Tales of Terror 1996 - contents

An Apology

Blown Glass G W Thomas
The Wall of Bones Helen Rich
Images of Doom Simon Taylor
A Discarded Parcel Hadley Connor
Grave Tidings Shannon Appel
The Book of Sand Charles Ross
The Tattoo Steve Hatherley
Dirty Curtain Ric Norton
High Fashion Eamon Honan
Suitable For Framing Bill Dietze
The Grainger Street Plates Lynne Wilson
Pest Trouble Allen Varney
The Scarecrow Hadley Connor
A Turn of Fate Joe Louderback
Buzzing Simon Taylor
The Hungry Woods Robin Low
The Mirror of Blood Charles Ross
Empty Streets Markus Huenemoerder
Birthday Presence Pete Wright
Cats Lynne Wilson
Pussy's in the Well Jon Freeman
The Desecration Hadley Connor
Unnatural Behaviour Steve Hatherley
Cop Killers Vince Vatter
City Fear Simon Taylor
Spaceman Eamon Honan
Mr Feste's Old Curiosity Shop Garrie Hall
The Last Carriage Robin Low
Strategic Industries M J Aylor
Virus Steve Hatherley
The City in the Skull Matthew Grossman
Safely Behind Bars Hadley Connor
The Odin Disc Charles Ross
Little Death Steve Hatherley
End of the World M J Aylor
The Fatted Calf Simon Taylor
Small Things Forgotten Bill Dietze
Man's Best Friend Pete Wright
The Weeping Madonna Ric Norton
Fear and Amnesia Matthew Grossman
Peverill Manor Steve Hatherley
Sylvia Charles Ross
Pharos Hadley Connor
Ghost Train G W Thomas
The Phennor Fragments Robin Low
Spare Some Change? Jon Freeman
Loving Spoonful Ric Norton
Fluke Charles Ross
Jenny Beckett's Ghost Lynne Wilson
From the (Spaces Between) Stars Hadley Connor
The Carpet Steve Hatherley
Ghost in the Machine Markus Huenemoerder
Period Pains Simon Taylor
Stray Cat Strut Garrie Hall
Drinking in the Blues Eamon Honan
Book of Bones Allen Varney

Introduction to Tales of Terror 1996

An Apology

The constant demands of inventive investigators can strain even experienced Keepers to breaking point. Strange avenues of research, odd characters to follow, distractions and red herrings; investigators are always going where no Keeper ever expected them to. It's no surprise to see harassed Keepers plundering published scenarios, hunting for ideas and titbits to be cannibalised and converted.

Tales of Terror was created to fill this niche; a showcase of ideas, thoughts and flashes of inspiration - ready for use. Each Tale is a scenario idea stripped clean of dead meat, rotting statistics and wretched prose.

Well, that was the original idea. That was (I think) going through my head seven years ago, when I edited the first Tales of Terror collection. That was a long time ago and I vowed never to do another.

But the monster will not die. Tales of Terror currently lives on in the pages of The Unspeakable Oath and has now spawned a second edition, the book you are reading.

While I am not sure if Tales of Terror succeeds in its original brief, it has produced an interesting effect. While many scenarios (and this is especially true of campaigns) are Earth-shattering romps of cosmic significance, most Tales tend to be quite the opposite, concentrating on the personal horror and quieter weirdness encountered by our poor heroes.

If scenarios are analogous to horror novels (and campaigns to multi-book epics), that makes the humble Tale of Terror a short story. And while I enjoy horror novels, it has always been short stories that send shivers down my spine. Hopefully, when you drop these Tales on your poor unsuspecting players, they will feel equally unsettled.

Above all, this collection is yours to do what you will. Adapt them, twist them, steal them. But most of all, please use them.

Steve Hatherley

(This is the introduction to the 1996 Tales of Terror collection.) 

Suitable for Framing

Danielle Cartwright has recently inherited a portrait from the estate of her grandmother’s brother. Cartwright was not close and thought it rather odd to be remembered by the deceased. The portrait is of a nondescript man and is set in a large, ornate frame. It is dated nearly 70 years ago, but there is no author’s signature. While the painting is no Rembrandt, it is not a bad work of art either.

Pleased with the picture, Cartwright hangs it in an out of the way place in her home. As the days pass, however, she begins to feel uncomfortable and gets the impression that the painting is watching her. As the days pass, this feeling becomes more and more oppressive; the feeling remains even when she is not in the same room at the painting.

Finally, one night, there is a crash in the room where the picture is hanging. Rushing into the room, Cartwright finds the painting undamaged and lying on the floor. The screw holding the hanging wire to the back of the painting has come undone, causing the heavy painting to fall. Cartwright is now convinced that there is something unusual about the painting.

Preliminary research concerning her deceased relative reveals little that might be construed as unusual or occult in nature. However, Cartwright discovers that she was not specifically listed in the inheritance. Instead, its original inheritor passed it off to another family member after only a few days, who then passed it to another, until the painting came to her. The other family members cannot give a clear reason for passing the painting on, other than they did not like it.

Possibilities

1 There is nothing wrong with the painting. The portrait’s eyes have been superbly rendered, and the rest is Cartwright’s imagination. Unfortunately, she is now obsessed with the painting and refuses to believe that it is normal.

2 During Pickman’s early years he was forced to paint over finished works when there was not enough money to purchase more canvas. The portrait is one which was commissioned by Danielle Cartwright’s great-great-great uncle during Pickman’s early period. While the present portrait has no unique qualities of its own, what lies beneath is an original, and truly horrifying, Pickman masterpiece.

Careful examination of the portrait reveals a painting beneath it, and careful restoration reveals the original in its full, cruel and grisly glory.

3 The painting is similar to the portrait in Oscar Wilde’s ‘The Portrait of Dorian Gray,’ and absorbs any physical damage done to the owner of the painting. As weeks progress, the portrait slowly changes to take on the likeness of the new owner. Once this is completed (in about a year’s time), Cartwright realizes the painting’s true nature. Old age and any damage is reflected in the painting, while Cartwright remains unharmed. The portrait displays injuries very graphically - and seeing it slowly causes Cartwright to lose grip on her sanity. Destroying the portrait returns all damage to Cartwright, probably killing her.

© Bill Dietze