Job's EVENTS & EVIDENCE THREAD - Mountains of Madness

jdeleski · Jul 26, 2005

EVENTS & EVIDENCE – Beyond the Mountains of Madness

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Below are references to sources of information that have been used in this campaign. Some have been left purposefully vague to throw off curious investigators.
1. Obviously, the outstanding "Beyond the Mountains of Madness" by Chaz and Janyce Engan
2. Inspiration for Starkweather's acceptance or rejection letters by Smithy (Joe Dredd)
3. Photographs from National Geographic Magazine CR-ROM collection
4. Inspiration for fundraiser event found on Fojo's BMoM site
5. "Little America" by Richard E. Byrd
6. Photographs provided courtesy of Christian Lehmann (fellow erudite Keeper of BMoM).

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***NOTE: Author "Jdeleski" changed sign-on to "Job" in 2006
Job (the tortured one).

Taokan · Sep 3, 2005

Campaign Overview

In September of 1930, researchers from Arkham’s Miskatonic University, led by
Professors Dyer and Lake, set sail for the Antarctic continent on a bold venture of
exploration and discovery. Two months later they landed in Antarctica near Ross Island;
twenty men, fifty-five dogs, and five large Dornier aeroplanes were set upon the ice.
Their mission was to survey a geologic history of the Earth’s last frontier, to chart from
the air where no human foot had stepped, and to determine at last, once and for all,
whether Antarctica was indeed one land mass or several.

In much of this they were successful. From November of 1930 until mid-January of 1931,
the expedition achieved goal after goal, milestone after milestone. Aerial explorations
flew over and mapped thousands of square miles of previously unexplored territory. Sled
teams took core samples from scattered spots over nearly a quarter of the continent.
However, history does not remember the Miskatonic Expedition for its successes, but for
its final tragic failure.

The end of the expedition came just as the team seemed on the brink of their most
spectacular triumph. On January 23rd, a large party led by Professor Lake, broke through
into an unbelievable treasure-trove of ancient bones and fossils in a series of caverns at
the foot of a hitherto-unknown mountain range. For 2 days, they explored the caves,
bringing up specimen after specimen, some utterly unlike any living things that have ever
been studied by science. Then they were never heard from again; all were believed killed
by a tremendous Antarctic gale that swept the campsite on January 24th. A rescue
mission the following day found only silence and a few pathetic remains of the tragedy.

Now, in March 1933, a new expedition is forming, intent upon a return to that forbidding
Antarctic plateau and Lake’s campsight. British world explorer James Starkweather and
American geologist William Moore have joined forces to attack the Antarctic. The two
men have experience with harsh environments, both having traveled in the Himalayas, and
Starkweather on the Arctic ice cap as well. Their stated goal is to return to the high, cold
interior of the Antarctic continent and to finish the work that Lake and the other began
three years ago. The two are gathering a team of scientists and technical experts whom
they believe will allow them to succeed despite the dangers.

Job · Aug 7, 2007

Link to thread describing character creation mechanics and character sheets
Link to Additional d20 Skills & Feats in This BtMoM Game

And below is a brief Summary of our story to date:

Link to Prologue: (CHAPTER STATUS: Completed) Within this starting thread, our intrepid adventurers applied via letter to Commander Starkweather to join the expedition. Some main NPC's were introduced. Those player characters that were accepted on the expedition attended a fundraising banquet which was interrupted by a gunman. ***NOTE: The Prologue has been completed, however the Great EnWorld Crash of 2006 erased the final posts of the PROLOGUE, wherein Camille Bardier had convinced James Starkweather to allow her to join the expedition.

Link to Chapter 1: (CHAPTER STATUS: Completed) Our player characters arrived in New York City, visited their ship, the SS Gabrielle, and began preparations for the journey. They attended daily briefings from Commander Starkweather and Professor Moore, the expedition's main scientific leader. Some players began nosing around the ship, looking for information about fellow shipmembers.

Link to Chapter 2: (CHAPTER STATUS: Just begun) Following the unexpected death of the SS Gabrielle's Captain in NYC, members of the expedition investigate suspicious circumstances.

Link to Chapter 3: (CHAPTER STATUS: Not yet begun)

Link to Chapter 4: (CHAPTER STATUS: Nearly complete) Wherein preparations are completed and the characters board the SS Gabrielle to get their cabin assignments and meet their shipmates. The action takes place as the expedition is scheduled to depart New York City for Antarctica within the next 2 days (gametime). Unfortunately, final preparations are interrupted by unexpected chaos.

Link to Chapter 5: (CHAPTER STATUS: Just begun) The SS Gabrielle disembarks and the crew settles into their routines for the long journey

Link to Chapter 5a: (CHAPTER STATUS: Just begun) Øyvind Raknes awakens one evening on the ship and investigates the cause.

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Job.