Mists of the Aeons

Literature

Call of Cthulhu

Delta Green

Arcana

Visions

Evil Schemer

E-Mail

When I playtested my anthology, the players made some interesting characters. Call of Cthulhu is a game very much about characterization. A good character is what makes the game fun and enjoyable to play, otherwise it's just rolling numbers and watching them die.

I tend to run my games somewhat cinematically, meaning it's rare that a character will die unless is fits the story. Therefore, sometimes a few die rolls are fudged so that they may survive. That is not to say I haven't killed characters or that I have an aversion to it. Nova Scotia Blackman and Tracy Logan are examples. I prefer to warn players before they make a decision that may lead to character death, that way they know the risks, and that is what the game is about, taking risks.

Dr. Nova Scotia Blackman

Dr. Nova Scotia Blackman was the first character created for my anthology. He was created and played by Ryder Westegard-Thorpe in 1989 for the Horror in the Mine.

Dr. Blackman was the first African American professor at Miskatonic U. (not that at that time, he was described as "Colored"). He was an archeaology professor and an expert in Antedilluvian Antiquities, especially on matters concerning Hyperborea, a little-known culture that he had great interest in. He was a striking man with great presence. Although he was ground-breaking in his achievement, he was still paid less than an undergraduate assistant. He also experienced racism in and around the college. Dr. Blackman was born in Canada, thus the nickname "Nova Scotia."

Dr. Blackman met a gruesome end in Greenland while exploring possible Hyperborean ruins. He was attempting to set up a camera to photograph an unusual phenomena when he was crushed by falling debris (actually, a tentacle from the Formless Spawn).

Damon Myer

Damon Myer was created and played by Woobee Low for the same game.

Damon is a strikingly handsome young man who was Dr. Blackman's undergraduate assistant. Damon was born on Feb.29, 1900, making him 4 in 1920. Damon was a football star in college and girls adored his boyish good looks. Damon also harbored a secret interest in the Occult and Antiquity, leading his choice of History as a major.

Damon barely escaped with his life when he was trapped in collapsing ruins in Greenland (actually, he was swallowed by the Formless Spawn, but quick thinking by Sgt. Caudle and some dynamite saved his life). Damon spent several months in Arkham Asylum resting following the inquest. After two years, he returned to Miskatonic as a graduate student.

Damon's chief talent is Latin (which he can speak and read fluently.) He is also a strong believer in the paranormal and considers himself, like many other M.U. students, an expert on the subject. His other interests include Law, History, Aeroplane Piloting, and Pioneering.

His adverturous past has required he own a .38 revolver and a 12 gauge shotgun for self-protection. he also owns a bullwhip, bequethed to him by his late friend, Dr. Blackman. Myer's income as a student instructor coupled with support from his family in Boston is $500 a month.

Robert Thorn

Mr. Robert Thorn was born in 1860 in Gresham, North Carolina. He is currently the procutator for the Exhibit Museum building at Miskatonic University under Mr. George Grewe, the curator. Mr. Thorn is a graduate of Miskatonic.

Mr. Thorn's talents are in finding and procuring rare antiquities, a talent Mr. Grewe admires. He has a keen eye for spotting minute details. he is an adroit busisnessman and is capable of getting good bargains. He is an accomplished climber. His other interests include Accounting, Archaeology, Electrical and Mechanical Repair, Law, Egyptian, and the Strange and the Occult.

Mr. Thorn is a stunningly handsome man. He is of average physical means but is not, on the whole, very healthy.. He is often plauged by illness and allergies.

Mr. Thorn is friends with Dr. John McTavish, a Linguistics Professor at M.U., and has been involved in many of their encounters with the strange and paranormal. Many of these encounters require self-defense and outdoorsmanship. To help him in these areas, Thorn owns two 12-gauge shotguns. One he keeps in his home near the campus, the other in a steamer trunk with the rest of his adventuring gear. Other items in the steamer trunk, which weighs nearly 150 lbs, are: 2 academic suits, 1 travel suit, goggles, 4 boxes of 12-ga shotgun shells (totalling 2000 shells), gloves, a box of handkerchiefs, 20 feet of rope, 2 Bowie knives, 2 broom handles, a briefcase containing envelopes, paper, and a journal, tongs, binoculars, boots, 4 pairs of underwear, 2 empty canning jars, a container of salt, 2 canteens of water, and a home-made first-aid kit. In his apartment he keeps: 1 box of 500 shells, a bicycle, a trench coat, clothing, and a carbide lamp. On his person, he carries: a wide brimmed hat, a trench coat, a magnifying glass, a pocket knife, a notebook and a pencil, and a set of keys to various departments at M.U. His income as a museum procurator is $708 a month.

Tracy Logan

Tracy Logan is a graduate student at Miskatonic University. She was born in 1900. She currently holds a Bachelors Degree in Psychology that she earned at M.U. Tracy is a large woman with strong muscles which is equalled by her equally powerful intellect. She is also very strong willed, often intimidating others with her strong personality. this has resulted in her being fairly reclusive from others. She is a wallflower of sorts and has very plain looks.

Her talents lie in the studies of History, Psychology, and the study of the Paranormal. She is very attentive, spotting many details others would miss. Her other interests lie in First Aid, Anthropology, Climbing, French (and more recently Latin), Photography, and Fencing (her favorite pasttime).

Her helf-sister is her good friend Sarah Stromm, a part-time instructor at M.U. Though they were raised by different mothers, they bear a strong familial resemblance. She is an acquaintance of Damon Myer, a fellow graduate stdent and History Major.

She is a friend of Dr. McTavish, the Linguistics Professor, and is often involved with his encounters with the strange and paranormal. Many of these encounters have been dangerous, so she owns a Colt M-1911 pistol for self-defense.

Dr. John McTavish

Dr. John McTavish is a Linguistics Professor at Miskatonic University. he earned his Doctorate in Linguistics at Oxford. He was born in Glasgow, Scotland. He has a younger brother, Earnest, also a PHD, who is a noted Archeaologist.

McTavish served a in the British Army for several years, trying to buy back his commission. He spent a great deal of time in Japan where he learned many secrets of the Orient and gained an interest in unexplained phonomena. He served in the Great War and was wounded several times in combat. After serving in the British Army as an officer, he returned to academia to teach at Miskatonic.

Dr. McTavish is a large Scottish man in Tweed. The Great War earned him a limp, for which he uses a cane, and a missing eye, over which he has a patch. He has long white hair and a large white moustache-less goatee on his chin.

His talents lie chiefly in the many languages he speaks. He can speak Latin, Hebrew, Greek, Arabic, Egyptian, and Japanese. He is also an expert researcher, and an adroit psychiatrist. His other interests include Archaeology, Astronomy, and the Strange and the Paranormal. He is also famous for being a skilled grifter. Many students have fallen prey to his playful scams and sly fabrications.

Dr. McTavish is an avid student of the paranormal and is surrounded by like-minded students and faculty. His party has encountered strange and unexplainable events on several occasions as a result of his interests. Many of these encounters have been dangerous, therefore he carries his old P-08 Luger Pistol and owns a Winchester M-1911 Shotgun.

There were other characters used when I finished the anthology in 1995. I'll have their information soon, I promise!