TEXT: the             
  a tremulus playset      
  frozen 
  wasteland
  
  reality blurs presents
  the frozen wasteland
  a tremulus playset
  writing
  by
  Sean Preston and John Rogers
  layout and graphics
  Sean Preston with Lyn Harm
  editing
  Lyn Harm and Brad Bell
  tremulus: a storytelling game of lovecraftian horror, tremulus, associated 
  images, and content are copyright 2012-2014, Reality Blurs, LLC.. 
  
  -1-
  The Frozen Wasteland 
  The cold reaches of the world hold a special horror all their own. The 
  blanket whiteness, the brutal cold, the threats of death in an alien, hostile, 
  unforgiving environment are enough to give even the strongest among us 
  pause. Yet, their lies a certain yearning amongst explorers and scholars alike 
  to go where others have not. To forge a path into the pages of history by 
  carving a path through ice and snow to discover what secrets lie buried and 
  forgotten. 
  Using a Playset
  Each playset presents a set of questions which the players answer to establish 
  a framework for the story. Some playsets lend themselves better to pick 
  up and play than others depending upon the Keeper’s familiarity with the 
  central subject matter in question.
  Using the Frozen Wasteland
  As Keeper, you should focus on telling your story and not be too obsessive 
  with the reality of any given particular. In other words, come to a group 
  consensus and fudge the facts as necessary to ensure a good experience. If 
  you’re comfortable with such a play style, you needn’t worry about having 
  the questions answered by your group ahead of time, and can certainly use 
  this playset on the fly. On the other hand, if you are more comfortable with 
  having more details in place, you can have the group answer the questions 
  ahead of time, and do a touch of research to help facilitate things.
  Time and Place
  This playset cements specific locales throughout the world, as determined by 
  the results of the questionnaire. Needless to say, there are fewer liberties, in 
  general with the where of the setting. Additionally, this playset is focused on 
  various snapshots in time, and as such, gives particulars for when any given 
  story should occur. Contextually, the Keeper should be able to ascertain 
  whether there is any wiggle room for when their group’s story takes place, 
  and notify them of what modifications they may need to make if deviating 
  from the given suggestions. In general, most frameworks take place in the 
  1920s.
  
  -2-
  Playset-Specific Rules
  The cold is an ever-present threat, so a few modifications are in order. Safe 
  areas should be considered warm. In warm areas, characters don’t have 
  to worry about suffering any debilitating effects of the cold. Characters 
  journeying to such areas have, at minimum, clothes that protect them from 
  the worst of the cold. However, the Keeper can make a hard move to strip a 
  character of their gear (by it becoming torn, wet, or the like). This can also 
  be selected as an additional effect of harm. Torn or wet garments provide no 
  protection against the cold, and the Keeper can take a move to make ALL 
  characters not in proper gear suffer a point of harm. Alternately, the Keeper 
  can take a hard move to have characters suffer a point of shock when out 
  in the elements, regardless of their gear. 
  Any character drinking liquor suffers a -1 Might for any rolls to resist 
  the effects of the cold for a 24 hour period, though this may still serve to 
  stave off the effects of shock, as usual. Character cannot be treated, nor 
  recover from harm in hostile environments, they must be in a warm place 
  (with the exception of certain Lore moves).
  These rules are compact, yet comprehensive enough to handle the 
  environment, which should serve as a dangerous backdrop for the story 
  proper, a long shadow casting its pall upon everything, yet in service to 
  the bigger picture.
   
   
   
  
  -3-
  The Frozen Wasteland
  Framework worksheet
  Local Color
  Regional Lore
  Name
  Name
  INvestIgator
   
  INvestIgator
   
  keeper
   
  keeper
   r
  Hazards
  Hazards
  elders
  elders
  towNIes
  towNIes
  laNdscape
  laNdscape
  doom
  doom
  weIrd
  weIrd
  RL
  
  -4-
  THE FROZEN WASTELAND
  As you begin your tale, you find yourself in one of the coldest places on 
  the planet.
  what YoU kNow so Far about your situation:
  Is it one of the polar regions?  
   
   
   
  A 
   
  Any indigenous people nearby?  
   
   
   
  B 
  Any signs of previous civilizations? 
   
   
   
  C
  Is this the first expedition to the area?  
   
   
  D 
  Is the expedition financed? 
   
   
   
   
  E
  Any significant landmarks? 
   
   
   
   
  F
  Is it storm season when you arrive? 
   
   
   
  G
  You mUst aNswer Yes to three and oNlY three. 
  Jot dowN or cIrcle Yes aNswers.
  what weIrdNess YoU’ve heard about the region:
  Any local legends of interest?  
   
   
   
  A 
  Any tales of relics lost in the area? 
   
   
   
  B 
  Has any outsider ever returned?  
   
   
   
  C 
  Any tales of strange humanoids? 
   
   
   
  D 
  Any reports of objects falling from the sky? 
   
   
  E 
  Is there any strange terrain in the area?  
   
   
  F 
  Has any tragedy or natural disaster ever struck here? 
   
  G 
  You mUst aNswer Yes to three and oNlY three. 
  Jot dowN or cIrcle Yes aNswers.
  
  -5-
  Local Color (Investigator Notes)
  [aBc] People of the Steppes
  oN the sUrFace:  The Russian steppes are full of secrets, and you may 
  have stumbled upon one. During the conclusion of an anthropological 
  expedition, you are told of Arkhaim, the Forbidden City, where spirits walk 
  the earth. While most of your team returns to civilization, you and a few 
  others decide to pursue this rumor before storm season arrives, perhaps 
  burying any truth forever.
  keeper Notes: [lc1]
  [aBd] Cracks in the Ice
  oN the sUrFace: On a small little island just off the coast, rests New 
  Beginnings Mental Health Institution. Established a decade ago, it is housed 
  in a pristine mansion and regularly receives state and national recognition 
  for its progressive rehabilitation techniques. The esteemed Dr. Emmanuel 
  Rodriquez personally oversees all the most troublesome patients.
  keeper Notes: [lc2]
  [aBe] Rusanov’s Reasons
  oN the sUrFace:  You and your associates were selected by Miskatonic 
  University representatives to find out exactly what happened to the ill-fated 
  Rusanov Expedition of 1911, and if possible, recover his notes. You are 
  aware that a Soviet-backed expedition is currently underway to find out 
  the truth as well, so you must overcome them as well as the elements. The 
  Nenet settlement of Belushya Guba is where your investigation begins.
  keeper Notes: [lc3]
  
  -6-
  [aBF] Ends of the Earth
  oN the sUrFace:  You have been engaged to enter into trade relations 
  with the local Inuit for any and all deposits of meteoric iron in the vicinity. 
  You have not been altogether willingly engaged in this expedition either. 
  The Corporation either bought the debts you owed or holds some life-
  shattering secret over your head, so you are going to the ends of the earth to 
  make this all go away. Curiously, you’re aboard a massive decommissioned 
  troop ship purchased by your employer explicitly for this journey. 
  You have been given a large supply of general trade stuffs, a stock 
  of rifles, and several unsavory fellows to help negotiate for the mineral 
  rights. As you arrive in the bay off Cape York, Greenland, greeted only 
  by the ice floe, you wonder if you’ve made the right decision. 
  keeper Notes: [lc4]
  [aBg] Edge of Nowhere
  oN the sUrFace:  The nameless Inuit village has offered you some brief 
  respite from the sudden blizzard now raging across the landscape. You have 
  only the scant belongings upon your person. The bulk of the supplies, the 
  dogsleds, and even your guide are lost in the storm. You huddle with the 
  others, wondering when and if it will ever end.
  keeper Notes: [lc5]
  [acd] Cold Steel
  oN the sUrFace:  You have been conducting geological surveys in the 
  mountains when you discover signs of previous cultures in this barren 
  snowscape—worked stone and a break in the base of the mountainside 
  leading into a small, empty room with stone doors on the opposite wall.
  keeper Notes: [lc6]
  
  -7-
  [ace]Strange Currencies
  oN the sUrFace:    You have gone to Kolari, a municipality of Finland, 
  renowned for its fine skiing and ancient forest, both dating back over a 
  thousand years.  Needless to say, you have not come for the skiing.  Instead, 
  you have answered an anxious telegram from an old colleague, Professor 
  Monica Keys, who has written in oblique words of an amazing discovery. 
  Her man, Abraham Lowell, awaits you at the train station to take you to 
  Keys’ lodgings.
  keeper Notes: [lc7]
  [acF] Tin Whiskers
  oN the sUrFace:   You have been retained by the Tecton Group, a division 
  of Boston Electronics, to conduct a salvage operation of Tin Whiskers, Flight 
  383, which disappeared on its return trip from the North Pole. 
  keeper Notes: [lc8]
  [acg] Of Mercator and Men
  oN the sUrFace:  Professor Thomas Crawford, an eccentric antiquarian 
  acquaintance, selected you to accompany him on a small expedition to the 
  North Pole in search of mythical Hyperborea. He claims to have Mercator’s 
  original map tucked away, which he used to chart your present course. 
  Presently, you’re aboard a privately chartered fixed-wing aircraft flying to the 
  base camp dramatically dubbed Bifrost by the good professor.
  keeper Notes: [lc9]
  
  -8-
  [ade] Cold War 
  oN the sUrFace: You’re part of a smoke screen thrown together by 
  the US Government to conduct a threat assessment of the USSR. The 
  powers that be are either certain of your loyalty or else possess some sort 
  of powerful leverage to keep you in check. In either case, you’re all smiles 
  when you ship out in a media frenzy from San Francisco. Publicly, it’s 
  presented as The John Q. Public Environmental Impact Survey, where 
  you will assist in drawing soil samples and the like to assess any particular 
  negative effect the presence of nuclear power and a base are having on the 
  flora, fauna, and general landscape. You’re looking at it as an opportunity 
  to do your civic duty. Or at least gain a few brownie points in the eyes of 
  Uncle Sam.  
  keeper Notes: [lc10]
  [adF] The Dark Half
  oN the sUrFace: Although much attention was given to the Tunguska 
  event, it was largely forgotten in the wake of the Great War. You’ve been 
  approached by Dr. Limner, a leading astronomer, who believes that the 
  meteor that fell into Siberia was only half of a whole, accounting for the 
  expanse of tremors far outstripping the remnants found by his colleagues 
  at the impact site. He’s determined the trajectory of this second half, and 
  wants to verify his findings first-hand. Naturally, he could use someone like 
  you to accompany him.
  keeper Notes: [lc11]
  [adg] Radio Gaga
  oN the sUrFace:  You’re part of one of the most groundbreaking 
  expeditions in history. Through the use of Fokker Super Universal airliners 
  and radios, you’ve been able to travel farther and faster than any other 
  explorers in the past century. Thus, you were completely caught off guard 
  by the swift storm engulfing you, grounding you, and cutting you off from 
  the outside world. Your supplies are severely limited, as they were located at 
  the base camp. And the magnetic and atmospheric conditions are making 
  both communication and navigation impossible. 
  keeper Notes: [lc12]
  
  -9-
  [aeF]  Winter of ‘74
  oN the sUrFace:  Welcome to McMurdo Station. You likely arrived on 
  that LC-13 now taxiing down the sea ice runway or you rotated in about 18 
  months ago (and are slated to rotate back out in a few more months, likely 
  April or May). The work is routine, but well-regarded in academic circles, 
  and it “builds character”. If nothing else, it’ll give you something to talk 
  about. And it’ll take your mind off the cold for a while. 
  keeper Notes: [lc13] 
  [aeg]  Dash Patrol
  oN the sUrFace:  The year is 1910 and Japan has prepared you for its 
  first foray into Antarctica. You are aboard the Kainan Maru, which set sail 
  out of Sydney, Australia. It arrives in the Ross Sea and you are met with 
  the Great Ice Barrier. The crew is ill-equipped to progress any farther, but 
  the honor of the Emperor, Emperor Mutsuhito, is at stake, so you are sent 
  out to explore as far as you can as swiftly as possible and report back with 
  your findings.
  keeper Notes: [lc14]
  [aFg] Best Laid Plans
  oN the sUrFace: You are members of the Ross Sea party. You are 
  a critical component of Sir Ernest Shackleton’s Imperial Transatlantic 
  Expedition. Your task is simple. You are to trek across the Great Ice 
  Barrier following a route established by earlier expeditions and lay in a 
  series of supply depots. These depots are to serve as resupply points for 
  Shackleton’s main force, which is approaching from the other side of 
  the continent. You’ve set out three weeks late due to some last minute 
  financial issues and arrive off Ross Island on January 16, 1915. If the 
  weather holds out, you’ll be done in no time, certainly back home to 
  England within a year.
  keeper Notes: [lc15] 
  
  -10-
  [Bcd] The Frozen Gold of South Island
  oN the sUrFace:  The recent mild winter in the Southern Alps resulted 
  in an inordinate amount of run-off, causing the nearby rivers and creeks 
  to swell and overflow. After the waters receded in spring, a few hikers 
  discovered a smattering of gold along the riverbank near Mount Cook, 
  suggesting there is likely a substantial vein running through the Southern 
  Alps. Investor-backed geological surveys from around the world have come 
  to lay claim to the treasure, as well as local mining concerns hoping to strike 
  it rich. You’re been retained to ensure any archeological finds uncovered on 
  the frozen slopes are properly preserved.  
  keeper Notes: [lc16]
  [Bce] Unburied Bones
  oN the sUrFace:  While on an educational retreat, you and a few of 
  your colleagues decide to take one of the slower seminar days to explore the 
  snowy surroundings of International Falls, Minnesota. You discover ancient 
  bones lying atop the ground amidst strangely carved runes, laid out in a 
  ritualistic fashion. Close by, you see a patch of fresh blood spreading across 
  the whiteness amidst the trees. If you head back now, you could reach the 
  outskirts of town before dark. Or you could see what those ruins up ahead 
  reveal.
  keeper Notes: [lc17] 
  [BcF] Tomorrow Island, Yesterday Isle
  oN the sUrFace:  Word has moved through certain circles suggesting 
  Thule artifacts have surfaced in Alaska, and your sources tell you they come 
  from the small Inupiaq settlement of Ignaluk located on Little Diomede. 
  You journey there to discover the truth of the matter and prevent them from 
  falling into the wrong hands.
  keeper Notes: [lc18]
  
  -11-
  [Bcg] Outcasts
  oN the sUrFace:  While visiting the chilling town of Verkhoyansk, 
  Russia, located deep in the Siberian wilderness, you learn a touch of its 
  history. Originally a small fort built in 1638, it was a regional hub for traders 
  who bred cattle and gold miners who sought wealth. That was until the 
  fort burned down and the town moved to its present location. The fort was 
  rebuilt and has been used to house political prisoners deemed too outspoken 
  or dangerous to be allowed their freedoms. 
  keeper Notes: [lc19] 
  [Bde]  You’re Getting Colder
  oN the sUrFace:  As part of the crew aboard a crab fishing ship, you 
  go where the crab takes you, and since business has grown continuously 
  competitive, you and yours have been forced to go further and further north. 
  Now you’re aboard The Reliance, sent by the Dundee Crab Company with 
  orders to not return until you’ve filled your hold.
  keeper Notes: [lc20]
  [BdF] Remnants of the Cold War
  oN the sUrFace: You’ve been honored with an invitation to Balaklava, 
  a recently decommissioned underground submarine base the Soviets had 
  kept as a closely guarded secret. The tour is to be conducted in the dead 
  of winter, as it’s slated to be open to tourists in the spring. When you 
  arrive upon the small Crimean island, the town near the base looks as 
  desolate as the snow-filled skies. You understand twenty or so folks shall 
  be on the tour.
  keeper Notes: [lc21] 
  
  -12-
  [Bdg]  Fool’s Errand
  oN the sUrFace: You are navigating a new trade route through the 
  the Arctic Archipelago (north of Canada) when the Dauntless (the Dutch 
  manufactured icebreaker you’re aboard) gets trapped in an ice-packed lane. 
  After a thorough inspection, Captain Packer anticipates you’ll be likely stuck 
  until the weather relents. The freezing winds make forward passage unlikely, 
  and going back is not an option, as the industrialists backing this voyage 
  won’t brook failure. You note something on the horizon, at first no more 
  than a lump. Then, when the winds die for a moment, you can make out a 
  rusting hulk, and beyond that, smoke mixing in with the evening haze.
  keeper Notes: [lc22] 
  [BeF] The Great Dane
  oN the sUrFace: Professor Langston Bell, a relative unknown, approached 
  you with claims of discovering the tomb of King Arthur. As he is unable 
  to travel due to certain infirmities, he wishes you to verify his findings and 
  shall provide adequate funding for your travels. He says supporting evidence 
  awaits you in Greenland in the trusted care of Jaaku Stahl, his local contact 
  in the small town of Oaanaq.
  keeper Notes: [lc23]
  [Beg] Arctic Flowers
  oN the sUrFace: The financier, Maxwell Crane, came across a human-
  interest story in the New York Times by Gretchen Worth, Ph.D., about 
  her time with the Yup’ik of western Alaska. Of particular interest to him, 
  however, were the lovely roses in full bloom beside her in the photograph. 
  He wants you to retrieve some of the blooms and, ideally, some bushes, so 
  he can have his men study their cold resistance. He confesses he wanted Dr. 
  Worth to lead the trip, but her contacts indicated she is presently out of the 
  country, and refuse further details.
  keeper Notes: [lc24] 
  
  -13-
  [BFg]  Beyond the Black Monolith
  oN the sUrFace:  The stories you’ve heard were true. The fabled Black 
  Monolith exists. There it is before you, a basalt structure casting its long 
  shadow across the white snowfields. In the valley beyond, somehow defying 
  logic, you see greenery and signs of civilization: a carved trail and a small 
  stone structure obscured by a tree line. You see no living thing, though you 
  sense many predatory eyes upon you.
  keeper Notes: [lc25]
  [cde] Dyatlov Pass Revisited
  oN the sUrFace:  With the success of weird television shows lately, you’ve 
  been sponsored to explore some of the mysteries, so they can be dramatized 
  in an upcoming new show entitled “Into the Abyss”. For its premier episode, 
  the producers want something really unusual and edgy, so you’ve been 
  granted a special visa to go into the Soviet Union to explore what really 
  happened to the ravaged hikers who dared travel to the “Mountain of the 
  Dead”. 
  keeper Notes: [lc26] 
  [cdF] The Stony Coast
  oN the sUrFace:  You’ve come to the municipality of Cape Dorset, 
  Nunavut, intrigued by its history and prehistory. Chiefly comprised of Inuit, 
  the community recently grew international attention when acclaimed artist 
  James Houston encouraged them to embrace artistic traditions of the past 
  and express them in new graphic media, with the introduction of print-
  making. As such, more outsiders have begun to visit the northern Canadian 
  village built upon the bones of the Dorset Culture, which flourished in the 
  region between 1000 B.C. and 1100 A.D. 
  keeper Notes: [lc27] 
  
  -14-
  [cdg] What Lies Beneath
  oN the sUrFace: It is winter in Kentucky and the ground is covered 
  in thick snows when your plane taxis into Bowling Green, an area better 
  known for its bourbon than its expansive cave network. You meet up with 
  an excited James Dowling, an amateur archeologist who sent you the excited 
  scrawl which caused you to catch the first flight out.  “No one else believes 
  me. I was told you could help. I found a city, a living city, beneath our own. 
  And I’m afraid they know we’re here now. And I don’t think they like us 
  very much.”
  keeper Notes: [lc28]
  [ceF] Outside Irkutsk
  oN the sUrFace:  Trans-Siberian Trust was put in touch with you 
  to locate a shipment of bullion. A mutual friend, who wishes to remain 
  nameless, recommended your particular abilities. The shipment disappeared 
  somewhere along the Trans-Siberian Highway just outside of Irkutsk seventy-
  five years ago. Sources believe it is located somewhere in the area of Three 
  Crone’s Pass, a trio of small hills ten miles southwest of the city. In addition 
  to travel and lodging expenses, you’re promised a generous finder’s fee.
  keeper Notes: [lc29] 
  [ceg] Village of the Dead
  oN the sUrFace:  You’ve managed to raise enough on Kickstarter to 
  launch your own web series, Into the Abyss, where you’ll be exploring 
  strange stories and unexplained phenomena the world over. You set your 
  sights on the myth of Anjikuni, the Village of the Dead, which you’re calling 
  Canada’s Roanoke and which the Mounted Police officially debunk on their 
  website. It’s purportedly located 100 km west of Arviat (formerly Eskimo 
  Point), a thriving musical community where your filming begins.
  keeper Notes: [lc30]
  
  -15-
  [cFg] The Warmth Within
  oN the sUrFace: After returning to your base camp from an uneventful 
  day at the dig, a great storm kicks up, sending the camp into disarray. 
  You scramble to preserve your warmth, your belongings, and the necessary 
  trappings of civilization. The needful barriers protecting you from a quick, 
  cold death amongst these empty ruins are in danger of being destroyed. The 
  storm has ripped ancient ice apart in an instant, and it reveals a silhouette 
  of something constructed by an alien intellect, trapped within the ice wall, 
  burning for release. 
  keeper Notes: [lc31]
  [deF] The Path of Pytheas
  oN the sUrFace:  Professor Marie Hatch, an old acquaintance, recently 
  garnered the backing of Orpheus Industrial with her newly published 
  academic paper charting the route Pytheas took in the 4th century. You’ve 
  been selected to accompany her on the maiden voyage of the Atle, a Swedish 
  icebreaker, to record this historical voyage. Captain Elfred Lundqvist, an 
  experienced icebreaker captain, has quite publicly been selected to command 
  the Atle.
  keeper Notes: [lc32]
  [deg] Suffering and Loss
  oN the sUrFace:  The backing of the Geographical Society could not 
  account for poor leadership, and now you are lost and separated from 
  the main group. The snowstorm drove you to construct an ice shelter, 
  and you’ve dug your way out of three feet of snow. Near frozen, but still 
  clinging on, you find that the storm has broken, for a moment. You see 
  gear scattered amidst the drifts, with a shocking splash of crimson catching 
  the eye, refusing to let go.
  keeper Notes: [lc33]
  
  -16-
  [dFg] The Retreat 
  oN the sUrFace:  No one has survived the winter and returned unchanged, 
  the guides claimed two months ago, as you settled into the small cabin 
  located on the canyon’s edge. The cold clime meant strangers would be 
  passing rare, and the crisp air would keep you alert. And the things you fled 
  wouldn’t try to pursue you here. It was far too cold. You hoped. Then the 
  weather turned blacker, angrier. The book you found atop the snowdrift in 
  the early morning hours, covered in ice crystals, did not settle your ragged 
  nerves either.
  keeper Notes: [lc34] 
  [eFg] Traces of the Past
  oN the sUrFace: The characters have been commissioned by Professor 
  Ruth Rogers of Miskatonic University to trace a mythical shortcut Marco Polo 
  may have taken through the Himalayan Mountains. She is accompanying 
  the party on this, some would say, foolish endeavor.
  keeper Notes: [lc35]
  
  -17-
  Local Color (Keeper Notes)
  [lc1] People of the Steppes
  tIme stamp: 1910-1920s
  detaIls:  In ancient times, far beyond prehistory, Arkhaim sprawled 
  across the steppes.  Wizard kings and emperors bargained with beings 
  beyond their ken with boldness and blood and bent them to their will. But 
  no leash, not even one of supernatural origin, can last forever.  The entities 
  broke free, and their silent screams called their kin from across space and 
  time. And the Elder Masters came from beyond, crushing the city. The 
  barriers against the cold buckled, and men were frozen with masks of fear 
  upon their faces. The wizard kings fled. With their power spent, the Elder 
  Masters, weak and trapped as they were, fell into a slumber, awaiting a 
  chance to rise once more. The locals hang together in a small clan and visit 
  the wizened Ancient, a one-eyed woman who provides herbal remedies and 
  wisdoms, and warns them away from the Ice Plains to the north.
  Hazards
  elder: The Ancient
  laNdscape: Ice Plains 
  mYthos: Elder Masters
  see also: INvestIgator Notes: [aBc]
  [lc2] Cracks in the Ice
  tIme stamp: 1910-1920s
  detaIls:  The locals have encountered Robert Peary and his men before, 
  and honestly tried to ward him off from journeying into the dangerous 
  ice fields to the north. The shaman claims Arnakuagsak, the sea goddess, 
  sleeps in her frozen court beneath the waves. She breathes life anew into the 
  drowned, though this transformation twists their appearance, giving them 
  webbed hands and feet and her lust for human flesh. They say she comes 
  to them in visions in the form of a rotting fish-woman.
  Hazards
  laNdscape: Ice Fields
  weIrd: The Resurrected
  doom: Arnakuagsak awakens
  see also: INvestIgator Notes: [aBd]
  
  -18-
  [lc3] Rusanov’s Reasons
  tIme stamp: 1937
  detaIls: Vladimir Rusanov was an experienced arctic geologist sent out 
  with a  small team by the Russian government to investigate the coal 
  potential of Svalbard, an archipelago in the northern part of present-day 
  Norway. After his team assayed that to his satisfaction, he pressed on. Many 
  believed he wanted to reach the Pacific Ocean, though that was untrue. An 
  ice spirit had possessed his French fiancée, Julie Jean, and he sought in vain 
  for a way to save her. The Nenet settlement is unhappy because the Soviet 
  government mandated them to abandon their nomadic ways in 1930, and 
  most of the locals are restless. The small clan lives under the leadership of 
  their shaman, known as a Tadibya, who serves as an intermediary between 
  this world and all others. The Tadibya believes Nga, the Death God, stole 
  Julie’s soul. The Chairman of the peninsula, Tyko Vylka, was a cartographer 
  who was part of Rusanov’s expedition from 1909 to 1911, and was one of 
  the few who left, knowing Rusanov’s fiancée was doomed. Tyko desperately 
  wants his people to abandon their old ways for fear the Soviets will dismantle 
  their culture altogether.
  Hazards
  elders:  Tadibya Irikei, Tyko Vylka
  mYthos: Taqriaqsuit (The Shadow People)
  laNdscape: The Yenisei River
  see also: INvestIgator Notes: [aBe]
  
  -19-
  [lc4]Ends of the Earth
  tIme stamp: 1918
  detaIls: Captain Lyle Strausberg is an employee of The Corporation and 
  its unequivocal broker in this journey. He doesn’t wish to directly deal with 
  the locals and never seems to leave the bridge or his cabin, for that matter. 
  Only he and his first mate, Dobbins, know the ship, the HMS Malabar, is 
  to be offered as part of the deal if needs require it. The seasonal settlement 
  of Savigsivik depends upon the meteorite metal for survival. It tips their iron 
  hunting spears. It is used for hinges on their doors. It is even beaten thin 
  for their plates. They call it star-touched, and they are not incorrect. They 
  do not wish to trade it, claiming how previous explorers stole from them in 
  the past. They are respectful, though distrustful of outsiders, wishing them 
  only to return from whence they came. 
  Hazards 
  elders:  Captain Lyle Strausberg, Atarssuak (Angakok/Shaman) 
  towNIes: The Council
  laNdscape: The Meteor Fields
  weIrd: HMS Malabar
  see also: INvestIgator Notes: [aBF]
  
  -20-
  [lc5] Edge of Nowhere
  tIme stamp: 1920s
  detaIls: The characters find themselves in a remote village with no way 
  to contact the outside world. The Inuit are helpful and generous to the 
  strangers, but are concerned about their food stores, as the Great Storm has 
  likely driven all wildlife away. They imagine it will be several months before 
  a trek out is possible, though death is expected in far less time if game is 
  not trapped before then. The Old Man, far older than any of his kin, knows 
  it may be necessary to resort to cannibalism, as the village did once before 
  when times were rough. He gently reminds them they must consider this 
  heinous choice.
  Hazards
  elders: The Old Man
  laNdscape: The snow filled valley
  doom: Food supply runs out/cannibalism
  see also: INvestIgator Notes: [aBg]
  [lc6] Cold Steel
  tIme stamp: Any
  detaIls: The characters have found a permafrost barrow mound containing 
  a Viking longboat. The remains of Ulf Oath-Breaker, preserved by the 
  cold, lie within, as though he died only a handful of days ago rather than 
  centuries.  The life force of any who enter the large mound seeps into Ulf’s 
  dead flesh and resurrects him. The ancient runes take time to work their 
  magic.
  Hazards
  laNdscape: The Barrow Mound
  weIrd: Ulf’s blade
  doom: Curse of the Runes
  see also: INvestIgator Notes: [acd]
  
  -21-
  [lc7]  Strange Currencies
  tIme stamp: 1920s to Present
  detaIls:  Professor Keys is a tad eccentric, no doubt from years of 
  working at Bayhaven Asylum in Charleston. While on vacation, she 
  heard a strange flute playing and discovered ancient Russian coins in 
  the primeval forest, resting beside an odd stone circle, reminiscent of 
  Stonehenge. Though she could never discover the source of the music, 
  she felt eyes upon her until she left. She’s gone back several times in 
  the company of Lowell, but has found neither the stone circle, nor the 
  flute player. There is a gate through time in the forest being created by 
  Nikolai Dmitrievna, a musician in the Tsar’s court (circa 1918).  Nikolai 
  has come into possession of some of the rare compositions of Erich Zann. 
  He is compelled to play, and this is having a disruptive effect across space 
  and time, drawing abominations to the area like moths to a flame.
  Hazards
  elders: Abraham Lowell 
  laNdscape: Primeval Forest
  mYthos: The Summoned
  doom: Temporal Destruction
  see also: INvestIgator Notes: [ace]
  
  -22-
  [lc8] Tin Whiskers
  tIme stamp: 1930s to 1950s
  detaIls: Tin Whiskers is an old cargo plane that wen t down while 
  returning with a scientific research team conducting some dubious genetic 
  experimentation near the North Pole.  The experiments needed to be free 
  from contaminants, but an airborne fungus compromised the testing, so the 
  scientists departed. The supposedly inert matter activated in the warmth of 
  the plane’s belly, eating through metal and flesh at an alarming rate. One 
  scientist, Doctor Lowry, managed to survive, but is badly injured and has 
  little idea of what happened to his teammates. The virus, possessing some 
  degree of intellect, harbored itself in the pilot, Captain Wilhelm, before 
  returning to its dormant state. It does grant the pilot some unnatural healing 
  ability, so when found he is unconscious, though otherwise unharmed. 
  Hazards
  elders: Doctor Lowry
  laNdscape: Tin Whiskers
  weIrd: Captain Jason Wilhelm
  doom: The Fungus
  see also: INvestIgator Notes: [acF]
  
  -23-
  [lc9]  Of Mercator and Men
  tIme stamp: 1920s to 1950s
  detaIls:   Professor Crawford came into possession of Pensieri (the diary 
  of Mercator, the famed 16th Century cartographer) at an estate sale last 
  year. Subsequently, his passion for maps has been eclipsed by his irrational 
  desire to rediscover Hyperborea. Full of false bravado, he is ill-equipped for 
  this trek—poor health and heavy drinking shall surely be the death of him. 
  While claiming a prominent organization is backing this endeavor, it soon 
  becomes evident the equipment and gear are of poor quality, though the 
  guide, Hector Gonzalez, a grizzled man of South American descent in his 
  mid-forties, seems unusually familiar with the region, citing past experiences 
  with polar expeditions. Crawford arranged for supplies to be airdropped 
  ahead of your arrival. A cook, Maria Pastier, a hardy woman of French 
  descent explains how the men finally steeled themselves to go into the ruins 
  to get the supplies earlier in the day—after supplies ran out last night—and 
  have failed to return from the short trek. 
  Hazards 
  elders: Professor Thomas Crawford
  laNdscape: Ancient Ruins
  weIrd: Mercator’s Pensieri, Hector Gonzalez
  doom: The Impending Storm
  see also: INvestIgator Notes: [acg]
  [lc10] Cold War
  tIme stamp: 1960s to 1970s
  detaIls: The characters are aboard the American supply ship, the SGC 
  Staten Island, with a complement of 12 officers and 205 men, including the 
  characters.  It is heading to McMurdo Station in the wake of the nuclear-
  powered Soviet icebreaker, the Lenin, when suddenly the Soviet ship goes 
  dead in the water. Everyone on the Lenin has disappeared, and the cause 
  is directly connected to the Regional Lore.
  Hazards
  laNdscape: The Lenin, Sea Ice
  doom: The Fog
  see also: INvestIgator Notes: [ade]
  
  -24-
  [lc11]  The Dark Half
  tIme stamp: 1920s to 1930s
  detaIls: Dr. Limner is presently on sabbatical from the University of 
  Berlin and is well-regarded in academic circles. His research is spot-on, and 
  the missing bit of meteor is on Crab Island, off the northern coast of the 
  Kingdom of Norway. The damage of the impact was nowhere as severe, 
  perhaps a kilometer in diameter. Recent growth is evident. The meteor is 
  little more than a rocky husk, concealing an empty alien spacecraft large 
  enough for four humans to fit within. It is slightly rusted, overgrown with 
  lichen, and damaged beyond much hope of repair. The broken fuel cell has 
  irradiated the area and mutated the nearby aquatic life.in the pen.
  Hazards
  laNdscape: Crab Island
  weIrd: The Sea Things
  see also: INvestIgator Notes: [adF]
  [lc12] Radio Gaga
  tIme stamp: 1925
  detaIls: The plane is severely damaged by the storm, and any non-player 
  crew (curiously enough) died in the rough landing, with the exception 
  of Mathers, a mechanic who is seriously traumatized by the death of his 
  friends.  The magnetism is somehow alive and begins speaking to Mathers, 
  who calls it the Eye (as only he can see it). He is soon immune to the storm 
  and granted weird abilities to control magnetic wavelengths. 
  Hazards
  laNdscape: The Tundra 
  weIrd: Magnetized Mathers
  mYthos: The Eye
  see also: INvestIgator Notes: [adg]
  
  -25-
  [lc13]  Winter of ‘74
  tIme stamp: 1974
  detaIls: McMurdo Station is a U.S. Antarctic research center located on 
  the tip of Ross Island in the Arctic Circle. It was all powered by nuclear 
  energy until a couple years ago, and now the maintenance crew has to bust 
  its hump to make sure everything runs smoothly so it can guzzle the 1500 
  gallons of oil it needs to keep the lights on every day. Long-timers keep 
  away from the abandoned nuclear power plant, saying the only one who 
  ever goes out there regularly is Captain Clearmont. The night the characters 
  arrive, the worst storm in the base’s history strikes, making any travel 
  outside extremely treacherous.
  Hazards
  elders:  Captain Clearmont
  towNIes: Maintenance Crew
  laNdscape: Abandoned Nuclear Power Plant, Outside 
  doom: Supplies Running Out 
  see also: INvestIgator Notes: [aeF]
  [lc14] Dash Patrol
  tIme stamp: 1910
  detaIls: The characters are not equipped for traveling too terribly far. 
  The extreme conditions make it dangerous. When they are near the limits 
  of their endurance and ready to turn back, they discover a valley where 
  warm winds blow and beckon. Behind them, storm clouds close in, and it 
  is likely the return trip will be met with hail and storm. The valley is under 
  the protection of the Lady in Red (an aspect of Nyarlathotep) – who has 
  been trapped here. She needs a willing lover to enable her to return to the 
  outside world. Consummation of her affections transfers her soul into the 
  new vessel.
  Hazards
  elders: Captain Izumi
  laNdscape: Oasis
  mYthos: Lady in Red
  see also: INvestIgator Notes: [aeg]
  
  -26-
  [lc15] Best Laid Plans
  tIme stamp: January 16, 1915
  detaIls: Storms hang threateningly on the horizon, while dark clouds 
  drift ominously overhead. The weather cannot hold, and the strong winds 
  make the ill-marked route difficult to navigate. Supply points have been 
  overcome by the elements, promising to turn an already laborious task into 
  a back-breaking proposition.
  Hazards
  laNdscape: The Route, Supply Points
  doom: The Storm, Exhausting Food Reserves
  see also: INvestIgator Notes: [aFg]
  [lc16] The Frozen Gold of South Island
  tIme stamp: 1920s
  detaIls: The trampled grounds at the foot of Mount Cook have become 
  an unofficial base camp and neutral area for the various groups searching 
  for gold. Several folks have set up small temporary shops, hoping to turn 
  a profit from all comers. When one icy slope along Mount Cook melted, 
  it exposed a small vein of gold to the elements, and the water carried it to 
  down to the valley and its inevitable discovery. The mountain is home to the 
  Kahu-pungapunga, an isolated Mokia tribe who dress in shades of yellow 
  and have gone undiscovered by the outside world. Largely peaceful, the tribe 
  is led by the Legend Keeper, who warns that any disturbance on the sacred 
  mountain could unleash the taniwha, the spirit of the mountain, who will 
  not treat the interlopers kindly.
  Hazards
  elders:  The Legend Keeper
  towNIes: The Surveyors 
  weIrd: Taniwha
  see also: INvestIgator Notes: [Bcd]
  
  -27-
  [lc17] Unburied Bones
  tIme stamp: 1890s-1920s
  detaIls:  A wendigo, long buried beneath the snow, has been awakened 
  by the town’s recent expansion efforts. The locals are clearing out some 
  woods to make more room for the college grounds, which abut the old 
  growth forest. Frank Mann, the foreman of the job site and owner of 
  Mann Construction, is in cahoots with Dean Hollister about shaving off 
  some money by not preserving the historic sites they had discovered. Frank 
  is all about the money, while Dean Hollister (an anthropology professor) 
  is attempting to maintain a tenuous control of the wendigo for his own 
  purposes. 
  Hazards
  elders: Dean Hollister, Frank Mann 
  towNIes: Construction Workers
  weIrd: Wendigo
  doom: The Wendigo breaks free
  see also: INvestIgator Notes: [Bce]
  [lc18] Tomorrow Island, Yesterday Isle
  tIme stamp: Open
  detaIls:  Located in the middle of the Bering Strait, the islands of Little 
  Diomede and Big Diomede, though only a bit over two miles from each 
  other, are worlds apart culturally and chronologically. Big Diomede, the 
  easternmost point of Russia, is twenty-three hours ahead of Little Diomede, 
  the westernmost point of Alaska.  The Thule artifacts are real, belonging to 
  an ancient mystery cult on Big Diomede wishing to awaken its slumbering 
  master. The cult leader, Anton Pavelinski, wants everything to proceed 
  according to plan.
  Hazards
  elders: Anton Pavelinski
  towNIes: The cultists
  laNdscape: The Open Water
  weIrd: Thule artifacts
  doom: Cthulhu rises
  see also: INvestIgator Notes: [BcF]
  
  -28-
  [lc19] Outcasts
  tIme stamp: 1920s
  detaIls:  Though not general knowledge, neither is it a deeply buried 
  secret that Verkhoyansk is where bad party members are sent as a reminder 
  of the Soviet Union’s ultimate strength and power. As such, the community 
  of just over a thousand is comprised of a mixture of social misfits and other 
  dregs of society. Certainly a few of them, such as Comrade Karpenko, are 
  harmless eccentrics, but many speak of dangerous things, like freedom for 
  the proletariat and democracy.
  Hazards
  towNIes: The Police
  laNdscape: The Fort, The Old Gold Mine
  weIrd: Comrade Karpenko
  see also: INvestIgator Notes: [Bcg]
  [lc20] You’re Getting Colder
  tIme stamp: 1990s to Present
  detaIls:  Captain Moon owes a lot of gambling debts to a lot of bad men 
  and is willing to take whatever chances are necessary to get a good haul. His 
  first mate, Sanders, is not so daring, but is as loyal and honest as the day is 
  long. The Reliance is in poor shape, despite what its name might suggest. 
  Its engine needs a great deal of work, and should it break down, might turn 
  the ship into little more than a floating coffin.
  Hazards
  elders: Captain Moon, Sanders
  doom:  The Engine
  see also: INvestIgator Notes: [Bde]
  
  -29-
  [lc21] Remnants of the Cold War
  tIme stamp: 1997-2000
  detaIls:  The Russians have wanted to present a friendlier face to the rest 
  of the world. This base, however, was not used merely as a place to store 
  nuclear subs. Dr. Michel Dernov, a leading virologist, performed radical 
  research on old world remedies and potions and produced a mutated, 
  airborne strain of the common cold that was not properly disposed of 
  following his untimely death in 1986. Attracted to warmth, the bacteria 
  shuts down the respiratory system in 48 hours. The genius is the user 
  does not show any symptoms for the first 24 hours, before an uptake in 
  adrenalin produces a manic state leading to violent mood swings before the 
  heart can no longer bear the strain, inducing cardiac arrest. The base goes 
  into automatic shutdown. As Dernov’s Protocols were not discovered by the 
  technical team, once activated there’s no way in or out.
  Hazards
  laNdscape: Dernov’s Lab
  weIrd: The Infected
  doom:  The Uncommon Cold
  see also: INvestIgator Notes: [BdF]
   
  
  -30-
  [lc22] Fool’s Errand   
  tIme stamp: 1920s 
  detaIls: This is not the first ship the Capital Shipping Company has sent 
  to navigate a new route. A few years back, Packer served as first mate aboard 
  the Capital V. When its hull was breached, Packer panicked and immediately 
  abandoned ship, taking the only undamaged lifeboat. He watched as the icy 
  water pulled his friends under and still awakes screaming to this day. He 
  would have starved, but the local Inuit found him, half-frozen, and nursed 
  him back to health. Packer regards this return trip as an opportunity for 
  redemption and a chance to put some of his nightmares to rest. 
  Hazards
  elders: Captain Noah Packer, Miksa (village shaman)
  laNdscape: Capital V
  see also: INvestIgator Notes: [Bdg]
   
  [lc23] The Great Dane
  tIme stamp: 1920s 
  detaIls: Professor Langston Bell is something of a crackpot, and poorly 
  regarded in academic circles for his ramblings about Atlantis, Hyperborea, 
  and other proto-cultures. Things no serious anthropologist would truly 
  devote his attentions to. He came into possession of Artus Regis, a 8th-
  century chapbook detailing the life of a King Artus, who lived in Thule 
  (now Oaanaq) in the 4th-century and repelled the invasion of the sea folk 
  with sword and song.  Bell believes this work is the basis for the Arthurian 
  myth cycle found in Western Europe. Stahl, a towering man, keeps the 
  battered work on his person. Native to the area, he serves as Bell’s eyes 
  and ears and believes the tomb of Artus is buried beneath the perpetual ice 
  within the primeval forests north under the “Sign of the Hunter”, according 
  to his interpretation of the text. 
  Hazards
  laNdscape: Tomb of Artus
  weIrd: The Stone Sword
  mYthos: Artus Regis, Deep Ones
  see also: INvestIgator Notes: [BeF]
  
  -31-
  [lc24] Arctic Flowers
  tIme stamp: 1950s 
  detaIls: This remote fishing community features winters reaching 80 
  below and summers reaching 80 above. The people use the marsh flower 
  to stay youthful, though Dr. Worth believes it grants longevity as well. 
  The marsh where the flowers grow is in a basin in a low valley a day’s 
  hike north, where the sun never shines and the ice never thaws.  Dr. 
  Worth has become attached to the community and wants to protect it 
  from possible exploitation. 
  Hazards
  elders: Dr. Gretchen Worth
  towNIes: The tribeswomen
  laNdscape: The Frozen Marsh
  weIrd: The Marsh Flower
  see also: INvestIgator Notes: [Beg]
  [lc25] Beyond the Black Monolith
  tIme stamp: Any 
  detaIls: Within this valley are the survivors of Atlantis. Their ancestors 
  managed to use super-science to stave off the cold and create the pleasant 
  conditions the Atlanteans enjoy today. They are a primitive, guarded people 
  of great intellect, with stunted psychic abilities, but are still a pale shadow of a 
  once great people. Their culture looks like an amalgamation of Egyptian and 
  Mayan influences, with many animal-headed entities figuring prominently 
  into the decorative motifs adorning the buildings.
  Hazards
  towNIes: Atlanteans
  laNdscape: The Lost Valley
  mYthos: The Black Monolith
  see also: INvestIgator Notes: [BFg]
  
  -32-
  [lc26] Dyatlov Pass Revisited
  tIme stamp: 1964
  detaIls:  On February 2nd, 1959, six hikers were found dead and half-
  naked in the Ural Mountains. The only physical injuries were a small crack 
  on a man’s skull and a woman’s tongue missing. The tent was destroyed. 
  The area had unexpectedly high radiation readings. The official report 
  indicated death by hypothermia and the case was closed. The hikers drew 
  the attention of a nearby Mi-Go mine, and the Mi-Go drove them mad, 
  taking the woman’s tongue for their own obscure purpose. 
  Hazards
  laNdscape: The Mountain of the Dead
  mYthos: Mi-Go
  see also: INvestIgator Notes: [cde]
  [lc27] The Stony Coast   
  tIme stamp: late 1950s-1960s
  detaIls:  While all eyes are on the future, many cannot forget the loss of 
  the RMS Nascopie, which sank in the harbor in 1947, effectively making 
  Cape Dorset a destination non grata. The cargo was lost, though the crew 
  was pulled to safety. The official story is an uncharted reef was struck, 
  though most veteran sailors find that hard to stomach at best. Captain 
  Caskwell lost his command after that debacle and never returned home, 
  claiming he felt something clawing through the belly of the ship.
  Hazards
  elders: James Houston 
  towNIes: The artists
  laNdscape: The RMS Nascopie
  weIrd: Captain Caskwell, The Cargo
  see also: INvestIgator Notes: [cdF]
  
  -33-
  [lc28] What Lies Beneath
  tIme stamp: 1950s
  detaIls: The Mammoth Cave System runs for hundreds of miles. James 
  Dowling happened to find a recently opened crack into the subterranean 
  levels, and being a curious spelunker, poked his head down and caught a 
  glance of the Dark Dwellers, abyssal humanoids of alien intellect, living in 
  an icy city of their own construction. They possess advanced technologies 
  capable of altering the climate and freeze guns capable of generating beams 
  of absolute zero (that don’t affect their physiology in the slightest). They 
  worship a hooded, tentacled entity referred to as The Master, but it is 
  actually Ithaqua in the form of an ice god.
  Hazards
  elders: The Master 
  towNIes: The Dark Dwellers
  laNdscape: The Way Back Out
  doom: The Invasion
  see also: INvestIgator Notes: [cdg]
  [lc29] Outside Irkutsk
  tIme stamp: 1920s
  detaIls:  Irkutsk is the city where exiles go to die. Even though many of 
  them are not imprisoned as they have been in the past, the bitter winds and 
  the watchful eye of loyal party members, as well as the secret police who 
  maintain a strong presence in the streets, still trap them. Trans-Siberian Trust 
  is controlled by the opposition party, and claiming affiliation with them in 
  mixed company is unwise. The gold was buried within an abandoned salt 
  mine by Decemberists who were killed before they could reclaim it.
  Hazards 
  elders: Chief Inspector Vasnev 
  towNIes: Secret Police
  laNdscape: The Salt Mine
  see also: INvestIgator Notes: [ceF]
  
  -34-
  [lc30] Village of the Dead
  tIme stamp: 2010s
  detaIls: Arviat is a large Inuit community welcoming to outsiders. It has 
  a population of around 2300 people at any given time. The locals laugh 
  off anyone who talks about Anjikuni, and recommend Simon Lake if they 
  need a guide “out that aways”, as he’s the only one greedy enough to take 
  people’s money to see nothing. Simon is protective of his charges to a degree 
  of foolhardiness. The village is real enough, with all of the buildings empty 
  and desolate and things just where they were left, oh so long ago. 
  Hazards
  laNdscape: The Village 
  weIrd: Simon Lake
  doom: The Wendigo Awakens
  see also: INvestIgator Notes: [ceg]
  [lc31] The Warmth Within
  tIme stamp: 1920s-1950s
  detaIls: Ten thousand years ago, the Elder Things reigned supreme, 
  before the ice descended at their enemies’ behest after the uprising of their 
  slaves left them weakened. Time buried them before man learned to walk 
  upright. Before meaning meant more than a growl in the belly. Now, the 
  characters must confront an ancient evil already threatening to rise once 
  more.
  Hazards
  laNdscape: The Ice Shelves 
  mYthos: The Elder Things
  see also: INvestIgator Notes: [ceg]
  
  -35-
  [lc32] The Path of Pytheas
  tIme stamp: 1880s-1920s
  detaIls: Orpheus Industries is based out of Athens, Greece and is backing 
  this expedition as a publicity stunt, as well as an opportunity to obtain some 
  critical mineral rights. According to their resident expert, Pytheas located 
  several veins of metal near the Jade Cross, although there is no indication 
  of what that represents, it is supposedly midpoint in the voyage “where ice 
  claims the eye at every turn”. 
  Hazards
  elders: Captain Elfred Lundqvist
  laNdscape: The Jade Cross
  see also: INvestIgator Notes: [deF]
  [lc33] Suffering and Loss
  tIme stamp: 1880s-1920s
  detaIls: The characters are lost in the dead of winter as storm season 
  begins, trapping them with little hope of survival against the elements. If 
  that’s not enough, there is the monstrous creature tracking and killing 
  expedition members one by one. Rejoining the main party may be of little 
  help, as Captain Fellows grows more manic and unreasoning with each 
  rising crisis.
  Hazards
  elders: Captain Oswald Fellows
  laNdscape: Snowdrifts 
  weIrd: The Abomination
  doom: The Storm
  see also: INvestIgator Notes: [deg]
  
  -36-
  [lc34] The Retreat   
  tIme stamp: 1920s
  detaIls: The characters prevailed against some dark horror a handful of 
  months ago and retreated to northern Canada, where they could recover 
  without the unwanted attentions of friends, family, and other civilized folk. 
  The remote cabin where they find themselves overlooks Mackenzie Canyon. 
  The things cannot directly breach the cold, and have summoned some 
  of their eldritch cousins to exact their revenge. The local RCMP office 
  likes to keep things quiet and is not very welcoming to these troublesome 
  newcomers, who seem to have stirred up trouble.
  Hazards
  elders: Constable Samuel Steele (of the Royal Canadian Mountain Police)
  weIrd: The Cabin
  mYthos The Icebound Book, The Summoned
  see also: INvestIgator Notes: [dFg]
  [lc35] Traces of the Past  
  tIme stamp: 1920s
  detaIls: Professor Rogers has more than a gut feeling about this trip. 
  She possesses a 13th century diary anonymously written by a man claiming 
  to be one of Marco Polo’s guides. The text is largely in Mongolian with 
  a smattering of Italian. It does lay out a navigable route through the 
  difficult terrain. As the characters reach the halfway mark, with the weather 
  worsening, they encounter a long-abandoned temple.
  Hazards
  elders: Professor Ruth Rogers 
  laNdscape: The Ruined Temple 
  weIrd: The Diary
  see also: INvestIgator Notes: [eFg]
  
  -37-
  Regional Lore (Investigator Notes)
  [aBc] The Nattering and the Now
  oN the sUrFace:  It is said the cold, wintry winds bring more than snow. 
  They awaken icebound things wishing for the warm breath of the living to 
  restore them to life. One fellow, Jinx Wilson, claims it took away everyone 
  he knew last time it blew through, leaving only him to tell the tale.   
  keeper Notes: [rl1]
  [aBd] The Passage of Time 
  oN the sUrFace:  A strange crystalline rod has come into your possession.  
  You can’t shake the feeling it is a key to something and have been following 
  dreams and visions for months now, until you have come to an old, 
  dilapidated fishing village overlooking placid waters near a dense old growth 
  forest. The villagers there seem quiet, peaceful, and introspective. They view 
  you with a sense of curiosity and disdain, but are otherwise polite. When 
  shown the key, they direct you to a stand of trees in the nearby forest and 
  tell you the Crone of the Woods may know more, but to beware of nightfall 
  and the hunters that come to stalk the woods.
  keeper Notes: [rl2]
  [aBe] My Name is Snow and Ice
  oN the sUrFace: Ebon Eaves is a quaint, cottage community located 
  about an hour’s drive from the nearest city. About fifty years ago, Hermann’s 
  Chemicals exploded, catching the town on fire. The fire burned for three 
  days. No one could save the souls trapped inside. Nowadays, there are strict 
  fire laws and a mammoth fire station. A local brewery stands where the 
  factory once did.
  keeper Notes: [rl3]
  
  -38-
  [aBF] The First Winter
  oN the sUrFace:  Folks claim this area did not always possess such 
  an inhospitable clime. In fact, books and records indicate it to have been 
  temperate until July 1st, 1908, the day after the Tunguska event, when 
  an enormous comet smashed into the earth. This area suffered severe 
  earthquakes, though conflicting stories cite small rocks crashing down from 
  the sky, which turned into snow and ice. The next day, a large plateau arose 
  in the distance, and no one dares near the cursed patch to this day.
  keeper Notes: [rl4]
  [aBg] Forgive Us Our Trespass
  oN the sUrFace:  Missionaries once traveled this path to enlighten those 
  they met with the word of God. Instead, the storms swallowed them whole. 
  Some say it was snow spirits. Others say God didn’t want these wicked 
  men to spread his word. Others say God struck the missionaries down for 
  their hubris. Most keep their noses clean and their mouths shut (which 
  is likely the wisest thing to do in the first place when gods are involved). 
  Amongst the possessions of these missionaries was a crate of bibles allegedly 
  containing gold coins. Though no one ever found the crate, some old 
  Roman coins are found in the snow every once in awhile.
  keeper Notes: [rl5]
  [acd] Once There Was
  oN the sUrFace:  The story goes that Andrew Morton was a small 
  town reporter who drew national attention, not only as the sole survivor 
  of the previous expedition, but as the discoverer of the Last Clan. You 
  accompany the nervous little man to verify his outrageous claims of the 
  swarthy, misplaced Scottish folk.
  keeper Notes: [rl6]
  
  -39-
  [ace] The Meteor Swarm
  oN the sUrFace: A failed team of explorers returned from this area 
  ten years ago. They all committed suicide except for Marjorie French, 
  an astronomer, who is locked away in an insane asylum. You visited 
  her before your journey, and she was largely incoherent, babbling about 
  watching out for Satan’s Tears and the lust for flesh, before breaking down 
  completely. 
  keeper Notes: [rl7]
  [acF] And One Returned
  oN the sUrFace: Shudder Reach is the nickname for the hills and 
  basin where an abandoned military base is purported to be located. This 
  is according to folks who’ve ventured out there before. No one knows for 
  certain, but since you’re in the area, you’ve decided to find out. Nestled 
  within a deep valley, and surrounded by rusted barbed wire is an anonymous 
  concrete building. More curious still, you can hear the sound of generators 
  from within a well-kept shed inside the compound. 
  keeper Notes: [rl8]
  [acg] Consumption
  oN the sUrFace:  The Castle of Levi stands alone and apart, a weird relic 
  from another time. Weirder still, despite the remoteness of its locale and the 
  inhospitable weather conditions, the last heir of the Levi line lives within. 
  The place has few modern amenities, aside from gas lighting. It overlooks 
  an ancient forest of pine carefully cultivated to flourish in the area by the 
  late Suzette Levi, which are known as Suzette Pines.
  keeper Notes: [rl9]
  
  -40-
  [ade] White Whales 
  oN the sUrFace: Lucius Sizemore is certain aliens are to be found in 
  colder climes. That’s why he not only helped fund this expedition, but it 
  is why he’s accompanied you as well. A slight, wiry man with stern eyes 
  and a gentle smile, Sizemore is an accomplished explorer, having gone 
  on a half dozen harsh treks in the past, with the same singular goal of 
  proving the existence of alien life.
  keeper Notes: [rl10]
  [adF] Hidden Paradise
  oN the sUrFace: Paulina Roselitti curated the Ebon Eaves museum 
  until her linguistic gifts drew the attention of Samuel Richmond, a private 
  collector. He retained her to accompany your expedition in the hopes of 
  locating the lost Cloud City. She is quiet and reserved, with her head largely 
  buried in any of the number of books she insisted on bringing along.
  keeper Notes: [rl11]
  [adg] Once Bitten
  oN the sUrFace:  Professor Latimer Cane believes that a separate hominid 
  species descended from wolves. He agrees the homo lupus strain largely 
  died out throughout the world—most likely killed off by the cleverer homo 
  sapiens—but he is certain one subspecies survived in remote reaches too 
  harsh for humanity. Professor Cane claims he nearly caught one once, and 
  points to a scar on his left hand, yet it’s impossible to distinguish from a 
  dog’s bite at best. His support helped get the expedition this far, so it’s only 
  fair to check out those tracks he noticed.
  keeper Notes: [rl12]
  
  -41-
  [aeF]  Where Gods Once Walked
  oN the sUrFace:  Crater Lake formed when the river ran backwards. This 
  is known fact. Legend has it that a meteor crashed into the woods north of 
  the river, causing an earthquake and triggering the entire thing. The Aesir’s 
  Heel is the crest of hills on the river’s bend, giving the story its slightest 
  bit of legitimacy. Folklorists, however, wonder what causes the peach trees 
  to thrive and grow upon the hills, amidst great swathes of cloudberries. 
  Wonder Foods International, a sponsor of the expedition, wants some of the 
  fruits brought back for evaluation.
  keeper Notes: [rl13] 
  [aeg] A Constant Longing
  oN the sUrFace:  A transport plane crashed into the nearby waters 
  last spring, contaminating the fish and water supplies and causing nearly 
  everyone in the area to starve. The exception was one family who had 
  other stores of foodstuffs and never ate fish. They laugh off any claims of 
  cannibalism, yet they have a disturbing air about them.
  keeper Notes: [rl14]
  [aFg] Jökulhlaups
  oN the sUrFace: The small volcano attracted travelers, offering a reprieve 
  from the area’s cold, harsh weather. Through some long defunct lava tubes 
  there are hot springs, and even some plant life atypical for the area. Last 
  year the volcano again became active, trapping over twenty explorers, 
  now presumed dead. The locals claim the spirit of a fire goddess awakens 
  periodically, claiming sacrifices when none are freely given.
  keeper Notes: [rl15] 
  
  -42-
  [Bcd] Forever War 
  oN the sUrFace:  The Blooded Ice is an expanse where hostilities have 
  broken out through the centuries, despite its questionable logistical value. 
  Archeologists claim it is a potentially invaluable treasure trove of historical 
  items, yet only one has managed to visit and return intact. Professor Jasper 
  Westin, a touring lecturer, explained he wound up there with a contingent 
  of men during the Great War, shortly after his graduation. He saw folks 
  buried in the ice, as though it swept in suddenly and froze them in an 
  instant. Jasper claimed it inspired him to return to college and pursue his 
  studies in archeology. He gave you the coordinates and died three days 
  later. As you arrive on the fringes of the remote location gifted to you, you 
  are taken aback to see fresh prints of bare feet in the snow and a broken 
  bayonet.
  keeper Notes: [rl16]
  [Bce] El Diablo
  oN the sUrFace:  A small team of South American scientists managed 
  to successfully launch a rocket into space last year without the government’s 
  permission. The responsible parties were swiftly and publicly executed, 
  averting any potential backlash by the United States or the global community 
  at large. This unnamed rocket, dubbed El Diablo in the papers, recently 
  crashed to earth in a remote region, and you’ve been tasked to locate it. 
  keeper Notes: [rl17] 
  [BcF] Overexposure
  oN the sUrFace:  Recent mild winters have resulted in receding glacial 
  shelves, allowing the previously inaccessible ice caves geologists had long 
  argued were present to be explored for the first time in recorded history. 
  A pair of thrill-seekers reported a subterranean area with an agreeable 
  clime and took photographs to substantiate their claims. They—and their 
  photos—vanished without a trace just as they were preparing for a return 
  trip a fortnight ago. The company financing their trip has retained you to 
  take their place on the expedition, turning over the scant notes the couple 
  gave them. 
  keeper Notes: [rl18]
  
  -43-
  [Bcg] The Stone Temple
  oN the sUrFace: Crumbling ruins of an Alexandrian era Roman structure, 
  believed to contain a shrine, lies half-buried beneath layers of snow up the 
  south slope of the nearby mountain. The community maintains a hiking 
  trail to it and provides guided tours on Tuesday through Thursday. Visitors 
  are  discouraged on other days, the claim being increased traffic can likely 
  damage the site.
  keeper Notes: [rl19] 
  [Bde]  The Taste of Angel’s Wings
  oN the sUrFace:  The local newspaper featured an article about several 
  hundred pounds of venison falling from the sky in an area not far from 
  your planned expedition. While curious, you find it more curious still to see 
  that one of the men in the photograph appearing with the article is wearing 
  what looks to be the lost ring of John Dee, the late 16th - early 17th century 
  occultist and advisor to Queen Elizabeth.
  keeper Notes: [rl20]
  [BdF] Dead Gods
  oN the sUrFace: In an area known as The Blasted Land, the locals 
  claim the God Chariot crashed to the ground a thousand years ago. Their 
  ancestors restored the strange gods back to life and were gifted with the 
  secrets of fire and gunpowder, enabling them to drive back the Shadow Men 
  who lived on the fringes of their community. 
  keeper Notes: [rl21] 
  
  -44-
  [Bdg]  Infinite Loop
  oN the sUrFace: A humanoid skull discovered in 1884 drew a lot of 
  global attention, initially for its odd appearance, but also for the fact it had 
  been pierced by something akin to a bullet. As the skull is likely a thousand 
  or more years old, it presents an enigma, so the only hope of piecing 
  together what really happened is to explore the original dig site, and cross 
  your fingers.
  keeper Notes: [rl22] 
  [BeF] All That Glimmers
  oN the sUrFace: The discovery of elaborate gold threads in a remote 
  mining village at first seemed to be little more than a hoax. Folks found 
  the vein of coal near where all the threads were discovered a blessing, a 
  geographical oddity in the region. But the gold threads, you see, are growing 
  more and more common, and some are developing lockets with strange 
  scrawling on them, an awkward attempt, one might conclude, to form 
  letters and words.
  keeper Notes: [rl23]
  [Beg] A Place for Everything
  oN the sUrFace: A strange crimson hailstorm triggered an avalanche, 
  killing eleven travelers several years ago and shutting down tourism in the 
  area. The Plateau, a beautiful local landmark, became off-limits to everyone 
  except for Sky Madchen, a retired starlet who amassed a small fortune in her 
  youth, and her illusive husband, Troy Salzburg, who runs the Sky Lodge, a 
  private ski resort. 
  keeper Notes: [rl24] 
  
  -45-
  [BFg]  Hesitation Marks
  oN the sUrFace:  Five years ago, the Vilasco brothers tried to reach 
  Black Hill Break alone. They failed, and only one of the brothers came back, 
  bloodied and battered, with his tongue flayed. After a brief hospital stay and 
  an extended visit to an asylum, he is ready to return. His investment and 
  experience were necessary in funding your expedition, though his stability 
  may more than offset things.
  keeper Notes: [rl25]
  [cde] She Came Back
  oN the sUrFace:  Twenty-five years ago, Elizabeth Sharp disappeared 
  in a snowstorm. Her husband claimed yeti took her away, yet he had no 
  proof and was promptly hanged for his lies and deceit. Three months ago, 
  she returned, looking not a day older than when she disappeared. Her 
  memory is still a bit fuzzy, yet she keeps talking about “a grove where the 
  stars fall before dawn”. One of the expedition backers wants you to find 
  out how she managed to stay so youthful. 
  keeper Notes: [rl26] 
  [cdF] Unspeakable Acts
  oN the sUrFace:  Charles “Charging Chuck” Weaver never lost a man 
  under his command, so for him to say he escaped by the nape of his neck 
  in the Frozen Bogs is not to be taken lightly. And for him to admit it is 
  something else altogether. He had a scared look in his eyes when he told 
  you about the unholy acts he saw in the village, how he heard an abyssal 
  cacophony, and, when the villagers stopped their ritual, something in the 
  distance answered with a howl so loud the ice fell from the trees. He ran 
  and he ran, and he never looked back, even as his men begged for his help. 
  He marked the spot on your map, and fell quite easily back into his bottle.
  keeper Notes: [rl27] 
  
  -46-
  [cdg]No Small Sacrifice
  oN the sUrFace: Nicole Covington, heir to the Covington fortune, is 
  despondent.  The love of her life, playboy adventure Jack Collins, is missing. 
  His plane crashed in a terrible blizzard. His navigator, Michael Winslet, was 
  rescued two weeks later, delirious and horribly frostbitten. He lost his left 
  hand, and his left eye is paralyzed in a permanent half-moon, neither fully 
  closed nor fully opened, and it continuously weeps. With the backing of 
  Ms. Covington and accompanied by Michael Winslet, you are to find Jack 
  Collins, alive or dead, and bring him back to be wed or buried.
  keeper Notes: [rl28]
  [ceF] Dark Side of the Moon 
  oN the sUrFace: According to Professor Jefferson Howell, a sliver of 
  the moon fell to earth nearly 50,000 years ago, and is likely responsible for 
  knocking the earth off its axis and plunging parts of it into extreme cold, 
  especially the poles. As your expedition shall be in the general area of the 
  suspected crash site, you’ve been asked by a mutual friend to see if you can 
  discover anything to support this hypothesis.
  keeper Notes: [rl29] 
  [ceg] White Noise 
  oN the sUrFace: Frank Graham is dying of radiation poisoning. Or so 
  he claims. He’s the lucky one. Everyone else died when the rocket struck 
  the research station. He had been out gathering some specimens when he 
  heard the explosion. He’s sent out a distress call, and you’re the closest to 
  him. He wants you to collect the research notes before someone else does. 
  He radios you his coordinates before you hear gunfire, and his signal is 
  swallowed up by static.
  keeper Notes: [rl30]
  
  -47-
  [cFg] Impossibilities
  oN the sUrFace: There is no reason a mountain should have erupted out 
  of the sea, but it did. Atop the mountain is a man dressed all in black who 
  shouts out to you with words stolen by the wind before he tumbles to his 
  death in the icy cold waters now suddenly far, far below. There is a small 
  palace near the mountain’s peak made of black basalt, with smoke curling 
  off its parapets, revealing warmth, and perhaps, someone within as well.
  keeper Notes: [rl31]
  [deF] Loss
  oN the sUrFace:  Folks say up where the air gets thin, the landscape 
  makes your heart ache, as though a cherished heirloom slid through your 
  fingers and broke. Everything looks just a tiny bit off, but you can’t put 
  your finger on it. Still, this is where the dirigible crashed. This is where lives 
  were lost. And this is where you can recover that book and return it to its 
  rightful owner.
  keeper Notes: [rl32]
  [deg]  Inhuman
  oN the sUrFace:  Reports indicate the abandoned dig shows signs 
  of an alien intellect at work, not a precursor to man exactly, but what? 
  Largely dismissed by the scientific community at large, definitely proving or 
  disproving the words of renowned archeologist Frank Oberman can make 
  a career. Failure to come up with conclusive evidence, on the other hand, is 
  likely to hang heavy around one’s neck for a lifetime.
  keeper Notes: [rl33]
  
  -48-
  [dFg] Highs and Lows
  oN the sUrFace:  People have claimed the Drowned Men live in the 
  freezing waters beneath the ice, and they come each thaw to take tribute. As 
  such, folks migrate to the hills to save their own. When they don’t, they end 
  up losing several of the younger women and older men. Folks say it’s the 
  Drowned Men thinning the herd and move on, without remorse or anger, 
  only a silent resignation. 
  keeper Notes: [rl34] 
  [eFg] Stardust
  oN the sUrFace: There is a small lake called The Boiling Point where 
  the water never ices over, no matter how cold it gets. This is because of 
  a cigar-shaped metallic object which plummeted into it seven years ago. 
  When several locals tried to investigate, they quickly grew ill and spread the 
  infection across the entire village, wiping it out in six months. No one goes 
  near the empty village or the lake since.
  keeper Notes: [rl35]
  
  -49-
  Regional Lore (Keeper Notes) 
  [rl1] The Nattering and the Now
  detaIls: Jinx Wilson is a man of meager possessions, aside from his 
  collapsible yurt and well oiled rifle.  Around his neck is the fossilized finger 
  of his loving wife, Amanda, whom he murdered when he could no longer 
  put up with her insipid conversations. Something from the bottom of the 
  nearby lake slowly awakened when he dumped the body, and it sank to its 
  muddy depths. Now, her corpse is frozen beneath the ice, and the Nattering, 
  an unholy evil, can only influence the world through her finger, which 
  he kept as a souvenir. Jinx, unable to break the curse, lives a solitary life.
  Hazards
  weIrd: Jinx Wilson, Fossilized Finger
  laNdscape: The Frozen Lake
  mYthos: The Nattering
  doom: Exposure
  see also: INvestIgator Notes: [aBc]
  [rl2] The Passage of Time
  detaIls:  The Old Man who leads the village made his peace with the 
  creatures of the woods decades ago, and both the villagers and the forest 
  dwellers live in relative harmony.  The Crone of the Woods, something of a 
  soothsayer, suspects that the Hunters will eventually tire of their benevolence 
  and kill everyone.  She believes that somewhere within the Twisted Copse of 
  trees there is a door hidden from human sight that, when closed and locked 
  during the day, will stop the Hunters from appearing at night.
  Hazards
  elders: The Old Man, The Crone 
  laNdscape: The Twisted Copse
  weIrd: Crystal Key
  doom: The Hunters
  see also: INvestIgator Notes: [aBd]
  
  -50-
  [rl3] My Name is Snow and Ice
  detaIls: The village is old and apart. Only strangers pass through, 
  looking for a ship that no one believes ever came this way. The more the 
  locals declaim the tale, the more earnest the searchers become. The town 
  prospers. Yet the abandoned blind boy claims his own, bringing storms to 
  the area while sparing the small village itself. The locals appease the dead 
  boy through ritual sacrifice. A newborn is left upon a great stone slab and is 
  gone by morning without a sound. The only trace the Spaniards left behind 
  is a gold-gilded wooden cross. Folks claim it substantiates the story of the 
  treasure ship.
  Hazards
  laNdscape: The Stone Slab
  weIrd:  Wooden Cross (Spanish)
  mYthos: The Dead Boy
  see also: INvestIgator Notes: [aBe]
  [rl4] The First Winter
  detaIls: The Icebound, cosmic children of Ithaqua, the Great Wendigo, 
  traveled the distant reaches of space aboard their star craft, which exploded 
  upon entering earth’s atmosphere. Most died, save for a handful keeping 
  close to the cold fusion reactor powering it. They used advanced sciences 
  and ancient sorceries to transform the area where they crashed into a climate 
  more to their liking. Humanoids with a rigid caste system, the Shackled have 
  been linked into the system to provide the energies necessary to maintain 
  the extremely cold clime. As the Shackled die off from an alien pandemic, 
  the Icebound seek to genetically modify mankind to take their place.
  Hazards 
  towNIes: Cultists of Ithaqua
  laNdscape: The Blasted Plateau
  mYthos: The Icebound
  see also: INvestIgator Notes: [aBF]
  
  -51-
  [rl5] Forgive Us Our Trespass
  detaIls: The missionaries were indeed pure of heart, though their leader, 
  Emmanuel Diaz, was not. He was a charismatic charmer, smuggler, and 
  snake oil salesman, who made a deal shifting some illegal coins from point 
  A to point B. Unfortunately, he ran into trouble with the locals, who already 
  worshipped a god far older than Diaz could have imagined. Those not 
  driven mad were slain where they stood. Diaz was stronger and survived. 
  He is allowed to wander about the icy plains, as a reminder to not mess 
  with a man and his religion. The locals are led by a charismatic Quebecois, 
  named Jacob Gaston, who came here years ago at the calling of his cult and 
  has established control over the cultists in the area.  He sees nothing wrong 
  with the status quo, even if every once in a while someone goes mad and 
  starts babbling nonsense.
  Hazards
  elders: Jacob Gaston, Emmanuel Diaz
  towNIes: Cultists
  weIrd: Box of Bibles, The Babblers
  see also: INvestIgator Notes: [aBg]
  [rl6] Once There Was
  detaIls: Morton did indeed discover a tribe separated from the rest, who 
  settled the area in the 14th century.  They were cast out from the Emerald 
  Isle for their less than normal behavior. In short, they were comprised 
  chiefly of cannibals who worshiped the Lake God, Hastur. The clan is 
  largely isolated and left alone, though recent customs have been introduced 
  and integrated into their daily life as they send some of their folks to bring 
  fresh blood into the area from time to time. In fact, Morton was allowed to 
  go free by the Lachlan clan leaders with the hope of him coming back with 
  outsiders to revitalize the bloodlines.
  Hazards
  elders: Eagan and Colina Lachlan, Andrew Morton
  laNdscape: The Loch
  see also: INvestIgator Notes: [acd]
  
  -52-
  [rl7] The Meteor Swarm 
  detaIls:  Satan’s Tears are what travelers familiar with the area call the 
  regular meteor swarms which fall every five years. And it is their time 
  once more. Compasses and electronic equipment don’t work in the area 
  due to the strong magnetic fields (a direct result of the eons-long meteor 
  bombardment). The irradiated iron of these shooting stars mutate man 
  and creature alike, beginning with slight physiological changes to their 
  brains and eyes, heightening intelligence and granting night vision and 
  immunity to the cold. Eventually, they crave the flesh of their kin and 
  gradually lose their minds. A few survive and procreate, their offspring 
  killing them off, and the cycle continues.
  Hazards
  laNdscape: The Magnetized Land
  weIrd: Bone Mask
  mYthos: The Haunters
  see also: INvestIgator Notes: [ace]
  [rl8] And One Returned
  detaIls: Shudder Reach is not known for its subtlety. It sticks out like 
  a sore thumb, a cluster of rocks and tundra where a small research station 
  worked on military applications of various chemicals. It was shut down after 
  the Great War, the world having taken a dim view on chemical warfare. 
  Herman Mueller, a research scientist, slunk back after his home life had 
  been shattered, and vows to take the world down with him, using the 
  Reanimation Matrix formula, a toxin which kills and brings the dead back 
  to a horrid, shambling unlife. 
  Hazards
  elders: Herman Mueller
  laNdscape: The Compound
  weIrd: Rusting Helmet, The Unliving
  doom: Reanimation Matrix Unleashed
  see also: INvestIgator Notes: [acF]
  
  -53-
  [rl9]  Consumption
  detaIls:  The castle looks to be of French design, though the work is 
  far more precise than that typically found in the 14th Century. It belonged 
  to an occultist, Antoine Levi, who built it upon ley lines to bolster his 
  fading energies as he performed one last ritual—Eternum—to grant him 
  immortality.  Something went wrong, his soul was displaced, and a more 
  malevolent force took possession of his form. Now, Antoine’s ghost seeks 
  to warn people away from the dangers. The possessed Levi is a welcoming 
  host who feeds off of desperation. His attempt to pass as human has little 
  improved over the centuries. A small retinue attends to his daily needs and 
  the castle’s upkeep.
  Hazards 
  elders: Antoine Levi (possessed)
  laNdscape: The Castle
  weIrd: The Angry Ghost
  see also: INvestIgator Notes: [acg]
  [rl10] White Whales
  detaIls: Born ridiculously wealthy, Sizemore could have pursued an 
  idle life. Instead, his uncle, a dashing explorer, told him exotic tales of 
  mysterious places and strange things, and upon graduating with a business 
  degree from Harvard, he cashed out his trust fund and began exploring. 
  When he visited the Temple of Minos, he first considered the existence of 
  ancient civilizations and advanced alien cultures, and now pursues aliens 
  to the exclusion of anything else. He’s journeyed to many places, but the 
  scrimshaw in his possession details a path to a hidden city. Or so he hopes. 
  Hazards
  elders: Lucius Sizemore
  towNIes: The Sizemore Lackeys 
  laNdscape: The Frozen Sea
  weIrd: Scrimshaw
  see also: INvestIgator Notes: [ade]
  
  -54-
  [rl11]  Hidden Paradise
  detaIls: Despite her cultured upbringing, Roseletti quickly adapts to any 
  situation she finds herself in, relying heavily upon her clear-headedness to 
  rule the day. She had little faith in Richmond’s quest, until he gave her 
  the Log of the Calypso, an 18th century Dutch trading ship that got lost 
  in the area and encountered a people referred to as the Apogee. Some of 
  the pages after that are missing, but she knows to keep a keen eye out for 
  the Bone Arch, an ancient landmark. To the east of the arch stands Bone 
  Mountain, atop which is the lush home of the Apogee, an advanced tribal 
  folk. They have managed to master irrigation and use it to channel the hot 
  springs from deep within the earth to make their small kingdom flourish. 
  Their society is largely matriarchal in nature, with the men relegated to 
  science and maintenance work, while the women hunt, protect, and rule. 
  The Devotees of Dawn, the tribe’s martial defenders, are not pleased with 
  any interference from outsiders.
  Hazards
  elders: Monarch of the Mountain
  towNIes: The Devotees of Dawn
  laNdscape: The Bone Arch, The Mountain Home
  weIrd: Calypso’s Log
  see also: INvestIgator Notes: [adF]
  [rl12] Once Bitten
  detaIls: The Lupine arose in remote frigid climes, and have thick furs 
  enabling them to blend into the surroundings and survive the cold. They 
  are quick, quiet, and largely avoid any contact with the outside world. While 
  primitive, they are not ignorant, nor unaware of humanity’s existence, and 
  know they must not allow civilization to learn of their existence or else 
  they’ll be hunted into extinction. They worship Lord Wolf, an ancient, 
  cosmic deity of ice and snow, who protects and provides.
  Hazards
  elders: Professor Latimer Cane
  weIrd: The Lupine
  doom: Vengeance of Lord Wolf
  see also: INvestIgator Notes: [adg]
  
  -55-
  [rl13] Where Gods Once Walked
  detaIls:  There was never a meteor. There was nothing tangible for anyone 
  to find. The “meteor” was the pulse beam of Nicolai Tesla’s failed attempt 
  at a death ray. The beam supercharged the topsoil’s chemical composition 
  in such a fashion it can nourish nearly anything. The fruit, though luscious 
  looking, tastes disappointingly nasty, so folks leave it alone. That is, until 
  Graham Walden, lost and starving tried it. Now he attributes his longevity 
  to it—though in his mid-seventies, he doesn’t look a day over forty. The 
  fruit has a mildly hallucinogenic effect when eaten, making it immensely 
  popular. Since its discovery forty-some years ago, folks have fought over the 
  ill-tasting fruit.
  Hazards
  towNIes: The Harvesters
  laNdscape: Aesir’s Heel
  weIrd:  Graham Walden
  doom: Worldwide Distribution of the Wonder Fruit
  see also: INvestIgator Notes: [aeF]
  [rl14] A Constant Longing
  detaIls: The family survived, not by sordid cannibalism, but by ancient 
  rituals and rites granting them immunity to the toxic chemicals found in the 
  seafood. They also managed to establish a bond with the Cold Ones, cold-
  blooded cousins of Deep Ones, whom they managed to cure. In return, they 
  have been gifted immunity to the cold, though they still dress appropriately 
  (usually) when strangers are about. 
  Hazards
  elders: Father Hunt
  towNIes: The Hunt Clan
  laNdscape: The Toxic Pond
  weIrd: The Frozen Ones
  see also: INvestIgator Notes: [aeg]
  
  -56-
  [rl15] Jökulhlaups
  detaIls: The last explorers were cultists who hoped to resurrect the 
  trapped Shub-Niggurath from her icy prison. They only managed to awaken 
  her consciousness, which she quickly distributed amongst the five explorers 
  who survived the onslaught of her alien thoughts. These five have been busy 
  constructing a temple to her, even as their bodies wither away to skin and 
  bones. The great entity is trapped within a massive block of ice in the caves 
  beneath the volcano, surrounded by lava flows. The ice is enchanted with 
  runic markings, and though it continuously weeps, it grows no thinner, and 
  can only be damaged with the proper ritual.
  Hazards
  laNdscape: The Lava Flow, The Weeping Ice Prison 
  weIrd: The Gibberers
  mYthos: The Collective 
  doom: Shub-Niggurath Freed
  see also: INvestIgator Notes: [aFg]
  [rl16] Forever War
  detaIls: This is the land the Mad God touched as it danced through 
  the cosmos millennia ago.  It turned the air to ice and imbued it with an 
  unrelenting insanity, infecting any who come here. Evil is drawn here. 
  Evil is strengthened and nurtured. And the good are drawn as well, but to 
  bleed upon the hungry ice, and to give over their powers to darkness. Their 
  souls are caught in the ice. Nothing dying here is ever freed. The souls are 
  swallowed and turned about, sometimes let out for a bit to war once more, 
  before being drawn back into the blackness. As the characters arrive, war 
  breaks out among the trapped souls once more.
  Hazards
  laNdscape: The Blooded Ice
  weIrd: Broken bayonet, The Mad Souls
  see also: INvestIgator Notes: [Bcd]
  
  -57-
  [rl17] El Diablo
  detaIls:  The South American scientists actually saved the world by 
  trapping an ancient evil inside a crystal skull and jettisoning it into space. 
  Something went wrong with its trajectory, and it crashed back to earth. 
  Percival Amelot is the only English-speaking man to have gone into the 
  area, and the French-Canadian explorer has been recruited by the United 
  States to accompany the characters in the search. The government wants to 
  see how the scientists managed such a technological feat, as well as ascertain 
  everything they can about the rocket’s purpose.elders: Dean Hollister, 
  Frank Mann 
  Hazards 
  elders: Percival Amelot
  laNdscape: The Crater
  weIrd: Crystal Skull
  see also: INvestIgator Notes: [Bce]
  [rl18] Overexposure
  detaIls:  Alexander and Maria Reinhold were accomplished tomb robbers 
  who drew the attention of the Children of the False Dawn after stealing a 
  powerful ruby ankh from their temple in Egypt for a client. When they went 
  to deliver it, the client was dead, and they have been on the run ever since, 
  sticking largely to colder climes to avoid the cultists. The cultists managed to 
  infiltrate their return expedition, and having tortured the Reinholds before 
  killing them, learned the ruby ankh was hidden away in the ice caves.
  Hazards
  towNIes: The incognito cultists
  laNdscape: The ice caves
  weIrd: The Reinhold Papers, The Ruby Ankh
  see also: INvestIgator Notes: [BcF]
  
  -58-
  [rl19] The Stone Temple
  detaIls:  The temple appears to be dedicated to Hades. Closer inspection 
  reveals the worn-away half alabaster, half obsidian figure is female and can 
  only be the Norse goddess, Hel. How it got here, and why it is fashioned in 
  a Romanesque style is obscured by time. In truth, several cohorts  of Roman 
  deserters, containing engineers in their number, encountered a small village 
  in the area, slaughtering the male population and taking the women as their 
  own. The women converted them to their faith, and the temple was built. 
  Soon the women exacted their terrible revenge, turning half the men into 
  dogs and establishing themselves firmly as a matriarchal society. The wild 
  dogs in the area are often called the Lost Legion.
  Hazards
  elders: The Good Lady (community leader)
  towNIes: The Devotees
  laNdscape: The Stone Temple
  weIrd: Wild Dogs
  see also: INvestIgator Notes: [Bcg]
  [rl20] The Taste of Angel’s Wings
  detaIls:  The old man wearing the ring is none other than John Dee 
  himself, who entered into a pact with dark creatures centuries ago. Only 
  the strong magic imbued in his ring hides and protects him. Should he ever 
  take it off, his days will surely be numbered. He lives outside of the small 
  community, in a stone house marked with odd symbols and protective 
  wards. The meat that fell is likely some eldritch horror caught in one of his 
  mystic traps.
  Hazards
  elders: John Dee
  laNdscape: The Library of Dee
  weIrd: John Dee’s Ring
  see also: INvestIgator Notes: [Bde]
  
  -59-
  [rl21] Dead Gods
  detaIls:  For those who do not believe, the community keeps the bone 
  mask gifted to them by the ancient ursine astronauts in a sacred yurt. Bits 
  of the broken spaceship lie buried and untouched by age in The Blasted 
  Land. There is a still an operational fusion reactor buried beneath the earth 
  as well. The Shadow Men are the offspring of the union between man and 
  alien. They have grown primal and primitive over the centuries and now 
  look more like their ursine ancestors.
  Hazards
  laNdscape: The Blasted Land
  weIrd: Bone Mask, Shadow Men
  doom:  Fusion Reactor
  see also: INvestIgator Notes: [BdF]
   
  [rl22] Fool’s Errand   
  detaIls: An industrial facility, now abandoned and rusting, dominates 
  the landscape. The fading stencils on its side indicate it belonged to Orwell 
  Industries at one point in time, where it served as a satellite facility devoted 
  to chronological manipulation and practical application. Something went 
  wrong. An explosion fractured time, mixing up the past and the present. 
  Any who overstay their welcome risk getting lost in time, trapped forever 
  as ghosts in the snow. 
  Hazards
  laNdscape: Orwell Industries
  weIrd: The Temporal Visitor
  doom: Time Loop
  see also: INvestIgator Notes: [Bdg]
   
  
  -60-
  [rl23] All That Glimmers
  detaIls:  A living meteor crashed to earth in the distant past, a thing 
  comprised of carbon and sulfur, but also a mind and soul. It shattered into 
  the earth. Still alive after all this time, it is also still greatly injured. As it is 
  being dug up, it is in great psychic pain and attempting to communicate 
  as best it can through the manipulation of minerals and metals. The metal 
  contains trace amounts of mercuric cyanide, enough to kill any with 
  prolonged contact to it. As more people die, the meteor becomes stronger 
  and its poison more toxic.
  Hazards
  towNIes: The Miners
  laNdscape: The Mines
  weIrd: The Lockets
  see also: INvestIgator Notes: [BeF]
  [rl24] A Place for Everything
  detaIls: Troy Salzburg is both jealous man and accomplished sorcerer. 
  He orchestrated the red rains to destroy Sky’s suspected lover and those 
  who helped conceal the truth from him. Sky deeply loves Troy and is too 
  blinded by emotion to see his faults. He’s an abusive man who lost his good 
  looks and right leg in the last war when an explosion burned and scarred 
  him badly. He spends most days brooding and drinking while his mood 
  grows darker. He suspects she has found another lover in the town below 
  and already plans on drowning it in the red rains’ curse. 
  Hazards
  elders: Troy Salzburg, Sky Madchen
  laNdscape: The Sky Lodge
  doom: The Red Rainstorm
  see also: INvestIgator Notes: [Beg]
  
  -61-
  [rl25] Hesitation Marks
  detaIls: Antonio Vilasco now speaks with a slight lisp and becomes 
  violently angry should anyone make fun of this. When he and his brothers, 
  Michael and Vincent, first set out, they got lost. They argued, and Michael 
  (the eldest) killed Vincent (the youngest) in what Antonio decided to interpret 
  as an accident. As they got deeper into the valley, Michael grew moodier 
  and unpredictable, and Antonio killed him. Or so he thought. Michael got 
  up and horribly wounded Antonio, who fled into the night. What lay in the 
  darkness was far worse. An azure-skinned giant with glittering red eyes rose 
  up out of the snows and grabbed him. Escaping, he ran, chewing his own 
  tongue to keep from screaming and giving away his position. He lived and 
  wants revenge on both his brother and the creature he encountered.
  Hazards
  elders: Michael Vilasco
  laNdscape: Black Hill Break
  weIrd: The Azure Giant
  see also: INvestIgator Notes: [BFg]
  [lc26] She Came Back
  detaIls:  Elizabeth Sharp numbered herself among the handful of female 
  archeologists in the field, and was peerless in her area of study. Allen 
  Sewell, once her professor, now found himself lost in her shadow and vowed 
  revenge. When Elizabeth and Don Sharp left their base camp, he completed 
  a ritual killing of their guides, and brought forth Mi-Go to take her away. 
  Annoyed with being bound by human mysticism, they took him at his word 
  and kept her, yet did not harm her, instead sharing their ambrosial star 
  mead and other foods granting immortality. 
  Hazards
  elders: Dr. Allen Sewell 
  towNIes: Sewell’s Lackeys
  laNdscape: The Hidden Grove
  mYthos: Mi-Go
  weIrd: Elizabeth Sharp
  see also: INvestIgator Notes: [cde]
  
  -62-
  [rl27] Unspeakable Acts 
  detaIls:  The Frozen Bogs is a small pocket of prehistory concealed by 
  clouds and dark sorceries. Only those who have been there can mark the 
  path for another. The territory is under the control of the Chieftain who 
  seeks to destroy the Sitch, yet he cannot bring himself to do so, so the tribe 
  grows ever more corrupted. Weaver is trying to drink away the memories of 
  falling in love with the witch and slaughtering his own men before she freed 
  him to go out into the world so others would come, for she feeds upon the 
  suffering of the souls. The Chieftain is immune to her wiles, for he wears 
  the silver sigil of the royal line, assured protection against evil.
  Hazards
  elders: The Chieftain, The Witch
  towNIes: The Apprentices
  laNdscape:  Frozen Bogs
  weIrd: The Silver Sigil
  see also: INvestIgator Notes: [cdF]
  [rl28] No Small Sacrifice
  detaIls: Collins is dead. His neck broke on impact with the packed 
  snow, and “Lucky Jack” was no more. He didn’t go to waste. Winslet, an 
  accomplished hunter, dressed his friend out, and used him to survive the 
  trek to the nearest village. The villagers realized what he had done and 
  gave him heavy medications to forget his sins. While fighting them, some 
  of the medicine got in his eye and paralyzed it. As he moves ever closer to 
  the crash site, his memory returns, and he wants no one, especially Nicole, 
  to learn what he did to survive. “Lucky Jack” has risen as revenant. Not 
  realizing his death was accidental, he seeks to slay Winslett and any who 
  stand in his way.
  Hazards
  elders: Michael “Mickey” Winslet
  towNIes: The Parish
  laNdscape: The Crash Site
  weIrd: “Lucky Jack” Collins
  see also: INvestIgator Notes: [cdg]
  
  -63-
  [rl29] Dark Side of the Moon
  detaIls:  The absurd hypothesis is true, though Howell didn’t anticipate 
  a subterranean alien society of lizard folk to survive the trip. But they have, 
  and they have adapted as best they can. If they were not trapped by the 
  extremely cold conditions, it is likely they could sweep across the earth, 
  perhaps becoming the dominant life form on the planet, spreading the word 
  of their dark lord and master.
  Hazards 
  laNdscape: The Crack in the Earth
  mYthos: The Lizard Folk
  doom: The Lizard Folk Unbound
  see also: INvestIgator Notes: [ceF]
  [rl30] White Noise
  detaIls: The unsanctioned lab consisted of a dozen or so researchers 
  developing an anti-radiation serum. Results were promising until Howard 
  McDaniel shifted from using lab animals to live humans, taking several of 
  the local hunters they traded with and locking them away. Everyone turned 
  a blind eye to his work, as McDaniel was the lead and really seemed to 
  be onto something. Mantua was responding well, until he wasn’t. While 
  Graham was out, Mantua’s body underwent a radical transformation when 
  his radiation levels reached a level of supersaturation, and he mutated into 
  something atavistic in nature. The transformation caused an explosive chain 
  reaction in the structure, leading Graham to believe it had been struck by 
  some sort of artillery round. 
  Hazards
  elders: Frank Graham
  laNdscape: The Research Station
  weIrd: The Experiment
  see also: INvestIgator Notes: [ceg]
  
  -64-
  [rl31] Impossibilities
  detaIls: The City State of Tindalos lay hidden beneath the frozen 
  seas until such time as the stars neared the alignment needed to awaken 
  slumbering gods. Much has changed in the untold centuries, for the wizards 
  did not suspect a traitor in their midst, but a madman disguised as a devotee 
  corrupted them. Now this black palace hopes to usher in a new age of 
  darkness, save for the Prophet, Kitab. He could not be killed until now, for 
  it was his magic protecting the city beneath the sea, and it was he who fell 
  into the waters. Though weak, he yet lives.
  Hazards
  laNdscape: The Black Palace
  weIrd: The Prophet, The Wizards
  doom: Slumbering Gods Awake
  see also: INvestIgator Notes: [cFg]
  [rl32] Loss
  detaIls: he wreckage is untouched. No one ever investigated the remote 
  woods where it fell. The forest is home to primal nature spirits, who drive 
  away game and tease any who trespass to death. One would do well to 
  avoid it. Even the spirits know to avoid the book, save for the Darkling, 
  who has become corrupted by its power. It seeks to transform the forest into 
  a complete and utter nightmare landscape, and has already fashioned clay 
  figurines, creating a primitive parody of humanity to torture.
  Hazards
  laNdscape: The Wreckage, The Primeval Forest
  weIrd: Forest Spirits, The Clay Men, The Dark Book
  mYthos: The Darkling
  see also: INvestIgator Notes: [deF]
  
  -65-
  [rl33] Inhuman
  detaIls: Once a divergent branch of humanity lived in the tundra and 
  fought for the scant resources. They didn’t have the tools the early Homo 
  sapiens possessed, and this cost them their lives. Save for a young couple 
  who managed to retreat into the Dreamlands by stumbling down stone stairs 
  trapped beneath the ice. They lived an eternity there, intellectually evolving, 
  surviving, and worshipping the dark powers demanding their obeisance. 
  Until they escaped once more back into the light. The once warm plains, 
  now overrun with ice and snow, caused them to weep and rage. Between a 
  combination of disguises and dark sorceries, they seek to learn more about 
  humanity and destroy it. They are not free of their masters, who have, in 
  turn, sent out minions to return them once more to the Dreamlands. 
  Hazards
  laNdscape: The Stairs, The Dreamlands 
  weIrd: The Couple
  mYthos: The Hunters
  see also: INvestIgator Notes: [deg]
  [rl34] Highs and Lows
  detaIls: The Drowned Men are a semi-aquatic humanoid race, altered 
  by the Elder Things who once enslaved them. They communicate in what 
  sounds like a mindless chittering, as they possess no proper vocal chords. 
  They envy humanity, and have a taste for flesh. The Ice Nomads stay a 
  few steps ahead of them at best, as the Drowned Men need fresh blood 
  for breeding and consumption, though they are not averse to eating any 
  sea creature they encounter. Their dark master has gifted one in ten with 
  otherworldly powers.
  Hazards
  mYthos: The Drowned Men, The Darkly Blessed
  doom: The Thaw
  see also: INvestIgator Notes: [dFg]
  
  -66-
  [rl35] Stardust  
  detaIls: An alien starship transporting hazardous materials suffered a 
  malfunction and plummeted into the waters. There were no survivors. The 
  aliens boiled alive trying to flee the ship. The starship sank to the bottom of 
  the small lake, and the damaged reactor core maintains the temperature at a 
  precise 220 degrees. Spores from the alien corpses infected and killed most 
  of the locals. The three who originally survived have thrived, and have even 
  given birth to offspring of their own, cursed as they are.
  Hazards
  laNdscape: Empty Village, The Boiling Point
  weIrd: The Blighted
  doom: The Disease
  see also: INvestIgator Notes: [eFg]
  
  The
   Guide  
   
  a tremulus playbook
  Who Are You?
  You’ve been here and there and seen many 
  sorts of things in your travels. Your livelihood 
  depends upon a careful eye, a pleasant 
  demeanor, and the ability to look after those 
  in your care. After all, your business is largely 
  word of mouth, and you get to know your 
  clientele. Lately, you’d rather not go to some 
  of the places you’ve been going, but that’s 
  what you get paid for, and you have to look 
  after yourself, after all.
  Name
  Michael Richmond, Felix Moore, Roger 
  Simone, Francis Black, Amanda Taylor, Skyler 
  Stephens, Jerri Riggings, or Marianne Mackey 
  Look
  Choose one from eaCh Category.
  gender: Man, woman, or 
  androgynous.
  Clothes: Rumpled travel, sturdy 
  travel, unusual casual, or sturdy 
  casual.
  faCe: Weathered, tanned, chiseled, 
  round, refined, or angular.
  eyes: Analytical, distant, piercing, 
  serious, or clever.
  build: Energetic, athletic, muscular, 
  lithe, or graceful.
  Who Do You Trust?
  Basic Moves
  aCt under pressure (roll+reason)
  When you are doing something quickly and precisely, 
  hurriedly flee, or are trying to resist something frightening, 
  roll+reason.
   On a 10+, you do it.
  On a 7–9, you flinch, hesitate, cave, or stall: the GM can 
  offer you a worse outcome, a hard bargain, or an ugly 
  choice. 
  ConvinCe (roll+affinity)
  When you have something someone wants, you can use 
  your charm, wit, or wiles to get them to do something for 
  you, roll+affinity. 
  For NPCs: 
  On a 10+, they ask you to promise something first, and do 
  it if you promise. 
  On a 7–9, they need some concrete assurance right now.
  For PCs: on a 10+, both of the following:
  »if they do it, they gain a point of Lore.
  » if they refuse, it’s acting under pressure
  On a 7–9:
  »if they refuse, it’s acting under pressure
  »On a miss, they lose a point of trust with you.
  What they do then is up to them.
  help/hinder (roll+trust)
  When you help or hinder with someone who’s making a 
  roll, roll+trust.
   On a 10+, they take +2 (help) or -2 (hinder) now. 
  On a 7–9, they take a +1 (help) or -1 (hinder) now, and 
  you expose yourself to trouble.
  On a 6 or less: they lose a point of trust with you or the 
  Keeper holds one to use as a hard move (your choice). 
  poke around (roll+luCk)
  When you poke around a place physically looking for 
  things, roll+luck. Additional attempts to search the same 
  area are made at a cumulative -1 unless the Keeper informs 
  you something substantial has changed.
   On a 10+, select 1 of the following:
  »Find 1 good item (Keeper’s choice)
  »1 minor item (your choice)
  »1 clue (+1 forward when acted upon)
  »Pick one from the table below
  On a 7–9, you may:
  »Find hidden area/threshold (in/out) (Keeper’s Choice)
  »Find minor item (Keeper’s choice)
  »Determine the presence of one physical hazard (if none 
  present, you learn that)
  On a miss, there is either nothing more in the area or the 
  Keeper may hold 1 to use as a hard move at any time.
  puzzle things out (roll+reason)
  When you face an intellectual dilemma, learn a 
  new piece of information, or discover a clue, you 
  may attempt to puzzle things out, roll+reason. 
  On a hit, you get to ask one or more questions. 
  Whenever you act on one of the Keeper’s answers, 
  take +1.
  On a 10+, Ask 3 or gain 1 Lore.
  On a 7–9, Ask 1:
  »What is this? 
  »What does this mean?
  »How can I get in/out/pass?
  »Who’s in control here?
  »Which enemy before me is the most dangerous? 
  »What is its weakness?
  »What should I keep an eye out for?
  »How does X fit into Y?
  read a person (roll+passion)
  When you read a person in a charged interaction, 
  roll+passion.
   On a 10+, hold 3. On a 7–9, hold 1. While you’re 
  interacting with them, spend your hold to ask the 
  character questions, 1 for 1:
  »Is your character telling the truth?
  »What’s your character really feeling?
  »What does your character intend to do?
  »What does your character wish I’d do?
  »How could I get your character to X?
  resort to violenCe (roll+might)
  When you cast aside all pretense of civility and 
  wish to harm your enemy, regardless of personal 
  safety, roll+might. You may wrest control of an 
  item or situation from another in this manner, 
  whether it be with fists or feet, or a more proper 
  weapon, but you do so with malice in your heart. 
  On a 10+, choose 3.
  On a 7–9, choose 2:
  »You take definite hold of it
  »You suffer little harm (-1 harm)
  »You inflict terrible harm (+1 harm)
  »You impress, dismay or frighten your enemy
  For PCs, pressing the attack when they’re 
  impressed, dismayed or frightened counts as 
  ACtiNg uNder Pressure.
  threaten (roll+might)
  When you threaten someone or something, 
  roll+might. You are physically engaging with the 
  deadly promise of violence.
   On a 10+, they have to choose 1: 
  »Force your hand and take whatever damage you 
  dish out, 
  »Back down and do what you want.
   On a 7–9, they can instead choose 1:
  »Hurriedly get out of your way
  »Barricade themselves securely in
  »Give you something they think you want
  »Back off calmly, hands where you can see
  »Tell you what you want to know (or hear)
  
  » A pet (loyal), you choose what kind.
  » Personal sidearm (medium).
  » Tobacco, rolling paper, and matches 
  (smoking calms you like alcohol).
  » Heavy coat (warm) +1 armor
   Attributes
  lore
  Wealth
    
   Health
   Sanity
  reason
  passion
  might
  luCk
  affinity
  Choose one set
  » Reason +1 Passion +1 
  Might 0 Luck 0 Affinity +1
  » Reason 0 Passion +2 
  Might 0 Luck +1 Affinity 0
  » Reason +2 Passion +1 
  Might -1 Luck +1 Affinity 0
  » Reason +2 Passion -1 
  Might +1 Luck +2 Affinity -1
  sCuffed
  bruised
  battered
  broken
  grievous
  dying
  dead
  1
  5
  4
  3
  2
  6
  +
  startled
  shoCked
  disturbed
  traumatized
  hysteriC
  deranged
  insane
  1
  5
  4
  3
  2
  6
  +
  Moves
  You begin with all the basic moves.
  Choose tWo speCial moves.
  hunter: You are quick on your feet 
  and quiet. You do 1 additional harm 
  when you resort to violenCe. 
  You also gain a +1 to athletic maneuvers 
  when you aCt under pressure. 
  navigator: You don’t get lost, and are 
  able to easily follow tracks and the like. 
  Gain +2 to puzzle things out and 
  poke around in natural settings.
  outdoorsy: You spend more time 
  outside than in. Increase might by 1, 
  reduce any harm you take by one, and 
  reduce any environmental harm (falling, 
  heat, cold, and the like) by 2.. 
  survivalist: Increase passion by 
  1. You may roll+passion to avoid 
  harm from an environmental hazard. 
  on a 10+, you gain a point of Lore 
  and avoid all harm. 
  on a 7+, you reduce harm by 1. 
  provided you’ve not been too disruptive. 
  Woodsman: You’re quite at home in 
  nature, and easily able to find places to 
  camp, fresh water, and the like. Wherever 
  you set up your base camp (takes several 
  hours) is considered safe. Your reason 
  is increased by 1.
  your lore move is
  i’ve 
  been 
  everyWhere: You 
  may spend a point of lore to make a 
  roll+reason about any place. 
  on a 10+, you have been here before 
  and gain +1ongoing regarding it for 
  the duration of the story. 
  on a 7+, you’ve been to similar places 
  and gain a clue. On a miss, you may gain a 
  clue, but the Keeper gets 1 hold if you do.
  Gear
  you start With:
  » d6 Wealth.  
  » Hunting Knife.
  » Hiking boots and walking stick.
  » d6 lore.
  and Choose tWo of the 
  folloWing:
  »
  regarding damage
  1-2 Recovers naturally, over time.
  3
  Needs treatment to improve.
  4-5 Gets worse if untreated.
  6
  Requires immediate treatment.
  reason
  passion
  might
  luCk
  affinity
  
  The
   Mechanic 
  a tremulus playbook
  Who Are You?
  You fix things. You tweak things. You see 
  things that are broken and you put them 
  back together. You like to hear the quiet 
  hum of smoothly running machinery, and 
  when things are running rough, you like 
  to get them squared away. You get a sense 
  what you’ve been doing is symptomatic of 
  something larger. Yeah, you know you’d likely 
  sound like a philosopher if people knew the 
  thoughts rattling around in your head, but it’s 
  what’s been crossing your mind while you’ve 
  been trying to keep the world from falling 
  apart around you.
  Name
  Freddy Porter, Tom Hood, Sam Devine, Avery 
  “Hoops” McGuire, Sheila Nettles, Jennifer 
  Hatcher, Amanda Red, or Patricia Long.
  Look
  Choose one from eaCh Category.
  gender: Man, woman, or 
  androgynous.
  Clothes: Crumpled jumpsuit, 
  smudged casual, sturdy casual, or 
  pressed jumpsuit
  faCe: Stern, focus, bemused, 
  arrogant, or round.
  eyes: Distrusting, calm, narrow, 
  watery, sleepy, or wide.
  build: Stocky, powerful, lean, 
  angular, or athletic.
  Who Do You Trust?
  Basic Moves
  aCt under pressure (roll+reason)
  When you are doing something quickly and precisely, 
  hurriedly flee, or are trying to resist something frightening, 
  roll+reason.
   On a 10+, you do it.
  On a 7–9, you flinch, hesitate, cave, or stall: the GM can 
  offer you a worse outcome, a hard bargain, or an ugly 
  choice. 
  ConvinCe (roll+affinity)
  When you have something someone wants, you can use 
  your charm, wit, or wiles to get them to do something for 
  you, roll+affinity. 
  For NPCs: 
  On a 10+, they ask you to promise something first, and do 
  it if you promise. 
  On a 7–9, they need some concrete assurance right now.
  For PCs: on a 10+, both of the following:
  »if they do it, they gain a point of Lore.
  » if they refuse, it’s acting under pressure
  On a 7–9:
  »if they refuse, it’s acting under pressure
  »On a miss, they lose a point of trust with you.
  What they do then is up to them.
  help/hinder (roll+trust)
  When you help or hinder with someone who’s making a 
  roll, roll+trust.
   On a 10+, they take +2 (help) or -2 (hinder) now. 
  On a 7–9, they take a +1 (help) or -1 (hinder) now, and 
  you expose yourself to trouble.
  On a 6 or less: they lose a point of trust with you or the 
  Keeper holds one to use as a hard move (your choice). 
  poke around (roll+luCk)
  When you poke around a place physically looking for 
  things, roll+luck. Additional attempts to search the same 
  area are made at a cumulative -1 unless the Keeper informs 
  you something substantial has changed.
   On a 10+, select 1 of the following:
  »Find 1 good item (Keeper’s choice)
  »1 minor item (your choice)
  »1 clue (+1 forward when acted upon)
  »Pick one from the table below
  On a 7–9, you may:
  »Find hidden area/threshold (in/out) (Keeper’s Choice)
  »Find minor item (Keeper’s choice)
  »Determine the presence of one physical hazard (if none 
  present, you learn that)
  On a miss, there is either nothing more in the area or the 
  Keeper may hold 1 to use as a hard move at any time.
  puzzle things out (roll+reason)
  When you face an intellectual dilemma, learn a 
  new piece of information, or discover a clue, you 
  may attempt to puzzle things out, roll+reason. 
  On a hit, you get to ask one or more questions. 
  Whenever you act on one of the Keeper’s answers, 
  take +1.
  On a 10+, Ask 3 or gain 1 Lore.
  On a 7–9, Ask 1:
  »What is this? 
  »What does this mean?
  »How can I get in/out/pass?
  »Who’s in control here?
  »Which enemy before me is the most dangerous? 
  »What is its weakness?
  »What should I keep an eye out for?
  »How does X fit into Y?
  read a person (roll+passion)
  When you read a person in a charged interaction, 
  roll+passion.
   On a 10+, hold 3. On a 7–9, hold 1. While you’re 
  interacting with them, spend your hold to ask the 
  character questions, 1 for 1:
  »Is your character telling the truth?
  »What’s your character really feeling?
  »What does your character intend to do?
  »What does your character wish I’d do?
  »How could I get your character to X?
  resort to violenCe (roll+might)
  When you cast aside all pretense of civility and 
  wish to harm your enemy, regardless of personal 
  safety, roll+might. You may wrest control of an 
  item or situation from another in this manner, 
  whether it be with fists or feet, or a more proper 
  weapon, but you do so with malice in your heart. 
  On a 10+, choose 3.
  On a 7–9, choose 2:
  »You take definite hold of it
  »You suffer little harm (-1 harm)
  »You inflict terrible harm (+1 harm)
  »You impress, dismay or frighten your enemy
  For PCs, pressing the attack when they’re 
  impressed, dismayed or frightened counts as 
  ACtiNg uNder Pressure.
  threaten (roll+might)
  When you threaten someone or something, 
  roll+might. You are physically engaging with the 
  deadly promise of violence.
   On a 10+, they have to choose 1: 
  »Force your hand and take whatever damage you 
  dish out, 
  »Back down and do what you want.
   On a 7–9, they can instead choose 1:
  »Hurriedly get out of your way
  »Barricade themselves securely in
  »Give you something they think you want
  »Back off calmly, hands where you can see
  »Tell you what you want to know (or hear)
  
   Attributes
  lore
  Wealth
    
   Health
   Sanity
  reason
  passion
  might
  luCk
  affinity
  Choose one set
  » Reason +1 Passion +1  
  Might +1 Luck 0 Affinity +1 
  » Reason +1 Passion +1 
  Might +1 Luck +1 Affinity -1
  » Reason +2 Passion 0 
  Might +2 Luck +1 Affinity -2
  » Reason +2 Passion +1 
  Might 0 Luck 0 Affinity 0
  sCuffed
  bruised
  battered
  broken
  grievous
  dying
  dead
  1
  5
  4
  3
  2
  6
  +
  startled
  shoCked
  disturbed
  traumatized
  hysteriC
  deranged
  insane
  1
  5
  4
  3
  2
  6
  +
  Moves
  You begin with:
  elboW grease: You may repair a 
  broken machine with a roll+reason.
  on a 10+, you use a d6-1 parts. 
  on a 7+, you use a d6 parts. Fixing 
  machines typically takes d6 hours.
  Choose tWo speCial moves. 
  monkey WrenCh: You’re able to 
  dismantle machines as quickly as others 
  put them together. Not only does this 
  keep the machine from working, you gain 
  2d6 parts. 
  If you don’t want it to be obvious you 
  tinkered with a given piece of equipment, 
  you roll+luCk. 
  on a 7+, you succeed, but gain no parts. 
  on a 10+, you succeed, and gain d6 parts.
  put your baCk into it: You 
  really know how to leverage yourself to 
  turn stuck knobs, doors, and the like. In 
  non-violent situations, add +2 when you 
  roll+might.
  speCialist: You’re especially good 
  with one category of machines (drilling 
  equipment, cars, the like). You gain a 
  +2 to all rolls relating to the chosen 
  category.
  sturdy build: Years of physical labor 
  have toughened you up. Increase Might by 
  +1 and reduce harm taken by 1.
  Workshop Wizard: Put a wrench 
  in your hands, and you can work magic, 
  making repairs in half the normal time. 
  For every d6 hours and d6 parts used, 
  roll+reason. You can add (or 
  remove) a tag from any vehicle on a 7+ or 
  any device on a 10+. The time and parts 
  are expended, regardless. 
  your lore move is
  Work With What you’ve got: 
  You may spend a point of Lore to convert 
  any normal items on hand into a d6 parts.
  Gear
  you start With:
  » 1d6 Wealth.  
  » Toolbox with assorted tools. 
  » Truck (slow, reliable or fast, unreliable) .
  and Choose tWo of the 
  folloWing:
  »
  regarding damage
  1-2 Recovers naturally, over time.
  3
  Needs treatment to improve.
  4-5 Gets worse if untreated.
  6
  Requires immediate treatment.
  reason
  passion
  might
  luCk
  affinity
  » Stock (2d6 parts)
  » A rifle or shotgun.
  » A little shop of your own.
  » A sidearm.
  » Heavy coat (warm) +1 Armor
  
  Who Are You?
  You are a hired gun, a soldier of fortune, 
  and you’ve spent your time doing things that 
  would make most folks shudder, and you’ve 
  seen things that’d make lesser folks faint. 
  Fighting is in your blood, and as long as 
  there’s conflict, you’ll pull in a paycheck. And 
  there’s always conflict.
  Name
  Jimmy DeWitt, Matt Hemphill, Mike Strong, 
  Papa Smith, Susie Franklin, Tania Moore, 
  Michelle Strong, or Mama Belle
  Look
  Choose one from eaCh Category.
  gender: Man or woman.
  Clothes: Beaten casual, fine 
  casual, ex-military, or pressed casual. 
  institutional, or crumpled casual.
  faCe: Brooding, weathered, scarred, 
  beaten, bruised, or chiseled.
  eyes: Cold, calculating, quick, 
  piercing, alert, or angry.
  Build: Athletic, slender, lithe, toned, 
  or graceful.
  Who Do You Trust?
  The
   Mercenary 
  a tremulus playBook
  Basic Moves
  aCt under pressure (roll+reason)
  When you are doing something quickly and precisely, 
  hurriedly flee, or are trying to resist something frightening, 
  roll+reason.
   On a 10+, you do it.
  On a 7–9, you flinch, hesitate, cave, or stall: the GM can 
  offer you a worse outcome, a hard bargain, or an ugly 
  choice. 
  ConvinCe (roll+affinity)
  When you have something someone wants, you can use 
  your charm, wit, or wiles to get them to do something for 
  you, roll+affinity. 
  For NPCs: 
  On a 10+, they ask you to promise something first, and do 
  it if you promise. 
  On a 7–9, they need some concrete assurance right now.
  For PCs: on a 10+, both of the following:
  »if they do it, they gain a point of Lore.
  » if they refuse, it’s acting under pressure
  On a 7–9:
  »if they refuse, it’s acting under pressure
  »On a miss, they lose a point of trust with you.
  What they do then is up to them.
  help/hinder (roll+trust)
  When you help or hinder with someone who’s making a 
  roll, roll+trust.
   On a 10+, they take +2 (help) or -2 (hinder) now. 
  On a 7–9, they take a +1 (help) or -1 (hinder) now, and 
  you expose yourself to trouble.
  On a 6 or less: they lose a point of trust with you or the 
  Keeper holds one to use as a hard move (your choice). 
  poke around (roll+luCk)
  When you poke around a place physically looking for 
  things, roll+luck. Additional attempts to search the same 
  area are made at a cumulative -1 unless the Keeper informs 
  you something substantial has changed.
   On a 10+, select 1 of the following:
  »Find 1 good item (Keeper’s choice)
  »1 minor item (your choice)
  »1 clue (+1 forward when acted upon)
  »Pick one from the table below
  On a 7–9, you may:
  »Find hidden area/threshold (in/out) (Keeper’s Choice)
  »Find minor item (Keeper’s choice)
  »Determine the presence of one physical hazard (if none 
  present, you learn that)
  On a miss, there is either nothing more in the area or the 
  Keeper may hold 1 to use as a hard move at any time.
  puzzle things out (roll+reason)
  When you face an intellectual dilemma, learn a 
  new piece of information, or discover a clue, you 
  may attempt to puzzle things out, roll+reason. 
  On a hit, you get to ask one or more questions. 
  Whenever you act on one of the Keeper’s answers, 
  take +1.
  On a 10+, Ask 3 or gain 1 Lore.
  On a 7–9, Ask 1:
  »What is this? 
  »What does this mean?
  »How can I get in/out/pass?
  »Who’s in control here?
  »Which enemy before me is the most dangerous? 
  »What is its weakness?
  »What should I keep an eye out for?
  »How does X fit into Y?
  read a person (roll+passion)
  When you read a person in a charged interaction, 
  roll+passion.
   On a 10+, hold 3. On a 7–9, hold 1. While you’re 
  interacting with them, spend your hold to ask the 
  character questions, 1 for 1:
  »Is your character telling the truth?
  »What’s your character really feeling?
  »What does your character intend to do?
  »What does your character wish I’d do?
  »How could I get your character to X?
  resort to violenCe (roll+might)
  When you cast aside all pretense of civility and 
  wish to harm your enemy, regardless of personal 
  safety, roll+might. You may wrest control of an 
  item or situation from another in this manner, 
  whether it be with fists or feet, or a more proper 
  weapon, but you do so with malice in your heart. 
  On a 10+, choose 3.
  On a 7–9, choose 2:
  »You take definite hold of it
  »You suffer little harm (-1 harm)
  »You inflict terrible harm (+1 harm)
  »You impress, dismay or frighten your enemy
  For PCs, pressing the attack when they’re 
  impressed, dismayed or frightened counts as 
  ACtiNg uNder Pressure.
  threaten (roll+might)
  When you threaten someone or something, 
  roll+might. You are physically engaging with the 
  deadly promise of violence.
   On a 10+, they have to choose 1: 
  »Force your hand and take whatever damage you 
  dish out, 
  »Back down and do what you want.
   On a 7–9, they can instead choose 1:
  »Hurriedly get out of your way
  »Barricade themselves securely in
  »Give you something they think you want
  »Back off calmly, hands where you can see
  »Tell you what you want to know (or hear)
  
   Attributes
  lore
  Wealth
    
   Health
   Sanity
  reason
  passion
  might
  luCk
  affinity
  Choose one set
  » Reason +2 Passion +1 
  Might +1 Luck +2 Affinity -3
  » Reason +1 Passion +2 
  Might +1 Luck 0 Affinity -1
  » Reason 0 Passion 0 
  Might +2 Luck +1 Affinity 0
  » Reason 0 Passion -1 
  Might +2 Luck +2 Affinity 0
  sCuffed
  Bruised
  Battered
  Broken
  grievous
  dying
  dead
  1
  5
  4
  3
  2
  6
  +
  startled
  shoCked
  disturBed
  traumatized
  hysteriC
  deranged
  insane
  1
  5
  4
  3
  2
  6
  +
  Moves
  You begin with all the basic moves.
  Choose tWo speCial moves.
  Close Quarters ComBat: You 
  are good with your hands. In a lethal 
  sense, at least. You do two additional 
  harm when fighting unarmed. You also 
  are able to block effectively, reducing 
  harm caused in melee by 1. 
  ex-military: You are able to adapt to 
  stressful situations. Increase reason by 1 
  and reduce any shock suffered by 1.  
  killer instinCt: Whenever you 
  suffer damage, make a roll+passion. 
  on a 7+, you gain +1 the next time you 
  Resort to Violence in the scene. 
  on a 10+, you also gain a point of Lore. 
  numBer one With a Bullet: 
  Whenever you are engaged in a firefight, 
  you go first and do two additional harm 
  with long and small arms. 
  stay alert, stay alive: You are 
  never caught by surprise. Should you be 
  stunned or dazed, you can shrug off the 
  condition by suffering a point of damage 
  instead. 
  your lore move is
  Blood makes the grass groW: 
  Any time you kill a target, you gain a point 
  of Lore. You may spend a point of Lore to 
  do two additional harm to any mundane 
  target. You don’t suffer shock from killing, 
  nor does the sight of dead bodies bother 
  you.
  Gear
  you start With:
  » 1d6 Wealth.  
  » Vehicle (rugged). You pick it.
  » d6 lore.
  » Rifle or two pistols
  and Choose tWo of the 
  folloWing:
  » Modified pistol (+1 resort to violenCe)
  » Heavy leather jacket (+1 armor)
  » Modified ammo (+1 harm)
  » Buck knife (+1 harm)
  »
  regarding damage
  1-2 Recovers naturally, over time.
  3
  Needs treatment to improve.
  4-5 Gets worse if untreated.
  6
  Requires immediate treatment.
  reason
  passion
  might
  luCk
  affinity
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Tremulus (PbtA)/Expansions/Tremulus - The Frozen Wasteland.pdf