The Bog

For two weeks in April I ran an adventure called “The Bog” by Michael LaBossiere in our Realms of Cthulhu campaign. I think I got it off the Chaosium some time ago…

April 1920, England

SITUATION

Nearly five years have passed since our last adventure. Dr. Wraight has returned to Academia as a professor of Archaeology and Anthropology at Cambridge. Freiherr Höllenstadt-Fürchtberg has come to England for a visit; to catch up and compare notes. Sgt. Shivanshu Malaker has been released from the Gurkha rifles and has also traveled to England for a visit. Dr. Wraight has hired him, and a Canadian named Tom Cranston as “field assistants” and has also hired an office assistant named Laurel Trebeau.

DRAMATIS PERSONAE

Freiherr und Ritter Jochimm von und zu Höllenstadt-Fürchtberg – Retired German Army Officer - (Christian)
Ag d10, Sm d6, Sp d8, St d6, Vg d6,
Pace 6, Parry 5, Toughness 5, Sanity 6, Corruption 0
Skills: Fighting d6, Shooting d10, Notice d6, Stealth d6, Intimidate d6, Persuade d6, Drivingd4, Streetwise, d6, Survival d4, Stealth d4
Edges: Well Adjusted, Rich, Trademark Weapon (Luger)
Hindrances: Vow (major), Quirk (?), Vengeful, Lame
Gear: Uniform, Rations, Luger (Range: 12/24/48, ROF 1, Damage: 2d6, AP: 1), Knife (Str+d4), compass, maps, Sword (Str+d8), whistle, canteen, matches, backpack, blanket, candle

Tom Cranston – labourer – (John)
Ag d8, Sm d4, Sp d6, St d10, Vg d10,
Pace 6, Parry 6, Toughness 8
Skills: Fighting d8, Shooting d8, Notice d6, Stealth d4, Riding d4, Throwing d4, Knowledge ( Farmin’) d10, healing d4, Repair d4, Survival d4,
Edges: Quick, Brawny, Fast Hearler
Hindrances: Illiterate, Loyal, Quirk (Depressed – over the loss of his wife), Heroic
Gear: Work Clothes, Shovel (Str+d6, -1 to hit), Lee Enfield Rifle (Range: 24/48/96, ROF 1, Damage: 2d8, AP: 2)

Dr. Emma Wraight – Cultural Anthropologist and Archaeologist (Amanda)
Ag d6, Sm d10, Sp d8, St d6, Vg d8,
Pace 6, Parry 4, Toughness 5, Sanity 6, Corruption 0
Skills: Fighting d4, Shooting d4, Notice d10, Stealth d4, Knowledge: Anthropology d8, Knowledge; Archaeology d8, Investigation d4, Survival 4d, Tracking d4, Swimming d4, healing d4
Edges: Scholar, Linguist, Alertness
Hindrances: Curious, Phobia (Major – Snakes)
Gear: Clothes, Anti-Snake Boots (Armour +2), Webley (Range: 12/24/48, ROF 1, Damage: 2d6, AP: 1), Knife (Str+d4),

Sgt. Shivanshu Malaker – Gurkha (Darrin)
Ag d6, Sm d6, Sp d6, St d6, Vg d10,
Pace 6, Parry 5, Toughness 8, Sanity 5, Corruption 0
Skills: Fighting d6, Shooting d6, Notice dX, Stealth dX, Intimidate dX, Throwing dX
Edges: Brawny, Woodsman, Alertness
Hindrances: Heroic, Code of Honour
Gear: Uniform, Webbing, Backpack, Blanket, Rations, Rifle (Range: 24/48/96, ROF1, Damage: 2d8, AP: 2), Kukri (Str+d6)

Laurel Trebau
Ag d6, Sm d10, Sp d8, St d4, Vg d8,
Pace 6, Parry 4, Toughness 6
Skills: Fighting d4, Shooting d6, Notice d6, Stealth d4, Investigation d10, Riding d4, Healing d8, Knowledge (Psychology) d8, Taunt d6, Swimming d4, Streetwise d4
Edges: Alertness, Psychotherapist
Hindrances: Quirk (wears glasses, but doesn’t really need them…), Loyal

THE GAME

(The Short Version)

Act One

Dr. Emma Wraight has been invited by a collegue from Oxford to join her on a survey and potential dig at a site of standing stones in Scotland.

Shorlty after arriving in Scotland one of the Oxford team’s men turns up severely beaten up with his tongue removed… and, despite moving around and gurgling and stuff, is cold and shows no vital signs. Scribbles some clues as to the disposition of two others he was out surveying with and then asks (in writing… and gestures) the group to kill him. Unfortunately the doctor and the constable had arrived and it took some convincing that he was in fact dead and the gurkha promptly removed his head.

The rest of the evening (spanning three days of game time) was spent searching for the two missing members of the team and information about other disappearances, strange happenings and information about the culture that once worshipped at these stones.

An abandoned farmhouse with a rather newer concrete cellar was discovered and showed signs of recent occupation.

Act Two

Höllenstadt-Fürchtberg received a telegram and was called away to Germany to deal with some pressing family business matter.

A Strange note was left at the inn where the group was staying stating that the two missing team members were at the home of a local businessman. It took considerable convincing to get the constable to show them where the house was and allow them to search it.

The constable took them to the house and apologetically explained the situation to the occupant, and the occupant allowed them to search it to clear his name. During a search of the cellar an secret chamber was found. It was empty but showed signes of recent thorough cleaning. The owner of the house claimed it was there when he bought it and presumed the house previously belonged to some smugglers or criminals of some sort…

The groups decided to stake out the house that night. The whole family left in their automobile later in the evening. The group tracked them to the bog. They paddled out to the island with the standing stones and walked into some sort of nasty ritual going on. The battled the cultists and some nasty creature that came out of the bog. The Cultists were all killed, the creature returned to the bog. The missing team members were recovered but their tongues had been cut out…

That’s the VERY short version of what went on. It’s been a couple weeks. I don’t know when I’d ever get around to writing out a more detailed version so this will have to suffice…

Here’s some pics of the climactic battle:


The island in the Bog with the cultists and Bog Zombies…


Did I mention there were Bog Zombies…?! Oh, there were Bog Zombies all right!!


And the big bad beastie from the Bogg arrives (not actually a small Dark Young of Shub-Niggurath! That’s just to show where it was!)

It was a fin adventure with some interesting ideas – behind the scenes there was a power struggle going on within the cult – the outward manifestations causing some utter confusion for the players…


Coming Soon to Savage Timmy’s Playhouse:

Some more WW2 Action!!