Lovecraft by Goss

Call of Cthulhu Explained Part 1 : creating an investigator

Found this on YouTube - its from The Good Friends of Jackson Elias, a Call of Cthulhu Podcast which I listen too when I get the chance - so please click here to visit the The Good Friends of Jackson Elias, a Call of Cthulhu Podcast YouTube channel

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Rougarou

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 

Axeman of New Orleans

The Axeman of New Orleans was an American serial killer active in New Orleans, Louisiana (and surrounding communities, including Gretna), from May 1918 to October 1919. The Axeman was not caught or identified, and his crime spree stopped as mysteriously as it had started. The murderer's identity remains unknown to this day, although various possible identifications of varying plausibility have been proposed. On March 13, 1919, a letter purporting to be from the Axeman was published in newspapers saying that he would kill again at 15 minutes past midnight on the night of March 19, but would spare the occupants of any place where a jazz band was playing. That night all of New Orleans' dance halls were filled to capacity, and professional and amateur bands played jazz at parties at hundreds of houses around town. There were no murders that night.Many media outlets sensationalized this aspect of the crimes, even suggesting Mafia involvement despite lack of evidence. Some crime analysts have suggested that the killings were related to sex, and that the murderer was perhaps a sadist specifically seeking female victims. Criminologists Colin and Damon Wilson hypothesize that the Axeman killed male victims only when they obstructed his attempts to murder women, supported by cases in which the woman of the household was murdered but not the man.

The Axeman's letter

Hell, March 13, 1919

Esteemed Mortal of New Orleans:The Axeman

They have never caught me and they never will. They have never seen me, for I am invisible, even as the ether that surrounds your earth. I am not a human being, but a spirit and a demon from the hottest hell. I am what you Orleanians and your foolish police call the Axeman.

When I see fit, I shall come and claim other victims. I alone know whom they shall be. I shall leave no clue except my bloody ax, besmeared with blood and brains of he whom I have sent below to keep me company.

If you wish you may tell the police to be careful not to rile me. Of course, I am a reasonable spirit. I take no offense at the way they have conducted their investigations in the past. In fact, they have been so utterly stupid as to not only amuse me, but His Satanic Majesty, Francis Josef, etc. But tell them to beware. Let them not try to discover what I am, for it were better that they were never born than to incur the wrath of the Axeman. I don't think there is any need of such a warning, for I feel sure the police will always dodge me, as they have in the past. They are wise and know how to keep away from all harm.

Undoubtedly, you Orleanians think of me as a most horrible murderer, which I am, but I could be much worse if I wanted to. If I wished, I could pay a visit to your city every night. At will I could slay thousands of your best citizens (and the worst), for I am in close relationship with the Angel of Death.

Now, to be exact, at 12:15 (earthly time) on next Tuesday night, I am going to pass over New Orleans. In my infinite mercy, I am going to make a little proposition to you people. Here it is:

I am very fond of jazz music, and I swear by all the devils in the nether regions that every person shall be spared in whose home a jazz band is in full swing at the time I have just mentioned. If everyone has a jazz band going, well, then, so much the better for you people. One thing is certain and that is that some of your people who do not jazz it out on that specific Tuesday night (if there be any) will get the axe.

Well, as I am cold and crave the warmth of my native Tartarus, and it is about time I leave your earthly home, I will cease my discourse. Hoping that thou wilt publish this, that it may go well with thee, I have been, am and will be the worst spirit that ever existed either in fact or realm of fancy.

--The Axeman

The Axe Man 

STR 60 CON 80 SIZ 70  DEX 40 INT 50

APP 50 POW 50         EDU 60 SAN 50 HP 15 

Luck 45         Magic 10        DB +1D4        Build 1 Move 7

Unarmed 25% (12/5): Skill: 25%; Damage: 1D3+DB; Range: Touch; Hands: 1

Hatchet (i) 70% (35/14): Skill: 70%; Damage: 1D6+1+DB; Impale: 1; Range: Touch

Skills: Art/Craft (Trumpet) 80% (40/16), Credit Rating 30% (15/6), Dodge 50% (25/10), Fighting (Axe) 70% (35/14), Intimidate 60% (30/12), Jump 65% (32/13), Language (Own): English 60% (30/12), Listen 50% (25/10), Natural World 30% (15/6), Occult 60% (30/12), Psychology 40% (20/8), Spot Hidden 45% (22/9), Stealth 65% (32/13)

Spells: Enthrall Victim (MP: 2, SAN: 1D6, CT: 1 round, Res: Opposed POW), Create Gate (POW: variable, SAN: 1, CT: 1 hour per POW)

Star Spawn of Cthulhu Explained

The Babadook

The Babadook, also known as Mister Babadook, is a supernatural creature that is said to be the embodiment of grief, anxiety, and depression. It is said to haunt those who would be foolish enough to read a pop-up book, disguised as a children's book that talks about it. While believed to be a spirit or demon, the Babadook is merely a tulpa, a thought-form which can manifest in our plane of reality due to the amount of fear and belief in its existence.

Appearance

The Babadook most generally appears as a towering, shadowy bogeyman wearing a black coat and hat, with long, claw-like hands and a pale frightening face. The Babadook haunts whomever reads its poem and hides inside a pop-up book that mysteriously appears in random homes. As its prey becomes more frightened, the Babadook becomes more monstrous.

The Babadook is considered to be the embodiment of grief and as time goes on, it slowly brings its victim to the brink of insanity through their five stages of depression. The first stage is denial, meaning the Babadook weaves scenarios where the victim listens to a conversation that reminds them of something traumatic and thus perform all that they can to avoid the topic and the mention of this event, consequently isolating themselves from society including their own family members.

Abilities

The Babadook has been shown to have the ability of possession. When the Babadook weakens its victim's will and spirit to the point where they can barely walk, it plunges itself into the victim's back, which is described like having a large knife be slowly shoved into their spine. Its influence over its prey is great to where it can cause conflict and turmoil between family members, even those who are quite close in relations.

It demonstrated the ability of shape shifting. The Babadook can take the form of any person, animal, or insect. The entity usually takes the form of a person that the victim was once involved with, have a history with be it unpleasant or not. The Babadook uses this as a method of manipulation of the victim's emotions, to where it took the form of a single mother's deceased husband and convince her to offer it her son in order to devour him.

Being a tulpa, the Babadook cannot be defeated by normal conventional means. However, being the embodiment of grief, the Babadook can be defeated through acceptance. Meaning that if the victim ceases to be scared and come to terms with the tragic event that occurred in their past life, the Babadook loses its power over them. It can also fade from existence if those who believe in it, do not think about it so much to where it is real. However, given the Babadook’s methods of inducing fear into its prey, it is a task considered to be highly difficult.

Statistics for the Babadook

EWS: 80 (Notable) REF: 65 STA: 75

Injury: N/A

Disciplines: Whisper, Terrorize, Possession (deadly), Corporeal Manifestation, Change form (Deadly)
Aspects: Unfeeling, Unkillable, Unliving, Bloodless, Parasitic (grief),

Special Weakness (Bravery): The Babadook feeds on grief and fear – so the opposite is a true means of keeping the Babadook at bay, the victim of the Babadook must make a successful General willpower check If the roll fails, the Babadook is not affected and the victim needs to try again. If the roll succeeds

Will Power Check Results
Botch	The Babadook inspires more terror in the victim – the victim receives a -30 modifier to all target numbers for 1d5 rounds
Failure	The Babadook is unaffected by the attempt
Low Success	The Babadook receives a –10 modifier to all target numbers
High Success	The Babadook receives a –20 modifier to all target numbers
Colossal Success	The victims will is strong enough to create a sphere of protection naturally. The Babadook receives a –30 modifier to all target numbers

After 5 successful attempts the Babadook will dissipate and all traces of his existence will be gone – this is the only way to drive the tulpa away.