Latin Course

This takes place after the investigators have found a book written in Latin - a language they don’t already master. Therefore they need to learn Latin before they can read the ancient book. As luck would have it, there’s a Latin course held at the local university. The course is taken by Professor Donald Brown, an elderly man with a strange accent.

Image by artflow.ai

Possibilities

1 Donald Brown is a sorcerer from Hungary. The locals discovered his Mythos activities and poisoned him. He survived but was partly paralyzed and managed to escaped to the USA. As a professor of Latin, it was easy for him to get a job at the university. The class also gives him opportunity to meet young people with healthy bodies. He now plans on finding someone with a weak mind and perform a mind transfer to get a new healthy young body.

2 One of the other students is Timothy Lyman, a young dilettante. He is taking the course to improve his Latin, as his present skill in the language was not sufficient to read a newly-bought book. The book, however, is written by Nyarlathotep and contains a spell that will summon Azathoth. Once someone has begun reading the book, they are compelled to complete it and cast the spell. If they does not do this then Nyarlathotep sends dreams to the reader, forcing him to finish the task. The dreams describe how anyone casting the spell will be greatly rewarded by the Deamon Sultan. Unknown to Lyman, however, summoning Azathoth resembles detonating a nuclear bomb.

3 The investigators feel unwelcome. It is as if the rest of the class (including the professor) is keeping a secret from them. The truth is that the whole class is a cult, and the lecturer is the high priest. Nobody actually learns Latin during the lectures (instead Latin cult phrases are repeated and learned by rote). The investigators have been placed in this class by mistake - will they discover the mistake before they are abducted and sacrificed at the next sabbath?

© Nicolai E Lassen

The Lady Macbeth

When the investigators are stalled in the investigation of a crime, their suspicions are drawn to a middle-aged woman of nervous disposition, who seems to have few friends, wears black gloves in spite of the summer heat and frequently excuses herself to ‘powder her nose’. It is eventually revealed that the woman’s hands are continually covered in blood, which no amount of washing can remove.

Possibilities

1 The woman is a witch, and her family has long been suspected by the townspeople of conducting degenerate rituals and blasphemous rites for personal gain and to bring about ill-fortune for those who slight them. However, her recent attempt to summon Azathoth itself went terribly wrong and robbed her of her sanity. In trying to remove the remembered taint, she has developed an obsessive compulsion to wash her hands. She scrubs them so raw that they bleed.

2 The woman is a scientist examining meteorites for signs of life. Her studies involve taking samples from fresh meteorites and incubating them to coax any life-forms that may be present to vigour.  Upon analysis, the substance on the woman’s hands turns out not to be blood - at least, not blood in its original form. It is an ichor that seems to have something chemically in common with the faeces of vampire bats. The ichor is in fact the visible manifestation of a parasitic alien organism, which draws the blood into its invisible body and then excretes it. Thus, no amount of washing will make these hands clean.

3 She is suffering from the rare condition of acquired haemophilia, which was triggered by pregnancy. One month ago, she brought a daughter into the world, and her condition has rapidly deteriorated. The pain and stress caused by haemophilia probably contributed to the severe postnatal depression she felt, which led her to smother her baby with a pillow. Although the death was written off as “sudden infant death syndrome” and she has escaped earthly punishment, her guilt has tipped her over the edge. She will not take care of herself and is convinced that her bleeding is not a symptom of illness, but a punishment from God.

© Barbara Robson and Stuart Barrow

Under new management

A local asylum has appointed a new head of staff after dismissing the last one as quietly as possible. The new Doctor has an interesting manner of treating the ill, paying particular attention to each patient, and he has ushered in an atmosphere of respect and dignity. Other members of staff have commented on the doctor’s success with the schizophrenic and paranoid patients who, previously thought incurable, now speak coherently.

The doctor has also shown an interest in events about town, attending those related to the strange or supernatural with noted passion. The investigators, if they have not met him before at the asylum, might encounter him at one such occasion, a dinner party.

The doctor and the investigators attend a dinner party given by a local spiritualist, who heads some local society for the feeble exploitation of the mundanely odd. The investigators enjoy a pleasant evening of food, conversation, and wine with the doctor and the host.

The Doctor is the first to leave, about twenty minutes ahead of everyone else.

On their way home, the investigators suffer from peculiar emotions of disease and apprehension. They feel light-headed from the wine, and the starless night turns their feelings into paranoia. Once they get home they feel safe. For a time.

Later that night, they discover an odd doll-like figure in their room. The dolls wear small-scale normal clothes of the period, either male or female, but lack any defining features--their faces are white, blank globes. If handled, the doll squirms, and attempts to scramble up the investigator's arm towards her/his face. The dolls are amorphous and gooey, and all but impervious in their single-minded attempt to reach the investigator’s face.

Possibilities

1 The dolls are a hallucination, a nightmare. Mentioning the phenomena to anyone results in a visit from the new doctor, and a declaration of insanity may be quick to follow. If this happens, the new patient finds her/himself interned in a clean, orderly mental hospital, where the doctor and staff patiently try to cure them.

2 Asking around after the nightmare reveals that everyone who intended the party had some sort of nervous experience, though some decline to share its nature. Investigation reveals that the curious society led by last night’s host is much more adept than it seems at the arts of the supernatural. Investigation leads to a plot to replace officials and people in power in the town, with members loyal to this group. The dolls are part of a dark magic meant to rob someone of their sanity by implanting dementia-causing toxins into the victim’s bodies.

The doctor may at first be thought an ally, but has already been replaced.

3 The dolls are a hallucination suffered by everyone attending the dinner. The hallucinations were caused by the new doctor who poisoned the wine with a powerful hallucinogen on his way back from the restroom. The nightmarish visions persist, and eventually, the victims feel persecuted everywhere, seeing life-sized, faceless horrors shuffling towards them, obscenely sucking air through their white, viscous flesh.

These delusions will eventually turn a sane man mad, without treatment. Unfortunately, the cure offered at the asylum is worse - the doctor is creating from the minds of the mad, a perfect mirror for the mindless horror that is Azathoth. Individuals are locked alone in a dark room, with only a small white doll for company. The hallucinations return, with the creature refusing to rest until it has slid its way bloodily into the investigator’s brain. There it prepares the victim’s mind for the glory and the terror of an eternity of Azathoth.

The Scarecrow

A small village has recently been the target of a series of murders, all sharing the same modus operandi. The victims are found impaled by a large pitchfork against a convenient wall. The murders have occurred on a weekly basis, always on the same evening; the killer has already struck six times – once during each of the preceding six weeks.

Small patches of straw have been found littered around the dead individual’s room, while witnesses report seeing a scrawny, humanoid figure flee the scene. One witness, Mr Addey, claims that its eyes blazed with a hellish, unearthly light. A few residents believe that Mr Addey was drunk at the time, but the majority accept his tale as the truth. Superstitious residents now speak (in hushed tones) of the “Scarecrow”, a malign entity that, as legend has it, committed similar acts two hundred years ago.

Possibilities

1 The murders are actually being committed by Mr Addey. His victims were all farmers, each possessing a sizable tract of land. With the farmers dead he plans to buy the land from the grieving family (for a fraction of its actual value) and put it to profitable use.

Addey has heard of the “Scarecrow” legend and makes his murders look like the work of the foul creature, knowing that the locals will not pursue their enquires too enthusiastically. Once each week, Mr Addey dons the scarecrow disguise and follows his victim home.

2 Two hundred years ago a sorcerer called Krakenartos lived in a tower located a mile outside of the village. His sleeping chambers and living quarters were within the tower, while his laboratory, study and library were situated beneath it.

Krakenartos, although a kindly individual, became concerned when a mob of townsfolk attempted to enter his abode. From that fateful day, he began to appreciate his own mortality and created a guardian for his tower. Krakenartos animated a scarecrow, since its function was also to deter pests. The “scarecrow” was a powerful construct; its strength many times that of a man. The creature was capable of fending off the primitive attempts of the townsfolk to breach Krakenartos’ home. Any who crossed the threshold were ruthlessly hunted - even beyond the confines of the tower - and killed.

The townsfolk shunned the tower, and Krakenartos continued his studies undisturbed. Two hundred years passed and the tower fell into ruin, sealing the subterranean complex. Krakenartos is long dead, but his creature lives on.

Recently several townsfolk uncovered the entrance and explored Krakenartos’ sanctuary. They kept their discovery to themselves. After such a long period of inactivity the creature was slow to respond and by the time it had fully awakened its prey had left.

Since then it has eliminated six of the trespassers. After each attack it withdraws to regain sufficient energy for its next assault.

3 Two months ago one of the villagers, Paul Townsend, inherited a substantial sum of money and the diary of a distant relative – a seventeenth century sorcerer. The tome, as well as being an account of his life, details various blasphemous rituals.

Mr Townsend gathered together a group of his seven closest friends and randomly selected a ritual to try. It was the Call Azathoth spell. Fortunately (for them) they failed to summon the deity, but a link was established to the court of Azathoth. A single Lesser Other God was wrenched from its master’s side and deposited upon the Earth. Unable to return to Azathoth’s court; it possessed the nearest unresisting humanoid form – a scarecrow. It knows that it is bound to the planet for only as long as its summoners live. After the ceremony it killed the first of the group but had insufficient energy to attack another.

When the group heard of their comrade’s death, they assumed Azathoth (whom they believe to be a demon) was responsible. The following week they attempted to Dismiss Azathoth. This failed as Azathoth was not around to be dismissed, but the released energies were absorbed by the Lesser Other God who then killed another.

So the cycle continues: each week the group try to dismiss Azathoth but instead rejuvenate it.

© Hadley Connor

A Turn of Fate

A dreidel is a four-sided top. It’s a harmless toy played with by children at Hanukkah, a Jewish festival celebrating the rededicating of the Temple at Jerusalem. This one, however, is different.

It is always cold to the touch, though a thermometer gives normal readings. Animals, especially cats, seem wary of it or its bearer. Cats will scratch anyone carrying it who tries to pet them. Even the baby who tries to put everything he can in his mouth won’t touch it, and tries to crawl away.

The top itself is solid lead, and weighs about 150 grams, as it should. The four square faces are about 2 cm on a side. The first four Hebrew letters, aleph, beth, gimel, and dan, protrude slightly from each face on the top’s body, one letter to a face. When spun, this dreidel makes an eerie whistling sound, not at all like a normal dreidel. The whistling is due to air rushing through small holes where the raised letters attach to the top’s body, If the investigator pries off these letters, he finds odd carvings underneath.

Possibilities

1 The carvings are Aklo letters representing magic, death, power, and knowledge. The top was once owned by the serpent man Ynarak, who used it to locate strong necromantic regions, such as burial mounds, murder sites, or terrible accidents. The range of this device is about four miles. If there are no places within range, then repeated uses of the dreidel creates one. (Astute investigators may notice an increase in killings coinciding with increased use of the top.) If an appropriate spot is located, the letters glow, and the top acts as a gyroscope with the stem always pointing toward the centre of the region.

2 The top is one of four, and the carvings are mystic symbols which spell the last syllable of Azathoth’s secret name. Investigators knowing the spell Curse of Azathoth will know this. The other three tops spell the rest of the name. If the tops are used in ceremonies praising Azathoth, there is a chance He or one of his servitors will ‘reward’ the celebrants.

Unfortunately, spinning the top becomes addictive and eventually the poor owner is dragged away by Azathoth. At first the owner hears strange piping sounds all the time. Doctors consider this hysteria. Then he begins dreaming about the Outer God. Finally, the owner (and possibly a chunk of the surrounding countryside) disappears.

3 Even with the outer faces removed the top still whistles. It was a gift from Nyarlathotep to the now dead sorcerer Karlon Angor, which increases the chance to summon and control a flying polyp. Unfortunately, each time the top is spun there is a cumulative chance of summoning an uncontrolled polyp. Eibon writes of such devices, though this one is not mentioned specifically. Some experimentation may be necessary to discover the top’s secret.

© Joe Louderback

Scarlet Fever

It is a rather peculiar disease, liquefying flesh into a thick red jelly, leaving only bones and skin untouched. Bodily functions continue unimpaired until the end. It is so rare that it does not yet have a name, let alone a cure.

Victims are often completely unaware that they carry the disease. Realisation sinks in only when cut: instead of blood, jelly wells out of the wound. Their skin does not heal, and if left unbandaged shrinks and wrinkles as the victim’s liquefied flesh oozes out.

Possibilities

1 The disease is caused by a body thief. The body thief possesses human victims in the course of its evil design. It is so successful at possession, that it has not had to materialise into its original, monstrous, form for many years now.

The unfortunate human is unaware of the possession, which lasts for a maximum of six months. After that the disease, a by-product of the process, causes the human body to fail irretrievably. The body thief then moves on.

2 A vampire is afoot, feeding on pre-digested human flesh. It has two forms; the first a tall and handsome human, the other a multi-legged maggot-thing with a stabbing proboscis.

The vampire-thing needs to inject its prey with digestive juices some months before feeding. It makes two visits, injecting juices at first and then returning once its victim is ripe.

3 Nyarlathotep occasionally chooses a bride. Or groom, it makes no difference. Nyarlathotep appears to the chosen individual in full regalia, and proposes. If the chosen individual accepts, they become its bride or groom and reside in the Daemon Sultan’s court for the rest of eternity.

Those that refuse are set free and cursed: everyone they encounter for more than a few hours will die, afflicted with a terrible liquefying disease. At midnight on the night of each full moon Nyarlathotep returns to ask, again, for their hand. If they accepts, the Outer God takes them to Azathoth’s court for the wedding and matrimonial bliss. If they decline, more are consigned to a grisly fate.

Eventually Nyarlathotep becomes bored with its bride/groom, and it is time to choose another.

© Steve Hatherley