the squid, the cabal, and the old man - rpg.rem.uz of the flame princess/adventures... · how to...
TRANSCRIPT
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Text © 2015 Andre NovoaIssues under exclusive license to
www.lotfp.com
Lamentations of the Flame Princess is a registered trademark owned by James Edward Raggi IV
ISBN 978-952-5904-72-7 (Print)ISBN 978-952-5904-73-4 (PDF)
CreditsWriting: Andre Novoa
Cover Art: Yannick Bouchard
Interior Art: Kelvin Green
Graphic Design: Jeremy Jagosz
Editing: Matthew Pook
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CONTENTS Author Introduction ....................................................4 Historical Background ................................................. 5 The Plot ..............................................................................7 Facts About London .......................................................9 Facts About Cambridge ................................................. 10 Facts About Woolsthorpe-by-Colsterworth ......10 The NPCs ........................................................................... 11 The Cabal ........................................................................... 13 The Cult of the Squid .................................................. 13 Running the Adventure ............................................... 14 Setting 1 ............................................................................. 16 Robert Hooke’s House .................................................. 17 Setting 2 ............................................................................. 21 Isaac Newton’s Mansion & Laboratory ...................22 The Mansion ...................................................................... 23 The Masonic Temple ......................................................29 Setting 3 ............................................................................. 33 Edmond Halley’s House ............................................... 34 The Royal Greenwich Observatory .......................... 37 Cult’s Underground Temple ......................................40
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Author Introduction In2007,Igraduatedwithadegree
inHistory.Afterwards,Imovedontootherareasofstudy,suchasanthropologyandgeography,butIneverlostinterestinthesubject.WhenIcameacrosstheLamentations
of the Flame Princess Weird Fantasy
Roleplayingcorerulesandadventures,Ithoughttomyself,“whatanincrediblewaytoputmydiplomatouse!”Saidanddone.Thisisanadventurebasedontruehistoricalfactsandevents.Withsometwists.Naturally.HavefunwithThe Squid, the Cabal, and the Old Manandpleasedomailmeatnovoa.andre@gmail.comwithyourownsessionreports.Iwouldlovetoseehowhistorywasre-writtenbyyourplayers.
Also,Iwouldliketoexpressmygratitudetoanumberofpeople.Firstofall,thankyoutomycousinPedroLisboa,whoshowedmethewaysofRPGgaming.ItwashimthattaughtmehowtoplayLamentations of the Flame
Princess Weird Fantasy RoleplayingandopenedthedoorstotheOldSchoolRenaissancescene.Secondly,Iwanttothankmygangofplayers:JohnyC,McLeod,Miramon,Claudia,mycousinRita,mycousinJoana,andmygirlfriendAdriana.ItisforthemthatIliketowriteadventuresanditisforthemthatIwillkeeponwritingadventures!Thirdly,Iwouldliketo
thankpookieforhisawesomeediting.Lastbutnotleast,thankyoutoJamesRaggiformakingmeaLamentations of
the Flame Princessauthor.Icouldn’thaveaskedforabetterdebut.
Referee Introduction ThemodulepresentedherewasconceivedaccordingtotheLamentations of the Flame Princessrules,butitcaneasilybeadaptedtoanyOldSchoolRenaissance(OSR)rulessystem.
ThisadventureisdesignedforapartyofthreetofivecharactersofFirstandSecondLevels.The Squid, the Cabal,
and the Old Manisnotlikemostadventures.Itstreasureconsistsnotofcoinsorswordsorthelike.Therearenovaultsfullofsilverpiecestobefound,nomagicweapons,nopreciousgems,orstreamsofgold.Therearesomevaluablegoodshereandthere,spreadoutthroughoutthevarioussettings,butthemaintreasurehereisofdifferentnature:knowledge.TheobjectiveattheheartofThe Squid, the Cabal, and
the Old Manisnottoacquiretreasure,buttounderstandwhatisgoingonandreturn‘home’with‘valuables’thatwillserveasproofoftheirwilddiscoveries.Valuablesinthiscaseincludebooks,mathematicaltreatises,scientificdata,andsoon.Willtheplayercharactersrealisethis?
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Theadventureisablendofvariouspersonalinspirations.Firstofall,theadventure’sbackgroundisthescientificrevolution.Iamasciencegeek.Overthepastfewyears,ithasbotheredmethattheOSRisyettopublishanadventurethatmakesuseofmadscientistsorscientificexperimentsasitscentralplot.Idosohere.Secondly,itismypersonalhomagetoH.P.Lovecraft.TheInter-PlanetaryCultoftheAncientKnowledgeableSquidisaclear-cutreference.Obviouslyenough,thenamecameupasajoke.IsimplywrotedownsomethingIcouldrememberwell.Itstuckafterawhile.Thirdly,UmbertoEco’sFoucault’s
Pendulumalsohasabiginfluenceoverthisadventure,namelywhenitcomestosecretsocietiesandCabals.Justasinthatnovel,peopleconstructtheirrealityaccordingtotheirbeliefs.SomethingsimilarwilloccurwithoneparticularNPCinThe Squid,
the Cabal, and the Old Man,orevenwiththeplayercharactersthemselves.Fourthandfinally,oneofthedevicesinthisadventure–TheCube–isanobviousreferencetoVincenzoNatali’smoviefrom1997.Overallthough,theadventurecanbepitchedastheworksofH.P.LovecraftmeetsUmbertoEcoduringthescientificrevolution.
Historical Background England.1684.Thisiswhereand
whenIoriginallyplacedthismodule.By
thelatterhalfofthe17thcentury,thescientificrevolutionwaswellunderwayandquarrelsamongstscientistswererathercommon.1684wastheyearinwhichNewtonputtopaperhistheoryongravitationalmechanics.Inthisadventure,Idrawupontheknownrivalryandintrigue-trianglebetweenthreewell-knownscientistsfromthisperiod–RobertHooke,IsaacNewton,andEdmondHalley–toserveasthebackgroundtotheplot.ItbeganwithadisputebetweenHookeandNewton,followingameetingthatputHooke,HalleyandChristopherWrenaroundthesametableinJanuary,1684.Togethertheytriedtoformulateascientificexplanationthatcouldaccountfortheirregularmotionoftheplanetsaroundthesun;theycouldnotunderstandwhythesewereellipticalinsteadofcircular.Aftergivingitplentyofthought,allthreewerestillunabletocomeupwithapleasingconclusion.Laterthatyear,inthesummer,HalleyhappenedtovisitNewtonandfoundoutthatthelatterhadalreadydecipheredtheproblem,namelywithhis–atthattime–initialformulasongravitationalmechanics.HalleybecameabsolutelyobsessedwithNewton’sworkandencouragedhimtowriteeverythingdowninatheoreticalbook.EventhoughNewtonwasmuchmoreconcernedwiththeartsofalchemyandtheTempleofSolomon,hedidmanagetowritethebookshortlyafterandit
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wasHalleyhimselfwhoassumedallofthecostsofthefirstedition.ThisisthestorybehindthepublicationofthePrincipia Mathematica.Inthemeantime,frustratedbythefactthathewasnottheonetocomeupwithananswer,HookemadepublichisopinionthatNewtonhadstolenhiswork.Thisgaverisetoadisputethatwould
culminateinapresentationtotheRoyalSocietyin1686.Bytheendofthepresentation,NewtonwasvindicatedwhileHookewasdiscreditedandleftbearinggrudgethathewouldharbourfortherestofhislife.Itisagainstthisrivalryanddisputethattheadventurewillunfold.Willtheplayercharactersrewritehistory?
A Note on Currency I decided to write this module with values in the silver-piece standard, according to the Lamentations
of the Flame Princess rulebooks. I was advised that doing so should make it easier for both the
Referee and the players themselves. However, if the Referee wishes to add a degree of verisimilitude
to his game, he can use the English system of currency used in the 17th century, which consists of
pounds, shillings, and pence, with twelve pence (pennies) per shilling, and twenty shillings per pound.
This is written as £12 10s. 6d (12 pounds, 10 shillings, and 6 pence). Numerous coins are used, from
farthings (¼ penny) and ha’penny (½ penny) to half-crown (2s. 6d) and crowns (5s). Such coins can be
added to scenario or campaign to add verisimilitude.
In terms of income, a wealthy farmer might make £150 per annum, a wealthy merchant £200,
while the annual wage for a domestic servant is £2 plus board, fare, and clothing. Artisans earn a
substantially bigger annual income, as they have to pay for their own food, lodging, and clothing.
Needless to say, women earn much less money than men. A waterman will probably ask 6d to take you
from Westminster to London Bridge. A visit to the barbershop should cost roughly the same. When it
comes to food, 1½d is enough to purchase a meal in any given public house. 2d will secure you a shared
bed in a cheap lodging house; double that amount if you wish to spend the night more comfortably.
Clothes are much more expensive, a nice suit going for no less than £6. A poor man’s clothing is
normally just handcrafted.
Much more complicated than this is to attribute value to the artefacts spread out across the settings
of this adventure. Reportedly, famous instrument-maker Richard Reeve sold a microscope in 1664 for
£5 10s. It seems reasonable that a telescope will cost much more than that, perhaps as twice as much.
Other scientific instruments should be within this price range, unless they are simple flasks and cutting
instruments. Even more difficult is attributing value to scrolls and books as during the 17th century
there is no fixed market-price. Nevertheless, most of the books will sell for £1 or £2, while the ancient
scrolls should be worth at least £10 each, with many easily fetching £50 to £100.
Using this is purely optional. It is up to the Referee to decide whether or not he wishes to do so.
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The PlotTheadventuretakesplaceinAugust,1684;rightafterHookefindsoutthatNewtonwasabletosolvetheproblemoftheirregularmotionofplanets.Theplotwillinvolvetheplayercharactersinatriangleof–fictional-yet-almost-likely–intriguesbetweenHooke,Halley,andNewton.ThesethreescientistswillserveasthecentralNPCsinThe Squid, the Cabal, and the Old
Man.Theiraimsareasfollows:
(a)RobertHookewantstostealNewton’sworkandthinksthatHalley’sfriendshipwithNewtonmightpresentanopportunitytocarryoutsuchatheft.HookeisanaggravatedoldmanwhosimplywantstolayhishandsonNewton’stheoriesinordertoclaimthemashisown.
(b)IsaacNewtonisobsessedwithalchemy.HeismuchmoreinterestedinfindingthePhilosopher’sStonethaninscienceper se.HeisamemberofaFreemason’sLodgewithsimilaraims.However,allofhis‘brothers’,exceptforone,diedrecently–thelodgewasformedofsevenindividuals–andsoNewtonhasbecomeparanoidthatthereisaCabalouttheretryingtokillhim.HesuspectsthatHalleyissomehowbehindthisandthatheholdsanimportantartefactthatwillcompletehisresearch.ThetruthisthatthereisnoCabalouttokillNewtonandthatHalleyholdsnosuchartefact.Newton
‘brothers’simplydiedofnaturalcausesoraccidents.Newton’ssuspicionsextendtohisnewfriend,EdmondHalley.HedoesnotquiteunderstandwhyHalleyissokeenonhelpinghimpublishinghistheories...
(c)EdmondHalley,astheleaderoftheInter-PlanetaryCultoftheAncientKnowledgeableSquid(howdidyouthinkhediscoveredthecomet?),hasbefriendedHookeinordertokillNewton.HalleywantstomurderNewtoninordertosalvagehisbrain,becausethisiswhatthecultdoesandhasbeendoingonEarthformanycenturiesnow.TheculthashaditseyesonNewtonforsomeyearsnow–rumourhasthatheisonthebrinkofmakingamajorscientificbreakthrough.HalleymadefriendswithHookebecausethecultwantstwothingsfromNewton.Thefirstarehispublishedtheoriesongravitationalmechanics.Thesecondistoharvesthisbrainitself.Obviously,thefirstneedstobecompletebeforethesecondcanbeattempted,soHalleyneedstotimethiswellandHookeisthebestpersontoverifythatNewtonhasindeedcompletedhisformulas.
Inshort,youhaveagrumpyoldmanthatwantstorobanotherman;theothermanisaparanoidFreemasonobsessedwithalchemy;andyouhaveacultleaderthatwantstosalvagethe
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brainofthesaidparanoidFreemason.Itisintothishappysituationthatyourplayercharacterswalk.Havefun!
InadditiontothethreemainNPCs,theadventurehasthreemainsettings,oneforeachofthoseNPCs.Theyareasfollows:
(a)RobertHooke’shouseincentralLondon.
(b)IsaacNewton’smansionnearWoolsthorpe-by-Colsterworth,thegroundsofwhichcontainasmall,undergroundreplicaoftheTempleofSolomon;plushislaboratoryattheUniversityofCambridge.
(c)EdmondHalley’smanorhouseinIslington(London)andtheRoyalObservatoryinGreenwich,underwhichisasecrettempleoftheInter-PlanetaryCultoftheAncientKnowledgeableSquid.
Ittakesabout16hoursofwalkingforthetravellerstogofromLondontoCambridge.Ifplayercharacters
areriding,itshouldcutitdownto8hoursoftravelling.ThedistancefromCambridgetoWoolsthorpe-by-ColsterworthisroughlythesamebetweenLondonandCambridge.GreenwichisclosetoLondontowardseastbytheriver.Itshouldnottakemorethanacoupleofhoursofwalking.
ItisuptotheRefereetodecidehowhewantstohandletravelinThe
Squid, the Cabal, and the Old Man.Theplayercharacterscansimplytravelsafelybetweentheadventure’slocationsortheycanrunintowhatevertheRefereefindsappropriate.Forexample,theRefereecoulduseTales
of the Scarecrow(alsopublishedbyLamentationsoftheFlamePrincess)asasideadventuresomewhereontheroadbetweenLondonandWoolsthorpe-by-Colsterworth.Alternatively,hecouldrunatableofrandomwildernessencountersandtesttheplayercharacters’luck;thiswillconfuseplayers–andthat’sagoodthing!
A
B
C
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Facts about London
In mid-17th century, London is extremely overcrowded and dirty. The streets are full of beggars. The roads is treated like open sewers. The city stank and hygiene is virtually unknown. In a city that had already suffered numerous outbreaks of bubonic plague since 1347, the conditions were ripe for further outbreaks, the last of which was the infamous Great Plague of 1665, which took the lives of 100,000 people, roughly 15% of London’s population. The Great Plague had all but petered out when the city was struck by yet another disaster – the Great Fire of 1666. The fire destroyed more than 60% of the city, including the Old St. Paul’s Cathedral, countless churches, trade associations, and private houses. Most of the aristocracy relocated itself to new districts such as the
trendy St. James, right next to the royal residence. Merchants began operating near Piccadilly towards the East. The rebuilding of the city saw a move from wood to stone and brick. By the end of the century, London would be back on its feet, racing ahead to become the world’s leading financial centre, superseding Amsterdam in the process. The Bank of England would be founded in 1694 and England’s maritime interests were laying the foundation for the great empire that would rise over the course of the next century. So, in 1684, the player characters are likely to be witnesses to a vibrant metropolis, rebuilding itself following the great disasters and on its way to becoming the most influential city in Europe.
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Facts about Cambridge
By the 17th century, Cambridge has been a university town for almost five centuries with much of the town’s commercial and agricultural activity thriving because of the university’s presence. Indeed, much of town’s life revolves around the university. Founded in 1209, it accommodates some fifteen colleges in the 1680s and due to Isaac Newton’s influence maintains an especially strong emphasis on
applied mathematics, particularly mathematical physics. Home to some 5,000 people, the town has benefited from the construction of the Hobson’s Conduit, which brought sanitation and fresh water to the centre of Cambridge for the first time in 1614. The town’s most famous public house is The Eagle and the Child, which opened in 1667.
Facts about Woolsthorpe-by-Colsterworth Woolsthorpe-by-Colsterworth is a rural village in the middle of nowhere, famous for one thing only. That it is the birthplace of Isaac Newton. The village has a small church and an inn, and its inhabitants number no more than a
hundred. They will not be surprised should the player characters come to Woolsthorpe-by-Colsterworth as the inn is occasionally frequented by merchants travelling on the road between Peterborough and Nottingham.
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The NPCs (a)RobertHookeisagrumpyoldman.Actually,heisinhisfifties,butlooksmucholder.Heisthemostobviouschoiceforintroducingtheadventuretotheplayercharacters–Hookecouldhirethemtostealthework.Heisadeeplyfrustratedman–andtheRefereeshouldshowit!Nooneseemstorecognisehisscientificdiscoveries–thisisahistoricalfact–andhismannerwillbeaggressiveandsuspicious.Nevertheless,absolutelyfixatedonlayinghishandsonNewton’sworkongravitationalmechanics,Hookeislookingtohireagangofne’er-do-wellstoundertakethetask.AlthoughHookeknowsHalleywell,heknowsnothingofthecultthatHalleyleads.InHooke’shouse,theplayercharacterswillfindreferencetoHalley,butnotmuchmorethanthat.HookeknowsthatHalleyisalsoveryinterestedinNewton,butheisunawareofHalley’strueintentions. In combat: Armour 12, Movement
100’, 2 Hit Dice, dagger 1d4.
(b)Abrilliantandrespectedscientistinhisforties,IsaacNewtonearnedhisreputationafteryearsspentinresearchingthefieldofopticsinthe1660sandthe1670s.HisreputationissuchthatmosteducatedmeninEnglandwillrecognisehisname.Inadditiontostudyingoptics,Newton
hasspenthalfofhisliferesearchingalchemy,tryingtoassemblethePhilosopher’sStone,alegendaryartefactsaidtobecapableofturningbasemetalsintogold.Heisbothabiblicalandanoccultscholar,havingmadeastudyoftheTempleofSolomon–theFirstTemplebuiltinJerusalemthatwassackedin587BC–fromtheKing James BibleandthewritingsofVitruviusandotherRomanauthors.Newton’sfascinationwiththetemplewassuchthathehasbuiltasmall,undergroundreplicaoftheTempleofSolomoninthegroundsofhishouse,itsarchitectureanddecorationripewithoccultsymbolism.Itisherethatheconductshisalchemicalstudiesawayfromtheeyesofthepublic.Untilrecently,thetemplewasalsothesecretmeetingplaceforhisbrotherhoodofFreemasons,havingbeenpartiallyconceivedasastagetohostinitiationandotherrites.
Newtonisadeeplyparanoidman.HesincerelybelievesthatthereisaCabalthatistryingtokillhim,aCabalthatiskeepinghiddensecretknowledgeabouthowtoassemblethePhilosopher’sStone.HealsosuspectsthatHalleyisinpossessionofimportantoccultknowledge–knowledgethatNewtonbelieveswillhelphimunravelthesecretsofthePhilosopher’sStoneandperhapsthetruesecretsoftheTempleofSolomon.(Ofcourse,Halleyis
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inpossessionofimportant‘occult’knowledge–justnotexactlywhatNewtonislookingfor).
In combat: Armour 12, Movement 120’,
2 Hit Dice, sword 1d6.
(c)EdmondHalleyisamanwithtwosidestohischaracter.Ontheonehand,heisanastronomerwithagrowingreputation.Bornin1656toawealthysoap-maker,HalleyacquiredafineeducationatOxfordbeforeassistingJohnFlamsteed,thefirstAstronomerRoyal,inhisrelocationtoGreenwichin1675todirecttheconstructionoftheRoyalGreenwichObservatory.BestknownforhistriptoSt.Helenabetween1676and1678tochartthestarsoftheSouthernHemisphere,uponhisreturn,HalleysettleddownwithhiswifeinIslington.Inpublic,Halleyisaproud,respectableyoungmanwhowillreadilysharehisexperiencesonSt.Helenaandhisimmenseknowledgeofastronomy.
Ontheotherhand,HalleyistheleaderoftheInter-PlanetaryCultoftheAncientKnowledgeableSquid.Hisfatherledthecultbeforehim,inductingEdmondafterhecamedownfromOxford.Edmondrosethroughthecult’sranksquicklybeforetakingoveritsleadershipwhenhisfathersteppeddownin1678.WhenthecultlearnedthatitwasHalley’ssupervisor,JohnFlamsteed,whowastobeputinchargeoftheRoyalObservatory,itbeganthreateninghimuntil‘TheKing’sAstronomicalObservator’
agreedtoletthecultconstructitstempleundertheRoyalObservatoryinabsolutesecrecy.Afterall,giventhenatureofthecult,itmadesensethatitsnewtemplewouldbebuilthere.ThecultevenforcedFlamsteedtohaveasubterraneoustunnelexcavatedfromhiscellarleadingtothetemple,enablingtheleaderoftheculttocomeandgowithsomesecrecy.ThecultcontinuedtointimidateFlamsteedafterthetemplewasfinished,whilstalsoblackmailinghim,threateningtorevealhiscomplicityinthetemple’sconstruction.ThusFlamsteedhadnochoicebuttocomply(historiographynote:thisiswhy,indeed,FlamsteedlefttheRoyalObservatoryin1684…).
Atthepresenttime,Halleyisabsolutelydevotedtothecult.Hewillhavenosecondthoughtsaboutcarryingoutitsinhumanaims.So,theRefereeshouldactasarespectablemanatfirst,butifunmaskedheshouldturnHalleyintoafearsome,cruelcultist.
In combat: Armour 16, Movement
120’, 5 Hit Dice, staff 1d6 plus Squid
Summoning (described below), Contact
Outer Sphere, and Polymorph Self (add
some tentacle attacks if successful).
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The Cabal ThereisnoCabal.Rememberthis–Newtonthoughsincerelybelievesotherwise.Iftheplayercharactersactsuspiciously–forexample,iftheyfollowNewtonorattempttorobhishouse–hewillthinkthatplayercharactersareagentsoftheCabal.HewillbeabsolutelyconvincedthattheirpresenceisindicativethattheCabalhasfinallycomeforhim.Well,inaway,hisfearsarejustified,seeinghowthereisacultthatwantshisbrain,butNewtonthinksthatthecultwantstothwarthisalchemicalendeavours.
The Cult of the Squid TheInter-PlanetaryCultoftheAncientKnowledgeableSquidoriginatedintheMiddleEastaround100BC,inspiredbyearlyEgyptianastronomicobservations.Thecultholdsthataraceofgiant,intelligentsquid-likecreaturesresidesinaplanetcalledR’Ahz,locatedinaplanetarysystemmorethan200light-yearsawayfromEarthcalledR’Ahz-Ghi-Le(todayknownasKepler-37,intheconstellationofLyra).Thecultbelievesthatthesecreaturesfeedoffknowledge,itssacredtranscriptstellingthehistoryofsuchcreatures,statingthat,atfirst,theywereabletoproduceenoughknowledgetokeepthemselvesfedandalive,butassoonasthepopulationgrew,theycouldnotsustainthemselvesonwhattheyaloneknew.TheAncientSquidshadno
choicebuttonavigatetofirstnearbyplanetsandthennearbystarsystemsconsumingalloftheknowledgethattheycouldattachtheirtentaclesto.Millenniaofconsecutiveconsumptioneventuallyenabledthemtodevelopthetechnologytonavigatethroughthecosmosatwill.
TheInter-PlanetaryCultoftheAncientKnowledgeableSquidsincerelybelievesthatthearrivaloftheSquidonEarthisimminent,andinpreparationforthearrivalofitsmasters,theculthasbeenstockingupontheknowledgeproducedonEarth.Thecult’sfirstgrandoperation,followingitsfounding,wasanassaultontheLibraryofAlexandria.OrthodoxhistoriographystatesthattheburningofthelibrarywasasaresultofJuliusCaesar’sactionsinEgyptaround48BC.LittledohistoriansknowthatithadnothingtodowithJuliusCaesar,buttheburningofAlexandriaissogreatlyreveredwithinthecultthatithasbecomepartofitsveryfoundation-story.Assaultsuponotherlibrariesfollowedthroughtheages,mostnotablythoseupontheLibraryofCtesiphoninPersiain651ADandtheImperialLibraryofConstantinopleintheByzantineEmpirein1204AD.TheculthassincespreaditsinfluencebeyondtheMiddleEast.In1684,thereareabout50cultistsinLondonandroughly500morespread-outacrossEuropeandAsia.Thosethatcanattendanannualconclavewilldoso,heldeachyearina
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differentlocation–thisyeartheywillmeetatStonehengeduringthewintersolstice.Accordingtothetenetsofthecult,besidesdirectknowledgeintheformofbooksandancientscrolls,theSquids’favouritefoodhappenstobethebrainsoffamousscientists.Theyregardthemassuper-nutritious.Hence,cultistshavebeencarefullycollecting
thebrainsofrespectedscientiststhroughouttheages.Thebrainsneedtobecollectedandstoredperfectly.Timingisoftheessencehere.Abrainthathasbeenburiedforovertwomonthsservesnogoodasitiswillhavebeenspoiledbydecomposition.
Running the Adventure TheRefereecanruntheadventureashelikes.IhavepresentedthreecentralNPCs,theirrespectivesettings(seebelow),andanopen-endedplot.TheRefereecancomeupwiththeconnectionsbyhimselfandbecreativeonhisown.Infact,heshouldbedoingso!AgoodRefereeistheonewhocancreativelyreinventandadjusttheplottoworkwiththestyleandaimsofhisownplayersandtheircharacters.Iwillnevertheless,givesomesuggestionsandillustrationsastowhatmighthappen.
Duringtheplay-testofThe Squid,
the Cabal, and the Old Man,theplayercharacterswerehiredbyHooketostealNewton’swork.Theysaidyestothejob,butdecidedtofollowHookebacktohishouse.AtHooke’shouse,theplayercharactersfoundaconnectiontoHalley(seeHooke’sofficebelow).TheywentontoinvestigatetheObservatory.Theretheykilledtheguardsandlocatedthecult’sundergroundtemplebelowtheObservatory.Halleywasnotthere
atthetime,ashewasalreadyonhiswaytokillNewton,whohadbeeninCambridgeputtingthefinaltouchestohistheoriesongravity.Inthetemple,theplayercharactersdiscoveredHalley’strueintentionsandracedaheadtogettoNewton’slaboratorybeforeHalleydid.Whentheyarrived,HalleywasintheprocessofabductingNewton.TheywereunabletorescueNewton–Halleyhadalreadymanagedtomurderhim–butkilledHalley.TheyproceededtoinvestigateNewton’smansion,stolesomebooksandtheadventurewasover.
Alternatively,alesssuspiciousgroupofplayercharactersmightsimplyacceptHooke’sofferofemploymenttostealNewton’snotesandproceedtoCambridgeandNewton’slaboratory.AlthoughNewtonislikelytobeinthelaboratoryatthetime,theplayercharactersmaynotonlybeabletogethisnotes,buttheymaywelldiscovertheplanstoNewton’sundergroundreplicaoftheTempleofSolomon
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onthegroundsofhisestateinWoolsthorpe-by-Colsterworth.Oncethere,searchingthetemplemayrevealNewton’sinterestinHalley,thathepossessesanimportantartefactthatwillhelpNewtoncompletehisalchemicalworks.TheythengoontoconfrontHalleyattheObservatory,findingthecult’snest.Onceagain,HalleyisnottherebecauseheisonhiswaytokillNewton.Andsoon. OrperhapshecouldbeattheObservatorythistime,andtheplayercharactersnotonlykillhim,butdiscoverthatheplannedtomurderNewton.Ifthisisthecase,thenitisyourplayercharactersthatwillsufferfromEco’s‘delusion’inthattheywillprobablybelievethatthereisaCabalbentonkillingNewton.Right?
Ormaybeplayercharactersjustgo
toNewton’shouseandstealhisnotes,takethembacktoHookeandgetpaidfortheirefforts–andthatisthat.Adventuredone.Next.
Thepossibilitiesareendlesshere.TheRefereeshouldnotrailroadhisplayercharactersintotheiractions,butshouldinsteadlettheplayerschoosewhattheircharactersdoandreacttowhattheydo.Intheprocess,therearemanychoicestobemade.Whoiswherewhentheplayercharacterscome?IsHookehomewhenandiftheplayercharactersloothishouse?WhereisNewtonwhentheplayercharactersvisit–inCambridgeorWoolsthorpe-by-Colsterworth?ThenthereisHalley.Willhebeat
theObservatory,orwillhebeonhiswaytokillNewton?Thesechoiceswillberesponsibleforthescriptoftheadventure.Ibelievethateachtimethismoduleisplayed,anewscriptwillbeborn.Andthat’swhatmakesitfun.
Evenso,Ihavecomeupwithadicegeneratorthatdeterminesthesechoices.Itisabsolutelyoptional.Itgoesasfollows:
Oncetheplayercharactersareinsetting1(RobertHooke’shouse),roll1d8.On1-4,Hookeishome.On5-6,Hookeisintowndoingsomethingelse.On7-8,HookeisonhiswaytospeakwithHalley.
Oncetheyareinsetting2(IsaacNewton’sMansionandLaboratory),roll1d4.On1-2,NewtonisinWoolsthorpe-by-Colsterworth.On3-4,NewtonisthereinCambridge.
Oncetheyareinsetting3(EdmondHalley’sHouse,theObservatory,andtheTemple),roll1d8.On1-2,HalleyisathishouseinIslington.On3-4,HalleyisatHooke’shouse.On5-6,HalleyiseitherattheObservatoryortheTemple.On7-8,HalleyisonhiswaytokillNewton.
Bonusroll!IfHalleyisattheObservatory,rollad3oncetheplayercharactersgettotheTemple.Ona3,thecultishavingagatheringandperformingaritual.Therewillbearound50cultiststhere.Goodluckwiththat!
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ThefirstsettingsolelyconsistsofRobertHooke’shome,whichisanormalbourgeoishouseincentralLondon.Thegroundfloorconsistsofadiningroom,parlour,kitchen,andlarder,whileupstairsisHooke’sbedroom,hisadjacentlibrary/office,aguestroom,andaboxroom.Theservantshaveroomsintheattic.Thehouseiscleanandthereisamaid,MarthaSnody,residentatalltimes.Hookeisaconfirmedbachelorandwillnevermarry.
1. The library/office upstairs Thelibrarymainlycontainsworksofascientificandastronomicalnature,includingDe Nova Stella byTychoBrahe,De Revolutionibus Orbium
Coelestium byNicolausCopernicus,andaPortuguesecopyoftheEsmeraldo de
Situ Orbis byDuartePachecoPereira.Variousglasscabinetsholdscientificinstruments–ananemometer,abarometerandamicroscopeamongstothers–worthatotalof200silverpieces.Onthedeskaremorescientificinstruments,partofawork-in-progressthatattemptedtoshowthatmusicaltonescouldbegeneratedfromspinningbrasscogscutwithteethinparticularproportions.Alsoonthedeskisanunsignedletter:
Inthefireplaceisahalf-burnt,incompleteletter,mostlyconcealedbyash.Acomparisonwiththeletteronthedeskwillconfirmthatiswaswrittenbythesameperson.Theintendedrecipientisunknown,hisidentityhavingbeenconsumedinthefire.
Hooke’s House Ground Floor
My dear Halley, It would be my great honour to accompany you to Newton’s laboratory should the opportunity arise. His work has been of great interest to me and as I understand it, you have of late become quite close to the great man. Perhaps then, you could arrange for us to pay our respects? Shall I come and pay my respects to you in Islington? Alternately, should I call upon you at the Royal Observatory, given that I am to understand you are engaged in much of your work there?
That Newton stole my work. Believe me! I had already completed all the formulae. How I despise that little insignificant man! One day, I will kill him!
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Thissettingisdividedintotwodifferentlocations.OneisNewton’smansioninWoolsthorpe-by-Colsterworthwithitssecretundergroundmasonictempleinthegroundsofthehouse;theotherishislaboratoryinTrinityCollegeatCambridgeUniversity.Ittakesonedaytotravelbetweenthetwo.Hekeepsasmallroomatthecollege;nothingfancy–justclothes,abed,wardrobe,andsoon.InhislaboratorytheplayercharacterswillfindNewton’snotesoncelestialmechanics,thoughunlessoneoftheirnumberisamathematician,theycannotbeentirelysurethattheyhavetherightpapers.IftheyreturnthepaperstoHooke,hewillbeabletoconfirmthattheyhavetheright
ones.Theplayercharacterswillalsofindwhatappearstobethemapofanundergroundtemple.Notesonthemapmentionboth‘Woolsthorpe’and‘TempleofSolomon’.AlsointhelaboratoryisaNewtoniantelescopeworth500silverpiecesthatheiscurrentlyintheprocessofmakingrepairsto.
NotethatNewtonnotonlyconductsresearchinthelaboratory,healsoteachesheretoo.UniversitystaffandstudentsarefamiliarwithNewtonandhiscomingsandgoings.SowhiletheymaybepreparedtoansweranyquestionsputtothemaboutNewton,theyareequallyaslikelytobecuriousastothepresenceoftheplayercharactersinthelaboratory.
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The Mansion Newton’sactualresidenceisalargemansioninthevillageofWoolsthorpe-by-Colsterworth.Inadditiontoahouseholdstaffofamaid(EstherCooke),acook(MercyHardacre),andagardener/stableboy(NedHardacre)whohasaroomoverthestables,Newtonalsoemploysaguard,TobiasMalton,hiredtokeeptheplacesafe,followingtherecent‘murders’ofNewton’sFreemasonbrothers.Separatedfromthehouse,standsasmalllabthatcontainsNewton’sfindingsandworkonOptics–theplacelooksdustyandunused.Behindthelabisawell,whichservesasthesecretentrancetotheundergroundtemple.
Tobias Malton, Guard: Armour 12,
Movement 120’, 1 Hit Dice, cudgel 1d6,
Morale 8.
Newton’smansionisatypicalruralmansionbefittingawealthygentleman.Itiscleanandwell-maintained,butthereareanumberofinterestingfactsaboutthehouse.Thegroundfloorconsistsofakitchenandlarder,adiningroom,parlour,gamesroom(completewithbilliardstable),library,andstudy,whilstthefirstfloorconsistsofNewton’sbedroom,threeguestrooms,andabox-room.Abovethisintheattic,thereareroomsforthecookandthemaideach,alongwithseveralstorerooms.
1. The Library Thelibraryholdsaboutonehundred
books.PrideofplacegoestoaKing
James Biblethatsitsonalectern,whiletheotherbooksprimarilyconsistofworksonmathematics,astronomy,andnaturalphilosophy.Otherbooksaredevotedtotheoccult,alchemy,andreligion.
2. The Study AdjacenttothelibraryisNewton’sstudy.Themostnotablefeatureintheroomisacabinetofcuriosities.Itisfilledwithhorns,tusks,skeletons,andminerals,aswellaswondroussculptures,clockworkautomata,andartefactsfromaroundtheworld.Therearealsoanumberofoldscientificinstruments.
Onthedeskaretwoletters.OneistoawomannamedIsabella,theothertoamannamedWilliam.TheyaretheonlysurvivingmembersofNewton’sFreemasonlodge(hand-outsbelow).
Awardrobecontainsapairofdarkcloaksandacoat.Therearofthewardrobeisasecretpanelthatopensontoahiddenroombuiltintotheendofthehouse.
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Newton’s Mansion Second Floor
3. Secret Room (next to study) Thissecretroomisaccessedviathepanelatthebackofthewardrobeinthestudynextdoor.Theonlyfurnitureinthesmallroomisacupboardwhichcontainsanapronembroideredinbrightcolourswithacompassandaneye.Alsointhecupboardisabig-stonekey,usedtoopenapassagetothetempleintheWelloutside;andadiamond,usedtoilluminatetheundergroundtemple(seebelow).Thediamondaloneisworth150silverpieces.
How much can the player characters steal? ThereisaoneineightchancethatNewtonspotsthatsomethingismissingfromhishome.Thechanceisincreased
by1foreachitemthatisstolenbytheplayercharacters.ThismeansthatiftheplayercharactersstealfiveitemsfromNewton’shouse,thereisa5in8chancethatNewtonwillknowitandhireamantoreturnthemissinggoods.ThisonlyhappensiftheplayercharactershavecontactwithNewtonataboutthetimethathesuspectstheitemshavegonemissing.IftheplayercharactersstealanythingthatrelatestoNewton’salchemicalstudiesorfromhisTempleofSolomon,thenNewtonwillinstructtheman,RyanO’Flannagan,totakeallmeasurespossibletoseetotheitems’return.
Ryan O’Flannagan: Armour 16,
Movement 120’, 4 Hit Dice, a brace
of flintlock pistols 1d6 plus sword 1d6,
Stealth 5
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Dearest Isabella, I have never told you this before, but all of those late nights at the laboratory were much more than pure science. I wanted to give you all the gold in the world. I wanted to please you with infinite joy. I do not have much time now. My days are numbered. All my brothers are dead, except for William. All but him have died recently. I am sure that this had nothing to do with natural causes. They knew I— We were close. They knew we were close to unlocking the secrets— they are coming for me too. I will not live long. They will come for me.Please stay safe.Always yours,
Isaac.
William, We are the only remaining. We have to stay focused. I think we are very close. Sir Edmond Halley has recently become close to me. He keeps writing and insisting that I publish my scientific work. I think he is hiding his true intentions. I think he holds important knowledge, perhaps an important substance, which will complete our works. I have nothing to lose now. I will try to get it. Somehow.Stay well.
Isaac.
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The Masonic Temple Thetempleisquitesmall,dirtyandlooksalmostasifithasbeenabandoned.Infact,followingthedeathsofNewton’sfellowFreemasons,thisplacehasseenlittleuse–exceptforthetwo
secretareasattherearofthecomplex.Asharpplayercharacterwillbeabletotrackfootprintsthatleadtotheserooms.Theremainderofthetempleisdusty.
1
2
3
4
5 6
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1. The Well Thewellappearstobeanormal,small
well.Itisdryanditisimpossibletoseethebottomfromabove.Somehow,lightdoesnotseemtowork.Ifaplayercharacterthrowsatorchdownthewell,thetorchstopsemittinglight(thiswasachievedthroughNewton’sworkonOpticsandonlyheknowshowthisisdoneexactly).
Carefulexaminationofthebaseof
thewellwallrevealswhatcouldbeakeyhole.Thekeyisinthesecretroominthemansion.Ifused,thekeywillactivateamechanismthatsomehowmakesthewellmuchbiggerandwiderwithacaseofspiralstairsrunningdownadjacenttothewalls.Naturallight
nowflowsintothewell.Theproblemisthatitalsoactivatesatrap:itreleasesapowerfulsleepinggas.Anyonecaughtwithin5’ofthewellwillneedtomakeasavingthrowversusBreathWeaponorbeputtosleepfor1d6hourswithanaccompanyinglossofmemoryofthesixhoursbeforethat.(Note:thisisactuallyhowNewtonkeepstheplacesafe.Itishimwhorefillsthegaseverytimeitisused.Heaskshisgardenertoopenthetempleforhim,sothathedoesn’tgetpoisoned,andthenreliesonthememory-losseffecttosimplykeeponaskingthegardenertoopenit).IfNewtonfindstheplayercharacters“sleeping”,hewillseethemexecuted,asheprobablythinksthisistheCabal’sdoing.
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Thefloorofthewellispaintedwithacompassandaneye.Adarkcorridorleadsoffthewell.Fortunately,atorchwillnowproducelight,butstillaveryfaintone.Thereisabigleverhere.Ifpulled,itwill‘close’thewell.
ThewellisalsoasymbolfortheFreemasonbrotherhoodthatusedtomeethere.Itmeansaconnectionbetweentheskyandtheearth,andwasusedaspartofthebrotherhood’sinitiationrites.Descendingthewellsymbolicallymeant‘dying’–returningtoearth;theLabyrinthmeant‘rediscoveringoneself ’;andtheRoomwiththeSkymeantbeingbornanew,asaFreemasonbrother.
2. The Altar Thealtarisquiteimpressiveandmadeofstone.Ithasabigcompassandaneyeengravedintoit.Duringthedaythereisarayoflightthatcomesfromtheceilingthatspecificallypointstoasmallmetallicstructurehangingoverthealtar.Thediamondfitsperfectlyhereandilluminatesthewholetemplethroughacomplexstructureofmirrors–theonlyexceptionisthelabyrinth,whichremainsalwaysdark.Iftheplayercharactersdonothavethediamond,thelightisveryfaintdownhere,evenwithtorches.
TheideabehindtheinitiationriteisthatthecandidatewouldgothroughtheLabyrinthintotaldarknessandthenre-emergeintheSky-roomasanewperson,asabrotherofthelodge.Inotherwords,theritewasabout
‘rediscoveringoneself ’andbeingbornanew,asamasonicbrother.
3. The Labyrinth Theonlynotablefeatureaboutthelabyrinthisthatitisparticularlydark.EvenNewton’ssystemofmirrorswillnotbringtheblazeofdiamond-lighttothispartofthetemple.Strangenoisesseemtoemanatefromthetunnelsofthelabyrinth,comingfromaswarmofbatsthatdecidedtomovein.Duetothefactthatthetemplehasnotbeenusedinsomemonthsandalsoduetoitsdarkness,thetunnelsarehometoacolonyofbats.
Bat swarm: Armour 12, Movement
200’, 1 Hit Dice, Bite attack 1d3, Morale
8.
4. The Room with the Sky Theceilingofthisroomispaintedtoresembleacleardaytimesky.IftheroomislitviaNewton’sarrayofmirrorsandthediamond,thenthepaintingissovividthatitappearstobethenaturalskyitself.Thewallsaredecoratedwithscientificequations,philosophicalquotes(inLatin),compasses,eyes,crosses,roses,andsoon.Theroomcontainsapulpitbeforewhicharearrayedtencarefullyplacedchairs.Eithersideofthepulpitstandsalargeclaybowl.Eachfilledwithnowbrackishwater,thebowlsaredecoratedwithcompassesandeyes.Inadditiontobeingusedaspartofthebrotherhood’sinitiationrite,thisisalsowherethelodgemembersoncemetanddebated.
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5. Secret Room: Alchemical Laboratory Thisroomcontainstwoworkbenchesuponwhichcanbefoundvariousalchemicalapparatus–cucurbita,ampulla,glasstubes,acrane’sbill,phialsandretorts,sublimationvessels,cruciblesandearthenware,andironpotsforstrongacids.Toonesideofaforgeisasackofcoke,whileontheotherarestackedseveralingotsofleadandotherbasemetals.Stackedontheendofoneoftheworkbenchesaretwobooksandasheafofpapers.ThebooksareThe Sceptical Chymist: or Chymico-
Physical Doubts & ParadoxesbyRobertBoyleandOn the nature of QuiksilverbyStefanNilsson,whilethepapersareNewton’snotes.WritteninLatin,thenotesdetailhisprogresstodateincreatingthePhilosopher’sStone.Thereisalsoasignificantquantityofgold(25goldpieces)andsilver(250silverpieces).AlthoughNewtonhasnevermadegoldhimself,hebelievesthatheisclosetobeingabletocreatethePhilosopher’sStoneandthusbeabletoturnbasemetalintogold.Thisroomiswherehekeepsallhiswork-in-progress.
Secret door: the secret door is engraved
on the temple’s inner wall. It opens
directly into the room. The secret door is
opened by pressing a slab in the wall.
Trap: the secret door contains a trap.
If the person pressing the slab is standing
right in the front of the door, a pit will
open and the player character will have
to making a saving throw versus Breath
Weapon to avoid falling and suffering
2d6 damage. The pit is 15’ deep and quite
narrow, being only 3’ wide.
6. Secret Room: the Eye and the Compass Thisroomisdominatedbyagianteyeandagiantcompassthatseemtohangintheairnearthenorthwall.Closerinspectionrevealsthatbotharehungfromtheceilingbywiresthathavebeenlacqueredinblackandaresodifficulttosee.Theeyeis3’acrossandlooksasifitismadeoforganicmaterial,butisinfactmadeofChineseporcelainandVenetianglass.Itisaverystrangeobject.Atfirst,itseemsasifitdoesnothing,butifaplayercharactersaysthathespecificallystaresatitformorethanthreeconsecutiveminutes,hewillgainonepointofWisdom.Otherwise,itisjustascary,unnaturallookingthing.TheCompassappearstobejustoversized,butattachedtoitisanembroideredbannerthatreads,“whereisthefourthsideofthetriangle?”Thereisnoanswertothis.
Thisroomisdarkunlesssomeonebringsatorchorlanternwithhim.Thebrotherhoodcalledthisthereflectionroomandwouldspendtimehereinmeditation.
Secret door: the secret door is engraved
on the temple’s inner wall. It opens
directly into the room. The secret door is
opened by pressing a slab in the wall.
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Thissettinghasthreemajorlocations:Halley’shouseinIslington,theRoyalGreenwichObservatory,andtheundergroundtemplewheretheLondonbranchofTheInter-PlanetaryCultoftheAncientKnowledgeableSquidmeetsandworships.ThetempleisbuiltrightbeneaththeObservatory.Therearetwowaystoenterit.Thefirstoneisbyopeningasecretpassagerightbeneaththebigtelescopeinthefrontyard;thesecondisthroughthecellarinthemainhouse,whichhasa200’tunnelconnectingthetwo.OnlyHalleyusesthetunnel.Therestofthecultistsusetheentranceunderneaththetelescope.
Halley’s House Halley’shouseislarge,clean,andwell-maintained.IncomparisontoHooke’sresidence,thetwo-storeyhouseislarger,slightlymoreimpressive,andmuchbetterlookedafter.Thegroundfloorconsistsofalargediningroom,parlour,drawingroom,library,kitchen,andlarderaswellasHalley’schamberofwonderandhisoffice.Thefamilyhasitsprivateroomsasdoesthecookandthemaid,whilethebutlerandvalethaveroomsintheattic.Belowthehouseisthecellar.
Halleylivesherewithhiswifeandtheiryoungchildren.Thehouseholdstaffincludesabutler( JohnSnook),ayoungvalet(RalphSmith),acook
Halley’s House Ground Floor
36
(AnneBosson),amaid(CharlottyBosson),andagardener( JaredEvans).Inadditiontwoguardsalongwithfivedogskeepthebuildinganditsgroundssafe.
1. Halley’s Chamber of Wonders ThisroomdisplaysHalley’scollectionofwondersandoddities.ThemajorityconsistsofscientificparaphernaliafromacrosstheagesaswellasvariouspiecesoffloraandfaunafromtheislandofSt.Helena.Dominatingtheroom,though,isalargetankofwatercontainingthepreservedcorpseofagiantsquid.Itslargeeyewillappeartofollowanyonearoundtheroom.ThesightoftheundeadcreaturehasprovedsounnervingtoHalley’schildren,hiswifeinsiststhathekeepstheroomlocked.OnlyHalleyandhiswifehavekeystotheroom.
2. The library Thefocusofthecontentsofthelibraryisscience,astronomy,andphilosophy.TitlesincludeOrnithologia
libri tresbyFrancisWillughby,De sphaera mundibyJohannesdeSacrobosco,Astronomia Carolina,
a new theorie of Coelestial MotionsbyThomasStreete,andDescartes’Discourse on the Method.Oneentireshelfisdedicatedtothenaturalhistoryoftheseas,includingsomeNordicmythologicaltextsthattellthetalesoftheKraken.3. The Office Halley’sofficeisdominatedbyhis
deskandatable.Thecontentsofthedeskarequitemundane–variouslettersofeitherapersonalorascientificnatureandthehouseholdaccounts.Spreadoutonthetableisasetofvibrantlypaintedchartsofthenightskyandseveralsheetsofmathematicalcalculations.BothfocusonthestarLyra.
Behindsomepanellingonthewallbetweentheofficeandthelivingroomisahiddencompartment.Insidethiscompartmentisadarkrobe,asheetoffoldedplans,andseveralcrystalflasks.Thehoodedrobecanbeheldclosedbyaclaspintheshapeofasquid;whenunfolded,theplansarerevealedtobeofacube-room-devicewiththenumbers233and322highlighted(seebelow–TheCube);andtheflaskscontainastrangeblueliquid.Thevapoursgivenoffbythisliquidarestrongenoughtoknocktheinhalerunconscious.TheinhalermustmakeasavingthrowversusPoisontoavoidhiscollapsingimmediately.Shouldsomeoneactuallyimbibetheblueliquid,hemustmakeasavingthrowversusPoisonordie.Knowledgeoftheexactoriginsoftheancientflasksandtheircontentshavebeenlost,butthecultknowsthattheblueliquidhasthepowertoresurrectthecorpsesofsquidandoctopi.Certainlynooneknowswhatwouldhappeniftheliquidwaspoureddownthethroatoftherecentlydeceased.Perhapshemightberesurrected,butslowlytransformsintoakrakenoverthenextfewmonths…?
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The Royal Greenwich Observatory LocatedinGreenwich,theRoyalGreenwichObservatorysitsatopasmallhill.TheObservatoryisthehomeofitsdirector,JohnFlamsteed.Although‘TheKing’sAstronomicalObservator’andamanofscientificnote,JohnFlamsteedistiringofhisposition,havingbeenheldhostagetothecult’sthreatsforadecadenow.Heisunmarriedandhasnochildren.IfinterrogatedaboutHalleyandthecult,hewilldenyeverything–Halley,thecult,hisbeingthreatened,andsoon.HewillsaythatHalleywasoncehisbrighteststudentandthatheishappytohavehimworkingattheRoyalObservatory.IftheplayercharacterscansomehowprovethattheyareexperiencedenoughtotakeHalleydown,thereisachancethatFlamsteedwillopenup.Inwhichcase,heactuallybegstoberescued,showingtheplayercharactersthesecretpassageleadingfromhiscellartothecult’stemple(whichissupposedtobeusedbyHalleyalone).
TheObservatoryconsistsofthreestoreys–thecellars,groundfloor,andfirstfloor.Thecellarsaredividedintotwoseparateareas.Inthefirstisakitchen(underFinthemap),anunheatedparlour(underG),andacellar(underC)–thesecrettunnelconnectingtheObservatorytothecult’stemplecanbeaccessedhereviaasecretdoorcarvedintotheeastwall.Inthesecond
isaworkshop(X)andawashroom(Z)whichareaccessedthroughasmallyard(Y)ratherthanthestaircasethatleadsdownfromthehallonthegroundfloortothekitchen. Therearefourmainroomsonthegroundfloor–alargehall(C)fromwhereastaircase(K)descendsontothekitchen,Flamsteed’sprivatebedroom(D)withanattachedstudy(E),andtwo‘astronomers’houses’(FandG),whereFlamsteedandhisapprenticeskeepwork-in-progress,skycharts,lenses,boardsdisplayingequations,detailednotebooksofobservationsofthenightsky,variousastronomicalandmathematicaltreatises.Theentrancetohouseismadethroughalobby(B).
Thefirstfloorhasbutonelargeroom,Flamsteed’sCameraStellata(knowntodayastheOctagonRoom)–accessedthroughthelobby(B).ThiswaswhereFlamsteedmadethemajorityofhisobservations.Theroomhasseveraltelescopesaswellasanimpressive12’pendulum,madebyThomasTompion.Behindapanelling,thereisanaccesstotheroofwhichisdominatedbya16’telescope.
Inthefrontyard,thereisabig60’telescope,suspendedfromanoldship’smast(QandP).Thetelescopeismountedontoanimpressivecircularstone,whichisactuallythemainentrancetothecult’stemple.Thereisonlyone-waytounlockthepassage:
39
operatingthecranksandgearsuntilthetelescopepointstoaparticularstarinthenightintheconstellationofLyra,afterwhichaclickingsoundisheardandaslabunderneaththebaseofthetelescopecracksopen.InHalley’sofficeathishome,thereisachartofthesky,whichclearlyhighlightstheconstellationofLyra.Thisisprobablytheonlywaytounderstandhowthisworks.Ifyourplayercharactersdonotcomeacrosssuchinformation,thereisonlyaoneinathousandchancethattheywillpointthetelescopecorrectly,regardlessofthetimetheyspenttrying.However,eveniftheydohavetheinfoonLyra,pointingatelescopetoasmalldotintheskyisdefinitelynotaneasytask.Askyourplayercharactershowmuchtimetheywanttospendattemptingthis.Theminimumtimerequiredishalf-hour,whichhasa1in6successrate.Eachhalf-houraddsa+1probabilitytoasuccessfulroll.Liftinguptheslabrevealsasetofcleanstonestairsleadingdownintodarkness.
Theyardhasalso
bathroomfacilities(d,d),aSextanthouse(O),andaQuadranthouse(M).Thereisalsoaplacetostorethe
bigtelescope(V),avegetablegarden(S),aflowergarden(R),andasundial(L). TheObservatoryisbusybothdayandnight.Scientists,politicians,andpersonsofnotearelikelytopayitavisitduringtheday,whileastronomersarelikelytobeobservingtheskyatnight.Twowatchmenkeeptheplacesafeatnight.Watchmen: Armour 12, Movement 120’,
1 Hit Dice, cudgel 1d6, Morale 8.
Greenwich Basement
40
Cult’s Underground TempleTheentiretempleisdark.Furthermore,beginningwiththeentranceroom,itseemssomehowwet.Almostassoontheplayercharactersenterthetemple,theywillfeelthisstrangehumidity.Infact,itisquiteunpleasant.Whenevertheyinhaleit,itseemstorestheavilyontheirchestsand,whentheylookup,itseemsasiftheceilingmomentarilydisappearstobereplacedbythecosmositself.Strangely,thisseemstobringsparksoflighttothetempleeverynowandthen.Onestarshinesoutamongstalltherest–Lyra.
Allofthedoorsinthetempleareofawoodthatseemstooozeaninkyblackexcrescence.Thedoorsarealllocked;Halleyholdsthekeys.Directcontactwiththeoozehasanastyeffect:ifaplayercharactercannotmakeasuccessfulsavingthrowversusMagic,fromnowon,everytwoweeks,acephalopodsuckerwillgrowononeofhislimbs.
1. Entrance room Thestairsfromfrontyard,underneaththe60’telescope,leaddowntothissmallroom.Theonlyfeaturesintheroomconsistofarowofhooksuponwhichhangsomefiftydarkhoodedrobes,eachofwhichcanbeheldclosedbyaclaspintheshapeofasquid.Inonecornersitsabarrelofoilalongwithseveraltorchesandaflintandsteel.Thisiswherethecultists
enrobeappropriatelybeforeenteringthetemple.Ifaplayercharacterdecidestowearoneoftheserobes,hewillsufferfromnightterrors,hissleeptormentedbynightmaresofhisbeingembracedbythetentaclesofasquidasitdrawshimuptoitsbeak,theretobeeatenalive!
2. The Temple TheTempleoftheInter-PlanetaryCultoftheAncientKnowledgeableSquidisalong,highceilingedroom.Downitslengthruntensymmetricalpillars,decoratedwithstars,galaxies,andnebulaewhilstbasreliefsofsquidsandotherdeepseacreaturesspiraluparoundeachpillar.Twelvepewscutofthesameinkywoodasthetempledoorsrunthelengthoftheroom.Atthefarendoftemplestandsanaltarintricatelycarvedintheshapeofasquid.Thecarvingofthealtarissolifelikethatwheneveranyonelooksawayfromit,itwillappeartohavemovedwhentheylookbackatit.
Theheadofthisstonesquidservesasalecternuponwhichreststhecult’smostholybook,R’Ahz-Ghi-Le.WritteninAncientAramaic,itdetailsthehistoryofthecult,itsstrictures,anditsrituals.Thelatterincludesewingtentaclesandotherpartsofasquidtothehumanbody,revivingthecorpsesofsquidsandcontrollingthem,andthemeanstocontrolthemythicalKraken.ThecultbelievesthattheKraken
42
isactuallyoneoftheirmastersthathappenedtofalltoEarthandgotlost.Hehasadaptedtolifehereeversince.
3. The Spheres Room Thisroomhastwonoticeablefeatures.Oneistheinscription-coveredwalls,buttheotherislikelytograbtheattentionoftheplayercharactersfirst:twelvespheresthatfloatapproximately3’offthefloor.Theyarejetblack,perfectlysmoothandfeaturelessexceptforstone-likeciliathatdangletothefloor(seeaccompanyingillustration).Nowiresorropessuspendthespheresfromtheceilingandapparentlythereisnothingthatkeepsthemintheair.Thespheresaremotionless,butcanbe
movedacrosstheroom,thoughnotupanddown,andnevermorethanatasedatepace(sotheycannotbeusedasimprovisedbludgeons).Norcanonespheretouchanother,someinnateforcepreventingthis.Ifthespheresarepushed,theywillmovearoundtheroombeforegentlyarrangingthemselvesequallyspacedaroundtheroom.Nothingwillhappenintheroomuntiloneormoreoftheplayercharactersstatesthatheisinvestigatingthem.Eachtimeaplayercharacterexaminesastatue,hemustmakeasavingthrowversusMagic.Ifthesaveissuccessful,thennothinghappens,butifthesaveisfailed,roll1d8andconsultthefollowingtable:
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1-3. A strange nausea afflicts the player character. His head starts to hurt. He feels a strong urge to solve a mathematical equation. He cuts himself in the arm and with the blood begins to inscribe a solution to this equation on the wall. This causes 1 point of damage. No-one can stop him until the blood coagulates at which point the player character must make a roll under his Intelligence on 1d20. If successful, the character has completed the equation, but if failed, he must continue the process, inflicting another point of damage each time until the roll against his Intelligence is made.
4-5. The player character starts to uncontrollably recite the whole Pi number. 3,141592653589793238462643... and so on. All of sudden, the player character gains a fundamental understanding of mathematics and can solve complex equations. He gains one point of wisdom.
6-7. A tentacle starts to grow out of the small of the player character’s back. Eventually, it will big enough to serve as an extra limb, but makes the wearing of armour or tight clothing uncomfortable. It is possible to cut the tentacle off, but this hurts badly and causes 1d6 damage.
8. The player character disappears and automatically becomes a cultist. The Referee should pull the player aside and secretly explain that his character is now a cultist. The Referee should tell him about the cult, about Newton, and even show the map of the whole complex of the temple. From here on, the primary motivation of the player cultist is to serve the cult, which includes killing his former ‘friends’ as he knows that their presence here is defiling the temple. He will try to push them to the tank, for instance, or even make sure that they enter the wrong ‘cubicles’ (see The Cube below). If all fails, he will try to kill his former friends with his own hands. Two rounds after he disappears, the player character will reappear in the same room, but behind the player characters. (Note: this is actually how the cult inducts new members – the sculptures decide whoever is worthy of such honour).
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Thewallsarecompletelyinscribedwithmathematicalequationsandnumbersinincreasinglypalershadesofblack,red,andbrown.Ifanyplayercharacterthinkstoask,thentheywillrealisethattheinscriptionsonthewallshavebeenwritteninblood.TheequationsthemselvesareofanadvancednatureandunderpinthephysicsoftheUniverse.Perhapsonlyafewpeople,ifany,fromthisagehavethepotentialtounderstandthemeaningsoftheseequations.Interspacingtheequationsisanumberofpiecesofpoetry,includingthefollowing:
“For look carefully whenever sunlight
pours its piercing rays into dark places of
the house: in light from those very rays you
will see many tiny particles in empty space
mixed up in many ways, as if waging
war in endless battles, group by group, not
conceding any pause, constantly stirred
up by their collisions and their moving
apart. From this image you can infer how
primary elements of stuff are constantly
being tossed around in huge empty space.
That’s how much small things can
illustrate large concepts and provide traces
by which they can be understood. So it is
all the more appropriate for you to turn
your mind to those bodies one observes
moving in great disorder in the sun’s rays,
because such confusion shows there is also
motion in matter going on underneath,
hidden and unseen.”(thisisactuallyaquotefromLucretius’On the Nature of Things,
althoughitisnotreferencedonthewall)
4. The Burning of Alexandria Thiscontemplationroomisreachedbyacorridordecoratedwithhieroglyphsthatrefertoancientmathematicaltheories.ThewallsarehungwithengravingsanddrawingsthatcelebratetheBurningoftheLibraryofAlexandria,whichispartofthecult’sfoundationmyth.Cultistscomeheretobothcontemplateandcelebratethedestructionofthelibrary.
5. The Ritual Room Atthecentreofthisroomstandsasurgicaltable.Againstthewesternwallisacabinetwithtraysfullofsurgicalandmedicaltools.Oppositethecabinetontheeasternwallisalecternuponwhichrestsasheetofparchmentmadefromtheskinofasquid.InscribedontheparchmentistheritualtakenfromtheR’Ahz-Ghi-Lethatdescribeshowtosewtentaclesandotherpartsofasquidtothehumanbody.Thisiswherethecult’seliteperformsthisritualbeforepresentingtheresultstotherestofthemembersinthetemple.
6. Night Chapel Thisnearsphericalroomisthecult’splanetarium,itsceilingmarkedwithstarsandconstellationsinnearflawlessdetail.Thedepictionofthenightskyissoaccuratethatitincludesstarsandotherfeaturesthatwillremainunknownforcenturies.Toanyonewhostudiesastronomyandisnotamember
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ofthecult,theceilingofthisroomisshockinglyandvividlyrevealing.Notonlybecauseofitsaccuracy,butalsobecauseitwouldbealmostimpossibleforanyonetocharttheskytothisaccuracyinthe17thcentury.Althoughanastronomerwillbeunabletonamethemanynewstarsdepictedontheceiling,hewillinstinctivelyknowthattheyareaccurate.
Theonlyotherfeatureoftheroomisastonealtaratopwhichrestsahugerock,roughly6’indiameter,whichcontainsafossilisedsquid.Therockissurprisinglyheavyandisactuallyameteorite.Itisalsooneofthecult’smostsacredartefacts.Iftherockistouchedbyanymeans,thereisaoneintwentychancethattheplayercharacterisactuallytransportedtoR’Ahz.Thecultbelievesthatthismeteoritemayholdsuchpower,buthasneversuccessfullyusedit.IfthecharacteristransportedtoR’Ahz,itisveryunlikelythathewilleverreturntoEarth.Thereisaslightchancethat,withmagicallyenchantedlenses,theplayercharacterswillbeabletospothimusingthetelescopeintheRoyalObservatory.
7. Preparation room ThisiswhereEdmondHalleyprepareshimselfbeforethestartofaritual.SeveralhooksaremountedonthewallwhilstonatablesitsHalley’sgrimoireandaknife,theSacredSteeloftheSquid.Thegrimoirecontainsthefollowingspells:Squid Summoning
(seebelow),Contact Outer SphereandPolymorph Self.Thehandleoftheknifeiscarvedfromivorytoresemblethebodyofasquid,withtheheadandthetentaclesclutchingtheblade,whichisactuallythesharpenedbeakofasquid.Noonecancontrolit,butitsmaster,whoofcourse,istheleaderofthecult.Shouldanyonepickitup,theknifewilltwistviolentlyinhishandsandattempttostabthetransgressorinhisheart.Toavoidthis,thetransgressormustmakeasavingthrowversusBreathWeapon.Successmeansthatthepersonholdingtheknifesuffers1d4+1damage,failureresultsininstant,bloodydeath.
Whengraspedbytheleaderofthecult,thebodyandheadoftheknifeorganicallyblendswithhishanduntilthetwoofthembecomeone.Theleader’sarmisnowatentaclewithasharpandpointybeakatitsend.Inthisform,thebeakgrantsa+2attackbonusandinflicts1d4+2damage.
8. The corridor ThecorridorconnectsthepreparationroomtothecellarsbeneathFlamsteed’shouse.ItisusedbyHalleyalone.
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9. The corridor Thewallsofthiscorridorareofhighlypolished,butotherwiseunmarkedstone.Therearethreecultistslurkinghere–JohnC.Maul,CharlesMcLeod,andAdryanaOlivetree(theonlyfemaleinthecult).Theyserveasguards.
Cultists: Armour 14, Movement 120’,
3 Hit Dice, Squid-headed flails 1d6
plus Squid Summoning spell (once per
combat, each cultist will attempt to cast
this spell. The Referee should roll 1d6 for
each cultist. In a 1-2, nothing happens. In
a 3-6, a 1d3 squid-like creatures appear),
Morale 12.
Summoned squid-like creatures:
Armour 16, Movement 160’, 4 Hit
Dice, 2 tentacle-attacks each round
1d8, Morale 12.These are humanoid-
shaped squid. They have squid-like heads
attached to a humanoid body with four
tentacles, which they use as legs. They then
have two more tentacles attached to their
upper body, which they use as arms. In
combat, these squid-like creatures attempt
to grab and choke their ‘prey’. Their
tentacles also secrete the same inky black
ooze as the doors of the temple. If a player
character is struck by one of the tentacles,
he must also make a saving throw versus
Magic (this saving throw need only be
made once per combat, not once per hit).
If failed, from now on, every two weeks, a
cephalopod sucker will grow on one of his
limbs.
10. The corridor Thestonewalls,floor,andceilingofthiscorridorhavebeenhighlypolishedsothattheygivetheunnervingimpressionofbeingdeepwithintheocean.Theironlyfeatureisanextremelylife-likedepictionofsquidcarvedintoonewall.Apparentlyitdoesnothing.Exceptthatassoonasanyoneentersthecorridor,itsonevisibleeyewillopenandthecreaturewillbegintofollowthepeopleupanddownthecorridor,seemingtoswimacrossthefloor,ceiling,andwalls,constantlyobservingtheinterlopers...Thesingleeyeofthissquidistelepathicallylinkedtotheleaderofthecult,whowillbewarnedaboutthepresenceofstrangers..
11. The Squid Pool Themainfeatureinthisroomisthepoolthathasbeencutintothefloor.Surroundedbya3’highstonewall,thepoolisdeep–noonecanseethebottom–andisfilledwithverydark,inkywaterthatisdifficulttoseeinto,evenwithatorch.Thepoolishometotwomassivesquidsfromwhichthecultharveststhetentaclesthatitusesinitsrituals.Knowingtheirfate,neithersquidwillcomereadilytothesurface,butshouldanyoneleanoverthestonewallsurroundingthepool,theywillreachupandattempttopullhimin.Once
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theirpreyisinthewater,thesquidwillattempttoeathim. Thecultistsusetheirabilitytocontrolsquidtobringthesecreaturestothesurfaceofthepoolandharvesttheirtentacles.Theyuseavarietyoflargeknivesandsurgicalimplementsthatarestoredinperfectlycutrecessesinthewall.
Squids: Armour 16, Movement 300’
(underwater), 6 Hit Dice, 3 tentacles
attacks 1d8, Morale 16. So far each
of these squids has had one tentacle
harvested.
12. Cold Store Thetemperatureinthisroomisbelowthefreezingpointofwater.UsedtostorethesquidpartsharvestedfromtheSquidPool,itcontainsseveralverylongshelvesandanumberofhooks.Currentlythereisjustonetentaclelaidoutononeoftheshelves,whilstcephalopodheads,octopilimbsandsuckers,andabigcuttlefishsitonothershelvesorhangfromthehooks.
13. The Cube TheCubeisasafetydevicedevelopedbytheculttoprotectagainstanytreasureseekersorunwantedcuriousminds.TheBrainsRoomandtheTreasury(rooms14and15)beyondtheCubetogethercontainagreatnumberoftheartefacts,objectd’art,curios,andotheritemsthattheculthasgatheredinthecourseofcenturies.
TheCubeisacomplexof26interconnectedcubicle-rooms(3×3×3-1).Thespaceleftbythe‘missingcubicle’allowsmovementbetweentheothercubicles.Eachcubicleisidentical,being15’by15’withacircularhatchinthecentreofeachface,foratotalofsixhatches(ifyouhaveseenthemovieThe
Cube,thenyouwillgettheidea,butdonotpointthisouttotheplayers.Letthemmaketheconnectionifnecessary).Thehatchesopeneasilyandanynumberofhatchesinacubiclecanbeopenatanytime.
ThefirstcubiclethattheplayercharactersenterwillbeCubicleA.Ithasapairofleversthatcanbepushedupordown.Itistheonlycubicletohavesuchlevers.TheentireCube(withallitscubicles)canberearrangedintothreedifferentpositions,dependingonthelevers’positioning.Whentheyfirstenter,bothleversaredown,sotheCubeisinposition#1(asshownbelowinPosition1).Theonlywaytomovethecubiclesaroundisthroughtheselevers.So,itisonlypossibletoreassemblethecubiclesintodifferentpositionsinCubicleA.Whenbothleversaredown,thecubiclesdisplaythemselvesasshowninposition#1.Whenoneleverisupandtheotherisdown–itdoesnotmatterwhichleverisupandwhichisdown–thecubiclesassumeposition#2.Whenbothleversareup,thecubiclesarerearrangedontoposition#3.
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Etchedintothesurroundofeach
hatchisaseriesofnumbers(threesetsofthreenumberseach)thathelpthecultistsidentifywheretheyareatalltimesintheCube.Thenumbersrepresentthe‘x’,‘y’,and‘z’coordinatesofthecubicleinallthreepositions–thefirstsetiswherethecubiclestandsinposition#1,thesecondsetiswhereitstandsinposition#2,andthethirdsetiswhereitstandsinposition#3.Thecultistsmemorisedallofthecombinationssotheyknowalloftherooms(notethatthenumbersgiventoeachroomshouldbeusedwiththeplayercharacters,butnottheletters;thelettersarefortherefereealone).
TherearethreewaysoutoftheCube.ThefirstisbackdownthecorridorbywhichtheplayercharactersenteredCubicleAwhenitwasinposition#1(ifplayersrearrangetheCubeintoposition#2,thisexitwillnowbeaccessedthroughCubicleX,asshowninthefigure),whilsttheothertwoopenontocorridorsleadingtoTheBrainsRoomandtheTreasury.ThereisanentrancetothecorridorthatleadstoTheBrainsRoomfromCubicleY(iftheCubeisinposition#1),CubicleF(position#2),andCubicleS(position#3).Thereis
oneotherentrancetothecorridorthatleadstoTheBrainsRoomfromCubicleN(position#1),CubicleG(position#2),andCubicleE(position#3).
TheleversareusedbythecultiststosafelytravelacrosstheCube.IftheywishtogototheTreasury,theyfirstenterCubicleA(inposition#1),changetheleverstoposition#2andmaketheirwaytoCubicleFviaCubicleN–neitherofthesecubicleshasanythreatsortraps.IftheywanttogettoTheBrainsRoom,thecultistswouldenterCubicleA(inposition#1),putbothleversupsothatthecubiclesarereassembledintoposition#3andthengotoCubicleEviaCubicleD–onceagain,neitherofthesecubiclesistrapped.TheonlyclueontohowtheCubemightworkislocatedinHalley’shouseintheoffice,wherethenumbers233and322arehighlighted.Thesedonotactuallyrefertoanycubicleinparticular,butrathertothegeneralcoordinateswherethecorridorstoTheBrainsRoomandtheTreasuryarelocated.Asonecanseeinthefiguresbelow,thesecoordinateshavedifferentcubiclesdependingonwhichpositiontheCubeis.
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H J KP M T
X Y B
Z R AU O GV Q
D F NW L IE S C
Position 2
Front face of the cube
Inner face of the cube
Back face of the cube
G HD E FA B C
O P QL M NI J K
X Y ZU V WR S T
Position 1
Front face of the cube
Inner face of the cube
Back face of the cube
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Numbersthatappearoneachcubicle(thefirstsetofnumbersrepresentsitsx,y,zcoordinatesinposition#1,thesecondsetitscoordinatesinposition#2,andthethirdsetitscoordinatesinposition#3):
A: 111 332 122B: 211 311 123C: 311 313 313D: 121 133 222E: 221 113 322F: 321 233 231G: 131 312 111H: 231 131 331I: 112 323 211J: 212 231 311K: 312 331 121L: 122 223 221M: 222 221 321
N: 322 333 131O: 132 222 312P: 232 121 223Q: 332 212 213R: 113 232 212S: 213 213 233T: 313 321 132U: 123 122 112V: 223 112 133W: 323 123 332X: 133 111 333Y: 233 211 323Z: 333 132 232
N F HK L MG I J
T Z WA D EU R O
V S XB P Y Q C
Position 3
Front face of the cube
Inner face of the cube
Back face of the cube
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CubicleA: emptybutfortwolevers.
CubicleB: filledwithsaltwater,
thiscubicleishometoasquid.Armour
16, Movement 300’ (underwater), 6 Hit
Dice, 4 tentacles attacks 1d8, Morale 16.
If water runs out, the squid will die in
1d3 rounds.
CubicleC: thiscubicleisstrungwiththincuttingwiresfromallwalls.Tocrosssafely,eachplayercharactermustmakeasavingthrowversusBreathWeapon.Afailedsaveinflicts4d6damagewiththepossibilityofalimbbeingsevered.
CubicleD: empty.
CubicleE: empty.
CubicleF: empty.
CubicleG: emptyexceptforabigblackballthatfloatsattheexactcentreofthecubicle.Perfectlysmoothandcool,itdoesnothinganddoesnotrespondtoanythingdonetoit.
CubicleH: empty.
CubicleI: assoonasanyoneentersthecubicleandclosesthehatchbehindthem,apoisonousgasisreleased.IfasavingthrowversusPoisonisfailed,theplayercharacterfallsintodeepslumberfor5roundstaking1d3ofdamage.
CubicleJ: empty.
CubicleK: hometoabiglurkinghumanoidcreaturewithtentaclesforarmsandtheeyesofasquidimplanted
inhiseyesockets.ThiscreatureistheresultoftheritualdescribedinR’Ahz-
Ghi-Le,thebookfoundonthetemple’saltar.Thecreatureonlyrespondstothecultleader.Notevenothercultists
comenearit.Armour 18, Movement
180’, 8 Hit Dice, 4 tentacles attacks
1d10, Morale 18.
CubicleL: abigblackballfloatsatthecentreofthecubicle.Itdetectscarbondioxideandafteracertainamountofbreathinghasoccurred,theballwillexplodeunleashingathousandlarvae.Theexplosionalonewillcause1d6pointsofdamageandfilltheCubiclewithacloudofthelarvae.Uponcloserinspection,thelarvaeturnouttobetinysquidwhichwillattempttowormtheirwayintotheorificesofanyoneintheroom,includingthosehiddenbyclothing.IfasavingthrowversusBreathWeaponisfailed,1d3ofthelarvaehaveburrowedtheirwayintothevictim’sbody,whosuffers1pointofdamageforeachone.Healsosuffers1d3+1damageincuttingonethelarvaeout.Ifalarvaeisnotcutout,itconsumesthevictim’sbodyfromwithinasitsgrowsandultimatelyreproduces;thevictimsuffers1pointofdamageonthefirstday,2pointsofdamageonthesecondday,3pointsofdamageonthethirdday,andsoon…
CubicleM: theceilingofthiscubicleisheavilymagnetised.Allmetalispulledtotheceiling,includingarmsandarmour.Ifanyoneiswearingironor
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steelarmour,thenheispulleduptotheceilingandsuffers1d4damage.Flyingweaponssimplyinflict1d2pointsofdamagetoanyonewhogetsinthewayastheyaredraggedtotheceiling.
CubicleN: empty.
CubicleO: filledwithsaltwater,thiscubicleishometoasquid.Armour
16, Movement 300’ (underwater), 6 Hit
Dice, 4 tentacles attacks 1d8, Morale 16.
Ifwaterrunsout,thesquidwilldiein1d3rounds.
CubicleP: thiscubicleisstrungwiththincuttingwiresfromallwalls.Tocrosssafely,eachplayercharactermustmakeasavingthrowversusBreathWeapon.Afailedsaveinflicts4d6damagewiththepossibilityofalimbbeingsevered.
CubicleQ: thefloorofthiscubicleisheavilymagnetised.Allmetalispushedpulledtothefloor,includingarmsandarmour.Ifanyoneiswearingironorsteelarmour,thenheispulleddowntothefloorandsuffers1d3damage.Flyingweaponssimplyinflict1pointofdamagetoanyonewhogetsinthewayastheyaredraggedtothefloor.
CubicleR: assoonasanyoneentersthecubicleandclosesthehatchbehindthem,apoisonousgasisreleased.IfasavingthrowversusPoisonisfailed,theplayercharacterfallsintodeepslumberfor5roundstaking1d3pointsofdamage.
CubicleS: empty.
CubicleT: empty.
CubicleU: empty.
CubicleV: empty.
CubicleW: empty.
CubicleX: empty.
CubicleY: empty.
CubicleZ: assoonasanyonehasenteredthiscubicleandshutthehatchbehindthem,thenwavesoffirearereleasedfromceiling,floor,andallfourwalls.EveryoneinthecubiclemustmakeasavingthrowversusBreathWeaponsorsuffer1d12damage.Asuccessfulsavemeansthathalfdamageissufferedinstead.
14. The Brains Room Equallyspacedaboutthisroomarefoursurgicaltables,eachsurroundedbytablesandcabinetscontainingsurgicaltools.Thefoursurgicaltableshaveseveralleatherlimbrestraintsattachedtothem.Itisherethatcultistssalvagethebrainofscientists,preferablyastronomers.Currentlytheroomlookslikeithasbeencarefullypreparedtohostan‘event’.Thetoolsarespotlesslycleanandgleaming,thetableshavingbeenwipeddown,andsoon.
ThesecretroomoffTheBrainsRoomcontainsabigshelfwithtwelvebottles,eachofwhichholdsabrainfloatinginastrangeliquid(theliquidisactuallyformaldehyde,butthis
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chemicalwasnotdiscovereduntilthe19thcentury–aplayercharacterwillhavenoideawhatthisis).Eachbottlehasatagtiedtoitsneck,eachtaghavinganamewrittenonit.Thetwelvenamesareasfollows:Lucretius,GaiusJuliusHyginus,MenelausofAlexandria,Ptolemy,HeraclidesPonticus,Abdal-Rahmanal-Sufi,IbnYunus,BhaskaraII,NicoleOresme,NicholasofCusa,GalileoGalilei,andNicolausCopernicus.
Satonatableinthemiddleoftheroomisathirteenthjar.Itiscurrentlyempty,buthasataglabelled‘Newton’.Inonecorneroftheroomsitsasealedbarrelcontainingmoreofthepungentliquidthatfillseachofthejarsontheshelf.
15. The Treasury TheTreasuryiswherethecultkeepsitstreasures.Thereisamesmerisingarrayofartefacts,objectd’art,curios,books,scrolls,andotheritemsstolenfromAlexandria,Ctesiphon,andConstantinopleaswellascollectedandpurchasedfromelsewhere.Thesearestoredonthecountlessshelvesthatrunroundthetreasury.Thebooksandscrollsarewritteninalmosteverylanguage,butEgyptianHieroglyphics,AncientGreek,Latin,CopticEgyptian,DemoticEgyptian,Sumerian,Phoenician,OldPersian,andAramaicarethemostcommon.Boxescontainoldastronomicandscientificobjects,whileotheritemsarestoredwrappedandboundincloth.
Suggestedartefacts,scrolls,andbooksareincludedhere,buttheRefereeshouldfeelfreetocreateandaddmoreasheseesfit.Thisistheperfectopportunitytoprovidetheplayercharacterswithsomethinginteresting.SomeexamplescrollsincludewhatwenowcalltheRhind Mathematical
Papyrus,theLahun Mathematical
Papyri,andtheAkhmim Wooden
Tablets.ExamplesofbooksincludeanoriginalcopyofPtolemy’sTetrabiblos,acopyofEuclid’sElements,andacopyoftheOn the Equilibrium of PlanesbyArchimedes.ExamplesofobjectsincludetheAntikythera Mechanism,theBaghdad Battery,carvingsoftheDendera Light,andoneQuimbaya
Airplane.Allofthistogetherisprobablyworthmorethan10,000silverpieces,ifsoldtotherightpeople.
TheTreasuryisguardedbyfivemummiesthathavehadtheirarmsreplacedbytentacles.ThemummieshavebeenherelongerthanthecurrentmembersofthecultwhobelievethatthemummieswerealsostolenduringtheassaultontheLibraryofAlexandria.MakinguseofalltheknowledgegatheredintheTreasury,thecultistswereabletoreproduceoldEgyptianritualsseveralcenturiesagotorevivethem,addingaspecialtouch–thetentacles–oftheirowntothebeasts.
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Themummieswillnotrespondtoanyone’scommandsexceptthoseoftheleaderofthecult,currentlyHalley.Infact,wheneveranewleaderis‘crowned’,hegainsthepowertocontrolthesebeasts.Nooneentersthisareaalone,exceptfortheleaderofthecult.
Mummy-squids: Armour 18,
Movement 120’, 6 Hit Dice, hand attack
1d4 plus two tentacle attacks 1d6, Morale
16.