GM: Sam Tillis
Players: Adrienne Mueller, Dylan Arena, James Lawton, Sean Nittner, Sarah Terman, Matthew Fisher
System: Call of Cthulhu 7th Edition
Content warning: body horror and graphic violence masked (like this)
A shot rings out. It was the bullet that should have killed a sorcerer, severed a hydra-head of the Crawling Chaos conspiracy once and for all. And yet, Nyarlathotep smiles this day. The dream-stuff coated bullet dings the igneous wall, and Sir Aubrey Penhew, made young though necromantic arts, escapes into a lava vent, at least for now, unscathed. And all the while a nightmare column of fetid, black iridescence oozes forward, all eyes and tentacles and impossible age and thick protoplasmic slick and pustules of greenish light, as the better part of the party tries to bypass a steel-shielded door. But let us now turn our attention outward, to a more prosaic fight, to the Battle for Grey Dragon Island.
During the Battle of Grey Dragon Island, bloodshed on the beach, bullets flying everywhere, Jack Brady issued an order to Chu Min and the New China Militia. “Storm the boat, kill everyone that doesn’t surrender immediately. I’m taking a team up the mountain to help Charles and his crew to kill the Pale Viper.” [Sorry I stole your thunder Brady…but that will come later]
Chu Min, leader of the Firm Action Committee (FIC), led two teams onto the Dark Mistress, and commanded them to used the sandbags on board to create a barricade and prepare for foes to emerge from the hatch nearby and the visible door…and then the drowned men began pouring out!
We fired Tommy Guns, we tossed grenades, and we lost our ability to discern if our lives were worth saving if we couldn’t destroy these horrible abominations that were the ultimate expression of white colonialism, controlling the bodies of our kin even in death.
Some highlights of the battle
- Clambering up the smoke stack and dropping a grenade inside, only to have it shatter some great green gem that was powering the ship, and force it into ramming speed toward the island.
- The roiling in the water of an army of drowned men approaching.
- Each of our personal goals or quirks like loving the opera, wanting to move to San Francisco to be with our family, or being terrified of the water coming to bear and driving our actions.
- Getting see the smug look on Captain Jules Savoyard lighting a cigarette just before the ship crashed into the island and died…along with several of us.
- Qin Qing pulling a coin from behind Huang Hanying’s ear for good luck just before jumping into the water together after the ship wrecked on the rocks. Then Qin (played by James) pulling Huang (played by me) out from the undertow it created, to be later mirrored by Catherine (played by me) pulling Francois (played by James) from a different terrible fate.
Inside the Caldera
On one side of the locked steel door was Li-Wen and Charles, chasing after the Pale Viper who disappeared through a lava tube. As they climbed up to the small ledge he had been hiding on Li-Wen couldn’t help but wonder “Why would such a powerful sorcerer use such petty parlor tricks? What if he is just a weak man?”
When the got to the top however, the lava vent he slipped through was too small for Charles to fit, so he gave his rifle to Li-Wen and she went in on her own (not even her stupid Nightgant could come…it was too big too…like a big useless puppy).
As soon as Li-Wen was out of sight however Charles stripped off his clothes, but a knife in his teeth, and started pressing his body into the narrow crack, scraping his skin and distending his joints as we pressed on.
Li-Wen crawled in the dark groping here way upward in the tube until the vent opened into a small cavern with six lanterns suspected on the wall and a beautiful Chinese woman…holding a black fan just beneath her eyes. Li-Wen realized immediately [Natural 01 on a Cthulhu Mythos roll] that she was in the presence of the Bloated Woman, an avatar of the Crawling Chaos.
Devoured by the Shoggoth
Meanwhile, on the other side of the metal door, Francois withdrew his spear and plunged it once again into the Shoggoth, which turned on him and encroached on him on both sides. Leaving no avenue for escape.
Nails, Amos, and Iris all fired on the lock holding the prisoners captive but it was sturdy and did not break.
The Shoggoth lurched forward and consumed Francois in it’s great mass. As his skin melted and peeled away, he forced himself to collapse, enter the slumber of dreams, so that me might be closer to the Abyss.
Iris, Amos, and Nails eventually broke the lock and did exactly the things you’d imagine they would. Iris tried to issued them out of the caldera and to safety. Amos enlisted those who could understand him to help him destroy the scaffolding holding up the rocket in the center of the volcano, and Nails bodily forced a few of them between himself and the Shoggoth.
The found “power tools”, strange Yithian devices that fired white hot flames and began to cut through the metal scaffolding that suspended the rocket above the lava below.
Francois entered Dream, where time had less of a hold on him and he could cast the ritual that that would normally take precious moments his waking self did not have. Pain roiled through his body as he shattered the Bonespear and drew forth it’s power to summon the Lord of the Great Abyss, to summon Nodens!
Sacrifice
Charles, despite every force in the universe telling him not to, pushed forward to follow Li-Wen as he heard her converse with the Goddess of the Black Fan.
Li-Wen asked “Why would you work with such a weak man as Penhew?”
The god brought to our world answered “He was a stepping stone to the next part of my plan. He was a stepping stone to you.” The Bloated Woman, still in her beautiful form held out a hand. “I can lift you out of the Abyss and show you the stars.”
Li-Wen stepped for slowly, hearing Charles struggling behind her. She made as if to take the god’s hands and then darted past her [Extreme success son a Dexterity check, yay!] and yelled “Charles, run!”
He did not run, even though she finally used his name, but instead confronted the Bloated Woman, who when she lowered her fan revealed herself to be a 600 pound, seven-foot-tall being with tentacles in place of arms and nose, five perfect cupids-bow mouths made hideous by clusters of protruding tangs. Charles ran forward with his knife hacking at tenacles and was embraced with a kiss. Everything began to fade, all thoughts, all memories. The last thing he remembered was Li-Wen calling as she ran “I’ll tell your daughters that you love them.” The all was oblivious,
Rest in peace Charles Morseley.
Summoning a god
In the caldera there was a green noxious pool of foul gasses, a red smoking pool of lava, and clear blue pool of water. From the water rose a naked man, who grew before our eyes to become a towering giant. He summoned 400 Nightgaunts that devoured the Shoggoth, tearing bits of it away even as it regenerated. He walked through the giant statue of the Bloated Woman and it crumbled to dust, then he walked through the wall…towards the Bloated Woman herself.
Nails and Amos continued to work at destroying the scaffolding and eventually weakened the supports enough that the rocket fell into the lava below. The took two of the Yithian “torches” and fled the caldera with the remaining prisoners.
The Pale Viper
Li-Wen emerged from the lava vent onto a small landing where Aubrey Penhew stood looking down the volcano. Below him was Jack Brady making his way up the mountainside. Pewhew looked ragged. He had clearly used all that he had left to summon the Bloated Woman and now intended to kill Jack Brady, with of things, a pistol. How prosaic.
Li-Wen snuck up behind him with the rifle Charles handed her, placed the barrel on his neck and told him rot in hell as she blew his head off. As the body tumbled down the path to Jack Brady, he emptied his Tommy Gun into the corpse…just to be on the safe side.
“Charles?”
“He died.” Brady looked disappointed. “Fighting a god.” Brady’s eyes went wide.
“A god?”
Li-Wen warned him not to proceed, but she didn’t have the energy, or even care enough about him to put up a fight. Charles died to save her life. Brady would die for nothing. So be it.
The Blue Temple
As Francois summoned Nodens from within Dreaming, he also caught the attention of Catherine, who was there working to understand the Mark 3.0 device. Through a viewing crystal she saw Francois in his last moments about to be subsumed. But she also saw all her memories of Francois, of their talk in the raining streets of London, of his artist eye that he was quietly so proud of, of the great depression he fell into when he first delved into the mythos, of the time he fed flies to Who in a jar, of his budding romance with Anaïs, and of their many escapades together before he was high priest, when he was just Francois. Catherine smashed her fists against the prism and called to Francois, who reached out for her as well. In the realization that this was Dream and that anything was possible in Dream, Catherine reached her hand through the crystal and pulled out Francois. He was alive, by some definition of alive!
Colby saw all of this through is visor but it all processed as nothing but errors. These were things happening that could not be. He thought he was seeing things clearly, but was now once more filled with uncertainty and doubt.
Escape for Grey Dragon Island
Li-Wen met up with Amos, Iris, and Nails outside the caldera. They could see the Japanese war ship arriving and they didn’t want to see what would happen if the arrived when the New China Militia were still present, so Li-Wen, as de facto leader (in lieu of Chu Min or Jack Brady) told everyone the mission was accomplished and to load the prisoners onto the two remaining boats (one had been destroyed in the firefight)
On the trip back the prisoners told us of the horrors they endured. Some being sacrificed at the altar of the Bloated Woman, other’s being “ridden” by the Shoggoth that moved their bodies on its own accord to create the rocket. In a room we never explored the told us of a warhead and a maritime chronometer. Hopefully that means we’ve dismantled another step in the Grand Plan.
Among the prisoners, we also met Nora Blackwood, a Chinese-Australian reporter who had infiltrated the cult but was then trapped on Grey Dragon Island. “You don’t know how hard it is to go undercover when you don’t speak Shanghainese!” She had been keeping her head down and studying the cult for some time, inspired by the works of Jackson Elias. She knew about the suspicious activities in Port Headland, the nearby mining operations in Cuncudgerie, and rumors of the strange happenings there. Nora was grateful for the rescue and impressed that we were able to stop the Pale Viper, as we were impressed with all the knowledge she had attained. For the time being at least, we invited Nora to continue accompanying us.
Looking for her father
Zumena “Winnie” Morseley walked through the halls of the Shanghai hospital looking for her father and the friends that he had written to her about. Knowing only English and Hindi, she was having a hard time finding her way, but of course Colby detected her, and once he determined she was not a threat, brought her to Catherine.
Catherine was delighted to meet Winnie, as she was so looking forward to Charles reuniting with her. She assured her that he should return in a few days and that Colby would stay with her until he did. Winnie told us that she had spent the last many hears translating texts in India, and slowly working to forgive her father. She had received his telegrams, learned some of his activities and was equal parts encouraged that he was taking interest in much more academic topics and worried as he made mention of cults and dangerous people.
Colby, after confirming Catherine had the Mark 2.0 device, agreed to escort Winnie back to her hotel and stay with her until Charles returned.
Return to Shanghai
When the investigators returned they each set out to address lingering conerns.
Li-Wen went to her uncle’s home to find out more of what he was studying, and what contraptions he made up.
Jimmy and Amos caught up with each other. Amos shared the good news that the sorcerers were dead (Jimmy wasn’t exactly relieved that killing people was “good” news) and the bad news that Francois and Charles were dead. Jimmy was deflated “Charles was the only moral one among us. Francois got really fucked up at the end but we had our moments.” He recounted a bit about his adventures driving around with Mu Hsien. “He’s a good guy now that he’s had some time away from that book. I’d hate for us to do to him what we’ve done for everyone else we’ve met.”
Winnie showed Colby the letter Charles had sent her and Colby tried to understand what Charles had meant for her to know. Anything Charles mentioned, he explained as best he could. And Winnie shared a fascination with studying strange old events, and was encouraged that Colby (and possible Charles) had such an open minded idea about what truths might be found in legends and stories, and how, even if our understanding of these things is incomplete, we can continue working on our models of them. Winnie was less enamored when she learned her father had joined a militia and was now taking military action on a remote island.
June 20, 1925
On the night when a ritual would have happened, where some rituals might still be happening, we knew that in London, and Cairo, and New York, and Nairobi, and Shanghai, there were no rituals happening. Catherine looked out her window in the hospital for signs of the new moon, and possibly for signs of her loved ones.
Soon, they gathered in her hospital room.
- Winnie (played by Adrienne) was tall, statuesque, wearing small wireframe glasses.
- Amos, built like a boxer, wearing a nice suit and big glasses, avoiding making eye contact.
- Iris, a petite woman who looked wan, dressed all in black, holding her dream plant.
- Nora (played by James) had a stocky and rugged build with alert eyes and disheveled clothes.
- Catherine, laying in her bed, her hair flat from sweat, her face drained of color, had put on makeup and tried to hold herself upright to look like she was strong.
- Colby, with a rugged and muscular build, wore his large opaque metal visor and seemed to forgot to look at people when he was talking to them.
Iris broke the news the Winnie that her father had died fighting a god. Catherine held her hand. Winnie was distraught and asked many follow up questions, wanting to understand not just the how, but the why. What were his motives and intentions…what were our motives and inentions?
Nora introduced herself to Catherine, Colby, and Winnie and caught them up on her story, and of her study of the Cult of he Sand Bat, yet another mask of the crawling chaos.
Catherine told everyone that Francois was not dead, at least not dead entirely. They had found each other in dream and some part of him yet survived. She also gave the bells that would have gone to him, to Li-Wen, and asked that she continue with us, despite her own self doubts. She was now the High Priest of Nodens.
A week passes
Winnie, being given access to it, read the Black Tome (which was in Hindi, so none of us could read it). It was written by a necromancer who sent his mind to Sarnath and wrote “And then shall the game be opened” and the date he was speaking of, when translated from the Hindi calendar, was January 14, 1926. Disturbed by what she had just read, Winnie threw the book down and ran out of her hotel, with Iris chasing after (we know better than to let people read alone). When Winnie was able to calm down she said she was embarrassed for her reaction, but Iris assured her it was much less severe than the reactions of others who had read such tomes.
Colby, form within the hospital room with Catherine, worked to “fix” his visor, so that he could better understand the world, and understand ways to affect it through space and time. As he worked though he kept coming to the conclusion that the fault was not in his visor, but in himself. It was his own mind that needed further transformation and that he would need to go to the Blue Temple to complete the work.
Catherine, assisted by Colby, completed her Mark 3.0 time gun allowing her to communicate with a future version of herself [One time she can make a reflexive precognition roll with a bonus die and no sanity loss…after she uses it we’ll find out if it can be used again]. The Catherine she communicated with seemed to be within this walled garden. “The Catherine.”
Isoge visited Colby in the hospital and told him what they found distressed many of his soldiers. Colby advised that he approach what they found with scientific humility and patience. Winnie, who was there as well asked for her father’s remains, and though Isoge consented, he warned her that they were not in good condition. We all turned down his offer for the remains of Jack Brady.
Nora talked to Amos about the mythos and her knowledge of the happenings in Australia. Amos told her of the Eye of Light and Darkness and that we need to find the broken seal.
Iris, her plant filled to the bring by it’s exposure to Nodens, went to an armory in dreams and tried to mimic one of their creations to forge a blade for Colby to use. It worked, but was somehow flawed. When she gave it to Colby he saw it as some kind of error, code that did not compile. Though he could hold it, he could not truly see it. It was fascinating and he thanked her for the gift of this puzzle (and the weapon). She asked him to “use this with care until we figure out what is wrong with it.” He just studied it in fascination.
Iris also found Mu Hsien, who had been holding on to the broken half of the greater seal of Light and Darkness. He seemed to be regaining some of his former self, despite the scars (both visible and invisible) that he bore.
Iris told Choi Mei-Ling about Jack Brady’s death. Mei-Ling was sad at his loss and said “He was the most intense man I’ve ever known.”
Nora read the book True Magick and learns of many summoning spells, including “Summon the Winged One” which could transport her to many different places.
Catherine and Nails continued to convalesce in the Shanghai hospital and after another week the both felt ready to move about on their own, and finish their recovery in the care of their companions (or for Nails Nelson the care of a stiff drink, they barely let him drink anything in that hospital!)
Catherine, once allowed to touch the Greater Seal of the Eye of Light and Darkness tried to use her precognition to see where the other half was, but it seemed just as the telegram from Kalfour suggested, the other half may be lost in time, or at least divided by some time discrepancy.
The body of Charles arrived but the head had been removed. When we inquired Isoge said that it was unspeakable and had to be destroyed. He had done it before they had requested the body. Charles, as much of him as we had, was laid to rest and Jimmy spoke for us all “Charles was of the earth, I’m glad we’re putting him back there.”
Dreaming of Francois
Amos, Iris, and Catherine went to Dream to visit Francois. Francois, while in the Blue Temple realized he could go or rather create anywhere and so he had begun making a place to rest. He missed his home, a rural place that had been sullied by war, and sullied more by his understanding of reality. He had been trying to recreate that time in his life, and now in Dream he could. When we reached him he seemed changed. He had forgotten much of his life, his knowledge of the mythos and Nodens, the horrors we experienced, things that he did not want to bring back. And while the place he made for himself was in some way idyllic there were other memories he had lost as well and the place was perpetually cold. He felt he was in purgatory and the warmth of God’s light could not reach him here.
“Francois…” Amos called
He looked surprised to see him and then sad “You didn’t make it either?”
Amos and Iris reassured him “We did. We’re just visiting. How are you?”
“Better than expected… I’m not in hell.”
We offered to bring him anything or any one he wanted to see, but he seemed beyond temporal desires. He did not experience the horrors of life, but neither did he the joys. He did ask that we convey to Li-Wen that he chose the path he did because it was the right thing to do at the time…she is eager for power, maybe that power will save her, and maybe it will doom her. Our dream faded.
Farewell Shanghai
We boarded a steamer to Port Headland and as we got on the ship Nora mentioned off handedly “I might have a way to get to Pluto…”
WHAAAAAAAAAAAAT???
What Rocked
Oh I was so glad we could save Francois. I had such a delightful time playing with James and recounting our memories together, as though it was those memories that gave us the strength to save him.
And Charles dying, of course making the noble sacrifice to save someone else, truly was heroic. Li-Wen, for all her wiles, had no means to escape the wrath of a god, no means except for Charles to suffer it instead.
And Colby seeing what should not be, what could not be, and thankfully not what must not be was so wonderful to seem him keep doubting his perception of the world. I’m so excited to play together once his indefinite insanity has passed. I don’t know what will become of Colby and Catherine, but I’m so excited to find out.
Amos fucking wrecked a rocket! I loved that even in a moment of panic he had the wherewithal to prevent another sorcerer from coming and picking up where the Pale Viper left off.
Iris made a dream blade…what was somehow wrong. God I can’t wait to see how that went. I loved all the times she saw someone in distress and just shoved a plant in their arms, like it was the magical cure all for any ailment!
FRANCOIS SUMMONED NODENS. Who in turn summoned 400 Nightgants. Who then ripped about the Shoggoth. And probably Brady.
Our new characters are so cool. I felt so bad talking to Winnie (played by Adrienne) assuring her that Charles (played by Adrienne, known to all the players as dead) would be back to meet her soon. God, what a heartbreak for all the Morseleys to meet us, only when their beloved family members have perished.
Things for next session
I think there’s lots of plot points in Adrienne’s notes about the cult activities out of Port Headland, but I’ll need to jot those down next time. For now, I’m really excited about some personal interactions.
- Iris. First off Catherine really needs someone to talk to about her feelings for Colby. She cares about him. She loves him. But she also worries that he’s followed her down a dark path and by inserting the visor has changed himself in irrevocable ways that he may now regret. Also, what is up with this plant? It isn’t healthy to rob yourself of feeling.
- Colby. God, does he love her or was he just in a bout of madness? Will he hate her when he realizes she encouraged him down this dark path? Will he never be satisfied that somethings cannot be understood and must simply be believed. Things like hope, and faith, and love?
- Li-Wen. I really want to play her again for a moment to have a discussion with Winnie. Li-Wen became fond of Charles and and Winnie’s absence really hurt him. It drove him to do stupid things. It may have killed him.
- Jimmy. Jimmy seems adrift these days. We used to be his people, now he’s terrified of what we’ve become, and with good reason.
- Nora and Amos. I fucking just know those two are going to start finding a way to rebuild the Eye of Light and Darkness. Is it better to risk drawing the attention of the hounds to try and break out of our walled garden to find it…or to pay some horrific cost to remake it, now that maybe we have a way to acquire plutonian metal?
