Cthulhu Campaign

Episode #1

Players either were hired by Professor Dr. Morgan or were lust struck in a drunken stupor to provide funds for the expedition, or were asked by Miskatonic University's Professor Armitage to join the expedition for the good of the university. You learned that Professor Dr. Morgan was not just looking for Mayan artifacts in the Honduran jungle, but that he was trying to relocate the lost expedition of his friend and mentor: Dr. Williamson.

You learned that Dr. Williamson, with his colleague Professor Baldwin, and four red shirts...er... graduate students left Belize in June of the year 1920. (It is currently late July, the year 1921). Local authorities believe that the mission ran afoul of black marketeers trafficking in illegal Mayan and Aztec relics. Williamson's last documented camp was a few day's journey in the swamps along the Belize River.

You also learned that Dr. Williamson was seen as something of a crack-pot in academic circles when his book published his theory that the advancements of the Mayan civilization were completed by a race of "space men" (i.e. The Chariot of the Gods).

Meeting in Belize, each of you were paid a sum of $750 and put to work getting the boat ready for the expedition. In attendance were:
--Dr. Morgan, head of the expedition
--Dr. Franklin, medical aid
--Dr. Quinn, medical assistant
--Mrs. Wilimina Agnes Packard; assistant archeologist and antiquarian
--Stuart Devlin, river pilot and handyman
--Miguel, Devlin's retarded Indian laborer
--Gordon Lockly, one of the backers for the expedition
--Ms. Maybel Duquesne Devereaux, the other backer for the expedition, an author and socialite
--Nihol To'aszoli Deeschii'nii: a Navajo Indian laborer
--Ted Jackson, a plain looking farmer/laborer (also ex-doughboy)
--John Ryan, a skittish WWI soldier, laborer

Your characters met in Belize and while there, several strange things began to happen. The first is that a threatening note was sent to Mabel. The second was that while working on the docks to prepare the ship, the cable loading cargo had been cut 1/2 way, so as to cause an accident. A small bump on Nihol's head was all that transpired, but a message was being sent to the party regarding the native reaction to your presence. Finally, a non-poisonous snake was left in Mabel's bedroom (she had been shadowed while shopping and from her excursions to the church and seminary). Mabel screamed and ran next door to her boyfriend's room. She interrupted his discussion with Dr. Morgan. Gordon responded quickly and, pulling out his revolver, shot the snake three times. While all this was going on, John, Ted, and Nihol went to the ship and met a band of natives on the dock. They tried to threaten you - "leave Belize or die! - Do not disturb the city of stone!" and one flicked open a switchblade. The trigger-happy John shot the "leader" of the band and the others dispersed. Nihol applied his first-aid while Ted stood defense and grappled one of the furious natives as he tried to defend his shot friend. All ran off, except for the wounded one, who was rushed to the hospital after the police investigated the scene. Once the police realized it was John and not Nihol who had shot the gun, they let you go.

In the morning, the ship prepared, the expedition began its trip down the Belize river. Along the way, you noticed some strange natural occurrences with the native animals. Fish, birds, and then crocodiles were found swarming along the river for mysterious reasons. On the seventh day, Stuart Devlin, Miguel, and Dr. Morgan found evidence of the Williamson expedition's previous campsite. The party went ashore to investigate.

In the camp, you found evidence of the previous expedition. Several metal rings (the grommets for tents) were found along with a few rusty lanterns, tin-cans, and other non-biodegradable materials. About 8 yards south of the campsite Dr. Quinn found a Mayan pyramid. The pyramid was small about 4 yards per side and roughly 3 yards tall. Agnes and Dr. Morgan were able to identify the structure as Mayan. Atop the pyramid Nihol found a smashed remains of a carving and underneath the rubble some old .38 shells. Nearby the pyramid, Ted found a tangle of strange vegetation and underneath the tangle you found two skeletal bodies. Quinn and Franklin examined the bodies and found that one had a fractured neck and the other had been shot in the head. Only belt buckles remained of their clothing. Underneath the bodies, Ted found a metal box. Breaking open the lock, Ted found a crumpled slip of paper which showed a crude map drawing of Dr. Williamson's second day camp plans. Also there was a notebook/journal written by one of the graduate students whose bodies you uncovered. The journal has hardly been used and reveals that Williamson and the others indeed went east and that Peter (graduate student) had wrecked the "awful carving". The rest of the journal entry degenerated into incoherent babbles with the words: "God Help Them" underscored twice at the bottom of the page. The rest of the journal was empty.

Stuart Devlin and Miguel went back to the ship to sail along the Belize river and plan to continue to search the shore in the event that Williamson made his camp along the east coast of the river. They plan to meet you the following day, moving inland from the river.

The rest of you trekked through the swamp and spent an uncomfortable night being bitten by mosquitoes and insects. The following morning, after resuming your journey, you found a clearing in the jungle which served as the second camp for the Williamson expedition. One of you, Nihol (I believe), found a pile of stones that turned out to be a make-shift cairn. On it was the name Johnathan Darris (another graduate student) and under the name was scratched a strange five-pointed star with an eye in the middle. Among the collected rocks, Nihol found a gold medallion. Agnes identified the amulet as Mayan origin and the relief depicts some sort of tangled tree with hooves. A few yards away the team found a tattered tent and the remains of previous tents that indicated the second day camp. Under the tarp you found a collection of Mayan pottery in the process of being tagged. Among the pottery, you found a baked clay five pointed star with an eye in the middle. By one of the other tent areas, John and Ted found a small locked chest bearing the identifying marks: E. W. (Eric Williamson). In the chest you found a small jade and silver sculpture of an elaborately bedecked head. Morgan identifies this as Mayan. Also in the chest is Williamson's journal and collection of papers, and the book: Nameless Cults wrapped in burlap. Williamson's journal catalogues the items and pottery found at camp one. No mention of the jade head is listed, but at the second site, the team had found the five pointed star. Williamson states that the sign is of major occult significance and did research on it in his copy of Nameless Cults. It apparently is believed to prevent entry of supernatural entities.

Dr. Quinn then Nihol called your attention to a section of the jungle. About 50 feet from the campsite, you found a section of the jungle that had been disturbed by previous human presence. Williamson and his team must have hacked their way through the jungle here toward the south. Nihol and Ted lead the way through the dense jungle to a major find: a two step pyramid and large sunken court yard.

End of session #1