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8/13/2019 Outer Ones v18
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THE OUTER ONES
BY J USTIN F ARQUHAR
Where an investigation into a sinister Vermont sect reveals connections that run deep into the dark history of the region
ABOUT THIS S CENARIO The Outer Ones takes place in Vermont sometime between
1920 and 1925 and is closely-related to the two Lovecraft
stories ‘The Haunter of the Dark’ and ‘The Whisperer in
Darkness’, both of which it predates. Reading these
stories before running the scenario is highly
recommended.
RUNNING THIS S CENARIO This scenario is non-linear: there are many clues leading
to different locations and lines of enquiry, not all of whichare essential.
This scenario can be run as a stand-alone adventure or
can be treated as a sequel to ‘The Haunting’. There are
clues relating to this scenario which can be placed in the
records of the Chapel of Contemplation. If used in this
way it can be run immediately after that scenario or after
an interval of few months or even years.
KEEPER'S INFORMATION
From time immemorial, the Mi-Go or ‘Outer Ones’ havefulfilled their pact with Nyarlathotep, The Haunter of the
Dark, making sacrifices in return for knowledge. They
also worship Shub-Niggurath and other Outer Gods and
Great Old Ones that serve their purposes. Their name for
their religious cult can be translated as ‘The Million
Favored Ones’.
But there is another cult, the Brothers of the Yellow Sign,
that serves Hastur, that opposes the Mi-Go.
Since man has walked in the Americas, a few individuals –
mostly eccentrics and outcasts – have served the Outer
Ones in Vermont, helping them to spy on mankind while
keeping their outposts secret, in return for their promises
of power and wisdom, fulfilled and otherwise.
In 1862, guided by insights gleaned from their
communications with Nyarlathotep in his form of the
Haunter of the Dark in the steeple of the Freewill Church
in providence, Professor Enoch Bowen, leader of the
Starry Wisdom sect, his daughter Aseneth Bowen and Dr
Raymond Flagg, travelled to Dark Mountain in a remote
region of Vermont. There on the mountain-top theyperformed an arcane rite that brought forth the Outer
Ones from the warren of caves that hollow the domed
hills and a secret pact was formed.
The following year, the charismatic Raymond Flaggbought a second home in the village of West Townshend,
close to Dark Mountain and secretly began to spread the
doctrines of the Starry Wisdom sect. The young Abednego
Akeley, the son of a Congregational minister was one of
those he came to influence. When his father died,
Abednego took his place at the Church as expected. He
then travelled in southern New England, to Boston and
Providence, for several months. This was, in fact, the
completion of Abednego’s training as a minister, not in
Protestantism but in the Starry Wisdom sect. On his
return, to great controversy, he began to preach theStarry Wisdom doctrines and transferred his own church
– the West River Valley Church – from the Protestant
parent body to the Starry Wisdom sect.
The Church was condemned and attacked regularly, and
over half of the congregation deserted it, but a core of
devotees remained, and grew steadily, bolstered by a
trickle of new converts. The sect appeared to offer
communion with The Divine, directly or through a race of
mysterious beings referred to by Akeley and Flagg as ‘The
Malakhim’, a communion that granted knowledge of the
secrets of cosmos. A select few were even offered
transcendence of the physical body as a reward for their
devotion and Abednego Akeley and Raymond Flagg could
seemingly summon these disembodied spirits and make
them speak to the congregation from a special curtained
box.
After three years, the Starry Wisdom Church at West
River Valley closed down after a series of vigilante actions
culminated in the Akeley’s death. The church was
restored to Congregational Protestantism. Most of the
congregation fled to join the Freewill Church in
Providence, but a few stayed, some of them passing the
secret doctrines onto their children.
A few years later, Rev, Baker, the new Protestant minister,
beat a woman to death with a Bible and injured several
other congregants before being restrained. He was
hanged at the State Prison and House of Correction in
Windsor, Vermont in 1908. [create handout & add to
evidence]
Baker was superseded by Rev. Aster, a minister who hadonce been part of Akeley’s congregation and secretly
ordained in the Starry Wisdom Church. The sect now
known now as ‘The Million Favored Ones’ based on Starry
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Wisdom beliefs and alliance with the Outer Ones
continued in secret for two generations.
Another suppressed branch of the Starry Wisdom sect –
The Chapel of Contemplation – was based in the North
End of Boston. Charles Noyes, the son of a wealthy
industrialist, at 18, was the last minister to be ordained
there. The Chapel was raided and closed down in 1912
and the Pastor, Michael Thomas, was imprisoned. Five
years later, with the aid of sorcery and his allies, he
escaped and fled the state. Taking the pseudonym
‘Malachi Sethom’ (an anagram of ‘Michael Thomas’), he
travelled to West Townshend where he was a lay
preacher, staying with Rev. Aster until Aster and Noyes
help him to purchase a small house in Townshend.
‘T HE M ILLION F AVORED ONES ’ The cult holds rites with the Outer Ones on certain nights.
Rites dedicated to Shub-Niggurath tend to take place at
the circles of standing stones that crown the hilltops, with
May Eve being the most important date. Rites to
Nyarlathotep are held at the same sites on Samhain
(Halloween) with a select few attending rites deep in an
abyss in Dark Mountain called The Temple of the Black
Gulf . Both Outer Ones and human beings are offered in
sacrifice at these ceremonies – human victims being stray
children or vagrants and prostitutes from around New
England, particularly Boston. Through its political
connections, the sect has some influence in the area, an
influence that is steadily growing. The cult has a network
of spies and agents – some of whom have sorcerous
powers of mind-control – that exerts it’s influence as far
as Newfane. They have a significant collection of mythos
and occult texts, a body of esoteric knowledge passed
down from encounters with the Haunter in Providence,
and a few artifacts gifted by the Outer Ones. Collectively
they also have a significant armory of conventional
weapons.
The cult has a superficial appearance of being an ordinary
church but like some other rural churches has some queer
customs. The sect has a hierarchical structure of a publiccongregation and an ‘inner circle’ who see themselves as
among ‘The Million Favored Ones’ and who are granted
‘esoteric secrets’ from their Lord – He Who Waits In The
Dark, who himself is a vessel of ‘The Divine Principle’.
They are also in the process of perfecting techniques for
prolonging life beyond its natural end – based on methods
developed by Orin B Eddy, Rev. Michael Thomas and
others in Boston and Providence. This is a sort of
mummification process which actually more resembles a
living death. Other initiates are occasionally rewarded fortheir life of service with ‘The Celestial Rapture’ or ‘joining
the stars’. This involves being taken away by the Outer
Ones to have their brains removed and placed in metal
canisters which keep the brain alive more-or-less
indefinitely and which can survive the journey through
space to the planet Yuggoth or the Outer Ones’ colony on
the moon. In fact, unknown to most cult members, the
Outer Ones are quite indifferent to humanity, and are
quite neglectful and the majority of these ‘Chosen Ones’
are either incinerated or after being placed in ‘brain
canisters’ are abandoned in storage rooms in the colony.
But enough Celestial Voyagers return with stories of their
travels to inspire the faithful.
The Pastor appears to have miraculous powers. Among
other things, during a Spiritualist-style ceremony, he
summons the spirits of people who have supposedly
'ascended to the Heavens' and has them speak with
strange voices apparently from within a curtained box.
Although their voices are strange, they seem to have
incredible knowledge of the deceased person’s life and
relate incredible tales of being carried by wondrous
beings called the Outer Ones to a fantastic city of light in
the mountains. And then travelling through the cosmos to
other worlds.
REACTION AGAINST THE C HURCH Rev. Bill Walsh, a feisty Baptist minister, has come to
conclude that there is something sinister about the
practices of another church in the village of West
Townshend – the West River Valley Church. He observes
their sermons and services and some of their suspicious
activities. He sees the sermons of a lay preacher known as
Malachi Sethom as especially dangerous. He has heard
rumours of strange cries coming from the church in the
middle of the night. After reporting some of these
concerns to the Baptist church-body, a second minister –
Rev. Bradford Duganne – is sent to assist him.
Both ministers have heard local folklore of ceremonies in
the hills and devilish creatures consorting with humans.
Walsh begins to preach against the church, declaring that
it is in league with Satan. It doesn’t take long for action to
be taken against them.
This is a conservative region and, after hearing stories oftheir practices and doctrines, the minister of South
Windham Church – Rev. Bill Walsh speaks out about the
heretical sermons of given at the church and by Sethom
who is associated with it. After being intimidated by some
strange events, Walsh is joined by the younger Dilbert
Duganne, who helps him to investigate. Rev. Walsh
interrupts services on more than one occasion and
challenges Pastor Malachi. Meanwhile Duganne travels to
Brattleboro, Claremont and Boston in an attempt to trace
Sethom’s origins, but is unable to find a record of his
education or history.
A newspaper story appears claiming that the church is
heretical or even Satanic. The Congregational Church
eventually launches an investigation but finds nothing
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untoward. And from this point on sees attacks on West
River Valley Church as attacks on Congregationalism itself
by a crazy, rural Baptist bigot.
Duganne finds out deeper secrets of the history of the
Chapel and the Starry Wisdom sect. He hears stories of
mysterious voices in the woods and of ceremonies on
hilltops on May Eve. It isn’t long before he runs into
trouble.
In the meantime, these events have gathered the attention
of an organization other than the Church.
I NVOLVING THE I NVESTIGATORS Investigators who have a reputation as paranormal
investigators are sent invitations to attend a meeting of a
relatively new organization based in New York – the
Paranormal & Occult Investigation Society. [create
handout]
CHAPTER ONE: PARANORMAL &
OCCULT INVESTIGATION SOCIETYThe investigators arrive at Guidicianni’s Italian Villa in
Brooklyn, New York where they are met by Fabio Hlasek,
close friend of Guidicianni and director of the Society.
Hlasek welcomes them, offers them refreshments, says
that he is very excited to be involved in Guidicianni’s
latest project and invites them to meet him. Originally
from Switzerland Hlasek is an old friend of Guidicianni –
they were part of the same artistic circle in Rome, and
after Guidicianni emigrated to the United States he invited
his friend to manage his new theatre, the Theater Regale.
Three years ago Guidicianni asked for his help with
another passion of his: what was to become the
Paranormal & Occult investigation Society.
Guidicianni’s office is plush with gold-painted rococo
embellishments and a walnut desk. His Italian accent is
strong. He is the millionaire son of a wealthy Italian
industrialist. He owns several manufacturing companies
in Italy, but his own deep passions are elsewhere. He
immigrated to the United States five years ago – he had a
deep love of the country and he wished to help bring the
best avant garde arts from Europe to the United States. He
also has a fascination with the paranormal and a
conviction that there are dark forces at work in the world
that need to be stopped. At times he speaks in religious
terms, at others in quasi-scientific terms, mentioning
Charles Fort’s writings and lectures.
The Society, says Guidicianni is still at an early stage. Fewhave convinced him that they are able investigators. He
can, however, offer himself as a patron of the
investigator’s group, providing funds, information,
equipment and contacts, What he expects in return is a
complete and exclusive debriefing from each mission and
a Right of First Offer on any occult artifacts recovered. If
they agree the investigators are expected to sign a
contract to this effect for each mission undertaken.
Guidicciani attempts to impress the investigators with his
wealth and influence and to intimidate them just a little.
He wants them to accept his patronage of their activities.
He will keep his true affiliations and motives secret.
Sometimes he speaks in religious terms as seeking to rid
the world of Satanic forces.
Guidicciani already has a network of agents – a handful of
these are paranormal investigators but the majority are
artists, actors, poets and drug-adictsHe invites the
investigators to join his Society for the Investigation of
Anomalous Phenomena. This still-small organization has
about a dozen members, most of them sincere
paranormal investigators. Some agents will gather orcollate information, others will investigate or resolve
mysteries. The society exists to fulfill Guidicianni’s aims of
keeping an eye on cults and paranormal activity in North
America, especially the activities of the Mi-Go and the
Church of Starry Wisdom as well as to collect occult lore
from far and wide. In return for information and possible
funding and support, members must sign a contract that
they will share all information about anomalies, the
occult, other organizations etc with the leadership of the
society. Guidicianni also insists on a Right of First Offer on
all artifacts. Decisions about what to act on and how, willcome from the top. Guidicianni is the President and Fabio
Hlasek is the Director. All leaders are secretly members of
the Brotherhood of the Yellow Sign.
Fabio Hlasek, manager of the Theater
Regale, Director of the POIC and Brother of
the Yellow Sign
Description
Age 46
STR CON SIZ INT POW
DEX APP EDU SAN HPDamage Bonus:
Weapons:
Skills:
Uberto Guidicianni, millionaire, patron of
the arts, President of the POIC and Brother
of the Yellow Sign
Guidicianni looks good for his age – a lean, athletically-
built Italian. He is sophisticated, well-educated and
charming. His basic inhumanity and nihilism concealed
beneath a polished veneer.
Age 51STR 11 CON 10 SIZ 14 INT 16 POW 18
DEX 10 APP 15 EDU 20 SAN 0 HP 12
Damage Bonus: +1D4
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Weapons:
Pistol
Fist
Rapier
Skills: Art: Acting 40, Art: Music 40, Art Appreciation 50,
Bargain 30, Credit Rating 75, Cthulhu Mythos 20, Hastur
Lore 60, History 50, Library Use 40, Listen 40, Occult 60,
Other Language: English 60, Other Language: French 40,
Other Language: Latin 40, Own Language: Italian 100,
Persuade 50, Psychology 50, Spot Hidden 40
GUIDICIANNI ’ S V ILLA Guidicianni has an impressive collection of artworks –
mostly paintings – many of which have a subtly
disquieting quality: a scene in Paris, showing a woman
who has a look in her eyes that reveals that she will never
find what she wants in Paris. Viewing these, succeeding
on psychology, art or an idea roll (whichever is higher)
results in a SAN loss of 0/1.
Guidicianni owns a library of occult texts, some of themquite rare. This includes a copy of The King in Yellow and
several other texts relating to Hastur.
Diabolis Britannia, Libri Gaius Antoninus,
in Latin, original by Centurion Gaius Antoninus in 28 B.C.
This edition copied by Friar Cosimo Caldini in Italy in
1179.
Sanity loss l/ld6;
Cthulhu Mythos +6%;
spell multiplier x5 (due to short length and ease of
reading).Spells: Contact Hastur, Crystal Call (new spell), Enchant
Knife, Enchant Whistle, Seal Pit/Dismiss Hastur (new
spell), Summon King in Yellow, Summon/Bind Byakhee.
The book is simply bound in brown leather, without
interior or exterior illustration. It is folio sized, 106 pages,
with the first 23 pages damaged or missing.
Cults of Roman Britain: A Study of the Book
of Gaius Antoninus,
in English, translated and annotated by Joseph Barker
from 12th Century Latin copy of original Romanmanuscript, c. 1590-94.
Sanity loss l/ld6;
Cthulhu Mythos +8%;
spell multiplier x2.
Spells: Contact Hastur, Crystal Call, Enchant Knife,
Enchant Whistle, Summon King in Yellow, Summon/Bind
Byakhee.
Bound in plain brown leather with the title printed in gold
on the spine. The text is in English with footnotes
describing rites and ceremonies and historical references.
It is 100 pages long and again omits the first 23 pages ofGaius Antoninus’ book.
Under the Yellow Sign,
in English, by Joseph Barker, 1602. Published by William
Turner, Blackfriars, London.
Sanity loss l/ld6;
Cthulhu Mythos +5%;
spell multiplier x2. Spells:
Contact Hastur, Contact King in Yellow, Crystal Call (new
spell), Enchant Knife, Grasp of Cthulhu, Summon/BindByakhee
The book is slim folio sized, bound in black leather, with
title and author stamped on the front. Contents are left to
the Keeper’s discretion except for the first poem in the
book, a long rambling piece, “Beyond the Crystal Veil”,
detailing the Crystal Call spell and conversations with
Hastur, and the last, “The Mask of the King”, which details
a visitation by the King in Yellow.
Der Wanderer durch den See
English and German. (See Tatters of the King p49 fordetails)
I L F RATELLI DEL S IGNO GIALLO (T HE BROTHERS
OF THE Y ELLOW S IGN )An artistic and mystical circle based in Rome with cells in
Paris and Berlin, and by the late 20s, another in Milan.
Most of the membership has an artistic and middle or
upper-middle class Italian background. They meet once a
year for a private performance of 'The King in Yellow'.
Admission for others is by invitation only.
There are legends that some of the elite members are
immortals coming from . Some members do indeed have
magical or psychic abilities.
Decadent, hedonistic, nihilistic, absurdist, anti-rationalist,
anti-science. They generally criticise traditional and
classical art. Rationalism has led to The Great War.
The leaders of the Brotherhood seek to return Hastur to
the Earth in order to sweep it clean.
According to legend the founders and possibly currentsecret leaders of the Brotherhood are immortal sages
from the caverns of K’n-yan
They are engaged in a ages-old war with the Mi-Go and a
more recent conflict with the Starry Wisdom Church.
There is no true circle of members here in New York, but
Guidicianni has introduced some of his arty social set to
ideas from the King in Yellow (including Carmichael).
Some of them have read the play and they have had small,
partial performances.
T HE FIRST INVESTIGATION Guidicianni happens to have something that he’d like the
investigators to look into. A church in a remote village in
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Vermont has been accused of practicing and preaching
diabolical things and the millionaire has reason to believe
that this is not pure superstition or inter-denominational
bickering. The offending minister is called ‘Malachi
Sethom’ and he’s based at the West River Valley
Congregational Church in West Townshend. Reverend Bill
Walsh of South Wyndham Baptist Church made these
accusations has claimed to fear for his life. Guidicianni
would like them to investigate as soon as possible.
CHAPTER TWO: A MISSION FROM
GOD [Add some description of route: Brattleboro > Newfane
> Harmonyville > Townshend > West Townshend]
Investigators can travel by train to Brattleboro from
Boston or [Arkham – how?]. In Brattleboro it is possibleto hire a car or catch a bus.
The road journey from Arkham or Boston, takes travelers
through Brattleboro, then up into the mountains through
Newfane, the hamlet of Harmonyville, Townshend then
West Townshend. [how long?]
ROUND H ILL This is a domed mountain to the east of Townshend. The
largest outpost of the twin colony of the Outer Ones is
here.
D ARK M OUNTAIN This is the mountain to the south of Townshend. The
secondary outpost of the Outer Ones’ mining colony is
here.
TOWNSHEND
T OWNSHEND C HURCH
Common Road
The minister of this church is partially under the
influence of the cult via the Freemasons, but it is a regular
Christian church and there is no direct connection to the
story.
WEST TOWNSHEND [Add General description]
[link to historical photos of Townshend:
http://www.townshendvt.org/collection.html]
M ASONIC LODGE There is a Freemason’s Hall called Blazing Star Lodge #23
on the road into Townshend. Several key members of the
Spiritualist Church of Astral Wisdom and the [“Church of
the Outer Ways”] are here and freemasonry is one of the
key ways in which they can influence local authorities and
individuals. The Freemasons have no formal allegiance
however and the majority of the members know nothing
about it. There is no special evidence to be found at the
lodge.
S COTT C OVERED BRIDGE [add impression]
MEETING REVEREND WALSH
S OUTH W INDHAM B APTIST C HURCH 3264 Windham Hill Road, West Townshend.
Built in 1850
[Describe]
T HE REVEREND’ S S TORY The Investigators arrive and are given further details by
the Minister. They will be told of the Duganne incident if
they don’t already know about it.
INCIDENTS AND INVESTIGATIONS
INITIAL LEADS
tbd
LIBRARIES, AND NEWSPAPERS
W EST RIVER V ALLEY C HURCH Built as a Congregational church and remains that way
until Abednego Akeley transfers it to the Starry Wisdom
Church.
1868-1871: The West River Valley Church is a branch of
the Starry Wisdom Church until Akeley’s death.
1871-1880: It is restored as a Congregational
denomination church, Akeley’s replacement is Rev.
Walter W. Baker who is from elsewhere in Vermont.
In 1880 Rev. Baker apparently goes insane during a
service, rabidly accusing members of the congregation of
being sinners. He beats one woman to death with a Bible
and injures several other congregants before being
restrained. He is hanged at the State Prison and House of
Correction in Windsor, Vermont in 1908.
1880 - 1920: The new minister is a local man, Rev. SamuelAster.
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1912: Charles Noyes, the son of a wealthy Boston
industrialist is ordained as a minister by Rev. Michael
Thomas at the Chapel of Contemplation at the age of 18.
1914: Noyes is ordained as a minister of the
Congregational Protestant Church at the age of 20.
1917: Malachi Sethom arrives in Townshend and Aster
allows him to stay with him. Sethom is a lay preacher
1920: Aster retires. His replacement is Rev. Charles
Noyes, a young minister from Boston. Meanwhile Sethom
continues his lay preaching. Increasingly Noyes allows
Sethom to preach in the church while he is away –
apparently in Boston.
RESEARCHING REVEREND S ETHOM No record of his history can be found.
RESEARCHING THE S TARRY W ISDOM C HURCH At a clipping agency or library in a major town or city,
Library Use will reveal each of the following points:
1. The Starry Wisdom was started by a Professor
Enoch Bowen in 1844. The main sect was located
at the Free-Will Church, Federal Hill, Providence.
2. Looking up Enoch Bowen uncovers an 1844
article by a rival archaeologist. This
archaeologist claimed that the study of
archaeology had to be maintained as a science,
and should not be used as a cover for
opportunists and adventurers to exploit the
population. He cited Enoch Bowen as a prime
example of the latter sort of archaeologist.
3. He said Bowen was an occultist who was more
interested in starting a cult than serving science.
He detailed how Bowen claimed to have found
the ancient tomb of a “forgotten pharaoh,” and
brought forth a crystal “that shines in the dark.” A
successful Cthulhu Mythos roll suggests that the
reference might be to the fabled Shining
Trapezohedron of Nephren-Ka. The skill user also
recalls that the crystal could supposedly summon
a demon of darkness that enjoyed blood
sacrifices of children.
4. With successful Luck and Library Use rolls, an
interesting book is uncovered. Mystical Sects,
published in 1857, lists numerous cults across
the United States, including a small entry for the
Starry Wisdom Sect. “They owned a crystal found
in Egypt. They held this object sacred, and by
gazing upon it, the members believed they could
call up a being known as the Haunter of the Dark,
who shared dread secrets with the faithful. This
being could be summoned only in absolute
darkness, and if it was exposed to light for any
period of time, it would be banished.
5. July 1844 The Providence Bulletin mentions the
purchase of the Free-Will Church on Federal hill
by Professor Bowen. The Italian community is
outraged due to the cult’s location. A priest
named O’Malley of Spirito Santo Church claims
the cult worships the Devil himself.
6. August 1853 The Providence Bulletin mentions
an investigation into the Starry Wisdom sect. The
investigators find no connection to the
disappearances of numerous children in the area.
7. October 1865 The Providence Bulletin notes the
death of Professor Enoch Bowen from natural
causes. A surviving daughter, Aseneth Bowen, is
mentioned.
8. March 1872 The Providence Bulletin publishes a
story concerning witch cult rumors among the
Italian populace of Federal Hill. The article hints
at blood sacrifices by an unnamed cult in the
region, but no arrests or indictments have been
made.
9. April 1877 The Providence Bulletin includes a
small item on the forced break-up of the Starry
Wisdom by the authorities. It refers to public
pressure on the authorities to enforce this
closure.
10. June 1878 A book written by Father O’Malley is
found, The Coming of the Beast. It details
numerous theories regarding the prophecies of
the Antichrist. It lists the cult of the Starry
Wisdom as modern day Satan worshippers who
desire the Beast to rule the earth. Much of the
information found in the “Antichrist Themes”
sidebar on pages 160 161 is contained within,
except of course for information dated after the
book’s publication.
11. Investigators going to Providence to search for
the Free-Will Church will find the place much as
Blake finds it in the story Haunter of the Dark –
go to the Providence chapter for more details.
12. Investigators may want to check out the church
records of Spirito Santo in Providence. Father
Angelo is the present priest of Spirito Santo. He
will allow investigators to see the records with a
Persuade roll. He himself has heard only rumors
of the evil cult. Reputedly, they worshipped the
Devil. He helps investigators find Father
O’Malley’s writings of the 1850s: “ The Starry
Wisdom - the stars of Hell - summoning from
those stars a shade from Hell itself, but feared the
power of God as manifested in Light.”
13. Investigators who possess books pertaining to
the Cthulhu Mythos can search them for
information on the Haunter. To find it, a player
must roll D100 equal to or less than the book’s
Cthulhu Mythos points x3. The information is
this: the Haunter was spoken of as “holding all
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knowledge.” The Haunter demanded monstrous
sacrifices, its favorite being human children.
Light could banish it back to its dark realm. With
a special success roll, the book calls the Haunter
“The Bringer of the End Times, the Avatar of
Nyarlathotep.” (At the keeper’s discretion,
investigators can roll separately to find the
“Ancient History” information on pages 129 130;
such information ends at Nitocris’s death or the
book’s date of publication, whichever comes
first.)
LOCAL RUMOURS & FOLKLORE From asking around, the investigators hear various
rumours:
1. There have been witches/Satanists in the area for
generations
2. There have been a number of disappearances in
this part of the state over the past few years:
mostly runaways and vagrants
3. There are devils living in the hills
4. During the 19th century, the Old Church in West
Townshend was taken over by a Satanic cult. The
Satanic minister was killed and the cult was
driven away.
5. There are strange standing stones in the hills. No
one knows where they came from
6. Devils living in caves in the wooded hills
7. According to their grandparents, in remote places
there are devils that speak to people in strange
voices. They sometimes possess people,
especially people who live alone on the higher
hills
8. The Old Church at West River Valley is cursed.
Bad things happen there due to blasphemous
things that have happened there in the past
DUGANNE DISAPPEARS Duganne simply disappears one day. A police
investigation finds nothing. According to Rev. Walsh,
Duganne was meeting someone who said there were
things in the hills he could show him. Apparently the
person wanted to meet at the Scott Covered Bridge.
In fact he met [name] there who took him to a circle of
standing stones at the top of Round Hill. Duganne asked
to be left there alone and he was captured by cult
members who turned him over to the Outer Ones.
[name] didn’t want to contact the police as he/she is
fearful of being punished by the cult.
If the investigator’s ask enough people, they will find [Name] who claims to have seen Duganne and this other
person meet there. If the person is traced, she will
initially deny all knowledge, then later contact them,
admitting it was her. Duganne was investigating the
Satanists in the area. The contact knew about certain
standing stones in the hills that they used for their unholy
practices and she took them. Once they arrived, Duganne
thanked her and offered some money which she declined.
Duganne said he wanted to look around some more and
asked the contact to go back. That was the last she heard.
She did not contact anyone about it as she was afraid. The
Satanists have many eyes and ears she says. And she was
afraid something bad would happen to her. She is not so
scared of the investigators as they are from outside.
Psychology to notice that she is nervous or not telling the
whole story. If requested, she will agree to show the
investigators what she showed Duganne, but she will
stress the need for utmost discretion. [Walsh won’t
come] It is actually a trap. She is a member of the Starry
Wisdom cult. The story is almost true. But her story to
Duganne lured him discretely into the woods where he
was captured by the cult. She has told her fellow cultists
about the situation and they have set up an ambush. She
will lead the investigators into the forested hills, their
cars following a rough track. She will lead them to a real
set of standing stones. There are off footprints around if
they look. Their car(s) will be disabled and the cultists
will attempt to surround and capture them. They can
probably manage four armed men at short notice.
[Does it matter if this comes before or after the incident
at the priory?]
A FEELING OF BEING WATCHED They soon realize they are being followed, spied upon,
their correspondence etc is intercepted etc. If one or two
characters explore the woods or hills by themselves they
hear buzzing voices tempting them with secret power and
knowledge. Meanwhile sect members are trying to tempt
the minister with strange promises.
[Detail events]
INVESTIGATING DUGANNE’S DISAPPEARANCE TBD
If the site of Duganne’s abduction can be traced,
there is a notepad there which includes
information about his last lead as well as contact
details for Henry Akeley and other matters.
T HE M ONOLITH ON ROUND H ILL TBD
DUGANNE ’ S N OTEBOOK This is a simple notepad containing a few notes and
contacts. Notes include details of ‘Duganne’s Contact’, Rev
Sethom’s home address, the address of the spiritualist
church and a local folklorist called Henry Akeley (The
Akeley House, Townshend).
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TBD
HENRY AKELEY Henry Akeley is retired folklorist who has collected many
local legends especially about the ‘Outer Ones’. He has a
wax cylinder recording that he made near a cave entrance
blocked by a boulder near the base of Dark Mountain. He
has photographs of the cave entrance, of a ring ofstanding stones on the top of a remote hill and of a
strange footprint. He also knows about strange rites that
occur around these stones on certain nights.
Akeley will offer none of this evidence unless he is both
impressed with the sincerity of the investigators (eg.
Credit Rating) and sees clear relevance of it to their
investigation.
Akeley is not a man of action and likes to keep a low
profile but he will share what he knows with those he
trusts. By speaking with Henry Akeley, the characters will
learn the old stories about creatures in the hills. If they
earn his trust he will play them the recording he made a
few years earlier near the mouth of the cave. He can give
them directions to find the mouth of the cave. It is closed
with a 20 ton boulder. He will also tell them he has heard
of standing stones in the hills.
TBD
INVESTIGATING THE SPIRITUALIST CHURCH
They may manage to infiltrate the Chapel at leastsuperficially and witness it’s ceremonies. They may
witness (or at least speak to witnesses) people going out
onto the hills on certain nights. Perhaps they are able to
break in. Inside they find records, religious texts, artwork
and equipment hinting at the churches’ strange
affiliations. They are preferably unable to access the
hidden parts of the basement (hidden, locked,
interrupted?)
THE SIEGE OF SOUTH WYNDHAM CHURCH
The Reverend requests their help. The remote churchcompound (South Windham church) is cut off by snow
(it’s January) [or thick fog?] . Investigators may have to
walk there, or if they drive their cars are disabled. It is
surrounded by ‘something’. The phone line is cut. The
heating system breaks down. They receive ‘phone calls’
tempting them to help then threatening them, then
tempting them again to hand over the minister.
The temperature continues to drop. Anyone going outside
faces gunfire and spotlights as well as freezing air. The
minister suggests that it may be warmer/safer in thebasement. They go down some steps and through a door.
Looking for something heavy to block the door, someone
moves an ancient bookcase revealing a hidden door. They
pass through into a cave with remains of an ancient
Indian site dedicated to the Outer Ones, and possibly also
Nyarlathotep and/or Shub Niggurath. Pictographs show
red spirits with wings and many arms bearing fire,
thunderbolts, wind or totems of power. They are shown
living in the sky and in caves and worshipping Coyote,
Atahensic (Sky Woman), Ya-o-gah (the North Wind in the
form of a Bear) (and possibly Hahgwehdaetgan, the Evil
One). Buried in the rubble are ancient human bones.
Some skulls have a perfectly circular hole cut in the top.
There is a third door leading to the church building itself,
from which they can make their escape. They can also
simply shelter in the chamber.
Later they find strange footprints in the snow and how
oddly localized the extreme weather was.
If not already captured, there will be another attempt to
capture (or failing that kill the minister). He disappears –
and reappears again apparently having had some sort ofstroke and/or religious experience. Now confined to a
wheelchair, he says that the sect in fact speaks the word
of God. He is flanked by a local nurse called ‘Nurse Brown’
and at times by a Bostonian friend called ‘Charles Noyes’.
He attempts to persuade the investigators to join him and
the Spiritualist Church of Astral Communion. If they
refuse he speaks against them. If confronted about the
Outer Ones, he says that they are real but want to share
their wisdom. He invites them to travel the stars with the
Outer Ones. He has brain cylinder (who? Abednego
Akeley or someone else?) who claims to have witnessedall sorts of wonders in space. If they still refuse, his
friends appear and they try to overcome the investigators.
The investigators may find strange standing stones in the
hills with odd markings on them. They may see strange
footprints around them or on certain nights even witness
strange ceremonies of the Outer Ones there. They are also
used by the Spiritualist Church of Astral Communion for
special initiation ceremonies and festivals at which one or
more Outer One may make an appearance (perhaps
wrapped in robes much like an angel?).
T HE C ONVERSION OF REVEREND W ALSH If Walsh is not protected, the minister disappears and
then reappears ‘a changed man’.
He relates a profound religious experience that
transformed his life. He makes comparisons with Paul on
the road to Damascus. An angel appeared to him and
revealed the truth. Saying that there was a place in the
Heavens for him if he stopped preaching against the new
sect. He is now preaching the benign or benevolent nature
of the new sect and wishes to hand the church to the new
sect. He invites Rev. Braswell to Townshend for a great
revelation.
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In actual fact Walsh , seen as too much of an ongoing
threat to the new sect, was kidnapped (from his house?
His car?) and has been replaced by an Outer One.
Rev. Walsh is now confined to darkness and pushed
around in a wheelchair by a somewhat sinister doctor
from Boston called ‘Doctor Clarence Haynes’ who claims
to have saved Walsh ’s life and who never leaves his side.
His speech and movement appear to be affected. There
are other rural and urban characters – including a farmer
called ‘Walter Brown’ and a well-bred Bostonian called
‘Mr. Noyes’ – who seem to linger around the house. At
Walsh ’s house, Braswell is told that Walsh will surely be
ascending to the Heavens and he is made an offer to join
the sect. He refuses and tries to leave. The Outer-One
posing as Walsh kills him.
CONFRONTING THE CULT Approached that the investigators could use include:
infiltrating Church services
Searching the Church
Searching Sethom’s house
Presenting collected evidence to the local
authorities
Presenting collected evidence to locals
CONFRONTING THE OUTER ONES See The Colony in Dark Mountain
LOCATIONS
REV. SETHOM’S HOUSE The investigators may wish to confront Michael Thomas
or investigate his house. His possessions include keys to
open the gate to Dark Mountain in the cellar of the Church
and a key that opens the ‘Boulder Entrance’ and the
‘Spring Entrance’.
Rev Sethom lives in a medium-sized wooden house notfar from his Church.
The basement of his house has a nearly complete, walled-
off area with a laboratory containing surgical equipment,
desiccating chemicals, and preserving balms and notes on
Egyptian funerary practices. Also here is a copy of Enoch
Bowen’s On Resurrection.
The centre of the room has a stone sarcophagus on a
raised platform. The sarcophagus has maps of the
Otherworld painted on it.
[There may also be a brain cylinder here with
sensory-vocal apparatus.]
THE BOOK OF THE DEAD—Sanity loss: None; Occult +3;
Spells: None
MICHAEL THOMAS’ NOTEBOOKS—in English.
Masquerading as copies of the Proceedings of the Society
of Scholars of Biblical Rectitude, these three volumes
described Thomas’ magical techniques and experiments.
Sanity loss 1D4/1D8; Cthulhu Mythos +4 percentiles;
Occult skill check; 10 weeks to study and comprehend/20
hours to skim. Spells: Hardness of Flesh (Flesh Ward),
various hypnotic techniques (Dominate), Contact He Who
Waits in the Dark (Nyarlathotep), Ectoplasmic
Manifestation.
ON RESURRECTION—in English. Enoch Bowen’s notes on
mummification and the preservation of the soul allowed
the cult to preserve many of its more powerful members
in secret underground chambers, awaiting the return of
the Old Ones. The techniques inside have been lost for
millennia; if the Brotherhood of the Black Pharaoh everfound this book, it is likely that they could reconstruct the
ceremonies used for their most potent mummifications.
The cult leader keeps these in a safe-deposit box at a local
bank. Sanity loss 1D3/1D6; grants an Egyptian
Hieroglyphs skill check; Cthulhu Mythos +3 percentiles; 8
weeks to study and comprehend/16 hours to skim. Spells:
Apportion Ka, Hardness of Flesh (Flesh Ward).
REV . M ALACHI S ETHOM Rev. Sethom is a white haired old man with a Bostonian
accent. He says that he was born in Vermont, inClaremont to the north. He used to run a Spiritualist
church in Boston. He wanted to go somewhere quieter
and return to his roots before he died. [No record of this
man can be found]. In fact he has returned in order to
continue the practices of Starry Wisdom and in order to
find a way to avoid true death altogether. He has
established a church here, associated with the existing
cult, and they have captured many people here, taking
them to the Temple of the Gulf to be sacrificed to The
Haunter of the Dark in exchange for secrets of preserving
human life. Combined with his notes, he believes he hasperfected the method. He has built himself a tomb under
his house. And Dr Hayes and Mr Noyes have been trained
in the processes. [If he dies during the course of the
investigation this process will kick in] . Who is going to
succeed him?
Anyone seeing his handwriting, who has seen his Michael
Thomas’ handwriting at the Chapel of Contemplation can
make an INTx3 roll to recognize it’s familiarity (special
success means they recognize it at Thomas’s
immediately).
Rev Malachi Sethom (Michael Thomas)
Sorcerer and friend of the late Walter Corbitt.
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The colony in Dark Mountain should be experienced by
the investigators as a profoundly dangerous place to be.
This is the second largest colony of the planet, of this
secret highly intelligent and technologically advanced
race. The Outer Ones do not seek to control the planet, but
wish to maintain their operations without human
interference.
Security
If they realize that their defenses have been breached, the
Outer Ones will act intelligently and decisively. If the
Spiritualist Church of Astral Communion also know that
the investigators have entered the colony they will
attempt to follow them and cut off their retreat. If the
investigators enter through the Church Gate, for example,
Sethom will send someone (overland) to warn the Outer
Ones (this will take almost half an hour), he will likely
then enter the gate himself with a group of four men
armed with rifles and shotguns [TBD] the cultists could
then deactivate the gate or ambush returning
investigators as they exit through it back into the
basement.
The section of the colony that the investigators enter is
relatively quiet, but they may be detected by a sentry, a
priest or a scientist. Gunfire in this sector will attract 1-3
Outer Ones in 1-4 minutes. They will seek reinforcements
if necessary: 10 soldier caste outer ones will arrive in 7 –
10 (1D4+6) minutes.
ArchitectureEntry tunnels appear as natural caves and then change to
artificial and geometric tunnels – typically of a triangular
cross-section and lined with black stone with occasional
shapes or glyphs carved into them. Some of the tunnels
are dimly lit by lights embedded in the walls.
The tunnels are curved in almost organic ways and they
become wider in major thoroughfares. Some have a
hexagonal, or circular cross-section.
Chambers are formed of geometric shapes ranging from
simple cuboids to elaborately interconnected patterns of
angles and curves.
Every so often there are small openings that seem to
exhale cool, fresh air. These are supplied by a series of
cooling ducts, most of which are too small to be traversed
by anything larger than a scuttler.
Scuttlers
If the strange architecture was not enough, one of the first
indications the investigators will have of the alien nature
of where they are is an exploring scuttler. About a
hundred yards down the entry tunnel (no matter where
they entered from) a Listen roll will detect a strange
sound. The sound approaches closer and within a couple
of rounds will be heard clearly. A dim glow from the
things head can be spotted bobbing in the darkness. Dim
or indirect light (a lit match or weak flashlight perhaps)
will reveal the shape of something insect or arachnid-like
approaching them – not unlike a lobster or crayfish in size
and general appearance. It will flee gunfire or bright light,
otherwise it will approach within about six feet and stop
for a couple of seconds before fleeing. Gunshots will
attract attention as described in ‘Security’ above.
This scuttler is just one of many that are roaming around
the colony. Normally they cling to the underside of the
adult Mi-Go that spawn them, but sometimes they roam
freely.
[To be finished: see New Tales of the Miskatonic
Valley P75 for more details.]
BOULDER G ATE
TBD
W ATERFALL G ATE In the woods, about a mile to the north, near the east bank
of Tannery Brook is the mouth of a cave. This cave leads
to the western sector of Dark Mountain Colony, a sector
which historically has been used primarily for human
agents of the Outer Ones.
Water normally pours from the cave and into Tannery
Brook. Pastor Malachi and some other agents (who?)
have a key that causes the flow of water to reduce to atrickle within a few seconds. The cave can then be
entered, initially by crawling - it is only3 feet high at the
entrance, rising to 5 feet after 10 feet distance and 6 feet
after another 30 feet distance.
T HE C HURCH GATE There is an active gate (with a key possessed by Rev
Michael Thomas) between the cellar of the West River
Valley Church and a chamber in Dark Mountain. This
chamber has a library of brain cylinders, speaking
equipment etc. However, the main route is across a smallisland in the river behind the church and up into the hills
to the south. A different key stops the flow of water to a
small spring/waterfall, which becomes a passage leading
into Dark Mountain.
The gate appears simply as a semicircular blackness, a
mirror perhaps except that it leaves no reflection. On
closer inspection it appears to be an archway into a black
space. There is silence. If the investigators make any
significant sound about 30 seconds later they will hear a
scuttling sound (See ‘Scuttlers’ above).
APARTMENT This series of chambers appears as a near-perfect
facsimile of a human dwelling. It is used for human guests
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– primarily senior agents such as Charles Noyes and
Malachi Sethom. There is even running hot and cold
water, electricity and a working radio. The windows
appear to have a view of the ocean. On closer inspection
this turns out to be a moving hologram with sound
projected just outside the window.
S ENTRY A lone soldier caste Mi-Go. TBD
The sentry could be a controlled by a human
brain – it may fire a cone of cold or a cloud of
drugs. Would it have the power to communicate
instantly?
T EMPLE OF THE GULF The Nyarlathotep cult associated with the Outer Ones is
called ‘The Million Favored Ones’.
A gate and physical entrance both lead to this Temple toNyarlathotep deep in the darkest bowels of Round Hill.
There are also some chambers nearby associated with
human cultists and there is a library of brain cylinders.
Carelessness or bad luck here will result in the
investigators being captured. The ceiling is dotted with
star-like points of light and a dim phosphorescence with
can be controlled by a control panel. The huge black space
is surrounded by a viewing area and a priests’ platform.
The high ceiling is a fractal series of concave domes
dotted with star-like points, rising higher and higher as it
approached the Dark Gulf.
H UMAN BIO-RESOURCES There is a bank of scores of human subjects suspended in
fluid here as well as the equipment for reviving them and
putting them in this condition.
LIBRARY This area has a series of chambers containing Mi-Go
‘books’ [refer] . There is also a pair of chambers for
accessing brain cylinders from various species.
BIO-RESEARCH FACILITY The investigators come across a series of chambers where
bizarre experiments are conducted on humans.:
Human beings with their brains removed
Human beings with their brains artificially re-
attached
Human brains controlling various kinds of
machines:
o Walking ‘robots’
o Doorso A helicopter-like hovering machine
o Mining equipment
o A sentry gun
Humans with modified organs
Humans controlled by implants
Humans alive and conscious and ‘opened up’
suspended in fluid
A Human controlled by box with alien brain
tissue in it
Humans in pain, opened up or with electrodes
attached – perhaps they beg for death Masks and body-suits of human form made out of
some kind of plastic
There is also a series of rooms where Mi-Go sometimes
receive modifications such as limb removal
S CIENTIFIC STORAGE
C ITY OF THE OUTER ONES This vast, domed cavern contains a city constructed of
towers of black Yuggoth stone. Thousands of Mi-Go live
here and the entire city emits a thrumming sound. A
series of major tunnels branch off leading to other sectors
of the city – mostly mining areas, farms, food storage and
processing plants and other entrances.
Entering this area, the investigators will be attacked by
2D6 Mi-Go workers (unarmed) within 1D6 rounds. 2D6
armed and armoured Mi-Go Soldiers will arrive in 3D6
rounds.
Details TBD
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BOSTONRev Charles Noyes runs a Spiritualist Church in Boston
called the Church of Astral Communion. He is also a ‘Son
of Yog-Sothoth’ at the Hermetic Order of the Silver
Twilight and a close friend of Carl Sanford. ‘The doctor'
likewise is the vice-leader and a ‘Knight of the Outer Void’.
Leads at the Church of Astral Communion might includethe location and significance of the Free-Will Church and
some secret that is kept there. Rev. Noyes will also have a
key that gives access to Round Hill/Dark Mountain.
THE SPIRITUALIST CHURCH OF ASTRAL
COMMUNION, BOSTON TBD
PROVIDENCE The investigators enter the Free-Will Church [and
retrieve an item that gives them access to Round Hill] .
T HE F REE -W ILL C HURCH OF S TARRY W ISDOM 352 Atwells Avenue
Access: Cellar door
Steeple: windowless
From Lillibridge's notes:
"“Prof. Enoch Bowen home from Egypt May 1844—buys
old Free-Will Church in July—his archaeological work &
studies in occult well known.”
“Dr. Drowne of 4th Baptist warns against Starry Wisdom
in sermon Dec. 29, 1844.”
“Congregation 97 by end of ’45.”
“1846—3 disappearances—first mention of Shining
Trapezohedron.”
“7 disappearances 1848—stories of blood sacrifice
begin.”
“Investigation 1853 comes to nothing—stories of
sounds.”
“Fr. O’Malley tells of devil-worship with box found in
great Egyptian ruins—says they call up something that
can’t exist in light. Flees a litt le light, and banished by
strong light. Then has to be summoned again. Probably
got this from deathbed confession of Francis X. Feeney,
who had joined Starry Wisdom in ’49. These people say
the Shining Trapezohedron shews them heaven & other
worlds, & that the Haunter of the Dark tells them secrets
in some way.”
“Story of Orrin B. Eddy 1857. They call it up by gazing at
the crystal, & have a secret language of their own.”"
Images:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cthulhuwho1/38108300
18/in/photostream/
If the Shining Trapezohedron is removed from the
Church, Nyarlathotep will – if possible – command his
human and Outer One servants to return it. [According to
another source the steeple is defended from sect
members by an Elder Sign.]
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CONCLUDING THE SCENARIO
SANITY AWARDS Killing Malachi or otherwise disrupting the sect.
Sanity reward = ?
Closing off the tunnel in the old church
Destroying the old church
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CAST OF CHARACTERS Rev. Walsh
Age
STR 11 CON 14 SIZ 13 INT 12 POW 14
DEX 11 APP 9 EDU SAN HP
Damage Bonus:
Weapons:
Skills:Armor:
Rev. Duganne
Age
STR CON SIZ INT POW
DEX APP EDU SAN HP
Damage Bonus:
Weapons:
Skills:
Armor:
Dr. HaynesMiddle-class Bostonian cultist and sorcerer.
Age
STR CON SIZ INT POW
DEX APP EDU SAN HP
Damage Bonus:
Weapons:
Skills:
Walter Brown
Rural cultist and sorcerer. Lives in a rundown hillside
place near the deep woods. Aseneth Bowen’s son
Age
STR CON SIZ INT POW
DEX APP EDU SAN HP
Damage Bonus:
Weapons:
Skills:
Unnamed sorceror
Sandy hair?
Suicide cultist
Reverend Charles Noyes
Middle-class Bostonian cultist and sorcerer.
Age
STR CON SIZ INT POW
DEX APP EDU SAN HP
Damage Bonus:
Weapons:
Skills:
Henry Akeley
To the south of Townshend is Henry Akeley’s farm. Atrim, white house with two storeys and an attic, built
around 1800. The lawn is well-kept with a stone bordered
path leading to a Georgian doorway.
At this time he has a housekeeper.
A retired anthropologist from the University of Vermont.
The folklorist is present in his house on the side of the hill
and is already gathering information about the strange
creatures of the area. He has a recording made in 1915
near the mouth of a cave of buzzing and human voices.Akeley cannot be persuaded to join the characters’
investigation but he is willing to show them where the
cave is. There are indeed footprints there.
He also has photographs of a footprint of an Outer One,
the mouth of a woodland cave blocked by a round boulder
with similar tracks in front of it and another of a circle of
standing stones on the summit of a wild hill
Age
STR CON SIZ INT POW
DEX APP EDU SAN HP
Damage Bonus:
Weapons:
Skills:
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APPENDICES
APPENDIX 1: ABOUT THE OUTER ONES
T HEIR BUSINESS ON E ARTH TBD
T HEIR OPERATION IN V ERMONT TBD
C ASTES TBD
Worker
Soldier
Priest
Scientist
Thinker
S ENSITIVITY TO LIGHT In H.P. Lovecraft’s The Whisperer in Darkness, the Outer
Ones are described as travelling abroad only in darkness.
The Outer One that disguises itself as Henry Akeley is
sitting in a darkened room. The planet Yuggoth (Pluto)
itself is almost lightless. All this strongly implies that the
Outer Ones not only can navigate without light, but that
they are sensitive to even moderate light. Prolonged
exposure damages their visual tissues and in the short
term they experience pain and impaired vision.
Light conditions Effect
Dim light (twilight or a brightly lit room) Skills at -10
Moderate to bright light (daylight) Skills at ½
APPENDIX TWO: TIMELINE 1832: Abednego Mesach Akeley is born in Windham
County, Vermont
1835: a prosperous merchant builds the 'Corbitt' house,
but immediately falls ill and sells it to a Mr. Walter
Corbitt, esquire, the owner of a successful, local furnitureshop.
1843, Egypt: Professor Enoch Bowen, archaeologist and
student of the occult, found the Shining Trapezohedron in
the Labyrinth of Kish.
1844: May Professor Enoch Bowen ceases his excavations
of Nephren-Ka's tomb upon finding the Shining
Trapezohedron, and returns to Providence. Bowen
founds the Starry Wisdom sect, buying the old Free-Will
Church for its headquarters. This cult used the crystal to
summon the Haunter, to whom they made blood
sacrifices of infants and children.
1846: Disappearances begin in Providence that rumors
link to the Starry Wisdom Church. The Haunter had
decided to allow its links to this realm to grow through
these rituals, so that it might find the most suitable host
for its essence. It told its followers it awaited the proper
time and place to come forth in the shape of man.
1851: A minor schism within the Starry Wisdom Church
results in Rev. Orin B. Eddy setting up in an abandoned
church in the North End of Boston with financial and
practical aid from Walter Corbitt and with part of the
Starry Wisdom Church’s collection of artifacts, occult
texts, especially their collection of Egyptian funerary
texts. It is called Chapel of Contemplation & Church of
Our Lord Granter of Secrets. The practices of the Chapel
are in the style of a Spiritualist Church with séances,
sometimes aided by sorcery such as Telekinesis or by
information gathered from the Haunter of the Dark in
Providence, but mostly through various forms of fakery.
With the aid of certain ancient funerary texts, Orin B.
Eddy makes progress rediscovering Ancient Egyptian
techniques for everlasting life.
1852: Walter Corbitt is sued by neighbors, who petition
to force him to leave the area "in consequence of his
surious [sic] habits an unauspicious demeanor."
The Starry Wisdom’s power grew as Bowen received
direct guidance from the Haunter. In return for the blood
sacrifices, the Haunter gave the cultists information by
means of which they obtained various artifacts and
numerous dread tomes. They collected copies of the
Necronomicon, Unaussprechlichen Kulten, Liber Ivonis,
Cultes de Goules, De Vermis Mysteriis, Pnakotic
Manuscripts, and the Book of Dzyan.
1858: A growing feud between Orin B Eddy and the main
body of the Starry Wisdom Church ends in the death of
Eddy. His body is cremated and buried in the crypt. Rev.
Elisha Bishop is placed in charge of the Chapel of
Contemplation. He discovers and continues Eddy’s
Afterlife work.
The Chapel becomes quite influential in Boston due to the
patronage of powerful people as well as access to
potentially damaging information on certain influential
people.
1863: A branch of Starry Wisdom opens in Townshend,
Vermont, based at a vacation home owned by Dr.
Raymond Flagg. Flagg comes to influence the young
minister Abednego Akeley, who initially challenges him
but is impressed by the power that Flagg can invoke.
At this point, the Starry Wisdom Cult in Providence had
over 200 members.
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1865: Enoch Bowen dies. Dr Flagg takes over the central
sect. Bowen’s daughter Aseneth is vice-leader and pastor
of the Providence branch. Enoch Bowen is mummified
and entombed in the crypts of the Freewill Church.
Whether the rituals designed to maintain life after death
were successful or not is not entirely clear.
1866 Evidently Corbitt wins the lawsuit. His obituary in
1866 states that he still lived in the same place. It also
states that a second lawsuit was being waged to prevent
Corbitt from being buried in his basement, as provided by
his will. Executor of Walter Corbitt's will was Reverend
Michael Thomas (age 22), pastor of the Chapel of
Contemplation & Church of Our Lord Granter of Secrets.
1868: The Reverend Samuel Shadrach Solomon Akeley,
father of Abednego Akeley, dies. Abednego succeeds him
as reverend, but immediately after the funeral he left
Vermont and travelled in southern New England. On his
return, he begins preaching the doctrines of StarryWisdom to his flock and converts his church affiliation to
the Church of Starry Wisdom. In fact he was already a
convert and was simply awaiting his father’s death to
complete his training in Providence and Boston. The
church is renamed as West River Valley Church of Starry
Wisdom. Controversy and scandal follow.
1869: A group of Irish vandalize the Starry Wisdom
Church in Providence, apparently in retaliation for their
perceived involvement in kidnapping a fellow.
1871: Abednego Akeley dies at the age of 39 and his
church closes. Rev. Akeley was killed by an unknown
assailant. And seriously wounded, he asked to have his
brain removed that he might explore the mysteries of the
cosmos. He leaves behind a son, Henry Wentworth
Akeley, conceived hours before his death. The mother is
Sarah Elizabeth Phillips, a servant in the Akeley’s
household. After Rev. Akeley’s ‘death’ most of the
congregation move to Providence, others remain,
continuing to consort with the Outer Ones and passing
their secret doctrines from parent to child. Meanwhile,
some community leaders are gradually brought under the
influence of the Outer Ones or replaced with those who
are already.
A branch of the Starry Wisdom sect in Chicago known as
the Celestial Providence sect is disbanded by the Great
Chicago Fire.
1872: West River Valley Church is restored as a
Congregational denomination church, Akeley’s
replacement is Rev. Walter W. Baker who is from
elsewhere in Vermont. Meanwhile, the Starry Wisdomdoctrine survives to some extent among former members
of the congregation.
1876: Policemen showed up at the Chapel of
Contemplation’s doorstep in search of a sacred golden
box (once the property of Nephren-Ka) from Egypt which
had vanished from the British Museum shortly after
Bishop made an unsuccessful bid to purchase it. (This box
would eventually show up in the hands of Rupert
Merriweather, with whom it will be found at the start of
the rulebook’s “The Edge of Darkness” scenario.) The
authorities, upon searching the Chapel, found the false
panels and secret doors used to stage séances and trick
congregants.
1877 May: The Starry Wisdom cult in Providence is
disbanded after threats from the locals. The cultists leave
town by year's end. Aseneth Bowen was commanded by
the Haunter to leave the Shining Trapezohedron in the
church for safekeeping. Empowered by the Haunter, Dr.
Flagg and Aseneth Bowen wove a spell casting an aura of
dread and fear over the building. The crystal was left in
the church, along with some of the sect’s library of occult
texts. No one in the neighborhood dared to explore the
church. [Alternatively, Elder Signs left on the doorways
prevent their re-entry?]
The Townshend and Boston sects are reinforced by
refugees from Providence. The Townshend sect is now
about 40 strong, but is forced to practice in secret.
Others migrate to Boston, where they swell the
attendance at the Chapel of Contemplation. Many others
head west, to California, where a branch is established inLos Angeles.
Meanwhile, remnants of the sect continue secretly in
Providence under the leadership of Aseneth Bowen.
Elisha Bishop dies. While a coffin went into a plot in
Mount Auburn, his body rested in a small, secret chamber
beneath the Chapel of Contemplation. Spiritualist
manifestations within the chapel picked up considerably,
as Bishop’s spirit made itself manifest. Thomas revives
the sect with the aid of Elisha Bishop’s ‘spirit’.
1880: Rev. Baker of the West River Valley Church
apparently goes insane during a service, rabidly accusing
members of the congregation of being sinners. He beats
one woman to death with a Bible and injures several
other congregants before being restrained. He is hanged
at the State Prison and House of Correction in Windsor,
Vermont in 1908.
The new minister is a local man, Rev. Samuel Aster. Aster
was once a member of Rev. Akeley’s congregation,
initiated into the Starry Wisdom doctrine. After hisProtestant ordination, he was secretly ordained in the
Starry Wisdom Church at the Chapel of Contemplation
(the Free-Will Church has been closed). He incorporates
Starry Wisdom doctrine into some of his sermons and has
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a secret inner circle of initiates known as ‘The Million
Favored Ones’ who continue to consort with the Outer
Ones.
c. 1880: Ghost stories centering around the former Starry
Wisdom Church begin around this time. A Yorkshire
branch of the cult arises, possibly founded by Dr.
Raymond Flagg. It is active until around 1890.
Winter 1881: Marrion Allen, an amateur occultist from
Arkham, and leader of a group calling themselves ‘The
Dark Brotherhood’ joins The Chapel of Contemplation in
Boston.
Feb. 1882: Marrion Allen steals two items from the
Chapel, both artifacts from the tomb of Nephren-Ka: a
miniature sarcophagus and an ancient Egyptian trumpet.
August 1883: Marion Allen flees from members of Starry
Wisdom to New Orleans where he sells the Trumpet of
Ptah at a curio shop in an attempt to raise funds to flee
the country. Soon after, he is killed by agents of Starry
Wisdom on the docks.
1890: By this time, the Yorkshire Starry Wisdom cult has
fallen apart. Dr. Flagg seems to have disappeared after
this.
1892: Aseneth Bowen dies. Her body is mummified in a
chamber beneath her house in Providence by Rev.
Michael Thomas.
1893: The spell around the original church prevented
anyone from entering the building until a reporter from
the Providence Telegram, Edwin M. Lillibridge, possessed
of great force of will, made his way into the building to
investigate stories of the church being haunted. He found
the crystal and accidentally summoned the Haunter. The
Haunter killed Lillibridge in a failed attempt to merge
with the hapless human.
1895: An edition of De Vermis Mysteriis is supposedly
published by Starry Wisdom Press, (registered office in
Boston) but no copies have been found.
1909: Starry Wisdom Press allegedly releases a version of
Unaussprechlichen Kulten as well, but no copies are ever
found.
1911: A New Orleans jazz musician and trumpet-maker
called Lightning Billy Watkins spots the Trumpet of Ptah
in a curio shop and noting it’s unusual tones, converts it
into a modern trumpet.
1912: Charles Noyes, the son of a wealthy Bostonindustrialist is ordained as a minister by Rev. Michael
Thomas at the Chapel of Contemplation at the age of 18.
Secret raid on the Chapel of Contemplation & Church of
Our Lord Granter of Secrets occasioned by affidavits
swearing that members of the church were responsible
for the disappearances of neighborhood children. Chapel
is closed. During the raid, three policemen and seventeen
cult members were killed by gunplay or fire. Autopsy
reports are singularly undetailed and uninformative, as
though the coroner had not actually performed
examinations. Though 54 members of the church were
arrested, all but eight were released. The records hint of
illegal intervention in the proceedings by important local
official, offering an explanation of shy stories of the battle
- the biggest criminal action in the city's history - never
appeared in print (the existence of the cult, the details of
what was found and the bloodbath that ensued were so
embarrassing that the whole thing was covered up).
Pastor Michael Thomas (age 71) was arrested and
sentenced to 40 years in prison on five counts of second-
degree murder.
Rev. Charles Noyes (who later also becomes a member of
the Hermetic Order of the Silver Twilight) takes nominal
charge of the remnants of the Starry Wisdom sect in
Boston.
1914: Noyes is ordained as a minister of the
Congregational Protestant Church at the age of 20.
1917: Thomas, aged 73 vanishes from his cell one night,
leaving two guards torn apart and five prisoners insane.
He uses sorcery – stealing copper pipes he making acopper dagger and uses it in a ritual to summon and then
bind a dimensional shambler. Charles Noyes and Samuel
Aster help Thomas slip away to Vermont without a trace.
He begins to preach thinly-veiled Starry Wisdom doctrine
in the Townshend area under the pseudonym, ‘Rev.
Malachi Sethom’. Aster allows him to stay in his house and
then with Noyes’ help assists him to buy a small house of
his own. Knowing that his end is near, Michael Thomas
works determinedly to restore the now-endangered art of
perpetual life.
1919: Lightning Billy Watkins is committed to a mental
hospital after mysterious events during a New Orleans
funeral march.
1920: Aster retires. His replacement is Rev. Charles
Noyes. Meanwhile Sethom continues his lay preaching.
Increasingly Noyes allows Sethom to preach at the
church, while he looks after business interests in Boston
and begins to establish a new church at the old Bayfriar’s
Church, 540 E Church St, Arkham.
Aleister Crowley's (flawed) English translation of theBlack Book of the Skull is published by Starry Wisdom
Press, with offices in Los Angeles.
People have begun to disappear in Vermont.
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1921: Rev. Walsh arrives, hears rumours of strange
practices in the area
1920s: A Los Angeles-area branch of the Starry Wisdom
Cult reaches the peak of its popularity, lasting through the
1930s
New York jazz musician Leroy Turner buys Lightning
Billy Watkins’ unusual trumpet from a curio shop in NewOrleans.
May Eve 1922: Rev. Duganne witnesses ceremonies in
the hills
Walsh and Duganne believe there is a survival of
witchcraft in the area
Walsh begins to preach against the Spiritualist Church of
Astral Communion and to publish sermons and letters in
the press about it
A correspondence possibly begins with one of the
investigators. Walsh starts to be spied on and
intimidated. He is not sure who to trust any more.
Walsh asks the investigators to help.
APPENDIX THREE: TRANSCRIPT OF HENRY
AKELEY’S RECORDING (Indistinguishable Sounds)
(A Cultivated Male Human Voice)
… is the Lord of the Wood, even to… and the gifts of themen of Leng… so from the wells of night to the gulfs ofspace, and from the gulfs of space to the wells of night,
ever the praises of Great Cthulhu, of Tsathoggua, and of
Him Who is not to be Named. Ever Their praises, and
abundance to the Black Goat of the Woods. Ia! Shub-
Niggurath! The Goat with a Thousand Young!
(A Buzzing Imitation of Human Speech)
Ia! Shub-Niggurath! The Black Goat of the Woods with a
Thousand Young!
(Human Voice)
And it has come to pass that the Lord of the Woods,
being… seven and nine, down the onyx steps … (tri)butes
to Him in the Gulf, Azathoth, He of Whom Thou has taughtus marv(els)… on the wings of night out beyond space,
out beyond th… to That whereof Yuggoth is the youngest
child, rolling alone in black aether at the rim…
(Buzzing Voice)
… go out among men and find the ways thereof, that He inthe Gulf may know. To Nyarlathotep, Mighty Messenger,
must all things be told.
And He shall put on the semblance of men, the waxen
mask and the robe that hides, and come down from the
world of Seven Suns to mock…
(Human Voice)
(Nyarl)athotep, Great Messenger, bringer of strange joy toYuggoth through the void, Father of the Million Favoured
Ones, Stalker among…
(Speech Cut Off by End of Record)
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APPENDIX FOUR: THE CHAPEL OF
CONTEMPLATION Several clues relating to this scenario can be found in The
Haunting. These are as follows:
The Corbitt Diary
Found in the old Corbitt Mansion, Boston. The three
volumes are in plain English, though sometimes strangely
phrased. Accounts of his occult experiments, morbid
sacrifices of children, magic rites and summonings, his
ambition to surpass the boundaries of mortality, reports
of law suits waged against him (protectors in high places).
Corbitt sees himself as a servant of He Who Waits
in the Dark.
Details of involvement with Chapel of
Contemplation.
Mentions Starry Wisdom in Providence.
Mentions summoning of ‘Walker Between theWorlds’
'Shining crystal' and describes communing with
'He Who Waits in the Dark' who grants his
followers profound secrets in return for sacrifices
(especially children).
Mentions names Prof Bowen and Dr Flagg.
Box found in Egyptian ruins.
Haunter summoned up in darkness, can't tolerate
light.
Mentions rivalry or split between Eddy and Flagg,
and death of Eddy.
Mentions ‘On Resurrection’ by Enoch Bowen.
Also discusses his work with Rev Orin B. Eddy,
Rev Elisha Bishop and Rev Michael Thomas on
Ancient Egyptian methods for establishing
eternal life.
Sanity loss 1/1D8; Cthulhu Mythos +4 percentiles; Occult
skill check; 10 weeks to study and comprehend/20 hours
to skim. Spells: "Summon Walker Between the Worlds"
(Summon/Bind Dimensional Shambler). There's no
further elaboration on the nature of this entity. This spelltakes 2D6 weeks to learn after the diaries are read, likely
too long to be useful in this adventure.
THE CHAPEL OF CONTEMPLATION Here follows a more detailed treatment of the Chapel of
Contemplation than found in The Haunting. Note also the
mythos tome in the original version is Liber Ivonis,
whereas here this has been substituted with De Vermis
Mysteriis.
BROTHERS OF THE Y ELLOW S IGN If the investigators enter the Chapel then leave it for at
least two days before returning, the break-in will have
been noted by The Brothers of the Yellow Sign. Two
agents are dispatched to investigate. They enter the
basement, a couple of days after the investigators,
possibly taking photos of evidence and removing
anything readily portable. They then take turns to watch
the place from an old Model-T Ford parked nearby.
The agents are out-of-work actors who’ve worked on
Guidicianni’s productions in the past. They don overalls
when they enter the basement and try to pass themselves
off as City of New York workmen conducting a ‘safety
inspection’. If an investigator is alone, the actors may try
to apprehend and interrogate him or her. They may also
tail the investigators. If they are able to gather enough
information about the investigators, where they live etc
they may be able to spy on them for a few weeks or
months. There could be break-ins attempting to locate
evidence from the basement. They could even be followed
on their next investigation.
Dan Sherritt, unemployed actor and agentof the Brotherhood of the Yellow Sign
Sherritt is intelligent and overweight. He gave up medical
school to become and actor and is now unemployed. After
attending a read-through of The King in Yellow he has
become a drug-addict, haunted by strange dreams and
manipulated by…
Age 28
STR 10 CON 12 SIZ 15 INT 15 POW 8
DEX 14 APP 14 EDU 18 SAN 25 HP 14
Damage Bonus: +1D4
Weapons:
StickFist
Grapple
Skills: Acting 70%, Singing 50, Bargain 25%, Disguise
61%, Drive Auto 30, Electrical Repair 20, Fast Talk 65,
Jump 35, Listen 35, Mechanical Repair 40, French 26,
English 100, Persuade 55, Psychology 50, Sneak 20, Spot
Hidden 35
Sandy Barthelemy Frost, unemployed
actor and agent of the Brotherhood of the
Yellow Sign
Frost is fairly handsome, but sickly and down on his luck.
He attended the reading of the play with Sherritt and is
obsessed with it. He is desperate to get hold of a copy.
Age 27
STR 11 CON 7 SIZ 12 INT 12 POW 12
DEX 14 APP 14 EDU 18 SAN 45 HP 10
Damage Bonus: 0
Weapons:
Skills: Acting 60%, Dancing 40, Bargain 50%, Disguise
66%, Fast Talk 65, French 31, English 80, Psychology 15,
Sneak 20, Spot Hidden 35
T HE C HAPEL S ITE
Ground Floor:
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This floor is almost completely destroyed. Fire and time
have reduced it to a scattering of bricks, a few remnants
of charred walls and blackened timbers. Most of the roof
is completely absent or lying collapsed on the ground.
There are no doors remaining. Grasses and weeds grow
up through the ground, hiding the decayed floorboards
beneath.
1. An empty doorway leads to the first open area. Over a
low wall lies the remains of a washbasin and a toilet
2. The largest space here. Under a collapsed section of
roofing is the remains of a central pedestal and the
remains of black paint that once covered it.
On the wall on the left is painted a symbol – a stylized
representation of the Three Lobed Eye. It was created
quite recently by Charles Noyes and Dr Hayes with white
paint. It is intended to show that the sect survives.
Spot Hidden reveals the remains of some words on the
walls of no known language (and now unintelligible).
At some point they become aware that the earth they
stand on is covering weakened floorboards: call for D100
rolls equal to or less than DEX x4. Those who get failing
rolls are unable to grab something secure when they feel
the floor give way. They fall ten feet into the basement.
Each falling investigator loses 1D6 hit points. They end up
in area 10.
If the floor is excavated, Spot Hidden reveals a decayed
trap door which would have to be dug through leading to
the passage below.
3. This passage once led from beneath the central stage in
Area 2 to the secret stage effects in Room 5. The passage
is partially filled with earth and water. Some of the
controls leading to Area 5 are here.
4. The wall on the right hand side has collapsed revealing
Room 5. Spot Hidden and Mechanical Repair reveal that
this wall once opened with an unusual pivot system.
5. This room contains the rusted remains of several
machines of unknown function. Mechanical Repair and an
Idea Roll may reveal that they included various special
effects machines. Well buried under these remains is a
trapdoor are the stairs to the inner circle meeting room
(Room 8). Again, the floor would need to be excavated in
order to find this.
6. Empty. Excavating the floor turns up a trapdoor to
areas 9 and 10.
7. Empty. A stairway completely choked with debris at
one end leads down into area 8.
8. Basement: Sealed off from the rest of the underground
areas, this area contains a furnace, a bookshelf and a few
pieces of broken furniture.
Secret Basement
This part of the basement was sealed off from the rest,
reached by separate stairs now buried under tons of
rubble.
10. Prison: In front of where the investigators land is a
locked cell with rusted floor-to-ceiling bars. The cell-door
is ajar and iron. Scratches on the walls remain. The doors
at either end are made of iron. Spot hidden reveals traces
of bone, which forensic examination will reveal to be
human.
9. Chained to a pedestal at one side of this area is a large
book. Examination proves it to be a Latin work, De Vermis
Mysteriis. It is the prize of those who can break the chain
(STR 30) or carry the pedestal out of the building(characters’ STR versus 36 on the resistance table to lift
up through to the outside world, no more than 3
characters may work together). No lock is present; the
chain is literally welded to the pedestal.
On an ancient-looking table, next to a silver candelabra,
rests a cup carved from black onyx, among the muck on
the floor is a six-inch, large-gauge needle.
There is a blocked trapdoor visible in the ceiling (STR 30
to open).
The bookshelf holds mostly works on theology, Middle
Eastern and Egyptian archaeology, and Spiritualism in
various shades of disrepair. An Occult, Archaeology, or
Theology (replace with an Idea roll by a clergyman if that
skill is not relevant) establishes that the books on that
particular topic are largely out of date.
In a file cabinet, (with Locksmith to open) is an extensive
set of notes on many prominent members of the
community at that time. An Accounting roll turns up the
organization’s mundane expenses, which areunremarkable save for a great deal of “donations” from
unspecified sources, payments for a safe deposit box
(where the leader keeps On Resurrection).
Library Use reveals the following items:
A journal of cult activities states that Walter
Corbitt was buried in the basement of Corbitt's
house "in accordance with his wishes and with
the wishes of that one who waits in the dark.”
A letter (Providence postmark) from Dr
Raymond Flagg to Orin B Eddy, pertaining to the
dispute that existed between them at this time
A letter (Townshend postmark) from Rev.
Abednego Akeley about arrangements for an
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upcoming visit, after which the sender plans to
spend several weeks in ‘the church in
Providence’. [see handout]
A photograph of a golden sarcophagus-shaped
box (The Sarcophagus of Nephren-Ka)
Timeline of Chapel of Contemplation
o 1851 Founded
o 1854 Elisha Bishop ordained
o 1858 Orin B Eddy died, Bishop takes
over
o 1865 Michael Thomas ordained
o 1866 Michael Thomas takes over
o 1868 Visit from Abednego Akeley
o 1912 Charles Noyes ordained
o 1912 Chapel shut down
11. A Spiritualist connection between this realm and the
realm of The Haunter has been created here. Anyone who
enters the room sees lights, even electric ones, dim. For
every few minutes spent in the room, a Sanity roll of 0/1
should be made.
A low stone slab occupies the center of this room, with a
few small wooden tables around it. At one end is a large,
dark mirror, now cracked. The walls are painted with
Egyptian hieroglyphs; appropriate skill rolls (Hieroglyphs
or halved Archaeology) establish that these are funerary
texts.
Within the this room are two skeletons dressed in
fragment or silk robes, perhaps cultists who hid from thepolice and then perished in the fire.
11B. Buried beneath this chamber is the secret tomb of
Elisha Bishop who ‘haunts’ the Chapel in much the same
way that Walter Corbitt haunts his house. He will become
active only if he feels his entombment is threatened.
DE VERMIS MYSTERIIS (incomplete)—in Latin, by
Ludwig Prinn. This worm-eaten folio was copied
imperfectly, and after further damage over the centuries
is missing great portions of the text. It describes itself as
containing "spells and enchantments", particularly those
that can summon strange entities. One such spell,
included in a "chapter dealing with familiars," summons a
"shambler from the stars. It contains references to "such
gods of divination as Father Yig, dark Han, and serpent-
bearded Byatis. The author "awesomely implies his
knowledge" of Nyarlathotep, "the oldest god of all Egypt".
There is a chapter called "Saracenic Rituals", which is said
to have "revealed the lore of the efreet and the djinn, the
secrets of the Assassin sects, the myths of Arabian ghoul-
tales, the hidden practices of dervish cults" and "the
legends of Inner Egypt". It describes cults of Bubastis and
Sebek, and on the Pharaoh Nephren-Ka's worship of
Nyarlathotep. Prinn's chapter on divination has some
information on "The Star of Sechmet", a mysterious
crystal. An invocation from the book: "Tibi, magnum
Innominandum, signa stellarum nigrarum et bufaniformis
Sadoquae sigillum ("To you, the great Not-to-Be-Named,
signs of the black stars, and the seal of the toad-shaped
Sadoquae"). Sanity loss 1D2/1D4; Cthulhu Mythos +5
percentiles; 18 weeks to study and comprehend/ 36
hours to skim. No usable spells.
THE SOCIETY OF RATIONAL CONTEMPLATION COURSE
IN SPECULATIVE PHILOSOPHY—in English, French and
Spanish editions. Twenty-four cheap, paper-bound
volumes available as a correspondence course covering
such topics as secret societies, telepathy, astral projection,
yoga, and root races. Aspects of the Mythos are alluded to,
but never fully revealed. The reading time given does not
include the time for mailing and to finish the
“examinations” and “exercises” that must be reported for
the next section to be sent. Sanity loss 0/1D4; Cthulhu
Mythos +2 percentiles; two Occult skill checks, one
halfway through reading; 12 weeks to study and
comprehend/24 hours to skim. No spells.
THE BOOK OF THE DEAD—Sanity loss: None; Occult +3;
Spells: None
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Dr Raymond Flagg
Providence
Rev. Orin B. Eddy
Chapel of ContemplationBoston
February 3 rd 1858
Rev. Eddy,
The secrets of the Divine Principle cannot be spread
haphazardly about the world. Please respect the wishes
of our esteemed founder, return to the fold and restore
the integrity of the True Church. True and deep
communion with The Divine Principle can be found o nly
through the Shining Crystal. You cannot operate
independently. Without true communion religion is
empty and false. Do not speak against the interests of
the Starry Wisdom Church again. Do not create further
conflict.
If you fancy any possibility for your restoration you
will respond within one week. Do not forget that y our
power is pale next to Ours. Your chapel exists only byOur tolerance.
Raymond Flagg
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Rev Abednego Akeley
West River Valley Church
West Townshend
Vermont
October 19 t h 1868
Dear Rev. Michael Thomas,
It is my understanding that Dr. Flagg has
spoken to you o f my wish to visit the Chapel of
Contemplation ( Church of Our Lord Granter of
Secrets) next month for a period of study and
reflection in preparation for my ordination in the
Church of Starry Wisdom.
It is with the greatest sadness that I witnessed
the passing on of my father, Reverend Samuel
Akeley on October 5 th . Responsibility for the
immortal souls of the congregation weighs
heavily upon my heart and I cannot in all honesty
put full faith in the Congregational Protestantism
in which I have been raised and ordained. It is
with profound gratitude that I look back upon the
teachings, wonders and revelations of Dr. Flagg
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during my visits with him at his vacation ho use
in West Townshend, for it was through his
generous exposition that my false world view and
faith was shattered and true faith born in its
place. Mankind at large truly is lost, being cut off
from the Divine and I have come to see the
Church of conventional Christianity as a pale
shadow, almost a mockery of the Divine Truth,
with false prophets at its head. With Dr. Flagg’s
generosity I have come to know the DivinePrinciple myself directly through and as He Who
Waits in the Dark and through communion with
the Outer Ones. It is to the Starry Wisdom
Church, perhaps the sole heirs of the wisdom of
the Magi, that I owe the greatest gratitude an d to
which I offer my life in service.
I sincerely hope that you will accept my
request for a visit of study and contemplation of
one month before I move onto the Mother Church
in Providence. I hope that the date of November
10 t h is convenient for my arrival. A fter my
ordination, I shall return to Vermont to spread
the Joyous Truth to my kinsmen in Vermont.