Macabre Tales - Secret of the Dead Mans Satchel

8/9/2019 Macabre Tales - Secret of the Dead Mans Satchel

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The Lovecraftian Horror Role-Playing Game

April 10¢

Vol. 1 April 1932 Number Two

WritingDaniel Robichaud

Editing Cynthia Celeste Miller

Graphic Design and LayoutCynthia Celeste Miller

ArtistsStephen Shepherd (cover), Scott Harshbarger (pgs. 3, 5, 6), Jiří Dvorský (pgs. 10, 11)

www.spectrum-games.com2807 Grand Ave., Parsons, Kansas 67357

Copyright 2012 by Spectrum Games. All Rights Reserved. This material (art, logos, illustrations, character concepts, textand game mechanics) is protected by the copyright laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction or unauthorizeduse of the material or artwork contained herein is prohibited without the express written consent of Spectrum Games, ex-cept for the purposes of reviews and for the player handouts, which may be reproduced for personal use only. The reference

to any companies or products in this book is not meant to challenge the trademarks or copyrights concerned.

The Secret of the Dead Man’s Satchel


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Introduction 3The Synopsis 4

The Three Acts 5

Wrapping Up 12

Characters 13

Player Handouts 15

Wherein the post holds a mysterious package, which draws an unsuspecting characterinto perilous encounters with forces both mundane and monstrous . . .

The Secret of the Dead Man’s Satchel is an exciting adventure for a single primarycharacter, though it can easily be adjusted to accommodate a few more.

This scenario can work in most locations across the United States. This is done forconvenience. This Tale requires a city and a nearby rural community. The narratorand player can therefore set thepiece in Providence, Detroit, NewYork or other locations with fewalterations.

If you are going to participate asa player, you should stop readingat this point, as continuing willcertainly ruin the surprises that layahead.

Introduction Things to Know Before You Delve Deeper

Table of Contents Your Guide to this Tale


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This section details the events leading up tothe adventure itself. Rigorous investigation canbring this information to light.

The character contends with four majorantagonists in this adventure. However, thestory is set into motion by someone neverencountered in the subsequent adventure,a prosaic accountant named Silas ArthurPenwright.

In 1919, Silas Penwright suffered an automobile

accident. Afterward, he received a trauma-induced cancer diagnosis. Early twentiethcentury medicine assumed cancer to result frominjury. When treatments proved ineffective, thediagnosis equated to a death sentence. Terrorsat his dwindling mortality drove Silas fromreason and logic. He first turned to prayer.When that failed, Silas explored occultism.

A chance encounter with actual witchcraftslowed the cancer’s spread, and drew Silasdown darker avenues. He pursued sorcerers

and alchemists and stumbled upon the Templeof Flesh, a local cult dedicated to blendingbiological science and arcane experimentation.A weak stomach prevented Silas participatingin the group’s monstrous rituals. Instead, heobserved them from secret, hoping to locatetheir power source and take it for himself.

Discovering the cult relied upon the Librum Vitaet Mort , Silas stole the book and removed himselfto his rural farmhouse to study it. Decipheringthe book’s secrets led to frustrations aplenty as

well as a successful resurrection of ThackerayHolmes Penwright, an ancestor capable ofperforming the gruesome deeds Silas could not. Thackeray had been an actual witch hangedduring the seventeenth century witchcrafthysteria and a stranger to neither debaseddeeds nor cannibalism. When Silas needed more revenue to pursuehis interests, he returned to the city and foundemploy with local gangster Joseph Giuseppe.While working as bagman and bookkeeper,

Silas discovered the Temple of Flesh’s searchfor their stolen book was drawing them closerto him. Three weeks before the adventurebegins, Silas used Giuseppe’s influence to havepolice raid the Temple. This resulted in severalcultists arrested and their ritual site destroyedHowever, the cult’s inner circle remains activeand eager for vengeance.

One week before the adventure beginsthe Penwright relationship disintegratedDisappointed with his descendant’s lack of

grit, Thackeray sacrificed Silas as part of hispersonal goal to break the barriers betweenthis world and the outer spheres. Thackerayseeks nothing less than living godhood.

Much to his surprise, Thackeray found himselfhounded by inconsequential nuisancesWithout Silas serving as his barrier, Thackeraybecame the target for an angry mobstera corrupt cop and the Temple of Flesh’sremaining inner circle. These menaces weretoo distracting. Thackeray’s efforts require care

and attention, for his plans neared fruition. Hedecided to enact a quick, though temporarysolution.

The witch’s sorcery employed a trickster aspectof the outer god Nyarlathotep to determine thebest way and means to distract these powers The solution came in two steps: first, he woulddirect both unwanted parties to a single objectsecond, he would send this object to a patsy. Themisdirection won’t last forever, but Thackerayis not interested in a permanent solution. After

achieving his goal, he will be beyond mortalenemies.

Thackeray employed his dead descendant’spaperwork satchel to lure his enemies. Thepatsy he left to the outer god’s discretion. Theunwitting character receives a mysteriousparcel, and the simple act of touching it altershis fate.

The year is 1931.

The SynopsisA Summary of Things to Come


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For convenience, this Tale of Terror has beendivided into the three act structure outlinedin Macabre Tales .

Act One

An Unexpected Delivery The brown paper wrapped parcel appears onthe character’s doorstep in the hours before

dawn. It is battered, but has appropriatelooking (though smudged) postmarks andreturn address. The package is addressed tothe character.

The parcel contains a battered brown leathersatchel, stuffed with papers. Examiningthese reveals numerouscoded entries and acover page (HANDOUT1). These pages can be

decoded in Act II.

The satchel containsanother secret, however.An easy Mind (Perception)check reveals the lininghas been restitched,using different thread.Something is hiddenwithin. Cutting thethreads reveals four

pages taken from theLibrum Vita et Mort . Thepages feature numerousnotes. In one marginreads:

By her will is our Temple consecrated By her seed is our Temple venerated Ia. Shub-Niggurath! All praise to her Ia! Ia! Shub-Niggurath! The black goat of the woods with a thousand youBless this, our Temple of Flesh And strengthen we, your disciples For the approaching storm,When your inky ichor shall write us anew

The pages and annotations detail initial steps to a lengthy ritual, which hsomething to do with exchanging flesh avitality between multiple bodies. This is ritual the Finnegans seek, though they wobe content with these pages alone.

The Three ActsA Breakdown of the Tale’s Structure


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The Unspoken PriceAs soon as the player touches the parcel,he receives it and accepts both the physicalcontents and their arcane ties. The momenthe character takes possession of the

parcel, several things happen, leading to theriggered events in Act II.

A letter materializes on Detective LieutenantSean Milligan’s desk, reading “Your secretsare mine to reveal at my whim. They remainsecret so long as you deliver $250 per week.First payment is due by noon today at theenvelope’s return address. Greet me witha smile, or I might reveal your secrets forspite’s sake.” The indicated address is thecharacter’s home.

A letter materializes in the passenger seat

of Joseph Giuseppe’s Packard. This lettereads, “I’ve decided the generous wage you

supplied me for keeping your books wasn’tenough. I want $1000 more today, or I’mdumping the books on the lap of the city’sdirtiest gendarme. I believe we both knowwho! Bring it to my friend’s home at 1:00sharp. He won’t tell you where I am, nomatter what you do.” The address is thecharacter’s home.

n addition to avoiding the police, The Templeof Flesh’s inner circle has eagerly soughtheir stolen tome and its thief. However,

Thackeray’s sorcery has managed to concealhe book’s presence. When the characterakes possession of the parcel, Thackeray

Penwright’s protection no longer applies tohe pages hidden inside. The cultists learnhis after nightfall.

Act Two

This Act contains both time-specificencounters and an open-ended investigation. This adds convenience. The triggered eventsreveal the many threats in a manageableorder, instead of bombarding the characterwith multiple antagonists. The free forminvestigation path gives the narrator andplayer access to information withoutrailroading them into a singular path.

Triggered Events These events are linked to specific triggers. The first two events include suggestions forfollow-up encounters, should the charactermiss the particular event.

Mulligan’s VisitDetective Lieutenant Mulligan arrives at thecharacter’s home at noon and introduceshimself, adding “But I need no introduction.Mind if I come inside?” No matter how thecharacter answers, he pushes his way in.

Mulligan’s goal for this meeting is simple:determine how best to remove the characteras a threat. Once inside, he attempts to

intimidate the character into revealing bothhis source and the information he possesses.Mulligan is canny at getting information fromclose-mouthed suspects. His concern for thecharacter’s blackmail materials prevent himfrom resorting to physical violence, for now.

When the meeting concludes, Mulligantosses an envelope onto the floor, suggests“Don’t get too comfortable spending mymoney,” and departs. The envelope holds

$250 in small bills.

Should the character miss this meeting,Mulligan breaks into the character’s hometo search for information on his would beblackmailer and wait for the character toreturn. If the satchel’s corruption materialsare here, Mulligan takes them. The detectivemight also track the character down for alater encounter.


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Giuseppe’s Visit Joseph Giuseppe arrives at 12:50. If DetectiveLieutenant Mulligan is present or leaving,then a moderate Mind (Perception) checkreveals they know one another.

Giuseppe keeps the money in his pocket,greeting the character with a smirk and

probes for ways to manipulate the situation.If needs be, he gives the character the cash.

Giuseppe’s goal for this encounter is to learnhow the character figures into the blackmailscheme. Also, he wants to discern SilasPenwright’s location, and uses the name to judge the character’s response.

Should the character miss this meeting,Giuseppe contacts Mulligan for some

background. He might break into thecharacter’s home, if Mulligan has notalready. He might wait and tail the character,appearing when least wanted.

Bathsheba’s Visit Tension Scene: 10-Point Momentum Threshold

After nightfall, the Finnegans dispatchBathsheba to retrieve the Librum and itsthief. Bathsheba waits until the character is

alone or in limited company before striking. The byakhee prefers an outdoor attack, butis not above luring the character to a windowand then smashing through it.

If the character succeeds in the tensionscene, they elude Bathsheba, who returnsto the Finnegans. If the character failsthis scene, Bathsheba delivers them to theFinnegans for interrogation (See Facing theFinnegans, below).

Open Investigation This section details avenues in investigatingthe satchel. These items aren’t linked tospecific triggers, and not all items need occurfor the character to navigate this scenario.

Deciphering the PagesDecoding the pages requires at least six hoursas well as a moderate Mind (Languages or

Ingenuity) check. Success reveals numero

entries detailing the flow of large cash subetween Joseph Giuseppe and three dozcity officials.

Detective Lieutenant Sean Mulligan’s nais often repeated, receiving several lapayments for unspecified “Off the RecAssistance.”

Hidden in these names, the character leaSilas Penwright’s identity, as well.

Free AgentsAfter these triggered events, Mulligan,Giuseppe and the Finnegans canreappear in the Tale, either during theinvestigation or in Act III as distractionsor further complications.

Mulligan is the belligerent voice ofauthority. He shadows the character,appearing at unwanted moments witha knowing smirk and none-too-subtlethreats. He wants to protect himselfand will do so through violence.

Giuseppe is the sleazy manipulator.He observes the character or seeks outthe character’s friends and relatives,

trying to work any angles to enslavethe character through blackmail orother nefarious means. He is not abovephysical threats or violence, shouldhe deem them necessary. He relieson Mulligan for actual dirty work,however. This might prove Giuseppe’sdownfall if Mulligan is frustratedenough.

The Temple of Flesh takes infrequent

but direct action through sorcerousmeans. Should Bathsheba beunsuccessful, the Temple monitorsthe character’s activities from afar,until they see a chance to reclaimtheir tome. Then, they use any and allmeans at their disposal to recover thebook.


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In the NewsA trip to the newspaper or the library canreveal the following information with an easyMind (Research) check for each subject:

Detective Lieutenant Mulligan: Severalarticles paint this police detective in agolden light. Mulligan has received several

decorations from the mayor’s office andcitizen groups for his successful efforts tostop criminal activities in the city.

Joseph Giuseppe: A single article identifiesGiuseppe as a benefactor attending a citycouncilman’s fundraiser. Giuseppe iscaught in a picture raising a glass with thecouncilman, looking irritated at having beenphotographed. He otherwise has no publicife.

The Temple of Flesh: An article from threeweeks ago details the raid on Crown HillSanitarium. (HANDOUT 2)

Silas PenwrightA moderate Mind (Research) check revealsPenwright’s accident, his cancer diagnosisas well as his subsequent seclusion andoccult fascination.

A hard Mind (Research) check revealsPenwright owns a farmhouse near Hadley’sCorner.

A very hard Mind (Research) check revealsPenwright’s recent connection to JosephGiuseppe.

Mulligan’s Housef the character breaks into Detective

Lieutenant Mulligan’s home, face a

challenging task. The place has sturdy lockson both doors and windows, requiring amoderate Body (Coordination) check.

The house’s main floor features expensivef bland furnishings. An address for JosephGiuseppe and several incriminating photos/mementos fill the office safe.

The basement holds darker secrets. A locked

steel door set into a concrete wall requireseither a very hard Body (Coordination) checkor the key to open. Mulligan carries the keyaround his neck at all times. Behind thisdoor waits a macabre play room.

The play room has no electricity, earthenfloors and concrete walls. It is illuminated

by two candelabras. Iron staples are setinto the walls and a cot is leaned against acorner. Stainless steel trays hold impeccablycleaned surgical tools, well-used patientrestraints, iron shackles, steel chains andother unsavory implements. Three-day oldbloodstains mar the floor and wall, but theroom is otherwise clean.

If Mulligan tires of Giuseppe’s partnership,the gangster’s dismembered corpse awaits

disposal here. Likewise, the character mightfind himself here, should Mulligan becometoo frustrated to continue playing cat andmouse.

Inquiring About the ParcelA moderate Mind (Research) check at the localpost office reveals the parcel is unrecordedin any manifest and therefore not deliveredby any local postal worker. Someone wentto the trouble to have it stamped and then

delivered it themselves.

The postmark may be indecipherable,but it is genuine. Close study reveals theparcel came from Hadley’s Corner, a ruralcommunity about three hours outside thecity limits.

Crown Hill Sanitarium Basement The sanitarium has been closed, the area hasbeen searched by police and the cult’s ritual

site has been burned. However, a living cluecan be encountered here. That living clue isa man named Darin Bradley.

DARIN BRADLEY Darin Bradley lost his left leg during theGreat War. Subsequent ennui led him to the Temple. In months prior to the raid, his legstarted regrowing, though the replacementis nothing like the original. Darin now


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possesses a monstrous tentacle imitation,which he keeps wrapped in filthy bandages.He still relies upon his crutch while learningto control this new monstrous limb. Darinmanaged to escape apprehension.

He longs for the rituals, returning to thesanitarium with hopes of encountering other

cultists. If persuaded with a moderate Soul(Guile or Persuasion), he can fill in detailsabout the cult’s activities, the Finnegans,and whatever else the Narrator desires. Ahard Mind (Knowledge: Psychology) checkcan unlock a hypnotic suggestion or memoryregression about the Temple’s currentlocation. Darin joins the character, as thismight lead him back to the Temple. He alsobetrays the character should doing so resultin the Finnegans’ blessings.

Body 5: Athletics 1, Fighting 1, Reflexes 1,Stealth 1, Strength 1, Toughness 1Mind 6: Knowledge (Forbidden Truths) 1,Knowledge (Occult Lore) 2, Perception 1Soul 6: Guile 1, Resolve 1Possessions: Ragged clothing, crutch,bedroll, trench knife.Special: When revealed, Darin’s tentaclelimb grants him Innate Attack: 1 (crush) andUnspeakable Visage: 2.

Facing the Finnegans Tension Scene: 9 or 12 MomentumRequirement, (see below)

The Finnegans are laired in the condemnedMidway Hotel in an immigrant ghetto.

Interacting with the Finnegans provokes a Tension Scene. If the character comes to themwillingly, he can attempt to negotiate. The

Momentum requirement is 9. If Bathshebabrings the character, then the MomentumRequirement is 12.

The Finnegans seek their book returned andrevenge for its theft. They are insane but farfrom stupid. Facing them is quite dangerous,as their combined sorcery and their byakheemake them an incredible threat. A charactercan convince them of his innocence, after a

fashion. However, the Finnegans don’t wtheir secrets shared and eventually seek character’s demise to protect themselves

A failed tension scene results in the charactdestruction. A successful tension scremoves the Finnegans as an immedithreat. Also, during the tension scene, Myc

might divulge the following information:

1. Some months ago, a shadowy bunthreatening figure observed the Tempactivities. He seemed a potential recruit bnever approached the Temple.

2. Two months ago, someone stole the LibrVita et Mort . The pages in the charactepossession come from this book.

3. Until tonight, their attempts to locate Librum have been blocked. Tonight, howevthe barrier dropped and they located character. However, they assumed character’s name was Penwright, which thscrying efforts divulged prior to the raid.

Hadley’s CornerHadley’s Corner is a postage stamp sirural community a few miles outside city. The town has one main street, wit

town hall, general store, town library, trstation, single restaurant (a greasy spocalled Donovan’s) and post office.

If the character proves his trustworthinwith a moderate Soul (Persuade) check, post office’s octogenarian owner, BrandRussell, identifies the parcel’s handwritas belonging to Silas Penwright and revethe location of the Penwright estate.

Russell has little love for the PenwrighIf asked, he admits “Silas and his unor whomever it is lives with him, are soqueer folks . . . Don’t see much of the unbut Silas comes here regularly, smellingsour milk and worse. It’s a shame how sua good man can fall so low.”

Venturing out to the Penwright Estate leto Act III.


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Act Three

The Penwright EstateThe Penwright estate is a remote, overgrownand untended bit of land, twenty minutes’walk or seven minutes’ drive outside Hadley’sCorner. A dirt road leads from the main roadto the property’s stone fence, winds amongstsome scrubby trees and alongside a weedchoked fountain, passes the two-storyfarmhouse proper as well as several animalpens and ends at the barn. Few lights oractivity signs are evident at any given hour.

The GroundsThe Woods are filled with strange flora,things that appear normal but upon closer

inspection aren’t. Strange carnivorousplants otherwise unknown on earth. Leavesmove against the wind. A walk through thisterrain should call for a Sanity Check (4).

The Fountain features a crumbling Grecianstatue standing amidst scummy water. Thefountain water has been corrupted by theThackeray’s weird experiments. Half visible

things slither through the muck, flittingbetween dimensions and impossible to catch.Seeing them can lead to a Sanity Check (4). Flies swarm in the Animal Pens. The earthin them is littered with bones, feathers andother signs of animal related carnage.

The Barn holds Silas Penwright’s car andthe one living animal on the farm--a hideous1000-pound hog called Braun. The beastis incapable of movement, and is not longfor this world. Braun is Thackeray’s corpsedisposal system, and bits from severalsacrifices can be found in the animal’s spoor,including Silas Penwright’s remains. A fewof Silas’ personal effects litter Braun’s pen.

Where is Thackeray?Simple answer: Wherever the Narratorwants him.

Although he is a resurrected being, Thackeray Penwright has fallen intoa schedule for his activities. Thesorcerer sleeps between 8:00 am and3:00 pm. He wakes and ventures ontothe grounds to procure sustenanceand sacrifices until 6:00pm. Then, heperforms his arcane efforts in eitherthe cellar or the living room until 6:00am.

Over the next two hours, he feedsremains to Braun in the barn (or eatsthem himself) and then readies himselffor sleep.


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The FarmhouseAll the Living Room’s furniture has beenshoved aside or stacked against the walls. The floor features odd chemical burns. Thackeray uses this as his main aboveground spell casting area. He can sometimesbe found here, working on aspects for hismultidimensional gate spells. This area

sometimes features strange, alien activity.Fish-like things swim through the air orstrange, buzzing laughter come from nodiscernible source. These can be cause forSanity Checks (6).

The Kitchen is filthy and fragrant. The roomhas doubled as an abattoir, blood coats thefloor. A platter heaped with week-old chitlinssits on the counter, forgotten. The icebox

has long thawed, its perishable conterotting.

The WC is the least threatening room in house. The bathtub’s mildew and fungus unsanitary but not soul-destroying.

The Sun Room has been turned into

greenhouse, filled with foul smelling exoplants, which Thackeray crushes, burns autilizes in his sorcery. Many of these plaare either unknown on earth or they hnot grown for centuries.

The upstairs Bedroom has been converfor two men’s use. A sheet hangs betwetwo beds as a dividing wall.

The Cellar has an earthen floor and seve

tables for experiments. The remnantssacrifices and spells litter any surfacWhen not using it, Thackeray keeps Librum Vita et Mort in a locked cabinet. Tbarrier between worlds is thin. Monstrothings and alien vista visions briefly appe This gives narrators free reign to invoke aweirdness they wish. Remaining here resuin regular Sanity checks, with challenratings between 4 and 9.

Thackeray Penwright: Tension Sce Tension Scene: 13 Momentum Threshold

When the Tale begins, Thackeray is sthree days or so away from his goal. As Tale progresses, this value can alter to bsuit the player’s speed. As Act III begi Thackeray’s plans are nearly complete. requires one more major blood sacrifice his gate to open. The player will do, as wany other characters unlucky enough

follow the character to the farm.

Failing this tension scene can result in gate opening, the player’s sacrifice orsimilar nasty end.


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Failure

With failure, the character faces physical,mental and/or spiritual destruction.Further, Giuseppe and/or Mulligan gainaccess to blackmail materials to control

the city’s officials, and make life in the citychallenging for a while. The Finnegan twinspossibly die. Mycroft rebuilds the Temple. Aswell, Thackeray opens a gate to beyond andgains godlike powers. When he returns tothe world, he ushers it toward destruction.

Success

A character who manages to escape withmind, body and sanity intact is successful.Their overall fate is entwined with the tale’smany antagonists.

f Thackeray is killed, then his plans tobreak the barriers between worlds are put onndefinite hold. His gate still poses a problem,as it allows other worlds/influences to leak

into this one. If Thackeray survives but hisplans are ruined, he seeks revenge beforepursuing godhood.

Detective Lieutenant Sean Mulligan posesa significant problem whether or not hesurvives. A decorated law officer’s death

results in a statewide manhunt, unlessMulligan’s secret life is revealed. If hesurvives, Mulligan seeks to remove anyand all threats, including Giuseppe and thecharacter. Should Giuseppe survive, he tries to recoverthe life he had; his increasing paranoiamakes this almost impossible. His deathleaves a power vacuum, which several cityofficials and gangsters try to fill.

Unless The Temple of Flesh’s inner circleis destroyed, it seeks the character’sdestruction and might continue Thackeray’sresearch. Mycroft is the sort to pursue livinggodhood, though he places his siblings onthe throne first as a tribute to his father.

What if the Gate Opens? The gate leads to a dead city on the unnamed third planet circling Aldebaran. The citywas dedicated to Great Azathoth, itself, and holds a throne of power, which channelsgod-like power into whoever sits in it. What this means in game terms is up to theNarrator. Power never comes for free.

The price for this is the destruction of everything human in the recipient. Mind andbody shatter. Human bodies are remolded into an uncontrolled, formless approximationof Azathoth itself. Only the most potent sorcerers can relearn to control their bodies,enabling them to use the power they have been granted.

Wrapping Up The Repercussions of the Tale’s Outcome


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Mundane Threats

Joseph Giuseppe Joseph Giuseppe was not born to a life ofcrime, but he never avoided it either. Thechild of an Italian immigrant father and a Jewish mother, his childhood was fraughtwith intolerance and prejudices both fromstrangers and relatives. He developed a toughskin and a hard heart, invaluable assets.

Over the last five years, Giuseppe developeda network of bribed authorities, includingbeat cops, judges, city councilmen andmore. The secret to this success was on-timepayments, regular bonuses and plentifulblackmail material. At his core, Giuseppe isa people person: he knows the best ways tomotivate others to serve his whims.

Body 5:Athletics 2, Fighting 3, Marksmanship2, Reflexes 2, Stealth 2, Strength 2, Toughness 2, Vehicles (Automobiles) 2Mind 5: Ingenuity 2, Knowledge (CriminalActivities) 3, Perception 1Soul 5: Guile 3, Intimidation 2, Persuasion1, Resolve 1

Detective Lieutenant Sean MulliganDetective Lieutenant Sean Mulligan is themost decorated officer on the force. Mulligan

relishes the honors the city has bestowedupon him and leads a somewhat glamorouslifestyle. However, Mulligan has a secretdelight in perversion and cruelty, which Joseph Giuseppe uses to manipulate thedetective.

Mulligan is a bully who loathes anyoneordering him around. For now, Mulliganis content with finding an outlet for hisdepraved interests. As time passes, he’s

grown resentful, and seeks to end Giusepin a way, which won’t reveal his ugly side

Body 6: Athletics 3, Fighting 3, ReflexesStealth 3, Strength 3, Toughness 2, Vehic(Automobiles) 2Mind 4: Ingenuity 1, Perception 4, Resear3Soul 6: Guile 2, Intimidation 2, Persuas2, Resolve 2

The Finnegans

Mycroft FinneganMycroft Finnegan is the thirty-six-year leader of the Temple of Flesh, a famirole. Mycroft learned the secrets from father, Morrison Finnegan. Though he hnever viewed himself even close to be father’s equal, Mycroft has become the m

ambitious Temple leader yet, using CroHill Sanitarium’s basement as the site several rituals until the raid.

He is an enigma, monstrous when need yet capable of compassion for his twsiblings, Sera and Ares (see below). Mycrviews recovering the Librum as vital both his siblings’ welfare and his plans for tfuture. He longs to rebuild the Temple asacrifice the tome’s thief in the twins’ n

healing rite.

Body 5: Athletics 2, Fighting 1, Reflex2, Strength 1, Toughness 3, Vehic(Automobiles) 2Mind 6: Ingenuity 2, Knowledge (Forbidd Truths) 3, Knowledge (Occult Lore) Languages (French) 1, Perception 2Soul 6: Guile 2, Intimidation 1, Performan(Oration) 3, Persuasion 2, Resolve 2

Special: Mycroft has access to incantatio

CharactersWherein Most of the Dramatis Personæ are Described


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which allow him to perceive from afar,summon and bind servitor creatures, andanything more the narrator wishes. Most ofhis magical might is connected to the Librum,so reducing these incantations’ effectivenessis recommended.

Sera and Ares Finnegan

Sera and Ares Finnegan are thoracopagusSiamese twins in their mid-twenties. Theywere born conjoined from the thorax to thelower belly and would have died in theirinfancy had their father not prophesizedthem to be the progenitors of a supremebeing and utilized incantations to prolongtheir lives.

After Morrison Finnegan’s death, the twins’care has fallen to Mycroft. The longevity rite’s

sorcery requires an annual sacrifice andlengthy ritual, and the all too real deadlineis approaching. Without the book’s rites,the Finnegan twins’ bodies tear themselvesapart.

Body 5: Athletics 1, Fighting 1, Reflexes 1,Stealth 2, Strength 1, Toughness 1, Vehicles(Automobiles) 2Mind 6: Knowledge (Forbidden Truths) 1,Knowledge (Occult Lore) 2, Perception 1

Soul 6: Guile 1, Persuasion 1, Resolve 1

BathshebaBathsheba is the name Mycroft gave theTemple’s byakhee servitor. It responds to thisname ostensibly because Mycroft bears theleadership mark; he could call it anythingat all, and it would heed him. That it alsoresponds to this name when used by othersis a mystery.

Narrators can decide if the sounds arethe equivalent of a trained response orif the creature’s generations of exposureto humankind has resulted in a perversepleasure in having a “human” name.

Body 9: Athletics 1, Fighting 2, Strength 2,Toughness 1Mind 6: Perception 2

Soul 6: Resolve 1

Special Rules: Flight, Innate Attack 2(claws), Innate Attack 1 (bite), Drain (InnateAttack – Bite; Body), Interstellar Travel,Physical Protection 2 (rough skin and fur),Unspeakable Visage 6

Thackeray Penwright

Over his 40 years of life, Thackeray HomesPenwright discovered the incredible powerwitchcraft could bestow. Further, he learnedcosmic forces could be mastered by a strongenough will. He signed the Black Man’s book,drank liquors from Leng and other distantworlds, and sought to become a living god. This ambition has driven him to performhundreds of monstrous deeds.

He has bestowed his devotion to numerousoccult powers, great old ones and outer gods.However, his loyalty always remains constantto one being, himself. He is quite mad, yetcalculating, capable of casual savagery andcunning tricks. Over the next few days, hehopes to complete his life’s work.

Body 5: Athletics 2, Fighting 1, Reflexes 1,Stealth 2, Strength 1, Toughness 1

Mind 9: Ingenuity 3, Knowledge (Forbidden Truths) 5, Knowledge (Occult Lore) 5,Languages (Latin) 3, Languages (French) 4,Perception 4Soul 6: Guile 3, Intimidation 2, Performance(Oration) 3, Persuasion 2, Resolve 2Special: As with the Finnegans, Thackerayknown numerous incantations, grantinghim what powers the narrator wishes.

Librum Vita et Mort

This anonymous French medical text firstappeared in 1772. The Librum Vita et Mort , (orBook of Life and Death) contained horrifyingsecrets about anatomy and physiology,which derive from cosmic truth. Sevenhundred copies of this book were created. Bythe twentieth century, less than fifty copiessurvive in various collections.


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If you are receiving this, then I am dead. The pages inside may be your onechance to avoid a similar fate. I apologize for their condition, but I have faith youwill be able to decipher them.

Prepare yourself as well for three visitors. Look for the first at midday, the nextan hour after, and the final after sunset. I apologize for placing this burden upon you, but the ax must fall somewhere.

Handout 1

Handout 2

Macabre Tales - Secret of the Dead Mans Satchel

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Transcript of Macabre Tales - Secret of the Dead Mans Satchel