'Consumption' - by Brian M Sammons in Golden Goblin Press' "Island of Ignorance" 3rd Cthulhu Companion 2e for 7e CoC
Another break in play from the regular Ptolus 5e campaign (which my dear friend Stuart is blogging here), meant that in a rush I needed a one shot (it became a 2 shot) Call of Cthulhu scenario for my intermittent Arkham / Lovecraft Country campaign. More research online and perusal of my insanely large collection of CoC material reminded me I have tons of great material from Oscar Rios' Golden Goblin Press outfit. He produces great material and has been a very faithful servant to the Cthulhu gaming community IMHO. [Am very much looking forward to the Cthulhu Invictus Campaign The Legacy of Arrius Lurco. Should be arriving soon in the post].
So, I came across the scenario Consumption which fits perfectly into the Arkham sandbox I am developing. It was written by Brian M Sammons in Golden Goblin Press' "Island of Ignorance" 3rd Cthulhu Companion 2e for 7e CoC. Consumption reminds me a little of Pagan Publishing's Coming Full Circle, in that this scenario is not about the Mythos, Great Old Ones or other Mythos creatures, but rather is about depraved humans empowered by black magic. It is a tense scenario, on a gruesome theme - cannibalism - in which the PCs will be confronted by the possibility that pillars of Arkham's community are depraved, murderous cannibals.... individuals who will do whatever they can within their power to stop the PCs making their predicament precarious indeed.
Advice to the Keeper:
Read the scenario thoroughly. Create notes on each major NPC. Create a NPC relationship map and a clue map. Make sure you understand how PCs can go from X to Y. If like me you are using a VTT, you need to upload the art, the handouts, a map of Arkham with locations on the GM section of key places. Think of how the NPCs will respond to the PCs (don't make them passive) - Sammons himself has given plenty of good advice - read it and create clear potential action plans. Your job is to make it scary for the PCs. The baddies will each have their own responses to feeling the heat of the PCs on their tail.
A Dark History
As Sammons states: '“Consumption” is a sequel to H.P. Lovecraft’s “The Picture in the House,” which Keepers should read before running this scenario, if possible. In brief, an elderly cannibal named Abner Crumpler lived in an isolated house on the road between Dunwich and Arkham, eating those unlucky enough to cross his path. One November night in 1896, a bolt of lightning, perhaps heaven sent, smote his house and set it ablaze. Whereas Lovecraft’s story ends there, this scenario says that the old cannibal did not die in the blaze....'
Our 2 player characters:
Professor Trey:
Private Eye Jack Foster:
Our story begins.....
One foggy night in early March 1926, a woman stumbles out of the woods and onto that same lonely road between Dunwich and Arkham. She’s using a splintered broom as a crutch. Professor Trey (played by Stef) is driving himself and PI Jack Foster back to Arkham having visited their friend Professor Joshua Thomas (from No Time to Scream) who is recuperating from the previous scenario. Its lightly snowing and Trey does not see her in time to break properly (fails his Drive Auto), so unfortunately the car slams into her slender frame, sending her catapulting back into the woods, her broken body now a ruin. SAN checks all round 0/1D3).
The PCs quickly alight the car to see how she is. They are horrified by what they see (another SAN check 0/1D6).
They see she is clearly dead. Moreover, that she has been tortured prior to the car crash . Her left leg has clearly been recently sawed off mid-thigh. A leather belt acts as a tourniquet but it loosened during her escape, hence the blood loss. Close examination reveals her tongue has been cut out and the stump cauterized. A successful Medicine roll would have informed the investigators that the burn scar is about three days old (They fail it). One wrist and her remaining ankle have coarse rope tied to them. The ropes are each nearly a foot in length and end with a fresh cut. Her left hand is bloody, raw, and slightly misshapen.
The 2 brave PCs decide to see where she came from - where she was running from. Her path is easy to follow with the blood trail and footprints in the snow.
The Charred House
The scorched remains of an old, once two-story, wooden house is located twenty yards through the woods. A driveway a quarter mile further up the road leads to this property, which is why the investigators didn’t see it. There are tire tracks in the snow, and PI Frost makes his Spot Hidden roll identifying at least two different vehicles, based on width and tread type. The tracks appear recent, perhaps a day or two old.
There is nothing to be found in the ruins, but behind them the PCs see a crude structure built from fire-damaged wood salvaged from the house. The blackened door to the shed is open, and the faint glow of candle light can be seen within. PI Foster's successful Tracking roll at the door locates two sets of tracks: the dead woman’s barefoot, blood-splattered trail and a pair of booted prints. The booted prints [those of Abner Crumpler] lead into the woods and roughly run parallel with the road heading towards Arkham. This trail eventually leads to harder, dryer land before disappearing a mile from the shed when the investigators later follow it.
Inside the shack
The shed is a house of horrors, and entering it costs the PCs 0/1D4 SAN. Here is what they see & find: A wooden chair and table is in a corner of the single room. Upon the table were resting a lantern and a pyramid of ten human skulls. A closer examination of the pyramid allowed Prof Trey to find small items stuffed into an eye socket of each skull. He deduces from his anthropology knowledge that these are trophies that have been taken by a diabolical hunter: An earring, a bit of monographed man’s handkerchief, a brooch, and a rolled up piece of paper (which is a driving licence for William Simmons - with his address from 1922-23) are a few of the items found here.
On a wall, the PCs note a frame of wood and leather straps stretches out the skinned torso of a man. Prof Trey makes a successful Natural History roll which identifies the contraption as a tanning rack used to dry the hides of animals. In one corner of the room they find a mattress and some blankets; in another is a filthy bed on a stout wood frame. That bed is stained with blood, urine, and fecal matter. On two of the bed’s posters, lengths of cut rope can be seen, with blood and bits of skin ground into the rough fibers. A gory handsaw lies on the floor next to the bed. On a charred nightstand beside the bed is a selection of medical instruments with “St. Mary’s M103” stamped into some of them.
On a rickety shelf is a horrible little handmade book. PI Foster succeeds on a Biology roll determines that the cover is made out of human skin. Inside are fifteen pen and ink illustrations, crudely stitched together, which have obviously been torn from some other tome. The paper is old, and each picture depicts various acts of cannibalism. Handling this book and/or looking at the pictures costs 0/1D4 SAN. Finally, three matching suitcases sit at the foot of the poster bed. They are empty, but the insides of each are coated with dried blood. The large suitcases are old and battered, but they were once an expensive set and still bear the embroidered initials J.E.E.
The PCs then drive to Arkham Police Station to report what they have found. Detective Cooper takes over the investigation, and asks the PCs to return to the crime scene with them and narrate all they found.
He also cross examines them on some details. The PCs get the feeling he already suspects them. They are not entirely enamoured with his skill-set and agree to investigate further with the leads they have:
1. The name, Driving Licence and address of a possible victim: William Simmons.
2. The selection of medical instruments with “St. Mary’s M103” stamped into some of them.
3. Old suitcases - expensive ones - hand embroidered with the initials J.E.E
4. Researching the ruined house and its owners.
Having set up the mystery, the PCs are now free to explore, investigate, interview and do what they want. I had bought the fantastic Chaosium Roll20 Arkham resource with its great maps and extra detail on each neighbourhood - but this is not needed - there are loads of free Arkham maps out there, as well as the delightful map by Stygian Fox.
They get stuck in, with one going to the Hall of Records to investigate the burned down house, with another visiting the St Mary's teaching hospital - and its morgue after being directed (M on the stamp meaning Morgue) - where they have an interesting interaction with Dr Morrison.
They then ask about in town about where one could find pricy Italian suitcases and find that the place to go to is Millers on Main Street. From there they follow other clues, start tailing suspects in what seems to be a 'cannibal ring' involving the great and the good of Arkham society.
The first session ended on them having identified what they think are all the main suspects. In the next session, they will then attempt to bring this group down. Will they succeed? Will they survive? I will attempt to write this up asap after the session. Then I will give more details.
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