Call Of Cthulhu - Modern Day ...

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The Hum
©1998
By Michael C. LaBossiere
Ontologist@aol.com
Call of Cthulhu
Legal Information
This adventure is copyright 1998 by Dr. Michael C. LaBossiere. It may be freely
distributed for personal use provided that it is not modified and no fee above the
normal cost of distribution is charged for it. Visit my web site at
Call of Cthulhu is Chaosium Inc's registered trademark for their game of horror
and wonder in the worlds of HP Lovecraft. For more information, contact
Chaosium Inc., 900 Murmansk Street Suite 5 Oakland, CA 94607. Visit
Introduction
This adventure is set in the 1990s, but (with suitable modification) it can be set in
other times, such as the 1920s.
The adventure takes the investigators into an area of New Mexico that has been
plagued with a mysterious “hum.” It is up to the investigators to find the source of
the hum and bring peace and quit back to the area.
This adventure makes some references to “Blood Moon”, in Chaosium’s
Strange
Eons
. However, knowledge of that adventure is not required to run this one.
Getting the Investigators Involved
The adventure is written on the assumption that the investigators are either in
need of money or are curious enough to go to New Mexico based on an article one
of the investigators comes across. The relevant part of the article, from
Odd Events
,
is as follows:
...a similar strange “hum” has been reported in the tiny New Mexico
development of Billingswood. Once an expanding development community,
residents began complaining of an unusual humming noise about two
months ago. After the strange humming began, the developer, Buster Kates,
had the area checked. According to Mr. Kates, “We set up a bunch of top of
the line recorders and they didn’t pick up a damn thing.” Despite the lack of
evidence, local residents continue to complain of the mysterious humming.
This unsual event has been given a degree of credence by Dr. Trullent, of the
University of New Mexico. Dr. Trullent is an expert on sound and the physics
of sound and, if our reports are correct, he will soon be researching the
phenomenon. When asked about the mysterious hum, Dr. Trullent said
“well, it could be many things. Natural events or insects perhaps. Or it might
be the result of some human project. In any case, I’ll be visiting the area.”
Perhaps Dr. Trullent has been drawn to the area for reasons other than
scientific curiosity. Mr. Kates has reputably offered a “substantial reward” to
anyone who can find the source of the humming and put a stop to it. So, any
reader who needs some quick cash might want to take a trip to New Mexico.
Odd Events
is a reasonably reputable magazine of odd and weird things. Unlike
many magazines or tabloids,
Odd Events
carefully researchs its stories and has a
moderately sceptical outlook. It is run by Dr. Mary Dunstone, an anthropologist.
If the investigators do a little checking, they will be able to find Kates’ business
number. Kates owns Yellow Star Development, the company that developed
Billingswood Grove and the nearby Zucker Grove.
If the investigators seem sane and professional, Kates’ secretary will tell them that
Kates is willing to pay for a solution to the humming problem, but that there is a ten
page legal contract that specifies all the conditions for getting paid. She will say that
Kates had to have it drawn up after “that damn magazine” ran the article on the
mysterious hum. The secretary will say Kates had said that he would “pay good
money to get rid of the damned hum”, but he didn’t expect this to be interpreted as
an open invitation for every “freak and weirdo” to come to his development. The
secretary will be happy to fax the contract to the investigators.
The contract is a very convoluted legal document, which protects Kates from all
sorts of things (such as people trying to sue if they get hurt while seeking the hum).
However, it does specify that a person or persons who solves the problem of the
hum will be paid $10,000. For the money to be collected, the person (or persons)
must have signed the form and provide evidence that he (or they) solved the
problem.
Alternatively, the investigators could be brought in by a friend who lives in the
area, they could be brought in by Dr. Trullent, or they could be hired by Buster Kates.
In such cases, the Keeper will have to develop the relevant details.
Keeper’s Background
Approximately forty years ago, the mi-go established an outpost in New Mexico,
near what is now Billingswood Grove. The mi-go used the outpost to conduct
mysterious research in the area. When Billingswood Grove was set up, the mi-go
decided to simply continue their experiments. About two months ago, the mi-go
began experimenting with a new type of crystal that they intended to use in
communications. In their experiments, they would energize the crystals and observe
the effects. Unknown to the mi-go, the crystals acted as rudimentary activation
crystals (see pages 29-30 of
Strange Eons
). The energy broadcast by the crystals affected
some of the people in Billingswood, causing them to “hear” a humming noise. The
“noise” is actually a sort of “static” the crystal emmanations cause in the brains of
certain human beings. The noise is annoying, but is not directly harmful.
About a month ago the mi-go learned of the effect of the crystals. Intriqued, the
mi-go decided to start a new experiment: they would observe the effects of the crystal
emmanations on the inhabitants of Billingswood Grove. To enable them to directly
observe the humans, the mi-go sent a modified member of their race (a mi-go brain
in a cloned human body) into the area. Since then, the mi-go have been carefully
observing the inhabitants as part of their experiment.
Investigation
While there is not a great deal of relevant information available to the
investigators, there are some things that they might turn up.
The Area
The area has a very unremarkable history, with almost no reports of unusual
events. The only odd event ever reported was a sighting of strange lights in the sky.
When Zucker Grove was being constructed, some construction workers claimed to
have seen some lights out in the desert, which rose up into the sky and vanished.
The construction workers have long since left, but a few of the people in Zucker
Grove remember the story. The lights the workers saw were mi-go conducting an
experiment.
If the investigators check on Zucker Grove, they will learn it was developed about
five years ago, by the same company that is trying to develop Billingswood Grove.
The development of Billingswood Grove started about a year ago.
New Mexico
New Mexico is, of course, a hotbed of UFO reports. It is believed by some that the
U.S. Government recovered four dead aliens near Roswell in 1947. There was also a
UFO landing reported in Soccoro in 1964 and four UFOs were tracked from
Oklahoma to New Mexico. There have been numerous other UFO reports in the
area of New Mexico, some of which were caused by mi-go sightings. The Keeper
might wish to send the investigators off after a red herring to Roswell New Mexico.
There they can meet strange people who say interesting, although false, things about
UFOs. They can also pick up some souvenirs and T-shirts.
The Locals
If the investigators speak to the local people and are polite, they will be able to find
that only some of the people in Billingswood Grove have reported hearing the
strange “hum.” They will also say that many people, all of whom either complained
of the hum or had family members who did, have left.
Some of the locals will have hypotheses about the cause of the hum. Some of
them are sensible (such as the view that the hum is caused by some sort of
atmospheric effect) while others are more unusual (such as the views that the hum
is a government experiment in mind control). A few people think that aliens are
involved. They are, of course, right.
Dr. Larry Trullent
Dr. Trullent is an expert on sound who has come to Billingswood Grove to
research the hum. As long as the investigators are intelligent and polite, he will be
willing to talk to them.
In the course of his investigations, he has found no indication that there is any
audio hum being produced. He himself does not “hear” the hum. Despite the lack of
audio evidence, Dr. Trullent believes that there is something going on. He thinks
that the townspeople who complain about the hum are sincere. Because of this, he
suggested to his university that a medical doctor be sent to the town to check the
population.
Being very tenacious, Dr. Trullent will not abandon his search. He suspects that it
is possible there is a sound being produced that he cannot detect with his current
instruments. After the investigators arrive in town, Dr. Trullent will be modifying
his equipment and will be willing to work with the investigators, provided they
seem decent.
Dr. Wilma Lodge
After Dr. Trullent suggests that a doctor be brought in, Dr. Lodge will arrive in
town. Dr. Lodge is from the University of New Mexico and an expert on unusual
diseases. She is also a mi-go infiltrator. Dr. Lodge will seem a bit odd if the
investigators talk to her, but no odder than some human scientists. Dr. Lodge will
keep an eye on the investigators.
If the investigators talk to her, she will present a plausible case for the claim that
the townspeople are suffering from some sort of unusual inner ear infection. She
will, of course, offer to assist the investigators in order to keep an eye on them.
Maps
The following provides details about the adventure maps.
Players’ Map
The players’ map shows the main area where the adventure takes place. Naturally,
it leaves off some key details. All of the details of the map are given in the Keeper’s
Main Map section.
Keeper’s Main Map
Zucker Grove:
Zucker Grove is a small development. Approximately 2,000 people
live here. Most of the people are retired and are enjoying the quiet life. The houses
are all well-kept and fairly expensive. The town has a grocery store, a library, a video
store, a pharmacy and a few other small businesses. Many of the things that the
investigators might want, such as firearms, explosives, and special equipment, are
not available in Zucker Grove. For such items, the investigators will need to travel
to a larger town or city.
Billingswood Grove:
Billingswood Grove is a small development, designed along
the lines of Zucker Grove. Unlike Zucker Grove, Billingswood contains many
houses that are for sale. There are also several houses that have not been finished
and many empty lots in the development.
Mi-Go Outpost
: This shows the location of the mi-go outpost.
Red Circle:
The red circle marks the boundary of the strongest area of influence of
the mi-go device. The effects of this device are detailed below.
Blue Circle:
The blue circle marks the boundary of the weaker area of the influence
of the mi-go device. The effects of this device are detailed below.
Mi-Go Outpost Map
The mi-go outpost is buried under ten feet of earth. The entrance is concealed by a
large, fake “stone.” Under the stone is a tunnel leading down to the outpost. The
outpost is made out of unusual substances that make the structure virtually
undetectable by current human technology (such as radar and metal detectors). Like
most mi-go structures, the interior is functional, but truly alien.
Entrance:
The entrance consists of an iris valve in the ceiling of the outpost. The
valve only responds to a code in the mi-go language. The valve can also be
destroyed by inflicting 50 points of damage. There are three sliding doors in the
entrance.
Living Area:
This is where the mi-go rest and feed. The area has many odd
protrubences which provide the mi-go with their food as well as entertainment.
Lab One:
This is the mi-go’s biology lab. Here they enage in experiments on
terrestrial life, including humans. The lab is suitably equipped with a variety of
alien devices and instruments. Some of the mi-go’s odd experiments (including
several multi-eyed modified animals in cages) are kept here.
Lab Two:
This is the lab were the mi-go are experimenting with crystals. The lab
contains a wide range of intruments, several crystals, and various other items. The
mi-go device is also in this lab. It consists of several crystals held in an organic and
mechanical matrix. The device looks rather unusual and seems to be patched
together.
Action
The following details the events that are to take place in the adventure. The
Keeper can modify the events as needed.
The Unnatural Crow
While the investigators are in town, they will notice an old man, Louis Jones,
pedaling a three wheel bike around town. The back of the bike has a large storage
basket in which Jones keeps a double barrel 12 gauge shotgun.
The investigators will see Jones parked by a telephone pole, watching some crows
on the wires. He will move to get his shotgun and two of the crows will fly off. If the
investigators ask Jones what he is doing, he will say “I’m watching the crows that
are watching us” and pedal away.
Shortly after that, when the investigators are driving are walking through town,
they will see Jones stop by a tree and whip out his shotgun. He will fire both barrels
up into the tree and a small, dark shape will thud to the ground. The object will be
recognizable as a badly shot up crow, with gaping wounds. If the investigators look
closely at the crow (which Jones will encourage), they will see that the gaping
wounds are actually eyes that have been pierced by the shotgun pellets. The crow
appears normal, except that it has extra eyes, that look more like human eyes than
crow eyes, on its chest and back. The crow also has a highly modified brain and other
organs which enables it to transmit information to and receive commands from the
mi-go. Aside from the modifications, the crow is otherwise like a normal crow (it
flies and dies the same).
The crow is the product of mi-go technology and is used as a spy. The mi-go have
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