by Marcus L. Rowland
Copyright © 1993-6, revised 1998
This is a collection of short adventures linked by the phenomena described in the Carnacki worldbook, WORLDBK4.TXT. Each adventure can be played in a few hours. All are set in the period between 1910 and the First World War; with one exception the exact dates are unimportant, and they can be run in any order.
Characters are adventurers in a world superficially like our own, but one that is occasionally menaced by Ab-natural entities. It is a world where it is wise to be afraid of the dark.
Because of the size and scope of these adventures minor NPCs are not described in great detail; they have average characteristics of 3 or 4, and skills appropriate to their jobs or ranks. All characters and organisations mentioned are imaginary, unless stated otherwise. Maps and charts are only provided for key locations; many details are entirely imaginary or are based on limited (and possibly inaccurate) information. Referees are strongly advised to obtain suitable maps, charts, and photographs to supplement the illustrations provided, and modify details where I have made mistakes. Wherever possible sources are mentioned.
When referring to characters the words "him" and "his" are usually short for "him/her" and "his/her"; unless stated otherwise the characters may be of either gender. The male pronoun is sometimes used to give a more natural flow of text - blame the English language, not the author! All the adventures are written for groups of 3-6 characters; more are usually more trouble than they are worth, smaller groups may lack some of the skills needed for success. It is assumed that the characters are British; if not, some modifications may be needed.
At a few points words which are now archaic, or have different meanings in Britain and America, are used. A brief list follows:
These adventures are connected mainly by their background; there is no strong linking theme, apart from the possibility of Ab-natural intervention.
The Cutting involves the adventurers in a problem on a railway. The line seems to be haunted by a murderous spirit. But there are a few unusual complications...
In Folly of the Wise, something very odd seems to be stirring outside a Wiltshire mansion. Is it a ghost, is someone playing a very odd joke, or is there some sinister reason for the disturbance?
Sussex Belle introduces the adventurers to the wonderful world of the cinema. But there is more to the haunting they find than meets the eye.
Finally, Something Nasty In The Woodshed and Cold Sweat are two long adventure outlines, which will require some preparatory work by the referee. One is set in Scotland, the other in London. Both are lethally dangerous.
0.2 Timing and Distances
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These adventures are written to avoid the need to adhere to a strict timetable. Usually the characters will learn of a problem then have the time they need to deal with it. Occasionally their actions will precipitate events, causing a new problem that requires a rapid response, but even here it should be unnecessary to adhere to a rigid timeline.
In play-testing a freewheeling approach was used. Regardless of their efficiency, the characters always managed to be at the right places at the right times, more or less equipped to deal with the situation. From then on the outcome of the scenario was based on the players' actions. This melodramatic approach is strongly recommended.
Referees should always remember that these scenarios can't possibly handle every contingency; players may think of plans that didn't occur to the author and play-testers, or ignore clues that seemed obvious when these adventures were written. Be prepared to think fast and abandon the written plot if things aren't going well; the players may think of something much more entertaining if you let them develop their ideas!
0.3 Characters & Equipment
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It is advisable to generate new characters for a Carnacki-based campaign, since it is likely to emphasise such unusual skills as Scholar (Magic) and the use of weird science equipment. Some likely careers for characters include Clergyman (of any faith), Professional Medium, Reporter or Author, Scientist, and (of course) Psychic Detective. Note that characters who are paid to work as professional mediums or psychic detectives are likely to encounter Ab-natural problems long before others, but will never be treated as anything better than hirelings or (at best) hired consultants.
Before running any adventure the referee is strongly advised to point out the main ideas of the Carnacki stories; the existence of malevolent and extremely powerful supernatural creatures which are always looking for openings into our world, their immunity to most forms of harm, and the absolute need to take every possible precaution in dealing with them. Players should also be aware that magic exists but is extremely dangerous; there is no need to spell out just how dangerous...
It is reasonable to assume that characters have had a chance to pick up some knowledge of the Ab-natural before play begins, without necessarily having ever encountered a serious manifestation. Carnacki patents the Electric Pentacle in 1908 and a commercial model is available from 1910 onwards, so it is plausible that characters with an interest in these matters might own one. It costs £24 19s 11d for one large enough for a single man; add extra sets for more occupants.
Characters should not initially be on friendly terms with Carnacki, and he should not normally be available for consultation. If characters try to reach him, they should always be told that he is "away on business"; maybe he's a few miles away, visiting a haunted manor, possibly he's in Outer Mongolia or spending a few weeks at sea. He doesn't travel with servants; his household staff (a valet and cook/housekeeper) are paid well to keep quiet about his business. The valet sleeps on the premises and has access to a shotgun, so breaking in to rifle Carnacki's papers or learn his itinerary is not advisable. While Carnacki may occasionally be used to get characters into trouble, he should not get them out again.
For convenience it is assumed throughout that the adventurers are based in London. If this is not the case some changes may be needed. Since London is a large city, it may be useful to specify the exact address, or at least the general area:
Aristocrats and other gentry tend to live in the country but have town houses in Kensington or Chelsea; there are also wealthy homes in Marylebone, especially around Regents Park, in the West End and in Westminster, although the latter are most likely to be the London residences of members of the Houses of Parliament. Carnacki, of course, lives in Chelsea. Aristocratic bachelors might live at an exclusive club, usually in the West End, or in a flat somewhere in the area; for example, Lord Peter Wimsey lived at 110a Piccadilly. One notable possibility is the Albany, a block of flats for the wealthy, which is off Piccadilly. Fictional tenants include such famous characters as A.J. Raffles and Lord John Roxton (see FF3).
Middle class adventurers might live in Bayswater or Paddington (see The Cutting, below), Marylebone, or any of the districts mentioned above; not every house in these areas is a mansion. They might be resident in the suburbs around London, commuting into town for work or pleasure; the middle classes, especially businessmen, are by far the most likely to commute. Academics are most likely to live near one of the great centres of learning; Kensington is especially favoured by scientists, since the area contains most of London's major scientific institutions, while the Bloomsbury district, containing the British Museum and various colleges, appeals to scholars of the arts and classics. Both areas also offer student accommodation, in the colleges themselves and in numerous lodging houses around them.
Lower class characters could live almost anywhere; servants are likely to occupy rooms at their employers home, otherwise there are poorer quarters in every district. It is unlikely that they commute; in most of the poorest areas the vast majority live within walking distance of their work, although trams and the other new transport systems are beginning to change this. The East End of London, especially Whitechapel (see Cold Sweat, below), Stepney and the surrounding areas is notorious as a densely crowded haunt of the poor, immigrants, and the 'criminal' classes, but there are many other poor areas; for example, North Paddington is regarded as one of the worse areas for poverty in London.
0.4 Acknowledgements
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Unless stated otherwise, all events and individuals referred to in these adventures are entirely imaginary, and any resemblance to real persons is entirely accidental. Real places and companies are sometimes mentioned, but it should again be emphasised that there is no factual basis for the activities described.
Numerous play-testers helped to evaluate these scenarios, and one other which turned out to be unsuitable for this background and unplayable as written. My thanks to all of those involved.
The title of The Cutting was suggested by The Gutting, a horror spoof by Dave Langford. Some plot elements in this adventure and in Cold Sweat derive from The Paddington Horror, a short Call of Cthulhu adventure that appeared in White Dwarf.
Folly of the Wise draws heavily on my previous articles about "Mummerset", the faking of "realistic" country accents, in various magazines. Many thanks, again, to Mike Cule for his help with these articles. One (deceased) character is based on an NPC appearing in two Forgotten Futures II adventures.
Alex Stewart can probably be blamed for Sussex Belle, since he suggested the historical background. Kim Newman and Tim Illingworth provided additional information. The names of some characters were suggested by Leslie Charteris' Saint stories.
Something Nasty In The Woodshed is a quote from Cold Comfort Farm, by Stella Gibbons.
1.0 Adventure 1: The Cutting
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A busy railway line in the middle of London hardly seems the most likely place for Ab-natural events, but a series of incidents has begun to scare the crew of the engines. Are they an echo of past deaths, a cunning hoax, or a premonition of events to come?
This is a short introductory adventure with a simple plot that should take only a few hours to play. The adventurers should have some interest in unusual phenomena; previous experience of the Ab-natural is not essential.
The referee should print the newspaper stories in the next section as player handouts. The map and plans for this adventure (22_ADV4.GIF, 23_ADV4.GIF, and 24_ADV4.GIF) should also be printed, since it will probably be necessary to refer to them repeatedly. A better and much more detailed map is available, in the series of old Ordnance Survey maps published by Alan Godfrey (see the rules): London Sheet 50 (Paddington 1914). Specify the 1914 revision if ordering, since the 1872 version is also available and omits some vital details.
There are numerous tapes of train noises which can be used to add atmosphere to this adventure. Look especially for recordings of steam engines, shunting, and underground trains.
All railways, streets, etc. described in the adventure were entirely real in 1910, but the area North of the railway was bombed heavily, and changed considerably after the Second World War. The slums were torn down in the 1950s and 60s, replaced by blocks of flats and roads. The railway has also changed; Paddington goods depot was closed in the 1980s, the shunting yards and cattle pens no longer exist, and many of the lines have been removed. What remains is largely electrified, and a good deal quieter and cleaner than it once was.
1.1 Players' Information
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Variations on the following three stories appear in London newspapers in February 1910. Anyone who is interested in the occult notices them:
From The Evening News, Saturday:
SPIRITS ON THE LINE?Passengers on the Metropolitan Railway may be alarmed to learn that the line is reputedly haunted. Staff claim that the ghost of a labourer who was killed while building the line haunts the tracks near Royal Oak station, and has been seen on many occasions. It is described as a pale insubstantial figure, seen at night in the cutting near the station. Trains have hit the figure, without any apparent effect.Although the story sounds alarming, our reporter could find no record of any deaths during the construction of this section of the track, and no local residents admit to having seen the elusive poltergeist. Spirits are undoubtedly involved in these reports, but it seems most likely that they are alcoholic in nature and that this story is another example of a drunken tale that has grown in the re-telling! |
From The Evening Star, the following Tuesday:
METROPOLITAN RAILWAY SHARES DOWN ANOTHER 2s 3d
Reports of a ghost haunting the Metropolitan Railway are widely blamed for an unexpected decline in share prices. Selling of small lots began soon after the Exchange opened yesterday and continued today, with the closing price down 4s 11d from Friday's close; today's final figure was £2 15s 3d. Sir Joseph Wager, Managing Director of the company, stated "These stories are poppycock and the line is entirely safe."
|
From The Evening Standard, on Friday:
BODY FOUND ON LINEThe body of an unnamed man was found on the Metropolitan Railway electrified tracks, between Royal Oak and Westbourne Park stations, early this morning. Scotland Yard is treating it as a suspicious death. |
Reasons for adventurers to take an interest in the matter might include ownership of Metropolitan Railway (Met.) shares, a desire to learn more of the Ab-natural, professional curiosity as reporters or detectives, or (as a last resort and only if the adventurers are well-known as psychic detectives) a commission from Sir Joseph Wager.
The ghost began to appear in June 1909; what has gone unnoticed is that it was first seen less than a week after some high-voltage cables were replaced in the cutting. Electromagnetic resonance between the currents in the railway lines and one of the new cables is generating a freak etheric signal which is unusually attractive to Ab-natural entities. Conditions for a manifestation are at their best when an Westbound train approaches the cutting on the Royal Oak Station side of the tunnel; the power surges that accompany it sometimes create "rips" in the world-barrier which a sufficiently determined "ghost" can use under these peculiar conditions. The effect would be almost impossible to create deliberately; it can be cured by disconnecting the cable and attaching it to the rail again at a slightly different point.
A powerful Aeiirii entity stumbled across the "rips" and used them to attempt to materialise as trains passed. Even if it fails, it is sometimes visible as a shimmering ghostly immaterial form. Unfortunately each sighting of it increased its psychic presence and its ability to materialise; on the night of the 24th it finally succeeded in breaking through to our plane for a few minutes; it attacked a passer-by, dragging his body back towards its portal. From now on it will be able to materialise once or twice a night until it is stopped. This doesn't mean that it will kill someone every night; it can't move far from the "rip" and must return after a few minutes, so a victim must be close at hand before it can attack. It will kill animals, such as rats, cats, or dogs, if no human is available. It won't try to attack trains; they move too quickly.
There is a red herring in this adventure; the story about the company's financial difficulties, which could make players think that the haunting is a hoax intended to lower the price of shares before a take-over bid. In fact the share crisis has been exaggerated in the press. The railway runs at a modest profit; the ghost story happened to coincide with some insider dealing (not illegal in 1910), with directors of the City and Continental Bank selling their own shares at the original price before unloading a large block owned by the bank. This caused the original price drop. The bank wants the money to invest in the White Star Line, in anticipation of big profits from the new liner Titanic when it is launched next year. When Met. prices began to slip some other investors decided to pull out, but the situation will stabilise at a slightly lower price within a few days.
At this time the weather is cold but dry, with temperatures -1 to 1 C (30-34 F) at night, 8-10 C (47-51 F) by day. The sun rises at 7.05 AM, sets at 5.25 PM. The sky is overcast.
If players aren't interested in investigating this mystery, another death occurs three weeks later. Share prices fall again. Continue mentioning deaths at intervals of three to six weeks; there will also be unreported animal deaths every few days, unless the adventurers decide to intervene.
Once they are involved, the adventurers should be able to deal with this apparition reasonably quickly. The situation isn't complicated, apart from the unusual setting and the difficulties it causes.
1.3 Lines of Enquiry
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Adventurers may wish to begin by looking at the track or the victim, by investigating the history of the haunting as it was reported in the press, or by following up the financial side of the case. If they decide to plunge straight into the cutting without finding out the facts, see section 1.4 below.
The Metropolitan Railway (Met.) is London's first underground railway. In the city centre it runs in covered cuttings and shallow tunnels, with above-ground extensions to the North, East, and West. It carries tens of thousands of passengers a day. Since the late 19th century it has been electrified throughout, unlike the long-distance main line railways. The Western part of the line begins at Paddington Station, continuing mostly on the surface to Royal Oak, Westbourne Park, and other stations to Hammersmith.
Royal Oak station (23_ADV4.GIF) is in the middle of Paddington Station's shunting yard and points system, which is owned by the Great Western Railway (GWR). This is an extremely complex branching web of tracks, one of the busiest in Britain, with eighteen parallel lines criss-crossed by points. West of Royal Oak the electrified line dips down into a cutting and a short tunnel to bypass some other tracks, then on to nearby Westbourne Park station. Before the railway was built there were fields on the site. There is no record of any suspicious deaths anywhere in the immediate vicinity.
The station is tiny, built in two levels. The upper part is reached from a bridge crossing the tracks; it consists of a small lobby with a ticket window, a kiosk selling newspapers, tobacco and sweets, and accommodation for the station staff. Stairs lead down to the platform, which has two small waiting rooms, little more than shelters. Between the tracks under the station, and under the bridge West of the station, are storage areas containing oil lamps and other equipment. There is a small triangle of waste ground, about 10 ft wide x 20 ft long, West of the bridge; a small pentacle could be set up in this area, but there is little room for mistakes.
The Met. uses four-rail standard-gauge track with an inner rail for power at 500 volts DC. The trains have electric engines pulling up to six carriages, each having six compartments holding eight seated and a maximum of ten standing passengers. Trains run every 20 minutes from 6.30 AM to midnight, at ten minute intervals in peak hours, with power shut down outside these hours. The last trains pass through the tunnel at roughly 11.35 PM Eastbound, 11.50 Westbound. There are walls and fences to keep trespassers off the tracks, but the surrounding railway system is so huge that there are dozens of gaps; for example, there is an access gate leading to the shunting yard at the South end of the Westbourne Passage footbridge, or someone could simply walk along the track from a station platform. Naturally this is extremely dangerous; dozens of trains an hour use the main lines, and the Met. lines are electrified. On the main lines a foot in the wrong place at the wrong time could be caught in points (Difficulty 15 to get free, 10 if a lever of some sort is available), leaving an adventurer trapped in the path of an express! The electrified lines have their own danger:
| Electric rail (500 Volts) | Effect 12, A:C, B:K, C:K |
The line uses DC power, so anyone touching it will not be thrown clear by muscle spasms; they will be "frozen" to the rail by the shock, and the damage will be repeated each round until power is somehow cut or the victim is killed.
Bearing these dangers in mind, it is inadvisable to stray onto the tracks without the cooperation of the Met. and GWR. Unless a good reason to do otherwise is argued extremely persuasively, the Met. will only allow visitors on their line when the power is off; since the ghost only appears in the wake of electric trains, this is not very useful. When the power is off there is nothing whatever to indicate that there is anything Ab-natural about the system. When the power is on, a medium (or anyone else with high SOUL) passing through the cutting, or walking beside it, will feel an odd "pringling" sensation; if a train passes the feeling intensifies. They will feel this most strongly when passing an alcove in the cutting wall where some of the high-voltage cables emerge from buried pipes to join the Eastbound track. The alcove itself is not especially significant; the "rip" is over the electrified rail of the adjacent track where the cable joins it. This intensification of feelings is not perceptible when passing through the tunnel in a train.
The cutting isn't visible from any of the bridges over the track; to minimise the nuisance from smoke and prevent suicides, they have high solid steel walls, not railings. It is possible to climb up, of course, but the road bridges are fitted with spikes to deter climbers, while the foot bridge walls are topped with strands of barbed wire. These have nuisance value only, and should cause nothing worse than flesh wounds if scaled; any sensible precaution will prevent harm.
Adventurers who wish to make house to house enquiries in the area should perhaps be warned that approximately 145,000 people live in the borough of Paddington, and that dozens of houses overlook the track. In any case the police have already done much of this work, with the results described below. If adventurers start to conduct large-scale enquiries they should run into endless problems; hostile dogs, policemen who want to know what they are doing, and people who have reasons of their own to avoid answering questions. Since nobody actually knows anything, apart from the points mentioned below, it will be totally futile.
The streets around the railway are dirty and noisy, with an endless fallout of soot and grime. At night they are dimly lit by gas lights. A few houses have electric lighting, most do not, and virtually none have telephones. Sooty steam billows across neighbouring roads as trains run in and out of Paddington. It is never quiet; shunting engines and goods trains run through the night, and in the early hours sheep and cattle wagons are frequently moved to the sidings, bound for Smithfield and other markets; the cries of these animals add to the background noise. The streets North of the railway are grim working class housing; it is one of the poorer areas of London, officially recorded as an area of 'chronic want'. The houses South of the railway are largely occupied by middle class families, with their quality improving further away from the dirt and noise of the tracks.
Scotland Yard is treating the case as a possible murder, and some details are kept from the press until the inquest. Characters with police contacts can easily learn the facts before then, others must wait for the Coroner's Court to sit at Paddington Town Hall, in Porchester Road, on March 1st.
The victim was Robert Hanshaw, aged 37, who lived at 23 Westbourne Park Villas on the South side of the tracks. He was reported missing on the night the body was found, and has been identified by his pocket watch, dental records, and a birthmark. His body is not a pretty sight; it has been burned, twisted, and charred beyond easy recognition.
Hanshaw was a clerk in the City of London. He left home at 10.15 PM, ostensibly to walk his dog Rover. The police have since learned that he was in the Hampden Arms, a pub in on the North side of the railway near the footbridge, from 10.30 until closing at 11.00 PM. He drank three pints of beer, but didn't appear to be drunk. He was last seen walking back towards the bridge.
Rover returned on his own at 11.30; when she realised that her husband was missing, Hanshaw's wife waited for the local policeman to walk by on his regular beat, and alerted him just before midnight. At 12.10 AM the same constable noticed that a gate onto the railway yard near the footbridge was open, with links in the chain broken. There was a ripped hat on the track. Railwaymen checked the area for trespassers, and found the body at 2.20 AM. When police enquired at nearby houses, they found that three residents had heard a shout, barking, and scuffling noises a little after eleven; none looked outside in time to see what was happening. Since the railway is very noisy, nobody else heard anything.
The body was found in the Metropolitan Railway cutting. It was more than fifty feet from the footbridge, which makes it unlikely that Hanshaw somehow fell from it. It was by the North (East-bound) side of the track; it was badly burned but had apparently not been hit by any trains. Several bones in the arms and legs were broken, possibly by a fall or by spasms following electrocution. In view of the condition of the body, it was not possible to determine the exact cause of death. None of the drivers saw it.
In the light of these facts, the coroner decides that Hanshaw stumbled across intruders who were breaking into the shunting yard, and was attacked by them and dragged onto the track. He was either thrown onto the electrified line or broke free and stumbled onto it as he tried to escape. He was electrocuted, with spasms caused by the electrocution inflicting his other injuries. The verdict is murder by a person or persons unknown. The coroner comments scathingly on "wild gutter-press stories about ghosts" which can "only cause distress to the widow of this unfortunate man".
This explains the facts to some extent. In reality, Hanshaw was caught by the entity, and dragged back to its materialisation point; it used its Disruption power to kill him. He was already dead when his body touched the tracks, and the electricity simply cooked his corpse. Once it realised that he was dead, the entity threw the corpse away.
There are no obvious clues to prove the theory false. The lock and chain on the gate to the railway yard have been replaced; the originals have been kept by the police. If examined, it's obvious that the chain has literally been torn apart by some enormous force; links are distorted as though stretched by hydraulics. It might conceivably have been done by a crowbar or some sort of jack, but there are no tool marks. The lock itself is also bent, and looks like it was torn open, then twisted after it was open. The police aren't ready to speculate; one officer suggests that it might have been pulled open by a horse hitched to the chain, but there are no tracks, and no other evidence that any horse was present. Nothing appears to have been stolen from the yard, but something might have scared thieves off after they killed Hanshaw. There are several deep dents in the metal of the door, apparently made by something on the railway side. They aren't mentioned in the report, because it was assumed that they were old damage.
The adventurers may wish to visit Mrs. Hanshaw and interview her. She is an attractive woman in her thirties (an average NPC with no special skills), and wears full mourning including a veil, black dress, etc. She has already been pestered by the press and is not interested in answering questions about her husband's death, especially if ghosts are mentioned. She is a Baptist and doesn't believe in such "wicked nonsense". There is an estate agent's board in the front garden, offering the house for rent or sale; she can't afford to carry on paying the rent, and intends to move to a country cottage within a few days. If the adventurers are suspicious of her, they can easily learn that she has led an entirely blameless life, regularly plays the organ at the Baptist church at the end of the road, and inherited the country cottage from a brother who died in India a year earlier. Her husband was not insured, apart from a small burial policy, and they were not wealthy. No other men seem to be involved in her life. In other words, it does not seem likely that she murdered him, or had a hand in his death.
The original ghost story doesn't carry the name of a reporter. Characters with press contacts can find out that it was written by Thomas Conway, a freelance reporter. He heard some railwaymen talking in a local pub, asked a few questions, and sold the "exclusive" to every newspaper he could find.
Even if characters don't go looking for Conway, he will find them before they get far with their enquiries. He starts to dog their heels, and should be used to cause problems whenever things seem to be going too well; for example, he might turn up while they are waiting for the ghost to appear, and accidentally tread on one of the tubes of their electric pentacle...
If promised a real story, or bribed, he will take the adventurers to the Railway Tavern, a pub near Paddington Station, and introduce them to the engine drivers who told him about the ghost; Ernest Whistler and Fred Ryan (average NPCs with Driving [6] skill). Both are uneducated and use speech sprinkled with frequent profanities, but are willing to talk if bribed with a few pints of beer. They can't really add much to the newspaper story. Both first saw the ghost towards the end of 1909; neither can give an exact date. Both have seen it several times; each time it seemed to be clearer and more distinct. At first they saw it as a vague dark mist, but as they started to look for details they began to find them; when they last saw it, it looked like a grey man-shaped mist carrying a dim lantern. Neither of them realises that it has gradually been assuming the form that they (and other drivers) expected to see; if they had somehow come to believe that it was a ghostly cow, they would have eventually seen that! Characters with any relevant skill will be reasonably sure that they are telling the truth. Several other drivers and guards will confirm the tale if questioned; Whistler and Ryan have seen it more often than most, but that is simply because both men are unmarried and are free to work more evening shifts than many of their colleagues. The earliest they have seen it is at approximately 9.30 P.M.; this may lead adventurers to think that it can't appear earlier, but in fact there is nothing to stop it appearing or materialising at any time after dark. It simply hasn't done so yet.
The story about a dead track-worker has no basis in fact; nobody has ever been killed in the cutting. If adventurers check back far enough they will find a few deaths associated with the construction of the station and its nexus of lines; in such a huge project a few accidents are almost inevitable. None are relevant to the current case.
If properly motivated, Whistler or Ryan might be persuaded to allow adventurers to ride through the cutting in their engines. This could give the adventurers a quick glimpse of the ghost, without confronting it directly. See the next section for more details. If anyone wishes to stop the train, both drivers have the sense to wait until it is clear of the tunnel before slamming on the brakes. Unless adventurers are fully prepared for an encounter with the creature, or are at least under the impression that they are ready, it is not advisable to let them meet it yet.
The second newspaper story is pure sensationalism. Nobody originally said anything about the ghost story causing the sudden rash of stock sales; the Star's own reporter suggested it while interviewing Wager. The events really aren't connected, except for a few small sales which were caused by the story!
One other possibility is an attempt to find out more from local libraries, church records, and other sources. These checks will take days, and will be unproductive. There are at least a dozen churches in the area, not just the few marked, and many small nonconformist chapels in nearby Harrow Road. None have any useful information, and none (apart from a Spiritualist chapel that isn't particularly close) appear to be in the business of summoning up ghosts. There is only one library nearby, at the Town Hall in Porchester Road; it doesn't hold anything that looks promising. The Town Hall's records are also unhelpful.
1.4 The Wrong Side Of The Tracks
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How will the adventurers find out more about the ghost? The best method is probably to watch the track, and especially the cutting, and see if it appears.
For a distant view the houses along Westbourne Park Villas are probably the best choice; there's a wall between the street and the railway, but the street runs parallel to the track, so it's possible to get a clear view of the cutting from the upper windows. The victim's home is opposite the cutting, and if the adventurers have visited the street, they'll know that it's on the market. Mrs. Hanshaw will NOT be happy if she learns that a group of ghost-watchers are after the place, and will go out of her way to make things difficult for them; for example, she will switch off the gas and water before leaving, and lock the door of the cellar containing the taps. The house is available, furnished, for £5 a week, or for sale for £700, somewhat more than it is really worth. It is a modest semi-detached house with garden, and has room for a small family with no more than one or two servants. Middle-class adventurers in need of a home could do worse, if they can live with the noise and soot, but it isn't suitable for a gentleman.
The best view of the cutting (24_ADV4.GIF) can be seen from the front bedroom of these houses. For each hour of darkness the adventurers spend watching, roll 2D6+1 per hour; on 10+ the ghost appears as a train approaches, leaps up and out of the way, seems to move around the tracks for a few minutes in an expanding spiral, then returns to the cutting and vanishes. From this vantage point it's seen as a pallid blur, a patch of grey against the near-darkness of the surrounding railway yard. If the adventurers watch after an initial sighting, it eventually appears again; this time it moves straight out, seems to pounce on something, and moves back to the cutting much more rapidly. In the morning a dead cat can be seen near the cutting. The pattern of appearing, spiralling outwards, and retreating to the cutting is repeated whenever the ghost is seen; occasionally it stays much longer, and its "sweep" takes it right up to the walls of the railway yard; it might even climb over to attack someone who is passing on the street. If the adventurers let events progress to this point, remind them that they might have been able to prevent another attack; this may motivate them to intervene more directly.
The buildings on the North side of the tracks at this point are mostly warehouses, with few windows; none have a particularly good view. If one is used, the events described above should occur.
The cutting can also be observed from the platform of Royal Oak Station, although the station staff may not be pleased if the adventurers want to stay there all evening. Platform tickets cost a ha'penny. Unless the Metropolitan Railway Co. is somehow persuaded to cooperate, adventurers will not be allowed to set up an electric pentacle (or any other magical defence) on the platform, and will not be allowed to stay on the platform after the station closes (this would be futile anyway, since power is cut a few minutes after the last train goes through, but don't reveal this information to the adventurers).
The station isn't busy after the end of the evening rush hour, at roughly 7 P.M.; almost all of the late evening traffic consists of passengers returning home from Central London, so the platform is usually empty within a minute or two of the arrival of Westbound trains. Occasional exceptions will undoubtedly be extremely curious if the adventurers start to cast spells or erect electric pentacles.
From the platform it isn't possible to see the ghost appear; a train is always in the way. Eventually it should be sighted, leaping out of the way of a train and climbing (or possibly floating) up the side of the cutting and onto the surrounding yard. Clear features aren't visible, even with telescopes or binoculars; there seems to be some resemblance to a human form, and if the adventurers are expecting to see a phantom railway worker they may get a vague impression that it's carrying a lantern or a pick, but its movements seem completely inhuman. At least once the adventurers should feel that it is staring at them before it returns to the cutting and disappears. If they look at the tracks where it appeared, while it is still present, they should notice that the air seems to waver slightly over the rails, as though they were hot; since it is dark, this is seen as a shimmering of signal lights in the tunnel. This effect is not visible from any point outside the yard. When it vanishes the rails flicker with a faint blue glow, like St. Elmo's Fire, for a few seconds; again, this is not visible from the surrounding houses. If the adventurers stay on the platform and don't decide to take a more active role, it will eventually attack them.
If they have help from the GWR authorities, it might be possible to set up to observe the cutting from close range; by arrangement, the siding along the north side of the cutting could be cut out of the system for a few hours, allowing the adventurers a direct view at a range of only a few feet; of course the ghost would be able to reach them immediately.... The disadvantage here is the difficulty of setting up a pentacle, or any other defence, on railway lines. Add 4 to the Difficulty of the spell.
As a variation on this idea, the adventurers could borrow a goods wagon or passenger carriage from the GWR, and have it left in the siding; this would let them watch the cutting in relative comfort, although they would still be in easy striking range.
Once the adventurers realise that the ghost only materialises when trains use the cutting, it might be possible to arrange for the Metropolitan Line to run a "special" after the line closes. This would involve running a train backwards and forwards along the affected line until the ghost appeared, and stopping the train near enough to observe it. Neither of the drivers above will like this idea, nor will their colleagues. However this is set up, the driver would still be in the engine when the train stopped, and an obvious target for the ghost.
Whether the adventurers are on the platform, the line, or aboard a train, they should eventually be attacked. If they don't set up some magical protection, the ghost will attack them the first night that it reaches them; if they are using protection, it will try to find a way past the defence, circling for several minutes before it returns to the cutting and disappears. The next night it will appear again and try to throw things into the defence; lumps of coal, wood, and anything else that is lying about. On the platform this can include fire buckets and axes, a vending machine, burning oil lamps, and other fixtures. Anyone hit takes damage appropriate to the size of the object; if the result is an injury or knock-out, the character may be knocked out of the defence and attacked directly. If they are inside a railway truck or carriage, it will batter its way through the sides to reach them; it doesn't open doors, even if they aren't locked.
Eventually the adventurers should realise that the ghost is somehow using the electricity of the line to force an opening into our world. The point at which it appears is suggestive; in daylight it's obvious that a cable joins the track exactly where the ghost appears. Once this is realised, it should only be a matter of time before they arrange to have the cable re-routed, and put an end to this particular haunting.
1.5 Rewards
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This is an extremely violent ghost, but has some serious limitations on its capabilities. Anyone involved in a fight with it and surviving should earn 4 bonus points, less if they charged in without any attempt to find out what they are tackling. Adventurers who spend some time making a detailed study of the problem before taking on the ghost should be given extra points for their caution. Anyone using magic successfully should be given extra bonus points, but remember that knowledge of magic tends to affect the acquisition of skills. See Worldbook section 4 for details. Deduct points if the adventurers let the ghost kill anyone else. Finally, award points for effective role playing, making the referee laugh, or anything else that seems appropriate.
If the adventurers have been hired by the Metropolitan Railway to clear up this mystery, they should be paid for their time and trouble; remember that taking money for their work reduces them to the level of tradesmen, and is not appropriate for upper class ladies and gentlemen. If they have been asked to look into the situation as amateurs with an interest in unusual phenomena, no reward will be offered, but the adventurers will receive Sir Joseph Wager's thanks, and news of their public-spirited help will soon spread. The characters will be able to dine out on the story for months.
Finally, shrewd investment in Metropolitan Railway shares could raise a few hundred pounds; the price will go up by about 10% when the haunting ends, if it is properly publicised. There is nothing to stop a gentleman taking advantage.
1.6 Further Adventures
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Is this the only Ab-natural incursion on the Metropolitan Railway? Parts of the system never see the light of day, and new deep tubes are already being built by other companies, far below the surface. While the entity in this adventure is summoned electrically, some of the tunnels must cut through ancient burial sites and other areas with magical or supernatural connections. Men are killed digging the tunnels; some are crushed by rock-falls, others, especially those working in pressurised cuttings under the Thames, suffer lingering deaths from crippling ailments cause by the bends, dust, cold, and damp. Things might get very weird, especially in sections of track and tunnel that are cut off as the system is expanded and modified... If you use this setting, remember that there might also be links to other underground facilities and passages, from long-forgotten caves and crypts to London's complex sewer system. For example, the River Fleet, now mainly used as a sewer, is piped through Fleet Street station.
The spread of electricity, and its potential for creating vibrations which may harm or attract Ab-natural entities, could lead to other problems. A haunted power station could be an interesting setting for another case. More problems might arise as radio comes into widespread use, although it will eventually be used so widely that the level of electromagnetic "noise" drives most Ab-natural entities away from the Earth.
Carnacki encountered a ship that was inherently attractive to the Ab-natural; could this happen to a train? Several adventures for other systems have looked at this idea; see especially Horror on the Orient Express and Fearful Passages, both published by Chaosium Inc. for Call of Cthulhu.
1.A Characters
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Thomas Conway, Reporter
BODY [2], MIND [3], SOUL [1], Artist (author) [3], Stealth [6]
Equipment: Notebook, pencil
Quote: "Hmm... pentacles.... so-called ghost hunter in Satanic rituals sensation..."
Notes: Conway is an unscrupulous journalist who will do anything for a scoop. He is obsessed with the idea of seeing his name in print, even if he hurts other people to get a story. Fortunately he is also greedy; he can be bribed, but won't stay bought for long. Once he has some inkling of the existence of the Ab-natural, or knows that the adventurers are likely to be newsworthy, he will never leave them alone. Once met, he will repeatedly turn up, hopefully at the most awkward moment.
The Phantom "Railwayman" (Aeiirii entity)
BODY [8], MIND [1], SOUL [3], Light resistant [9], Materialise [6], Telekinesis [7], Visible [6]
Brawling [10] Effect 10, A:F, B:I/KO, C:C/K
Disruption [5] Effect 5, A:F, B:I, C:C/K
Notes: This creature appears as an indeterminate form somewhat larger than a man; once seen, it gradually takes on the form people expect to see. Since the engine drivers expect anyone on the track to be a railway worker, that is what they saw. Once it has been described, characters are likely to see that form too. If they don't know what to expect, its shape is less defined. It is fast and agile enough to dodge trains.
It can only materialise at one point in the cutting, as described above, and must return there to dematerialise. The time before dematerialisation varies erratically; at intervals roll its BODY against the time (in minutes) since it appeared, if the roll fails it must immediately return to the cutting and vanish again.
When materialised the entity is solid but jellylike; if it is hit, on a C or K result it vanishes for 1D6 days. Its main attack is its Disruption power, which is a drain of the victim's life-force. Its Brawling attack is almost incidental, used mainly to hold victims still for draining. If it can't get at adventurers directly, it will use its telekinesis to throw things at them.
It is resistant to all forms of artificial lighting (after all, it draws its power from electrical discharges); only full daylight can drive it away.
2.0 Adventure 2: Folly of the Wise
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The idea seems simple; visit an old mansion, find out if a folly in the grounds is really haunted, and get rid of the ghost if it exists. But things aren't always quite as simple as they seem...
This is essentially a simple adventure, but additional complications can easily be added if a more complex situation is required. Playing time should typically be a few hours.
No special preparation is needed for this adventure, apart from printing out one player handout. Plans for the adventurers are in the graphics files 25_ADV4.GIF and 26_ADV4.GIF, with some additional details in 27_ADV4.GIF for the referee's eyes only. Referees who have not studied physics may wish to look up the details of Foucault's pendulum, which can be found in most encyclopaedias and (very briefly) at the end of the adventure. The mathematics of this device need not be mastered to run the adventure!
2.1 Players' Information
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One of the characters, who should be known as an expert on the Ab-natural, receives the following telegram (suitably edited) in early August.
|
POST OFFICE TELEGRAMS
FROM LORD ETHELRED STARLING, STARLING MANOR, UPPER POOLFORD, WILTSHIRE TO -------------- FOLLY APPARENTLY HAUNTED, NOISES UPSETTING GUESTS. CAN YOU AND YOUR ASSOCIATES HELP? IF SO, BEST ROUTE HERE IS TRAIN TO LOWER POOLFORD VIA SALISBURY. LET ME KNOW ARRIVAL TIME AND I WILL ARRANGE TRANSPORT TO HOUSE. STARLING |
The adventurer has never heard of Lord Ethelred or Upper Poolford, but things are otherwise quiet. Maybe it could be interesting...
2.2 Referee's Information
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Lord Ethelred Starling is 24, a postgraduate student at Imperial College in London, and is currently on vacation. He and a few friends are staying at Starling Manor, the family home. The folly stands in the manor's grounds and is a remarkable structure; a pagoda 150 ft tall, standing over a thirty foot deep pit. It was built by the late Lord Alfred Starling in 1875 to houses a Foucault pendulum. It cost £7,250, and was constructed to prove that the Earth rotates and win a £100 bet. This may seem a poor return on an investment, but the Starling family is rich and has an tradition of rational scepticism; they oppose anything that can't be proved scientifically. Now Starling is beginning to think that he must change his opinions, as something strange and apparently uncanny is happening in the pagoda.
For nearly a year moaning noises have been heard in the folly. They are audible all year round, but most frequent when Starling is in residence. Several searches of the pagoda have found nothing unusual, and he is reluctantly coming to the conclusion that it is haunted.
In fact there is a natural cause; the "ghost" is being faked by Lord Starling's American cousin, Alan Longbaugh, aided by Gordon Fergusson, the estate manager. Details of the method they use are in section 2.3 below. They hope to convince Starling that the ghost is real. There's a good reason; in addition to the mansion and various factories, which Starling already owns, his father's will has left him eight hundred thousand pounds, which he will inherit when he is 25 (early next year) if he is not insane. The terms of the will include the following remarkable definition of insanity, following the usual clinical forms:
"iv: Belief in ghosts, supernatural beings, and other unprovable phenomena, with the exception of Christian beliefs appropriate to membership of the Church of England."
If Starling doesn't inherit, the estate is split between four cousins including Longbaugh; Longbaugh has promised Fergusson a 10% cut if he inherits.
After nearly a year Starling has had enough of the noise, and finally sought the adventurers' help. Longbaugh, a frequent visitor, sees this as a golden chance to finally persuade Starling that the pagoda is indeed haunted, and has hired a fake medium to help with this "joke" on his cousin; naturally she is not aware of the stakes, and doesn't know anything about Fergusson. If the adventurers see through the deception Longbaugh will be disappointed, but give up his plans; the only other way he could inherit is to kill Starling, and he isn't a murderer. Unfortunately Fergusson is becoming impatient, and has fewer scruples...
2.3 A Little Night Music
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The mechanism that produces the groaning noise is a simple hydraulic organ pipe.
The grounds of the manor include a large pond with several ornamental fountains, requiring a water supply and efficient drainage. These are supplied through a tunnel (headroom 4 ft) which links the ponds to a nearby stream; an hydraulic ram under the stream bed pumps water to the fountain and the house, with drainage back from the fountains through the tunnel. Drains from the house are further downstream. 27_ADV3.GIF shows the arrangement, and some additions secretly made by Fergusson and Longbaugh. They have tunnelled to the base of the pagoda and into the foundations, and installed an extra tap and a hose rigged to fill an old lavatory cistern, which has been modified to flush automatically when it is full. The flush has been connected to one of the pagoda's hollow support pillars, and acts as a crude hydraulic organ, producing low moans at irregular intervals. It's impossible to tell where the sound comes from; it resonates through the entire structure of the folly.
Every evening Fergusson slips into the tunnel and turns on the tap; he turns it off after a few groans if Starling isn't in residence, or an hour or two if he is at home. There isn't much risk; the stream runs through thick bushes, and Fergusson has the only key to the tunnel entrance, a gilled gate hidden under an ornamental bridge.
2.4 Get Ye Back To Lunnon...
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It's assumed that the adventurers decide to head for Wiltshire; if not, this will be a very short adventure! Before leaving, they may wish to check up on Lord Ethelred or Upper Poolford. Who's Who has the following entry:
Starling, Lord Ethelred Isaac; born 1886, 1st son of Lord Alfred Wallace Starling (d. 1904), and of Yvonne Deschemps (d. 1895), daughter of Jean-Pierre Deschemps of Ghent (d. 1870). Educated: Eton College and Imperial College, London (1st class honours, Chemistry, 1907; postgraduate research continuing) Recreations: Chess Clubs: Royal Institution Residence: Starling Manor, Upper Poolford, Wiltshire
All that can really be deduced from this is that Starling is bright; he graduated unusually early. His membership of one of Britain's premier scientific organisations confirms this.
Baedeker's Guide has no entry for Upper Poolford; it isn't on a railway line. Lower Poolford has a station; there is a train from Salisury every few hours. A map shows the villages as tiny dots on a minor road outside Salisbury; they are about five miles apart. There are symbols for public houses in both villages, but neither has a garage (service station). Wiltshire tourist guides can probably be obtained if needed; the only folly mentioned in the area is the "Starling Manor Pagoda". It is described as visible from the village, but not open to the public, with no other details. Ordnance Survey maps, widely available throughout Britain, show the manor and a pentagonal structure near it, marked as "folly".
Assuming that the adventurers are not based in the immediate area, the best way to reach Upper Poolford is probably as suggested; by train to Lower Poolford via Salisbury, then by carriage to the manor. Although most roads in Britain are already paved, they are often too narrow and uneven for motor cars. The villages are at least twenty miles from the nearest main road, and the route includes three fords and several hump-backed bridges. Any motor journey should be fraught with difficulties including punctures, breakdowns, fords that are deep enough to drown the engine of a car, and other problems. The remainder of the adventure assumes that the adventurers let the train take the strain; if not, they will not meet 'Old Harry' (below).
The railway journey is uneventful, and the train is a few minutes early. When the adventurers reach Lower Poolford they find that nobody is waiting for them on the platform. 'Old Harry' (Alan Longbaugh in disguise; see characters) is outside, sitting at the reins of an elderly open carriage and pretending to doze. The horse also seems to be dozing.
'Old Harry' is a bearded man with yellow teeth; he smokes a foul pipe and wears gloves and a heavy overcoat, despite the warm weather. If approached he pretends to wake then says "Be you they as wants Starling Manor? Well, Old Harry is here to take thee."; his accent is best described as a cross between Long John Silver and the Ancient Mariner. Once their destination is confirmed, he climbs down from the carriage (cursing his "danged rheumatics" and limping), pretends to to have difficulty loading any luggage that isn't already aboard, then sets off for Upper Poolford. If truly vast amounts of luggage are involved, more than the carriage can carry, he'll leave it with the station-master and promise to collect it later. This promise won't be kept.
Along the way he pretends to be interested in their reason for travelling to the manor, but continually utters enigmatic warnings of immanent doom, especially if they have admitted that they are interested in the ghost. Useful phrases are "Are ye sure ye wants to go... (pause) ..there, surr?", "Strange things do happen in those parts...", "they do say that the folly be haunted... ...that be what they do say", and "if oi were thee, oi'd go back to Lunnon [London] while ye can, surr". At this stage the adventurers should have no reason to suspect that he is anything other than he seems; a garrulous superstitious old yokel. Ignore the results of any attempts at psychology, lie detection, etc.; they all show him to be honest and sincere because he's an extremely good actor.
Eventually the carriage clatters through Upper Poolford. If the adventurers suggest it, 'Harry' will stop to allow them to talk to the villages; he stays at the reins of the carriage and pretends to doze, hoping (successfully) that none of the villagers will wonder who he is. The villagers have mostly heard the noise, and are genuinely a little frightened of the Manor and especially the pagoda: "you wouldn't catch me going anywhere near... (pause) ...that place after dark". At the same time they are full of praise for Lord Ethelred, "A real gentleman, despite everything".
As the carriage passes the village green 'Harry' shouts "whoa", stops the carriage, and points East towards the tip of the pagoda, which is now visible over the trees; "There it be, sorr, yon heathenish tower. 'Tis said the demons of the pit can be heard there of an evening. 'Twas overweaning pride that made the old Lord build it, to spite a man o' the cloth. Much good did it do him...." He spits, and sets the carriage in motion again. If the adventurers press for more details, he tells them that it was built to settle a bet with "Old Reverend Green, who passed away last Michaelmas" (29th September); this is true, and may lead adventurers to suspect that he has returned to haunt the tower. 'Harry' is vague about the details of the bet; "'twas something about whether God made the world as a ball, or so oi've heard."
Soon the carriage passes through wide iron gates and along a long gravel driveway to the manor, a beautiful 17th-century mansion with ample room for a large number of visitors. As yet it has no telephone, gas or electricity; the nearest telephone and gas services are in Salisbury. Starling is considering setting up a small power station to serve the manor and the village, but the costs of shipping in coal seem prohibitive. The adventurers should arrive in mid-afternoon. Various servants take bags, trunks, and other belongings, while 'Harry' drives the carriage round to the stables, asks for the "Jakes" (lavatory), and slips away through the shrubbery. He sheds his disguise and prepares to meet the adventurers. Meanwhile the new guests are taken to meet Starling in the manor's library. He offers refreshments then discusses the details of the case:
"It all began towards the end of last year. I was still at Imperial then, but apparently it started off as an occasional moaning noise. Gradually things got louder, and by the time I came home at Christmas we could hear it from the house. Well, I poked around then; I couldn't find anything that might be making the noise, but really there wasn't time to do much; I had rather a lot of studying to do! It was the same at Easter. The strange thing is that it only seems to be really loud when I'm here; the rest of the time they hear it occasionally, but it doesn't last so long."
If the adventurers ask for more details, he describes it as "low moaning. Very odd, and I can't think why a ghost would want to make that sort of noise. It's fairly loud, especially inside the folly." He would like the adventurers to deal with it, but from the outset wants to make it clear that he won't agree to any plan which involves damaging or destroying the folly.
Some other topics of conversation that are likely to come up include the history of the folly, questions about the Reverend Green, Starling's father, etc. Lord Ethelred answers their questions while he shows them the folly. Base his answers on the following information:
In 1874 the Reverend Stephen Green, new vicar of Upper Poolford, preached a sermon in which he claimed that God's dominion extended to the four corners of the Earth, "which Our Lord laid out by rule and measure so that all would forever be in his sight". After the service Lord Alfred Starling asked a few questions, and realised that the vicar believed that the Earth was flat and immobile, and that the sun moved around it. Lord Alfred immediately bet a hundred pounds that he could prove that the Earth is spherical and spins; when the vicar declined, he offered to pay out a thousand pounds, then ten thousand, with the vicar only paying a hundred if he lost. When offered twenty thousand pounds the vicar accepted the challenge.
Lord Alfred immediately commissioned the construction of the pagoda, containing a huge Foucault pendulum. It was built by workmen from one of his railway engineering companies, who had a good deal of experience with stations and other large structures. When it was completed in 1875 Lord Alfred explained the theory to the vicar, showed him the results of Foucault's own experiments, then had the vicar set the gigantic pendulum in motion. It performed exactly as expected, producing results that could only be explained if the Earth were rotating. It took several trials to convince the vicar, but eventually he gave Lord Alfred a cheque for £100. Lord Alfred immediately tore it apart, saying that he wanted nothing if the vicar would "only promise to stop telling fairy stories"; the Vicar agreed, and admitted that the Earth was round in his next sermon. Both remained good friends until Lord Alfred died; the Reverend Green carried on as vicar until he died last year. Starling believes that seeing the pendulum, and listening to his father's explanation of it, encouraged his own interest in science.
In telling this story Starling naturally refers to his father as "father", not Lord Alfred. While talking he takes the adventurers out to the pagoda, through splendidly landscaped gardens. Even at close range it's difficult to grasp the size of the building; the placement of the windows makes it appear to have six stories, but in fact the lower storey is thirty feet high, with the others successively smaller. At 150 ft, excluding an ornamental lightning conductor (a globe of the Earth, made of tarnished green copper), it's taller than many churches. The walls are yellow brick, pierced by high windows.
Inside the building is brightly sunlit, with white walls and a marble floor. Ornate iron beams form an inner framework supporting the building. They are held up by pillars at the corners of the pentagon; the pillars are hollow, and one is the source of the sound (see 2.3 above) but they are so thick that this isn't obvious - when tapped, they sound solid. Climbing vines grow up the framework from tubs beside the pillars; they bear a good crop of grapes. There is a railed pit in the floor, thirty feet deep and fifty wide; the bright wire cable of the pendulum stretches down from the highest point of the roof to a huge brass bob (weighing two hundred pounds) hanging a foot above the pit floor, over the exact centre of a circle with degrees marked out by brass strips inlaid in the marble. The whole length of the pendulum is only visible from near the rail, or from the floor of the pit; from either viewpoint something about the way that the wire disappears into invisibility, and the successive layers of the pagoda narrow inwards, draws the adventurers' gaze upwards and causes an overwhelming feeling of vertigo. They must use MIND versus Difficulty 5 to avoid a sudden urge to hang on to the teak railing or hug the walls of the pit. Even if they resist the urge, the effect is still noticeable as a feeling of disorientation and dizziness which might easily be attributed to some Ab-natural force. It fades after a few minutes.
In brief, the interior is subtly worrying to anyone with experience of the Ab-natural. The pentagonal layout of the building should cause concern, while its size and odd shape creates an unsettling illusion of slightly distorted dimensions; adding the vertigo described above, most adventurers are likely to think that there is something very odd about the place.
The only furnishings are four comfortable wooden benches overlooking the pit, stairs down into the pit on the side away from the door, oil lamps hanging from wrought-iron brackets on each pillar, and a two-dialed chronometer on the pit wall near the ladder. One dial shows the correct time, the other is a stop clock accurate to a few seconds over a forty-eight hour span. A hook let into the East pit wall is used to tether the pendulum before releasing it to swing. The only noise to be heard is the faint tick of the clock.
If the adventurers want to see the pendulum working, Starling is happy to oblige. Despite its weight, it isn't very difficult to move; two or three adventurers working together can easily manoeuvre it to the hook, where Starling tethers it using a piece of thick cotton-like rope taken from a drawer in the clock case. When he is sure that nobody is in the pendulum's path, he sets fire to the end of the rope, which is actually made of gun-cotton. It quickly burns back to the knot, releasing the pendulum, then the remaining pieces fall off as the pendulum starts to swing.
The movement is eerily impressive, taking approximately thirty seconds per complete swing; the only noise is a faint "swish", made by the wire moving through the air. Careful observation shows that the plane of its swing moves through about a degree in five minutes, exactly as theory predicts.
Anyone stepping into the path of the pendulum is extremely foolish; although it is apparently easy to move, raising it to the hook gives it a lot of energy, which it carries as it swings. Being hit is roughly equivalent to being hit by a small car:
| Pendulum Impact | Effect 5; A:F, B:I, C:C/K |
Naturally Starling warns everyone of the danger.
At some stage someone may think of cutting the cable, despite a total lack of evidence that the pendulum is involved in the haunting. This is an extremely bad move. The cable has BODY [10], and is under enormous stress; if cut the ends fly apart at (literally) supersonic speed. If anyone is stupid enough to stand close while cutting the wire, it 'attacks' as an immensely powerful whip with skill [4]:
| Wire whiplash | Effect 10, A:F, B:I, C:C/K |
The pendulum bob falls off and bounces in a random direction: imagine a clock with the adventurer cutting the wire at 6; roll 2D6 and use the result to determine the direction in which it bounces. Anyone in the way is hit by the ball, as described above. Finally, as shock-waves travel up the wire they hit the support plate which holds up the cable, and reverberate through the building, breaking one of the windows. 1D6 shards of glass fall down, attacking with skill [4] against randomly-selected adventurers;
| Falling glass | Effect [4], A:F, B:F, C:I |
Glass breaks even if the wire is cut by remote control; for example, by shooting it until it breaks. Replacing the wire and rehanging the pendulum will cost approximately £450. Unless the adventurers have a really good reason for their actions, Lord Starling will expect them to pay.
Someone may suspect that the pendulum is somehow producing the noise; for example, that the taut wire is acting like a guitar string. Starling knows the answer to this; even with the load it bears, it is so long that it vibrates at only 2 to 3 cycles a second, producing a note that is far too low to hear. Adventurers can easily verify this for themselves, by hitting the wire with a stick and listening for any notes. Every time they do this they will feel uneasy and a little queasy; subsonic vibrations have that effect, a fact that is not appreciated in 1910.
There is no obvious access to the upper reaches of the pagoda from inside, although it is possible to climb up the ornamental girders (Difficulty 6). Each "step" takes the walls in by approximately 3 ft, so that anyone climbing far will soon find himself dangling very precariously. The grape vines sometimes get in the way of handholds and footholds, adding an extra hazard (Difficulty 8) in the first ten to fifteen feet. In the past scaffolding and ladders have been erected whenever the building was painted or the windows cleaned; the architect included anchorage hooks to make it easy to set them up safely.
Whether or not the adventurers want to see the pendulum in action, daytime observation of the folly shows absolutely nothing unusual, and there are no odd noises. Tapping the walls, floor, columns, etc. gives no odd results (as described above). There are no odd inscriptions or mystic symbols. Mediums feel nothing unusual. Lord Ethelred watches throughout, and will not be pleased if the adventurers start to take the place apart, but at this stage careful examination, possibly involving photography, is more likely. At four a footman comes out and says "Tea will be ready in thirty minutes, sir."
Starling says "Perhaps we should stop for a while; I'd like to introduce you to my other guests, and I'm sure that you could do with a wash and something to eat." He leads the way back to the house.
2.5 The Vanishing Coachman
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Afternoon tea is a relaxed affair, giving Lord Ethelred's guests a chance to meet the adventurers and explain how "awful" the noises are. There are four guests; Alan Longbaugh, his 'fiance' Amanda, and two of Starling's friends from college; their details are included in section 2.A, Characters. They arrive for tea in the following order:
Alan Longbaugh is Starling's second cousin, an American businessman born in Wyoming, now resident in London. He arrives wearing tennis clothes. Regarding the ghost, he's heard of "some really weird stuff in Indian country", but has seen nothing himself; certainly nothing to match the noise he hears from the folly. He has had a bath since impersonating 'Old Harry', and removed his false teeth and beard; there is nothing to remind the adventurers of his former disguise.
Madeleine Danvers-Smythe knows Starling at college, and is husband-hunting; she sees him as the ideal rich titled mate. She appears in an expensive frock and a fur (it's a warm day) and says that she is "too, too frightened for words!", then tries to worm blood-curdling stories from the adventurers. Any unusually famous or handsome (and rich) men will receive extra attention; if she doesn't get anywhere with Starling, another string to her bow might be useful.
Madeleine's aunt, an elderly lady with no small talk, is staying at the manor to chaperon her, and arrives moments later. She is almost completely deaf and can't comment on the ghost, since she has never heard it.
Robert Harrison, another friend of Starling, arrives reading a book, 'Higher Mathematics for Engineering', and reluctantly puts it aside to eat. He takes care to find a seat near Madeleine. It's notable that he blushes and stammers slightly whenever he talks to her. If asked about ghosts, he says "Ummm.... m.maybe there's a n.natural explanation. I'm not sure that I b.b.believe in g.g.ghosts. Could it b.b.be the wind?"
Last in is Amanda Anderson. She also arrives wearing tennis clothes. She is extremely pale, and gives the impression that she is very tired. If asked about the haunting she changes the subject; if pressed, she 'admits' that it has given her nightmares, but can't describe them. At an appropriate moment she will pretend to go into a light trance while touching an adventurer, or something owned by one; she describes something she 'shouldn't possibly know', based on information that Longbaugh has obtained from various enquiry agents. See section 2.A for her technique. Afterwards she pretends to recover, without any knowledge of what she said, and says that she 'felt faint for a moment'. Adventurers should be encouraged to suspect that she is psychic. Hopefully these reactions convince the adventurers that something strange is going on; if they seem unimpressed, more study of the folly or the noises of the night may help to convince them.
At the end of the meal Starling says "Oh, by the way, your driver seems to have disappeared somewhere, and my groom wants to know if he's to stable your horse. Are you taking your carriage out again today?"
A few questions reveal that Starling didn't send 'Old Harry'; he sent another driver, who arrived at the station to find that the adventurers had already left. Nobody admits to knowing anything about the 'mystery driver'; they assumed that the adventurers had hired him. Nobody saw him leave. The horse and carriage are both old and fairly poor quality; there are no brands or marks on the horse, tackle, or carriage to reveal their true ownership. In the unlikely event that the adventurers are equipped to test for fingerprints, they'll find that 'Old Harry' didn't leave any; like most coachmen, he wore gloves. This extra mystery has been concocted to distract the adventurers and keep them off-balance. It serves no other purpose.
If the adventurers ask the police for help, they will eventually learn, after several days, that someone meeting the description of 'Old Harry' purchased the horse, carriage, and tack in Salisbury a week earlier. He paid in cash; gold sovereigns. The subsequent movements of the carriage can't be traced.
After tea the adventurers may wish to go back to the pagoda and spend more time examining it, or setting up wires, ribbons, and other ghost traps. There still seems to be nothing overtly Ab-natural about the place, but as it starts to get dark it feels increasingly unsettling.
The sun sets a little before eight, and dinner is served at eight-thirty. It's a formal meal of eight courses; while Starling doesn't expect the diners to wear evening dress or decorations, casual clothing is frowned upon. Conversation is slow; as the meal progresses, all of the guests seem to be listening for something.
As coffee is being served, a low moan is audible through the dining room windows. Starling glances at his watch and says "Hmm.. about the same time as last night, I think." He looks at the adventurers and says "Well, there it is. What do you make of it?"
The folly performs as expected; a series of deep moans, at intervals of three to five minutes. It is extremely loud; it's audible from the house, about a hundred yards from the folly. The sheer volume is impressive; inside the folly it's almost painful, and the whole building seems to shake at the lower notes.
If adventurers are aware of Carnacki's exploits and the hazards of Saiitii manifestations (see [WR]) they may be reluctant to venture inside. Unless the adventurers made other arrangements, no lamps have been left inside the folly; if lit from the outside it seems dark and forbidding. If lamps are taken inside, the occasional flickers of their flames make the shadows seem to shift threateningly; this is especially noticeable when looking up towards the roof of the pagoda. An uneasy adventurer might easily get the idea that something was moving there...
If shots are fired up the tower, use Marksman skill against Difficulty 6, with the following results:
Kind referees may wish to consider warning adventurers of the possible results before they start using guns inside this building.
Nothing that the adventurers do with guns or shotguns will do serious harm to this BODY [80] building; even explosives are unlikely to do more than blow out the windows and weaken the walls, leaving the iron and concrete framework intact. Needless to say, Lord Starling will NOT be pleased if the building is damaged.
'Sensible' adventurers will probably hesitate to go inside, confining themselves to an examination of the surrounding area. There is no obvious source for the noise, such as a hidden phonograph or an aeolian harp, and there isn't enough wind for that to be the cause.
If the adventurers want to try testing with a phonograph or a microphone, they'll find that it can be recorded like any other sound. This rules out many types of Ab-natural force; even Saiitii manifestations usually produce illusory sound, not real noise. This test should be an important clue, if interpreted correctly. Burying microphones around the pagoda is an even better idea; they will pick up the noise of the cistern that is making the noise.
While the adventurers are studying the situation, watched by Starling, Alan Longbaugh comes out to say that he thinks that there is something wrong with Amanda; she seems to be in some sort of trance.
Amanda is sitting slumped in her chair, and has knocked over her coffee. If she isn't disturbed, she'll pretend to recover after a few minutes, apparently unaware of the passage of time. If anyone tries to talk to her, or move her, they'll find that she appears to be completely limp. If touched she mutters "Cold... so much pain...", then says something about the person touching her which she should not know. After this she pretends to faint. If the adventurers don't already believe that she is a medium, this episode may convince them.
Sooner or later the noise stops; the exact timing depends on the movement of the adventurers. Fergusson hides in bushes near the bridge until nobody is nearby, then slips down into the tunnel and switches the tap off.
On subsequent evenings Amanda can be 'persuaded' to try to contact whoever, or whatever, is haunting the folly. She has been primed with full details of the late Reverend Green and the bet, and the following explanation for the haunting:
Although Green had to accept that Lord Alfred Starling had proved his case, he could never really forgive him for shattering his faith in the flatness of the Earth, and secretly harboured resentment. As a result he was not in a state of grace when he died, and has been condemned to haunt the folly until a member of the Starling family grants his soul forgiveness.
It should take several seances to extract this information from Amanda; on the first night she will simply say that she senses that something resents the Starling family, on the second she will say that it desires forgiveness, and so forth. Even if the adventurers guess where she is heading, she will not immediately confirm their suspicions; it's more plausible if it takes time for her to contact the 'spirit world', especially since she is supposed to know nothing of mediumship.
Any real medium accompanying the party will not contact the 'spirits' Amanda describes; this may be attributed to unusual sensitivity on her part, or explained by the fact that she stayed at the manor for several days before 'picking up' anything. Since mediumship is somewhat dangerous in this setting, a genuine medium may be reluctant to pursue the matter after one or two initial failures.
If Starling agrees to forgive Green the haunting will, of course, end; once Starling believes that ghosts exist, Alan has won. He knows that Starling would not lie about his beliefs to inherit the money, since he's scrupulously honest and is already rich. See Section 2.8 below.
2.6 House and Garden
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If the adventurers don't immediately fall for Alan's plot, they should eventually look around the manor and the rest of the estate. The manor itself is large, but its exact physical layout is unimportant. There is nothing extraordinary to be found there. Starling won't allow the adventurers to search his guests or their luggage, go through his private papers, or do anything else that invades anyone's privacy. Otherwise the place is entirely at their disposal, and Starling will have a footman assigned to show them around as they wish.
If the adventurers disobey Starling and search the guest's luggage, they won't find anything amazingly unusual. Madeleine's luggage includes some books that imply a higher IQ than she pretends to possess, while Robert's bureau contains some unfinished (and extremely bad) poems "to dearest Madeleine". Alan's bags hold normal clothing; the only unexpected discovery will be a complete vicar's costume. If questioned about this, he'll be very annoyed that his luggage has been searched, but will eventually say that it's a fancy dress costume; he thought that Starling was going to have a large house party with such entertainments. This is untrue; he intended to impersonate the late Reverend Green if he could get away with it, but has decided that it could lead to problems. His costume for the role of 'Old Harry' was dumped into the stream South of the house, and is now about a mile and a half downstream; if adventurers search in that direction they will eventually find it. The false teeth, fake beard, pipe and glasses have been hidden down a rabbit hole, and will only be found if the adventurers use tracker dogs.
Adventurers may think of questioning the servants; there are more than thirty, including grooms and ground staff, and most believe that there's a ghost. The exceptions have a variety of theories. The boot boy has read many penny dreadfuls, and thinks that "a Camorra" (a secret society, later called the Black Hand or the Mafia) is somehow making the noise to get revenge on "the master". He has no idea why they want revenge, or how this might be made to work. One of the parlourmaids thinks that it might be pigeons, another suspects witches. The general consensus is that the folly is haunted.
If questioned about Old Harry, the servants all deny any knowledge of the man, apart from one groom who was present when he left the horse and carriage. All he knows is that the "old geezer asked for the Jakes, then 'e walked orf round back of the stable, and never came back". There are a few footprints, leading back to the drive, but the soil is hard and even detectives won't learn anything useful from the tracks. It isn't even possible to find the exact shoe size.
Only Perkins the butler and one of the older footmen remember the construction of the folly; they claim that nothing unusual happened while it was being built. If asked about subsequent construction or repairs they can't remember anything, but suggest that the adventurers might talk to Fergusson, the estate manager. They should give the players the impression that they don't much approve of Fergusson, who (to quote Perkins) is "rather inclined to get above himself when dealing with the other ground staff". He is rarely seen at the manor, except when Lord Starling checks the estate's accounts.
The rest of the estate covers several hundred acres including some woods, a small farm, and a water-mill (upstream from the manor, to the North of the area shown on the map) which grinds oil-seed for cattle food. There are a dozen tied cottages dotted around the estate, occupied by farm workers and gamekeepers. Lord Starling will not give permission for a search of these buildings. One of them belongs to Gordon Fergusson, Alan's co-conspirator, but there is nothing incriminating there, apart from nearly £200 in sovereigns, all minted in the last three years, Alan's first payments for his help. This is a sizeable fortune for someone of Fergusson's class. There are also numerous outbuildings, barns, sheds, etc., none of them containing anything suspicious.
The grounds around the manor and the pagoda are likely to receive especially close scrutiny. Their most distinctive feature, apart from the folly itself, is a large ornamental pond with several fountains, jetting water up to 30 ft into the air. It isn't up to the standard of Versailles, but it's still impressive. Eventually someone should realise that the water must be pumped somehow, and ask a few questions about the system and any underground pipes. Again they will be referred to Fergusson. If questioned, he says that there are dozens of them, but nothing especially near the pagoda (a lie). There is no water supply to the pagoda. Adventurers may ask about water pumps; Ferguson explains that there is a hydraulic ram in the stream, which supplies the fountains and the house. He isn't really sure how it works, but thinks that it has something to do with water pressure and valves. If it goes wrong an engineer is called from Salisbury, but it hasn't broken down in eight years.
If the adventurers start to try to trace drains and other pipes, they should soon find the drain from the pond; it's simply a grilled opening at water level on the East side of the pond, with water gurgling away to some subterranean destination. It isn't possible to see where it goes, but dye thrown into it will come out under the bridge near the pagoda, and lead the adventurers to the drainage tunnel. Simple geometry should show that it must run near the pagoda. If questioned about this, Fergusson pretends to be very surprised, and claims that he didn't know that it was there and hasn't got a key. This isn't really tenable and he knows it; the estate manager is supposed to know EVERYTHING about the estate, that's his job. While the adventurers are getting inside he'll quietly slip off and arrange an 'accident' for Lord Starling; if he isn't stopped see section 2.8 below.
If adventurers find their way into the tunnel they will soon realise how the haunting was faked; if Fergusson is stopped this solves the case and ensures that Starling inherits. See section 2.8 below.
2.7 Upper Poolford
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The village doesn't hold any immediately obvious clues to the mystery, but adventurers may wish to find out more about local opinions of Lord Starling and the ghost, or about Reverend Green. They may also wish to shop, send letters or telegrams, or use other services.
Most of the locals think that Lord Starling is a good man; he employs most of them directly or indirectly, which may help to explain this attitude. They are uneasy about the haunting, and there is a popular theory that Green is the ghost; Alan has tailored the story described above to fit this theory.
The new Vicar, the Rev. Holt, still has all Green's old papers. He personally thinks that the noise is probably the wind, certainly not Green's ghost, since there is nothing in Green's diaries or letters to suggest that he was unhappy about the old bet. A diary entry made on the day he admitted defeat is especially illuminating:
"Today Lord Starling finally convinced me of the roundness of the Earth, and of the great subtlety with which its rotation may be proved. I gave him a hundred pounds as previously agreed but he refused to accept it, saying that he cared only for the truth. I have determined to give the money to various charities.
"Although I was at first mortified that I had been mistaken for so many years, I have now realised that it is only by such disappointments and mistakes that we may learn and grow. I shall preach on the subject next Sunday, and confess this error; not simply because it was a term of our bet, but as an example to my flock."
Later entries make frequent references to Starling, always in terms of friendship and approval. It seems very unlikely that Green resented him.
The village shop is also its post office, but does not have its own telegraph; the nearest instrument is at the station in Lower Poolford. Telegrams may still be sent and received, since the postmistress's son has a bicycle and can get them to the station in half an hour or so. The shop sells a range of canned and bottled food, sweets, cigarettes and tobacco, patent medicines (some containing surprising quantities of morphine and other opiates), domestic items such as scrubbing soap and bleach, and a few popular newspapers. Post and copies of The Times (or any other newspapers requested by the adventurers) are delivered to the manor at noon. There is a post box in the hall of the manor, and any letters left there are stamped by the butler and dispatched when the post is delivered.
The village pub is called The Starling Arms; it's owned by the Starling Brewery, which in turn is owned by Lord Starling. For some peculiar reason the landlord doesn't have a bad word to say about the Starling family. It stocks an average to good range of beers, wines, and spirits.
The village constable is PC George Waverley; he's not sure what the ghost might be, but is absolutely sure that he has no intention of going anywhere near the folly at night. There is a larger police station in Lower Poolford, with three constables; all have heard of the ghost, and would also prefer to have nothing to do with it.
2.8 End Game
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There are several possible outcomes to this situation: the adventurers can fail completely and be taken in by the deception, or they can unmask one or more of the conspirators. In the latter case Starling may be murdered.
If the adventurers accept the 'ghost' as real, they have to decide how to get rid of it. Amanda's 'spirit contact' suggests a simple answer, but it's always possible that they will think of much more elaborate solutions, such as exorcism, protective rituals, etc. Whatever they try will appear to work, provided that it seems to offer Lord Starling convincing proof that the Ab-natural exists. If nothing happens to change the situation, Alan will eventually inherit, give Fergusson his cut, and return to America a very happy man.
If the adventurer discover the hydraulic organ, they won't necessarily know why the haunting was faked or who was behind it; Alan doesn't intend to talk, and will do his best to persuade Fergusson to keep quiet. Naturally, it is likely that the adventurers will try to learn who might profit if Starling believes in ghosts; the will, and its odd definition of insanity, inevitably lead them to Alan. If confronted with their suspicions he will deny everything, keep calm, and hope that they have no proof: "Me? Make fake ghosts? That'd be dumb!"
If Alan is the only suspect, Fergusson has a clear field for an attempt on Starling's life; since he will only be paid if Alan inherits, he will take great care to ensure that Alan isn't a suspect in the murder, attacking Starling when Alan is with several witnesses who can swear that he wasn't involved. Naturally he will do his best to cover his own tracks too; see below for details of his method.
If Fergusson is caught faking the ghost, he will pretend that he has "just found" the mechanism, after remembering that the tunnel runs close to the tower. This isn't likely to fool anyone, but he will do his level best to pretend that he is wrongly accused, and appeal to Lord Starling: "Sir! I know circumstances are against me, but I'm innocent..."
Starling's decision will depend on the exact circumstances, but if he decides that Fergusson is guilty he will give him a week's notice. Whether or not Starling believes him, Fergusson knows that he is running on borrowed time; there is plenty of proof that he helped fake the ghost. For example, he purchased the hose pipe at the shop in Upper Poolford. In the days before dismissal he will attack Starling, and try to disguise his involvement. If he succeeds in killing Starling and makes it look like an accident, he will wait until Alan inherits, then try to blackmail him. This will end with Alan going to the police; he saw the ghost story as a huge joke, but doesn't want any part of murder or the tainted money it brings.
Amanda knows that the ghost is a fake and that Alan is behind it, but she does not know his motive, and has been paid well to keep up her cover. Even if the deception is uncovered, there is no proof that she was consciously aware of faking her trances; she knew the story of the bet, and perhaps it "affected my dreams and made me think I was hearing ghosts...".
She is less likely to be suspected than Alan or Fergusson, but her story won't stand up to a huge amount of scrutiny; her parents don't live at the address she gives, the exclusive school she names has never heard of her, and so forth. If she is unmasked as an impostor, there is a strong supposition that Alan is in on the deception. Amanda is known to the police; she has been arrested twice for offences under the Vagrancy Acts of 1824 and 1838, which do much to limit the activities of spurious mediums. Whatever happens, she will only talk if Starling is murdered and she is arrested as an accomplice.
Fergusson's murder plan is very simple, if used; Lord Starling often visits the pagoda, and Fergusson intends to push him into the pit:
| 4-storey fall | Effect 5: A:B, B:I, C:C/K |
If Starling isn't killed, he will at least be dazed, and Fergusson will climb down and do his best to break his neck. This will undoubtedly be noisy, and will probably leave evidence (in the form of footprints, scuff marks, etc.) which any competent detective can trace. If possible give the adventurers a chance to intervene; if not, give them a good opportunity to solve the murder. If caught, Fergusson will try to frame Alan, claiming that he was responsible for the haunting (true) and paid him to kill Starling (false). More detective work should uncover the truth. If Starling has been killed this won't save Alan, since he was engaged in a criminal conspiracy; under British law he would also be found guilty of murder and executed.
If Fergusson is caught in the act but escapes, a useful (rigged) ending to the scenario is a final confrontation between him and Alan, with both of them armed. Alan kills Fergusson but is mortally wounded, and confesses before he dies.
2.9 Rewards
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The following points should be shared amongst all characters:
| Starling is convinced of the existence of ghosts | -4 |
| Starling is murdered | -4 |
| Folly is destroyed | -3 |
| Folly is badly damaged | -2 |
| Fergusson is caught | +3 |
| Alan is exposed | +3 |
| Amanda is exposed | +2 |
Additionally give points for all the usual reasons; good roleplaying, humour, logic, etc. etc.
Whatever the result, Starling may possibly be impressed by the team's handling of the case. He is a rich man (richer if the truth is uncovered) and owns an expanding group of companies with expertise in chemistry, engineering, mechanics, and electrical engineering; he could be extraordinarily useful if the adventurers need some odd piece of equipment building, or want someone to bankroll them for an expensive expedition.
If the adventurers didn't convince him that the Ab-natural exists, he will need a lot of proof before he will come over to their point of view, but that won't necessarily stop him helping if they propose a project that appeals to him.
2.10 Further Adventures
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If the adventurers were fooled, there are many reasons why something might make them doubt their original conclusions. They have several months to find the truth. Possible leads might include accidental discovery of the tunnel (for example, the folly might start to collapse into it), Amanda's arrest as a fake medium, or something that makes Alan look less convincing. Any of these could lead the adventurers back to Upper Poolford, and a final solution of the case.
The folly has a pentagonal shape; if the adventurers tried to use magic or summon Ab-natural forces to stop the haunting, it might be sensitised, and start to act as a portal to real Ab-natural forces. A portal nearly 200 ft high could let in some really alarming entities...
Amanda could be a useful introduction to the world of professional and fake mediums, and could teach adventurers the tricks of her trade. But what if she somehow acquires real mediumistic powers along the way? It could be horribly confusing.
2.A Characters
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Lord Ethelred Starling (age 24)
BODY [3], MIND [4], SOUL [3], Artist (technical drawing) [6], Babbage Engine (applied maths) [7], Drive [5], Marksman [6], Ride [8], Scientist (chemistry) [7]
Equipment: A mansion with a workshop, stables, various firearms, a motorcycle, a small chemistry laboratory, etc. etc.
Quote: "I'm sure that there's a rational explanation..."
Notes: Starling is a postgraduate student at Imperial College in London. He is concerned about the odd phenomena, but reluctant to believe that there is any sort of supernatural explanation. He won't agree to any plan that involves demolishing the folly. He likes Madeleine, but doesn't love her. He is scrupulously honest.
Alan Longbaugh (age 28) - alias Old Harry
BODY [6], MIND [5], SOUL [4], Actor [8], Athlete (Rowing, American Football) [7], Business [6], Drive [6], Marksman [7], Ride [6], Scholar (Economics, Law) [6]
Equipment: Various disguises (only one will be used). .45 revolver in luggage.
Quote (as Old Harry): "'Tis the work of Satan, and he has come to claim it. Take my advice, and get ye back to Lunnon [London] afore it be too late..."
Quote (as himself): "Yup, heard of some mighty strange things out West but nothing like this."
Notes: Alan Longbaugh is a second cousin of the Lord Starling, and a third cousin of the late(?) Sundance Kid, "the black sheep of the family". He works in London as an agent for an American passenger steamship line. The adventurers will meet him twice; once as "Old Harry", the mysterious vanishing coachman, afterwards as himself.
Madeleine Danvers-Smythe (Student, age 23)
BODY [3], MIND [5], SOUL [4], Athlete (Tennis) [6], Linguist (French, Italian, Russian, Norwegian) [8], Ride [6]
Equipment: Four trunks of clothing, copies of various fashion magazines, make-up, etc. There are several books by modern French intellectuals in her luggage; they suggest a higher IQ than she pretends.
Quote: "Ah, snookums darling, be an angel and pass me another plum..."
Notes: Madeleine is the daughter of one of Starling's neighbours, a language student at Girton. She has a small inheritance, but not enough to keep her in the luxury she would prefer, and sees Starling as a potential husband. She is an expert at looking languidly beautiful, swooning dramatically, getting in the way, screaming piercingly, and appearing to be totally brainless. She gives everyone pet names, usually wildly inappropriate. Her long term goal is marriage to Starling (Snookums); he's a rich and extremely eligible bachelor. She should be played as a totally self-centred, spoiled clothes-horse; if players seem to be going out of their way to see her fall into mud, spill drinks on her, or push her into the ornamental pond, you are running her correctly!
She is theoretically chaperoned by an elderly aunt, Bernice Smythe, who appears only at meal times, is extremely deaf, and is otherwise occupied with knitting; Bernice is a small, colourless, instantly forgettable woman who plays no active part in this adventure.
Robert Harrison (Student, age 22)
BODY [2], MIND [5], SOUL [3], Athlete (tennis) [5], Babbage Engine (applied maths) [6], Drive [6], Mechanic [7], Scientist (Engineer) [7]
Equipment: Access to tools etc. in mansion
Quote: "Hmmmm... p.p.perhaps it's the w.w.wind..."
Notes: Robert is a college friend of Starling. He is in love with Madeleine, but too shy to show his affection, and too poor to attract her attention. It's notable that he's always the first to leap to her aid when she pretends to swoon. He knows that Madeleine has set her sights on Starling, but doesn't realise that he isn't responding; he would like to break up the "romance" without upsetting either of them. Throughout this adventure he will act as a sceptic, ready with endless mistaken explanations for the haunting. An excellent role model is the character "Brains", from Thunderbirds.
Amanda Anderson (age 22)
BODY [3], MIND [4], SOUL [3], Actress (conjuror) [6], Linguist (French, German, Italian) [5], Thief (pickpocket) [7]
Equipment: None relevant
Quote: "I feel a little dizzy..."
Notes: Amanda is a professional (fake) medium, but pretends to be Longbaugh's girlfriend. She can fake an upper-class accent, and finds it easy to pose as one of the smart set. If asked about her family, she says that her parents are dead; she was educated privately and in Switzerland, and met Longbaugh soon after she returned to England, when she went to his company's offices to complain about damage to a trunk. She adds that it was love at first sight. She is not accompanied by a chaperon, which is somewhat scandalous in this era and social class. She pretends that she is just becoming conscious of psychic powers; she is confident that she can do so without the use of mechanical aids, since faking a trance or producing authentic ghostly knocking is easy if you know how. She has been well-briefed on all the adventurers, so can apparently "pick up" facts about them by touching them, or something they own. For example:
| Referee: (as Amanda) | "This watch was given to you by.... a woman..." |
| Player: | "Is she right?" |
| Referee: (as himself) | "yes, it was a gift from your sister Eliza." |
| Referee: (as Amanda) | "....a woman whose name begins with a vowel, I think an E..." |
Gordon Fergusson (Estate manager, age 38)
BODY [5], MIND [3], SOUL [1], Brawling [7], Business (estate management) [5], Marksman [6], Melee weapon [7], Riding [5]
Equipment: Various shotguns, rifles, etc.
Quote: "Happen we've more poachers in top wood. Set out the man-traps again..."
Notes: Fergusson is an unfeeling brute, hated by most of the estate staff and the area's poachers. He's good at his job, and Starling is at home so rarely that he isn't fully aware of his shortcomings.
2.B Foucault's Pendulum
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John Bernard Leon Foucault was a 19th century French physicist, notable for many important experiments in optics and mechanics. The pendulum that bears his name was the first direct proof that the Earth rotates; earlier proofs relied on observation of the stars and other indirect evidence. Briefly, pendulums tend to swing backwards and forwards in a flat plane, even if their support is twisted in mid-swing. If a long pendulum with an extremely heavy bob is set up at the North pole, and left swinging for 24 hours, the plane will not rotate with the Earth; if it was started off swinging backward and forward over longitudes 0 and 180 degrees, after 6 hours it would be swinging over 90 and 270 degrees. In 24 hours the plane in which it swings rotates through 360 degrees.
Further South the situation is more complicated; for example, Foucault's first pendulums took 31 hours 47 minutes to complete the circle in Paris. At the equator the plane of a pendulum doesn't rotate at all. The mathematics are not important in this adventure.
Since this is an extremely delicate process, which can be upset by the twisting of a rope or any unevenness when the pendulum is released, it's customary to hang the pendulum for months before using it, to stretch the rope or cable, and start the pendulum moving by pushing it a few feet to one side, tying it back, then setting fire to the cord that retains it. The cord should eventually break and let the pendulum swing. One of the length described in this adventure would take more than half a minute for a complete swing. The weight of the pendulum bob described in this adventure is unusual, but not unique; errors caused by twisting forces and air resistance are greatly reduced if the bob is very heavy.
3.0 Adventure 3: Sussex Belle
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Something strange is happening in Brighton, a popular holiday resort on Britain's South coast and the centre of Britain's fledgeling film industry. A studio is haunted, and its proprietor seems curiously embarrassed about the ghost. Are the adventurers prepared to learn the truth...?
This adventure is set in spring 1911, but can easily be adjusted for any other year from 1909 to the 1920s.. There is one plan, 28_ADV4.GIF, and a printout may be useful. Background details for later eras can be found in the novel Bride of the Rat God (Barbara Hambley 1994), and in two of Leslie Charteris' "Saint" stories; The Beauty Specialist (in The Ace of Knaves, 1937) and The Art Photographer (in The Saint Intervenes, 1934). A map is available from Alan Godfrey (see the rules): Sussex map 66.09 shows Brighton in 1930, but the town's rapid growth means that some of the buildings it includes did not exist in 1910.
Referees are STRONGLY advised to read their briefing (section 3.2) before starting to run the adventure.
3.1 Players' Information
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"Might I have a word, please?"
The little man seems curiously out of place in your club. He's obviously not a gentleman, and the card he hands you isn't even engraved, just printed pasteboard:
Sussex Belle StudiosCinematographic Specialists 1 Wellington Avenue, Brighton, Sussex Gilbert TanfoldTel. Brighton 44321 |
"If you can possibly spare a few minutes, I have a problem that you might find interesting." He hesitates, then says "The studio is haunted. Yes, definitely haunted. It's really most embarrassing. Extremely embarrassing. Can you help?"
3.2 Referee's Information
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Tanfold's studio really is haunted, and he wants to get rid of the ghost. Unfortunately there are others who would prefer it to stay; his partner has thought of a cunning way to make money from it, which will only work if an authoritative source will vouch for its authenticity. To make matters more complicated, both are also trying to conceal the true sordid details of a tragic death. The adventurers must unravel their lies to find the truth behind the situation.
Tanfold's company, Sussex Belle film studios, is based on the outskirts of Brighton, a popular seaside resort South of London. The studio specialises in short entertainment films, typically starring two or three comedians in a simple story of harmless mayhem, which are usually shown in music halls between acts. Copies are also available for home use, to hire or buy by mail order.
Since the late 19th century erotic films of various types have been available by mail order from Europe; making and selling them via the mails is illegal in Britain. In 1907 Tanfold decided to go into the business for himself. He looked into the possibility of importing films, but eventually decided that he could earn more money by making his own and marketing them illegally, via a French post office box and bank account.
For obvious reasons he couldn't do it alone, but his junior partner, cameraman Andrew Radden, was also aware of the company's problems and equally unscrupulous. Tanfold recruited Beatrice Avery, a young actress with loose morals, while Radden persuaded Fred Higgins, a handsome but stupid stage-hand, to co-star. They intended to make the film over several evenings, after the normal work of the studio was over.
Unfortunately things went wrong soon after filming began. Radden was taking care of all the technicalities of the operation, including lighting, and accidentally left one of the spotlights loose on the lighting gallery. Somehow the cable was pulled, and it fell nearly fifteen feet, killing Beatrice instantly.
All three knew that a police investigation could lead to serious problems; at worse they might be charged with her murder, at best they would face a prosecution for obscenity. Tanfold and Radden gave Higgins a bottle of Scotch to keep him quiet, then waited until the early hours of the morning to dump the body into the sea.
The plan worked perfectly at first. When the body was found, some way down the coast, the official verdict was that she must have died while taking a midnight swim. There were no clues linking the corpse to the studio. Then the haunting started...
Beatrice had always sought immortality, on the stage and on film; in the moment of her death she somehow achieved it. The sudden shock created a psychic recording of the last few minutes of her life, impressed on the fabric of the building. Unfortunately it shows her shadowy form performing a series of extremely explicit sexual acts (which for reasons of decency, and in a desire to avoid censorship, will not be described in detail); Higgins does not appear, although it is obvious that a man must have been present at the original event. Like most ghosts it can only be seen at night, but in the course of two years its presence has become common knowledge at the studio. Nobody else knows the ghost's identity, they simply know that something strange is there.
Meanwhile the studio's financial status hasn't improved, and a serious scandal could ruin it. Although they are short of funds, Tanfold and Radden don't want to try pornography again; if they were caught, there might be a closer official investigation of Beatrice's death, and they aren't sure that they could hide their tracks. To make matters worse, rumours of the ghost have reached the press, and there are already several reporters interested in seeing it. Tanfold has decided that something must be done to get rid of it with the minimum of publicity; he has read accounts of the adventurers, and thinks that they might be able to help. Naturally he has no intention of admitting that he knows anything about its origin.
Radden has his own ideas; since news of the ghost is already out, he wants the adventurers to see it and confirm that it is genuine. He has kept the film he made before Beatrice was killed, and intends to use the negatives, retouched to remove Higgins and suitably bleached and processed to give an appropriate ghostly effect, to create a convincing "spirit film". With the adventurers to verify that the studio is really haunted, and some skilful publicity, he should be able to sell hundreds of prints. Since they are supposed to show a ghost, not a human, and are thus of immense scientific importance, they should evade any possibility of prosecution. He hasn't told Tanfold yet, since he thinks that he will behave more naturally if he is unaware of the deception.
Finally, Higgins has somehow convinced himself that Beatrice really loved him, and that the haunting proves her love. To him the studio is a shrine to her memory, and the intrusion of the adventurers is desecration, especially if they try to drive her away. He will take drastic steps to stop the adventurers parting him from his "love".
As the adventure begins Radden is retouching and editing the negative, making sure that no trace of Higgins or the background remains. It is slow painstaking work that will take some time. When he is done, he'll make a copy of the negative and treat it chemically to give the final print a ghostly appearance. Over several stages of copying and processing he hopes to obliterate any sign of retouching. Once he is ready, he intends to put an undeveloped copy of the negative in a camera and pretend to film the ghost, double-exposing the film to include the real studio background. To everyone's surprise (except his) the result will be a success.
This is not a dangerous scenario, and the referee is strongly advised to use it to develop the investigatory skills and personalities of the adventurers.
3.3 On The Waterfront
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Tanfold explains that three years ago his studio was fitted with electric lighting (which is true), which meant that it was possible to carry on filming after sunset. He tends to stay on for an hour or so after filming ends, to take care of paperwork and other business. He first noticed the ghost eighteen months ago, on a November evening when he stayed especially late to take care of a big order. Since then he's seen it several times, as have some of his employees. It doesn't seem to do anything; it just appears, moves around for a while, then disappears. It can only be seen in dim light or darkness. While it hasn't done anything, word seems to be getting out; recently two reporters have asked about it, and he's worried that one day he'll find it splashed all over the front pages.
If the adventurers express an interest in Tanfold's story, he uses a good deal of circumlocution to describe the haunting. His clearest description is that the ghost is "a woman.. yes, definitely a woman" and (with reluctance) "doing something that I wouldn't like to describe with ladies present." Eventually they should get the idea.
Tanfold won't make the mistake of trying to pay amateur adventurers; he simply offers them every facility, and expresses his hope that they'll find it interesting. Professional ghost-finders are offered their usual fees and expenses; Tanfold will later haggle over every penny.
He suggests that the adventurers come down to Brighton within the next 2-3 weeks; after that hotel rooms may be difficult to find. The studios are in use by day, and the ghost is only visible at night, so it would be most convenient if they could schedule their first visit for the evening. If the adventurers have other ideas (such as wanting to see the studio by daylight before viewing the ghost) he will agree, suggesting that they visit on Saturday afternoon or Sunday, when he isn't filming. Once he has their agreement, he returns to Brighton, leaving the adventurers to follow in their own time.
If the adventurers seem to need some additional motivation, Thomas Conway (see Adventure 1) should start to take an interest in their activities and the case. If they still don't follow up on this lead, Tanfold finds someone else. The film is eventually exposed as a fake by Carnacki.
The journey to Brighton from London takes about an hour by train, the luxurious "Sussex Belle" Pullman service for which the studio is named. Mention (but don't comment on) the fact that it is considerably better than the slow uncomfortable trains that used to run on the line. If the adventurers check, they'll learn that it first entered service in 1909. This can be a useful clue later in the adventure.
Brighton has for many years been London's most popular resort; in the 18th century it a spa, popularised by the Prince Regent, and has been growing ever since. In 1911 it is a respectably sized city, with 128,000 inhabitants. In the holiday season it is packed, but at this time of the year things are quieter, and hotel rooms are readily available. The town's seaside facilities include two entertainment piers, a wide esplanade (with putting green, boating pond, and numerous ornamental gardens), and a clean (if somewhat pebbly) beach. Further inland there is everything that might be expected of a town of this size, including a cricket field, cemeteries, and a large station. If the adventurers choose their own rooms, the best hotels are the Metropole and the Grand, both about half a mile East of the studio; they even have a few rooms with private bathrooms. If Tanfold is paying, he will expect them to stay in a boarding house.
The studios occupies a modest three-story brick building at the South (esplanade) end of Wellington Avenue, a row of undistinguished shops. From the outside the only sign of its use is a small brass plate next to one of the doors; since adventurers will probably be looking for a much larger building, or even a complex of studios in the later Hollywood style, they may pass it several times before they notice. It was built in 1902; prior to that, the site was occupied by a cab stable which stood for about 70 years. Before that it was a meadow. The referee may be able to introduce a red herring, if adventurers look at old maps, by suggesting that the studio floor is probably at about the same height as the hay-loft of the stable. The O'Brien case, described in section 3.5, may also be misleading.
The ground floor consists of a reception room, Tanfold's office, a large store room, a garage, a room containing a small printing press, and a lavatory. The studio itself is on the first (US 2nd) floor, with a railed lighting gallery on the second (US 3rd) floor. The dark-room, cutting room, film store, and Radden's office are also on the first floor, while dressing rooms, a make-up room, a bathroom, and a kitchen are on the second. Stairs and a small dumb-waiter goods lift link all three floors. 28_ADV4.GIF shows the layout. The building has electric lighting. Because celluloid film burns extremely easily, there are several fire fighting points around the building; each has a bucket of water, a bucket of sand, and a fire axe.
Unless stated otherwise, picking any lock inside this building is Difficulty 5, the outside locks are Difficulty 7. All ground floor windows have ornamental bars, BODY 7. Apart from Tanfold, three NPCs have been given keys to the building, a fourth has an illicitly copied key.
When the adventurers visit the studio Tanfold has seven permanent employees; actors and actresses are hired as needed, and the current film uses four. Not all of these NPCs will be present at all times:
Bert Thyme - Porter + Arthur Wells - Printer, handyman, driver Fred Higgins - Props, scenery * $ Andrew Radden - Cameraman, technician, partner * + Vernon Bryant - Apprentice technician Gladys Shirley - Part-time typist & clerk Mrs Ida Maggs - Cook, cleaner + Mrs Eileen Shaw - Make-up, costuming * Described in detail at the end of the adventure + Carries a key to the building $ Has an illicitly copied key to the building Miss Eliza Ball - Child actress Miss Jenny Tate - Actress James Gordon - Actor Thomas Lake - Actor
The normal schedule of the studio is to begin makeup and costuming early in the morning, start filming as soon as there is sufficient light, and continue until dusk. Electric lighting can be used to extend the usable light, but the arc lamps are expensive to run and smell of ozone. Tanfold prefers to limit their use whenever possible. If the adventurers arrive in May, natural light filming can begin at about 7.30 AM and continues until 6.30 PM. The studio usually works this schedule on Monday to Friday, continuing into the evening with lights if shots haven't been finished or the day is dull, with a half day on Saturday. Tanfold aims to produce a new film every two to three weeks.
The reception room is usually the only unlocked entrance. It is presided over by Bert Thyme, a laconic porter who spends most of his time behind a rickety desk, reading the racing pages of various papers. Bert knows everyone who works at the studio, and has strict instructions to let nobody else in without Tanfold's permission; Tanfold wants to be told about tax officials and other problems before they get to his office. The room has a telephone, wired to extensions in two offices and the studio. Bert has worked for Tanfold for four years, and has seen the ghost several times. He doesn't know the truth about Beatrice. He is a bare-knuckles boxing champion, BODY [5], Brawling [8]. He looks (and is) extremely tough. Anyone trying to force their way in will probably regret it. If he is needed elsewhere in the building he locks the street door.
Tanfold's office is small, furnished with two untidy desks, three filing cabinets, and a threadbare carpet. Visitors won't usually be admitted if Tanfold isn't there. The filing cabinets contain records of accounts, customers, actors and actresses, and the other minutiae of the business. If studied for several hours they reveal that the company isn't making vast profits, but isn't actually running at a loss. There is a file on Beatrice Avery amongst those for the other actors and actresses, but without additional information there is nothing to distinguish it from the other records. There is a small wall safe (lock Difficulty 12, BODY 8), concealed behind a print of the Sussex Belle locomotive; it contains £38 4s 6d, a .32 Colt revolver (as Small Handgun), a box of 50 rounds, and a pair of ear-rings which belonged to Beatrice. They are a distinctive silver triple tear-drop design, about an inch and a half long, kept in a match box labelled "Lost Property".
The gun has never been used, and there is still packing grease in the barrel. Anyone trying to fire it without cleaning it first will get a nasty surprise as it explodes:
| Exploding handgun | Effect 6, Radius 6", A:F, B:I, C:I |
Gladys Shirley works in the office on weekday mornings. She never stays late, and has not seen the ghost, but has heard that it's "very rude". She is in her forties, a spinster who is somewhat overweight and not particularly attractive, but still hopes to appear in films. Tanfold has used her as an extra in a few crowd scenes, but she would like a starring role. Tanfold takes advantage of her ambition; she has not had a pay rise in three years. She is aware of the company's financial state; modest but steadily falling profits, which will start to come out as a loss some time in the next six months to a year.
The printing room contains a small hand-cranked letterpress, which can produce a few hundred pages an hour, and a sewing machine for binding catalogues. The press is run by Arthur Wells, a Welshman who also packs the films, drives the company van, and helps with props and other chores around the building. He hasn't seen the ghost; even when other people tell him it's there, he can't see it. Some otherwise normal people are completely immune to such visions. This room also holds the electricity meter and fuse boxes for the building. When the adventurers arrive Arthur is setting up the lead type of a flyer advertising the company's forthcoming films: A Tour of Brighton Pavillion (a documentary), Bananas (a slapstick comedy), and Dog Soldiers (an animal act). The catalogue lists a hundred or so similar films, available for public performance, rental, or sale. The film currently in production is Bananas; the others are already finished.
The garage houses a Ford van w
