Initial Pitch:
Game: Ghouls of New York
System: Trail of Cthulhu
Setting: New York, in the second half of the 19th century. Specifically, the neighborhood of 5 Points - which was famously full of various gangs at the time. Players will take the roles of gangsters from one of the historical groups, such as the Bowery Boys or the River Pirates.
The hook:
New York is full of immigrants. Some bring more than their ambitions with them. A group of settlers from the Severn valley in England have brought their worship of Glaaki, the dweller in the lake, with them. However, in order to survive in their New City, the servants of Glaaki need converts. Fortunately for them, there are many among the gangs who are willing to take on some odd jobs for the promise of a deathless existence.
System: Trail of Cthulhu
Setting: New York, in the second half of the 19th century. Specifically, the neighborhood of 5 Points - which was famously full of various gangs at the time. Players will take the roles of gangsters from one of the historical groups, such as the Bowery Boys or the River Pirates.
The hook:
New York is full of immigrants. Some bring more than their ambitions with them. A group of settlers from the Severn valley in England have brought their worship of Glaaki, the dweller in the lake, with them. However, in order to survive in their New City, the servants of Glaaki need converts. Fortunately for them, there are many among the gangs who are willing to take on some odd jobs for the promise of a deathless existence.
Deadline 2:
Dramatic Personnae:
The hook developed a bit from the initial post as I was
writing. The core ideas are the same,
though.
Overview: Not
unlike the Apocalypse World and Dungeon World games, Trail of Cthulhu is meant
to be player-facing. In other words,
player skills and rolls generally determine more about interactions with NPCs
than a full character sheet does.
Accordingly, I have stayed with the convention used in the Trail of
Cthulhu corebook, where each NPC’s most prominent skills are listed, along with
a few facts that could be gleaned using the players’ Investigative abilities.
I have included extensive notes about the characters’
backstories and goals; these may not all see play in every adventure, but in an investigative game like Gumshoe, it is
important to have some idea what has happened and what will happen if the players
do not interfere.
To borrow the story progression from Monster of the Week,
the following phases of increasing darkness represent what will happen if the
players do not take an active role. The
exact time progression is up to the Keeper and their sense of drama.
Before the game
begins: The Fragment is recovered; Father Brendan visits it and is
transformed. The Swamp Angels become
increasingly bold in their piracy.
Afternoon: The Swamp Angels begin taking prisoners,
both from scuffles with other gangs and from the boats they invade. Some of the local people are infected with
Glaaki’s toxin. Rumors circulate about
people recovering from terrible wounds.
Evening: The
banshee is seen in the poorer districts.
The ritual transfixion of people in certain locations around the city
occurs (1-2 victims). Heavy storm clouds
begin to gather. The Swamp Angels
attempt to crush all other gangs in the dock districts.
Twilight: Father
Brendan fully becomes Lazarus, the servant of the Fragment of Glaaki. The banshee sweeps through the richer
districts at night. More victims (3-5)
are transfixed. A slow, steady rain
begins. A few (up to three) people are
overgrown with green mold during the daylight hours and fall to dust
afterwards.
Night: The final
sacrifices (1-2). The rain becomes a
torrent. Long silver spikes begin to
crop up from muddy streets and slither out of buildings as the Fragment grows
strong. Many of the Spawn of Glaaki, the
infected townspeople, impale themselves on the spikes or clog sewer tunnels
with their bodies, worsening the flooding.
Lazarus merges with the fragment after leading a procession of the
faithful to its lair.
Midnight: The
Fragment of Glaaki reaches full strength.
The periphery of New York floods; vast portions of the city become
extensions of a newly spawned offspring of Glaaki. The harbor fills with its alien bulk; the
moon appears to be a rotting tunnel, and silvery spikes reach towards the
heavens, spearing those who try to escape.
Note on NPCs:
These NPCs are intended to be somewhat modular. In a shorter game, or if the players have
introduced several red herrings themselves, feel free to make Father Brendan
and the gangsters be working together without incident. Jim Corner provides another way for the
investigators to catch wind of what is happening.
Likewise with the ghouls; it is quite possible that many
investigators would not come across the ghouls unless they go looking for
further strangeness. Under certain conditions, of course, the ghouls will go
looking for them.
Danny the Boot
Danny the Boot
Athletics 8, Firearms 2, Health 7, Scuffling 6, Weapons 3
Danny the Boot is in charge of the River Snakes gang of river pirates. If one of the players is a Criminal or ambitious pirate, he is their primary rival for control of the gang. The River Snakes are a small and recently formed gang; roughly 15 members, plus some hangers-on. Danny is 21 and appears to take nothing seriously - he always has a joke ready or makes light of the gang's enemies. Yet he's concerned about the strange behavior of the Swamp Angels - they've been recruiting excessively and attracting a lot of attention lately. He'd really like to see them swept up by the cops, so the River Snakes can take of their network of sewers.
Danny the Boot is in charge of the River Snakes gang of river pirates. If one of the players is a Criminal or ambitious pirate, he is their primary rival for control of the gang. The River Snakes are a small and recently formed gang; roughly 15 members, plus some hangers-on. Danny is 21 and appears to take nothing seriously - he always has a joke ready or makes light of the gang's enemies. Yet he's concerned about the strange behavior of the Swamp Angels - they've been recruiting excessively and attracting a lot of attention lately. He'd really like to see them swept up by the cops, so the River Snakes can take of their network of sewers.
Roleplaying notes: Though
he loves jokes and making light of things, Danny takes running the River Snakes
seriously. He also doesn’t appreciate
jokes at his own expense, and will get sulky at them.
Flattery: Danny
appreciates a bit of sucking-up; doing so will cause him to admit that the
Swamp Angels made off with a rich cargo of imported jewelry lately. If the characters can recover it, he’ll split
the profits with them 60-40.
Intimidation: Danny
doesn’t like being intimidated; his nickname isn’t “the Boot” for nothing. But if the character manages, he will admit
that he heard stories of Swamp Angels getting up from things that should’ve
kept them down forever – cracked skulls, maybe even gunshots.
Streetwise: Despite
his care-free manner, Danny is extremely ambitious. He’d love to take over the Swamp Angels
entirely if it was possible, but their strange behavior has him unnerved.
Lazarus aka Father Brendan
Father Brendan volunteered to travel the river districts, offering guidance to the people there. After some time in the area, he was called upon to give confession to a member of the Swamp Angels, a local gang who mostly frequented the sewers. Father Brendan went, but nothing in seminary had prepared him for the scenes he witnessed in the Swamp Angels' home.
Upon finding the Fragment of Glaaki and its host, Crawdad Frank, Father Brendan fled into the night. But he returned in an attempt to exorcise the creature. The Fragment misunderstood; it though that Father Brendan's cries were supplications. It responded in kind, revealing its plan to the priest and infusing him with much of its power. The process shattered Brendan's sanity, but he has been trying ever since to fit the existence of this powerful creature into his religious understanding of the world. He believes that the fragment is God or some creation thereof, and that he is the prophet sent to spread the word.
Father Brendan realizes that there will be those who fight against his revelations. He has started moving among the people of the poorer districts (mostly along the docks and Five Points) offering them Glaaki's communion. Unlike other Spawn of Glaaki, Father Brendan has a large reservoir of toxin within him, which he can use to inject willing victims. Father Brendan truly believes he is helping people - offering them an escape from death by violence, starvation, or neglect.
At night the Fragment’s influence is especially strong - at these points, Father Brendan becomes the creature Lazarus. Covered with small spines that can be rapidly extended, this humanoid extension of the fragment has started pinning its victims to walls and ceilings in certain corners of the city. There, kept alive by the toxin, these victims are left to wait until the creature's plan comes to completion.
Father Brendan does not clearly recall his time spent as Lazarus; it is at best like a hazy dream. However, he does know that the Fragment needs to flood at least part of the city, and is willing to assist in its goals - a matter of some dispute with the other Swamp Angels.
Father Brendan volunteered to travel the river districts, offering guidance to the people there. After some time in the area, he was called upon to give confession to a member of the Swamp Angels, a local gang who mostly frequented the sewers. Father Brendan went, but nothing in seminary had prepared him for the scenes he witnessed in the Swamp Angels' home.
Upon finding the Fragment of Glaaki and its host, Crawdad Frank, Father Brendan fled into the night. But he returned in an attempt to exorcise the creature. The Fragment misunderstood; it though that Father Brendan's cries were supplications. It responded in kind, revealing its plan to the priest and infusing him with much of its power. The process shattered Brendan's sanity, but he has been trying ever since to fit the existence of this powerful creature into his religious understanding of the world. He believes that the fragment is God or some creation thereof, and that he is the prophet sent to spread the word.
Father Brendan realizes that there will be those who fight against his revelations. He has started moving among the people of the poorer districts (mostly along the docks and Five Points) offering them Glaaki's communion. Unlike other Spawn of Glaaki, Father Brendan has a large reservoir of toxin within him, which he can use to inject willing victims. Father Brendan truly believes he is helping people - offering them an escape from death by violence, starvation, or neglect.
At night the Fragment’s influence is especially strong - at these points, Father Brendan becomes the creature Lazarus. Covered with small spines that can be rapidly extended, this humanoid extension of the fragment has started pinning its victims to walls and ceilings in certain corners of the city. There, kept alive by the toxin, these victims are left to wait until the creature's plan comes to completion.
Father Brendan does not clearly recall his time spent as Lazarus; it is at best like a hazy dream. However, he does know that the Fragment needs to flood at least part of the city, and is willing to assist in its goals - a matter of some dispute with the other Swamp Angels.
Roleplaying notes: Earnest
and dreamy. Father Brendan truly
believes in what he’s doing; he knows that other people wouldn’t approve, but
it’s getting harder and harder to remember why…
Medicine or Biology: Though he has no obvious
injuries, this priest moves a bit stiffly – it almost reminds you of patients
whose bones scrape against each other, but he appears to have no pain.
Languages: The
blessings that this priest offers in Latin are not found in any Catholic
text. A standard one: “May the servant
take your death unto himself, that you shall not perish by violence, by filth,
or by hunger.”
Theology: Though
he professes to be helping the poor, this priest’s views are anything but
orthodox. He’s trying to maintain a good
Catholic façade, but he keeps making slips – “our Father who dwelt below”
rather than “our Father who art in Heaven”.
Lazarus statistics
(as monster):
Hit threshold: 4
Athletics 12, Health
10, Scuffling 10
Stealth modifier: +0
Alertness modifier:
+1 (Glaaki’s guidance)
Attack: +2
(spines). When hit by a spine,
characters must make a Difficulty 4 Health test or be infected with Glaaki’s
toxin. The toxin has no immediate
effects, but affects the victim as if hurt in two hours. Afterwards, the victim will be considered one
of the Spawn of Glaaki.
Armor: -2 vs any
(tiny spines)
Stability loss: +1
Notes: If all
investigators have been injected with Glaaki’s toxin, Lazarus will attempt to
flee. If they continue to pursue, he
will attempt to lure them into a building and transfix them in place with more
spines. This requires another successful
Spine attack. On the next turn, Lazarus
will cause the spines to grow and spear into the material of the house, trapping
the victim in place.
While Lazarus has Health 10, he does not die when it reaches
zero – like the Banshee and other Spawn of Glaaki, he will recover in one day,
provided that his body is not further damaged, left in sunlight, or immersed in
lye or another strong base.
Forensics: The
walls and floors of this room are absolutely covered in tiny, pinprick sized
holes. Either a thin needle was plunged
into the material thousands of times, or …?
The banshee aka Sister Megan - Father Brendan has
been trying to recruit members of the clergy to his cause. Generally he tries
to talk them into visiting the "dockside wretches" and then lures
them to one of the cisterns where Glaaki may manifest. Sister Megan is one of
the first such converts; unfortunately, the experience drove her immediately
mad. She is only intermittently under the Fragment's control; the rest of the
time, she wanders the streets of the poorer districts, dressed in a
muck-smeared habit. Some people believe they've seen her brushing her hair with
a silver comb, but she is actually clawing at her scalp with one hand covered
in small metal spines. Like Lazarus, the banshee is working to place people in
the proper locations around the city to create an unnatural flood.
Hit threshold: 3
Athletics 12, Fleeing
10, Health 10, Scuffling 7
Alertness modifier:
+1 (Glaaki’s guidance)
Stealth modifier: +0
Attack: +1
(spines). When hit by a spine, characters
must make a Difficulty 3 Health test or be infected with Glaaki’s toxin. The toxin has no immediate effects, but
affects the victim as if hurt in two hours. Afterwards, the victim will be considered one
of the Spawn of Glaaki.
Armor: -1 vs any
(tiny spines)
Stability loss: +0
(+1 if very familiar with Sister Megan or upon very close examination)
Notes: If
confronted, the banshee will wail and attempt to escape. If blocked, she will
lash out with the small metal spikes on her hands, which have trace amounts of
Glaaki's toxin. Characters thus affected may experience rigor mortis-like
symptoms upon awakening the next day, along with disturbing dreams of
embalming. Like other spawn of Glaaki, the banshee may be incapitated by health
damage, but cannot be killed except by treatment with a strong base (such as
lye) or prolonged exposure to sunlight.
Roleplaying notes: Generally
Sister Megan does not speak. She does
not linger for conversation, but may be overheard humming or even singing
snatches of song, especially half-remembered hymns or children’s songs. If captured and constrained somehow, she will
remember the “devil beneath” and say that she must warn the city that death is
coming.
Anthropology: Many of the immigrants bring their stories
with them; the English, Scots, and Welsh also believe in the banshee myth,
though there are regional variations.
This one matches most closely with an Irish version. If it is a person, it was probably one raised
on such stories.
Occult: The story
of the banshee is a common one in Irish Folklore. She appears before those who are going to
die, or warns families of a death that has already occurred. Often she wears white or grey, and brushes
her hair with a silver comb. Banshees do
not generally kill their victims directly; they only herald their deaths.
Crawdad Frank The leader of the Swamp Angels, Crawdad
Frank, had robbed a few English immigrants and seized their belongings. Among
these belongings was a small wooden box, sealed with several bands of silver.
Crawdad Frank chipped the silver bands away and opened the box. But the thing
inside was a fragment of a god - perhaps a little god, but still
incomprehensible to a human. The bit of metallic flesh, which had been
reverently harvested from Glaaki, the inhabitant in the lake, was supposed to
travel to a secluded lake to grow.
Instead, the fragment found itself in the meaty grip of Crawdad Frank. While not a lake, Crawdad Frank contained quite a bit of water, and the fragment pierced his hand with long, thin metal spines. The gangster tried to conceal this from his compatriots, especially when he was unable to remove the strange metallic lump, no matter what he did. As time passed, it only grew larger - first fully injecting itself into the man's arm, then re-arranging his anatomy to fit its own needs. Now, Crawdad Frank lurks where several pipes dump refuse, constantly bathing his transformed body with sewage and nutrients. He can no longer move; most of his body has been ..unfolded in order to provide the fragment with more surface area to absorb nutrients. But it needs more mass - at first it simply tried to take the other Swamp Angels, but now they have worked out a deal. It has gifted them with its toxin, and they cannot die - but they will bring their prisoners to the fragment. As it grows, its spines will reach further and further..
As for Crawdad Frank, he still lives. His consciousness is not even a distraction to the fragment, and his voice is a useful tool. When not acting as the voice of the fragment, Crawdad Frank is quite mad; he believes that he is working on his uncle's farm, as he did one summer many years ago.
Instead, the fragment found itself in the meaty grip of Crawdad Frank. While not a lake, Crawdad Frank contained quite a bit of water, and the fragment pierced his hand with long, thin metal spines. The gangster tried to conceal this from his compatriots, especially when he was unable to remove the strange metallic lump, no matter what he did. As time passed, it only grew larger - first fully injecting itself into the man's arm, then re-arranging his anatomy to fit its own needs. Now, Crawdad Frank lurks where several pipes dump refuse, constantly bathing his transformed body with sewage and nutrients. He can no longer move; most of his body has been ..unfolded in order to provide the fragment with more surface area to absorb nutrients. But it needs more mass - at first it simply tried to take the other Swamp Angels, but now they have worked out a deal. It has gifted them with its toxin, and they cannot die - but they will bring their prisoners to the fragment. As it grows, its spines will reach further and further..
As for Crawdad Frank, he still lives. His consciousness is not even a distraction to the fragment, and his voice is a useful tool. When not acting as the voice of the fragment, Crawdad Frank is quite mad; he believes that he is working on his uncle's farm, as he did one summer many years ago.
When the players reach Crawdad Frank's lair, at the meeting
of several run-off tunnels, be sure that it is completely dark, for the full
revelation when they strike a light.
Roleplaying notes: What happened? I was out cleaning up the cow shit, but it was a beautiful day despite that. Sewers? Angels? No, just chickens and cows here…
Roleplaying notes: What happened? I was out cleaning up the cow shit, but it was a beautiful day despite that. Sewers? Angels? No, just chickens and cows here…
If forced to remember, Frank’s voice is breathy and
strained.
Medicine: This man
should be – must be! clinically dead, but thin tendrils of metal – almost like
wires – are strung through his tissue, keeping it moving.
Reassurance: Crawdad
Frank is past the point of much reassurance, but a soothing (or heartless)
investigator can convince him to think back on finding the Fragment
originally. His story will cut off as he
remembers it beginning to transform his body.
Theology: Alternatively,
Crawdad Frank can be brought back to himself long enough to confess his most
recent sins, shedding some light on his current situation.
The Fragment The Fragment is essentially a trimming from the form of Glaaki found in England. At this time, it is relatively weak and disoriented, but it is still a sliver of a powerful alien intelligence, and it's growing fast.
After infecting Crawdad Frank, the Fragment essentially unfolded him from inside out to maximize its surface area. It has added several other unfortunate Swamp Angels to its mass since then, plus some of the living offerings that the gang provided. The appearance of the Fragment at this point, in decent light, is that of a time-lapse image of decaying corpses in black and white. However, rather than decaying to nothing, strange and oddly significant patterns appear in the rotting matter, shifting constantly.
Every human that the Fragment infects with its toxin adds to its available mass. At this stage, it can only nudge its toxin-infected spawn, but it can keep them alive through almost any trauma. For the most infected, sunlight will destroy them, as will immersion in lye or other strong bases.
If the Fragment’s servants are not stopped, it will use the bodies collected and immobilized by Lazarus as part of a spell to flood New York. Having been returned to its natural habitat, the Fragment will swim among the drowning at its leisure, adding them to its own mass until it is complete.
Using skills to investigate the Fragment can cause further
Stability loss.
Biology: This
creature is biologically impossible. It
appears to be made of flowing metal; it can create living matter from nothing;
it can rearrange flesh, and its silver cords appear to link it to distant
creatures.
Cthulhu Mythos: This
creature resembles an aquatic god spoken of in obscure corners of England. There are stories there of graveyards that
hold only outsiders’ names; the residents have survived for generations. But they only come out at night to worship
Glaaki, the dweller in the lake.
Medicine or Chemistry: This creature has the stink
of embalming fluids. It appears to not
only repair damaged tissue; it secretes some sort of substance that also
toughens the tissue over time. The
process may be reversible if a suitable chemical can be located.
Athletics 10 (in
water); immobile when partially submerged or on land
Health 35
Scuffling 25
Hit threshold: 3
(large)
Alertness modifier:
+2
Stealth modifier: -1
Weapons:
The Fragment can
attack those who venture into its chambers by growing large spines or lashing
out with its pseudopods, which are mostly formed from reconstituted Swamp Angel
members)
Spines +5. When hit by a spine, characters must make a
Difficulty 6 Health test or be infected with Glaaki’s toxin. The toxin has no immediate effects, but
affects the victim as if hurt in two hours. Afterwards, the victim will be considered one
of the Spawn of Glaaki.
Envelop +2. When hit
by a scuffling attack, a character is partially enveloped by the Fragment’s
loops of organs. Each round thereafter,
the character may be hit automatically as the Fragment constricts. They may also be immersed in Glaaki’s toxin, which
can be absorbed through the skin; see above.
Armor: Physical weapons
do only 1 point of damage. Chemical bases
do full damage. Regenerates 1 point of
damage each turn, until killed.
Stability loss: +4
Notes: Flooding
its chamber with lye, or somehow collapsing the ceiling in order to bring
sunlight down upon the Fragment, would halt its growth and destroy its host,
Crawdad Frank. The fragment itself could retreat to its original spore, a
fist-sized chunk of living metal covered in tiny barbed spines. (This outcome
is recommended for an ongoing campaign or for a Purist ending to the game. In a
Pulp game, it is not unreasonable for the Fragment to be banished utterly.)
The local ghouls may also be able to acquire spells to banish the Fragment of Glaaki, but the knowledge to cast such spells will require eating the mummified flesh of a sorcerer. (Knowingly partaking in cannibalism causes 7 stability loss). In addition, such a spell will require a willing sacrifice - a voluntary death is required to cancel out the Fragment's parasitic immortality. The stability loss from the sacrifice will depend on their relationship to the spellcaster.
The local ghouls may also be able to acquire spells to banish the Fragment of Glaaki, but the knowledge to cast such spells will require eating the mummified flesh of a sorcerer. (Knowingly partaking in cannibalism causes 7 stability loss). In addition, such a spell will require a willing sacrifice - a voluntary death is required to cancel out the Fragment's parasitic immortality. The stability loss from the sacrifice will depend on their relationship to the spellcaster.
Jim Corner
Athletics 8, Firearms
5, Health 10 (spawn of Glaaki), Scuffling 8, Weapons 3
Jim was the accepted second-in-command of the Swamp Angels.
He expected to be in control once Crawdad Frank died or got himself arrested,
but things are murky now that the gang revolves around some alien chunk of
flesh. Jim's not happy about it - he was okay dropping off the occasional
victim for the Fragment, and certainly no bodies could be identified after
being incorporated into the Fragment's growing mass. But this stuff about flooding the vm? And
bringing the gift of the deathless to all people? Jim doesn't have time for
this kind of nonsense, but there's not much he can do. He might reach out to
the player characters in an attempt to have the get rid of Father Brendan. He'd
rather keep the Fragment starved and useful.
Jim Corner is one of the Spawn of Glaaki. He likes not having to worry about dying in some street fight, but his ambitions haven't gone much past making a lot of money. Of course, even if he gets his way - Father Brendan and the Banshee removed, the immortality kept a secret - the Fragment will eventually win. It will recruit enough servants and become strong enough to impose its will on them, and the results will not go well for the city.
Jim Corner is one of the Spawn of Glaaki. He likes not having to worry about dying in some street fight, but his ambitions haven't gone much past making a lot of money. Of course, even if he gets his way - Father Brendan and the Banshee removed, the immortality kept a secret - the Fragment will eventually win. It will recruit enough servants and become strong enough to impose its will on them, and the results will not go well for the city.
Roleplaying notes: Jim is gruff and irritated. He’s had enough of his own gang being subverted by some soft-handed priest for some stupid suicidal plan. He hates having to bring in other people to deal with it, and he’s just barely keeping his temper under control at all times.
Assess honesty: Jim
may try to approach the characters and get them to eliminate Father Brendan
without mentioning the priest’s association with the Swamp Angels – or Father
Brendan’s special abilities. If pressed,
he will disclose the association, but it’ll take a point spend to get him to
reveal anything about the Fagther’s unnatural durability. The more people know about something like
that, the less useful it is for him and his boys..
Bargain: If the
players agree to take care of (deliberately left vague) Father Brendan, Jim
will offer them cash, membership in the gang, or even the deathless gift, if
they impress him enough. The last he
will only insinuate at indirectly.
Streetwise: Jim
really just wants to run his gang. He
wants it to be the richest, biggest gang around, but he has no real patience
for supernatural things that do not benefit him.
Spawn of Glaaki About 75% of the Swamp Angels have been infected with Glaaki's toxin. The gang is about 35 people, so 26 are Spawn of Glaaki. If Father Brenda is not stopped he will continually recruit more each day.
The process takes about two days after being injected with
the toxin; shooting pains and disturbing dreams are common. The dreams cause
Stability loss. In terms of statistics, treat Spawn of Glaaki as zombies from
Trail of Cthulhu, but without an infectious bite. When reduced to zero health,
Spawn of Glaaki will collapse but will gradually heal as tiny silver threads
(looking exactly like tapeworms or botflies) wind their way through their
bodies, knitting their flesh back together. The process takes 1 day for severe
trauma (stab wounds, gunshots) and appropriately less for less dramatic damage.
Each "death" of this kind reduces the spawn's Stability by 2. At
stability 0, the Spawn burn up in sunlight and are little more than extensions
of the Fragment.
Roleplaying notes: The Spawn of Glaaki are not mindless undead, at least at first. They retain their personalities and most of their free will, though this will drain away over the course of the adventure. They will gradually see their sanity weaken as they survive injuries with no ill effect and dream about the Fragment of Glaaki.
Roleplaying notes: The Spawn of Glaaki are not mindless undead, at least at first. They retain their personalities and most of their free will, though this will drain away over the course of the adventure. They will gradually see their sanity weaken as they survive injuries with no ill effect and dream about the Fragment of Glaaki.
The Ghouls
The ghouls have the same statistics as the default ghouls in the Trail of Cthulhu corebook. They are distinguished by their personalities.
All three ghouls have names derived from Algonquin words. The legend of the wendigo tells about the lean, powerful monsters that humans may become when they resort to cannibalism. It's not clear if the three ghouls originally were Native Americans, or if they have simply appropriated the names in order to make themselves appear older and more alien. All the ghouls speak English, though in an alternately meeping and gutteral dialect.
It is possible (depending on the players' actions) that they will never encounter the ghouls. However, if they go looking for clues in cemeteries or appear to be allying with the Swamp Angels, the ghouls may well take notice. If the players ignore their Drives and do not delve into any aspects of the mystery, the ghouls can offer either rewards or threats to induce them.
Their goals: The ghouls hate the spawn of Glaaki. Glaaki's toxin is death to ghouls, and they consider the walking, toxin-filled corpses to be an abomination (especially when compared to their own sleek forms). To make things worse, Father Brendan has been covering his sewers with scrawlings drawing parallels between Glaaki and Mordiggian, the father of ghouls. It's a case of unwelcome, blasphemous neighbors who also threaten the ghouls' food supply - and the ghouls want the problem solved.
In terms of the adventure, the ghouls are potential allies or antagonists. They can be allies providing information or even resources to stuck investigators - but make sure that the assistance always comes at a price. Look to your characters' Drives and pillars of Stability for the price, but if nothing suggests itself, the ghouls can insist that the characters share a grisly feast of human flesh with them.
Alternately, perhaps the ghouls gain the memories of those they eat, and can manage a convincing imitation of a character's dead family member. (Among the ghouls, this sort of manipulation may be considered somewhere between a delightfully grim practical joke and an art.)
As antagonists, the ghouls can maintain tension in a very short game where the player characters have joined up with the Swamp Angels and their deathless recruiting drive. The ghouls will identify the characters as a weak link, and will do their best to terrify them, thwart their plans, or use them to send a message to the Glaaki worshipers. Suggested tactics might be desecration of family graves, messages scrawled in the characters' homes (DEATH IS COMING), or arranging for accidents to befall the characters. In this case, be sure to play up the Swamp Angels' paranoia - they know that something else lives underground and that it is hunting them.
The ghouls have the same statistics as the default ghouls in the Trail of Cthulhu corebook. They are distinguished by their personalities.
All three ghouls have names derived from Algonquin words. The legend of the wendigo tells about the lean, powerful monsters that humans may become when they resort to cannibalism. It's not clear if the three ghouls originally were Native Americans, or if they have simply appropriated the names in order to make themselves appear older and more alien. All the ghouls speak English, though in an alternately meeping and gutteral dialect.
It is possible (depending on the players' actions) that they will never encounter the ghouls. However, if they go looking for clues in cemeteries or appear to be allying with the Swamp Angels, the ghouls may well take notice. If the players ignore their Drives and do not delve into any aspects of the mystery, the ghouls can offer either rewards or threats to induce them.
Their goals: The ghouls hate the spawn of Glaaki. Glaaki's toxin is death to ghouls, and they consider the walking, toxin-filled corpses to be an abomination (especially when compared to their own sleek forms). To make things worse, Father Brendan has been covering his sewers with scrawlings drawing parallels between Glaaki and Mordiggian, the father of ghouls. It's a case of unwelcome, blasphemous neighbors who also threaten the ghouls' food supply - and the ghouls want the problem solved.
In terms of the adventure, the ghouls are potential allies or antagonists. They can be allies providing information or even resources to stuck investigators - but make sure that the assistance always comes at a price. Look to your characters' Drives and pillars of Stability for the price, but if nothing suggests itself, the ghouls can insist that the characters share a grisly feast of human flesh with them.
Alternately, perhaps the ghouls gain the memories of those they eat, and can manage a convincing imitation of a character's dead family member. (Among the ghouls, this sort of manipulation may be considered somewhere between a delightfully grim practical joke and an art.)
As antagonists, the ghouls can maintain tension in a very short game where the player characters have joined up with the Swamp Angels and their deathless recruiting drive. The ghouls will identify the characters as a weak link, and will do their best to terrify them, thwart their plans, or use them to send a message to the Glaaki worshipers. Suggested tactics might be desecration of family graves, messages scrawled in the characters' homes (DEATH IS COMING), or arranging for accidents to befall the characters. In this case, be sure to play up the Swamp Angels' paranoia - they know that something else lives underground and that it is hunting them.
Chansomps (locust) - appears to the be the lower
ranking ghoul. Chansomps looks to the others for approval; when there are
errands to be done, such as contacting investigators, Chansomps is the one who
does it. Chansomps still retains some human behavioral tics; wearing mismatched
clothes, clearing his throat, and tapping his clawed fingers against one
another.
He prefers to leave notes and gifts. The gifts may include cured human flesh; eating it will strengthen the investigators, but carries a Stability cost if they realize what it is.
Chogan (blackbird) Chogan was a woman. She is far more quiet than Chansomps and tends not to speak unless necessary. When she does speak, it is generally in the form of short, sharp sentences. She does not appreciate arguments and will leave if contradicted. Of the ghouls presented, Chogan is most likely to imitate a dead friend or family member to get what she wants.
Eluwilussit (holy one) It is impossible to tell what Eluwilussit originally looked like. This ancient ghoul is encrusted with grave mold and even fungus. It is probably the leader of the ghouls of New York, as much as they have one. Chansomps and Chogan both defer to Eluwilussit immediately. Its voice is surprisingly high-pitched; when amused it will converse with visitors.
He prefers to leave notes and gifts. The gifts may include cured human flesh; eating it will strengthen the investigators, but carries a Stability cost if they realize what it is.
Chogan (blackbird) Chogan was a woman. She is far more quiet than Chansomps and tends not to speak unless necessary. When she does speak, it is generally in the form of short, sharp sentences. She does not appreciate arguments and will leave if contradicted. Of the ghouls presented, Chogan is most likely to imitate a dead friend or family member to get what she wants.
Eluwilussit (holy one) It is impossible to tell what Eluwilussit originally looked like. This ancient ghoul is encrusted with grave mold and even fungus. It is probably the leader of the ghouls of New York, as much as they have one. Chansomps and Chogan both defer to Eluwilussit immediately. Its voice is surprisingly high-pitched; when amused it will converse with visitors.
Additional:
The following names are from real gangsters from New York. There’s not much information on many of them, besides their name, so Keepers put on the spot could use them for NPC names.
The following names are from real gangsters from New York. There’s not much information on many of them, besides their name, so Keepers put on the spot could use them for NPC names.
Additional names:
Sadie the Goat (1869)
Gallus Mag
Albery Hicks - 1860
Gallus Mag
Albery Hicks - 1860
Daybreak Boys: (another river-front gang)
Cow-legged Sam
Slobbery Jim
Bill Lowrie
Molly Maher
Sow Madden
Patsy the Barber
Nicholas Saul
William Howlett
Bill Johnson
Cow-legged Sam
Slobbery Jim
Bill Lowrie
Molly Maher
Sow Madden
Patsy the Barber
Nicholas Saul
William Howlett
Bill Johnson
Civil War era:
Skinner Mehan
Dutch Hen
Brian Boru
Sweeney the Boy
Hop Along Peter
Jack Cody
Patsy Conroy and gang:
Joseph Gayles (Socco the Bracer)
Patsy Conroy and gang:
Joseph Gayles (Socco the Bracer)
Scotchy Lavelle
Johnny Dobs (Mike Kerrigan)
Kid Shanahan,
Pugsy Hurley
Wreck Donovan
Tom the Mick
N. Wallace
Beeny Kane
Piggy Noles
Colorful location names:
Tub of Blood, Hell's Kitchen, Smug Harbor, Swain's Castle, Cat Alley, the Lava Beds
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