TEXT: The Journey
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  The Journey©2002
  By Michael C. LaBossiere
  Ontologist@aol.com
  Call of Cthulhu
  Legal Information
  This adventure is copyright 2001 by Dr. Michael C. LaBossiere. It may be
  freely distributed for personal use provided that it is not modified and no
  fee above the normal cost of distribution is charged for it. Visit my web
  site at www.opifex.cnchost.com.Call of Cthulhu is Registered Trademark
  of Chaosium Inc. http://www.chaosium.com/cthulhu/. Chaosium Inc.
  900 Murmansk Street  Suite 5  Oakland, CA  94607.
  Introduction
  This adventure is set in Europe in the 1920s game period. In this adventure, the
  investigators delve into the mysteries of the Order of the Ancient Stone and
  attempt to learn some of its dark and horrid secrets.
  The adventure is challenging, but not overly so, and should prove suitable for a
  group of 3-7 moderately experienced investigators.
  This adventure is intended to be a continuation of the adventure “War Buddy.”
  However, with some suitable modifications it can easily be played as a stand-
  alone adventure or as part of another campaign.
  Getting the Investigators Involved
  This adventure is written on the assumption that the investigators have
  completed “War Buddy.” It is also assumed that the investigators have allied
  themselves with Father Henesey and that they have a Shard of the Stone in their
  possession. If this is not the case, the Keeper will need to arrange a suitable
  adventure so that the investigators have an ally as well as a Shard of the Stone.
  Father Henesey will tell the investigators that the Church has been engaged in
  a long struggle with various cults and other forces that are inimical to all that is
  good and holy. He himself has been involved in the struggle for some time. He
  will tell the investigators that in light of the previous events, it would be best if
  they left the country for a while. This, he will explain, is not just to help escape
  potential retaliation, but he has also been informed that there is evidence that
  additional information useful to both the investigators and himself is to be found
  in Scotland.
  Father Henesey will mention that an old friend of his, Dr. Hiram Jones, is
  involved in researching cult activities in Scotland and that he has unearthed
  information that might prove quite useful. Dr. Jones has invited Father Henesey
  to Scotland and Henesey will suggest that the investigators accompany him.
  The Journey
  Assuming the investigators agree to accompany him, Father Henesey will book
  passage on the next vessel to Scotland.
  
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  Henesey will not inform the investigators, but he will intentionally allow the
  Ancient Order of the Stone to learn which ship they are traveling on. It is a bit of
  a gamble, but Henesey hopes that the cultists will send their agents on the same
  ship. This way, the good Father hopes, the investigators will be able to confront
  and defeat the cultists before reaching Scotland. This way, reasons Henesey, it
  will be some time before the cultists will learn what happened and be able to
  react. By that time, Henesey hopes, he and the investigators will be in Scotland
  and well into their research.
  The Ship
  The ship the players have booked passage on is a mid-sized vessel that carries
  both passengers and freight. The ship, which is British, is called the John Harvey.
  It is an older ship and makes an average of twenty knots.
  The John Harvey’s accommodations are comfortable and the cabins are well
  appointed, but not luxurious. The ship has a pleasant dinning area and the ship’s
  cooks are quite skilled. Passengers can amuse themselves at the ship’s bar or by
  playing some of the shipboard games or engaging in the various recreational
  activities offered.
  Actions Aboard Ship
  Just as Henesey hopes, cultists from the Order of the Stone will be onboard the
  ship.
  The lead cultist, Daniel West, will spend some time checking out the
  investigators. Once the ship is far out to sea (and out of the range of help) Daniel
  West and his cultists will stage an attack. West will begin the attack by activating
  his Shudos disk. This will disable the ship’s compass and communication
  equipment. Once the disk has been activated, Daniel West and his followers will
  quietly capture some passengers and use their blood to summon Lesser Blood
  Vortexes. Once West has summoned the Lesser Blood Vortexes, he will turn
  them against the investigators and the crew.
  Out at sea, with no working electronics, the investigators can expect to receive
  no outside help.
  Conclusion
  If the investigators are defeated, West will question them, then kill them. If the
  investigators win, they might have the chance to interrogate West.
  If the investigators are able to save the ship, the passengers, crew and owners
  will be grateful. The investigators should also receive a modest 1D3 Sanity
  Award.
  Assuming the investigators survive, the adventure continues in the next in the
  series: “The Bog.”
  NPCs
  Father Ronald Henesey, Catholic Priest
  STR: 12 CON:13  SIZ:13  INT:14  POW:15 DEX: 13 APP:12  EDU: 19 SAN: 72
  HP: 13
  DB:+1D4
  
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  Note: If the investigators have completed “War Buddy,” then they will already
  know Father Henesey. If his adventure is being run on its own, the Keeper will
  need to introduce him.
  Description:  Henesey is forty years old, but still in excellent shape. He has black
  hair and brown eyes. He has a thick beard and a scar on the left side of his face,
  from a shell fragment. Henesey is a member of a society that has been fighting
  against the evil and madness of cults like Blake’s for centuries.
  Henesey is a brave man and is not afraid of combat, having served in the war
  before taking his vows.
  Important Skills: Climb 55%, Cthulhu Mythos 6%, Credit Rating 34%, Dodge
  37%, Fast Talk 35%, Hide 21%, History 35%, Library Use 55%, Natural History
  25%, Occult 65%, Latin 55%, Persuade 55%, Rifle 55%
  Spells: Create Silver Blood
  Weapon: .45 Automatic 51% Damage 1D10+2 Range 15 Yards Attacks 1 Shots 7.
  Items: Silver Blood in a silver flask, the Shard (if the investigators do not have it).
  Daniel West, Cultist
  STR: 12 CON:15  SIZ:14  INT:15  POW:17 DEX: 13 APP:14  EDU: 19 SAN: 00 HP:
  15
  DB: +1D4
  Description: West has brown hair, brown eyes and a friendly, honest-looking
  face. He does his best to appear as a pleasant, young American lawyer. While he
  is a young American lawyer, he is anything but pleasant. In actuality he is a
  member of the Order of the Ancient Stone who has been charged with
  eliminating the investigators and recovering the shard taken by Jack Meredith.
  West is only a junior member of the order. Hence, he only knows very little
  about what is going on. However, he has complete faith in (and fear of) Lance
  Blake and will be unwilling to tell even what little he does know, regardless of
  how the investigators might threaten him.
  Important Skills: Cthulhu Mythos 20%, Fast Talk 56%, Hide 34%, Law 64%,
  Occult 55%, Persuade 55%, Sneak 42%
  Spells: Summon Lesser Blood Vortex , Bind Lesser Blood Vortex
  Weapon: .32 Automatic 52% Damage 1D8 Range 15 Yards Attacks 2
  Shots 8
  Items: Shard Ring, Shudos disk.
  The Cultists, Faithful Muscle
  Description: The cultists are cannon fodder for Daniel West. Three of them will
  have knifes and one has a hidden .38. They will use better weapons should they
  become available. The cultists are convinced that their cult, the Brothers of the
  Stone, will eventually have great power. They do not know that the Brothers of
  the Stone is essentially a front used by the Order of the Ancient Stone to recruit
  gullible cannon fodder for dangerous jobs. If defeated and questioned, the
  cultists will give a variety of unusual answers. For example, they claim to serve
  the Stone God of Babylon who will drive out the God of Moses and give them
  the keys to the world. They know nothing of the true purposes of the Order of
  the Ancient Stone or even that it exists at all.
  
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  The Cultists
  Characteristics
  #1
  #2
  #3
  #4
  STR
  13
  13
  16
  12
  CON
  12
  15
  13
  13
  SIZ
  12
  16
  16
  14
  INT
  10
  10
  11
  13
  POW
  9
  9
  12
  11
  DEX
  12
  11
  13
  14
  HP
  12
  16
  15
  14
  Damage Bonus
  +1D4
  +1D4
  +1D4
  +1D4
  Weapon
  Knife 61%
  1D4+2+db
  Knife 55%
  1D4+2+db
  Knife 58%
  1D4+2+db
  .38 Revolver
  23% 1D10
  15 yard base
  range, 6 shots,
  Attacks 2.
  Mythos Beings
  Lesser Blood Vortex, Lesser Servitor Race
  Description: Blood Vortexes are terrible beings that must be summoned through
  a special blood ritual (see below). In their natural state, Blood Vortexes are loci of
  energy and malign intelligence that dwell in the empty places of space. When
  summoned, they form swirling bodies from the spilled blood of the victims used
  in the ritual.
  Blood Vortexes move by flying and are remarkably fast and agile. In combat,
  they slash out with pseudopodia of blood. These tendrils rip at their victims and
  pull blood from their veins. These attacks inflict 1D6 damage per hit. In addition,
  the blood can be used to strengthen a Blood Vortex. A Blood Vortex’s hit points
  increases by one point for every two points of damage it inflicts.
  Blood Vortexes are themselves resistant to most forms of physical damage
  (being liquid and energy). They sustain only minimal damage from physical
  attacks. Attacks that do damage on a large scale (like explosions) and attacks that
  are especially effective against liquids (such as flame-throwers) will do normal
  damage.  At the Keeper’s discretion, other forms of attacks (like high-pressure
  water hoses) might prove effective.
  Characteristics
  Rolls
  Averages
  #1
  #2
  STR
  2D6
  7
  8
  9
  CON
  3D6
  10-11
  13
  12
  SIZ
  2D6
  7
  8
  10
  INT
  3D6
  7
  7
  6
  POW
  2D6
  7
  8
  5
  DEX
  5D6
  17
  21
  22
  HP
  10-11
  14
  14
  Damage Bonus
  0
  0
  0
  Move: 10
  Weapons: Tear 60% Damage 1D6
  
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  Armor: None, but mundane weapons inflict only minimal damage. They sustain
  full damage from enchanted weapons and spells. They also regenerate (see
  above).
  Spells: None
  Sanity Loss: 0/1D6 Sanity Points to see a Lesser Blood Vortex.
  Spells & Items
  Create Silver Blood
  Knowledge of the ritual to create silver blood enables the caster to transform a
  mixture of mercury, iron shavings, and a small portion of his own blood into
  silver blood. The ritual takes three hours of mixing and tracing symbols and
  patterns into the fluid. The caster must expend six magic points to create enough
  silver blood to coat the cutting edges of about six knifes, or about twenty small
  projectiles, such as arrowheads. There is no sanity cost for creating silver blood.
  Summon/Bind Lesser Blood Vortex
  This ritual requires an intelligent humanoid with blood flowing in its veins. As
  the ritual is cast, the caster slashes the victim’s throat with a knife. As the blood
  gushes forth, the caster makes a rapid circular gesture with his hand which
  causes the blood to act very strangely. Instead of merely spilling down the
  victim’s chest, the blood will be sucked up rapidly,  float, and then spin rapidly.
  During this time the victim, if still living, will lose a hit point every five seconds.
  If the ritual succeeds, within a matter of a few minutes, a small rift will appear in
  the fabric of space-time and a horrid entity will enter and inform the blood,
  creating a Lesser Blood Vortex. The magic cost varies. For each point used, the
  chance of success increases by 10%. A result of 96-00 is a failure. Casting the spell
  also costs 1D3 Sanity points. Once bound, the Lesser Blood Vortex will obey the
  caster. If the binding fails, the Lesser Blood Vortex will attack the nearest living
  creature in search of blood.
  Items
  Shudos Disk: A Shudos Disk is a rare item that is designed to interfere with
  compasses and electronic means of communication and detection as well as
  magnetic compasses. The device might be a form of Mi-Go technology. A disk
  appears a a metallic disk with an odd oily feel to it. A disk is deeply engraved
  with odd symbols and has a clear stone in the center. When activated, a disk will
  begin to consume itself. As the disk “burns,” it will disrupt compasses, radios,
  and similar devices within 100 kilometers. People within the area of effect will
  “hear” an extremely faint humming noise that is very easy to ignore. The hum
  stems from the effect of the disk’s field on the human nervous system. A Shudos
  Disk is activated by holding the central stone and sending a mental command.
  Once activated a disk will “burn” for twelve hours, leaving behind an oily,
  metallic ash.
  Silver Blood: Silver blood is an enchanted mixture of mercury, iron and more
  exotic items. It is a thick fluid which will cling tenaciously to almost every metal
  
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  except silver. It is known as silver blood because it looks like liquid silver with
  thin veins of red fluid (which is actually blood). When used to coat a weapon or
  projectile, it enables the weapon or projectile to act as an enchanted weapon. The
  first attack with a coated melee weapon will do full damage, the second attack
  half damage, and the third one quarter. After that, the silver blood will have
  come off the weapon. Coated projectiles can be used once. If a projectile hits, it
  will do full damage and the silver blood will be left in/on the target. If the
  projectile misses, the silver blood will most likely come off on whatever is hit.
  If a weapon or projectile is coated with silver blood, but it is not used within
  about 15 minutes, the silver blood will gradually drip from the weapon or
  projectile. Steps may be taken to prevent this from happening, such as pushing
  the silver blood back onto the weapon or projectile. The effectiveness of such
  methods is left up to the Keeper.
  Shard of the Stone
  This shard is from one of the legendary six stones. The shard appears to be made
  of gray slate, but it has an odd metallic sheen to it. It is cool, almost cold to the
  touch. If a person touches it or even gets within a few inches of the stone, strange
  images will gradually appear in the person’s mind. The images will grow
  stronger the longer a person holds it. The images appear to be mathematical and
  geometric symbols, odd curving marks and anomalies of space-time, and brief,
  but horrific, manifestations of indescribable things. If a person holds the shard
  for longer than fifteen minutes, the images will manifest strongly enough to
  affect the person’s mind. For every fifteen minutes the person holds the stone,
  the investigator must make a Sanity check. If the roll fails, the investigator loses 1
  point of Sanity. A successful roll results in no sanity loss. While the stone is held,
  the person will receive, in addition to the maddening images, images that
  indicate where the full stone is located. For every fifteen minutes the shard is
  held, the investigator should roll 1D10 and note the results. This is the percent
  chance the person holding the shard will receive a useful clue to the location of
  the stone. The chance of receiving a useful clue is cumulative, so the longer a
  person holds the shard, the more likely it is that they will receive a useful clue.
  Of course, the person will be risking his sanity in the attempt.
  The effects of the shard are blocked by lead, which is why Henesey keeps the
  shard in a lead-lined box.
  Shard Ring
  A shard ring consists of a band of lead (to keep the shard from contacting the
  skin of the wearer) with a tiny shard of one of the six stones. In addition to
  producing the effects described above, a shard ring has been prepared in such a
  way that it can detect the stones or shards of them. The shard can detect another
  shard within one kilometer by creating a faint pulling sensation in the general
  direction of the shard. A full stone can be detected within 10 kilometers. The
  shard is not very specific in its indications. For example, it would not pull
  directly towards a person who had a shard. A shard ring can be worn and used
  by anyone, but unless a person knows what the ring is for and how to use it
  (clear their mind and hold out the hand in a relaxed manner) it will not be
  recognized as a special item.
  
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  Full members of the Ancient Order of the Stone are given a Shard Ring as a mark
  of their position and a means of finding shards and the stones themselves.
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Call of Cthulhu (CoC) (BRP) [multi]/Adventures/1920s/CoC - 1920s - Adv - The Journey (.pdf