Humanity floats on a sea of dark ignorance, unable to perceive the true nature of this universe. For all our scientific achievements and philosophical rigor, we are holding a match while we stare out at a yawning void. There are some among us, though, who have seen something of the shapes beyond our meager light. Men and women who have witnessed the things that swim in the outer darkness, or who have heard whispers of horrors that dwell beyond our understanding.
Some of them went mad. Others found rational explanations for what they experienced, fitting it into an altered worldview. And at least some embraced this knowledge, walking a fine line between those who threw themselves into the arms of the mythos, and those who shut their eyes against the truth of what dwells beyond our small, flickering fires of knowledge.
This collection of NPCs runs the length and breadth of this spectrum, and it is meant to provide Game Masters with a stable of characters who can help provide information to the PCs during their investigations into the strange and bizarre truths of the hidden worlds they find themselves exploring. From academics whose area of expertise brushes up against the mythos, to occultists who have first-hand knowledge of the Old Ones and their servants, to private eyes, museum curators, soldiers and police officers who have seen things they simply cannot explain, these characters are meant to help flesh out your story, delivering information to the player characters in a way that feels organic. Written for the classic period of the late 1920s to early 1930s, this list dovetails with previous supplements covering gangsters, tomes, Arkham businesses and rumors to hear around Lovecraft's signature town.
These characters could end up as allies, antagonists or both at different points in the story. How you use them is up to you, and how they're treated throughout the narrative by your investigators.
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Here are some sample results:
- Gretchen Cooper: A dark-haired, dark-eyed woman, Gretchen has a devil-may-care attitude, and a smile that's nearly as sharp as her wit. A pilot by trade, she tends to sign on with explorers and expeditions, always pushing the boundaries of the known. She's been to the jungles of South America, the dark emptiness of the African deserts and she's flown past the lonely mountains that stretch across the Eurasian continent. She knows what lurks beyond the lights of civilization, and if one manages to get her sloshed enough, she may even tell a few of her stories to those who find themselves on a collision course with the eldritch and inexplicable.
- Nathaniel Thorne: A rangy, rawboned man with icy eyes and a rasping voice, Nathaniel is a hunter of lost things. From missing persons to stolen property, Nathaniel will follow any trail, no matter how cold or how bloody it gets, as long as the reward is worth it. He doesn't talk much about his work, but he has a hard grin and a nasty laugh ready for all the folks who think they want the details about what it is he does to earn his keep.
- Violet Lexington: A juke joint crooner who looks amazing in a little black dress cocktail dress, Violet has a smoky voice that runs down one's ear like melted butter. She takes any job that pays the bills, and she's not too picky about who is handing her cash, or whether the club's licenses are up-to-date or not. She's seen her share of things that don't make sense, and she's overheard more than a few damning conversations, but she generally minds her business about such things. Nobody goes far when they make a habit of biting the hand that feeds, after all, so she tries to put such things far out of her mind, unless she finds a reason to recall them.
- Mark Caster: Mark is losing the battle against both his waistline and his hairline, but neither of those losses has distracted him from his interest in the burgeoning field of broadcasting. With an encyclopedic knowledge of the ins and outs of the science and technology behind how radio works, Mark's personal setup rivals that of an official station. Of late, though, he's grown obsessed with a series of rogue signals he keeps intercepting late at night, attempting to find out precisely what they are, and where they're coming from. After months of obsessive study, he's come to the conclusion that the signals are of extraterrestrial origin... a fact he doesn't bring up in mixed company. Not anymore, at least.
- Rita Carlyle: A socialite who comes from a long line of old money, Rita's short, dark hair and full-throated laugh mark her out at most gatherings she attends. With her fingers in dozens of different pies, she has a taste for the strange and unusual. From hellfire clubs and secret societies, to explorer's groups, speakeasies and high-end masked balls, there isn't a gala or shindig that she can't get an invitation to with one of her saucy smiles, and a flutter of her long lashes.
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