Author: Madeline Crane

Fantasy writer, tabletop gamer, wearer of hats.

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!

Beyond the Frost-Cold Sea: Chapter XV

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 there is a fire-breathing lizard, a display of power, and a night spent in peace.

Table of Contents

Aysulu kicked her horse forward, nocking an arrow to her bow. I followed, keeping Khalim and Garvesh behind me. The salamander looked at us with one eye, small and shiny like a glass bead, and then turned its head to examine us with the other. Steam poured from its nostrils. 

It was customary, I learned, for the entire team to face their beast, even those who had no skill for combat. Khalim’s value to us in this fight was obvious, but I was less sure about Garvesh. 

He soon proved his worth. “I have read of these creatures,” he said, peering out around my shoulder. “They live in caves—it will be nearly blind in daylight. And watch for its tail! That will trip you as sure as its breath will burn you.”

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

Song of the Week: Double Feature

Loreena McKennitt, “The Lady of Shalott” (poem by Alfred, Lord Tennyson)

Emilie Autumn, “Shalott”

Happy Monday!

Here are two very different musical takes on the same figure in Arthuriana. I hope you enjoy them.

I’ll be back on Wednesday with another chapter of Beyond the Frost-Cold Sea. See you then!

Chapter Three: The Singer of Tales (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 are in Dublin, seeking an artifact and some information from the late professor’s demolitions team. The cult is here as well, and they are planning something even more terrible than they attempted in Oxmoor. A young woman, Grace Callahan, has already gone missing. The investigators are running out of time.

(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: violence, kidnapping, murder, blood sacrifice, eldritch horror.)

Continue reading “Chapter Three: The Singer of Tales (Part Two)” →

Song of the Week

The Silent Comedy, “Bartholomew”

Happy Monday! Please enjoy this song. You might recognize it from the trailer for Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition.

I’ll be back on Wednesday with the rest of Chapter Three of The Well Below the Valley. We’re coming to the end of the module! When it’s done, I may start posting another project, or I might just post chapters of Beyond the Frost-Cold Sea until it’s also done. I’ll have more updates on that later.

Have an excellent week.