CoC - Adv - Lozdra
CoC - Adv - Lozdra
CoC - Adv - Lozdra
By Michael C. LaBossiere
Ontologist@aol.com
Call of Cthulhu
Mythos Beings
Lozdra, Lesser Independent Race
Description: A Lozdra is a large being with a worm like body. The body is dark gray
in color and is oddly textured (similar to Giger's Alien). Unlike worms, a Lozdra has
two tentacles extending from its upper body. These tentacles end in a gripping "hand"
with sharp, bony talons. The head of a Lozdra is devoid of any obvious eyes or other
sensory organs. Despite this, the Lozdra have extremely acute senses, including
excellent hearing and the capacity to sense heat. The mouth of the Lozdra is small
relative to its head, but is filled with needle like teeth. The mouth also contain an
extendible tendril like growth which the Lozdra uses to inject its parasites into its
victims.
In combat, a Lozdra will slash at its victims with its talons and rip at them with its
teeth. If a Lozdra bites a victim, it will attempt to inject parasites into the victim. To do
this, the Lozdra must match its POW against the victim's POW. If the Lozdra succeeds,
the parasites enter the victim and begin consuming his flesh. The parasites will inflict
1D3 points of damage for 1D3 rounds. Seeing the parasites writhing in the wound costs
0/1 Sanity points. Being a victim of the parasites costs 0/1D3 Sanity points.
While a Lozdra can be harmed by normal weapons, it regenerates three hit points
each round. Further, when it is "killed" it will condense itself into a virtually
indestructible hibernation pod (the "egg" described above). Once "killed" the Lozdra
will regenerate one hit point a day until it reaches half its original hit points. At that
point, it will expand itself and begin regenerating normally. A Lozdra cannot
regenerate damage inflicted by a special metal until it enters into hibernation. If a
Lozdra is in contact with the metal while hibernating, it will be able to regain half its hit
points but will be unable to expand itself. A Lozdra can also hibernate to survive harsh
climate changes or when the food supply runs low.
A Lozdra has the capacity to create a variety of parasites. One type is injected into the
bodies of dead humans (or other intelligent beings of roughly human size). These
parasites spread throughout the corpse, animating it. It takes 1D3 hours for the
parasites to re-animate the body. It takes two Magic Points for a Lozdra to create each
such parasite. The other type of parasite is injected into the bodies of living animals.
These parasites grow and consume the flesh of the host until they emerge as Lozdra
flyers. It takes 1D3+3 hours for the parasites to gestate into Lozdra Flyers. It costs the
Lozdra one magic point to create a flyer parasite. Other Lozdra can produce other types
of parasites.
Lozdra Zombies
Description: Lozdra zombies look like "conventional" zombies, except their skin writhes
with small tendrils, a bundle of small stalks replaces the eyes, and sharp, needle like
growths extrude into the mouth. The writhing tendrils are part of the animating
parasites body, which is wearing the corpse like clothes. The stalks are the parasite's
heat sensitive organs.
A Lozdra zombie is considerably more intelligent than a normal zombie and it is
capable of planning and some limited strategy. A Lozdra zombie is able to
communicate with other Lozdra forms by emitting heat patterns. A Lozdra zombie
cannot create parasites of its own.
Since the parasite is spread throughout the body, a Lozdra zombie is extremely
difficult to kill. A Lozdra zombie sustains little damage from most weapons. It attacks
by biting with its needle like teeth. The bite injects a caustic substance which inflicts
another 1D3 points, unless the victim makes a successful luck roll.
Like the Lozdra, the Lozdra zombies are harmed by the special metal. Unlike the
Lozdra, the zombies do not regenerate.
The parasite secretes chemical that helps preserve the flesh, enabling the corpse to
remain useful for up to two weeks. At the end of that time, the body collapses into a
pile of horribly rotted flesh and the parasite dies.
Move: 8
Weapons: Bite 30%, damage 1D4+Special.
Armor: None, but impaling weapons do 1 point of damage and all other conventional
weapons do only half damage.
Spells: None.
Sanity Loss: 1/1D8 Sanity Points to see a Lozdra Zombie.
Lozdra Flyers
Description: A Lozdra flyer has a dark gray body with a pinkish underbelly. It flies by
flapping large, membranous wings. The head is mostly mouth, which splits open in
four sections, enabling a Lozdra flyer to inflict rather nasty bites. Like the other Lozdra
forms, the Lozdra flyer detects heat.
In combat, a Lozdra flyer swoops at its intended victim, aiming at the head and limbs.
A successful bite with its teeth can inflict serious damage and injects a caustic agent.
The agent inflicts an addition 1D3 points of damage, unless the victim can make a
successful luck roll.
A Lozdra flyer regenerates one point each combat round, but stays dead if it is killed.
The special metal will also harm a Lozdra flyer in the same manner it harms the Lozdra.
Artifacts
The following details the artifacts in Joseph's Sword
the adventure.
The sword is fairly rough looking. The the person will lose one point of CON
blade looks like a gladius short sword, every two days the person is exposed to
although it is clearly made out of very the sword. Half the loss can be regained
unusual metal. The metal is bright, at the rate of one point of CON per
almost luminescent. The metal is month.
extremely tough and is almost
completely resistant to almost all the Joseph's Book-In coded Latin, by Joseph,
elements. As a weapon the sword does in a single volume. A record of the Order
1D6+1+db and has 40 hit points. The of Phaedrus containing a history of the
base chance is 20%. order. It also contains a large amount of
The metal the sword is made from is Mythos information gathered and
extremely harmful to the Lozdra. A recorded by members of the Order over
Lozdra struck by the blade suffers and the centuries. Cracking the code
additional 2D6 points of damage from requires either the key or a great deal of
the radiation it emits. This radiation work (months, with language, Luck and
causes burns and scarring on the Know rolls at the Keeper's discretion).
creature. Sanity Loss 1D4/1D8; Cthulhu Mythos +8
The radiation emitted by the blade is percentiles; average 14 weeks to study and
also harmful to humans. If a person is comprehend once translated. Spells: Bless
exposed to the blade for an extended Blade, Cast out Shan, Chant of Thoth,
period of time, he will start becoming ill and Elder Sign.
from radiation sickness, In game terms,
-Handout #1
Dear x,
I hope that this letter is appropriate. A mutual associate informed me that you and
your fellows are intrepid and skilled at solving various problems and resolving difficult
issues. Because of my physical condition I am unable to travel and I wish to employ you
in a noble endeavor.
In the course of my research into various matters, I have learned of the existence of a
rather interesting book. According to the histories and records I have consulted, this
book was written in the 12th century by a Christian thinker named Joseph. According to
the descriptions, this book contains a great deal of metaphysical information pertaining
to “devils mentioned not in the Bible.”
The contents of this work would be priceless in my ongoing research into these topics.
I have managed to track the work by the legends and tales associated with it. To the
best of my knowledge, it is currently located in the village of Kenburrough in Scotland.
If you would undertake the recovery of the text, my university will provide you with
passage and a suitable finder’s fee for the work.
Sincerely,
Dr. K. Phileus
Harvard University
One of the smallest cults of Rome was the Order of Phaedrus. While the name
Phaedrus is no doubt familiar to those who have read the works of Plato, there is no
evidence of a connection between this order and the Phaedrus mentioned by the father
of philosophy.
The Order of Phaedrus is first mention in a work by the obscure and minor historian
Citius. According to Citius, the Order was founded in 121 ad and supported by the
Roman government. The Order appears to not be religious in the usual sense and they
are not associated with any god. Citius notes that the Order was “dedicated to protecting
the people of Rome from the Lozdra, which laid waste to a villa and greatly threatened
the region.” Phaedrus was said to have defeated the Lozdra by using a special “elder
metal” which was the bane of the Lozdra.
-Handout #4 from Citius, 162 ad.
The story, as told to me by an old man who witnessed the event, is as follows. A crew
digging up earth for a road came across an egg in the earth. Recognizing its rarity, they
brought it to the villa of Sallus, a local official. The egg soon hatched, bringing misery to
the people. The young son of Sallus alone escaped, bringing word to legionnaires
nearby. A brave band of them set out and only two returned, screaming of flying
horrors and worse. A Greek named Phaedrus came to the aid of the legionnaires,
bringing elder metal from the lands of Egypt. Armed with the metal, the brave fighter
defeated the serpent Lozdra and Phaedrus was given the egg, which was somehow
made whole again, to guard.
Keeper's Maps