Monograph #402 - The Order of ST Jerome - Cthulhu Invictus - The Gods Hate Me

The Gods
Hate Me
And Six Other Scenarios for
Cthulhu Invictus
By
Oscar Rios
Liam Jones
Jason Williams
JP Chapleau
H Jesseman
Simon Yee
and
Max Nelson
Contents
Blood and Glory. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Clockwork Rome. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Death and Bane. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Lights on the Vesuvius. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Ursinus’ Animal show. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
The Gods Hate Me. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
The God Unknown. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
THE GODS HATE ME is published by Chaosium Inc.

THE GODS HATE ME © 2011 Chaosium Inc. as a whole; all rights reserved. Text for THE GODS HATE ME is © 2011 by the
respective authors. “Chaosium Inc.” and “Call of Cthulhu” are registered trademarks of Chaosium Inc.
Similarities between characters in THE GODS HATE ME and persons living or dead are strictly coincidental.
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Chaosium Inc., 22568 Mission Blvd. #423, Hayward, CA 94541-5116 U.S.A.
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Chaosium publication 0402
ISBN-10: 1-56882-358-4
ISBN-13: 978-1-56882-358-4
Published in October 2011
Printed in the United States
2
Blood and Glory
An Original Scenario for Cthulhu Invictus
By Oscar Rios
One illustr ation by Daniel Song
Introduction – This scenario takes place dur- or neither of these cases in the allotted time. If
ing a three-day holiday celebrated with gladi- either threat remains unresolved on the night
atorial games. Precisely where or when is up after the close of the festival a great massacre
to individual Keepers. The scenario can take occurs. Investigators should be unaware of the
place anywhere in the empire as long as there time restraints they face. The two investigations
is a suitable urban center, market place, slum are called “Blood” and “Glory”.
and amphitheatre. For simplicity sake “Blood
and Glory” is written to take place in the city Blood – A wealthy woman in attendance at the
of Rome. The market place is Trajan’s Market games is not what she seems. The pale beautiful
on Quirinal Hill and the slum is Rome’s Subura woman, calling herself Vatina Corvillia, is not
neighborhood. The arena where these games human. She is the offspring of the cursed half-
take place is the Flavian Amphitheatre, also serpent creature, called Lamia. Vatina, a daugh-
known as The Coliseum. ter of the Lamia, is one of the first vampires.
Just why the games are being held is un- She is exceptional among her kind and has con-
important. They could be to celebrate a holi- cealed herself within Roman Society. By using
day, a military victory or sponsored by a poli- her good looks, charm, and money she has so
tician to gain favor before an election. During far managed to avoid detection. Vatina makes
the games strange things happen which inves- certain to keep her gaze lowered when speaking
tigators can become embroiled in if they so to anyone, so that her serpentine eyes do not
choose. Blood and Glory works well as a “drop- betray her inhuman nature. She owns a high-
in” scenario between longer more involved ad- end metalworking shop, which produces some
ventures. It is also suitable for smaller groups of the finest blades in the city.
of investigators, although Keepers may wish to The trio of smiths she employs also serves
scale back some of the encounters. It is ideal her as bodyguards. They are also not what they
as an unexpected adventure, something inves- seem. They are Bouda, shape-changing crea-
tigators fall into while trying to enjoy a day at tures able to shift between human form and
the games (“Why does this keep happening to that of an enormous hyena. Such creatures are
us?”). famed for their metalworking skills and these
are no exception, producing weapons of re-
Keeper’s Information – During the holiday markable quality, which are then sold from
events unfold over the three days and nights Vatina’s shop.
of the celebration. What may confuse investi- Gladiatorial games always bring out the
gators is that Blood and Glory is actually two worst in Vatina. Being in large crowds, listen-
unrelated mysteries, involving completely dif- ing to the screams of the dying and smelling
ferent mythos adversaries, happening at the copious amounts of spilled blood send her
same time. Investigators may solve one, both, into a near frenzy of hunger. She has heard that
3
women of her means, such as herself, some- “one who fulfills his promises”), claims to be
times pay to have access to handsome gladia- an alchemist of the Igbo people who dwelt in
tors after the arena closes to sate their sexual land south of Regio Deserta (present day Nige-
urges. For these games the vampire has decid- ria). He is very dark-skinned, with black eyes
ed to treat herself and enjoy a “taste” of such and teeth. Ekwueme is The Black Man, Avatar
pleasures for herself. of Nyarlathotep. He offered Hadrianis a very
Vatina feeds off the gladiators she cou- special tonic, which would restore not only his
ples with. Her activities become more reckless vitality but grant him great strength as well,
each night as she drains the men closer and for the price of a single denarius.
closer towards the point of death. The gladi- After the aged gladiator purchased the
ators she feeds upon appear tired the follow- tonic the Black Man delivered a warning,
ing day and deliver lackluster performances. “Drink no more than a few sips. The gods do
Men famed for vitality and physical prowess not like mortals to raise up to rival their might.
take the sands appearing weak and sickly. The A few sips and no more”. The bottle contained
promoters and crowds are not pleased. Final- five full swallows of the enchanted tonic. The
ly gladiators begin to die, first from accidents stage is set for chaos and tragedy, which is just
Vatina indirectly causes and later by her direct what Nyarlathotep intended.
actions. Unless stopped by investigators Vatina Hadrianis takes a few sips, and feels as
completely loses control at a party (Bacchana- strong and fit as he did in his prime. He re-
lia) held after the closing of the games, going turns to the sands of the arena restored to the
on a blood soaked rampage at the hedonistic full measure of his abilities. But soon he can-
celebration. not resist drinking more of the elixir, keep-
ing it on his person at all times. With each sip
Glory – There are very few old gladiators, his strength increases, but his self-control and
which is fortunate because theirs is a sorrow- humanity slip away. Hadrianis grows more
ful existence. They remember the roar of the bloodthirsty and bestial with each dose he im-
crowds, being a moment from death and never bibes until he becomes an abomination. The
feeling more alive, the admiration of tens of main ingredient of the tonic is the tear of a Cy-
thousands of fans. For one such man, the days clops, a creature known for it’s great strength
of glory are gone and life has become a slow, and cannibalistic tendency. In the end Hadri-
miserable march to the grave. Once called “The anis gains a hunger for human flesh. Unless in-
Lion of the Sands”, Hadrianis is long past his vestigators stop him the gladiator becomes a
prime. At forty-seven years old he is past the monster, a danger to everyone and everything
age where he can compete in the games, too around him.
slow and weak to do more than disgrace him-
self. He earned his freedom long ago but in his Mistaken Connections – The two threads of
heart remains enslaved to the arena. Desperate investigation are fairly straightforward. Their
for money Hadrianis recently accepted a posi- opposing natures (an older man gaining vitali-
tion as a coach and trainer with Ludus Gallicus ty while younger men are debilitated), may lead
(a gladiator training school) owned by Sestius investigators into thinking these are connected
Donicus. events. A careful look at the evidence eventually
Hadrianis feels his life is barely worth liv- shows investigators these events are unrelated.
ing and would give anything to return to his Should investigators not realize this one of the
glory days. He said as much to Didius Asina, threats may reach it ultimate, and tragic, con-
his usual apothecary, who referred him to an clusion.
African potion dealer he’d dealt with in the
past. The man, named Ekwueme (meaning
4 k Blood and Glory

The Non-Player Characters – There are a Gavrus, Tanicus, Sellic and Leon - Guards in
number of NPC’s for the investigators to in- the employ of Ludus Dacicus
teract with. Most have nothing to do with the
mythos threats disrupting the games but a few Friends
do possess information which could be helpful
Livia – Landlady and neighbor of Hadrianis.
to investigators. Keepers should add whatever
other NPC’s they feel necessary to further flesh Didius Asina - Well-known apothecary treating
out their particular adventure. Hadrianis and setting him on a dark path.
Gl a di ator s, Owner s, Fans of the Games

Tr a iner s a nd Nectiva Fadilla - Patrician woman and fan of
Orga nizer s handsome gladiators, especially after dark.
Mythos Threats Fannius Cimber - Patrician man holding a party

for the gladiator owners and managers.
Vatina Corvillia – Daughter of the Lamia and
fan of the games.
Badru, Bakari and Baruti – Bouda in the service A Day at the Games
of Vatina Corvillia. A day of games opens with a parade led by the
editor, or organizer, of the games. The games
Hadrianis – Troubled former gladiator currently
begin with staged mock combat matches fol-
under the influence of Nyarlathotep. lowed by displays of exotic animals. Some ani-
mals are trained to perform tricks while others
Ekwueme – African Alchemist and The Black
were pitted against one another in combat. Just
Man, Avatar of Nyarlathotep. before lunch there might be a wild animal hunt
where specialized gladiators, called Bestiarii,
Ludus Gallicus or Gallic School would dispatch captured beasts.
Sestius Donicus – School official and manager At lunchtime come public executions where
who offered Hadrianis a trainer’s position. criminals and prisoners of war are put to deaths
in the most degrading, dramatic and painful
Corvus - A well-known gladiator who defeated, ways imaginable. The condemned are fed to
yet admires, Hadrianis before his retirement. beasts, pitted against one another in lethal com-
bat or even reenact famous historical deaths
Vocula, Tasius, Pantera, Rullus and Pennus - and battles. This is thought to be a deterrent to
Gladiators of the Ludus Gallicus petty crime and insurrection.
Afternoon brings on the main events, the gladi-
Agorix, Docilus, Laena and Fronto - Guards in ators. These men, well armed and superbly
the employ of Ludus Gallicus trained, are masters of their art. They are very
expensive to own and maintain, possibly only
Ludus Dacicus or Dacian School performing a handful of times each year. Gladi-
ators are celebrities and sex symbols who are
Junis Noster - School official, manager and greatly admired. However they are also despised
veteran trainer. for being public performers and often slaves.
Flax, Crassus, Aratus, Cenaeus and Sigils -

Gladiators of the Ludus Dacicus
Blood and Glory k 5

Ovidius Glycia and Modia - Hedonistic him out of it fearing he’ll be seriously in-
patrician couple hosting a party (Orgy). jured or killed.
Timeline – Blood and Glory is an open-ended Newsreaders publicly announce that the
scenario. Just how investigators conduct their legendary Hadrianis is making a return
investigation is up to them. Keepers need only to the arena. He will fight in a re-match
follow the time line of events and react to the against Corvus, the only man who ever
actions of the investigators. Investigators who beat him.
sit back watching and waiting for the keeper to
engage, or “hook” them may run out of time as The parade takes place. Hadrianis marches
events spiral out of control. in it to the surprise of many looking very
fit. Vatina Corvillia and her bodyguards
Timetable sit in the un-shaded section of the arena,

which gets the most sun. It is an unpopu-
lar section but she sits here despite the fact
The Day and Night before the Games that better seats are available.
Hadrianis drinks a few sips of the Essence Staged combat matches take place followed
of Vitality tonic, then visits the editor of by the animal acts. All proceeds normally.
the games to request a match in the up-
coming events. The organizer, stunned Lunchtime arrives and war captives are ex-
by the aged champion’s excellent physical ecuted, possibly from Judea. Some are fed
condition, agrees and puts Hadrianis on to hungry bears while others are made to
the schedule. duel one another to the death.
Vatina Corvillia visits the pens of Lu- Afternoon arrives and the gladiatorial
dus Gallicus in the arean. She bribes the matches begin. Vocula and Tasius perform
guards Agorix and Laena to have access poorly. Both men seem tired, slow and
to two gladiators. She couples with Vocu- clumsy. They quickly lose their match-
la and then Tasius, draining both but re- es, soundly and to the annoyance of the
strains her urges and doesn’t seriously crowd.
harm either. Hadrianis walks out onto the sands look-
Vatina Corvillia runs into Nectiva Fadil- ing as vigorous as a man half his age. He
la as she leaves the arena. The women talk fights Corvus, toying with his opponent
and Nectiva boasts of having visited the before beating him badly. It is a stunning
gladiators of Ludus Davicus. Both agree to upset and the crowd goes wild with excite-
switch places the following night, to sam- ment.
ple the men of the other training schools. Corvus is badly hurt. Arena physicians say
he’ll likely need a year to recover before he
The First Day can possibly fight again. Sestius Donicus is
furious as the match was not supposed to
Hadrianis meets with Sestius Donicus, of
be to the death.
the Ludus Gallicus, at the Flavian Amphi-
theatre. He informs the manager the he Hadrianis schedules another match with
can’t accept the position as a trainer but is the games editor for the following day.
instead making a comeback to the arena. His opponent will be a group of prison-
Sestius and Corvus desperately try to talk
6 k Blood and Glory

ers, war captives from a recent revolt (pos- kills two men and badly mauls a third. Ad-
sibly Judea). ditional beastarii enter the arena and cor-
ner the animal. The lion is netted, but not
Vatina Corvillia goes to the baths for an killed. The announcer then proclaims that
hour after the games and then home. tomorrow a new team of hunters will test
their skills against the killer white lion.
The First Night
Lunch break begins and the executions
Hadrianis walks home. Once there he be- take place.
comes nervous about his chances against
a group of armed men. He contemplates Ten prisoners, armed with pugio, are set
taking another dose of the Tonic, feeling against three fully armed gladiators. One
an almost physical urge to do so. Hadri- of them is Crassus, who is weakened from
anis tries to eat some dinner but every- being fed upon by Vatina the night before.
thing tastes wrong. He starts feeling dizzy, He looks tired, his blows and parries slop-
anxious and confused. py. It’s obvious he is nowhere near peak
condition.
Vatina Corvillia leaves her home at sunset
and returns to the Coliseum to feed. Suddenly one of the prisoners knocks
Crassus off his feet. Several prisoners con-
Hadrianis takes another swallow of the verge on Crassus, stabbing him several
Tonic of Vitality. He falls deeply asleep as times before other gladiators rescue him.
the potion does its insidious work, turning He is carried off the sands in a stretcher.
him into something not quite human. The crowd is stunned; prisoners seldom
get the better of “real” trained gladiators.
Vatina Corvillia and Nectiva Fadilla, along
with other wealthy women, visit with the Hadrianis takes the sands appearing larg-
gladiators after the arena closes. The pair er than yesterday; with rippling muscles,
switches gladiator teams; Nectiva visiting thick flowing hair and a half-crazed look
Ludus Gallicus and Vatina visiting Ludus in his eyes. His opponents are seven armed
Dacicus. men, rough looking rebel leaders from a
recent revolt. The men are war captives,
The vampire bribes the guard Sellic and
trained soldiers and killers with nothing
spends time with the gladiators Crassus
to lose. The match begins and Hadrianis
and Aratus, feeding from both men.
kills three of the men before being dis-
Before heading to their respective homes armed by a club blow to his hand (which
Vatina and Corvilla share wine and gossip should have crushed it). Hadrianis grabs
about the experiences that evening. the club wielder with a roar and beats him
to death with his bare hands. The gladi-
The Second Day ator flies into a rampage, pummeling the
remaining three prisoners to death with
The games progress normally with mock punches, kicks and head butts. Hadrianis
combats followed by animal acts. even dislocates one of the prisoner’s arms
as he tosses him about like a rag doll.
One of the animal hunt turns into a blood-
bath. An odd looking mane less lion with The match ends with Hadrianis covered
light fur turns the tables on the hunters. in blood, panting and bare-chested. His
The cunning and powerfully built beast armor is discarded and his clothing lies
Blood and Glory k 7

shredded. Investigators making an Idea fused. He is told that he might be overex-
roll notice the gladiator is barefoot as well. posed and shouldn’t overdo it. The editor
While not noticeable from a distance the points out that his hand is injured and that
gladiator exits the arena larger than when maybe he should “get some rest”. Hadri-
he entered it. While many cheer wildly anis’s appearance and demeanor frightens
some of the crowd, well used to gore, are the organizers. The gladiator leaves and
shocked by the savagery of the display. heads home.
The gladiator matches begin. In a match Vatina, her hunger heightened by the sav-
between Aratus of Ludus Dacicus and Flax agery of the day, heads to a bathhouse (The
of Ludus Gallicus tragedy occurs. Aratus, baths of Agrippa). She loses control and
weakened from his encounter with Va- feeds on her lovely young male attendant,
tina, accidentally stumbles and drops his named Piso. She drains the young man to
guard too soon. He fails to block a tele- the point of death rendering him uncon-
graphed blow from his opponent, and the scious. Vatina claims to the owner that the
blade sails in opening a deep wound in his boy has fallen asleep, joking that she must
throat. Both men appear shocked as Ara- have worn him out. The vampire gives
tus falls to the ground bleeding. the owner, a man named Cerco, an aureus
(100 sesterii gold coin), asking that he not
The spectators are stunned as Aratus is a be punished and that she found him quite
crowd favorite and this wasn’t supposed to pleasing. Cerco lets the incident pass and
be a match to the death. Physicians quick- thinks nothing more of it. Piso slips into a
ly rush the fallen man into the arena for coma by midnight and dies the following
treatment, but he is done for. The gladia- afternoon.
tor is dead before he can be removed from
the sands. Hadrianis is rapidly losing control. His
hand is broken. He’s exhausted and dizzy.
In the final match of the day, between Pan- Hadrianis is very hungry. He buys various
tera of Ludus Gallicus and Cenaeus of Lu- food items on the way home but nothing
dus Dacicus, the match takes an ugly turn. tries to eats stays down. Hadrianis stum-
Out of nowhere Cenaeus goes full on for bles home, arriving there just before dark.
his opponent. What was supposed to be
a competitive display turns into a life or Vatina arrives at her home and remains
death struggle. This is sparked by the ear- there for a few hours. Her hunger still not
lier accidental death, the gladiator try- sated, the bathhouse boy’s blood only mak-
ing to gain vengeance for his fallen broth- ing it more acute. She impatiently awaits
er. With their owners screaming for the nightfall and a third visit to the Coliseum’s
men to stop, the gladiators brutally maim gladiator pens.
one another. Both are near death when
as they are carried off the sands*. Many The Second Night
in the crowd enjoy this spectacle, while
many others feel its “poor showmanship”. Hadrianis paces his apartment, in turmoil.
*Note – Both Pantera and Cenaeus are He wants to perform at the games tomor-
crippled by this incident and never per- row, but isn’t scheduled to appear. Hadri-
form again. anis cannot think straight or relax enough
to sleep. The gladiator feels terrible, from
After the games close Hadrianis demands his injuries, hunger and exhaustion.
another match from the editor, but is re-
8 k Blood and Glory

Vatina and her new friend Nectiva meet Vatina enters the cell of the Pennus. She
for a drink before entering the lower level grapples him, viciously coupling with him
of the Coliseum for a final night of sam- and feeding from him at the same time.
pling the gladiators. They split up again, The gladiator tries to resist but without an
Nectiva visiting the pens of Ludus Dacicus enchanted weapon he is powerless against
and Vatina those of Ludus Gallicus. the Child of the Lamia. His half stifled cries
are mistaken for vigorous copulation. Pen-
Vatina and Nectiva are both refused entry nus is completely drained of blood and his
by the guards of both schools. They have lifeless corpse left lying in his cell.
orders from the game’s editor to allow no
one into the gladiator pens due to the sus- Vatina meets up with Nectiva on the way
picion of ill or poisoning among the gladi- out of the gladiator pens. They chat and
ators. Nectiva invites Vatina to a special party
the next night. She explains that it’s a Bac-
Vatnia and Nectiva use their charm and chanalia, a religions celebration dedicated
wealth to get past the guards. Nectiva en- to the god Bacchus (i.e. - a drunken orgy),
ter the gladiator pens. held by Ovidius Glycia and his wife Mo-
dia. The vampire agrees to attend the par-
Hadrianis can stand it no longer; he just
ty and the women depart for their respec-
wants the pain to end… so he takes anoth-
tive homes.
er swallow of the tonic. And then another
swallow. He feels better, sighs and passes Vatina drops the keys to the gladiator pens
out falling into a deep slumber. His body in a random sewer grate on the way to her
undergoes further changes. home.
KEEPER’S NOTE – With this dose Hadri- Day Three

anis loses any chance of recovery, his human-
ity hopelessly lost. Investigators hoping to save The blood drained corpse of the gladiator
Hadrianis MUST intervene before this point. Pennus is discovered. A moment later a cell
is found with the bloodstained clothing of
Vatina gets carried away while applying the missing guards, Laena and Fronto.
her “charms” on Laena and Fronto, guards
for the Ludus Gallicus. She completely Sestius Donicus it outraged and confused.
drains both men of blood while coupling He meets with the editor of the games de-
with them. By the time the men realize manding compensation and causing a
their peril they are too weak to resist or huge scene.
raise an alarm. The vampire takes their
keys and orders her guards to dispose of A rookie gladiator takes Pennus’s place in
their bodies. the day’s line up. The show carries on as
best it can.
Badru, Bakari and Baruti drag the bodies
of the slain guards to an empty, secluded A very bestial looking Hadrianis shows up
cell within earshot of their mistress. They at the Coliseum. He pushes his way into
take turns taking watch while the others the editor’s office and demand’s anoth-
transform into hyena form to feast upon er match. Guards are summoned but all
the corpses. Nothing but clothing remains are stunned and horrified by the man’s ap-
by 3am. pearance, barely recognizing him. The edi-
Blood and Glory k 9

tor tries to calm Hadrianis and calls for a es the lion inflicted on the monster begin
physician to look him over. to close and heal before everyone’s eyes.
Hadrianis, now a monstrous thing that was The beastarii recover from their shock
once a man, resists. He battles with guards, and charge the monster. They thrust at
badly injuring several people before es- him with their spears, scoring hits into his
caping into the tunnels under the arena. thick hide. Guards pour onto the sands
Hadrianis hides there while guards make a with weapons drawn. They quickly sur-
half-hearted search, having no wish to en- round Hadrianis.
counter the monster they were sent into
the tunnels to find. The creature that was once Hadrianis at-
tacks the beastarii and guards, going into a
The morning events proceed normally. rampage. He kills nine men with his bare
The “Legendarye Lion” is then released hands with the last of hs victims having
onto the sands for another wild animal his left arm torn off at the shoulder. Re-
hunt. It is now hunted by three of the flexively the creature lifts the arm to its
most famous beastarii in Rome. mouth, takes a hearty bite and swallows it
lustily.
Drawn by the sound of cheering crowds
Hadrianis wanders up from the tunnels to The creature suddenly stops, apparently
just under the sands. shocked by his own actions. He dives back
below the sands and rushes back into the
The mane less white lion once again proves tunnels from which he came. None dare
itself to be intelligent and vicious. It man- follow and Hadrianis escapes into the sew-
ages to ambush and kill one of the hunters. Those viewing this must make a sanity
ers. The other two close on it, working to- check for 0/1d3.
gether, to kill the now deadly predator.
The crowd roars with excitement and ex- Many in attendance are confused, unsure
pectation. if what they witnessed was part of the pro-
gram or not. People begin leaving until
Suddenly, from below the sands, bursts a about half the seats are empty.
monster that was once a man. With a howl
Hadrianis leaps at the lion, punching at it The spectacle continues, with more match-
with his massive, powerful fists. The lion es between exhausted gladiators, supple-
delivers several bites and rakes with its mented by new mostly unknown fighters.
claws, seriously maiming Hadrianis before
being killed. The hunters recoil in horror Vatina Corvillia stays until the end of day,
and are stunned with shock. enjoying the bloody spectacle. The Child of
the Lamia has gorged herself for days but
The inhuman monster, with huge rip- it has only whet her appetite for more.
pling muscles, crazed eyes and anvil like
fists roars in victory, holding the dead lion The games end on a sour note. Many spec-
over its head. It hurls the dead animal into tators rush to attend various dinner parties
the stands where the carcass kills two peo- being hosted across the city. Vatina, a vam-
ple and wounds dozens of others. Hadri- pire in the thrall of bloodlust, is among
anis prances around, waving it’s arms to them. She visits a bathhouse before setting
encourage the fans to cheer, instead they out for the home of Ovidius Glycia.
gasp in fear. Meanwhile, the terrible gash-
10 k Blood and Glory

The Third Night bibing poppy juice (opiates), and engaging in
various sexual acts in pairs and groups. About
Vatina Corvillia arrives at the home of one third of the guests are masked to hide
Ovidius Glycia. She meets her friend Nec- their identity. The celebration spans multiple
tiva outside and enters with her. Nectiva rooms throughout the villa. In the center of it
introduces her around and Vatina is wel- all are Ovidius Glycia and his wife Modia. The
comed to the celebration (see “The Bac- couple is wealthy, beautiful and totally hedo-
chanalia”). nistic. So long as investigators do not cause a
disruption they are welcome to stay and par-
The monster that Hadrianis has become is
ticipate. Shortly after Vatina Corvilla arrives
ravenously hungry. He dimly recalls there
with her bodyguards the celebration takes a
is a feast at the home of Fannius Cimber
murderous turn.
tonight. He was invited to it. He feels sick
and confused. He must eat… He ate some- A Bloody End – Vatina, Child of the Lamia,
thing delicious recently… Was it human mingles at the party for about an hour before
flesh? Hadrianis can’t think straight. His she loses total control of herself. She orders her
head won’t stop is pounding. He drinks bodyguards to lock down the residence. They
the last bits of the Tonic of Vitality, in- quietly murder the guards, lock all the doors
stantly feels better and passes out for an and kill anyone attempting to leave the villa.
hour. Once they have secured the building Vatina be-
gins to feed.
Hadrianis awakens, the pain and con- The vampire goes mad with bloodlust,
fusion is gone, all is suddenly clear. The feeling invulnerable due to her innate immu-
creature emerges from the sewers into the nities. Vatina drains those she grapples with,
night. He climbs to a rooftop and crosses leaving a trail of corpses in her wake. Soon
the city, heading to the home of Fannius her actions are discovered as the victims are
Cimber. The creature leaps easily between noticed and people begin to panic. As screams
buildings, traveling from rooftop to roof- fill the air Vatina orders her minions to kill ev-
top. The man that was Hadrianis is now eryone.
an abomination, an enormous slavering The three Bouda take their monstrous
brute with a near insatiable hunger for hu- hyena form and begin mauling partygoers to
man flesh. His thoughts are “Food there, death. Vatina joins them, drawing her dagger
know what to eat now…must feed” (see and laughing maniacally. She dances through
“The Feast”). the panicked guests, slashing them with her
The Bacchanalia – The villa of Ovidius Glycia fine blade, biting and draining blood from her
is in the Esquiliae neighborhood of Rome, high victims. The Child of the Lamia has lost all
on the slopes of Esquiline Hill. Investigators at- self-control and drops her façade of humanity.
tempting to enter the party without an invita- She revels in the monster she is. Unless stopped
tion or in the company of someone who does by investigators both she and her minions kill
must make a successful Fast Talk roll to get past everyone in the villa in an insane killing spree.
the door guards. Those failing are refused entry Should this happen this part of the scenario
and politely asked to leave the premises. This ends in failure.
lavish villa currently hosts about seventy guests, The Party of Fannius Cimber – This party, at
slaves, servants and hired professional. the villa of Fannius Cimber, is located in the
A statue representing Bacchus is promi- Caelimontium neighborhood of Rome on the
nently displayed in the main dining area. Ev- Caelian Hill. Fannius Cimber is of senatorial
eryone here is drinking, smoking hemp, im-
Blood and Glory k 11

rank and his residence reflects that, being large ing their tragic, murderous endings. There are
and richly appointed. Investigators trying to at- many NPC’s to question and information to
tend this dinner without an invitation or in the be gathered. Just whom investigators speak to,
company of someone who does must make a what course of action they follow and how they
successful Fast Talk and Status roll or will not attempt to resolve the two crises are all in their
be admitted by the guards. hands.
This dinner is a formal affair with most of People to See - Investigators may attempt
the guests being owners, managers and wealthy to speak with various people during the course
fans of gladiatorial games in Rome. There are of the investigation. Some of these interviews
fifty guests here, mostly wealthy men and their provide investigators information and further
wives. A handful of freed and famous gladia- leads which allowing them to develop a clearer
tors are in attendance as well, but more as con- picture of what’s going on. Keepers determine
versation pieces and not as true guests. The when investigators need to make Fast Talk,
gladiators tell stories and answer questions Persuade or Status checks while meeting with
for the star struck partygoers. The guests are these various NPC’s and when such informa-
spending the night at the villa so the multi- tion is freely shared depending on the specific
course dinner is scheduled to proceed until situation.
sometime after midnight. Gladiator Managers – Investigators
Unless stopped beforehand, the Abom- wishing to speak to the gladiator officials of
ination arrives at the villa shortly after dark. Ludus Gallicus and Ludus Dacicus must find
Drawn by clouded memories and an all-con- or create a reason to do so. Both men are busy
suming hunger for human flesh the creature managing their stable of gladiators and deal-
crashes the party, literally. While it may pass ing with the apparent health issues plaguing
thousands of possible victims on the way to some of their performers. The longer the mys-
the villa, it does not harm them. In the beasts tery remains unsolved the more men “fall ill”
twisted mind the party is where the food is. and eventually die. The managers begin to
Once it reaches the villa the Abomination grow desperate and take measure in an effort
smashes its way inside through a door, win- to protect their teams.
dow or the roof if need be and begins killing Sestius Donicus of Ludus Gallicus – Ses-
everyone within its reach. tius is a 27 year-old equestrian man who per-
The creature greedily gobbles down bites sonally owns a stable of fifteen gladiators and
of its prey’s flesh before moving onto its next has a position as a manager with Ludus Gal-
terrified victim. The Abomination wrecks ut- licus. He’s inherited this position from his fa-
ter chaos and destruction until Fannius Ci- ther, who died a year ago, and is beginning to
mber’s guards and the gladiators in attendance make a name for himself. Sestius has a strategy;
eventually bring it down. In the end fifty-six he trains and promotes very handsome gladi-
people, a mix of guests, guards, slaves, servants ators who fans adore as much for their looks
and gladiators in attendance, lie dead, dying as for their fighting abilities. Women love his
or crippled. If the situation degenerates to this gladiators. It is a strategy that earns him good
point this section of the adventures, Glory, profit but little respect from his peers.
ends in failure for the investigators. Sestius is a bit of an upstart, not terribly
secure in his position. He fears the older and
The In v estigation more established owners might try to squeeze
him out of his position within the training
The investigators must interrupt the timeline school. He hoped to build credibility by hir-
of events with their actions and prevent the ing the famous former gladiator Hadrianis as
“Blood” and “Glory” storylines from reach-

a trainer and when this fails his confidence he isn’t overly concerned. Junis disdainfully
takes a serious hit. comments, “Let the young pup have his pretty
On Blood - Sestius believes the cause of boys for the ladies. Me? I train champions.”
his men falling ill is poisoning. Although he On Blood - When things start to go
has no proof of it he suspects this was done wrong Junis theorizes that some sort of ill-
on the orders of his rival in the Ludus Daci- ness is spreading through the gladiator pens.
cus, Junis Noster. He has his Ludus physicians He calls in physicians, has fresh water brought
search for signs of poisoning; both in his men in and pays a priest of Nike to bless his men’s
and their kitchen, but such efforts prove fruit- holding area. On the second day of the games
less. As a precaution on the second day of the he orders all his men’s clothing and bedding
games Sestius has the slaves preparing the food replaced with the discarded items burned.
for his gladiators questioned/beaten. Should the problem persist Junis has hot food
On Glory - Sestius tells investigators brought in for his men from the Ludus Daci-
Hadrianis quit soon after accepting a posi- cus School in Rome. Once the first acciden-
tion within Ludus Gallicus as a trainer. The tal death occurs he orders a lock down on the
reason for this being that the retired gladiator gladiator pens, instructing the guards not to
intended to make a comeback. Sestius claims admit anyone after hours.
to have tried to talk him out of it but Hadri- Gladiator Guards – The guards of both
anis refused. He was worried Hadrianis would Ludus Galicus and Ludus Dacicus are loyal,
be crippled or killed as the last time he fought dedicated and professional. They all earn ex-
a match he was soundly beaten. After seeing tra money from the bribes of wealthy women
how well Hadrianis performs Sestius com- seeking to spend time with the gladiators they
ments, “Looks like that potion seller he’s been watch over. It’s a perk the men benefit from but
going to might be onto something.” try to keep quiet about. If pressed the guards
Investigators asking about the po- admit to it but try to protect themselves and
tion seller are told, “He’s called Didius Asi- their positions within the Ludus. It’s some-
na, makes tonics to reduce swelling, salves to thing everyone knows about but nobody likes
limit scaring, oils to sooth torn muscles, that talking about. The guards from each school are
sort of thing. He has a booth in Trajan’s Mar- friendly with one another, sharing a brother-
ket. Hadrianis has given him a fortune over hood and professional courtesy. Should any of
the years. But the problem isn’t an injury or them be killed the remaining guards become
illness. He’s simply past his prime, you can’t very wary, attacking first and asking questions
turn back the seasons.” later.
Junis Noster of Ludus Dacicus- Junis is On Blood – The guards cooperate with
a 45 year-old former gladiator, now a wealthy the investigators so long as their respective
freedman. He has been involved with gladia- boss approves it. They are concerned for the
torial games, in various aspects, for his entire gladiator’s health and safety. These men are
adult life. There are few who could rival his eager to solve this mystery as they suspect
experience or knowledge of this industry, and they’ll somehow be punished because of it.
although his social class is low he’s well paid The guards will easily recall the women who
and respected by his peers. Junis is the senior visited each gladiator and can describe Vatina
trainer at Ludus Dacicus, the very school he Corvillia and her guards.
himself attended. The man is fit, serious and The guards offer the following informa-
professional. tion about Vatina, “Lovely and well dressed,
Junis takes a dim view of Sestius Doni- wore a hooded cloak. She’s maybe twenty win-
cus and his tactic of appealing to female fans. ters old with a cold, seductive voice. Kept her
However, so long as everyone makes a profit eyes lowered, all respectful like, a real lady. I

think this was her first time visiting the pens, borhood is fairly new. Although the business
as we’ve never seen her before. The lady had opened just three years ago it already has a rep-
three goons with her, Egyptians I think, as utation of producing some of the finest blades
guards. Rough looking chaps, carried ham- in all of Rome. Weapons purchased here cost
mers on their belts. She was chatting with an- five to ten times normal market rate (1d6+4),
other one of our regulars on her way out, Nec- but also have 50% more Hit Points. Custom-
tiva Fadilla, but you didn’t hear any of this ers are seen by appointment only and the shop
from me.” will be closed for the three-day holiday dur-
ing the games. It is perhaps the finest smithy
Average Guards of Ludus Gallicus and Ludus shops in the city and has a roomy, quite luxu-
Dacicus rious apartment above it.
STR 14 DEX 12 INT 9 CON 14 APP 10
The only times Vatina and her body-
POW 11 SIZ 15 SAN 55% EDU 13 HP 14 guards are in the shop during the games are
MP 11 DB +1d4 between 5pm and 7pm, after visiting the
Weapons: Fist/Punch 65%, 1d3+db, Grapple 35%, baths on her way home and from 4am until
Club 70%, 1d6+1+db. 7am, when she returns to the Coliseum. In-
Armor: Soft Leather (2 Points of protection).
vestigators attempting to break into the house
Skills: Insight 40%, Listen 50%, Spot Hidden 55%.
are required to make a successful Climb and
Sneak roll, enabling them to shimmy up and
Nectiva Fadilla – This wealthy patrician wom- in through a 2nd story window. Investigators
an is of senatorial rank, her father being a cur- failing either roll must make a successful Luck
rent senator. She is young, beautiful, shame- check. Should they fail someone in the neigh-
less in her actions and aware of the power her borhood notices the attempt and summons
father can exert on her behalf. Nectiva cannot the local Vigilis, who arrive on the scene to in-
be intimidated and is well protected by several vestigate in 10-30 minutes (1d3*10).
highly skilled guards.
However, investigators engaging her in Average Vigilis (*1d3+1)
open and friendly conversation find her to be
quite personable. She is also a natural gossip
POW 12 SIZ 14 SAN 60% EDU 13 HP 14
and if treated with respect, flattered or flirted MP 12 DB +1d4
with, readily shares information. If any inves-
Weapons: Fist/Punch 65%, 1d3+db; Grapple 35%,
tigators catch her interest she may invite them
Club 70%, 1d6+1+db.
to the Bacchanalia being hosted by Ovidius
Armor: Soft Leather (2 Points of protection).
Glycia at the close of the games.
Skills: Insight 55%, Listen 50%, Persuade 35%, Spot
On Blood - She can identify the cloaked
Hidden 45%.
woman described by the guards as “My new
friend Vatina Corvilla. She is a merchant, owns Blood, Searching Vatina’s Shop - Investigators
a metalworking shop in Piscina Publica. Sells searching here can find four thousand sesterii
weapons, I think. She doesn’t have a husband, in coins, objects of art and merchandise. How-
like me, not that a husband would stop me. ever none of that is out of the ordinary. There
It’s her first time enjoying the games after the is a hidden shrine in Vatina Corvilla’s bedroom,
games if you take my meaning. I was showing which can be found by investigators making a
her the ropes. Everyone knows me back here; a successful Spot Hidden roll.
girl needs hobbies after all.” The shrine contains a four-foot tall mar-
Blood Location, Vatina Corvillia’s Met- ble statue and an offering bowl, stained with
alworking Shop & Home – This metalwork- dried blood. The statue depicts a beautiful
ing shop, located in the Piscina Publica neigh- woman with the lower body of an enormous

serpent. Investigators making a successful Oc- draw some assistance from passersby. If cor-
cult roll identify this creature as Lamia, the nered, she attempts to grapple an opponent
former lover of Zeus who was cursed by his and drain their blood to the point of death as
wife, Hera. Coiled at the base of the statue are quickly as possible. It is not possible for inves-
between two and four deadly King Cobras, de- tigators to negotiate a non-violent resolution
pending on the number of investigators. The with Vatina. Once she realizes investigators are
snakes, pets of Vatina, are trained to attack a threat to her or know her secrets the vampire
anyone opening the shrine’s door other than viciously attacks.
their owner. Blood, In Conclusion - If the Child of
the Lamia is defeated, her Boudra flee the area.
King Cobra (1d3+1), Guardians of the La- Investigators will be left with Vatina’s corpse,
mia’s Shrine and possibly those of her bodyguards, to deal
STR 11 CON 10 SIZ 13 POW 7 DEX 17
with. Investigators may also have some ex-
Move 9 HP 11 DB – 0 - plaining to do if the combat against Vatina
was public or drew attention. While the wom-
Weapons: Bite 50%, damage 1+ poison POT 16
an lives as a patrician of high rank all of that
Armor: None.
was false, she has no connections to any family
Skills: Hide in Cover 80%, Move Quietly 90%
in Rome. While many notice her absence, es-
Blood, Encountering Vatina Corvillia – In- pecially customers to her shop, there is no se-
vestigators approaching Vatina openly find her rious investigation to her death or disappear-
manner to be haughty, cold and evasive. The ance.
tone of her voice is condescending. She refus- Glory Location, Hadrianis’s Apartment
es to answer questions claiming the investiga- – Locating Hadrianis’s residence is a simple
tors have no authority over her and denies any matter for investigators. Investigators can as
wrongdoing even if caught in the act. Her body- Sestius Donicus where he lives, make a critical
guards, the deadly trio of inhuman Boudra, success on a Know roll (if they are residents of
shadow her wherever she goes. They delight in Rome) or simply follow the man home from
menacing anyone getting close to their mistress the Coliseum. Investigators trailing Hadrianis
and savagely attack anyone Vatina commands are only discovered if they fail a Luck Roll, as
them to. the gladiator is preoccupied and not expecting
The Child of the Lamia is foolishly over- anyone to be following him.
confident to the point of recklessness. Most Hadrianis lives in a five-story insu-
times, unless feeding, her Boudra handle all of la (apartment building) in the Porta Capena
her dirty work. The few times she was forced to neighborhood of Rome. He lives here alone in
defend herself were pitifully easy for her. Vati- modest fashion, having wasted his once con-
na knows enchanted weapons or spells are the siderable savings on quacks, potions, charms
only things that could harm her kind. She has and other “quick fixes” in an effort to reclaim
yet to encounter a single human armed with his former physicality. When home Hadri-
such a weapon or possessing any sort of arcane anis does one of two things; sleep deeply in a
knowledge whatsoever. trance-like state or pace in confusion, unable
If Vatina should encounter a real threat to eat or relax. His apartment is on the 4th
her demeanor instantly changes. She desper- floor and anyone entering the insula draws the
ately tries to escape the area, calling on her attention of Livia, the landlady living on the
bodyguards for help. The Child of the Lamia 2nd floor.
is perfectly willing to sacrifice them to ensure Livia the Landlady – This forty five year
her own safety. Vatina may call out for help, old widow inherited the building from her
trusting that a “woman” being attacked will husband a decade ago. She lives here, man-

aging the property with the help of her three jan’s Market. It is always a crowded bustling
adult sons. Numerous family members live ei- place of commerce.
ther in the building with her or in the immedi- Glory Location, The Apothecary Shop
ate area, allowing her to call on others for as- of Didius Asina – Located on the third terrace
sistance if need be. While now on in years it is of Trajan’s Market is the Apothecary shop of
clear that she was once a lovely woman. Livia Didius Asina. It is a high-end establishment
is cautious but friendly with a tragic sadness that offers some of the finest potions, medici-
behind her eyes. nal herbs and ointments available anywhere in
For the six years Hadrianis has lived here Rome. Most are brewed on the premises while
Livia’s cared for him, cooking him meals, others are imported from far and wide. The
cleaning his clothing and generally trying to owner is the master apothecary, Didius Asina.
catch his eye. But the older the gladiator grew Didius Asina - Asina is quite successful
the more distant he became. She hoped they and well off. He is good at what he does (Med-
could enjoy what’s left of their lives together icine 80%, Natural World 75%, Potions 95%),
but now fears Hadrianis will never be happy his services are in high demand and his steep
in his twilight years. Livia’s dream of them be- prices reflect that. He sacrificed much to gain
coming husband and wife is nearly dead yet what he now has, having made a pact with The
she still cares for him deeply. His recent be- Black Man nine years ago. The avatar of Nyar-
havior alarms her. lathotep gave Asina the knowledge to become
She tells investigators he sold his only re- one of the greatest apothecaries on earth.
maining slave and most of his possessions to However he was told that in return for this gift
pay for potions and salves from “a charlatan there would be one patient he could not save.
apothecary” named Didius Asina. She com- Six months after the bargain was struck that
ments that he is months behind in his rent but person turned out to be his wife Elisa, who
still traveled to Trajan’s market every week. died slowly and painfully of a wasting disease.
She feels his is throwing away his money and Asina learned his lesson and never summoned
future to chase the glories of his past. the Outer God again. However, he never for-
“Everyone gets old”, she explains, “Every- got the spell to do so.
one but the dead. It isn’t a curse. It’s a reward. If questioned about Hadrianis the apoth-
I have grandchildren now. I watch the young ecary explains that the gladiator became more
people move through their lives. I am happy, and more demanding for results as the years
but him… he wishes he would have died on went on. However Asina could not give him
the sands fifteen years ago. It breaks my heart what he wanted. He could not restore Hadri-
to say this but maybe it would have been bet- anis to the full measure of his prime. Final-
ter if he had.” ly, Hadrianis demanded a lethal poison to take
Glory Location, Trajan’s Market (or his own life, saying he would not live in his
other shopping area) – Trajan’s Market boasts current state. When Asina refused, the former
some of the best shopping in all of Rome. It gladiator became violent.
consists of five honey-colored bricked terrac- Afraid for his life and desperate the
es sloping 125 feet up the side of Quirinal hill. apothecary cast the spell “Contact Nyarlatho-
Each of the five terraces contains narrow ar- tep” for the insistent Hadrianis. Knowledge
cades facing over forty spacious shops apiece. flooded into Asina’s mind and he knew that
These shops sell all manner of goods from the Black Man, in the guide of Ekwueme, had
across the empire. The market also has many answered his call and come to Rome. He in-
bars and restaurants. The public grain dole is structed Hadrianis to seek out Ekwueme the
distributed on the uppermost terrace of Tra- African apothecary, who was currently work-

ing out of a booth in the Templum Pacis area few and no more. The gods are jealous and do
of the Subura, the city’s poorest slum. not look kindly on those who may rival their
Asina shares this information with the greatness.”
investigators should they make a successful Should investigators ask what would
Persuade check. He may or may not warn the happen if Hadrianis drank more than just a
investigators of Ekwueme’s true nature, as an few sips Ekwueme pauses with a wide smile
Avatar of the Outer God Nyarlathotep, de- before answering. “Why he would become
pending on how they’ve dealt with him up to an Abomination, a near mindless, slavering,
this point. While he feels badly about setting bloodthirsty monstrosity with a nigh insatia-
Hadrianis upon this path, he feels he was giv- ble hunger for human flesh. It would be an af-
en no choice. front to the Gods, nature and mankind. But
Glory Location, The booth of Ekwueme have no fear; I did warn him, I am sure he’ll be
– To find this booth the investigators must en- fine.” If an investigator asks if there is an an-
ter the Subura, Rome’s poorest region. The tidote for the tonic, Ekwueme confesses that
area is dirty and crowded, with unwelcom- there is none.
ing and rough-looking residents. No one here Gifts and Tempation - Ekwueme does of-
will give investigators directions to the to the fer some options to investigators, “You could
booth of Ekwueme, requiring them to wander become a match for Hadrianis with great
about the neighborhood looking for it. Find- strength of your own. See I have brewed AN-
ing the tiny, ragged looking booth requires the OTHER Tonic of Vitality. Or maybe with the
investigators make a successful Spot Hidden wisdom of the gods you could deduct a solu-
check. The booth is located deep in the Sub- tion that escapes even me. I have here a Phil-
ura, set up at the base of an alleyway between ter of Comprehension, able to raise your intel-
two buildings. It is little more than a table cov- ligence. Just a few sips mind you, no more…
ered by a filthy tablecloth, a selection of bot- Or maybe a great beauty could subdue him,
tles, apothecary tools, some cords of hanging look now, here I hold an Ointment of Come-
herbs and a stool. liness, giving the user a loveliness to rival that
Ewueme, The Black Man, Avatar of of Venus herself…” Each potion comes in a
Nyarlathotep - Ekwueme appears as a black large container, holding at least six uses. It is,
skinned African man possessing black with- of course, a trap. The Outer God Nyarlathotep
in black eyes. He is thin and dirty, his ready has no intention of helping anyone, wishing
smile showing many missing teeth. The few only to spread chaos and destruction through
teeth remaining to him are as black as his skin. the corruption of mankind (see The Potions
Ekwueme greets the investigators as friends, of Ekwueme).
welcoming them to his humble show and asks Ekwueme insists on giving the investiga-
how he may be of service. He speaks perfect, tors a sample of the Tonic of Vitality, glass pen-
formal Latin in a strong musical tone com- dants on leather cords holding three drops of
pletely out of place with his appearance. the tonic. He says, “If you are gravely wound-
If questioned about Hadrianis he admits ed, deathly ill or ever poisoned, drink down
to selling the gladiator a potion. “Yes, a fine the contents of these vials. You will be made
elixir, the Tonic of Vitality, made from the tear instantly healed and made whole.” Investiga-
of a heartbroken Cyclops” he says with a smile. tors drinking the contents of these vials are
“The man wanted his body restored to when healed to full hit points, cured of any illness
he was in his prime. No small thing, to reclaim and have all toxins purged from their system.
the flower of youth, but he met my consider- However this is also a trap because even this
able price, a golden aurei. I sold him the tonic small amount of tonic is enough to trigger an
with the instructions to just drink a few sips, a addiction (see The Potions of Ekwueme).

If the investigators do not possess an en- Sanity Loss: 0/1d2 Sanity points to see the Black Man
chanted weapon, or know a spell able to harm Glory, Encountering Hadrianis – The aged
a Child of the Lamia, Ekwueme sees a fur- gladiator is a complex man, unable to accept the
ther opportunity. He offers to sell the investi- diminished physical abilities old age inevitably
gators enchanted sica (curved daggers), for a brings. He feels cheated and betrayed by fate,
mere 15 sesterii. He explains that such daggers time and his own body. Hadrianis is ashamed
can harm creatures immune to natural weap- at the lack of his former abilities, his current re-
ons, “…say, like blood draining daughters of tirement and the defeat he suffered in his last
Lamia”. Ekwueme explains that the weapons performance in the arena. While he has lived
“give what they take and will be true when a long life the years have brought him no wis-
you need them most”. Investigators taking up dom, only regret. Investigators trying to talk to
these weapons are cursed. Once Vatina Corvil- him find him to be quite manic in nature, one
la is defeated the weapons turn into clouds of moment joyous over his return to performing
noxious black smoke (Pot 5). Any child pro- in the arena and the next deeply troubled, sad
duced by investigators after accepting these and unfocused.
weapons is always a girl, and always a Child of Hadrianis is not a bad person, only a des-
the Lamia! perate one. After being addicted to the potion
Should Ekwueme become convinced in- he becomes deeply afraid and lost. He knows
vestigators are not interested in purchasing his he shouldn’t take more of the potion and hates
potions, weapons or accepting his samples he himself for feeling the nearly uncontrollable
departs. The Black Man vanishes in a swirl of urge to do so. He feels the draw of the monster
shadows and rancid vapors. Thus subjecting he is becoming, something dark, primal and
everyone in a thirty-foot radius to the effects inhuman. However that monster is strong and
of a poison POT 5 attack and costs them 1/1d2 powerful, everything he once was and that age
sanity points. stole from him. Investigators have two possi-
Fighting Ekwueme – Investigators who ble ways to deal with Hadrianis; save him or
threaten Ekwueme risk provoking his wrath, stop him.
while those attacking him are in for a deadly Stopping Hadrianis - Investigators set
fight. While he has come to Rome primarily on stopping Hadrianis must either kill him
to make bargains and tempt people, The Black or subdue him. Slaying the man is no small
Man is a dangerous opponent. He may warn feat, especially after he begins transforming
investigators against threatening or insult- into monstrous or abominable form. He is a
ing him, claiming to be nothing more than an skilled fighter and remains in public most of
honest merchant peddling his wares and offer- the time. He is also well known, and liked, in
ing fair bargains. the insula where he lives. His neighbors will
Black Man, Ekwueme “He who keeps his come to his aid if he calls for help, summing
promises” the authorities if need be.
STR 23 CON 35 SIZ 17 INT 86 If captured and forcibly separated from
POW 50 DEX 20 Move 9 HP 26 the potion, which he carries on his person, the
Damage Bonus: +1d6 gladiator has no choice but to experience with-
Weapons: Touch 90%, damage 1D6 +db or 1d6 POW drawal. Investigators require a place to house
drain Hadrianis against his will for three days, un-
Armor: none, however he may regenerate hit points at a til the process is complete. Livia, the landla-
rate of 1d6 per Magic Point expended. dy, can easily supply such a place and would
Spells: Any as the keeper desires, including Dreamland be more than willing to help the investigators
spells, which he may use in the waking world just the
same as in the Dreamlands.
in saving Hadrianis, even against his will. The
gladiator survives the tortuous withdrawal fol-

lowed by months of slow recovery. His possible
The Potions of reactions to this can be anything from thank-
Ekwueme ing the investigators, attacking or having them
arrested or possibly taking his own life, depen-
The potions offered by The Black Man, in his
dent on the nature of the relationship investi-
guise as Ekwueme, raise a drinker’s ability score
gators have developed with Hadrianis.
to its possible maximum. Ekwueme has potions
for every ability score but they are dangerous Saving Hadrianis - Investigators can save
and addictive (see below). Repeated uses destroy Hadrianis by helping him save himself. It is
a drinker’s humanity and physically transform possible to talk him into giving the investi-
them through three stages in utterly horrific gators the Tonic of Vitality, although this re-
abominations. Statistics for the Abomination quires three Persuade rolls. This reflects the
created from the Tonic of Vitality, which raises deeply troubled state of Hadrianis’s mind and
CON, are included in this scenario. the multiple layers of his muddled thinking.
Addiction & Redemption: After ingesting even Investigators must persuade Hadrianis to (1)
a few drops of one of Ekwueme’s potions a per- accept a life outside of performing, (B) stop
son becomes addicted. They develop a power- taking the Tonic of Vitality, (C) turn over or
ful urge to consume more of the potion. Resist- destroy the remaining Tonic of Vitality. Unless
ing this urge requires an addicted individual the investigators persuade him to do all three
to make a daily POW check, POW*2 for a full of these things his resolve wavers and he re-
swallow or POW*4 for the contents of one of sumes taking the potion. The gladiator is more
Ekwueme’s sample vials. An investigator fail- than willing to lie and tell investigator what-
ing two such checks becomes an NPC un-
ever they want to hear, should their efforts at
til they can be forcibly freed of the addiction.
intervention fail.
This addiction continues until the consumer
takes three full doses of the potion, the person If investigators succeed in this course of
is freed from the addiction (see below) or the action, Hadrianis survives with a new outlook
addicted individual dies. Anyone taking a third on life. He views the pain of withdrawal as
dose is irreversibly transformed into an inhu- the greatest battle of his life. This gives him
man monstrosity. the wisdom and maturity so lacking in his life
until now. Hadrianis may take a job as a train-
To be free of the addiction a person must re-
sist, or be prevented from, drinking the potion er, possibly marry Livia and generally accepts
for three consecutive days. During this period, that the glory of his past should not destroy
addicted persons experience physical pain, diz- his future. He is forever grateful to the inves-
ziness, difficulty drinking and sleeping, the tigator who saved him from his greatest ene-
inability to eat and general confusion due to my, himself.
withdrawal. This takes a considerable toll on
the individual, who lose 1d3 Sanity points and
4 points of CON per day of withdrawal. Should The Monster s of
an addicted individual have a CON of 12 or less
the process proves fatal.
Blood a nd Glory -
Those who survive the effects of withdrawal Hadrianis, restored to his full natural vitality
slowly recover. Any statistics increased from the (First Day, one dose of Tonic of Vitality)
potion are lost. Lost CON points are recovered
at the rate of 1 per week (2 if under medical STR 16 DEX 13 INT 9 CON 15 APP 14
treatment) to a maximum of 8 points. The re- POW 12 SIZ 15 SAN 60% EDU 15 HP 15
MP 12 DB +1d4
maining 4 points of CON are permanently lost,
the person weakened for the remainder of their Weapons: Fist/Punch 75%, 1d3+db, Grapple 65%, Gla-
lives. dius 85%, 1d6+1+db; Trident 45%, 1d8+db;
Net 45%; Puglio 60%, 1d6+db;

Armor: Hardened Leather and Helmet (3 points of Vatina Corvillia (Child of Lamia, Blood-
protection). sucking Sunbather)
Small Shield 55%, 20HP
Skills: Conceal 65%, Insight 50%, Sneak 65%, Throw STR 14 CON 16 SIZ 13 INT 13 POW 12
50%. DEX 15 Move 8 HP 14 DB +1d4
Weapons: Grapple 45%, damage blood drain (see
Hadrianis, Enhanced beyond a natural state below)
(Second Day, two doses of Tonic of Vitality) Bite 50%, damage 1d3+db
Dagger 45%, damage 1d4+1+db (see below)
STR 18 DEX 13 INT 8 CON 18 APP 11 Armor: Immune to non-magical attacks*
POW 12 SIZ 16 SAN 45% EDU 15 HP 17
Spells: Bait Humans, Cause/Cure Blindness, Enthrall
MP 12 DB +1d6
Victim.
Weapons: Fist/Punch 80%, 1d3+db; Grapple 70%; Sanity Loss: 1/1d6 Sanity loss to see a Child of the
Gladius 85%, 1d6+1+db; Trident 45%, 1d8+db; Lamia
Net 45%; Puglio 60%, 1d6+db.
Armor: Hardened Leather and Helmet (3 points of
Blood Drain – Upon a successful grapple at-
protection). tack Children of the Lamia drain 1d6 points of
Small Shield 55%, 20HP STR each round. Once STR reaches 0, the crea-
Skills: Conceal 65%, Insight 50%, Sneak 65%, Throw ture drains CON at the same rate. Once CON
50%. reaches 0, the victim dies. Drained STR and
CON points can be added to the creature’s HP
Hadrianis, Once a Man but now a monster, or POW, as desired. Should victims survive lost
(Third Day, three doses of Tonic of Vitality) STR and CON points are regained at the rate of
1 per day (victim’s choice)
POW 12 SIZ 19 SAN 35% EDU 15 HP 24 Exceptional Dagger – Vatina Corvillia wields a
MP 12 DB +2d6 dagger made by her servants, the Bouda. These
Weapons: Fist/Punch 85%, 1d4+db, Grapple 75%, creatures are master metal workers and as such
Armor: Thickened Muscular Hide (3 points of protec- crafted a truly exceptional weapon for their
tion). mistress. It is quite beautiful with a hilt deco-
Skills: Conceal 65%, Insight 50%, Sneak 65%, Throw rated in a snake motif. The blade is very strong
50%. and unnaturally sharp. The weapon has 30 HP,
Special: Regenerates 2 HP per round. does an additional 1-point of damage per at-
Sanity Loss: 1/1d4 Sanity points to see Hadrianis, “The tack and ignores 3 points of an opponent’s
Monster”. Armor protection. It does not count as an en-
chanted weapon. If this weapon is ever carried
Hadrianis, an Abomination (Third Night)
by anyone other than Vatina Corvillia there is a
STR 28 CON 40 SIZ 22 INT 5 POW 12 5% chance per month that 1d3 Bouda try to re-
DEX 16 Move 12 HP 31
cover it from the unauthorized wielder, killing
the thief in the process if possible.
Damage Bonus: +2d6
Weapons: Fist/Punch 85%, 1d4+db, Grapple 75%, * = Investigators require an enchanted weapon
Armor: Thickened Muscular Hide (4 Points of protec-
or a damage-inflicting spell to harm Vatina
tion) Corvilla. If she is attacked in public by a non-
Special: Regenerates 4 HP per round. magical weapon she may simply feign death.
Sanity Loss: d3/1d6 Sanity points to see Hadrianis, “The She is usually cold to the touch (unless she’s
Abomination”. been basking in the sun) and need not breathe
to survive (being an unnatural creature). Va-
tina can maintain this ruse until the threat has
passed.

Bouda*3 (Badru, Bakari & Baruti, Body- Spells: As in human form.
guards and Blacksmiths of Vatina Corvillia) Sanity Loss: 0/1 Sanity loss upon realizing that the crea-
ture is not a hyena.
STR 17 DEX 11 INT 17 CON 13 APP
10 POW 10 SIZ 14 Move 16 HP 15
DB +1d4 Sa nit y Awa r ds
Weapons: Fist / Punch 50%, damage 1d3+db
Smithy Hammer 52%, damage 1d6+d6 Stopping / Defeating Vatina1d6 Sanity
Armor: None inherent, but may wear 6 points of chain Corvillia, Child of Lamia Points
armor. Defeating the Bouda 1 Sanity Point
Spells: Any and all spells related to metalworking. each
Sanity Loss: N/A. Saving Hadrianis before he 1d8 Sanity
takes the third dose Points
Bouda*3 (Badru, Bakari & Baruti, Monstrous
Defeating Hadrianis, The 1d4 Sanity
Hyenas of Vatina Corvillia)
Monster Points
STR 20 CON 16 SIZ 25 (16, 16, 14 in human Form) Defeating Hadrianis, The 1d6 Sanity
INT 14 POW 12 DEX 14 Move 20 HP 15 Abomination Points
DB +1d4
For Defeating Ekwueme Aka 1d6 Sanity
Weapons: Bite 50%, damage 1d4
The Black Man Points
Claw 34%, damage 1d4+db
Armor: 2 points of hide.

Clockwork Rome
by L iam Jones
Introduction The players take the part of family mem-

bers looking for their lost sister. The family
Clockwork Rome is a Call of Cthulhu adven- is a wealthy, influential family living in Rome
ture written for the Cthulhu Invictus rules. It and has a wide influence on many aspects of
uses the Tic Toc Man, an Avatar of Nyarla- life in Rome and many contacts within the up-
thotep, from the Malleus Monstrorum, a Chao- per levels of Roman society. Due to the im-
sium Call of Cthulhu publication. The section portance of honour and the damaging effect
on the Tic Toc Man at the end of the scenario of gossip in Rome any hint of a scandal should
is a summary of the entry in this publication. be avoided and this is a key driver for the GM
Inspiration was also taken from the Rome TV to motivate the players to deal with family is-
series by HBO and BBC. The scenario is set in sues.
late winter, 80 CE, with Titus as emperor and it In order to give the adventure a Roman
is possible that his sudden controversial death feel the GM is encouraged to play up two main
in 81 CE could quite conceivably be written areas. The first is the intrigue and interaction
into the scenario. of family life and the characters have a num-
An Avatar of Nyarlathotep, the Tic Toc ber of aspects in their background to allow
Man, has gained a foothold in Rome and is con- this. Characters should be encouraged take
spiring to take over the leadership of Rome for every opportunity to further their own and
himself and spread chaos and death through- their families position and to expose any scan-
out the Roman Empire. The discovery of an dals on any competition. Secondly the habit
ancient cache of antiquities from Egypt has of Romans to adopt and incorporate religious
been brought back to Rome. Among these an- aspects of other cultures into their own reli-
cient artefacts was a golden orb which gained gious beliefs, boarding on it become a fad is an
control of a talented Magus of the Himyarite important aspect of the adventure and some-
Empire. After studying the orb and the an- thing players should be aware of this as Nyar-
cient papyrus manuscripts accompanying lathotep is certainly exploiting this character-
it the Magus accidently activated the object istic to his own ends.
bringing the Tic Toc Man into being. The Av- During play-testing the players some-
atar has been gathering his followers, building times focused significantly on family poli-
a cult and slowly infiltrating the upper stra- tics, sometimes with deadly consequences. As
ta of Roman society by replacing members of such the GM should have ways to deal with
society with cunningly crafted simulacra. Re- this with either reserve characters or having
cently a female member of the characters fam- the character turn up again, albeit as a simula-
ily has disappeared after becoming involved in crum, though the players do not need to know
new religious cult that the Avatar has created. this. The dead player would just be told that
he had miraculously survived the assassina-
22
tion attempt somehow. This could make fur- into the machine like body of the Avatar
ther attempts a lot more interesting. through a series of electrical wires, tubes and
The scenario makes use of a technolog- other such devices. Still alive but barely con-
ically advanced Avatar of Nyarlathotep in an scious and existing in a living hell, these wor-
ancient setting so this needs to be emphasised shipers are providing power and sustenance to
as a significant horrific aspect of the scenario. the ever thirsty machine, caught like flies in a
To an ancient roman, a mechanical replica of a spider’s web.
real person would be a great source for induc- In order to gain influence and control of
ing insanity and confusion about their world. Roman society the Tic Toc Man and Raheem
It would probably have a greater impact on are constructing complex clockwork type Sim-
a roman’s sanity to witness such strange and ulacra, exact replicas of the sacrificed worship-
alien things than maybe seeing some other pers. The process of creating a Simulacrum is
more supernatural type creatures of the my- long and laborious so only suitably influen-
thos. It will also place a challenge on players tial people are singled out for these treatment.
who will play characters who would find the The rest have just simply disappeared. Ini-
concepts in the scenario very alien compared tially there was a delay in these replacements
with themselves, with a more modern per- so disappearances were for several weeks but
spective on technology. now there is sufficient material to quickly re-
place someone, within 24 hours.
Background The investigators will be drawn in by a
member of the Senate who has become suspi-
Raheem Seifeddin is a well travelled Magus. cious of the behaviour of some of the mem-
His travels from his home city of Zafar took bers of the senate. The family itself is the next
him through Egypt and eventually to Rome. target and a family member has disappearance
While in Egypt he acquired some ancient ar- and become a victim of Raheem and the Tic
tefacts and manuscripts. On arrival in Rome Toc Man which gives the family further moti-
he spent some time studying the manuscripts vation to investigate the disappearance.
and artefacts. These were of Mythos origin and
studying them had a severe effect on his san-
ity and left him vulnerable to the influence of
Timeline
a golden orb, an alien device that had come to 1 Year
— Raheem Seifeddin arrives in
house the artificial intelligence that is the Tic Rome
Toc Man. The Tic Toc Man used the Magus to
build his nest in some manmade tunnels be- 10 Months — Raheem falls under the in-
neath Raheem’s residence. fluence of Nyarlathotep
Controlling Raheem became progressive-
ly easy and the Tic Toc Man now has complete 8 Months — Raheem gathers sufficient
control over his shattered mind. Using Ra- material to being constructing the Tic Toc
heem he quickly developed a cult based on a Man and slaves and poor from around
new religion dedicated to worshiping Nyarla- Rome begin to disappear
thotep. The Tic Toc Man has been growing in
size and strength ever since. He has imparted 7 Months — Worshipers drawn to the
much knowledge to Raheem who is doing his power of Nyarlathotep begin to meet reg-
bidding using the growing cult army to feed ularly with Raheem and first worshipers
the machine god. Many cult members have begin to disappear
been sacrificed by Raheem and incorporated
into the machine beneath his house, hooked
Clockwork Rome k 23
6 Months — Cult is established and be- and Rome will be drawn into civil war and
comes popular as a new fad religion corruption as Nyarlathotep spreads chaos
and violence.
5 Months — Driven mad by the Machine
God, Raheem limits his public appearanc- *These events are removed if the GM wishes to
es and starts to spend more time with the start the scenario without some of the players
Machine God. The first Simulacra and key as simulacra
cult worshippers take over day to day run-
ning of cult business Pl ay er s
4 Months — Simulacra start making ap- Infor m ation
pearances around Rome in the guise of The family, along with trusted friends, gathers
worshipers and begin taking strategic po- at the family home and enjoys a sumptuous
sitions in Rome society feast in the courtyard. While this is the oppor-
3 Months — The father of the family, Tibe- tunity to discuss family business the main topic
rius Oppius Aquila the elder, is drawn into of discussion is the suspicions of the Senator,
the cult* Sextus Voluminus Strabo and how his story re-
lates to the disappearance of Oppia. Between
2 Months — Tiberius Oppius Aquila the people in attendance the investigators
brings his wife, daughter and youngest son should be able to piece together the story of
into the cult* her disappearance. Oppia has become involved
with Raheem Seifeddin’s religious cult in Rome
1 Month — Tiberius Oppius Aquila is worshipping an ancient Egyptian god, Nyarla-
murdered by his wife thotep, known in this case as the New Order of
the Golden God. Not much is known about the
3 Weeks — Fluvia and Lucius disappear religion but it appears Oppia had become more
and a letter is received by Tiberius noting and more involved with group until finally she
they are away for a few days at the country has not made any contact with the family for
house (the GM should provide this infor- about three days. This is completely out of
mation to Tiberius if needed). They are character for her and this has caused a signifi-
sacrificed to the Tic Toc Man* cant concern amongst family members.
2 Weeks — Simulacra make an appearance
as Fluvia Aquilia and Lucius Oppius Bel- Ch a r acter s
lus*
The following characters are provided for con-
3 Days — Oppia disappears (soon to be vention or one-shot games and are specifically
replaced by a Simulacrum) designed for the scenario. The scenario could
also be incorporated into an ongoing campaign
Start — Family and friends gather to talk though the final confrontation could poten-
to Senator Strabo at dinner tially be more deadly without any investigator
simulacra.
Unfolding — The Tic Toc Man will grow in
power and continue to consume worship- Fluvia Aquilia – The family mother (Hus-
ers and replace prominent ones with sim- band is Tiberius Oppius Aquila). She has
ulacrum. People will begin to notice odd recently poisoned her husband and is now
behaviour and odd behaviour amongst scheming to get rid of older brother so
members of the senate and elected officials younger brother can take over the fami-
24 k Clockwork Rome
ly. She has been recently kidnapped by the stuff and will back him up. He thinks the
cult and is now below the cult house. The younger brother needs toughening up.
player will play a simulacrum of the char-
acter. As far as she knows she has been liv-
ing in the house for about a year. Other
Non-Pl ay er Ch a r acter s
characters will know she was missing for Oppia Aquila – Family sister. She has been
about a week. sacrificed to the Tic Toc Man and a simu-
Tiberius Oppius Aquila the younger – lacrum is being manufactured to take her
Older Brother and family head. He is a place. It will be ready in a few days time.
bit dim and jealous of his mother’s atten- Raheem Seifeddin – Head of the New Or-
tion towards his younger brother. He is der of the Golden God. He is quite mad
now trying to assert himself as head of the and totally consumed by the Avatar of
household and keep mother in place. Nyarlathotep.
Lucius Oppius Bellus – Younger Brother. Salvius Firmus – Praetor. He is a recent
He is a smart but weak individual and his escapee of the cult in hiding. There is a
mother’s favourite. Jealous of older broth- simulacrum for him but the cult does not
er’s position in the household and devas- want to risk sending it out so it is being
tated that father was poisoned, he is deter- kept deactivated at the cult location pend-
mined to find out what has happened. He ing his recapture.
suspects his older brother had something
to do with it. He has been recently kid-
napped by the cult and is now below the The In v estigation/
cult house. The player will play a simula-
crum of the character. As far as he knows
Clues
he has been living in the house for about
a year. Other characters will know he was The Dinner
missing for about a week.
The dinner will begin with everyone having
Titus Lucretius Aper – Family Friend of just arrived and beginning to eat. Tiberius will
older brother and soldier. An opportunis- make sure everyone is settled in and will have
tic individual, he is secretly sleeping with Livianus make sure the area is secure. Once he
mother and will try to use any opportuni- is satisfied he will then bring up the subject of
ty to improve his own lot. Oppia and the death of their father and his sus-
picions that the family is being targeted due to
Euripides – Greek Family Teacher. An ac- political manoeuvring. He should then bring
ademic. He hates the mother and dismiss- Senator Strabo out from another room in the
es the older brother as a dullard. He thinks house.
the younger brother has potential and en- Senator Strabo will outline his suspicions
couraging him to have good principles that there is a faction within the government
and morals for future leadership roles. He of Rome that is plotting to take over the gov-
hates the influence the corrupt mother has ernment and seize power. He will outline that
on her children. he has become suspicious of several Senators
and their rapid change of behaviour at offi-
Livianus Oppius Spurius – Freedman and cial senate meetings. He has also seen them
family guard. A fit and brutal individual. meeting secretly with other government offi-
He thinks the older brother has the right cials and soldiers several times. The only oth-
Clockwork Rome k 25
er thing that he can tell them about the peo- the investigators. If the panicked and slight-
ple is that they were all members of the New ly mad Praetor is approached aggressively he
Order of the Golden God, a new religious fad will either flee of fight for his life. Approach
in the city. None of them appear to be active in a suitably subtle way he will tell them all he
members any more. He can tell them where knows. This can be achieved with appropriate
the Order’s residence is. rolls such as a fast talk or persuade.
He further outlines his suspicions given Salvius Firmus knows where the cult is
the death of the family head and the disap- based and can tell the investigators how to
pearance of the sister Oppia. He suspects that get there. If pressed further he can describe
the family will be targeted because the change the sewers through which he gained access to
in behaviour of the senators could only have the house. He suspects that the cult is up to
come from black mail pressure and he suspects no good and is somehow trying to infiltrate
that Oppia has been kidnapped to apply that the Roman Government. He also knows that
same pressure to this family. He will ask the there are superhuman members of the cult
family to investigate and let him know if they who seem distant and detached and he sus-
find anything out. If he is asked about any oth- pects they do not sleep and is very nervous
er disappearances he will know of Salvius Fir- about these people finding him. He will also
mus’ disappearance but does not know if this warn the investigators that he has heard ru-
is related in any way though he will know that mours about something hideous in the sewers
at one stage Salvius was Firmus was involved below the cult’s rooms. He is concerned about
with the New Order of the Golden God. his credibility and an insight roll will reveal he
is hiding something. He is reluctant to tell the
Sa lv ius Fir mus, Pr a etor investigators but if pressed he will reveal that
he found parts of the Tic Toc Man and his own
Salvius Firmus, a well known Praetor, has wit- body in the basement area of the cult’s rooms
nessed the true horror of the cult and is now in under a shroud but he is concerned that re-
hiding. He was initially drawn to the cult but vealing this will make him seem quite mad.
suspicions led him to investigate late at night This was in fact a simulacrum that was des-
only to be set upon by the Simulacra after find- tined to replace him once completed.
ing an inactivated Simulacrum if himself. The A particularly persuasive investigator may
encounter left him badly wounded and horri- be able get Salvius Firmus to help. He can lead
fied and he is in hiding. Investigators should be the way through the tunnels and could also
able to locate him if they ask around about any provide some men to aid the group.
prominent citizens who have recently disap-
peared. They will also be given his name if they
ask about for prominent Romans who are also
R a heem Seifeddin
members of the New Order of the Golden God. Investigation into Raheem Seifeddin will de-
Bribing the right person and some good inves- pend on who the investigators contact. If they
tigation should lead them to Salvius Firmus’ ask around the foreign quarters of Rome, par-
hiding place in the Aventine Hill area where he ticularly the areas where Arabian ethnic groups
has hidden himself in a small flat above some are congregating they will find that he is a Ma-
shops. His wife knows where he is and is taking gus of some repute. Further digging will find
supplies and food to him so if the investigators that he had access to some rare documents and
watch the house and follow her they will be able artefacts, including an amazing glowing ball
to find his hiding place. of gold, and had been studying these for some
The encounter with Salvius Firmus will time. Finding people that have close dealings
very much depend on the approach made by with Seifeddin (luck roll or carful investiga-
26 k Clockwork Rome
tion) will reveal that he had become increas- Man through means of Mythos magic and he
ingly withdrawn and acted strangely up until has an inexhaustible supply.
about five months ago when he disappeared all Enquiries with family and friends of peo-
together. ple who have been part of the cult will bring
The truth is that Seifeddin has become to light a number of disappearances. Re-
so mad from his dealings with the Machine cently (1 or 2 weeks ago) several people who
God that he no longer interested in venturing have disappeared (elected officials) and have
out and remains inside the complex, a hollow turned up changed. Talking to these people
husk of his former self and totally under the that are close to them will reveal that they are
influence of the Tic Toc Man. Most of the cult not quite themselves. Cursory investigation
business is now conducted by the Simulacra will reveal these people are distant and seem
and unsuspecting members of the cult. to have a lack of emotion. More detailed in-
Investigators will not get the opportunity vestigation might reveal such things as unusu-
to talk with Seifeddin unless they venture into al behaviour, probably late at night, that they
the Cult’s rooms or he leaves the cult cellars do not seem to sleep much if at all, suffer from
for some reason. nightmares and have become more and more
Investigations into Seifeddin’s business distant along with other behaviour that would
goings on will find that he was sourcing rare indicate that they are in fact a Simulacrum
and unusual materials for some time up un- rather than a real person.
til five months or so ago including precious
metals and iron. Materials now continue to be
sourced by the cult to supply the Machine God
Rumour s
with what he needs. Rumours and gossip are a daily fact of life in
Rome. Rumours relating to the Tic Toc Man
The Or der of the that might be heard by frequenting the many
Golden God bath houses and public places of Rome are:
Some key people in the government of

Investigations into the cult will indicate that it
Rome have disappeared then reappeared,
was relatively new religion worshiping an un-
some for as long as two to three weeks. In
known God called the Golden God, purported
to be an Egyptian deity of some description. some cases these people have behaved odd-
ly perhaps not recognising a close friend
The New Order of the Golden God is suppos-
or behaving oddly and out of character or
edly a order that stands for peace, love and gen-
not sleeping late into the night.
erosity. The group seem to be pleasant with ru-
mours of Raheem Seifeddin’s teachings being There is plenty of graffiti around Rome.
those of peace and love. The deity obviously The GM should feel free to invent some
is Nyarlathotep but it is in his interests that the imaginative graffiti to give the investiga-
cult stays out of the public’s eye until he has a tors some clues or lead them in unproduc-
firm grip on Rome. tive directions. Samples of graffiti could
Further investigations will reveal the include references to a coming apocalypse:
strange and rare resources being sourced by maybe the coming of another Avatar of
the cult (to build the Tic Toc Man) and of Nyarlathotep such as the Black Pharaoh,
large quantities of coal being delivered. The Nyarlatophis or the Queen in Red.
sourcing of the fuel and materials is being paid
for in gold, lots of gold, but in the form of raw A rumour is heard that the New Order of
gold, not the common coin of the day. This the Golden God is a front hiding a cultus
gold is in fact being produced by the Tic Toc illiciti or forbidden religion. The Order is
Clockwork Rome k 27
rumoured to be the front for worshippers Simul acr a
of Bacchus, the Roman God of Wine. The
morally corrupt cult of Bacchus had been The Simulacra are technological mythos crea-
banned mainly due to the organised crim- tures, created in the image of a living being with
inal nature of the cult and the stories will their consciousness transferred. Each Simula-
involve sexual depravities and other evil crum can act and behave in the same way as the
obscenities. original person but intuitive people (Success-
ful Insight role) will notice there is something
A rumour is heard that a dead man had not quite right about the person and their be-
been seen walking. A body of Appius haviour is a bit off. An observant person (suc-
Decius Brocchus, a senator, has been found cessful spot hidden) will notice the body move-
in the sewers but soon after he was seen to ments are a bit jerky and there is something a
be walking around. The rumour could be bit off about the way the person looks. The Tic
that he is some demon from the afterlife Toc Man keeps in contact with his Simulacra via
or some victim of some evil magic such as some sort of transmission means. He is able to
shape shifting or necromancy. The body is observe through a Simulacrum at will though
still there and the investigators could po- he will not necessarily be paying attention or
tentially stumble across it or track down doing this all the time. He is able to observe
the worker that found it and get them to using all the senses available to the Simulacrum
lead them to it. he is using.
Because it contains the replication of the
There is the rumour of something hor- person’s mind as its driving force, the Simu-
rible in the tunnels below Rome. The lacrum itself will believe it is truly the per-
creature can be described as a snake like son that it has replaced. Over time the Tic
creature with wings like a bat. Perhaps a Toc Man will need to assert his influence on
worker barely escaped with his life after the Simulacrum to slowly destroy the will that
his friend was eaten. This rumour refers represents the remnants of the human mind
to the Hunting Horror that is serving as and take over control. Until this happens the
a guardian in the sewers and aqueducts Tic Toc Man does not have any direct influ-
around the Cult’s rooms. ence or control of his new creation. If simula-
cra in this stage are confronted with their own
A crone or soothsayer in the streets grabs
self then there is a percentage chance of break-
the investigators as they pass by and talk
down or insanity depending on the power of
about the one who is coming to bring
the person copied.
doom to Rome. He or she gets more and
The Cult itself is now managed by four
more desperate as the investigators walk
Simulacra built based on original cult mem-
by and attracts the attention of passersby.
bers and of no particular note in Roman Soci-
This may happen several times. Any in-
ety. To date they have been able to assimilate
vestigator that is a simulacrum will be ac-
another four into society including:
cused of being a devil or a demon.
Three Senators
There are strange lights and sparks oc-
curring near some sewers in the Subur- •• Decimus Otacilius Citus
ra which have become quite an attraction •• Gaius Decius Brocchus
there (see the section under The Sewers). •• Appius Ogulnius Maius
A prefect
•• Servius Sulpicius Macro
28 k Clockwork Rome
A soldier Feelings of something boring into their
•• Oppius Adjutor Celsus brains and dark things crawling in their
heads.
A Praetor
•• Quintus Papirius Senecio A dream where they walk into a room and
stare at themselves snared in a web of pipes
These will not reveal themselves or come to and wires.
the aid of others unless the cult is significantly
threatened. The original people that were cop- A dream where they wake up and find
ied have been incorporated into the machine themselves in great pain, snared in pipes
god beneath the cult buildings except for Ap- and wires some of which pierce their skin.
pius Decius Brocchus, who’s body is in the sew- They begin to scream in horror only to
ers below the city. wake up screaming in their own bed.
If the investigators visit or interview these
people they will try to put the investigators off A dream where their skin falls off in chunks
and dismiss Senator Strabo’s accusations as ri- to reveal metal or clockwork workings un-
diculous political infighting and an attempt to derneath.
discredit them. If the investigators mention After every dream they should do a power vs
Strabo by name then he will likely disappear power with the Tic Toc Man and lose 1d10 San
within a few days, possibly followed by the in- if they fail. The GM can keep this San loss a se-
vestigators themselves if they press matters cret which may take some careful management.
further. Should their sanity reach zero then they are ful-
ly under the control of the Tic Toc Man and the
Rules for Pl ay er GM should take the player aside and explain
Simul acr a that their character is now a simulacrum and
fully under the influence of the Tic Toc Man.
GMs should have the players continue to play They should continue to play the characters as
their characters as they are and keep their addi- normal but should be working for the cult now
tional stats (HPs, Str, Dex) a secret. It will take and doing all they can to prevent the investi-
some careful management but every time the gators bringing the downfall of the New Order
player makes a role involving these stats then of the Golden God. If they leave Rome then
the GM will need to secretly make adjustments the dreams will become less frequent and they
or rolls. This will help to add to the player con- should only do a test every week.
fusion. The GM should emphasis the confu- If the investigator realises what has hap-
sion by describing these effects as unusual for pened at any stage they will start to lose san-
example describing how what should have been ity automatically each round at a rate of 1d6
a fatal blow mysteriously bounces off the inves- until they reach zero when they will become
tigator. fully aware simulacrum. Investigators will re-
At night each player that has become a alise this if they become aware of themselves
simulacrum will have nightmares which will as being physically different (ie a very bad
involve things such as: wound reveals their inner workings), they cut
themselves open with a deep wound (though
Vague dreams of lying on a table in a room this would take quite some significant digging
with bright lights, sharp metal knives around before they realised they were com-
and other strange instruments and being pletely machine), they come face to face with
in pain with dark figures hunched over their actual bodies and find themselves as part
them. of the Tic Toc Man or some other event that
Clockwork Rome k 29
triggers realisation. Once they start losing san If the GM wants to use other characters
every round they should not check for tem- for the game then the game can be modified as
porary or permanent loss of sanity but should this aspect is not critical but adds to the atmo-
be seen as becoming more and more panicked sphere and players’ confusion and it may also
until all of a sudden they will regain their calm make the confrontation with the Tic Toc Man
(at zero sanity). They will still be capable of and Raheem a bit more deadly.
free action until they reach zero sanity. This is
best timed for the end of the scenario during
the final confrontation.
The At tack
There is potential that players could be If Raheem gets wind of the characters investi-
kidnapped and replaced with Simulacrum. gations he will attempt to put them off. Initial-
This will only happen if the cult has one pre- ly this will be by intimidation. If this does not
pared which will take several weeks. The cult work then the four Simulacra attendants from
will need to kidnap the player then Raheem the Cult will attempt to kidnap one of the play-
will need to perform the necessary physical ers for use as a simulacrum. The idea will be to
operations and mythos magical rituals to copy continue to replace all the investigators and use
the investigators consciousness to the Simula- them as part of the ongoing plot to take over
crum. This will take one to two days at which Rome.
stage the investigator will reappear not realis-
ing they are a Simulacrum. It is suggested the The Order of the Golden God
GM keeps the player in the dark as much as
The residence is a multi-story residential house
they can just playing out the kidnap attempt
(see GM Map 1) in a street of similar residences
then have the other investigators find the kid-
in the poorer part of town in the Suburra area.
napped investigator wandering the streets
The cult rooms have a number of people
with no recollection as to what happened or
staying in the house attended by four simu-
how they got away.
lacra. The normal members of the order will
have no idea that the cult is a cult of Nyarla-
Sta rting the Ga me thotep and believe in the Raheem’s teachings
with Simul acr a of peace and love. Additionally if Fluvia or
Pl ay er s Lucius turn up they will be welcomed as old
order members that had disappeared a few
The game is written with Fluvia and Lucius weeks ago even though they have no recollec-
starting the game as simulacra. Their modi- tion of ever being there. This will induce some
fied Str, Dex and HP should be determined and confusion in the minds of these two investiga-
kept secret by the GM. Additionally they will tors and suspicions in the minds of the rest.
experience the nightmares from the beginning Careful observation of the four attendants
of the game. If they visit the New Order of the will note that they are odd in their behaviour
Gold God then people there will recognise them and manner (see under the section on Simula-
and treat them as long lost friends as they spent cra). Any character that has had an attempted
some time there, although they themselves will kidnap attempt on them may recognise one or
have no recollection of this. The timeline indi- more of them but this is unlikely as they will
cates the events relevant to this course of events have taken care to disguise themselves during
to make it easy to remove them. Additionally the kidnap attempt. The attendants will be un-
any reference to Fluvia and Lucius’ two week helpful and will answer questions briefly and
absence will need to be removed from the char- will attempt to get the investigators away from
acters’ background text. the house as soon as they can. They will not
30 k Clockwork Rome
stop them looking around unless the investi- The Body
gators discover a way to get below the house. If the players investigate the sewers then they
Any investigator that asks questions of will come across a small pile of dead bodies.
other order members about the attendants This is one of the dumping grounds for Raheem
will be told they have been promoted by Ra- to get rid of bodies that have been exhausted by
heem and are senior members of the order. the Tic Toc Man. If searched one of the bod-
Any questions about Raheem himself will re- ies will be that of Appius Decius Brocchus,
veal that he hardly appears in public and run- a prefect who is very much alive and walking
ning of the order is left to the attendants. around. The body will be decomposed and ap-
Further questions will reveal that he is com- pear to have been there for some time. None
muning with the Golden God. If they are con- of the other bodies will be recognizable. Sanity
vinced to reveal further secrets (successful fast loss for finding the dead bodies is 1/1d6.
talk or Persuade) or intimidated or induced
to talk in any other way they will reveal that
The Hunting Horror
Raheem goes to the holy place below the Or-
ders residence. They are forbidden to go be- If the investigators get close to the area un-
low and anyone that has gone down there has der the cult’s house then they will encounter a
disappeared and Raheem has explained that hunting horror summoned by Raheem to pro-
he had to thrown out of the order for disobe- tect the lower levels of the cult. It will attack on
dience. They were in fact sacrificed to the Tic site. It may also be sent out at night to deal with
Toc Man. any troublesome investigators that are getting
too close to the cult’s real purpose.
The Sew er s The Tic Toc Man’s Lair
GM Map 2 shows the layout of the Tic Toc
The Lights
Man’s lair. The Tic Toc Man will not attack
An area of the sewers near to the residence has unless provoked. Raheem will be found at the
become quite an attraction in the Suburra. Talk- centre of the machine in a trance like state but
ing to the residence nearby will reveal that ev- once he becomes aware of the investigators he
ery few weeks there have been lights and sparks will take all actions necessary to protect himself
leaping up from between the pavements with and his God. The Raheem usually keeps himself
lots of green and blue glowing light from below. covered in public but down in the rooms below
It last for an hour or two and people have taken he will be stripped naked to the waist and it will
it to be some sort of witchcraft or the gods hav- be obvious that he has bits of metal protrud-
ing fun. Some people are even starting to set up ing from his body as well as strange shapes out-
small shrines and making small sacrifices. lining odd shaped objects below his skin. His
This is caused by part of the magic pow- body will be crisscrossed with scars and recent
er from the creation of the simulacra seeping wounds held together with rough thick stitches
up from the sewers into the streets. Asking where he has tried to become one with his god.
the residents how long this has happened will The Tic Toc Man himself is intertwined
get answers ranging from five to twelve. Simi- into all the rooms with tubes and wires pass-
larly asking how long will give a range of being through walls and snared in into a jumble
tween one and four months. The lights started that makes it hard to walk through any of the
around four months ago (along with the first rooms. There is a low unearthly hum and the
Simulacra). Each happening relates to the cre- entire area is lit by artificial light coming from
ation of one Simulacrum. glowing balls suspended from the ceiling. All
in all the sight will be quite shocking for a ro-
Clockwork Rome k 31
man with no understanding of technology to The simulacra attendants will come fairly
see and much of it will be confusing. quickly at the first sign of trouble. The oth-
In the centre of the main room near Ra- er simulacra in Rome will only come to the
heem is a suspended glowing golden orb with aid of the Tic Toc Man if things are looking
a number of wires and tubes emanating from dire. It will then summon them but they will
it. This is the heart of the machine and the take some time to arrive as they will be scat-
only way to stop the Tic Toc Man. tered over various parts of Rome. Their arriv-
Scattered around the room with various al times are left to the GM to determine.
wires and tubes embedded into them are the Any simulacra, including investigators
bodies of those that have been sacrificed to the will cease to work if the globe is disconnected.
Tic Toc Man. They are still alive but barely All sacrifices will slowly regain consciousness
conscious and in agony, slowly having their life and will suffer 1d10 hp of damage as the tubes
force drained away. Any investigator that has and wires fall away from their bodies and the
been replaced will recognise this scene from floor becomes covered in their blood.
their dreams and will quickly spot their own There are three rooms off the main room.
body. This will of course trigger rapid sanity One room contains supplies, materials and
loss for them. Others witnessing this will lose machinery for the inner workings of the Tic
the regular sanity. Other victims around the Toc Man and a route to the surface nearby that
room may be recognized including Oppia. the attendants use to bring in material from
The Tic Toc Man can speak through Ra- outside. The second room is Raheem’s private
heem or any combination of his victims scat- quarters that includes his private belongings
tered around the room if he so wishes. including other artifacts as the GM sees fit as
Any person caught in the machine will well as a Egyptian Mythos Scroll similar to the
have to make a Con X 5 roll every day. A fail scroll of Thoth-Amon. The third room con-
will result in the loss 1 point of Con and 1 HP tains several unfinished Simulacra including
until either one reaches zero at which point one of Oppia if the GM has not brought it into
they will die and be discarded. They are em- play earlier as well as the one for Salvius Fir-
bedded into the machine so any attempt to be mus again if it has not been brought into play.
torn free will cause significant damage and al- There may also be one or two being prepared
most certain death. Someone with medical for one or more investigators.
knowledge could remove a sacrifice over a one If the machine is stopped then the in-
to two hour period for a loss of 1d10 hp. vestigators have foiled a significant evil and
Defeating the machine will require the should get 1d10 sanity for doing so. If any of
investigators to disconnect the golden globe their family members survived they should get
from the machine (This may require an idea a further 1d6 of sanity each. If the investiga-
roll if the players don’t realize this). It can- tors report the findings to Senator Strabo then
not be destroyed doing 50hp of damage will a fire burns down the whole section of houses
cause it to be disconnected. Getting a hit will soon after.
require a successful hit at twice the normal % If the machine god is not stopped then
chance. Raheem and any simulacra that are slowly any investigators left disappear one by
in the room will try to prevent this. Any in- one and replaced by simulacra. Eventually
vestigators that are simulacrum will not be at- Rome is overtaken by a ruling machine elite
tacked by the machine but will be attacked by who thrust the city into a spiral of debauchery,
other simulacra and by Raheem. Any investi- chaos and ruin.
gators that are human will be attacked by the
machine as well as other simulacra and Ra-
heem.
32 k Clockwork Rome
My thos Scroll , in Decimus Otacilius Citus
Egy pti a n, untitled a nd Gaius Decius Brocchus
unat tr ibu ted Appius Ogulnius Maius
Servius Sulpicius Macro
This scroll appears to be very similar to that of Oppius Adjutor Celsus
Thoth-Amon and relates similar but less infor- Quintus Papirius Senecio
mation. It details the power of various artifacts Four Attendants of the New Order of the
including a glowing golden orb. They detail the Golden God
power of Nyarlathotep and some of his avatars Simulacra are exact copies of their originals and
including the Black Pharaoh, Nyarlatophis and believe they have all the original characteristics
the Queen in Red. Sanity loss 1d4/1d8; Cthul- as their replacements. All the attributes are the
hu Mythos +10; Occult +5; average 15 weeks to same as the original except for Str, Dex and HP
study and comprehend. Spells: Augury, Con- which are higher than usual and the damage
tact Nyarlathotep, Create Simulacrum, Deflect bonus is adjusted if required due to the increase
Harm, Dominate, Enthral Victim, Mental Sug- in Str.
gestion, Summon/Bind Hunting Horror, With- At night each simulacrum will have night-
er Limb, Wrack mares which will involve things such as:
Vill a ins a nd NPCs Vague dreams of lying on a table in a room

with bright lights, sharp metal knives
and other strange instruments and being
Salvius Firmus
in pain with dark figures hunched over
STR 14 DEX 13 INT 16 CON 10 SIZ 10 them.
APP 12 POW 14 EDU 16 SAN 70 Damage
Bonus – None HP 4 Feelings of something boring into their
Skills: Bargain 25, Civics 71, Empire 55, Fast Talk 40, brains and dark things crawling in their
First Aid 50, Insight 65, Library Use 30, Listen heads.
45, Other Language (Greek) 21, Other Kingdoms
(Greece) 21, Persuade 60, Science (Greek Philoso- A dream where they walk into a room and
phy) 21, Spot Hidden 45, Status 70, Write Language stare at themselves snared in a web of pipes
(Latin) 50
and wires.
Simulacra A dream where they wake up and find
STR 2d6+16 DEX 2d6 + 16 themselves in great pain, snared in pipes
and wires some of which pierce their skin.
INT 2d6 + 6 CON 3d6
They begin to scream in horror only to
SIZ 2d6 + 6 APP 3d6 wake up screaming in their own bed.
POW 3d6 HP 2d6+16
A dream where their skin falls off in chunks
Skills: Climb 80%, Ride 40%, Hide 80%, Listen 60%,
to reveal metal or clockwork workings un-
Sneak 80%, Spot Hidden 60%
derneath.
Attack: Fists 60% (1d6 + db), Grapple 60%
Sanity loss: 1/1d6 (only if mechanical nature is discov- After every dream they should do a power vs
ered) power with the Tic Toc Man and lose 1d10
San if they fail. Should their sanity reach zero
Simulacra in the game: then they are fully under the control of the Tic
Fluvia Aquilia Toc Man. If they move out of proximity of the
Lucius Oppius Bellus Tic Toc Man then the dreams will become less
Clockwork Rome k 33
frequent and they should only do a test every The Tic Toc Man will try to snare a victim with
week. several tendrils made of metal and other ma-
If the simulacrum realises what has hap- terials to hold them immobile while inserting
pened to them at any stage they will start to further tendrils into the body. Once tendrils
lose sanity automatically each round at a rate are inserted into the body the victim becomes
of 1d6 until they reach zero when they will be- helpless and part of the machine until other-
come fully aware simulacrum and a dedicated wise freed by someone else.
servant of the Tic Toc Man. Once they start The Tic Toc Machine will use tendrils
losing san every round they should not check each round to attack a victim. The number
for temporary or permanent loss of sanity but is determined by the GM and is dependant
should be seen as becoming more and more on the situation. Each tendril will have its
panicked until all of a sudden they will regain own Str (1d6), Dex (12 + 1d6) and HP (1d8).
their calm (at zero sanity). They will still be For the attack the victim can use his normal
capable of free action until they reach zero dodge, parries and attacks for that round to
sanity. dodge or attack any tendrils. Each tendril that
hits the victim will grapple the victim. Once
Hunting Horror the tendrils combined strength is greater than
STR 2d6+16 DEX 2d6 + 16
the victim’s size the victim is held immobile
INT 2d6 + 6 CON 3d6 and off the ground and needs to break free
SIZ 2d6 + 6 APP 3d6 using strength vs combined tendril strength.
POW 3d6 HP 2d6+16 One round after the victim is held and if he
Attack: Bite 65% (1d6), Tail 90% (Grapple) does not break free he is penetrated by a ten-
Sanity loss: 0/1d10 dril and is disabled completely with no chance
See Call of Cthulhu rulebook for specifics of the Hunt- of escape.
ing Horror.
Raheem Seifeddin
The Ch a r acter s
STR 12 DEX 8 INT 17 CON 14 SIZ 15 Fluvia Aquilia Age 40
APP 14 POW 14 EDU 13 HP 15
STR 10 DEX 13 INT 13 CON 14 SIZ 10
Damage Bonus – None
APP 15 POW 15 EDU 14 SAN 45 Damage
Skills: Art (Orate) 40, Cthulhu Mythos 30, Dodge 65, Bonus – None HP 12
Hide 60, Insight 30, Jump 55, Listen 65, Other King-
Skills: Civics 60 Empire 75 First Aid 55 Insight 30 Other
dom (Rome) 30, Other Language (Latin) 40, Write
Kingdom (Greece) 21 Other Language (Greek) 21
Language (Egyptian) 50, Write Language (Latin) 40,
Persuade 65 Potions 51 Status 75 Sword- Short 25
Persuade 60, Sneak 55, Spot Hidden 35
Write Language (Latin) 40 Art (Painting)15
Weapons: Dagger 30 (1d4), Short Sword 35% (1d6+1)
Weapons: Dagger 25 (1d6)
Spells: Contact Nyarlathotep, Create Simulacrum,
Deflect Harm, Dominate, Enthral Victim, Summon/ You are the mother of the Oppius family and
Bind Hunting Horror, Mental Suggestion, Wrack have three children, Tiberius the oldest, Lucius
the youngest and Oppia your daughter. Your
The Tic Toc Man Husband, Tiberius Oppius Aquila, was recently
STR N/A DEX N/A INT 78 CON 50 deceased due to poisoning. Unfortunately you
SIZ Varies APP N/A POW 95 HP 95 were responsible for the poisoning due to his
Attack: Tendril (Metal tubes, wires etc) 70% (Grapple) philandering ways and the high expectations
Sanity loss: 1/1d10
and hopes you have for your youngest son Lu-
cius. You are a bit nervous that Tiberius will
find out that you poisoned his father and now
34 k Clockwork Rome
that he is head of the household he could have Tiberius Oppius Aquila Age 24
you exiled, sold into slavery or worse still, ex-
ecuted. You should find a way to eliminate him APP 10 POW 10 EDU 12 SAN 50 HP 15
so that your youngest son can take his rightful Damage Bonus – 1d4
place at the head of the family.
Skills: Climb 50, Dodge 52, Drive 40, Empire 45, Jump
You are a spiritual woman and have a 45, Ride 45, Sneak 30, Spot Hidden 35, Pilum 40, Status
good knowledge of potions and poisons and 65, Sword-Long 60, Tactics 45, Track 30
of medicine from your mother. You are also
Weapons: Long Sword 60 (1d8 + 1d4db), Pilum 40 (1d8
well versed in the politics of Rome and the po- + 1d4db)
litical goings on of the city. You are well con-
You are the oldest Oppius child and your
nected with many government and societal
father and namesake was recently found dead
figures and can usually find out the right per-
of poisoning. You have sworn revenge on
son to ask to get an answer to any questions or
whoever killed him and suspect that it was one
to find out what is going on.
of your family’s enemies, though you are sur-
You are a lady of Rome first and foremost
prised about the blatant way your father was
and your reputation is very important to you.
murdered as this is expressly forbidden. You
Your family is the most important thing to you
are jealous of your younger brother Lucius
and doing the best by them before all else and
getting most of your mother’s attention and
improving yours and their lot in life is your
affection because you are now the family head
motivation. You always put yourself first how-
and she should be respecting you. She keeps
ever and having Tiberius in charge just will not
usurping your authority and as paterfamilias
do. Lucius is a far better choice for that role.
your word is law in the family. You need to
You have been living at your house in
assert yourself as head of the household and
Rome continuously for the last year and miss
keep mother in place. Your younger broth-
the country side. You are starting to feel a bit
er is too smart for his own good and needs to
claustrophobic in Rome and you are current-
toughen up. The way to get on in Rome is to
ly planning a trip to your country house with
have a strong arm and the courage and convic-
your youngest son Lucius, once the weather
tion to do the right thing.
gets better in about a month.
You are strong and well schooled at the
You are not too worried about Oppia dis-
arts of war and combat. Your skill with the
appearing she is probably off with some man
sword grows daily with the teaching of Livi-
for a few days and Tiberius is probably just over
anus, the family’s trusted man, and you enjoy
reacting. He has, however, called the family to
sparing with Titus, a family friend and accom-
a meeting over dinner to discuss the issue.
plished soldier, when he is around the house,
Besides your sons other people in the
which seems to be rather frequent lately.
house this evening are:
You have no time for Euripides, the fam-
•• Titus Lucretius Aper, a celebrated sol- ily tutor as he spouts a lot of rubbish that you
dier of Rome and your secret lover, do not understand and is weak. He does, how-
•• Livianus Oppius Spurius, your close ever, know quite a lot about Greek warfare and
friend and body guard who was feed every now and again says something useful in
from being a slave by your husband, this regard.
and Your sister Oppia has been missing for
•• Euripides, the family’s Greek tutor, who several days now and your concern for her safe-
you have distinct dislike for as he makes ty and welfare is growing. Your mother and
you feel stupid, appears arrogant and brother left the house for a week or so about
should know his place. a month ago but this was explained in a letter
Clockwork Rome k 35
from your mother that they had gone to the are devastated by this as you worshipped your
country to check the house after your father’s father. You are not sure who was responsible
death. There has been no such letter from but it is probably one of the many enemies
Oppia and you are worried. She has been in- your family has. You also suspect that your
volved in a new religion recently and has been older brother had something to do with it as he
spouting all sorts of silly notions but it is un- is now the head of the household and he gains
usual for her to be away from home for three a lot from the death. Since your father’s dead
or four days. Just as things could not have got your mother has been paying you a great deal
any worse you now have Senator Strabo telling of attention, to the point of annoyance and you
you a story of political infighting that poten- are concerned that she is not showing your old-
tially explains your father’s death and your sis- er brother the proper respect.
ter’s disappearance. You have called the family You find combat training a bore and very
and some trusted friends to a dinner to discuss difficult given your slight stature and Livianus
Senator Strabo’s story, your father’s death and can be cruel and brutal during training. You
your sisters disappearance so you can work enjoy your studies with Euripides and you
out a way forward. You have Senator Strabo hope one day to move into the world of poli-
waiting in another room and will bring him tics, following in your father’s footsteps.
out once everyone has arrived and you have You have been living at your house in
had Spurius make sure the area is secure. Rome continuously for the last year but you
You have invited the following people to love Rome so it has been no hardship. Your
dinner tonight: mother is currently planning a trip to the fam-
•• Fluvia Aquilia, your mother, ily’s country villa once the weather gets better
•• Lucius Oppius Bellus, your younger in about a month which you feel indifferent
brother, about.
Your older brother has called a meeting
•• Titus Lucretius Aper, a family friend, over dinner as your older sister Oppia has been
•• Euripides, the family tutor, and missing for a few days and he is concerned, as
•• Livianus Oppius Spurius, a freed man are you.
and, with your father’s death you are At the dinner is:
his patron. •• Fluvia Aquilia, your mother,
•• Tiberius Oppius Aquila, your older
Lucius Oppius Bellus Age 19
brother,
STR 11 DEX 12 INT 17 CON 10 SIZ 09 •• Titus Lucretius Aper, a family friend,
APP 14 POW 14 EDU 16 SAN 70 HP 9
Damage Bonus – None •• Euripides, the family tutor, and
Skills: Bargain 25, Civics 50, Empire 55, Fast Talk 50, •• Livianus Oppius Spurius, a freed man
First Aid 50, Insight 65, Library Use 30, Listen and, with your father’s death you are
45, Other Language (Greek) 21, Other Kingdoms his patron.
(Greece) 21, Persuade 60, Science (Greek Philoso-
phy) 21, Science (Mathematics) 21, Spot Hidden 45, Titus Lucretius Aper Age 36
Status 55, Sword – Short 25, Write Language (Latin)
50 STR 16 DEX 15 INT 11 CON 15 SIZ 16
Weapons: Short Sword 25 (1d6) APP 16 POW 09 EDU 14 SAN 50 HP 16
Damage Bonus – 1d4
You are the youngest in the Oppius family with
Skills: Climb 61, Empire 65, Fast Talk 25, Jump 45,
an older sister, Oppia and an older brother
Pilum 40, Repair/Devise 50, Ride 15, Spot Hidden
Tiberius. Your farther, Tiberius Oppius Aquila, 65, Status 45, Shield 45, Sword – Short 60, Tactics 75,
was murdered recently by being poisoned. You Throw 45
36 k Clockwork Rome
Weapons: Long Sword 60 (1d8 + 1d4db), Medium Skills: First Aid 40, Insight 65, Knife 25, Library Use
Shield 45, Pilum 40 (1d8 + 1d4db) 60, Occult 25, Other Kingdom (Rome) 41, Other
Language (Latin) 21, Own Kingdom (Greece) 70,
You are a family friend of the Oppius Fam- Persuade 65, Science (Greek Philosophy) 41, Science
ily. As a successful warrior you are a proud (Mathematics) 51, Science (Astrology) 41, Write
and successful man of Rome. You were a good Language (Latin) 40, Write Language (Greek) 40
friend of Tiberius who was recently murdered Weapons: Knife 25 (1d4)
and you feel responsible for the security of the You are a Greek by birth, an academic and the
family now that he has gone. You are running private tutor for the Oppius family. You are a
a bit short of cash currently as you have been typical academic, very knowledgeable but not
enjoying the good life a little too much with lots very practical and you much prefer to stay out
of wine, women and gambling. of the way and let other people do the hard
You are having a secret affair with Flu- work. You detest the mother, Fluvia as she is
via and secretly hope to take advantage of the totally uncultured and you suspect she has been
death of her husband after a suitable period of having an affair with the soldier, Titus. The
mourning. Fluvia is very well connected and older brother, Tiberius has no potential what so
quite wealthy which will improve your stand- ever and is a real dullard. The younger brother
ing in Rome significantly. Perhaps if you were has much more potential and you have been
to find and expose her husband’s murderer encouraging him to have good principles and
she would show her appreciation. morals for future leadership roles you are sure
You feel that the boys will need a fa- he is destined for. That is if his mother does not
ther figure and you are just the man to pro- corrupt him and her other children first.
vide it. The older boy Tiberius has potential You are worldly and educated having trav-
but is maybe a little slow on the uptake some- elled through much of Rome and Greece but
times. The younger boy Lucius seems a bit you are truly an academic and do not have any
smarter but could do with a bit of toughen- significant skills in weapons and warfare. That
ing up though Livianus seems to be doing the is better left to harder men than you. You like
job there. working for the family, apart from the moth-
Tiberius is concerned that his sister has er. The money is good, you are looked after
been missing for a few days and has called for food and have a roof over your head. Life
family and friends together to discuss the is- could be worse.
sue over dinner. Last you heard she was mix- That silly girl Oppia has been missing
ing with some unusual company in Suburra for a few days and the older brother Tiberi-
somewhere. At the dinner is: us has called a meeting over dinner to discuss
•• Fluvia Aquilia, your lover, the matter as he is obviously concerned. She
•• Tiberius Oppius Aquila, the older is so flighty that she has probably taken off to
brother, commune with nature for a few days or joined
•• Lucius Oppius Bellus, the younger some religious group of some description fol-
brother, lowing the latest fad. She can be so militant
and rebellious sometimes.
•• Euripides, the family tutor, and
Besides Lucius and Fluvia were away for
•• Livianus Oppius Spurius, a freed man a week or so recently and no one made a fuss
and family body guard. then.
At the dinner is:
Euripides Age 45
•• Fluvia Aquilia, the mother,
•• Tiberius Oppius Aquila, the older
Damage Bonus – None brother,
Clockwork Rome k 37
• Lucius Oppius Bellus, the younger essential tasks for you master. You carry the
brother, wounds of your past including a savage scare
• Titus Lucretius Aper, a family friend, across your face. Your Patron, Tiberius Op-
and pius Aquila, was recently poisoned and security
• Livianus Oppius Spurius, a freed man of the remaining family is in your mind. You
and family body guard. know that Fluvia is having an affair with Titus
so you suspect that she is responsible as she is
Livianus Oppius Spurius Age 39 probably as brutal as you in some ways. The
older brother is now your patron and you owe
STR 16 DEX 15 INT 12 CON 14 SIZ 14 your complete loyalty to him. He is made of
the right stuff but could use a few more brains
Damage Bonus – 1d4
in his head and will need your help going into
Skills: Climb 60, Empire 40, Fast Talk 50, Jump 45, Pi- the future. Thinks younger brother is ok too
lum 40, Knife 40, Persuade 30, Ride 25, Spot Hidden
65, Status 20, Shield 50, Sword – Short 60, Tactics 75,
but needs toughening up before he goes the
Throw 45, Track 34 same way as the Greek, Euripides. You now that
Weapons: Sword 60 (1d8 + 1d4db), Medium Shield 50, your now deceased master, his wife, Fluvia, and
Pilum 40 (1d8 + 1d4db), Knife 40 (1d4) Lucius spent a lot of time away from the house
sometimes till late at night several months ago
You are a freed man and family guard. You are
but this has stopped more recently. You also
a fit and brutal man who has done his fair share
know that about three weeks ago Fluvia and
of hard work, including some undesirable but
38 k Clockwork Rome
Lucius spent some time away from the city,
probably to get over the death of your master,
the month before. Tiberius has confided in you
he has some security matters he needs to attend
to but he has not discussed the specifics with
you and intends to share the details with you
and the family tonight.
At the dinner is:
•• Fluvia Aquilia, the mother,
•• Tiberius Oppius Aquila, the older
brother,
•• Lucius Oppius Bellus, the younger
brother,
•• Titus Lucretius Aper, a family friend,
and
•• Euripides, family tutor and a Greek.
Clockwork Rome k 39
Death and Bane
by Jason Williams
I will not be afraid of death and bane, cestral lands. The group that the investigators
Till Birnam forest come to Dunsinane. will come into contact with is led by a heavily
-- Macbeth Act V Scene 2 tattooed war chieftain named Wradd who is ad-
vised by a Pictish wizard named Morrbrech.
Introduction The Pictish tribes have been watching
with growing alarm as Hadrian’s Wall has been
Following the visit of Emperor Hadrian to Bri- constructed. They realize that it will place lim-
tannia he ordered that a wall be constructed its on their cross border raiding abilities in re-
across the northern frontier to delineate Rome’s gards to stealing cattle and capturing slaves for
territory. Portions of this six year project (122 forced labour and sacrifice. The local band led
to 128 CE) can still be seen today and is known by Wradd has decided to harass the Roman
as Hadrian’s Wall. building crews in an attempt to slow down or
Hadrian’s Wall had the added advantage deter the construction.
of making it difficult for northern tribes to A recent Pictish raid has come to the at-
conduct cross border cattle raids and by lim- tention of the authorities since the leader of
iting access through gates, the movement of the Roman Contubernium (eight man unit
trade goods could be monitored and taxed. plus two servants) was the youngest son of
These latter points have not gone unnoticed a citizen of some importance in Rome. The
by the local natives. young Decanus (leader of a squad of 8 le-
This scenario is set during the construc- gionaries) named Marcus Scibonius Strabo
tion of the wall on the frontier and requires was a junior non-commissioned officer sent
that the investigators interact with some of the to choose a likely spot for a small watchtower
locals. It is recommended that at least one of called a milecastle. His men had begun work
the characters have some skill in Other Lan- on the earthwork and timber milecastle while
guage — Gaelic. also working on the foundations of the stone
Descriptions and statistics for the NPC’s signal towers. They had regular contact with
appear at the end of the scenario. a weekly supply caravan that visited them to
deliver food, tools and building materials. The
most recent visit of the caravan revealed a dev-
K eeper s Infor m ation astated camp and strangely mutilated bodies
The Cthulhu Invictus source book (Page 31) de- of the legionnaires. The body of young Marcus
scribes the Picts as living in underground war- was not found amongst the rest of the dead
rens. To protect their own interests some small at the camp. The wall construction in the area
groups are living on the surface to gather infor- had not started but was planned to begin af-
mation about the Roman invasion of their an- ter the signal towers and milecastle was com-
pleted.
40
The investigators should be free to follow Attacks on the milecastle during the first
the clues and visit the various sites that are de- three days
tailed in whatever order they see fit. Obvious-
ly a group that charges directly to the Pictish Attack on the fourth day during the night
crannog will find themselves in a great deal of
The aftermath
trouble. If they do not think of speaking to the
caravan leader before departing from the Ro- This scenario is set out as a series of scenes so
man fort then feel free to introduce several of that the investigators can proceed in a non-lin-
the more obvious clues for them to discover ear fashion if they so desire. Each scene bears
when they arrive at the ruined milecastle. the title of an area or an event to make naviga-
tion somewhat easier for the keeper.
List of Loc ations a nd Before running this scenario the keeper
should read through the section on Britannia
Scenes in the Cthulhu Invictus book. This will famil-
iarize them with the background of the Roman
Main camp of the Legio XX Valeria Victrix occupation of the island and provide more de-
where the investigators set out from tail about the Picts as they should be present-
ed in the scenario. If the keeper requires a list
Milecastle that had been attacked and will
of Gaelic names for NPC’s during the scenar-
be the investigators base of operations
io there is a list of sample names provided on
Village of Cirigford page 28 of the Cthulhu Invictus book.
The Druids Grove

The In v estigator s
The Augury The local commander of the Legio XX is Valeria
Victrix who has decided to thoroughly inves-
The Pictish Crannog
tigate the attack on the milecastle. He has se-
Death and Bane k 41

lected the investigators based on their mixture with a cohort of troops to personally arrange
of skills and abilities. To this end it is recom- the investigation of the attack on the milecas-
mended that the keeper ensure that the inves- tle.
tigators include at least one or two members of When the investigators are presented to
the legion and a few natives of Britannia based him he will give them the following informa-
on their familiarity with the area. tion.
They should also have good skills with the
Gaelic language and perhaps some familiarity A milecastle which had been under con-
with the Pictish language. The latter is not es- struction has been viciously attacked and
sential since the investigators will be given the there were no Roman survivors. Howev-
opportunity to obtain a translator at Cirig- er, there was one individual missing and it
ford. All of the investigators are known as ac- was the leader of the contubernium (unit
complished individuals to the local authorities of 8 men plus 2 servants). The man named
and, if they can solve this mystery, will be rich- Marcus Scibonius Strabo is the youngest
ly rewarded. The keeper should decide on any son of a prominent Roman politician. It
monetary or material rewards based on the in- is vital that the investigators discover what
vestigators background and requirements. happened to him.
The supply caravan that discovered the ru-

Recommended Occupations for This ined site returned immediately to the main
Scenario camp. The caravanners appear to be some-
This scenario makes it somewhat desirable that what nervous over the condition that they
at least one of the player characters be of Ro- found the bodies in. They stated that they
man origin and from a family of some impor- buried the bodies in a mass grave near the
tance. If one of the investigators is assuming the milecastle.
role of a military officer the centurions accom-
panying them will look to that individual for In the morning the investigators will de-
leadership. part for the site of the destroyed milecas-
At least one of the investigators should tle. They are to set up a camp and during
have a decent skill percentage of Other Lan- their investigation the construction of the
guage Gaelic to make it easier to deal with milecastle is to resume. This is in their best
NPC’s (Non Player Characters). interest since any rebuilt fortifications will
The following suggested occupations are help protect them from further attacks.
detailed in Cthulhu Invictus starting on page
It is advisable that the investigators ask
64.
questions amongst the Gaelic village,
•• Barbarian which is located south of the course of the
•• Farmer wall to see if they have any useful informa-
•• Hunter tion. The investigators should also use the
•• Magus opportunity to gauge the loyalty of the vil-
lagers and see if they might have attacked
•• Scholar
the milecastle and made it appear to be
•• Thief done by the Picts.
Main Camp of the Legio XX - Investigator If the Picts appear to be involved, the in-
Briefing vestigators should scout north of the wall
to see if they can determine the size of the
Titus Livius Canina, the commander of the Le-
enemy force.
gio XX, has ridden north from Deva (Chester)
42 k Death and Bane

The investigators will be provided with The primary goals for the investigators
two Contuberniums, or a total of sixteen that Valeria Victrix clearly outlines for them
legionaries with four servants. The men are:
will continue with the construction of the 1. Find the missing legionnaire or his
milecastle and signal towers with the pri- body and return with it.
ority being on raising a defensive perime- 2. Identify the culprits and eliminate
ter on the day of arrival. them if necessary.
Each of the investigators will be provided 3. Return and provide a full report.
with horses and the legionaries will have
three wagons, each with a team of four Spe a k ing with the
horses.
C a r ava n Le a der
The investigators are not to attack any The investigators may wish to question the car-
tribes in the area unless they attack first. avan leader and his men before they travel to
The Praefectus castrorum (camp com- the milecastle. If they do so they will obtain the
mander) in the area does not want a full following information.
scale uprising on his hands until he can as-
semble more men. He expects to have two The caravan arrived at mid-day and was
additional cohorts that he has requested in not challenged, as was the custom, by the
two weeks. sentries standing watch.
If the investigators can locate the missing They were on a routine supply trip bring-
centurion or his body they are requested ing food, equipment and two wagons full
to return with him so that he can receive of cut stone from a nearby quarry.
a proper military burial. They should ex-
hume the bodies from the mass grave in As they approached closer to the site
case the caravan leader made a mistake. they noticed that much of the outer pali-
The commander of the Legio XX provides sade had been destroyed. There was also a
information about identifying scars, tat- strong smell of decay “like a tomb”.
toos, and healed broken bones by which
The bodies of the Romans were in an aw-
they can identify the young man’s body.
ful state. Each of them was beheaded and
(Note: Should the investigators choose the
only their personal possessions recovered
exhume the bodies make sure that an ap-
from the bodies enabled their identifica-
propriate SAN loss is applied to the grisly
tion.
situation).
The partially constructed signal towers
At the end of one week they are to leave the
were both pulled down and the stones
two Contubemiums at the site of the mile-
tumbled down the steep bank to the north
castle and return to the main camp with a
of the site.
report of what they have found out.
If the investigators make a successful In-
Although the topic remains unspoken, sight skill roll they will detect that the caravan
the investigators leave the briefing with leader that they are talking to may be holding
the impression that if they fail in their as- back some information. A Persuade skill roll
signed tasks they will be greatly disgraced. will elicit the following additional details.
The bodies and the ruined milecastle were

coated with a foul smelling sticky sub-
Death and Bane k 43
stance. Those who handled the body’s within a hundred feet they begin to notice the
claims that the smell was bad enough that smell of decay and a quick search of the site re-
after returning to the main fort even reveals an oily coating over much of the area and
peated washings has not been enough to down the hill towards the north.
eliminate it. The Roman troops immediately unload
their wagons, take care of the horses, and be-
Before it rained there were visible hoof gin to construct a defensive perimeter within
prints of some great beast that had tram- which they will pitch the tents for the camp.
pled the dead victims. When the investigators begin to search
the ruined milecastle they can discover the fol-
The hoof prints came from the north and
lowing with successful spot hidden rolls (one
departed towards the north.
roll permitted for each ten minutes of search-
Some of the more intact bodies had large ing the area).
pieces carved off of them in a manner sim-
Indentations in the softer areas of the
ilar to how a hunter dresses an animal.
ground that upon closer examination ap-
pears to be hoof prints of some sort. Any
Tr av eling to the investigators who have spent any time in
ruined milec a stle Rome can attempt an idea roll. A success
means that they can equate whatever made
This section of the wall is very hilly with sur- them as being the size of an elephant.
rounding dense forest areas and rocky terrain. A
rough path for caravan traffic has been created Under a pile of fallen building stones are
which winds around the worst of the obstacles. human remains. Closer examination of the
The total travel time following the established body reveals that the head has been severed
path is six hours. and is not present. There are also fleshy ar-
It becomes apparent to the investigators eas of the arms and legs that have multiple
towards the end of the journey that there is chunks of flesh and muscle stripped away
something unnatural about area. Plant life ap- with evidence of bite marks. A successful
pears to be somewhat off color and sickly. In First Aid or Medicine skill roll indicates
the immediate vicinity of the milecastle there that the bite marks were made by human
are no signs of animal life. teeth. (Sanity loss of 0/1D4). Clothing and
Note: The dotted line in the illustration other items on and around the body indi-
connecting locations A and C is a rough road cate that this was one of the servants.
used primarily for the transportation of trade
goods. If the investigators indicate that they are
searching the north side of the wall, allow
them another Spot Hidden skill roll at half
A r r i va l at the their normal percentage. If they are suc-
Milec a stle cessful they will discover concealed by the
When the milecastle comes in sight the first long grass the body of a child, its throat
thing that the investigators will notice is that cut and hands bound behind its back.
the stones have been scattered in all directions, The keeper should have the investigators pro-
some as far as a hundred feet away. An Idea roll vide details about how the defences of the camp
will let the investigators know that it would will be set up. How many will be on watch for
appear that whoever attacked went to a great danger, how long the watches will be at night
deal of trouble to ruin the structure. As they get and which investigators will be awake during
44 k Death and Bane

which watch. The keeper can use this informa- As the investigators and their escort ap-
tion to provide more details about who may be proach the village they can see the women and
ready for combat during various encounters children run towards their huts. Within mo-
and which investigators will be available to spot ments the village men gather together with
any incursions into the camp. The information various weapons and farm implements. As
can also be used to determine how many inves- the investigators draw closer they can see that
tigators are available for patrols and any other many of the men appear to be very angry.
activities that the group may engage in. If an in- The village clan chief will quiet his people
vestigator has stood watch for most of the night and then approach the investigators to speak
they will not be fully alert if they state that they with them. His name is Fearghas son of Calum
are going on a patrol the following morning. and has had many dealings over the years with
The keeper should assess penalties of -5% on Roman merchants and legionnaires. He speaks
the investigators skill rolls if they have been ac- simple Latin but not enough to understand or
tive for an amount of time greater than their convey very complex ideas. He is an intelligent
CON points in hours. leader of men and a mighty warrior but fears
Alternatively, if the keeper wishes, they the Pictish tribes that roam north of their vil-
may make use of the Fatigue Point system lage.
found on page 32 in Chaosium’s Basic Role- Fearghas has the following information
Playing book. The short version of this op- and how much he cooperates with the inves-
tional rule is that a character can stay active for tigators depends on how they address him. If
a number of hours equal to their CON. Once they are respectful without insulting him and
they have exceeded that number, for each ad- his village he will readily supply them with the
ditional hour. all skill rolls suffer a -1% pen- information. If the investigators are haughty
alty per hour. As an example: character X has and commanding they will have to make suc-
a CON of 14 and has been active for 14 hours. cessful Persuade or Other Kingdoms (Britan-
In the following hour all skill checks are at a nia) skill rolls to elicit cooperation. The keeper
penalty of -1%. The hour after that all skill should use the latter case as an opportunity for
rolls are at -2% and so on. role play. The Other Kingdoms skill role pro-
vides the investigators with the information
Vill age of that they have offended the villagers and must
Cir igfor d
make amends. A sincere apology will suffice
but gifts will also be gratefully accepted.
Located one hour due south of the course of He welcomes the Roman presence in the
the wall lays a Gaelic farming village of approx- area of his village if their goal is to sup-
imately two hundred and fifty men, women press the Pictish tribes north of the wall
and children. that is being constructed.
It is located at the bottom of a shallow val-
ley surrounded by forest. The immediate area His village has been living in fear for sev-
around the village is cleared and the investiga- eral days now since a child was taken from
tors can see cattle and sheep in pastures with its bed during the night. The villagers all
much of the lower and flatter area ploughed blame the Picts who are rumoured to spill
for crops. A narrow stream runs through the the blood of children during worship of
village with a shallow ford visible near the cen- their dark gods.
ter where a number of huts are clustered to-
gether. The villagers believe that the Pictish war-
riors in the area are capable of turning
into wolves.
Death and Bane k 45
If the Romans promise at least a weekly Fearghas who apologizes to the investigators
patrol in the area of the village his people for the inhospitable treatment.
are willing to engage in trade of local food
for the local milecastles. The Druids Grov e
A woman named Deirdre, from the vil- On a nearby low hill, overlooking the valley
lage, had been captured by the Picts sev- that Cirigford is in, sits a small oak grove. This
eral years ago and held as a slave. She still is a sacred druid grove where Mànas lives and
retains the knowledge that she gained of conducts his ceremonies on behalf of the vil-
the foul Pictish language. She has never lage. He has several young apprentices who as-
fully recovered from the ordeal and can be sist him but it is unlikely that the investigators
spared to accompany the investigators in will meet them.
case they need an interpreter. Mànas has no love for the Romans and
sees their presence as disruptive to the natural
If the Romans at the milecastle are hard
order of things. The elderly man is civil and
pressed the village would be willing to
courteous to the investigators and will assist
come to their aid with a small force of
them at the request of Fearghas son of Calum
twenty men armed with spear and shield.
who is responsible for the protection of the
Fearghas will provide them with a hunt-
village.
ing horn to blow if help is required. The
The druid is able to provide the following
sound should carry for several miles.
information:
It is also suggested to the Roman group
The land has cried out to him that it has
that they may wish to consult with the
been violated by unnatural beings that
druid who lives in an oak grove located
have emerged from dark places hidden to
south of the village.
man.
One of the dynamics that may come into play
during the course of this adventure is that one Trees and woodland creatures are living in
of the younger men in the village has been in fear of what now walks amongst them and
contact with the Picts. In exchange for informa- leaves trails of corruption.
tion about their magic he has been supplying
them with information about defences and pa- The Picts hold many prisoners all of whom
trols, along with metal arrowheads. At the mo- have been abused.
ment he is somewhat in fear that his dealings Picts are like starlings, they do not build
with his clan enemies will be discovered but he anything themselves, instead they steal
fears the Picts even more. The younger mans and dwell in homes built by others.
name is Domhnall and if he sees an opportu-
nity to aid the Picts he may betray the investi- The Picts are allied with powers that came
gators or even his fellow villagers. Domhnall is down from the stars when the world was
adept at concealing his true thoughts and feel- young. The dark gods that they worship
ings so that Insight skill rolls used against him are old ones that walked on the earth be-
are at -15%. fore man.
Domhnall, upon meeting the Romans,
is sullen and loudly proclaims that they have He is capable of performing an augury to
no business traveling across Gaelic lands. The see if there is anything to be foretold about
young man is rebuked for this outburst by the coming confrontation between the Ro-
mans and the Picts. If the investigators in-
46 k Death and Bane

dicate that they wish for him to proceed, Having uttered his augury and looking utterly
he will tell them that preparations are re- exhausted Mànas leans heavily on his staff and
quired and they should return to the grove enters his hut. When he returns he presents to
at the dying of the next day (sunset). the investigators two items. The first is a long
spear and the second is a long knife. The druid
The Augury tells the investigators that both have been en-
chanted and are capable of harming creatures
When the investigators return to the oak grove, that are not susceptible to normal weapons. He
they are once again met by the elderly druid. He further informs them that these blades have
escorts them to the innermost clearing which been in the possession of his people for many
has a small hut on one side and a small circle of generations and when they are done with them,
standing stones in the center. they must be returned to him.
Mànas indicates where the investigators The magical weapons are made out of
should be seated and as the setting sun contin- iron and have been sharpened to razor-like
ues its descent the grove grows darker. edges. Both have been enchanted with the
A small fire is lit in the middle of the Bless Blade spell found in the Call of Cthulhu
group which the druid circles while murmur- rule book.
ing unrecognizable phrases, occasionally cast-
ing small handfuls of herbs into the fire from
a small jar tucked beneath his arm. Slowly
The Pictish Cr a nnog
clouds of fragrant smoke drift through the The crannog consists of a large wooden struc-
area and the investigators are almost lulled to ture built upon stilts anchored in the bottom of
sleep from the scents and sounds. a shallow lake. The main platform is surround-
Just as the final setting of the sun plunges ed by a palisade and connected to the shore
the woodland clearing into darkness, the dru- of the lake with a narrow and easily defended
id produces a small bird from within a fold of walkway. There is bare ground running along
his robes and draws forth a knife. After sev- the shore for nearly three hundred feet in front
eral ritual movements he kneels down and of the crannog with the width of it being fifty
quickly dispatches the small creature. Any in- feet from the water to the tree line.
vestigators successfully making a Spot Hidden This particular structure has been recent-
roll sees Mànas skilfully slicing open the bird ly seized by the Pictish war band from a Gaelic
and spilling the contents of its crop and giz- clan who had constructed it several years ago.
zard. After examining the contents in silence Only six of the original tenants have survived,
for several minutes Mànas rises to his feet and four women and two young boys. The captives
makes the following pronouncements. are kept in the central structure of the crannog
as chained slaves used to perform menial tasks.
Many Picts are nearby with most standing They have been cowed by the cruelty of their
above water. Pictish captors but are constantly on watch for
opportunities to escape.
In the dark of the night a great tree shall
On the paths to the crannog through the
walk.
woods the investigators will encounter a spot
There are many deaths to come and some where many human heads have been impaled
blood shed may be that of innocents. on posts. The sanity loss for viewing this un-
expected grisly sight is 1/1D4.
They face a dark power that must be The missing Roman, Marcus Scribonius
stopped or foulness shall spread across the Strabo, is also being held inside the crannog
lands of the north. and has been reduced to 5 hit points. He has
Death and Bane k 47

and there are a total of four
Pictish warriors present.
Detection of approach-
ing groups or individuals is
made easier since the Picts
have strewn bronze caltrops
along the approaching
trails. Since the Picts know
where they are they can eas-
ily avoid them. Investiga-
tors approaching along this
route will each be exposed
to 1D6 caltrops. If they are
not specifically looking for
traps then roll for attacks
against each investigator
until one of them (or their
horse) takes damage from a
caltrop. After that they can
only advance at half normal
been beaten almost daily and his morale is at
movement while looking for further caltrops.
a very low point, but he will try to escape and
Spotting the small bronze items requires a suc-
assist if he detects that the crannog is being at-
cessful Spot Hidden skill check.
tacked by a Roman force. The keeper should
Caltrops – Base Chance 25%, Damage
decide if his resistance is effective or if he ends
1D3, Impale Yes
up dying a heroic death.
Those traveling on foot have a chance to
Some of the dead Gaels have been butch-
see the caltrops with a successful Spot Hidden
ered and their limbs smoked to provide the
roll at -20%. Those traveling on horseback can
Picts with a readily available source of food.
spot them at -30%.
At various spots in the dimly lit crannog there
Horses or persons wounded by a caltrop
are human arms and legs hanging from the
can only move at half of their regular rate un-
ceiling. The SAN loss for this grisly spectacle
til it has healed. Moreover, horses or persons
is 1/1D3.
wounded in such an unexpected manner will
The Pictish war band that is occupying the
cry out in pain drawing the attention of any-
crannog consists of twenty men, fifteen wom-
body that is nearby, in this case the Pictish
en and ten children. There are always at least
sentries.
five men guarding the crannog and the women
The keeper should make note of any cal-
present are also skilled in wielding their tradi-
trops that the investigators gather up in the
tional weapons. There are generic statistics for
event that they wish to use them later in de-
the Picts at the end of the scenario.
fense of the milecastle.
The Pictish warriors are always on alert
If the guards detect anybody approach-
and their tactics are to position at least two
ing they will warn the others with a series of
of their men in the trees near the land side of
bird calls. Investigators can attempt a Natu-
the walkway. Upon approach have the investi-
ral World skill roll to detect these calls. If the
gators make a party Luck roll. A botched roll
alarm is sounded everybody that is currently
of 90-00 means that the sentries are changing
in the crannog will be armed and ready if the
structure is attacked. Otherwise only four will
48 k Death and Bane

be prepared and guarding the walkway to the At tack s on the
shore. The concealed watchers will wait until Milec a stle
the intruders have passed by them and will de-
scend to the ground and silently attack from On the first day the group arrives to investigate
the rear with bows. and continue with the construction, one of the
If the crannog is attacked directly the legionaries will be wounded by an arrow while
Picts will fight to the death taking as many Ro- gathering firewood. If a patrol is sent out im-
mans with them as they can. There is a pos- mediately they find a trail heading towards the
sibility that some will use their prisoners as north but it disappears after a few hundred
human shields and will threaten to kill them yards.
unless they are permitted to escape. Even then At dawn on the morning of the second
they may decide to kill their hostages while es- day, one of the sentries watching the camp will
caping to avoid being hindered. be discovered dead with his throat cut some-
The last eight feet of the walkway to the time during the night. Both calves of his legs
shore have been loosened and wrapped with have been carved off (SAN loss of 0/1D3).
rope so that they can be quickly withdrawn to On the third day one of the investigators
the crannog side. A successful Jump roll must at random will awaken in their tent during the
be made to cross the gap with a failure indicat- night. A successful Listen skill roll indicates
ing that the jumper has landed short and has that they hear another person breathing in the
fallen into the lake. Those that make it across tent and that the sound is coming from the
can be attacked from left and right by the Pic- floor near the tent opening. A successful Spot
tish defenders. Only one jumper can attempt Hidden skill roll in the dim light of pre-dawn
the crossing per combat round. reveals that there is a human shaped fur cov-
The Picts will defend their wizard so ered creature crawling across the floor towards
that he may attempt to use his magical spells the bed (Sanity loss of 1/1D4). If both rolls are
against the attackers. The wizard will initially failed the Pictish warrior that has entered the
cast the Wrack spell at any identifiable leaders tent will get one combat round of surprise at-
amongst the attackers. Witnesses of the effect tack with a dagger.
of the spell will suffer a 1/1D3 SAN loss. On the fourth day, even if the investiga-
If things appear to be going badly for the tors have confronted the Picts at the crannog,
Picts one of them will jump from the cran- the milecastle will be attacked by a full war
nog and swim across the lake to a nearby cove. party with their wizard shortly after midnight.
Only those remaining on the shore will have See the details below for how this will unfold.
a chance to spot the escaping Pict with a suc-
cessful Spot Hidden skill roll. He will be at Attack on the Milecastle on the Fourth
long range for any missile weapons and if fired Day
upon will swim underwater until he is out of The Roman soldiers at the milecastle, who are
range. In two hours he will return with anoth- standing watch, report near midnight that they
er Pictish force consisting of twice the initial have spotted some furtive movement to their
number of the investigators party. If the in- north along the tree line of the forest. It is a new
vestigators have withdrawn by that point they moon but there are several large torches around
will be hunted and harried by random sneak the perimeter of the Roman encampment that
attacks in the woods. These attacks will con- dimly illuminate the surrounding area.
centrate on picking off stragglers and rear- The sentry’s best estimate is that there
guards. The Picts will fall back if faced with a are approximately two dozen figures moving
direct and organized attack and seek to hide in though the woods and perhaps more.
the thick underbrush.
Death and Bane k 49

They will have time to alert those that are very large tree moving through the forest
sleeping so that the camp will be fully awake towards them.
and equipped with their arms and armor be-
fore anything occurs. As the tree moves into the open the investi-
Keeper note: four of the more elite Pictish gators can see that it is some dark creature
warriors have crept past the Roman camp and with flailing tentacles instead of branches.
are concealed in the long grass one hundred SAN loss of 1D3/1D10.
yards south of the milecastle. They have been
The creature moves towards the milecastle
instructed to wait for fleeing Romans and at-
at a movement rate of 8. This is of course
tack them before they manage to get away.
a Dark Young of Shub-Niggurath that has
After half an hour of tense waiting the
been summoned and directed to attack
following sequence will occur. It is presented
the Roman encampment. The statistics for
in a linear manner but the keeper should be
this creature appears at the end of the sce-
prepared to improvise based on the actions of
nario.
the investigators.
What happens next depends on the course of
Sounds are heard coming from the woods action that the investigators choose to take in
to the north that gradually resolves into the face of this monstrous creature. A number
chanting in a foul and vulgar sounding of likely options are listed below but the keeper
language. should remain flexible to react to alternatives
offered by the investigators.
Within minutes several torches can be Although combat in Call of Cthulhu gen-
seen moving through the woods as a small erally does not require miniatures, this battle
group departs from the tree line. may be large enough to make use of them to
Investigators can see that two of the Picts keep track of the positions of the characters
are forcibly dragging a child that appears and NPC’s .
to be struggling with its hands bound be- They may choose to make a stand inside
hind its back. the partially reconstructed milecastle. In
An individual amongst the Picts moves this event the keeper should determine
forward and they immediately pause in a how many of the NPC’s fail their SAN
respectful silence. It appears that this is a checks. Some that fail will attempt to flee
priest, shaman or wizard of some kind who to the south in a direction away from the
produces a knife and, while chanting, cuts advancing creature. Others will run and
the child’s throat, spilling the boy’s blood hide in their tents, becoming useless in
upon the ground (SAN loss of 0/1D3). any ensuing combat. For the investigators
themselves the keeper should determine,
There is a moment of absolute silence, as if in the normal manner, what effects a failed
the world is holding its breath, and then a SAN roll will have. Whoever remains ef-
cold wind comes rushing from the north. fective will be harder pressed to defend
The treetops toward the north begin to their position but they have partial cover
sway back and forth and then to thrash from Pictish attacks (reduce Pictish mis-
strongly as the wind begins to howl. sile attacks by 30%).
A successful Spot Hidden roll allows an If any of the investigators take a promi-
investigator to spot what appears to be a nent leadership position, the Pictish wiz-
ard will attempt to target them with spells
to remove them from the battle. The most
50 k Death and Bane

likely spells for him to use are Mindblast enough forces together for the assault, includ-
and Wrack. ing another wizard with the same or similar
skills.
The attacking Dark Young will initially The keeper may wish to bolster the Ro-
climb the hill towards the milecastle and man forces with some of the Gaelic warriors
use its strength to push aside stones in the from Cirigford if they had amicable relations
wall to create an entrance for itself and its during their initial contact. If the Romans and
Pictish allies. If the Dark Young is attacked investigators were abusive towards the Gaelic
directly and injured it will use its tentacle villagers, the keeper may wish to hamper any
attacks against the attackers. It will require retreat from the milecastle with a small force
three combat rounds to move enough led by the young warrior named Domhnall,
stones to create an entrance into the mi- who is mentioned in the description of the
lecastle. village. If he had been insulted by any of the
investigators he may challenge them to single
Once the Dark Young of Shub-Niggurath
combat to revenge his honor.
is inside the milecastle it will use its tenta-
If the Pictish wizard was killed during the
cle and stomp attacks against the Roman
battle at the milecastle his followers will aban-
defenders. If the Dark Young takes more
don the area, returning to their underground
damage than half of its total hit points, it
cave complex. They will not be seen in large
will retreat directly to the north. If any Pic-
numbers for many years.
tish warriors are in its course it will stomp
Upon returning to the main Roman camp
on them to clear a path for its retreat.
they must report to Titus Livius Canina. He
The Picts will fight until their wizard will not accept any explanation of a monster
has taken over half of his total hit points that attacked them and will see that they are
in damage at which time they will rally disgraced and banished from the northern ar-
around him and begin to retreat. eas of Britannia (Status loss of -5%). If he is
presented with a story of large Pictish forces
If the Pictish wizard is killed, the control in the area, he will personally take command
over the Dark Young of Shub-Niggurath of an assault force consisting of a full cohort
will be lost and it will be free to attack the of 800 hardened veterans. They will march on
Picts that are closest to it. This will result the area of the milecastle, killing everything
in a rout. The investigators may seize this that they find within several miles north of the
opportunity to flee from the scene, but wall. This mission could last for several weeks,
will be subject to surprise attacks from the or even several months, and can provide the
four Picts concealed south of the milecas- keeper with further campaign hooks. If the in-
tle. vestigators had a fight with Domhnall and re-
ported it to the Roman leader he will ruthless-
A fter m ath ly order that the entire village be destroyed as
an example to others in the area (SAN loss of
There are many possible outcomes of this sce- 1/1D3).
nario and the keeper should allow things to play
out based on the choices of the investigators. Sanity Rewards/Penalties
If the investigators are very aggressive •• Killing the Dark Young of Shub-Niggu-
they may directly march on the Pictish force rath +1D10 SAN
at their crannog before the fourth day (when
•• Killing the Pictish Wizard +1D3 SAN
the assault takes place against the milecastle).
Should this happen, the Picts will still gather
Death and Bane k 51

•• Freeing any of the prisoners at the cran- Skills: Dodge 50%, Empire 35%, Insight 35%, Navigate
nog +1D3 SAN 30%, Own Kingdom 50%, Ride Horse 50%, Tactics
50%
•• Winning a battle at the crannog +1D3 Description: If found by the investigators his hit points
SAN have been reduced to 7 and his sanity is down to 45.
•• Returning the enchanted weapons to He will not have access to armor that will fit him
the druid and earning his gratitude +1 but if he manages to escape during the attack on
the crannog he will be able to pick up a weapon and
SAN shield.
•• Returning to the main Roman camp
with Marcus Scibonius Strabo (either Fearghas son of Calum – Clan chief of the vil-
alive or with his body) +1D3 SAN lage of Cirigford – Age 42
•• Fleeing during the battle while leaving STR 13 CON 12 INT 12 SIZ 14 POW 12
fellow soldiers behind -1D6 SAN DEX 13 APP 13 EDU 13 SAN 60 HP 13
•• For each investigator killed during the Damage Bonus: +1D4
adventure -1D3 SAN Weapons: Great Axe 70%, 2D6 + db, Long Spear 50%,
1D10 + db
NPC ’S Skills: Insight 35%, Natural World 50%, Other Lan-
guage – Latin 20%, Own Kingdom 40%, Tactics 50%
Description: A gruff and plain spoken village chief who
Titus Livius Canina – Commander of the has no love for the Romans but is willing to put
Legio XX – Age 40 aside his differences in the matters of trade and ne-
gotiation. His first priority is to protecting his people
STR 13 CON 13 INT 15 SIZ 13 POW 12 but he is an honest man who will not put up with
DEX 14 APP 12 EDU 14 SAN 60 HP 13 any guile or treachery from his own people. Young
Damage Bonus: +1D4 upstart warriors, like Domhnall, are quickly put in
their place by Fearghas or banished. He believes in
Weapons: Sword – Short 65%, damage 1D6 + db, Shield
treating travelers with respect unless they prove that
– Medium 60%
they do not deserve it at which point he will rebuke
Skills: Civics 60%, Empire 55%, Insight 55%, Other them with sharp words and tell them that they are
Kingdoms (Britannia) 45%, Ride 50%, Status 50%, no longer welcome. He is a fierce foe or a strong ally
Tactics 75% with a sense of honour and integrity. Fearghas views
Description: A tall grey haired man with several vis- the Picts as scavengers and bandits but has some
ible combat scars and a steely eyed gaze that makes fears, which he will not voice, about the rumours of
people meeting him somewhat uncomfortable. He their wizards and dark worship.
has no patience for people that do not get to the
point. If he detects that somebody is not being forth- Domhnall – Hot-headed young Gaelic war-
right he will immediately confront them until he has
rior – Age 20
been satisfied by their answers. He is quick to anger
and slow to forgive. Canina has grown weary of be- STR 17 CON 13 INT 11 SIZ 16 POW 14
ing posted so far from Rome at this outpost on the DEX 11 APP 13 EDU 10 SAN 30 HP 14
edge of the known world and wants the area pacified
so that he can retire to his family’s villa overlooking Damage Bonus: +1D6
the Bay of Naples. Weapons: Spear – long 55%, damage 1D10 + db, Sword
– short 40%, damage 1D6 + db
Marcus Scibonius Strabo – Young Roman Skills: Cthulhu Mythos 5%, Dodge 45%, Hide 60%,
soldier – captive of the Picts – Age 23 Other Language – Pictish 15%, Sneak 50%, Track
65%
STR 17 CON 14 INT 13 SIZ 16 POW 12 Spells: Fleshward
DEX 16 APP 12 EDU 12 SAN 60 HP 15
Description: This young man is the best hunter in the
Damage Bonus: +1D6 village. Domhnall is quite handsome but is con-
Weapons: Sword - gladius 50%, 1D6 +1 + db, Long stantly at odds with his elders. Other young villagers
Spear 40%, 1D10 + db follow him, more out of fear than respect. He resents
52 k Death and Bane

having to follow orders from his elders and thinks authority. Over his lifetime he has seen many great
that his prowess should place him in charge. In the warriors rise from the ranks and fall and views death
last two years he has been in contact with and had as just another stage in a person’s life.
dealings with one of the dark Pictish tribes. He has
learned that they are in possession of some power- Wurgast – Pictish Wizard– Age 68
ful magical abilities and has been seduced by the
thoughts of learning their secrets. In turn, the Picts STR 10 CON 14 INT 16 SIZ 13 POW 21
have been making use of this brash young man to DEX 16 APP 10 EDU 12 SAN N/A HP 14
gather information and get access to metal arrow-
Damage Bonus: +0
heads. He perceives that the Romans in the area is a
threat to his future potential of becoming a leader of Weapons: Knife – Large 65%, damage 1D6
his people. Skills: Craft – ritual implements 70%, Insight 50%,
Natural World 45%, Potions 50%
Deirdre – Gaelic woman who had been held Spells: Fleshward, Lame Animal, Mindblast, Shrivelling,
by Picts – Age 32 Summon/Bind Dark Young, Wither Limb, Wrack
Description: This individual is a sharp eyed hunchback
STR 11 CON 9 INT 10 SIZ 9 POW 13 who has a murderous temper. The Pictish warriors
DEX 11 APP 10 EDU 9 SAN 25 HP 9 around him are obsequious and very loyal and obe-
Damage Bonus: +0 dient. They have all witnessed his wrath at one time
or another and know that missteps on their part
Weapons: Knife - Small 40%, 1D4 + db
could make them victims of the wizard’s power. He
Skills: Craft – Cooking 60%, Natural World 30%, Other openly carries a very large ceremonial knife that he
Language – Pictish 20%, Own Kingdom 30% uses to dispatch sacrifices. Wurgast sees the Romans
Description: A drab looking woman with haunted eyes as a threat to the survival of his people and will show
and an appearance of listlessness. When she was in no mercy.
her late teens she was taken captive by the Picts while Sanity Loss: For seeing this twisted creature casting his
foraging in the surrounding forest. Having been dark spells 0/1D4.
missing for nearly three years the villagers where
startled by her reappearance. She has not said much
about what happened to her, other than that she had
Wradd – Leader of Pictish War Band– Age 29
been taken by the Picts. She will not speak to the STR 17 CON 16 INT 13 SIZ 17 POW 17
investigators about her experience. If she is ordered DEX 17 APP 8 EDU 12 SAN N/A HP 17
to do so by the clan leader, she will accompany them
as a translator, in the event that they come in contact Damage Bonus: +1D6
with the Picts. The amount of work that she is Weapons: Bow 75%, damage 1D8, Sword – Long 75%,
capable of doing is minimal so the villagers will not damage 1D8 + db,
miss her. Skills: Art – Torture prisoner 60%, Insight 50%, Natural
World 35%, Other Language - Gaelic 30%, Tactics
Mànas – Elderly Druid – Age 82 45%
Spells: Fleshward
STR 7 CON 8 INT 16 SIZ 9 POW 20
DEX 8 APP 9 EDU 15 SAN 30 HP 9 Description: Wradd is a leader through force and in-
timidation. He is short tempered and will lash out at
Damage Bonus: -1D4 even a perceived slight. He hates being on the surface
Weapons: Knife - Small 80%, 1D4 + db of the world and thinks that they are on a fool’s er-
Skills: Craft – Herbalism 75%, First Aid 75%, Natural rand but he will not speak of this openly because the
World 75%, Own Kingdom 65%, Persuade 60% only person that he fears is Wurgast. The members
of his war band fear him but respect his power and
Spells: Augur, Bless Blade, Blight/Bless Crop, Charm
combat prowess. Investigators can expect no mercy
Animal, Detect Enchantment, Heal, Wandering Soul.
from this individual. When he meets the gaze of a
(The keeper might wish to augment this list with
non-Pict they instantly get the impression that there
spells found in Cthulhu Dark Ages).
is nothing more that he would like to do than rip out
Description: An elderly man who leans heavily on his their heart and eat it.
staff dressed in a simple coarse woven robe. He has a
Sanity Loss: For seeing this monstrously large tattooed
long grey beard and is nearly bald. He is of good hu-
evil warrior is 1/1D4.
mour and does not seem very impressed by power or
Death and Bane k 53

Sample Roman Soldiers Sample Pictish Warriors
#1 #2 #3 #4 #5
#1 #2 #3 #4 #5
STR 15 12 12 17 16
STR 13 11 12 17 16
CON 9 10 12 11 14
CON 16 14 11 13 10
SIZ 12 9 13 14 10
SIZ 12 17 11 12 14
INT 10 9 11 9 9
INT 12 9 13 11 14
POW 11 10 15 13 13
POW 9 9 10 11 12
DEX 12 9 13 9 13
DEX 12 9 12 16 15
APP 9 8 7 9 6
APP 11 14 12 10 9
EDU 10 8 12 10 9
EDU 9 12 12 9 11
SAN N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
SAN 45 45 50 55 60
HP 11 10 13 13 12
HP 14 16 11 13 12
DB +1D4 +0 +1D4 +1D4 +1D4
DB +1D4 +1D4 +0 +1D4 +1D4
Weapons: Club 30%, damage 1D6 + db, Knife – large
Weapons: Pilum* 30%, damage 1D8 + db, Sword – gla-
30%, damage 1D4 + db, Spear* – long 40%, damage
dius 40%, damage 1D6+1 + db, Shield – large 30%
1D10 + db, Bow** – Pictish 40%, damage 1D8.
Armor: The generic Roman soldier in this scenario is
Sanity Loss: For hearing the war cries and seeing a
wearing leather and scales armor which provides 6
mass of these crazed warriors viewers suffer a loss of
points of protection. In addition they may use their
1/1D6.
large shield to block missile weapons (see details on
page 85 of the Cthulhu Invictus book). Armor: Roughly half of the Pictish warriors wear soft
leather armor which offers 2 points of protection.
* – to keep things simple the skill percentage for a thrust
pilum is the same as when it is thrown. The damage * – to keep things simple the skill percentage for a thrust
bonus (db) does not apply when it is thrown. pilum is the same as when it is thrown. The damage
bonus (db) does not apply when it is thrown.
Sample Gaelic Warriors ** – Pictish bow – use the bow statistics on page 86 of
Cthulhu Invictus.
#1 #2 #3 #4 #5
STR 13 12 15 15 13 Dark Young of Shub-Niggurath
CON 13 14 13 12 11 STR 48 CON 20 SIZ 47 INT 20 POW 28
SIZ 17 10 15 12 11 DEX 22 HP: 34 Move: 8
INT 11 12 14 11 9 Damage Bonus: +5D6
POW 16 9 13 16 12 Weapon: Tentacle 80%, damage db + STR drain
DEX 15 10 12 15 11 Trample 40%, damage 2D6 + db
APP 12 10 9 12 14 Armor: firearms (bows and spears) attack does only 1
EDU 15 9 11 8 9 point of damage. A firearms impale does 2 points of
damage. Shotguns are exceptions, and do minimum
SAN 80 45 65 80 60
possible damage, whatever that is. Hand-to-hand
HP 15 12 14 12 11 weapons do normal damage; attacks dependent on
DB +1D4 +0 +1D4 +1D4 +0 heat, blast, corrosion, electrical charge, or poisoning
have no effect.
Weapons: Ax, Great 30%, damage 2D6 + db, Spear – Spells: Call/Dismiss Shub-Niggurath, Cause Dis-
short 30%, damage 1D6 + db, Sword – short, dam- ease, Circle of Nausea, Cloud Memory, Dominate,
age 35%, damage 1D6 + db, Shield – small 25% Enthrall Victim, Mindblast, Summon/Bind Dark
Young, Wither Limb, Wrack.
Armor: Roughly half of the Gaelic warriors wear armor
Skills: Sneak 60%, Hide in Woods 80%.
and those who do wear soft leather which provides
2 points of protection. Those who use a one handed Sanity Loss: 1D3/1D10 Sanity points to see a dark
weapon, such as a short sword, usually use a small young.
shield.
54 k Death and Bane

LIGHTS ON
THE VESUVIUS
by Jean-Philipe ‘JP’ Chapleau
Playtesters: Christian Boucher, Nathan Coit, Alexandre Foisy-Geoffroy, Alain Grenier,
Stephane “Steve” Hamel, Yves Lefevre, Mike Mead, Johnny Pate,
Born and raised in Montréal, Québec, Canada. Pompey was acclaimed in Rome as a hero
JP got hooked into role-playing by his cousin at while Crassus (who actually defeated Sparta-
the age of 10. JP has settled in Colorado Springs, cus) was not. Both men would later form the
CO with his wife Julie and kids (Josiane, Marie- first triumvirate with Caesar.
Katherine “Kitty” and Jean-Patrick). Now he
spends his – few – free moments writing, and
painting miniatures.
A bou t Rom a n Weddings
Roman weddings were often informal affairs,
Timeline requiring both spouses and their family to pub-
licly announce their intentions. The approval
The adventure is set in 46AD, but it can eas- of the fathers was solicited, but not required.
ily be set at any time between 27BC (Augustus Weddings could be as private or as pub-
becomes emperor) and 79AD (the Vesuvius lic as the spouses and their families wanted it
erupts, burying Herculaneum and Pompeii). (or could afford). The presence of a public or
It is important to note that prior to the religious official was not necessary and no li-
79AD eruption, no one knew the Vesuvius was censes were required.
a volcano. It was covered in olive groves and its Many of our modern western customs
flanks were extremely fertile and sought-after. date back to the Romans. The bride wore a
white dress, her hair elaborately done. She
Histor ic a l Background threw a bouquet. The two exchanged rings,
etc. The details of the wedding are left up to
In 73BC, Spartacus led a rebellion of slaves and the Keeper.
gladiators throughout Italy, facing and defeat-
ing many Roman armies sent against him. At its A dv entur e
height Spartacus’s army is estimated at seventy
thousand. Background
In the spring of 72BC, the slave army
moved north towards Gaul. Spartacus’s army
then turned back south and wintered at Rhe-
Ssssr eshhtk ess
gium. Born in the last days of the second empire of
Crassus blockaded him but Spartacus and Valusia, Ssssreshhtkess went into hibernation
his army broke the siege. Spartacus tried to de- as the empire fell to man. He was roused from
stroy Crassus’s army but was surrounded, and his sleep in 7 BC by a crew of miners in Egypt.
crushed. Spartacus’ body was never found. Taking over the body of a slave, he changed his
55
name to Aspianus and went to Rome, looking From the slaves that are brought back the
to take advantage of the world. Serpent People use Consume Likeness on im-
Captured by Spartacus’s army, he pre- portant people to impersonate them.
tended to be Aspianus and became one of the
important members of the slave army, a friend
and confidant of Spartacus.
Domit us C a ssius Va r ro
Ssssreshhtkess’ plans to open a portal Domitius Cassius Varro (Cassius Varro for
to his revered Valusia and bring his brethren short) is an elegant man in his 50s who has ad-
through. With them, he would create a new ministered the family fortune very well. Some-
kingdom, with human slaves. thing of an ascetic, he takes his position in the
During the winter of 73-72BC, Spartacus Senate very seriously. Not a member of any par-
befriended Aspianus. He counseled Spartacus ty, Cassius Varro is seen by the people and by
on everything. It was him who “convinced” the Emperor as a level-headed and competent
Spartacus to head south when the way to Gaul man, his popularity is high with the Imperial
was open. family and the people of Rome.
Before the final showdown with Marcus Cassius Varro is a friend, patron or rela-
Crassus, Aspianus taught Spartacus words of tion of the PCs. He is a good man seeking the
power to save himself and the core of his forc- best for his family, himself and the Empire (in
es. Seriously wounded, Spartacus uttered the that order).
words of power and opened a door through He has two sons: Tiberius and Agrippa.
time. Thus, Spartacus and his closest allies dis- Tiberius is a tribune on the Danube
appeared. (Pannonia). Once married, his wife passed
away giving birth to Domitius Cassius Varro
Spa rtacus in Va lusi a (or Varro Minor). Varro Minor lives with his
grandfather.
In Valusia, Aspianus convinced both Spartacus Agrippa is an upcoming senator. But
and his men that they were chosen to destroy where the father is level-headed, young Agrip-
Rome and that the serpent people were agents pa strongly support the war party and endless
of the gods of Egypt. The uneducated gladia- expansion of the empire. He has yet to serve in
tors went along. the army. Cassius Varro found a suitable bride
Ssssreshhtkess spent his time creat- for Agrippa. The marriage will increase Cas-
ing growth juice to grow his slave army. He sius Varro’s influence in northern Italy.
gave Spartacus and his men growth serum in
large doses making them bigger, stronger and DOMITUS CASSIUS VARRO, 52, Senator
more aggressive but also made them dimmer Weapons: Dagger 65%, damage 1d4
and easier to manipulate. Ssssreshhtkess sent Skills: Accounting 45%, Aramaic 40%, Civics 85%,
Spartacus back to gather others, to create an Empire 75%, Greek 45%, Iberian 30%, Insight 50%,
army of slave-soldiers. Persuade 65%, Status 45%, Tactics 35%
For the last few nights, Spartacus has been
leading slave-gathering operations. They open AGRIPPA CASSIUS VARRO, 22, Young Sena-
portals at night and return before daybreak tor
when the portals disappear. His first raids tar- Weapons: Dagger 45%, damage 1d4
geted isolated travelers and thus went unno- Skills: Accounting 45%, Civics 55%, Empire 60%, Greek
ticed by the authorities. Spartacus now attacks 45%, Insight 40%, Speak passionately about imperial
villas, “freeing” the slaves by taking them back expansion 65%,
to the gate where they are sent to the serpent
people to re-open the gate every night.
56 k Lights on the Vesuvius

The Br ide Ch apter 1: The
Clodius Popus is a rich equestrian whose fam- Guests ar r iv e
ily made its fortune in the wool industry. They
Invited by Cassius Varro to spend time at his
own horse stables in northern Italy. Clodius Po-
estate in Herculaneum for Agrippa’s wedding,
pus is a nondescript man in his late thirties. Not
the PCs arrive a week before the wedding. The
particularly bright or educated, he is overjoyed
wedding is beneficial to both families.
to give his only daughter such an advantageous
The week before the wedding, other
marriage.
friends, guests, musicians, entertainers, phi-
Clodia Poppia strongly dislikes Agrippa
losophers and gladiators arrive from across
and plans to become a widow very soon. She
the empire. The house is full of people at all
has taken a liking to Varro Minor and her fu-
times.
ture father-in-law.
The PCs are the first guests to arrive, giv-
CLODIA POPPIA, 17, Fiancée of Agrippa ing them a chance to interact with Cassius Var-
Cassius Varro ro and his family. Make sure the PCs feel the
gratitude and friendship of Cassius Varro.
Skills: Greek 35%, Latin 55%, Plot how to become a The other guests arrive gradually conve-
widow 55% niently allowing the PCs to meet them as they
arrive. Do not be afraid of give the PCs “too
The pr efect of much to do, too many people to meet”, a com-
Hercul a neum ment heard all too often at weddings.
Here are a number of activities to keep
The prefect of Herculaneum, Appius Fabius the PCs busy. None of those are Mythos re-
Scipio is a qualified and efficient public ser- lated.
vant. However, he is paranoid about assassins
and plots against him. He wishes to be elected Other Guests
consul turning forty.
The guests present at the wedding are members
Reports of strange lights and missing peo-
of Cassius Varro’s extensive network of friends,
ple have reached him. Not wanting to cause
clients and relations. This is a good opportunity
panic, the prefect needs to end those reports
for the Keeper to introduce NPC who will ap-
and rumors without worrying the populace
pear in future adventures, or re-introduce oth-
of his prefecture. Sending soldiers or worry-
ers. None of the NPCs present at the wedding
ing the locals could mean his dismissal, some-
have anything to do with the adventure.
thing he does not want.
The wedding of Cassius Varro’s son in
Herculaneum brings extra visitors to the area Unmarried PC
and thus increases Fabius Scipio’s paranoia. Cassius Varro decides to find a bride (or a hus-
band) for one of the PCs. He presents the PCs
APPIUS FABIUS SCIPIO, 26, prefect of Her- with charming ladies from across the empire.
culaneum Cassius Varro’s interest is genuine, if interested.
Weapons: Dagger 45%, damage 1d4
Skills: Accounting 85%, Civics 85%, Empire 65%, In- Military PC
sight 50%, Worry for his own life 85% Varro Minor hounds a PC with a military or
warrior background. The boy asks an endless
stream of questions about life in the army, wars,
fighting and anything of interest. Varro Minor
Lights on the Vesuvius k 57

is a curious and intelligent boy, he is also ex- dabbles in ancient history and strange scrolls
tremely persistent. and papyri. She expresses her displeasure with
such things.
Scholar PC If the PC shares (or pretends to share)
her view, Gaia reveals that her husband is in-
A PC of scholarly pursuit is approached by Gai-
volved in more of those “crazy research” back
us Rufus and asked about the PC’s knowledge
home and that she does not like it. If pressed
of history, poetry and philosophy. Gaius Rufus
on the subject, she adds that he researches an-
is very interested in all of those together and an
cient history of the Libyan tribes, things that
intelligent talker. Gaius Rufus is a kindred spirit
are “better left undisturbed, under the sands”.
in the gathering of knowledge. At the Keeper’s
If the PC admits to also being involved in
discretion Gaius Rufus may know about the
“crazy research”, she is shocked and disturbed
Mythos.
by females doing such “manly research”. She
Ten years ago, he wrote the poem De Ro-
does her best to convince the PC that such
mulus ad Quirinus, a long poem about the dei-
things are not for women and that “men
fication of Romulus into the god Quirinus and
should be allowed to play their silly games.”
he made a fortune. His works was acclaimed
by Caligula (before he became emperor) as be-
ing “masterful and explicit”. Civil Servant PC
After this short bout of fame and wealth, A civil servant PC (this can be a military, a sen-
he lost his fortune to orgies, women, expen- ator or someone in public works such as engi-
sive gifts and gambling. Gaius Rufus ended up neers or the vigils) is approached by the prefect
with nothing, but managed to buy himself a of Herculaneum, Fabius Scipio. The prefect in-
position working for Cassius Varro. Gaius Ru- quires about the PCs’ previous investigations
fus spent the last three years in Cyrene where and current activities.
he worked as an able administrator of the sen- A successful Insight check leads the PC to
ator’s horse stables and is esteemed by him. He think the prefect is holding something back.
secures a good marriage to a Libyan princess, He reveals nothing at this time. Though a suc-
Gaia Sabina (see below). cessful Fast Talk check can make him slip that
Gaius Rufus is the brother of Quintus he is “looking for people.”
Curtius Rufus, another famous historian who
wrote a biography of Alexander the Great
(around 45AD).
For the de v ious K eeper
Clodia Poppia falls in love with a male PC
Female PC and try to spend “private time” with that PC.
Gaia Sabina (Gaius Rufus’s wife, see above) is All sorts of complications can happen. Clodia
an exotic beauty with caramel skin and dark might even plot with the PC to get rid of her
curly hair. An Empire check reveals her Libyan husband.
heritage. She dresses in a mixture of Roman
and Libyan style. Her hair is arranged in the lat- Ch apter 2: The
est styles and she wears a lot of jewelry. She is an
intense and passionate woman with fire in her
Pr efect ’s problem
eyes. She loves her husband dearly, but hates his Three days before the wedding, the PCs are in-
interest in history and the occult. vited to a midday meal at the prefect’s house. If
She approaches a female PC and asks her the PCs ask Cassius Varro about it, he encour-
if her husband (she assumes the female PC is ages the PCs to meet with the prefect. He won’t
married to one of the male PCs) constantly

say, but he recommended the PCs to the pre- fied to the doorway of his villa. (The men
fect. did not tell Scipio what was written next
The prefect’s house is well-kept and to the body as they cannot read).
clean. The PCs are asked to leave any weapons
outside (daggers are not weapons). The slaves He wants the PCs to investigate this affair,
are polite, the musicians are good, the food is unofficially – of course – since his own
exquisite and the wine is plentiful. After the soldiers draw excessive attention. (Plus he
meal, Scipio order out the musicians, servants does not trust them).
and dancers. Only Scipio, his guards and the
Scipio is worried that such events may be
PCs remain in the room.
an ill-omen for Agrippa’s wedding and he
Fabius Scipio asks to see the PCs’ hands,
would like the whole affair to be resolved
which he inspects meticulously. Once satis-
quickly and quietly before the wedding.
fied, he visibly relaxed and waves the PCs clos-
er while sending his guard to “wait outside”. He can lend the PCs some of his own hors-
This is one of his many eccentricities, but let es and/or chariot if they do not have any.
the PCs read more into it. If they have any reasonable requests for
Once alone, Scipio asks from them a vow items and equipment, he will lend them
of silence on what he is about to tell them. what they need.
This vow must be kept until he releases them
of it. Assuming the PCs agree, he tells the PCs The prefect does not promise any money.
the following.
Scipio wants the PCs to act like nothing
Cassius Varro has lauded the exploits and is going on, and that they should attend
the resourcefulness of the PCs to the pre- any important social event in addition to
fect many times. looking into the affair.
For the past three weeks a number of peo- When the PCs agree, the prefect relaxes. He has
ple have disappeared around Hercula- his servants bring in wine and the musician re-
neum. This is nothing new as people go turns. If they ever need to speak with him, they
missing all the time. He did not worry are ushered in with all haste at any point in the
about it. adventure.
Starting last week, distant, strange lights

Ch apter 3: The
have been seen on the Vesuvius at night.
In the morning, he sent men to investigate timeline
but they found nothing. (If the PCs want, This part of the adventure presents a timeline
he can direct them to the men). of event assuming the PCs do nothing.
Last night, a merchant named Publio heard Additional information about the own-
screams as he was hurrying back from ers and their villas after Spartacus’ attack ap-
Pompeii after dark. He hid in the bushes pear in Chapter 4: The investigation. The PCs
and saw many large men pull about twen- should not catch Spartacus on the first night.
ty men, women and children in chains up- When they catch up with him and his gang,
wards on the Vesuvius. proceed to Chapter 6: Spartacus. If and when
the PCs encounter the gate, proceed to Chap-
He sent a patrol of soldiers this morning ter 7: Through the gate.
to check on Publio’s story. They found a At the time of the adventure, the Vesuvi-
local land owner, Cyrus the Greek, cruci- us is not known to be a volcano. Its sides are

extremely fertile and covered with trees, vine- Cassius Varro is oddly calm, putting up a
yards and orchards. brave facade and feigning ignorance of what is
The first day is the day when the PCs meet happening around him. His demeanor goes a
with the prefect. long way to keeping his guests calm.
Citizens demand the prefect send his mi-
The first night litia to take care of the problem. The protests
worsen as the day goes on. If the PCs did not
Spartacus and his men head to a vineyard and
tell Fabius Scipio about the inscription, he
order the slaves and all the women to follow
hears about it and contacts the PCs immedi-
them. He nails the former owner, Lotarius, to
ately.
the doors and leaves.
Lentulus Batiatus stays at home all day.
When he hears of the attack on Lotarius’ farm,
The second day
he send his wife and children to a friend in
During the second day, more guests arrive at Pompeii, staying behind with a few men to de-
Cassius Varro’s house. fend his estate.
In Herculaneum, word spreads about
something going on in the countryside. De- The third night
tails are sketchy. Fabius Scipio increases the
Spartacus and his men attack Lentulus Batia-
guard around town.
tus’s farm. This time, Spartacus is not interested
The second night is rainy. The PCs come
in taking prisoners, this one is about revenge.
across the gate unless they are doing some-
He and his men put everyone to the sword.
thing that keeps them away (such as watching
Again, he nails the mutilated body of Lentulus
an older gate site, sleeping or staying in town).
to the front door. The scene is quite shocking
This time, the gate is open by the side of the
and costs 1/1d6 Sanity to behold.
road. The Keeper can set this encounter at any
time he or she wishes, but if set later in the
night, Spartacus and his men could be com- The fourth day
ing back from their latest raid. See Chapter 7: The fourth day is the day of the wedding be-
Through the gate. tween Agrippa and Clodia Poppia. What hap-
Spartacus and his men attack a farm pens next depends on what the PCs have done
owned by Publius Varus. This time, the PCs so far. If the PCs have not defeated the Serpent
arrive after the man’s death. However, his People, proceed to Part 8: Invasion. Otherwise,
daughter avoided the gladiators by hiding in proceed to Chapter 9: The Wedding.
the well.
Fa bius Scipio a nd the
The third day
inscr iption
By now all of Herculaneum is abuzz with the
news that someone is killing the rich landown- Bringing the information about what was writ-
ers and taking all their women, slaves and chil- ten on the doors to Fabius Scipio has him turn
dren. The situation in town becomes extremely deathly pale. He orders one of his servants to
tense and people begin to worry. fetch “his new papyrus”. He tells the PCs the
News that someone is trying to start a following.
new servile war has every rich citizen worried
He bought the book a year ago from a trav-
for their lives. Citizens arm themselves. Men
elling bookseller.
with military or combat experience are hired
as extra muscle. The Prefect’s office is flooded
with petitions and request for help.

The seller told him it was a book of proph- Cyrus’ Villa (night “zero”)
ecies from the oracle at Delphi. The book, The PCs may wish to investigate the villa that
he said, contains information that could was raided on the night before Scipio involved
save his and many others’ lives. the PCs. The former owner was taken down
The prefect bought the book and began from the doorway and some efforts to clean the
to study it, but stopped because the many place have been taken.
prophecies therein are overly complex and A successful Spot Hidden reveals that
undecipherable. He thought it was just something was written in blood under-
gibberish. neath the body but that it has been cleaned.
He gives the PCs Player Handout 1: The Some letters cannot be read but a success-
Undefeated Spartan if they have not re- ful Read Latin reads “Spartaci Liberat”
ceived it already. (possible “Freed by Spartacus” or “Sparta-
cus the Liberator”). While an unsuccessful
After that, Fabius Scipio refuses to leave his Read Latin reads “Sparta Liber” (possible
home until the PCs have stopped Sparta- “Free Sparta”).
cus
A successful Track check reveals to the PCs
From this point on, Fabius Scipio becomes ex- that the raiders did a thorough search of
tremely worried. He increases the guard around the estate.
his home. People in town begin to comment on
his strange behavior. A successful Spot Hidden check reveals
specks of blood here and there, proof that
Ch apter 4: The the household did put up a fight
in v estigation A successful Insight check gives but that

they were quickly subdued, and no one
was killed. The natural deduction is to as-
Loc ating Spa rtacus sume that the attackers were far superior
Spartacus and his men never open a gate the in combat ability.
same location twice, so watching a previously A successful Spot Hidden by a different PC
used location does not help the investigation. reveals a small drawing on the inside of a
clothes chest depicts a gladiator. This clue
Sanity costs can only be found once.
The following sanity costs apply to all of the lo-
cations. No tracking checks are required to follow
the tracks due to the large number of peo-
Allowing a raid to happen when the PCs ple all marching in a single file (because
are in a position to try and stop it: 1/1d6 they were chained). There are a number
of tracks, leading up the Vesuvius. Those
Finding the owner nailed to the doors: tracks stop in the center of a clearing. Of
1/1d3 the many tracks that enter the clearing,
none seem to be leaving.
Seeing the carnage at Lentulus’ home:
1/1d6
Cyrus the Greek (before the adventure)
Cyrus is a Greek who purchased his orchards
from thirty years ago. Cyrus married a local
freed slave woman. He was a rather private per- ple swiftly and rounded up everyone be-
son. People generally liked him as he was pleas- fore any organized resistance could be ar-
ant and charming. He has no known enemies. ranged.
The previous owners of his orchard were
a now-defunct family murdered in their sleep They had scaly skins.
by parties unknown, but it is generally assumed
He fought them with his sons, but they
to be some of their slaves for their brutal ways.
were quickly defeated. Their men’s fight-
They had financial troubles dating back to the
ing prowess was significantly. (Lotarius
days of the Third Servile Wars when a lot of
and his family have no military training)
their slaves fled and joined Spartacus’s army.
The men called their leader Spartacus. It
Lotarius (first night) was “Spartacus” who nailed him to the
Lotarius comes from a well-known local family. doors.
He was hated and most people see his death as
“Spartacus” asked him if he knew where
a blessing. He was known as a brute and a bully.
Lentulus Batiatus lived. Lotarius refused to
He rarely allowed his wife outside his estate. His
tell him unless his children were released.
family has owned the land for over 5 genera-
They were not so he said nothing.
tions.
Rumor is that he killed his two brothers Spartacus laughed saying that this time he
to inherit the family fortune. Then he kept his would topple Rome and there was “noth-
sisters-in-laws as his mistresses locked up in ing Pompey or Crassus could do”. A suc-
the house. Even his father’s death was acciden- cessful Empire (at +20%) check reminds
tal but people think he did it too. There is no the PCs that those two men were very
proof of Lotarius’ involvement in any of those successful generals about a century ago
rumors, but everyone believes them. People and that they were the ones who crushed
think his staff rebelled against him and gave Spartacus’ rebellion.
him “what he deserved”. They marvel that it
has not happened earlier. As a dying wish he asks the PCs to kill the
The PCs find him nailed to the door as he men responsible and to leave them out for
is about to die. the beasts to feed upon their corpses.
Under him is the (still-fresh) “Spartacus Publius Varus (second night)

Liberator”, which anyone who can read
Latin can decipher as “Spartacus the Liber- Publius Varus was an equestrian man of aver-
ator” or “Spartacus Bringer-of-Freedom”. age means who grows the best olives in the area.
In his staff, he had a master oil maker (current-
All of the clues the PCs have not found in ly missing). He was known as a stern but fair
Cyrus’ villa are also present here, thus giv- man.
ing the PCs a second chance to find them. His wife Servia was the biggest gossip in
the area. Other women have a love/hate re-
When the PCs reach him, Lotarius is dy- lation with her: they loved hearing the dirt
ing. He tells the PCs the following before on others while hating her for talking about
dying. Allow Medicine or Potion checks to them.
give him a little more time. His death starts the rumors and gets peo-
ple talking about something happening in the
The men who attacked his complex were
countryside.
expert warriors. They fell upon the peo-

All of the clues the PCs have not found in their members out to rich individuals to pro-
Cyrus and Lotarius’ villa are also present tect homes and businesses.
here, thus giving the PCs another chance The vigils were a mix of modern-day mob,
to find them. private security, street gang and constabulary
Publius Varus’s daughter, Publia Variana is ten force. The peoples’ view of them was equal-
years old. She was hiding in the well prior to ly vary, depending on a given groups’ actions
Spartacus’ arrival. Rescuing her is not very dif- and reputation. Vigils would usually fight un-
ficult and requires some rope. armed, but knife fights are not unknown. Gang
Publia made a dare with her friend Len- on gang action rarely result in death, but bro-
tilia. It is said that if a girl hides in a well and ken limbs and bruises are common.
sees the moon from the bottom, she will forev- As a young man, (future emperor) Nero is
er be beautiful and have the blessing of Diana. believed to have gone out into the dark streets
No matter what the PCs say, she believes that. of Rome and engage in vigilantism.
After going to bed, she slipped out and
climbed down the well. While she was down Paulus’s ga ng is one
there, a group of demons came and the scream- such group.
ing started.
She heard demons ask about Batiatus to VIGILS OF THE CAMPANIA, local toughs
her father. Her best friend is Lentilia Batiatilla,
daughter of Lentulus Batiatus. She can tell the 1 2 3 4 Paulus
PCs where they live. STR 9 13 15 10 13
She is now an orphan. The PCs have to CON 10 11 16 8 15
decide her ultimate fate. She is also the sole SIZ 15 11 17 9 14
heiress to her father’s possessions. INT 10 8 9 6 10
POW 4 13 12 15 10
Lentulus Batiatus (third night) DEX 12 15 13 9 12
Lentulus Batiuatus’s ancestor owned a gladiator APP 13 14 10 10 13
school and Spartacus at the time of the rebel- SAN 20 65 60 75 50
lion. Both men have the same name. HP 13 11 17 9 15
The current Batiatus is a simple man who DB - - +1d6 - +1d4
owns a small farm. He owns two female slaves
(they belong to his wife) and the rest of his Weapons: Fist/Punch 75%, damage 1d3+db
Club 50%, damage 1d6+db
household is made up of freemen he pays well, Dagger 45%, damage 1d4+db
but has them work hard. Everyone likes him Gladius (Paulus only) 65%, damage 1d6+1+db
and people only have good things to say about Grapple 45%, damage special
him. His death is seen as a tragedy. Kick 45%, damage 1d6+db
The farm he owns has been in his fam- Armor: 1 point of thick clothes
ily “since the days of Marius” (early 1st cen- Skills: Climb 45%, Dodge 30%, Hide 35%, Jump 35%,
tury BC). Listen 35%, Sneak 60%, Latin 50% Spot Hidden
45%, Throw 45%
Paulus and his boys

The Roman world had a number of gangs who Ch apter 5: The
did some “patrolling” of the streets. Some vig- Vigils
ils (from whom we get the word “vigilantes”)
formed tight organizations that would hire At any point during the adventure, a landowner
hires a gang of vigils from Pompeii to watch the

area close to his homestead. If the PCs are out
at night, they meet Paulus and his gang. Paulus a nd his boys
Paulus, the leader, is an ugly man whose The Roman world had a number of gangs who
nose was broken many times with a strong, did some “patrolling” of the streets. Some vig-
square jaw and a thick skull. Paulus believes ils (from whom we get the word “vigilantes”)
another gang is trying to earn a reputation. He formed tight organizations that would hire
intends to stop them and become famous. their members out to rich individuals to pro-
The vigils go about a torch in hand and tect homes and businesses.
explore the area making noise and threatening The vigils were a mix of modern-day mob,
people. They are the typical bull in the china private security, street gang and constabulary
shop. The good news is, they are easy to hear, force. The peoples’ view of them was equally
spot, follow and trick. vary, depending on a given groups’ actions and
The first encounter between the PCs and reputation. Vigils would usually fight unarmed,
the vigils may result in a fight or at least a short but knife fights are not unknown. Gang on
brawl between the two. The men are not out to gang action rarely result in death, but broken
limbs and bruises are common.
kill, they only intimidate and beat up.
Paulus knows very little He know some As a young man, (future emperor) Nero is be-
landowners were killed at their villas. He ig- lieved to have gone out into the dark streets of
nores about that anyone else has gone miss- Rome and engage in vigilantism.
ing and has not investigate very hard himself. Paulus’s gang is one such group.
Unless shown clear evidence, Paulus and his
boys do not believe anything supernatural is VIGILS OF THE CAMPANIA, local
happening. With undeniable proof, Paulus toughs
and his men become very worried and agree 1 2 3 4 Pau-
to work with the PCs. Stopping a rival gang is lus
one thing, the supernatural is another. STR 9 13 15 10 13
The vigils can serve as extra muscle, op- CON 10 11 16 8 15
ponents, bait, as guinea pigs or replacement SIZ 15 11 17 9 14
characters.
INT 10 8 9 6 10
Ch apter 6:
POW 4 13 12 15 10
DEX 12 15 13 9 12
Spartacus APP 13 14 10 10 13
SAN 20 65 60 75 50
When and how the PCs meet with Spartacus HP 13 11 17 9 15
will vary heavily from group to group. This en-
DB - - +1d6 - +1d4
counter can take place in a number of locations
Weapons: Fist/Punch 75%, damage 1d3+db
at a number of sites.
Club 50%, damage 1d6+db
Spartacus and his men are competent Dagger 45%, damage 1d4+db
fighters (their statistics appear in below). Con- Gladius (Paulus only) 65%, damage 1d6+1+db
fronting them without preparation will result Grapple 45%, damage special
in a number of deaths. Kick 45%, damage 1d6+db
One of the gladiators holds a torch. He Armor: 1 point of thick clothes
stays out of combat unless challenged. They all Skills: Climb 45%, Dodge 30%, Hide 35%, Jump
carry a water skin each, filed with sweetened 35%, Listen 35%, Sneak 60%, Latin 50% Spot
Hidden 45%, Throw 45%
water. The water contains small quantities of

growth juice. This increases their aggressive- himself, taking with him all of his remaining
ness (-1 sanity) for short periods of time. men. At this point, they abandon everything:
If the PCs encounter Spartacus’s force be- their prisoners, extra chains and anything they
fore a raid some of them are carrying chains do not need to fight (they do need a torch).
and manacles. They spend the first round Ambush: This tactics involves the PCs
dropping them and pulling out their weapons hiding then attack one or many of them at
while the others move forward to attack. the same time before leaving the area. Ranged
During a raid, they leave their chains weapons are ideal for this type of attack. If the
nearby. All take part in the fighting and cap- PCs don’t think about it, the place is full of
ture of prisoners. Taking the chains would def- rocks that can be thrown easily.
initely create chaos among them as they try to Disguise: Trying to pass off as one of the
find them. slaves to create chaos can be done. The gladi-
If the PCs meet Spartacus after a raid, ators and the soldiers do not know each other
half of his men are pulling their captives by too well, granting a +20% bonus to Fast Talk
the chains and do not let go of them, fighting and similar checks as long as the PC does not
only one-handed. act overly intelligent.
Spartacus himself never encumbers him- Summoning animals: Summoning and
self with chains, slaves or a torch. His weapons controlling animals is a good way to get
are always in hand and ready. It very easy to help and not to have the prisoners panic too
identify the leader. much.
Summoning Mythos creatures: Summon-
How many? ing mythos creatures can help the PCs. The
gladiators are already completely insane and
The number of gladiators with Spartacus de-
thus will not be afraid of such creatures. How-
pends on the PCs, their combat abilities and the
ever, the poor prisoners do not have the same
mood of the Keeper. There should be at LEAST
resistance. With the appearance of a creature,
one gladiator for every two PCs, plus Sparta-
ALL of the gladiators abandon anything they
cus.
are doing to focus on it, each wanting the glo-
By the third night, Spartacus has addi-
ry of the kill.
tional recruits for his army. Those recent-
Use bait: Draw a few gladiators away
ly “freed” slaves increase the army. They are
from the rest. Such tactics work every time.
armed with low-quality spears. There are at
One gladiator and two slave-soldiers are sent
least two slave-soldiers per PC in addition to
away from the pack whenever a pursuit hap-
the gladiators.
pens. The type of gladiator following the PCs
is random (refer to the section titled Sparta-
PC tactics
cus’s men, below).
Here are a few tactics the PCs could use against
the gladiator. Though the PCs have no way of
knowing this, the men they are going against
Spa rtacus
are very dim-witted, acting more on instinct No longer the strong-willed, bright man who
that reason. led a rebellion against Rome, Spartacus it now
Think of the gladiators as animals: they a hulking brute intend on revenge and serv-
are not very intelligent, but their instincts and ing his serpent people masters. The stats below
ability to fight puts them at the top of the food represent him as he appears in this adventure, a
chain. murderous hulking brute.
When their numbers have been whittled
down significantly, Spartacus goes on the hunt

SPARTACUS, Degenerated legend 5 Retiarius Net, trident, 1 point of
armor.
STR 20 CON 18 SIZ 15 INT 8 POW 4
DEX 18 APP 10 EDU 13 SAN 0 HP 18 6 Thracian Buckler, khopesh, 3
points of armor.
Damage Bonus: +1d6
Weapons: Short khopesh 90%, damage 1d8+db FORMER GLADIATORS, Degenerated war-
Fist 65%, damage 1d3+db riors
Improvised Weapon** 75%, damage 1d4+db
Large Shield 70%, damage 1d4+db STR 20 CON 18 SIZ 15 INT 4 POW 2
** Improvised weapon is anything the gladiator might DEX 14 APP 10 EDU 11 SAN 0 HP 18
pick up and use in the heat of battle that is not his
Damage Bonus: +1d6
weapon of choice. This is to represent the men’s
Weapons*: Fist 65%, damage 1d3+db
Armor: 2 points of gladiator armor and 1 point of scales
Kick 50%, damage 1d6+db
Skills: Climb 60%, Dodge 65%, First Aid 55%, Jump Improvised Weapon** 55%, damage 1d4+db
35%, Listen*** 25%, Sneak 55%, Speak Greek 35%, Lasso 65%, target is grappled
Speak Latin 40%, Speak Serpent men 15%, Spot Net 65%, target is grappled
Hidden*** 45%, Tactics 75% Short spear 85%, damage 1d6+db
*** Includes a penalty for the helmet worn. Short sword 85%, damage 1d6+db
Spells Known: Gates of Valusia Trident 85%, damage 1d6+db
Shield 60%, damage 1d4+db
** Improvised weapon is anything the gladiator might
Spa rtacus’s men pick up and use in the heat of battle that is not his
weapon of choice. This is to represent the men’s
Not quite as intelligent to start with, these men Armor: see above
devolved much quicker. At the start of the ad- Skills: Climb 60%, Dodge 65%, First Aid 55%, Jump
venture, they can barely talk, instead grunting 35%, Listen*** 65%, Sneak 55%, Speak Greek 15%,
like Neanderthals. Their increased bulk makes Speak Latin 20%, Speak Serpent men 5%, Spot Hid-
them particularly dangerous. They serve Spart- den*** 65%
acus without question. *** Any gladiator with more than 1 point of armor takes
Each gladiator has a different fighting a -30% penalty to those skills (for the helmet).
style and is equipped as follows. A gladiator Spells Known: Gates of Valusia
only has equipment that suits his fighting style
and nothing else. Thus a dimachaerus does The Sl av e a r my
not have any weapon beyond his two short
swords. The armor is a mixture of greaves, Made of captive from Spartacus’s raids, then
padded armor, leather straps and stacks with subjected to growth juice and a view of horrors
the scales the men have grown through use of that made them go mad, these recruits are of
the growth juice. The armor points include both gender and equally mad and dangerous.
the men’s scales. This “slave” army is composed of former free-
1d6 Type Equipment men, slaves and anyone the serpent people did
1 Dimachaerus 2 short swords, 1 point
not chose to impersonate.
of armor. They are barely trained in the weapons
2 Hoplomachus (or Short sword, round they are equipped with. They retain more in-
Samnite) shield, 3 points of telligence than the gladiators.
armor.
3 Laquerarius Lasso, spear, 1 point of SLAVE ARMY SOLDIER, insane prisoner
armor.
4 Murmillo (or Short sword, large DEX 11 APP 10 EDU 8 SAN 0 HP 14
Secutor) shield, 3 points of
armor. Damage Bonus: +1d4

Weapons: Fist 55%, damage 1d3+db After 5 minutes, every PC must test his
Kick 30%, damage 1d6+db CON against a 5. This roll increases by 1 ev-
Short spear 20%, damage 1d6+db
ery five minutes the PCs do not simply sit and
Skills: Listen 35%, Obey the gladiators 99%, Speak
rest, due to fatigue – so after 10 minutes the
Latin 30%, Speak Serpent men 5%, Scream Insanely
89%, Spot Hidden 35% PCs must roll CON vs. 6, vs. 7 after 15 min-
utes, etc. In combat, a PC may only fight for
Ch apter 7: Through
a number of rounds equal to his CON. After
that, he must win against a 5. The roll increas-
the gate es by one every round. A PC who fails must
spend three minutes resting during which he
The time gate emits a dull green light, bright or she is at -30% to all physical skills.
enough to betray its presence. It has a strange As long as the PCs do not draw attention
rippling effect as though one was looking into a to themselves, nothing happens. Because of
pond or a pool of water. the large number of Consume Likeness spells
Through the gate is a city of ancient ba- used, most serpent people think nothing of a
saltic stones covered with moss and lichen. few humans walking around speaking Latin,
Anyone looking at the city has the impression since they assume they are other serpent peo-
that it is sinking under the weight of the veg- ple.
etation that covers it. If the PCs draw attention to themselves
A successful Spot Hidden check reveals such as freeing prisoners, taking prisoners
humans. Men, women and children are tied to through the gate, attacking a serpent person
strong wooden posts the plaza beyond. Some or whatever the Keeper thinks attracts atten-
move groggily as though drugged or asleep. tion. When this happens, proceed to Drawing
Many are completely still. attention, below.
A few people go about their business The serpent people consider the tied pris-
dressed in strange, long robes (those are ac- oners as a dog in a neighbor’s yard. They bark,
tually serpent people who have used the Con- moan, beg or scratch on the fence, but they are
sume Likeness spell). Serpent-headed men just minor annoyances.
also go about the streets, mingling with hu-
mans and talking with them. The scene costs Exploring the city
1/1d6 sanity points to watch because of the
alien nature of the vision. Long exploration is effectively impossible due
to the atmosphere here (see above). However,
the PCs should be able to discover a few things
Through the gate about the serpent people. There seem to be two
The PCs can go through the gate if they wish. distinct groups, who do not mingle with each
Crossing costs 1 magic point and 1 sanity point. other too much. The stone used to make the
The PCs can cross to and fro any number of statues is similar to soap stone but feels slimy
times, but each time, he must pay the cost to the touch.
above. The first group worships a large serpent
On the other side, the weather is tropical- or crocodile headed creature. A successful Oc-
ly warm (about 120F (50C)) and the humid- cult check identifies him as an aspect of the
ity is crushing (100%). Though there is no way Egyptian god Sobek while a successful Cthul-
for the PCs to know, the atmosphere at this hu Mythos identifies him as a very archaic ver-
time is thinner thus harder to breathe for ex- sion of Yig. This check also tells the PCs that
tended periods. The air smells strongly earth Yig is known to have cursed the serpent people
and animal. in the past with a powerful curse because they

turned away from his worship. If the PCs have The gladiators keep talking about “getting
some way of contacting Yig (either Yig or the revenge on Crassus or Pompey” and “de-
children of Yig), the chance of success is au- stroying the Republic”.
tomatic, without chance of failure. Upon ap-
pearing Yig or his Children go on a rampage, One of the now-dead prisoners told them
attacking the serpent people from the other that the emperor would send troops to
side of town (not the PCs). Summoning Yig stop them. They laughed and replied that
draws attention (see Drawing attention, be- Rome was a republic.
low).
The gladiators sometimes use prisoners to
The second deity looks like a fat and
practice fighting, a spectacle which always
bloated humanoid creature with a lion’s mane,
ended with the death of the prisoner.
large ears and a dull, lazy smile. A successful
Occult check identifies this as a representation The serpent people love games and often
of the Egyptian god Bes, but from a special cult hold games between gladiators and “crea-
from high up the Nile while a successful Cthul- tures of the gods.” The creatures can be
hu Mythos identifies Tsathoggua. Its followers whatever Mythos creature you desire.
are fewer and seem less intelligent. They spend
their time in orgies with large snakes and do The gladiators spend most of their time
very little. Few of the Tsathoggua worshippers grunting and wrestling each other. Only
have taken human form. Spartacus refrains from doing so.
For either of the statues, a successful Oth-
er Kingdom (Far upper Egypt/Kush/Ethiopia) The serpent people turn into people they
check tells the PCs that those statues resem- eat. Some are learning how to speak Latin
ble those of the depth of Africa, but that they and have been conversing with prisoners
seem older and more primitive. Seeing both to perfect their mastery of the language.
statues cost each PC 1/1d4 Sanity points.
All of the freed humans are serpent peo-
If the Keeper wishes, some horrible cere-
ple.
mony could take place as the PCs watch, cost-
ing them even more sanity. The gate remains open for one night and
disappears at sunrise (time passes the
Talking to the prisoners same here as it does in Rome). The gladi-
Some of the prisoners are conscious but all of ators go through the gate and return with
them are exhausted. All of them beg for mer- new prisoners.
cy, assuming the PCs are serpent people. Once
The serpent people are divided in two
calmed, the PCs can get information from the
groups. One worship some crocodile-
prisoners.
thing and the others a fat dwarf-thing.
They were captured by the gladiators. Both groups take prisoners and sacrifice
them to their vile and uncaring deities.
The leader is called Spartacus, like the slave
of old. He has big goons with him dressed With every arrival of prisoners, a few are
as gladiators. They opened the magical taken away by Aspianus. Usually those
gates. who seem to be larger and bulkier. None
were ever seen again.
Spartacus works closely with an Egyptian
wizard living in a house nearby (they show (On the third night only) Some of the
the PCs to Aspianus’ laboratory). people that were taken away returned and

joined Spartacus and his gladiators. They A successful Cthulhu Mythos recognizes
looked bigger, wilder and wielded spear- the runes carved on some of the bodies as
like weapons. symbols for a magical spell. The body parts
have been neatly cut off the body, preserv-
The prisoners can give the PCs idea of the ing the skin as intact as possible.
number of gladiators and slave-soldiers.
If the PCs spend any time near the bodies, one
All beg to be freed and returned home. of the serpent people approaches one of the
victims, neatly cuts part of the body with a very
Fr eeing the pr isoner s sharp knife then intones arcane words. The ser-
pent person does nothing unless the PCs are so
Freeing the prisoners does not draw attention careless as to go and talk to him. Disturbing the
as long as they do not free more than one or ritual draws attention.
two at a time. Freeing a large number of prison-
ers (more than one per PC) draws attention, see Talking to the Serpent people
Drawing attention, below. Should a PC be so bold as to try and talk to a
What the PCs do with that prisoner is “freed” human or a serpent person, it initially
up to them. None can fight. All are exhausted assumes the PC(s) are serpent people trying to
from the climate and lack of food. Left to their practice their Latin. The serpent people tells the
own devices, a prisoner makes a run for the where to find Ssssreshhtkess and go on their
portal, if it is open. If more than one prisoner business. Insisting on talking draws attention.
runs through the gate, this attracts the atten-
tion of the serpent people.
The PCs may escort up to one prisoner Finding A spi a nus
per PC through the gate without issue. Beyond Aspianus-Ssssreshhtkess is in small hut near
that the serpent people notice, drawing atten- the gate. He only leaves when Spartacus and
tion. his men are about to open the gate and when
they return with prisoners. He remains in his
Examining the bodies human form at all times. Aspianus speaks good
The dead bodies are covered with symbols. Latin and understands the world (of 70BC).
There are men and women of every national- Any PC who speaks to him draws atten-
ity as would normally be found near Hercula- tion. However, if the PCs fight with him in
neum. his house behind closed doors, they can avoid
drawing attention.
Anyone with the Consume Likeness spell Ssssreshhtkess is creating additional
immediately recognizes the symbols as growth juice with the help of other serpent
that spell. people. Bulkier men and women (STR, CON
or SIZ 12+) are chained to the walls of his
A successful Medicine or Natural World house and force-fed with growth juice. These
check reveals that the bodies were all poi- people are now completely insane and, if freed,
soned injected by long and very thin in- attack whoever is near them.
struments (a viper’s bite). If the PCs defeat him quickly, they can
A successful Occult confirms that those find Aspianus’ notes on augury and magic.
symbols are arcane in nature. The PC also This book, calls Aspianus’ Notes appears in
has a feeling that they are from an archa- Appendix 1: New Books, Items and Spells.
ic or primitive form of magic, as found in
the tribal areas of Africa or Germania.

After fighting with Aspianus, the PCs Dr awing at tention
draw attention shortly thereafter as a serpent
people realizes what happens. Whatever the cause, the PCs attracted the at-
The PCs do not go through the gate tention of the serpent people. A group of them
Allow the PCs to watch the gate for a approach and begin speaking in the tongue of
while (at least a few minutes) before anything the serpent people. Unless the PCs can quickly
happens beyond. If the PCs hide and observe reply in their tongue with a valid explanation
the gate, nothing happens. (and backing it with a successful Fast Talk
However after a moment, someone be- check), the serpent people attack en masse.
yond notices them. That person walks for- Many are initially in human form, but revert
ward, closer to the gate and waves the PCs to to their original form after taking damage. For
come through. a number of serpent people statistics, see the
If the PCs go through the gate, the ser- nearby box entitled Serpent People.
pent person greets the PC on the other side Starting with 1d6 and add one or two
with a “You should that know Ssssreshhtkess serpent person every round. Ssssreshhtkess
does not want us to go through there.” The arrives once the PCs have defeated one ser-
person then leaves. Proceed to Through the pent people for every two PCs. At that point
gate, above. no more Serpent People join the battle. Once
If the PCs stay on their side of the gate Ssssreshhtkess arrives, he uses his spells to at-
and do not come through the serpent people tempt to destroy the most powerful PC.
calls the others come out and try to drag the If the PCs kill him, the other serpent peo-
PCs through the gates. Proceed to Drawing at- ple begin to fight amongst themselves with the
tention, but this time, Ssssreshhtkess arrives Yig-worshippers and the Tsathoggua-worship-
once the PCs have defeated one serpent per- pers coming to blows. This is the PCs’ oppor-
son per PC. tunity to flee.
Ser pent People Ch apter 8: In vasion

The serpent people presented here are all slight- If Spartacus and Ssssreshhtkess are defeated, the
ly degenerate. wedding is not interrupted, proceed to Chapter
9: The Wedding.
SERPENT PEOPLE, slightly degenerated If the PCs fail to stop Ssssreshhtkess and
his serpent people allies, he launches an inva-
1 2 3 4 5 6
sion from across time. On the day of the wed-
STR 11 13 9 10 14 6
ding (see for details Chapter 9: The Wedding),
CON 13 9 10 8 12 14 things go normally until nightfall. At that
SIZ 8 11 10 11 13 13 point Ssssreshhtkess and his army fall upon
INT 18 14 13 17 16 17 the revelers.
POW 10 11 10 12 13 16
DEX 13 14 12 15 11 13
The In va sion
HP 11 10 10 9 13 14
There are three slave-soldiers (see Chap-
DB - - - - +1d4 -
ter 6: Spartacus) and two serpent people in
Weapons: Bite 35%, damage 1d8+poison (POT = CON) human guise (see Chapter 7: Through the
Dagger, 25%, damage 1d4+db (during invasion gate) for each PC. There are more slave-sol-
only)
diers and serpent people, but those take on the
Armor: 1 point of scales
Sanity Loss: 0/1d6 to see a serpent person

NPCs presents. If Spartacus and his men have well-known priestess of Juno came from Rome
not been defeated, they are present as well. to celebrate the wedding.
Alternatively, if the PCs did not defeat Sparta- The ceremony complete, the real party
cus, he shows up with the remains of his gladi- begins. Food and drink are served until morn-
ators. ing and the entertainment is of the highest
quality. In the morning, everyone sleeps off
the orgy, and people begin to return home
Running the battle
shortly thereafter.
Do not have all of those forces come it at the There are over five hundred guests, a
same time, they arrive gradually, but in quick hundred entertainers (dancers, jugglers, musi-
succession. The battle grows in intensity as cians, philosophers and tumblers) and a horde
more enemies enter the villa. If the PCs wish of servants offering wines, food and catering
to know how things are going, they must suc- to the guests’ “other” needs and wants.
ceed at a Tactics checks. The battle mirrors how
the PCs are faring. Thus if the PCs are having a
rough time, the security personnel and the re- Conclusion
tired soldiers are getting pushed back. There is If, at the end of the adventure, Ssssreshhtkess
no definite system for this, the Keeper should and Spartacus are dead, the PCs have gathered
make this into something epic. a great success.
To end up here, the PCs took some bad If one of the villains is still out there, they
decision (or they chickened out during the ad- have accomplished a partial success. Both vil-
venture). Initially, the PCs do not have their
weapons (other than daggers), shields or ar-
mor, though they should be able to obtain
shields and other weapons quickly, from the Ser pent People
decorations and fallen soldiers.
Once the PCs have defeated “their share” The serpent people presented here are all
of the army, the prefect shows up with the mi- slightly degenerate.
litia and comes in as a savior. Do not save the
SERPENT PEOPLE, slightly degenerated
PCs with Fabius Scipio, they must earn this
rescue. 1 2 3 4 5 6
STR 11 13 9 10 14 6
Fleeing CON 13 9 10 8 12 14
It is possible that the PCs flee and abandon their SIZ 8 11 10 11 13 13
friends and allies. This reflects very poorly on INT 18 14 13 17 16 17
male PCs in Rome where courage and honor POW 10 11 10 12 13 16
are virtues. Fleeing female PCs are not affected DEX 13 14 12 15 11 13
by this stigma. HP 11 10 10 9 13 14
DB - - - - +1d4 -
Ch apter 9: The Weapons: Bite 35%, damage 1d8+poison (POT =
Wedding CON)
Dagger, 25%, damage 1d4+db (during invasion
only)
The wedding of Agrippa and Clodia Poppia is Armor: 1 point of scales
a public affair. Both Cassius Varro and Clodius Sanity Loss: 0/1d6 to see a serpent person
Popus use the wedding to further their influ-
ence and to display their status and wealth. A

lains will begin to hunt down the PCs and try PCs are not present, Cassius Varro claims and
to get revenge upon them. administers the estates for them.
If the PCs killed neither villain, the ad- Only Publius Varus’s house is claimed by
venture is failure. What happens to them next his daughter, provided she is still in the area,
is entirely up to the Keeper. Scipio offers the Predictions of the Delphic
Male PCs who fled during Chapter 8: In- Oracle to the PCs. This book makes him “un-
vasion is branded a coward. This stigma re- easy” so he prefers to get rid of it.
mains with the PCs for a long time.
Sanity gains
Publi a Va r i a na’s Fate If the adventure ends up being a partial success,
half any Sanity rewards.
The fate of Publia Variana is left to the PCs. As
long as she is given a good home, the PCs earn Finding Publia Variana a good home: 1d3
her friendship and gratitude. Adventuring with
the PCs is not considered as “good home”. Later Selling Publia Variana into slavery: 1d3
in life, she may opt for that way of life and serve loss
as a replacement character.
Paulus survives and befriended: 1d2
Adoption: This was quite popular in imperial
times. A PC (ideally one who is married) could Getting an advantageous marriage: 1d2
adopt her as his daughter.
Per freed prisoner: 1 (up to 5)
Have her live with Cassius Varro: Varro is
not opposed to this idea, and she would Stopping Spartacus: 1d4
make a friend for Varro Minor.
Stopping Ssssreshhtkess: 1d4
Marriage: One PC could wish to marry
her. She is too young (Roman law allows A PPENDIX 1: NEW
marriage starting at 12 for girls and 14 for
boys, but marriage is usually much later BOOK S, ITEMS A ND
for both, with late teens/ early twenties be- SPELLS
ing the norm).
Relatives: The PCs can send her to a rela- New Books: Mythos Tomes
tive. This takes a little time, but the PCs Aspianus’ Notes – In Latin, around 75-71BC,
can find an uncle who would take her in. Written by Aspianus the Augur. This papyrus
details a series of prophetic rites by Aspianus
Slavery: This includes straight slavery or during the years 75-71BC and presents an ex-
selling her to a brothel or any place where tended system for divination with additional
a young girl could not grow up to become theories and possible interpretations of signs
a “proper” young woman. Doing so costs and omen. The presence of some divine curse
the PCs some Sanity points. upon the city of Athens is mentions and ex-
Fabius Scipio panded upon by a series of divination. San-
The prefect keeps his word and offers the PCs ity loss 1/1d4; Cthulhu Mythos +1%, Empire
any property not claimed by descendants of the +1%, Science (Augury) +2%; average 1 weeks
murdered victims in a month (the other homes to study and comprehend. Spells: Augury, Gates
revert to the state and will be sold again). If the of Valusia

New Items
Growth Juice: This ancient version of the
PL AY ER
growth serum found in Day of the Beast and
Keeper Companion II, is ingested.
The juice is derived from the blood of H A NDOUT 1: THE
serpent men. The resulting juice is not as po-
UNDEFE ATED
SPA RTA N
tent as the serum developed from un-degener-
ated blood. The juice is still potent and induc-
es growth and partial mutation in humans.
Next to this poem the words “Beware the
Ingested in large doses, the drinker in-
man from the past” was written in clear
creases the subjects CON, SIZ and STR by
letters. The author of these words is un-
1d4 and increases the natural aggressively of
known.
the recipient. The side effect costs 1/1d4 San-
ity point loss and the APP, INT and POW suf- The One Who is of Sparta
fer a permanent 1d6 loss. Repeated use of the will rise again
drug costs cost additional sanity, but the ef-
Destiny unfinished Hatred
fects are not cumulative. If used often and in
unquenched Blood un-
large quantities, human begin to form scales
avenged
that serve as armor.
Twice will he will lay waste
New Spells to Campania
Gates of Valusia: This spell opens a gate to Twice will he return
the Serpent People kingdom of Valusia, in the
The snake-Masked-Man
Permian era (about 250 million years ago). The
seeks Faded valusia
exact time varies from person to person, but
is always the same for a given caster. The gate The eyes of Kronos search
opens to one of the Serpent Peoples’ laboratory for the man from the past
in their first empire of Valusia. There is a cost
of 7 Magic Points per casting and a permanent
POW point.
Gates opened with this spell are identical
to a Create Time Gate spell.

Ursinus’ Animal
Show
by H. Jesseman
Introduction The Ga mes

It is April 68AD and the Roman province of Ursinus, a wealthy aspiring politician and the
Britannia is recovering well from the damage patron of the PCs, is sponsoring the animal
caused by the rebellion of Boudica despite the fights at the arena, as part of the Ludi Cereales
storms which have ravaged the south of the celebrations in April. Most notably he has en-
province over the last few months. Londinium tered a noted venatore (a gladiator who special-
has undergone much rebuilding after the dam- ises in animal fights) he backs, to fight against a
age caused by the Boudica. With work & expan- specially imported bear from Caledonia.
sion continuing, Londinium is becoming the Little is known of the land of Caledo-
hub of Roman administration and commerce. nia except that it is a wild, inhospitable mist
The Roman Procurator (tax collector) is now shrouded land, filled with blood thirsty sav-
based in the city further increasing it’s impor- ages and ferocious beasts. Therefore the news
tance. that the main event at the games will be a fight
between a much admired venatore and a ter-
K eeper’s rible Caledonian bear has got the city very ex-
Infor m ation
cited. So much so that when the crate contain-
ing the bear arrived at the carrier’s depot, a
mob of eager sports fans converged there and
There is a Republican plot afoot. Following the
caused much commotion in their eagerness to
failure of the Pisonian Conspiracy to overthrow
see the monstrous bear.
Nero and restore the Republic, the Emperor is
The main consequence of this over-ex-
becoming increasingly unpopular. There are a
uberance was that a number of consignment
number of plots brewing to overthrow Nero. In
dockets got knocked off a number of neigh-
Britain a group of officers in the IX Legion are
bouring crates. The haulier’s illiterate slave lat-
planning on sending the Emperor Nero a pres-
er re-attached the dockets and seals as best he
ent of two nightmarish beasts, captured from
could. Unfortunately some of the crates were
the druids, in the hope that the Emperor will be
mis-addressed, including the bear destined for
butchered by them and with no obvious heir,
the arena.
the Legion will march to Rome, joining other
The second consequence was that amongst
discontented soldiers and politicians on route.
the gambling fraternity the bear became such
Once there, they plan for the Republic to be re-
a firm favourite and the venatore became re-
stored like a phoenix rising from the ashes of
garded as no hoper that a criminal fraternity
the death throes of Nero’s empire.
decided to bribe the beastiarii (keepers) at the
arena, to tranquilise the bear and give the ve-
natore an unfair advantage.
74
The Arena foolishly rushed to the defence of the ventaore
The PCs are invited by their patron, Servius Ul- and then the arena slaves who are desperately
pius Ursinus to the arena to support his bid to trying to force their way through a side gate.
be elected as an aedile in the Londinium curia Shaking blood from it’s maw, the crea-
(council) and to share his largesse. ture then turns it’s baleful gaze on the audi-
Their patron is a wealthy Roman mer- ence. Seeing his dream of public office start-
chant who made a fortune from the slave trade ing to slip from his grasp, Ursinus orders the
following the native revolt. PCs to kill the creature and save the rest of the
Ursinus is in a buoyant mood and his crowd.
slaves have brought plenty of refreshments The seating is set seven feet above the are-
along to make the day a most enjoyable one. na floor, so the PCs shouldn’t take any damage
The arena is a wooden structure, which from jumping down unless they fumble.
has been here since the Iceni uprising and A number of spears have been abandoned
their patron whispers to them that the first by the beastiarii in the arena. It is unlikely that
building he’ll commission when he’s elected is the PCs would have taken any weapons to the
a new arena. games apart from daggers.
The PCs enjoy good views of various If the PCs do leap down to confront the
events: music, dancing troupes, wolves being beast, it will turn to face them but their display
hunted, a couple of bull fights (one where the will encourage some of the braver members of
venatore was gored) and there is even a lion the audience and after three rounds of combat
on show, although he does look rather mangy. D6 men will come to help the PCs.
But all of these displays are merely the warm Not much can be discovered from the
up to the eagerly awaited bout between the body of the beast, although a Natural World
bear and Ibor, the venatore. roll will reveal that it certainly isn’t the body
The PCs will have an opportunity to place of any known bear.
wagers on any events they care to make. How- Someone from the audience will reveal
ever following the problems at the haulier’s that it doesn’t look like the creature he saw at
depot nobody is allowed into the animal pens the depot the day before. If the man is spoken
to see the bear. to quietly he’ll reveal what happened at the
As the avid audience watch, Ibor enters depot and that he saw a great bear growling
the arena and to the cheers of the crowd he and slavering at them. It was certainly not this
poses and practises a few spear thrusts. A small creature. The man has spent time serving as a
portion of the crowd starts chanting that the huntsman for local nobles and has seen bears,
bear is going to eat his liver. Then everybody boars & wolves in the wild.
falls silent as the arena slaves slowly crank up Following their successful defeat of the
the gate to the animal pens. In the silence the beast, the PCs will find their patron star-
PCs can hear the growling and panting of some ing ruefully at the corpse of his venatore. He
large creature as it pads up the ramp. will thank the PCs for their efforts but then
The first sign that something is amiss ask them to do another job for him. He wants
is when Ibor screams in terror. However he them to find out how such a thing could have
gamely recovers and sets his spear as a night- happened and if possible bring someone to
mare erupts from the tunnel and barrels to- book for the debacle. Ursinus feels that if he
wards him. can prosecute someone for the deaths, he
The crowd are stunned as the awful crea- might still manage to win the popular vote in
ture tears the unfortunate man apart and then the election.
starts on a couple of the beastiarii who had
Ursinus‘ Animal Show k 75

The Pa lug E agle other seal which has been crushed underfoot
by the gate.
It is a gigantic chimera of a monster. It looks A Cthulhu mythos roll will reveal that the
mostly like a huge cat that has been crossed sign imprinted in the seals is an elder sign. An
with a wild boar and an eagle. occult roll will merely reveal that it is a magi-
STR 20 CON 16 SIZ 20 INT 5 cal symbol.
POW 11 DEX 21 MOVE 15 HP 18
Attached at the rear of the cage is a slate
Damage Bonus +1D6 consignment chart, which tells that the “Bear”
Armor: 3 points of fur & gristle has been shipped from Eburacum to Lond-
Weapons: Claw 65% damage 1D8 +db inium and the depot for onward delivery to
Beak 40% damage 1D8 the arena. A spot hidden roll will reveal that
this slate is loose and has been dis-attached at
The A nim a l Pen some point on the cage’s journey.
Another spot hidden roll will allow the
The PCs can either enter to the animal pens PCs to unearth from the cage a rather fine
via the tunnel into the arena, via the beastiarii’s gilded sandal.
gate behind some screens or by going all the Other rolls will reveal a wooden spoon
way outside and in through the delivery gates. dropped in the pen, which still bears a residue
The stench of a carnivore’s den crossed of a white powder. More of the powder is scat-
with a midden wafts up from the cages as the tered around the floor.
PCs go in to the animal pens. Animal training or Potions rolls will be
The holding cage at the back of the tun- necessary to identify the powder as an animal
nel is covered with the body parts of one of the tranquiliser.
handlers. The gate to the cage is bolted from Attached to the keeper’s torn belt is a
the beastiarii’s room. bulging purse, stuffed with 50 sesterces, a for-
The room comprises of a large cage con- tune for such a slave.
nected to the bottom of the ramp into which Finally the PCs can discover the keeper’s
a travelling cage can be attached and the beast assistant, Lewy who is cowering in a chest.
destined for the arena can be encouraged out Both the keeper, Argo and Lewy are slaves
and along the ramp. The rest of the room is belonging to the arena.
filled with the paraphernalia of the beastiarii: Lewy is in shock and the PCs need to
whips, goads, spears, chains, leads, spears and handle him correctly to calm him down. He
protective clothing. can tell the PCs that Agro, his boss tried to get
The remains of a keeper can easily be seen the bear out by poking it out with a goad to
scattered around the inside of the pen. He has no avail but then went into the pen in order to
been torn apart by the creature. Why he was try and drag it out. Then the horrible monster
in the pen remains a mystery at this point be- had appeared and torn Argo apart.
cause it certainly wouldn’t have been a normal The assistant is leaving some important
technique. information out. The creature only killed Argo
A travelling cage, tightly covered with a when he tried to force the tranquiliser down
tarpaulin is attached to the holding pen. Only it’s throat. Lewy’s purse also contains 10 ses-
the tarpaulin at the gate to the cage has been terces and if mentioned he’ll say he got it from
undone and none of the other ties around the a grateful venatore for preparing an auroch
travelling cage have been disturbed. Clay seals well. Lewy does not lie well.
have been attached to each side and these are Lewy is not happy to give out the details
unbroken apart from the gate end. A spot hid- of the criminal gang and only under intense
den roll will reveal the broken remains of an- pressure or actual torture will he reveal their
76 k Ursinus‘ Animal Show

details. If the PCs are reticent about under- good quality specimens but this time he has
taking torture, the arena manager will coun- outdone himself. The Beast Master had only
tenance the act if the PCs provide evidence of asked for a normal Caledonian bear.
the slave’s guilt. The boars and the wolves he gets from
The rest of the animal pens seem well the forests around Londinium but especially
run and while the animals are not treated well, the forests past Pontes.
there is no obvious cruelty. Though there is a The Beast Master starts to skin the crea-
big cage of foxes, which will be set alight later ture before the PCs even leave. He’s going to
in the celebrations. preserve as much as he can of the wonderful
animal.
The A r ena Sta ff
Oppius Bonus, the arena manager is dismayed
The Depot
by the events, not through any sadness at the The depot handles military supplies and impe-
loss of a promising young venatore but through rial goods mostly but operates a lucrative side-
the ignominy of having to have members of the line in private commissions. The depot is down
audience leap in to the rescue. by the docks and porters & carts are bustling in
He doesn’t know how the creature got and out with a multitude of goods.
into the cage and he doesn’t know where it The operator is Titus Lampronius and
came from, all of those details are handled by he and his clerks are busy men overseeing the
the beast master. He’ll summon a slave to take army’s supply chain. The PCs will have to be
them and dismisses them quickly. very persuasive to get Lampronius to take the
The slave leads them to a shed behind the time to see them, although dropping Ursinus’
arena where the creature has been taken. The name will help.
Beast Master is examining the teeth and claws Once he is focussed on the subject how-
of the monster and seems rather excited, he’s ever his anger will erupt. The mob caused un-
exclaiming with delight under his breath. By told delay and muddle in the smooth opera-
the look of him Herius, the Beast Master has tion of the depot and the clerks are still sorting
been bitten or scratched by just about every- out some of the mess. Lampronius will explain
thing you are likely to see in the arena. that the mob surged in through the gates while
As the PCs enter he’ll use them as a ready they were taking delivery of a consignment of
audience to enthuse about the terrible quali- olives and couldn’t be shifted until they’d all
ties of the monster and says that he must try had a look at the blasted bear. Lampronius had
to get another one. He considers that it can be to call out a squad of soldiers from the fort in
pitted against a team of venatores and it’ll be order to finally clear them out.
quite a spectacle. He goes on to expound his He can introduce them to a depot slave
dream of taking some to Rome itself. by the name of Molaise, he’s an old stooped
The Beast Master will be initially suspi- man but still burly from a life time of haul-
cious of any requests for information as to ing cargo.
the origin of the beast. He doesn’t want any- Molaise can take the PCs to where the
one else stealing a march on his star attraction. bear’s cage was, the space is now filled with
However if the PCs can ease his suspicions, He- a score of amphora filled with garum. Mo-
rius will reveal that the “bear” came from his laise can explain that there were a few similar
contact in Eburacum. The contact provides all sized cages and other crates around and that
of his bears since the remaining bears in the all of the cages were tightly covered with tar-
south of the province are too small to put into paulins and sealed. The mob broke all of the
the arena. The contact has always provided seals off the bear’s cage and pulled the tarpau-

lin off. When they were gone Molaise replaced One crate of hunting dogs for Augus-
the tarpaulin as best he could and put the con- tus Herius, a buyer in Gesoriacum (Bou-
signment docket back on. If he is pressed Mo- logne)
laise will reveal that a number of the slates
from the surrounding crates and cages were Two crates of thick cloaks for a buyer in
also knocked off but since he has an eye for Gesoriacum.
these things they all went back onto their cor- Further Library Use rolls will reveal that the
rect cage. Emperor’s bears, the dogs and the cloaks have
Molaise will confirm that the animal was been delivered to The Triton, a merchant ship,
most definitely a bear and the biggest bear he’s yesterday evening for shipment across the
ever seen in his life. He has however never been Oceanus Britannicus.
out into the countryside in his life. Lampronius will quickly send a couple of
When the PCs return to the office they slaves to the fort in the hope that if the din-
will find a well dressed lady haranguing Lam- ner service did go there and that the soldiers
pronius, while her slaves behind her have car- haven’t started using it as target practise.
ried in a large crate. Some judicious eaves-
dropping (Listen rolls) will reveal that the The Quay
depot was supposed to deliver her best dinner
Enquiries at the quay among the sailors, por-
service not a hundred pairs of legionnaire’s
ters and idlers will reveal that The Triton left
boots. Justia Remusa, the lady makes Lampro-
for Gesoriacum on the morning tide. Some
nius’ life a misery for a full thirty minutes and
of the porters can cheerfully tell the PCs that
she will not be interrupted. Lampronius grov-
one of the animals in a covered cage was roar-
els and fawns and promises to find her dinner
ing so loudly that it was sure to wake Neptune
service and delivery it to her personally.
and raise a storm, so they don’t hold out much
Lampronius will then turn the lash on
hope of the ship reaching the other side of the
his clerks to find out which consignment the
channel.
lady’s goods have got mixed up with. It soon
With a bit of hunting around, the PCs
transpires that the dinner service was near to
will be able to discover a merchant ship due
the bear’s cage when the mob broke in. The
to sail on the evening tide or another one in
PCs can assist the clerks with successful Li-
the morning. Both are willing, with some hag-
brary Use rolls, if they wish to discover which
gling, to take passengers. With a favourable
other crates and cages were nearby (with so
wind, the trip over the channel is likely to take
much uproar neither Lampronius or his clerks
a day and a half and cost about forty sesterc-
will object). The paperwork reveals the fol-
es.
lowing crates:
Ursinus will pay for their passage and will
Two bears in individual cages for he Em- grant them a bag of coins to cover their ex-
peror Nero’s personal menagerie. penses.
There is also an imperial post galley from
One bear for the Londinium arena. the Classis Britannica (British fleet), leaving in
the evening to carry dispatches and it will be
Five crates of army boots for the fort. considerably quicker than a merchant vessel,
as long as there isn’t a storm. However the PCs
Three crates of the personal affects of Jus-
will need official permission to travel on the
tia Remusa
ship and the only ones in Londinium with suf-
ficient clout to get them on board the ship are
the Procurator or the commander of the fort.

The Procurator’s house is up near to the The gang’s boss is on the premises, along
fort, although he is apparently having a much with D6 of his henchmen. They will eagerly
bigger villa built near to the where the new Fo- meet violence with violence and all of them
rum is being laid out. are well armed with knives, short swords, cud-
A Civics roll will remind the PCs that un- gels and brass knuckles.
less their social status is of sufficiently high If they decide not to fight, the PCs will
standing that they won’t even get an interview, have to do a lot of Fast talking in order to see
let alone a travel permit. They’ll also have to the boss, Silo, and even faster talking to not
present a good argument with supporting evi- end up floating face down out to sea. Like
dence. most of the gang, Silo is from Gaul and he’s a
The Procurator is Gaius Julius Alpinius pug-nosed, ugly looking fellow who has prob-
Classicianus, a small man for such a big name, ably committed every sin under the sun.
but an accountant through and through and The gang will not want to give away any
determined to scrape as much tax out of Bri- of their secrets and hold no loyalty to the Em-
tannia as possible. Though everybody says he’s peror or even the Empire, only their pockets.
a slightly nicer man than Catus, the procurator It is extremely unlikely that the PCs or
at the time of the Boudican revolt. He’s a busy their patron will be able to organise a suffi-
man and his wife is hosting a dinner party this ciently large enough gang of their own to take
evening so he won’t have long to be convinced. on the crooks in such a short timescale.
Patience is not one of his qualities. If he is offered a large enough induce-
ment, Silo will happily confess to arranging
Divination for the animal keepers to tranquilise the bear.
After the odds started to go through the roof
If the PCs decide to consult an augury or
the gang had to do something to safeguard
conduct it themselves, successful results will
their money. Silo will know nothing about a
see “blood spilt on a purple toga”. Astute PCs
monster.
should be able to realise that the Emperor wears
purple and that they are dealing with a threat to
the Emperor himself. R esearch
The obvious place to commission an au-
gury would be the Temple to Jupiter, although The city & province records are going to be
other temples or soothsayers can be found, stored in the Basilica. However since they’ve
with a bit of local knowledge, depending on only just started the foundations of the Basilica
the PCs tastes. A divination at the Temple of and forum, the records are currently held in a
Jupiter will cost about ten sesterces plus an ap- store room at the Procurator’s villa. The PCs
propriate animal as a sacrifice. A divination will need the Procurator’s or his personal secre-
will be cheaper elsewhere but it will be less of tary’s permission to read through these records.
a spectacle. They will not be allowed access to any financial
records.
Criminal Gang Some hard digging through these scrolls
will be needed to uncover a useful report of
The gang are simply known as The Firmus and the Mons campaign, which mentions a mon-
their headquarters is in a wineshop upstream ster tamed by the druids, which slew many
of the bridge, near to the wharfs and behind soldiers before it was despatched. The scroll is
the public baths. From here they run all sorts damaged from this point onwards. Less use-
of nefarious activities, of which gambling is but fully the only description offered says that it
one. was somewhat like a bear and sadly no tips on
an easy way to kill the monster are offered. The

PCs can also find that a vexilation (detach- they should have an easier time in coaxing the
ment) from the IX Hispana legion fought in information out.
the north Wales campaign, although this fact Cluntius can spill the following tale out to
should only be revealed after they have estab- the PCs. His auxiliary unit was attached to the
lished a link to the IX Hispana. XIV Gemina legion and together with a vexi-
A description of the monster and it’s lation from IX they were tasked with holding
name can be gleaned through talking to a Bard, a cordon to the south of the Menai Straits, to
although since most bards love the sound of sweep up any escaping druids or Britons from
their own voice, the PCs will end up being talk- the main assault on Mons. His unit was soon
ed at by a bard. There are a number of bards in engaged with boatloads of fleeing warriors
the city of differing quality. Some have taken leaving the IX relatively unengaged until a few
to the new Roman ways with aplomb and are boats tried to slip around the flank. Cluntius
likely to remember few if any of the old songs. was sent by his centurion to warn Herius, the
They will have a large repertoire of Roman centurion of the IX. Cluntiuus then saw the
songs & legends and can recount the legends soldiers attack the boats as they landed but in-
of the manticore, griffin, hippogriff, minotaur stead of a dispirited beaten foe they were at-
and more. Descriptions can be found in the tacked by three frightful nightmarish crea-
Cthulhu Invictus book. However in some of tures and a horde of fanatic druids. Herius
the more salubrious pubs, where the Britons luckily was made of stern stuff and held his
or Gauls drink beer, the PCs are more likely to men together and they managed to trap the
find a traditional bard and can request a song beasts in nets. The druids were mostly slaugh-
featuring the Palug Cat. tered and the rest together with the monsters
From the song, the PCs can glean the fol- were dragged away. Cluntius never saw them
lowing: the Cath Palug was a monstrous claw- again.
ing cat from the Isle of Mons. It killed and
ate nine score warriors from the finest tribes Voyage
of Britain. The cat was born to the terrible
Sailors and travellers regularly sacrifice to the
sow, Hen Wen when her owner had to chase
gods before a voyage. If the PCs decide to sacri-
her across the whole of Britain. Disgusted
fice to Neptune before they go, this appeasement
by her offspring, Col lap Collfrewy, the own-
will grant them a reasonable voyage. However if
er threw the kittens into the sea. The cat and
the PCs do no offer a sacrifice, the party should
it’s siblings, a wolf and an eagle swam ashore
roll on the lowest Luck of the PCs to see if they
to Mons, where they were adopted by Palug’s
encounter a storm.
sons and raised to cause mayhem, though the
The ship will use the ebbing tide to take
cat was always the worst among them. A great
the ship down the river and out into the
warrior and druid, Cei is said to have fought
Oceanus Brittannicus. The ship will keep as
the beast for nine days and nine nights before
close to the coast as possible, then dash across
casting it down and freeing the island from the
the channel near to Dubris (Dover).
oppression of the monsters.
PCs who haven’t been on the sea before
If the PCs seek to question members of
need to check to see if they suffer from sea
the city’s garrison, they should roll on Luck to
sickness – Con * 5 or they are incapacitated
see if any of the Londinium garrison fought at
for a few hours even when ashore.
Mons and saw what the IX Hispana caught.
In a storm, the sea sickness roll should be
They’ll have to get Cluntius Naso, the sol-
reduced to Con * 3
dier drunk in order to tease the information
If the PCs are lucky a pod of dolphins will
out. Although if any of the PCs are ex-military
play with the boat, leaping in and out of the

bow wave. An augury roll will reveal that this The drivers will try to stop at mansios
is good luck. each night if they are available, else they will
If there is a storm, the captain of the im- commandeer a roadside village or farm.
perial post galley has a pilot skill is 67 while The PCs can hire horses in Gesoriacum
the merchant captain has a skill of 55. A suc- or if they have a warrant from the Procurator
cess means that the ship docks without much they can requisition horses and have them re-
delay. With a failure, every five percentiles the placed at Imperial wayside stations positioned
roll is over the skill means that the ship is de- regularly along the road or in the mansios.
layed an hour getting into port. A roll of 100 On horseback the PCs can make up to 40
means that the ship is wrecked. miles a day or if they push their horses to ex-
haustion and continually swap them they can
Gesor i acum - Boulogne make an average speed of 20mph. Of course
the faster they go the more Riding rolls are re-
It’s a busy port with lots of ships coming in reg- quired.
ularly. Enquiries with the harbour master will There is also the possibility of getting lost.
tell the PCs when the ship arrived. They can make regular navigate rolls or hire a
The PCs will then have to trace the route guide at the port.
of the cages out of the port. There are two Mansios are taverns for official use most-
roads; the southerly Via Claudius and the ly, with stables, baths, dining hall and beds.
south-easterly Via Nero. While cavalry regularly patrols the roads
Questioning the sailors or a Know roll there are still opportunities for bandits to
will reveal that due to the unseasonably late make a living. If the PCs flaunt their wealth in
storms, no ships are daring the long voyage a mansio common room there is likely to be
south. an ambush attempt at a suitable spot along the
One rumour which will rapidly come to lonely road. A tree trunk will be placed across
the attention of the PCs is the revolt of Vin- the road in a lonely spot and the bandits will
dex, the Governor of Gallia Lugdunensis in attack when the PCs reach it. Undergrowth
southern Gaul, over the Emperor’s usurious is cut well back from the roads, so alert PCs
tax policies. should be able to prepare for a fight.
The carts are heading south east and how The convoy consists of five wagons, two
far they get depends on how long the PCs took carrying animal cages and the others carrying
to get over the channel. The laden carts are official documents & goods and one carriage.
pulled by mules and they can normally make There are two men per wagon and an addi-
about eighteen to twenty miles a day over the tional five mounted guards. Afranius Trifer is
good roads of northern Gaul. However due to the Imperial agent accompanying the wagons
the revolt the carts are being pushed hard and from Gesoriacum, he travels in the carriage
are making about twenty five miles a day. with his personal bodyguard slave.
The carts’ itinerary after leaving Geso- Trifer is loyal to the Emperor despite Ne-
riacum is to make for Taruenna (30 miles to ro’s foibles, but he is not given to flights of fan-
the south-east), then to Nemetacum (35 miles cy. The PCs will have to give a good account
to the south-east) and then Camaracum (25 of themselves to him before he’ll even counte-
miles to south-east) and then the long stretch nance taking the tarpaulins of the cages.
to Noviodunum (60 miles due south). From If it comes to a fight the wagon drivers
here the carts will head east through the Ger- will try to keep out of it unless they’re attacked.
mania provinces in an effort to outflank Vin- They all have clubs and whips. The guards on
dex’s revolt. the other hand are willing to get stuck in.
Guards

STR 12 CON 13 SIZ 10 INT 12 POW 2 sion from the Governor in order to investigate
DEX 12 HP 11 Damage bonus +0 a legion – Civics roll.
Weapons: Short spear 40% long sword The Governor, Marco Trebellius Maxi-
45% medium shield 40% Ride mus, is currently in Lindum Colonia (Lin-
50%
coln): He’s an even busier man than the Proc-
urator and the PCs will have to ease their way
How to de a l w ith the through several official layers to reach him
be a st? with successful Civics rolls and suitable bribes.
They will be granted five minutes in which
The creature has been as good as gold for the they will have to present their evidence quick-
whole trip apart from when it left Londinium, ly and succinctly. If they state their argument
when it roared so loudly it made on e of the well the Governor will provide authorisation
sailor’s ears’ bleed. So far food and water has to investigate the matter further. Else they will
just been shoved in through a flap at the back be shown out an awful lot quicker than they
of each cage to the animals. got in.
The PCs can tear off the tarp and kill it Lindum is 156 Roman miles from Lond-
while it’s still in the cage. They will be lucky to inium. Eburacum is a further 71 Roman miles
avoid breaking some of the seals though. Or north of Lindum. However the roads are of
release it to give it a fair chance. Or they can a good military standard and the PCs will be
take it back to Londinium able to make good time along them. The PCs
Another sandal will be found in the mon- can also get a military itinerary to provide
ster’s cage. Trifer can identify it as Nero’s. them with the route:
Vervlamium, Durocobrivus, Magiovin-
The Palug Wolf ium, Bannaventa, Venonis, Ratae, Verneme-
tum, Margidunum, Crococalana, Lindum,
This one is a cross between a huge cat, a wild
Segelocum, Danum, Lagentium & Eburacum.
boar and a wolf.
When the IX Hispana vexilation cap-
DEX 22 MOVE 15 HP 19
tured druids & their beasts at the battle of
Mons, Herius turned his prisoners over to his
Damage Bonus +2D6
tribune, Horatius Vitellius Publicus. Publicus
Armor: 3 points of fur & gristle then had the druids tortured & learnt to con-
Weapons:Claw 70% damage 1D8 +db trol the beasts. The legion’s officers had and
Beak 45% damage 1D8 have strong republican feelings and sensing an
The other cage contains a very a large bear. opportunity they have been keeping the mon-
sters in reserve for the right moment.
Eburacum (York) Publicus went back to Rome to a success-
ful political career and now he has returned
The transport dockets for the monsters can be
and is in charge of the legion as the legate.
traced to the IX Hispania legion, based in Ebu-
Publicus will be happy to see the PCs;
racum. The docket for the real bear can also be
once they show the Governor’s writ. Otherwise
traced to a seedy address on the outskirts of the
they won’t even get through the main gate of
city, which is filled with cages of many types of
the fortress. Publicus will be a charming and
animals.
gracious host but will send a messenger to the
All of the legions stationed in the Prov-
tribune in charge of the Palug cat warning him
ince are directly under the control of the Gov-
of the investigation. Publicus will of course
ernor. So the PCs will need the written permis-
deny all knowledge of a plot against the Em-
peror and stress the legion’s loyalty to Nero.

Publicus will bring the legion’s quarter- the evidence of his treason and stash the Cat
master, Plinius and explain that a group of na- in a remote fort, the legion will be in action in
tives stole a batch of forms and dockets a cou- the brief civil war which follows Nero’s death,
ple of months ago. At the time the Romans fighting for Aulus Vitellius, who briefly be-
laughed at the thought that the dumb Britons comes Emperor in April AD69. After the war,
had stolen some worthless documents, but the Rome ends up with a far stronger Emperor in
PCs terrible discovery shows that it was part Vespasian than it’s had for a long time. But with
of a heinous plot all along. The quartermaster a slight horrifying twist to events, the Republi-
will back up Publicus. cans could easily come out on top.
Herius, the centurion, unfortunately died
in a skirmish with the Brigante last year. Publi-
cus will ask his clerks to try and trace the other
Sa nit y awa r d
soldiers who formed the vexilation. But after Preventing the delivery of the monsters to Nero – D6
a long search the clerks will come up empty For the destruction of each monster – D3
handed. Apparently many of the legion’s re-
For apprehension of the plot ring-leaders.- D3
cords were destroyed during the Boudican re-
bellion.
The legate will keep the PCs in his office
for as long as possible with refreshments and
small talk once the official investigations are
exhausted.
Meanwhile the tribune, Caius Fabius
Glabrio and his men will be burning incrimi-
nating documents, sending the last Palug Cat
away in a covered wagon and the druid will
have his throat slit – unless the PCs stop him
in time. Else there will be insufficient evidence
to prosecute the tribune, let alone the legate.
The Palug Cat
The last monster is the biggest of all and is

mostly cat, with giant sabre like teeth.
DEX 26 MOVE 19 HP 22
Damage Bonus +2D6
Armor: 3 points of fur & gristle
Weapons: Claw 70% damage 1D10 +db
Bite 52% damage 1D10
Ripping 80% Damage 2D8 + db.
A fter m ath
If he isn’t mauled to death by the Palug Wolf,
Nero will commit suicide in June after being
abandoned by his Praetorian guards. So whilst
it is likely that Fabius will manage to destroy

The Gods Hate Me
By Simon Yee
Cthulhu Invictus Adventure
Introduction to the Lake of Hali and walked through to the

terror that lay beyond. The village and tem-
There is a small cottage with a good patch of ple (amphitheater) fell into ruin when no one
land far off in the countryside. An old man sits was left behind to take care of the structures.
on the porch thinking about the problems he Romans repopulated the area after finding the
just can’t seem to escape. The difficulty seems place deserted. Soon after, there were period-
to be his ability to get along with other people. ic tales of people going missing in the misty
All he wants is to co-exist and live in peace with fog that seems to always roll over the fields at
others. But people seem to find something new night and rumors began of strange music that
about him not to like. A black cloud of hate played at night. The previous owner of the
hangs over his head like big bad omen. “Maybe property had murdered his family as well as
the Gods hate me?” He thinks to himself. May- a local musician who played the Kithara. It is
be they do, and then maybe they don’t? What believed the man thought his wife was being
players will find from this alienated Roman cit- unfaithful with the musician and that he was
izen is beyond poor social skills or life choices, not the actual father of his children.
instead a secret universal truth that lies in the Publius is not aware of the past histo-
dark shadows of the land. ry of his real estate or the significance of the
ornamental stone tiles in his garden. He had
K eeper s Infor m ation moved to Epiru for retirement because, as a tax
collector, he was so unpopular in Asis and he
Publius Niger recently moved from Asis to Epiru wanted to live the rest of his life where people
after retiring from his job as a city tax collector did not hate him, or even better, did not know
of Asis. The house and land that he purchased him at all. Within a year strange things start-
sits on top of an old barbaric temple site called ed to happen. Strange music was being played
Iksithl, where Hastur was worshiped before the late at night in the fog. One of his new neigh-
time of Rome. Publius uncovered remnants of bors began complaining that Publius was hav-
the temple when he was cultivating the land for ing loud music playing at night by women of
his garden. The stone tiles on the ground had ill repute. A neighbor blamed him for walk-
a wavy design that Publius found aesthetical- ing outside their home windows at night when
ly pleasing. He carefully cleared the remnants the fog was thick and alluded that he had some
from the dirt and planted his vegetable garden perversion with stalking some of the wom-
around the ancient tile tablets. en in the area. Before the investigators come
Unknown to Publius was the horrifying into contact with Publius, the cursed owner
nature of the temple stones. The worshippers finds his neighbor’s baby goat slaughtered in
of the long forgotten temple (amphitheater) his garden. He is afraid his neighbors will be-
were actually successful in opening a gateway come more upset with him and make it im-
84
possible for him to live in Epiru. In reality, the he has in Asis that could help the characters with
goat is the prized pet of his neighbor’s daugh- bypassing bureaucratic government procedures
ter, named Cassia, and was sacrificed by her in future events, which could be advantages for
to the voice beyond the Lake of Hali. Cassia players in later investigations.
had been having bizarre dreams of the fabled Publius suggests the players meet at his
city of Carcosa and the cities of Alar where the home before sundown with whatever they feel
King in Yellow rules. Drawn to the music in a will help with the investigation. He will en-
dream-like state, she trespassed onto Publius’ courage characters to talk with his two neigh-
property with her goat. At the request of the bors Sextus Fannius Afer, a retired statesman,
spectral voice, she killed her goat and saw the and Cassius Libo, middle-man merchant.
manifestation of the Lake of Hali waters from Publius hopes that investigators will talk with
the tile stones on the ground. She sat and talk- them and put their complaints to rest. If in-
ed with the mysterious voice but refused to vestigators ask to see his house, then Publius
jump into the water because she was afraid to will oblige and show his house and garden, but
leave her parents. Her plan is to get her par- will otherwise expect to see players before sun-
ents to the ruins at night and have them jump down when the fog has not yet rolled over the
in with her, or if that fails, she plans to have fields. Publius will insist that players talk with
them jump after her into the waters of Hali Accia at the Temple of Jupiter because she had
manifestation. She trusts her parents will go recommended them and she could vouch for
after her if she jumps into the water. Publius’ need of help.
Pl ay er s Introduction Infor m ation a nd

Investigators are approached by a new citizen
Contacts in Epiru
of Epiru who lives at the outskirts of the city. The Temple of Jupiter: This is a grand old-style
His name is Publius Niger. You know he was T-shaped building structure with various stat-
originally from the city of Asis but moved here ues of minor gods between the pillars. At the
after he had retired from a government posi- crossroads in the temple wings is a huge bas
tion. Other than that you do not know him relief of Jupiter with a cloth draped over his
very well. He asks the investigators for help in shoulder and a quiver of lightning bolts lay-
finding out the origins of strange music coming ing on his thigh. A concave depression in front
from his neighborhood. Publius claims that a of the statue marks the pit where offerings are
strange music starts to play at night after the fog sacrificed and burned. The players visit the
rolls in. He adds that his two neighbors have Temple to talk with the priestess Accia about
blamed him for the music and are upset with Publius. She will be easily found by the other
him. He doesn’t want to be forced to move and priests and acolytes if her name is given or if
likes the Epiru community. Publius was told by Publius’ name is mentioned. Accia appears in
the priestess Accia at the Temple of Jupiter in religious attire and holds a chain dangling a
Epiru, and Gnaeus, a local Roman centurion bronze incense ball diffuser that billows the bit-
that the investigators were well-respected in the ter sweet vanilla tinge smell of myrrh. She is of
community and were open to helping citizens medium height and walks with a sense of con-
of Epiru. He would like the players to investi- fidence that seems to have a sense of majestic
gate the mysterious music and help him estab- allure. Her curly brown hair is bundled in the
lish with his neighbors that he is not the source custom of her position. She serves as the local
of the problem. He will pay the investigators in Auger and confidant of Publius’ problems. She
the form of favors or 40 Sesterces each but not will also know the investigators and their repu-
both. His form of favors comes from contacts tations in the city. She has seen the paths of the
The Gods Hate Me k 85

investigators crossing the life-path of Publius HP 12
and feels they may be able to shed light onto Damage Bonus: +0
his problems with his neighbors. Accia will ex- Skills: Fast Talk 34%; Insight 67%; Library Use 73%;
press that it is the Gods’ will that they should Medicine 66%; Natural World 35%; Occult 80%; Po-
tions 70%; Science (Augury-Ex Caelo) 88%
help him and that they are the only blessing the
Gods will offer to Publius. She believes that Spells: Augury --“The Sky and clouds show me what I
need to see. Nothing more and nothing less”
Publius is cursed and that the Gods do not like
him, but she feels pity for him and hopes the in- Meeting Roman Centurion Gnaeus: His area
vestigators will help. The priestess will also add of patrol covers the outskirts of Epiru, think of
that he was chased out of his homeland of Asis him as the local sheriff. Publius went to him to
by the ‘Furies’ to what she believes is a cursed when the complaints started to roll in. Gnaeus
area of Epiru. If asked what she means about also knows Publius from his past when he lived
‘cursed,’ she will explain that the area is always in Asis for three years before coming to Epiru
obscured by fog that comes from nowhere at for his permanent station. He knows that Pub-
night and that people have gone missing from lius has a knack for being tactless and insulting,
that area. She will add that people do not seem but respects him because he did his job well as
to stay on his plot of land for long. She does not a tax collector…sometimes too well. He also
know the full history, but will suggest that the knows that Publius is well-connected with Asis
city civil hall will have records or they can talk senators and government, despite his poor so-
with the Roman Centurion Gnaeus, if they like, cial interactions with the majority of the local
who most likely will know more. Note: Accia Asis populace. Much like the priestess Accia, he
uses the metaphor of ‘Furies’ to denote that pities Publius. Gnaeus, though, has an ulterior
most of the citizens in the city of Asis hated him motive since Publius’ connections make him a
because he was not well liked as a tax collector. good person to know if he wishes to get out of
When he retired some people would harass him the backcountry of Epiru and into a better sta-
or call him names as he walked through the tion in life. So Gnaeus is trying his best to keep
streets, and some even threatened great bodily in Publius’ good favor. At the same time, he is
harm. trying to squash complaints by Publius’ neigh-
bors, primarily Cassius Libo and Sextus Fannius
Afer. He hasn’t gone out of his way to verify the
complaints and refuses to work at night when
the fog rolls in because he figures you can’t see
anything to verify whatever the complaint may
be. “I’m not going to run around in a blanket
of clouds to see nothing. Neither are any of my
men. So give it a rest!” Deep down Gnaeus is
afraid and believes some of the rumors of the
area being haunted at night. He knows that
people have gone missing since the area was set-
tled by the Romans. One of his motivations for
recommending the investigators to help Pub-
Accia: Priestess of Jupiter and City Auger lius is to avoid working at night in the fog. He
STR 12 CON 13 SIZ 11 INT 14 POW 14 knows the players and hopes they can help out.
DEX 10 APP 15 EDU 13 SAN 70 He will explain to investigators that he can’t get
Idea 70
involved in petty issues, but hopes that they can
help out poor old Publius. A successful Insight
Luck 70
Roll will reveal that he is holding back and is
Know 65
86 k The Gods Hate Me

deeply scared when talking about the nights ers during that time. Most leave complaining
and the fog rolling into his patrol area. of the fog and the strange things they hear at
If asked about the area being cursed, miss- night. Some just leave without anyone seeing
ing people, or the many residents that tried to them go. Oddly it looks like they just got up
live on the land before Publius, then he will and left and didn’t care to take their belong-
say some thing to the rational effect of: ings. The last owner was a nice citizen, named
“The fair citizens of these parts have Felix Caeso Maccius Sura, who was an advisor
a fog that rolls in at the break of night that to the Prefect back then. I would never believe
makes it hard to see your hand in front of you. he could hurt a fly but he went mad and killed
Sure your gonna hear stories of things that go his wife, children and a local musician named
bump in the night and people missing but let Varro. When I talked with him before his cru-
me tell you what the official report on all this cifixion, he kept telling me that the house was
says…nothing. Yes, nothing. Just the conjur- haunted and that he had heard music at night
ing of the peoples’ mind, my superiors would and thought his wife was sleeping with the
say. Probably why people find it hard to stay local musician in the fog. He added that his
and keep leaving. You get neighbors like that children were also the product of the musi-
old crazy senator (Sextus Fannius) Afer spout- cian… but that was madness, since Varro was
ing out spooky yarns about your house and a eunuch…and Felix knew that! I just don’t
the strange noises that haunt the place you get it. I just don’t. Its utter madness as I see
might think twice about being a citizen of our it. I hope for
area. Or worse you get some one like that oth- Publius’ sake
er neighbor, Cassius Libo, who thinks you’re this does not
having loud nightly Bacchanalia orgies with end anything
strange wanton women or peeping into his like before
house at night when you can’t get enough… with Felix. So
So … Yeah living here might be difficult.” my opinion
A successful Insight Roll will reveal that is that Pub-
he does not believe what he is telling the in- lius is going
vestigators. If pressed or confronted about his to need your
opinion about missing people and the strange help because
happenings: I’ve done all I
“What I’m going to tell cannot leave this can and I can-
room or my career is dashed against the rock not risk going
of Sisyphus. Do you hear me?! (wait to see back to my superiors with these stories any-
if player promises secrecy, if not stop here or more. ”
have them roll a persuade)…I don’t consider Gnaeus will offer help until night falls
myself a religious man or a superstitious one and the fog rolls in to the land. He would need
at that. I just think that my superiors don’t some physical proof or extreme convincing to
know what I’m dealing with down here. For help at night. Even so he will want to have 2 of
years I was willing to tell myself that this stuff his men come with him which would take an
was nonsense and that unhappy people were hour to round up.
using the fog to get away from whatever it was
that was making them unhappy. Over 16 peo- Gnaeus: Fearful Roman Centurion
ple have gone missing since I took this post STR 15 CON 14 SIZ 17 INT 10 POW 9
eight years ago. Men, women and children, DEX 15 APP 11 EDU 13 SAN 45
you name it…Just vanished, ‘poof ’ into the fog.
Idea 50
The house that Publius owns has had 5 own-

Luck 45 before the property was relinquished
Know 65 back to the state. A list of the previous
HP 16 owners leads to many dead ends--the
Damage Bonus: +1D4 owners are either dead, missing or not
Weapons: Gladius 77%, damage 1D6+db; Spear 50%, within the country anymore. The last
damage 1D8+db owner, before Publius, was Felix Cae-
Armor: 8 points scale + Large Shield so Maccius Sura, advisor to ex-Prefect
Skills: Civics 54%, Climb 43%, Empire 70%, Jump Decimus Fabius Mus. Records indicate
50%, Spot Hidden 47%, Tactics 66%, Shield (large) that he was convicted of murder of his
45%,
wife, 3 children and a eunuch musician,
named Varro, who specialized in the
Legionaries: Gnaeus’ Men
Kithara. He had been crucified a year
STR 12 CON 11 SIZ 12 INT 10 POW 13 before Publius’ arrival to Epiru. Centu-
DEX 14 APP 11 EDU 10 SAN 65 rion Gnaeus’ name is on most of the re-
Idea 50 ports and so is ex-senator’s Sextus Fan-
Luck 65 nius Afer name as a witness who found
Know 55 the bodies. News information indicates
HP 12 that Varro was a local musician favored
Damage Bonus: +0 by Felix Caeso Maccius Sura and Pre-
Weapons: Gladius 50%, damage 1D6+db; Spear 50%, fect Decimus Fabius Mus for a whole
damage 1D8+db decade before his death. Varro even
Armor: 8 points scale + Large Shield played at Decimus Fabius Mus’ funeral
Skills: Climb 40%, Empire 45%, Jump 50%, Spot Hid- five months before his murder. Some
den 40%, Shield (large) 40% of the reports conclude that stress from
Civil Hall of Epiru: Investigators will the Prefect’s death lead to Caeso’s kill-
need to make a successful Civics roll to fig- ing rampage.
ure out how to negotiate the large Civil Hall 2. Cassius Libo has filed 7 complaints
complex to get information they are interest- on Publius in the past 6 months, most-
ed in from the various records departments. ly for disturbing the peace and stalk-
Once they have found their way around, then ing his wife. Reports by Centurion
a successful Fast Talk, Persuade or a Status roll Gnaeus conclude that most complaints
should do the trick to get access from the civ- were unsubstantiated. There are 3 sepa-
il servants working the department. If these rate reports by local people who com-
rolls fail for some reason then an enticement plained anonymously about the music
of 5-20 sesterces to one of the workers in the being played at night within the area of
building will do just as well. A successful Li- Publius’ home.
brary Use roll or Accountancy roll will pro- 3. Sextus Fannius Afer has made 5 com-
duce the following information depending on plaints to local authorities and the Tem-
what the investigators research: ple of Jupiter about Publius being pos-
1. There have been a total of 23 peo- sessed by strange spirits and that he can
ple who have resided at Publius’ house hear the strange music being played
since the area had come under the late at night coming from his property.
control of Rome. Most of the own- They will also find that he had retired
ers left within two year or less. Lon- his position as Senator after the deaths
ger periods of ownership are recorded of his three daughters and wife from
but there are indications that the own- consumption five years ago.
ers had abandoned the property long

4. Historical records indicate that there ichors were the only indication of pos-
was a small village of around 700-800 sible body fluids. (Collection and read-
people that lived in the area before Ro- ing of this information cost 1/1D4 SAN
man occupation. Old military scouting loss)
reports indicate that the villagers were 5. A cursory count of missing persons
barbaric and had some unsavory prac- reports in the area of Publius’ home
tices that included human sacrifice and indicate somewhere between 75 and
orgiastic rituals. Observational accounts 80 people have been reported missing
suggest the people were possibly her- since Rome occupied the area. Only 5
maphrodites because gender could not of the missing people resurfaced, but
be discriminated and some reconnais- came back dazed in a catatonic-like
sance reports indicated both genders condition. Two of the five people were
on one person. The reports also make able to snap out of the condition, but
mention of a large stone amphitheater- were noted as having lapses in memo-
like temple in the center of the village. ry and had no recall of events that led
When the Roman military moved into to their disappearance. One of these
the village the following morning they two eventually committed suicide af-
found it abandoned and the amphithe- ter a long bout with insomnia. None of
ater gone. The soldiers only found one these people are currently alive.
old man, or shall we say woman, still in
Home of Sextus Fannius Afer: The house is
the village drawing pictures in the sand
a regal display of old wealth in decay. Fancy
with a stick. The report goes on to say
Athenian marble pillars and statuettes fill the
that the soldiers questioned him or her
house. Closer inspection reveals they are now
about the other villagers and the am-
chipped and tainted with a yellow hue from ex-
phitheater. The person is quoted, talk-
posure to heavy incense and a poorly ventilated
ing in a confusing dialect common for
bread oven. When investigators meet with Sex-
the area (translator was present), “I’m
tus he will be naked, covered in olive oil, sitting
a Pilgrim of the abomination. Un-
with his feet resting on a yellowish-colored ala-
speakable. Horrible. We cannot name
baster statue of a somber grieving woman in a
he that walks behind the row of pal-
prone pose. Once the investigators walk in to
lid dancers and the ripples in the mist.
his house, his only slave, named affectionately
I wait. Tonight. The last pieces and I
Gibbly, will quickly cover the old portly bod-
go.” The soldiers report the person go-
ice of the statesman with a worn tunic that has
ing back to drawing in the sand, much
seen better days. The magenta trim has faded
to their frustration, and not being com-
to an earthy brown and the once white cloth
pliant to their request to speak or move.
has turned the color of parchment. Sextus is
One of the soldiers kicked sand over
clearly not in his right mind but people consid-
the odd drawings to get a response,
er him more eccentric than mad. A successful
but was met with a disturbing gurgling
Empire roll or local knowledge roll will let the
sound as the cloaked man or woman
player remember that he used to be a senator
lurched forward. Reports of what hap-
of Epiru and that he had resigned several years
pened next varied among the soldiers
ago to retire. Players will be reminded that he
that were there, but what is known is
might be an odd person but he still has a lot
that the person was struck down by one
of political pull in the government and needs
or more soldiers. The lifeless body was
to be treated with tact or characters may find
described as being a husk of flesh, with
themselves visited by the authorities (Centu-
no bones or innards. Green gelatinous

House of Sextus
rion Gnaeus or his men) and asked to leave the ing he heard a couple of night before today.
city proper. He will appreciate the investigators Sextus will also explain that he glimpsed a small
following up with his complaints about Publius person walking in the fog and that he thinks
and his property. He will not like characters Publius shape-changes into a small Kobalos or
that point out his odd behavior or try to ratio- sprite at night to spin his evil ways. Sextus will
nalize with him about the strange happenings add that Publius’ voice became child-like and
with Publius. For example, if players ask why that he was talking or chanting to himself. He
he is naked and covered in oil then he will say will suggest that Publius needs to be burned at
that he is preparing to die like all great Romans the stake and his house with him. “It’s the only
and that the character is an idiot for asking, un- way to be sure.” He will also add that Publius
like his faithful daughter at his feet (the statue), has seduced his two daughters and that he has
named Fannia, who always holds her tongue turned them against him, save Fannia. He will
with great wisdom. Continued discussion also say that Publius had cast a spell on his wife
will lead to Gibbly escorting characters off the and caused her to die of consumption. At this
property and a complaint filed with Gnaeus. point Sextus will have a spark of recollection
“Ungrateful plebeian! You are not a citizen of and remember that all of his daughters are dead
Epiru to treat me like this. You are like my other as a result of consumption. He will begin to
two ungrateful daughters who tried to strip me cry and collapse on the floor in a fetal position.
of all my wealth. Do you not know who I am?! I Gibbly will come to Sextus and wrap him up in
am Sextus Fannuus Afer!” If the players engage a towel. Since Gibbly is mute he will wave play-
Sextus with respect and honor then he will talk ers away and tend to Sextus. Players will not
about the strange music and the recent chant- be able to engage Sextus for the rest of the day.

Sextus’ mental stability was shaken by the death mind, but tries to go along with his delusional
of his family, finding his previous neighbors’ behavior the best he can. Sextus does various
dead bodies and by the long exposure of living hand gestures to communicate to Gibbly, but
in proximity to the stone tiles in Publius’ yard. that is rudimentary at best. When the public
If Sextus is asked about the murders of the pre- comes he tries to perform damage control the
vious owners of Publius’ property, then he will best he can. Investigators may try to commu-
say it was horrible and look away. He will mut- nicate with him, but will find it hard. Probably
ter to himself for a few minutes saying over and the best way is through drawing pictures in the
over, “He killed the children. Butchered them sand. Gibbly can be convinced to help the in-
into pieces. Tiny little pieces.” vestigators if they can get beyond this commu-
nication barrier.
Sextus Fannius Afer: Emotionally Disturbed
Home of Cassius Libo: The house is split into
Ex-Senator of Epiru
two parts. One holds the family atrium and the
STR 10 CON 13 SIZ 15 INT 14 POW 15 major living quarters of the family. This part is
DEX 12 APP 11 EDU 16 SAN 34 (He is indefi- fairly small compared to the second part of the
nitely insane) house which is a storage warehouse for Cassius’
Idea 70 spice business (He negotiates between buyers
Luck 75 and sellers of spice from Asia and Rome, keep-
Know 80 ing some of the stock in his warehouse). Cas-
HP 14 sius Libo is a lean man with nondescript fea-
Damage Bonus: tures. His wife Minerva is short, but beautiful
+1D4 by local standards. Their daughter, Cassia, is 8
Skills: Civics years old and seems very inquisitive. When in-
78%; Empire vestigators meet with Cassius he will be in the
92%; Fast
front of his house loading sacks of spice onto his
Talk 54%;
Library Use one horse cart. Cassius will be pleasant enough
33%; Other until the discussion goes toward Publius. Cas-
Kingdoms sius will go on a rant about how he can hear
50%; Other Publius in the fog with women and music. “It
Languages (Egyptian) 65%; Persuade 66%; Write
sounds unnatural.” He thinks he can see lights
Language (Egyptian) 55%; Cthulhu Mythos 22%
and shadows in the fog. He will accuse Publius
Gibbly : Mute Slave of trespassing onto his property and peeping
into his windows to see his wife. Cassius states
STR 17 CON 11 SIZ 16 INT 12 POW 13 that he believes this because his wife complains
DEX 16 APP 8 EDU 9 SAN 65 of hearing noises outside her window at night.
Idea 60 Cassius will eventually punctuate his concerns
Luck 65 Know 45 with finding his daughter’s favorite goat, Juko,
HP 14 missing this morning and claim Publius is be-
Damage Bonus: +1D6 hind the disappearance. Cassius may be willing
Skills: Civics 37%; Craft (stone cutting) 78%, Empire to go with investigators to Publius, but that will
45%; Insight 50%; Natural World 42%; Listen 50%; probably turn out to be an exchange of verbal
Spot Hidden 72%; Sneak 35% threats. Cassius will want the investigators in-
Gibbly cannot speak or hear and is illiterate. He volved and encourage them to keep and eye on
knows that the figure in the fog was a little girl Publius. Players may have access to the farm
and that the night before he had seen her with animals behind storage portion of the house if
a goat. He is also aware that Sextus has lost his Cassius is probed more about the missing goat,
which would prompt him to show his kennel
area. A successful Track roll will indicate child guages (Egyptian) 40%; Write Languages (Chinese)
size footprints with the goat prints leading away 67%;
from the kennel toward Publius’ property. If
Minerva: Beautiful Wife to Cassius
Cassia is asked about the goat or her footprints
she will acknowledge that she sometimes takes STR 12 CON 11 SIZ 8 INT 11 POW 10
the goat for walks to the edge of the property DEX 15 APP 17 EDU 10 SAN 50
because there is more grass growing there since Idea 55
Publius has no animals. An Insight roll will re- Luck 50
veal that she does not seem too upset about her Know 50
goat’s disappearance. If the players decide to en- HP 10
gage with Cassia then she will seem to talk with Damage Bonus: +0
an invisible friend about the investigators com- Weapons: Kitchen Knife 41%, damage 1D4+db
ments. When asked about the invisible friend
Armor: None
she will say he is a boy from the ‘wall of sleep’
Skills: Art 32%; Empire 35%; Jump 50%; Listen 34%;
in her dreams. She will add that the voice talks Spot Hidden 40%,
to her when she is awake now because they’re
the best of friends. The invisible boy does not Cassia: Daughter who dreams about the
have a name but is called ‘My Best Friend.” If Lake of Hali
Cassius’ wife, Minerva, is questioned about the
nighttime experiences of Publius stalking her, STR 7 CON 9 SIZ 6 INT 10 POW 14
DEX 10 APP 13 EDU 5 SAN 47
she will state that she could never see in the
fog, but heard Idea 50
footsteps and Luck 70
the crackling of Know 25
branches out- HP 8
side her win- Damage Bonus: -1D4
dow. In reality, Weapons: Dagger 30%,
this is Cassia damage1D4 +db
sneaking out of Armor: None
the house dur- Skills: Animal Training
ing the night. 55%; Cthulhu Muthos
32%; Dodge 69%;
Hide 80%; Jump 75%;
Cassius Libo: Listen 45%; Sneak 52%
Angry neighbor and spice merchant
Cassia made friends with the voice she hears
STR 10 CON 14 SIZ 9 INT 15 POW 14 from the stone tablet in the ground that leads
DEX 12 APP 10 EDU 13 SAN 70
to the Lake of Hali. She will try to get to Pub-
Idea 75 lius’ garden if she can at night and lure one or
Luck 70 both parents to the stone. She will jump in if
Know 65 there is any resistance. If investigators figure
HP 12 out that she is behind her goat being gone and
Damage Bonus: +0 the nightly noises, then she will tell investigators
Weapons: Hand Ax 50%, damage 1D6+db; that she knows where the music comes from,
Armor: none but tell them that it can only happen at night.
Skills: Accounting 68%; Bargain 88%; Drive 35%; Em- She will show them with hopes of all of them
pire 42%; Fast Talk 45%; Natural World 33%; Other jumping into the manifestation of Hali. If she
Kingdoms (Asia)61%; Other Kingdoms (Egypt) is completely looked over then she will try to
50%; Other Languages (Chinese)46%; Other Lan-

convince her parents to follow her into the fog Publius Niger: The Cursed Retired Tax Col-
to Publius’ garden because she has something lector of Asis
she wants to show them. Both parents will re-
fuse her request. She will then sneak away at DEX 12 APP 6 (he has an unfriendly air about him)
night when they are not looking. The parents EDU 15 SAN 54 (he has lost some from hearing the
will then find her missing and attempt to have strange music)
the investigators help them search for her in Idea 75
Publius’ garden. Luck 60
Other Residents: Other neighbors close Know 75
to Publius will report hearing strange noises HP 14
at night and add that the music happened be-
Damage Bonus: +1D4
fore Publius moved in, but got worse after he
Weapons: None
arrived. They will also add that Publius tends
Armor: none
to isolate in his home and not talk with any-
Skills: Accounting 95%; Civics 65%; Empire 57%;
one, which has made him unpopular. Some Other Kingdom (Asis); Persuade 13%; Status 71%;
may report that Cassius has it out for Publius Write Language(Latin) 77%; Awkward conversation
and has made it known that he would like him 67%
to leave.
Publius appears with his shoulders curved
Inn of Caprica: Players may decide to
inwards and his head held stooped. His eyes
hole up for one night or more at the local Inn
are beady and he gives off an air of perpetual
to get extra amount of time to investigate or
disdain because he avoids eye contact. It has
to see whether the sounds happen when Pub-
been a hard career being a tax collector for the
lius is not home. The Inn of Caprica will be
state of Asis and it shows on his face. He has
that place. Players may have Publius stay at
learned to live alone and in seclusion from oth-
this nice inn and be watched by the Innkeeper,
ers. Unfortunately, the major side-effect from
Baliaricus. The Inn is within the city proper
his alienation has been the deterioration of his
and costs 1-2 sesterces a night. Extra charge
social skills. To the investigators he will try to be
of 2 sesterces will be added if Baliaricus is ex-
pleasant but will eventually, without a doubt,
pected to watch over Publius. Baliaricus will
make some off-colored remark that will be
not join the investigation because his presence
awkward. He hopes that investigators will help
is needed at the Inn.
him, but will not talk about the dead goat he
The Home of Publius Niger: The home
found on his property this morning unless it is
is a typical Roman home with a small atrium
discovered. When bad events happen to him
in the center to entertain guests and a garden
or people he knows then he will usually express
in the back. The interior is sparsely decorated
“The Gods hate me!” (In reality they just don’t
and there seems to be few memorabilia from
care). He will help investigators the best he can.
his time in Asis, except a scroll hanging on the
He does not have any slaves working his yard
Atrium wall from the Asis Perfect giving ac-
and tends to it on his own preferring the soli-
colades for a long and successful career as a
tude.
tax collector. The house is surrounded by bra-
Cursed Garden on Publius’ proper-
ziers of various sizes through out the side of
ty: The garden is plush with grape vines and
the house.
some tomato bushes. A wicker chair is by a
bare spot on the ground where a white cloudy
opaque stone which almost resembles alabas-
ter protrudes from the ground. Successful
Spot Hidden roll will reveal two things. First,

closer inspection will reveal wave designs and cented by a soft high pitch rumbling or moan
inscriptions of various pictographs on the side which may lead some listeners to believe it
of the stone tile. Style and design seem un- is female in tone. Hearing the sounds cost
known in origin. A successful Cthulhu My- 0/1D3 SAN. Going into the garden to follow
thos roll will reveal that the writing is not of the noise will require some light source and a
this world as we know it and that it bodes Luck roll. If successful, then players will walk
doom to those who step on its path. Second, to the stone tile on the floor. If unsuccessful,
with the previous successful Spot Hidden roll, then players will find themselves lost on the
investigators observe dried blood marks and a property or in the neighbor’s yard. The stones
trail leading to a compost mound at the edge on the floor will seem to have movement and
of the garden (no track roll needed). If inves- appear to be a watery mist lapping on a shore.
tigators dig through the compost pile they will Any players wading into the misty pool will
find the dead remains of Cassia’s favorite goat, find themselves transported to the Lake of
Juko, in relatively fresh condition. It is small Hali and forever lost. The last thing they will
and a young goat. The neck had been slashed. see is two moons radiating above through the
Publius will confess that he found the body in fog and the unnatural feeling that they are in a
the morning and did not know what to do be- place far away from Epiru surrounded by hor-
cause he knew he would be blamed. He will rors beyond their imagination. The investiga-
be sorry for not telling investigators up front tor will be considered gone from play. Note:
but he felt too much pressure from the blame if you wish to give the players a chance to get
that was already directed at him by his neigh- back or if the situation becomes one where
bors. If for some reason Cassia is here to see they are trying to rescue Cassia, then please go
the dead body, then investigators can roll In- the section called the Lake of Hali.
sight and if successful, then they will notice
that she is not disturbed to see her goat in this Along the shore the cloud waves break
condition, as if she had expected it to be so. The twin suns sink behind the lake
She shows no tears or distress. The shadows lengthen
If players destroy the tablet tiles on the In Carcosa
garden floor, then this ends the fog at night “Cassilda’s Song” in The King in Yellow Act 1, Scene 2
and the strange music….thus solving the Pub-
-Robert W. Chambers “The Repairer of Reputations”;
lius problem.
The King in Yellow
The L a k e of H a li
This part of the scenario assumes that the play-
ers have stepped through the stone tiles on the
garden floor and entered the misty vaporous
waters to the Lake of Hali. It is up to the Keep-
er’s discretion that this part of the investigation
Cursed Garden at Night: Various things
be carried on for one reason or another, such as
can happen at this point but what will be a
Cassia has jumped through the stone and the
constant is the fog rolling in at the first sign of
players are chasing after her. As a result of step-
darkness. The fog will seem overly thick and
ping into the Lake of Hali have them make a
have a musty swamp smell about it. Investi-
SAN check at 1D6/1D20 cost for the immediate
gators will note that no swamp had been ob-
shock and initial realization that they are in a
served in the neighboring areas. As the night
place not meant for human understanding. For
passes a strange music will begin to play, ac-

understanding of the for-
eign cosmos. Characters
may feel an awakening or
regression to a more pri-
mal thought of conscious-
ness when all these sights
and sounds were famil-
iar to a forgotten corrupt-
ed heritage. A black ba-
salt shore lies ahead with
floating boulders hovering
ten or more feet above the
ground. Further inland, the
investigators can make out
a monstrous large pale wall
surrounding a massive col-
lection of bubble-shaped
castles (One of the cities of
Alar). If investigators look
behind them then they will
see the shore’s line across
lake and a towering city of
black Obsidian stone (The
City of Carcosa) surround-
ed by a halo of iridescent
mist. The surface of the
lake behind the investiga-
tors breaks to reveal wa-
tery gelatinous tendrils or
what seems to be a collec-
tion of tiny pus-filled glob-
ules that take on a slender
gestalt shape of something
ropey and wicked head-
ing towards them with in-
each hour spent in either the Lake of Hali or on
tense malignancy. SAN Check 1/ 1D8. If play-
the shores of Alar or Demhe, have the charac-
ers do not move forward toward the shores of
ters roll SAN at 1/1D3 because of the sounds
Alar then they will be confronted by the crea-
and rhythm of the misty waters.
tures heading toward them, but the creatures
The wind blows and whistles to the shim-
will not be overtly aggressive and will proba-
mering water creating the so-called strange
bly just linger around the player(s). The semi-
music that the characters had heard at night.
pale gelatinous and amorphous shape of the
The fog will thin out to reveal two moons in
horror makes it hard for the eyes to compre-
the far horizon. Bright large stars twinkle
hend but it has an undulating frame that shifts
around the moons (Aldebaran and Hyades)
back and forth from three to six connected
and players may feel that they have an idea of
sections of opaque-colored vapors with the
the name of these heavenly bodies without any
tendrils sprouting and collapsing between the

sections. On random parts of the beast’s sur- Damage Bonus: +1D6
face had shiny black honey-combed sensor or Weapons: Claw 35%,
eyes, if you will, that shifted to the movement damage 1D6+db;
Bite 35%, damage
of the investigators. Hideous gurgling sounds
1D6+blood drain
can be heard as the creature makes progress
Armor: 2 points of fur
forward. and tough hide
Spells: None
Horrors in the Lake of Hali
Skills: Listen 50%,
STR 38 CON 22 SIZ 28 INT 10 POW 15 Spot Hidden 50%
DEX 12 HP 25 Sanity Loss: 1/1D6
Move 6
Damage Bonus: +3D6 Wa lls of
Weapons: Tendrils 40%, damage
3D6 +1D6 permanent damage
Alar
to CON Should the players
Armor: Impaling weapons do be chasing Cassia
minimum damage as a result
through the Lake of Hali then they will find her
of its physical properties.
here, mentally spent and lying on the ground
Spells: Knows 1D4 spells to keepers discretion
before the Wall of Alar. Various hideous statues
Sanity Loss: 1/1D8
stand broken about the base of the Wall with
semi-human shapes malformed and distorted.
Shor es of A l a r Some of the statues do not appear human at
all, but grotesque beasts with seemingly cruel
Characters that make it to the volcanic shores of
chitin hide. The wall itself is a huge bas relief of
Alar will find the rocks jagged and sharp. Play-
tortured people and humanoids in overstated
ers must make a DEX roll x5 or incur a 1 point
regal clothing in various positions of agony.
of incidental damage. The floating rocks ap-
SAN check 1/1D3. The Wall’s surface appears
pear to be defying gravity and levitate about ten
porous and if touched, the player must make
feet above the ground. Sitting on some of the
a STR resistance check versus the STR of the
rocks are Byakhee. Make SAN check at 1/1D6
wall, which is 15, or be pulled into the bas relief
SAN. These creatures will not actively engage
by the various animated tortured beings in the
characters unless they appear to have passed
wall. Failure means immediate death and the
out or have lost their minds. In these cases the
horror of being an image of pain on the Wall.
Byakhee will swoop down and drop the play-
Players witnessing the incident must make SAN
ers off in the abysmal depths of Demhe. If the
1/1D6. If Cassia is found and players attempt
Byakhee are attacked then they will fly out of
to bring her back to consciousness, then one
reach of the offending character and continue
of the images in the bas relief of the Wall will
to watch unless the characters are climbing the
separate itself from the wall and speak. He will
boulders to breach the wall. In this case, they
appear to be a boy(gender is only suggested by
will attack the characters till they are back on
the clothing) around the same age of Cassia in
the ground or dead.
an oversized yellow tunic with purple trim. A
Byakhee yellow amber stone brooch hangs on his torso.
His face is covered by a pale distressed-looking
STR 18 CON 12 SIZ 18 INT 10 POW 11 mask. He will say “She was not meant for this
DEX 14 HP 15 place. She is not one of us (skip this if Cassia
Move 5/20flying is not present and start with the next part)…

(pointing at investigators) You do not belong. Ack now ledgements
You must close the entry and break the tether
to Alar. I beseech you to close your eyes and let I would like to thank my wife, Danielle Yee for
the winged foul beings of Hastur take you away editing, and my play testers for this scenario
to the place of returning. The tether was meant from www.RPG-SanDiego.org : Sam Carter,
only for our people and our people only…The Erik Richardson and Derek Shackleton.
damned ones of Iksithl.” The boy will step Map by Derek Shackleton and Simon Yee
back into the Wall. If he is prevented in doing Design of stone tile by Derek Shackleton
so, then he will become a distorted and broken Art by Simon Yee
statue like the ones at the base of the Wall. SAN Material draws from writings by Robert W.
check 1/1D8 for any part of this experience. Chambers’ “The King and Yellow” and from
The Byakhee will swoop down at this moment Chad Bowser, Deane P. Goodwin and Andi
to carry off Cassia and the investigators and de- Newton “Cthulhu Invictus: Horror Role-Play-
posit them in Demhe. ing in Ancient Rome” monograph.
The Deep A byss, k nown

a s Demhe
For the purpose of this scenario, Demhe is being
used as an exit conduit for the player to return
back to Epiru. Demhe is a lake located on the
other side of the City of Alar. Players will hope-
fully be flown by the Byakhee over the City of
Alar and then dropped into Demhe. The sight
of the lake parting the cloud-like waters to reveal
the gaping abyss below will cause any conscious
character to feel they have lost their mind. The
lake is alive. SAN 1D8/1D20 for flying over the
City and seeing the Demhe. Players may roll
an Idea check as they are falling into the black
chasm to realize that they are witnessing a huge
tower or castle that was built inverted. Instead
of rising above ground this kingdom was built
downwards into the base. If players have not
lost consciousness at this point, then they will
now. By falling into the Abyss players will be
transported back to Epiru and appear on the
grassy fields close by Publius’ home.
The End
The players gain 1D12 SAN back if they destroy
the tablets
Add 1D6 SAN if they save Cassia from
the Lake of Hali

THE GOD
UNKNOWN
By Max Nelson
“There stood a grove which from the K EEPER’S

earliest time no hand of man had dared
to violate; hidden from the sun its chill
INTRODUCTION
recesses; matted boughs entwined prisoned It is November, A.D. 55. Since A.D. 43 the Ro-
the air within. No sylvan nymphs here mans have been slowly conquering the island
found a home, nor Pan, but savage rites of Britannia (Britain), defeating revolting tribes
and barbarous worship, altars horrible on and expanding their territorial dominance.
massive stones upreared; sacred with blood Most notably, the chieftain Caratacus, son of
of men was every tree. If faith be given Cunobelinus, of the Catuvellauni tribe in the
to ancient myth, no fowl has ever dared east of Britannia, has been captured and taken
to rest upon those branches, and no beast to Rome. Though some other tribes remain re-
has made his lair beneath: no tempest bellious, others have accepted Roman rule, and
falls, nor lightnings flash upon it from the a number had even taken on Roman ways, such
cloud. Stagnant the air, unmoving, yet the as drinking wine and minting coins, long be-
leaves filled with mysterious trembling; fore having become part of the Empire.
dripped the streams from coal-black Unknown to the general populace, the
fountains; effigies of gods rude, scarcely Roman soldiers of the Legio XX Valeria, in the
fashioned from some fallen trunk held the course of carefully surveying all conquered
mid space: and, pallid with decay, their territory, have encountered not only the Celt-
rotting shapes struck terror. Thus do men ic tribes in Britannia (well-known since the
dread most the god unknown.” time of Julius Caesar’s visit) but far older den-
izens who have been in the island long before
Lucan, The Civil War
the Celts arrived a few hundred years ago, and
(trans. Sir Edward Ridley)
who have been for the most part forgotten.
“O giant stars, born of eternal light, These are the Very Old Folk.
O winged flames wherewith the void is
sown, The Very Old Folk
As dreadful prophets of the god unknown, ( Veter r imi):
Ye speak the law in light!”
“... the very old folk ... dwelt higher up in the
Clark Ashton Smith, hills and spoke a choppy language ... a few
The Ancient Quest times a year they sent down little yellow
squint-eyed messengers (who looked like
Scythians) to trade with the merchants by
means of gestures, and every spring and
98
autumn they held the infamous rites on casionally to trade goods with outsiders (seek-
the peaks, their howlings and altar-fires ing to buy clay vessels and metal tools, which
throwing terror into the villages.” they do not make) but in recent years seem to
prefer to keep only to themselves. Their lan-
H. P. Lovecraft, “The Very Old Folk” in guage is unlike any other known in Europe.
Miscellaneous Writings Long ago they set up standing stones, some-
“... a hideous cult of nocturnal worshippers times in circles and alignments for mysteri-
whose strange customs—descended from ous reasons. They do not worship the gods of
pre-Aryan and pre-agricultural times the pantheons of the other European peoples
when a squat race of Mongoloids roved but an enigmatic entity (“the god unknown”),
over Europe with their flocks and herds— to whom they sacrifice human beings twice a
were rooted in the most revolting fertility- year in the anxious periods of seasonal transi-
rites of immemorial antiquity. This tion, from winter to summer and summer to
secret religion, stealthily handed down winter, when the prosperity of the community
amongst peasants for thousands of years is particularly in question (the Very Old Folk
despite the outward reign of the Druidic, have no calendar and thus they do not sacri-
Graeco-Roman, and Christian faiths in fice on specific days of the year, such as April
the regions involved, was marked by wild 31 and October 31, as their inheritors would).
“Witches’ Sabbaths” in lonely woods and The sages of the Celtic tribes, the druids, have
atop distant hills ...” long been thought guilty of these sacrifices by
H. P. Lovecraft, Supernatural Horror in the Romans and therefore their religion has
Literature been abolished. Little do the Romans know
that there are forces much darker and more
The Very Old Folk (known in Latin as the Ve-
dangerous than those of nature-loving druid-
terrimi) are a people who settled throughout
ism.
Europe long before the Italic, Hellenic, Celtic,
While the Celts respect and worship all
Germanic and other groups migrated there
that is positive which nature provides for
thousands of years ago. Their territories have
them, such as springs, living trees, and hors-
gradually been taken over and their numbers
es, the Very Old Folk ally themselves with dark
depleted until the few scattered groups of them
forces in nature, including marshy morasses,
remaining have moved to higher elevations.
dead trees, and snakes. Long ago, after gener-
Some were known to inhabit the Pyrenees un-
ations of fighting, the Celts and the Very Old
til they clashed with Roman troops around the
Folk decided upon a territorial truce of sorts.
mid-first century B.C. Others remain in re-
The Very Old Folk were left in peace to live
mote enclaves in the Alps and Carpathians as
in their own secluded, noxious haunts, while
well as more modest hilltop homes such as on
the Celts thrived in their villages in wide open
the Cotswold range in Britain, only now being
glades. Most Celts have forgotten the hidden
expanded into by the Romans. Knowledge of
Very Old Folk, who have not been seen in de-
them has almost completely disappeared except
cades, but the bards (tribal loremasters) still
in half-forgotten fairy tales.
recount tales of these little peoples, and the
The Very Old Folk are stunted human-
druids too maintain remembrances of them
oids, most the size of human children, who live
and, often without the knowledge of their own
amid dark groves in small, mud hut villages,
people, bless amulets for protection against
each ruled by its own tribal leader. They hunt
them.
and gather and only practice agriculture and
animal husbandry on very a meagre scale, and
do not have horses. They were once known oc-
The God Unknown k 99

The Druids: tershire in the Cotswold district) have been set
A druid (druis) is the priest, diviner, and judge up, as well as a network of military roads. The
of a Celtic tribe. While druids have been called westward road has almost reached the Sabrina
by Romans wise in their knowledge of the gods (modern Severn) river, the longest in Britannia,
and the natural world, they have also been said but in the course of surveying and building the
to supervise ghastly human sacrifices. Various military road crew has approached the territory
stories circulate about these sacrifices. Some- of the Very Old Folk.
times it is said that they are done only at times Late one night, under cover of dark-
of danger from disease, famine, or violence, ness, the Very Old Folk sent their serpents to
while sometimes it is said that they are con- the road crew camp. All were killed in horrif-
ducted at regular intervals for the sake of fertil- ic ways and their bodies taken into the woods
ity and the general well-being of the commu- except for one soldier, who, though bitten, was
nity. Some say that their victims are criminals able to hide, quickly write a coded message
or prisoners of war, while others say that they which he bandaged around his arm, and then
are the unwanted or deformed or that they are walk his way eastward on the road toward the
even innocent people, randomly chosen. Some fort at Corinium. As the investigators will find
say that the victim is slaughtered like an animal out, he never made it all the way. Meanwhile,
on an altar and his or her innards examined to the Very Old Folk, no longer feeling as protect-
predict the future before the whole is burned, ed in their secluded forest homes, are prepar-
while others say that the way the victim falls, the ing to invoke the mysterious being Abrasax if
writhing of the body, and the manner in which needed to keep intruders out for good.
the blood pours out, provide signs of things to
come. Others say that human victims, some- IN V ESTIGATOR S’
times with animals, are placed in a large wicker
man which is then set ablaze, so that all within
INTRODUCTION
die by being burned alive. Still others believe It is November in the 808th year since the
that victims are impaled, shot with arrows, cru- founding of Rome, and a young new Emperor
cified, or even ripped apart with teeth. It is also is on the throne, the nearly eighteen year old
claimed that the victim’s blood is drunk and the Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus, better known
flesh eaten. as Nero. Over a year ago, his uncle and adopted
The investigators may know some or father, the unpopular, stuttering Claudius, died,
even all of these stories (or hear of them at officially of fever, though it is widely rumored
the roadhouse during the adventure), but for that is was actually by poison at the hands of
the purposes of this game they are all consid- Nero’s mother, Claudius’s niece, Agrippina the
ered false rumors. The druidic faith is actually Younger. Claudius’s son, Britannicus, whose
much more mainstream than such tales would name reflects Claudius’s most famous feat, the
have it. capture of Britannia, and who was only four-
Note that no druid characters may be in- teen, was to be co-emperor with Nero when he
volved in this adventure. came of age.
Britannia has been made a province just
The Confrontation: over a decade ago, but much of the west and
The Roman army is at present involved in con- north remains unconquered and in the hands
quering Celtic tribes in the southwest (in what of fierce Celtic tribes. Moreover rebellions
is now Wales) and in the north of Britannia. simmer even in the occupied territories. Dru-
Behind the main detachments, forts (such as idism, the pernicious faith of the locals, has
at Corinium, modern Cirencester in Glouces- been abolished but is far from being eradicat-
100 k The God Unknown

ed. The governor Aulus Didius Gallus watch- posts (known as mutationes or mutatio in the
es uneasily from the newly formed capital of singular) where fresh, swift horses as well as
Londinium and troops are stationed in vari- carriages can be found. Such transport can be
ous forts throughout the land. used as needed for couriers, soldiers, and gov-
Although somewhat dangerous, the ernment officials and those on state business
promise of new adventure and business op- (as proved by a warrant or diploma written on
portunities has brought the investigators to a folded tablet), who rent at a fixed fee. Lodg-
Britain. Wealthy natives are anxious to adopt ing is free for such individuals but can also be
Roman ways and merchants of various wares paid for by private travellers. Simple itinerar-
have come to fulfil their needs and desires. ies (itineraria), listing roads and stops, exist
Furthermore, moneylenders are investing in for travellers, but detailed maps of territory
the new budding urban centres and construc- (particularly newly conquered, as in Britannia)
tion companies lease out their slaves for new are found only in the hands of government of-
building projects. The most suitable occu- ficials; indeed it is considered a capital crime of
pations for investigators would be artisans, treason for anyone else to own such plans.
bankers, and merchants coming to do busi-
ness, or else apothecaries, physicians, or sur- The Mansio:
geons introducing their much needed skills, or
The investigators begin the game by staying at
perhaps scholars wishing to research and write
an isolated roadhouse or inn (mansio), about
about the new province.
10 miles northwest of Corinium. The two-
The investigators have gathered supplies
story wooden building was erected only a few
in Londinium and have been making their way
years ago. In front of the place a number of
westward to the frontier regions on horseback.
braziers burn. The innkeeper, Marcus Vinius
The road, newly paved and perfectly straight
Lurco, explains: “This is a liminal time of year,
(in the manner for which the Romans are fa-
friends. A dangerous time. Our fire keeps the
mous) is little travelled. The last substan-
darkness at bay as well as those predators hunt-
tial settlement the group passes is Corinium,
ing by cover of darkness.”
about 100 (Roman) miles from Londinium,
The roadhouse includes on the ground
where there is a fort surrounded by a village
floor a dining room with tables and stools and
of artisans, contractors, and suppliers for the
a bar for plebeian travellers. Two back rooms
army (including smiths, potters, launderers,
are set up as triclinia with couches for upper
and even prostitutes). From then on the in-
class dining. The ground floor also includes
vestigators will continue into almost unchart-
stables and workshops. The upper floor con-
ed territories, taking advantage of the cursus
sists of a number of rooms to be let for the
publicus.
night, which, the innkeeper Lurco swears, have
no bedbugs.
The Cursus Publicus: Working at the inn there is also Bitucus
The cursus publicus (or “public course”) was the cook, Caradoc the wainwright, Vindica
established by the first Emperor Augustus as the waitress (who, for the right price, dou-
a system of swift communication for impor- bles as a prostitute), and the stable boy Sene-
tant messages throughout the empire. Along a cio. Bitucus and Vindica are a married couple
network of military roads through the Empire from the local Dobunni tribe. Caradoc and
there are stations paid for by the local popu- the stable boy are Celtic slaves of Lurco, cap-
lations which include roadhouses (known as tives from the wars of conquest.
mansiones or mansio in the singular) where There are also three other guests at the
food and lodging are available as well as stage inn: a Roman couple, Gaius Calidius and his

wife Paulla, and Comux, another member of the motives of the innkeeper and the others at
the Dobunni tribe. Calidius and his wife will the mansio, but they mean no harm.
eat in one of the triclinia and will welcome A few hours after dusk, the clip-clop-
any of the group to dine with them as long ping of a horse is heard approaching the road-
as they are willing to help defray the cost for house. Soon a black riderless steed is seen to
the privilege of doing so. Calidius is an entre- have stopped at the roadhouse, having known
preneur, who, perhaps like the investigators, its destination on its own. If any investiga-
is on a trip to determine the viability of trade tor looks closely he might see fresh sweat and
with local tribes. Calidius, out of earshot of blood on the saddle; a successful Spot Hidden
any Celt, will confide to the group (to fright- roll will further reveal that mixed in is also a
en them off from any potential business) the strange, unidentifiable sticky black liquid.
falsehood that all the Celtic tribes to the west The horse is recognized by the innkeep-
are savage and that their druids are involved in er Lurco as Velox (“Swifty”), which runs be-
human sacrifices and cannibalism. Lurco the tween the local stations, and through his hom-
innkeeper if asked will rather say more truth- ing sense has made it to the roadhouse on its
fully: “Both the sheep and the Dobunni are own. It must have come from the next chang-
well tamed around here.” ing station (mutatio) up the road, the very last
Comux, who has dinner in the main room, one on this unfinished westward road. Lurco
is quiet, but if bought some wine will become might further explain that the stop is not too
friendly and speak to the group in good but far, about 12 miles; stations have been quick-
accented Latin, revealing himself to be no bar- ly set up at close intervals here because of the
baric savage. He is travelling east to make find ongoing conquest and need for fast military
employment in the new metropolis of Lond- messages to reach Londinium. Normally the
inium as a goldsmith. If asked about his craft, same messenger brings the message the whole
he will show the group a golden broach en- way (in case he needs to be questioned about
graved with a horse with three tails, the sym- it) but will take up different horses as need-
bol of the Dobunni, which he made. He will ed. Perhaps, suggests Lurco, the rider has been
be willing to sell it or even give it away un- thrown off on the way and needs help.
der the right circumstances (the broach, un- The investigators may be willing to
beknownst to the investigators, is a magical mount an immediate search (or they may wait
amulet; see below). If asked about the land for daybreak). Lurco will beg off from accom-
westward, he says that his people, the Dobun- panying them since he has to watch over the
ni, are quite open to trading with the Romans, inn, but will he be willing to have his slave, the
but he warns that the group should not wan- stable boy Senecio, accompany them. He will
der far outside of the Celtic villages. “There also pray to Epona, protector of horses, for
are things in the ancient woods that no man their safe travel. Bitucus the cook and Comux
ought to see.” He will be reticent to say any- the goldsmith should either volunteer or be
thing more. persuaded to come too. The group will wish
to use lanterns or torches as they make their
The Bonfire and the Lone Steed: way through the dark, foggy night, illuminat-
ed only by the twinkling stars above, which
After dinner, Lurco the innkeeper and some of
seem somehow different than the stars as seen
the others from the inn huddle around a bon-
from mainland Europe. The cold wind often
fire set up outside on this cold, late autumn
whips up and goes right through the clothing.
night. The investigators will be invited to join
As they travel the investigators should roll for
them. The investigators may be suspicious of
Sanity with 0/1 Sanity loss for the dread of the
unknown in the cold, dark autumn night.

The Bloated Corpse and the Message: volunteer to bring news of the body and also
About two miles west of the mansio a strange- the coded message to the fort at Corinium
looking fleshy mass may be spotted by the side (the keeper should convince willing investiga-
of the road. At first the investigators may not tors not to do so as this would take them out
realize what they are seeing until they under- of the rest of the adventure).
stand that it is a huge bloated human being
(0/1D4 Sanity loss). The clothes have been The Mutatio:
ripped from the body, but a careful examination This staging post, the last on the westward road,
will show that they are military issue. Further- is a small, one-story building with an office, sta-
more a satchel slung over the shoulder holds an bles, smithy, and storeroom. All seems empty.
official warrant (diploma) for use of the cur- In the office are some documents; most of them
sus publicus. There are also bandages on one are of little importance, but one seems to be a
arm; beneath are two bite marks, and wrapped military survey of neighbouring territory, in-
within the bandages (as a Spot Hidden roll will cluding the road crew camp and Dobunni vil-
reveal) is a papyrus strip with ink markings on lage (see below), with a large circled area in the
it, which cannot be deciphered as belonging to woods southwest from the mutatio (ownership
any known language. In fact the strip needs to of such a sensitive map by an investigator could
be wrapped slantwise around a baton (known be considered treason). The stables are empty
as a skutale) of predetermined girth to read the but reek of the cloying scent of blood. In the
message which has been written onto it length- back of the station is a smouldering pyre on
wise in Latin letters. An investigator might re- which dead horses have been placed.
member this old Spartan means of encoding a The station’s two workers, the attendant
message and by experimenting with different Strabo and the stable boy Sulinus, may eventu-
size sticks may finally be able to read the hast- ally be found hiding, huddled together in fear,
ily scribbled message: “Ilices, Veterimmi, Pre- under some hay in the stables. Having heard
ster”. Anyone with a Latin skill of 40% or more the group arrive and unsure of the investiga-
will be able to understand the first word “holm tors’ identity and motives they thought it most
oaks” and the second word as “very old men”. prudent to hide. After being appeased, they
Anyone with a Greek skill of 40% or more will will explain that yesterday a soldier walked to
know that the third word is a transcription of the station from the west, in great pain, his
the Greek word for “burning”. Only someone body horribly deformed by bulges. This sol-
with a Latin skill of 70% or more will know that dier quickly showed his warrant and rode off
this third word can also refer to a type of ser- east on the horse Velox, but not before having
pent. The message was made as a shorthand slit the throats of the three other horses, to en-
means of explaining to the garrison in Corin- sure that no one could use them to follow him.
ium that the work camp situated by the holm Out of earshot of the Celtic goldsmith Comux,
oaks grove was attacked by the Very Old Folk the workers may confide their suspicious that
and a type of serpent. the road crew was assailed by a savage Celt-
Suddenly, a gasp will be heard from the ic warband in the night. If they find out the
body; the thrown military rider is still barely fate of the soldier, both of the workers will
alive (Sanity loss 0/1 for viewing this). With- be insistent that someone with a horse must
in a minute, without be able to say anything go to Corinium and alert the garrison there
understandable, he will die. The investigators of trouble. If asked about the words on the
may wish to bury the body since the unburied message, the workers will say that they have
are often thought to haunt a place. If Bitucus heard the term “Veterimmi” having been used
the cook has accompanied the group he will by some of the soldiers and messengers in the

region concerning some of the inhabitants of the white-clad druid Senicianus, who stands
the neighboring woods. They will also explain watching quietly at a distance, since druid-
that “Ilices” probably refers to the large grove ism is considered a dangerous, outlawed reli-
of holm oaks not far from the Sabrina River gion. An intrepid investigator may question
and only a few miles west; it is there that the the druid, who, if he feels comfortable, may re-
road ends at the road crew camp. veal some details about the Very Old Folk. He,
If the Celtic goldsmith Comux is with the or someone else in the village, will warn the
group he will tell the investigators that not far group not to venture outside of the village at
a path through the woods towards the north night.
leads to the Dobunni village from which he After dusk, torches are lit all around the
comes which is located in a clearing only a village and sentries posted. For the feast, all
couple miles away. He may try to convince the will be seated on the ground in a circle around
investigators to go to the village for aid and low tables. The group will be around the chief-
perhaps information too. They may be un- tain, as his guests. They will be served beer,
derstandably suspicious of his intentions. In- mead, or wine as desired and a little bread as
stead the group may continue straight west to well as fish on spits and some modest greens.
the road work camp (see below); once they Any investigator who impresses the Dobun-
find it abandoned in odd circumstances they ni, through tales or acts of bravery, or friendly
may then reconsider and make their way to the advances, may be given a broach with a horse
Dobunni village. with three tails (a magical amulet, as seen be-
low).
The Vill age: Through some coaxing, Bodurix the bard
may be asked to sing of the old inhabitants of
The Dobunni village is a group of two dozen the woods. He will tell tales of the little people
or so large huts strewn about a large clearing. who fought with the Dobunni ancestors when
There are a number of animal enclosures for they first arrived in this land. One story will
horses, pigs, and chickens. At one end there is involve the attack of serpents, the “children of
a sacred area with altars and piles of skulls of the ancient peoples, doing their bidding”, on
dead enemies (an observant investigator might the noble steed belonging to an ancient chief-
notice that a few of the old skulls seem to be tain. The horse fought them off valiantly and
quite small, though they are clearly not the im- killed them all, but not before he was bit in
mature heads of children; they are remnants the rump. He sweated for days and days but
from wars with the Very Old Folk generations survived the bite and from out of the the bite
ago). Young men of the tribe, well-built and marks arose two tails, which remained his who
tattooed, train their horses or practice combat. life as a testament of his valiant struggle. It
Women with children work small farm plots. is this three-tailed steed which is depicted on
The entrance of the group will cause a bit Dobunni coinage and jewelry.
of a stir among the villagers. The investiga- Suddenly, near the end of the feast, a
tors will be quickly led to the chieftain, Man- war horn blast by a sentry on the perimeter
dubracius. Although, as he says, he is unhappy of the village is heard. Then the horses (in-
by the newly imposed Roman taxes he wish- cluding those of the investigators), which have
es to be a good ally of Rome and he embrac- been kept together in a paddock, are seen to
es the investigators as friends. The investiga- spook and run off out of camp, their tails on
tors will be invited to feast and stay the night fire. The sentry explains that a wind blew out
and they may well have some unwarranted the torches on his side and then he heard scur-
anxieties about being the victims of a sacrifice. rying in the underbrush. A search will find
They may be especially uneasy at the sight of that nothing was taken from the camp except

chickens on the other side of the sentry’s post The Holm Oaks Grove:
(the incident with the horses having acted as a As the group goes further into the woods they
distraction). Young men from a neighboring find that the trees become more gnarled and
Celtic village are blamed for this tomfoolery deformed, with bulging burls and large twisted
by many in the village. branches. Although leafless, the top branches,
interlinked, still form a dark and dense canopy
The Forest: overhead, letting through virtually no sunlight.
Some of the young Dobunni warriors will be The air is stagnant too and though there is no
willing to accompany the group and track the wind the trees seem to sway, as if of their own
horses and chicken thieves in the morning. The volition. No animals are seen or heard and any
horses have scattered in various directions; for of the rescued horses brought into the grove
each hour of searching roll percentile dice: 01- will whiny and neigh, stamping their hooves
20: three horses found; 21-50: two horses found; and looking about crazily, and eventually will
51-80: one horse found; 81-00: no horses found. run off. The eerie atmosphere will cause a
Randomly determine if a Dobunni horse or an 1/1D4 Sanity loss. Anyone who has failed this
investigator’s horse has been found; half of the Sanity roll may inadvertently wander off and
recovered horses will be too injured from burn- be divided from the group. Finding themselves
ing wounds to ride for a prolonged period. On alone will cost yet another Sanity roll of 1/1D4
the other hand, the trail of the chicken thieves Sanity loss.
leads south through the forest and is made up
of small, child-like bare footprints (smaller The Vipers’ Nest:
than those of teenagers pulling a prank). Even- Soon, the grove will be suffused with an eerie
tually the trail leads back towards the road and phosphorescence; it is the “foxfire” which ema-
beyond into the forest. At this stage the group nates from decaying wood. On each dead tree
may wish to follow the road west to get help there is seen a rude carving of a face with a three
from the road work crew. peaked crown (in fact a cockscomb), a “god un-
known”. Underfoot the soil is soft and wet, and
The Road Work Camp: soon the trail of small feet will be completely
The road work camp is in a clearing by a large lost. Black liquid gurgles and bubbles from the
holm oaks grove. The crew, made up of sol- ground, while ebony ichor drips down from
diers and a few civilian helpers, has been in the the branches above. Dark coiled lianas twine
process of cutting down trees, digging the path around the rotten tree trunks. Soon it will be
for the road, and constructing the road in vari- realized that the trees’ crooked roots writhe on
ous layers of soil and gravel then cobbled stone. the ground and slap against the investigators’
The camp is comprised of a dozen sleeping feet (1/1D4 Sanity loss). Then suddenly the
tents, sheltered work areas, and piles of stone, roots turn into vicious serpents who attack the
lumber, and tools. No person or animal is to investigators. Any investigator or other mem-
be seen. A careful examination of the tents will ber of the tracking party wearing or carrying a
reveal traces of blood and a sticky black liquid; Dobunni amulet (which all the Celts have) will
it will be obvious that the crew was attacked be protected from attack (though they may not
at night (two nights before) while many were understand why they are not being attacked).
asleep. A successful Spot Hidden roll will reveal For all others roll a 1D6 for the serpent attack
that many snakes left trails in the clearing. A (+1 if armed with a torch, which helps keep the
successful Track skill roll will uncover evidence serpents at bay): 1: Dipsas; 2: Haemorrhois;
that bodies were dragged into the dark grove of 3: Chelydrus; 4: Prester; 5: Seps; 6: No Attack.
holm oaks to the south.

Statistics for the serpents can be found at the The survivors of the group should try to
end of this adventure. send word to the advance Roman troops to the
west or at least the fort of Corinium in the east
The Hill of the Very Old Folk: concerning the trouble lurking in the woods
of Britannia (if Bitucus or someone else was
If the investigators continue further, having
already sent, a vexillation will be awaiting the
survived the serpent attack, they will find the
group at the road crew camp). The investiga-
ground rising. Ahead is the hill on which the
tors will be rewarded for such information and
last of the area’s Very Old Folk dwell amidst
for bringing back or burying the body of the
their ancient standing stones. In the centre
snake-bitten messenger soldier. Finally, their
of their mud hut village is a large cauldron of
names may be long sung by future Dobunni
black liquid in which Roman soldiers from the
bards if they actually manage to capture and
road work crew, roosters from the Dobunni
bring back to civilization with them some of
village, and serpents from the dark holm oaks
the Very Old Folk themselves.
grove have been thrown together in a ghastly
black liquid stew.
Before the investigators will be able to ap- STATISTICS
proach the hilltop, the Very Old Folk, apprised
of their coming, will invoke Abrasax from the
stew. The different parts thrown into it form At the M a nsio
the composite being Abrasax, who has the tor-
so of a Roman soldier, snake legs, and a roost- Marcus Vinius Lurco, Age 43, Innkeeper
er’s head, and is armed with whip and shield
(1/1D6 Sanity loss to view Abrasax). Once DEX 14 APP 11 EDU 12 SAN 55 HP 14
out of the cauldron, Abrasax will rush down
Damage Bonus: +1D4
the hill toward the group, using his whip and
Languages: Latin 80%, Celtic 70%
snake legs against all who have trespassed into
Skills: Accounting 60%, Bargain 50%, Civics 42%,
the grove. The Dobunni broaches are of no
Empire 44%, Fast Talk 33%, Other Kingdom (Celtic)
help against Abrasax. 59%, Ride Horse 56%
Conclusion: Bitucus, Age 26, Cook

In all likelihood, the investigators will turn back
after the serpent attack, as the Very Old Folk
want, or at the very least after facing Abrasax. Damage Bonus: +1D4
If they make it to the Very Old Folk village, they Languages: Celtic 60%, Latin 39%
will find that without their minions to con- Skills: Cooking 60%, First Aid 45%, Fist/Punch 70%,
Small Knife 60%, Repair/Devise 42%
trol, these diminutive people are pathetic and
scared. They will try their best to hide in trees
Caradoc, Age 52, Wainwright
or shrubs and if cornered will bite, punch, and
kick. The Very Old Folk have little of interest in STR 13 CON 11 SIZ 13 INT 12 POW 14
their village except for some some stolen pots, DEX 15 APP 10 EDU 11 SAN 70 HP 12
tools, and weapons. If the Very Old Folk some- Damage Bonus: +1D4
how manage to capture the investigators they Languages: Celtic 68%, Latin 49%
will sacrifice them to their “god unknown” on Skills: Animal Training 34%, Bargain 29%, Craft (Car-
an altar by the ancient standing stones. pentry) 76%, Craft (Metalworking) 68%, Drive 57%,
Repair/Devise 55%, Ride Horse 45%

Vindica, Age 24, Waitress/Prostitute At the Mu tatio
DEX 14 APP 15 EDU 9 SAN 55 HP 12 Strabo, Age 46, Station Attendant
Damage Bonus: - STR 11 CON 14 SIZ 13 INT 12 POW 13
Languages: Celtic 45%, Latin 33% DEX 12 APP 11 EDU 12 SAN 65 HP 14
Skills: Bargain 40%, Conceal 44%, Occult 20%, Per- Damage Bonus: -
suade 88%, Potions 26% Languages: Latin 60%, Celtic 10%
Skills: Civics 56%, Conceal 40%, Drive 67%, Empire
Senecio, Age 12, Stable Boy 45%, Hide 24%, Other Kingdom (Celtic) 14%, Own
STR 8 CON 10 SIZ 9 INT 12 POW 11 Kingdom 40%, Ride Horse 45%, Write Latin 50%
Sulinus, Age 14, Stable Boy
Damage Bonus: -
Languages: Celtic 60%, Latin 41% STR 11 CON 11 SIZ 12 INT 13 POW 12
Skills: Animal Training 55%, Drive 20%, Ride Horse DEX 13 APP 13 EDU 12 SAN 60 HP 12
51%, Swim 24% Damage Bonus: -
Languages: Celtic 60%, Latin 50%
Gaius Calidius, Age 55, Entrepreneur Skills: Animal Training 55%, Conceal 33%, Drive 20%,
STR 12 CON 14 SIZ 11 INT 16 POW 12 Own Kingdom 34%, Hide 24%, Ride Horse 51%
DEX 12 APP 14 EDU 14 SAN 60 HP 13 At the Village
Damage Bonus: -
Mandubracius, Age 40, Chieftain
Languages: Latin 75%, Greek 60%, Celtic 45%
Skills: Accounting 40%, Bargain 34%, Civics 45%, STR 12 CON 14 SIZ 13 INT 14 POW 11
Empire 66%, Fast Talk 35%, Library Use 20%, Other DEX 14 APP 11 EDU 12 SAN 55 HP 14
Kingdom (Celtic) 35%, Ride Horse 50%, Status Damage Bonus: +1D4
67%, Write Greek 40%, Write Latin 65%
Paulla, Age 48, Calidius’s Wife Skills: Dodge 44%, First Aid 45%, Long Sword 55%,
Natural World 47%, Own Kingdom 50%, Ride
STR 10 CON 13 SIZ 9 INT 14 POW 11 Horse 78%, Persuade 50%, Tacticts 39%, Track 40%
Senicianus, Age 60, Druid
Damage Bonus: -
Languages: Latin 70%, Greek 20% STR 10 CON 14 SIZ 11 INT 16 POW 16
Skills: Civics 16%, Persuade 45%, Ride Horse 38%, DEX 12 APP 10 EDU 14 SAN 80 HP 13
Status 60%, Swim 75%, Write Latin 44% Damage Bonus: -
Comux, Age 36, Goldsmith
Skills: Art (Orate) 45%, Insight 72%, Natural World
STR 13 CON 12 SIZ 14 INT 14 POW 11 65%, Navigate 44%, Occult 52%, Own Kingdom
DEX 15 APP 13 EDU 12 SAN 55 HP 13 80%, Persuade 43%, Short Sword 36%
Spell: Create Amulet
Damage Bonus: +1D4
Bodurix, Age 48, Bard
Skills: Animal Training 20%, Bargain 40%, Craft (Met-
alwork) 70%, Listen 20%, Natural World 35%, Ride STR 11 CON 13 SIZ 13 INT 14 POW 12
Horse 71%, Sneak 35%, Swim 35%, Track 30% DEX 13 APP 12 EDU 14 SAN 60 HP 13
Damage Bonus: -

Skills: Art 35%, Bargain 32%, Insight 30%, Own King- 3. The Chelydrus: This amphibious ser-
dom 61%, Persuade 76%, Sing 54% pent has an attractive silvery sheen. As
it slithers it leaves a smoking trail and
Typical Young Dobunni Warrior
when it wraps itself around a victim it
STR 13 CON 14 SIZ 13 INT 12 POW 13 sears it.
DEX 13 APP 14 EDU 12 SAN 65 HP 14 Weapon: Contact 60%, damage 1D6 + 2 while in
Damage Bonus: +1D4 contact
Languages: Celtic 60%, Latin 24% Armor: 4 point scales
Skills: Agriculture 25%, Animal Training 36%, Conceal Sanity Loss: none
29%, Dodge 38%, First Aid 40%, Fishing 44%, Hide 4. The Prester: Its bite causes first red-
21%, Long Sword 45%, Natural World 30%, Own ness and then swelling around the
Kingdom 25%, Ride Horse 75%, Sneak 35%, Swim
wound. Soon, however the whole body
35%, Track 30%
will bloat until it is a huge, featureless
mass. Eventually the heart will fail un-
Be yond the Holm Oa k s der all its new weight.
Grov e Weapon: Bite 44%
Bloating Damage: 1D4 + 1 every 30 minutes
The Serpents Armor: 1 point scales
Sanity Loss: 0/1 Sanity loss when bloating; 1/1D6 Sanity
The poison of any of the serpents may be loss to watch someone else bloating
sucked out with a successful First Aid roll. If 5. The Seps: This small snake’s bite causes
done within 10 minutes of the bite the victim skin, then muscle and sinew, then bone
will no longer suffer any damage. Otherwise, to dissolve, until all that is left of a per-
amputation may be the only means of saving son is a sickening pool.
the victim before the poison spreads. Weapon: Bite 30%
1. The Dipsas: Its bite is painless but as its Dissolving Damage: 1D6 +2 every 15 minutes
venom courses through the body, a feel- Armor: 1 point scales
ing of fire spreads. Moisture soon leaves Sanity Loss: 0/1D6 Sanity loss while dissolving; 1/1D6
the body, including sweat, tears, and sa- Sanity loss to watch someone else dissolving
liva. This leads to an obsessive need to
drink, though no liquid will satisfy this Abrasax (Unique Entity)
thirst.
Weapon: Bite 50% (no damage) Abrasax is the name given by the Greeks to a
Dehydration Damage: 1D6 every 10 minutes or 1D4 powerful and mysterious deity, and this name
every 10 minutes if drinking any liquid is numerically equivalent to 365, the number of
Armor: 1 point scales days in the year. This entity is recognized by
Sanity Loss: 1/1D4 Sanity loss to suffer the bite; 0/1 different sects in various ways (such as a cre-
Sanity loss to watch someone else suffer the bite ator deity by Gnostics or as an angel by Jews or
2. The Haemorrhois: The bite of this simply a powerful entity by pagan magicians).
huge snake causes bleeding from every Abrasax has the torso of a Roman soldier, snake
orifice in the body, including sweating legs, and a rooster’s head, and is armed with
blood. whip and shield. Abrasax can be summoned,
Weapon: Bite 35%, damage 1D6 + POT 20 poison or rather called into being, through a ritual in
every10 minutes which soldiers, serpents, and roosters, are com-
Armor: 1 point scales bined in a cauldron over which the spell Invoke
Sanity Loss: 1/1D6 Sanity loss to watch someone else Abrasax is spoken. If defeated, Abrasax will
suffer the bite collapse into his dead component parts.

STR 60 CON 45 SIZ 65 INT 5 POW 20 to attack any trespassers. Abrasax will continue
DEX 15 HP 55 to attack until trespassers are killed or are out-
Damage Bonus: +6D6 side of his domain of protection (in this case
Weapons: Snake Leg Bites (one at a time) 40%, damage the forest).
1D6 +db, Whip 65%, damage 3D6 +db
Armor: Breastplate 20, Shield 35
Spells: N/A I would like to thank the playtesters Jay Cottrell,
Sanity Loss: 1/1D6 Sanity loss to see Abrasax Jason Demars, Rich Limoges, Andrew Rodgers,
and Dean Valentino.
Typical Member of the Very Old Folk
Damage Bonus: -1D4
Languages: Very Old Folk Tongue 55%, Celtic 10%
Skills: Bite 34%, Climb 45%, Conceal 88%, Cthulhu
Mythos 10%, Dodge 50%, Fist/Punch 40%, Hide
80%, Hunting 41%, Insight 25%, Kick 15%, Listen
40%, Natural World 52%, Own Kingdom 50%,
Sneak 70%, Spot Hidden 45%
Spells: Control Serpents, Invoke Abrasax
NEW SPELLS
Control Ser pents
Range: 1 mile from serpents
Duration: 10 minutes
Cost: 3 MP
Sanity: 1
Resistance: those with a Dobunni amulet may not be
attacked by controlled serpents
With a successful casting of this spell, serpents
of the five types listed above found in the forest
can be controlled.
In vok e A br a sa x
Range: Sight
Duration: 4 hours preparation and then 10 minute spell
Cost: 1D10 +2 MP
Sanity: 1D6
Resistance: No
In a cauldron filled with the black liquid of the
dark grove serpents, roosters, and human sol-
diers must be stewed for 4 hours. Then after a
10 minute vocal invocation, Abrasax will arise

“Defeat Starts Always with the
Eyes: Sextus Calpurnius
Agricola and the Echidna”
Joseph M. Isenberg
As for the Harii, not only are they superior for much of the period of Roman settlement,
in strength to the other peoples I have just as well as the occasional revolt. A Keeper with
mentioned, but they minister to their an established campaign can therefore change
savage instincts by trickery and clever the time of the setting quite easily, and simply
timing. They black their shields and rename the historical characters, and locate the
dye their bodies, and choose pitch-black setting within whichever imperial reign he de-
nights for their battles. The shadowy, awe sires. The action revolves around the raids of
inspiring appearance of such a ghoulish a pernicious Germanic tribe, the Harii, and so
army inspires mortal panic; for no enemy the location is fixed.
can endure a sight so strange and hellish. The scenario as written supposes that the
Defeat in battle starts always with the investigators find themselves attached as the
eyes. staff of the new governor of Germania Su-
perior, Sextus Calpurnius Agricola. Sextus
Tacitus, Germania, Calpurnius is an historic character, who real-
43 (Penguin Classics ly did govern Germania Superior in AD 158,
edition, translated by late in the reign of Antoninus Pius. If the in-
H.W. Mattingly) vestigators already have a patron, it would be
no complex matter simply to substitute him.
K eeper’s Background: If the investigators have some other reason to
be wandering around the nether regions of
“Defeat Starts Always with the Eyes” is designed the empire, then the Keeper can simply be-
as a short introductory scenario that can be gin the action as stated, on a hill overlooking
played as a stand-alone adventure, or expanded the mansio of Titus Adevinus. If, on the oth-
into a campaign by the Keeper for a group of er hand, the opening seems somewhat forced,
four to six investigators. The material present- the Keeper can play out a brief introductory
ed should not prove overwhelmingly compli- scene in Rome in which the investigators are
cated for inexperienced players, and provides brought into play, before beginning a long, but
a partial introduction to various aspects of the utterly uneventful, trudge northwards.
Mythos, as well as an opportunity for more tra- The action begins with the investigators
ditional forms of combat. The scenario is set in travelling with the new governor of the prov-
the year AD 158, late in the reign of the Emper- ince from the provincial town of Argentoratum
or Antoninus Pius, in the province of Germania (Strasbourg in France), north to the provin-
Superior. Germania Superior is a region which cial capital, Moguntiacum (Mainz in Germa-
runs, roughly, from just north of the modern ny). This distance, perhaps 100 miles today,
city of Mainz, to the modern city of Strasbourg. would take a Roman riding in ox-drawn carts
This province was frequently subjected to raids perhaps as long as five days. Though histori-
110
cally, several sites are recorded along
the route as possible stopping plac- Historical Note:
es, the scenario provides only one Sextus Calpurnius Agricola is a historic charac-
of any substance, a mansio operat- ter. He first appears on the consular list for AD 154,
ed by a wealthy equestrian contrac- as a suffect consul, serving, probably, for the latter
tor, Titus Adevinus Germanicus, at part of that year. This would place his birth date as
about the halfway point. When the no later than the 110’s and possibly earlier. There-
investigators arrive, however, they fore, he will be in his late forties or early fifties at the
find the mansio a plundered ruin, start of this adventure. In AD 158, historically, Sextus
with most of its occupants massa- Calpurnius is attested as the governor of Germania
cred. From the sole immediate sur- Superior. This was an unusually very peaceful time
vivor, Adevina, the daughter of Ti- for that province, but this adventure is going to tinker
tus Adevinus, the investigators can with that fact. If he enjoyed an average term length,
learn that many of the guests can- he would have remained in Germania Superior for
not be accounted for, nor can her three years, until AD 161. From AD 163 for an un-
father. Since mansio guests are, as certain length of time, he was governor of Britannia.
a rule, travelling on official busi- Sources suggest a variety of dates down to and includ-
ness, the capture of so many impor- ing AD 168, with AD 166 seeming most likely. In that
tant hostages is not an auspicious time, he confronted some sort of rebellion or inva-
start to the governorship of Sextus sion, which led to the burning of two towns. During
Calpurnius, who will eventually en- his governorship, the Antonine Wall was abandoned,
courage the investigators to follow and the Hadrianic Wall again became the frontier. In
the raiders while he returns to Ar- AD 168 and 169, he was governor of Lower Moesia,
gentoratum to organize a more vig- where he died, perhaps in the fighting of the Marco-
orous pursuit with the forces of the mannic War, or from the plague then decimating the
legion stationed there. A cursory population of the Empire.
investigation of the site will reveal This individual is not the same as Cnaeus Julius
that far more than a quick raid by Agricola, the subject of Tacitus’ biography. Cnaeus
a group of smelly, soot-covered bar- Julius Agricola was born over a century before the ad-
barians is underway here. Eventu- venture starts, and lived from AD 40-93.
ally, the investigators will have to set The author is aware of no surviving images of
off in pursuit of the Harii raiders, Sextus Calpurnius Agricola, though several surviv-
who have a fair head start, but who ing inscriptions mentioning him have been found in
are impeded by loot and prisoners. Britain.
The Harii are not without their own
advantages, and if the investigators
make poor tactical choices, they will er may wish to substitute the full-sized ver-
quickly find that they have taken on more than sion found in the core rules, but bear in mind
they have bargained for. that only one hand weapon available in the
The Harii are described in the Cthulhu Cthulhu Invictus rules is able to actually dam-
Invictus source book at pp. 138 and 139. Su- age the beast.) The Harii raid is really a cover
perficially, the Harii appear only to have sent for a treasonable plot coordinated by servants
a raiding party farther from home than usu- of Nyarlathotep on both sides of the limes, or
al. This party has, nevertheless, some signifi- border. The Harii, like all Germanic tribes,
cant strength in the form of a small hunting are chronically short of iron, and therefore are
horror bound to its service through an artifact busy raiding iron production dedicated to the
supplied by Nyarlathotep. (A naughty keep- use of the legions garrisoning Germania Supe-
Defeat Starts Always with the Eyes k 111

rior; Titus Adevinus’ mansio was located next settled, and impoverished, but they were not
to a major forge. Significant numbers of weap- sinister. In other words, they were not like this
ons were stored in the mansio by Titus Adevi- Germania Superior. The place is called Ger-
nus who was on the Roman side of the con- mania Superior, because it is upstream from
spiracy. While this seems trivial enough, the Germania Inferior, not because there is any-
Germans have a further agenda of their own, thing decent about it. These German lands
and are seeking artifacts revealed to them by brood with malevolence and ill-health. Cor-
the Pool of Shadows, the avatar of Nyarlatho- nelius Tacitus described the place, about fifty
tep worshipped by the Harii. The Roman part years earlier, as “in general, covered by either
of the conspiracy and the nature of the arti- bristling forests or foul swamps.” Certainly,
facts are left as hooks for the Keeper to base Tacitus was not lying about this. Dark, forbid-
a campaign on if he wishes. Clearly, the Ro- ding, primeval forests stretch along both sides
man side of the conspiracy extends well into of the road, and block out any direct view of
the provincial government at least, and per- the sun, most of the time, for hours on end. At
haps stretches as far back as Rome itself. The best a filtered light glimmers faintly through
artifacts are found on the site of the mansio dreary, gnarled, half-dead ancient trees. Look-
by the investigators, exactly where they have ing directly above the road, on most days, the
been dropped by a particularly ham-handed party sees only a grey, featureless overcast. No
Harii. (His fate, when the failure is discov- sign of human habitation can be seen in these
ered, doesn’t bear thinking about.) To succeed parts. Occasionally, the road breaks out into
in unraveling the immediate mystery, the in- a clearing, or takes a sharp 90-degree turn to
vestigators need ‘merely’ to thwart the Harii reveal a trackless, bottomless bog in the path.
raiding party, while protecting their patron, Such a fetid damp spot is even more uninvit-
Sextus Calpurnius. ing than the dismal forests it supplants. Fogs
of water vapor, or marsh gas, or something
Scene I: On the worse and even more unwholesome rise from
Road:
the viscous brown surface. The air around the
stagnant pool reeks of the slow, offensive, de-
cay of dead and dying plant matter.
The Keeper should read the following to the
Rarely, the travelers will glimpse the lo-
players, or convey its general ideas:
cal inhabitants, foul, dirty, degenerate look-
“Roman roads are perfectly straight, per-
ing creatures tending cattle. Even the cattle
fectly paved, and, it seems, perfectly endless.
appear unwholesome; hopelessly puny, with
You have for weeks been travelling as part of
scraggly heads and insignificant horns com-
the official retinue of Sextus Calpurnius Agri-
pared to those found on their southern cous-
cola, the new governor of the province of Ger-
ins. Every thing, and every being and every
mania Superior, just embarking on a three-
person in the place looks contaminated, der-
year term, in the spring of the year of the
elict, and unhealthy. This will be home for the
consulships of Sextus Sulpicius Tertullus and
next three years for the Governor, and his sup-
Quintus Tineius Sacerdos Clemens, the twen-
porters, the investigators. ‘Go along with the
ty-first year of the reign of Caesar Titus Aelius
new governor as one of his clients,’ that was
Hadrianus Antoninus Augustus Pius, and the
your thought. Sextus Calpurnius is a man on
911th year ab urbe condita (vulga dicta “the
the rise in Rome. He is sent out when the Em-
year AD 158”). Three years away from Rome.
peror himself, Antoninus Pius, has a problem.
Three years away from Rome in a hellish hole
A one-man vigiles’ fire brigade, putting out
of a place. Italy was a warm and sunny place.
the fires of the Roman Empire. Sounded like
The Alpine mountains were cold, and sparsely
a good idea at the time. Of course, fires rare-
112 k Defeat Starts Always with the Eyes

ly erupt in fashionable, well-managed proper- Until you arrived in Germania Superior,
ties. They erupt in hovels. So also with the it was a fair situation. The distance between
fires of Empire. Crises never seem to erupt in Argentoratum, the dreary provincial town at
fashionable, wealthy provinces, like Egypt, but the southern end of the province, and Mogun-
only in festering, disease-ridden pestholes, like tiacum, the dreary provincial town that serves
Germania Superior. And that is very unfortu- as the provincial capital, is a five day journey.
nate, because the pay accorded to the staff of No mansio at any point along the road, except
a provincial governor, as with any other bu- one, and that only because its contractor, Ti-
reaucratic salary in Rome, is laughably small, tus Adevinus Germanicus, had another con-
officially. However, in most respectable prov- tract, to smelt iron and make weapons for the
inces, there are abundant opportunities for legions, set up his works at the site, and found
ambitious followers to make money oppor- that he could make money and fill another
tunistically, outside of the official salary; to contract by adding lodging. Sextus Calpur-
gain a certain amount of fame; to rise in the nius knew his business, and made sure that ev-
world, and to pocket the occasional piece of eryone in his official party was well provided
loot through extra-curricular activities. Here, for, with big, heavy, travelling wagons pulled
in Germania Superior, there is quite literally by four oxen, and a separate one for his own
nothing to be opportunistic about; nothing use. In addition, he took along a detachment
to gain, except illness; nothing rising, except of the legion stationed at Argentoratum—the
rheumatism; no one to notice anything to be- VII Legio, Augusta. One can sleep in these
come famous about, and finally, nothing, ab- dreadful squeaking, creaking raedae, suppos-
solutely nothing, worth stealing. There isn’t edly, and last night, for the first time in over
even any decent wine, and the mediocre swill a month on the road, you have, or at least you
served in the provincial town of Argentora- tried to. Now, you look forward to breaking
tum was expensive enough, though there are your journey for a day or two at the mansio
a few straggling vineyards here and there in- and workshops of Titus Adevinus, a prosper-
troduced by settled veterans. The locals seem ous equestrian contractor.”
to make do with a wretched fermented grain The investigators and others trudge along
sludge called ‘beer.’ Three years of this wet, the road, and up a hill. As they emerge on the
miserable dump. crest of the hill, they break out of the forest for
On the positive side, travelling on official a bit. It has been cleared away to reveal a val-
business has its advantages. Sextus Calpurnius ley running east and west. The main road, the
has, very efficiently, obtained official passports road they are on, runs north and south. A sec-
for all of his retinue, entitling everyone to free ond road, less important and less well main-
lodging at the mansios along the route. These tained, runs off to the west along the valley, off
villas, stationed every twenty miles or so, pro- towards some hills further away. At the inter-
vide official travelers with more or less hon- section of the two roads lies the mansio, villa,
est and more or less decent accommodations. and forges of Titus Adevinus. The mansio it-
Of course, like every scheme concocted by the self is a massive structure, nearly three hun-
Roman government, these are run by contrac- dred feet long, and two stories tall. The lower
tors, and, like every government contract, a story is built out of thick blocks of local lime-
fair amount of diddling goes on with payment stone. The upper story is also solidly built, out
and books. No one, so far, has had the cour- of massive timbers, hewn from the rough pri-
age to attempt to cheat a former consul with meval forest. The whole is roofed over by sub-
the ear of the Emperor, like Sextus Calpurnius, stantial red brick tiles. Off to one side stands a
and so, that, at least, has been a pretty fair situ- bath house, modest, but serviceable, and con-
ation. structed from the same local stone and red

brick tile. It looks large enough to contain, as and female, seem to have been herded out into
a Roman bath ought, both cold and hot bath- the area between the villa, the mansio, and the
ing rooms, and a plunge bath, and perhaps a bath house, and systematically slaughtered and
couple of other rooms as well. Near the bath dumped face down in the dirt. The cost for see-
house stands a modest rural villa, again of the ing this without further inspection on the part
local stone and the red brick tile. This must of an investigator is 0/1d3, for the Romans are
be the house of Titus Adevinus, the contrac- quite used to death wholesale as well as retail.
tor operating the mansio. The main structure At the same time, each investigator should be
itself will contain room for both travelers, and asked to make a Spot Hidden roll. Those who
their livestock, so there is no separate barn. pass the roll take a closer look at the corpses,
The whole is surrounded by a sturdy fence. and discover that all of the corpses found in this
On the other side of the main road, to the outdoor area have been savagely rent by the teeth
east, stands the other enterprise of Titus Adevi- or claws of some ferocious beast, NOT killed by
nus, an iron smelting and forging workshop. any human weapon. Additionally, in each case,
This is clearly designed for large scale opera- and in every case, some appendage of the body
tions, and sited in such a way as not to disturb has been severed and carried off; severed with
the comfort of the mansio guests. Four build- sharp, surgical precision, but with neither sys-
ings, perhaps twenty-five feet wide and fifty tem nor method. Rather, here a hand is gone,
feet long, serve as forges, and have substantial there a foot, somewhere else an entire leg, yet
chimney structures. Another building of the elsewhere a whole arm. A still closer examina-
same size, must serve as a workshop. Off to tion and some thought reveals that in no case is
one side lies a heap of rust-colored iron ore. the head gone. A second Spot Hidden roll, or an
Charcoal sits in piles nearby as well. A bar- investigator turning over corpses, shows that in
racks, a warehouse and a stable complete the each case, and in every case, the eyes have been
picture. Clearly, the whole is a manifest sym- systematically cut from their sockets with talon
bol of Roman might and civilization in an oth- or razor-like precision, so that instead of laying
erwise uncivilized place, the barbaric wilder- face down in the dirt, the unfortunate victim
ness of Germania Superior. It ought to deter stares up, eyeless, at the investigator with va-
all thought that the Romans are anything other cant, bloodied, lid-less sockets. The penalty for
than the permanent masters of the place. But this realization is 1/1d4+1, and is in addition
there is just one detail—the whole site, which to the foregoing penalty. Should the investiga-
ought to be a hive of activity at mid-day, is as tors examine the few scattered corpses, they will
still as death, and flocks of crows have begun find them in same condition. Players may be
to move in. A light drizzle has also begun to understandably shy about making a third Spot
blanket the area with dismal wetness. Hidden roll; nevertheless, the Keeper should
call for one, and, if passed, inform the players
Scene II: The that at least one of the male victims has a gold
propert y of Titus
ring on his hand, which has not been stolen, in-
dicative of senatorial or equestrian rank.
A devinus: The bath house, not surprisingly, is quite
empty. Some odds and ends, like bath oils,
The mansio of Titus Adevinus is a charnel scents, and bathing tools remain, waiting for
house. Here and there throughout the proper- use. The place has been neither looted nor
ties, an occasional resident tried to make a fight damaged, it seems. The water, like the resi-
of it, and was cut down with the stab of a sword dents, has assumed room temperature.
or the thrust of a spear. Most of the inhabit- The mansio is a substantial two story
ants, free and slave, guest and resident, male structure, built around a courtyard. It has been

systematically plundered and pillaged, and lit- time ultimately costs lives, though the players
erally nothing of value remains here, though do not know this yet. Sometimes, to borrow a
the investigators will undoubtedly wish to see concept from Freud, a box is just a box. In this
this for themselves. Neither the bathhouse scenario, it is what is in the box that causes all
nor the mansio have plans provided, as there the trouble to begin with.
is nothing to find or describe in them. Should Inside the box are a slip of papyrus with
Keepers wish to devise such plans to sup- some writing on it, and two black stone ob-
ply them to players, a good starting place can jects. The paper contains a one sentence mes-
be found by researching the Godmanchester sage: “T: You are correct. Our friends will be
mansio, at: very interested in acquiring these objects. M.”
http://www.godmanchester.net/history/ The two stone objects turn out to be grotesque
roman%20mansio.htm. idols, carved from some black, greasy soap-
This structure was over 300 feet long, and stone, unfamiliar to the investigators. The
something over 80 feet wide. It had at least 27 first, crudely carved, about the size of two fists
rooms on the ground floor, and presumably, held together side by side, depicts a weird and
a like number above in a second story. The sinister creature. The top half depicts an enor-
mansio of Titus Adevinus, at an intersection mous human female, grossly overweight, with
of two important roads, is scarcely less im- massive folds of flesh, and half a dozen pen-
portant, and is similarly sized. In addition to dulous breasts of disproportionate size, and
lodging, a mansio would have been equipped wild, flowing hair. Below, where legs should
to provide official travelers with supplies, spare be, there is a serpentine body with two tails. It
horses, wagons, and repairs to wagons. Inves- has some detail representing, perhaps, scales.
tigation will show that the stables are quite Little bits of yellow ochre or paint remain in
empty, though the wagons are still there. the carved crevasses of the scales.
Should the players think to investigate The second idol, made of the same black,
the iron works of Titus Adevinus nearby, they oily, material, has no human attributes at all.
will find similar charnel wreckage. The bod- Rather, it is some winged, clawed, reptilian
ies of over fifty men, slaves, show that they thing, with a single wing, and an oval face. Its
have been systematically killed and mutilated. carved mouth reveals a row of irregular, jag-
None of the output of the foundry remains, it ged, fangs. A successful Cthulhu Mythos roll
having been taken by the raiders, along with will reveal it to be a primitive depiction of a
the horses and mules of the establishment. hunting horror, but failing that, the investiga-
The villa of Titus Adevinus is a differ- tors can deduce only that it is some unpleasant
ent matter. Should the investigators approach mythic creature. To see these objects induces a
the building, they see the door standing wide sense of unease at their repulsive appearance,
open. In the middle of the doorway, no Spot and calls for a sanity roll of 0/1d2.
Hidden roll required, is a plain wooden box, Keeper’s Note: The Harii wanted these
with a hinged lid. The corner of a piece of objects, for purposes which are left vague in
parchment or papyrus is sticking out from un- this scenario. This was the main reason for
derneath the lid, which is closed. their raid, though, of course, the opportu-
Keeper’s note: Of course, the box is sim- nity of securing a large number of weapons
ply a distraction. In other role-playing games, made in Titus Adevinus’ foundry was not to be
the players will rightly or wrongly suspect the passed up either. In the confusion surround-
box to be a trap, and the characters will fondle ing the raid, they were left behind by the war-
it or prod it for hours, as they seek to avoid the rior entrusted with the task of securing them.
danger inherent in opening the box. If they His embarrassment after the discovery of this
wish to do so, let them, as anything that wastes omission was profound, but extremely short-

lived. What these objects do, and why the In the process of investigating the desk
Harii wanted them is left entirely to the Keep- and the scroll, or the trail of blood, the investi-
er’s discretion. gators will find the body of a handsome young
In addition to the box, a trail of blood man, dressed in the garb of a slave. He has
can be seen to lead into the villa and across its suffered a terrible abdominal wound, from a
otherwise well-kept floors. Strangely enough, spear or arrow; whatever has pierced his body
nothing seems to have been taken from this has fallen out or been pulled out and left be-
building, though all of the doors have been hind somewhere. By the body, a flickering
opened, and the contents of the rooms tossed oil lamp gutters and gives off a thin wisp of
about as though they were searched. The trail smoke. The slave, in his early or mid twenties,
of blood leads to one of the back rooms of is well-groomed. His hands are fouled with
the villa. There, the investigators find a door his own gore, obviously, but they also have ink
that is closed, and barred from the inside. The stains. Unlike all of the bodies in the man-
door does not fit perfectly, and a thin gleam of sio grounds and in the foundry grounds, this
light shines from behind it, indicating that the individual was neither mutilated nor was his
trail of blood continues into this room. If the eyes gouged out.
investigators choose to force the door, it gives To initial appearances, the poor unfor-
way readily. The Harii simply didn’t bother to tunate is quite dead. Should an investigator
inspect this room, for some reason. It proves think to check, or should an investigator pass
to be the library of Titus Adevinus. A rather a Spot Hidden roll, the body actually displays
small table has scrolls and wax tablets untidily the faintest signs of life. Perhaps a very shal-
stacked and scattered about. All the walls are low breath can be detected, or a very irregular
lined with scrolls and scroll cases, with small and weak pulse.
tags hanging from each scroll, indicating the This, however, is scant consolation, for
material within. Most are accounts and busi- the wound should be mortal, and no sort of
ness records, but Titus also had a fair eye for medical skill roll is needed to deduce this.
literature, it seems, and a wide range of works The victim has a very unusual looking
are contained within. amulet made from iron hanging around his
In the middle of the desk, one scroll neck. It depicts a crude figure of a human be-
lies partly unrolled, and is held down by two ing, with two claw-like appendages for hands,
weights, a box for grinding ink, and a pen. One and a curving, scythe-like blade in place of a
of the weights is the bust of a severe-looking head and face. A single cheap gem, perhaps
Roman. He is clean-shaven in the style of the a small garnet, fills a spot on the scythe blade
old Republic, and the bust is made of the same where an eye might be placed. The whole thing
black, greasy stone as the two idols. A Civ- is held on the victim’s neck by an inexpensive
ics or Empire roll will reveal the information twist of thread or cord. A Cthulhu Mythos
that the bust represents Marcus Junius Brutus, roll will suggest that this might be a represen-
the assassin of Julius Caesar. Titus Adevinus tation of an avatar of Nyarlathotep; otherwise
has obviously chosen to make some danger- the investigators will decide that it is simply
ous political associations if he chooses to keep extremely ugly and barbaric.
a bust like this on the property, since Brutus As the investigators explore the room, or
is a beloved figure of those of republican sen- stand around debating what to do next, the
timents. An investigator will need to inves- little oil flame near the body begins to flicker
tigate the scroll more closely in order to find and build, and to give off more smoke. As the
out what it says. The investigators may well be flame builds and gutters, the smoke is drawn
drawn to look around the back of the desk, for into a swirling vortex around the body of the
this is where the trail of blood leads. slave. After a few minutes of this, the smoke

and mist resolves itself into the visage of the they say, was a gift to them from
dead slave. The sanity cost to see this is 1/1d6, their god, who resides in a pool in the
for as a rule, Romans do not care to be exposed center of their lands. The Harii also
to the lemurs, the spirits, of the dead. claim that this standard is the home
The legs of the ghost seem to be mov- of their protecting spirit, a hunt-
ing towards the investigators, or towards the ing wolf, though this seems barbar-
closest one, however, the feet of the ghost re- ic superstition. The Harii also claim
main firmly rooted in his body, and he makes that they have another gift from their
no progress. This particular ghost seems to god, a curved horn, in shape like the
have a pleasant enough demeanor, and in no horns used by Roman legions, which
way seems angry or threatening. After a few they can use to communicate with
moments of moving, and making no prog- the hunting wolf and to bring them
ress, the ghost will beckon the investigators to them in times of need. A survi-
to approach him. Whether one eventually vor who claims to have seen these
approaches or not, the ghost will eventual- from a distance one day thinks that
ly beckon to the scroll lying on the desk, and the standard is just a standard, and
will make no move to interfere with anyone the horn is just a Roman horn, per-
reading it. Should the investigators prove re- haps taken from the legions lost by
luctant, the ghost will gesture more frantical- Augustus many years ago. The survi-
ly, and eventually begin to look impatient and vor did not see the wolf of the Harii,
exasperated. and I can find no one who has.
The scroll is nothing more than a copy of An Occult roll will call to mind that the
Tacitus’ Germania, unrolled to the section on Harii do worship some unwholesome entity
the Harii, reprinted above at the start of the through a fetid pool somewhere in Germania
scenario. A different hand, which will turn out Magna, though no more details will be forth-
to be that of Titus Adevinus, has added a few coming. A successful Cthulhu Mythos roll
remarks in the margins, however. The whole may at the Keeper’s discretion allow the inves-
text reads: tigators to associate this fell deity with Nyar-
As for the Harii, not only are lathotep.
they superior in strength to the As the investigators work through the
other peoples I have just men- scroll, they are interrupted by a young lady,
tioned, but they minister to their dirty, disheveled, but clearly of some rank,
savage instincts by trickery and bursting through the door, trailed by two
clever timing. They black their guards from Sextus Calpurnius’ entourage.
shields and dye their bodies, and The guards are ineffectually trying to slow or
choose pitch-black nights for their stop her. One guard begins apologizing: “Sor-
battles. The shadowy, awe inspir- ry, tribune. The young lady says she is Adevi-
ing appearance of such a ghoul- na Persephone, daughter of the owner. We fig-
ish army inspires mortal panic; ured you didn’t want to be interrupted, but we
for no enemy can endure a sight couldn’t just stop her, either….” At this point,
so strange and hellish. Defeat in the guards see the ghostly form and back away
battle starts always with the eyes. from the room, rapidly.
The Harii have a standard, in the Adevina, at this point, notices the ghost
form of a dragon, like many of the as well, and collapses on the floor, wailing
Germanic tribes, made of a bronze and screaming. “No, not Ahab as well, no, not
head, and black and yellow painted him!” This goes on for some time. The ghost
cloth to provide a tail. This standard, also looks genuinely distressed, and begins to

beckon one of the investigators, opening his men
arms for an embrace and attempting to move
No, there they lie.
towards the investigator. The ghost, Ahab, also
tries to speak, but no sound comes out. Echidna walks the face of holy Earth
Should an investigator take Ahab up on itself, in darkest nights
his offer, the smoke comprising the ‘body’ of For I have seen Echidna. I have seen
the ghost will flow into the nose and mouth her feed, not in her cave of hollow earth
of the investigator, and Ahab will spend some But here, among the mortal men,
time communicating with him; possessions unimpeded by the immortal gods
by ghosts are usually bad ideas, but Ahab has Among the mortal men and far from
spent most of the night and all day clinging to the deathless gods
life in the hope that he might be able to tell his
Leaving behind the famous home the
story and warn others. The investigator can
deathless gods gave her
be taken off into a separate room, and given
the hand out “Ahab’s story,” to read. While the She brings death to mortal men,
investigator is communicating with Ahab, he leaving her watch, gloomy Echidna
slumps heavily against the desk and cannot re- She comes above the ground, among
act to events. the Hariimoi,
Meanwhile, Adevina is quite overcome Immortal, ageless nymph, so they say.
at seeing Ahab dead, and has begun to babble So they say, but I have seen Echidna
on her own, singing a song, in a clear, pretty and I say they lie,
voice, in Greek. The lyrics are not particular-
No fair maiden she, like I,
ly poetic, and neither rhyme nor scan well by
the standard of the day. They are clearly based Foul snake, writhing, shifting black
upon some pre-existing poem, but Adevina is, and ochre in the night
in her misery, improvising as well: Black as night but with scales flecked
in gold
“I have seen the terrible monster,
One foul wing and one foul face very
The monster Ceto mother of monsters
old
bore, in a hollow cave
A snake through and through, like all
Bore in a hollow cave, and I have seen
of Ceto’s spawn
the monster in a hollow cave
Curse of mortal men and immortal
Echidna the monster, fierce and
gods alike.
heartless, and nothing like
Any mortal man and nothing like any At this point, the young lady subsides
immortal god. into largely incoherent babbling, though she
They say that Echidna is unlike man will occasionally ask, “I wonder where my fa-
because half of her ther could have got to.” “Also, the staff is here,
Is a fair-cheeked maiden, so they say, where are the guests?” This is interspersed
but they lie with occasional tuneless singing from time to
time. Any character who can make a Greek
And half is a huge and loathsome language roll, or an Edux5, roll will realize that
snake, so they say, and say truly. the roots of her diatribe lie in Hesiod’s Theog-
They say Echidna eats living flesh. ony, but deviate rapidly from the text. If no
That is true, but not character can recognize this, then Ahab will
As they say in the recess of the holy tell the character with whom he is communi-
Earth, far below the sight of gods and cating which scroll on the scroll case contains
the relevant work. In the course of her bab- mate fate. The first decision is whether Ahab
bling, Adevina begins to fiddle with a small will answer questions, or whether he will stick
amulet around her neck. It is an identical copy to the information provided. The second de-
of the one worn by Ahab. cision is whether Ahab is helpful in any oth-
er way to the investigator trusting, or foolish,
Keeper’s Note: The original text of the enough to embrace him. The Keeper may de-
Theogony is: She bore another monster, terri- cide to allow this investigator to have the ben-
ble, in a hollow cave, Echidna, fierce of heart, efit of Ahab’s knowledge by allowing the inves-
nothing like any mortal man, unlike any im- tigator to have a skill check in one of: Occult,
mortal God, for half of her is a fair-cheeked girl Natural World, or Science, Judaism
with glancing eyes, but half is a huge and fright- After Ahab has finished his communica-
ening speckled snake; she eats raw flesh in a re- tion with the investigator, if any, the process re-
cess of the holy earth. Down there she has a cave verses itself, and smoke proceeds to erupt from
of hollow rock far from the deathless gods and the investigator’s mouth and nose, and to re-
mortal men; there the gods gave a famous home form itself into the shape of Ahab. The Keep-
to her, and gloomy Echidna keeps her watch er is going to have to make a further decision
down there under the ground among the Arimoi, about Ahab’s fate, for Adevina has enough of a
a nymph immortal and ageless all her days. grip on herself to intervene in matters again.
Hesiod, Theogony (Penguin Adevina has recovered somewhat, and be-
Classics ed., tr. Dorothea gins to beg the investigators to help her to tend
Wender) to Ahab, who needs treatment, “so he can get
better.” She refuses to accept any arguments
Rather helpfully, Hesiod lists two Cetos. This on this score, and suggesting that he is mor-
one was a rather unpleasant sea goddess, who tally wounded or dead will only enrage her.
bore numerous revolting offspring including She wishes to have two things done. First, she
the Gorgons, as well as Echidna. Echidna, fol- wishes to have the body moved to the small
lowing in the family tradition, is also credited cave, which is nearby, so that the cool water
with a number of unpleasant descendants, most may help soothe Ahab. Second, she seems to
of whom had to be cleared out by Hercules or think that a poultice of ash, mud, and pome-
some other hero. Echidna is usually depicted granates will somehow help stabilize the inju-
as having a human upper half, sometimes with ry. This is a variant of the spell Elysian Grace
wings, sometimes not, and a serpentine lower found in the Cthulhu Invictus sourcebook,
half, sometimes with one tail, sometimes two. and whether it works or not is entirely a mat-
Investigators making a successful Cthulhu My- ter for the Keeper. The important point here
thos roll may, at the Keeper’s discretion, decide is that Adevina wishes to do this.
that the description fits a hunting horror well, What happens next depends on the na-
but it also fits any number of other creatures as ture of the Keeper and his players. A merciful
well. Keeper, or one who can think of a use for Ahab
Meanwhile, Ahab may have been busy in a future campaign, may wish to keep him
communicating with an investigator, slumped around. In this case, Adevina’s effort to apply
over the desk. The player with this investiga- a poultice will work, and the investigators and
tor should be given the handout “Ahab’s sto- Adevina can each make attempts at First Aid
ry,” and removed from the rest of the group to and Medicine rolls. If someone can success-
study it. He may be given other information fully treat Ahab and raise him to one hit point,
by the Keeper as coming from Ahab as well. he has a normal chance of recovery should the
The Keeper will have to make some decisions Keeper will it. The smoke of Ahab’s lemur will
about this interaction, and about Ahab’s ulti- dissolve into a shapeless cloud and dissipate,

the soul having reconnected to the body. The he be moved off to the cave, but will take no
investigators will presumably humor Adevina other part in the scenario.
by carting the body where ever she dictates, At this point, the investigators will un-
and smearing it with whatever she requires of doubtedly have a number of ideas on how to
them. proceed. Sooner or later, they will report to
More neutral Keepers may wish to finish their patron, Sextus Calpurnius Agricola, who
Ahab off. His lemur can simply fly off, or dis- is busy dictating a stream of orders and cor-
appear, or the smoke cloud can become form- respondence to deal with the situation. He is
less and disperse. Perhaps the body manag- preparing to return to Argentoratum to or-
es one more sigh, or groan or some such. A ganize a punitive expedition to confront the
truly clichéd scene would be to have the ghost Harii. If the investigators do not suggest it,
embrace Adevina for a last, passionate kiss be- Sextus Calpurnius points out that the weap-
fore Ahab’s final departure. While some may ons production of the foundry is completely
find this excessively sentimental, the author missing for an uncertain period of time. It is
can only point out that NPC Ahab has been important that this either be recovered, or at
kept on life support for at least twelve hours in least that scouts try to figure out where it is
contravention of every known rule on damage going, so that the punitive expedition to fol-
and combat in the Call of Cthulhu system; in low can recover it.
addition to owing Ahab at least this much for Adevina will, if she is able, wish to have
his inconvenience, anything a Keeper can do help in providing a decent funeral for the
to distract sharp players from asking awkward dead, and for help for Ahab, whom she insists
rules questions is perfectly fine. be taken off to the spring cave whether alive
A harder edged Keeper can use this cli- or dead. If the investigators wish to do this,
ché to better effect. Certainly, one can paint Sextus Calpurnius will not disagree, it being
the image of Adevina and Ahab enjoying their an essentially pious act. However, immediate-
last, passionate embrace, and describe it fully. ly such observances are finished, the investiga-
Allow the players to believe that some cloying, tors should follow up after the Harii.
romantic syrup is being served for some rea- If the investigators wish, Sextus Calpur-
son. At the same time, perhaps with some ro- nius will bundle up all of the accounts and pa-
mantic soundtrack being played in the back- pers. He is mildly interested in the bust of Bru-
ground for added effect, the Keeper can pass tus, and takes note of it. These will be available
to the player whose investigator communicat- for review later, but there are more urgent is-
ed with Ahab a note which reads: “You can sues to attend to perhaps, and there is no time
now hear thoughts from Ahab in your head, to inspect everything now. By this time, it is
he can now ‘speak’ to you. He is saying: ‘I am getting on towards evening, and given every-
having trouble leaving. I do not want to die, thing the investigators now know, this may not
but I think I cannot live any longer. Please kill be a wise time to pursue the Harii. The only
me.’” This will, of course, place the player in question remains as to whether they pursue
something of a dilemma. One of the NPC’s, the Harii first thing in the morning, or with a
Adevina, thinks she can heal her lover. May- day’s delay to provide decent funeral pyres for
be she can, and maybe she can’t; this is still for the dead. Adevina will in no circumstances al-
the Keeper to decide. The other half of the low Ahab to be burnt if he is dead.
pair wants to be done in. Hopefully, someone
will think to separate the pair, but should Ad-
evina witness her lover being done in, she un-
dergoes an immediate 2d10/3d10 Sanity loss;
she will prevent burial of Ahab, insisting that

Scene III: Pur suit of scattered around the site. Though the Harii
the H a r ii: have been denied the main purpose of their
raid, this secondary prize is to their way of
Should the players choose to pursue the Harii, thinking no mean one, for, as Tacitus points
it will be laughably easy to follow their trail. It out, the Germans are chronically short of iron,
will also be very simple to catch up as the Harii and the Harii are no exception. In the mid-
are travelling very slowly, at night, with lots of dle of the encampment, the dragon standard
prisoners to herd, and lots of pack animals. of the Harii is planted firmly in the ground.
The investigators quickly discover that the It has a bronze dragon’s head, and a black and
Harii raiders have split into three groups. The gold flecked body. Though the air is absolute-
first is a small group of two or three individuals. ly still, it seems to writhe and flap as though
The second group consists of four or five indi- blown in the breeze. A Listen roll will reveal
viduals leading an enormous number of horses the screaming of an enraged something with-
and mules. The third group consists of a large in, very faint, like the cry of an eagle, and like
number of individuals. The tracking shows the the roar of a lion, and yet like neither of those.
Harii split, and then regroup and camp, split- The Sanity cost to hear this is 1/1d4. Leaning
ting again the next day. At each campsite, the up against the standard is a curved horn, per-
pursuers find one, but only one victim, muti- haps four feet in height, designed to fit around
lated in a fashion similar to those at the man- a human body. The bell of the horn is a drag-
sio. On the first day they will also find a Harii on, similar in shape to that of the standard,
warrior dead, with both of his hands missing, but made of a dull grey metal, perhaps tin or
as well as his eyes. This is the only individual nickel. The balance of the horn is a tube made
they will find with two limbs mutilated, rather of similar metal. A leather strap from the top
than just one. (This is, of course, the fool who of the horn to its middle allows it to be worn
dropped the box back at the mansio.) The fact by the horn player, the tube curves up to al-
that each day the Harii are not brought to jus- low the horn player to blow easily through a
tice is a day that some innocent Roman dies mouthpiece.
ought to be sufficient to motivate the players to Keeper’s note: These are indeed two My-
continue to do something. thos artifacts presented to the Harii by Nyarla-
The Harii are moving at night, and camp- thotep. The first, the standard, serves to house
ing during the day. Each night, they move off a hunting horror during daylight hours. The
all of the prisoners, and the loot, leaving one creature has to be released nightly. The pen-
victim together with their leaders. The lead- alty for failure to do so is left to the Keeper.
ers release the hunting horror, which takes The second, the horn, is able to cast the spell
the victim as a sacrifice, and otherwise follows “Summon Hunting Horror.” The spell con-
the commands of the leaders. Each dawn the forms to the Call of Cthulhu rules as print-
process reverses itself, with the groups gathered. It cannot effectively be cast during day-
ing to camp in a forest clearing at a predeter- light hours, for the beast cannot endure those
mined location. The Harii do not expect an circumstances. The nearest beast responds,
attack during the day, and should the inves- and, since that is the beast in the standard, the
tigators attempt to do this, they will see two beast comes roaring out of the mouth of the
or three alert guards, and a dozen or so sleep- dragon standard ready for action. The sum-
ing barbarians. About fifty huddled, probably moner also has to provide a sacrifice, hence
insane, prisoners are tied together and sitting. the need for a large supply of captives for the
About thirty pack horses and mules are wait- beast. Both of these objects can be destroyed
ing for the night’s work, with packs of iron ar- by burning in daylight. Burning the standard
row heads and bundles of iron javelin heads at night will simply release the hunting hor-

ror, which is perfectly free to come and go, but dead, neither is he with the Harii. The Keep-
conditioned to wait for the blast on the horn er will have to decide what becomes of him if
before doing so. play continues into a campaign.
The investigators may decide to attack in Sanity and other rewards:
broad daylight, in which case they need only Should the investigators manage to defeat
defeat the two or three guards, and, if the the Harii by cunning or guile, they can return
Keeper wishes, the two leaders. The leaders with the pack horses and prisoners to Sextus
are unable to call on the hunting horror with- Calpurnius, who is at Argentoratum. The re-
in, for it cannot appear in the daylight. Other covery of the javelins and arrow heads is espe-
barbarians may wake and attempt to join the cially important, but it is quite possible that
battle, but the odds are very much in favor of many of the prisoners are important individu-
the players under these circumstances, as most als from whom rewards may reasonably be ex-
of the raiders are sleeping, and are not wear- pected, if they ever recover their composure.
ing their armor. The prisoners will do noth- If the players defeat the Harii and rescue
ing to help either the barbarians or the inves- the prisoners, allow them 1d6 sanity.
tigators. If they destroy the horn and the standard,
As an alternative, the players may decide allow them 1d10 sanity. If they only destroy
to ambush groups of the Harii as they move one, allow 1d6.
at night. The players have more than enough If the investigators assisted Adevina with
evidence before them to suggest that the Harii Ahab’s body, allow 1d3 for their kind act.
prefer this, and that a night battle may not un- If they assisted with burying the remain-
fold to their advantage. Should they attack der of the victims, allow another 1d3.
the group leading the pack horses, they will If they failed to pursue the Harii at all
find five Harii warriors. This is a fair fight. and allowed their escape, the horror at what
Should they attack the group with the prison- happens to the prisoners gradually dawns on
ers, they will find ten Harii warriors. This is a them, as reports filter in of a trail of bodies be-
fight against long odds. In either case, there is tween the road and the frontier. This justifies
a five percent chance per round that the Hunt- a penalty of 1d6.
ing Horror will notice the noise and fly in to If the investigators pursued the Harii and
investigate. This will be a very bad outcome brought them to justice, there are more tan-
for the investigators. Should the investiga- gible rewards as well. If they failed to pursue,
tors choose to attack the smallest group, they Sextus will send them back to Rome in dis-
will find the two leaders, Harwulf and Har- grace as the penalty for allowing a group of
doric and the hunting horror. Since the hunt- important officials to be massacred.
ing horror has six points of armor, and most Sextus Calpurnius will point out that,
weapons do either 1d6 or 1d8 damage, togeth- though the evidence against Titus Adevinus is
er with damage bonus, this is likely to be a very strong, the man has powerful political friends,
brutal awakening for the investigators. and the principal witness against him is dead
If the investigators set out at once, they (more likely than not.) Should the investi-
will catch the Harii after two days. If they wait gators wish to pursue the matter, Sextus will
to bury bodies, they will catch the Harii after supply them with many crates of records to
three days. Only if they dawdle longer than examine and suggest that the begin examin-
that for some reason will they be unable to ing them.
catch them at all, as the Harii slip into the com- He will also point out that someone will
parative safety of Germania Magna. One loose need to escort Adevina back to Rome, to place
end will remain. Titus Adevinus has slipped her in the keeping of her aunt, at the House
away in the confusion. He is not among the of the Vestals, and that this should be done at

an early day. One or more of the investiga- His ghost is waiting contentedly for the inves-
tors may undertake this task if desired. While tigators to find his body, and for the Keeper to
Sextus is by no means averse to terminating decide whether he lives or dies. Ahab has been
Titus’ contracts and handing them over to his conducting an illicit romance with his master’s
own supporters, given the mental trauma ex- daughter, Adevina, who is firmly convinced
perienced by Adevina, it may be just as well that she can heal him. Whether this is correct
to allow her to ‘manage’ them, under the su- or not, she is determined to do so, and will not
pervision of one of his clients until the matter take no for an answer. In the scenario, Ahab has
is sorted through. If the investigators wish to had a good evening to think over his situation,
undertake this, he is happy to allow them to do and is not so sure he can survive his wounds,
so. They will have to figure out how to restore but, he is determined to warn the investigators
the place to functionality as soon as possible, about what they face.
at their own expense, but if they choose to do
so, they may divide the income of the place, of Adevina Persephone, age 18, Young Roman
7500 sesterces per year as long as Sextus holds Heiress with a fixation
the governorship. STR 6 CON 11 SIZ 11 INT 15 POW 15
Non-Pl ay er
Ch ar acter s
Damage Bonus +0
Weapons: Small Knife, 40%
Languages: Latin, 90%; Greek, 70%; Aramaic, 30%;
Ahab ben Menachem, age 26, handsomest German, 35%, Oscan, 15%; Etruscan, 15% can read
corpse in the mansio, and a not unfriendly and write the first two.
ghost Skills: First Aid, 50%; Medicine, 30%; Sing, 80%; Make
Potion, 80%; Occult, 40%; Status, 40%
STR 11/0 CON 13/0 SIZ 10 INT 14 Spells: Create Bulla, Create Potion; Create Amulet;
POW 18/18 DEX 10/0 APP 17/17 Create Love Philter; Create Curse Tablet; Modified
EDU 18/18 SAN 90/1 HP 12/0+ Elysian Grace.
Note 1: Numbers with slashes indicate Ahab’s Adevina is the only child of Titus Adevinus, a
stat while alive/Ahab’s stat while a ghost. wealthy equestrian with powerful patrons. For
much of her life, she was raised in the House
Note 2: The HP value 0+ indicates that Ahab
of the Vestals in Rome, as a favor to her ma-
should be dead, but isn’t quite. The Keeper can
ternal aunt. She was not destined to become
decide whether Ahab lives or dies, as outlined
a Vestal herself, but learned much of their lore
in the scenario.
and something about their ceremonies. She is
Damage Bonus +0
dearly in love with Ahab, and insists that he can
Weapons: None for purpose of this scenario; he can do
no harm unless someone trips over him.
make a full recovery. She believes that the spell
Elysian Grace can stabilize his medical situa-
Languages: Aramaic, 95%; Latin, 75%; Greek, 50%;
German, 35%, can read and write the first three. tion. Whether this is correct or not is for the
Skills: Science (Judaism) 60% ; Science (Augury) 50%; Keeper to determine, and utterly irrelevant—
Library Use 60%; Occult 40%; Persuade 50%; Natu- she will insist on trying the experiment. The
ral World 40%; Accounting 60%. spell functions like that of the Cthulhu Invic-
Ahab has been fairly well explained in the sce- tus sourcebook. If it works, the poultice not
nario. He is a domestic slave, the correspon- only paralyzes the recipient, but also stabilizes a
dence and accounts clerk of Titus Adevinus. character with zero hit points for twelve hours,
Ahab has made several bad guesses over the last if it is applied within a reasonable time after
year, and has not quite been killed as a result. death. What constitutes a reasonable time is

left for the Keeper to determine. If the poultice his credit, he also shares good fortune with his
is effective, the character being treated can re- subordinates, and sees that the successful ones
ceive medical or first aid rolls within that twelve are advanced in their own careers.
hour period. If the character can be raised to
one hit point, he can then make a normal re- Harwulf, Age 35, Warband leader and stan-
covery per the damage rules. The poultice itself dard bearer of the Harii
does not confer any benefit in terms of hit point STR 13 CON 08 SIZ 16 INT 16 POW 09
recovery, it only gains time for subsequent ef-
forts to be made. The characters involved must DEX 17 APP 09 EDU 09 SAN 0 HP 12
still make a POW vs. POW roll on the Resis- Damage Bonus +1d4
tance Table, but the recipient of the spell uses Armor: 5 point leather armor
1/2 POW in making this roll. The caster will Weapons: Spatha, longsword, 50%; Great Axe. 30%
sense whether it has been successful or not. Languages: German, 90%.
Skills: Climb 50%; Hide 60%; Jump 40%; Other King-
Sextus Calpurnius Agricola, Age 56, Gover- dom (Rome) 40%; Ride 30%; Sneak 40%; Tactics
nor of Germania Superior 50%; Pilot Boat 25%
STR 13 CON 17 SIZ 16 INT 10 POW 14 Harwulf is an important leader among the
DEX 13 APP 12 EDU 16 SAN 70 HP 17 Harii, entrusted with the keeping of the dragon
Damage Bonus +1d4 standard of the tribe, a most sacred gift from
Weapons: Gladius, 60%; Pilum, 70; Pugio, 50%
the tribal god. He has had a vision from that
Languages: Latin, 90%; Greek, 70%; can read and write.
god recently, telling him to raid, not among the
neighboring tribes, the Marcomanni and the
Skills: Many, but for the purposes of this scenario, none
useful: Speak at length about the painfully obvious, Quadi, but to strike deep within the Roman
90%; Quibble over legalities, 90%; Dither indecisive- Empire itself, and to retrieve two objects from
ly, 80%; Babble diplomatically, 80%; Issue definitive a large building which Nyarlathotep has shown
orders, 10%; Issue useful definitive orders, 01%, him. Nyarlathotep also showed him that the
Tactics, 50%; Status, 75%; Kick, 50%
Romans were manufacturing lots of iron weap-
Like most Roman bureaucrats of high rank, Sex- ons at this place, and that those weapons were
tus Calpurnius Agricola is from an impeccably stored there, available for the taking. This alone
noble family, and utterly reliant on lower rank- would be well worth a raid, even if it were not
ing retainers or clients to be of any use what- commanded by the deity. Using these weapons,
soever. He did begin his career in the military, the Harii will be well able to thoroughly destroy
rose through it, and is effective in a fight, or in their neighbors.
directing a fight as a military commander. He
has held a consulship, and is now being sent to Hardoric, Age 30, Horn bearer of the Harii
a province as governor on the sudden death of STR 12 CON 7 SIZ 13 INT 15 POW 9
the previous incumbent. He is a close confidant
of the Emperor, Antoninus Pius, and, deserved- DEX 10 APP 10 EDU 09 SAN 0 HP 10
ly or not, has a reputation as man able to solve Damage Bonus +1d4
difficult problems. His method is quite simple. Armor: 5 point leather armor
He surrounds himself with young, talented in- Weapons: Spatha/longsword, 60%
dividuals serving as his subordinates. He then Languages: German, 90%;
turns over to these subordinates any problems Skills: Climb 45%; Hide 55%; Jump 40%; Other King-
which do not admit of a good swift kick as the dom (Rome) 40%; Ride 30%; Sneak 35%; Occult
solution. He can then smile benevolently and 50%; Track 50%
take credit for any successes, or scowl thought-
fully and allocate the blame for any failures. To

Hardoric is the inseparable companion of irregular places in the mouth. Though smaller
Harwulf. As Harwulf has been entrusted with than the standard Hunting Horror, the creature
the banner of the tribe, Hardoric has been en- functions exactly like the one described in the
trusted with the horn necessary to summon the main Call of Cthulhu rule book. Keepers wish-
protective spirit of the tribe. The two together ing to substitute the full sized version should
make a dangerous pair. bear in mind that it comes with 9-point hide
armor, which means that virtually none of the
Five Brutal Harii, covered in soot, and haul- weapons in the Cthulhu Invictus rulebook have
ing off loot. (There are 15 Harii. The Keeper any chance of doing damage. By reducing this
can simply recycle this group as needed.) to 6 point armor, we merely reflect the fact that
a couple more of the weapons in the Cthulhu
Invictus book might be able to harm the thing,
Char. #1 #2 #3 #4 #5
if the stars are right for the investigators.
STR 14 14 08 10 10
CON
SIZ
16
12
12
10
12
12
13
14
09
09
A h a b’s Story:
INT 10 08 07 05 12 “I am, or I was, or maybe I shortly will have
POW 09 10 06 10 07 been, I’m not really sure how to describe myself
at the moment. Anyway, I am Ahab ben Men-
DEX 12 09 11 09 16
achem, from Judea. I have been a slave almost
APP 05 03 08 10 07
all my life, a slave to the Romans. When I was
HP 14 11 12 14 09
an infant, my father and I were captured and
enslaved at the end of the reign of the previous
DB +1d4 Emperor. My mother must have been captured
Weapons: Great Axe 30%, Longsword, 40% as well, but she died shortly afterwards, for I
Armor: 5 point leather armor don’t remember her. My father was a learned
religious leader among the Jews, and he spoke
“Echidna” The Hunting Horror of the Harii not only his language, and my language, but
STR 29 CON 10 SIZ 41 INT 15 POW 21 also the language of the Greeks, and that of the
DEX 13 Romans, and could read and write all of these.
MOV 7/11 flying HP 20
Because of this, he became a slave in the house
of an important man, keeping accounts and
Weapons: Bite 65% 1d6, Tail 90% damage Grapple
correspondence in all of these languages for his
Armor: 6 point skin, cannot be impaled
master. I stayed with my father, and was taught
Spells: none
by him to read and write, and to keep accounts,
Sanity Point loss: 0/1d10 to see
and other things as well, including the religion
The great object of policy for the investigators of my people, and about the false religions of
ought to be never to meet this creature man to the peoples around us. I had a fair education
mythos being. If, however, they miscalculate, from my father, and in my turn, I was put to
the Keeper can describe the Echidna as having work on correspondence and on accounts.
a thirty-foot long, serpent-like body, with two I was eventually sold by my father’s old
tails that seem to shift and change with no solid master to one of his clients, Titus Adevinus,
form to them, winking in and out of existence who needed someone to handle record-keep-
at the edges. A single large wing manages some- ing for him here in Germania. So off I went,
how against all rules of nature to keep the hor- and came here, about five years ago. Because
ror aloft. Within, an incredibly wrinkled oval Titus Adevinus was not always a wealthy man,
face projects a series of razorine teeth or fangs in he was always very cautious of spending mon-

ey. Because he could not afford a second slave I never did find out who the recipients were.
to tutor his only child, his daughter Adevi- Off and on over the course of the year, a flow
na Persephone. That is the name of the poor of visitors came to see the beastly things, and
child in there. Her father called her that, be- to look at the cave. About a week ago, one of
cause she was a great beauty, worthy of the those visitors came back, with a wooden box.
gods. So anyway, I kept the accounts for Titus He was a rather dark looking man, and spoke
here, and I tutored his daughter, and taught with an Egyptian accent. He left Titus with
her many things. She had early on been raised the wooden box, after they talked a long time.
by Titus’ wife’s sister, after his wife died. This Yesterday afternoon, just after sunset, Titus
aunt is the only surviving relative Adevina has; called me and Adevina into this library. He
I think she is a Vestal in Rome. There were showed us the wooden box, and opened it. In-
lots of books and records to keep, for the man- side there were three amulets. Titus put one
sio, and for the iron works, and also for corre- around his neck, and gave one to each of us,
spondence. Titus also handled lots of his cor- and told us to put them on, and to keep them
respondence himself, and would never let me on no matter what happened. He also said
see much of what he was doing. that he knew that we had been sneaking off
Strange events began happening about to the cave, and that he wanted us to go there
a year ago. Titus took over the iron foundry tomorrow, and not to return until he sent for
accounts. He didn’t seem unhappy with my us. We started to argue with him, denying that
work; he just took them over, and took them we had ever been to the cave—to try to con-
away from me. I don’t think they would with- vince him that it wasn’t true. I realize now
stand examination. I was never brave enough that he wasn’t scolding us, or judging us, or
to sneak in here and look at them, but I sus- disapproving us. He might have done those
pect that something was going on. Perhaps things in other circumstances, but I know now
Titus was overbilling the legions for goods re- he was trying to warn us, and to protect us, or
ceived or weapons shipped to them. at least to protect Adevina. I don’t think he re-
Other strange events began happening a ally cares about me, or about anyone else, but
year ago. Over time, I am afraid to say, Ad- I if he cares about anyone, he cares about her.
evina and I became somewhat romantical- That was my second folly.
ly involved. I knew that nothing would ever So we stood there quarrelling foolishly.
come of it, but I was too weak to say so, and The sun went further down, and all of a sud-
she was persistent, poor child. That was my den an enormous clamoring was heard. They
first folly. I kept it from becoming too physi- had come. Titus jumped up and shouted two
cal, afraid that her father would find out. So, things that I remember. He yelled “This is
we met in a small cave in a hill near here, with a day too soon.” I am not certain what that
a cool spring that flows out. About the time means. He also said, “Take Adevina NOW,
Titus started keeping the iron records for him- and go to the cave.” By the time we got to the
self Adevina and I found two old stone idols gate, the blackened German barbarians were
in a cave. Repulsive things. We agreed that already inside. There weren’t many of them,
we must show them to Titus, and that I would laughably few of them, perhaps, but they had
show them, and leave her out of the matter en- that monster with them, winged and scaled,
tirely. So I did, and Titus was fascinated with and fanged, and it was beginning to rend peo-
them. He sent me out of the library at once, ple. Horrible scenes of carnage unfolded be-
and spent an entire evening in this room with fore us. So Adevina and I ran. Some of the
them. He called for paper and ink occasion- Germans ran after us, but not for very long. I
ally, and the next morning, there was an enor- looked back, and I saw Titus with two of the
mous stack of correspondence to be sent out. Germans. One was holding a horn, and one

was holding a curved standard. He was with
them. I told Adevina to keep running and to
go to the cave, and I would meet her. I went
back to see if I could rescue Titus from the Ger-
mans. That was my third folly and it cost me
my life, I think. He was with them. As I was
going back one of the Germans threw a spear
at me, and hit me. I managed to stagger back
here, into this room, where I bolted the door,
and collapsed. I think I am dead, or dying, but
I am here, I don’t know why. Perhaps I am left
here to warn you. I think while I waited here
I heard many screams, but I also heard wail-
ing—perhaps they took prisoners away. Oh
yes, one more thing. I have had a vision of the
distant future. I see a future in which Argen-
toratum is the capital of the known world, in
which each tribe, and each republic and each
king in Europa sends his wisest ambassadors to
Argentoratum, together with all their wealth.
And these wise men argue about many things,
and decide about nothing important, though
they spend lots of money and steal the rest, al-
though, after great effort, they are able to de-
cide how to describe what a Lucanian sausage
is, and how it should be made. On this they
spend huge amounts of money and call for the
rest from all the peoples of the known world.
I do not understand this vision of the future,
because I already know how to describe a Lu-
canian sausage and how it should be made,
though I can never ever eat one myself since it
is pork, and unclean, and I do not see the need
to spend money on this. Perhaps you would
be well advised to remove this city to a differ-
ent place, so this does not come to pass. I have
no more to say to you, friend. Hail and fare-
well.”

Monograph #402 - The Order of ST Jerome - Cthulhu Invictus - The Gods Hate Me

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Monograph #402 - The Order of ST Jerome - Cthulhu Invictus - The Gods Hate Me

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The Gods

THE GODS HATE ME is published by Chaosium Inc.

4 k Blood and Glory

Gl a di ator s, Owner s, Fans of the Games

Mythos Threats Fannius Cimber - Patrician man holding a party

Flax, Crassus, Aratus, Cenaeus and Sigils -

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Timetable sit in the un-shaded section of the arena,

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KEEPER’S NOTE – With this dose Hadri- Day Three

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Introduction The players take the part of family mem-

 Some key people in the government of

Vill a ins a nd NPCs  Vague dreams of lying on a table in a room

 The Druids Grove

Death and Bane k 41

 The supply caravan that discovered the ru-

42 k Death and Bane

 The bodies and the ruined milecastle were

44 k Death and Bane

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48 k Death and Bane

Death and Bane k 49

50 k Death and Bane

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52 k Death and Bane

Death and Bane k 53

54 k Death and Bane

56 k Lights on the Vesuvius

Lights on the Vesuvius k 57

58 k Lights on the Vesuvius

 Starting last week, distant, strange lights

Lights on the Vesuvius k 59

60 k Lights on the Vesuvius

in v estigation  A successful Insight check gives but that

 Under him is the (still-fresh) “Spartacus Publius Varus (second night)

62 k Lights on the Vesuvius

Paulus and his boys

Lights on the Vesuvius k 63

64 k Lights on the Vesuvius

Lights on the Vesuvius k 65

66 k Lights on the Vesuvius

Lights on the Vesuvius k 67

68 k Lights on the Vesuvius

Some key people in the government of

Vill a ins a nd NPCs Vague dreams of lying on a table in a room

The Druids Grove

The supply caravan that discovered the ru-

The bodies and the ruined milecastle were

Starting last week, distant, strange lights

in v estigation A successful Insight check gives but that

Under him is the (still-fresh) “Spartacus Publius Varus (second night)