gotterdammerung: Players Packet

Player Packet Cover Sheet

Götterdämmerung: 1941Game system Trail of Cthulhu Start time: SUN, 4:00 PMCategory RPG Duration 8 HoursEvent ID 82110 Location 4052# of Players: 20 GM / Judge Michael DerryDescription

Trail of Cthulhu/Gumshoe Rules, Delta Green Background. In 1941, two yearsafter rubbings of inscriptions were made on a Pergamon Museum dig from 1939,they are found to be Mythos-related. A Karotechia team will lead an expedition toIraq, including the original Museum team and members of SonderkommandoHexen to discover and recover as much as they can in the middle of a pro-fascistcoup and the Anglo-Iraqi War. Pick up info packet at registration. CHAR:ProvidedLVLS:

C/E Rating 3/C - Complexity:Complex / Experience:Required | C/E Info Metagaming NotesEach team has specific background information that may not be known by the other teams. Success could hinge on effectiveinformation sharing (and hinge on not sharing other information.) In the event of character mortality, a player will getassigned an available replacement character, depending on events. If you want to keep playing, extra characters areavailable. Overall Expedition GoalsPrimary: Excavate the Ruins of 1939 DigSecondary: Discover other mysteries and return them to GermanyTertiary: Help Germany win the warNote: Trying to do everything will spread party too thin, even in 8 hours Pre-Game PrepWhat team do you want to be in? What character do you want to be?What kind of mysteries do you want to solve? GM will divide players by self-selected team and then characters will be decided. Once each character is selected, reviewquickly to see if it matches what you prefer. If not, let a GM know and we can reassign you. Once all characters are finalized,the GM will distribute orders packets for the players to review. Character List4 Karotechia (Reich Occult Investigators) Responsible for overall leadershipKey Skills : Occult, Paranormal Investigation, Cultural ScienceMysteries: What are the secrets of the dig site and Iraq? How to get these secrets back to Germany?

Doctor SS-Hauptsturmführer Heinz Hoepner (Captain)Dr. Joachim HilderbrandtDr. Jutta BraunerMartin Duester, Senior Researcher Karotechia 4 archeologists from the Pergamon Museum, specifically the Vorderasiatisches Museum of AntiquitiesKey Skills : Archeology, Arabic, Cuneiform, ResearchMysteries: What are the archeological secrets of the current and related dig sites?

Dr. Emil Weirsch (Museum Expedition Leader)Dr. Rudolf KaestnerDr. Eric Bach (husband)Dr. Gretchen Bach (wife) 4 Former Embassy Personnel, ass igned to facilitate the success of the miss ionKey Skills : Liaison, Iraq knowledgeMysteries: How to get the support of the Iraqi government and tribes for expedition success?

Karl Mehlinger (Military Attache)Jügen Zumwald (Case Officer, Spymaster)Thomas Matthias (Supply Officer)Trina Grobba (Ambassador’s Wife) [name change?] 8 Teams of Sonderkommando Hexen, Providing security and direct action optionsMilitary command over the miss ion. Two groups under one commander.Key Skills : Military and combatMysteries: What threatens the expedition? How to protect everyone?

Truppführer (SS-Obersturmführer) Wilhelm Hoepner (Det Commander) SMG team (4 soliders)SS-Oberscharführer Wilfred Richter (Senior Sergeant) FT team (Flamethrower , 4 soliders)SS-Oberschütze Dieter Etzler (Senior Private) LMG team (2 LMG, 1 ass istant with rifle, 2 ammo bearer)SS-Oberschütze Gerhard Haenle (Senior Private) HMG team (1 HMG gunner, 1 ass istant with rifle, 2 ammo bearer) Sonderkommando Hexen, Omega Team (Cleanup)Key Skills : Military and combatSS-Scharführer Ruben Roth (Sergeant) FT team (Flamethrower , 4 soliders)SS-Rottenführer Roland Fuchs (Senior Corporal) Sniper team (4 scout-riflemen)SS-Oberschütze Wolfgang Vogt (Senior Private) LMG team (2 LMG gunners, 1 ass istant with rifle, 2 ammo bearer)SS-Oberschütze Sebastian Koch (Senior Private) LMG team (2 LMG, 1 gunners, 1 ass istant with rifle, 2 ammo bearer, 1soldier)

Player Packet

Table of Contents CalendarSituationGolden Square20 Person Role Playing GamesMiddle East before the Second WarSyria/Lebanon Overview Iraq Overview and MapsKurdsPergamon MuseumVorderasiatisches MuseumAhnenerbeWagner and GötterdämmerungSS Divis ion TotenkopfRecent Timeline of Key Events

Appendix RulesTrail of Cthulhu Simplified RulesSS RanksList of Sources

April 1941Su M Tu W Th F Sa 1 2 3 4 5

6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

May 1941Su M Tu W Th F Sa 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

Situation

Rashid Ali al Gaylani

In 1939, a team from the Pergamon Museum of Berlin uncovered the upper level of a Sumerian temple, before all Germanswere forced out of Iraq due to Fall Weiss (Case White), the invasion of Poland. Recently, the rubbings made of the inscriptionshave been found to be of great interest to some researchers from Ahnenerbe (Ancestral Research Group.) ReichsführerHimmler is sponsoring a covert expedition to Iraq, named Aktion Irak (Action Iraq.) A team from the Pergamon Museum,including original expedition members, a team from Ahnenerbe (an institute called Karotechia), and some soldiers from SSDivis ion Totenkopf (a group called Sonderkommando Hexen) will sneak into Iraq to excavate the temple ruins and link up withstay-behind members of the former Germany Embassy staff to discover and recover as much as they can. ReichsführerHimmler will receive regular reports on the progress of this expedition. The ruins are Sumerian, but with strange carvings on the recently uncovered lower level. These carvings are what intereststhe Ahnenerbe. During the original 1939 excavation, local natives attacked the Pers ian dig workers a couple times and thesethieves have made off with some expedition equipment. These bandits and the volatile s ituation in Iraq means the TotenkopfSS troops will provide the necessary security for the expedition. Two weeks of preparation are complete and the team will infiltrate into Iraq on 3 APR. On 1 APR, an Iraqi coup d'état, alsoknown as the Rashid Ali Al-Gaylani coup or the Golden Square coup occurred. This coup is a pro-Nazi military coup thatoverthrew the regime of Regent 'Abd al-Ilah and installed Rashid Ali as Prime Minister. The coup is led by four Iraqi nationalistarmy generals , known as "the Golden Square." The Golden Square intends to use the war to press for full Iraqi independenceinstead of the limited independence granted in 1932. To that end, they have been working with German intelligence and theyhave accepted military guidance from Germany. Surely the British will respond to this coup, but a window of opportunitypresents itself for Aktion Irak. Reichsführer Himmler gave a pep talk in Berlin to the departing Karotechia and Museum teams,informing each personally that this expedition is of the utmost importance to the Reich. The coup in Baghdad threatens British interests for at least three reasons: it severs the vital link air link, and a supplementalland route, between India and Egypt. It endangers the vital oil supply from the northern Iraq oilfields upon which Britishdefense of the Mediterranean depend. Finally, an Arab nationalist success in Iraq could prove contagious and subvert Britain'stenuous political position in Egypt and Palestine. Against this potential threat, British Middle East commander Wavell arguesthat he has his hands full with four genuine crises—he has to coordinate the evacuation of Greece and prepare Crete'sdefenses to withstand a potential German invasion, and put the final preparations on an impending offensive against Italianforces in East Africa. Furthermore, Erwin Rommel's Afrika Korps has launched an offensive into Cyrenaica. In Wavell's view,even if he has the troops to spare, this is hardly the moment to stoke Arab opinion with an ill-advised intervention in Iraq. Source: http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a485156.pdf

Golden Square

Golden Square The Golden Square is a group of four officers of the Iraqi armed forces who have played a part in Iraqi politics throughout the1930s and early 1940s. The activities of the Golden Square culminated in supporting Rashid Ali al-Gaylani in his overthrow ofgovernment on 1 APR 1941. The "Golden Square" includes the four most important leaders of the "Circle of Seven." The Circle of Seven is a group ofSunni Arab nationalist military officers who were greatly influenced by German Ambassador Fritz Grobba and, in turn, greatlyinfluenced politics in Iraq during the 1930s and early 1940s. The members of the Golden Square were Colonel Salah al-Din al-Sabbagh, Colonel Kamal Shabib, Colonel Fahmi Said, and Colonel Mahmud Salman. Prior to the coup, the previous Iraqi government tried to exile these generals to inferior, separate commands away fromBaghdad, in towns like Diwaniya. Shabib refused his transfer and sent a notice of protest to Parliament; the Iraqi governmentunder Nuri Said was unable to deal with the rebellious commanders. During the Anglo-Iraqi War, the four members of the Golden Square command units located in the Baghdad area. Salah ad-Dinal-Sabbagh is commander of the Iraqi 3rd Infantry Divis ion. Kamal Shabib commands the 1st Infantry Divis ion. Fahmi Saidcommands the Independent Mechanized Brigade. Mahmud Salman, the one non-Army officer, is the Chief of the Air Force. Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Square_(Iraq)

Middle East

Middle East before the Second War: http://mondediplo.com/maps/middleeast1939

The Middle East Theatre of World War II is defined largely by reference to the British Middle East Command, which controlledAllied forces in both Southwest Asia and eastern North Africa. The Middle East Command was a British Army Command led byLieutenant-General Sir Archibald Wavell and established just prior to the Second World War in Egypt. Its primary role was tocommand British land forces and co-ordinate with the relevant naval and air commands to defend British interests in theMiddle East and eastern Mediterranean region. The Command supervised military operations in the Western Desert, EastAfrica, Greece and the Middle East. The region was quiet for the first few months of the war, until Fascist Italy declared war against France and Britain on June10, 1940. The Italian forces in North Africa greatly outnumbered the Allies. After the fall of France, the north African campaignin the Sahara desert and Mediterranean coastal plains of Libya and western Egypt was the major land front between WesternAllied and Axis forces. In September 1940, Italian forces stationed in Libya crossed the border and launched an invasion intoEgypt. After advancing to Sidi Barrani they set up defensive positions in order to regroup and resupply before continuing. In December, the outnumbered Allied forces launched Operation Compass which was initially to be a five-day raid against theItalian defensive positions in Egypt. Ultimately the raid turned into a full-scale counter-offensive against Italian forces in Egyptand Libya. The operation was more successful than planned and resulted in the capture of the Libyan province of Cyrenaicaand the advance of the Allied forces as far as El Agheila. Over 100,000 Italian prisoners were taken. Allied forces were able tonot only defend against Italian attacks but also to defeat the Italians and occupy their colonies in Ethiopia and Somaliland. In late 1940, the Italians attacked Greece from Albania in the Greco-Italian War. Not only did the Greeks stop the attack, theyforced the Italians back. Right now spring 1941, the Germans are preparing to intervene in Greece. The German Army alsoprepares to invade Yugoslavia concurrently. The Greeks had been reluctant to allow Commonwealth ground forces into thecountry, because Britain would not spare enough forces to guarantee victory. The Greeks have accepted aid from the RAF intheir war with the Italians in Albania. The trigger for Commonwealth forces moving to Greece in large numbers was the recententry of German forces into Bulgaria, which made clear the German intent to invade Greece. By February 1941, Commonwealth forces appeared to be on the verge of overrunning the last Italian forces in Libya, whichwill end Axis control in all of Africa. The Allied commander, General Archibald Wavell, has been ordered to stop his advanceagainst Libya and sent troops to Greece. He disagreed with this decis ion, but followed his orders. Commonwealth forces took position on a defensive line running from north-west to south-east across the northern part ofGreece. However, there were critical weaknesses in the defences. The Greek forces in the area were further forward than theCommonwealth forces, and the Greek Government ignored suggestions that they should withdraw to a common line. TheGreek forces are at risk for defeat in detail. There is also a large gap between the left flank of Commonwealth forces and theright flank of the Greek forces in Albania. This can be exploited fully by the Germans. Now that the Allies have lost the initiative in the Western Desert, leaving an opportunity for the Axis . The defeat of Italianforces in Africa has now turned into opportunity with the arrival of the German Africa Corps (Deutsches Afrikakorps),commanded by Erwin Rommel, which is reinforcing the Italians. Although ordered to s imply hold the line, Rommel launched anoffensive from El Agheila a few days ago, at the end of March 1941. He is pressing the Allies hard and initial reports arefavorable. Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middle_East_Theatre_of_World_War_II

Syria/Lebanon Overview Syria and Lebanon were part of the Ottoman Empire. Following the end of WW1, French forces push northwest and have takenDortyol, Mers in and most of south eastern Cilicia by December 1918. The French march into Adana (the regional capital) withgreat pomp on 11 December. Landing at Iskenderun (formerly Alexandretta) in December 1918, the British push north andtake Antep (Gaziantep) in January 1919. Marash and Urfa are taken in March 1919. After many acrimonious discussionsbetween England and France, this territory is ceded to the latter on September 15, 1919.

French-held Cilicia is awarded to French Syria by the Treaty of Sèvres, but in the face of stubborn Turkish res istance, Francehas abandoned these claims by 1921. French Cilicia goes to the new Turkish Republic by the 'Franklin-BouillonAgreement/Treaty of Ankara' in October 1921. The French enlarge Mt Lebanon in 1923 to include the coastal towns, the Tyreregion, and the Beqaa Valley -upsetting all religious groups except the Christians. In accordance with the secret Sykes-Picot Agreement of 1916, the French take the Syria/Lebanon area, the British takePalestine, Transjordan and the three former Ottoman vilayets (provinces) that will soon become Iraq. The League of NationsMandates Commission and the Treaty of Lausanne rubberstamp what was by 1923 a reality. In spite of the many promises bythe English (and to a lesser extent the French) all Arabs, Kurds and Armenians are frozen out of most negotiations and theirnationalist dreams go nowhere - for the moment. Source: http://unimaps.com/syria-leb1923/index.html

Iraq Overview and Maps Iraq was made from the joining of 3 separate former Ottoman vilayets (provinces). Mosul, with ties to Syria and Turkey and ahistory with the Kurds. Baghdad and the adjacent Shi'ite centres of An-Najaf and Kabala in the middle with ties to Pers ia. AndBasra in the south, also largely Shi'ite but with commercial links to the Pers ian Gulf states and to India. This unnatural unionwould prove difficult to hold together. In the postwar carve-up of the Middle East, Britain is 'awarded' by the League of Nationsa Class A mandate over Iraq -colonialism with a different name. All the British and French promises to the Arabs forindependance are lies. The Iraqis are furious. Throughout 1919 and 1920 there are constant upris ings in the north, spreading to the south especially in the Shi'ite cities ofAn-Najaf and Kabala. The British use warplanes to bomb and gas civilians. The British impose tight controls , operate forcedlabour schemes and collect taxes with more enthusias im than their Ottoman predecessors. During the 1920 upris ing inKirkuk, Winston Churchill (then British Secretary of State) said he didn't understand the 'squeamishness about the use of gas'and 'I am strongly in favor of us ing poison gas against uncivilized tribes'. The rebellion lasted for over a year, at an enormouscost of lives and money -10,000 Iraqi and 450 British dead, and 40 million pounds. In an effort to disguise their land grab, in 1921 the British name one of Sharif Husayn's sons (from Mecca), named Faysal tobe king of Iraq, and another son, Abdullah, amir of Transjordan. Faysal had never before set foot in Iraq, but as he was Araband sufficiently pliant to British requests. His coronation was a strictly British affair, and is a British puppet. Faysal had been King of Syria the previous year, but was dropped like a hot potato by the French once they had control ofSyria. In 1927, the British controlled Iraq Petroleum Co opens its first substantial oil well north of Kirkuk. Tonnes of oil spill over thecountrys ide before it can be capped. Source: http://unimaps.com/iraq1923/

French Syria and Lebanon, 1923: http://unimaps.com/syria-leb1923/index.html. British Iraq, 1923: http://unimaps.com/iraq1923/

Northern Iraq: http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/historical/iraq_northern_1970.jpg

Southern Iraq: http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/historical/iraq_southern_1970.jpg

Iraq Map Legend: http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/historical/iraq_legend_1970.jpg

Current Baghdad: http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/historical/baghdad_1944.jpg

Baghdad Environs: http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/historical/baghdad_rivers_1944.jpg

Baghdad 1849: http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/historical/baghdad_1849.jpg

Current Basra: http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/historical/basra_iraq_1942.jpg

Current Basra Legend: http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/historical/basra_scale.jpg

Current Mosul: http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/historical/mosul_1944.jpg

Current Erbil, Iraq. http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/historical/erbil_1944.jpg

Kurds NOTE: The Ahnenerbe consider the Kurdish people to be Aryans, but not the Turks (Turkic), Iraqis (Arab), Syrians (Arab), orIranians (Pers ian). The Kurds are an ethnic group who have historically inhabited the mountainous areas to the south of Caucasus (Zagros andTaurus mountain ranges), a geographical area collectively referred to as Kurdistan. Most Kurds speak an Indo-Europeanlanguage belonging to the Iranian branch. There are various hypotheses as to predecessor populations of the Kurds, such asthe Carduchoi of Class ical Antiquity. The earliest known Kurdish dynasties under Is lamic rule (10th to 12th centuries) are theHasanwayhids, the Marwanids, the Shaddadids, followed by the Ayyubid dynasty founded by Saladin. The Battle of Chaldiranof 1514 is an important turning point in Kurdish history, marking the alliance of Kurds with the Ottomans. The Sharafnameh of1597 is the first account of Kurdish history. Kurdish history in the 20th century is marked by a ris ing sense of Kurdishnationhood focussed on the goal of an independent Kurdistan as scheduled by the Treaty of Sèvres in 1920. Partial autonomywas reached by Kurdistan Uyezd (1923–1926) Kurdish nationalism emerged after World War I with the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire which had historically successfullyintegrated (but not ass imilated) the Kurds, through use of forced repression of Kurdish movements to gain independence.Revolts did occur sporadically but only in 1880 with the upris ing led by Sheik Ubeydullah were demands as an ethnic group ornation made. Ottoman sultan Abdul Hamid responded by a campaign of integration by co-opting prominent Kurdish opponentsto strong Ottoman power with prestigious positions in his government. This strategy appears successful given the loyaltydisplayed by the Kurdish Hamidiye regiments during World War I. The Kurdish ethnonationalist movement that emerged following World War I and end of the Ottoman empire was largelyreactionary to the changes taking place in mainstream Turkey, primarily radical secularization which the strongly MuslimKurds abhorred, centralization of authority which threatened the power of local chieftains and Kurdish autonomy, and rampantTurkish nationalism in the new Turkish Republic which obviously threatened to marginalize them. Western powers (particularlythe United Kingdom) fighting the Turks also promised the Kurds they would act as guarantors for Kurdish freedom, a promisethey subsequently broke. One particular organization, the Kurdish Teali Cemiyet (Society for the Rise of Kurdistan, or SAK)was central to the forging of a distinct Kurdish identity. It took advantage of period of political liberalization in during theSecond Constitutional Era (1908–1920) of Turkey to transform a renewed interest in Kurdish culture and language into apolitical nationalist movement based on ethnicity. Some of the Kurdish groups sought self-determination and the championing in the Treaty of Sèvres of Kurdish autonomy inthe aftermath of World War I, Kemal Atatürk prevented such a result. Kurds backed by the United Kingdom declaredindependence in 1927 and established so-called Republic of Ararat. Turkey suppressed Kurdist revolts in 1925, 1930, and1937–1938, while Iran did the same in the 1920s to Simko Shikak at Lake Urmia and Jaafar Sultan of Hewraman region whocontrolled the region between Marivan and north of Halabja. During 1920s and 1930s, several large scale Kurdish revolts took place in this region. The most important ones were 1) Saikh

Said Rebellion in 1925, 2) Ararat Revolt in 1930 and 3) Ders im Revolt in 1938. Following these rebellions, the area of TurkishKurdistan was put under martial law and a large number of the Kurds were displaced. Government also encouragedresettlement of Albanians from Kosovo and Assyrians in the region to change the population makeup. These events andmeasures led to a long-lasting mutual distrust between Ankara and the Kurds . Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Kurdish_people

Source: http://mondediplo.com/maps/kurds1996

Source: http://www.dartmouth.edu/~gov46/dist-kurdish.gif

Pergamon Museum The Pergamon Museum (German: Pergamonmuseum) is s ituated on the Museum Is land in Berlin. The s ite was designed byAlfred Messel and Ludwig Hoffmann and was constructed in twenty years, from 1910 to 1930. The Pergamon houses original-s ized, reconstructed monumental buildings such as the Pergamon Altar and the Market Gate of Miletus, all consisting of partstransported from Turkey. The museum is subdivided into the antiquity collection, the Middle East museum, and the museumof Is lamic art. The museum is vis ited by over a million people every year, making it the most vis ited art museum in Germany. By the time the Kaiser-Friedrich-Museum on Museum Is land (today the Bodemuseum) had opened, it was clear that themuseum was not large enough to host all of the art and archaeological treasures excavated under German supervis ion.Excavations were underway in Babylon, Uruk, Assur, Miletus, Priene and Egypt, and objects from these s ites could not beproperly displayed within the existing German museum system. As early as 1907, Wilhelm von Bode, the director of theKaiser-Friedrich-Wilhelm-Museum had plans to build a new museum nearby to accommodate ancient architecture, Germanpost-antiquity art, and Middle Eastern and Is lamic art. This large three-wing museum had been in planning s ince 1907; when Alfred Messel died in 1909 his close friend LudwigHoffman took charge of construction, which began in 1910. The construction continued during the First World War (1918) andthe great inflation of the 1920s. In 1930, the building hosting the four museums opened Source http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pergamon_Museum

Vorderasiatisches MuseumThe Vorderasiatisches Museum (Near East Museum) is an archaeological museum in Berlin. It is in the basement of the southwing of the Pergamon museum and has one of the world's largest collections of Southwest Asian art. 14 halls distributedacross 2000 square meters of exhibition surface display southwest Asian culture spanning 6 millennia. The exhibits cover aperiod from the 6th millennium BCE into the time of the Muslim conquests. They originate particularly from today's states of

Iraq, from Syria and from Turkey, with s ingular finds also from other areas. Starting with the neolithic finds, the emphasis ofthe collection is of finds from Sumer, Babylonia, Assyria as well as the northern Syrian-east Anatolian area. With excavations in historically important cities like Uruk, Shuruppak, Assur, Hattusha, Tell el Amarna, Tell Halaf (Guzana),Sam'al, Toprakkale or Babylon came the ground of the museum collection. Further acquis itions come out of Nimrod, Ninive,Susa or Persepolis . The finds can among other things the advanced cultures of Sumer, Akkad, Babylonia, Assyria, the Hittitesand the Aramaeans. These finds often found their way to Berlin via the German Oriental Society (Deutsche Orient-Gesellschaft), and in 1899 the Middle East department at the royal museums was created. Then in 1929 the finds wereprovis ionally accommodated in the Bode museum, in the Pergamon museum, where they have been accessible to the publics ince 1930. Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vorderasiatisches_Museum_Berlin

Ahnenerbe The Ahnenerbe is a Nazi German think tank that promoted itself as a "study society for Intellectual Ancient History." Foundedon July 1, 1935, by Heinrich Himmler, Herman Wirth, and Richard Walther Darré, the Ahnenerbe's goal is to research theanthropological and cultural history of the Aryan race, and later to experiment and launch voyages with the intent of provingthat prehistoric and mythological Nordic populations had once ruled the world. Heinrich Himmler claimed and promoted thatthe Aryans originally came from Atlantis and were beings directly from heaven. They did not evolve as did other humanoids. Formally, the group was called Studiengesellschaft für Geistesurgeschichte‚ Deutsches Ahnenerbe e.V. ("Study society forprimordial intellectual history, German Ancestral Heritage, registered society"), and was renamed in 1937, as Forschungs-und Lehrgemeinschaft das Ahnenerbe e.V. ("Research and Teaching Community the Ancestral Heritage, registered society"). In January 1929, Heinrich Himmler was appointed the leader of the fledgling Schutzstaffel (SS). He launched a massiverecruitment campaign that took the SS from fewer than three hundred members in 1929 to ten thousand in 1931. Once theSS had grown, Himmler began its transformation into a "racial elite" of young Nordic males. This was to be accomplished bya new bureaucracy in the SS, the Race and Settlement Office of the SS (Rasse- und Siedlungshauptamt-SS) known as RuSHA.Himmler named SS-Obergruppenführer Richard Walther Darré to lead the organisation, which determined if applicants wereracially fit to be in the SS. This brought about a campaign meant to educate the new applicants about their Nordic pastthrough weekly classes taught by senior RuSHA graduates using the periodical SS-Leitheft. On July 1, 1935 at Berlin’s SS headquarters, Himmler met with five racial experts representing Darré and with Dr. HermanWirth, one of Germany’s most famous pre-historians. Together they came up with an organization called “DeutschesAhnenerbe—Studiengesellschaft für Geistesurgeschichte” ("German Ancestral Heritage—Society for the Study of the Historyof Primeval Ideas")—later shortened to its better-known form in 1937. At the meeting they designated the official goal “topromote the science of ancient intellectual history” and appointed Himmler as the superintendent with Wirth serving as thepresident. Himmler appointed Wolfram Sievers Reichsgeschäftsführer (General Secretary) of the Ahnenerbe. Wirth left the project at the beginning of 1937. On February 1, Dr. Walther Wüst was appointed the new president of theAhnenerbe. Wüst was an expert on India and a dean at Ludwig Maximilians Univers ity of Munich, working on the s ide as aVertrauensmann for the Sicherheitsdienst (SS Security Service). Referred to as The Orientalist by Sievers, Wüst had beenrecruited by him in May 1936 because of his ability to s implify science for the common man. After being appointed president,Wüst began improving the Ahnenerbe: moving the office to a new headquarters that cost 300,000 Reichsmark, in the Dahlemneighborhood of Berlin. He also worked to limit the influence of “those he deemed scholarly upstarts ,” which included cuttingcommunication with the RuSHA office of Karl Maria Wiligut. The organization was incorporated into the Allgemeine SS (GeneralSS) in January 1939. The Ahnenerbe has several different institutions or sections for its departments of research. Most of these are archeologicalbut others include the Pflegestätte für Wetterkunde (Meteorology Section) headed by Obersturmführer Dr. Hans RobertScultetus, founded on the basis that Hans Hörbiger's Welteis lehre could be used to provide accurate long-range weatherforecasts, and a section devoted to musicology, whose aim was to determine "the essence" of German music. It hasrecorded folk music in expeditions to Finland and the Faroe Is lands, from ethnic Germans of the occupied territories, and inSouth Tyrol. The section made sound recordings, transcribed manuscripts and songbooks, and photographed and filmedinstrument use and folk dances. The lur, a Bronze Age musical instrument, became central to this research, which concludedthat Germanic consonance was in direct conflict to Jewish atonalism. The Karotechia are one of the many other institutes thatmake up the Ahnenerbe. Source http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ahnenerbe

Wagner and Götterdämmerung Whoever wants to understand National Socialist Germany must first know Wagner. --Adolf Hitler Wilhelm Richard Wagner (22 May 1813 – 13 February 1883) was a German composer, conductor, theatre director andpolemicist primarily known for his operas (or "music dramas", as they were later called). Wagner's compositions, particularlythose of his later period, are notable for their complex texture, rich harmonies and orchestration, and the elaborate use ofleitmotifs : musical themes associated with individual characters, places, ideas or plot elements. Unlike most other operacomposers, Wagner wrote both the music and libretto for every one of his stage works. Perhaps the two best-known extractsfrom his works are the Ride of the Valkyries from the opera Die Walküre, and the Wedding March (Bridal Chorus) from theopera Lohengrin. Initially establishing his reputation as a composer of works such as The Flying Dutchman and Tannhäuser which were in theromantic traditions of Weber and Meyerbeer, Wagner transformed operatic thought through his concept of theGesamtkunstwerk ("total work of art"). This would achieve the synthesis of all the poetic, visual, musical and dramatic artsand was announced in a series of essays between 1849 and 1852. Wagner realized this concept most fully in the first half ofthe monumental four-opera cycle Der Ring des Nibelungen. However, his thoughts on the relative importance of music anddrama were to change again, and he reintroduced some traditional operatic forms into his last few stage works, including DieMeisters inger von Nürnberg. Wagner pioneered advances in musical language, such as extreme chromaticism and quickly shifting tonal centres, whichgreatly influenced the development of European class ical music. His Tristan und Isolde is sometimes described as markingthe start of modern music. Wagner's influence spread beyond music into philosophy, literature, the visual arts and theatre.He had his own opera house built, the Bayreuth Festspielhaus, which contained many novel design features. It was here thatthe Ring and Pars ifal received their premieres and where his most important stage works continue to be performed today inan annual festival run by his descendants. Wagner's views on conducting were also highly influential. His extensive writingson music, drama and politics have all attracted extensive comment in recent decades, especially where they have antisemiticcontent. Wagner achieved all of this despite a life characterized, until his last decades, by political exile, turbulent love affairs , povertyand repeated flight from his creditors. His pugnacious personality and often outspoken views on music, politics and societymade him a controvers ial figure during his life, which he remains to this day. The effect of his ideas can be traced in many ofthe arts throughout the twentieth century. Der Ring des Nibelungen (The Ring of the Nibelung) is a cycle of four epic operas (or "dramas" to use the composer'spreferred term) by the German composer Richard Wagner (1813–83). The works are based loosely on characters from theNorse sagas and the Nibelungenlied. The four dramas, which the composer described as a trilogy with a Vorabend("preliminary evening"), are often referred to as the Ring Cycle, Wagner's Ring, or s imply the Ring. Wagner wrote the libretto and music over the course of about twenty-s ix years, from 1848 to 1874. The four operas that

constitute the Ring cycle are, in the order of the imagined events they portray:Das Rheingold (The Rhine Gold)Die Walküre (The Valkyrie)SiegfriedGötterdämmerung (Twilight of the Gods) The cycle is a work of extraordinary scale. Perhaps the most outstanding facet of the monumental work is its sheer length: afull performance of the cycle takes place over four nights at the opera, with a total playing time of about 15 hours, dependingon the conductor's pacing. The first and shortest opera, Das Rheingold, typically lasts two and a half hours, while the finaland longest, Götterdämmerung, takes up four and a half hours, excluding act breaks. The cycle is modelled after ancient Greek dramas that were presented as three tragedies and one satyr play. The Ringproper begins with Die Walküre and ends with Götterdämmerung, with Rheingold as a prelude. Wagner called Das Rheingold aVorabend or "Preliminary Evening", and Die Walküre, Siegfried and Götterdämmerung were subtitled First Day, Second Dayand Third Day, respectively, of the trilogy proper.The scale and scope of the story is epic. It follows the struggles of gods, heroes, and several mythical creatures over theeponymous magic Ring that grants domination over the entire world. The drama and intrigue continue through threegenerations of protagonists , until the final cataclysm at the end of Götterdämmerung. The music of the cycle is thick and richly textured, and grows in complexity as the cycle proceeds. Wagner wrote for anorchestra of gargantuan proportions, including a greatly enlarged brass section with new instruments such as the Wagnertuba, bass trumpet and contrabass trombone. Remarkably, he uses a chorus only relatively briefly, in acts 2 and 3 ofGötterdämmerung, and then mostly of men with just a few women. He eventually had a purpose-built theatre constructed, theBayreuth Festspielhaus, in which to perform this work. The theatre has a special stage that blends the huge orchestra withthe s ingers ' voices, allowing them to s ing at a natural volume. The result was that the s ingers did not have to strainthemselves vocally during the long performances. Source: Waite, Robert G. L. The Psychopathic God, Adolf Hitler. Basic Books, page 113

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Wagner

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Der_Ring_des_Nibelungen

SS Division Totenkopf The SS Divis ion Totenkopf (Death's Head), also known as 3. SS-Motorized-Divis ion Totenkopf, is the third divis ion fielded bythe Waffen-SS. Prior to achieving divis ion status, the formation was known as Kampfgruppe Eicke, and GruppenführerTheodor Eicke is currently the divis ion commander. The divis ion is famous due to its ins ignia and the fact that most of theinitial enlisted soldiers were SS-Totenkopfverbände (SS camp guards). The SS Divis ion Totenkopf was formed in October 1939. The Totenkopf was initially formed from concentration camp guardsof the 1st (Oberbayern), 2nd (Brandenburg) and 3rd (Thüringen) Standarten (regiments) of the SS-Totenkopfverbände, andsoldiers from the SS-Heimwehr Danzig. The divis ion had officers from the SS-Verfügungstruppe (SS-VT), of whom many hadseen action in Poland. The divis ion was commanded by SS-Obergruppenführer Theodor Eicke. Through the Battle of Francethe divis ion was generally equipped with ex-Czech weapons. Totenkopf saw action a number of times during the French campaign. To the north-east of Cambrai the divis ion took 16,000French prisoners. Whilst subsequently trying to drive through to the coast they encountered a major Anglo-French force whichthey had a great deal of difficulty stopping and came perilously close to panic. Totenkopf had to resort to firing artillery piecesin an anti-tank role, and were saved only by the intervention of Luftwaffe dive-bombers. It then suffered heavy losses duringthe taking of the La Bassée Canal. Further stiff res istance was then encountered at both Béthune and Le Paradis . The Frenchsurrender found the divis ion located near the Spanish border, where it was to stay, resting and refitting, until April 1941.Totenkopf had suffered heavy losses during the campaign, including over 300 officers. Replacement personnel were supplied,this time via regular Waffen-SS recruitment as opposed to coming from the camps. Flak and artillery battalions were added toits strength. Local vehicles were also commandeered from the French, many of the divis ions soft-skinned transports duringBarbarossa were of French origin. At the beginning of April 1941, the divis ion has been ordered East to join Generalfeldmarschall Wilhelm Ritter von Leeb's ArmyGroup North. Various SS-Sonderkommando (Special Action Units) have been formed to mop up bypassed and shattered unitsfrom the expected fighting in the Balkans during the upcoming Fall Marita (Operation Marita), the invasion of Yugoslavia andGreece. Beginning in 1938, the SS enacted a procedure where offices and units of the SS could form smaller sub-units , known asSonderkommandos, to carry out special tasks and actions which might involve sending agents or troops into the field. Theuse of Sonderkommandos was very widespread, not even the SS leadership knew how many Sonderkommandos wereconstantly being formed, disbanded, and reformed for various tasks. The best-known Sonderkommandos are formed fromthe SS Economic-Administrative Head Office, the SS Head Office, and also Department VII of the Reich Main Security Office(Science and Research) whose duties were to confiscate valuable items from Jewish libraries. The EichmannSonderkommando was attached to the Security Police and the SD in terms of provis ioning and manpower, but maintained aspecial position in the SS due to its direct role in the deportation of Jews to the camps for processing. The SonderkommandoHexen is attached to Ahnenerbe, to provide guards and military capability. NOTE: The term "Sonderkommando" was also used to describe the teams of Jewish prisoners who were forced to work incamps, receiving special privileges and above-average treatment. The obvious distinction was that these Jewish "special-action units" were not SS Sonderkommandos; the term was s imply applied to these obviously non-SS personnel due to thenature of the tasks which they performed. Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Division_Totenkopf

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schutzstaffel#Special_action_units

Appendix

Ranks of the SS: http://www.surcompany.com/images/ss-rank_chart.jpg Rules Scenario uses Trail of Cthulhu rules, see http://www.pelgranepress.com/site/?page_id=242Optional rule: No-Spend Investigative Spends, see http://www.pelgranepress.com/?p=6851 Trail of Cthulhu / GUMSHOE simplified The basic idea: you will never miss a clue that is central to the plot of the adventure because you failed to make a skill roll. With this larger group, here's how it will work:

Each clue will have several levels of information. If a player with an appropriate investigative skill is in the scene, he or shewill receive the information. We will cycle between characters when possible so that the clues are spread between the group. For more difficult tasks, or tasks opposed by players or NPCs, you will have to do a skill spend. Unlike the standard Trail ofCthulhu rules, we are not ass igning skill points to each PC. Instead, we use:

Italics indicate that your character has the skill at a low level. Note that for occupational skills , such as Chemistry, thisrepresents a s ignificant amount of experience.Characters are proficient with skills listed in normal type. These skills make up the core of that character.A skill in bold type means that the character has the highest level of proficiency for that skill in the group.

So how do you do a skill spend?

Announce that you're going to use your skills . "I'm going to try to use my Streetwise skill." Roleplay what you're doing. "This reminds me of the time I was fighting the Reds with the Freikorps in 1919. We knewnot to go down an alley without checking out the exits then, and hell if I'm going down there now."If needed, the GM will tell you to make a die roll and let you know what happens.

Skill spends are your chance to take the limelight and roleplay your heart out. A skill spend that is not described andplayed out fails. List of Sources

Players Packet, Embassy Packet, Karotechia Packet, Pergamon Museum Packet, Sonderkommando Hexen Packet Back to FrontPage