SOFIA AND THE FLAWED HEART OF THE SCENARIO
The single biggest flaw in this scenario is the requirement to stick to the Orient Express as a route and a means of transport. Sofia made this plain for my group.
The hook for Sofia is the discovery of the Simulacrum head in a field as reported in the newspapers. At this point my group smelled a huge rat and the scenario went off the rails. The fake psychic in the group quite innocently said 'it is almost as if this Simulacrum wants to be found'. Everyone argued. The conclusion was, quite logically, a rethink on the wisdom of bringing the Simulacrum to Constantinople. The group split, taking pieces of the Simulacrum with them, planning to meet at the University museum at Oxford. They used every available means of transport to dodge their shadows; plane, auto, ship, horseback.
I cannot fault my players for this course of action. Before the scenario began, I took pains to emphasise then nature of the scenario and how the linear nature was dependent upon following the OE route. However, there comes a point when it becomes impossible to accept the premise of sticking to the OE route for the sake of the scenario. Character and campaign internal logic takes a hold. To be honest, I expected this to occur earlier.
If you hope to make 'Orient Express' work as a long term campaign then you MUST take into account the strong possibility that there will come a point where it becomes illogical for PCs to continue blindly on the preset path. Other large Chaosium scenarios have a non-linear path which may be followed, this one has less room for manoeuvre. The only suggestion made in the scenario is to have planes break down if they are used. Again, this stretches player credulity if 8 independent forms of transportation are suddenly unavailable.
If your players are happy to stick to the route then you can ignore this bit.
(My PCs hid the Simulacrum inside a warding circle in a secure basement. It was the bait in a trap for their unseen shadow(s). They had a showdown with Fenalik first (he was on a serious time limitation due to his leprosy) which ended with Fenalik burned alive as a result of an exploding automobile.)
This throws a curve at Mehmet Makryat. As the scenario is written, he is dependent upon the PCs assembling the Simulacrum and taking it to Istanbul. His killing of Beddowes and the Prof. are supposed to prod them along. After getting partway through the scenario his prods become a lot less effective, the PCs will be inured to everyday horrors. He has no choice other than to gather the remaining pieces of the Simulacrum himself and pursue PCs. But he is a 'relatively' weak character until the Simulacrum is complete. So...
The most effective incentive for PCs to get back on track is to make the curse of the Simulacrum have a tangible effect. My initial idea before beginning the scenario was to have the Simulacrum affect all those who had touched each particular segment e.g. the onset of arthritic pains in the legs, odd skin conditions on the torso. However, as PCs die and are replaced it is possible to have PCs who have not come into contact with the Simulacrum. What then?
My suggestion is to have Makryat-as-Professor contact fugitive PCs by telegram from Istanbul. He begs for their help, requests that they bring as much of the Simulacrum as possible, makes dire predictions about the fate of humanity etc. This requires the Keeper to lay false trails in Istanbul to make PCs think that the Professor is still alive and still hunting the forces of darkness. The campaign can then proceed with PCs picking up the remaining Simulacrum pieces from a securely warded bank vault in Istanbul where the Prof has left it before disappearing again.
BEWARE! Savvy players will still smell a rat at this juncture. The trick is to make it seem part of the ongoing scenario rather than a sudden occurrence. To aid in this I had telegrams sent to the PCs home addresses by Makryat-Prof from places around Europe whilst the players were solving the earlier parts of the scenario. Thus, when they returned home at any point there was a wealth of dated evidence to legitimise the appearance of the Prof in Istanbul.
SOFIA
2015 note: This area has had a serious re-write...
The biggest problem with "Sofia" is the opening premise - the introduction sucks. Both times I have played it, the "target" fought back very effectively, and I am loathe to tell a player "I know you criticalled the DEX roll and the parry, but the other guy still wins..." And this failure scuppers the scenario as written. Instead I chose to have more mundane clues and basic detective work lead the investigators to the head.
In our campaign I didn't have the opportunity to run my Sofia amendments. Please bear in mind that this was not playtested. As laid out, Sofia presented only two problems.
The first problem is the Brothers of The Skin. As in Milan, they are rather a faceless bunch. If you want to present the scenario as written, then there is no interplay with the Brothers, they are dead by the time PCs meet them. I wanted to add a bit of colour so gave them an ageless leader who was born in the late 18th century.
He had been a low-rank soldier of religious leanings who had served in numerous wars and come across odd heretical sects (see below). He sold his soul for immortality and used his magical secrets to rise through the ranks of the incumbent military. Given the history of Sofia, he had to arrange his own death and eventual return to the city (as an arms dealer no less). With plenty of contacts in officialdom and a typical dogged Bulgar mentality, this gent was destined to send hordes of dagger-wielding Bulgarian thugs to kill the PCs and snatch the Simulacrum from beneath Selim Makryat's nose.
The presentation of the Brothers as head worshippers is rather illogical, as they don't know the head is in the area. I chose to ignore this aspect in favour of presenting them as an offshoot of the Skoptzy and Khlysty heretical sects of the Catholic and Orthodox Russian churches. Here's an adaptation of a recent e-mail by way of explanation:
The Khlysty and Skoptzy were 14th - 19th century Russian heretics who were persecuted by the church. It is almost too fantastic to be real. The Khlysty were a group who believed in the separation of spirit (good) and flesh (evil) and acted in a manner similar to the Christian Flagellants (the Italian Brothers in Milan were originally Flagellants, corrupted by the ideals of the Brothers as brought back from Constantinople). They also held "orgiastic" rites, took "spiritual wives" in opposition to standard church marriage doctrines and generally had a serious pain-pleasure fixation. Interestingly enough, Rasputin was a member of this sect. The Skoptzy were an offshoot, the mutilants, who believed in male and female genital mutilation and castration as a path to heaven. Apparently both sects still had thousands of followers in Russia at the time of the October Revolution. There is also a reported incident of discovery of a large Skoptzy sect in Hungary (I think). I altered the Brothers of The Skin to embrace certain Skoptzy ideals, sacrificing their flesh for spiritual power, rotting away and having to steal body parts to maintain their sad lives.
The 2nd problem was with the setting. The caverns definitely need elaboration, and one twist would be to present them as having been the place of worship of a fertility cult (c.f. Postumia, Oraszac). In the 1990's it is an accepted fact that middle and eastern Europe was the centre of ancient fertility cults, evidence of which has been discovered as far east as the deserts of China. Since Greek times such cults have been recorded, and in the 20's the treatise 'The Golden Bough' deals with the rituals of tree-worshipping Dianic fertility/hunting religions.
If you choose to use Fenalik's ancient background as noted then he may have been an initiate of one of these very cults. Fertility cults (whether involving Shub Niggurath or not) make an ideal contrast to the all-consuming Brothers of The Skin. Cosmic logic? Throw in cryptic wise-women, pagan rituals and it becomes possible to confuse the PCs about the nature of their enemy.
(Interestingly enough, there is a fictional vampire, Ragoczy Saint Germain, 'created' during a Dianic ritual well before the time of Christ. If you have WWW access then try a search for info on the author, Chelsea Quinn Yarbro.)
Last note. At the time of the year the scenario is set, Sofia is likely to be very cold and possibly under snow. A creative Keeper can use this to lead PCs to the massacre in the cavern by following footprints and tyre tracks after the robbery.
Ultimately Sofia is presented as short and bland as it is only intended to be a quick stopover.
MASS MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS
The attack of Fenalik once he has the head. You must play this one by ear (heh!) but you should be able to wipe out at least half your PCs if you catch them on board the Express. The confined space and the sheer power of the vampire make it feasible for him to kill everyone on board the train unless the PCs put a stop to him. Make sure your players are ready for him and present a fast moving battle.
My players managed to lure Fenalik into a trapped and secured freight wagon and then waited until dawn... Of course, they were reasonably skilled at vampire fighting by this time...
CONSTANTINOPLE/ISTANBUL
Istanbul is an under used resource in Call of Cthulhu, presenting an environment where east meets west. However, the city is rife with the mythos, and keepers should consider how best to ensure that the characters feel truly threatened without obliterating them. Of course, it's a big city and the cultists don't always communicate well amongst themselves.
An excellent setting for a CoC scenario, this city should present major stumbling blocks for players. Historically this city was one of the biggest mazes ever built, and also one of the dirtiest cities of all time. Take time to present the PCs with the feeling of alienation that comes with being unable to speak Turkish. And being infidels. Motorised transport is rare and futile due to the nature of the city. It is very easy to have an overturned cart block a main thoroughfare whilst dagger wielding thugs move in on the bewildered PCs, distracted by angry natives demanding financial recompense from wealthy foreigners.
In common with other stops, this city needs more fleshing out. The Greek-Turkish enmity offers opportunity to embroil PCs in street riots, especially if the option of blaming Greeks for kidnapping of children is used. Additionally, the British influence in Turkey may be used as extra emotional leverage, contrasting the opulence of British-controlled officialdom with the poverty of the natives. Poverty always makes for a good source of cultist recruits.
This city is the stronghold of The Brothers, and as such their corrupting influence should be felt all throughout the city. Prepare numerous character profiles of public officials, and have them deny the existence of The Brothers whilst reporting PC inquiries (either through fear or greed).
One major change I made to this scenario was to have Selim Makryat become a public figure (be careful not to use his surname or PCs will make the connection with the London deaths). The idea came from the protagonist in the Middle Eastern sections of the novel 'Baal' by Robert McCammon. In this case Selim (and his son) have mesmeric powers which allow them to drive the faithful into a religious frenzy, supplanting normal Muslim teachings with fanatical ideals and preachings. The entranced people desire to purge themselves before going off to Paradise, become victims of baser emotions such as rage, have a strong resistance to pain and no fear of death.
Selim should be played as a reclusive Islamic Messiah figure seen only at religious meetings, promising Paradise to the faithful. Have thousands of poor, sick and dying people flock to the city in expectation of the miracles which Selim has been preaching about in recent months in other Arabic cities such as Cairo. He has also been fomenting anti-Christian (and anti-British) sentiments in these speeches, and the authorities would be keen to speak to him if they could get near him.
PCs can learn from troubled British officials that pilgrims have flocked to hear his words and either left changed forever or never left at all. Thousands of people scourging themselves with whips makes a powerful image for players, as does ritual suicides and police shooting into crazed cultists as they rampage through the streets looting and fighting. Surrounded by dozens of dagger wielding bodyguards prepared to die at his command (think Tulsa Doom from the Conan movie) Makryat becomes a political influence in the city. The fact that he refuses to meet with officials and he seems capable of affecting not only common people but wise Imams makes him a figure of mystery and fear.
If you use this option, take care to initially conceal Selim's connection with The Brothers. Present him as a radical Moslem fanatic opposed to the incumbent politicos. If you do it right, your PCs may even seek him out for help in uncovering The Brothers!
Care should also be taken when pointing PCs at Beylab (and Garaznet). Tea/coffee house culture is integral to male Turkish life, and it should take time and effort for PCs to learn of Beylab via this rumour mill, especially since the city is in chaos due to the mysterious Selim. The murder in the bath house doesn't need the flesh beast to be frightening, just add a few more dagger wielding cultists and your naked PCs will be scared enough.
I staged a Selim-led revival within the Red Mosque, a final clue to the location of the HQ of The Brothers. In this case I had the surrounding streets choked with the faithful who were unable to attend the ceremony. (Take a look at pictures of the Islamic hajj ceremonies at Mecca if you need inspiration). This is the ceremony to which Aktar the fake gypsy takes the PCs.
When the PCs and Mehmet kill his father, the faithful SHOULD tear the PCs apart. To rationalise the fact that this doesn't happen, you must give Mehmet the same mesmeric powers as his father. Have him order his bodyguards to take the PCs away, perhaps throwing one or two stubborn/impudent types to the crowd to be torn apart.
I wasn't overjoyed with the idea of the Flapping Man, I substituted a rather vicious wraith made up of the souls of The Brothers' victims.
Very important to give Mehmet Makryat his chance to gloat and spill the beans once the PCs are in chains.
This section will become the pivotal point of the campaign if handled properly. Upon the death of Selim Makryat and the subsequent major riot, the confusion should heighten the urgency of stopping his son Mehmet. Symbols of Western influence (such as aircraft and ships) may be targeted by the mob, a nice touch which helps reinforce the incoming Express as the only way out of the city.
Unfortunately this section demands that some of the PCs make it out alive. Balancing the need to maintain a sense of serious danger vs. the need to keep PCs alive to present the end game was a task which I found quite difficult (heh!) given the scale of the opposition. However you do it, make sure that the PCs train pulls out of Sircecki Station after running OVER hundreds of mind-warped Turks who seem to be sacrificing themselves for some strange reason. Then tell them that, since this is the only way to leave the city, Mehmet Makryat HAS to be on board with the Simulacrum...
Your players may well be in a position to ask for British help (mine had old favours to cash in). Figure out what your responses would be if they do. My position was that, given sufficient motivation and evidence, the army would react, but not swiftly. In the end, the army arrived just in time to cover the escape. Always make your players do the bulk of the work!
THE RETURN JOURNEY
This is a real test of Keeper roleplaying skills. If you have taken care to roleplay the journeys between previous cities then this section is a lot easier. If you have glossed over the on-train time then the players will know you are up to something and your job will be a lot harder.
As before, you need to have loads of pre-prepared NPC profiles. I think I had over 120 for use on board the train alone! And about the same total for all the potential stopping points throughout the scenario.
All the listed NPCs are useful, especially the female British agent and the male opera singer. If you do it right, you can get the PCs to bond with the NPCs, arising from the shared experience of the escape from Constantinople.
The flaw with this section is that Mehmet doesn't become pro-active until a good way along the journey. This means that the PCs have too much time to gather their wits. My preference was for a hefty distraction in the form of a Greek businessman fleeing the city who was picked on by some of the more xenophobic German and English passengers in first class. Have the train held up by Turkish bandits and you have a nice dilemma - hand over the Greek or face down the bandits. Naturally the conductor of the Calais coach will come to the assistance of his passengers, establishing Mehmet's fake ID in players' eyes :)
The return journey plays out very well but remember, NO BATTLE PLAN SURVIVES CONTACT WITH THE ENEMY. Be prepared to think fast on Mehmet's behalf, although ultimately clever PCs will be able to catch him out with the help of the Jigsaw Prince. Ideally Mehmet gets killed as the train crosses the French border, and the PCs can breathe a temporary sigh of relief.
LONDON AGAIN
The climax in London seems to be ripped off from movies such as 'Hellraiser'. My main contention is that Nyarlathotep appears very subservient and passive in this encounter, not an appearance I'd like my players to become used to. Nevertheless, the resurrection and destruction of Mehmet is a good scene to play out. Make the Skinless One less human with the addition of barbed retractable tentacles (c.f. giant squid) and have him tear Mehmet to pieces in front of the PCs, an acceptable substitute for flying hooks and chains. If you want to be really vicious, have him start on the PCs too until they wise up and look for a spell to dismiss the Skinless One. You can have it roll around the room getting covered in blood and goo whilst the players panic and die screaming.
My last tip is to have a pre-booked taxi waiting at the station. A Cockney taxi driver waits on the platform with a misspelt handwritten placard bearing the legend 'Mekmet Makrat' and shouts this out as the PCs disembark. This is part of Mehmet's insurance policy, bait to lure his killers to the shop should anything go wrong.