TEXT: THE TABLETOP ROLEPLAYING GAME
  
  THE TABLETOP ROLEPLAYING GAME
  
  Credits
  Written by Alexander Lepera, Pete Sauber
  Additional Writing by Lee Pruitt, John Reilly
  Graphic Design & Typesetting by Tânia Gomes
  Edited by Kerri Miller, Ian O'Reilly
  Proofreading by Gene Ketcherside, Cassandra Rollins and Mitch Williams
  Project Management and Production by Lee Pruitt
  Interior Art by Tom Rogers and Dexter Weeks
  Additional Art by Colin Dyer and Jack Ciolli
  Cover Art by Tom Rogers
  Playtesters: Aser Tolentino, Megan Tolentino, Magnus Coles, Jessie Sparkles, Jessica Trevino
  © 2017 Ravendesk Games. Herald: Lovecraft & Tesla the Tabletop Roleplaying Game and all related marks and logos are trademarks of Action 
  Lab Comics and Ravendesk Games. Herald: Lovecraft & Tesla was created by John Reilly for Action Lab Comics. 
  This game references the Savage Worlds © game system, available from Pinnacle Entertainment Group at www.peginc.com. Savage Worlds © 
  and all associated logos and trademarks are copyrights of Pinnacle Entertainment Group. Used with permission. Pinnacle makes no representa-
  tion or warranty as to the quality, viability, or suitability for purpose of this product.
  
  Introduction .......................................................... 5
  PART 1: Setting
  Life in These Roaring Twenties .......................... 8
  The Mythos Resistance ....................................... 9
  Invaders from Beyond the Stars .......................... 9
  History Is Yours to Recreate .............................. 10
  A Cup of Coffee for a Dime .............................. 10
  No Arcane Backgrounds ................................... 11
  Madness and the Mythos .................................. 12
  PART 2: Creating Characters
  The Table Is Set................................................ 14
  Great Characters .............................................. 15
  Character Concepts .......................................... 15
  Character Creation Process .............................. 16
  New Edges and Hindrances ............................. 18
  Our Flaws Are What Make Us Human ............ 21
  Walkthrough: Example Character Creation ..... 22
  PART 3: Gear
  Gear & Inventions ............................................ 26
  Clothing ........................................................... 26
  Food ................................................................. 27
  General Equipment .......................................... 28
  Vehicles ............................................................ 28
  Weapons ........................................................... 32
  Body Armor ..................................................... 34
  Tesla-Tech ........................................................ 34
  PART 4: Atlas
  Weird New England ......................................... 38
  The Uncanny Valley of Miskatonic .................. 38
  Dunwich .............................................................. 39
  Kingsport ............................................................ 39
  Table of Contents
  For Players
  Innsmouth ........................................................... 40
  Arkham ............................................................... 40
  Miskatonic University ........................................ 40
  Campus Map .................................................... 41
  Welcome to Miskatonic U! .............................. 41
  Departments and Locations ............................. 42
  Miskatonic Campus Newspaper Issue # 1 ....... 45
  Miskatonic Campus Newspaper Issue # 2 ....... 46
  Miskatonic Campus Newspaper Issue # 3 ....... 47
  Map of Downcity Providence ............................ 48
  Providence
  Providence........................................................ 49
  Downcity Providence ....................................... 49
  Boston
  Boston .............................................................. 49
  Other Hotspots Around the Globe
  New York City .................................................. 50
  Chicago ............................................................ 51
  Los Angeles ...................................................... 51
  Havana ............................................................. 52
  Dublin .............................................................. 52
  London ............................................................. 52
  Paris.................................................................. 53
  Vienna .............................................................. 53
  Rome ................................................................ 54
  Istanbul (Constantinople) ................................. 55
  Cairo ................................................................. 55
  Kathmandu ....................................................... 55
  Antarctica  ........................................................ 56
  Even More Hotspots ........................................... 56
  
  PART 5: Running the Game
  Running the Game ........................................... 58
  Fast, Furious, Fun! ........................................... 58
  Master of the Game .......................................... 58
  How Real Is Too Real? .................................... 59
  Special Setting Rules .......................................... 59
  Cosmic Horror & Fear Checks ........................ 59
  Unfortunates with Eldritch Visions .................. 61
  Knowledge of the Mythos ................................ 61
  Rules of The Elsewhere ................................... 61
  Native Tongues ................................................. 62
  Educated Masses .............................................. 62
  Employment, Crime & Complications ............ 62
  Travel & Encounters ........................................ 63
  Optional Rules .................................................... 64
  Using Arcane Backgrounds ............................. 64
  Playing as a Cultist .......................................... 64
  Playing as a Ghoul ........................................... 64
  Rotating Cast of Characters ............................. 65
  New Skill: Performance ................................... 66
  Mix and Match ................................................. 66
  History Buff ..................................................... 66
  PART 6: Weird Tales of Adventure
  One-Sheets
  One-Sheet: The Element of Danger ................. 68
  One-Sheet: Dive! Dive! Dive! .......................... 70
  One-Sheet: The Fun Guy’s Glee Club ............. 72
  One-Sheet: Hungry, Hungry ............................ 74
  For Game Masters
  One-Sheet: The Infinite Hotel .......................... 76
  One-Sheet: That’s the Spirit! ........................... 78
  Adventures
  Adventure: Circle of Confusion ....................... 80
  Adventure: The Fall of a Sparrow .................... 85
  Adventure: Mood Indigo.................................. 92
  Adventure: The Trio ......................................... 96
  Adventure: Yellow Bosphorus ....................... 101
  PART 7: Friends & Foes
  Characters & Creatures .................................. 114
  Wild Cards & Extras ...................................... 114
  Extras ............................................................. 114
  Setting-Specific Extras ................................... 114
  Unnatural Bestiary ........................................... 117
  H.P.’s Field Guide to the Entities 
  of the Mythos ................................................. 117
  The Yearbook .................................................... 124
  Who’s Who in the Roaring 20s ...................... 124
  Novice, Seasoned, or Veteran? ....................... 124
  Pregenerated Characters
  Novice Characters (x40) ................................ 125
  Seasoned Characters (x5) ............................... 165
  Veteran Characters (x5) ................................. 170
  Back Matter
  List of 1920s Slang ........................................ 176
  Index .............................................................. 178
  Character Sheet .............................................. 180
  
  Introduction
  What is Herald: The Tabletop Roleplaying Game?
  Herald is a young Eleanor Roosevelt with a 
  Tommy gun tiptoeing through a creaky basement 
  to shoot a sentient mound of pus leaking from the 
  walls.
  Herald is Salvador Dali at the entrance of a 
  jungle-covered temple gateway, discussing points 
  of entry with a massive split-brained slug gently 
  perched on his shoulder.
  Herald is Duke Ellington in a forgotten wing of 
  Miskatonic University’s library, reading the journal 
  scraps of a dead archaeologist and discovering that 
  the Amulet of Quetzahochel he thought protected 
  him from the undead is in fact the cause of his 
  recent hallucinations.
  Herald is You, telling stories drawn from our 
  collective historical mythology, with all its attendant 
  rough and tumble character drama, apocrypha, 
  victories, and tears.
  This roleplaying experience is a wild blend of 
  history, science, and magic, filtered through the 
  cosmic horror of H. P. Lovecraft and paced with the 
  speed of the pulp serials of the 1920s. It’s fanatics, 
  fantastic inventions, forbidden knowledge, twists, 
  monsters, romance, conspiracies, heartache, and 
  adventure in a world where everyone has secrets. 
  But above all else, Herald is fast, furious, and fun.
  This all started eons ago with the Great Old 
  Ones, but our story begins when Amelia Earhart, 
  engaged to Nikola Tesla, steals one of his unfinished 
  magnetic engines and disappears while crossing the 
  Atlantic on a solo flight. After Tesla asks Einstein 
  for guidance, he’s told to find H. P. Lovecraft, whose 
  knowledge of the occult and other dimensions 
  might provide a route to Earhart’s escape from the 
  Elsewhere dimension where reason and physics hold 
  no authority.
  While searching for an extant copy of the 
  Necronomicon, H. P. and Tesla are pitted against a 
  vast global cult of plain-clothed zealots determined 
  to awaken mighty Cthulhu from his eternal slumber 
  so that he may devour humanity. As the boys fight 
  the Cult with the help of Mark Twain and Harry 
  Houdini, a host of weird mysteries spring up all over 
  the world, and time is running out.
  These are the Roaring Twenties. Prohibition 
  threatens to upend society as all walks of life 
  struggle to maintain the appearance of post-war 
  normalcy. But underneath it all, a cabal of smiling 
  villains pushes their plan to relegate humanity to the 
  ash heap of unrecorded history.
  This is where you come in. The Mythos isn’t 
  going to banish itself, so steel your wits, sharpen 
  your charms, and with some luck and possibly a 
  few sticks of dynamite, choose from hundreds of 
  interesting people from the 1920s and do your part 
  to keep the world safe.
  Herald the Tabletop Roleplaying Game is based 
  on the ongoing Action Lab comic series Herald: 
  Lovecraft & Tesla by John Reilly, Tom Rogers, and 
  Dexter Weeks. This sourcebook expands the series 
  into a fully-realized Savage Worlds setting that 
  invites you to shape history to your will.
  On a personal note, I’ve been playing/running 
  tabletop RPGs and campaigns since I was 9, so 
  believe me when I tell you that this game is a 
  dream come true for a life-long nerd. The folks at 
  Ravendesk are kindred spirits, and if they hadn’t 
  shown such excitement and deference to the source 
  material, its characters, and the long-term plans for 
  Herald, then this venture wouldn’t have happened. 
  The games you’re about to jump into are in good 
  hands.
  I’m sure if you’ve gotten this far, then like me, 
  you take great pleasure in telling and sharing stories 
  with your friends, whether around a table with a 
  bowl of snacks and a laminated grid map or online 
  with the lights low and a nice headset to sell the 
  creepy NPC whisper you rehearsed all day. I want 
  you to know that we’re interested in what you and 
  your group come up with in this historical sandbox 
  of magic and mayhem. We hope you’ll share your 
  Herald adventures with us.
  ~John Reilly
  
  Herald: Lovecraft & Tesla
  6
  
  Part 1
  Setting
  
  Herald: Lovecraft & Tesla
  8
  things. Between that and the influenza pandemic, 
  there are very few who haven’t come face to face 
  with their own mortality over the last few years. But 
  at the moment, societies are rebuilding themselves, 
  redefining borders and cultures, and trying to get 
  their bearings after so much death and destruction. 
  There’s hope, and it’s worth fighting for.
  In the United States, it’s a dry decade where 
  alcohol has been prohibited, creating an entire 
  shadow industry run by criminals. Prohibition 
  is a drastic social experiment that may prove to 
  be a failure, but for now, it’s the law of the land. 
  Everywhere, folks wet their whistles in speakeasies 
  Life in These Roaring Twenties
  For most of the Plain Janes and Regular Joes of 
  the 1920s, life moves steadily along as it should. 
  Life has never been easy, mind you, but today we 
  have inventions and high technology built to make 
  things easier. Technology of this modern era runs 
  on electric currents as well as steam, coal, and other 
  more traditional energy sources. We now build 
  gargantuan dams to harness this power, and run 
  electricity along lines from pole to pole, connecting 
  towns to cities. We have finally achieved sustained 
  flight, and the burgeoning aircraft industry is not just 
  for the soldiers anymore. We now have dependable 
  submarines and ways to dive deeper beneath the 
  waves than we’ve ever been before. Steamers are 
  making the trip across the Atlantic in just four and 
  a half days! Automobiles are extremely popular and 
  it seems the days of horse-drawn transportation are 
  coming to an end. We’re racing toward a day where 
  transatlantic flights are possible and commonplace, a 
  near future where taking an airplane from New York 
  to Rome will be affordable for a factory worker. 
  We’re going to send dirigibles and other craft to 
  the upper atmosphere and see what lies beyond. 
  Someday far in the future, we’ll likely be living on 
  the Moon. 
  Those who endured the horrors of the Great War 
  have returned home haunted, having seen terrible 
  and most keep a hidden cabinet at home stocked 
  with bootleg liquor. The Feds and local cops will 
  make life unbearable if you’re caught red-handed, 
  but running afoul of bootleggers or gangsters could 
  be even worse. Those tough guys like to shoot first 
  and ask questions later.
  Even though science is showing us that the 
  mysteries once attributed to spirits and ghosts 
  have perfectly clear explanations, spiritualism, 
  mesmerism, and the supernatural are still all the 
  rage. Those who believe the old tales often gather 
  for séances, making an easy target for professional 
  charlatans. Some, like Aleister Crowley, take this 
  manipulation a step farther, gathering a cult of 
  followers whom they can command to do terrible 
  
  Part 1: Setting
  9
  Invaders from Beyond The Stars 
  Many of H.P. Lovecraft’s stories aren’t fiction: 
  they’re observation. His notebooks full of sketches 
  make up perhaps the only field guide to the 
  unnatural creatures and entities that have been 
  investigated by the Mythos Resistance. Thanks to 
  the compiling of extensive interviews and pertinent 
  historical records, a bit of insight into what is really 
  invading our planet is starting to emerge. 
  The invasion comes not only from behind 
  Planet X and from the far reaches of the universe, 
  but also from our oceans, materializing in mists, 
  being thawed from Pleistocene ice, living in flows 
  of lava, and in the eldritch visions of unfortunate 
  individuals.
  But what we think we know is just the tip of the 
  iceberg. There are also threats on Earth that predate 
  humanity, and a dimension called The Elsewhere 
  where countless monstrous beings dwell.
  These evils have been called by many names, 
  The Mythos Resistance 
  In Herald: Lovecraft & Tesla, most of the 
  world’s famous scientists, artists, politicians, and 
  celebrities are part of a secret conspiracy. The 
  Mythos Resistance connects them all and ties their 
  stories into an alternate 1920s where unnatural 
  Mythos beings from beyond the stars are invading. 
  Unspeakable elder gods and creatures are arriving 
  from far, far away, while others are awakening at last 
  from below. It’s the job of the Mythos Resistance 
  fighters to keep the world safe and ignorantly 
  blissful. If the public were to discover how many 
  of their idols are part of a vast underground global 
  network, they’d never believe it. The brightest, best, 
  and most connected make up the core of the Mythos 
  Resistance fighters.
  things. There are others still who are devoted to the 
  careful study and disruption of such groups.
  But what happens when this cult worship is 
  centered around things that mankind was not meant 
  to know? Who makes sure humanity doesn’t fall 
  victim to sinister, unspeakable entities that may be 
  older than our own galaxy? 
  but Lovecraft is trying to categorize them into 
  a definitive guide for his fellows in the Mythos 
  Resistance. Instead of the latin names of binomial 
  nomenclature, he is using the language of the 
  Mythos itself. Thus, what has sometimes been called 
  a star-crab is now being defined as a Mi-Go, sentient 
  fungi from Yuggoth. See Part 7, Friends & Foes for 
  more specifics.
  
  Herald: Lovecraft & Tesla
  10
  of Cefalu declared independance? 
  • What if Eleanor Roosevelt ran for governor? 
  • What if Tesla-based technology was released for 
  free and changed the world?
  • What if discoveries in Antarctica set off a second 
  World War in the 1920s? Would the continent be 
  aggressively claimed by both America and the 
  British, setting off a major dispute?
  • What if the late Rasputin was an avatar of 
  Nyarlathotep? And that he had a son who is now a 
  young man with his father’s unnatural temperament? 
  • What if Anastasia Romanov did indeed escape her 
  fate and is now working with an anti-socialist rebel 
  group in Siberia? 
  • What if the Territory of Hawaii declared 
  independence from the United States and it sparked 
  a conflict?
  • What if television was perfected and marketed a 
  few decades earlier?
  History Is Yours To Recreate 
  Not everyone is a history buff. Some players 
  will be content to focus on the adventure at hand 
  and less so on the historical nature of the setting. 
  That’s okay! However, if you happen to be a fan 
  of speculative historical fiction, the setting is a 
  Pandora’s box of exciting possibilities. The what-ifs 
  that can be imagined with just a little research can 
  really make the backgrounds and connections of 
  the Mythos Resistance blossom and come to life. 
  Perhaps it’s an obscure historical article that sparks 
  an idea, or a new theory surrounding an unsolved 
  mystery of the day. Information like this will push 
  the story to a place where everyone has that genuine 
  moment of what if? Get creative!
  Don’t feel hindered by history, recreate it however 
  you want!
  Here are some possible what-ifs:
  • What if Amelia Earhart and Nikola Tesla got 
  married?
  • What if young Adolph Hitler was approached by a 
  powerful cult leader who taught him how to control 
  minds?
  • What if Jazz music could literally drive people 
  crazy as some Holy Rollers claimed?
  • What if Warren G. Harding didn’t die of a stroke 
  but went into hiding with Mark Twain?
  • What if Teddy Roosevelt also faked his death and 
  lived as a recluse in Yellowstone?
  • What if when Vladimir Lenin died in ’24 his 
  autopsy revealed ghoulish results?
  • What if J. Edgar Hoover was intentionally trying to 
  bring down the Mythos Resistance from within?
  • What if Harry Houdini was able to die and come 
  back to life each time because he tracked down a 
  powerful talisman?
  • What if Benito Mussolini was assassinated by his 
  own Fasci Italiani di Combattimento?
  • What if “Black Tuesday,” the event that kicked 
  off the Great Depression, was caused by unnatural 
  chaotic forces from beyond the stars?
  • What if the majority of the artists, poets, and 
  musicians from the Harlem Renaissance suddenly 
  formed their own political party?
  • What if Aleister Crowley’s Thelema cult in Sicily 
  was armed with some new technology and the island 
  A Cup of Coffee for a Dime
  The value of the American dollar was much 
  different in the 1920s. In terms of gameplay, it’s 
  an easy conversion: just move that decimal point. 
  Figure that what costs $10 today costs just $1 in the 
  1920s. 
  Characters in the game can generally buy a simple 
  
  Part 1: Setting
  11
  of what the Mythos Resistance deals with on a 
  daily basis. But these occurrences spring from a 
  separate, non-human origin. If humanity had the 
  inherent power of magic, then the game changes 
  and the invasion of Mythos creatures from beyond 
  the stars loses much of its threat. The vast majority 
  of the stories in Weird Tales Magazine and other 
  cosmic horror-themed publications of the day are 
  centered around the idea of universal insignificance, 
  not power. It was almost certainly a reaction to the 
  influenza pandemic and Great War that had recently 
  ended, events that reminded the entire planet how 
  small and fragile we humans really are. On the other 
  hand, people believed that the Great War had ended 
  wars for all time, and even the skies and the depths 
  of the ocean are no longer out of reach with the aid 
  of science. Herald: Lovecraft & Tesla takes place in 
  a time of intense hope and bewildering discovery. 
  The introduction of otherworldly forces to this 
  era of innovation is an opportunity for players to 
  try and turn unnatural things against their masters. 
  For example, Babe Ruth’s baseball bat is carved 
  from a type of wood found only in The Elsewhere. 
  Mark Twain wears a powerfully restorative talisman 
  around his neck that contains a small piece of flesh 
  from a shoggoth. H.P. Lovecraft is able to read 
  his tomes full of sigils and scratch elder signs of 
  protection that come from a pre-human epoch. He 
  may even release the occasional blast of energy from 
  his hands when reciting something from his books, 
  but he will not be able to do it on his own whenever 
  he wants. Do not think of these events and items as 
  meal for 50 cents at a cafeteria, or overspend a bit 
  and pay $5 for a dinner at a nice restaurant. It’s not 
  exact, but it’s a solid approximation for our purposes 
  and makes incorporating your other beloved Savage 
  Worlds settings into this game even easier.
  This simple conversion might need a bit of 
  adjustment when considering things that were rare 
  or sophisticated. Radios or landline telephones 
  nowadays are inexpensive, as is airfare. This need 
  for adjustment becomes even more evident if you 
  want a high level of realism for a specific date. For 
  example, a Model T in 1920 cost quite a bit more 
  than it did just nine years later when everyone was 
  buying Model A’s. The price of a stove dropped 
  over 60% during the decade, but the price of a 
  dozen eggs stayed the same. Certain items were 
  still in short supply in the post-war early 1920s, but 
  were on shelves everywhere by 1929. Attention to 
  historical details can make the game more rewarding 
  and memorable, but use your best judgment and try 
  not to get bogged down. 
  No Arcane Backgrounds
  While the exclusion of Arcane Backgrounds from 
  Herald: Lovecraft & Tesla might at first seem odd, it 
  has been done for a very good reason. If the day-
  to-day reality of the game world is not grounded by 
  mundane laws, then encounters with the unnatural 
  will be less horrifying. It is precisely their difference 
  from the normal world that makes them unnatural. 
  That’s not to say that the game doesn’t have 
  magic and weird, scientific inventions—it’s most 
  
  Herald: Lovecraft & Tesla
  12
  being the same as spells or magic weapons. They 
  may seem like it, but these are powers of non-human 
  origins that will never be understood or mastered. To 
  try would be to give in to madness. 
  Throughout the Twenties, scientific geniuses like 
  Tesla, Curie, Einstein, Bohr, and Carver are making 
  discoveries at a dizzying rate. New planets are being 
  discovered by astronomers, and the oceans are open 
  to dangerous submarine exploration. Outside of 
  labs and observatories, society is still struggling to 
  accept science as the means for understanding our 
  surroundings. Mysticism, mesmerism, and magic 
  are all given credence by many well-respected 
  individuals. The 1920s are full of strange stories 
  of death cults and mass disappearances. There are 
  dark corners of the world that haven’t yet been 
  explored. Antarctica is opening up at last and flying 
  between the islands of the South Pacific is finally a 
  possibility. This clash of superstitious history and 
  amazing scientific discovery is what the decade 
  is all about. Throw Prohibition, kidnappings, and 
  other criminal activities into the mix, and now we’re 
  firmly set in the Roaring Twenties. 
  Science isn’t weird at all: it is real. Technology 
  and inventions came from us, not them. Even if 
  it is influenced by unnatural factors, scientific 
  achievements are ours. Inventing strange and 
  fascinating machines and items is a big part of life 
  for the players, but all the breathtaking results have 
  their origin in human ingenuity. If it comes from 
  our brains (and our dimension), then there’s nothing 
  weird about it. Tesla would be the first one to agree.
  True Cosmic Horror means no Arcane 
  Backgrounds—at least in this dimension. 
  Remember, once players find themselves in The 
  Elsewhere, the rules of reality are no longer a 
  concern. See Rules of The Elsewhere in Part 5 
  (page 61) for more information. 
  The Savage Worlds game system easily allows 
  you to adjust these and any other rules as you see 
  fit. You want to play with power points? Go for it! 
  It’s your game after all. You’re the almighty creator 
  of realities, mad weaver of legends, and benevolent 
  giver of Bennies! The rest of us are simply Wild 
  Cards and Extras.
  Madness and the Mythos
  While Herald: Lovecraft & Tesla is, at its heart, 
  an adventure, it’s also chock full of cosmic horror. 
  Finding oneself face to face with the violent, 
  uncaring void of the Mythos takes a toll. The GM 
  might ask the players to make a Fear roll when 
  faced with something unnatural or horrific. This 
  type of Spirit check works well for sessions where 
  the focus is on the weird and unnatural. More on 
  Cosmic Horror and Fear checks can be found under 
  Special Setting Rules in Part 5: Running the Game 
  (page 59). 
  Players with the Hindrance: Eldritch Visions 
  will often find themselves experiencing them at the 
  most inopportune moments. Recovering their senses 
  requires a successful Spirit roll. Permanent madness 
  is a danger, but rare. When that happens, it’s usually 
  the result of something extraordinary. 
  This game uses the standard Savage Worlds core 
  rules as a base, adding several Edges, Hindrances, 
  and other details while removing other aspects that 
  do not go with a reality-based 1920s game setting. 
  For more details on unique setting rules and New 
  Edges & Hindrances, see Part 5: Running the Game 
  (page 58).
  
  Part 2
  Creating Your Character
  
  Herald: Lovecraft & Tesla
  14
  The Table Is Set
  One of the most fun parts of Herald: Lovecraft 
  & Tesla, or any other speculative historical fiction, 
  is the attention to historical detail, and then the 
  sly deviation from it. You don’t need to know 
  everything about the era. For some adventures, 
  a GM might provide a specific date, sometime 
  between the first day of 1920, and the last day of 
  1929. You can do a quick bit of research and see 
  what the Wild Card was doing at that moment in 
  history. Each character’s biography and description 
  allows for ways to incorporate actual history into 
  alternate history. 
  While using any set date is always optional, it 
  does allow for a bit more flavor and accentuates the 
  speculative historical fiction aspects of the game. 
  For example, if you’re playing Winston Churchill, 
  there is a big difference between his geo-political 
  influence at the beginning of the decade and at the 
  end of the decade. Or if your party needs to travel 
  from New York to Paris, you might need to check 
  that calendar. The first non-stop flight between 
  North America and mainland Europe was in 1927, 
  which changed the rest of the decade in terms of 
  transportation. Details can be fun, but don’t get 
  tripped up with the minutiae. 
  Mixing famous historical personalities together 
  in unexpected ways is exciting and gives Herald: 
  Lovecraft & Tesla that “extra something” that some 
  feel isn’t present in other (excellent) Cthulhu-style 
  RPGs. In the comic books, Tesla and Lovecraft 
  manage to develop an awkward friendship while 
  searching for Amelia Earhart. But now history 
  is entirely in your hands as players. How would 
  Charlie Chaplin, Clara Bow, and Buster Keaton 
  solve an unspeakable crime? What would Henry 
  Ford say to Emma Goldman if they were trapped 
  in a sinking steamship somewhere off Antarctica? 
  Imagine Albert Einstein and Marie Curie 
  investigating international murder mysteries with 
  the help of Jack Dempsey, Pablo Picasso, and Ernest 
  Hemingway. Shuffle them all together! They may 
  have shared vastly different ideologies, but once 
  you throw a common, unnatural enemy in the mix, 
  the speculative historical fiction takes over and a 
  shared sense of humanity pushes everyone together 
  in wonderful ways. As long as the historical figures 
  were alive at the same time, why couldn’t they meet 
  and join up with others of the Mythos Resistance? 
  Which brings us to a big proverbial white elephant 
  in the room...
  A few of these historical figures actually didn’t 
  survive the 1920s. Fear not! Remember that this is 
  speculative historical fiction, so a mere detail like 
  death doesn’t necessarily mean the end of the road 
  (just ask Mark Twain). Deaths can be faked as the 
  character goes underground to fight the invading 
  cosmic horrors behind the scenes. Or perhaps the 
  death that is reported to the public doesn’t include 
  the information about how they really died. Perhaps 
  that fatal car crash reported in the newspaper was 
  actually part of a cover-up where they died for a 
  heroic reason in the defense of humanity, something 
  the public will never know. Your alternate history 
  can be as deep and as dark as you’d like it to be.
  
  Part 2: Creating Characters
  15
  ranks of the Mythos Resistance, they may not even 
  know who their fellow members will be until they 
  all show up at a shadowy meet-point. Imagine a 
  regular Joe getting a letter from out of the blue 
  with instructions. Hours later, they’re jumping into 
  a car with Buster Keaton, Clara Bow, and Robert 
  E. Howard, speeding off toward Miskatonic Valley 
  under a full moon. Notability isn’t necessary to join 
  the Mythos Resistance; the group is full of people 
  who live their lives in relative anonymity. All it takes 
  is one enigmatic letter from Mark Twain, Nikola or 
  H.P. and they’re ready for action. 
  Or maybe the character isn’t even part of the 
  Mythos Resistance group and their missions yet. 
  Maybe they work as an iceman during the day and 
  an amateur detective by night. And maybe, just 
  maybe, they saw something one night that changed 
  their life. Now they’re trying to piece together bits 
  of occult information to create a bigger picture—to 
  understand just what it was that they experienced 
  reaching out of the void in all its cosmic horror. 
  The following archetypal character concepts fit in 
  well with Herald: Lovecraft & Tesla.
  Great Characters 
  Most of us have either met or heard stories about 
  an ancestor who lived in the 1920s. Why does 
  everyone still talk about your Great-Great-Uncle 
  Herbert? How amazing was your Great-Grandma 
  Harriet? Did Grandpa Wilbur fight as a young man 
  in the Great War? Where was Great-Great-Aunt 
  Louisa spending the decade? Was that article about 
  your Great-Great-Grandmother's second cousin 
  true? So many fortunes were sought, so many new 
  lives were made on distant shores. 
  If you are lucky enough to have (very old) 
  relatives or friends that were kids during the 1920s, 
  sit down with them and ask them questions about 
  this exciting time in history. Cars and planes were 
  new! Jazz was new! Penicillin was new! Modern art 
  was new! Quantum physics was new! Film was new! 
  The world was shrinking through humanity’s latest 
  technological breakthroughs, and if they were there 
  to experience it, their insight is invaluable. Even if 
  you don’t ask them specifics that might pertain to 
  this game, you should never pass up the opportunity 
  to talk to your elders. They have wonderful stories 
  and have seen life change in ways we simply can’t 
  understand. Maybe something they recall about the 
  time will end up being the seed for you to create an 
  epic adventure that covers the globe and involves 
  them with the Mythos Resistance somehow. Respect 
  your elders! Anyone who disagrees can get the heck 
  off my lawn! 
  Character Concepts
  Certain players will most enjoy making a 
  character that is already a notable historical figure, a 
  real person who lived during the Jazz Age and who 
  might have been involved in the Mythos Resistance. 
  Perhaps they were famous in the Roaring Twenties 
  (or would be eventually). They might have been a 
  great writer, scientist, musician, business mogul, or 
  notorious gangster. The decade was full of intriguing 
  historical characters.
  Some players might opt for creating someone 
  entirely new to join the Mythos Resistance, a 
  character that will find themselves on dangerous 
  missions with folks they normally see in the 
  moving pictures or read about in Collier’s Weekly. 
  Since there is so much secrecy and intrigue in the 
  
  Herald: Lovecraft & Tesla
  16
  Once you’ve decided what sort of character 
  you’re planning to make, you’re ready to move on 
  to determining your traits. Grab that copy of the 
  Savage Worlds core rules and a blank copy of the 
  character sheet from the back of this book, and let’s 
  get into our four-step character creation.
  Character Creation Process
  Making a character in Herald: Lovecraft & Tesla 
  is quick and easy and follows the basic Savage 
  Worlds character creation process. 
  1) Select Traits
  Traits are the Attributes, Skills, and derived 
  statistics that make up your character and determine 
  what they are capable of. 
  A character's traits are characteristics that are 
  rated by a single polyhedral die. The more sides 
  the trait is rated in, the better the character is at the 
  trait, ranging from a 4-sided die (d4, the lowest) to a 
  12-sided die (d12, the highest).
  Adventurous Socialite
  Aging Vaudeville Star
  Airplane Mechanic
  Amnesiac Hermit
  Anarchist Spy
  Ancient History Professor
  Ancient Languages Scholar
  Art Collector
  Asthmatic Spelunker
  Big Game Hunter
  Brave Little Tailor
  Bush Pilot
  Cartographic Explorer
  Coal Miner
  Cubist Painter
  Curious Cop
  Dangerous Gangster
  Deep Sea Diver
  Disillusioned Author
  Eagle-Eyed Photographer
  Electrical Engineer
  Escape Artist
  Fascist-Punching Wanderer
  Film Producer
  G-Man Boy Scout
  Gambling Rambler
  Greedy Mesmerist
  Honorable Rights Activist
  Insomniac Iceman
  Intrepid Archaeologist
  Jazz Musician
  Medical Doctor
  Mercenary for Hire
  Merchant Marine
  Migrant Farmhand
  Military Officer (Great War Vet)
  Military Soldier
  Mistreated Factory Worker
  Movie Actor
  Nervous Bootlegger
  Newspaper Journalist
  Obnoxious Religious Missionary
  Occult Studies Professor
  Odd Inventor
  Olympic Athlete
  Organized Crime Foot Soldier
  Overwhelmed Geologist
  Perfectionist Chef
  Political Cartoonist
  Private Investigator
  Professional Goldfish Swallower
  Pulp Writer
  Quantum Physicist
  Racing Enthusiast
  Resilient Refugee
  Séance Medium
  Sly Smuggler
  Small Business Owner
  Smug Mathematician
  Tour Guide
  Trigger-happy Shopkeep
  Trustworthy Translator
  Tugboat Captain
  U-Boat Sailor
  Undercover Government Agent
  Underpaid Dock Worker
  Union Organizer
  Well-Meaning Politician
  Wunderkind Chemist
  Attributes
  Characters start with a d4 in each of their five 
  attributes: Agility, Smarts, Spirit, Strength, and 
  Vigor. You then have 5 points to distribute among 
  them as you choose. Raising an attribute a die type 
  costs 1 point, and you may not raise an attribute 
  above d12.
  Skills
  Characters have 15 points with which to buy 
  skills. Raising a skill by a die type costs 1 point 
  as long as it is no higher than its linking attribute 
  (clearly indicated on the character sheet). It costs 
  2 points per die type to raise a skill over its linked 
  attribute. 
  All standard skills in Savage Worlds are available, 
  except for arcane skills, since this game does not 
  allow characters to select Arcane Backgrounds. 
  Languages are marked under Background; there 
  is no need to spend skill points for Knowledge 
  (Language).
  
  Part 2: Creating Characters
  17
  Secondary Stats
  Charisma is a measure of your character’s 
  likeability. This modifier gets added to Persuasion 
  and Streetwise rolls. All characters start with 
  (+0), but this may change with certain Edges or 
  Hindrances.
  Pace is equal to 6” unless changed by Edges 
  or Hindrances. Distances in Savage Worlds 
  are measured in inches to make it easier to use 
  miniatures in the game. 
  Parry is equal to 2 plus half your Fighting 
  die type. Edges, Hindrances, and some types of 
  equipment can modify your Parry score.
  Toughness is equal to 2 plus half your Vigor. 
  Edges, Hindrances, and wearing armor can modify 
  your toughness.
  2) Select Hindrances & Edges
  Herald: Lovecraft & Tesla introduces new Edges 
  and new Hindrances. For a list of the few disallowed 
  Edges from Savage Worlds, see New Edges & 
  Hindrances (page 18). 
  All characters start with one free Edge. They must 
  meet all the requirements of this and all other Edges. 
  Now decide if you want your character to have 
  any Hindrances. If so, you may use the points you 
  earn from Hindrances to gain one of the benefits 
  Skills and Linked Attributes
  Agility
  Boating
  Driving
  Fighting
  Lockpicking
  Piloting
  Riding
  Shooting
  Stealth
  Swimming
  Throwing
  Smarts
  Gambling
  Healing
  Investigation
  Knowledge
  Notice
  Repair
  Streetwise
  Survival
  Taunt
  Tracking
  Spirit
  Intimidation
  Persuasion
  Strength
  Climbing
  below. You may choose one Major Hindrance (worth 
  2 points) and up to two Minor Hindrances (worth 1 
  point each). The sections on Edges and Hindrances 
  on pages 18 and 20 tell you what choices are 
  available, in addition to those in Savage Worlds.
  For 2 Hindrance points you can:
  • Raise an attribute one die type
  • Choose an Edge 
  For 1 Hindrance point you can:
  • Gain another skill point
  • Gain an additional $50
  Don’t forget to check and see if any Edge or 
  Hindrance choices have changed your derived 
  Secondary Stats (see above).
  3) Select Gear 
  Characters start with $50 cash. For a list of basic 
  items and weapons available to buy, see Part 3: Gear 
  (page 26). When referring to prices listed in the 
  Savage Worlds corebook, simply drop a zero (divide 
  by ten). 
  You’ll likely use most, if not all, of this starting 
  money to purchase weapons, armor, and other 
  equipment. You may want to save some money for 
  pocket cash to use for day-to-day expenses. 
  4) Write Background
  Your character’s background is where the details 
  of their lives give a glimpse into their personality. 
  How old are they? What do they look like? Where 
  are they from? Do they have friends and family? 
  What about a job or hobbies? Do they realize that 
  Mythos creatures are invading? If so, what do they 
  plan to do about it? What else has happened in their 
  life to bring them to this point? 
  If your character speaks another language, then 
  mark this down here. If you’d like, your character 
  may select a number of languages equal to half their 
  Smarts die. 
  Also, look to the Hindrances and Edges you’ve 
  just selected: they will guide you and focus your 
  description to the basics of what drives them. Your 
  character should have character. 
  Lastly, you might choose to tie them into the 
  overarching plot of the Mythos Resistance group. 
  If they are part of it, briefly explain how they were 
  recruited and by whom. 
  To see which of the five attributes each skill is 
  linked to, see the table below. 
  
  Herald: Lovecraft & Tesla
  18
  New Edges and Hindrances for 
  Herald: Lovecraft & Tesla
  This game uses the standard Edges and 
  Hindrances as detailed in the Savage Worlds core 
  rules with a few exceptions. Some of the Edges 
  Edge
  Requirements
  Effect
  Connect the Dots
  Novice, Smarts d6+, 
  at least two other 
  Knowledge skills at d6+
  +1 Investigation, +2 Toughness when suffering damage from 
  Mythos creatures.
  Sound Mind
  Novice, Scholar, 
  Smarts d8+ 
  +2 to resist tests of Will, reroll 1 Smarts-based roll per session.
  Live Wire   
  Novice, Smarts d8+, 
  Repair d8+, at least two 
  other Knowledge skills 
  at d6+
  +2 Repair rolls. With a raise, they halve the time normally required 
  to fix something. This means that if a particular Repair job already 
  states that a raise repairs it in half the time, someone with Live Wire 
  could finish the job in one-quarter the time with a raise.  
  Mover-Shaker
  Novice, Charismatic, 
  Spirit d8+, Persuasion 
  d6+
  Persuasion +1, Intimidation +1, call upon one powerful friend.
  Pulp Writer
  Novice, 
  Spirit d6+, Vigor d8+
  +2 Toughness when suffering damage from Mythos creatures, reroll 
  1 Spirit roll per game session.
  Tinkerer
  Novice, 
  Smarts d8+, Repair 
  d8+, at least two other 
  Knowledge skills at d6+
  May jury-rig a device once per game session.
  Bane of Mythos
  Seasoned, 
  Spirit d8+
  +1d6 damage when attacking Mythos creatures.
  Detectorist
  Seasoned, Alertness
  +1 Notice, +2 Stealth.
  R’lyeh-terate
  Seasoned, Pulp Writer
  Character can inexplicably read the glyphs of the Mythos and 
  channel occult effects, +2 damage when attacking Mythos 
  creatures.
  found in Savage Worlds do not fit with this alternate 
  but realistic decade of the Roaring Twenties. For 
  more insight on why Player Characters in Herald: 
  Lovecraft & Tesla don’t use Arcane Backgrounds, 
  see page 11. All of the other Edges found in the 
  Savage Worlds core rules are available.
  Disallowed Edges from the 
  Savage Worlds core rules:
  Arcane Background, Arcane Resistance, 
  Improved Arcane Resistance, New Power, Power 
  Points, Rapid Recharge, Power Surge, Improved 
  Rapid Recharge, Soul Drain, Adept, Champion, 
  Gadgeteer, Holy/Unholy Warrior, Mentalist, Mr. Fix 
  It, and Wizard. 
  New Edges for Herald: Lovecraft & Tesla
  We’ve added nine new Edges at both the Novice 
  and Seasoned levels.
  
  Part 2: Creating Characters
  19
  Connect the Dots
  This character is one of those strange few who 
  willingly gravitate toward the truly mysterious 
  and macabre. These odd sleuths can add +1 to all 
  Investigation rolls, and their weird mental fortitude 
  adds +2 to their Toughness when battling any 
  Mythos creatures.
  Sound Mind
  The character is much more than just a scholarly 
  type. Their intellect defines them and gives them 
  an unshakable confidence, adding +2 to both their 
  Spirit and Smarts rolls when resisting Test of Wills 
  attacks. Characters also get one Smarts-based reroll 
  per game session; it’s as if this character carries 
  around a bookshelf full of encyclopedias in their 
  noggin.
  Live Wire 
  From advanced electronics to simple objects, your 
  character is one of those rare people who can put 
  things back together almost as fast as they’re taken 
  apart. Add +2 to their Repair rolls. With a raise, the 
  character repairs it in half the time. (If a Repair job 
  already states that a raise repairs it in half the time, 
  someone with Live Wire could finish the job in one-
  quarter the time with a raise).
  Mover-Shaker
  The character feels that charisma can be used 
  like a blade, to harm or to help. Conversations are 
  double-edged: they’re able to move back and forth 
  between persuasive arguments (add +1 to Persuasion 
  rolls) and intimidating verbal onslaughts (add +1 
  to Intimidation rolls). They have also garnered the 
  respect of at least one very influential and loyal 
  friend whom they may call upon if needed.
  Pulp Writer
  Not every writer is able to weave tales of cosmic 
  horror the way a genuine Pulp Writer can. Putting 
  themselves through so much mental anguish does 
  have an upside—your character’s brilliant mind has 
  become used to mentally resisting the Mythos. Add 
  +2 to your character’s Toughness when suffering 
  damage from Mythos creatures, and reroll one Spirit 
  roll per game session.
  Tinkerer
  The character always seems to be fidgeting and 
  tinkering with some little toy or simple machine. 
  Their pockets are often full of screws, clasps, gears, 
  cogs, wires, and clamps that are just the right size or 
  just the right fit. If your character wants to jury-rig a 
  device once per game session, they’ll know just how 
  to do it.
  Bane of Mythos
  It may not even be something your character 
  is aware of, but there is something… special 
  about them that most others don’t have. For 
  those horrifying moments when the character 
  fights a Mythos creature, they add +1d6 points of 
  damage with each attack. The downside is that this 
  character’s powerful aura is sometimes more easily 
  detected by the creatures of cosmic horror.
  Detectorist
  Your hard-nosed character’s eyes are always 
  peeled and their ears are kept to the ground. If it 
  
  Herald: Lovecraft & Tesla
  20
  happened near them, they know about it. If they 
  need to stay silently hidden for hours on end 
  gathering intel, they can. This is so much more than 
  just being observant, this borders on obsession. The 
  character adds +1 to Notice rolls, as well as +2 to 
  Stealth rolls.
  R'lyeh-terate
  While direct contact with the unnatural beings 
  and concepts of the Mythos is never advised, 
  studying them can lead to great insight. Your 
  character might find themselves inexplicably able to 
  read weird glyphs, odd sigils, elder signs and non-
  Euclidean diagrams. Perhaps the character might 
  even channel occult effects or see the cosmic horrors 
  as they truly are, gaining +2 damage when in battle 
  with any Mythos creature. If a character also has 
  the skill Knowledge: Mythos, then deciphering 
  mysterious symbols and signs becomes even easier.
  New Hindrances for 
  Herald: Lovecraft & Tesla
  Hindrances found in the Savage Worlds corebook 
  are all available and we’ve added 5 new Hindrances 
  from which to choose.
  
  Part 2: Creating Characters
  21
  Hindrance
  Type
  Effect
  Tethered
  Minor
  Cannot travel to the 
  Elsewhere dimension. Also, 
  all Mythos creatures inflict +2 
  damage with each attack and 
  focus their attention on this 
  character in battle.
  Sleep 
  Paralysis
  Minor
  -1 Charisma; Fatigue roll 
  once a day.
  Eldritch 
  Visions
  Minor/
  Major
  Character suffers from minor 
  or major hallucinations; 
  migraines cause visions and 
  blackouts. Spirit roll once 
  a day to avoid d8 hours of 
  catatonia.
  Xenophobe
  Minor/
  Major
  -1/-2 Charisma; character 
  afraid to interact with those 
  outside their ethnicity and/or 
  gender.
  Misled
  Major
  -2 Persuasion; character 
  follows a dangerous person 
  or ideology and will not be 
  convinced otherwise.
  Tethered
  Characters who are Tethered cannot travel to 
  the Elsewhere dimension. While this may not 
  seem like that big of a deal to the common person, 
  for the members of the Mythos Resistance in 
  Herald: Lovecraft & Tesla, needing to travel to 
  The Elsewhere is always a very real possibility. 
  All Mythos creatures inflict +2 damage with each 
  attack and will always focus their attention on this 
  character in a battle.
  Sleep Paralysis
  This nightmarish condition happens every time 
  your character sleeps. They experience a feeling 
  of being conscious but unable to move, their 
  mind is awake and yet their body is not, and the 
  hallucinations feel very real. Upon waking, they are 
  often irritable and exhausted. A character with Sleep 
  Paralysis permanently loses -1 to their Charisma 
  score. They must also succeed in a Fatigue roll once 
  a day or temporarily lose an additional -1 to their 
  Charisma for 24 hours.
  Eldritch Visions
  More than just powerful headaches, these 
  debilitating flashes cause the character to suffer from 
  minor hallucinations and nausea. These short but 
  excruciating visions cause migraines and blackouts 
  and occur once a day, requiring a Spirit roll. Success 
  means a quick recovery and maybe even some 
  Eldritch insight or odd clues about the Mythos 
  dangers they face. Failing this Spirit Roll results in 
  d6 hours of catatonic stupor.
  Xenophobe
  This character is afraid to interact with those 
  outside their own ethnicity, culture, gender, etc. 
  They’re also probably not a pleasant person to be 
  around, and most others pick up on this. A character 
  with Xenophobe (minor) permanently loses -1 
  to their Charisma score, and a character with 
  Xenophobe (major) permanently loses -2 to their 
  Charisma score.
  Misled
  Your character follows a dangerous person or 
  ideology and will not be convinced otherwise. 
  This will almost certainly cause major social 
  complications and distrust among all who interact 
  with the character. They lose -2 to all Persuasion 
  rolls, even with those who share their dangerous 
  views.
  Our Flaws Are What Make Us 
  Human 
  Keep in mind that Hindrances are more than just 
  interesting flaws that round out your character: they 
  are the driving force in most of your interactions 
  
  Herald: Lovecraft & Tesla
  22
  in-game. While an Edge might tell you what a 
  character is good at, a Hindrance tells them what 
  they need to overcome in order to succeed. 
  Most attentive GMs look to keep the stakes 
  raised and the conflict sharp by finding a way to 
  bring players’ Hindrances into the story. Savage 
  Worlds isn’t about optimized power-leveling (unless 
  you really, really want that). If you think you have 
  created a character who will be prepared for every 
  situation they might face during a session, you’re in 
  for a rude awakening.
  Embrace your Hindrances: make them an 
  important and active part of what pushes your 
  character. The most memorable game sessions 
  usually shine because of what was accomplished 
  in spite of what the group was anticipating and 
  prepared for. 
  It’s important to consider everyone sitting around 
  the table. There is no reason to make players 
  uncomfortable in real life just because you’re 
  playing a character with the Xenophobe Hindrance. 
  Be smart about it. Make intolerance something for 
  your character to overcome or to succeed in spite of. 
  Not all players will be interested in this subject, so 
  it’s important to keep things Fast! Furious! and Fun! 
  For more on approaching this and other sensitive 
  (but unfortunately historically accurate) topics, see 
  page 59.
  Savage Walkthrough: 
  Example Character Creation
  So you want to create a character, huh? Let’s 
  do it. Some players will create a character from 
  a notable historical figure, others will create a 
  person from scratch. Making a character in Herald: 
  Lovecraft & Tesla requires the Savage Worlds 
  corerules. The following example breaks down the 
  character creation of a fictitious (but appropriate) 
  person.
  First, the concept: Oh Henry! Let’s create a 
  Novice level character of Miskatonic University's 
  very own ornery librarian, Dr. Henry Armitage. He’s 
  got a lot of knowledge of occult-related Mythos 
  since he has experienced quite a few unnatural 
  things in his 73 years. He can take care of himself in 
  a fight, but these days he’s more of an investigate-
  and-surprise kinda guy than a toe-to-toe scrapper. 
  Next, we’ll move on to determining traits. Traits 
  are the character’s Attributes, Skills, and Secondary 
  Stats. 
  For Attributes, Henry starts with a d4 in each of 
  the following: Agility, Smarts, Spirit, Strength, and 
  Vigor. Let’s distribute 5 points among them evenly, 
  since we want Henry to be well-rounded. Raising 
  an Attribute a die type costs 1 point. We’ll spend 2 
  points on Smarts to bring that d4 up to a d8. Then 
  we’ll spend 1 point on Spirit, 1 point on Strength, 
  and the last point on Vigor to raise each of them up 
  from d4s to d6s. 
  Henry’s Attributes are now Agility d4; Smarts d8; 
  Spirit d6; Strength d6; and Vigor d6. 
  Skills are next. We now get to distribute 15 points 
  to purchase skills for Henry. 
  All standard skills in Savage Worlds are available. 
  We’ll make sure we’re spending the right amount 
  of points depending on a skill’s linked Attributes. 
  Raising a skill by a die type costs 1 point as long as 
  it is no higher than its linking Attribute (see Skills 
  and Linked Attributes Table, page 17). It costs 2 
  points per die type to raise a skill above its linked 
  Attribute.
  Henry ends up with Driving d4 (cost: 1 point), 
  Fighting d4 (cost: 1 point), Lockpicking d4 (cost: 1 
  point), Shooting d4 (cost: 1 point), Stealth d6 (cost: 
  3 points, since Stealth is linked to our low Agility). 
  We want his Investigation skill to be a strong d8 
  (cost: 3 points), and we’ll give him two different 
  Knowledge Skills, both at d6: Knowledge: 
  Mythos d6 (cost: 2 points) and Knowledge: 
  Anthropology d6 (cost: 2 points). So far we’ve 
  
  Part 2: Creating Characters
  23
  spent 14 of our 15 available skill points. Our last 
  point will be spent on bringing Persuasion up to 
  a d4 (cost: 1 point). That’s it. All other skills are 
  untrained. 
  Figuring out Henry’s derived Secondary Stats 
  (Charisma, Pace, Parry, and Toughness) is next. 
  Charisma is equal to the standard (+0). Pace is 
  equal to the standard 6”. Parry is equal to 2 plus half 
  Henry’s Fighting (d4). His Parry is 4. Toughness is 
  equal to 2 plus half Henry’s Vigor (d6), for a total 
  Toughness of 5. 
  We may need to come back to adjust these 
  secondary stats if they become affected by our 
  choices of Edges, Hindrances and armor. 
  Now we’re on to Edges and Hindrances. All 
  characters start with one free Edge. Let’s choose 
  one from our brand new Herald: Lovecraft & Tesla 
  Edges. 
  Since Henry spends his time trying to decipher 
  lost languages and occult symbology, a good choice 
  would be Edge: Connect the Dots. Let’s first make 
  sure he fulfills the requirements. 
  To choose this Edge, a Novice character would 
  need to have Smarts d6+ and at least two other 
  Knowledge skills at d6+. All good to go! We’ll 
  mark it down on the character sheet and note that 
  this Edge gives Henry +1 to his Investigation rolls 
  and +2 Toughness when suffering damage from 
  Mythos creatures. That was our Freebie. If we want 
  more Edges, we’ll need to pay 
  for them by selecting some 
  Hindrances. Let’s do that! 
  Remember, for 2 
  Hindrance points, we 
  can either raise an 
  Attribute one die type 
  or choose an Edge. For 
  1 Hindrance point we 
  can either gain another 
  skill point to spend or 
  put another $50 in Henry’s 
  pocket. What to do?
  We’ll choose one 
  Major Hindrance: 
  Overconfident (major) 
  worth 2 Hindrance 
  points, and two Minor 
  Hindrances: All Thumbs (minor) and Mean (minor), 
  worth 1 Hindrance point each. Enter these into your 
  character sheet and note any specific penalties the 
  character will suffer from them. With 4 Hindrance 
  points total to spend, we have some good choices 
  we can make.
  Let’s decide that with our 4 available Hindrance 
  points, Henry will gain an additional Edge (cost: 2 
  Hindrance points) and gain another 2 skill points 
  to spend (cost: 2 Hindrance points). Let’s select an 
  Edge, then go back and distribute those skill points. 
  Henry will add Edge: Sound Mind. Add this to 
  the character sheet and note the effects. It will give 
  Henry +2 to resist tests of Will. It will also allow 
  him to reroll 1 Smarts-based roll per session.
  With those 2 additional skill points, we’ll go back 
  and make Notice (d4) and Intimidation (d4). 
  At this point, we’ll need to check and see if 
  any Edge or Hindrance choices have changed 
  any derived Secondary Stats. One does! In the 
  description for Henry’s Hindrance: Mean (minor), 
  it dictates that he suffers -2 to his Charisma score. 
  Since his standard Charisma is was +0 to start with, 
  his Charisma is now -2. Persuasion and Streetwise 
  rolls are going to suffer -2 to the totals, and it’s 
  likely that most who interact with him won’t like 
  him. Henry doesn’t give a rip: he has bigger things 
  to worry about.
  That’s it for the number-crunching. 
  Now let’s spend his starting $50 on gear. 
  Remember that Herald: Lovecraft & 
  Tesla is set in the 1920s, so when 
  referring to the prices listed in 
  the Savage Worlds corebook, 
  simply drop a zero (divide by 
  ten). Easy enough. 
  Henry will want a 
  weapon to protect himself 
  from cultists and the many 
  unnatural threats he knows 
  exist. He spends $15 on a 
  Colt Police .38 pistol and 
  another $7 on a switchblade. 
  We’ll round it all out with 
  a $2 flashlight, a satchel 
  filled with books for $3, a 
  change of clothing (fancy) 
  
  Herald: Lovecraft & Tesla
  24
  for $20 and a $.05 umbrella. Total money spent: 
  $48. The remaining $2 is pocket money Henry 
  might use for transportation, food, and other day-to-
  day expenses. 
  We’re in the home stretch now. Henry’s 
  background is the last bit we need to fill in. 
  Looking to the choices of Hindrances and the 
  Edges as a reference is a good idea. We know 
  that Henry may be Mean, Overconfident and All 
  Thumbs, but he has a Sound Mind and can Connect 
  the Dots. Henry is an educated person who speaks 
  four languages (the number of languages equal to 
  half his Smarts, d8). Lastly, how might Dr. Henry 
  Armitage tie into the overarching plot of the Mythos 
  Resistance group? We’ll add that, along with other 
  details of his personality, to his background. 
  We did it! Dr. Henry Armitage is ready to 
  roll up his sleeves and join in humanity’s fight 
  against the unnatural entities of the Mythos!
  Henry Armitage (A.M. Miskatonic, Ph. 
  D. Princeton, Litt. D. Johns Hopkins) is a 
  well-respected figure in the tightly-wound 
  circles of anthropology and academic 
  occultism. He is revered not only for his 
  breadth of knowledge and understanding but 
  also for his humility in the face of all that 
  he, and by extension all mankind, does 
  not yet know. Humility doesn’t 
  equal likeability, however. 
  Most consider him to be 
  a mean son-of-a-gun. 
  This is likely due to 
  the frustration he 
  feels when folks 
  come to him with 
  small-minded 
  questions they 
  should know the 
  answers to. If he 
  feels particularly 
  ornery behind 
  the main desk, 
  he will refuse 
  to answer 
  students’ questions unless they are asked in Latin, 
  Ancient Greek, Aramaic, or Sanskrit (all of which 
  he writes and speaks fluently). He is also respected 
  for his physical prowess, as his robust health and 
  physical presence belie his seventy-three years. 
  He retired from active teaching ten years ago but 
  has served as the head librarian of The Miskatonic 
  University Library ever since then. This position, 
  still in academia yet removed from the classroom, 
  is actually a much better fit for his antisocial 
  personality than the lecture hall.
  Dr. Henry Armitage is one of two Librarians at 
  Miskatonic University. Now working the night shift, 
  Dr. Armitage is known for his intelligence and deep 
  knowledge, as well as his grumpy disposition. 
  Rank: Novice
  Attributes: Agility d4; Smarts d8; 
  Spirit d6; Strength d6; Vigor d6
  Skills: Driving d4, Fighting d4, 
  Lockpicking d4, Shooting d4, 
  Stealth d6, Investigation d8, 
  Knowledge: Mythos d6, 
  Knowledge: Anthropology d6, 
  Notice d4, Intimidation d4, 
  Persuasion d4 
  Charisma: -2, Pace: 6; 
  Parry: 4; Toughness: 5 
  Edges: Connect the Dots, 
  Sound Mind
  Hindrances: 
  Overconfident (major), 
  All Thumbs (minor), 
  Mean (minor)
  Gear: 
  Switchblade 
  (Damage: d4), 
  S&W (.357) 
  (Damage: 2d6, 
  Range: 0, AP: 1, 
  ROF: 1), 
  flashlight, 
  change of 
  clothes (fancy), 
  satchel, 
  umbrella.
  Money: $2
  Dr. Henry Armitage
  
  Part 3
  Gear
  
  Herald: Lovecraft & Tesla
  26
  Gear & Inventions
  In this section you will find an assortment of 
  vehicles, weapons, and equipment to outfit your 
  characters. The items described here are by no 
  means the final word on what is available for use 
  in your Herald game sessions, though! If there 
  is something that you want to make available in 
  the game, just ask yourself if it would have been 
  available in the 1920s, or if it could have been a 
  secret, experimental invention created by Nikola 
  Tesla (or some other industrious inventor in the 
  time period). There is a list of weird, theoretical 
  inventions at the end of the chapter which can help 
  provide inspiration. 
  When deciding what items cost, just remember 
  the simple conversion: $1 in the game is equivalent 
  to $10 today. So, if something you would buy today 
  costs $100, it should cost $10 in the 1920s. This 
  isn’t a perfectly accurate historical conversion—
  but it’s pretty close. Just use your common sense 
  and refer to the items shown here for a frame of 
  reference. Experimental technology 
  and strange inventions should not be 
  available for purchase from the Sears & Roebuck 
  catalogue; rather, they should require a connection 
  to an inventor as part of a plotline or else a generous 
  investment in an inventor’s laboratory to gain access 
  to the items.
  Clothing
  The clothes that you wear in the 1920s send a 
  message. Are you loose and comfortable with a 
  low-waisted party dress or a pair of Oxford bags, 
  in keeping with the latest fashions? Or are you a 
  member of upper-class society with a Homburg hat 
  and spats over your brogue shoes? Waltzing into a 
  coffee shop filled with working-class folks while 
  wearing a top hat might put you on the outs with 
  certain people. Wearing a loose-fitting suit at the 
  height of fashion isn’t going to make you many 
  friends at an exclusive cigar club for the gentry. 
  So remember to dress accordingly—pick up some 
  boots and a paperboy or flat cap if you’re planning 
  on rubbing elbows down by the docks. 
  
  Part 3: Gear
  27
  Business suit: $20
  Cheap suit: $10
  Party dress: $12
  Jewelry: $10-$300
  Cloche hat: $2
  Racoon coat: $200
  Fancy shoes: $20
  Fashionable suit: $25
  Flat cap: $1
  Bowler hat: $2
  Work boots: $2
  Hiking boots: $3
  Designer flapper dress and 
  accessories: $300
  A Word About Hats
  Hats are an almost necessary piece of clothing 
  in the 1920s, whether for a man, woman, or child. 
  The 1920s have seen a rise in popularity of several 
  men’s hat styles, including the flat-brimmed and 
  crowned straw boater, the similarly shaped “pork 
  pie,” made of felt and favored by Buster Keaton, the 
  wide-brimmed Fedora and its narrow-brimmed little 
  sister, the Trilby. The Panama hat is a straw variation 
  of the Fedora but often with a convex top crease, as 
  opposed to the Fedora’s concave top crease. Flat-
  caps and newsboy-style caps are also worn but more 
  often by children than by adults. The Homburg and 
  Derby styles are still popular but more formal, and 
  high-pocket gents still wear top hats, either in felt or 
  in collapsible silk forms.
  The most common women’s hat of the era is the 
  cloche, a close-fitting, bell-shaped hat with a mild 
  flare instead of a true brim. Mushroom hats may 
  have a crown similar to a cloche, but they feature a 
  definite, wider brim that curves downward (like a 
  mushroom cap). Cartwheel hats are similar to straw 
  boaters or pork pies, except they have a significantly 
  broader and somewhat relaxed brim (often two feet 
  wide).
  Different hats are worn for different seasons, 
  usually felt for the winter and straw for the summer. 
  “Straw Hat Day” is a common observance that 
  marks the transition from one season to another 
  and therefore from one hat type to another. This 
  day varies by region, and the same name is often 
  used to apply to both the spring day that marks the 
  start of straw-hat season and the fall day that marks 
  the end of it. Young ruffians often mark Straw Hat 
  Day by snatching and stomping straw hats worn by 
  strangers after the day. In September 1922 in New 
  York, this observance degenerated into the eight-
  day-long Straw Hat Riot, which resulted in hundreds 
  of arrests and hospitalizations as those who resisted 
  having their hats stomped were beaten by groups of 
  ruffians.
  Food & Drinks
  The prohibition of alcohol in the 1920s has 
  prompted a surge in the production and consumption 
  of soft drinks. In the U.S. Anheuser-Busch began 
  producing Bevo in 1916, initially sold on military 
  bases since alcohol prohibition on military posts 
  preceded nationwide prohibition by four years. 
  Bevo is a “near-beer”or a malt-flavored non-
  alcoholic soda. Colas and lemon-lime sodas have 
  also seen a surge in production, and A&W has 
  distributed root beer syrup to the many restaurants 
  it has sold franchise rights for, beginning in 1921 
  in Sacramento. Of course, many people still brew 
  their own root beer at home, adding sugar and yeast 
  to extract-flavored water until it carbonates in the 
  bottle. Of course, if you “forget” about your root 
  beer and leave it too long, why, it just might make 
  that drink alcoholic! Perish the thought!
  Convenience food is a growing trend in the 1920s. 
  Automat restaurants are very popular in major cities 
  in many countries. These cafeteria-style restaurants 
  feature an entire wall of coin-operated glass doors, 
  so that diners can drop a nickel, open the door, and 
  grab a food item à la carte. The first White Castle 
  hamburger stand opened in Wichita, Kansas, in 
  1916, and by 1927 they have three restaurants in 
  Kansas and Indiana, while there are 35,000 fish and 
  chip shops across England in the 1920s.
  Italian food has seen a dramatic rise in quality 
  and popularity in America, thanks to Prohibition. 
  As many of the speakeasies have been opened by 
  Italian-Americans, more Americans have been 
  exposed to Italian food, with its larger emphasis on 
  meats and cheeses that the American abundance 
  afforded the cooks. This has refined the American 
  palate toward a style of Italian food that is distinct 
  to the New World. Pasta has gone from insipid, 
  near-gelatinous mush cooked only by the poor as a 
  substitute for potatoes to main courses piled high 
  with meat and cheese-laden sauces richer than any 
  Italian has ever dreamed of. Chinese food, a new-
  found novelty for many Americans at this time, is 
  also common.
  Here are some examples of clothing:
  
  Herald: Lovecraft & Tesla
  28
  Americans have an undeniable sweet-tooth in 
  the 1920s. The fruit cocktail is widely popular, as 
  well as the pineapple upside-down cake and gelatin 
  molds of all kinds. Chocolate bars were an integral 
  part of soldiers’ rations in the Great War, and their 
  popularity has increased in the 1920s with the 
  inventions of the Milky Way, Butterfinger, and Baby 
  Ruth bars, among many others.
  Military rations after the Great War are called 
  “Reserve Rations” and consist of an 8-oz. can of 
  corned beef, an 8-oz. can of pork & beans, two 
  8-oz. cans of hardtack biscuits, 1.16 oz. of ground 
  coffee, and packets of sugar, salt, and pepper. This 
  is supplemented by hard chocolate and a separate 
  “tobacco ration” of 10 rolling papers and 0.4 oz. of 
  tobacco.
  Vegetarianism is also growing in the 1920s, 
  with the humble peanut becoming more widely 
  sought as a protein source after George Washington 
  Carver’s paper “How to Grow the Peanut and 105 
  Ways of Preparing it For Human Consumption” 
  was published in 1916. Contrary to popular belief, 
  Carver did not himself invent peanut butter, but 
  advances in production and packaging have also 
  seen peanut butter go from a boutique homemade 
  item to being readily available in markets.
  General Equipment
  Backpack: $3
  Bedroll: $2
  Camera: (portable) $10
  Candle: 1¢
  Canteen: $1
  Flashlight: $2
  Oil lantern (provides light 
  in 4” radius): $3
  Lantern oil: 25¢
  Carbide lamp 
  (see below): $3
  Can of carbide lumps: 25¢
  Flask: $1
  Flint and Steel: 50¢
  Grappling hook: $2
  Handcuffs: $5
  Lockpicks: $10
  Rope (10”): 15¢
  Shovel: $2
  Tool Kit: $10
  Umbrella: $1
  Whistle: 2¢
  Whetstone: 1¢
  Diner meal: $2
  Dinner w/ drinks: $5
  Trail rations: $1
  Carbide Lamp: This item is commonplace in 
  the 1920s but may need some explanation. These 
  brass lamps use the reaction of calcium carbide 
  pellets and water to produce and burn acetylene gas. 
  Carbide lamps are used in mining headlamps, hand 
  lanterns, and as vehicle headlights (on early Model 
  Ts, etc.). While battery-powered flashlights are 
  common in the 1920s, carbide lamps are included 
  here because, if they are thrown into a fire or shot, 
  they will produce an incendiary explosion. 
  Toughness: 4; Damage: 2d6, Small Blast 
  Template; treat as a small target called shot (-4) for 
  detonation via firearm.
  Vehicles
  These are the days of the automobile and the 
  airplane! All vehicles come with a built-in toolbox 
  and a spare tire. There are, of course, many other 
  makes and models of vehicles available to the 
  average consumer, and the GM should feel free to 
  see the examples and stats we have included here 
  as guidelines for any other choices the players may 
  desire.
  Automobiles
  There are some features of automobiles that were 
  unique to the 1920s:
  Touring bodies: Automobiles are only a few 
  steps removed from the horseless carriage and they 
  do not all feature enclosed passenger compartments. 
  “Touring” models have their passenger seating in a 
  bucket-like body, with only a forward windscreen 
  and a collapsable fabric canopy overhead for 
  protection from the elements. Even if there is a 
  hard, permanent roof, the sides are still often left 
  open. In the 1920s, passenger compartments that 
  are completely enclosed with wooden or steel walls, 
  a roof, and glass windows are becoming more 
  available (especially in colder climates), but open-
  air passenger seating is still very common.
  Rumble seats: Coupe and roadster-style cars, 
  which usually only sit two people, can often be 
  purchased with the option of having the trunk 
  replaced with a fold-out bench seat, called a “rumble 
  seat” or a “mother-in-law’s seat.” These bench seats 
  usually accomodate two extra people, but are also 
  completely exposed to the elements. Often there is 
  still enough room in the leg space of a rumble seat 
  for it to function as luggage storage, but only if two 
  extra people are not expected to ride in back.
  Open cabs: Pick-ups and larger trucks often 
  have open cabs. A large truck cab often only has 
  
  Part 3: Gear
  29
  a windshield, a solid roof, and half-height doors 
  with no windows, leaving the drivers exposed to the 
  elements from the waist up at the sides.
  Hand crank starters: By 1920, almost every car 
  in production has an electric starter motor installed 
  at the factory. However, not every car on the road 
  will be brand-new, and cars that require the driver 
  to insert a handle and manually crank the engine to 
  start will still be common.
  Fenders and side rails: Most automobiles 
  follow the same basic body pattern, and this almost 
  always involves arched fenders over the wheels, 
  joined by a side rail that is also a step board that 
  runs just outside the doors. The reason many cars 
  follow this pattern is simple—mud. Not only 
  are many streets not yet paved outside of major 
  urban areas but horse-drawn transport is still fairly 
  common, and mud is everywhere. For the purpose 
  of telling a Savage Tale, the prevalence of side 
  rails and runner boards makes for an easy way to 
  fire a Tommy gun from the standing position while 
  hanging on to the outside of the car with the other 
  hand.
  Ford Model-T: The automobile for the 
  multitudes! The classic reliable, four-cylinder 
  motor car, complete with electric headlamps and 
  an automatic starter. Available in any color so long 
  as it’s black. The coupe version seats two, and the 
  touring and sedan versions seat four. 
  Acc/Top Speed: 5/16; Toughness: 8 (2); 
  Crew: 1+1 or 1+3; Cost: $350
  Ford Model-TT Pickup: A heavier Model-T 
  variety with an enclosed cab and pickup bed. 
  Capable of hauling loads of up to a ton, or 8 
  passengers in back.
  Acc/Top Speed: 4/14; Toughness: 9 (2); 
  Crew: 1+1; Cost: $300
  Kissel Speedster “Gold Bug”: For those who 
  want a sportier car without the race-car price tag, 
  there’s the Gold Bug. This little speedster also 
  has a rumble seat trunk and is popular with many 
  celebrities, including Fatty Arbuckle, Douglass 
  Fairbanks, and Amelia Earhart.
  Acc/Top Speed: 15/30; Toughness: 7 (2); 
  Crew: 1+3; Cost: $1000
  
  Herald: Lovecraft & Tesla
  30
  Mercer Series 5 Raceabout: A racing classic 
  now available to the general public, the Series 
  5 raceabout is expensive but one of the fastest 
  automobiles money can buy. Available in two- or 
  four-seat models. 
  Acc/Top Speed: 20/40; Toughness: 9 (2); 
  Crew: 1+1 or 1+3; Cost: $2000
  Packard Twin Six Sedan: A luxurious seven-
  seater with an enclosed cab and a 12-cylinder 
  engine, the Packard can’t be beat for comfort on 
  long rides at high speed: just ask the rider who owns 
  one. 
  Acc/Top Speed: 15/35; Toughness: 12 (2); 
  Crew: 1+6; Cost: $2500
  Duesenberg Model A: This is the first 
  automobile in series production to have hydraulic 
  brakes, which is important when you’ve got a 
  straight-8 engine under the hood. This five-seat 
  touring car is a luxury item and a status symbol for 
  those who can afford it. 
  Acc/Top Speed: 10/30; Toughness: 10 (2); 
  Crew: 1+4; Cost: $6500
  Mack Truck, AC Model: This diesel workhorse, 
  nicknamed “the Bulldog,” has a chain-driven 
  rear axle, a 2-½ ton capacity, and a reputation for 
  reliability it earned on the battlefields of the Great 
  War. Mack has even built a passenger rail car on top 
  of this chassis as a “rail bus” to supplement the New 
  York, New Haven, and Hartford rail line. Available 
  in a variety of configurations. 
  Acc/Top Speed: 4/12; Toughness: 14 (3); 
  Crew: 1+1; Cost: $5500
  Motorcycles
  Indian Scout: This air-cooled 37 cubic inch 
  motorcycle is stylish, easy to maintain, and can 
  be fitted with a custom sidecar, allowing a 
  passenger to ride in comfort. Player gets -1 
  to driving rolls with sidecar attached. 
  Acc/Top Speed: 20/40; Toughness: 5 (1); 
  Crew: 1+1 (w/ sidecar); Cost: $250
  Willys-Knight Model 20: A five-seater sedan 
  at a moderate price, available in touring (open) or 
  sedan (enclosed) versions. 
  Acc/Top Speed: 8/30; Toughness: 10 (2); 
  Crew: 1+4; Cost: $1200
  Scott Squirrel: The 486cc Scott Squirrel is the 
  latest in British motorbike design. Lighter and more 
  powerful than the models deployed in the Great War, 
  this three-speed bike is a frontline contender for any 
  speed nut anxious to leave the competition in the 
  dust—either on the road or off. 
  Acc/TS: 25/50; Toughness: 5 (1); 
  Crew: 1; Cost: $200
  
  Part 3: Gear
  31
  Lockheed Vega: A new design for the 1920s, 
  this powerhouse of a monoplane can carry six 
  passengers up to 725 miles.
  Acc/Top Speed: 30/60, Toughness: 8(2), 
  Crew: 1+6, Climb: 2, Cost: $12000
  Curtis JN4 “Jenny”: A reliable biplane 
  commonly employed for commercial and private 
  flying. The Jenny is the well-known workhorse of 
  the US Postal Service.
  Acc/Top Speed: 10/30, Toughness: 8(2), 
  Crew: 1+1, Climb: 0, Cost: $800
  Aircraft
  Cierva C.6 Autogyro: Powered only by a 
  forward propeller, the autogyro produces lift with an 
  unpowered overhead rotor. The faster the autogyro 
  flies, the more lift it generates, making it tricky to 
  fly at low speeds (-2 to piloting rolls during takeoff 
  and landing or when flying at very slow speeds). 
  Acc/Top Speed: 7/28, Toughness: 8(2), 
  Crew: 1+1, Climb: 1, Cost: $6000
  Curtiss CR: Single seater racing bi-plane, 
  available with wheels, landing skis ,or pontoons for 
  sea landing. 
  Acc/Top Speed: 25/50, Toughness: 7(1), 
  Crew: 1, Climb: 1, Cost: $8000
  R34 Airship: A 600-foot long rigid steel frame 
  that encloses several separate internal gas balloons. 
  Nearly silent and capable of reaching altitudes 
  beyond the range of most ground weapons and 
  even some contemporary airplanes, airships are 
  known for stealthy approaches under cover of 
  darkness. The 26-person crew is distributed among 
  four underslung gondolas and several machine gun 
  positions, connected by ladders to corridors inside 
  the rigid frame above. She can carry 2200 pounds of 
  bombs or cargo.
  Acc/Top Speed: 15/45, Toughness: 20, 
  Crew: 26, Climb: 2, Cost: Military only
  LZ 120 Bodensee Airship: A 400-foot long rigid 
  steel frame that encloses several separate internal 
  gas balloons. This luxury airliner was launched by 
  Germany in 1919, carrying passengers across the 
  Atlantic. In 1921 she and her sister ship the LZ 121 
  Nordstern were handed over to Italy and France, 
  respectively, as war reparations. They were renamed 
  but are still in service as airliners.
  Acc/Top Speed: 10/20, Toughness: 15, 
  Crew: 12+27, Climb: 1, Cost: Commercial only
  Fokker Trimotor: A long-distance monoplane 
  airliner with three powerful engines, capable of 
  carrying 12 passengers thousands of miles without 
  refueling. 
  Acc/Top Speed: 50/100, Toughness: 11(2), 
  Crew: 1+12, Climb: 1, Cost: $30000
  Supermarine Sea Eagle: A flying boat biplane 
  capable of carrying six passengers. With its pusher-
  type propeller and open cockpit above the enclosed, 
  boat-shaped passenger cabin, she may look odd 
  but she’s the best way to get around when island-
  hopping.
  Acc/Top Speed: 20/40, Toughness: 11(2), 
  Crew: 1+12, Climb: 1, Cost: $25000
  
  Herald: Lovecraft & Tesla
  32
  Hand Weapons
  Type
  Damage
  Weight
  Notes
  Cost
  Bayonet
  Str+d4
  1
  Str+d6, Parry +1, Reach 1 and AP 1 when attached 
  to a rifle (2 hands)
  —
  Brass Knuckles
  Str+d4
  1
  Weilder is considered unarmed
  $5
  Billy Club / Baton
  Str+d4
  1
  Carried by most law-enforcement officials
  $5
  Switchblade
  Str+d4
  1
  -2 to be noticed if hidden
  $7
  Trench Knife
  Str+d4
  1
  AP 1, can be used as knife or brass knuckles (see 
  above); “Skull Crusher” pointed pommel has AP 1
  —
  Baseball Bat
  Str+d6
  2
  Conspicuous: cannot be concealed.
  $2
  Machete
  Str+d6
  1
  Conspicuous: cannot be concealed.
  $5
  Trench Weapon
  Str+d4/ 
  Str+d6
  Various
  Many veterans will be familiar with improvised 
  or modified melee weapons developed in trench 
  warfare in the Great War: sharpened hand-shovels, 
  handmade short swords, nail-bat clubs, etc.
  —
  Weapons
  Firearms
  Type
  Range
  Dmg
  RoF
  Weight
  Shots
  Min
  Str
  Cost
  Pistols
  FN Model 1922 (.32)
  12/24/48
  2d6-1
  1
  2
  9+1
  —
  $18
  Notes: Semi-Auto
  Colt Bisley (.45)
  12/24/48
  2d6+1
  1
  4
  6
  —
  $20
  Notes: Revolver
  Colt M1911 (.45)
  12/24/48
  2d6+1
  1
  4
  7+1
  —
  $17
  Notes: AP 1, Semi-Auto
  Colt Police (.38)
  12/24/48
  2d6
  1
  3
  6
  —
  $15
  Notes: Revolver
  Luger (9mm)
  12/24/48
  2d6
  1
  2
  8+1
  —
  $28
  Notes: Semi-Auto
  Mauser C96 (7.63mm)
  12/24/48
  2d6
  1
  3
  10
  —
  $30
  Notes: Semi-Auto, can be fitted with a stock to double the range
  Ithaca Auto & Burglar (20ga)
  5/10/—
  2-3d6
  1-2
  2
  2
  d6
  $20
  Notes: +2 to shooting roll, 2d6 at medium, 3d6 at short, ineffective at long range. This double-barreled 
  shotgun has a pistol grip and a 10” barrel, making it devastating but hard to control. Don’t bring a knife 
  to a gunfight.
  
  Part 3: Gear
  33
  Type
  Range
  Dmg
  RoF
  Weight
  Shots
  Min
  Str
  Cost
  Rifles
  Enfield M1917 (.30-06)
  24/48/96
  2d8
  1
  8
  6
  —
  $60
  Notes: AP 2, bolt-action
  Springfield air service ’03
  24/48/96
  2d8
  1
  8
  25
  —
  $125
  Notes: AP 2, Semi-Auto
  Mauser 1918 T-Gewehr (.525)
  24/48/92
  3d10
  1
  25
  1
  d8
  $350
  Notes: AP 3, must reload after every shot, must be fired while prone or braced, shooter suffers d4 
  damage in recoil
  Winchester 1895 (.405)
  24/48/92
  2d10
  1
  10
  5
  d8
  $35
  Notes: AP 2
  Shotguns
  Remington Model 10 (12g)
  12/24/48
  1-3d6
  1
  8
  6
  —
  $25
  Notes: +2 to shooting roll, 1d6 damage at long range, 2d6 at medium, 3d6 at short
  Sawed-off DB w/stock (12g)
  5/10/20
  1-3d6
  1-2
  6
  2
  —
  $20
  Notes: +2 to shooting roll, 1d6 damage at long range, 2d6 at medium, 3d6 at short
  Automatic Rifles
  B.A.R. (.30-06)
  30/60/120
  2d8
  2
  24
  20
  d8
  $300
  Notes: AP 2, Auto, built-in bipod, “Browning Automatic Rifle”
  Tommy Gun (.45)
  12/24/48
  2d6+1
  3
  13
  20/50
  $200
  Notes: AP 1, Auto, 50-round drum magazines require a full round to reload
  Heavy Machine Guns
  Lewis Gun (.303)
  30/60/120
  2d8+1
  3
  30
  97
  d8
  Mil
  Notes: AP 2, Auto, bulky barrel shroud and wide, flat, horizontal “pan” drum magazine
  M1919 (.30-06)
  24/48/96
  2d8
  3
  30
  250
  —
  Mil
  Notes: AP 2, Auto, may not move (tripod & ammo can/belt-feed)
  Vickers (.303)
  30/60/120
  2d8+1
  3
  50
  250
  —
  Mil
  Notes: AP 2, Auto, may not move (tripod, ammo can/belt-feed, and hose & tank for water-cooled 
  barrel shroud)
  M2 (.50)
  50/100/200
  2d10
  3
  85
  200
  —
  Mil
  Notes: AP 4, HW, Auto, may not move (tripod & ammo can/belt-feed)
  
  Herald: Lovecraft & Tesla
  34
  Body Armor
  Body armor and bulletproof vests are not unheard 
  of, but materials available in the 1920s make most of 
  these either impractical or ineffective. Nevertheless, 
  there are some notable examples of the era.
  Silk Armor Vest: In 1881 in Tombstone, a doctor 
  noticed that a Faro dealer had escaped serious 
  injury because a silk handkerchief had stopped a 
  bullet from penetrating. This lead to developments 
  in multi-layered silk bulletproof vests. Archduke 
  Ferdinand owned one of these vests, which tests 
  have confirmed would have stopped a bullet from a 
  contemporary weapon in 1914. Too bad he wasn’t 
  wearing his vest when he met Gavrilo Princip in 
  Sarajevo.
  Armor: +2; Weight: 4; Cost: $350; 
  Notes: Covers torso, can be worn under clothes.
  Brewster Body Shield: Developed for the 
  U.S. Army in 1917, this armor is capable of 
  stopping a full blast from a .303 Lewis gun on 
  full automatic. However, this steel plate armor 
  has many disadvantages. In design it is effectively 
  an oversized helmet with an eye slit attached to a 
  large, stiff, steel apron. The wearer cannot turn their 
  head, and at 40 pounds it is extremely unwieldy. It 
  can never be be concealed and draws considerable 
  attention to the wearer in any setting. 
  Armor: +8; Weight: 40; Cost: Military issue; 
  Notes: Covers head and torso, Pace and Agility 
  suffer -4.
  Infanterie-Panzer: Many countries and 
  individuals developed their own armor for 
  trench warfare in the Great War, but the German 
  “lobster” armor saw the best mix of protection 
  and maneuverability. It consisted of a solid steel 
  breastplate with a flared neck gorget, with three 
  overlapping steel skirts hanging below to protect the 
  belly and groin. It was effective but impractical for 
  most mobile units, being instead issued for machine 
  gun emplacements and other stationary units. It will 
  be extremely conspicuous if worn off the battlefield.
  Armor: +3; Weight: 15; Cost: Military issue (or 
  souvenir); Notes: Covers front of torso, Pace and 
  Agility suffer -2.
  Padded Cotton Vest: Many versions of a cloth 
  bulletproof vest are being produced in the 1920s. 
  Some are manufactured by large companies with 
  the law enforcement market in mind, and some are 
  made more cheaply and worn by bootleggers and 
  other criminals. They are all relatively the same, 
  worn close to the chest and made of alternating 
  layers of heavy, stiff canvas and cotton padding. 
  They are concealable under clothes, but their bulk 
  would require clothes several sizes larger than 
  normal for the wearer.
  Armor: +2; Weight: 4; Cost: $100-400; 
  Notes: Covers torso, can be worn under large 
  clothes. Cheaper versions fail 25% of the time: on 
  any attack, roll a d4—a result of 1 negates the armor 
  bonus for that attack.
  Inventions
  Tesla inventions
  Nikola Tesla’s most well-known and well-
  documented inventions include advancements 
  in alternating current, electric motors, wireless 
  communication, and transmission of power—as 
  well as televisual communication. His work in 
  these fields is undeniable and will earn him the 
  nickname of “The Man Who Invented the Twentieth 
  Century.” Less well-documented, and often 
  shrouded in myth and conspiracy theory, are some 
  of his more fantastic inventions. While many of the 
  advancements attributed to Tesla seem far-fetched 
  or can be dismissed as over-zealous exaggeration, in 
  the world of Herald they are treated as history. Tesla 
  inventions are usually unique items which cannot be 
  bought and are tightly controlled by Tesla himself.
  Lightning Pistol: This hand-held electric 
  lightning bolt projector is common issue to members 
  of the Mythos Resistance known to be actively 
  searching for and combatting unnatural creatures. 
  It resembles a tiny cross between a Tesla coil and a 
  Van de Graaff generator, with a spherical projector 
  tip and a basket-shaped primary coil to focus the 
  electrical discharge, which allows the user to aim 
  and fire a lightning bolt at a target. Electric pistols 
  will fire 12 shots before they require a twelve-hour 
  recharging period. 
  Range: 10/20/40; Damage: 2d6; RoF: 1; Ignores 
  armor, In addition to damage rolled, targets must 
  
  Part 3: Gear
  35
  make a Vigor roll versus the damage rolled or be 
  Shaken and suffer a -2 to Pace, Parry, and all rolls 
  for 2 rounds.
  Teleforce Gun: This is an emplacement 
  weapon—a large, stationary apparatus (like a large 
  artillery piece) supported by a gargantuan, stationary 
  generator. This weapon uses intense manifestations 
  of electromotive force to project charged particles of 
  various sizes over a very long distance, transmitting 
  much more energy, and to a much more precise 
  target area, than an energy bolt or ray would allow. 
  It can be selected to fire microscopic particles a very 
  long distance (usually for anti-aircraft applications) 
  or larger particles a shorter distance (for ground 
  effects). Counts as High Explosive rounds that 
  ignore armor. Both firing solutions require a 
  recharge period, making the Rate of Fire 1 shot 
  every 2 rounds.
  Anti-Aircraft: Range: 150/300/600; Damage: 
  3d10, Small Burst Template; RoF: 1/2
  Ground Effects: Range: 75/150/300; 
  Damage: 5d10, Medium Burst Template; RoF: 1/2
  Violet Ray Device: This healing device uses 
  a portable magneto coil to charge an electrode 
  made of an evacuated glass tube. The application 
  of high-frequency electric charge causes the tube 
  to glow violet. The electrode is then applied to the 
  injured body to stimulate healing. Use of this device 
  by someone trained in Healing will add +2 to the 
  Healing roll (though bandages and other supplies 
  are still required). This device can also be used to 
  heal wounds outside of the Golden Hour (more than 
  an hour after the wound was inflicted) but at a -1 
  penalty to a standard Healing roll. This device does 
  not shorten the ten-minute requirement for a Healing 
  roll.
  Mechanical Oscillator: Often dubbed his 
  “Earthquake Machine,” this device is a small, steam-
  driven piston oscillator. It is capable of creating 
  such strong vibrations that, if tuned to the resonance 
  frequency of the building it is attached to, can 
  cause the building to violently shake itself apart. 
  While the device itself is small (about two feet long, 
  weighing about ten pounds), it requires an external 
  source of steam or compressed air to operate. The 
  operator also needs an appropriate Knowledge 
  skill (Physics or Engineering). This weapon only 
  damages structures, though severe tremors or falling 
  debris inside a structure could certainly damage or 
  incapacitate living targets.
  Range: 0/10/—; Damage: 10d10 (structures only); 
  All characters inside a targeted building must make 
  an Agility roll or be Shaken and knocked Prone.
  VTOL Flyer: Tesla has invented a flying machine 
  that can take off and land either conventionally or 
  vertically. Essentially a modified biplane, this device 
  has the familiar twin wings and forward propeller, 
  but all tail stabilizers have been moved ahead of 
  the wings. It has three sets of landing gear, which 
  allows the aircraft to operate conventionally or to 
  be tipped on its back with the propellor facing up to 
  allow the aircraft to take off vertically. This requires 
  the pilot and passenger to be lying on their backs for 
  take off vertically, but once airborne the craft will 
  tilt to allow conventional horizontal flight.
  Acc/Top Speed: 10/30; Toughness: 8(2), 
  Crew: 1+1; Climb: 2 (Vertical take-off requires a 
  Piloting check at -2)
  There are many other inventions attributed to 
  Tesla that are not detailed here, but may be featured 
  in future adventures. The GM is encouraged to use 
  their own imagination and research to expand the 
  Tesla arsenal of devices if they choose.
  
  Herald: Lovecraft & Tesla
  36
  
  Part 4
  Atlas
  
  Herald: Lovecraft & Tesla
  38
  Weird New England
  New England has a long and storied history of 
  folklore and myth, but myth doesn’t necessarily 
  mean “untrue.” The Algonquin tribes that hunted, 
  fished, and farmed New England had their own 
  legends of the ancient creatures that haunted 
  certain deep hollows, and various sites were home 
  to curious arrangements of standing stones long 
  before they set foot here. When Europeans began 
  to make their homes in this area, they brought with 
  them their own legends and superstitions, and soon 
  their tales mingled with those of the native peoples. 
  Pitch-black figures who roamed the woods offering 
  brimstone-laced bargains have made their way into 
  the folklore of almost every colonial settlement. 
  The fact that many of these settlers came here to 
  escape their own religious persecution only seemed 
  to fan their fears of supernatural dangers, and fear 
  of the Other has a way of turning even the most 
  mundane practices into evil and supernatural stories 
  in the minds of the fearful. Stories of demonic 
  congress and witchcraft spread throughout the 
  colonies, igniting the witch-pyres that many of these 
  settlers had crossed the ocean to escape. Writers 
  like Nathaniel Hawthorne, Washington Irving, and 
  Herman Melville set the stage for the New England 
  Gothic genre long before Whipple Van Buren 
  Phillips began telling macabre tales to his grandson, 
  H.P. Lovecraft.
  The Uncanny Valley of Miskatonic
   The turbid waters of the Miskatonic River 
  may have carved this valley out of the rolling 
  Massachusetts hills, but stranger things have 
  built up the valley it left behind. Curious rings 
  of standing stones crown many of the bald-faced 
  hills that rim the valley, and the thick undergrowth 
  and fetid marshland surrounding those peaks have 
  made those stones inaccessible to most, save the 
  most desperate. Even in an area as long settled 
  and densely populated as Eastern Massachusetts, 
  the Miskatonic Valley guards many pockets of 
  isolated and overgrown countryside. Dark hollows 
  guard homesteads that have stood apart from the 
  civilized world for generations. Rumors of massive 
  inbreeding are hard to discount when some of these 
  antisocial clanspeople are encountered in the back 
  ways and oppressively overgrown forests. Many 
  of these isolationists have good reason to stay 
  hidden, since the prejudices that fanned the flames 
  of Massachusetts’s witch-hunting past are not so 
  easily forgotten. Many of those who escaped from 
  the fury of Salem settled here, and a few of those 
  who were accused of witchcraft may not have been 
  as innocent as recent revisionist historians would 
  have us believe. Little wonder then that the town of 
  Arkham is home to one of the largest sanitariums in 
  all of New England.
  
  Part 4: Atlas
  39
  Dunwich
  While travelling North through the Miskatonic 
  Valley, you might take the wrong turn off the 
  Aylesbury Turnpike just after Dean’s Corners. If you 
  start to notice the trees getting larger and stranger, 
  if you start to see strange rings of standing stones 
  on bare hilltops, and if the few houses you do see 
  become even more scarce and abandoned, you 
  might be heading up the road toward Dunwich, 
  Massachusetts. Tangled, sprawling swamps 
  occasionally break up these dense woods and seem 
  to trigger an instinctive repulsion in anyone who 
  sees them. They are fed by the dark waters of... a 
  small tributary of the Miskatonic that flows under 
  the dilapidated single-lane covered bridge that 
  marks the edge of town proper.
  Some say that calling it a “town” is too kind, 
  though you won’t get much in the way of argument 
  from the locals. If you see any locals at all, they 
  will keep largely silent, though their silence is less 
  menace and more world-weary sloth. Any people of 
  motivation have long since departed this crumbling, 
  mossed-over hamlet.
  In sunnier, less remote parts of the valley, strange 
  things are often whispered about those who have 
  remained in Dunwich by choice. Eerie lights and 
  otherworldly howls often spread out from those 
  crumbling rings of standing stones that crown the 
  dark hills surrounding Dunwich.
  Kingsport
  Built on the delta of the Miskatonic River 
  between sharp and towering cliffs, this sleepy little 
  fishing village is one of the oldest settlements in 
  Massachusetts. The last two centuries saw Kingsport 
  as a small yet bustling shipbuilding community 
  whose ships hunted whales and moved cargo from 
  Nantucket to Edo Bay and back again.
  The world moves ever on, however, and the shift 
  from sail to steam built new shipyards in larger 
  cities and left the smaller places like Kingsport 
  behind. Fishing became Kingsport’s primary 
  trade, though her ancient history and picturesque 
  geography have made tourism a thriving industry 
  as well. Many an ancient gambrel-roofed colonial 
  house has been converted to a bed and breakfast, 
  
  Herald: Lovecraft & Tesla
  40
  serving weekenders from as close as Providence and 
  as far away as New York and Philadelphia. The Hall 
  School, a girls’ boarding school, still maintains a 
  high reputation of excellence and provides its own 
  draw to out-of-towners.
  Not every house in Kingsport has been caught up 
  in the tourism boom. One strange house, high in the 
  mists above town, still keeps its lonely vigil perched 
  atop the western edge of the sharp cliffs that flank 
  the Miskatonic River Delta.
  Innsmouth
  An ancient colonial town that time and the rest 
  of the world seems to have forgotten, this small 
  fishing village doesn’t seem to have much to offer 
  visitors. Almost every building on the waterfront has 
  crumbled into oblivion, except the well-maintained 
  Marsh Refining Company factory. More than half of 
  the other buildings in town are in various states of 
  dilapidation and decay, save only the “church.”
  What had once been a typical white-clapboard 
  congregationalist church has been taken over by the 
  bizarre folk religion of the people of Innsmouth, the 
  Esoteric Order of Dagon. A few anthropologists and 
  folklorists have travelled there to investigate exactly 
  what the tenets of worship are for this strange 
  isolated congregation, but their inquiries have been 
  ignored or silenced outright by the closed and 
  curiously fish-like lips of the natives.
  Innsmouth folk are not known for their hospitality 
  towards outsiders, no matter their reason for 
  visiting. Most locals exhibit what is locally known 
  as “the Innsmouth look.” Some neighboring towns 
  suspect that their self-isolation has lead to rampant 
  inbreeding there. Other, more whispered rumors hint 
  at stranger bedfellows still. Fishermen from nearby 
  are also known to shun the ominous Devil’s Reef 
  that serves as the breakwater for Innsmouth harbor.
  Arkham
  Just across the Seekonk river from bustling 
  Providence lies the sleepy Massachusetts town of 
  Arkham, home of Miskatonic University. Quaint 
  Arkham, with its moss-covered gambrel roofs 
  and rolling, rocky green meadows, nestles in the 
  large mouth of the Miskatonic Valley. This ancient 
  colonial town never managed to grow to the size 
  of its neighbor across the water, though it seems to 
  have more populous graveyards than any other town 
  in New England.
  The typhoid epidemic of 1905 had a lot to do 
  with the slow growth of the city, though the twisted 
  alleys of this small town whisper of darker histories. 
  Women were tried and burned here in the witch-
  hunts of the late 1600s, and some folks believe the 
  town never managed to crawl out from under the 
  shadow those pyres cast across the village. Whispers 
  of children disappearing every May Eve and other 
  dark doings still linger in the poorer parts of town, 
  and the infamous Arkham Sanitarium seems to keep 
  secrets of its own behind that imposing multi-spired 
  brick facade. 
  Miskatonic University
  The Miskatonic University is a long-established 
  and well-respected institution of higher learning—
  one of the most prestigious in New England. It 
  is well-regarded not only for its state-of-the-art 
  scientific facilities, but also for the various esoteric 
  curiosities housed in its rare-books library and its 
  Archaeological Department.
  
  Part 4: Atlas
  41
  Welcome to Miskatonic U!
  Miskatonic University is considered one the 
  jewels of the Ivy League, but it wasn’t always this 
  way. Founded in 1759 in Arkham Massachusetts 
  by the Reverend Jebediah Cuttle and his brother 
  Henry Cuttle, the school was plagued with trouble 
  from the start. Originally called the College of the 
  Miskatonick Vallye, the school fell on hard times 
  after Henry suffered a nervous breakdown, shunned 
  his responsibilities, and finally disappeared from 
  public view in 1781. Jebediah, inexperienced 
  in finance, turned over the school’s functions to 
  Henry’s executor, who expanded the curriculum 
  to include programs in agricultural and applied 
  sciences. When war broke out with England, the 
  school was used as a warehouse for the colonists, 
  both for munitions and a collection of Iroquois 
  artifacts that General Washington wanted to keep 
  out of Tory hands. 
  The university later saw an uptick in enrollment 
  during the Civil War as wealthy New Englanders 
  avoided combat by filling lecture halls. As America 
  modernized during Reconstruction, Miskatonic 
  stood out as a visionary, though flawed, institution. 
  Although many graduates successfully went on to 
  contribute to the fields of astronomy and biology, 
  reports of other students’ nervous breakdowns 
  and disappearances contributed to a narrative that 
  A. Miskatonic Exhibit Library B. Prantiss Hall: Miskatonic School of Sciences C. Administration Building D. Bulgar Hall: School 
  of the Humanities E. Miskatonic Main Library F. Marsh Hall: School of Earth Sciences G. Monty Hall: School of Engineering 
  H. Avicenna Hall: School of Medicine I. Lek Hall: School of Business, Maths, and Politics J. “The Tomb” Chthonic Society
  Ancient History Department ................................ HUM
  Anthropology Department .................................... HUM
  Archaeology Department ..................................... HUM
  Architecture Department ....................................... ENG
  Astronomy Department ........................................... SCI
  Biology Department ............................................... ERS
  Botany Department................................................. ERS
  Chemical Engineering Department ....................... ENG
  Chemistry Department ............................................ SCI
  Civil Engineering Department ............................... ENG
  Economics Department ......................................... BMP
  Electrical Engineering Department ....................... ENG
  English Department .............................................. HUM
  Folklore Department............................................. HUM
  Geology Department .............................................. ERS
  Internal Medicine Department ..............................MED
  Languages Department ......................................... HUM
  Marine Biology Department ................................... ERS
  Mathematics Department ...................................... BMP
  Mechanical Engineering Department .................... ENG
  Nursing Department ..............................................MED
  Occult and Esoteric Literature Department .......... HUM
  Pathology Department ...........................................MED
  Physics Department ................................................. SCI
  Political Science Department ................................ BMP
  Psychology Department ....................................... HUM
  Theatre Department .............................................. HUM
  Zoology Department .............................................. ERS
  A
  B
  C
  D
  E
  F
  G
  H
  I
  J
  
  Herald: Lovecraft & Tesla
  42
  Miskatonic was not a place to take your studies 
  lightly. Looking to put the past behind, Miskatonic 
  opened its doors as a coed institution in 1919 with 
  the end of WWI. The atmosphere on campus these 
  days is breezy, with recent victories by the fencing, 
  golf, and football teams garnering national acclaim. 
  Many students and faculty, however, will confide 
  that something always seems “off” at the school, 
  like a staleness in the air that leaves people prone 
  to headaches. It seems nothing comes easy to 
  Miskatonic U, whose motto, “Eruditione Periculosa, 
  Victoria Aeterna” (From Dangerous Knowledge 
  comes Eternal Victory), has never changed 
  throughout its famous history of innovation, scandal, 
  and hardship.
  Department of Biology
  Have you ever wondered where you came 
  from, how you inherited your grandfather’s 
  eyes, or how humanity lost their gills and tails 
  on the long climb out of the ancient primordial 
  sea? Stately Marsh Hall is home to Miskatonic’s 
  world-class Department of Evolutionary Biology, 
  where you can explore all of your questions about 
  ancestrally-acquired traits and discover how we 
  left the sea behind. Drop in for one of Professor 
  Harold Lake’s lectures in the Dissection Arena for 
  a first-hand look at the inner workings of animal 
  anatomy. Talk with Professor Lane Dexter about 
  our evolutionary history and find out how much 
  human beings still have in common with the fishes. 
  Visit our Microbiology Lab to discover all the 
  strange and wonderful creatures that live unseen in 
  a drop of pond water. Sign up for a field-trip to the 
  tidepools on the Kingsport coast, or maybe help 
  your professors prepare for the multidisciplinary 
  Antarctic expedition that Miskatonic is preparing 
  for by the end of the decade. Remember, no matter 
  how strange some unknown biological specimen 
  may seem, zoology, biology, and phylogeny are 
  constantly evolving: there is nothing out there that is 
  unnamable to science!
  Occult and Esoteric Literatures 
  Department
  Have you finished Shakespeare, Goethe, and 
  Dickens and you’re still hungry for more? Look to 
  the Department of Occult and Esoteric Literatures, 
  which houses anything outside the literary canon 
  involving mysticism, ritual, and various polytheistic 
  mythologies. All OEL research is funded through a 
  trust established in Henry Cuttle’s will, and though 
  the OEL remains one of the smaller departments 
  on campus with only five professors, it accounts 
  for a sizable portion of the academic budget as 
  its research often includes joint international/
  interdisciplinary expeditions with the Department 
  of Archaeology. Though some projects have yielded 
  interesting results like the Sanskrit Kumarain 
  found in Katghora, India, or the discovery of the 
  Qanoon-E-Sahar, others were not so lucky. In 1905, 
  an expedition to the Belgian Kongo claimed the 
  life of Professor Glenn Lawrence. Dr. Lawrence, 
  who was searching for one of the four famed 
  
  Part 4: Atlas
  43
  Librimors, made his last contact with the school’s 
  History Department in a telegram that said “It’s 
  true (STOP) Rescind payments (STOP) Make no 
  attempt to retrieve (STOP).” Though Dr. Lawrence’s 
  service and cheer will be genuinely missed by the 
  University, grant funding is currently available to 
  continue his work.
  Miskatonic School of Medicine
  Do you long to be the next Albert Schweitzer 
  or Clara Barton? Do you have the commitment to 
  dedicate your life to the healing and comfort of 
  your fellow man? If so, then the Miskatonic School 
  of Medicine is for you. At the cutting edge of the 
  conjunction of medicine and the physical sciences, 
  our school boasts the very latest in radiography 
  equipment and techniques. We also have a state-of-
  the-art pathology department and have gained some 
  renown for our pioneering work in stimulating brain 
  functions with electromagnetic resonance fields. Our 
  Anatomy Department is second to none, and we host 
  one of the largest stockpiles of medical cadavers this 
  side of the Atlantic Ocean! Our Surgical Autopsy 
  Theater is one of the oldest in the country, providing 
  our students with intimate knowledge of the internal 
  structures and workings of the human body for 
  generations. Our Psychology Department also 
  enjoys a robust working relationship with the staff 
  at Arkham Sanitarium, ensuring a steady supply of 
  interns to aid in their mental ministrations. 
  Physics Department
  Care to discover a new dimension? Fancy pushing 
  the boundaries of Newton’s laws of motion? 
  Interested in applying non-Euclidean geometry to 
  established principles of thermodynamics? Stop by 
  the Miskatonic Physics Department, which offers 
  students an exceptionally challenging program of 
  study that is sure to push the boundaries of what you 
  think is possible. Stop by the Theoretical Lounge in 
  Prantiss Hall to discuss real-world applications of 
  developing technologies, or attend a visiting lecture 
  by Guglielmo Marconi on the burgeoning field of 
  electric communications. If you have any questions, 
  see the Chair of the Physics Department, Professor 
  Marybeth Middlesworth, who is always available for 
  student consultation during her busy afternoon office 
  hours, except on Thursdays, when she teaches an 
  independent seminar on soundwave spectrography. 
  Advanced students, by competitive application 
  only, are treated to special seminars at the Ketering 
  Observatory for private study and cerebral 
  expansion techniques guaranteed to take a student’s 
  thinking beyond prescribed limits; counseling and 
  medical treatments are provided after these sessions 
  as needed. Many students involved in these seminars 
  are recruited upon graduation by government and 
  industry leaders to develop the next generation of 
  technological advancements and national defense 
  initiatives.
  School of the Humanities
  “What a piece of work is a man! How noble 
  in reason, how infinite in faculty! In form and 
  moving how express and admirable! In action—
  how like an Angel! In apprehension—how like 
  a god! The beauty of the world! The paragon of 
  animals!” Do you, like Alexander Pope, believe 
  that the proper study of mankind is man? Then 
  you have come to the right school. Miskatonic 
  University’s School of the Humanities is one of 
  the most celebrated interdisciplinary schools in the 
  United States university system. Our Archaeology 
  Department, lead by Doctor Francis Morgan, is the 
  leading authority on Pre-Columbian settlements 
  in North America, and his personal relationship 
  with Howard Carter has yielded some astonishing 
  artifacts from his celebrated Egyptian explorations, 
  all of which are on display in Miskatonic’s Exhibit 
  Museum. Professor Tyler M. Freeborn, head of our 
  Anthropology Department, has just returned from 
  an expedition to the Far East, where he documented 
  the language and culture of the Tcho-Tcho people. 
  Do you prefer less fieldwork-oriented pursuits? 
  Take in a lecture by Professor Ferdinand C. Ashley 
  of our Ancient History Department or Professor 
  Warren Rice of our Languages Department. If the 
  stage is more to your liking, the Miskatonic Players 
  from our Theatre Department are about to mount a 
  production of The King in Yellow.
  Miskatonic Exhibit Museum
  Our exhibit museum houses one of the most 
  extensive collections of items in New England. 
  
  Herald: Lovecraft & Tesla
  44
  What’s your pleasure? The Geology Department has 
  stocked our Hall of Minerals with of some of the 
  rarest gemstone, crystal, and geode examples ever 
  seen. In the Hall of Fossils, we have a vast array 
  of fossilized remains, including the world’s only 
  complete Spinosaurus skeleton and some fossilized 
  footprints that have yet to be identified. The Human 
  History wing houses artifacts from Colonial 
  Massachusetts back to the Paleolithic era, and even a 
  few artifacts that seem to date from before that! Our 
  Hall of Mummies is home to several rare Egyptian 
  constructions that blend animal and human forms, 
  and our latest acquisition is a strange mummy of a 
  previously unknown style, recovered by a Captain 
  Weatherbee from a small Pacific island. The current 
  seasonal exhibit on display is a beautiful collection 
  of mounted Lepidoptera: moths and butterflies 
  collected from the four corners of the Earth 
  mounted, catalogued, and put on display just for 
  you! Our art collection is currently home to a large 
  collection of post-modernist paintings by Richard 
  Upton Pickman.
  Miskatonic University Library
  The University Library is home to a vast array of 
  resources for every field of study. It also houses our 
  Occult and Esoteric Literatures Department as well 
  as our world famous rare book library. Our shelves 
  hold the Arabic translations of Aristotle’s Poetics 
  (both volumes), three copies of Aristide Torchia’s 
  Nine Gates, a first edition printing of the Malleus 
  Malleficarium, as well as copies of the Pnakotic 
  Manuscripts and Wormius’ Latin translation of 
  the Necronomicon. But don’t try and sneak any of 
  these valuable references past our head librarian, 
  Dr. Henry Armitage. He may have been curating our 
  rare book collection for the last decade following his 
  retirement from teaching, but he still knows how to 
  deal with unruly students who try to take liberties 
  with school property. Don’t think that our library is 
  only looking to the past, either. Our new state-of-
  the-art micro-photography lab is constantly busy 
  making microfilm photographs of every volume we 
  own. Soon, you’ll be able to carry a thousand pages 
  of perfect facsimile of rare, ancient text in a simple 
  manilla envelope! Thanks to the tireless efforts of 
  our librarians, copies of our rare books could be sent 
  all over the world!
  The Chthonic Society
  Do you strive for excellence in everything you 
  do? Do you often follow your own lead, no matter 
  where the herd tries to take you? Do you look 
  for a deeper, more meaningful connection with 
  your fellow class leaders? If you’re not afraid to 
  go where your drive and ambition take you, then 
  maybe the Chthonic Society is for you. Like many 
  prestigious schools in New England, Miskatonic 
  is home to her own secret society. Modeled on 
  ancient Greek mystery societies, this fraternal 
  organization works hand-in-hand with the Greek 
  Council and other individual fraternities, curating 
  a membership of influential yet diverse students 
  from varying disciplines and departments. Chthonic 
  Society Alumni have gone on to do great things 
  after graduation, and their ranks have included 
  such luminaries as Nathaniel Hawthorne, President 
  Franklin Pierce, physicist Dr. Crawford Tillinghast, 
  artist Richard Upton Pickman, Dr. Immanuel 
  Velikovsky, Charles Fort, and many others.
  
  Part 4: Atlas
  45
  Miskatonic Faculty News: The Miskatonic 
  University Department of Geology would like to 
  extend a warm welcome to Dr. J. Harlen Bretz of the 
  University of Chicago. He will be staying with us for 
  the next three weeks as a guest lecturer.
  Dr. Bretz, a world renowned expert and author of 
  several publications and has come to Miskatonic 
  to share his newest findings on the unnatural 
  symmetry of craton regions (the interiors of 
  continents that were not deformed by tectonic 
  events). We are all very excited to hear what he has 
  to say about such a gripping subject.
  Our Great Globe: The infamous schooner-rigged 
  steamship The Quest is back in the news again. 
  After the recent Shackleton–Rowett Expedition 
  ended so tragically, The Quest returned to its 
  original purpose as a sealer. But in January it 
  seems that another expeditionary group boarded 
  the vessel and headed back towards the late 
  captain’s original destination in Antarctica. Last 
  week, The Quest was retrieved from the waters off 
  the South Sandwich Islands, seemingly abandoned; 
  no signs of struggle, no sign of survivors.
  Talk about Town: Last Tuesday at the New Xanadu 
  Miskatonic Campus Newspaper 
  ISSUE #1 of 3
  Miskatonic Campus Newspaper
  Club in South Providence, an anonymous singer 
  joined the house band onstage and gave what was 
  said to be an enchanting performance. Some of 
  the songs were reportedly sung in French. Many 
  patrons swear that the unnamed singer was in fact 
  the great Josephine Baker, but these rumors are 
  unconfirmed. Why would a world-famous singer of 
  her caliber be in Providence? Management of the 
  New Xanadu have said they don’t know who the 
  mystery singer was.
  Entertainment: This Wednesday evening at 
  the Providence Athenaeum Library, the Ladies 
  Dramaturgy Society of New England will be 
  presenting a night of dramatic readings including 
  Mark Twain’s timeless classic, “The Celebrated 
  Jumping Frog of Calaveras County.” Last week they 
  held a similar function here in Arkham and it was 
  very well received.
  Quote from Editor T.J. Snodgrass: Free advice to 
  the students of Miskatonic - Start your courses 
  right this semester. Why not spend more time at 
  the library instead of doing the Charleston like 
  a goofball? Those who get ahead in life know how 
  to prioritize and know that the key to happiness 
  lies in hard work and insatiable curiosity! If you’ve 
  been a Botany major for four years but haven’t yet 
  set foot in the arboretum, then you are part of the 
  problem. I’ve met students from the Engineering 
  Department who can’t change an automobile tire. 
  Some History majors seem more concerned with 
  filling their dance card than filling their heads with 
  knowledge. Making life choices isn’t like choosing 
  something from the Sears Roebuck catalogue. 
  Really!
  
  Herald: Lovecraft & Tesla
  46
  Talk About Town: In Providence, an unidentified 
  elderly gentleman was arrested in the Athenaeum 
  library last week. Witnesses say that he had 
  been asking odd questions 
  and drawing diagrams of 
  the library layout but 
  was otherwise friendly 
  and unassuming. He’s 
  being held at the police 
  station, but his identity 
  has not been announced 
  yet. They’ve released 
  a photograph of the 
  man in hopes that 
  someone might 
  come forward with 
  more information.
  Entertainment: 
  Listen good, 
  good readers! 
  Playing 
  again this 
  Friday at the 
  Lazy Cricket 
  Club in South 
  Providence, the 
  anonymous 
  young 
  trumpet 
  prodigy 
  everyone’s 
  been talking 
  about will be 
  performing original 
  compositions. 
  This captivating 
  performance must be 
  heard to be believed. 
  I was there last week 
  when he stepped out 
  onstage and brought the whole crowd to their feet. 
  Golly! I can still hear his songs in my head, and it’s 
  been a week. Get yourself to the Lazy Cricket Club 
  this Friday.
  Quote from Editor T.J. Snodgrass: This week, I’ll 
  keep it short and sweet. Look for opportunities 
  that present themselves. If it’s for a good cause 
  and doesn’t cost a small fortune, consider it. But 
  do something! Sitting there as silent and stupid as 
  a can of potted meat does nobody any good. Just 
  plant your feet, make a decision, and stand tall. If 
  you get to a spot in life that’s comfortable, where 
  you’re never out of your zone of comfort, then 
  beware. So keep moving! Make your own place in 
  the world, a place where you are actively building 
  your own future and creating your own motion.
  Our Great 48: This week’s focus: The Lincoln 
  Highway Association. These builders are the 
  visionaries behind our country’s soon-to-be-
  completed paved highway from New York to 
  California. Largely supported by donations 
  from car-related businesses, the association has 
  marked out a route and funded sample stretches 
  of pavement called “seedling miles” to encourage 
  local governments to build the rest. This year the 
  association, with the help of the Boy Scouts and 
  concrete manufacturers, placed 3,000 of these 
  markers along the route. The Lincoln Highway, 
  America’s first fully paved transcontinental 
  highway, is on schedule for completion in the next 
  five years. What a time we’re living in!
  Our Great Globe: Unrest grips the international 
  scientific community after the overnight theft of 
  notes and equipment from dozens of laboratories 
  all over Europe, all occurring on the same day. A 
  coordinated heist of this size is not only impressive 
  but baffling. What could an international crime ring 
  want with hundreds of notebooks full of scribbled 
  physics notes? There is no resale value. This is 
  much more than mischief. Another mystery to add 
  to what has already been a very strange year.
  Student Notice: Please avoid the area around the 
  gymnasium until reconstruction is completed. 
  After the recent heavy rains, much of the 
  temporary wooden walkways are still inaccessible 
  and/or unsafe. And to the creative student(s) who 
  made those artistic gigantic frog-like tracks in the 
  mud, please stop. If you have that much extra time 
  on your hands, you might better serve yourself 
  by studying instead of trying to fool new Biology 
  students or whatever your aim is. If our mystery 
  vandal is an art major, then you should be getting 
  extra credit: they truly are remarkably realistic!
  Miskatonic Campus Newspaper 
  ISSUE #2 of 3
  
  Part 4: Atlas
  47
  Who’s Who and Who’s New: This year has seen 
  a record number of students attending our great 
  university. Each month, we’ll be highlighting a 
  different incoming freshman student and ask them 
  why they chose Miskatonic. This week: William 
  Clark Gable. 
  Handsome 
  young William 
  Gable hails 
  from Cadiz, 
  Ohio, and says 
  he has dreams 
  to someday 
  star in moving 
  pictures 
  like his hero 
  Douglas 
  Fairbanks. 
  The dashing 
  thespian, who 
  prefers to be 
  called Clark, 
  said he chose 
  Miskatonic 
  because 
  the Dept. of 
  Theatrical 
  Arts has 
  such a great 
  reputation. 
  When asked if he’d abandon his studies if he were 
  offered a part in a picture, young Gable simply said: 
  “Frankly, I don’t give a darn.”
  Miskatonic Faculty News: The Miskatonic 
  University Library! The bubbling font of wisdom 
  where most students go to do research or check 
  out books for their studies. Open from 8 a.m. until 
  midnight. Pauline Zia works weekdays from eight 
  am until 4 p.m. and Dr. Henry Armitage works 
  nights from 5 p.m. until closing. The two librarians 
  are both extremely knowledgeable and can lead 
  curious minds to the proper destination. We were 
  fortunate enough to interview both of them.
  Head librarian Dr. Henry Armitage has been with 
  us for almost half a century. Known for his passion 
  as well as his stubbornness, he has remained 
  quite vocal in his displeasure with the switch in 
  classification systems nearly three decades ago. He 
  wanted to speak only about this issue—nothing else. 
  According to him, it is one of the greatest threats to 
  the institution of learning he has ever experienced, 
  and his righteous fury will not be assuaged until 
  things go back to the way they were. 
  Dr. Armitage explained that, “Fixed positioning 
  worked. This Dewey Decimal System nonsense 
  will never stick. When I first started working here 
  thirty years ago, the librarians knew where every 
  book was. We didn’t need card catalogues: that was 
  only for lower class, city center libraries. Here at 
  Miskatonic, we have one of the greatest collections 
  of books in the civilized world, and now they all 
  have vulgar numbers stamped on their poor spines. 
  Yes, I currently use this newfangled Dewey system 
  because I have been told I must—but I look forward 
  to the day when University administrators return 
  to their senses regarding this issue and allow me 
  to reorganize and return every title back to its 
  original spot on the shelves based on book height 
  and date of acquisition. I encourage students to 
  bring it up with the administration as well.”
  Pauline Zia has been a librarian at Miskatonic 
  for fifteen years and is known around campus for 
  always having a smile on her face and a crossword 
  puzzle on her desk. Many students will only 
  frequent the library during her shift. If Pauline 
  doesn’t know exactly what a student is looking for, 
  she will take the time to look into it a bit further 
  and help out. 
  When asked about working with Dr. Armitage, 
  Pauline replied, “He’s honestly a bit of a sour-puss 
  but he knows this library better than anyone. It’s 
  been inspiring to work with someone who takes 
  their work so seriously, and he truly does care about 
  the students and their quest for knowledge. I wish 
  he’d give up on his silly crusade against the Dewey 
  Decimal System, though—it affects him greatly and 
  he’s not a young man. One could easily be fooled into 
  thinking he is a hopeless grump, but once you get to 
  know him, you realize that he… Well... No, actually, 
  he really is a bitter pill. You can tell him I said that. 
  Life is short! Smile, darn ya, smile!” 
  Entertainment: Swing, Swing, Swing! Lindy 
  hop your way across the bridge from Arkham to 
  Downcity Providence this weekend, down to the 
  newly refurbished Gabiloo’s Supper Club. Under new 
  management.
  Quote from Editor T.J. Snodgrass: Within each 
  of us is potential for intellectual autonomy. Study 
  is the only way to unlock this gift we all possess. 
  The roots of many problems can be traced back 
  to those who misuse this gift, either through 
  some misplaced sense of self-importance or sheer 
  ignorance. To plant the seeds of knowledge is an 
  act of liberation and the key to understanding 
  our place in the universe. To entertain the ideas of 
  closed-minded buffoons is folly. They are like the 
  model “A’s” that roll off Henry Ford’s factory floor— 
  in motion but driverless. Or perhaps more like blank 
  labels on one of John Campbell’s soup cans. Without 
  a clear directive and the will to move from point A 
  to point B, even crossing the street is potentially 
  lethal.
  Miskatonic Campus Newspaper 
  ISSUE #3 of 3
  
  Herald: Lovecraft & Tesla
  48
  
  Part 4: Atlas
  49
  is here, and the State House has the second largest 
  marble dome in the world (after St. Peter’s Basilica 
  in Rome). The Athenaeum Library, the Roger 
  Williams Park Zoo, Brown University, Federal Hill, 
  the John Brown House, movie-houses, vaudeville 
  theaters, museums, restaurants, you name it! There’s 
  plenty to see and do in Providence.
  Downcity Providence
  If you call it “downtown,” you’re not from around 
  here. This is the center of town, where public 
  transportation is reliable and the Jazz clubs don’t 
  close until dawn. The map on the previous page 
  will give you an idea of some of the locations your 
  character might find while in Providence. Game 
  Masters will find all they’ll need here to flesh out 
  wherever the players decide to go. Many of these 
  locations are highlighted in detail in certain One 
  Sheets and Adventures in Part 6 (page 68). 
  Boston
  Boston's hillside roofs burn gloriously in the 
  New England sunsets when the city isn’t covered 
  by New England rain, that is. Boston Common, the 
  oldest city park in the country, smells of flowers 
  in the springtime and roasted chestnuts in the 
  winter. The Charles River drowsily flows under 
  many bridges, beside the tangles of gables and 
  chimneys, and finally past the great golden dome 
  of the Massachusetts State House on Beacon Hill 
  before emptying into Boston Harbor. Some say the 
  water from the Charles is still sweet from the Great 
  Molasses Flood of 1919, but not many are willing to 
  Providence
  Called “The Beehive of Industry,” Providence 
  is one of the wealthiest cities in the United States, 
  where hordes of immigrant laborers power one of 
  the nation’s largest manufacturing centers. Industrial 
  giants such as Fruit of the Loom, Corliss Steam 
  Engine, Gotham Manufacturing, and the Grinnell 
  Corporation are all based in or around the capital 
  of Rhode Island. The Jewelry District in Downcity 
  Providence buzzes with constant activity from 
  early in the morning until 6 p.m., when the factory 
  whistles sound out the end of the day. 
  Yes, the New England work ethic is alive and well 
  in Providence, but don’t think that this town doesn’t 
  know how to have a good time. Rhode Island 
  refused to ratify the Volstead Act, and although it’s 
  technically a federal crime, there are still plenty of 
  places to wet your whistle in Providence, and nary a 
  G-man in sight.
  Providence may be warm, but it’s still New 
  England, so make sure you bring your slicker and 
  some galoshes since it gets plenty of rain year-
  round. On rainy days, visitors enjoy a trip to the 
  Westminster Arcade, the oldest enclosed shopping 
  mall in the States. On sunny days, there’s plenty 
  to see. The oldest Baptist church in North America 
  
  Herald: Lovecraft & Tesla
  50
  drink the water to verify this.
  Boston has fallen on hard times since a lot of 
  the industrial jobs of years past have dried up or 
  relocated. There are rumors of a big tunnel dig that 
  may begin soon, and many laborers hold out hope 
  for a new job. Unemployed Bostonians spend much 
  of their time complaining to each other over the tops 
  of their newspapers about the never-ending focus on 
  the tragic Sacco-Vanzetti case, the current state of 
  the Red Sox or maybe even the city’s hopes for the 
  newly-formed Bruins. 
  Boston is also home to many of the country’s 
  finest institutions of higher learning, including 
  Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of 
  Technology. This also brings many young adults to 
  the Boston area, and the nights are always lively. 
  Just keep your eyes peeled in certain areas since 
  the organized criminals of the Mafia wield arguably 
  more power than the criminals in City Hall. And for 
  the love of Pete, don’t call it Beantown!
  Other Hotspots Around The World
  New York City
  The City That Never Sleeps, The Melting 
  Pot, The Modern Gomorrah. Nicknames and 
  opinions about this city are as numerous as they 
  are contradictory. The city is a symbol of hope 
  for world-weary immigrants arriving in the new 
  promised land and a symbol of decadence and 
  corruption for some of her more puritanical citizens. 
  Negative opinions of the city are not entirely 
  unjustified, but most of her detractors would 
  recoil in abject horror if they knew half of what 
  transpired on and below those skyscraper-lined 
  streets. The corrupt Tammany Hall political machine 
  still runs the streets, but darker forces control the 
  underground.
  The Great Migration continues to bring folks up 
  from the South, especially Black Americans looking 
  for better opportunities. Their arrival has sparked 
  what some are calling the Harlem Renaissance, an 
  explosion of literature, art, and music, especially 
  jazz. Most of the world seems to be embracing this 
  new music, a quintessentially American expression 
  to be proud of. It’s a shame that many in New York 
  are still stuck in the old “Five Points” mentality of 
  societal exclusion and racist protectionism and that 
  Lady Liberty’s welcome isn’t extended equally to 
  everyone.
  Other pockets of migrants and immigrants make 
  the city a patchwork of ethnicities and cultures, 
  while Midtown’s Great White Way cuts a brilliant, 
  theatre-lined path through the center of Manhattan. 
  Look into the shadows off Broadway, however, and 
  you’ll find hundreds of speakeasies and gin-mills 
  and a hundred and one other ways to get spifflicated.
  
  Part 4: Atlas
  51
  Chicago
  While some call it “The Second City,” implying 
  its lesser importance to that of New York, Chicago 
  is king of the Midwest. Not only is it a vital 
  transportation hub where goods are exchanged 
  between rails, trucks and ships bound across Lake 
  Michigan and beyond, but it is also a capital of 
  business and industry.
  The Great Migration has also brought many 
  Black Americans up from the South into Chicago 
  where they have joined the labor force of the Windy 
  City’s growing industries. Like Harlem, Chicago is 
  home to some of the great luminaries of Jazz but is 
  also key in bringing the Blues out of the Mississippi 
  Delta and into the heart of America.
  While Chicago has always been a haven for 
  vice industries and organized crime, Prohibition 
  revealed an entirely new and wide-open field of 
  criminal exploitation: illegal alcohol. While the 
  supply may have become illegal and rarefied, 
  demand for alcohol is still incredibly high. Gangs 
  that were only minor criminal nuisances before the 
  Volstead Act have raised up empires for themselves 
  by satisfying the country’s secret desire for hooch. 
  Fierce competition among criminal organizations 
  has splattered blood all over the streets and certain 
  forces, darker than these gangsters, have been drawn 
  to the carnage and bloodshed.
  Los Angeles
  The City of Angels is also the city where dreams 
  become flickering reality for most of the world. 
  Home to 80 percent of the world’s film industry, 
  Hollywood has just been incorporated into the City 
  of Los Angeles. This growing metropolis is poised 
  to swallow all the fields and orange orchards that 
  lie between the city and Venice and Santa Monica 
  on the coast. Like much of California, this was 
  once part of Mexico, which still has a very strong 
  cultural influence. After the Gold Rush dried up, 
  California was left with railroads and other forms of 
  transportation that have since been used to add to the 
  wealth and populations of cities like San Francisco, 
  San Diego and Los Angeles. Here in the City of 
  Angels the weather is almost always pleasant, and 
  with the exception of the occasional earthquake or 
  fire, the only disasters seem to be man-made. 
  The newly-formed Culver City has carved some 
  new studio space of its own out of the barley fields 
  west and south of the city, and these isolated clusters 
  of buildings seem destined to eventually grow 
  together into one great sprawling urban center. Until 
  then, enjoy the breezy shade of the orange trees as 
  you ride the Red Line railway out to the beach for a 
  nickel. If you’ve got more than a nickel, you might 
  fill up your jalopy and drive yourself, but there is no 
  free way to get there.
  
  Herald: Lovecraft & Tesla
  52
  Just remember, you’re not the only one who 
  wants to go to LA. Oil rigs outnumber the orange 
  and palm trees, and between the petroleum and 
  film industries, there are enough job openings to 
  attract people from all over. Yessir, La-La Land is 
  booming!
  Havana
  Prohibition is a boon for the tourist industry in 
  Cuba, and people flock to Havana from all over 
  the United States. Many bartenders who lost their 
  livelihoods in the States have acquired old bars or 
  opened up new ones in Havana. There are more than 
  7,000 bars in the capital city alone and not one of 
  them seems to have a Cuban bartender. This influx 
  of drinkers and booze-slingers from America also 
  brought with it a slew of new hotels and resorts, 
  and Havana has become the hottest spot in the 
  Caribbean. Unfortunately, gambling and crime are 
  also flourishing in this environment, bringing in a 
  more unsavory element. Gangsters and movie stars 
  rub elbows nightly with tourists from Florida and 
  sailors and marines from the U.S. naval base at 
  Guantanamo.
  Just a few decades ago, United States forces 
  helped liberate Cuba from Spain, and Cuba then 
  gained its formal independence from the U.S. in 
  1902. U.S. forces have intervened or occupied 
  the island on several occasions since, maintaining 
  control and protecting U.S. interests. Since the 
  Prohibition-fueled renewal of interest in Cuba, some 
  people are once again talking about annexing the 
  island. The locals don’t seem so keen on that idea.
  Dublin
  This jewel of the Emerald Isle has been a 
  battleground for over a millennium. Native Irish, 
  Christian missionaries, Vikings, Normans, Scots, 
  and the English have all fought over her. Dublin’s 
  foundations have always been steeped in blood, and 
  her recent War of Independence is only the latest 
  trouble in a long history of battle and conquest. 
  Such dark doings can leave their marks on a city, 
  attracting the attentions of those persons or things 
  that thrive on misery and death.
  Still, there are plenty of places to tilt a pint of the 
  black stuff: just mind the occasional rubble pile. 
  Certain areas are lethal after dark if you’re not a 
  Dubliner. Also, it’s probably best not to talk politics 
  of any sort, since you can never tell whether you’re 
  sharing a pint with a Republican or a Unionist. 
  Dublin, being a major seaport, is home to all 
  manner of visitors, though not many people have 
  immigrated to Ireland since the Great Famine of the 
  last century.
  Just south of the city, ancient stone monuments 
  and cairns rest atop Tibradden and Kilmashogue. 
  These megalithic structures have often been 
  attributed to the High Kings of Ireland or Bronze-
  Age Celts, but there are whispers that the stones 
  stood atop those mountains before humans ever set 
  foot on this island. 
  London
  The sun never sets on the British Empire, which 
  makes London the center of the world for quite a 
  few people. London in the 1920s offers experiences 
  that might be the best of times or the worst of times, 
  weaving the ongoing tale of two distinct cities. The 
  “bright young people” live the high-life, free of the 
  ghosts of the Great War they were too young and/or 
  too privileged to fight in. Out in the streets, double-
  decker buses and underground trains are packed 
  with the working poor, slipping into unemployment 
  and depression. Winters in this city are a living hell 
  if you’re too poor to afford heat or buy meat. 
  London has the highest concentration of 
  institutions of higher learning in the world, though 
  many of these fall into the federation of the 
  University of London. Many ancient tomes and 
  forgotten texts are stored and studied here. Boats, 
  
  Part 4: Atlas
  53
  literary, and political discussion and exploration, 
  the nighttime hums with American Jazz and African 
  drums. Here, social norms and taboos are drowned 
  in music, champagne, and gin.
  Paris has always been “The City of Lights,” but 
  the brightest lights can cast the darkest shadows. 
  Explorers delve into forbidden lore and occultism 
  in their quests to break with convention. There are 
  still hundreds of miles of catacombs that the digging 
  from the extensive Paris Metro system has yet to 
  discover or disturb. Recent rumors of robed figures 
  performing bizarre rites amongst the plague remains 
  permeate the shadows and whispers of every street.
  Vienna
  This city has been a center of musical and artistic 
  patronage for years as well as the seat of power for 
  the Hapsburgs and their various empires. Today, 
  Vienna is a city of broad, concentric-ringed streets, 
  intercut by the blue Danube River and the various 
  canals that mark portions of the river’s former path. 
  Architecture and music were set on display for the 
  entire world here for centuries and not even the 
  Empire’s defeat in the Great War could wipe that 
  away. 
  Vienna is full of new life where house-painters 
  and psychiatrists hob-nob in neighborhood cafes. 
  The remnants of elder empires are also still here, 
  including the relics collected by the Holy Roman 
  Empire now housed in the former Imperial Treasury 
  in the Hofburg Palace complex. These huge 
  imperial edifices are now themselves relics, since 
  trains, carriages, and now automobiles and airplanes 
  arrive here every day, unloading more lost souls 
  onto the crowded streets. It wasn’t so long ago that 
  the Kaiser’s U-boats were slinking through the 
  Allied sea lanes and the British government was 
  putting citizens like Bertrand Russell in prison for 
  pacifism. 
  Even the winners were losers in the Great War. 
  British coal reserves have been depleted and London 
  now imports most of its coal from overseas. The 
  shrinking number of coal jobs in the North has also 
  brought many rural English into London hoping for 
  manufacturing jobs, only to find them disappearing 
  as well. All of this means that this smoke- and 
  soot-covered city that straddles the Thames teems 
  with new faces and they aren’t always the polite, 
  convivial people that some visitors might come to 
  expect. 
  Paris
  “Années folles” (“Crazy Years”) is how the 
  French describe this roaring, golden age of Jazz and 
  social experimentalism. Perhaps as a direct response 
  to the recent nightmare of trench warfare, Parisians 
  are indulging themselves with gusto. It’s time to live 
  again! The urge to run wild and be free is hard to 
  deny those who made it out of the trenches. 
  Paris has its own version of America’s Great 
  Migration: Africans from the French colonies are 
  flooding into Paris, along with Black American 
  soldiers who stayed in Europe after the Great War. 
  While the daytime cafes of Paris are full of social, 
  
  Herald: Lovecraft & Tesla
  54
  the nation is now a social democracy for the first 
  time in its history. Don’t think Vienna is mired 
  in its own past, however; efforts are underway to 
  electrify the railways and prepare the city for the 
  Twentieth Century, which promises to hold nothing 
  but progress and prosperity for Vienna and Austria. 
  Locals consider their city to be the crossroads of 
  the civilized world and take this responsibility (like 
  most everything else) very, very seriously.
  Rome
  The Eternal City is forever reinventing itself, 
  building toward the future while keeping the 
  past firmly under foot. While the Fascists grow 
  in number and power, Rome and all of Italy 
  are embarking on massive projects to build 
  infrastructure and improve education and public 
  welfare for all people—spending lira like it’s 
  going out of style. Romans in particular are not 
  only building new bridges, roads, orphanages, and 
  universities, but they are also undertaking massive 
  excavations of Imperial Roman ruins, revealing the 
  grandeur of centuries past for all to see. Trilussa’s 
  metropolis on the Tiber is in a constant state of 
  vibrant decay, the result of over two thousand years 
  of near-constant use. Yes, there’s a lot to see in the 
  glorious hustle and bustle. Just make sure you have 
  your papers in order! 
  Rome’s present is as colorful as her past and the 
  knowledge and secrets of countless generations 
  and fallen empires are collected in her libraries and 
  universities. Vatican City, a self-contained enclave 
  entirely within the city, contains a wealth of esoteric 
  material of its own as well as countless sacred relics 
  and scientific treatises. Negotiations are currently 
  underway between the Roman government and the 
  Holy See to make the Vatican an independent nation 
  of its own.
  Organized crime has always been a problem 
  in the Eternal City. Now that the vast amounts of 
  
  Part 4: Atlas
  55
  reconstruction project money are being doled out 
  by the politicians in Rome, areas in the South like 
  Sicily and Napoli are being left out. And when the 
  bosses of the Cosa Nostra and the Cammora feel 
  slighted, they take measures into their own hands. 
  These days it feels like there are more gun-carrying 
  Mafiosi than tourists in Rome. 
  Istanbul (Constantinople)
  This was once known as Byzantium, the known 
  world’s center of learning and culture. While the 
  locals have been calling this city both Istanbul and 
  Constantinople for centuries, the government is 
  considering an official renaming to put the issue to 
  rest. The “correct” name depends on who you are 
  talking to. Any place as ancient as this one has been 
  known by many names throughout history, many of 
  them long forgotten, lost to memory and time. 
  With the fall of the Ottoman Empire and the 
  withdrawal of the occupying forces of Western 
  Europe, Istanbul has quieted down quite a bit in 
  the last few years. With Ataturk declaring Ankara 
  the desired capital of a new Turkish Republic, 
  the population of Istanbul has dropped by half. 
  Nevertheless, the city that has survived conquest and 
  occupation for millennia will continue to endure. 
  She still serves as the gateway to the Bosphorus, and 
  everything that travels between the Black Sea and 
  the Mediterranean must sail through this sprawling 
  metropolis of minarets and domed Byzantine 
  palaces.
  Istanbul has so many famous and ancient 
  marketplaces and bazaars that the entire city 
  sometimes feels like one large curio shop, with 
  dusty, ancient treasures hidden all over. This is one 
  of the major hubs of the Mediterranean antiquities 
  trade along with Cairo and Marrakech. Almost 
  any relic imaginable can be found somewhere in 
  these ancient markets, whether you’re looking 
  for innocuous trinkets or dangerous black-market 
  esoterica.
  The city has fascinated visitors for thousands 
  of years since this Ancient Greek colony was 
  established in 657 BCE. Whether one chooses to 
  call this place Istanbul or Constantinople, history 
  can be experienced in a very powerful way here, the 
  past and present in tandem. 
  Cairo
  For many, the city that sprawls across the mouth 
  of the Nile River Delta also signifies the center 
  of the ancient world. The city’s proximity to the 
  Great Pyramids seems to indicate its great antiquity, 
  but the settlement that would become Cairo was 
  not established until at least two thousand years 
  after the pyramids were built. In fact, many of 
  the oldest buildings in Cairo were actually built 
  using materials that had been scavenged from 
  the crumbling pyramids, ancient even in the first 
  millennium of the Common Era. Nearby Memphis, 
  now in ruins, had been the seat of power for the 
  Pharaohs of old, but young Cairo would come into 
  its own importance both to the Coptic Church and 
  to the Islamic Caliphates that followed. Egypt is a 
  place where societies, languages, and cultures have 
  been born, grown, and disappeared under the sands 
  of time. As more archaeologists excavate and study 
  the hieroglyphs and pyramids, our understanding 
  of humanity’s passage through time is becoming 
  clearer. 
  Cairo is a major hub of the antiquities trade and 
  the largest supplier of mummified remains to the 
  medicinal and art-supply industries (“Mummy 
  Brown” is not simply an odd name for a paint 
  color). Expeditions to ancient sites are regularly 
  organized for both the tourism and archaeological 
  industries as well as a few less-publicized purposes. 
  Every bazaar and curio shop seems to sell antiquities 
  of rare significance, but caveat emptor: there is 
  also a thriving antiquities counterfeiting industry in 
  Cairo, the City of the Living.
  Kathmandu
  This small city in the center of the Kathmandu 
  Valley is the capital of the Gorkha Kingdom, also 
  known as Nepal. Mount Everest, the unconquerable 
  mountain, lies about 100 miles East of Kathmandu, 
  while Lumbini, the birthplace of Gautama Buddha, 
  lies about 100 miles to the West. Cradled in the 
  heart of the Himalayas almost a mile above sea 
  level, Kathmandu remains inaccessible to most 
  outsiders, though a few mountain-climbers and 
  seekers of esoteric wisdom have found their way 
  through the treacherous mountain approaches to this 
  ancient city. Less than ten miles from Kathmandu 
  
  Herald: Lovecraft & Tesla
  56
  is the village of Sankhu. It houses a Buddhist 
  forest monastery founded within the lifetime of 
  the Buddha himself. Nearby are several caves that 
  are considered holy places of Hinduism, places 
  where venerated gurus sat in austere meditation and 
  contemplation. The local government is striving to 
  establish the city as a tourist destination but finding 
  that securing foreign investments and transporting 
  supplies can both be nightmares. 
  One of Kathmandu’s most important exports 
  are the Gurkhas, those fierce soldiers of the British 
  Empire. After the Great War some of these fierce 
  warriors returned to British India but quite a few 
  returned to Kathmandu, knowing King George V 
  may call upon them again in Britain’s hour of need. 
  They, like the city itself, survive each winter with 
  unwavering determination and deep-rooted pride. 
  There has never been, nor will there ever be, a place 
  quite like Kathmandu.
  Antarctica 
   The decade has seen several notable expeditions 
  launched as more and more of this gigantic 
  continent of ice is mapped by intrepid explorers. 
  The photographs that are printed in National 
  Geographic excite the imagination but few people 
  have the money or bravery to do anything about it.
  It’s still an extremely lethal environment and 
  even short trips on the newest steamers with newest 
  technology is a gamble. There are no permanent 
  structures that house humans year round. When 
  the temperatures drop to a hundred below zero and 
  the sun doesn’t shine for months at a time there is 
  simply no way to survive. Some of the most recent 
  biological specimens and fossils that have come 
  back from Antarctica have been unnatural and 
  are putting into doubt our assumed evolutionary 
  timelines—possibly our very origin.
  Even More Hotspots
  The globe is now covered in hotspots of Mythos 
  activity and it surely won’t be long before the 
  invasion from beyond the stars will no longer be a 
  secret. From Bombay to El Salvador, Moscow to 
  Singapore, the Mythos Resistance has their people 
  investigating and addressing these threats. The post-
  Great War world map is yours to explore. Don’t feel 
  limited to the locations described above. If you want 
  to create a story that takes place in Lake Geneva, 
  Wisconsin, then go for it. Want to play a session that 
  takes you to remote islands in the South Pacific? The 
  globe is yours to spin as you will. Find those maps 
  from the 1920s and just see where your adventures 
  will take you! 
  
  Part 5
  Running The Game
  
  Herald: Lovecraft & Tesla
  58
  Running The Game
  The remainder of this book is intended for GMs 
  and those players who don’t give a hoot about 
  advisories. (You know who you are.) The One 
  Sheets and Adventures in particular are full of 
  spoilers, so perhaps steering clear of that one section 
  will be enough.
  This second half is packed with friends and foes, 
  the Wild Cards and Extras that players might be 
  crossing paths with as they adventure through the 
  Roaring Twenties of Herald: Lovecraft & Tesla. 
  Many of these characters make appearances in the 
  Adventures and One-Sheets, and all of them are 
  connected in some way to the Mythos Resistance, 
  whether they realize it or not! 
  The Yearbook section describes 50 individuals 
  who can be used as pregenerated Player Charcters 
  (PCs) in your Adventures. All have specific Tie-
  Ins to our main story about the invasion of Mythos 
  entities that can be used as story hooks for your 
  adventures. Having your players recruit one of these 
  significant characters into the Mythos Resistance 
  group can be a full session unto itself. 
  Savage Worlds: 
  Fast! Furious! Fun!
  To play Herald: Lovecraft & Tesla, you’ll need a 
  copy of the Savage Worlds core rules. If you don’t 
  have it already, it’s a small, affordable corebook that 
  clearly lays out the rules of the game, from character 
  creation to combat. The Savage Worlds core rules 
  can be found in your FLGS (Friendly Local Game 
  Store) or online from the Pinnacle Entertainment 
  site in both PDF and physical book form.
  The Savage Worlds game system is flexible and 
  easy to learn. Even players who don’t have extensive 
  tabletop gaming experience can quickly understand 
  the gist of the rules. Savage Worlds uses polyhedral 
  dice to determine the outcomes of events both in 
  and out of combat. Available online, in most FLGS, 
  and even some large retail bookstores, the four-
  sided (d4), six-sided (d6), eight-sided (d8), ten-sided 
  (d10), and twelve-sided dice (d12) are all that you’ll 
  need, in addition to paper and pencil. There are 
  free dice rollers online and apps as well. During the 
  game, the GM will tell players when a roll is needed 
  and you’ll see clearly on your character sheet which 
  of the dice to use.
  Master of the Game
  If you’ve been a GM before, you know how 
  rewarding it can be to have a collaborative epic 
  story unfold before your eyes and ears. Emphasis on 
  the collaborative part. Even we ultra-experienced 
  GMs out there can stand to remind ourselves of that 
  from time to time. Other than that, keep it fun, don’t 
  stress out, read ahead but don’t over prepare, accept 
  the surprises that the players will inevitably throw 
  your way. When in doubt, prioritize the story you’re 
  all experiencing: at the end of the day, that’s more 
  important than the rules. If you need to throw a Wild 
  Card into the mix, why not use one of the 50 pre-
  
  Part 5: Running the Game
  59
  generated characters in the Yearbook section (page 
  124)? If the players need to be (organically) re-
  routed back into the main, an appearance by a fellow 
  Mythos Resistance member with updated orders is 
  a good tool. Since most of the characters in Herald: 
  Lovecraft & Tesla will be part of this group, running 
  missions and investigating weird places, they are 
  just one degree of separation from any of the famous 
  characters in the Yearbook section. Each of them has 
  a Tie-In listed at the bottom of their character sheet 
  that offers simple ways to logically bring any of 
  those historical figures into the mix. 
  Realize that every group of players is diverse: 
  their tastes, their experiences, their attention spans, 
  their competitiveness—each has their own playing 
  style and way of enjoying a tabletop roleplaying 
  game. Some may be history buffs, some may be 
  shoot-em up pulp fans, others may be dark Cthulhu 
  investigators: but all are there to have fun.
  How real is too real?
  Another thing to consider is the realism of 
  the 1920s society you want to play in. While we 
  didn’t want to sugar-coat many of the backwards 
  views that these people may have held, we also 
  didn’t simply slap the Hindrance: Xenophobe 
  on every historical figure who was a racist or the 
  Outsider hindrance on anyone who was a victim 
  of discrimination. It was a different time, sure, but 
  depending on your race, gender, orientation, or other 
  defining characteristics, one person might be subject 
  to more of the real horrors of humanity than another.
  Where the adventures are set and whom you use 
  as Wild Cards will affect the story greatly if one or 
  more of the players are not readily-welcomed parts 
  of the social group. Depending on your gaming 
  group, it may be something you all want to consider 
  as part of every social interaction: it can bring out 
  the really gritty and ugly side of the era and put the 
  RP into RPG. This requires group consensus and is 
  not suggested for groups that aren’t very familiar 
  with each other already. Racism, misogyny, and 
  other themes that were more socially acceptable in 
  the 1920s are not fun and are not enjoyed by decent 
  human beings. But if the group is all on the same 
  page and it’s being approached as a real danger 
  and part of the historical setting, then it can lead to 
  intense but satisfying RP-centric sessions. It’s not 
  for everyone—in fact, it’s really not for most. 
  We all (should) agree that games are supposed 
  to be fun, and if you’re making anyone at the table 
  uncomfortable, you’re doing it wrong. It’s a very 
  rare thing to be a part of a gaming group in which 
  everyone feels comfortable taking that ultra-realistic 
  leap together; quite a bit of honest discussion 
  and consensus needs to be reached before the 
  first session if you’re taking the story there. Any 
  discomfort felt by the players, voiced or not, will 
  ruin what you’re trying to accomplish. If you have 
  doubts, talk it out. Don’t be that GM. This has been 
  a public service announcement from the society of 
  grateful tabletop gamers.
  Special Setting Rules
  Cosmic Horror & Fear Checks
  In Herald: Lovecraft & Tesla, characters 
  will likely find themselves face to face with the 
  unnatural cosmic horror of the Mythos, be it one 
  of the Mythos creatures, a location, or some other 
  instance where the mind-shattering realization of 
  our human insignificance could cause irreversible 
  madness. Concepts like “before time began,” 
  “crawling chaos,” “beyond the stars,” and “the 
  colour out of space” cannot be understood by our 
  
  Herald: Lovecraft & Tesla
  60
  limited minds. There were creatures and other 
  entities here long before we humans stood upright 
  and used tools. We cannot handle the debilitating, 
  lethal knowledge of our impending doom. We aren’t 
  alone in the cosmos and we may not be able to win 
  this fight. The horror… The horror.
  Unnatural is a catch-all identifier because the 
  creatures and concepts of the Mythos are just 
  that: things that defy preconceived notions of 
  what is “natural.” Just being weird or mysterious 
  is not enough to qualify as unnatural. To further 
  disambiguate, we italicize the term in this book. 
  Cosmic horror is more than a fear for one’s life: it 
  involves dread on a much deeper, existential level. 
  Things humanity wasn’t meant to know is a good 
  way to think about the unnatural things that the 
  Mythos Resistance faces. Being surprised by a 
  bear in the woods is natural. It’s up to the GM to 
  determine what events will require a Fear check.
  Just because a character may have had prior 
  experiences with the unnatural doesn’t mean that 
  they’re immune to the effects of cosmic horror. 
  Each new experience with the Mythos assails the 
  senses and forces the player character to make 
  a Spirit check to quickly overcome their fear or 
  suffer the consequences. This is also called a Fear 
  roll. Success means that for the moment the player 
  character can control their terror and continue to 
  react normally to their environment. Failing this 
  Fear roll requires the player to roll on the Cosmic 
  Horror Chart (below). It also means that in future 
  encounters with the threat, the player will again 
  need to roll a Fear roll.
  Imagine that Charlie Chaplin, Josephine 
  Baker, and Zelda Fitzgerald have walked into a 
  subterranean cavern, and the light from their torches 
  reveals the faint outlines of unnatural symbols on 
  the walls. As the three Mythos Resistance fighters 
  stare at the odd symbols, the wall of rock seems to 
  breathe—the stalactites start to grow, slither, and 
  elongate. There’s a whooshing sound, and the room 
  fills with brilliant colors and moving patterns. What 
  is happening?! They must now all make a Fear 
  check.
  Charlie and Josephine succeed with their rolls 
  and manage to push it out of their minds and focus 
  on the threat of the stalactites as they slither closer. 
  Zelda is not so lucky. She fails her Fear check and 
  must roll on the Cosmic Horror Chart. She rolls 
  two d6s, getting a five and a six. Total: eleven. The 
  chart states that her player and the GM must decide 
  on an appropriate minor Hindrance. Since the Fear 
  check happens in a cavern, they decide that Phobia 
  (minor): Claustrophobia is appropriate, and Zelda 
  permanently gains a minor fear of being in enclosed 
  spaces (especially caves). 
  It’s up to the GM to decide what necessitates 
  a Fear check and subsequent roll on the Cosmic 
  Horror Chart. A general rule of thumb is that Fear 
  checks are needed if a character sees something 
  (for the first time) that’s Mythos related. It can be 
  all manner of unnatural; it might come from The 
  Elsewhere or the cosmos or deep under the waves. 
  If it’s not of natural origin, then it’s likely going to 
  trigger a powerful mental, often existential reaction. 
  The Cosmic Horror Chart below is offered as an 
  alternative to the Fright Table in the Savage Worlds 
  core rules. The GM is free to use either at their 
  discretion.
  
  Part 5: Running the Game
  61
  Unfortunates with Eldritch 
  Visions
  Those characters who have the Hindrance: 
  Eldritch Visions will often find themselves 
  experiencing them at the most inopportune 
  moments. Recovering their senses requires a 
  successful Spirit Roll. Until they succeed, they are 
  useless, effectively paralyzed in cosmic horror. 
  Knowledge of the Mythos
  Player characters that have the skill Knowledge: 
  Mythos are more able to adapt quickly to situations 
  of cosmic horror. Sometimes this helps with 
  identifying creatures, Elder signs, and sigils, or 
  with navigating while in unnatural places like 
  The Elsewhere. Even if they can’t fully wrap their 
  minds around the weirdness they’re experiencing, 
  they know that things like that do exist. Those with 
  Knowledge: Mythos will always be able to add +1 to 
  Mythos-related Fear check rolls and are not required 
  to make a Fear check when they see powerful Elder 
  signs, sigils, or other “written” symbols.
  Rules of The Elsewhere
  The physical laws of our existence are not the 
  same in The Elsewhere. Most notably, there is often 
  little to no gravity, and the sky is filled with the 
  pulsing, swirling colors from out of space. While 
  Cosmic Horror Chart - (2d6)
  Effects
  2
  Fight, not Flight: Player Character has an adrenaline surge that adds +2 to Pace and to all tests 
  and damage rolls for the rest of the encounter.
  3-4
  Shaken: Player Character is Shaken.
  5-6
  Shocked: -1 to Player Character’s Pace and all rolls for d4 rounds.
  7-8
  Flee in Terror: The Player Character runs (full movement + d6) away.
  9-10
  Beyond the Wall of Fear: Player Character becomes non-communicative and suffers -4 to 
  Charisma for the rest of the session.
  11
  Gain a Minor Hindrance: GM and player should decide on an appropriate minor hindrance, 
  choosing from: Delusional, Habit, or Phobia (SW Corebook), Eldritch Visions or Xenophobe 
  (Herald), or Combat Shock, Jumpy, or Screamer (SW Horror Companion).
  12
  Gain a Major Hindrance: GM and player should decide on an appropriate major hindrance, 
  choosing from: Delusional, Habit, or Phobia (SW Corebook), Eldritch Visions or Xenophobe 
  (Herald), or Combat Shock (SW Horror Companion).
  
  Herald: Lovecraft & Tesla
  62
  the players appear as they do in reality, they are 
  intangible as if made of mist. All physical activities 
  in The Elsewhere that involve contact are more 
  difficult and take a -1 penalty. For example, a 
  player who wants to punch something while in the 
  Elsewhere will subtract 1 from their Fighting roll 
  total. Physical activities that don’t involve contact 
  but do involve low gravity are often automatic 
  successes. Example: a player wants to jump over a 
  vast canyon, so the GM tells them not to even bother 
  with a roll. They’d jump up and fly through the air 
  with ease, crossing the canyon. When in combat, the 
  standard rules apply unless the GM says otherwise. 
  The “Rules of The Elsewhere” are less about game 
  mechanics and more about tone and feel. The 
  Elsewhere is like being awake in a terrifying but 
  exciting dream. 
  multiple languages. Nikola Tesla himself spoke 
  eight languages fluently. According to the standard 
  character generation rules of Savage Worlds, each 
  language would cost points which means our pal 
  Nikola would have used up most of his available 
  points being fluent in eight languages. Speaking 
  multiple languages doesn’t break the game and it 
  allows for more freedom to make great characters 
  from actual historical figures. 
  Players and the GM should discuss the specifics. 
  If the character is not based on an actual notable 
  person then it’s up to the player and GM to agree 
  on something reasonable. If a character was born 
  and raised in Chicago in the early 1900s then they 
  might very well speak some Polish. Or if they come 
  from a family that spoke Chinese in the home then 
  why wouldn’t they be able to utilize this skill later in 
  life? Learning a new language during the course of 
  gameplay will cost points, however. 
  Educated Masses
  In Herald: Lovecraft & Tesla, Knowledge 
  skills are a big part of the game, perhaps more so 
  than most other Savage Worlds settings. Much of 
  the game is about investigating unnatural events 
  and researching them. Having the right bit of 
  information and understanding at the right time is 
  what moves the game forward in exciting ways. 
  Even the less flashy schools of study are integral 
  to understanding the mysteries in this game. What 
  would anyone need with Knowledge: Geology 
  you ask? First of all, you’re missing out: geology 
  is fascinating. Secondly, when the characters are 
  looking at that bizarre fossil-rock-thingy they 
  discovered near the pyramid, those with Knowledge: 
  Geology can let the group know that the fossil 
  isn’t really a fossil and it might have come from 
  somewhere very far away.
  Employment, Crime & 
  Complications
  Many of the characters in Herald: Lovecraft & 
  Tesla are notable historical figures with ready access 
  to money. If they are on a mission for the Mythos 
  Resistance, most costs have been taken care of by 
  the group. In situations like these, saving up pennies 
  and nickels to buy that fancy overcoat means less 
  There are many Mythos creatures and entities 
  there: some are malevolent, some are benevolent, 
  most are indifferent. Few have travelled there and 
  come back to tell the tale, so the information the 
  Mythos Resistance has to go on is spotty at best. 
  As far as we know, travelling to the dimension 
  physically has only happened once, by accident, and 
  the results were disastrous. Ask Amelia about that 
  one. 
  Native Tongues
  In Herald: Lovecraft & Tesla, selecting languages 
  shouldn’t cost the player points at character 
  creation. In the 1920s, the majority of the notable 
  historical figures from around the world spoke 
  
  Part 5: Running the Game
  63
  and may only slow down an exciting, pulpy story of 
  Fast, Furious, Fun adventure. If the story needs to 
  move, then it’s just fine for the GM to wave a hand 
  regarding item availability and cost. They either 
  have the money they need or the Mythos Resistance 
  will pay for it.
  For characters who don’t have a job or flush bank 
  accounts or the backing of a secret group, each cent 
  counts. It’s exciting gameplay to have a pistol they’d 
  saved up for months to buy get knocked out of their 
  hand and into the deep snow. Not only might the 
  character need that pistol to survive the moment, but 
  they’re twice as upset now, since it cost them so darn 
  much in the first place! Just like in real life, things 
  mean more if you’ve had to earn them yourself.
  Travel & Encounters
  While horse-drawn traffic is still used all 
  over, especially in rural areas, automobiles are a 
  common sight these days; Henry Ford and others 
  like him made sure of that. There are countless 
  other manufacturers like Auburn, Roamer, Saxon, 
  Crow, Durant, Elcar, King, Kurtz, Overland, Kline, 
  Lafayette, Marmon, Dixie, Mercer, Peerless, 
  Stearns, and Velie. All of these companies have 
  bright futures—it’s certain that they’ll be around 
  for decades to come! Roads are being built all over, 
  and there’s even a cross-country highway being built 
  in the United States. Businesses and communities 
  along these roads will likely see a huge increase in 
  Sunday drivers, which is already changing the way 
  we look at local tourism and personal travel. 
  Motorcycles are also becoming more common. 
  Now that we’ve moved away from unreliable steam 
  engines and settled on gasoline-powered internal 
  combustion engines, it’s possible to jump on your 
  Harley-Davidson Sport Twin and ride where you 
  want. 
  Boats are still used all the time. From the smallest 
  rowbot to the largest transatlantic steamers, people 
  still use the waterways of the world to transport 
  goods and people. The tragic sinking of the RMS 
  Titanic is still on everyone’s mind, but the design 
  flaws have been addressed. At least that is what 
  they’re telling the public. More people trust boats 
  than they do automobiles, and certainly more than 
  aircrafts.
  Public railways have connected the civilized 
  world for over 120 years. With more train stations 
  being built every day there seems to be no end in 
  sight for the industry. Even as cars and trucks are 
  becoming more commonplace, they’ll never match 
  the efficiency of moving people and cargo along the 
  rails. 
  In this decade, airplanes are still relatively new 
  and commercial air travel a rarity. Many of the 
  young aviators of the Great War have begun to 
  search for ways to pay for their own aircraft and to 
  earn a living off it, like crop-dusting, barnstorming, 
  and performing other aerial stunts. Or they might 
  apply for the new U.S. Air Mail service! One of 
  the most common ways for pilots to earn cash is 
  by taxiing passengers. If a person really needs to 
  get somewhere off the grid, a pilot might be able to 
  take them in a floatplane, landing safely in water on 
  pontoons with no need for a runway. The skies are 
  now wide open, and improvements in technology 
  are making air travel a safe and convenient option. 
  There seems to be a new and improved model of 
  airplane every day and aviators around the world 
  eagerly test their limits. Both the autogyro and 
  helicopter are popular but still quite rare.
  There are an increasing number of rigid airships 
  in use, especially for long distance trips in and 
  around Europe. German zeppelins are one type 
  of dirigible that has been repurposed after the 
  Great War for civilian transportation. Also called 
  dirigibles, rigid airships are a comfortable way to 
  pass over mountains, rivers, and roads. Their safety 
  is still a concern for many people, but as more and 
  more airships are built to ferry passengers across the 
  skies, the public is getting used to the idea.
  
  Herald: Lovecraft & Tesla
  64
  through unnatural methods. 
  A character who is a cultist will likely have 
  the Knowledge: Mythos skill. They may not fully 
  understand the symbols they’re scratching into the 
  walls, but they recognize and acknowledge that 
  Mythos entities are real, and so are the rituals. They 
  will also most likely have the Hindrance: Misled.
  Optional Rules
  The following suggestions for Optional Rules 
  might be of interest.
  Using Arcane Backgrounds
  Want to get those Power Points flowing? All the 
  rules, spells, weird science, and arcane background 
  goodness are in the Savage Worlds core rules for 
  you to use. The Edges that are connected to Arcane 
  Backgrounds that have been disallowed in the 
  standard rules for Herald: Lovecraft & Tesla are 
  available again.
  Playing as a Cultist 
  Some players will enjoy taking on the role of 
  the bad guys who assist the Mythos entities in their 
  invasion from beyond the stars and from the depths 
  of the oceans. Maybe their character’s particular 
  cult is an ancient one bent on bringing about the end 
  of humanity. Perhaps they have decided to follow 
  the orders of Aleister Crowley and take on a covert 
  and nefarious mission against Mark Twain and his 
  Mythos Resistance group. 
  As with any of the good guys that make up the 
  Mythos Resistance, a cultist is usually trying to 
  remain hidden, keep secrets, and stay out of the 
  public eye until the time is right to strike. The 
  cultists are the devotees who carry out deeds to 
  prepare the way for some great Elder Thing or Old 
  One to be summoned. They’re insidious, like weeds. 
  Cultists plant evidence in police stations, bombs in 
  hospitals, and dangerous ideas in the minds of the 
  influential, as they chant allegiance to something 
  dark and horrible. Cultists often see the poetry in the 
  void and feel like they can be a part of something 
  big, something permanent that will change the 
  universe. They also can be brutes with baseball 
  bats who are forced to follow their masters’ orders 
  Playing as a Ghoul
  If a player wants to take on the role of a ghoul in 
  the Roaring Twentiess of Herald: Lovecraft & Tesla, 
  we’ve included some suggestions. Keep in mind 
  that a ghoul is a not a zombie: they’re not mindless, 
  but they do have some similar dietary restrictions 
  (flesh). But one doesn’t become a ghoul from a bite. 
  If not born a ghoul, then the means of becoming one 
  involves very powerful Mythos rituals. For more 
  information on ghouls, see H.P.’s Field Guide on 
  page 117. 
  Let’s say the player character starts the game 
  as a ghoul disguised as a human. Part of the PC’s 
  goal might be to become another character through 
  mystical and horrific means—removing them and 
  assuming their identity. The other players may or 
  may not be aware of this sinister goal, in which case 
  the ghoul player and the GM would work out these 
  details ahead of time in secret. Furthermore, if the 
  other players are unaware that the PC is actually a 
  ghoul in disguise, it could add to the conspiratorial 
  
  Part 5: Running the Game
  65
  vibe of the game. Turning the players on each other 
  to find out who is really the ghoul will take the 
  game to a very intense and interesting place, and is 
  often best in multiple sessions or longer campaigns. 
  Characters with either the Pulp Writer or Eldritch 
  Visions Edge might be the first to get hints that 
  something is amiss. 
  Or perhaps the character has become a ghoul 
  during the course of play, either of their own 
  volition or not. The other characters who are part 
  of the Mythos Resistance now have a very personal 
  complication with the presence of a Mythos 
  creature as part of the team. Since ghouls are very 
  susceptible to occult influences like mind control 
  and other unnatural forces, they cannot be trusted 
  100% and they know it. Having a party member 
  who may eat you in your sleep raises the stakes for 
  all.
  Or maybe, just maybe, the party of characters are 
  all ghouls—part of an ancient cult—and they have 
  each just become this specific historical person in 
  order to thwart the plans of the Mythos Resistance 
  fighters. Perhaps they might each choose one of 
  the well-known pre-gen characters in the Yearbook 
  section (page 124) and infiltrate the Resistance as 
  imposters. Taking on the role of the bad guys can be 
  a lot of fun, and it heightens the sense of intrigue in 
  the game. 
  Each person they become grants XP as well as 
  the choice to absorb one Hindrance and one Edge 
  from each victim, adding it to their own Edges 
  and Hindrances. The more people the ghoul PC 
  becomes, the higher their rank will rise and the 
  more their accumulated Hindrances and Edges will 
  affect gameplay. The first time a PC playing a ghoul 
  replaces another character and steals their identity, 
  they will receive the Hindrance: Wanted, which will 
  affect their ability to interact freely and honestly 
  with others. 
  In the presence of anything Mythos-related, like 
  Elder Signs, talismans, sigils, incantations, even 
  other Mythos creatures, a ghoul will need to make a 
  Spirit roll. Success means they suppress their blind 
  rage and keep their cool. If they fail, they will lose 
  control and attack everyone they see, including their 
  fellow party members. This lasts as long as they are 
  in sight, earshot or within the Mythos area of effect.
  Credibly passing as a human is no easy task 
  for ghouls. Regular vocal communication is quite 
  difficult, especially if the character was born a 
  ghoul. Their native language is an odd tangle of 
  meeps, grunts, and clicking sounds. Most human 
  languages are difficult to master for them. Keeping 
  a cannibalistic diet secret is possibly their biggest 
  threat to being discovered. And if the Mythos 
  Resistance ever finds out, it’s going to get very ugly, 
  very quickly. 
  Rotating Cast of Characters
  Using the fifty pregenerated characters as a 
  starting point, the GM and their players might 
  choose or roll to determine randomly who their 
  characters will be for a single game session. The 
  following session, whether the plot is connected 
  narratively or not, the players could select new 
  characters. Since the Mythos Resistance has a large 
  (secret) roster of historical figures, players can have 
  fun mixing and matching small groups for missions. 
  
  Herald: Lovecraft & Tesla
  66
  New Skill: Performance (Spirit) 
  Many of the Wild Cards included in Herald: 
  Lovecraft and Tesla are famous performers. 
  The Savage Worlds core rules do not include a 
  Performance skill, but GMs may want to include it. 
  A skill die for a Wild Card should be equal to the 
  character’s Spirit die.
  Performance: Various (Spirit): Use of a 
  performing art to entertain and inspire others. 
  A successful check allows other characters to 
  automatically recover from being Shaken. It could 
  also grant a bonus to other rolls: +1 for a simple 
  success, +2 with a raise. Can also be used to alter a 
  target's attitude, like Persuasion. Always modified 
  by Charisma.
  Mix and Match
  Combining Herald: Lovecraft & Tesla with 
  other theme-appropriate Savage Worlds settings 
  can open things up for your players in interesting 
  ways. Imagine running a session of Weird War 1 
  as a flashback for a character’s Herald: Lovecraft 
  & Tesla experiences during the Great War. Or have 
  their character jump forward in time and incorporate 
  a Weird Wars 2 or pulp-themed One-Sheet you’ve 
  been wanting to try out. The Savage Worlds game 
  system makes this easy. You can always come right 
  back to us here at Herald: Lovecraft & Tesla the 
  following session. We’ll even leave the light on.
  History Buff 
  You’re the kind of GM who geeks out on the 
  details and historical facts, and luckily for you, 
  your players are excited about this aspect of the 
  game as well. Connecting multiple sessions into 
  an Adventure or even a long-form campaign is 
  a rewarding way to experience the history of the 
  1920s and really get into the feel of the era. The 
  Roaring Twenties saw countless new inventions, 
  cultural movements, global migrations, and redrawn 
  borders all around the globe. You set a specific 
  date when their epic story begins and start the first 
  session. Perhaps you focus on one historically 
  significant event or person of interest and really let 
  the players explore the setting. By the end of the 
  session, the players will have a good feel for their 
  character and are excited to meet up next time to 
  continue the story. Before parting ways, they each 
  draw a card and check the Interlude table in Savage 
  Worlds. This interlude is their assignment. During 
  the downtime between sessions, they will find one 
  (real historical) fact that corresponds with the card 
  and report it to the group at the start of the next 
  session. This means that every new session starts 
  with a quick round of interesting facts that not only 
  tell more about the historical figure but give players 
  and GMs alike more to work with when interacting.
  For example, let’s say the first game session’s 
  timeline started on November 19, 1922, and one of 
  the characters is Charlie Chaplin. The session ends 
  with a cliffhanger and you deal each player a card 
  from the Action Deck. Charlie Chaplin receives a 
  seven of clubs. According to the Interlude table in 
  Savage Worlds, this means the player will recount a 
  story of tragedy or misfortune from their character’s 
  past, featuring one of their Hindrances if possible. 
  At the start of the next session that player briefly 
  tells the others about a tragedy that occurred in his 
  life—Charlie Chaplin was so poor and neglected 
  as a child that he was sent to a public boarding 
  school for “orphans and destitute children” while 
  his mother was in a mental institution. Ever since 
  he’s been very hesitant to trust anyone (Hindrance: 
  Doubting Thomas). The other players around the 
  table now know something personal and meaningful 
  about Charlie Chaplin that they may not have known 
  before.
  
  Part 6
  Weird Tales of Adventure
  
  Herald: Lovecraft & Tesla
  68
  One Sheets
  The Element of Danger
  The PCs are expected to explore and use the 
  resources of Miskatonic University to investigate 
  a mysterious scientific sample. Actions they take 
  during these investigations, however, may have dire 
  consequences.
  Characters
  This scenario involves possible chemical, 
  geological, radiological, and supernatural analysis, 
  so at least one of the characters should have a 
  background in one of these disciplines, or the GM 
  should include an appropriate NPC.
  Outer God. The sample was dormant when Madame 
  Curie discovered it, but her initial investigations 
  have begun to wake the manifestation from its eons-
  long slumber, only for the manifestation to find itself 
  enclosed within a hermetically sealed sample case 
  on a transatlantic voyage aboard a cargo ship. When 
  the sample is again disturbed by the investigators at 
  Miskatonic, it begins a countdown to summon either 
  two servitor creatures or a small avatar of the Outer 
  God itself. Different stimuli will produce different 
  results, but no enemies will manifest until the heroes 
  have had 30 minutes to investigate the sample, ask 
  other experts on campus, et cetera. GMs should tally 
  every action by the characters that increases the 
  percentage chance that the avatar will appear at the 
  end of the investigation.
  Investigations
  Those examining the sample may use several 
  means of investigation:
  Chemical 
  PCs trained in Knowledge: Chemistry or a 
  similar skill may want to carve off a small piece 
  of the sample to test. The sample can be easily cut 
  with a knife or smashed with a hammer. When it 
  is cut, smashed, or otherwise “harmed,” however, 
  the whispering will change to painful screeching. 
  The main sample will resume its whispering after 
  the injury, but the smaller sample will not whisper, 
  and the green glow from it will slowly fade. A 
  non-glowing piece dissolves easily in various acids, 
  but a glowing piece will begin to screech while 
  dissolving, and will begin to reconstitute itself. It 
  will then vaporize the acid, which will cause d6 
  damage to anyone within 10 feet. Using a small 
  cut-off piece for any further tests that involve energy 
  (applying flame, mass spectroscopy, etc.) will result 
  in the small piece resuming its glow, though this 
  will fade again after the new energy source stops. 
  Introduction
  Marie Curie has discovered a new element in 
  the form of a glowing green stone. She has never 
  seen anything like it: it glows without heat or other 
  radiation, and when the stone is exposed to air 
  for longer than a minute, it produces a cold green 
  “flame.” The flame also whispers in a language 
  unknown to Curie. She has sent the sample to the 
  Mythos Resistance to verify her findings.
  The stone is a small corporeal manifestation of an 
  
  Part 6: Weird Tales of Adventure
  69
  The results of any test will be inconclusive. Each 
  time the sample screeches increase the chance that 
  the final manifestation will be an avatar of the Outer 
  God by 5%.
  Radiological 
  PCs trained in Knowledge: Physics may want to 
  examine the energy put out by the sample. Passive 
  tests will not cause any change in the sample, 
  and any results will be inconclusive. Any test that 
  physically injures the sample or stimulates it with 
  radiation or heat produces a screech and increases 
  the chance that the final manifestation will be an 
  avatar of the Outer God by 5%.
  Occult
  Characters trained in the occult or linguistics 
  may attempt an appropriate Knowledge roll. A 
  simple success will identify the language as that 
  of the Pnakotic Manuscripts, a copy of which is in 
  Miskatonic Library along with several translations. 
  A successful examination will lead the reader to 
  descriptions of the Outer God known as “Yarquan 
  Gawzla”—The Green Flame. Repeating the name 
  of the Outer God aloud in the presence of the 
  sample will cause it to react; temporarily glowing 
  or burning brighter or whispering more loudly. Each 
  time the sample is so stimulated increases chance 
  that the final manifestation will be an avatar of the 
  Outer God by 10%.
  Other Investigations
  The entirety of the departments and facilities 
  of Miskatonic University are at the disposal of 
  the investigators, and they are free to conduct any 
  kind of test they can imagine. The nature of the 
  sample and the fact that this is an investigation by 
  the Mythos Resistance means that they should be 
  discreet, but nothing is expressly out of bounds. If 
  the investigators want to expose a laboratory animal 
  to the sample, for example, they are welcome to. 
  The GM is free to create any additional effects such 
  testing may produce, so long as the scientific results 
  are inconclusive, and that anything that damages the 
  sample causes it to screech and adds a cumulative 
  5% chance that the final manifestation will be an 
  avatar of the Outer God.
  Manifestation
  The sample will manifest something within about 
  30 minutes of being opened. This will be a base 
  20% chance of being an avatar of Yarquan Gawzla 
  itself, plus whatever increases were added by the 
  heroes’ investigations. Otherwise, two Byakhee will 
  appear and try to take the sample.
  Avatar of Yarquan Gawzla
  A dancing pillar of green flame, half the size of a 
  human. It is rooted to the sample but has a 2” reach. 
  Defeating the avatar renders the sample inert.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4, Spirit d10, 
  Strength d6, Vigor d10
  Skills: Fighting d6, Intimidation d10
  Pace: 0; Parry: 5; Toughness: 14
  Special Abilities:
  • Firebolt: Once per round, the avatar can shoot a 
  target in short range with a bolt of fire that causes d6 
  damage plus d4 each round unless doused.
  • Lash: Once per round, the avatar can strike an 
  adjacent target with a tongue of flame that causes 
  2d6 damage, plus 2d4 each round unless doused.
  • Weakness (Water): A bucket of water thrown 
  at the avatar will cause d8 damage.
  Byakhee (2)
  Their primary goal is to rescue the sample. If one 
  can grab the sample and leave, the other will follow. 
  See page 117 for more details.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4(A), Spirit d6, 
  Strength d8, Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d6
  Pace: 3; Parry: 5; Toughness: 10
  Special Abilities:
  • Claws: Str+d4.
  • Bite: Str+d4. A raise on a bite attack allows the 
  byakhee to begin draining blood from the victim. 
  This becomes an automatic attack every round after 
  the first and requires the victim to make a vigor roll 
  or gain 1 point of fatigue. This will continue until 
  the byakhee is Shaken or the victim is dead.
  • Flight: These creatures are extremely fast and 
  agile flyers (Pace: 12”; Climb: 2) but are clumsy and 
  slow on the ground.
  
  Herald: Lovecraft & Tesla
  70
  Speaking with Harry Houdini, the adventurers 
  learn of an ancient, unnatural artifact said to lie 
  within an old shipwreck deep beneath the frigid 
  waters of Narragansett Bay.
  The artifact, an 8th century astrolabe of solid 
  silver, is rumored to have strange origins and 
  powers.
  Plot Points
  • Houdini tells the characters that their mission is 
  to dive into Narragansett Bay without being spotted 
  by the soldiers at Fort Independence or anyone else. 
  He gives them some new underwater diving suits, 
  heavy spearguns, and new Tesla-designed dive 
  lamps. They will need to retrieve the astrolabe and 
  avoid the cultists, cops, soldiers, and others in the 
  area. Once they have the treasure, they are to deliver 
  it to Nikola Tesla’s workshop in East Providence. 
  • The visibility is terrible underwater near the 
  half-buried shipwreck. They confront or fight what 
  they think is a Mythos creature. The creature ends 
  up being an actual colossal squid who is very, very 
  far from its natural habitat. This is a mystery unto 
  itself. 
  • After their combat, on their way out of the 
  shipwreck and back to the shore, they see a U-boat 
  racing away at top speed. (This will likely remain a 
  mystery for them to speculate on in the wrap-up). 
  • During the wrap-up, whatever theory the players 
  decide on, it should connect the squid with the 
  U-boat and the Cult of The Awakening.
  The Start
  The characters have a meeting with Harry 
  Houdini in a speakeasy near the docks. He’s 
  flustered and not his usual happy-go-lucky self. 
  Houdini says:
  “The item is a solid silver astrolabe from the 8th 
  century that was invented by the mathematician 
  Muhammad al-Fazari. Wild theories about the 
  whereabouts of the astrolabe have been circulating 
  for hundreds of years, but it seems a recent war 
  journal of the captain of the USS Nipmuc spoke 
  about the item and its discovery. We’ve verified the 
  book, and we have reason to believe the treasure is 
  still aboard inside the captain's quarters, locked in 
  a strongbox. Take these, and good luck.”
  Houdini gives them some new underwater diving 
  suits, heavy spearguns (Range 3/6/12, Damage 
  2d6+1, AP 2, Action to reload), and small flashlight-
  like dive lights that are recent inventions from 
  Nikola Tesla. The dive lamps are upright lanterns 
  with convex windows of green glass. With that, he 
  walks out.
  Bottom of Narragansett Bay
  Without being spotted, the characters don their 
  diving suits and enter the cold water. The Tesla 
  lamps project an intense, green light that highlights 
  the outlines of everything for 6” and allowing the 
  party to see clearly underwater.
  Those characters with Knowledge: History or 
  some other appropriate skill will be able to inform 
  the others about the history of the USS Nipmuc, a 
  shipwrecked sloop at the bottom of Narragansett 
  Bay. This 110-foot fully-rigged sailing vessel was 
  used during the American Revolutionary War and 
  was sunk by her own crew to keep it from falling 
  into the hands of the British. This 12-gun sloop is 
  said to have sunk or captured three dozen enemy 
  ships! In the century and a half since it was sunk, 
  there have been several failed attempts to explore 
  the wreckage. Until now, the diving technology 
  needed to do this effectively has been out of reach. 
  Visibility is just as terrible as it ever was, but at least 
  now a person can stay underwater for enough time 
  to explore the shipwreck.
  Once inside the wreckage, they have to search 
  carefully: it’s awkward with the air hoses and the 
  heavy, unwieldy helmet that seems to fog up every 
  minute or so. As such, all Trait rolls while inside the 
  wreck suffer a -1. The search time can be reduced 
  with a successful Tracking roll or a Notice roll that 
  results in a raise. Before long, they will find the 
  Dive! Dive! Dive!
  
  Part 6: Weird Tales of Adventure
  71
  strongbox. The silver astrolabe is inside, just as 
  Houdini said it would be. 
  Once outside the shipwreck they are immediately 
  attacked by a colossal squid, and their lights only 
  reveal glimpses of the creature attacking them. All 
  they can see are huge, terrifying tentacles. Combat 
  begins. If the battle looks like it’s too much for the 
  characters, they might go back into the shipwreck to 
  hide, but this will only work for a while. The airflow 
  being pumped through their air hoses starts to slow 
  and they will need to surface.
  The Shore of Narragansett Bay
  With a successful Notice roll (or enough time), 
  the characters realize that they’re being watched by 
  Sean Breag and his Cultists. They’re also scoping 
  out Narragansett Bay, looking under rocks, digging 
  in odd places, and taking the occasional photograph. 
  The cultists will try to avoid the characters, but 
  it adds to the feeling that they’re being watched 
  and that it’s somehow connected to their specific 
  mission (they’ll not find out in this Adventure at all: 
  it remains a mystery). The cultists are technically 
  doing nothing wrong, so if the characters overreact, 
  the cops may show up. 
  This is a time when direct confrontation is not 
  a solution, but if they go that route, they’ll find 
  themselves surrounded by Cultists carrying poisoned 
  blades (2 per player character), and as soon as that’s 
  finished, the Cops show up (2 per player character). 
  The characters will almost certainly need to run in 
  this situation.
  Colossal Squid
  Colossal squid have teeth-like projections inside 
  the suckers on their eight arms and hooks protruding 
  from the suckers on the broad club ends of their two 
  tentacles. They also have a massive, powerful beak. 
  They live in the depths of the Antarctic region and 
  are much faster swimmers than one would expect.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6(A), Spirit d6, 
  Strength d10, Vigor d10
  Skills: Fighting d8, Intimidation d6, Notice d6, 
  Swimming d10
  Pace: —; Parry: 6; Toughness: 9
  Special Abilities:
  • Aquatic: Pace 10.
  • Bite: Str+d4.
  • Tentacle Swipe: Str+d4.
  • Tentacle Grip: The powerful tentacles of a 
  colossal squid can be lethal. The opponent may only 
  attempt to escape on their action, which requires a 
  raise on an opposed strength roll.
  • Size +3: These 40-foot long creatures are 
  monstrous and can weigh up to 1,700 lbs.
  Cops (2 per player character)
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4, Spirit d6, 
  Strength d6, Vigor d6
  Skills: Fighting d6, Shooting d8, Driving d4, 
  Repair d4
  Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 5
  Hindrance: Code of Honor
  Gear: Colt Police (.38 ) (2d6)
  Cultists (2 per player character)
  Hiding in the shadows, the angry members of the 
  Cult of the Awakening follow the commands of their 
  cult leader Sean Breag without question.
  Attributes: Agility d4, Smarts d4, Spirit d6, 
  Strength d6, Vigor d4
  Skills: Fighting d4, Shooting d4, Persuasion d6, 
  Knowledge: Mythos d6
  Pace: 6; Parry: 4; Toughness: 3
  Hindrance: Misled
  Notes: Cultists may be driven to Fearlessness. 
  Gear: .38 revolver (2d6), baseball bat
  Sean Breag 
   Underneath his polite father-knows-best exterior, 
  Sean is the de facto leader of the Cult of Cthulhu’s 
  American chapter, tasked with the recruitment and 
  expansion of the cult’s fingers into whatever social 
  institution it can reach. (page 83) Sean is carrying 
  nothing at the moment—he knows that he might end 
  up getting caught and searched and doesn’t want to 
  take the chance. 
  Attributes: Agility d4, Smarts d6, Spirit d10, 
  Strength d4, Vigor d4
  Skills: Fighting d4, Shooting d4, Throwing d6, 
  Persuasion d6, Knowledge: Mythos d6
  Charisma: +2; Pace: 6; Parry: 4; Toughness: 3
  Edge: Charismatic
  Hindrances: Misled, Deathwish
  
  Herald: Lovecraft & Tesla
  72
  The heroes explore a strange fungal infestation on 
  the edge of the Miskatonic University campus.
  Characters
  Some background in Biology or Botany will be 
  helpful, but the heroes will have an Ally that can fill 
  in many gaps in these areas.
  Introduction
  A strange fungus has been growing on the North 
  Lawn just inside the dark forest that borders the 
  Miskatonic campus. The forest has seen a wide 
  variety of new fungal growth in and around the 
  forest in the past year.
  Strangely, this fungus reacts to music, especially 
  singing. Even the birdsong affects them. A recent 
  outdoor concert by the Miskatonic Glee Club caused 
  the fungus to sprout up everywhere nearby. It smells 
  like rotting flesh and the University is considering 
  closing down the nearby dormitory if the situation 
  doesn’t improve. The stench is simply too much to 
  bear.
  One of the school’s administrators, a friend of the 
  Mythos Resistance, has tapped them to deal with the 
  problem that groundskeepers could not handle.
  Initial Investigation
  The staff member will lead them from the 
  Administration Building to the North Lawn. As they 
  approach the lawn, the heroes will make a Vigor 
  roll. Those who fail will spend a minute retching, 
  dry-heaving, or being otherwise ill from the smell. 
  Heroes who apply mentholated ointment or other 
  smell-covering agents under their noses gain a +2 to 
  all further Vigor rolls dealing with this smell.
  Once the heroes recover they can begin 
  investigating the fungus. Heroes with an appropriate 
  background (touching on Biology, Botany, 
  Mycology, etc.) will notice that the fungi resemble 
  Tremella encephala, commonly known as “brain 
  mushrooms.” These mushrooms seem to pulse, and 
  they will inflate slightly if a human or bird sings 
  near them, especially in the higher registers. If a 
  mushroom is cut or picked, it will whisper a scream. 
  Other details will require a roll.
  Heroes with an appropriate Knowledge (Biology, 
  Botany, Wilderness Survival, etc.) may roll to 
  discover clues about the fungi. They could discover 
  the following (first clue for a simple success, and 
  also the second clue with a raise):
  1. While these look like the common parasitic 
  “brain mushroom,” the cores of these fruiting bodies 
  are hollow and show no signs of parasitic behavior.
  2. Fruiting bodies of fungi often appear in “faerie 
  rings” since their mycelia (roots) spread out from a 
  central point. These fungi appear to form the edge of 
  a very wide circle.
  Untrained heroes may discover the second clue 
  but only with a raise on a Notice roll. Calculating 
  the size and center position of the faerie ring 
  will require measurements and a Knowledge: 
  Mathematics roll. The ring is a half a mile wide, and 
  the center point is a quarter mile into the dark forest.
  Before the heroes enter the forest, a voice behind 
  them shouts, “STOP!” The heroes turn to see a 
  strange African man, dressed like a shaman or witch 
  doctor. The school administrator will introduce 
  him as Nana Manu, a guest lecturer for both the 
  Folklore and Botany Departments. Nana Manu 
  speaks:
  “Very dangerous, this mushroom. My arrival here 
  was no coincidence. I came here to educate, yes; to 
  negotiate the return of our sacred artifacts, yes; but 
  also to hunt down and destroy this evil. I shall go 
  with you.”
  With that, and without another word, Nana 
  Manu raises his strangely-branched staff above his 
  head and shouts a prayer to the heavens: “ADUPE 
  ARIKU BABA WA!” Heroes with any African 
  language Knowledge may roll to translate: “Thank 
  you, by the spirits of our ancestors!”
  On another Notice success, the heroes notice that 
  the fruiting bodies they picked have already been 
  replaced by new growths.
  The Fun Guys’ Glee Club
  
  Part 6: Weird Tales of Adventure
  73
  Within the Dark Forest
  There are many strange fungi growing in this 
  forest. There are white knobs that seem to bleed 
  bright red. Some trees have been covered with 
  orange mushrooms that glow from under their caps, 
  but the caps close when a person approaches. One 
  fallen tree is being overtaken by a slime mold, but 
  the heroes can actually see it moving (usually only 
  possible in time-lapse).
  Two hundred yards in, have the heroes make a 
  Notice roll. Those who succeed hear a high-pitched 
  buzzing music coming from in front of them. Four 
  hundred yards in, everyone can hear the music 
  without rolling and must make another Vigor roll at 
  -1. Nana Manu signals the group to be quiet. Heroes 
  must take a stealth roll at +2 as they continue 
  to approach the center of the faerie ring and the 
  buzzing music.
  The buzzing music is coming from a trio of Mi-
  Go (see page 121) that are tending a brain-shaped 
  mass, three feet high, in what must be the center 
  of the faerie ring. If the heroes have been stealthy, 
  they can observe that while one Mi-Go “sings” to 
  the mass, the other two tend to smaller growths that 
  surround it, occasionally picking one and eating it: 
  The Mi-Go are farming.
  If the PCs have not been stealthy, the two tenders 
  are readying for an attack and will fire their energy 
  pistols as soon as a PC breaks through the clearing. 
  Nana Manu will use his amulet to cast a spell that 
  protects the heroes and himself, but he will then 
  attack with his staff and his sword. The singing 
  Mi-Go will not leave a 3” radius from the central 
  mass. The central mass has a Toughness of 6, and 
  destroying it will kill the faerie ring and cause the 
  Mi-Go to flee the battle. Otherwise, the Mi-Go will 
  fight to the death.
  Nana Manu
  Quote: Animguase mfata Okanni ba (Disgrace does 
  not befit the child of an Akan).
  Nana Manu is a shaman from an isolated tribe in 
  present-day Ashanti Protectorate, West Africa. The 
  defining moment of Nana Manu's life came when 
  the ritual for maintaining a sacred grove of trees 
  failed, releasing two imprisoned unnatural beings 
  from within. Nana Manu and his family leapt into 
  battle, but in the end his father, brother, and 
  only one of the creatures were slain. The 
  other creature had escaped.
  Nana Manu sought a 
  wise elder who told him 
  of artifacts and fetishes 
  of great power that had 
  been stolen from the 
  land. With these, 
  Nanu Manu could 
  repair the prison 
  of the sacred 
  grove and hunt 
  the creature that 
  was responsible for the 
  death of his father and 
  brother.
  Nana Manu set off 
  to reclaim the fetishes 
  from the museums and 
  collections where they 
  gather dust. From time 
  to time, Nana Manu seems to speak with the spirits. 
  It's actually just Nana Manu talking to himself, 
  speaking to his elder brother as if he still lived and 
  could lend him advice as he did in life.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d8, Spirit d12, 
  Strength d6, Vigor d8 
  Skills: Fighting d6, Notice d8, 
  Knowledge: Botany d8, Knowledge: Folklore d8
  Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 6 (8 when fighting 
  Mythos Creatures)
  Edges: Connect the Dots
  Hindrances: Outsider (Minor)
  Gear: Elder Staff, Amulet of the Elder Sign, 
  Akrafena (machete-like sword: Str+d6)
  Special Abilities (Amulet powers):
  • Ward of Stone: Once per encounter, Nana 
  Manu can cast a warding spell that adds 2 
  Toughness to all Allies. Duration: 10 turns.
  • Ward of Wind: Once per encounter, Nana 
  Manu can cast a warding spell that raises all Allies’ 
  Agility to d8 (add one level if Ally is already d8 or 
  higher) and grants all Allies the effects of the Dodge 
  Edge. Duration: 10 turns.
  
  Herald: Lovecraft & Tesla
  74
  It seems like there is something that the Cult of 
  the Awakening is hiding in the zoo. The characters 
  need to go to this location and see what might have 
  happened. All the group needs to do is observe and 
  report back.
  Start
  The characters have been given a Mythos 
  Resistance mission by Albert Einstein, who tells 
  them that while some other Mythos Resistance 
  investigators were trailing Cultists, they saw them 
  enter an area of the Roger Williams Park Zoo and 
  then disappear. Einstein suggests they enter the zoo 
  at night, but it’s up to the characters how they want 
  to approach this mystery.
  Roger Williams Park Zoo
  Entering the park at night without being seen 
  is easy enough. Once they get close to the zoo, 
  a Notice roll will make them realize that all the 
  pigeons in the park are albino.
  The characters find the entrance in the middle of 
  what seems to be a vacant enclosure. The characters 
  will need to search well, but with a successful 
  Notice roll, they find a well-hidden entrance to an 
  old drainage tunnel that runs under the area of Roger 
  Williams Park where the Zoo is located. With a raise 
  on this Notice roll (or a successful Tracking Skill 
  roll), they will see that the tunnel entrance contains 
  enough clues to show that there were at least three 
  cultists, who were carrying something between them 
  that they would set down every 5 to 10 feet. There is 
  a wooden door with a lock, but that can be picked/
  broken. 
  Suddenly, they’re attacked by an Enraged Hippo. 
  If the fight is over quickly, then another emerges 
  from the enclosure and surprises them.
  Once they’ve survived and made it into the 
  tunnels, they find that it’s waist-deep with mucky 
  water. They search and search but find nothing. Just 
  as they are about to leave, they notice an extremely 
  well-hidden Unnamed Mythos Creature on the 
  ceiling, crouched on all fours and trying to remain 
  hidden (all players roll a Fear check). Combat will 
  be brutal, and it’s quite possible the characters will 
  have to run. In fact, it’s very likely.
  Back at the speakeasy, the characters wait for 
  Einstein to show up so they can report, but this time, 
  he walks in with an older gentlemen—Mark Twain! 
  Twain is wearing a disguise, but the characters are 
  well aware that it’s him and that he’s there to meet 
  with them. He’s visibly upset and asks the characters 
  to recount every detail. 
  Wrap-Up:
  Recounting everything to Twain only seems 
  to make him more frustrated and confused than 
  he already was. Twain wants to know what the 
  Unnamed Mythos Creature is and whether it came 
  from The Elsewhere or not. The characters may not 
  be privy to all the Mythos Resistance secrets, but 
  they realize that whatever they just battled, it has 
  never been seen before. 
  You get to name this Mythos creature and 
  add it to H.P.’s Field Guide at the end of the 
  Adventure!
  What happened to the cultists? Did the Mythos 
  creature have anything to do with what they were 
  carrying in the tunnels? Why were all the pigeons 
  in the park albino? (If the characters think they’ve 
  found a way to connect the albino pigeons with their 
  mission, so much the better, but in reality, it’s a bit 
  of an interesting red herring). Twain will agree with 
  the reasonable points and theories and the characters 
  will have succeeded in their mission! 
  Extras and Wild Cards
  Enraged Hippo
  Considered by many to be the most dangerous 
  animal around, the hippopotamus is a highly 
  aggressive and unpredictable animal, often weighing 
  over 5,000 lbs. Semiaquatic and very territorial, they 
  can be found all over sub-Saharan Africa. Big-game 
  hunters know that these beasts aren’t to be trifled 
  with; hippos are responsible for dozens of human 
  deaths every year.
  Hungry, Hungry
  
  Part 6: Weird Tales of Adventure
  75
  Attributes: Agility: d6, Smarts: d4 (A), Spirit: d8, 
  Strength: d12+2, Vigor: d10
  Skills: Fighting: d6, Intimidation: d8, Notice: d6
  Pace: 8; Parry: 5; Toughness: 9
  Special Abilities:
  • Headbutt: Str+d6
  • Charge: 3d6, if they can move at least 6” when 
  attacking (in one direction).
  • Size +3: Hippos are very large and powerful.
  • Fearless: A hippo will fight until its last breath 
  and cannot be scared or intimidated.
  Unnamed Mythos Creature 
  This creature’s appearance is extremely shocking 
  and the more one looks at it, the weirder it seems to 
  be. Standing roughly the size of a human, it moves 
  awkwardly as if it’s not used to normal gravity or air 
  pressure. All joints seem to swivel instead of bend, 
  with feathery protrusions and chitinous plates that 
  shimmer. Whatever the creature touches seems to 
  drop in temperature drastically and even the mucous 
  excretions from its skin are very cold to the touch 
  for hours afterwards.
  Perhaps the best description might be that of 
  a deadly hybrid of sea cucumber, sea urchin, and 
  grasshopper, combined and then enlarged. It sticks 
  to the shadows and makes no sound at all, so all 
  Notice checks against it suffer a -2 penalty. Its odd 
  body seems to be covered in a fine hair, but close 
  inspection (not recommended) reveals that each 
  “hair” is a barbed protrusion, similar to the spines of 
  a cactus. It’s tougher than it first seems, absorbing 
  strikes in combat as if it feels no pain. This creature 
  is confused by our dimension. Because of this, it is 
  enraged and will not be calmed once it has decided 
  to enter combat.
  Attributes: Agility d4, Smarts d6, Spirit d4, 
  Strength d6, Vigor d6
  Skills: Fighting d4, Notice d12, Stealth d10 (when 
  still)
  Pace: 4; Parry: 5; Toughness: 9
  Special Abilities:
  • Unnatural Touch: The cold, sticky skin of 
  this creature is covered in tiny barbed protrusions. 
  All of its attacks are Touch attacks (+2 to Fighting) 
  that inflict d12 damage. A touched victim must also 
  make a Vigor roll at –2 or suffer a 
  Wound (in addition to any suffered 
  from damage).
  • From Beyond: This creature 
  shares no cultural or linguistic 
  similarities with human beings. 
  They’re immune to Persuasion 
  and Intimidation, and all other 
  communication-based traits are 
  ineffective.
  • Sticky Skin: This creature can 
  move about freely on walls and 
  ceilings at its normal Pace and will 
  not drop items it is holding in its 
  “hands.”
  • Stumbler: This creature is not 
  agile and cannot run effectively—it 
  moves quickly but trips often. Its 
  Pace is 4.
  Remember: you get to name 
  this Mythos creature and add it to 
  H.P.’s Field Guide at the end of the 
  Adventure!
  
  Herald: Lovecraft & Tesla
  76
  The PCs find themselves in The Grand Hotel, 
  which seems to defy multiple laws of physics and 
  geometry.
  Characters
  At least one of the characters should have a 
  background in mathematics.
  Introduction
  The PCs arrive at The Grand Hotel, exhausted 
  after a mission. A construction scaffolding wraps the 
  building. Part of the sidewalk in front of the hotel 
  bears a sign that warns of wet cement. A large sign 
  above the door reads:
  building. He complains about the hum (which the 
  PCs can now hear if they did not before) and the 
  awkwardness of the new elevator controls. He has 
  been forbidden from entering the basement or any 
  floor above the 5th, though he knows the night 
  manager has previously taken hotel guests to the 
  higher floors. He then apologizes for unloading on 
  the characters, saying that he had not wanted to say 
  anything previously—he is not supposed to discuss 
  hotel problems with guests, but he fears for the 
  safety of both the night manager and himself. From 
  here, the PCs may proceed as they see fit, though the 
  bellboy will insist on showing them to their rooms 
  first.
  Hotel Locations
  The Elevator
  The bellboy will operate the elevator the first 
  time, but there is nothing preventing the PCs from 
  operating it themselves later. The interior of the 
  elevator seems a bit shabby and run-down, but the 
  operating lever is obviously a new installation. 
  Instead of buttons, it has a lever on a pivot, 
  indicating an arc of options. The floor markings are 
  unusual, and read:
  The Infinite Hotel
  Under New Management
  Open During Construction.
  The lobby also shows signs of ongoing 
  construction, including a sign on the door to the 
  stairs marked “Danger, No Admittance” and an 
  open hole in the wall where the half-circle dial for 
  the elevator floor indicator should be. The lobby 
  is deserted and the doorway from the lobby to the 
  restaurant and bar is barred with another “Danger” 
  sign, though there does seem to be light coming 
  from around the corner in the restaurant. There is a 
  bell on the front desk, but it takes several minutes 
  for anyone to respond. Have the PCs all make a 
  Notice roll. Anyone with a raise will notice a faint 
  hum permeating the lobby.
  The bellhop is visibly distraught, and he 
  apologizes profusely for leaving the lobby 
  unattended. If the PCs ask what is wrong he will 
  deny any problems. He will then fumble behind the 
  desk while trying to figure out where the reservation 
  log and guest registry are kept, stumble over 
  every question, and generally show himself to be 
  extremely distraught and out of his depth.
  Eventually, he will break down and tell the 
  characters that the night manager is missing. He’s 
  only been gone for a few hours, but the bellhop 
  is also unnerved by the new construction in the 
  B   L   2   3   4   5   …ω...   אo
  PCs with a mathematics background will 
  recognize the two symbols as representing concepts 
  dealing with infinity. The use of these symbols on an 
  elevator will fascinate mathematicians and bewilder 
  anyone else. There is a visible, physical stop on the 
  lever to keep it from landing on “B.”
  The PCs have been given a room on the fifth floor, 
  and as soon as the doors close, the bellboy slides 
  the lever from “L” to “5.” The doors instantaneously 
  open on a normal hallway. The bellboy seems 
  visibly relieved that the elevator went where it was 
  supposed to and shows the heroes to their rooms. 
  After waiting for a tip, the bellboy rushes off to tend 
  to his duties.
  
  Part 6: Weird Tales of Adventure
  77
  PCs may call the elevator to a floor by pushing 
  the standard up/down button. Moving the lever to L 
  through 5 will bring the elevator instantaneously to 
  the Lobby or a normal hallway on floors 2 through 
  5. Moving the lever anywhere within range of the 
  omega symbol brings them instantly to an omega 
  hallway, and moving the lever to אo brings the 
  elevator to the aleph hallway.
  Normal Hallway
  This appears to be a normal, if slightly shabby 
  and run-down hotel hallway, with doors to ten rooms 
  on each side of the hallway. The room doors all bear 
  a three-digit number: the floor number followed by 
  the room number. The characters have been given 
  room 501 and an additional room as necessary. 
  There is nothing remarkable about any of the rooms, 
  though they are all locked, and the heroes only have 
  keys for their own rooms. At the opposite end of the 
  hallway from the elevator is a door to the stairwell.
  Stairwell
  Every door that leads to the stairwell bears a sign 
  that reads “DANGER,” but none of the doors are 
  locked. The stairwell is dimly lit, but once the door 
  shuts behind them, the lights flare up to reveal an 
  impossible staircase with two doors: the one they 
  entered from (marked with the floor they left) and 
  another door on the far side, with markings too 
  small to read from where they are. If the PCs go left/
  down, the other door leads to one floor lower, and 
  vice-versa. They can move in the same direction 
  forever, but they cannot descend lower than the 
  basement.
  Omega Hallway
  There are an infinite number of these hallways, 
  all identical to the normal hallway. The door 
  numbers will reflect an infinite number of possible 
  floors, from 601-620 through 999999999901-
  999999999920, and beyond. All doors in these 
  hallways are locked. If any door above the fifth floor 
  is picked or forced, it will open to an infinite black 
  space. Any PC attempting to bash a door open by 
  force must succeed at an Agility roll or fall through 
  the door, their momentum carrying them forward 
  forever. Rescue attempts are at the GM’s discretion.
  Aleph Hallway
  This hallway also appears identical to the normal 
  hallway except that every door is marked with “א
  o.” Doors in this hallway are not locked, but every 
  door opens to another identical hallway, from where 
  the elevator would be on the normal hallway. Every 
  door in this second-tier hallway is marked with 
  “אI”except the one they entered from, which is 
  marked “אo.” These hallways will continue in an 
  infinite series. There are no stairwell doors in these 
  hallways.
  If the characters explore these infinite hallways, 
  have them draw a card for each new hallway 
  entered. If they draw a Queen, King, or Joker, 
  they find the night manager in the middle of the 
  hallway, curled in the fetal position and sobbing 
  into his hands. He will be mostly incoherent, but a 
  successful Persuade or Intimidate roll will allow him 
  to tell the PCs that the trouble is in the basement 
  (which can be reached via the stairwell from any 
  normal hallway or the lobby).
  Basement
  The source of the hum from the lobby is here: 
  a pulsating, glowing machine that randomly vents 
  puffs of cool steam. A successful Repair roll allows 
  the heroes to work out which is the off switch, 
  and the machine can be easily shut down. If a PC 
  attempts to stop the machine by attacking it, the 
  machine has a toughness of 5, but a successful 
  attack has a 50% chance of causing the entire hotel 
  to fold in on itself and implode. Once the machine is 
  off, the stairwell returns to normal—all floors above 
  the fifth wink out of existence and the elevator 
  breaks down. If the characters did not find the night 
  manager before shutting off the machine, he will 
  appear on the roof of the hotel, where he can easily 
  access the stairs or the fire escape.
  What's next?
  Characters will most likely want to get some 
  sleep, and the hotel will function normally now. 
  Questions remain to be answered, however: who 
  built the basement machine? Where is the hotel 
  owner who authorized all this? Can the Mythos 
  Resistance commandeer this machine to use it for 
  their own purposes? 
  
  Herald: Lovecraft & Tesla
  78
  The characters help Houdini expose a charlatan 
  but get more than they prepared for.
  Introduction
  Harry Houdini is a firm believer in the concepts 
  of séances and spirit mediums. However, he cannot 
  abide con artists who sell false hope. His mission 
  to debunk charlatans is very well known. Mina 
  “Margery” Crandon is up for Scientific American’s 
  prize to demonstrate telekinetic ability. The editors 
  have publicly asked Houdini and the PCs to help 
  evaluate Crandon.
  This is to be the third test for Crandon, who 
  claims to move objects through the spirit of her 
  dead brother Walter. Previous tests have been highly 
  suspect, and Houdini is ready to declare her a fraud, 
  but has been convinced to give her one last chance. 
  Now close to exposure, the desperate Crandon 
  has procured a powerful artifact, the Shining 
  Trapezohedron: an object that opens windows and 
  doors into other planes of existence. 
  The PCs arrive with Houdini, and others as 
  needed: there should be seven people at the table 
  in total. Houdini will lock Crandon into a stout box 
  formed around a chair, exposing only Crandon’s 
  face and her forearms. The rest of her will be 
  restrained inside the cheat-proof box. Once Crandon 
  is locked in, all attendees will sit and join hands, 
  while the lights are dimmed. A bell is suspended in 
  a locked box at the center of the table. Crandon must 
  ring the bell to win the prize.
  The Séance
  When all attendees are seated and holding hands 
  Crandon begins:
  “Ladies and Gentlemen, please close your eyes. 
  Breathe in deeply, and let it out slowly. Clear your 
  minds of all conscious thought, and of all nagging 
  doubt…”
  The GM should call for a Notice roll. Any PC that 
  aces their roll should be informed that they can hear 
  a faint shuffling inside the restraint-box. Crandon 
  continues:
  “Open your minds to the influence of the Other 
  Side. Open your minds to Walter. Walter, are you 
  there?”
  Make another Notice roll, this time at a -2. Those 
  who succeed hear a shuffling sound from inside the 
  box, slightly louder than before.
  “Walter. Walter! Come forth, Walter, and show us 
  you are here by ringing the bell on the table.”
  Make another Notice roll. Those that succeed hear 
  a louder shuffling and the sound of metal lightly 
  scraping against the inside of the restraint-box.
  “Walter?” Crandon grunts with effort “Walter, 
  hear me!”
  Characters now notice, without a roll, that 
  Crandon appears to be fidgeting inside the box, 
  wriggling to do something without the use of her 
  hands. Houdini breaks the silence by declaring he’s 
  seen enough, but Crandon persists:
  “Spirit! Hear me! Do my bid… OW! Bend 
  to my wi… OW! Oh God, Oh God! THERE’S 
  SOMETHING IN HERE WITH ME!”
  Any PC who declares that their eyes are open 
  can now see a strange, sickly green light shining 
  through the cracks in the restraint box. Those with a 
  successful Notice roll will also hear a combination 
  of tittering and scratching sounds moving up the 
  box. The rat-like noises appear to be climbing up 
  her body inside the restraint box, moving towards 
  her chest.
  Suddenly, the edge of every angle in the room 
  begins to glow with the same light. In one corner, 
  the angles seem to fold in on themselves but also 
  “through” themselves, in a manner not consistent 
  with reality. Crandon screams as a hunched and 
  ancient figure steps through the in-folded angles, 
  and everyone draws for initiative.
  Keziah Mason, the witch, has appeared in the 
  angles of the corner, and her rat-thing familiar 
  Brown Jenkin is in the restraint box with 
  Crandon. PCs with Knowledge: Mythos may roll 
  for the following information: Keziah escaped the 
  Salem Witch Trials in 1692, but unlike many of 
  the poor women tortured and killed at that time, 
  That’s the Spirit
  
  Part 6: Weird Tales of Adventure
  79
  she actually was a witch. She also displayed an 
  incredibly prescient understanding and application 
  of mathematics, physics, and extra-dimensional 
  topography. This synthesis of magic and science 
  allowed her to escape her jail by folding space in 
  strange non-Euclidean “angles.” She was drawn 
  here by the power of the Shining Trapezohedron, an 
  artifact that could allow her even greater freedom of 
  extra-dimensional travel.
  Brown Jenkin slipped through from outside first, 
  squirming through the tiny angles inside the restraint 
  box that were closest to the artifact. Once he used its 
  power to open up the way for his master, he began 
  to gnaw Crandon’s heart out, and she will be dead in 
  three turns if nothing is done. It will take one action 
  to unlock the restraint box. Once the box is open, 
  Brown Jenkin will ignore Crandon and leap to attack 
  whoever has opened the box.
  Keziah Mason, meanwhile, will begin her own 
  attack. Her goal is to capture the artifact and at least 
  one soul, dragging them back through the corner 
  and using their life-force to power the Shining 
  Trapezohedron for further travels. She will kill 
  anyone else who tries to stop her, and they will 
  be the lucky ones. If Brown Jenkin is killed, she 
  will retreat; if she is killed, Brown Jenkin will go 
  Berzerk. 
  Keziah Mason
  Keziah Mason is a bent, withered old crone, 
  though her unnatural travels have 
  made her effectively 
  ageless. Her all-
  consuming 
  motivation is 
  to gain more 
  power in order 
  to prolong her 
  life and continue 
  her extra-
  dimensional 
  explorations.
  Attributes: 
  Agility d4, 
  Smarts d12, Spirit d10, 
  Strength d4, Vigor d6 
  Skills: Fighting d4, 
  Intimidation d8, Knowledge: Mythos d10, 
  Shooting d6
  Pace: 4; Parry: 4; Toughness: 6 (2) 
  Edges: Beast Bond (Brown Jenkin)
  Hindrances: Arrogant (Major)
  Gear: Magic staff (simple melee damage: d6 ), 
  knife d4
  Special Abilities:
  • Armor +2: Keziah is protected by a magical 
  aura.
  • Immunity (Curved Weapons): Weapons 
  without angles (baseball bats, bullets) have no effect 
  on Keziah. Weapons with angles, edges, or sharp 
  points do normal damage.
  • Bolt: She can shoot one bolt of magical energy 
  from her staff per round (12/24/48, 2d6).
  Brown Jenkin, Rat-Thing 
  Familiar
  Brown Jenkin, a tiny, twisted, rat-man thing that 
  enjoys gnawing the hearts out of his victims.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d8, 
  Strength d4, Vigor d4
  Skills: Climbing d10, Fighting d8
  Pace: 3; Parry: 6; Toughness: 4
  Special Abilities:
  • Bite: Str+d6.
  • Low Light Vision: Ignores penalties for Dim 
  and Dark lighting.
  • Size -2: Brown Jenkin is the size of a large rat.
  • Small: Attackers subtract 2 from their attacks to 
  hit.
  Aftermath
  Crandon had smuggled the hinged box that 
  houses the Shining Trapezohedron into the box with 
  her. Houdini is impressed with her ability to open 
  the box while locked inside. Whether she survives 
  Brown Jenkin or not, the characters should recover 
  the Shining Trapezohedron and transport it to 
  somewhere safe.
  The Shining Trapezohedron is a glowing 10-sided 
  stone (looks like a d10), mounted in the bottom of a 
  hinged metal box. Reflections in its facets defy the 
  laws of optics and reflection as we know them— 
  randomly magnifying, transposing, or otherwise 
  impossibly distorting the images.
  
  Herald: Lovecraft & Tesla
  80
  GM Overview:
  At first, this seems like a regular investigation 
  into a missing person with ties to the Mythos. The 
  deeper they dig, the weirder it all becomes. One 
  investigation leads to another, which leads to yet 
  another, but they don’t seem to be related in any 
  clear way until the end.
  him or find another way to stop him before he can 
  ruin more lives with his madness. Sophie Tucker has 
  supposedly written a detailed mission outline and 
  given it to H.P. to give to them.
  They are told to arrive at the Lovecraft residence 
  by noon so they can meet with H.P. and get more 
  current mission details about Breag. 
  Gathering Information
  While the characters ask around and investigate 
  further, they are suddenly handed a small package 
  by a delivery boy. Upon opening, they find a 
  photograph of a man. This was taken, unnoticed, by 
  a Mythos Resistance member.
  There is a handwritten note with some facts on it:
  • This unknown man from out of town tried to get 
  a bank loan to buy a property in Arkham. He was 
  denied but told the banker that he would be back 
  later in the week with “a bag of cash to change his 
  mind.” He has not returned since.
  • The same man was seen in the Miskatonic 
  Library last week by one of the Mythos Resistance 
  members. 
  • This unknown man was also observed two days 
  ago walking into the 
  State House with Sean 
  Breag, an infamous 
  cult leader whom the 
  Mythos Resistance has 
  been watching closely 
  (and vice versa). 
  • Sean Breag 
  sold his house in 
  Providence to the bank 
  just yesterday.
  • Breag and this 
  man are friends, or at 
  least they seem to be.
  • No one in the 
  Mythos Resistance has 
  Adventures
  Circle of Confusion
  Start
  The characters are already on a mission to keep 
  tabs on Sean Breag and his Cult of the Awakening 
  and have tracked him down to a residence he owns 
  in Providence. Now that the Mythos Resistance 
  knows where he lives, they’re going to try to entrap 
  
  Part 6: Weird Tales of Adventure
  81
  any idea who he is or where he came from, but if he 
  is friendly with Sean Breag—that’s a red flag.
  The note isn’t signed, but if the characters have 
  been a part of the Mythos Resistance for a while, 
  they’ll recognize the terrible penmanship of their 
  fellow Mythos Resistance member, Albert Einstein.
  The Lovecraft Residence
  H.P. isn’t there when they arrive, but his mother 
  Sarah Susan Lovecraft is. She hasn’t been told 
  that they were coming, and she is concerned that her 
  son should have been back home hours ago. 
  This leaves the characters in an odd spot. They 
  need to continue their mission, but Sarah Susan 
  Lovecraft is pleading with them to look into what 
  might have happened to her son.
  While the characters are in the Lovecraft house, 
  there’s a knock at the door. A delivery boy hands 
  Sarah a sealed envelope, and when she opens it to 
  read, it’s immediately clear that the contents of the 
  letter are grim. Sarah tells the characters that the 
  letter is from Mark Twain, who is greatly concerned 
  about H.P.’s safety. He didn't check in yesterday, and 
  he was on a dangerous mission, so he’s presumed 
  missing. His last report spoke of seeing Breag and 
  his cronies in the State House, chatting with a Rhode 
  Island State Representative and other politicians.
  While the characters already have enough to 
  worry about with their original observe-the-cult-
  leader mission, this will take priority (and end up 
  being connected to the main plot).
  hidden on the dead cultist in the State House.
  Additional location information: The attic in 
  the Lovecraft home is a hoard of artifacts, trinkets, 
  and dangers from Susan’s wilder days. Many 
  collectors and schemers would pay handsomely for 
  even a glimpse at that attic’s contents. If they can 
  Looking Around the House
  A successful Notice roll reveals that the window 
  frame in the living room is chipped: the house has 
  been broken into and Sarah hasn’t yet noticed. A 
  raise on the roll shows that there is a picture frame 
  askew, but the photograph in it has been removed 
  carefully, and that particular missing photograph 
  was of her son—and the very same photo that was 
  convince her to part with some protective amulets, 
  she’ll lend (not give) them one each. These amulets 
  are unnatural in origin and will offer +1 Armor 
  for all damage. The only hitch: to put one of these 
  around their neck, the characters will have to make a 
  Fear roll. The sheer dread they feel from its horrible 
  power is too much for most people. 
  The Rhode Island State House
  Investigating during the day is neither wise nor 
  useful, so the characters will need to wait until it’s 
  late. 
  At night there’s no one around, and no lights are 
  on other than the front entrance. An elderly security 
  guard sits at the desk behind the locked front doors, 
  sleeping soundly. However the players decide to get 
  inside, they will need to do it in a way that avoids 
  alerting him. There are two more guards inside the 
  building, walking the halls. They won’t fight, but 
  they will yell and/or call the police. The characters 
  should be very careful.
  
  Herald: Lovecraft & Tesla
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  With a successful Notice roll, it’s clear that there 
  are small windows that lead into the basement of 
  the building. Getting inside might require some 
  lockpicking or even brute force, but the characters 
  will need to do it quietly.
  The Dead Cultist
  In the basement, the characters find the body of a 
  man in his late 50s, wearing the purple ceremonial 
  robe of a cultist. There are no signs of struggle, 
  no blood, and no bruises. If one or more of the 
  characters has the skills Healing or Knowledge: 
  Medicine or similar, then they can verify that the 
  man likely died of a heart attack or some other 
  seemingly natural cause. Rigor mortis hasn’t yet set 
  in fully, so he’s only been dead a short while. 
  Searching him reveals a poisoned ceremonial 
  blade, a box of chalk, and a photograph of H.P. 
  Lovecraft. Characters may or may not have found 
  out that this is the same photograph missing from 
  the picture frame in the Lovecraft Residence. Even 
  if they wanted to, there is no way to bring the dead 
  body back out the way the characters came in, so 
  they will have to leave it there.
  The sounds of commotion from above can be 
  heard, and the lights go on. The security guard has 
  opened the door and is walking down the steps, 
  flashlight on. He calls out to see if anyone is there 
  and waits in silence to listen for noises. 
   As the characters escape, they hear the sounds 
  of startled yelling from the basement. The security 
  guard has just discovered the body.
  Back at the Lovecraft Residence
  The characters knock politely, but it takes quite a 
  while for Sarah Susan Lovecraft to answer the door. 
  As they enter, they can see that she is in the middle 
  of something very unnatural looking, perhaps a 
  ritual. There are candles and occult symbols on the 
  floor and some kind of unidentifiable leathery wing. 
  She won’t talk about any of it, and if they push too 
  hard, she will threaten to kick them out of the house.
  Suddenly, there’s movement in the middle of the 
  ritual circle and a shimmering mist starts to form 
  (players roll Fear check). The sound of violin music 
  is heard faintly, then the mist dissipates. Sarah Susan 
  Lovecraft looks pleased and tells them simply: “I 
  found him.”
  Suddenly, the front door is kicked down by Sean 
  Breag and several cultists. 
  As combat begins, Sarah Susan Lovecraft closes 
  her eyes and starts to chant in an unknown language. 
  Before too long, her chanting is so loud and so 
  strong that Breag and the cultists all hit the floor 
  at once, unconscious. She also faints. Behind the 
  players, in the middle of the mist-filled ritual circle, 
  stands H.P., looking bewildered.
  Wrap-Up:
  H.P. was kidnapped and held in The Elsewhere 
  by the magic of Sean Breag. Since Breag and 
  his attacking cultists are now unconscious, the 
  characters are free to do what they choose with 
  him. Perhaps they’ll call the police, or maybe 
  they’ll kidnap him and take him to Twain and the 
  others. One way or another, the original mission is 
  complete, as is the secondary mission of saving H.P..
  Whether the players have figured it out or not, 
  they can interrogate Breag once he’s awake, and 
  he’ll confirm or inform them of what happened. It 
  turns out: 
  The mystery man is not just a friend but one of 
  the other leaders of the American branch of the 
  
  Part 6: Weird Tales of Adventure
  83
  Cult of the Awakwning named Arliss Cook. He 
  kidnapped H.P. and took him to the basement of the 
  State House to be held. The dead cultist was named 
  Harvey LaGrange, a state employee with keys to 
  the building, and it was he who set up the holding 
  area. Sean Breag was already there with Harvey, and 
  he created a ritual circle to send H.P. temporarily 
  to The Elsewhere. The ritual worked and H.P. 
  vanished. But the ritual caused such fear in the 
  newly initiated LaGrange that he had a heart attack 
  and died on the spot. Sean Breag and Arliss Cook 
  cleaned up the chalk markings and left together in 
  a hurry. There was no way to leave with the body 
  without being noticed.
  Arliss Cook is now in the Elsewhere as well. Sean 
  Breag now knows how to use this ritual to banish his 
  enemies, so he got rid of his closest competition in 
  the cult. 
  Extras and Wild Cards
  Cops (1 per player character)
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4, Spirit d6, 
  Strength d6, Vigor d6
  Skills: Fighting d6, Shooting d8, Driving d4, 
  Repair d4
  Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 5
  Hindrance: Code of Honor
  Gear: Colt Police (.38) (2d6), billy club (Str+d4)
  Cultist of the Awakening
  (1 per player character)
  Draped in purple robes and hiding in the shadows, 
  the angry members of the Cult of the Awakening 
  follow the commands of their cult leader Sean 
  Breag, without question. They are sworn enemies of 
  Aleister Crowley and his cult and will attack any of 
  them on sight.
  Attributes: Agility d4, Smarts d4, Spirit d6, 
  Strength d6, Vigor d4
  Skills: Fighting d4, Shooting d4, Persuasion d6, 
  Knowledge: Mythos d6
  Pace: 6; Parry: 4; Toughness: 3
  Hindrance: Misled
  Notes:
  Cultists may be driven to states of Fearlessness. 
  Gear: .38 revolvers (2d6), baseball bats (Str+d6)
  Sean Breag 
  Quote: “We’re the bad guys.”
  Sean Breag is an average man living a life 
  unimpeded by the restrictions of morality and 
  compassion. Underneath his polite father-knows-
  best exterior, Sean is the de facto leader of the Cult 
  of the Awakening’s American chapter, tasked with 
  recruitment and the expansion of the cult’s fingers 
  into whatever social institution it can reach. Sean 
  loves his job, welcoming fledgling conformists 
  into what he calls “The Family.” As cultists are 
  initiated, their necks are branded with an ethereal 
  Herald moth tattoo that only other cultists can see. 
  While performing these duties, Sean is keenly aware 
  that the Cult is also searching for its own Herald, a 
  General who will lead the armies of Dread 
  Cthulhu across the Earth at the end of 
  the world. And if Sean is really lucky, 
  Cthulhu will eat him first. Sean also 
  prefers to let his subordinate cultists 
  battle for him: he is not much of a 
  fighter.
  Attributes: Agility d4, Smarts d6, Spirit d10, 
  Strength d4, Vigor d4
  Skills: Fighting d4, Shooting d4, Throwing d6, 
  Persuasion d6, Knowledge: Mythos d6
  Charisma: +2, Pace: 6; Parry: 4; Toughness: 3
  Edge: Charismatic
  Hindrance: Misled, Deathwish
  Special Abilities / Gear:
  Sean has two items of unnatural origin for this 
  particular Adventure:
  • Dusty Tome: A book that allows him to recite 
  
  Herald: Lovecraft & Tesla
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  passages aloud that cause intense, debilitating 
  migraines (damage: Spirit +1) to all within earshot. 
  This is incredibly powerful, and taxing to the one 
  reading aloud. After each mental attack, Sean 
  requires 1d4 rounds before he can use the Tomb 
  again. 
  • Accursed Needle of Zur’In Xal: If a 
  character’s skin is pierced by this needle, they will 
  begin an unnatural transformation into something 
  horrific and deformed that can only be stopped by 
  someone with a Mythos-related solution.
  Sarah Susan Lovecraft
  Quote: “Have fun, you two. Dinner is at six.”
  At a time in America when mental health 
  practices tragically underserved their patients, 
  Sarah Susan Lovecraft spent 
  many years locked in 
  an insane asylum 
  for speaking a truth 
  nobody wanted to 
  hear: that humanity 
  was doomed and it was 
  in our best interest to 
  hasten the inevitable. 
  Despite the 
  cruelty of 
  the alienists 
  who treated 
  her, Susan 
  learned that life 
  would be easier 
  if she kept a lid 
  on all this talk 
  of the impending 
  apocalypse and 
  Mythos beings from 
  beyond the stars.
  After her release 
  she fell in with the 
  wrong crowd and 
  took to raising hell. Some time later, she 
  became pregnant with little Howard Phillips. 
  He quickly became the center of her world. 
  In him she saw a reason to fight back against 
  the overwhelming nihilism and taught him as 
  best she could her ways as a self-proclaimed 
  necromancer. A lifetime of doting, however, is a 
  hard habit to break: she remains as overprotective of 
  her son as though he were still a child.
  Attributes: Agility d4, Smarts d6, Spirit d10, 
  Strength d4, Vigor d4
  Skills: Fighting d4, Shooting d4, Persuasion d6, 
  Knowledge: Mythos d6
  Charisma: +2, Pace: 6; Parry: 4; Toughness: 3
  Edge: Charismatic
  Hindrance: Misled (wants to help hasten the 
  inevitable apocalypse)
  Special Abilities / Notes:
  Sarah has several items of unnatural origin that have 
  their own weird powers:
  • Dusty Tome: A book that allows 
  her to recite passages aloud that can 
  remove the effects 
  of Shaken for 
  everyone within 
  earshot.
  • Chalk 
  Drawings: It 
  deals out Spirit 
  +2 damage 
  to anything 
  Mythos-related 
  that touches 
  these sigils and 
  Elder signs.
  
  Part 6: Weird Tales of Adventure
  85
  GM’s Overview
  The characters are mailed a letter with mission 
  instructions and a meeting point by Mark Twain. 
  They will be on a Mythos Resistance team 
  investigating a person of interest and potential 
  recruit named Tommy LaValle.
  Plot Points
  • Mark Twain tells the PCs to quickly get to a 
  particular location to observe and report on a person 
  of interest named Tommy LaValle, a potential 
  Mythos Resistance recruit.
  • Characters will see what happens to Tommy 
  LaValle and know that he’s been set up by someone: 
  he is arrested, then taken directly to Dexter Asylum, 
  a well-guarded and high-walled institution on the 
  east side of Providence. 
  • Characters must stay away from the cops who 
  seem to be looking for someone else in the same 
  area they got Tommy. They are overheard talking 
  to each other about a woman, but no more useful 
  information can be gleaned.
  • Asking around town reveals Tommy was seen 
  in the hours before his arrest at the Lazy Cricket 
  Club in Downcity Providence, talking to the owner, 
  James “Two-Lips“ Sommers. A woman wearing a 
  mink coat arrived, then sat to talk with Tommy and 
  James. Five minutes later, she left with James, the 
  owner. Five minutes after that, Tommy left the club 
  in a hurry. By midnight, he was being arrested at a 
  wristwatch factory. 
   • Breaking Tommy out of Dexter Asylum will 
  require a solid plan to get around not only the 
  regular employees but several very large men with 
  shaved heads who wear blue suits. They seem to be 
  guarding the area of the Asylum where Tommy is 
  being held.
  • Thomas Edison is involved, but it seems that 
  he is just using his influence to facilitate a request 
  from some unknown person whom Tommy slighted. 
  Characters won’t know this until the end.
  In a back room, Tommy’s guitar case is being 
  looked at by two scientists of some sort. They can’t 
  seem to open it, no matter what they do.
  • The characters must not only get Tommy 
  LaValle out of the asylum but also his guitar case. It 
  seems to have some secret power that Tommy won’t 
  talk about.
  • Once he’s out and safe, Tommy will join the 
  Mythos Resistance.
  The Start
  The Characters are sitting around a table, eating 
  a late dinner. There’s a knock at the front door, and 
  a sealed envelope is pushed underneath. It’s a letter 
  from Twain.
  Twain’s Mission Letter
  Dear Friends,
  Tommy LaValle 
  is a very important 
  person of interest, 
  and I fear he may 
  be trying to do 
  something imprudent 
  tonight. He knows 
  nothing about our 
  group, but Sophie, 
  Henry, Cal, and I 
  all agree that he has 
  more potential to 
  help us than perhaps 
  any other potential 
  recruit we’ve selected 
  in recent months. We want him to be part of the 
  Mythos Resistance, and your group is being tasked 
  with bringing him into the fold.
  Get to the Jewelry District by midnight tonight. 
  There is a wristwatch factory on the corner of Dyer 
  Street and Elm Street that Tommy LaValle was 
  seen at last week. We think he might be headed 
  there again tonight. Observe and report only; do not 
  attempt to intervene, no matter what. It would ruin 
  quite a bit of undercover work we’ve done already, 
  and we’re not ready to play that card yet. 
  Be safe, MT.
  The Fall of a Sparrow
  
  Herald: Lovecraft & Tesla
  86
  
  Part 6: Weird Tales of Adventure
  87
  Wristwatch Factory
  Midnight in the Jewelry District. The dilapidated 
  factory on the corner of Dyer and Elm St. is dark 
  and shows no movement.
  Just as the Player Characters arrive at the 
  closed factory, they can see that something is 
  about to happen and they must find a hiding spot 
  immediately. As soon as they do they observe the 
  following:
  Tommy LaValle is sneaking up to the doors 
  holding a detailed map and a ring with 3 keys. He 
  carries a guitar case and looks nervous.
  Several cops throw open the factory doors, guns 
  drawn as they shine lights and tackle him, cuffing 
  him. It was a trap! 
  Tommy is hustled into a nearby waiting truck 
  with a sign that reads: DEXTER ASYLUM. The 
  characters see that he drops the keys in the scuffle, 
  but no one else notices. 
  Nearby, just out of Tommy's line-of-sight, is a 
  car with none other than Thomas Edison sitting in 
  the back, handing the a crooked police sergeant an 
  envelope. Both men smile slyly like SOBs.
  The characters see everything and just barely 
  avoid being seen by Edison’s men or the cops. 
  Everyone else leaves the area as the characters 
  remain hidden. Once the coast is clear, they can get 
  those keys if they’d like. 
  Breaking into and/or investigating the factory 
  doesn’t seem to give them any new information. 
  Was Tommy set up by someone? What does 
  Edison have to do with it? It’s time to do some 
  investigating, and there’s no time like the present. 
  If the characters use a skill like Tracking, they 
  can retrace Tommy’s steps directly back to the 
  Lazy Cricket Club, just a few minutes’ walk away. 
  They might also find this info by getting a raise on 
  a Notice roll or calling in a favor from a connection 
  with investigation capability. 
  If they decide to go to Dexter Asylum, they can. 
  But there is simply too much commotion happening 
  at the moment, and there’s really no way for the 
  characters to get in without ruining everything. 
  They’ll need to try to find out more about Tommy’s 
  whereabouts that night before they return to break 
  him out.
  One way or another, the players will find 
  themselves at the Lazy Cricket Club, where they can 
  get more information.
  The Lazy Cricket Club
  This place is jumping! The music is loud and 
  joyful, mixing the old-style ragtime with the 
  new Post-Jellyroll sounds of this wonderful new 
  music we call Jazz. Alcohol isn’t served legally 
  (Prohibition), but it’s quite easy to find someone 
  to pour you a glass of the good stuff to wet your 
  whistle. 
  Some mingling and asking around gives the 
  characters the information they need:
  • Tommy was seen in the hours before his arrest 
  talking to the owner, James “ Two-Lips“ Sommers. 
  They were seen arguing earlier in the evening but 
  were laughing together by 11:00pm. 
  • A woman wearing a mink coat later arrived and 
  sat to talk with Tommy and James. 
  • Ten minutes later, both Tommy and James 
  appeared nervous, all traces of enjoyment wiped 
  from their faces. 
  
  Herald: Lovecraft & Tesla
  88
  • No one had ever seen the woman before. 
  • Five minutes later, she left with James, the 
  owner. 
  • Five minutes after that, Tommy left the club in a 
  hurry, carrying his guitar case and a yellow stuffed 
  envelope. 
  • That was 11:45. By midnight, he was being 
  arrested at the factory. 
  • The owner, James “Two-Lips” Sommers, is in 
  the back room drinking heavily, clearly upset about 
  something.
  • Some think that Tommy’s situation is connected 
  with James and his shady business partner(s).
  This club is not in the safest area of the city, and 
  as they leave the characters are mugged by some 
  street thugs who carry knives.
  Dexter Asylum
  The bad reputation of this ominous stone 
  structure is well known. Dexter Asylum was built 
  to be a poor-farm, then was gradually repurposed to 
  be used exclusively as a sanitarium. The three-story 
  stone structure is surrounded by a massive boundary 
  wall.
  For players who investigate further—or those 
  with Knowledge: History or some other appropriate 
  skill—the history of the place gives some more 
  insight. Ebenezer Dexter was a wealthy merchant 
  trader who died of a very mysterious disease that his 
  attending physician later described as “unnaturally 
  cruel.” It seems the man’s skin began to dry out, 
  then progressed to the point where he was unable 
  to move without terrible pain. Losing weight and 
  strength, Ebenezar tried all manners of treatment, 
  including heroin drops and mercury, but nothing was 
  effective. With the money he would leave behind, he 
  vowed to build a place for all the “poor, elderly, and 
  mentally ill residents who could not otherwise take 
  care of themselves.” Ebenezer Dexter died at the age 
  of 51 in excruciating pain. The disease was never 
  identified. 
  The Asylum was built according to his last 
  wishes, including the very peculiar (and massive) 
  boundary wall. The specifications were detailed in 
  Dexter's will, which required that it be built from "a 
  good, permanent stone wall of at least 3 feet thick at 
  the bottom and at least 8 feet high and to be placed 
  on a foundation of small stones as thick as the 
  bottom wall and sunk 2 feet into the ground.” Some 
  say that the wall’s mortar was mixed with blood 
  as a way to offer protection, but there is no direct 
  evidence of that being true.
  Break-Out
  Breaking Tommy out will be very difficult but 
  might be achieved in a myriad of ways. He’s being 
  held on the third floor in a padded cell by himself, 
  guarded by four very large men with shaved heads 
  who wear blue suits. They certainly don’t look like 
  they’re employees of the Asylum. 
  In a back room, Tommy’s guitar case is being 
  looked at by two scientists of some sort. They can’t 
  seem to open it no matter what they do.
  The characters must get Tommy LaValle’s guitar 
  case as well: he won’t leave without it. It seems to 
  have some secret power that he won’t talk about.
  
  Part 6: Weird Tales of Adventure
  89
  Cops show up out front as the characters are 
  leaving, so they will need to slip past them or 
  otherwise bypass them. If it takes too long, Thomas 
  Edison shows up before they leave, making it much 
  more difficult (since he uses his influence on the 
  cops). 
  Once everyone makes it outside the boundary 
  wall, they’re safe. Before Tommy agrees to join 
  the Mythos Resistance, the players will need to 
  “solve” the mystery as to why he was set up and 
  by whom. As long as their theory is reasonable, 
  Tommy confirms that “That must be it!” If they 
  feel that there is a reason to confront Two-Lips, 
  they should do this now. As long as Tommy is sure 
  of what happened, he will agree to join the Mythos 
  Resistance. Mark Twain now needs to be notified, 
  and then the mission is complete!
  Wrap-up: 
  The players might decide that this is the end, 
  or they may decide to continue. If they continue, 
  Tommy LaValle will be on their team, and his 
  participation will prove very helpful. However, 
  this also means that Thomas Edison’s cronies will 
  continue to pursue him and make life difficult. 
  Extras and Wild Cards
  Cops (1 per player character)
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4, Spirit d6, 
  Strength d6, Vigor d6
  Skills: Fighting d6, Shooting d8, Driving d4, 
  Repair d4
  Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 5
  Hindrance: Code of Honor
  Gear: Colt Police (.38) (2d6), billy club (Str+d4)
  Large men with shaved heads 
  (1 + 1 per player character)
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, 
  Strength d6, Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d6, Shooting d8, Intimidation d6, 
  Driving d6, Boating d4, Tracking d6
  Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 6
  Edge: Steady Hands
  Gear: Knife (Str+d4)
  Street Thugs (2 + 1 per player 
  character)
  Attributes: Agility d4, Smarts d4, Spirit d4, 
  Strength d6, Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d6, Shooting d4, Intimidation d6, 
  Driving d4, Lockpicking d4
  Charisma: -2, Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 6
  Hindrance: Mean
  Gear: Switchblade (Str+d4)
  Tommy LaValle
  Quote: "Logical conclusions don't satisfy. Monsters 
  satisfy, absolutely."
  Tommy’s smile is 
  like sunshine, and 
  his voice is like 
  sweet syrup. It’s a 
  safe bet to suggest 
  that most folks 
  who meet 
  Tommy are 
  genuinely 
  like him. 
  
  Herald: Lovecraft & Tesla
  90
  Speaking of betting...
  Some have called him a scammer, a swindler, and 
  a conman. He’s spent most of his adult life trying 
  to pull the wool over the world’s eyes, with little 
  success. He owes a great deal of money to several 
  different loan sharks, and it has gotten so bad that 
  he’s been forced to go on the run. 
  His business sense is abysmal, and every time 
  he’s tried to go legit, something terrible happens and 
  he suddenly needs a lot of cash fast. Committing 
  nonviolent crimes is something he thinks of as more 
  of a necessity than a way of life. Every time he does 
  something illegal, it’s always “the last time,” but 
  that never ends up being the case. He’s been to jail 
  a handful of times but always found a way to talk 
  himself out of trouble. People may not trust him, but 
  they like him. Even those who profess to hate him 
  have a soft spot in their heart for Tommy. They may 
  want him to pay for his missteps, but few people 
  truly wish him harm. 
  His most recent “incident” involved politely 
  asking a driver of a truck to exit his vehicle and 
  offering to split some of the cash with him once he 
  sold the cargo. While it worked, it turns out that 
  particular cargo belonged to a very powerful and 
  vindictive person. 
  He carries a guitar case everywhere he goes and 
  jokingly tells everyone that he uses it as a wallet to 
  carry around all his cash. In reality, it is a gift from 
  his late father and has a very special aspect to it. 
  Whatever he puts inside it somehow becomes more 
  valuable when he takes it out to sell it. It doesn’t 
  make any logical sense, but it’s true. 
  Tommy is very skeptical, assuming that most 
  folks have some scam they’re running, some angle 
  to play. Even when he meets a person whom he calls 
  one of the “rare innocents,” it takes quite a while for 
  him to trust them. He’s also very good at covering 
  up his true intentions and persuading those around 
  him that he is on the up-and-up.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d8, Spirit d8, 
  Strength d6, Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d6, Shooting d4, Driving d4, 
  Persuasion d8, Knowledge: American History d6, 
  Repair d4
  Charisma: +2, Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 6
  Edge: Charismatic
  Hindrance: Overconfident, Doubting Thomas
  Gear: Special Guitar case (empty), 
  .38 revolver (12/24/48, 2d6)
  Special Guitar Case
  Anything placed inside this empty case with 
  the lid closed will appear to double in value when 
  removed. Items appear to be of finer workmanship, 
  piles of cash somehow get counted as twice as 
  many bills. Targets get a Spirit roll at -2 to resist 
  this illusion, but success only allows them to see 
  the original value (they can’t detect any attempt at 
  fraud).
  Thomas Edison
  Thomas Alva Edison is the face of American 
  ingenuity. His arguably vicious work ethic 
  spawned, among many other things, the light bulb, 
  the phonograph, and the movie camera. But the 
  mythology surrounding Edison goes much deeper 
  than the man who refused to shower for days at a 
  time, who took naps at his desk to avoid going home 
  to sleep, and who spent weeks testing prototype 
  ideas before stumbling onto a correct answer.
  
  Part 6: Weird Tales of Adventure
  91
  Edison is a steamroller made flesh with an 
  unstoppable drive to compete, win, and destroy that 
  remains unmatched to this day. Edison has recently 
  employed Albert Einstein to develop a power source 
  for an undisclosed project. What Einstein doesn’t 
  know, however, is that Edison did not commission 
  the project himself but is following orders from a 
  force more powerful and ruthless than he.
  Attributes: Agility d4, Smarts d8, Spirit d8, 
  Strength d6, Vigor d4
  Skills: Fighting d4, Shooting d4, Throwing d6, 
  Persuasion d4, Knowledge: Mythos d10, 
  Climbing d6
  Pace: 6; Parry: 4; Toughness: 4
  Edges: Charismatic, Command
  Hindrances: Arrogant, Overconfident, Greedy
  Special Abilities / Notes:
  While Edison doesn’t carry any weapons or 
  personally get into fights, he does have quite a few 
  people on his payroll who can take care of that kind 
  of that type of business for him.
  Possible Connection: Edison is always looking 
  out for talented people he can exploit and he’s 
  willing to promise anything or hurt anyone in the 
  process. His current power project, for instance, 
  has had some troubling setbacks that he would pay 
  handsomely to resolve. Maybe the characters can 
  play both sides of this coin?
  James “Two-Lips” Sommers
  The jovial owner of the Lazy Cricket doesn’t 
  want any trouble. While he does have to pay 
  protection money to the organized crime families 
  (like most everyone else), he does his best to avoid 
  involving himself with them any further. He still 
  owes a lot of money to the investors that helped 
  him buy the club. One of those investors is a silent 
  partner; an anonymous businessman with direct ties 
  to both Edison’s power company and the owners of 
  Dexter Asylum.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d8, Spirit d8, 
  Strength d6, Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d6, Shooting d4, Driving d4, 
  Persuasion d8, Knowledge: American History d6, 
  Charisma: +2, Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 6
  Edge: Charismatic
  Hindrances: Overconfident, Doubting Thomas
  Special Abilities / Notes:
  Two-Lips is extremely anxious, and it’s clear that 
  he’s hiding something.
  
  Herald: Lovecraft & Tesla
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  This Harlem nocturne sees the Player Characters 
  investigate an unnatural series of deaths in the 
  middle of the Harlem Renaissance.
  Characters 
  This Adventure is set during the height of the 
  Harlem Renaissance, a period that saw a flourishing 
  of African-American arts and culture, but still 
  plagued by the shadow of racism. Legal segregation 
  was still solidly in place and generally accepted. 
  Very few clubs and other establishments allowed 
  people of different races to mingle or work together. 
  Certain sensitive subjects (like racism) might 
  not be right for all gaming groups. Ignorance and 
  hatred can be very powerful aspects of storytelling 
  and characters, but this is only worth exploring 
  in a game if everyone is on the same page. Play 
  responsibly.
  Introduction
  The PCs have been sent to the Harlem 
  neighborhood of Manhattan to investigate the 
  strange circumstances surrounding a series of 
  suicides around the Lennox Avenue bridge. The 
  bridge is not very tall, and the waters in the Harlem 
  river are fairly calm, but none of the bodies of 
  the suicide victims have been found after they 
  entered the water. No one knows exactly how 
  many of the city’s missing people have actually 
  committed suicide there, but there have been 
  enough eyewitnesses to point to something strange 
  happening in the waters under the bridge.
  The Mythos Resistance was alerted to the 
  situation by Duke Ellington, a bandleader and 
  composer living in Harlem. His regular gig at 
  the Hollywood Club downtown keeps him from 
  being able to actively participate in any evening 
  investigations, but he is available as a resource 
  during the day.
  The characters arrive in Harlem on Friday 
  morning, and they have all day to investigate. Duke 
  has arranged for them to stay in an apartment near 
  the bridge at 7th Avenue and 143rd Street. All of 
  the reported suicides have taken place at night, none 
  during the day. They may wish to examine witnesses 
  during the day, though they might be wise to rest up 
  for an all-night stake-out of the bridge.
  Meeting Duke
  Duke Ellington’s night gig necessitates him 
  sleeping late in the morning, so he isn’t able 
  to meet the PC’s until 11 am. He takes them to 
  breakfast at a restaurant on the border of the Harlem 
  neighborhood. The business and noise of the other 
  patrons allows the characters to discuss the details 
  without fear of being overheard.
  Duke himself only knows just enough to suspect a 
  Mythos connection. About a month ago, a shooting 
  star was seen over Harlem, and by its trajectory it 
  seems to have landed in the Harlem River near the 
  Lennox Avenue Bridge. The next day, a large fish-
  kill was reported downstream, though it seems likely 
  that the fish were killed near the bridge and floated 
  away. Rumors reported strange glowing lights 
  from the waters beneath the bridge, but these were 
  dismissed as pink elephants or reefer madness—
  until the first reported suicide. There have since 
  been several witnesses to suicides and strange 
  lights, though Duke knows of only two that might 
  be willing to talk. He is available for directions 
  and introductions until 3 pm, when he must go to 
  rehearsals for the evening’s show.
  Witness #1, James Leroy 
  James might not usually be willing to trust 
  strange folks questioning him; however, he has 
  made himself unwelcome at every speakeasy in 
  Harlem, so a pint of hooch will loosen his tongue, 
  regardless of who’s asking. Without any hooch, 
  PCs will need to succeed at a Persuasion roll. Duke 
  can inform the them as to which street corner he 
  normally haunts.
  James’s account will not seem reliable since he 
  was fighting the shakes the night he saw the suicide. 
  He says that he saw someone crossing the bridge 
  on foot late at night. The victim disappeared into 
  Mood Indigo
  
  Part 6: Weird Tales of Adventure
  93
  the darkness when he got up to the bridge but he 
  was soon illuminated by a dancing glow that lit the 
  bridge from below. James has trouble describing 
  the color of the glow because the color itself is not 
  present in our normal spectrum of visible light. 
  He settles on “something like a dark blue, but also 
  orange.” James then saw the man more clearly and 
  notes that he was an older black man with a cane 
  and a bushy beard. The man dropped his cane and 
  began stripping off his hat, overcoat, and other 
  clothes, laughing as he stripped, and climbed the 
  fence at the edge of the bridge. The man then leapt 
  off the top of the fence into the water, and James 
  swears he heard the man yell, “WHEEE!” as he 
  plummeted into the water. James heard the splash, 
  and he saw the strange glow pulse brightly before 
  fading back into darkness.
  Witness #2, Officer Sean 
  O'Herlihy 
  Officer O’Herlihy is an Irish cop who witnessed 
  a similar scene to the one James Leroy described, 
  though O’Herlihy saw a young woman who dropped 
  a box full of groceries on the bridge before she 
  leapt, laughing and stripping, into the unearthly 
  glow beneath the waters. O’Herlihy immediately ran 
  to the site where she had jumped in, but by then the 
  glow had stopped. He made his way off the bridge 
  and down to the riverbank but never saw the young 
  woman’s body again. Police dredged the spot the 
  next day but found nothing.
  The circumstances in O’Herlihy’s account 
  have caused his superiors to think he had been 
  drinking, and they have suspended him pending an 
  investigation. O’Herlihy, a dedicated teetotaler, may 
  therefore be unwilling to impart details about the 
  stranger parts of his account unless the questioner is 
  at least another Irishman, if not a more well-known 
  figure that he may trust.
  Friday Night at the Bridge 
  The heroes might want to stake out the bridge, but 
  they will see nothing of interest until long after the 
  sun goes down. It’s a swing-bridge, only moved for 
  river traffic during daylight hours, so usually no one 
  is on duty in the operator’s house at night.
  At about 9 pm, the unearthly glow will begin 
  under the waters on the Western span of the bridge. 
  If the PCs are not on the Western span of the bridge, 
  they may see the glow but will not feel drawn by it. 
  Any person on the Western span of the bridge will 
  begin to feel a pleasurable tingling when the glow 
  starts, and they will begin giggling uncontrollably. 
  They will find themselves drawn to the water and 
  will begin stripping off their clothes and climbing 
  the fence in an attempt to jump in. A -4 Spirit check 
  is required to resist this urge, but a success will still 
  find the victim giggling uncontrollably and unable 
  to do anything helpful. Anyone who attempts to 
  physically keep the victim from climbing the fence 
  will be caught by the same effect.
  As soon as the victim hits the water, a force will 
  begin to draw them under, toward a point of light on 
  the bottom of the river. Suddenly, the night erupts in 
  music, as the band at the nearby Cotton Club begins 
  to play their opening number. The music draws the 
  victim out of their stupor, allowing them to attempt 
  to swim away. Despite the three-block distance, 
  the sound of a single horn seems to carry above 
  the entire orchestra, and when it hits a high note, 
  the glow sputters out, accompanied by a noiseless 
  scream that seems to originate from inside the 
  listener’s head. The glow does not return, since the 
  strange horn seems to play all night.
  
  Herald: Lovecraft & Tesla
  94
  The Cotton Club
  The house band is led by Fletcher Henderson, 
  and Friday night was the debut of a young new 
  cornet player from New Orleans by way of Chicago: 
  one Louis Armstrong, billed as “The World’s Best 
  Cornet Player” on the posters outside the club. If the 
  characters go to the Cotton Club Friday night, there 
  is a strict dress code and those who look as if they 
  don’t belong are not welcome in the club.
  Characters can gain entrance to the club during 
  daylight hours the next day, especially if they enlist 
  Duke’s help to get inside. Duke doesn’t need to be at 
  rehearsals during the day Saturday, so he can make 
  introductions once the party is inside. He knows the 
  bandleader, Fletcher Henderson, who tells him about 
  the new horn player and what a solid sensation he is. 
  Fletcher willingly gives Louis’ address to the PCs, 
  though he will make a joke about Duke trying to 
  steal him for himself.
  Louis Armstrong
  Regardless of how the characters meet him, he 
  will be smiling, warm, and gracious and will not 
  let his cornet out of his sight. A successful notice 
  roll will allow a PC to see that when lights from the 
  room reflect off the horn, they seem to reveal hidden 
  symbols etched into the finish of the bell.
  If asked about his unique horn, Louis reveals that 
  it was a gift from his grandmother Josephine, who 
  was rumored to have been a powerful figure in the 
  Vodoun community in New Orleans. He credits the 
  horn for his success in music: "Every time I close 
  my eyes blowing that (cornet) of mine—I look right 
  in the heart of good old New Orleans...It has given 
  me something to live for."
  Defeating the Evil
  Characters should realize that the only hope they 
  have of stopping the murderous glow is to enlist the 
  help of Louis Armstrong and his magic horn. Louis 
  will be reluctant to skip the second night of his new 
  gig to play his horn under a bridge, but Duke should 
  be able to convince him to do it, and to get Fletcher 
  to release him for the night.
  The key to the success of the operation will be 
  Louis’s placement: If he is on the Western span of 
  the bridge when the glow starts, he may well fall 
  under its control and be unable to play. Louis should 
  be positioned on the riverbank, near the bridge but 
  out of range of the effect. One of the PCs will have 
  to volunteer to be bait for the creature, standing on 
  the Western span to entice an attack by the glowing 
  menace. It may be wise to tie or shackle the bait 
  character to the fence to prevent them from jumping 
  into the river.
  When the glow begins, Louis should begin 
  playing his magic horn. The proximity of the horn 
  will cause a considerably stronger effect, causing a 
  much more intense mental “scream” in the minds 
  of the PCs. All characters will need to make a Spirit 
  roll every round once the screaming starts. Failure 
  means the PC is stunned for one round, and success 
  means the hero can act but with a -1 to all rolls until 
  the creature is defeated. Louis will be unaffected 
  by this attack, and the creature will be unable to 
  approach Louis as long as he keeps playing.
  After a round or two of Louis playing the horn, 
  the glow will rise and break the water’s surface, 
  attacking the nearest character. This murderous 
  “colour” from out of space is actually a larval 
  creature and is considerably weaker than it would be 
  if it were allowed to continue to feed and grow.
  Larval Colour Out of Space
  An amorphous, semi-intangible blob of 
  indescribable hue, this colour seeks to drain living 
  things of their life energy to increase its own.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, 
  Strength d4, Vigor d4
  Skills: Fighting d6, Persuasion d10
  Pace: 3; Parry: 5; Toughness: 4
  Special Abilities:
  • Pseudopod Strike: 2d6 damage, ignores armor
  • Life Drain: With every successful pseudopod 
  strike, the target must succeed at an opposed Spirit 
  roll. If the colour wins, the target’s Vigor lowers by 
  one die. If the target’s Vigor drops below d4, they 
  die, their body crumbling into grey dust.
  • Persuasion: With a successful Persuasion 
  check, the colour can telepathically persuade a 
  target within short range to drop its weapons, strip 
  its clothes, and surrender themselves to the colour 
  willingly, laughing the entire time. As long as 
  Louis is playing his horn, however, this effect is 
  
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  95
  lessened: success by the colour means the target 
  begins laughing uncontrollably, decreasing all of the 
  target’s dice rolls by 2.
  • Incorporeal: The colour has no physical form, 
  and cannot be hurt by normal physical weapons.
  • Weakness (Sound): The colour is susceptible 
  to certain frequencies of sound, which cause d6 
  points of damage per round.
  • Weakness (Bright Light): The colour is 
  susceptible to extremely bright light, including 
  sunlight, of any color. A flare, bright flame torch, 
  car headlights or any source of light brighter than a 
  flashlight will cause 2d6 points of damage.
  Louis Armstrong
  Louis was born on August 4, 1901, though he 
  often told people he was born on July 4, 1900. He is 
  the grandson of slaves, and was born in the red-light 
  district of New Orleans. His father abandoned the 
  family when Louis was an infant, and his mother 
  left him and his younger sister with her mother until 
  Louis was five. Louis worked a variety of menial 
  jobs as a young boy, selling newspapers, hauling 
  coal, and selling discarded food to restaurants. At 
  night, he would sing in the streets with a group of 
  other boys for money, and when he hauled coal 
  to some of the brothels 
  and dance halls, horn 
  players like King 
  Oliver and Bunk 
  Johnson taught him 
  how to play a horn 
  by ear. He was 
  eventually 
  taken in 
  by his employers, a Lithuanian-Jewish family that 
  treated him like their own son. Louis played with a 
  great variety of musicians in New Orleans until his 
  musical mentor King Oliver invited him to come 
  with him to Chicago in 1922. He only recently 
  moved to Harlem to play in the Fletcher Henderson 
  Orchestra, the top African-American band today.
  Rank: Novice
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d8, 
  Strength d6, Vigor d6 
  Skills: Fighting d4, Gambling d4, Notice d6, 
  Persuasion d6, Repair d4, Streetwise d6, 
  Throwing: d4, Performance: Cornet d8
  Pace: 6; Parry: 4; Toughness: 5 
  Edges: Command, Inspire
  Hindrances: Loyal (minor), Stubborn (minor), 
  Curious (major)
  Gear: Knife (Str+d4), Flashlight, Magic Cornet
  Special Abilities:
  • Magic Cornet: This magical horn is inscribed 
  with powerful glyphs. These symbols increase 
  Louis’s Performance skill to a d12, and music from 
  this horn also disrupts the powers of many unnatural 
  Mythos.
  Every round that Louis is playing the horn in 
  combat with the Larval Colour, the GM should 
  make a Smarts check on Louis’s behalf. Success 
  means that Louis has realized that 
  certain notes hurt the creature 
  more. Once Louis has made 
  this discovery, his playing 
  will automatically cause 
  d6 points of damage 
  every round.
  
  Herald: Lovecraft & Tesla
  96
  The Mythos Resistance is interested in the 
  potential of three ordinary-seeming people and it is 
  up to the Player Characters to recruit them.
  Characters
  No particular backgrounds or skillsets are 
  required for this Adventure, though it would help if 
  a few of the PCs were persuasive or charismatic.
  Introduction
  The aim of this mission is to recruit three new 
  members into the Mythos Resistance. They are not 
  well-known luminaries of the 1920s, but each of 
  them has a unique potential that would make them 
  valuable assets to the Mythos Resistance and the 
  ongoing fight against the unnatural.
  This mission is divided into three parts, though 
  they need not be run in any particular order. The 
  predetermined starting point for the all three parts 
  is listed as the Anatheum Library in Providence, 
  though the characters are not required to return 
  to the library after each new member has been 
  recruited. 
  The Letter
  Each of the PCs has been sent a copy of a letter 
  from Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain):
  To ___________
  Dear __________, Your efforts in service of the 
  struggle against the strange and unnatural have thus 
  far been exemplary, and you have repeatedly and 
  consistently shown yourself to be a credit, both to 
  the cause and the human race entirely.
  However, we cannot continue this fight alone. 
  Every day, the threats to our world grow more 
  dangerous and dire, and the only remedy that readily 
  presents itself is to actively recruit more members 
  into our organization. I have therefore tasked you 
  and a few others to recruit three persons whose 
  skills and abilities show an as-yet untapped potential 
  for aid in our struggle to save the world.
  These three persons are, in no particular order:
  1. Feder Kachka, a formerly Ukrainian refugee. 
  He is most likely currently employed as a factory 
  worker in Providence, though other details are 
  currently unknown. I would suggest starting your 
  search for him at Providence City Hall, where he 
  may have a work permit on file.
  2. Angela Ashcroft, currently a graduate student 
  of anthropology at Miskatonic University in 
  Arkham, Massachusetts.
  3. Victor Eisenberg, a German immigrant and 
  academic wunderkind. He currently operates a small 
  engineering laboratory in East Providence near the 
  Providence River, just off Randolph Street. Niels 
  Bohr brought him to our attention.
  You are hereby requested to proceed to the 
  Anatheum Library in Providence at 10 o’clock in the 
  morning on Monday the 8th to meet with the other 
  members who have been tapped for this important 
  assignment. Proceed to the reading area adjacent 
  to the Robert Burns collection. For the purposes of 
  identification to your fellow members, please wear a 
  violet.
  Sincerely yours,
  S. L. Clemens
  (GM: If the PCs already know each other, omit the 
  last sentence from this letter)
  Anatheum Library
  The characters should arrive at the meeting place 
  as instructed. Once they have all been assembled 
  and introduced (and once at least one librarian has 
  shushed them), their most likely next destination is 
  City Hall, a ten-minute walk from the Anatheum, 
  just across the Providence River. However, the PCs 
  may decide to go to either Miskatonic University 
  for Ms. Ashcroft or East Providence to Eisenberg’s 
  workshop.
  Part 1: Recruit Feder Kachka
  Providence City Hall
  The clerk for the office of records at the Labor 
  Department will start out as Friendly, but if the 
  PCs mention Feder Kachka by name, he changes 
  The Trio
  
  Part 6: Weird Tales of Adventure
  97
  his attitude to Uncooperative, as several unsavory 
  people have also been asking about Kachka recently. 
  Those who ask for a general listing of work permits 
  on file will be given a large binder, which they 
  are allowed to peruse only in the office. This will 
  require a successful Investigation roll, representing 
  about five minutes of scanning through the binder to 
  find Kachka’s records.
  The clerk is a dutiful public servant with a Spirit 
  of d6, and while he can be persuaded to cooperate, 
  any attempt to bribe him will subtract -2 from the 
  PCs Persuade rolls. The clerk operates through a 
  barred window, so he feels secure enough that he 
  gains +2 to his opposition to any Intimidation roll. If 
  the clerk’s attitude is reduced to Hostile, he will call 
  the police to escort the PCs out of the building.
  If the characters successfully obtain the records, 
  they will not show a home address. They will show 
  a factory-line work permit and three amendments 
  showing that he has been temporarily employed at 
  three different factories, all in the same area of the 
  Jewelry District of Providence.
  Jewelry District
  Kachka is currently working at the Ace Cigarette 
  Lighter factory, though the PCs will not have 
  learned that from the records at City Hall. Those 
  trained in Streetwise will most likely think to 
  begin their search at the job-board and ask for his 
  whereabouts, which they can learn with a simple 
  success, representing five minutes of asking around. 
  A raise on a Streetwise roll will allow the characters 
  to learn that Kachka eats his lunch alone in the 
  abandoned fountain pen factory.
  PCs may also decide to ask at each of the three 
  factories for which Kachka has previously worked: 
  the Rose O’Sharon brooch factory, the Ace Cigarette 
  Lighter factory, or the Providence Watch Company 
  factory. The receptionists at two of the factories 
  claim to be too busy to look up labor information on 
  one of the hundreds of temporary foreign workers 
  they employ and will not let the heroes onto the 
  factory floor. The receptionist at the Ace Cigarette 
  Lighter factory, however, immediately asks, “What 
  do you want with Feder?” She reacts in the same 
  way as the labor records clerk to direct inquiries 
  about Kachka, and she also has a Spirit of d6. 
  However, even if the characters fail to persuade her 
  that they are looking out for Kachka’s best interests, 
  they should be convinced that Kachka is indeed 
  working at this factory today. The receptionist will 
  not allow anyone onto the factory floor, regardless—
  but she will tell successfully persuasive characters 
  that Kachka likes to eat his lunch alone, in the 
  abandoned fountain pen factory.
  Abandoned Fountain Pen Factory
  Once the factories break for lunch, PCs will be 
  able to ask workers leaving the factory if they know 
  Kachka, or they can wait for him where they were 
  told he would eat lunch. Feder Kachka will take his 
  brown paper bag of lunch to the loading dock of 
  the pen factory. He wears work overalls and a flat 
  cap and carries a large wrench in a loop on his belt. 
  He will be suspicious of the characters, thinking 
  they may be Red Army agents here to abduct him. 
  He does not know Mark Twain nor any of the other 
  famous people from the Mythos Resistance.
  While the PCs are trying to convince him to 
  come with them, Kachka has what appears to be a 
  migraine headache. This is actually an acute attack 
  of his Eldritch Visions, and he points to a corner 
  of the factory floor. Characters will hear a strange 
  gurgling noise and may see a few mundane objects 
  seemingly move of their own accord, but those 
  who also have the Eldritch Visions Hindrance will 
  see a writhing mass of tentacles that seems to be 
  spilling through a distorted warping of empty space. 
  Characters who can see the creature will notice 
  a single eye squirm its way through the mass of 
  tentacles and lock onto the group. Several beaked 
  mouths will spontaneously form, screaming in 
  unison, before the creature charges (everyone can 
  hear the scream).
  Semi-Visible Tentacle Creature
  This squirming mass of tentacles, eyes, and beaks 
  cannot communicate or reason, it can only destroy.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6(A), Spirit d10, 
  Strength d12, Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d8, Notice d8 
  Pace: 8; Parry: 6; Toughness: 8 
  Special Abilities:
  • Bite or Slash: Str+d6.
  
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  98
  • Improved Frenzy: The creature makes two 
  fighting attacks each action at no penalty.
  • Semi-Visible: All attackers without Eldritch 
  Visions attack this creature at a -2 for the first two 
  rounds, after which it becomes visible for all.
  • Growth: Every two rounds, this creature will 
  double in size. This increases its Pace and Reach 
  by 1” and adds +1 to its Size. This increases its 
  Toughness +1 but also makes it easier to hit, 
  adding +1 to attack rolls against it. (Max: Size +4 
  Toughness/to hit).
  • Weakness (Fire): Fire-based attacks against 
  this creature do double damage.
  Feder will not attack the first round: he is still 
  reeling from his migraine headache, but he is also 
  in shock that this creature is not imaginary. Whether 
  the creature is defeated or the PCs escape with 
  Feder, he will be convinced to join the Mythos 
  Resistance. It is up to the PCs and the GM as to 
  whether Feder should accompany them to recruit the 
  other two targets or whether he should be secured in 
  a Mythos Resistance safe-house until the other two 
  have come into the fold.
  Part II: Recruit Angela Ashcroft
  Miskatonic University Campus
  If the characters are familiar with the Miskatonic 
  campus, they may proceed directly to Bulgur Hall, 
  home of the Anthropology Department. If they are 
  not, they may ask someone on the grounds (no roll 
  required), or they may go to the Administration 
  Building and ask for directions.
  Anthropology Department, Bulgur Hall
  The head of the Anthropology Department is 
  professor Tyler M. Freeborn. When the PCs ask 
  him about Angela Ashcroft, he will at first wonder 
  if she is in some kind of trouble. Her interest in 
  the study of the occult has seemed to consume her 
  lately, and she has been clashing with Miskatonic’s 
  Head Librarian, Professor Henry Armitage, over 
  her access to some of the tomes in the Rare Book 
  Collection. If the PCs can convince Professor 
  Freeborn that she is not in trouble, he will direct 
  them to the basement of the Exhibit Museum, where 
  Angela is preparing a few of the Tcho-Tcho artifacts 
  that he recently acquired from abroad, for display.
  Exhibit Museum, Basement
  Player Characters can easily gain access to the 
  basement, but the Preparation Lab seems to be dark 
  and empty, as seen through the windows of the 
  double-doors. Everyone should make a Notice roll, 
  and success allows them to see that the hanging light 
  over one of the preparation tables is askew, and tools 
  and debris are scattered about. 
  If the PCs enter with Stealth, Angela will whisper 
  out to them from behind a heavy desk, saying, 
  “There’s something else in here!” She doesn’t know 
  exactly what’s going on, but she thinks there are at 
  least two creatures in the lab. If the PCs reconnoiter, 
  they will find two broken statues that appear to 
  have been hollow, their interior cavities dripping 
  with slime. Two pulsating amorphous blobs, each 
  about the size of a German Shepherd, are intent 
  on trying to break open a third statue. Those with 
  Knowledge: Mythos may roll to identify the statues 
  as being depictions of elder things and the blobs as 
  immature shoggoths. 
  Once the characters reveal themselves (by 
  intention or by a failure of Stealth), the shoggoths 
  will attack. Once wounded, they will again attempt 
  to break open the third statue (Toughness 8), 
  releasing a third shoggoth that will take one round to 
  awaken from hibernation before attacking.
  Immature Shoggoth
  Attributes: Agility d4, Smarts d4(A), Spirit d6, 
  Strength d6, Vigor d6
  Skills: Fighting d6, Notice d4
  Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 5
  Special Abilities:
  • Pseudopod Strike: Str+d6. Pseudopods start 
  with a reach of 1” and a shoggoth may generate 2d4 
  every round, but up to 4 may attack any one target at 
  a time. At the end of a round, all pseudopods retract, 
  and new ones are generated. 
  • Regeneration: Each round, a shoggoth makes a 
  Vigor roll. Each success removes one wound.
  • Growth: Every two rounds, this creature will 
  double in size. This increases its Pace and Reach 
  by 1” and adds +1 to its Size. This increases its 
  Toughness +1 but also makes it easier to hit, adding 
  
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  99
  +1 to attack rolls against it. This will only happen 
  twice per encounter.
  Angela will not attack during the first round due 
  to fear and bewilderment. During the second round 
  she will attempt to skirt around the battle, heading 
  for the shelves at the far end of the room. If the 
  characters keep the larval shoggoths occupied she 
  will be able to reach the shelves where she grabs for 
  two small terracotta statuettes that share a primitive 
  similarity with the statues the shoggoths were 
  inside. She will then attempt to throw the terracotta 
  figures against a hard surface somewhere near the 
  shoggoths. When one of these figures breaks, it 
  releases a cloud of dust: this dust is harmless to 
  humans but will immediately dessicate a shoggoth, 
  causing them to collapse in a heap of dried skin and 
  dust. Only two of these have ever been found, but 
  Angela had not fully understood their purpose 
  until the larval shoggoths were released. Whether 
  the creatures are defeated or the PCs escape with 
  Angela, she will be convinced to join the Mythos 
  Resistance. It is up to the Player Characters and 
  the GM as to whether Ashcroft should accompany 
  them to recruit the other two targets or whether she 
  should be secured in a Mythos Resistance safe-
  house until the other two have come into the fold.
  Part III: Recruit Victor 
  Eisenberg
  Victor Eisenberg’s East Providence 
  Workshop
  The PCs arrive on Randolph Street, a quiet 
  street on a waterfront that has seen busier days. 
  There are several large buildings here that 
  could hold a workshop but most of them are 
  boarded up. There are clanking and tinkering 
  noises coming from the building at the end.
  Once inside, the characters can easily 
  find Eisenberg, who is lost in concentration 
  while working on a strange brass device 
  about three feet tall that looks like a glass-
  globed lamp mounted on four articulated 
  legs. The arrival of the PCs startles 
  Eisenberg and the screwdriver in his 
  hand slips, poking its way inside the 
  body of the device. The device emits a loud “ZAP,” 
  and the screwdriver is shot across the workshop to 
  crash into a pile of brass tubes, knocking them over. 
  The device then starts moving on its own, attacking 
  Eisenberg and anyone else within reach.
  Eisenberg's Automaton
  Attributes: Agility d12, Smarts d4(A), Spirit d4, 
  Strength d6, Vigor d4
  Skills: Fighting d4
  Pace: 6; Parry: 4; Toughness: 8 (4)
  Special Abilities:
  • Kick: Str+d4.
  • Shock: Any melee attack to or from the 
  automaton generates an electric shock that deals 
  
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  d4 to the opponent in addition to any other 
  damage, unless the melee weapon of an attacker is 
  electrically insulated (wooden handle, etc.)
  • Armor +4: All of its vital parts are protected by 
  a thick brass shell.
  • Dodge: Attackers must subtract 1 from ranged 
  attack rolls when targeting the automaton.
  • Self Destruct: When the automaton is 
  incapacitated, it will begin to generate an ominous 
  ticking sound. It will explode in 3 rounds unless 
  disarmed with a successful Repair roll. The blast 
  causes 4d6 damage to everyone within a 4” radius.
  If the characters cannot disarm the ticking 
  automaton, they may want to throw it into the 
  Providence River to dampen the explosion’s effects. 
  Eisenberg’s workshop is 6” from the the river’s 
  edge. The automaton weighs 50 pounds.
  Once the danger is over, the PCs will still have 
  to convince Victor to join the Mythos Resistance 
  and come with them. This will require a Persuasion 
  roll unless they mention that Niels Bohr is the one 
  who recommended that Victor be recruited, at which 
  point Victor readily agrees, asking only for time 
  to gather a few things from the workshop. It is up 
  to the Player Characters and the GM as to whether 
  he should accompany them to recruit the other two 
  targets or whether he should be secured in a Mythos 
  Resistance safe-house until the other two have come 
  into the fold.
  What’s Next
  Now that these three have been brought into the 
  fold, their world is about to change. They will, of 
  course, need to be educated as to what is really 
  going on, but where will that take place? Are these 
  three part of some broader story-arc that takes them 
  to exotic locations to discover fantastic secrets? Will 
  they now be friends to be called upon individually or 
  en masse at some later date? Where their paths lead 
  is up the GM.
  Angela Ashcroft
  Angela usually has a distant look in her eyes, as 
  if lost in thought. Aloof and a bit shy, many have a 
  tough time getting her to remove her nose from a 
  book. See page 128 for more details. 
  Attributes: Agility d4, Smarts d8, Spirit d8, 
  Strength d6, Vigor d6 
  Skills: Climbing d4, Driving d4, Fighting d4, 
  Investigation d8, Knowledge: Mythos d4, 
  Knowledge: World Religions d6, Notice d4, 
  Persuasion d4, Shooting d4, Stealth d4, 
  Swimming d4, Tracking d4
  Pace: 6; Parry: 4; Toughness: 5 
  Edges: Scholar, Strong-Willed
  Hindrances: Curious (major), Bad Eyes (minor), 
  Eldritch Visions (minor)
  Gear: Umbrella, satchel of books, photographic 
  camera (Plaubel)
  Feder Kachka
  Recently Feder has been unable to sleep well, and 
  his nightmares have become more vivid, sometimes 
  flashing into his mind during one of his migraines. 
  He can’t help shake the feeling that it’s all connected 
  somehow to things he saw during his time fighting. 
  See page 142 for more details.
  Attributes: Agility d4, Smarts d4, Spirit d6, 
  Strength d8, Vigor d8 
  Skills: Boating d4, Climbing d4, Fighting d6, 
  Intimidation d4, Repair d6, Shooting d6, 
  Stealth d4, Swimming d4, Throwing d6
  Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 6 
  Edges: Alertness, Detectorist
  Hindrances: Code of Honor (major), 
  Eldritch Visions (minor), Illiterate (minor)
  Gear: Large wrench (Str+d4 )
  Victor Eisenberg
  Victor is a self-assured and bookish young man. 
  Though he will not be too useful in a physical fight, 
  his wits are likely to affect the outcome of nearly 
  any situation. See page 160 for more details.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d8, Spirit d6, 
  Strength d6, Vigor d6 
  Skills: Driving d4, Fighting d4, Investigation d6, 
  Knowledge: Engineering d6, 
  Knowledge: Physics d6, Lockpicking d4, 
  Notice: d4, Repair: d8, Shooting: d6
  Pace: 6; Parry: 4; Toughness: 5 
  Edges: Scholar, Investigator
  Hindrances: Overconfident (major), Doubting 
  Thomas (minor), Bad Eyes (minor)
  Gear: Oversized brass slide-rule (Str+d4 ), umbrella
  
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  A large portion of this Adventure takes place in 
  transit, namely on the Orient Express from Paris to 
  Constantinople. The story begins with the Player 
  Characters disembarking from an ocean liner in 
  Amsterdam. It is assumed that they came from New 
  York, a passage that normally takes 5-7 days. That 
  leg of the journey has been omitted for brevity, but 
  the PCs could have already been in Europe for other 
  reasons. 
  Characters
  This Adventure does not require any specific set 
  of skills on the part of the characters, but those with 
  a background in espionage, stealth, Islamic studies, 
  or history may be useful, as well as any who may 
  speak Turkish, Arabic, or any European languages.
  Introduction
  The PCs arrive in the Port of Amsterdam, having 
  been given only general mission details indicating 
  that they will be traveling across Europe. They 
  have been instructed by telegram to proceed to the 
  Cafe Karpershoek to meet their contact and receive 
  their mission details. The cafe is quite well-known 
  since it is the oldest continuously-operating cafe in 
  Amsterdam, and it is located directly across from 
  the central train station, so travel from the dock 
  to the cafe should be relatively easy with friendly 
  locals happy to give directions in Dutch or English.
  Part 1: Amsterdam and Paris
  Port of Amsterdam
  When the PCs step off the gangway from the 
  ship, have them make a Notice roll at -2. Those 
  who succeed will spot a nondescript man in a grey 
  suit who seems to be watching them over an open 
  newspaper (those with a raise on their Notice roll 
  will see that the paper is the New York Times, 
  not a local paper). He will take no action, but if 
  he is approached directly he will calmly fold his 
  newspaper, stand up, and walk away. The dock is 
  quite busy, and he should escape easily.
  Player Characters should easily be able to board 
  a streetcar and ride it to the Central Station. Once 
  they arrive, have them make an unmodified Notice 
  roll. This time, those who succeed will notice two 
  men in matching grey suits watching them. The two 
  men appear to be whispering to each other, but they 
  do not take their eyes off the PCs. The watchers will 
  again disappear if approached.
  Cafe Karpershoek
  The “cafe” is actually a pub by British or 
  American standards. It has been continuously in 
  operation since the 1600s and is located on the 
  ground floor of a gable-roofed five-story building 
  on a street corner directly adjacent to a confluence 
  of two canals across the water from the train station. 
  Once inside they will immediately be greeted by 
  Sophie Tucker, who occupies a large table with a 
  scholarly-seeming man in his late sixties. In her late 
  thirties, Sophie is quite brash and outgoing: she will 
  definitely flirt and ask the characters if they “got 
  into any mischief” during the voyage here. She will 
  offer to buy a drink for the PCs, reminding them 
  that, “Holland don’t have no damn Prohibition.” 
  She will then introduce her companion, who is 
  already quietly nursing a small beer. He is Professor 
  Christiaan Snouck Hurgronje, currently teaching 
  Arabic and Islamic Studies at Leiden University and 
  friend to the Resistance. He soon begins explaining 
  a bit of history to the characters:
  “In the middle of the ninth century, the Islamic 
  world was led by the Abbasid Caliphate, under the 
  control of Abu’l-Faḍl Jaʿfar ibn Muḥammad al-
  Muʿtaṣim bi’llāh, better known as ‘Al-Mutawakkil.’ 
  He was originally installed to power by the senior 
  Turkish generals of the Caliphate after the sudden 
  death of his father. It was thought he would be a 
  pliable puppet, but he proved to be otherwise. He 
  was a petty tyrant who vindictively sought revenge 
  for the slightest insults. In an effort to temper him, 
  his advisors brought scholars and teachers to instruct 
  him. One of these ‘teachers,’ a strange Egyptian man 
  named Alfawdaa Alzahf, brought him a strange and 
  dangerous book, Almulk Al'asfar—The Yellow King. 
  Yellow Bosphorus
  
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  Alzahf quickly disappeared, but the exposure to that 
  strange book changed the Caliph. He became more 
  and more erratic and began to drink heavily, which 
  is strictly forbidden by the Koran.
  “His madness reached its peak when he threw 
  ‘the Yellow Party’ in which he had an extravagant 
  indoor river built under a sandalwood pavilion. The 
  water that fed this artificial river was dyed yellow 
  with enormous amounts of saffron. Only yellow 
  fruits and foods were served, the entire palace 
  was draped in yellow fabric, and even the harem 
  girls that served at the party had to be blonde or of 
  ‘yellow complexion.’ When the saffron ran out, his 
  distraught advisors used safflower, and when this too 
  ran out, they threw all the yellow cloth they could 
  find into the water source, hoping to dye it yellow. 
  When the yellow color eventually ran out of the 
  water, the Caliph screamed and stormed at his men, 
  furious that they had not laid in enough saffron to 
  keep the waters yellow. Eventually, the Caliph drank 
  himself into unconsciousness, but this event had 
  sown the seeds of his own demise into the minds of 
  his underlings. Weeks later he was assassinated by 
  his own Turkish guards, led by his eldest son. The 
  official story, however, was that Al-Mutawakkil had 
  choked on his wine. The cursed book was sealed 
  away in the treasury and was eventually moved 
  to Baghdad and then to Cairo, where it remained 
  locked away for almost one thousand years.
  “In the middle of the last century, Ismail Pasha, 
  Viceroy of Egypt and Sudan under the Ottoman 
  Caliphate, found the book in a forgotten store-
  room in the palace in Cairo. He, too, became more 
  erratic after finding and reading the book. Aside 
  from his mismanagement of Egypt and Sudan and 
  a disastrous war with Ethiopia, he began to build 
  himself a palace in Constantinople on the shore of 
  the Bosphorus. The backyard of this palace was 
  Emirgan Park, in which he built a two-story wooden 
  mansion called ‘The Yellow Pavilion.’ He began to 
  accrue enormous debts, both personally and under 
  his government. When Colonel Ahmed Urabi staged 
  a revolt, Ismail did nothing to stop it and he was 
  eventually ousted from power by the Sultan at the 
  request of the British and French governments. He 
  was exiled from his native Cairo and spent the last 
  of his days essentially under house arrest in his 
  Emirgan Palace. He died in 1895 while trying to 
  drink two bottles of champagne at the same time in 
  one draught.”
  Sophie Tucker now chimes in: “Enough with the 
  ancient history, Professor we gotta get these folks 
  on the trolley, toot sweet! So here’s the deal, kiddos: 
  that book has been hidden somewhere in the Yellow 
  Pavilion all this time. As long as the Sultan was in 
  charge, there wasn’t a problem `cause nobody was 
  getting in that joint `less they had the say-so of the 
  big cheese. Nowadays, though, the new Turks in 
  charge wanna find that book and see if they can’t 
  turn it into a weapon. So far they haven’t found it, 
  but they’re dead set against letting anyone else find 
  it, either. Folks, you’ve got to go to Constantinople 
  and get that damned book before Ataturk and his 
  GNA goons get a hold of it. We need to get you 
  to Paris, where you’ll catch the Orient Express to 
  Constantinople. When you get there, an old pal of 
  the Resistance will meet you and give you the final 
  instructions. I don’t rightly know what his name is, 
  but we all call him ‘JFD.’”
  Sophie will allow the PCs to finish their drinks 
  and to ask any questions they might have for her 
  or the professor. Sophie doesn’t know any more 
  about the mission, but she does know that she’s 
  been tasked with getting the PCs to Paris and on the 
  Orient Express. The Professor knows much more 
  about the history of the Caliphates and will be happy 
  to lecture at length, but Sophie will cut him off and 
  insist that the group get moving.
  Once the group is outside the cafe, Sophie will 
  notice the two men in matching grey suits and point 
  them out to the group. Another man steps out of 
  the shadows and joins them. This man wears the 
  same grey suit, but he wears a slightly different hat 
  and rectangular-framed glasses and is considerably 
  older. Characters with Notice of d6 or higher will 
  observe that he only has three fingers and a thumb 
  on each hand. Sophie sucks in her breath and 
  narrows her eyes when she sees them. If the PCs ask 
  who they are, she doesn’t say, but if they ask who 
  the three-fingered man is, all she will say is, “He’s a 
  person of interest.” Sophie will immediately run out 
  into traffic to confront the three men but a streetcar 
  will pass in front of the men, and they will have 
  disappeared by the time it has passed.
  
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  Sophie tells the Professor to skee-daddle and he 
  does so. She then leads the PCs to the train station 
  where they book passage through Brussels and on 
  to Paris. The train ride to Paris is uneventful except 
  that Sophie is recognized by a few British tourists, 
  and she feels obliged to sing for them, drawing 
  attention away from the Player Characters.
  Paris
  The Orient Express leaves Paris at 11:30 pm, 
  and the group arrives with plenty of time to make 
  arrangements. Sophie pays for the accommodations 
  herself, but she must return to London and so she 
  takes her leave of the group. The characters will be 
  doubling up in sleeper cabins on one of the second-
  class cars. The Orient Express takes four days to 
  travel from Paris to Constantinople with short stops 
  in various cities, including Strasbourg, Munich, 
  Vienna, Budapest, and Bucharest. 
  Have the PCs make another Notice roll. Have 
  them also roll a d4. If they succeed on their roll, 
  read them the description that corresponds to their 
  d4 result:
  1. A man in his late forties with a neatly-trimmed 
  mustache in khaki jodhpurs, a safari jacket, and 
  an Australian-style slouch hat with one edge of 
  the brim folded up. He looks familiar, and if the 
  Notice roll got a raise, the PC recognizes him from 
  a U.S. war-bond selling campaign as Allied war 
  hero Captain Claude Stoughton. He seems to make 
  a general survey of everyone on the platform, then 
  boards a different compartment in the same car as 
  the PCs. (GM only: This is actually Fritz Joubert 
  Duquesne—see below).
  2. A thirty-year-old man with sharply in-slanting 
  eyebrows and press credentials pinned to his coat 
  chest pocket who carries a typewriter-box along 
  with his luggage. He walks with a pronounced limp. 
  If the Notice roll got a raise, he seems to be trying 
  to avoid notice, and is missing three fingers from his 
  left hand. He takes a compartment in the second-
  class car on the opposite side of the dining car from 
  the group’s. (GM only: This is actually Richard 
  Sorge—see below).
  3. A man in his mid-to-late twenties who arrives 
  at the station in the back of a Rolls Royce limousine. 
  He is impeccably dressed in a bespoke suit and 
  tasteful yet expensive cufflinks. He perpetually 
  wears a dry smirk on his face and he is sizing up 
  every person boarding the train before he takes 
  a cabin in the first-class car. (GM only: This is 
  actually Wilfred Dunderdale—see below).
  4. A man in a grey suit and hat exactly like the 
  men from Amsterdam, and seems specifically 
  interested in the PCs. He takes a cabin in the last 
  sleeping car. (GM only: This is Eben Grauermann—
  see below).
  Once the characters have stowed their luggage, 
  Claude, the porter for their car, informs them that 
  the train will be crossing the border into Germany at 
  6:00 am. There they will be taking on food serving 
  breakfast shortly thereafter. He wishes everyone a 
  pleasant night’s sleep. Nothing happens that night.
  Part II: On The Orient Express
  The Train
  The train is composed of nine links:
  1. Engine and Coal Tender: Physically 
  inaccessible by normal means while the train is in 
  motion. The Engineer, Brakeman, and Coalman 
  occupy the engine in shifts, changing crews at each 
  stop.
  2. Forward Baggage Car: This car contains 
  several compartments for baggage as well as a single 
  sleeping berth for the guard. There is also a shower 
  compartment which is available for passengers just 
  inside the door that faces the sleeping car.
  3. First-Class Sleeping Car: Longer than 
  the others, this car houses eight first-class 
  compartments, four double-occupancy and four 
  singles. As with all sleeping cars, there are two 
  shared water closets, fore and aft.
  4. Second-Class Sleeping Car #1: This car 
  houses seven sleeping compartments, four double-
  occupancy and three single-occupancy.
  5. Dining Car: One quarter of this car is the galley 
  and pantry, and the remaining area has restaurant-
  style seating, two water closets, and a bar.
  6. Second-Class Sleeping Car #2: This car, 
  identical to the other two, is where the PCs are 
  berthed.
  
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  7. Second-Class Sleeping Car #3: This car is 
  identical to the other two.
  8. Aft Baggage Car: This car is identical to the 
  other baggage car.
  9. Caboose: This car contains sleeping berths for 
  the porters and crew as well as a small employee’s 
  lounge.
  Characters are welcome to explore the train 
  but are only allowed into the baggage cars when 
  accompanied by a porter or a guard. Passengers are 
  not allowed in the caboose. All cars are equipped 
  with a pull-cable to signal an emergency to the 
  engineer (accessible to anyone), as well as a call-
  box to the Engineer, to which only the Porters hold 
  keys.
  The Other Passengers
  Player Characters will get their first clear look 
  at the other passengers in the morning during the 
  breakfast service. All other interactions between the 
  PCs and other passengers are at the discretion of 
  the GM. Aside from Eben Grauermann, the other 
  passengers that the PCs may have noticed on the 
  platform in Paris are red herrings: interactions with 
  them will only add flavor to the Adventure, and 
  none of them are actually concerned with the main 
  mission. They are spies, however, and so may seem 
  to act suspiciously.
  1. Fritz Joubert Duquesne: Traveling 
  as “Captain Claude Sloughton,” Duquesne 
  plays the part of rugged adventurer and veteran of 
  the Great War, claiming, “I’ve seen more combat 
  than any man alive.” He will claim to have been, 
  “Bayoneted three times, gassed four times, and 
  stuck once with a hook.” He will play up the part, 
  regaling anyone who will listen with his lurid tales 
  of adventure and near-death escapes. In actuality, 
  he is a South African-born spy for Germany 
  who styles himself “The Black Panther.” Under 
  various false identities, he fought on both sides 
  of the Second Boer War, stole from or sabotaged 
  the British military in Africa and South America, 
  served as personal shooting instructor to President 
  Teddy Roosevelt, helped sink twenty-two British 
  ships, and committed insurance fraud in the U.S. 
  (by claiming nonexistent goods on a British ship he 
  sank with a planted bomb). He escaped prison in the 
  U.S. and is currently in Europe working as a spy for 
  the Germans, attempting to root out a Russian spy 
  in Germany. He is wanted by both the British and 
  American authorities. He is extremely charming and 
  suave and is fluent in several languages. He loves to 
  be the center of attention and sometimes takes his 
  deceptions further than he should just to maintain 
  the attention. If a PC has any personal history with 
  Australia or South Africa, have them make a Notice 
  roll at -2 to see if then can successfully determine 
  his native accent. If they then question him about 
  the Boer War, he will lose his cool and end the 
  conversation (he saw his childhood home burned by 
  the British and his mother was raped and killed by 
  British soldiers). “The fate of his country and of his 
  family would breed in him an all-consuming hatred 
  of England” and “would turn him into...a walking 
  living breathing searing killing destroying torch of 
  hate.”— Art Ronnie, historian.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d10, Spirit d8, 
  Strength d6, Vigor d6 
  Skills: Fighting d8, Notice d10, Shooting d8, 
  Stealth d8, Lockpicking d6, Knowledge: German, 
  French, Dutch/Afrikaans, Spanish d8 (all)
  Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 5; Charisma: 2
  Edges: Ace, Charismatic, Linguist
  Hindrances: Overconfident (major), 
  Vengeful (Major), Wanted (Major): For multiple 
  crimes and espionage.
  Gear: Webley .454 revolver (treat as Colt Bisley: 
  2d6+1), large knife (Str+d6)
  2. Richard Sorge: Posing as a German 
  journalist, Sorge is a Soviet spy aiding 
  communist organizations in Germany. His cover 
  has allowed him to take this trip, reviewing the 
  train experience. His actual purpose is to act as 
  a courier for several packets of documents. He 
  received the first packet in Paris, and he will be 
  given two more packets on the platforms at Munich 
  and Budapest. He has been instructed to take these 
  packets along with his own collected intelligence to 
  Constantinople where he will continue across the 
  Black Sea and then by land to Moscow. While most 
  of his information deals with the various communist 
  organizations throughout Europe, he has also been 
  
  Part 6: Weird Tales of Adventure
  105
  collecting information on the NDSAP (“Nazi 
  Party”), which is beginning to gain momentum 
  in Germany. He is the spy for whom Duquesne is 
  searching. He maintains the quiet persona of an 
  academic journalist and will only speak German 
  under normal circumstances. If asked, he lost three 
  fingers from his left hand and gained his limp from 
  shrapnel fighting for Germany in the Great War. 
  “Sorge was the man whom I regard as the most 
  formidable spy in history.” – Ian Fleming 
  Attributes: Agility d4, Smarts d12, Spirit d8, 
  Strength d6, Vigor d6 
  Skills: Fighting d6, Notice d12, Shooting d4, 
  Stealth d12, Knowledge: Political Science d10, 
  Knowledge: German, Russian d12, 
  Knowledge: French, English d6
  Pace: 4; Parry: 5; Toughness: 5
  Edges: Linguist
  Hindrances: Lame (Major)
  Gear: Luger pistol (2d6), typewriter.
  3. Wilfred Dunderdale: He is travelling 
  under his own name but as a company 
  representative for a British shipping company 
  called “Universal Export.” He is actually a British 
  Intelligence agent, head of the Paris office and 
  liaison to several other national intelligence 
  services. He is aware of Richard Sorge, but he 
  wants to let him collect his information so that 
  Dunderdale may take photos of Sorge’s contacts in 
  Munich and Budapest. This mission, however, is of 
  secondary importance to the capture of Duquesne. 
  Dunderdale is extremely urbane and charming and 
  will seduce any attractive female passengers that 
  may be traveling alone (there are three). Regardless 
  of his romances, he is a consummate professional. 
  If asked, he is going to Constantinople for business 
  (half-true) but plans to continue on to Odessa, on the 
  Black Sea, where he was born (true).
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d8, Spirit d8, 
  Strength d6, Vigor d8 
  Skills: Fighting d10, Notice d10, Shooting d6, 
  Stealth d8, Lockpicking d6, Knowledge: French, 
  Russian d8
  Pace: 6; Parry: 7; Toughness: 6; Charisma: 2
  Edges: Attractive, Charismatic, Brawler
  Hindrances: Quirk (Major: womanizer)
  Gear: Beretta 418 (.25 ACP, 8 shots, 
  12/24/48, 2d6-1), Ticka Expo Watch Camera 
  (camera shaped like a pocket-watch).
  4. Eben Grauermann: This plain-looking 
  man is one of the “Men in Grey Suits.” His 
  mission is only to observe the characters, though 
  he is not very subtle about it. He will avoid them 
  if he can, calmly leaving the area and retreating to 
  a different part of the train. If he is cornered, he 
  will reveal nothing to the PCs other than his name. 
  He speaks fluent German and French and halting 
  English, but his delivery is entirely monotonous and 
  dispassionate and barely above a whisper. Even if he 
  is physically threatened with injury or death, he will 
  reveal no information or emotion. He wears a silver 
  signet ring which bears a strange symbol inlaid 
  with gold. Characters who succeed at a Knowledge 
  (Mythos) roll will recognize it as the Yellow 
  Sign. PCs with raises on this roll will recognize 
  that Grauermann has been somehow mystically 
  brainwashed, which explains his lack of information 
  and emotion. If anyone mentions that they recognize 
  the Yellow Sign in front of Grauermann, he will go 
  berserk and attempt to kill them all (even if he has 
  been tied up and his only available weapon is his 
  teeth).
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, 
  Strength d12, Vigor d10 
  Skills: Fighting d6, Notice d6, Shooting d6, 
  Knowledge: German, French d8, Knowledge: 
  English d6
  Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 7; Charisma: -2
  Edges: Berserk (see description, above)
  Hindrances: Outsider (Minor)
  Gear: Luger pistol, Signet Ring of the Yellow Sign.
  Special Abilities (Signet Ring Powers):
  (Eben’s hands and mouth must be free to use 
  these powers)
  • Bolt: Once per encounter, the ring can fire 
  a bolt of yellow mystical energy (12/24/48, 2d6: 
  Shooting).
  • Entangle: Once per encounter, the ring can 
  unleash glowing, yellow tentacles that bind a 
  single target on a successful opposed Spirit roll. 
  Grauerman can attempt to bind an additional target 
  by lowering his Vigor die. A Strength roll at -1 
  
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  breaks the entanglement but costs an action.
  The other passengers on the train are a cross-
  section of well-to-do Europeans, including three 
  attractive single women in single-occupancy cabins, 
  one in First Class. The GM should feel free to play 
  out any interactions they see fit between breakfast 
  and 3:30 pm.
  Munich
  At 3:30 the train arrives in Munich. It will stay 
  on the platform for 20 minutes while the engine 
  takes on coal and water and the galley takes on 
  food. During this time, several people will step off 
  the train and onto the platform to stretch their legs. 
  Duquesne, Sorge, and Dunderdale all do so. If the 
  PCs had previously noticed a specific spy, they are 
  assumed to be watching him, and they automatically 
  notice the following actions:
  1. Sorge meets with a man in a dark overcoat and 
  hat who hands him a packet of papers in an oilskin 
  envelope.
  2. Duquesne makes a show of stretching his upper 
  body while he looks around, but his gaze zeroes in 
  on Sorge when the hand-off is made.
  3. Dunderdale smoothly and subtly “checks his 
  watch,” taking multiple pictures of the exchange and 
  the Munich man with his spy camera.
  4. Grauermann remains where he can observe as 
  many of the characters as possible.
  If the PCs had not previously noticed any of 
  the spies on the Paris platform, have them make 
  another Notice roll and a d4. After twenty minutes, 
  all passengers re-board the train. Once back on 
  board the train, the same routine begins again, 
  though now Duquesne has taken a definite interest 
  in Sorge. Dunderdale maintains the same smooth 
  detachment, but he is keeping an eye on both Sorge 
  and Duquesne. It should now be obvious that the 
  three spies are not interested in them. The train is 
  due to arrive in Budapest at 10 pm the next day.
  Budapest
   As the train rolls to a stop at the Budapest 
  platform, Sorge is standing by to meet his contact. 
  As soon as he receives the packet from the Budapest 
  man, Duquesne steps off the train, brandishing his 
  weapon at both of them. The Hungarian man will 
  attempt to run away, and Duquesne will shoot him. 
  Sorge will run back onto the train, directly toward 
  where the PCs are watching. He will not break cover 
  but will ask them for help in German. Dunderdale, 
  meanwhile, has disembarked from the far side of 
  the train and is crawling under the carriage in order 
  to get the drop on Duquesne. The characters may 
  attempt to defend Sorge or try to remain uninvolved. 
  Whatever they do, Duquesne will then enter the 
  car from one end and Dunderdale from the other. 
  Dunderdale will identify himself and Duquesne 
  and attempt to arrest him. The PCs (and any other 
  innocent passengers) will now be caught in the 
  middle of a standoff—though Sorge, consummate 
  professional, will not draw a weapon and will insist 
  he is only a journalist collecting copy from foreign 
  bureaus. The most likely way for the scenario to end 
  is for Dunderdale to fire at Duquesne and Duquesne 
  to leap off the train to avoid capture. Dunderdale 
  will then pursue him, meaning that both men are 
  now off the train. The train will be delayed until 
  the Budapest police arrive. Once the police have 
  ascertained that the two shooters are off the train, 
  the Orient Express will be allowed to continue on to 
  Constantinople. In the remaining time on the train, 
  the Player Characters may deal with Grauermann or 
  attempt to recruit Sorge for the Mythos Resistance. 
  Either way, there are no more major events on 
  board.
  Part III: Constantinople
  Sirkeci Terminal 
  The Orient Express’s Southern terminus is the 
  Sirkeci Terminal in Istanbul. “Istanbul” has been the 
  name for the peninsula between the Golden Horn 
  and the Sea of Marmara for centuries, but it will 
  soon become the official name for the entire city of 
  Constantinople. When they disembark, the Noon 
  Prayer greets them from minarets and loudspeakers 
  hung all over the city. The group will be met by 
  the enigmatic “JFD.” JFD recognizes the PCs, but 
  there is also a flash of recognition between JFD and 
  Sorge, and they exchange knowing nods of respect 
  before Sorge disappears into the bustling streets of 
  Istanbul.
  
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  JFD takes the characters to a small cafe where 
  the staff seem to know him. Once they are seated, 
  JFD lays out the final parameters of the mission: the 
  Yellow Pavilion in Emirgan Park sits atop a small 
  hill overlooking the Bosphorus. The troops of the 
  GNA (Turkey’s Grand National Assembly) have 
  posted a heavy guard around the pavilion—they 
  don’t seem to have found what they were looking 
  for, but they don’t want to let anyone else find it, 
  either. It will be next to impossible to enter the 
  pavilion directly, but JFD knows of a secret tunnel 
  that runs from under the pavilion to the immediate 
  grounds of Emirgan Palace (a wooden mansion 
  built directly on the water’s edge on the shore of the 
  Bosphorus). JFD begins to explain that it is more 
  than just a direct tunnel, but several GNA trucks 
  screech to a halt in front of the cafe, and several 
  dozen soldiers leap out, training their weapons on 
  the cafe. There are no other patrons in this sleepy 
  cafe, but the employees begin emerging from behind 
  furniture with firearms while JFD flips over a heavy 
  table and crouches behind it for cover.
  The commander of the GNA issues demands 
  in Turkish. Characters will notice that the three-
  fingered man from Amsterdam is standing next to 
  him with two more Men in Grey Suits (“MiGS”). 
  If the PCs did not kill Grauermann, he is also with 
  them. After the GNA and the armed cafe employees 
  exchange a few words, JFD, in frustration, pulls 
  out a grenade and lobs it through the window at the 
  GNA, saying, “Boring conversation, anyway,” as he 
  does.
  The blast knocks down the front row of GNA 
  soldiers, and the rest open fire on the cafe. The cafe 
  employees and JFD return fire. After two rounds of 
  combat, JFD turns to the PCs and tells them:
  “No, dammit! You’ve got to get out of here: 
  you’ve got a mission to finish. Here, take this!”
  JFD hands them a folded piece of paper, then 
  issues a command in Turkish to the lady behind the 
  bar. She puts down her submachine gun and opens a 
  trap-door behind the bar and beckons the PCs to get 
  inside. JFD yells:
  “That tunnel leads about a thousand feet away 
  from here—just follow it to the end and get out of 
  here. Follow that map I just gave you to find the 
  tunnel behind Emirgan Palace. Go!”
  JFD turns and fires at the GNA troops outside 
  again, allowing the PCs to make their escape.
  The Spice Bazaar
  The tunnel that leads from the cafe is pitch-black, 
  damp, and ancient. If Player Characters have no 
  light source, they will have to stumble through. 
  There are no branching tunnels and no major 
  obstacles, but there is a channel cut in the middle 
  of the floor of the tunnel filled with water. This was 
  part of the sewer system of ancient Byzantium, 
  abandoned in the last century for a more modern 
  sewer system. After about five hundred feet, the 
  noise from the gun-battle in the cafe above and 
  behind them will stop. After seven hundred feet, 
  those with a successful Notice roll will see a faint 
  glow at the end of the tunnel. When they finally get 
  there, the PCs will find an iron grate above and a 
  sturdy ladder leading up. Moving the grate requires 
  a Strength roll at -2, and the tight space will allow 
  for only two PCs to cooperate if need be. Once 
  they have moved the grate they are free to climb 
  the ladder where they will find themselves in an 
  empty storeroom. When they exit the storeroom, 
  they will find themselves in a huge covered market 
  that smells of hundreds of mixed spices. Those 
  with any Knowledge of History or familiarity with 
  Constantinople will recognize this as the Spice 
  Bazaar. While this bazaar specializes in spices and 
  fabric, there are several booths here that sell clothing 
  should anyone want to exchange their now possibly 
  filthy clothes. They may also purchase maps of the 
  city and many other items at the GM’s discretion. 
  If the PCs buy a map or ask someone, they will 
  find that they are twenty miles away from Emirgan 
  Park. It is now around 1 o’clock in the afternoon. 
  The characters must get to Emirgan Palace by 
  nightfall to complete the mission.
  Crossing Constantinople 
  PCs can take a train, hire a cab, or take a ferry 
  to get to Emirgan Palace. The GNA military may 
  not know what the characters look like, but the 
  MiGS will. The GM may include as few or as many 
  encounters and complications as they wish, so long 
  as the PCs make it to Emirgan Palace by nightfall.
  
  Herald: Lovecraft & Tesla
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  Emirgan Palace 
  The map that JFD handed them at the cafe shows 
  a topiary garden behind the palace built in front 
  of a retaining wall that holds back the hillside. A 
  large topiary wolf guards the hidden entrance to 
  the tunnel. The GNA do not know about the tunnel 
  between the palace and the pavilion, so they are 
  not guarding the palace. However, the palace is 
  still a private residence and has its own security 
  patrol, which consists of one patrolling guard with 
  a German Shepherd. Once the PCs have dispatched 
  or avoided the sentry and the dog, they should find a 
  shaggy topiary wolf badly in need of a trim against 
  the retaining wall. After brushing off a thin layer 
  of dirt characters should encounter a locked door 
  built into the wall. A simple Lockpicking roll or a 
  Strength roll at -2 should open the door.
  Emirgan Palace Sentry: Use the stats for 
  Mercenary, page 115.
  German Shepherd
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6(A), Spirit d6, 
  Strength d6, Vigor d6
  Skills: Fighting d6, Notice d10
  Pace: 8; Parry: 5; Toughness: 4
  Special Abilities
  • Bite: Str+d4.
  • Fleet-Footed: Roll a d10 when running instead 
  of a d6.
  • Go for the Throat: Dogs instinctively go for an 
  opponent’s soft spots. With a raise on its attack roll, 
  it hits the target’s most weakly armored location.
  • Size - 1: Dogs are relatively small.
  The Yellow Labyrinth
  The tunnel seems dusty, neglected from long 
  abandonment, but normal. The first few hundred feet 
  or so are dark and built in an earth-and-timberworks 
  fashion. Gradually the timbers begin to grow closer 
  together until the entire structure is elaborately-
  joined wooden timbers and panels. The wood is in 
  contrasting colors, dark and fine-grained opposed 
  with light and open-grained, but all of it has a subtle 
  cast of yellow. Eventually, the tunnel ends in an 
  elaborately-carved door. There is no lock, knob, or 
  handle, but as the PCs approach it swings open by 
  itself.
  Passing through the door, characters enter an 
  octagonal chamber with a vaulted ceiling. When 
  the last PC passes through the door it shuts behind 
  them. Suddenly, an oil-lamp chandelier suspended 
  from the ceiling pops into flame as do the series of 
  smaller chandeliers that line the vaulted ceilings of 
  the hallways that lead away from this chamber. As 
  the PCs look around, have them make a Notice roll. 
  On a simple success they will notice that the door 
  they just entered has disappeared.
  On one of the walls of this chamber, there hangs a 
  picture of an unknown city. Its towers and spires are 
  tall and subtly curved and they all appear to glow 
  with an internal yellow light. The yellow buildings 
  are in stark contrast to the midnight blue of the night 
  sky behind them, and anyone with Knowledge: 
  Astronomy will recognize the Hyades star cluster 
  from the constellation Taurus directly above the 
  city. The bottom of the frame bears a title plaque 
  that reads “Carcosa.” this is read out loud, everyone 
  hears a disembodied voice whisper “Carcosa” in 
  echo.
  GM: There is no map of this labyrinth because it 
  does not exist in normal time and space. There are 
  five possible rooms to encounter in this labyrinth, 
  and they will be encountered by the PCs in order, 
  no matter which hallways they choose. Even if they 
  double back on themselves, they will still always 
  only encounter the next room in the sequence.
  The Winery
  This room is a large marble octagon with a 
  vaulted ceiling. Sourceless, warm, yellow light 
  pours through a circular opening in the peak of the 
  ceiling. The eight corners of this room are supported 
  by enormous yellow columns with stylized papyrus-
  frond crowns. The walls between the columns are 
  covered with Egyptian murals depicting drunken 
  revellers worshipping a strange pharaoh dressed 
  all in yellow and with a white face as if it were a 
  mask. Several murals also seem to depict an equally 
  strange pitch-black pharaoh and some show an 
  octopus-like shape reaching down from the sky.
  There is a large open vat in the center of this 
  room, and several blond, yellow-skinned women 
  are stomping around inside of it, making squishing 
  noises with their feet as they walk. When they see 
  
  Part 6: Weird Tales of Adventure
  109
  the Player Characters they giggle and hide their 
  faces. 
  At the bottom of the vat, a man lies on a cushion 
  beneath a spigot. He is holding on to the spigot 
  handle as the yellow wine flowing out of it threatens 
  to drown him. He wears a suit about a century out of 
  fashion, made entirely from yellow silk and topped 
  with a yellow fez that seems to stay atop his head 
  no matter what he does. He hardly takes notice of 
  anyone.
  If the PCs attempt to talk to the women or the 
  man in the yellow suit, they refuse to respond. If 
  someone try to physically remove the man from 
  under the spigot, he turns off the spigot and stands 
  up. He places his arms behind his back, but when 
  he pulls them back out, he has six arms, each one 
  armed with a wickedly curved knife. He then attacks 
  the PCs while the women chant, “IS-MA-IL! IS-
  MA-IL!”
  Ismail The Octo-Pasha
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d4, Spirit d4, 
  Strength d8, Vigor d8 
  Skills: Fighting d8
  Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 6
  Gear/Special Abilities: Eight large knives 
  (Str+d4). He can attack up to eight times per round 
  but cannot focus more than two attacks on any one 
  target.
  The women will cheer when anyone dies and will 
  return to their squishing when the battle ends. If 
  anyone is foolish enough to climb the ladder and 
  look into the vat, they will find it not full of grapes, 
  but of putrefying human corpses. They will then 
  need to perform an opposed Strength roll against 
  a d12 (the women, combined), or they will get 
  pulled into the vat themselves. If they are pulled in 
  the vat, the women will attempt to drown them in 
  the putrefied-corpse slurry. A standard Agility roll 
  success will allow the PC to regain their feet, and 
  the women will then let the character climb out. 
  They’re are phantasms and cannot be harmed in any 
  way.
  The Yellow Party
  The next room is of Arabic architecture: a circular 
  arched colonnade supports a great golden dome 
  above the latticework windows in the walls that let 
  in sourceless yellow light. The openings that lead to 
  the room are all compound horseshoe arches. There 
  are large, circular works of Arabic calligraphy-art 
  and the sinewy curves of the calligraphy writhe and 
  slip past each other as the characters look at them. 
  In the center of this room is a large sandalwood 
  pavilion draped in yellow silk that stands over a 
  fountain of yellow water. Yellow cushions surround 
  the rim of the fountain and small tables stand beside 
  the cushions, all piled with various yellow fruits.
  A man with a large beard in yellow robes and 
  a turban sits on these cushions eating fruit and 
  drinking yellow wine straight from a large pitcher. 
  He barely notices the PCs, smiling and offering 
  fruit and drink and a view of the show. Sixty-four 
  dancers writhe and twist around the inner edge of 
  the colonnade ring. They are dressed in yellow, 
  including yellow veils. There is wonderful music for 
  them to dance to, but there doesn’t seem to be any 
  musicians. The turbaned man and the dancers are 
  phantasms and cannot be hurt.
  Have everyone make both a Spirit roll and a 
  Notice roll. If a PC fails the Spirit roll they feel an 
  irresistible urge to relax on the cushions, and the 
  GM ignores the Notice roll. If the PC succeeds 
  at the Spirit roll they do not feel compelled to sit 
  down. If they also succeed at the Notice roll they 
  will notice that when someone sits on the cushions, 
  the waters of the fountain spray up slightly higher, 
  but when someone resists the urge to relax, the 
  water sprays slightly lower. The fountain waters also 
  lower if someone who is sitting is pulled to their 
  feet. Repeat the Spirit roll for all Pcs still standing, 
  once every “minute.” Repeat the Notice roll only 
  if no one has noticed the correlation between the 
  fountain waters and resistance to the urge to relax. 
  Every success on the Spirit roll adds a +1 to the 
  next roll, but those who fail lose -1 on the next roll. 
  Anyone foolish enough to drink any wine or eat any 
  fruit also loses -1 on the next Spirit roll.
  Player Characters who figure out the relationship 
  between the fountain and the urge to stay may also 
  attempt to physically break the fountain. This can 
  be done by kicking or with any blunt melee weapon. 
  The central spire of the fountain has a Toughness 
  of 8. When the spire of the fountain is broken, the 
  
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  turbaned man and the sixty-four dancers suddenly 
  scream in terror and pain. After a few seconds 
  the yellow light snaps out, leaving the room lit by 
  only a dull blue glow. They all collapse into piles 
  of yellow-wrapped bones, and the PCs are free to 
  leave.
  The Byzantine Cistern
  This room is styled in Byzantine architecture, all 
  carved from yellow stone. It is an octagonal gallery 
  of stone columns and the floor is full of standing 
  water about three feet deep. As the characters step 
  down into the room they all seem to notice shadowy 
  forms slipping between and behind different 
  columns.
  Suddenly, the shadows coalesce in front of each 
  of the PCs, forming a ghostly mirror image of each 
  of them. The ghosts’ faces begin melting downwards 
  until their faces are caricatures with elongated black 
  holes for their eyes and mouths. These shadowy 
  doppelgangers then attack using identical stats and 
  weapons as the character they are attacking.
  When a PC defeats their shadow they may turn 
  and help another defeat theirs. However, every 
  shadow reflects the person looking at it, so two 
  people attacking the same shadow will be attacking 
  different sets of stats (though if one PC wounds 
  a shadow, that wound affects the doppelganger 
  no matter who is attacking it). Defeated shadows 
  screech in pain, then zip out of the room and down a 
  random hallway, out of sight. When all the shadows 
  are defeated, the room looks almost “normal” again.
  The Last Hallway
  In the last hallway before the final room, Player 
  Characters will encounter a group of MiGS and their 
  three-fingered leader coming the other way. They 
  all now wear yellow, hooded ceremonial robes over 
  their grey suits. They have entered the labyrinth 
  through the Yellow Pavilion, but the labyrinth knows 
  no favorites and they have been wandering through 
  the same encounters that the PCs have. The Three-
  Fingered Man, who refuses to identify himself as 
  anything but “an enemy,” reveals that he knew the 
  secrets of the labyrinth before he entered, but he 
  still wasn’t entirely prepared for what he found. He 
  taunts the characters, saying:
  “You do-gooders have no idea of the powers you 
  are dealing with. You are unworthy. Attack!”
  There is one MiGS for each character, including 
  Grauermann, if they had not killed him, plus the 
  Three-Fingered Man.
  MiGS: Use the same stats as Eben Grauermann, 
  above.
  The Three-Fingered Man
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d8, Spirit d8, 
  Strength d6, Vigor d12 
  Skills: Fighting d8, Shooting d8, 
  Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 8
  Gear: Large knife (Str+d6), Signet Ring of the 
  Yellow Sign, Amulet of the Yellow Sign
  Special Abilities:
  (Hands and mouth must be free to use these powers)
  • Bolt (Signet Ring Power): Once per 
  encounter, the ring can fire a bolt of yellow, mystical 
  energy (12/24/48, 2d6: Shooting)
  • Entangle (Signet Ring Power): Once per 
  encounter, the ring can unleash glowing yellow 
  tentacles that bind a single target on a successful 
  opposed Spirit roll. He can attempt to bind an 
  additional target by lowering his Vigor die. A 
  Strength roll at -1 breaks the entanglement but costs 
  an action.
  • Feeblemind (Amulet Power): He can sacrifice 
  a Vigor die level to attempt to enslave the mind of 
  a victim to his will. A successful opposed Spirit 
  roll renders the victim mentally paralyzed for two 
  rounds (raise doubles effect time).
  The Three-Fingered Man will not fight to the 
  death; he will attempt to escape if he can. If the PCs 
  do manage to kill him his body will dissolve into 
  a puddle of yellow goo, leaving only his grey suit, 
  glasses, ring, and amulet. 
  GM: When a priest of the Yellow Sign dies inside 
  the Yellow Labyrinth, there is definitely a way for 
  him to be reborn at a later date.
  The Throne Room
  At last, the PCs have come to the end of the 
  labyrinth. This room has none of the grandeur 
  or surreal strangeness of the other rooms in the 
  labyrinth, but it is decorated entirely in yellow. It 
  
  Part 6: Weird Tales of Adventure
  111
  is a simple earth-and-timber vault draped in yellow 
  fabric. This room only has two exits: the way the 
  PCs came in and another doorway at the other end. 
  Various mundane items are cluttered around the 
  room and it looks like a common dugout cellar that 
  might be found under any house. As the characters 
  advance through the room, they can see a large open 
  book on a yellow table sitting next to a high-backed 
  armchair.
  Every step they draw closer to the book and chair, 
  however, the room changes. There is less and less 
  clutter. More of the earthen walls are covered with 
  wooden panelling. The ceiling gets higher. The 
  floor suddenly turns to polished stone. Without ever 
  noticing the change, the PCs realize they are inside 
  an immense throne-room carved out of yellow stone. 
  The high-backed armchair has become a golden 
  throne, and a stone dais has grown up underneath 
  it. At the right hand of the throne sits the same 
  large open book. The throne, however, is no longer 
  unoccupied.
  A man-shaped form in a tattered yellow hooded 
  robe sits on the throne, regarding the PCs with what 
  look to be empty eye-holes in a pale, featureless 
  mask. A glowing golden crown sits atop the yellow 
  hood. If anyone looted a signet ring or amulet from 
  any of the MiGS or the Three-Fingered Man, the 
  figure on the throne waves its hand and the objects 
  burst out of the pockets or bags and fly to him, 
  absorbing into his open hand through the bandages 
  that wrap it.
  The Yellow King glares at each of the characters 
  in turn. Finally he speaks, in a voice that sounds like 
  a bone pulling free from rotting flesh.
  “Who are you that would dare to defile fair 
  Carcosa?”
  A whispering voice echoes, “Carcosa!”
  The Yellow King listens to their responses. He 
  then addresses them in turn, mentioning some great 
  thing they will do in their future. He expresses his 
  admiration for them even though they are merely 
  fragile, fleeting mortals. He explains that he is 
  allowing them to take the book since it did not 
  glorify him by gathering dust in a basement in a 
  forgotten park. He then waves his hands in front of 
  himself and disappears, though his mocking laughter 
  lingers and echoes after he has gone.
  As soon as one of the PCs closes the book, all 
  illusions dissolve and they find themselves in a 
  cluttered basement with two exits. One opens to a 
  staircase that leads up to the Yellow Pavilion and the 
  thirty armed GNS soldiers posted outside. The other 
  exit leads back to the long earth-and-timber tunnel 
  to the topiary garden behind Emirgan Palace. If the 
  characters go up, they will find themselves arrested 
  or killed. If they go back to Emirgan Palace, they 
  will find JFD waiting for them outside the door. 
  He will then show them to his car and will take the 
  PCs anywhere they’d like to go including back to 
  the Orient Express or to book passage on a freighter 
  going to New York, the captain of which is a friend 
  of his.
  What's Next?
  The players might decide to end it here for now 
  and enjoy all the good XP the GM will rain down 
  upon them for a job well done, or they might move 
  on to another of the Weird Tales of Adventure 
  in this section. However, the table is now set for 
  a continuing mission with Lovecraft and Tesla 
  accompanying the players to a far-off destination.
  
  Herald: Lovecraft & Tesla
  112
  JFD
  Quote: “That’s a Savage 1907, and you’ve had your 
  ten.”
  He’s been called an international man of mystery, 
  an instigator, a provocateur. Some say he’s a double, 
  triple, or quadruple-agent, others claim he works 
  as a mercenary. Multiple governments around the 
  world have classified this “person of interest” as an 
  anarchist troublemaker, a subversive lone wolf—but 
  they all seem to think this mystery man is working 
  for other government agencies or is independently 
  wealthy. With all of the high-tech gear and travel, 
  it must cost a fortune to maintain his globe-trotting 
  subversive lifestyle. Or perhaps his shadowy work 
  simply pays that well. He seems to be everywhere at 
  once, all over the globe. He’s been heard speaking 
  fluent English, Spanish, French, German, Dutch, 
  Russian, and Turkish. Since no one knows his real 
  identity or even his name, speculation runs rampant.
  Whatever the truth is, he’s causing some very 
  dangerous agitation among the few hard-liners 
  of the Mythos Resistance members, like J. Edgar 
  Hoover. The fact that this 
  person who calls 
  himself JFD 
  may or may 
  not be a 
  part of the 
  Mythos Resistance is even more maddening for J. 
  Edgar, and Twain won’t tell him anything other than 
  “maybe.” What is going on here? Who is JFD? 
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d8, Spirit d6, 
  Strength d6, Vigor d6 
  Skills: Driving d8, Fighting d6, Notice d8, Piloting 
  d6, Repair d10, Riding d4, Shooting d8, Stealth d12
  Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 5 (1)
  Edges: Ace, Live Wire
  Hindrances: Overconfident (major), Vow (minor): 
  Bring about worldwide anarchy, Phobia (minor): 
  heights
  Gear: Tool kit, flashlight, hand radio, code decoder, 
  switchblade (Str+d4), “9mm Bicycle pump pistol” 
  (a prototype, the precursor to the Welrod 9mm) 
  (2d6), Black Leather jacket (Armor +1) backpack, 
  long-distance telescopic photographic unit 
  prototype (takes clear, close-up pictures from up to 
  a half mile away).
  
  Part 7
  Friends & Foes
  
  Herald: Lovecraft & Tesla
  114
  To better identify and differentiate, 
  all Wild Cards (both friends & 
  foes) in this book are marked with 
  this Tesla-pistol icon.
  Characters & Creatures
  All the friends, foes, allies, and enemies that 
  you’ll encounter in Herald are either defined as 
  Wild Cards or Extras. Player Characters and Non-
  Player Characters can both be Wild Cards. More 
  information can be found in the Savage Worlds 
  corebook.
  Wild Cards & Extras
  In Savage Worlds, all Player Characters are 
  called Wild Cards. Most of the basic enemies they 
  will face in the game are called Extras. A Wild 
  Card may have up to three wounds before losing 
  consciousness/dying, while Extras are out of combat 
  as soon as they’re wounded. Extras have no Bennies 
  to spend and do not roll a wild die. Unlike Extras, 
  a Wild Card character may spend Bennies to Soak 
  Wounds they receive. This allows Wild Cards 
  to make a Vigor roll to attempt to remove their 
  wounds.
  Savage Worlds contains all you’ll need to 
  incorporate Extras (non-Wild Card people/creatures) 
  into the game. In some adventures you might see 
  directions to “use stats for X.” When a character 
  is waist-deep in a swamp, the GM will likely be 
  confronting them with creatures like Alligators, 
  Pythons, and even Swarms of Mosquitos, all of 
  which are already laid out in detail in the Savage 
  Worlds corebook.
  Setting Specific Extras
  Many of the basic human Extras that appear in 
  our adventures in Herald: Lovecraft & Tesla are 
  detailed in the following list of setting-specific 
  Extras. These are not Wild Cards, so once they 
  receive their first wound in combat, they’re down 
  (and likely out). Since these are meant to be generic 
  and easy to adapt on the fly, there are no specific 
  weapons or gear listed for these Extras. It all 
  depends on the situation. It makes little sense to 
  assume that all sailors have access to a boat or that 
  soldiers are carrying a certain weapon or wearing 
  body armor. All equipment and items can be found 
  in Part 3: Gear (page 26).
  Setting-Specific Extras
  Soldier
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4, Spirit d6, 
  Strength d6, Vigor d6
  Skills: Fighting d6, Shooting d8, Driving d4, 
  Repair d4
  Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 5
  Hindrance: Code of Honor
  Special Abilities / Notes:
  If the soldier works in some professional capacity 
  with airplanes, add Piloting d6.
  
  Part 7: Friends & Foes
  115
  Mercenary
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, 
  Strength d6, Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d6, Shooting d8, Intimidation d6, 
  Driving d6, Boating d4, Tracking d6
  Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 6
  Edge: Steady Hands
  Special Abilities / Notes:
  If the mercenary works in some professional 
  capacity with airplanes, add Piloting: d6
  Worker
  Attributes: Agility d4, Smarts d4, Spiri: d6, 
  Strength d6, Vigo: d4
  Skills: Knowledge: (work-related) d6
  Pace: 6; Parry: 2; Toughness: 3
  Hindrance: Anemic
  Gangster
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, 
  Strength d6, Vigo: d8
  Skills: Fighting d6, Shooting d6, Intimidation d6, 
  Driving d4, Lockpicking d4, Tracking d4
  Charisma: -2, Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 6
  Hindrance: Mean
  Thug
  Attributes: Agility d4, Smarts d4, Spirit d4, 
  Strength d6, Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d6, Shooting d4, Intimidation d6, 
  Driving d4, Lockpicking d4
  Charisma: -2, Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 6
  Hindrance: Mean
  Cultist
  Attributes: Agility d4, Smarts d4, Spirit d6, 
  Strength d6, Vigor d4
  Skills: Fighting d4, Shooting d4, Persuasion d6, 
  Knowledge: Mythos d6
  Pace: 6; Parry: 4; Toughness: 3
  Hindrance: Misled
  Special Abilities / Notes:
  Depending on the situation, Cultists may be driven 
  to states of Fearlessness. 
  Sailor
  Attributes: Agility d4, Smarts d4, Spirit d8, 
  Strength d6, Vigor d8
  Skills: Boating d8, Fighting d6, Shooting d4, 
  Knowledge: (maritime related) d8
  Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 6
  Entertainer
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, 
  Strength d4, Vigor d6
  Skills: Fighting d4, Knowledge/Performance: 
  (creative field of study) d8 
  Pace: 6; Parry: 4; Toughness: 5
  Special Abilities / Notes:
  Entertainers are in a constant state of Fatigue, so all 
  Trait checks suffer a -1 modifier.
  
  Herald: Lovecraft & Tesla
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  Part 7: Friends & Foes
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  Unnatural Bestiary
  H.P.’s Field Guide to the 
  Unnatural Entities of the Mythos
  H.P. Lovecraft has been collecting stories about 
  these unnatural beings for quite some time, and 
  now that he has found himself in the middle of an 
  organized secret Mythos Resistance group, he has 
  seen many of the following creatures first-hand. 
  There are no available photographs of these Mythos 
  creatures, only sketches from brave artists.
  Mythos Creatures
  Book Golem
  Byakhee
  Cat of Ulthar
  Colors Out of Space
  Deep One
  Elder Thing
  Ghast
  Ghoul
  Gug
  Mi-Go
  Shoggoth
  Shub Niggurath
  Dark Young of Shub Niggurath
  Book Golem
  The origin of this creature is still a mystery to 
  the Mythos Resistance. When Twain, Lovecraft 
  and Tesla battled this creature, they said that it 
  identified itself as the (very) late author William 
  Wilde. Whatever this creature really is, it believes 
  that it has returned to the world as a spirit and is 
  terribly frustrated with its new unnatural form. 
  It reacts to almost everything with a blinding 
  rage that cannot be calmed. There have been reports 
  of another Book Golem appearing recently in the 
  Los Angeles Public Library, this time identifying 
  itself in Russian as Fyodor Chekhov before 
  lumbering off into the Santa Monica mountains. 
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, 
  Strength d8, Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d10, Notice d8, Knowledge: 19th 
  Century Literature d10
  Pace: 6; Parry: 7; Toughness: 7
  Special Abilities:
  • Smash: Hardcover fist attack, Str+2.
  • Size +2: Book Golems appear as hulking 
  creatures: imagine a grizzly bear made up entirely of 
  books.
  • Hide Heart: Book Golems have an enlarged, 
  beating heart that can be removed and stored nearby. 
  As long as the heart isn’t in 
  the body, it cannot be 
  defeated, only shaken.
  Byakhee
  “...tame, trained, hybrid winged things that no 
  sound eye could ever wholly grasp, or sound brain 
  ever wholly remember. They were not altogether 
  crows, nor moles, nor buzzards, nor ants, nor 
  vampire bats, nor decomposed human beings; but 
  something I cannot and must not recall.”—H.P. 
  Lovecraft, “The Festival”
  
  Herald: Lovecraft & Tesla
  118
  These are foul-smelling creatures, seemingly part 
  bat, part insect, and part human corpse. They have 
  man-sized bodies, fourteen-foot clawed wingspans, 
  and multiple spindly legs that end in webbed feet. 
  These servitor creatures have very little mind or will 
  of their own, but they serve the greater will of more 
  powerful creatures. For some, they serve as mounts, 
  and for others as guardians or messengers.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4(A), Spirit d6, 
  Strength d8, Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d6
  Pace: 3; Parry: 5; Toughness: 10
  Special Abilities:
  • Claws: Str+d4.
  • Bite: Str+d4. A raise on a bite attack allows the 
  byakhee to begin draining blood from the victim. 
  This becomes an automatic attack every round after 
  the first and requires the victim to make a Vigor roll 
  or gain 1 point of Fatigue. This will continue until 
  the byakhee is Shaken, or the victim is dead.
  • Flight: These creatures are extremely fast and 
  agile flyers (Pace: 12”; Climb: 2) but are clumsy and 
  slow on the ground.
  Cat of Uthar
  A cat of Ulthar does not outwardly appear to be 
  any different from a normal cat of any breed save 
  that it is slightly larger. These creatures of The 
  Elsewhere share their terrestrial cousins’ love of 
  stalking, napping, and grooming, but these outer 
  trappings hide a sinister intelligence and mystical 
  power not normally found in the waking world. 
  They often manifest in response to injustice or ill 
  fortune befalling cats of the waking world, exacting 
  eldritch vengeance on those who would harm cat-
  kind. They often are allied with Bastet, the cat-
  headed Egyptian goddess, though they no more 
  serve or worship her than terrestrial cats do their 
  human “masters.” Ulthar cats can slip through the 
  barriers between the waking world and dreams quite 
  easily, though no human knows how or why.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d10, 
  Strength d4, Vigor d6
  Skills: Climbing d6, Knowledge: Mythos d4, 
  Notice d6, Stealth d8
  Pace: 6; Parry: 3; Toughness: 3
  Special Abilities:
  • Acrobat: +2 to Agility rolls to perform 
  acrobatic maneuvers; +1 to Parry if unencumbered.
  • Bite/Claw: Str+d4..
  • Low Light Vision: Ulthar cats ignore penalties 
  for Dim and Dark lighting.
  • Size -2: Ulthar Cats, while slightly larger than 
  normal cats, are still only a foot high.
  • Small: Attackers subtract 2 from their attacks 
  to hit.
  Colours Out of Space
  “All the farm was shining with the hideous 
  unknown blend of colour; trees, buildings, and even 
  such grass and herbage as had not been wholly 
  changed to lethal grey brittleness… and over all the 
  rest reigned that riot of luminous amorphousness, 
  that alien and undimensioned rainbow of cryptic 
  poison from the well—seething, feeling, lapping, 
  reaching, scintillating, straining, and malignly 
  bubbling in its cosmic and unrecognisable 
  chromaticism.”—H.P. Lovecraft, “The Colour Out 
  of Space”
  These Mythos creatures are truly alien—not only 
  to our understanding of biology and life, but also 
  to our basic understanding of physics. They exist 
  as things approximating shafts of light or billows 
  of gaseous cloud, and yet they are alive. Their hue 
  cannot be found in the normal human understanding 
  of color: they exist outside the familiar spectrum of 
  perceivable light. They apparently feed by draining 
  some type of molecular energy, as their victims 
  do not manifest wounds but seem to be drained 
  of all color, moisture, and cellular cohesion; they 
  simply crumble away into grey dust. Colours are 
  not worshipped nor are they known to have any 
  relationships with other Mythos creatures. Larval 
  colours usually arrive on Earth inside geode-like 
  cocoons that fall as meteors.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, 
  Strength d6, Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d6, Persuasion d10
  Pace: 3; Parry: 5; Toughness: 4
  Special Abilities:
  • Pseudopod Strike: This melee attack causes 
  2d6 damage and ignores armor.
  • Life Drain: With every successful pseudopod 
  
  Part 7: Friends & Foes
  119
  strike, the target must succeed at an opposed Spirit 
  roll. If the color wins, the target’s Vigor lowers by 
  one die. If the target’s Vigor drops below d4, they 
  die, their body crumbling into grey dust.
  • Persuasion: With a successful Persuasion 
  check, a colour can telepathically persuade a target 
  within short range to become their prey, either by 
  passively doing nothing to stop the colour, or by 
  actively moving towards the colour to sacrifice 
  themselves.
  • Ethereal: The colour has no physical form, and 
  cannot be hurt by normal physical weapons.
  • Weakness (Sound): The color is susceptible to 
  certain frequencies of sound, which cause d6 points 
  of damage per round.
  • Weakness (Bright Light): The colour is 
  susceptible to extremely bright light (including 
  sunlight) of any color. A flare, bright flame torch, 
  car headlights, or any source of light brighter than a 
  flashlight will cause 2d6 points of damage.
  Deep One
  “Grotesque beyond the imagination of a Poe or 
  a Bulwer, they were damnably human in general 
  outline despite webbed hands and feet, shockingly 
  wide and flabby lips, glassy, bulging eyes, and other 
  features less pleasant to recall.”— H.P. Lovecraft, 
  “Dagon”
  Alternately known as “Deep Ones” or 
  “Dagonites,” these fish-like humanoids are well-
  distributed in oceans around the world, where they 
  inhabit vast cities hidden in dark grottoes in the 
  depths of the ocean. Those Dagonite cities known to 
  be close to the shore, are also thought to be actively 
  interbreeding with isolated communities of humans 
  on land. These seaside communities have fallen on 
  hard times, and the people have become so desperate 
  that they turn to the strange gods and repugnant 
  practices of their Dagonite saviors without much 
  misgiving. As such, Dagonites can be thought of as 
  religious missionaries, bringing their dark, benthic 
  gospels to the isolated, the desperate, and those 
  bordering on insanity on land.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, 
  Strength d8, Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d6, Knowledge: Mythos d6, 
  Stealth d10, Swimming d10
  Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 6
  Gear: Trident spear, 2d6.
  Special Abilities:
  • Amphibious: These creatures are extremely 
  fast and agile swimmers (Pace 10” in the water).
  • Claws: Str+d4.
  Elder Thing
  Arriving on this planet over 2 billion years ago, 
  the elder things built vast cyclopean cities in the 
  ocean depths and a few on now-remote tracts of 
  land. They bred the protean shoggoths as slave labor, 
  and ancient texts suggest that they also bred the 
  dinosaurs as food and humanity as entertainment.
  They stand 8 feet tall with 6-foot barrel-shaped 
  bodies. Five massive tentacles extend radially from 
  below, ending in powerful pseudo-feet capable of 
  walking or swimming. Five more delicate tentacles 
  extend radially from their midsections, each 
  branching and branching again to end in twenty-five 
  tendrils at the end of each. Seven-foot wings also 
  extend from the center, while a starfish-shaped head 
  adorns the top, bristling with orifices and multi-
  colored cilia.
  While highly intelligent and capable of abstract 
  thought and communication, they seem to have little 
  desire or ability to converse with humanity. We are 
  beneath their interest.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d8, Spirit d6, 
  Strength d12+6, Vigor d12+4
  Skills: Fighting d8, Knowledge (Mythos) d6, 
  Notice d8, Stealth d6, Swimming d8
  Pace: 6; Parry: 7; Toughness: 16 (4)
  Special Abilities:
  • Amphibious: Swimming Pace 8”.
  • Armor +4: The flesh of an Elder Thing is 
  extremely tough and dense.
  • Bash: Str+2. Elder Things can attack twice per 
  round, and may use their wings, “leg” tentacles, or 
  “arm” tentacles.
  • Flight: Flying Pace 10”.
  • Size +3: These creatures are massive.
  
  Herald: Lovecraft & Tesla
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  Ghast
  These repulsive beasts live in perpetual darkness 
  since they cannot survive in sunlight. Carnivorous 
  cannibals that hop like kangaroos on powerful 
  hooved feet, these creatures will attack and eat 
  anything that dares venture into the darkness 
  near the Vaults of Zin in The Elsewhere. They 
  are fearless and ravenously hungry, although they 
  greatly prefer live prey, even each other, over 
  carrion. They sometimes hunt in packs, but this 
  is more a matter of accidental proximity than of 
  planned, coordinated behavior. They appear vaguely 
  humanoid but exhibit few signs of intelligence 
  beyond their coughing, 
  guttural language.
  Most of the bodies, while roughly bipedal, had a 
  forward slumping, and a vaguely canine cast. The 
  texture of the majority was a kind of unpleasant 
  rubberiness.”—H.P. Lovecraft, “Pickman’s Model”
  These subterranean scavengers seem to exist 
  almost exclusively on the buried remains of dead 
  humans. They often establish colonies of tunnels 
  and warrens under cemeteries, allowing them to dig 
  up into graves from beneath without alerting the 
  topside world to their presence. They are distinctly 
  canine in appearance with their elongated snouts 
  and digitigrade hind legs, but their torsos, arms, 
  and hands are uncannily humanoid. Their natural 
  language is a combination of guttural growls and 
  snarls interspersed with peculiar mewling 
  and meeping sounds. They have 
  survived for centuries by carefully 
  avoiding human attention and 
  avoiding living humans, but some 
  desperate ghouls have been 
  known to attack and eat living 
  humans when circumstances force 
  them.
  Most ghouls were born that 
  way, but a few were formerly desperate or 
  insane humans who desired to leave the surface 
  world behind and become a ghoul, for reasons 
  best not explored by those who wish to keep their 
  sanity. Transitioning from human to ghoul normally 
  requires a long period of constant co-habitation with 
  ghouls, but there is also a ritual that speeds up the 
  process considerably. See page 64 for more details 
  on ghouls.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, 
  Strength d8, Vigor d6
  Skills: Climbing d8, Fighting d6, Notice d8, 
  Stealth d10
  Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 5
  Special Abilities:
  • Bite: Str+d4.
  • Claws: Str+d6.
  • Digging: Ghouls are expert diggers and 
  burrowers, and they can move through the earth at a 
  pace of 8.
  • Low Light Vision: Ghouls ignore penalties for 
  Dim and Dark lighting.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d4, Spirit d6, 
  Strength d6, Vigor d6
  Skills: Fighting d8, Notice d10
  Pace: 8; Parry: 6; Toughness: 9 (1)
  Special Abilities:
  • Armor +1: Ghasts have thick, rubbery hide.
  • Bite: Str+d6. 
  • Dark Vision: Ghasts take no penalties for 
  lighting conditions.
  • Size +2: These creatures are about the size of a 
  horse.
  • Weakness (Daylight): Exposure to daylight 
  causes d6 damage each round.
  Ghoul
  “These figures were seldom completely human, 
  but often approached humanity in varying degree. 
  
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  121
  Gug
  “It was a paw, fully two feet and a half across, 
  and equipped with formidable talons. After it came 
  another paw, and after that a great black-furred 
  arm to which both of the paws were attached by 
  short forearms. Then two pink eyes shone, and the 
  head of the awakened Gug sentry, large as a barrel, 
  wabbled into view. The eyes jutted two inches from 
  each side, shaded by bony protuberances overgrown 
  with coarse hairs. But the head was chiefly terrible 
  because of the mouth. That mouth had great yellow 
  fangs and ran from the top to the bottom of the head, 
  opening vertically instead of horizontally.”—H.P. 
  Lovecraft, “Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath”
  These subterranean giants are currently limited 
  to the underground of The Elsewhere. Already 
  repugnant, vicious, and ravenous creatures known 
  for their indiscriminate appetites, their abhorrent 
  rituals and sacrifices to lesser-known outer gods 
  have also earned them the universal disgust of the 
  other denizens of The Elsewhere, forcing them 
  underground. Their arms fork at the elbow, giving 
  them four gigantic clawed hands, as well as their 
  vertically-opening mouth lined with sword-like 
  teeth. Add to this their religious practices of living, 
  sentient sacrifices, and one can see why they are 
  universally despised and feared.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, 
  Strength d10, Vigor d10
  Skills: Fighting d8, Notice d8
  Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 7
  Special Abilities:
  • Slash: Claw attack, Str+d4.
  • Smash: Fist attack, Str+d8.
  • Bite: Str+d6.
  • Double Attack: Their twin-pawed arms allow 
  them two slash attacks per round.
  • Low Light Vision: Gugs ignore penalties for 
  Dim and Dark lighting.
  • Size +4: Gugs stand 20 feet tall
  Mi-Go
  Pink and rubbery, half-crustacean and half-
  fungus, the Mi-Go (also known as the Fungi from 
  Yuggoth) are a strange race of creatures indeed. 
  While they do have a pair of wings, they don’t 
  seem especially adept at flying on Earth, suggesting 
  that their home planet of Yuggoth has a much 
  thinner atmosphere. They have sometimes been 
  indicated as the source of the Himalayan stories of 
  the Yeti, but how a winged, fungoid, antenna-crusted 
  crab could inspire legends of hairy walking apes is 
  not known. 
  They are highly intelligent and technologically 
  advanced and have established various secret 
  colonies on Earth to mine for metals and minerals 
  needed for their technology. They worship various 
  Elder Gods and Great Old Ones, and they may 
  sometimes act as agents between their gods and the 
  rare human cults that also dare to worship them. 
  They can speak human languages in an other-
  worldly buzzing voice. They have been known to 
  remove the living brains of humans, housing them in 
  their brain cylinders for further study.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d8, Spirit d8, 
  Strength d6, Vigor d6
  Skills: Fighting d6, Healing d8, Knowledge 
  (Human Languages) d8, Knowledge (Mythos) d8, 
  Notice d6, Shooting d4, Stealth d6
  Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 6 (1)
  Gear: Mi-Go Energy Pistol (10/20/40, 2d6, ignores 
  armor), Mi-Go Brain Cylinder (can house and 
  maintain a living human brain, equipped with audio/
  visual input sensors and an external speaker through 
  which the enclosed brain can communicate).
  Special Abilities:
  • Armor +1: Mi-Gos have a thick, chitinous shell.
  • Claws: Str+d6.
  • Flight: Mi-Go can fly at a Pace of 8” and a 
  Climb of 1, but all agility rolls 
  suffer a -1 penalty 
  while in Earth’s 
  atmosphere.
  
  Herald: Lovecraft & Tesla
  122
  Shoggoth
  “Shoggoths and their work ought not to be seen 
  by human beings or portrayed by any beings.... 
  Formless protoplasm able to mock and reflect 
  all forms and organs and processes—viscous 
  agglutinations of bubbling cells—rubbery fifteen-
  foot spheroids infinitely plastic and ductile—slaves 
  of suggestion, builders of cities…Great God! 
  What madness made even those blasphemous 
  Old Ones willing to use and 
  carve such things?” — 
  H.P. Lovecraft, “At the 
  Mountains of Madness”
  These gigantic, 
  protean creatures 
  were originally 
  created as all-
  purpose laborers 
  by the Elder 
  Things. They 
  were bred to 
  be durable, 
  resourceful, and 
  intelligent, though this 
  intelligence became the seed of the Elder Things’ 
  destruction. The shapeless slaves rose up in open 
  revolution against their masters. The Elder Things 
  were mostly wiped out, though a few have been 
  rumored to have survived in deep dormancy. After 
  millions of years without their masters’ influence, 
  isolated in the deepest frozen interior of Antarctica, 
  the shoggoths that have survived are now not only 
  intelligent, powerful, and resourceful, but they are 
  also quite insane.
  Attributes: Agility d4, Smarts d4, Spirit d6, 
  Strength d12+6, Vigor d12+4
  Skills: Fighting d12, Intimidate d4, Notice d10, 
  Swimming d12, Taunt d4
  Pace: 12; Parry: 8; Toughness: 18
  Special Abilities:
  • Amphibious: Shoggoths have a swimming rate 
  of 12”.
  • Pseudopod Strike: Str+d6. Pseudopods have a 
  reach of 3” and a shoggoth may generate 2d4 every 
  round, but up to four may attack any one target at a 
  time. At the end of a round, all pseudopods retract, 
  and new ones are generated. 
  • Headhunter: If a shoggoth is attacking a target 
  with multiple pseudopods and at least two result 
  in a raise, the shoggoth will engulf the head of the 
  victim with multiple pseudopods flowing 
  into one engulfing mass. The shoggoth 
  will then begin twisting and sucking 
  the head off the victim’s body, 
  requiring the shoggoth to 
  roll its Strength against the 
  victim’s Vigor. If the shoggoth 
  is successful, death is 
  certain, instantaneous, 
  and gruesome. If 
  the shoggoth is 
  unsuccessful, 
  the victim 
  may make an 
  opposed Strength 
  check against the 
  shoggoth to pull 
  itself free. Air-
  breathing victims will 
  suffocate within three rounds, even 
  if they are able to resist. A shoggoth may 
  also attempt to take the head of an incapacitated 
  victim, without the prerequisite multiple attacks and 
  raises.
  • Huge: Attackers add +4 to their attack rolls.
  • Regeneration: Each round, a shoggoth makes 
  a Vigor roll. Each success removes one wound.
  • Size +8: Shoggoths are immense.
  • Mocking Call: Shoggoths can mimic voices 
  by generating a mouth, and it uses these mimicked 
  words to Taunt or Intimidate, though they do not 
  understand the words they use. Shoggoths long 
  isolated will repeat what sounds like the word 
  “Tekeli-li!,” probably the last noise made by their 
  former masters, eons ago.
  Shub Niggurath’s Avatar
  This is an avatar of an ancient entity also known 
  as “The Black Goat of the Woods with a Thousand 
  Young.” Shub Niggurath is the embodiment of 
  biological chaos and was often revered as a nature 
  deity by various human cultures, under a variety 
  of forms and names. On those very few occasions 
  
  Part 7: Friends & Foes
  123
  when this Great Old One has actually been 
  described, she has largely been seen as a vaporous 
  mass with various limbs forming and retracting 
  as she goes. The mass appears to hover above the 
  ground, only extending goat-like, cloven-hoofed 
  legs to the ground to move or leave her mark. 
  She is neither benevolent nor malevolent, but her 
  immortality and formlessness seem to mark her as 
  indifferent to the concerns of humans, save those 
  few who actively seek her favor.
  This avatar of the deity believes itself to be the 
  original and cannot be convinced otherwise. She 
  is also known to spawn Dark Young. These solid 
  creatures can vary widely in appearance and in 
  purpose, but they often have similarly cloven-hoofed 
  legs to their mother, and are often crowned with 
  various horns or tentacles.
  Attributes: Agility d10, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, 
  Strength d10, Vigor d12+12
  Skills: Fighting d10, Notice d10
  Pace: 8; Parry: 7; Toughness: 24
  Special Abilities:
  • Smash: Tentacle attack, Str+d4. It can make up 
  to four tentacle attacks per round.
  • Size +6: Shub Niggurath’s Avatar appears to be 
  a mass about 20 feet wide.
  • Spawn: Shub Niggurath’s Avatar can spawn 
  1d4 Dark Young every other turn (no other actions 
  that turn).
  Dark Young of Shub Niggurath
  These creatures spawned by Shub Niggurath 
  herself can vary in appearance, but their most 
  common form is that of an enormous, four-legged, 
  tree-like shape with prehensile tentacles for 
  branches and limbs. Unlike their mother, they are 
  solidly physical, though they are extremely resilient.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4, Spirit d6, 
  Strength d10, Vigor d10
  Skills: Fighting d10, Notice d10
  Pace: 6; Parry: 7; Toughness: 7
  Special Abilities:
  • Smash: Tentacle attack, Str+d4. Dark Young 
  can make 2 tentacle attacks per round.
  • Size +4: Dark Young are massive creatures, 
  comparable in size and shape to a 20’ tall tree.
  Even More Cosmic Horror
  The following Mythos creatures have yet to be 
  identified. Artists’ sketches are based on first hand 
  accounts and forensic evidence, but no further 
  details are known. Those with more information 
  about these Mythos entities should contact H.P. 
  directly. 
  
  Herald: Lovecraft & Tesla
  124
  As with all things Savage Worlds, the most 
  important thing is to keep things fast, furious, and 
  fun! You can just dive right in, pick a pregen at 
  random at the start of a session, and you’re off to 
  the races! GMs might even base a game session 
  around the recruitment of one of these characters. 
  Getting XP by bringing these historical figures into 
  the secret fight is what Herald: Lovecraft & Tesla 
  is all about. That, and standing toe-to-toe against 
  the cosmic horror, armed with knowledge, weapons 
  and items, ready to duke it out for the future of 
  humanity. This is the Roaring Twenties, and whether 
  you’re the investigate-the-mysterious type or the 
  jump-into-battle type, the following section has all 
  you’ll ever need.
  Novice, Seasoned, or Veteran?
  Novice, Seasoned, and Veteran are not always 
  based on character strength or even age and 
  experience. In Herald: Lovecraft & Tesla, those 
  Wild Cards who are Seasoned or Veteran might 
  simply have more connection with the Mythos 
  Resistance. This allows access to more specific 
  Edges and abilities but doesn’t necessarily mean that 
  they will be more effective in combat. Some of the 
  most powerful characters in the world are Novice 
  level, so don’t let that fool you. Also, starting at 
  Novice level 
  allows players 
  to customize 
  their Wild 
  Cards in 
  response 
  to the 
  story 
  that’s 
  unfolding 
  during the 
  Adventure(s).
  The Yearbook
  Who’s Who in the Roaring 20s
  The following section offers a great deal of 
  choices for players and GMs alike. Players may use 
  these as pregenerated Player Characters and GMs 
  may adjust them as they see fit. GMs may also use 
  any of these as detailed Wild Cards to be used as 
  allies or enemies. Many standard NPC-style Wild 
  Cards are also included at the end of this section. All 
  Wild Cards and Extras contain a Tie-In with ample 
  story-hook suggestions and interesting ways to 
  incorporate them into the plot. 
  Novice LeveL
  1. Aaron Morrow
  2. Albert Einstein
  3. Anaïs Nin
  4. Angela Ashcroft
  5. Anna May Wong
  6. Babe Ruth
  7. Bessie Smith
  8. Buster Keaton
  9. Charles Lindbergh
  10. Charlie Chaplin
  11. Clara Bow
  12. Coco Chanel
  13. Duke Ellington
  14. Edgar Cayce
  15. Eleanor Roosevelt
  16. Ernest Hemingway
  17. F. Scott Fitzgerald
  18. Feder Kachka
  19. Frank Lloyd Wright
  20. Harry Houdini
  21. J. Edgar Hoover
  22. Jack Dempsey
  23. James Joyce
  24. John Dillinger
  25. Jorge Luis Borges
  26. Josephine Baker
  27. Langston Hughes
  28. Niels Bohr
  29. Pablo Picasso
  30. Robert E. Howard
  31. Roxanne Zann
  32. Rudolph Valentino
  33. Salvador Dali
  34. Sonia Greene
  35. Trilussa
  36. Victor Eisenberg
  37. W.E.B. Du Bois
  38. Walt Disney
  39. Winston Churchill
  40. Zelda Fitzgerald
  Seasoned Level
  1. Amelia Earhart
  2. Emma Goldman
  3. Henry Ford
  4. H.P. Lovecraft
  5. Nikola Tesla
  Veteran Level
  1. Calvin Coolidge
  2. George Washington 
  Carver
  3. Marie Curie
  4. Mark Twain
  5. Sophie Tucker
  
  Part 7: Friends & Foes
  125
  Aaron Morrow hails from a very wealthy 
  New York family and spent most of 
  his early days bullying the smaller 
  children in school. By the time he 
  entered university, he’d already 
  outgrown most of the meanness he’d come 
  to be known by and his incredible 
  good looks and family connections 
  opened every door he knocked 
  on. He followed in the family 
  footsteps of becoming a cut-throat 
  businessman but quickly grew 
  tired of the business world, 
  eventually spending more and 
  more time on his one true love: 
  big game hunting.
  Even though he spends 
  almost no time in his Park 
  Avenue office anymore, his 
  business interests have all done 
  very well, drawing envy from his 
  fellow magnates. Accusations 
  of profiteering during the Great 
  War still persist, but Morrow 
  is too busy to be bothered. His 
  companies make profits for him 
  and the shareholders, and no one 
  complains when he misses board 
  meetings anymore. They just 
  figure he’s out trekking the 
  globe, looking for another 
  terrifying trophy.
  His lifelong friend 
  Theodore Roosevelt 
  became President and 
  nominated Morrow for a 
  Cabinet position. He turned 
  Teddy’s offer down, explaining that the job 
  simply left him no time for hunting. Morrow 
  has been around the world more times than 
  most people—hunting grizzlies in Alaska, 
  tigers in India, and lions in Africa. Tracking 
  down and killing one of these unnatural 
  Mythos creatures he’s heard whispers 
  about would be the pinnacle of a 
  successful career.
  Rank: Novice
  Attributes: Agility d6, 
  Smarts d6, Spirit d6, 
  Strength d8, Vigor d8 
  Skills: Boating d4, 
  Climbing d4, Fighting d6, 
  Intimidation d4, Notice d4, 
  Piloting d4, Riding d4, Shooting d6, 
  Survival d4, Swimming d4, Throwing d4, 
  Tracking d6
  Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 6 
  Edges: Alertness
  Hindrances: Arrogant (major), 
  Greedy (minor), 
  Phobia (minor): Snakes / Serpents
  Gear: Knife (Damage: d4 ), 
  S&W (.357) (Damage: 2d, Range: 0, 
  AP: 1, ROF:1), Spencer Carbine (.52) 
  (Damage: 2d8, Range: 0, AP: 2, 
  ROF: 1), backpack, bedroll, blanket, 
  canteen, flask, flint and steel, 
  rope (10”), torch
  Tie-In: The late Teddy 
  Roosevelt and Morrow were 
  hunting buddies for nearly 20 
  years. Morrow also happens to be 
  young Walt Disney’s great uncle.
  Aaron Morrow
  "Don’t worry, they’re only dangerous when they wiggle their ears."
  Novice Level
  
  Herald: Lovecraft & Tesla
  126
  Albert Einstein
  "The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing."
  Albert Einstein is a young German-
  born scientist who has impressed the 
  world with his groundbreaking work 
  in the new field of theoretical physics. 
  While Albert is now being lauded 
  as the one of the smartest people 
  alive, he is also well known 
  for his absent-mindedness 
  and charismatic, disheveled 
  appearance. To his credit, he 
  has a lot of more pressing 
  things to worry about, 
  things that affect not 
  only our planet but the 
  future of our universe. 
  There are certain recent 
  discoveries that throw a 
  wrench in his new theory 
  of relativity: New, unspeakable 
  equations and unnatural 
  hypotheses.  
  The more he studies this 
  new data provided by friends 
  like Mark Twain and Nikola 
  Tesla, the more upset he 
  becomes. But now Albert’s 
  insatiable curiosity has taken 
  over, and, having taken a job 
  with the notoriously unscrupulous 
  Thomas Edison, he will not stop 
  until he has wrapped his great mind 
  around the fact that there are things that do not 
  follow the same laws of physics—and by all 
  logical reasoning, they should not exist. If he 
  can earn a paycheck in the process and get out 
  of that stuffy patent office, all the better.
  Rank: Novice
  Attributes: Agility d4, Smarts d10, 
  Spirit d6, Strength d4, Vigor d6
  Skills: Fighting d4, Shooting d4, 
  Throwing d4, Gambling d4, 
  Investigation d8, Knowledge: 
  Physics d6, Notice d6, Repair d4, 
  Persuasion d4, Tracking d6
  Pace: 6; Parry: 4; 
  Toughness: 5
  Edges:  Scholar, Sound Mind, 
  Connections
  Hindrances: Curious (major), 
  Stubborn (minor)
  Gear: Flashlight, umbrella, box of chalk
  Tie-In: His discovery of the law of the 
  photoelectric effect not only illuminated the 
  burgeoning field of quantum theory, but also 
  raised some very deep questions about our 
  place and significance in the universe. Albert’s 
  new theories have also been studied intently by 
  those in less “scientific” circles and are being 
  applied now in unnatural ways that no scientist 
  would have ever imagined.
  
  Part 7: Friends & Foes
  127
  Coming from a long line of creative individuals, 
  Anaïs Nin spent her childhood and early life in 
  Europe, moving from France to Barcelona and 
  eventually across the Atlantic to New York City. 
  From a young age she kept copious notes and 
  journals, filling page after page with her 
  thoughts. Though some would call it an 
  obsession others may (one day) call it 
  art. At sixteen, Nin left school and 
  dedicated her young life fully to 
  creativity and artistic expression. 
  Her diaries and journals 
  overflow from her bookshelves, 
  but she just keeps writing, 
  improving and honing her craft 
  from constant practice.
  Nin’s ability to notice 
  each and every detail 
  is impressive. Yes, 
  she writes absolutely 
  everything down, but her 
  recollection of events is 
  much more reliable 
  than others. This 
  hyper-awareness 
  is part of her 
  personality and 
  has saved her 
  neck more than 
  once. It’s as if 
  she can sense 
  danger based 
  on subtle clues 
  that most 
  others miss. 
  Her intense 
  passion 
  and joie de 
  vivre can be 
  misleading for those who don’t know her: she has 
  a logical mind and a deep love of puzzle-solving. 
  Perhaps surprising to some, Nin is also adept at 
  using a switchblade, one of the many things she 
  took it upon herself to learn. 
  Rank: Novice
  Attributes: Agility d4, Smarts d8, Spirit d8, 
  Strength d4, Vigor d6 
  Skills: Climbing d4, Driving d4, 
  Fighting d6, Investigation d6, Notice d8, 
  Persuasion d6, Riding d4, 
  Shooting d4, Stealth d4, 
  Swimming d4, Throwing d4
  Pace: 6; Parry: 4; 
  Toughness: 5 
  Edges: Danger Sense
  Hindrances: Stubborn (minor)
  Gear: Switchblade 
  (Str+d4), 
  journal/diary, pen.
  Tie-In: She is 
  interested in other 
  arts as well, training 
  as a flamenco 
  dancer with the 
  great Francisco 
  Miralles 
  Arnau, 
  who also 
  happens 
  to be part 
  of the 
  Mythos 
  Resistance 
  group that 
  frequents 
  “Bel 
  Respiro.”
  Anaïs Nin
  "We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are."
  
  Herald: Lovecraft & Tesla
  128
  At an early age, Angela Ashcroft 
  discovered a deep love for theology and the 
  supernatural. Her parents wouldn’t have 
  anything to do with her newfound passion, 
  so she took it upon herself to clandestinely 
  seek out tomes both new and dusty in 
  secret. Schoolwork had always been 
  always easy for her and she was 
  consistently at the top of her class 
  growing up. As soon as she was old 
  enough, she enrolled in the famed 
  Miskatonic University in Arkham, 
  Massachusetts. 
  As an undergraduate her classes 
  never seemed enough for her and 
  while she did very well, she spent 
  most of her time supplementing her 
  education with as many strange, 
  occult books as she could lay her 
  hands on. Deeply investigating 
  weird and unnatural knowledge, 
  she has experienced true cosmic 
  horror and is now plagued by 
  flickering Eldritch Visions. Angela 
  has told no one about this and 
  refused to let it hold her back 
  from pursuing her degree and 
  graduating. 
  She’s now started work 
  on her graduate studies in 
  Anthropology, with a specific 
  focus on ancient and lost 
  cultures and their religions. She hopes 
  that one day she’ll meet others like 
  her, who would be willing to fight 
  alongside her in her quest to rid the 
  world of the impending darkness. 
  Angela usually has a distant look 
  in her eyes, as if lost in thought. 
  Aloof and a bit shy, many 
  have a tough time getting her to 
  remove her nose from a book.
  Rank: Novice
  Attributes: Agility d4, Smarts d8, 
  Spirit d8, Strength d6, Vigor d6 
  Skills: Climbing d4, Driving d4, 
  Fighting d4, Investigation d8, 
  Knowledge: Mythos d4,
  Knowledge: World Religions d6, Notice d4, 
  Persuasion d4, Shooting d4, Stealth d4, 
  Swimming d4, Tracking d4
  Pace: 6; Parry: 4; Toughness: 5 
  Edges: Scholar, Strong Willed
  Hindrances: Curious (major), 
  Bad Eyes (minor), 
  Eldritch Visions (minor)
  Gear: Umbrella, satchel of books, 
  photographic camera (Plaubel)
  Tie-In: Angela is a prospective recruit for 
  the Mythos Resistance. Very important and 
  influential people are watching her progress 
  and feel that she’s ready to learn the truth. 
  She just doesn’t know it yet.
  Angela Ashcroft
  "Shhh...I’m reading."
  
  Part 7: Friends & Foes
  129
  Anna May Wong grew up in Southern California 
  just as the film industry began relocating their 
  productions to Los Angeles from the East Coast. 
  As a child, she’d skip school and spend her lunch 
  money on the flickers at the local Nickelodeon, and 
  she decided that acting 
  was what she wanted 
  to do with her 
  future. As more 
  and more film 
  companies 
  began to make 
  movies in LA, 
  she got into the 
  business and 
  began working 
  with the 
  world’s foremost 
  filmmakers. 
  Anna has a very 
  strong moral sense 
  and will not partake in 
  anything that she doesn’t 
  agree with. She’s a proud 
  pacifist, which has 
  earned her both 
  friends and foes. 
  She jogs every 
  day, a pastime 
  that is just 
  now starting to 
  become popular. 
  Her unique 
  personality 
  and quiet 
  sense of 
  confidence 
  are an asset to any project she works on. 
  Wong’s cautious demeanor has a calming effect 
  on those she’s working with. She makes it clear that 
  she’s considering all the possibilities at all times, 
  and whatever decision she makes will be well-
  informed. She also has a little-known background 
  in basic first aid and medicine that has come in 
  handy during a few recent missions with the Mythos 
  Resistance.
  Rank: Novice
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smart: d6, Spirit d8, 
  Strength d4, Vigor d8 
  Skills: Climbing d4, Driving d4, Fighting d4, 
  Healing d6, Investigation d4, Notice d6, 
  Persuasion d6, Stealth d4, Streetwise d4, 
  Swimming d4, Throwing d4, Tracking d4
  Pace: 8; Parry: 4; Toughness: 6 
  Edges: Connections, Fleet-Footed
  Hindrances: Cautious (minor), 
  Doubting Thomas, Pacifist (major)
  Gear: (none)
  Tie-In: Anna May Wong 
  knows Chaplin, Keaton 
  and Fairbanks well, 
  and they suggested 
  to Sophie Tucker 
  that she be recruited. 
  Since she seems to 
  be trusted and liked 
  by most who meet 
  her, Anna May 
  Wong has been 
  one of the most 
  widely-accepted 
  new members in 
  the secret group.
  Anna May Wong
  "Life cannot stand still. One must progress, but one must not tell their plans. I never speak 
  of what I am going to do. Perhaps it is superstition."
  
  Herald: Lovecraft & Tesla
  130
  George Herman Ruth Jr. was a precocious child 
  known for causing trouble from the time he could 
  first walk and talk. Shipped off to a reformatory 
  boarding school at age 7, he learned to defend 
  himself and use the system against itself. Even when 
  he was being reprimanded, many of his teachers 
  could not help but hide a smile at how this quick-
  witted and likable young rascal responded to any 
  discipline—his excuses were like tall tales, colorful 
  and only partly based in reality.
  Baseball was his salvation and 
  likely the only reason he isn’t 
  in jail now somewhere. Ruth 
  has a natural talent for the 
  game, and his powerful 
  swings are changing 
  the game itself. He just 
  recently broke the single-
  season home run record, 
  ending the dead-ball 
  era of baseball. No 
  longer with the Red 
  Sox, Ruth has made 
  himself comfortable in 
  his new home of New York 
  and is making the Yankees 
  proud. Rich and famous, Babe 
  is known almost everywhere 
  he goes, and that suits him 
  just fine—he never 
  was one for 
  subtlety.
  The 
  Great 
  Bambino, 
  as some 
  are now calling him, is one of the most recognized 
  and well-liked people on the planet. His bad habits 
  and fast living are usually well overshadowed by his 
  beaming smile and his practice of visiting orphans 
  and children at hospitals. Say what you want about 
  the New York Yankees, Babe Ruth is a powerhouse 
  player and a huge personality.
  Rank: Novice
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4, Spirit d8, 
  Strength d8, Vigor d4 
  Skills: Boating d4, Driving d4, Fighting 
  d8, Gambling d4, Intimidation d6, 
  Persuasion d4, Shooting d6, 
  Streetwise d4, Taunt d4, 
  Throwing d6
  Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 4 
  Edges: Charismatic, Brawler
  Hindrances: Big Mouth (minor), 
  Overconfident (major)
  Gear: Louisville Slugger “Good 
  ol’ R43” (Str+d4), flask (full)
  Tie-In: While shopping in New 
  York, Babe was tricked into 
  leaving his prized Unnatural Bat 
  in Sonia Greene’s haberdashery. 
  Now that it’s in her possession, 
  Babe will do anything to retrieve the 
  blessed and cursed splinter 
  of wood, including 
  agreeing to go on 
  very dangerous 
  missions for 
  the Mythos 
  Resistance.
  Babe Ruth
  "There's heroes and there's legends. Heroes get remembered, but legends never die."
  
  Part 7: Friends & Foes
  131
  Bessie Smith is known everywhere she goes, 
  her enchanting voice earning her the well-deserved 
  title Empress of the Blues. From a very young age, 
  Bessie was able to stop folks in their tracks with 
  just a few notes. She created a new way of singing, 
  and her influence on this wonderful new and 
  ever-evolving music of Jazz is undeniable. 
  Her shows pack clubs and speakeasies, and 
  the club owners are finally starting 
  to give her more of the cut 
  of the door, earning her 
  enough money to save up 
  for that rainy day. Bessie 
  is often concerned with 
  the future and what she 
  says is likely coming 
  just around the 
  corner. She tells 
  everyone she 
  meets to take 
  their money 
  out of the 
  stock market. 
  No one pays 
  attention; these 
  are the Roaring 
  Twenties! 
  Bessie has 
  no formal medical 
  training but knows 
  well how to attend 
  to most injuries and 
  ailments with her 
  trusty first aid kit. She’s 
  one of the best people to 
  have on any team since 
  she can calm and inspire 
  those around her with 
  her unbelievably moving 
  voice, even when the fists 
  and bullets (and Mythos creatures) start to fly. While 
  there is no scientific reason 
  attributed to her supposed 
  ability to “heal with 
  the Blues,” many 
  have felt the power 
  of her divine 
  contralto voice and 
  swear it has taken 
  their mind off their 
  injuries and revived 
  them when they felt like 
  giving up. It’s a talent unlike 
  any other on Earth. No one can 
  sing the Blues like Bessie. No one.
  Rank: Novice
  Attributes: Agility d4, Smarts d6, 
  Spirit d8, Strength d6, Vigor d6 
  Skills: Fighting d4, Healing d10, 
  Intimidation d4, Investigation d6, 
  Notice d4, Persuasion d6, Performance d8, 
  Repair d6, Swimming d4
  Charisma: +2; Pace: 6; Parry: 4; 
  Toughness: 5 
  Edges: Charismatic, 
  Mover-Shaker
  Hindrances: Bad Luck 
  (major), Cautious (minor)
  Gear: First Aid Kit
  Tie-In: Bessie was recruited 
  by Mark Twain, who often 
  states that her voice is “perhaps 
  one of the greatest weapons 
  we have” in the Mythos 
  Resistance. Most Resistance 
  fighters clamor to have her on 
  their team for any mission. 
  Bessie’s voice makes 
  everyone feel like a winner. 
  Bessie Smith
  "No time to marry, no time to settle down; I'm a young woman, and I ain't done runnin' around."
  
  Herald: Lovecraft & Tesla
  132
  Joseph “Buster” Keaton got his start like many of 
  today’s performers, he was born into it. The Keatons 
  were a vaudeville family that performed constantly, 
  and growing up in that environment set the young 
  man on a path to performing that would lead to 
  the flickering lights of the new moving pictures 
  industry.
  In New York, Keaton met Roscoe “Fatty” 
  Arbuckle and they hit it off, becoming fast 
  friends. Before he knew it, Keaton was second 
  director on his films and in charge of the gag 
  department. Co-starring with Arbuckle 
  led to more opportunities for Keaton, 
  and by 1920, Douglas Fairbanks himself 
  recommended Keaton for a starring role in 
  a full-length feature film. That was only the 
  beginning of his success. He hasn’t stopped 
  working for a moment since he started, and 
  some wonder when (or 
  if) he ever sleeps. 
  Keaton’s films 
  are all hits, and 
  crowds flock to 
  see the latest 
  crazy stunts 
  the actor-
  director 
  performs 
  on the silent 
  screen. Inches 
  from certain death, 
  with his signature 
  deadpan expression, he 
  always seems to just 
  barely escape an ugly fate. 
  And the audiences love it! 
  Keaton realizes that his type 
  of physical comedy, like cosmic 
  horror, is about being arrogantly 
  ignorant of your own impending 
  doom. Now that he’s become part of the Mythos 
  Resistance, he knows this all too well. 
  Rank: Novice
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, 
  Strength d4, Vigor d6 
  Skills: Climbing d4, Driving d4, Fighting d6, 
  Investigation d4, Notice d8, Piloting d4, 
  Riding d4, Shooting d4, Swimming d4, 
  Throwing d4, Tracking d4
  Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 5 
  Edges: Ace, Dodge
  Hindrances: 
  Doubting Thomas, 
  Curious (major)
  Gear: Colt 1911 (.45) 
  (Damage: d6, Range: 0, 
  AP: 1, ROF: 1)
  Tie-In: Buster’s good friends 
  Douglas Fairbanks and 
  Charlie Chaplin are also 
  part of the Mythos 
  Resistance. All three 
  were recruited at 
  the same party by 
  Sophie Tucker. 
  Keaton is connected 
  in an interesting 
  way to another 
  famous face in 
  the Mythos 
  Resistance: his 
  father owned 
  a traveling 
  stage/medicine 
  show called the 
  Mohawk Indian 
  Medicine Company 
  with none other than 
  Harry Houdini.
  Buster Keaton
  "Think slow, act fast."
  
  Part 7: Friends & Foes
  133
  Slim Lindbergh, as he prefers to be called, is a 
  natural pilot and has made some very bold claims 
  about his goal to be the first person to make a 
  solo transatlantic flight. This precocious former 
  barnstormer is very confident, and his friends 
  all know him to be a real live wire. His almost 
  unnatural ability to repair broken machinery is well-
  known. If it’s mechanical and/or electric, he can 
  fix it. He’s also been referred to more than once as 
  being “too smart for his own good.” Young 
  Slim usually can’t be bothered unless 
  someone is standing between him 
  and his plane. 
  His almost weekly near-death 
  experiences push him harder 
  toward his lofty aviation goals. 
  He’s been known to discover life-
  saving solutions to mechanical 
  problems while plummeting 
  thousands of feet toward the 
  ground. There’s not much that 
  stays broken around Slim. 
  Solving big problems under 
  pressure is his favorite 
  thing to do. He looks up 
  to and respects Amelia 
  Earhart, another 
  aviation technology 
  boundary-pusher and 
  fearless pilot. There 
  aren’t many like 
  them.
  While flying 
  missions for 
  the Mythos 
  Resistance is 
  something that 
  Slim enjoys, 
  he longs for the 
  days when all of this madness is over and he can 
  just focus on his goals. He feels that spending too 
  much time thinking about all that cosmic horror is 
  counter-productive. It’s about matching problems 
  with solutions, then fixing them—little victories that 
  will eventually lead to reaching a milestone. To him, 
  real progress is made through practical applications 
  of technology—not philosophical side-tracks! 
  That’s what Slim often thinks about while flying his 
  precious airplane all those hours alone. 
  Rank: Novice
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, 
  Strength d6, Vigor d4 
  Skills: Driving d4, Fighting d4, 
  Knowledge: Electronics d6, 
  Knowledge: Engineering d6, 
  Piloting d8, Repair d10, Riding d4
  Pace: 6; Parry: 4; Toughness: 4 
  Edges: Ace, Live Wire
  Hindrances: Overconfident (major), 
  Big Mouth (minor), Phobia (minor): 
  small, closed-in spaces
  Gear: Tool kit
  Tie-In: Young Lindbergh is 
  one of the most daring pilots 
  in the world, and Amelia 
  Earhart recognizes this 
  (being one of the very 
  few others as daring). 
  She recommended his 
  membership into the 
  Mythos Resistance, 
  and both Twain 
  and Tucker agreed. 
  Now the Mythos 
  Resistance has 
  another fearless flying 
  daredevil in the ranks!
  Charles “Slim” Lindbergh
  "I have seen the science I worshiped and the aircraft I loved destroying the civilization 
  I expected them to serve."
  
  Herald: Lovecraft & Tesla
  134
  Charlie Chaplin’s childhood in London was an 
  extremely difficult one, but he and his brother found 
  their way into the vaudeville performing circuit, and 
  before he knew it, young Charlie was in America, 
  deciding to stay and make a life for himself in 
  the brand new moving picture industry. His 
  comedic timing is second to none and 
  audiences all over have fallen in 
  love with him.
  As Chaplin continued to act 
  in comedies for film companies 
  like Keystone, Essanay, Mutual, 
  and First National, he grew 
  increasingly frustrated with 
  not having full artistic 
  control over his films. He 
  became one of the highest-
  paid people on the planet, 
  which was initially unnerving 
  for a person raised in such 
  terrible poverty. Chaplin was now 
  responsible for his own destiny 
  and had all the money he’d ever 
  need. He created the world-famous 
  character of the lovable Tramp, 
  which he felt could reach 
  the audience on a 
  personal level, 
  bringing their 
  guard down 
  to laugh at 
  the endearing 
  clown with 
  the baggy 
  pants. Under 
  contract, 
  he felt like 
  opportunities 
  to tell even 
  better stories were being missed. Chaplin couldn’t 
  wait for the day when his sense of perfectionism 
  would be an asset to a production instead of a 
  hindrance. 
  Chaplin has just formed a new company, with his 
  friends Douglas Fairbanks, Mary Pickford, and D. 
  W. Griffith. Their new distribution company, 
  called United Artists, allows them to create 
  the films the way they want to. Chaplin can 
  now take the time he needs to do it right, to 
  put in the serious work it takes to make the 
  whole world laugh.
  Rank: Novice
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, 
  Spirit d8, Strength d4, Vigor d8 
  Skills: Boating d4, Climbing d4, 
  Driving d4, Fighting d4, Notice d6, 
  Persuasion d4, Piloting d4, 
  Riding d4, Shooting d6, 
  Streetwise d6, Swimming d4, 
  Throwing d4
  Pace: 6; Parry: 4; Toughness: 6 
  Edges: Strong Willed
  Hindrances: Doubting Thomas, 
  Quirk (minor): perfectionism
  Tie-In: Chaplin and his 
  good friends Douglas 
  Fairbanks and 
  Buster Keaton 
  were all recruited 
  by Sophie 
  Tucker but 
  were told very 
  explicitly not to 
  say anything 
  to their 
  colleague, 
  D.W. Griffith.
  Charlie Chaplin
  "Only the unloved hate; the unloved and the unnatural."
  
  Part 7: Friends & Foes
  135
  There is simply no one like Clara Bow, arguably 
  one of the most famous people on the planet. Her 
  films have all done enormously well and she is 
  seen as a symbol of beauty. Her difficult past has 
  made her resilient and she inspires those around 
  her to keep moving forward no matter what. 
  This je ne sais quoi is what 
  makes her so doggone 
  desirable to all who 
  lay eyes on the 
  smart, young 
  beauty. It’s 
  subtle, it’s 
  powerful, and 
  Clara knows it. 
  Most would 
  never believe it, 
  but the elegant-
  looking “It 
  Girl” is scrappy 
  and extremely 
  handy with a knife. 
  She goes everywhere 
  with a small purse 
  that contains her 
  signature red 
  lipstick, a 
  billfold of 
  cash, and a 
  switchblade. 
  She’s also a 
  decent shot 
  and knows 
  how to get 
  others to listen 
  to her. She can 
  quickly calm a 
  tense situation, 
  knowing just 
  what to say to lower the threat level and focus on 
  a common goal. Her powers of logical persuasion 
  are legendary, even at her young age. Often, it takes 
  only a look from Clara to get others to pipe down 
  and listen to what she has to say. Maybe it’s from 
  having to communicate everything through her eyes 
  in her famous films. 
  Rank: Novice
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d8, 
  Strength d4, Vigor d6 
  Skills: Boating d4, Driving d4, Fighting d4, 
  Investigation d6, 
  Knowledge: Photography d4, 
  Notice d4, Persuasion d8, Riding d4, 
  Shooting d4, Streetwise d4, Taunt d4, 
  Tracking d4
  Charisma: +2; Pace: 6; Parry: 4; 
  Toughness: 5 
  Edges: Attractive
  Hindrances: Stubborn (minor)
  Gear: Switchblade (Str+d4)
  Tie-In: Clara knows many 
  of the film stars that are 
  already part of the 
  Mythos Resistance, 
  like Douglas 
  Fairbanks. Mark 
  Twain himself 
  recruited 
  Clara into the 
  group, and 
  she’s been 
  fearlessly 
  volunteering 
  for every 
  dangerous 
  mission 
  she can.
  Clara Bow
  "The more I see of men, the more I like dogs."
  
  Herald: Lovecraft & Tesla
  136
  Coco Chanel is a brilliant entrepreneur and artist 
  and a major part of multiple aspects of the Mythos 
  Resistance. Her “factory” at 31 Rue 
  Cambon is in one of the most 
  fashionable districts of Paris, 
  where secret meetings are 
  held after hours with 
  other resistance members. 
  With the recent opening 
  of the Chanel Fashion 
  Boutique, clothing, hats, 
  accessories, jewelry and 
  fragrances are being 
  designed, developed and 
  produced. Some of the 
  new perfumes being developed 
  have chemical properties that 
  seem to be effective weapons 
  against certain unnatural 
  threats (such as the 
  Mi-Go). The well-
  guarded laboratory 
  on the 2nd floor is 
  frequented by the 
  likes of Niels Bohr, 
  Sonia Greene, and 
  George Washington 
  Carver. The public 
  has no idea what is 
  really happening 
  on Rue 
  Cambon, and 
  Twain and the 
  other leaders of 
  the resistance 
  aim to keep it 
  that way.
  Coco’s 
  home, Bel 
  Respiro, located 
  in the Paris suburb of Garches, is also a secret 
  international meeting point. Recently, Igor 
  Stravinsky arrived from what is being called 
  the “Soviet Union.” While it may 
  not seem so from the outside, 
  the home is a fortress of sorts, 
  always patrolled by armed 
  guards. Chanel is living proof 
  that one can effectively fight 
  the cosmic horrors of the 
  Mythos… with style! 
  Rank: Novice
  Attributes: Agility d6, 
  Smarts d6, Spirit d6, 
  Strength d6, Vigor d6 
  Skills: Driving d4, 
  Intimidation d6, Investigation d4, 
  Notice d6, Persuasion d6, Repair d6, 
  Riding d4, Shooting d4, Stealth d4, 
  Streetwise d4, Swimming d4
  Pace: 6; Parry: 2; Toughness: 5 
  Edges: Extra Edge (racial), Command, Inspire
  Hindrances: Arrogant (major)
  Gear: Notebook, sewing kit, 
  large scissors (Str+d4).
  Tie-In: Twain recruited Coco 
  several years ago and was a 
  big part of setting up the 
  impressive Bel Respiro 
  safehouse.
  Coco Chanel
  "Don't spend time beating on a wall, hoping to transform it into a door."
  
  Part 7: Friends & Foes
  137
  Edward “Duke” Ellington’s approach to making 
  music is unique and inspired. He feels that every 
  single moment is a perfect musical moment if it 
  can be arranged well. Duke can see the big picture 
  more clearly than most. He knows that there’s a lot 
  more elbow room in art than people realize and that 
  it’s about the combination of 
  artists and audience, venue 
  and time, that all lines 
  up together beautifully 
  and follows a single 
  artistic through-
  line like a string of 
  pearls. Sure, he’s a 
  romantic and a bit of 
  a dreamer, but most 
  pure artists are. 
  As the folks at the 
  clubs Charleston and 
  Foxtrot across the 
  dance floors, Duke 
  stands onstage like 
  the captain of a ship. 
  He feels that his music 
  in particular is more than 
  just Jazz and that what 
  he hears in his 
  head is beyond 
  category. As he 
  gains age and 
  experience, 
  his already 
  phenomenal 
  talent is only 
  sure to shine 
  brighter. 
  Many of 
  the best 
  musicians of 
  today have 
  either worked with Duke or want to work with him. 
  He’s not like most of the other Jazz bandleaders—
  he has something more in his music: a perfectly 
  surprising mix of joy and melancholy. 
  He’s fairly young for a bandleader, but no one 
  doubts his command of the group. Without raising 
  his voice, Duke able to quiet a raucous room; 
  then moments later he can whip them up into 
  a frenzy of musical abandon. He knows 
  exactly how to work a crowd, as though the 
  people listening are just keys to another 
  instrument. 
  Rank: Novice
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, 
  Spirit d8, Strength d6, Vigor d6 
  Skills: Boating d4, Driving d4, 
  Fighting d4, Gambling d4, 
  Investigation d6, Notice d6, 
  Persuasion d6, Repair d4, Stealth d4, 
  Streetwise d6, Throwing d4
  Pace: 6; Parry: 4; Toughness: 5 
  Edges: Command, Inspire
  Hindrances: Loyal (minor), 
  Stubborn (minor), Curious (major)
  Gear: Blackjack (Str+d4 ), 
  flashlight, umbrella
  Tie-In: Ellington and 
  a few others in the 
  burgeoning 
  Harlem 
  Renaissance 
  movement 
  are part of 
  the Mythos 
  Resistance 
  and have 
  been 
  since the 
  beginning.
  Duke Ellington
  "My attitude is never to be satisfied, never enough, never."
  
  Herald: Lovecraft & Tesla
  138
  Edgar Cayce was most certainly a peculiar 
  child. What most regarded as his tall tales were 
  (and still are) very real to him. He believed that 
  he communicated with “little folk” when he was 
  young and that he could absorb the contents of a 
  book by placing his head on it long enough. He’d 
  wander around the schoolyard talking to the spirits 
  of his deceased grandfather and approach ornery 
  mules in an attempt to calm them. In town, he’d 
  introduce himself to adult strangers as a “bona fide 
  clairvoyant.” Yes, young Edgar was a very peculiar 
  child.
  Adulthood hasn’t changed him that much, 
  though nowadays his job as a full-time psychic 
  reader requires him to 
  solicit donations. 
  Edgar claims to 
  diagnose and 
  cure maladies 
  in his sleep. 
  Literally. The 
  answers come in 
  prophetic dreams 
  and surreal 
  nightmares. 
  Edgar believes 
  that he has the 
  power to help 
  the people of the 
  world contact the 
  mysterious and 
  to journey into 
  the metaphysical 
  realm of dreams. 
  He sometimes 
  calls it “The 
  Elsewhere”, 
  and those 
  that come 
  to see him 
  for his personal readings are told about this place. 
  They’re also usually asked to purchase Edgar’s 
  own card game, Pit, a game he designed based on 
  commodities trading. 
  Edgar is always talking about founding a group 
  of people like him, dedicated to “solving all 
  the mysteries of our existence through psychic 
  energies.” He says he’ll call it the Society for 
  Research and Enlightenment, and it will connect his 
  thoughts to the thoughts of the entire universe…and 
  perhaps help sell more copies of his game. 
  Rank: Novice
  Attributes: Agility d4, Smarts d4, Spirit d10, 
  Strength d4, Vigor d8 
  Skills: Driving d4, Fighting d4, Gambling d6, 
  Investigation d4, Lockpicking d4, Persuasion d8, 
  Shooting d4, Stealth d6, Streetwise d4, 
  Throwing d4
  Charisma: +2; Pace: 6; Parry: 4; Toughness: 6 
  Edges: Charismatic, Mover-Shaker
  Hindrances: Delusion (minor): His psychic 
  abilities are real, Greedy (major)
  Gear: Knife (Str+d4), flashlight, board game (Pit)
  Tie-In: As one of the foremost psychics of 
  the day, his previous and current client 
  list includes Woodrow Wilson, Irving 
  Berlin, and Thomas Edison. While 
  not technically a part of the 
  Mythos Resistance, 
  Cayce is considered a 
  “friendly”, and his 
  help has proven 
  very useful, even 
  if most of the 
  scientists in the 
  group consider 
  him to be a 
  charismatic 
  charlatan at best.
  Edgar Cayce
  "Dreams are today's answers to tomorrow's questions."
  
  Part 7: Friends & Foes
  139
  She’s the niece of the late President Theodore 
  “Teddy” Roosevelt and is married to Franklin 
  Delano Roosevelt, also a politician. Being 
  surrounded by politics all her life has given Eleanor 
  a very rare glimpse into how things really work in 
  Washington. It feels as if she is always part of a 
  campaign and frankly, it’s quite tiresome. 
  Her husband Franklin was also recruited into the 
  Mythos Resistance on her insistence. She has 
  an unshakable faith that her husband, 
  already a senator and Assistant 
  Secretary of the Navy, has the 
  potential to be more than just 
  the Vice-President for James 
  Cox. Even though Wilson 
  and Coolidge beat them in 
  the recent election, there is 
  surprisingly little animosity 
  between the parties.
  It’s very difficult to meet 
  her and not like her. She may 
  seem a bit clumsy and awkward at 
  first glance, but her beauty instantly 
  shines through her twinkling eyes and 
  her powerful words, and her 
  charisma is through the roof. 
  She builds bridges where 
  others burn them—it’s 
  her talent.
  Eleanor has 
  a very close 
  relationship with 
  the legendary 
  aviator Amelia 
  Earhart: the two 
  good friends 
  communicate 
  frequently by 
  letters and 
  have done 
  for years now. After flying with Earhart, Eleanor 
  obtained a student permit and is now pursuing her 
  plans to be a pilot. Amelia is an excellent teacher, 
  and Eleanor has a natural talent for flying and is 
  already quite a good pilot. Franklin may not be in 
  favor of his wife flying a plane, but Eleanor is a 
  modern woman who will proudly do whatever a 
  man might say is “not for women.” It’s the 1920s for 
  criminy’s sake!
  Rank: Novice
  Attributes: Agility d4, Smarts d10, 
  Spirit d8, Strength d4, Vigor d4 
  Skills: Driving d6, Fighting d4, 
  Healing d4, Persuasion d4, 
  Piloting d8, Repair d4, Riding d4, 
  Shooting d6, Throwing d4
  Charisma: +2; Pace: 6; Parry: 4; 
  Toughness: 4 
  Edges: Charismatic, Strong Willed
  Hindrances: 
  Doubting Thomas, All Thumbs (minor), 
  Code of Honor (major)
  Gear: Whistle, umbrella, paper, pen.
  Tie-In: Silent Cal Coolidge 
  petitioned to have her recruited 
  since he recently saw how 
  intelligent and charismatic 
  she was on the campaign 
  trail with her husband 
  when running with Cox 
  as his Vice. Even though 
  “Cox/Franklin `20” lost, 
  Eleanor seemed to be the 
  break-out political star of 
  the campaign. As a good 
  friend of Amelia Earhart, 
  Eleanor is deeply 
  worried about her 
  recent disappearance.
  Eleanor Roosevelt
  "It is not fair to ask of others what you are not willing to do yourself."
  
  Herald: Lovecraft & Tesla
  140
  Ernest Hemingway was raised in Oak Park, 
  Illinois, and spent his youth hunting, fishing, and 
  writing. As he grew, his writing evolved and took 
  a more prominent role in his life, leading him to 
  become a journalist for The Kansas City Star. In 
  the Great War, young Hemingway enlisted as an 
  ambulance driver on the Italian Front. He saw 
  terrible things that will never leave him and never 
  allow him to sleep well again. 
  After being wounded, he returned home. The 
  Great War informed his writing more than any other 
  experience and he tells friends that he has no regrets 
  and that he wouldn’t have it any other way. 
  He often works as a foreign correspondent and 
  has lived in Paris, where he bummed around 
  with expatriate writers and artists. They 
  are a group of friends who live an 
  existence of total hedonistic carpe 
  diem as they make art out of the 
  madness that they (usually) cause 
  themselves. This is the perfect 
  environment for someone like 
  Hemingway who can keep up 
  with the best of them in a party. 
  The old, stuffy, established writers 
  who look down on modernism and 
  true journalism don’t understand 
  why they are all so hell-bent on 
  living life to the fullest 
  before it’s all gone. 
  Hemingway’s 
  mentor and 
  patron, Gertrude 
  Stein, came 
  up with the 
  phrase “Lost 
  Generation” 
  to describe 
  the artists 
  and writers 
  like him who came of age during the Great War. 
  Hemingway can attest to the fact that he and his 
  fellow members of this Lost Generation (friends and 
  colleagues like Scott Fitzgerald, James Joyce, and 
  Henry Miller) feel a sense of impending doom that 
  make responsible life choices seem like a waste of 
  time.
  Rank: Novice
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, 
  Strength d6, Vigor d8 
  Skills: Boating d4, Climbing d4, Driving d4, 
  Gambling d4, Intimidation d6, Piloting d4, 
  Riding d4, Shooting d8, Swimming d4, 
  Throwing d4
  Pace: 6; Parry: 2; Toughness: 6 
  Edges: Nerves of Steel, Pulp Writer
  Hindrances: Arrogant (major), 
  Deathwish (minor), 
  Big Mouth (minor)
  Gear: Hunting knife (Str+d4), 
  Double-Barrel Shotgun (12g) 
  (Damage: 1-3d6, Range: 0, 
  ROF: 1), backpack, bedroll, candle, 
  canteen, flask (full), lighter, lantern, 
  rope (10")
  Tie-In: In addition to being close 
  friends with fellow Mythos Resistance 
  members like F. Scott Fitzgerald 
  and James Joyce, 
  Hemingway has an even 
  deeper connection to 
  the fight against the 
  invading creatures 
  from beyond the 
  stars…something 
  unnatural he saw 
  when driving the 
  ambulance during 
  the Great War.
  Ernest Hemingway
  "But man is not made for defeat. A man can be destroyed but not defeated."
  
  Part 7: Friends & Foes
  141
  From an early age, Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald 
  knew he wanted to be a writer and spent his 
  boyhood reading voraciously. In college, he 
  wrote for the Princeton Triangle Club and joined 
  the American Whig-Cliosophic Society but was 
  ultimately placed on academic probation and 
  dropped out to join the Army and fight in the Great 
  War. While stationed in Ft. Leavenworth, one of his 
  instructors was Dwight D. Eisenhower, whom Scott 
  felt was an unconscionable bore with delusions 
  of grandeur. Before Scott 
  was deployed, the war 
  ended and he was able 
  to focus on writing 
  again. With luck and 
  a lot of hard work, 
  he ended up striking 
  it rich with his first 
  novel.
  He married Zelda 
  Sayre, and the two 
  became the toast of 
  the town, traveling back 
  and forth between New 
  York and Paris, living the 
  high life and enjoying 
  the birth of this 
  wonderful Jazz 
  Age that we’re 
  living in now. 
  Scott’s novel, 
  This Side of 
  Paradise is 
  a bestseller, 
  and has made 
  the Fitzgeralds 
  quite rich, and it 
  introduced them 
  both to many 
  members of the 
  resistance. 
  Writing for the Post, Collier’s and Esquire pays 
  all the bills, which also allows him to relay hidden 
  messages and directives to Resistance agents in the 
  field by embedding keywords and phrases in his 
  fiction. His good friendship with the young Ernest 
  Hemingway and other genius authors recruited 
  by Twain is the reason Scott fights against the 
  Mythos—his new circle of brilliant friends knows 
  how to really let loose and have fun! If only Scott 
  could put that bottle down, he’d likely be one of the 
  leaders of the Resistance. But for now, it’s time for 
  drinks! Turn on the Jazz!
  Rank: Novice 
  Attributes: Agility d4, Smarts d8, Spirit d8, 
  Strength d4, Vigor d6 
  Skills: Climbing d4, Driving d4, Fighting d6, 
  Investigation d6, Notice d8, Persuasion d6, 
  Riding d4, Shooting d4, Stealth d4, Swimming d4, 
  Throwing d4 
  Pace: 6; Parry: 4; Toughness: 5 
  Hindrances: Habit (major, alcoholic)
  Edges: Brave
  Gear: Blackjack (Str+d4), 
  journal, pen
  Tie-In: In Paris, he and 
  Zelda were part of the 
  expat community and 
  had no intentions 
  of ever returning. 
  But after Twain 
  recruited them, 
  the Fitzgeralds 
  (and Scott’s 
  friend, young 
  Hemingway) 
  vowed to return 
  to America and 
  join in the fight.
  F. Scott Fitzgerald
  "Never confuse a single defeat with a final defeat."
  
  Herald: Lovecraft & Tesla
  142
  Feder Kachka was born to a peasant family 
  in Southern Ukraine who never wanted 
  anything more than to be left alone to farm. 
  When the recent Russian Revolution battles 
  quickly spread to Ukraine, it upended his 
  small community’s simple way of life, and 
  his family was broken apart. Some agreed 
  with the Red Army and some with the 
  White Army. Others, like Feder, 
  joined the Makhnovchtchina, an 
  anarchist army that was formed to 
  free Ukraine from the madness 
  spreading out of Moscow and 
  St. Petersburg and to keep 
  the land in the hands of the 
  people who lived and worked 
  the fields. The fighting was 
  brutal and while Feder and 
  the Makhnovists fought 
  and defeated the anti-
  Bolshevik White Army 
  of Wrangel, the Red 
  Army betrayed a 
  military agreement and 
  wiped out what was left of 
  the Ukrainian peasant resistance. 
  With no army, no land, no money nor 
  hope for a future, Feder fled Ukraine 
  for the United States.
  He now works hard as a factory 
  worker producing cigarette lighters, 
  wristwatches, and broaches in the 
  Jewelry District of Providence, 
  Rhode Island. A vocal supporter 
  of Unions and organized labor, 
  Feder believes that the only 
  way to succeed is to 
  organize. There are other Ukrainians and 
  Russians living in exile in Providence, 
  and Feder feels lucky to have found a 
  small community of like-minded people 
  from his part of the world. Many glasses 
  of Uzvar have been raised in honor of the 
  fallen.
  Recently, Feder has been 
  unable to sleep well, and his 
  nightmares have become more 
  vivid, sometimes flashing into 
  his mind during one of his 
  migraines. He can’t help shake 
  the feeling that it’s all connected 
  somehow to the things that he 
  saw during his time fighting.
  Rank: Novice
  Attributes: Agility d4, 
  Smarts d4, Spirit d6, 
  Strength d8, Vigor d8 
  Skills: Boating d4, 
  Climbing d4, Fighting d6, 
  Intimidation d4, Repair d6, 
  Shooting d6, Stealth d4, 
  Swimming d4, Throwing d6
  Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 6 
  Edges: Alertness, Detectorist
  Hindrances: Code of Honor (major), 
  Eldritch Visions (minor), 
  Illiterate (minor)
  Gear: Large wrench (Str+d4 )
  Tie-In: When fighting with the 
  Makhnovchtchina, Feder discovered a 
  plot by Pyotr Wrangel who was trying 
  to turn the tide of the Revolution 
  using what he called “weird rituals."
  Feder Kachka
  "Critical failure to all who stand in the way of freedom for working people!"
  
  Part 7: Friends & Foes
  143
  Frank Lloyd Wright is a bit older than many 
  who have entered the Mythos Resistance, so his 
  life experience is a valuable asset to the group. 
  Having recently lived through some very tumultuous 
  years, his architectural designs have turned a 
  corner in terms of aesthetics. No longer designing 
  in the Prairie style he’s been known for, Wright 
  seems to be taking his idea of organic architecture 
  to a new level, shocking the design world. He 
  often travels back and forth between Europe 
  and the United States, pencil and paper in hand, 
  always sketching. While his personal life may be 
  complicated, his designs are not. Simple lines 
  can be the strongest lines. At the moment, 
  he feels most influenced by Japanese 
  prints and architecture, especially those 
  that incorporate nature into the overall 
  design. 
  Wright has an almost fanatical 
  love for the music of Ludwig van 
  Beethoven and listens to recordings on 
  the Gramophone constantly. His friends 
  all know what mood he’s likely in by 
  what is being played at the moment. 
  When he feels good about completing 
  a design, it might be Symphony 
  No. 6. After what happened at 
  Taliesin, it was a year of 
  Moonlight Sonata. 
  The music of 
  Beethoven is 
  what gets Frank 
  Lloyd Wright 
  through the 
  day. 
  As always, 
  his unique 
  building 
  designs 
  are copied the moment that they’re seen by the 
  public. It doesn’t bother him since he’s often too 
  busy working on the next design, up at all hours 
  with pencils behind his ears, Beethoven blaring 
  dramatically in the background. 
  Rank: Novice
  Attributes: Agility d4, Smarts d8, Spirit d8, 
  Strength d4, Vigor d6 
  Skills: Driving d4, Fighting d4, Investigation d4, 
  Knowledge: Architecture d6, 
  Knowledge: Mathematics d4, 
  Notice d6, Persuasion d4, 
  Repair d6, Shooting d4, 
  Throwing d6
  Pace: 6; Parry: 4; 
  Toughness: 5 
  Edges: Scholar, Sound 
  Mind, Strong Willed
  Hindrances: Hard of 
  Hearing (minor), 
  Bad Eyes (minor), 
  Arrogant (major)
  Gear: Notebook, 
  pencil set, slide rule, 
  knife (Str+d4 )
  Tie-In: Mark Twain approached 
  the genius architect and lured 
  him in with promises of 
  exploring weird temples 
  with their otherworldly 
  architecture. Frank is 
  also a lifelong fan of 
  Mark Twain’s writing, 
  so seeing one of his 
  heroes (whom he and 
  everyone else thought 
  was dead) was almost 
  too much to handle.
  Frank Lloyd Wright
  "The truth is more important than the facts."
  
  Herald: Lovecraft & Tesla
  144
  He’s been buried alive, submerged 
  underwater in chains, and bound in 
  impossible cages. The name “Houdini” 
  appears regularly in newspapers all over 
  the world, and now he has branched out 
  into other areas. He loves aviation 
  and is actually a very decent 
  pilot. He’s a huge fan of the 
  fiction of weird tales and 
  cosmic horror and has (ghost)
  written several published 
  stories. He’s president of 
  the Society of American 
  Magicians, a group that 
  adheres to professional 
  standards and exposes 
  frauds. He’s even 
  acted in some pictures 
  and knows most of the 
  top producers, actors, and 
  directors in Los Angeles. 
  Harry Houdini seems to be 
  everywhere at once, thrilling 
  audiences with his death-
  defying escapes. It’s all part 
  of the show. Houdini is an 
  entertainer and he knows how 
  to get an audience to hold its 
  breaths. 
  One of his recent stunts 
  involved being trapped in a 
  coffin and covered in dirt. The 
  mechanism that was supposed 
  to leave space for the lid to be 
  opened broke. Knowing that he 
  had limited air to breathe and that it would 
  take too long to break through and claw his 
  way to the surface, Harry closed his eyes and 
  slowed his breathing. This is when he had his 
  first of what he calls his Eldritch Visions, or 
  waking nightmares. His assistants realized 
  something had gone wrong and were 
  able to dig through in time to save 
  him. 
  Since then, Harry has continued to 
  have the occasional migraine headache 
  accompanied by flashes of these 
  Eldritch Visions. He hasn’t told anyone 
  about them, hoping to somehow make 
  sense of it all himself before involving 
  others. He’s never been one to ask for 
  help. 
  Rank: Novice
  Attributes: Agility d10, Smarts d8, 
  Spirit d6, Strength d8, Vigor d8 
  Skills: Climbing d4, Lockpicking d8, 
  Notice d4, Piloting d6, Repair d4, 
  Shooting d4, Stealth d8, Streetwise d4, 
  Swimming d6, Throwing d4
  Pace: 6; Parry: 2; Toughness: 6 
  Edges: Luck
  Hindrances: Eldritch Visions (minor), 
  Clueless (major), Heroic (major)
  Gear: Brass nuckles (Str+d4 ), lockpicks, 
  rope (10")
  Tie-In: Houdini has employed H.P. Lovecraft 
  as a ghostwriter for his published stories in the 
  past, and now Mark Twain has recruited both 
  of them.
  Harry Houdini
  "My brain is the key that sets me free."
  
  Part 7: Friends & Foes
  145
  Since the Great War, J. Edgar Hoover has risen 
  fast in the Justice Department and has seen some 
  very unnatural things over his time in the War 
  Emergency Division. He became the head of the 
  Division's Alien Enemy Bureau, authorized by 
  President Wilson at the beginning of the war to 
  arrest and jail allegedly disloyal foreigners without 
  trial. Now, as J. Edgar takes over leadership of the 
  Bureau of Investigation, he’s dead-set on being the 
  person who has access to more information than 
  anyone else on the planet. It’s not 
  even curiosity that drives him 
  but the accumulation of useful 
  information itself. Even he 
  admits that his behavior borders 
  on obsession.
  His membership in the 
  group is a very sore subject 
  for a majority of the Mythos 
  Resistance fighters. Few trust 
  him, and some have even 
  ended up having their 
  lives nearly 
  ruined by his 
  overreaching. 
  There 
  are some 
  members of 
  the Mythos 
  Resistance 
  who refuse 
  to be in the 
  same room 
  with him. 
  J Edgar 
  knows it 
  and almost 
  seems to 
  relish it. 
  But any ally is an ally when you’re in a secret 
  cosmic war against invading creatures from beyond 
  the stars. While he may be intolerable to be around 
  most of the time, he is extremely effective in 
  gathering information and has saved more lives than 
  he’s destroyed. 
  Rank: Novice
  Attributes: Agility d4, Smarts d6, Spirit d8, 
  Strength d6, Vigor d6 
  Skills: Fighting d4, Healing d10, Intimidation d4, 
  Investigation d6, Notice d4, Persuasion d6, 
  Repair d6, Swimming d4
  Charisma: +1; Pace: 6; Parry: 4; 
  Toughness: 5 
  Edges: Charismatic, Mover-Shaker, 
  Connections
  Hindrances: Code of Honor (major), 
  Xenophobe (minor), Vengeful (minor)
  Gear: “Stinger” .22 caliber one shot “Pen 
  Gun” (Range: 5/10/-, Damage: 1d6+2)
  Tie-In: There are actually a handful 
  of members of the resistance 
  who trust him, although most 
  do not. Sophie Tucker initially 
  brought J. Edgar and Silent 
  Cal Coolidge into the 
  Mythos Resistance 
  on the same day, 
  recruiting them both 
  when they went 
  to congratulate 
  her backstage 
  after a sold-
  out show. 
  No one says 
  no to “Soph” 
  Tucker, not 
  even J. Edgar.
  J. Edgar Hoover
  "Justice is merely incidental to law and order."
  
  Herald: Lovecraft & Tesla
  146
  Here comes the Champ! In the ring, there is no 
  one more powerful than Jack. Every 
  time he knocks down another 
  contender, the accusations of 
  cheating fly. But the truth is 
  that Jack Dempsey’s punches 
  are as powerful as they look. 
  Ask anyone who’s stepped 
  into the ring with him.
  His fame has made 
  him a cultural icon, and 
  wherever he goes, the fans 
  flock to him for autographs. 
  Jack takes the time to greet 
  and thank each of them, 
  often giving the younger 
  fans advice about 
  staying in school and 
  avoiding violence. 
  He tells kids that 
  trouble will find 
  them, so to go 
  looking for it is a bad 
  idea. He’s a hero to 
  many and seems to be 
  a great example of a 
  humble guy who just 
  happens to be on top 
  of the world.
  It’s also drawn 
  some attention 
  from folks whom 
  Jack wouldn’t 
  normally associate 
  with. The big cities 
  like Chicago are full 
  of gangsters who make a lot 
  of money on his fights. Being 
  able to influence the outcome 
  of these fights makes good financial sense to people 
  like Al Capone or others of his ilk, but Jack always 
  smiles and refuses politely, even though it’s getting 
  gradually more difficult to say no. This last offer 
  he got was…well…Let’s just say it’s an offer he 
  can’t refuse.
  Rank: Novice
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d4, Spirit d4, 
  Strength d10, Vigor d8 
  Skills: Climbing d4, Driving d4, Fighting d10, 
  Gambling d4, Intimidation d6, Shooting d6, 
  Streetwise d4, Swimming d4, Taunt d4, 
  Throwing d4
  Pace: 6; Parry: 7; 
  Toughness: 6 
  Edges: Extra Edge (racial), 
  Brawler, Two-Fisted
  Hindrances: 
  Vengeful (minor), 
  Overconfident (major), 
  Stubborn (minor)
  Gear: Billy club 
  (Str+b4), Brass 
  knuckles x2 (Str+d4)
  Tie-In: The Champ 
  was invited to 
  Washington 
  by Silent Cal 
  Coolidge. Neither 
  are known for 
  being verbose, so 
  their meeting was short 
  and sweet: “Can I count on 
  you?” “Yes sir.” “ And keep 
  it all a secret?” “You betcha, 
  sir.” “Thank you champ.” “Of 
  course, Mr. President, when 
  can I start?”.
  Jack Dempsey
  "Don't worry honey, I'm too mean to die."
  
  Part 7: Friends & Foes
  147
  Although he has been writing for many years, it’s 
  his novel Ulysses that has catapulted him from just 
  another writer with potential to a certified literary 
  genius. James is very frustrated by the fact that 
  he’s considered a genius and tries to downplay his 
  novel’s significance at every chance he gets. The 
  truth is, however, that he is a literary genius, and his 
  works are unique and powerful. Even established 
  writers from other genres like science fiction, 
  true crime, or horror have a respect for James and 
  his courage to deviate so far from what has been 
  considered “proper writing.” He has also made some 
  very powerful enemies, and it’s clear that 
  there are people actively following him. 
  James lives between Paris, Trieste, and 
  Zurich, something that surprises most of 
  his readers, who assume that he lives 
  in Ireland. His fiction is usually 
  set in his native Dublin and even 
  though he hasn’t been back in 
  quite some time, every detail is 
  grounded there, and his characters 
  are quintessential Dubliners. Some 
  readers are also surprised by the 
  fact that James is generally warm and 
  doesn’t drink himself under the table 
  like most of his characters. 
  Sure, he lives the life 
  he wants to live, 
  but he is also 
  a responsible 
  person who 
  cares a great 
  deal about the 
  non-literary 
  world and 
  a society’s 
  progress 
  toward 
  a better 
  situation.
  James is often talking to others about the fact that 
  the Great War was “not a one-shot,” and that the 
  table is set for another war, this time even bigger. 
  James says that this “Second World War” will turn 
  friends against each other and result in a terrible loss 
  of life. While this seems improbable, he’s been right 
  about things like this before. 
  Rank: Novice
  Attributes: Agility d4, Smarts d8, Spirit d6, 
  Strength d4, Vigor d8 
  Skills: Driving d4, Fighting d4, 
  Gambling d4, Investigation d4, 
  Knowledge: Greek Mythology d6, 
  Knowledge: Music Theory d6, 
  Lockpicking d4, Notice d4, 
  Piloting d4, Shooting d4, 
  Survival d4, Tracking d6
  Pace: 6; Parry: 4; 
  Toughness: 6 
  Edges: Scholar, Sound Mind
  Hindrances: Enemy (minor): 
  Stalker/Unknown person in suit, 
  Vengeful (minor)
  Tie-In: It surprises many in the Mythos 
  Resistance that this ornery Irish author 
  was recruited into the group by Marie 
  Curie. They each considered the 
  other to be warm, intelligent 
  and straightforward. Not 
  everyone gets along with 
  James Joyce, but Dr. Curie’s 
  choice has certainly proven 
  to be a good one. James 
  is now in charge of much 
  of the secret Resistance 
  communications between the 
  British Isles and Continental 
  Europe.
  James Joyce
  "A man of genius makes no mistakes. His errors are volitional and are the portals of discovery."
  
  Herald: Lovecraft & Tesla
  148
  Dillinger is a criminal, a sociopath, and a truly 
  mean sonnuva gun. As a little kid he was known 
  to be an incorrigible bully who refused to follow 
  directions or conform to what we consider societal 
  norms. Before he was an adult he had already been 
  arrested for everything from petty theft to robbery 
  to assault. He’s tried to live an honest life, but he 
  can’t seem to hold down an honest job since he 
  keeps getting pulled back into the world 
  of crime.
  His real talent is in robberies. 
  After some recent deadly jobs 
  he barely survived, he now only 
  works with others who are 
  as good at larceny as he is. 
  He has no real friends and 
  is usually angry and short-
  tempered. If he’s smiling, 
  it’s likely fake. Like the 
  proverbial crocodile at the 
  dentist, he’s not to be trusted 
  and not worth helping. Most 
  of the folks who have put 
  their trust in him are now six 
  feet under. And Dillinger truly 
  doesn’t care.
  He’s currently on the run from the 
  law (again). His last robbery ended 
  in a terribly violent situation, and 
  now it’s more than local 
  law enforcement on 
  his tail. What’s 
  worse, the 
  FBI has 
  officially 
  opened 
  a file 
  on him 
  and is 
  dedicating time and money toward tracking him 
  down. Dillinger knows that the authorities are 
  closing in and has no plans to ever be taken alive. 
  Rank: Novice
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4, Spirit d4, 
  Strength d8, Vigor d8 
  Skills: Driving d6, Fighting d6, Gambling d4, 
  Intimidation d6, Shooting d6, Streetwise d8, 
  Taunt d4
  Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 6 
  Edges: Nerves of Steel, Killer Instinct
  Hindrances: Mean (minor), 
  Wanted (major)
  Gear: Brass Knuckles 
  (Damage: d4 ), Derringer (.44) 
  (2d6+1), Sawed-Off DB Shotgun 
  (12g) (1-3d6), shovel
  Tie-In: Petty criminal John 
  Dillinger’s inclusion into the 
  Mythos Resistance is very 
  controversial, as he is disliked 
  by all who meet him. Another odd 
  but official recruitment choice from 
  Sophie Tucker, whose pragmatism 
  has saved the day more than once. 
  Most in the Resistance petition to 
  avoid working with Dillinger, 
  but orders are orders 
  especially when the 
  greater good is at 
  stake. It’s also 
  clear that if 
  J. Edgar has 
  his way, 
  Dillinger 
  is going to 
  meet his 
  end soon.
  John Dillinger
  "This could be one of the big moments in your life; don't make it your last!"
  
  Part 7: Friends & Foes
  149
  Jorge Luis Borges was born in Argentina but 
  spent much of his young life living, travelling, and 
  studying in Europe. Returning to Buenos Aires with 
  an undeniably consuming work schedule he’s set for 
  himself, he plans to put all of his exciting ideas to 
  paper. His father is a published author, and that has 
  caused young Borges to put even more pressure on 
  himself. To him, writing is life, and anything else is 
  a waste of time. 
  While he hasn’t published anything major yet, 
  his potential is clear from his short stories, essays, 
  and poetry. Borges has a unique way of seeing the 
  world, and each sentence he writes is a window 
  into a very old soul. 
  He writes what he considers “philosophical 
  literature” full of magical realism. He is 
  currently working on a book he plans to 
  call A Universal History of Infamy, and 
  those few who have been lucky enough to 
  preview his unfinished manuscript have 
  been shocked at how mature the young 
  writer’s skills are and how courageous his 
  approach to literature is. This unassuming 
  youth has the heart and mind of a great 
  writer. 
  Every day from dawn until 
  midnight is spent writing, his 
  work ethic bordering 
  on the obsessive. 
  The complete 
  worlds of 
  magical 
  realism that 
  Borges has in 
  his head are 
  fascinating 
  and often 
  stray close 
  to the realm 
  of cosmic 
  horror. Sure, he has the occasional migraine that 
  brings about terrifying Eldritch images, but he’s 
  learned to harness them and use them in his work. 
  If anyone can wrap his head around something 
  unnatural, it’s someone who spends every minute 
  creating something unnatural.
  Rank: Novice
  Attributes: Agility d4, Smarts d8, Spirit d10, 
  Strength d4, Vigor d6 
  Skills: Driving d4, Fighting d4, 
  Investigation d8, 
  Knowledge: History d4, 
  Notice d4, Persuasion d6, 
  Stealth d6, Streetwise d8
  Pace: 6; Parry: 4; 
  Toughness: 5 
  Edges: Scholar, 
  Investigator
  Hindrances: 
  Pacifist (major), 
  Eldritch Visions (minor), 
  Cautious (minor)
  Gear: (none)
  Tie-In: Very few know that he 
  suffers from intense migraines 
  that bring about what can only be 
  described as Eldritch Visions. 
  Following the clues in his 
  surreal visions led him to 
  the Mythos Resistance. 
  By then, he’d deduced 
  not only that Mark 
  Twain was still alive 
  but also was a leader in 
  a secret group. Borges’ 
  talent for investigation 
  is likely the reason his 
  writing has always been so 
  moving and deep.
  Jorge Luis Borges
  "Reality is not always probable, or likely."
  
  Herald: Lovecraft & Tesla
  150
  Josephine Baker was born in the United States 
  but now lives in Paris. She has found that French 
  society of today is far less racially discriminating 
  than her birthplace of St. Louis. It’s not perfect by 
  any means, but it’s better than where 
  she came from. Right now, she 
  sees absolutely no reason to 
  ever return. In Paris, she 
  is becoming more and 
  more well-known and is 
  now able to choose her 
  venues and make some 
  decent money. She has 
  all the makings of a 
  true star. 
  Josephine is one 
  of the youngest 
  members of the 
  Mythos Resistance 
  but arguably one of 
  the most powerful. 
  Her natural talent 
  for singing and her 
  ability to amaze 
  an audience goes 
  beyond anyone 
  else her age. 
  She’s got what 
  it takes to 
  become one of 
  the world’s most 
  famous entertainers 
  and is already well 
  on her way. Her strong 
  sense of right and wrong 
  is what keeps her 
  grounded and able to 
  survive and thrive 
  on her own at such 
  a young age. She refuses to perform for segregated 
  audiences and is very vocal about how ridiculous 
  and backwards the very concept of racism is. 
  Her place in the Mythos Resistance is a very 
  important one. As she tours the great Jazz clubs 
  of Western Europe, she gathers and relays 
  information for the group. Her persuasive 
  charisma shines; even those who are 
  normally hesitant to reveal details seem 
  to feel comfortable around her. In a 
  group, she often takes the lead when 
  it comes to communicating.
  Rank: Novice
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d8, 
  Spirit d6, Strength d4, Vigor d6 
  Skills: Climbing d4, 
  Driving d4, Fighting d4, 
  Notice d6, Persuasion d8, 
  Shooting d4, Stealth d6, 
  Streetwise d4, Swimming d4, 
  Throwing d4
  Charisma: +2; Pace: 6; Parry: 4; 
  Toughness: 5 
  Edges: Attractive, Brave
  Hindrances: Pacifist (minor), 
  Cautious (minor)
  Tie-In: Josephine was 
  recruited into the Resistance 
  by Sophie Tucker when 
  she was just 15 years old. 
  The teenaged Baker had 
  already been married twice 
  by that point and had used 
  the opportunity of being a 
  Resistance fighter to escape 
  her terrible situation and 
  follow her dreams...all the 
  way to Paris, France.
  Josephine Baker
  "I'm not intimidated by anyone. Everyone is made with two arms, two legs, a stomach and a head. 
  Just think about that."
  
  Part 7: Friends & Foes
  151
  James Mercer Langston Hughes is a young 
  man with a brilliant future ahead of him. He has 
  an incredibly deep understanding of the human 
  condition, a point of view that seems far beyond his 
  years. When people talk about “old souls,” Langston 
  would be a prime example. He has the wisdom 
  that usually only comes with a lifetime of 
  experience. He has always considered 
  himself a writer and is very humble, 
  but even he realizes he will 
  someday be considered one of the 
  greats. For most people this would 
  inevitably twist and turn into 
  arrogance, but there’s something 
  about Langston that makes that 
  impossible. He’s simply too 
  curious about humanity to think 
  he knows it all. 
  He’s recently worked as a 
  crewman aboard the S.S. Malone, 
  travelling the world from New 
  York to the British 
  Isles, from Norway 
  to West Africa. 
  These voyages 
  have been an 
  inspiration 
  and opened 
  his mind in a 
  way that only 
  travel can. 
  He already 
  had a strong 
  sense of 
  justice, but 
  now that he 
  has seen the 
  patterns of 
  injustice 
  all over the world, it’s changed his outlook. He 
  keeps a notebook with him at all times, writing 
  what he calls “Jazz Poetry.” He feels like his writing 
  might be a part of the solution, so he spends most of 
  his time scribbling powerful lines into his journal, 
  crafting his words into phrases of great depth. As the 
  Harlem Renaissance grows, Langston is finding 
  himself to be one of the leaders of the new 
  movement. 
  Rank: Novice
  Attributes: Agility d4, Smarts d8, 
  Spirit d6, Strength d6, Vigor d8 
  Skills: Driving d4, Fighting d4, 
  Gambling d4, Healing d6, 
  Investigation d6, Notice d6, 
  Persuasion d6, Shooting d4, 
  Streetwise d6, Survival d4
  Pace: 6; Parry: 4; Toughness: 6 
  Edges: Danger Sense, Nerves of Steel
  Hindrances: Code of Honor (major), 
  Loyal (minor), Cautious (minor)
  Gear: Brass knuckles (Str+d4)
  Tie-In: Like many 
  in the new Harlem 
  Renaissance, 
  Langston spends 
  much of his time 
  surrounded by 
  some of the greatest 
  artists and writers 
  of the day. He 
  is just one of 
  several luminaries 
  of the Harlem 
  Renaissance who 
  are also part 
  of the Mythos 
  Resistance.
  Langston Hughes
  "Let America be the dream the dreamers dreamed— / Let it be that great strong land of love, / 
  Where never kings connive nor tyrants scheme, / That any man be crushed by one above."
  
  Herald: Lovecraft & Tesla
  152
  Niels Henrik David Bohr was born to a very 
  prominent and powerful family in Denmark. He 
  spent his childhood with his nose buried in advanced 
  books, surrounded by the very best educators and 
  influential academics. The only thing Bohr loved 
  more than reading was playing football for 
  the Copenhagen Academic Football 
  Club along with his brother 
  Harald. Had young Bohr not 
  devoted his life to study, he 
  might have been an Olympic 
  footballer like his brother. 
  While still a young man, 
  he founded the Institute of 
  Theoretical Physics at the 
  University of Copenhagen, 
  now known as the Niels Bohr 
  Institute, which opened in 
  1920. Bohr guides the best and 
  brightest of Denmark towards 
  breakthroughs in physics, and the 
  job allows him ample time and 
  resources to devote towards 
  whatever experiment 
  or focus he decides 
  to pursue. He 
  truly leads a 
  life of pure, 
  academic 
  bliss.
  He is not 
  the only 
  Nobel Prize 
  winner in 
  the Mythos 
  Resistance 
  group. This 
  diverse 
  collection 
  of brilliant 
  minds with a common goal is the main reason Bohr 
  joined. Many are colleagues of his in the academic 
  circles—biologists, chemists, astronomers, 
  mathematicians, and fellow physicists. Being 
  surrounded by so many scientific luminaries puts 
  Niels Bohr at ease, like he’s just one of the crowd, 
  part of something bigger than his own singular 
  and undeniable genius. 
  Rank: Novice
  Attributes: Agility d4, Smarts d10, 
  Spirit d6, Strength d4, Vigor d4 
  Skills: Driving d4, Fighting d4, 
  Healing d4, Investigation d8, 
  Knowledge: Theoretical Physics d10, 
  Notice d4, Persuasion d8, Repair d4, 
  Streetwise d4, Tracking d4
  Pace: 6; Parry: 4; Toughness: 4 
  Edges: Tinkerer, Scholar
  Hindrances: Bad Eyes (minor), 
  Code of Honor (major)
  Gear: Box of chalk, slide rule
  Tie-In: Bohr invited 
  Einstein to the 
  new Copenhagen 
  of Theoretical 
  Physics, 
  where he was 
  recruited into 
  the Mythos 
  Resistance by 
  Mark Twain. 
  Einstein 
  joined 
  immediately 
  upon finding 
  out that his 
  mentor Niels 
  Bohr was part 
  of the group.
  Niels Bohr
  "Your theory is crazy, but it's not crazy enough to be true."
  
  Part 7: Friends & Foes
  153
  With a name like Pablo Diego José Francisco de 
  Paula Juan Nepomuceno María de los Remedios 
  Cipriano de la Santísima Trinidad Ruiz y Picasso, 
  this Spaniard was destined for greatness. At least 
  that is what his mother has told him his entire life. 
  He lives and works in France now, but his heart is 
  100% Andalusian. 
  Those who are drawn to Pablo’s art are more 
  likely to notice Mythos-related 
  creatures, events, and other 
  unnatural anomalies. For 
  Pablo, it’s a type of 
  shorthand, allowing him to 
  express himself artistically 
  and communicate with 
  other artists and creative 
  geniuses directly. With just 
  a few masterful lines he can 
  convey an entire universe that 
  follows its own rules, physics, 
  and logic. 
  He’s been a part of the 
  Mythos Resistance since the 
  beginning, one of the 
  first wave of those 
  recruited. Much of 
  what he’s learned 
  during his time 
  with the group 
  has influenced 
  his art in some 
  surprising 
  ways. Very 
  few realize 
  that Pablo’s 
  Cubism 
  movement 
  is based on 
  theories and 
  mathematical 
  formulae that come from some very strange places 
  on the planet (and off). There are Mythos-related 
  secrets about non-Euclidian geometry and the ability 
  to fold space in on itself to show all angles at the 
  same time. Some specific detailed combinations of 
  color and shape actually unlock unnatural properties 
  that seem to take the “colour out of space.” There 
  are good reasons as to why there are categories such 
  as Synthetic Cubism and Crystal Cubism. 
  Pablo is a master of creating art from chaos; 
  this ability is one of the most important things 
  to have on our side in the war against the 
  Mythos creatures. 
  Rank: Novice
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4, 
  Spirit d10, Strength d4, Vigor d6 
  Skills: Boating d4, Driving d4, Fighting d4, 
  Gambling d4, Healing d4, Investigation d4, 
  Notice d6, Persuasion d8, Riding d4, 
  Shooting d4, Swimming d4
  Pace: 6; Parry: 4; Toughness: 5 
  Edges: Danger Sense, Common 
  Bond
  Hindrances: Curious 
  (major), Vengeful (minor), 
  Stubborn (minor)
  Gear: Cudgel (Str+d4 ), 
  flask (full), backpack, 
  easel, canvasses, 
  notebook, pencils and 
  pastel oil paints.
  Tie-In: Pablo’s 
  powers of persuasion 
  are undeniable. His 
  friends Trilussa 
  and Dali are both 
  part of the Mythos 
  Resistance now, 
  thanks to him.
  Pablo Picasso
  "I am always doing that which I can not do, in order that I may learn how to do it."
  
  Herald: Lovecraft & Tesla
  154
  Amateur boxer and bodybuilder, young Robert 
  Ervin Howard is hotheaded, often the first to throw 
  a punch and the last one standing. He was born and 
  raised in Texas and spent most of his life in the town 
  of Cross Plains. Once a bookish and intellectual 
  child, Robert still dreams of becoming a writer 
  of adventure fiction and is inspired 
  greatly by fellow resistance fighter 
  H.P. Lovecraft, whom he looks up 
  to and hopes to learn from. His 
  dream is to someday have his 
  stories in publications like Weird 
  Tales magazine. 
  As he begins his 
  career as a writer, 
  Howard is still 
  imitating the styles 
  of his literary heroes. He 
  has the talent to break out of 
  his comfort zone and start 
  taking his ideas to the next 
  level, pouring the words in his 
  head onto paper. With more 
  experience, he’ll get there. One 
  of his ideas in particular has great 
  potential—an epic sword and 
  sorcery tale of a moody 
  barbarian king. 
  As one of the 
  youngest members 
  of the Mythos 
  Resistance, 
  he often feels 
  like he has to 
  prove himself, 
  taking chances 
  that others 
  wouldn’t. So 
  far it’s worked 
  out, but his 
  recklessness is a liability. Some other members 
  refuse to work with him, fearing that his short 
  temper will endanger the mission (and their lives). 
  They aren’t wrong. Everything he succeeds at seems 
  to be a close call.
  Rank: Novice
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d4, 
  Strength d6, Vigor d6 
  Skills: Climbing d4, Driving d4, 
  Fighting d10, Intimidation d6, 
  Notice d4, Shooting d6, Streetwise d4, 
  Survival d4, Swimming d4
  Pace: 6; Parry: 7; 
  Toughness: 5 
  Edges: First Strike, 
  Pulp Writer
  Hindrances: Young (major), 
  Deathwish (minor)
  Gear: Switchblade (Str+d4 ), 
  Colt 1911 (.45) (2d6)
  Tie-In: Sonia Greene has hired 
  young Robert to write stories 
  that can be published in her 
  magazine, The Rainbow, 
  a large illustrated 
  publication of 
  well-known 
  amateur 
  journalists 
  of the day, 
  which is also 
  a secret list 
  of authors 
  who are 
  involved 
  in the 
  resistance 
  against the 
  Mythos.
  Robert E. Howard
  "I have known many gods. He who denies them is as blind as he who trusts them too deeply."
  
  Part 7: Friends & Foes
  155
  Self-proclaimed Flapper and blues-singing 
  enchantress, Roxanne Zann is often seen 
  wearing red and turning heads with her almost 
  unnatural charisma. She 
  sometimes pretends 
  to be naive in order 
  to be privy to secret 
  conversations, but don’t 
  be fooled: she’s smart, 
  quick, and dangerous. 
  And she sings like an 
  angel.
  Roxanne grew up very 
  poor with her aunt in Rue 
  d'Auseil, Paris. Her father 
  died in the tragic Titanic 
  sinking, and her mother died 
  just six years later in the 
  global influenza epidemic of 
  ‘18. Life was not easy for the 
  teenage orphan, but her aunt 
  took her in and cared for her 
  as best she could.
  Roxanne’s grandfather 
  Erich was from Germany. 
  A master musician and 
  composer, he never found 
  fame or happiness but died 
  alone in his apartment just 
  two blocks from his only 
  surviving daughter and 
  granddaughter. Roxanne 
  never met him, but the 
  stories she heard 
  growing up made her 
  glad that she didn’t.
  After hearing 
  American Jazz for 
  Roxanne Zann
  "Une femme seul est toujours en mauvaise compagnie."
  the first time on a phonograph, all 
  Roxanne could think of was using her 
  mesmerizing voice to sing the blues 
  like they did on that record. So she 
  left.
  Her aunt still lives in 
  Paris, and they trade 
  letters every week. 
  Perhaps someday 
  Roxanne will return to 
  Europe, but for now she 
  is living her dream 
  of singing to packed 
  houses in New York, 
  Atlantic City, New 
  Orleans, and Chicago. 
  Next stop: Providence.
  Rank: Novice
  Attributes: Agility d6, 
  Smarts d6, Spirit d8, 
  Strength d4, Vigor d6
  Skills: Climbing d4, 
  Driving d4, Fighting d4, 
  Gambling d6, 
  Lockpicking d4, Notice d4, 
  Persuasion d6, Shooting d4, 
  Stealth d6, Streetwise d6
  Charisma: +2; Pace: 6; Parry: 4; 
  Toughness: 5
  Edges: Charismatic, Mover-Shaker
  Hindrances: 
  Eldritch Visions (minor), 
  Vengeful (minor)
  Gear: Opinel knife (Str+d4 )
  Tie-In: Roxanne is the 
  granddaughter of the late 
  musical genius Erich Zann.
  
  Herald: Lovecraft & Tesla
  156
  Most would agree that Rudolph Valentino is more 
  than handsome. Those who call him a dandy or try 
  to criticize his masculinity are envious. It’s a very 
  primordial human urge to try and shade something 
  that outshines the sun. Valentino is the best-looking, 
  most charismatic person in every room he enters—
  there is no denying it. Conversations stop as he 
  passes by, and all who see his smile feel a sense 
  of being lucky to have shared a moment with what 
  seems to be a living Roman god. 
  His movies are extremely popular both in the 
  United States and Europe, and almost all who 
  spot him in public recognize 
  him immediately. While the 
  rumors of dozens of women 
  fainting in the street is 
  an exaggeration, it’s not 
  something that Valentino 
  will deny. He truly loves 
  the attention and knows 
  that his continued success 
  in movies is something that is 
  not guaranteed: even his good 
  looks might someday fade. 
  Until then, he’s going 
  to enjoy every 
  moment. 
   Most have 
  only seen him, 
  not heard 
  him. While 
  his speaking 
  voice 
  may not 
  necessarily 
  be what 
  audiences 
  had 
  imagined, 
  his dashing 
  good looks are disarming. Whether it’s captivating 
  an entire audience or just charming the socks off of 
  someone standing in front of him, Valentino knows 
  how to use what he’s got to get what he wants. The 
  whole world seems to be infatuated with “Valentino, 
  the Latin Lover,” and Rodolfo Alfonso Raffaello 
  Pierre Filibert Guglielmi di Valentina d'Antonguella 
  wouldn’t have it any other way. 
  Rank: Novice
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4, Spirit d6, 
  Strength d6, Vigor d8 
  Skills: Boating d4, Climbing d4, Driving d4, 
  Fighting d6, Notice d4, Persuasion d8, Riding d6, 
  Shooting d4, Streetwise d4, Swimming d4, 
  Throwing d4
  Charisma: +4; Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 6 
  Edges: Extra Edge (racial), Very Attractive 
  Hindrances: Bad Luck (major), 
  Cautious (minor)
  Gear: Switchblade, umbrella, scrapbook with 
  newspaper clippings of stories about himself.
  Tie-In: Valentino was hired by 
  United Artists, the new 
  film company venture 
  of Chaplin and 
  Fairbanks. For 
  his first film 
  with them, 
  The Eagle, 
  Valentino 
  traveled to Paris 
  for the release, 
  staying at Coco 
  Chanel’s Bel Respiro 
  for several weeks. 
  During this stay, Twain 
  recruited the young Italian 
  heartthrob into the Resistance.
  Rudolph Valentino
  "I became to myself an imaginary figure of great excellence, daring and glamor."
  
  Part 7: Friends & Foes
  157
  There has never been anyone quite like Salvador 
  Dali. To him, art as a form is fluid, and only the 
  surreal is real. He gleefully lives life on the edge of 
  insanity and creates masterful works of art, some 
  of which likely won’t be appreciated for decades 
  to come. He continues to grow as an artist, but he’s 
  already come farther than most twice his age. He’s 
  still quite young and finds waiting for any length of 
  time to be extremely frustrating. 
  He speaks often to his 
  friend and mentor, fellow 
  Spaniard Pablo Picasso, 
  and looks up to him 
  as an inspiration. 
  Dali is always telling 
  Pablo about how he 
  attributes his love 
  of everything that is 
  gilded and excessive, 
  his passion for luxury 
  and his love of 
  oriental clothes, to 
  his "Arab lineage." 
  Dali’s ancestors were 
  Moors, and he is intensely 
  proud of his heritage. While he 
  knows few details about his family 
  history, he does have some very, very 
  old sketches that were passed down from an 
  ancestor named Abd-al-Hazred. At least they 
  look like sketches... 
  Most don’t know that he suffers from 
  excruciating migraines that bring about 
  nightmarish visions. He feels that it is simply the 
  price he pays for going so deep into his own psyche 
  through his work, and that even the worst moments 
  can be harnessed and used later as inspiration. 
  Lately, the headaches have been getting worse, and 
  his friends and colleagues are noticing a change in 
  his already-odd behavior. 
  Rank: Novice
  Attributes: Agility d4, Smarts d6, Spirit d8, 
  Strength d4, Vigor d8 
  Skills: Driving d4, Fighting d6, Investigation d6, 
  Knowledge: Mythos d6, 
  Knowledge: Psychology d6, 
  Notice d6, Shooting d6, Streetwise d4
  Charisma: +2; Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 6 
  Edges: Connects Dots, Charismatic
  Hindrances: Eldritch Visions (major), 
  Delusion (minor): grandeur
  Gear: Umbrella, small paint & brush kit, 
  camera, mustache wax 
  Tie-In: Young Dali’s surreal waking 
  dreams are Eldritch Visions, and 
  while the intense headaches and 
  nosebleeds that accompany them is 
  difficult, he feels that the sensation 
  of seeing beyond what normal 
  humans can see is worth every 
  ounce of pain.
  Salvador Dali
  "Surrealism is destructive, but it destroys only what it considers to be shackles limiting our vision."
  
  Herald: Lovecraft & Tesla
  158
  A skilled writer and publisher, Sonia is a fiercely 
  independent person with an unshakable sense of 
  duty to humanity. Much of her tragic past can 
  be attributed to her insistence that even the most 
  despicable people and personalities are worth 
  protecting. Sonia is an idealist, not a pragmatist. 
  She has a natural ability to comfort the sick and 
  injured but is usually more concerned with leading 
  the charge than being a field medic. Her intelligence 
  and focus is razor sharp, a quality that inspires 
  others to action and unnerves the close-minded.
  Sonia speaks fluent Russian and Ukrainian and 
  has a daughter in her early twenties. They do not 
  speak, not since Sonia tried in vain to convince 
  her daughter that the cosmic horror, the devious 
  invasion of things from beyond the stars is indeed 
  fact, not fiction. She fights on, giving up a 
  simple life for one of service to humanity, 
  even if humanity doesn’t know 
  enough of what’s really 
  happening to appreciate it.
  It was Sonia Greene who 
  first came up with the idea of 
  relaying hidden messages in pulp 
  magazines like Weird Tales and 
  other publications that would fly 
  under the radar of a majority of the 
  public. These magazines also had a 
  large market of like-minded 
  readers who might be 
  subconsciously 
  trained about 
  the Mythos 
  horrors that 
  are arriving 
  without even 
  knowing it. Some 
  of the writers who are part of the Resistance (like 
  Robert E. Howard) are directed by Sonia to include 
  certain phrases and keywords in their work to signal 
  operatives in the field and keep communications 
  secret. There is no person better to head this group 
  of literary warriors than Greene.
  Rank: Novice
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d8, Spirit d6, 
  Strength d4, Vigor d8
  Skills: Driving d4, Fighting d4, Healing d6, 
  Investigation d6, Knowledge: Geography d4, 
  Knowledge: History d4, Notice d6, Persuasion d6, 
  Shooting d4, Stealth d4, Streetwise d4, Taunt d4, 
  Tracking d4
  Pace: 6; Parry: 4; Toughness: 5
  Edges: Connections, Pulp Writer
  Hindrances: Bad Luck (major), 
  Stubborn (minor)
  Gear: Flashlight, Babe Ruth’s 
  Unnatural Bat (Str+d6, 
  double vs. Mythos creatures)
  Tie-In: Recently, Sonia 
  launched a magazine 
  called The Rainbow, 
  a large illustrated 
  publication of well-
  known amateur journalists of 
  the day, containing excellent 
  contributions by many 
  of them. To those few 
  cognoscenti that know 
  what to look for, The 
  Rainbow contains a list of 
  authors who are involved 
  in the resistance against 
  the Mythos.
  Sonia Greene
  "Speechless horror ensued; a horror in which the spectators were petrified to utter inaction and 
  mental chaos. Their complete demoralization is reflected in the conflicting accounts they give, and 
  the sheepish excuses they offer for their seemingly callous inertia. I was one of them, and I know."
  
  Part 7: Friends & Foes
  159
  Already quite famous in his native Rome, this 
  artist is part poet, part cultural revolutionary. As 
  Fascism starts to rise in 1920s Italy, there are 
  few who dare to openly mock those in power and 
  celebrate the common man. 
  Trilussa avoids becoming a part of any literary 
  circles, preferring instead to hang out in the streets 
  and taverns which are the sources of his inspiration. 
  His poetry features the petit bourgeoisie and 
  also contains strong satirical denunciations 
  against governments and the vices of rich 
  people. Some of his sonnets are Aesop-
  like moralistic fables. Trilussa's own 
  sketches and drawings are featured 
  alongside his delightfully subversive 
  poetry.
  Trilussa grew up very poor since his 
  father died when he was only three 
  years old. In the half-century since, he 
  has had only himself to count on and 
  refuses to tolerate people he feels are 
  petty or out of touch. He’s certainly more 
  comfortable sitting in a cafe with a 
  glass of Grappa than anywhere 
  else, and the stories he tells 
  are mesmerizing, 
  hilarious, and 
  poignant. 
  To this 
  day, he lives 
  very simply 
  and rarely 
  carries 
  money 
  with him, 
  and so 
  most 
  places 
  he goes 
  to he’s 
  mistaken for a unfortunate indigent. However, once 
  he starts to speak, there’s no doubt that this odd 
  Roman with patches on his sleeves is an affable 
  genius. 
  Rank: Novice
  Attributes: Agility d4, Smarts d8, Spirit d8, 
  Strength d4, Vigor d6 
  Skills: Driving d4, Fighting d4, Gambling d4, 
  Investigation d4, Notice d4, 
  Persuasion d10, Shooting d4, 
  Streetwise d8, Throwing d4
   Charisma: +2; Pace: 6; 
  Parry: 4; Toughness: 5 
  Edges: Charismatic, 
  Common Bond
  Hindrances: 
  Bad Eyes (minor), 
  Pacifist (minor), 
  Poverty (minor)
  Gear: Umbrella, flask (full)
  Tie-In: Trilussa is well known 
  in his native city of Rome and 
  has met with many of the most 
  famous European politicians, artists, 
  and scientists on the continent. 
  Unlike most of the other 
  Mythos Resistance 
  fighters, Trilussa was 
  not recruited. Rather, 
  he discovered the 
  plans of two of his 
  good Spanish friends, 
  Pablo Picasso and 
  Salvador Dali, and 
  demanded to be made 
  a part of it. Twain was 
  contacted and agreed 
  to allow Trilussa into 
  the fold.
  Trilussa
  "Già capisco che lascerò un'impronta ne la Storia."
  
  Herald: Lovecraft & Tesla
  160
  Victor Eisenberg is the only son of proud German 
  immigrants who came to America looking for 
  business opportunities and a bright new future for 
  their family. Tutored and mentored by some of the 
  greatest scientific minds in the German immigrant 
  community, young Victor 
  was performing complicated 
  scientific experiments on his 
  own before he even started 
  school. Losing interest in 
  what he found to be 
  unbearably remedial, 
  Victor left regular 
  school at age 13 and 
  entered straight away 
  to Brown University, 
  where he excelled. 
  His designs for a 
  working automaton 
  were considered 
  groundbreaking 
  but ultimately far too 
  expensive to ever produce. 
  His youth didn’t seem 
  to be a hindrance at all, 
  and he graduated with 
  a degree in Mechanical 
  Engineering, earning top 
  marks in every course. The 
  brash young 16-year-old 
  graduate refocused on the 
  new and exciting field of 
  Atomic Physics. Three 
  years later, he earned 
  his graduate degree and 
  continued on towards his 
  doctorate. 
  Now just one semester 
  from another graduate 
  degree in his hand, Victor 
  is realizing that what he has learned in his recent 
  studies in Theoretical Physics has only raised even 
  more deep questions—questions that won’t be 
  answered by the same methods everyone seems used 
  to in the scientific community. The next academic 
  step for Victor Eisenberg is likely the brand-new 
  Copenhagen Institute in Denmark, where he hopes 
  to study with one of his heroes, Niels Bohr. He may 
  disagree with the relative intensities of spectral lines 
  in Bohr’s model, but nobody’s perfect, right? To say 
  that Victor is overconfident is an understatement. 
  But it’s worked well for him so far.
  Rank: Novice
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d8, Spirit d6, 
  Strength d6, Vigor d6 
  Skills: Driving d4, Fighting d4, 
  Investigation d6, Knowledge: Engineering d6, 
  Knowledge: Physics d6, Lockpicking d4, 
  Notice d4, Repair d8, Shooting d6
  Pace: 6; Parry: 4; Toughness: 5 
  Edges: Scholar, Live Wire
  Hindrances: Overconfident 
  (major), 
  Doubting Thomas 
  (minor), 
  Bad Eyes (minor)
  Gear: Oversized brass 
  slide-rule (Str+d4 ).
  Tie-In: Victor has sent 
  in an application to the 
  Cophagen Institute in 
  Denmark, and hopes 
  to study under Niels 
  Bohr, who also happens 
  to be a member of the 
  Mythos Resistance, and 
  seems very interested 
  in the young applicant’s 
  possible future with the group.
  Victor Eisenberg
  "He who rests grows rusty."
  
  Part 7: Friends & Foes
  161
  W.E.B. Du Bois is a cultural icon and lifelong 
  anti-war activist. For decades now, the controversial 
  writings and ideas of Dr. Du Bois have been part of 
  the public discourse. The responsibility thrust on 
  him as the first African American to earn a doctorate 
  at Harvard only pushed him further in his pursuit 
  of knowledge. For years, he was a professor of 
  history, economics, and sociology at the University 
  of Atlanta.
  He is a big supporter of the recent explosion 
  of artistic creativity some are calling The Harlem 
  Renaissance, a cultural and social movement in New 
  York. He fights constantly against the oppression 
  he sees by continuing 
  with his brutally honest 
  editorials and speaking 
  engagements promoting 
  racial equality. Even 
  those who disagree with 
  his particular political 
  views can’t deny that his 
  passion for addressing 
  this issue is something to 
  be admired. It’s been decades 
  at this point, and Du Bois 
  still hasn’t stopped speaking 
  out, using his large public 
  sphere of influence to 
  reach as many people 
  as possible. His 
  extensive travels in 
  Europe, including 
  graduate work at the 
  University of Berlin, 
  have given him a 
  global perspective 
  most Americans will 
  never experience. 
  He always knew that 
  one day he’d be able to make substantive changes 
  through his knowledge and ability to communicate 
  his message. Now Dr. Du Bois commands the 
  respect of his colleagues and reaches thousands 
  through his monthly magazine, The Crisis. 
  Even though he’s older than many who have 
  entered the Mythos Resistance, his uncanny ability 
  to quickly discover the root to almost any problem, 
  social or otherwise, makes Du Bois the ideal leader 
  for any group. 
  Rank: Novice
  Attributes: Agility d4, Smarts d8, Spirit d6, 
  Strength d6, Vigor d6 
  Skills: Driving d4, Fighting d4, Healing d4, 
  Intimidation d4, Investigation d4, 
  Knowledge: Economics d4, 
  Knowledge: History d4, 
  Knowledge: Sociology d4, 
  Persuasion d8, Repair d6, Streetwise d4
  Pace: 6; Parry: 4; Toughness: 5 
  Edges: Alertness, Command, Connections
  Hindrances: Code of Honor (major), 
  Stubborn (minor), Pacifist (minor)
  Gear: Umbrella, notebook and pencil 
  Tie-In: Du Bois seems to know 
  everyone. Those in the newly 
  formed League of Nations 
  are in regular contact, 
  so he often has a great 
  deal of information 
  that is usually not 
  yet available to the 
  public. While he was 
  traveling Europe, 
  Marie Curie met with 
  him and recruited 
  him into the Mythos 
  Resistance group.
  W.E.B. Du Bois
  "When you have mastered numbers, you will in fact no longer be reading numbers, any more 
  than you read words when reading books. You will be reading meanings."
  
  Herald: Lovecraft & Tesla
  162
  Like most young kids growing up in the 
  beginning of the century, Walt Disney’s favorite 
  pastime was reading the cartoons in the papers, 
  laughing at the vaudeville shows, and catching the 
  newfangled moving pictures that were sweeping the 
  nation. Walt’s upbringing was safe and comfortable; 
  as all-American as rhubarb pie.
  Taking a job as a Kansas City Times delivery 
  boy was more than just employment for Walt. More 
  than once he was reprimanded by his bosses for 
  “scribbling all over the real cartoons.” His love 
  for art continued to grow as he took courses in 
  cartooning and drew for his high school paper, and 
  when the Disney family moved back to Chicago, 
  Walt began taking night courses at the Chicago 
  Academy of Fine Arts. Still too young 
  to legally sign up to fight in the Great 
  War, young Walt forged the date on 
  his birth certificate and joined the Red 
  Cross as an ambulance driver. While he 
  never experienced any combat, he did 
  publish some of his drawings in Stars 
  and Stripes, which propelled him 
  into his current career in 
  cartooning. 
  Surrounding himself 
  with the best artists he 
  can find and afford, 
  he dedicates every 
  moment of his time 
  to his growing 
  company. To 
  be honest, 
  Walt’s business 
  decisions have 
  been hit or miss, 
  but he’s confident 
  that if he keeps on 
  his current path, someday he’ll realize his goal of 
  being a world-renowned artist. He says that when 
  you wish upon a star, your dreams come true. He 
  may be sappy, but he’s sincere. 
  Rank: Novice
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d4, 
  Strength d4, Vigor d8 
  Skills: Climbing d4, Driving d4, Fighting d4, 
  Gambling d4, Intimidation d4, Lockpicking d4, 
  Notice d4, Persuasion d4, Piloting d4, Repair d4, 
  Shooting d4, Stealth d6, Streetwise d4, 
  Swimming d4, Taunt d4
  Charisma: +1; Pace: 6; Parry: 4; Toughness: 6 
  Edges: Luck, Charisma
  Hindrances: Tethered (minor), 
  Xenophobe (minor)
  Gear: Trained mouse (Mortimer), 
  umbrella, Colt 1911 (.45) (2d6)
  Tie-In: While young Walt’s 
  Laugh-O-Gram Studio is known 
  most for its unsustainable 
  financial situation, the animators 
  and other artists employed 
  there still stand behind 
  him and respect his 
  leadership. When 
  Mark Twain 
  approached Walt 
  to recruit him, 
  Walt insisted 
  that his original 
  core group of 
  seven artists from 
  Laugh-O-Gram were 
  also were informed 
  and made part of the 
  Mythos Resistance.
  Walt Disney
  "You may not realize it when it happens, but a kick in the teeth may be the best 
  thing in the world for you."
  
  Part 7: Friends & Foes
  163
  The wealthy son of a British noble and American 
  socialite, young Winston Churchill received the very 
  best education and had more opportunities afforded 
  him than most. While his childhood may not have 
  been considered a very happy one, he learned to 
  keep a stiff upper lip, grin, and bear it. In the army, 
  he traveled extensively from Bombay to Luxor, 
  experiencing the world under the flag of the Empire. 
  Rising to the position of First Lord of the Admiralty, 
  he valiantly led his country to bitter victory in The 
  Great War. 
  From his time as Secretary of State for War to 
  his long-held position of Chancellor of the 
  Exchequer, Churchill is one of the most 
  powerful political figures in Britain. 
  Many of the post-war decisions have 
  been difficult and some have backfired 
  harshly, but Churchill just keeps on 
  moving forward. 
  His extensive experience 
  commanding soldiers in the 
  army is something that the 
  Mythos Resistance feels is an 
  unfortunate probability 
  in the near future. 
  Stopping an 
  invasion from 
  beyond the stars 
  is going to be a 
  huge task, but 
  Winston is 
  ready for it, 
  chomping on 
  his Havana 
  cigar and 
  studying 
  maps of 
  global 
  hotspots 
  of Mythos creature activity. The invading creatures 
  are only going to grow in number, and unless there 
  is a solid military leader at the helm, no amount 
  of diplomacy or subterfuge will save humanity. 
  Sometimes it simply comes down to cold, hard 
  pragmatism. Any good commanding officer knows 
  that sending men to their deaths is only bearable if 
  the cause is just.
  Rank: Novice
  Attributes: Agility d4, Smarts d6, Spirit d4, 
  Strength d6, Vigor d10 
  Skills: Boating d4, Driving d4, Fighting d4, 
  Gambling d4, Investigation d4, 
  Knowledge: Military Tactics/Battle 
  Theory d6, Persuasion d4, 
  Piloting d4, Riding d4, 
  Shooting d6, Survival d6
  Pace: 6; Parry: 4; Toughness: 7 
  Edges: Command
  Hindrances: Habit (minor): 
  Havana cigars, Quirk (minor): 
  Lateral Lisp, Code of Honor (major)
  Gear: Mauser C96 pistol (2d6), 
  umbrella, box of Havana 
  cigars, matches
  Tie-In: Recruited by Henry 
  Ford, Churchill is one of the 
  few members of the Mythos 
  Resistance that Mark Twain 
  himself tried to block from 
  membership. Their animosity 
  towards each other sours 
  every interaction between 
  the two, but Winston 
  generally holds his 
  tongue around 
  the charismatic 
  octogenarian.
  Winston Churchill
  "There are a terrible lot of lies going about the world, and the worst of it is 
  that half of them are true."
  
  Herald: Lovecraft & Tesla
  164
  The first American Flapper. There has never been 
  anyone like Zelda. From a young age, she spent 
  most of her time dancing, swimming, drinking, 
  and smoking. Not proper for a southern lady from 
  a good family, but a whole lot of fun. Dancing the 
  Charleston till dawn, she painted the town red 
  and lived her life as she wanted to. Not 
  much has changed.
  Now married to a novelist who 
  shares her love of the high 
  life, Zelda lives in luxury. 
  Their parties are the talk 
  of the town, both for their 
  extravagance and the 
  likelihood that they’ll end 
  with broken dishes and 
  screaming. Many guests 
  know just when a Fitzgerald 
  party is about to go south and 
  get too dramatic to enjoy. Zelda 
  sure knows how to throw an 
  unforgettable party. She and 
  her husband Scott are rich 
  and famous, and she feels 
  that if they choose to act 
  badly, then it’s their right 
  to do so. 
  Nothing slips by Zelda. 
  Her nearly obsessive 
  attention to detail makes 
  her a great asset to any 
  group. Things that go 
  unnoticed by others 
  jump right out to 
  her, and it’s truly 
  frustrating for 
  her. 
  Privately, 
  Zelda is quite 
  concerned with her recent struggles with mental 
  health and has reacted by training herself to notice 
  every detail and remember everything so that 
  when things start to go a bit “dark,” she’ll have a 
  solid, recognizable basis for reality to return to. 
  Her life is not easy in this respect, but it doesn’t 
  stop her from being a fierce artist and 
  indispensable part of the Mythos 
  Resistance. 
  Rank: Novice
  Attributes: Agility d4, 
  Smarts d6, Spirit d8, 
  Strength d4, Vigor d8 
  Skills: Driving d4, 
  Fighting d4, Gambling d4, 
  Intimidation d4, 
  Investigation d8, Notice d8, 
  Persuasion d4, Shooting d4, 
  Streetwise d4, Swimming d4
  Pace: 6; Parry: 4; Toughness: 6 
  Edges: Strong Willed, 
  Pulp Writer
  Hindrances: 
  Eldritch Visions 
  (major), Phobia 
  (minor): 
  going mad
  Gear: 
  .32 automatic (2d6-1)
  Tie-In: While in 
  Paris, she and her 
  husband Scott were 
  recruited by Twain 
  himself. Incidentally, 
  Zelda’s childhood friend 
  Tallulah Bankhead is also 
  connected to the Mythos 
  Resistance as a “friendly.”
  Zelda Fitzgerald
  "By the time a person has achieved years adequate for choosing a direction, the die is cast and 
  the moment has long since passed which determined the future."
  
  Part 7: Friends & Foes
  165
  Seasoned Level
  Amelia Earhart was always 
  destined to suffer the heartache 
  and exhilaration of adventure. As a 
  child, she almost lost her head while 
  sledding when she dared to ride lying 
  on her stomach instead of sitting 
  up as was expected of proper 
  women. As she neared the 
  bottom of a hill, in an 
  indication of the terrible, 
  crazy luck she’d suffer 
  throughout her life, a 
  horse pulling a junk 
  man’s cart appeared 
  and blocked her path. 
  With no way to stop or 
  steer, she slid clear through 
  the horse’s legs and safely 
  into the open snow. Looking 
  back on it, she said, “Had I been 
  sitting up, either my head or the 
  horse’s ribs would have suffered 
  in contact—probably the horse’s 
  ribs.”
  She applied that same bravado 
  through school and into her first 
  flights, where she truly found her 
  calling for pressing society’s 
  boundaries. As the first woman 
  to cross the Atlantic, Earhart 
  became a national figure and 
  celebrated pilot. As she toured 
  the country promoting her book 
  through her publisher GP Putnam, Earhart enjoyed 
  the publicity and took every opportunity to 
  demonstrate her superior skill behind a control 
  stick. During this time, while directing her engine 
  crew, she met Nikola Tesla and established a 
  connection built on mutual respect that quickly 
  grew into love and eventually, an engagement.
  Amelia proved herself to be a consummate 
  supporter of women by encouraging others 
  not only to follow through the barriers she 
  had broken but also to cultivate their own 
  adventurous spirit by establishing The 99s, 
  an organization of women pilots dedicated 
  to promoting aviation and passion for 
  flight.
  Rank: Seasoned
  Attributes: Agility d4, Smarts d6, 
  Spirit d8, Strength d6, Vigor d8 
  Skills: Climbing d4, Driving d4, 
  Fighting: d4, Investigation: d6, 
  Piloting d10, Repair d6, Riding d4, 
  Shooting d6, Stealth d4, 
  Swimming: d4, Tracking: d6
  Pace: 6; Parry: 2; Toughness: 6 
  Edges: Brave
  Hindrances: Bad Luck (major)
  Gear: Basic tool kit
  Tie-In: Amelia vanished while testing an 
  experimental airplane engine. She found herself 
  in “The Elsewhere,” a nightmarish dreamland 
  dimension filled with unspeakable Mythos creatures.
  Amelia Earhart
  "Ours is the commencement of a flying age, and I am happy to have popped into 
  existence at a period so interesting."
  
  Herald: Lovecraft & Tesla
  166
  Born in the Old Russian Empire, Emma Goldman 
  is educated and prides herself on being well-
  informed and forward-thinking. Her strong views 
  are often met with considerable pushback from 
  those in power, and forever separate her from those 
  who are content to simply let things continue as they 
  are. 
  She emigrated to the United States in 1885 and 
  quickly became active in anarchist political circles. 
  As a lecturer and activist, her writings address 
  inequality and injustice for many marginalized 
  groups. At one point, thousands of people would 
  show up to hear Goldman speak. In and out of 
  prison, and eventually deported from the country 
  she’d adopted and fought for, Emma 
  continues her ideological fight 
  against inequity. Never one for 
  mincing words, her political 
  views are always well known 
  and this draws the attention 
  of some very dangerous and 
  powerful people. 
  For many other Mythos 
  Resistance fighters, Goldman 
  is a type of mother-figure that 
  can be counted on no 
  matter what. Her 
  contributions to 
  the secret group’s 
  leadership 
  council have been 
  a balancing force, 
  and her ability to 
  rise above petty 
  squabbles and 
  internal power-
  plays has saved 
  lives in the field. Her 
  strong political views may be culturally provocative 
  and seem extreme to some, but they are all based in 
  a sense of human decency and idealism. 
  There’s a clear irony in the fact that one of the 
  world’s most well-known anarchists is one of the 
  leaders of a secretive group full of politicians and 
  others who find her views abhorrent. But the greater 
  good is just that, pushing the concept of “The enemy 
  of my enemy is my friend” to its breaking point! 
  Rank: Seasoned
  Attributes: Agility d4, Smarts d6, Spirit d8, 
  Strength d4, Vigor d8 
  Skills: Boating d4, Driving d4, Fighting d4, 
  Healing d6, Investigation d4, Knowledge: Political 
  Science d4, Knowledge: Psychology d4, 
  Knowledge: World History d4, Notice d4, 
  Persuasion d10, Riding d4, Stealth d4, 
  Streetwise d4, Swimming d4, Tracking d4
  Charisma: +2; Pace: 6; Parry: 4; 
  Toughness: 6 
  Edges: Brave, Charismatic, Scholar, 
  Sound Mind, Hard to Kill, Command,
  Bane of Mythos
  Hindrances: Code of Honor (major), 
  Vow (minor): Proselytize Anarcho-communism, 
  Wanted (minor)
  Tie-In: Exiled and living in Europe, Emma 
  Goldman is one of the most provocative 
  members of the group and has risen in 
  the top-secret ranks to become one of 
  the decision-makers. The one time 
  her suggestions were heeded was 
  the recent inclusion of J. Edgar 
  Hoover into the Resistance. After 
  all, he is the reason she and many 
  of her friends were deported in 
  the first place.
  Emma Goldman
  "When, in the course of human development, existing institutions prove inadequate to the needs 
  of man, when they serve merely to enslave, rob, and oppress mankind, the people have the 
  eternal right to rebel against, and overthrow, these institutions."
  
  Part 7: Friends & Foes
  167
  Henry Ford, famous founder of the Ford Motor 
  Company, king of the assembly line. Once just 
  another young engineer for the Edison Illuminating 
  Company, Henry worked his way up and impressed 
  his superiors (like Thomas Edison) with his gasoline 
  engine designs. Ford eventually resigned from 
  the Edison Company and went into business for 
  himself. He hasn’t looked back since. 
  Henry developed and manufactured 
  the first affordable automobile that 
  the “Middle-Class American” 
  could afford. With mass 
  production being perfected, his 
  Model T and Model A have 
  set his place in history as the 
  industrialist who was able to 
  make driving accessible to the 
  regular folks. Sure, this image 
  is a romanticized one, but Henry 
  Ford wouldn’t have it any other 
  way.
  Some may mistake his business 
  acumen and prowess for greed, but 
  for Henry, it’s not about accumulating 
  wealth so much as it is about 
  being the best by selling 
  the most. His designs 
  and innovations to 
  production were 
  revolutionary a few 
  decades ago, and 
  now he is happily 
  riding a wave of 
  his own making. 
  If he can make 
  big money 
  and still keep 
  wages high 
  enough for 
  workers, 
  then he’ll continue to make money as his employees 
  buy the cars they’re assembling. Henry is definitely 
  playing a long-term game and isn’t shy about his 
  very specific vision for a future where consumerism 
  is what keeps us out of another Great War. Heaven 
  forbid!
  Rank: Seasoned
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, 
  Strength d6, Vigor d6 
  Skills: Boating d4, Driving d6, 
  Fighting d4, Gambling d6, 
  Intimidation d6, Investigation d6, 
  Knowledge: Business/Economics d6, 
  Knowledge: Psychology d4, 
  Persuasion d6, Piloting d4, Repair d10
  Charisma: +1; Pace: 6; Parry: 4; 
  Toughness: 5 
  Edges: Inspire, Connections, McGyver, 
  Charismatic, Command
  Hindrances: Pacifist (major), 
  Big Mouth (minor), Xenophobe (minor)
  Gear: Original Model T prototype (still 
  working!)
  Tie-In: Ford is one of the 
  world’s most recognizable 
  and respected people, and 
  he is close personal 
  friends with many 
  of the other rich 
  and famous. 
  While many of his 
  personal views go 
  against what others 
  in the Mythos 
  Resistance are all 
  about, this crafty 
  old pragmatist is 
  an asset to any 
  team.
  Henry Ford
  "Coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress, and working together is success."
  
  Herald: Lovecraft & Tesla
  168
  Howard Phillips Lovecraft is an accomplished 
  writer, Mythos researcher, and arcanist. While the 
  rest of the world continues its quotidian existence 
  adjacent to the dark machinations of the Awakening, 
  Howard has felt vibrations from lost stars 
  divining his destiny as integral to the 
  salvation of mankind. Each day, his 
  knowledge of the threat facing Earth 
  grows, and each day he is forced to 
  renew his commitment to defending 
  his insignificant species, whom he 
  feels is unworthy of respect. Coddled 
  by a mother who views his writing 
  as a useless hobby, he complains for 
  hours on topics he knows nothing 
  about, takes insult where none was 
  intended, and refuses to hold a regular 
  job. Though his mother has trained 
  him to be a competent arcanist, she 
  knows that any misstep could be 
  dangerous, especially 
  considering the deep 
  well of anger that 
  Howard uses to 
  power his abilities.
  Now that Nikola 
  Tesla has dragged 
  Lovecraft 
  out of his 
  comfortable 
  isolation, 
  H.P. has 
  been forced 
  to contend 
  with book 
  golems, 
  flesh beasts, 
  youngling Mi-
  go, and all manner of 
  unspeakable horrors like party conversations, public 
  ridicule, and the realization that his ugly bigotries 
  are not shared by most people. Despite his mistrust 
  of science, Lovecraft has come to see Tesla as the 
  only friend willing to put up with him, making 
  him intensely loyal—though he secretly 
  fears that Tesla doesn’t feel the same. 
  Rank: Seasoned
  Attributes: Agility d4, Smarts d8, 
  Spirit d12, Strength d4, Vigor d8
  Skills: Driving d4, Fighting d4, 
  Intimidation d4, Investigation d6, 
  Knowledge: Mythos d10, Notice d4, 
  Persuasion d4, Shooting d4, 
  Stealth d4, Taunt d6, Throwing d4
  Charisma: 0 Pace: 6; Parry: 4; 
  Toughness: 6
  Edges: Charismatic, Pulp 
  Writer, R'lyeh-terate, 
  Bane of Mythos, Hard 
  to Kill
  Hindrances: 
  Sleep Paralysis 
  (minor), Eldritch 
  Visions (minor), 
  Xenophobe 
  (major)
  Tie-In: 
  His recent 
  adventures with 
  Tesla have cut 
  into his Mythos 
  research time, 
  but if he found 
  someone trustworthy 
  to do the legwork, he’d 
  be open to outsourcing 
  certain projects.
  HP Lovecraft
  "The only saving grace of the present is that it's too damned stupid to 
  question the past very closely."
  
  Part 7: Friends & Foes
  169
  Nikola Tesla is quite possibly the smartest person 
  on the planet, having created a functional system 
  for alternating current as well as the foundation for 
  wireless technology and power. Before being fired 
  by Thomas Edison, Tesla was well on his way to 
  filing more patents and innovating more discoveries 
  than anyone in history. Once Tesla realized his 
  fiancée Amelia Earhart had stolen his unfinished 
  engine prototype, throwing her into the Elsewhere 
  dimension, he suspended his intellectual pursuits 
  and now works relentlessly to find a way to bring 
  her back, with or without the 
  help of H.P. Lovecraft. 
  When they work 
  together, Tesla is the 
  cool-headed, arrogant 
  center to Lovecraft’s 
  flailing outbursts. In 
  this age of con-
  artists and robber 
  barons, Tesla 
  is continually 
  shocked by 
  unethical behavior. 
  When confronted 
  with humanity’s 
  darker nature, his 
  eyes widen not out of 
  fear but with the kind 
  of disappointment a 
  child has when losing 
  a balloon at the fair. That 
  naiveté, however, doesn’t 
  extend to the Mythos, 
  which Tesla views as 
  another explainable set of 
  fascinating phenomena.
  When Nikola was a child, 
  he fell ill with cholera, and 
  the prognosis looked grim until he began reading 
  the early works of Mark Twain and miraculously 
  recovered. Tesla was always grateful and credited 
  Twain for saving his life. Many years later, after 
  Tesla and Twain had become close friends, Twain’s 
  private library was turned into the rebellious book 
  golem William Wilde. Tesla was able to return 
  the decades-old favor, defeating the monster and 
  ostensibly saving Twain’s life.
  Rank: Seasoned
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d8, Spirit d4, 
  Strength d6, Vigor d8 
  Skills: Boating d4, Climbing d4, Driving d4, 
  Fighting d4, Investigation d4, 
  Knowledge: Electrical Engineering d8, 
  Knowledge: Mythos d6, Lockpicking: d4, 
  Piloting d4, Repair d8, Shooting d6, Stealth d4, 
  Throwing d4
  Pace: 6; Parry: 2; Toughness: 6 
  Edges: Live Wire, Scholar, Bane of Mythos, 
  Improvisational Fighter
  Hindrances: Vow (major): Fight the 
  Mythos/Save Amelia, Loyal (minor), 
  Poverty (minor)
  Gear: Lightning Pistol 
  (see page 34)
  Tie-In: Tesla currently works out 
  of an old garage in New York, 
  prolifically developing whatever 
  his eidetic memory can conjure to 
  save Amelia. In Tesla’s notoriously 
  disorganized workshop, who 
  knows what treasures lie 
  beneath the piles of half-
  finished devices and junk. 
  More importantly, who 
  would pay to gain access 
  to that wealth of technology?
  Nikola Tesla
  "Let the future tell the truth and evaluate each one according to his work and accomplishments. 
  The present is theirs; the future, for which I really worked, is mine."
  
  Herald: Lovecraft & Tesla
  170
  From his shorter-than-anticipated stint as Vice 
  President to his time as the Commander In Chief, 
  Calvin Coolidge has spent a decade in the Oval 
  Office surrounded by the decision-makers of the 
  country, some loyal and some not so loyal. His 
  nickname “Silent Cal” fits him well. Getting 
  more than a few words out of him is a feat, 
  and when he does speak, the volume is so 
  low that most strain to hear his words. 
  Whether this is done intentionally or not, 
  it can be quite effective in getting a room 
  full of angry politicians to pipe down 
  long enough to hear what their boss is 
  saying. 
  Much like his friend Sophie Tucker, 
  many of the people Silent Cal associates 
  with are not known for playing well 
  with others. Perhaps Silent Cal’s most 
  trusted colleague is J. Edgar Hoover, 
  who has saved his life on numerous 
  occasions. As with many who 
  hold the position of 
  President of the 
  United States, 
  the pressures 
  of the job 
  quickly led 
  to decisions 
  based on 
  pragmatism, 
  not 
  idealism. 
  Silent Cal 
  has a lot 
  on his 
  plate, 
  and now 
  that it’s clear that Mythos creatures from beyond the 
  stars are starting an invasion, the last thing that he 
  wants to think about is Prohibition or civil liberties. 
  Rank: Veteran
  Attributes: Agility d6, 
  Smarts d6, Spirit d6, 
  Strength d6, Vigor d6 
  Skills: Boating d4, 
  Climbing d4, Driving d6, 
  Fighting d4, Healing d4, 
  Investigation d6, 
  Notice d4, Persuasion d6, 
  Riding d4, Shooting d6, 
  Streetwise d4, 
  Swimming d6, Throwing d4
  Pace: 6; Parry: 4; 
  Toughness: 5 
  Edges: Command, 
  Connections, Danger Sense, 
  Leader of Men, Strong Willed, 
  Alertness
  Hindrances: Quirk 
  (minor): Rarely 
  speaks/speaks 
  very softly
  Tie-In: 
  Sophie Tucker 
  recruited 
  Coolidge 
  and Hoover 
  on the same 
  day. Both 
  consider 
  her to be a 
  personal 
  friend.
  Calvin Coolidge
  "I have never been hurt by anything I didn't say."
  Veteran Level
  
  Part 7: Friends & Foes
  171
  George Washington Carver was born into slavery 
  and is now one of the most renowned minds in 
  the world. To both the famous admirers (like the 
  late President Roosevelt) as well as the unknown 
  impressionable young minds entering his lecture 
  hall for the first time, Dr. Carver’s dry wit and 
  intelligence are truly impressive. He deeply cares 
  about his students and anyone who is curious about 
  science, history, chemistry, or any other honest 
  pursuit of knowledge. The Tuskegee Institute's 
  Agriculture Department is where he has done 
  much of his work on systematic crop rotation using 
  legumes and sweet potatoes. 
  Carter’s research laboratory is where 
  countless uses for these nitrogen-
  rich crops are being developed. 
  It is also where many of 
  the brightest scientists in 
  America can be found, free 
  enough from bureaucratic 
  overreach to pursue things 
  that really matter and directly 
  affect people’s lives. Carver 
  runs a tight ship and knows 
  just how to push his students 
  to yield their best work. 
  Like most scientists, he is 
  immediately suspicious of 
  the theory of unnatural 
  creatures from 
  beyond the stars. 
  But now that he 
  has seen a few 
  yet-unexplained 
  specimens and 
  events with 
  his own eyes, 
  he is willing 
  to dedicate 
  the time it 
  takes to studying these strange Mythos Anomalies. 
  Perhaps there are some beneficial applications to be 
  developed? Maybe taking a much closer look at the 
  chitinous carapace of what some in the Resistance 
  are calling a “star crab” could give some insight? 
  The Mythos Resistance is extremely lucky to have 
  George Washington Carver as part of its leadership. 
  Rank: Veteran
  Attributes: Agility d4, Smarts d12, Spirit d4, 
  Strength d4, Vigor d10 
  Skills: Driving d4, Healing d8, Investigation d8, 
  Knowledge: Biology d6, Knowledge: Chemistry d6, 
  Notice d8, Persuasion d4, Piloting d4, Repair d6, 
  Tracking d6
  Pace: 6; Parry: 2; Toughness: 7 
  Edges: Command, Connects Dots, 
  Improvisational Fighter, Scholar, Live Wire, 
  Level Headed
  Hindrances: Bad Eyes (minor), 
  Doubting Thomas (minor), Curious (major)
  Gear: Chemistry Field Kit, Lab Coat, 
  Microscope, Notebook and Pencil, Umbrella
  Tie-In: Dr. Curie contacted Dr. Carver 
  to share a strange specimen brought in 
  recently from an Antarctic expedition. 
  What he saw on that microscope 
  slide raised almost too many 
  questions. Now, Dr. Carver 
  is one of the leaders of 
  the Mythos Resistance, 
  gathering data to study 
  and forever digging 
  deeper and looking for 
  new practical applications, 
  new approaches, and 
  new ways to harness the 
  cosmic horror for science. 
  Everyone wants to hear 
  Professor Carver’s advice!
  George Washington Carver
  "Where there is no vision, there is no hope."
  
  Herald: Lovecraft & Tesla
  172
  Marie Curie was born in Warsaw where she 
  studied at Warsaw's famous Floating University, 
  immersing herself in a lifelong career in science and 
  the groundbreaking development of the theory of 
  radioactivity. In Paris, she continued her studies and 
  earned her higher degrees. Her husband was the late 
  Pierre Curie, with whom she and Henri Becquerel 
  shared the Nobel Prize in Physics. Just eight years 
  later, Marie won The Nobel Prize in Chemistry. 
  During the Great War, her innovative mobile 
  radiography units saved countless lives in 
  the field, and she shows no signs of 
  slowing down!
  In addition to isolating 
  radioactive isotopes, Curie 
  is part of the Mythos 
  Resistance, providing 
  a much-needed logical 
  brilliance to the passionate 
  leadership. While she may 
  not be able to explain 
  fully what seems to be 
  happening all over the 
  world these days, she 
  fully intends to. Perhaps 
  there is a connection to her 
  studies with radioactivity and 
  the unnatural creatures 
  she has seen first-
  hand that shouldn’t, 
  by all accounts, 
  even exist. At 
  her age, she has 
  seen enough 
  data to realize 
  that the recent 
  anomalies are 
  not just some 
  oddball global 
  conspiracy. They are truth—an unspeakable truth.
  With Marie Curie as one of five de facto leaders 
  of the Mythos Resistance, she is able to recruit 
  other scientists who might not have considered what 
  they’ve seen, or are about to see, as natural. 
  Rank: Veteran
  Attributes: Agility d4, Smarts d12, Spirit d8, 
  Strength d4, Vigor d6 
  Skills: Healing d4, Investigation d10, 
  Knowledge: Chemistry d6, Knowledge: Mythos d4, 
  Knowledge: Physics d6, Lockpicking d6, 
  Notice d4, Persuasion d6, Repair d6, 
  Tracking d4
  Pace: 6; Parry: 2; Toughness: 5 
  Edges: Bane of Mythos, Scholar, 
  Command, Improved Level Headed
  Hindrances: Curious (major), 
  Anemic (minor), Pacifist (minor)
  Gear: Chemistry field kit, lab coat, 
  microscope, notebook
  Tie-In: Curie has seen some things 
  recently that her logical, scientific mind 
  is still struggling to accept. Mark Twain 
  recruited her to be a part of the leadership 
  for the growing Mythos Resistance 
  group, and while she finds 
  most of the other members 
  to be annoying, many of 
  them have also seen things 
  that humans were not 
  meant to see. She realizes 
  that the best way to truly 
  investigate the source 
  of these seemingly 
  unnatural experiences is 
  to be an integral part of 
  the group and gather 
  more data.
  Marie Curie
  "Science is essentially international, and it is only through lack of the historical sense that national 
  qualities have been attributed to it."
  
  Part 7: Friends & Foes
  173
  This crafty octogenarian is actually humanity’s 
  most unlikely savior. Very few know that Mark 
  Twain is still alive and that he faked 
  his death back in 1910. Astronomers 
  with groundbreaking new 
  technology who were observing the 
  return of Halley’s Comet proved 
  beyond a doubt that unspeakable 
  entities from beyond the stars were en 
  route. This information was never 
  revealed to the public. Rather, 
  then-president Taft called him 
  into a special meeting that 
  would change his life forever. 
  The terrible revelations on that 
  day brought into doubt the 
  survivability of our human 
  race and Twain made a pledge 
  to spend the rest of his life 
  preparing for the inevitable war 
  against the invading creatures of 
  this unspeakable Mythos.
  For over a decade, this secret 
  resistance group has been growing 
  in number. Presidents Wilson and 
  Harding both made sure that funding 
  for the group continued and stayed 
  confidential. Many of the most notable 
  secret recruitments happened at the 
  White House during official visits. 
  Many popular actors, writers, politicians, 
  scientists, and other talented men and 
  women are now members of a secret 
  society of resistance fighters. Twain has 
  recently found that messages hidden in 
  popular “weird fiction” are one of the 
  best tools to bring in those in the know. 
  Our enemies are already arriving, and 
  time is of the essence.
  As one of the most respected humorists of all 
  time, Twain is an expert on mankind’s strengths and 
  foibles. He knows all too well that fellow humans 
  are often as dangerous as the pre-terrestrial beings 
  they worship. Cults have developed around the 
  growing weirdness and threaten to expose the 
  truth. Some even actively seek to help the ancient 
  beings in their invasion. Without Twain’s all-star 
  group of secret soldiers and operatives, it’s likely 
  that humanity would have fallen years ago. 
  Rank: Veteran
  Attributes: Agility d4, Smarts d8, 
  Spirit d8, Strength d4, Vigor d8 
  Skills: Boating d4, Fighting d4, 
  Gambling d4, Healing d4, 
  Investigation d8, Notice d4, 
  Persuasion d6, Streetwise d4, 
  Taunt: d8, Tracking d4
  Charisma: +2; Pace: 6; Parry: 4; 
  Toughness: 6 
  Edges: Hard to Kill, Charismatic, 
  Mover-Shaker, Command, Natural Leader, 
  Tactician, Hold the Line!, Strong Willed, 
  Improved Level Headed, Alertness, 
  Connections
  Hindrances: Pacifist (minor), Hard of 
  Hearing (minor), Big Mouth (minor)
  Gear: Flashlight, white suit, umbrella, 
  Talisman of Yog-Sothoth
  Tie-In: Twain is the de-facto leader of 
  the global resistance against the cosmic 
  horror of the Mythos. He has been in 
  charge of recruitment over the last few 
  years and now has a fairly 
  extensive (and top-secret) 
  roster of folks who can 
  be counted on to join in 
  the fight when the time comes.
  Mark Twain
  "Truth is stranger than fiction, but it is because Fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities; 
  truth isn't."
  
  Herald: Lovecraft & Tesla
  174
  No one seems to know more people than Sophie 
  Tucker. From presidents to film stars to royalty, 
  everywhere she goes she makes friends. One week, 
  she might be eating dinner with J. Edgar Hoover. 
  The next, she’s playing cards until dawn with Al 
  Capone. Rudolph Valentino sends her flowers, and 
  Charlie Chaplin invites her on holidays. Everyone 
  loves Tucker, the self-proclaimed “First 
  and Last of the Red Hot Mamas.” 
  Onstage, her powerful voice 
  fills packed theaters. Tucker 
  is arguably the most famous 
  female entertainer of the 
  day and enjoys her life 
  immensely. From her poor 
  early vaudevillian days 
  to 50 weeks a year on 
  a sold-out tour, she has 
  earned everything she 
  has through hard work and 
  stubbornness. Her unwavering 
  sense of loyalty is both 
  a blessing and a 
  curse: there are 
  a few people she 
  considers friends 
  that end up doing 
  terrible things. 
  In her early 
  days on the 
  vaudeville stages, 
  Soph befriended 
  Mark Twain. 
  The two never 
  stopped their 
  correspondence, 
  exchanging letters 
  twice a month ever 
  since. When Mark 
  Twain first decided to 
  fake his death and go underground, it was his good 
  friend Sophie Tucker who heard about it all first. In 
  some ways she is the second actual member of the 
  Mythos Resistance. Everyone knows that Soph will 
  never let a secret out. She may associate with some 
  nefarious people, confounding some of her fellow 
  Resistance members, but the whole lot trust Sophie 
  Tucker. 
  Rank: Veteran
  Attributes: Agility d4, Smarts d10, 
  Spirit d4, Strength d6, Vigor d8 
  Skills: Boating d4, Climbing d4, 
  Driving d4, Fighting d4, Gambling d4, 
  Healing d4, Intimidation d4, 
  Investigation d4, 
  Knowledge: Mythos d4, 
  Lockpicking d4, Notice d4, 
  Persuasion d4, Riding d4, Shooting d4, 
  Stealth d4, Streetwise d4, 
  Swimming d4, Taunt d4, 
  Throwing d4, Tracking d4
  Pace: 6; Parry: 4; 
  Toughness: 6 
  Edges: Danger Sense, 
  Command, Tactician, 
  Connections, 
  Bane of Mythos
  Hindrances: 
  Vengeful (minor), 
  Pacifist (minor)
  Gear: S&W (.44) 
  (Damage: 2d6+1, 
  Range: 0, AP: 1, 
  ROF: 1)
  Tie-In: Sophie’s brought 
  in dozens of people to the 
  group. Only Twain has 
  recruited more Mythos 
  Resistance fighters.
  Sophie Tucker
  "Success in show business depends on your ability to make and keep friends."
  
  Back Matter
  
  Herald: Lovecraft & Tesla
  176
  List of 20s Slang
  All wet — Wrong
  Ankle — To walk
  Applesauce — A pejorative term meaning 
  “nonsense”
  Baloney — A pejorative term meaning “nonsense”
  Banana oil — A pejorative term meaning 
  “nonsense”
  Bearcat — A lively, spirited woman
  Bee’s Knees — An exemplary person or thing
  Berries — Similar to bee’s knees
  Bible belt — Area of Southern & Midwestern US 
  where fundamentalist religion prevails (new term in 
  the 1920s)
  Big cheese — An important person
  Bimbo — A shallow person. In the 1910s, this term 
  applied exclusively to men, but by the 1920s, it had 
  begun to be applied to women as well.
  Bob — A popular short women’s hairstyle
  Bronx cheer — A loud, critical noise from an 
  audience
  Bull session — Informal group chat
  Bump off — To kill
  Bunk — Short for bunkum, also spelled buncombe: 
  a pejorative term meaning “nonsense”
  Bushwa — A pejorative term meaning “nonsense”
  Butt me — “Please give me a cigarette”
  Cake-eater — A womanizer
  Cancelled stamp — A shy, lonely woman
  Cat’s meow — Similar to bee’s knees
  Charleston — An extremely popular, energetic jazz 
  dance style
  Cheaters — Spectacles
  Choice bit of calico — An attractive female
  Copacetic — In excellent order, okay
  Dancing marathon — Endurance contests of 
  uninterrupted dancing, often for days 
  Darb — Similar to bee’s knees
  Dogs — Human feet
  Drugstore cowboy — An idle dandy obsessed with 
  picking up women
  Dumb Dora — Idiot
  Egg — A person leading an extravagant, wealthy 
  lifestyle
  Fall guy — Scapegoat
  Flagpole sitting — Fad consisting of sitting on a 
  platform or chair mounted on a flagpole for days or 
  weeks 
  Flapper — A stylish young woman, usually in 
  rolled stockings, short skirt, and bobbed hair
  Flat tire — An uninteresting person
  Gam — A woman’s leg
  Gasper — A cigarette
  Giggle water — Any alcoholic drink
  Gin mill — A speakeasy
  Handcuff — An engagement ring
  Heebie-jeebies — A nonsense word for a nervous 
  feeling
  Hep — Wise
  High-hat — To snub someone
  Hokum — A pejorative term meaning “nonsense”
  Hooch — Illegal liquor, often homemade
  Hoofer — Dancing girl
  
  Back Matter
  177
  Horsefeathers — A pejorative term meaning 
  “nonsense”
  Hotsy-totsy — Appealing, pleasing
  Iron one’s shoelaces — Euphemism for leaving to 
  go to the bathroom 
  Jake — Okay, e.g., “Everything’s jake”
  Jalopy — An old car
  Jorum of skee — A swig of alcohol (especially hard 
  liquor)
  Keen — Appealing, pleasing
  Knickers/Knickerbockers — Three-quarter length 
  pants that buckle or cinch between the kneecap and 
  the bulge of the calf
  Kiddo — Similar to “buddy,” “dude”
  Kisser — The mouth
  Let’s blouse — Let us depart this place
  Line — Insincere flattery
  Lounge lizard — Womanizer
  Mah-Jongg — A Chinese tile-game that became a 
  huge fad in the 1920s
  Mazuma — Money, cash
  Mrs. Grundy — An uptight individual
  Neck — To kiss and caress passionately
  Nerts/Nuts — An interjection expressing disgust
  Noodle juice — Tea
  Now you’re on the trolley — Now you get the idea
  Oliver Twist — An extremely talented dancer
  Ossified — Drunk
  Oxford bags — Extremely baggy trousers
  Panther piss — Homemade whiskey
  Patent-leather hair — The men’s practice of using 
  extremely shiny pomade to hold the hair flat against 
  the head, giving a slick appearance, usually parted in 
  the middle.
  Peppy — Lively, full of life
  Pet — To kiss and caress passionately
  Petting pantry — A movie theater
  Pinch — To arrest
  Raccoon coat — An oversized, full-length fur coat
  Raspberry — Similar to Bronx cheer
  Reuben — A hick or redneck
  Ritzy — Elegant
  Real McCoy — The genuine article
  Scram — Short for “scramble”: leave hurriedly
  Screwy — Crazy or eccentric
  Shackle — A wedding ring
  Sheba — A sexy young woman
  Sheik — A sexy young man
  Smeller — The nose
  Sob sister — A reporter that tends towards 
  emotionalism
  Sockdollager — An event or action of great 
  importance
  Speakeasy — An illegal bar or saloon
  Spifflicated — Drunk
  Spiffy — Elegantly fashionable
  Struggle buggy — A car, especialy one belonging 
  to a drugstore cowboy for necking with flappers
  Torpedo — Hired gunman
  Upchuck — Vomit
  Zozzled — Extremely drunk
  
  Herald: Lovecraft & Tesla
  178
  Index
  Aircraft ............................................................  31
  Antarctica ......................................................... 56
  Arkham ............................................................ 38
  Armitage, Dr. Henry ........................................ 24
  Armstrong, Louis ............................................. 95
  Ashcroft, Angela ............................................ 128
  Automobiles ................................................28-30
  Baker, Josephine ............................................ 150
  Body Armor ..................................................... 34
  Bohr, Niels ..................................................... 152
  Book Golem ................................................... 117
  Borges, Jorge Luis ......................................... 149
  Boston .........................................................49-50
  Bow, Clara ...................................................... 135
  Breag, Sean ................................................ 71, 83
  Byakhee ..................................................117-118
  Cairo ................................................................. 55
  Carver, George Washington ........................... 171
  Cat of Ulthar .................................................. 118
  Cayce, Edgar .................................................. 138
  Chanel, Coco .................................................. 136
  Chaplin, Charlie ............................................. 134
  Character Creation ........................................... 15
  Character Creation Walkthrough ................22-24
  Chicago ............................................................ 51
  Churchill, Winston ......................................... 163
  Clothing ......................................................26-27
  Clothing prices ................................................. 27
  Colours Out of Space ..............................118-119
  Coolidge, Calvin ............................................ 170
  Cosmic Horror Chart ....................................... 61
  Curie, Marie ................................................... 172
  Dali, Salvador ................................................ 157
  Dark Young of Shub Niggurath ...................... 123
  Deep One ....................................................... 119
  Dempsey, Jack ................................................ 146
  Dillinger, John ................................................ 148
  Disney, Walt ................................................... 162
  Du Bois, W.E.B. ............................................. 161
  Dublin .............................................................. 52
  Dunderdale, Wilfred ....................................... 105
  Dunwhich ......................................................... 39
  Duquesne, Fritz Joubert ................................. 104
  Earhart, Amelia .............................................. 165
  Edges, disallowed ............................................ 18
  Edges, new ..................................................18-20
  Edison, Thomas...........................................90-91
  Einstein, Albert  ............................................. 126
  Eisenberg, Victor .................................... 100, 160
  Elder Thing .................................................... 119
  Ellington, Duke .............................................. 137
  Elsewhere, The ............................................61-62
  Equipment (general) prices .............................. 28
  Extras, Setting-Specific ...........................114-115
  Fitzgerald, F. Scott ......................................... 141
  Fitzgerald, Zelda ............................................ 164
  Food ............................................................27-28
  Ford, Henry .................................................... 167
  Ghast .............................................................. 120
  Ghoul ............................................................. 120
  
  Back Matter
  179
  Goldman, Emma ............................................ 166
  Greene, Sonia ................................................. 158
  Gug ................................................................. 121
  Hats .................................................................. 27
  Havana ............................................................. 52
  Hemmingway, Ernest ..................................... 140
  Hindrances, new ..........................................20-21
  Hoover, J. Edgar ............................................. 145
  Houdini, Harry ............................................... 144
  Howard, Robert E. ......................................... 154
  Hughes, Langston .......................................... 151
  Innsmouth ........................................................ 40
  Istanbul ............................................................. 55
  Jenkin, Brown .................................................. 79
  JFD ................................................................. 112
  Joyce, James ................................................... 147
  Kachka, Feder ........................................ 100, 142
  Kathmandu ..................................................55-56
  Keaton, Buster ................................................ 132
  Kingsport ......................................................... 39
  La Valle, Tommy .............................................. 89
  Languages .................................................. 16, 62
  Lindbergh, Charles ......................................... 133
  London ........................................................52-53
  Los Angeles  ..................................................... 51
  Lovecraft, H.P. ............................................... 168
  Lovecraft, Sarah Susan .................................... 84
  Manu. Nana ...................................................... 73
  Mason, Keziah ................................................. 79
  Mi-Go ............................................................. 121
  Miskatonic University .................................40-44
  Morrow, Aaron ............................................... 125
  New York City .................................................. 50
  Nin, Anaïs ...................................................... 127
  Optional Rules ............................................64-66
  Paris.................................................................. 51
  Picasso, Pablo ................................................ 153
  Providence...................................................48-49
  Rome ................................................................ 54
  Roosevelt, Eleanor ......................................... 139
  Ruth, Babe ..................................................... 130
  Setting Rules .................................................... 59
  Shoggoth ........................................................ 122
  Shub Niggurath .......................................122-123
  Slang of the 1920s ...................................176-177
  Smith, Bessie ................................................. 131
  Sorge, Richard.........................................104-105
  Tesla Inventions  .........................................34-35
  Tesla, Nikola .................................................. 169
  Traits ................................................................ 16
  Travel ............................................................... 63
  Trilussa ........................................................... 159
  Tucker, Sophie ............................................... 174
  Twain, Mark ................................................... 173
  Valentino, Rudolph ........................................ 156
  Vienna .........................................................53-54
  Weapons ......................................................32-33
  Wong, Anna May ........................................... 129
  Wright, Frank Lloyd ...................................... 143
  Zann, Roxanne ............................................... 155
  
  Agility
  Smarts
  Spirit
  Strength
  Vigor
  Boating
  Driving
  Fighting
  Lockpicking
  Piloting
  Riding
  Shooting
  Stealth
  Swimming
  Throwing
  __________
  __________
  Gambling
  Healing
  Investigation
  Notice
  Repair
  Streetwise
  Survival
  Taunt
  Tracking
  Know_____
  Know_____
  Know_____
  Intimidation
  Persuasion
  __________
  __________
  Climbing
  __________
  __________
  __________
  __________
  __________
  __________
  __________
  Charisma
  Pace
  Parry
  Toughness
  Hindrances:
  Edges:
  6
  6
  6
  6
  6
  8
  8
  8
  8
  8
  10
  10
  10
  10
  10
  12
  12
  12
  12
  12
  4
  4
  4
  4
  4
  Name
  Rank
  Permanent Injuries
  Profession
  Quote
  Appearance
  -1
  6
  3
  4
  +0
  -1
  -2
  -3
  -2
  Armor
  Weapon
  Gear
  Name
  Wounds:
  Fatigue:
  Name
  Advancement tracker
  Range
  ROF
  Damage
  AP
  WT
  Notes
  Location
  Notes
  Biography
  Notes
  5
  10
  20
  15
  30
  25
  What "they" need to hit 
  you in melee combat. 
  Your Parry is equal to 
  half your Fighting die 
  type +2. Plus any edges 
  that apply.
  The amount of damage 
  needed to "shake" you in 
  combat. Your Toughness 
  is equal to half your 
  Vigor die type +2, plus 
  or minus armor and any 
  Edges or Hindrances that 
  modify it.
  Your appearance, manner 
  and general likability. 
  It's +0 unless you have 
  Edges or Hindrances that 
  modify it. Charisma is 
  added to Persuasion and 
  Streetwise rolls.
  Incapacitated
  4 6 8 10 12
  4 6 8 10 12
  4 6 8 10 12
  4 6 8 10 12
  4 6 8 10 12
  4 6 8 10 12
  4 6 8 10 12
  4 6 8 10 12
  4 6 8 10 12
  4 6 8 10 12
  4 6 8 10 12
  4 6 8 10 12
  4 6 8 10 12
  4 6 8 10 12
  4 6 8 10 12
  4 6 8 10 12
  4 6 8 10 12
  4 6 8 10 12
  4 6 8 10 12
  4 6 8 10 12
  4 6 8 10 12
  4 6 8 10 12
  4 6 8 10 12
  4 6 8 10 12
  4 6 8 10 12
  4 6 8 10 12
  4 6 8 10 12
  4 6 8 10 12
  4 6 8 10 12
  4 6 8 10 12
  4 6 8 10 12
  4 6 8 10 12
  4 6 8 10 12
  4 6 8 10 12
  4 6 8 10 12
  4 6 8 10 12
  Your base walking speed 
  in combat round. You may 
  run (add a d6) by taking 
  a -2 penalty on any other 
  actions this round.
  
  Welcome to the Roaring Twenties! 
  A decade filled with adventure and the spirit of invention.
  This is the Jazz Age, the days of dangerous new technology, of cults, talismans, kidnappings, 
  coded messages, mafia-controlled moonshine, mysterious transatlantic plane disappearances, 
  stunning astronomical discoveries and breakthroughs in the burgeoning field of quantum 
  physics. Underneath it all, a cabal of smiling villains pushes their plan to relegate humanity to 
  the ash heap of unrecorded history.
  But there are those who do their part to keep the world safe from the unnatural invaders from 
  beyond the stars. Yes, beyond. Unspeakable elder gods and Mythos creatures are arriving from 
  far, far away, while others are awakening at last from deep, deep below. 
  This is where you come in. Welcome to the Mythos Resistance.
  Science meets Fiction in the Roaring Twenties.
  This sourcebook greatly expands the ongoing Action Lab comic book series into a fully realized, 
  officially licensed Savage Worlds setting.
  New options for player characters include new Edges, new Hindrances, over 50 pregenerated 
  ready-to-play historical characters, Tesla-tech weapons and inventions, dozens of 1920s vehicles, 
  items, and NPCs, H. P.’s Mythos creature bestiary, detailed maps and location information for 
  Providence, Arkham, Miskatonic University, and many of the other hot-spots around the world, 
  One Sheets, adventures, plot-point campaigns, and much, much more.
  © Herald: Lovecraft & Tesla the Tabletop Roleplaying Game, it’s logos and all related marks are trademarks of Ravendesk Games and Action Lab Comics.  All rights reserved. 
  © Savage Worlds and all related marks and logos are trademarks of Pinnacle Entertainment Group. All rights reserved.                                       © 2017. All rights reserved.
   
                 RDG020 
  029411
  780999
  9
   
  ISBN 9780999029411
  53995 >
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Savage Worlds System (SWADE) [multi]/HERALD/Savage Worlds - HERALD - Lovecraft & Tesla.pdf