TEXT: “I became insane, with long intervals of horrible sanity.” —Edgar Allan Poe
  This short expansion introduces several notable elements of Edgar Allan Poe’s 
  many Gothic works directly into the Leagues of Gothic Horror universe. The “Story” 
  entry in the gazetteer section is the one in which Poe detailed the location.
  Bloodline Talents
  Bloodline Talents were first introduced in Leagues of Cthulhu, but the idea of 
  accursed ancestors has its roots deep in Gothic literature. Bloodline Talents are 
  each slightly more powerful than a conventional Talent. That is because each fam-
  ily has one or more skeletons in the closet. These hidden flaws are not described 
  to the players—while the Gamemaster has information on them (see Skeletons in 
  the Closet), a globetrotter gains knowledge of their family’s ancestral banes only 
  through investigation or experience.
  A globetrotter can only have one Bloodline Talent.
  It is worth noting that while a character may belong to a specific bloodline, they 
  might not actually carry that name. This is especially true in instances where a glo-
  betrotter traces descent through the maternal line. Indeed, while the player knows 
  their character’s heritage, the globetrotter may actually be utterly unaware that 
  their family is anything unusual—at least until the taint they bear issues forth.
  Bloodline: Metzengerstein 
  Unique; Only available at character creation
  Prerequisites: None
  A noble Hungarian family, the once-powerful but now diminished Metzenger-
  steins have since spread their blood across much of Europe and even into the 
  New World. The family has long been feuding with the House of Berlifitzing.
  Benefit: The globetrotter begins play with Diplomacy 0, Status 1 (Aristocrat), and 
  fluency in the Finno-Ugric language group. These are in addition to the regular four 
  0-level Skills and two 0-level Resources all characters receive.
  Normal: Your character receives no additional free Skill or Resources.
  Bloodline: Pym
  Unique; Only available at character creation
  Prerequisites: None
  The call of the sea echoes through the blood of many of the Pym family, whose 
  ancestors were whalers and sailors in the Age of Sail. Even today, many Pyms are 
  comfortable on the water. Through ancient ties, the family is known to many 
  civilian nautical captains and shipowners.
  Benefit: The globetrotter begins play with Pilot: Nautical 0 and Survival 0. 
  Also, you gain Contacts 1 (Nautical Transportation). These are in addition to the 
  regular four 0-level Skills and two 0-level Resources all characters receive.
  Normal: Your character receives no additional free Skill or Resources.
  Bloodline: Usher
  Unique; Only available at character creation
  Prerequisites: None
  The Usher family is an ancient line whose name has become synonymous with 
  their ancestral manse—the House of Usher. Some say the family is too old, and 
  has fallen into the mire of moral and spiritual decadence.
  Benefit: The globetrotter begins play with Connoisseur 0 and Performance 
  0. Also, you gain Status 1 (Scion of the House of Usher). These are in addition 
  to the regular four 0-level Skills and two 0-level Resources all characters receive.
                                                      
  Author: Paul Wade-Williams
  Editing: Anthony Boyd
  Graphic Design: Robin Elliott
  Appendix 1:
  Edgar Allan 
  Poe
  www.tripleacegames.com
  Permission is granted to print this ebook. No site licence is given.
  This game uses the Ubiquity Roleplaying System, 
  developed by Exile Game Studio (www.exilegames.com). 
  Ubiquity Roleplaying System, Exile Games Studio, and 
  all associated logos and trademarks are copyright, Exile 
  Games Studio, LLC. Used with permission.
  ©2018 Triple Ace Games. Leagues of Gothic Horror 
  and all related marks and logos are trademarks of Triple 
  Ace Games. All Rights Reserved.
  
  
  Normal: Your character receives no additional free 
  Skill or Resources.
  Skeletons in the Closet
  Listed below are the hidden costs of having a Blood-
  line Talent. Where a bloodline has a Corruption entry, 
  the Flaw manifests the first time the globetrotter gains 
  five points of Corruption. Rather than receiving a Flaw 
  chosen by the Gamemaster, the globetrotter automati-
  cally gains a predetermined Flaw.
  Metzengerstein
  Frederick, Baron Metzengerstein, was the first to 
  manifest the taint that still haunts the family to this day. 
  He was a man of overt treachery, shameful debauchery, 
  and vile atrocities. It was ultimately his murderous py-
  romaniacal tendencies that would cause his name to be 
  spoken of only rarely by his descendants.
  Corruption: The globetrotter gains the Obsession: 
  Pyromania Flaw. This is permanent, even if the globetrot-
  ter removes all their Corruption points.
  Pym
  A curse of sorts seems to flow in the veins of the Pyms. 
  Most live a normal life, but in some there is a taint that 
  draws dangers and mystery in equal measure.
  Corruption: The globetrotter gains the Weirdness 
  Magnet Flaw. This is permanent, even if the globetrotter 
  removes all their Corruption points.
  Usher
  The House of Usher is old, and with great age comes 
  frailty. In this case, the frailty is of the spirit. A general 
  weariness and melancholy descends on many Ushers of 
  weak moral fiber.
  Corruption: The globetrotter gains the Malaise Flaw. 
  This is permanent, even if the globetrotter removes all 
  their Corruption points.
  Gazetteer
  The House of Usher
  Story: The Fall of the House of Usher
  Suggested Entity: Apparitions (Banshee, Child, 
  Grief, or Shadow from Guide to Apparitions and Gib-
  berling, Leech, or Lost from Leagues of Gothic Horror 
  Expansion work best)
  Location: United States of America
  Eerie Atmosphere: –2
  The ancestral seat of the Usher family is a bleak and 
  depressing structure. Accessed by a walkway that spans 
  the precipitous banks of a tarn whose waters flow an inky 
  black, the manse is partially shrouded by rank sedges 
  and decaying, white-barked trees. The house itself is 
  equally tarnished, its neglected walls covered in strands 
  of fungus like the webs of a monstrous spider.
  Like its inhabitants—the last members of the direct 
  Usher family—the furnishings are tired. Drab tapestries, 
  floors of black stone, mildewed windows, scratched and 
  tattered furniture, and various armorial trophies tell of 
  better, more vibrant, times. Even the air seems heavy 
  with an air of sorrow.
  Deep beneath the foundations, and reached only by 
  a narrow spiral staircase, is a vault. In days long past the 
  space was used to store gunpowder, as evidenced by the 
  floor, which was plated in copper so ensure hobnailed 
  boots could make no spark on the raw stonework, and 
  the thickness of its iron door. For the last few generations, 
  the Ushers have encoffined their familial dead here.
  Although not a haunted house, the building has a 
  spirit of sorts. The sadness and despair that has befallen 
  the decadent Usher family has corrupted the very stones 
  of the house with the same feelings. Each morning, visi-
  tors must make a Willpower x 2 roll (Difficulty 3) or suf-
  fer the Depressed Flaw until they have vacated the house 
  for at least 24 hours.
  Adventure Seed: A scion of the House of Usher, per-
  haps a personal friend of a globetrotter or given their 
  name by a friend of a friend, asks the hero to visit his 
  house. The Usher claims one of their siblings, recently 
  deceased, now haunts them. They seek help in ending 
  the spirit’s torment.
  Prospero’s Abbey
  Story: The Masque of the Red Death
  Suggested Entity: Prince Prospero (see below), The 
  Red Death (Leagues of Gothic Horror Expansion)
  Location: Italy
  Eerie Atmosphere: –2
  High in the Italian hills stand the remains of a grand 
  building. With its high stone walls and gates of iron, 
  the latter almost rusted to the point of extinction, it has 
  been described as a castle. In truth it was once an abbey, 
  though what order of monks may have worshiped here 
  no one recalls. The inhabitants of the nearest villages 
  are loathe to venture close to the sagging edifice, yet all 
  know the tales of its downfall.
  The abbey was once the property of Prince Prospero 
  (surname forgotten). Recalled as a man of great wealth 
  and poor moral fortitude, he bade a thousand of his 
  courtiers to come to his abbey at a time when a virulent 
  plague—the Red Death—struck the land. With provisions 
  enough to last years, they sealed themselves inside and 
  left the peasants to endure a brief but agonizing death.
  In rooms furnished entirely in blue, purple, green, 
  orange, white, violet, and black respectively, they danced 
  without care, pausing their revels briefly only when a 
  great ebony clock struck each hour.
  Leagues of Gothic Horror
                             
  
  
  The plague eventually ran its scarlet course, but no 
  one ever emerged from Prospero’s abbey. Toothless old 
  men still recall terrible tales told to them when they were 
  youths by their elders of how the Red Death crept into 
  the walls and slew the revelers, although stories of mass 
  poisoning by the prince are also told with equal gusto.
  No doubt the wealthy guests brought with them a 
  fortune in jewelry and coin, but no thief has ever had 
  the boldness to scale the walls and lay claim to the trea-
  sures, such is the fear in which the building is held even 
  centuries later.
  The superstitious peasants of rural Italy are wise 
  to shun the abbey, for the dead still roam the colored 
  rooms. As the sun descends below the horizon, the 
  ebony clock, whose hands relentlessly show the hours 
  without the need for winding, begins to toll the hour. 
  The dead manifest, their archaic costumes dotted with 
  spots of blood. From dusk until midnight they dance and 
  whirl and bleed and silently scream to the music of an 
  unseen orchestra, forever denied a place in the afterlife 
  by the will of their master, Prince Prospero. Although 
  they are apparitions, they perform no interaction with 
  the world, being little more than vague shadows of their 
  former selves.
  On the anniversary of their mass deaths, they are 
  joined by an additional guest. As midnight strikes, the 
  Red Death walks among them.
  Adventure Seed: A historian believes that exploring 
  Prospero’s abbey may reveal many clues about life in the 
  prince’s era. It may also solve the mystery of what ailment 
  the Red Death actually was. The historian seeks aid from 
  fellow historians, scientists, and doctors of medicine.
  The Valley of Many-Colored Grass
  Story: Eleonora
  Suggested Entity: None
  Location: The Dreamlands (see Cthulhu Codicil)
  Eerie Atmosphere: 0
  An idyll within the Dreamlands, the vista of the Valley 
  of Many-Colored Grass varies depending on the nature 
  of the visitor.
  For those who have never had their hearts filled 
  with the pleasure and anguish of true love, it is a drab 
  place, certainly not worthy of its name. A solitary brook, 
  the River of Silence, runs narrow and deep across the 
  grass-covered valley floor, the green grass that covers 
  the earth broken only by flowers of dark violet hue. No 
  animals disturb the ground, water, or air. The only hint 
  of fragrance is a faint perfume that fills the air, yet has no 
  obvious source.
  For those whose heart beats to the rhythm of true love, 
  the Valley of Many-Colored Grass has an Eden-like qual-
  ity. Here the waters of the River of Silence laugh and sing 
  with joy, and the grass is a lush, short, vanilla-perfumed 
  carpet speckled with vibrantly-colored, star-shaped flow-
  ers. Groves of slender trees of ebony and silver-speckled 
  bark, their large leaves swaying in the breeze, provide 
  adequate shade for wanderers.
  No ground animals disturb the grass, though fish with 
  silver and gold scales swim in the River of Silence and the 
  towering trees are home to colorful birds.
  Only a single building breaks the natural bliss of the 
  Valley of Many-Colored Grass. Rather than a blight, as 
  the hand of work of humanity often is, its presence only 
  enhances the beauty. Carved in pure white marble in the 
  style of a Greek temple, its smooth surface is marked by 
  a solitary word—Eleonora.
  Adventure Seed: Madness takes many shapes. One 
  man (or woman, if you prefer) dreams of an idyllic val-
  ley of unimaginable beauty. Here he has seen the star-
  shaped flowers that have no earthly counterpart, and yet 
  his curse is to look and never touch. Each morn he wakes 
  and weeps. Deeply in love, he desires above all one 
  of those perfect flowers, for surely a gift so wondrous 
  would turn him from suitor to paramour.
  Bestiary
  Prince Prospero
  Prospero is the root of his own downfall. In life, the 
  prince believed he could cheat the Red Death and thus 
  preserve his life of gaiety and pleasure. Frustrated to the 
  point of madness that his plans were foiled and his grand 
  ball brought to a bloody end, he forces his now-ghostly 
  courtiers to continue their revelry until such time as he 
  decides it must end. Naturally, that terminus will never 
  be announced. His Preservation Motivation is thus a 
  very warped version. On the anniversary of his death, 
  however, he seeks revenge against the Red Death when 
  it once again visits his abbey.
  During the day, Prospero may manifest in corporeal 
  form. His speech is archaic, as are his clothes. Courte-
  ous as in life, he invites his “guests” to remain until the 
  evening, when he is hosting a masked ball. While he is 
  corporeal, the former splendor of the abbey is reinstated. 
  Prospero can offer his guests accommodation, costumes, 
  and even food and drink. Once the sun sets, Prospero 
  is forced into his ethereal state while the furnishings, 
  centuries old, rapidly rot.
  Prince Prospero
  Patron 2
  Archetype: Ghostly Aristocrat; Motivation: Preserva-
  tion/Revenge; Style: 2
  Primary Attributes: Body 0, Dexterity 3, Strength 2, 
  Charisma 4, Intelligence 2, Willpower 7
  Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 5, Perception 9, Ini-
  tiative 5, Defense 10*, Stun N/A**, Health 11**, Horror 
  — (unless he uses Manifestation)
  Skills: Connoisseur 6, Diplomacy 6, Empathy 6, Intimi-
  dation 7, Melee 6, Performance 7
  Appendix 1: Edgar Allan Poe
                            
  
  Leagues of Gothic Horror
  
  Talents: Fearsome (Can temporarily frighten foes), Time 
  Sense (always knows the time)
  Resources: Refuge: Equipment 1 (+2 Haunting points 
  between dusk and midnight)
  Powers: Activate (see below), Corporeal Form, Lacerate 
  (spectral dagger), Manifestation, Possession, Speech, 
  Suggestion
  Flaws: Ephemeral (Cannot communicate or use tools 
  except through applicable special powers)***, Short 
  Temper (+1 Style point whenever his short temper 
  causes trouble)
  Weapons: Punch 0N, Dagger 7L (only when corporeal)
  * Defense is equal to Dexterity + Willpower.
  ** Spirits are immune to nonlethal damage, and can-
  not be stunned. In addition, only magical rituals, 
  enchanted weapons, or weird science weapons created 
  specifically for the purpose of harming incorporeal enti-
  ties can inflict lethal damage. Health is based on Cha-
  risma + Willpower.
  *** Can pass through solid matter as if it were air.
  Activate: Although the ghostly dancers are normally 
  harmless, Prospero can transform them into pestilences 
  (see Guide to Apparitions). This power can only be used 
  when the revelers have Manifested and lasts until either 
  the spirit is destroyed or the last bell of midnight ends. 
  Haunting points: 5.
  Lacerate: Prospero can use this ability against animat-
  ed targets (mortals or ghosts) only when Manifested.
  Possession: Prospero can use this ability only on the 
  anniversary of his death. Victims are forced to attack the 
  Red Death.
  Suggestion: Prospero has a stronger version of this 
  ability. Instead of performing a simple action, the victim 
  is forced to dance until the ebony clock next strikes the 
  hour. As normal, the victim has no memory of his actions 
  while under Prospero’s influence.
  Prospero’s Ghostly Courtiers
  Although they are ghosts, the spectral revelers are no 
  threat to globetrotters, having no ability to affect them in 
  any form. Unlike other ghosts, they automatically Mani-
  fest between dusk and midnight. Their sole form is that 
  of the spirit in life, their skin blotched with blood and 
  faces fixed in contortion of eternal.
  Follower 0
  Archetype: Spirit; Motivation: Duty; Style: 0
  Primary Attributes: Body 0, Dexterity 2, Strength 2, 
  Charisma 3, Intelligence 0, Willpower 2
  Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 4, Perception 4, Ini-
  tiative 2, Defense 4*, Stun N/A**, Health 5**, Horror 2
  Skills: Performance 8
  Talents/Resources: None
  Powers: None
  Flaws: Ephemeral (Cannot communicate or use 
  tools)***
  Weapons: None
  Adventure Seeds
  The Black Cat
  A house-owning globetrotter discovers he has a new 
  lodger—a black cat that keeps finding itself inside no 
  matter the preventative measures the globetrotter takes. 
  The cat is friendly enough, but soon after its arrival the 
  globetrotter begins to suffer a spate of very poor luck. 
  Are the two events linked? Should the globetrotter kill 
  the cat, they gain the Animal Antipathy Flaw (with regard 
  to cats only) and soon finds the entire cat world seems 
  hellbent on scratching and biting them!
  The Death of Poe
  Edgar Allan Poe died on October 7, 1849 under mys-
  terious circumstances. Missing between September 27 
  and October 3, the author was found delirious in a Balti-
  more tavern. He was said to be dressed in worn clothes 
  that seemed ill-fitting, and with unkempt hair, unwashed 
  face, and vacant eyes. Confined in the Washington Col-
  lege Hospital, he died several days later, having repeat-
  edly called out the name “Reynolds.” All medical records 
  concerning Poe’s brief incarceration, as well as his death 
  certificate, vanished soon after.
  A fellow author and amateur historian contacts the 
  globetrotters claiming that he knows the true cause of 
  Poe’s death and it was due to a supernatural entity.
  The Life of Poe
  The literary critic Rufus Griswold (1815-57) claimed in 
  1850 that Poe was a drunkard and drug-addict, although 
  without presenting any evidence. If true, did Poe pos-
  sess an addictive personality that led him to alcohol and 
  narcotics, or did some event involving the supernatural 
  drive him to such substances as a means of blotting out 
  horrific memories?
  Wrong Delivery
  The postal service has made an error and delivered 
  a globetrotter a letter intended for another person of 
  similar name. Should the globetrotter open the letter, 
  they discover it is a short message in a cipher. If the 
  globetrotter returns it to the post office, it keeps getting 
  delivered back to them. Taking the letter direct to the 
  intended recipient only adds to the mystery—the person 
  was murdered the same day the letter was delivered to 
  the globetrotter. What does the message mean? Is some-
  one actually prepared to kill to claim it? And if so, is the 
  globetrotter now in their sights?
  If the Gamemaster wishes to link this to one of Poe’s 
  stories, then The Gold-Bug is ideal—it includes a coded 
  message indicating the location of Captain Kidd’s treasure.
                                                    
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Triple Ace Games/Leagues of Gothic Horror/Appendix 1 - Edgar Allan Poe [2018].pdf