75084-The Secret of Silcestre

THE SECRET
OF SILCESTRE
Andy Miller
Other Call of Cthulhu Scenarios
by Andy Miller
Miskatonic University Library Association Monographs
The Phantom of Wilson Creek
Miskatonic Repository
The Pannikin Requiem

The Last Valley
The Curse of Dudleytown
The Harlotville Horror
The Posse
Residue of the Past
Nightmare in the Moonlight
The Sosnovka Raid
Cover image
The Dance of Death: The Mendicant Friar, The Nun
by Hans Holbein the Younger
1526
The Secret
of Silcestre
Andy Miller
© 2021
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3
“Far, far below the deepest delvings of the dwarves, the world is gnawed by nameless
things.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Two Towers
“No man, for any considerable period, can wear one face to himself and another to the
multitude, without finally getting bewildered as to which may be the true.”
― Nathaniel Hawthorne, The Scarlet Letter
H.P. Lovecraft - 1890-1937
Special Thanks to my playtesters:
Matt McPike
Sean McPike
Aaron Frager
Scott Wakefield
4
The Secret of Silcestre
Sanity Rewards ...................................................................... 27

Afterword/Playtest Notes ........................................ 27
TABLE OF CONTENTS Non-Player Character Stats ..................................... 29
Godwin, Reeve of Silcestre .................................................... 29
Table of Contents....................................................... 5 Brother Bennett the Acolyte.................................................. 29
Forward ................................................................... 6 Arnbjorn................................................................................. 29
Introduction.............................................................. 7 Dwerg ..................................................................................... 30
Keeper’s Information ...............................................................7 Othin ...................................................................................... 30
Players’ Information .................................................................7 Christiern ............................................................................... 30
Dwarves in Folklore ................................................................. 8 Bovi ........................................................................................ 30
Adapting the Scenario ............................................................. 8 Typical Villagers ..................................................................... 31
Locale ...................................................................... 9 Typical Horse .......................................................................... 31
The Village of Silcestre ............................................................ 9 Dimensional Shambler/Demon ............................................. 31
History ................................................................................. 9 Dveorg Thane ........................................................................ 32
Future of the Village ...........................................................10 Typical Dveorg ....................................................................... 32
Secret History .....................................................................10 The Hourglass of Fate ........................................................... 32
Silcestre Locations .............................................................. 11 Maps ....................................................................... 33
The Village of Blasingstoke .................................................... 12 Silcestre Town ....................................................................... 33
The Village of Reading ........................................................... 12 Silcestre and Calleva Blank ................................................... 34
Arriving at Silcestre ................................................. 13 Silcestre and Calleva Keeper Map......................................... 35
First Impressions .................................................................... 13 The House of the Reeve Blank .............................................. 36
Following the Praesidia Finium ............................................ 13 The House of the Reeve Keeper Map .................................... 37
The Reeve’s Message .............................................................. 14 Cellars Under the Lost Villa Blank........................................ 38
The Agitated Dogs .............................................................. 14 Cellars Under the Lost Villa Keeper Map ............................. 39
A Question of Trust ............................................................ 15 NPC Pictures .......................................................... 40
The Reeve’s True Designs .................................................. 15 Pregenerated Investigator Pics ................................ 41
Meeting with the Acolyte........................................................ 16 The Investigators..................................................... 42
What the Acolyte Knows .................................................... 16 Pregenerated Investigator Sheets ............................ 43
The Acolyte and the Lost Villa ........................................... 17 Brother Drake ........................................................................ 43
Sounds from Under Ground .............................................. 17 Birhtnoth the Smith .............................................................. 45
What Happens to Brother Bennett .................................... 17 Eiliff Adilsson ........................................................................ 47
Voices in the Night .................................................................18 Bjorn ...................................................................................... 49
The Dwarves Come at Night ..............................................18
The Ambush ........................................................................ 19
The Sinister Danes................................................................. 20
Introducing the Danes....................................................... 20
Using the Danes................................................................. 20
In Search of the Lost Villa ........................................ 21
Compiling Information .......................................................... 21
Missing Clues .......................................................................... 21
Forest and Field ...................................................................... 21
The Old Walls ........................................................................ 22
Diggings ................................................................................. 22
Finding the Spot .................................................................... 23
Something Below..................................................... 24
The Ancient Stairs ................................................................. 24
The Lost Cellars ..................................................................... 24
The Casting Room ................................................................. 24
Intruders ............................................................................ 25
The Thing in the Cellar ...................................................... 25
The Alcove.............................................................................. 25
Other Rooms .......................................................................... 26
Treasure ................................................................................. 26
Denouement .......................................................................... 26
5
The village had many different names, including Ciltestere

FORWARD and Cilcestre in the 13th century, Scilchestre in the 14th
century, and Sylkchester in the 18th century.
Silcestre, Silchester, and Calleva Atrebatum were and are all
The Calleva area was first excavated by Reverend J.G. Joyce,
real places in Great Britain. All are drawn from actual history.
Calleva was an iron age village established around 20 to 10 the rector of Stratfield Saye, between 1864 and 1878. He found
B.C.E (Before the Common Era) and continued as a Roman the Silchester Eagle in 1866 in the aerarium (treasury). This
Roman bronze casting dates from the first or second century
town sometime after 50 C.E. (Common Era). Calleva
C.E. and was likely part of a larger statue. The site was further
Atrebatum was one of the last Roman controlled towns in
Britain and actually lasted until between 550 and 650 C.E. excavated by the Society of Antiquities of London from 1890 to
The original Iron Age town was probably of some 1909 which resulted in a plan of all the buildings of the town as
well as excavation of the Silchester baths. Molly Cotton
importance. Archaeologists uncovered imported Gallo-Belgic
fine wares, amphorae, and iron and copper-alloy brooches excavated the defenses of the town in 1938-1939. Professor
there. Coins found at the location attached it to the Atrebates. Mike Fulford excavated the area in the 1970s and 1980s. The
The original town had some sort of inner earthwork and a Silchester Town Life Project ran from 1997 to 2014 with the
Nero at Silchester project following in 2013. As of 2021, a five-
boundary ditch, as well as a hall and property divisions.
With the coming of the Romans, the town was expanded year archaeological research project is being conducted by the
from its original 32 hectares to about 40 hectares. A regular University of Reading around the old Roman town.
grid street pattern was developed and many public buildings Modern Silchester, with its earliest houses dating from the
17th and 18th century, lies about a mile west of the site of
were constructed, including a mansio (official stopping place
for officials on the Roman road) near the south gate with three Calleva Atrebatum and the former village of Silcestre. It stands
wings around a courtyard. As an important town of the in Hampshire close to the boundary of Berkshire and consists
of a village and civil parish. It’s about nine miles south of
Romans, numerous roads connected to the village.
Reading and has a lone public house called the Calleva Arms,
The town was the local center for the administration of
taxation and justice in the region, as well as an important named after the Roman town. Before that, it was called The
trading town. While the population of the Roman controlled Crown. Silchester has a population of 921 people.
Overall, the area has a rich and interesting history, along
town was primarily British, there were also foreign merchants
with some unanswered questions, making it a good spot for a
and immigrants.
Archaeologists theorize the town began to decline after the Cthulhu Dark Ages scenario. Its addition to the Praesidia
Roman withdrawal from Britain. Though buildings continued Finium gives investigators a reason to be there if they’re not
just passing through. Its central location in southern England
to be used from 400 to 430 C.E., their occupation was in sharp
also creates a good reason for traveling through the village. All
decline by 450 C.E. This makes it one of only six Roman
villages that didn’t survive and even disappeared in the Middle roads in southern England seem to lead to Silcestre and,
Ages, though there is some evidence it was used at least during though it’s no longer a major town in the region, it still holds
many secrets.
the Early Middle Ages.
It is also true that when the village was deserted, the wells
seemed to have been deliberately filled in. A small column Andy Miller, April 2021
inscribed with ogham writing was found in one of the wells
during excavations in 1893. Ogham writing was developed in
southern Ireland around 400 C.E.
Though most Roman towns continued to exist after the end
of the Roman era, there are some indications the Saxons
avoided the area of Calleva, possibly preferring the existing
centers of Reading and Winchester.
There is no record of when Silcestre was actually constructed
on the ruins of Calleva Atrebatum though archeological
evidence indicates it stood between the east gate and the south
gate of the Roman town. The village was listed in the
Domesday book of 1086 and there are records of its 12th
century aisled hall and medieval fortification.
The only surviving structure from medieval Silchester is the
12th century church of St. Mary, located not far from where the
east gate of Calleva Atrebatum used to lie. The building still Country Village with Church Tower
Johannes van Doetecum the elder
stands, even though the village itself was deserted around
1559-1560
1400.
6
The Secret of Silcestre Now several different factions seek the location of the lost
Roman villa that held the man and his magic, all of them for
or LET SLEEPING DWARVES LIE their own reasons.
By Andy Miller The Reeve (or administrator) of the town is Godwin, an
February -April 2021 educated cleric and warrior. He administers the town for the
earl of Hampshire, who has rarely ever visited, and gathers
taxes as well. In his free time, he studies the occult and other
terrible things. He learned of the supposed immortal ruler of
Calleva Atrebatum some dozen years ago and has been
pursuing the location of the villa ever since, so far without luck.
He lacks certain vital information.
The acolyte at the church, Brother Bennett, upon the
disappearance of Father Wade four years ago, took up his
research, hiding it away before Reeve Godwin might confiscate
his papers and writings. He has been observing what has
happened in the town for the last four years and, though he is
not exactly sure who is to blame for the priest’s disappearance,
he wonders if finding the lost villa might solve the problem or
answer it. Or it might make things worse. He fears Godwin as
INTRODUCTION he thinks the man is obsessed with the lost villa.
The dveorg themselves, the dwarves that inhabit the lands
The village of Silcestre stands on the site of an old Roman town hereabouts, still search for their lost leader, who was with the
named Calleva Atrebatum, a name mentioned in the Praesidia Roman magician when his spell went so terribly wrong. They
Finium or Frontier Garrison, a series of rare scrolls noting have searched for his location but are certain the men that live
strange places in Britain in 155 A.D. in Silcestre can either lead them to their thane or tell him
Now, in the late summer and early fall of 1002 A.D., either where the creature might be. They have searched for over 350
the church has sent a small group of people to the village of years, but still hope to find their leader alive, after a fashion.
Silcestre to learn of the vague rumors mentioned in the They stop at nothing to learn where he is and rescue him.
Praesidia Finium or they have stumbled upon it by accident. Finally, the last group is a number of Danish traders who
The incomplete record indicates dwarves lived in the area and have been paying attention to the local rumors of the Reeve
were friends to the Romans once upon a time. It also notes a and the acolyte snooping around the town and surrounding
certain leader of the Roman village never aged. Little else is area. These ne’er-do-wells are convinced both are searching
recorded. Perhaps they are just rumors after all. for some long-lost Roman or dwarven gold and want some for
This Cthulhu Dark Ages scenario takes place in the themselves. As such, they have been spying on both as much as
summer or fall of 1002 A.D. in England, specifically in the they can in the hopes of being there when the gold is found and
village of Silcestre (now Silchester) in Hampshire. It is written either taking it for themselves and fleeing into the countryside,
as a sandbox scenario and requires the investigators to pursue or perhaps offering their services to help secure it, depending
their objective. The scenario does not have a set storyline, on their mood at the time, how they are received, and what
though a potential progression of events is presented. they think they can get away with.
None of the factions have all the answers or know the actual
Keeper’s Information location of the villa. However, the first three have just enough
to point them in the right direction and, if the information
The town of Silcestre (Sil-chester) has a terrible secret that no from each faction can be combined, it pinpoints the place. It is
one person actually knows, though several different factions up to the investigators to learn the location and explore it,
are searching for. It was once the home of a powerful Roman either freeing or destroying the thane of the dwarves.
magician and sorcerer who ruled the Roman town there for
over 500 years, practicing just enough deception to keep the Players’ Information
townsfolk and his fellow Romans ignorant of his powers.
He was successful in his rule partially due to the dwarves There are a few ways the investigators might be drawn into
(dveorg) who infest the lands and hills around the village. solving the secret of Silcestre. Any of the following make for an
Having made a dark deal with them, they aided him in his good way to get them involved.
efforts to keep Rome alive in Britannia, at least until a terrible Investigators can simply be passing through the village on an
magical experiment went awry, killing the man and trapping errand of some sort that is taking them down the Roman road
the thane of the dwarves. between London and Winchester. They could be delivering a
7
message to King Æthelred at his court, currently in having learned of earlier digs at the location. They stumble
Winchester, or taking a message from the King to London. upon the village or come there for some specific purpose.
They might also be coming from the village of Blasingstoke to Investigators could have their motorcar break down as they
the south, possibly going to Silcestre to get something for the pass through Silchester, stranding them there for a few days
local market there. As the old Roman road splits in the vicinity while they learn of strange events and eerie happenings. The
of Silcestre, the investigators have other choices on where they local mayor or lord might even ask for their help in
are heading and where they are coming from. determining what is going on.
The investigators could be following clues from the Praesidia A modern day scenario could also see the investigators as
Finium, a set of scrolls documenting strange things happening part of the archeological dig of the village of Calleva Atrebatum.
in England around 155 A.D. In this case, they should be given This propels the investigators directly into the action and it’s
information from the scrolls on page 13 below, the clues having only when the excavation nears the correct location when
led them to Silcestre where a supposed eternally youthful strange things begin happening. Investigators should have a
tribune ruled. Mention of the dwarves that once plagued the real interest in the unknown and the strange as transport out of
Roman town can also act as a draw. Investigators could be the area is much easier than in other eras. Communication and
working for some earl, King Æthelred, or even the Archbishop research via cell phone or computer would also make alerting
of Canterbury to find out the truth of the old Roman stories, or authorities and learning about the ancient past easier. Dveorg
might be doing so on their own. artifact’s magical powers might hamper both transport or
The investigators could also be a small group escorting a communication as the Keeper sees fit.
priest to replace the man lost to the village four years ago. The The main difference between a Dark Ages game and one
group of escorts and acolytes are bringing the priest to the taking place in the last 100 years or so is the attitude of the
church so the villagers can resume proper worship. Likewise, a people. The villagers of Silcestre know the dwarves are real
group of craftspeople or merchants might be coming to the and believe in them wholeheartedly. More recent eras see
village to sell their wares or even set up shop. fewer of the local villagers believing in such things, though
The investigators could each be coming to Silcestre for their there are always some who do.
own personal reasons. Each of them might have arrived at the
village in the same week or so, looking to better their lives, if Dwarves in Folklore
they are freemen, or possibly even fleeing from some debt.
The investigators might be locals if their players prefer, Dwarven folklore varies. According to Norse Mythology,
having lived in Silcestre their entire lives. This requires the dwarves can be murderous creators to reluctant donors of
Keeper to make sure they have the information on the village artifacts to sexual predators. They are associated with metal-
they need, and a good reason for Godwin, the Reeve of the smithing and death. Anglo-Saxon legend connects them with
village, to be interested in using them to help him find the lost sleep disturbances. Germanic references portray dwarves as
villa. He might simply hire some locals he thinks he can trust. having childlike faces and long beards. They are said to dwell
Likewise, the acolyte Brother Bennett must have a reason for in the earth and under the hills though their descriptions vary.
finally confiding in them. A successful Occult check gives this information.
The people of Silcestre call the dveorg “dwarves” due to the
Adapting the Scenario belief that they live underground and make magical items.
Adapting the scenario might prove tricky. The premise makes

for a good Dark Ages scenario but other eras (and especially
locations) cause more work for a Keeper to adjust.
Archaeological digs in the area work best for a Gaslight
scenario. The investigators can be working with either the
rector of Stratfield Saye, between 1864 and 1878, or they’re
connected with the Society of Antiquities of London who
excavated from 1890 to 1909. They could also be involved in
an independent dig in the area, possibly even having learned of
it through the old Praesidia Finium. Local gentry might be
interested in the dig and the acolyte could come from nearby
Silchester. Though the village is now west of the location given
in this scenario, a little research should allow the Keeper to
make the necessary adjustments.
A jazz-age scenario works the same way. Antiquarians could
be following something written in the Praesidia Finium,
8
LOCALE
The Village of Silcestre
Silcestre is a narrow village running along the old Roman road

though that road turns to a dirt street in the town proper.
Broken walls lie to the southeast of the village along its edge,
with a gully on the eastern and southern side. Ruins also lie
just north of the village proper, especially the mound-like
amphitheater. Silcestre is primarily a farming village with
fields mostly to the northwest though there is also a church in
the town, a blacksmith, and the Reeve’s larger hall.
The area is wooded outside of the farmland around the town.
However, the ruined remains of a large round hill (the Roman
Amphitheater) lie just north of the village. Many of the old In the second century A.D., private homes were decorated
Roman walls, though broken, are still in existence in the woods with elaborate mosaics. A rampart and a ditch were built for
and in the village itself. protection of the town. From about 200 A.D., the village was
The population of Silcestre is roughly 140. defended by solid walls and surrounded by a deep pit or moat.
Buildings were demolished and replaced with new ones better
History following the Roman street grid.
The town was the local center of administration, taxation,
The site of the village of Silcestre was originally the Iron Age and justice. It was also an important trading center. Metal,
Town of Calleva. Established between 20 and 10 B.C., the town wood, leather, and textiles were all worked in the town with the
covered roughly 32 hectares. It might have been a planned population being primarily British in addition to some foreign
settlement from northwest Gaul (modern-day France), having merchants and immigrants. Scattered farmlands were both
been sent by the town of Arras. These would have been the within and outside of the walls.
people of the Atrebates tribe. In the fourth century A.D., the town continued to flourish
The town was soon a major processing and trading center. though buildings of a more modest size and decoration were
The thriving defended settlement had buildings arranged in an built.
organized layout. Goods manufactured locally included horse Calleva Atrebatum was not abandoned by the Romans until
and chariot gear traded for metals, grains, slaves, and other very late for most in Great Britain. It was probably between
items from the region. These were traded to the Romans 550 and 650 A.D. before the Roman administration left the
outside of Britain for luxury foods and manufactured goods. town as compared to the late 4th century for most other places
The town had defensive earthworks and a number of on the Isles. This was unusually late compared to other
cemeteries outside of the town proper. deserted Roman settlements. At some point during its
The territory of the Atrebates would retain some autonomy abandonment, wells were deliberately filled in with gravel and
after the Romans conquered them in the late 1st Century A.D. the town at least partially destroyed.
From the mid 1st century A.D. on, a large Roman town The area that is now Silcestre is much smaller than the
named Calleva Atrebatum, the epithet denoting the town’s role Roman town, lying mostly between the former east gate and
as the capital for the Atrebates tribe, developed from Calleva. south gate of the city. The rest of the area has been reclaimed
The Romans laid down a regular street grid, increasing the by the woods. There are some indications of the houses of the
town to roughly 40 hectares. The center of the town held an more modern village being built with remains of the old roman
administrative center, the forum basilica, while the main walls and earlier structures. Farmlands now cover much of the
streets held clustered shops and workshops. Pubic baths were old Roman town though some of the old streets can still be
constructed in the southeast corner of the town. A rest-house made out.
(mansio) was built near the south gate for travelers on Imperial The town has a small church though it has been practically
business. An amphitheater was constructed on the eastern abandoned for the last four years. The village priest, Father
edge of town about 70-80 A.D. just outside of the city walls. Wade, came to the village eight years ago. Having observed the
Temples stood near the center of the town and on the east side strange things happening in the region, including the eerie
of the village, with a Christian church near the forum. drums beating at night and the pale, colorless fires on the
Wealthier people lived outside of the commercial and surrounding hills, he investigated as best he could, finally going
industrial areas in large ornate houses. to see who was lighting the fires four years ago. He never
returned (but see pp. 16-17).
9
Future of the Village would give the creatures 10 men and women each new moon if
the dwarves would leave them and their village alone.
The village is listed in the Domesday Book (1086 A.D.) as Of the slaves the village traded, at least 10 were marched off
Silcestre, and recorded as having two manors. An aisled hall is every month to the distant hills on the morning of the new
built in the amphitheater area in the 12th century and a moon. The villagers saw the pale bonfires lit atop the hills on
palisade erected atop the banks. The fortification might have those nights and sometimes, along with the beating of drums,
been called “Castellum de Silva” meaning small castle in the came the terrified and confused screams of the dveorg’s pitiful
woods. It is recorded as being taken by King Stephen during victims.
the wars with Empress Matilida in 1147. A 12th century church When the Romans came in the middle of the first century
of St. Mary the Virgin, located close to where the east gate once and began to expand and improve the town, the original
stood, is also later built. The structure still exists. Callevans continued their practice of sending slaves into the
The town is abandoned around 1400, possibly due to the hills once a month. After a short while, the prefect in charge of
Black Death (1348-9). The present-day village of Silchester is the village put a stop to it. Soldiers were sent into the hills
founded in the 17th century just to the west of the Roman town during the new moon to destroy whatever they found there.
and the Dark Ages village. Excavations of the old Roman town Sometimes they returned, usually with tales of terror or having
are started by the rector of nearby Stratfield Saye between 1864 found nothing. Sometimes they did not return at all.
and 1878. It is also excavated by the Society of Antiquities of Calleva Atrebatum, like Calleva before, learned to fear the
London from 1890 to 1909. Only small-scale excavations occur night, particularly the nights of the new moon, when the land
until the 1980s. was the darkest. The prefect in charge of the town was recalled
around 88 AD as Rome decided what to do about the terrible
Secret History things happening on the dark isle of Britannia. The town
would be without imperial leadership for nearly a decade.
When Calleva was settled, the inhabitants soon learned they Titus Priscus Maximus was the
were not the first inhabitants. The dveorg or dwarves were tribune sent to govern the growing
already there. The creatures lit pale bonfires on the distant town near the end of the first
hills, beat drums, and sometimes took people from the village Century A.D. A stern man who
who were never seen again. Or worse … were seen again. seemed older than his years, he had
been sent specifically to deal with
the strange problem. Within two
years, Priscus Maximus had
negotiated with the dveorg and, in
the end, returned to the original
Titus Priscus Maximus
deal they had made with the people
of Calleva.
Priscus Maximus took the agreement one step further. Over
the next decades, he learned from the dveorg and traded for
their various magical artifacts. Maximus was no stranger to the
eerie and the horrible. He already practiced certain magic he
had learned when stationed in Syria, Judea, and other lands to
the east recently conquered by the empire. His new station saw
him seeking even more terrible magic.
Titus Priscus Maximus ruled Calleva Atrebatum for nearly
100 years before leaving, seemingly no older than when he’d
come. He was gone only a handful of years before his
“descendant” arrived from Rome, a man by the same name
who looked remarkably similar to his alleged “uncle.” In
reality, it was the same man. Titus Priscus Maximus had long
The Iron Age Village before learned how to stop the aging process.
This series of events would continue for the next 500 years.
For nearly a decade, the people of Calleva feared the dwarves Titus Priscus Maximus would rule with the authority of Rome
and the fog that sometimes crept into the village, never leaving for 80 to 100 years before leaving for some years, only to
without taking at least one of the villagers. They resolved to do return, claiming to be some distant relative. The people of the
something about it. Though it took some time, the villages village noticed, but few said a word. If Rome didn’t care that
eventually came to an agreement with the dwarves. They the man was ruling them, why should they?
10
It was Titus Priscus Maximus, with the help of the dveorg, door facing the road that runs through Silcestre. Small
who convinced the Romans to remain in Calleva Atrebatum windows are covered at night with shutters from within.
long after the rest had fled the anarchy of Britannia in the 4th The village of Silcestre has several locations of interest:
century. It was he that insisted the Roman administration stay
in the place with claims he could keep the darkness of 1) The Village Green: An area is set aside near the Reeve’s
barbarism at bay. The town continued as it had always done house for the animals of the village to graze. The stable nearby
before. is used to house the animals at night, along with the Reeve’s
With the help of the dveorg, his own powers, and the devices horse. The village has a half dozen oxen, a few cows, a dozen
he had acquired over the years from the dwarves, Titus Priscus sheep, and even a few pigs. Chickens tend to congregate on the
Maximus ruled the town and fended off those who would green during the day as several villagers keep those animals as
destroy or control it despite its decline. It was not until 637 well. Most of the livestock in the village is considered part of
A.D. that he made his greatest mistake. the village as a whole.
The dveorg were distrusted but essential allies of the man
and they often attended him at his house on the north side of 2) The Reeve’s House: The Reeve has the largest house in
the fortified village. Secret ways beneath the earth allowed the village. It is detailed on pp. 14-15 below and has a solid
them to find their way to his home where he sent them on wooden roof and stone walls. Aside from the church, it is the
missions or he, himself, performed strange and terrible most secure structure in the village.
services for the creatures. Slaves had been harder and harder
to come by. The barbarians outside of the gates seemed ever 3) Stable: Stout wooden walls and a thick thatch roof make up
more determined to rid the land of the last Roman outpost in stable that holds the village livestock and the Reeve’s horse. If
Britannia. Titus Priscus Maximus found it harder and harder the investigators have animals, they are put here. They should
to maintain the village. be safe enough. Hay and bags of grain are kept in a loft above
It all ended one night when an experiment in the cellars went the main structure, accessed by a ladder. There are numerous
awry, killing the man. His house collapsed upon the spot, the farming implements in the building as well, and some of the
cellars and basements below being sealed and leaving nothing villagers leave their tools here instead of taking them home at
but ruins above. The leader of the dveorg was present at the night.
experiment and only survived by taking the now-dead body of
Titus Priscus Maximus for its own, though that still left it 4) The Church: The church of Silcestre has a tall tower with a
trapped in the cellars with no way out. bell, usually only used to signal danger to the village these days.
The village was in chaos. With the barbarians at the gates, The tower roof is flat-topped with a battlement of sorts. A
the strange fires now appearing on the hills every night, and single interior room in the tower above the nave is used by
without Maximus to deal with the dwarves, the remaining Brother Bennett. This lies directly beneath the bell.
Romans fled from the town as the horrible mist began to The church is made entirely of stone with narrow windows of
appear weekly and people disappeared by the score. The stain-glass held in place by iron and lead. The roof is shingled
dwarves seemed determined to get to something under the in wood and very solid. The door of the church stands on the
ground so, before the Romans left, they filled in all the wells to side towards the road. The building also has a few trees around
try to thwart them and the town was abandoned. it. In front of and beside the church are a few simple
It was not until about 900 A.D. that men returned to the tombstones that make up a little cemetery here.
place. The natural nexus of several roman roads made it was a The church is locked up most of the day while Brother
good place to settle. It was not long before the settlers noted Bennett works in the fields or finds other work to occupy his
the strange fires on the hills, though these only occurred time. On Sundays, he holds a short mass though he is not an
infrequently and without any seeming regularity. Those who ordained priest. More details are on pp. 16-17.
went to examine the fires were usually never heard from again.
A strange mist sometimes entered the growing village, but the 5) Blacksmith: This building is primarily constructed of
people barred their doors against it and the night. solid wood with a forge in the back. The structure shows signs
The dveorg know their one-time thane is still somewhere in of many fires that were obviously quickly extinguished. The
the vicinity. They still seek him. thick wood of the main building and wooden roof are all
scorched, though no fires apparently ever spread far enough to
Silcestre Locations burn the smithy down.
The building is fairly open and just shy of being simply an
Most of the buildings in Silcestre are made of wood though a enclosure. Shutters can be put over the wide openings on the
few have stone walls that were either once the original walls or sides, though this is only done at night or in the winter due to
of stone taken from them. Almost all of the village huts are the heat from the forge. There are plenty of tools, equipment,
small, single-room houses, roofed in thatch, and with a single and even iron ore in the building. There are no weapons.
11
The blacksmith in Silcestre is Osbeorn the Smith. A very The Old Roman Streets: In the fields of Silcestre and the
large man with many scars on his face, he is bearded though woods nearby, growth on the ground is somewhat discolored in
there are places the hair no longer grows. Osbeorn and his regular patterns. These discolorations mark the old Roman
family live in the house across the road from the Smithy and he streets of Calleva Atrebatum beneath the soil. The villagers can
also works the fields when need be. tell investigators what these are if asked.
Osbeorn claims he knows the secret of making cold iron that
the fae cannot abide. He might be willing to share this secret, The Village of Blasingstoke
but only if it is worth his while. He points to several homes in
Silcestre with strange curved shapes of metal over the door or Blasingstoke is a market town with a weekly market on
near a window, claiming they are his cold iron. He might be Wednesday. It lies a few miles south of Silcestre. It is a Saxon
willing to part with some of the precious stuff for the right price village with a population of around 200. The village has three
as well. watermills for grounding grain into flour, a meeting hall, and a
In truth, these are merely the leavings of other jobs, though church. There are tanners, tailors, blacksmiths, bakers,
Osbeorn truly believes that is what cold iron is and that its brewers, and coopers as well as farmers in the village. Fields
power is enough to keep the dwarves away from the village. He lie to the north, west, and south of the town. A common is used
is quite mistaken. The dveorg have no fear of the stuff. Its lack for grazing cattle, pigs, and sheep collectively. Wool is
of effectiveness has not yet been proven. important in the village with locally raised sheep having their
wool woven here. The watermills have wooden handles to
6) Old Mother Hereswith: The oldest woman in Silcestre is clean and thicken the wool as well.
Old Mother Hereswith, who is over 80 years old, though she is Humans have been living in the area of Blasingstoke since
not sure of her actual age. The crone lives alone in a tiny hut about 3,000 B.C., their earliest settlement a Neolithic campsite
and is provided for by the villagers mostly out of fear. beside a spring west of the town. Flint axes and other
Rumor in the village has it the old woman is a witch, though implements date from even earlier. The Iron Age hill fort at
her presence at Mass every Sunday seems at odds with this Winklebury stands two miles west of the town, and several
hearsay. The old woman is quite wise and villagers often go to other earthworks are in the vicinity of the village. One of the
her for advice, despite their fear of her. local ruins includes a long barrow near Down Grange.
Mother Hereswith can be used to advise the investigators The village itself stands just east of the Roman road from
should they get onto the wrong track. She wants something in Silcestre to Winchester. Just south of the village is the Harrow
exchange though she is simply an old woman of surprisingly Way, an east/west Iron Age ancient route also known as the
good health … not a witch. Old Way. This ancient trackway has been dated back to 600-
450 B.C. but might have existed as far back as the Stone Age. It
7) House of the Danes: This is the house the Danes have runs from Seaton in Devon to Dover in Kent.
inhabited. They are described on p. 20.
The Village of Reading
8) The Roman Amphitheater: The large mound in the
woods marks the old Roman amphitheater of Calleva
Northeast of Silcestre is the village of Reading. Somewhat
Atrebatum. There is a low spot in the mound with the dirt
larger than the villages to the south, Reading has several mills
covered stone of the structure. Some villagers swear the
and a wool trade similar to Blasingstoke. Its population is 220.
dwarves congregate here at night.
Reading might have been inhabited by the Romans, possibly
as a trading port for Calleva Atrebatum. No records survive
The Fields: The fields of Silcestre are typical. Villagers grow
from that time, however. The current town was founded in the
wheat and rye. In the center of the fields are several springs
6th century by Saxons traveling up the River Thames and
where villagers gather fresh water.
finding a suitable place to ford the River Kennet.
Reading was first recorded as settled in the 8th century and
The Springs: These springs actually mark the location of the
known as Readingum, a name derived from the Readingas
old bathhouses of Calleva Atrebatum and a few Roman stones
Anglo-Saxon tribe. The name meant “Reada’s People” in Old
are still in the area. The water is clean and fresh enough for the
English. “Reada” is thought to mean “The Red One.”
villagers to use for their daily needs.
A camp was set up in the area in 870 when an army of Danes
invaded Wessex. The First Battle of Reading took place on
The Ditch: The old defensive ditch that lies around Calleva
January 4, 871, when an army led by King Ethelred and his
Atrebatum is mostly filled in though there is a distinct lower
brother Alfred the Great failed to breach the Dane’s defenses.
area around the old town. It is noticeable though not
The Danes didn’t leave Reading until late in the year when they
particularly deep.
moved to winter quarters in London
12
ARRIVAL AT SILCESTRE the villagers, they learn the priest disappeared four years ago
and none has come to replace him. The village is making due
with an acolyte until the church can send another priest. The
Whether the investigators come to Silcestre on a mission or are
man keeps the church closed except when he says the Mass.
just passing through, they find the village is typical for the
Villagers also tell investigators their Reeve is a learned man
time.
who can actually read and write! The villagers are quite proud
If the investigators are merely passing through the village,
of their Reeve, whom they claim is fair and just to everyone.
strangers are of enough interest to draw the attention of the
He has petitioned the church to replace the priest, but another
Reeve and other villagers, who are curious as to news from the
never arrived.
outside world. Travelers find themselves greeted with some
Villagers also warn the investigators of the dwarves in the
interest, especially if they have wares to trade or professions
surrounding hills and against going out at night. The dwarves
not represented in the village. The Reeve soon learns of their
are horrid beasts that sometimes take the guise of friends and
arrival and hopes to use these strangers, particularly if they are
relatives who have recently died and kidnap people. They
learned men of any kind, to his own advantage.
scratch at the doors and shutters and even whisper to the
Investigators who have come to the village following the
villagers to come out. Sometimes they bring an evil fog.
Praesidia Finium already have some idea of why they are there.
One story tells of a dwarf, disguised as a recently dead father
They are looking into the reason why an “immortal ruler” was
of a family, boldly entered the family’s hut days after his burial
said to rule over Calleva Atrebatum in the second century A.D.
and joining the terrified group at their evening meal. Though
There is also writing about dwarves in the area and some
the family sought to escape the horrid creature, it barred the
mention of treasure. Any of these could draw the investigators,
doors and windows. The next morning, the entire family was
prompting them to visit Silcestre either on their own or at the
gone save for the youngest child, a mere scrap of a boy, who
behest of some earl or even the King.
had hidden in the thatch of the roof and heard the terrible
Should investigators have a copy of the Praesidia Finium but
things the dead man said. He had seen other dwarves enter the
did not specifically follow it to the place, they can learn from
house to drag the rest of his family away. The boy’s hair was
the document of the original Roman town Calleva Atrebatum
white for the rest of his life and he died while still young, never
which is mentioned in the scrolls.
venturing out into the night.
The villagers fear the night and won’t unbar their doors for
First Impressions anyone after the sun has set.
However they arrive, investigators find a small farming village

that runs along the road in a northeast to southwest angle. It
Following the Praesidia Finium
follows a ditch to the southwest and there are signs of old,
overgrown walls here and there. A large hill stands in the The Praesidia Finium (Frontier Garrison) is a set of
woods just north of the village proper; it is singularly round parchment scrolls in Latin by Lollius Urbicus and dated
and looks unnatural. Other hills can be seen in the distance. around 155 A.D. They describe several strange areas in
The village has several cultivated fields to the northwest and England at the time of the Romans. More information on
these are filled with crops (wheat and rye mostly) or fallow the scrolls can be found in Cthulhu Dark Ages p. 152.
depending upon when the investigators come to the village. Investigators can get the following information from the
Either way, the locals work the fields as most are serfs or free Praesidia Finium:
farmers. Smoke rises from through the thatch of a few of the
huts as the women prepare the afternoon or evening meal. Calleva Atrebatum stands in the province of Britannia
It is relatively late in the day when the investigators arrive at where several roads meet. The civitas is the capital of the
the village and getting to the next village, even if it’s just Atrebatum tribe and administrative center for the region.
Blasingstoke a few miles away, would be problematic before Of interest is the tribune in charge of the village, Titus
nightfall. The village appears to be like any other small hamlet Priscus Maximus, who some in the town claim has not aged
the investigators have passed through in their travels. a day since he arrived over fifty years before. Indeed, the
The people of Silcestre are friendly enough and typical of man looks no more than forty summers with a thick head of
English peasantry. They greet strangers in a friendly fashion so curly hair and bright eyes. Titus Priscus Maximus scoffs at
long as they aren’t aggressive or rude. Though there are few the rumors of his age, calling it exaggerated.
services here, travelers can probably find lodgings at someone’s Other rumors claim the dwarves of the nearby hills made
home for the night, either a farmer or someone who has the life hard for the Romans who settled here a hundred years
same occupation as the investigator. ago. Some whisper of the treasures of the creatures while
Of note is the church. The small stone church in Silcestre is others fear their strange, pale fires sometimes still seen
shut and locked up. There is no sign of life within. If they ask burning on the hills around the town.
13
The Reeve’s Message his house for the night. He is also interested in how
knowledgeable the traveler or travelers are and questions them
on various subjects to see what they might know.
If he concludes they are learned men, he confides in them he
has learned much of the history of the town and its
surroundings. He tells them of the Iron Age village of Calleva
and the Roman town Calleva Atrebatum that once stood where
Silcestre is now. He can relate everything in the History
section of Silcestre on p. 9 and hints the Roman town was the
last in England to be abandoned, the residents having burned
part of it to the ground and filled the wells with gravel before
they fled from something there.
If they gain his trust through either good role playing or a
Charm, Persuade, or Fast Talk check, or Godwin decides he
can use their help, he also confesses he is searching for the lost
villa of one of the leaders of the ancient Roman village. He has
been looking for it for some years though without much success
to date.
He shows the investigator one of the other rooms, his library,
which holds certain ancient scrolls he has acquired throughout
his search. Most are old Roman scrolls in Latin but a few are
scribbled with English. He shows them one he notes was
written in the 5th century about the villa of the leader of
The Reeve’s House Calleva Atrebatum, Titus Priscus Maximus, said to be a wizard,
who had a great treasure kept not in the Forum of the town as
Shortly after the investigators arrive in Silcestre, perhaps that it should have been, but in his own villa. He knows the man
very first evening, one of the Reeve’s servants comes to where disappeared or died not long before the Roman village was
they are staying or eating, telling them the Reeve wishes to see abandoned, but little else.
them. If the investigators are spread throughout the village, He also has a drawing of Titus Priscus Maximus on one of
staying with different people, only a single messenger comes to the scrolls he shows any investigators he trusts.
the person who is the most learned in the group and certainly If the visitors have the Praesidia Finium or any other mythos
one who can read and write. Other investigators with that tomes or information, he bids them to share their knowledge
person are allowed to come along though the Reeve is only with him if he learns of it. He is especially interested in old
interested in learned men. tales of strange events and magic, though he claims he has no
The Reeve’s Hall is a larger structure made of stone with real interest in the occult other than the stories.
narrow windows that are, like the rest of the village, shuttered If asked about the dwarves, he tells investigators they are
at night. The house is divided into a great hall, a kitchen, and a terrible creatures that sometimes come down from the hills
half dozen smaller room used for sleeping. It is a single story into the village and cause trouble. They steal people away in
tall with a high wooden roof. the night or kidnap children, as horrible things in the night are
Godwin the Reeve is a sturdy wont to do. He notes the dwarves took the village priest four
fellow with a thick beard though no years ago when he foolishly went to try to eliminate them. He
mustache. His clothing is of better also says that the loss of his master drove the priest’s acolyte
cut and design than the typical insane.
villagers. Upon meeting the travelers
to the village he bids them make The Agitated Dogs
themselves at home by the fire while
servants bring them food and drink. At some point during their conversation, the Reeve’s dogs leap
A half dozen large dogs are also in up and begin to prowl around the room, growling and snorting
Godwin the Reeve
the hall. They are quite friendly and as they move from wall to wall, highly agitated. The animals
the Reeve bids any guests to feed them if they like. The food scratch at outer walls and the door to get out.
and drink are all excellent. The servants immediately become very nervous though
Godwin craves the company of learned men as he is one Godwin doesn’t seem terribly concerned.
himself. He desires news of areas outside of Silcestre and is “It’s the dwarves,” he tells his guests. “The dogs hate them.
more than willing to put up the traveler in one of the rooms of The dwarves fear my animals. We’re in no danger. This house
14
is sound and they cannot get in. I wouldn’t advise going believes the writing is actually in the hand of Titus Priscus
outside though.” Maximus and denotes the location of the man’s house as “next
The dogs continue their unsettled attitude for nearly a half to the north wall.” Unfortunately, the north wall, from what he
hour but eventually calm down and go back to sleep by the fire. has been able to piece together from walking the area near the
The Reeve continues on with the conversation during all of this ruins, runs a length of 2,000 feet from what appears to be a
as if nothing is happening. gate, all the way to the village. On the other side of the gate, it
runs some 1,300 feet before the it turns south. He assumes the
villa was somewhere along that length of wall, but is not sure
where.
He confesses he has used villagers to dig in a few places, but
mere guesswork is not good enough. With a length to explore
of over half a mile, and only the vaguest of clues to follow, he
laments ever being able to find the cellars of the villa where the
treasure must lie.
He is more than willing to walk the walls of the old Roman
village with the investigators during the day if they so desire.
The Reeve’s Dogs He even shows them where a few diggings were started, and
even a few of the places where some of the old streets might
Godwin notes the dwarves sometimes enter the village and have run. Most of this is in the woods near the village as the
cause mischief or even harm to the villagers. They have never fields to the northwest of the Silcestre mostly cover what was
breached the walls of his home and any villagers that are out once the center of the town.
and about after dark have only themselves to blame if they are
taken by the terrible beasts. The Reeve’s True Designs
He can relate the same rumors about the dwarves the
villagers tell: the creatures live in the hills around the town, In truth, the Reeve is seeking the secrets that Titus Priscus
they sometimes light pale bonfires in the distance and dance Maximus took with him to his grave. He knows the tribune
around them, they sometimes enter the village and try to get was probably rich with gold, but he seeks darker and more
into houses, they occasionally take people, and sometimes they mystical knowledge.
change their shape into the shape of recently dead men and Godwin is certain the man’s library of secret scrolls and
women. He has not heard the story about the dead man who codices are most likely hidden in the cellars beneath where his
wiped out his family but listens in rapt attention if the villa once stood. He also thinks the man either destroyed
investigators tell him about it. himself with some terrible magical spell or perhaps fled from
the place after unleashing some horror beneath, possibly with
A Question of Trust the aid of the dwarves. Hence, he is a little leery about being
the first to visit the spot, especially alone.
If the investigators prove, in the Keeper’s opinion, trustworthy If the investigators seem hesitant about finding the villa or
enough to the Reeve, or seem to be interested in the history of the Reeve does not completely trust them, he tells them less
the region, or are simply those the Reeve might trust with his than he does under A Question of Trust. However, he still
own secrets, he enlists their aid. tells them about his only clue to the lost villa in the hopes they
Godwin is trying to find the location of the lost villa of the search it out for themselves.
alleged immortal ruler of Calleva Atrebatum. His own research In any case, he sends one of his servants to surreptitiously
seems to indicate something happened to the man’s villa spy on the investigators in hopes they somehow find the place
shortly before the town was abandoned and Maximus and lead him to it. In this case, the Reeve acts as if he wants to
disappeared. He is not exactly sure what happened but knows help them with whatever it is they are doing, but also stays out
there were rumors of great treasure hidden under the site. He of the picture until his servant returns with word the
thinks the treasure is probably knowledge and, as a learned investigators have found the vault or cellars he seeks. He takes
man, values that even more than the gold and gems some several more armed servants with him at that point, intent on
people think are there. gaining whatever they have found.
His frantic searching has uncovered little about the actual If he knows they have the Praesidia Finium, he covets it as
location of the villa and he tells investigators he thinks the well and hopes to somehow get it for his own library, partially
knowledge might have been deliberately suppressed. Or it was for any magic he might make use of.
simply never written down. However, he has been able to A successful Insight check during the meeting with the
locate some little information and can even show the Reeve reveals the man is not being completely truthful with the
investigator a ragged, torn scroll with Latin upon it. He investigators, even if he seems to tell them everything.
15
Meeting with the Acolyte neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have
entertained angels unawares.” Or possibly Matthew 25:35 “I
was a stranger and you welcomed me.” He is very nervous
about dealing with people he does not know.
What the Acolyte Knows
Brother Bennett came to Silcestre eight years before, in 994

A.D., with Father Wade. The village priest had died the year
before and Father Wade was sent to replace him by Ælfric of
Abingdon, then the Bishop of Ramsbury who became
Archbishop of Canterbury in 995 A.D. At first, the village
seemed pleasant and the people were very kind. The church
had been kept up, as best it could, by some of the villagers.
Silcestre Church The two men were quickly accepted by the villagers but
warned immediately of the dwarves that sometimes entered the
At some point after they have arrived at Silcestre, the village. Father Wade subsequently preached against the vile
investigators either stumble across or are contacted by the creatures and warned the villagers that their lack of faith was
acolyte who was servant to and friend of Father Wade, the what gave such spirits their power over men. The villagers
priest sent to the village eight years ago who disappeared four seemed to believe the man, but nothing changed. People
years after. occasionally disappeared.
Brother Bennett seeks out the travelers if he thinks they Father Wade began to investigate the dwarves to the best of
might be able to help with the apparent curse on the village. his abilities. He sometimes traveled to Ramsbury, Reading,
The investigators, on the other hand, can seek out the acolyte London, or Winchester to find out what he could. In four
for reasons of their own, perhaps to question him on why the years, he had amassed a codex and several scrolls about the old
church has been locked up. The investigators may also simply Roman village that used to be where Silcestre now stands:
stumble across the harried man accidentally. Calleva Atrebatum. Some of that information was in the form
If the investigators go in search of Brother Bennett, they of legends and stories, of course, and some included the tale of
have some difficulty finding him. Though the village is tiny, Titus Priscus Maximus, who was said to have ruled the Roman
the paranoid young acolyte does his best to stay out of sight, town from the year 100 until it was destroyed around 650 A.D.
especially from strangers, having had troubles before when Father Wade’s information seemed to indicate the town was
treasure-seekers or greedy men tried to acquire what treasures razed in an effort to eradicate the dwarves who were in the
they believe are hidden in the church or Calleva. vicinity even then.
Brother Bennett is a nervous young man who wears ragged Feeling the unholy creature that was once a Roman tribune
monk’s robes and a wide-brimmed might still, somehow, be alive, Father Wade was determined to
hat. He looks much older than his stop the horrible fae that tormented the town. To that end, in
23 years, seeming to be a man of the winter of 998 A.D., he trudged alone into the hills around
nearly 40. He lives in constant Silcestre, bidding his acolyte to send word to Canterbury or
terror of the dwarves, hoping he is even perhaps to Rome if he did not return, and warn them of
not taken next, partially because the evil that resided in Silcestre. Brother Bennett wanted to go
when Father Wade disappeared, with him, he truly did, though he was more terrified than he
Brother Bennett saw the man had ever been in his life. Father Wade refused to let him come,
stalking the village a few nights later, assuring the man that word must get out of the evil that held
though he was certain it was not the village.
Brother Bennett
Father Wade. He is also suspicious Father Wade never returned.
of the Reeve, who has questioned him before on certain things Brother Bennett begged the Reeve to send men to try to find
about the old Roman town, leading him to believe Godwin is the lost priest and then, less than a week after he disappeared,
searching for something unholy. Brother Bennett heard Father Wade’s voice outside the church,
Whether the acolyte has sent for the investigators, sought begging to be let in. Brother Bennett, steeped in terror, opened
them out, or they have merely stumbled upon him, he decides the door only enough to peer out, torch in hand, and saw a
to confide in them, especially if there is a holy man among sight that terrified him. It appeared to be the dead body of
them. He needs help and the only place he knows to get it is Father Wade standing there. The dead priest shoved open the
among strangers, it seems. He might quote scripture on door and rushed into the church. Brother Bennett spent a
meeting the investigators, possibly Hebrews 13:2 “Do not terrifying night running from the Father Wade, who guarded
16
the doors against his escape and chased him all around the He takes the investigators to the small cell and shows them
church, trying to get him by the throat, knocking over the the codex and three scrolls Father Wade managed to gain over
benches, and finally pursuing him up into the high belfry where the course of his own investigation. All are in Latin and very
Brother Bennett hid on the cold roof. When Father Wade tried old. There is also an illuminated Bible in the room, another
to follow the acolyte, he slipped and fell to the ground below, codex that is very large.
only to stand up as if nothing had happened and disappear into Brother Bennett relates he learned the lost villa lies to the
the night. east of the north gate somewhere. He is unsure exactly where,
Brother Bennett did not return to the church until the cock but has found that out in his years of poring over the book and
crowed, nearly freezing to death atop the terrible tower. the scrolls. The scrolls also have some disjointed information
The next night, the scene played out much the same, though about a Roman tribune, a pagan, who ruled over the Roman
Brother Bennett this time refused to open the stout church village that stood on the spot where Silcestre now stands. One
doors. He says he heard other voices in the night as well. He of the scrolls declares the man was some kind of terrible wizard
thinks the dwarves can change into the forms of men, but only and lived over 500 years before he disappeared and the town
imperfectly, taking their shape as they presently look: dead. was subsequently destroyed.
He has more closely observed the village in the last four There are hints the man was in alliance with the dwarves
years. It is only twice a year the dwarves light their pale fires that live in the hills around Calleva Atrebatum, possibly even
on the surrounding hilltops, and by his reckoning it happens on working with them and giving them men and women, though
the Winter Solstice and the Summer Equinox, times they beat for what, the scrolls do not say. There are some more recent
their drums and chant terrible rites that can even be heard notes in Latin where Brother Bennett has added certain of his
from the village. Those times of year, they strive to kidnap own tales and, if the investigators cannot speak to him for
men, women, and children for unknown purposes, and strange some reason, they can find the information under “What the
mists enter the village. The creatures are also in the village Acolyte Knows” here.
nightly, it seems, trying to cause some mischief. This information, when combined with the Reeve’s, narrows
Brother Bennett still lives within the church but keeps it down the location of the lost villa.
solidly locked and closed when he is not there. He says it is
because there are those in the village who want what Father Sounds from Under Ground
Wade learned: information about the Roman town.
He has written to Canterbury and Ramsbury about the lost As they make ready to leave the church, a strange hollow
priest. He has never received any reply. booming noise comes from somewhere deep under the ground.
Whether it is under the church or under the ground outside is
The Acolyte and the Lost Villa impossible to pinpoint.
Brother Bennett confesses he has heard the sounds before
Brother Bennett keeps certain scrolls and a codex hidden in the though never when he was outside of the church. He is
church and has read these books thoroughly in case something convinced it is the dwarves, though what they do and what it is
should happen to them. He fears the dwarves are looking for are beyond his understanding. It fills him with fear, though.
the books, but is also concerned about the village Reeve, whom He thinks the dwarves are trying to enter the church again,
he says has shown an unhealthy interest in information about though he is not for certain. He thinks they know he knows
the lost villa of the evil and unholy pagan who ruled the Roman something, though he is not sure what. He has heard the
town centuries before. sounds more often of late and he fears he is not long for this
Though Brother Bennett claims he knows where the remains world.
of the villa lie, he only has a vague clue about the location. It
requires the investigators to gain his trust in order for him to What Happens to Brother Bennett
reveal what he knows. This can be accomplished with good
role playing or a Charm, Fast Talk, Intimidate, or Brother Bennett makes a good ally of the investigators or even
Persuade check. The man does not lie, as it is a mortal sin to a possible replacement character if something happens to one
do so, but might refuse to answer if the investigators cannot of them. He is a legitimately good person who wants what’s
convince him to reveal his secrets. best for other people and is God-fearing and holy.
If they gain his trust, he even takes them into the church, However, the Keeper might have screams of terror come
carefully barring the door behind him after locking it with a from the church one night. Investigation in the morning
massive key. reveals the flagstone floor of the church has been destroyed as
The church is the largest structure in the village and mostly a if by something huge digging up from beneath it. Brother
single large room though there is a small cell in the second Bennett is gone and whatever broke up into the church has also
floor of the tower, under the main bell tower. Brother Bennett disappeared, any tunnel it might have left collapsing behind it
has kept it clean and obviously lives there. as it burrowed back into the ground.
17
Voices in the Night The house atop the catacombs where Titus Priscus Maximus
worked his magic collapsed, trapping the thane below.
The dveorg thane inhabited the body of the wizard and then
worked to mummify itself with the salt therein, more payment
from the dveorg as part of their agreement with the man. The
thane waited patiently, certain his people would come to get
him sooner or later.
It would be much, much later.
The other dveorg had no idea of the exact location of the
house of Titus Priscus Maximus. They knew of a tunnel that
led to it, a tunnel collapsed by the departing star spawn after
the failed spell. They knew only the road it lay upon in the
Roman village, but not exactly where. When the Romans
finally fled Calleva Atrebatum some years later, this was the
only knowledge the dveorg possessed. They were not sure
exactly where the place lay and other troubles were coming to
them with other nearby men.
But they know their thane still remains somewhere below the
earth.
The Dwarves Come at Night
If the investigators are securing information about the lost villa

or treasure of Calleva Atrebatum, the dwarves discover what
they are about. They know there are strangers in the village
and they have ears everywhere, though they do not speak the
English of the Saxons well and in secured rooms with wooden
floors or in high rooms (such as the church tower), they are
The Dwarves unable to distinguish exactly what is being said.
However, they soon guess the investigators are putting
The third faction seeking the hidden vault is the dwarves, together where their thane might be and so they visit them in
dveorg that inhabit certain hidden salt-filled caverns in the the night.
hills around Silcestre. Though not as extensive as the salt The investigator with the lowest LUCK should awaken from
mines of the Romans in Cheshire in the villages of Middlewich their sleep to hear scratching on the outside wall of the room.
and Nantwich, the caves hold enough salt for the dveorg to There is also the slap of feet on the dirt. Finally, they hear a
mummify bodies for their future use. This is why they whispered voice.
demanded sacrifice from the Romans and still steal people “Where is it? Where is it?” and “Give it to us. Give it to us.”
away from Silcestre to this day. It comes from outside the house in the dark. There seems to
The dveorg struck a deal with Titus Priscus Maximus 900 be more than one voice.
years before, trading their own artifacts and knowledge of the This is cause for a Sanity check (0/1D3). The voices are
Isle for sacrifices every month. The wizard was happy with the merely a raspy whisper, coming from the darkness outside.
arrangement, as were the dveorg. The creatures now had They are eerie and inhuman, almost more like the blowing
plenty of bodies to inhabit; the wizard had magical artifacts wind than a true voice.
and knowledge of where to find more magic and mythos secrets Waking companions leaves only silence for a long time.
throughout Britannia. With his powers and his allies, and with Perhaps it was just a dream? Just as the investigators try to go
the Empire leaving the island, he planned to take it back from back to sleep, the first investigator and those who make a
the barbarians for himself. His plan was coming to fruition Listen check all hear the scratching and the terrible whispers
when tragedy struck. once again.
In 637 A.D., he attempted an experiment, a powerful spell If the investigators go outside, the dwarves flee into the
that would grant both himself and the dveorg thane, the leader darkness. A Track check or Hard Spot Hidden finds
of the creatures in the area, great magical power. barefoot tracks of light, bare feet in the dirt outside. The
Unfortunately, the thing he summoned was too powerful for dveorg won’t allow themselves to be caught though they lure
him to control. He was killed by the summoned star spawn any following investigators into the woods and ambush them
and the thane’s current mummified body was also destroyed. (see below).
18
If the investigator answers the whisper, there is again silence important the investigators don’t wish to give up or at such a
for a few moments before a whispering, chilling voice speaks to cost that there is doubt if it’s worth it (a person, perhaps?).
them. The dveorg are willing to have a dialogue with the If the investigators manage to strike a deal with the dwarves,
investigators but it should be like talking to children. Neither they are told to look at the spot outside the house the next
side truly understands the other and both have secrets they morning. They are instructed once they find the place where
wish to keep. However the dveorg can relate the following in the chambers are located, they must put the item upon it and
their strange, discordant whispers: drop a few drops of blood upon it. Then they must command
what appears to dig for the chamber below.
· They seek their thane. The next morning, investigators find a small black stone cut
into a perfect cube two inches on a side. There is nothing else
· The thane has been lost to them for a long time. though the cube seems very heavy though appears to be made
of coal. If blood is dripped upon the cube, it summons a
· They seek the place where their thane is trapped. dimensional shambler to do the bidding of the one whose blood
fell upon it.
· There is much treasure there.
The Ambush
· The investigators can have the treasure if they want.
The dwarves only want their thane. If the investigators attempt to follow the dveorg instead of
talking to them from the safety of a building, the creatures
ambush a lone investigator or even a group of investigators if
· They know only that the place was once on the north
need be.
side of the first road south of the north gate of the city
In the case of a lone investigator in the dark, the dveorg
that used to lie there. They know nothing else.
appear in a clearing in the nearby woods, at least six of the
creatures coming from every side. They are willing to parley, as
· They seek their thane. They repeatedly say this.
they do in The Dwarves Come at Night above, but the
investigator is very much in a position of weakness when it
Carrying out a disjointed and confusing conversation with
comes to any negotiations and is likely to have to divulge
the dveorg is both time consuming and taxing on the mind. It
something if they wish to get away with their life. In this case,
costs another Sanity Check (1/1D4) to learn the above. The
the dwarves demand the investigators find their thane. Any
dwarves want information in return but can be put off or
hint of deception means they attack to kill the investigator.
perhaps tricked into giving the above information (especially
If the investigators pursue the dveorg as a group, they find a
about the road) before they are told any in return.
lone creature, again in a clearing in the nearby woods. As they
The dveorg think the Reeve is searching for the spot and
approach it, they realize they are surrounded by at least 20
suspect he knows something. They know the acolyte knows
more of the sinister things, each of them armed with a sword,
something as well and might give that information to the
spear, or ax (as well as magical artifacts). Again, the dveorg are
investigators if they have not already learned of it.
willing to negotiate, but the investigators are sorely
The investigators should come away from any conversation
outnumbered and the dveorg want something more for the
with the dwarves feeling uncertain and uncomfortable. The
men’s distrust of them. The investigators must find the thane
creatures have strange voices and make strange connections,
and then free him from wherever he is trapped or hidden.
sometimes referring to “their homes” which seem to be in the
Seeing this many men who appear to be both naked and long
hills near Silcestre. They refer to their treasure and their power
dead and mummified costs 1/1D6 Sanity in either case.
as well but rarely give details.
The dveorg give them the strange stone that summons the
What they really speak about as treasure is salt. The dveorg
dimensional shamble if asked for help digging, with the
of the area use the salt caves surrounding the town, which were
instructions to drip a few drops of blood upon it and then order
not discovered by the Romans and have not been discovered by
what appears to dig on the spot.
the Saxons. The salt is used to mummify the bodies they take
No matter who follows the creatures, they threaten to curse
away for their own use as hosts. There is plenty and they know
those who have come into the woods unless they find their
some of it was given to Titus Priscus Maximus, who used it for
thane. They also threaten to come for them if they do not fulfill
his magic and for trade.
their agreement, revealing their bodies are those of their
The dveorg do not trust men but can be persuaded to help
previous sacrifices.
with the digging to the cellars under the lost villa. If the
Any investigators who come in close contact with the dveorg
investigators think to ask for their assistance, they are
can, with a Natural World check, recognize their bodies as
agreeable, but they want something in return, probably a
corpses that have been mummified with salt. This is another
sacrifice or some other promise. It should be something
clue as to both the creature’s treasure and their nature.
19
The Sinister Danes If the investigators have any among their group who does
not appear to be Saxon, the Danes approach him or her to
befriend them, their accents, clothing, and mannerisms giving
them away as Danes. The Danes even take such a person into
their confidence if it seems prudent or if the investigators know
much about what’s going on in Silcestre. They are primarily
looking for information at this juncture but take anything they
can get.
If an investigator gains the Danes’ trust through good role
playing or Charm, Fast Talk, or Persuade rolls, the men
take them into their confidence. In this case, they tell the
investigator what little they know and their plan to take the
gold from whomever finds it and get away as quickly as they
The Five Danes can. An Intimidate only works if the investigator proves they
can match the Danes in combat as they are well-armed and kill
The investigators hear of another group of strangers in those they cannot trust if they think they can get away with it.
Silcestre, or they are approached by certain members of the
group, depending on if they are Saxon or not. Using the Danes
A group of five Dane traders who move goods along the
Roman road chanced to spend a night in Silcestre some months The Danes are a wild card that can either be used to the
before. Having passed through the tiny town on several investigators’ advantage or work against them depending upon
occasions previous, they had not thought much of it. However, how the scenario unfolds.
when darkness forced them to stay a night with one of the If the investigators have too easy a time of it, the Danes can
villagers, they heard tales of the Reeve and his search for some be introduced as foes who want to take whatever treasure the
secret treasure. This piqued their interest. Some further investigators find. This could actually work to the investigators’
inquiry indicated the acolyte at the church was also involved advantage, especially if they manage to enter the lost villa
somehow. without alerting the Reeve or the acolyte to their intentions. In
Five days ago, the five Danes returned to Silcestre. They that case, the Danes are spying upon them and take the
made no secret of their arrival late in the day, but this time opportunity to join them, whether they like it or not, or
when they stopped in the village, they claimed their wagon was perhaps even follow them into the depths below. They might
badly damaged and would take some time to repair. They now be useful if the dveorg attack once the thane had been located
inhabit an abandoned house at the edge of town they have or the investigators get on the dveorgs’ bad side.
made a fit home while they repair their damaged wagon and The Danes also even the sides if the investigators find
occasionally trade some of their goods for food and other themselves at odds with the Reeve and the men he can muster
necessities. from the village. The Danes side with the investigators against
In reality, these men from north of London are heavily the Reeve if they are given a good deal (half the treasure
armed and spying on the village in the hopes of finding out perhaps) or act as a distraction to the Reeve and his men if the
where the treasure might be located. They want to either make investigators find themselves on the wrong side of the leader of
off with it before others can find it or possibly steal it from the village.
whomever finds it and flee north before anyone is the wiser. When it comes to the dveorg, the Danes make excellent allies
They have obviously not thought the plan through. for the investigators in any case. The horrible creatures
They have heard the voices of the dwarves in the night but do possess dead bodies and the Danes are terrified and appalled at
not fear the creatures as of yet. They think their own arms and the things if they see them. Even if they are at odds with other
bravado can protect them. That doesn’t mean they are foolish, groups, they surely prove timely allies if the dveorg attack en
but they might actually go out during the night if their greed masse.
overcomes their common sense. The Danes might also find themselves victims of the dveorg.
The creatures can inhabit the bodies of any dead after a battle if
Introducing the Danes they are in the vicinity. They likewise can kill the Danes and
inhabit their freshly dead bodies. Though this is not ideal for
The investigators hear about the stranded Dane traders the horrible creatures, freshly dead bodies as opposed to
through the villagers though it really isn’t news anymore so few mummified ones do in a pinch. This also gives the dveorg the
of them talk about it. Either the acolyte or the Reeve can also weapons of the Danes for their use if need be.
make mention of the men, though they have raised no one’s The Danes are relatively unimportant for the whole of the
suspicions to their true motives as of yet. scenario but can be utilized if necessary.
20
IN SEARCH OF THE LOST VILLA In this case, one of them (preferably a holy man) is
approached by a villager from Silcestre. The man wishes to
confess certain sins he has committed and get absolution for
Compiling Information his immortal soul. The man’s name is Ranulf and he is a local
farmer.
Once the investigators have the three clues, they should be able Though Confession as a yearly requirement for the Catholic
to determine where the lost villa lies. These clues are: Church won’t be officially instituted until 1215 A.D., a priest or
holy man of the church may hear the confession of parishioners
· From the Reeve: The villa stood next to the north wall and give penance, absolving them of their sins.
of Calleva Atrebatum. Ranulf the farmer, a grandson of Mother Hereswith,
confesses to using a divining rod to find certain things such as
· From the Acolyte: The lost villa lay to the east of the underground water and, in one case, a missing coin. He knows
north gate of Calleva Atrebatum. the power is obviously witchcraft and connected to Hell, and
promises never to do it again if he can be redeemed.
· From the dwarves: The lost villa was on the north side Ranulf learned the spell dowsing from his mother, who is
of the first road south of the north gate of Calleva dead, some years ago. He can use the spell to find things that
Atrebatum. are hidden underground. He has a strangely bent stick he
found in the woods, having invested it with magic per the spell
With these three pieces of information and either the layout on p. 162 of Cthulhu Dark Ages.
of the Roman village or at least an idea of where the north wall Ranulf’s powers can be used to find the underground
and the Roman streets of the town were (which can still be chamber if the investigators have no other choice. If the
made out under the soil of the fields and the forests nearby investigators have deduced the dveorg think of salt as treasure,
thanks to the soil being a different color), the investigators this would be the best thing to look for and, so long as they are
should be able to track down the location of the villa. in the vicinity, Ranulf should be able to lead them to the correct
It requires all three pieces of information to find the exact place to dig. If the investigators can think of other things that
site of the lost villa and the Keeper should ensure the might be in the chambers below, such as mummies or even
investigators get at least these three clues from the three scrolls, that works as well. Ranulf can douse up to six feet of
factions who are involved in the hunt for structure. As the intervening structure per magic point he uses, and he has 12
three different groups don’t have all the pieces, none of them magic points but is otherwise a typical villager.
have been able to find anything yet.
In addition to speaking with the various sources for the Forest and Field
information, the investigators can, instead, try to access the
scrolls and codices that contain it instead, possibly resorting to
theft of the tomes in order to learn the same facts. The
information of the Reeve and the Acolyte are both in Latin so
knowing how to read and write that language is essential when
gaining the physical tomes of the two.
The dveorg are useful for acquiring the scrolls, which are
useless to them as they cannot read or write Latin. Likewise,
the Danes can help if need be. They are also unable to read or
write Latin, but can possibly procure them for the
investigators. They speak English and Norse.
If the acolyte has disappeared or been taken by the dveorg,
the papers in the church tower are there for the investigators’
taking. The dveorg might have taken the papers and require
the investigators to translate or interpret them for them as well
if the Keeper prefers. The Forest near Silcestre
Missing Clues Farmland stands northwest of Silcestre and, depending on the

time of year, might be growing crops or fallow as winter
The investigators might completely miss certain clues or approaches. Local farmers work the land unless it is winter.
information, overlook them, or fail to gain the trust of the They pay little mind to the investigators tramping through the
Reeve or the acolyte. They might have also broken trust with fields or entering the dark forest that now covers the northwest
the dveorg and are missing vital information. side of what was once Calleva Atrebatum.
21
The forest itself is overgrown. The villagers sometimes enter make a Spot Hidden with a bonus die to realize the dirt that
the forest to gather sticks or chop up fallen trees, though they recently covered it has been intentionally swept away. This was
are not allowed to cut down the trees themselves. Villagers done by the dveorg, who want the investigators to find their
only enter the forest during the daylight as they fear the thane.
dwarves they say sometimes lurk here.
Much of the forest here is overgrown though there are a few
animal paths crisscrossing the dark interior. Passage through
the forest is not hampered overmuch though the investigators
soon lose sight of Silcestre and get lost if they are not careful. A
successful Navigation check sees them easily find their way
back to the village. If they take simple precautions such as
marking trees or even just noting the direction of the sun, they
do not even need that to find their way back.
The forest is eerily quiet and there is the feeling of being
watched at all times. This is partially investigator paranoia and
partially the dwarves that lurk in the thickets and bushes,
keeping careful eye on the trespassers. They do not show
themselves, and the villagers are certain the creatures cannot
come out during the day. They are wrong.
Investigators encounter anything dangerous in the woods,
though they might stumble across a mummified body if the
Keeper so chooses, either the cast off corpse of a dveorg or one
of the creatures itself that lies still unless attacked. If The Old North Gate
threatened, it leaps to its feet and flees, calling for a Sanity
Check (0/1D2). This is where the investigators must start. It is fairly obvious
The investigators could also come across the site of one of from the old broken walls and the ditch where the old north
the pale bonfires the dveorg sometimes light. In the clearing in wall once stood. They can easily follow it back into the forest to
the woods are the ashes and broken coals of what must have the east or even to the west, where it soon comes to a break in
been a great fire. The smell of rot fills the area and even the the walls before turning back to the southeast. The old Roman
remains of the bonfire. Searching through the ashes reveals street is also distinguishable at the one-time west gate.
old bones as well as bits of wood. Finding proof of the legends
of pale, nighttime fires requires a Sanity Check (0/1).
Diggings
If investigators are being followed by the Reeve’s man or the
Danes, a Spot Hidden opposed by their tail’s Stealth is in
If the investigators followed the ruined walls into the forest or
order.
back towards the village from the ruined Roman north gate,
they stumble across several spots just south of the remains of
The Old Walls ruined wall where someone has been digging.
The wide pits in the area are each between five and eight feet
The Roman walls of Calleva Atrebatum are scattered through deep. Some of them end in tiled or mosaic floors of the Roman
the woods. They can be found easily enough and must have houses that stood in the spots hundreds of years ago. A very
once stood quite tall. The broken rubble can be climbed with a few dig down to the remains of Roman streets, obviously the
Climb check and, standing atop them, one can see somewhat old streets of Calleva Atrebatum.
further than from the ground. A failed check indicates a fall of Most of the diggings appear to be at least a few months old
2D6 feet. though some have years of overgrowth. There are about 20 of
The old north gate is also easily found and still partially them, following the ruins of the north wall. If the investigators
stands. The walls near the gate are somewhat taller but lean check the ruined wall west of the gate, they find a half dozen
dangerously and do not appear to be safe to climb. They are more pits, all of them dug within the last few years.
actually quite sound, even after 350 years, having settled into a These are pits ordered dug by the Reeve in his quest to find
solid formation that will last several hundred more. Failing a the lost villa foundation. At moments of great hope or
climb check on these broken walls sees the climber falling 3D6 sometimes when he felt he had learned some new clue (or
feet however. perhaps even had what he thought was a prophetic dream) he
The gate itself is long gone but the keystone and upper part would order some of his servants to dig in certain spots. This
of the passageway still remain. Part of the Roman road is work was done sporadically over the years.
visible here and anyone who examines the gate or the road may
22
Finding the Spot If the investigators have dealt with the dveorg and gotten the
strange black cube from the creatures, they can dispense with
If the investigators have all three clues to the location of the the work themselves. In this case, placing the cube on the
lost villa, finding it should not be terrible difficult. ground and dripping a little (human) blood on it causes the
Though the old Roman streets are long buried, the grass and skies to suddenly darken with black clouds. The wind picks up
growth atop them is simply not as healthy as the rest of the and thunder and lightning suddenly crash through the sky.
growth in the forest. Likewise, the crops in the fields have a The cube seems to shiver and move on its own.
slightly different color to them than good, healthy wheat and
rye, making the Roman streets stand out somewhat (see maps).
If the investigators follow all three clues, they can either
follow the remains of the old north wall east of the north gate
until it intersects the off-colored growth from the east
indicating an old Roman street below. Likewise, they might
follow the off-colored growth south of the gate until it
intersects a perpendicular buried street and then follow it east
to the edge of the original town.
Either plan requires a Spot Hidden to succeed quickly and
efficiently. Failure means spending the hours backtracking and
losing the trail or missing the first street and following the
wrong one, which puts the investigators too close to the village
to be correct, and at the sight of an older futile digging that
ended in another wrong Roman floor. The Demon
This indicates it is late afternoon before the investigators
find the correct spot. They can start digging now and risk Then, standing over the horrible little cube is a creature that
being out in the darkness, or they can return to the village and is a gigantic blasphemous form, like a terrible insect but
risk someone else finding the spot. If they know they have standing on hind legs like a man. The thing’s hide hangs
been followed, they might want to start digging immediately loosely on its frame, its bloated, dead-eyed head swaying
rather than risk losing the spot to the Reeve or others. drunkenly back and forth. The thing has forepaws tipped with
It is up to the investigators how they proceed from here. long and horrific talons and hatred seems to exude from it as if
Once they have found the right spot, they can get some it wants nothing more than to kill everyone present.
villagers to help with the digging. It takes roughly 20 man The dimensional shambler is waiting for instructions.
hours of work (divided by the number of diggers) to open up a Everyone present must make a Sanity Check (o/1D10). If
hole to the ancient stairs. whomever dripped blood on the stone fails the check and
cannot command the horrible thing within 1D10 rounds, it
grows weary of waiting, snatches up one of those present
(possibly the one who dripped blood on the stone if he has not
fled in a panic) and disappears with its victim the following
round. That person is gone forever.
If there are any villagers with the investigators, they flee in
panic, certain the investigators have summoned a demon! The
reception of these particular investigators is very cold if they
return to the village, the locals firmly convinced they are
witches who can summon devilish monsters. They refuse to
deal with the investigators after this, going so far as to flee or
even get violent. If the investigators don’t leave the village
soon, things get ugly.
In either case, if the dimensional shamble is ordered to dig
down to the chamber below, it does so in a little over two
hours, completely clearing the spiral stairwell of debris in that
time and revealing the steps. Once it has opened a way to the
chamber below, it simply vanishes.
The strange black cube remains behind. It can be used in the
same way to summon another dimensional shamble if the
The Digging Commences investigators ever so desire - and if the dveorg let them keep it.
23
SOMETHING BELOW The Lost Cellars
The stairs wind downward for what feels like a great distance
The Ancient Stairs
and are covered in soot. A successful Spot Hidden or Track
roll distinguishes what appear to be naked footprints in the
soot. It is impossible to tell how long they have been here but
they move up and down the stairs as if either several people or
a single person came that way more than once.
If measured with rope or by some other means, the
investigators find they travel downward 20 feet into the
ground. Then the stairwell exits the ceiling of a great chamber
below. There is no railing or wall around the steps at this point
and they feel very narrow.
The chamber ceiling is some 40 feet above the floor, the
narrow stairwell spiraling down around a central pillar to the
stones below. Torchlight is not enough to greatly illuminate
the chamber though a dropped torch shows how far down the
flagstone floor lies. The air remains foul though is not bad
enough, after most of the miasma left the room, to sicken or kill
anyone.
From the stairwell, the investigators can see several pillars
jutting up to the stone ceiling of the room, though some of the
large blocks making up the roof of the vault have apparently
fallen over the centuries. A few of the pillars are cracked or
otherwise damaged and soot clings to everything.
Moving up or down these stairs with speed at any point
during the scenario requires a DEX check or the runner slips
The Ancient Stairs and falls 4D10 feet to the hard flagstone floor below.
Digging first reveals the floor of some kind of villa. Stones and
The Casting Room
broken mortar indicate the building on the spot collapsed long
ago. These are all good signs and seem to correspond to the
As the ruler of Calleva Atrebatum, Titus Priscus Maximus had
stories of the ruined villa. Eventually the diggers come across a
little to fear of being found out. The main chamber for his use
corner of the building not far from the ruined wall that still
of magic was directly below his villa.
stands nearby. They call out they have found winding steps
The Casting Room is round and about 60 feet across. Pillars
down that are choked with debris and rubble.
hold up the ceiling at five points around the main circular stair
It takes another 12 man hours of work to clear the rubble
in the center of the room, each of them standing 15 feet from
that fills this stairwell. This work can be divided between two
the stairs and 15 feet from the walls. The floor of the entire
men (all that can fit in the stairwell and dig out stones, dirt,
room is flagstone and has survived the years well though a few
and debris). Others can help and, with a successful STR check,
of the stones set into the walls and ceiling have fallen to the
act as a third man in this case, shortening the time necessary to
ground over the course of the centuries, littering the chamber
clear the stairs.
with debris.
When they finally break through, a terrible miasma of foul
Seven passages leave the room (see Other Rooms below).
air pours forth from the chambers below. This filth requires a
A deep alcove stands opposite the bottom of the stairs, a recess
CON check by those near the bottom, some 10 to 15 feet down.
some 20 feet deep and 15 feet wide. Like the Casting Room,
Success means the person escapes from the stairwell without
some stones have fallen from the walls and the ceiling. Light
harm. Failure indicates the individual is sickened for an hour
from torches reveals tables and shelves within.
by the foul air. A critical failure leaves the sickened individual
Of more interest is the strange circle still marked in the floor,
unconscious on the steps. If not rescued in short order, the
some kind of protection circle filled with unidentifiable writing
individual dies from the foul air.
and wicked symbols. Not far from the alcove is a coffin-like
The way to the cellars below is now open though
crate. Near it are several bags, some of which are empty while
investigators should wait an hour for the air to clear. Have the
others spill out some kind of white granular substance on the
investigators brought torches or light sources? After the first
ground. This is the salt that was traded to Titus Priscus
turn of the stairwell, it gets very dark below.
24
Maximus by the dveorg and is of some great worth in and of own was destroyed during the battle with the thing Titus
itself. This is also the main treasure the dveorg claim is here. Priscus Maximus summoned, the dveorg thane took over the
The box is closed. dead but still intact body of the Roman wizard. At first it tried
A shattered skeleton lies in the casting room just south of the to dig its way out. Seeing the futility of that, it gathered the
alcove. The ruined skeletal form has flesh and skin clinging to sacks of salt stored in the cellars, found one of the coffins of the
it almost as if it were mummified though the bones are wizard, and then set to work mummifying the body so that it
obviously broken, some of them tearing through even the thick would survive until help arrived.
skin of the mummy. The thing is obviously long dead and It still waits in the box.
harmless, too badly damaged for the dveorg to want or use, If the crate near the alcove is opened, it is found to be filled
though possibly a vessel to inhabit if the creatures are truly with salt. This might be a good time for other parties to appear
desperate. as in Intruders: after the box is opened but before it can be
The damage to the room is more evident at the bottom of the examined.
staircase. In addition to the obvious soot and fire damage to Shortly after this, or if anyone
the floor and the strange circle, there are eerie markings on the disturbs the salt, the thing within sits
walls that almost appear to be sucker prints pressed into the up. The dveorg thane’s body has
stone as if by some terrible force. Stranger still is the odd ichor been imperfectly mummified. It is
that clings to the spots and is still wet if anyone touches it. obvious the corpse is not alive
Seeing both the strange spots and the ichor calls for a Sanity though it is moving about on its own.
check (0/1D3). Neither should be there. Curly hair still sits atop the thing’s
The markings and the ichor were left by the star spawn that head and anyone who saw the
Titus Priscus Maximus called up that killed him, destroyed the drawing of Titus Priscus Maximus Dveorg Thane
dveorg thane’s body, and trapped the creature in the cellars. recognizes the body as that of the
long-dead Roman wizard, now back though not living. Sanity
Intruders checks for seeing the obviously dead man moving around
1/1D8. Those who recognize it as Titus Priscus Maximus lose
If the investigators have been followed or spied upon by any of 2/1D10+1. It is a horrible sight.
the interested parties in the village, they should arrive as they The dwarf thane has a magical artifact in its possession as
examine the room. The Reeve shows up now with a party of a well. It appears to be a metal hourglass with some kind of
half-dozen terrified villagers or the Danes arrive, weapons in small sundial attached to the top. The artifact contains the
hand, to claim their treasure. Likewise, the acolyte could arrive spells listed under the thane in the NPC stats below.
to encourage the investigators to destroy the terrible den of evil The thane speaks Latin but not English.
that is the chamber beneath the lost villa. The thane merely wishes to escape from its 300+ year prison
If none of the others arrive, one to six dveorg are certain to though it does not fear the living and fights back if attacked.
show up at this time, clambering down the stairs either before Depending on who is in the room and how they react, the
or after the investigators deal with the obvious “treasure box” creature might simply make for the stairs or possibly attack. If
not far from the alcove at the bottom. the other dveorg are in the room, they fight to protect and help
More than one group can also arrive at this time, or they their thane if it is in danger. This could create an unofficial
might arrive one after another to interrupt the investigators’ joining of forces of the living men and women in the room for
find and even each other. The Keeper should be mindful of the time being.
who has been watching the investigators and what possible
allies they might have. The dveorg are the last to actually enter The Alcove
the place, lurking at the top of the stairs to see what happens
before committing their forces. The rather large alcove on the side of the room has been
If enough forces are following or working with the slightly damaged, apparently by fire, though most of the items
investigators, this could turn into a free-for-all of sorts, each within are still undamaged.
side wanting the treasure, each side convinced of the rightness The room contains two heavy wooden tables, surprisingly
of its cause. intact due to the dry air of the room, and several shelves with
books and scrolls. Most of these are alchemical treatises and
The Thing in the Cellar codices about various occult or esoteric subjects concerning
chemistry and magic. Many of them are worthless and
The only thing of any danger to the investigators or anyone else harmless though some few are mythos in nature and possibly
in the cellar at this point is the thane of the dveorg. Having of interest to the investigators.
found itself trapped in the cellars and without the magic Among the tomes of actual power is a bound copy of The
artifacts to free itself, and indeed without even a body since its Black Tome translated to Latin by Alsophocus of Erongill in
25
200 A.D. (p. 151 Cthulhu Dark Ages) which includes the Treasure
spells Bring Forth and Return Spawn of Cthulhu
(Summon/Bind Star Spawn of Cthulhu), Contact Child of Of value in the place are the books and scrolls, obviously,
Cthulhu (Contact Deep One), Contact Cthulhu (Contact though only to the church or other similar institute. The salt,
Cthulhu), and Warding Mark (Elder Sign). Other scrolls and on the other hand, is quite valuable for trade or barter. There
bound books include the spells Alter Weather, Bless/Blight is a good hundred pounds of salt, only a little of it ruined or in a
Crops, Cause Disease, Curse, Engender Prosperity, Flesh distasteful condition for being used on the mummy, but most
Ward, and Food of Life. Other scrolls has information on the of it still usable. It is worth the equivalent of roughly 240 silver
magical skull and basic notes about the Hourglass of Fate. pennies per pound, which is a fortune. Though not gold and
Other scrolls and books have been destroyed, apparently in jewels, it is possibly worth more.
whatever befell Titus Priscus Maximus. The scrolls above are
damaged, destroyed, or intact per the Keeper’s wishes. Denouement
A few of the dveorg items were in the room and might still be
if the Keeper so desires, though most were destroyed. Stones,
If the Reeve got those books of magic he wanted, he might
weapons, shells, and the like, each of them with a single
prove to be an opponent in the future. These books should be
magical spell, can be here. The dveorg thane might have taken
handed over to the church to should decide what to do about
them or they may have been destroyed when the summoning
them. If the books end up in the hands of the acolyte, he
experiment went terribly wrong. One item that has survived is
probably flees from Silcestre and tries to make his way to
a skull that allows the user to cast Command Ghost.
Canterbury to turn them over to the Archbishop.
It’s also possible the Reeve ended up with the books and
codices with the help of the investigators, depending on how
they treated him and how he was presented. If the
investigators alert the church to possible pagan and heretical
books and scrolls in the Reeves’ possession, the church guard
certainly pays him a visit. How investigators portray the Reeve
when they inform on his possible activities determines how the
church handles it. If the Reeve is portrayed as someone simply
in search of knowledge and information, he’s handled much
differently than if he’s portrayed as someone who might use the
spells and dark knowledge in the books. The church is more
interested in redemption than in execution, but if the Reeve
Contents of the Alcove resists, he might end up imprisoned or even dead.
His reaction when the church comes for him is also up to the
Other Rooms interpretation of the Keeper. The Reeve might simply hand
over the books, fight against the church, or flee with some of
The seven other tunnels out of the Casting Room lead to the more choice spells, depending on how he is portrayed in
various chambers. Some passages have numerous chambers or the scenario. It’s up to the Keeper what kind of person the
cells that once held prisoners, some of which have skeletons Reeve actually is.
within. Other corridors lead to strange laboratories filled with The dveorg, being unable to use magic, have no real interest
coffins or ruined potions and alchemical devices and powders. in the magical books and scrolls. They might take them if they
The tunnel that runs to the northeast is collapsed only a few see them as valuable, and they probably want the salt if they
feet from the room and would take weeks to clear as it is long can get it or know about it (unless they promised it to
and has collapsed at both ends. It is completely overgrown on investigators) as they value it even more highly than Saxons.
the other side. This tunnel once led outside the town to a The Danes have ended up the enemies or the allies of the
secret entrance used by Titus Priscus Maximus for his meetings investigators, dependent upon how they were treated. It’s up
with the dveorg or other sinister beings. to the Keeper whether or not they can be trusted. They are
Nothing else of great interest lies within the vast tunnels doomed anyway, and fall victim to the St. Brice’s Day Massacre
under the one-time villa. The depth and extent of the cellars on Friday, November 13, 1002 A.D., unless the Keeper wishes
and basements here seem to indicate Titus Priscus Maximus them to stay alive, in which case, they escape.
was probably the same man through the years as it would take What do the investigators do about the terrible catacombs
decades, if not centuries, to carve out the vast chambers under Calleva Atrebatum? What do they do with the books, if
beneath his ruined villa. It’s up to the investigators what they they end up in their hands? What of the black cube or the
do about it. magical skull? Do the investigators stay together or do they go
their separate ways?
26
If played as a one-shot, each player should give of the arranged to run “Malevolence” for them online. The game was
eventual fate of their investigator. If played as a campaign, this great fun and, when they expressed an interest in continuing, I
could just be the first investigation into the Praesidia Finium delved into my collection of scenarios for something and found
or even the start of many such explorations. A partial copy of nothing that would fit. Most took place earlier and the few that
the work could be among the books and scrolls, leading to were later were either much later or in a distant location.
more adventures and more terror. Again, this makes for great and varied one-shots, but can be
difficult for putting together a consistent campaign.
Sanity Rewards So, I started doing some research on the route the
investigators were taking for the letter they had been tasked
Destroying a Dveorg .............................................................. 1D6 with delivering from the Archbishop of Canterbury to the
Recovering or destroying the books for the church ............. 1D6 King’s court in Winchester. I stumbled across Silcestre and
Sealing the catacombs ........................................................... 1D4 Calleva Atrebatum, the real-life Roman town that had been the
Destroying the Dveorg Thane ............................................... 1D8 last abandoned by the Romans when they left Britannia. The
Capturing or Destroying the Hourglass of Fate ................. 1D10 investigators had recovered Praesidia Finium in “Malevolence”
Leaving the books in the hands of the Reeve or Dveorg ..... -1D6 and it was a great tie-in for a little extra information about the
Roman village. After struggling a great deal to come up with a
story, I decided to plug in a faux Joseph Curwen (I was working
AFTERWORD/PLAYTEST NOTES on Nightmare in the Moonlight at the time) that could be the
crux of the events in the Dark Ages town, even though he had
Cthulhu Dark Ages is a great setting and has great potential. been dead for hundreds of years.
It also has a disparate setting that ranges over a hundred years We had a game.
or more, making it somewhat difficult to set up a campaign When the investigators stopped at Silcestre for the night,
with scenarios that have already been published. The newest they learned of the abandoned church, the missing priest, and
setting guide, made for Call of Cthulhu 7th Edition, helps the Reeve through Osbeorn the Smith. The Reeve invited the
greatly, narrowing the focus of the setting mostly to England, monk in the group to his house before dark that first day, and
but it’s still a vast amount of time. Published scenarios are all he learned of his obsession with finding the missing treasure.
over the map when it comes to where and when they take place. The Reeve also gave him the first clue to the missing cellars
I started running Dark Ages using the 2004 Cthulhu Dark beneath the lost villa.
Ages book that was compatible with 6th Edition Call of Those who stayed with the smith saw the acolyte briefly stop
Cthulhu. For several summers starting in 2015, I took a break by the hut that night, but they didn’t engage him.
from our regular 1920s campaign to run one-offs from other The next day, the smith set to work on a task laid him by the
settings: Feudal Japan, Dark Ages, Elizabethan, Jacobean, warrior: make a flail head from Osbeorn’s cold iron, just in case
Pirate, American Revolution, and the like. With the Dark Ages they had to fight the dwarves. That took the entirety of the day
games, I wanted to run them continuously summer after for him.
summer and make sure the latter ones took place, Meanwhile, the monk and the warriors found the acolyte
chronologically, after the initial one. and, though he fled from them, they chased him down and
Finding scenarios that were near each other on the timeline interrogated him. He refused to divulge much in the open,
was difficult. There were some from magazines, a few from however, and bid them return to the church later that
various monographs, and some that could work from a few afternoon, after he was done working in the fields, and he
other published scenarios, but they were all over the place in would tell them all. They talked to Mother Hereswith and
terms of locations and times. It was nothing that could make learned only little from the old woman. They also learned of
for a decent short campaign, or even allow players to use the the Danes in town. Then they went into the forest, following
same investigators more than once or twice. the old walls.
I ended up starting in 2017 with “The Vampire of They found the north gate and walked the north walls. On
Schwarzbrunn” by Stefan Franck from Worlds of Cthulhu their way back in the pouring rain, the monk thought to consult
Magazine #1, which took place in the Alps in 998 A.D. The the Praesidia Finium. While he did so, one player took a pee
next summer, I ran “The Dragon and the Wolf” by John W. break, as did the investigator. The other saw someone
Thompson from The Bride of Halloween Horror watching them in the woods and crept over to the man. When
monograph which took place in Shropshire, England, in 1000 the monk found himself alone, he was not pleased. About the
A.D. I had prepared “Malevolence” by Dale Elvy from Worlds same time, the woodsman apprehended the servant of the
of Cthulhu #3 next; it took place in Kent, England, in 1002 A.D. Reeve, who was spying on them, and they interrogated him. As
Unfortunately, the summer games fizzled out. they denounced the existence of the dwarves to the man, the
When other friends recently expressed an interest in monk saw a dead face peering out of a bush. The figure quickly
Cthulhu Dark Ages during the pandemic in early 2021, I disappeared.
27
There were footprints at the bush and the monk left the After some confusion on the surface, the Danes fled, as did
warriors there while he went back to town for oxen and tools to the servants and villagers the Danes had tied up when they first
dig on the spot. The servant, who’d been ordered to stay where entered the stairwell.
he was, had disappeared. When he stood up in the bush where The monk made it his business to keep anything he felt
he’d fainted on seeing the dwarf, the warriors yelled at him. dangerous from the Reeve, including the mythos codex, the
When he ran, they gave chase. skull, and the hourglass. The Reeve ordered his servants to
The monk got the acolyte, an ox, and tools for digging and take everything out of the place, including all of the salt.
returned. He luckily found the right bush and pulled it up, Examination of the dwarf bodies revealed they were merely
upset at the warriors for leaving as they were his only mummies, walking dead men. The monk did not have the
landmark. He dug under the bush but found nothing. medical expertise to determine the dveorgs were still lodged in
The smith finished the weapon for the warrior and they all the corpses. As far as he was concerned, the dwarves were
met the acolyte at the church and learned all he knew. That dead.
narrowed down the location of the lost villa. They returned to Returning to the Reeve’s house, the monk further tried to
the Reeve where the monk denounced him for spying on them. make sure certain information was not available to the man or
They ended up spending their second night in the village at the was misplaced in his rough cataloging system. He still didn’t
Reeves house. trust the Reeve and didn’t feel his obsession with the books and
In the middle of the night, the smith awoke to hear dwarf scrolls was either healthy or Christian.
voices calling to him through the wall. The next day, the warrior and the woodsmen went with a
The second session started off right there, with all of the crew of villagers to try to clear the collapsed passageway in the
investigators leaving the rooms where they heard the sounds of catacombs below the lost villa. They returned at the end of the
the dwarves outside, except for the monk, who communicated day, having not reached the end.
with them and learned the third and final clue to pinpoint the The investigators left the day after that, going on to
location of the lost villa. Winchester to deliver their message to the King and returning
The next day, the woodsman was approached by the Danes to Canterbury within a few weeks. The church was alerted to
and said he would keep their offer secret. He didn’t lie well and the pagan scrolls the Reeve had and the investigators were
soon told the others. guaranteed they would be retrieved by the church guard.
They went into to the woods that day with the Reeve and
eight villagers to do the digging. As they looked for the spot,
the warrior spotted someone else nearby: another of the Danes.
He was also offered equal shares for betraying the others. He
refused.
They found the spot and dug down, finding the staircase and
eventually entering the place with the Reeve and one servant
acting as a torchbearer. They explored the casting room and
the alcove before the Danes arrived. The Danes wanted the salt
and the woodsman aggravated the situation by throwing his
axe at Arnbjorn and nearly killing the man. The Reeve
followed that up by decapitating another of the Danes.
Then they heard the rattling of the crate and four dwarves
arrived. When the thane broke out of the crate, the Reeve had
a bout of madness, pointing at the thing and screaming. The
investigators encouraged the Danes to help them against the
dwarves and a short but violent battle followed.
Though the thane was badly injured initially, he used the
Hourglass of Fate to make himself immune to further injury. It
wasn’t enough as the warrior began beating the creature with a
lit torch and it caught fire. The woodsman fell to a wrack spell
and one of the dwarves was destroyed before the other three
fled the scene, leaving the four investigators, the Reeve, and
three of the Danes still alive. When the monk called out not to
let the dwarves bury them alive, the two remaining Dane
guards pursued the fleeing dwarves. The monk and the smith
followed.
28
NON-PLAYER CHARACTER STATS Skills: Art/Craft (Illumination) 35%, Art/Craft (Farmer) 40%,
Insight 70%, Other Language (Latin) 56%, Occult 35%, Own
Kingdom 56%, Own Language (English) 80%, Persuade 40%,
Godwin, Reeve of Silcestre - Age 41 Read and Write (Latin) 51%, Religion 60%, Spot Hidden 50%,
Mayor Status 9%, Stealth 50%, Throw 40%.
STR 70 CON 65 SIZ 55 DEX 65 INT 65 Brother Bennett is an acolyte priest who was young when he
APP 70 POW 55 EDU 85 SAN 45 HP 12 came to Silcestre. Now he does his best for the church.
DB: +1D4 Build:+1 Move: 8 MP: 11 Luck: 60 Brother Bennett looks older than
his 23 years as nervousness and
Attacks per round: 1 stress have aged him beyond it. He
Brawl 25% (12/5), damage 1D3 + db is clean-shaven and has black hair
Knife 25% (12/5), damage 1D4 + db and blue eyes. He wears a
Long Sword 50% (25/10), damage 1D8 + db (2H) combination of the brown robes of a
priest and the clothing of a farmer
Dodge: 32% (16/6) as he often works in the fields. He is
nervous around the Reeve, whom he
Armor: Heavy Clothes (1D2-1) or Chain Mail (1D8) does not trust. He is generally kind Brother Bennett
though fears something in Silcestre.
Skills: Accounting 50%, Charm 30%, Fighting (Sword) 50%,
Insight 50%, Occult 35%, Other Language (Latin) 41%, Own THE SINISTER DANES
Kingdom 50%, Own Language (English) 85%, Read and Write
(Latin) 51%, Ride Horse 35%, Spot Hidden 45%, Status 50%. The Danes are traders who travel the land in a wagon pulled by
two oxen, moving goods or bartering as they go. They have
Godwin is Reeve of Silcestre, managing it for the Earl of heard of the treasure of Silcestre and are here to take it.
Hampshire and the King.
The Reeve sees himself as a
Arnbjorn - Age 25
learned man though he knows how
to fight as well. He is a widower, his
Leader of the Traders
wife having died in childbirth along
with his only son. He never STR 50 CON 50 SIZ 50 DEX 40 INT 60
remarried, but chose a life of APP 40 POW 55 EDU 50 SAN 50 HP 10
seclusion and study after that. He DB: None Build:0 Move: 8 MP: 8 Luck: 65
has been the Reeve of Silcestre for
the last 21 years. Attacks per round: 1
Godwin the Reeve Brawl 40% (20/8), damage 1D3 + db
Reeve Godwin is solidly built
though not terribly tall. He has a beard without a mustache Knife 40% (20/8), damage 1D4 + db
and brown hair, is Saxon, and comes from a good line. He has Axe 40% (20/8), damage 1D6 + db
a prodigious nose. He owns his house and a horse. Thrown Axe 40% (20/8), damage 1D6 + ½ db
Dodge: 25% (12/5)

Brother Bennett the Acolyte - Age 23
Priest Armor: Heavy Clothes (1D2-1)
STR 45 CON 35 SIZ 60 DEX 25 INT 75 Skills: Drive Oxen 50%, Fast Talk
APP 50 POW 70 EDU 80 SAN 60 HP 9 60%, Insight 60%, Natural World
DB: None Build:0 Move: 7 MP: 14 Luck: 55 40%, Navigate 50%, Other
Language (English) 51%, Own
Attacks per round: 1 Language (Norse) 50%, Status 10%.
Brawl 40% (20/8), damage 1D3 + db
Arnbjorn
Thrown Rock 40% (20/8), damage 1D2 + ½ db Arnbjorn is the Dane who speaks
the most, claiming to be the leader of the small group. He is
Dodge: 12% (6/2) the first to talk and the last to talk and makes sure he knows
what is going on.
Armor: None.
29
Arnbjorn is the leader of the group if only because he is the Skills: Charm 50%, Drive Oxen 50%, Insight 50%, Natural
loudest. He is also the most aggressive of the three. He has a World 40%, Navigate 50%, Other Language (English) 51%,
ruddy complexion, dark hair, and a beard though no mustache. Own Language (Norse) 50%, Status 10%.
He is the oldest of the traders and thinks he knows best.
Othin is the largest and youngest of
Dwerg - Age 23 the three traders. He usually sides
with Arnbjorn and respects the
Thoughtful Trader
older man greatly. He is the most
charming of the three as well, and
STR 50 CON 50 SIZ 45 DEX 40 INT 50
the worst at lying. He longs for
APP 50 POW 35 EDU 50 SAN 35 HP 9
riches and someplace to live where
DB: None Build:0 Move: 8 MP: 8 Luck: 45
he can be comfortable and simply
enjoy his life. He is blonde and Othin
Attacks per round: 1
clean-shaven.
Knife 40% (20/8), damage 1D4 + db Christiern - Age 22
Axe 40% (20/8), damage 1D6 + db
Thrown Axe 40% (20/8), damage 1D6 + ½ db
Danish Guard
Dodge: 25% (12/5) STR 60 CON 60 SIZ 90 DEX 40 INT 50

Armor: Heavy Clothes (1D2-1) DB: +1D4 Build:+1 Move: 7 MP: 8 Luck: 55
Skills: Drive Oxen 60%, Insight 50%, Attacks per round: 1

Natural World 40%, Navigate 50%, Brawl 40% (20/8), damage 1D3 + db
Other Language (English) 51%, Own Knife 40% (20/8), damage 1D4 + db
Language (Norse) 50%, Persuade Spear 40% (20/8), damage 1D6 + db
40%, Status 10%. Thrown Spear 40% (20/8), damage 1D8 + ½ db
Dwerg
Dwerg handles the oxen that pull the Danes’ wagon. He is good Dodge: 20% (6/2)
with animals and actually prefers their company to those of
men, though he likes and respects his fellow Danes. He is Armor: Boiled Leather (1d6), Round
better with the truth than with lies. He has black hair and is Wooden Shield (1D3)
clean shaven.
Dwerg is generally quiet and thoughtful, though unsure of Skills: Fighting (Shield) 40%, Fast
the plan to steal gold from the dwarves. He is very Talk 35%, Listen 40%, Other
superstitious and worried the plan might quickly go awry. Kingdoms (England) 40%, Other
Language (English) 41%, Own Christiern
Othin - Age 20 Kingdom 40%, Own Language
(Norse) 50%, Ride 55%, Spot Hidden 50%, Status 10%, Throw
Arnbjorn’s Trusted Ally
40%,
STR 50 CON 50 SIZ 90 DEX 40 INT 50 Though ostensibly guards, the other two Danes are also traders
APP 45 POW 70 EDU 50 SAN 70 HP 14 though they are larger and better trained in warfare. Each of
DB: +1D4 Build:+1 Move: 7 MP: 8 Luck: 35 them wears armor and carries a shield and spear.
Christiern is blonde and clean shaven. He is somewhat more
Attacks per round: 1 handsome than the rest.
Knife 40% (20/8), damage 1D4 + db
Bovi - Age 24
Axe 40% (20/8), damage 1D6 + db
Thrown Axe 40% (20/8), damage 1D6 + ½ db
Danish Guard
Dodge: 25% (12/5) STR 60 CON 60 SIZ 65 DEX 40 INT 50

Armor: Heavy Clothes (1D2-1) DB: +1D4 Build:+1 Move: 7 MP: 8 Luck: 50
30
Attacks per round: 1 people are those who the Reeve brings with him if he follows
Brawl 40% (20/8), damage 1D3 + db the investigators. None wear armor.
Spear 40% (20/8), damage 1D6 + db Typical Horse
Thrown Spear 40% (20/8), damage 1D8 + ½ db
STR 140 CON 65 SIZ 130 DEX 50 INT --
Dodge: 20% (6/2) APP -- POW 50 EDU -- SAN -- HP 19
DB: +2D6 Build: 3 Move: 11 MP: 10 Luck: --
Armor: Boiled Leather (1d6), Round Wooden Shield (1D3)
Attacks per round: 1 (kick, bite, or buffet)
Skills: Fighting (Shield) 40%, Intimidate 55%, Listen 40%,
Other Kingdoms (England) 40%, Other Language (English) Can kick and bite, as well as buffet a lesser opponent to the
41%, Own Kingdom 40%, Own Language (Norse) 50%, Ride ground. Can rise up on its hind legs, then plunge down with its
55%, Spot Hidden 40%, Status 10%, Throw 40%, forelegs. A horse requires training for it to trample people.
Though ostensibly guards, the other

Fighting 25% (12/5), damage 1D8 + db
two Danes are also traders though
they are larger and better trained in
Dodge: 25% (12/5)
warfare. Each of them wears armor
and carries a shield and spear.
Armor: None.
Bovi has brown hair and tired
eyes. He is the older of the two
Obedience: Ride roll if mounted, or Animal Handling
guards and has seen actual combat
otherwise.
before (unlike the rest). He prefers
Bovi
to talk with his fists, especially when
The only horses in the village belong to the Reeve and the
he is trying to convince someone of something.
Traders. Roughly the same stats can be used for oxen if need
be.
Typical Villagers
Dimensional Shambler/Demon
DB: None Build:0 Move: 8 MP: 10 Luck: 50
APP -- POW 55 EDU -- SAN -- HP 18
DB: +1D6 Build:+2 Move: 7 MP: 11 Luck: --
Fighting 45% (22/9), damage 1D8 + db
Farming Implement 25% (12/5), damage 1D6 + db
Grab (mnvr) Grab and hold for one round and then
disappear
Dodge: 25% (12/5)
Dodge: 30% (15/6)

Armor: None
Armor: 3-point thick hide

Skills: Animal Handling 30%, Art/Craft (varies but mostly
Farming) 51%, Drive Horse/Oxen 40%, Jump 40%, Listen
Sanity Loss: 0/1D10
40%, Natural World 35%, Own Language 40%, Navigate 25%,
Spot Hidden 40%, Status 9%, Track 25%.
This creature is summoned if blood is dripped upon the black
stone the dveorg give the investigators. It follows a single,
Though most of the villagers in Silcestre are farmers, some few
simple command per the Summon Dimensional Shambler
have crafts (such as smith, baker, etc.).
spell before it vanishes again. If its summoner does not give a
The villagers are a superstitious lot and know many stories
suitable command within a reasonable amount of time
about the dwarves of the nearby hills and how they steal people
(generally 1D10 rounds), the creature grabs them and
away. They are very nervous about entering the forest alone
disappears into its own dimension. Its victim is never seen
though might do so in groups. They might be armed with
again.
shovels, pitchforks, scythes, sickles, and the like. Some of these
31
Dveorg Thane Dodge: 25% (12/5)
STR 55 CON 90 SIZ 50 DEX 50 INT 35 Armor: None

APP -- POW -- EDU -- SAN -- HP 20
DB: None Build:0 Move: 8 MP: -- Luck: -- Skills: Ride 75%, Stealth 90%.
Attacks per round: 1 Sanity Loss: 0/1D2. If inhabiting the body of someone the
Knife 75% (35/15), damage 1D4 + db investigator knows then 1/1D6+1. Host bodies in the latter
stages of decomposition may call for loss of 1/1D8 or 1/1D10.
Dodge: 25% (12/5)
Dveorg might have a knife or even a
Armor: None farm implement typical of those
from the village. They also have
Skills: Other Language (Latin) 51%, Ride 75%, Stealth 90%. certain magical items, usually only
one each, that allow them to cast
Sanity Loss: 0/1D2. If inhabiting the body of someone the certain spells.
investigator knows then 1/1D6+1. Host bodies in the latter Spells available to the dveorg
stages of decomposition may call for loss of 1/1D8 or 1/1D10. include: Command Animal, Curse,
Dampen Light, Death’s Breath, Evil
Dveorg
The dveorg thane has taken over the Eye, Fury, Ill Luck, Shadow Void,
body of Titus Priscus Maximus, or Wrack. Each dveorg has a single artifact that allows it to
mummified it in salt, and is using it cast one spell, usually from hiding if possible. These artifacts
for now. The body is quite old but all look different. Some might be the knives or seemingly
the thane has been patiently waiting implements they carry. Others might be simple stones or
for rescue by its people for some 300 shells. Keepers should limit artifact use to two or three times a
years so it’s as fresh as can be day. Further information is in Cthulhu Dark Ages p. 169.
expected for having spent all that If both the thane and the Hourglass are returned to the
time immersed in salt. The creature dveorg, they feel generous enough to leave the black cube with
wears only the rags of the toga worn Dveorg Thane investigators and even reward them with 10 pounds of salt.
by Maximus at the time of his death.
The thane is armed with a knife, but its more potent weapon The Hourglass of Fate
is the terrible dveorg artifact called the Hourglass of Fate
(see Sidebar). The thane is not above killing or maiming any The Hourglass of Fate looks like nothing so much as a
men it sees and, through the hourglass, it has impressive metal hourglass with a sundial attached to the top, also
spellcasting abilities. The creature knows the sequence to made of metal. The device is a potent artifact used for
activate all of the spells available through the hourglass and casting spells, if the user knows its secrets.
uses them if it feels threatened. The device can cast Alter Weather, Death Spell, Evil Eye,
The thane, having only had contact with the Romans, speaks Flesh Ward, Implant Fear, Mental Suggestion, Mindblast,
Latin, the language it learned from Maximus. The creature Shriveling, Wither Limb, and Wrack.
does not understand English and is suspicious of English The artifact has the equivalent of 100 Magic Points that
speakers as, when it was buried, its people were fighting can be used per day and a POW of 100 for the purposes of
against the barbarians of the isle for the Romans. This might opposed Power checks. The device glows horribly green
lead to a complicated situation for the investigators if none of when activated and most of the spells cause a visual affect
them speak Latin. of greenish light at the target.
This artifact is the most powerful of the dveorg creations
Typical Dveorg of the creatures that live near Silcestre. It is as highly
prized as the Thane and if the dveorg cannot get their
STR 55 CON 90 SIZ 50 DEX 50 INT 35 leader back, they do anything to retrieve the Hourglass of
APP -- POW -- EDU -- SAN -- HP 20 Fate.
DB: None Build:0 Move: 8 MP: -- Luck: -- It is in the investigators’ best interests to destroy or
capture the device. If they try to use the Hourglass, it
Attacks per round: 1 requires 1D12 days of experimentation and an Extreme
Knife 75% (35/15), damage 1D4 + db INT check to figure how to move the device for any affect.
Farming Implement 75% (35/15), damage 1D6 + db
32
MAPS
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
NPC PICTURES
Bovi
Dwerg
Godwin the Reeve
Othin Titus Priscus Maximus

Brother Bennett
Arnbjorn Christiern
The Thane
40
PREGENERATED INVESTIGATOR PICS
Brother Drake
Eiliff Adilsson
Birhtnoth the Smith Bjorn
41
THE INVESTIGATORS Bjorn - Age 30

Free Warrior
Brother Drake - Age 27
Monk Bjorn is a large man with dark hair and
a short cut beard and mustache. His
Brother Drake is a short, heavyset accent gives away that he is not a
monk with brown hair and eyes. His Saxon or native-born to England. He
hair is cut in the tonsure style, leaving wears fine clothing, showing he is
a large bald spot on the top. He wears quite wealthy.
simple monk’s robes and is a simple Bjorn was born and raised in Scandinavia but has lived in
servant of God. He tends to be honest and methodical with England for years. He has traveled the land as a sellsword, and
good attention to detail. made good money and fame from it. He longs to return to his
Brother Drake is a monk at Murkwell Priory in the small homeland and recover the longship that once belonged to his
town of Murkwell in southern Kent, situated on the west side of family from those who now have it.
the Romney Marsh south of Canterbury. He has lived in the
village all his life and specialized in illuminations of WHAT HAS GONE BEFORE
manuscripts and bibles. He is loyal to God and the Crown.
It all began with Brother Drake.
Summoned from Murkwell by the Archbishop of Canterbury,
Birhtnoth the Smith- Age 25 Brother Drake brought along Birhtnoth and Eiliff for
Smith protection in traveling the dangerous roads of Kent. In
Canterbury, he was tasked with taking a message to the King in
Birhtnoth the Smith has curly, reddish Winchester. Along the way, he and his companions stumbled
hair and a thick beard. He has blue upon strange things and he acquired a copy of the Praesidia
eyes and a pale, sickly complexion. He Finium during a bizarre encounter.
is dirty and generally smells of hot In Rochester, the three men met with the mercenary Bjorn,
metal and smoke. He has burn marks who joined them on their journey. The monk now travels in
on his arms and his beard usually has bits burned off. He is the company of two “Vikings,” as many locals see the two men,
grumpy but gets along well enough with his companions. and a smith, following the old Roman roads from London to
Birhtnoth has always lived in the village of Murkwell, and is Winchester. They soon arrived at the village of Silcestre, where
the village smith. His father was the village smith before him, more strange events occur.
though the man gave that duty over to his son when he could The investigators could also be investigating different
no longer lift the hammer. He now works in the fields. It is locations in the Praesidia Finium and met in a similar fashion.
said Birhtnoth was injured by elf-shot as a child, accounting for
his stunted growth and ill temper. He is known in the village
for his quality work and his sullen attitude.
Eiliff Adilsson - Age 32

Woodsman
Eiliff is a large man with dark brown

hair and a wild and unkempt beard.
He wears leathers and furs, gotten
from illegally hunting in the woods
around Murkwell. He is tall and solid.
Eiliff’s family were pagans and, years ago, were made the
scapegoats of a bad harvest. The villagers stormed the pagan’s
house and killed both of Eiliff’s parents. Eiliff, a child at the
time, was left in the woods to live or die on his own.
Now he lives off the land, camping in a cave in the woods
north of Murkwell. He sometimes trades with the villagers and
even brings skins in to the local tanner. Hunting in the woods
is considered illegal.
42
Back cover image
The Dance of Death: The Ploughman
by Hans Holbein the Younger
1526
About the Author A contributing author to the Twilight: 2013 RPG, a first-
pass proofreader of the Masks of Nyarlathotep Companion,
Andy Miller started tabletop gaming in 1979 when he read and a consistent contributor of reviews in Knights of the
an article in Games Magazine about Dungeons & Dragons Dinner Table Magazine, his first attempt at self-publication
and pestered his mother into getting him the Holmes Basic was the Miskatonic University Library Association
D&D boxed set. He stumbled across Call of Cthulhu soon monograph The Phantom of Wilson Creek in 2012.
after and collected but didn’t really play the game until he His other scenarios on DriveThruRPG are The Pannikin
started running one-shots and campaigns in 2006. Requiem, The Last Valley, The Curse of Dudleytown, The
He had a few articles published in Dragon Magazine and Harlotville Horror, The Posse, Residue of the Past,
Dungeon Adventures in the late 90s and early 2000s, Nightmare in the Moonlight, and The Sosnovka Raid.
eventually having three full-length 3rd Edition Dungeons & A former teacher and city editor at a small-town daily
Dragons scenarios published by Kenzer and Company in newspaper, he is currently a caregiver for his mother and
2001, writing credits in four other Kenzer products over the lives in North Carolina with two dogs.
next few years, and a Babylon 5 scenario published in Signs He hopes this scenario proves both entertaining and
& Portents Magazine in 2007. interesting to Keepers and Players alike.
THE SECRET
OF SILCESTRE
SOMETHING IS WRONG The Secret of Silcestre includes:

IN THE VILLAGE OF SILCESTRE
- A 22-page fully-illustrated scenario set in
central England in the year 1002 A.D. with
The tiny village of Silcestre (Sil-chester) stands various factions that seek something in the
on part of the old Roman town of Calleva village, as well as information and clues on the
Atrebatum that was important in its time, nearly location of the lost villa and what the
500 years before. Unlike other villages built on investigators must do to find it.
old Roman towns, Silcestre is of newer
- Information on the village of Silcestre, history
construction. The villagers hide in their houses of the area and the secret history of Calleva
when nightfall comes, but not even that is Atrebatum, and what the Romans brought to
always enough to protect them. Silcestre has Britannica nearly a thousand years before the
always been plagued by certain terrible secrets events of the scenario.
and now various forces seek them out for their
- Seven fleshed-out Non-Player Characters as
own gain. Who are these people and what well as stats for typical villagers, horses, a
exactly do they want? Can the investigators demon, and the horrors that continually
learn The Secret of Silcestre before others? threaten the village with the fall of night.
The Secret of Silcestre is a Cthulhu Dark - Maps of the village of Silcestre, as well as the
Reeve’s House and what is hidden in the village.
Ages scenario set in England in the year 1002
These include blank maps for the players.
A.D. The investigators are travelers on the road
from London to Winchester, stopping in - Information from the Praesidia Finium, a
Silcestre overnight, when they learn of strange Roman mythos tome that might have led the
things happening in the village. investigators to the village.
- NPC and investigator portraits to share with

The Secret of Silcestre was originally written as
the players.
a campaign scenario but by abridging certain
sections, it might also be used for convention - Four Pregenerated Dark Ages investigators.
play.

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THE SECRET

Miskatonic University Library Association Monographs

The Phantom of Wilson Creek

The Pannikin Requiem

Fonts: Georgia, Moria Citadel, Trebuchet MS.

― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Two Towers

― Nathaniel Hawthorne, The Scarlet Letter

H.P. Lovecraft - 1890-1937

Special Thanks to my playtesters:

Sanity Rewards ...................................................................... 27

The village had many different names, including Ciltestere

Adapting the scenario might prove tricky. The premise makes

The Village of Silcestre

Silcestre is a narrow village running along the old Roman road

However they arrive, investigators find a small farming village

What the Acolyte Knows

Brother Bennett came to Silcestre eight years before, in 994

The Dwarves Come at Night

If the investigators are securing information about the lost villa

Missing Clues Farmland stands northwest of Silcestre and, depending on the

SOMETHING BELOW The Lost Cellars

Dodge: 25% (12/5)

Dodge: 25% (12/5) STR 60 CON 60 SIZ 90 DEX 40 INT 50

Skills: Drive Oxen 60%, Insight 50%, Attacks per round: 1

Dodge: 25% (12/5) STR 60 CON 60 SIZ 65 DEX 40 INT 50

Though ostensibly guards, the other

Dodge: 30% (15/6)

Armor: 3-point thick hide

Dveorg Thane Dodge: 25% (12/5)

STR 55 CON 90 SIZ 50 DEX 50 INT 35 Armor: None

Othin Titus Priscus Maximus

PREGENERATED INVESTIGATOR PICS

Birhtnoth the Smith Bjorn

THE INVESTIGATORS Bjorn - Age 30

Eiliff Adilsson - Age 32

Eiliff is a large man with dark brown

SOMETHING IS WRONG The Secret of Silcestre includes:

- NPC and investigator portraits to share with

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