The Haunting of the House of Crum

by Balogun Ojetade

  M9. Statue Of Kanatase Tull

  The bronze statue of a regal-looking man stands here. His head, which reaches above the top of the hedge maze, wears a headband with three feathers that indicates he is Crum’s maternal grandfather and a member of the Mohawk—or Kanonsionni (“people of the longhouse”) in their own language—indigenous peoples. The statue’s face looks down with imperious contempt upon anyone who views it.

  M10. Aílton Mangangá

  The earth in this alcove looks fresh and recently turned. There is a small green bush planted here, but sticking up from the earth beneath it are the feet and fingers of a human being. The flesh of these extremities is pale and desiccated. If anyone attempts to dig up the body buried beneath the bush, she will find that it is a naked man out of whose crushed chest the roots of the bush grow. Of course, doing so summons William (see p.20) in 1d10 Rounds, who first warns the characters, “The Master would not be pleased with what you are doing. Stop at once or face his wrath.” If the characters do not immediately cease digging up the dirt beneath the bush, William audibly sighs and attacks the characters. He will keep up his attack until he is destroyed, the characters are all slain, or the characters flee the area. William will then begin to cover up the body again and will not depart the area until the job is done.

  The body beneath the bush is that of Aílton Mangangá, a wealthy traveler from Belém, a city in the northern part of Pará, a state in northern Brazil. Aílton had the misfortune to come upon the estate and enter it, during which time Crum found him insufficiently entertaining and allowed Brice and Bruce to slay him. If any PC has the ability to communicate with the dead, they can do so with Aílton, who died less than one year ago. He knows little of the history of the estate or its inhabitants, but he does remember a fair bit about the layout of the grounds and the estate itself. He also knows that Crum prizes diversion above all else and expresses regret that he was unable to amuse the master of the estate and thereby remain among the living.

  M11. Statue Of George Speck

  A large bronze statue of Crum as an adult (see G17) towers above this open area. Crum’s face has an extremely bored expression upon it. The statue also depicts human bones, weapons, and implements of torture lying at Crum’s feet. A character that looks at the statue must make a successful Will roll or be overcome with ennui and despair, suffering a -2d penalty to attack and defend actions for the next 1d Turns of combat. Any PC that fails the roll also hears a voice inside their head, asking, “Is there nothing that can relieve my boredom?”

  M12. Lilac Bush

  Another lilac bush, its blossoms more vibrant than those on the bush in area M3, grows here. Beneath this bush lie the remains of Afrodil, buried here after her suicide and regularly tended to by William. This area is immaculately maintained, without so much as a blade of grass or a pebble out of place. There is no external evidence that anyone is buried beneath the bush.

  However, there are many tokens of affection placed around the base of the lilac bush. They are: a jeweled necklace (worth $100), a string of pearls (worth $150), a silver tiara (worth $100), and a simple gold locket on which is inscribed the name Afrodil (worth $50). Should a character remove one of the tokens from the area, Brice and Bruce will appear and attack the PC with the intent to kill him or her. The ghastly brothers do not appear if the character only picks up a token to look at it and then returns it to its original location; it is only outright theft that summons them. If more than one token is taken away, an additional member of the household staff is summoned, in the following order:

  William

  Alfred

  Delany

  One for each token beyond the first. If all the household staff summoned are defeated, Crum sends no more and the characters are free to take the tokens away with them.

  However, doing so incurs penalties to Crum’s Fun.

  As noted above, Afrodil’s body lies beneath the lilac bush, consisting only of bones now. Digging the bones up or otherwise disturbing them also displeases Crum, but he does not summon any members of the household staff to stop this desecration. Any PC with the ability to communicate with the dead can do so with Afrodil, but she has been dead for decades now. Afrodil has intimate knowledge of the estate and its inhabitants, including Crum.

  M13. Rose Bush

  Buried beneath this red rose bush is the body of William, though that is not at all apparent from looking at this alcove, which is extremely well maintained. Attempting to dig beneath the bush summons William, who attacks the characters with great ferocity (a +2d bonus to his attack actions). Should the PCs be able to communicate with the dead, they can do so with William (who has been dead decades). His knowledge is mostly limited to the hedge maze and the grounds, as he was rarely allowed into the estate itself.

  M14. Statue Of Wentworth Speck

  The stone statue that stands here depicts a frail-looking old man, seated upon an ornate chair. He is bald and points his finger accusingly at the viewer. There is a small plaque at the statue’s base that identifies him, but it is partially covered by muddy soil.

  M15. Headless Statue

  Made of stone, the statue in this alcove is now headless, its head having been roughly hacked from atop its neck. The missing head is nowhere to be found. The plaque on the statue’s plinth has been effaced (by a knife or some other sharp implement) to such an extent that it is utterly illegible.

  M16. Wooden Statue

  A wooden statue of a large, broad-shouldered man lies propped up against the walls of this alcove. There is no sign of a base or a plaque indicating whom the statue represents. The statue radiates magic. If anyone touches the statue, it springs to life and attacks. If defeated, it falls to the ground and becomes inert once more. Even if it is utterly destroyed, the statue will reform over the course of the next 24 hours, after which it becomes active once again.

  Wooden Statue: Athletics: 4; Melee: 5; Physique: 3; Vigor: 1

  M17. Apple Tree

  A small apple tree stands in this alcove. Its fruits may be eaten without any ill effects.

  M18. Blackberry Bush

  A blackberry bush occupies this area. Its berries are not currently ripe, but they are nevertheless edible.

  M19. Statue Of Meir Speck

  A bronze statue of an older white man dressed in a Hessian Jäger Hauptmann’s uniform stands here. He bears a cutlass, a shako cap, and several badges and medals on his jacket that indicate the various battles he has fought in. The plaque on the statue’s plinth indicates it depicts Meir Speck and, unlike most of the statues in the hedge maze, gives his birth and death dates (1745–1804). Meir Speck is Crum’s paternal great grandfather.

  If anyone touches the statue, he or she is immediately teleported to another location within the hedge maze.

  The GM should roll 3d+1 (roll three 6-sided dice and add 2 point to the result) to determine the area in the maze to which the character is magically transported, with any result of 19 indicating area M22. A separate roll is made for each character that touches the statue, even if two or more characters touch the statue simultaneously. The effect works no matter how many characters touch the statue or how many times it is touched. The statue radiates magic.

  M20. Plum Tree

  This area contains a large and lush plum tree, which is covered in large, plump purple plums. While the plums are completely edible, any character that consumes more than one of them finds his or her skin changes to a brilliant purple color. The color change lasts for 1d weeks, after which it fades. The change can also be reversed through the Healing special ability.

  M21. Statue Of Catherine Speck-Wicks

  This bronze statue depicts Crum’s sister, Catherine, as an attractive young woman dressed in the robes of a scholar. There are piles of books and scrolls at her feet. Her arms are open in a welcoming pose. Beneath the plaque that identifies her name is carved the German word fragen—“ask.” The statue radiates magic. Any PC that asks a question of the statue hears an answer in
their head, delivered in a pleasant, feminine voice. The answer, however, is both incorrect and, where possible, the exact opposite of the truth.

  Each character can ask a number of questions of the statue equal to their Rapport skill rank, after which the statue will answer no more questions for that PC.

  M22. Carved Tree

  The tree here was formerly an apple tree, but it is now dead. Its bark has been elaborately carved with grinning skulls and demonic faces.

  M23. Statue Of Mason Speck

  This old stone statue depicts a smiling middle-aged man. His arms are outstretched, with the palms of his hands facing upwards over each shoulder. Characters that enter this area feel calm and peaceable and do not wish to leave. Such characters must make a successful Will roll or be unable to bring themselves to leave for 1d Rounds. For every Round a character remains here (whether by choice or because of the magical effects of the statue), he or she heals one level of Conditions (severity or duration; players’ choice. If a character who fails their roll is forced to leave the area against their will before the appropriate number of Rounds have elapsed, they will suffer a Severe, Fleeting Condition instead.

  Estate Grounds

  The estate’s grounds consist of the estate itself and the smaller buildings and areas of interest clustered around it. Each of these areas is described below in its own section.

  C1. Front Gate

  A wrought iron gate bars entrance to the estate’s grounds. The gate squeaks loudly and takes some effort to push open. Once all the PCs have passed beyond it, though, it quickly snaps shut and radiates powerful magic to those who can detect it. Neither brute strength nor special abilities can now breach the gate, which remains securely shut until the conditions specified in “Escaping the Estate” are met. A character that passes through the gate cannot return to the hedge maze until the curse is lifted, even if another character remains in the maze and then pushes it open again. This effect does not apply to any member of the household staff, some of whom might be encountered in the hedge maze.

  C2. Fountain

  In the courtyard is a circular pool in the center of which is an ornate fountain carved from a navy blue stone not native to the United States. The pool once contained water that has long since dried up, leaving behind only a thin layer of sediment and dead leaves.

  The fountain is a three-tiered structure supported by carvings of four robotic dolphins that appear to spout steam instead of water. When a PC approaches the fountain, it will spring to life, spewing a greenish liquid from the fountain itself and from the mouths of the four dolphins. The liquid looks as if it is water thick with algae, but it is not. The liquid is in fact magical in nature, brought into being by Crum’s power, and its effects are different each time someone dares to drink it. Each time someone drinks the liquid—even if it is the same person—roll 1d on the following table to determine its effect:

  No effect. Treat as water in every respect except coloration.

  The imbiber is healed one step of severity of one Condition.

  The imbiber shrinks to one inch tall for 1d (roll one 6-sided die and take the result) Rounds.

  The imbiber grows to twice their normal size for 1d Rounds, in the process gaining +2d to all Physique, Melee and Athletics rolls.

  The imbiber is stiff and unable to move for 1d Rounds. During this time, he or she is aware of his or her surroundings but cannot interact with them in any way. While in this state, the imbiber cannot be harmed.

  No obvious effect, but the next three times the GM is called upon to roll on the Random Event table, he or she rolls twice, choosing whichever result is an encounter with one of the undead household staff. If neither result is such an encounter, the GM may simply choose the result he or she prefers. If, by some chance, both of the results are an encounter, then both occur at the same time.

  The liquid continues to flow from the fountain for as long as the characters are on the grounds of the estate. Should they stay long enough, the entirety of the pool will fill with the green liquid but will not overflow it. Liquid subsequently taken outside the grounds of the estate has no effect on its imbiber whatsoever, except tasting like the algae-filled water it appears to be. Liquid taken in bottles or water-skins and imbibed later while on the grounds has a random effect as noted above, but the GM should add 3 to any result (i.e. a roll of 3 should be read as 6, etc.). The green liquid dries up should the curse be lifted.

  C3. Well

  There is a stone well located in a corner of the courtyard. The shaft of the well extends close to 40 feet below the estate’s grounds, where it meets an underground freshwater lake. There is, in fact, nothing of value in the well shaft. Characters who climb down the well in an attempt to escape the magical barrier will find that it leads through many flooded tunnels to the caverns beneath, emerging into the lake in Room B8 of the estate’s underground level.

  There is a chance that the characters might encounter William the gardener here, drawing water from the well with a bucket on a long length of rope. Roll 1d—William is encountered if a 2 or 4 is rolled.

  If encountered, he will be cursing the sorry state of the garden, complaining that no one cares about all the effort he puts into maintaining it. Unless the characters engage him in some way, William will ignore them and simply fade away after a few minutes. If someone talks to him, he will eventually gesture toward an empty area of the grounds and complain about how poorly the flowers are doing, “because no one cares about them— even the Master.” There are, of course, no flowers to be seen. If someone questions him or contradicts him about this, he will argue with the PC and suggest he or she is “blind” for not being able to see the garden, but will not otherwise escalate the argument. William disappears after a few moments, unless he is attacked, in which case he will defend himself.

  C4. Smithy

  This small building once housed a smithy used for fashioning metal items used by the inhabitants of the estate. Crum also used the smithy in crafting items he would later enchant and for that reason he had two hulking automatons, powered by magic energy, to stoke the fires in the forges. The two forges are currently cold and inactive, but if anyone should perform any action within the smithy that generates flame, heat, or light, the automatons will spring to life once more and attack. The entities attack until either they or their opponents are destroyed. There are two swords in the smithy that are serviceable enough to use in battle.

  Smithy Automatons: Melee: 6; Physique: 6; Will: 6. Superb Strength [Master; Clumsy; SMASH!]; Superb Toughness [Master; Slow].

  C5. Stable

  This larger building was the estate’s stable, as evinced by a variety of rotting saddles, reins, and other riding gear to be found within. Also to be found are the bones of three horses, each within a stall bearing its name (Star, Penumbra, and Cloud, respectively). The bones are just as they appear to be and there is nothing of value here beyond the aforementioned equestrian accoutrements.

  Delany is always to be found here, unless he has been destroyed. There is also a chance that Chantillion is here as well—roll 1d; he is present if a 3-6 is rolled. If Delany is alone when encountered, he will discourage the characters from entering, saying that, “The stable is full, I’m afraid. Seek out Chantillion and he will find a place to put your horses.” If the characters do not do as he says, he will attack them, but only with the purpose of kicking them out of the stable. He has no wish to kill them, though he will do so if there is no other way to encourage them to leave.

  If Chantillion is present, Delany will be seen beating the youth and berating him for his lackadaisical devotion to his duties. If the characters do not intervene, Delany will eventually “kill” the stable-hand. He will then shrug, sigh, and look at the characters, saying, “It’s hard to find good help these days.” Of course, Chantillion will reanimate the next day, like all the household staff that are destroyed. Should the PCs intervene, they will find that Chantillion will not fight on their behalf but will, instead, at
tack them. If they do not take sides in the dispute and merely try to discourage the argument, both Delany and Chantillion will put aside their differences and attack.

  C6. Kennel

  This small building is the kennel where Crum kept his five hunting dogs. All of the dogs have since been reanimated through his alchemical experiments with life and death. They are all more or less “alive” now, but looking at them, with their decayed flesh and skeletal features, it is clear that they are not natural in any way. Roll 1d; if you roll a 1, 3, or 5 then 1d of them are found in the kennel. Otherwise, the kennel is empty, since the dogs patrol the estate grounds looking for intruders. The kennel otherwise contains nothing of value.

  Dogs: Melee: 3; Physique: 2; Will: 1. Natural Weapon (bite) [Bloody Weapon; Only Good Up Close; Eviscerate].

  C7. Outhouse

  This small wooden structure has a heavy wooden door. Despite that, there is an unpleasant fecal odor emanating from behind it. The smell, while powerful, is not dangerous. Inside the outhouse is a toilet. Should the Random Event roll result in an encounter, the member of the household staff is, in fact, seated upon the toilet when the PCs come upon him or her.

  Ground Floor

  G1. Porch

  When first approached, the steel-reinforced, heavy wooden door leading into Room G2 of this floor is half open. The door has no lock or bar. However, after all the PCs have passed through it, the door will slam shut with a loud bang. The door is now magically locked, though there is a chance (roll a 3 or 5 on one die) that, upon subsequent visits to this room, the effect will have been removed and the door will stand open once again.

  G2. Screens Passage

  Movable wooden screens bisect this wide corridor, blocking the way toward Room G4 of this floor. The screens are finely painted on the side facing Room G15. The scenes depict skeletons and rotting human remains dancing, cavorting, and engaging in sexual acts with one another. If they could be moved, the screens are worth at least $400, though finding a suitable buyer might prove difficult given the obscene nature of the artwork.