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Character Backgrounds by Chris Malone

FATHER GUSTAV, CLERGY

Age: 60

Gustav Rand was born in Austria in 1865, the youngest boy in a large Catholic Family.  With little opportunity to distinguish himself above his brothers and sisters, he went to Seminary more as an eventuality than as a passion.  It wasn’t until he joined the Jesuit order that he found some semblance of a calling, travelling the world as a missionary.  Helping those in need and facing dangers with strength and faith connected him more to God than any scripture or devotional did.  His diligence and fortitude recommended him for some of the most extreme places in the world, as he traveled to Ethiopia, Brazil, Guatemala, Australia, and other remote places.

As he aged and his body began to tire, he began to seek other opportunities to explore and express his faith.  Father Rand’s exposure to numerous cultures granted him a degree of prestige within his order, and he could transition out of his missionary role and began a more scholarly calling.  In 1913 Father Rand took a teaching position at Boston College, teaching archaeology and anthropology while undertaking various expeditions.

In 1919 he traveled with several students and faculty on one such expedition to Libya and the ancient city of Cyrene near modern Bengazi.  It was here that Rand had his first encounter with obvious supernatural evil, as the unearthing of an ancient chamber resulted in release of an obviously violent entity that caused members of the dig to become violent and blasphemous.  Only with the assistance of Maggie Pearson, a prodigal student, and the strength of will were you able to successfully perform an ancient rite uncovered in scrolls at the site and banish the foul creature.  While many might have found these events a challenge to the faith, Rand found them affirming; he had always known supernatural evil exists.  What ended up shaking his faith was the response of his Order.  Upon filing a report and wishing to further examine the site and document the event, The Jesuit Order terminated the expedition and commanded Rand to destroy all evidence of what had happened, and commanded him to remain silent.

Rand did mostly as ordered, only retaining private notes and few of the scrolls that helped him bind and banish the creature.  Shortly thereafter Father Rand left the Jesuit Order and petitioned to become a diocese priest.  The Archdiocese of St. Paul had recently suffered significant attrition, and so he was assigned there.  Father Rand quickly insinuated himself into several philosophical circles and serves as an occasional guest lecturer at local colleges.  To his surprise, Maggie Pearson arrived in the Twin Cities several years after he did.

Through his connections to Max Bruener, a recent friend and lay student, Rand has found himself the most curious assistant in a private investigation firm run by Jake Connor.  Several years ago you were approached by Max to help parse out some writings that were found at the scene of several disappearances.  You helped identify the texts and continued with the case, surprised to find yourself again in the company of Maggie Pearson, who happened to be Jake’s cousin.  The case was most unusual; two seemingly separate instances of a young man and a young woman disappearing led Jake and his companions to a secretive cult operating within the Freemasons that was engaging in human sacrifice in the name of some esoteric and foul deity.  Jake and company acted quickly and rescue one of those who had disappeared (the other, sadly, was long dead) and bring the perpetrators to justice.  Now the local police come to Jake and company with queries or leads into strange or occult cases.

RELATIONSHIPS

Jake Connor — Jake’s a veteran and a private investigator.  Father Rand finds Jake’s passion and energy refreshing, but sometimes finds himself frustrated with Jake’s lack of introspection and philosophical inquiry.  Regardless, Rand knows that Jake is courageous and respects his strength.

Maxwell Bruenner — Max is a wealthy young man in charge of a manufacturing business left to him by his father.  Max came to Father Rand during a spiritual crisis, seeking answers to the things he saw during the War and trying to understand his place in a seemingly cruel world.  Father Rand has helped to guide Max’s inquiry, encouraging exploration of the spiritual and the unseen, as opposed to coercing or suggesting that he become a Catholic.  This has formed a strong bond between the two.  The only real point of contention is Max’s vocal agreement and support of Prohibition, a point which you two disagree upon, but you feel much less passionate about.  You took on vows of poverty and celibacy, not sobriety.

Maggie Pearson — You first met Maggie in 1917 when she was a student in your Early Religions course at BC.  An apt student with energy and passion, you quickly became fond of the young girl distinguishing herself in a place that only just started allowing women to attend.  On the Libya expedition, she handled herself smartly, helping you eradicate the entity before it could cause serious harm.  Since your reintroduction to her in St. Paul you see her regularly, either when working cases with her cousin or on your regular Wednesday luncheons.

MARGARET “MAGGIE” PEARSON, SCIENTIST

Age:  26

Maggie grew up in Boston, the eldest of four daughters, in a middle-class family, her father a dentist with her mother at home.  Showing a strong mind with an aptitude for critical thought and quick wits, she claimed a place among the first class of female students at Boston College.  Despite the hostile environment, oppressive curfews, and constant scrutiny from the administration, Maggie thrived in an environment that rewarded her intellect and provided her new experiences.  Virtually all her professors were inimical towards her, save for one notable exception.

Her freshman year met Father Gustav Rand, a Jesuit who was teaching archaeology and anthropology.  He treated her fairly and with praise and encouragement, showing her respect and deference that few others would.  Even when not studying under Father Rand, Maggie would regularly meet with Father Rand and discuss her studies.

In 1919 Rand invited Maggie on an expedition to Libya.  With much cajoling, pleading, and threatening Maggie convinced her father to allow her to go, and it was there that she faced a life-changing event.  During the dig at Cyrene, near modern Bengazi, strange things began to happen.  Workers and other students acted violently, and several people became hurt.  After a horrifying experience where she felt the alien presence of some foul thing pressing into her mind, Maggie convinced Father Rand that a supernatural threat was present.  Working together, Maggie and Rand used some ancient scrolls and a bit of alchemical knowledge to destroy the entity.  Maggie returned to BC shaken, but confident in her strength and ability.

Shortly afterward, Father Rand left the Jesuit Order and Boston College.  While upsetting, this event only spurred Maggie on to finish her bachelor’s degree and leave that place.  Following her graduation from BC, she managed to land a graduate position at the University of Minnesota, where she teaches and studies today in pursuit of her doctorate in the Sciences.  Her decision to move to Minnesota was partly prompted by the fact that her father refused to let her go somewhere without family, especially without a strong male presence to guide her to make sure she remains virtuous.  To this end, her cousin Jake Connor serves as a chaperone and confidant.  A larger part of her decision was informed by her correspondences with Father Rand, and her desire to reconnect with him.

About two years ago Maggie began helping her cousin Jake with the private investigation business that he owns and runs.  During an odd case involving the disappearance of a couple of seemingly unconnected people, Maggie identified a rare sedative used on both victims, and used her resources to find the supplier (and purchaser) of that sedative.  The case turned strange, as the two people who disappeared were involved with an inner sect of the Freemasons, which turned out to be pursuing occult ritual and human sacrifice.  You and the others were able to disrupt the ritual and stop them, but only after one of the kidnapped victims were killed.  Since then you have been learning how to handle yourself in a fight and have helped Jake from time to time.

RELATIONSHIPS

Jake Connor — Your cousin Jake is a veteran of the War and a private eye.  He is protective of you and at times seems to regret his decision to involve you in his line of work.  You love him, but he can sometimes frustrate you with his superficial thinking.  His vehement anti-Prohibition rhetoric can sometimes get tiresome as well, as you find that the need to drink is a silly diversion from rationality.

Maxwell Bruener — Max is Jake’s friend and helps on cases sometimes.  While he seems kind and gentle, you have seen his strength and courage during the Freemason case when he charged into a room full of cultists and fought them off with his bare hands.  His philosophical inquiries are engaging, and overall you find him a pleasant enough fellow to spend time with.

Father Rand — Father Rand is more than a mentor or a professor to you, he is your confidant and guide.  At times you have wondered if you might have more than a reasonable amount of affection towards him, but you quickly squash these thoughts with study and diversion.

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Character Backgrounds by Chris Malone

I originally designed Left Hand of Mythos as a convention scenario for Gen Con 2017. It rapidly metastasized beyond that purpose and had to be rapidly abridged to fit within the four-hour convention slot.

My compatriot, collaborator, and co-GM at Gen Con that year was Chris Malone. To facilitate convention play, Chris designed four fabulous pregenerated Trail of Cthulhu characters. Following the best practices we had learned during the Cthulhu Masters Tournament, these included fully developed backgrounds for each character, including tightly knit relationships with each other to empower the players to seek strong, powerful roleplaying choices.

We ended up using these same characters for several other sessions at our local tables, including an adaptation of the classic “Edge of Darkness” scenario for Call of Cthulhu, which was restructured to feature the death of Father Rand.

DOWNLOAD THE CHARACTER SHEETS
(PDF)

JAKE CONNOR, PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR

Age: 29

Jake was born in Minneapolis to a Protestant family of Irish and English immigrants.  The eldest son (his sister Mary is the eldest of the family), expectations were set high for Jake and he constantly struggled to meet the expectations of his parents. While life was never easy for Jake as he was growing up, he never experienced true poverty.  Jake left school early to work a pair of jobs to support the family, and found himself struggling with the monotony of toil without the promise of something greater.  At the onset of The Great War Jake joined the Army in hopes of making a difference.  His parents were furious, and all but disowned him as he headed off to basic training.

Initially trained as an infantryman, Jake showed a flair for writing and photography and was detailed to the press corps where he served primarily as a cameraman, documenting the events of the war.  He was frequently detailed to create propaganda images and write messages to encourage the purchase of war bonds, as well as improve enlistment.  During one such assignments he was matched with Maxwell Bruener, the son of a wealthy young German industrialist who had “enlisted” to help improve recruitment among German-Americans.  A quick friendship was formed, and although they only spent several months together.

Through the detachment of the camera, Jake could distance himself from the horrors of the war and returned home afterwards plagued only by infrequent nightmares and a mild case of claustrophobia.  Upon his return to Minneapolis he worked for a short stint at the Minneapolis Tribune as a beat writer and photographer.  With the onset of prohibition, Jake wrote several scathingly critical anti-Prohbition articles which ultimately cost him his job, but endeared him to certain elements of the Twin Cities underworld.  With these connections beginning to form, Jake found himself able to find work investigating minor offenses in the criminal underworld and solving crimes that people would rather not bring to the police. He now runs a private detective business, making use of his excellent photographic skills to further his business.

Jake’s reputation has taken an odd turn after he solved a missing persons case several years ago.  Two seemingly separate instances of a young man and a young woman disappearing led Jake and his companions to a secretive cult operating within the Freemasons that was engaging in human sacrifice in the name of some esoteric and foul deity.  Jake and company acted quickly and rescue one of those who had disappeared (the other, sadly, was long dead) and bring the perpetrators to justice.  Now the local police come to Jake occasionally with queries or leads into strange or occult cases.

RELATIONSHIPS

Maxwell Bruener — Max and Jake have remained close friends after the war, and frequently spend time together.  Jake doesn’t always understand Max’s philosophical ramblings, and often argues with him over Prohibition (Max is a staunch advocate for the Volstead Act and Prohbition), Jake does appreciate Max’s enthusiasm and kindness.  Max proved himself to Jake during the Freemason investigation, as when the chips were down in the hidden sanctum, Max threw himself into the fray, fighting to stop the murder of an innocent.

Father Gustav Rand — Max introduced Jake to Father Rand some months prior to the Freemason as a good friend.  Unlike the clergy Jake had grown up with and met during the war, Rand showed himself to be a friendly, easy-going sort with a great deal of intelligence and wisdom.  During the Freemason case, Rand provided valuable insight into several clues linking evidence from the victim’s residences to the inner cult at the Masons.  Jake has grown to respect Rand’s input and value his council, even if he is a Papist.

Margaret Pearson — Maggie is Jake’s cousin, come over from Boston to get her doctorate in the Sciences from the University of Minnesota.  Looking to reconnect with his family and get back into their good graces, Jake has taken it upon himself to protect Maggie and ensure that she is not abused.  Against better judgement, Jake asked Maggie to help with examining some of the evidence during the Freemason case.  She was able to identify a unique sedative used during the abductions, and link it to a crucial suspect with access to it.  You find her forensic skills and apt mind invaluable in difficult cases.

MAXWELL BRUENER, DILETTANTE

Age: 35

The son of a rich German manufacturing magnate, Maxwell Bruener grew up in Minneapolis in relative ease and luxury.  His father, Jurig, was an overbearing and demanding man.  He detested Maxwell’s adventurous spirit and gentle heart, and was a strict disciplinarian, often resorting to physical punishment, especially when he was drunk.  Maxwell thrived despite his father’s frequent beatings and denouncements, and spent most of his youth and early adulthood exploring literature, the arts, and sports.

When America formally joined the War Jurig forced Maxwell son to enlist, hoping to either toughen him up and turn his mind to more serious matters or kill him off.  This idea was not kept a secret to Maxwell, as the last letter from his father during training read “come back a man in my own mold, or as a corpse to be buried”.  Despite his father’s insistence to Max’s commanders of fair treatment, Max was seen by elements in his command as a recruitment opportunity.  He had a member of the press corps, Jake Connor, assigned to him to document his time in the Army to drive recruitment of the somewhat reticent German-American population, as well as facilitate war bonds.  Jake and Max became fast friends, and spent many evenings sharing stories and ideas in good company.

Max avoided significant action in the War until he took part in the Third Battle of the Aisne in defense against the German Spring Offensive.  Ten days of shelling, gas attacks, mud, and death almost broke Max’s spirit.  Without Jake’s reassurance and strength, Max is certain he would have either died or come out of the war a much different man.  Max survived the Battle physically untouched, but was scarred by the experience.

In an ironic twist of fate, Max was called back home mid-May following the battle due to the death of his father, whose days of drinking had finally caught up to him.  With the affairs of the estate quickly put into order and business well-managed with little demand from Max, he found himself melancholic and desperate.  Max began filling his time with philanthropy and personal growth.  Home in time for the political machinations around the Volstead act, Max strong supported the temperance movement and the outlaw of liquor, pledging money, support and influence to the cause.  In addition to his altruistic and political engagements, Max began to participate in theosophical societies and delved into philosophical texts, even dabbling into the occult.  These explorations brought him into contact with Father Gustav Rand, a catholic priest who talked of religion in a way that encouraged Max’s exploration, without condemnation or proselytization.

At times Max helps Jake out with his private investigation work as a diversion into more exciting occupation.  Several years ago, you, Jake, Father Rand, and Jake’s cousin Maggie helped him clear a case that was most unusual.  Two seemingly separate instances of a young man and a young woman disappearing led Jake and his companions to a secretive cult operating within the Freemasons that was engaging in human sacrifice in the name of some esoteric and foul deity.  Jake and company acted quickly and rescue one of those who had disappeared (the other, sadly, was long dead) and bring the perpetrators to justice.  During the fray, Max found strength and purpose, charging into the fray and fighting the cultists with vigor.  Now the local police come to Jake occasionally with queries or leads into strange or occult cases.

RELATIONSHIPS

Jake Connor — Jake is Max’s closest friend and confidant.  While Jake is disinterested in Max’s spiritual and philosophical musings, and they disagree vehemently on the matter of Prohibition, Max cannot imagine a better ally.  Max rarely feels more useful or competent than when he is working a case with Jake.

Father Gustav Rand — Father Rand is Max’s intellectual and spiritual mentor, allowing Max to explore the world of the unseen without prescribing his Catholic dogma or suggesting a right way of things, merely saying “I know you’ll come around to the right way of it sooner or later, they all do…”.

Margaret “Maggie” Pearson — Maggie, Jake’s cousin, is like no other woman that Max has met.  Her high-spirited nature, quick wit, and vast knowledge have intimidated Max at times, and she seems to enjoy stumping Max.  Regardless, Max is thoroughly taken with her, and has been spending time perfecting a poem that he plans to deliver to her to begin courting her.

Go to Father Gustav & Maggie

Go to Part 1

PROACTIVE NODES

PROACTIVE 1: HAND ON THE STREET

• Can be seen anywhere (driving by, outside the boarding house, etc.)

PROACTIVE 2: TANIT CULTISTS

• Sent by Barca at any point where PCs have been identified

PROACTIVE 3: WHISKEY DEATH

• Contacted by Fred Watson at any time concerning the death of the one of the cops who had been at the James J. Hill House.

PROACTIVE 1: HAND ON THE STREET

SEEING THE HAND

• Can happen at almost any time that the PCs are walking or driving along the street.
• Shouldn’t be a busy street (the hand doesn’t want to attract a crowd or anything).

TRACKING THE HAND

• Survival: The hand appears to have tracked through some talc powder and telltale traces can be followed back to a nearby apartment (it dropped out of the open window).
• Streetwise: Can find a couple of kids bowling with bicycle rims who, with a little Reassurance, saw the hand drop out of the window.
• Library Use/Simple Search: A day or two later a small item will appear in the Minneapolis Star about a body being found in the area without a left hand.

THE APARTMENT

A single-room apartment with yellowish, nicotine-stained plaster walls.

• A rumpled Murphy’s bed.

Kurt Nordberg lies dead with his head down on a plain wooden table with two chairs that’s shoved up against the wall against a partially open window.

• His left hand is missing.
• A half-empty bottle of Minnesota 13 Whiskey is on the table next to his right hand.

Streetwise: Kurt has a son named Erik. They had a screaming argument two nights ago.

ERIK

• His father was a drunk (that’s what the argument was about).
• His father had been suffering from a muscular dystrophy.
  • GM Note: This is why the full transformation failed and the hand wandered off on its own.
• He knows that his father bought his liquor from a man named Oleg Andersson.

CRAWLING HAND OF TANIT: Athletics 2, Fleeing 6, Scuffling 4, Health 4

Hit Threshold: 4 (tiny, quick moving hand)
Alertness Modifier: +1 (10% eye by volume)
Stealth Modifier: 2 (tiny skittering hand)
Weapons: eye gouge, scratching, unpleasant probing (-3)
Stability Loss: +1

Eye of Tanit: Pupil twists into a curlicue. Stability test (no loss). On failure, establish trance like state. On second failure, can issue a hypnotic compulsion that will last until trance ends. Being controlled has a potential of 4-point Stability loss.

PROACTIVE 2: TANIT CULTISTS

CULTISTS: Dressed in very nice suits.

• Each has an Eye in their left palm.
• They carry Minneapolis Federal Reserve business cards.

TANIT CULTISTS: Athletics 5, Firearms 4, Scuffling 6, Weapons 5, Health 8

Alertness Modifier: +1 (three eyes are better than two)
Stealth Modifier: 0
Weapons: dagger (0), fists (-2), small caliber pistols (-1)
Stability Loss: +0, if seeing the eye

PROACTIVE 3: WHISKEY DEATH

OFFICER OSCAR LUNDSEN: Stole one of the bottles of whiskey from James J. Hill House and then died while drinking it in his small St. Paul flat later. When he didn’t show up for a shift, a patrol car found his body.

• Left hand is missing.
• Prop: Minnesota 13 Whiskey

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EXTERIOR

Architecture: The Minneapolis Federal Reserve is designed in neo-classical style, with pilasters and a colonnade supporting an upper frieze. The Corinthian composite capitals are topped with volutes decorated with acanthus leaves.

• There’s an upper parapet, from which the upper windows (requiring Locksmith, but leading to the Executive Offices and Office Floor) could be accessed.

Occult / Art History: Acanthus leaves are a symbol of immortality and resurrection in Greco-Phoenician art. Curiously, in Christian symbolism its meaning is inverted, representing sin, punishment, and death.

ENTRANCES

MAIN ENTRANCE: The main entrance is up a short flight of stairs. The doors are embossed metal, over a dozen feet high, and weigh nine tons. (They’re counterweighted so that a person can open them. They’re kept open during the day. At night they’re barred from the inside.)

This entrance leads through a doubly-barred foyer and, from there, into the Entrance Lobby.

Day & Night: 2 Fed Security Officers

DELIVERY ENTRANCE: The construction crews working on finishing the interior of the building are using the delivery area to stage their work. At night, the heavy steel security doors are locked and there’s a Fed Security Officer on duty.

The Delivery Entrance provides access to the Counting Rooms & Archives.

INTERIOR

CONSTRUCTION ZONES: There are still numerous areas of the Federal Reserve Building that are under construction. During the day, construction crews are active throughout these areas.

ELEVATOR LOBBIES: Each level of the Federal Reserve Building has an elevator lobby with six elevators. They provide immediate access to the Main Lobby, Banking Room, Archives, and Office Floor. They do NOT go to the Vault or Counting Rooms.

• Director’s Private Elevator: One elevator goes to Barca’s office, although this requires the use of a special security key. (Carried by Barca and also the security shift leader.) This elevator shaft also provides access to the Tophet (but this can only be activated from Barca’s office, see below).

ENTRANCE LOBBY

ENTRANCE LOBBY: A breathtaking chamber tiled in white marble with a bronze ceiling. A grand marble staircase with a massive and intricately cast bronze railing curls up to the Banking Room on the second level. A set of double mahogany doors leads to the elevator lobby.

BANKING LOBBY

A gargantuan chamber; the ceiling supported by huge marble pillars. The floor is polished terrazzo. There are imposing marble desks around the perimeter, including a security station. The center of the room is filled with bankers doing business from within steel-barred cages. Red carpets run

• Day: 4 Fed Security Officers
• Occult: The red carpets are arranged
• Vault Access: The banking cages contain access to the Counting Rooms on the lower level (and, from there, to the Vault).
• Elevator Lobby: At one end of the Banking Room.
• Grand Stairs: To Entrance Lobby.
• Stairs: To Archives & Office Floor.

COUNTING ROOMS

On the lower level, there are multiple rooms dedicated to counting cash (both outgoing and incoming). The machinery for automatically counting coins has recently been installed, along with tallying calculators. There are also large supplies of canvas sacks and currency straps, but no actual cash.

• Leaving: There are stairs leading up from the Counting Room to the Banking Floor. A large corridor leads to the Delivery Entrance.
• Vault Access: You have to pass through the Counting Rooms to reach the Vault.

VAULT

The Vault is a vast, multi-chambered space in its own right. Although the heavy vault door is locked, the Vault itself is empty.

Tophet Entrance: The floor of the innermost chamber of the Vault is decorated with a giant Eye of Horus. This pupil of the Eye can be rotated and then slid to the side, revealing a staircase leading down to the Tophet.

ARCHIVES

The Archives of the Minneapolis Federal Reserve have begun to be transferred from the New York Life Building, but they have not yet begun to be unpacked. So there are empty shelves and filing cabinets, along with a lot of crates neatly stacked here and ready for move-in day.

Mail Room: Mail is also sorted in this area, potentially allowing investigators to figure out which offices in the building are currently occupied.

• Elevator Lobby: Can be accessed here.
• Stairs: Lead up to the Office Floor / Executive Offices.

OFFICE FLOOR / EXECUTIVE OFFICES

These occupy the upper floors of the Federal Reserve Building. Desks and other furniture have been moved in, but only the Executive Offices are occupied (by cultists).

• Elevator Lobby: Accessible here.
• Stairs: Lead down to Archives and the Banking Floor.
• Barca’s Office: Barca’s office is located among the Executive Offices.

BARCA’S OFFICE

The luxurious office you’d expect from the Director of the Minneapolis Federal Reserve. Lush, blood-colored carpet. A huge desk of dark oak.

Architecture / Bureaucracy: Barca has the true plans of the Vault, including the Tophet chamber, in his desk. This includes both the Vault access (fully detailed) and the Private Elevator can access the Tophet (though not exactly how) and broad details of facility (although not the brass pressure chamber, which was constructed separately). Physics notes that there’s some truly bizarre equipment installed in the walls of the globular chamber, although its ultimate purpose is not clear from the blueprints.

Private Elevator: A short back hallway leads from Barca’s office to his private elevator. Calling the elevator requires a special key, which is carried by Barca and also the security shift leader, or Lockpicking.

Secret Elevator: A secret panel next to the elevator contains a switch. If flipped, the private elevator will descend directly to the Tophet.

THE TOPHET

Entry: Both the stairs from the Vault and the secret elevator from Barca’s Office descend into a small entry chamber. A large brass incense bowl depends from the ceiling on thick ropes of silk. (It’s not currently lit unless a ritual is planned for this same night.)

Cell: A small cell is built into the wall of the Entry. (The children are transferred here shortly before the ritual.)

• There’s a stack of neatly folded children’s clothes (used) in the corner of the cell.

Laboratory: A door out of the entry chamber leads to a small chemistry laboratory. This is where the Tophet serum is prepared (see “The Ritual,” below). The investigators can find vials, etc. consistent with the Tophet serum they’ve encountered elsewhere.

Gantry: Another exit leads to a short gantry ending in a pressurized door leading into the Tophet Chamber. The door can only be opened from this side (uh-oh) and a set of controls at the end of the gantry will allow it to be extended out into the Tophet Chamber (providing access to the pressure vessel in the center of the chamber, see below).

THE TOPHET CHAMBER

The Tophet Chamber is a huge, spherical chamber. The inner walls are minutely etched with strange geometric patterns and runes. In the center of the chamber is a Brass Sphere, which appears to simply float in place.

• Physics: The sphere would appear to be held in place by some form of powerful electromagnetic field projected from the walls… which is odd, though, because brass isn’t magnetic. So there must be something more complicated going on with the Sphere.
• Runes – Archaeology / Occult: These appear to be Phoenician runes.

The Brass Sphere: The sphere is a pressure vessel made from brass. Its surface is minutely etched (in a fashion similar to an electrical board; although the PCs won’t be able to draw that comparison). On the top of the sphere is a pressure hatch that seals seamlessly with the brass.

• Chemistry: The etching seems similar to acid-etching, but isn’t. It’s too minutely detailed.
• Chemistry 1 / Physics 1: Examining the sphere with any kind of magnification (or a point spend) reveals a fractal nature (although the character lacks the terminology for this) — a never-ending, spiraling pattern in which the edges of the etching are also marked by even more detailed etching.
• Hatch: Can only be opened from the outside (uh-oh).

Inside the Sphere: The inside of the Sphere is similarly etched, just like the outside.

The Ritual:

• The gantry is extended and a child is placed naked inside the Sphere.
• The Sphere is sealed, the gantry withdrawn, and the pressure door sealed, isolating the chamber.
• The Sphere is electrically powered, reducing sacrificial victims to alchemically charged ash. (This ash could be described as Tanit “spores,” although the analogy only goes so far.)
• The cultists immediately process the ash into active Tophet serum using the facility onsite. (This is time sensitive, as the “spores” can’t survive long without being preserved within the serum.)

STAFF & SECURITY

FED STAFF MEMBERS: Athletics 3, Credit Rating 3, Driving 2, Fleeing 4, Health 2, Scuffling 2, Weapons 2

Weapons: -2 (fists), -1 (improvised weapon)

FED SECURITY OFFICER: Athletics 5, Health 6, Scuffling 6, Sense Trouble 6, Weapons 3

Alertness Modifier: +1
Weapons: -1 (truncheon), +1 (pistol), -2 (fists) 

TANIT CULTISTS: Athletics 5, Firearms 4, Scuffling 6, Weapons 5, Health 8

Alertness Modifier: +1 (three eyes are better than two)
Stealth Modifier: 0
Weapons: dagger (0), fists (-2), small caliber pistols (-1)
Stability Loss: +0, if seeing the eye

JOHN BARCA

APPEARANCE

• Prop: Photo of John Barca

ROLEPLAYING NOTES

• Behind a thin veneer of sanity is an obsessed lunatic under the thrall of Tanit.
• Convinced he’s doing the best thing for all.
• Obsessive, confident, dismissive.

BACKGROUND

• Barca is a Yale graduate (and member of Skull & Bones). (It’s an open question whether or not he was infected at Yale or at some later date. If at Yale, it seems likely that all of Skull & Bones is Tanit-infested.)
• He was appointed by President Warren Harding to serve on the Federal Reserve Board in Washington in May 1921.
• In May 1923, he resigned to return briefly to private business in St. Paul. Within a few months, however, he was appointed to a joint leadership role at the Minneapolis Federal Reserve.
• He’s the second chairman of the Mineapolis Federal Reserve, advancing into the position after the death of John Rich last year.

CLUES

• Following Barca: Will lead them to the Minneapolis Federal Reserve.
• Library Use – Barca: Easily reveals Barca’s position as President of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis.
• Prop: Minneapolis Federal Reserve Business Cards

JOHN BARCA: Athletics 6, Driving 6, Firearms 7, Sense Trouble 10, Fleeing 4, Scuffling 5, Weapons 8, Health 10

Alertness Modifier: +2 (paranoid)
Stealth Modifier: +1 (sneaky)
Weapons: Dagger (+0), Pistol (+0), Fists (-2)
Stability Loss: +0, if seeing the eye
Hypnosis of the Hand: Pupil twists and distorts into a curlicue. Stability test (difficulty 4, no loss): On failure, hand has established a hypnotic state. On second failure, they can issue a hypnotic command that must be followed.

Go to Proactive Nodes

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NODE 8: MINNEAPOLIS FEDERAL RESERVE

(502 Marquette Ave., Minneapolis, MN)

BACKGROUND:

• 1913: Federal Reserve Act signed by Woodrow Wilson.
• 1914: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis incorporated May 18^th, directors elected over the summer.
• October 1914: John H. Rich is appointed the first Minneapolis Federal Reserve Agent.
• January 1915: Offices established at New York Life Building (2^nd Ave. South & 5^th Street). Vault space for cash rented from nearby banks.
• 1921: Federal Reserve had outgrown its current offices. Site purchased at 5^th Street  & Marquette. Excavation of the site begins by the end of the year.
• During construction of the new building. John H. Rich dies and is replaced by John Barca. By this time, all nine directors of the Minneapolis Federal Reserve are Tanit cultists.
• Designed by Cass Gilbert to feature classical architecture, the new building was also designed to include a secret Tophet sanctuary beneath the vault in which child sacrifices could be used to create tophet serum.
• 1923: Cornerstone of the new Federal Reserve Building is laid. (The cornerstone contains a Tanit reliquary, part of a series of ceremonies which sanctify the building as a holy site.)
• 1924: Primary construction is completed. John Barca and the cultists begin using the Tophet sanctuary create Tanit serum. Officially, the board of directors and various other officers (all cultists) begun using the offices.
• February 1^st, 1925: Historically, the new Federal Reserve Building is occupied. The New York Life Building offices are shut down and vault deposits are centralized in the new building’s state-of-the-art vault.

WHAT THE FED OFFICIALLY DOES

• Economists: Collect and analyze data from across the Midwest to help the federal government monitor the economy and set interest rates.
• Cash Reserve: The Federal Reserve Bank is a bank for banks. When the banks need bank notes or coin, they request them from the Federal Reserve. That cash reserve (consisting of millions of U.S. dollars and other currency instruments) are stored in the Fed’s vaults.

INFILTRATION

Make an Appointment: Whether with John Barca or another member of the Fed staff. Although these are all cultists, official business is being conducted as a cover for their activities.

Charity Event: Dolls for Family Welfare is a charity which, as the name suggests, involves selling dolls to raise funds for charity. On Saturdays through the end of the year, they set up in the lobby of the building, also offering people the opportunity to do a short tour. The small crowds and/or tours offer the opportunity to perhaps slip away into the deeper recesses of the building. (Prop: Dolls for Family Welfare)

Fake Delivery: There are frequent deliveries to the building. These include periodicals and other material for the Archives (which are currently in the process of being transferred from the New York Life Building) and also construction material for the crews still working on finishing the interior features and décor.

Breaking In: If the vault were operational (and full of cash), this would be virtually impossible due to the extreme security measures that would be in place. Fortunately, this is not the case and only a minimal security team is onsite (see below).

Search Warrant & Police Raid: The PCs are working with Fred Watson, so it’s quite plausible that they’ll go to the police with the evidence they have. If they do so, make sure the PCs get an invite to be on the team serving the search warrants and expect a bloody shoot out between cops and cultists. (Fred taking a bullet seems dramatically awesome.) Alternatively, if you want to keep the ball in the PCs’ court, then “jurisdictional issues” can be invoked between the federal government and local law enforcement that will delay the law enforcement response by days or possibly even weeks.

NEW YORK LIFE BUILDING

Core Clue: John Barca spends little or no time at the old offices, conducting all of his business out of the offices in the new Federal Reserve Building. (Basically any investigation into the Fed’s activities at the New York Life Building should lead to some variation of, “This is all just business as usual… but the new building is weird / upper management is being very secretive about it / I keep trying to get transferred over there and apparently only people on a special list are allowed / etc.”)

New York Life Building:10-storey building with lower stories of St. Cloud granite and the upper stories of pressed brick. Built in 1890.

• Lobby: The lobby is simple incredible, featuring a pair of floating, double-helix staircases.
• Federal Reserve first rented offices in 1915. They currently occupy two floors.
• Building contains 250 offices.
• Other tenants include: The National Mutual Life Association, Walter L. Badger Real Estate and Loans, the Tontine Savings Association, Hennepin Commission Co. (a grain and stock company), the Gale Agency (representing various stock companies), and multiple attorneys (including Cross, Hicks, Carleton, & Cross; Weed Munro, Geo. Harold Smith; Edward C. Gale & Walter C. Tiffany; Alvord C. Egelston & George H. White; Booth & Douglas).

RESEARCH

History: Easily pull up the public history of the Federal Reserve and, specifically, the Minneapolis Federal Reserve as described above.

Art History – Newspaper Morgues: Local reporting features photographs of art being moved into the new Federal Reserve Building. Art History indicates that this includes rare examples of Carthaginian sculpture.

Bureaucracy: Obtain copies of the architectural plans for the new Federal Reserve Building.

• Architecture: It appears that an unusual steel alloy was used in the construction of the building; reputedly for tensile strength, although it’s unclear why that would be necessary. (Sourcing this alchemically infused steel could lead to another Tanit cultist operation at your discretion.)
• Architecture: Studying the public plans makes it’s clear that there’s something missing from them — a void directly underneath the Vault for which there are structural supports, but no indication of what’s actually there.
• Architecture 1: There’s also something weird about one of the elevator shafts. It’s designed for a greater height of operation than the other shafts, but there’s no visible reason for it.
• GM Note: Copies of the full, uncensored plans can be found in Barca’s office. At your discretion, copies might also be on file with the construction company (or, alternatively, they’ve been mysteriously destroyed). Cass Gilbert, the architect, would almost certainly have kept personal copies, but he now lives (and keeps his offices) in New York City.

Oral History / Intimidation – Construction Company: Talking to workers can probably shake free whispers about a “secret” area of the site that only certain workers were allowed into.

• Those workers (who were actually Tanit cultists) have all left the company and vanished. The person responsible for hiring them, Carl Mason, left the construction company and, strangely, now works as an economic analyst for the Minneapolis Federal Reserve.

The Cass Gilbert Rabbit Hole: Pursuing Cass Gilbert, the architect who designed the Minneapolis Federal Reserve, on the assumption that he must be part of the conspiracy can turn into a huge rabbit hole. For example:

• He designed the Minnesota Capitol Building (completed in 1905).
• He designed the Woolworth Building in New York City (currently the tallest building in the world). And does that mean that F.W. Woolworth, the founder of the F.W. Woolworth Company, is a Tanit cultist? Are his nationwide five-and-dime stores acting as operational centers for cult cells?
• He is currently designing the U.S. Supreme Court Building (which will be completed in 1935). If they’ve infiltrated the Federal Reserve, how deep has the cult penetrated the U.S. government?
• Where is he now? On a trip to England with his family, where he’s to be granted an audience with the British Royal Family. Can the PCs stop the British Empire from being suborned?

Or, alternatively, this really is just a rabbit hole: Cass Gilbert was just hired to do a job, modifying the building to include the sub-vault space at the instruction of John Barca after the death of John H. Rich. (You could even have him conveniently visiting family in Minnesota — he was raised here — and available for questioning, revealing Barca as the source for the sub-vault modifications.)

IN THE AREA

Streetcars: Streetcar lines run on all sides of the Federal Reserve Building.

Coleman’s Greasing Station: Located directly behind the Federal Reserve Building. (It’s like a service station / gas station.)

Syndicate Building: Built by a syndicate (thus the name) in 1883, the Syndicate Building contains a quarter-million feet of retail space. Assume the investigators can buy almost anything they want here.

Go to Node 8B: Inside the Minneapolis Federal Reserve