Chapter Three: The Singer of Tales (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

Having thwarted the cult in Oxmoor, though perhaps not without casualties, the investigators now know they must travel to the island in order to stop them once and for all. Before they can do that, however, they must first stop in Dublin to obtain the “key of the hierophant” from the professor’s former demolitions team, who stole it when they learned they would not be paid. This is a momentous and bloody time for Ireland, and the investigators will find themselves in the very tense quiet between storms. As temporal politics rage on, the cult is still making plans of the supernatural sort—and by now, the investigators are starting to experience the effects of the terrible island as the artifacts they have obtained plague them with nightmares.  

(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 WWI, the Anglo-Irish War, the Easter Uprising, and the Irish Civil War; mentions of terrorism and bombings, homophobia, and blood sacrifice; references in folklore to rape, incest, and infanticide.)

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

Song of the Week

Amaral, “Llegará la tormenta” (cover of Bob Dylan’s “A Hard Rain’s a-Gonna Fall”)

Happy Monday!

This week, I’ll be posting the first part of Chapter Three of The Well Below the Valley. We’re getting closer to endgame, and I’m very excited. See you on Wednesday!

Beyond the Frost-Cold Sea: Chapter XIII

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 are several duels.

Table of Contents

From where I stood, I could see the high seats where the Seven observed the games. They shone in the sunlight, their skin and their draped garments shimmering as though woven of metal, their faces serene and unmoving. At the center sat Andam the emperor and Shanzia his consort, father and mother to all of Phyreios. Watching them there in all of their finery, I felt I understood their haughty assurance that they could command all within their borders, including the worm under the mountain. 

They had already once been wrong, however. I was certain that during the night they believed Khalim to be dead, but he had overcome. Now, of course, they knew the truth: he yet lived, and he was mostly unharmed, his magic having overcome the Serpents’ poison. If they still wished him ill, they would have to try harder. I had slain two Serpents, myself, and Aysulu had taken the third. I would only have to be faster and more vigilant the next time. 

The arbiter called me forth to the ring. Were the Ascended watching me, studying my performance in this contest to find the means by which I could be bested? There was nothing to be done about it but to win the contest and the approval of the citizens, and make certain that the Sword of Heaven was awarded either to our team or to an ally.

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

Song of the Week

Bat for Lashes, “Horse and I”

Happy Monday! Also, happy Martin Luther King, Jr. Day!

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

The Well Below the Valley has returned

I’ve finished my edits, and all the links on the table of contents are now active again!

I made a few new handouts, and moved some clues around in Chapter One: The Souls of the Heathens to make the mystery both more mysterious and more solvable. Chapter Two: Green Grows the Lily is also available again.

You can go here to start the module from the very beginning, here to begin with Chapter One, and here to start Chapter Two. As always, all available material is accessible from the “Read my writing” tab at the top of the blog.

I’m back on my alternating schedule from here on out. Next Wednesday, I’ll post a chapter of Beyond the Frost-Cold Sea, and I’ll be back the week after to start Chapter Three of this module, “The Singer of Tales.”

Enjoy!

Song of the Week

KALEO, “Vor í Vaglaskógi”

Happy Monday!

Midwinter Gaming Convention went really well! I didn’t get as many players as I would have liked, but I did learn a lot about game-mastering. I’m going to be making some edits to Chapters One & Two of The Well Below the Valley before I put them back up on Wednesday, so I’ll keep you posted on that.

Now that the convention is over, I’ll be back on my usual schedule of posting chapters of The Well Below the Valley and Beyond the Frost-Cold Sea on alternating Wednesdays. Barring any unexpected catastrophes, this should continue until one or both of them are complete.

Please enjoy this song, and have an excellent week!

Beyond the Frost-Cold Sea: Chapter XII

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 Eske confronts his feelings, and the sixth day of the tournament proceeds.

Table of Contents

I must have fallen asleep, for my next memory is of the early morning sunlight streaming through the narrow window of Khalim’s room. My neck ached from sleeping upright, and my tongue was dry in my mouth. Someone was walking quietly around the common room, careful not to disturb those who still slept. 

I pulled myself to my feet and turned to Khalim. His eyes remained closed, though his breathing had grown uneven, and I could not tell whether he had awoken. Had the medicine Garvesh had mixed for him done its work? There was no way for me to tell; I had no skill for medicine. 

Whoever you are, I prayed to Khalim’s god, though I knew not if he could hear me, you must not let him die.

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

Song of the Week

Hozier, “In the Woods Somewhere”

Happy first Monday of 2020! Please enjoy this song.

Midwinter Gaming Convention is in FOUR DAYS. If you’ll be in Milwaukee, I’m hosting The Well Below the Valley on Thursday and Saturday evening, 5:30-9:30. Tickets for the games are free, but you’ll need a con badge. If you’ve never played Call of Cthulhu before, no worries! I’ll have premade characters and a quick & easy intro to the rules ready. All you need to do is show up and be ready to solve a mystery.

Here is the event page for Part One (Thursday).

Here is the event page for Part Two (Saturday).

Here is where you can get convention badges.

I’m hoping to have the next chapter of Beyond the Frost-Cold Sea up on Wednesday, but I may be too swamped with game prep. All the hidden material for The Well Below the Valley will be up next week, and we’ll return to our regular schedule of alternating posts until all chapters are available.

I hope everyone has an excellent week.

Beyond the Frost-Cold Sea: Chapter XI

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 situation takes a decided turn for the worse.

Table of Contents

As we left the ceremony, Aysulu caught sight of Jin and his companions, and congratulated them on being named champions. I had purchased some of the Cerean spirits the night before, hoping to celebrate, but my plans had been thwarted by Reva calling the meeting. It was of no matter: we had much more to celebrate now, as both our teams would have a chance at the Sword of Heaven over the next two days. We extended an invitation to meet us at our safe house for drinks, and the disciples of the Dragon Temple gladly accepted. 

Alas, it was not to be. 

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

Year in Review, part the second

2019 is finally over. It felt like February for about three months back there, and then it was August for a while, I guess, but time marches on regardless of whether I’m ready for it or even paying attention.

I did actually manage to accomplish a few things this year:

  • I started this blog, for one.
  • I’ve published 11 chapters of Beyond the Frost-Cold Sea here, as well as all the introductory material and two full chapters of The Well Below the Valley.
  • The latter is now hidden, because I did a scary thing and applied to host games at Midwinter Gaming Convention, and I was accepted! So I’ll be game-mastering Call of Cthulhu at the con in…two and a half weeks.
  • I am 170 pages into the second draft of my first book
  • I streamed many hours of Enderal: Forgotten Stories on Twitch, before being forced to stop by poor internet speeds.
  • I attempted NaNoWriMo for the first time and won!
  • I moved across town with my family.
  • I finally found a combination of medications that allows me to both get things done and sleep soundly, with side effects I can live with.

So, next year I’m going to try to keep this going. To that end, I hope to:

  • Finish this draft of my book, send it along to my beta readers, and get it ready for publication.
  • Do an awesome job at Call of Cthulhu at Midwinter.
  • Sing more, because it makes me happy and while I’m not good, I’m not so bad that it’s actively harmful to listen to.
  • Get back into playing the piano.
  • Finish Beyond the Frost-Cold Sea and get all the chapters of both that and The Well Below the Valley up here for your reading pleasure.
  • Maybe start a new free story?

Happy New Year! I hope 2020 brings everyone all the blessings they could want.