For

Mature
Players
Only

Where is Eld Fen?

By Kyle Hood
 Table of Contents
Introduction 3
Background 3
Righteous Followers of the King 4
Mayor Robert Grayson 5
Characters 6
Thomas Whittle 6
Thomas Whittle Sheet 7
Mary Lewis 8
Mary Lewis Sheet 9
Nathan Pallor 10
Nathan Pallor Sheet 11
Catherine Madson 12
Catherine Madson Sheet 13
Harry Shear 14
Harry Shear Sheet 15
Scene 1: The Festival 16
Scene 2: The Missing Child 18
Scene 3: A Path in the Woods 20
Scene 4: Lost! 21
Scene 5: A Strange Cottage 22
Closing Thoughts 25
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Introduction
Welcome to “Where is Eld Fen?”, and adventure for Trail of Cthulhu by Pelgrene Press. This
adventure is designed for three-five investigators and should take between three and four hours
to complete. With that out of the way...

Background

Lacey WA is one of those towns. Everyone knows them. Quiet, peaceful, and a great place to
raise your kids. No crime, stern religious observance, all of the things we have come to
associate with a “good ole' American town” in the 1920s. Except it is more than it seems.

Each year Lacey holds a “Renewal Festival” that celebrates the renewal of the harvest season.
Part harvest festival and part town fair, this festival has much to offer those who attend. May
Poles, hay stacks, and other things that would not be out of place in rural Mississippi make an
appearance here. In short, the festival is a great time for both young and old.

It is during this time, each year, that seven children will go missing. It happens every year, on
the same day. Parents rarely are the ones to report these to the police. Often it is uncles or aunts
who become concerned after not seeing a beloved niece or nephew for several days or weeks.
The town is very tight lipped about what is going on.

It is against this backdrop that the investigators are entering Lacey. By 1925 over 70 children
have gone missing. No one is sure of the exact number. All anyone knows is that starting in
1915 people began to notice the missing children. This is in tune with the appearance of a new
Church and a new mayor.

The new church was calling itself “The Righteous Followers of the King.” These worshipers
seemed to be nondescript. They went to church like the good Catholics of the area, and they ran
food drives, clothing closets, and other charitable things. No one has had any reason to question
their motives or the church itself. Their beliefs were odd, sure, but not a soul was bothered by
them.

The new mayor, however, was a strange thing. Going by the name Robert Grayson, the new
mayor took the small town by storm. He promised that the farms would never dry up, that the
world would never again look down on the good folks of Lacey. He won his first term in 1913
and has been in power ever since. Heck, the town even changed the laws so he could serve
beyond the normal two terms.

Now, in the summer of 1925, the investigators have arrived on the first day of the Revewal
Festival. There is good food and good fun. That is until the first child goes missing that year....

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The Righteous Followers of the King

The Righteous Followers of the King is the newest church in Lacey. Showing up around the
same time as the new mayor, this church has many odd rituals. Among them is nature worship
and the worship of a deity they call “King Wyrm.” Nobody really knows who or what this
“King Wyrm” is, only that the members of the church has unwavering fealty to him.

On top of the worship of nature, these followers also have few, if any children. The few that are
there are now older (over the age of fifteen). On top of that, most of the children in the Church
are from members who have joined more recently (in the last 10 years or so).

Outside of the oddities, the Church does plenty of good for Lacey. They have run food drives
and helped those in the most need. They have never turned away a person seeking their help,
although some of those who have received it have claimed they attached strings to the help.
There is no proof of these claims, no matter what rumors may fly.

The church has a symbol of a Elk Head emblazoned on the front of the church building. No one
will or can say if this is a representation of their strange god or not. The few that have asked
have been told that the god is both “everything and nothing...creation and entropy” all at once.
This is unsettling to those who have asked and few will ask more than once.

Wild rumors have begun to spread that the Church is behind the missing children and that they
may be involved in stranger things such as human sacrifice. None of this is more than
conjecture at the moment, but the few outliers in the community that do not trust the church
will not let it go. That is not to say that there is not something strange going on, especially since
they showed up at the same time as the new mayor...

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Mayor Robert Grayson

The new Mayor is a strange man with a strange background. Since arriving in Lacey in 1908 he
has been active in the political world. He has pushed for changes that would help the local
farming community and make the acceptance of new religions easier. In fact, it was 1910 when
the new religion of Lacey began to first appear, a mere two years after “Mayor Bob” (as he is
often called) showed up.

He is short and slightly fat (not stocky), often found wearing a pinstripe suit of black and white.
His hair is dark with gray coming in on the sides to complement the silvery mustache that he
has. His eyes are blue and piercing with lines around the edges that show he laughs often.

His personality is bubbly and gregarious. He loves to talk and to hear from those that would
need help. He laughs at jokes, is serious when the time demands it, and is saddened when bad
things happen.

He knows more about the missing children than he lets on. In fact, he is one of the hidden
leaders of the Righteous Followers of the King. The church is a front for a cult that he has been
leading from town to town for over 30 years. Each town eventually wears out of patience for
the strange cult. Of course, he wasn't known as Robert Grayson in each town. He has gone by
Timothy Lauther, Michael Ouimet, and his real name of Andrei Svechnoff.

The Mayor (no matter what name he is using) is using the children for his end goal, bringing
forth King Wyrm. The understanding that the mayor (and the cult) has is that this being will
bring about the apocalypse. They will be the only ones to survive. This, of course, is madness.

If the cult is successful the world will end, and them with it. Like many outer beings, King
Wyrm cares nothing for these useful puppets. No person is aware of the evil that lurks behind
the Mayor or the role he has played in using their children to bring about the demise of
mankind...

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Characters
The following pages will present five pregenerated Investigators that are designed to be used
with this story. Each will be presented with a background, a reason for being in Lacey, and
finally tying them to one another. Feel free to use or not use them as you see fit.

Thomas Whittle
Thomas is a smart, likable professor of Eastern European history at the University of
Washington. He is happily married with one daughter whom he dotes on at every chance. Once
he heard of the new religion cropping up so close to home he decided to come out to the
Festival of Renewal and see what he could find. None of this is out of anything more than a
morbid curiosity, of course.

Thomas' background is a simple one. Once serving in the US Marines during the Great War (as
an officer) he came home to live a simple life. Never speaking of the things he saw or did when
he was in Europe he found some calm in his wife. Upon the birth of his daughter in 1920 he
was ecstatic! Finally there was something in life worth doing other than work. He had his
family.

He also had something else, a reason to not give up. His work for the university was not as
stimulating as he would have liked. Knowing that he had both a wife and a child gave him
reason to keep going. He also became close with the head of the history department at the
university.

When he headed to Lacey it was with a companion, Mrs. Mary Lewis. No more than friends,
Mary has loved the Festival for many years (having grown up in Lacey). They were
contemporaries at the university but Mary left to pursue a better career at a prestigious law
firm.

Thomas has approached this trip as he would any other experiment or study. He is simply here
to see how these new fellows worship their god. He brokers no ill will towards any of the
members of the Church nor does he think less of them for not following his religion of
Catholicism. Surprisingly, he fell deeper into his faith with the outbreak of the war.

He is typically dressed in a well-worn suit. He has dark hair and green eyes that always seem
sharp, even when he is tired. He carries himself without the air of someone of much greater age
than his middle thirties.

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Mary Lewis

Mary is a young, attractive woman that works hard but still loves to have fun. Coming to Lacey
with Thomas, she is coming home. Her family is from Lacey, but had left many years before.
Her mother now lives in Tacoma, ruling her family with the death of her father many years
before.

Not too long before coming back to Lacey she received the worst news that she could: She
could never have children. This was heart breaking for Mary since all she has ever wanted was
a family of her own. Now it looks like she will never have that. Remembering the fun times she
had at the Festival in her youth, Mary is looking forward to the trip.

Mary dresses like many people who work in typing pools or as secretaries did in the 1920s.
Modest dresses, often in muted colors (reds, blues, or whites) are the most common attire she
wears. She manages to make herself look good while wearing this garb, which is hard
considering that she has always considered herself “average.”

She is gregarious, and while she is in town with her friend she is always open to conversation
and making new friends. This bubbly personality rubs off on even the most gruff people, often
bringing smiles to faces that have not seen them in a long time. When she talks, she does so
quietly at first until she knows that the other person is comfortable with the conversation. Once
that happens her true personality comes out!
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Scene 1: The Festival

Scene Type: The Hook/Core
Core Clue: This scene establishes the Righteous Followers of the King as the key to the whole
of the story. More of their strange rituals will be revealed, and bring the Investigators deeper
into the mystery.
Core Clue: The people of the town have grown distant and distrustful of anyone from outside
of the Church.
Core Clue: Even the children have begun to act strange. It is as if they are hoping to be chosen
for something.
Core Clue: The few remaining people who rejected the Church of the Righteous Followers
seem to believe something is wrong with them.

Playing the Scene

The scene is quite simple to play out. The investigators arrive in Lacey to partake in the
festival. Once they are all in the town of Lacey the festival should be started without a lot of fan
fare. Most of the townspeople are in the town square where tents, rides, and even a may pole
have been raised. The events are full of screaming children, many of them dressed in white
dresses or white shirts and slacks. The parents are nearby watching their kids with the same
kind of air that many would see at a modern fair.

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The town itself is closed for the most part. Most of the diners and restaurants are closed and
serving food to people out of tents in the town square. The two hotels in town are wide open,
but it is hard to find rooms. In fact, each of the investigators has had to take rooms in the
cheaper and much sketchier hotel, The Horned Beast.

This hotel is much shadier than the other hotel in town, The Bell. While not as bad as some
seedy places in towns like New York or Portland, the Beast is not somewhere you want to be
without locking your door. It is old, dusty, and in disrepair in several respects. Use your
imagination when describing this roach motel.

The food at the festival is top notch. It is not the standard fare for a diner cook in any respect.
Fine soups, savory steaks, and even KC style BBQ has made its way here. How is a mystery to
anyone who comes to this festival. This question should evaporate as the people start to eat.
Again, when describing this make up descriptions using whatever comes to mind. This is not
fair ground junk food.

The first clue that should come up should be that the children seem to be hoping to be chosen
for something. Many of the children are running around a booth trying to get as many “tickets”
as they can. They gain these tickets by playing games, taking turns selling goods at booths, and
even doing chores for the people at the festival. Describing this should not be difficult. These
children seem eager to please. Make it up as you go along, but keep in mind these kids are far
more obedient than you would expect, even for 1925.

During this time of great merriment there is a small faction of men that are actively speaking
out against the “cult.” They claim that they are “stealing children” and practicing “pagan rites.”
It is easy for all but the most devout (think a priest) to think they are anything other than crazy.
They should come off as either bitter or zealous. No matter how you decide to pass them off,
the small group is on to more than anyone would know.

On the same topic, the Followers of the King are holding “services” that are designed to bring
outsiders into the cult. They talk about the tenets of the church, but only the things that are
surface level. There is plenty of talk about reverence for the Earth, making sure you have “rich
harvest,” and raising “proper children.” All of this talk is couched in terms of how the “King: is
able to help with all of this. Of course, they are hiding the truth about who the King is. He is
King Wyrm or Eld Fen, who will be covered more in the following scenes.

For all of the good times, any outsider is viewed by the townsfolk as distrusted. Service at the
tents is curt and short. “Here is your food, have a good day.” Parents will lead their children
away if they notice the investigators watching the kids play or work. The only towns people
that will be happy to discuss anything are those who are not cult members. Questions are
viewed as something to be processed and the “correct” answer given.

In short, this scene is much like a fair is today with a group of cloistered religious folks. Play
up the strangeness. Play up the quirks of the towns people, both cult members and non-
members. Make sure the investigators feel like the town has a queerness about it.

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Scene 2: The Missing Child

Scene Type: Core
Core Clue: A missing child is the first of this cycle. The daughter of a non-cult member who
has been married to a newly sanctioned cult member, this little girl is quickly noticed to be
missing.
Core Clue: The child was last seen near a patch of woods known for people going missing in
or around them. It is also where the children always go missing.
Core Clue: Each investigator gets a different reason to follow the child. They will be covered
below.

Not too long after everyone gets comfortable with everything going on, a young man (around
25) comes through the crowd shouting for his daughter. Her name is Sheryl and she is only 6
years old. The young man describes her as having blonde hair and green eyes. She was wearing
a white dress with a floral print and her hair was in pig tails.

Sheryl was last seen near a patch of woods that has a nasty history. These woods are known as
the “Killing Woods” for the high number of people that have disappeared and never been found
in them. These woods are also where the children from previous years have gone missing.

These woods are thick and dark. While not as deep as some of the woods in the Pacific
Northwest, they are still extremely deep. Large amounts of elms, oaks, and redwoods cover the
landscape at the edge of the woods and much further back. In short, these woods are the very
types of woods that every parent warns their children about.

Talking to the towns people does very little good. Much like during the festival, the people are
cagey and dodge direct questions. Even the people not associated with the cult have few
answers, though they are more forthcoming with information. As stated in the previous section,
these people are easy to find. They are making accusations against the cult, claiming that one of
the members must have absconded with her.

The answers that the cult gives are half-answers or only half-true. For example, they may say
something along the lines of “Sheryl was not a member.” This is half-true. She may not have
been but her mother is a member in good standing. Make these answers as frustrating and hard
to decipher as possible. It will help bring the investigators deeper into the mystery.

As for the clues that should be given to each investigator that is designed to trigger their drive:

Thomas: The cult is older than people think. In fact it may be as old as antiquity. That being
said, that means things such as human sacrifice and other dark rituals. This should trigger the
drive for Thomas (Curiosity) and get him to look for the child before something awful happens.

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Mary: Mary is a caring soul who loves all children, mostly because she cannot have her own.
Her mother was much the same way. This drive (In the Blood) makes Mary wants to find the
child and chase down whoever would harm her.
Nathan: The hard boiled detective would lay down his life for anyone who is innocent. His
drive (Duty) is the easiest to trigger. In fact, you may not even need to trigger it to get him to go
into the woods after the missing child.
Catherine: Being rich is hard for Catherine. In fact, she often wishes that she was not. She sees
herself in the missing child and wants nothing more than to find her. Her drive (Revenge)
makes her want to get back at whoever has the child, and wherever they may be.
Harry: Harry is not an intellectual. He is not rich. He does not care for children. What he does
care for is his drive (Adventure). All he wants is to have fun and finding this little girl could be
the best thrill he could have stumbled across.

Have all of these drives come at different times and with different towns people. Each person
should be touched by a memory or a thought that the interaction brings to the fore. Once the
drives have been triggered each investigator can and should begin moving towards the woods.
This is the perfect chance to bring them together as group.

While this is an unorthodox approach, have the group act independently prior to their arrival at
the woods. They can interact with the same people at the same time, but they are not a “party”
until the twist in the next scene. These are individuals who have come to Lacey, not a party
looking for a mystery to solve.

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Scene 3: A Path in the Woods

Scene Type: Core
Core Clue: A path that leads deep into the woods. This path seems to stretch on forever, getting
deeper and deeper, eventually leading directly into Scene 4. This path has marks on it meaning
that the child came this way.

Once each investigator is on the trail of the missing child they should be headed towards the
woods where the young girl was last seen. Have them investigate the edge of the woods for
several moments until one of them comes across a trail head. This trail is wide enough to fit two
abreast and is slightly overgrown so the investigators should be careful with walking it.

On the trail the investigators should find small clues that the child came this way. Footprints in
the dust, a hair bow, or even a torn piece of her dress is caught in the thicket directly off the
foot path. This path leads in winding way, which means that the child would have had a hard
time finding her way though the woods on her own.

The further into the woods the group gets the more unsettled they should become. The trees
always seem like they are reaching out for you. The path almost feels like it working against
you, trying to trip you up or make you get off track. The darkness becomes oppressive.

After several minutes (which should feel like hours) the investigators should begin to feel lost.
Looking behind them shows a path that is going a different direction. The way back to town is
overgrown and completely impassable. It begins the process of easing the group into Scene 4:
Lost!

The last thing that should happen before you start the next scene is have the following note
found a tree, held by a nail:
Die Kinder gehören mir.

Sie waren immer meine.

Der König hat sie mir gegeben.

Niemand wird sie mir wegnehmen.

This translates as follows:

The children are mine.

They have always been mine.

The King has given them to me.

No one will take them from me.

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Scene 4: Lost!
Scene Type: Core
Core Clue: The investigators discover that they are lost! The trail has become a whole new trail
and leads them ever onward, towards whatever has been taking the children.

As the investigators continue down the path it becomes clear that the path is changing in real
time. Where they have come from is now overgrown and no longer passable. In front of them
the trail is no longer curving, only leading forward. This path is not the one the investigators
remember.

The group will begin to feel like they are lost. The trick is making it feel that way. Using the
environment will go a long way towards getting there. The woods are not only dark, they are
pitch black. The trees are not just blocking your view, they are cutting off your escape. These
kinds of distinctions will help the investigators really understand the depth of the situation.

The path itself begins to get clearer and clearer the further down it that the investigators go.
Roots disappear, trees begin to thin, and the darkness is replaced by a soft glow. As they
approach the end of the trail it becomes evident that being lost was part of the plan. Something
(not someone) has driven them to this point.

Exiting the trail at the final point will reveal a cabin that appears to be derelict. The windows
are broken, the door hangs off the hinges, and ivy is overgrown on the sides. The cabin is the
catalyst for the final scene. Play up the trip to this point. Let the investigators find their way
back. Have the trail always teleport them back to the starting point. This is no normal trail, and
it should be clear that something otherworldly is going on by the time they find the cabin. The
last thing that should be noticed before going onto the final scene is a single candle burning in
the main room of the cabin.

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Scene 5: A Strange Cottage

Scene Type: Core
Core Clue: This is it! This is the end of the scenario in which the investigators discover what
has been taking the kids. In the cottage the investigators must confront their own worst fear to
come face to face with King Wyrm and his emissary, Baba Yaga.

Starting a burning candle, the investigators are basically invited inside. Each investigator hears
a voice calling their name. This voice is different for each investigator. Below is the blueprint
for using the voice and the worst fear of each PC:

Thomas: Thomas hears the voice of his wife calling him to help with his child. Being devoted
to his family, Thomas is compelled to answer! Once inside the cabin, he is entreated to some of
the worst images he can image. His daughter choking and turning blue, his wife being
murdered and lying spread eagle before him, and other horrors relating to his family. Play this
up to the most extreme degrees. Nothing is more important to Thomas than those that he loves.

Mary: Mary hears the voice of her mother. Long since dead, her mother was an example of
what strong women could be. A matriarch in a time of patriarchs, her mother carried her family
when her father died early in the Great War. Once inside of the cottage, Mary is shown images
of her dying father cursing her. Her mother disowning her. Her sisters deciding to have nothing
more to do with her. This is her nightmare. Her family is important due to the fact that she
cannot have one of her own. Make the statements used against her spiteful and angry. Make
them designed to destroy, not only to make Mary uncomfortable.

Nathan: Nathan hears the voice of his long dead partner. This voice reminds him of his passion
for the job as well as what he is always fighting. Leading him to the interior of the cottage is a
voice that demands that he help stop the thugs from killing him. Even knowing that it the voice
of a dead man, Nathan should rush in to help those he could not help the first time. Once inside,
he is shown image after image of the murder of his partner. These images should be detailed
and carry emotional weight. His partner is not just shot, he is riddled with wounds. He is not
beaten, he is bludgeoned.

Catherine: Hearing the voice of lover who left her for another woman is the way to lure in
Catherine. This lover is still loved deeply and if he sounds like he is in trouble then Catherine
will be in a hurry to get to him. While she seems arrogant and haughty, Catherine cares deeply
for others. Once inside, she will be shown scenes of her lover with another woman, both of
them hurling insults at Catherine. These comments are designed to bring Catherine low, to
make her feel like her money can no longer save her from being a human.

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Harry: Harry has no one. He is living the life he wants, constantly on the run from the father
who hated him. This voice will call to him. Calling him a coward. Stoking the hatred he has
long tried to hide. Inside, his father appears to him to let him know how much of a
disappointment he is. Constantly reminding him that he avoided the Great War, like his brother.
His brother will make an appearance at that time reminding him that he was too cowardly to
make the sacrifice for the nation. His demons will show in that he breaks down and finally
gives in to the grief that he knows his family always loved his brother more than him.

Each of these people that appear are actually King Wyrm. He is hoping to break the minds of
these intrepid investigators who would dare to interfere with his plans. The children are his, and
he will use them to bring about the end of the world. What his cult does not understand is that
he will destroy them just as easily (and without mercy) as everyone else. Only he may rule. He
prefers to use the worst parts of people to make them bend to his will. Everyone has a secret,
and he has perfected the art of finding and using them over all the time he has existed.

Once they have been through the traumatic, the investigators will see him for who he is. Seeing
him in this form cost 3 Stability and 1 Sanity. The head of an elk on a huge body that is far too
large to fit in the inside of the cottage. King Wyrm will stare into the eyes of each investigator
before he disappears, cursing them to remember only the worst of this experience! Below is a
picture of King Wyrm (or Eld Fen):

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After King Wyrm leaves, an old woman appears. Dressed in old rags with a shawl drawn over
her face, all that can be seen is a nose sticking out. This nose is covered in sores and appears to
be long and rather thin. She goes to the open door of the cabin and shuts the door slowly, only
uttering the words “Where is Eld Fen?” As the door shuts, the investigators awaken in a
hospital bed. They will remember nothing but the awful memories of their own personal hell
that King Wyrm used to try and destroy them...

The Cottage Itself: The inside of the cottage is a mishmash of terrors. On a table in the middle
of the room is a burning candle casting just enough light to show true horrors. The severed
limbs of both children and adults are lying haphazardly on the table, and the pot near the wall
holds what appears to be blood with the skulls of children inside of it. Near the table there is a
white dress with a floral pattern. No child is seen near it. Blood smears the walls and the
furniture. The darkness itself seems to be a living thing. As the investigators move through the
room they should notice a cackling laughter coming from the dark. From time to time, a hand
should reach out and touch one of the investigators.

Using the Nightmares: Each nightmare scenario should trigger at different times. If possible,
separate the investigators. Each should trigger according to the nightmare they have. Have
Thomas find a bloody baby blanket to trigger his (or something similar), for example. None of
the investigators will discuss what they see or hear during this point. In fact, make that a point
when you go through the sequences with the players. These things are both too awful and too
personal to share with strangers.

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Closing Thoughts
This scenario deals with a few deep and dark themes.
Children being the victims of violence, people hiding their
darkest secrets, and humans being worst than the monsters
they serve are all very real goals here. That being said, do
not use this scenario to be cruel for the sake of being cruel.
While there are things that come across that way, be careful
of hurting people who may have suffered trauma in real life.
Child abuse and abandonment is a real issue and therefore
make sure that the players are well aware of what they are
getting into beforehand.

If your goal is to run this game as a way to hurt people, put

this book down and seek help. Seriously, seek help. At the
end of the day this is a game and it is only fun if everyone is
able to do so. If you notice that something is starting to make
a player uncomfortable take some time from the table. Let
the player escape the situation. Make sure you watch for the
signs.

All of that being said, if you are mature enough this scenario
can be a great play through! It is challenging in ways that
most RPG games are not. It is not about crushing the
monsters but overcoming them. It is not about finding the
enemy, you are it. Have fun with this, and try to expand or
contract it as you see fit!

Where is Eld Fen?