MISTER CORBITT

 MISTER CORBITT

In which the investigators get to know their neighbor and his family a little better than they would like.

his scenario can be run over one to three sessions and is designed for play with one or more investigators. While written to take place during the early 1920s,

the events could easily be moved to the modern era or another time, and can be relocated elsewhere in the US or another country.

KEEPER INFORMATION

Bernard Corbitt has always seemed a quiet, inoffensive, and normal man. His only apparent oddity is a touch of absent-mindedness. He lives on a large, well-kept estate on Chestnut Street in a leafy suburb of Boston, MA, across the street from one of the investigators, with whom Corbitt possibly has a nodding relationship. He is one of the more respected and prominent businessmen in the area and his habits and mannerisms are known to most of his neighbors.

Keeper note: while this scenario is nominally set in Boston, Bernard Corbitt could easily live in the suburbs of any other sufficiently large town or city anywhere in the world, such as Arkham, Berlin, London, or wherever happens to be most appropriate for your current investigators or campaign.

Unbeknown to those living around him, Corbitt is a servant of Yog-Sothoth, and has been indefinitely insane since witnessing the terrible death of his father on a windy mountaintop in India some 14 years ago at the hands of Ramasekva, a multi-limbed manifestation of the All-In- One. The experience caused Corbitt to lose a large degree of his sanity and left him with a split personality and partial, somewhat selective, amnesia.

He shortly thereafter married a young girl and allowed Yog-Sothoth (who possessed Corbitt’s form) to father twins upon his bride. When the children were born prematurely

seven months later, it caused the death of both his wife and the more normal of the twin boys. The surviving “son,” a grotesque creature, has been kept for years in a secret basement room, fed and surgically modified by Corbitt to meet Yog-Sothoth’s unfathomable demands. Growing at a progressively increasing rate, the creature will soon be ready to fulfill its destiny, to the pride of its foster father and the horror of the sane world.

INVOLVING THE INVESTIGATORS

The scenario assumes the investigators are currently residing in a house in an expensive upper-middle class or better residential neighborhood. Across the street dwells the kindly widower, Mr. Corbitt.

The house could be the home of an investigator, which works best if played with one Keeper and one investigator, or the investigator has been called back to their family home to look after one of their aging parents after the other parent recently died. With the latter, Mr. Corbitt may very well be known to the investigator as a friendly neighbor and someone they have known for a number of years.

If there is more than one investigator, assume the house is owned or rented by a member of the group, and the others become involved through their colleague once the first investigator begins to notice the strange things happening across the street. Alternatively, one or more investigators could be staying in a friend’s house during some downtime from investigating, or they may have recently rented a house while working out of town on an investigation (in this case, this scenario becomes a colorful but separate interlude during the main investigation). Another option is to have the group called in by another colleague or friend who has become suspicious of their neighbor Mr. Corbitt after seeing and/or hearing something.

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As well as working as a sidetrack during a larger campaign, Mister Corbitt could also be used to kick start a new campaign, with this being the investigator(s) first encounter with the Cthulhu Mythos. Alternatively, it makes for a great one-shot adventure, with the investigators all being members of the same family living in the house opposite the Corbitt residence. The whole setup is designed to be flexible, so please adapt things to suit your game as necessary.

As noted above, consider introducing Mr. Corbitt before the scenario starts. Perhaps he’s a friendly neighbor who looks after the house when the investigator is away “on business,” or feeds their pet, and so forth. If it’s the investigator’s family home, they recall Mr. Corbitt and remember his many gifts of fruit and vegetables, and how well regarded he is in the community, giving to local charities like the Police Officers Benevolent Fund and the local hospital. Ingratiating Corbitt into the investigator’s story, either through their personal history or as a friendly non-player character (NPC) they have come to know during breaks between adventures, really helps when running the scenario and makes things personal, more difficult, and ultimately more horrific. There’s no time limit to this scenario, allowing it to be run as an on-going plot between other scenarios, with each visit back home building the mystery by degrees until the players realize something is going on and they must act.

Useful skills for investigators to have for this scenario

include: Appraise, Credit Rating, Language (Sanskrit), Library Use, Natural World, Science (Botany), Science (Chemistry), Science (Pharmacy), social skills (such as Charm, Fast Talk, and Persuade), Spot Hidden, and Stealth.

THE YOG-SOTHOTH CONNECTION

Fourteen years ago, Bernard Corbitt was called to India by his father, Theodore, an amateur student of the occult. The elder Corbitt had happened upon a remote mountain village in the Punjab that worshipped Yog-Sothoth in the form of a multi-legged, multi-armed demon called Ramasekva. Making use of certain hallucinogenic drugs manufactured by the cultists, the father had worshipped with the tribe and seen the god’s avatar manifest.

Yog-Sothoth, after reaching out to read Corbitt’s thoughts, commanded the man to bring his son before him, promising the elder Corbitt power beyond imagination and eternal life for both of them. Believing that he was doing something wonderful for his only child, Theodore Corbitt dispatched a telegram to America urging his son Bernard to join him immediately in India. On receiving the telegram, Bernard left medical school, never to return.

In India, Bernard followed his father into the mountains and there, after ingesting the villagers’ drugs, was confronted by the Ramasekva manifestation of Yog-Sothoth. Theodore was destroyed and consumed by the god, who then reached out and touched the terrified young Corbitt’s mind. Perhaps impressed by the young man’s intelligence and force of will, the Outer God spared the youth to be his servant. Since that time, Corbitt, his mind now warped by the experience, has lived to serve Yog-Sothoth, whom he calls “the Key and the Gate.” On his chest, he bears an ugly burn scar nearly two inches (5 cm) wide, a mark that resembles the outline of the multi-limbed Ramasekva—proof to any expert student of occultism that Corbitt was touched by the god.

Returning from the mountains, Corbitt explained his father’s disappearance by telling the authorities the man had slipped and fallen into a deep ravine while the two were being pursued by bandits—Bernard’s disheveled, haggard appearance went a long way toward convincing the magistrate that his tale was true. Upon his return to America, Corbitt quickly arranged to take over the family business. His mother, broken by the death of her husband, soon lapsed into early senility and was supported by Bernard in a New York nursing home until her death three years later. Since the demise of his mother, Corbitt has been the sole owner of the firm.

Less than a year after his experience in the Punjab, Corbitt met and married the young Lynn Meyers. Yog-Sothoth soon reached out to Corbitt’s mind and demanded the right to father children upon the woman. Using his own supply of the drug, distilled from the hallucinogenic plants and fungi now cultivated in his greenhouse, Corbitt called forth his lord and master to possess him. Thus, in Corbitt’s form did the avatar of the Outer God bed Corbitt’s wife.

Mrs. Corbitt, unaware that her pregnancy was caused by something not human, put her severe and ongoing morning sickness down to her being a first-time mother-to-be. Corbitt was forced to hire a private nurse, Mona Dunlap, to help care for his wife. When Mrs. Corbitt went into premature labor, Corbitt was the only person in attendance at the birth, but Nurse Dunlap was attracted by the shrieks of the delivering woman. Opening the door to the room, she was unfortunate enough to witness the birth of the horrible second twin. Driven permanently insane by the sight of the thing, Dunlap was hospitalized in a near comatose state in the local public sanatorium, to eventually die there six years later.

Corbitt hurriedly hid the surviving twin in a specially prepared room in the basement, then notified the authorities of the death of his wife and infant son. The condition of the nurse he was unable to explain, theorizing the poor woman must have suffered an untimely stroke while attempting to deliver the child. He—as Corbitt was quick to explain to the police—was not present at the time of the birth and had

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only just returned home from his office to make the grisly discovery. The police, unable to see any reason for foul play, believed the story.

At the urging of Yog-Sothoth, Corbitt began preparing to equip the creature in his basement for life on this plane of existence. As it lacked limbs (as well as lungs and other organs), Corbitt acquired the necessary parts through the agency of an unscrupulous hospital orderly named Randolph Tomaszewski. Tomaszewski, bribed with cash and drugs supplied by Corbitt, saves certain desirable body parts from incineration and puts them with the regular hospital trash, which is eventually hauled away to the city dump. Corbitt makes twice-weekly trips to this dump, on Wednesday and Sunday evenings, and searches the fresh trash for any treasures sent his way by Tomaszewski.

In order to perfect the techniques needed to modify the child, it was necessary for Corbitt to spend many years experimenting with the organs and limbs sent his way. Using a combination of amateur modem surgery and arcane magic, he created a number of living and semi-living “experiments,” most of which can be found buried in his vegetable garden. Once sure of his procedures, Corbitt began by grafting lungs to the incomplete creature, with other organs added later.

The child calls itself “Man-Bagari,”and it is to be a grotesque parody of its multi-limbed father, Ramasekva. It is destined to become the Bridge, a necessary part of the Opening of the Way. After many experiments, Corbitt has recently begun attaching numerous arms and legs to the Child-Thing, with excellent success. Parts deemed unsuitable have been used in other experiments or fed to the ever-hungry Child-Thing, who eats only uncooked flesh. Parts that are totally unusable are buried, along with Corbitt’s many dead experiments, in the vegetable garden where they fertilize the ripe, red summer tomatoes the neighborhood so enjoys.

Corbitt presently finds the nearly matured Child-Thing‘s growth to be increasing at a disturbing rate, necessitating more and more small limbs. Also, its appetite has become almost insatiable. Corbitt, a good foster father to the Child- Thing, has pressed Tomaszewski to provide him with more and more parts. Tonight, Corbitt will feed a partially decayed spleen to the growing creature and will add the near-perfectly preserved left arm of a young girl to the Child-Thing’s ever- growing collection of appendages…

DRAMATIS PERSONAE

This section contains brief descriptions and roleplaying hooks for the key non-player characters (NPCs) in this scenario. Their profiles can be found in the Non-Player Characters section at the end of this scenario (page 13).

Bernard Corbitt,

age 37, cultist and devoted foster father

The investigator’s mild-mannered neighbor, who harbors a dark secret. He is very well regarded in the local community as a respectable businessman, a giver to charities, and an always obliging helping hand. Thus, Corbitt is on very good terms with the local police force, the hospital, and authority. To even suggest that Corbitt is a criminal would be considered muck-raking and scandalmongering.

• • Description: despite being only 37, Corbitt looks much older—late middle-aged, in fact. He has thinning brown hair, neatly groomed, and is an attractive man with a kind face, although he usually looks somewhat distracted. He always dresses in a business suit, collar, and tie, as befits the head of an international import/export company.
• • Traits: absent-minded, affable, yet cautious in his comings and goings.
• • Roleplaying hooks: Corbitt’s mind retains little or no memory of day-to-day events, especially if they are Mythos related. Since becoming aware of this problem, Corbitt has kept a daily journal (Front Room, page 25; Handout: Corbitt 4). Even so, only if cured of his insanity will Corbitt be able to fully comprehend all of the unspeakable acts he has committed or allowed to happen over the last 14 years.

Randolph Tomaszewski, age 29, hospital orderly Tomaszewski is a hospital orderly, as well as a deranged and deluded worshipper of Satan. He lives on the fourth floor of a downtown building, in a one-room apartment filled with the paraphernalia of his misguided beliefs. Corbitt supplies him with drugs and money in return for the discarded organs and limbs needed to feed and augment the Child-Thing.

• • Description: a thin, weasel-faced man with a mop of unkempt hair and an angry scowl on his face. His eyes are somewhat glazed, as he is a habitual drug user.
• • Traits: paranoid, sadistic, and masochistic.
• • Roleplaying hooks: Tomaszewski uses the mild drugs supplied to him by Corbitt in fruitless attempts to “contact the dark master.” He has absolutely no idea what Corbitt is really using the various body parts for, and believes the organs are being fed to wild animals, so they can develop a taste for the flesh of children. He expects these beasts will then be possessed by his evil lord and go on a rampage.

Man-Bagari, the Child-Thing

The half-human and surgically enhanced spawn of Yog- Sothoth, the Child-Thing lurks in Corbitt‘s basement, awaiting the day when it will join its true father and assume the role of the “Bridge.” A full description of the Child-Thing can be found in The Creature’s Room (page 27) while its profile can be found in the Creatures and Monsters section on page 38.

START: THE PACKAGE

The scenario begins on a Sunday evening in the home of the selected investigator. Either they, or possibly their guests (other investigators), are sitting around a dinner table or in the living room. One of them, looking out of the window, notices the neighbor, Mr. Corbitt, park his automobile in front of his house across the street. Unaware he is being observed, Corbitt exits the car and pops open the trunk, withdrawing from it two canvas-wrapped objects.

One of the objects is small and round, while the other is approximately the size and shape of a small baseball bat. Carrying these to the front door, Corbitt holds them both under one arm while struggling with the stubborn lock. The larger of the two packages slides loose and falls to the front porch, causing the canvas folds to fall open and allowing the watching investigator to catch a glimpse of something white and cylindrical lying on the step in the gloom. In the dim light, the investigator sees that there appear to be the hand and fingers of a small child at one end of the object! This sight provokes a Sanity roll (0/1D3 Sanity point loss.)

Glancing around quickly to assure himself no one is

watching, Corbitt quickly rewraps the item, then, after successfully unlocking the door, disappears into the house. A moment later, a light appears in a basement window, only to be quickly blunted by a hastily drawn shade.

Keeper note: this scene outside Corbitt’s house may or may not be enough to engage the players’ interest and drive them into investigating their neighbor. Similar scenes, repeated on Wednesdays and Sundays, and/or hearing strange gurgling noises occasionally coming from Corbitt’s basement (with a Listen roll) can provide more impetus. Likewise, an investigator being shocked to spy a woman’s face (see the Scampering Woman-Thing in the section Corbitt’s Early Experiment, page

25) at one of the basement windows while Corbitt is out may give rise to the notion that someone is trapped (kidnapped?) down there. If all else fails, the Keeper might like to go straight to the Corbitt’s Trip section, page 22), which should move things forward. Whatever the route taken, the investigators should be intrigued enough to want to look into Corbitt’s affairs closely, as their neighbor appears to be up to no good!

INVESTIGATIONS

Both Corbitt’s general routine and his official personal history are known by long-standing neighbors and various other townsfolk, giving the investigators plenty of opportunities to find out more information about his private and business life and what he might be doing bringing home dismembered body parts.

Corbitt’s Routine

Asking around the neighborhood, the investigators may learn the following information. Years ago, Corbitt would often leave home for long periods of time, traveling out of the country to attend to his business; however, the last few years have seen him spending more and more time at home. He maintains regular hours, working five days a week in his downtown office. Corbitt’s membership in the local businessmen’s club sometimes keeps him out late, but other than that, he seems to have very little social life, not an unusual pattern for a widower nearing 40. During weekends he usually stays at home quietly, but he regularly goes out in the late afternoon on Sunday, usually returning home before dark.

If an investigator makes a successful INT roll, they realize that Corbitt‘s late-afternoon weekend excursions always take place on Sundays between the hours of 5:30 pm and 7–8 pm. Failing this, investigators will have to keep an eye on Corbitt’s comings and goings in order to recognize the pattern. Today, the Sunday on which the adventure begins, is no different from those previous.

Keeper note: it is harder to realize that Corbitt also visits the dump on Wednesday evenings as well, as his late arrival home could be ascribed to him visiting his club after work. If the investigators don’t stumble across these additional visits while tailing Corbitt, then his absence from the club on these nights can easily be checked out by a visit and a successful Charm, Fast Talk, or Persuade roll, although this course of action is likely to alert Corbitt to the investigators’ inquiries (see Confronting Corbitt, page 21, for the possible ramifications).

Neighborhood NPCs: the Keeper is advised to improvise the characters from around the neighborhood. There’s no real need to actually create fully profiled characters, as they are simply there to provide a few lines of dialogue information drawn from the preceding paragraphs. Refer to the nearby box, A Helping Hand, for three possible NPCs, but, to help with a few more, here’s a few names the Keeper could use to ad-lib other local folk.

• • Margaret and Philip Samson
• • Sally and Roger Whitworth
• • Gabby and Zeke Winston
• • Thomas Hinkley
• • Miriam Bosch

Corbitt’s Public History

Corbitt‘s personal history is also well-known. Born locally, Corbitt is the son of the late Theodore Corbitt who founded the small but very successful Corbitt Importers of America, now owned and operated by Bernard Corbitt. Bernard took over the business 14 years ago when the elder Corbitt was accidentally killed while the father and son were hiking in the mountains of India.

Formerly married, Corbitt is presently a widower and lives alone. His investigator neighbor knows that Corbitt’s wife has been dead at least a dozen years.

Local people, including the investigators, all know Corbitt to be a kindly and gentle individual. At one time a medical student, Corbitt has often provided neighbors with small bits of medical assistance. Two years ago, his timely first aid was credited with saving the life of a youngster hit by a truck. He has been known to sometimes say that he regrets having left medical school to take over the family business, but he is quick also to say that he has no complaints about his life.

Corbitt is an avid gardener and the neighbors (possibly including the neighbor-investigator), are often recipients of fresh produce from his bountiful vegetable patch. In a greenhouse off the back of the house, Corbitt raises orchids and other exotic flora.

Corbitt the Businessman

Those looking into Corbitt‘s business dealings can find out the following via searches in the local library (see Local Newspaper Stories, page 18), the local authority’s business records, or by asking around.

Corbitt is regarded as a rich businessman running a successful import/export business from a warehouse near to downtown. The business, Corbitt Importers of America, was started by his father Theodore some 40 years ago, with Bernard Corbitt taking over after his father’s death. Since that time, the business appears to have gone from strength to strength, and employs six full-time staff plus a handful of part-time employees that can be called upon as needed. Corbitt is a highly regarded member of the Men of Industry, a local businessmen’s club that holds weekly gatherings in the downtown area.

Digging Deeper

If the investigators decide to break into the warehouse of Corbitt Importers of America, it should be relatively easy as long as care is taken (Stealth and Locksmith rolls). Everyone goes home between 5 and 6 pm, and the surrounding area is quiet in the evenings. Should the investigators call attention to themselves, they may attract the single security guard paid to patrol the warehouse district or a passing patrol car and be forced to hide or make a swift exit—unless the incident has been called in, the security guard or police officer takes a cursory look around and then departs; otherwise, Corbitt is called and asked to come to the warehouse to check the premises with a couple of officers to make sure nothing untoward has taken place. No office plan is provided, as it’s a simple affair (warehouse and a couple of small offices) and should be improvised by the Keeper as necessary.

Keeper note: if Corbitt knows that his office has been broken into, yet nothing of real value has been taken, his suspicions may fall on the investigators if they have already shown themselves to taking “an interest” in his affairs.

If able to take a look at the business’ books, a successful Accounting roll or Hard INT roll shows that on the surface the business is doing well, yet if the Accounting roll is a Hard or Extreme success (or an Extreme for the INT roll), it can be seen that a downward trend is occurring, with less profits being generated. Of particular interest is a monthly payment made to a R. Tomaszewski, paid in petty cash (signed out to Corbitt personally) for “medical services.”

If checking the crates in the warehouse, most of the items here are quite mundane and innocent, although a successful Spot Hidden roll notes a couple of small wooden boxes carrying labels from the Indus Valley region of India.

A HELPING HAND

If the investigators are struggling to uncover evidence—say, if they’re new to the area and aren’t familiar with Corbitt‘s life story—or if the Keeper wishes to ratchet up the tension—either by providing an additional thorn in the investigators’ sides or as a handy victim for the Child-Thing to underline the danger it poses—then old Miss Hart and her live-in companion Mrs. Wallace, along with the paper boy Bobby Lynskey, can be used to help move the action along. Brief descriptions for each are provided, while their profiles can be found in the Characters and Monsters section, starting on page 37.

Miss Harriet Hart, age 73, local spinster

Miss Hart’s family has lived in and around the neighborhood since the colonial days, so she can quote chapter and verse on pretty much every “old” family in the area. Some of the local children are convinced she’s actually a witch because she seems to know everyone’s business, even though she rarely leaves the house. Her presence is usually signaled by a twitch of her lace curtains. Never married, she lives in the former Hart family home with her live-in companion, cook, and cleaner, Mrs. Rebecca Wallace.

• • Description: diminutive, ramrod straight, and rail thin, Miss Hart dresses in immaculate, but very old-fashioned, clothing. Her thin skin is china-white and mottled with veins and liver spots, while her fine white hair is piled on top of her head in as outdated a style as her clothing.
• • Traits: nosy and parsimonious.
• • Roleplaying hooks: little gets past Miss Hart, and she loves a bargain—the cheaper, the better. With her encyclopedic knowledge of her neighbors’ comings and goings, and her determination to get the gossip on every newcomer, Miss Hart is a veritable font of local knowledge and useful information. She has a soft spot for Mr. Corbitt, thanks to his year-round gifts of fruit, vegetables, and flowers.

Mrs? Rebecca Wallace,

age 54, live-in companion

Mrs. Wallace is a widow whose husband, Walter, died during the Spanish influenza epidemic after the Great War. As her children were all grown up and she had no other means of support, she took a position with a wealthy spinster as

a live-in housekeeper-cum-companion. Given Miss Hart‘s notoriously stingy nature, neighbors often wonder just what the relationship between her and Mrs. Wallace really is, as no one can imagine the former willingly paying for someone to do her cooking and cleaning for her, let alone allowing them to live in the Hart family home.

• • Description: plain and practical, Mrs. Wallace can usually be found wearing an apron of some sort while attending to her household chores. Her round face is often ruddy through exertion, and her dark hair refuses to remain confined to whatever hairstyle she’s chosen for the day.
• • Traits: level-headed, practical, and patient.
• • Roleplaying hooks: Mrs. Wallace acts as Miss Hart‘s eyes and ears outside the house, as well as being an exceptional cook. She, too, has a soft spot for Mr. Corbitt, though in a motherly way, even though there’s only a 17-year difference in their ages.

Bobby Lynskey, age 12, local paper boy

Young Bobby, accompanied by his pet mongrel, Basil, delivers the neighborhood’s newspapers on his bicycle twice a day: first thing in the morning and just before dinner in the evening. The Lynskeys don’t live in the neighborhood— they’re nowhere near wealthy enough for that—but it’s something Bobby aspires to. He intends to train as a doctor in honor of the man who saved his life when he was hit by a truck two years ago: Bernard Corbitt.

• • Description: small for his age, with red hair and freckles.
• • Traits: Bobby used to be quite the scamp, but his close shave with death two years ago brought on a change in his personality. Now he is quiet and watchful, with a tendency to blurt out things he’s seen or heard on his paper route (as such, he can provide or amplify information about Corbitt).
• • Roleplaying hooks: thanks to his paper route, Bobby is an accepted fixture on Chestnut Street—so much so that people tend to ignore his presence. He knows everyone’s subscriptions and whether people are likely to be home or not. Basil the dog could easily be used as a tool to get Bobby into trouble, and hopefully bring the investigators to his rescue, if required.

Handout: Corbitt 1

Handout: Corbitt 2

Written in chalk over these labels are the words, “Attn. B. Corbitt.” Breaking these crates open reveals they contain loose tealeaves (Corbitt’s preferred blend), some carefully wrapped botanical specimens (Indian orchids), and a small clay statuette of a demon-like figure possessing multiple arms and legs.

Keeper note: a successful Occult roll suggest that the statuette may be one of the Indian Asura or Danavas, malevolent demons or demi-gods often depicted with multiple limbs or heads, although a Hard or better success suggest that while this may be the case, it doesn’t seem quite right. A successful Cthulhu Mythos roll identifies the statuette either as the Small Crawler, an aspect of the Crawling Chaos, Nyarlathotep, or possibly an avatar of Yog- Sothoth known as Ramasekva (the latter being correct).

Local Newspaper Stories

If the investigators check the back issues of the local newspaper, either at the newspaper’s offices or at the local library, a successful Library Use roll (or a social skill roll, like Charm or Persuade, to get a staff member to help them) uncovers several stories of interest (Handouts: Corbitt 1–3). In the case of Handout: Corbitt 3, the investigators must also know of Randolph Tomaszewski‘s existence in order to notice the article.

THE SANITARIUM

If the investigators learn of the existence of the nurse, Mona Dunlap (Handout: Corbitt 2), and track her down to the local sanitarium, they are told that the woman died six years ago without ever regaining consciousness.

The attending physician still works at the facility and if the investigators can make a successful social skill roll—such as Charm, Fast Talk, or Persuade—the doctor is willing to talk with them. If any of the investigators are medical professionals, then they can speak to the doctor without needing to make a roll. The doctor tells them little about the woman’s case the investigators don’t already know, but can reveal that, just moments before her death, she regained consciousness. Her last words were, “It was awful! It didn’t have any arms or legs or hardly a face! It should have died! It should have died along with the other one!”

THE HOSPITAL CONNECTION

Yog-Sothoth directed Corbitt to seek out someone who could procure the necessary limbs and organs for his foster child: a deranged hospital orderly, Randolph Tomaszewski, who was willing to select and save certain items Corbitt required. Tomaszewski was the ideal candidate, thanks to his unpopular assignment of cleaning up operating rooms and disposing of the waste generated during surgical procedures. Contemporary medical practice calls for removed body parts to be first wrapped in canvas (to keep anyone from seeing what they are) then disposed of in the hospital incinerator. Occasionally, noteworthy specimens are saved for hospital and medical school experiments. Instead of following normal procedure, Tomaszewski simply puts some of the organs in with the unburnable waste and lets them be hauled away to the city dump. The dump site itself is mainly

unsupervised and located in an uninhabited area.

When dealing with Tomaszewski, Corbitt is in his near- possessed state and most of the time remembers almost nothing of his relationship with the orderly. Traveling to the hospital during his lunch hour, Corbitt usually takes Tomaszewski groceries, vegetables from his garden, and hallucinogens from his greenhouse. All of these,Tomaszewski greatly appreciates—as well as the cash Corbitt brings him each month.

If the investigators question Corbitt about his trips to the hospital, he always seems confused and forgetful—unless he is confronted with hard evidence of his dealings with Tomaszewski; after all, Corbitt’s in perfect health and in no need of a visit to a doctor!

Tracking Down Tomaszewski

If the investigators are tailing Corbitt, he leads them to the hospital as he goes about his daily routine, even if he is aware that he is being observed. The creature in his basement is growing at too prodigious a rate for him to break off relations with Tomaszewski just yet. The investigators’ presence merely confirms they are becoming a danger to him and his bizarre foster child and must be dealt with, sooner rather than later (Confronting Corbitt, page 21).

If Corbitt is not yet aware of the investigators’ interest but

somehow spots he is being tailed by them (a failed Stealth roll), he realizes he must act to protect his secret. If, instead, the investigators observed Corbitt at the city dump and worked out what he was collecting (Garbage Hunts, page 20), then they may be able to trace the packages back to the hospital without following him there—anyone with medical training would know that the organs and limbs weren’t being disposed of correctly (as they should have been incinerated at the medical facility they came from). Inquiries at the local hospital, coupled with a successful social skill roll, should lead them to Tomaszewski.

If the clue route to Tomaszewski is floundering, the Keeper may optionally draw attention to the hospital orderly by having him forget to place Corbitt‘s packages in the unburnable waste pile for collection one day. Thus, to ensure his supply of drugs and money, Tomaszewski personally

Handout: Corbitt 3

takes two packages containing body parts to the dump after work. This being a Wednesday, the Keeper could have Corbitt arrive at the dump as usual, only to be surprised by Tomaszewski’s presence. The two quickly drop the parcels in the back of Corbitt’s car and then go their separate ways. With the investigators watching, this scene firmly establishes the connection between the pair.

Confronting Tomaszewski

If the investigators are able to track Tomaszewski down and confront him, he panics, attacking the nearest investigator and then attempting to run for it. Such an encounter will most likely take place in the hospital or his home—and several floors up. Tomaszewski panics and uses the nearest window to attempt an escape, only to fall screaming to his death. A search of his body, his apartment, or his locker at the hospital turns up samples of Corbitt‘s drugs, as well as ritualistic paraphernalia (an idol of Baphomet, black candles, a dagger, and so on)—a successful Occult roll confirms such items are used by those with satanic beliefs.

GARBAGE HUNTS

If the investigators follow their neighbor on one of his twice- weekly excursions to the garbage dump, Corbitt leads them straight to it, even if the investigators have already done something to arouse his suspicion. Following him there and observing him carries the likely chance that Corbitt notices the investigators’ interest (unless they take great care to remain unseen at all times) and merely confirms that the investigators are a potential threat to Yog-Sothoth‘s schemes. Thus, Corbitt begins laying plans to distract or mislead his pursuers (Confronting Corbitt, page 21).

At the dump, birds circle the closed-up place, and the

investigators see Corbitt slip through a hole in the chain-link fence. Those attempting to follow him into the dump must make a successful Stealth roll; a failed roll indicates that Corbitt has spotted his pursuers; however, he ignores the investigators’ presence, pretending he has not seen anything; but, he now suspects he is being watched and, as already mentioned, begins plotting how to deal with this new nuisance.

Once inside the fence, Corbitt makes his way to one or two specific piles of junk and then extracts several canvas- wrapped objects. He opens each and either discards the object (if the part is too mutilated or decayed), or keeps it (if it seems whole and useful). When he has one or two packages, he sneaks back out. A successful Spot Hidden roll identifies that the packages contain human body parts and/ or organs, provoking a Sanity roll (0/1D2 loss); investigators watching from beyond the fence must make a Hard Spot Hidden roll to draw the same conclusion.

CONFRONTING CORBITT

The investigators can choose to confront Corbitt about his behavior at any time during the scenario. If they do, Corbitt does not reveal his magic abilities unless he is in fear of his life or is sure there will be no surviving witnesses, preferring instead to deal with the matter as quietly and discreetly as possible—unless given no other choice. Yog-Sothoth takes little interest in the situation, and if the Outer God senses that the investigators are interfering with his plans, it relies on Corbitt to deal with the investigators rather than taking any direct action.

Corbitt is likely to regard any threat to his pampered Child-Thing not only as meddling with his plans but also as an attack on his “family.” He is loyal to Yog-Sothoth and solicitous of the thing’s welfare, and does whatever is necessary to preserve the creature’s life. He refrains from using more force or violence than is necessary—he actually is a gentle (but twisted) man—remember that, so far, he has neither wounded nor killed anyone, though he certainly has accepted several killings by Yog-Sothoth without question. One obvious tactic for Corbitt is simply moving to another quiet residential neighborhood in another town.

Corbitt‘s experiments with exotic hallucinogens have brought him a knowledge of obscure plant-derived toxins and psychoactive compounds which can be used as indirect attacks against meddlers (like the investigators). Some of these substances must be ingested, so Corbitt injects these into food or uses them to lace a drink. Others are airborne, and Corbitt might apply these to a dusty rug that he beats when an investigator walks by.

Corbitt’s Drugs

Corbitt‘s compounds cause victims to experience intense hallucinations. If his suspicions are raised in any way—for example, by getting spotted following him or by questioning him about suspicious aspects of his daily routine—he attempts to intoxicate one or more investigators with a hallucinogen that mimics the symptoms of insanity.

If exposed, an investigator must attempt an Extreme CON roll; if this is failed, the investigator suffers from illusions of horrifying monsters, cataclysms, and so on (see Corbitt’s Trip, page 22). The effects last for 2D4 hours and force a Sanity roll (0/1D3 loss). Corbitt’s poisons are unusual and subtle, so current forensic science struggles to detect their presence, although a successful Hard Science (Pharmacy) or Extreme Science (Chemistry) roll may detect their presence in food or drink.

Other Means

Corbitt could call the police on the investigators; while this option is riskier for him, it is a possibility. If this ensues, the police give a stern warning not to trouble Corbitt anymore, but won’t take further action unless an investigator then commits an obvious crime. Of course, the police are unlikely to believe or want to waste their time hearing about an investigator’s “tales” of missing body parts or monsters.

More drastically, if all reasonable avenues fail, Corbitt turns to murder. If more than one investigator is on his tail, he attempts to separate them first and then use either poison or magic to kill. If the investigators have waited until the Child-Thing is near maturity, Corbitt may simply release his creature on them, knowing the time for it to leave is drawing near anyway. This event might be accomplished by inviting the investigators to his house to hear his “confession,” and then tricking them into the basement.

As a last resort, Corbitt calls directly upon Yog-Sothoth to destroy the investigators. The All-in-One, should it condescend to respond, attacks the investigators with bolts of silvery-fluid energy. The Keeper is warned against bringing such an awesome being as Yog-Sothoth directly into the adventure without proper ritual and need, as such an encounter will have grand and unpleasant consequences for the neighborhood! Yog-Sothoth’s profile can be found on page 330 of the Call of Cthulhu: Keeper Rulebook, if required.

If the investigators choose to confront Corbitt at the dump, he quails at their approach. He does not willingly reveal the contents of his packages and fumblingly claims they are tree branches bearing certain types of fungi he has been searching for. If the investigators are able to take the packages by force, Corbitt uses the commotion to try to escape to his automobile and drive speedily home. Note that he reveals his magical abilities only if faced with death or immediate incarceration—using the spell Dread Curse of Azathoth as necessary.

One of Corbitt’s packages contains a human liver and the other the mangled leg of a ten-year-old boy, which when fully revealed provoke a Sanity roll (l/lD4+1 loss).

Keeper note: if, instead, the investigators visit Corbitt and question him about his comings and goings to the dump, he discloses only that he has been gathering samples for his studies. He explains that it is the best place to collect certain mold specimens important in his research into special plant fertilizers. He even goes so far as to offer the investigators a tour of his greenhouse should they express any interest in what he describes as “the gentle science of botany” (The Greenhouse, page 22).

CORBITT’S TRIP

If Corbitt‘s actions fail to arouse the investigators’ interest, then, one day, he comes to the neighboring investigator’s home and knocks on the door. When the investigator appears, Corbitt explains he is going on a week-long business trip to New York and asks if the investigator would mind keeping an eye on his place and collecting his mail while he’s away. In return, Corbitt offers the investigator a basket of fruit and vegetables freshly picked from his garden as a token of his appreciation. The gift is benign and delicious—at least, such previous gifts from the genial Corbitt have proven to be so.

If the investigator asks what type of business trip, Corbitt replies, “Oh, don’t you remember? I’m in the importing business— Corbitt Importers of America. I have to make arrangements with the Customs Department regarding the quarantine of a special shipment I’m expecting soon.”

If the investigators have had past dealings with Corbitt, he asks, “Anything you want? Anything I can hunt up for you? I expect to be in contact with some associates just returned from the Far East.” If the investigators make a request, Corbitt says he’ll try his best. Assuming the investigator agrees, Corbitt gives his thanks and departs.

If Corbitt suspects the investigators have been watching him, the gift he offers is laced with a hallucinogen. If examining the fruit and if a successful Spot Hidden roll is made, small needle

holes in the bottom of the fruit can be seen, which may give pause to their consumption and thus avoids ingestion of the drug. If the fruit is consumed, a successful Extreme CON roll is required to avoid suffering the drug’s effects, which include hallucinations of monsters, fits of screaming, profuse sweating, and loss of control of basic bodily functions, all for 2D4 hours. The upsetting experience calls for a Sanity roll (0/1D3 loss). And, if the neighbors (or police) have any question about an investigator’s current state of mind, then seeing them running down the street in soiled clothing, screaming at the top of their lungs about horrible monsters chasing them, ought to convince them the investigator is in need of a nice long rest.

CORBITT’S HOUSE

The following sections describe the yard and interior of Corbitt‘s house. Remember, this is an expensive and respectable neighborhood, and if the investigators are spotted breaking and entering by a neighbor or a passing motorist, it is likely that the police will be called, requiring the investigators to come up with a plausible excuse and/or a successful Charm, Fast Talk, or Persuade roll to avoid being hauled into the local stationhouse, questioned, and confined to a night in the cells before being released with a warning.

HOUSE EXTERIOR

The Greenhouse

In the back of Corbitt‘s extensive grounds is his greenhouse. Here, he raises a number of dangerous and exotic plants and fungi, along with a few harmless orchids. If Corbitt is giving a tour, he allows the investigators only a few minutes— absolutely no more than 15—in the greenhouse, explaining that the plants are very delicate and sensitive to the slightest change in their environment. If the investigators enter on their own, they can, of course, spend as much time as they like exploring the greenhouse. A successful Science (Botany) or Natural World roll reveals the following information.

• • Regular success: many of the plants and fungi are unusual specimens found only in the remotest parts of Asia, Africa, and South America.
• • Hard success: aside from Corbitt’s orchids, most of the plants contain powerful narcotic chemicals or toxins, and the collection includes such things as coca and cannabis bushes, foxglove, and deadly nightshade. There are even a few fly agaric mushrooms hidden among the beds.
• • Extreme success: two of the plants show no resemblance to any earthly species and are of unimaginable origin.

The Orange Vine

One of the dangerous alien growths in the greenhouse is a vine sporting large orange and blue leaves. If one of these waxy, bitter-tasting leaves is thoroughly chewed, the chemicals it contains stimulate the pineal gland, allowing a character to see objects outside of this reality. This shift in vision and perception can happen at random at the most inopportune moment (as desired, the Keeper may call for a POW roll, which if successful negates the effect) or be brought on with concentration (a successful POW roll enables the effect) any time within three hours after ingesting the chemicals.

Such delving into another reality last lD20+10 minutes and reveal a dark, rock-strewn landscape decorated with crystalline growths and occasionally lit by flashes of rose- colored lightning, provoking a Sanity roll (0/1D4 loss). An investigator can “explore” this new world, moving about simply by exerting their will. Anyone who explores for at least 15 minutes increases their Cthulhu Mythos skill by 2 percentiles. Unfortunately, such exploration risks the investigator being seen by the creatures who inhabit this “outside” world. Should the investigator fail a Luck roll while exploring, they are noticed by one of this world’s denizens. The first intimation an investigator has of this is the sight of a scuttling, spider-like form advancing across the landscape directly toward them,

which soon revels itself to be seven feet (2.1 m) tall, emaciated, and hungering for human blood—the sight of this horror calls for a Sanity roll (1/1D8 loss). The spider-like thing attacks without hesitation, and unless the investigator can escape this alien dimension (with a successful POW roll), they will have to defend against the ravenous creature’s advances (see Dimensional Being, page 38).

Investigators who did not chew the orange and blue leaves are unable to see the monster and can only watch helplessly as their companion’s clothing and flesh are torn away by a seemingly invisible force, while large quantities of the victim’s spurting blood are sucked away into nothingness. Seeing this event prompts a Sanity roll (l/lD6 loss).

The Purple Flower

The second alien plant in the greenhouse has spiky blue-green leaves and a large, fleshy, white and purple flower. Sensing mobile lifeforms by their vital energies, the plant attempts to kill the lifeform and turn it into fertilizer for itself.

After an investigator has been in the greenhouse for more than 15 minutes, the plant turns silently toward them (a successful Spot Hidden roll to notice). If the investigator remains unaware of the menacing growth, it attacks by emitting a cold, cloudy gas that does not immediately kill the

character but rather sets in motion a rapid decomposition of the victim’s flesh.

If an investigator inhales the gas before managing to flee the greenhouse, a CON roll is required to avoid the horrific consequences of exposure. A kindly Keeper may first allow an observant investigator a Spot Hidden roll to note the strange gas coming from the plant—and possibly, the fact that the gas is causing other plants nearby to turn brown and wither), or a Dodge roll to rapidly clear the greenhouse, which perhaps grants a bonus die to the CON roll.

If unable to escape or failing the CON roll, within 60 seconds, the investigator begins to rot, suffering 1D3 damage every round thereafter. The victim suffers an intolerable amount of pain as their flesh blackens and splits open like rotting fruit. Allow one further CON roll on the following round to stop this process accelerating: if successful, the investigator suffers another 1D3 damage but no more; if failed, the process continues until there is nothing left but a brown mush along with whatever metal objects the investigator may have been carrying at the time. Investigators witnessing this high-speed decay should make a Sanity roll (1/lD6 loss). A very kindly Keeper may allow a First Aid or Medicine roll, both at Extreme difficulty, to save the affected investigator.

The Vegetable Garden

Should the investigators hit on the idea of digging up Corbitt‘s large vegetable patch, they are quickly rewarded with the discovery of the grisly remains of the madman’s many experiments. Rotting ribcages, decaying heads, and, most frightening, the grafted atrocities created by the insane Corbitt can all be found here. The sight of headless corpses with legs where arms should be, a human trunk with six human feet growing from the ribs, numerous limbs, and other indefinable lumps of mud-coated human anatomy requires the diggers to make a Sanity roll (1/1D4+1 loss).

HOUSE INTERIOR

Eventually, the investigators should get around to peeking inside the house. At the very least, they will have to visit it in order to collect the absent importer’s mail (if incorporating Corbitt’s Trip, page 22). When nearing the house, ask for a Listen roll to detect the crash of breaking glass and the rattle of furniture coming from the front basement window to the left of the front door; if the roll is failed, the sounds become obvious once the investigators reach the front door. If they look through the window into the basement workroom, they see something vaguely man-like flash into view for a split- second before jumping into the shadows. To all appearances, it seems as though a burglary is afoot. If the investigators think to call the police, the Keeper may suggest they may not

get there in time to apprehend the thief before they make their getaway, or simply have the police say they will send someone over but that it won’t be for at least a few hours due to other current commitments—and then, ramp up the noise and commotion coming from the basement to entice the investigators inside.

Corbitt’s Early Experiment

Corbitt practiced for years so as to perfect his strange surgical/magical arts. Some of his experiments died and others eventually had to be killed; however, Corbitt kept one that he found particularly amusing, allowing it to run around the house as an odd and macabre “pet.”

This creature is a thing made from discarded human parts. It consists of a woman’s head with two arms sprouting from where there would normally be ears and a single human leg attached to the neck. The thing is near mindless, its brains replaced by a rudimentary digestive system. While Corbitt is at work or away, the experiment is allowed the run of the basement workroom (room 18 on the house plan), hopping and scampering about, and behaving for all the world like a housebound cat (see Scampering Woman-Thing, page 38, for its profile.)

The basement windows are shut but not locked; a

successful STR roll opens any of them. If the investigators enter via one of the basement workroom windows, they descend into the room to find the terrified creature, which keeps its distance, scurrying back and forth, until it leaps up at the open window and attempts to escape. Should the investigators instead enter the house through the front door, they can hear something banging on a basement door. (Perhaps the burglar?) Even if they do not dare to go down and see what is making the noise, the creature breaks through the basement door in 1D6 rounds, scurrying up to the ground floor, bashing open doors as it goes. On meeting the investigators, the thing is terrified of these “intruders” and proceeds to flee to the home’s upper floors, leading the investigators on a merry chase. If cornered, the thing hisses and spits in a threatening way, its semi-human face twisted with fear, although it only strikes out if it first attacked.

Ground Floor

The only room of special interest on the ground floor is the front room, which contains several important items. Otherwise, the rest of the ground floor rooms contain typical furniture and nothing out of the ordinary.

Front Room (3)

This room is used by Corbitt as his study. Above a desk is a single shelf of books—the four most interesting ones are an Arabic copy of the Quran, a copy of Twenty Experiments in the Occult by the charlatan Dr. Arthur Turnley (no spells or skill

improvement), a well-worn copy of True Magick by Theophilus Wenn (Call of Cthulhu: Keeper Rulebook, page 234), and a large, crudely-fashioned book bound in cobra skin, called The Key and the Gate, written in Sanskrit (a successful Language (Sanskrit) roll to translate; see box The Key and the Gate, nearby, for further details). In addition, there are 14 leather-bound annual journals dating back to the time of Corbitt’s first encounter with Yog-Sothoth, complete up to the current year, and describing Bernard Corbitt’s life since India. It takes ten minutes to leaf through a single volume; in-depth reading makes for boring fare and takes half an hour per journal.

Some journals do, however, contain useful information (Handout: Corbitt 4). Journal One is from 14 years ago and Journal Fourteen is for the present year. Entries not listed are very mundane, with statements like, “Nothing occurred today,” or “Purchased new suit on my afternoon off.” There is nothing noteworthy in Journals Two through Twelve, which cover three trips to the East, acquisitions of unusual orchids and other botanical curiosities, meetings with several old friends, work matters, and various accounts of mundane purchases and the like. “Experiments” are occasionally mentioned, but Corbitt does not elaborate.

Keeper note: while the text above says there’s nothing noteworthy in the journals other than the snippets shown in Handout: Corbitt 4 (pages 1 to 7), the Keeper may wish to include seeds for future scenarios, whether pertaining to the other scenarios in this collection or adventures of their own devising.

Keeper note II: if Corbitt has reason to suspect that the investigators are plotting against him, he includes his thoughts in his current journal. If he knows the investigators have followed him to the dump or to the hospital, or broken into his home, he leaves an entry that reads: “I am being followed. If I cannot find a way to deal with them myself, in the next ceremony with Ramasekva, I will be forced to ask for their destruction.” Another entry mentions the possibility of sending “Tomaszewski at the hospital” to deal with the investigators.

A black loose-leaf binder next to the journals holds Corbitt‘s notes regarding his botanical experiments. These complicated scribblings, somewhat soiled and faded, can be comprehended with a successful Science (Botany or Biology) or Hard Natural World roll. They tell of Corbitt’s experiments with drugs derived from the plants and fungi growing in his greenhouse. Investigators learn that Corbitt uses fly agaric mushrooms, along with extracts from several other of his plants, to produce the drug he calls “Soma,” a necessary ingredient in the calling of Ramasekva. Using this drug to elevate his state of mind, Corbitt believes he can successfully

contact Ramasekva (Yog-Sothoth). In addition, the reader can learn about the two alien species of plants kept by Corbitt (The Greenhouse, page 22) and, perhaps, allow them to avoid their respective dangers. The plants’ true origins are obscure, but Corbitt claims the seeds were gifts from Ramasekva.

The potent Soma drug can be correctly compounded by an investigator with a successful Science (Pharmacy) roll or a Hard Science (Chemistry or Biology) roll, given a bit of time and the right equipment. A supply of Soma is hidden in a carved Indian box under a sofa in this room (detected with a successful Spot Hidden roll). The drug can be identified as a hallucinogenic by a competent analyst with a successful Science (Pharmacy) or a Hard Science (Chemistry) roll. If a dose is ingested, it costs the user 1D4 Sanity points from the cosmic visions it reveals, which last for 1D10 minutes per dose; while under the drug’s influence, the Keeper may impose a penalty die should the investigator need to attempt a skill roll.

Four expensive dictionaries sit in a drawer: Ancient Greek to English, Sanskrit to English, Chinese to English, and Russian to English. Using the Sanskrit to English dictionary to assist with translating The Key and the Gate (see box nearby) awards the investigator a bonus die to a Language (Sanskrit) roll. The other drawers contain envelopes, paper, pens, ink bottles, and a supply of paper clips and elastic bands.

Second Floor

Master Bedroom (14)

This is Bernard Corbitt‘s room; it is relatively well kept, the closet only a third full of clothing. A framed photograph of Corbitt’s late wife has a prominent place atop the nightstand next to Corbitt’s bed. There is nothing of particular importance here (unless the investigators enter at night while Corbitt is asleep).

Nursery (12)

This room was intended for Corbitt‘s child; it now sits empty but for a dusty crib. Nothing out of the ordinary can be found here.

Empty Bedrooms (10)

Spare bedrooms used by previous generations of Corbitts. They sit unfurnished and empty.

Basement

Laboratory (15)

One end of the lab is filled with various chemicals stored in jars, along with numerous beakers, retorts, balances, and mortars and pestles. Several dried plant specimens litter the table. On the other side of the room can be found Corbitt’s surgery. Scalpels, catgut, needles, rib spreaders, clamps, and other fearsome-looking surgical implements are all stored in a large metal cabinet.

When nearing this cabinet, the faint sound of an electric compressor can be heard; anyone standing next to the cabinet notices that the lowest drawer gives off a faint draft of cold air. If opened, the investigators discover a host of refrigerated human nerves, tendons, and blood vessels, all carefully stored for what looks like future use, provoking a Sanity roll (0/1D3 loss).

In another part of the lab are bottles of glucose and saline

solutions. The place is slightly confusing as it seems to serve a surgeon, a chemical manufacturer, and a plant breeder. The investigators may wonder at the cost of all this equipment; a successful Appraise roll reveals it must be worth several thousand dollars—more than most people are able to spend on their hobby.

“Baby’s” Room (19)

The closet in the south of the laboratory is empty, but those opening this door immediately notice a fetid, unidentifiable smell that pervades the enclosed space. Anyone who investigates and makes a successful Spot Hidden roll sees the back wall is a false panel that can be easily removed. If this panel is disturbed, the investigators hear a faint, plaintive gurgling from the other side.

If the investigators fail to notice the hidden panel, further attention can be drawn by having the creature behind it make child-like cooing or giggling sounds, which might be heard with a successful Listen roll elsewhere in the basement area, but are obvious to those near to or in the closet.

If the panel is opened and a light shone into the void behind it, the investigators see the “child.” The horror stumbles out of the room, making its way toward the investigators, calling for a Sanity roll (1/1D10 loss). Thinking they are his father come to add more limbs and organs, the as-yet undeveloped Child-Thing reaches for the investigators with its multiple little arms, whimpering for food.

The creature‘s body looks like a huge, dense sac of mucus with the consistency of an overcooked pudding. An interior skeleton can be seen poking through the body from time to time, while three great vents, closed by wrinkly lips, rhythmically aspirate the monster with puffing, wheezing sounds. Ten human legs, all children’s, though of various colors and sizes, rim the lower part of the body, providing it with locomotion, while the 15 chubby little arms encircling the upper side of its body writhe about, grasping at nothing. Otherwise, the thing is quite featureless except for a wet circular mouth located on the creature’s underside that gurgles and coos softly, in a way that resembles the sounds a human baby makes. The creature frequently stops to squat and scour the floor with wet sucking noises, searching for food.

The thing’s waste products are passed out of its digestive system via a sphincter opening atop the center of its body, much like that of a sea urchin. A near-continuous stream of foul-smelling brown goo issues from this hole.

The Child-Thing’s Tactics

If freed from its hidden room, the whimpering Child-Thing follows the intruders about the basement, looking for food. If the panel is closed up, the Child-Thing jumps up and knocks it loose, allowing it to crawl through into basement area. If fed— and the creature will only accept raw flesh—it proves somewhat tractable, if clumsy; however, at its current stage of development, it requires regular feedings, and if denied food for more than 24 hours, it turns vicious and attacks any investigator that comes near it, hoping to feed on their remains.

If the Child-Thing sees an open door, it attempts to escape the house, running down the street with great curiosity and

enthusiasm, grabbing at things and trying to evade any pursuers. It does recognize its foster father, Mr. Corbitt, and will obey his commands, as long as they are simple and clearly stated.

If the investigators try to keep the thing alive and happy, either while Corbitt is away or if Corbitt should be killed, then they find it requires at least three pounds (1.4 kg) of raw meat per day to keep its appetite satisfied. These demands increase by 10% per week, its growth rate accelerating in a like manner. If the investigators are crazed enough to nurture the monster as it grows, they each lose 1 Sanity point per week of such folly. They soon notice disturbing changes taking place—the creature’s immature arms and legs grow larger and stronger, its size increases, and it begins to talk to them.

Keeper note: while the Child-Thing wants feeding every day, Corbitt cannot always be there to do so. Sometimes, the creature goes without food for a day or two while Corbitt is away. Otherwise, when gone for longer journeys, Corbitt leaves out a massive pile of unwholesome food—the Child-Thing tends to pick at this and then eventually gobbles everything up, filling it to bursting, and leaving it sated for some time (it then tends to sleep for an extended period). Of course, on Corbitt’s return, the creature is famished—Corbitt has learned to make sure he throws in more food before venturing near his “child” when he returns home from such trips.

CONCLUSION

There are various ways to resolve this scenario and a number of things that can happen to the investigators. The currently immature form of the Child-Thing is not hard to kill, nor is the cautious and confused Mr. Corbitt likely to present much of a problem to truly ruthless investigators. This adventure does, however, present a roleplaying challenge in that Corbitt is a neighbor, not a stranger, and thus might retain some right to being treated fairly and humanely. As previously noted, until the events of the scenario, he’s not actually murdered anyone, although his other actions have been criminal and despicable.

If Corbitt is unsuspecting of the investigators, but they have come to know of the monster, they have the choice of destroying it or leaving it be. If the Child-Thing is destroyed, Corbitt’s remaining shreds of sanity dissolve, leaving the man in a near-hopeless condition. The investigators may turn him over to the authorities, but if they realize that Corbitt’s mental state keeps him from taking responsibility for the things that have happened, they may choose to try and help him get his life back together, turning him from the dark path he was on to a more enlightened one. After all, if he can be saved, then there could really be hope for everyone.

Should the investigators allow the Scampering Woman- Thing or the Child-Thing to escape, they eventually hear stories of horrific sightings and, where the Child-Thing is concerned, people disappearing. Strangely burned and shriveled corpses begin to turn up. These stories go on for two weeks, and are broadcast across radio stations and printed in the newspapers, much to the distress of the investigators who let this happen.

Note that the investigator who is Corbitt’s neighbor may also need to be reminded that there might be some questions to answer if they and their friends simply blow up Corbitt’s house with dynamite or blast it with long-range gunfire. As a result, and to avoid tricky questions from the authorities, they may want to devise a subtler plan for getting rid of the creature, once they’ve uncovered its existence.

If the investigators choose to not deal with the monster themselves and instead notify the authorities, two police officers (given a plausible reason) arrive and enter the house. When they find the creatures, one police officer faints while the other runs screaming from the basement, and in the commotion the Scampering Woman-Thing escapes. The police then contact the United States Bureau of Investigation (renamed the FBI in 1935) who, after arriving on the scene, find and kill the creatures, confiscate Corbitt’s books, notes, and medical supplies, and order the house burned down. The government then tracks down Corbitt (if he still lives) and arrests him on some obscure charge. He is not seen or heard from again. A statement is issued claiming the house was infected with a contagious disease requiring immediate and drastic control. It was decided that burning the property was the most expedient method of dealing with this threat to public well-being. Hint to the investigators that certain shadowy people within the government may be aware of the Mythos threat and practice a policy of misinformation to avoid creating a panic among the public.

Should one or more investigators go indefinitely or

permanently insane during the course of the scenario, the Keeper may choose to corrupt the Important People section of their backstories by inserting a clause about how they now regard the Child-Thing as an infant baby that they must care for (much in the same way that Corbitt thinks of the creature). Thus, they may become willing accomplices to Corbitt or heirs to his legacy if he dies.

If the investigators decide to do nothing, then, in only a year’s time from the beginning of this adventure, the creature reaches maturity and names itself Man-Bagari. Any affection the thing may have felt for its keeper(s) is long gone, and both Corbitt and the investigators are viewed as potential food should they attempt to thwart its efforts to rejoin its father and fulfill its role as the Bridge for the Opening of the Way.

REWARDS

Suggested Sanity point awards (and penalties) for this scenario include:

• • Destroying the Scampering Woman-Thing: +1D4 Sanity points.
• • Destroying the Child-Thing: +1D10 Sanity points.
• • Understanding the Child-Thing‘s link to Yog-Sothoth and its role in the eventual Opening of the Way before destroying it: +2D6 Sanity points.
• • Successfully rehabilitating Corbitt: +1D4 Sanity points.
• • Hearing stories of the creature‘s rampages having let it escape: –1D10+1 Sanity points.
• • Allowing the police and the federal government to take over the case, and allowing others to suffer the consequences of the investigators’ inaction: –1D6+1 Sanity points.

Options for Continuing the Horror

If this scenario is used as a sidetrack during an ongoing campaign, then it works perfectly well as an enclosed and stand-alone adventure, as the events can be wrapped up neatly as described above. Alternatively, as mentioned in Involving the Investigators (page 43), this scenario could also be the first in a series that leads new investigators ever

deeper into the danger and mystery of the Cthulhu Mythos. If the Keeper is using Mister Corbitt as the start of a new campaign, then it can be expanded in several ways, some of which are discussed below.

If the investigators permitted the Child-Thing to escape, then tracking it down and dealing with it could form the basis of another scenario of the Keeper’s own design. In this case, the trail of bodies left by the Child-Thing as it feeds eventually leads to its new hideout, but do the investigators want to kill it or capture it for further study? Or has someone else heard of the creature and want to trap it and use it for their own dark purposes? And, if Corbitt is still alive and free, it stands to reason that he’ll be searching for his “son,” too, although he could have a variety of reasons to do so (depending on what’s happened so far); for instance, the investigators may find themselves in a race against their neighbor as to who reaches the Child-Thing first. But, if the investigators have subsequently helped Corbitt to realize what he’s done, it’s possible that he may call on them to assist him in recovering and/or destroying the creature before it causes any more harm.

Should Corbitt, as a result of the investigators’ poking around, decide to flee to a new town or city with his grotesque charge, then the scenario could be expanded into

a nationwide manhunt for their former neighbor. Perhaps some clue left in Corbitt’s abandoned basement points them to his new hiding place, or the investigators hear of a rash of macabre thefts from mortuaries and funeral homes across the country as Corbitt continues to surgically enhance the rapidly growing Child-Thing. Perhaps people go missing and bodies begin turning up with limbs missing, as the affair turns very dark and dangerous. The chase may move to more exotic climes—after all, Corbitt is the head of an international import company with business links all over the world. It may even involve a return to where Corbitt first encountered his lord and master Ramasekva in India: the mountains of the Punjab.

CHARACTERS AND MONSTERS

NON-PLAYER CHARACTERS

Bernard Corbitt,

age 37, cultist and devoted foster father

STR 50 CON 60 SIZ 60 DEX 65 INT 85

APP 75 POW 95 EDU 75 SAN 22 HP 12

DB: 0 Build: 0 Move: 8 MP: 19

Combat

Brawl 25% (12/5), damage 1D3

Dodge 35% (17/7)

Skills

Anthropology 70%, Concoct Untraceable Poison 75%, Cthulhu Mythos 31%, Drive Auto 55%, Fast Talk 55%, First Aid 80%, History 70%, Language (Chinese) 55%, Language (English) 75%), Language (French) 60%, Language (Punjabi) 30%, Language (Sanskrit) 40%, Language (Spanish) 35%, Occult

45%, Spot Hidden 80%, Science (Astronomy) 90%, Science (Botany) 97%, Science (Chemistry) 80%, Science (Geology) 45%, Science (Pharmacy) 85%, Science (Zoology) 60%,

Unorthodox Surgery 87%.

Spells: Call Ramasekva (Call Yog-Sothoth), Contact Ramasekva (Contact Yog-Sothoth), Dread Curse of Azathoth.

Randolph Tomaszewski, age 29, hospital orderly

Combat

Brawl 50% (25/10), damage 1D3+1D4 or switchblade 1D4+1D4

Dodge 40% (20/8)

Skills

Language (English) 50%, Occult 65%, Stealth 40%.

Miss Harriet Hart, age 73, local spinster

STR 50 CON 60 SIZ 45 DEX 75 INT 75

APP 80 POW 65 EDU 60 SAN 65 HP 10

DB: 0 Build: 0 Move: 5 MP: 13

Combat

Brawl 25% (12/5), damage 1D3

Dodge 40% (20/8)

Skills

Accounting 75%, Appraise 70%, Intimidate 65%, Language

(English) 60%, Listen 60%, Psychology 60%, Spot Hidden 75%.

Mrs? Rebecca Wallace, age 54, live-in companion

STR 80 APP 50 DB: +1D4	CON 50 POW 60 Build: 1	SIZ 60 EDU 60 Move: 6	DEX 55 SAN 60 MP: 12	INT 70 HP 11
Combat
Brawl	35% (17/7), damage 1D3+1D4
Dodge	30% (15/6)

Skills

Accounting 45%, Art/Craft (Cooking) 75%, Art/Craft (Housekeeping) 65%, First Aid 50%, Language (English) 60%, Listen 60%, Persuade 45%, Psychology 45%, Spot

Hidden 65%.

Bobby Lynskey, age 12, local paper boy

STR 40 APP 60	CON 50 POW 45	SIZ 40 EDU 40	DEX 55 INT 60 SAN 45 HP 9
DB: –1	Build: –1	Move: 8	MP: 13
Combat
Brawl	40% (20/8), damage 1D3–1
Dodge	50% (25/10)

Skills

Listen 55%, Language (English) 40%, Ride (Bicycle) 60%,

Spot Hidden 60%, Stealth 50%, Throw 70%.

CREATURES AND MONSTERS

Dimensional Being, thing from another reality STR 90 CON 80 SIZ 95 DEX 80 INT 35 APP — POW 50 EDU — SAN — HP 17 DB: +1D6 Build: 2 Move: 10 MP: 10

Combat

Attacks per round: 2 (claws)

Attacks with its front claws, tearing and rending its victims while feasting on their blood.

Fighting 65% (32/13), damage 1D8+1D6

Dodge 40% (20/8)

Sanity Loss: 1/1D8 Sanity points to encounter a dimensional being; 1/1D6 Sanity loss to see the process of a dimensional being feeding, if the viewer hasn’t consumed orange vine leaf (The Orange Vine, page 24).

Scampering Woman-Thing,

early Corbitt experiment

MAN-BAGARI

The Child-Thing, immature form

STR 80 CON 250 SIZ 120 DEX 45 INT 40 APP — POW 110 EDU — SAN — HP 37 DB: +1D6 Build: 2 Move: 9 MP: 22

Combat

Attacks per round: 3 (fist and/or bite) or 1 (grapple)

Able to make up to three fist and/or bite attacks per round, which can be against three separate targets, or one grapple attack.

Grapple (mnvr): at the expense of foregoing all of its fist attacks, the Child-Thing attempts to grab a target and pull the victim toward its mouth. If successful, on the following round the Child-Thing uses its suck attack (1D8 damage per round the victim is held). Victims can attempt to break free via an opposed STR roll; if colleagues deal 10 damage to the monster in a single round, it drops whoever it is currently holding.

Fighting 50% (22/10), damage 1D6

STR 45 APP —	CON 45 POW 25	SIZ 25 EDU —	DEX 45 SAN —	INT 25 HP 7	Grapple (mnvr)	50% (25/10), held then bite/suck (see above)
DB: –1	Build: –1	Move: 9	MP: 5		Dodge	20% (10/4)

Combat

Attacks per round: 1(biting, scratching)

The creature charges if scared and trapped—make an opposed roll of the creature’s STR versus its target’s DEX. If the creature is successful, the investigator falls and suffers 1D3–1 damage (minimum 1). With the scampering-thing kicking and charging at them, it requires a successful Hard DEX roll to get to their feet or 1D3 rounds, whichever comes first. In the meantime, the creature inflicts 1 damage per round while the investigator is on the floor.

Charge 30% (15/6), damage special (see description)

Dodge 25% (12/5)

Sanity Loss: 1/1D6 Sanity points to see the scampering woman-thing.

Skills

Sense Food 90%.

Armor: none.

Spells: none (yet); however, if the investigators take too long killing the hapless creature, it may (at the Keeper’s discretion) get a chance to call upon its father for help in its hour of need (see Man-Bagari‘s spells, following).

Sanity Loss: 1/1D10 Sanity points to encounter the Child- Thing.

Man-Bagari, mature form

STR 250 CON 500 SIZ 250 DEX 90 INT 80 APP — POW 220 EDU — SAN — HP 75 DB: +8D6 Build: 9 Move: 9 MP: 44

Special Abilities

Leap: it cannot fly but is capable of jumping up to 200 feet (60 m) in a single bound.

Return to Father: can leave this plane of existence at will. The creature serves as a son of Yog-Sothoth and herald for the eventual Opening of the Way and the coming of the Outer God.

Combat

Attacks per round: 1 (grapple or drain)

First uses its grapple maneuver to grab hold, before burning and draining energy from the victim on subsequent rounds with its drain attack.

Grapple (mnvr): grabs a target and clutches them tightly. On the following round, Man-Bagari may begin to automatically drain the victim. The victim cannot break free and must rely on colleagues to help, either by lending their STR to the victim’s in an opposed STR roll (assuming they are trying to pull the victim free) or by attacking Man-Bagari (if reduced to half hit points or if suffering from some sort of spell, the monster releases whoever it is holding).

Drain: leeches 1D4+2 points of CON per round, converting these points into hit points for itself (1 hit point for every 10 points of CON drained); at zero CON the victim is dead. For each point of CON lost, the victim also loses 1 point of APP. While surviving investigators can regain 1D10 points of CON per week (to their normal maximum), any APP loss is permanent.

Grapple (mnvr) 75% (35/15), held then able to

drain (see above)

Drain automatic if held, 1D4+2 CON

per round (see above)

Dodge 45% (22/9)

Armor: 10-point tough, leathery skin.

Spells: can summon Yog-Sothoth by calling the Outer God’s name (in a thunderous voice) and expending 10 magic points.

Sanity Loss: 1D3/1D20 Sanity points to encounter Man- Bagari.