TEXT: Bitter Wind
  Page 1 of 21
  Legal Information
  This adventure is copyright 1993,2002 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 www.opifex.cnchost.com. Call of Cthulhu is Registered
  Trademark of Chaosium Inc. http://www.chaosium.com/cthulhu/. Chaosium Inc.  900 Murmansk
  Street  Suite 5  Oakland, CA  94607.
  Introduction
  This adventure was originally written as part of a planned anthology of adventures that would set
  the stage for the End Time. Alas, like the main End Time project this work never saw the light of
  day.
  This adventure is set after the events that take place in "Blood Moon" (published in Chaosium's
  Strange Eons). However, this adventure does not require "Blood Moon" and it can be run on its
  own as standalone adventure.
  In 2056, the last transmission from earth was sent from the UN Antarctic Base. This transmission
  told of “dark and horrible shapes moving across the ice,” behind which moved “something
  
  Bitter Wind
  Page 2 of 21
  large...something inhumanly huge.” This adventure details the terrifying events that lead up to that
  last, terrible transmission.
  In this adventure, everyone dies. This is a one-time adventure with pre-generated characters.
  While the investigators do inevitably die, the important part of the adventure is to convey to the
  players the tone and feeling of this time period and to give them a chilling story they can share with
  other players about the era before the End Time. The most important job of the Keeper is to set the
  proper mood to prepare the players for the End Time milieu and atmosphere.
  Keeper's History
  The following time line details the events leading up to the adventure. Some of this information
  may become available to the investigators in the course of the adventure.
  June 22, 1923: The Pierce-Taylor expedition arrives in the Antarctic aboard the steam ship
  “Westward.” Dr. Henry Pierce, a well-known expert archaeologist and arctic explorer, went mad on
  one of his expeditions and eventually became a mythos servant. All that is generally known of that
  ill fated expedition is that all but Dr. Pierce died and he was found alone in the drifting
  “Westward.”  After “recovering” from his madness, Dr. Pierce was drawn into the mythos and
  became a loyal priest of its gods. In reward for his service, he was gifted with several items that
  would allow him to find a long lost temple of Ithaqua in the Antarctic. Dr. John Taylor was also a
  noted arctic explorer. Like Pierce, he had experienced the mythos, but unlike Pierce he remained on
  the side of sanity.
  June 23-July 7, 1923: The expedition searches the wastes of Antarctica, directed by Pierce’s map
  and enchanted compass. Despite the magical aids, the expedition makes but slow progress. Over
  the course of the search, four expedition members are lost, reportedly to snowstorms. In actuality,
  the hapless victims were sacrificed to supply the blood required by Pierce’s compass.
  July 8, 1923: Dr. Pierce locates the temple and sets his men to the task of blasting away the
  encasing ice.
  July 13, 1923: The work crews reach the temple and are able to excavate the opening. Pierce enters
  the temple and begins to decipher the writings within.
  July 14-July 20, 1923: Pierce continues to decipher the writings and learns that they continue a
  ritual that will transform a human into a a supernatural servant of Ithaqua. He begins preparing to
  work the ritual on himself, while carefully concealing what he has learned from Taylor.
  July 21, 1923: Pierce sends Taylor and some of the men back to the “Westward” to get supplies.
  Taylor is suspicious and leaves behind some men loyal to him.
  July 22, 1923: Aided by cultists who accompanied him, Pierce overpowers the non-cultists among
  the expedition and begins sacrificing them in his ritual. One non-cultist momentarily escapes and
  alerts Taylor with a flare.
  July 23, 1923: Taylor and his well-armed compatriots return and do battle with Pierce and his
  cultists. In the ensuing melee, all of the cultists perish, as well as several of Taylor’s men. Pierce,
  
  Bitter Wind
  Page 3 of 21
  having almost completed the ritual, is sealed within the temple by Taylor. Afraid to take further
  action, Taylor leaves Pierce trapped in the temple and returns to America, never to return to the
  Antarctic again.
  May 4, 1996: The Pierce Antarctic base, named after the renowned explorer lost in the area in the
  1920s, is established by the United States.
  August 14, 2006: The Pierce Antarctic Base is opened up to the UN.
  February 14, 2030: The Pierce Antarctic base is closed down as part of the general budget crunch
  of 2030. The money originally allocated for the base is used to fund a study of welfare money
  usage in California.
  June 22, 2039: The UN Antarctic Base is reopened, after being abandoned for nearly a decade, to
  study the effect of the moon’s shift in Antarctica.
  August 24, 2046: A UN military contingent is added to the UN Antarctic Base and it is equipped
  with special communication equipment used to coordinate military activity (primarily submarines)
  in the region.
  October 22, 2054: With the collapse of all human governments, the UN Base becomes an
  independent command associated with the American and Russian missile submarines in the region.
  October 31, 2055: After receiving orders from LeSarre, the UN base commander directs the
  remaining American and Russian submarines in their final launch.
  November 2, 2055: Emergency transmissions received from three American and two Russian
  submarines, reporting that they are under attack. Nothing further is heard from the submarines.
  Contact is still maintained with the orbital facilities via lasers.
  April 24, 2056: The gravitational alterations brought about by Domag T’eel’s activity cause shifts
  in the antarctic ice sheet as well as rising water levels in the region. This partially exposes the
  temple.
  April 25, 2056: Shifting ice cracks the temple open. Pierce, who has survived in a state of
  enchanted suspended animation, awakens when the imprisoning Elder Sign is destroyed by the
  shifting ice.
  April 26, 2056: A surveillance satellite detects the temple. A helicopter is dispatched from the base
  to investigate. The helicopter lands and the exploration team reports finding a structure.
  April 27-28, 2056: The exploration team examines the temple carefully. They find Pierce, but
  think him to be just a frozen corpse. Pierce magically feeds off the team members until he is strong
  enough to act.
  
  Bitter Wind
  Page 4 of 21
  April 29, 2056: Pierce kills two of the team members and completes the ritual. Transformed into an
  even greater inhuman monstrosity, Pierce kills three more of the expedition. Two of them escape in
  the helicopter, only to be brought down by icy, magical winds created by Pierce.
  April 30, 2056: The adventure begins.
  Player Briefing
  Prior to the start of actual play, the players need to be given a general briefing on their situation.
  The following information should be presented to the players, prior to the actual start of play.
  Player Expedition History
  This information is located in an old book written by Taylor. The book was brought to the base
  when the base was open and named after Pierce.The book is fairly well written and has been read
  (more out of boredom) by almost everyone at the base. The following information covers the high
  points of the book. Of course, most of it is pure fiction.
  June 22, 1923: The Pierce-Taylor expedition arrives in the Antarctic aboard the steam ship
  “Westward.” This expedition was led by Dr. Henry Pierce, a well known expert archaeologist and
  arctic explorer, and was his first outing after an ill-fated expedition. On that expedition, all but Dr.
  Pierce died and he was found alone in the drifting “Westward.”  His partner, Dr. John Taylor, was
  also a noted arctic explorer.
  June 23-July 7, 1923: The expedition explores the wastes of Antarctica. Over the course of the
  exploration, four expedition members are lost to storms.
  July 21, 1923: Taylor leads several men back to the “Westward” to get supplies.
  July 23, 1923: Taylor and his men return and find that Pierce and the others have perished in a
  devastating Antarctic storm.
  The book concludes with a somewhat odd passage: “It is well that men heed the fate of brave
  Pierce. There are some places where man should tread carefully or perhaps not at all. Pierce’s place
  of rest, the vast icy realm of Antarctica, is one such place. May his body rest eternally in peace.”
  Players' Timeline
  May 4, 1996: The Pierce Antarctic base, named after the renowned explorer lost in the area in the
  1920s, is established by the United States.
  August 14, 2006: The Pierce Antarctic Base is opened up to the UN.
  February 14, 2030: The Pierce Arctic base is closed down as part of the general budget crunch of
  2030. The money originally allocated for the base is used to fund a study of welfare money usage
  in California.
  
  Bitter Wind
  Page 5 of 21
  June 22, 2039: The UN Antarctic Base is reopened, after being abandoned for nearly a decade, to
  study the effect of the moon’s shift in Antarctica.
  August 24, 2046: A UN military contingent is added to the UN Antarctic Base and it is equipped
  with special communication equipment used to coordinate military activity (primarily submarines)
  in the region.
  October 22, 2054: With the collapse of all human governments, the UN Base becomes an
  independent command associated with the American and Russian missile submarines in the region.
  October 31, 2055: After receiving orders from LeSarre, the UN base commander directs the
  remaining American and Russian submarines in their final launch.
  November 2, 2055: Emergency transmissions received from three American and two Russian
  submarines, reporting that they are under attack. Nothing further is heard from the submarines.
  Contact is still maintained with the orbital facilities via lasers.
  April 26, 2056: The shifting of the moon (for unknown reasons) which has been causing shifting in
  the antarctic ice sheet as well as a rising water levels in the region, partially exposes a large object
  in the ice, which is spotted by a surveillance satellite. A helicopter is dispatched from the base to
  investigate. The helicopter lands and the exploration team reports finding a structure, apparently of
  extreme age.
  April 27-28, 2056: The exploration team examines the structure carefully. They first report finding
  an incredibly well preserved body, which they suspect is Pierce, many human skulls and bones, as
  well as a frozen tent. Later, they report finding a sturdy iron box frozen in the ice. They report
  finding an odd, star-shaped stone in it as well as some damaged papers and an etched piece of
  metal. The expedition members report feeling vaguely ill and there is concern they may have been
  exposed to a long-dormant virus or bacteria.
  April 29, 2056: At 11:45 pm a snow storm appears out of nowhere, cutting visibility to zero.  A
  transmission from the expedition is received at 11:55 pm: “Something has gone wrong...we’re
  getting the hell out of here!” A second transmission is received, from the expedition helicopter, at
  11:57 pm: “It’s after us...God...no feet...flying...help!” No further transmissions are received.
  April 30, 2056: The adventure begins.
  Map Information
  Main Map
  The main map details the area around a UN Antarctic base.
  UN Base: This is the UN Antarctic base. It is detailed in its own section.
  Helicopter Crash Site: This is where one of the base helicopters was brought down by a servant of
  Ithaqua, the Wind Walker. The crash site is detailed below.
  Mysterious Ruins: This is where a temple to Ithaqua has been exposed by an ice slide.
  
  Bitter Wind
  Page 6 of 21
  UN Antarctic Base Map
  The UN Antarctic Base is a highly advanced scientific outpost dedicated to studying the
  Antarctic. It is manned by an twenty person international team of scientists and support personnel.
  It began its career as a United States research station and was later turned over to UN usage in
  2006. The base is constructed out of extremely strong but very light material and the whole thing
  can be disassembled for helicopter transport.
  Barracks: The barracks contains the living quarters for the personnel. To minimize stress, each
  crew member shares a room with another crew member who is on the opposite shift. The barracks
  is equipped with the latest in entertainment and exercise equipment as well as comfortable
  facilities. In addition to the quarters, the barracks contains kitchen facilities and the mess.
  Main Building: The main building houses the scientific labs, meeting rooms, computer rooms, and
  the radio shack for the base. This is where the on-duty crew works. The equipment is all state of the
  art and cutting edge research in a variety of areas (such as climate history) is done here.
  Ground Vehicle Storage: The base’s four snowmobiles and one Snow Tractor are stored here. The
  snowmobiles are quite large and are capable of holding three adults and a fair amount of
  equipment. The Snow Tractor can hold up to three adults in its heated cab. The Snow Tractor is
  used mostly to plow snow.
  Helicopter Pad: The pad is a heavy wooden platform set on the ice. It has protected lights set into
  it as well as a radio transponder to aid in landings under almost any conditions. The base is
  equipped with two Boeing Arctic Hawk helicopters.
  Fuel Storage: Fuel for the vehicles and power plant are kept here in self sealing containers. The
  building is equipped with automated fire extinguishers to avoid accidents.
  Power Plant: This building contains the base’s power plant. It is a technologically advanced
  generator which produces a large amount of electricity from a moderate amount of fuel. Each
  building also has a small back up generator and a forty-eight hour fuel supply.
  Action
  The following provides the Keeper with a guide as to how to unfold the events of the adventure.
  The Howl of the Sirens, the Roar of the Wind
  The adventure begins for the investigators with the howl of the emergency sirens at 12:01 AM,
  April 29. Right after the siren dies down, the investigators will be called to the command center in
  the main building. Once they reach the command center,  the tired and worried-looking base
  commander will inform them of the events since 11:45 and say that she suspects the expedition
  helicopter has crashed while attempting to return to the base, probably due to the weather
  conditions. The commander will also add that she is worried that the pilot may have been
  psychologically disturbed, since his last transmission was extremely odd. This would help to
  
  Bitter Wind
  Page 7 of 21
  explain why he chose to fly the helicopter under such dangerous conditions. After informing the
  investigators of the situation, the base commander will ask them to take a helicopter and search for
  the missing helicopter and investigate the expedition site. Of course, the base commander will not
  allow the investigators to leave until the storm dies down. The storm will dissipate as rapidly as it
  appeared, allowing the investigators to depart at 12:15 am, after the helicopter has been made
  ready.
  The action begins for the investigators when they are sent out to investigate the helicopter crash
  site. After they visit the crash site, they will then proceed to the temple site and their fate.
  Defrosting the Helicopter
  Because of the harsh Arctic conditions (made worse by the altered state of the earth) the
  helicopter is typically coated with snow and ice very quickly after landing. In order to get the
  helicopter ready to fly, the investigators will have to spend some time getting the ice and snow off
  it. The standard method employed is to use some old sunlamps that are stored in the base to speed
  up the process. These rather harsh lamps generate enough heat to melt the snow and ice off the
  helicopter. Although the designer would probably not be pleased with this method of flight prep,
  the helicopter’s advanced construction makes it able to withstand the stresses of freezes and thaws.
  Once airborne and powered up, the heating elements incorporated into the helicopter are adequate
  to keep the ice formation down to a minimum.
  Helicopter Crash Site
  The search for the crash site will be uneventful. The investigators will soon locate the missing
  helicopter which is on the ice, partially buried in snow. The investigators will notice that the
  helicopter has suffered little damage, although it is lying on its side and its rotor is smashed. All of
  the helicopter’s doors are open, but no bodies are visible from the air (either in the helicopter or on
  the ice).
  If the investigators set down their helicopter and go to investigate the downed helicopter, they
  will be able to clearly see that the landing was not too bad and that the crew should have survived.
  If they approach the helicopter, they will spot an automatic pistol lying in the snow. Four shots
  have been fired. Around the helicopter are thick drifts of snow, which could easily conceal
  something as large as a human. If the players decide to inspect the helicopter, they will find it
  abandoned, with snow already beginning to collect through the open doors.
  Two expedition members are nearby. Both have been slain by Pierce and resurrected as drone-
  servants of Ithaqua, and both will attack the investigators when they begin to search around. First to
  be found will be Lieutenant Daniel Jones, who is lying in the snow behind a drift. Jones will
  initially appear to be a corpse, his clothes torn open and stained with blood. Within moments of
  discovery, however, he will begin to moan and twitch; the investigators are likely to think he is
  regaining consciousness, which is somewhat correct. Jones will stagger to his feet (probably with
  the aid of the investigators) and then will lurch at the neck of the nearest person. He’ll attempt to
  tear off their hood, goggles, etc. while trying to get his teeth into their flesh.
  As soon as “Jones” attacks, the undead scientist Rachel Tsung will rise out of the snow to attack
  as well. While the battle with the ice zombies will not be very pleasant for the investigators (after
  all, they will be forced to mangle the corpses of their friends), the stumbling corpses should not
  pose a serious threat and the investigators should be able to journey on to the expedition site.
  
  Bitter Wind
  Page 8 of 21
  If the investigators report in to the base, the commander will not accept any explanation that
  involves zombies. The commander will suggest that 1) the expedition members went mad or 2) that
  they were exposed to some sort of natural or artificial biological agent (remember, they reported
  feeling ill after entering the structure) which brought about their current condition. After any
  wounds are treated by the good doctor, the investigators will be asked to continue on to the
  expedition site to search for any survivors there.
  While the investigators are dealing with the ice zombies, Pierce is searching the area for signs of
  other humans. While he is insane and wants to sacrifice all the humans in the UN base to Ithaqua,
  Pierce wants to be sure that there are no other humans nearby that can come to their aid (Pierce is,
  after all, terribly afraid of death and wants to take no chances). Once he is confidant that there is no
  help for the humans of the base, he will gather aid (several Gnoph-Keh) and return to attack the UN
  base. This process will, however, take him a few hours.
  The Former Lieutenant Daniel Jones, Ice Zombie
  STR
  26
  CON
  28
  SIZ
  13
  POW  1
  DEX
   3
  Move 3
  HP 
  21
  Damage Bonus: +1D6
  The Former Rachel Tsung, Ice Zombie
  STR
  20
  CON
  22
  SIZ
  7
  POW  1
  DEX
   5
  Move 3
  HP 
  15
  Damage Bonus: +1D4
  The Expedition Site
  When the investigators arrive at the expedition site, they will see a circular structure (with a
  broken section — it looks like something took a bite out of it) and the expedition tent nearby. If the
  investigators check the area, they will see little from the air.
  Tent: The tent is the expedition’s tent. It is a fairly large arctic tent and is made of special material
  and equipped with a small generator. The interior looks as if the expedition suddenly abandoned it
  in a great hurry. One side of the tent is torn open roughly. There is a small amount of blood on the
  ice near the opening. If the investigators check the tent, they will find that it contains the usual
  arctic gear as well as two notebook computers. All of the contents of the tent are quite cold and
  dusted with snow. Fortunately, the computers are specially designed for arctic use and will operate
  properly in the cold. One belonged to Rachel Tsung, the other to Dr. Charles Daniels. Tsung, the
  
  Bitter Wind
  Page 9 of 21
  expedition’s biologist, has extensive notes on the organic material found within and on the
  structure. Most of her notes are mundane, except for two entries. In one she described the
  remarkable preservation of the body of Pierce and reports her findings from the sample taken from
  Pierce, namely that Pierce’s cells are still alive, although his metabolic processes have slowed
  incredibly. The second entry reports that Pierce’s body is host to an unknown form of
  microorganism. Tsung reports that she is completely baffled by the organism, which seems to be
  incredibly resistant to her attempts to destroy samples. She also reports that it grows extremely
  rapidly when exposed to UV radiation, with larger colonies of the organism consuming smaller
  ones when no other nutrients are available.
  Dr. Daniels’ speciality was archaeology (no one at the base, including him, was sure why he was
  assigned there — the reason was that a few well-placed military officials had reason to suspect the
  presence of pre-human structures in Antarctica) and his notes are primarily on the temple. He
  describes it as being of no known human building style and as being composed of “unknown
  material.” His notes on the altar state that the designs and inscriptions on it are similar to those
  found in sites in Alaska. He has several references in his notes to the “Walker of the Wastes,”
  which is one of the titles humans have given Ithaqua. According to the notes, this “Walker of the
  Wastes” is described as a giant monster of the ice which “travels all the realms to sate its eternal
  hunger.”
  Aside from the two computers, there is nothing else interesting in the tent.
  The Temple of Ithaqua
  The temple building was originally a storage container used by Elder Things around 250 Million
  BC (just prior to the revolt of the Shuggoths).The container was no ordinary one for it was used to
  hold material for the creation of the dread Shuggoths. While the fate of the rest of the Elder Thing
  structure remains a mystery, the container eventually ended up in the Antarctic where it was found
  by a pre-human race which worshipped Ithaqua. This race converted the container into a temple
  (they took it to be a gift from Ithaqua) and set about their vile practices with a renewed frenzy.
  Unfortunately for this vile race, the container still held some shuggoth material which soon infested
  and devoured the bodies of the faithful of Ithaqua. The temple lay abandoned for untold years until
  Dr. Pierce, after learning of it in dark and secret books, set out to find it.
  The temple structure is clearly of alien manufacture. While the structure is not offensive to the
  human eye, there is something vaguely off about it, something that indicates (on a subconscious
  level) that this is not a work of man. One side of the temple structure is open (where the entrance
  used to be) as it was broken off by shifting ice.
  The Shoggoth Zombie
  If the players look inside the temple, they will see the altar as well as the body of Dr. Daniels.
  Daniels’ body is a horrid sight: the flesh seems to be melting off from it and forming a puddle on
  the floor. Mixing with the slowly forming puddle of flesh are small, grayish clumps with eye-like
  markings (shoggoth-matter). Nearby lies the mauled body of the other member of the expedition,
  Sergeant Mjanwi. If the investigators enter the temple, the flesh from Daniels’ body will ooze back
  up onto his skeleton, guided by the shoggoth matter. The horrible mass will then arise and lurch
  towards the investigators.
  Daniels’ body has almost been completely absorbed and converted to a form of shoggoth matter.
  The resulting being is twisted and weaker version of a shoggoth, but it is still dangerous. It is driven
  
  Bitter Wind
  Page 10 of 21
  by a primal desire to incorporate more and more flesh into itself, so it can achieve true shoggoth
  size.
  Shoggoth “zombie”
  STR 
  13
  CON 17
  INT
   4
  SIZ
  12
  POW 12
  DEX
  4
  Move 4
  HP: 10
  Damage Bonus: none
  Weapons: Claw 35%, damage 1D6.
  Armor: None, but 1) fire and electrical attacks do only three quarters damage, physical weapons
  such as firearms do only quarter damage, and 3) it regenerates 1 hit point per round.
  Sanity Loss: 1/1D8 Sanity points to see this being.
  Temple Interior
  The interior has an odd smell to it (a mix of fresh blood, old bones, shoggoth-matter, and other
  stuff) which humans will find disagreeable. The interior contains the bodies of the two expedition
  members. They were drained of power by Pierce and then killed as sacrifices to Ithaqua to
  complete the ritual of transformation. An examination of the bodies by someone with medical skill
  will reveal that they were killed by a knife (a survival knife from the expedition supplies, which is
  resting on the altar) and not by the Daniels-creature. A knocked-over table is on the floor and
  scattered about it are various instruments and notes. An examination of the material will reveal the
  same information as the computers, but there are actual samples present. If the investigators
  examine the samples and the examiner makes a medical skill roll, they will learn that the samples
  are of what appears to be human tissue infested by some very odd, unknown organisms. If the
  investigators expose them to UV light, they will expand dramatically and consume their host tissue.
  If the investigators are foolish enough to let any of the material come in contact with their skin, the
  shoggoth-material will enter their bodies and begin feeding. The results of such an unpleasant
  occurrance are up to the Keeper; have fun with it and make it very unpleasant.
  Skulls and Bones: This is a pile of skulls and bones which has collected due to the slight tilt of the
  temple. If some one with biology or medical skill examines the bones and makes a skill roll, they
  will be able to determine that not all the bones are human. The human ones are, of course, those
  from the Pierce-Taylor expedition while the non-human ones are from the pre-human race that
  worshiped Ithaqua.
  Altar: The ice-block altar is coated in frozen blood, has a survival knife on it as well as two odd
  protrusions. These protrusions are all that are left of a crude stone statue of Ithaqua. The side of the
  altar is covered with strange designs and script. The script, which is in an ancient, non-human
  language, contains the text of the spells Contact Gnophp-Keh, Call/Dismiss Ithaqua, and Ritual of
  Transformation.
  Frozen Wings
  
  Bitter Wind
  Page 11 of 21
  While the investigators are examining the temple, Pierce will return to the area and notice their
  presence. He will initially want to simply slay them outright, but when he sees Dr. Taylor he will
  change his mind. Pierce will be convinced that Dr. Taylor is actually John Taylor and Pierce will
  want to make him suffer before he sacrifices him to Ithaqua. This will give the investigators time.
  Being in a particularly sadistic mood, he will have his Gnoph-Keh allies create a micro-blizzard
  over the investigators helicopter to render it incapable of flying. The Gnoph-Keh and Pierce will
  stay out of sight, so the investigators will only hear a horrible roaring noise coming from outside
  and see their helicopter enveloped in a rapidly diminishing swirl of ice and snow. If the
  investigators left one of their number behind, they will be frozen to death in the helicopter, unless
  they leave as soon as the attack begins. Once they see the condition of their helicopter, the
  investigators will realize that they have to trek across 26.84 km of frozen waste to reach their base.
  Journey Across the Ice
  Since the investigators are experienced in the arctic and well equipped, they will be able to cover
  the distance in about seven hours. The investigators have no chance of getting lost as they have a
  satellite navigation uplink. However, they have no way of communicating with the base since radio
  communications will be filled with static (due to an air current laden with radiation which is
  passing through the region).
  Since Pierce wants to torment the investigators, they will not be in actual danger as they travel
  back to the base. However, the investigators will not know this and their journey will be horrifying.
  As they trek back across the ice, the Gnoph-Keh will create small blizzards to bedevil the
  investigators, perhaps even causing them some damage. The Gnoph-Keh will also allow themselves
  to be briefly spotted by the investigators. In addition, Pierce will play tricks on the investigators.
  For example, he might re-animate one of the dead expedition members and drop him off in the
  investigators’ path. The keeper should be sure to instill the proper level of fear in the players.
  At some point while the investigators are making their trek, Pierce and his allies will stop
  harassing the investigators. The reason for this is that Pierce has finally gathered enough allies to
  attack the base, which he will do. His attack will be brutal and devastating. While the personnel
  will kill several of Pierce’s allies, they will eventually freeze the base and kill everyone in it.
  Homecoming
  As the investigators approach the base, they will see the interior lights shining and everything
  apparently normal. Once they get closer, they will see signs of a struggle: bullet holes in some of
  the walls, broken windows, and blood on the ice. The interior of the base is a mess. Everything has
  been torn up and there are frozen bodies with horrible wounds and terrifying expressions scattered
  about within the buildings.
  After the investigators realize the full horror of their situation, they will hear the wind die down
  and a booming voice will be heard : “Welcome home Taylor. Do you like what I’ve done to the
  place? You probably never expected to see me again, when you sealed me in the temple, but you
  never were very bright.  I was awake all those years, Taylor. I spent them thinking of what I would
  do to you when my great intellect and ability led to my freedom. I think this is suitable revenge,
  don’t you Taylor? After I kill your friends and re-animate them to keep you company, I’ll leave you
  here. I’ll leave you here forever.” After giving his speech, Pierce will set about making good on his
  threat.
  Fighting Pierce
  
  Bitter Wind
  Page 12 of 21
  Pierce’s great ego is forcing him to attack the investigators without help. While he wants to live
  forever, he is utterly confidant that four humans cannot possibly do him harm. However, he does
  know about firearms and will be subtle and cautious in his attack. This will give the players some
  time to plan and effect their defense.
  Pierce can be defeated in two main ways. The first is an out-and-out battle. If the players choose
  this option, Pierce will probably slaughter them. The second option is to make use of the
  investigators’ talents and assets. Because of his nature, Pierce is vulnerable to Elder Signs. Taylor
  can construct one, using the spell passed down through his family. Once one is constructed, the
  investigators will have to set a suitable trap for Pierce. If the players checked the computers, they
  will know that Pierce is infested with Shoggoth material and that this material grows rapidly in UV
  light. The investigators will know that the base has a stock of old sun lamps (which are used to melt
  ice off the vehicles since they emit harsh UV radiation). The investigators can set these lamps up in
  a suitable place and power them off one of the buildings’ power supplies. The big problem will be
  forcing or luring Pierce into the trap. This can be done in a variety of ways. The two main ways are
  1) to force him into the area using an Elder Sign or 2) to lure him into an area by having Taylor
  taunt him. Because of Pierce’s ego, he will be easily provoked by Taylor and will pursue him.
  If Pierce is exposed to the lamps, the Shoggoth-material in his body will begin to grow and
  consume his flesh. He will take no damage the first round, one point the next round, two the
  second, and so on until the fifth round. After five rounds of exposure to the UV light, the growth
  cycle of the shoggoth-material will be fully activated and it will continue until Pierce is consumed.
  After that, he will take 1D6 HP a round as the rapidly-growing shoggoth material rips its way
  through his body. Seeing this process costs the viewer 1/1D8 Sanity points. Once Pierce starts
  taking 1D6 damage, he will flee the building, howling. He will rush out into the arctic to summon
  Ithaqua, in the hopes that his god will be able to save him.
  As Pierce dies, his life energy goes into his summoning spell and Ithaqua will be brought to Earth
  just as Pierce’s body is reduced to a writhing, twisting mass of mindless shoggoth matter. If Pierce
  is killed physically (using guns or whatever) by the investigators, Ithaqua will show up shortly after
  Pierce’s death.
  If Pierce kills the investigators, he will re-animate them as Ice Zombies and leave them and the
  still-living Taylor in the base. He will them summon Ithaqua to transform Taylor (after Pierce bites
  off his feet, of course) and Taylor will be left a mad cannibalistic monster, gnawing on the bones of
  his dead friends.
  The End
  Assuming the investigators have dealt with Pierce, they will be trapped in the Antarctic in a base
  which will be frozen over as soon as the auxiliary generators run out of fuel (Pierce destroyed the
  main generator and punctured the fuel tanks). Of course, the arrival of Ithaqua will keep the
  shortage of fuel from being a problem.
  The adventure probably ends with the surviving investigators trying to call for help on the base’s
  laser communication system. After checking through several dead channels, the investigators will
  get in touch with the surviving space station orbiting Earth. The communications officer will ask
  the investigators to give a report of their situation and then he will say “I won’t lie to you. We’ve
  lost communication with just about everything on Earth. You’re the first contact we’ve had in days.
  God, I wish we could help you.”
  Investigators who flee into the night are pursued and taken in the clutches of Ithaqua. Those who
  stay in the base are met with incredible winds that tear down walls and ceilings. The last message
  
  Bitter Wind
  Page 13 of 21
  from the investigators to the space station, the last message anyone on Earth is able to send, tells of
  “dark and horrible shapes moving across the ice” behind which moves “something large..something
  inhumanly large…”
  Scenario Equipment
  Steyr Advanced Combat Rifle
  Shots Per Round: 3 or burst
  Damage: 2D8+3
  Base Range: 150
  Ammo: 60
  Malfunction #: 99
  This bullpup configured weapon is the latest member of the famous Steyr line of assault rifles. It
  is made of the latest lightweight polymers and fires the latest in caseless ammunition. The version
  used by Arctic forces is specially designed to be capable of firing in almost any conditions, even if
  the rifle has just been chipped out of a block of ice.
  Arctic Gear
  Arctic gear consists of a full body suit of heat retaining material. The body suit is equipped with a
  battery powered heating system that is good for twenty four hours of use. Along with the suit
  comes a helmet equipped with a two-way radio and polarized lenses. Stored in various convenient
  pockets are survival items such as medical supplies, a knife, flares, and other equipment. Arctic
  gear with a functioning heating system counts as four points of armor against cold attacks and two
  points against such attacks when the batteries are exhausted.
  Military Binoculars
  Military binoculars are highly advanced optical binoculars which are also equipped with a
  thermal and light enhancement viewing systems. They are also equipped with microcomputers that
  can calculate ranges and enhance images. Such binoculars are extremely useful in the arctic as they
  can be used to detect heat sources (such as vehicles, bases, and people) even through snowstorms.
  Non-Player Characters
  There are two main human NPCs that the players will interact with during the course of the
  adventure. Two of these NPCs are the UN base commander and the communications officer. Since
  these two NPCs will not be actively involved in the adventure, no stats are provided for them.
  Base Commander Jody Roy
  Commander Roy is the base commander and is a native of Canada. She is an extremely tough-
  minded individual and is well-liked by those under her command as well as the scientists. The
  collapse of virtually all outside authority has made Roy the highest authority in the region and
  hence fully responsible for the base and its personnel. The burden of responsibility, combined with
  the loss of her family, weighs heavily on her. At this point, it is only her sense of duty and
  responsibility that keep her going.
  She knows virtually nothing of the real situation and is convinced that the shifting of the moon,
  combined with various social and political factors, has brought about some sort of mass hysteria
  and religious fanaticism which has plunged humanity into madness and war. Any reports of
  
  Bitter Wind
  Page 14 of 21
  monsters or other oddness will be regarded by her as signs that the individual making such a report
  is cracking up under the stress of the situation.
  Communication Officer “Al” Hussein
  Hussein, who hails from Damascus, is the base’s communication officer. He is responsible for all
  aspects of communications, including the coded and secure military channels. Due to the general
  collapse of civilization, not to mention the deaths and EMP brought about by the earlier nuclear
  strikes, Hussein has little work to do. An active man by nature, he has grown somewhat despondent
  due to the lack of work and the fact that he listened to the final broadcasts of many of his friends
  (including the deaths of some). The current crisis will bring about a brief restoration of his former
  self, because setting up and maintaining communications with the investigators will give him
  something to do. During his communications, his voice will be crisp and professional and he will
  maintain constant communications with the characters (almost to the point of becoming slightly
  annoying).
  Pre-Made Characters
  Four characters are provided which compose the investigation team. If there is only one player,
  that player should take Dr. Taylor as their character. If there are less than four players, the other
  team members will need to be run as NPCs, but Dr. Taylor should always be taken by a player. The
  investigators may be altered at the Keeper’s discretion, should the players desire to do so. Players
  may freely alter the sex of the characters they will be playing (prior to the start of the adventure, of
  course).
  Captain Karl Harnst, German Army
  Security Chief, UN Antarctic Base
  STR:
  13
  CON: 15
  SIZ:
  13
  INT:
  14
  POW: 15
  DEX: 14
  APP:
  13
  EDU: 17
  SAN: 75
  HP:
  14
  Damage Bonus: +1D4
  Skills:  Climb 55%, Computer Use 15%, Dodge 45%,  Electronics 15%, First Aid 45%, Listen
  35%, Martial Arts 65%,  Persuade 55%, Psychology 65%, Sneak 45%, Spot Hidden 65%, Track
  45% Handgun 75%, Rifle 65%
  Languages: German 85%, English 75%
  Snap Judgement: Clean cut, German professional soldier.
  Physical Description: Harnst is a tall, healthy looking man with blonde hair and blue eyes. He has
  a large scar which runs from his left cheek all the way down to his chest (a hunting accident).
  Description: Harnst’s entire adult life has been spent in the German military. After enlisting right
  after school, his abilities soon led him to officer candidate school and up through the ranks. In his
  younger days, Harnst was nearly a fascist, but his experiences while assigned to a UN peace
  keeping force in Eastern Europe radically altered his views.
  Harnst is a very practical and pragmatic man and considers the rational use of force to be an
  effective means of problem-solving. Hence, his approach to problems tends to be very direct. While
  Harnst is very intelligent, he has little in the way of fanciful imagination and dismisses all rumors
  about some supernatural basis to the worlds problems as complete nonsense.
  Equipment: Arctic gear, automatic pistol and two clips, Steyr Advanced Combat Rifle and two
  clips, Military Binoculars.
  
  Bitter Wind
  Page 15 of 21
  Lieutenant Janet Armstrong, Australian Air Force
  STR:
  11
  CON: 14
  SIZ:
  8
  INT:
  15
  POW: 13
  DEX: 16
  APP:
  14
  EDU: 16
  SAN: 63
  HP:
  11
  Damage Bonus: none
  Skills:  Astronomy 35%, Computer Use 15%, Dodge 45%, Electrical Repair 35%, Electronics 10%,
  First Aid 40%, Hide 85%, Listen 55%, Locksmith 45%, Martial Arts 50%, Mechanical Repair
  55%, Persuade 25%, Pilot Aircraft (Helicopter) 90%, Knife 55%, Handgun 45%, Rifle 35%
  Languages: English 80%
  Snap Judgement: Tough Australian, mixed with a stunt helicopter pilot.
  Physical Description: Armstrong is a dark skinned Australian woman with a slightly wild look in
  her eyes.
  Description: Armstrong has been flying helicopters since she was a girl and did several stunt jobs
  in various films. When conditions worsened around the world, she volunteered for military service.
  After dumping an amorous general who tried to put a move on her into the ocean, she was
  transferred to the UN antrctic base. Armstrong is afraid of what has happened to the world, but
  would never admit it.
  Armstrong is very skilled and extremely reckless. She tends to live her life like she flies, which
  has gotten her in trouble on many occasions. Most of the base personnel think she is completely
  nuts, but there is no one they would rather have at the controls when things get difficult.
  Equipment: Arctic gear, automatic pistol and two clips, combat knife.
  Dr. David Taylor, Scientist
  STR:
  11
  CON: 14
  SIZ:
  12
  INT:
  19
  POW: 16
  DEX: 12
  APP:
  13
  EDU: 21
  SAN: 74
  HP:
  13
  Damage Bonus: None
  Skills: Anthropology 35%, Archaeology 85%, Biology 60%, Computer Use 10%, Cthulhu Mythos
  4%, Geology 35%, Library Use 85%, Occult 75%, Spot Hidden 35%,  Handgun 35%
  Languages: English 105%, Latin 65%, Greek 60%
  Snap Judgement: middle-aged but active professor.
  Physical Description: Taylor is a tall, thin man with light brown hair and blue eyes. He has a beard
  and moustache. He also looks almost exactly like his ancestor, Dr. John Taylor.
  Description: Dr. Taylor is the last of the well-known Taylor line and the heir to the secret of the
  Taylors. Dr. Taylor is aware that John Taylor was an investigator of Mythos secrets and that he and
  his companion Dr. Pierce ran into some horrible trouble in the antarctic that resulted in Pierce’s
  death. After learning of these events, and several others in John Taylor’s notes (which were passed
  down through the family), Dr. Taylor became interested in what was really going on in the world
  and on more than one occasion he has had the opportunity to find out. Because of these experiences
  and his knowledge, Dr. Taylor was assigned to the UN Base by US Special Operations.
  Taylor is a knowledgeable and brave individual who has faced some strange terrors in the past.
  Because of his experiences, he is ready for almost anything. He also suspects that something
  terrible has happened to the expedition.
  Equipment: Arctic gear, automatic pistol, notebook computer
  Spells: Elder Sign
  Dr. Neraj Gupta, Medical Officer
  
  Bitter Wind
  Page 16 of 21
  STR:
  12
  CON: 14
  SIZ:
  12
  INT:
  19
  POW: 12
  DEX: 12
  APP:
  13
  EDU: 20
  SAN: 60
  HP:
  13
  Damage Bonus: None
  Skills: Biology 65%, Chemistry 25%, First Aid 95%, Library Use 85%, Medicine 85%, Pharmacy
  65%, Psychology 25%, Psychoanalysis 15%
  Languages: Hindustani 100%, English 85%, Latin 15%
  Snap Judgement: Competent, compassionate doctor.
  Physical Description: Dr. Gupta is a tall, thin man with dark brown hair and brown eyes.
  Description: Dr. Gupta grew up in India and was educated in the United States. After practicing
  for several years in the United States, he returned to India for several years. While in India, he was
  befriended by a holy man who taught him many things about medicine and life. On his death bed,
  the holy man told him he must “journey to the land of ice to face the bitter wind.” When Dr. Gupta
  heard that the UN was in need of a medical officer for their antarctic base, he knew he had to
  volunteer for the job.
  Dr. Gupta is an extremely skilled doctor and a kind man. He employs a wide variety of medical
  techniques, ranging from the latest medical treatments to ancient yoga practices. Dr. Gupta has
  sworn never to take a human life and is a strict ethical vegetarian.
  Equipment: Arctic gear, notebook computer, medical kit.
  Mythos Beings
  Dr. Henry Pierce, Servant of Ithaqua
  STR 
  26
  CON
  30
  SIZ
  26
  INT 
  18
  POW 19
  DEX
  14
  Move: 8/ 60 Flying
  HP 
  28
  Damage Bonus: +2D6
  Weapons: Wind Gust 50% , damage lift and drop: 1D6 x 10 feet, each 10 feet dropped equals 1D6
  damage. Claw: 40%, Damage 2D6+db (normal armor and “cold” armor, such as arctic gear, counts
  against this attack).
  Attacks: If Dr. Pierce is within six meters, he can use powerful winds to whisk victims up into the
  air and drop them onto the ice. Players of those attacked must roll on the Resistance Table,
  matching the investigator’s STR against Pierce’s STR on that table. If Pierce is attacking several
  people, he must divide his strength among them. Pierce can also use his winds to interfere with
  flying vehicles, especially helicopters. Used in this manner, the pilot must roll a successful  piloting
  skill. This skill is modified by subtracting Pierce’s STR from the pilots skill. On a missed roll,
  Pierce can force the craft 3D6 meters in any general direction he chooses. If the pilot succeeds, she
  retains control of the craft.
  Armor: 4 points of skin.
  Spells: Call/Dismiss Ithaqua, Contact Ithaqua, Create Ice Zombie, Power Drain, Ritual Of
  Transformation, Shrivelling.
  Sanity Loss:1/1D10 to see Pierce in his new form.
  Physical description: Pierce is a horrid monstrosity. He appears to be an unholy mix of his
  original, human form and Ithaqua. Despite his horrid alteration, many of Pierce’s features are still
  recognizable (which makes his appearance even more horrible).
  
  Bitter Wind
  Page 17 of 21
  Description: Once human, Pierce is a vicious and insane monster. After successfully completing
  the ritual, he was transformed into a servant of Ithaqua. Now he exists to further madness, death,
  and the spread of icy cold.
  Despite his complete insanity, Pierce still has a brilliant mind and he retains most of his memories
  and knowledge. His main vulnerabilities are his ego and his desire to live forever. He can be driven
  into rages by insults and provocations and during such rages he will often make mistakes that can
  be exploited. His desire to live forever, which helped lead him to his current fate, makes him overly
  cautious and somewhat cowardly (at least when he is not in a rage).
  Pierce’s Spells
  CONTACT GNOPH-KEH: As per the rule book, but because of Pierce’s nature and power, he is
  able to call several Gnoph-Keh and have them respond quickly. While the Gnoph-Keh are not his
  slaves, they are his allies and will aid him in the course of his activities.
  CALL/DISMISS ITHAQUA: As per the rulebook.
  CREATE ICE ZOMBIE: Casting this spell requires a human body which was either killed by
  cold (or by a being of the cold such as Ithaqua, a Servant of Itahqua, or a Gnoph-Keh) or a corpse
  that has been allowed to freeze all the way through. This body must be coated in snow or ice and
  then the spell must be cast. Casting the spell requires one magic point for every three size points of
  the corpse, a permanent point of POW from the caster, and 1D6 Sanity Points. Casting the spell
  requires a number of minutes equal to its cost in magic points. At the end of the spell, the newly
  formed zombie (which looks like a frozen corpse) stands up to do its master’s bidding.
  POWER DRAIN: As per the rule book.
  RITUAL OF TRANSFORMATION: This extremely rare spell enables a human being to
  transform himself into a monstrous Servant of Ithaqua. Casting this spell requires three days (which
  need not be consecutive). On each day of casting,  at least two humans (or human like beings) must
  be scarificed and the caster must expend 20 magic points and one permanent point of POW. The
  caster (if not already insane) loses 1D8 points of Sanity per casting. After the third casting, the
  caster is transformed into a hideous monstrosity. The caster’s STR, CON and SIZ all double, while
  all other attributes (except APP) remain the same. The caster’s SAN drops to 0, if it is not there
  already. The transformed person has the attack abilities and inflicts the Sanity loss as described
  above in Pierce’s statistics.
  SHRIVELLING: As per the rulebook.
  New Mythos Being
  Ice Zombies
  Ice Zombies are rather horrible in appearance as they look like frozen human corpses of people
  who have tied terrible, agonizing deaths and have been forced back into some unholy semblance of
  life. This is because this is exactly what they are. Because of their magically frozen state, they can
  
  Bitter Wind
  Page 18 of 21
  move, but do so in a jerky fashion and all movement is accompanied by a horrid sound that reminds
  listeners of breaking bones.
  Like their normal zombie “cousins,” Ice Zombies are almost immune to impaling weapons (such
  as firearms), although such weapons will give them an even more horrifying appearance. Being
  dead, Ice Zombies cannot be killed but must instead be hacked apart or destroyed by some other
  means. They are particularly vulnerable to intense heat or large fires, taking double normal damage
  from such attacks. Ice Zombies also require freezing temperatures to remain active, otherwise they
  begin to thaw out. Once thawed, they cease to be animated. Ice Zombies, like normal zombies,
  require one point of power from their creator.
  Characteristics
  Rolls
  Averages
  STR
  3D6 x2
  20-22
  CON
  3D6 x2
  20-22
  SIZ
  3D6
  10-11
  POW
  1
  1
  DEX
  1D6
  3-4
  Move 3
  HP 15-17
  Damage Bonus: +1D4 - +1D6
  Weapon: Bite 30%, Damage 1D3, Bludgeon (punch) 30% 1D6+db
  Armor: Frozen body acts as 2 points of armor, impaling weapons do 1 point of damage, and all
  others do one half rolled damage.
  Sanity Loss: 1/1D8 Sanity points to see an ice zombie
  
  Bitter Wind
  Page 19 of 21
  Helicopter Pad
  Fuel Storage
  Power Plant
  Ground Vehicle Storage
  Main Building
  Barracks
  
  Bitter Wind
  Page 20 of 21
  Helicopter Crash Site
   26.84  km. 
  Base
   15.89  km. 
  Mysterious Ruins
  Ocean
  
  Bitter Wind
  Page 21 of 21
  Skulls and Bones
  Altar
  Tent
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Call of Cthulhu (CoC) (BRP) [multi]/Call of Cthulhu (BRP)/End Time/CoC - End Time - Adv - Bitter Wind.pdf