The Haunting of Chapelwaite Manor

by Erik Andersen

.

Introduction:

Lord William Blakely, Percival Blakely's cousin, has died. It is stated publicly that he died from a riding accident. This is a lie. He in fact hung himself in the basement (the riding accident is just a cover story). The charactors are invited to attend the funeral, after which Calvin McCann, Lord William Blakely's solicitor, informes the party that Percival Blakely (or one of the other chars, if Blakely is not present) is the sole surviving relative, and inherits Chapelwaite Manor.

Chapelwaite Manor is just 3 miles from the town of Piddlebench (a town of some 3000 inhabitants), where 13 children have disappeared in recent weeks. The town is in a bit of a panic, and people have begun to leave. Everyone in town will react to strangers at (at least) -1.

Also on the grounds of Chapelwaite Manor, (hidden in the basement) is the church of Robert Boone. Boone is a Cthulu worshiper. His church, located in the basement of the Manor, is a spiritually noxious place where the stuff of the cosmos has become sour and rancid. It is filled with the smell of rot and decay, evil symbols, upside down crosses, and similar. Boone, now at least 120 years old, and all his followers disappeared just before the disappearances began. They began a ritual called the Summoning of the Worm, involving a book (still present at the church) entitled De Vermis Mysteriis, (if someone has Latin they can interpret this to mean in English The Mysteries of the Worm). Half way through the ritual, a mistake was made, all participants except Boone (35 of them) became Phantoms/Shades. Boone became an undead Nosferatu.

Now Boone is kidnapping children. For each child he is able to kidnapping, he performs an unholy ritual to the Worm, which grants one of his followers full posession of the child's body, and evicts the child's spirit, which then wanders around Chapelwaite Manor trying to tell the heros what to do (assuming the figure out there are some ghosts that they should listed to). The ritual process takes 3 nights per child. Once he is able to embody all of his followers, he will be able to complete the interrupted ritual, and thereby summom the Worm (The Servent of Yogsoggoth, the Nameless One, The Worm from Beyond Space, Star Eater, Blinder of Time, Verminis, etc). The Worm, if summoned, will rend space and time, consume the entire Universe, and send all life directly to Hell (do not pass Go, do not collect $200). For the record, that would be a Bad Thing(tm).

Lord William Blakely was a follower of Boone's evil religion (generally called the Boonies, formally named the Piddlebench Church of Light and Darkness. Lord William decided to reform when he understood that Boone was really really evil, and going to perform the Summoning of the Worm ritual. Boone, now undead, has been haunting Chapelwaite Manor, trying to reclaim William Blakely as a follower. William hung himself in the basement to try and avoid his fate, but has now, also, become and undead, and will shortly rise to haunt the basement and walls of Chapelwaite Manor.

Getting Started

As our story begins, it is January 1871. It is cold, damp, foggy, unpleasent weather. Of course, this is London, so it is always cold and damp, and foggy and unpleasent...

You awake this bitterly cold, damp, and unpleasent morning to a knock at the door and are invited to attend the funeral of Lord William Blakely on the grounds of Chapelwaite Manor.

You always liked William, though you have been out of contact for years, so you get ready and head out towards the funeral. On the way you decide to catch up on the news (you have been far too busy recently to pay attention). You pick up a copy of The London Times and catch a hack to Chapelwaite Manor.

After the funeral is completed, Calvin McCann, Lord William Blakely's solicitor, informes the party that Percival Blakely (or one of the other chars, if Blakely is not present) is the sole surviving relative, and is to inherit Chapelwaite Manor. He also informs the party that horrible things have been going on. Contrary to public knowledge, William Blakely in fact committed suicide by hanging himself. The reasons for his suicide are unknown, but recently had had seemed to go mad and spent much of him time mumbling about a book, and cursing his former friend, Robert Boone.

Robert Boone was the leader of a local polygamous sect, and a good friend of William Blakely. He was also extremely old. Most of the members of his sect were in fact his childen. It is even rumored that he also had childen _with_ his children. Regardless, there was an extremely high incidence of birth defects (blindness, clubbed feet, missing limbs, cleft pallet) amoung his followers. Boone and all his followers are also missing (though confidentaiily he tells you that nobody actually misses that puritanical lot of Holier-then-Thou do gooders that are members of Piddlebench Church of Light and Darkness.










The Town of Piddlebench

Standard town stuff. A bar (deserted -- the bartender is depressed since the kidnapping have killed business). A general store for supplies. A bakery. Few townspeople, and those that are around are terrified and more often then not hide. Madame Selvoy has a shop (tries to succor the players into a seance. +1 Char Point if the chars notice she is a fraud and call her on it). Michael Thomas has a house in town, but will attack if approached. There is a church -- characters must obtain from the church a blessed cross or other holy item appropriate to their religion, or they will be unprotected from the shades in the final encounter. One can also purchase Dr. Saair magic elixir (cures disease) at the general store.

Inside Chapelwaite Manor

As you wander room to room, nothing much of interest happens during the day. In the study, you find some writing from William.

This text FromWilliam.txt, which is translated here translation.txt.

When wandering the house after dark, use this Random Haunting Encounters table. On a roll of 3d6 at night, 10 or above causes a roll on this table.

3d6
3 - Sound of cries, chains, thumps, chains ratting,
    strange glowing lights, etc.
4 - Sound of cries, chains, thumps, chains ratting,
    Sounds in the walls, a fetid wind blows, Candles are snuffed, etc.
5,6 - Rapid drop in temperature, you can see your breath.
    A spirit of one of the sacrificed children appears.
    Fright Check.  If attacked will disappear.
    The child's spirit will try to tell you what has happened,
    and will try to lead you to the hidden basement enterance.
7 - A weird vapor moves through the room.  Strange smells,
    a strange feeling of horror, then peace as something
    touches you.
8 - Horrible illusion (Blood drips from walls, leaches cover you,
        you rip off your face, worms infest your body, etc).
9 - Poltergeist moves things.  Objects (perhaps a character)
    are moved about.  Fright Check.
10 - 1d6 wolves attack.  1d6 hits each.  Bite has 20% cause disease.
11 - An owl or large bat attacks.  1d6 hits.
12 - 1d6 snakes attack.  1d6 hit each.
13 - 1d6 rats attack.  1d6 hits each.  Bite has 20% cause disease.
14 - Rapid drop in temperature, you can see your breath.
    The room distorts madly around you.  Evil spirits
    try to possess one member of the party.  Each member
    makes a will roll.  The first who fails is possessed,
    and will begin speaking Latin "Deum vobiscum magna vermis..."
    and such, praising the glory of the Worm.  Then the possessed
    on will begin rambling about how [s]he must find "De Vermis Mysteriis"
    (The Book), must complete the ritual, etc.  Any significant disturbance
    (like slapping the character) will end the possession.  The posessed
    will be unconcious for 1d6 rounds following, loses 1 fatigue, and
15 - Horrible illusion (Blood drips from walls, leaches cover you,
    you rip off your face, worms infest your body, etc). Fright check -2.
16 - Rapid drop in temperature, you can see your breath.
    You see a phantom Boone Follower, who attacks.
17 - Rapid drop in temperature, you can see your breath.
    You see a possessed child appear.  You can kill or perminantly
    injure the child (at a penalty to Points awarded at End Game), you
    can subdue the child, run, whatever.  A child.
18 - Rapid drop in temperature, you can see your breath.
    Boone Appears and attacks.  This is not the end game,
    so he will retreat before dying.











The Chapelwaite Basement

In the fireplace of the great room, there is a hidden door. It leads to the basement. This area is filled with ghostly apparations of children trying to lead the characters to the Chapel. (+1 Char point for finding the enterance. +1 if the chars are led by the displaced spirit of one of the children. -1 for trying to combat a child's spirit).

The stairs down are missing a step. It is very dark. Detecting the missing step in the darkness takes a sucessful sense roll for the first person descending.

The basement area is crawling with ROUSs. (say 3 of them, 1d10 hits each). There is chance of disease from bites (30% chance). All diseases can be cured by using Dr. Saair's magic elixir if the characters had the foresight to buy some. Otherwise disease causes the player discomfort, nausia headache, sweating, a causes loss of 1 non-recoverable hit per 8 hours (3/day). These points can only be recovered once the disease has been cured.

After killing the ROUSs, the players fill find a chair. With a noose above it. Shambling in will come Lord William, now a vampire, with his head lolling to one side (broken neck). He will beg the players to kill him, He will answer up to 2 questions. Following which he will again beg them to kill him. If they fail to comply, he will attack.

When the chars enter the wine celler room, they get a roll on the Random Haunting Encounters table. In the wine celler room is the enterance to the Unholy Chapel of the Piddlebench Church of Light and Darkness.










The Unholy Chapel of the Piddlebench Church of Light and Darkness

When the chars enter the chapel, it looks as if it was simply abandoned, but is in perfect condition. There is a upside down cross hanging, and various Satanic markings, symbols, and pictures. The room is filled with an overpowering smell of corruption and rot, as if a thousand graves had been opened and the fetid bodies strewn around the room (though there is no sign of bodies, you are sure there are around). This place is one of those places that has become spiritually noxious -- where the stuff of the cosmos has become sour and rancid. Each char must take a will roll or suffer from nausia.
Nausia Effects (1d6)
    1 - You vomit -- Must flee the room for 1d6 rounds.  Lose 2 fatigue.
    2 - You vomit -- lose 1 hit.
    3 - You vomit -- lose 2 hits.
    4 - You feel sick to your stomach -- Must flee the room for 1d6 rounds.
    5 - You feel sick to your stomach -- Must rest for 1d6 rounds.
    6 - You feel sick to your stomach -- Lose 2 fatigue

At the front of the chapel is a pulpet, while a large ornate book on it. The book is closed. It is titled De Vermis Mysteriis, (if someone has Latin they can interpret this to mean The Mysteries of the Worm). On top of the book is a recently butchered and mutilated goat, very bloody, very disgusting. The goat is blocking the book and its title. Touching the goat has a 50% chance of inflicting disease (best to move it with a sword or something).

Opening the book causes all Hell to break loose. The book will open, revealing one side written in Latin, the other side written in strange Cuneiform runes. Are you examine the book, a rivulet of goat blood dribbles off the cover and down the lettering. The letters glow as if filled with fire and the book take on a slight transparency. Approximately 22 spectral black hooded phantoms, and 13 evil looking children suddenly appear. The player that touched the book is now possessed, and will begin speaking Latin "Deum vobiscum magna vermis..." and such praising the glory of the Worm, and continues the ceremony. There is a huge trembling as if some huge Worm were turning and writhing underneeth the floor. If the players had the foresight to obtain blessed holy objects (crosses, etc) the specters will remain at bay. If not... ouch!

If the players do nothing, the ceremoy will be completed, The Nameless Worm will be summoned, and the entire Universe will be destroyed (No character points will be awarded, all characters die). Try to encourage this not to happen, and having the universe destroyed makes for a poor sequel.

The players may fight the spectors. Each possessed child they kill will cost -1 to the total char points for the game. If the players did not specify they stay together and next to the book-opener, they will have to fight or get past at least one phantom each to get to the book-opener. The ceremoney can be halted by pushing, slapping, or otherwise striking the book-opener. The book-opener will be fully aware of what happened, and full of horror at having been cooerced into such evil.

When the ceremoney is halted, a glowing, stinking, horrible cavern in the ground opens up. They can see one giant segmented section of the Unnamed Worm (Will Roll or be stunned for one turn). Then, out the the blackness crawls a horrible, ancient, disfigured, half-rotten, stinking beyond belief animated corpse. The corpse is wearing the garb of a minister -- it is the undead Robert Boone.

The players may fight Robet Boone, and may fight the phantoms (though the latter can be avoided by possessing holy objects). The hole through which the Nameless Worm of Destruction can be seem can only be closed by burning the book. The charactor who figures out they must burn the book gets +2 char Points.

When the book is destroyed, general mayhem and destruction ensues, The Worm bellows and thrashes, Boone is sucked down into the pit, the evil spirits are sucked out of the children, and the disembodied spirits of the children return to their bodies.










Characters


Evil Phantom follower of Robert Boone
    ST: 10 
    IQ: 10 
    DX: 10
    HT: 10
    Speed: 5 Move: 5 Dodge: 5

    Advantages: Ghost Form (Unlimited Lifespan, +30%; Visible, looks human, +5%); 
	Magery 3 [35]; Night Vision [10].

    Disadvantages: Addiction (Human suffering; cheap, totally addictive) [-15]; 
	Intolerance (Living) [-10]; Sadism [-15]; Vulnerability (Holy Objects);

    Quirks: Dislikes holy items [-1] Affected by Pentagrams, Holy objects (crosses,
    silver, Holy water, etc).  Can be dispelled, but not destroyed.

    Innate Spells: Madness-15 [8]; Pain-15 [8]; Pestilence-15 [8]; Terror-15 [8],
	Illusion-15 [8].

    Half Damage from non-Holy or non-silver weapons.  No damage from projectile
    or blunt weapons.  Displelled (temporarily) when reduced to 0 ht.

Evil Phantom follower of Robert Boone posessing a child's body
    ST: 6
    IQ: 10 
    DX: 6
    HT: 6
    Speed: 4 Move: 4 Dodge: 4

    Advantages: Magery 3 [35]; Night Vision [10].

    Disadvantages: Addiction (Human suffering; cheap, totally addictive) [-15]; 
	Intolerance (Living) [-10]; Sadism [-15]; Vulnerability (Holy Objects);

    Quirks: Dislikes holy items [-1] Affected by Pentagrams, Holy objects (crosses,
    silver, Holy water, etc).  Can be dispelled, but not destroyed.

    Innate Spells: Madness-15 [8]; Pain-15 [8]; Pestilence-15 [8]; Terror-15 [8],
	Illusion-15 [8].

    If that players kill a child, they lose 2 points from the final score.
    The children should be readily made unconcious, tied up, or otherwise 
    prevented from bothering anybody.

Robert Boone (undead Nosferatu)

    Attributes 

    ST 18
    DX 10
    IQ 12
    HT 15
    Thrust 1+2, Swing 3, Speed 6.25, Move 6. 

    Advantages: Vampire (100!), DR 2 (Racial), Night Vision (Racial), Immunity to Disease (Racial), 
	Immunity to Poison (Racial), Immunity to metal weapons (Racial), Unaging (Racial), 
	Literacy, Magical Aptitude +1.

    Disadvantages: Addiction (Human suffering; cheap, totally addictive) [-15]; 
	Intolerance (Living) [-10]; Sadism [-15]; Vulnerability (Holy Objects);
	Paranoia (Racial), Cannot cross running water by self (Racial), Must be invited inside 1st
	time (Racial), Direct sunlight = -1 HT/min. DX-4 indoors (Racial), Must sleep in coffin 
	w/home-earth (Racial), -1 HT per day, -2 if not in coffin (above) (Racial), 
	2 dice damage from 1pnt holy water (Racial), Lecherousness, Overconfidence, 
	Vow (summon the Unnamed Worm thereby destroying the Universe), Appearance: Horrible
	stinking rotted corpse (-18 on all reaction roles).

    Innate Spells: Pain-15 [8]; Pestilence-15 [8]; Terror-15 [8], Illusion-15 [8].

    Half Damage from non-Holy or non-wood weapons. 

Lord William (undead Nosferatu)

    Attributes 

    ST 16
    DX 11
    IQ 10
    HT 12

    Advantages: Vampire (100!), DR 2 (Racial), Night Vision (Racial), Immunity to Disease (Racial), 
	Immunity to Poison (Racial), Immunity to metal weapons (Racial), Unaging (Racial), 
	Literacy

    Disadvantages: Intolerance (Living) [-10]; Vulnerability (Holy Objects);
	Paranoia (Racial), Cannot cross running water by self (Racial), Must be invited inside 1st
	time (Racial), Direct sunlight = -1 HT/min. DX-4 indoors (Racial), Must sleep in coffin 
	w/home-earth (Racial), -1 HT per day, -2 if not in coffin (above) (Racial), 
	2 dice damage from 1pnt holy water (Racial), Lecherousness, Overconfidence, 
	Wants to die -- for good.  Appearance: broken neck -- head lolls to the side.

    Innate Spells: Pain-15 [8]; Pestilence-15 [8]; Terror-15 [8], Illusion-15 [8].

    Half Damage from non-Holy or non-wood weapons. 

Madame Selvoy (fake Psychic. Part time whore)

    Attributes 

    ST 9
    DX 10
    IQ 10
    HT 10
    Speed 5.25; Move 5

    Advantages: Disease Resistant, Sterile, Appearance +1, Voice
    Disadvantages: Bad Temper, Compulsive lying, Wierdness Magnet
    Skills: Fortune Telling (13), Performance, Acting, Sex Appeal

If the players visit her shop, she will try to get them to have
a seance (1 pound each).  If they refuse, she will try to get 
them to pay for sex.  She is a real lowlife, but quite popular
locally.  Shem fakes a french accent.

Michael Thomas (woodcutter)

    Attributes 

    ST 11
    DX 10
    IQ 10
    HT 10
    Speed 5.25; Move 5

    Advantages: Toughness DR2
    Disadvantages: Color Blindness, Bad Temper, Addiction: alcoholic
    Skills: Brawling-13, Cooking-12, Guns/TL6 (Shotgun)-12, Woodcutting

He hates everyone at the moment, and will begin cursing then attack 
without provocation, considering all strangers to be the unholy 
kidnappers/killers of his son.

Credits

I drew heavily from Stephen King's short story "Jerusalem's Lot" from the book Night Shift. I also drew a bit from the recent movie, "The Haunting".