Trail of Cthulhu

A Submission for

Commoriom
General/structural comments: It would be good if, by the end, the protagonists have an idea of what KZ and his spawn might be, maybe where they came from. Do they also need a copy of the Book of Eibon !hange both clues and instructions to the Keeper into second person. !an e"uipment be defined in terms of opportunities for the use of #reparedness Eg. $inches, ropes etc. %eview travel, supply levels and some physical challenges to make them properly player&facing and simple to use. But wait to see what 'aws comes up with in (ythos E)peditions. (ake format of clues consistent *bulleted + as per above Include ,hule -ociety esoteric conspiracy . vril stuff /ne of the 0ril -ociety ladies is with 1obineau2s team. 3ave Ethelrod2s manner of death depend on player actions4 If they spot the 1erman camp, perhaps he asks one of them what they think it is, and.or should we go there. If 5E- then 1obineau kills him there. If 6/ then the 1ermans follow them and 1obineau shoots Ethelrod as they approach.enter the valley. If both these events are prevented then 1ranger gets drunk and kills Ethelrod 7ust after they arrive in the valley *or the 1noph&Keh kills him+. ,he offspring of KZ have two forms4 adult and 7uvenile. ,he 7uvenile is simply a fissile off&shoot of an adult. It2s about the si8e and appearance of a leech. /nly the 7uvenile can parasitise a human. ,hey take about 9&: weeks inside a human to reach adulthood. ,here is a fro8en mastodon carcass in the upper chamber of the tower. "I have yet to translate the terrible and abominable legend telling how a certain doughty citizen of Commoriom returned to the city after its public evacuation, and found that it was peopled most execrably and numerously by the fissional spawn of Knygathin Zhaum, which possessed no vestige of anything human or even earthly " ! Clar" #shton $mith Before ice covered the land of 3yperborea, a great marble and granite capital of vertiginous spires rose in a valley in the mountains. $ill its rediscovery release once more, the monstrous force that brought about its doom In a hostile, isolated environment, a scientific team faces deadly opposition from the mysterious inhabitants of the ice sheet and from a rival e)pedition. -oon they will realise, however, that the real horror is beneath the very ice that they e)cavate. ,he 3yperborean !ycle stories of !lark ;shton -mith are the inspiration for this adventure. It is recommended that the Keeper reads at least The Testament of Athammaus and Ubbo-Sathla before running it. ,he Call of Cthulhu scenario Trail of Tsathoggua by the late Keith 3erber tells the story of the e)pedition that discovered the site.

The Hook
In <=>?, an archaeological team from (iskatonic @niversity found evidence of an ancient settlement beneath the ice sheet in a remote valley in the mountains of $est 1reenland. ,he protagonists are members of a <=9< e)pedition to e)cavate the site.

The Horrible Truth

,he archaeological site is the ruin of the lost 3yperborean city of !ommoriom. Entombed within it are a descendent of ,sathoggua and his amorphous, parasitic offspring.

The Spine
,he team members voyage to Godthb, where they can confront a Rival Expedition from 1ermany. ,hey then begin their arduous overland trek in Evighedsfjorden. ,he protagonists see strange Eskimo watching them from afar. ;nd a confrontation with the rival team may have deadly conse"uences. In The Valley of ommoriom! the protagonists can find the bodies of the last survivors of the 1erman team, mysteriously burned to death. 6earby, is a strange temple inscribed with a history of the early pre&human settlers. /n the valley floor, a shadow under the ice indicates the location of the archaeological site. ,he is strange singing in the valley and the protagonists see the elusive figures of blond Eskimo. Excavation leads to the discovery of an ancient tower entombed in ice, containing the remains of ancient astronomical e"uipment. @nseasonal bli88ards harry the team as they work and they may glimpse a strange creature in the storm. ,he problems escalate with damage to the camp and people attacked, until the #rotagonists neutralise the Eskimo clan that is causing these problems. Aurther digging uncovers a stairway with a frie8e describing a history of 3yperborea and eventually leads to a ity "nder the #ce where the team uncovers a device that sends their minds back in time to the disturbing origins of life on earth and merges them with the primordial mind of @bbo& -athla. ;s they e)plore and e)cavate, the city2s dormant, parasitic inhabitants begin to awaken and infest the intruders, leading to the $%a&ening of 'nygathin (haum.

; rival 1erman e)pedition believes the site is the ruin of the 6ordic racial homeland of ,hule. Initially gloating, they must humbly re"uest help from the protagonists as their own e)pedition encounters serious problems. $hile they see themselves as civilised men, they will ruthlessly take control of the site or its artifacts if the opportunity presents itself. 'ikewise, they may use violence if threatened or obstructed. $hen they need help however they will be humble and polite. ; tiny clan of latter&day 3yperboreans *or BBlond Eskimo2+ lives near the coast to the west of the valley of !ommoriom. ,he Inuit of the region shun them for their foul religious practices. ,heir ancestral myths warn that people disturbing the valley will awaken a giant fro8en in a city under the ice. ,hey will do their utmost to protect the valley. ,heir most effective tactic is calling a 1noph&Keh to hamper the e)pedition. $ithin the city itself is a colony of amorphous and parasitic entities descended from ,sathoggua. Initially dormant, they will gradually awaken, and attempt to subdue and infest human hosts, gradually gaining control over their behaviour and using them to attempt to awaken their leader Knygathin Zhaum and the other spawn. $hen sufficient numbers are awake they will launch a full&scale attack on the intruders.

Running Commoriom with the Armitage Inquiry

,his scenario begins in late Cune of <=9< D a time when the ;rmitage In"uiry is in its formative stages. ,hree years previously, ;rmitage, %ice and (organ scored a victory against the Dunwich 3orror and soon Dr ;lbert $ilmarth 7oined them after his encounter with the B/uter /nes2 in the hills of 0ermont. /n his deathbed in <=>=, #rofessor !urtis (athieson revealed the truth about his <=>? 1reenland e)pedition to his colleague Dr Arancis (organ and (organ shared the story with #rofessor ;rmitage. -oon they were working with #rofessor Ethelrod in England to organise a follow& up e)pedition for <=9>. 3owever, in late <=9E, word reached them of a rival 1erman e)pedition to the same region planned for <=9< and the pro7ect was hastened by a year, although it meant that Dr (organ was unable to take part.

Victory Conditions
0ictory in this scenario means discovering the nature of the site and the horror within it and escaping alive, preferably with the site safely sealed.

Antagonist Reactions
,here are three factions of potential antagonists in this scenario.

)*ymbol: $rmitage #n+uiry, ,his symbol defines sections that apply only to running the scenario as part of the ;rmitage In"uiry.

final episode in the 3eroic ;ge of ;ntarctic E)ploration, during which -hackleton died. In <=>?, %ichard E. Byrd claimed to have flown over the 6orth #ole. (any dispute his claim. In <=>F, Byrd led a large e)pedition to ;ntarctica, and the following year flew over the -outh #ole. 1eologists of the Byrd e)pedition found fossils indicating a tropical past. In <=>F, Byrd led a large e)pedition to ;ntarctica, and the following year flew over the -outh #ole. 1eologists of the Byrd e)pedition apparently found many fossils indicating a tropical past. ,he Dane Knud %asmussen is currently on the si)th of his famous ,hule e)peditions, this time to consolidate Denmark2s claim on Erik the %ed2s 'and in East 1reenland. In <=9E, ;lfred $egener led his fourth e)pedition to establish permanent bases in central 1reenland for measuring weather and the thickness of the ice sheet. ,he team has not made contact in almost a year. In <=9E, the #abodie E)pedition left from Boston on an ;ntarctic e)pedition. In Canuary <=9<, they flew over the -outh #ole, reported a massive mountain range in centre of continent and described incredible fossils of utterly unknown species. ; storm inflicted severe casualties on the e)pedition. ,his year, the Danish geologist 'auge Koch is leading another e)pedition to 6ortheast 1reenland. In <=>?, #rofessor !urtis (athieson of (iskatonic @niversity led an e)pedition to investigate a massive wall, carved with mysterious markings, in a glacier in East 1reenland. ;fter it collapsed into the sea, the team travelled to the mountains near the west coast to search for a settlement it apparently described. ,hey had to return after a series of accidents, bear attacks and severe weather inflicted a heavy casualties.

Running Commoriom as a standalone

5ou can also run this scenario as a standalone adventure or mark a dramatic beginning to an ongoing campaign. ,he difference is that Ethelrod has organised the e)pedition with the British (useum, independently of ;rmitage and his colleagues and motivated by his own desire to solve the mystery. )*ymbol: *tandalone, ,his symbol defines sections that apply only to running the scenario as a standalone.

Geology:

Creating the Protagonists

;ppropriate roles for the e)pedition include archaeologists, geologists, anthropologists, biologists, e)plosives e)perts, drill engineers and radio engineers. ;ll team members should be healthy and fit, and be competent cross&country skiers D represented for game purposes as a minimum /utdoorsman rating of < and ;thletics of 9. ,he e)pedition will also need a medic with (edicine and Airst ;id of at least >. ,he e)pedition leader is )enophobic and Arench applicants in particular need not apply. )*ymbol: $rmitage #n+uiry, If the e)pedition is organised by (iskatonic @niversity, team members are likely to be ;merican, perhaps connected to the @niversity. 3owever, Ethelrod may have brought British team members with him. )*ymbol: *tandalone, If you run the scenario as a standalone, the e)pedition is British as, probably, are most of its members. 3owever, 1ranger may not be the only ;merican to 7oin the e)pedition.

$rchaeology or $nthropology:

Prologue
,he #rotagonists have each applied for a position on an e)citing e)pedition to 1reenland. ,he following clues are available about recent polar e)peditions4 -istory: In <=><, the -hackletonD%owett E)pedition set out from 'ondon on what was considered the

Candidate Interviews (Directed Scenes

In order to introduce the #rotagonists, role&play a short scene from each character2s interview for their place on the e)pedition. Do this in front of the whole group. ,his paints a picture of each #rotagonist and helps establish those aspects of their characters that may be at stake later *their Drives and #illars of -anity+ and thus enhances the sense of drama. ,hese Directed -cenes are short, punchy and relatively independent of the flow of the narrative. ,hey should establish three things about each #rotagonist4 ; general impression of their background, appearance and personality ,heir Drive D their reason for 7oining the e)pedition Insight into one or more of their #illars of -anity.

veteran of the (athieson E)pedition, who has voyaged across the ;tlantic to 7oin them. $rchaeology: Dr (organ has a good reputation as a scientist, adventurer and a man of integrity. *<& #oint spend+ 5ou have heard rumours from his colleagues that he has been involved in e)peditions and research of a rather unconventional and slightly controversial nature. )*ymbol: *tandalone, ,he briefing takes place in a basement seminar room of the British (useum. In this case, Dr 1ranger has crossed the ;tlantic to 7oin the team.

Professor Ethelrods Presentation

; tall, distinguished&looking man in his ?Es walks to the front of the room and stands in front of the blackboard. 3e has a slight limp, but seems to be in good shape for his age. $rchaeology! $nthropology! Geology or -istory: Ethelrod led an overland trek during the <=>? (athieson E)pedition, in search of a settlement described in writings on a huge wall found in a glacier. $nthropology 1or a .anguages rating of 2 or higher3: Ethelrod has a reputation as an intelligent and accomplished academic specialising in the development of Indo&European languages. 3e is rumoured to have an aristocratic background. GH In a polished, upper class English accent, Ethelrod introduces himself and, without wasting time on niceties, launches into the briefing. In (ay <=>?, the (athieson E)pedition of (iskatonic @niversity investigated a stone wall of impressive dimensions found in the 3elheim 1lacier on the east coast of 1reenland. 3e passes around a photograph of the stone block with the e)pedition ship alongside. It appears to be about 9EE wide and approaching >EE feet high. It is dominated by a carving of a human figure with a curved blade, bending over some kind of slain animal. thulhu 4ythos or 0ccult will allow the viewer to recognise the figure as consistent with inhabitants of legendary 3yperborea as described, for e)ample, in the Book of Eibon. #ictographs found on the wall seemed to describe a large and ancient settlement in the $estern mountains. Ethelrod led a trip overland in search of the site of the settlement. ,he team found itself attacked by a large polar bear that stalked them into

Aor e)ample, the interviewer could ask about the applicant2s "ualifications, reasons for wanting to 7oin the e)pedition, their beliefs, what they would rely on to get through the ;rctic winter and so on. )*ymbol: $rmitage #n+uiry, If organised by (iskatonic @niversity, !hairman of the ;rchaeology Department, Doctor Ernest (c,avish conducts the interview along with ;ssociate #rofessor Arancis (organ. )*ymbol: *tandalone, If the e)pedition is organised by Ethelrod in England, he conducts the interview himself, accompanied by his friend $ilfred 'ipton, at Ethelrod2s office in the British (useum.

Scenes
!riefing
*cene Type: Introduction .ead/0ut: #reparations, ,he ;tlantic 0oyage )*ymbol: $rmitage #n+uiry, ,he briefing takes place in a seminar room at the ;rchaeology Department of (iskatonic @niversity. ;ssociate #rofessor Arancis (organ is a self&assured yet soft& spoken field researcher in his early 9Es, who e)presses regret at being unable to attend the e)pedition due to it being brought forward by a year. 3e introduces e)pedition leader #rofessor Ethelrod, a renowned linguist from !ambridge and

the mountains, leaving several members of the team dead or in7ured. 3owever, they found a site with evidence of former habitation, including remains of a religious site and tantalising evidence of a ma7or structure underneath the thick ice cap. 3e produces a photograph of a vaguely circular shadow beneath a thick ice sheet. ,he e)pedition ended rather abruptly after several team members were killed or in7ured by a combination of climbing accidents and attacks from the bear. ,he site was of such significance that the team agreed not to release full information until a second e)pedition could investigate it fully. ,he ill health and death of #rofessor !urtis (athieson in <=>=, the <=9E #abodie E)pedition to ;ntarctica, and funding issues following the economic downturn, delayed a second trip under consideration. 3owever, #rofessor Ethelrod and the British (useum worked closely with the (iskatonic @niversity, in planning an e)pedition for the spring of <=9>. 3owever, it was learned that a team from 1ermany planned to investigate the same area in the previous year and plans had to be rushed forward. %egrettably, this meant that Dr (organ could not take part as planned due to his commitment to the upcoming dig in 1uatemala. ,he team will depart on a research vessel, for 1odthIb, the capital of 1reenland in three weeks. ,he voyage should take J days. ,he team is e)pected to spend the winter in 1reenland and return in spring when the site is accessible by sea once more. )*ymbol: $rmitage #n+uiry, ,he e)pedition ship is the Darlena, the same (iskatonic&owned geological research vessel used in the <=>? e)pedition. It will depart from Boston. )*ymbol: *tandalone, ,he e)pedition ship is the Beatrice, an ;rctic research vessel leased by the %oyal 1eographical -ociety. It will depart from -outhampton. ,he two vessels are otherwise treated the same. /nce resupplied, the ship will sail north to Evighedsf7orden, where it will disembark. ;lthough the Evighedsf7orden route to !ommoriom is slightly longer than the one, via 1odthIbsf7orden taken in <=>?, the ascent is gentler, allowing the transportation of drilling e"uipment. ,he route from 1odthIbsf7orden involved two steep climbs re"uiring climbing e"uipment.

,he vessel will remain in radio range and the team on the ground and the team onboard ship will communicate at F;( and F#( every day. ,he overland team will use dog sleds and a snow tractor to reach the site, via a longer, but more accessible route than the (athieson E)pedition. -ome climbing e"uipment will be provided, although no ma7or climbs should be needed to reach the site. ,eam members will be issued with rifles to protect themselves from bears and other dangerous animals. /nce at their destination, the team will make an initial survey of the site then build their camp D a large cabin and outhouses for supplies and dogs. ,hey will use the drilling rig, blasting e"uipment, the ice melting machine, and hand e)cavation to access and e)cavate the site. ;fter -eptember it will become difficult to approach by sea. If necessary, the team will remain on the ice sheet over winter until (ay or Cune when the f7ord will become accessible again. In case of emergency, 1odthIb is accessible overland on foot in about five days using climbing gear, although most of the e"uipment would not be transportable this way. #rofessor Ethelrod stresses his "ualifications as a hard&nosed scholar not prone to flights of fancy or bi8arre speculations. 3owever, as the claims of the recently returned #abodie E)pedition to ;ntarctica suggest, the poles may conceal secrets that would overturn our entire understanding of the past. /n the (athieson E)pedition there were many things he e)perienced that shocked him and caused him to reconsider ideas about the world. 3e believes that what they found in the 1reenland ice were remains of a lost prehistoric civilisation, perhaps hinted at in 1reek myths. 3e introduces $ilfred 'ipton, a round&faced 8oologist and friend of the Ethelrod family, and !harles 1ranger, a red&haired, red&faced man of around 9E, a second veteran of the (athieson E)pedition who will be 7oining them on this trip. )*ymbol: $rmitage #n+uiry, 0ral -istory 5/ 6oint spend: ,here are rumours that Dr 1ranger has a drink problem. Ethelrod asks each team member to introduce themselves and assigns roles. $ssess -onesty: 3enry Ethelrod is reserved, somewhat aloof and doesn2t give much away.

$rchaeology or $nthropology: ;ccording to the e)pedition report, the team made transcriptions of a number of carvings on a large stone slab found at the face of 3elheim 1lacier on the east coast. ;rchaeologists have subse"uently associated these carvings with a 1reenlandic colony of the e)tinct Dorset !ulture. 5/point spend: -ome odd artifacts featuring strange figures wearing hoodless parkas with tall collars and women with large hairstyles were found on !ape Dorset on Baffin Island in <=>?. It is generally thought that the 1reenlandic Dorset culture is limited to the north&west coast of the island. 7iology or 0utdoorsman 5/6oint spend: #olar bears are mostly found in coastal regions in the north and east of 1reenland D they are largely unknown in the mountains although females with cubs are sometimes found in coastal mountainous areas in the north. $rchaeology! 7iology or Geology 16ipe3: ,he disastrous #abodie E)pedition to the -outhern #ole, from which there were only three survivors, reported finding very well preserved specimens of si)&foot&long, barrel&shaped organisms with starfish&shaped heads. 6ipe: ,he full significance of this clue will become clear to someone who reads ,he Book of Eibon or e)plores the ruins of !ommoriom.

released or why the second e)pedition was delayed for so long, Ethelrod seems somewhat evasive. 5 6oint *pend: 3e is deliberately hiding something. Ethelrod will wrap up the briefing after three or four "uestions, or if he doesn2t like the direction the "uestions are going.

Henr Ethelrod
,o interact with Ethelrod significantly, British characters need a !redit %ating of ?L, ;mericans and other Europeans need JL. ;nyone else will need to make a <&#oint spend in !redit %ating on each significant occasion. $bilities: ;thletics ?, !redit %ating M, Airearms M, 3ealth M, -cuffling M, $eapons J -it Threshold: 9 $rmor: &< vs all *if wearing ;rctic gear+ 8eapon: L< *.9F revolver+, L< *.9E&EJ bolt action rifle+, &< *knife+ ,o portray 3enry Ethelrod4 -it or stand up in a stiff, military bearing 'ook past the person who is speaking to you as if looking for someone more important 1uard your reactions vigilantly so as to reveal as little as possible

Questions and Answers

Ethelrod will ask if there are any "uestions. 3e may provide the following additional details and any others the Keeper deems appropriate. K (athieson remained onboard ship, due to health problems. 3e died of a heart condition in <=>=. K ,he top of the structure was estimated to be under at least <?&>E feet of ice and to e)tend to unknown depths. 3e declines to speculate on the age of the structure. K ;t an international archaeology conference in #aris last year, Dr -ummers of Edinburgh @niversity, heard reference to a forthcoming e)pedition to e)plore what was Bnonsensically2 described as Bruins of ,hule found in $est 1reenland2. It isn2t known what si8e the rival team is or when they will arrive. 3e will wrap up the briefing after three or four "uestions, or if he doesn2t like the direction the "uestions are going. $ssess -onesty: $hen asked about the specifics of the first e)pedition, why the details were not

!ilfred "ipton
'ipton is a round&faced 8oologist in his mid&thirties. 3e is family friend of Ethelrod, the son of Dr ,homas 'ipton, one of Ethelrod2s closest friends. 3e went to Eton and graduated from /)ford and is taking a break after completing his #hD. 3e is well& built and athletic having bo)ed for Eton and been a member of the /)ford climbing team. 'ike Ethelrod he is something of a snob and a bigot, although he is somewhat less e)treme and more approachable. 3e is a follower rather than a leader and he is loyal to his friend and his friend2s relatives. If Ethelrod were to die he would volunteer to return the body to the ship, taking 1ranger with him. If out&voted or overruled, he would follow the new leadership structure of the e)pedition. $bilities: ;thletics F, !redit %ating J, Airearms 9, 3ealth ?, -cuffling M, $eapons > -it Threshold: : $rmor: &< vs all *if wearing ;rctic gear+ 8eapon: L< *.9E&EJ bolt action rifle+ ,o portray $ilfred 'ipton4

-mile fi)edly in uneasy moments %ub your chin pensively and furrow your brow 1esticulate in a 7olly manner and pat people on the back

'esearching the &reenland

( tholog

of

#r Charles $Chuck% &ranger

1ranger is an archaeologist who studied with #rofessor !urtis (athieson, took part in the (athieson E)pedition and has recently completed an archaeology doctorate at (iskatonic @niversity. In fact, although he has tried to get some help for it, 1ranger still suffers from Bshell shock2 from his e)periences on the (athieson E)pedition. ,his has only e)acerbated his drinking problem and now he is a full&blown alcoholic. $bilities: ;thletics M, 3ealth :, -cuffling J, Airearms 9 -it Threshold: 9 $rmor: &< vs all *if wearing ;rctic gear+ 8eapon: &> *fist+, L< *.9E&EJ bolt action rifle+, L< *Ethelrod2s .9F revolver+ ,o portray !huck 1ranger4 -how a wide, friendly, but uneasy smile 'ook into the distance, as if preoccupied, but conceal or deny it -lur your speech ever so slightly

.ibrary "se: ;fter his travels between 99E B! and 9>E B!, the 1reek e)plorer #ytheas makes the first known reference to the mysterious island of ,hule Nsi) daysO sail north of Britain, and near the fro8en seaP. 3e claimed that people keep bees in this place and in summer, nights are only two or three hours long. It2s not clear whether he is referring to Iceland, 1reenland, 6orway or somewhere else altogether. ,he ;ncient 1reeks also tell of the 3yperboreans who live beyond the north wind *the literal meaning of B3yperborea2+. ,heir land was perfect, with the sun shining >: hours a day, and the people free from war, disease and old age and always happy. ,he people were blond and very tall. 3yperborea has variously been located in north&east ;sia, $estern Europe or Britain. In the <Mth !entury, some -candinavians identified their own land as 3yperborea. 5 6oint *pend: By the late <=th and early >Eth !entury, the idea of ,hule.3yperborea as a lost continent *possibly the same place as ;tlantis+ had become popular in certain European occult circles, including ,heosophists, and 1erman vQlkisch *nationalist+ groups. .ibrary "se 5 6oint *pend or 0ccult: ;ccording to legend an obscure and apparently ancient occult te)t called the Liber Ivonis or Book of Eibon was written by a sorcerer from 3yperborea. .ibrary use: ,he Book of Eibon in 'atin or English can be located in the library of the (iskatonic @niversity or the British 'ibrary.

Pre"arations
*cene Type: /ptional *,ransition+ .ead/#n: Briefing .ead/0ut: ,he ;tlantic 0oyage ,here are several potential areas of research the protagonists may choose to investigate. Each of these topics will take up to a week to research.

)ook of Eibon*"iber +,onis

.anguage: English.'atin *&im: 9 hours 6ore: JE hours *&imming this will provide < dedicated pool point in ;nthropology, ;stronomy or /ccult and < dedicated pool point for !thulhu (ythos spends related to ,sathoggua or 3yperborea. It also gives the following information4 3yperborea was a continent once located in the far north. -upposedly it once had a temperate or warm climate, with forests inhabited by huge, hairy elephants, long&toothed cats and other animals now e)tinct.

'esearching &reenland
.ibrary "se: ,ime spent in a ma7or library will grant a dedicated pool point for investigative spends in any field as it relates to 1reenland, for e)ample, ;nthropology, ;rchaeology, 3istory, 1eology, /ccult or /utdoorsman. ; 5/point spend will grant > dedicated pool points. ; 9/point spend will grant 9.

,he earliest inhabitants were hairy pre&humans called B0oormis2 who had a simple writing system, and worshipped a god called Zhotha""ah who lived beneath an e)tinct volcano. ,he 0oormis were originally slaves of Bsnake&people2, but they revolted and won their freedom. 3umans arrived and drove the 0oormis into the mountains. ,hey established !ommoriom, the first capital city, on the site of a 0oormis settlement. ,he city was grand and beautiful place of granite and marble with many high towers. ; prophet called Bthe $hite -ybil2 predicted the fall of !ommoriom and it was abandoned in the same year that Eibon was born, the city was abandoned, to a monster called BKyngathin Zhaum2. ,he capital was moved to the city of @8uldaroum. Eibon became the greatest sorcerer, drawing power from his servitude to Zhotha""ah. Due to oppression from the sect of 5houndeh the elk& goddess, Eibon was forced to live in a remote tower of black 1neiss in a remote area called (hu ,hulan. Eventually the priests of 5houndeh overran his tower and he fled through a magical door, and his book was passed on secretly in Europe and N;tlantisP. ; section of the book called N,he #apyrus of Dark $isdomP describes a history of life on earth that includes a succession of races and civilisations that have risen and fallen over aeons of time. ,he eldest of these races, originated from outside the earth. Eibon calls them the #olar /nes, described as Nse)less semivegetable carnivores with cylindrical and pentalobular bodies RwithS starfish headsP had a civilisation centred at the -outh #ole and were responsible for creating terrestrial life, as a by& product of their breeding e)periments with a protoplasmic entity called @bbo&-athla. ;nyone who knows of the starfish&headed crinoid specimens reported by the #abodie E)pedition must make a 9&#oint -tability test, (ythos related.

The (athieson E-pedition of ./01

.ibrary "se: ,he information on the (athieson E)pedition report, the Dorset !ulture and the distribution of polar bears described in the 7riefing can be uncovered in a good&si8ed academic library by substituting point spends in 'ibrary @se.

The &erman E-pedition

Ainding out more about this e)pedition is very difficult as there is nothing published about it publically. Reassurance or :lattery will get Dr (organ or #rofessor Ethelrod to reveal that an associate of Ethelrod2s, Dr -ummers of Edinburgh @niversity, heard a reference to a privately funded 1erman e)pedition at an international archaeology conference in #aris last year.

2utdoor Training
0arious independently sourced courses in outdoor skills may grant a protagonist up to > dedicated pool points in ;thletics or /utdoorsman, to be used in ;rctic and -ubarctic environments.

The Atlantic Voyage

*cene Type: /ptional, ,ransition .ead/#n: Briefing, #reparations .ead/0ut: 1odthIb ,his is an opportunity to roleplay various interactions between player characters as they get to know one another and their leader. ,he voyage for 1odthIb takes si) days, giving the #rotagonists plenty of time to get to know the other members of the team or to read in their cabins if they prefer. ;n ;thletics test against Difficulty 9 is re"uired avoid seasickness. ,he effect is the same as being 3urt and lasts for >: hours. RBegin sidebarS

The Crew
,he ship2s crew consists of the !aptain, Airst (ate, !hief #etty /fficer and a crew of F sailors.

6oring over it *unlikely in time for the departure of the e)pedition+ provides L< to !thulhu (ythos, L> for someone who has encountered ,sathoggua or his minions.

Captain 3ames (acAllen

; tall, lean, dour man who looks older than his :? years. 3e doesn2t say much, but commands the respect of his crew. $bilities: ;thletics :, 3ealth ?, -cuffling J, $eapons > -it Threshold: 9

8eapon: &> *fists+, &< *boat hook.improvised+

4irst (ate )ill Hewlett

;n e)perienced seaman who has worked closely with (ac;llen for years, 3ewlett is a somewhat portly man in his early :Es, with red hair. $bilities: ;thletics 9, 3ealth ?, -cuffling :, $eapons > -it Threshold: 9 8eapon: &> *fists+, &< *boat hook.improvised+

$ssess -onesty: 1ranger is hiding something. *< point spend+ 3e seems to be suppressing powerful emotions and hiding his reactions. 6sychoanalysis: *<&#oint -pend, in this instance used as an investigative ability+, 1ranger appears to have a possible nervous disorder.

Chief Pett 2fficer Anders Pihl

#ihl is a large, friendly man of Danish nationality. 3e is 9M, has a full beard and en7oys a drink. $bilities: ;thletics J, Airearms :, 3ealth M, -cuffling F, $eapons 9 -it Threshold: 9 8eapon: &> *fists+, &< *boat hook.improvised+, L< *'ee Enfield rifle+ REnd sidebarS

If asked about drinking or his mental health, he denies there is a problem. 3e has convinced Ethelrod that he has recovered and is so used to lying about his problem that ;ssess 3onesty will not detect it.

&etting to 5now Ethelrod

Ethelrod is reserved and rather snobbish. ;nyone who spends a significant time with him "uickly recognises that he regards most people *apart from upper&middle class Britons+ with disdain. 3e generally avoids the company of the uneducated and ;mericans, who he tends to regard as vulgar. 3e passionately despises the Arench. $ssess -onesty: Ethelrod may be hiding something. *< #oint spend+ Behind the stiff&upper lip, Ethelrod is apprehensive about the e)pedition and that there are certain things about the current of previous trip that he is concerned people don2t know. Reassurance, or :lattery4 Ethelrod may also be asked "uestions about the the e)pedition. -ee the 7riefing for details.

&etting to know !ilfred "ipton

'ipton seems amiable and loyal to Ethelrod. 3e is more open than either Ethelrod or 1ranger and has little to hide. $ssess -onesty: 3e sometimes changes the sub7ect or puts a positive spin on things especially when Ethelrod2s or 1ranger2s behaviour are criticised or the sub7ect of the (athieson E)pedition is raised. *< point spend+ 3e seems to be aware that his friend2s behaviour causes offense to some, and is sometimes embarrassed by it. 3e has concerns about the recruitment of 1ranger and is aware that others may do too. 3e is loyal to Ethelrod and seeks to save face on his behalf. 3e doesn2t appear to know much about the (athieson E)pedition.

Surreptitiousl Ethelrods Cabin

Accessing

&etting to know Charles &ranger

;nyone spending a significant amount of time with 1ranger will find him a friendly and competent scientist. Evidence ollection: *< point spend+ 1ranger seems to have a slight tremble in his hands. 4edicine: *< point spend+ 1ranger skin symptoms of long&term alcohol abuse.

If protagonists try to search Ethelrod2s "uarters discretely, they will be confronted with a locked door, re"uiring .oc&smith to open. ,hey will also have to pass a -tealth test of Difficulty : to avoid being spotted acting suspiciously by one of the crew, another member of the e)pedition or Ethelrod himself. @nless the witness can be persuaded, threatened or bribed into keeping "uiet *a 9 6oint *pend in Reassurance, #ntimidation or 7argain+, the conse"uences of getting caught are very serious D including e)pulsion from the e)pedition as an absolute minimum. Aor the details of the contents of Ethelrod2s cabin, see Ethelrod2s #ersonal Effects on #age TT.

If asked about (athieson E)pedition, 1ranger repeats the official account and doesn2t add any more detail.

#odth$%
*cene Type: !ore

.ead/#n: Briefing, #reparations, ,he ;tlantic 0oyage .ead/0ut: %ival E)pedition, Evighedsf7orden ,he ship makes a scheduled stop in 1odthIb, the capital of 1reenland, for three days, to refuel, collect supplies and meet the sledding team. /nce the ship is prepared, a local boat is to transport the sleds and sled dogs to Evighedsf7orden in a separate boat. It is late Culy by the time the team arrive. ,he mildness of the climate may be surprising to some. (ost of the land and sea is free of ice. In spite of a near complete absence of trees, there is a fair amount of greenery and the rivers swell with melt water. 1reenland at this time is a colony of Denmark and uses Danish currency and mostly Danish place names. 1odthIb is the capital and has a population of around >EEE, mostly Eskimo, but with a few people of -candinavian descent. 3ouses are mostly traditional Eskimo huts of stone and turf with a few -candinavian&style structures of imported wood. ,he main industries here are whaling and fishing and there is a blubber boiling plant 7ust outside of town. ,here is also a general store, a newspaper office, a small school, a seminary and a government building with a radio station. ,o the east lies 1odthIbsf7orden, the long, meandering f7ord with many inlets where the (athieson E)pedition landed. .anguages 1;anish or #nuit3 $<; 0ral -istory or Reassurance 1:loating3: If the #rotagonists go ashore and talk to the locals, they will hear of another foreign research ship that arrived over a week earlier. :ollo%/"p 1 redit Rating! Reassurance! :lattery or 7argain3: ,he vessel dropped off a 1erman research team in 1odthIbsf7orden and left shortly afterwards. Ethelrod will get this information one way or another D from a member of the crew if not from the #rotagonists. 3e is furious and curses the 1erman 2race2. Reassurance 5/6oint *pend: 3e suspects that the 1erman authorities were tipped&off about the site by a veteran of the first e)pedition, Cean %aymond 1obineau, who 7oined the 6a8i cause a few years ago. R-idebarS

6ationalism in Europe in the 78s

$ith the benefit of historical hindsight, we know to what horrors 1erman nationalism led. ,oday, 6a8ism is almost universally synonymous with almost stereotypical evil. ;nd indeed British and ;mericans would often have been less than favourably disposed towards the 1ermans, but probably for slightly different reasons. $hile many people regarded the 6a8is as despicable at the time, overt racism was far more socially acceptable and the logical conse"uences of 6a8i rule were less clear. ;nimosity from British and ;mericans towards 1ermany at the time would probably have had more to do with nationalist and colonialist competition and memories of the 1reat $ar. #layers might even decide that their characters are broadly sympathetic with 6a8i goals. ;nd indeed this would be an ideal set&up for the BBig %eveal2 at the clima) of the scenario. R.-idebarS

The Rival &'"edition

*cene Type: /ptional, %oleplaying .ead/#n: 1odthIb .ead/0ut: Evighedsf7orden ,he following day, a small freighter flying the 1erman flag D the Wi er D arrives in port to resupply. Ethelrod will refuse to have anything to do with themU however, the protagonists may choose to approach them. /nboard is a crew of seven sailors, a radio engineer and an archaeological research assistant. ,hey are in regular radio contact with the 1erman team, although reception is increasingly patchy. ,he 1ermans will boast about being the first to reach and e)plore Nthe ruins of ,huleP, about having a special right to the heritage of their ancestors. ,he resulting humiliation is a <&#oint -tability test for the protagonists. #ntimidation: ,he characters can avoid humiliation by giving as good as they get. ; 5/6oint spend allows them to recover < -tability point or tricks the 1ermans into revealing the e)pedition route from 1odthIbsf7orden north&northeast *the same route as the (athieson E)pedition+. Reassurance or :lattery 5/6oint *pend4 ,he 1erman team become more amicable and recognise at least some of the group as kindred *either literally or in a spiritual sense+ and will invite them onboard the ship, offering them drinks and food.

;nyone who accepts will find themselves lectured about the Nnoble origins of the ;ryan raceP and how archaeological sites all over the world prove that their ancestors brought civilisation to the ancient world. ;nyone who vigorously disagrees finds the offer of hospitality prematurely withdrawn. Reassurance or :lattery 5/6oint spend: ,he 1ermans reveal their route *north&northeast from 1odthIbsf7orden, the same route as the (athieson E)pedition+. $ssess -onesty: Behind the bragging, there is a slight sense of uneasiness. 5/6oint spend: the 1erman crew seem to be worried about their team. :ollo%/up: Reassurance 9/6oint spend will get the 1ermans to admit that they are being lead to the site by Cean %aymond 1obineau, a (athieson E)pedition veteranU however, several of them believe he is unstable. 3is behaviour is strange and occasionally violent and he drops hints of terrible creatures up on the ice sheet. ; -tealth test against Difficulty : will allow the protagonists to make a "uick and surreptitious search of the ship under some prete)t. -tealing one of the books re"uires a !onceal or Ailch test against Difficulty ?. *imple *earch: ,he ship contains some supplies of food, fuel ammunition, radio e"uipment and so forth. ,here is also a small library of books on relevant geographical, geological, anthropological, archaeological, historical, linguistic and occult sub7ects, almost all in 1erman, including -trabo2s !eogra"hica and 3ermann $irth2s Der Aufgang er #enschheit *,he Emergence of (ankind+. .anguages 1German3: ;n protagonist skimming the latter *> hours+ will learn about nationalist 1erman beliefs in their decent from a 6ordic super race that originated in the ;rctic region and once ruled the known world. $oring over it *<E hours+ grants > dedicated pool points in ;rchaeology, ;nthropology, /ccult or 'anguages. Evidence ollection: ;lso here is an enthusiastic letter of support from a senior member of the 6ational -ocialist 1erman $orkersO #arty named 3einrich 3immler to Doctor Ekkehardt Bauer, leader of the e)pedition. 3immler refers to the site as both N@ltima ,huleP and N;tlantisP and refers to something he calls B,hor2s 3ammer2, a weapon of their divine ancestors said to be capable of flattening mountains.

Captain Alfred #reher

;round 9E years old, and fit, Dreher is in command of base&ship operations. Dreher is a keen 1erman patriot and a true believer in the ,hule myth.

&erald Huber
3uber is a round&faced Bavarian. 3e is a little overweight, fairly "uiet and serious, and a little less nationalistic than his companion is. $bilities: ;thletics :, Airearms 9, 3ealth :, -cuffling 9 -it Threshold: 9 $lertness 4odifier: E *tealth 4odifier: E 8eapon: L< *(auser 1ewehr =F rifle+, &< *Knife+, &> *fists+

2ther Crew (embers

$bilities: ;thletics J, Airearms :, 3ealth M, -cuffling F, $eapons 9 -it Threshold: 9 8eapon: &> *fists+, &< *knife or improvised weapon+, L< *(auser 1ewehr =F rifle+, L< *'uger =mm+

&vighedsf(orden
*cene Type: !ore, ,ransition .ead/#n: .ead/0ut: Evighedsf7orden 1lacier ;bout <EE miles north of 1odthIb, is the port of -ukkertoppen, where the ship harbours overnight. ;bout <E miles from there is the f7ord of Evighedsf7orden, which flows through a deep and sheer&sided canyon in a remote and mountainous region. -eals and even a whale of two are visible in the water and there are many varieties of seabirds. ,here isn2t much sea ice apart from an isolated iceberg or two as reminders of what this place is like in the winter. 1lacier&carved canyons with meltwater streams running through them meet the the main channel of the f7ord at muddy beaches. !aptain (ac;llen or #rofessor Ethelrod remind the team that in the colder months, the glacier stretches all the way to the sea. ,hat and the build up of sea ice means that landing here by sea starts to become difficult from /ctober until (ay or Cune. ,he e)pedition vessel is met here by a local barge that drops off the sleds, sled dogs and mushers *dog

sled drivers+. ,he plan then is to use it to ferry supplies, e"uipment and the e)pedition members onto the muddy shore. ;bout thirty feet from the water2s edge is a low mound. Arom a distance, 7iology identifies it as the body of a whale. 5 6oint *pend reveals it as a narwhal.

If none of the #rotagonists has Driving *,ractor+, Ethelrod will drive it. 0utdoorsman is re"uired to avoid getting hopelessly lost. 6avigating under difficult circumstances D without a map, a compass or in poor visibility will re"uire /utdoorsman spends in order to progress in the correct direction.
$rctic travel on foot

Polar )ear
If the characters approach the whale2s corpse will notice it move strngely several times. ; polar bear is behind it with it2s head inside the body, eating it from the inside. ; -ense ,rouble test against Difficulty : will let the characters spot the bear at about 9E feet, JE feet if they have not approached. ,he bear will issue a vocal warning and if necessary fight to protect it2s catch. Being attacked by the bear is a 9&point -tability test.
6olar 7ear

!ross&country skiing costs : ;thletics, Aleeing or 3ealth per day in these conditions. $ithout skis the speed is halved.
Travel by dog/sled

,his re"uires Driving *Dog -led+ in addition to the costs above. Dog teams will use J ;thletics pool points *or 3ealth once these are depleted+ each day, 9 points are replenished at the end of the day if the dogs are rested and well&fed.
Temperature Table

,he bear can attack twice in a round D two claws or a claw and a bite. If it loses half it2s 3ealth, it will flee. $bilities: ;thletics <:, 3ealth <E, -cuffling <J -it Threshold: : $lertness 4odifier: L> 8eapon: L< *claw+, LE *bite+ $rmour: &:

,his table below shows typical temperatures found in 1odthIb and the valley of !ommoriom. Day temperatures are about <EVA higher. 6ight temperatures about <EVA lower. ;reas closer to the edge of the ice&sheet are about <EVA warmer than the !ommoriom temperature. 4onth Canuary Aebruary (arch ;pril (ay Cune Culy ;ugust -eptember /ctober 6ovember December Godthb <= <= <F >J 9: :E :: :: 9F 9E >J >< ommoriom Valley &>> &>> &>E &<E &> ? <E = 9 &? &<> &<=

A Cache
Ethelrod orders a cache of supplies to be left near the beach. <E man&days of food, >E rounds of ammunition and a barrel of diesel. Rbegin sidebarS

The Trek to Commoriom

,he team has three sledges and a snow tractor. ,he sledges are pulled by teams of ten dogs, carrying the driver *called a Bmusher2+ and up to one passenger. ,he sledges carry supplies D mostly food, camp gear and lighter e)cavation e"uipment. ,here is also a team of si) ponies to help lift the e"uipment onto the ice sheet. ,eam&members are on cross&country skis. ,he diesel&powered snow tractor seats four, pulls the heaviest e"uipment on a series of four sledges *the drill, the diesel generator, the electric ice melter and a do8en barrels of diesel+ and sets a steady pace. It has a motorised winch on the back.

Effects of limate

Below >EVA e)posed characters without ;rctic clothing on act as if hurt. Below &>EVA, characters must make ;thletics tests *Difficulty 9+ to keep moving. Aor each further >EVA drop, the Difficulty increases by <. Difficulty is increased by > if the character isn2t wearing protective clothing.

!haracters who fail this test lose < 3ealth every <? minutes, or every ? minutes in a bli88ard. ;rctic clothing gives < point of ;rmor, but increases the Difficulty of ;thletics and Aleeing tests D and anything else re"uiring e)tensive mobility D by <. ; tent and small stove effectively raise the temperature by >EVA. ; cabin and more powerful stove raise it by 9EVA, 9?VA with the stove on full power.
ommunications

$bilities: ;thletics =, Driving :, Airearms :, 3ealth F, /utdoorsman 9, -cuffling ?, $eapons : 3it ,hreshold4 : $lertness 4odifier: L< 8eapon: &> *fists+, &< *knife+, L< *rifle+, $rmour: &< vs any *;rctic clothing+
*led ;ogs

Ethelrod and the crew of the ship agree to communicate by radio twice a day4 once at M;( and once at F#(.

$bilities: ;thletics <>, 3ealth ?, -cuffling J -it Threshold: : $lertness 4odifier: L9 8eapon: &< *bite+ $rmour: &> vs any *thick fur+

E-pedition E9uipment
,his is a non&e)haustive list of e"uipment for the e)pedition that hasn2t already been mentioned4 #arts for cabin and outhouses, including an oil stove *kerosene+, tents, arctic clothing, ice picks, a)es, JE ,6, e)plosive charges with detonators, < rifle per team member, <EE rounds ammunition per rifle, camp radio with antenna *<EE $, nominal range <EE miles depending on weather, >EElbs+, chain saws *diesel+, electric ice melter *about <EEElbs+, 9EE$ diesel generator *FElbs+, :> ) ?? gallon tank diesel *99E lbs each+, <E ) ?? gallon tank kerosene *99E lbs each+, water pump *diesel, 9EElbs+, Buckets, Aood for dogs and humans for <> months *mostly two grades of pemmican, plus a few lu)uries+, two sets of standard climbing gear including 9EE feet rope, > powerful incandescent lamps *with :E ft cables to attach to generator+, <E kerosene lamps, <E electric torches.
hainsa%

Sledding Teams
,here are three sleds with ten dogs per sled and three mushers *or fewer if any #rotagonists are able drive a dog&sled+.
"&ale+

; stocky Inuit with bad teeth who seems to show them off with his smile almost all the time. ;pproaching middle age, he is an e)pert hunter and outdoorsman. 3e speaks Inuit and Danish. $bilities: ;thletics J, Driving :, Airearms F, 3ealth J, /utdoorsman ?, -cuffling 9, $eapons M 3it ,hreshold4 9 $lertness 4odifier: L> *tealth 4odifier: L> 8eapon: &> *fists+, &< *knife+, L< *rifle+, $rmour: &< vs any *;rctic clothing+
Tiria+

,all for an Inuit and around 9E, with a wispy moustache. 3e speaks Inuit and Danish. 3e is an e)pert at dog&handling and sled&maintenance. $bilities: ;thletics J, Driving ?, Airearms >, 3ealth J, /utdoorsman 9, -cuffling :, $eapons ? -it Threshold: 9 $lertness 4odifier: L< *tealth 4odifier: L< 8eapon: &> *fists+, &< *knife+, L< *rifle+, $rmour: &< vs any *;rctic clothing+
=a&ob *>rensen

If someone should use this as a weapon at an stage, give it damage L<, but due to its general unwieldiness, users make attack tests at &<. Rend sidebarS

&vighedsf(orden #lacier
*cene Type: !ore, !hallenge .ead/#n: Evighedsf7orden .ead/0ut: ,he !limb to the Ice -heet ,he first stage of the 7ourney is likely to last one day and is very challenging. ,he loaded dog sleds must run uphill along the bottom of the canyon on gravel and mud, avoiding ice&falls from the glaciers overhead. ,he canyon is about <9 miles long. Aor any #rotagonists who are driving dog sleds this is a Driving test against Difficulty ?. Aailure means that one of the dogs is in7ured or the sled is stuck,

-Wrensen is a highly e)perienced cross&country skier, mountaineer, outdoorsman and guide. ;s the name suggests, he is of Danish descent and speaks Inuit, Danish and some English.

resulting in delays. Aor dogs this costs <E ;thletics pool points.

+ce 4all
;s they progress up the canyon, have everyone make a -ense ,rouble test at Difficulty : to spot ice tumbling from a tributary into the path of one of the sleds. ;nyone who succeeds with -ense ,rouble can call out a warning allowing the driver to take evasive action. ;voiding this re"uires a Driving test against Difficulty ? *: if -ense ,rouble is passed+U otherwise, all on board *and the dogs+ take L< damage and the supplies and e"uipment on the sled may be damaged.

,here are a number of possible methods and you may modify the below according to player ingenuity, however this process should be resolvable as two tests. ; (echanical %epair test against Difficulty <E *potentially cooperative or piggybacked+ represents applied understanding of leverage, traction, balance and so forth. -pends in #hysics or /utdoorsman reduce the difficulty by < per pool point spent. If this fails roll again to determine the outcome4 < ,he ;thletics test Difficulty is increased by < > ,he ;thletics test Difficulty is increased by > 9 ,he ;thletics test Difficulty is increased by 9 :L Ethelrod loudly berates the #rotagonist for his obvious errors. ,he #rotagonist must make a <& #oint -tability test. ,he Difficulty is : *9 with %eassurance, Intimidation or Alattery+. If this is successful, the ne)t test is a piggybacked ;thletics test against Difficulty <> representing the collective effort of lifting the e)pedition supplies. If this is successful, the process goes smoothly and the leading #rotagonist may refresh < -tability due to their boosted confidence. If it fails, roll again to determine the outcome4 < > 9 : ? J /'DE% 0E%-I/6 %eview below ponies /ne method *both Ethelrod and 0utdoorsman will suggest this+ is that most members of the team climb the slope on foot, carrying ropes, *a Difficulty 9 ;thletics test, with failure resulting in a damage roll at &>+. 6e)t, the team pulls various loads up using the ropes. Each of these steps re"uire "igg%backe ;thletics tests against various difficulties, with failure resulting in a retry and a loss of < 3ealth D at the Keeper2s option, a result of < might result in a tumble and damage for whatever load is being pulled up the slope. ,he dog teams are led up *Difficulty 9+, then the humans and dogs together pull the tractor up *Difficulty ?+ D if a

)owling
6ear the top of the canyon, have the #rotagonists make -ense ,rouble tests *Difficulty 9+ to hear strange howling sounds. ;nyone with 0utdoorsman can reassure themselves and other characters that this is purely a natural phenomenon caused by the wind funnelling down the canyon, allowing any -ense ,rouble points spent to be refunded. /therwise, this is a <&#oint -tability test. $ssess -onesty: 1ranger is showing signs of stress or agitation. If asked, he refuses to talk about it and denies that anything is wrong.

A Quarrel
;t the end of the day, the group needs to make a camp near the top of the canyon. ,hat evening, a "uarrel can be heard in Ethelrod and 1ranger2s tent. *hado%ing or 5/6oint *pend in Evidence ollection: Ethelrod is repremanding 1ranger for drinking. 3e threatens to throw away his alcohol supply.

The Clim% to the Ice Sheet

*cene Type: !ore, !hallenge .ead/#n: Evighedsf7orden 1lacier .ead/0ut: ;cross the Ice, 1raves ,his day begins with an even more difficult climb up a broken, icy slope onto -ukkertoppen ice cap above. -omehow, the sleds, the tractor and their loads need to be raised onto the ice sheet. ,he team has a team of ponies, a hand&winch, human effort and perhaps the tractor itself to perform the lifting. Ethelrod publicly challenges the most "ualified #rotagonist *or one who has found irritating or a random one+ to lead this process. -tress that the #rotagonist2s reputation is at stake here.

#rotagonist can drive it, they will also need to make a Driving test against Difficulty ? to avoid problems as above. ,hen tractor, humans and dogs bring up four regular loads *Difficulty 9+ and the drill *Difficulty :+ on sleds. ,he entire process will take the best part of a day and by the end of it, the players themselves should be feeling tired. Aollowing Ethelrod2s directions, the team can spend the last hours of the day sledding in a south easterly direction across the ice&sheet, before camping for the night. 0utdoorsman or Evidence ollection 5/6oint spend4 'arge, strange footprints can be seen in the snow, perhaps distorted by melting. *If none of the protagonists finds it then one of the mushers does.+ 0utdoorsman or 7iology: ,he prints appear to be those of a large carnivoreU however, an e)tended claw in the middle of the foot shows that this wasn2t a bear. In fact, they don2t belong to any identifiable creature. 5/6oint spend: ,here is something very strange about the gait. 9/6oint spend: ,he bi8arre pattern of prints would almost seem to imply that it was moving on si) legs some of the time. thulhu 4ythos: ,his may be the legendary si)& legged beast of the ;rctic, called !no"h-keh. ,he mushers become "uite e)cited and ,iria" refuses to continue. 0ral -istory or Reassurance: $ith a 5/6oint spend, the mushers say there are old legends of a demon that haunts the Ice&-heet that hunts men and takes their souls by free8ing them to death. It2s called B,he 3airy ,hing2. Ethelrod struggles to convince ,iria". ; 5/6oint Reassurance spend will suffice. In contrast @kale" and to a lesser e)tent -Wrensen want to hunt and kill the creature. Ethelrod is not convinced. ; 5/6oint spend in Reassurance or :lattery will change his mind. ;s soon as Dr 1ranger sees the print, he becomes e)tremely agitated and begins muttering to himself. Evidence ollection: ; 5/6oint spend allows a character to overhear him mutter about a Nmonster of the iceP. $ssess -onesty or 6sychoanalysis: 3e doesn2t seem to be calming down. 5 6oint spend in 6sychoanalysis: 3e may have a phobia or have had a traumatic e)perience in the past that has triggered

e)treme an)iety. $ssess -onesty 5/6oint spend: Ethelrod also seems somewhat alarmed although he is far more in control of himself. Evidence ollection 5/6oint spend: ,he character notices that 1ranger is secretly drinking from a hip& flask.

Hunting the )east

If the team attempts to hunt the beast, a 5/6oint 0utdoorsman spend is re"uired per day to track it on a wandering route roughly east southeast. ;fter about three days, they will arrive at the scene4 BGraves2. During this trip the hunters may e)perience being spied on by a strange Eskimo *see ;cross the Ice, ,he $atcher+. RBegin -idebarS

*hy &thelrod must Die

Ethelrod2s death early in the scenario is important for several reasons4 firstly, it puts the protagonists into the driving seat and secondly it potentially reveals several more aspects of the mystery. It also foreshadows the insanity ahead and removes a source of security. If Ethelrod2s death is somehow prevented here, it is recommended that he is killed in some other, preferably non&trivial, way. Aor e)ample, he could be killed by the gnoph&keh. REnd -idebarS

The Death of &thelrod

*cene Type: !ore .ead/#n: ,he !limb to the Ice -heet .ead/0ut: ; !all for 3elp ore lue: The route to ommoriom Valley $hen the team sets up camp for the night, Ethelrod invites the others to talk about the 7ourney ahead, and in particular, techni"ues for avoiding crevasses. ,he meeting takes place in a tent shared by up to three of the protagonists. 1ranger opts to retire. Ethelrod2s suppressed disapproval of this is noted with a 5/6oint *pend in $ssess -onesty. 3e is drinking in his tent. If anyone goes to speak to him at this time, he will hurriedly hide his bottle of whisky. ,he bottle or its lid can be spotted with Evidence ollection 5/6oint spend. ;nd signs of drunkenness will be detected with 4edicine or $ssess -onesty or Evidence ollection. ;bout an hour and a half later, Ethelrod ad7ourns the meeting and the attendees make their way back

to their own tents. 'ipton lingers, talking to one of the #rotagonists. ;nyone making a -ense ,rouble test against Difficulty ? briefly notices a silhouetted figure among the tents mutter something in the dimness *N3enryXP+ and raise a gun. /ne simple action is permitted4 ducking, starting to run, drawing a weapon or shouting a warning. /therwise, the first thing noticed is a very loud gunshot. ,he Keeper should emphasis the confusion here. $ho is the shooter $ere they shooting at a threat ;re they a threat Is anyone hurt $here is everyone else ; second -ense ,rouble test against Difficulty : will identify the figure with the rifle as a threat. ;nd a 5/6oint *pend in Evidence ollection will identify him as 1ranger. 1ranger will pause for one round then, unless interrupted, begin taking pot shots at other members of the team. 3e begins at !lose range. 3owever, he can spend no points on Airearms due to the darkness, his drunkenness and general lack of ability. ; #reparedness test against Difficulty ? will allow a #rotagonist to happen to be carrying a gun. /therwise, retrieving these from tents will take three rounds. Reassurance 5/6oint spend or successful #sychological ,riage calms 1ranger down and he lowers the gun. ; second 5/6oint spend or successful #sychological ,riage convinces him to relin"uish it. If anyone moves towards him, 1ranger will threaten them with the gun and shoot anyone who gets too close or who raises a gun towards him. (eanwhile Ethelrod lies unmoving on the ground. In the darkness among the tents a -ense ,rouble test against Difficulty : is needed to even notice him. 4edicine 1core! floating3: Ethelrod is mortally wounded, but he comes round briefly. 3e will tell the protagonist to follow the route marked on the map in his personal pack. 3e also warns them that the Nguardian of the temple must be placatedP but slips into unconsciousness before he can e)plain how. ; third Reassurance 5/6oint *pend or #sychological ,riage will get 1ranger talking. 3e raves and mutters incoherently about Nblond EskimoP, Nthe man&eating beast of the iceP, Nthe city of evilP, Nthe formless guardian of the templeP and Ethelrod stealing his whisky. 3e soon lapses into a state of muttering, incoherent catatonia, from

which, as 6sychoanalysis indicates, he is unlikely to recover without lengthy therapy.

Ethelrods Personal Effects

Ethelrod left most of his personal possessions on one of the sleds. %eliant as they were on Ethelrod, the rest of the team do not know with certainty the route to their goal. ,hey may find this material while looking for his maps. Ethelrod2s possessions include4 ore lue: ; detailed map of $est 1reenland with handwritten markings showing both the route taken by the (athieson E)pedition and the route planned for the current e)pedition Ethelro &s 'otes on the Liber Ivonis *see BEthelrod2s -ecrets2 sidebar+ lue 16ipe3: A $reliminar% Inter"retation of the Tsath-(o Language *see BEthelrod2s -ecrets2 sidebar+ $ictogra"hs in the Tem"le of the )oth-A**ua *see BEthelrod2s -ecrets2 sidebar+

RBegin -idebarS

Ethelrods Secrets
Ethelrod?s <otes on the .iber #vonis

.anguage: English *&im: > hours 6ore: >E hours ,hese handwritten notes were written in the late <=>Es, based on the 'atin version of the Book of Eibon. Ethelrod2s notes focus on language, the geography, history and culture of 3yperborea, the pre&human +oormis and the worship of their god )hotha**uah. *&imming this provides the clues from the 'iber Ivonis described on #age TT plus < dedicated pool point to be used for /ccult, ;nthropology or !thulhu (ythos spends relating to 3yperborea and ,sathoggua. 6oring over it provides an additional > dedicated pool points.
$ 6reliminary #nterpretation of the Tsath/@o .anguage! by -enry Ethelrod and urtis 4athieson

.anguage: ,sath&5o to English *&im: 9 hours 6ore: 9E hours Ethelrod and (athieson compiled this provisional dictionary and grammar of the Tsath-(o hieroglyphic language based on their work prior to

the <=>? e)pedition and the glyphs they found in 1reenland. /nce *&immed, this book can be used as a reference, with sufficient time and point spends, te)ts written in ,sath&5o can be translated with a reasonable level of accuracy. 6oring over it grants > dedicated pool points in 'anguages *,sath& 5o+.
6ictographs in the Temple of (oth/$++ua

,here is a prophecy that the bare&skinned people would take the city. Eventually it would lie abandoned and ravaged by the cold.

REnd -idebarS

A Call for )el"

*cene Type: !ore, %oleplaying .ead/#n: ,he Death of Ethelrod .ead/0ut: $aiting on the Ice, ;cross the Ice If the team maintains the agreed schedule of twice& daily radio communications, the following morning they receive some news. ,he team will probably be breaking the news of Ethelrod2s death in the same broadcast. ,he base ship has been approached by crewmembers of the 1erman base ship re"uesting assistance. ,he 1erman e)pedition has been out of radio contact for three days. $hile this may simply be a technical problem, the 1ermans are concerned and would like help in looking for their teammates. ,his is honourable behaviour between international e)peditions. In particular, they would like to send two representatives to 7oin forces with them.
!aptain Dreher, captain of the 1erman base&ship, is available to speak directly to the characters if they wish.

.anguage: English *&im: > hours ,his contains Ethelrod2s translations of a set of ,sath&5o hieroglyphs found on the walls of a temple in the valley of !ommoriom. 3e describes the pictographs as being of a more primitive type than previously seen and postulates that it was created by a people he calls B+oormis& and that the 3yperboreans adopted this language and refined it. $nthropology or $rchaeology reminds the reader that such notions don2t correspond with accepted human prehistory. ; people called +oormis came to this fertile valley from far to the south and built a city dedicated to their god )oth-A**ua. thulhu 4ythos identifies this as ,sathoggua. ,he temple was consecrated by summoning one of Zoth&;""ua2s children to guard it. ,he high priest was then ceremonially sealed alive in the burial chamber behind the altar. thulhu 4ythos identifies the reference to a spawn of ,sathoggua. ,he temperature grew colder and people stopped following Zoth&;""ua and began to worship other gods, especially A uk,u that came from the north and was associated with the dropping temperatures. thulhu 4ythos suggests that this might be Itha"ua. ; civil war broke out between the followers of Zoth&;""ua and ;dukwu and the heretics were forced out of the city, and hunted down. ; few survived in the mountains. -trange people with no hair on their bodies, only on their heads, came from the north in boats made of skin *the ancestors of the 3yperboreans, Ethelrod suggests+. ,hey began to trade, the builders of the city taught them writing, and the newcomers "uickly learned the ways of economics and government. ,he land continued to get colder, and trade dwindled. ,he coming of the cold was a curse from ;dukwu or his long&dead followers.

3elping the 1ermans would mean a wait of two days on the ice. /n the other hand, by bringing a further two men with them and a sledge, the 1ermans could take Ethelrod2s body and an incapacitated 1ranger back to 1odthIb. ,hey could also bring supplies and could simply take the places of Ethelrod and 1ranger. ,his is an ethical and practical dilemma for the protagonists. It is recommended that that the Keeper bring character Drives into play here by using -oft *or even 3ard+ Drivers, ideally encouraging conflict between characters. Aor e)ample, the ;rrogance or ,hirst for Knowledge Drives might favour pressing on without the 1ermans, while Duty may encourage a character to do Bthe right thing2. If they decline to accept, the 1ermans send a two& man team to make its way independently. ,he investigators may encounter them later and the 1ermans will be less than positively disposed towards them. ;n obvious third option is that the protagonists agree to look for the missing team, which the 1ermans will gratefully accept.

*aiting on the Ice

*cene Type: /ptional, ,ransition .ead/#n: ; !all for 3elp .ead/0ut: ;cross the Ice If the protagonists decide to wait for the 1ermans to reach them, they face a wait of two days on the ice.

An :nearthl Howl
;fter sunset on the first day there is a distant, but terrible and strange howl, which will be noticed with a successful -ense ,rouble test against Difficulty ?. 3earing it is a <&#oint -tability test. 7iology or 0utdoorsman 5/6oint spend4 ,his sound is not recognisable as a known inhabitant of 1reenland. ,his insight increases the -tability test to > points.

continent of ,hule, ancient homeland of the ;ryan race Information about the site came from Cean %aymond 1obineau, a veteran of the (athieson E)pedition who moved to Berlin in the late <=>Es ;ccording to 1obineau, the creature that attacked the (athieson E)pedition was not a bear, but something far worse ,here is a temple in the valley that one must utter a special invocation to enter. 1obineau claimed to know this, but protected it fiercely. ,he linguist and anthropologist 3erman $irth translated glyphs found on a monolith in Ainland describing the history or mythology of this city

The Two &ermans

,he 1ermans will be very grateful to the team for delaying their e)pedition in order to help and they will make it clear that their interest is in the search and rescue of their compatriots and are happy to follow the Ethelrod E)pedition2s lead on other matters. ,hey will, however try to persuade the English& speakers to help them actively search for the 1ermans, perhaps by giving them some men to take on a more southerly course towards where radio contact was lost *i.e. in the direction of the scene, Graves+. %e7oining the main group from this point would re"uire a steep climb *see 0n the Edge+. !aptain Dreher decides to lead the rescue operation personally, leaving his first mate in charge of a ship manned by a radio engineer and a skeleton crew. 3e brings 1erald 3uber with him on a dog sled with eight dogs. -ee #age TT for details of these two. -ections of the scenario that apply if the 1ermans have 7oined the team are marked with the following symbol4 )*ymbol: German Expedition 4embers,

Across the Ice

*cene Type: !ore, !lue *Bonus+ .ead/#n: ; !all for 3elp .ead/0ut: ,he e)pedition is now heading southeast over the fractured surface of the 1reenland ice sheet. ,wice a day, each member of the team must make a -ense ,rouble test against Difficulty : *Difficulty 9 for vehicle drivers+ to safely avoid crevasses. If this fails, a Driving test *Difficulty 9+ is re"uired to avoid falling in for L< damage and possible loss or damage to vehicles, loads or dogs. ,his stage will take two days. 3owever, if the team passes a piggybacked Driving *,ractor or Dog -led as applicable+ test against Difficulty ?, reduce this to one day.
The 8atcher

;s the 7ourney progresses, the team gradually approaches a range of nunataks *mountains emerging from the ice sheet+ to the southeast. ,here are a few smaller nunataks along the way. ,owards the end of the last afternoon here, a -ense ,rouble test against Difficulty : will allow the protagonists to spot someone watching them from the top of a ridge ahead. 3e is perhaps half a mile away. ; #reparedness test *Difficulty 9+ will give an #rotagonist "uick access to binoculars. If viewed through binoculars, he appears to be an Eskimo, but dressed rather strangely in a high collared parka. $nthropology or 7iology 5/6oint spend4 3is features are unusual for an Eskimo, with a long face, large nose and elongated earlobes.

+n,estigation
Reassurance or :lattery: ,he 1erman e)pedition was following the same route as the (athieson E)pedition. Each of the following additional pieces of information re"uires a 5/6oint spend4 ,he site is thought to be a city called B@ltima ,hule2, the capital of the lost

$nthropology or $rchaeology 5/6oint spend will then suggest that his appearance is reminiscent of figures depicted in artifacts of the e)tinct Dorset !ulture. thulhu 4ythos: ,he figure2s appearance is reminiscent of descriptions of the inhabitants of 3yperborea. ; successful ?&#oint #reparedness test will allow a character to produce binoculars "uickly enough to see that the Eskimo has a long, pale face and is strangely dressed in a high&collared parka with a sort of pointed hat instead of a hood. 3e "uickly disappears from view whether seen or not. !limbing the ridge is a 9&#oint test. Aailure results in 9 points of damage. 0utdoorsman will find his tracks. 5/point spend: ,he tracks appear to come from the east *the direction the e)pedition is headed+ and return the same way. ;nother 9/6oint spend is re"uired to follow the tracks a significant distance. ; skier will be able to travel faster than the man on level ground, however he deliberately heads over rough terrain, re"uiring a !hase using ;thletics versus ;thletics, with the Eskimo receiving a free success at the start of the chase representing the head start he has and a Difficulty reduced to 9 representing his e)perience of the terrain. ;nyone winning this !hase will have an opportunity to take a single shot at the strange& looking Eskimo if they have a rifle ready. ;fter that, he disappears from view and a -ense ,rouble test against Difficulty J is re"uired to avoid being ambushed by a ferocious attack with a hand&a)e. 3e will fight to the death rather than be captured. -een close&up, it is clear that the man is no ordinary Eskimo. 3e is lean, with fair hair, and a long face with elongated nose and ears. 3e appears to be in his mid to late twenties. 3e will refuse to talk and will try to escape at the first opportunity. #nterrogation: In broken 1reenlandic Inuit, he will warn that the outsiders have strayed onto forbidden land, protected by the ancestors. ,hey must leave at once or they will die a horrible death. ; 9/6oint spend persuades him to give his name and that he is a member of a small family that lives in a house several days to the west of here. $ssess -onesty reveals no hint of deception. )*ymbol: German Expedition 4embers, ,he 1ermans, are e)tremely e)cited by the discovery of Bblond Eskimo2 announcing that it is proof of a former ;ryan.6ordic civilisation in 1reenland. $nthropology 5/6oint spend: 0ilh7almur -tefansson reported blond Eskimo in the 0ictoria

Island area of !anada in <=<E and there have been several such reports, including in 1reenland, since the <Mth !entury.

(aakuk; the )lond Eskimo; Age 0<

$bilities: ;thletics <E, -cuffling F, $eapons <<, 3ealth = -it Threshold: : $rmor4 &< vs all *hide+ *tealth 4odifier: L> $lertness 4odifier: L> 8eapon4 LE *stone a)e+ ,he team won2t be able to travel much further today.

+n the &dge
*cene Type: !lue *Bonus+ .ead/#n: ;cross the Ice .ead/0ut: ,he 1erman !amp, ,he 0alley of !ommoriom ;bout a day from their destination, the e)pedition is moving along the top of a steep ridge. 0utdoorsman or Evidence ollection: ,here is a dark red spot on a slope, about a mile or so from the bottom of the ridge. Binoculars suggest that it is a patch of blood with debris of some kind nearby. ,he face of the ridge, which would need to be descended to reach the camp, is a near&vertical wall of icy rock over <EE feet high. !limbing down is an ;thletics test *Difficulty J+. !limbing back up the wall is Difficulty F. In either case, damage is < die L9, however, if a safety rope is used, unless the roll is a natural < *in which case the rope doesn2t hold+, the damage is reduced to &<, with a second ;thletics test re"uired to complete the climb. ;pproaching the red spot brings the protagonists to -uman Remains. 0utdoorsman: ;nother route is possible that avoids the steep climb. It would mean going back along the ridge then heading south. /n foot, this would take about a day each way, on unloaded dog sleds about half that, and on loaded sleds or a snow tractor, about J hours. 0utdoorsman or Evidence ollection: Bolts have been left where someone climbed up the face of this ridge. ; 5/point 0utdoorsman spend confirms that this was within the last week or so. ;nother 5/ 6oint spend indicates that there were three in the climbing party.

;nyone remaining behind and passing a -ense ,rouble test against Difficulty J will spot a figure, similar to the previous one, watching them from a mountainside to the north. %eaching the spot will take about half an hour and a climb re"uiring an ;thletics test against Difficulty :. 0utdoorsman 5/ 6oint spend will successfully locate his tracks, while another 5/6oint spend will allow them to be followed westward and higher up the mountain where they are lost on the rocky surface. If none of the protagonists remain here, the mushers will report the figure when they return and can take the characters close to the spot where the figure stood. ,he e)pedition will probably need to camp somewhere on the ridge or tonight.

them northeast, deeper onto the ice sheet. ;fter two hours, snowfall obliterates the trail.

!hat Happened Here=

$hen surprised by the 1noph&keh at the site of the scene BGraves2, 1obineau *like many others+ fled. ,he creature hunted him down, killed him and consumed his body at leisure.

The ,ounds
*cene Type: /ptional, !lue *Bonus+ .ead/#n: 3uman %emains, ,he !limb to the Ice -heet .ead/0ut: 3uman %emains, ,he !limb to the Ice -heet ,hree mounds rise in the snow here marked with a 1erman flag. ; crushed man&drawn sled has also been abandoned here, its load still partially onboard and partially piled on the snow nearby. *imple *earch: ,he mounds are of course graves. Identity papers on the bodies will identify them as 1erman nationals. *imple *earch: ,he sled holds camp gear, provisions and a broken radio. ,here is also a sealed brass tube containing a note from Bauer to his missing countrymen, 1obineau and (et8ger. It says that Bauer and his men have searched for a day and been unable to find them. ;fter a vote, they decided to continue to try for their goal. ,hey were heading to the ridge to the northwest. ;nd they should 7oin them there. ,hey would leave climbing gear at the ridge. Evidence ollection 5/6oint spend: @nder a layer of snow there are numerous empty rifle cartridges as if there had been a substantial fire fight. 0utdoorsman or Evidence ollection: ,here are several sets of footprints around the graves and signs snow that has been dug up to pile on the graves. ; 5/6oint spend reveals a snow&covered trail hinting that something large trampled through this part of the valley several times, before the tracks were mostly covered in snow. $ith another 5/6oint spend, its route can be followed either to -uman Remains or to The limb to the #ce *heet. In either case, 0utdoorsman will indicate that after a couple of hundred yards the tracks have little or no snowfall on them. :orensics: If disinterred and e)amined, one of the bodies appears to have been crushed, one appears to have deep lacerations to the upper body and the

)uman Remains
*cene Type: /ptional, !lue *Bonus+ .ead/#n: /n the Edge, 1raves .ead/0ut: ;ttack -ite, /n the Edge In addition to the large patch of blood are some pieces of bone and clothing. $itnessing this is a 9& point -tability test. ; *imple *earch locates papers that identify the victim as Cean %aymond 1obineau, a Arench national, 1erman resident and a member of the 6-D;# *6a8i #arty+. :orensics4 ,he remains have probably been here for almost a week. 5/6oint spend: ,he bones are gnawed and crushed. ,he tooth&marks are possibly from a bear or other large carnivore. Evidence ollection or 0utdoorsman: ,he man2s prints can be seen coming from the south. 'arge, footprints can be seen in the snow, possibly distorted by melting. Both sets of tracks have followed the same route. 0utdoorsman or 7iology: ,he prints appear to be those of a large carnivoreU however, the e)tended claw in the middle of the foot shows that this wasn2t a bear. In fact, they don2t belong to any identifiable creature. 5/6oint spend: ,here is something very strange about the gait. ; further 5/6oint spend: ,he bi8arre pattern of prints would almost seem to imply that it has si) legs. thulhu 4ythos: ,his may be the 1noph&keh, the legendary si)&legged beast of the ;rctic. 0utdoorsman 5/6oint spend: ,racing the prints to their origin will take characters to Graves. Aollowing the creature2s subse"uent route will take

third has a deep, impaling wound in the abdomen. 5/point spend: ,he first also had symptoms of frostbite. 5/point spend: ,he wounds on the second man are consistent with being mauled by a large carnivore, but a bear2s claws are not sharp enough to have inflicted those in7uries.

Evidence ollection! 0utdoorsman or Geology 1 ore lue3: ;lso about a mile away, close to the middle of the ice&covered valley is a shadow that matches the one Ethelrod showed the group in the briefing *see The *hado% "nder the #ce+. Geology: ,he ice could be up to a thousand feet thick. Evidence ollection: ;s you approach the cube& shaped structure, you see a blackened, scattered pile of debris on the ice. In fact, this is the remains of the 1erman e)pedition *see The End of the 7auer Expedition+.

!hat Happened Here=

,he 1erman e)pedition having ignored their warning, one of the 'omaruit *Blond Eskimo+ sang the old song to call the 1noph&keh. ,he beast stalked the e)pedition, called up a bli88ard and attacked them. -ome of them tried shooting at it without much success. ,hree mere were killed and the rest fled. 1obineau was followed and killed by the creature. ;nother man */tto (et8ger+ died of hypothermia on the ice. ,hree regrouped at the same spot later, buried their dead and gathered their possessions to continue.

The &erman Camp

,he camp consists of two tents with two sledges parked nearby. ,here is bedding for three men here. It appears to be deserted. 0utdoorsman: ,he camp has not been used for days. *imple *earch: ,he camp contains some supplies of food, kerosene, skis, ice picks, rifle ammunition, and so forth. Evidence ollection 5 point spend is re"uired to find each of the following in the camp4 >E dynamite charges with detonators and fuse wire <> flamethrower ignition cartridges ,he Cournal of Ekkehardt Bauer ,he ;kraf7all -aga

The Valley of Commoriom

*cene Type: !ore .ead/#n: /n the Edge .ead/0ut: E)cavation ore lue: The *hado% "nder the #ce

Arri,ing at the Site

;s the team progresses along the ridge, they see two mountain peaks ahead, between which they are heading. Beyond that, according to Ethelrod2s map, lies the valley of !ommoriom. ,he 7ourney is uphill and hard going, re"uiring : ;thletics, Aleeing or 3ealth pool points for half a day. ,he team reaches the top of a rise in the natural pass between the two peaks and has view of a mountainous plateau, a valley around a mile across, with an ice cap covering what was once a valley. ;bout > miles away, on the other side of the valley, a dark cube *The Temple of (hotha++uah+ s"uats on the lower slopes of the highest mountain. ;bout one mile away, on another slope of tundra is a small camp. ,he wind blows harshly through the high valley, whipping up particles of ice and snow into dancing phantoms. ; -ense ,rouble test against Difficulty 9 allows #rotagonists to hear a strange droning sound. ,his is a natural effect caused by the wind blowing between the mountains and through the valley. /nce this is established, allow any -ense ,rouble points spent to be reclaimed.

RBegin -idebarS )*ymbol: 6ulp,

!echselapparat 4lamethrower

!e-

$hile it2s unlikely to do much more than delay the horror they will face later, you could include an intact flamethrower at the camp. ,his model is surplus from the 1reat $ar and consists of a backpack with fuel cylinders and a no88le connected by a hose. ; (echanical %epair test against Difficulty : is re"uired to understand the firing mechanism, with failure resulting in a wasted shot. 1asoline, kerosene or diesel can be used as fuel. ; <E&chambered cylinder in the no88le contains the ignition cartridges. Its heavy *J? lbs+ and cumbersome nature and high visibility make it dangerous to wear, decreasing the wearer2s 3it ,hreshold by < and increasing ;thletics and

Aleeing Difficulties by <. It2s also "uite fragile4 treat as having > ;rmour and 9 3ealth if damaged. ;amage: L< *and see below+ *hots: <E Range: 6ear <otes: /nce hit, a target will continue to burn, inflicting LE damage for <DJ rounds *;thletics test against Difficulty J to e)tinguish+. &< to wearer2s 3it ,hreshold. ; user can also douse an area before ignition, creating a fireball that inflicts similar damage to an e)ploding stick of dynamite *see Trail of Cthulhu rulebook pJM+. REnd -idebarS

anchored in order to ma)imise radio reception. Bauer describes 1obineau as obno)ious and mentally unstable. Bauer feels he is more of a hindrance to the mission than a help. Bauer and 1obineau fight sporadically. -trange&looking Eskimo were spotted watching from a distance. 'ater one of them approached. 3e was a bearded old man with fair comple)ion and elongated facial features. 3e resembled a -candinavian. Bauer felt certain that this was proof of the origin of the ;ryans on ,hule.1reenland. ,he man was not friendly. -peaking in a strange dialect, he appeared to threaten or warn them and left. ,he following day, while caught in a sudden bli88ard, they were attacked by a huge, bear& like thing that was nevertheless definitely not a bear. ,hey tried to shoot it without success. /nce they regrouped, they found that three of them were dead and two missing. ,hey decided to press on with only three men left in the e)pedition.

The 3ournal of Ekkehardt )auer

.anguage: 1erman *&im: : hours Doctor Ekkehardt Bauer was the leader of the 1erman e)pedition. By the time the protagonists find him, he is dead. ,his is his 7ournal, beginning several months before the e)pedition started. It includes "uotations from 3immler, 3erman $irth, and the -era Lin a Book. It includes the following clues4 ,he purpose of the e)pedition is to find evidence that the ancestors of the 1ermans had a civilisation in ancient 1reenland. ,his search is supported by certain nationalist groups, and organisations, including important members of the 6-D;# *6a8i party+. In <=>=, Cean %aymond 1obineau, veteran of the (athieson E)pedition and grandson of ;rthur de 1obineau the famous race theorist, had recently moved to Berlin and 7oined the 6-D;#. 3e contacted 1ustaf Kossinna, #rofessor of 1erman ;rchaeology at the @niversity of Berlin with unpublished information about the <=>? e)pedition. Kossinna, himself a nationalist and race theorist, encouraged Bauer to organise an e)pedition. 'ike Ethelrod and (athieson, 1obineau called the site B!ommoriom2 in reference to a city mentioned in the 'ivre d2Eibon. Kossinna called it B@ltima ,hule2. /n invitation, 1obineau 7oined the e)pedition. It arrived in 1odthIb in early Culy and, following 1obineau2s directions, landed in 1odthIbsf7orden where the ship

The Akraf>all Saga

.anguage: ,sath&5o and 1erman *&imming Time: ,he 1erman translation4 > hoursU translating from ,sath&5o takes longer *see below+ ,his book is a speculative translation by 3erman $irth of certain pictographs found etched onto a monolith in Ainland. $irth interprets the symbols according to his own linguistic theories and wishful thinking. ;nyone familiar with ,sath&5o will recognise the glyphs. .anguages 1German3 will reveal $irth2s interpretation4 A go ess arose out of the earth an se uce a human. She gave birth to the !o -#an. The !o #an became a brave ,arrior an a lea er. $irth associates this with the /arelian stor% of Ilmatar, the spirit of the air who gives birth to 0YinYmQinen, the first man. There ,as a cit% in a high0 fertile valle% in Thule0 ,ith mountains to the ,est an forests to the south. The "eo"le of the cit% ,ere envious of the !o -#an an took him "risoner. The% cut off his hea an burie the bo %0 but he arose0 an kille one of the "eo"le. The% e1ecute him again an the same ha""ene . #ost of the "eo"le fle the cit%. -n the

thir occasion0 he reveale his ivine form an evoure man% of the "eo"le until the last of them fle . (ears later0 one of the inhabitants of the cit% returne an foun the cit% "o"ulate ,ith a race escen e from the go s. Thus began the civilisation of Thule an the Ar%an race. ,his myth, argues $irth, is an account of the divine seed from which the supreme 6ordic&;ryan race appeared on ,hule before they went on to rule the ancient ,orl . 2e also s"eculates e1tensivel% on the relationshi"s bet,een the "ictogra"hs an 'or ic runes. lue 1.everaged3: If using Ethelrod2s ,sath&5o dictionary, every si) hours work and 5 point spends in $rchaeology, .anguages, ryptography, $nthropology or thulhu 4ythos, one of the following points is translated4 -oldiers from !ommoriom captured the outlaw Knygathin Zhaum and brought him back to the city. ;ccording to rumour, Knygathin Zhaum was the product of the union of the Shakli" D the Bgranddaughter2 of the god )hotha**uah and a sub&human 0oormis. ,he city e)ecutioner beheaded him three times and each time, witnesses later saw him alive, more monstrous than before. /n the first and second occasion, Knygathin Zhaum killed and ate one of the inhabitants of the city. By the third reappearance, he had metamorphosed into a fully alien entity, and had devoured many of the citi8ens, forcing the final abandonment of the city. ; former inhabitant of !ommoriom returned to the city one day and discovered it repopulated with the monstrous offspring of Knygathin Zhaum.

,here are rifle cartridges scattered around. ;t least J shots were fired. hemistry: ,he group was burned with fuel, probably kerosene ,here is an odd tarry residue here that you don2t recognise as a normal by&product of chemical fires like this. It seems to be organic. o 7iology: ,his isn2t any known organic substance

:orensics: ;ll three men appear to have died from burns caused by an inflammable li"uid Evidence ollection: 6e)t to the first man is a dark stone statuette. It is a s"uat, grotes"ue, vaguely toad&like form with a fat body, half&closed eyes, large ears and a lolling tongue. -eeing this is a <& point -tability test, (ythos related. ;nyone failing this test is disturbed by a haunting sense of recognition, as if of a childhood memory or a dream. ,hat night, they are visited by an unpleasant dream of this corpulent entity leering at them in some dark, subterranean place. ,hey will lose a second point of -tability. thulhu 4ythos: -imilar toad&like statues were used by e)tinct ;merican Indian tribes in !anada and 6ew England. ,hey supposedly represent a being called Tsathoggua. ,here are interesting parallels with an entity called Sa og,ah associated with witchcraft in the ;uvergne region of Arance. ;ccording to the Book of Eibon, the worship of this god began on the lost continent of 3yperborea, where he was known as )hotha**uah. ,hree sets of footprints come from the direction of the cube&shaped structure. ,hey were running. ; faint trail of fro8en moisture, mucus or slime, also coming from the cube&shaped structure

0utdoorsman or Evidence ollection:

,ranslating it or reading an accurate translation will grant < point of !thulhu (ythos. ,he Keeper might consider using or adapting !lark ;shton -mith2s story The Testament of Athammaus for the content of the main body of the story.

The End of the )auer E-pedition

Evidence ollection: ,here are three charred bodies here in a blackened mass.

8hat -appened -ereA

,he three surviving members of the e)pedition entered the temple and *as instructed by 1obineau+ recited the spell he brought with him *!ontact -pawn of ,sathoggua+. ,hey entered and began to e)plore. /ne of the men could not resist taking the idol of ,sathoggua from the altar when they left.

,hey fled, pursued by the spawn. ,hey fired on it to no effect, but managed to set it on fire with their flamethrower. It attacked them, causing the flamethrower to rupture and burning the entire group, including the spawn, to death.

The Temple of -hothaqquah

,his mysterious, ancient, weathered cube s"uats on the mountainside like a tomb or a memorial to something incomprehensibly ancient. It is built of dark grey stone with sides fifty feet, narrow slits high in the walls and an open, s"uare doorway about nine feet wide. Evidence ollection or 0utdoorsman: ,here is a faint, short path leading from the ice plain to the doorway. Geology: ,he building is constructed of basalt. ,he profound erosion of this hard stone appears to imply that it is unfeasibly ancient. $rchitecture: Each wall appears to be formed of a single natural block. ,he building bears no relationship to any known architectural style. ,he walls and floor are covered in thick frost. ,here are footprints across the floor and in places the frost has been scraped from the walls. Theology: Evidence ollection 5 6oint spend: In other places, the frost has been melted from the walls as indicated by dark scorch marks. Cust inside the door is a huge, three&legged basin of a corroded greenish material that forms a pool of green, several feet wide around it. hemistry or $rchaeology recognises it as e)tremely ancient bron8e covered in thick verdigris. ,he bowl is si) feet across and three deep. If e)amined, the inside of the bowl is untarnished, in near&perfect condition. Evidence ollection: ,he feet are in the shapes of feline&like claws. ,he floor is seen to be tiled in a strange pattern of large, irregular, five&sided flagstones. 6hysics or $rchitecture: ,his pattern of tessellated pentagons is unfamiliar and implies a sophisticated understanding of obscure geometry. -trange hieroglyphs *identifiable as a primitive version of ,sath&5o+ can be seen covering the walls, in some still covered in frost and some already e)posed. ,he glyphs relate a history of the original builders of the city as translated in Ethelrod2s $ictogra"hs in the Tem"le of )othA**ua.

/n the back wall is an empty two&tiered altar. Evidence ollection: ; bare spot in the frost and wear on the stone indicates that an ob7ect rested on this altar for a long time time. 5/6oint spend recognises the outline of the statuette found at The End of the 7auer Expedition.
The 7urial hamber

Behind the altar, what may once have been a hidden doorway lies open with fragments of corroded bron8e chain on the floor nearby. hemistry indicates that the chain fragments have been in this position for only a few years. 1reen stains on the door itself imply that the door was probably chained for millennia. ,he windowless chamber beyond is almost fifty feet wide and about ten feet deep. /pposite the door seated on a large, bron8e throne is the striking figure of a mummified baboon&like ape dressed in the remnants of a red and purple robe and a feathered headdress. ,ufts of orange hair poke through holes in the robe. ,his is a 9&#oint -tability test *(ythos related+. 7iology: ,he creature is of no known species of ape and possesses certain features, for e)ample the structure of the foot, which places it closer to human beings. ,he throne is again of heavily corroded bron8e, but in better condition than the basin. ,here is a long stone table at one end of the chamber, which is empty apart from a few fragments of ancient organic matter *the remains of flowers, fruit and other foods+.

The Shadow under the +ce

6ear the centre of the ice cap, there is a dark spot of roughly circular shape and about forty feet in diameter. Evidence ollection: ; structure of some kind, the top of which is around fifteen feet beneath the surface, descends deep into the ice. Evidence ollection 5 6oint spend or $rchitecture: It is difficult to see through the distortion, but it has a resemblance to the top of a tower complete with railed balcony. If, at any stage, the Investigators balk at e)cavating the structure D to ensure they can leave the site before the sea&route is closed off by ice for e)ample D you can use a -ard ;riverB

Setting up Camp
;t some stage, the protagonists will probably want to build their cabin. ;nyone with 0utdoorsman or $rchitecture will know to build it on solid ground rather than on ice. ,here are several spots on the foothills at the edge of the valley to choose from. Building the cabin takes four days. If the #rotagonists wish to do so, they can spend pool points from ;rchitecture or a relevant !raft and reduce construction time by half a day per point spent. $hile the team members are sleeping in tents and building the cabin, it might be a good time for their first e)perience of ,he -inging *see sidebar+. /nce completed, the cabin has two rooms D a living space with a stove and simple kitchen and "uarters that sleep eight people in bunks. /thers may need to sleep in the living space. Both rooms have one small window. ,here is an outhouse for storage and another for the dogs.

here. (ost of their civilised culture has been lost D they are now simple hunter&gatherers, living harsh lives in the more remote parts of 1reenland. ,heir ancient religion has been lost and they make their offerings and prayers to !thulhu, who they call B/ulu&. #hysically, they look very different from other Eskimo people, being blond, with long faces, elongated ear&lobes and substantial facial hair. ,hey wear hoodless, wide&collared parkas with hats. ,hey believe that the thing that comes from the ice in answer to their song is a B$hite Bear -pirit2 and wear amulets, mistakenly believing that they can offer protection from the 1noph&Keh. $nthropology: ,his primitive 7ewellery is an amulet depicting a fierce, stylised polar bear and possibly intended to offer protection of some kind. 7iology: ,he pendant looks like polar bear bone and the necklace is decorated with bear teeth and claws. $nthropology: ,hese men do not appear to be a members of any known Eskimo tribe, either in terms of their clothing or in terms of their fair hair, slender build, long faces, large noses or long ear lobes. /ne man, who may be a shaman, has motifs on his clothing and ornamentation in an unfamiliar style and a"uatic theme. 5/6oint spend: 0ilh7almur -tefansson reported blond Eskimo in northern !anada in <=<E, and there have been such reports since the <Mth !entury. thulhu 4ythos: ,he images of odd, octopoid beings dwelling in undersea towers on the shaman2s long parka seem to be a depiction of !thulhu and his race.
The $nge&o&! "lat

Attac.s %y )y"er%oreans
*cene Type: ;ntagonist %eaction .ead/#n: ,he 0alley of !ommoriom .ead/0ut: ,he 3airy ,hing in the Bli88ard

the

,he tiny clan of Blond Eskimo has camped near the valley in order to drive the outsiders away and interfere with the dig. ,his takes the form of sabotage and singing the ancestral song for summoning the 1noph&keh from the ice&plains to wreak havoc in the valley. 3aving tracked the outsiders to the valley, they build their snow shelter and male members of the clan take turns to be dropped off by sled, on a possibly suicidal mission to draw the gnoph&keh to their enemies2 camp. @nfortunately for them, while their song summons the creature, it offers no control or protection from it. If the caller is successful, they are as likely as not, to become victims themselves. Either toss a coin, a die or make a decision according to what is dramatically interesting in each instance. ,his also means that all the men of the clan bar one are likely to be dead by the time the creature has been summoned about si) times.

,his white&bearded man may be in his JEs. 3e wears a long parka decorated with strange motifs and symbols and an odd, pointed hat. If @lat is pursued he will mutter incomprehensible curses and wave his hands around in a bi8arre, intimidating fashion. ;s a last resort he will attempt to defend himself with spells or a knife. @lat2s long, colourful parka is decorated with a"uatic designs. thulhu 4ythos 5/6oint spend: ,he images of odd, octopoid beings dwelling in undersea towers on the shaman2s long parka seem to be a depiction of !thulhu and his race. $bilities: ;thletics J, -cuffling ?, $eapons ?, 3ealth J

The H perboreans
,hese natives are, to the best of their knowledge, the last of an ancient race that once had great cities

-it Threshold: 9 8eapon4 &< *knife+ *tealth 4odifier: L> $lertness 4odifier: L> *pells: Dread 6ame of ;8athoth, !ontact 1noph& keh, !ontact !thulhu, !ontact -pawn of !thulhu, !ontact Deep /nes
The :ather! #sma

$lertness 4odifier: L< ;ll of the following antagonist reaction scenes run concurrently with e)ploration and e)cavation in the valley over a period of weeks or months until either the outsiders leave the area, there is only one male member of the clan alive or the clan is defeated. @ntil then it will continue to be a thorn in the e)pedition2s side while the team is e)cavating the site. ,he Keeper should run these events fle)ibly to steadily terrorise and demoralise the #rotagonists. ,he fre"uency and time of summoning attempts, their success or failure, whether the summoner escaped alive or not and the intensity and nature of the 1noph&Keh2s attacks, should be determined by whatever works dramatically at the time. ,he threat level should climb steadily, with more intense and bold attacks, more serious damage to assets and a growing certainty that there is something supernatural going on. /ne attack every couple of weeks is probably about the right sort of pace.
*inging

;ged :J, this gri88led patriarch is the head of the clan. 3is hair is greying, but he is still fierce and strong. If unable to escape, Isma will defend himself ferociously with his spear. $bilities: ;thletics M, -cuffling F, $eapons =, 3ealth J -it Threshold: : 8eapon4 LE *spear+ $rmor4 &< vs all *hide+ *tealth 4odifier: L< $lertness 4odifier: L< *pells: !ontact 1noph&keh
The *ons! .aatu& and 4aa&u&

,hese two men are the sons of the patriarch, aged >M and >F. ,hey are fierce, agile and almost fearless. $bilities: ;thletics <E, -cuffling F, $eapons <<, 3ealth = -it Threshold: : 8eapon4 LE *stone a)es, spears+ $rmor4 &< vs all *hide+ *tealth 4odifier: L> $lertness 4odifier: L> *pells: !ontact 1noph&keh
The -ostage 8ife! 'inguya&&ii

; -ense ,rouble test against Difficulty F *Difficulty J under tents at night+ allows a character to hear a haunting, rhythmic chant or song carried on the wind. $rt -istory or *inging: ; 5/6oint spend identifies it as traditional throat singing of some kind. ; further Difficulty : test *J at night+ is needed to locate the singer. ;nd a Difficulty ? -tealth test *: at night+ is necessary to approach undetected, otherwise the singer will flee into the mountains. -imilarly, if the #rotagonists delay before investigating the sound, the singer will have fled the possible approach of the 1noph&Keh. 0utdoorsman will allow their tracks to be followed into the foothills. ;nd 5/6oint *pend will identify hide shoes and the fact that the wearer was running. ,here is a real potential here for #rotagonists to be caught out in the open when the bli88ard arrives *see below+.
-o%ling

$bilities: ;thletics ?, Aleeing ?, -cuffling 9, $eapons 9, 3ealth 9 -it Threshold: 9 8eapon4 &> *fists+, &< *knife+ $rmor4 &< vs all *hide+ *tealth 4odifier: E $lertness 4odifier: L< *pells: !ontact 1noph&keh
The hild! .amah

$bilities: ;thletics <, Aleeing <, -cuffling <, 3ealth < -it Threshold: 9 8eapon4 &9 *fists+ *tealth 4odifier: L<

If the summoning was successful, a -ense ,rouble test against Difficulty : will allow characters to hear strange and eerie howling sounds. ,his is a <& #oint -tability test.

7iology or 0utdoorsman: ,his isn2t any known animal, a realisation which increases the -tability test to >&#oint. ,his is "uickly followed by a snow storm blowing suddenly over the mountains from the ice sheet. ,he howling may be heard in the midst of the more severe bli88ards, heard with a -ense trouble test against Difficulty ?.
$ 7ody in the #ce

Tracking Eskimo
0utdoorsman: ; 5/6oint spend will allow tracks to be followed southwest for about three miles *a little over an hour+ from the valley edge to a cramped shelter in the snow *see The *no% *helter+. If this is attempted at night, this is a 9/ 6oint spend.

If the singer is killed during an attempted summoning, a -ense ,rouble test against Difficulty J alerts an Investigator to a brief cry in the distance, probably soon forgotten as a bli88ard arises. Evidence ollection: If the area is searched, this ability reveals the body of the singer, unless covered by snow. ; 5 6oint spend is needed if heavy snow has fallen on the area. ;nother 5/6oint spend: !lose to the body is a figurine made out of ice, depicting a strange si) legged, horned animal. ;nthropology4 ,his is a totem D possibly used for calling spirits. thulhu 4ythos: ,his is depiction of the 1noph&Keh D the legendary beast of the ;rctic wastes. 5/6oint spend: ,his carving is a totem for calling the 1noph&keh. :orensics: ,he manner of death is reveals the manner of death D goring, mauling crushing or hypothermia. If the body has been devoured, Aorensics indicates that a large carnivore is the culprit. ; 5/6oint spend reveals that this was not a polar bear, but something unknown and larger. 7iology or 0utdoorsman: @nless covered by snow, there may be prints nearby that can be identified as not originating from a polar bear. ;fter finding either anomaly above, thulhu 4ythos reminds the #rotagonist of the legends of the 1noph&Keh.
*abotage

The )airy !li//ard

Thing

in

the

*cene Type: ;ntagonist %eaction .ead/#n: E)cavation ,he 1noph&Keh is motivated by hatred and hunger. It will attempt to kill any human it encounters, probably by free8ing them to death, and devouring the remains if it can. /nce close to the camp, the creature will summon up a bli88ard, and if it sees vulnerable targets D disorientated, few in number or in7ured D it will attack in the confusion and blindness of the snowstorm. If it loses over half of its 3ealth, the 1noph&keh will retreat back to the ice&sheet. If it is killed, the Eskimo2s song will simply summon a different 1noph&Keh.
7liCCards

,he 1noph&Keh can spend 3ealth points to create a bli88ard. Aor details, refer to Trail of Cthulhu #<9:. ,he potential for these bli88ards to inflict multiple casualties is high. %ather than throw everything into one huge storm in the first assault, build the intensity of these bli88ards gradually. ,he first bli88ard should be frightening and unseasonal, called up with 9 points of the 1noph&Keh2s 3ealth. -ubse"uent bli88ards should increase this spend by one each time, with the intensity and duration steadily increasing accordingly. ;s a rule&of&thumb, the 1noph&Keh won2t take itself below half of its total 3ealth in this way, but that still gives it up to M points to spend creating bli88ards. Each time it reappears, the 1noph&Keh will be at full 3ealth. If #rotagonists *especially more than one+ are killed in this way, unless they have made significant errors, you have probably been too heavy&handed.
;irect $ssaults

;nother strategy the Eskimo may use is sabotage. ,his will occur at night. ,he team awakes to discover that some of their e"uipment is sabotaged D the drill in need of (echanical %epair, the Ice melter destroyed or, most dramatically, the diesel tanks set on fire. ,he cabin itself may even be set on fire. ; -ense ,rouble test against Difficulty ? will allow the protagonists to hear the culprits D most likely the two younger Blond Eskimo D at work. If someone is on watch, success indicates that their approach has been noticed.

Initial attacks by the beast should be indirect. ;t this time it should not be seen directly or at least not distinctly. ; terrifying shape may be glimpsed

in a sudden snowstorm. ;nyone further than ?E feet from the cabin is a potential target of direct assault. By the third appearance, the dog house might be attacked and some of the dogs killed, the rest frightened off. ,he outside food store might be plundered. ;nyone outside the cabin could be attacked. 6on&player characters working at the dig might be targeted when a sudden bli88ard isolates them the cabin. ,he drill or other e)cavation e"uipment might be damaged. ,he radio mast might be smashed. By the fifth appearance, the #rotagonists themselves could be targeted or the cabin directly assaulted.

.ead/#n: ,he -now -helter ;bout four days away by dog sled, the clan2s homestead is huddled in a narrow valley in the wild mountains near Evighedsf7orden. ,he house is large structure of whalebone and hide construct, covered in ice and snow and out of sight of the valley. ; trickle of hearth smoke often emerges from a hole in the roof. 6ear the fire is a makeshift altar and a grotes"ue idol. ,he altar is a 7agged, natural rock. In front of it, is a bowl of blood and the heart of a polar bear, sprinkled with tiny flowers. #erched on the altar is a small, crude whalebone statue of a s"uatting creature with tentacles for a face. -eeing this re"uires a <&point -tability test, (ythos related. thulhu 4ythos identifies it as a depiction of !thulhu. ;ll of the surviving members of the clan will be here. ;pproaching without alerting anyone is a -tealth test against Difficulty M. If alerted, they will flee a strong group or attack a weak one. If surprised, they will be in or around the shelter. If cornered, they will fight fiercely to the death. In any case, Kinguyakki will be here with her son B'amah2. -he is visibly pregnant. 3er first response is to beg *in Inuit+ for her and her child to be spared. $ssess -onesty: -he is genuinely afraid. If captured, Kinguyakkii will refuse to speak and will try to call the gnoph&keh to the cabin if she gets the chance. Reassurance or #ntimidation & and .anguages 1#nuit3: 3er devotion to the clan and the Kulu religion is not as fanatical as the 3yperborean Eskimo and she is vulnerable to persuasion, especially when it comes to the welfare of her child. If the child is taken from her or threatened or she is assured security for both of them, a 9/6oint spend between Reassurance and #ntimidation will get her to talk, revealing the following clues4 ,he woman was not born in this tribe, but in the /alaallit tribe. 3er village was Itiv le*. -i) years ago, she was captured while gathering wild flowers and made to be the wife of 'aatuk, the eldest son of this tribe. 3er captors are the last of an ancient race, called the B'omaruit2. ,hey claim to be descendants of a great civilisation that originally ruled 1reenland. ;fter the glaciers overwhelmed the land, the

&noph?keh
Aor full details of the 1noph&keh see the Trail of Cthulhu rulebook p<9:. ;thletics =, 3ealth <?, -cuffling >< -it Threshold: ? $lertness 4odifier: L< *tealth 4odifier: L> 8eapon: L9 *horn+, L< *claw+ $rmour: &? vs any *furry hide+ *tability .oss: LE

The Igloo
*cene Type: ;lternate .ead/#n: ,he 0alley of !ommoriom .ead/0ut: ,he 3omestead ,his is a small shelter carefully built up from bricks of packed snow and ice. 3anging over the doorway is the skull of a bear. ; stone spike has been driven through its nose, giving it an almost %hinoceros& like appearance. 0utdoorsman or $nthropology: ,his small type of igloo is typically built as a temporary shelter for hunting trips, often on sea ice. $nthropology: ,his may be a totem animal spirit, probably to protect the igloo. *imple *earch: Inside the igloo are a hearth, food for several days, bedding for one, and possible spare clothes or a stone spear, a)e or knife. 0utdoorsman: ,racks of a dog sled can be found nearby. ; 5/6oint *pend is needed per day to track them to the homestead.

The )omestead
*cene Type: ;lternate

civilisation collapsed and the people scattered. $hen other people arrived on the island, the 'omaruit were hunted down by her people, because of their worship of a forbidden god called BKulu2 and because they sometimes took her people as offerings for their god. ,he last 'omaruit woman died >: years ago. -he was the mother of the two younger men. ,he clan stole two women in a desperate attempt to stop the tribe from dying. ,he 'omaruit say their god came down from the sky with his children in ancient times before there were any people. ,hey were overthrown by ancient enemies and driven beneath the ocean, which is where they sleep now. But one day in the future the stars will be in 7ust the right places and they will return and free those who follow them. ,he religion of Kulu is all over the world. ;ccording to the 'omaruit, their ancestors once lived in a great city in the valley below, but a giant called Inook came to the city and devoured many of the people there and the survivors fled. $hen the ice came, Inook was fro8en inside the city. ,he creature of the ice is a mighty bear spirit called 6ook&3ek or Nthe 3airy ,hingP that the clan has been calling to protect the valley from outsiders.

the hole and debris collected periodically with a scoop&like device attached to the cable. ,his process creates a borehole = inches wide. Either the ice melter or e)plosive charges could be used to widen the shaft enough for a man to be lowered on a rope. ,he drill is obviously of little or no use for e)cavating the interior of the tower. ,he operator*s+ must have (echanical %epair.
6oint *pend 7enefits

In any given phase of the e)cavation, a character running the drill can spend up to two pool points of (echanical %epair and reduce the length of that phase by one day per point.

(anual E-ca,ation
(anual e)cavation is slower, involves breaking the ice apart with ice picks and chainsaws then removing it with shovels and buckets.
6oint *pend 7enefits

In any given phase, a character e)cavating manually can spend up to two pool points of ;thletics and reduce the length of that phase by one day per point.

+ce (elter
,he ice melter is an electrical device with long cable that heats up when connected to a power source. In combination with a water pump, it can clear significant amounts of ice with little assistance. #ower for both the melter and the pump are supplied by the diesel generator. ,he operator*s+ must have Electrical %epair.
6oint *pend 7enefits

&'cavation
*cene Type: !ore .ead/#n: ,he 0alley of !ommoriom .ead/0ut: ,he !ity in the Ice ore lue: The structure descends deep into the ice/sheetB There is an accessible stair%ay that leads thereB

In any given phase, a character operating the ice melter can spend a pool point of Electrical %epair and reduce the length of that phase by one day.

E-ca,ation (ethods
,here are several methods at the team2s disposal for e)cavating the site. E)act rates of e)cavation are not important.

E-plosi,es
E)plosive charges can be used to widen e)isting boreholes "uickly or, used with great care, to break up ice inside the tower itself. ,he character using e)plosives must have the E)plosives general ability.
6oint *pend 7enefits

#rilling
,he drill provided for the e)pedition is a standard cable tool rig, which can be operated by single engineer. It operates by repeatedly lifting and dropping a heavy boring tool at the end of a cable, pulverising everything beneath it. $ater is added to

In any given phase, a character overseeing the use of e)plosives can spend up to two pool points of

E)plosives and reduce the length of that phase by one day per point spent.

see that this device has been decorated with gold, emeralds and rubies.
$ccessing the *tair%ay

E-ca,ation Phases
1uidelines for the timings of the various phases of e)cavation are provided the various e)cavation phases described below. ,he Keeper should feel at liberty to modify these timings for dramatic effect.

,his phase takes <> days. 4ethods "sable: (anual E)cavation, Ice (elter, E)plosives $rchaeology or Evidence ollection: ; strange and grotes"ue ob7ect is uncovered in the ice near the top of the stairwell. It looks like a grotes"ue idol fashioned of some dark, mottled material, vaguely toad&like in shape, very dense and about the si8e of a melon. -eeing this re"uires a 9&point -tability test, (ythos related. thulhu 4ythos: -tatues of grotes"ue, toad&like forms are used in the worship of ,sathoggua. Geology or hemistry: ,he ob7ect is not made of any known material. In fact, the ob7ect isn2t a statue at all. It is a dormant organism D one of the -pawn of Knygathin Zhaum. /nce uncovered, the spawn will begin to thaw and awaken. -ee The #dol Tha%s. $rchitecture or $rchaeology 1 ore clue3: ,here is a stairway descending deeper into the ice.

Accessing the :pper Structure

By default, this phase takes > days. 4ethods "sable: Drilling, Ice (elter, E)plosives ,he top of the structure is about <M2 below the surface. Beneath that is the roof of the structure and a chamber D in fact the upper chamber of a tower. It is assumed that the team will create a shaft of pit to reach the tower then e)cavate the inside of it. ,he Keeper may have to improvise somewhat if they take a very different approach. ,he characters may decide to build a shaft ne)t to the tower and enter via one of the doors or windows on the balcony, or they may simply bore a hole directly through the roof. $rchaeology or $rchitecture: ,he roof and floor are already partially collapsed. Geology4 ,he tower is black granite gneiss. ; 5/ 6oint spend establishes that it appears to be e)tremely ancient, perhaps tens or even hundreds of thousands of years old. $rchitecture4 ,he style doesn2t resemble that of any known architectural tradition.

Tunnelling the Stairwa

It takes = days to reach the ice&free section of the stairwell. 4ethods "sable: (anual E)cavation, Ice (elter, E)plosives ; stairwell runs around the inner perimeter of the tower. -olidly constructed from granite, most of it is still intact. ,here are places where steps have eroded or broken and places where there are gaps. $rchitecture: ,he stairway is constructed in a possibly uni"ue way, with the spiral of the stairway growing narrow as one descends and the base of one level seemingly supported by the level beneath it. /n the wall, there is a series of long panels, seemingly of ancient ivory, with images and ,sath& 5o hieroglyphs. ,hese tell a history of 3yperborea, beginning with the time of construction and going deep into the past. 7iology: !onfirms the material is ivory. 3ow it got here from ;frica or ;sia is a mystery. ; 5/6oint spend notes that the ivory must have come from unusually large elephants.

E-ca,ating the Chamber

,his phase takes >: days. 4ethods "sable: (anual E)cavation, Ice (elter, E)plosives $rchaeology or Evidence ollection: ,he remains of an unknown metallic device can be found in the upper chamber of the tower. 4echanical Repair *as an Investigative ability+4 ,here are moving parts D wheels, cogs and globes. ,his is a mechanical device, but it2s function is unclear. o $stronomy: ,he device appears to be a moving model of the inner planets of the solar system Geology! $rchaeology or appropriate raft 1as #nvestigative ability3: 5ou can

$nthropology! $rchaeology! ryptography! .anguages! or thulhu 4ythos: $ith the help of the ,sath&5o dictionary, each panel is about a yard wide and can be translated in about an hour. ,hree panels are probably e)cavated in a day. Aor every five panels translated, a 5/6oint spend is needed. ,he content of the panels is as follows4 <. ,here are several yards where the panelling is blank >. ,he cult of 5houndeh, the Elk 1oddess, forbids the worship of the old god Zhotha""uah. 6ot daring to destroy them, the Zhotha""uah2s cube&shaped temples are barred and locked. 9. King 'o"uamethros is on the throne of !ommoriom, a high city of many spires and gardens. Zylac the ;rchimage, apprentice of 3ormagor, is granted B,he -eer2s ,ower2 in !ommoriom :. Zylac, uses sorcery to create a tower of black gneiss in (hu ,hulan ?. ,he cult of 5houndeh becomes the royally appointed religion. ; great temple is built in !ommoriom. J. ,he wi8ard 3ormagor of ;bormis dies at the hands of the -phin) of ;bormis. ,he town is abandoned. M. ,he great wi8ard Zon (e88amalech disappears mysteriously in (hu ,hulan. F. King (ennamethros of !ommoriom gives Zon (e88amalech a tower in !ommoriom, now called B,he -eer2s ,ower2 =. Zon (e88amalech parts the northern sea and leads the army of King #harogill of (hu ,hulan there to plunder the treasures of a thousand sunken galleys <E. Zon (e88amalech has a tower of copper built in (hu ,hulan <<. ,he $hite -ybil of #olarion, a strange woman from the realms of ice, foretells an undescribed and abominable doom for all mortal beings who dare to remain in !ommoriom <>. Zueen 'uthomne takes the throne of !ommoriom. -he hold ecclesiastical courts. -he builds a high tower in !ommoriom, which takes thirty years. <9. -econd city is built called @8uldaroum

<:. ,he %eign of King 3om"uat begins in !ommoriom <?. Aounding of !ommoriom <J. !ity called B'omar2 settled by people from Zobna in the north <M. Early humans build temples to Zhotha""uah the old god of 3yperborea, in imitation of the sub&human 0oormis <F. ,he 0oormis are driven away. ,hey congregate around (t. 0oormithadreth <=. Descendents of tall, thin antehumans leave homelands in @ltima ,hule in the north and arrive in 3yperborea. >E. !old causes the gradual decline of the 0oormis civilisation ><. 0oormis build a settlement at !ommoriom including a cube&shaped temple to Zhotha""uah >>. ,he gods Itha"ua and ;phoom Zhah cause the continent to get steadily colder. ; realm of glaciers gradually grows in the north. >9. Zhotha""uah destroys the colony of serpent& men. ,heir former slaves, the 0oormis, are free and begin to establish their own civilisation on 3yperborea with Zhotha""uah as their primary deity. >:. -erpent&men survivors from sinking of the continent of 0alusia, found a colony in 3yperborea, bringing 0oormis as slaves and food source ;fter the eighth panel, the team discovers a fissure in the ice that grows until it is wide enough to crawl through. It then grows further to a tunnel averaging si) feet wide, stretching don into the darkness. #rogress can be much faster now. RsidebarS

!hat if the )ore a @ertical Shaft=

,he protagonists may decide to forego the stairway altogether and instead use the drill in combination with e)plosive charges to bore a vertical shaft down to the base of the glacier D either through the centre of the tower or elsewhere. %eaching the base of the ice sheet will take >E days of drilling and blasting, modifiable by up to ? (echanical %epair or E)plosives point spends as described in the E)cavation (ethods sidebar on #age TT.

,his will produce a relatively smooth and vertical shaft with a diameter of 9 feet on average. #eople can be lowered or lifted one at a time by a companion on the surface using a belay device. ,his is a series of three ;thletics tests against a Difficulty of ? for the person on the surface. Aalling means damage of L:, LF or L<> depending on height. If there is a safety rope, damage is reduced to &<, but there there is a < in J chance the safety rope will not hold. It will take around <E minutes to be lowered to the bottom and >E minutes to be lifted back up. ,he protagonists may be able to devise a faster or safer method using dog sleds, drilling e"uipment or the snow tractor. REnd sidebarS

; successful -ense ,rouble test against Difficulty J *F if the attack is at night+ will allow protagonists to hear a strange sound in the camp. ; second -ense ,rouble test against Difficulty J is needed to catch sight of a bi8arre black thing like a huge spider. If it2s passing through the cabin door they will automatically spot a stream of thick, black oo8e passing through the keyhole. ;ttacking it will cause it to attack the protagonist. Evidence ollection: ,here are traces of a dark greyish slime on any victims2 bodies and wherever the creature has passed. If a #rotagonist is attacked, a -ense ,rouble test against Difficulty ? *F at night+ will alert them to the imminent attack. 3unting it down, while it hides in the camp has the same Difficulty. ;waking to the thing attack a companion sleeping in the same tent or room is a Difficulty : test.

The Idol Thaws

*cene Type: ;ntagonist %eaction .ead/#n: E)cavation ,his nominally takes :F hours or <J hours if left in a warm place like a tent or cabin, however it should take as long as is dramatically interesting. ;s it thaws, especially if it has been brought back to the camp, the dogs begin to act in a disturbed way, barking all day and night. ,he organism will scuttle across the ground on many limbs and attempt to escape, probably at night. It can escape through holes smaller than < inch diameter, although such a small orifice would take it two minutes to oo8e through. Escaping under the sides of tents won2t present much problem nor will getting through the interior door of the cabin. ,he door and walls of the cabin are well protected against the elements and it will take a couple of minutes to pass through the keyhole. ,his creature will attempt to hide among the outhouses and e"uipment and ambush a lone human as they wander outside. If necessary it might enter the cabin and attack a lone sleeping host. ,he spawn will attempt to enter unconscious or subdued host, smothering their sounds as it forces itself down their throat and takes up residence in their body. @nless one of the #rotagonists unwittingly sets himself up as an obvious target, the spawn should attack a non&player character4 one of the mushers or 1ermans *if present+.

Spawn of 5n gathin Ahaum

;lso known as B#arasitic -pawn of ,sathoggua2, these entities bear a resemblance to their cousins, e)cept that they are smaller *about the si8e of a ? year old child+, and have the ability to parasitise human hosts. 'ike the formless spawn, they are black, oo8ing, plastic entities capable of taking almost any shape and of s"uee8ing themselves under doors and through small holes. Due to their li"uid nature, normal physical wounds will flow closed. 3owever, this process is not instantaneous. ,hey may be temporarily incapacitated by physical attacks, but even if completely dismembered and the members scattered, the parts will reassemble D by flowing, rolling into balls, s"uee8ing through cracks or even breaking out of containers *controlled by a unifying intelligence, ;thletics can still be used in this state+ until the parts gather together and the creature is intact once more. ,hey cannot be killed in this way D the amount of damage they take only determines the amount of time it takes for their 3ealth to get above E and able to act once more. Aire damage does not heal in this way, nor damage from magical or chemical attacks. Due to the hominid strain in its ancestry, the spawn has an affinity for human biology and can live inside a human being, substituting natural biological functions with its own. ,hey can attempt to subdue a target and then enter the body via an orifice *probably the mouth+. ,he victim may be incapacitated or even killed during the attempt. ,he spawn will need to remove some of the victim2s

internal organs in order to make space for it2s own body. ,his will take about ? minutes. ,he rest of the body, including the brain will remain alive, provided for by the spawn. #artial recollection of the attack event is possible only after >: hours and a successful -tability test against Difficulty ?. ;fter about >: hours, the spawn can begin to take control of behaviour. ,he host2s previous Drive disappears and instead is substituted with the spawn2s goals4 trapping the humans and awakening Knygathin Zhaum and the other spawn to feast upon them. @nless the Investigator passes a -tability test against Difficulty :, this change will be at a subconscious level. ,o an observer, the host2s personality and mind seem to be intact, but $ssess -onesty will detect a listless or Boff2 "uality that may be mistaken for shock or other mental health issue. ontrol -uman 7ody: ,he parasite can also attempt full control of the host body at a cost of < ;thletics pool point per two minutes. %esisting this is a contest between the parasite2s ;thletics and the host2s -tability. ,he Difficulty for the host is >, plus < per day of infestation. ; controlled host can move and speak, but seems emotionless and sometimes confused about normal behaviour and culture. $ssess -onesty will notice something is amiss if the host is observed closely or interacted with. *uffocate: ,he creature can use a tendril or limb to sei8e a victim around the neck or simply smother with its viscous body. ;pply the Drowning and -uffocation rules *,rail of !thulhu rulebook #JF+. $hen being strangled, successful -cuffling contest *or $eapons if a suitable weapon is available+ will allow a victim to break free. Grab: ,endrils or limb attacks can be used to prevent escape or to render a target unable to fight. /nce grabbed, a -cuffling contest *or $eapons if a suitable weapon is available+ is re"uired to break the grip. #nvade -ost: ,he creature can force itself into a victim via a bodily orifice *usually the mouth+ if the target has been successfully suffocated or grabbed in the previous round or is unconscious. ;gainst a conscious victim, this is an ;thletics contest with the spawn rolling against a Difficulty 6umber of 9. If the mouth is being used as an entrance, the victim will suffer the effects of -uffocation *as in -trangling above+, until the contest is over and for another 9 rounds.

$ttac& from -ost: By spending 9 e)tra -cuffling points, the creature can launch an attack from within a host body D via tendrils e)tending from the mouth and nose for e)ample. ;t the end of the attack the thing can be outside or inside the original host as preferred.
*pa%n of 'nygathin (haum

$bilities: ;thletics <E, 3ealth J, -cuffling <: -it Threshold: : *tealth 4odifier: L< *LE in snow and ice, L9 in shadows or darkness+ 8eapon: &< *tendril+, LE *limb+, L< *pseudopod+ U can e)tend tendril attack at near rangeU limb can attack one to three targets simultaneously, adding one to the 3it ,hreshold for each additional target. $rmor: 6one in normal state, &: *vs any+ when within a host. 3eals physical damage *e)cept fire, chemicals, e)plosives+ at 9 3ealth per round. *tability .oss: L< $hile in a fro8en, dormant state, although very hard, the spawn can be cut or physically damaged. 3owever, once it thaws, it will regain the ability to physically reassemble itself. ,reat it as having ;rmor of &? *vs any+ in a dormant state.

The City in the Ice

*cene Type: !ore .ead/#n: E)cavation .ead/0ut: ,he Eye of @bbo -athla, ,he ,haw

#escent into the #epths

,he stairs descend about JEE&MEE feet under the ice&sheet. $rchitecture: ,he engineering here is unusual or uni"ue. ,he diameter of the spiral remains regular as it descends, and each wall is at a slightly overhanging angle, supporting the course of stairs above. ,he walls are overhanging slightly. It soon becomes very dark and artificial light is essential. 1etting to the bottom will take at least around half an hour. ,here are two places where the stairs have completely collapsed creating gaps. ,o create a rudimentary bridge is an appropriate !raft test against Difficulty :. 3aving the right tools and materials to do so is a #reparedness test against difficulty ?. /therwise, the first gap is an ;thletics test against Difficulty 9. ,he second, wider gap is an ;thletics test against Difficulty ?. Aailure means

the character falls for LJ damage. If a safety rope was used, the damage is reduced to &>.

The Cit +tself

,he prehistoric city is mostly covered by solid ice, but a number of areas have caverns and inter& connecting ice tunnels. ,he city is pitch black, but any artificial light causes large areas to glow blue as the light reflects and illuminates the ice from within. Evidence ollection: It2s surprisingly warm down here. ; thermometer can confirm that it2s over >?VA. Events that occur during e)ploration of this area are detailed in the sidebar $ntagonist Reactions of the *pa%n.

stairways for about >EE yards before reaching a large doorway that lies open with the fragments of a stone door scattered around it. ,he doorway leads to The .ibrary. ,he passage continues for a similar length before reaching a second doorway. ,his door is intact and open. #assing through the doorway leads to The -igh *treet where one can turn left or right. !losing the door for the first time is an ;thletics test against Difficulty <? and re"uiring tools to use for leverage. Aor subse"uent attempts, it is Difficulty <>.
Excavation

$alls !obbles ;ncient Doors

High Street
Arom the Ice !orridor this can be followed left and slightly uphill or right and slightly downhill. ,he left branch terminates in a wall of ice and rock after some >EE yards. ,he right branch leads to The *+uare. ,he street is wide and the forms of ancient homes, towers, sidestreets and so on can be glimpsed along it2s length offering a haunting vista of a primordial city imprisoned in ice. ,he walls are wet and pitted with narrow fissures. ,here are also walls of huge stone blocks, with what appear to be doorways and window spaces. #rehistoric plants
Excavation: 59 hours

E-ca,ating in the cit

,here are several sites of interest for potential e)cavation here. $rchaeology! Geology or Evidence ollection: ,he given times for e)cavation can be halved with a 5/6oint spend. Explosives: $here these can be used they will half the given e)cavation times. ; 5/6oint spend in E)plosives will half the time again.

The )ase of the Tower

ore lue 1:loating3: #f excavated! the Eye of "bbo/*athla %ill be found here 1unless already found3B %ubble and ice lie in piles, having fallen from the tower walls and the tunnels above
Excavation: D hours

Evidence ollection: ,here are bone fragments here. $rchaeology or :orensics determines that the bone fragments are "uite ancient. 7iology determines that they include what may be caribou, musk o)en and human remains. :orensics 5 6oint spend notes that some of them are human remains and some appear to be corroded as if from some kind of powerful acid. Evidence ollection 1 ore! :loating3: ,here is a glass or crystal orb about the si8e of an orange and flattened at two ends *,he Eye of @bbo -athla+.

E)cavation of the fissures reveals they are channels leading into the ice. ,here are also fissures behind the walls, doorways and windows. Buried deep in the ice, eventually another hibernating spawn will be found. (ore of these can be found with a few more hours of e)cavation.

The S9uare
ore lue 1:loating3: The Eye of "bbo/*athla ,his was once the central gathering place of the city. ,he ceiling here is higher than in the passageways, arching up to around :E feet in the middle. It is about >?E feet across. -hadows of tall buildings can be glimpsed, entombed in the blue ice walls. /ne side is dominated by the facade of a particularly grand structure. $hen bright light shines on it, there is a suggestion of several towers e)tending upwards through the ice. ,he facade is

The +ce Corridor

Ice&walled tunnel follows ancient path over rock and cobble surface of prehistoric pathway, descending from base of tower in a series of

riddled with small holes and a trickle of water flows towards the ice&choked centre of the s"uare. ; glacier of sorts dominates the centre of this huge ice cavern, occupying half the floor of the s"uare and e)tending from a wide avenue, which is completely blocked with ice. ;n unblocked *ide *treet also e)tends away from the -"uare.
Excavation: 59 hours

Commorian Pnakotic (anuscripts

,he library includes transcriptions and some original e)amples of manuscripts in the curvilinear 5ithian script and the dot&based cipher of the Elder ,hings. ,he entire collection here behaves like any collection of #nakotic (anuscripts as described in ,rail of !thulhu #age TT. %ecovering each point of !thulhu (ythos worth of fragments to the surface takes at least a day. ,ranslating, collating and interpreting this material is a pro7ect that would takes years. 3owever, with the aid of the ,sath&5o dictionary and a >&#oint spend in 'ibrary @se, it2s possible to collate and translate enough of the material for an overview. .anguage: ,sath&5o *with passages in Elder -cript and 5ithian+ *&imming Time: <? hours, minus ? hours for each pool point spent in !ryptography, 'anguages, ;rchaeology, ;nthropology or !thulhu (ythos -kimming grants dedicated pool points in ;stronomy, 1eology and /ccult. !lues4 ,his material consists of fragments passed down through many generations from the library city of #nakotus archived by ,he 1reat %ace. ,his knowledge was gathered from across the entire universe, from the future and the past. -ome of the material was inherited from the fallen civilisation of the #olar /nes at the -outh #ole. It was translated and interpreted by priests called the #nakotic Brotherhood over hundreds of generations ,his library is a 7ust part of a larger collection distributed across ancient 3yperborea.

Beneath the glacier in the central area is a raised, stepped area. $rchaeology: /n top of this are the remnants of a large block of fossilised hardwood. Evidence ollection: $ith a 5/6oint spend, the head of a huge bron8e a)e can be found. Evidence ollection 1:loating! ore3: ,he Eye of @bbo -athla
Excavation: 92 hours

,he grand facade is the front of the original #alace of !ommoriom. Knygathin Zhaum and his Binner circle2 are hibernating here. (ore dormant spawn can be found after <> hours. E)cavation accelerates the ,hawing of the city *see #. ))+ and reveals channels in the ice. E)cavation, particularly the use of e)plosives here will rapidly accelerate the catastrophic awakening of Knygathin Zhaum and his spawn *see The 7lac& ;oom on p. ))+. Ideally this should not occur until after the Eye of @bbo& -athla is found.

Side Street
,his is essentially identical to the -igh *treet, e)cept that it e)tends away from The *+uare and ends in a dead&end after about <EE yards.

The "ibrar
; large archway leads to a rubble&strewn room that includes rows of collapsed stone shelves. #iles of dust and mould are fre"uent. Evidence ollection: ,here are tablets of stone, pottery and bron8e among the broken shelves. ,hese are covered in the ,sath&5o script. thulhu 4ythos: -tudy of these te)ts recognises them as #nakotic (anuscripts. ; 5/6oint spend is needed to recognise the 5ithian and Elder ,hing scripts. ; 9/6oint spend suggests that much of the material here is previously unknown.

,his particular set includes the following spells4 -ummon #olar /ne *!ontact Elder ,hing+, however poring over the fragments is re"uired to learn this $rchaeology or $rchitcture 1:loating! ore lue3: If the Eye of @bbo&-athla has not been located elsewhere, the remains of a partially blocked stairway is discovered. ;ccessing this is an ;thletics test against Difficulty M. ,his leads to the .ibrary Vault.

"ibrar @ault
ore lue 1:loating3: The Eye of "bbo/*athla ;nother historical frie8e is carved across the stone walls of this circular chamber. ; pale stone about the si8e of a small orange *,he Eye+ is mounted on a plinth in the middle of the room.

human temple and sought to use it to ga8e upon the wisdom of the Elder 1ods who vanished before Earth life appeared. ; stream of visions appear of years gone by. 3is efforts to peer into the past reach a ,hreshold however, beyond which he is afraid to look. ,his trance will last for appro)imately half an hour. /n awakening from this communion with the mind of Zon (e88amalech the viewer immediately loses < point of -anity. ;fter this and subse"uent instances, they must make a -tability test against Difficulty J to recall some of his understanding. If successful, they gain L< to !thulhu (ythos. @p to > points of !thulhu (ythos may be gained this way.
ommunion %ith "bbo/*athla

The &ye of 0%%o1Sathla

*cene Type: !ore .ead/#n: ,he !ity in the Ice ,his is a cloudy, oblate sphere about the si8e of an orange, slightly flattened at the ends. ;lso known as B,he !rystal of Zon (e88amalech2, ,he Eye of @bbo&-athla is a device of unknown origin D perhaps a creation of the Elder things D that can send a viewer2s mind into the remote past by uniting it with the collective ancestral mind. Aor mysterious reasons the crystal is ever tied to the sorcerer and his scrying efforts to find the Elder Keys thulhu 4ythos: ;ccording to the Book of Eibon, a powerful wi8ard of ancient 3yperborea possessed a cloudy scrying stone in the shape of a slightly flattened orb. ; 5/6oint spend reveals that it was called B,he Eye of @bbo&-athla2 and possessed by Zon (e88amalech. 3e was able to view the very beginnings of life itself. ;pparently, he disappeared, taking the stone with him. ,here is something tantalising and mysteriously familiar about the crystal and the temptation to ga8e into it immediately is a -tability test against Difficulty 9. ,he same test is needed to resist using the crystal again, within >: hours of its last use, with the Difficulty increasing by < each time it is used. *tability Test ;ifficulty: > when used the first time, no test on subse"uent uses. *tability ost: : plus additional losses depending on what was encountered D see below. @se of the crystal involves ga8ing into its beguiling depths for several minutes. ;fter which, the user finds themselves sitting and staring at the same crystal on a table of dark wood, in an ivory& panelled chamber. ,he situation is at once foreign and very familiar. ,hey know themselves as Zon (e88amalech, greatest sorcerer in 3yperborea, in his high tower in (hu ,hulan. ;s Zon (e88amalech, the viewer knows the sorcerer ac"uired this ancient orb from a sub&

,he first time the Eye is used, the player must attempt to pass a test with a Difficulty of J on behalf of Zon (e88amalech to see beyond the ,hreshold. ,he Difficulty decreased by < for each subse"uent use. /n passing the test described above, Zon (e88amalech2s self&identity is swallowed up *along with the viewer2s+ into a stream of numberless lives and deaths, aeons e)perienced in minutes, rushing back into the past along ancestral lines and close branches on the ancestral tree. In this case the trance will continue for around four hours. %egression through collective ancestral memory continues until @bbo&-athla, the source of all life on earth is reached. (ost of these e)periences will not subse"uently be recalled, but even if they are not, they are inherently destructive to the viewer2s sense of self, causing a loss of > -anity points. ; character who2s -anity is reduced to 8ero in this way suffers a total loss of self, sitting unresponsively in a catatonic&like state, then one day, when the opportunity appears, suddenly wandering off, probably never to be seen again. ;fter awakening from this deeper regression, a character will be unable to recall much detail. 5et recollections may come. ,he viewer must make a -tability test against Difficulty ? to recall something. If they succeed, roll on the table below to determine the memory, then have them make roll more -tability tests until they fail.
Regression #nsights ,ake two dJs and decide which is NtensP and which is NonesP. %oll below4 %esult

<< D <J 3uman kingdom of 3yperborea, battles

with 0oormis, rise and fall of various cults etc *tability test: 9&point -tability test
>< D >J #re&human 0oormis kingdoms, including

for Knowledge 6illars of *anity at sta&e: Aamily, 3uman Dignity and 0alue, %eligion
J< D J> @bbo -athla is witnessed as the foul source

their worship of Zhotha""ah etc *tability test: 9&point -tability test

9< D 99 $hite ape&men are compelled by some

mysterious drive to raise a city in the 7ungle. ,heir ancestors evolve rapidly and spread out across world as early humans. *tability test: 9&point -tability test. ;rives at sta&e: In the Blood 6illars of *anity at sta&e: Aamily, %eligion
9:D 9J

of all earthly life *tability test: :&point -tability test *or ;nagnorosis+ *anity lost: < point *or ;nagnorosis+ ;rives at sta&e: ;nti"uarianism, ,hirst for Knowledge 6illars of *anity at sta&e: Aamily, 3uman Dignity and 0alue, %eligion
J9 D J: @bbo&-athla was a creation of the Elder ,hings D a biological factory for breeding slaves. Earth&life is an accidental by&product.

0oormis gain freedom from -erpent #eople, found 3yperborean colony *tability test: 9&point -tability test genetically engineer simians into land hominids and a"uatic hominids to serve as slaves *tability test: 9&point -tability test *anity lost: < point ;rives at sta&e: ;nti"uarianism, ,hirst for Knowledge 6illars of *anity at sta&e: Aamily, 3uman Dignity and 0alue, %eligion

:< D :> -erpent people in city called B5oth2

*tability test: : point -tability test *or ;nagnorosis+ *anity lost: > points *or ;nagnorosis+ ;rives at sta&e: ;nti"uarianism, ,hirst for Knowledge 6illars of *anity at sta&e: Aamily, 3uman Dignity and 0alue, %eligion
J? D JJ ,he Elder Keys are viewed clearly. ,he

:9 D :: -erpent people civilisation wiped out by

rise of dinosaurs *tability test: 9&point -tability test *anity lost: < point
:? D :J -hoggoth rebellion defeated in Elder thing

civilisation *tability test: :&point -tability test *anity lost: < point
?< D ?> -erpent people kingdom of 0alusia

script consists of unintelligible clusters of dots, recognisable as Elder ,hing script to anyone familiar with it or who makes a <& #oint spend in !thulhu (ythos. ,he e)act contents of the tablets should be e)tremely difficult to access and are beyond the scope of this scenario. *tability test: : point -tability test *or ;nagnorosis+ *anity lost: > point *or ;nagnorosis+ ;rives at sta&e: ;nti"uarianism, ,hirst for Knowledge 6illars of *anity at sta&e: %eligion L< !thulhu (ythos is granted for every three memories recalled. 3ypnosis could be used to recover memories. ,hese e)periences are not mere visions D the Bviewer2 fully e)periences the life of the creature witnessed. ,his means that the e)periences are hard to dismiss D seeing is believing in this case. -ome of these e)periences are capable of causing lost Drives or smashed #illars of -anity at the Keeper2s discretion.

*tability test: 9&point -tability test *anity lost: < point

?9 D ?: !ataclysm raises %Olyeh, arrival of

!thulhu, war of !thulhu and the Elder ,hings *tability test: J&point -tability test *anity lost: > points ;rives at sta&e: ;nti"uarianism, ,hirst for Knowledge
?? D ?J Elder thing e)periments create vertebrates

The Thaw
*cene Type: ;ntagonist %eaction .ead/#n: ,he !ity @nder the Ice .ead/0ut: !hildren of Knygathin Zhaum ;wakenX

*tability test: :&point -tability test *anity lost: < point ;rives at sta&e: ;nti"uarianism, ,hirst

,hese antagonist reactions are designed to create a growing sense of unease. ,hey should be detailed and timed according to drama, atmosphere and #rotagonist actions. ,he events of the different sections should overlap.
Tha%ing

o If a sample is taken the container is later found broken or overturned and the sample missing
*omething in the *hado%s

;s soon as the protagonists enter !ommoriom, the spawn begin to thaw and awaken. !asually drop the following clues into your description to build atmosphere. ,hese clues are picked up passively. Evidence ollection: It seems slightly warmer in the city than when the characters first entered. o ; thermometer will confirm that the temperature is now 7ust above free8ing $ater is dripping from the ceiling #ools of water are collecting -mall rivulets are running from that wall of ice ,he surface of that wall seems more pitted than when we first saw it. I don2t remember those holes being there

$hen two or more characters are moving through the city, with a successful -ense ,rouble test against Difficulty J, they catch a glimpse of something slithering or scuttling among the ice and rubble. By the time they reach the spot to investigate, there is nothing there.
$ 6rotagonist is $ttac&ed

If a #rotagonist is so foolish as to be alone in the city they may be targeted by one of the spawn. ,he Keeper may want to resolve this event privately, to avoid the possibility of the other players learning that one of their companions is infested with an parasitic monster. ; -ense ,rouble test against Difficulty J will allow the character to catch a glimpse of movement or a sound as the creature approaches or waits in ambush. If they succeed, the spawn will !hase them. ,hree or four successful ;thletics or Aleeing tests may be enough to allow the character to reach the rest of the group, at which point the spawn will retreat. If they fail the -ense ,rouble test above, the spawn will attack with surprise. %uthless Keepers may want to consider a result of < or > on the -ense ,rouble test as automatic infestation, in order to keep the victim2s player in the dark about what has happened. Evidence from a successful attack will be similar to the *omeone?s 4issingE section above. ;n infested character will have no memory of the attack, although when they awaken they may e)perience some odd symptoms4 ; Bspaced out2, apathetic feeling4 treat as if *ha&en. 'oss of Drive. ;bdominal pain ; sluggish, bloated feeling

*omeone?s 4issingE

/ne of the 6on&#layer !haracters *if there are any left+ working or moving alone in the city ruins is noticed as missing. ; -ense ,rouble test against Difficulty : may allow characters to hear a cry for help. ;fter a search, the character is found unconscious, lying in a large pool of blood. 4edicine: ,here is no obvious sign of in7ury. *< point spend+ 3e appears to be in a coma. :orensics: *< point spend+ ,here is no sign of in7ury apart from bruising around the neck and face.
4ore Tha%ing

;gain this is something that one of the #rotagonists should notice passively. ,his can occur more than once. Evidence ollection: ; black substance is oo8ing from holes in the -igh *treet or The *+uare o $hen revisited, the oo8e is gone.

,hese symptoms may initially be confused with Bnervous shock2. ,he victim themselves will rationalise and 7ustify any unusual behaviour. ,his is a good roleplaying opportunity for the player.
4utiny of the #nfested

$ith time, they will also begin to e)perience strange urges and black&outs. -ee the *pa%n of 'nygathin (haum sidebar on #age )).

/nce fully under the control of the parasitic spawn, the infected character will seek to awaken Knygathin Zhaum and his spawn using the various e)cavation tools at The 6alace elsewhere. 6aturally this will accelerate the $%a&ening of 'nygathin (haum, although ideally this shouldn2t occur until the team has found ,he Eye of @bbo& -athla. /ther possible sabotage attempts include4 'uring as many people into the city as possible Blocking the escape route with e)plosives

,he Keeper may also consider allowing #rotagonists to reduce the Difficulty with convincing Investigative spends, from ;rchitecture or 1eology for e)ample. -topping to take a shot at the pursuers will increase the Difficulty by <. Depending on their previous actions, it may be possible to create obstacles for the pursuers such as pulling a door closed behind them, burning pools of fuel, shooting a bo) of ,6,, rolling fuel barrels, detonation of planted ,6, charges etc. ,he Keeper should assess such attempts on a case&by&case basis. )*ymbol: 6ulp, If a #rotagonist has the flamethrower, they could use it to delay the spawn with suppressive fire. Don2t forget the two gaps in the stairs. ,hese could be an obstacle or a boon depending on whether they need to be climbed or whether a bridge has been built. -abotaging a bridge, once it has been crossed, is an ;thletics test against Difficulty : *9 with (echanical %epair or ;rchitecture+. If the spawn fail the !hase contest, the protagonists have reached at least temporary safety *a vehicle, the cabin, a vertical shaft accessing the top of the ruins with the rope ladder pulled away etc+. 3owever, as Knygathin Zhaum can probably get through most barriers, this freedom may be short lived. @nless they can come up with a way to seal the entrance to the city e)tremely "uickly, they will probably need to get to the snow tractor to escape.

If the spawn is found out and cannot escape it will attack from within the host body with its $ttac& from -ost ability. ,he eyes will roll back and turn black, and sticky black tendrils will shoot from mouth and nose, striking anyone in range. ; -ense ,rouble test against Difficulty ? to avoid being surprised. Being attacked in this way is a M&#oint -tability test.
The *pa%n and their F:ather? $%a&enE

,his eventuality is handled below in the scene hildren of 'nygathin (haum $%a&eE

Children of 2nygathin -haum Awa.en3

*cene Type: ;ntagonist %eaction.!lima) .ead/#n: ,he ,haw ; -ense ,rouble test against Difficulty J is re"uired to detect the approaching spawn. ,he first wave consists of five spawn, with others not far behind. -omething much larger can be heard *or even glimpsed+ crashing, slithering and hissing in the rear. ,his is an F&#oint -tability test. !haracters who don2t flee immediately will be attacked in two rounds. Aor those who flee, this is a !hase. If none of the protagonists passed their -ense ,rouble, the test Difficulty is ?. ,hose who passed get a head start and a Difficulty of 9. ,hose who failed but were alerted by others get a Difficulty of :. ,reat the leading wave of pursuers as a single entity. ; character who fails the chase contest will be immediately pounced on by one or two spawn and he must fight them. ; second wave of si) spawn is two rounds behind the first. Knygathin Zhaum and three spawn are moving at a steadier pace at the rear. ,he #rotagonists can2t afford to miss a step.

5n gathin Ahaum
,he entity that was known an age ago, by the name BKnygathin Zhaum2 is a dark, mottled and mammoth&si8ed entity D a bloated trunk, with a one&eyed Bface2 emerging from its midsection, and a second eye beneath that. ,wo long tentacles with Bfingers2 like knots of writhing snakes emerge from its Bshoulders2 and a cup&like mouth protrudes at the top. ,he lower limbs are a mass of slender proboscides covered in suckers. Knygathin Zhaum can attack with each of its two tentacles in a single round. 'ike his spawn, he can assume the form of a viscous, black li"uid. ;nd most forms of physical in7ury will simply flow closed. $bilities: ;thletics <>, 3ealth >>, -cuffling >F -it Threshold: 9 8eapon: L? *trample+U L> *tentacle+U L> *sucking proboscides+U a successful tentacle attack may, instead of inflicting damage, pull the victim to the

many mouths for automatic damage on each following round $rmour: &> *thick, mottled membrane+ 3eals most physical damage *e)cept fire, chemicals, e)plosives+ at : 3ealth per round *tability .oss: L>

.ead/#n: !hildren of Knygathin Zhaum ;wakenX If the #rotagonists manage to escape from !ommoriom with the Eye of @bbo&-athla, there is a strong possibility that it2s dire but compulsive insights will overwhelm them once they reach civilisation or during the voyage home. -uch a #urist style epilogue would bring the scenario to a very nice end. It might also suggest possibilities for future adventures.

&"ilogue
*cene Type: ;lternate