Author: Madeline Crane

Fantasy writer, tabletop gamer, wearer of hats.

Beyond the Frost-Cold Sea: Chapter XVII

Beyond the Frost-Cold Sea cover image: a wide, still river with forested mountain peaks rising on either side, underneath a clouded sky.
In which the tournament is concluded, but there is much yet to do.

Table of Contents

We raced down the length of the arena in a thunder of hooves and rattling wheels. Aysulu bent her head against the wind, squinting into the dust. I could not hear the crowds over the noise, but I could just make out the spectators closest to the ground, gripping the rails and leaning out as far as they dared.

Pace by pace, our chariot was gaining ground. Jahan and Alaric traded blows ahead of us, their staffs knocking together with a force that could break bones. We slipped between the Lion and Wolf’s chariot and the wall and caught up to Jin and Heishiro.

Continue reading “Beyond the Frost-Cold Sea: Chapter XVII” →

Song of the Week

Kate Bush, “Jig of Life”

Happy Monday! I hope everyone is staying safe and healthy.

Until further notice, the plan is to post a new chapter of Beyond the Frost-Cold Sea every Wednesday until it’s finished. I’m not sure how many more chapters that will be; I think we’re past the halfway point, but not by much. It’s turned out to be much longer than I had originally thought, but I’m having fun with it, and I hope you are too.

I am no longer able to stream on Twitch because my internet connection, while free of charge, is not very fast. I end up being more than an hour ahead of the upload, so I can’t chat in real time with any viewers. To pass the time while I’m socially distancing, I’ve decided to upload some gaming videos to YouTube instead, and make them available here on the blog also. I think I’ll be playing Myst: Masterpiece Edition, for a bit of nostalgia, but I’ll have to check if it works on my computer first. You can expect the first video to make an appearance on Friday!

Have an excellent week, and don’t forget to wash your hands!

Beyond the Frost-Cold Sea: Chapter XVI

Beyond the Frost-Cold Sea cover image: a wide, still river with forested mountain peaks rising on either side, underneath a clouded sky.
In which the chariot race begins.

Table of Contents

I awoke with the sun, and I heard the sound of someone moving quietly outside my door, stoking the fire and boiling water. Khalim still slept, a tangle of long brown limbs stretched out on the narrow bed beside me. He slept easy, his breathing deep and even. For the moment, no dreams troubled him. 

I do not remember if I dreamt, but now that I was awake, guilt plagued me. Had I made a terrible mistake? Maybe it would have been wiser to keep my distance, so that whatever was to come, I could believe at least I had not made things worse. But it was already too late for that—it had been well before the previous evening. 

Continue reading “Beyond the Frost-Cold Sea: Chapter XVI” →

Song of the Week

Ben Howard, “In Dreams”

Happy Monday!

The enforced closings of restaurants and public places have arrived where I am, and it looks like we’ll all be isolated for the foreseeable future. Please take care of yourselves and each other and wash your hands.

I have plenty here on this blog if you’re in need of something to pass the time. My Call of Cthulhu module, The Well Below the Valley, is now complete! You can start reading here or go to the table of contents under the “Read my writing” tab above. Beyond the Frost-Cold Sea is a free story that is about halfway done; you can start here or see the table of contents under the same “Read my writing” tab. I’ll be back Wednesday with Chapter XIV. And if you need a new twenty-second musical verse to time washing your hands, I have a new Song of the Week every Monday.

Good luck, stay safe, and have an excellent week.

Chapter Four: A Home Without Joy (Part Two)

The Well Below the Valley cover image: A dead tree stands on a field of short grass, against a blank gray sky. Bottom text reads, "A fan-made Call of Cthulhu module."

Table of Contents

The investigators have arrived at last at the seat of the cult’s power: the hollow island in the North sea. Already, the Great Mother’s servants are gathering, and they will stop at nothing to prevent our intrepid heroes from ending their evil and saving the world.

In Part One of this chapter, the investigators procured transportation and sailed to the island, hiding their boat and making their way over the jagged rocks to the underground temple. Armed with the spell in the Westmont Text, and possibly some explosives obtained in Dublin, they must now enter the temple and seal the Mother’s well for good.

(All page numbers refer to the Seventh Edition of the Call of Cthulhu Keeper Rulebook, published 2015 by Chaosium, Inc. I am in no way affiliated with Chaosium or the writers of the Call of Cthulhu roleplaying game system. Content notes for this chapter: eldritch horror, cult activity, forced drugging, abduction, monstrous pregnancy and miscarriage, explosions, and geographic destruction.)

Continue reading “Chapter Four: A Home Without Joy (Part Two)” →

Song of the Week

Omnia, “The Well”

Happy Monday!

This week, The Well Below the Valley will finally reach its conclusion. It’s been fun revisiting this campaign and preparing it for posting, but all good (or horrible, eldritch) things must come to an end. Part Two of Chapter Four will post on Wednesday, and all the appendices will also be completed. The module in its entirety will continue to be available for future perusal under the “Read my writing tab” at the top of the page. I’m happy for Keepers of Arcane Lore or other tabletop game masters to use it, in whole or in part, as long as you give me credit.

I will see you on Wednesday!

Beyond the Frost-Cold Sea: Interlude Two

Beyond the Frost-Cold Sea cover image: a wide, still river with forested mountain peaks rising on either side, underneath a clouded sky.
In which the stage is set for the end of the tournament.

Table of Contents

As they left the industrial district, Reva split off to head through the back alleys toward the slums, and Aysulu and Garvesh went on to the noble quarter. It was almost fully dark, with only the faintest glow of the setting sun casting light on the hills beyond the city walls. Phyreios itself did not sleep during the festival, and already it was lit up in an array of torches and lanterns that outshone the glittering stars above. 

Continue reading “Beyond the Frost-Cold Sea: Interlude Two” →

Song of the Week

Noah Gundersen, “Oh Death”

Happy Monday! The sun is shining here, but I’m hesitant to say that it’s spring yet. (Groundhog Day has always been an odd experience for me, as a person who lives in a place where “six more weeks of winter” and “an early spring” are two ways of expressing the same idea).

I’ll be back on Wednesday with a short-ish chapter of Beyond the Frost-Cold Sea, where we’ll be setting up for the chariot race and the end of the tournament. See you then!

Chapter Four: A Home Without Joy (Part One)

The Well Below the Valley cover image: A dead tree stands on a field of short grass, against a blank gray sky. Bottom text reads, "A fan-made Call of Cthulhu module."

Table of Contents

The investigators and their allies have faced the summoned creature and the cult in Dublin. They are left with a number of bodies in an abandoned barn and a black scar on the earth in someone’s field, or with the city crumbling in the horror’s wake.  If the investigators failed to defeat the summoned creature, they will receive no more help from their allies in Dublin. All efforts will be redirected to mitigating the damage and saving as many people as possible. Even if it and most, if not all, the cultists have been killed, arrested, or otherwise put out of action, the repercussions of their activities continue. Specifically, there has been a bombing in the city followed by quite a lot of gunfire just outside it.  It would be reasonable to assume that both the British and Irish governments will conclude that the local IRA members have broken the terms of the treaty and the previous ceasefire and restarted a pattern of sectarian violence. 

(All page numbers refer to the Seventh Edition of the Call of Cthulhu Keeper Rulebook, published 2015 by Chaosium, Inc. I am in no way affiliated with Chaosium or the writers of the Call of Cthulhu roleplaying game system. Content notes for this chapter: mentions of terrorism/bombing, cult activity, forced drugging, a general sense of doom.)

Continue reading “Chapter Four: A Home Without Joy (Part One)” →

Song of the Week

Phildel, “Afraid of the Dark”

Happy Monday!

After some deliberation, I’ve decided to divide Chapter Four of The Well Below the Valley into two parts. Part One will be up Wednesday. It’s a bit shorter than these parts usually are, but I think getting all the setting up out of the way before I take you into the final dungeon will work better than doing it all at once. This also means that I’ll be on my alternating schedule of The Well and Beyond the Frost-Cold Sea for another few weeks yet.

I hope everyone has an excellent week!