Roleplayer #10, May 1988
Adventure Contest Winner
The Isle of Night
An Adventure for GURPS
Horror
by Scott Paul Maykrantz
Developed by Stephen Beeman
"I need your help, please!" begged the young man, failing to
hide a fear so deep his entire body shook. "I . . . have these horrible
dreams! My fiancee . . . my poor Alicia . . . is standing on a cliff, watching
the sea. The water starts to boil, moving like it's alive! And then it becomes
something horrible -- a grotesque creature with glowing eyes and twisted
claws. It. . . it eats her. . . swallows her whole!"
He nervously lights another cigarette. His hair is uncombed and he has dark
circles under his eyes. His expensive suit is rumpled, and he reeks of waterfront
saloons. "I'll tell you everything," he continues, after a few
shallow puffs. "Let me start at the beginning. . ."
Setting Up The Adventure
This GURPS Horror adventure begins in Victorian
England. It is designed for 100-point PCs who are part of an established
group dealing with occult, detective or paranormal cases. They should have
a regular meeting place where Youngsten can contact them.
If the GM feels it necessary, he may draw up a map for the Isle of Night.
The Isle should be drawn as a typical tropical island -- a mile or two across,
with wide beaches and dense jungle. A native village and a high cliff overlooking
the ocean -- both described later in the adventure -- should be placed within
a quarter mile of each other on the island.
The Story
The man is Richard Youngsten,
a lieutenant in Her Majesty's Army, serving in India. He returned to London
two months ago, upon the death of his elder brother, Capt. Alfred Youngsten.
Richard's fiancee, Alicia
Fitzhugh, had been visiting her father, Col. Avery Fitzhugh, in Africa;
she planned to return with the Colonel to England a few weeks later. Their
ship arrived three days ago, without them.
In her last letter, Alicia mentioned that the Colonel had recently rediscovered
an uncharted island he had visited two years before, while serving with
Richard's brother under the African explorer Sir Lionel Blackston-Smythe.
The Colonel -- something of an amateur archeologist -- intended to make
a brief side trip to the island to study its natives before steaming to
England.
The Fitzhughs never boarded the ship bound for London. Richard had no idea
what happened to them, until last night, when he had the dream described
above. He's convinced that it means Alicia is alive, but in terrible danger.
"I need your help," he concludes, "because I'm certain that
when I find Alicia, I'll find that creature."
Research
Before departing for Africa, the PCs may wish to research the case. The
more they know about the Isle of Night, the easier it will be for them to
find and prepare for it.
A successful Research roll on each of three successive days will find the
journals of Sir Lionel Blackston-Smythe in the archives of the British Museum
library. One entry, dated about 2 years ago, reads:
- Yesterday night we made landfall on a small tropical island. Leading
a party of six men, I struck forth into the island's interior. We soon came
across a small village. The natives were engaged in some heathen ritual,
in which a young boy was to be sacrificed.
- Naturally, we rescued the child. We were able to hold off the islanders
long enough to return to our ship. Colonel Fitzhugh, who fought bravely
to free the native boy, was severely wounded by the native chief. Captain
Youngsten cut down the savage, but was himself wounded in the process.
An entry a few days later reads, "After days of delirium, it now appears
as though Fitzhugh will pull through. Youngsten's wound, however, continues
to fester, and I'm afraid we'll have to put into port sometime soon to have
it tended to."
The journal reveals no other information. It does, however, give fairly
accurate coordinates of the island.
Investigation into the fate of Blackston-Smythe reveals -- no roll necessary
-- that he died at his family home near Oxford, Blackston Manor, soon after
his return from Africa. A Research roll at the newspaper office in Oxford
turns up a story dated soon after Sir Lionel's return. It seems that he
was found in his bedroom, apparently tortured to death. His young African
serving boy was also found dead in the room; unlike his master, the boy
was unmarked, and the cause of his death could not be determined.
Blackston-Smythe's wife, Lady Eleanor, still lives in Blackston Manor. She
will not be willing to talk about her husband's death, but a plausible explanation
and a Fast-Talk-4 roll will convince her to let the investigators look through
her late husband's diary.
The diary also tells of the incident on the island, but reveals a couple
of other things as well. First, it mentions that the men on the expedition
presented the native chief's ceremonial dagger to Captain Youngsten, for
his bravery in defending the fallen Col. Fitzhugh. Second, it tells that
Sir Lionel took the rescued native boy into his household as a houseboy.
In an entry dated two days before his death, Sir Lionel wondered if this
had been a wise decision; the boy had begun to act strangely, staring into
the distance and singing or chanting to himself.
If the investigators are unable to get the diary from Lady Alice, they may
acquire a copy from the Oxford police with an Administration-2 roll. (The
police made a copy while investigating Sir Lionel's death.)
If the investigators attempt to track down the other four men who visited
the island with Sir Lionel (Lt. Sadler, Lt. Jonnson, Sgt. Walker and Sgt.
Doolittle), they should make separate Research-3 rolls for each. For every
successful roll, they will learn that each died by torture since returning
from Africa. In each case, the unmarked body of a servant was found nearby,
and the murders were attributed to the dead servant, or remained unsolved.
Captain Alfred Youngsten, Richard's brother, was the last living member
of the expedition aside from Col. Fitzhugh. Richard knows that his brother
died under similar circumstances.
The investigators may also research legendary
African monsters similar to the one in Richard's dream. A Research-3 or
Occultism roll (requiring a full day) uncovers a tale of a creature called
either T'Soquat or Tuso,
depending on the source. This creature is said to have been called forth
by great wizard-chiefs to wreak havoc on their enemies. The creature could
only be summoned, however, on a specific astrological date, occurring once
every two hundred years. The last such date was approximately 2 years ago.
Research on other topics will prove unfruitful.
The Passage to Africa
The London-Africa trip will take nine days, arriving at Abidjan (on the
Ivory Coast) after a few stops at major ports along the way. A first class
fare costs 25 pounds first class; steerage, 5 pounds. The group may use
this boring trip to study gathered notes, go over Blackston-Smythe's journal
or diary, and discuss the upcoming search.
Abidjan
During the Victorian Era, Abidjan is a small trading town catering to foreigners.
Through a series of Streetwise, Fast-Talk, Administration or Research rolls,
the investigators can soon learn that Col. Fitzhugh and his daughter delayed
their passage to London to chartered a small yacht for a short cruise on
the Atlantic. Their yacht never returned. This information may be learned
from the harbormaster, the local office of the passenger line serving travelers
between London and Africa, or from local sailors and fishermen on the Abidjan
wharf.
The investigators will need to make a few social skill rolls to charter
another vessel to search for the Fitzhughs. The local boatmen will be reluctant
to sail after the lost vessel; the charter will cost 10 pounds per day --
twice the normal rate.
The Isle of Night
On the afternoon of the group's second day at sea, the sun begins to set
at least an hour early. The wind stays steady and soon a jagged slice of
land is seen. It grows with the mystic night as the party approaches, looking
like a giant, tree-covered corpse floating in the sea. The investigators
have found the Isle of Night!
The Isle of Night takes its name from the mystic quality that keeps it hidden:
It is shrouded in perpetual darkness. This unnatural night is not visible
from a distance, nor is it suddenly encountered. As the ship approaches
within an hour of the Isle, the sky begins to grow dark, as if the sun were
setting at an unnatural rate. Anyone with a watch or clock will notice that
time is accelerating to match the descent of the sun. When they reach the
island, all timepieces stop at precisely mid-night. Directly overhead is
a full moon, which never moves. Vision rolls in the darkness are at -3,
unless the PCs have some sort of magical light source. (A lantern will not
work on the island, for reasons explained below.)
Over the span of the adventure, clever PCs may
notice that they never grow thirsty, hungry or sleepy. Time on the island
has stopped. This also has an effect on wounds and bleeding --
see below for details.
Fires will not burn on the island, nor will gunpowder ignite.
The investigators land on a short beach; above the shore, a dense jungle
dominates the island. A small mountain looms at the east end of the isle,
and a destroyed yacht lies on the beach a few hundred yards away from the
party's landing point.
The yacht is wrecked, empty and deserted. A Vision roll at-5 (plus the -3
for darkness) will reveal a small gold locket with Richard's picture inside.
If it is shown to Richard, he recognizes it as Alicia's. "She's here!"
he cries. "We must find her!"
While exploring the island, give each PC an IQ roll to notice that there
is no running water of any sort on the island, not even run-off from the
mountain. No birds or insects can be heard, either; the whole island is
shrouded in an eerie silence.
A very brief amount of searching will lead the PCs to a village in the center
of the island -- a rough circle of palm-leaf huts. The village is populated
by thin pygmies, clad in "typical native garb" -- loincloths and
not much else. Give each investigator a Vision roll to notice that about
a third of the villagers -- mostly adult males -- are wearing small amulets
of bone about their necks.
There are roughly thirty villagers of all ages. No one talks, and all have
blank expressions. In the center of the village, a middle-aged English officer
rests on a grass mat. "Colonel!"
Richard exclaims.
The officer awkwardly rises to greet the party. "Richard! Thank God
you're here, lad! How did you find me? Do you have a boat?" He is overjoyed
to see his rescuers. He also seems to have suffered from exposure; he appears
thin and weak, and is quite disheveled.
But Richard has only one thing on his mind. "Where is Alicia?"
he asks, his voice nearly breaking with the strain.
"She -- she's gone," Fitzhugh says softly. "Lost at sea.
Our boat was caught in a storm, just as we were approaching this island.
When I washed ashore, these villagers brought me here and nursed me back
to health. Alicia is gone, though, I'm afraid."
Richard is obviously crushed by the news. He keeps mumbling, "No, no.
She's alive, I know it." But the Colonel is quite adamant -- Alicia
went overboard during the storm that wrecked the ship.
Questioning the Colonel won't accomplish a whole lot. He sticks to his tale
completely, even if confronted with Alicia's locket -- "She must have
left it on board." As to why he came here, it was to explore the island,
just as Alicia's records said. The Colonel will be bewildered if the PCs
show him evidence of the mysterious deaths.
This, and the Colonel's sickness, is all an act, of course. A PC with Acting
or Detect Lies may try to see through the disguise with a Quick Contest
of Skills against the Colonel's Acting skill of 15. A character with Diagnosis,
Physician or Survival (Ocean) may also attempt a Contest to detect that
the Colonel's weakness is feigned.
During the questioning, Richard asks a few more
times where Alicia is, then stalks away and slumps beside a native hut,
obviously frustrated and distraught. He pulls out an ornate dagger
and starts whittling a stick, hacking at it furiously. When Richard does
this, the Colonel stares at him silently for a few moments, then returns
to the conversation. Any appropriate roll (at-5) reveals that the Colonel's
attention was on the dagger, not Richard.
Soon after this, all the natives move off into the huts. If the PCs seem
alarmed, the Colonel will calm them. "No, no, they're just getting
ready for a feast. They always receive visitors with a feast. Nothing to
worry about."
At this, the investigators realize that they're not at all hungry or thirsty.
They also notice that there are no torches or campfires in the village.
The group doesn't have time to discuss the matter, though, because suddenly
the natives attack!
Lay out the village on a blank hex map. Place several 3-yard-wide huts on
the map (one for every PC, plus one for Richard), scattered about in a rough
circle covering the map. The investigators are in the center of the circle,
except characters who specifically stated they were elsewhere. The Colonel
is at the center of the map; Richard is sitting with his back against a
hut.
Three natives pile out
of each hut and attack. They are all unarmed and unarmored. Each will use
only All-Out attacks.
Strange Happenings
A spell has stopped time on the island. Because of this, wounds act strangely.
First of all, they cause no stunning or shock penalty to DX -- the wounds
don't hurt! Second, no one will go unconscious -- at 0 or lower HT, they
just keep fighting (make HT rolls for dying as usual, however). And third,
the wounds don't bleed at all. When a PC discovers that the natives aren't
bleeding or being stunned, he should make a Fright Check at -2; when one
discovers that the PCs aren't bleeding, he makes a Fright Check at -4! (Don't
forget to add +5 for the fact that everyone's in combat.)
Also because of the spell, fires won't light, and gunpowder won't fire!
The PCs' guns simply will not work (Fright Check at -2 when this becomes
apparent).
Pursuit
During the battle, observant PCs may note that the natives attacking Richard
seem to be trying to grab his arm. As soon as any investigator realizes
this, Richard lets out a cry. "Fiend! Give that back!" A villager
has ripped Richard's dagger from his hand and fled into the jungle.
Up until this point, the Colonel has been grappling with one of the villagers,
but when he sees the native take Richard's dagger, he barks a command in
a primitive language. His native opponent suddenly releases him, but the
villagers facing the rest of the party redouble their attacks. The investigators
are able to glimpse the Colonel running off into the jungle after the villager
with the dagger.
Allow the investigators to shake free from their opponents to pursue the
Colonel. If they don't seem inclined to pursue him, Richard will cry, "Quick!
After him!" and charge into the jungle.
The Summoning
The Colonel is easy to follow -- he charged down a jungle trail, not bothering
to hide his tracks. This is fortunate, because the PCs don't have a lot
of time to carefully look for a trail -- the villagers are right behind
them!
The group follows the trail to the foot of the mountain. There they find
a narrow crevice leading up the mountain face. The natives are only few
steps behind -- the PCs have no choice but to ascend. When they are within
10 yards of the top, they begin to hear chanting, interrupted by screams.
Richard yells, "Alicia!" and sprints to the top.
The crevice opens out into a wide ledge overlooking the ocean. At the edge
of the cliff, 20 yards from the mouth of the crevice, a young English woman
is tied to a stone pillar. Five yards closer, the Colonel kneels within
a glowing dome of energy, chanting fervently. "Come, mighty T'Soquat,"
he cries. "Taste the flesh I have brought you!"
The natives are five seconds away -- the group has that long to somehow
stop the Colonel before he completes his "Summon T'Soquat" spell.
The energy globe is a Force Dome (p.
F28), which is impassable to anything other than light and magic. He
has his Armor spell going as well; if he is not physically interrupted,
he won't fail the roll to cast his Summoning spell.
After five seconds, the Colonel's spell finishes and the villagers arrive
at the top of the stairs. The Colonel falls unconscious, the Force Dome
and Armor spells cutting off. When the Force Dome disperses, however, so
does the time-stop spell that enshrouded the island before. Most of the
villagers crumble to dust (Fright Check at -2), but those who wore the bone
amulets continue to charge. Furthermore, all the wounds the PCs took during
the battle suddenly begin to bleed and hurt characters are stunned or unconscious
as if they took all their wounds in one massive blow right now. (At this
point, gunpowder will once again work on the island, if the PCs attempt
to use their guns.)
As the remaining natives rush the PCs, their eyes begin to glow red, and
their hands begin to transform into crab-like claws! This metamorphosis
becomes apparent after three seconds, at which time each PC should make
a Fright Check at -4.
Ten turns after the spell is finished, a thick gurgle is heard below. From
the ocean emerges a huge, shadowed form.
Seeing the creature calls for an immediate Fright Check at -2. The T'Soquat
reaches land in 10 seconds, and will reach the top of the cliff 30 seconds
alter that. When it is completely out of the water, an additional Fright
Check is made, at -4.
The T'Soquat resembles a gigantic lobster with pale gray-green skin and
a pair of glowing red eyes. It has no exoskeleton but, instead, has thick
skin with irregular bulges and lesions. An acidic slime oozes from these
sores, coating the creature's body and burning those it touches.
The T'Soquat will chase Alicia, intent on eating its sacrifice. If she dies,
the Creature will attack the nearest human.
Once the T'Soquat gives up or finishes off the group, it will head for the
African coast for more food. If it is not destroyed quickly, its DR will
reach incredible levels -- and it will become invincible!
The most satisfying methods of extermination will be those which require
no special abilities or equipment -- crushing it in an avalanche, tricking
it into falling off the cliff, etc. Allow the players to try any imaginative
schemes and at least come close to success.
The adventure is over when the creature has been killed. When the T'Soquat
dies, its body melts to a steaming, smelly mound of acid-soaked flesh. It
dissolves completely, disappearing in twenty minutes.
Epilogue
If they both survive, Richard and Alicia will be married a month later in
London. The PCs are invited, of course. They will also be paid one thousand
pounds each on the day they return to England. If Richard dies, Alicia will
pay the investigators.
The Isle could be claimed for Britain. The characters can decide on the
name and will receive a lot of recognition and publicity.
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