I ran my first Down Darker Trails session on Saturday for my new campaign, Bag of Nails. The scenario (or “issue” in dime novel terms), titled Baby Back Ribs, was intended to get the characters together and help shake the dust off my long-unused Call of Cthulhu GM skills. The following is both the scenario as I wrote it, a session summary, and lessons learned.
Scenario: Baby Back Ribs
The Panicked Husband and Missing Wife
Mid-morning on a snowy January day, a panicked William “Bill” Lewes runs into the Anaconda hotel—where folks (like the PCs) are enjoying their breakfasts. Difficult to calm, Bill raves that his wife, Leslie, and firstborn son, Ben, were taken; abducted violently in the night while he slept. If pressed, he’ll confess he was sleeping off a drink and even the second coming wouldn’t likely wake him. But he does know that his wife and child are gone and “she would never just up and leave like that.”
There should be reasons any PC would want to help rescue the wife and child. And any PCs unwilling to help will be “cajoled” by “Sheriff” Crispin Gragg who is currently nursing a broken leg. Additionally, Bill will offer a hundred dollar reward for the return of his kin.
Some characters may be aware of Bill’s tendencies to hit his wife when drunk (notably, Hiram Blake who has treated the wife’s past bruises and Julius Rhodes who has put Bill in the drunk tank on more than one occasion). It’s possible that she fled to be with her brother in the new religion’s growing tent city in the mountains outside of town.
What Really Happened
Bill Lewes spent the night in a Chinese casino, losing money and getting progressively more drunk and violent until he was evicted. He was forcibly removed from the casino and returned home to his wife and child. In his typical drunken rage he hit Leslie and threatened violence to his own 3-year-old son. Fearing for their safety, Leslie took her son and some minimal belonging and fled to be with her brother, Martin Ingress, at the Church of the New Lord… but she and her child never made it, as they were abducted into caves along the way.
The Lewes Homestead
On first examination the Lewes house may have appear to have been ransacked, but little has actually been taken nor is there any sign of forced entry. Some papers with Chinese letters are strewn by the door and a gambler (or a linguistics check) might recognize the papers a variety of gambling IOUs and markers, as well as some advertisements for Chinatown establishments. The disarray seems as likely caused by poor cleaning and violent outbursts than any dedicated search or abduction. It’s difficult to tell, but a thou rough investigation will also reveal some garments were taken from drawers and the wardrobe.
Detour to Chinatown
If the investigators follow clues to Chinatown they’ll likely need to enlist Tsang Kang’s help for translation. The papers found in his home are advertisements for a local casino and debt markers/reminders. If Bill is with the group (he will be unless turned away), the casino owner will yell and demand Bill leave. Kang will explain that Lewes is banned from the casino and, once Bill has been removed, it will be explained that he was violent with a hostess, drank too much, and caused $400 in damages. However, there is nothing to suggest that anyone in or around the casino had anything to do with the missing wife and child and sincere hopes of their safety will be conveyed.
Setbacks on the Journey
The more likely area of investigation is the Reverend Joseph White’s camp in the mountains. With the snow and ice on the ground, riding will need to be slower and more careful. If Bill is part of the group, his impatience will slow the party down as his horse will break a leg in the snowy terrain due to being forced into a gallop.
Though the Church of the New Lord is only 16 miles away, due to being uphill and in the snow, it could be as long as a two day’s journey. And the falling snow helps hide any tracks made by Leslie Lewes and her child (on horse).
About halfway up the mountain, astute investigators may find some clothing off to the side of the path. One article is a dress but deeper in the snow are items unlikely brought by Leslie. With little signs of obvious struggle, the investigators may decide to continue to commune.
Church of the New Lord
The Church of the New Lord is welcoming and hospitable, if a bit strange (their speech patterns are airy and they all wear similar clothing of white and gold). Martin Ingress has not seen his sister or nephew and no members are aware of Bill’s family ever showing up. However, they will note this is not the only small party disappearance that has happened on the journey from town to church and it may be that something in the hills is detouring travelers.
The Tunnels and Cannibal Dwarves
With tracking and mountain survival (and/or other nature/science skills), the investigators will eventually come across a cave leading to a series of tunnels. Around the cave and buried in the snow are clothing scraps and sundry items that might have been carried by travelers. Well-skilled tracking or spot hidden will also reveal child-sized footprints in the area. At first surrounding the footprints of Leslie and her child, then deepening as if to indicate they carried the two away.
The tunnels are a dark maze of twisty passages. Without proper tracking, investigators may quickly become lost or find themselves traveling in circles. To make matters more difficult, some of the tunnels are booby-trapped with trip wires, collapsing crawl-spaces, and pit traps. One such pit trap would lead to an early demise of an investigator if the spikes on the floor weren’t already buried in human bones.
Should the dwellers of the cave take notice of the investigators, they will giggle ominously, their laughter echoing through the caves, as they set up more traps and take pot-shots in the dark with small bows and arrows.
Once through the base tunnels, the investigators will finally come across the various living chambers of the cave dwellers. This includes beds made like rat nests from clothing and paper money, piles of bones and totems made from skulls and jewelry. The sight of so many dead remains will require a SAN roll from the less-experienced investigators. If characters examine the bones thoroughly they may note that all the bones are adult sized and no bones of children are to be found in the long-standing piles.
In the “kitchen,” Leslie Lewes hangs from the wall, her blood draining into a gutter dug into the floor. She is quite dead.
In a separate chamber is the altar room of the cannibal dwarves. The Nirumbee. Ben has been tied to the altar and is being guarded by a number of the dwarves. They will not immediately attack as few have made to this portion of their homes. They don’t speak English, but will understand it. It will be possible to diffuse the situation without violence, should the investigators convince the dwarves to return the child—this is most easily accomplished with simple jokes or bribery. In the wake of this much death, though, a showdown is more likely.
Following combat, the surviving dwarves will escape through various tunnels but the growls that seem to come from everywhere will let the investigators know that the dwarves still have greater numbers and an expedient retreat is likely the best option. Ben will be shell-shocked and simply stand, unmoving, unless carried or an investigator holds his hand.
Bill and Ben
The investigators will need to decide what to do with Bill’s son. His wife is dead. While not directly killed by Bill, it was his actions that drove her away. He desperately wants his son and promises to make amends and do right to honor his wife’s memory. However, his recklessness during the investigation and known past actions may make any characters think twice. Another option would be to have the boy raised by his uncle. Strange or not, the Church of the New Lord has done no one any harm and Martin seemed to be a good man.
Wherever Ben goes, this sets up a potential hook for a future scenario, as even a few hours on the Nirumbee’s altar has started a transformation which may lead to a desire for human flesh.
Nirumbee
Nirumbee image (and some folklore) found on StrangeRealms.
Crow Indian folklore speaks of goblin-like beings whose actions range from the mischievous to the malevolent. They are known for stealing objects, mutilating animals, and kidnapping children. In combat they carry crude axes, cudgels, and bow—but are just as likely to use their powerful jaws and sharp teeth.
Though not often friendly they are child-like in nature and can easily be swayed by the charms of music or simple humor. This is due to how they procreate as they, themselves, are transformed and un-aging children. The longer a child between the ages of one and ten spends with the Nirumbee, the more they become a Nirumbee. The process to transform a child varies, but never takes more than a week. While most folklore places the Nirumbee at under two feet tall the dwarves transformed from children are taller, though typically no more than four feet all.
STR 80
CON 90
SIZ 30
DEX 70
INT 50
APP 40
POW 70
EDU —
SAN —
HP 7
Damage Bonus: 2
Build: 1
Move: 9
MP: 22
Combat: 1 Attacks per round, using standard weapon rules or biting; Fighting 70%, bite damage 1D8; Dodge 50%
Special Abilities: Can see in the dark; children exposed to the dwarves for 1D6 days will transform into a Nirumbee—the process can be paused but not reversed
Session Recap
The game started on time, with the five new players all choosing from my pool of pre-gens. The player characters were Arlene Hunnell (reporter), Ellis Gentry (gambler), Dr. Hiram Blake (medical doctor), Levi Richmond (prospector), and Red Dove (scout).
All the characters began their day by breaking fast or winding down their drinking at the Anaconda hotel when Bill Lewes burst in the door shouting that his wife was abducted. Dr. Blake took Bill outside to calm the aggravated man, but the investigators all followed to listen–some more surreptitiously than others.
Even though some of the characters had little knowledge of Bill, most were already suspicious of an abduction taking place. Their belief of Bill’s recount decreased further when Dr. Blake shared his knowledge that Bill did have a tendency to beat, and injure, his spouse. However, the disappearance was still curious and with the sheriff out of town (I had forgotten my own notes about why Gragg was out of commission) most agreed that someone should probably track down the wife. Taking a “what’s in it for me” approach, Ellis Gentry asked about some sort of reward and the group was promised $100. Twenty dollars each sounded fairly reasonable and the combination of doing a good deed and getting paid for it convinced everyone to aid in the investigation.
Red Dove left while the others were still talking to Bill to investigate the Lewes homestead before the tracks of the investigators would sully any footprints in the falling snow. The scout’s doubts regarding an abduction were cemented by the lack of broken windows, doors, or disturbance in the snow.
The other investigators arrived with Bill shortly after Red Dove had examined the outside of the house. Bill unlocked the door and the investigators saw a mess, but nothing that would suggest an abduction. Seeing a pile of various Chinese markers and IOUs, Ellis managed to find a couple that he might be able to use in his favor and pocketed those while Bill was busy with other investigators. Due to the mess, Bill’s cageyness about his behavior with his wife, and some failed rolls the investigators could not verify that the wife, Leslie, had left fully of her own volition and taken her son with her. Their only other lead was the knowledge that her brother was a member of the growing commune outside of town. Each of the investigators decided to check around the town to see if anyone had noted Leslie’s passing.
Levi went to the general store to see if anyone may have taken anything or knocked on the door before business hours, but nothing there was disturbed. Ellis Gentry spoke to some of the ladies at the Cabbage Patch, but with the snow and cold no one was looking outside or saw much. Dr. Blake checked the local livery, asking if someone had acquired a horse in the small hours but the only horse extraction was a standard customer and not a woman with a child. Arlene inquired with the local pastor to learn more of the “cult” Leslie’s brother had joined—they were said to be misguided, but thought of as evil. Red Dove attempted to track Leslie’s steps but between the snow and the daily traffic of the main thoroughfare, could only determine a general direction.
With few other clues, but some surprise that a mother would walk 16 miles with her son in the wilds and snow, the investigators decided to ride to the Church of the New Lord. After some attempts by the other party members, Arlene convinced Bill that he was better off staying home.
Halfway between the city and the commune Arlene spotted a piece of cloth sticking up from the snow. Pulling the cloth revealed a dress which could have been Leslie’s, based on the size. Further excavation and investigation in the snow provided the investigators with items there were almost certainly not Mrs. Lewes’s: a rusted canteen and large plaid shirt. Red Dove also noticed footprints in the sunken snow the size of children’s feet. It was difficult to tell what these children were doing, possibly a snowball fight?
Following the tracks and examining the snow indicated a woman and different child had left the path and turned around the corner before the tracks vanished. The Shoshone scout was able to determine that the two were carried off by the other “children.” The investigators followed the scout around the mountain to a cave.
The cave in question fed out into a series of natural tunnels. Feeling that there was no time to return to town, Levi used his rope and spikes to makeshift a hitch for the horses and his mule. Thankfully, the prospector rarely went anywhere without his equipment as he had the only lantern. Unsure of what they might discover in the tunnels, Red Dove took the lantern and the lead, with Levi and shotgun close behind and the rest of the investigators following behind. Levi made careful marks along the wall with chalk, as the tunnels constantly branched in different directions. To make matters more unnerving in the dark, giggles could be heard echoing through the tunnels.
Without warning the lantern light was extinguished as Red Dove fell down a pit trap into a pile of bones. Lamp oil was everywhere and a series of mishaps (that is, a hilarious spree of failed rolls) kept the scout in the pit longer than anyone expected. Once the investigators were able to devise a makeshift rope with their belts and pull the Native back to their level, they returned to the mouth of the cave—after setting the bones in the pit ablaze. With one lantern left and just enough oil for a day, they improvised torches, retrieved additional rope, and set back down through the mountain tunnels.
The companions were unsure of what could have created the traps and giggling in the pitch black. Red Dove was adamant that it must be snake people (hooray for botched Mythos rolls!), but the others didn’t quite believe the scout. Even if there were such a thing as snake people, why would there be child-size footprints and would snakes really giggle?
When the investigators reached a tunnel that required crawling, they decided to press forward and try their luck. One by one they went through the small shaft, leaving Arlene to go through last. Before she could crouch down to join her companions her right calf was penetrated by an arrow. Though it caused her a little more damage, she quickly moved through the narrow space rather than be left alone in the dark with something shooting at her.
Dr. Blake tried to apply first aid on the reporter, but to no avail; the most that could be done for Arlene was to remove the arrow from her leg and wrap a bandage around the wound. Sadly for the poor doctor this seemed be his theme of adventure. (Always a danger when borrowing a GM’s dice.)
No one wanted to go back through the crawlspace and become an easy target for the strange hunters. They continued through the tunnels until running into what appeared to be a sleeping chamber. “Rat’s nest” style beds made up of clothes and papers were lined against the walls. The following chamber may have been some sort of common area or eating room, given the open space and piles of bones. An examination of the bones revealed cuts and bite marks. The revelation cause a bit of panic and further concern (as well as some sanity slippage) amongst the investigators. After a bit of calming down, they decided the best thing to do was burn the bones (what did this group have against bones?!?)—with Ellis taking the opportunity to pocket some of the jewelry and trinkets of the victims.
After the common room was the “kitchen.” The lifeless body of Leslie Lewes hung on the wall, her blood draining from her corpse. There was little they could do for the wife of Bill Lewes. Levi took her shawl as a “proof” in case they could not retrieve the body. From the next room the faint crying of a child could be heard.
Ben Lewes was tied to an altar at the far end of a cavern. At the entryway, in front of and staring at the investigators were five dwarves, armed with axes and bows. They stood with their arms crossed, as if waiting for the humans to make the first move or communication. Red Dove wasted no time in drawing her bow and firing an arrow into a dwarf and a battle between the two parties began quickly. Seeking to rescue the boy, Ellis attempted to run through the fray at the first opportunity, only to receive a painful bite in his thigh from one of the little people. The prospector and scout did the most damage while the reporter and doctor, little trained in their firearms, served more of a distraction than a killing front. Despite that, it didn’t take long for the Nirumbee to be dispatched.
Ben was freed from the altar and Dr. Blake noticed the youth’s head to be somewhat larger than he had last investigated; perhaps not abnormally large, but certainly something was different about the child. There was little time to analyze, however, as the once giggles that echoed through the underground passages had shifted to growls. The investigators put together a crude travois to transport the body of Leslie and Ellis took the duties of transporting her body even despite the damage done to his leg. Arlene, the other person with an injured leg, took Ben’s hand to help guide him out. The investigators followed the smoke of the burning bones in the common room to a new tunnel outside.
The investigators breathed a quick sigh of relief after tracking the way around the mountain to the original cave, for their horses were unharmed. They moved quickly down the trails back to Virginia City—a little too quickly, as Red Dove’s mount broke its leg. Fortunately, the group did not appear to be in any further danger and they were able to make it back to the city without further injury or loss.
Everything wrapped up quickly from there; they returned Ben to his father. They agreed to take the body of the wife to the local pastor to arrange a funeral. Ellis, eager to be paid, asked about a reward to the grieving husband and got slugged for his greed. He took it in stride, however, as Bill followed the punch by throwing a hundred dollars at the gambler’s feet.
Finally, and rightly fearing the strange creatures in the mountains and what they might do to others Red Dove and Levi composed a telegraph to the troops in Fort Ellis, informing the military of cannibal savages living in the caves and suggesting dynamite. The two carefully worded the telegram to ensure the Church of the New Lord was not implicated and to hopefully persuade the men to close all cavern entrances without investigation.
Lessons Learned
It had been a few years since I ran a table of strangers and in my nervousness I made a few mistakes by rushing the opening and not letting the players have a good chance to establish their characters. I had also expected that my tablet would make for easy note reading of my adventure scenario but quickly became frustrated with it timing out or only opening one PDF at a time. Fortunately, my GM style has always been more of a “know the outline and wing it based on the players,” so I had only missed a couple beats and details.
Though I had re-read the rules, my Call of Cthulhu rule knowledge was rustier than I realized and I had to guess or use table judgement. I relied heavily on my GMing axiom: It’s more important for the pace of the game to avoid going to the book for any question and to instead go with the flow/what seems correct. Then, upon learning the correct way, acknowledging and using the correct rule in future scenarios.
Even though I had announced the scenario as a campaign kick-off, I didn’t establish any rewards or follow-up with investigator development. I’d become far to used to thinking of Call of Cthulu as a series of one-shots.
My biggest take-away is to use my generic GM screen that accepts inserts instead of the default CoC Keeper’s Screen. This will allow me to have notes more specific to the adventure, characters, and rules that I typically use most often. Additionally, because it has room for inserts on the front I can also have quick rules, suggestions, and tips for players.
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