DEIRDRE OF THE SORROWS

A CONVENTION SCENARIO FOR CALL OF CTHULHU

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Deirdre of the Sorrows

CREDITS
WRITTEN BY
Kevin Schlipper

MAP BY
Kevin Schlipper

EDITED BY
Todd Gardiner

Deirdre of the Sorrows © 2018 by Chaosium Inc. All rights reserved.

This supplement is best used with the CALL OF CTHULHU (7th Edition) roleplaying game, available separately
from www.chaosium.com

This is a work of fiction. This work may include descriptions of real places, real events, and real people. These may
not be presented accurately and with conformity to the real world nature of these places, people, and events, and are
reinterpreted through the lens of the Cthulhu Mythos and the Call of Cthulhu game in general. No offence to anyone
living or dead, or to the inhabitants of any of these places is intended. Mate-rial is fictionalized and used here as the
basis for tales inspired from the imagination of writers of weird horror fiction.

This scenario was a winning entry in Chaosium’s Cult of Chaos scenario writing competition 2018.

Best used with the Call of Cthulhu (7th Edition) Roleplaying Game.
Call of Cthulhu is a trademark of Chaosium Inc.

The reproduction of material from within this book for the purposes of personal or corporate profit by
photographic, electronic, or other retrieval media is prohibited.

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 Deirdre of the Sorrows

Today is November 21st, 1920. It is a beautiful morning

KEEPER OVERVIEW
here in Dublin, Ireland; the temperature is a bit above
freezing, and the overcast sky is almost a pale grey. You,
Deirdre Mac Dall, and the rest of your friends have met up at
This is a story of choices and sacrifice. It starts with the
Croke Park for the much anticipated Gaelic football match
investigators in their late teens and early twenties living
between Tipperary and Dublin.
through the events of Bloody Sunday during the Irish
After standing in a mob at the main gate for a long while,
Revolution in 1920. During an act of retribution, their friend
you are finally let in; happy that the game has been delayed a
Deirdre falls unconscious in an odd, seemingly sentient fog.
half hour. You wander through the packed stadium looking
Upon waking the next morning, the investigators rise to find a
for a place where you can all sit together, and end up on the
broken version of their world with nearly all others in it held in
south side near the canal as the game starts.
a state of suspended animation. They eventually find that they
are trapped inside Deirdre's mind, bound there by an entity
Deirdre (age 18) will make conversation. She'll thank her
controlling the strange mist exuded by their friend at Croke
brother Michael (one of the PCs) for convincing her parents
Park. Through a series of encounters with the denizens of this
that it's okay for a girl to attend a football match, ask how
world beyond, they find they have the ability to escape and free
Bridget's pregnancy is coming along, about whether anything
their friend. However, everything comes at a cost, and their
thinks the British will eventually leave Ireland, or anything else
choices in this dream world also impact the world at large, even
others wish to converse about.
affecting the path of the revolution itself.
This first bit is only to briefly introduce the players and
Deirdre. You should move on as soon as they seem to have

ACT ONE - DEIRDRE'S nothing to say or after a couple minutes, whichever comes first,
after which the following occurs.

FALL No more than ten minutes into the game, a few sharp
cracks of gunfire break through the crisp winter air causing
an eruption of shouts and screams across the stadium. Rapid
PART ONE – A TRIP TO DUBLIN knocks of machine gun fire soon follow as fear sets in and a
stampede commences. Panic takes hold, and people
KEEPER OVERVIEW immediately start pushing and shoving in all directions. As
The investigators start off witnessing the massacre at Croke you start to respond, blood and bone spray across you as a
Park on Bloody Sunday. As they leave, they witness several bullet strikes a young boy sitting next to your group, knocking
unionists and members of the RIC tearing down the flag of him to the ground in tears.
Ireland hoisted just inside the walls of the park and replacing it
with the Union Jack. The scene ends after the investigators Everyone makes a Sanity roll: 1/1D4+1. The players may now
make it out of the park and agree to follow Deirdre for some take actions.
retribution later that evening. The can do anything, either rational or otherwise. But the
scenario anticipates the following actions:
SCENE 1 - MASSACRE AT CROKE PARK • Help the boy who was just shot.
• Help reverse the pandemonium spreading through
Gunfire! the crowd.
On January 21st, 1919 the Irish republicans formed a • Head to the gates to escape the stadium.
breakaway government and declared independence from
British rule. So began the Anglo-Irish War. Deirdre
The Irish Republican Army used guerrilla tactics against Deirdre immediately moves to help the boy who has just been
the more organized and well armed loyalists of the Royal shot. As she does, she lets out a cry of pain, grabs her head, and
Irish Constabulary. Many soldiers and innocents have died or stumbles. As she tries to right herself, she exhales what appears
been imprisoned during the conflict. to be a significant volume of dark grey mist.

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Deirdre of the Sorrows

After a second or so, she gets back up and finishes trying to Attempting to aid others (successful or not) results in
help the boy (First Aid 50%). If someone tries to touch it before regaining 1 SAN once the investigators have escaped, but
it dissipates, they will find the mist is cold to the touch, but not requires a luck roll to avoid negative consequences. Failure
damp. Deirdre didn't notice the mist, and will insist it was just results in 1 damage from being knocked to the ground roughly.
a short stabbing pain in her head like a headache, but that she A roll over 95 results in 1D3 damage from trampling. A result
is fine. No physical trauma is evident. of 00 results in a minor gunshot wound (1D6 damage) from the
Deirdre is concerned foremost with helping others. After random gunfire. Stopping to help others will definitely separate
helping the boy (see below), she will follow any friend asking those investigators from their mates, as the crowd pushes them
for her assistance, otherwise she goes with the friend nearest to further in a random direction.
her. If asked her opinion, she would opt to head for the main
gate as it's the only way she knows for sure is open.
SCENE 2 - ESCAPE
The field itself is surrounded by a 6 foot barbed wire fence.
The Boy Outside that are stands on all sides that back up to a 20 foot
Billy Scott is the boy who takes a bullet and is knocked down
wall. The stands are covered, and open at the sides. The
next to the investigators at the end of the opening description.
southern edge of the wall runs alongside the Royal Canal. The
If no one helps Deirdre take care of the boy, she will take a few
main and southern gates are open with turnstiles, while the
seconds to try and staunch the bleeding, then help him to his
eastern gate has no turnstiles and is locked.
feet.
It is possible to get over the wall and down the other side
Through the boy's sobs and tears, the players can learn his
with a successful Climb roll. Failure results in taking 1D6
name, that he is 14 years old, and that he's there with his
damage from the fall. Jumping into the canal reduces this to
brother (15 years old) Tom. Tom lost Billy as the stampeded
1D3 damage on a failed roll.
started, but if any of the players attempt to find him, they can
Leaving through any of the open gates requires a successful
easily do so by shouting his name and getting his attention.
Stealth roll to avoid getting picked up by the armed RIC
Tom will take care of his brother from there. It is obvious that
(police) forces and held for questioning (see Exiting below).
the bullet went in near Billy's shoulder if anyone looks. A
After a minute or so, the RIC will enter and command everyone
successful First Aid roll will show his shoulder is shattered,
to stop and put their hands up. The gunfire will continue for
and he may have further internal injuries. It is unclear if he will
almost a minute after this.
survive the wound. If no player is rolling for this, go ahead and
Few can squeeze out of the locked gate. Attempts to escape
roll for Deirdre, who uses her training from nursing school
this way put the investigators in the tightest crush. Roll a luck
(First Aid 50%).
roll (as per helping others, above). And to successfully escape, a
hard check against 100-SIZ must be made (thus SIZ 40 must
The Crowd make a 60% check, getting less than half, since this is a hard
As players make their way anywhere, especially toward the
check.) Those who fail must brave the crowds again and find an
main gate, they will be pushed and shoved. They will see people
alternate way out.
knocked to the ground and even being trampled underfoot. At
the gates, they will see people smashing others into the gates,
A Quick Look Around
causing fractures or worse.
Characters looking to see where the crowds are moving or the
Improvise some vignettes. An old man falls in the crowd, a
gunfire is coming from may make a Spot Hidden roll.
woman is crying for her daughter, a vendor shelters behind a
Judging the crowd is done at a regular difficulty and will reveal
trashbin—hand held to a bleeding head wound. Or perhaps an
that most of the people are moving toward the main gate,
RIC officer separated unit, defending himself against an
mobbing it as they try to squeeze under or climb over the
onslaught of angry Irishmen. Create a scene of panic, danger,
turnstiles; some people are also trying to climb over the lower
and disaster, all the while intermittent gunfire rings out,
portions of the walls. Determining the direction of the gunfire
echoed by barking of a machine gun in the direction of St.
(or most dangerous areas) is a hard roll and will reveal that the
James Avenue spraying over the crowd. (You might want to
gunfire is coming from the main gate in the North-West corner
read about this event on Wikipedia or other sources:
of the stadium and from the Canal bridge to the South-West.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloody_Sunday_(1920) ).
Attempting to aid others in the crowd greatly increases the
risk of getting trampled, which the players should be made
aware of. This includes addressing injuries, trying to calm
people or the crowd, or helping people back to their feet.
Improvise skill or characteristic rolls for any of these.

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 South of the stadium. The players should be free to converse as
Getting Out they want on the way home. During the trip, however, Deirdre
Men and boys leaving through the main gate will be held and begins to fume about the unionists, the RIC, and what they've
questioned by the RIC. Women and girls may leave without done. She continues to get more worked up as the trip goes on,
being held, as can anyone escaping through the locked gates or ending with comments about the further insult of taking down
over the walls. Those held for questioning must make a SAN their flag on top of it all. By the time the group arrives back in
0/1 roll. The questioning is rough and abusive, but results in their home town of Greystones, she lets the others know she is
bruises at most and no physical damage. This need not be role- planning on heading back to Croke Park tonight to take down
played. Any investigator held by the RIC are released after 15 the Union Jack and hoist up the nationalist flag of Ireland. She
minutes of questioning to determine if investigators are with asks them to join her, and will try and gather all her friends for
the IRA. Characters with a Credit Rating over 50 may make a this, including any that may have been separated during their
Credit Rating roll if attempting to convince officers they do escape from Dublin.
not need to be held, as they are obviously British nationals (as
very few others have that kind of wealth here).
PART TWO - REVENGE AND LOSS
Upon Exiting the Stadium
Many people are still milling about the streets outside the KEEPER OVERVIEW
stadium where the scent of charcoal and sulfur from the The investigators return to Dublin Sunday evening to reclaim
gunfire still lingers in the air. Just as things start to quiet Croke Park. During the process, Deirdre is overcome by a fit of
down, new shouts erupt from near the main gate as a couple agonizing wailing as a mysterious mist begins pouring out of
members of the RIC along with several unionists pull down her. The investigators deal with her unconscious body, ending
the Irish national flag flying just inside the stadium entrance, the scene.
raising up the British Union Jack in its place. You can play up the horrors of the events as the players
"That can't be left to stand," Deirdre mumbles. explore the aftermath of Bloody Sunday. Pools of dried blood
just outside the gates where the ambulances were parked.
Blood and flecks of brain and bone along the southern edge of
SCENE 3 - RETURNING HOME the wall where a young boy was shot in the head while
The streets are still flooded with people, and many are taking
watching the game from up in the trees. Tatters of clothing and
refuge from the RIC in nearby houses and stores, though the
gore at the gates where people tried to press themselves and
constabulary is searching door to door. It is possible, however,
others through any small opening they could find.
for the players to quickly ask around for information if they
wish.
Men with rifles and pistols line the Canal bridge (A), police SCENE 1 - REVENGE
in lorries with pistols and rifles are all along the open area near
the main gate (B), and an armored car with a machine gun is Arming Up
stationed on St. James Avenue near the East gate (C). It is possible for players to find a rifle and pistol for each
person in their group amongst their parents’ various houses.
Asking Around Deirdre will note (if no one else brings it up) that being armed
If attempting to figure out what went down at Croke Park when attempting something like this could escalate things and
before heading home from Dublin, the players may attempt a make it far more dangerous for them. She will go unarmed, but
hard Persuade roll. If they specifically try to use personal will not try to stop others from arming themselves.
contacts within either the RIC or IRA, the difficulty is
decreased to regular. Successfully using contacts in the RIC, Croke Park
the players hear that the police came there to question Still somewhat shaken from today's events, you approach
suspected IRA members who assassinated 14 people that the park under the light of a nearly full moon. Shadows dance
morning, but someone inside opened fire on them as they along the street, cast from the lone street lamp just outside the
approached the park. If questioning anyone else, they will hear main gate. One guard seems to patrol the western wall along
that the RIC opened fire in retaliation for IRA leader Michael Jones's Road, the other looks to be patrolling the rest of the
Collins killing off the Cairo Gang, a group of British intelligence perimeter.
officers working in Dublin.
The flag pole Deirdre is after is just inside the stadium
Leaving Dublin entrance.
Players have access to two cars, one belonging to Martin's
family and the other to Michael's; they are parked a few blocks

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Deirdre of the Sorrows

Guards: There are two guards, one posted on Jones's street

near the main gate and the other making rounds about the Scene 2 - Loss
perimeter of the park. After the events of the day, and due to Whether the mission is successful or they get confronted by
public pressure, the RIC only issued the guards night sticks to guards, the scene gets interrupted. While hoisting the new flag
reduce the chance of more bloodshed. There is also no one the or as the group gets spotted a second time by the guards,
guards can call for reinforcements at this hour. Any attempt to whichever comes first, Deirdre suddenly lets loose a high
flee from them is automatically successful as the guards' main pitched scream as she grabs her head with both hands. A large
purpose is to keep people out of the park. If the guards are amount of dark grey mist starts to gush from her gaping
assaulted, however, any investigators they knock out will be mouth.
taken to the drunk tank to sleep it off for the night. If players interject, they can start taking actions, but what
follows happens immediately thereafter. Deirdre is
unresponsive from here on out. They can easily drag/carry her,
if they choose to flee from the guards.
Guard
STR 60 CON 60 SIZ 55 INT 50
POW 50 DEX 55 APP 50 EDU 25 Deirdre collapses to her knees, her cries still echoing all
HP 11 Move 8 around. The mist thickens into a deep, black-grey now
pouring from her mouth, nose, and eyes; rapidly billowing
Spot Hidden 60% forth and moving to the ground. As thick as fog, it rolls
Psychology 30% toward each of you. As you start to respond, large tendrils of
Climb/Jump 30% the stuff rise and peer up like eye stalks, moving about as if
Fighting 65% seeking something before descending back into the soupy haze
Dodge 26% that has somehow already become almost waist high.

Nightstick 65%, 1D6 Everyone makes a Sanity roll: 0/1D2 SAN.

After a minute or two, the nearby lights outside the stadium
Remaining unseen: The investigators will not be noticed if flicker, and Deirdre's body goes entirely limp. The investigators
they attempt entry along the canal unless they make excessive can still hear her screams for several minutes, even though she
of noise. Attempting to reach the wall or gate on any other side is obviously unconscious and does not physically appear to be
requires a successful Stealth roll for each player. If making any sound. No one other than the group can hear the
investigator declare that they attempt to discern the pattern of screams or see the fog, so this does not alert the guards or
the patrols, a successful Intelligence roll will allow them to anyone nearby unless the investigators respond in a loud and
find a 5 minute window on the north and eastern sides where obvious manner.
they can attempt to enter without needing to make a Stealth If anyone stays nearby or attempts to help Deirdre, wispy
roll. tendrils of fog will roll up onto them, then fall back down as if
Going over the wall: Climbing over the wall along the probing them. It will not enter into them yet. Anyone being
canal is a hard difficulty roll. Climbing over any other wall is touched by the fog in this manner feels an icy chill wherever
regular difficulty due to the proximity of nearby trees. A failed the mist touches them, even through their clothing.
roll to climb up the canal wall can be pushed, risking 1d3 After five minutes or so, the mist subsides; first around
damage. Failing to climb up any other wall can be pushed, Deirdre's body, and then fading outward. Her screams fall
risking only 1 damage. Players are free to come up with quiet over a similar time frame.
advantages for these rolls, such as remembering to bring rope It is easy to tell that Deirdre is unconscious and alive. A
or searching out a ladder before they arrive. successful First Aid roll reveals that she appears to be in
Going through a gate: Picking the lock on the main or some sort of coma, and that her body can be moved without
canal gate is hard difficulty (Kevin has 80% Locksmithing). The causing her harm. Players are free to bring her to a hospital,
Eastern gate has been boarded up as the gate was broken down home, anywhere else they wish, or even leave her body where it
as people tried to escape. Each person attempting at picking fell. No professional can find anything wrong with her; not
the lock on a gate takes 1 minute, thus the investigators have at even damaging her will rouse her from this state.
most 5 attempts before the guards catch them. A failed pushing The scene ends when the players feel like they have done all
attempt will result in the guards being alerted or the lock being they desire regarding Deirdre's body, and stop to rest for the
damaged to the point where no future attempts can be made. evening (whether that be at home, in the drunk tank, hospital,
or street).

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 Any investigator that insists on staying up late will notice
small tendrils of mist playing about their legs, which will
PART ONE - TIES TO HOME
eventually make their way up the body until it finally moves
into their nose and mouth, at which point they fall to slumber
wherever they happen to be. As before, no one but the KEEPER OVERVIEW
investigators can see the mist. The players all wake in Deirdre's house to find that things are
not what they seem, and that this is not really the world they
know. They are initially trapped in the top floor of her house
ACT 2 - THE until they can disburse the mist in the stairwell, at which point
they can go downstairs and enter into the Sorrows. It is there

SORROWS that they see a glimpse of the creature for the first time and its
connection to the mist; seeing it stretching all across Ireland
from below Lough Derg, a lake far to the North West. Most
importantly, they discover that what they do in this world
THE MIST seems to (does) affect people in the real world.
The investigators will encounter the mist throughout Act 2.
If players get stuck, you may wish to remind them that there
The word “mist” in this scenario always refers to the odd mist
are other areas they can explore, perhaps coming back to the
described here, distinct from the fog that obscures any thing
challenging one later. If all else fails, as a last resort you can
beyond the Sorrows.
have Deirdre's ghost or astral form come to them. It should
Touching the mist is detrimental. Just being in contact with
never speak, and will move as if pained. It can, however,
it for a moment can have ill effects. Being engulfed for more
appear or lead them to locations they might be seeking. Again,
than a few seconds is extremely hazardous. At first it just sends
this should be a last resort and should be used to stave off
chills throughout the character's body. They can then feel
frustration, not as a guide through the scenario.
something like insects crawling atop their brain, just beneath
their skull. Eventually they will start seeing things, usually past
horrors. Entering it for more than a few seconds will cause SCENE 1 - AWAKENING
them to become totally lost in a nightmare. They will effectively You find yourselves standing within a deep, black void with
collapse into a coma in this state. After a few minutes out of the no walls and no visible floor. A thick mist bubbles up from
fog, the effects start to reverse until the character's mind is below. Everyone in the group seems to be chanting while
back to normal. SAN checks (0/1D2 or even 1/1D4) for holding books in a circle around Deirdre who lies prostrate in
prolonged exposure are perfectly reasonable. the center. Her body occasionally heaves, exhaling a dark,
The mist is sentient, though generally extremely slow thick mist that rolls slowly toward you.
moving. It can also sense others nearby, and thus is often You snap awake from an extremely restless sleep. As you
attracted to people who linger in one spot too long. You can use open your eyes and get your bearings, you find yourself lying
this to entice the players to move along. on the floor of Deirdre's bedroom. Your other friends who
made it out of Croke Park are also on the floor here, except
Deirdre.
THE SORROWS
This whole realm is Deirdre's mind made manifest as it
The only items the investigators have on them are those listed
struggles against being tied to an other-worldly being. As such,
on their character sheet. Any lost SAN or HP are still lost.
it is fluid and doesn't always make sense. Strange things should
Michael, if present, is obviously familiar with the layout and
occur from time to time. It may take hours instead of minutes
furnishings of the house. Others have been there before, and
to traverse the same trail. Holes looking out into space may
should have at least a vague idea of what rooms are where and
appear in the sky or walls of a building. They may hear Deirdre
what is in them.
whispering to them. A small rabbit made of wood might break
free from the wall of the cottage and hop away into the mist. A - Deirdre's Bedroom
This place should feel like a dream or nightmare, so let your The only furniture in here is her bed and an armoire that rests
creativity loose. against the northern wall. The bed is a small canopy, with
Deirdre nowhere to be found. The armoire is empty, save for a
single book laying on the bottom of it, with a small cottage on
its cover.A brass key (that opens the lock on one of the obelisks
outside) lies beneath it. James and Máire will both recognize it
has her diary. It only has one sentence in it on the first page:
"Can you hear me?"

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Deirdre of the Sorrows

The second page reads (Handout 1): Examining the map reveals that the shifting is actually small
tendrils of mist painted onto the map, yet somehow moving
And I shall have some peace there, for peace comes upon it. The tendrils all sprout from a lake named Lough Derg,
dropping slow, but they stretch out to Cork, Kilkenny, and a thicker vein of it
There midnight’s all a glimmer, and noon a purple spreads out to Dublin. (See map of Ireland covered in mist.)
glow1 The map feels real and appears to be made of actual stone,
wood, and other natural elements. The only part that moves,
There is no other writing in the diary. however, is the mist.
Curtains cover both the windows on the southern wall. A tea cup filled with swirling mist sits in the middle of Lough
Looking out, an extremely heavy fog and overcast sky halt all Derg on the map, and can be easily seen once the investigators
visibility beyond the dirt road outside. The windows cannot be enter the room. The cup is unbreakable, and the mist will not
opened or broken. pour out of it until it is set next to the faux Johanna in the
Examining the door to the deck off Deirdre's bedroom closet (area F).
reveals it is fake; painted on the wall, yet somehow looking 3- The cup is a couple feet onto the map, and will be impossible
D. to reach without moving onto it. As long as the characters
In her closet hang a multitude of skirts that all look the actively avoid the mist, they can retrieve it without a problem.
same: green with gold trim. No one has ever seen her wear Touching the tendrils on the map is just like touching the mist
anything like that before. Next to each skirt is a white blouse. anywhere else.
There is nothing else in the closet. A successful History or Occult roll will reveal that
B - Main Hall according to Celtic folklore, a serpentine being named
The bathroom is present, but the window is actually painted on Caoránach (Keeronagh) lies beneath Lough Derg. If the group
the wall, and its "view" of outside never shifts. A thick mist, like knows about Caoránach, a successful Cthulhu Mythos reveals
the ones from their dream and the one that came out of that some Great Old Ones, like Yig, are malignant serpentine
Deirdre, fills the stairwell up to the landing. It appears to be beings residing in hidden parts of the world.
very slowly creeping up to the top floor, sending out tendrils to In the back of the sitting room are two doors, both cracked
probe ahead. Once the cup is emptied in room E, the mist on open. The right is Michael's sleeping nook. The one on the left
the stairs recedes and evaporates. leads to his dressing room (F).
C - Maid's Room Inside the sleeping nook is his bed, which contains his body.
The maid's room in the back is totally devoid of furniture, and Like the bodies of his parents and maid, this one is also living,
the upper left portion of the wall and part of the ceiling are yet cold to the touch and cannot be woken. If Michael is being
made up of a slowly circulating mist where the wood and played, any injury that occurs to the investigator appears on
plaster should be. Lying in the middle of the floor, as if resting the body in the bed. The room is otherwise bare.
on a bed, is the maid. She appears to be alive and breathing, F - Johanna
but is cold to the touch and cannot be awoken. In the dressing room hang a plethora of suits along the side
D - Parents' Room walls. In the center is a woman dressed in nothing but her
The room only contains a large bed. It is perfectly made up, undergarments, sitting in a chair next to a coffee table. She is
and Deirdre's parents are sleeping in it. They appear alive and perfectly still, staring straight ahead. On the back wall behind
breathing, but are cold to the touch and cannot be awoken. The her is a full length mirror that does not appear to be reflecting
door to their deck and closet are false, similar to the one in what is in the closet.
Deirdre's room.
E - Michael's Room Upon inspection, the players all recognize the woman as
As you enter Michael's sitting room, you see what appears to Johanna, Michael's fiancé and casual friend of the others.
be a large, old painted map of Ireland roughly 8 feet across Unlike the other bodies in this area, this one doesn't feel cold.
covering most of the floor. In certain spots, however, the map Instead, it feels waxy and does not appear to be alive. It is,
appears to come out of the wooden surface and look almost real however, very lifelike. Reflected in the mirror is the real life
with mountain peaks made of stone jutting up and diminutive trees Johanna sitting in a chair in her bedroom reading a book with
where forests should be. The surface seems to be shifting in some a cup of tea sitting on the nightstand beside her. Neither
spots, but without a closer look, it is hard to tell what is happening. Johanna, the chair, nor the coffee table can be moved.

8
 Placing the tea cup from the map onto the side table in the below, caressing her legs and body. Deirdre seems to face any
closet (i.e. giving it to the "statue" of Johanna) causes both the onlooker no matter where they stand.
statue and the real Johanna in the mirror to take the cup, at At the edge of the lake are four black obelisks roughly 3 feet
which time the mist rises up from both this cup and the one in in height, each placed roughly at the beginning of a road. The
the real world, entering her mouth and nose, causing surfaces are solid, smooth, and cool to the touch. It is possible
convulsions and seizing until the (real) Johanna in the mirror to see what appear
falls lifeless from her chair. to be stars deep within them. Each obelisk also has a circular
Michael makes a SAN 1/1D6+1 roll. Everyone else makes a brass lock near the top. The key at each location fits the lock
SAN 1/1D4 roll. nearest its road. These locks cannot be picked. Placing the
After the real Johanna is dead, the mist retreats from the correct key in a lock causes the key to be drawn into the
stairwell and evaporates. A successful Spot Hidden roll, or obelisk, and the key hole to become a solid brass plate.
someone specifically looking for this, will notice that the tendril Tendrils of mist extend from the back of the obelisks (thus
going to Dublin is notably thinner, and some of the small not interfering with the lock on the front) and form the mist
tendrils near it are gone. reaching up and around Deirdre. The obelisk nearest Deirdre's
house does not have mist coming from it (because the
investigators have dealt with that situation in order to arrive
SCENE 2 - ENTERING THE SORROWS here). When the mist is disappated at a location, the mist
After the mist fades from the stairs, the investigators can coming from its associated obelisk also dissipates.
descend into the first floor of the house. It consists of a living Anyone near the pond will occasionally hear deep hissing
room, den, dining room, kitchen, lavatory, and sunroom. Each sounds coming from below. The more mist that has been
of these places is filled with furniture as you would expect, dissipated at each locale, the less frequent this becomes.
including food. The players can exit the house and enter The
Sorrows through the front door or through any of the windows
on the first floor. PART TWO - SACRIFICE
Most of The Sorrows is a lightly wooded area with rolling
hills and patches of light fog, though it has no fauna. The sky is KEEPER OVERVIEW
completely overcast. It is impossible to see the central hub In this scene, the investigators must locate the remaining three
from any given keyed area, though how far and how long it keys and rituals (the first of each are located in Deirdre's
takes to get to and from the central hub is very hard for the house), and should (though it is not required) deal with the
investigators to discern. Sometimes it feels like a few minutes, mist at each of the three locations. This will allow them to
other times the same path can feel like an hour. Each keyed proceed to the conclusion in Act 3, and will, in part, determine
area is connected to the central hub by a dirt road that wraps whether they and Deirdre escape.
around the lake in the main hub. At the edge of the map is a
deep, thick grey-white fog. It is not the same as the mist, and is
cool and damp like regular fog. No matter how long
THE MIST
At each location, the investigators encounter the mist in one
investigators wander into the fog, within a few seconds of
form or another. Each time it is disbursed at one of these
trying to get out, they wind up coming back out of the fog
locations (like it was when it was absorbed into the wax figure
roughly where they entered it.
of Johanna), the mist coming from the associated obelisk
dissipates. It also disappears from the map in Deirdre's house.
Deirdre's House If the mist from all the obelisks is dissipated, Deirdre's form
This is a large, two-story mansion with a variety of decks and
will go limp. She will continue to hover in the air, however,
porches on both the ground and second floors. The interior is
until the obelisks are all unlocked.
described in Part 1 of this scene. Outside is a dirt road that
leads into the fog on the left, and Lough Derg (the pit) to the
right. The Obelisks
When all four obelisks have been unlocked, the investigators
will have access to the final chamber. The description of the
Lough Derg events that occur at the turning of the last key are detailed in
A dirt road winds around a small lake roughly 20 feet across
Act Three.
with four paths leading away. A deep black pit opens in the
middle, water from the edges pour into it creating an
impossible situation where the pond stays full while Locale One - The End of Love
The road ends at the base of a small hill. Twin ash trees grow
simultaneously dumping into the central abyss. Floating
tall at its crest. In their shade sit a young couple resting
perhaps 25 feet above the pit is Deirdre. Her eyes are wide
against each other as he reads. At their feet rests a single open
open and her mouth is held agape as if she is caught mid
grave with no headstone.
scream. A strong wind comes up from below, causing her hair
to fly wildly about her as the strange mist billows up from

9
Deirdre of the Sorrows

The couple is Deirdre (DEER-drah), an extremely beautiful The Hangman (in "Home is the Hangman", below): He
young woman (a different Deirdre, who does not look like their struggles with what he has done, because he does not
friend Deirdre), and Naoise (NEESH-uh), an attractive young understand that any choice you make for yourself is the right
man of roughly the same age. He quietly reads to her, but falls choice.
quiet whenever the group is interacting with Deirdre. The Grave Beyond
Getting close to the grave will reveal that it has a steep set of The grave is sized for one person, lined with loose dirt, rocks,
steps leading down into darkness. This leads to The Grave and the ends of roots and such sticking out. However, it has
Beyond (see below). earthen steps leading down into darkness below. After
This Deirdre appears to have her head smashed in on one descending a ways, the investigators can see a dim light not too
side, and Naoise's body has been pierced by several broken far off. The tunnel narrows, and a damp haze occasionally
spears. Both people shimmer when looked upon, and do not drifts along the walls, especially as they near the room at the
appear entirely corporeal. Only Deirdre will speak to the group. end.
If asked what happened, she will tell a story of how she chose
love over duty, fleeing the man she was promised to, instead The tunnel opens into a relatively large cavern lined with
following the one she loved, and it led to this. A successful Art candles in tall, free-standing sconces. A pedestal rests just
inside the entry, upon which lies a book. Beyond the pedestal,
(Literature) or History roll will reveal this is very similar
in the center of the room, is a large marble fountain topped
to an early pre-Christian myth (Deirdre of the Sorrows). This
with a statue of a woman kneeling down as if by a river,
Deirdre's opinion is that even knowing something horrible will
holding a large vase upright.
happen if you do, one should always choose love and family
over all things.
She believes she is in Mag Mell, the magical land of eternal The Book: On its cover is a grave stone. On the first page of
youth and joy. A place where the love of friends and family the book is the following (Handout 2):
leads to an eternity with them, and that is all that matters.
Naoise does not respond to the investigators, and speaks in When an immortal passion breathes in mortal
muted echoes that are impossible to decipher. Deirdre is clay;
willing to reveal the following information if politely prompted Our hearts endure the scourge, the plaited thorns,
(or with successful rolls): the way1
Her (or Naoise's) Wounds: All gained in the course of
love. Though it caused ruin to many, including them, spurning A successful Art (Literature) or History roll will reveal
her lord's wishes to be with Naoise was worth it all. that a “scourge” in this context is a multi-headed whip used for
Poetry: She doesn't know what is being read to her. As for ripping the flesh and causing bleeding, and that plaited thorns
the lines from the various books, she only knows that they are refers to a woven band of thorns like the one often seen on the
stanzas from longer poems and that they sound familiar. Mag
head of Jesus during the crucifixion. A hard Psychology or
Mell is a poem-made-real. Here poems can possess mystical
power. Occult roll may also reveal the same information if the players
The Mist/Creature: The "beast below" is called Caoránach have a rationale for it, such as uncovering religious symbolism
(KEER-oh-nagh). It rests below Lough Derg. "It is woken by for the book.
ire, brings violence, and gorges on fear". Sating its hunger will The Fountain: Upon nearing the fountain, it is obvious that
cause it to slumber (she doesn't know for how long). Its form is the basin is divided into four quadrants. The southern one is
that of a serpent made of shadow and mist, but its hunger is empty. The other three are filled with water. Anyone looking
real. Feeding it slows it, and its reawakening. into them will see the following reflected within:
Key/ Escape: The key to lands beyond Mag Mell are often West - A newborn litter of corgi puppies nursing off their
hidden in the depths of the earth. mother in the back corner of a barn.
The Grave: The beast's hunger lies below, waiting to be fed. North - A man in his twenties resting on a bench within a
Their Deirdre/Obelisks: She must be a powerful mystic, prison cell.
for she is bound to Caoránach. Their souls are as one, and their East - An old man who looks to be in his 80s sleeping
fates will be forever shared. She must be untethered from quietly in his bed.
Caoránach to leave Mag Mell.
The Grave Marker (in "Faith of the Fallen", below): Love
and poetry are the best guides.

10
 The vase is filled with the mist, roiling fitfully. Fiddling with combination can be found, but any given combination can only
it will reveal that the vase being held by the statue will rotate be found once in the graveyard. For example, there is only one
up and down so that it can be emptied into the basin (the vase with both a crown of thorns and a bleeding heart.
will not accidentally empty, it must be intentionally lowered far The Mausoleum
enough to pour out). With minor testing or examination, it can The iron gate at its entry is unlocked. Inside the mausoleum is
also be determined that the statue can be rotated to point the a single sarcophagus with old, dried flowers strewn about.
vase at any of the four quadrants. Touching the mist here is like Behind it is a marble, winged statue of an angel holding an
touching it anywhere else. unadorned leather bound book in its hands.
Rotating the vase downward so as to empty it out (regardless Inside the leather-bound book is one verse (Handout 3):
of where it is pointed) will cause the bottom of the empty
quadrant to slide open revealing the brass key for the Too long a sacrifice
associated obelisk. Attempting to pour the mist into the empty Can make a stone of the heart.
basin results in the mist staying put in the vase, swirling O when may it suffice?
around (though the key is still revealed). That is Heaven’s part, our part
When poured into one of the other quadrants, the
investigators see and hear the following as the mist empties
The lid of the sarcophagus is heavy, but two people can shift it.
into the water. The mist coming from the related obelisk is now
Attempting to move the stone summons the apparition of
gone, as is the vein of mist on the map in Deirdre's house that
Sister Catherine McAuley. She is dressed as a Catholic nun and
ran down to Kilkenny.
greets the investigators. After polite formal introductions, she
West - The scene shifts outside the barn to a fox on the edge
willing to educate the investigators, prompting them for any
of the wood. The mist rolls into the image and out from the
questions they might have. She remembers little of her true
woods, wrapping itself about the fox. The creature looks
life, but knows that she is doing God's bidding by being here.
around as if seeking something, then moves directly toward a
She believes she is here to help souls out of purgatory, and
familiar looking barn.
knows the following:
North - The image pans slightly to the right, where a large
The Key: "Prayer is the key. You can find nothing without
man in the same cell can be seen drinking from a bucket of
it."
water. As the mist slips into the water in the basin, so too does
Religious Symbolism: While familiar with all religious
it fall into the drinking water to be consumed by the cellmate.
iconography, there are a few key things that will greatly help
The larger man moves to sit by the one you originally saw, and
the players if they don't already know. The crown Jesus wore
you notice a glint of metal flash as he pulls a shiv from his
when crucified was made of woven thorns. A bloody heart is
pocket just before the image fades.
often used to symbolize sacrifice. The scourge was used as a
East - The mist rolls into the basin and out from under the
method of doing penance, drawing blood to purify the soul and
old man's bed. It snakes its way up and into the man's head. He
bring one closer to Jesus.
starts to toss and turn, thrashing from side to side until
Deirdre: The spirit of Deirdre with Naoise is trapped here
eventually his body becomes still, and the image fades.
because she committed the sin of suicide just to be with her
Everyone who agreed to pour out the mist makes a SAN
lover. Had she been more concerned with others rather than
0/1D3 roll. After the vision has passed, the water in every
herself, she would have fared better in the afterlife. Naoise is
section clears, and no more visions can be seen in the basin.
not real. He is a fabrication of Deirdre's tortured soul.
The Creature/The Mist: Demons can take many forms,
Locale Two - Faith of the Fallen but are always drawn to fear and anger, driving men to do all
The road leads to the gates of a large, black wrought iron
manner of horrors. Once they take possession of a soul, the
fence surrounding a sunken field of grave markers. A light fog
death of that soul can bring about the death of the demon.
fills the depression, making the headstones seem to shift and
The Mist Here: If asked about its location here, she would
swim within it. At the back is a marble mausoleum capped
say he must be held at bay by the signs of their Lord's sacrifice.
with a large cross atop it.
Prayer may not mark the passage, but will always lead the way.
Poetry: The Lord speaks to us in many ways. Many rituals
There are well over a hundred headstones in the graveyard,
and prayers are in verse.
each having a unique set of markings carved into them. The
The Hangman: A tortured soul for the wrongs he has
markings vary greatly, frequently consisting of things like the
committed. While not selfish, he stood in judgment in place of
rising sun, a crown of thorns, the moon, a cross, weeping angel,
our Lord. He may have thought he was doing right, but it is not
trumpeting angel, dove, lamb, clasped hands, praying hands, a
our place to judge.
flaming or bleeding heart, a book, candle, or star. There are
Escape: To escape the thrall of a demon requires a holy rite
other less common symbols as well. Occasionally the markers
to be performed. The reading of sacred texts is common in
will have a two or three of these symbols on them; almost every
most holy rituals.

11
Deirdre of the Sorrows

The Crypt to resist, William grabs and throttles Bridget. The baby slips
There is only one grave marker that contains only a crown of from her grasp, a loud crack can be heard as its head hits the
thorns and a bleeding heart. Praying (about anything) at this table before it finally falls unmoving to the floor.
headstone will cause the earth to sink down, revealing stairs Kevin - A small platoon of IRA soldiers are hunkered down
leading to an underground crypt. Praying at any other grave behind a wall in a shootout with British soldiers. A few men get
causes the investigator to experience firsthand the death of the shot and killed, others are captured. The scene moves to Kevin
person in the grave (feel free to be creative), requiring them to held in a British prison.
make a SAN 0/1D2 roll. Michael - A firefight breaks out near a store in which
If players are having a tough time finding the proper grave, Michael is shopping. He attempts to hide as IRA gunmen chase
prayer might give visions - starting with one of Deirdre and someone inside and open fire. A scene drifts to Michael leaving
Naoise sitting in front of an open grave. A vision of the book a hospital in a wheelchair with a blanket where his legs should
found there might follow. Leave any more heavy handed or be.
obvious clues until last, and only after they've been there long Máire - Arguments ensue between Máire and her parents. A
enough for mist to start creeping up from the ground, slowly car rolls up to a convent. Máire is next seen with her hair
seeking out nearby investigators. chopped off working in the convent laundries several years
later.
The stairs down lead to a long, marble hallway lined with Pat - Leaving the school where he teaches, a carriage pulls
painted murals; each surrounded by a golden border. You see up. The horse gets spooked and starts kicking about. Pat is
your life played out in these images, from childhood on through struck in the head, then the image shifts to him crouched on
adulthood. The last images are of the moment your friend the floor happily stacking wooden blocks and clapping in the
Deirdre succumbed to the mist. The hall leads to a dead end barren room of an asylum.
where a wooden throne sits facing a curved wall outlined in the If any of these visions becomes a reality (which will
same border as the murals. The mist skims across the wall where theoretically take place in the future), the mist is disbursed and
the image should be, filling that border. In the chair lies a crown no longer flows from the associated obelisk. The remaining
of thorns. mist that ran to Dublin on the map in Deirdre's house is also
gone.
Sitting in the throne causes the mist to form a shadowy image,
which differs by investigator (revealing something of value in Locale Three - Home is the Hangman
their future as described below). If they stay seated for more Along the side of the road, before the end of it disappears in
than a few seconds, the mist becomes a shadowy the surrounding fog, is a small cottage with purple gables and
representation of their potential sacrifice (see below). After one a large ash outside to its left. Three nooses hang from the largest
scene of potential sacrifice plays out, a chain holding this branch of the tree with flowers the color of blood growing beneath.
location’s brass key fades into being around the investigators A light snow covers dying foliage along the front of the house, while
neck. If an investigator gets out of the chair at any point, the candles flicker in the curtained windows that surround the old
framed image returns to being filled with mist. If the crown is wooden door. A chill fills the air as you approach.
worn or put on while sitting in the throne, after the shadowy
representation plays out, the image becomes clear. The Ghosts
investigator then feels a tingle run up their spine, and they As the players approach the house, they can see the vague
know in their gut this is their last chance to remove the crown shapes of three apparitions hanging from the nooses on the
before the image becomes a reality, that will play out on the tree. All three are men, and though their necks are broken at
wall behind them. The keeper may require a SAN roll 0/1D2 — odd angles, they are able and willing to speak with the
or 1/1D4 if the player or their investigator reacts strongly to the investigators through strained voices.
image. The ghosts only know about their own past and personal
Martin - Images of Martin's house appear, the opulent opinions, and they will not lie about any of it. They know
furniture and expensive paintings. A group of armed men nothing of the hangman other than that he took their lives, nor
approach at night. Breaking in, the men pour petrol throughout do they know about anything else going on here. Last they
the house as the vision moves outside again, and the mansion remember, it was in the mid 1560s.
and all their wealth is engulfed in flame. It soon shifts to
images of Martin waiting in line at a local soup kitchen.
Bridget - Bridget holds her baby away from William as an
argument rages between them. He knocks empty whiskey
bottles off the table as he lunges for the baby. Try as she might

12
 John Murphy: A pickpocket who ended up accidentally to rest, and the more it feeds, the longer it stays away. Part of
stabbing a victim who caught him and tried to stop him. the creature passes through his cellar.
Dennis Walsh: A man who killed two brothers after finding Escape: "The only way out is through its gaping maw." It
out that one of them raped his sister. can be put to sleep and weakened by feeding it.
Peter O'Sullivan: A man wrongly accused of murder by Poetry/The Pedestal: "I keep a book of it upon my coffee
Mayor Turpin, who was desirous of Peter's wife and sought her table. A painter paints as a poet writes, morning, noon,
for his own. evening, and night."
The Hangman The Cellar
Timothy O'Connor lives in the cottage, and unlike the other The stairs lead down into an old root cellar no more than 10
specters in the Sorrows, he is fully corporeal. However, his pale feet on a side. A pedestal sits in the middle of the room. There
grey skin barely clings to his gaunt frame. He is sullen and are two canvases on easel, one on each side of the pedestal.
morbid, but polite, and will invite the investigators into the The pedestal's surface is a flat disk with a deep hole half-filled
small sitting room for tea, eager to get his mind off his own with the mist. The pedestal also has a bracket for holding a
issues and hear any stories these new strangers bring with canvas on the far side. There are four palm-sized,
them. They are all seated around a small, maple coffee table hemispherical indentations equally spread along one half of
upon which rests a single leather-bound book with the same the outer ring of the surface. The furthest is shows a half sun
cottage on the front of it as the one found in Deirdre's house dipping into the indentation. The next a full sun at the bottom-
(they both look similar to the Hangman's cottage). He will let center of the divet. The third a sun on the inside edge of the
them take it if they desire. Only the first page has text, which indentation. The last, no sun at all.
reads (Handout 4): Each easel has a pallet, brush and three bowls of paint. Each
bowl has a different color in it: pale blue, deep red, and a rich
Dropping pale blue veils of morning to where the yellow. The bowls are permanently filled with paint, and no
cricket sings; amount of pouring will empty them. Paint poured out of its
And evening full of sanguine sorrows, taken on bowl evaporates after one minutes or so. The paints will not
linnet’s wings.1 mix if poured into another bowl, though they will mix
elsewhere (e.g. the indentations).
The left canvas depicts a live scene of six men huddled
O'Connor was a constable in the 1560s. He arrested a great
around a table talking. If investigators get close, they can hear
many people, and was the main executioner for the county of
faint voices talking about giving names of IRA members to the
Cork. He has arrested and even executed innocent people, but
RIC. It is clear by their conversation that they view the
feels that strong laws and harsh punishments are better for the
revolution as something that is hurting too many innocent
country at large, even if it means innocents occasionally get
people.
caught up in it. While it eats at him greatly, he feels that is a
The right canvas shows a different huddle of six men around
sacrifice he must make for the greater good, and has no interest
a table talking. Again, whispers can be heard if investigators
in being forgiven by anyone but God.
are close. They are talking about assassinating six spies
He holds the following opinions and information:
working for the British.
Deirdre: He doesn't know much about the spectral Deirdre
If at any time the four indentations on the pedestal all
with Naoise, other than who they are and what they look like.
contain paint, something happens depending on if the colors
Regarding the group's Deirdre, the creature seems mentally
are correct and if there is a painting on the pedestal bracket.
linked to her. He's not sure what would happen to the creature
These indentations represent the sky at different times of the
if she was killed, but imagines it could kill the beast. Or,
day. The correct colors are: Red for dawn, blue for midday,
perhaps, it has already consumed her, and they are all but
orange at day’s end, and black at night. Also acceptable: First
whispers in her dying dream.
purple, then blue, either red or orange, and then black. Note:
Ghosts: The ghosts are of people he has executed. He didn't
the unmixed paints do not have the full range of colors needed,
know O'Sullivan was innocent, but understands that innocent
so review the mixing of primary colors by the “subtractive
people sometimes get killed in the fight to maintain law and
method”, if needed, with all three colors mixing to make black.
order.
Note about playtime: It might be that the players are
The Creature/Mist: It is a beast from olden times. He was
running short of time in order to fit the time slot of a
taken into the mist in 1570, and it seemed like it was here well
convention. Feel free to short cut this puzzle by offering one
before then. "It was called by the rebels. I saw three men
INT roll per player for the solution and then asking them which
chanting in an alleyway in Cork. I went with my partner (Sean
painting they want to use. It is the choice that is the important
Miller) to investigate, and as we entered the alley, it emerged
part of this scene.
from Sean as they stood looking on." He has seen the mist rise
Correct Colors, Empty Bracket: A small panel
every few years as the beast trembles in its slumber, but this
containing the key flips open on the front of the pedestal.
time it has truly awakened. Only feeding its hunger will allow it

13
Deirdre of the Sorrows

Correct Colors, Painting in the Bracket: As above, and Entering the Maw
the mist creeps out of the central hole, moving into the The stairs are slick, but the investigators should be able to
painting and encircling the men. The picture then fades and make it down the hundred or more feet into the abyss that has
becomes a blank canvas, as each investigator experiences the opened before them without issue.
following waking dream:
If the painting on the pedestal is of the IRA assassins talking As you reach the bottom of the stairs, you find yourself in a
(the left-hand painting)... circular room. Four passages filled with mist line the walls,
each roughly lining up with a roadway above. Deirdre lies in
Moving through dark city streets you witness members of the center of the room on a dark alter made of the same
the Royal Irish Constabulary visiting the homes of six material as the obelisks.
families. "Cut the guts out of these murderous cowards," one
says as they enter the first building. Continuing house to Any mist the group didn't disperse during Act 2 drifts from the
house, they butcher husbands and fathers in front of their associated hallway, and obelisk up above, and wraps around
families as the vivid dream fades. Deirdre's body. It can be avoided by moving carefully. Moving
Deirdre's body requires a successful Dodge roll to avoid
If the painting on the pedestal is that of the spies talking (the touching the mist and having to make a SAN 0/1D3 roll.
right-hand painting)... While in this chamber, the books of poetic stanzas found in
Act 2 glow faintly, and the text is replaced with a strange,
You witness six men prowling darkened streets, moving unknown language. Though foreign, if not alien, it can be
from house to house. Screams pour out into the night as
sounded out. A successful Occult roll will reveal that this is a
husbands, and even some of their wives and children, are shot
ritual meant to open a gateway between worlds, and that the
or beaten to death as the vivid dream fades.
ritual can be stopped once the gate has been fully opened. A
After the vision, the mist is successfully sated. It is gone from successful Cthulhu Mythos roll will reveal that this ritual
the hole, the associated obelisk, and the mist running to Cork will likely disturb any other worldly beings nearby, including
on the map in Deirdre's house. Caoránach.
Wrong Colors: The mist creeps upward in the hole. On the A closer examination of the alter reveals a sacrificial knife
third error, the mist starts to roll over the edge, making it plunged into each of its four corners. They can be extracted
dangerous to pour in the paints as it will reach for anyone near with ease.
it. Being touched by the mist here has a heightened effect. A There is no visible way out of this room other than through
the mist-filled tunnels. In order to start the ritual that will open
successful Dexterity roll must be made to avoid it while
a mystical portal out, all four poetic stanzas they found at each
pouring in paint. On a failed roll, the investigator touching the
location in Act 2 must be read at the same time (like their
mist must make a SAN 1/1D4 roll.
dreams upon first arriving in the Sorrows). Reading less than
four does not start the ritual. It doesn't matter where they are

ACT 3 - FACING when reading the stanzas in this room.

Starting the ritual begins the opening of the gateway. It starts

ETERNITY
off with a shimmer floating in the air near the wall on the
opposite side of the alter from the tunnels, growing into a large,
oval portal that looks to lead to Deirdre's bedroom in the real
world.
SCENE ONE - CAORÁNACH As soon as the ritual is started, hissing and whispering can
(KEERONAGH) immediately be heard from all four tunnels. Any investigator
Upon unlocking the final obelisk, the investigators will witness going up the stairs and out of the pit will see the Sorrows above
the following (whether Deirdre still has mist clinging to her or collapsing on itself, the fog from the edges rapidly consuming
not): everything as that world fades away at its approach.
Once someone starts reading the ritual from a book, they
As the last obelisk is unlocked, a deep grinding can be heard find they cannot stop themselves or make any notable
as the entire lake starts to churn and rotate, slowly movements until the portal is fully open.
descending in a spiral. The remaining water falls into the pit to
reveal stairs winding ever deeper into the abyss, while Deirdre's
body drifts downward into the darkness below.

14
 Round Event/Effect
1 Ritual is started Reward the players with 1D8 sanity, with the player that made
4 Last round of the ritual the sacrifice in the throne room earning +2 (but doomed to
5 Portal is open and 2 people at a time may suffer that fate in the future).
go through. Mist starts coming from the
tunnels. If Deirdre was brought through, but not disconnected
6 If there was already mist wrapping from the mist OR if she was left behind alive...
around Deirdre's body, anyone in the
room at the end of the round is attacked Coming fully awake, you shrug off the nightmares of the past
by the mist. evening. It's only been three days since you awoke from what
7+ Anyone in the room at the end of the doctors had called the sleeping sickness. Three days since the
round is attacked by the mist. truce that ended the war on July 11th, 1921. Coming down for
9+ The Dodge roll difficulty is increased to breakfast, your mind drifts to Deirdre, her mind still gone
hard. from this world, and Caoránach still stoking the ire of men.
The papers say truce, but you know there is still much more
anger and bloodshed to come.
The ritual takes 4 rounds to complete. On the 5th round, the
mist starts to enter the room from every tunnel. Anyone
attacked by the mist must make a successful Dodge roll or be Reward the players with 1D4 sanity. If a player made the
sacrifice in the throne room, they earn +2 (but are doomed to
required to make a SAN 0/1D3 roll. If an investigator fails their
suffer that fate in the future).
SAN roll, they may attempting to leave through the gate on the
following round as long as they have not gone insane.
If Deirdre was killed in the Sorrows...
On the 5th round, the portal is completely open and people
can start going through it. There is no need for the
Coming fully awake, you shrug off the nightmares of the past
investigators to continue reading from the texts at this point.
Only two people can go through on any given turn (or one evening. It's only been three days since you awoke from what
doctors had called the sleeping sickness. Three days since the
person carrying Deirdre's body).
truce that ended the war on July 11th, 1921. Coming down for
Killing Deirdre at any time causes screams and screeches to
breakfast, your mind drifts to Deirdre and the sacrifice that
come from the tunnels. Killing her critically injures the
creature, slowing the coming of the mist by 1 round. If they kill needed to be made. You push what happened to her to the
back of your mind, trying to focus on the fact that Caoránach
her once the mist is already attacking, it stuns the creature for a
is no more. Perhaps, if the truce holds and Ireland can one
round, making the mist not attack during that time.
day see peace, it will all have been worthwhile.
Anyone passing through the portal has made it safely home
(see Scene 2 - Epilogue). Reward the players with 1D8 sanity. If a player made the
sacrifice in the throne room, they earn +2 (but are doomed to
suffer that fate in the future).
Scene 2 - Epilogue
A lot of what happens next depends on what occurred earlier.
Those who were lost to the mist spend their remaining days
living out constant visions of the past that evoke pain, fear, and
anger. As for everyone else...

If Deirdre was totally disconnected from the mist and

was brought through...
Coming fully awake, you shrug off the nightmares of the past
evening. It's only been three days since you awoke from what
doctors had called the sleeping sickness. Three days since the
truce that ended the war on July 11th, 1921. Coming down for
breakfast, you find a note from Deirdre on the breakfast table.
She says she'll be buying every round tonight at Kavanagh's
Pub downtown. Deirdre is home, the war is over, and
Caoránach slumbers once more. You may not know how long
1 Stanzas excerpted from poems in the public domain by
you have before it wakes again, but you are certain of one
thing: a night at the pub with friends sounds just about William Butler Yeats
perfect.

15
 Deirdre of the Sorrows

Hand Outs

And I shall have some peace there, for peace comes dropping slow,
There midnight’s all a glimmer, and noon a purple glow

When an immortal passion breathes in mortal clay;

Our hearts endure the scourge, the plaited thorns, the way

Too long a sacrifice

Can make a stone of the heart.
O when may it suffice?
That is Heaven’s part, our part

Dropping pale blue veils of morning to where the cricket sings;

And evening full of sanguine sorrows, taken on linnet’s wings

16
 Bridget Kelly

25 30 35
50 10 60 12 70 14
Seamstress
35 35 25
20 Female 70 14 70 14 50 10
25 20
50 10 40 8 8
12 50 99

75
10

12 25
25 5 ✔ 50 10

25 35
✔ 50 10 70 14

40 20 35
✔ Sewing 80 16 40 8 ✔ 70 14
35
✔ 70 14
10
20 4
35 20
✔ 70 14 40 8

20 15
40 8 30 6
25
✔ 50 10
12
25 5
15 15
30 6 30 6

none

0
15
30 6
Myse l f (Bridge t Kelly ) - 2 0 y e a r s old
Run the store, get married, have babies. That's what our people do, right? So that's what I did.
Pregnant a few months now. If only I could be sure it's William's baby. Well, what he doesn't know
won't hurt him, right, as long as the neighbors don't find out. Don't stand out, and don't make waves.
Okay, Ma, I won't do anything to embarrass you, but sometimes I just have to be me.

Deirdre - 18 years old

She's polite and energetic. She's probably who I'd be if I had parents that weren't so old and old
fashioned. I remember the time near the abandoned cottage near the old hangman's tree when she
almost caught me and Cullen together two years ago. And last year when Connor and I were there. And
a couple months ago with Declan...

Martin - 19 years old

He's pretty. And shallow. Nothing too deep in that boy. I'm married though, so if we were alone
together, it's not like I'd spend a lot of time... talking... to him.

Michael - 24 years old

How did I end up married to someone in his 40s when someone like Michael was just down the street?
That's what you get when you have to play the good little girl. Meet Pa's friends. Make a good match.
Blah, blah...

Máire (Moira) - 16 years old

This is a girl I'd like to get to know. She acts the way I feel on the inside. But I can't do what she does; it
would kill my mother, and for some reason I love her. I wonder if that's how my baby will feel about me
one day?

Pat - 23 years old

For a teacher, he's not even boring. And I think he's single. And he's read a lot. I wonder what types of
things he's read about?

Kevin - 20 years old

He's Michael's friend. He's not bad to look at, and I'm all for Irish independence, but if I have to hear
about politics one more time...

IRA (Irish Republican Army) - Irish nationalists fighting for Irish independence.

RIC (Royal Irish Constabulary) - The local British controlled police force in Ireland.

Nationalists - Those supporting an Ireland independent of British rule.

Unionists - Those supporting continued British rule.

 Kevin Teehan

35 25 20
70 14 50 10 40 8
Soldier/Smuggler
40 30 25
20 Male 80 16 60 12 50 10
30 25
60 12 50 10 8
14 50 99

60
10

7
15 3
35
✔ 70 14

40 15
✔ 80 16 30 6
30 22
✔ 60 12 45 9
30 30
✔ 60 12 ✔ 60 12

17 25
35 7 ✔ 50 10
20
40 8
15 12
30 6 25 5
20
40 8

40 10
✔ 80 16 20 4

70 35 14
+1D4

+1
40
80 16
M y se l f (K e v i n T e e h a n ) - 2 0 y e a r s o ld
I'm an Irishman through and through, and have been pushing to join the IRA for years. My brother
James has been smuggling guns for them out of his pub in Tipperary, and taught me a thing or two
about it. Though he was worried about what might happen to me, he finally got me connected with the
right folks. I'd like to meet a nice girl one day, but until she's free, Ireland has to be my lass.

Deirdre - 18 years old

We used to be an item a few years back. Sweet girl. It was honestly her love of the land that got me
thinking about joining the army in the first place. We'd sit on the hill by those two ash trees for hours
while she'd tell me all the old folk tales of our people. These days she is all on about her schooling to
become a nurse, a bit of a bleeding heart, really.

Michael - 24 years old

Deirdre's brother and a nice fella. Good mate of James's, too. We hit the pub from time to time.
Pretty straight headed, though sometimes he thinks too much and acts too little. He's engaged to
Johanna now, as I recall.

Máire (Moira) - 16 years old

Feisty like any good Irish lass, and best friends with Deirdre. A touch young for me now maybe, but who
knows... maybe after this war is over...

Pat - 23 years old

I only know him through Michael. Seems nice enough. I think he's a teacher. Something having to do
with books.

Bridget - 20 years old

She knows Deirdre and Máire. My mother buys most of her clothes from their family's store. She's
married and pregnant. Not sure why she's here and not her husband.

Martin - 19 years old

Always seems to be putting on airs. His family is rich, and a bunch of Brits. He says he's for Irish
independence, but only seems to talk about it when Deirdre's around. Why Michael hangs out with him
I'll never know.

IRA (Irish Republican Army) - Irish nationalists fighting for Irish independence.

RIC (Royal Irish Constabulary) - The local British controlled police force in Ireland.

Nationalists - Those supporting an Ireland independent of British rule.

Unionists - Those supporting continued British rule.

 Máire O'Brien

22 30 35
45 9 60 12 70 14
Shepherd/Student
25 30 40
16 Female 50 10 60 12 80 16
17 22
35 7 45 9 9
8 80 74

65
16

7
15 3
25
✔ 50 10
25
✔ 50 10
10
21 4
40 30
✔ Animal Husbandry 80 16 ✔ 60 12
5 25
11 2 50 10
20
✔ 40 8
17 17 20
35 7 35 7 ✔ 40 8
12 22
25 5 45 9
2 20
5 1 ✔ 40 8
12 10
25 5 20 4
10
Latin 20 4
10
20 4

12
25 5

-1
-1
M y se l f (M á i r e O 'B r i e n ) - 16 y e a r s old (Moira )
I know what's REALLY out there. The only one that really gets it is Deirdre. Except my sheep. Deirdre's
my best friend, and she can talk to spirits. We know the TRUTH. I've read the books, and I know the
church only tells us what they WANT us to know. I'll get the truth out though.

Deirdre - 18 years old

She's the BEST! I told her about the Otherworld, and she was the first one who knew what I was talking
about. Well, she didn't know, but the spirits she spoke to did. We'd spend hours at the old graveyard
trying to conjure up spirits. Good times.

Martin - 19 years old

He may be good looking, but money won't do him much good once THEY get here.

Michael - 24 years old

A total sweetie. I mean, he doesn't get it, but he will. He actually listens. Usually. I get what his fiancé
Johanna sees in him, but what he sees in her... Oh, and he loves football. I've never been to a game
before. It seems like it'll be boring, but watching him get that excited about it should be fun.

Pat - 23 years old

Mr. Murphy, our local teacher, GETS it. Sort of. He knows a lot about some weird stuff, so that's CLOSE.

Bridget - 20 years old

She works. Hard. Every time I bring wool to her family's store, she's there. Maybe I should help her be
not so boring.

Kevin - 20 years old

He has gumption. I like that. And he likes Deirdre. That's a point in his favor. He's a serious nationalist
now, like Deirdre. I'm for that. I have the blood of Brian Boru, High King of Ireland, in my veins after all.

IRA (Irish Republican Army) - Irish nationalists fighting for Irish independence.

RIC (Royal Irish Constabulary) - The local British controlled police force in Ireland.

Nationalists - Those supporting an Ireland independent of British rule.

Unionists - Those supporting continued British rule.

 Martin Aarons

27 25 30
55 11 50 10 60 12
Dilletante
27 35 30
19 Male 55 11 70 14 60 12
20 27
40 8 55 11 9
9 60 99

75
12

7 30
15 3 ✔ 60 12
22
45 9
12 15
25 5 30 6

20 25 22
✔ Painting 40 8 ✔ 50 10 45 9
25 15
✔ 50 10 30 6

12 15
25 5 30 6
25 12
✔ 50 10 25 5
45 30
90 18 ✔ 60 12
20 25
40 8 ✔ 50 10

20
✔ 40 8

45 22 9
none

0
M y se l f (M a r t i n A a r o n s) - 19 y e a r s old
British, Irish, I really don't get what the big deal is. Our family's British, and sure we've got money, but
it's not like we're stopping anyone else from doing well for themselves. Deirdre's got her mind made up
though, and I don't mind being pro-nationalist every now and then when she's around.

Deirdre - 18 years old

Nice looking girl, and the only one around here from a decent family. When we were very young, we'd
sneak into the old abandoned cottage by the hangman's tree and scare each other with ghost stories.
But she's older now, and I was just thinking that with both our families' money, we could live together in
a much nicer place than that old shack.

Michael - 24 years old

Deirdre's brother. He's a nice guy, and always willing to play football. He could probably play for Dublin
if he really wanted to. He acts a bit like a big brother to me, but that's not a bad thing.

Máire (Moira) - 16 years old

Very easy on the eyes, and I have to say she has a real passion to her. If only she weren't poorer than
dirt.

Pat - 23 years old

He used to tutor me in school, and now he's teaching. He still hangs out with me and Michael from time
to time. Smart guy. It's a bit weird that we're basically friends now.

Bridget - 20 years old

For a woman, she sure knows a lot about fishing. I don't see her often, but when I do, that's all she
seems to talk to me about. Always wants to drag me off to this empty old storage building to see some
salmon. She must think I like fish or something.

Kevin - 20 years old

I just get this feeling he doesn't like me very much. Not sure what his problem is. If he'd shut up about
freedom and independence, he probably wouldn't be half bad.

IRA (Irish Republican Army) - Irish nationalists fighting for Irish independence.

RIC (Royal Irish Constabulary) - The local British controlled police force in Ireland.

Nationalists - Those supporting an Ireland independent of British rule.

Unionists - Those supporting continued British rule.

 Michael Mac Dall

32 35 25
65 13 70 14 50 10
Athlete/Socialite
30 25 25
24 Male 60 12 50 10 50 10
32 25
65 13 50 10 8
12 50 99

40
10

30
✔ 60 12
7 20
15 3 40 8

7 20 25
Sculpture 15 3 ✔ 40 8 ✔ 50 10
17
35 7

22 25 15
45 9 50 10 30 6
22 7 30
✔ 45 9 15 3 ✔ 60 12
35
70 14
25 30
✔ 50 10 ✔ 60 12

25 20
50 10 40 8
15
30 6

60 30 12
+1D4

+1
25
50 10
M y se l f (M i c h a e l M a c D a l l ) - 2 4 y e a r s old
I thought about being a pro footballer for a while, but even football became political, so I picked up a
fiancé instead. Johanna. Smart and funny, but basically hates football. No one's perfect, I guess. She
hasn't picked political sides either. And it's not like I'm against the IRA's cause or anything, but I'd rather
just stay out of it all together. I mean, Pa is a Brit and Mum's as Irish as you can get; there's no way I'm
taking sides. Try and get along with everyone. That's my motto.

Deirdre - 18 years old

My sister. She's the rebel in the family, God love her. She's stubborn, but kind. Some of her friends on
the other hand... well, I try to be nice. Mostly, though, she's all about her nursing school and how she's
going to help people.

Martin - 19 years old

He's from the only other truly landed family in the area. He's young and a bit rough, but I try to lead by
example. I play ball with him from time to time hoping to dull his edges a bit. He's a good kid. Deep
down.

Máire (Moira) - 16 years old

Deirdre's craziest friend. A true nutter, this one. She thinks Deirdre is a psychic, and is always trying to
get her to perform séances and such. Just young girls being young. I hope.

Pat - 23 years old

One of my best mates from school. He doesn't come from money though, so he's been working ever
since I've known him. He's a teacher now. Whip smart, and seems to know just about everything. He
can also drink me under the table somehow.

Bridget - 20 years old

Her husband William is a good friend of Pa's, so she's around pretty often. Last week she found out
she's pregnant, just in time for William to have to head out on the trawler for a few weeks. I promised
him I'd keep an eye on her and the baby until he got back.

Kevin - 20 years old

He and Deirdre were a thing for a bit a couple years back, and we still hit the pub together on occasion.
His brother James and I are good friends, but I don't see James often now that he's taken over the bar in
Tipperary. I keep an eye on Kevin for him while he's away.

IRA (Irish Republican Army) - Irish nationalists fighting for Irish independence.

RIC (Royal Irish Constabulary) - The local British controlled police force in Ireland.

Nationalists - Those supporting an Ireland independent of British rule.

Unionists - Those supporting continued British rule.

 Pat Murphy

25 25 35
50 10 50 10 70 14
Teacher
20 25 30
23 Male 40 8 50 10 60 12
30 40
60 12 80 16 7
10 60 99

55
12

20
Astronomy 41 8
30 30
✔ 60 12 ✔ 60 12
15
30 6
10
21 4
25 27
✔ Literature 50 10 55 11

35
✔ 70 14
17
35 7
35 30
✔ 70 14 ✔ 60 12
20
40 8
15
30 6
10
Latin 21 4
30 20
✔ Gaelic 60 12 ✔ 40 8
10
21 4

none

0
Myse l f (Pa t Mu rp h y ) - 2 3 y e a r s old
Nothing beats a good book. Except a good pint and a good book. Well, a good mate, a good pint, and a
good book. And a spot of football. That's good too. And new things. A mate, a pint, a book,
experiencing new things, and a bit of football. Yep. Nothing beats it.

Deirdre - 18 years old

Crazy girl. I like her. We'd talk about old Irish mythology for hours in her parents living room in the
winters. But she's Michael's sister, so I best not go near that.

Martin - 19 years old

Michael seems to have taken him under his wing. The boy needs it though, what can I say. But it's
never too late to learn and be a better person, and I'd like to think Martin is trying.

Michael - 24 years old

He, James and I used to be inseparable. Then James left for Tipperary. And then there were two.
Anyway, he's the best of the best. Totally reliable. The best sort. He found himself a good one with
Johanna, yet still finds time for the boys.

Máire (Moira) - 16 years old

A real spitfire. I've run into her often at Michael's, as she's Deirdre's best friend. She has some odd
notions, for sure, but let's be honest, there IS more to this world than what they want us to see.

Bridget - 20 years old

The local seamstress. I think she does a bit of haberdashery as well. She's a friend of Michael's family.
Nice enough. Strong and reliable from what I hear, but there's something else about her that I just can't
place.

Kevin - 20 years old

James's brother. He joins Michael and I at the pub sometimes. Good lad. Very big into the
independence movement. I heard he joined the IRA. More power to him, I say. Me? The cause is good,
but I have too much else to do.

IRA (Irish Republican Army) - Irish nationalists fighting for Irish independence.

RIC (Royal Irish Constabulary) - The local British controlled police force in Ireland.

Nationalists - Those supporting an Ireland independent of British rule.

Unionists - Those supporting continued British rule.