TEXT: 1
  Tickets-of-Leave are small 
  self-contai ned addi ti ons 
  to the Convicts & Cthulhu 
  setti ng for Lovecraftian 
  roleplaying in the early 
  penal colonies of Australia. 
  Each includes a selection 
  of game elements which 
  c a n  e i t h e r  b e  u s e d 
  collecti vely as a thumbnail 
  sketch of a scenario, or 
  can be used in isolation 
  to  p rov i de p i e c es t ha t 
  enhance a scenario of your 
  own invention.
  CREDITS
  Ticket-of-Leave #12  is written by 
  Matthew Ruane with Geoff Gillan;  
  original artwork by Reuben Dodd. 
  Copyright © 2018. Published by 
  Cthulhu Reborn Publishing .
  (w w w. c t h u l h u r e b o r n. c o m)
  The Convicts & Cthulhu setting 
  is published by Cthulhu Reborn 
  Publishing and is available via 
  RPGNow and DrivethruRPG as a 
  “Pay-What-You-Want” title.
  This PDF uses trademarks and/or copyrights 
  owned by Chaosium Inc/Moon Design 
  Publications LLC, which are used under 
  Chaosium Inc’s Fan Material Policy. We are 
  expressly prohibited from charging you to use 
  or access this content. This PDF is not published, 
  endorsed, or specifically approved by Chaosium 
  Inc. For more information about Chaosium Inc’s 
  products, please visit www.chaosium.com.
  12
  Introduction
  When Europeans first settled in New South Wales, 
  their concerns were primarily setting up a functioning 
  penal settlement from nothing. As such, their interest 
  in exploring the strange new country that lay beyond 
  the small settlements was fairly limited, However, as 
  time went on and it became more obvious that the 
  penal colony was not a short-lived prison settlement 
  but a permanent British colonial possession, that began 
  to change. By the time of the Convicts & Cthulhu era, 
  there are several important people among both the 
  colonial government and private free settlers that see 
  a reason to fill in the blank maps and learn more about 
  this peculiar continent they now call home.
  The push to explore the wilds of New South Wales 
  is driven by two main factors: a need for farmland 
  as the settlement grows, and a sense of scientific 
  curiosity in particular about the unique flora and 
  fauna to be found in Australia. The chief impediment 
  to early exploration is the high mountain range which 
  bounds the colony to the west – the impressive 
  Blue Mountains. Despite numerous attempts, no 
  convenient pass has yet been discovered allowing 
  colonists to traverse these mountains. Thus the lands 
  beyond remain a complete mystery … notwithstanding 
  the clearly fabricated convict stories of great inland 
  seas or kingdoms of white-skinned inhabitants. And 
  those simply cannot be true? Surely.
  Fallen Stars
  
  2
  This Ticket of Leave supplement provides information 
  about some of the early scientific expeditions that 
  were sent to explore the Blue Mountains. It provides 
  background details of some of the scientifically-
  minded colonial officials of the day, as well as details 
  of the rugged unexplored interior they were charged 
  with exploring. It also provides a detailed outline of 
  a scenario which allows your Convicts & Cthulhu 
  investigators to take part in a most unusual scientific 
  expedition – all thanks to a curious meteorite which 
  is believed to have come to ground in the remote 
  western reaches of the colony.
  The Scientific Elite
  Men of leisure pursuing amateur scientific 
  endeavours 
  marked 
  much 
  of 
  the 
  Age 
  of 
  Enlightenment and many such individuals were part 
  of the ruling establishment in the early Australian 
  colonies. Indeed, one of the foremost British men 
  of science around the turn of the 19th Century – Sir 
  Joseph Banks – had a long association with Australia, 
  having previously visited its shores as part of Captain 
  James Cook’s 1770 expedition. Banks, a powerful 
  man about London, would remain a central figure 
  both politically and scientifically in Australia’s early 
  colonial history throughout the entire Convicts & 
  Cthulhu era. See the nearby box for biographical 
  details on Banks. Other scientifically-inclined 
  members of the colonial administration from this 
  era included Governor John Hunter and Lieutenant 
  Colonel William Paterson (see page 9).
  Keepers who are interested in running a Convicts & 
  Cthulhu campaign featuring scientific investigators 
  may easily borrow from these historical examples 
  of highly-placed learned gentlemen. Indeed, such a 
  campaign might even feature a group of investigators 
  who work under patronage of Sir Joseph Banks 
  himself, charged with searching the colony of New 
  South Wales for specimens of ever-increasing rarity. 
  An alternative basis for the campaign might be 
  the funding of scientific expeditions to satisfy the 
  curiosity of the governor – this probably works best 
  for Governor Hunter, but with some modification 
  could work for others as well. The Keeper would 
  need to decide whether the investigators’ missions are 
  motivated purely by a desire for scientific discovery … 
  or whether these are merely a “cover story” to mask 
  a more secretive task which the Governor wishes 
  performed in a remote corner of the colony. 
  Some of the prior Ticket of Leave supplements include 
  resources that would be helpful to such a campaign:
  • Ticket of Leave #7 (“Seams of Peril”) describes 
  a journey out into the wild bushlands, styled 
  after the historical account of French NSW 
  Corps Officer (and amateur scientist) Francis 
  Barralier’s initial journeys into the hinterland 
  west of Sydney around 1802. The present 
  supplement provides another version of such 
  an expedition.
  • Ticket of Leave #8 (“Gentlemen Convicts”) 
  describes how well-to-do men and women 
  sentenced to the colonies banded together 
  into a kind of “upper society” of convicts – 
  conceivably 
  including 
  any 
  number 
  of 
  scientific men and women of means.
  • Ticket of Leave #2 (“Tricolour Terror”) 
  describes the ever-present suspicion that 
  perhaps the French have designs on the 
  Australian continent; and are sneakily 
  mounting a number of so-called scientific 
  expeditions which might be genuine or might 
  be the cover for espionage (or both). 
  It is inevitable that any campaign focussing on 
  collecting botanical or animal specimens will 
  involve voyages into the foothills (or higher reaches) 
  of the Blue Mountains – these are the areas richest 
  in both. If the stories are to be believed, the 
  mountains also harbour stranger things – and if an 
  expedition happened to stumble upon a convenient 
  road through the impassable mountain range, well 
  that would be a bonus. 
  Exploring the Blue 
  Mountains
  To the west of the colony of New South Wales lie 
  the Blue Mountains, a formidable impediment to 
  European exploration of the interior. This natural 
  barrier forms a physical limit to the growth of the 
  colony and the foothills mark the end of formal 
  settlement by farmers. Unsurprisingly, Aboriginal 
  people had not one but two widely-used “highways” 
  which allowed them to transit across the lofty range; 
  but had no reason to share that knowledge with the 
  white-skinned invaders.
  
  3
  Sir Joseph Banks (1743—1820)
  Sir Joseph Banks had a life-long, intimate connection 
  with Australia which began when he was a member of 
  Captain James Cook’s expedition which first discovered the 
  elusive eastern coastline of the continent in 1770.
  Educated at Christ Church, Oxford, Banks had 
  previously become a naturalist with a keen personal 
  interest in botany. He studied botany with the assistance 
  of faculty from both Cambridge and Oxford, but eventually, 
  like so many other gentlemen of the era, would leave the 
  university without a degree. Nevertheless, his inheritance 
  would allow him to devote his life to pursuing his interests 
  in all aspects of the natural world.
  In the 1760s, he personally accompanied an expedition 
  traveling to North America, in particular Newfoundland and 
  Labrador, where Banks amassed a collection of artefacts 
  and specimens of plant and animal life. In 1768, Banks was 
  permitted to join Cook on his first expedition to the Pacific, 
  with the naturalist bringing along a retinue of eight — though 
  only four men, including Banks, would survive the voyage 
  and return back to England.
  On Cook’s subsequent celebrated voyage of discovery, 
  Banks once again accompanied him and became one of 
  the first Englishmen to set foot on Australian soil when 
  he landed at Botany Bay in the spring of 1770. Later on 
  the same expedition he landed at Endeavour River in early 
  summer where he collected “exotic” plant and animal 
  specimens, as well as recording extensively in numerous 
  meticulously-detailed journals.
  Upon his return to England in July 1771, Banks began 
  to assess his specimens. He also became involved with 
  encouraging the House of Commons to establish a colony 
  and penal settlement in Australia. Once the settlement was 
  established in 1788, Banks began regular correspondence 
  with each of the colonial governors, lobbying for more new 
  specimens of animals and plants to be collected. These 
  were often sent on return voyages back to England, for 
  Banks to study there.
  Seen in his day by many as the leading English 
  authority on New South Wales, Banks remained closely 
  tied to the colony’s growth and expansion until his death. 
  He encouraged naturalists and botanists to accompany 
  numerous 
  government 
  sponsored 
  expeditions 
  of 
  exploration as well as funding his own men to travel and 
  collect specimens for study.
  For a Convicts & Cthulhu campaign, Sir Joseph 
  Banks — even though thousands of miles away — would 
  make an excellent patron for scientifically-minded 
  investigators. He might be a source of financial or 
  political support to those pursuing botanical or zoological 
  expeditions in Australia. Numerous ship captains and early 
  explorers had extensive communication with Banks back 
  in London and these men knew that the wealthy scientist 
  would pay generously for information and specimens that 
  shed light on the flora and fauna of New South Wales, the 
  rest of Australia, and the South Seas.
  (Source: http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/banks-sir-
  joseph-1737)
  While from the very beginning of the NSW colony 
  there have been expeditions to the Blue Mountains 
  looking for passes through the peaks, no one will 
  be truly successful until after the time of Convicts 
  & Cthulhu. Indeed, established mainstream history 
  records that white settlers did not discover a road 
  through to the plains beyond the mountains until the 
  1813 expedition of Blaxland, Wentworth and Lawson.
  That does not mean to say that the regions 
  surrounding the Blue Mountains were not the 
  subject of earlier voyages of discovery — and 
  depending on whose accounts you believe, it may 
  even have been true that a rag-tag expedition led 
  by a wild-eyed convict succeeded in finding a way 
  around the mountains some fifteen years before 
  the esteemed gentlemen explorers Blaxland, 
  Wentworth and Lawson.
  
  4
  The Convict Explorers
  In the 1790s there were several attempts to explore the 
  Blue Mountains region; two of the most intriguing of 
  those were the convict-led expeditions by Matthew 
  Everingham (1795) and that of John Wilson (1798). 
  Both resulted in official reports of new discoveries 
  conveyed back to the colonial government in Sydney, 
  though little about their findings seems to have made 
  it into the official histories.
  The Everingham 
  Expedition of 1795
  Matthew Everingham was a former clerk sentenced 
  to transportation with the First Fleet (see nearby); 
  his sentence served out in 1791 he took up a grant 
  of farming land near Parramatta. According to 
  contemporary sources, in 1795 Everingham set out 
  with two other men – most likely fellow First Fleet 
  convicts William Reid and John Ramsay – on a 13-
  day journey to explore the Blue Mountains. They 
  left Parramatta on 30 October 1795 and returned 
  on 11 November. Accounts suggest that they made 
  it as far as the region that would later be named 
  Mt. Irvine, before being forced to turn back due to 
  limited supplies. This was in part due to the fact 
  that their planning had consisted of simply carrying 
  needed provisions in backpacks. Everingham is 
  said to have walked the last the three days barefoot 
  because his shoes had given out. He sent letters 
  about his “expedition” in 1797 to an associate in 
  England, describing his incredibly journey.
  The Wanderings of John Wilson, 
  and The Expedition of 1798
  The convict John Wilson led a most remarkable 
  life. A member of the First Fleet, he earned his 
  freedom in 1792 whereupon he promptly departed 
  the settled regions to live in wild bushland. Wilson 
  apparently formed relationships with at least one 
  Aboriginal community, and claimed that he could 
  act as an intermediary of sorts between Aboriginal 
  groups and settlers. Written accounts by colonists 
  record that Wilson was heavily scarred with tribal 
  markings, showing that he had achieved some 
  degree of acceptance (and perhaps even initiation) 
  in Aboriginal communities.
  Matthew Everingham 
  (1768—1817) 
  Everingham, who had been employed as a clerk to a 
  London attorney, was convicted of selling two books he 
  had obtained through deception and then offering them 
  for sale. He was sentenced to transportation with the 
  First Fleet in 1788. When he arrived in the colony, Evering-
  ham proved to be useful to the colonial administration, 
  being one of the few convicts who could read and write. 
  Because of this he was assigned to work with the colony’s 
  Assistant Commissary.
  By 1791, his sentence had ended and he soon married. 
  Everingham would then acquire a grant of land near Par-
  ramatta where he proved to be a prosperous settler. In 
  1795 he led an expedition into the Blue Mountains as de-
  scribed nearby. Surviving this ordeal, Everingham settled 
  back into more mundane settler’s affairs. In 1800 he was 
  involved in drafting a protest letter to Governor Hunter, 
  before moving to Hawkesbury and resuming his life as a 
  prosperous farmer. In 1804, his homestead was attacked 
  by an Aboriginal group, and though wounded during the 
  attack, Everingham, his wife, and a servant survived. In 
  1816, Everingham moved again to Richmond Hill and had, 
  by then, become a part of the colonial administration as a 
  district constable. He would die through accidental drown-
  ing in December 1817.
  (Sources: http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/evering-
  ham-matthew-james-2030; https://www.wikitree.com/
  wiki/Everingham-93; and https://trove.nla.gov.au/ver-
  sion/46349316)
  Wilson occasionally returned from the wilderness 
  to Sydney. On one of these return visits he made the 
  claim that he had travelled the entire countryside of 
  New South Wales, over 100 miles in every direction. 
  This also extended to a claim of having travelled 
  over the Blue Mountains and into the plains beyond. 
  These claims were generally scoffed at when they 
  were made, but later accounts by 19th Century 
  explorers suggest that Wilson’s descriptions and 
  observations were generally accurate.
  In 1798 the NSW Governor of the day, Hunter, 
  engaged the wild man John Wilson for a most 
  unusual task. At the time, several tall tales were 
  circulating among Irish convicts stating that there 
  was a group of white-skinned people living an idyllic 
  and free life at a location about 200 km (120 miles) 
  southwest of Sydney. These spurious convict tales 
  
  5
  Blue Mountains Crossings – 
  historical questions
  Australian history is awash with contention and 
  the ‘first Blue Mountains crossing’ is no exception. It is 
  without a doubt that thousands of Australia’s Aboriginal 
  people crossed the Blue Mountains well before any white 
  person had even heard of the Blue Mountains let alone 
  visited the region. 
  When it comes to first European crossing some 
  historians are sceptical of Wilson’s claims and Price’s 
  journal. The journal was first accepted into Australian 
  historiography by Thomas Whitely in 1904 who 
  considered it ‘established fact’ that the 1798 crossing had 
  taken place. However, in 1920 historian R. H. Cambage 
  wrote that while Wilson certainly penetrated into the 
  Blue Mountains regions, he probably only explored the 
  Wollondilly region, rather than crossed the Mountains 
  themselves. Cambage based this on scepticism about the 
  distances described in the Price journal and the existence 
  of a westerly flowing river. This seemed to reinstate the 
  accepted view that Blaxland, Wentworth and Lawson 
  were the first who crossed the Blue Mountains in 1813. 
  In recent years the Wilson claim has gained more 
  interest and some mainstream acceptance. Martin 
  Thomas in his award-winning 2004 study Artificial 
  Horizons: Imagining the Blue Mountains, notes that 
  it is a striking irony that Wilson’s journey, intended to 
  debunk the myth of the inland white settlement, became 
  itself a myth. He also argues that the celebrated Blaxland 
  expedition was itself a fabrication, since salient details, 
  for instance any Aboriginal contact and the crucial role 
  of kangaroo hunter James Burns — the expedition’s 
  actual guide — were written out as far back as Blaxland's 
  original accounts, thus making the official accounts a 
  literal “whitewash”.
  (Source: Martin Thomas, The Artificial Horizon: 
  Imagining the Blue Mountains, Melbourne University 
  Press, Melbourne, 2004.)
  were a source of concern since they were seen as 
  giving hope to convicts, that should they manage to 
  escape they may find a safe haven in this fictitious 
  settlement. Hunter decided to disprove these tales 
  once and for all by sending a travelling party to 
  the reputed locale. He chose John Wilson to lead 
  the expedition, which was otherwise made up of 
  John Price, the governor’s 19-year old servant, 
  several armed NSW Corps guards, and four 
  Irish prisoners. The group departed in 1798. The 
  convicts and their guards soon turned back, but 
  Wilson and Price continued on.
  According to their account, the pair crossed the 
  Nepean River and explored to area to the southwest, 
  looking for a passage across the Blue Mountains. 
  They found no such pass, but eventually located 
  a way to skirt around the Blue Mountains to the 
  southwest. In March of 1798, the men continued to 
  explore this region and likely discovered Thirlmere 
  Lakes. They reached almost to the site of modern-
  day Goulburn before turning back to report their 
  findings to Hunter. They did not find any indication 
  of the “lost colony” of white-skinned people 
  mentioned in the convict tales.
  There are suggestions in the historical record that 
  Governor Hunter decided to withhold information 
  about the Wilson/Price expedition. The expedition’s 
  maps and logs were kept secret by colonial officials (by 
  order of the Governor), apparently motivated by a fear 
  that convicts might choose to escape if they learned 
  that there was an easy way around the mountains. 
  However, Hunter gave Price’s journal of the expedition 
  to Sir Joseph Banks for study. In the journal, Wilson’s 
  bushcraft is credited with keeping Price alive. It also 
  contains the first written mention of a koala.
  John Wilson also participated in a second 
  expedition in 1798 with two unnamed men which 
  revealed more of the southern reaches of New 
  South Wales. In 1799, he returned back to his life 
  in the wild but he would eventually be killed in 
  1800 by an Aboriginal warrior after abducting a 
  young woman for his own use. 
  While little is known of what happened to John 
  Price, it is likely that he remained on the governor’s 
  staff until Hunter left New South Wales.
  (Sources: http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/
  wilson-john-2803; https://trove.nla.gov.au/
  version/45798783)
  
  6
  Scenario: Fallen Stars
  This scenario provides Keepers with an opportunity 
  to send their Convicts & Cthulhu investigators 
  along as members of a scientific expedition to the 
  remote foothills of the rugged Blue Mountains. The 
  team is charged with a most unusual mission — to 
  hunt down the remains of a fiery “falling star” 
  that was seen burning brightly in the skies above 
  Sydney and Parramatta.
  By default, the scenario is set in December, 1799 to 
  occur sometime after the two convict-led expeditions 
  into the Blue Mountains (described above) and 
  also to tie in with the time of year when meteorite 
  showers are most common in the region (October to 
  January). However, if the Keeper is willing to make 
  some small changes — mostly to the information 
  given to the expedition at its outset — there is no 
  reason why the scenario could not be run in another 
  year or season.
  This scenario was showcased at GenCon 2018, 
  and as such has a slightly more linear “convention” 
  style than those typically found in Tickets of Leave 
  supplements. Keepers who wish to expand out the 
  scenario with additional investigative elements, or 
  other encounters can readily do so by borrowing 
  pieces from other Ticket of Leave scenario seeds or 
  those found in the core Convicts & Cthulhu book. 
  In particular, Keepers should note that this scenario 
  is a variant of the adventure seed “The Hinterland 
  Monster” found in the core book, although 
  significantly altered.
  The Star That 
  Came To Earth
  It is December, 1799 — the middle of summer, 
  with Christmas celebrations not far off. Most of the 
  colonists, convicts and free settlers alike, are working 
  hard despite any joy that might come from thoughts of 
  a day or two off work during the approaching holiday. 
  Gossip is dying down now, but for most of the past 
  week the colonists have talked about the extremely 
  vibrant meteor showers that have nightly filled the 
  skies over New South Wales with spectacular displays. 
  A week ago, during one of the brightest moments of 
  the first meteor shower, many of the residents of the 
  colony saw a large glowing meteorite (“falling star”) 
  pass northeast-to-southwest over both Sydney and 
  Parramatta before apparently falling to earth with 
  a loud crash. The best guess of those observing the 
  westernmost part of its fiery trajectory is that the 
  “star” might have come to ground somewhere near the 
  foot of the Blue Mountains in a distant rugged country. 
  One thing that everyone agrees is that for several 
  hours after the loud impact, there was a bright glow 
  on the western horizon that soon “burnt” itself out.
  While the more superstitious among the convicts 
  and settlers have their own interpretations of 
  this curious astronomical event, the few men of 
  science among the NSW elite recognise it to be 
  a rare happening of potentially great scientific 
  significance. These knowledgeable individuals are 
  excited by the scientific possibilities of recovering a 
  meteorite for study, and have petitioned Governor 
  Hunter to arrange an official party to carry out 
  such a mission. Fortunately, Hunter as well as the 
  influential NSW Corps officer Lieutenant Colonel 
  William Paterson, are themselves scientifically-
  minded men and readily agreed to the request. 
  Already plans are afoot for collecting any important 
  scientific discoveries retrieved from the meteorite 
  impact to send back to Sir Joseph Banks in England.
  Naturally, organising an expedition to the rugged 
  and impassable foothills of the Blue Mountains is 
  no small feat — but Governor Hunter has secret 
  information that may make this task slightly less 
  onerous. Because, unbeknownst to most of the 
  colony’s residents, there have actually been two 
  successful convict-led expeditions into the region 
  where the meteorite is believed to have fallen. And 
  from these the Governor will, under pain of utmost 
  secrecy, share some information and a partial map. 
  But anyone who seeks more details will quickly 
  find all government officials tight-lipped. While 
  this may seem to reek of some kind of conspiracy 
  or cover-up, it is actually a tactic by the Governor to 
  avoid furnishing any convicts who form part of the 
  expedition team with details that might allow them 
  to escape over the Blue Mountains to their freedom.
  Keeper’s Introduction
  The “falling star” that passed over the NSW colony 
  and crashed to earth was not, in fact, just a piece 
  of space detritus. Rather it was a piece of alien 
  technology — an artefact of the Elder Things — 
  summoned to earth aeons ago from an unknown but 
  far-distant corner of the cosmos.
  
  7
  Elder Things in Australia
  Even though there have to date been no reported 
  encounters with Elder Things in the Australian 
  colonies, it is well established that the strange 
  creatures have a connection with the eastern coast of 
  the continent. It is rumoured than a long-lost Elder 
  Thing city lies below the seas off the coast of New 
  South Wales, and that from time-to-time strange 
  alien artefacts wash up on the shores. However, out 
  in the vast outback beyond the Blue Mountains are 
  other artefacts and strange rock formations that are 
  the buried remnants of the last Elder Thing city on 
  Australian soil. When the climate changed millions 
  of years ago, and the landscape of central Australia 
  became more arid, the amphibious Elder Things 
  escaped, though some tried to use their technology 
  to hold back the climatic change occurring. 
  Ultimately, they were unsuccessful. The city far 
  outlived its inhabitants, with the strange technology 
  which sustained the city continuing to function for 
  long aeons before eventually beginning to fail about 
  50,000 years ago. Unprotected, the vast settlement 
  eventually came to be consumed by the sands and 
  the red soil that has blown atop it.
  One of the remote surveillance outposts of this 
  long-lost city was a facility located in the Blue 
  Mountains, among the slopes of the peak that will 
  one day be dubbed Mt. Irvine. The outpost itself lies 
  buried under the weight of centuries of rock slides 
  from the surrounding mountains, so it is unlikely 
  that it will be unearthed by mankind any time soon. 
  Regardless, the presence of this hidden station 
  continues to exert an influence.
  Call and Response
  At some time in the distant past, perhaps triggered 
  by the arrival of Aboriginal people to the region 
  (approximately 40,000 years ago), the ancient 
  technology of the Elder Thing city briefly awoke. 
  From the heart of the ruined city a low-powered 
  signal was broadcast, a beacon which pulsed over 
  and over out into space. This signal was received 
  in some remote corner of the cosmos by a small 
  Elder Thing vessel, which heeded the summons 
  and embarked upon the journey to Earth. So far 
  distant was the alien vessel that its voyage through 
  space has taken millennia. It has become encased 
  in rock during its interstellar journey, and it was 
  this “meteoroid’s” fall to Earth that was seen 
  burning up in the skies above New South Wales. 
  With the vessel burning up in the atmosphere and 
  the millennial old guidance technology failing, the 
  deteriorating navigation system instead shifted 
  to the last coordinates of the surveillance outpost 
  in the Blue Mountains. However, this too was for 
  naught and the meteorite instead crashed short of 
  its destination, ploughing into the forests covering 
  the foothills and valleys of the foothills.
  The meteorite, perhaps the largest to ever strike the 
  Earth largely intact, landed in the foothills of Mt. 
  Irvine, some 85 kilometres (53 miles) west northwest 
  of Sydney. The crash site itself is 67.5 kilometers (42 
  miles) from Sydney and 14.5 kilometres (9 miles) 
  from the actual mountain peak itself. The meteorite 
  broke upon impact with the soil, crashing through 
  the forest, leaving broken and shattered trees 
  for miles, indicating its path of travel and intense 
  velocity prior to impact. Fires were set by its impact, 
  but since the area is temperate rainforest, they soon 
  burned themselves out.
  Inside the Meteorite
  Although the impact of the meteorite was both 
  violent and destructive, the protections of the 
  Elder Thing capsule and its accreted layer of rock 
  has meant that most of its contents have survived 
  somewhat intact. Pieces of the rocky coating have 
  been strewn far and wide. Inside the meteorite is a 
  mummified and nearly fossilized Elder Thing, which 
  died in the more than three millennia long journey 
  to Earth. Also inside the capsule were ten metallic 
  containers containing alien plant samples as well as 
  an eleventh one containing a proto-Shoggoth held 
  in hypothermic stasis. If the scientific expedition 
  charged with finding the crash site succeeds in their 
  mission they will come into contact with these alien 
  specimens — and may become infection by some of 
  the extra-terrestrial life in cruel and horrific ways. If 
  that happens, the challenges of surviving the harsh 
  bush country of the Blue Mountains may become 
  the least of the investigators’ worries ...
  Involving the Investigators
  The primary way to involve the Investigators is for 
  them be made part of the official party organized 
  by Lieutenant Colonel Paterson and Lieutenant 
  Alastair Morrant. Paterson and Morrant are 
  working under the authority of Governor Hunter, 
  
  8
  but each have their own reasons for participating: 
  Paterson to further provide new scientific materials 
  for his good friend Sir Joseph Banks, and Morrant 
  because of the opportunity for advancement, 
  promotion and satisfying his own personal scientific 
  curiosity. Morrant also hopes to make a name for 
  himself with a new scientific discovery. Both men 
  have ready access to any Government Stores they 
  might need to ensure the expedition’s success.
  Paterson is quite a powerful figure in the colony and 
  it is his money that is funding the expedition, though 
  he himself will not be accompanying it. The task of 
  leading the expedition has been given to Morrant 
  (who may be either an NPC or an Investigator, 
  depending on the needs of the Keeper’s group). 
  Morrant has been ordered to directly report back 
  to Paterson upon their return with whatever the 
  expedition has recovered. Paterson will then pack 
  up the meteorite and anything else for shipment 
  back to Sir Joseph Banks in England.
  Morrant will assemble a group of Convicts for physical 
  labour (especially if they have any scientific training or 
  education). Morrant believes that any Convicts who 
  “join” the expedition are largely expendable. Morrant 
  will also ask for help from members of the colony’s 
  settlers if they express any scientific knowledge, have 
  talents that Morrant will need such as surveying, 
  or even simply show a willingness to explore the 
  unknown. One or more NSW Corps soldiers will join 
  the expedition, though the total size of the expedition, 
  including Morrant, should number no more than 
  10 people. Finally, Morrant will have at least one 
  Aboriginal guide accompany the expedition, believing 
  that if nothing else, they will ease communication with 
  other native groups the expedition may encounter. If 
  there are no Aboriginal Investigators, an NPC guide 
  will be provided.
  If players are generating new Investigators to 
  participate in the Morrant expedition, the following 
  additional occupations (from Ticket of Leave #5) will 
  be most suitable for this adventure. Those marked 
  in the list with an asterisk are especially well-suited.
  Indigenous Bush Tracker*, Indigenous Clever-
  Man or Woman, Indigenous Guide/Explorer*, 
  Down-On-Luck Craftsman*, Fallen Clergy, Fallen 
  Aristocrat, Laborer*, Political Agitator/Prisoner 
  of War (especially if they have any scientific skills), 
  Botanist/Naturalist*, Doctor, Explorer/Surveyor*, 
  Mapmaker (Cartographer)*, NSW Corps Officer*, 
  NSW Corps Soldier*, Farmer/Settler
  Keeper’s Timeline of Events
  1 week ago: Meteorite crashes in the Blue Mountains 
  among the foothills of what will one day be called Mt. Irvine. The 
  fiery passage was seen by residents throughout the colony as well 
  as by local Aboriginal tribes. A brief fire caused by the crash burns 
  for 12-hours colouring the sky red throughout its duration.
  5 days ago: Governor John Hunter summons Lt. Colonel 
  William Paterson to discuss what should be done about the 
  meteorite. Paterson’s own scientific curiosity and personal 
  connections to Sir Joseph Banks supports Hunter’s idea that an 
  expedition should be organized to try and recover the meteorite.
  4 days ago: Hunter reveals information about the secretive 
  expeditions of Wilson and Everingham to Paterson to aid in 
  planning of his own expedition. Paterson is informed that the 
  information is considered secret and its dissemination should be 
  strictly limited.
  3 days ago: Paterson calls for Lieutenant Alistair Morrant 
  from the NSW Corps to put together an expedition to go out 
  to recover the meteorite. Independently, members of a local 
  Aboriginal community close to the crash site venture to explore 
  the location. They discover several containers of a strange metallic 
  hue apparently dislodged from either the meteorite or the dug-up 
  soil and basalt stone where the crash occurred.
  2 days ago: Morrant starts searching for convicts to 
  accompany the expedition as well as gathering up NSW Corps 
  soldiers. Morrant will also contact any settlers with scientific 
  knowledge and/or experience to determine if they should 
  accompany the expedition.
  1 day ago: Paterson drafts a letter to be sent to Sir Joseph 
  Banks on the next ship leaving for England indicating his hopes 
  that a meteorite will be sent to England once it is recovered. 
  Governor Hunter gives final approval for the expedition and 
  requests for supplies from the government stores. Morrant meets 
  with Paterson to provide a list of potential expedition members 
  drawn from Sydney and Parramatta. Paterson then shares edited 
  information about the Wilson and Everingham expeditions. 
  Today: Morrant addresses gathered expedition members 
  in Parramatta and informs them they will be leaving the following 
  morning. At the crash site, local Aboriginal hunters break through 
  the weakened and damaged “outer shell” of the meteorite and 
  discover the mummified corpse of an Elder Thing within. Several 
  of the brave warriors flee in horror and revulsion.
  Days 1 to 4: The expedition travels to the Blue Mountains 
  crash site. On the way they hear cries from strange creatures in 
  the foothills (Yowies), see disturbing coloured lights in the sky, 
  and cross paths with some of the Aboriginal men who explored 
  the meteorite crater. These once-healthy individuals are now very 
  sick, harbouring an alien infection.
  Days 5 and 6: The group reaches the crash site and recovers 
  whatever can easily be carried on their small wagons. This is likely 
  to expose expedition members to the alien virus, bring them face-
  to-face with the Elder Thing corpse, and possibly leave them with 
  a cannister containing a Proto-Shoggoth in stasis.
  Days 7 to 11: The expedition’s return to Parramatta, 
  accompanied by increasing sickness, attacks by some unnatural 
  predators, and likely the escape of the Proto-Shoggoth.
  
  9
  Getting Started
  The adventure begins in Parramatta where the 
  characters have been assembled by the authority of 
  Lieutenant Colonel William Paterson and placed 
  under the command of Lieutenant Alistair Morrant. 
  They are ordered to head into the interior and as 
  far as the Blue Mountains to recover whatever 
  remnants still exist from the crash of the “falling 
  star” and return them to Paterson and Governor 
  Hunter in Sydney. Gathered before the Freemason’s 
  Arms Public House, the assembled Investigators 
  are soon joined by Morrant, the expedition leader.
  The young NSW Corps officer, somewhat bookish in 
  appearance, is wearing a freshly cleaned uniform as 
  he steps out of the public house. When first glimpsed, 
  he is carefully folding away his spectacles and putting 
  them in a metal case before placing them into his 
  linen satchel. He steps onto a stone mounting block 
  and addresses the members of the expedition. Behind 
  Morrant are four NSW Corps soldiers standing at ease 
  (some may be Investigators while the rest are NPCs).
  Morrant will inform those assembled that they 
  are preparing to head off on a scientific expedition 
  to recover a fallen meteorite, and that they will 
  be traveling quickly through largely unexplored 
  William Paterson (1755-1810)
  William Paterson was a soldier, explorer and 
  lieutenant-governor. Like his good friend, Sir Joseph 
  Banks, Paterson had a keen interest in botany. Paterson 
  made several trips to South Africa in the late 1770s, and 
  after his return to England in 1781, he became a soldier 
  in the 98th Regiment, eventually serving in India. He 
  was in constant contact with Banks and sent numerous 
  specimens back to the English naturalist. Eventually, 
  Paterson returned to England after his regiment was 
  disbanded and he became a Captain in the NSW Corps, 
  likely with the assistance of Banks. He arrived in Sydney 
  in October 1791.
  For the next two and a half years, Paterson was 
  stationed on Norfolk Island, sending specimens back to 
  Banks, and the two discussed publishing their findings. 
  By September 1793, Paterson was back in Sydney and 
  was planning an expedition to find a route through the 
  Blue Mountains. That expedition failed, and in December 
  1794, Paterson became acting interim administrator 
  over the colony until Governor John Hunter arrived. 
  Paterson’s brief rule was generally seen as one in which 
  the New South Wales Corps’ officers and men became 
  wealthy at the expense of the other settlers.
  In 1796, Paterson went home on sick leave and spent 
  much of his time in England with Banks discussing plants 
  and trees, as well as becoming a fellow of the Royal 
  Society. Science was one of Paterson’s chief interests 
  and he maintained extensive and frequent contact with 
  Banks while stationed abroad. Paterson was also an 
  avid collector of botanical specimens and he was also 
  responsible for introducing several plants (including 
  peaches) to Australia during his tenure in the colony.
  By March 1799, Paterson, now a Lieutenant Colonel, 
  was ordered back to Sydney to investigate the allegations 
  of widespread liquor trading by officers of the NSW Corps. 
  He was back in Australia by November and spent much of 
  his time investigating not only the liquor issue, but also the 
  threat of rebellion by Irish convicts. He also would collect 
  plants from the area around Hawkesbury and prepare 
  samples to be sent back to Banks in early 1800.
  While the political role Paterson played as 
  Lieutenant-Governor during the early 1800s is beyond 
  the scope of this Ticket of Leave, information is readily 
  available at the source listed below. It should also be 
  noted that unlike many of his colleagues in the NSW 
  Corps, historical records show that Paterson was not 
  swept up in the endemic corruption which he was 
  investigating in Sydney and that he died a poor man.
  (Source: http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/
  paterson-william-2541)
  
  10
  territory. Any free settlers among the Investigators 
  are urged to use their remaining free time (about 
  30 minutes) to purchase any remaining supplies 
  from Freemason’s Arms Public House (for more 
  information, see the main Convicts & Cthulhu book). 
  Any convict Investigators are questioned to see 
  if they need any additional supplies, but Morrant 
  will under no circumstances provide convicts 
  with weapons of any sort. Otherwise, if a convict’s 
  request is within reason, he will requisition the 
  items from either the NSW Corps barracks or from 
  the stores of the public house.
  Once everyone is ready, the small expedition will 
  set out. Two bullock drawn carts, currently full of 
  supplies, will accompany the expedition. Lieutenant 
  Alistair Morrant has possession of a hand-drawn 
  copy of Everingham’s map, and excerpts from 
  Price’s journal as well as a copy of Wilson’s maps. 
  These he carries in his leather expedition journal.
  A Much-Revered 
  Aboriginal
  A few miles out of Parramatta, the group has arranged 
  to be met by a small contingent of Aboriginal 
  warriors, in order to collect an indigenous guide who 
  can lead the party safely through the remote Blue 
  Mountains region. When the expedition arrives at 
  the appointed spot they will be surprised — and 
  perhaps slightly unnerved  — by the large group 
  of young Aboriginal warriors who approach them. 
  Each of the men is dressed in full traditional hunting 
  attire, carrying spears and boomerangs. Although 
  the mass of Aboriginal hunters far outnumbers the 
  expedition party, the warriors seem to harbour no 
  hostility to the group. However, neither will they let 
  them pass – if asked, they say simply that they are 
  “waiting for big fella”. Hopefully the encounter is 
  short and entirely civil.
  After waiting at the meeting place for five minutes, 
  the expedition will see an oddly mismatched pair 
  of Aboriginals approach from out of the bushes. 
  One is wizened and aged, wearing a mix of simple 
  European clothing and traditional Aboriginal garb; 
  the other young and spritely, in traditional attire. 
  When they arrive, it is clear that the old man is much 
  revered by the group of warriors who treat him 
  like royalty. The old Aboriginal man speaks good 
  English, introducing himself to Lieutenant Morrant 
  as Bennelong. Any European who has been in the 
  colony for some years is likely to have heard of him 
  (Keepers can allow a roll against a suitable skill or 
  characteristic); certainly any Aboriginal investigator 
  will know his name. Bennelong is one of the most 
  famous Aboriginals of the age. In this time period 
  he lives as a local traditional Elder for a community 
  near Parramatta, but in earlier years he led a most 
  remarkable life. He travelled to England with 
  Governor Phillip between 1792–1795 and likely met 
  with Sir Joseph Banks during his stay in London. 
  Since 1797 he has lived in and around Parramatta 
  after consulting with the new governor.
  After 
  exchanging 
  pleasantries, 
  Bennelong 
  introduces his young protégé, Burraga, who he 
  would like to offer as a guide to the expedition. 
  Burraga, he explains, is young but has travelled 
  far as a messenger between the local community 
  and other Aboriginal groups, some quite distant. 
  Travelling with a knowledgeable guide like Burraga 
  is the only way Bennelong can imagine the white 
  expedition surviving longer than a day. “Blue 
  Mountains is no Hyde Park” he will quip.
  Bennelong and his sizeable warrior retinue will 
  accompany the party about an hour west of 
  Parramatta before turning back, leaving Morrant 
  and the expedition in the hands of Burraga. (More 
  information on the much-celebrated life of Bennelong 
  can be found in the Convicts & Cthulhu core book).
  Travelling to the Blue 
  Mountains
  The expedition will take about four days to reach 
  the closest spot in the Blue Mountain foothills near 
  Mt. Irvine where the meteoroid fell. The wagons 
  carry 12 days of supplies since Morrant believes it 
  will take at least four days to reach the crash site 
  and four days to return, leaving about two days 
  to explore and secure the meteorite. Two extra 
  days of food should provide sufficient rations if 
  supplemented with hunting of local wildlife. 
  The challenges faced by the expedition on its voyage 
  to the meteorite crash site and back are presented 
  here as a day-by-day breakdown of events. This 
  assumes that the party takes the most expedient 
  route, makes good use of the (edited) maps at its 
  disposal, accounts of previous white explorers, and 
  advice from Aboriginal trackers. The Keeper is well 
  
  11
  within his or her rights to make the players succeed 
  in skill checks in order to unfailingly make progress 
  each day towards the goal. Failed of fumbled rolls 
  might indicate slower than expected progress, or 
  even that the party becomes entirely lost. Given the 
  minimal amount of food carried by the party, a long 
  period of becoming disorientated may suddenly put 
  the expedition in peril of starvation, perhaps needing 
  to turn back early before the supplies run out. 
  Day 1
  On the first day, the expedition leaves Parramatta for 
  what Morrant believes will be an 8–10 day round-trip 
  expedition, hoping to cover between 13–16 kilometres 
  (8–10 miles) each day. After departing Parramatta, 
  the group will first encounter Bennelong (see above) 
  and then enter into the grasslands beyond the settled 
  regions. Kangaroos are encountered in the grasslands 
  and can be hunted for food.
  Day 2
  13–16 kilometres (8–10 miles) covered. The 
  expedition will be travelling through a swampier 
  landscape, with mangroves and the Nepean River 
  impeding travel. The expedition will likely have to 
  unyoke the bullocks and manhandle the wagons to 
  get them across the river. 
  That evening, when the expedition camps, they 
  will hear the howls of the Blue Mountain Yowies 
  in the distance. The night-time sky is lit up by a 
  dry-lightning storm, and the very distant crackle 
  of thunder doesn’t cut out the inhuman howling as 
  the storm rages. Hearing the howls is a frightening 
  experience and require a Sanity check (0/1D3).
  When the storm ends, the night sky is filled with a 
  strange bluish light coming from the direction of the 
  (predicted) crash site, still many miles away. The bluish 
  light will fade as dawn approaches. Although they will 
  have no way of knowing at this point, this unearthly 
  glow is caused by alien plant life spreading from one of 
  the opened cannisters at the meteorite site.
  Day 3
  13–16 kilometers (8–10 miles) covered.  The 
  expedition starts entering into the rising foothills of 
  the Blue Mountains and Morrant begins to realize 
  that his maps are no longer useful. The expedition 
  is truly mapping new territory with every step. At 
  mid-day, the expedition will come across a small 
  Aboriginal settlement of the Gundungurra people.
  Encounter: Aboriginal Settlement
  The community’s tribal Elders and Clever Men/
  Women will approach the expedition and will be 
  intrigued by these white faces that few in their 
  community have seen before. Even if a delegation 
  includes an Aboriginal Investigator and/or Burraga, 
  the Blue Mountains Aboriginal people will still be 
  somewhat suspicious of them. However, this won’t 
  stop them readily sharing food and drink with them. If 
  Investigators find a way to readily communicate with 
  the members of this community (e.g., making use of 
  Burraga’s diverse language skills), they can question 
  them about the meteorite. If they do so, the Elders 
  and wise men will quickly inform the expedition that 
  a young tribesman named Junba has recently returned 
  from the site of the crash, but is also quite unwell. They 
  will show the Investigators to the traditional bark hut 
  where the extremely sick young man is resting.
  Inspecting the sick Aboriginal, Junba, it is quite 
  apparently that something serious is wrong with him. 
  His dark skin has a glowing blue tint, the whites of his 
  eyes glow with a similar blue tint, and he is running 
  a fever. Small bumps are visible under his skin. 
  However, Junba is still lucid for the moment, though 
  hesitant of speech. If questioned, he will recount what 
  happened when his friends found the meteorite and 
  began to explore the ruined landscape. 
  Junba’s fevered account first mentions several 
  large objects “like water carriers” near the great 
  rock — objects “shiny like sunlight on the lake, or a 
  beetle’s carapace”, but shaped with straight lines on 
  
  12
  every side, a little like the hard, straight lines of 
  some rocks and crystals. This is the young man’s 
  attempts to describe the cuboid metallic cannisters 
  at the crash site, filtered through the range of 
  things that he has experienced. Junba will explain 
  that two of the “shiny water carrier” objects were 
  already broken when they arrived, and that they 
  opened a third one by prodding it with a spear. 
  When they did so, it showered them with “wind 
  and blue spores.” 
  The following day, the Aboriginal youths tested 
  the sky rock itself, again prodding it with their 
  spears. It was then that they realized it was 
  hollow like a great “egg”, perhaps one laid by 
  Gurangatch, the rainbow serpent from the clan’s 
  songlines. There were already some small holes 
  in the shell of the rock egg, but when they struck 
  it hard, they broke through. Inside they saw a 
  shiny disk and the dried flesh of a “monster”, a 
  type of beast that none of them had ever seen or 
  heard of before. (This is the interior of the door of 
  the ship, with the rocky build-up of the meteorite 
  on the exterior. Think of it as the escape hatch or 
  the entrance hatch to the ship itself.)
  By Junba’s account it was around this time that 
  several of his fellows began to feel sick. Because 
  he seemed unaffected by the illness, Junba was 
  told to return to the settlement with one of the 
  “shiny water carriers”. When he arrived he was 
  told to ask for help and advice from the Clever 
  Men of the community.
  If the Investigators question Junba further he can 
  supply the following details:
  • There were several sealed “water carriers” at 
  the crash site; Junba’s group only opened one.
  • He left behind perhaps a dozen of his fellow 
  Gundungurra men at the crash site.
  Investigators who make inquiries of the community’s 
  Elders can learn that the object that Junba brought 
  back has been placed in another (unoccupied) hut. 
  No one has touched it since Junba became sick and 
  it has not been opened. Many in the settlement 
  believe it to be possessed by evil spirits. However, if 
  Investigators wish to take the strange object nobody 
  will stop them doing so (see “The Metal Cannisters” 
  on page 15 if Investigators decide to experiment 
  with this object).
  Day 4
  13–16 kilometers (8–10 miles) covered. On Day 4, 
  the landscape through which the expedition passes 
  turns into rolling hills rising towards the still 
  distant Blue Mountains. Thick bush begins to give 
  way to dense stands of trees, and the countryside 
  becomes wetter as they enter a micro-climate 
  temperate rainforest. As they approach within an 
  hour of the crash site, there are growing signs of 
  fire and physical destruction to the landscape as the 
  meteorite plowed its way towards its final resting 
  place. A successful Spot Hidden roll will result in 
  What Brought The Star Here? 
  The meteorite began to break up as it entered the 
  atmosphere, blazing a trail through the night sky. It’s 
  massive bulk originally more than 10 meters in diameter 
  as it entered the atmosphere, was nevertheless partially 
  under control headed to its intended destination in the 
  Outback. Failing technology and disintegration of the 
  rock coating meant that damaged navigation systems 
  switched to locking in on a closer signal, the back-up 
  beacon from the Elder Thing outpost deep beneath the 
  Blue Mountains. Even with such a last-minute correc-
  tion, the capsule was doomed. Travelling from north-
  east to southwest, the meteorite hit forested foothills 
  and left a two kilometer (1.25 mile) long path of destruc-
  tion before coming to rest in a small valley among the 
  foothills of the Blue Mountains.
  First People of the Blue 
  Mountains Region 
  (Reprinted from Ticket of Leave #7)
  The vast Blue Mountains region covers the tradi-
  tional lands of two groups of Aboriginal peoples, the 
  Darug and the Gundungurra. Roughly speaking, Darug 
  people inhabit the Cumberland plain while the Gundun-
  gurra reside in the mountainous areas and to the south 
  into the Wollondilly region. Both peoples have a long 
  and custodial relationship to the land, flora and fauna 
  of the region, and have a diverse range of established 
  sites in the area, one art site dating back 22,000 years.
  (Sources: The Aboriginal Blue Mountains site has 
  an historical and cultural overview as well as informa-
  tion on the current communities. www.aboriginalblue-
  mountains.com.au/home)
  
  13
  the Investigators discovering pieces (fist-sized or 
  smaller) of the meteorite strewn on the ground, well 
  before reaching the crash site itself.
  The expedition finally arrives at the site of the 
  crash in the foothills of the Blue Mountains as 
  night falls on Day 4. Standing atop the nearest ridge 
  and looking down into the valley, the destructive 
  passage is clearly visible to expedition members. 
  The meteorite is also quite visible even in the 
  waning light. The huge 5-metre high (16.5 feet) orb 
  of meteoric rock lies half-wedged into the ground. 
  To the northeast, a deep furrow of earth stretches 
  into the distance. On both sides, trees lay broken 
  or shattered, and in the clearing, the explosive stop 
  resulted in the trees in a 10 meter (33 feet) wide circle 
  being blow radially outwards and felled. Keepers 
  who have seen photographs of the aftermath of the 
  Tunguska impact can use that as inspiration when 
  describing the scene.
  Fires were set by the meteorites passage and impact, 
  but since the area is temperate rainforest, the wet 
  landscape soon extinguished most of the flames. Yet 
  nature can’t remove all signs of destruction in less 
  than two weeks so when the Investigators arrive, 
  they will see signs of a brief but intense fire among 
  the damaged trees and uprooted foliage.
  Upon arrival, Morrant will order camp set up about 
  25 metres (80 feet) or so away from the crash site. 
  A nearby stream will provide drinking water for 
  the bullocks and the expedition. Once tents are 
  set up and fires begun, Morrant will meet with 
  the investigators to discuss how they are going to 
  explore the site in the morning and what needs to 
  be done to salvage the huge chunk of remaining 
  meteorite. Morrant will discourage anyone from 
  bumbling about the site in the darkness, but he will 
  not stop any (non-convict) investigators from nosing 
  around if they are insistent.
  A quick survey of the crash site — all that is possible 
  in the failing twilight — will quickly stumble upon 
  the dead bodies of six of the Gundungurra men who 
  were left behind (see below). The cursory search 
  will also uncover several oddly-regular metal 
  cannisters, some opened and empty, others intact. 
  They lie scattered around the site. There is no sign 
  of what was in any of those that are opened.
  
  14
  Days 5 & 6: Exploring the 
  Crash Site
  When the sun rises next morning, the true magnitude 
  of the horrific crash site will be quite apparent to all. 
  Investigators who explore the impact site will need 
  to make a Sanity check (1/1D6+1) as the true extent 
  of its horrors slowly unfolds. There are three major 
  features to explore: the rocky meteorite itself, the 
  strangely-regular metal cannisters scattered around 
  it, and the bodies of the dead Aboriginal men. Each 
  is described separately below.
  The Meteorite
  At the centre of the scene of violent destruction is the 
  massive rocky mass of the “fallen star”. It is a roughly 
  spherical chunk of dark rock, about five metres (16.5 
  feet) across. The crash has left it partially buried, 
  wedged firmly into the ground. From a distance it 
  appears little different to any other large boulder, 
  although as Investigators inspect is more closely it 
  will become obvious that dark burn marks and scars 
  cover its surface. These are evidence of the fiery path 
  it cut through the atmosphere as it fell to earth. On 
  one side of the meteorite there is a gash, large enough 
  for a man to climb into. It is pitch black inside.
  A closer view of the site also reveals the presence of 
  several smaller regularly-shaped objects that seem to 
  have been either thrown from the meteorite during 
  the impact or removed by someone and strewn about 
  the crash site. Their oddly rectangular shape marks 
  them as clearly manufactured rather than natural. 
  These metal cannisters are described below.
  Investigators approaching the hole in the side of 
  the meteorite will first spot the stone tools and 
  spears that the Aboriginal men used to widen the 
  aperture (or “crack the egg”). These lay discarded 
  a few feet away. The investigators are also likely to 
  spot a huge disk-sized piece of meteoric stone that 
  has been chopped away by the Gundungurra men. 
  Anyone examining this stone will realize the inside 
  is lined with a shiny, nearly indestructible metal. 
  This heavy rock is a perfect size to be loaded onto 
  the expedition’s wagons as a scientific specimen.
  Peering into the hollow rock will require expedition 
  member providing some light source to clearly see 
  what lies within. Once they have done so, however, 
  they will be shocked by the strange metallic and 
  technological interior of the meteorite. Investigators 
  who have a scientific background can clearly 
  recognize that the vast banks of dials and buttons 
  are likely part of some kind of scientific apparatus 
  or similar contrivance, although it is something far 
  beyond anything known to British sciences. Because 
  the technology is so alien, the Keeper is encouraged 
  to describe it in a vague and mysterious way that 
  reflects the Investigators’ impossible attempts to 
  comprehend it in terms of common 18th Century 
  items and concepts.
  At the heart of the metal-lined meteorite is the 
  mummified and partially fossilized corpse of the 
  dead Elder Thing. The Keeper should describe its 
  bizarre form using the information on page 291–2 of 
  the Call of Cthulhu, 7th Edition rulebook (or simply 
  crib from Lovecraft’s novella At The Mountains of 
  Madness). Witnessing a dead Elder Thing requires 
  a Sanity check (0/1D6).
  The Dead Aboriginal Men
  The investigators will very quickly locate the blue, 
  bloated corpses of six Aboriginal men not far from 
  the meteorite. All have been warped by the alien 
  plant virus, and many are now rooted to the ground 
  like insane plant hybrids. Closer study of the bodies 
  reveals that their skin has a bluish tinge, and that blue 
  frond-like plants are growing from their mouths and 
  other bodily orifices. The bodies are firmly attached 
  to the ground by the roots of these frond-like 
  plants and their stomachs are severely distended. 
  If prodded or poked to rigorously, the distended 
  stomachs will burst, spraying anyone within 3 
  metres (10 feet) of the body with blue spores. If left 
  alone, the distended stomachs will burst themselves 
  three days later spreading the spores onto the soil 
  around where the bodies lay. Much of the crash site 
  will them be rendered contaminated.
  If the Investigators questioned Junba, they may 
  recall that he described leaving about a dozen men 
  behind – meaning around six of the Aboriginal 
  men are still unaccounted for. A Spot Hidden roll 
  will show drag marks heading into the rainforest 
  to the northwest, away from the crash site. About 
  10 meters (30 feet) away, investigators will find the 
  bodies of six more dead Gundungurra men huddled 
  together and entwined by vines emerging from their 
  glowing corpses. The choking blue flora has turning 
  these unfortunates into a single swaying mass. Blue-
  tinged fern-like flowers crown their heads as spores 
  erupt from mouths and ears from some unknown 
  
  15
  pressure. An additional Sanity roll (1/1D3) should be 
  required for this twisted and morbid sight.
  Anybody who touches an infected corpse must 
  check for infection (see the box on page 16).
  The Metal Cannisters
  Each of the metallic cannisters is a cuboid of shiny 
  extra-terrestrial metal, approximately the same size 
  as a keg used to store beer or rum. They are stasis 
  containers created by the Elder Things to safely hold 
  plant and animal specimens in a kind of suspended 
  animation. There were a total of eleven stasis 
  containers inside the meteorite when it crashed to 
  earth; about half of those were thrown clear during 
  the impact. Two of those ruptured during the crash, 
  releasing the alien plants they contained (although 
  the fiery blaze sparked by the crash quickly killed 
  those specimens). Another of the cannisters that 
  had been thrown clear was later opened by the 
  curious Gundungurra men, exposing them to the 
  plant virus which ultimately killed them. Another 
  of the ejected containers was taken by Junba back to 
  the Aboriginal settlement (and perhaps is already in 
  the possession of the expedition).
  Each cannister is 41 centimetres (16  1/8 th inch) along 
  its long dimension and 35 centimetres (13  7/8 th inch) 
  on the other two. All of the containers outside the 
  meteorite — and all but one of those still inside — 
  bear a series of three blue painted bands across 
  their surface, and three blue diamond-shapes. The 
  cannister taken by Junba also bears these marks. 
  These containers hold further specimens of alien 
  plants and spores. Each blue-marked container that 
  is still sealed weighs about 16 Kg (35 lbs); cannisters 
  whose contents have escaped weigh 10Kg (22 lbs). 
  Inside the meteorite (underneath the body of the 
  dead Elder Thing) is a single example of a different 
  type of cannister, bearing painted markings in a black-
  and-green chess board pattern. This container is the 
  same dimensions as all the others, but much heavier 
  39 Kg (87 lbs). It is also cold to the touch and when 
  exposed to the warm outside air, it will immediately 
  become covered with frost and condensation. This 
  stasis cannister holds a Proto-Shoggoth in suspended 
  animation (see the box on page 18).
  Investigators toying with any of the sealed cannisters 
  (plant or Proto-Shoggoth) will find there is no obvious 
  clasp or apparatus on their surface, but their relative 
  size and metallic composition means that they 
  must surely be hollow. The only method by which 
  expedition members can breach the containers is by 
  inflicting physical damage to them. Any method which 
  can overcome the cannisters’ Armour of 4 and inflict 
  an accumulated 10 Hit Points of damage will suffice. 
  One of the sealed plant cannisters is precariously 
  balanced in a way that it perches against jagged 
  pieces of rock from the meteorite — overbalancing 
  this container, deliberately or accidentally, might be 
  sufficient to create a breach.
  Piercing any of the containers is potentially hazardous 
  to the health of expedition members (see “The Alien 
  Plant Virus” box nearby for the consequences of 
  exposure). Breaching the Proto-Shoggoth container 
  will allow the alien horror to escape.
  Planning for Salvage
  Collecting samples from the meteorite crash site 
  is a huge task, and the two days available to the 
  expedition will only scratch the surface. One thing 
  that will immediately become obvious is that the 
  intact massive sphere of meteoritic rock cannot 
  be broken down without several days of intense 
  physical labour or loosened intact from the soil 
  without the use of explosives. It is far too big in 
  diameter (over 5–6.5 meters) for it to be carried on 
  the expedition’s wagons in one piece anyway.
  After an initial inspection of the site, Morrant will 
  convene a meeting to discuss how best to salvage 
  samples from the site. He will solicit ideas from 
  any of the expedition members (although will be 
  dismissive of the opinions of convicts). At the end 
  of the meeting, the following priorities will be set:
  • The expedition will aim to “recover” the 
  mummified and partially fossilized specimen of 
  “an unknown Antipodean beast” (actually the 
  dead Elder Thing) and load it onto a bullock.
  • As many as possible of the intact cannisters are 
  to be collected and loaded onto the wagons.
  • If possible, smaller chunks of the rocky 
  surface of the meteorite are to be broken off 
  and loaded onto the wagons.
  At the end of a long day’s work, Morrant will order 
  the camp to prepare for rest, and after meeting with 
  the Investigators, he will decide whether more 
  can be salvaged the following day. He would like 
  
  16
  The Alien Plant Virus
  Inside all but one of the sealed metallic storage 
  containers are samples of an alien plant that the Elder 
  Thing was carrying prior to the crash. The plants are blue 
  colored, frond-like, and covered in fine blue spores that 
  stick to clothing and flesh with small microscopic barbs. The 
  alien plants are inimical to terrestrial life, acting as a kind 
  of especially virulent parasitic virus. This is what killed the 
  curious Gundungurra men who opened one of the containers 
  (although their infection did not become apparent until 48 
  hours afterwards, when the extra-terrestrial plant life began 
  growing within their bodies began to break out).
  The alien plant virus will infect anyone who breathes 
  in the spores, touches the plant samples with bare hands 
  that have cuts or scratches, or comes into the contact 
  with an infected person without any form of protection. 
  Handkerchiefs, cloth tied around faces, leather gloves, 
  or other forms of physical protection will keep the plant 
  spores from taking root. Note that the sealed containers are 
  pressurized, so when the lid is unlatched, it will be under 
  intense pressure and it is likely some of the spores will spray 
  out if the lid is not removed with great caution.
  The Viral Reaction
  STAGE 1: Infection occurs 48 hours after any 
  unprotected target encountering the spores. The initial 
  signs of infection appear within the next 12 hours (48-60 
  hours after exposure) displaying symptoms as a low-grade 
  fever, general malaise, and a lack of appetite. An individual 
  who experiences these early symptoms and realizes they 
  might be infected makes a Sanity roll (0/1).
  STAGE 2: Within 24 hours (60-72 hours after 
  exposure), the infected victim will show a blueish tinge to 
  their skin and the whites of their eyes, and they will notice 
  small bumps along the flesh where the frond-like plant is 
  spreading through their body. At night, their bodies will 
  be seen to glow with an unearthly blue radiance. Seeing 
  the effects of the spreading viral infection requires an 
  additional Sanity check (1/1D3).
  STAGE 3: At 36 hours (72-84 hours after exposure), 
  convulsions will ripple through the body, and the fever 
  will spike. The blue radiance is so bright that if can be seen 
  during daylight as a faint aura. This stage requires a third 
  Sanity check (1/1D6).
  STAGE 4: At 48 hours (96+ hours after exposure), 
  the victim will likely be fully infected, with blue frond-like 
  plants coming out of their bodily orifices and small vines 
  erupting from the bumps in their flesh. Death generally 
  occurs within the next 4 hours, and the body will swell up 
  as the plant spores burst forth from the abdomen and the 
  fronds root the torso and limbs into the soil. The final stage, 
  especially seeing the alien plants emerging from the flesh, 
  requires a final Sanity check (1D3/2D6).
  Rolling CON: Keepers/Gamesters should take note 
  that victims can delay the initial onset of the infection with 
  a Hard CON roll. 
  • 
  Success on this roll means the infection is fought off 
  for another 12 hours. Three successful, consecutive 
  Hard CON rolls mean the victim has fought off 
  the infection entirely. Rolls should be made at the 
  moment of infection, after 12 hours, and every 12 
  hours thereafter. If three consecutive, successful 
  rolls have not been made by the time 48 hours after 
  the initial exposure have passed, the victim should 
  proceed through the stages of illness as listed earlier.
  • 
  A critical success on the initial Hard CON check 
  means the victim has resisted the spores and the 
  victim will recover after suffering the initial Stage 
  1 symptoms described above, including potential 
  Sanity loss. For those lucky few, it will feel like a 
  horrible cold or a bout of the flu. They are thereafter 
  immune to this particular viral infection. 
  • 
  A failure on the initial Hard CON check means 
  the infected victim will move to Stage 2 almost 
  immediately (within the next 1-2 hours). This 
  requires a Sanity check as the patient realizes 
  they are infected (1/1D3+1).
  • 
  A fumble on the initial hard CON check means 
  the infected victim reaches Stage 3 almost 
  immediately (within the next 30 minutes). Their 
  mind torn apart by the viral spores and their 
  flesh ripping and tearing as fronds and vines 
  viciously erupt from the flesh, the victim becomes 
  maddened and starts to attack the nearest 
  person with a frenzy until subdued or killed. The 
  victim loses 1D20 Sanity and suffers 1D6+2 Hit 
  Points of damage as the alien spores attack the 
  target’s mind and bodily organs. 
  Cold: It should be noted that the alien plant can be 
  destroyed by fire or cold, and when temperatures fall below 
  10°C (50F), the alien plant will wither and die. The arrival of 
  wintry temperatures in six months will likely destroy the vast 
  majority of plants and any spores that have spread.
  
  17
  to bring back more of the strange metallic interior 
  and additional pieces of meteoric rock, but if he can 
  be convinced that nothing more can be salvaged 
  without more equipment, he will agree to leave the 
  following morning. Otherwise the second day at the 
  site (Day 6) will be spent salvaging whatever else 
  can be recovered, including some of the strange 
  technological machinery from the interior (all of it 
  severely damaged and probably unrepairable with 
  current technological knowledge).
  Day 7
  Regardless of how successful they are salvaging on 
  the second day at the crash site, at first light on Day 7 
  Morrant will order the expedition to turn back to 
  Parramatta as supplies are beginning to run low.
  Morrant orders the expedition to retrace its path and 
  return back to Parramatta, working its way through 
  the rainforest and hills back down the path they cut 
  towards the crash site. Travel is much slower, with 
  the expedition limited to making no more than 13 
  kilometres (8 miles), and that only by pushing man 
  and beast to their limits.
  During Day 7, it is likely that many expedition 
  members will begin to feel a general malaise, as 
  Stage 1 of the viral infection takes hold. 
  Encounter: Dingoes Ate My Elder Thing
  Early in the afternoon of Day 7, about an hour after 
  the expedition has stopped for lunch, an infected 
  and mutated dingo pack attacks without warning. 
  These disgusting specimens each have plants and 
  vines growing out of its ears, mouth and abdomen. 
  The dingoes are vicious and have been driven mad 
  by the virus, which gives them supernatural strength 
  and will drive them into a frenzy if they successfully 
  bite a target. Statistics for Mutant Dingoes can be 
  found at the end of the scenario.
  The Keeper should remember to check for infection 
  any time that members of the expedition are bitten 
  by the mutated creatures. If the dingoes are driven 
  off, they will not return. Any dingo killed will fall to 
  the ground and begin to slowly dissolve as the plants 
  within have exhausted their energy in this furious 
  attack. Nothing will be left but a glowing blue residue.
  After the creatures have been seen off, Morrant will 
  order that any wounded expedition members be 
  carried to the tribal village the following day where 
  they can be left to recover. Any dead will be buried 
  where they fell. That evening, when the expedition 
  stops for the night, CON checks for the advance of 
  the viral illness should be made.
  Day 8
  13–16 kilometers (8–10 miles) covered. The 
  expedition will make a brief stop at mid-day at 
  the same Aboriginal settlement they previously 
  visited. It will soon become apparent that most 
  of the Gundungurra people have abandoned the 
  settlement, leaving behind only a few tribesmen 
  who are gathering traditional foodstuffs to feed 
  their relocated kinsfolk. If the Investigators ask 
  about Junba, they will learn that he passed away 
  yesterday. His body is now sprouting strange blue-
  coloured, frond-like plants from his orifices.
  Wounded expedition members can be left with the 
  Aboriginal people, but there is little that can be done 
  to treat their injuries as all the traditional healers 
  have left the settlement.
  Once the expedition leaves the village, the heat of 
  the day becomes nearly unbearable, especially for 
  the sick or injured. Howls of the Blue Mountain 
  
  18
  Yowies will again be heard in the distance and 
  throughout the day. It is almost as though the baleful 
  cries follow them along their path. As day turns 
  towards night, the howls become screams. They still 
  remain quite far away, but the sound is disturbing 
  (Sanity check: 0/1).
  If Investigators think to check on the items they are 
  carrying back to Parramatta, they will quickly notice 
  that the proto-Shoggoth container (if they retrieved 
  it) is now rapidly defrosting and bulging slightly. The 
  metallic cannister now has constant condensation on 
  the outside of the metallic container and cold steam 
  raising off the top. (If the Keeper is familiar with the 
  sight of dry ice sublimating, he or she can use that 
  to describe this odd sight although the discovery 
  of dry ice post-dates the Convicts & Cthulhu era by 
  some decades.) The proto-Shoggoth container has a 
  10% chance to burst free of its containment this day, 
  but only if the cannister is mishandled or dropped.
  The bullocks pulling the expedition wagons begin 
  to show the first signs of illness when they stop for 
  the evening. One of the NSW Corps soldiers is also 
  showing signs of illness before nightfall, sweating and 
  complaining of a headache. He will be listless and refuse 
  to eat. Others may be showing similar symptoms.
  Day 9
  The expedition will try to make 13–16 kilometers 
  (8–10 miles) today, but as more members become 
  sick, progress begins to slow.
  The proto-Shoggoth container now has a 50% chance 
  to spontaneously burst open, unless investigators have 
  taken some steps to cool it or reinforce the container.
  The Elder Thing corpse is also not faring well in the 
  warmer conditions, obviously disintegrating in the 
  summer weather, dissolving into thick mucus-like 
  ooze. The stench of the dissolving corpse is quite 
  revolting; however it does not attract any flies or 
  insects. Seeing the dissolving corpse requires a 
  Sanity check (1/1D3).
  Further members of the expedition begin to exhibit 
  symptoms of the viral infection as Day 9 progresses, 
  including Morrant (if he is an NPC).
  Encounter: Yowie Attack
  That evening, once the camp is set up and the watch 
  has been set, but well before midnight, another dry-
  lightning storm will light up the night sky. In the 
  midst of the storm, the expedition will be attacked 
  by three virus-infected Blue Mountain Yowies. The 
  attack will begin with rocks thrown at those on 
  watch, then vicious howls as the Yowies race into 
  the camp to carry off anyone they have knocked 
  unconscious or killed. Statistics for the mutated 
  Yowies can be found at the end of the scenario.
  The Proto-Shoggoth
  The Elder Thing scientist that piloted the capsule, 
  had at some earlier time packaged a Proto-Shoggoth 
  for transport. This was achieved by freezing the 
  dangerous creature and placing it within a stasis 
  cannister similar to those containing the plant samples. 
  In order to distinguish this particular cannister, it 
  was given distinctive markings (a black and green 
  chessboard pattern). This cannister also has a thicker 
  black base that contains a coolant regulator. After 
  several millennia in space the cannister’s hypothermic 
  containment system is failing, with the impact having 
  severely damaged its coolant regulator.
  If the proto-Shoggoth is freed, it will immediately 
  attack anything around it that has not fled from it 
  in horror. It is made up of flesh from four different, 
  humanoid-but-alien species and the flesh is 
  particolored in shades no human would possess. 
  There are more than a dozen eyes, four mouths, 
  and several tattoo-like markings. The hybrid horror 
  is highly intelligent and possesses skills from the 
  original host bodies that were combined to create it, 
  all of which came from far-advanced technological 
  civilisations. See the statistics block on page 22.
  It is highly unlikely that an Investigator can to 
  find a way to reason with the Proto-Shoggoth, which 
  will simply want to kill them. However, if players 
  suggest truly inspired plans, the Keeper should judge 
  them on their merits.
  Longer term, if the Proto-Shoggoth were to 
  somehow escape it would, over time, take on a more and 
  more humanoid form. Such a survivor would head for the 
  ruins of the Elder Thing outpost in the Blue Mountains 
  and try to (somehow) build a spacecraft to allow it to 
  return home. Obviously, such a plan would take many 
  years to accomplish, and is far beyond the scope of 
  this scenario. However, if the Keeper is interested in 
  running a long-term Convicts & Cthulhu campaign, it is 
  possible that the proto-Shoggoth could become a unique 
  ongoing, highly intelligent yet insane threat.
  
  19
  Any Yowies killed by the expedition will be found 
  to be infected with the alien plant virus. However, 
  their more rugged constitution simply indicates that 
  they are at stage 2 despite being infected several 
  days ago. If a Blue Mountain Yowie body is taken as 
  a specimen by the expedition, the expedition will be 
  attacked a second time that night by a further four 
  un-infected Yowies seeking to recover the corpse.
  If the second wave of Yowies are driven off or killed, 
  the expedition will not be attacked again. However, 
  howls and screams will still be heard throughout the 
  night until an hour before dawn when the storm ends.
  Day 10
  The expedition will find it difficult to make the 
  planned 13–16 kilometres (8–10 miles). If the 
  expedition continues to push relentlessly forwards, 
  the expedition members may just be able to reach 
  Parramatta by nightfall. The Keeper should call for 
  skill or characteristic rolls (especially for those who 
  are infected) to allow for such speed. 
  It is more likely that the group’s progress will 
  decline sharply. More alarmingly, the expedition’s 
  food supplies will now be reaching critical levels, 
  partly because some food is now spoiling in the hot 
  summer conditions. This is further compounded 
  by the miasmic air from the rotting and dissolving 
  Elder Thing, which quickly ruins any exposed food. 
  Similarly, the party’s supplies of fresh water may have 
  become tainted by plant spores – or perhaps simply 
  taken on an unpleasant smell which makes uninfected 
  members of the expedition unwilling to touch it.
  Morrant (if still alive) will seek advice from the 
  Investigators as to how the remaining food and 
  water should be distributed and rationed.
  Late on Day 10, the bullocks pulling the wagons will 
  collapse perhaps within sight of Parramatta. The 
  beasts show obvious signs of the strange illness: 
  blue frond-like growths from their mouth and ears.
  If it hasn’t already broken free, the likelihood of 
  the Proto-Shoggoth escaping on Day 10 is 90% if 
  no efforts have been made to cool or reinforce the 
  cannister. Even if some efforts have been made, there 
  is a 50% chance the monstrous thing will escape its 
  captivity. If it does, the players will have to deal 
  with the proto-Shoggoth escaping and immediately 
  attacking the remaining expedition members and 
  perhaps even the people of Parramatta.
  If Morrant is still alive and in his right mind, the 
  scientist may make a shocking suggestion around 
  the evening fire: it may, he says, be essential that the 
  expedition quarantine itself rather than returning to 
  Parramatta township (this is explored further below).
  Day 11
  On Day 11, if the expedition has not yet reached 
  Parramatta, 
  Morrant 
  will 
  resolve 
  that 
  the 
  expedition MUST halt immediately and quarantine 
  itself, regardless of any objection that his plan may 
  have received the night before. He orders that 
  the party stop short of the town and remain there 
  until the illness passes. Most of the members of 
  the expedition are likely to be ill and some may be 
  dead. If any of the Investigators are uninfected (or 
  can convince Morrant they are healthy) they will be 
  allowed to go into town to fetch a doctor from the 
  Parramatta Hospital.
  If the surviving investigators include a member of the 
  NSW Corps, he will be urged to return to Paramatta 
  Barracks and have a message sent to Governor 
  Hunter and Lieutenant Colonel Paterson in Sydney.
  By Day 11, the Elder Thing will be little more than 
  dissolving goo unless it has been preserved in some 
  way. The proto-Shoggoth will be released late in the 
  day, just before nightfall, unless the container has 
  been BOTH reinforced and chilled in some way.
  
  20
  Rewards and Penalties
  Simply surviving the horrifying trek to the 
  meteorite site and back is worth a reward of 1D6 
  Sanity points. Furthermore:
  • If the investigators are successful in defeating 
  the proto-Shoggoth, they should be rewarded 
  with an additional +1D10 Sanity Points. In 
  addition, success should also bring a boost 
  to Credit Rating of +1D6%, especially if they 
  saved the people of Paramatta. 
  • Defeating the mutated and infected dingoes 
  will bring an additional +1D6 Sanity Points. 
  • Defeating the Blue Mountain Yowies should 
  also be rewarded with an additional +1D6 
  Sanity Points. Bringing back a living speci-
  men will bring great rewards from Governor 
  Hunter and Lieutenant Colonel Paterson, in-
  cluding a boost to Credit Rating of +2D6%. If 
  the party brings back a dead (and uninfected) 
  specimen, they should be rewarded with a 
  boost to Credit Rating of +1D6%.
  Governor Hunt or Lieutenant Colonel Paterson 
  will seize all maps, journals and any other form 
  of written records from the survivors, as well as 
  entreating them to remain silent about everything 
  they have seen. Convict Investigators may be 
  granted a ticket of leave in return for their silence 
  or alternatively threatened with harsher work 
  assignments if they display loose lips about what 
  they discovered during their expedition. 
  Anyone who ignores the Governor’s warning and 
  does talk about a possible passage through the Blue 
  Mountains or the presence of alien creatures and 
  technology will be sent to Norfolk Island (or later, 
  Van Diemen’s Land) to ensure their silence. 
  If Lieutenant Morrant survives the expedition, he 
  will be promoted to Captain, while any other NSW 
  Corps soldiers will also be promoted and given 
  land grants to buy their silence.
  Free settler Investigators will be granted title to 
  land beyond Paramatta and a small cash reward 
  from the government.
  Unknown to everyone, one of the blue-painted 
  sealed plant containers does not contain a plant 
  specimen, but instead contains a piece of extra-
  terrestrial technology. If this is discovered before 
  reaching Paramatta, the Investigators will be able to 
  keep hold of a Crystal of the Elder Things (see Call 
  of Cthulhu 7th Edition Keepers Rulebook, p. 269).
  The Price of Failure
  Alternatively, if the investigators fail in stopping 
  the myriad threats they encountered along the way, 
  the colony may be facing not only a new invasive 
  and deadly plant species but also the possibility of 
  a proto-Shoggoth on the loose. The proto-Shoggoth 
  will remain hidden in one of the valleys of the Blue 
  Mountains until it is either discovered by a later 
  expedition into the dangerous landscape or it has 
  built a spacecraft (the former is much more likely). 
  Failure to defeat the proto-Shoggoth, and knowing 
  it is still out there in the wilderness, haunts 
  expedition members resulting in an additional loss 
  of -1D4 Sanity.
  The invasive plant species will eventually spread 
  for about 6 months, but when the weather changes 
  as winter approaches, and the temperature falls 
  below 10°C (50F), the alien plant will wither and 
  die, saving the colony from the ravages of this 
  dangerous extra-terrestrial menace.
  Statistics
  Game statistics for Call of Cthulhu 7th Edition are 
  shown below.
  Lt. Alistair Morrant
  NSW CorpS offiCer aNd expeditioN Leader, 
  aged 30. (poteNtiaL head of iNveStigator 
  party if oNe iS Not draWN from their raNkS)
  Morrant is from a middle-class English family, 
  and he attended a local grammar school where 
  he became interested in botany and geology. He 
  is tall and rugged, though he has a faint speckle of 
  pockmarks across both cheeks from a childhood 
  bout with smallpox. Otherwise he is thought 
  handsome and he is considered by the single ladies 
  of the colony an eligible catch among the officers 
  of the NSW Corps. While a competent officer, 
  Morrant is also a bit bookish, and when he is off-
  duty, he is often travelling to collect samples of 
  local fauna and flora. 
  
  21
  He came to the attention of William Paterson when 
  Morrant accompanied Paterson on his failed 1793 
  expedition to the Blue Mountains. His loyalty was 
  rewarded when Morrant was appointed as a senior 
  assistant during Paterson’s brief rule as acting Governor. 
  Morrant was invited to accompany Paterson back to 
  England in 1796. There Morrant was introduced to Sir 
  Joseph Banks and was briefly sent off to the Isle of Wight 
  to recover some specimens Banks had left behind years 
  earlier. Now back in Australia for the last few weeks, 
  Morrant has been readjusting to the changed political 
  climate in the colony. When Paterson decided to send a 
  team to recover the fallen meteorite, he naturally chose 
  Morrant to lead the expedition.
  STR 60 
   CON 50 SIZ 65 
  DEX 50  INT 80
  APP 65  POW 60  EDU 55 SAN 60 
  Hit Points: 11
  Damage Bonus:  +1D4 Build:1 Move: 7 
  Magic Points: 12
  Luck: 45
  Brawl 
  35% (17/7), damage 1D3 + Damage Bonus
  Carbine 
  55% (27/11), damage 1D10+4 [Range 70 yards;  
   
   
        1 shot per 4 rounds; Malfunction 95+]
  Dodge 
  55% (27/11)
  Skills:  Credit Rating 65%, Insight 55%, Intimidate 45%, 
  Listen 45%, Natural World 50%, Science (Botany) 
  35%, Stealth 40%, Spot Hidden 55%.
  Burraga
  aborigiNaL guide, aged 21
  Burraga is a distant relative of Bennelong, who 
  is one of the most famous Indigenous community 
  leaders in Australia. Burraga has been in and 
  around Parramatta for the last six months or so, 
  though he first came to meet his “uncle” Bennelong 
  back in 1795 when he returned from England. 
  Since then, Burraga has traveled from the bush to 
  the colony several times a month, bringing news in 
  both directions. Burraga has acted as a guide for 
  some of the local settlers and is willing to do so for 
  the right price. While he loves to hear stories of 
  far-away lands, Burraga believes most Europeans 
  could not survive a week out in the bush, so he 
  carefully hides his disdain for anyone he thinks 
  would die without his aid.
  STR 60 
   CON 65 
  SIZ 65 
  DEX 65  
  INT 70 
  APP 50  POW 65  EDU 65 SAN 60 
  Hit Points: 13
  Damage Bonus:  +1D4 Build:1 Move: 8 Magic Points: 13
  Luck: 60
  Brawl 
   
  55% (27/11), damage 1D3 + Damage Bonus
  Light Spear  
  65% (32/13), damage 1D6+1 + Damage Bonus
  Thrown Spear  
  65% (32/13), damage 1D6+1 + ½ Damage Bonus  
   
   
        
   
                      [range 24 yards]
  Dodge  
   
  50% (25/10)
  Skills: Credit Rating (with Europeans) 10%, Language 
  (English) 30%, Language (Sydney region Aboriginal) 
  50%, Listen 70%, Lore (Aboriginal) 50%, Navigate 
  65%, Survival (Bush) 50%, Throw 65%, Track 65%.
  Mutated Dingo Pack
  2d3 diNgoeS iN paCk; uSe Same StatS for eaCh.
  STR 70 
   CON 55 
  SIZ 35 
  DEX 70   POW 35
  Hit Points: 12
  Damage Bonus:  none Build:0 Move: 12 Magic Points: 7
  ATTACKS
  Attacks per round: 1
  Fighting 
   
  50% (25/10), damage 1D6 + Infection
  Dodge  
   
  40% (20/8)
  Frenzy: If a mutated Dingo successfully bites and inflicts 
  damage, it will latch on to the target and go into a frenzy 
  the following round. Make an opposed STR roll and if the 
  dingo is successful, it will automatically inflict 3 additional 
  points of damage each round it is still attached to its victim.
  Infection: Anyone bitten by a mutated dingo has the poten-
  tial to become infected with the same virus; see “The Alien 
  Plant Virus” on "The Alien Plant Virus" on page 16.
  Skills: Listen 75%, Track by Scent 85%.
  Armour: 1-point skin; Fire, however, will ignore armour and 
  do double damage.
  Sanity Loss:  0/1D6 Sanity points to see a mutated dingo.
  
  22
  Proto-Shoggoth
  horror iN a CoLd Store CaNNiSter
  Proto-Shoggoths are masses of human-coloured flesh 
  with many of the textural features of genuine human 
  flesh: muscle ridges, nipples, perhaps even eyes and 
  mouths, all in odd places on the quivering flesh. The 
  interior of the flesh may have incomplete organs and 
  visible corded muscles, and the flesh seems to move as if 
  breathing or heaving in response to some sort of stimuli. 
  Proto-Shoggoths cannot change the amount of mass or 
  volume they possess, but they can reshape it at whim, 
  creating limbs, pseudopods, orifices, or anything other 
  physical extremity they might need for a particular 
  task. This particular proto-Shoggoth is the result of an 
  alien science experiment gone slightly awry. Unlike 
  genuine Shoggoths, proto-Shoggoths are intelligent, 
  cunning and also retain the skills and spells they had in 
  their previous incarnation. This proto-Shoggoth knows 
  no spells, but it does have access to several skills.
  STR 165  CON 145 SIZ 135 DEX 75  
  INT 105 
  POW 105   
  Hit Points: 28
  Damage Bonus:  +3D6 Build:4 Move: 8 Magic Points: 21
  ATTACKS
  Attacks per round: 1
  Fighting Attacks: Proto-Shoggoths can attack with a 
  crushing blow, a bite or a swipe of its tentacle.
  Crush 
  100% (50/20), damage equals 2 × Damage Bonus
  Limb 
  50% (25/10), damage equals Damage Bonus
  Bite 
  25% (15/5), damage equals ½ Damage Bonus
  Dodge 
  30% (15/6)
  Skills: The Proto-Shoggoth was ‘built’ from three humanoid-
  but-alien entities, and possesses skills from each of them. 
  The Keeper can decide whether the Proto-Shoggoth has 
  access to all the skills, all the time, or whether it shifts 
  persona from one former body to another (and has the 
  corresponding skills while inhabiting that persona).
  Skills from Alien species 1: Medicine 50%, 
  Psychology 35%, Science (Biology) 35%, System 
  Operation 50%, Zero-G 25%
  Skills from Alien species 2: Computer 
  Maintenance 55%, Electronics 45%, Electrical 
  Repair 35%, Technical Repair 60%
  Skills from Alien species 3: Navigate 60%, Pilot 
  Spaceship 65%, Science (Astronomy) 45%, 
  Firearms (Electrical: Pistol) 45%
  (Note that most of the non-standard, futuristic skills are 
  taken from Cthulhu through the Ages, p. 53-54.)
  Armour: None; however, proto-Shoggoths suffer only 
  minimum damage from any physical attack against it. It 
  also regenerates two hit points per round.
  Sanity Loss: 1/1D10 to see a proto-Shoggoth.
  Three Blue Mountain Yowies
  For additional information about Yowies, see the 
  Convicts & Cthulhu core book.
  Yowies are short, malodorous hairy hominids which have 
  been reported lurking in dark corners of most Australian 
  regions but seem most common in forested areas of the 
  southeast. Vaguely reminiscent of the Yeti of Himalayan 
  folklore, the Yowies are elusive creatures which are only 
  occasionally seen by people. Their exceptional abilities 
  in camouflage means that most sightings end with the 
  Yowie disappearing into landscape before the observer 
  can get a clear view of the creature
   
   
  #1 
   #2 
  #3
  STR  
   
  75 
  105 
  95 
  CON 
   
  85 
  85 
  110
  SIZ 
   
  35 
  50 
  35
  DEX 
   
  75 
  100 
  75
  INT 
   
  65 
  30 
  45
  POW 
   
  20 
  65 
  70
  Hit Points  
  12 
  13 
  14
  Damage Bonus/Build 
  0/0 
  +1D4/1 
  +1D4/1
  Magic Points 
  4 
  13 
  14
  Move:  
   
                 9                   9               9
  ATTACKS
  Attacks per round: 1
  Fighting Attacks: Yowies can attack either with fists or 
  by throwing rocks.
  Fist 
   
  50% (25/10), damage 1D3 + Damage Bonus
  Thrown Rock 
  50% (25/10), damage 1D3 + ½ Damage Bonus
  Dodge  
   
  80% (40/16)
  Armour: 4 points of thick hide and hair.
  Sanity Loss: 0/1D6 to see a Yowie.
  Like what you've read, but don't yet own the core Convicts & Cthulhu sourcebook? Head over to RPGNow or 
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SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Call of Cthulhu (CoC) (BRP) [multi]/7th edition/Convicts & Cthulhu/CoC 7e - Convicts & Cthulhu - Ticket of Leave #12 - Fallen Stars.pdf