TEXT: SinkHole©1999
  By Michael C. LaBossiere
  Ontologist@aol.com
  Call of Cthulhu
  Legal Information
  This adventure is copyright 1999
  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 Chaosium Inc's
  registered trademark for their game
  of horror and wonder in the worlds
  of HP Lovecraft. For more
  information, contact Chaosium Inc.,
  950-A 56th St, Oakland, CA 94608 --
  or call us at 510-595-2440. Visit
  Chaosium's web page at
  www.chaosium.com/cthulhu/.
  Introduction
  This adventure is set in Wakulla,
  Florida in the 1990s. With some
  slight modifications it can be used in
  other times and places.
  The adventure pits the intrepid
  investigators against a cult dedicated
  to aiding an underground aquatic
  evil.
  Keeper’s Background
  The following provide the
  background information the Keeper
  needs to run the adventure.
  Untold eons ago the earth was
  visited by strange and terrible
  beings. Among these was the horrid
  entity Tulushuggua. Tulushuggua
  found the water filled crevices of the
  earth to its liking and squirmed its
  way deep into the earth’s crust.
  There Tulushuggua spawned its
  brood of Tulush who spread out
  through the dark caverns in search
  of food.
  When man arose he encountered
  the Tulush. Some men, impressed by
  the power of the creatures,
  worshipped them and formed cults.
  Most of these cults eventually
  perished, but some lived on in
  various isolated parts of the world.
  Several years ago, a promising
  young graduate student named
  Hayes encountered one of these cults
  and found their activities appealing.
  With his abilities, Hayes was able to
  contact more sophisticated cults with
  a worldwide agenda. Drawn into the
  madness, Hayes agreed to work for
  the cults and chose to go back to his
  beginnings by reviving a
  Tulushuggua cult.
  Hayes needed a place to locate his
  cult and he was able to purchase a
  plot of land in Wakulla, Florida.
  Naturally, he selected a piece of land
  with a sinkhole so that he might
  contact the Tulush.
  Hayes selected Janet Reuben to aid
  him in his endeavors. When Hayes
  realized he needed help to lure
  people into his planned cult, he
  sought Pete Smith, a religious con
  man. Smith turned out to be
  something of a disappointment for
  Hayes, which is where the adventure
  begins.
  Getting the PCs Involved
  One of the investigators will be
  contacted by a distant cousin,
  “Preaching” Pete Smith.  Smith, who
  has been helped out by the
  investigator before (the Keeper will
  need to make up a plausible story)
  will naturally seek the aid of his
  relative again. Smith will tell the
  following tale:
  “As you no doubt recall, I have
  always been a religious man.
  
  Recently I heard God’s calling and
  answered by leading a flock of the
  faithful to a parcel of land in Florida.
  There we kept the faith and sought
  spiritual enlightenment.
  All was going well, but two of my
  fellow preachers decided that it was
  time to try something new. They got
  into terrible things. Blasphemous
  things. I tried to steer them back onto
  the path of the righteous, but they
  heeded not my words. Eventually I
  was driven out, but not before
  acquiring some of the books they
  seemed to use for inspiration. I
  paged through the books but briefly,
  but the horrors within nearly
  bleached my hair white.
  I considered going to the
  authorities, but I realized how crazy
  my story would sound. And, of
  course, they haven’t really broken
  any laws.
  They might just be harmless
  lunatics, but I have a feeling they are
  up to something terrible. Maybe
  something like what happened with
  Jim Jones or in Waco.
  You are the only one I could think
  of to turn to, to save my poor lost
  flock.”
  The investigator will recall that
  Smith did have some religious
  leanings, but that he leaned more
  towards the con game. However, it
  will be recalled that Smith wasn’t
  really a bad sort and he will sound
  sincere. If the investigator agrees to
  help, Smith will join up with the
  investigators and start them on their
  investigation.
  Investigation
  The following details the
  information the investigators can
  acquire during the course of their
  investigation
  Smith
  It is likely that Smith will be the
  starting point of the investigation.
  He will be able to provide the
  investigators with the following
  information:
  “I was down on my luck and short
  of cash when the good Lord brought
  an opportunity to me. Two fellow
  believers, or so I regarded them at
  the time, came to me and spoke of
  their desire to establish a place for
  the faithful. These two, Daniel Hayes
  and Janet Reuben, said that they
  owned a piece of land in Florida that
  would be ideal for a religious retreat.
  They informed me that I had been
  chosen for my reputation for gaining
  the trust of other faithful individuals.
  To make a long story short, we went
  to Florida, where the land was
  located and began constructing our
  little earthly city on the hill.
  All went well for several months as
  the faithful came and renounced
  their worldly goods so that they
  might join us. Then things began to
  get weird. Hayes and Reuben began
  to preach about the end times to
  come, but what they said wasn’t in
  the Good Book. They spoke of those
  who once were and shall be again
  and how those who join the winning
  side will survive and those who do
  not…well, they won’t survive.
  I was concerned about all this, but
  Hayes was able to sooth my fears.
  But not for long. About three months
  ago Hayes had the faithful start
  digging into a sinkhole that is on the
  grounds. Eventually, they built a
  concrete dome over it. At night
  Hayes led strange masses in the
  dome. I considered confronting him,
  but one of the few remaining faithful
  fellows warned me that Hayes
  meant to deal with me. I took his
  warning seriously and made good
  my escape, taking with me some
  
  books and other items that Hayes
  seemed to value.”
  Smith will be able to provide
  additional useful information, such
  as descriptions of Hayes and Reuben
  and the layout of the compound.
  Smith knows that Hayes and Reuben
  are up to something very unusual
  and potentially quite dangerous. He
  has just skimmed through Hayes’
  books, but it was enough to convince
  him not to read more.
  Hayes Books and Items
  Smith took ten books, several
  papers and a floor from Hayes.(
  Handout #1) is actually a map of the
  caves under the compound. The tile
  is a normal floor tile, except for the
  etched map on the surface.
  Seven of the books that Smith
  acquired are fairly standard occult
  works and contain nothing of use to
  the investigators (at least in terms of
  this adventure). Two of the books
  are mostly useless, but do contain
  some interesting references.
  Conveniently, Hayes dog-eared the
  pages that should interest the
  investigators.
  The first book, Old Cults of Mystery
  (1921 by Able Hastings) contains the
  following:
  “There are a few references to
  ‘those who dwell beneath the earth,
  yet swim rather than burrow’ and all
  of them are disturbing. It is said that
  a great evil god dwelled within the
  “aquatic crevices” of the earth and
  sent his minions to the surface to
  have dealings with certain corrupt
  men. The most complete work on
  this topic is contained within
  Humbolt’s Forbidden Cults.”
  The second book, Forbidden Cults
  (1901 by Brian Humbolt), contains
  references to several cults around the
  world who worshipped a being
  called Tulushuggua. According to
  Humbolt this being, which dwelled
  deep within the earth, was served by
  hideous demons called Tulush.
  Humbolt describes the Tulush as a
  horrid mix between eels and squid
  and he does not even attempt to
  describe the horror of Tulushuggua.
  While Humbolt’s work is
  surprisingly objective and scientific
  (a successful occult roll will indicate
  that the investigator remembers that
  Humbolt committed suicide in an
  asylum in England), he does wander
  a bit into rather unusual
  speculations. One of the oddest is his
  hypothesis that the various cults
  who worshipped Tulushuggua did
  not come about their beliefs in any
  normal manner. He asserts that these
  remote and isolated cults were
  actually linked together by flooded
  underground caves through which
  the Tulush traveled. Humbolt asserts
  that this is the best explanation as to
  how such scattered cults could have
  nearly identical rituals and beliefs.
  Needless to say, this hypothesis was
  ridiculed by the majority of those
  who read it. However, Humbolt was
  completely right. Reading the more
  speculative and unusual parts of the
  book costs the reader 0/1 Sanity and
  gains the reader a 1% increase in
  Cthulhu Mythos.
  Smith also grabbed several loose
  pages that seemed important to
  Hayes. These pages are in English,
  but contain many unusual symbols.
  An occult roll will reveal that many
  of the symbols bear some similarity
  with occult symbols, mostly those
  alleged to deal with earth, caverns,
  water and summoning. A Know roll
  will also reveal that many of the
  symbols seem to be mathematical
  and geometrical. A successful
  Physics roll will reveal that some of
  the symbols bear a resemblance to
  certain unusual equations relating to
  
  space and time. The pages contain
  the spell contact Tulush as well as
  some vivid descriptions of the ways
  and practices of the Tulush. Reading
  the pages gives the reader a chance
  to learn the spell at the cost of 1/1D3
  Sanity Points and a 1% increase in
  Cthulhu Mythos.
  Another Source
  If the investigators decide to look
  for additional references in a large
  library (such as the one at Florida
  State) they can locate a small
  reference in Gerald Jone’s 1966 Odd
  Florida. “In addition to the pleasant
  tale of the fountain of youth, there
  are many not so pleasant Spanish
  tales. One story speaks of a small
  band of Spanish soldiers who set out
  from Fort San Marcos in search of
  another party of men who had failed
  to return. Based on the references to
  sinkholes, it is likely that these men
  reached the area now known as
  Wakulla. The men supposedly
  encountered one of the missing men.
  The man was crazed and spoke of
  the ‘devil’ that dwelt within the
  water filled hollows. He told the
  soldiers how something lashed out
  of the water, dragging his fellows
  into the hole. He said that there was
  so much blood that all the holes in
  the area were tinted red. When the
  man was brought back to the fort, all
  he could do was recite the following:
  ‘veins run through the earth and her
  blood is water. Things swim in her
  blood…things that should not be.’ It
  is said that the man was sent back to
  Spain and died twenty years latter in
  a monastery, still reciting the
  words.”
  Investigating in Wakulla and
  Tallahassee
  The investigators might decide to
  seek additional information in
  Wakulla and Tallahassee.
  Investigators might chose to talk to
  people in Wakulla and Tallahassee
  (the capital of Florida, which is a
  short distance from Wakulla. People
  have heard that a new cult/religion
  has taken up residence in Wakulla.
  The general consensus is that the
  people are weird, but harmless.
  Some people, in light of Waco, are
  worried and local law enforcement
  has been keeping a subtle eye on the
  compound. However, the members
  of the group, who call themselves
  the faithful, have done nothing
  illegal.
  Tallahassee’s local paper, The
  Democrat did an article on the group,
  but it is more or less a fluff piece.
  If the investigators spend some
  time in Wakulla and speak with the
  locals, they will notice that a few of
  the locals suspect that something
  amiss is going one. One local, Ralph
  Brown, even caught a glimpse of a
  Tulush in a sinkhole. If the
  investigators win his trust, the
  retired electrician will tell the
  following story: “I was out walking
  my dog at the sinks when he started
  barking and growling at something
  in the water. I thought it might have
  been a gator that managed to get in
  there, but then I saw it was bigger
  than any gator I’d ever seen. Then it
  dove under. I waited about forty
  minutes for it to come up, but it
  never did.”
  The Faithful
  The investigators might decide to
  talk to some of the faithful or even
  visit the compound. The faithful
  rarely leave the compound, except
  for brief trips to purchase food and
  other necessities. The faithful will be
  willing to talk about the great joys of
  
  being one of the faithful, but have
  been carefully schooled not to reveal
  anything incriminating. If the
  investigators seem unusual or
  suspicious, the faithful will be sure
  to report to Hayes.
  If the investigators are persuasive
  and are able to convince one of the
  cult leaders that they are interested
  in joining, they can be taken on a
  tour of the compound. Naturally, the
  cultists will be careful to conceal any
  evidence of unusual activities.
  The investigators might wish to try
  to go under cover in the cult. This is
  possible, but very risky as the cult
  leaders will try to drive new recruits
  insane (and hence trustworthy) as
  soon as possible.
  Hayes and Reuben
  If the investigators are able to get
  access to the relevant records or
  contact people who knew him (the
  exact details are left to the Keeper’s
  discretion) they can learn that Hayes
  was a promising young
  anthropologist at the University of
  Michigan. After working on a project
  investigating cults, he suddenly
  dropped out of school and began
  associating with various cults
  around the world.
  There is little information available
  on Reuben, except that she worked
  for a short time as a minor actress
  (mainly bit parts and commercials).
  She does have a police record: one
  arrest for possession of illegal drugs.
  The police report also notes that she
  was arrested with several other
  people who were said to be members
  of a cult.
  The Diver
  Because of the deep spring and the
  fact that mammoth bones have been
  found there, Wakulla Springs is a
  site that is sometimes investigated by
  divers and researchers. There is
  currently a minor project going on
  during the time span of the
  adventure. Unfortunately for the
  project members, hungry Tulush are
  active in the area.
  While the investigators are in the
  process of investigating two divers
  in the Wakulla caves will encounter
  a Tulush. One will be killed and the
  other will barely escape. The
  Tallahassee Democrat will run a story
  on the event. The following section
  will be of interest to the
  investigators:
  “Tragedy in Wakulla Springs:
  Diving in Wakulla Springs is a
  dangerous undertaking and recent
  events brought this fact home. Two
  experienced divers, Charles Walters
  and Reginald Brisk, went into the
  caves after taking extensive
  precautions. Tragically, only Charles
  Walters emerged from the dark
  waters. A local man, Timothy
  Springer , found the diver
  wandering in the woods and
  promptly took him to the
  Tallahassee Memorial Hospital…”
  If the investigators talk to Timothy
  Springer, they will find that he
  seems to be a friendly and
  conscientious person. Springer
  works in a local bank and enjoys
  walking  going to the park after
  work. If the investigators talk to
  Springer, he will have the following
  to say:
  “I was in the woods, looking at
  some birds when I saw a man in a
  wet suit wandering about the woods.
  He seemed to be injured, so I went to
  help him. When I got closer, he
  started yelling something about a
  monster in the spring. I figured he
  might have gotten the bends, since
  the spring is actually quite deep. So I
  rushed him to the hospital. I’ve seen
  
  him a couple times since then and he
  seems much better.”
  If the investigators go to see
  Walters, they will have to talk the
  nurse into allowing them to visit (by
  using Fast Talk). If they get into his
  room, Walters will be willing to talk
  to the investigators if they are
  pleasant and have a plausible story.
  His initial story will be that he and
  his friend simply had a diving
  accident and that he got the bends
  when he rushed to the surface
  because he was out of air.
  If an investigator makes a
  Psychology roll, it will be noticed
  that Walters appears to be uncertain
  about his answer and that he might
  be hiding something.
  If the investigators are able to
  persuade Walters, he will tell the
  following story after making the
  investigators promise not to repeat
  it:
  “Okay, I didn’t run out of air. We
  were diving in the springs and we
  had spare tanks set up so we could
  decompress on the way up. We
  weren’t in that deep anyway. Well,
  what seemed to have happened was
  this: Reggie was out of ahead of me
  and going deeper when his light
  picked up something. Something
  bigger than a man and moving. At
  first I thought it was a big gator, but
  they don’t go that deep, at least
  when they are alive. It came in fast
  and I got a better look at the parts
  that Reggie’s light revealed. I could
  see tentacles, teeth, and flippers. I
  could see Reggie panic and flail at it
  with his light, then the light was
  falling to the bottom, its spinning
  beam illuminating a new moment of
  horror with each rotation…the water
  went red…the beam was going
  through red tinted water…I broke
  for the surface as fast as I could. The
  next thing I remember was waking
  up here. It all seems like a
  nightmare, and I’m not sure if any of
  it happened. It might just be some
  sort of hallucination.”
  Walters will not be willing to say
  much more than this and will
  probably not be able to recover in
  time to be of any help to the
  investigators. If word gets out that
  Walters thinks he saw a monster,
  Hayes might decide to either
  eliminate Walters or try to take steps
  to cause people to suspect that
  Walters might have killed his friend.
  If the investigators check on the
  official investigation, they will learn
  (if they are suitably persuasive) that
  accidents have happened in the
  springs and that no sort of wrong
  doing is suspected, Some attempts
  have been made to locate recover the
  body of the missing diver, but with
  no luck (since the Tulush devoured
  it).
  Map
  The adventure takes place mainly
  in Wakulla. Wakulla is short distance
  from Tallahassee, which is the
  capital. Tallahassee is a small city
  with an airport, two universities
  (Florida State and Florida A&M),
  two malls and not too much else.
  Wakulla is a fairly rustic area and
  is best known for its sinkholes and
  Wakulla Springs State Park,  which
  contains a beautiful stretch of river
  fed by a natural spring. The area is
  populated by a wide variety of
  wildlife, including many alligators.
  The area is most famous for the
  mammoth bones found in the spring
  and the various films that were shot
  there (various Tarzan films, one
  Airport Film, and the Creature from
  the Black Lagoon).
  Compound Map
  
  The compound is located in a
  wooded and isolated area of
  Wakulla. The compound is
  surrounded by a six-foot high
  wooden fence. During the day the
  cultists spend their time doing
  various chores and participating in
  various rituals. At night the cultists
  sometimes participate in rituals, but
  they generally tend to turn in early.
  The guard posts at the corners of the
  compound are manned twenty four
  hours a day.
  1. Guard Post: The guard posts
  are wooden towers with metal
  plates reinforcing the wooden
  walls. Each post is equipped
  with a small search light. There
  is always at least one armed
  cult “tough” in each guard post.
  2. Parking lot: The cult vehicles,
  an assortment of cars and
  trucks, are kept here.
  3. Restroom and kitchen: One half
  of building contains showers,
  toilets and sinks. The other half
  contains a large kitchen and
  4. Barracks: This is the sleeping
  and living area for the cult
  members. It is broken into three
  sections. One section is for the
  male cult members, the second
  is for the female cult members
  and the last section is a
  common area/dinning area.
  The barracks is typically empty
  during the day, except for meal
  times and when the cultists are
  cleaning.
  5. Temple: This is the cults normal
  worship area. It is laid out like a
  church, with an altar area at one
  end and pews in the main area.
  The religious motif is Christian,
  to provide a plausible cover for
  the cult. The cultists conduct
  their normal rituals in the
  temple. The rituals involve
  unusual chants that bear no
  resemblance to main stream
  religions (this will be obvious to
  nearly anyone who hears or
  sees a ritual). Naturally, the cult
  members do not conduct their
  true rituals in front of outsiders.
  6. Hayes’ House: Hayes and
  Reuben live in this house. The
  house has four rooms: a living
  room, two bedrooms and a
  bathroom. Since Smith stole
  Hayes’ books and papers, there
  are no books to be found. Hayes
  does have a PC with an internet
  connection. The hard drive
  contains encrypted files, one of
  which contains the same
  information as to be found in
  the stolen papers. The other
  files contain cult records and
  such. Because Hayes has used a
  commercial encrypting
  program, the files are almost
  certainly inaccessible to the
  investigators. There are various
  emails from other cultists
  around the world on the hard
  drive.  However, the email
  addresses are all through
  services such as Hotmail and
  Yahoo (and hence impossible to
  trace) and the emails are all in a
  code that makes the email seem
  innocuous or even spam. If an
  investigator chooses to try to
  find some sort of code, the
  process will take 1D4+4 months
  of dedicated work. The
  investigators might take the
  code to an expert, which would
  save them a great deal of time.
  If the emails are decoded, then
  the investigators will be able to
  gain some useful information
  that could well lead to other
  adventures (at the Keeper’s
  discretion).
  7. The Dome: The dome is made
  of concrete and reinforced with
  
  steel. The is only one door in,
  which is made of steel and
  equipped with a state of the art
  lock. The interior consists of a
  narrow ledge around the pool
  in the center. There is diving
  gear in the dome and the pool
  leaves into the caves detailed on
  their own map.
  Caves Map
  The caves are accessed via the
  concrete dome in the compound. The
  caves are mostly natural, but have
  clearly been worked on with tools in
  places.
  1. Pool: This pool was clearly
  shaped by tools. It leads down
  into the actual caves.
  2. Tunnels: These caves lead off
  deep into the earth. If the
  investigators go down them,
  they might well get lost,
  especially if they are not
  experienced cave divers. Hayes
  has mapped out the tunnels
  and has an escape path that
  leads to nearby sinkhole.
  3. Chamber: This chamber shows
  signs of having been worked
  with tools. There is a tunnel
  that goes far into the earth in
  the center. This is where the
  Tulush come when they are
  called. On the floor of the
  chamber is a locked waterproof
  case that contains an enchanted
  iron rod (3 points of POW in it).
  This is the rod that Hayes uses
  to summon the Tuush. If the
  investigators touch the rod,
  there is a 50% chance a Tulush
  will be close enough to sense
  this. The Tulush will rush into
  the chamber, ready to tear the
  investigators into bite sized
  morsels.
  Action
  While it is not possible to predict
  the exact actions of the players, the
  following guidelines should prove
  helpful to the Keeper.
  Diving
  Aquatic minded investigators
  might elect to dive in Wakulla
  Springs in search of what might have
  attacked the divers. Since the park is
  a state park, the investigators will
  either need to get permission (which
  might prove difficult in light of the
  recent episode) or sneak in. The
  spring is extremely deep and if the
  investigators are limited by SCUBA,
  they will not make it that far. If they
  use a remote submersible or a
  similar device, they have a slight
  chance of finding the dive light (the
  battery is dead) and perhaps some
  other pieces of the diver’s
  equipment.
  If the investigators decide to try to
  poison the springs or use explosives,
  they stand an excellent chance of
  being arrested. Also, such tactics
  would do a great deal of harm to the
  native life. In any case, the Tulush
  are unlikely to be affected by such
  tactics.
  The Keeper will need to decide
  whether the investigators encounter
  a Tulush or not. The chances of this
  happening are fairly slight, unless
  the investigators take appropriate
  steps to attract their attention (such
  as by using the spell). Needless to
  say, an encounter with a Tulush in
  the water would probably prove
  extremely dangerous.
  Provoking the Cult
  If the investigators take action that
  arouses the suspicion of the cultists,
  they will take steps to learn more
  about what the investigators are
  
  doing. If Hayes perceives the
  investigators as a threat, he will take
  steps to deal with them. Hayes will
  begin with some subtle attempts,
  such as sabotaging their vehicles or
  trying to get them arrested. If that
  doesn’t work, he will take steps to
  hire some local criminals to take care
  of the investigators (use the statistics
  for the cultist toughs).
  If the investigators are able to
  survive these attempts, Hayes will
  increase his efforts. If he gets truly
  desperate, he will try to lure the
  investigators into the concrete dome
  in the compound so that the Tulush
  he will call can kill them. As a lure,
  Hayes will probably have Reuben
  pretend to turn against the cult. Her
  story will be that Hayes is planning
  to sacrifice a volunteer from the cult.
  If asked why she isn’t going to the
  police, Reuben will say that she fears
  that the police will not believe her
  and that even if they did believe her,
  the cultists would deny everything,
  including the sacrifice.
  Attacking the Cultists
  More aggressive investigators
  might decide to simply attack the
  cultists. The compound will prove to
  be a somewhat difficult target, since
  it is protected by a fence, guard posts
  and armed cultists.
  If the investigators attack, the
  cultists will defend themselves. If
  given enough warning, Hayes will
  call the police on his cell phone.
  Unless the investigators have been
  able to win over the police, the
  authorities will aid Hayes.
  The Subtle Approach
  More subtle investigators might
  take a less direct approach. For
  example, they might attempt to find
  enough evidence to get the police to
  arrest Hayes. They might also
  fabricate evidence and get the
  authorities to intervene. They might
  also attempt to win over enough of
  the locals so that they will be able to
  have a free hand against the cultists.
  Or they might go to the heart of the
  matter and simply take Hayes and
  Reuben out of the picture. If they are
  killed or otherwise dealt with, the
  cult will collapse.
  Conclusion
  The adventure comes to an end
  when either the cultists or the
  investigators are defeated.
  The investigators are defeated if
  they are killed or driven away. In
  this case, Hayes will continue to
  expand his cult until he is eventually
  able to purchase and control a large
  part of the era. Hayes success will
  bring in other, more powerful
  individuals and evil will flourish in
  this part of Florida. Thus, any
  surviving investigators who return
  will face an even greater challenge.
  If the investigators defeat Hayes
  and the cult, they should receive a
  1D6 Sanity point award. Keepers
  should also give a few additional
  points if the investigators manage to
  defeat the Tulush in the area. The
  investigators should receive a lower
  award if they defeat Hayes through
  brutal means, such as murdering all
  the cultists.
  Depending on how the
  investigators defeat Hayes, they
  might be well regarded in the area or
  wanted criminals. If the investigators
  handle the situation well, the local
  people will be very pleased and will
  be willing to help the investigators in
  the future. If the investigators handle
  the situation badly (excessive
  violence or injuring local people)
  they might end up as wanted men.
  
  The Keeper might wish to use this
  adventure as a lead in to “Pines &
  Sunshine” (in this issue). This can be
  done by making some of the data on
  Hayes’ computer information
  relevant to “Pines & Sunshine.”
  NPCs
  The following details the NPCs the
  investigators are likely to encounter.
  In most cases only the NPC’s
  relevant skills are listed.
  “Preaching” Pete Smith, Religious
  Con Man
  STR
  13
  CON
  14
  SIZ
  14
  INT
  13
  POW
  13
  DEX
  13
  APP
  13
  EDU
  14
  SAN
  62
  HP
  14
  DB
  +1D4
  Description: Smith is a middle-aged
  man with graying hair. He looks
  extremely trustworthy and has a
  smooth, pleasant voice. Smith is a
  con man who favors the religious
  angle. Despite his tendency to be
  obsessed with money, Smith is not
  an entirely bad sort of person. He
  considers his experience with Hayes
  a bit of a revelation and feels
  obligated to undo the wrong he
  helped to create.
  Relevant Skills: Fast Talk 65%, Law
  32%, Library Use 37%, Occult 48%,
  Persuade 60%
  Daniel Hayes, Cult Leader
  STR
  13
  CON
  14
  SIZ
  15
  INT
  16
  POW
  17
  DEX
  13
  APP
  14
  EDU
  17
  SAN
  00
  HP
  15
  DB
  +1D4
  Description: Hayes is a moderately
  handsome man who has reddish
  blonde hair and a disarming smile.
  Behind the smile dwells a sharp, but
  evil mind. Hayes, a former
  anthropology student, is now
  dedicated to the cause of his new
  masters, the hidden and unknown
  heads of the various secret cults that
  threaten the sanity and lives of
  mankind. Hayes prefers to solve his
  problems with subtlety and
  intelligence, but is not averse to
  violence.
  Relevant Skills: Accounting 45%,
  Anthropology 55%, Cthulhu Mythos
  25%, Fast Talk 60%, Geology 65%,
  Library Use 57%, Law 19%, Navigate
  22%, Occult 64%, Persuade 75%,
  Swim 62%, Tulush Language 32%
  Weapons: Glock .40 43% Shots 2
  Damage 1D10+1 Range 20 Shots 15.
   Spells: Contact Tulush
  Janet Reuben, Cult Leader
  STR
  9
  CON
  11
  SIZ
  10
  INT
  14
  POW
  14
  DEX
  15
  APP
  16
  EDU
  16
  SAN
  00
  HP
  11
  DB
  +0
  Description:. Reuben is a very
  attractive woman who has black
  hair. She was working as a minor
  actress when she got involved with a
  producer who turned out to be a
  fairly powerful priest of the Old
  Ones. After he got bored with her, he
  sent her to aid Hayes. Reuben still
  sees herself as an actress and tries to
  use her acting abilities as her
  primary means of solving problems.
  In addition to her role as Hayes’
  assistant, Reuben is also spying on
  him for the cult leaders (who want to
  see what Hayes is really made of).
  Relevant Skills: Acting  42%, Bargain
  55%, Disguise 55%, Fast Talk 65%,
  Law 17%, Occult 45%, P
  Weapons: Glock 9mm  37%Shots 3
  Damage 1D10  Range 20 Ammo 15
  Brent Davis, Cult Enforcer
  STR
  16
  CON
  15
  SIZ
  15
  INT
  11
  POW
  12
  DEX
  12
  APP
  11
  EDU
  12
  SAN
  00
  HP
  15
  DB
  +1D4
  
  Description: Davis was a career
  criminal until he was recruited by a
  cult. He found the power of the cults
  to be much more impressive than the
  power of the gang he belonged to
  and he has been loyally serving his
  new cause ever since. Davis’ method
  of dealing with troublesome people
  is to shoot them and dump their
  bodies into any convenient body of
  water.
  Relevant Skills: Dodge 35%, Occult
  21%, Sneak 31%, track 31%
  Weapons: Fist 63% 1D3+DB, Grapple
  33%, .44 Magnum 61% Shots 1
  Damage 2D6+2 Range 30 Ammo 6,
  12-Gauge Shotgun 63% Shots 1
  Damage 4D6/2D6/1D6 Range
  10/20/50 Ammo 5, Knife 58%
  1D4+2+DB
  Cultists
  Typical Cultist (26)
  STR
  12
  CON
  12
  SIZ
  14
  INT
  10
  POW
  10
  DEX
  11
  APP
  11
  EDU
  11
  SAN
  00
  HP
  13
  DB
  0
  Description: The cultists were
  originally misguided and lost people
  who were searching for some sort of
  meaning. Now, though Hayes’
  careful efforts and exposure to the
  mind-bending rituals, they are now
  willing servants of evil and madness.
  The typical cultist will tend to avoid
  violence, but are willing to kill to
  protect the cult.
  Relevant Skills: Chant 45%
  Weapons: .22 pistol 20% Shots 3
  Damage 1D6 Range 15 Ammo 6,
  Club 25% 1D6+DB
  Typical Cult Tough (11)
  STR
  14
  CON
  15
  SIZ
  16
  INT
  10
  POW
  10
  DEX
  12
  APP
  10
  EDU
  11
  SAN
  00
  HP
  16
  DB
  +1D4
  Description: These are cult members
  who are tougher and more violence
  prone than the others. They are used
  to protect the compound and to keep
  any straying cultists in line.
  Relevant Skills: Bully 45%
  Weapons: 12-Gauge Shotgun 55%
  Shots 1 Damage 4D6/2D6/1D6
  Range 10/20/50 Ammo 5, Knife 45%
  1D4+2 +DB, Club 45% 1D6+DB
  Mythos Being
  Tulush, Lesser Servitor Race
  Char
  Rolls
  Ave
  #1
  #2
  STR
  2D6+12
  19
  22
  20
  CON
  3D6+12
  22-23
  26
  27
  SIZ
  2D6+12
  19
  20
  18
  INT
  3D6
  10-11
  12
  14
  POW
  3D6+3
  13-14
  15
  14
  DEX
  3D6
  10-11
  13
  14
  DB
  +1D6
  +2D6
  +1D6
  HP
  21
  23
  23
  Description: The Tulush are servants
  of Tulushuggua, a terrible being that
  dwells deep within the flooded caves
  of the earth. In terms of appearance,
  a Tulush looks like a horrible mix
  between a finned eel and a squid.
  The front of a Tulush contains four
  long, squid-like tentacles with a
  mouth  in the center of the tentacle
  mass. The mouth is unusual and
  contains a spiral of teeth that reach
  almost to the stomach of the
  creature. When the Tulush swims,
  the tentacles press together,
  streamlining the creature.
  On either side of the “head” are
  two fluid filled bumps which serve
  as the Tulush’s sonar sense organs.
  Since a Tulush has no eyes, they
  must rely on their highly effective
  sonar to find their way and their
  prey. The Tulush also make use of
  sound to communicate. They have
  their own language as well as a
  simplified version they use to
  
  communicate with humans (it is a bit
  like morse code and enables humans
  to “talk” back by banging on a solid
  surface). Their language sounds a bit
  like that of whales, but sounds
  harsher and a bit menacing.
   The skin of a Tulush ranges from a
  dirty gray-white to a brownish
  white. The skin is smooth, rather
  than scaled. Tulush reek of
  ammonia, which makes it easy to tell
  when they are around.
  Like sharks, a Tulush has cartilage
  instead of true bones. The only hard
  parts of the Tulush are its shark-like
  teeth (these teeth have been
  mistakenly identified as belonging to
  some sort of ancient shark).
  Tulush tend to be very intelligent
  and have quite large and developed
  brains. They use this intelligence
  effectively when they hunt their prey
  (other alien creatures) in the dark,
  water filled caves of the earth.
  Tulush rarely come anywhere near
  the surface and only do so when
  they have been sent or called.
  Tulush, like deep-diving sea
  animals, are able to withstand
  changes in pressure that would
  cripple or kill a human. They are also
  capable of staying at least an hour
  out of water, although they prefer
  not to do this.
  In combat a Tulush will grab at its
  chosen victim with its four tentacles
  and use them to pull the target into
  its mouth.
  Move 3/10 Swimming
  Weapons: Tentacles 45% 1D6+DB
  Bite 50% 2D6
  Armor: 2 points of insulating fat.
  Spells: Contact Tulushuggua, Call
  Tulush
  Sanity Loss: 0/1D8 Sanity Points
  Spells
  Contact Tulush
  This spell can only be cast near a
  water-filled cave that branches deep
  into the earth where the Tulush
  dwell. The spell is cast by pouring at
  least a pint of blood from an
  intelligent creature into the water
  followed by striking a wall of the
  cave with an iron rod. The pattern of
  striking is quite complex and
  conveys the request to the Tulush.
  The spell costs 3 magic points to cast
  and 1D3 Sanity points. Unless the
  cave does not eventually reach the
  Tulush, the spell succeeds
  automatically. See page 199 of the
  5.5th edition of the rulebook.
  Call/Dismiss Tulushuggua: This
  ritual gains the attention of
  Tulushuggua, “The Watery Dweller
  Beneath.” The spell costs the caster
  and any participants a variable
  number of Magic Points and costs
  the caster 1D10 Sanity Points.
  Additional points might well be lost
  when Tulushuggua makes its
  appearance.
  This spell can only be cast near a
  water-filled cave that branches deep
  into the earth where the Tulush
  dwell. The spell is cast by pouring at
  least a pint of blood from an
  intelligent creature into the water
  followed by striking a wall of the
  cave with an iron rod. The pattern of
  striking is quite complex and
  conveys the request to the Tulush
  who bring the message to their
  master. The chances of success may
  be increased by using an enchanted
  rod of iron. For each point of POW
  the rod has been imbued with, the
  chances of success increases by 10%.
  See page 195 of the 5.5th edition of
  the rulebook for additional details.
  
  Handout #2
  -Old Cults of Mystery (1921) by Able Hastings.
   There are a few references to ‘those who dwell beneath the earth, yet swim
  rather than burrow’ and all of them are disturbing. It is said that a great evil god
  dwelled within the “aquatic crevices” of the earth and sent his minions to the
  surface to have dealings with certain corrupt men. The most complete work on
  this topic is contained within Humbolt’s Forbidden Cults.
  Handout #3
  -Odd Florida (1966), Gerald Jones.
  In addition to the pleasant tale of the fountain of youth, there are many not so
  pleasant Spanish tales. One story speaks of a small band of Spanish soldiers who
  set out from Fort San Marcos in search of another party of men who had failed to
  return. Based on the references to sinkholes, it is likely that these men reached
  the area now known as Wakulla. The men supposedly encountered one of the
  missing men. The man was crazed and spoke of the ‘devil’ that dwelt within the
  water filled hollows. He told the soldiers how something lashed out of the water,
  dragging his fellows into the hole. He said that there was so much blood that all
  the holes in the area were tinted red. When the man was brought back to the fort,
  all he could do was recite the following: ‘veins run through the earth and her
  blood is water. Things swim in her blood…things that should not be.’ It is said
  that the man was sent back to Spain and died twenty years latter in a monastery,
  still reciting the words.
  Handout #4
  -Tallahassee Democrat
  Tragedy in Wakulla: Diving in Wakulla Springs is a dangerous undertaking and
  recent events brought this fact home. Two experienced divers, Charles Walters
  and Reginald Brisk, went into the caves after taking extensive precautions.
  Tragically, only Charles Walters emerged from the dark waters. A local man,
  Timothy Springer , found the diver wandering in the woods and promptly took
  him to the Tallahassee Memorial Hospital…
  
  The Tile
  
  20 Feet
  N
  1
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  Compound Map
  
  Sink Holes Map
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Call of Cthulhu/Cthulhu Now/Modern Day Adventures/CoC - Now Adv - SinkHole.pdf