Premise:

A group of friends go on a trip to New York for a large convention. They decided to
splurge and got a large penthouse AirBnb for all of them to share. One of the friends brings a
board game they found at an estate sale and suggests they all play. But as they begin, they
realize that everytime they roll, a new evil is released. Now it's a race to finish the game before
the monsters get them. But can they win in time? Or will they all fall victim to the game?

The Beginning:
They have been here a day already so they are familiar with the basic layout of the
penthouse. There are three bedrooms, a large kitchen, a hot tub, and a huge communal space
with a sunken sitting area. There is an elevator at the end of a hall that leads to the lobby 45
floors below and an emergency staircase to the side. There's nothing of note in the apartment
aside from basic cooking tools, a television, lamps, and bedding.
After a day of driving and unpacking, the friends finally get a chance to relax and
prepare for con. Use this time to introduce the characters and interact without pulls. But soon,
someone suggests a game. The game is old and wooden. There are patterns carved inside and
four trails leading to the center in 25 spaces. The box also contains two ivory dice and four small
animals carved from various colors of stone. Along the side is the following verse:
Mortuum:
A game for those who are prepared
To face what makes them truly scared.
You roll the dice to move your piece,
Reach the end for the game to cease.
First to finish and call my name
Will escape and win the game.

When someone finally rolls the dice, their piece moves on it's own and a small scrap of paper
written in an old scrawl appears from nowhere and falls in front of the roller.
ACT 1: Set Up

Event 1-1: Cultists

Corrupted minds and sacred rites
Both chant ceaseless through the night
The building rumbles and chanting can be heard coming from above. Besides this,
nothing seems out of sorts. If they investigate, they will find the door to the roof has been
barricaded.
This is merely an omen. It is set-up. They might investigate the sounds but it’s more
likely they will put their heads down and plow forward.

Event 1-2: Fire Storm/Meteors

When planets align and ancients call
The stars will fade and the sky will fall
The sky darkens and the ground rumbles. Outside, meteors can be seen falling from the
heavens like fiery portents of doom. They strike building throughout the city, some closeby. But
none have hit the high-rise, so far. After a moment the power in the building goes out, leaving
the friends in darkness.
The meteors are more of an omen than anything. It creates a desperate situation where
finishing the game becomes a necessity and escape becomes impossible. But power outage and
darkness will make future events more impactful. The players might search for candles or
flashlights. Let them find some, if they like. A flashlight in a drawer or maybe some candles
around the room here or there.

Event 1-3: Hounds of Tindalos

To feed the pack they hunt as one
By tooth and claw you'll be undone
Growls can be heard from the darkness at the edges of the room. The click-click of claws
on wood can be heard moving around the group. Suddenly, movement. A huge shape bolts
forward and attacks whoever made the last roll. A large dog with red eyes bites at the player. It’s
body is half-rotted and some of its bones are showing through. It’s fur is half matted and half
wispy, floating behind it as if it’s not entirely solid.
Soak a few pulls here. The dogs will continue to attack until the group finds a way to
barricade themselves somehow or to defeat the dogs. Later the dogs will appear from the
corners of rooms, and are always preceded by smoke by about 10 seconds. The sharper the
angle, the faster they appear.
ACT 2: Confrontation

Event 2-1: Shoggoth Snakes/Spiders

They creep and crawl along the ground
You wouldn't want them hanging around
This section depends on whether they are on the floor or in the stairwell or the elevator.
Floor: The floor begins to move. It shifts and wiggles. Part of the floor starts to crawl up
someone’s leg and hisses. The snake tightens its grip and bares its fangs. But this isn’t a normal
snake, it’s got eyes and mouths all over its body and it splits into three tails at the end. Pull to
stop the snake or you’ll end up poisoned.
Stair: Clicking sounds start echoing up the stairwell. When someone looks down they
see giant spiders crawling up the walls. Their webs have already choked the stairwell. The
spiders leap towards the friends. However, these aren’t regular spiders. They have eyes, singers,
and fangs all over their bodies, as well as far too many legs. Pull to dodge aside and avoid being
wrapped in web and bitten.
This is a good place to soak a few more pulls as they escape. It also blocks their escape.
If someone gets bitten, make later pulls more difficult if they use their poisoned limb. This might
be a death sentence. Later you can have the snakes or spiders reform into one shoggoth.
Shoggoth are shapeshifters and they're both ugly and stupid. This creature would make a good
road block.

Event 2-2: Miracle

It seems like you could use a hand
Take respite here while you can
Suddenly, a hidden half-door opens in the wall. Inside is a small stock of useful items like
bandages, whiskey, an eldritch dagger covered in runes, and a shotgun with 6 shells (2 shots
before each reload). It also includes a book with an elder sign inscribed on it. The book is
handwritten and filled with unsettling drawing and descriptions of inhuman creatures.
The dagger and gun can be used to fight the monsters. The bandage and whiskey can
both be used to treat wounds. The book can be used to find out more about a monsters you're
facing, but it requires a pull because the information in the book can drive people insane. You
can find information about these creatires online but the key info is that

Event 2-3: Fire

It licks, it breathes, it cracks with heat
Destruction rises beneath your feet
A meteor finally hits the base of the high-rise. The building shakes and the bottom floors
burst into flames. Fire starts rising through the building. Floor after floor burns as the fire rises.
This is to push the players to the roof. They need to confront the cultists eventually. It’s
likely that the group will be trying to make their way down until now. The spiders might have
helped but this will guarantee their ascent.
Event 2-4: Star-Spawn/Xothians
By ancient rite it lives again
Beware the Eldritch Xothian
A monsterous figure barrels from the shadows. It’s big, strong, and it’s scaly skin is hard
to crack. It charges the group with both arms wide and tentacles flailing. If someone is captured,
the monster will wrap them with tentacles and take them up the side of the building, to the
roof.
Soak a number of pulls here. This is a miniboss. If all goes well, someone will die here.
This is a precursor to the sacrifice. The Xothian will take someone away to be killed. It serves as a
bunker buster as well as motivation to reach the roof. He is a large hulking figure and will run
after the group relentlessly. He resembles Cthulhu as he is one of Cthulhu's spawn. He has mild
psychic powers and can speak into people's minds.

ACT 3: Resolution

Event 3-1: Sacrifice/Blood Letting

When blood they still and flesh they rend
Their offering will bring about the end
When the group reaches the roof they see their friend tied to a slab in the middle of a
large ritual circle. The circle is surrounded by hooded figures who are all chanting. The Xothian
stands over the sacrifice, holding a long dagger. Before the others can act, the dagger plunges
into the heart of the sacrifice and blood begins to gush from their body. The runes glow and
blood keeps flowing for an unnatural amount of time. The Xothian stretches and screams. It’s
eyes glow red and it looks to the survivors, hungry for more blood.
This is a good opportunity to soak more pulls in a fight against the Xothian. This would
also be a good time to bring back any monsters who haven’t died yet, and to reveal the cultists if
they haven't been discovered. The cultists can act as crowd control. Y really want someone to
die here but if they don't, then suddenly the cultists don't NEED a sacrifice to summon the Elder
God. He's coming either way.

Event 3-2: Elder God Rises

By innocent blood and worshippers call
It awakens at last to cleanse us all
The Earth rumbles. The sky turns red. Giant tentacles pierce the fog and wrap around
the high-rise, causing it to jolt under the group’s feet. The cultists fall to their knees and bow.
Meanwhile, the monsters are still coming.
This is the penultimate event. Throw everything you have left at them. This would be a
good time for another climactic death, someone else being sacrificed to spur on the next event
would be poetic, though not necessary. If they're still inside, not on the roof, either have the
sacrifice ritual happen on the floor they're on and the power of it blows the upper floors away or
have Cthulhu rip the roof off when he's summoned.

Event 3-3: Apocalypse/Convergence

 Fall to your knees in total prostration
For you now face your world's ruination
The falling meteors have grown in size. The stars are no longer visible. The air is thick
with dread. An incomprehensible figure rises from the fog. It’s wings flex outwards, it’s arms
reach down to the rooftop and pick it up. It’s eyes glow bright. It’s eyes glow with knowledge.
It’s eyes glow bright with truth. Too much truth for such small minds. Pull from the tower or you
will go insane with knowledge.
This is the end. Everyone will have to roll against insanity immediately upon seeing
Cthulhu. He will reach down and pick everyone up. This is not a fight they can win. Victory only
comes from winning the game

Event 3-4: We Have a Winner

Mortuum
This is the last roll. But as they are grabbing the dice, the Elder God grabs them in a
green tentacle. The player rolls, or they drop the dice. Either way, the player's piece moves and
the paper falls. It merely states the name of the game, “Mortuum”. They have to say that name
in order for the game to end, this should be immediately obvious. As they do, Cthulhu looks
straight at the player, his eyes boring into them. The power of those eyes is impossible to
ignore. They close their eyes to resist but it's no use, the player starts to lose their mind, when
suddenly.....

Ending Cinematic:
You wake up, eyes snapping open. You're sitting in the living room where you all first sat
down to play. The game is before you. Was it real? But then you notice a strange blue light
flowing from your fallen friend(s) and into the game. It's hunger sated, the game snaps shut. As
it does, your friend's now hollow body falls limp to the floor. You've won the game, but what
have you lost?

The End