Download - Commoriom Submission v3,17B
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A Submission for
Trail of Cthulhu
Commoriom
"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, whichpossessed no vestige of anything human or
even earthly" ! Clar #shton $mith
The protagonists are members of an expedition to
excavate an ancient settlement buried beneath the
Greenland ice. Faced with conflict from within and
without, and the threat of approaching winter, the
expedition degenerates into a struggle to survive as
the team members realise that the true horror is
beneath the ice under their feet.
This scenario is inspired by the Hyperborean Cyclestories of Clark shton !mith, particularly The
Testament of Athammaus andUbbo-Sathla. "t is
recommended that the #eeper reads these short
stories before running this scenario. The story of
the $athieson %xpedition is told in the Call of
Cthulhuscenario Trail of Tsathogguaby the late
#eith Herber and published in the supplements
Trail of Tsathogghua, &'() and The Compact Trail
of Tsathoggua, &''*.
The Hook"n &'+, an archaeological team from $iskatonic
-niversity found evidence of an ancient settlement
beneath an ice cap in a remote valley in the
mountains of est Greenland. The protagonists are
members of a &'/& follow0up expedition to
excavate the site.
The Horrible TruthThe site is the ruin of Commoriom, the first capitalof the lost civilisation of Hyperborea, which thrived
before the last ice age. %ntombed in the city is a
dormant, monstrous race descended from
Tsathoggua and an alien device that inflicts visions
of life1s disturbing origins.
The SpineThe team members voyage to Godthb, where theycan confront a Rival Expeditionfrom Germany.
They then begin their arduous overland trek in
Evighedsfjorden. Tensions increase between
%thelrod, the team leader, and Granger, who is
struggling to conceal his alcoholism, leading to The
Death of Ethelrod. From %thelrod they can ac2uire
a dictionary of the lost Tsath-Yolanguage.
The team receives A Call for Helpfrom the crewof the German base ship, which has lost contact
with the overland team, giving the protagonists a
moral dilemma.
3uring their 4ourney, the characters find evidence
that strange %skimo are watching them and may
discover Gravesof members of the German
expedition, apparently attacked by an unknown
animal. text in their possession, when translated
with %thelrod1s book gives hints about the history
of the site.
Arriving at the Site, the protagonists find a Cube-
Shaped Struturewith walls inscribed with a
history of the pre0humans who first settled there.
5earby, the remains of the last members of the
German expedition can be found. 6n the valley
floor, a Shado! "nder the #eis visible.
They are harried by freak weather conditions and
attacks by a mysterious$east of the #e Sheet,
which continue until they link it with the clan of
strange %skimo that has been following them, andneutralise it.
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Exavating the Struture under the #e leads to
the discovery of an ancient tower entombed in ice.
3igging into The #e-Cho%ed stair!a&uncovers a
frie7e describing a history of Hyperborea and
eventually leads to a Cit& "nder the #e. "n a vault
under the ruins of a library is a crystal that can send
the mind back in time to the disturbing origins of
life on earth.
s the city1s inhabitants begin to awaken they try to
free their 8Father1, leading to the A!a%ening of
'n&gathin (hau). The protagonists1 only hope is
to flee.
However, even if they escape, the insight granted
by the crystal may still claim their minds.
Victory Conditions9ictory in this scenario means realising the horror
that lies in Commoriom, and surviving it,preferably with the site safely sealed.
Antagonist ReactionsThe rival Ger)an Expeditionis not a 85a7iexpedition1 in any official sense :there is no such
thing until the formation of the hnenerbe in &'/; especially the
esoterically inclined > believed in occult theories of
the uni2ue :or divine< origin of their ancestors on a
lost northern continent :referred to as 8Thule1 or
sometimes 8Hyperborea1 or 8tlantis1 a time
when the rmitage "n2uiry is in its formative
stages. "n &'+(, rmitage, Bice and $organ scored
a victory against the 3unwich Horror and soon 3r
lbert ilmarth 4oined them following hisencounter with the 86uter 6nes1 in the hills of
9ermont. Aust a few weeks ago, the =abodie
%xpedition returned from ntarctica with stories of
unknown prehistoric life forms and a vast range of
mountains dotted with strange structures.
6n his deathbed in &'+', =rofessor Curtis
$athieson revealed a number of unpublished
secrets about the &'+ expedition to his colleague
3r Francis $organ. $organ shared the story with
=rofessor rmitage and soon they were workingwith =rofessor %thelrod in %ngland to organise a
follow0up expedition for &'/+. However, in late
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&'/, word reached them of a rival German
expedition to the same region planned for &'/& and
their pro4ect was hastened by a year. -nfortunately,
this meant 3r $organ was unable to take part, but
he persuaded Charles Granger, a veteran of the
$athieson %xpedition, to 4oin.
*S&)bol+ Ar)itage #n,uir&This symbol defines
sections that apply only to running the scenario aspart of the rmitage "n2uiry.
Running Commoriom as astandalone
This scenario can be run as a standalone adventure
or mark a dramatic beginning to an ongoing
campaign.
The difference is that %thelrod has organised the
expedition with the ?ritish $useum, independently
of rmitage and his colleagues, who may have little
insight into what really happened on the $athieson
%xpedition.
*S&)bol+ Standalone This symbol definessections that apply only to running the scenario as a
standalone.
Creating the Protagonistsppropriate roles for the expedition include
archaeologists, geologists, anthropologists,biologists, explosives experts, drill engineers and
radio engineers. ll team members should be
healthy and fit, and be capable cross0country skiers
> represented for game purposes as a minimum
6utdoorsman rating of & and thletics of /. The
expedition will also need someone with $edicine
rating of &D and First id of +D to fill the role of
medic.
The expedition leader is highly xenophobic and
French applicants in particular are not considered.
*S&)bol+ Ar)itage #n,uir& "f the expedition is
organised by $iskatonic -niversity, team members
are likely to be merican, perhaps students or
professors at the $iskatonic. ?ritish team members
may have accompanied %thelrod.
*S&)bol+ Standalone "f the expedition begins inGreat ?ritain it is likely that most of the team
members would be ?ritish. merican members
may travelled with Granger.
Prologue:Candidate Interviews
Arhaeolog& or Geolog& or Histor&+6verview of several recent polar expeditions 0
RasmussenEs Thule expeditions :3enmark, &'&+ 0
present 0 he is currently in %ast Greenland&'+)< was designed to
attack the great primary problem of the origin of
the %skimo race.
The mathieson %xpedition :&'+; or + the %i&&er> arrives in port to
resupply. %thelrod will refuse to have anything to
do with them however, the protagonists may
choose to approach them. 6nboard is a crew of
seven sailors, a radio engineer and an
archaeological research assistant. They are in
regular radio contact with the German team,
although reception is increasingly patchy.
The Germans will boast about being the first to
reach and explore Nthe ruins of ThuleO, about
having a special right to the heritage of their
ancestors. The resulting humiliation is a &0=oint!tability test for the protagonists.
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#nti)idation+The characters can avoid humiliation
by giving as good as they get. 3-/oint spendallows them to recover & !tability point or tricks the
Germans into revealing the expedition route from
GodthLbsf4orden north0northeast :the same route as
the $athieson %xpedition
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High, steep cliffs. hales, seals, and some
icebergs.
Ianding only possible between Auly and !eptember
lthough the %vighedsf4orden route to Commoriom
is slightly longer than the one from
GodthLbsf4orden, the ascent is gentler, allowing the
transportation of drilling e2uipment. The route from
GodthLbsf4orden involves two steep climbs.
The expedition vessel is met here by a local barge
that drops off the sleds, sled dogs and mushers :dog
sled drivers
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?elow +UF exposed characters without rctic
clothing on act as if hurt. ?elow 0+UF, charactersmust make thletics tests :3ifficulty /< to keep
moving. t 0)UF the 3ifficulty is ) at 0UF the
3ifficulty is ; and so on. 3ifficulty is increased by
+ if the character isn1t wearing protective clothing.
Characters who stop moving lose & Health every &;
minutes or every ; minutes in a bli77ard.
rctic clothing also gives & point of rmor, but
increases the 3ifficulty of thletics and Fleeing
tests > and anything else re2uiring extensive
mobility > by &.
tent and small stove effectively raise the
temperature by +UF. cabin and more powerful
stove raise it by /UF, /;UF with the stove on full
power.
Co))uniations
%thelrod and the crew of the ship agree to
communicate by radio twice a day once at *$
and once at (=$.
Sledding Teams
There are three sleds with ten dogs per sled and
three mushers :or fewer if any =rotagonists are able
drive a dog0sled
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must run uphill along the bottom of the canyon on
gravel and mud, avoiding ice0falls from the glaciers
overhead. The canyon is about &/ miles long. For
any =rotagonists who are driving dog sleds this is a
3riving test against 3ifficulty ;. Failure means that
one of the dogs is in4ured or the sled is stuck,
resulting in delays. For dogs this costs & thletics
pool points.
Ie 7alls
s they progress up the canyon, have everyone
make a !ense Trouble test at 3ifficulty ) to spot ice
tumbling from a tributary into the path of one of the
sleds. nyone who succeeds with !ense Trouble
can call out a warning allowing the driver to take
evasive action. voiding this re2uires a 3riving test
against 3ifficulty ; :) if !ense Trouble is passed
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the creature. %thelrod is not convinced. 3-/oint
spend inReassurane or :latter&will change hismind.
s soon as 3r Granger sees the print, he becomes
extremely agitated and begins muttering to himself.
Evidene Colletion+ 3-/oint spendallows a
character to overhear him mutter about a Nmonster
of the iceO.
Assess Honest& or /s&hoanal&sis+He doesn1t
seem to be calming down. 3 /oint spend in
/s&hoanal&sis+ He may have a phobia or have had
a traumatic experience in the past that has triggered
extreme anxiety. Assess Honest& 3-/oint spend+%thelrod also seems somewhat alarmed although he
is far more in control of himself.
Evidene Colletion 3-/oint spend+The characternotices that Granger is secretly drinking from a hip0
flask.
Hunting the -east
"f the team attempts to hunt the beast, a 3-/oint1utdoors)an spendis re2uired per day to track iton a wandering route roughly east southeast. fter
about three days, they will arrive at the scene
8Graves1. 3uring this trip the hunters mayexperience being spied on by a strange %skimo :see
cross the "ce, The atcher
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:irst Aid 6ore4 floating lue7+This general ability
in this case used as an investigative ability.
%thelrod is mortally wounded, but he comes round
briefly. He will tell the protagonist to follow the
route marked on the map in his personal pack. He
also warns them that the Nguardian of the temple
must be placatedO but slips into unconsciousness
before he can explain how.
third Reassurane 3-/oint Spendor
=sychological Triage will get Granger talking. He
raves and mutters incoherently about Nblond
%skimoO, Nthe man0eating beast of the iceO, Nthe
city of evilO, Nthe formless guardian of the templeO
and %thelrod stealing his whisky. He soon lapses
into a state of muttering, incoherent catatonia, from
which, as /s&hoanal&sisindicates, he is unlikely
to recover without lengthy therapy.
!thelrod"s Personal !ffets%thelrod left most of his personal possessions on
one of the sleds. Beliant as they were on %thelrod,
the rest of the team do not know with certainty the
route to their goal. They may find this material
while looking for his maps.
%thelrod1s possessions include
Core Clue+ detailed map of est Greenland
with handwritten markings showing both the
route taken by the $athieson %xpedition and
the route planned for the current expedition
!thelro&s (otes on the "iber #$onis:see
8%thelrod1s !ecrets1 sidebar the drill in need of
$echanical Bepair, the "ce melter destroyed or,
most dramatically, the diesel tanks set on fire. The
cabin itself may even be set on fire. !ense
Trouble test against 3ifficulty ; will allow the
protagonists to hear the culprits > most likely the
two younger ?lond %skimo > at work. "f someone
is on watch, success indicates that their approach
has been noticed.
Trac+ing the "s+imo1utdoors)an+ 3-/oint spendwill allow tracksto be followed southwest for about three miles from
the valley edge to a cramped shelter in the snow. "f
this is attempted at night, this is a 9-/oint spend.
QK!idebarR
The &now &helterSene T&pe+6ptional
Following the tracks will lead to a small igloo, after
about an hour.
Anthropolog&+This small type of igloo is typicallybuilt as a temporary shelter for hunting trips, often
on sea ice.
Hanging over the doorway is the skull of a bear.
stone spike has been driven through its nose, giving
it an almost Bhinoceros0like appearance.
Anthropolog&+ This may be a totem animal spirit,
probably to protect the igloo.
Si)ple Searh+ "nside the igloo are a hearth, foodfor several days, bedding for one, and possible
spare clothes or a stone spear, axe or knife.
1utdoors)an+ Tracks of a dog sled can be found
nearby. 3-/oint Spendis needed per day to trackthem to the homestead.
The "s+imo %omesteadSene T&pe+6ptional
bout four days away by dog sled, the clan1shomestead is huddled in a narrow valley in the wild
mountains near %vighedsf4orden.
The 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.
5ear the fire is a makeshift altar and a grotes2ue
idol. The altar is a 4agged, natural rock. "n front of
it, is a bowl of blood and the heart of a polar bear,
sprinkled with tiny flowers. =erched on the altar is asmall, crude whalebone statue of a s2uatting
creature with tentacles for a face. !eeing this
re2uires a &0point !tability test, $ythos related.
Cthulhu 5&thos identifies it as a depiction of
Cthulhu.
ll of the surviving members of the clan will be
here. pproaching without alerting anyone is a
!tealth test against 3ifficulty *. "f alerted, they will
flee a strong group or attack a weak one. "f
surprised, they will be in or around the shelter. "f
cornered, they will fight fiercely to the death.
Q?egin !idebarR
The Blond "s+imoThese natives are, to the best of their knowledge,
the last of an ancient race that once had great cities
here. $ost of their civilised culture has been lost >
they are now simple hunter0gatherers, living harsh
lives in the more remote parts of Greenland. Their
ancient religion has been lost and they make theirofferings and prayers to Cthulhu, who they call
8/ulu.
=hysically, they look very different from other
%skimo people, being blond, with long faces,
elongated ear0lobes and substantial facial hair. They
wear hoodless, wide0collared parkas with hats.
They believe that the thing that comes from the ice
in answer to their song is a 8hite ?ear !pirit1 and
wear amulets, mistakenly believing that they can
offer protection from the Gnoph0#eh.
Anthropolog&+This primitive 4ewellery is an
amulet depicting a fierce, stylised polar bear and
possibly intended to offer protection of some kind.
$iolog&+The pendant looks like polar bear boneand the necklace is decorated with bear teeth and
claws.
&lat the Angekok
This white0bearded man may be in his s. He
wears a long parka decorated with strange motifsand symbols and an odd, pointed hat.
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"f -lat is pursued he will mutter incomprehensible
curses and wave his hands around in a bi7arre,
intimidating fashion. s a last resort he will attempt
to defend himself with spells or a knife.
-lat1s long, colourful parka is decorated with
a2uatic designs. Cthulhu 5&thos 3-/oint spend+
The images of odd, octopoid beings dwelling in
undersea towers on the shaman1s long parka seemto be a depiction of Cthulhu and his race.
Abilities+ thletics , !cuffling ;, eapons ;,
Health
Hit Threshold+ /
8eapon 0& :knife in fact the upper chamber of a tower.
"t is assumed that the team will create a shaft of pit
to reach the tower then excavate the inside of it.
The #eeper may have to improvise somewhat ifthey take a very different approach. The characters
may decide to build a shaft next to the tower and
enter via one of the doors or windows on the
balcony, or they may simply bore a hole directly
through the roof.
Arhaeolog& or Arhiteture+ The roof and floor
are already partially collapsed.
Geolog& The tower is black granite gneiss. 3-
/oint spendestablishes that it appears to be
extremely ancient, perhaps tens or even hundreds ofthousands of years old.
Arhiteture The style doesn1t resemble that ofany known architectural tradition.
"#ca!ating the ChamerSene T&pe+ Core
0ead-#n+%xcavating the !tructure under the "ce
0ead-1ut+Clearing the Chamber
This phase takes +) days.
5ethods "sable+$anual %xcavation, "ce $elter,%xplosives
Arhaeolog&orEvidene Colletion+ The remains
of an unknown metallic device can be found in the
upper chamber of the tower. n astrolabe,
planetarium or similar
Geolog&4 Craft or Arhaeolog&+"t was decorated
with gold, emeralds and rubies.
Astrono)& or 3-/oint spend in Arhaeolog&4/h&sis or 5ehanial Repair "t was an opticaldevice of some kind, possibly a telescope.
Accessing the &tairwaySene T&pe+ Core
0ead-#n+%xcavating the Chamber
0ead-1ut+The "dol Thaws, Tunnelling the
!tairway
Core Clue+ The struture desends deep into the
ie-sheet2 There is a se)i-intat stair!a& leadingdo!n2
This phase takes &+ days.
5ethods "sable+$anual %xcavation, "ce $elter,
%xplosives
pictographs, EbooksE X, map showing location of $t
9oormithadrethX
Arhaeolog& orEvidene Colletion+ strangeand grotes2ue ob4ect is uncovered in the ice near
the top of the stairwell. "t looks like a grotes2ueidol fashioned of some dark, mottled material,
vaguely toad0like in shape, very dense and about
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the si7e of a melon. !eeing this re2uires a /0point
!tability test, $ythos related.
Cthulhu 5&thos+!tatues of grotes2ue, toad0likeforms are used in the worship of Tsathoggua.
Geolog& or Che)istr&+The ob4ect is not made of
any known material.
"n fact, the ob4ect isn1t a statue at all. "t is a dormantorganism > one of the !pawn of #nygathin @haum.
6nce uncovered, the spawn will begin to thaw and
awaken. !ee The #dol Tha!s.
Arhiteture or Arhaeolog& 6Core lue7+Thereis a stairway descending deeper into the ice.
Tunnelling the &tairwaySene T&pe+ Core
0ead-#n+ccessing the !tairway
0ead-1ut+3escent into the 3epths
"t takes ' days to reach the ice0free section of the
stairwell.
5ethods "sable+$anual %xcavation, "ce $elter,
%xplosives
stairwell runs around the inner perimeter of the
tower. !olidly constructed from granite, most of it
is still intact. There are places where steps have
eroded or broken and places where there are gaps.
Arhiteture+The stairway is constructed in apossibly uni2ue 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.
6n the wall, there is a series of long panels,
seemingly of ancient ivory, with images and Tsath0
o hieroglyphs. These tell a history of Hyperborea,
beginning with the time of construction and going
deep into the past.
$iolog&+Confirms the material is ivory. How it gothere from frica or sia is a mystery. 3-/oint
spendnotes that the ivory must have come from
unusually large elephants.
Anthropolog&4 Arhaeolog&4 Cr&ptograph&4
0anguages4 or Cthulhu 5&thos+ith the help of
the Tsath0o dictionary, each panel is about a yard
wide and can be translated in about an hour. Three
panels are probably excavated in a day. For every
five panels translated, a 3-/oint spendis needed.
The content of the panels is as follows&. There are several yards where the panelling
is blank
+. The cult of houndeh, the %lk Goddess,
forbids the worship of the old god
@hotha22uah. 5ot daring to destroy them,
the @hotha22uah1s cube0shaped temples are
barred and locked.
/. #ing Io2uamethros is on the throne of
Commoriom, a high city of many spires and
gardens. @ylac the rchimage, apprentice ofHormagor, is granted 8The !eer1s Tower1 in
Commoriom
). @ylac, uses sorcery to create a tower of
black gneiss in $hu Thulan
;. The cult of houndeh becomes the royally
appointed religion. great temple is built in
Commoriom.
. The wi7ard Hormagor of bormis dies at
the hands of the !phinx of bormis. The
town is abandoned.
*. The great wi7ard @on $e77amalech
disappears mysteriously in $hu Thulan.
(. #ing $ennamethros of Commoriom gives
@on $e77amalech a tower in Commoriom,
now called 8The !eer1s Tower1
'. @on $e77amalechparts the northern seaand leads the army of #ing =harogill of
$hu Thulan there to plunder the treasures
of athousand sunken galleys&. @on $e77amalech has a tower of copper
built in $hu Thulan
&&. The 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
Commoriom
&+. Zueen Iuthomne takes the throne of
Commoriom. !he hold ecclesiastical courts.
!he builds a high tower in Commoriom,
which takes thirty years.
&/. !econd city is built called -7uldaroum
&). The Beign of #ing Hom2uat begins in
Commoriom
&;. Founding of Commoriom
&. City called 8Iomar1 settled by people from
@obna in the north
&*. %arly humans build temples to @hotha22uahthe old god of Hyperborea, in imitation of
the sub0human 9oormis
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&(. The 9oormis are driven away. They
congregate around $t. 9oormithadreth
&'. 3escendents of tall, thin antehumans leave
homelands in -ltima Thule in the north and
arrive in Hyperborea.
+. Cold causes the gradual decline of the
9oormis civilisation
+&. 9oormis build a settlement at Commoriom
including a cube0shaped temple to
@hotha22uah
++. The gods "tha2ua and phoom @hah cause
the continent to get steadily colder. realm
of glaciers gradually grows in the north.
+/. @hotha22uah destroys the colony of serpent0
men. Their former slaves, the 9oormis, are
free and begin to establish their own
civilisation on Hyperborea with@hotha22uah as their primary deity.
+). !erpent0men survivors from sinking of the
continent of 9alusia, found a colony in
Hyperborea, bringing 9oormis as slaves and
food source
t the end of this phase :where does this occur in
terms of the panelsX
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The organism will scuttle across the ground on
many limbs and attempt to escape, probably at
night. "t can escape through holes smaller than &
inch diameter, although such a small orifice would
take it two minutes to oo7e through. %scaping under
the sides of tents won1t present much problem nor
will getting through the interior door of the cabin.
The 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.
QdefineK map layout of cabinR
This creature will attempt to hide among the
outhouses and e2uipment and ambush a lone human
as they wander outside. "f necessary it might enter
the cabin and attack a lone sleeping host.
The spawn will attempt to enter unconscious or
subdued host, smothering their sounds as it forces
itself down their throat and takes up residence intheir body.
-nless one of the =rotagonists unwittingly sets
himself up as an obvious target, the spawn should
attack a non0player character one of the mushers or
Germans :if present the amount of damage they take only determines
the amount of time it takes for their Health to get
above and able to act once more. Fire damage
does not heal in this way, nor damage from magical
or chemical attacks.
3ue 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. They can attempt
to subdue a target and then enter the body via an
orifice :probably the mouth
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sometimes confused about normal behaviour and
culture. Assess Honest&will notice something isamiss if the host is observed closely or interacted
with.
Suffoate+The creature can use a limb to sei7e avictim around the neck or simply smother with its
viscous body. pply the 3rowning and !uffocation
rules :Trail of Cthulhu rulebook =(
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stone door scattered around it. The doorway leads
to The 0ibrar&. The passage continues for asimilar length before reaching a second doorway.
This door is intact and open. =assing through the
doorway leads to The High Streetwhere one can
turn left or right.
Closing the door for the first time is an thletics
test against 3ifficulty &; and re2uiring tools to usefor leverage. For subse2uent attempts, it is
3ifficulty &+.
Exavation
allsX CobblesX ncient 3oorsX
High Street
From the "ce Corridor this can be followed left and
slightly uphill or right and slightly downhill. The
left branch terminates in a wall of ice and rock after
some + yards. The right branch leads to TheS,uare.
The street is wide and the forms of ancient homes,
towers, sidestreets and so on can be glimpsed along
it1s length offering a haunting vista of a primordial
city imprisoned in ice.
The walls are wet and pitted with narrow fissures.
There are also walls of huge stone blocks, with
what appear to be doorways and window spaces.
=rehistoric plantsX
Exavation+ 39 hours
%xcavation of the fissures reveals they are channels
leading into the ice.There are also fissures behindthe walls, doorways and windows. ?uried deep in
the ice, eventually another hibernating spawn will
be found. $ore of these can be found with a few
more hours of excavation.
The S
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ithian script and the dot0based cipher of the %lder
Things.
The entire collection here behaves like any
collection of =nakotic $anuscripts as described in
Trail of Cthulhu =age SS. Becovering each point
of Cthulhu $ythos worth of fragments to the
surface takes at least a day.
Translating, collating and interpreting this materialis a pro4ect that would takes years. However, with
the aid of the Tsath0o dictionary and a +0=oint
spend in Iibrary -se, it1s possible to collate and
translate enough of the material for an overview.
0anguage+Tsath0o :with passages in %lder !criptand ithian / 9oormis gain freedom from !erpent
=eople, found Hyperborean colony
Stabilit& test+/0point !tability test
)& > )+ !erpent people in city called 8oth1
genetically engineer simians into land
hominids and a2uatic hominids to serve as
slavesStabilit& test+/0point !tability test
Sanit& lost+& point
Drives at sta%e+nti2uarianism, Thirst
for #nowledge/illars of Sanit& at sta%e+Family, Human3ignity and 9alue, Beligion
)/ > )) !erpent people civilisation wiped out by
rise of dinosaurs
Stabilit& test+/0point !tability test
Sanit& lost+& point); > ) !hoggoth rebellion defeated in %lder thing
civilisation
Stabilit& test+)0point !tability test
Sanit& lost+& point
;& > ;+ !erpent people kingdom of 9alusia
Stabilit& test+/0point !tability test
Sanit& lost+ & point
;/ > ;) Cataclysm raises BElyeh, arrival of
Cthulhu, war of Cthulhu and the %lder
ThingsStabilit& test+0point !tability test
Sanit& lost+ + points
Drives at sta%e+nti2uarianism, Thirst
for #nowledge
;; > ; %lder thing experiments create vertebrates
Stabilit& test+)0point !tability test
Sanit& lost+& point
Drives at sta%e+nti2uarianism, Thirstfor #nowledge
/illars of Sanit& at sta%e+Family, Human3ignity and 9alue, Beligion
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& > + -bbo !athla is witnessed as the foul source
of all earthly life
Stabilit& test+)0point !tability test :or
nagnorosis a biological factory for breedingslaves. %arth0life is an accidental by0product.
Stabilit& test+) point !tability test :or
nagnorosis seeing is believing in this case. !ome
of these experiences are capable of causing lost
3rives or smashed =illars of !anity at the #eeper1s
discretion.
Q!idebarR
Antagonist Reactions ofthe &pawn
These antagonist reactions are designed to create a
growing sense of unease. They should be detailedand timed according to drama, atmosphere and
=rotagonist actions. The events of the different
sections should overlap.
Thawing
s soon as the protagonists enter Commoriom, the
spawn begin to thaw and awaken. Casually drop the
following clues into your description to build
atmosphere. These clues are picked up passively.
Evidene Colletion+
"t seems slightly warmer in the city than when
the characters first entered.
o thermometer will confirm that the
temperature is now 4ust above free7ing
ater is dripping from the ceiling
=ools of water are collecting
!mall rivulets are running from that wall of ice
The surface of that wall seems more pitted than
when we first saw it. " don1t remember those
holes being there
Someone"s ,issingF
6ne of the 5on0=layer Characters :if there are any
left< working or moving alone in the city ruins is
noticed as missing.
!ense Trouble test against 3ifficulty ) may allow
characters to hear a cry for help.
fter a search, the character is found unconscious,
lying in a large pool of blood.
5ediine+There is no obvious sign of in4ury. :&
point spend< He appears to be in a coma.
:orensis+ :& point spend< There is no sign of
in4ury apart from bruising around the neck and face.
,ore Thawing
gain this is something that one of the =rotagonistsshould notice passively. This can occur more than
once.
Evidene Colletion+
black substance is oo7ing from holes in the
High Streetor The S,uare
o hen revisited, the oo7e is gone.
o "f a sample is taken the container is later
found broken or overturned and the
sample missing
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Something in the Shadows
hen two or more characters are moving through
the city, with a successful !ense Trouble test
against 3ifficulty , they catch a glimpse of
something slithering or scuttling among the ice and
rubble. ?y the time they reach the spot to
investigate, there is nothing there.
A Protagonist is Attaked
"f a =rotagonist is so foolish as to be alone in the
city they may be targeted by one of the spawn. The
#eeper 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 Trouble test against 3ifficulty will allow
the character to catch a glimpse of movement or a
sound as the creature approaches or waits inambush. "f they succeed, the spawn will Chase
them. Three or four successful thletics or Fleeing
tests may be enough to allow the character to reach
the rest of the group, at which point the spawn will
retreat. "f they fail the !ense Trouble test above, the
spawn will attack with surprise.
"f the creature successfully invades or incapacitates
its host then that character infected and is likely to
come under the control of the spawn within hours.
Their first action on waking will be to hide any
blood and tissues expelled during the implantation
process. :Can it assert control immediatelyX