Arkham Gazette 2 May24
Arkham Gazette 2 May24
Arkham Gazette 2 May24
Arkham Gazette
Issue 2
November 2013
Revised May 2018
by
L. T. BARKER The Hymnal of the Esoteric Order of Dagon
NICOLAS BRESINSKY Edward Morse, The Isles of Shoals and Other
Innsmouth Inspiration
CHARLES GERARD Shadows of Polynesia
CHRIS HUTH Innsmouth Curios, The Wreck of the Elizabeth Wright
BRET KRAMER Various Articles
BEN WENHAM Innsmouth Curios
layout CHRIS HUTH
illustrations CHRIS HUTH, IAN MACLEAN,
JOSHUA MEADOWS, and GALEN PEJEAU
cartography RICHARD LEDUC
handouts DEAN ENGELHARDT
proofreading CHITIN PROCTOR
Page 6, Marae sur l’île de Huahine (Polynésie française) by Michel-Georges Bernard
Page 39, “The volcanic ‘log’ city of Nan Madol”; smwd0023, NOAA’s Small World Collection
Photographer: Lieutenant Commander Matthew Wingate, NOAA Corps
sentinel
hill
press
Table of Contents
Deep Background: Locations in Greater Innsmouth 3 The Biblio-file: The Hymnal of the Esoteric Order of Dagon 32
From the History Books: Shadows of Polynesia 5 The Biblio-file: The Ponape Scripture 35
Deep Background: Innsmouth’s Burying Grounds 9 Curious New England: The Feejee Mermaid 43
New Location: The Wreck of the Elizabeth Wright 16 New Items: Innsmouth Curios 46
Arcane Etymology: On The Name ‘Dagon’ 20 Deep Background: Innsmouth Gold 53
Deep Background: The Marine Abyss beyond Devil Reef 23 Gaming History: Cancelled Innsmouth Books 62
New Person: Edward Morse 24 Location Guide: A Guide to Newburyport 65
From the History Books: The Isles of Shoals and Other Scenario: Drawn from the Water 87
Innsmouth Inspiration 26 Annotated Scenario Bibliography: Innsmouth
Curious New England: The Sacred Cod 31 and Deep Ones 106
The Arkham Gazette is the creation of Sentinel Hill Press. They had talked about dying and half-deserted Innsmouth for
nearly a century, and nothing new could be wilder or more
© May, 2018
hideous than what they had whispered and hinted years before.
All Rights Reserved.
Welcome back to Innsmouth!
Call of Cthulhu is Chaosium’s role-playing game of wonder We are pleased to present the revised and expanded
and horror. Citations, references, and quotations from Call of second issue of the Arkham Gazette. The focus of this issue
Cthulhu gaming material is done in the spirit of collaboration is Innsmouth, that desolate and half-deserted port town at
that has marked Lovecraft’s work since the very beginning the mouth of the Manuxet. We invite you to explore this
and implies no ownership. benighted old town through the eighteen articles of this
Discussion of works published by other companies is issue, where we talk about topics as diverse as:
done in the same collaborative spirit. Polynesian culture in Innsmouth
Call of Cthulhu is the Registered Trademark of Chaosium Innsmouth’s burying grounds
Inc., and is used with their permission. Real world inspirations and parallels for Innsmouth
www.chaosium.com Massachusetts’ “Sacred Cod”
The Ponape Scripture
The names, descriptions, and depictions applied to this
The Feejee “mermaid”
supplement are derived from works copyrighted by and
Innsmouth’s gold
include trademarks owned by Chaosium Inc., and may not be
A guide to Newburyport
used or reused without its permission.
An annotated list of Innsmouth scenarios
Why yes, I am using Cristoforo, an expanded version of the “Drawn from the Water,” an Innsmouth-connected
Columbus font developed by Thomas Phinney. scenario of mystery and madness
www.thomasphinney.com So take your seat on Joe Sargent’s bus and enjoy on a ride
to fear-shadowed Innsmouth… Here’s hoping you live to
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
see the dawn.
The Arkham Gazette is a publication of Sentinel Hill Press and
Bret Kramer
welcomes submissions. The focus of the Gazette is Lovecraft
May 2018
Country and submissions should have a strong connection to
that fictive region and the real-world history and locations
that informs it. It is recommended that writers be familiar
with Lovecraft Country as it has been established in works
like Arkham Unveiled. While consistency is the hobgoblin of
small minds, we like those little 1 HD monsters; submissions
that expand and improve Lovecraft Country rather than
rewriting or reinventing it are more likely to be published. For
more information see:
sentinelhillpress.wordpress.com/submissions/
Submissions should be sent to ArkhamGazetteMagazine@
gmail.com with words “Arkham Gazette Submission” in the
subject line.
2
Locations in Greater Innsmouth • Skivern Rock Lighthouse
Deep Background
I
often obscure Skivern Rock and its surrounding reefs.
nnsmouth has had two lighthouses — the Old
In 1824 the first two keepers of the lighthouse were
Lighthouse (I904), aka the Innsmouth Harbor Light,
tragically drowned while loading the fog cannon. The
and the Skivern Rock Light. The former collapsed
lighthouse itself was badly damaged in the same storm
during the Great Blizzard of 1888. The later still stands,
and was replaced by the 80-foot-tall brick lighthouse
but has been abandoned for decades.
still standing today. This structure proved inadequate as a
Skivern Rock and the surrounding reefs have been
significant number of ships continued to founder in the
recognized as a hazard to navigation since the earliest visits
vicinity for the next decade. Dark rumors suggested the
to the area by European sailors; Captain John Smith made
mention of it as “a shoale near to this place [Plum Island],
made up of a great twin rock, with eddys and forceful
currents.” The rock, still unnamed, was cited as the cause
of numerous shipwrecks on the approach to Innsmouth
throughout the Colonial period. According to one Colonial
source the natives called the place Katumaketic, “where the
rocks are met by the ocean.”
The origin of the rock’s name is unclear. The earliest
record of its use come from a property dispute involving
the owners of the ship Constance in 1699: “ye hull was
breech’d by ye Skiverin Rock sou-sou’east of the Port of
Innsmouth yet sunk off ye Mother Ann one day later.”
One possible origin is suggested by the authors of
Folgers’ Sailor’s Atlas of New England, who suggest it
was named for the Scottish sea captain Charles Skillven
whose ship, The Cormorant, foundered off the southern tip
of Plum Island in 1722. Another origin for the name is
given by Professor Elmer Pitts-Derby in his monograph
Massachusetts Light-Houses, from Boston Harbor to Points
North (1896), in which he points out that in most
Scandinavian languages the word skiven means ‘round’. He
then tries to use this as proof of Viking visitation to the
Massachusetts coast, though how this ‘Viking’ name was
passed on to English colonists, or why this irregular rock
was named ‘round’ is not explained.
Whatever the case, the rock and surrounding shoals
were a hazard to navigation and, in 1745, a committee of
Innsmouth merchants petitioned the colonial governor to
place a light here, as had been done in Boston harbor decades
earlier. With no funds forthcoming, the Innsmouthers
privately established a small beacon and bell here in 1750.
3
Locations in Greater Innsmouth • Falcon Point Cemetery and Rawson Memorial Company
4
Shadows of Polynesia • The ‘Kanakys’
Shadows of Polynesia
by Charles Gerard
I s’pose you know — though I can see you’re a Westerner by your In-Game Use
talk — what a lot our New England ships — used to have
Incorporating elements of Polynesian culture (as described
to do with queer ports in Africa, Asia, the South Seas, and
later in this article) is a great way of accentuating the
everywhere else, and what queer kinds of people they sometimes
otherness of Innsmouth without revealing the town’s
brought back with ‘em.
C
deepest, inhuman, secret. Players — should they have
aptain Obed Marsh’s ships carried many strange not read “The Shadow Over Innsmouth” — may even
cargoes into the somnambulant harbor of begin to second guess their suspicions about Innsmouth
Innsmouth. What enduring customs might betray if they suspect their concerns are rooted in racism or
links to lost uncharted islands? What exotic treasures ethnocentrism. Polynesian cultural influences also provide
might still linger in the curious moldering cabinets of the Keeper with an expanded arsenal of tension-building
worm-eaten homes? signposts beyond the standard hints of hybridism or
degeneracy to suggest the malign reach of the Deep Ones.
The ‘Kanakys’ Ancient Rites, New Home
We do not know the name of the people Obed Marsh
The Kanakys appear to be culturally Polynesian, albeit
encountered on that unnamed island “east of Othaheite
with some unique indigenous religious practices. Walakea
[Tahiti].” ‘Kanak’ is a Hawaiian term adopted by sailors
would have then been a powerful ari’i rahi who revered
and used as a catch-all for native Pacific Islanders. Though
the old gods and would have insisted upon respect for
there is at least one group in New Caledonia that now goes
tradition, likely teaching some of it to Obed Marsh. In
by that name, it is a modern adoption. We will use ‘Kanaks’
turn Marsh may have preserved elements of Kanaky culture
and ‘Kanakys’ for the sake of convenience — but it is no
either as part of his interaction with the Deep Ones or as
more accurate than calling Native Americans “Indians.”
part of the rites of the Esoteric Order of Dagon. Here
When New England whaling expeditions returned
are some suggested artifacts or practices and their use
with crewmen from Hawaii and the Sandwich Islands in the
in Innsmouth; recognizing their Polynesian connection
early nineteenth century, war-hardened New Englanders
should require an Anthropology roll at a minimum. More
looked with suspicion at the new “heathen youths.” In
likely the investigators would need to contact a specialist:
Nantucket, such foreign sailors bunked in special boarding
While there are no Polynesian experts at Miskatonic
houses, safely sequestered from Quaker townsfolk.
University, Rev. Ezekiel Wallace of Arkham’s Asbury
Crew members aboard the Sumatra Queen, the Hetty,
M.E. Church is known to have a passing interest in the
and the Columbia had a great deal of experience with the
people and culture of Polynesia, having worked there
rites and practices of the Kanakys they encountered. It is
as a missionary. As discussed in Escape from Innsmouth,
possible — August Derleth* included it in his story “The
gaining the minister’s trust is no easy thing; the Keeper
Seal of R’lyeh” — that even some intermarriage occurred
might consider introducing him to investigators seeking
between Obed Marsh’s sailors and native women. This
more information about their Polynesian discoveries in
would allow even more of the idiosyncratic culture of
Innsmouth in advance of his role in that scenario.
Walakea’s people, even before Marsh made contact with
the Deep Ones of Y’ha-nthlei, to leave its mark on this
Altar Rocks
shadow-blighted port.
Curious flat stones may be found in nearby salt marshes
or emerging offshore during the lowest of tides. These
could be a local iteration of the Tahitian marae, sacred
ritual sites protected by unbreakable tapu and stone idols
* Usually a red-flag to avoid, but while the primary plot conceit of of family ancestors, unu, frozen in exaggerated expressions
“The Seal of R’lyeh” runs counter to the central notions of “The not unlike the faces of frogs. If active, these sites may also
Shadow Over Innsmouth,” there is no reason Keepers cannot include a tall carved pole for use in binding sacrifices. On
crib the plot but excise the direct Innsmouth connection. Walakea’s island, altars and temple walls were carved with
5
Shadows of Polynesia • Pacific Mummies to Innsmouth Chowder
Piscine Figurines
Among the inhabitants of the Polynesian underworld,
called the Po, was the half-fish god Rua-hatu, known as the
Source of Fruitful Myriads. Two brothers once snagged the
god’s titanic head with fishhooks, and in his rage he made
the seas boil and rise up, drowning all islands but one.
Small carved wooden fish heads served as a reminder of his
wrath. Versions of the sea god Tangaroa figure prominently
across the South Pacific, sometimes with powers over
death and fire. In Samoa, he is known to have created
humans out of sea worms. Figurines carved out of wood or
stone called ti’i represented lesser gods, usually depicting
a stocky build with broad shoulders and a protruding belly
6
Shadows of Polynesia • Refugees and Sea Gypsies to Gimcracks and Curios
comprised of raw fish marinated in coconut milk and lime oceans to their new homes. These artifacts could remain in
juice. No doubt Innsmouth’s chefs have learned to make the pantries or attics of long abandoned houses.
due with local ingredients... Most Polynesian artifacts were heavily decorated,
with both abstract geometrical designs as well as
Refugees and “Sea Gypsies” representations of their material and spiritual world. No
doubt items of Kanaky manufacture would do likewise,
Keepers may wish to consider the origins of Walakea’s though considering their desire to conceal their relations
people. They may have been indigenous to the island, with the Deep Ones from neighboring islanders such
settled, like the rest of Polynesia, between 1500 and 2000 representations would not be overt.
years ago. Perhaps they encountered some remnant of
long-sunken Mu and interbred with them, or simply fell
under the sway of the Deep Ones in the same way as would
later happen in Massachusetts. Walakea and his people
may have been later settlers, driven from their original
homes by famine, warfare, or even drawn there through
the dreams of Cthulhu.
Another possible origin for the Kanakys lies to the
west, in the shallower seas of Southeast Asia, where
nomadic tribes of land-fearing people follow fish
migrations and remain seaborne year round. They are
known by many names, and form distinct ethnic groups Ceremonial Adze
that have assimilated to varying degrees with the land-
Used as weapons, for boat carving, and
based cultures of Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, the
for sorcery, these family heirlooms would
Philippines, and southern China.
feature intricately carved handles depicting
The most isolated tribes are fiercely superstitious of
powerful gods and the spirits of ancestors, with
evil land spirits, and most do not set foot on dry land other
formidable stone or perhaps metal blades.
than for trade, otherwise dwelling adrift in boats or in stilt
houses built on reefs far from shore. Since much of their
War Club
food and trade items come from coral reefs, adults have
been known to spend up to eight hours a day underwater. Though named differently depending on the island of
Young children dive so deep and often that their origin, blunt weapons of many varieties were commonly
eardrums pop, so many adults are hard of hearing. Because used throughout the Pacific Islands, from New Guinea
of this, the people learn to shout at each other even in close to Easter Island. Clubs were not just tools but icons of
quarters, and life on such a boat can be cacophonous. Some warriors and tribes, and richly decorated.
research has shown that the eyesight of these so-called “Sea The great war-god Oro was depicted by an oblong
Gypsies” is better underwater, because their eyes adapt to object with a wooden core that was covered in a tightly
the way light bends through the lens of seawater. woven basket of coconut fiber, much like a club or rasp.
In China, they are known as the Tanka people, and The weaving included an odd arrangement of features that,
ancient writings claim they are the descendants of snakes with some imagination, appeared to be a humanoid face.
who can live up to three days underwater without surfacing.
In Indonesia, the Bajau people conduct a birth Tattoo Comb
ceremony in which the placenta of each newborn is
Evidence of tattoo magic can be seen across the Polynesian
“released” into the ocean, and named separately as a “sea
islands, though specific techniques and ink recipes were
brother” or sister that serves as a kind of guardian for life.
fiercely guarded and handed down from parent to child
If the Kanakys Marsh encountered were from such
and clan to clan. Toothed blades or rows of needles were
nomadic stock, versions of ritual deafening and placental
used to carve unique patterns into the skin. These tools
ceremony traditions could have been taken up by the
were used in coming of age ceremonies and for protection
people of Innsmouth. In sea gypsy artwork, humans and
against disease and evil. Membership in the higher levels
their boats were often carved out of the same block, as
of the Esoteric Order of Dagon might involve some sort
though the two are merely parts of the same being.
of ritual tattoos.
Nose Flute
Evil Eye Fetish
Carved from
wood, bamboo, the Should the Keeper wish to imbue this ritual magic with
stem of a gourd, or some potency, then have the Order use this spell to
a whale’s tooth, these intimidate or even eliminate their enemies. One option
enchanting instruments were used for courting and for would be to have the fetish lower the victim’s Luck for one
ceremonies to please the gods. Masters were said to be day by 10% per Magic Point the fetish is imbued with, up
able to strike eerie and magical overtones with uncanny to a maximum of 5 points. Should a human sacrifice be
techniques and could chant with their voices while made during the fetish’s creation, the victim of a fetish
expelling air through the nose. empowered in such a way must make a POW versus POW
roll against the caster or suffer 2d6 points of damage from
Statistics and Spells an accident within 1d2 days.
8
Innsmouth’s Burying Grounds • Church Street Burial Ground to Christchurch Cemetery
Deep Background
This material has been drawn from Graveyards of Lovecraft surrounds the yard. The only entrance leads to a brick
Country from Sentinel Hill Press. This is a small preview of path from Church Street; the wrought iron gate has been
that work, modif ied to f it into the format of this magazine. All wrested out of its hinges and lies half-buried just in front
location numbering is taken from Escape from Innsmouth. of the wall.
F
ive burial sites have been established within
Innsmouth’s boundaries. Of these, three are still
in use as of the present day, although considering
Innsmouth’s greatly reduced population, burials are
infrequent at best. All of Innsmouth’s cemeteries
have suffered from significant neglect for more than a
generation. Visitors are unwelcome and are liable to be
watched, threatened, and even arrested on bogus charges.
9
Innsmouth’s Burying Grounds • Redemption Cemetery
† Escape from Innsmouth dates the oldest stone here to 1828 but
* Latin — “The spirit will live” says that “this cemetery was opened in the early 1800s”; I have
elected to follow the later dating.
10
Innsmouth’s Burying Grounds • South Woods Memorial Cemetery
structure has mostly rotted, it is still a simple matter to Initially the cemetery was to be constructed on the
recognize the heap of boards’ original purpose. eastern slope of Carson Hill, with a commanding view of
the town, but difficulties in securing the land forced the
South Woods Memorial project’s backers to make use of this less-than-ideal spot
south of town. While the ocean view was pleasant, the
Cemetery (I1001) ground was very wet and required a substantial investment
in drainage. The original plot, which occupies the land to
Modeled, in style if not in scope or artistry, after Boston’s
the west of South Woods Road, was first laid out in 1834.
Mount Auburn Cemetery, South Woods Memorial
The grounds were enclosed by a wrought-iron fence with
Cemetery was intended to be the dignified, august final
a large ornamental gate of stone and iron on the east side.
resting place of Innsmouth’s citizens, their mortal remains
On the grounds were also constructed a receiving vault,
shaded by flowers and monuments of granite and marble.
a caretaker’s building with attached carriage house, and a
Instead this burying ground is a shunned place, a weed-
small chapel.
choked, overgrown tangle of ornamental shrubs run amok
After the events of 1846 the cemetery’s careful
and invading sea grasses, made damp by persistent fogs
organization was wholly ignored and burials were made
and blanketed in the inescapable stench of the ocean.
wherever was convenient, resulting in chaos. Existing stones
11
Innsmouth’s Burying Grounds • South Woods Memorial Cemetery
12
Innsmouth’s Burying Grounds • South Woods Memorial Cemetery
The cemetery’s buildings still stand but are in generally have been pried off their hinges and the interior is a mess
poor repair. The chapel is the best kept up as it still sees some of broken bottles and other trash. Otis Fuller has taken
use, though its quartet stained-glass windows depicting to dumping any remains he finds into one corner of the
the evangelists have been boarded over and whitewashed. vault, making for a horrific discovery, costing as much as
Overly curious visitors can locate a small store room in 1/1d3 points of Sanity for anyone unfortunate enough to
the rear of the chapel, heavily padlocked. Within are stumble upon them.
several crates holding folded robes of green and blue and The fence surrounding the original plot of the
a moth-eaten banner embroidered with the words “Praise cemetery is, surprisingly, generally intact. A Climb or Jump
Be Unto Dagon.” roll (whichever is higher) is needed to clear it safely (failed
The caretaker’s building is used by Otis Fuller as rolls indicate painful scratches or twisted ankles — 1 or
a part-time residence. The attached carriage house is a 2 points of damage worth — not a failure to get over);
dumping ground for old tools, broken stones, and odd alternatively, a Luck roll can find a section missing a bar
bits of salvage kept by Fuller for reasons known only to allowing easier access. Movement through the cemetery
him. Moving around within requires a DEX x 4 roll to itself is challenging due to the haphazard stone placement,
avoid causing some heap of junk to come crashing down, ubiquity of bramble, and soft, boggy soil.
inflicting 1d3-1 points of damage and possibly alerting The South Woods Road, as it passes through the
Fuller or anyone else in the area. The receiving vault is cemetery, takes several sharp turns to avoid clusters of
long unused and in poor repair. The wrought-iron doors hastily erected gravestones. While careless drivers have
13
Innsmouth’s Burying Grounds • South Woods Memorial Cemetery
INNSMOUTH’S CARVERS
CHARLES WHALLEY — ACTIVE 1701?-1759 BENJAMIN WHALLEY — ACTIVE 1725-1770
Innsmouth’s first local gravestone carver was the mason Benjamin Whalley (1707-1770), the second son of Charles
Charles Whalley, born in Ipswich, Massachusetts in 1678. Whalley (and fourth of his surviving six children), was
Whalley was an apprentice of the carver Richard Leighton the only one to follow into his father’s vocation, working
and his style is largely derived from Leighton’s though as a stone carver and mason. Several sources note that
with a few idiosyncratic differences that allow them to be at birth his head was covered by a caul — a part of the
distinguished by scholars: amniotic sack — which was carefully removed by the
Leighton’s five-pointed star rosettes are replaced attendant midwife. Prized as a good-luck talisman for
with six-pointed stars by Whalley sailors, the piece was divided between several of the
Whalley’s spelling and grammar are poorer, with Whalley’s family’s extended relations and one fragment
haphazard capitalizations and spellings survives in the collection of the Peabody Museum in
The stylized faces on the tympanum have semi- Salem — “Sailor’s Good Luck Charm, brass with silver
circular eyes rather than Leighton’s ovals, and the row chain. Donated 1919 by Mrs. Joyce W. Dwinell. Inscribed
of teeth at the bottom are jagged rather than square ‘B.W. 1707 — Innsmouth’. Contains dried tissue; likely
Whalley moved to Innsmouth at some point around 1704 fragment of infant’s caul.”
— his first carved stones in Innsmouth are dated to 1703 The younger Whalley’s earliest work came in
but these were almost certainly made later. His wife, finishing his father’s gravestones. His own work is not
Thomasina Bayles, who had been a servant in the Whalley easily distinguished from his father until the 1740s
household, was a Cornish girl of just 15 or 16 when the when he began to provide a larger segment of the
couple wed in Innsmouth in 1704. They went on to have family’s output. Whalley is somewhat unusual as he
eight children, six of whom survived into adulthood. carved in two styles — the Miskatonic Valley style of
Whalley died in 1760, forced to retire from stonecarving his father and a somewhat amateurish take on winged
the year before due to failing eyesight. He was buried cherub heads, probably driven to this change by popular
in Christchurch Cemetery but his gravestone is lost. tastes of the era.
Whalley’s carvings have been found, in addition Benjamin Whalley’s early stones are generally similar
to Innsmouth, in Ipswich, Essex, Newbury, Rowley, and to his father’s in style, but can be distinguished by the
Gloucester. On a few of his stones the small carver’s mark following features:
— “Fec.* C. W. Inns” — can be found on the lower portion Spelling and grammar is better and capitalizations
of a stone. are consistent
Stylized faces on the tympanum, unlike other Miskatonic
* Fec. short for this Latin Fecit Hoc, literally “He Made This.” Valley-style stones, have small triangular noses
14
Innsmouth’s Burying Grounds • Falcon Point Cemetery
wishing to surveil the town might make use of the grounds are marked, and of these only three are carved stone —
as a good place to conceal themselves or to store equipment. simple initials on field stones gathered from the rocky
cliff face. Most markers here are instead made of pieces
Falcon Point Cemetery of wood scrap, roughly carved with the deceased’s name
and perhaps year of birth or death and nailed to a post.
(I1010a) So far, the authorities in Innsmouth have ignored this
unlicensed burial ground, content to leave the locals alone,
The fishermen of Falcon Point and Boynton Beach have,
in life and in death. The inhabitants of Falcon Point do
in the past few years, avoided the swampy and dank South
take an interest in anyone visiting here, and suspicious
Woods Cemetery in favor of this open field at the corner
characters will be watched closely. Anyone being less than
of South Woods and Falcon Point Roads, though it is
respectful to the dead will be approached by a small party
unofficial and unlicensed by the town or the state. There
of locals who encourage them to depart. In the case of
is no gate here, nor walls, or very many proper markers.
serious problems, the Essex County Sheriff will be called
There are perhaps two dozen graves (the total is hard to
for, but they will take some time to arrive.
determine precisely), of which only a little more than half
15
The Wreck of the Elizabeth Wright • Location to Visiting the Wreck
New Location
W
ashed up on the sandbars and salt flat islands child or teen. Criminals, particularly bootleggers,
that encircle Ipswich Bay you will find traces of may use it as a convenient meeting place or hidden
centuries of people working on and up against drop site. And then law enforcement officers might
the sea. One large piece of this flotsam is the singed wreck be at the site to disrupt either the above delinquency
of a fishing boat named Elizabeth Wright, found adrift in or rum running. Academics involved in the natural
1917 and washed ashore during a strong autumnal storm. sciences might find it a useful stopping place during
Today it is a landmark of sorts, the subject of paintings and a trip to collect animal specimens, water samples, take
sketches; a place for young people to congregate; a place meteorological readings, and generally poke about.
for mothers to warn children not to visit; a place for ghost Finally, beachcombers, sea-bathers, hikers, hunters,
stories to be told… and told about. bird-watchers, clam diggers, picnickers, wayward
tourists, moon-eyed lovers, and recluses of any sort
Location might take shelter from a sudden squall under the
ship’s battered bulk.
The exact site of the wreck is left to the Keeper, but it A clue, or warning, about Innsmouth. Investigators
can be placed anywhere between Newburyport and Cape asking for information about Innsmouth might hear of
Ann (excluding Innsmouth, of course). It should be the vessel as a sign that something is not right with the
close enough to populated spots that people can visit it waters off Innsmouth. Most such warnings are veiled
with relative ease, but not so close as to remove its air of and contradictory — the story of the loss of the ship
seclusion and rough proximity to Innsmouth. is always heard second-hand at best — and no one can
say with certainty exactly what happened to her crew.
Use in Play Yet, somehow, everyone near enough to Innsmouth to
have dark impressions of the place knows that, though
The wreck of the Elizabeth Wright can appear in a number there is no definitive proof, the near-deserted port had
of roles: something to do with the Wright’s condition. Those
A landmark. There are few geographical features on who visit her will find the damaged ship holds clues of
the low, sandy beaches that run from Cape Ann to a different, more immediate kind — the queer sets of
the mouth of the Merrimack River. The Elizabeth parallel scratches and gouges within and without the
Wright makes a useful landmark, especially to those ship could not have been made by any animal… and
sailing close to shore. Noticing it in passing, NPCs what purpose would it serve a person to disfigure the
or investigators might select it for a rendezvous point, hull and interior in such a weird manner?
a place to stow gear, or just to orient themselves,
perhaps before a clandestine attempt to motor out to
Devil Reef...
Visiting the Wreck
A colorful spot for an encounter. You can enliven The battered hull of the Elizabeth Wright is known mostly to
a local mundane NPC or make a meeting with an locals, and it does not appear in any tourist guide or official
NPC more memorable and atmospheric by setting maps save perhaps the most detailed town or state maps —
it near the overturned, partially burnt and wholly which simply mark the spot as a “shipwreck.” Investigators
mysterious beached shipwreck. While not every NPC must learn of the site by word of mouth, or stumble across
might be found hanging around the Elizabeth Wright, it themselves. The likeliest source of these stories will be
many would be drawn there for their own purposes children and teenagers in the towns closest to the place,
or out of duty. Young people flock to it as a place as they’re the most common visitors to the ship and the
away from adult supervision; their parents might most eager to brag about being familiar with it, either as
find their way to the wreck looking for a wayward a sign of youthful courage (braving the spooky, creaking
16
The Wreck of the Elizabeth Wright • Visiting the Wreck
17
The Wreck of the Elizabeth Wright • History
a human hand, but the depth of the cut and the wider-
than-human spacing dismisses this possibility. A Cthulhu
History
Mythos roll or knowledge of the physiology of the Deep A Library Use roll can gather the general details of the
Ones confirms that these gouges were likely made by those loss of the Elizabeth Wright: that, on the late morning of
aquatic horrors; this realization costs 0/1 point of Sanity November 1st, 1917, the Elizabeth Wright, a fishing boat out
unless the investigator has lost six or more points of Sanity of Gloucester, was spotted listing and adrift south of Plum
from witnessing the Deep Ones already. Island by a motor launch out of Rockport. Upon their arrival
On the landward side, there are several improvised in Portsmouth that evening, they reported the sighting to
awnings formed by hammering and staking fabric over the the authorities, but the Coast Guard was not notified until
side of the wreck, expanding the cover offered substantially. the next afternoon. A crew was dispatched on the morning
Observers see that only a small portion of the covering are of the 3rd to look for the vessel but, due to fog, failed to find
sails or tarps original to the wreck, the rest having been it. A trio of clam-diggers discovered the ship run aground
added by later visitors, some of whom repair damage to two days later, after a strong storm had apparently washed
it from the wind and waves. Under the awnings, there it ashore. Neither the clam-diggers nor an Essex County
are various pieces of battered furniture and wood scraps sheriff ’s patrol the next day found any sign of survivors.
turned into stools and improvised benches. A few spots Asking Cape Ann fishermen and old salts about the
in the sand look to have been routinely used for fires, and the Elizabeth Wright gets you an earful of ghost stories
at least one mostly intact wooden barrel has been pressed and speculation. The Elizabeth Wright is not notable,
into service as a trash can. A good supply of driftwood however, for the deaths that occurred on board. Everyone
has been gathered in a dry corner and a jumble of pots, knows fishing is a dangerous business. What is considered
pans, and battered cooking utensils (in varying states of remarkable about the Elizabeth Wright, and what helped
cleanliness) are stored in a broken lobster trap. secure its place in Cape Ann’s folklore, is that the sea
claimed the crew on a clear, calm night, with a bright
Interior moon to guide them.
The lost were captain Donald Kelley, along with his
The construction within the ship remains oriented roughly
father Andrew Kelley and four other fishermen — Italian
120° off from how its builders intended it to be used. Going
or Portuguese immigrants (the details vary here) whose
between cabins, for example, requires you step over the
names have been forgotten — who served as Kelley’s crew.
‘top’ of the old door. Moving between the cabins quickly
No trace of the crew was ever found, either on the ship or
is impossible; investigators crossing between sections in a
in the waters between Cape Ann and Plum Island. There
hurry may require DEX x 3 checks to avoid stumbling.
was no sign of violence onboard, aside from evidence of
On a fumble, the investigator takes 1d3-1 points of
a fire (although investigators who’ve seen the wreck may
damage. Everything in the ship smells of burnt wood and,
dispute this detail). Aside from some fishing gear, there
faintly, of fish.
was almost nothing missing. The official assessment was
Entrance into the ship can be made through a single
that the crew, panicked by the fire onboard ship, lept
cabin, the door long-gone, within the awning-covered
overboard and, tragically, were unable to reboard the vessel
section of the ship. (There are also a few portholes facing
and perished at sea.
upwards which can admit anything size 4 or less, but
Opinions vary widely regarding the fate of the crew.
these are less helpful to investigators.) There are two main
Popular theories are variations on the following:
sections of the vessel’s interior — the three top-deck
Kelley owed money to someone. Exactly who
cabins and seven “below deck” rooms. The “upper” rooms
varies depending on the teller, but usually they’re a
all show signs of a fire, not enough to destroy them, but
suspicious out-of-towner, often a criminal. Kelley was
enough to char the wood; an Idea roll suggests it was lamp
either murdered as a warning to others, or faked his
oil. There are (noticed if looked for, otherwise found with a
death to avoid their wrath. Considering the majority
Spot Hidden roll) a few scratches similar to those found on
of Kelley’s wealth was the boat, the former seems
the hull on door-frames. Other than the charred wood and
especially unlikely.
a few shards of broken bottles, torn scraps of newspaper,
Kelley was the victim of a German U-Boat. There had
and other detritus, there is nothing of interest within the
been rumors they had been spotted at various points
interior of the vessel — except for more of those strange
along the eastern seaboard of the U.S. even before the
gashes. Curious investigators may also crawl into the bilge
American declaration of war that spring. According
of the ship, though, aside from a briney-ocean stench,
to this rumor, the crew were kidnapped or killed by
there is nothing to find in that cramped space. It would
the dreaded Hun after being surprised by the sudden
seem like a good place to hide, though...
surfacing of a submarine. Precisely why the German
Imperial Navy might want to kill or capture half a
dozen American fishermen is unclear. (This theory
becomes especially popular after the shelling of
Orleans on Cape Cod in 1918.)
18
The Wreck of the Elizabeth Wright • The Truth, Scenario Seeds
A few old salts suggest that the loss of the crew was
the work of the dreaded Gloucester Sea Serpent.
Scenario Seeds
While it has not been spotted in some time, there is The Elizabeth Wright is a popular place with lovers. A
no reason it might not have reappeared to devour the young adult from Innsmouth who suddenly underwent
crew of the Elizabeth Wright. (It is suggested this tall the change, but who is not wholly willing to give up
tale is only shared by those likely to want to pull the their life on the surface, returns here to leave romantic
leg of gullible landlubbers.) notes for their human inamorata. Perhaps there is
It was the Innsmouthers! Kelley and his boat got
another hybrid child on the way?
too close to the fishing grounds favored by the men Being so close to Innsmouth (and Y ’ha-nthlei beyond),
of Innsmouth and they did them in. Usually the the wreck might become the temporary home for a
Innsmouthers just intimidate fishing boats and confused, deranged hybrid who is yet unaware of their
their crews who intrude on their territory, but some true nature (like Donald Linderman [K119] in H.P.
folk mutter darkly about sabotage and even strange Loevcraft’s Kingsport). This squatter hides as best they
accidents that befall those who cross the fishermen of can from revelers, but stories start to circulate about a
that town. weird figure said to haunt the wreck, staring ceaselessly
out at the waves…
The Truth Kingsport’s many artists would no doubt find the
ruined, lonely ship a temping subject for a painting or a
It is up to the Keeper what actually happened to the crew sketch. Do they witness something coming up out of the
of the Elizabeth Wright, and whether that truth can be ocean? Does one of them vanish inexplicably? Perhaps
discovered by the investigators. Unless Kelley or one of it wasn’t Innsmouth at all that doomed the Elizabeth
his crew shared a secret with someone on shore, then the Wright, but a black galley from Leng in pursuit of the
cause of their destruction is only known to whomever, or fabled White Ship, and Kelley and his crew might
whatever, was responsible. Perhaps Kelley told this potential yet survive as slaves of the dreadful Moon-beasts.
confidante he had a lead on pirate treasure on Devil Reef, Weird lights have been spotted all about the wreck.
or that he had encountered a mermaid who had promised Are they late-night visitors? Camped-out clam diggers
him riches beyond his imagining. Some scrap of evidence awaiting dawn? Bootleggers signaling a mothership?
might be uncovered — a message in a bottle, a scrawled The spirits of the damned crew? Phosphorescent crab-
warning hidden in soot, a terrified eye-witness unwilling things from the deep, come to feed on some unknown
to come forward until now — that can help investigators Deep One spoor? Speaking of spirits, what is that
uncover whatever solution you wish there to be. light that can been seen offshore on certain nights? It
If the ship is to be a material warning to investigators cannot be the spectral form of the Elizabeth Wright,
of the dangers they face in Innsmouth, you should tailor the forever reenacting the final minutes before oblivion
precise cause of the loss of the crew to reflect the horrors claimed her crew...
out of Innsmouth you want to emphasize — murderous
townspeople, lurking Deep Ones, or bubbling shoggoths.
If you want to terrify your players, have the hull bear the
impression of the titanic claws of Father Dagon, which
simply scooped the crew into its yawning maw.
19
On the Name ‘Dagon’ • A Short History of Dagon
Arcane Etymology
Once I sought out a celebrated ethnologist, and amused him fallen vpon his face on the ground before the Arke of the Lord,
with peculiar questions regarding the ancient Philistine legend and they tooke vp Dagon, and set him in his place againe. Also
of Dagon, the Fish-God; but soon perceiving that he was they rose vp earely in the morning the next day, and beholde,
hopelessly conventional, I did not press my inquiries. Dagon was fallen vpon his face on the ground before the Arke
– “Dagon” of the Lord, and the head of Dagon and the two palmes of his
M
hands were cut off vpon the thresholde: onely the stumpe of
any Cthulhu Mythos entities have names Dagon was left to him.
seemingly formed from a jumble of consonants, in 1 Samuel 5:2-4*
the hope of creating the impression of something
wholly alien and unnatural: Mnomquah, Q’yth-az… even Most famously, Samson, in his final moments, brought
Cthulhu itself. In other cases, these names have been drawn down the Philistine temple of Dagon at Gaza with his
from real world mythology and language. In the case of bare hands ( Judges 16:24-31).
those beings, Keepers would benefit to learn as much as Marnas, the chief god of the port city of Gaza, is
they can of these sources of inspiration. thought to be a Hellenized version of Dagon, being a
god of rain and agricultural bounty. His worship persisted
A Short History of Dagon in Gaza until the Byzantine emperor Arcadius had the
temple burned in 402 at the behest of the Bishop Porphyry
Dagon his name, sea-monster, upward man of Gaza as part of campaign against the remaining vestiges
And downward f ish; yet had his temple high of paganism in the eastern Empire.
Reared in Azotus, dreaded through the coast The transformation of Dagon from a Mesopotamian
Of Palestine, in Gath and Ascalon, grain god to the modern idea of a fish-god most likely
And Accaron and Gaza’s frontier bounds. comes from the confluence of two factors — his importance
– Paradise Lost to coastal societies like the Phoenicians (who depended on
the ocean for food) and erroneous readings of scripture.
Dagon (𒀭𒁕𒃶) was originally a Mesopotamian grain Dagon, as an agricultural deity, was associated with
god; the earliest mentions date to around 2500 BC. His fertility. This role gradually expanded to include other
name is synonymous with ‘grain’ in several ancient languages elements of food and general bounty; fish served both as
in the Fertile Crescent. While initially a secondary member a literal source of food and wealth as well as a symbolic
of his pantheon, his significance (and divine portfolio) one, as they were plentiful and very fertile. (We feel
expanded over time, so that by the end of the Bronze Age obliged to note William Bradford’s account in Of Plymouth
he was the chief god in many cities, especially those of the Plantation, of Squanto teaching the Pilgrims to plant corn
Mediterranean coast between Anatolia and Egypt. Sadly using fish as a fertilizer; while this technique was probably
few texts from these civilizations survive; much of what learned by Squanto during his enslavement in Spain rather
we know of Dagon either comes from archaeological or than something practiced by the Wampanoag people, the
secondary sources. cultural elements linking fish and bounty were no doubt
The best known of these second-hand sources, is of quite durable, especially in New England.)
course, the Bible. Dagon is described therein as the primary In the Biblical description of the destruction of the
god of the Philistines, that he had temples at Ashdod, idol of Dagon by the Ark (quoted above) the idol’s head
Beth-Dagon, and Gaza (and likely elsewhere). When the and hands broke off and the passage states “only Dagon
Ark of the Covenant was captured by the Philistines it was left to him.” Medieval Jewish scholars interpreted
was taken to Dagon’s temple at Ashdod, resulting in the this to be a reference to the Hebrew word ‘Dag’ (fish)
supernatural destruction of his idol there:
* We are using the 16th century Geneva Bible, as that was a
Euen the Philistims tooke ye Arke of God, and brought it into translation used by the Pilgrims. If you are wondering what verses
the house of Dagon, and set it by Dagon. And when they of of scripture were recited when the men of Plymouth pulled down
Ashdod rose the next day in the morning, beholde, Dagon was the Maypole at Merrymount (see below), look no further.
20
On the Name ‘Dagon’ • Dagon in New England
MOTHER HYDRA
Like Dagon, Hydra has its origins in Near Eastern
mythology. The spawn of Typhon and Echidna,
Hydra was a nine-headed serpentine creature of
great size and toxicity, famed for its regenerative
abilities. It lived in the Lake of Lerna, an entrance to
the Underworld.
such as writing.
This erroneous notion of Dagon as, fundamentally, a
human headed, fish-bodied god, was first challenged in
1928 by the German scholar Hartmut Schmökel in his
book Der Gott Dagan. The modern academic consensus
wholly endorses this interpretation, rejecting the half-
man, half-fish god as incorrect, albeit an error with some
long-lasting impact theologically and culturally.
21
On the Name ‘Dagon’ • Dagon in Lovecraft
Dagon in Lovecraft
Lovecraft, as with so many other things, drew from the
iconography of New England’s past, which he loved so
much, and incorporated the name Dagon in his writings.
There are two primary uses of ‘Dagon’ in Lovecraft’s
writings — the stories “Dagon” and “The Shadow Over
Innsmouth.” In “Dagon” the monstrous aquatic being
that drives the narrator to madness and death is left
unnamed, save by implication. Unlike how 19th and 20th
century sources described Dagon, this nightmarish being
is humanoid but monstrous.
Vast, Polyphemus*-like, and loathsome, it darted like a
stupendous monster of nightmares to the monolith, about which
Stones, inside which he say’d Prayers to the Divell, and sung
it flung its gigantic scaly arms, the while it bowed its hideous
certain Rites of Magick abominable by Scripture.
head and gave vent to certain measured sounds.
We should note that there is also an essay by Lovecraft
In “The Shadow Over Innsmouth” he uses the name ‘Dagon’
later dubbed “In Defense of Dagon” (1921), but this is
both in the name of the Deep-One-controlled cult and as
an argument in favor of Weird fiction rather than in any
one of the entities worshiped by said cult, appending the
appreciable way a discussion of either the Semitic god or
title ‘Father’ to its name:
Lovecraft’s cyclopean aquatic horror.
It was called, she said, “The Esoteric Order of Dagon”, and was The Call of Cthulhu RPG made the implicit link
undoubtedly a debased, quasi-pagan thing imported from the between “Dagon” and “The Shadow Over Innsmouth”
East a century before, at a time when the Innsmouth f isheries explicit, describing Dagon and Hydra as titanic Deep
seemed to be going barren. Ones, suggesting that they are not unique entities but
rather simply very large and unspeakably old Deep
He also pairs Dagon with other “Babylonish abominations”
One specimens. While some later authors have offered
(i.e. false gods) — Astarte, Belial, the Golden Calf, and
alternative interpretations for Dagon, especially Dennis
Beelzebub, making clear these connections. Zadok Allen
Detwiller in his chapter Black Cod Island from Targets of
(Zadok being one of the first priests of the Temple and an
Opportunity, Lovecraft’s titanic, scaled humanoid persists
implacable foe of paganism) even quotes from scripture,
as the generally accepted version of Dagon rather than any
“Mene, mene, tekel, upharsin”, a prophecy of doom from
Philistine merman.
the Book of Daniel. Finally the three “Oaths of Dagon” are
increasingly undesirable pledges of loyalty and obedience
to the Order and its masters, the third oath being so Conclusion
detestable that Zadok Allen insisted “I’d a died ruther’n
Dagon is almost certainly not the name that Dagon or other
take that [oath].”
inhuman entities would use in reference to it. The name
There is a third, brief mention of Dagon in the
instead is derived from the Christian traditions of the New
Lovecraft fragment later dubbed “Of Evill Sorceries Done
England sailors who applied it to what they interpreted as
in New England by Daemons of Not Humane Shape”
a Fish-God. Lovecraft’s use of it was intended to highlight
(later incorporated by August Derleth into his novella The
the blasphemous nature of the activities of the people of
Lurker at the Threshold):
Innsmouth. Dagon, to New Englanders, had an especially
‘Tis said, one Richard Billington, being instructed partly by dark association in the popular culture, even into Lovecraft’s
evill- Books, and partly by an antient Wonder-Worker amongst day, a fact clearly employed by old Howard in his use of the
the Indian Savages, so fell away from good Christian Practice name and depiction of the being. Dagon is then more than
that he not only lay’d claim to Immortality in the Flesh, but just something inhuman or even something heretical, it is
sett up in the Woods a Place of Dagon, namely a great Ring of an inhuman abomination, a monster of nightmare.
22
The Marine Abyss beyond Devil Reef • Locations
Deep Background
Y
in the mid-1990s determined that there was in fact
’ha-nthlei, as Lovecraft describes it, lies close to
no basin at this location. Oceanographers chalked
Devil Reef, which in turn is about a mile and a half
this up to human error, but Call of Cthulhu Keepers
from the shore at Innsmouth. Unfortunately, in the
likely know better.
decades since “The Shadow Over Innsmouth” was written,
extensive sonar mapping of the southern Gulf of Maine has
demonstrated that the ocean waters in this region are but a
few dozen fathoms deep, at best. This is far from a “marine
Jeffrey’s Ledge Deeps
abyss.” For Keepers with an interest in extreme accuracy,
we present three nearby likely spots where one might Location: About 25 miles offshore, north-northeast of
plausibly hide a “Cyclopean and many-columned” city. Cape Ann.
Maximum Depth: 130 meters.
To Hell with Bathyography! Notes: Jeffrey’s Ledge is a large glacial deposit running
northeast of Cape Ann for about 30 miles. On the
The Keeper is free to change the ocean floor off
northwestern side are a series of deep points, some up
Massachusetts as they see fit. The waters just off Devil
to 130 meters in depth.
Reef can be hundreds of fathoms deep and Y ’ha-nthlei
can fester wherever you would like near the shore.
Gloucester Basin
Location: 42o 30.6’ N, 70o 23.7’ W
Maximum Depth: 180 meters.
THE ICE AGE ISSUE
Notes: This small, irregularly-shaped depression is 15
For eighty thousand years Pth’thya-l’yi had lived in miles east-southeast of Cape Ann, along the northern
Y’ha-nthlei, and thither she had gone back… end of the Stellwagen Bank. Its numerous canyons
have long snared fishing nets.
The location of Y’ha-nthlei grows even more
problematic we take into account the sea-level
Wilkinson Basin
lowering effects of an Ice Age. Accepting Pth’thya-
l’yi’s claims about her age, she was born near the Location: A substantial area, about 100 miles offshore
beginning of the most recent period of glaciation, from Portsmouth to southern Cape Cod
during which sea levels were as much as 120 m lower Maximum Depth: 270 meters.
than they are today and much of the Gulf of Maine Notes: One of the Gulf of Maine’s three major basins, this
was covered in thick layers of ice. Additionally many is by far the largest of the deep points listed. Modern
of the current features of the Gulf of Maine were exploration suggests the floor is relatively uniform and
formed by glacial deposits, so even if Y’ha-nthlei is covered in a thick layer of muddy sediment.
were deep enough, the Deep Ones would have had
to contend with a rain of mud, sand, and rock from
above.
23
Edward Morse • Keeper’s Information
New Person
Edward Morse
by Nicolas Bresinsky
S
hould investigators be in need of expert advice
regarding aquatic life, there are few New
Englanders better able to answer their questions
than Professor Edward S. Morse. He is also an expert
on Asian (especially Japanese) art, history, and language;
considering the misidentification of the tiara at the
Newburyport Historical Society “as of probable East-
Indian or Indochinese provenance” Dr. Morse provides a
unique combination of talents in New England.
Keeper’s Information
Edward Sylvester Morse is an historic figure that can readily
inhabit a Gaslight or 1920s Call of Cthulhu adventure
or campaign. As a lifelong resident of New England
(both Maine and Massachusetts), he makes a suitable
inhabitant of Lovecraft Country as well. Investigators will
undoubtedly enjoy the sage counsel of a genuine historic
figure as Morse helps them unlock the mysteries behind
peculiar marine specimens or incongruous Asian artifacts.
Keepers wishing to use Morse more prominently might
decide to cast Morse as a patron or perhaps even as a villain.
Morse is best known for his expertise in marine
zoology (particularly malacology, the study of shelled
organisms), and his travels to Japan as an o-yatoi gaikokujin
(foreign advisor) during the Meiji Restoration. From these
travels, Morse became the leading expert on Jōmon (“rope-
patterned”) pottery, which was made in ancient Japan from
roughly 10,500 BCE to 300 BCE.
While both of these accomplishments are noteworthy, many of his drawings. The next year, he published his first
what makes Morse such a curious character is that he was a scientific work regarding shellfish: Observations on the
self-taught man. As a youngster, Morse was expelled from Terrestrial Pulmonifera of Maine, Including a Catalogue of
every school he attended. He had a reputation for being All the Species of Terrestrial Mollusca and Fluvial Known
disorderly, and was kicked out of Bridgton Academy in to Inhabit the State. In his thirties, he became chair of
Maine at age 16 for carving on school desks. He much comparative anatomy and zoology at Bowdoin College in
preferred to explore the seashore looking for shells or Brunswick, Maine and a lecturer at Harvard University.
snails than learn in a classroom. In 1877, Morse’s interest in coastal brachiopods took
This precociousness and rebellion paid off. By age 12, him to Japan on a three-year visit. There, he started a
he had discovered two new species of land snail. While marine laboratory, became the first Professor of Zoology at
still an adolescent, his amateur collections had scientists the Tokyo Imperial University, and discovered the Omori
from Boston, Washington D.C., and the United Kingdom shell mound in a southwestern district of Tokyo. The
coming to visit him. exploration of this shell mound ushered in the beginning
A draftsman by trade in early adulthood, Morse was of Japan studying its own archaeology, anthropology,
a skilled illustrator and applied this talent to his amateur and prehistory.
studies of the natural world. At age 25, he cofounded the This was during the Meiji Era when Japan was trying
scientific journal The American Naturalist, which included to modernize, and anything traditional was shunned as
24
Edward Morse • Scenario Seeds
being backward. Morse, however, recognized the value in own, private beliefs and worshipped Foul Entities From
preserving the artifacts he encountered which were rapidly the Beyond? Perhaps that preacher wasn’t Morse’s real
being replaced by modernisms. So in addition to helping father. If not, who was? And exactly what was the
Japan explore its own past, Morse recognized the value nature of those carvings that got young Morse kicked
in more contemporary expressions of Japanese culture. out of Bridgton Academy? Morse died on December
During his stay, he wrote a book called Japanese Homes and 20th, 1925, which is within hours of the winter
Their Surroundings, once again supplying the illustrations. solstice. Perhaps he didn’t really die, but changed into
He studied Japanese Stone Age pottery and provided something else? If so, what, and what is he up to now?
the nomenclature “cord-marked” (Jōmon in Japanese) to Salem, Massachusetts is in the vicinity of Innsmouth.
describe it, which since has become the name for an entire Has Morse discovered strange seashells or marine
era of Japanese pre-history. specimens on his walks on the beach? Or maybe they
For his services toward understanding and preserving have been brought to him by curious or bewildered
Japanese history, government official Okuma Shigenobu beachcombers? Either Morse could hire the
gave Morse a large collection of artifacts, which has become investigators to explore more deeply on his behalf (he’s
the Morse Collection at the Museum of Fine Art in Boston. 82 in 1920, so his beachcombing expeditions are likely
He was also inducted into the Japanese Order of the Rising rather limited), or investigators could use him as their
Sun and Order of the Sacred Treasures. Morse’s personal own consultant after encountering some Innsmouth
collection of artifacts reflecting Japanese life during his oddity.
stay has become a part of the Peabody Museum of Salem Perhaps investigators discover an artifact that
(named the Peabody Academy of Science in the 1890s). resembles Jōmon pottery, and Morse is consulted
In a Gaslight campaign, Dr. Morse will most likely because he is the world’s leading expert on the subject.
be encountered by investigators in his role as Director of Maybe it’s odd, however, that the artifact is made from
the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology in local Innsmouth clay...
Cambridge, Massachusetts, a post he held from 1880- Morse donated over 10,000 books to the Tokyo
1914. He might also be referred to investigators in his Imperial University after his death. What if the
role as member of the American Association for the investigators learn that one of those books contains
Advancement of Science, of which he was president from something humanity was not meant to know? This
1886 to 1889. could provide the impetus for a journey to Japan in an
In a Classic Era campaign, investigators will need to attempt to recover the book before nefarious elements
encounter Morse (a retiree at this point) before his death consult it or steal it.
in Salem, Massachusetts in December of 1925. Keepers Curious ‘Asian’ relics, of course, are not solely the
may also simply rewrite history and have Morse survive purview of Innsmouth. Options include Cthulhu’s
for a few years more. cult, Muvian fragments, the Tcho-Tcho people, etc.
In either era, he will probably be referred to investigators
EDWARD SYLVESTER MORSE
because of his knowledge in matters concerning marine
(JUNE 18, 1838 — DECEMBER 20, 1925),
zoology or his expertise regarding Japanese artifacts and
Self-taught Naturalist, Malacologist, and Orientalist
history. His connections to the Peabody Museum might
Age 52 (in 1890)
also bring him to the attention of investigators who
STR: 14 CON: 14 SIZ: 13 INT: 17 POW: 15
contact that museum or others in the region seeking help
DEX: 13 APP: 14 EDU: 20 SAN: 75 HP: 14
with a tome or artifact.
Age 82 (in 1920)
STR: 11 CON: 9 SIZ: 11 INT: 17 POW: 15
Scenario Seeds DEX: 12 APP: 12 EDU: 22 SAN: 75 HP: 10
skills: Accounting 35%, Anthropology 65%, Archaeology 65%,
Beyond simply being a helpful expert, the Keeper has a variety
Art (Illustration) 85%, Art History (Japanese) 80%,
of options for incorporating Dr. Morse into their campaign.
Autodidacticism† 85%, Bargain 25%, Biology 85%,
Young Morse was a
Credit Rating 45%, Defy Authority 40%, History 50%,
precocious and unruly
History (Japanese) 75%, Library Use 55%,
child for a reason —
Museum Management 65%, Natural History 90%,
perhaps because he’s
Other Language (Japanese) 35%, Spot Hidden 45%
not entirely human.
† Morse can teach himself new skills at an exceptional
History tells us that
rate. For every week of study he may add 1d6 points
Morse’s father was
in any academic skill up to 40 points. Beyond this level
a Congregationalist
he must learn normally. He may only add one new skill
preacher, but that his
at a time. Morse, of course, will only study those topics
mother did not share
of interest to him and will not simply learn Aramaic or
her husband’s beliefs.
Geology because investigators ask him to.
Perhaps she had her
25
The Isles of Shoals • Introduction
W
hen Lovecraft’s inspirations for Innsmouth are What makes them unusual? First of all, geography:
discussed, a couple of New England towns are they are remote. The state border between New Hampshire
often associated with Lovecraft’s degenerate and Maine extends out seaward to divide them. Duck,
fishing village, foremost among them Newburyport. Appledore, Malaga (not to be confused with another island
Lovecraft himself made clear that connection in his letters. with the same name existing further north on the Maine
There are other locations in New England that potentially coast; see text box on pages 28-29), Smuttynose, and
inspired him that are less frequently discussed. Cedar Islands lie in Maine waters. Star, White, Seavey, and
This article will look in depth at one of these places: Lunging Islands are part of New Hampshire. Collectively,
The Isles of Shoals, which lie in the waters off the coast along with a variety of ledges and rocks, these islands are
of Maine and New Hampshire. Perhaps the only thing known as the Isles of Shoals. The closest point on the
these islands share with Lovecraft’s town is that, by virtue mainland to them is Straw Point on Rye Beach in New
of their isolation, they developed a culture quite different Hampshire, which is about 6.5 miles from Lunging Island,
from the communities that existed near to them. Where the westernmost island. It is said that from the dock in
historians and fantasists might part company is if other, Portsmouth (where consistent summer ferry service to the
more sinister, similarities exist as well… At the very least, Shoals has operated) to the pier on Star Island is around
by examining real locations and their histories, such as the ten miles.
Isles of Shoals, we can gain some insight into how, in the Certainly, there are other islands in New England
heart of long-settled New England, communities could that are further offshore than 6.5 miles, but the populated
exist in isolation, even into the 19th and 20th centuries, and ones are all much larger than any Shoals island. Though
how isolation can allow for what we might term darkness no stranger to the forces of Mother Nature, those other
to grow. Innsmouth, after a fashion, is not as fantastic as it islands’ size renders them less bleak, and protects them
might appear on the surface. from being as harried by the wind and waves. The Shoals,
One historical fact that we note (before letting our however, collectively encompass a mere 200 acres, divided
imaginations run loose) is that while he never visited them, amongst nine islands. When one considers that the two
Lovecraft did reference the Isles of Shoals: largest islands, Appledore and Star, are 95 and 39 acres
respectively, and have elevations no greater than 55’-60’
There was a lone southward-sailing ship, and far out the eye
above sea level, one can begin to imagine how inhospitable
could barely discern the misty suggestion of the half-fabulous
such a place might be in a gale or nor’easter. Celia Thaxter,
Isles of Shoals. I had not seen the ocean before for six years—the
glimpses one gets in harbours are nothing.”
(H.P. Lovecraft, June 1922, Selected Letters I, p. 185.)
27
The Isles of Shoals • History
OTHER “INNSMOUTHS”
While this article has explored the parallels between MATINICUS ISLAND
Innsmouth and the Isles of Shoals, other real-world Even more remote than the Isle of Shoals is Matinicus
locations may have inspired Lovecraft or offer us insight Island, which sits 20 miles off the coast of Maine and is
into Innsmouth. Consider the four following places: generally regarded as the most isolated of the state’s
inhabited islands. Before the coming of the Europeans,
NEWBURYPORT
the Penobscot fished, hunted sea birds, and collected
Lovecraft specifically stated that this run-down port was
their eggs on the island and its close neighbors, giving
his primary inspirations for Innsmouth. We explore the
the island its name (meaning “distant island” in their
connections between the two more fully in “A Guide to
language). Fish were plentiful here and a permanent
Newburyport” on page 69.
European settlement was established here in the late 18th
GLOUCESTER century. The remote little fishing village was mostly left
Lovecraft scholar Will Murray has suggested that to itself. In the 19th century the residents of Matinicus had
Innsmouth was inspired not just by Newburyport but developed a reputation for being somewhat inbred (“not
by the town of Gloucester on Cape Ann. Murray, as part so much a family tree as a wreath”) and exceptionally
of a larger case, argued * that Lovecraft, despite multiple hostile to outsiders, particularly anyone they felt was
statements regarding their inspiration, based his primary intruding on “their” fishing grounds. Even today there
Lovecraft Country towns not just on the real-world are stories of threats, suspected sabotage, and open acts
analogs of Salem (Arkham), Newburyport (Innsmouth), of vandalism against outsiders who come into the waters
Marblehead (Kingsport), and the Wilbraham area the locals view as their birthright.
(Dunwich) but on unstated secondary places. In the case
MALAGA ISLAND
of Innsmouth, Murray claims this role for Gloucester,
Maine’s Malaga Island has odd echoes of Innsmouth. One
citing certain unenumerated parallels in layout between
of the hundreds of small coastal islands of Casco Bay, this
the two and being approximately as far from Salem as
rugged blob of land just a few hundred yards off the
Innsmouth was said to be from Arkham. His thesis was
mainland was home, from the early 1860s to 1912, to a
generally dismantled by Robert Marten in a later issue
mixed-race community. Almost all were descendants of
of Lovecraft Studies†, but is mentioned here for Keepers
Benjamin Darling, a so-called “free black” who purchased
looking for other possible bits of Innsmouth inspiration.
nearby Horse Island in 1794. By the start of the Civil War,
a few dozens squatters had set up a hardscrabble fishing
* “In Search of Arkham Country.”Lovecraft Studies #13 (Fall, 1986).
community on Malaga.
† “Arkham Country: In Rescue of the Lost Searchers.”
Lovecraft Studies #39 (Summer 1998).
We also know that in the 1700s, pirates were known to ply By the time of the American Revolutionary War, most
all the waters of New England, and the Shoals putatively Shoalers took the side of the Crown, but not out of any
received visits from many of them, including Edward honest love for it; it simply was the seat of authority
Teach (a.k.a. Blackbeard) and John Quelch, both of whom furthest away from them, and therefore the easiest to
(legend has it) buried treasure there (which has yet to be ignore. Because of this, many Shoalers were ordered to leave
found, naturally). What is not legend is that mainland the islands during this time, and many did so reluctantly,
officers of the King’s Navy asked the Shoalers to report the some even moving their homes over the sea with them to
presence of any known pirates harboring there. Only one the mainland. Some of these dwellings still stand in places
such report was made, in 1724, and when the promised such as York, Maine, but are original to the Isles of Shoals.
monetary reward did not manifest, neither did any further History tells us that some of these independent
reports. Shoalers refused to leave, and thus the islands became even
It is not hard to imagine the independent, law- more lawless, and attracted even more outlaws. Soon
shunning fishermen of the Shoals sympathizing with the
Stories circulated on the mainland about the immortality of the
pirates, who also made a life far out to sea and outside the
islanders and their abandonment of all religious practices. So it
law. Jenness continues
was no surprise when the wooden church was burned down in
There is strong ground of suspicion, indeed, that the islanders 1790, reportedly by renegade members of what had once been
were generally indulgent, and sometimes friendly and a pious community
serviceable in their intercourse with the numerous pirate ships (Lyman V. Rutledge, 1949, Ten Miles Out,
which visited their harbor p. 7, 1997 edition).
(p.128, 6th edition).
28
The Isles of Shoals • History
The Shoalers earned such a reputation for lawlessness and But the Shadow Over Gosport still lingered into this
degeneracy— intemperance, blatant disregard for religion, gilded age. A young school teacher, Nancy Underhill, went
etc., that it caught the attention of a missionary society to the Shoals to teach and met her untimely death at the
in Newburyport with the following long-winded name: age of 34 in 1848. She made a habit of sitting on a ledge on
The Society for Propagating the Gospel Among the Indians the seaward side of Star Island every day after school, and
and Others in North America. The Shoalers aptly qualified one day a rogue wave swept her away. Her body was found
as such “others.” Considered a community in peril, the a week later on York Beach, Maine, unmolested in the
Society took it upon itself to restore morality and godliness slightest manner by the sea, bonnet still in place, earrings
upon the Shoals. still in her ears, shawl and pin just as they were when she
The Society was largely successful, and the Shoalers left the small schoolhouse. Supposedly, just before that
soon returned to decency. The fishing villages soon gave wave swept her away, she was joined on the rock ledge
way to grand and posh hotels, most notably the Appledore by a mysterious gentleman about whom much has been
House on Appledore Island in 1848. The Oceanic Hotel speculated but few facts are recorded, save that he escaped
on Star Island followed, opening in 1873, and boasting one the deadly wave.
of the first elevators in a hotel in all of America. The grit Samuel Adams Drake commented on the devout Miss
of the fishing village era slowly gave way to the refined Underhill in his Nooks and Corners of the New England Coast:
elegance of what were then luxury hotels, and the Shoals
were considered one of the finest places for the wealthy Hearing from one who had been at the Isles of Shoals that the
East Coast elites to vacation. people were in great need of a missionary as those of Burmah
29
The Isles of Shoals • History
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Day, Holman. “The Queer Folk of the Maine Coast.”
The Harper’s Monthly, Sept. 1909. p. 521-530.
30
The Sacred Cod • History
“He howled of shocking abysses and monsters, of terrible In 1895 A History of the Emblem of the Codf ish in
carvings and statues” the Hall of the House of Representatives was published at
- H.P. Lovecraft the behest of a special committee of the Massachusetts
T
House of Representatives which had been tasked with
he codfish has long served as an emblem of deciding whether or not to relocate the Cod to the newly
Massachusetts, as the fishing industry was essential constructed House chamber. It was decided to continue
to the economic growth of the colony almost since the tradition and display the Cod in the House chamber,
its founding. Those with an inclination to the occult will where it was relocated there with great pomp.
note that this included the Court of Oyer and Terminer The Cod has hung there ever since, barring a necessary
of Salem Witch Trial fame… One of the most prominent repainting once or so a generation, except for two brief
displays of an iconic codfish is the five-foot long carved periods when it was stolen by pranksters — first by
pine fish statue hung in the Representatives Hall of the members of the Harvard Lampoon in 1933, and again by
Massachusetts State House in Boston, often called the University of Massachusetts Boston students in 1968.
“Sacred Cod.”
It was not the small ancient car I had expected from Akeley’s
The precise origins of the “Sacred Cod” are unclear, but
descriptions, but a large and immaculate specimen of recent
the first written records we have of it date from 1784 when
pattern—apparently Noyes’s own, and bearing Massachusetts
John Rowe, a state representative, moved that a painted
licence plates with the amusing “sacred codfish” device of that year.
wooden effigy of a cod, “a memorial of the importance of
- The Whisperer in Darkness
the Cod-Fishery to the welfare of this Commonwealth”, be
mounted in the Massachusetts House of Representatives.
Of particular interest to Lovecraft Country enthusiasts is a
Mr. Rowe likely paid for the creation of the Cod himself.
slightly smaller representation of a cod, not in wood, but in
Some sources claim that there was an earlier Cod
tin. In 1928 the Massachusetts Bureau of Motor Vehicles
erected by Samuel Sewall, who readers may recall was a judge
modified the state’s license plates by adding a small figure
at Salem, and that Rowe’s Cod was meant as a replacement
of a fish. According to tradition, there was an immediate
for the earlier version which had been destroyed when
negative reaction by the fisherman of Massachusetts who
the House of Assembly burned to the ground in 1747.
blamed the poor fishing that year on the image of the cod on
Unfortunately, Sewall made no reference to any cod in his
the license plate figuratively swimming away from the state.
diary, which undermines this colorful story. We do have
The plate was revised the next year, with the fish
evidence for an earlier Cod at the Old State House, as
only included on the license plates issued to trucks and
there are records of a payment of 15 shillings “for painting
other commercial vehicles. The position of the year and
codfish” to Mr. Thomas Crafts in 1773. This earlier Cod
state were also swapped (as was the usual policy) possibly
or Cods are assumed to have been lost at some point
calming the codfish and helping restore the prosperity
during the American Revolution, but this, like so much
of Massachusetts’ fisherman. We note that the historical
about the earliest history of the Cod, is just a supposition.
record does show that 1928 was a poorer than average year
for fishing, but it was by far not the worst in state history.
So, when you envision those trucks full of Marines
entering Innsmouth in February of 1928*, we might
imagine each one bearing a freshly minted tin plate bearing
the sign of a fish…
They get a lot of f ish and lobsters and do exporting by truck.
Queer how the f ish swarm right there and nowhere else.
-The Shadow Over Innsmouth
31
The Hymnal of the Esoteric Order of Dagon • Physical Description, Thorough Reading
The Biblio-file
H
ere is a curiosity that investigators in Lovecraft “Our Father of the Mighty Oceans”, “Lord of the Abyss”,
Country might encounter in some forgotten corner etc. Other hymns condemn (often with the promise of
of Innsmouth, among the papers of a member of violence) enemies of “the Order.”
the Esoteric Order of Dagon, or even as evidence recovered The hymnal concludes with several curious pieces,
by an escapee from the town hoping to prove something called psalms, each dedicated to specific figures, who seem
unnatural is going on there. to be some sort of saint or supernatural beings “Father
Dagon,” “Mother Hydra,” “The All-Mighty King of
Physical Description Waters,” etc. Most of the psalms are keyed oddly, not reusing
older music but using unsettling keys and disharmonies.
A slim book, 4” by 7 ½”, one-hundred twenty pages, bound The psalms’ lyrics consist of phonetically spelled-out words
in red cloth. The title is stamped in gold leaf on the cover in an unknown language; an EDUx1 roll can identify the
along with an unusual symbol — an Occult roll can identify language as being one of the many Polynesian tongues,
it as a form of the vesica piscis formed by two overlapping though determining the exact one (a rather guttural
ichthys. The former is a geometric figure known at least since dialect of Tahitian Paumotu) requires the aid of an expert.
the time of Archimedes, sometimes used in Kabbalism or Anyone making an Art (Music) roll will note that some
Freemasonry, while the latter is most often associated with of the lowest bass parts listed in certain hymns and
the early Christian church. The combined shape bears no psalms are well below notes most people are able to sing.
small resemblance to a staring eye. Aside from Dagon and Hydra no explicit references
A red cotton cloth ribbon is attached to the spine, are made to the names of Cthulhu Mythos entities, though
undoubtedly intended to be used as a bookmark. No a successful Cthulhu Mythos skill roll can provide likely
printer is listed nor is there any publication information possibilities for the various divine epithets offered within.
to be found within.
The condition of the work will vary greatly by the
circumstance of how it was obtained. Discarded volumes
Thorough Reading
may show signs of wear, pages folded over to mark a Despite a patina of Christian theology, this is most assuredly
passage or the spine broken to reveal a particular hymn. something far from orthodox. Indeed, this hymnal would
Some might have once been waterlogged, or bear unusual be condemned as blasphemy by nearly all the world’s
scratches on the cover. Alternatively, it might be uncut and Christian denominations, regardless of some superficial
unbound, only recently turned up in the inventory of a elements borrowed from traditional Christianity.
now-bankrupted New England printer. The songs contained within offer a religious vision in
almost diametrical opposition to traditional Christianity.
Skimming Fundamentally, they present a Christ-less vision of
a purely physical resurrection, one born of a vaguely
This is a collection of hymns, superficially resembling described baptism in the ocean, but only for the elect ‘sons
those sung in Christian Protestant churches, in many and daughters of the Great One’. There is no message
cases reusing the melodies of those hymns. Investigators of humility or spiritual enlightenment, only promises of
familiar with such songs recognize the original tunes with material reward for loyal service to ‘the elect’ and menacing
a successful Know roll. threats against those who are not loyal to ‘the Order’ up to
There are, however, some striking differences in and including threats of death and dismemberment.
the lyrics of the hymns that are obvious to even the The Hymnal is divided into two sections — hymns
most cursory inspection. First and foremost, all explicit and psalms. The hymns are mostly preexisting Christian
references to Jesus Christ have been omitted. References to hymns with new lyrics, though a few appear original
the divine often include aquatic or oceanic descriptions — (and are all credited to one “O. Marsh”). The psalms are
32
The Hymnal of the Esoteric Order of Dagon • Locating a Copy, Research
34
The Ponape Scripture • Overview, Physical Description
The Biblio-file
N
umerous Mythos texts discuss the Deep Ones — Copeland Version
Chaat Aquadingen, Hydrophinnae, The R’lyeh Text,
In 1907 Harold Hadley Copeland, an anthropologist
et cetera. The Ponape Scripture is the one tome of
working at Miskatonic University, published an annotated
this type that investigators in Lovecraft Country have the
version of the Scripture based on his study of both Hoag’s
greatest chance of obtaining without invoking the wrath
translation and the original text.
of Innsmouth’s secret leaders. While not originating in
Innsmouth, manuscripts circulated among some members
of the Esoteric Order of Dagon, possibly serving as Physical Description
inspiration for some of the weird rites practiced by the Order.
While copies will vary in condition, each edition can
be generally described. Individual books will no doubt
Overview possess certain distinct features befitting their history and
the Keeper is encouraged to develop their own unique
A most unusual tome, purported to be the translation
versions — possible variations include damage (water
of the sacred text of a heretofore unknown South Seas
damage is obvious but effective), comments in the margins,
religious group which worshiped bizarre supernatural
or even indicators of previous owners — a bookplate for
aquatic entities. Best known from a widely ridiculed 1906
Onesiphorus Marsh makes a lovely lead or scenario hook.
translation by the now-discredited anthropologist Harold
Hadley Copeland, it is generally considered a distasteful
The Original
hoax. Due to the circumstances of history, copies are most
often to be found in New England, especially in Lovecraft A collection of cut sheets (mostly 3” x 6” though they are
Country itself. rather irregular) of some sort of papyrus (a Biology roll
identifies it as palm leaf ), carefully painted with columns
Versions of paired symbols of some kind. An Idea roll suggests
they are some sort of glyphs, though not in any known
There are four distinct versions of the Ponape Scripture script. There are about eighty sheets, with writing on
in circulation: an original text and three translations of both sides. The sheets were originally bound between two
varying quality. carved boards (a Biology roll identifies it as some sort of
cycad) measuring 3¾” x 7” and also engraved with the
The Original odd symbols. According to Capt. Hoag, the sheets were
originally held between the boards with a pair of catgut
This is the version of the text that Captain Hoag discovered
cords, but these have been lost. The whole assortment is
somewhere, allegedly Ponape, in the Caroline Islands.
kept in a cardboard archivist’s box with markings from the
Written on palm leaves in the lost Muvian script, Naacal.
Kester Library of Salem. The pages bear a few faint pencil
markings, apparently recording their sequence.
Hoag Manuscript
Captain Hoag worked for several years to translate his Hoag Manuscript
discovery with the assistance of Yogash, a Ponapean native.
While exact dimensions and condition varies between
His handwritten translation was circulated among a small
copies, most manuscript copies of the Scripture were
group of interested correspondents in New England
recorded on loose sheets of foolscap (8½” x 13½”) of
and beyond.
marginal quality. The work is written in iron gall ink,
most likely prepared by the writer; the script is highly
Adams Edition idiosyncratic and suggests a limited formal education.
In 1794 Beverly Hoag Adams, one of Captain Hoag’s Most copies include a title sheet (typically just “The
grandchildren, had his work published in an expurgated Ponape Scripture, Cpt. A.E. Hoag trans”) and sometimes
and error-riddled form. a short dedication. Some manuscripts have been bound by
their owners but it does not appear that any were bound
35
The Ponape Scripture • Skimming, Thorough Reading
of tons were brought here from elsewhere on the island Capt. Abner Ezekiel Hoag
to create structures up to fifty feet in height. Local oral
Little known beyond his connection to the Scripture,
tradition claims the city’s founders had great magical
discovering information about Captain Hoag is difficult
powers, including levitation, and were allied with dragons.
outside of Lovecraft Country. Fortunately several libraries
Beyond these prosaic facts, investigators making an
in the region have a copy of A History of Kingsport, from
Occult roll may also recall that the ruins of Nan Madol
Its Founding to the Centennial of the Republic (1880) which
are often seen as proof of the Muvian hypothesis — that
reports the following:
a now-lost continent (dubbed Mu) once stretched from
Japan to South America, and upon which arose the earliest Hoag, Capt. A(bner) E(zekiel)- b.1697 d. 1749.
civilizations of man. Son of Rev. Absalom Hoag (Salem) and Samantha Prescott
(Kingsport). Married Sarah Endicott 1721; five children.
Naacal Served on several of his uncle Benjamin Hoag’s ships
The odd system of writing used on the original version of including the whaler Winter and Lady of the Indies. Captain
this book has almost no parallels in other human writing of the Panther. One of the first of Massachusetts merchants
systems. Most sources identify Augustus Le Plongeon as to seek his fortune in the South Pacific. Excellent returns
the first to mention this language, claiming it to be the allowed him to retire from the sea in 1734 and devote himself
written script of Mu, though sources widely differ as to to the study of the many curios he carried back from the
the nature of the script (just as they do about the nature Islands, including a supposed heathen religious text (pub.
of Muvian society). Several alleged Muvian works are 1794). A native manservant lived in the Hoag household and
supposed to be written in the script, including The Zanthu was the source of much idle gossip for his Mongoloid visage,
Tablets and The Ponape Scripture, but are universally head-to-toe tattoos, and unfounded rumors of cannibalism
dismissed as frauds. Most supposed examples of Naacal and pagan devotions. Captain Hoag’s expertise in South Seas
bear little or no relation to each other. An Occult roll can matters was well-known and he was frequently consulted by
also provide this basic summary. sailors and speculators. He is buried in Kingport’s Central Hill
Burying Ground, along with his wife and an infant son.
the Captain’s death. Curiously, they may note that a man Certain members of Miskatonic University’s
wanted in connection for a disturbance at the Sanbourne Anthropology department faculty — Drs. Bethnell and
Institute in 1928 very closely matches his description… Scottsdale — knew him best. Bethnell, the chair of the
department, is reluctant to speak about his now-fallen
Prof. Copeland colleague, but if his trust is gained he will frankly admit
that while he admired Copeland’s drive and curiosity, he
Born in 1860, this academic specialized in the aboriginal
could never understand what drove him to continue his Mu
peoples of the Pacific, particularly in Polynesia and
investigations, even as it destroyed not only his career but
Micronesia. A pioneering ethnographer, he spent much of
his life. Bethnell owns several of Copeland’s works (unread
the 1890s traveling in Asia and the Pacific. While his early
and unopened) and, at the Keeper’s discretion, is willing
work was very well regarded, his increasing obsession with
to loan them out. Dr. Scottsdale knew Copeland far less
the ‘Mu’ theories of Le Plongeon and Churchward derailed
well, having only been on the faculty together for a single
any further professional advancement and eventually made
year, but is more than happy to share his derision for “that
a laughingstock of him.
lunatic Copeland.” He is willing to expound ceaselessly
As part of this search for proof of Mu, in 1913 he
about the racial inferiority of Pacific Islanders and other
led an expedition inland from Rangoon towards a remote
Asiatics and how that unambiguously proves that such talk
portion of Tibet; Copeland was the only survivor. Three
of Mu is utter claptrap. Thule, on the other hand…
years later, he published The Zanthu Tablets, the translation
of a text he recovered during his expedition. He was forcibly
confined to an insane asylum soon after. He remained Availability
institutionalized until his death in 1926. His papers and
Ultimately, the availability of Mythos texts is left to the
other effects were donated to the Sanbourne Institute of
judgment of the Keeper based upon the needs of your game.
Pacific Antiquities.
What follows are our suggestions, based on the description
Should investigators have some connection to
for the Scripture from the original fiction, references from
Miskatonic University or contact Copeland’s former
previous Lovecraft Country (and other Call of Cthulhu)
colleagues or students, little more can be learned, save for
books, and the scope and content of real-world libraries.
the fact that Copeland, towards the end, began to express
a belief in the reality of reincarnation and suffered from a
Lovecraft Country
recurring series of increasingly-disturbing nightmares.
Kester Library, Salem — This little-known private
institution dedicated to folklore, history, and
archaic religious practices is also the home of the
original papyrus sheets recovered by Captain Hoag.
Investigators with academic credentials or those with
a high enough social standing (Credit Rating 40% or
higher) will be permitted to examine the aged sheets
as well as a corresponding Hoag manuscript. Hours
are limited to 10-4, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
Also among the related papers are notes recording
Yogash’s translation of various symbols used in the
text. Investigators who study these may gain a very
rudimentary understanding of Nacaal script; a base
Read Naacal skill of ½ the investigator’s INT can be
gained with one week’s study.
Miskatonic University, Arkham (A620) — Miskatonic
University’s Orne Library has two copies of the text,
an Adams version as well as the Copeland translation.
Both have been quietly removed to the Restricted
Collection. There is a note to library staff instructing
them that anyone asking after either version is to be
referred to Dr. Llanfer.
While officially out of print (and with no plans
to release a new edition), it is possible that one or two
copies of the 1907 edition remain in the storerooms of
the Miskatonic University Press, mislaid, misplaced,
or used to level out an uneven table.
39
The Ponape Scripture • Availability
FURTHER READINGS
Professor Copeland prepared several other works that unknown connection. +1 Cthulhu Mythos, 0/1
might attract further investigator interest. All of these points of Sanity. 4 weeks to study.
books, save the last, were published by the Miskatonic (M) The Ponape Figurine (1910) — See the box opposite.
University Press. Expanded details of these works are (M) The Prehistoric Pacific in Light of the Ponape
left to the Keeper (and perhaps a future Arkham Gazette Scripture (1911) — A revision of his earlier work,
article). Considering how these works draw upon The attempting to incorporate Copeland’s discoveries
Ponape Scripture (and each other) the Keeper may wish regarding the existence of Mu, Cthulhu, the Deep
to consider them a series of derived works and limit the Ones, et cetera. While Copeland attempts to couch
Cthulhu Mythos skill increase. his discoveries in academic language, his claims
Those titles published by Miskatonic University (M) destroyed his career. +2 Cthulhu Mythos, 1/1d3
are generally available with a little searching — a Luck points of Sanity. 6 weeks to study.
roll for each day spent searching will locate one available The Zanthu Tablet: A Conjectural Translation (1916)
for sale. The Zanthu Tablets, despite being published only — Privately printed, this short work claims to be the
a few years previously, is more difficult to locate, with translation of a Muvian text recounting the fall of Mu
Luck rolls being made weekly. which Copeland discovered during the disastrous
(M) Prehistory in the Pacific: A Preliminary Investigation Copeland-Ellington Expedition. +3 Cthulhu Mythos,
with Reference to the Myth Patterns of Southeast 1d3/1d6 points of Sanity. 8 weeks to study.
Asia (1902) — The work that cemented Copeland’s The Civilization of Mu: A Reconstruction in Light of
academic reputation. Considered the standard work Recent Discoveries, with a Synoptic Comparison of the
on the topic. No Cthulhu Mythos gain or Sanity cost; R’lyeh Text and the Ponape Scripture — Copeland’s
+1 Anthropology. 2 weeks to study. unpublished, incomplete, and generally incoherent
(M) Polynesian Mythology (1906) — A mostly manuscript which is only held by the Sanbourne
conventional work but includes certain suggestive Institute. +5 Cthulhu Mythos, 1d4/1d10 points of
elements about widely dispersed mythological Sanity. 10 weeks to study.
beliefs that suggest some underlying and otherwise
Kingsport Historical Society, Kingsport (K205) — Held Several members of the Esoteric Order of Dagon
in the Society’s small library are some of Capt. Hoag’s are thought to possess copies of the Adams edition
personal papers, including his heavily annotated (see page 36 for more information on this unofficial
personal manuscript of the Ponape Scripture. While printing). The Marsh Family (I302) owns one of the
most of the notes involve minor corrections to the rare manuscript versions.
text, some offer deeper insights into some of the rituals Members of the Miskatonic University faculty —
otherwise glossed over in the regular edition. like Dr. Bethnell, as mentioned earlier — may have
Kingsport Public Library (K517) — Investigators may be their own copies as well, either given as gifts by Dr.
surprised to learn a copy of the Adams version still Copeland or picked up incidentally, as academics are
remains in general circulation. The names recorded on wont to do.
the borrower’s card may be of great interest. Theft is
likely to be an issue if this version’s availability were to Elsewhere
become widely known.
A few larger libraries in New England own the Adams
Private collections, various — Investigators might be able
edition — the copy in Harvard’s Widener Library is in
to access other copies of this work, depending on their
long-term storage; Yale’s Sterling Memorial Library’s copy
social and professional connections.
was reported stolen in 1879. The Boston Public Library
Arkham’s Eye of Armara Society (A909) is known
has a copy of Copeland’s translation.
to have a copy of the 1907 version in its collection; from
The Sanbourne Institute for Pacific Antiquities in
comments made by Society members, this is a dog-
Santiago, California holds all of Professor Copeland’s
eared galley proof “borrowed” from the Miskatonic
notes and papers (as well as the original Zanthu Tablets),
University Press.
including his translational notes regarding the Ponape
Kingsport’s Terrible Old Man (K110), a
Scripture. Elsewhere in California, a copy of Copeland’s
contemporary of Capt. Hoag, owns a copy of the 1734
translation is part of the exclusive Zebulon Pharr Collection.
edition, though how investigators learn this, let alone
Only a few European libraries possess copies — the
convince the Old Man to permit them to consult it, is
British Museum Library has two copies of the Copeland
left to the Keeper.
version, one bearing marginal notes in an unknown cipher.
40
The Ponape Scripture • Availability
41
The Ponape Scripture • Statistics, Quotes
42
The Feejee Mermaid • Description
Mebbe they was the kind o’ critters as got all the mermaid
stories an’ sech started…
I
nvestigators seeking information on curious aquatic
humanoids are likely to come across references to this
infamous hoax. While there is no direction connection,
the location of the “mermaid’s” supposed discovery, the
mid-19th century dating of the find, and the actual New
England origins of this oddity all provide certain suggestive
hints to Innsmouth. Such hints, however — whether from
Barnum’s “mermaid” or from other related things — are
left to the Keeper, and they may be used as red herrings
as easily as they could be leads to that shadowed port.
Description
Unlike traditional mermaids from mythology, the Feejee
(sometimes spelled Fejee or Fiji) Mermaid was not a
beautiful woman with a fish’s tail. It was much smaller
than a human, under four feet in height (or, perhaps we
should say, length), with features in the upper section
more reminiscent of an ape. The thing was apparently
female, with a pair of withered breasts. The hands were
claw-like, the teeth numerous and pointed, like the teeth
of a fish, and not those of a human or ape. For the sake of
preservation the body had been dried or cured by some
means, rendering the flesh blackish and causing the skin
to stretch and contort like a mummy. One contemporary
examiner described it thusly:
“[A] microscope actually revealed what seemed to be minute
f ish scales lying in myriads amongst the hair. The teeth and
formation of the f ingers and hands differed from those of any
monkey or orangoutang ever discovered while the location of
the f ins was different from any species of f ish. The mermaid
was an ugly dried up black-looking and diminutive specimen
about three feet long. Its mouth was open its tail turned over
and its arms thrown up as if it had died in the greatest agony.”
— Chambers’s Journal
Origins
We have two very different histories of the Feejee Mermaid
— the story that P.T. Barnum presented to visitors to his
“museum” and its actual history.
According to Barnum, the Mermaid was owned by
one Dr. J. Griffin of London’s esteemed Lyceum of Natural
43
The Feejee Mermaid • Display and Destruction, What Was It?
Scenario Hooks and Musings have several spells, including Alter Weather,
Bait Human, Evil Eye, Raise Fog, and Wave of
While the Feejee Mermaid was a hoax, that does not mean Oblivion. Eating the flesh of a ningyo is said to
an enterprising Keeper cannot use it for their campaign. grant extended life or even immortality.
Though the Mermaid is thought lost, perhaps it
IMMORTAL FLESH
instead escaped the fire… why would someone want to
conceal its disappearance? To what ends? If the Keeper wishes to give weight to legends of
Why did Barnum suggest the Mermaid came from ningyo’s flesh granting immortality, the following
Fiji? Had he heard some rumors of inhuman fish-men in is suggested.
the South Seas? Someone who consumes ningyo flesh must roll
Considering the effect of viewing Ghatanothoa, is the on the Resistance table against a poison with a POT
Mermaid simply a young Deep One who fell afoul of the equal to the ningyo’s CON, or half the ningyo’s CON if
God of the Volcano? the flesh is well-cooked, or if they eat less than one
The scenario “Freak Show” (from Tales of the Miskatonic cup of flesh. If the Keeper is feeling cruel, anyone
Valley) involves a living creature similar to the ‘Feejee eating one of the ningyo’s organs automatically fails
Mermaid’, in this case a young Deep One held by a small the Resistance roll.
travelling circus. See page 112 for more information If the eater fails to resist the poison, they do, in
about this scenario. fact, become immortal. After a number of months
Mermaids and other preserved remains of unknown equal to half their CON, they start to display the
species often served as attractions in private ‘Curiosity physical traits of a Deep One hybrid — narrowing
Cabinets’, such as Kingsport’s Neil’s Curiosity Shop skull, bulging eyes, thinning lips, shifting nostrils
(K409) or the private Wilcox Museum in Arkham (see (0/1d4 SAN to notice, or 1/1d6 SAN if they know what
Arkham Gazette #1 p. 7). What if Wilcox used a more local it means). After a number of months equal to half
source for his ‘mermaid’? their POW they are afflicted with the psychic traits
In certain magical traditions, preserved fetuses are — a fascination with the sea and sensitivity to the
thought to form the basis of potent magical talismans. In dreams of dead Cthulhu. Eventually, the character
the case of the ‘mermaid’, it may be an immature Deep transforms wholly into a Deep One, living forever in
One taken and transformed by a particularly reckless the dark depths below. (See Escape from Innsmouth
human sorcerer, or perhaps it is a chimerical creation, for more on the Innsmouth Look and stages of Deep
assembled with human and fish parts with the intention of One transformation.)
allowing its creator power or influence over the Deep Ones
themselves. Just how effective this magical artifact will be
is left to the Keeper.
45
Innsmouth Curios • Polynesian Stick Map
New Items
Innsmouth Curios
by Bret Kramer and Ben Wenham with Chris Huth
Placement
Depending on the nature of the information contained
within the maps (see below), the map is either in the
possession of the Marsh family or their allies, forgotten in
some dusty attic or neglected corner of a once-great home,
held by some unaware third party, or held by someone
seeking information about the rise of Capt. Marsh and his
curious dealings in the Pacific.
If held by the Marshes or an ally, it can be a necessary
clue for investigators to recover from them. If forgotten
or lost, or possessed by an ignorant third party, the
investigators might be dispatched to recover it, either
knowing it contains some essential secret or perhaps only
realizing it has some deeper occult significance as part
A
of their investigation. Finally, if held by some enemy of
complicated grid of woven coconut fronds and
the Marshes and their allies, it might require finding a
shells, about 20” by 32”. An Anthropology roll can
specialist to make sense of the profoundly esoteric chart or
identify it as something akin to the so-called ‘stick
need to be secured against the agents of the Marsh family
maps’ made to assist traditional navigators in the Marshall
dispatched to recover it.
Islands. Traditionally each strand represents oceanic
currents encountered traveling from island to island, the
Secrets
size and intensity reflected in the shape and thickness of
each strand. Unlike most maps produced in the Marshall The map shows some secret of the Deep Ones, long
Islands, which would only mark locations with cowrie sunken Mu, or even some outpost of lost R’lyeh. This
shells, this map uses a variety of shells, some quite could be as simple as revealing the location of the “island
uncommon or found only at extreme depths. The grid is east of Otaheité,” a map used by Walakea’s tribe to plan
extremely fragile and is at least fifty years old, if not older. kidnapping raids on their human neighbors, a guide
to other Deep One-tainted islands in Polynesia, or a
History directory of undersea sites of interest — sunken Muvian
locales, Deep One cities, titanic aquatic entities, or even
This is indeed a Polynesian navigational aid, though not
the drowned nightmare city of R’lyeh itself. Realizing
manufactured by any Marshall Islands’ native. There are
that the map is a record of places that should be utterly
several possible sources for the item:
inaccessible and unknown to any native Polynesian may
Walakea’s tribe
cost 0/1d2 points of Sanity; this could be higher if the
Human enemies of the hybrids there
map’s revelation is more terrible, such as depicting dozens
Yogash, the associate of Capt. Hoag of Kingsport
of Deep One cities across the Pacific.
Polynesian members of the Cult of Ghatanothoa
46
Innsmouth Curios • Powder Horn, Kanaka Carved Harpoon
Secrets
Matt Eliot’s The exact contents of the horns are left to the Keeper
anemones, lizards-headed star-fish things. detail upon waking and will, without knowing how or why,
Anyone familiar with R’lyeh glyphs will know the name CTHULHU (costing 1d3/1d6+1 points of
recognize some of the figures as representing Sanity). The harpoon may also quicken the transformation
characters in that alien script; at the Keeper’s of a Deep One hybrid.
discretions some message or invocation might This is a sacred item to the hybrids of Innsmouth.
be discovered. The Marsh family will, if they discover its whereabouts,
do all they can to recover it, especially if it is possessed
History by humans.
This harpoon belonged to Aaron Court, one
of the sailors on the Sumatra Queen. Very early
The Crowder
on he was drawn to Walakea and his people.
Going increasingly ‘native’ on subsequent
Family Bible
visits, he eventually had his harpoon reworked
by the islanders. Court was one of the first
priests of the new Esoteric Order of Dagon
and he made use of his special harpoon
during certain offerings to the Deep Ones at
Devil Reef, having been assured the weapon
was now sacred to those who dwell in the
waters and their gods.
Placement
This is a family heirloom and as such might
still be in the possession of some descendent
of Obed Marsh’s crew, perhaps some relation
to Court — he had no children of his own —
might have it, or some other member of the
Esoteric Order of Dagon. It may also have
been lost when Marsh and his followers were
arrested, seized by the authorities, and then
forgotten after Marsh’s takeover. If discovered in some
ruined building or half-deserted Innsmouth manse, the
elaborate carvings would undoubtedly tempt all but the
This is a large (9”x13”) Bible, printed in 1821 in Hartford,
most dimwitted discoverer to consider it as, at a minimum,
Connecticut, and used by members of the Crowder family
a likely valuable piece of foreign art.
as their personal Bible. Several of the blank endpapers
have been covered in miniscule notes, in several hands,
Secrets recording the notable events — birth, marriages, deaths —
This weapon was transformed into a sacred tool for of the extended Crowder family. A carefully drawn family
sacrifice to the Deep Ones and other aquatic horrors. tree traces the Crowder line beginning in 1635.
Whenever it spills blood in open ocean water, it attracts
the nearest 1d3+1 Deep Ones; if it delivers the killing History
blow, the bearer will automatically cast Contact Cthulhu
The Crowder family are all descended from Amon Crowder
the next time they sleep (at no point cost though Sanity
who emigrated to the Massachusetts Bay colony in 1656,
losses still apply). Any aquatic beings associated with the
eventually settling in Ipswich. One of his sons, Belshazzar
Deep Ones or Cthulhu (such as Star Spawn of Cthulhu,
Crowder, relocated to Innsmouth and this Bible comes from
Thralls of Cthulhu, Father Dagon, Yuggs, etc.) will not
that line of the family. The Crowders, at the time of Obed
attack the bearer unless attacked first, though intelligent
Marsh’s rise to power, lived on one of the now-abandoned
creatures who discover that the bearer is not a priest of the
farms on the edge of the salt marshes surrounding the
Order (through observation or conversation) may attack at
town and as such were not directly affected by the “riot”
will. The harpoon will open the minds of anyone touching
and its aftermath, though at least one of the Crowder’s
it to the dream-sendings of Cthulhu; those rolling under
three sons was required to take Deep One wife when he
their POWx5 will have dreams of underwater cities,
reached maturity. By 1900 the family members had either
strange aquatic creatures, and nightmarish dim titans
died, were married into other Innsmouth families, or had
(costing 1/1d3 points of Sanity). Those who roll under
fled Innsmouth.
their POWx1 will be able to recall their dreams in great
48
Innsmouth Curios • Innsmouth Clay
Placement
Secrets
This material was formerly part of the undersea city of
Y ’ha-nthlei, an excretion of a certain variety of shoggoth,
which produces the material for construction purposes.
The resultant substances combines natural ocean clays
This entry is inspired by the August Derleth story “Innsmouth
with ground ingested shells and rocks as well as a matrix
Clay.” The story states that Jeffrey Corey discovered the titular
of shoggoth-stuff, that makes the substance easily shaped
clay in the immediate aftermath of the Innsmouth raid, almost
and molded via Deep One telepathy.
certainly heaved to the surface from the depths by the Navy’s
This material, while not intended for human use,
attack on Y ’ha-nthlei. Since the Lovecraft Country series has
affects humans exposed to it in several ways:
adjusted the date of the Raid on Innsmouth, we have modif ied
Working with or examining the properties of the clay
the origins of this curio to reflect a “pre-Raid” timeline
costs 0/1d2 point of Sanity.
for its discovery.
Physical contact with the clay opens the mind to visions
A blue-tinged clay smelling faintly of the sea, roughly of Y ’ha-nthlei (or whatever Deep One city is closest),
shaped into 12”x12”x6” blocks. The clay is, without being the duration and potency are left to the Keeper;
worked, somewhat prone to crumbling, but if kneaded, the the greater the exposure, the more severe the effect.
material is surprisingly elastic and resilient. The clay, if Humans with some Deep One taint will suffer these
handled by an experienced sculptor (Art (Sculpture) of 20% effects even more profoundly. These dreams may
or higher) will note that the material possesses an unusual accelerate their transition from human to Deep One.
49
Innsmouth Curios • Carved Mermaid, White Fur Costume
Costume
gills on the woman’s neck and the
teeth visible behind her full red lips
are shark-like. The whole piece has
been colored by the application of
several different waxes and lined
with carefully applied India ink. A costume, made from heavy white-furred hide and what
appears to be ivory, sized to fit a woman or a larger child
History (roughly 5’-4’6”), representing a strange six-legged beast.
There are two large tusks or possibly horns, a large fanged-
This weird carving was made by
lined mouth, and the hands end in long, yellowed claws.
Enoch Conger, of Falcon Point, a
The four surplus arms are held out from the body with a
physical embodiment of his beloved “mermaid,” a half-
simple harness of hide and bone. A Natural History or ½
human, half-fish he claimed to have rescued after finding
Biology roll can identify the component materials as polar
her entangled in his nets. After his disappearance, the piece
bear and seal fur, walrus ivory, and bones, mostly whale. An
was found among the other items in his shack in Falcon
Anthropology roll will recognize it as of Inuit (then usually
Point and pilfered, like the rest of Conger’s old things, by
called “Eskimo” by whites) manufacture; an impale result
the curious who came to see from where the eccentric old
will recognize it as a rarely mentioned personification of
man had disappeared.
blizzards, though there are no previously known examples
of it in traditional religious costume. A Cthulhu Mythos roll
Placement or access to texts like the Book of Eibon can identify this
This curio might be found anywhere one might justifiably as a stylized representation of the dreaded gnoph-keh, a
encounter a sailor or a sailor’s things in Lovecraft terrible creature of the far north said to control the wind.
Country, including Arkham’s Curios & Antiques (A418), The piece has been poorly cared for — the hide is
Miskatonic University’s Exhibit Museum (A624), held by shedding fur while the leather is cracked badly in several
one of the aged mariners at St. Erasmus’ Home (K103), spots; conservation efforts will be needed to preserve this
or sold at Curios & Gifts (K209). Alternatively, it could costume much longer.
be a forgotten relic of the Newburyport Marine Society’s
50
Innsmouth Curios • White Fur Costume
Scenario Options
Here are three scenario options for the white fur suit; they
may be combined or modified as desired.
The Academic — The costume has attracted the
interest of one of the faculty of Miskatonic University
— Terrence Bhule (from The Trail of Tsathoggua) is one
option — who asks one or more of the investigators
to personally visit Innsmouth and attempt to borrow
the piece from the East India Marine Merchant Bank,
or at least get permission for the scholar to study it at
their “museum.” Having never been to Innsmouth, the
investigators’ academic associate might be shocked to
hear how poorly they are treated by the staff and other
locals. Potentially the Marsh family misinterprets their
interest in the costume as a cover for something more
dangerous for the Deep Ones; the investigators (and/or
History their friend) might be followed or surveilled, perhaps
even fall victim to theft or sabotage, at least until the
This costume was originally brought to Innsmouth in
Marsh family is sure they are who they claim to be.
1813, by the merchantman Jeremiah Gilman. Supposedly
The Cultist — The costume comes to the attention
purchased by Gilman the previous year from an
of someone with an inkling of the Mythos — perhaps
unidentified Norwegian on the west coast of Greenland,
a dabbler, a moderately talented sorcerer, or even a
during a mostly fruitless attempt to hunt whales in the
cultist of Ithaqua. They want the costume to further
Greenland Sea. The costume was donated to the little
some larger scheme, perhaps hoping it was actually
museum of the East India Marine Merchant’s Bank of
made from the (rare and supernaturally potent) hide
Innsmouth (I210) where it was displayed for many years.
of a gnoph-keh, or for use in a ritual, etc. Knowing
All of this information is (or at least was) displayed on a
that there are forces operating in Innsmouth they
card posted with the costume there.
do not wish to cross, the investigators might serve as
useful dupes to obtain the costume while distracting
Placement the Deep Ones and their hybrid allies.
Unless the Keeper wishes, the costume remains draped The Hooligans — The costume has been stolen! One
loosely over a rack at the Merchant’s museum in Innsmouth; or more of the ghastly Gilman boys (I401) snuck into
see below for some scenario options for this oddity. the East India Marine Merchant Bank while the scant
staff was at lunch and spirited away the costume and
Secrets one or two other items to amuse themselves with.
The bank’s manager, a pliant human named Robert
This is indeed a representation of a gnoph-keh, crafted
Jenckes, wants to avoid any strife with the E.o.D. and
probably some time in the 18th century by one of the
decides he might swap a favor with these outsiders —
degenerate, Hyperborean-descended tribal groups that
help him get the stolen goods back and he will help
have been encountered in Greenland. It was originally used
expedite whatever financial transactions are needed
in certain shamanic rites of the tribe invoking the powers of
by the investigators. The unfortunate Mrs. Gilman
the gnoph-keh and its supernatural might against enemies
can do little to help the investigators track down her
of the tribe — a careful examination of the costume can
malicious offspring, resulting in a wide-ranging hunt
locate dried blood in several crevices and faint traces of
for the boys anywhere the Keeper might like the
symbols of some sort daubed onto the hide. This is a very
investigators to explore. Eventually they should be run
degenerate form of the Hyperborean script Tsath-yo.
to ground but the condition of the costume might be
quite dire once they have finished “playing” with it.
51
Innsmouth Curios • Sketchbook of Aleksy Zamoyski
Secrets
Select one of the following options, as best supports your
game, or create your own:
Zamoyski was indeed driven mad by his visions of
Cthulhu and the rise of R’lyeh. His psychic connection
to the Great Old One did not go unnoticed by the
Deep One hybrid priest of Innsmouth. The artist
was imprisoned by Jeremiah Brewster (I207), who
attempted to use the doomed Pole as a conduit
to Mighty Cthulhu himself. Certain sketches
This sketchbook has been battered and moisture-damaged.
in Zamoyski’s book might reveal where he was
The binding is starting to come apart, and some pages have
imprisoned.
started to mildew. Where the book is legible, it contains
Zamoyski was driven mad not just by Cthulhu but
dozens of sketches of the people of Innsmouth. The artist
by his own, previously unknown, connection to the
has captured them in their tumble-down poverty (and the
town. His mother had been one of the “Poles and
distinctive ‘Innsmouth Look’) in a sensitive, naturalistic
Portuguese who had tried [to settle in Innsmouth but]
sketching style. As the book progresses, the sketches
had been scattered in a peculiarly drastic fashion.”
become increasingly bizarre, and include drawings of alien
Zamoyski’s young mother, who had been impregnated
landscapes, a vast undersea city of impossible angles, and
by an Innsmouth local, returned to Poland but Aleksy
fantasies of some vast, bat-winged monster.
was drawn back to the town by forces beyond his
understanding. The transformed Aleksy Zamoyski is
History housed in a semi-ruined warehouse on Water street.
These sketches were rendered in 1925, by Aleksy Zamoyski, Mutated by his mental contact with Cthulhu, he is
a down-on-his-luck Polish artist. Zamoyski was an now a half-ton aquatic abomination (use the statistics
itinerant sketch-artist, drifting from town to town on the for a Thrall of Cthulhu on page 28 of The Malleus
east coast of the U.S. Due to his melancholic temperament Monstrorum) who spends his days singing bits of songs
(what would today be called bipolar disorder), he found in his native Polish and drawing nightmare vistas of
it challenging to hold down a job. Zamoyski arrived in R’lyeh on every surface. When he sleeps, he is watched
Kingsport in 1924, drawn to the artist colony there, but over by a pair of hybrid priests, hoping to record some
never really became a part of it. Like many other sensitive fragment of Cthulhu’s thoughts, whispered from what
minds in the late winter of 1925, R’lyeh’s rise pushed him were once the artist’s lips.
towards madness. On March 1st of that year Zamoyski was Zamoyski was fully human but due to his contact with
found dead in nearby Innsmouth. Cthulhu, the Deep One hybrids of Innsmouth decided
to capture him in order to exploit his dream contact
Placement with Cthulhu. He lives still, though physically decrepit
and his mind thoroughly damaged, imprisoned in
The Keeper may place the sketchbook in many places in
a room beneath the Esoteric Order of Dagon Hall
and around Innsmouth
(I207) or the Marsh Mansion (I302), or one of the
The sketchbook was hidden under a floorboard at the
city’s corrupted churches. He is forced to record his
Gilman House Hotel (I703).
every inkling of the dead city of R’lyeh, despite his
Zamoyski’s effects, including his notebook, were
link to Cthulhu ending almost entirely by mid-May
passed along to one of his acquaintances in Kingsport
of 1925.
— Corla Fistiene is a romantic option, Elizabeth
Brundage a more maternal one (see H.P. Lovecraft’s
Kingsport p. 106). They might offer up his sketchbook
to someone investigating Innsmouth or, optionally,
as a lead upon hiring the investigators to discover
the artist’s fate in Innsmouth. In this latter option,
52
Innsmouth Gold • Where It Can Be Found
Deep Background
Innsmouth Gold
by Bret Kramer
T
freakishly elliptical outline… [with] striking and puzzlingly
he shadow that fell over Innsmouth was in part untraditional designs — some simply geometrical, and some
a golden one, as it was Obed Marsh’s lust for the plainly marine — chased or moulded in high relief on its surface
metal that drew him into his unholy alliance with with a craftsmanship of incredible skill and grace…. Among
the Deep Ones. The gold supplied to Marsh and his these reliefs were fabulous monsters of abhorrent grotesqueness
descendants is the easiest pieces of evidence pointing and malignity — half ichthyic and half batrachian in suggestion
towards Innsmouth’s unnatural circumstances. Several
The tiara on display in Newburyport is probably the best
pieces of Innsmouth’s weirdly shaped white gold jewelry
known example of Innsmouth jewelry. Its existence is
can be located at museums in the region, and the Marsh
the most often mentioned in the usual Massachusetts or
refinery continues to sell small amounts of gold bullion.
Essex County histories and it is likely the first sample of
Investigators looking into the secrest of Innsmouth are
Innsmouth gold of which investigators are likely to learn.
likely to come into the possession of a sample of Innsmouth
There are no photographs of the piece in print sources
gold, at least temporarily, and here we examine what they
but the descriptions typically describe it as of Asian
can learn from, and about, the gold, and what dangers
manufacture, brought back on one of Innsmouth’s many
come with that knowledge.
merchant ships.
The Newburyport Historical Society, at the corner of
High and Winter Streets, is open Monday through Friday
Can Be Found who is happy to discuss the tiara at length with anyone
demonstrating some knowledge on the subject (a History,
Anthropology, Art, or even a Know roll may suffice).
The tiara itself — displayed on a velvet pillow in a
dusty case in one corner of the Society’s exhibit room —
Lovecraft mentions at least two places where examples is oblong and would not fit well on any normal human
of Innsmouth gold can be viewed — in Arkham at head. The weird geometric designs and nightmarish
the Miskatonic University Exhibit Museum and at aquatic figures match no human culture or artistic styles,
Newburyport’s Historical Society. Additionally. he also something that an expert can determine, though at a cost
mentions that some of Obed Marsh’s crewmen brought of 0/1 points of Sanity. Tilton will not permit the piece
back Deep One gold “an’ dispose[d] of it naow and then” as to be removed from the display for examination or study
well as pieces of “jewelry that the sailors and refinery men without some extreme necessity or the express consent of
sometimes sold on the sly.” It is reasonable to assume that the Historical Society’s board of directors.
careful investigators will be able to obtain some example of Tilton is happy to relate the history of the piece,
Innsmouth gold without ever having set foot in Innsmouth as far as she knows it. It was purchased by an unknown
itself. What follows are a list of locations and sources — donor from a Newburyport jeweler in 1873, having
drawn from statements and infereneces in fiction and been previously pawned by a drunken Innsmouth sailor.
gaming material — where such specimens might be found. The sailor, his name now lost, was soon after killed in a
brawl. When the Historical Society was founded in 1877
53
Innsmouth Gold • Where It Can Be Found
male figure some sort of Chthonic religious figure, even a it. The expedition launched from Boston and that city is
primitive form of Poseidon — Rev. Wallace knows better. the likeliest point for one of the raiders to have sold (or
perhaps lost in a card game, pawned, had stolen, etc.) some
Boston Innsmouth gold. In the late 1920s Boston has two naval
facilities — the Charleston Navy Yard (which also houses
“A guardian had deposited funds in a Boston bank to maintain
a Marine barracks) and the South Boston Naval Annex.
her and her French governess… The Frenchwoman — now
Sailors and Marines often frequent Boston’s seedy Scollay
long dead — was very taciturn, and there were those who said
Square, an area known for prostitution, gambling, and
she would have told more than she did.”
pawn shops. It is a likely point for Innsmouth gold to be
It is possible that some portion of these funds set aside lost… or found.
for the young Marsh girl’s education were in the form of
Innsmouth gold, either jewelry or converted to ingots, or
that one or more pieces of jewelry were sold in Boston to
Points Beyond
raise money. Likewise some portion of these funds might “[The jewelry was of a] very grotesque and almost repulsive
yet linger in one or more vaults. The gold tablet fragment design, and had never to his knowledge been publicly worn...
now held by Rev. Wallace might be part of this or a similar Vague legends of bad luck clustered around them, and my great-
deposit — there is every possibility that the Olmsteads grandmother’s French governess had said they ought not to be
were not the only family duped into marrying a Marsh worn in New England, though it would be quite safe to wear
or another member of Innsmouth’s leading families. No them in Europe.”
doubt any bank still holding some piece of Innsmouth
Other specimens of Deep One jewelry unconnected to
jewelry might seek out academics or specialists to identify
Innsmouth may be located by diligent research. Once the
and evaluate it, potentially attracting the attention of the
investigators have a basic familiarity with the details of
Marshes as well as the investigators.
the material and design of Innsmouth jewelry, they may
Boston is also the most likely spot for purloined
uncover one or more of these similar pieces. A minimum of
pieces of Innsmouth gold to be sold by larcenous refinery
one Library Use roll should be required for each discovery;
employees or corrupt factory inspectors. Pieces of jewelry
additional language skills may be called for as well.
might be fenced with the help of one or more of Boston’s mob
groups — in the West End, North End, or South Boston
Manila, Philippines
— or refined ingots sold legally, if covertly, to jewelers.
After the raid on Innsmouth, it is possible that one or A gold tiara, thought to be of Aztec manufacture, is listed
more raiders may have obtained a specimen of Innsmouth in a 1913 catalog of the Philippines Library and Museum
gold, either as a souvenir or with the intention of selling in Manila. The tiara is said to be made from a white gold
alloy and depicts a deformed human figure flanked by
stylized fishes. No illustration is given but the item was said
to have been recovered from a Spanish wreck in Manila
Bay circa 1909 and was damaged in recovery, causing its
unusual proportions. The piece has twice been the target of
thieves (both unsuccessful), one fellow going so far as to
gain employment at the museum as custodian.
55
Innsmouth Gold • Selling and Buying
the entrance there is only a 10% cumulative chance of a front door and Marsh’s office door are both locked (STR
customer coming by (and on any roll ending in a 0 Marsh 12 doors) and all of the firm’s records, such as they are, are
goes home for the day, closing the office). Additionally, kept in a locked filing cabinet (STR 9). The papers not only
while the New Town Square is probably the busiest spot record, erratically, the names of refined gold purchasers
in Innsmouth (for humans, at least), out-of-towners who but the suppliers of their raw ore. As with the papers at
linger will attract dangerous attention from the authorities. the refinery itself, an Accounting roll can determine that
The Keeper may call for Fast Talk, Sneak, Hide, or Luck the refinery takes in far too little ore compared to their
rolls to avoid attention. Investigators may also attempt finished output even under ideal conditions, let alone with
to observe the office from the Gilman House Hotel but the low-grade ore they purchase.
the desk manager generally avoids putting anyone in the
rooms best overlooking the entrance. Sneaking into an Purchase by Subterfuge
unoccupied room is not particularly difficult (Sneak rolls
Quicker than surveillance, but no less risky, investigators
are doubled) but anyone found skulking about the hotel
may attempt to purchase a sample of Innsmouth gold
will be dealt with harshly.
directly from the refinery. There are several layers of
Determining the identity of refinery customers can be
difficulty that they must overcome here:
challenging. If they arrived by car, one might surreptitiously
Credentials — While the Marsh Refinery is not the
gain information off the registration card mounted on
most sophisticated enterprise, they will not simply sell
the steering column (depending on the state of the car’s
gold to anyone showing up at their office and waving
registration) or copy down the license plate number and
cash about. Investigators approaching Jacob Marsh at
attempt to determine the owner that way.
his office must be able to demonstrate that they are
A better plan might simply stake out the main roads
employed by or acting on the behalf of a legitimate
out of Innsmouth for a shipment departing the refinery.
buyer. Either a legitimate company should be used or
Such deliveries occur weekly at most; most shipments
a reasonably thorough fake one created (with business
would go south along Federal Street (and then Arkham
cards, a letterhead, perhaps a telephone number).
Road) towards Arkham and Boston, though some might
Expertise — Marsh will be deeply suspicious of
take Federal Street north through town to Newburyport
anyone who does not seem to have an understanding
Road. Following a delivery truck outside of Innsmouth’s
of the basic elements of gold buying and selling, as
lonely streets is easier, requiring only a few Drive Auto rolls
well as whatever their ostensible industry is. Some
(at a minimum). Recognizing a truck from the refinery
academic skills may be of help here (Chemistry, Geology,
would require familiarity with the facility; the trucks are
and Natural History are all possibilities) but penalize
not marked or bear any signage.
Fast Talk rolls for anyone who fails to research their
supposed industry.
Theft Financing and respectability — Once an agreement
Those inclined towards slightly less covert methods might is struck the investigators will still need to secure
simply use the old Call of Cthulhu standby of breaking financing to pay for their purchase. Most gold
and entering. payments will be done by cashier’s check. Cash is a
By day, the factory grounds are nearly impossible to possibility but raises Jacob Marsh’s suspicions. A
enter unnoticed due to the presence of the employees. Credit Rating check will likely be necessary. Likewise
By night, there is only one guardsman, but he is under investigators with criminal histories or those with a
orders to shoot to kill. At the factory itself are a scattering reputation for dealing in occult matters — especially
of records, kept only haphazardly, mostly consisting of if they have been publicly involved in anti-Mythos
production and delivery orders (often addresses only) in activity! — will be refused.
Jacob Marsh’s sloppy handwriting It takes a thorough No small orders — Marsh will not agree to any
search of the facility to find the records, considering the purchased of less than $2000. Those looking to do this
poor state of organization there. While finding the names on the cheap will be referred elsewhere.
and addresses of buyers is a simple matter with these Caution trumps Greed — Most of these conditions
records, getting any deeper understanding of the workings may be overcome if Jacob Marsh thinks he will
of the refinery (and uncovering the various signs that no personally profit from the deal; bribery is a viable
gold is actually being refined, etc.) would require at least option. There is a point of diminishing returns however;
one Accounting roll. The “ore” that the factory purchases, if the bribe or offer seems excessive it is likely that
irregularly at best, mostly comes from abroad and, should Sebastian Marsh, the refinery’s nominal owner, will be
this lead be pursued, comes from mines only sometimes alerted to the deal and will be on guard. The Deep
producing gold ores. Ones and their hybrid allies have remained hidden
Breaking into the refinery’s business office is for eight decades. They are not typically reckless.
challenging but not impossible. The greatest danger comes At a minimum any overly generous deal will inspire
simply from moving about in Innsmouth at night. The one or both Marshes to increase their scrutiny of the
57
Innsmouth Gold • Selling and Buying
58
Innsmouth Gold • Analysis
59
Innsmouth Gold • Strange Effects
Strange Effects
60
Innsmouth Gold • Scenario Seeds
Scenario Seeds
spell-casters, especially those that have undertaken
a study of magic from the greater Mythos can, of
course, know any spell the Keeper wishes. Consider
this list a baseline to be built upon. Spells only
hybrids would possess are in italics.
Jewelry and gold from Innsmouth plays an important role Standard: Attract Fish, Contact Deep One,
in the fiction and in scenarios. Here are some additional Lobster Charm
ideas for incorporating both into scenarios of your own: Common: Breath of the Deep, Command Shark,
The Claim Slip — A younger member of one of Contact Father Dagon, Curse of the Stone,
Innsmouth’s hybrid families, looking to make a life for Enchant Stone Tablet
themselves, steals their family’s pieces of Innsmouth Rare: Alter Weather, Cause Disease, Cloud Memory,
jewelry and escapes to the big city, Boston or New Command Porpoise, Contact Cthulhu,
York. The investigators might be hired to track the Contact Mother Hydra, Dread Curse of Azathoth,
missing youngster down by their hybrid parents, or Grasp of Cthulhu, Implant Fear, Power Drain,
by locals near the rogue hybrid’s place of residence, Shriveling, Siren’s Song, Voorish Sign,
investigating a recent arrival in town and his or her Wave of Oblivion
unexplained fortune of foreign-looking, strange
gold. Alternatively, a string of strange robberies of
pawnshops and jewelers might put them onto the trail
of the missing youth. Malign Amalgams — Horace Petersen was a normal
The Executor — Arkham’s First National Bank is young man until he began to tell his friends he was
attempting to track down the heirs to a neglected safety hearing voices — voices coming from his newly
deposit box full of strange pieces of gold jewelry. All received fillings. Even after ripping out his teeth poor
signs point to Innsmouth but who was the late owner Horace is hearing (and now seeing) terrible visions
and why did they leave? What will the hybrids do to of underwater cities and horrid mermaids. What of
get the jewelry back if there are no legitimate heirs? his dentist, a recent émigré from New England, Dr.
Barnabas Seward, a rather homely fellow…
61
Cancelled Innsmouth Books • Children of the Deep, Horror at Innsmouth
Gaming History
W
hen researching this issue, I discovered that
there were two Innsmouth-related products
in development by Chaosium which were
Horror at Innsmouth
announced in promotional materials but later cancelled.
One was a scenario collection, the other an illustrated
book in the style of the S. Petersen’s Field Guides. While
I believe this product was announced via a catalog
they were never completed, I thought the fate of these
listing but I have not been able to see a copy personally.
projects might be of interest to our readers.
Nevertheless it appears on several lists of unreleased
Chaosium products. With that in mind I reached out to
Kevin Ross, Call of Cthulhu author par excellence, who
Children of the Deep graciously filled me in on what he knew, which was quite a
bit. Kevin’s comments are in italics:
I personally can’t f ind reference to that specif ic title in the notes
and correspondence I have, but I’m almost positive this is the
book I’m about to describe.
Among other Chaosium products listed in Before the Fall
In the late 80s/early 90s, Chaosium had published the two
(and several other Chaosium titles released around that
Petersen’s Field Guides art-books, and were just starting to
time) was Children of the Deep. It was apparently far enough
establish Lovecraft Country as a setting for Call of Cthulhu.
along in the development process that catalog listings
With these two factors in play, a third art-book was planned
included it and from them we can gather that it was a
that would combine the two. I’m not sure who originated the
64 page scenario collection by Fred Behrendt, described
idea, but the plan was for a book describing a present-day
as “1930s Adventures in Innsmouth for Call of Cthulhu.”
archaeological excavation at the site of ruined, abandoned
There was even an ISBN: 1-56882-139-5.
Innsmouth. What would begin as an investigation of what
Based on comments made by Mr. Behrendt on Yog-
happened to the town would turn into a study of its history
Sothoth.com, the project was abandoned out of concern
which would in turn unearth the intervention of Obed Marsh
that Chaosium lacked the resources to pay him, said
and the deep ones, thus leading to further revelations about the
publisher having failed to pay several other authors for
forces which doomed the town.
their work due to financial difficulties in the aftermath of
The text for the book was to be written by Keith Herber,
the collapse of the collectible card game market. The notes
perhaps assisted by Lynn Willis, given the amount of detail
for the scenarios (which, intriguingly Behrendt describes
outlined in Lynn’s art assignments. The art would consist of
in his comments as a “campaign”) were put into a 3-ring
dozens of color paintings and black and white illustrations by
binder and stored in his office. He further suggested he
Tom Sullivan. Lynn’s notes indicate a book of 72 pages.
was unsure of the current whereabouts of the notes.
I contacted Fred Behrendt regarding the book and he
The Notes
had little additional information about the project as it was
originally conceived. He did, however, suggest that while I have photocopies of three different sets of notes for this project.
he has given up on it as an RPG release, he does continue (I was writing and editing the Escape from Innsmouth book
to work on some alternative version, the nature of which at this time, and when I visited Chaosium I was allowed to
he left unspecified, for a different medium. There was no copy them to mine for ideas for the game book, so that the books
date offered for a release of this hypothetical reincarnation would share a common background and setting.) I can only
of the collection. speculate as to the order of the three sets, but here goes:
One final word of caution — despite never having The f irst set of notes is titled “Innsmouth Book” and
been written, some online booksellers will list this work consists of three pages of Keith Herber’s handwritten outline
solely based on its ISBN and limited title information. of the contents of the text; I’m assuming these notes are f irst
Don’t be fooled, or disappointed. because they’re handwritten, and very sketchy compared to
the increased amount of detail in the other sets of notes. The
62
Cancelled Innsmouth Books • Horror at Innsmouth
63
Cancelled Innsmouth Books • Horror at Innsmouth
64
A Guide to Newburyport • General Notes
Location Guide
A Guide to Newburyport
by Bret Kramer
General Notes on
Newburyport
N
ewburyport is a small city at the mouth of the
Merrimack River, shielded from the worst effects
of Atlantic storms by the bulk of Plum Island to
the east. Across the Merrimack River are Amesbury and
Salisbury, to the west is West Newbury, and to the south
is Newbury. The port city, originally part of Newbury, saw
its heyday in the late 18th to mid-19th century, when its HISTORICAL NEWBURYPORT VS.
ship’s captains could be found around the world. Today its FICTIONAL NEWBURYPORT
shipyards are barren, its docks rotten, and its old custom
The information presented in this guide was
house used to store hay. Newburyport is also one of the few
compiled with the goal of presenting Newburyport
places outside of shunned Innsmouth where the curious
as the narrator of “The Shadow Over Innsmouth”
can see a sample of the strange jewelry for which that
might have found it, though in keeping with other
strange port is known...
books from the Lovecraft Country series we have
adjusted those events slightly forwards. The nominal
Using This Guide date for the locations described below is the fall of
1928. When possible we have included information
While Lovecraft Country’s towns like Arkham offer the
accurate to that date, but in some cases the details
Keeper a wide variety of places and people for use in play,
have been adjusted to fit what information research
New England is a far larger place than just the Miskatonic
uncovered or to enliven the narrative — for example,
Valley. Real world places such as Newburyport offer
it is likely that the New China restaurant relocated
alternatives to Lovecraft Country’s primary towns, allowing
to Haverhill, MA in 1926, but we decided to leave
a change of setting, of characters, and of circumstances
it in place as a bit of color. All of the locations —
that can improve game play. Our Newburyport guide is
save Hammond’s Drugs, which was invented by
primarily intended to supplement scenarios involving
Lovecraft (see page 72 for more information)
Innsmouth but you are not bound to use it solely in
— were actual places in Newburyport, but specific
relationship to Innsmouth. For example, Newburyport can
details regarding certain locations and individuals
be a model for any number of economically depressed New
are purely the invention of the author.
England port towns. Newburyport can also serve as an
65
A Guide to Newburyport • Getting There, History
of a Federal numbering
NEWBURYPORT IN LOVECRAFT AND system. The blue bands
CALL OF CTHULHU on telephone poles that
previously used to mark
Lovecraft included Newburyport in two of his stories,
the route can still be seen
“The Thing on the Doorstep” and “The Shadow Over
scattered along the road.
Innsmouth.” In the former story it is mentioned in
As the main automobile
passing as one of the cities that Daniel Upton and
route between Boston
Edward Pickman Derby pass through on their drive
and points north, Route 1
back from Maine to Arkham.* The latter story features
carries an ever-increasing
Newburyport prominently, as a launch point for
flow of people through
the narrator’s discovery of, and investigations
Newburyport; planning is
into, Innsmouth.
already underway to demolish the blocks between Summer
Newburyport also only appears in two Call of
and Winter Streets north of High Street to allow Route 1
Cthulhu scenarios. The first is Escape from Innsmouth,
to pass directly through the center of town.
where Newburyport and, in particular, the Historical
Recently an airport has been established just east of
Society is presented as they related to Innsmouth.
downtown Newburyport along the Plum Island Turnpike.
The second scenario is Solace Games’ Arkham Case
While there are no commercial flights, the airport is
Files: Deep Morgue, a modern day scenario nominally
along the Boston-Portland air route as established by the
set in the Newburyport morgue. As far as we can
Civil Aviation Administration. The airport has limited
determine, this PDF-only scenario, released in
maintenance facilities, including servicing and refueling.
2012, is no longer available for sale. Whatever the
case, the scenario focused on the horrors within the
morgue rather than utilize the city of Newburyport History
in any fashion.
“Newburyport is exactly as it was in colonial times, a study in
* “Derby did not offer to relinquish the wheel, and I colourful stagnation.”
was glad of the speed with which Portsmouth and H.P. Lovecraft to Clark Ashton Smith, August 30, 1927
Newburyport flashed by.”
Before the coming of the English, what is now Newburyport
was the territory of the Agawam people. Devastated by
European-introduced diseases and ongoing wars with
embarkation point for seaborne scenario. Likewise, because tribes to the north, they assimilated into the expanding
of its maritime past, any number of strange artifacts might English colony, allowing settlements in their territory in
have passed through the port. Who knows what lingers in exchange for protection from their enemies. Unlike many
one of the half-deserted mansions on High Street? other neighboring tribes, the Agawam did not join in King
For discussion of specific scenario hooks and seeds in Philip’s War, but the tribe’s numbers continued to decline
Newburyport, see page 85. and the scattered remnants of the tribe sold their lands off
piecemeal to the English.
Getting There Newburyport was first settled by the English in
1635, as part of Newbury (the original settlement sits
Newburyport is on the south side of the Merrimac River at about 4 miles to the southeast). These early colonists soon
its mouth and as such is a crossroads on the Massachusetts determined that the location of modern Newburyport was
and New Hampshire border. Regular rail service to the a far better harbor than what was offered by the shallow
city is provided by the Boston and Maine Railroad, with Quascancunquen River* to the south. Almost immediately
passenger service from the depot on Winter Street (see what would become Newburyport (sometimes called
page 76). Inter-city trolley lines connect Newburyport “Water-side Newbury”) began to be settled by the city’s
to the cities of the Merrimack Valley, Amesbury and merchants and traders while Newbury proper remained
Portsmouth, New Hampshire to the north, and Ipswich wholly agricultural. Newburyport gained independence
and cities beyond to the south A more direct option are the from its mother city in 1764 through an act of the
multiple bus routes that connect the same towns, though Massachusetts General Court. From an initial population
with fewer stops in between — this includes the generally of just under 3000, Newburyport grew rapidly, doubling in
shunned Innsmouth bus. Market Square (see page 71) is size by 1800.
the hub of both trolley and bus routes. Newburyport’s first boom was driven by ship
Route 1 and 1A both pass through Newburyport. building, merchant traders, and foreign imports. Because
Route 1, formerly called “The Atlantic Highway,” is the of this, the economic effects of the Napoleonic Wars
only one of New England’s major roads not to be given a
different numerical designation during the recent adoption * This river was later renamed the Parker River.
66
A Guide to Newburyport • History
POPE NIGHT
It is said there are only three places left in New England in town’s government to prohibit the celebration, people
which Pope Night continues to be celebrated. These are continued to mark the occasion. As one report notes:
Newburyport… Portsmouth and New Castle*…
“The stranger who chances to be travelling on the road
— John Albee
between Newburyport and Haverhill, on the night of the 5th
Guy Fawkes Night, celebrated on the 5 th of November, of November, may well fancy that an invasion is threatened
was once celebrated in the British colonies of North from the sea, or that an insurrection is going on inland;
America, including New England, where it was more for from all the high hills overlooking the river tall fires
commonly known as “Pope Night.” While in many places are seen blazing redly against the cold, dark, autumnal
the holiday, closely associated with the British monarchy, sky, surrounded by groups of young men and boys busily
declined after the Revolution, the traditions of parades, engaged in urging them with fresh fuel into intenser activity.”
effigy burning, and revelries persisted in some places - John Greenleaf Whittier, “Pope Night.”
at least into the late 19th century. One of these places
While the historical record is ambiguous as to when Pope
was Newburyport. Despite sporadic attempts by the
Night ceased to be observed in Newburyport, Keepers
should feel free to worry investigators with odd bonfires
* We must note that Albee is in error here, as there are
in the hills about town, fed by roaming gangs of gleeful
accounts of “Pope Night” observances continuing in towns
young men in Jack-o-Lantern-led processions carrying
beyond this trio, including nearby Amesbury, Marblehead,
off every unclaimed scrap of lumber in the vicinity off
and Norwich in Connecticut, where the fires of “Pope Night”
to be incinerated in raucous gatherings, the reason for
evolved into a Thanksgiving tradition of teams of youth
which has been long forgot.
gathering barrels for bonfires in the hills around town.
Industry
INVESTIGATING INNSMOUTH
Newburyport has lost most of its industry in the past
When I had tried to question the natives in the shops, fifty years. Once a center of shipbuilding, the dry-docks
the lunch room, the garages, and the fire station, are now derelict, while manufacturing has moved to the
I had found them even harder to get started than midwest or, in the case of textiles, the Carolinas. Thanks
the ticket-agent had predicted; and realised that to Prohibition, the rum distilleries have all been shuttered,
I could not spare the time to overcome their first save Caldwells on Kent Street, which soldiers on producing
instinctive reticences. industrial alcohol and small quantities of medicinal liquor.
“The Shadow Over Innsmouth” Even the silverware manufacturers are closed or on limited
shifts, with only Towle remaining open and even they have
Investigators looking for more information about
reduced hours. While fishing has declined, small-scale
Innsmouth while in Newburyport can pursue several
fisheries continue and individual captains put out to sea
avenues of inquiry. While we have noted at some
daily. One bright spot economically is the Chase-Shawmut
locations what might be learned there, the Keeper
Electrical manufacturing plant on Merrimac Street, which
should use the following as a guide to what might
relocated from Boston to Newburyport in 1905.
generally be uncovered in Newburyport. Places with
some specific Innsmouth clues are marked with a
(the astrological symbol for Pisces). Additionally, Media
these notes may be extrapolated for use at any of
Newburyport has one daily newspaper, The Newburyport
the communities in the vicinity of Innsmouth. In
Daily News and Newburyport Herald, since the merger of
general, no-one has been to Innsmouth or knows
the Newburyport Daily News and Herald in 1915. The paper
anyone who lives there. At most they may have seen
is published daily, in the morning, though exceptional
Joe Sargent, his bus, or some of his passengers. Much
events have from time to time warranted a special edition
of what is known about Innsmouth is secondhand at
(such as the death of President Harding in 1923). The
best — rumors of degeneracy, disease, and piracy
newspaper’s offices are on Inn Street, just off Market
predominate but any manner of causes are blamed
Square; a combined ‘morgue’ holds copies of the Daily
for the port’s decline depending on the teller.
News (founded 1888) and the Herald (founded 1797).†
Mild curiosity about Innsmouth, especially from
strangers, is tolerated, but those who seem too keen
Law and Order
to learn more about the place will be shunned by
the average Newburyporter. In addition to the local police and fire department,
Newburyport is served by the Essex County Sheriff ’s
department (headquartered in Salem) and the state roads
are patrolled by the Massachusetts State Police (the nearest
of the city’s waterfront lies vacant, with rows of disused barracks is in Topsfield). There is a small Massachusetts
warehouses, shuttered factories, derelict and rotting National Guard armory on Merrimac Street and a Coast
wharves, and abandoned dockyards. Guard Station at the north end of Plum Island.
In 1928 the population of Newburyport is about Crime in Newburyport is primarily small-scale,
15,000 — which is roughly the same size as the town was save for rum-runners who use the city as a secondary
in 1900, a clear sign of the city’s ongoing economic woes. smuggling route for liquor when Boston becomes too
The city is predominantly Yankee — white Protestants, risky. In Newburyport itself there are more than two
many of whom can trace their ancestry back two centuries dozen speakeasies of varying sizes (see John J. O’Connor’s
or more — with Irish, Italian, Armenians, Greek, French- on page 72 for one example), which anchor the town’s
Canadians, and African Americans (in decreasing order of limited organized crime syndicate — controlled by the
size) making up the town’s ethnic minorities. The recent Boston Irish mob — who supplement their income with
election of Mayor Gillis (see page 73) has shown that prostitution, extortion, and numbers-running.
the old families no longer have an unbreakable grip on
power but the situation remains volatile. the other of a young girl said to have once stalked the kitchen
There are no colleges or institutions of higher learning — with another spirit, that of a colonial gentleman killed in a
in Newburyport, though the Dummer Academy, a private duel, said to haunt the grounds.
boys prep school (grades 9-12), established in 1763 and † There were several newspapers in Newburyport before the
recently revitalized under President Dr. Charles Ingham, Herald or Daily News. The first newspaper here was The Essex
occupies the former site of the Governor William Dummer Journal, starting in 1773. Other titles include The Impartial
mansion* in neighboring Newbury, just off Route 1. Herald (1793), The Morning Star (1794), The Political Gazette
(1795), The Newburyport Gazette (1797; from the merger
* The old Dummer mansion is said to be haunted by at least two of the Impartial Herald and Political Gazette), the American
ghosts — one of Dummer himself riding a horse up the stairs, Intelligencer (1801), and many more.
68
A Guide to Newburyport • Visitor’s Information
Visitor’s Information
NEWBURYPORT AND INNSMOUTH
It was the past brought to life — flashes of 18th century bye-
streets, silhouettes of Christopher Wren steeples, kaleidoscopic Newburyport was Lovecraft’s primary inspiration
etchings of old-time skylines, snatches of glistening harbour for Innsmouth and there are many shared elements
beyond delectably rambling & alluringly antediluvian between the real and fictional port towns. While
alleys that wind lazily down hill-a true paradise of the such connections are of literary interest, the Keeper
born antiquarian! can utilize the parallels between Newburyport and
Innsmouth as a means to foreshadow the darkness
that overwhelmed that town. Innsmouth has all
of Newburyport’s problems exaggerated to an
even greater degree. Newburyport’s economy is
in decline; Innsmouth’s has effectively collapsed.
Newburyport’s buildings are neglected and
dilapidated; Innsmouth’s are literally falling apart.
Establish Newburyport’s failings and dark side
and, when the investigators encounter Innsmouth,
they will recognize it immediately as an order of
magnitude worse.
69
A Guide to Newburyport • Downtown Map
70
A Guide to Newburyport • Locations: Market Square
2. Bradford’s Garage
Locations 22 Market Square
Open Mon.-Fri. 7:30-5; Sat. 9-2. A full-service mechanic,
offering automobile repair, tire replacement, and general
service. There is no gasoline pump, but they sell it by the can.
Market Square The staff are used to giving directions within Newburyport
and beyond, but are very reluctant to do so for Innsmouth.
All at once the car reached a spacious square, lined on every side If asked about Innsmouth or the Innsmouth bus, several of
with the quaint brick mercantile buildings of the Revolutionary the mechanics can relate a story from a few years previous
period. It was a sight such as we had never seen before-a city when the Innsmouth bus suffered a breakdown on Market
business section of the 18th century, preserved in every detail. Square and the driver could not restart it. Mr. Bradford,
the owner, and one of the mechanics attempted to assist
the driver in mending the battered and ill-maintained
engine, eventually getting the car going again. The next day
a new black sedan with curtained rear windows stopped at
the shop and rather unpleasant looking fellow — it was
Sebastian Marsh, but the employees only know it was a
member of the Marsh family — paid twenty dollars for the
parts needed and their labor, almost twice what was owed.
3. Brooks Pawn
3 Merrimac St.
[The tiara] had been pawned for a ridiculous sum at a shop
in State Street in 1873, by a drunken Innsmouth man shortly
afterward killed in a brawl. The Society had acquired it
directly from the pawnbroker.
Like Lovecraft (and the narrator of “The Shadow Over
“The Shadow Over Innsmouth”
Innsmouth”) our main interest in Newburyport lies in
the area around Market Square, the business center of the
A typical pawn shop, that, due to Newburyport’s poor
city, where Merrimac becomes Water Street and Liberty
economy, does a steady business. Harry Brooks, the
intersects with State Street. Named for the Old Market
56-year-old proprietor, has run this shop since 1911, when
building (which now serves as Newburyport’s Central
he inherited the shop from his father. While it was his
Fire Station) the Square is where most visitors begin their
father’s shop where the Newburyport Historical Society’s
explorations of the Clipper City.
tiara was pawned more than half a century ago, back when
the store was on State Street, he has no knowledge of
1. Adams House Cafe the sale nor do any records of it survive. If asked about
4-8 Inn St. Innsmouth, Brooks will state that he’s never heard a good
word about it and that his father, in no uncertain terms,
We partook of a meal at the one decent restaurant of the ‘city’,
warned him away from ever dealing with an Innsmouther
(the cafe of the more than one century old Adam’s House) where
and especially avoid the gold they sometimes traded it,
for 65¢ we were served with more than I could eat.
telling him that it was cursed.
Once an inn, the Adam’s House serves as a residential hotel
with an attached café. While the facilities are run-down, 4. Central Fire Station
the café continues to do a brisk business, serving a wide
1-3 Market Sq.
selection of New England staples for a very fair price that
pleases even the most frugal of travellers. There is a desk This large brick building was formerly the Newburyport
clerk Mon.-Sat. 7:30-6 for the Inn’s rooms who collects market until becoming the city fire department, police
mail and takes messages for guests. The café is open 10:30- department, and jail in 1864. The fire department has had
1 and 4:30-7 daily. the whole of the building to itself since the police station
was built in 1912. There is always someone on duty and
often a handful of firemen lounge around one of the large
garage doors, which are kept open save for in cold weather.
Anything illegal or untoward going on in Market Square
will likely be noticed by the firefighters.
71
A Guide to Newburyport • Locations: Market Square
8. Ideal Lunch
5 State St.
As the hour for its arrival drew near I noticed a general drift of
the loungers to other places up the street, or to the Ideal Lunch
across the square.
“The Shadow Over Innsmouth”
72
A Guide to Newburyport • Locations: Central Newburyport
Central Newburyport area (open 10-4) that serves tea and coffee, sandwiches,
candy, and “college ices” (i.e. ice cream sundaes).
Ineffably quaint & archaic are the Georgian streets which
we saw from the window — fascinating hills lined with 12. Brown’s Jewelry
venerable dwellings of every description, from 200-year-old
3 Pleasant St.
hovels huddled together in nondescript groups with rambling
extensions & lean-to’s, to stately Colonial mansions with One of several jewelry stores in Newburyport, a holdover
proud gables & magnif icent doorways. One feature possessed from when the city was a center of the silver-making
in common by nearly all the houses, great & humble alike, was and engraving industries. While owner Frank Brown
the curious old-world abundance of chimney-pots. is unaware of it, his assistant Michael Korhais has been
quietly buying small amounts of Innsmouth jewelry from
Jarvis Thatcher, an Innsmouth native who works in the
11. A.C. Ryan’s city. Buying the gold at a steep discount, Korhais has been
86 State St. pocketing the excess funds to finance several recreational
vices, in Newburyport and (sometimes) Boston.
Open Mon.-Sat. 7:30-5. This family-owned green grocer
offers primarily fresh fruit and vegetables but with a counter
73
A Guide to Newburyport • Locations: Central Newburyport
16. Old Custom House The Newburyport Police have three patrol cars — none
of which is yet radio-equipped — a paddy-wagon, and half-
25 Water St.
a-dozen motorcycles. Foot-patrolmen are only armed with
This two-story granite building, now being used to store a nightstick, but have access to a small stock of revolvers,
hay, was until 1911 the Newburyport Custom House. shotguns, and rifles if needed. While there is no dedicated
While otherwise of little interest to investigators beyond harbor patrol, the police do have an understanding with
the historical, the cupola on the roof of the poorly secured the harbormaster and can get the use of a handful of small
building affords an excellent view of Newburyport harbor motor launches in an emergency.
and, to a lesser degree, Market Square to the south-southwest.
18. Post Office
17. Police Station 16 Pleasant St.
6 Green St.
Joe Sargent makes a stop here on his evening visit to
With a force of nearly thirty officers, the City Marshall Newburyport, before reaching Market Square, to drop off
does what he can to police the city. The department is Innsmouth’s limited mail and pick up whatever incoming
focused mostly on maintaining the peace rather than mail there might be.
investigating crimes. For the most part, only flagrant
liquor violations, such as public drunkenness, are punished. 19. Star Grocery
While the Marshall is not on the take, several individual
71 State St.
officers (among other staff ) are on the payroll of various
speakeasies and bootleggers, and nearly every raid is Open Mon.-Fri.7:30-5; Sat. 9-3. This market, part of a
preceded by a warning, leaving the Newburyport Police New England-spanning chain, has fresh vegetables, meats,
little to show for their work. The Green Street station, baked goods, etc. A sandwich counter (open 11-2) provides
built in 1912, is still sometimes called the “new” police an alternative to the restaurants and lunch counters around
station by locals. Market Square. It serves an affordable meal, popular with
shop girls and other less-affluent workers.
75
A Guide to Newburyport • Locations: Central Newburyport
76
A Guide to Newburyport • Innsmouth’s Agents
77
A Guide to Newburyport • Goody Morse, Lighthouses
NEWBURYPORT’S LIGHTHOUSES
Within Newburyport proper there are three lighthouses,
two within the city proper and one at the northern tip of
Plum Island.
Newburyport Harbor Light (aka Plum Island Light).
A lighthouse has stood here since 1788. The current
lighthouse, which stands about 50 feet above the
shifting sands, is visible as far as 12 miles away at sea.
Prohibition Bureau agents have used the lighthouse
as a lookout for rumrunners as the area is frequently
traveled by them and seizures off the north point of
Plum Island are common. Nearby is the Plum Island
Coast Guard Station.
Front and Rear Range * Light. Both these lights were
erected in 1873, replacing an earlier privately-owned
set of lights which had been built in an attempt to
deal with the silting of Newburyport’s harbor. The
lower ‘front’ light is 35 feet high and sits at the
end of Bayley’s Wharf. Nearby, at 66½ Water Street,
stands the 53 foot high ‘rear’ light. Unlike the other
lights in Newburyport, it is a square tower. With the
* Range lights are navigational tools that allow ships decline of shipping into Newburyport, locals have
to approach port safely at night; the two lights, when complained that the range lights are too bright and
aligned, show that the ship is approaching harbor in a they will be significantly dimmed in 1933. The rear
safe channel, free of rocks, sandbars, and other dangerous light is a very visible landmark along Water Street
obstructions. and can be seen (and see) much of the town.
78
A Guide to Newburyport • Locations: Greater Newburyport
“MADAM” HOOPER
While Goody Morse is the best known “witch” in and threadbare, she would
Newburyport’s history, she was not alone, for a century go as she pleased in town,
afterwards there was a woman named Jane Hooper. demanding food or drink
Usually called Madam Hooper, she was thought to be in from startled townsfolk,
her middle 30s when she arrived in Newburyport around and terrifying small children
1760. While she at first served as a school teacher, her who fled at her approach,
talents as a fortune teller soon became widely known about fearful of her “evil eye.” One
town, and soon her house was often visited by the curious account claims that she was
and the desperate. ‘Lord’ Timothy Dexter (see page 80) forced to remain seated by
was a client. She cultivated an air of mystery with a hint a crossed pair of knitting
of menace, refusing to say where she had come from needles, as metal needles
originally and unafraid to suggest she was a witch or and pins were traditionally
even hint at some infernal source for her powers. For thought to ward against witches and witchcraft. By the
many years she kept a black cockerel as a pet, which she time of her death in May of 1798, she was nearly penniless
referred to as her familiar. The poor bird had a clipped and living in the town’s almshouse. Nevertheless she
beak, giving it an unsettlingly human profile. merited her own obituary, unlike most other residents
Physically she “was short and stout, with a strongly of that institution. It said, among other things, that she
marked countenance, glittering gray eyes, and a full set of “was for many years a terror to weak and superstitious
double teeth*.” Always clad in fine clothes, albeit antique minds, who honored her with the appellation witch.”
80
A Guide to Newburyport • Locations: Greater Newburyport
* Observant readers will note this is four years after the tiara
held by the Society was “pawned for a ridiculous sum”; the
description of this situation leaves open the possibly that the
pawn shop held the tiara for four years before it was added to
the newly formed Society’s collection. Otherwise, it may have
been first purchased by the Marine Society or an individual who
donated the oddity to the nascent organization a few years later.
† The full catalog is listed in Capts. Bayley and Jones’ History of
the Marine Society of Newburyport, as listed in our bibliography.
81
A Guide to Newburyport • Greater Newburyport Map
82
A Guide to Newburyport • Locations: Greater Newburyport
83
A Guide to Newburyport • Locations: Greater Newburyport
LOVECRAFT IN NEWBURYPORT
Newburyport is a strange old city — half-deserted by its Lovecraft returned to Newburyport in August of
former industries, and with that air of sleepy hush and 1927 as part of a wide-ranging tour of northern New
partial desertion typical of a town which has lost about half England, including stops in Vermont, New Hampshire,
its population since its heyday. The harbour is half-filled and Maine. He arrived in Newburyport on August 29 and
with drifting sand, the wharves and marine warehouses are left the next day, staying overnight at the YMCA. After a
moss-grown and ruinous… It is one of my favourite towns day in Haverhill, he returned to Newburyport briefly the
— a sleepy little city full of ancient houses and looking next day, taking a leisurely walk from Market Square to
much as it did a century ago. the train station on Winter Street.
— Letter from H.P. Lovecraft to Mrs. It was not until October of 1931 that Lovecraft
Herlow H. Hughes, 1936 returned to the town, traveling by car with his friend Paul
Cook. The duo first drove to Newburyport on the 4 th and
Lovecraft first visited Newburyport in April of 1923, as
returned for a second time at the end of the month. It
part of a wider trip through the cities of the Merrimack
was not long after this visit that Lovecraft began writing
Valley, including Haverhill, Merrimac, and Amesbury. His
“The Shadow Over Innsmouth”, which he completed in
companion was the young Edgar J. Davis, then about
December of that same year.
fifteen, who had been a correspondent of Lovecraft and
Cook and Lovecraft returned to Newburyport in
a fellow member of the Amature Press Association, and
August of 1932 in order to view a total solar eclipse,
who lived in nearby Merrimac. On the 15th of the month
watching the event from Atkinson Common, a 21 acre
the pair took the trolley from Merrimac into Newburyport,
park west of the downtown area. Lovecraft returned again
walking around the center of town, from Market Square
to Newburyport in July of 1933 with Helen V. Sully, who
to the Dexter Mansion. As the day wore on they took in
was touring the East Coast and had been encouraged to
the Federal houses along High Street, until returning to
visit Lovecraft by Clark Ashton Smith (who was having
Market Square where, after a meal at the Adam’s House,
an affair with Sully’s mother). This was to be his final
the pair returned to Davis’ parent’s home in Merrimac.
visit to Newburyport.
broke into the tomb itself. They proceeded to, among other Mercy Brown of Exeter, Rhode Island), and use that as a
things, pose the now-desiccated corpses as if they were start point for their own scenarios...
sitting up. The youths, for a time, used the Pierce tomb as a Visitors here, in addition to those of nearby Frog
club house until they undressed the deceased Pierce family Pond, may notice the old Newburyport Powder House,
members, put on their clothes, and marched around the built in 1754, on nearby Powder House Hill.
nearby Frog Pond. A policeman took notice of their odd
manner of dress and soon learned what the boys had been 28. St. Paul’s Episcopal Church
doing with the Pierce tomb and its macabre contents. The
166 High St.
tomb was resealed and the dead Pierce family members
laid to rest once more. Strolling south from Dexter’s mansion, Edgar [Davis ] & I
On at least two subsequent occasions young people noted the ancient churchyard and the new church going up
broke into the Pierce tomb and violated the remains. within it.
First, in 1985, a group of teens broke into the tomb and,
among other things, attempted to share their liquor with
the deceased within. Twenty years later a young man broke
into the crypt and, after pulling a spine and skull from
one of the corpses within, played about in the cemetery,
including stopping to have photos taken of him with the
freshly looted skull. After he was caught, he was sentenced
to a 2 ½ year jail term for his acts of vandalism. Daniel
Boudillion wonders (facetiously, I suspect) if perhaps
there is some dark cycle at work, repeating every twenty
years, where young people are drawn to the Pierce tomb to
perform strange rites with the deceased within. The Keeper
may note that several members of the Piece family died
of tuberculosis, the same disease linked with incidences of
alleged “vampire corpses” in New England (most famously
84
A Guide to Newburyport • Scenario Hooks and Seeds
Scenario Seeds — but this time, they’re not the work of schoolboys.
The Pierce tomb in the Old Hill Burying Ground
One Mr. Mittin related of a Triton or Merman which he Boudillion, Denis. “Pierce Tomb & Old Burying Ground,
saw in Casco Bay, the Gentleman was a great Fowler, Newburyport Massachusetts.” http://www.
and used to go out with a small Boat or Canoe, and boudillion.com/piercetomb/piercetomb.htm
fetching a compass about a small Island, (there being
https://brickandtree.wordpress.com/
many small Islands in the Bay) for the advantage of a
shot, was encountered with a Triton, who laying his Currier, John J. The History of Newburyport (1764-
hands upon the side of the Canoe, had one of them 1906). 1906.
chopped off with a Hatchet by Mr. Mittin, which was in
Currier, John J. Ould Newbury: Historical and Biographical
all respects like the hand of a man, the Triton presently
Sketches. Damrell and Upham, 1896.
sunk, dyeing the water with his purple blood, and was
no more seen. Dexter, Timothy. A Pickle for the Learned Ones. 1802.
a likely place of refuge for someone fleeing Innsmouth, Goudsward, David. H.P. Lovecraft in the Merrimack
at least temporarily. Strange artifacts originating in Valley. Hippocampus Press, 2013.
Innsmouth have ended up in Newburyport — any of
Lovecraft, H.P “The Shadow Over Innsmouth”
the items from “Innsmouth Curios” (page 46) or a
copy of the Hymnal of the Esoteric Order of Dagon http://mhc-macris.net/ (The Massachusetts Cultural
(page 32) could turn up; likewise the dreadful Resource Information System)
crown at the center of the scenario “Dark Dreams
The Works Progress Administration — Massachusetts:
of Innsmouth” (The Unbound Book #2, see page 111)
A Guide to Its Places and People, 1937
could be discovered in Newburyport or brought there
to compare the town’s well-known tiara. We have also Wallis, James. H. The Politician, His Habits, Outcries,
provided three NPCs in the thrall, at least in part, and Protective Coloring. Fredrick A. Stokes,
to the Marsh family (page 77). Of these, Jarvis Company, 1935.
Thatcher is the most likely to create trouble for the
Marshes, between pawning small bits of Innsmouth
jewelry and his dreams of big city life. J. A. Spring
III, Ralsa Marsh’s old school friend, might prove an
unusual lead into Innsmouth, either recoiling in terror
from what Marsh reveals to him about Innsmouth or, if
caught up in legal matters unrelated to his Innsmouth
friends, might reveal what he knows about the Marsh’s
in exchange to leniency.
86
Drawn from the Water • Keeper’s Information, Involving the Investigators
Scenario
D
eep Ones are not the only aquatic menace in the he too formed a psychic bound with the terrible creature,
waters off of Innsmouth. In these black depths giving him both inspiration for his work, but also ever-
lurks a Yugg, a terrible servitor of Zoth-Ommog, worsening nightmares which are rapidly eroding his sanity.
called away from its Pacific home by a long-forgotten Walton is now on the brink of madness. He has
Mythos artifact. When the artifact is rediscovered by abandoned his social and professional connections in
Kingsport painter Michael Walton, the Yugg begins to Kingsport and his art has taken a very dark turn. He has
quicken, unleashing madness and death upon the coastal not been in contact with any of his friends for several
towns of Lovecraft Country. The Yugg’s revival may also weeks, causing them to fear for him. The investigators are
attract the attention of a conniving Innsmouth-born Deep asked to locate this missing artist and will discover, likely
One hybrid, Jonas Birch, a recent Miskatonic University too late, that the powers of the Deep One artifact are not
graduate who hopes to obtain the artifact for his own easily ended. Even after Walton has been turned over to
malign purposes. the authorities for treatment, the Yugg will continue to
draw nearer and nearer to him until the creature, the man,
the tooth, or perhaps all are destroyed.
Optionally complicating matters are the actions of
Keeper’s Information Jonas Birch, one of Innsmouth’s hybrids. (See the box
on page 89.) Jonas, one of Constable Nathan Birch’s
children, is a recent graduate of Miskatonic University and
is currently a resident of Arkham. Birch stumbled across
Walton’s research into the scrimshaw tooth and, recognizing
Michael Walton (né Wolanowski) is a struggling artist
it as a potent Mythos artifact, has begun his own attempt to
who has recently took up residence in Kingsport. Living
track down the now-missing artist and his occult treasure.
off a small inheritance, he has been seeking his muse, the
One unusual element in this scenario is that it has
inspiration that will transform his work from technically
what might be called a false conclusion — the investigators
competent but unremarkable to innovative, perhaps even
should be able to resolve the initial problem (finding the
revolutionary.
missing Walton) only to discover that locating him only
That inspiration unexpectedly came in the form of an
further complicates matters. Indeed, the scenario can only
antique piece of scrimshaw — a bizarre carving on a whale’s
be truly resolved once the Yugg is either killed, driven off,
tooth. Walton became fixated on the piece, inspiring him
or is able to fulfill its accursed duty.
to research its origins and, soon after, he relocated to a
new, more private home, closer to Innsmouth. Walton had
traced the origin of the carved tooth to that desolate port,
Involving the
and he was drawn there for reasons he could not articulate.
Innsmouth had once
Investigators
been the home of the
tooth, brought back from
the Pacific by one of Obed
Marsh’s crew. The carved
tooth is a ritual artifact
used in the worship of Depending on the nature of the investigators, there are
Cthulhu and its spawn. In several avenues that the Keeper can use to draw them into
distant centuries past the the scenario. Canny Keepers who have the time can even
tooth had been enchanted introduce Walton in a previous scenario, and remove the
to act as conduit between middle-man, so to speak.
a Deep One hybrid Hired by family or friends. In the case of private
shaman and a malign Yugg. investigators or similar investigative types, the players
Unbeknownst to Walton, may be hired to find Walton, either by members of
87
Drawn from the Water • Involving the Investigators
HANDOUT 1
Physical Description: 5’ 7”, with a slight build. Light brown hair, blue eyes. Wears
reading glasses.
88
Drawn from the Water • Kingsport
Kingsport
89
Drawn from the Water • Kingsport
6
2
90
Drawn from the Water • Kingsport
HANDOUT 2
91
Drawn from the Water • Kingsport
93
Drawn from the Water • Kingsport
The Kingsport
Historical Society (K205)
Members are free to consult the
small collection of documents
held by the Historical Society.
Curator Aaron Carter’s mind
is slipping but, with a Luck roll,
he will be coherent enough
to assist, somewhat, with any
research. While not all of the
works available at the Kingsport
Public Library can be found
here, the Historical Society
has a manuscript version of
The Ponape Scripture. Note that
this version is annotated and
useful works related to the scrimshaw tooth. A Library Use
contains more spell information than a typical copy, as
roll turns up several works related to scrimshaw or art from
desired by the Keeper.
the South Seas; a Spot Hidden roll will notice that nearly all
The Historical Society is also home to the sole copy
of the books on these topics had previously been checked
of The Diary of Dr. Allen Cross, which can be located
out by Michael Walton about two months previous.
with a Library Use roll. Dr. Cross, a physician who lived
A second Library Use roll can be made if the
in Kingsport in the early- to mid-19th century, makes
investigators are willing to cast their nets more widely
reference to a case involving a supposedly cursed whale
and look to non-academic sources. Several historical
tooth — the account of the sailor Lyman Jones (handout #4).
discussions of Kingsport mention, very generally and
95
Drawn from the Water • Kingsport
96
Drawn from the Water • Arkham
97
Drawn from the Water • Martin’s Beach (and Points Beyond)
98
Drawn from the Water • Spoor of the Yugg
99
Drawn from the Water • Spoor of the Yugg
GOING TO INNSMOUTH
While nearly all of the leads towards Walton’s location
point towards Falcon Point, it is possible that investigators
may go looking for information (or even seek out the
authorities) in Innsmouth.
If your investigators have not yet been to Innsmouth,
this is a good time to present the town’s mood of looming
dread and decay — but not to so great a degree that the
players become distracted. Hint that something is wrong
with Innsmouth but offer plausible causes for the town’s
state of decay — economic decline, political and social
corruption — so that your players will not want to start
looking for an occult cause.
While in Innsmouth there are a few locations
investigators might wish to visit:
Innsmouth Bus — As in Arkham, bus driver Joe
Sargent is unwilling to answer questions about his
passengers. In Innsmouth he is far more willing to
threaten or even use violence to stop unwanted
questions. Outsiders will unfortunately discover that
no one will come to their aid in a fight.
New Town Square — Investigators should realize
that the best place to ask after Walton in the mostly
deserted town is in the shops around New Town
Square (I701), as this is where Sargent’s bus lets
out its passengers and one of the few places where
people congregate in any number (an Idea roll will
be confirmed by the human Bernard Slocum at the
suggest this if they fail to consider it). Since visitors
Innsmouth Fuel Stop (I712), who happily adds that
are rare, Walton’s occasional bicycle ride towards
he saw Walton turn onto South Street and head
Falcon Point was most definitely noticed. Brian
towards Falcon Point.
Burnham, at First National Grocery (I702) is the
Innsmouth Jail (I202) — Investigators asking after
safest person (and one of the few normal humans) to
the local police will be, reluctantly, directed here.
ask, but the employees at the Gilman House (I703),
The loathsome hybrids who make up Innsmouth’s
the Innsmouth Café (I704), or Eliot’s Drugstore
constabulary have no interest in looking for some
(I705) all saw Walton ride past, though all three of
wayward painter and anyone who will not take no for
these locations are run and staffed by hybrids who
an answer will find themselves thrown in jail, given a
may be unwilling to talk to outsiders or perhaps
beating, and then dumped on the outskirts of town with
want a small bribe first. All witnesses saw him ride
a warning that they are not welcome in Innsmouth.
out of the Square along Marsh Street. His route can
repeated statements — that “It” is watching him and Zoth-Ommog, and ensure the rise of Cthulhu — though
knows his thoughts, that he must stop “It” from causing he cannot articulate them much beyond inchoate terror.
some great harm, and that he must continue his work if He has been attempting to control the Yugg to at least
he is to control “It.” He cannot be convinced to leave the keep it distracted, though he can truly do neither, at least
shack or to stop his painting or carvings. for long. His art is part of that attempt, and he cannot be
If asked about the tooth, he will say that it is a token convinced to stop his work. He is certain that his work is
of “It”, made ages ago on Fiji, or Tahiti, or Ponape by those the only thing preventing the end of the world.
that serve it. He created the larger carving at the urgings Investigators must find a way to deal with the
of “It” for reasons he cannot articulate, though he thinks insane artist. Without ammunition he is little threat; he
doing so stopped “It” from committing some terrible crime. may be knocked unconscious or grappled by an average
Due to his psychic connection to the Yugg, Walton investigator, as he has been weakened due to his lack of
has gone mad. He has some insight into its apocalyptic sleep and eating. Investigators looking for a more subtle
desires — to unleash its siblings, to release its master approach could drug him; a successful Medicine roll will
100
Drawn from the Water • Interlude
101
Drawn from the Water • The Scrimshaw Tooth
102
Drawn from the Water • Return of the Yugg
HANDOUT 5B
WALTON’S BOND
Due to the magical connection formed between
Michael Walton and the Yugg, the two are linked
in ways that may be of dramatic use to the Keeper.
Anyone bound to the Yugg will have increasingly
vivid flashes from the creature’s perspective — use
these to build tension. Scenes of the Yugg’s approach,
brief flashes of landmarks showing how it draws ever
closer, of how it hungrily observes unaware humans
— play up these moments in a cinematic manner.
HANDOUT 5B
A Miskatonic Monster
Once Walton escapes from the Danvers Asylum, the Yugg
makes a foray up the Miskatonic River, where several early
risers witness it dragging a dog into the water. This article
is given as handout #9.
Walton’s Actions
Walton, his sanity gone, has formulated a plan to deal with
the Yugg once and for all. His plan is as follows:
Walton feigns recovery so that they reduce his dosage
of sedatives and move him to a less secure ward.
He then escapes from the ward, aided in part by the
ongoing thunderstorms raised up by the Yugg. A short
Should the Keeper wish it, Walton may approach the
news item reports his escape and is given as handout #10.
investigators rather than simply steal it from wherever they
Walton proceeds to wherever the scrimshaw tooth is
have stored it. Walton will attempt to explain his insane
being kept and steals it. This theft is not likely to be
theory as to how to finally deal with the Yugg, if he thinks
reported (assuming it was in his brother’s possession
that they are potentially amenable to that. Otherwise,
or held by the investigators).
Walton will either attempt to steal the tooth or blackmail
Since so much of Walton’s activities depend on the
the investigators into surrendering it too him, perhaps by
disposition of the tooth, it is left to the Keeper to work
holding one of the investigators or an ally hostage.
out these details. If the tooth is not in the possession of
the investigators, assume that Walton will be able to steal
it from wherever it is held.
104
Drawn from the Water • Return of the Yugg
HANDOUT 6 HANDOUT 8
106
Drawn from the Water • Return of the Yugg
Other Preparation trenches where other Yuggs dwell awaiting the return
of Zoth-Ommog. Simply surrendering Walton to the
The investigators might also wish to follow up regarding
monster, even if it appears that he wishes for death at the
the security of the scrimshaw tooth, should it have ended
monster’s tentacles, should cost at least 1d2/1d6+1 points
up with Walton’s brother, at Miskatonic University, or in
of Sanity. There may be further legal complications as well
an evidence room for the Essex County Sheriff ’s office.
should the authorities learn that the investigators were the
It is very unlikely that they can convince these parties
last people to see the deranged artist alive. Keepers should
to increase their security for the tooth, unless perhaps
have the Yugg remain off the coast and use the tooth as a
Walton has already escaped the asylum. If the investigators
lure to future victims if the investigators felt no compassion
have some academic connections that are appropriate for
for Walton or other victims.
studying the tooth, they may be able to take possession of
Kill It! — When in doubt, resort to force. Normally
it, should the Keeper wish them to have it.
the Yugg will be lurking deep beneath the waters of the cold
Additionally, should the investigators be in possession
Atlantic, out of the reach of investigators. Should Walton
of the tooth, they also might be suffering from the effects
(or another victim of the scrimshaw tooth’s curse) draw it
of exposure to it, causing potential problems from ongoing
from the water, it could be attacked. There are several factors
degradation to Sanity as well as offering some possible insight
to recall when considering a full-scale assault on the Yugg.
into the ongoing activities of the Yugg (see page 102).
Firstly, the creature should have a strong idea of what
the investigators are up to should one or more of them be
Dealing with the Yugg suffering a psychic connection to the Yugg. While it will
not understand every detail of their plans, it will have an
Ultimately the investigators will need to decide how they
inkling of their general schemes and what sort of arsenal
wish to resolve Walton’s fate, the scrimshaw carving,
they plan to employ.
and the Yugg. What follows is a list of some potential
In a fight, the Yugg has at least 3 points of armor.
resolutions, though by all means not an exhaustive one.
Should some part of it remain in the water, investigators
Give it Walton and/or the Tooth — Effective, albeit
might suffer a cover penalty when attempting to attack the
antithetical to the ideal investigator ethos. Assuming that
creature. The Yugg is a creature with an INT of 12, not an
no one else has a psychic link with the Yugg via the tooth,
irrational beast; it will use the terrain to its advantage and
once the creature has it in its possession, it will return to
flee if injured. Note that the Yugg has several spells that it
the depths, perhaps even making its way back to the Pacific
will happily use:
107
Drawn from the Water • Conclusion
108
Drawn from the Water • Statistics
THE YUGG,
Statistics Transplanted Aquatic Horror
109
Annotated Scenario Bibliography: Arkham • Bless the Beasts and Children to The Crawford Inheritance
I
nnsmouth’s scenarios are fewer than Arkham’s and all The Contender
of them in some way are connected to the Deep One
Harlem Unbound, Darker Hue Studios
menace that has so blighted that town. Likewise, nearly
Author: Bob Geis
every Lovecraft Country scenario involving the Deep
Summary: Jack Johnson, former boxing champ, asks
Ones has some Innsmouth connection. For the sake of
the investigators to look into Stefano Rossi, a once
convenience we are including in this list both Innsmouth-
seemingly washed-up boxer who has been making a
specific scenarios as well as any Lovecraft Country
killing (sometimes literally) in the ring lately. They
scenarios involving the ichthyic horrors whose shadow
learn that his successes are due not just to his skill
darkens that town.
in the ring, but his new team of managers (late of
Innsmouth) and a unnatural, and in Rossi’s case,
Bless the Beasts and Children tragic, heritage that they all share.
Adventures in Arkham Country, Chaosium Settings: New York City (Harlem)
Author: Todd A. Woods Locations: N/A
Summary: A deranged, defrocked priest seeks to bridge Entities: Several Deep One hybrids of varying
the gap between humans and the Deep Ones (a race dangerousness, human goons
he, in his delusion, views as benevolent) by kidnapping Tomes: The Ponape Scripture
human children and raising them with Deep Ones Notes: While the scenario is set entirely in Harlem, the
and their hybrids. Investigators are hired to locate his vile Eliot brothers hail from Innsmouth and might
most recent victim and, in so doing, discover the priest retreat there when their schemes fall apart in the big
and his lunatic scheme. apple. Like other scenarios in Harlem Unbound, the
Settings: Arkham, Falcon Point investigators are assumed to be African-American.
Locations: Arkham Police Station (A228), Arkham Cab
Company (A226), Falcon Point (I1010). The Crawford Inheritance
Multiple other places in Arkham are mentioned
Escape from Innsmouth, Chaosium (2nd edition only)
(such as the Hotel Miskatonic or Arkham Farms
Author: Kevin Ross
Dairy) but no details about these places are provided
Summary: An investigator’s family inherits a property on
and they are incidental to the plot.
the outskirts of Innsmouth and asks the investigator
Entities: Hired thugs, a lunatic ex-priest, Deep Ones and
— the nearest member of the family available — to
Deep One hybrids
inspect the property and report back regarding its
Tomes: None, but the main villain has been documenting
condition. Discoveries abound, including a decrepit
his research extensively and these papers might serve
Deep One descendant of the titular Crawford family
as a tome of sorts.
and the possibility that the investigator also carries
Notes: Map of Arkham intended for scenario shows
the Innsmouth taint.
14 locations but the key provided only lists 12. 13
Settings: Innsmouth
appears to be the site of the kidnapping of Donna
Locations: Dr. Rowley Marsh & Son (I203), Innsmouth
Segreto; 14 the kidnapper’s hideout. The scenario
Assembly Hall (I213), South Woods Memorial
also includes a more detailed map of Falcon Point,
Cemetery (I1001); the scenario offers some suggestion
the small fishing settlement south of Innsmouth. The
of what might befall investigators arrested in
small cave mentioned in the scenario is without a
Innsmouth and taken to the Innsmouth Jail (I202)
map, unfortunately.
Entities: A decrepit Deep One, unfriendly locals
Tomes: No Mythos works but a pair of diaries that offer
some insight into what befell Innsmouth in 1846.
110
Annotated Scenario Bibliography: Arkham • Dark Dreams of Innsmouth to Freakshow
Notes: This scenario was written to serve as an introduction Notes: The scenario begins in Arkham, but after an initial
to Innsmouth, drawing in investigators without encounter and some possible research, the remainder
wholly giving away Innsmouth’s darkest secrets. For of the action shifts to Foxfield. The Deep Ones
space reasons it was cut from the first edition of Escape primarily provide physical aid for the cult; there is
from Innsmouth and was only restored with the release no Innsmouth connection or further details about
of the revised and expanded second edition. that race. Chaat and its “Children” were inspired
by the story “The Plague of St. James’ Infirmary”
Dark Dreams of Innsmouth by Ken Asamatsu.
The Unbound Book, #2
Do Not Call Up That
Author: Brian Courtemanche
Which You Cannot Put Down
Summary: A friend sends an investigator a curious piece of
jewelry he recently snared while fishing, a Deep One Fear’s Sharp Little Needles, Stygian Fox Publishing
artifact called ‘The Crown of Dagon’. Unfortunately Author: Brian Courtmanche
the friend has gone mad and has been committed Summary: Its Shark Week and the investigators are
to the state hospital in Danvers. The investigator invited to tag great white sharks off the Massachusetts
recipient begins to suffer the same nightmares and coast, but things take a turn to the bad when they go
real-world threats that drove their friend mad (and led to aid another boat, one that’s hooked the Monster of
to his near-drowning off Gloucester). The investigator Martin’s Beach…and to make matters worse, seeing
must survive nightly horrors and hybrid harassment the monster awakens the Deep One heritage in their
until they can track down a ritual to break the hold the guide, who, instead of helping the other boat, decides
crown has over them. to help the monster. Hard choices must be made if the
Settings: The Danvers State Hospital for the Insane, investigators are to make it back to the shore and safety.
Salem, Gloucester, Innsmouth Settings: Salem, The Ocean
Locations: Office of the Marsh Refining Company Locations: Pickering Wharf, the Wavedancer (on the ocean)
(I707); summary notes describe the area around Entities: Deep One hybrid, The Monster of Martin’s Beach
New Town Square (I701), including the Gilman Tomes: None
House Hotel (I703) Notes: A short Modern day scenario.
Entities: Deep Ones and Deep One hybrids
Tomes: Innsmouth: Superstition and the Sea; the needed Escape from Innsmouth
ritual might be found in the Ponape Scripture or other
Escape from Innsmouth, Chaosium
suggested Mythos texts.
Author: Fred Behrendt
Notes: A very short scenario; it may be expanded by
Summary: The young manager of Innsmouth’s First
having the artifact brought to an investigator rather
National Grocery store has gone missing. The
than the friend, forcing the investigators to track
investigators are tasked to find the missing man and
down its Innsmouth connection rather than having
in the process come into conflict with Innsmouth’s
that element presented from the start. A compact
hybrids and their allies.
Innsmouth map provided on page 14 might be a useful
Settings: Arkham, Ipswich, Innsmouth
resource for the Keeper.
Locations: Arkham Police Department (A228), Asbury
M.E. Church (A208), First National Grocery Store
Dead Leaves Fall (I702), Watie’s Variety Store (I708), Firehouse
Dead Leaves Fall, Chaosium (Monograph) (I503), Innsmouth Jail (I202), Esoteric Order
Author: Simon Yee of Dagon (I207)
Summary: The investigators are asked to recover several Entities: Deep Ones, hybrids; random encounters offered
pages stolen from a Mythos tome, discovering a cult during the ‘Escape’ phase of the scenario also includes
(The Fellowship within the Water) bent on summoning a lone shoggoth
their unholy god and transforming themselves into Tomes: The Book of Dagon
something inhuman. The investigators may be aided Notes: This scenario is designed to be a point of no return
or hindered by a doctor who has learned the horrible for investigators vis a vis Innsmouth. Once they
truth of the cult. undertake their rescue of the missing grocer, they
Settings: Arkham, Foxfield will no longer be able to openly enter Innsmouth and
Locations: Miskatonic University Library (A620); in will likely be the targets of reprisals by the hybrids.
Foxfield, the Unitarian Church is discussed. Keepers should consider the ‘Escape’ sequence at the
Entities: Children of Chaat, Deep Ones, Chaat end of the scenario as an excellent model to emulate
Tomes: The Cthaat Aquadingen in their own work. The tragic romance subplot is also
a rare but welcome inclusion of human-scale tragedy
that gives the scenario an extra bit of poignancy.
111
Annotated Scenario Bibliography: Arkham • The Hopeful to No Room at Innsmouth
112
Annotated Scenario Bibliography: Arkham • The Occulted Light to The Raid on Innsmouth
Notes: This scenario, published in three sections in 1983- Entities: Hybrids, small but vicious crustaceans, a
4, nearly a decade before Escape from Innsmouth, often malevolent bibliophile.
presents a very different version of the town (sometimes Tomes: Monsters and Their Kynde, Thaumaturgical
contradicting “The Shadow Over Innsmouth” as Prodigies in the New England Canaan, The Eltdown
well). Very much a dungeon crawl with Lovecraftian Shards, Notes drawn from Monsters and Their Kynde
elements rather than a Call of Cthulhu scenario as they about the hybrids of Innsmouth
are traditionally written. Notes: Another scenario that can prove an introduction
The scenario is divided into three parts (one in to Innsmouth; unusually allows the investigators to
each issue): The Gilman House, The Lighthouse, and interact with some hybrids in a neutral, even helpful,
Devil Reef. way. Willy Harsen originally appeared in Return to
Dunwich (D509). Kermit Allen Rawes’s name (and
The Occulted Light picture) were inspired by the author of Escape from
Innsmouth, Kevin A. Ross.
Before the Fall, Chaosium
Author: Lucya Szachnowski and Gary O’Connell
The Raid on Innsmouth
Summary: The investigators are hired by a young woman
hoping to locate some papers and other family Escape from Innsmouth, Chaosium
memorabilia at an abandoned lighthouse southeast Authors: Keith Herber (Structure), Kevin Ross
of Innsmouth. Reaching the lighthouse is difficult; (Introduction and Devil Reef ), Fed Behrendt
leaving even more so due to a terrible curse. (Esoteric Order of Dagon), Scott Aniolowski (Marsh
Settings: Innsmouth Mansion), Mike Szymanski (Smugglers’ Tunnels),
Locations: Rawes and Hogg - Nautical Insurers (I209), Mark Morrison (Yha-nthlei), J. Todd Kingrea (The
Custom House (I905), Assembly Hall (I213), Marsh Refinery)
Fishermen’s Shacks (I903) Summary: This ‘mega’ scenario consists of six ‘objectives:’
Entities: Deep One hybrids, a Deep One priestess, a Star- the Esoteric Order of Dagon, the Marsh Mansion,
Spawn of Cthulhu the Smugglers’ Tunnels, Devil Reef, Y’ha-nthlei, and
Tomes: The Journal of Bartholomew Tagg the Marsh Refinery. In each section, the players may
Notes: The lighthouse is remarkably stocked with options either play their own character or one of several ‘extras’
for fighting the Star Spawn bound to prevent anyone — sailors, Marines, Coastguardsmen, and Treasury
leaving the island. More problematically, the lighthouse Agents, allowing the Keeper to be particularly ruthless.
is said to have been closed around 1838, a full eight Settings: Boston, Innsmouth
years before Innsmouth falls wholly under the sway Locations: New Church Green (I206), the Esoteric Order
of the Esoteric Order of Dagon and two years before of Dagon (I207), the Marsh Manions (I302), the
Captain Marsh encounters the Deep Ones. Despite Smuggler’s Tunnels (p. 122), Devil Reef (I1011), Y’ha-
a declining maritime trade, it seems unlikely that so nthlei (I1012), the Marsh Refining Company (I501),
dangerous a rock would remain unmarked; a revised Entities: Deep One hybrids, Deep Ones, ‘the Horror from
timeline is suggested in the discussion of Skivern Beyond the Door’ (similar to a Thrall of Cthulhu),
Rock on page 3 of this issue. weird arthropods, the Wailing Writher, shoggoth-
‘Sedna’, the name of the Deep One priestess in spawn, a large shoggoth, a star-spawn of Cthulhu,
question, is probably taken from Inuit mythology, Father Dagon*
where she is the Goddess of marine animals and ruler Tomes: Book of Dagon
of the Underworld. Notes: A six-part scenario, with each objective divided
into three scenes. The scenes are then run in a manner
Old Acquaintance weaving the sextet together in a wholly cinematic
manner — the failures and successes in each scene
Before the Fall, Chaosium
impacting the others, adding a sense of tension
Author: Mike Dula
and setting clear stakes. There is nothing truly like
Summary: The titular old acquaintance, Willy Harsen,
it anywhere else in Call of Cthulhu and perhaps in
asks for the investigator’s help after an accident in
roleplaying gamedom all together.
Innsmouth earns him the wrath of the inhabitants.
Much of the scenario served as ‘inspiration’ for
Soon he falls victim to an unknown party, leaving it
portions of the game Dark Corners of the Earth.
to the investigators to uncover the source of his attack.
Settings: Innsmouth
Locations: Nick Casper (I1006), Dr. Bloom (I608), First
National Grocery (I702), The Garden (I605), Fishermen’s
Shacks (I903), The Lodger [Kermit A. Rawes] (I601)
* Yes, that Dagon. There is a reason the players get machine
guns, flamethrowers, and naval artillery.
113
Section Name • Page Contents
Other Deep One Material Thor’s Anvil — Nocturnem, Book 2: Hollow Winds
The Watchers of Walberswick — White Dwarf #50
Deep Ones appear in numerous scenarios; those listed here The Yorkshire Horror — Cthulhu by Gaslight¶
make use of them in some way beyond simply including
Africa
them as a side encounter or as muscle for an otherwise
The Cairo Guidebook
unrelated cult.
Death in Luxor
The Bay of Nouadhibou — Aspirations
New England
Asia
The Brockford House (Maine) — Call of Cthulhu Rulebook*
Secrets of Japan
Deep Trouble (Boston) — Challenge Magazine #54
Shanghai — Masks of Nyarlathotep
The Horrible Secret of Monhegan Island (Maine)
The Lonely Point Lighthouse (Connecticut) Oceana
— Island of Ignorance Destroying Paradise, Hawai’ian Style — Atomic Age Cthulhu
The Star on the Shore Grace Under Pressure
The Walsh Family (Massachusetts) — Island of Ignorance† Project π — Worlds of Cthulhu #1
“The Dollars of Dagon” The Unspeakable Oath #19‡ The Vanishing Ensign — Ticket of Leave #4,
Convicts & Cthulhu
Further Afield Other/Multiple
North America The City in the Sea — Cthulhu Now
Arkham Case Files: Deep Morgue Delta Green (see box, opposite)
The Bermuda Triangle
Black Cod Island — Delta Green: Targets of Opportunity Other Lovecraftian Games
By the Bay — Day of the Beast
Heroes of the Sea (Achtung! Cthulhu)
Coming of Age — Unseen Masters
Guide to the Pacif ic Front (Achtung! Cthulhu)
Lurker in the Crypt — Fatal Experiments
Shadows of the North — Guide to the Eastern Front
Secrets of New Orleans
(Achtung! Cthulhu)
Secrets of New York
In the Pink — Shadows of Atlantis (Achtung! Cthulhu)
Secrets of San Francisco
Hideous Creatures: The Deep Ones (Trail of Cthulhu)
Spawn of the Deep§ — Blood Brothers
Sisters of Sorrow (Trail of Cthulhu)
The Starshrine — Lurking Fears
“The Wreck” — Arkham Detective Tales
Waiting for the Hurricane — Pulp Cthulhu
(Trail of Cthulhu)
South America
The Watchers of Easter Island — Shadows of Yog-Sothoth
‘Keeping’ Innsmouth
Europe
Here is a guide to the Call of Cthulhu books of use to a
The Blandford Manor — The Whisperer #1
Keeper hoping to run a scenario or even a campaign set
Blood and Water — Cthulhu Britannica: Avalon,
in Innsmouth. Scenarios are described in the previous
The County Somerset
annotated list.
Devil’s Hole — In the Shadows
Fenland Fog — Dagon #9
Escape from Innsmouth (Out of Print)
The Last of Joy — Minions
Mouthbreathers — Minions The fundamental book for Innsmouth, it is unfortunately
Murmillo — De Horrore Cosmico out of print. The book presents the whole of Innsmouth
The Secret of Marseilles — King of Chicago as well as the much smaller settlements of Falcon Point
The Songs of Fantari — Fatal Experiments and Boynton Beach, with descriptions of the major
Uisge Beatha — Shadows Over Scotland figures within Innsmouth, including the Esoteric Order
Terror from the Skies of Dagon. The book also includes a new skill, “Innsmouth
Lore,” offering a mechanical way to describe the growing
* 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Editions only. awareness of Innsmouth’s dark secret. Unfortunately for
† More of an encounter or possible opposition group. the Keeper, the evocative portrait illustrations included in
The scenario is set somewhere along the Massachusetts the book too often make the inhuman nature of hybrids far
coast. One of the Walshes has a piece of Innsmouth too obvious, including a few who are supposed to interact
jewelry and is aware of the town. with outsiders frequently. This limits their use as a handout.
‡ Not a scenario per se, but includes some interesting
ideas for Innsmouth and its gold.
§ Technically the creatures in this scenario are called “Gillmen.” ¶ 1st and 2nd editions only.
114
Section Name • Page Contents
There are currently two editions of this book; the second Before the Fall
is expanded from the first and includes two additional
A quartet of scenarios set, as the title suggests, before the
scenarios — “The Crawford Inheritance” and a sixth
Raid. Details of the scenarios are provided in the annotated
objective for the “Raid on Innsmouth,” the Marsh Refinery.
list earlier in this article.
H.P. Lovecraft’s Kingsport Miskatonic University (PDF)
Several leads here point towards Innsmouth: an aged
As part of its description of the students at the University,
fisherman who once made the mistake to look for a
there is presented a post-Raid attempt to revivify the
catch near Innsmouth, a wayward Deep One hybrid, and
Esoteric Order of Dagon by three Innsmouth residents
information on the Ponape Scripture.
currently enrolled there. There is also additional material
on former Innsmouth resident Asenath Waite.
115