In the Cajun legends, the creature is said to prowl the swamps around Acadiana and Greater New Orleans, and possibly the fields or forests of the regions. The rougarou most often is described as a creature with a human body and the head of a wolf or dog, similar to the werewolf legend.
Often the story-telling has been used to inspire fear and obedience. One such example is stories that have been told by elders to persuade Cajun children to behave. According to another variation, the wolf-like beast will hunt down and kill Catholics who do not follow the rules of Lent. This coincides with the French Catholic loup-garou stories, according to which the method for turning into a werewolf is to break Lent seven years in a row.
A common legend says that the rougarou is under the spell for 101 days. After that time, the curse is transferred from person to person when the rougarou draws another human’s blood. During that day the creature returns to human form. Although acting sickly, the human refrains from telling others of the situation for fear of being killed. A rougarou’s only weakness is fire, which can destroy them, as well as decapitation
EWS: 75 (Notable) REF: 80 STA: 80
Injury: Superficial, Minor –10, Serious –20, Major –30, Critical –50, Lethal
Disciplines: Hunter’s Mark
Aspects: Deadly Attack (Serious; creature form only), Regeneration (creature form only), Shapeshifter, Sturdy (creature form only), Supernatural Speed (creature form only), Vigor (creature form only) Special Weakness: Fire
Welcome to the first installment of grave plots, a weekly feature where we will post-adventure ideas for Cryptworld and Rotworld. These ideas can come from movies, Tv shows, and my own warped imagination even a kick-ass song can help create a plot for a game. This week being the first installment I decided to go old school and post some of my favorite plots from games long gone.
1. Suffer the Children – children in the sleepy hamlet of Bethpage, NY are vanishing in the middle of the night – the only clue is a toy Doll is found in the bed of the missing child.
2. Fanboy – someone is going around committing horrid murders, the throats of the victims are slashed open and there is evidence that some of the blood has been drunk and always found nearby is a puddle of vomit mixed with blood. The murders are being committed by Terrance Joshua, a social outcast who is suffering from a psychological imbalance – he believes himself to be a vampire
3. The PCs are sent to investigate a carnival ride, where riders have claimed to have been attacked by the animatronic characters. The ride was once part of the famous jolly rogers playland located in Levittown, NY. Before the closing of the fun park, there was a hideous accident when a child who wanted to see what made the characters move left the ride car he was in and went backstage, where he witnessed the ride attendant rape and murder a young woman. Found out, the attendant grabbed the kid and threw him under the track where he got crushed to death by the next ride cart that passed over him. The “accident” was the final straw, the owners of the park decommissioned the ride and sold it off to the Phelan traveling show, a small mom and pop carnival that traveled the east coast until 2013, where the owner of the carnival was found dead in the funhouse – cause of death was a heart attack. Again the funhouse was sold, this time to a private collector named Kenneth Yee – who contacts the PCs to investigate the funhouse as part of his reality series “Live undead” on the local public access.
Next week, I will post some of my favorite PC’s from the old school chill days converted to Crypt World.
Highgate Cemetery was constructed in London, England in 1839 as a burial place for the elite. After many years of neglect, the cemetery is now allegedly the home of a terrifying vampire. According to The Highgate Vampire Society, the sightings started in the late 1960s. A tall figure with red eyes was spotted and repeatedly reported, launching an investigation into the area and these claims.
The strangest and most disturbing sighting came in 1971. A young girl passing the cemetery was attacked by a very tall, white-faced dark figure that threw her to the ground so hard that she suffered from scrapes on her arms and legs. Luckily, the shadow figure immediately disappeared when a car pulled up to the scene. The girl, who was in a state of shock, was taken to the police station and eventually told her own story. That story supported the sightings reported by so many other members of the community, and sightings of the “vampire” continue to this day.
Highgate Cemetery is a place of burial in north London, England. There are approximately 170,000 people buried in around 53,000 graves across the West and East Cemeteries. Highgate Cemetery is notable both for some of the people buried there as well as for its de facto status as a nature reserve. The Cemetery is designated Grade I on the Register of Historic Parks and Gardens. It is one of the Magnificent Seven cemeteries in London.
Initial Reports
A group of young people interested in the occult visited the cemetery in the late 1960s, a time when it was being vandalized by intruders. According to a report in the London Evening News of 2 November 1968:
On the night of Halloween 1968, a graveyard desecration by persons unknown occurred at Tottenham Park Cemetery in London. These persons arranged flowers taken from graves in circular patterns with arrows of blooms pointing to a new grave, which was uncovered. A coffin was opened and the body inside was “disturbed”. But their most macabre act was driving an iron stake in the form of a cross through the lid and into the breast of the corpse.
Though the identities and motivations of those responsible were never ascertained, general consensus at the time linked the desecration to events surrounding the Highgate Vampire case. Then, in a letter to the Hampstead and Highgate Express on 6 February 1970, David Farrant wrote that when passing the cemetery on 24 December 1969 he had glimpsed “a grey figure”, which he considered to be supernatural, and asked if others had seen anything similar. On the 13th, several people replied, describing a variety of ghosts said to haunt the cemetery or the adjoining Swains Lane. These ghosts were described as a tall man in a hat, a spectral cyclist, a woman in white, a face glaring through the bars of a gate, a figure wading into a pond, a pale gliding form, bells ringing, and voices calling.
Sean Manchester claimed the figure was a vampire and the media quickly latched on, embellishing the tale with stories of the vampire being a king of the vampires, or of practicing black magic.
March 1970
The ensuing publicity was enhanced by a growing rivalry between Farrant and Manchester, each claiming that he could and would expel or destroy the spectre. Manchester declared he would hold an exorcism on Friday 13 March 1970. ITV interviewed Manchester, Farrant, and others who claimed to have seen supernatural figures in the cemetery. These were broadcast on ITV early on the evening of the 13th; within two hours a mob of ‘hunters’ from all over London and beyond swarmed over gates and walls into the locked cemetery, despite police efforts to control them. Some months later, on 1 August 1970, the charred and headless remains of a woman’s body were found not far from the catacomb. The police suspected that it had been used in black magic Farrant was found by police in the churchyard beside Highgate Cemetery one night in August, carrying a crucifix and a wooden stake. He was arrested, but when the case came to court it was dismissed.
A few days later Manchester returned to Highgate Cemetery. He claims that this time he and his companions forced open the doors of a family vault (indicated by his psychic helper). He says he lifted the lid off one coffin, believing it to have been mysteriously transferred there from the previous catacomb. He was about to drive a stake through the body it contained when a companion persuaded him to desist. Reluctantly, he shut the coffin, leaving garlic and incense in the vault.
Chill Adventure Seeds
Reports of sightings of the vampire have been increasing following a renovention project of the cemetery. S.A.V.E decides to send the envoys to investigate these reports.
a corpse of a homeless person is found by the cemetery caretaker prompting public uproar. The coroner determined that the cause of death was from blood loss from a massive wound in his throat.The daughter of David Farrant reaches out to S.A.V.E to investigate before anyone else is hurt.
Inspired by the zombie universe of George A. Romero, “Day of the Dead” takes place in a small town where an ordinary day takes a terrifying turn when the dead begin to rise. Townspeople Mayor Bowman is up for reelection, Jai is hours away from his wedding, Luke has a party to attend, Lauren is going to lead a funeral, McDermott has a mystery to solve, and Cam has a lawn to mow. This ode to Romero’s flesh-eaters is a reminder that sometimes all it takes to bring people together is a horde of hungry zombies trying to rip them apart
Looking for adventure ideas? Look no further then The Lost Tapes on discovery plus. Each episode focuses on a specific creature in a well written scenario. The series also introduces a s.a.v.e like organization called the Enigma Corporation; a Pinkerton detective / security group that deals with the unknown.
One of my favorite episodes deal with the Strigoi the original Romanian vampire.
Looking for adventure ideas? Look no further than The Lost Tapes on discovery plus. Each episode focuses on a specific creature in a well-written scenario. The series also introduces a s.a.v.e like organization called the Enigma Corporation; a Pinkerton detective/security group that deals with the unknown.
Horrors of the Unknown Vol. 1 is the first supplement for Horrors of the Unknown Vol. 1 is the first supplement for Chill 3rd Edition from Salt Circle Games. Inside, you'll find thirteen new creatures, new creature Aspects, and ideas for featuring these monsters in your Chill cases. 32 pages, color cover, black and white interior illustrations.
Why am I mentioning this? Several reasons :
1. One of the most original supplement for the third edition of chill.
2. The wretched cat - one of my original creations grace the pages of this supplement.
You can purchase the Horrors of the Unknown Vol 1 by clicking here
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