31/5/2015

DrinkerfromtheDark,v.03

DrinkerfromtheDark,v.03

Drinker from the Dark

The Hook
WhatdrawstheInvestigatorsintothestory?
YourchildhoodfriendWilliamGoodwinhasdisappeared.Itwasintodayspaperthatyoucouldread
howthefamousexplorerandarchaeologisthaddisappearedundermysteriouscircumstances,and
naturallyyouarequiteworried.Sure,itsbeenagoodwhilesinceyoulasttalkedandGoodwinalways
hadhiseyessetonthemoreextremepartsoftheworldforhismanytravels,butjustdisappearinglike
thatisntquitelikehim.
Afteranoldfriendmysteriouslydisappears,theinvestigatorstraveltotheirchildhoodtownof
KingsShallowtotryandfindoutwhathappened.

The Horrible Truth

Whatisreallygoingon?
InthedeepcavernsunderneatharemotehilltopisthelairofaStarVampire.Afterkillingand
feedingonthemanthatcalledhimdownfromthestars,ithasbecomestronger.TheStar
Vampirehassincespentmanynightsfeedingonthemanywildanimalsinitssurroundings,and
whentheplayersarriveinKingsShallow,theStarVampirewillhaverunoutonthingstofeed
onnearitslair.Itwillsoonstartsuckingthelifeoutofthecattleownedbythefarmersinthe
village.Itwillcontinuetodosountilitfullymatures,whenfinallyitwillreturnfromthestarsfrom
whenceitcame.Unlesstheplayersdontrunintoitfirst,thatis.
WhathappenedwithWilliamGoodwin?
Sometwomonthsago,thearchaeologistWilliamGoodwinreturnedbacktohishomeinKings
ShallowafteranexpeditiontotheHimalayanpeaks.Onhistravelshehadbeenlivingwitha
smalltribeofcultistswhoworshippedsomethingtheycalledTheCrimsonAngels,powerful
beingsthatweresaidtolivebehindthestarsandwhogavetheirworshippersinfinitewisdomin
exchangeforthebloodoftheirfirstborn.Afterwitnessingaparticularlygruesomeandbloody
ritual,Williamnowmadfromwhathehadwitnessed,stoleanartifactofgreatpowerfromthe
tribeandescapedbacktoEngland.
Withinacoupleofweeksafterreturninghome,WilliammanagedtosuccessfullysummonaStar
Vampirelarva.Hedidhowevernotknowhowtoproperlycontrolsuchapowerfulbeingand
afterbeingluredupintotherockyhillside,hebecameitsfirstvictim.Hisbodywasneverfound.
Bloatedandsatiated,theStarVampirelarvafounditselfasafeplaceinanearbycavewhereit
nowresides.

The Player Characters

EachplayercomesupwithanameandanOccupation.TheyshouldallliveinthesamecityLondonfor
instance.
Alsodescribehowtheyknoweachother,andhowtheyknowWilliamGoodwin.
Aftereachplayerisdonecreatingtheircharacters,askthemoneortwoofthesequestions
each:
Inyouryouth,Williamwantedyoutocomewithhimononeofhistravels.Whydidntyoucome
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along?
WhatdidyouenvythemostaboutWilliam?
Whatdidheenvythemostaboutyou?
Youandyourfriendhadafallingoutsomeyearsagoandneverquitegotonagain.What
wereyouarguingaboutandwhy?
YouandWilliamservedinthewartogether.WhathappenedthatmadeWilliamcompletely
breakdown?Whatirrevocablychangedinhim?
YouusedtoliveinKingsShallowbutleftatanearlyage.Why?
WhatdidntyoulikeaboutlivinginKingsShallow?
Whatmakesyouhesitanttocomeback?
Sinceyouweregone,whathaschangedaboutKingsShallow?
Whateveranswersyouget,buildonthem.ForexampleIfaplayersaysWilliamenviedhim
becausehewasstronger,whensearchingthedeskfullofstarchartsanddiagrams,letthat
playerfindahastilyscribblednotethatcontainsramblingsabouthisenvy,andhowhewill
soonbecomethestrongest,fastest,smartestmanthatevercamefromKingsShallow.

The Spine
1. The journey
Openingshot
Thefinalpartofthetriphereisalwaystheworst.Afterthefourhourtrainridecomesthe
excruciatingbusridethatlastsforaneternity.Itsnotsomuchtheuncomfortableseats,the
dampsmellcomingfromoutsideorthedepressinglandscapepassingyoubyoutsideItsthe
isolation.Ableak,wastedawayandforgottenvillageinthemiddleofnowhere.Howthehelldid
youstandtoliveinKingsShallowforaslongasyoudid?

2. In the remote, decaying town of Kings Shallow...

Askingaround:OneofWilliamGodwin'sneighbourshesitantlytellsyouthatWilliamhasnt
beenseenaroundlately.Whenhecamebackfromthatlasttripofhishewasactingdifferently.
Heseemedrushedandagitated,excited.Thelightswouldoftenbeonuntilverylate.
Sometimesitwasasifyoucouldhearalightlaughing,ortitteringcomingfrominthere.
Breakingintothehouse:Goodwinshouseisfilledwithallsortsofmysteriousartefactsand
trinketsfromallovertheworld.Stuffedheadsofrareanimalsonthewalls,specimensinjars,
spears,bowsandarrows.Inhishouse,onlyoneroomseemstostickoutfromtherest.Inan
officelookingroom,onadeskisstarcharts,equationsandgraphs,allpointingtowardsacertain
clusterofstars.
Breakingintothehouse:Amongastackofoldpapers,thereisonethatsticksoutfromthe
rest.ItsacoupleofpagesfromahistoricalpublicationdiscussingReligionandtraditioninthe
Himalayansandseemstobeanoldsegmentaboutcults.Oneparticularlygruesomecultis
describedinsomedetail....fairlywellknownculttheCultofNagaareasnakeworshipping
cultlocatedinthehimalayanpeaks.Thecultitselfispeacefulbutaftertalkingtosomeofthe
people,weweretoldtherehasbeenfeudswithanother,namelesssplintergroupwho,
accordingtotheNagacult,performbloodysacrificetocallupondarkandpowerfulbeingsfrom
thestars.Thereisalsoanoteattachedthatreads:Pg243,LiberNocte
LibraryUse:FindingtheLiberNocte(TheBookoftheNight)isimpossible,butthereisa
mentionofitinthelibraryrecordsandwasapparentlycheckedoutbyaW.Goodwin,some90
yearsago.
Breakingintothehouse.Inthebasement.Inanold,murkydustcoveredchest,amoldyold
bookwritteninlatincanbefound.Onlyafewpagesinitarentcompletelyruined.(Pages240
248seemtobesomewhatintact).Thecoverismostlydestroyed,butiflookedatcarefullythe
letters...berNotcu...canberead.Iftranslated(takesacoupleofhours)thereadergetsvague
impressionsofCallingforthdistantanddarkbeingsfromthestars.Bloodysacrificetomakefor
greatharvests.Fullmoonsandancient,stonetablets.Althoughitsfarfromfully
comprehensible.
Pubtalk:Towndrunkwhotalksabouthearingpanickedbleatingsharplycutofffollowedby
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faintlaughingfromthemoredistantpartsofoneofthefields.Musthavebeenfoxesor
something...onlyweirdthingisthatwedonthavemanyfoxesaroundhere,andtheynormally
onlyattacksmallerprey.
Libraryuse:Folktaleofyoungboywhowakesupinthemiddleofthenightandhearsafaint
laughing.Hewakeshisparentsup,butisaskedtogotobed.
Thenightafterhehearsthesamelaughing,nowlouder.Isagainaskedtogobacktobed.
Parentswakeupthethirdnight,hearingafaintlaughingcomingfromtheboysroombutonly
thinkthattheboyisactingup.Heisfounddeadbyhisdevastatedparentsthedayafter,his
bodystiffandpale.
Breakingintothehouse:Intheattic.Stashedawayamongstabunchofoldpapers,memoirs
andtrinketsliesanold,dirtyamuletmadefromadarkmetallicmaterialthatisalwayscoldtothe
touch.Onitaremarkingsofgrotesquestarshapedbeingsandold,ancientrunesorsymbols.
Breakingintothehouse:Intheattic.Oldmemoir,partsmissing,describingajourneytothe
HimalayasbyaWilliamGoodwinin1822.Detailsaboutaparticularlygruesomecultthat
worshippedCrimsonAngels,talesaboutbloodysacrificeandtranceinducedstates.Moreand
moreravingsaboutharnessingthesebeingspowerforownsake.
Nightinthehotel:Investigatorswakeupinthenight,hearingafainttitteringsoundthatseems
tocomefromjustoutsidethewindow.
Iftheinvestigatorwhowokeuplooksoutthewindow,atfirstheseesnothing.Then,inthe
cornerofyoureyeyouseesomething!There,underthebigtreeinthemiddleofthefield,
somethingmoves.Itslikethemoonlightisreflectedinapoolofwater,onlyinmidair.Asplit
secondlater,youdontseeitanymore.Afainttitteringisheardoncemore.

3. Deeper
Askingaround:Someonewhotalksabouthowhesfoundstrangetracesaroundhisbarn,
nowclosedoff.Dark,viscoustrailsandbrokenbranchessometimesinthetopofthetreesand
notjustthebushes.Hisanimalsarefrightened,andhehastroublesleepingatnight.
Pubtalk:Ravingsaboutglimpsesofthecreature.AdrunkmantalksaboutStrangebeings
thathecansometimessenseatnightneartheoldremoteplaceonthehills.Laughingathim.
Beckoninghimtofollowfromunseenvoids.Invisiblebutreflectingthemoonshineinalienways.
Investigatingevidence:Ambiguousevidenceofthecreature,dark,driedstainsonarock
fence.Branchesbrokenoff.
Investigatingevidence:Animalvictimsofthecreaturearefound,afreshbody.Coldtothe
touchanduponfurtherinvestigationseemstobecompletelyemptiedofallbloodandbodily
fluids.
Alloftheotheranimalsappearpanickedandcrazed,andmostofthemwillhavetobeputdown.
Askingaround:Warningsaboutgoingtotheremoteplaceontopofthehills.Darkthingstook
placethereinancienttimes,anditisntaplacewegotonow.Itsbackluck,illfortuneandmore
thanjustlocalsuperstition.
Hikingtothehilltopwilltakeseveralhours.Iftheplayersdecidetogo,makesurethattheyare
somehowdelayedandwillhavetostarttheirhikelateintheafternoon.Itshouldbepointedout
thatbringingatentisntabadidea.Itsahardtrek,andtherockyslopescanbebothslippery
andsharp.Atsomepointmassive,darkcloudsappearontheskyandaheavyrainwillsoon
makefurthertravelalmostimpossible.
Nobirdscanbeheardhere.Nosignsofotheranimalseither.
Inthemiddleofthenight,oneoftheplayersshouldwakeuphearingthesoundofbleating
mixedwiththesoundofrainhittinghardagainstthetent.Suddenlythetemperaturedrops
severaldegreesandasweet,copperysmellfillstheair.Afewsecondslater,theloudbleating
canbeheardsuddenlybeingcutoff.
Ifanyoneventuresoutsideofthetent,throughtherainintheireyesafewhundredmeters
away,somethingwhitishcanbeseenhanginglimplyintheair.Afterafewseconds,itwilldrop
totheground,assomethingpinkishandshimmeringfloatsthroughtheairandtowardthetopon
thehill.Itisimportanttogivetheplayerreallymuddydescriptionshere.Makesuretherainreally
makesthingshardtoseeandhear.
Ifinvestigated,theplayersfindadeadsheepafewhundredmetersaway.Ithasbeen
completelysuckeddryofallbodilyfluids.

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4. On the top of the hills, hidden beneath the mysterious rock

formation...
In an underground, ancient cave
Severaldeadsmallanimalsinvariousstagesofdecomposition,theircorpseslitterthefloor.
Slimey,darktrails.Freshpoolsofsomeghastlysubstance.
DeepwithinthecavesystemisthebodyofWilliamGoodwin,orratherwhatsleftofhim.His
bodyisalmostmummified,whichisveryoddconsideringhehasntbeengoneformorethana
coupleofweeks.Whatlookslikeancienttomesandbookssurroundhisbody,andhisrighthand
isclingingontoamysteriousmedallion.
Faintsoundsofsomethingtitteringdeepdown.Thesoundgettingmoreandmoredistorted
thecloseritgets...
TheCreatureitself.Ifconfronted,theplayergetsliftedupintotheairbyunseentendrils,
invisible,grabbing,crushing,drinking,becomingmoreandmorevisible,crimsoncolored

red and dripping; an immensity of pulsing, moving jelly; a

scarlet blob with myriad tentacular trunks that waved and
waved. There were suckers on the tips of the appendages,and
these were opening and closing with a ghoulish lust....

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