Part 4 of
Arkham on Fire

Playing The Midnight Masks by Fantasy Flight Games.

Tools and supplements used:

  • Cthulhu Dark
  • Arkham Horror LCG
  • Trophy Solo
  • UNE: The Universal NPC Emulator
  • BOLD: Book of Legends and Deeds
  • Ironsworn

8 minute read

We left our occult investigators as they agreed to get kitted up at Lita’s house for an adventure in the woods. Poor Carolyn has only the clothes on her back to her name right now, after burning down her house and the ghouls inside it. I have no idea what circumstances Lita lives in, so I will have to ask the oracle to fill in some gaps. There is a book of short stories called The Devourer Below which apparently casts Lita in a quest for vengeance after a cult killed her husband. I feel like I’m a bit late to bring in a revenge story at this point but if the random rolls start pointing towards that then maybe that’s what it will be!

If I get doubles on an Oracle question then the Doom counter increments. So far it hasn’t moved much.

Doom = 2

Carolyn Fern, psychologist

  • Knowledge of medicine, caring attitude, scientific mindset
  • Insight: 3
  • Shaken by the connection of Umôrdhoth to her prior psychological research

Lita Chantler, sorceress

  • Knowledge of magic, forceful attitude, fanatical mindset
  • Insight: 4
  • Shaken by a feeling of powerlessness in a deterministic world
  • Has experienced visions of an ancient intelligence watching her

Major NPCs

  • Dr Ruth Turner, hospital mortician
  • ‘Wolfman’ Drew, convicted cannibal
  • Agnes Baker, waitress and dabbling sorceress
  • Daisy Walker, assistant librarian

Scene 8. Lita’s Apartment

Altered Scene? (1) Yes
(1-2) Person (3-4) Location (5-6) Object? 6
Ironsworn Action/Theme: Share/Destiny

It sound like an object relating to a shared fate or common cause. Let’s say that a letter has arrived at Lita’s address. Any letter will have been written before any of the events of this evening. But first, some set dressing. I arbitrarily decided that Lita lived in an apartment with an officious landlady who takes a dim view of evening visitors. But that’s all we know.

How nice is this apartment (1: not very, 6: very)? 6
Does Lita live alone? (4, 1) Yes but... only recently
Is her obsession evident? (4, 4) Yes but... subtle
Doubles, so Doom = 3

They crept down the hall towards Lita’s apartment, clutching their shoes in their hands to avoid a tell-tale noise on the hard floor. Inside the door an envelope lay on the floor. Lita closed the door quietly, holding her breath.

“I feel like I’m sneaking into the dormitory late at night like a school girl.”

“We don’t need Mrs Jackson catching us tonight. Not least because if she gets into her stride we’ll not get away before they complete the ritual.” Lita examined the envelope that had been jammed under her door, rather than placed in her cubby hole.

Does she recognise the writing? (1, 3) No
Is it actually typed? (3, 3) No
Doubles, Doom = 4 (oops!)
Is it anonymous? (5, 6) Yes
BOLD waylay:
- brusque traitor overcome by weak attribute
- person in close relationship with Lita
Is person (1-3) male (4-6) female? 5
Was it her lover? (5, 6) Yes
UNE:
- Culture Worker, weaker than the party
- relate love, interact disbelief, convey peace

Lita read the letter silently, reaching out a hand to steady herself on the door frame.

You don’t know me but I am sending this on behalf of Sefina, who is safe and well. She was attacked by her patron, a Mr Oliver Thomas, and had to flee. She hopes to return to you soon, but wants you to stay clear of Mr Thomas and his associates at The Curiosity Shoppe. There are dangerous people operating in Arkham.

— a friend

Things have gone in a very different direction because of that letter! Trawling through the archives I found Sefina Rousseau, an artist (“culture worker”) who was transported inside her own painting. So, per the BOLD Waylay, she was betrayed and despite her natural scepticism of paranormal things (“interact disbelief”) she escaped into a painting. I can now “naturally” bring in Oliver Thomas and his shop as a lead.

Lita: You learn disturbing knowledge with Insight of 4.
Your Insight remains at 4.
UNE: friendly / delight / knowledge

“You must be so glad to hear she’s safe” said Carolyn.

Lita sat down. “It was her disappearance that lead me to act tonight. She’s been away (d20=16) over two weeks. I looked everywhere and I found things which I wish I’d never seen. I wish I had never looked. Do you ever think you would be happier in ignorance?”

Scene 9. Curiosity Shoppe

Altered Scene? (3) No.
Is the shop still open? (5, 1) Yes but... it's closing time.

“Will he recognise you? I’m not sure this is a wise thing to do. You said the letter warned us away from this place.”

“I– I just want to look in the window. See the man who attacked Sefina. Then we’ll go, I promise.”

Lita investigates: 1 normal die, 1 occupation die
Success (5, 3) with maybe something extra.
(You may learn something more from a hand-printed poster.)
Does Lita recognise him? (5, 1) Yes but... unsure why.
Does she recognise anything else? (6, 6) Yes!
Oh boy, Doom = 5

Lita stared for a minute through the rain-soaked shop window. Inside the lighting was dim and the velvet-covered displays absorbed what little light there was. Finally she gasped and pulled away, dragging Carolyn round the corner.

“He had one of the masks, just hanging on the wall above him. He must be one of them, he must be.”

“Hiding in plain sight. Do you think the cult was after Sefina?”

Lita and Carolyn stood in thought as the rain came and went. They were much better attired for the weather now. They probably wouldn’t be able to take the umbrella with them into the woods though.

So where's this poster? (1-2) Ground (3-4) Telephone pole (5-6) Wall: 4
What does it say? Withdraw / Barrier
Has anyone picked up on their activities? (2, 1) No.

“Come on, let’s get to the university before it gets too late to see anyone there.” They walked through the quiet streets, feeling safe in their warm boots, waterproof overcoats and woollen scarves.

A hand-made poster attached to a telephone pole caught Lita’s eye. It simply gave today’s date and warned that the barrier between the worlds was weak. And that you should stay indoors and pray.

Scene 10. Miskatonic University

The grounds of the university were well-tended but not well lit. The branches of the bare trees seemed to reach out in front of the public lighting, casting shadows like fingers across the paths.

Altered Scene? (3) Yes.
(1-2) Person (3-4) Location (5-6) Object? 4
Settlement trouble: An innocent is accused
Is the innocent (1-2) New NPC (3-4) Daisy Walker (5-6) Dr Armitage? 2
UNE NPC: Stepan Romasko
- Obnoxious labourer, much weaker than the party
- strive the law, progress music, construct literature
Is the accusation (1-2) personal (3-4) financial (5-6) religious? 4
What scale of "mob" are we talking here (1:lone, 6:large)? 4

It looks like Stepan here is a low-ranking Law academic accused of financial impropriety. As the secretary of the university choral society (“progress music”) he was in charge when some funds disappeared.

They were looking for the library. “Technically I have academic library access here but I’ve never actually visited. I’m sure it can’t be that hard to find” said Carolyn.

They could hear a crowd of angry-sounding people. As they rounded the corner of one brick building they could see the crowd. They were hounding a small middle-aged man. He was awkwardly carrying too many things while trying to lock a door and then retreat across the open grass.

Carolyn investigates: 1 human, 1 occupation
Success with a glimpse beyond (4, 6)
Is the crowd being controlled magically? (2, 3) No.

Carolyn watched the scene with interest, trying to learn the dynamic of the situation. The man turned to defend himself from shouted accusations, which seemed to briefly mollify the crowd. They didn’t seem like a mob desperate for vengeance in that moment. Then two men at the back shouted and the anger in everyone’s faces was back.

“Can you see how those two men at the back keep rekindling the anger of this group every time it dissipates?” whispered Carolyn.

Are they (1-2) coming towards (3-6) going away? 1

“I see it and I don’t like it. They’re all coming this way too. We should hide before we get drawn into this.”

They moved into the shadow of a tree just off the path and watched. The man passed at a stumble, the mob close on his heels, and one of the two men at the back seemed to look round at Carolyn, looking at her in the shadows. Carolyn felt caught by two red eyes.

Carolyn learns disturbing knowledge with Insight of 3.
Her Insight remains at 3.

In that moment she knew that this poor academic being chased through the university was another victim of the ghoulish cult that tormented Arkham. Like Dr Turner, here was someone whose life was being twisted by threats of ruin. “They have their claws in everywhere.”

She quickly hurried away but glanced back one more time. It seemed like the two men at the back had pulled up thick hoods and disappeared into the shadows. “Let’s get going, find this librarian and finally put some answers to these questions. Before I lose my nerve entirely and head home to pray. Well, except I don’t have a home any more.”

I’ve got a couple more scenes written out but I felt this post was getting too long (I’m trying to keep each one to about 10 minutes reading time) so I’ve split it in two. The next couple of scenes were more naturally joined so this seemed like the right place to do it.