Chaosium Digest Classics: The Thirteenth Man
by Matt "Monster Fashion" Sanborn
Originally presented in The Chaosium Digest v30.06 on Sunday, February 20, 2000
Setting: This adventure is set in Maine, near Christmas 1925. It is made for players of newspaper reporters or freelance writers. When we play tested it, two reporters were sent up to Maine as a punishment for writing pro-Darwinism articles in their paper's editorial columns. They ended up getting a much bigger story than they had been planning.
Players Information: The player's editor or agent received a phone call the day before Christmas from a woman named Wanda. She informed him that world-renowned avante garde film director Max Krieg, has arrived in America and hidden himself away in Maine at a private camp to film his ultimate work, Der Dreizig Mann, (The Thirteenth Man). This would be a huge scoop on all the other papers in the country. "The great Max Krieg filming his masterpiece in America under total privacy, and we will have the exclusive!!!!" The day after Christmas, the investigators are to travel to Sebago, Maine, to see what's going on.
The scenario could be set for a private investigator who is hired by an American film company to see if the rumors of Max Krieg's film are true. Any and all information is needed about the movie, so that the studio can create a similar film, and release it before Krieg, making him look like a sham, and destroying a good deal of his box-office potential. Either way, get the people up there.
Keeper's Information: The rumor is true that Max Krieg has arrived in America and is hiding in Maine with his crew. They have set up several stages, but are only filming stock scenes to be used for filler in company films. Max is much too busy to be bothered with filming right now. The sixty one year-old Krieg is about to do some extremely nasty work for his sworn master, Nyarlathotep.
The world famous director has been a devoted follower of Nyarlathotep since the age of 21 when, as a seminary student on a mission in Nairobi, Kenya he was invited to hear a local preacher. Krieg, whose real name is Max Eissen, a devote' of St. Damien, (a man who treated and cared for lepers until falling prey to the awful disease), attended a service in the basement of a local church. His life changed forever the moment Nyarlathotep took the podium. Speaking to a jammed room of over 300 men and older boys, the unholy messenger was in the form of the Black Man. Insanity and an undying loyalty towards Nyarlathotep was forged into Eissen's brain that night.
Eissen changed his name to Max Krieg in 1916, and, with help from Nyarlathotep, became a world famous director by the end of 1918 with his film about the apocalypse Das Tot, (The Dead). His next three movies Das Phantom, (1919), Die Fraulein, (The Girl), (1920), and Mein Gott (My God), (1923). My God, was a direct attack on the Catholic and Jewish dogma, and hinted at a force more powerful than any monotheistic god. This film was not allowed into America, but was quickly embraced by German bohemian societies.
Because of his loyal devotion, Nyarlathotep has given him a task with a reward. Krieg is to find somewhere to hide. The weather must be cold and the area not exposed to a great deal of sunlight. Using the blood of two healthy adult men, he is to bring back the vampire Drexel Link from the netherworlds. Link is a creation of Nyarlathotep. This monster has been around since 1599, when he was given to some disciples as a gift in Oxford, England. See the Drexel Link section for much more information on this beast. As a reward for bringing the vampire back, Nyarlathotep has instructed Link to stay for 14 days with Krieg. Link has a great deal of knowledge about the "true" history of the world and universe(s), (i.e. - Cthulhu Mythos). He is to teach Krieg some of this history during his two week stay. As you will see in the Link section, the vampire follows his master's directions about as well as Nyarlathotep responds orders from his overlords.
I have given a lot of background for the Keeper. You can easily not include almost all of it, and still have a really scary game. I wanted to give as much information as possible, as the deeper a Keeper's knowledge of the adventure and the more prepared you are, the greater chance of a very memorable game. During game play, players will go in directions you didn't anticipate and you may need to play off the cuff, throwing some of your scripted events out the proverbial window. A strong familiarity with the history of the characters here virtually assures you of not looking like a fool if things don't go as you plan.
Time-Line: Keeper's should make themselves very familiar with the timeline in order to run a smooth game.
December 14, 1925, Monday: Members of Krieg's crew and staff arrive at the Black Bear Woods Private Camp Grounds and begin setting up sets and preparing for the rest of the people. A lot of drinking, drug use and sex take place during the following week.
December 21, 1925, Monday: Max Krieg and Producer Udo Werner arrive at the campground with 12 other people. Included in the arriving party are actors Cosmo Stille and Ut Braun. These two men are drugged during dinner and lead to Krieg's building. They are then knocked unconscious and their throats slit. The blood is used in a ceremony to bring Drexel Link, the vampire, back into this world.
December 22, 1925, Tuesday: Winter Solstice, and at 12:01 am Drexel Link is brought back to undeath. Nyarlathotep is present for this occasion, but is also at 998 more places throughout the universes.
December 23, 1925, Wednesday: Twenty two year-old director's assistant Katy Manning goes missing. She is one of 6 Americans at the camp who are working for Krieg's company in the states. Manning is abducted by Krieg and Werner, dragged back to Krieg's building, and thrown at the feet of a very thirsty vampire. Link does not kill her, but does feed from her. She now becomes his undead slave, taking up residence in his lair. Krieg has two set builders create a few coffins for "a few scenes we'll be filming in about a week."
December 24, 1925, Thursday: Thirteen of the workers leave the camp and head elsewhere for the holidays. Krieg specifically encourages all the men to leave. They are paid and told to return in three weeks. Left at the camp are Krieg, Werner, actress Wanda Lipinski, (a.k.a. Bess Beauty), assistant Jo Jo Johnstone, five hands from Germany, an older married German couple who do the cleaning and cooking for the crew and their granddaughter.
December 25, 1925, Friday: Drexel Link, (in wolf form), attacks Wanda Lipinski in the woods as she returns from the outhouse. Her screams are heard throughout the woods. Fear or drug induced stupors in the other residents lead to no one helping the girl. Krieg and Werner attempt to film the event.
December 26, 1925, Saturday: Investigators arrive around 3:30 p.m. - 31 minutes before sun down. They are let in by Jo Jo Johnstone who immediately brings them into her cabin and bursts into tears. She composes herself and tells investigators that something is very wrong here. All the cars have been tampered with and no one else can leave. She couldn't get a seat in a car the day before Christmas and got stuck here. She believes something terrible has happened to Katy Manning and Wanda Lipinski. She knows neither had anywhere to go for the holidays.
Ms. Johnstone believes there is a werewolf terrorizing this area. Recently wolves have howled at night, and sometimes they seem to be right at her door, ready to taste her blood. She is scared and also concerned for the other girls. Ms. Johnstone is articulate and believable. It is the Keeper's job to sell her story to the reporters.
Players then take residence in their own cabin. Ms. Johnstone will refuse to have men stay with her. A woman may stay with her, and even sleep in the same bed with her. However, sometime during the night, she will be called into the woods for a meeting with Drexel Link and the two man film crew. The wolves howl like mad all night.
Twist Number One: Here's the first twist in this adventure. Players should be under the assumption that there is a werewolf on the prowl. Because there is no full-moon, this creature must be quite powerful. Perhaps darkness triggers it off. If there are any NPCs with the investigators, introduce some of these theories through them. This will get the characters going down the wrong path in preparations for destroying the beast, which is probably going to be their only hope.
December 27, 1925, Sunday: Jo Jo Johnstone is gone from her cabin without a trace. Investigators will also find their car is no longer working. Someone has destroyed the steering wheel and severed the gas line....
And Now.... As investigators find they cannot leave and no one will tell them anything, more than likely they will start snooping around, trying to find out what's what. You can control the game and build some tension. Always make the game seem survivable, and allow intelligent game play to be rewarded by a near miss, or a low Sanity loss every once in a while. If characters drop like rain, who's going to find the game enjoyable? (However, never, ever have pity on the stupid).
Setting: White Sands Pond Escape is located in Sebago, Maine, and is a private campground for people such as celebrities, gangsters, high rolling bootleggers, and the like. The property is owned by a Rhode Island gangster. It is about one and a half miles into Black Bear Forest, which is filled with brown bears. The campground is surrounded by 10 foot tall chain link fence. The front gate cannot be locked, but is secured by a sliding metal bolt, which is operated manually from inside the fence. Being the off season, the place is abandoned giving Krieg and his crew the run of the place. Police never venture into here because of the animals, and no one else knows about the place. It's a perfectly secure, and perfectly secluded, area.
THE CAST
Max Krieg, Director, heroin addict
Str 6
Con 6
Siz 7
Int 13
Pow 15
Dex 12
San 0
Hps 7
Mps 15
Direct Film: 94, Acting: 88, Edit Film: 88, Lighting: 92, Occult: 67, Cthulhu: 35,
Handgun: 66, Drive Auto: 57, Psychoanalysis: 74, Psychology: 44, German: 91, English:
12, Spot Hidden: 20, Persuade: 94
A former seminary student, this 61 year old heroin addict, has been a devout follower of Nyarlathotep for decades. He was given his ability to direct, as well as the "lucky break." His films are avante garde silent films, which, when viewed by someone with a Cthulhu Mythos score of 20 or more will recognize these movies as thinly disguised homages to Nyarlathotep.
Krieg stands 5'2" and appears emaciated. His two decades of alcohol and heroin abuse have made him appear 20 years older. Krieg will inject himself at least three times a day, and is physically and mentally incapacitated for about an hour after he takes an injection. After that he may expose himself to extremely cold weather without proper clothing, which could lead to hypothermia or pneumonia.
Krieg is almost inseparable from his lover Udo Werner. He will not talk to investigators and is usually too whacked out on drugs to notice that they shouldn't be on the campground. The director spends most of the day having sex, sleeping, and shooting up. At night he is around Drexel Link as much as possible. He also spends a great deal of time early in the morning watching a graphically violent film, which is detailed in The Unseeable Snuff section.
Udo Werner, Film Producer, heroin addict
Str 9
Con 13
Siz 17
Int 13
Pow 15
Dex 8
San 0
Hps 15
Mps 15
Credit Rating: 89, Fast Talk: 91, Bargain: 96, Handgun: 42 (due to addiction), Spot
Hidden: 32, Persuade: 91
This 61 year-old self made millionaire has been a devout follower of Nyarlathotep for 40 years now. He was a high ranking member of the House of the Pale Man, a coven of powerful Europeans who gain knowledge and power from the Beast. The House of the Pale Man gathers every year at a pre-determined location in Europe to call forward Nyarlathotep in the form of the Pale Man. The Pale Man gave Werner the knowledge of upcoming inventions, such as a mass production of automobiles and new communication products, allowing him to make key investments.
He met Werner 4 years ago at an exclusive homosexual party in Berlin. Six months later Krieg had him hooked on heroin and from there on, he was trapped. He has been the producer of all Krieg's films, and the two men pray homage to the messenger every night after watching "the film," (again see The Unseeable Snuff section). He has military experience, and is very skilled with his 9mm Luger he keeps on him at all times. His drug addiction has made him quite less-than-aware of his surrounding and a poor shot.
Both Werner and Krieg's rancid, drug infected blood is of no use to Link. It is the equivalent of drinking from a corpse, which can kill a vampire.
Rolf, Ernst, Erik, Wolf, und Fritz, Film workers: cameraman, carpenters, etc.
Str 14
Con 14
Siz 14
Int 9
Pow 9
Dex 14
San 75
Hps 14
Mps 9
Make Sets: 95, Camera: 77 (one character), Lighting: 97 (one character), Spot
Hidden: 45, Punch: 60, Handgun: 50, German: 77, English: 20
These men have worked on all of Krieg's films, and are terrified about what is going on. They all share an overwhelming sense of dread. They will not speak to Americans, and spend most of their nights drunk, hiding in their cabins. These men, within two nights of the investigators arrival, will all move into one hut of the Keeper's choice.
Oscar "Opa" Rauchen, cook and cleaning man, former jockey
Str 7
Con 9
Siz 6
Int 12
Pow 6
Dex 8
San 73
Hps 8
Mps 6
Cook: 86, Ride Horse: 78, German: 88, English: 5, Spot Hidden: 13
Opa Rauchen, 71, a former horse jockey in Germany, has worked for Krieg for years now. He is a superstitious and devout Catholic. Very frail of build, with a slight hunch. Opa will not want anything to do with investigators, and speaks almost no English. If cornered, he will be too scared to say anything, continuously making the sign of the cross.
Elsie "Oma" Rauchen, Cook and Maid
Str 5
Con 12
Siz 16
Int 10
Pow 8
Dex 4
San 83
Hps 14
Mps 8
Cook: 85, German: 88, English: 6, Bake: 94, Knit: 81, Spot Hidden: 11
A heavy set frau who is an excellent cook. She dominates the relationship with her husband. She is a devout Catholic and very protective towards her granddaughter. In an emergency situation, she would attempt to give her own life to save Anna.
Anna Rauchen, the Rauchen's grand daughter
Str 6
Con 17
Siz 12
Int 11
Pow 17
Dex 13
App 17
San 79
Hps 15
Mps 17
Ride: 58, Swim: 62, Sing: 72, Quote Passage: 55, Hide: 71, German: 81, English:61
Anna is the 15 year old granddaughter of The Rauchens, the youngest daughter of their thirteenth child. She is stunningly beautiful, with a robust and attractive figure. She can easily be mistaken for a 21 - 22 year old woman. She is charming, with a beautiful allure about herself. She is the translator for her grandparents.
If investigators approach her, they will find she has been warned not to speak to them. If cornered, she will feign the inability to speak English. If pressed in her native tongue, she will begin to cry and bless herself. Although very sexual in her innocent way, she is as devout of a Catholic as her grandparents, wishing to spend an entire life in service to the Lord. Any sexual advances by investigators receive screams and the wrath of the cleaver waving Oma.
Link has his eye on her....
BLACK BEAR CAMPGROUND
Located in Sebago, Maine, this campground could be easily transferred to anywhere else. I was running a New England campaign, and placed the grounds in Maine. Washington State would be perfect. Wherever you place it, it should be a cold, snowy place on a pond or lake. Players may be able to send Link into the icy waters and slay him.
There are many brown bears in the area, and they will attack humans upon occasion. This area is well known for bear attacks. Because of this, Rhode Island gangster George Zingari bought and had the camp ground built to rent to run away gangsters, bootleggers, or people wanting to party in private. He has leased it to Krieg's company Neue Weld Filmen, (New World Films), from Dec. 1, 1925 until March 1, 1926. The ten foot fence is adequate enough protection from the bears. If the campground is especially noisy, the animals will probably stay away, looking for food and sleep elsewhere. The campground is located 1 1/2 miles into the woods, reachable only by dirt road.
White Sand Pond is a very large pond, somewhat circular and almost a mile in circumference. There is a public beach directly on the other end, but is abandoned in the off-season. The water freezes in the winter and characters with Size of 9 or less can travel to the other side without falling through. There is a 10% chance of going through the icy for every Size point over 9, (i.e. - size of 14 has a 50% chance of falling through). To cross the pond, it will take three successful consecutive rolls. Making a Luck roll will allow a not overly encumbered character to get to the surface for one chance to be grabbed or take hold of the side of the hole with another successful Luck roll.
The Cabins
The Rauchen's Cabin - The couple keep two wooden and one silver cross and three sets of rosary beads in the cabin. They place a cross on Anna's door as well. Oma prays the rosary every night.
The three return from cooking the evening's meal about 6 p.m. every night, as dinner is laid out promptly at five. Anna's grandparents are more than aware of what the men's gazes and whispers are all about. They keep her with them constantly, and this does not really bother the young woman. If investigators are rude or inappropriate in the slightest with Anna, the couple will not speak to investigators except under the most dire circumstances.
The have no weapons, but will carry a kitchen knife, mallet or cleaver if they feel a situation could be unsafe. They always wear wooden crosses on rope around their necks. Mrs. Rauchen is the fighter in the group.
Dining Hall
First Floor: Generic dining area, with one clean dining room and a fully working kitchen. There are three tray slots, which are one foot wide and eighteen inches long. There are sharp knives in the kitchen as well as hot and cold running water. There is no ice-box. The generator is shut off every night at 6 p.m.. Presently, it has enough fuel at its current pace to last until January 21, 1926. The Rauchens
lock up at 6 p.m. sharp, and have been instructed to never enter the cellar.
Cellar: This place has gone from a food and wine cellar to the dread lair of the vampire Drexel Link. This place is almost at freezing temperature and there is absolutely no light.
A.) This room has a large set screen painted completely black covering the doorway to room B. If a flashlight is shone upon it, a Spot Hidden roll is needed to determine it is something other than a wall. Closer inspection will show the true object.
B.) Werner has allowed his two pure-bred German Shepards to be used as a line of first defense at those treading too closely to Link. Empty boxes conceal the doorways, and a spot hidden roll -20% is needed to see the upper edges of a door jamb. Taking enough boxes down will obviously reveal the doorways.
The dogs will attack anyone but Link, the two vampyres, Werner or Krieg. They are very sensitive to light since they have been kept in the dark cellar with little but three large candles, which are on the walls, as illumination. They have been kept this way for almost a week now. They are nasty, but will run for the outside at first chance. Each dog has St: 9 Hps: 11 Siz: 12 Dmg.: Bite 40% 1d4 +1.
C.) The inner sanctum of Drexel Link. Herein lies the corpses of actors Cosmo Stille and Ut Von Braun. Both were used in the ceremony to bring Link back to this world. They are in fairly heavy stages of decomposition, and smell terribly. They are both drained of almost all blood. Though the symbol on the floor, drawn out of chicken's blood, looks ominous, there is no danger in someone stepping into it. Just don't let the players know that....
Link's coffin rests on the cellar wall lip which is 2 1/2 feet above the floor. The casket is a tight fit against the wall. The lid opens towards the wall. Because there is no sunlight, Link can be awake during the daytime here if the circumstance should arise. He fights at 3/4 power during the day time while in the cellar.
Drexel Link
This despicable creation of Nyarlathotep is not a vampire in the traditional sense. He was created by Nyarlathotep, not created from a human. Even if destroyed, Nyarlathotep may bring him back to this earth again and again. It is in this way, that Link is like his master and those who Nyarlathotep serves, in that the world can never be rid of them. Nyarlathotep will pay attention if Link becomes a destructive force, and will then aid him again. Nyarlathotep, the ever neglectful parent, makes Link create a foothold before putting him in connection with his money again.
Link is stockier than a prototypical vampire, and very pale. He appears to be an intense, angry looking man, definitely a European, around age 30 - 35. This is a facade to what he really looks like. Nyarlathotep has placed certain spells on him to help in his survival on earth, and one is his camouflaged face. Only those characters with Power scores greater than Link can possibly see his real face. When these players meet the vampire for the first time, the Keeper should secretly roll for success. For every one Power point the investigator has above Link, he or she has a ten percent chance to see his real face: a very pock marked skin pressed against a visible, blue glowing skull with rows of sharp teeth like that of a shark. To really terrify someone, Link can rip this imaginary flesh off his skull and show his real face. Seeing his real face through the spell costs 2 - 2d8 Sanity loss. When Link exposes his face in the violent fashion, it costs 3 - 3d6 Sanity Loss.
Link converses fluently in any language he chooses, right down to area specific accents. He is almost unapproachable, and shuns all contact from anyone he does not know well. Although told by his master to teach arcane lore to Krieg and Werner, Link has done little more than sleep and eat. He enjoys turning into a wolf, which he can do twice a day for up to three hours at a time, with a half hour rest in between. If shot or clubbed while in wolf form, Link will take no damage, but immediately turn back to his vampire form, with his true face exposed. He can turn into a bat five times a day, and a rat six. Link cannot make more than three shapeshifts in a 24 hour period. Link will prefer to shapeshift and flee rather than fight if he feels he may not win. He can summon 2d3 wolves, which will arrive within d20 minutes. Somehow, these wolves seem able to get through the gate.
Link also has an intense hypnotic stare. If he can corner a character alone he may try to hypnotize them. Roll Power versus Power on the Resistance Table. Characters may be hypnotized and given only the following commands: sleep (for 1d10 minutes), forget (the past 1d6 hours), walk away (for 2d10 minutes in the furthest direction), and silence (character is mute for 1d8 minutes). Should Link fail, he can never hypnotize that person. The victim also becomes aware that Link is trying to pull them under some sort of hypnotism or trance. It takes 1d20 minutes minus one minute for every one point of Power Link has over his victim to complete the process. The vampire must not be disturbed during his attempt, and may only try it on one person at a time. There is no limit to the number of times he can do this per night. Link will not make any male investigators slaves. He probably will not half drain a female
investigator, therefore making her a vampyre. He will probably just drink her dry. Link's a thirsty one.... The only reason he has not drank from Werner and Krieg is that their blood is rancid with heroin. He will kill them if he has to through.
Link's history does not need to play into your game if you do not wish. Knowing more about this beast will allow you to have a more fulfilling, exciting gaming experience. As always, it is the Keeper's job to bring the character to life. Link's stare should scare even those who can't see his real face. He is an intense, hermetic individual. Women fear him. Pale blue eyes and paler skin, he is handsome, but too disturbing to approach. His presence is always felt by those near him. Not a lot of acting is needed by the Keeper, just a really good stare.
Drexel Link, vampire
Str 18
Con 18
Siz 14
Int 18
Pow 17
Dex 18
San 0
Hps 25
Mps 18
Damage Bonus: +1 d.6
Special Abilities
Polymorph: Link can change into a wolf at the cost of 6 MPs, a bat for 4 MPs, and to a rat for 2 MPs. He cannot polymorph more than 3 times in 24 hours.
Hypnotism: See above, costs 4 MPs per attempt. If the attempt is successful the cost drops to 1 MP.
Crawl: Link can scale any surface at the speed of 30' a round. He may travel up, down and sideways. He appears to crawl like a spider. Keepers may also want Link to become a spider when crawling, therefore confusing the players even more to what they are really up against.
Regeneration: Link recovers all damage once returning to his coffin and resting for at least 7 hours.
Rage: When attacked, but not when attacking, Link's Strength and Dexterity scores double.
Scale: The beast can climb any semi-flat or flat surface as if they were a spider. Anyone having read Dracula, will remember the vampire scaling the walls of his castle. He may also move from side to side.
Weaknesses
The sign of the crucifix makes Link visibly uncomfortable and touching a cross to his flesh does 1d3 hps of damage.
Exposure to Sunlight will instantly destroy Link, much like one of his master's facades, the Haunter of the Dark.
Stake through the heart always does the trick. A player trying to strike an awake and fighting vampire or vampyre must make a hit and a successful impale, to hit the heart. An asleep or restrained, (who will be under Rage rule - see below), a vampire, is impaled on a successful hit.
Submerging the vampire in icy waters will also get the job done. He must be fully submerged for 1d20 rounds to perish. The creature goes to one hit point as soon as he or she is dunked under the water.
Burning the vampire or vampyres will destroy them. They are quite flammable and will light up 40% of the time when struck with a torch. Workout burning damage as per COC rules book page 52, (Fifth Edition Rules). Acids will achieve the same results against these monsters as per the rules.
Drexel Link's Timeline
Dec. 22, 1599: Created in Oxford England at a winter solstice celebration of the Meeting of the Pale Man. The event takes place in the basement of a church, with Nyarlathotep calling forth his hideous creation. From out of the aether stepped Link, his skull face glowing an intense blue. The worshippers presented Link with a 17 year old virgin, which he feasted on in front of the men. Those who did not flee in horror spoke and celebrated with Link until early the next morning. Little is known what happened to Link after a few nights of terror in Oxford. Link murdered three women and two children over a period of 14 days, then abruptly stopped. He is unheard of until he is seen with the Black Man in a Salem, Massachusetts corn field in 1630.
Link takes residence outside of Salem Village and begins to develop a stronghold. He helps witches and warlocks discover eldritch lore and knowledge, given to him by "greater powers." By winter of 1632, he has killed as many as 35 women, created 4 vampyres, and slain scores of men and boys. His power is feared throughout the countryside and lamb's blood crosses are on every cottage
door.
The night of the summer solstice, 1633, Witch Master Eric Miller travels down from Haverhill, Massachusetts, and with the help of 25 cross wielding men, drives Link out of his abode and into a field of hay. Another team of men lay in wait, then attacked the vampire with torches and oil. Link immolates easily, but does not perish before killing four men in the party, and wounding three others. Witch Master
Eric Miller suffered a bite on the neck, and dies three days later of what we know now as rabies; though the cause of death was thought to be much more insidious at the time.
December 22, 1866: Link is resurrected in a cavern located somewhere in the Colorado Rocky Mountain range. He is brought back by Nyarlathotep and six former Rebel Soldiers who bargained for their lives with the messenger during the last great battle in the American Civil War, Gettysburg. (Nyarlathotep enjoyed the war tremendously, and relished in the amounts of death, deformities and lives ruined).
Captured and feeling they were about to be executed, these soldiers cried out to anyone who would listen, and a black Northern soldier came to their aid. He said they would owe him. Through dreams he called them here and in dreams they met to release this wickedness into the world. Nyarlathotep then sent these men through the dream into the real world with Link.
Christmas Eve, 1865, the group attacks a local supply base, slaying everyone there. Two in the attacking party are seriously injured and three killed. Link drinks the
survivors dry. Over the next ten years Link destroys all parties traveling through there, (much like he is about to run through the base camp in Maine). Many fear the place and by 1870 only the most desperate, snowbound parties end up there. In June 1872, the army raids the base and forces Link into sunlight. Five men who were Link's slaves, now free from his trance, are tried and hanged December 22, 1872.
D.) Herein lies the drained corpse of Jo Jo Johnstone. Her stretched flesh hangs over her skeleton. She is a ghastly sight, with a 1/1d6 Sanity loss. Closer inspection of the body is needed to determine her identity. The vampyres are quite full from all the blood and are presently at fullest power.
E.) The coffins of vampyres Wanda Lipinski and Katy Manning are here. All slaying rules which are listed in the Drexel Link section apply to these two women. Both can appear as normal, frightened humans. They will use this camouflage to lure investigators into a false sense of confidence. They can keep this appearance for 12 hours straight, after this the color fades from their skin and an odor of death takes hold. A successful Sanity roll is needed to not lose 1d6 Sanity points for seeing them in their real form. You may want to make undisclosed Spot Hidden roles for investigators, who, if successful, see the real being. This also requires a Sanity roll. Players having already seen Drexel Link must still make a Sanity check for seeing these two women. They have hypnotism powers, but cannot polymorph. They never leave the cellar.
Ground Floor: Keepers can place large knives, hatchets, etc. here to aid hard working players.
Cabin One
First Floor: A common recreation area with an unstocked bar. Oft-times used for gangster parties or mob tortures. This place is off limits to everyone except Link, Werner and Kreig. Nothing of value to players is here.
Second Floor:
A.) This is the personal lodging area of Werner and Krieg. On the night-stand are several syringes, small vials - some empty, some with a bit of heroin in it, butane lighter, two spoons, several strong elastic bands. Inside the locked drawer, (resistance 6), is close to two ounces of very good, uncooked rock heroin.
Under the bed is a loaded 12 gauge shotgun belonging to Werner. He is a paranoid, and will clutch the weapon during sleep. Some clothing and personal artifacts cover the room.
B.) The door to this room is locked, (Str:11). Once inside, investigators must make a Sanity check or suffer 1d3 loss. Hanging on the walls are dead chickens. Blood is dried all over the floor, originating from the fowl's slit throats. Drawn on the floor in what appears to be excrement, is an unholy symbol. A notebook (see later), lays on the floor, also covered with blood though readable. The two men have been trying to contact a more foul from of Nyarlathotep, with the help of Link. Most of this is necessary for contact, but some of the overkill is just for Link's own amusement.
The notebook is written German and full of no more than scrawlings about topics the men have been discussing with Link. Reading time is base 8 hours, due to the almost incoherent nature of the writing and the practically unreadable script. Glancing over it does nothing, but a full read which is comprehended, gives the player 1d4 to
Cthulhu Mythos, and cost 1d6 Sanity if the ghastly concepts are understood. The book mentions Hastur and Azathoth by name. The main bulk of the text is about a filthy form of Nyarlathotep yet unseen by humans.
C.) Three chairs are set up facing a movie screen. The projector is fed and ready to go. The floor is heavily stained.
The Unseeable Snuff
This film was recently shot by Werner and Krieg and stars the vulgar Drexel Link. Because Link cannot be projected on film, it appears there is an invisible assailant in each scene. Investigators will realize quickly this is real.
Scene One: Three wolves enter on stage, (one located on the beach - Keeper's choice). The film is lit poorly and an ax appears to hang above them without support. One by one the wolves are chopped apart by an unseen assailant. Sanity
Loss: 0 - 1d4
Scene Two: A woman, (Katy Manning) is in a cellar, (Link's lair), and is being whipped with a belt by an invisible being. She is naked and crying. The film is silent, but the investigators hear her screams in their heads. Welts rise on her body until she goes unconscious. Sanity Loss: 1 - 1d6
Scene Three: Jo Jo Johnstone is in a cellar, (again the lair), and is being torn apart at all sides. The scene lasts almost six minutes and is lit fairly well. Sanity
Loss: 1d3 - 1d10
The film ends.
There is a 40% chance of Werner and Krieg being here at any time during the late night or early morning. There is also a ten percent chance Link is with them, though he is quite uninterested in the film. Should the two men fall asleep, he will leave them and go for the night's prowl.
The Night's Prowl
Early every morning Link is on the prowl in a wolf form. He is always accompanied with 2 - 5 (1d4+1) wolves. They have traveled a great distance to arrive here. He can also summon more of the animals. The wolves will fight to the death to protect their master. After killing Anna Rauchen, he will begin to feast on the crew and investigators, summoning them out at night one after another, about three days apart.
To summon Link sends a message through a dream via spell. The verbal part of this spell calls for Link to howl in a certain rhythm while in wolf form. It is then a Power versus Power roll, with Link as the Active Score. Should an investigator lose the roll, he will be summoned, and leave the room without making a sound. Link will then lead the man back to his lair where he will feed. What he does not use, which is very little, he gives to the vampyres. Of course, large investigators can be made slaves or beautiful women made vampyres via a bite. These characters become NPCs and are turned over to the Keeper.
And Now....
The players are now left with little choice. Try to run, which a sudden snow storm can stop; slay the vampire; duck and cover until Link leaves with the vampyres on January fifth, then wait another week for the crew to return. This gives a Keeper a lot of options on how to takes this game. I allowed the players to dictate where we were going and it was quite a memorable. Link was able to fend off the party when they attacked his lair. However, they were able to drive him out near the bulkhead and expose him to sunlight, at the game's climax.
Victory?
If players slay Link, award them 1d8 points of Sanity and one to two points on their Sanity score. Killing a vampire brings one great confidence, and should also benefit the skills of Occult (1d6), Cthulhu Mythos (one point), and any used in slaying the beast by at least 1d4.
Surviving the ordeal, i.e. - making it until Link goes away. Link has big plans and will only stay the 14 days. He will not directly disobey Nyarlathotep, and will stay the entire duration unless he is overwhelmingly threatened with destruction. No Sanity should be given, as the players will know all too well that Link is out there, anywhere, ready to kill and violate as he wishes. Penalize players for cowardly (I do not mean smart), play. Letting Link survive should cost at least 1d10 Sanity points and perhaps a phobia or two. Rhabadophobia, fear of being bitten; Henophobia, fear of blood; Nyctophobia, fear of darkness; Cynophobia, fear of dogs (wolves); hydrophobophobia, fear of rabies; Odontophobia, fear of teeth; are all quite applicable to any character losing Sanity from dealing with Link.
Nyarlathotep
I did not include the unholy messenger in this adventure, nor do I think he belongs here. He is a constant threat which is always one step behind and one step in front of us. Most of the world's evil springs one way or another from him. This, of course, does not mean you cannot add him, or begin a Nyarlathotep based campaign starting here.
I hope you enjoy playing this adventure.
Originally presented in The Chaosium Digest v30.06 on Sunday, February 20, 2000
Setting: This adventure is set in Maine, near Christmas 1925. It is made for players of newspaper reporters or freelance writers. When we play tested it, two reporters were sent up to Maine as a punishment for writing pro-Darwinism articles in their paper's editorial columns. They ended up getting a much bigger story than they had been planning.
Players Information: The player's editor or agent received a phone call the day before Christmas from a woman named Wanda. She informed him that world-renowned avante garde film director Max Krieg, has arrived in America and hidden himself away in Maine at a private camp to film his ultimate work, Der Dreizig Mann, (The Thirteenth Man). This would be a huge scoop on all the other papers in the country. "The great Max Krieg filming his masterpiece in America under total privacy, and we will have the exclusive!!!!" The day after Christmas, the investigators are to travel to Sebago, Maine, to see what's going on.
The scenario could be set for a private investigator who is hired by an American film company to see if the rumors of Max Krieg's film are true. Any and all information is needed about the movie, so that the studio can create a similar film, and release it before Krieg, making him look like a sham, and destroying a good deal of his box-office potential. Either way, get the people up there.
Keeper's Information: The rumor is true that Max Krieg has arrived in America and is hiding in Maine with his crew. They have set up several stages, but are only filming stock scenes to be used for filler in company films. Max is much too busy to be bothered with filming right now. The sixty one year-old Krieg is about to do some extremely nasty work for his sworn master, Nyarlathotep.
The world famous director has been a devoted follower of Nyarlathotep since the age of 21 when, as a seminary student on a mission in Nairobi, Kenya he was invited to hear a local preacher. Krieg, whose real name is Max Eissen, a devote' of St. Damien, (a man who treated and cared for lepers until falling prey to the awful disease), attended a service in the basement of a local church. His life changed forever the moment Nyarlathotep took the podium. Speaking to a jammed room of over 300 men and older boys, the unholy messenger was in the form of the Black Man. Insanity and an undying loyalty towards Nyarlathotep was forged into Eissen's brain that night.
Eissen changed his name to Max Krieg in 1916, and, with help from Nyarlathotep, became a world famous director by the end of 1918 with his film about the apocalypse Das Tot, (The Dead). His next three movies Das Phantom, (1919), Die Fraulein, (The Girl), (1920), and Mein Gott (My God), (1923). My God, was a direct attack on the Catholic and Jewish dogma, and hinted at a force more powerful than any monotheistic god. This film was not allowed into America, but was quickly embraced by German bohemian societies.
Because of his loyal devotion, Nyarlathotep has given him a task with a reward. Krieg is to find somewhere to hide. The weather must be cold and the area not exposed to a great deal of sunlight. Using the blood of two healthy adult men, he is to bring back the vampire Drexel Link from the netherworlds. Link is a creation of Nyarlathotep. This monster has been around since 1599, when he was given to some disciples as a gift in Oxford, England. See the Drexel Link section for much more information on this beast. As a reward for bringing the vampire back, Nyarlathotep has instructed Link to stay for 14 days with Krieg. Link has a great deal of knowledge about the "true" history of the world and universe(s), (i.e. - Cthulhu Mythos). He is to teach Krieg some of this history during his two week stay. As you will see in the Link section, the vampire follows his master's directions about as well as Nyarlathotep responds orders from his overlords.
I have given a lot of background for the Keeper. You can easily not include almost all of it, and still have a really scary game. I wanted to give as much information as possible, as the deeper a Keeper's knowledge of the adventure and the more prepared you are, the greater chance of a very memorable game. During game play, players will go in directions you didn't anticipate and you may need to play off the cuff, throwing some of your scripted events out the proverbial window. A strong familiarity with the history of the characters here virtually assures you of not looking like a fool if things don't go as you plan.
Time-Line: Keeper's should make themselves very familiar with the timeline in order to run a smooth game.
December 14, 1925, Monday: Members of Krieg's crew and staff arrive at the Black Bear Woods Private Camp Grounds and begin setting up sets and preparing for the rest of the people. A lot of drinking, drug use and sex take place during the following week.
December 21, 1925, Monday: Max Krieg and Producer Udo Werner arrive at the campground with 12 other people. Included in the arriving party are actors Cosmo Stille and Ut Braun. These two men are drugged during dinner and lead to Krieg's building. They are then knocked unconscious and their throats slit. The blood is used in a ceremony to bring Drexel Link, the vampire, back into this world.
December 22, 1925, Tuesday: Winter Solstice, and at 12:01 am Drexel Link is brought back to undeath. Nyarlathotep is present for this occasion, but is also at 998 more places throughout the universes.
December 23, 1925, Wednesday: Twenty two year-old director's assistant Katy Manning goes missing. She is one of 6 Americans at the camp who are working for Krieg's company in the states. Manning is abducted by Krieg and Werner, dragged back to Krieg's building, and thrown at the feet of a very thirsty vampire. Link does not kill her, but does feed from her. She now becomes his undead slave, taking up residence in his lair. Krieg has two set builders create a few coffins for "a few scenes we'll be filming in about a week."
December 24, 1925, Thursday: Thirteen of the workers leave the camp and head elsewhere for the holidays. Krieg specifically encourages all the men to leave. They are paid and told to return in three weeks. Left at the camp are Krieg, Werner, actress Wanda Lipinski, (a.k.a. Bess Beauty), assistant Jo Jo Johnstone, five hands from Germany, an older married German couple who do the cleaning and cooking for the crew and their granddaughter.
December 25, 1925, Friday: Drexel Link, (in wolf form), attacks Wanda Lipinski in the woods as she returns from the outhouse. Her screams are heard throughout the woods. Fear or drug induced stupors in the other residents lead to no one helping the girl. Krieg and Werner attempt to film the event.
December 26, 1925, Saturday: Investigators arrive around 3:30 p.m. - 31 minutes before sun down. They are let in by Jo Jo Johnstone who immediately brings them into her cabin and bursts into tears. She composes herself and tells investigators that something is very wrong here. All the cars have been tampered with and no one else can leave. She couldn't get a seat in a car the day before Christmas and got stuck here. She believes something terrible has happened to Katy Manning and Wanda Lipinski. She knows neither had anywhere to go for the holidays.
Ms. Johnstone believes there is a werewolf terrorizing this area. Recently wolves have howled at night, and sometimes they seem to be right at her door, ready to taste her blood. She is scared and also concerned for the other girls. Ms. Johnstone is articulate and believable. It is the Keeper's job to sell her story to the reporters.
Players then take residence in their own cabin. Ms. Johnstone will refuse to have men stay with her. A woman may stay with her, and even sleep in the same bed with her. However, sometime during the night, she will be called into the woods for a meeting with Drexel Link and the two man film crew. The wolves howl like mad all night.
Twist Number One: Here's the first twist in this adventure. Players should be under the assumption that there is a werewolf on the prowl. Because there is no full-moon, this creature must be quite powerful. Perhaps darkness triggers it off. If there are any NPCs with the investigators, introduce some of these theories through them. This will get the characters going down the wrong path in preparations for destroying the beast, which is probably going to be their only hope.
December 27, 1925, Sunday: Jo Jo Johnstone is gone from her cabin without a trace. Investigators will also find their car is no longer working. Someone has destroyed the steering wheel and severed the gas line....
And Now.... As investigators find they cannot leave and no one will tell them anything, more than likely they will start snooping around, trying to find out what's what. You can control the game and build some tension. Always make the game seem survivable, and allow intelligent game play to be rewarded by a near miss, or a low Sanity loss every once in a while. If characters drop like rain, who's going to find the game enjoyable? (However, never, ever have pity on the stupid).
Setting: White Sands Pond Escape is located in Sebago, Maine, and is a private campground for people such as celebrities, gangsters, high rolling bootleggers, and the like. The property is owned by a Rhode Island gangster. It is about one and a half miles into Black Bear Forest, which is filled with brown bears. The campground is surrounded by 10 foot tall chain link fence. The front gate cannot be locked, but is secured by a sliding metal bolt, which is operated manually from inside the fence. Being the off season, the place is abandoned giving Krieg and his crew the run of the place. Police never venture into here because of the animals, and no one else knows about the place. It's a perfectly secure, and perfectly secluded, area.
THE CAST
Max Krieg, Director, heroin addict
Str 6
Con 6
Siz 7
Int 13
Pow 15
Dex 12
San 0
Hps 7
Mps 15
Direct Film: 94, Acting: 88, Edit Film: 88, Lighting: 92, Occult: 67, Cthulhu: 35,
Handgun: 66, Drive Auto: 57, Psychoanalysis: 74, Psychology: 44, German: 91, English:
12, Spot Hidden: 20, Persuade: 94
A former seminary student, this 61 year old heroin addict, has been a devout follower of Nyarlathotep for decades. He was given his ability to direct, as well as the "lucky break." His films are avante garde silent films, which, when viewed by someone with a Cthulhu Mythos score of 20 or more will recognize these movies as thinly disguised homages to Nyarlathotep.
Krieg stands 5'2" and appears emaciated. His two decades of alcohol and heroin abuse have made him appear 20 years older. Krieg will inject himself at least three times a day, and is physically and mentally incapacitated for about an hour after he takes an injection. After that he may expose himself to extremely cold weather without proper clothing, which could lead to hypothermia or pneumonia.
Krieg is almost inseparable from his lover Udo Werner. He will not talk to investigators and is usually too whacked out on drugs to notice that they shouldn't be on the campground. The director spends most of the day having sex, sleeping, and shooting up. At night he is around Drexel Link as much as possible. He also spends a great deal of time early in the morning watching a graphically violent film, which is detailed in The Unseeable Snuff section.
Udo Werner, Film Producer, heroin addict
Str 9
Con 13
Siz 17
Int 13
Pow 15
Dex 8
San 0
Hps 15
Mps 15
Credit Rating: 89, Fast Talk: 91, Bargain: 96, Handgun: 42 (due to addiction), Spot
Hidden: 32, Persuade: 91
This 61 year-old self made millionaire has been a devout follower of Nyarlathotep for 40 years now. He was a high ranking member of the House of the Pale Man, a coven of powerful Europeans who gain knowledge and power from the Beast. The House of the Pale Man gathers every year at a pre-determined location in Europe to call forward Nyarlathotep in the form of the Pale Man. The Pale Man gave Werner the knowledge of upcoming inventions, such as a mass production of automobiles and new communication products, allowing him to make key investments.
He met Werner 4 years ago at an exclusive homosexual party in Berlin. Six months later Krieg had him hooked on heroin and from there on, he was trapped. He has been the producer of all Krieg's films, and the two men pray homage to the messenger every night after watching "the film," (again see The Unseeable Snuff section). He has military experience, and is very skilled with his 9mm Luger he keeps on him at all times. His drug addiction has made him quite less-than-aware of his surrounding and a poor shot.
Both Werner and Krieg's rancid, drug infected blood is of no use to Link. It is the equivalent of drinking from a corpse, which can kill a vampire.
Rolf, Ernst, Erik, Wolf, und Fritz, Film workers: cameraman, carpenters, etc.
Str 14
Con 14
Siz 14
Int 9
Pow 9
Dex 14
San 75
Hps 14
Mps 9
Make Sets: 95, Camera: 77 (one character), Lighting: 97 (one character), Spot
Hidden: 45, Punch: 60, Handgun: 50, German: 77, English: 20
These men have worked on all of Krieg's films, and are terrified about what is going on. They all share an overwhelming sense of dread. They will not speak to Americans, and spend most of their nights drunk, hiding in their cabins. These men, within two nights of the investigators arrival, will all move into one hut of the Keeper's choice.
Oscar "Opa" Rauchen, cook and cleaning man, former jockey
Str 7
Con 9
Siz 6
Int 12
Pow 6
Dex 8
San 73
Hps 8
Mps 6
Cook: 86, Ride Horse: 78, German: 88, English: 5, Spot Hidden: 13
Opa Rauchen, 71, a former horse jockey in Germany, has worked for Krieg for years now. He is a superstitious and devout Catholic. Very frail of build, with a slight hunch. Opa will not want anything to do with investigators, and speaks almost no English. If cornered, he will be too scared to say anything, continuously making the sign of the cross.
Elsie "Oma" Rauchen, Cook and Maid
Str 5
Con 12
Siz 16
Int 10
Pow 8
Dex 4
San 83
Hps 14
Mps 8
Cook: 85, German: 88, English: 6, Bake: 94, Knit: 81, Spot Hidden: 11
A heavy set frau who is an excellent cook. She dominates the relationship with her husband. She is a devout Catholic and very protective towards her granddaughter. In an emergency situation, she would attempt to give her own life to save Anna.
Anna Rauchen, the Rauchen's grand daughter
Str 6
Con 17
Siz 12
Int 11
Pow 17
Dex 13
App 17
San 79
Hps 15
Mps 17
Ride: 58, Swim: 62, Sing: 72, Quote Passage: 55, Hide: 71, German: 81, English:61
Anna is the 15 year old granddaughter of The Rauchens, the youngest daughter of their thirteenth child. She is stunningly beautiful, with a robust and attractive figure. She can easily be mistaken for a 21 - 22 year old woman. She is charming, with a beautiful allure about herself. She is the translator for her grandparents.
If investigators approach her, they will find she has been warned not to speak to them. If cornered, she will feign the inability to speak English. If pressed in her native tongue, she will begin to cry and bless herself. Although very sexual in her innocent way, she is as devout of a Catholic as her grandparents, wishing to spend an entire life in service to the Lord. Any sexual advances by investigators receive screams and the wrath of the cleaver waving Oma.
Link has his eye on her....
BLACK BEAR CAMPGROUND
Located in Sebago, Maine, this campground could be easily transferred to anywhere else. I was running a New England campaign, and placed the grounds in Maine. Washington State would be perfect. Wherever you place it, it should be a cold, snowy place on a pond or lake. Players may be able to send Link into the icy waters and slay him.
There are many brown bears in the area, and they will attack humans upon occasion. This area is well known for bear attacks. Because of this, Rhode Island gangster George Zingari bought and had the camp ground built to rent to run away gangsters, bootleggers, or people wanting to party in private. He has leased it to Krieg's company Neue Weld Filmen, (New World Films), from Dec. 1, 1925 until March 1, 1926. The ten foot fence is adequate enough protection from the bears. If the campground is especially noisy, the animals will probably stay away, looking for food and sleep elsewhere. The campground is located 1 1/2 miles into the woods, reachable only by dirt road.
White Sand Pond is a very large pond, somewhat circular and almost a mile in circumference. There is a public beach directly on the other end, but is abandoned in the off-season. The water freezes in the winter and characters with Size of 9 or less can travel to the other side without falling through. There is a 10% chance of going through the icy for every Size point over 9, (i.e. - size of 14 has a 50% chance of falling through). To cross the pond, it will take three successful consecutive rolls. Making a Luck roll will allow a not overly encumbered character to get to the surface for one chance to be grabbed or take hold of the side of the hole with another successful Luck roll.
The Cabins
The Rauchen's Cabin - The couple keep two wooden and one silver cross and three sets of rosary beads in the cabin. They place a cross on Anna's door as well. Oma prays the rosary every night.
The three return from cooking the evening's meal about 6 p.m. every night, as dinner is laid out promptly at five. Anna's grandparents are more than aware of what the men's gazes and whispers are all about. They keep her with them constantly, and this does not really bother the young woman. If investigators are rude or inappropriate in the slightest with Anna, the couple will not speak to investigators except under the most dire circumstances.
The have no weapons, but will carry a kitchen knife, mallet or cleaver if they feel a situation could be unsafe. They always wear wooden crosses on rope around their necks. Mrs. Rauchen is the fighter in the group.
Dining Hall
First Floor: Generic dining area, with one clean dining room and a fully working kitchen. There are three tray slots, which are one foot wide and eighteen inches long. There are sharp knives in the kitchen as well as hot and cold running water. There is no ice-box. The generator is shut off every night at 6 p.m.. Presently, it has enough fuel at its current pace to last until January 21, 1926. The Rauchens
lock up at 6 p.m. sharp, and have been instructed to never enter the cellar.
Cellar: This place has gone from a food and wine cellar to the dread lair of the vampire Drexel Link. This place is almost at freezing temperature and there is absolutely no light.
A.) This room has a large set screen painted completely black covering the doorway to room B. If a flashlight is shone upon it, a Spot Hidden roll is needed to determine it is something other than a wall. Closer inspection will show the true object.
B.) Werner has allowed his two pure-bred German Shepards to be used as a line of first defense at those treading too closely to Link. Empty boxes conceal the doorways, and a spot hidden roll -20% is needed to see the upper edges of a door jamb. Taking enough boxes down will obviously reveal the doorways.
The dogs will attack anyone but Link, the two vampyres, Werner or Krieg. They are very sensitive to light since they have been kept in the dark cellar with little but three large candles, which are on the walls, as illumination. They have been kept this way for almost a week now. They are nasty, but will run for the outside at first chance. Each dog has St: 9 Hps: 11 Siz: 12 Dmg.: Bite 40% 1d4 +1.
C.) The inner sanctum of Drexel Link. Herein lies the corpses of actors Cosmo Stille and Ut Von Braun. Both were used in the ceremony to bring Link back to this world. They are in fairly heavy stages of decomposition, and smell terribly. They are both drained of almost all blood. Though the symbol on the floor, drawn out of chicken's blood, looks ominous, there is no danger in someone stepping into it. Just don't let the players know that....
Link's coffin rests on the cellar wall lip which is 2 1/2 feet above the floor. The casket is a tight fit against the wall. The lid opens towards the wall. Because there is no sunlight, Link can be awake during the daytime here if the circumstance should arise. He fights at 3/4 power during the day time while in the cellar.
Drexel Link
This despicable creation of Nyarlathotep is not a vampire in the traditional sense. He was created by Nyarlathotep, not created from a human. Even if destroyed, Nyarlathotep may bring him back to this earth again and again. It is in this way, that Link is like his master and those who Nyarlathotep serves, in that the world can never be rid of them. Nyarlathotep will pay attention if Link becomes a destructive force, and will then aid him again. Nyarlathotep, the ever neglectful parent, makes Link create a foothold before putting him in connection with his money again.
Link is stockier than a prototypical vampire, and very pale. He appears to be an intense, angry looking man, definitely a European, around age 30 - 35. This is a facade to what he really looks like. Nyarlathotep has placed certain spells on him to help in his survival on earth, and one is his camouflaged face. Only those characters with Power scores greater than Link can possibly see his real face. When these players meet the vampire for the first time, the Keeper should secretly roll for success. For every one Power point the investigator has above Link, he or she has a ten percent chance to see his real face: a very pock marked skin pressed against a visible, blue glowing skull with rows of sharp teeth like that of a shark. To really terrify someone, Link can rip this imaginary flesh off his skull and show his real face. Seeing his real face through the spell costs 2 - 2d8 Sanity loss. When Link exposes his face in the violent fashion, it costs 3 - 3d6 Sanity Loss.
Link converses fluently in any language he chooses, right down to area specific accents. He is almost unapproachable, and shuns all contact from anyone he does not know well. Although told by his master to teach arcane lore to Krieg and Werner, Link has done little more than sleep and eat. He enjoys turning into a wolf, which he can do twice a day for up to three hours at a time, with a half hour rest in between. If shot or clubbed while in wolf form, Link will take no damage, but immediately turn back to his vampire form, with his true face exposed. He can turn into a bat five times a day, and a rat six. Link cannot make more than three shapeshifts in a 24 hour period. Link will prefer to shapeshift and flee rather than fight if he feels he may not win. He can summon 2d3 wolves, which will arrive within d20 minutes. Somehow, these wolves seem able to get through the gate.
Link also has an intense hypnotic stare. If he can corner a character alone he may try to hypnotize them. Roll Power versus Power on the Resistance Table. Characters may be hypnotized and given only the following commands: sleep (for 1d10 minutes), forget (the past 1d6 hours), walk away (for 2d10 minutes in the furthest direction), and silence (character is mute for 1d8 minutes). Should Link fail, he can never hypnotize that person. The victim also becomes aware that Link is trying to pull them under some sort of hypnotism or trance. It takes 1d20 minutes minus one minute for every one point of Power Link has over his victim to complete the process. The vampire must not be disturbed during his attempt, and may only try it on one person at a time. There is no limit to the number of times he can do this per night. Link will not make any male investigators slaves. He probably will not half drain a female
investigator, therefore making her a vampyre. He will probably just drink her dry. Link's a thirsty one.... The only reason he has not drank from Werner and Krieg is that their blood is rancid with heroin. He will kill them if he has to through.
Link's history does not need to play into your game if you do not wish. Knowing more about this beast will allow you to have a more fulfilling, exciting gaming experience. As always, it is the Keeper's job to bring the character to life. Link's stare should scare even those who can't see his real face. He is an intense, hermetic individual. Women fear him. Pale blue eyes and paler skin, he is handsome, but too disturbing to approach. His presence is always felt by those near him. Not a lot of acting is needed by the Keeper, just a really good stare.
Drexel Link, vampire
Str 18
Con 18
Siz 14
Int 18
Pow 17
Dex 18
San 0
Hps 25
Mps 18
Damage Bonus: +1 d.6
Special Abilities
Polymorph: Link can change into a wolf at the cost of 6 MPs, a bat for 4 MPs, and to a rat for 2 MPs. He cannot polymorph more than 3 times in 24 hours.
Hypnotism: See above, costs 4 MPs per attempt. If the attempt is successful the cost drops to 1 MP.
Crawl: Link can scale any surface at the speed of 30' a round. He may travel up, down and sideways. He appears to crawl like a spider. Keepers may also want Link to become a spider when crawling, therefore confusing the players even more to what they are really up against.
Regeneration: Link recovers all damage once returning to his coffin and resting for at least 7 hours.
Rage: When attacked, but not when attacking, Link's Strength and Dexterity scores double.
Scale: The beast can climb any semi-flat or flat surface as if they were a spider. Anyone having read Dracula, will remember the vampire scaling the walls of his castle. He may also move from side to side.
Weaknesses
The sign of the crucifix makes Link visibly uncomfortable and touching a cross to his flesh does 1d3 hps of damage.
Exposure to Sunlight will instantly destroy Link, much like one of his master's facades, the Haunter of the Dark.
Stake through the heart always does the trick. A player trying to strike an awake and fighting vampire or vampyre must make a hit and a successful impale, to hit the heart. An asleep or restrained, (who will be under Rage rule - see below), a vampire, is impaled on a successful hit.
Submerging the vampire in icy waters will also get the job done. He must be fully submerged for 1d20 rounds to perish. The creature goes to one hit point as soon as he or she is dunked under the water.
Burning the vampire or vampyres will destroy them. They are quite flammable and will light up 40% of the time when struck with a torch. Workout burning damage as per COC rules book page 52, (Fifth Edition Rules). Acids will achieve the same results against these monsters as per the rules.
Drexel Link's Timeline
Dec. 22, 1599: Created in Oxford England at a winter solstice celebration of the Meeting of the Pale Man. The event takes place in the basement of a church, with Nyarlathotep calling forth his hideous creation. From out of the aether stepped Link, his skull face glowing an intense blue. The worshippers presented Link with a 17 year old virgin, which he feasted on in front of the men. Those who did not flee in horror spoke and celebrated with Link until early the next morning. Little is known what happened to Link after a few nights of terror in Oxford. Link murdered three women and two children over a period of 14 days, then abruptly stopped. He is unheard of until he is seen with the Black Man in a Salem, Massachusetts corn field in 1630.
Link takes residence outside of Salem Village and begins to develop a stronghold. He helps witches and warlocks discover eldritch lore and knowledge, given to him by "greater powers." By winter of 1632, he has killed as many as 35 women, created 4 vampyres, and slain scores of men and boys. His power is feared throughout the countryside and lamb's blood crosses are on every cottage
door.
The night of the summer solstice, 1633, Witch Master Eric Miller travels down from Haverhill, Massachusetts, and with the help of 25 cross wielding men, drives Link out of his abode and into a field of hay. Another team of men lay in wait, then attacked the vampire with torches and oil. Link immolates easily, but does not perish before killing four men in the party, and wounding three others. Witch Master
Eric Miller suffered a bite on the neck, and dies three days later of what we know now as rabies; though the cause of death was thought to be much more insidious at the time.
December 22, 1866: Link is resurrected in a cavern located somewhere in the Colorado Rocky Mountain range. He is brought back by Nyarlathotep and six former Rebel Soldiers who bargained for their lives with the messenger during the last great battle in the American Civil War, Gettysburg. (Nyarlathotep enjoyed the war tremendously, and relished in the amounts of death, deformities and lives ruined).
Captured and feeling they were about to be executed, these soldiers cried out to anyone who would listen, and a black Northern soldier came to their aid. He said they would owe him. Through dreams he called them here and in dreams they met to release this wickedness into the world. Nyarlathotep then sent these men through the dream into the real world with Link.
Christmas Eve, 1865, the group attacks a local supply base, slaying everyone there. Two in the attacking party are seriously injured and three killed. Link drinks the
survivors dry. Over the next ten years Link destroys all parties traveling through there, (much like he is about to run through the base camp in Maine). Many fear the place and by 1870 only the most desperate, snowbound parties end up there. In June 1872, the army raids the base and forces Link into sunlight. Five men who were Link's slaves, now free from his trance, are tried and hanged December 22, 1872.
D.) Herein lies the drained corpse of Jo Jo Johnstone. Her stretched flesh hangs over her skeleton. She is a ghastly sight, with a 1/1d6 Sanity loss. Closer inspection of the body is needed to determine her identity. The vampyres are quite full from all the blood and are presently at fullest power.
E.) The coffins of vampyres Wanda Lipinski and Katy Manning are here. All slaying rules which are listed in the Drexel Link section apply to these two women. Both can appear as normal, frightened humans. They will use this camouflage to lure investigators into a false sense of confidence. They can keep this appearance for 12 hours straight, after this the color fades from their skin and an odor of death takes hold. A successful Sanity roll is needed to not lose 1d6 Sanity points for seeing them in their real form. You may want to make undisclosed Spot Hidden roles for investigators, who, if successful, see the real being. This also requires a Sanity roll. Players having already seen Drexel Link must still make a Sanity check for seeing these two women. They have hypnotism powers, but cannot polymorph. They never leave the cellar.
Ground Floor: Keepers can place large knives, hatchets, etc. here to aid hard working players.
Cabin One
First Floor: A common recreation area with an unstocked bar. Oft-times used for gangster parties or mob tortures. This place is off limits to everyone except Link, Werner and Kreig. Nothing of value to players is here.
Second Floor:
A.) This is the personal lodging area of Werner and Krieg. On the night-stand are several syringes, small vials - some empty, some with a bit of heroin in it, butane lighter, two spoons, several strong elastic bands. Inside the locked drawer, (resistance 6), is close to two ounces of very good, uncooked rock heroin.
Under the bed is a loaded 12 gauge shotgun belonging to Werner. He is a paranoid, and will clutch the weapon during sleep. Some clothing and personal artifacts cover the room.
B.) The door to this room is locked, (Str:11). Once inside, investigators must make a Sanity check or suffer 1d3 loss. Hanging on the walls are dead chickens. Blood is dried all over the floor, originating from the fowl's slit throats. Drawn on the floor in what appears to be excrement, is an unholy symbol. A notebook (see later), lays on the floor, also covered with blood though readable. The two men have been trying to contact a more foul from of Nyarlathotep, with the help of Link. Most of this is necessary for contact, but some of the overkill is just for Link's own amusement.
The notebook is written German and full of no more than scrawlings about topics the men have been discussing with Link. Reading time is base 8 hours, due to the almost incoherent nature of the writing and the practically unreadable script. Glancing over it does nothing, but a full read which is comprehended, gives the player 1d4 to
Cthulhu Mythos, and cost 1d6 Sanity if the ghastly concepts are understood. The book mentions Hastur and Azathoth by name. The main bulk of the text is about a filthy form of Nyarlathotep yet unseen by humans.
C.) Three chairs are set up facing a movie screen. The projector is fed and ready to go. The floor is heavily stained.
The Unseeable Snuff
This film was recently shot by Werner and Krieg and stars the vulgar Drexel Link. Because Link cannot be projected on film, it appears there is an invisible assailant in each scene. Investigators will realize quickly this is real.
Scene One: Three wolves enter on stage, (one located on the beach - Keeper's choice). The film is lit poorly and an ax appears to hang above them without support. One by one the wolves are chopped apart by an unseen assailant. Sanity
Loss: 0 - 1d4
Scene Two: A woman, (Katy Manning) is in a cellar, (Link's lair), and is being whipped with a belt by an invisible being. She is naked and crying. The film is silent, but the investigators hear her screams in their heads. Welts rise on her body until she goes unconscious. Sanity Loss: 1 - 1d6
Scene Three: Jo Jo Johnstone is in a cellar, (again the lair), and is being torn apart at all sides. The scene lasts almost six minutes and is lit fairly well. Sanity
Loss: 1d3 - 1d10
The film ends.
There is a 40% chance of Werner and Krieg being here at any time during the late night or early morning. There is also a ten percent chance Link is with them, though he is quite uninterested in the film. Should the two men fall asleep, he will leave them and go for the night's prowl.
The Night's Prowl
Early every morning Link is on the prowl in a wolf form. He is always accompanied with 2 - 5 (1d4+1) wolves. They have traveled a great distance to arrive here. He can also summon more of the animals. The wolves will fight to the death to protect their master. After killing Anna Rauchen, he will begin to feast on the crew and investigators, summoning them out at night one after another, about three days apart.
To summon Link sends a message through a dream via spell. The verbal part of this spell calls for Link to howl in a certain rhythm while in wolf form. It is then a Power versus Power roll, with Link as the Active Score. Should an investigator lose the roll, he will be summoned, and leave the room without making a sound. Link will then lead the man back to his lair where he will feed. What he does not use, which is very little, he gives to the vampyres. Of course, large investigators can be made slaves or beautiful women made vampyres via a bite. These characters become NPCs and are turned over to the Keeper.
And Now....
The players are now left with little choice. Try to run, which a sudden snow storm can stop; slay the vampire; duck and cover until Link leaves with the vampyres on January fifth, then wait another week for the crew to return. This gives a Keeper a lot of options on how to takes this game. I allowed the players to dictate where we were going and it was quite a memorable. Link was able to fend off the party when they attacked his lair. However, they were able to drive him out near the bulkhead and expose him to sunlight, at the game's climax.
Victory?
If players slay Link, award them 1d8 points of Sanity and one to two points on their Sanity score. Killing a vampire brings one great confidence, and should also benefit the skills of Occult (1d6), Cthulhu Mythos (one point), and any used in slaying the beast by at least 1d4.
Surviving the ordeal, i.e. - making it until Link goes away. Link has big plans and will only stay the 14 days. He will not directly disobey Nyarlathotep, and will stay the entire duration unless he is overwhelmingly threatened with destruction. No Sanity should be given, as the players will know all too well that Link is out there, anywhere, ready to kill and violate as he wishes. Penalize players for cowardly (I do not mean smart), play. Letting Link survive should cost at least 1d10 Sanity points and perhaps a phobia or two. Rhabadophobia, fear of being bitten; Henophobia, fear of blood; Nyctophobia, fear of darkness; Cynophobia, fear of dogs (wolves); hydrophobophobia, fear of rabies; Odontophobia, fear of teeth; are all quite applicable to any character losing Sanity from dealing with Link.
Nyarlathotep
I did not include the unholy messenger in this adventure, nor do I think he belongs here. He is a constant threat which is always one step behind and one step in front of us. Most of the world's evil springs one way or another from him. This, of course, does not mean you cannot add him, or begin a Nyarlathotep based campaign starting here.
I hope you enjoy playing this adventure.
Labels: Call of Cthulhu, Nyarlathotep, vampire, werewolf
posted by The Editor | 4:23 PM
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