty. On a critical failure, Katrina will fire her
musket at the speaker, and the women will move in to
attack. There are 43 women in total – use the statistics on
p.130.

Some bonuses and penalties to the Influence/Oratory
roll are listed below – allow the player making the
speech to say a few sentences, then make the roll, and
see what Katrina thinks of it. Bonus and penalties are
cumulative:
Bonuses of +10% for each of these situations:
Ÿ The Adventurer speaking is a woman.
Ÿ The speaker expresses sympathy for the loss of their
husbands.
Ÿ The speaker says he/she is investigating the
disappearance of their husbands.
Penalties of -10% for each of:
Ÿ The speaker says they are working on behalf of the
mining company and/or Jack Parsons.
Ÿ The speaker shows prejudice against Germans.
Ÿ The speaker shows prejudice against women.
If the Adventurers find themselves in a fight with the
women, it could get unpleasant. There are a lot of
women, but they’re not very good fighters and it’s likely
to turn into a massacre if the Adventurers fight back in
The Whisperers in Furness
any meaningful way. The women’s intent is just to chase
the Adventurers off the island – they will chase them to
the edge of the trees by the landing stage, then hurl
abuse (mostly in German). But if any of the women are
killed, they will not stop, but will keep attacking with no
thought for their own lives. In the event of such a
massacre, the Adventurers will need to make a Sanity
Check with HR: -20%/D8 once they realise what they’ve
done.
If the Adventurers fail to communicate meaningfully
with the women, they will find out nothing from them
– the adventure should move on either to “The Grave”
(p.131), if the players want to investigate James
Nicholson’s grave, or to “Among the Monoliths”
(p.133), if the Adventurers have run out of significant
other leads in Keswick.
Hopefully though, the Adventurers will manage to
persuade the women that they mean no harm, in which
case, move on to “The Tale of James Nicholson”, (p.130).
129
The Whisperers in Furness
THE TALE OF JAMES NICHOLSON
Assuming the Adventurers persuade the women to talk
to them, Katrina will take them back to her shack.
Despite its primitive construction, the one-room interior
is neat and tidy, with a small wood-stove, two neatly-
made beds and a small kitchen. Two slightly muddy
children, of about four and seven, run to hide behind
their mother’s skirt when the Adventurers arrive. The
Adventurers are invited to sit on the beds, while Katrina
makes a pot of coffee (luxury!), which she pours into
simple earthernware cups and gives to the Adventurers
before sitting cross-legged on the floor with her children
about her.
“Zo. You vill be vanting to know about our hussbants,
unt how zey came to disappear. It iss all becauss of James
Nicholson. He iss ze representative of ze Company of
Mines Royal...”
It’s possible that the Adventurers may interrupt her at
this point to tell her that he is dead, in which case she
will reply “Ah, zo. I susspected as much. Neffertheless, he
still valks ze Earth.
KATRINA HOFFMANN
“Nicholson came to us, three months ago, it vas. Our
Katrina is a determined woman. Despite having two hussbants had had no vork for a long time, since your
small children to look after, she has become a driving senseless var broke out. Ze company looked after uss,
force among the miners’ wives, determined to get her alzough ve vere fery short off food. I suppose ve shoult be
husband back from whoever has taken them. Unlike sankful zat zey looked after us at all, ven zey could haff left
many of the women on the island, she is not scared of us to starf.
the “foreigners” who surround their little German
Nicholson vas a changed man. He looked – ill, to say ze
enclave. Naturally vivacious, she can be charming, but
least. Ze flesh off his face vas pale unt vaxy, unt vhen he
does not suffer fools gladly. spoke, it vas in a vissper. Ve could see a scar at hiss throat,
Profession: Agitator Age: 28 below hiss... how you say? ...Adam’s apfel. He said zat he
had been in an accident, zat hiss neck had been badly
Faction: Self Interest (Family) RP: 80
injured, unt he had suffered from loss off memory. Ve vere
STR 14 CON 13 SIZ 12 INT 12 POW 13 DEX 13 CHA 13 sympathetic, becauss he had been gut to us in ze past. But
zere vas somesing - unnatürlich – about him. He moved
DM +1D4 HP 13 MWL 7 AP 0/0
clumsily, as zhough he vas unsure off how to use his limbs,
Skills: Athletics 50%, Close Combat 50% (Dagger and ze olt jovial fellow – ze olt James, who used to like to
1D4+1+1D4), Dodge 50%, Gun Combat 50% (Flintlock drink a beer mit our hussbants and sink our German folk
Musket 2D8+1), Insight 50%, Perception 50%, Persistence songs, fery badly – vas gone. Zis new James vas so...
60%, Resilience 55%, Unarmed Combat 29% (1D3+1D4) serious. I remember my hussbant, Hans, made a joke mit
him, but James just stared, as iff he didn’t understant,
GERMAN WIVES almost as iff... ja... almost as iff some alien creature, some
demonic spirit or elemental, looked out from behint his
STR 10 CON 9 SIZ 10 INT 9 POW 9 DEX 10 CHA 10
eyes. Unglaublich.
DM 0 HP 10 MWL 5 AP 0/0
He said zat zere vas vork for our hussbants. Ze company
Skills: Close Combat 35% (Club 1D6 or Dagger 1D4+1), vas re-openink ze Coniston copper mines, unt our
Dodge 36%, Persistence 38%, Resilience 29%, Survival 50%, hussbants vould haff to go avay for a vile. Zis vas normal,
Unarmed Combat 25% (1D3) off course – it iss over tventy miles from here to Coniston,
and ze miners usually stay up zere for two veeks, zen come
home for a few days before returnink. Ve sought zat vas all
it vas, zat zey vould be back soon – but ze veeks turnt into
months unt zey did not return. Ve dit not know vat to do

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 The Whisperers in Furness
– ve hat no contact mit osser representatives of ze mining
company. Ve wrote letters to our hussbands, unt gave zem
to Olt Bill, ze ferryman, to delifer to ze post, but ve neffer
had any reply. I wrote to ze company headquarters, in
Kendal, but zey ignored my letter – or it did not arrive.
Finally, at our vits’ end, ve vent to ze smeltink vorks.
Vhen ze watchman zheresaid zat he dit not know vere our
hussbants vere, unt zat James Nicholson vas long in ze
grafe, I zink ve all vent a little crazy. Ve did not set out to
burn down ze smelters – but ve haff had nosink to do for
three months but sit on our island, unt look after our
kinder, unt vorry. Can you help us?”
Katrina can provide no more information than the
above. If the Adventurers agree to help – since they’re
already committed to looking for the missing miners,
this shouldn’t be difficult – she will be very grateful. She
regrets that she can offer no reward for this service. If
the Adventurers admit that they are working on behalf
of the Company she will be wary, but hopefully will
trust them enough by this stage to believe them when
they say that the mining company doesn’t know
REVEREND CHARLES RILESWORTH
anything about the whereabouts of the miners either.
Profession: Preacher Age: 35
The Adventurers now know that the miners were taken Faction: Paranoia RP: 40
to the Coniston copper mines, so should be ready to
head in that direction – a two day journey on the poor STR 11 CON 11 SIZ 11 INT 12 POW 13 DEX 11 CHA 11
roads of the area. (If they haven’t already checked out DM 0 HP 11 MWL 6 AP 0/0
James Nicholson’s grave and want to, run “The Grave”,
Skills: Beliefs (Presbyterian) 60%, Dodge 35%, Gun Combat
below). But before they get the chance to set off on the
22% (Pistol 1D6+2), Lore (Theology) 65%, Persistence 60%,
journey south, another incident takes place – see
Resilience 40%, Unarmed Combat 24% (1D3)
“Among the Monoliths”, p.133.
The Reverend Charles Rilesworth is not a sane man.

The Grave Always a passionate Presbyterian preacher, his sanity

James Nicholson’s grave lies in the churchyard of the
Church of St Kentigern, on the northern edge of the
town. If the Adventurers have spoken to Jack Parsons
about the possibility of checking out the grave, he will
likely have warned them against asking the vicar for
permission; if not, they may decide to do so before going
further.
The church is a sturdy building with a small square
tower, about a hundred years old, with an extensive
graveyard around it. If the Adventurers visit during the
day, they will be able to find James Nicholson’s grave in
the graveyard, after a few minutes searching. If they
first come at night, see p.132.
has been tipped over the edge by a group of ghouls who
regularly dig up the graveyard at night, seeking the
fresh bodies from recent funerals. Having witnessed
one too many of these events, his mind has snapped,
and he has become convinced that the ghouls are
actually Catholics, and that all Catholics rob graves and
use human flesh and blood in the ritual of Mass. He has
taken to sleeping in his church at night, armed with a
brace of pistols, ready to fight off any “Catholics” who
enter the graveyard. When not reminded of his
obsession, he is perfectly rational, and his services are
still well-attended, but no-one believes the tales of
grave-robbing Catholics, putting the disturbed graves
down to wolves, which have been a problem for local
sheep-farmers recently.
Rilesworth is the third son of a member of the Gentry.
He went into the ministry as a career move but found
his calling saving the souls of the rough and sinful
miners of his parish. His Presbyterian beliefs have not
gone down well with the more Laudian upper ranks of
the church in the area, and he has never been promoted

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The Whisperers in Furness
ADVENTURE SEED: SAM’S SPADES
This little side-jaunt has nothing to do with the main
adventure but might form an amusing interlude
from the horror:
It is unlikely that the Adventurers will have brought
spades or shovels with them, and if they’re planning
to dig up Nicholson’s grave, they’ll need some. A
trip to Samuel Perkins’ ironmongers will be in order.
There they will find a fine collection of spades,
shovels, mattocks, picks and the like – many of them
curiously smoke-blackened. Perkins actually looted
them from the ruins of the smelting works. If any of
the Adventurers challenge him on this, he will look
shifty and be unable to come up with a reasonable
explanation. If they press him, he will dash out of
the back of the shop and off down the street, where
he will attempt to seek “sanctuary” in the church. A
comic scene may ensue, in which Sam confesses his
sins, the Reverend Rilesworth (see p.131) becomes
suspicious of the Adventurers’ need for spades and
accuses them of being Catholic graverobbers and
heretics, and there is much confusion and
misunderstanding. If you need statistics for Samuel
Perkins, use those for a Merchant in the Clockwork &
Chivalry Core Rulebook, p.345.
from vicar of the small, poor parish. Apart from his
mental problems, he is a civilised, well-read man, fiery
in the pulpit, but caring and compassionate to his flock.
ASKING PERMISSION
During the day the Reverend Rilesworth will be
pottering about in the church and will welcome the
Adventurers warmly. He is happy to see strangers,
particularly if any are high-born, and will be most
effusive – up until the point where he finds out that they
want to dig up a grave, at which point he will begin
raving at them, calling them Catholics, and accusing
them of being cannibals (see Rilesworth’s description,
p.131). If the Adventurers try to reason or argue with
him, he will pull out two flintlock pistols from beneath
his robes and begin waving them about wildly. An
Adventurer may try to calm him down by making an
opposed test against the Reverend’s Righteousness with
either their Influence skill, or Righteousness in
Presbyterian belief. If this is a failure, and the
Adventurers don’t withdraw from his church, he will
shoot at someone, though his Gun Combat skill is
132
mercifully low, so he probably won’t hit! Even if they do
calm him down, he won’t give permission for the grave
to be exhumed – they may convince him that they are
not Catholics, but they won’t persuade him that
Catholics are not grave-robbing ritual cannibals.
GRAVEDIGGING
If the Adventurers decide to go grave-digging at night,
they face two threats – the mad vicar (assuming he
hasn’t in some way been “neutralised” in “Asking
Permission”, above) and a group of ghouls who will be
attracted by the grave-digging activity and the prospect
of easy dead meat.
The Adventurers will, of course, need lanterns and
spades. Finding Nicholson’s grave in the dark (if they
haven’t already located it in daylight) will require five
minutes searching and a successful Perception roll.
During this time, Stealth rolls may be necessary to avoid
attracting the attention of the vicar, who is likely hiding
in the church porch, armed with two flintlock pistols.
On a failed roll, the Reverend Rilesworth will come
rushing out of the church and fire at the Adventurers –
if the Adventurers fail to make a Perception roll to spot
him, he will get one free shot at one of the Adventurers
before they spot him; otherwise combat rounds work as
normal. Once the Reverend has discharged both guns,
he will use them as clubs, beating his opponents over
the head while screaming “Damned cannibal Catholics!
Curse ye to hell, the lot of ye!”
Once the vicar has been subdued the Adventurers can
get on with the business of digging the grave. (If the
vicar escapes he will attempt to tell people in the town
what he has seen. He will knock on the doors and
scream about graverobbers, but this is a regular
occurrence, and the locals will just mutter about “that
damned mad vicar” and go back to sleep).
If the vicar hasn’t been alerted by the party wandering
round looking for the grave, he will certainly be alerted
by the sound of digging. And so will a group of ghouls,
who have crept in from a small wood just beyond the
graveyard. There are a number of ghouls equal to the
number of Adventurers -2. See the rulebook for details
of ghouls, and remember that in Clockwork & Cthulhu
seeing ghouls for the first time requires a HR -
20%/1D10 Sanity Check. If the vicar is still there, he will
see the Adventurers and the ghouls as being on the
same side (they’re all cannibal Catholic grave-robbers as
far as he’s concerned), and he will attack both
indiscriminately. Once one ghoul is killed, the others
will attempt to grab its body (for later eating) and retreat
from the fight.

Once the ghouls and the vicar have been dealt with, it’s
time to find out what’s in the grave. It takes about an
hour of digging to get down to the coffin – only one
person can fit in the hole at one time (more diggers just
results in the Adventurers getting in each others’ way).
Eventually, there will be a hollow boom as the digger’s
spade hits wood, and the coffin will be found.
AN UNPLEASANT DISCOVERY
Once the lid has been removed from the coffin, the
Adventurers make a ghastly discovery:
As you pull off the lid, a horrendous stench rises from the
coffin. Inside is nothing human. The thing has a pink
bloated body with far too many legs, and huge bat-like
wings, wrapped about it like a cloak. Where its head
should be is the stump of a neck, sliced off in a surgically
precise fashion. [If the Adventurers saw the illusion in
the King’s Arms earlier, add the sentence: It resembles
the creature you saw in the King’s Arms.] As the air hits
the body it melts away before your eyes, leaving nothing
but a small pink stain on the bottom of the coffin.
Everyone must make a HR -20%/1D10 Sanity Check.
What the Adventurers do next is up to them. The
evidence of a Fair Folk body in the coffin has vanished,
and it’s unlikely that most people will believe them.
Among the
Monoliths
Sometime after the events of “On the Island” and “The
Grave”, but before the Adventurers set off for Coniston,
the following event will take place. Ideally, it will
happen at night, but if this cannot be managed due to
the plans of the party, in can happen during the day,
although the description of the site of the incident will
have to be amended accordingly.
A SURPRISING MESSAGE
A young man approaches the Adventurers with a
message, which he says Jack Parsons asked him to
deliver. He hands over the letter and leaves, although if
the party wishes to question him, he will say that he is
Jack’s brother-in-law, Peter Biggins, and that the letter
was given to him ten minutes ago.
The note reads as follows:
The Whisperers in Furness
Have seen James Nicholson! Leaving town on the
Penrith Roade. Not carrying any baggage, so don’t
think he’s travellinge far. Will try to keepe him in
sight, catch up withe me if you can,
Jack
If the party acts on the note, they may need to ask
directions as to where the Penrith road is. This is, in fact,
the main road (i.e. wide muddy track) leading out of
town to the east. The road climbs up out of the Derwent
valley into the hills, with open moorland on either side,
where hardy sheep graze. About 1km out of town the
party comes across Jack Parsons, by a lone tree next to a
road junction; if it is daylight, he will wave to them, if
it’s night he will open the shutter of a lantern to show
his whereabouts and call out softly.
Read or paraphrase the following:
Jack looks a little shaken and very pleased to see you.
“Thank the Lord you’ve come! I saw ‘im – I’ll swear it was
James. I saw ‘im walkin’ through the town square, ‘is face
were as stiff as a wax doll. Put the fear of God into me, I’ll
tell you. I didn’t dare speak to ‘im – I followed him at a
distance; ‘e didn’t look back once, but walked up this hill.
He’s taken that lane, but there’s nothing up that way but
fields and moors. Except... there’s an old stone circle up
there. Some say as Druids built it, some say it’s a witches’
sabbat that were turned to stone... an’ some say it were put
there by the Fair Folk.”
The tiny rutted track Jack is pointing to leads between
dry stone walls southeastward from the main road. The
lane goes over a steep rise, so the stone circle isn’t visible
from where the Adventurers stand; nor, of course, is
Nicholson. Jack urges the party to hurry – if James is at
the stone circle, they need to see what he’s doing, and if
he’s gone on, they need to catch up.
CASTLERIGG
Castlerigg is a circle of standing stones on a flat area of
ground surrounded by a vista of distant mountain
peaks. It consists of thirty-eight irregular stones in a
circle 30 metres in diameter, with a smaller circle of ten
stones inside it. The tallest stone is 2.3 metres tall,
though most are around 1.5 metres or less.
As the Adventurers come over the rise (possibly
keeping low if they don’t want to risk being spotted),
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The Whisperers in Furness
they will see the stone circle about 50 metres away (by
the intermittent light of an almost full moon, if at
nighttime). In the centre of the circle, they can see James
Nicholson doing some sort of strange, unnatural dance.
It is a weird, almost insectile, twitching. His mouth is
open and a strange, buzzing sound comes forth, like the
throbbing flutter of a large moth. Anyone who makes a
successful Perception roll must make an immediate
sanity check (HR 0%/1D4) as they realise that his limbs
are bending in directions impossible for a normal
human.
Knowing Adventurers, someone may decide to shoot
him at this point – whatever the party’s response to
what they see, the next event will happen whether
Nicholson is alive or dead.
ATTACK FROM THE SKY
The Fair Folk brain within Nicholson’s body has been
performing a ritual to summon its Fair Folk
compatriots. The stone circle was built by the Fair Folk
in ages long gone, and serves to amplify the brain waves
of the alien creatures, for communication purposes,
134
when the right ritual is performed (see the spell For the
Summoning of the Fair Folk, p.23). Out of the sky, from a
southerly direction, in answer to Nicholson’s summons,
come eight Fair Folk. The Adventurers get to make
Perception rolls to hear the buzzing of their wings, and
another to see them as they approach (with a -20%
penalty due to partial darkness, if it is a moonlit night
rather than daytime). The creatures do not want their
presence known and will immediately move to attack
the Adventurers. The party will have one combat round
to make ranged attacks before the creatures are upon
them – but they must first make the usual Sanity Check
required when seeing Fair Folk. The creatures will fight
until only two of their number are left, at which point
the survivors will flee southwards if possible. Use the
guidelines in the rulebook bestiary for major wounds
inflicted on the Fair Folk – a Fair Folk taking a major
wound will lose the ability to fly.
These Fair Folk are all fanatical Shub-Niggurath cultists,
who would rather die than be captured alive. They all
have implanted inside themselves a small explosive
device, and if threatened with capture, will call out “Ia!
Ia! Shub-Niggurath!” and explode, doing 3D6 damage to

anyone within 2m and showering everyone with slimy
alien flesh (Sanity Check, HR 0%/1D4).
“JAMES NICHOLSON”
Fair Folk Puppet Thing
STR 7 CON 6 SIZ 10 INT 17 POW 15 DEX 6 CHA 4
DM 0 HP 8 MWL 4 AP 0/0
Skills: Close Combat 30%, Dodge 40%, Lore (Cthulhu
Mythos) 80%, Perception 30%, Persistence 45%, Resilience
50%, Unarmed 30% (1D3)
This is not James Nicholson, but the body of James
Nicholson into which the brain of one of the Fair Folk
has been transplanted. The brain has imperfect control
of the human body’s nerves, making its actions appear
uncoordinated. On top of that, the body is slowly
transforming into the strange extra-terrene stuff of the
Fair Folk, allowing the joints to bend in unnatural
directions. Its face is strangely stiff, like a waxwork, only
the mouth and eyes moving, showing no expression at
all. If the party examines it, they will find a scar running
right round the neck where the head has been removed
and reattached (worth a HR 0%/1D4Sanity Check).
If “Nicholson” is killed, the skull will split open and the
writhing antennae of a Fair Folk will burst forth, waving
like the tentacles of a sea-anemone and changing
colours rapidly before turning to a greyish-pink and
drooping in death. (Sanity Check, HR 0%/1D4). The
body will evaporate in 1D3 hours, leaving nothing but a
pink slimy stain.
If “Nicholson” is captured alive, he is equipped with the
same explosive implant as the Fair Folk (see above) and
will explode in the same fashion. When his body
evaporates, this will evaporate too.
AFTERMATH
The main thing that the Adventurers will get out of this
encounter is the knowledge than James Nicholson was
in league with the Fair Folk, and that it is probable that
they have taken the miners off to Coniston. The stage is
set for a journey to the source of the troubles.
The Whisperers in Furness
A Journey
The Adventurers should know by now that:
Ÿ The miners were lured away from the island to the
Coniston Copper Mines by James Nicholson.
Ÿ James Nicholson was actually a Fair Folk agent, so
it is these creatures who have actually taken the
miners.
Ÿ There are strange people in the area called
changelings, who are reputed to have some
connection with the Fair Folk.
During the journey from Keswick to Coniston, the
Adventurers will encounter a pack of wolves, have
disturbing dreams that come true, and hear more about
the sinister changelings.
THE ROAD SOUTH
The road south from Coniston, while one of the better
highways in the area, is still very poor. The Adventurers
are unlikely to make more than about 10km per day
(less if the weather is bad). Parsons suggests that for the
first day, the party should try to make for the village of
Wythburn at the south end of Wythburn Water, where
there is an inn. The second part of their journey can
either be made in two short days, with a stop at an inn
in Grasmere, or in one long day, pushing on all the way
to the village of Coniston. The party will travel a little
faster on horseback than on foot, but not a great deal,
and if they have a cart (e.g., if one of the party is an
Alchemist with a portable laboratory), they will
probably need five or six days to make the journey. (The
Games Master may wish to move the grand finale of the
adventure forward a few days if the party has a cart,
otherwise they will have no chance of preventing the
summoning of Shub-Niggurath and there won’t be
much of an adventure!)
The road winds through valley bottoms, or alongside
lakes, with mountainous country rising on either side.
Scattered farms dot the route, but they are few and far
between, and usually quite a way off the main road.
There are tiny hamlets (just a scattering of cottages close
to a small manor house) at the north end of Lethes
Water and the south end of Wythburn Water. Larger
settlements are marked on the map on p.136, though
none have populations larger than about 500. Games
Masters wishing to enliven the journey beyond the
events listed below can use the Encounter Tables in
Clockwork & Chivalry Core Rulebook pp.347-60.
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The Whisperers in Furness

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 The Whisperers in Furness
Along the way there are two fixed events. “Dreams of
The table below shows the activities of the group of
the Black Goat” takes place in the inn at Wythburn, and
changelings who are moving ahead of Adventurers,
“Grasmere” in the village of Grasmere. The third event,
and the likely position of the Adventurers
“The Company of Wolves” can take place at any point
themselves. If the party moves faster or slower than
in the journey that the Games Master sees fit – but it is
described here, adjust the table accordingly.
primarily a combat encounter (with a touch of horror),
and can be left out if the Games Master feels it is
superfluous to requirements. If your players are the sort Time Activity
who would be reluctant to stay at such a sinister inn as
Day 1 - morning Changelings leave the
the Black Goat (p.138), running “The Company of
Black Goat, Wythburn
Wolves” beforehand might make them more keen to
have stone walls between them and the beasts of the Adventurers leave Keswick
night. Day 1 - noon Changelings pass through
Grasmere
THE COMPANY OF WOLVES Day 1 - evening Changelings stay in
Coniston
This encounter can take place anywhere on the road Adventurers arrive at the
from Keswick to Coniston, as long as it is not too close Black Goat, Wythburn
to any settlements. If the Adventurers stay outdoors Day 2 - morning Changelings leave
overnight, rather than staying at an inn, it will happen Coniston
during the hours of darkness – otherwise it will happen Adventurers leave the Black
during the day, while the road is traversing a Goat, Wythburn
particularly dark pine forest. Day 2 - afternoon Changelings pass through
As the party is travelling (probably through poor Torver and head up into
weather!), they become aware (on a Perception roll) that the hills
sinister shapes are shadowing them in the trees on Adventurers pass through
either side. They are being followed by a pack of hungry Grassmere
wolves. There are a number of wolves equal to the Day 2 - evening Changelings arrive at
number of Adventurers +2, led by a horrific mutated Goats Water and begin to
creature. Whether this lead wolf has been affected by set up protective tornado
alchemical pollution or is some creation of the Fair Folk Adventurers arrive in
the Adventurers may never know – though the Games Coniston
Master could possibly create a sub-plot to explain its Day 3 - all day Changelings prepare for
presence; perhaps there is a mad Alchemist living in the ceremony
woods, in the manner of an evil sorcerer, performing
Adventurers visit copper
strange experiments on the local wildlife.
mines
The wolves will await an opportunity to pick off a Day 3 - midnight Ceremony to summon
straggler, or wait until the group stops for a rest. But Shub-Niggurath
they are sufficiently hungry that if such an opportunity
does not arrive, they will attack anyway – they will all
aim to attack the weakest-looking member of the party Skills: Athletics 30%, Dodge 40%, Perception 60%, Resilience
(the Adventurer with lowest SIZ). 55%, Stealth 25%, Survival 60%, Track 30%

For the normal wolves, use the average statistics of a
wolf, but the mutant wolf has the following statistics:
MUTANT WOLF
STR 18 CON 21 SIZ 15 INT 5 POW 18 DEX 21 CHA 5
HP 18 MWL 9 DAM +1D6
HR: 0%(-20%)/1D4(1D6) (see below)
Tentacles 70% (see below), Claw 50% (1D4+1D6)
The mutant wolf opens its mouth wide and a mass of
writhing tentacles shoot out to a length of 2 metres,
attempting to grapple the intended victim. Anyone
seeing this must make a Sanity Test or take 1D4 mental
damage; the person actually grappled (assuming the
attack succeeds) must make a Sanity Test with a -20%
penalty or take 1D6 mental damage, as they see the
horrific rings of teeth in the lamprey-like mouth at the
centre of the tentacles. If the grapple is successful, the
victim will take 1D4 damage from the tentacles, and on
the next round will be dragged toward the mouth, and

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The Whisperers in Furness
take 1D6+2 damage from the teeth. If a character
chooses to make a targeted attack against the wolf’s
tentacles, each 3 points of damage done will sever one
tentacle, and decrease the wolf’s Tentacles skill by -10%.
DREAMS AT THE BLACK
GOAT
It will probably be dusk as the Adventurers arrive at the
Black Goat Inn – a shabby, down-at-heel looking place
set among a huddle of cottages, on a slight rise
overlooking the southern end of Wythburn Water.
When the Adventurers first spot the village in the
distance they will see welcoming lights shining out
through the evening gloom, but as they get close
enough for the villagers to hear their voices and
footfalls, the lights will go out and shutters will be
closed over all the windows.
The inn is a low, stone-built building with a grey slate
roof; once its walls were whitewashed, but the paint has
peeled and bubbled with age, and the whole place looks
shabby and unloved. The inn sign swings forlornly in a
cold breeze off the lake, creaking slightly – it shows the face
of a strange black creature with the curling horns and
slit-pupiled eyes of a goat, but with a muzzle too short to
be an animal and too long to be a human; in the
background is a vast dark forest. The inn is dark, its
shutters closed – but there are chinks of light coming
through the upstairs shutters showing that someone is at
home. As you stand at the door, a curtain of cold rain
blows in from the lake, and the sound of wolves howling
can be heard on the night air.
When the Adventurers first knock on the inn door, the
landlord pretends he hasn’t heard them. On a second
knock, the shutters in the window above the door are
flung open and a thin, stubble-faced man leans out,
holding a donderbus which he points at the party. He is
obviously surprised to see the Adventurers, as though
he were expecting someone else. “I don’t want any of your
sort round... who the hell are you?”
When the party explains their presence, he will put
down his gun and bring a lantern to the window. “Let
me see your eyes!” He will not explain himself, but will
insist that the Adventurers step into the light and look
up at him. He will then challenge them again – “Now say
the Lord’s Prayer – one at a time.” This should be no
trouble for anyone in the party who was brought up as
a Christian (which is likely to be everyone, even if they
don’t strictly believe). Have everyone make a Lore
(Regional) roll – they’ll get through the prayer unless
they fumble, in which case they will stumble, and the
138
landlord will accuse them of being “one of the thousand”
and refuse to allow them in the inn.
The truth is that for the last three nights the Black Goat
has been descended on by large groups of changelings,
heading south for some sort of gathering in the Coniston
area. (There is to be a great ritual at Goats Water to
summon Shub-Niggurath – see “Goats Water”, p.150 –
but the landlord doesn’t know that).
Once the Adventurers have persuaded the landlord that
they are not changelings, he will come downstairs and
unlock his inn.
There is a rattling of keys and sliding of bolts and the door
of the inn opens. The landlord peers out at you – his eyes
are red-rimmed with lack of sleep, his face unshaven, and
he seems extremely nervous. He lets you in, then bolts the
door again behind you. “Sorry for all that fuss – but I ‘ad
to be sure. Last three nights, it’s been ‘ell.” As you enter
the inn’s common room, a sight of devastation greets you
– the furniture lies smashed and broken, tankards and
pools of spilt beer cover the floor. The landlord shakes his
head. “Sorry about the mess – I’d have cleared up, but I’ve
been too tired – the dreams... the dreams keep coming...”
Abruptly, he seems to pull himself together. “I’ll get the
fire lit, you’ll be wanting to eat.”
BARTHOLEMEW BREWSTER
Profession: Pub Landlord Age: 33
Faction: Self Interest (Survival) RP: 40
STR 12 CON 13 SIZ 12 INT 12 POW 10 DEX 12 CHA 12
DM 0 HP 13 MWL 7 AP 0/0
Skills: Close Combat 60% (Cudgel 1D6), Commerce 50%,
Craft (Brewing) 60%, Craft (Cooking) 65%, Dodge 55%, Gun
Combat 60% (Donderbus 4D6), Persistence 55%, Resilience
50%, Unarmed 50% (1D3)
Brewster is a man at the end of his tether. He and his
wife moved here from Lancaster and took over the inn
five years ago, not realising the evil name and
reputation it had locally. Locals shun the place, and the
regular customers turned out to be the changelings, for
whom it is a central gathering point and meeting place
where they can plan their nefarious activities in the area.
Brewster’s wife, Ellie, died of a wasting disease two
years ago, after ordering a group of changelings out of
the inn. A few travellers (merchants and the like) have
stumbled across the place, but never visit more than
once. Now the landlord has started having terrible
dreams of drowning, and has had no sleep for the last
three nights.
 The Whisperers in Furness
THIRLMERE
There is some argument over the exact nature of the
two lakes, Wythburn Water and Lethes Water. They
could be considered one lake with a very narrow
middle (narrow enough to have a wooden bridge
over it), and some people insist on this and call the
whole body of water Thirlmere. Many locals
however, insist that the two sections are distinct
entities and give them names of their own. This will
all become academic in 1889, when the city council
of Manchester (160km away) buys the whole area,
builds a dam at the north end of the valley, and
turns the whole place into one huge reservoir –
called Thirlmere. The village of Wythburn will be
completely submerged, apart from the tiny church.
From such things are dreams made...

THE THOUSAND YOUNG
Brewster is alone in the inn and therefore can’t very well
tidy up the common room and cook the Adventurers a
meal at the same time. If the party offers to tidy up the
room, Brewster will be grateful for this sign of human
kindness and will visibly cheer up – the party’s meal,
when it arrives, will be a delicious mutton and vegetable
stew, seasoned to perfection. If the party just grumbles
about the mess, Brewster will be surly and
uncommunicative, and the meal will be a thin mutton
stew, full of stringy meat and globules of fat. He will get
a table together in one corner, banging the furniture
about irritably.
If in a good mood, the landlord will be happy and
willing to tell the Adventurers of the terrible events of
the last few days, and of his terrible dreams. Otherwise
he will be surly and uncommunicative, and will only
talk if offered money for his story – he will demand at
least 20 shillings.
Thousand Young.” Claim this demon of theirs... I won’t
say its name... is their father. Drove my poor Ellie to her
grave, they did – she wasted away before my eyes, after one
of them looked at her funny. Men an’ women both come in
‘ere – sinful the things they get up to, worse than Ranters,
I’ll tell you. I’d have left long ago, but all my money’s tied
up in this place, and who’d buy a cursed inn?
Anyway, these last three nights... I normally have three or
four of them evil folk in a few times a week, but three
nights ago they came in droves. Kept arriving in ones and
twos through the evening, till the place were packed with
‘em. And they kept comin’ – took up all me rooms, were
sleepin’ on the floors, even campin’ outside by the third
night. Took no notice of me, an’ I gave up in the end, let
‘em ‘ave the run of the place. Helped themselves to me
beer, took over the kitchen. I locked myself in my room an’
listened to ‘em trashing the place and toastin’ their
demon-father. An’ the dreams I ‘ad when I were sleepin’ –
horrible dreams. The lake risin’, an... [He tails off and
shudders.]

If he is persuaded to tell his story, this is what he says:
“Ah, this place. [He gestures round at the walls of the
inn.] Should have stayed in Lancaster. Witch-cursed that
town might be, but the dark deeds plotted between these
walls... makes me afraid for my very soul. Changelings...
you must have seen them in these parts. Swarthy, evil-
eyed creatures, barely human, I reckon. In here all the
time... scared the locals away long ago. Plottin’ and
schemin’ and toastin’ their dark demon. “To the Old Man
of Coniston!” they shout, when they’re in their cups. And,
“To the Black Goat of the Woods with a Thousand
Young!” That’s what they call themselves, “The
Then this mornin’ they all up sticks an’ left. The whole lot
of ‘em – ‘eading south, toward Grasmere, or Coniston.
They kept talkin’ about the Old Man of Coniston – but
whether they were talking about their demon, or the
mountain that’s called that, I don’t know.
Bin tryin’ to sleep since they left, but the dreams keep
comin’. I’ve about had it with this place. If you know
anyone wants a demon-cursed inn, this one’s goin’ to be
empty. I’m ‘eadin’ north. Don’t know where them
changeling bastards have gone, but I aim to get as far
away from them as possible. Scotland, I’m thinkin’. They
burn witches there.”

139
The Whisperers in Furness
Brewster has nothing to add to this story. He will let the
Adventurers stay the night for a very small fee on
account of the poor state of the place – 2 shillings per
head, to cover the cost of food. He will make them
breakfast in the morning, but he advises them not to
wake too late, as he intends to be away from the place
by 10am and does not intend to return.
DREAMS
In the night the Adventurers all have the same dream.
You awake in the middle of the night, aware that
something is wrong. You can hear the sound of water
lapping in your room, even though you are on the first
floor. Getting out of bed, your feet splash into cold water,
rising above your ankles. You wade to the window and see
that the lake has risen in the night and is just below the
first floor window-sills. Out in the lake, something churns
and writhes in the moonlight – something vast and
tentacled and yet difficult to make out. The water is rising
rapidly. You attempt to get the window open but it is
stuck. Opening your bedroom door, you see the water
welling up the stairs, rising. It is at your waist now, and
soon is at your neck. You attempt to swim, your head
brushing the ceiling but the water is rising, cutting off the
last vestiges of air. You plunge beneath the black waters,
your lungs bursting. Something brushes against your legs
then takes hold, dragging you down. The last air bubbles
from your lungs, and you black out – but not before you
feel teeth, rows and rows of teeth, gnawing on your legs...
You awake again, and morning light is spilling into your
room through the torn curtains. It was just a dream. But
the smell of lake water fills the room, and you find that you
are soaking wet, your skin wrinkled as if you have been in
a bath...
The Adventurers should make a Sanity Check on
waking, with a HR 0%/1D6. Those who gain an
insanity, will gain the Nightmares insanity (number 5
on the table) and will continue to be haunted nightly, by
dreams that they are waking, wherever they are
currently sleeping, with the water rising around them,
until they are cured.
A GRIZZLY DISCOVERY
When the players awake, they will discover that it is
morning, and that Brewster hasn’t come to wake them.
If they investigate, they will find the door to his room
locked, and no amount of banging on it will wake him.
If they break down the door, they will find the landlord
dead in his bed. He is soaking wet, his lungs full of
water, as if he drowned. On a successful Perception roll,
someone will notice that the shape of his legs beneath
the bedclothes doesn’t seem quite right. Pulling back the
140
ROLEPLAYING THE DREAM
As an alternative to just reading the dream to the
players, the Games Master could play this scene out
as if it were real – having the characters make
Athletics rolls for swimming, using the Suffocation
rules to see how long it takes to drown, having them
make damage rolls to try to break the (unbreakable)
windows, etc. Only when all the players are dead do
you reveal that it was all a dream. Only do this if
you think your players will enjoy it. Some players,
before they realise that this is a dream sequence,
might think that they’re being railroaded into a
character death from which there seems to be no
escape and may get quite cross with you! On the
other hand, if this works, it means that they’re never
going to be quite sure whether the events occurring
around them are real or a dream – a nasty,
nightmarish situation that fits the Lovecraft Mythos
very well.
bedclothes will reveal the poor man’s night-shirt ripped
to ribbons, his body covered in large sucker-marks, and
his legs chewed off just below the knees. Another HR
0%/1D8 Sanity Check is called for!
LEAVING
Once the Adventurers realise that the landlord is dead
they may be tempted to loot the inn of anything
valuable, before moving on. Almost everything portable
and of value was taken by the changelings when they
left, but in Brewster’s bedroom the Adventurers will
find some women’s jewellery worth about 100 shillings,
a flintlock pistol, a hangar sword, and a cache of silver
beneath the bed, amounting to 336 shillings.
GRASMERE
The journey from Wythburn to Grasmere will probably
be without incident, unless you have yet to run “The
Company of Wolves”. It’s also possible to throw in bad
weather (probably torrential rain with the chance of
floods, washed out bridges, etc.), highwaymen, and the
like – but you might want to spare the Adventurers too
much excitement at this stage, as there will be plenty to
come as the scenario moves toward its conclusion.
The Games Master need not linger long on scenes in
Grasmere, unless the Adventurers insist. There’s not
really anything more to learn about the changelings
other than what they learned at the Black Goat.

THE TRAVELLERS’ REST
About a kilometre to the north of the village of
Grasmere, on the main road from Wythburn, there is a
coaching inn, the Travellers’ Rest. If the Adventurers
decide to visit it, they will find it is a state of some
disarray. The very same changelings who ransacked the
Black Goat descended on the inn the day before and
treated it in very much the same way. The weary and
worried landlord can provide very little in the way of
food, since most of it was looted by the changelings on
the way through.
GRASMERE
Grasmere is a slate-built village with a church, built
round a small square about a kilometre north of the
small lake of the same name. When the Adventurers
pass through, the inhabitants are clearing up after a
brief but very destructive visit by the changelings.
Windows are broken and doors hang off their hinges.
According to the locals, the changelings “descended like a
swarm of locusts”, looting, threatening with curses and
pistols, and stealing anything they wanted. A few
villagers were victims of “the evil eye” and a couple of
the men were shot, but the changelings seemed more
interested in looting food than causing wanton
destruction for its own sake.
There is little else to be discovered in the village, and the
Adventurers should be encouraged to move on to
Coniston.
CATCHING UP WITH THE CHANGELINGS
It is possible that the Adventurers will want to catch up
with the changelings. This will be very difficult. Since
their run-in with de Muncaster and Ludley in Keswick,
de Muncaster (who is in the changeling gang) has been
keeping an eye on the party through use of the spell For
to See Visions in a Scrying Bowl. If the Adventurers show
any sign of trying to catch up with them, several of the
changelings will be tasked with slowing them down
with the spell For to Cause a Great Downpour. The
changeling on whom the spell is centred will take care
to stay out of sight of the Adventurers (not difficult in
such poor weather) – but if the Adventurers do manage
to spot him, use statistics for Preston Ludley(see p.125)
as generic changeling statistics, but with a different
random changeling mutation for each. He will attempt
to escape rather than fight, but will have no hesitation in
casting For to Give a Withering Look if he needs to.
The Whisperers in Furness
Coniston
Coniston village is a scattering of houses, some white-
washed, some of grey slate, tumbling down the hills and
spreading toward the flat shore of the eight kilometre-
long lake known as Coniston Water. Behind it stands the
high peak known as the Old Man of Coniston (or
sometimes, Coniston Old Man). Largely a market centre
for the hill-farmers of the area, it also forms a focal point
for the Coniston Copper Mines in the hills above the
village. Just outside the settlement to the south lies
Coniston Hall, home of the local lord, a gentleman-
alchemist by the name of Sir Daniel Fleming.
When the Adventurers arrive in the village, again they
find the locals clearing up after a visit by the
changelings.
A scene of chaos, such as you are beginning to recognise,
greets you as you arrive at the Black Bull Inn – a
sprawling, whitewashed, slate-roofed building close to the
centre of the scattered village. Windows are broken, and a
group of people are busy clearing away smashed furniture,
carrying it out of the inn and loading it into a wagon.
Among the peasants and servants is a young man in the
dandified clothes of a cavalier, directing operations and
lending an undoubtedly sturdy shoulder when the
proceedings need it. Glancing up, he sees you and breaks
off what he is doing to come over and greet you. He keeps
his hand close to the sword at his belt, and he wears a
bandoleer hung with what could either be gunpowder
charges or alchemical potions. He has an open, honest-
looking face, though his expression is currently
suspicious. “What do you want here, strangers?” he asks.
SIR DANIEL FLEMING
Profession: Lord Age: 23
Faction: Catholic RP: 60
STR 10 CON 10 SIZ 11 INT 14 POW 13 DEX 12 CHA 15
DM 0 HP 11 MWL 6 AP 0/0
Skills: Alchemy 35%, Close Combat 60% (Hanger Sword
1D8), Courtesy 60%, Dodge 55%, Elemental Casting (Earth)
35%, Gun Combat 60% (Flintlock Pistol 1D6), Influence 50%,
Lore (Cthulhu Mythos) 20%, Lore (Occult) 50%, Persistence
55%, Resilience 50%, Unarmed 50% (1D3)
Spells: For to Bring the Touch of Healing, For to Impart
Great Might, For to Protect Against the Blows of the Enemy,
For to Sharpen a Blade, For to Uplift the Weary.
Philosopher’s Stones: Sir Daniel has 4 stones: 5 MP, 6
MP, 3 MP, 3 MP
141
The Whisperers in Furness
Sir Daniel Fleming is the current incumbent of Coniston
Hall, a manor that has been in the Fleming family for at
least five hundred years. He is not long returned from
Oxford University, where he was forced to break off his
studies in Alchemy on the unexpected death of his
father a month ago. Known to the locals as “the young
squire”, he is widely respected and liked, despite his
family’s Catholic recusansy and his championing of the
new science of Alchemy. His interest in all things
magickal has led him to dabble in the fringes of Mythos
lore, partly based on old documents handed down in
the family pertaining to local legends and customs, and
partly through contacts in the Order of Esoteric
Discoverie (see p.30) who were trying to persuade him
join shortly before he was forced to return to Coniston
to take over the running of the estate. However, unlike
members of the OED, he has been appalled rather than
fascinated by what he has learned, partly protected
from corruption by his strong Catholic faith. He is a
charming, open-hearted individual, with a sharp mind
and a dexterous sword arm – the archetypal cavalier-
alchemist, who would no doubt have been fighting for
Prince Rupert if events at home hadn’t intervened.
A FRIEND IN NEED
Although Sir Daniel is initially suspicious of the
Adventurers, he can quickly be won round to their side
if they are open with him. His wariness of strangers is
engendered by the arrival of a large number of
changelings in the town, and he fears that the
Adventurers may have something to do with the sabbat
that he has deduced must be imminent from his reading
142
and the evidence of lots of changelings descending on
the area.
It is likely that the Adventurers will be equally
suspicious of Sir Daniel initially, but his obvious dislike
of the changelings who have ransacked the village will
be obvious on a successful Insight roll. If the
Adventurers express their own dislike or distrust of the
changelings or tell him of their mission to find the
missing miners from Keswick, Sir Daniel will warm to
them immediately.
“These are troubling times, and there are urgent matters
it would be wise for us to discuss. You must be guests at
my house while you are in Coniston. The landlord of the
Black Bull will be disappointed, as he no doubt needs your
patronage, though I doubt he is in a position to offer much
comfort at the moment. I’ll slip him a small gratuity for
his loss of custom, and then we can be away.”
Coniston Hall, the Fleming family seat, was built in
1580; it is a compact two-storey stone-built manor house
with slate-grey roof, its outline dominated by five
curiously massive cylindrical chimneys (nothing
sinister there, the architect just liked that style of
chimney!). It lies by the shore of Coniston Water,
commanding fine views of the lake and the dark forests
on the far shore. After making sure that his guests are
comfortable after their journey (he provides each with a
separate room and provides hot water for baths and a
hot meal), Sir Daniel asks that they join him in the library.
DISCUSSIONS IN THE LIBRARY
Read or paraphrase the following:
The library of Coniston Hall is a wonder to behold. One
wall is dominated by a huge south-facing window giving
fine views over the lake, which stretches off into the
distance, framed by craggy blue hills; another wall
contains a massive fireplace in which a roaring log fire
burns. The other two walls are covered by floor-to-ceiling
shelves lined with leather-bound books. A number of
chairs are scattered about the room, and Sir Daniel invites
you to gather them around his desk, which is littered with
open volumes and antique looking papers, including what
appears to be a yellowing star chart, and a closely-written
notebook beside which stands an ink pot and quill pen and,
rather curiously, a flintlock pistol.
While everyone is getting settled, Sir Daniel will order
tea, and once everyone is seated, he dismisses the servants
and turns to you. His manner is friendly, but his first
question is to the point: “What exactly brings you to
Coniston?”
Sir Daniel is not hostile to the Adventurers, but he needs
to be sure what side they are on before he opens up to

them – he has been approached before by cultists trying
to get access to some of the more arcane books in his
library. He knows quite a lot about what is currently
going on in the local area, partly from his research into
old legends and customs, and partly because he is
friendly with his staff and local estate workers; he will
be happy to share this knowledge with the Adventurers,
and enlist their aid in foiling the plans of the followers
of Shub-Niggurath, once he knows he can trust them.
If the Adventurers are honest with Sir Daniel, he will be
honest with them – Jack Parsons’ recommendation back
in Keswick should help them decide to trust him, but
even if they don’t think he’s part of the conspiracy
behind the disappearance of the German miners, some
members of the party may not trust him purely because
he is a Catholic.
WHAT SIR DANIEL KNOWS
The order in which Sir Daniel reveals the following
information will depend on how the conversation goes
with the Adventurers. If they ask him about the troubles
at the village, he may reveal what he knows about the
changelings before he tells them about the Fair Folk and
the mines; if they tell him about their search for the
missing miners, he may tell them about the Fair Folk
first. But he will make sure he tells them about the
coming ceremony, and impresses upon them the need
to disrupt it before Shub-Niggurath is summoned (see
“A Pillar of Cloud by Day”, p.144). The Games Master
should probably read the sections on Shub-Niggurath
(p.53), Fair Folk (p.39), and Changelings (p.34) in the
Bestiary, and that on the Cult of Shub-Niggurath (p.28)
in the Factions chapter before running this scene.
Try to bring the following into the conversation
naturally, rather than in the form of an “infodump”:
About the changelings: “Ah, the changelings. Some say
they are left by the fair folk when they steal away a mother’s
real child, but sadly, that is not so. They are children born of
mothers who have lain with the Lord of the Woods, a
lascivious manifestation of the great old evil known as Shub-
Niggurath. Some of them have witches for mothers, some of
them women who have been blackmailed or tricked into
meeting the Lord of the Woods. All the children of the Lord of
the Woods bear his mark, all are powerful magicians, and all
prepare for his coming, when he will return to the world in his
true form, malignant and all-powerful.”
About Shub-Niggurath: “An ancient and powerful being,
a god some say – a great lord of fertility and an overbearing
lust against which no man or woman can stand. He appears
at witches’ sabbats as a dark and handsome man with the
horns, hooves, and eyes of a goat. Some mistake him for Satan,
though it is said that in his true form he is a grey mist that sits
The Whisperers in Furness
on the tops of hills and creeps down into valleys, and that all
caught in that mist are overcome with madness – small
wonder than the people of this land fear the high peaks, and
huddle in their homes when the clouds come down over the
mountains.”
About the fair folk: “A race of strange beings from a place
known as Yuggoth. It is said that they are so alien to this
world that they are not made of the common elements of earth,
water, air and fire. They come to this land for minerals that
they cannot find in their own world. They too worship Shub-
Niggurath, which makes them natural allies of the
changelings.”
About the mines: “This is where it gets complicated. The
mines were originally owned by the Company of Mines Royal,
as you probably know, but they were shut down at the start of
the war. About a year ago, though, new people came into the
area and started heading up to the mines. They were careful
to stay away from me and my father, even though the mines
are officially on our land, and are now in my jurisdiction as
Justice of the Peace for the area. When I spoke to the people
concerned, they were very cagey about where their loyalties
lay, and said they were merely “doing some preliminary
work” toward re-opening the mines. But they were a bit less
secretive with some of the locals; it seems they were
mechanical preachers – Parliamentarian clockwork engineers
from Manchester way, nothing to do with the old mining
company at all. As soon as I heard this, I sent a letter to the
Royal government in Oxford, but I haven’t heard anything
back; whether the letter didn’t get through and was
intercepted on the way, or whether Prince Rupert’s court
didn’t care, I’ve no idea, but nothing came of it. But then they
started brining in the German miners from Keswick. We saw
them go up there, to the mines, but none of them ever came
back. And it seemed like no ore ever came out of the place,
despite the fact that there must be scores of people working up
there. And that’s when the sightings of fair folk began
increasing in the area. Their strange buzzing was heard in the
hills at night, and whole swarms of them were seen,
silhouetted against the moon, passing to and fro from the
mines up in the hills. You can draw your own conclusions,
but my guess is that these mechanical preachers have made
some sort of unholy alliance with the fair folk, and are mining
the area on behalf of those winged monstrosities – though
quite what they get out of the bargain, if it’s not minerals for
the war effort, is beyond me.”
About his studies: “I’ve always been interested in the local
folklore, ever since I was a child. Strange tales of witches’
sabbats around stone circles in the hills, curses put on people
by changelings, stories of the fair folk and their strange
buzzing conversations with their human minions in dark
woods... It was only as I got older that I tied it in with some of
the myths and legends to be found in forbidden books of
ancient lore – tales of the old gods of the land, worshipped
before Joseph of Arimathea brought Christianity to this island.
143
The Whisperers in Furness
Shub-Niggurath, the god of fertility and madness; Great
Cthulhu, whose sleeping dreams call out to the folk on the
shores around the Ken Sands; Nyarlathotep of the many faces,
who spreads chaos in his wake. Few speak of them openly, but
there are books in my family library that would probably cause
my excommunication if the Catholic Church were to find out
I had them. I have always believed that one must know one’s
enemy in order to fight him, and that there are things worse
than Satan, things of which the Bible only hints. That thought
in itself probably brands me a heretic, but I know what I have
seen.”
About the ceremony: “The changelings are gathering for
something, something terrible. They’ve been arriving for
days. I’m told they’re heading south of here to Torver, then up
into the hills, toward that ancient and sinister tarn, the dark
lake known as Goats Water, in the shadow of the Old Man of
Coniston. It’s been associated with the Lord of the Woods for
centuries, and they say that witches perform unholy
ceremonies there on the dark of the moon. But if my occult
books are right, there is a conjunction of the stars
approaching, and if the correct rites are performed, Shub-
Niggurath can be brought back to the world in his true form,
a cloud of madness that will make the current war seem like
the Garden of Eden.
Once Sir Daniel has imparted most of this information,
there is an interruption...
A PILLAR OF CLOUD BY
DAY
Read or paraphrase the following:
Your conversation is suddenly interrupted, as a servant
bursts into the library without even knocking. He is a
middle-aged butler, and there is fear in his eyes. “Sir, sir,
begging your pardon, but there’s something you must see,
something terrible, sir!”
Sir Daniel leaps up at once, obviously unperturbed by his
servant’s somewhat forward behaviour. “Lead the way,
Holworthy, lead the way.” He turns to you. “I think you’d
better come too.”
The servant leads you outside, and points toward the west.
You immediately see what is causing his agitation. The
high and sinister peak of the Old Man of Coniston looms
from the lower foothills on the western side of Coniston
Water. From beyond the left shoulder of the mountain, a
vast pillar of swirling grey cloud, a massive cyclone,
reaches up to the low grey clouds that now blanket the sky.
It sits in one place, undulating slightly, the violence of its
winds not even a murmur at this distance.
Sir Daniel turns to his servant. “Thank you, Holworthy.
Do not worry, we are not in any immediate danger. But I
144
ANTIQUITIES AND CUSTOMS OF
NORTHERN ENGLAND
Antiquities and Customs of Northern England (author
unknown) was published in 1602 in Kendal, and
contains much information about ancient sites and
the local beliefs of the country people of northern
England, with particular emphasis on Cumberland,
Westmorland and north Lancashire. It was
published in a very small print run of which very
few remain, as it was almost immediately banned on
the orders of King James. It contains much lore and
information about changelings, fair folk and the cult
of Shub-Niggurath, and the spells For to Call on the
Power of Human Sacrifice, For to Contact Shub-
Niggurath, For the Dismissal of Shub-Niggurath, For the
Summoning of Shub-Niggurath, and For the
Summoning of the Fair Folk.
This is the book that Sir Daniel has brought with
him. He will not let the Adventurers see it, nor will
he tell them much about its contents, though he will
tell them that it contains a ritual formula for the
dismissing of Shub-Niggurath, and indeed that
page is bookmarked.
Reading Time: 20 weeks to study and comprehend
properly.
Spells: All Mythos spells described above.
Skill Bonuses: Lore (Cthulhu Mythos) +10%
HR: -10%/1D10
would be obliged if you would pack my knap-sack with
several days’ worth of provisions and my usual travelling
equipment – it seems that I must make a journey.
When the servant has gone, Sir Daniel turns to you. “It is
as I feared, and as my books predicted. The changelings
have put a wind of protection about the site of their rituals
at Goats Water, hoping thereby to prevent disruption.
Even the strongest spells or elementals would have trouble
getting through such a barrier, summoned by the might of
the Thousand Young of Shub-Niggurath.”
“I can see but one hope of preventing the doom that will
inevitably fall upon us if we do nothing. There is an old
passage that leads through the copper mines, beneath the
Old Man of Coniston, and comes out close to the shores of
Goats Water. I would guess that the opening will be
within the circle of the whirlwind that we can see. You
wanted to investigate the mines – if you will come with
me, you will perhaps see more of the mines than you ever
hoped to, and at the end of them stands at least a chance of

disrupting the summoning of Shub-Niggurath. If you will
not come, then I will go alone and probably fail – but if you
do not come, I advise you to get as far away from here as
possible, as far away from England as possible. Perhaps in
the distant Indies you will be able to live out your lives
before the inevitable madness of Shub-Niggurath spreads
so far, but for your children there will be nothing –
nothing but the insane depravity of wild beasts rutting in
a cold mist forever.
“Are you with me?”
PREPARATIONS
The journey from Coniston Hall to Goats Water is, Sir
Daniel explains, about eight miles (13 km), the first three
of which are up the valley of the Levers Water Beck on
a rough pack-horse track, and the rest of which are
underground – and the way may be longer if they get
lost in the mines, or are waylaid by miners or fair folk.
He suggests they take food for two days, along with
weapons, lanterns, and ropes (all of which he can
supply). Astute observers (Perception -40%) may see Sir
Daniel pack what appears to be a book, carefully
wrapped in waxed cloth, in his sack. If questioned on
this, he will say “I’ll explain as we go.” He suggests that
the party don’t take more than an hour to get ready –
“The sooner we set off, the less likely we are to arrive too late.
Time is of the essence.”
JOURNEY TO THE MINES
Sir Daniel leads the party through back lanes from
Coniston Hall, avoiding the village of Coniston itself. “I
don’t want the villagers speculating on where I’m going.
They’ll be fearful enough with that blasphemous vortex
hanging in the sky, without seeing their lord abandoning
them.” Soon the party is heading up a rough track beside
a tumbling stream, in the bottom of a rocky, v-shaped
valley.
A STRANGE DISCOVERY
After heading uphill for about half an hour, assuming it
is daylight, the Adventurers make a strange discovery.
As you are climbing the steep rocky path that leads toward
the mines, you notice something peculiar in the stream
that rushes down from the high dark peak of Coniston Old
Man. There appears to be some sort of broken machine in
the water.
Assuming the Adventurers decide to investigate, they
will discover the following:
The machine seems only partially intact, as though it
broke further upstream and only parts of it have washed
The Whisperers in Furness
down as far as this. There are hints at some sort of metallic
carapace, almost like that of a beetle, a scattering of cogs
such as are used in the Parliamentarian clockwork devices,
a powerful-looking drill-bit, perhaps from some sort of
mining machine – and beneath the water, connected by
thin leathery tubes to the wrecked machine, a half-rotted
human head.
Everyone who sees this head will realise it was joined to
a clockwork body, and must make a Sanity Check, HR
0%/1D8.
Any Mechanical Preacher or other clockwork engineer
present will recognise the cogs as standard parts (worth
about 10D6 shillings on the black market) manufactured
in the Parliamentarian weapon shops in Cambridge.
THE JOURNEY CONTINUES
After this strange discovery, the journey up the valley
continues. Read or paraphrase the following:
The path climbs out of the valley onto a plateau
surrounded by high hills and dominated by the louring
peak of the Old Man of Coniston. Scattered slate-built
industrial buildings huddle on the flat ground, dwarfed by
the surrounding peaks and surrounded by ugly spoil
heaps. All is quiet – the massive mill wheel on one of the
buildings is the only sign of movement.
The Adventurers may wish to search the mine buildings
for evidence, but Sir Daniel will encourage them to head
straight for the mines. If the party insists on searching
the buildings first, they will find them deserted of
people. 1D20 minutes of searching and a successful
Perception roll will reveal papers implicating the higher
echelons of the Parliamentarian cause in the mining
efforts, including a damning snippet in a partially-
written report addressed to the Committee of Safety (see
box on next page).
Note that this piece of text will not have any further
bearing on the current adventure, but could be the basis
of further adventures as the Adventurers investigate the
deep links between the Parliamentarian cause and the
creatures of the Mythos.
The Mines
Once the Adventurers have finished exploring the
abandoned buildings, Sir Daniel will point out to them
the entrance to the mines – a stone-bordered archway
about two metres high and two metres wide, which
leads into the hillside to the west of the buildings. There
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The Whisperers in Furness
The Lord Protector is of the belief that our
mountain-dwelling allies’ knowledge of the
mineral wealth below our feet, together
with their profound understanding of all
things mechanical, will be a great boon in
our fight against the Royalists. He is no
doubt correct, although his assertion that
they can be brought to see the truth of the
Christian faith is a rather more dubious
proposition – the Fair Folk worship strange
and sinister gods whose powers appear all too
real. Perhaps, as Cromwell says, they can be
hounded from this island when their
usefulness is over, as the Jews were driven
out before them – though I much fear that
their powers and numbers are far greater
than they currently admit and such a course
of action may prove to be beyond our abilities.
is no sign of any light from within, so the Adventurers
must light their lanterns before proceeding further.
Sir Daniel knows his geography well, and knows they
should be heading in a south-westerly direction to get to
the Goats Water exit; he will tell the Adventurers this
before they go underground, in case he is killed on the
way. From this information, the party should be able to
figure out that they need to take the South Vein passage
(p.149) on leaving the Great Open, but who’s to say
what route they will actually take?
MINE BACKGROUND
The copper mines have been re-opened by
Parliamentarian clockwork engineers, working together
with the fair folk. Tempted at first by the possibility of
learning about the fair folk’s advanced technology, they
have been corrupted into worship of Shub-Niggurath.
The German miners from Keswick, lured to Coniston by
James Nicholson, were quickly rounded up by the fair
folk. The fair folk and clockwork engineers, working
together, have created the dreadful clockwork miners
(p.35), which have been mining for a vein of
quintessence beneath the Old Man of Coniston.
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RUNNING THE MINES
There is a map of the mines on p.147. As can be seen, the
map is quite simple, but the players shouldn’t know
that. They should be under the impression that they are
in an endless maze of narrow passageways and wide
open caverns, complex and ever-branching,
disorienting and creepy. The “coffin levels” (see below)
are claustrophobic, there are deep drops over
mysterious depths, and there are terrifying creatures
lurking in the dark. There should be plenty of
opportunity for Sanity Checks, and the characters may
well be nervous wrecks by the time they get to the other
side of the mountain – if they all survive at all.
MINE LOCATIONS
The following locations are shown on the map on p.147.
1. MINE ENTRANCE
The mine entrance is a wide archway into the hillside;
rows of picks, shovels, ropes, lanterns and other such
mining equipments are arrayed along the walls, either
stacked on the floor and leaning against the wall, or
hung on iron hooks hammered into the wall itself. After
about five metres, the passage narrows abruptly into a
coffin level (see text box, p.148)
2. TO GAUNT’S LEVEL
This long coffin level (with occasional passing places),
leads to a different section of the mine known as Gaunt’s
Level. It is beyond the scope of this adventure, but could
be developed by a Games Master wishing to further
develop the mines as an adventure location. Quite why
the mine has this name is mysterious – but since Winged
Things (p.44) are sometimes known as Night Gaunts,
that could be a clue...
3. HOSPITAL LEVEL
This coffin level runs from the fork in the tunnel near the
entrance to the Great Open, crossing the Deep.
There are two important locations in this tunnel:
3a. Bridge: At this point the floor of the tunnel has
collapsed, leaving a shaft leading to unknown depths
below. The shaft has been bridged by jamming logs
across the tunnel; there’s no danger of falling, though
the logs do shift a little when stepped on, which will
cause the first person to cross a HR 0%/1D4 Sanity
Check.

7 6
8
9 4a
3b. Rickety Bridge: This bridge is much like the one
above, except this really will collapse if too much weight
is put upon it. One of the logs in the middle has shifted
loose, and will fall into the depths if someone of SIZ 10
or greater steps on it. The person who this happens to
gets an Athletics roll to grab the next log and avoid
falling into the depths, never to be seen again – the fall
will inevitably kill them. (Note: a Hero Point can be
spent to avoid the character falling, but not to prevent
death from falling – anyone who falls through this shaft,
in the unlikely event that they survive the fall, will be
captured by the fair folk and turned into a clockwork
miner, causing total sanity loss). The person hanging by
their hands will need to make a HR -20%/1D6 Sanity
Check, as they realise they can hear the sound of fair
folk buzzing far, far below. Once the log has fallen out
of the bridge, further characters trying to cross will need
to make an Athletics roll to jump the gap; sensible
characters will rope themselves together before
jumping, just in case.
The Whisperers in Furness
2
3b
3 3a
4. THE DEEP
At this point, a huge ravine crosses the path of the
Hospital Level tunnel. Hundreds of feet below, the fair
folk have their main base of operations in England, and
a constant buzzing drifts up from below. Lights can be
seen, twinkling on and off in the depths and moving
slowly about, and occasionally a human scream will
echo up from below, echoing strangely about the walls.
A strange musty smell – the scent of thousands of fair
folk – hits the Adventurers if they lean over the edge.
Characters must make a HR -20%/1D6 Sanity Check as
they realise the awful implications of how many fair
folk there are, living in the depths.
A narrow wooden bridge, with a handrail on one side
only, crosses the ravine at this point. It is perfectly safe
but rather nerve-wracking to cross.
It’s entirely likely that a group of Adventurers may
think it a good idea to throw explosives into the depths,
or perform some other hostile act. If they do so, they
may well kill dozens of fair folk, but there are many
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The Whisperers in Furness
COFFIN LEVELS
Coffin levels are tunnels dug through solid rock,
which gain their name from their slightly coffin-
shaped cross section. They are only just wide
enough for a single person to walk, and are
generally around 1.5m high, meaning that all but the
tallest must stoop. It is very difficult for two people
to pass each other in a coffin level, and this can only
be done if their combined SIZ doesn’t exceed 24,
otherwise it is impossible; it will take 1D4 combat
rounds for two people to squeeze past each other.
All Close Combat skills are at -20% due to the
confined space (and may also be at an additional
-20% due to partial darkness if the person fighting is
not the person holding the lantern).
more where they came from, and 50+3D20 of them will
rise from the depths to attack; it is unlikely that the
Adventurers will survive such an onslaught.
4a. Body Disposal: A terrible stench comes from this
passageway. As the Adventurers get further into the
passage, they will find a stack of decomposing bodies in
148
New Model Army uniforms. The Shub-Niggurath
cultists have recently had a purge of non-believers in the
run-up to the summoning ceremony. Someone had the
bright idea of flinging the bodies into the Deep, but the
fair folk below objected in no uncertain terms, so the
bodies have just been stacked here and left to rot. There
are probably forty bodies here, and the sight of them
requires a HR -20%/1D6 Sanity Check.
5. THE GREAT OPEN
This is the heart of the fair folk/Parliamentarian mining
effort in the area. Although the activity here is far less
than it was at the height of the fair folk’s efforts to mine
the seam of quintessence below the mountain, there is
still sufficient quintessence ore here to continue the
operations. As the Adventurers approach, they will be
able to see a glimmer of light coming down the passage,
and hear sounds of drilling and hammering.
The Great Open is a massive cavern, 500 metres long,
and with a ceiling lost in gloom. The cave is easily big
enough to fit a cathedral in, spires and all. Its walls are
streaked with turquoise from copper ore. Wooden
walkways are fixed to the walls in six levels all round
the cavern, and clockwork miners (see p.35) are at work
here, drilling and hammering away at the rock with
their built-in tools, while fair folk buzz around the
cavern, supervising the activity. A couple of cultists in
New Model Army uniforms guard the entrance, armed
with swords and pistols, though they are not paying
particular attention.
The whole cavern is dimly lit by floating blue-green
globes that hover about 10 metres from the ground.
(These are created by fair folk technology; if anyone
decides to shoot one of these, it will implode with a pop
showering those below with spots of a harmless sticky
glowing liquid, which will continue to emit light for D4
hours).
In the centre of the cavern is a large, peculiar machine
that hums gently. It is composed of a tangle of tubes and
glowing bulbs and is powered by fair folk technology,
beyond the understanding of humans in this age; but it
serves the purpose of a winding station for the
clockwork miners, who visit it once a day to rewind
their clockwork mechanisms (see p.35). The floor of the
cavern is littered with empty mine carts, crates of
equipment, and the like, which can provide cover for
anyone trying to cross the open space. The edges of the
cavern are in deep shadow beneath the lowest of the
wooden wall platforms, which juts out from the cavern
side about 1.2 metres above the ground; anyone
creeping beneath these low platforms is at -20% to be

THE REAL COPPER MINES
There really are copper mines at Coniston, though
the ones mapped here are only loosely based on
reality; while the names of the various places on the
mine map are all real, they’ve been re-arranged for
artistic reasons, and some are anachronistic. It is
possible to get guided tours of these mines, and local
caving groups venture in from time to time with the
proper equipment. Needless to say, they are not to
be explored by the inexperienced, especially not
with this map! There might not be any fair folk or
clockwork miners down there (we hope!), but the
dangers of collapsed bridges and deep shafts is just
as real. Games Masters wishing to develop the
mines further for the purpose of running a 17th
century Mythos dungeon (could be fun!) should try
to get hold of Coniston Copper Mines: A Field Guide by
Eric G. Holland (2000), which contains enough mine
maps to keep a campaign going for quite some time!
spotted by a Perception roll, as long as they are not
carrying a light.
The Adventurers must first of all get past the soldiers in
the entrance, who are not paying particular attention,
and are at -20% to Perception rolls to notice the
Adventurers - the Games Master may alter this penalty,
depending on how stealthy the Adventurers are being.
If they manage to get past these guards without any
alarm being raised, they stand some chance of getting
across the cavern without being spotted.
At any one time, there are 1D4+2 fair folk in the air and
D4 clockwork miners queuing up to be wound at the
winding station. Make a single Perception roll for the
fair folk, and another for the clockwork miners, based
on how sneaky the Adventurers are being; if either
group spots them, they will raise the alarm, and an
attack will ensue. There are a further 3D6+6 clockwork
miners working on the platforms; if there is a big fight,
these will begin arriving 1D3 at a time, each combat
round after the fourth. Don’t forget that this will be the
first time the Adventurers have seen the clockwork
miners, so Sanity Checks will be called for.
Meeting a lone clockwork miner: If the Adventurers
are managing to make their way across the cavern
without alerting either the clockwork miners or the fair
folk, they may encounter a lone clockwork miner, either
under the work platform or among the carts and crates.
This one will not raise the alarm, but plead with them to
kill him, in a garbled mix of English and German:
The Whisperers in Furness
“Bitte, bitte... please. Mich killen. Ich not do you nein
harm. Mich killen. Give mein liebe... my love... to Katrina.
Und mich killen. Kill me, bitte.
The quickest way to kill the clockwork miner (who is
actually the husband of Katrina Hoffman, who they met
on the island in Derwent Water) is to sever his human
head from his clockwork body. If they do this, however,
the body will go into convulsions, skittering around
mindlessly, like a dying fly, while the head (whether
disconnected or not) screams soundlessly, its eyes wide
and horror-stricken, for D6+3 combat rounds. This will
allow the fair folk and clockwork miners on the ground
a further chance to make a Perception roll to spot the
Adventurers. It will also induce a HR -20%/1D8 Sanity
Check in the Adventurers.
Note: At the Games Master’s discretion, Adventurers
may be able to get hold of fragments of quintessence
from the mining activities here, which can be used in
alchemy. Quintessence magick is described in Kingdom
& Commonwealth Omnibus II.
6. PADDY END
This cave leads to the clockwork miners’ sleeping
quarters (or should that be stables? Or hive?). It is
guarded at all times by a clockwork miner, whose
presence completely blocks the passage. If it is killed,
another will take its place. This will continue until the
passage is completely blocked by dead machinery (and
possibly Adventurers).
7. CAVE-IN
This passage recently caved in while a clockwork miner
was excavating it. Anyone who makes a successful
Perception roll and spends five minutes searching will
be able to find 10D6 shillings worth of clockwork parts
and a partially decomposed human head (HR 0%/1D4).
8. SOUTH VEIN
This coffin level leads directly to Goats Water. It runs
steadily south-west, and comes out on the north east
slopes of the Old Man of Coniston, above the dark and
sinister tarn of Goats Water. Go to the next section,
“Goats Water”, p.150.
9. BRIM FELL CROSS-CUT
This passage (another coffin level) goes on for
approximately 1 km before bringing the Adventurers
out on a hillside through an entrance hidden behind a
clump of gorse bushes (ouch, prickly!). Unfortunately,
it’s brought them out on the southern slopes of the Old
Man of Coniston, and there’s a steep, scree-covered, 400
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The Whisperers in Furness
MINE ENCOUNTERS
There are probably enough encounters to be had in the
mines just from the described locations. But if the
Adventurers insist on lingering, or stop for a rest,
there is a chance that they might randomly encounter
someone. If you decide the characters have been
lingering long enough, roll on the following table:
D6 Encounter
1 1D3 Cultists
2-3 1D4 Fair Folk
4-6 1 Clockwork Miner
There are three types of intelligent beings who may be
met within the mines:
Cultists
These are Parliamentarian soldiers who have become
members of the cult of Shub-Niggurath (see p.28).
They will be dressed in the uniform of the New Model
Army, but are utterly devoted to their dark god and
have orders to kill intruders on sight. They cannot be
reasoned with, and will laugh maniacally while
fighting (HR 0%/1D4 for a person fighting such a
soldier) – they are all insane by any reasonable
standards. Parliamentarians who failed to be
converted to the cause have been slaughtered, and
metre high ridge between them and place they actually
want to be – plus the whirlwind, of course. The outer
edges of the whirlwind batter at them as they leave the
shelter of the tunnel, but it soon becomes apparent that
the storm is on the other side of the hill behind them,
and they’re still outside its circle of protection. They’ll
need to retrace their steps if they hope to get to Goats
Water before the ceremony...
Goats Water
Read or paraphrase the following:
As you approach the end of the tunnel, you can hear the
sound of howling wind intermixed with the raised voices
of hundreds of people chanting: “Ia! Ia! Shub-Niggurath!
Ia! Ia! Shub-Niggurath!...” The tunnel exit opens onto a
steep scree slope, which drops down to a small oval lake
cupped between high, craggy cliffs. It is dark, but the scene
is lit by hundreds of burning brands that reflect off the
150
their bodies thrown into the Great Abyss (see Location
7).
STR 10 CON 11 SIZ 11 INT 9 POW 11 DEX 12 CHA 7
DM 0 HP 11 MWL 6 AP 0/0
Skills: Close Combat 50% (Short Sword 1D6+2), Dodge
45%, Lore (Cthulhu Mythos) 20%, Perception 50%,
Persistence 45%, Resilience 55%, Unarmed 50% (1D3)
Fair Folk
Most of the fair folk who were in the mine have gone
to the ceremony at Goats Water, but a few have been
left behind to supervise the miners. If encountered in
an enclosed space such as a coffin level, they will tend
to retreat, but in an open space such as the Great
Open, they will attack without restraint, flying around
in the open space, emerging out of the darkness to
attack with pincers before disappearing into the
gloom again.
Statistics of fair folk can be found on p.39.
Clockwork Miners
The clockwork miners are almost all insane, and will
attack the Adventurers on sight, wherever they are
found. Being attacked by one of these monstrosities
while in a coffin level should be a terrifying (and
possibly fatal) experience; in an enclosed space, raise
the HR to -40%/1D10.
Statistics for clockwork miners can be found on p.35.
wind-ruffled water, held by men and women who dance
and whirl like proverbial dervishes around the shore, while
fair folk buzz in circles overhead. The entire scene is
encapsulated in a wall of screaming cloud, the centre of the
cyclone. At the south end of the tarn there is a small piece
of land, almost like a natural stage, and the land drops
away behind toward Torver and Coniston Water, though
the view is lost in cloud and darkness. On that stage a
ritual is being played out; on a stone altar, a young woman
lies naked while a dark-skinned man, also naked, stands
holding a knife, flanked by two male figures in dark hoods
with deep cowls. But is it a man? The more you look at
him, the less human he appears...
Have all the characters make a Perception roll – those
who pass see the figure for what he really is: the avatar
of Shub-Niggurath (see p.53). Read or paraphrase the
following to those who passed the roll (and maybe show
them the picure on p.53):
You realise that the figure with the knife is not human at
all. Goat-like horns curl from his head, and he exudes a
power and presence that transcends humanity. He is a

primal figure, a force of nature, a creature of potent
sexuality.
At this point, any male characters must make a HR
-20%/D8 Sanity Check, while women must make a
Persistence check (with a bonus of one tenth of their
Righteousness score if they belong to a religious
Faction) or be overcome with desire for the figure. If any
Female character fails the roll, her player should be
shown the following text (without the other players
seeing it):
You greatly desire the handsome man leading the
ceremony and wish to be by his side. This is a dark desire,
which you know must be hidden from your companions –
you will not do anything sudden or drastic, but will
attempt to get close to him if you can, and will do your best
to prevent him coming to any harm.
Note that it is about 200 metres diagonally down a steep
scree slope from where the Adventurers are standing to
the site of the sacrificial altar - far beyond gun range,
though within maximum range of a crossbow, longbow
or recurved bow. Movement on the treacherous slope is
halved, and characters must make an Athletics test
when moving to avoid falling as the small stones shift
The Whisperers in Furness
beneath their feet. There are dozens of chanting,
dancing cultists between the Adventurers and the altar,
and they will not hesitate to attack the Adventurers if
they see them.
THE CEREMONY
So far, the cultists below have not seen the Adventurers,
being too busy performing the ceremony of summoning
the true form of Shub-Niggurath. From the moment the
party arrives in the tunnel entrance and sees Shub-
Niggurath’s avatar, they are on a very short timetable. If
the ceremony is not interrupted in any way, it will go as
follows (combat rounds are counted from the moment
characters make Sanity Checks):
Round 10 (1 minute): The two figures standing to either
side of the avatar throw back their hoods, revealing
themselves to be William de Muncaster and Preston
Ludley, who the Adventurers met in the King’s Arms in
Keswick at the beginning of the adventure. (If these
characters were killed, the characters removing their
hoods are simply revealed as people with pronounced
changeling characteristics – horn nubs and goat eyes).
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The Whisperers in Furness
Round 11 (1 minute 6 seconds): The avatar raises his
knife in preparation for plunging it into the heart of the
sacrificial victim.
Round 12 (1 minute 12 seconds): All the dancers
become still and turn toward the altar, though they do
not cease their chanting of “Ia! Ia! Shub-Niggurath!”
Round 13 (1 minute 18 seconds): The avatar brings the
knife down in the heart of the woman, who arches her
back and screams.
Round 14 (1 minute 24 seconds): The dancers begin
whirling again, even more frenziedly than before. The
avatar raises him arms triumphantly – and vanishes! At
the same moment, the whirlwind dies away to nothing,
revealing a clear sky scattered with stars, which seem to
twinkle balefully with an almost greenish tinge.
Round 15 (1 minute 30 seconds): Those making
Perception rolls see a cloud of mist begin to pour out of
the wound in the sacrificial victim’s chest.
Round 18 (1 minute 48 seconds): Even those who failed
their Perception rolls cannot fail to see the cloud of mist
that is pouring from the corpse’s wound and spreading
slowly across the area. This is the true form of Shub-
Niggurath (see p.54). It quickly spreads to a diameter of
100m, blanketing the southern half of the lake. After
that, its diameter will only increase by 1m per combat
round in all directions, which means that if the
Adventurers are still at the entrance to the mine, it will
take 10 minutes to reach them.
Subsequent rounds: The dancers who have not already
been engulfed in the mist will run into it willingly now,
and sounds of lustful encounters will rise to the ears of
the Adventurers. Any female characters who failed their
above Persistence roll when seeing the Shub-Niggurath
must make another Persistence roll (again with a tenth
of their Righteousness if applicable), or run willingly
into the mist, if not restrained. If restrained, this desire
will remain for 1D10 minutes, and then the character
must make a HR -20%/D8 Sanity Check as they realise
what they were about to do.
DISRUPTING THE
CEREMONY
There are probably as many ways of disrupting the
ceremony as there are groups of Adventurers. The
following are some guidelines for the Games Master on
how best to deal with plans the characters may have.
152
KILLING THE AVATAR
The avatar of Shub-Niggurath (see p.53) can be killed, if
anyone has a suitable ranged weapon or spell, although
it’s not easy. He’s pretty much immune to pain (he
might even enjoy it!), and a ranged attack will only
cause the ceremony to be disrupted for a single combat
round before the avatar recovers and continues. In the
unlikely event that a character does get close enough to
fight in close combat, the avatar will fight hand to hand
using his Unarmed Combat skill, and the two
changelings will join in, using their magick (see p.125
for their statistics).
If the Avatar is killed, the ceremony will not be
completed, the whirlwind will die, and the Adventurers
will face approximately 300 angry cultists...
DISRUPTING THE DANCERS
The dancers are in something of a frenzy, their whirling
and chanting adding to the magickal power of the
avatar as he summons his own true form. If the dancers
are attacked, they will at first not defend themselves,
and the death of each cultist will delay the arrival of
Shub-Niggurath in his true form by one combat round.
However, after ten cultists have been killed or disabled,
the rest will notice, and begin attacking the Adventurers
in return, using their bare hands. One in five of the
cultists is a changeling with the spell For to Give a
Withering Look, which they will use. Every cultist
attacking the characters is one less taking part in the
ceremony, so the conclusion will again be delayed by
one combat round for each person not taking part – but
there will still be plenty left to finish the ceremony,
unless they are being killed with major magickal power
or explosives.
DISMISSING SHUB-NIGGURATH
This is probably the Adventurers’ best bet if they are to
prevent the summoning and escape with their lives. Sir
Daniel explains (if he hasn’t already done so):
I have with me a book, Antiquities and Customs of
Northern England, which has in it a formula for
dismissing Shub-Niggurath back to whatever loathsome
hell it normally inhabits. It will take four of us ten minutes
to perform, and it is important that we are not interrupted
while we are performing it.
Casting the spell involves standing in a circle with their
hands on each others’ shoulders, repeating various
arcane chants in an unknown tongue that Sir Daniel
reads from the book. The spell will work if it is not
interrupted; Sir Daniel has studied this spell well

enough to know how to cast it, since he has been
expecting this day to come for some months. In the
event that Sir Daniel is dead, another character may cast
the spell, though they must spend a minute reading
through the instructions first, and must make a
Persistence roll at the end of the casting to see if the spell
actually works. Everyone involved in the spell casting
will lose a level of Fatigue at the end of the process,
whether it works or not.
If the Adventurers do begin to cast this spell, it will not
begin to take effect until after the woman has been
sacrificed, the avatar has vanished, and Shub-
Niggurath’s true form has begun to materialise. The
mist of his presence will be creeping up the hill toward
the Adventurers, and they may well panic and flee – if
the mist gets within 5 metres of them, have everyone
involved in the ceremony make a HR -20%/D8 Sanity
Check; anyone who fails will break the ritual circle and
flee the mist, causing the spell to fail automatically.
Aftermath
IF THE ADVENTURERS
SUCCEED
If the Adventurers succeed in disrupting the ceremony,
they will be left to face hundreds of angry cultists. Their
best bet might well be to flee back into the mines, as the
cultists will be less likely to follow them up narrow
passages en masse, and will be more likely disperse to
their homes.
If the Adventurers succeed in dismissing Shub-
Niggurath after he has been summoned, the cultists will
be less likely to want revenge. Those who remained
outside the mist will be demoralised, those who went
into the mist will be insane.
The Whisperers in Furness
It will not be immediately apparent, but Shub-
Niggurath’s avatar will no longer appear to covens; no
further changelings will be born, and those who exist
will lose a great deal of their magical power – their
MAG attribute will drop to its minimum
((INT+POW)/10 rounded up) and they will no longer
be able to perform powerful spells.
On the evening following the failed summoning, a vast
swarm of fair folk will rise from tunnels all around the
Old Man of Coniston, mass in a great black cloud in the
sky, then fly away upward, away from the earth. The
sight of this will cause everyone who sees it to heal 1D6
lost Sanity Points as they realise that the hold of the fair
folk on this part of the world has been broken... for the
moment, at least.
IF THE ADVENTURERS FAIL
If the Adventurers fail, Shub-Niggurath will manifest
upon Earth, and will spread slowly, as described on
p.54. The party will be able to stay ahead of the cloud as
long as they keep moving, but it will engulf the villages
of Torver and Coniston within a few days. The Games
Master should roll to see how long Shub-Niggurath
remains on Earth, and estimate how far across England
he spreads before leaving. Within this zone, everyone
will be insane, and the Royalists and Parliamentarians
may well co-operate on sending their armies in to “cull”
the survivors.
FOLLOW-UP
The Adventurers will probably want to send a report of
their findings back to Jack Parsons, so that he can let the
miners’ wives know what has happened to their
husbands. Whether they tell him the truth is entirely up
to them!
153
WIDOW FRANNY TRAVERS
Nationality: English Homeland: Manchester Age: 22
Gender: Female Hero Points: 2
Social Class: Middle Profession: Merchant
Religion: Presbyterian
Faction: Self-interest (Ambition) RPs: 62
STR: 6 CON: 11 SIZ: 11 INT: 18 POW: 16 DEX: 11 CHA: 13
HPs: 11 MWL: 6 Damage Modifier: 0 Move: 15m
Combat Order: 11 Spellcasting Order: - APs: 0/0
Common Skills: Athletics 17%, Close Combat 24%, Culture (Own) 66%, Dance 41%, Dodge 42%, Drive 27%, Evaluate 91%,
First Aid 29%, Gun Combat 49%, Influence 81%, Insight 54%, Lore (Regional) 71%, Perception 54%, Persistence 57%,
Ranged Combat 29%, Resilience 22%, Ride 37%, Sing 29%, Sleight 44%, Stealth 39%, Unarmed Combat 17%
Advanced Skills: Art (Poetry) 29%, Beliefs (Presbyterian) 46%, Commerce 71%, Courtesy 71%, Craft (Printing) 29%,
Language (Dutch) 31%, Language (English) 81%, Language (French) 31%, Language (Latin) 36%, Lore (Antiquities) 56%,
Lore (Logistics) 66%, Lore (Occult) 36%, Lore (Research) 36%, Shiphandling 29%
Armour: Padded linen jacket and hat (Very Light 1/0)
Weapons: Pair of Pistols* (Skill: 49% Damage: 1D6+1 Range: 10m Loading: 2)
Unarmed (Skill: 17% Size: S Damage: 1D3)
*Franny has two bespoke pistols. They are smaller than standard duelling pistols and pack less of a punch.
Wealth: 240 shillings
Equipment: 3 sets of clothes (2 Superior Respectable sets, 1 Luxurious Flamboyant set), 100 shilling wedding ring
Franny was married, at a very young age, to a wealthy Merchant. Her husband died less than a year ago, leaving Franny
with a successful business and comfortable townhouse. Many women in such a position would have sold up, or employed
an agent to manage the business, but not Franny. Acutely intelligent, Franny has spent the past twelve months learning
everything she can about the business and taking charge of the operation herself.
Franny was surprised to learn that her husband had been dealing in curious antiquities from around the world, procured
at considerable expense, and sold for an even more considerable profit. Her warehouse also deals in standard trade goods,
but she still sources these exotic ancient items, selling them to a few wealthy collectors.
Having mastered the business side of things, in a very short space of time, Franny is on the look out for fresh challenges.
She is fiercely independent and determined that if she is to settle down again it will be on her terms, and certainly not until
she has seen a little more of the world beyond Manchester. Because of her gender, Franny is not really respected by the other
Merchants. They are jealous of her considerable wealth and success. But, they are all suitably polite to her face, perhaps
hoping a little of her success might rub off on them. Franny is also besieged by suitors (who bore her to tears) hoping to
marry into her wealth, and villains who think there is an opportunity to be had exploiting a vulnerable woman engaged in
business. She has come to rely on Charlie, an ex-apprentice turned bodyguard, to deal with overbearing suitors and ruffian
chancers alike.
Possible connections with other characters: Franny knows Charlie, because he works for her. Franny (or, before he died,
her husband) may well know Sir Sidney, Ambrose, or Henry, as they may all have bought or sold things to her company.
Sir Sidney may well be an old associate, as he is an important member of the local aristocracy. Franny might know Lydia
through one of the other characters, or simply because she has needed a healer at some point.
SIR SIDNEY SPANKER
Nationality: English Homeland: Manchester Age: 26
Gender: Male Hero Points: 2
Social Class: Noble Profession: Scholar
Religion: Laudian
Faction: Self Interest (Acquisition of Knowledge) RPs: 53
STR: 14 CON: 12 SIZ: 13 INT: 15 POW: 14 DEX: 9 CHA: 11
HPs: 13 MWL: 7 Damage Modifier: +1D4 Move: 15m
Combat Order: 9 Spellcasting Order: 15 APs: 0/0
Common Skills: Athletics 33%, Close Combat 39%, Culture (Own) 80%, Dance 30%, Dodge 38%, Drive 23%, Evaluate 61%,
First Aid 24%, Gun Combat 24%, Influence 62%, Insight 49%, Lore (Regional) 65%, Perception 39%, Persistence 63%,
Ranged Combat 24%, Resilience 34%, Ride 43%, Sing 25%, Sleight 30%, Stealth 34%, Unarmed Combat 63%
Advanced Skills: Alchemy 39%, Beliefs (Laudian) 40%, Courtesy 26%, Craft (Engraver) 24%, Elemental Casting (Air) 39%,
Gambling 46%, Language (English) 89%, Language (Latin) 56%, Lore (Occult) 40%, Lore (Research) 60%, Oratory 45%
Spells: For To Discover Magick, For to Cause a Person to Speak with Authority, For to Reveal the Secrets of the Heart
Armour: None
Weapons: Rapier (Skill: 39% Size: M Damage: 1D8+1D4)
Unarmed (Skill: 63% Size: S Damage: 1D3+1D4)
Wealth: 540 shillings
Equipment: 3 sets of clothes (2 Respectable Superior sets, 1 Regal Flamboyant set), writing kit, a stabled horse, 2X2 point
Philosopher’s Stones, 1X4 point Philosopher’s Stone
Sir Sidney is of high rank, inheriting his lands due to his father’s death at Naseby. But Sir Sidney has no interest in his title,
estates, the war, or politics. He has spent most of his adult life in Oxford pursuing his real passions – academic and practical
research and gambling on (and sometimes fighting in) boxing matches. Lately though, he has been considering leaving the
college. He is under increasing pressure to become more active in court and to join the Battle Alchemists in Prince Rupert’s
army. Whereas Sir Sidney is happy to mumble platitudes in support of the Royalist cause, he has no wish to be involved
with the military. His sole martial interest is in bare knuckle fighting. Sir Sidney believes it would be a lot cheaper and
simpler for Prince Rupert and Oliver Cromwell to sort out their differences in a fistfight and then everything could get back
to normal.
Sir Sidney has been studying magickal theory, convinced that Alchemical research is too focussed on the practical
applications of magick and that greater powers would be achievable, if only the fundamental principles of the art could be
properly explained. (Sir Sidney is a little concerned that he will prove himself right. He would feel obliged to publish his
findings, but realises that he would be unleashing knowledge that might be used for evil purposes). To this end, Sir Sidney
has accumulated a library containing a variety of esoteric tomes dealing with the occult, magick, and ancient lore.
Possible connections with other characters: Sir Sidney might have met Franny because he has purchased esoteric items
from her company, or simply because she also grew up in Manchester. He will likely know Charlie through her. Sir Sidney
may have been consulted by Ambrose about some occult matter, or Ambrose may have asked Sir Sidney for access to his
books. Sir Sidney might have met Henry in an Oxford bar and found that they both shared an interest in the unusual, or
Henry might have consulted Sir Sidney in connection with a story. Sir Sidney may have consulted Lydia, interested in her
powers, or met her in connection with another character, or availed himself of her healing salves after a bruising boxing
match.
LYDIA BARROW
Nationality: English Homeland: East Anglia Age: 27
Gender: Female Hero Points: 2
Social Class: Peasant Profession: Wise Woman

Religion: Deist

Faction: Deist RPs: 54

STR: 9 CON: 14 SIZ: 13 INT: 15 POW: 16 DEX: 11 CHA: 13

HPs: 14 MWL: 7 Damage Modifier: 0 Move: 15m

Combat Order: 11 Spellcasting Order: 14 APs: 1/0

Common Skills: Athletics 40%, Close Combat 34%, Culture (Own) 85%, Dance 34%, Dodge 42%, Drive 37%, Evaluate 58%,
First Aid 66%, Gun Combat 26%, Influence 76%, Insight 81%, Lore (Regional) 85%, Perception 51%, Persistence 52%,
Ranged Combat 34%, Resilience 48%, Ride 27%, Sing 39%, Sleight 24%, Stealth 26%, Unarmed Combat 30%

Advanced Skills: Beliefs (Deism) 55%, Craft (Brewer) 36%, Craft (Poisons) 46%, Healing (Herbalist) 51%, Language
(English) 78%, Lore (Agriculture) 40%, Lore (Animals) 40%, Lore (Occult) 40%, Lore (Plants) 40%, Lore (Witchcraft) 30%,
Play Instrument (Drum) 34%, Survival 60%, Track 49%, Witchcraft 60%

Spells: For the Abjuration of Air, For the Abjuration of Sleep, For to Bless Crops, For to Bless Livestock, For to Bring the Touch of
Healing, For to Cure a Disease or Counteract a Poison, For to Increase the Deadliness of a Weapon, For to Intuit the Emotions of
Another, For to Make an Object Glow, For to Give a Withering Look

Armour: Soft leather jerkin (Very Light 1/0)

Weapons: Dagger (Skill: 34% Size: S Damage: 1D4+1)

Unarmed (Skill: 30% Size: S Damage: 1D3)

Wealth: 20 shillings

Equipment: 1 set of clothes (Rugged), backpack, one week’s rations, bedroll, travelling Healer’s kit (bundle of herbs, mortar
and pestle, ointments and bandages), pipe and tobacco

Lydia grew up in the Norfolk village of Bacton. She was the daughter of the local Wise Woman and fully expected to take
on the role herself one day. But the Witch Finders came to Bacton and arrested, tried, and hanged her family. Lydia herself
only just managed to flee.

Her mother had trained her well, and instilled in her daughter the principle that she should only use her knowledge for
good; despite her dreadful experiences, Lydia has stayed true to her path. Indeed, she feels that the Witch Finders who
killed her family did so not out of Christian ire, but rather as a service to some unholy power. Lydia herself has little time
for god, but she doesn’t resent those that do, understanding that they just strive for meaning in a difficult world.

Lydia has been wandering awhile, away from East Anglia. She drifts without much purpose and still hasn’t decided where
to set up a more permanent home.

Possible connections with other characters: Lydia may well have met any of the other characters in connection with her
abilities as a Herbalist (she might have tended them when ill). She might be a companion of Ambrose, helping him with his
researches into occultist malpractice (she senses his aims are noble). Henry or Sir Sidney might have come to Lydia, Henry
probably to seek advice on some outlandish story, Sir Sidney to ask her about her powers.
FATHER AMBROSE NUTT
Nationality: English Homeland: East Anglia Age: 27
Gender: Male Hero Points: 2
Social Class: Gentry Profession: Preacher
Religion: Catholic
Faction: The New Mission RPs: 55
STR: 12 CON: 9 SIZ: 11 INT: 16 POW: 14 DEX: 12 CHA: 11
HPs: 10 MWL: 5 Damage Modifier: 0 Move: 15m
Combat Order: 12 Spellcasting Order: - APs 0/0
Common Skills: Athletics 24%, Close Combat 38%, Culture (Own) 72%, Dance 23%, Dodge 24%, Drive 26%, Evaluate 57%,
First Aid 28%, Gun Combat 68%, Influence 67%, Insight 50%, Lore (Regional) 67%, Perception 50%, Persistence 68%,
Ranged Combat 28%, Resilience 28%, Ride 46%, Sing 25%, Sleight 23%, Stealth 28%, Unarmed Combat 24%
Advanced Skills: Art (Calligraphy) 45%, Beliefs (Catholic) 57%, Beliefs (The New Mission) 77%, Courtesy 27%, Language
(English) 75%, Language (French) 52%, Language (Latin) 52%, Lore (Agriculture) 28%, Lore (Cthulhu Mythos) 23%, Lore
(Occult) 42%, Lore (Theology) 52%, Oratory 55%, Perform Exorcism 50%
Armour: None
Weapons: Pair of Pistols (Flintlock) (Skill: 68% Damage: 1D6+2 Range: 5m Loading: 3)
Unarmed (Skill: 24% Size: S Damage: 1D3)
Wealth: 80 shillings
Equipment: 2 sets of clothes (1 Respectable, 1 priestly garb), 1 week’s rations, bed roll, cross, bible
At a tender age Ambrose was sent from his hometown in Cambridgeshire to secretly train at a Jesuit seminary in France.
When Ambrose’s parents sent him away they thought he would likely return to England one day to preach the true gospel,
and possibly end his days a martyr. Little did they suspect that he would return with a different mission – tasked with
seeking out and expunging occult heresies.
The Vicar General of the small college that Ambrose attended, operated outside the usual parameters of his faith. He was
obsessed with the notion that the Reformation is a distraction and that a more significant threat to all of humanity is posed
by a web of ancient secret societies and unholy orders. To this end, he trained his acolytes to search and root out hidden
heresies. Ambrose is one such acolyte.
Rather than recruit people to Catholicism, Ambrose has been charged with hunting down secret societies. He has been
given permission to recruit others to his cause, but was urged to act with extreme caution, as the knowledge he uncovers
might shake the faithful and should be suppressed, rather than revealed. Ambrose was sent to England to carry out his
duties. In any case, he dare not return to mainland Europe, as his seminary is currently under investigation by both the
Jesuit Superior General and the Pope.
Possible connections with other characters: Although he probably hasn’t revealed that he is an ordained Catholic Priest
(still punishable by death in England), Ambrose may have met and worked with any of the other characters. He might have
asked Lydia to work with him (he realises she has strange powers, but believes she is a good person); he may well have
consulted Sir Sidney (or asked for access to his extensive library on the subject) or Henry, on a matter concerning the occult;
he may have made a purchase from Franny (possibly delivered by Charlie).
HENRY RINGHAM
Nationality: English Homeland: London Age: 24
Gender: Male Hero Points: 2
Social Class: Middle Profession: Journalist
Religion: Presbyterian
Faction: Presbyterian RPs: 53
STR: 13 CON: 10 SIZ: 13 INT: 17 POW: 13 DEX: 8 CHA: 15
HPs: 12 MWL: 6 Damage Modifier: +1D4 Move: 15m
Combat Order: 8 Spellcasting Order: - APs: 0/0
Common Skills: Athletics 31%, Close Combat 70%, Culture (Own) 84%, Dance 23%, Dodge 36%, Drive 21%, Evaluate 62%,
First Aid 25%, Gun Combat 45%, Influence 70%, Insight 70%, Lore (Regional) 79%, Perception 60%, Persistence 61%,
Ranged Combat 25%, Resilience 20%, Ride 38%, Sing 28%, Sleight 33%, Stealth 35%, Unarmed Combat 21%
Advanced Skills: Art (Writing) 68%, Beliefs (Presbyterian) 59%, Commerce 32%, Courtesy 32%, Craft (Printing) 65%,
Language (English) 92%, Lore (Occult) 54%, Lore (Politics) 44%, Lore (Research) 44%
Armour: None
Weapons: Pistol (duelling) (Skill: 45% Damage: 2D4+1 Range: 10m Loading: 2)
Rapier (Skill: 70% Size: M Damage: 1D8+1D4)
Unarmed (Skill: 21% Size: S Damage: 1D3+1D4)
Wealth: 110 shillings
Equipment: 2 sets of clothes (1 Rugged, 1 Superior Respectable), one week’s rations, flask of good wine, tobacco and clay
pipes, writing set
Henry was a Journalist, working for a notorious printing house with a reputation for producing lurid and scandalous
literature. Henry specialised in accounts of Witch trials, strange country magicks and uncanny happenings. His editorials
tended to have a theme – since the civil war and the rise of clockwork technology and alchemical science, the order of things
has dissolved to such an extent that reality itself is dissolving. Thus he is quick to investigate any uncanny accounts.
Henry has had to leave London – Cromwell has had his print shop shut down and the Journalists associated with the place
have been warned to look for other work. Furthermore, Henry has taken part in a number of duels, some of which were
with opponents considered above his station. In order to avoid the angry relatives of those that he has dispatched, he
decided discretion was the better part of valour. He has moved to Oxford, where he has survived by being occasionally
employed as a researcher, between selling various freelance articles to local pamphleteers.
Possible connections with other characters: Henry might have been directly employed by Ambrose Nutt or Sir Sidney
Spanker to do some research, or simply met them in a tavern and realised that they had a common interest in the unusual.
He might have met Lydia through his connection with Ambrose, and Franny and Charlie through his connection with Sir
Sidney. He also might have met Franny and Charlie as a result of investigating strange goings on (perhaps one of their
customers was a subject of one of Henry’s exposés).
CHARLIE BEANS
Nationality: English Homeland: Manchester Age: 20
Gender: Male Hero Points: 2
Social Class: Townsman Profession: Mercenary
Religion: Puritan
Faction: Puritan RPs: 55
STR: 15 CON: 11 SIZ: 16 INT: 9 POW: 8 DEX: 13 CHA: 7
HPs: 14 MWL: 7 Damage Modifier: +1D6 Move: 15m
Combat Order: 11 Spellcasting Order: - APs: 2/1
Common Skills: Athletics 78%, Close Combat 74%, Culture (Own) 48%, Dance 20%, Dodge 56%, Drive 61%, Evaluate 46%,
First Aid 32%, Gun Combat 42%, Influence 44%, Insight 17%, Lore (Regional) 58%, Perception 27%, Persistence 26%,
Ranged Combat 51%, Resilience 52%, Ride 31%, Sing 15%, Sleight 20%, Stealth 22%, Unarmed Combat 68%
Advanced Skills: Beliefs (Puritan) 43%, Close Combat (Polearms) 74%, Commerce 16%, Language (English) 66%, Lore
(Siegeworks) 28%, Play Instrument (Recorder) 40%, Streetwise 45%
Armour: Pot helmet, leather jerkin and trousers
Weapons: Cudgel (Skill: 74% Size: L Damage: 1D6+1D6)
Hatchets (Skill: 74/51%* Size: S Damage: 1D6+1D6 Range: 15m)
Pistol (Flintlock) (Skill: 42% Damage: 1D6+2 Range: 5m Loading: 3)
Unarmed (Skill: 68% Size: S Damage: 1D3+1D6)
*51% when used as a Ranged Weapon
Wealth: 30 shillings
Equipment: 1 set of clothes (Rugged), bible, one week’s rations, bedroll
Charlie is cursed with an unfortunate appearance. He’s scruffy and has the kind of face that only a mother could love.
What’s more, he is none too bright and not very adept at hiding the fact. But he has a heart of gold and is honest to the core.
Charlie was apprenticed as a child to a Merchant, Ralph Travers. Charlie’s dad died soon after his son’s apprenticeship
began. Charlie still visits his mother every week, accompanying her to church. Originally a messenger boy, as he filled out
(and began drilling alongside the other apprentices in the Manchester Trained Band), Charlie was employed as a
guard/driver, accompanying his Master on business. At the outbreak of war, Charlie briefly joined Cromwell’s cause, but
when the Parliamentarian army was expelled from Manchester (after months of bloody street fighting), he handed in his
pike and promised not to take up arms for Parliament again. He kept his promise, returning to his former employer.
Although a devout Puritan, Charlie doesn’t really know the first thing about politics, or quite why there is a war on.
When his Master died, Charlie was kept on. He now works for Franny Travers (who took over her husband’s business).
Charlie is loyal to Franny, and to her associates, seeing nothing strange in the company she keeps. In a fight, Charlie prefers
to use his throwing hatchets, or a sturdy cudgel (he doesn’t like the loud bang his gun makes when fired). Charlie would
like to be more than hired muscle. He wishes he could be a trader himself, but he simply hasn’t got the aptitude for it. He
often begs Franny to teach him about the business side of her dealings.
Possible connections with other characters: Charlie knows Franny because he is employed by her. Likewise he might have
met any of the other characters in connection with his former master’s business – delivering rare books and the like to them.
He also might have been previously assigned to work for Ambrose, Sir Sidney, or even Henry for a while, aiding them to
acquire an item.
OPEN GAME LICENSE
Version 1.0a
The following text is the property of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. and is Copyright 2000 Wizards of the Coast, Inc (‘Wizards’). All Rights Reserved.

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Modern System Reference Document Copyright 2002, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.; Authors Bill Slavicsek, Jeff Grubb, Rich Redman, Charles Ryan, based on material by Jonathan
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