DISCOVER THE SECRET OF SKELLEN ISLAND!

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ACHTUNG! CTHULHU CREATED BY CHRIS BIRCH

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 Contents

Operation
Vanguard

Mission: Operation Vanguard...................... 4

Act 1 :Getting There....................................... 6
Scene 1 Arming Up..............................................6
Scene 2 Making Waves.......................................7
Scene 3 Going Ashore........................................8
Scene 4 A Safe Haven......................................10
Act 2: To The Lighthouse................................
Scene 1 A Fish Man’s Friend............................. 11
Scene 2 The Ambush Site................................ 13
Scene 3 To the Lighthouse.............................. 14
Act 3: Skellen Island........................................
Across the Ocean Blue..................................... 19
Further Scenes.................................................. 20
The Grand Finale............................................... 24
Debriefing..................................................... 27
 Mission:
Mission  Operation Vanguard
Operation Vanguard
Synopsis
Operation Vanguard details a covert Section M operation
on the north Netherlands coast in August 1940, where
the agents will investigate Installation 41, a strange new
facility operated by Nachtwölfe. Following the fall of the
Netherlands in May 1940, Nachtwölfe quickly rushed to
establish this experimental base on the remote Skellen
Island near the small town of Nermegen. They came
with one sinister goal: to capture some Deep Ones and
investigate the regenerative qualities of that undersea race
for use in super soldier programmes.
The first act of Operation Vanguard details the Section
M agents’ preparations for the raid back in Britain and
their deployment by submarine into occupied territory.
Once there, they will need to rendezvous with a key local
resistance contact, avoid detection on their approach,
make their way to Nermegen itself and establish
themselves in a safe house as a base of operations.
The second act is a slower-paced affair, giving the agents
the opportunity to investigate their surroundings more
thoroughly: exploring the landscape and picking up
valuable insights into the area while striving to remain
undetected. They will need to gather information from
a suspicious local, investigate the site where Nachtwölfe
Mission Briefing & Goals
Following their initial mission in A Quick Trip to France,
your agents will have a little while to rest and recuperate
before they are summoned to a secret Section M office,
concealed behind an anonymous doorway within the
bustle of King’s Cross on the London Underground. There,
Lieutenant Archibald Strang, codenamed Hunter, will
introduce himself as their new handler and liaison officer.
Hunter is a Scotsman in his late twenties and speaks with
a mild Edinburgh accent, but retains a twinkle in his eye
and tends to emphasise his sentences by pointing his pipe
when he grows animated.
Hunter will begin by recounting the tale of RAF pilot Flight
Lieutenant Michael Carter who recently returned to the UK
after ditching his Spitfire in the drink following a dogfight
4
captured the Deep Ones, and then observe and analyse
the tactical situation to determine the best way to get
themselves onto Skellen Island. The agents will also visit
St Olaf’s lighthouse and attempt to disable the radar
antennae which protects the passage to the base.
In the final act, the pace picks up considerably and is more
action oriented. The agents journey to Skellen island itself,
and must overtly or covertly penetrate Installation 41.
There, they must discover just what Nachtwölfe are up to,
gather what intelligence they can, and decide on the fate
of the Deep One captives. The base presents a formidable
obstacle and is manned by a considerable Nachtwölfe
force as well as both static and mobile defences. Yet this
daunting task may be eased by the imminent arrival of a
Deep One warband who have come to liberate the captives
and return them to the ocean’s depths.
This mission is set early in the Secret War and is a direct
sequel to A Quick Trip to France, the Achtung! Cthulhu
Quickstart. It’s designed for low level/beginner agents and
introduces them to Nachtwölfe, the Nazi’s second occult
faction, and the Deep Ones, the first major Mythos faction
that agents will encounter.
over the North Sea. Carter’s dinghy drifted for days and he
eventually ended up on the north coast of the Netherlands.
After several minor misadventures, Carter managed to
make contact with the fledgling Dutch resistance and
was moved between safe houses for several weeks, before
the RAF were able to arrange a pick up for him. While in
hiding in the small coastal town of Nermegen, the pilot
learnt of a remarkable new base, which has been built on
a nearby island, an intriguing nugget of information which
bears further investigation.
What’s drawn Section M’s interest is that this is the first
confirmed sighting of a permanent presence deployed by
a shadowy organisation known as Nachtwölfe. The agents

have already encountered Black Sun, but Nachtwölfe,
the “Night Wolves”, are a rival Nazi occult force who
it is rumoured favour technological development and
bio-experimentation. Little is known about them at this
stage, apart from their badge which resembles a wolf’s
paw and their advanced equipment which emanates
a distinctive blue glow. Section M is particularly keen
to gather any further intelligence and find out exactly
what Nachtwölfe are up to on this isolated, apparently
insignificant isle.
The agents will be dispatched to Nermegen via
submarine and their mission is to make contact with the
local resistance, establish a base of operations, gather
information on Nachtwölfe’s activities, and then surveil
this facility which is known as Installation 41. Depending
on what they learn, they should then prepare to penetrate
the facility by assault or stealth, uncover its true purpose,
Historical Background
It is August 1940, and the Netherlands is still reeling
from German Invasion just three months earlier. The
Netherlands attempted to remain neutral at the outbreak
of World War II, but in May 1940 Germany invades and
after a short, sharp Blitzkrieg culminating in the bombing
of Rotterdam, the outdated and obsolete Dutch army
surrenders. Queen Wilhelmina and the administration
escape and form a government in exile.
The Germans appoint an Austrian Nazi, Arthur Seyss-
Inquart, to head their new regime, and he institutes a
‘velvet glove’ policy. There are no immediate repressive
measures and the Germans order goods and materials to
fuel their war machine, benefitting Dutch industry and
business. Any nascent resistance is at a very early stage.
There is resentment toward their occupiers, but many
Dutch are uncertain about how to proceed and await
developments. Over the skies of France and the English
Channel, the first phases of the Battle of Britain are about
to commence.
Difficulty Rating & Enemy Personnel
Operation Vanguard has been balanced for a party of
four to five relatively inexperienced agents who will
have usually completed one basic adventure (most
likely the Achtung! Cthulhu Quickstart: A Quick Trip
to France). As a GM you should feel free to add or
subtract additional enemy forces, according to your
agents’ experience and composition, how they prefer
to play (all-out-action versus cautious stealth), and the
Mission  Operation Vanguard
and gather any data they can which will give an indication
of Nachtwölfe’s structure and intentions.
There’s not a great deal more Section M can offer at
this stage. Nermegen is a small place, home to a tiny
fishing fleet and some light industry, but otherwise seems
unremarkable, apart from a few local legends about
mermaids, sea folk, selkies and the like, typical tall stories
you might find in any port. “It’s a sniff-it-and-see kind of
operation,” concludes Strang. Aerial reconnaissance has
proved inconclusive and so the agents will be operating
behind enemy lines largely on their own, but they’re a
capable bunch and should be more than used to that.
Section M will provide training and supplies and the
agents can choose even some specialised equipment to
help them on their way. “Good luck and god speed. You
leave in 24 hours, so make ready, any final questions?”
says Strang, before sending them off.
Following the Battle of France the previous year, there
are few major developments in the Secret War. Black
Sun is riding high after its key role in the victory and
is busy consolidating power, looting the museums and
libraries of Europe for esoteric tomes and artefacts.
Nachtwölfe, overshadowed by its rival in the early
part of the war, is starting to flex its muscles, seeking
Hyperborean artefacts and sources of Blauer Kristall,
and experimenting with new bio-enhancements and
weaponry, hoping to catch the eye of the Führer and
impress the Nazi high command.
On the home front, Section M is gathering its strength and
marshalling its resources. After successfully defending
Britain from a Norn dreamer attack, it is now shoring up
and reinforcing its defences for the first air campaign over
England’s skies. It is also seeking information, knowledge,
and resources that will help it fight the many occult
battles which undoubtedly lie ahead.
feel and progress of your play sessions. Likewise, skill
test difficulty levels are suggestions rather than hard
and fast rules and should be adapted according to the
unique circumstances of your game. Adjust, improvise,
play around, and above all, enjoy! Don’t get too hung
up on absolute values. It’s your game and as a GM
you’re entitled to have as much fun as the players (if
not more).
5
 Act 1:
Mission  Operation Vanguard

Getting There
Scene 1: Arming Up
Despite its make-do-and-mend ethos, Section M doesn’t This is a good chance to introduce your team to the
put its troops into harm’s way without preparing them Requisition Rules in the Achtung! Cthulhu 2d20
adequately, and the agents’ first assignment will be an Gamemaster’s Guide. This is a mission with moderate
intensive three day course under the auspices of the support, which entitles them to 5 standard requisition
recently formed Special Boat Squadron. points, plus two for each team member and they may
spend these on any of the covert British equipment listed
Transported to a remote Scottish loch and drilled under that they wish, as well as any appropriate kits they think
the eagle eye of Captain Roger Courtney and a dozen small they will need. Explosives and infiltration equipment will
wiry and extremely dangerous looking men, the agents be recommended, including wire cutters.
will acquire some skills in the new folboat technology,
a folding canoe which is ideally suited for deployment Captain Appleby is a stern and rather humourless woman
by submarine. Any agent without the Vehicles skill, in her mid-thirties, a serious presence who is a stickler for
immediately acquires Vehicles 1. Any agent who already detail, regarding the equipment in her charge as vital to
has a rating in Vehicles will acquire the Watercraft focus, the war effort, and not to be frittered away foolishly.
for use in handling folboats.
If the agents can persuade her of their noble intentions,
After completing the course, the agents will be granted via some good roleplaying, she may loosen up and be
a day or two’s rest at a Section M base to recover from prepared to help them out. Alternatively, you could
their gruelling ordeal, and then given notice that they will apply a Reason + Persuasion (negotiation) test with an
be deployed in less than 24 hours. They will also pay a appropriate difficulty. If successful in either endeavour,
visit to the subterranean lair of Captain Martha Appleby, Captain Appleby will recommend an additional item
Section M’s Quartermistress who will furnish them with from her ‘special trove’, a pair of Cornwallis Goggles
the following: (see Achtung! Cthulhu Gamemaster’s Guide) for the
agents to take with them although these will still cost 4
Covert Clothing for blending in with the local Dutch

? requisition points. A very handy tool for reconnaissance,
populace this sorcerous eyewear grants the user the See the Unseen
truth, allowing them to detect entities, ferret out secrets
Rations and supplies

? during investigations or discern things which escape the
Explosives and covert devices (at GM’s discretion)

? common gaze, albeit at the cost of a point of Fatigue
for the wearer at the end of each scene they are used.
Binoculars (allow agents to view at long range and

? Cornwallis goggles count as Minor items.
make any Observationbased tests easier by 1)

,
e n t s , s u p p li e s are limited
ully ag
Choose caref y o u e a t a nd the bullets
the fo o d
and outside of s t u ff ba c k . O therwise it’ll
nt this
you fire, I’ll wa
ur pay packet.
come straight out of yo
ss
A pp le by , S e ct io n M Quartermistre
a
— Captain Marth

6
 Mission  Operation Vanguard
Mission Area HMS BUCKLER 
NORTH

RENDEZVOUS
SKELLEN
ISLAND

SAND
DUNES
AMBUSH
SITE AR
N
RI
VE
R

SAND
DUNES

0 miles 1 mile 2 miles

NERMEGEN
0 km 1 km 2 km

HEER BASE
ST. OLAF’S
LIGHTHOUSE

Scene 2: Making Waves Re: Operation Vanguard

You will shortly be deployed by folboat

to rendezvous with a resistance contact
The next day, the agents will board HMS Buckler, a British
codenamed Nightfire.
S Class Submarine and begin their three-day journey
Aim for the beach approximately two
across the North Sea toward the Dutch Coast. At 01:00 on
miles to the North East of the town above the
20th of August, Captain Bannard will let them know he is
river Arn. At 03:00 Nightfire will signal the
will be ready to surface in an hour and that they need to
rendezvous point with three short flashes
make ready to launch the folboats. He will then hand the
from a night lantern.
following sealed orders to the agents.
You will be challenged with the code
phrase “There were angels dining at the Ritz”
Bannard will explain that his orders (right) are to surface
which you will answer with signal “And a
some three miles off Nermegen, where the agents will
nightingale sang on Berkeley Square”.
deploy the folboats and paddle their way to shore. Bannard
Nightfire will take things from there.
is keen to make sure this operation goes smoothly and
You are free to use your discretion on how to
that his submarine spends as little time on the surface as
achieve your objective, but if I were you, I
possible, avoiding detection by either s-boat or enemy radar.
would remain undetected for as long as you
can. Do nothing to attract attention until
Within the hour, the Buckler will surface, sloughing off
you are ready to launch your strike.
tons of water, and its hatches will be popped. With the
assistance of the crew, it’s now down to the agents to
Good luck and good hunting.
deploy their folboats, stow their gear and get into the
water as quickly as possible.
- Hunter

7
Mission  Operation Vanguard
It is a fine night, with light breezes, the moon is hidden
behind clouds and the swell is relatively benign, so this
should be a straightforward Coordination + Vehicles
test at difficulty 1. Any complications might cost the
agents some equipment or an ammo refill lost overboard,
while outright failure will earn the agent a dunk in the
cold water and two Fatigue points.
Once the agents are underway, HMS Buckler will slide
beneath the surface once again. Approximately three
miles directly to their south are the lights of the village
of Nermegen on the shore, and just below it and to the
southwest, the steady blink of a lighthouse whose beams
glow with a peculiar blue tinge.
Off to their southwest, they will also catch their first
glimpse of Installation 41, a dark, lightless silhouette
which occupies Skellen Island. Paddling toward their
rendezvous point will take approximately an hour, and
involves three Coordination + Vehicles skill tests,
one every twenty minutes. If there are any significant
failures or complications you might use the following
table to simulate the consequences, or choose something
appropriate yourself.
During their journey to the shore, the agents may also
spot the presence of a prowling Nachtwölfe s-boat (p.16)
which is patrolling Skellen island. Although the agents
are outside of its patrol route and it is unlikely to discover
them, mischievous GMs may wish to add to the tension,
Scene 3: Going Ashore
As the agents close in on their rendezvous point, they
should be able to spot a signal from shore, (a simple Insight
+ Observation test) which is repeated at five-minute
intervals. Navigating toward them is a simple Reason
+ Survival test followed by one final Coordination +
Vehicles test to have them finally land safely ashore. You
may wish to apply complications should any arise.
Waiting to rendezvous with them are Fenna de Vries and
Daan Leiden, two members of the local resistance who
helped the RAF pilot Michael Carter escape. Both Fenna
and Daan are in their mid-twenties and are dressed in
typical working person’s clothing as both work in the local
fishing industry. Although opposed to the Nazi occupation,
this is their first major cloak and dagger operation, so
both will be tense and nervous. You might take the
chance to roleplay their edginess with the agents, until
their identities have been confirmed with the proper code
phrase. Daan’s profile is almost the same as Fenna’s, but
she is armed with a pistol and has a Tactics 1 (Leadership)
rating, which he lacks, while he has a farmer’s shotgun.
Both speak excellent English.
Once the correct responses have been exchanged, the
agents will be quickly led off the beach into a clump
8
Mishaps
D20 ROLL CONSEQUENCE
1-2 Lose one ammo refill overboard
3-4 Drop secondary weapon overboard
5-6 Lose other item of covert equipment
Uniform becomes waterlogged
7-8
adding 1 to Fatigue
9-10 Lose items of covert clothing
Lose contact with fellow agents
11-12
delayed 10 minutes
13-14 Drift off course delayed 10 minutes
Strike debris—minor damage to
15-16
folboat (requires minor repair)
Strike debris—major damage to
17-18
folboat (requires major repair)
Drop Cornwallis Goggles or primary
19-20
weapon overboard
and spook their players, by having the s-boat suddenly
veer off course, activate its searchlights and power toward
them, continuing on this course for several minutes, before
breaking off and resuming patrol.
of nearby trees where Fenna will advise them to
conceal their folboats (which can be folded and then
camouflaged). She will also advise them to sweep the
beach for any telltale signs and their success in both
aspects will be measured with a Coordination + Stealth
(camouflage) test. This may become important later. If the
boats are poorly camouflaged and discovered by German
patrols, it will not only alert them to the agents’ presence,
but they will also undoubtedly be destroyed, cutting off a
means of getting to Skellen Island. Alternatively, you may
wish to express this by adding additional Threat to the
GM’s pool to be spent later.
Both resistance members will be tight-lipped, saying
they will answer questions when they are in a safe house
and insisting on the need to get to Nermegen before first
light. There is no formal curfew in town, but patrols do
roam abroad and anyone outside at night is likely to be
questioned. A group carrying weapons and equipment will
instantly arouse suspicion and be challenged strongly.
The landing site is an hour’s walk from town, especially
across the moderately challenging route Fenna and Daan
intend to take which encompasses the Arn river and the
grassy sand dunes which cover the northeast approach
 Mission  Operation Vanguard
Fenna de Vries & Daan Leiden German Infantry Soldier
TROOPER NPC TROOPER NPC

Truths Truth

?
Resistance Leader
?
Rank-and-File German Soldier

?
Dedicated to Overthrowing Occupiers
Attributes
Attributes AGILITY 8 BRAWN 9
AGILITY 8 BRAWN 8 COORDINATION 8 INSIGHT 8
COORDINATION 9 INSIGHT 7 REASON 8 WILL 7
REASON 7 WILL 9
Skills & Focuses
Skills & Focuses Athletics 2, Fighting 2 (Rifles), Resilience 2, Stealth
Athletics 1, Engineering 1 (Explosives), Fighting 2 1, Survival 1, Tactics 1, Vehicles 1
(Close Quarters), Resilience 3, Stealth 2, Tactics 1
(Leadership) STRESS 6 INJURIES 1
ARMOUR 2 COURAGE 2
STRESS 6 INJURIES 1
ARMOUR 0 COURAGE 2 Weapons

?
Geweher/Karabiner 43: (Rifle), Medium range, 5
Weapons (Salvo: Vicious), Reliable

?
Pistol (Fenna): (Handguns) Close range, 3
Vicious, Close Quarters

?
Bayonet: (Melee), 4 Piercing

?
Farmer’s Shotgun (Daan): (Close Quarters) Escalation Options
Close range, 4 Vicious, Reliable, Inaccurate

?
Machinengewehr 42 (MG42): (Rifle), Medium
range, 6 (Salvo: Area), Heavy, Inaccurate

to the town. They will follow the course of the Arn river
?
Stielhandgranate 24: (Throwing), Close range, 5
inland, and cross relatively close to the bridge. The Area, Stun, Munition
resistance members warn the mouth of the estuary is
currently considered dangerous as, following a recent
incident, the Germans have closed off and mined this aren’t on the alert or expecting any particular kind of
zone. This will be the first glimpse the agents get of the trouble, these three-man patrols will be keeping an eye
ambush site from Act 2 Scene 2, but Fenna and Daan will out for anything out of the ordinary. Your agents will
be keen to skirt around it, and not get too close. probably need to pass a couple of Agility + Stealth tests
at a difficulty of your discretion to sneak past them. Fenna
Once they reach the crossing point, the agents will and Daan will insist on avoiding any encounter which
discover a slow-moving and relatively benign waterway, would put the garrison on alert and let the Germans know
which can be readily swum or, more likely, waded, with there are hostile forces in the area.
a Brawn + Athletics (Swimming) difficulty 1 test, but
weapons and equipment will need to be held above the
waist high current if they are not to become waterlogged,
and the complication range increase by one to 19-20.
There is a guard post on the bridge crossing the river
upstream, manned by a couple of sleepy Heer sentries, but
if the agents are careless, or fail a test, they may become
alerted and come to investigate.

Once the agents reach the sand dunes, going will be slow.
The sand is moist and clings and drags on the feet, making
progress difficult, and slowing your agents down. You
might impose Brawn + Survival tests here to see if the
agents suffer any mishaps or complications.

More concerning though are a couple of German foot

patrols which crisscross the area. Although the Heer forces

9
 Scene 4: A Safe Haven
Mission  Operation Vanguard
Once at the outskirts of Nermegen, a final Agility +
Stealth test will see the agents safely smuggled into the
village, and ensconced in a hidden basement of the house
which Fenna occupies. Fenna and Daan will then greet the
agents properly and answer any questions. This is a chance
for some roleplay, where the agents can question these
brave members of the nascent resistance and find out
more about what’s been happening in the area, especially
any Nachtwölfe activity.
RUMOURS AND GOSSIP
Nermegen is a quiet and unremarkable town of some
? could even use Obtain Information Momentum spend.
300 souls, far from the bright lights and busy streets
of a city like Amsterdam. Its main source of wealth
is fishing, and some small light industry based on
processing the catch to be transported to the main
inland markets of the Netherlands.
Like all Dutch people, the locals found the German
? and seem quite suspicious, even mistrustful, of these
invasion shocking, but being so remote, the inhabitants
of Nermegen didn’t really believe it would affect them
in many ways.
It was a surprise therefore to find a garrison established
? something of an eccentric, an irascible old drunkard
in the town with a squad of some 15-20 German Heer
or regular army under the command of a Hauptmann
Freuder. The Germans have a small camp just to the west
and some of them have been billeted with local people.
These ordinary German soldiers have been well-
? about mermen, and so-called fish people in the area,
behaved, and they’ve treated the locals civilly. The
Germans conduct patrols and question anyone abroad
at night, but otherwise do little to interfere with
day-to-day life. They buy beer and other local produce
at fair prices and haven’t harassed anyone. Hauptmann
Freuder seems to be a reasonable man.
Nachtwölfe— which translates roughly as “Night
?
Wolves”— soldiers arrived in June on a merchant
ship which carried a lot of strange machinery. It was
unloaded directly onto the deserted Skellen island and
a base was quickly constructed and secured.
Nachtwölfe never come into town or mingle with the
? flashes of light around the mouth of the Arn. What
Heer. Their only real presence on the mainland is at St
Olaf’s lighthouse, where their s-boat sometimes docks.
They seem to have installed equipment, a radar or some
other scanning device which constantly sweeps the
islands and ocean around them. Its eerie blue glow can
be seen at night. It’s also situated on a rocky headland
which is a good place to observe Skellen Island itself.
10
Nachtwölfe issued an edict via Hauptmann Freuder
?
saying that they were in the area for research into
‘oceanographic phenomena’ and locals should not be
alarmed. However, their equipment is experimental,
highly sensitive and dangerous, and so they have
established exclusion zones around the islands and
lighthouse where locals aren’t permitted.
These following rumours reveal quite a bit more about
the plot and situation in Nermegen, so you should treat
them with care. They can either be revealed by good
roleplaying or a series of Insight-based skill tests. Players
They do contain important clues though, and will point
the players toward their objectives in Act 2, so at least
some, especially the one about Pieter Dijkstra, should be
revealed to the agents.
The German Heer don’t mix with Nachtwölfe at all,
?
supposed ‘comrades’.
Nachtwölfe did pay a visit to old Pieter Dijkstra,
?
a retired fisherman who might know more. He’s
who lives a little way out of town.
What’s drawn Nachtwölfe here? Well, it probably isn’t
?
the fishing, and there’s nothing particularly remarkable
about the seas around here. There are some old legends
but Fenna is dismissive about these as old wives’ tales.
Daan is less so, saying it’s a long-standing local
?
tradition, and some older sailors and fishermen swear
that strange creatures frequent the area, especially
during the late summer months, when there are
abundant fish stocks.
The only other unusual incident happened on July
?
18th. Word was passed to the local populace about
an extremely strict curfew that night and they were
warned to stay indoors and not venture out. In the
early hours of the morning there were booms and
happened, no-one knows, but the area was apparently
sown with mines and marked as verboten—and no-one’s
dared venture near it since. Perhaps this site might be
worth investigating to see what Nachtwölfe were up to?
Fenna will offer the agents some food, smoked fish and
bread and advise them to bed down for the night where
all accumulated Fatigue and stress will be removed. She
says, “Think about what you’ve heard, discuss it amongst
yourselves and we’ll formulate a plan of action together in
the morning.”
 Act 2:
To the Lighthouse
In this second Act, the agents will be free to pursue
their investigations into Skellen Island. From their
conversations with Fenna and Daan, they might deduce a
few major lines of enquiry to pursue.
Speak to Old Pieter Dijkstra
? problems in theory, there seems little to gain by risking
Investigate the ambush site near the river Arn
? themselves this way.
Observe Skellen island and explore the St. Olaf’s
? The Heer aren’t particularly on alert and their
lighthouse site
If the agents don’t pick up on the details, Fenna and Daan
could provide some guidance, advice or a gentle shove.
These scenes can be tackled more or less in any order, but
Fenna might steer them toward Dijkstra first, as this is best
place to begin their investigation and presents the least risk.
f and think him
“Pff, you may laugh and scof
but he’s seen them, oh
mad. to say these things,
from another epoch who
yes, die Diepe, creatures
have lived beneath the ocean waves since the
world was young.”
- Pieter Dijkstra
Scene 1: The Fish Man’s Friend
Stop and Search
As the agents are moving about on their mission,
GMs may wish to take the opportunity to engineer
some non-combat encounters with small Heer
patrols. Perhaps the members of this patrol merely
glance at the agents meaningfully as they march
by, noting their presence for later. But the patrol
might also stop the agents ask to see their papers,
question them about where they are going, or what
they are doing. The cross examination shouldn’t
be too exhaustive or onerous, but it’s a good
opportunity to test their roleplaying skills, remind the
agents that they are now behind enemy lines, and
that the stakes are raised.
Mission  Operation Vanguard
Moving About Town
The agents may wish to explore Nermegen itself, but
Fenna will discourage this. While moving about during
the day in small groups shouldn’t present too many
clandestine clothing and forged papers should have
them pass any cursory enquiries easily enough,
especially if they have a cover story in place. Yet most
agents won’t speak Dutch and Nermegen is a small
place; outsiders are easily noticed.
Local citizens may not be quite so understanding if
they suspect the agents’ true nature, thinking they will
stir up trouble and disturb an already uneasy peace.
They might even go so far as to inform the Heer of the
agent’s presence if the agents aren’t careful. You can
use Daan’s profile if you need to model any locals and
add points to your Threat pool if the agents venture out
and act incautiously.
Pieter Dijkstra lives a mile or so to the east of Nermegen
in a smallholding set back a long way from the main road
amid desolate sand dunes. He only comes into town once
a week to stock up on a few parcels of food, buy bottles
of beer and his stock of cheap but potent Jenever (Dutch
Gin). He used to drink in a couple of Nermegen’s bruin café
or brown bars, but his bad temper and boorish behaviour
earned him a permanent ban. Now he drinks alone on his
porch most evenings. The best way to loosen his lips is to
pack a couple of bottles of Jenever, and Fenna will suggest
this and will happily supply the agents with these, if they
concur. Provided the agents take suitable precautions, they
should be able to reach Dijkstra’s smallholding undetected.
The path leading to Dijkstra’s cabin is weed-choked and
the agents may spot evidence of bottles tossed into the
undergrowth long before they arrive at the ramshackle
11
Mission  Operation Vanguard
“They normally keep themselves to themselves but

?
Pieter Dijkstra could sometimes be persuaded to help fishermen
in return for ‘special favours’.” [He will cackle
TROOPER NPC
lasciviously and wink at any female agents here]
Truths There was a small colony of the creatures who lived

?

?
Rambling Alcoholic close by and who used to have some truck with the

?
I Have Seen Them remoter villages further up the coast. But that was
before the turn of the century, and those villages have
Attributes been abandoned for decades.

AGILITY 8 BRAWN 8 For a while, those villages enjoyed monster catches of

?
fish and were blessed with prosperity in the form of
COORDINATION 9 INSIGHT 7
strange golden jewellery, but then became foul and
REASON 7 WILL 9 degenerate. “Too many bastaard hybride, and they all
go to live with de Diepe, their fathers in the oceans.”
Skills & Focuses
“Still, de Diepe could always be summoned again by

?
Athletics 1 (Swimming), Fighting 1, Persuasion 2,
those who knew how to call them. Those Nachtwölfe
Vehicles 3 (Watercraft)
seemed very interested in that. All it takes is to cast
one of their golden charms in the salt water and
STRESS 6 INJURIES 1
wait for the first full moon and they would come.”
ARMOUR 0 COURAGE 2 Fortunately, Dijkstra was able to sell them one, which
his father had given him as a curio. These Nachtwölfe
listened avidly, began speaking among themselves in
building itself. It looks like an ordinary wooden-built barbaric German, but eventually paid him handsomely
seafarer’s house, but the paint on the walls is peeling, for his artefact.
moss blocks the roof and gutters, and a couple of
Dijkstra wondered might come of it, probably no

?
broken windows have been clumsily repaired. The
good at all; but he didn’t care because it paid for his
grass is waist-high, and the garden and flowerbeds are
Jenever for a long time to come. Then, at the next full
overgrown.
moon, wouldn’t you know it, but down near the Arn
estuary at midnight, there were strange lights, flashes,
Sitting on a rocking chair on the dilapidated porch and
an eerie blue glow, a deep hum and what sounded like
eyeing any prospective visitors with disdain, is a fractious,
energy discharges.
hungover Peter Dijkstra. Skilful roleplaying, outright
bribery, or an Insight + Persuasion test will be required Dijkstra is also sure he heard the high-pitched clicks

?
to get him to talk. He will be cagey at first, but if they and whistles of the weird language of de Diepe—but
agents demonstrate enthusiasm for his tales, and especially they sounded like they were in pain or distress. The
if they ply him liberally with Jenever, the difficulty will whole damn commotion went on for about 15 minutes
reduce, and he will warm to his theme. and then he spotted that Nachtwölfe boat heading off
toward Skellen Island afterward.
Yes, he was visited by Germans but not the usual idiots

? He won’t dare go near that damn place now, for fear

?
you find in town. These were different, the ones who
that de Diepe may blame him somehow, for selling that
have made their base on Skellen island.
charm. But mark his words, if those Nachtwölfe have
These Nachtwölfe got straight down to business and

? been interfering with de Diepe, there will be hell to pay.
were interested to hear his tales of de Diepe, the Deep They’re stirring up forces beyond their comprehension,
Ones. They were also prepared to pay handsomely for and the ocean always comes to reclaim its own!
his knowledge.
Eventually Dijkstra will succumb to the effects of the
He’ll say: “Maybe you are sceptical, don’t believe Old

? alcohol, his memory will become hazy, and his speech
Pieter, mock him, hm? Call him an old drunkard and
slurred, he may fall asleep or get angry and veer off on an
a liar, but these creatures are real. Oh yes, I have seen
incoherent rant, blaming the agents for his many woes and
them, basking on the rocks, under the moonlight.”
demanding they leave his property. After that, they will
“These Diepe have lived in the oceans down the long

? get little sense from him.
centuries, long before man walked the earth but are
well known to those who live on the coast and who
work the oceans the world over. “

12
Scene 2: The Ambush Site
This site near the mouth of the river Arn is where
Nachtwölfe laid an ambush for the Deep Ones around
mid-July. Having learned of a potential Deep One enclave
nearby in a manuscript called Lore Ipsum Amphibia looted
from Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum’s special collection, local
Nachtwölfe Commander Lotte Bernhard moved quickly to
secure Pieter Dijkstra’s information, adding his ‘golden
artefact’ and knowledge to her own findings.
Having consulted the Abteilung der Geheimnisse, or
Department of Mysteries, the Nachtwölfe division
dedicated to sorcerous and magical research, she secured a
practitioner to perform the Summon Deep One ritual, eager
to capture her first test subjects. Choosing an ambush
site with care, Bernhard laid her traps and lured in a
dozen Deep Ones, detonating a series of Blauer Kristall
concussion mines to stun them into submission.
All did not quite go according to plan. Of the twelve
specimens that were summoned, six were stunned and
captured, however five remained conscious and turned on
their prospective captors and were killed in the subsequent
struggle, alongside several Nachtwölfe specialists. One is
unaccounted for, having escaped the trap and fled back
into the depths. The captured Deep Ones were loaded into
cages and transferred onto the s-boat for transport to the
facility on Skellen Island. The ambush site was secured
by running barbed wired along each bank and placing
Achtung Minen! signs to warn intruders off. Heer sentries
Ambush Site
B
D
C 0 yds
C B
A 2
RI
VE
R
AR
1
Mission  Operation Vanguard
on the bridge upriver were told to keep an eye on the site
to make sure no-one trespassed or for ‘any unusual activity
in the water’.
Investigating the ambush site will present a challenge for
the agents and is best tackled by stealth and engineering
specialists. Exploring the site by daylight will be difficult,
as its exposed location means the agents will most likely
be spotted. The terrain is sand dunes with knee- to waist-
high grass, with a mix of sandy and rocky shoreline, but
it is overlooked by the guard post on the bridge upstream.
The agents’ best chance is to get to work at night, a task
made easier if they have secured the Cornwallis Goggles.
1. Barbed Wire and Achtung Minen! signs
These have been placed liberally around the perimeter of
the crash site to warn off interlopers, but they are a rather
unsophisticated bluff. The barbed wire is real enough,
but there is only one mine left (3) and it is a dud. An
Insight + Engineering test at a relatively straightforward
difficulty will quickly establish there is little to fear here.
2. Remnants of a Summon Deep One Ritual
Although partially washed away by the tide, half of a
strange sorcerous pentagram is still clearly visible in
the mud, its otherworldly sigils glowing with a faint
phosphorescence. The stubs of several candles can be
observed at points on its circumference, and they reek of
a curious fatty smell. A Reason + Academia (occultism)

NORTH
100 yds 200 yds 300 yds
0m 100 m 200 m
N
GUARD HUT
BRIDGE
13
Mission  Operation Vanguard
difficulty 1 test will identify them as extracts from some
extra-terrestrial but otherwise unidentifiable creature.
Particularly sharp-eyed agents may well also find a golden
charm on a chain in the shallows.
Deep One Charm: Although ugly and worn, this
? Insight + Observation tests may ascertain the agents’
golden charm resembles a bizarrely misshapen
mermaid but retains some of its original magic. If used
as votive object it reduces the difficulty of summoning
Deep Ones by 1 if used in the appropriate ritual.
3. Concussion Mine
Half submerged in the clinging mud of the estuary and
discernible by its faint blue glow is one of the concussion
mines used to subdue the Deep Ones. This particular
example failed to detonate, though it will take a Reason +
Engineering (explosives) test to identify it as a dud. Close
by, agents can identify depressions in the riverbed where
the other mines detonated and small fragments of casings
and components with additional Reason + Engineering
(explosives) tests allowing them to piece together the
sequence of events below.
4. Footprints and Web Prints
There are many footprints still visible in the sand and
surrounding the ritual site, and astute agents with
appropriate survival skills will be able to piece together their
story with appropriate Insight + Survival (tracking) tests.
A. The approach of the Deep Ones. On the riverbed and
near the ritual site they will see heavy, weighty web
prints where the Deep One warriors came ashore.
B. There is plenty of physical evidence of a substantial
Nachtwölfe presence prior to the Deep Ones arriving, as
they prepared the ritual and armed the mines.
C. Here is evidence of hand-to-hand combat as Deep
Ones and Nachtwölfe engaged in a desperate pitched
Scene 3: To the Lighthouse
The final area to explore and the climax to the mainland
sequence is St Olaf’s Lighthouse. Before Nachtwölfe
arrived, this was a normal lighthouse used to warn
shipping off some of the treacherous sandbars near
both Skellen and the surrounding isles. Now it has been
converted into a shore base and an advanced radar device
installed to scan the area and give advance warning of
hostile planes, shipping or any other threats. The rocky
promontory on which the lighthouse is situated also
provides the best place to observe Skellen Island in the
area, so the agents may wish to use the opportunity to
make the most of their visit.
Finding a concealed position to observe both targets is a
relatively easy task, amongst the rocks and tall grass of
this wild headland with a straightforward Coordination
14
The Night Watch
If you want to interrupt your agents’ investigation with a
stealth or combat sequence, then the guard post to the
north may be keeping a wary out for intruders. Periodic
presence or for a suitable Threat spend, you could
dispatch a small patrol to investigate the area. Whether
the agents choose to hide or engage might make for
an entertaining encounter.
battle. Although the tide has washed away much of
the evidence, agents may discover a severed Deep One
flipper and a gore-encrusted trident which was used to
skewer a Nachtwölfe specialist.
D. It is also possible to see physical evidence of where
the unconscious Deep Ones were dragged into cages
before those cages were loaded onto the s-boat. There
are heavy footmarks where Major Lotte Bernhard, a
Nachtwölfe Stalker, used her force plates to drag the
creatures along (leaving great furrows in the sand)
then lifted the heavy wrought-iron cages onto the
s-boat. There are also impressions where the cages
stood, and some evidence of the camouflage netting
used to disguise them. The remains of one such
flattened cage, its bars broken and mangled, has been
poorly concealed in the sand.
Your agents should be encouraged to play detective and
see if they can work out what happened by assembling
all these different clues together to get a picture of the
sequence of events. You could use Daan or Fenna to help
tease out what had happened either by asking relevant
questions or filling in any blanks. Don’t forget agents can
also spend Momentum to Obtain Information from the GM,
which might help fill in any missing pieces of the puzzle.
+ Stealth test. This task becomes more difficult if it is
attempted during daylight, if the agents’ presence in the
town is known, the base has been alerted, or the GM
wishes to expend some Threat.
OBSERVATIONS
Once in hiding, the agents can learn some, or all, of the
following. They could also spend Momentum and use the
Obtain Information mechanic to learn some, or all, of
these secrets.
The agents should quickly realise that if they don’t
sabotage or neutralise the lighthouse it will make their
passage to Skellen Island extremely difficult, putting the
island on full alert and directing the powerful s-boat onto
 Mission  Operation Vanguard
St. Olaf’s Base 
NORTH
0 yds 10 yds 20 yds 3
0m 10 m 20 m

1
4
2

LIGHTHOUSE
2

6
5

9
9
8

10

their trail in open water. If they attempt to go straight to PATROL AND GUARD FREQUENCY
the island without neutralising the radar, the GM receives
Agents watching the compound for a suitable length of
9 Threat to spend as they wish.
time should take an Insight + Observation test and
will come to understand the guards patrol frequency and
S-BOAT FREQUENCY routes. If sneaking into the compound, this will reduce the
difficulty of Stealth tests by 1 and increase the difficulty of
The s-boat moors here twice a day, once in the morning
the guards’ Observation tests to spot them by 1.
at 8am and once at 8pm in the evening, and it spends the
rest of the time on patrol around Skellen Island. The boat
will sometimes stop at some of the smaller islands and THE LIGHTHOUSE
might be successfully ambushed there.
Eagle-eyed agents keeping an eye on the entrance to the
lighthouse will see visitors use an alpha numeric keypad
RADAR SWEEPS to gain entry. A simple Reason + Observation test will
spot the code is “3204”.
The Lighthouse radar is focussed on the sea and sky
around Skellen Island and sweeps back and forth every
minute or so with a strobing blue glow, which leaves a ST. OLAF’S BASE
distinct afterimage in the eyes if anyone stares directly
at it. Anyone foolish enough to do so for more than a 1. Beach
moment or two, should make a Will + Resiliance test at
This beach consists of a long expanse of sand and pebbles
difficulty 1, or suffer a point of Fatigue.
but contains sufficient dunes and tall grass to provide a
means of concealment and an unhindered approach to the
A Reason + Engineering test will ascertain that this
base of the rocks.
is a high-powered experimental beam which will detect
anything larger than a human-sized object on the water 2. Rocks
(for example a folboat). Agents will need to sabotage or
These craggy, 30-yard-high cliffs are certainly one way
destroy this mechanism if they wish to proceed to Skellen
to approach the interior of the base unnoticed but will
island undetected.

15
Mission  Operation Vanguard
Nachtwölfe S500 S-Boat
Schnellboote are light, quick and highly versatile sea
vehicles used for raiding and coastal operations as well
as escort duties. A normal s-boat had a crew of 25+
but on this model, many of the normal functions have
been automated and they run on a compliment of just
5 personnel (use standard Nachtwölfe troopers profile
p.17 with Vehicles 3 (Watercraft)).
Truths
?
S-boat
Profile
SCALE 4 BRAWN 15 (+3)
STRESS 20 INJURIES
ARMOUR 5 SPEED
Passengers: 5 (10)
Cover: Enclosed roof bolted together. Inside is a simple three-room layout
Qualities: Enclosed
Impact: 9
Weapons
?
37mm Cannon: (Vehicle Weapons), Medium range,
8 Piercing 2 (Salvo: Area), Heavy, Inaccurate
?
20mm Autocannon: (Vehicle Weapons), Medium
range, 6 Piercing 1 (Salvo: Area or Vicious),
Escalation, Giant-Killer, Heavy, Inaccurate
?
Torpedo: (Vehicle Weapons), Medium range, 12
Piercing 2 (Salvo: Area), Giant Killer, Heavy
require at least one Agility + Athletics (climbing) test
and possibly more. Complicating factors might also
include weather and time of day.
3. S-boat Dock
This deployable Nachtwölfe dock allows the s-boat to moor
alongside and load and unload cargo and supplies from
island to shore.
4. Lift
A mini-funicular lift has been installed here to transport
cargo and supplies from the beach to the camp. It
consists of two simple control panels, top and bottom,
which raise and lower a platform on the set of tracks
embedded into the cliff. Hopping onboard would make
gaining access easy but would increase the chance of
discovery. Canny agents may forgo the mechanism and
use the tracks themselves to reduce the difficulty of a
silent climb.
5. Supply Dump
Fuel, ammunition, and crates containing various
provisions and useful materials are stored under canvas in
16
this large open-sided supply tent. As well as providing a
place of concealment, it could also be major distraction if
set alight and the volatile material would burn readily and
would certainly explode in a prolonged blaze.
6. Garrison Tent
This closed canvas tent is where the rank-and-file
Nachtwölfe troops make their home and is typical of field
quarters throughout Europe, consisting of a temporary
wooden floor, camp beds, lockers, weapons racks and
other necessities.
7. Latrines and Showers
This small toilet block caters to the garrison’s needs, a
wastewater pipe leads down the cliff to the shoreline
where it empties out into the ocean.
3
8. Administration Block
2 This is where the senior Nachtwölfe officer on site, Hans
Frick, is lodged and it’s a more permanent construction,
consisting of a pre-fabricated frame with floor, walls, and
consisting of an office, bedroom/living quarters and a
small washroom with toilet, sink, and shower. Amongst
various memos and office work, the agents may discover
this intriguing note in German.
Lieutenant Frick,
Note that the Hundemeisters are now in
situ with their charges and are patrolling
the island.
The beasts are highly trained, but may
attack unfamiliar personnel even if in
uniform.
Ensure that your men don’t stray into
areas outside of the quay, the camp, and
the approaches to the installation.
- —Bernhard
9. Fence
This three-metre high barbed wire fence supported by
concrete posts surrounds the compound protecting it from
intruders, and a spotlight is mounted on every third post
providing illumination. It could be cut, climbed, or possibly
detoured around with suitable tests, but any permanent
damage may be spotted, raising the alarm.
10. Entrance
The compound’s main entrance consists of a pair of
wooden gates, which are permanently guarded by a sentry
stationed there.
PATROLS AND GUARDS

Mission  Operation Vanguard

The garrison consists of a small detachment. The
following forces can be deployed in whatever manner
the GM sees fit. A guard is always maintained at the
gate, and Lieutenant Frick is usually to be found in the
administration block unless supervising other business.
The technicians and troopers work in shifts, so half are
likely to be sleeping in the garrison tent at any one time.

4 x Nachtwölfe technicians (Use Trooper profile, but

?
only armed with Luger, no Escalation Option)

6 x Nachtwölfe Troopers

?
1 x Nachtwölfe Lieutenant/Scout

?

NACHTWÖLFE TROOPER
Trooper NPC LIEUTENANT HANS FRICK
Truth NACHTWÖLFE PATHFINDER
Ambitious Intelligent Infantry

? (SCOUT)
Lieutenant NPC
Attributes
AGILITY 8 BRAWN 8 Truths
COORDINATION 8 INSIGHT 7 Elite Scout

?
Cutting Edge Technology

?
REASON 9 WILL 8
Attributes
Skills & Focuses
AGILITY 8 BRAWN 8
Academia 1, Athletics 1, Engineering 1, Fighting 2
(Rifles), Resilience 2, Stealth 1, Survival 1, Tactics 1 COORDINATION 9 INSIGHT 9
(Leadership) REASON 9 WILL 9

STRESS 5 INJURIES 1 Skills & Focuses

ARMOUR 1 COURAGE 2 Academia 1, Athletics 2, Engineering 1, Fighting 3
(Heavy Weapons, Rifles), Observation 3 (Sight),
Weapons Resilience 2, Stealth 1, Survival 1, Tactics 2, Vehicles 1
MP 40: (Close Quarters), Close range, 4

? , Stun,
Inaccurate STRESS 11 INJURIES 2
Luger P08 9mm: (Handguns), Close range, 4

? ARMOUR 1 COURAGE 3
(Salvo: Vicious), Close Quarters
Weapons
Escalation Options MP 40: (Close Quarters), Close range, 4

? , Stun,
Machinengewehr 42 (MG42): (Rifles), Medium range,

? Inaccurate
6 (Salvo: Area), Escalation, Heavy, Inaccurate
Special Rules
Stielhandgranate 24: (Throwing), Close range, 5

? Advanced Optics: Frick may reroll a single d20 on any

?
Area, Stun, Munition
Observation skill test which uses his Sight focus. He
Special Rules ignores any difficulty increases that come from poor
light or darkness.
Advanced Technical Training: Nachtwölfe Troopers

?
training means all tests using technological devices are Bombardment: Pathfinders utilise state of the art

?
decreased by 1 to a minimum of difficulty 1. spotting and communication technologies to ambush
enemy troops. As a major action, the Pathfinder can
spend 2 Threat to call in supporting fire from distant
watercraft like an s-boat. This is an attack, requiring a
Reason + Fighting test with a difficulty of 2, and uses
this profile: Bombardment: (Heavy Weapons), Long
range, 8 Area

17
 ST. OLAF’S LIGHTHOUSE
Mission  Operation Vanguard
1 Door and Ground Level
The entrance to the lighthouse itself has been secured with
a coded keypad which agents can crack with a Reason +
Engineering test at difficulty 2 or if they have spent time
observing, they will know the combination is 3204. The
ground floor itself is unremarkable, serving mainly as a
storage area, but containing little else of value.
2. Spiral Staircase
Access to the upper floors of the lighthouse is provided by
a stone spiral staircase which runs around the interior of
the building. The sightlines mean observers above can’t
see the approach of anyone below and vice-versa.
3. Middle Level: Generators
Nachtwölfe have installed some small Blauer Kristall
powered micro-generators here, which power both the
Fledermaus radar and the entire facility’s energy needs. If
St. Olaf’s Lighthouse
5
4
3 to the assigned areas and paths to avoid
1
18
the agents succeed in sabotaging these generators (an easy
Insight + Engineering test), it will disable the lights and
lift and render the radar inoperable.
4. Top Level: Fledermaus Radar
Installation and Radio
This floor is packed full of banks and screens of Blauer
Kristall powered technology which links the radar
detection system into the eye of the lighthouse’s lens. This
is an automated system, which will raise the alarm on
both the s-boat and Installation 41 adding 6 to the GM’s
Threat pool. It is easy to simply destroy this equipment,
but technically minded agents might be able to perform
more sophisticated sabotage: re-programming the radar to
ignore smaller craft, diverting the s-boat away on a wild
goose chase or programming false readings to simulate an
allied air attack or other ingenious diversion.
It takes a tough Insight + Engineering (Electronics)
to inspect and understand the Fledermaus system.
Reprogramming it for a desired effect requires an
extended task. This uses the same test, but with a
stress track of 10, a resistance of 1 and requires two
breakthroughs (see Achtung! Cthulhu Gamemaster’s
Guide). There is also a powerful radio set here which
provides voice communications between the base, the
s-boat, and Skellen Island itself. Agents will also find the
following note, in German.
Lieutenant Frick,
Note that the Singvögel devices have now
been deployed on the island.
We have already tuned them to avoid
detecting birds and some of the smaller
wildlife, but please ensure your men keep
triggering unnecessary alerts.
- —Bernhard
5. Lens and Beam
The top floor houses the lens and beam of the Fledermaus
radar detection system and agents who favour a direct more
physical approach could destroy it with ease. However,
the beam is Blauer Kristall powered (containing a fragment
of the shattered mind of Sarthothus) which is further
amplified by the lens, so prolonged exposure is extremely
hazardous. Agents who linger here for more than a minute
must make a Will + Resilience test at difficulty 2 or suffer
a mental attack of 5 . If they suffer an injury as a result,
the GM should choose an appropriate permanent mental
scar (Achtung! Cthulhu Gamemaster’s Guide) as the god’s
consciousness seeps in to infect their mind.
 Act 3:

Mission  Operation Vanguard

Skellen Island
Scene 1: Across the Ocean Blue
Once the agents have investigated Skellen Island’s BY TRAWLER
defences and the St Olaf’s Lighthouse facility they will
If all else fails, it’s possible that Fenna and Daan could
be ready to go to Skellen Island itself and complete their
persuade one of the local fishermen to ferry the agents
mission. How they do so is a matter of risk and reward.
close to the island. However, the locals have been warned
Any of the following methods are acceptable and are
not to venture within a kilometre of Skellen, an embargo
ranked in order of most likelihood of succeeding:
vigorously enforced by the s-boat which sank a trawler
which got too close.
LIKE MOST COVERT
If the agents take this approach the fisherman and his
OPERATIONS, ANY RAID OR
crew will only agree to do so after dark and that the
OPERATION MOUNTED HERE IS agents will have to swim the final kilometre and a half (a
BEST CONDUCTED AT NIGHT. challenging Brawn + Athletics (swimming) test). They
may risk losing or waterlogging weapons and equipment
they bring with them.
BY FOLBOAT
Unless the lighthouse radar has been destroyed, disabled,
The most straightforward method would be to retrieve
or reprogrammed, the GM receives 9 Threat to utilise
and utilise their folboats. Paddling toward Skellen
as they see fit. 6 Threat can be used summon the s-boat,
Island will take approximately 80 minutes, and involve
alerted by the radar to the agents’ presence in the Folboats
four Coordination + Vehicles skill tests, one every
or the trawler.
twenty minutes. If there are any significant failures or
complications use the table on p.8, or choose something
appropriate of your own. SKELLEN ISLAND TOPOGRAPHY
Skellen island itself is a combination of sandy beaches, rocky
BY S-BOAT outcrops, and tall grass, with patches of scrubby trees and
wild untended undergrowth. Like most covert operations,
Audacious agents may wish to attempt to hijack
any raid or operation mounted here is best conducted
Nachtwölfe’s own s-boat when it’s docked which could
at night where the cover of darkness provides extra
be used as transport to get to the island. It’s a high-risk
opportunities for concealment. The Nachtwölfe camp and
strategy, but with sufficient daring, luck and courage, it
installation here don’t use lighting, to better conceal their
might just work.
activities from prying eyes. Nachtwölfe personnel on duty
have all been issued with night vision goggles which allow
them to alleviate the worst effects of working in the dark.
ugh me,
po w er of th e se rum coursing thro
“I can feel the d…
aliti es b o o stin g body and min Nachtwölfe Nachtauge “Night
eq u
its regenerativ
I also feel a growing af
finity with these creatu
res
Eye” Night Vision Goggles
limitless oceans.”
and the call of the
These goggles allow the user to see in darkness
or low light, reducing any skill test difficulty or
rd’s private journal
- Major Lotte Bernha complications caused by lack of light by a factor of 1.
The user may attempt skill tests that would normally
be impossible in darkness.

19
Mission  Operation Vanguard

Skellen Island 
NORTH

SONGBIRD AA

AA

INSTALLATION PATROL
41
PATROL
CAMP

ELECTRIC FENCE
AA
AA
SHOWER` COOK

SONGBIRD
FUEL LATRINES

S-BOAT
0 miles 1/4 mile

0 km 200 m 100 m

Further Scenes
The agents can approach Skellen Island in a number of Patrols
ways, so rather than breaking down this final act into a 1 Patrol Consists of 3 x Nachtwölfe Troopers with

?
number of set scenes, as a GM you should adopt a more Nachtauge Goggles
free-form method, varying each scene according to the
1 x Nachtwölfe Hundemeister with Kristall Modified Alsatian

?
agents’ actions. You also have the option of deploying They
Came From the Deeps! (p.26) to add a little more fun and
a lot more carnage into the mix at any time, especially if NACHTWÖLFE HUNDEMEISTER
the agents are hard-pressed by Nachtwölfe forces. Lieutenant NPC
Truth
OUTER DEFENCES Depraved Beast Handler

?
Songbirds
Although it’s impossible to monitor every square yard Attributes
of Skellen Island, Nachtwölfe have installed a number of
AGILITY 9 BRAWN 9
Singvögel, or “Songbird” motion detection devices around
the island to detect intruders, the positions of which are COORDINATION 8 INSIGHT 8
marked on the map. Spotting these devices is a tricky REASON 9 WILL 8
Insight + Observation test, but once discovered, they
can be disarmed with a relatively simple Reason + Skills & Focuses
Engineering (mechanical engineering) test. If triggered,
Academia 1, Athletics 2, Engineering 2
they generate 3 Threat which can be spent by the GM in
(Combat Engineering, Mechanical Engineering),
whatever way they choose, although summoning a roving
Fighting 3 (Rifles, Heavy Weapons), Medicine 1,
patrol is the most usual response.
Observation 1, Resilience 1, Stealth 1, Survival 2,
Tactics 2 (Battlefield Tactics), Vehicles 1

20
 Special Rules

Mission  Operation Vanguard

STRESS 10 INJURIES 2
Grasping

?
ARMOUR 3 COURAGE 1 Keen Senses (Scent)

?
Defend Until Death

?
Weapons
Maschinenpistole 40 (MP40): (Close Quarters),

?
Close range, 4 (Salvo: Stun), Inaccurate
S-BOAT DOCK
The dock parallels the one at St. Olaf’s lighthouse,
Special Rules a deployable device allowing s-boats to moor and
Beast Ally

? offload cargo and supplies. It has a small crane used to
manoeuvre heavy loads and there are two supply tents:

KRISTALL-MODIFIED ALSATIAN one contains a fuel dump (which like its counterpart
could be detonated as a distraction), the other is full of
Trooper NPC crates and boxes of supplies.
Truth
Augmented Fighting Dog

? AA-GUNS
Each of these turrets houses an automated Nachtwölfe
Attributes Jotun cannon, a single-barrelled Bluer Kristall rail gun on a
powered mounting to target Allied aircraft. These are sealed
AGILITY 12 BRAWN 10
units automatically controlled from within Installation 41
COORDINATION 5 INSIGHT 10 and cannot usually be ‘hacked’ from outside.
REASON 4 WILL 8
Jotun AA Gun: (Heavy Weapons), Long range,

?
Skills 12 (Salvo: Area, Stun), Escalation, Inaccurate,
Giant Killer, Persistent
Athletics 3, Fighting 3 (Bites), Observation 2 (Smell),
Resilience 2, Survival 3 (Tracking)
GARRISON
STRESS 6 INJURIES 1
This site is a typical field camp, comprising three larger
ARMOUR 3 COURAGE 2 tents which serve as living quarters for the Nachtwölfe
troops stationed on the isle containing camp beds, storage
Attacks and living quarters. There is also a kitchen tent for meal
Enhanced Bite: Agility + Fighting (Hand-to-Hand

? preparation and a shower tent. A short distance away field
Combat), 4 Piercing 1 latrines have been dug into the sandy ground.

Installation 41
OUTER FENCE
This three-metre-high wire fence is held up by concrete Reinforcements
supports and it is electrified, as an easy Insight +
At any one time this garrison will contain the forces
Engineering test will reveal. Cutting through it
below, but GMs can also summon additional troops,
successfully to bypass the current requires a similar test at
expending Threat to provide sterner opponents or
difficulty 2. Anyone touching it inadvertently will receive
more challenge. See the Nachtwölfe section of Heroes
3 worth of shock damage with the Stun effect.
and Villains of the Secret War in the Achtung!
Cthulhu Gamemaster’s Guide. Reinforcements might
MAIN GATE include a Scout, Nachtjäger or Pionir, if you want to
really give your agents a challenge, but these are tough
The main gate is left unguarded, and access is provided
foes, so use sparingly.
by a keypad, which for ease of use has been set the same
as the one at St Olaf’s lighthouse, the code being 3204.
Concealed agents who have the patience to wait for

?
6 x Nachtwölfe Troopers off duty and resting.

Nachtwölfe personnel to go in or out will observe this with

?
1 x Nachtwölfe Hundemeister & Kristall Modified
an easy Insight + Observation test. Alsatian

21
 GUARD TOWERS
Mission  Operation Vanguard
A single Nachtwölfe trooper (p.17) mans each of these two
10-metre high guard towers which provide 3 Cover and
which are accessed by an exterior ladder on the ground.
Observant agents may note that their MG42 machine guns
are, rather curiously, facing inward rather than outward,
covering the only entrance to the building.
CENTRAL BUILDING
Installation 41’s central structure favours function over
form and is a pre-fabricated structure built of metal sides
bolted together, resembling a large windowless shipping
container with a set of double doors at one end. A plain
utilitarian corridor connects its four rooms and there is a
set of stairs leading downward at one end.
GROUND FLOOR
1. Laboratory
This room resembles a typical scientist’s workspace:
packed benches house several strange and unusual
experiments in progress, and it is replete with all manner
of apparatus and equipment: bunsen burners, bubbling
beakers and flasks of strange and downright foul-smelling
liquids. A faint fishy odour seems to linger in the air and
there are racks of spare lab equipment and machinery
affixed to the walls.
The most notable feature is a series of unusual
experiments testing the properties and composition
of several samples labelled Specimens A-F. Anyone
conducting an Insight + Medicine test at 2 difficulty,
will discern that they appear to be analysing some form of
DNA composition, and that the samples appear distinctly
non-human in origin.
2. Mortuary
This room also resembles a scientific laboratory but reeks
of formaldehyde, preservatives, and an overpowering,
nauseating smell of fish innards. One wall is lined with
large, gleaming surgical instruments including bone saws,
scalpels, knives, and axes. In the centre, laid out on a
slab is the dissected corpse of a Deep One, its entrails
exposed, while its ichthyic eyes, several of its limbs and
organs have been removed and preserved in containers on
the opposite wall. Agents witnessing this macabre sight,
should make an easy Will + Resilience or suffer a mental
attack inflicting 2 worth of stress.

Installation 41,
Ground Floor
OFFICE
LABORATORY

ENTRANCE

MORTUARY
BATHROOM

22
 Mission  Operation Vanguard
Although the room contains little else of value, there
is a journal containing notes and observations on Even though they say little, the pressure for
Deep One anatomy and DNA sequences from the results is incessant. I have decided to try Serum
Nachtwölfe pathologist who conducted the autopsy. A 259 on myself. If it works, we have made a
mix of technical German and scientific formulas, its title
translates as a thesis on the “The Regenerative Quality
major step forward. If I fail or die, someone else
of Amphibian DNA, For use in Human Subjects” but will will take up the mantle. No future is without risk.
be pretty incomprehensible to the non-specialist. Agents
retrieving this journal will have achieved the primary It tasted vile, and I thought I was going to die,
goal of this mission, for it fully details Nachtwölfe’s but it proved a triumph! I feel rejuvenated and
attempts to harness Deep One DNA for use in its super re-enervated. Serious cuts and wounds seal up
soldier programmes. When it comes to the post-mission
debriefing, they should be suitably rewarded.
in moments, and I had Trooper Hess put a bullet
through my shoulder. Thirty minutes later, it
3. Lotte Bernhard’s Office was if I had never been shot. I experienced a
The Nachtwölfe field commander’s office contains a desk, profound dizziness as the wound healed but
chair, and several filing cabinets. While strictly functional
in nature, it is a treasure trove of useful information. A
other than that, all seems fine.”
search will yield pieces of intelligence which reveal more
about Nachtwölfe and its activities both here and in the
The remaining subjects fascinate me. Before the
wider war. serum, they were just creatures to be used for
the glory of the Reich, but now I feel a strange
Orders From Above. This project, codenamed Still

? kind of affinity with them. I sit and watch them
Waters, was commissioned by one Professor Kraft
Heimburg, apparently a very senior Nachtwölfe
for hours while the scientists do their work
scientist. This is the first positive identification of a and sometimes, I think I hear meaning in their
senior Nachtwölfe official and will allow the Allies strange clicks and whistles: stories and tales of
to probe his background for information (see the phosphorescent gardens and underwater cities
Achtung! Cthulhu 2d20 Gamemaster’s Guide).
in the deeps.
Heimburg has placed Still Waters under the command
of one Major Lotte Bernhard, supplied her with ample
resources and instructed her to do whatever it takes
to achieve its aim. Its primary focus is to, “Investigate
and assess the potential regenerative qualities of this 4. Bathroom
amphibian species for use in Nachtwölfe’s Starkmeister
A fairly high-quality but otherwise unremarkable bathroom
and Sturm Trooper weapons programmes.”
with several enclosed cubicles and a row of sinks.
Alongside a range of recommendations and
instructions, Heimburg signs off with a rather
indiscreet note which says “Both my own and the
LOWER FLOOR
entire eyes of Nachtwölfe high command are upon A set of stairs lead down into the facility’s subterranean
you. Do not fail, for both the Generaloberst and the lair. If warned of their coming, Bernhard will have retreated
Noble Wolf himself await your conclusions with here to protect her test subjects and the first viable samples
anticipation!” of Serum 259. The door will be locked and require a tough
Insight + Engineering (mechanical engineering) to open.
Bernhard’s Diary. This diary records Bernhard’s

? If the agents have made it this far without raising the
thoughts on the progress of the project with notes on alarm, they will find it unlocked and Bernhard and her
the commission and construction of Installation 41. scientific team located within and working away.
A quick flick through will reveal the background to
the project, the bargain struck with Pieter Dijkstra, The underground floor is a large open plan chamber
extensive notes on the capture of the Deep Ones with several large columns to support the roof, each of
“a triumph of planning and ingenuity” and their which provide 2 Cover. The far end contains six cages,
imprisonment within the installation. which have been partially submerged in a pool of sea
water to accommodate their inhabitants. Three are
The latest entries are more intriguing. They detail
occupied by surviving Deep One warriors who look weak,
experiments on the captive Deep Ones, the death
malnourished and bear signs of mistreatment, with crudely
and dissection of three specimens, and the rapid
repaired scars and wounds from the extreme surgeries
development of Serum 259 from their glands which
which have been inflicted on them. Two Deep One corpses
could be the answer her superiors are seeking.
remain in their cages with tubes which appear to be
siphoning off fluids and enzymes from them.

23
Mission  Operation Vanguard
DOOR
FRIDGE CONTROL
ENTRANCE
COLUMNS
The Grand Finale
Once the agents enter the chamber, Bernhard’s scientific
staff will take cover behind pillars or scientific equipment
and defend themselves with their Lugers. Although not
front-line fighters, they are fanatical, determined, and
prepared to defend their warped research to the death.
Bernhard herself will be much more aggressive, spoiling
for a fight, a chance to try out her powers in actual combat
and determined that any interlopers will pay the price
for their presumption. She is not suicidal though and if
pressed, will summon reinforcements, calling in additional
Troopers through GM Threat spends to destroy the agents
before they can spoil her chances of advancement.
24
CAGE AREA
Installation 41,
Lower Floor
Thrown into this mix are the three surviving Deep Ones
who will sense a chance to escape. The agents might
quickly comprehend their situation with a Reason
+ Observation test and free them by operating or
destroying the control mechanism. Additionally, a stray
shot, a complication, or a relevant 3 Threat spend may
suddenly hurl three very angry Deep Ones into the melee!
These creatures are intelligent and seeing the agents
attack their tormentors will likely conclude ‘the enemy of
my enemy, is my friend.’ However, if the agents threaten
or injure them, they will not hesitate to attack, but their
primary motivation will be to escape back to the waters
from whence they came.
 Weapons

Mission  Operation Vanguard

Each of the side walls has several benches running along
it, mounting banks of scientific equipment monitoring the Luger P08 9mm: (Handguns), Close range, 4

?
Deep Ones’ vital signs. A locked refrigerated glass cabinet (Salvo: Vicious), Close Quarters
contains several samples of the vile looking Serum 259
Atlantean Force Plates: (Close Quarters), Close range,

?
which glows with a putrid green phosphorescence.
5 Stun (Salvo: Intense), Cumbersome, Escalation,
Giant Killer
There are a few Deep One possessions here too,
confiscated while they were stunned including some Eisenstachel Dagger: (Melee), 2

? Piercing 1
strange gold jewellery (similar properties to the charm
p.13) and the tridents which the creatures use as weapons. Special Rules
There is a bench with a control system which allows Advanced Force Plate Training: Force masters are

?
each cage to be opened individually and can also pass a trained to such a degree that they can coax additional
powerful electrical shock of 6 with the Stun effect to performance from their Force Plates. When making an
subdue the occupants and ensure their compliance. attack with them, Bernhard may spend 1 Threat to do
one of the following, or 2 Threat to do both: increasing
As well as Lotte Bernhard herself there are four Nachtwölfe the weapon’s range to Medium or add the Snare effect
scientists here, conducting their bizarre research into the to the attack.
Deep Ones and refining more instances of Serum 259.
Slave to the Serum: Bernhard has imbibed

?
experimental Serum 259 which grants her regeneration
A LOCKED REFRIGERATED in combat. At the end of each round roll 3 , Bernhard
GLASS CABINET CONTAINS heals the equivalent of any stress suffered from
physical damage, but note any effects rolled. Once six
SEVERAL SAMPLES OF THE
effects have been accrued, in the next round she suffers
VILE-LOOKING SERUM 259. 6 worth of damage as the demands of the accelerated
healing overload her system. If that does not defeat
her, the process begins all over again.
MAJOR LOTTE BERNHARD— Nachtwölfe Armour: The special Blauer Kristall alloy

?
STÄRKEMEISTER (FORCE MASTER) breastplate grants the +2 Morale against hostile magical
attacks, in addition to the Armour 2 it provides.
Lieutenant NPC
Force Masters are the officer class of Nachtwölfe, both
cunning commanders and ready to enter the fray to strike
NACHTWÖLFE SCIENTIST
at their enemies. Trained in the use of advanced Atlantean Trooper NPC
force plates, Bernhard has augmented her combat Truth
prowess with Serum 259, which allows her to regenerate
Amoral Scientific Experimenter

?
in combat, although little does she know, the serum is
unstable and will eventually rebound on its user. The
serum has also adversely affected her mental state, and
Attributes
she has become fascinated by the Deep Ones in her charge. AGILITY 7 BRAWN 8
COORDINATION 6 INSIGHT 8
Truths
Nachtwölfe Leader

? REASON 10 WILL 9
Under the Spell of the Sea

?
Skills
Attributes Academia 3 (Science), Engineering 2, Medicine 2,
Observation 1, Persuasion 1, Vehicles 1
AGILITY 8 BRAWN 8
COORDINATION 9 INSIGHT 8 STRESS 4 INJURIES 1
REASON 9 WILL 9 ARMOUR 4 COURAGE 4

Skills & Focuses Weapons

Academia 1, Athletics 2, Engineering 2 Luger P08 9mm: (Handguns), Close range, 4

?
(Combat Engineering), Fighting 3 (Close Quarters), (Salvo: Vicious), Close Quarters
Resilience 2, Stealth 1, Survival 2, Tactics 2
(Battlefield Tactics), Vehicles 2 Special Rules
Dedicated Researcher: While within Close range of a

?
STRESS 15 INJURIES 3 subject of their research, the scientist gains +2 Morale,
ARMOUR 2 COURAGE 3 as they will undertake substantial risks to continue
studying their subject.
25
 DEEP ONE WARRIOR*
Mission  Operation Vanguard

Trooper NPC
They Came from the Deeps!
Truths This eventuality is optional but could be injected into
the mission at any point after the agents reach Skellen
Deep One Warrior

? Island. Perhaps they are struggling to penetrate the
Hulking and Monstrous

? island’s defences? Perhaps the climatic final battle is
Amphibious

? going against them? Perhaps you, as GM, simply wish
to add a little mischief into proceedings?
Attributes
AGILITY 7 (8) BRAWN 9 (12) The Deep Ones are an ancient and powerful race and
COORDINATION 7 (9) INSIGHT 9 unlikely to take interference from the upstart race of
men lightly. Remember the Deep One who escaped
REASON 8 WILL 9 (11) the Nachtwölfe ambush? Half submerged, it observed
its brethren being transported to Installation 41 and
Skills & Focuses returned to the deeps to report its findings.
Athletics 3 (Swimming), Fighting 2 (4) (Hand-to-Hand
Combat, Melee Weapons), Observation 2, Resilience 4, Incensed, Deep One elders dispatch a rescue
Stealth 2, Survival 1, Tactics 2 mission, a small but powerful Deep One warband
headed by a magic-wielding shaman to retrieve their
STRESS 8 INJURIES 1 (2) comrades. Throw this powerful force into the mix if
ARMOUR 6 COURAGE 6 you want to shake things up and enliven proceedings!
Like the captive Deep Ones, the warband will
Attacks recognise Nachtwölfe as its true enemy and ignore
the agents unless they take any hostile action against
Savage Claws: (Hand-to-Hand Combat) 6

? it. The warband is motivated to free its brethren and
Piercing 1
teach the presumptuous Nachtwölfe not to interfere
Horrific: (Mental attack), 5

? Piercing 1, Stun with it again!

Escalation Options
?
1 x Deep One Shaman
Impaling Spear: (Melee Weapons), 8

? Intense,
Piercing 1

?
6 x Deep One Warriors

Special Rules
Brutal 1

?
Fearsome 1

?
Immune to Cold

?
Night Vision

?
Scale 1

? “Mein Gott!
e coming,
Tough 1

?
O n e s a r
* Two stat lines are given for the Deep One Warriors here. The Deep
The stated set of values reflect the three injured Deep
f ro m t h e depths!”
Ones currently in Nachtwölfe captivity, while the values in
demons
brackets represent those of a normal Deep One Warrior.
The injured Deep Ones may not use Escalation options,
ruber
unless freed from their cages when they may be able to - Feldwebel Fritz G
seize their stored weapons.

26
 Mission  Operation Vanguard
Deep One Shaman
Nemesis NPC Attacks

?
Savage Claws: (Hand-to-Hand Combat), 4
Truths Piercing 1

?
Deep One Priest of the Elder Gods

?
Horrific: (Mental Attack) 7 Piercing 2, Stun

?
Divine Inspiration

?
Amphibious Escalation Options

?
Totemic Staff: (Melee), 5 Drain, Stun
Attributes
AGILITY 8 BRAWN 11 Spells
COORDINATION 9 INSIGHT 12 A Deep One Shaman is a spellcaster who uses Insight
to cast spells and knows the following spells from the
REASON 11 WILL 12 spellbook of Cthulhu: Call of the Depths, Curse of Cthulhu,
and Echo of the Ocean, as well as Commune with Deity
Skills & Focuses (ritual). The GM may choose others if appropriate.
Academia 4 (Occultism), Athletics 3 (Swimming),
Fighting 1, Observation 5 (Instincts), Resilience 3 Special Rules
(Discipline), Survival 2, Tactics 1
?
Dark Preacher

Power: 5

?
Fearsome 2

?
Immune to Cold

STRESS 16 INJURIES 3

?
Night Vision

?
Spellcaster
ARMOUR 3 COURAGE 6
?
Threatening 3

Debriefing
Conclusions
If the agents retrieve the intelligence in Installation 41,
defeat Lotte Bernhard, and carry back a sample of Serum
259 to London, then the mission is an outstanding success.
If they freed the Deep Ones, or managed to forge even
a temporary alliance with the warband, they have gone
above and beyond the call of duty and established cordial
relations with one of the alien races covertly involved in
the Secret War, which should be considered nothing short
of a triumph.
You should consult After Action Reports in the
Achtung! Cthulhu Player’s Guide, to source some
suitable rewards, but a clean sweep of the mission and
bonus objectives might earn agents as much as 10XP
to spend on their character advancement, and even
put them in line for a Section M Service Medal. With
partial or failed objectives, you reduce the amount of
XP and rewards accordingly but still be generous for a
fine performance. The intelligence especially, will be
of critical value to Section M, giving them a first real
insight into Nachtwölfe’s inner workings and a glimpse
of its high command.
If Lotte Bernhard and Nachtwölfe ultimately prevail, the
consequences are less certain. Ultimately Serum 259
will prove to be a failure, its regenerative powers too
volatile and dangerous for any immediate super soldier
programme, although who knows how Nachtwölfe might
refine it further during the course of the war? If Bernard
survives (and defeat doesn’t always mean death) she
may well bear a considerable grudge against the agents
and become a recurring nemesis for them in your
ongoing campaigns.

27
 The Ongoing Conflict…
Mission  Operation Vanguard

More intriguingly how will this mission affect the course
of the Secret War? Nachtwölfe’s actions here will have
made a powerful enemy in the Deep Ones but what does
that mean in the immediate aftermath? Instant retaliation?
A longer, more slow burning revenge? This might form an
intriguing plot strand as your campaign develops.
On the Allied side, Section M now have some data on
Nachtwölfe’s personnel and methods but how will it
use them? Will it seek to exploit the hostility between
Nachtwölfe and the Deep Ones, perhaps opening up
negotiations with the undersea creatures themselves?
What will Section M do with the intelligence gathered
on Professor Kraft Heimburg, and what might it do with
a sample of Serum 259 of its own? We’re sure you’ll
come up with some fascinating ideas and don’t forget to
share them with us in the Achtung! Cthulhu forums on
Modiphius.net or with the Achtung! Cthulhu community
on its Facebook page. If you want to contact the author,
you can always reach out to him @johnh259 on Twitter or
via his web site john-houlihan.net where a whole raft of
Cthulhu fiction awaits!

About the Author

John Houlihan has been a writer, journalist, and
broadcaster for over twenty-five years, working in news,
sport, and videogames. He worked for The Times,
Sunday Times, and Cricinfo and is the former Editor-in-
Chief of Computer and Video Games.com. He currently
works for Modiphius Entertainment as a narrative
designer, as well being a video game consultant and
script writer.
stories for Modiphius called Dark Tales from the Secret
War set in the Achtung! Cthulhu universe. He has also
written the Mon Dieu Cthulhu series comprising The
Crystal Void Illustrated Version and Feast of the Dead
and is currently working on the third novel provisionally
entitled Keeper of the Hidden Flame. He is also the
writer of the Achtung! Cthulhu: Tactics videogame and is
currently writing for Exoplanet: First Contact.

His first novel was Tom or The Peepers’ and Voyeurs’
Handbook and more recently he has written The Trellborg
Monstrosities, The Crystal Void, Tomb of the Aeons and
Before the Flood in his Seraph Chronicles series (also
collected in Tales of the White Witchman: Volume One).
The Trellborg Monstrosities is also a game scenario for
Call of Cthulhu and Savage Worlds which is published
by Modiphius. He has also edited a collection of short
Away from the written word he has an unnatural fondness
for cricket, football, snowboarding, cycling, music,
playing guitar and all forms of sci-fi, fantasy and horror.
He has an unnatural dread about writing about himself in
the third person and currently lives in his home town of
Watford in the UK, because, well frankly, someone has to.
For latest news and information see http://www.John-
Houlihan.net or follow @johnh259 on Twitter.

..
NACHTWOLFE’S ACTIONS HERE WILL HAVE
MADE A POWERFUL ENEMY IN THE DEEP ONES
BUT WHAT DOES THAT MEAN IN THE
IMMEDIATE AFTERMATH?

28
 Appendix:
Handouts
Re: Operation Vanguard
You will shortly be deployed by folboat
to rendezvous with a resistance contact
codenamed Nightfire.
Aim for the beach approximately two
miles to the North East of the town above the
river Arn. At 03:00 Nightfire will signal the
rendezvous point with three short flashes
from a night lantern.
You will be challenged with the code
phrase “There were angels dining at the Ritz”
which you will answer with signal “And a
nightingale sang on Berkeley Square”.
Nightfire will take things from there.
You are free to use your discretion on how to
achieve your objective, but if I were you, I
would remain undetected for as long as you
can. Do nothing to attract attention until
you are ready to launch your strike.
Good luck and good hunting.
- Hunter
Lieutenant Frick,
Note that the Hundemeisters are now in
situ with their charges and are patrolling
the island.
The beasts are highly trained, but may
attack unfamiliar personnel even if in
uniform.
Ensure that your men don’t stray into
areas outside of the quay, the camp, and
the approaches to the installation.
- —Bernhard
Mission  Operation Vanguard
Even though they say little, the pressure for
results is incessant. I have decided to try Serum
259 on myself. If it works, we have made a
major step forward. If I fail or die, someone else
will take up the mantle. No future is without risk.
It tasted vile, and I thought I was going to die,
but it proved a triumph! I feel rejuvenated and
re-enervated. Serious cuts and wounds seal up
in moments, and I had Trooper Hess put a bullet
through my shoulder. Thirty minutes later, it
was if I had never been shot. I experienced a
profound dizziness as the wound healed but
other than that, all seems fine.”
The remaining subjects fascinate me. Before the
serum, they were just creatures to be used for
the glory of the Reich, but now I feel a strange
kind of affinity with them. I sit and watch them
for hours while the scientists do their work
and sometimes, I think I hear meaning in their
strange clicks and whistles: stories and tales of
phosphorescent gardens and underwater cities
in the deeps.
Lieutenant Frick,
Note that the Singvögel devices have now
been deployed on the island.
We have already tuned them to avoid
detecting birds and some of the smaller
wildlife, but please ensure your men keep
to the assigned areas and paths to avoid
triggering unnecessary alerts.
- —Bernhard
29