Talien's Tower

Black Guard: Part 10 – Dead Rising

2009-07-14T06:22:00.001-04:00

There was a slam, and then the door burst open. Two men entered wearing badges on dark black overcoats.

“This is the police,” shouted a blonde man in an overcoat. “Put your weapons down!”

Hammer held up his badge. “I am Counter-Intelligence Field Agent. You put your weapon down!”

“I am Detective Martin and you have no jurisdiction here! This is my crime scene! Now put your weapons down!”

Jim-Bean, who had run over to check on Archive, squinted at the dark-haired man behind Martin. “Revinowitz? What’s the forensic examiner doing here?”

Martin fired his pistol, missing Hammer. Hammer retaliated, but bullets sparked off an invisible force field around them.

“Hammer, get ready!” Jim-Bean flipped down his gas mask over his face. Then he tore a tear gas grenade off his belt and tossed it onto the steps.

Both Revinowitz and Martin were chanting when the tear gas exploded.

Revinowitz’s concentration broke first. He gagged and wheezed, clawing at his eyes.

Hammer raked the steps with gunfire, separating Martin from Revinowitz.

Jim-Bean charged up the steps and grabbed Revinowitz by the hair. With a heave, he tossed him off the edge… [MORE]

Castle Ambrose: Part 1 – Foyer

2009-07-14T06:20:00.001-04:00

They appeared in the foyer of an ornate mansion. A freshly swept carpet graced the floor. The walls were decorated with bright, colorful tapestries. Brass candelabras lined the entranceway. They showed signs of having been recently polished and were filled with candles.

“Carcosa Castle,” said Kham. “We’re here.”

Beldin pointed outside. “Is that in the play?”

More frightening than the sudden change from the cave to the castle was the smoky gray mist that surrounded the castle at a distance of thirty feet, blocking all sight beyond. No sound penetrated the mist.

Kham had read the play over and over. “There’s mention of mists. But I didn’t think they were literally mists. More of an allegory for confusion or something.”

The mist advanced on the mansion even as Vlad watched. “Let’s not find out if it’s just an allegory.”

The double doors to the interior swung open into the main hallway by themselves.

They entered a wide, long hallway running east to west. In the center of the hall was a ten-foot wide red carpet stretching from the west door to the east door. The ceiling arched twenty feet high overhead. Near the east end of the hall, a raised catwalk stretched across the hallway ten feet above their heads. At either end of the overpass were double doors.

Thousands of tiny square mirrors were set into the ceiling and walls. The resulting reflection of their torches resembled a swarm of fireflies as myriad pinpoints of light were reflected back. The floor of the hall, where it wasn’t covered with the red carpet, was polished white marble. The marble was so shiny they could see their reflections on its surface. Polished brass candelabra lined both walls and crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling. All the candleholders on the candelabra and chandeliers were filled with unlit candles.

“Stay alert,” said Kham. “This is Carcosa, and it can change at any time. I brought black paint along just in case we need to mark our trail.” Kham had a bottle of the inky stuff that he trailed along behind him.

“Did it ever occur to you that you’re giving anything hostile a trail to follow us?” asked Vlad.

Kham shrugged. “Anything that wants to find us in this place will, trust me.”

All the hallway doors suddenly swung open and then slammed shut. The resulting draft extinguished the lights.

“Not a problem.” Kham rapped Daemonscar, the breastplate he wore underneath his overcoat. “I can see just fine.”

“Me too,” said Beldin. “A little bit like home, actually.”

Vlad cleared his throat. “While I’m perfectly capable of fighting blind, I can’t see in the dark like you two.” There was the sound of Vlad fumbling in his pack.

“Vlad!” shouted Kham. “Don’t—“

Vlad’s tindertwig flared to life.

All the candles in the hall magically lit at the same time with a brilliant flash. The light was reflected off the walls, ceiling and floor and off the highly polished chandeliers and candelabra.

“Damn it Vlad!” shouted Beldin.

The flash blinded them all. All they could see was white. [MORE]

Black Guard: Part 9 – You Scream, I Scream…

2009-07-12T22:42:00.001-04:00

The stairs led down into extreme darkness. Their flashlights did not illuminate in the normal way, casting a much dimmer light upon their surroundings. The basement was circular, approximately sixty-foot in diameter. Images of demonic figures, and black writing accompanied them. A large pentagram sketched in white chalk covered the center of the room. The chalk glowed as their flashlight beams traced its perimeter.

A tall man sat akimbo inside the center of the pentagram. He appeared to sleep with his arms folded across his chest. He wore jeans and a dark polo shirt. He was barefoot, with a tag on one toe. What was visible of his body was entirely covered by blackened and blistered skin, oily and sticky to the touch.

Thirteen burned red candles ringed the pentagram. On the opposite side of the room was a small rectangular table that held seven small statues.

Hammer drew his pistols. Jim-Bean pulled out his gas mask and put it on top of his head, ready to be flipped down over his face at any moment.

The door at the top of the stairs slammed shut, and the candles spontaneously lit. A demonic voice echoed through the chamber and the man rose…

Hammer fired several bullets into the figure, but he barely reacted.

“He’s already dead,” said Archive. “Mundane weapons won’t work.”

“Well do something about it!”

With a scream, the man reared back and black tar spewed out of his mouth.

Archive pulled out a piece of chalk and penciled an Elder Sign onto the hilt of Hammer’s pistols. Then he made a mark on Hammer’s forehead.

“What’s that for?” asked Hammer.

“It will protect you,” said Archive.

“Oh man that’s disgusting,” said Jim-Bean, transfixed. The vomiting continued, as the tar slowly encompassed the corpse, volume far beyond the capacity of a human stomach to contain.

“What about my gun?” asked Jim-Bean.

“No time,” said Archive. He tossed him a pocket knife. “Use mine.”

“But this is…” Jim-Bean looked down. It was a Glock. “Never mind.”

The tar rose into a roughly humanoid form, rippling like a pool of black mud, exploding in geysers. It expanded to a size larger than an elephant, but only because of its lengthy lumbering limbs and legs did it project size. Its head was topped by a single black oval eye and snout-like mouth, a receptor filled with needle-like teeth similar to the spines of a cactus. The stench of ammonia filled the room. But by far the most awful part of the beast is its shriek, which sounded like a dying animal slaughtered in the most horrific manner. It echoed inside their skulls.

Archive presented the Elder Sign amulet. “In the name of—“

The Screaming Crawler moved with the grace and speed of a leopard. It closed the distance to Archive in one stride, slamming him against the wall with an undulating limb of ooze and claws. [MORE]

Castle Ambrose: Prologue

2009-07-12T11:04:00.002-04:00

Sebastian was in a crowded ballroom, with a balcony at its back. All the Hasturites were present; they all wore white masks with the visage of the Stranger, to which individual taste added grotesque variations. The result was that each mask looked like a famous person. The costumes were also various and fantastic. Sebastian still wore the silken robe with the Yellow Sign, and Cassilda, though masked, still wore the diadem, as did the child prince. Many were dancing to a formal measure, something like a sarabande, something like stalking.

Cassilda watched the masque from the balcony, Carcosa and the Hyades behind her. The moon had vanished.

“There, Princess,” said Sebastian. “You see that there has been no sending, and there will be none. The Pallid Mask is the perfect disguise.”

“How would we know a sending if it came?” asked Camilla in her singsong voice.

Cassilda descended from the balcony and joined them.

“The messenger of the King drives a hearse,” replied Sebastian.

“Oho,” interrupted Cassilda. “Half the population of Hastur does that. It is the city’s most popular occupation, since the siege began. All that is talk.”

“I have heard what the Talkers were talking—the talk of the beginning and the end,” said Sebastian. “But I do not talk of the beginning or the end.”

“But—the sending?” asked Camilla. “Let us hear.”

“Also, the messenger of the King is a soft man,” said Sebastian. “Should you greet him by the hand, one of his fingers would come off to join yours.”

Camilla recoiled in delicate disgust. Noatalba, who had been circling closer and closer to the group, finally joined it.

“A pretty story,” said Naotalba. “You seem to know everything. I think perhaps you could even tell us, given gold, the mystery of the Hyades.”

“He is King there,” replied Sebastian.

“As everywhere,” said Naotalba curtly. “Everyone knows that.”

“He is not King in Arcanis,” said Sebastian. “That is why Carcosa was built. It is a city in exile. These two mighty stars are deep in war, like Hastur and Alar.”

“Oh, indeed. Who then lives in Carcosa?”

“Nothing human,” said Sebastian. “More than that, I cannot tell you.”

“Your springs of invention run dry with suspicious quickness,” said Naotalba.

“Be silent!” snapped Cassilda. “Stranger, how did you come by all this?”

“My sigil is Aldebaran,” said Sebastian. “I hate the King.”

“And his is the Yellow Sign,” said Naotalba, “which you mock him by flaunting before the world. I tell you this: he will not be mocked. He is a King whom Emperors have served; and that is why he scorns a crown. All this is in the runes.”

“There are great truths in the runes,” replied Sebastian. “Nevertheless, my priest, Aldebaran is his evil star. Thence comes the Pallid Mask.”

“Belike, belike. But I would rather be deep in the cloudy depths of the Dehme than to wear what you wear on your bosom. When the King opens his mantle—“

Somewhere in the palace, a deep-toned gong began to strike.

“Now is the time I never thought to see,” said Cassilda to herself. “I must go, and announce the Succession of Aldones once more to the throne. Perhaps … perhaps the world itself is indeed about to begin again. How strange!”

As the gong continued to strike, everyone began to unmask. There were murmurs and gestures of surprise, real or polite, as identities were recognized and revealed. Then there was a wave of laughter. The music became louder and increased in tempo.

“You, sir, should unmask,” said Camilla.

“Indeed?” asked Sebastian.

“Indeed, it’s time,” said Camilla. “We have all laid aside disguise but you.”

“I wear no mask,” said Sebastian.

“No mask?” asked Camilla. Panic was in her voice. She turned to Cassilda. “No mask!” [MORE]

Black Guard: Part 8 – House Inspection

2009-07-11T09:55:00.001-04:00

The house next door to the Gray’s was a large gray-brick home with an attached two-door garage and a large privacy fence encompassing the back yard. The home was two-stories tall with large bay windows along the front. Very few flowers grew in the yard and tall bushes filled the flowerbeds bordering the home.

Police flyers posted on the doors and windows pronounced that the home was “sealed by order of Judge Joe McCrary of Rosetta, Texas, pending completion of a criminal investigation. Anyone entering the premises without proper authority are in violation of this court-order and may be subject to criminal procedures.”

Jim-Bean approached the door. It was locked. He put one palm on it and concentrated.

The door clicked open as the various locks and chains undid themselves, bending to his will. The door flung itself open to reveal…

Hammer standing there.

“The window was open,” muttered Hammer, shaking his head.

The living room was spacious but sparsely decorated. An entertainment center sat on the north side of the room, just right of a door leading to the guest room. A 19” television set and an impressive surround sound system dominated the entertainment center. Lining the center was a rack of music CDs.

Jim-Bean checked out the audio equipment. “Manufactured in Germany. Go figure.”

A small brown couch and a faded leather recliner were centered on the entertainment center. Only two pictures were hung on the walls. One was a painting of a blonde boy looking upward, and the other was a picture of the 69 Mets following their World Series win. Under the picture was a banner with the caption, “You gotta believe!”

“I didn’t figure Nazis for Mets fans,” said Hammer.

A small fireplace filled the east corner next to the back wall. There was a closet beside the front door and an opening that led to the office on the southern wall. Two archways opened on the northern wall, one leading into a formal dining room, while the other provided access to the kitchen. There was a set of stairs going up in the center of the western wall, and a restroom door as well. A balcony overhung half the room, providing a good view of the front door and the front half of the living room.

“Spread out,” said Hammer. “I want a room by room search. Whatever happened is going on with this Doctor has something to do with this house.”

Jim-Bean caught a glimpse of a figure slipping across the threshold of the stairwell upstairs. He closed his eyes and concentrated.

“This is Nina Juarez,” whispered the GNN reporter into her handheld wireless microphone. “I’m here live in the Nazi house of Frank Manz, also known as Doctor Olaf Bitterich. I’ve searched the rooms here and despite the house supposedly being abandoned there’s evidence that someone, or something, is living here. Curiously, I found a pen with Dr. Revinowitz’s name on it, the forensic examiner on the case. I think I just heard someone enter the home…”

Jim-Bean’s psychic senses were suddenly tugged downwards into the center of the house, as if something was trying to get his attention. He perceived a terrible screeching, like nails on a chalkboard – he didn’t hear it, but he felt it tingle up and down his spine.

Jim-Bean sighed. “It’s that GNN reporter again.”

“How did she get here before us?” asked Archive.

“Juarez!” shouted Hammer. “Get down here!”

Nina slunk her way down the steps. “Agent Grange? What are you doing here?”

“You are in violation of a court order!” snarled Hammer. “Get out of here!”

Nina recovered, holding the microphone up to Hammer’s face. “Why is the government interested in this place, Agent Grange?”

Archive lifted one hand and the microphone began to spark.

Nina threw the microphone down in disgust. “Why does this keep happening!” He took out her tape recorder.

Archive kept his hand up, whispering to himself.

Nina played the tape. All that came out was static.

“Oh come on…”

Archive’s chanting grew louder. He opened his eyes and Nina was compelled to look at him.

Then she bolted for the door.

“What did you do to her?” asked Jim-Bean.

Archive shrugged. “Broke her microphone, degaussed her tape recorder, and scared the crap out of her.”

“So pretty much what we did to her last time,” snorted Hammer. [MORE]

Chapter 56: Castle Ambrose - Introduction

2009-07-11T09:22:00.001-04:00

This scenario is adapted from Dungeon Module X2, “Castle Amber” by Tom Moldavy. It was adapted for 3.0 rules by Ronald G. Hopkins. I in turn updated it to 3.5 (and tweaked it considerably) for the Arcanis setting. You can read more about Arcanis at http://www.onaraonline.org. Please note: This adventure contains spoilers!

Our cast of characters includes:

Dungeon Master: Michael Tresca (http://michael.tresca.net)
Beldin Soulforge (dwarf fighter/dwarven defender) played by Joe Lalumia
Kham Val’Abebi (val rogue/psychic warrior) played by Jeremy Ortiz (http://www.ninjarobotstudios.com)
Vlad Martell (human fighter) played by Matt Hammer

When I realized that one of the PCs would have to sacrifice himself at the end of Tatters of the King, I knew there had to be a way to get him back. The problem is that Carcosa is such a screwy place, few adventures could do it justice. So I searched and searched, and I kept coming back to an adventure that had a direct connection to the Cthulhu Mythos: Castle Amber.

Castle Amber has it all. A horrible tragedy happens in the throne room, trapping everyone in the castle and making them insane? Check. An opportunity to set things right through heroic quests in a strange land? Check. Lots of bizarre monsters, ridiculous traps, and magic items that you’d only find in an old school adventure? Check.

Because Moldavy got permission to add in snippets of Clark Ashton Smith’s stories, there are Cthulhu-esque elements throughout the adventure, scenes I completely missed when I DMed this adventure over twenty years ago. With Sebastian wearing the Pallid Mask and by switching Averogine to Carcosa, I now had my Stranger in a Strange Land.

This adventure is mostly a long slog of relentless battles. I got to play with miniatures and monsters I never normally would use because they simply don’t make sense in most adventures. But here, in Carcosa, everything makes sense and nothing does.

Much to my dismay, I discovered that the original author, Tom Moldavy, passed away the same month we played this adventure. So this story can be seen as our tribute to his work. Tom drew on many sources for this adventure, and I return to those roots in this story hour. You will see references to the fairy tale of the Billy Goat’s Gruff, the poem of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, and the works of Clark Ashton Smith: The Colossus of Ylourgne, The Enchantress of Sylaire, The Beast of Averoigne, and the Holiness of Azedarac. The flashbacks of the play combine Thom Ryng’s King in Yellow with James Blish’s version.

In the end, everything that was done is undone, and a major chapter of the dreaded play comes to a close. [MORE]

Black Guard: Part 7 – Sphere of Influence

2009-07-10T06:28:00.001-04:00

Archive was helping Jim-Bean to his feet when Hammer met them in the kitchen.

“What happened?” asked Hammer, pistols out.

“Jim-Bean was possessed by an entity,” said Archive matter-of-factly. “A victim of somebody called…”

“The Doctor. I know, I heard about him from Matthew.”

“You okay?” asked Hammer.

Jim-Bean shook his head to clear the cobwebs. “I’m fine,” he said. “That was weird.”

“The little girl was…a…” Archive’s eyes were focused on the other side of the room. “…conduit…”

A six-inch diameter ball of energy emerged from the ceiling and floated before them.

Archive stumbled backwards, panting in fear. “Oh Jesus!” he wailed, falling over one of the bar stools. “Get it away from me!”

The orb flashed colors sequentially, going from white to blue to green to red, and back to white.

“Archive,” said Hammer slowly. “Be cool.”

Archive ran towards Lisa’s room.

“What the hell?” asked Jim-Bean. “I mean, it’s a ghost and everything but he was cool about the poltergeist…”

“It’s a sphere,” snapped Hammer, pointing his pistols at the thing. “Remember what happened at the park?” [MORE]

Shadows: Conclusion

2009-07-10T06:25:00.000-04:00

Kham took out Coomb’s knife and, palm up, slashed his open hand. He dripped the blood in a rough pattern of the Yellow Sign.

The gate was activated. A high keening came through the portal, loud and constant, and as it sounded the white light became blue.

“Now we can enter Carcosa.” He turned back to look at his companions. “If you don’t want to do this, I understand. I don’t know if Sebastian’s even alive. Or what Carcosa looks like once we’re through.”

Beldin winced. The healing potions could only do so much. “I haven’t come this far only to stop now,” he said.

“Me neither,” said Vlad. “Sebastian sacrificed himself to save us. We owe him one.”

Kham nodded. “This time, I’m going through FIRST.” And with that he jumped through the portal. [MORE]

Black Guard: Part 6 – The Doctor is In

2009-07-08T23:49:00.001-04:00

Hammer checked in on Matthew, who was sitting up straight in his bed, listening to the ruckus.

“You okay kid?”

Matthew nodded. “Yeah, the Rabbi says it’s okay.”

Hammer edged into the room. “He’s here with you now?”

“Yeah.”

“Can I speak with him?”

Matthew cocked his head, listening. “He says you can speak through me.” [MORE]

Shadows: Part 8 – The Vile Gate

2009-07-08T23:47:00.001-04:00

Vlad appeared within a hermetic circle inside a large cave, polluted by the stench of death. Ahead was a dark figure clad in whipping yellow robes, outlined by the light of a white disk of pulsing energy projected by a small metal box on the floor. Inside the field was a k’n-yan army, all fighting to break through. Dozens of bodies lay all around, blood still pumping form their slashed throats. They were grievously wounded, but a few groans suggested they were not all dead.

Beldin was already advancing. Two byakhee barred his path.

“Quelch!” snarled Vlad. “It’s over!”

Elijah Quelch was a big, fat man with long black hair and a full beard. His age was difficult to guess.

“I don’t think so,” snarled Quelch. He pointed at Vlad, muttering something in Hasturic. Vlad’s legs went rigid. It was the same spell that had paralyzed him last time.

“Try that on me!” bellowed Beldin. He batted aside one of the byakhee, accustomed to fighting them. The creature leap frogged over him so that the dwarf was besieged by the creatures from both sides.

“As for you…” Quelch pointed at Beldin and a sizzling ray of black energy sliced into him. The dwarf writhed in pain.

One of the byakhee landed on top of Beldin, pinning him to the ground.

“No!” Vlad struggled against the magic that held him. “I won’t…let you!” He drew his crossbow and fired.

The bolt bounced off of Quelch’s chest. He grinned. “There’s no canal to save you this time.” [MORE]

Black Guard: Part 5 – Chasing Aimee

2009-07-08T06:43:00.002-04:00

Lisa gathered up Marissa at the entrance to the girl’s bedroom, sans door. An incredible force had ripped it right off its hinges.

“What happened?” she asked, half-fearing the answer.

“Whatever it is, it’s gone now,” said Archive.

Lisa peered into the Marissa’s room. “What’s he doing?”

“You’d better get Matthew and go to your bedroom,” said Archive. “Lock the door.”

Lisa, pale with fear, carried Marissa to Matthew’s room. Archive took a deep breath and walked into Marissa’s room.

Jim-Bean was on the floor, playing with Marissa’s dolls, and most specifically a floppy orange little monster.

“Jimmy?” he asked.

Jim-Bean looked up. His pupils were completely white.

“I am…Aimee Resnick,” said Jim-Bean in a soft, feminine voice. [MORE]

Shadows: Part 7 – Puzzle Portal

2009-07-08T06:41:00.001-04:00

They reached a pentagonal room. The walls, ceiling, and floor were uniform black stone. In the center of each wall was a red door, although they had no handles, keyholes, or any obvious means of opening them. In the middle of the room stood a pedestal, capped with a metal plate bearing five studs.

“This is the device Yolanda created to enter the portal,” said Kham. “See each of these studs? They’re dials. There are twenty-six letters in the Hasturic alphabet. She used them to spell out key words. The right combination of key words opens the portal. You have to turn each of the dials, and the last dial you turn, if it’s in the correct sequence, opens the portal.”

“Great,” said Vlad. “I’m ready.”

Kham shook his head. “Not so simple. You have to do it one at a time. It won’t let more than one person teleport in; a safeguard of Yolanda’s.”

“Fat lot of good it did,” muttered Beldin. The dwarf had recovered from the poison with just a few minutes of rest. His companions were continually amazed by his constitution. “If Quelch is corrupting it now, it wasn’t too hard to guess.”

“No, it’s not,” Kham said grimly. “We just have to spell: enter."

“What if we turn the dial to the wrong numbers?” asked Vlad.

“You don’t want to know.” [MORE]

Black Guard: Part 4 – “I Love You…”

2009-07-07T06:48:00.001-04:00

Jim-Bean pushed aside a floppy orange-colored doll with wide, staring eyes and a huge grinning maw to reach for the figurines. To his psychic perception they were sparkling with energy. He had no idea how they’d gotten into Marissa’s closet.

Jim-Bean didn’t realize the temperature in the room had plummeted until he caught sight of the sleeping girl’s breath, misting in the air. He shivered.

Banging resounded from the kitchen, breaking the silence within the home. Crashing sounds and breaking glass quickly followed, as the volume of noise increases to deafening levels.

Jim-Bean leapt up and ran into the kitchen, pistol out. Archive and Jim-Bean skidded into the kitchen at the same time.

The cabinets of the kitchen violently opened, slammed shut, and opened again. With each opening, contents of the cabinets crashed out onto the tiled floor.

“What the hell is going on?” shouted Hammer, pointing his pistol everywhere at once.

“Poltergeist!” shouted Archive. “It’s probably connected to the girl—“

The pantry door boomed as it banged shut, and reopened.

Jim-Bean ducked a can of food. Unlike his two companions, he could see the normally invisible poltergeist.

It looks just like Marissa’s doll, only larger. It had two saucer-sized eyes, the black pupils punctuating the white surface. Its maw was in a perpetual expression of slack-jawed stupidity. It had large, bird-like feet and rubbery arms that ended in cartoon-like hands with just three fingers. A short stubby tail wagged behind it as it tore open cabinets and tossed their contents around like a toddler throwing a tantrum. [MORE]

Shadows: Part 6 – Summoning Room

2009-07-07T06:43:00.001-04:00

Four braziers that flickered with blue flames lit the profane room. On each wall was a large tapestry. The most startling thing in the room was a huge yellow sign chiseled into the stone itself. The channel was stained brown from old blood.

“Great,” said Beldin. “A summoning room.”

One tapestry depicted a foul infant clawing its way out of the belly of some grotesque being. Another showed naked but masked cultists tearing out the throats of their bound male prisoners. The last tapestry depicted a flaming ring surrounded by strange glyphs and sigils.

“Through here!” Emric ran through the tapestry on the far wall, crossing the symbol on the floor.

“No, wait…” was all Kham got out. [MORE]

Black Guard: Part 3 – They’re Here

2009-07-06T06:33:00.001-04:00

The grandfather clock in the Gray’s house bonged twelve times.

Archive’s cistron buzzed. He had voice mail.

Archive clicked on the ear bud in his ear. “Any of you guys just leave me a message?”

Positioned at guard posts in the intersecting halls of the house, Hammer and Jim-Bean confirmed they hadn’t.

“Maybe it’s one of your fans,” muttered Hammer. “Since everyone seems to have your phone number.”

“Very funny,” said Archive. “My old cell phone number redirects to the cistron.”

“Maybe you should play it,” said Jim-Bean.

Archive replayed the message with the other agents on the line.

The message crackled with static. But there was a whispered, urgent message within the noise.

“What was that?” asked Hammer.

“I think it said something about finding a body,” said Archive. “Did you hear that?” [MORE target="_blank"]

Shadows: Part 5 – Storeroom

2009-07-06T06:29:00.001-04:00

The steps descended into a small cellar. Racks, shelves, old crates, boxes, and barrels filled the room. A puddle of water glistened briefly with blue light and then faded. Emerging from the shadows was a naked young man, fear painting his features.

“Emric?” Kham asked in disbelief.

Emric began sobbing. “You’ve got to take me with you!”

“Careful,” said Beldin impassively. “It could be a trap.”

“I’ll take him outside to the Sea Lord’s Guard,” said Vlad. “He’ll be safer there.”

“No!” shouted Emric. He was shivering. “I’m safer here with you!”

Kham took off his jacket and put it around the boy’s shoulders. “What happened?”

“Quelch. Elijah Quelch.”

“We killed him,” Vlad said resolutely. “We saw him fall into the canal.”

Emric just stared at Vlad. “It wasn’t enough.”

“What did he want with you?” asked Beldin.

“He’s kidnapping children…creating a portal to the Unspeakable One’s world. He plans to gate in hundreds of k’n-yan and plunge Freeport into Carcosa, as Lucius Roby did.”

Kham looked sideways at Emric. “How did you know that?”

Emric lifted his chin, defiant. “I’m supposed to be Sea Lord one day myself, remember? Uncle Thralen keeps both ears to the ground.”

“Arrogant, confident, and not wearing a lick of clothing…” Kham shrugged. “You must be Emric.” [MORE]

Black Guard: Part 2 – The Book of Matthew

2009-07-03T09:22:00.001-04:00

Archive chose his words carefully. “More like a guardian spirit,” he said. “This Rabbi, whoever he is, is watching over Matthew.”

Lisa sighed. “About time one of them was useful. I’m going to go put Marissa to bed. Wake me if you need anything.”

Lisa left. Hammer and Jim-Bean joined Archive at the doorway, leaving behind the electronic sounds of exploding zombies.

“So how did that scroll get in there?” asked Jim-Bean.

“Ghosts don’t usually write things without help.”

“Help?” asked Hammer.

“The Rabbi possessed Matthew,” Archive said grimly. [MORE]

Shadows: Part 4 – Pantry

2009-07-03T09:18:00.001-04:00

A dozen white dust-covered children faced them. They had wicked curved knives in hand. Beyond them was a stairwell.

“Now we know the source of the laughter,” said Vlad.

“That’s our exit,” said Kham. “But we’re going to have to fight through them.”

The translucent children advanced.

Vlad switched to Vrosh’s spear. The tip crackled with electrical energy. “Here’s hoping I remembered the old snake’s tactics.” He spun the spear experimentally in one hand.

“Yeah, great.” Beldin sliced through one of the children with no effect at all. It laughed at him. “Just make sure it connects.” [MORE}

This. Is. Gross.

2009-07-02T21:01:00.002-04:00

Fortunately, someone figured out what it (they) is (are). That doesn't make it any less bizarre.

Black Guard: Part 1 – Going Gray

2009-07-02T06:37:00.001-04:00

Ms. Gray’s home was in the west side of Rosetta on a cul-de-sac containing only five homes. A concrete sidewalk connected each home along the cul-de-sac.

The Gray home was a single story, red-bricked home with an attached garage. There was a large pecan tree in the front yard and several oak and pine trees shading the back yard. The backyard had a seven-foot wooden privacy fence. Although Ms. Gray had rose bushes and colorful annuals bordering her home, they were neglected and many had withered. Very little traffic occurred in the area. Lisa drove a new, white minivan, which she parked in the driveway.

Hammer pulled the SUV up. “Maybe we should stay in the car,” he said with a frown.

Archive blinked. “Why?”

“This isn’t our case. I don’t want to freak the poor woman out.”

“You?” asked Jim-Bean with a smirk. “Intimidating?” He switched to a Texas drawl. “Why I do declare I’ve never heard – I say I’ve never heard – of such a thing!”

“That sounds like Foghorn Leghorn,” said Hammer. [MORE]

Vengeance: Part 3 – Conservatory

2009-07-02T06:34:00.000-04:00

“Don’t go near the plant,” said Kham. “It’s a trap.”

Beldin paused. “There’s a fine-looking mace buried beneath it. Let me just take a look…”

“Damn it Beldin!” shouted Kham. But it was too late.

Beldin got a hold of the mace just as a rotten branch slapped outwards to encircle the dwarf’s wrist.

A brief tug of war ensued as the dwarf, determined the retrieve his find, refused to release the mace. The pile of vegetation lurched and suddenly Beldin disappeared.

“Great.” Kham had his blades out. “Now what?”

Vlad blocked another whipping tendril with his shield. “Just don’t use any lightning on the thing…they love lightning.” [MORE]

Black Guard: Prologue

2009-07-01T06:42:00.000-04:00

Rosetta was a small suburban town, widely known for its beautiful woods. The total population just touched 53,000. Many wealthy families lived in the area and this affluence provided access to many amenities and services. The city had a large library, a first class private hospital, and a professional police force and fire department.

Rosetta was home to RaeMart Industries, a large scientific firm that created specialized missile technology. Rosetta’s schools were some of the best in Texas and the students consistently scored among the highest in the state. Rosetta was home to the American Dream.

The north side of town consisted mostly of industrial zones and shopping areas, including a large mall. The east side was the oldest part of town and many of the families who lived there were very wealthy and owned large plantation-style homes. To the south lay the “poor” section of town, which was the only area zoned for apartment buildings.

“So there’s supposed to be a Nazi around here somewhere?” asked Hammer, driving a huge black SUV.

Jim-Bean shrugged from the passenger seat. “I know what I saw. Galt said Rosetta, Texas. And some doctor.”

Archive scanned his limited-access cistron. “The old town square holds an arts and crafts festival most weekends and is ringed by a number of antique stores. The most popular restaurant is The Cattleman, but many chain restaurants can be found on the north side of town.”

“But nothing about Nazis?” asked Hammer.

“Nothing yet,” said Archive. “But if you had a Nazi living in town, wouldn’t you bury it?”

“Point taken,” said Hammer. [MORE]

Vengeance: Part 2 – Game Room

2009-07-01T06:40:00.001-04:00

A couple of billiard tables stood in the room, along with a few empty racks for cues. A fireplace filled with trash and bones stood on one wall.

“What the hell is that?” asked Vlad.

Dominating the center of the room were two blobs of quivering flesh, each stained with dark streaks. The flesh shuddered and released a spray of disgusting liquid.

“Pwalgs,” Kham said with a frown. “Sentient tumors torn from the Unspeakable One’s flesh. Look out!”

He dove to the side as a stream of acid spewed forth, melting one of the billiard tables in half.

Vlad drew the light gladius he had retrieved from Bijoux’s homeworld. “This should help.” [MORE]

Chapter 40: Last Rites of the Black Guard - Introduction

2009-06-28T22:39:00.002-04:00

This story hour is from “Last Rites of the Black Guard” by Ed Wetterman. You can read more about Delta Green at http://www.delta-green.com. Please note: This story hour contains spoilers!

Our cast of characters includes:

Game Master: Michael Tresca (http://michael.tresca.net)
Joseph “Archive” Fontaine (Dedicated Hero/Acolyte) played by Joe Lalumia
Jim “Jim-Bean” Baxter (Charismatic Hero) played by Jeremy Ortiz (http://jeremyrobertortiz.blogspot.com)
Kurtis “Hammer” Grange (Fast/Dedicated Hero/Gunslinger) played by George Webster

If you’re familiar with the Karotechia in Delta Green, you know that it is led by a triumvirate of Nazis on their last legs: the ancient Olaf Bitterich, the artificially sustained Gunter Frank, and the immortal Reinhard Galt. Advancing the Delta Green timeline thus causes a bit of a problem, because Bitterich should be dead of old age. The solution: Last Rites of the Black Guard (LRBG).

LRBG assumes the characters will conduct a séance, which isn’t necessarily something every group will try. Instead, I had our resident psychic character possessed by Aimee’s spirit and let him role-play out the answers with the other characters. Only after enough clues were gathered about what happened to the spirits did I reveal that there was once a Nazi living next door.

LRBG then moves to the second part of the scenario, which is essentially a death trap. Once the investigators find their way down to the secret door, it locks behind them and they are engaged in a fight for their lives with a Risen of Osiris, an undead monster. Since I adopted this monster to a Delta Green setting, I changed it to a Screaming Crawler. The effect is the same: the investigators have to slog it out in a toe-to-toe fight. My players were unhappy about this, expecting to uncover some plot-device to destroy it. The monster has no other purpose than as a guardian, which surprised my players, who expected it to be the old Nazi himself.

This scenario provided a mix of creepy investigation and slugging it out with a supernatural beast. Because of how the fight went down, Archive was taken out early, which left it up to the gunslinger and the faceman. The gunslinger enjoyed himself, the faceman didn’t.

Defining Moment: Since his incident with Yog-Sothoth, Archive is terrified of spheres. Which just happens to be the form an ABE takes… [MORE]

Shadows: Part 1 – Great Room

2009-06-28T22:34:00.000-04:00

The main floor of the Cresh House was in a deplorable state. The walls, once covered in paper, were torn and peeling. Water had stained, cupped, and warped the wooden floors, a testimony to the leaks from the floor above.

They were in a massive room with a polished marble floor that still shined even with all the grime and debris littering it. Two large fireplaces, each big enough for a grown man to stand inside, flanked the sides of the room. Instead of the expected curios and portraits that normally adorned such mantles, there were rats’ nests, chunks of fallen plaster, and filth. Across the room were several windows, though wooden planking concealed whatever lay beyond.

“Tell me something,” said Vlad. “You’ve been seeing this Countess woman for years…and you never suspected she was from Carcosa?”

Kham shrugged. “How should I know? She’s a madam. She always wore a mask.”

“And you didn’t find that strange,” Beldin stated matter-of-factly.

“No.” Kham peered into one of the fireplaces. “In fact, that’s what I was paying for.”

“You PAID her?” asked Vlad. [MORE]