by Old Dwarf
This Game was "Eldritch Idols" Season 1-Epsiode 4 using the Wilmarth Backgroundwww.boardgamegeek.com/thread/2320478/my-lumleysbackground.
To promote the story line the following modifications were used:
- The Artifacts are small Idols
-The Jose Munoz figure & Inv. Board are from the Comic# 2
- The Tillman Museum is a vanity project of Vincent Tillman a multi-millionaire but who
travels the world collecting what he calls objets d'art but are mainly Tourist baubles.
He thinks he is bringing high culture to his small hometown. His most recent acquisition
from China is however an entirely different matter.
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Wilmarth Foundation-Restricted
Senior Fellows only
File #04: City/Wabash /Noble Twp. Indiana /Date: March 9th,1920
I. Incident-Don Hayworth, was visiting his fishing cottage along the Wabash River &
noticed in passing that the Tillman Museum down the road had a sign out front saying Closed for
Renovations.
Upon arriving at his cottage, he noticed a package on the porch addressed
to the Tillman Museum. He took the package down the road & knocked on the Museum's door.
Receiving no answer he tried the door; found it open & entered the hallway. Hearing
chanting in the adjacent Exhibit room he walked toward it hoping to find someone to take the
package. He was then intercepted by a couple of armed guards who took the package
& roughly escorted him out making it clear visitors were not welcomed.
Mr. Hayworth noticed from what he could see in the Exhibit Room that an altar had been constructed
& a small disturbing statue of a winged creature set upon a pedestal above it. He also recognized
some fragments of the chanting he heard as being related to Shub-Niggoth & believes that the
Museum has been taken over by a Cult whose members are in the process of summoning their Dark God.
He is requesting backup.
II. Foundation's Action- Mr. Hayworth is a decorated veteran & saw many horrors in the
trenches of the Great War & not all of them involved the Germans. His description
of the statue he saw & portions of the chants he heard are clearly associated
with Shub-Niggoth,the Black Goat.The Foundation has approved his request for
assistance to stamp out this evil. Due to the presence of armed guards, we have
decided to send a Field Agent Jose Munoz to lead this mission.
III: Psychological Evaluation:
-Don Hayworth-Overcaring
-Jose Munoz-Megalomania
IV.Conclusions:
-Partial Success-Ritual Disrupted & GOO did not reach Final Progression
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10:30PM,Saturday,March 20th,1920 outside of the Dark Forest Club Buildng
"OK Don looks like the cultist have started their ritual, but we better wait a bit
more to make sure, no late arrivals show up.""Hey! watch that bayonet"
"Sorry Jose, just a little anxious waiting for the action to start. You know I got
your back."
"Don remember, I can take care of myself, just watch your own ass when this goes down
& keep focused on the mission. We need to close those Gates the cultist have opened
so, lookout for those small statues. Those artifacts are charged with power & we'll need
to use them to overload & blowout the Gates to stop the ritual."
11PM-"Let's go Don & watch out for those armed guards they won't be preoccupied with the
ritual like the cultist."
"Right behind you Jose."
11:03-11:06 PM
Munoz makes his way to the front door of the museum, gently trying the doorknob he finds it unlocked.
Then, he feels the familiar tingling at the base of his skull, the excitement has activated the Mystic
Insect in his brain, a questionable gift from a Yaqui Shaman. He feels his muscles tense up & thicken
the Insect has given him enhanced Toughness. Munoz thinks perhaps if the damn Insect had beefed up
his Brawling Skill it might have been more useful, but he had no control over what gifts the Insect gifts
gave or if the Insect even gave any.
Pushing the door opened he entered a long empty hallway. He saw a small dark room to his right but at
the end the hall in faint light was another room from which low chanting could be heard. Munoz decided
to run into that room & surprise its occupants. Bursting into the octagonal Exhibit room he was stunned
to find a Shoggoth with a Cultist & in a corner a rather blank looking armed guard. Knowing the Shoggoth
was the most dangerous he attacked slashing out with his Cargo Hook. The Hook gives the Shoggoth a wound
& Munoz's Sanity level increases, but his Stress level allows him to recover some of his Sanity.
Attacking again his Hook hits & the Shoggoth takes 4 wounds, but Munoz takes another Sanity loss.
The noise of combat has the Cultist & the armed guards headed for the octagonal room. A Cultist enters
the room & attacks Munoz who easily parries the blows. The Cultist with the Shoggoth now makes
his attack but Munoz's Toughness shrugs off the hit. The Shoggoth then attacks but it's hit is
also negated by Munoz's Toughness which even allows him to avoid some of the Sanity loss.
Hayworth running just behind Munoz advances on the Shoggoth bayonet raised he attacks Plunging his
bayonet into the monster he gives it a couple of wounds but takes a Sanity loss. Pulling the bayonet
out he again stabs into the Shoggoth causing his Sanity to waiver, but he adds to his Stress steadying
his Sanity & lands a wound.
The Cultist present chant from the Book of Eibon & summon a Dark Young who attacks Hayworth
causing damage but the investigator Toughness lessens the damage. The Shoggoth joins the
attack wounding Hayworth & causing him to lose Sanity & triggers his Overcaring Phobia.
Hayworth instantly feels his muscles Toughen up & in spite of the danger he reaches out &
binds Munoz's wounds with cloth ripped from his shirt as he reduces his Stress. The 2
Cultist present take this as an opportunity to attack but 1 misses & the other hit just
has no effect on the investigator enhance Toughness,
11:06-11:09 PM
Munoz knows they have to bring down the Shoggoth & slashes into it with the Cargo Hook wounding
the monster again & his Stress allows him to twist the Hook for another wound but the effort
cost him Stress & his Sanity level notches a couple of levels up. The Sanity loss triggers
Munoz's Megalomania which eases his Stress & increase the tingling in his head as the Mystic
insect adds more power to his toughness. He renews his assault on the Shoggoth ripping
his Cargo Hook home & the monster collapses into a pile of goo. Turning on one of the
Cultist who dodges out of the way, but Munos pushes his Stress up & catches the Cultist
& dispatches him.
The remaining Cultist cast a Summons Spell & another Shoggoth appears at the Gate in the
clubs Generator room. The Dark Young tentacles engulf Munoz but the Mystic Insect is still
pouring Toughness into the investigator's body & reduce his wounds & hold his Sanity steady.
Hayworth comes to Munoz's aid & attacks the Dark Young & sends it back into the void but
at the cost of increasing his Sanity level. He next turned on the remaining Cultist
& kills him. Noticing the armed the guard just standing in a corner like he was awaiting
orders, Hayworth looks & points toward the hallway & yells "Invaders". The guard
responds by running out into the hallway seeing no one he checks out the room on the left.
11:09-11:12PM
Munoz & Hayworth are now alone in the octagon room & realized that the armed guards were
under some kind of command spell but whatever the instructions were it didn't include
protecting the Cultist? Munoz Stress Level dropped as the Mystic Insect tingling
intensified. He then noticed the small idol on a pedestal that the last
Cultist had been covering & walked over & picked it up & felt its power warm his hands.
Taking advantage of having cleared the Exhibit room he relaxed & recovered from his wounds.
The Cultist realizing their alter room had been taken react in a Frenzy & move to intercept
the intruders. Another Cultist appears at the Gate in the generator room. Two Cultist
reach the Exhibit room & attack Munoz but his enhanced Toughness & the power from the idol
keep him from any damage.
Don Hayworth springs into action & attacks one of the Cultist his blow is weak but he
exerts Stress & finish the cultist off. Quickly going for the 2nd Cultist, he finishes him
off even though his Sanity slips. The Exhibit room is clear again & Hayworth grabs a bit of rest
to recover from his wounds.
The Cultist cast a spell on the Hunter idol & it Flares causing Munoz to lose Sanity.
Hayworth investigated the Exhibit room & notices a large bundle on the alter covered
over with a Strange Painting. Moving the cover painting he is startled to see a bound & gaged
figure twisting & trying to raise up. His stress level goes up a couple of notches but he
manages to remove the gag & untie the ropes holding the very mad woman. She introduces as
Jane Lowden the Museum's Curator.Jane explains that yesterday the museum received a shipment
Tillman had sent from China of 4 16th century Tcho-Tcho jade Idols. Shortly thereafter
a group of men showed up & seized the Museum. Hayworth & Munoz explain the situation to her
& suggest she leave for her safety. Jane however wants revenge for her treatment & she'll
stay & help as she knows the building & where the idols are located. Munoz is against
adding a civilian but Hayworth says he'll be responsible for her.
In the Void Shub-Niggoth hears the summons & begins to advance. In the museum the armed
guards shake off their stupor & move towards the investigators.
11:12-11:15 PM
Jane informs Munoz that one of the idols is located in the Right wing in the preparation room.
Munoz runs down to the Preparation room Picks up the idol & returns to the Exhibit room.
The Byakhee which had been lurking in the Business Managers office sensing the power shift in
the idols moves toward the Exhibit room.
Munoz investigates further in the Exhibit room & finds a radio.
Jane tells Haworth that another idol is in her office & she guides him past the Byakhee & an
armed guard in the Exhibit's annex to the Curates office. The idol is secured.
The Cultist call on reinforcements invoking a Dark Young which enters through the west gate
& Cultist appear at each gate.
Hayworth investigates around the Curators office & opens a closet & jumps in Stress as an old
hammer double barreled shotgun & shells falls on him that Tillman had picked up in England
& Jane had hidden in the closet unable to think of a way to display it.
11:15-11:18 PM
Munoz alone in the Exhibit room realizes he never asked Jane about the 4th idol's location &
sets off to follow Hayworth & Jane. Looking into the annex off the Exhibit room sees a
Baykhee lurking. He plugs in the radio dials up a jazz station & turns the volume full blast
the Baykhee is distracted & Munoz sneaks past it & moves down the stairs towards the Curators
Office. He runs into a Cultist who is guarding a gate & attacks wounding the Cultist & pushing
his Stress level up. He attacks again but the Cultist fights him off.
The Summoned Shoggoth & Baykhee move toward the sound of fighting. The Cultist attacks Munoz
giving him a wound.
Shub-Niggoth stirs at the ritual summons & advances from the void. A Dark Young appears
to confront Munoz.
Jane tells Hayworth the final idol is in a storage room off the Science wing & they leave the
Curator's office but a they enter the stairs they see Munoz trapped between a Dark Young & a
Cultist.Yelling Duck! he opens up with the shotgun a Munoz hits the floor. The blast takes
out the Dark Young but ups his Sanity lever triggering his overcaring phobia. He pulls Munoz up
binds his wounds & feels his own Stress decline. Reloading Hayworth puts the Cultist away.One
of the armed guards comes down the stairs to investigate.
The Baykhee in the annex also responds to the shots & moves to the stairs to confront
Haywood. The monster's attack delivers 4 wounds & a Sanity uptick, but Haywoods enhanced
Toughness holds a wound & a Sanity loss. The idol he holds power also heals another wound.
11:18-11:21PM
Munoz distracts an armed guard by suggesting he checkout the Curator's office. He then attacks the Baykhee
& takes it out but it triggers his Megalomania. Upping his Brawling skill& then resting to care for his
wounds.
The Cultist move on Munoz & Hayworth trying to recover & protect the idols the investigators have seized.
Munoz investigates the stairway but finds nothing.
Hayworth moves up the stairs to the exhibit room & down the Science wing slipping past a Cultist &
then runs into another Cultist which he attacks & takes him down. Then he continues to the storage room
at the end of the corridor.
The museum is strangely quiet as the Cultist & minions just lurk about.
11:21-11:24
Munoz sees the Gate is still cloudy & decides to check on Hayworth. He moves to the Exhibit room
& looks down the Science wing. Seeing no sign of Hayworth he assumes he made the storage room
but notices an Armed guard at the head of the corridor. Munoz distracts him by ordering him
to check out the entrance hallway. He then returns to the stairway to check on the Gate.
The Cultist invokes a Dark Immolation spell giving the Dark Young in the basement a wound
by fire & summons another Dark Young which appears to confront Munoz.
The Dark young attacks Munoz but he avoids the deadly tentacles. Shubb-Niggoth continues
to be drawn by the ritual & advances.
Hayworth picks up the idol in the storage room & proceeds up the Science wing & takes the
basement stairs. Confronted by the fire wounded Dark Young Hayworth attacks & takes the
monster down by losses Sanity during the effort.
The Cultist cast Dark Immolation again causing the Dark Young on the stairs with Munoz
to take a fire wound & another Dark Young to appears to confront Munoz.
Hayworth investigates around the Basement but finds nothing.
11:24-11:27 PM
Munoz with the Mystic Insect enhancing his Brawling skill attacks the wounded Dark Young dispatching
it & accepting a Sanity loss. Then turns on the 2nd Dark Young & recklessly attacks & losing 2
more Sanity in the process.
The Cultist rally against the Intruders & with their armed guards move toward Munoz & Hayworth.
Munoz having cleared the stairway of enemies looks around & finds a sword on the wall it's a replica
of Excalibur. Pulling it from its scabbard he cuts himself. Just then an armed guard enters the stairway.
Hayworth attacks the Cultist that just entered the basement takes him out but loses 1 more Sanity.
Resting he recovers from wounds & relives his Stress.
The Cultist summons another Dark Young which appears in the art director office.
Hayworth now alone in the Basement investigates & finds a Science Mannequin thinking it might be a
distraction he props it up next to the basement door.
11:27-11:30PM
Munoz seeing the armed guard standing on the stair below him decides to distract him by ordering
him to check out the Exhibit room Annex for intruders. When the guard shambles off Munoz rest
& recovers Stress. He wonders why the guards take no action against him but doesn't want to
take any chances should the Gate behind him open it might trigger the guards to action.
The Cultist realizing that the sacred idols have been taken & sensing their power begin to
follow their power trail to the Investigators.
Shub-Niggoth following the Ritual continues to advance toward the summons now becoming visible
in the Gate behind Munoz.The Gate begins to glow & Munoz realizes that the Great Old One
is coming through. Hoping that Hayworth has secure the other idols he throws the idols
into the Gate. In the Basement Hayworth has notice the Gate glowing makes a split-second decision
& throws his idols into the Gate. The Gates are overpowered & blink out & the Cultist chanting
comes to an abrupt end as the Ritual is disrupted.
Munoz grimly smiles he knows that he & Hayworth have succeeded but flinches as he suffers a wound.
Turning he sees a Dark Young & behind him Shub-Niggoth in mortal form towering above him.
Hayworth suddenly aware of the silence as the chanting ceases & seeing the gate no longer glowing
understands that Shub-Niggoth must have advanced into reality probably at the gate Munoz was
guarding. He runs from the Basement fearing Munoz is in deep trouble not realizing his clothing
catches fire. Sneaking past the Shoggoth in the Exhibit room into the annex then down the stairs
he finds Munoz between a Dark Young & Shub-Niggoth.Without hesitation he fires both barrels
of his shotgun into the GOO his Stress level goes up along with his Sanity level but
Shub-Niggoth takes damage & summons another Dark Young to its aid.
The wrath of the GOO also summons a Byakhee through the Basement gate.
Shub-Niggoth lashes out at his tormentor giving Hayworth a wound & the 2 Dark Young
also attack but Hayworth's Toughness spares him any damage.
Hayworth smells smoke & realizes his clothing is burning & quickly pats the fire out.
11:30-11:33PM
Munoz then swings into action attacking Shub-Niggoth & giving it a wound.
He attacks again, this time ripping into the GOOs flesh & does more damage.
A final assault again does damage & Shub-Niggoth staggers.
The scene on the stairs becomes a woodland Scare as what appear the be giant
trees surround the Investigators causing Stress loss to both.
Shub-Niggoth attacks Munoz but seems to weaken as his Toughness repels any
wounds but does trigger the Investigator's Megalomania relieving his Stress.
The 3 Dark Young also attack but Munoz Toughness limit the damage but
still takes a wound & Sanity loss.
Shub-Niggoth is hurt & staggers back into the gate & transports to the
Generator Room to recover. More Dark Young are summoned at each gate.
11:33-11:36
Munoz surrounded by 4 Dark Young lets the Mystic Insect pump up his
Brawling Skill & goes on the attack & in a whirlwind of Actions takes
down 3.
The sound of combat stirs the Cultist who were momentarily stunned by
the appearance of their God when the Ritual broke move toward the
Intruders.
The 4th Dark Young attacks Munoz but the Investigator dodges any damage.
Hayworth sets up & attacks the remaining Dark Young & kills it. He then
rests restoring his Stress & wounds.
The Byakhee moves from the Basement to the Science Wing.
Hayworth Investigates around the stairs to see if he can find anything to
aid him against Shub-Niggoth .He finds a Ceremonial Headpiece & senses its
danger he feels his Stress Levels go up as he takes the Artifact.
Shub-Niggoth pushes further into reality wounding the Dark Young with him
& summoning another Dark Young.
11:36-11:39PM
Munoz hearing the noise coming from the east side of the Museum deduces that
Shub-Niggoth is in the Boiler Room decides it's now or never if he intends
to stop the GOO. Racing up the stairs through the annex & the Exhibit Hall
& heads to the Boiler Room.The Cultist & Shoggoth in the Exhibit are caught off
guard but pursue Munoz to the Boiler Room. Munoz finds Shrub-Niggoth surrounded
by Dark Young & realizes the Cultist & Shoggoth have blocked his exit makes
a desperate attack on the GOO.The Cargo Hook slashes into Shub-Niggoth doing
more damage.
Shub-Niggoth advances further into reality.
A Dark Young attacks Munoz causing him to lose Sanity & another Dark Young
smashes into Munoz taking him out.
Shub-Niggoth is joined by 2 more Dark Young.
Hayworth tells Jane the Curator to get out & prepares to follow Munoz
but she refuses & insists she must defend the Museum. Having no time to argue
Hayworth runs to the Boiler Room followed by the Curator. Bursting into
Boiler Room he finds entire section of the Museum destroyed & Munoz's
body lying in the rubble. Haywood sees Shub-Niggoth towering over her minions ,
6 Dark Young,a Shoggoth & a couple of Cultists. Jane screams & collapses her
mind overcome by the realization of the cosmic horror before her.Haywood
launches an attack on the GOO emptying both shotgun barrels into the creature
dealing out 4 wounds.
Time seems to stand still as the Minions gather around Haywood.
The Dark Young attack, Haywood losses 3 wounds but manages to hold off his
first 5 attackers but the 6th Dark Young finishes him off.
Epilogue Scenario #4
The Wabash Plain Dealer-March 20th ,1920
Tillman Museum destroyed by explosion
Early this morning Wabash was shaken by a tremendous explosion
the Tillman Museum located 2 miles outside of town was leveled.
The building was closed for renovations & the Fire Marshall
indicates the explosion was probably caused by a malfunction of
the museums emergency generator.
State Police found 4 men unconscious in a van about 400 yards
from the museum which were identified as security guards employed
by the museum. Upon revival the men only remembered reporting for work
& medics on the scene indicated that fumes from the malfunction generator
may have affected their memories. The guards were sent on to Parkview Wabash
Hospital along with 2 unconscious men found in the rubble presumed to be
workers doing the renovations.
Jane Lowden the Museum's Curator was found standing in the rubble in a state of
deep shock & unable to communicate............................
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I choose my Investigators randomly Munoz & Hayworth were a good combination except
for lack of Stealth which for this Episode would have been helpful.(Hayworth picked
Stealth 1 via a Discovery card but it was of limited help)
The investigators pushed the GOO into its 3rd Stage before being knocked of the Game.
The GOO was 1 progression short of finishing.
This Game resulted in the smallest number of Tentacles rolled I've played thus the
Investigators Sanity Levels were held down.(both only managed 3 Sanity levels).
I did manage to interrupt the ritual but lost the Game when both Investigators
reached their wound maximum. To save myself from the agony of total defeat I
rate disrupting the Ritual as Partial Success.
OD