The Squid, the Cabal, and the Old Man

BouchardGreenJagoszNovoaPook

1

The Squid, the Cabal, and the Old Man

by Andre Novoa

Adventure module for Levels 1-2

2

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

3

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

4

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?

5

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

6

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.

7

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

8

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

9

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.

10

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.

11

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

12

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).

13

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

14

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

15

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!

16

Setting 1: Robert Hooke’s House

17

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

18

Hooke’s House Second Floor

Hooke’s House First 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!

Setting 2: Isaac Newton’s Mansion and Laboratory

22

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.

23

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.

24

Newton’s House Complex

25

Newton’s House Complex Newton’s Mansion Ground Floor

Newton’s Mansion First Floor

26

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

27

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.

29

The Masonic Temple Thetempleisquitesmall,dirtyandlooksalmostasifithasbeenabandoned.Infact,followingthedeathsofNewton’sfellowFreemasons,thisplacehasseenlittleuse–exceptforthetwo

secretareasattherearofthecomplex.Asharpplayercharacterwillbeabletotrackfootprintsthatleadtotheserooms.Theremainderofthetempleisdusty.

1

2

3

4

5 6

30

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.

31

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.

32

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.

33

Setting 3:Edmond Halley’s House,

the Observatory, and the Temple

34

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

35

Halley’s House Ground Floor

Halley’s House First Floor

Halley’s House Second 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…?

37

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:

38

Greenwich Grounds

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

41

Underground Temple

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:

43

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).

44

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

45

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.

46

47

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

48

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.

49

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.

50

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

51

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

52

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

53

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

54

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.

55

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.

56