A few people are in the library of Miskatonic U after hours. Lately, there have been a string of disappearances, initially just town vagrants and homeless, and now several students have failed to show to class and simply vanished. Most have chalked it up to youthful adventures and discrepancies, but the truth is worse…

The players start in the central library area, reading, studying etc. It’s just approaching 9pm on a Tuesday, close to closing, the rain outside coming down and the occasional flash of thunder. Most have filtered away back to their rooms for the night ready for classes tomorrow.

The librarian, a middle aged woman named Agnes. She has a habit of carrying around a clipboard, smacking it down loudly on desks for quiet. Not unkind, simply stern. She calls for people to begin filtering out of the library so that she can close up for the night. Suddenly, at the back of the stacks away from sight a crashing is heard. The librarian mutters something about little miscreants and stalks from view when several lights cut out from the storm. Not unusual in itself, except a scream is heard at that moment. The lights come up almost as soon as the scream is done.

Encourage players to go see what went on, they find….nothing. Except Agnes’s clipboard in the centre of the stacks. A Spot check will show scuff marks on the floor, long and thin slightly gauged into the tiles. Almost like claw marks. If the players wish to leave, or when someone makes for the door, they find it locked. The windows of the old library are high, too high to climb from. The door is a large solid oak affair, and not breakable with bare hands. The way is shut. The players may split up to find the librarian or search for clues. Its now a little after 9, the players must vanquish this foe or survive till sunrise to win. At intervals of when I am feeling mean, assorted routes around the library will have the lights cut. When this happens, the lurker is hiding in the shadows and will attack. The area of the front door, the lights are always out. The lurker has them trapped.

Things to do in the library
If they check under the front checkout counter, they may find some candles to help light their way. However, as they do the lights come down in that section (see notes on beast appearing).

In the private study rooms, they find the librarian splashed around the top right room, the body on the table. Take a 1/1D4+1 SAN hit. A Medical or similar roll will reveal that the chest has been cracked open and the heart missing. The cuts around the wound are clean and neat, and there is no other mark on the body. A Spot check may be made through all the blood to search the body. The only things of note they find are matches and a set of Librarian Keys.

In the map room. The room, is surrounded by shelves of assorted maps, from across the globe. The centre is taken by 3 large tables, solid looking oak with large plush chairs. A Spot check or similar will reveal some strange markings carved under one of the tables in a rough pentagram. A History or Egyptian Language test reveals them to be a mix of middle kingdom Egyptian, and something else unidentifiable. There is also the faint scent of burning in the air.

Head Librarians Office.The door is locked but can be broker with a Resistance test at STR12 as it looks to be a newer addition than the front door. Its slightly cramped and dark in here, the head having retired to his rooms hours ago. The room is dominated by the two curio/book shelves on either wall, and the large mahogany desk. Its stack full of various papers and nicknacks, same as the shelves. The air has a musty feel, slightly too warm from the cramped space. The cabinets are locked, and the items on the shelves are mostly things like trophies and ornaments. Searching the desk turns up a letter opener which is heavy looking enough to be used as a Small Knife weapon, that most the drawers are locked except one. Inside are a small ornate gold box and a stack of papers, slightly yellowed with age. Around the outside of the box are markings, again a history or similar role identifies them as Middle kingdom Egyptian. Inside the box are more unidentifiable markings. Clinking inside this box is also a small vial of brownish powder, slightly talcish. A Chemistry roll identifies it as sulphur and copper oxide. The papers detail what appears to be some copies made from another source of an ancient text. Beneath are detailed a pentagram and a rough sketch of the box.(player handout).
In the librarians office, it’s a similar affair as the other. It can be opened with a STR12 test or the librarians keys. Inside, its cluttered with stacked books. The shelves overflowing. A spot check can be made in the office. Inside one drawer openable with the keys, can be found a small calibre revolver with 3 chambered rounds. There is also a rough typed letter dated about 2 weeks earlier. Also around are an empty glass vial with barely traces of a brown sulphur powder, and another vial containing a course white substance. An Occult roll identifies it as the Powder of Ibn-Ghazi.

The Storage rooms door is locked with agnes keys. It can be forced open with a STR15 test. Inside its dark and cold. The stacks here are narrow and dusty from disuse. Cobwebs hang from everything. At the back is the stairs down to the basement, where the newspaper records are kept as well as other things. Have the lights shut down part way and the lurker chase the player as they go towards the basement. Also a successful Library Use roll turns up a book on the fabled Mu civilisation. A reproduction of sea eroded carvings purported to be Muvian in origin closely resembles those found inside the box. The book offers nothing in the way of translation.

At the front desk in the library records, a Library Use roll can be made to see that a copy of De Vermiis Mysteriis is around, but it is currently in the private care of the head librarian, Dr. Henry Armitage. So unavailable currently.

The Lurker
Nearly invisible creature from another dimension. While light wont kill it, it DOES cause it pain. Can not be harmed by physical weapons. POW draining spells do affect it. No harm from fire, electricity or acid. It becomes visible and semi solid when feeding or doused with the powder of Ibn-Ghazi. It finds sustenance and pleasure in eating the hearts of warm blooded animals. Flashlight or lightsource will repel it (make a DEX13 roll for trying to light the candle in dim light and fumbling with the matches)

Basement.

The Lurker, Nearly Invisible
STR20 CON18 SIZ17 INT12 POW20 DEX18 move12 HP18
Damage Bonus +1D6
Weapons: Claws (2) 70%, 1D8+db (one claw attack per round)
Special Abbilities: May animate and control a corpse, Generates stinking acid, pass through unwarded material.


When the lights of an area go down, the lurker is coming. Players must run towards the light using any means necessary, and make a successful Dodge roll to escape its claws as they hear it coming for them. If they survive, take a 1/1D2 SAN check, and if the fail take a hit with its claws and a 1/1D3 SAN check. SAN check applies to all present. Depending on the severity of the attack, they may be left scarred for a 1D4 APP loss. If the player died, indicate there are talons caught in his skull. The lurker hauls the corpse up into the shadows, chews the heart out noisily and throws it back out of the opening. All present make a SAN test at 1/1D6 (keep tabs on insanity, probably lost a lot by now, encourage temporary insanity if needed).

The Box. A History or Egyptology roll combined with a Library Use roll turns up a book with some brief pages about the box. Flicking through the pages you find a drawing of the ornate box in your possession and a short description. It notes that little is known about it, but scholars believe it to belong to the little known Nophru-Ka, a would be usurper of the Egyptian Throne who lived sometime during the XIVth Dynasty. The box was given to him by the gods, and contains spirits he could call upon. It actually contains a piece of unpolished amber containing a trapped insect. For years it was owned by a noble British Family. It was stolen in 1876 and not seen since. The article offers a translation of the outside inscription (player aid#4). The summery offers a brief description of the inside carvings but makes no attempt to explain them. Also an Occult roll identifies the inner inscription as similar to the lost continent of Mu.

By now they should have found everything needed. The basement will be the location for the finale. Inside are stacks of old newspapers piled on shelves. There are several tables and chairs spread around, and a big old furnace at the back. They should drag the tables aside infront of the furnace to make the circle. Around the area you notice scratch marks about the door frame running along the ceiling. They look to be some form of runes or markings. An Occult roll reveals them to be protective against harmful spirits. The furnace must be lit and fired up. The ritual will start at midnight.

The Ceremony. The ceremony begun the lurker falls upon the basement aware of the players intent. Unable to enter the warded room, it hides in the floor above and starts a campaign of terror. Make calls for SAN checks. Any insane player that flees the house is set upon by the lurker. Insane players cant chant properly. The first 20 minutes of the ceremony go smoothly. The players hear a loud thump before hearing it snuffling above. Lose 0/1 SAN.
Within minutes the creature sets off an aweful howling, interspersed by grunts and foul curses spoken in a harsh guttural voice. The library sways and creaks, shaking the very foundations and the basement causing tremors.. Objects begin falling from shelves. All lose 1/1D3 SAN. This continues for half an hour. Now half way through the ritual. A hrorrible smells starts coming from the floor above followed by a thick stinking goo from the ceiling. Call for LUCK rolls. Failures get splashed by the goo losing 1D2 HP from first and second degree burns. The monster quietens for awhile, and an hour and a half through the ritual call for Listen rolls. Success hear a faint womans call for help from outside. Banging begins on the door to the basement. Anonther Listen roll identifies the voice as Agnes. The monster spent 5 Magic points to animate her. Anyone going outside is attacked by the corpse or by the lurker depending on how theyr doing. Killing her gives a reward of 1D6+1 SAN. Treat like rulebook zombies.

Zombie Agnes
STR11 CON4 SIZ10 INT0 POW1 DEX3 move 5 HP7
Damage Bonus 0
Weapons Maul 65%, 1D6
SAN loss 1/1D6

The Thing Appears. Nearing the last 5 minutes of the ceremony a thin whisp of smoke curls down to the pentagram from the ceiling. The Lurker manifests before the players eyes. Four more minutes chanting is needed to best the thing. As it condenses in the circle it becomes partially visible, a roiling mass of darkness, talons, maws and appendages. SAN loss of 1/1D8 (however take away the SAN loss from already having seen it leave if needed). Anyone insane sees not a monster, but a beautiful and compelling human woman/man, and starts walking forward to embrace it. Unless stopped the player is torn apart. If the players can finish the last few minutes of chanting, it is dispelled wailing from this world back to where it came leaving only a foul smell in the air.

Conclusion. If it is banished the players get 1D10+1 SAN awarded. If they failed, they take 1/1D4 SAN across the next week as the creature devours 3 more people and leaves the area forever.

However they are now in a library after hours with what may be stolen artefact, and a cut up dead body. See how they explain this one away.