The most merciful thing in the world, I think, is the inability of the human mind to correlate all its contents. We live on a placid island of ignorance in the midst of black seas of infinity, and it was not meant that we should voyage far. The sciences, each straining in its own direction, have hitherto harmed us little; but some day the piecing together of dissociated knowledge will open up such terrifying vistas of reality, and of our frightful position therein, that we shall either go mad from the revelation or flee from the light into the peace and safety of a new dark age…
-H.P. Lovecraft
Investigations
21st October, 1927
From the desk of J. Edgar Hoover, Director, Department of Justice's Bureau of IntelligenceGentlemen,
Two agents of the Department of the Treasury were assigned to the coastal town of Innsmouth, Massachusetts to conduct an investigation into suspicions regarding tax-evasion. Special Agent Lucas Mackey and Special Agent Clive Thomas both assumed pseudonyms and positions within the town as part of their investigation, with Thomas entering the town three months ago and Mackey arriving two months later (details of their cover stories can be found in the attached dossier).
The most recent missive from Mackey indicates that Thomas has gone missing, with local authorities claiming Thomas attempted to rob a store-owner before making off in a stolen automobile. Of course such stories are facetious attempts to cover whatever has befallen Thomas.
As a result I am directing you to enter the town of Innsmouth and make contact with Agent Mackey. Together you will find Agent Thomas and extract him and yourselves from the town. You are not to engage the townsfolk writ-large - there is to be a formal investigation held at a later date and the pretence of normality must be maintained.J. Edgar Hoover, Dir.
In God We Trust
Personnel Dossier
Name: Lucas Mackey, Special Agent
DoB: June 16th, 1895
Height: 5'7"
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Brown
Weight: 155
Assumed Name: Alan Waters
Assumed Identity: State Factory Inspector
Personnel Dossier
Name: Clive Thomas, Special Agent
DoB: March 3rd, 1904
Height: 6'0"
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Blonde
Weight: 181
Assumed Name: Brian Burham
Assumed Identity: Store Clerk, Arkham National General Store
Dictaphone Recording: Special Agent William Quinn
This is Special Agent William Quinn of the Bureau of Intelligence, the date is Thursday the 27th of October, 1927.
We've been in Innsmouth for four days now, and thus far the investigation as to the whereabouts of Agent Thomas of the Treasury has proved difficult. Contact was made with Agent Mackey on the first day, the 24th, with Special Agent Morse recommending that he leave first thing the following morning rather than stay and risk exposing our investigation - we observed him do so the morning of the 25th on the Innsmouth bus to Arkham.
A search of the lodgings of Agent Thomas shed little light, neither did a brief infiltration of the Marsh Refinery - a place of some hubbub about town. I am suspicious as to the method by which the refinery extract and smelt the gold dredged from the sea-bottom - it is not a method I am familiar with in any sense.
There is an odd branch of religion known as the "Esoteric Order of Dagon" which seems to have spawned from the old Masonic Temple in town. I would recommend the Bureau make note of similar cults for future reference, paying attention to statues and reliefs depicting cavortions of man and aquatic animal.
Most the townsfolk seem to exhibit a syndrome known as "Innsmouth-look", a widening of the mouth and a sagging of the skin. Medically it could be due to extensive inbreeding or perhaps a contamination of the local catch, but aside from the physical impurity there appears to be no immediate medical danger to the populace.
Tomorrow Special Agent James, Special Agent Morse, and I plan to take a look at the shop wherein Agent Thomas worked, and the premises which he purportedly robbed.Special Agent William Quinn, signing off.
Dictaphone Recording: Special Agent William Quinn
This is Special Agent William Quinn of the Bureau of Intelligence, the date is Saturday the 29th of October, 1927.
Special Agent Morse attempted entry to the Arkham National Store in which Agent Thomas, as Brian Burham, worked while in Innsmouth. He made contact with a local dullard by the name of Ezra, apparently a simpleton who swept the floors at the store. Special Agent James took the poor fellow out for a meal and picked his brains for any information regarding the whereabouts of Agent Thomas, learning that as Brian, Agent Thomas had caught the eye of a local girl, Ruth Billingham, and started up a fling of sorts. James and I decided to track down this girl while Morse continued to canvass the store.
The girl certainly is a looker, even for those in Innsmouth, tho a bit too young for my tastes. She denied any knowledge of Agent Thomas at first, but James has quite the silver tongue and was able to gain her trust somewhat. The girl's mother chased us off, but not before James managed to organise a meet with her for later in the night.
James wanted to check out a bar he frequented earlier in the week - apparently the owner, a German vet by the name of Obrecht, had opened up to James after sharing a few schnapps but was swiftly silenced when some locals showed up. The hunch proved some fruit. The bar was empty and showed signs of a struggle taking place. Obrecht's room still had all his personal effects, indicating he didn't simply pack up and leave. We fear the locals may have done him in, which causes worry as to the safety of Agent Thomas.
Meanwhile Morse had a run in with the local constabulary - a rough fellow called Constable Martin pulled his service revolver on Morse, but he managed to talk his way out of it by producing a forged business card showing him to be a locksmith. We decided to try again once night had fallen and James had left for his rendezvous.
Arkham National looks to have been cleaned out of anything incriminating with the work-office being picked through before we got there. It might have been the local police tho I sincerely doubt it. Morse also took a snoop around the store Agent Thomas was purported to have robbed - Waite's Variety Store. Special Agent Morse found a locked safe in the office containing an odd book of sorts. I think it might be some kind of bible from a few generations back, but contains nothing a God-fearing Christian would, or should, know.
James' little catch up with the Ruth-girl provided some much needed clarity. Agent Thomas was being held in the Innsmouth Police Station and Gaol, the robbery a falsity to throw anyone off the trail. The girl is desperate to leave Innsmouth, something James was able to leverage adequately to our advantage. Ruth warned him of some of the stranger aspects of the town's faith and recommended we leave or batten down before the festival on the night of the 31st, and to never turn our backs to the sea.
After returning to the hotel James was sure he was being followed, but couldn't find the culprit despite taking to the streets with a lamp. Luckily Morse was returning from the Variety Store at the time and tailed a shady-looking individual to the river. Apparently the figure stripped off and dove in, which despite the oddly-humid nights seems like an odd decision. Nonetheless Morse lost the trail after that and returned to the hotel.
We're not quite sure what to make of all this. The town is hiding something, but my gut tells me tax-evasion is the least of their crimes. We'll try for the goal tomorrow.Special Agent William Quinn, signing off.
Written Report: Special Agent William Quinn
15th November, 1927
This report is to be read in addition to previously submitted audio-logs.
The night of the 29th of October of this year Special Agents James, Morse and I (Special Agent Quinn) were staying at the Gilmann House Hotel in the port-side town of Innsmouth. We three had barricaded ourselves in a single room for the night, fearing our presence at the Marsh Refinery might have angered some townsfolk. At approximately 2am three figures armed with pistols and clubs entered our room. We managed to chase them off the premises without firing a shot, with Special Agent Morse following them out onto the street. The assailants ambushed him on the next block, with Morse able to gravely wound one of them before the other two struck him senseless. James and I arrived a few moments later and the assailants fled, but not before attempting and failing to silence their wounded accomplice.
Wanting the assailant for questioning, we carried both Morse and the wounded assailant into the hotel for treatment. I patched the both of them up taking the better part of an hour to do so, by which time the local constabulary had been alerted. Three constables arrived at approximately 3am, introducing themselves as Chief Constable Martin, Constable Ropes and Constable Birch. Unwilling to reveal our cover, we decided it was best to not resist the constables when they placed us under arrest and escorted us to the Innsmouth Jail.
Inside the jail we were stripped of our possessions and placed into confinement, wherein we discovered Agent Thomas. We managed to speak only briefly before being interrupted by Constable Ropes, a thickly-set brute of a man, who had come to gloat. Morse goaded the constable into opening his cell, claiming he could "take him in a fight". To his credit the much smaller Morse put up a good show, fighting like a true scrapper. Ropes killed Morse with a 2x4 at approximately 4am, leaving the body for us to observe. At approximately 6 or 7am Chief Martin and Constable Birch entered the jail, complaining about Ropes violent nature. They removed Morse's body. We couldn't coerce them into any favourable action, despite Jame's best efforts at appealing to Constable Birch.
The night of the 30th was a night of mass for the followers of the Esoteric Order of Dagon. Late at night, approximately midnight or 1am, an obviously intoxicatedConstable Ropes entered the jail. Thomas had prior managed to wrest a piece of plumbing pipe from a weakened section of his cell, and asMorse had before goaded the easily-angered Ropes into opening his cell. Thomas is a far larger lad and somewhat of a gymnasium enthusiast, and was able to overpower Ropes and let both James and I out of our cells. We used the keys found on Ropes' person to raid the jail's gun cabinet and take the deputised sedan. Thomas and James insisted on taking Ruth Billingham with us, suggesting the girl might be able to provided more than adequate testimony. Thomas was able to collect the girl without incident, and the four of us escaped Innsmouth in both the deputised sedan and our issued-Chevvy.Special Agent William Quinn
Dossier: Project Covenant
This dossier has been classified as TOP SECRET. Personnel without proper clearance must stop reading immediately and turn over materials to their immediate superior.
On the night of the 15th of February, 1928, the US Marines, Department of Treasury, Bureau of Investigation, National Coast Guard, and the US Navy, under the control of P-Division of the Office of Naval Intelligence, conducted a raid on the portside town of Innsmouth, Massachusetts.
The purpose of the raid was to capture members of the Marsh family, members of the Esoteric Order of Dagon, and any documents, artefacts and evidence related.
Below are the results of the raid:
- Robert Marsh, Ralsa Marsh, Jacob Marsh, and 66 others were killed resisting arrest. Most of those killed exhibited extreme genetic deviancy known as the "Innsmouth Look".
- Bernard Marsh, Barbara Marsh, Esther Marsh, Abigail Winthrop Marsh, Ruth Gilmann, and 194 other key suspects were arrested and transferred to a secure location. Most of those arrested exhibited extreme genetic deviancy known as the "Innsmouth Look".
- The Marsh Refinery was destroyed by a previously unknown entity referred to as a "Shoggoth". Agent reports describe it to be a limbless mass of flesh some 20ft across and 15ft high with "innumerable, yellow eyes". The "Shoggoth" was purportedly killed or destroyed by satchel charges placed by Special Agents of the B.O.I.
- Encounters with scaled humanoids which could swim freely underwater and possessed greater strength than that of a strong man.
- A copy of the logs of the "Sumatra Queen", a vessel belonging to one Captain Obed Marsh (deceased, 1878) and the apparent founder of the Esoteric Order of Dagon.
- Two copies of a work titled "The Ponape Scripture" detailing the worship of a god-like figure known as 'Cthulhu".
- Five conical, stone tablets inscribed with glyphs in an unknown language.
- 1.2 tonnes of false-gold [referred to as Innsmouth-Gold].
- A previously unknown entity was fired upon and slain by the crew of the US Coast Guard vessels Vigilant, Spectre and Urania. It was described as resembling "a massive, octopus-like thing with stubby, malformed wings". The entity sank shortly after destruction. Assigned divers have not found evidence of the entity.
- A previously unknown entity described as resembling the scaled-humanoids but far larger. Said entity attacked the US Coast Guard vessels after the previous entity was destroyed. Sailors describe the entity as having the ability to control the waves, sinking the Urania with one such wave measuring 50ft high. This entity eventually submerged after taking a substantial broadside from the Vigilant and the Spectre.
- The discovery of an underwater structure off of Devil's Reef by the submarine S-19. Under the command of Lt. Cmdr. Franklin Baird, S-19 fired all ten torpedoes at this structure, destroying it. Sonar indicates the structure covered an area of several square miles and rose to at least 100 yards high in some places.
It is in my esteemed opinion that any personnel who survived the undertaking of Project Covenant be transferred to P-Division under threat of imprisonment. These men have witnessed something few others have even dreamed. Their experience will be invaluable in the years to come. This will not be the last we encounter the Esoteric Order of Dagon or its blasphemous followers and servants.
[[REDACTED]]
22nd May, 1928
The Case of Dolores Fisher
In March this year one Dolores Fisher, female, 18, achieved a time of 56 seconds flat for her 100m qualifier at the Olympic Tryouts. This time is a full 15 seconds faster than the next quickest female, and has even edged out the top male swimmer by 0.2 seconds.
This in itself would not be a cause for P-Division' involvement, however it appears the girl may have ties to the Marsh family. Our extensive forensic investigation into the Marsh family revealed a network of bank accounts all over Boston and the United States. One such thread led us to an account in the name of Dolores Fisher of Arkham, MA.
With several of the Marsh family still at large along with other members of the Esoteric Order, it is our belief that Dolores may lead us to them.You are to investigate the matter in full.
Mr. Drew.
Investigators
P-Division
P Division, or the Parapsychology, Paranormal and Psychic Phenomena Division, was a section of the Office of Naval Intelligence responsible for investigating supernatural events and occult methods that might endanger the safety of the United States, particularly those involving naval matters. P Division was established in 1917 to look into certain bizarre occurrences in central Europe during WWI. It participated in the federal raid on Innsmouth in February 1928 along with the US Marines, Department of Treasury, Bureau of Investigation, National Coast Guard, and the US Navy. Survivors of the raid, known internally as Project Covenant, were recruited to P-Division shortly thereafter.
Musings of the Loremaster
Character Creation
- Characters are all members of the B.O.I. (this is your Occupation).
- Think about what Skills would represent your particular role in the B.O.I. Are you an experienced field agent, or a number cruncher, or a forensic expert?
- Characteristics - Distribute the following scores among your Characteristics; 80, 70, 60, 60, 50, 50, 50, 40.
- Luck is always 3d6 multiplied by 5
- Damage Bonus and Build: Add your size and strength together and apply the following;
- 2-64: Dam Bonus -2, Build -2
- 65-84: Dam Bonus -1, Build -1
- 85-124: Dam Bonus 0, Build 0
- 125-164: Dam Bonus +1d4, Build +1
- 165-204: Dam Bonus +1d6, Build +2
- Hit Points - Add Siz and Con and then divide by 10 (rounding down).
- Sanity - Equal to your Pow
- Magic Points - Equal to your 1/5th Pow.
- Movement - Apply the following:
- If both Dex and Strength are each less than Size your Movement is 7.
- If either Dex or Strength are equal to or greater than Size your Movement is 8.
- If both Dex and Strength are each greater than Size your Movement is 9.
- Occupation Skills - Distribute the following amongst eight (8) Skills which suit your chosen occupation within the B.O.I.; 70, 60, 60, 50, 50, 40, 40, 40.
- Personal Skills - Increase any four (4) other non-Occupation Skills by +20% to represent your personal interests.
- Age - Apply the following depending on your chosen age:
- 20 - 29: Make an improvement check for Education.
- 30 - 39: Make two improvement checks for Education and distribute 10 points among any skills, but deduct 5 points from across Strength, Con, or Dex.
- 40 - 49: Make three improvement checks for Education and distribute 20 points among any (non-physical) skills, but deduct 10 points from across Strength, Con, or Dex, and deduct 5 points from App, and reduce Movement by 1.
- 50 - 59: Make four improvement checks for Education and distribute 30 points among any (non-physical) skills, but deduct 20 points from across Strength, Con, or Dex, and deduct 15 points from App, and reduce Movement by 2.
- 60 - 69: Make five improvement checks for Education and distribute 40 points among any (non-physical) skills, but deduct 30 points from across Strength, Con, or Dex, and deduct 20 points from App, and reduce Movement by 3.
- 70 - 79: Make six improvement checks for Education and distribute 50 points among any (non-physical) skills, but deduct 40 points from across Strength, Con, or Dex, and deduct 30 points from App, and reduce Movement by 4.
- 80 +: Make seven improvement checks for Education and distribute 60 points among any (non-physical) skills, but deduct 80 points from across Strength, Con, or Dex, and deduct 40 points from App, and reduce Movement by 5.
- As members of the B.O.I. you have undertaken Entry-Level Bureau training, and as such start with some Skills higher than usual.
- Persuade, Psychology, Fighting (Brawl) and Firearms (Handguns) increase to 30+1d6.
- Credit Rating is set at 30+1d6
- Credit Rating - Apply the following based on your Credit Rating:
- Cash = Credit Rating x 2 (Cash is what money you have available within short notice, such as in the bank or in a safe at home).
- Assets = Credit Rating x 50 (Assets is the sum-total of what you have/own and is not readily liquid).
- Spending Level = Credit Rating x 0.10 + $10 (Spending is what you can reasonably spend each day without it affecting your Cash or Assets).
- Firearms - As field agents you have been authorised and issued with a Colt Police Positive with a 4" barrel chambered in .38 Special, and a Tom Threepersons shoulder holster to suit.
- Revolver; Dam (1d10); Rng (15 yards); RoF (1/2); Mag (6); Malf (100); Impale
- Equipment - You have been allocated the following resources:
- A pair of handcuffs, each.
- A dictaphone.
- A 1925 Chevrolet Superior Series K .
- .38 Special rounds x18, each.
- An Eveready 3-cell flashlight in matte black, each.
- A standard emergency medical kit.
- An Operational Expense Wallet containing $50.00 cash from the Bureau coffers in various bills and coins.