The Continuation of House 1985 & X2 Castle Amber By Tom Moldvay - Weird Tales Judges Guild Wilderlands of High Fantasy - Campaign Set Up Commentary

 

“There have been times when only a hair's-breadth has intervened betwixt myself and the seething devil-ridden world of madness; for the hideous knowledge, the horror- blackened memories which I have carried so long, were never meant to be borne by the human intellect. ”
― Clark Ashton Smith

So all morning early this morning DM Ricky's been on my case about the crystal skulls & the House series of films starting with Roger Cobb in House I 1985.These skulls have absolutely nothing to do with the first House movie from 1985. Well yes & no. The guy that's at the center of this puzzle is 'Big Ben' the ghost/lich creature from the first film. We have no idea of 'Big Ben''s origin or who he was other then a fellow soldier drafted into the horrors of  the Vietnam. So let's assume that for a moment that someplace along the lines 'Big Ben' or his family had interaction with the Necronomicon Ex-Mortis which  varies from universe to universe. But the book makes it way through Ben's hands & into the professor's from the first Evil Dead film. 

Now he may have read some of the passages of the  or even simply glanced at the pictures. 'Big Ben' was possessed by a  Kandarian Demon & he becomes a powerful Deadite. He's got all of the hallmarks of a Deadite. But what does any of this have to do with old school gaming or the OSR?! The  Kandarian Demon that animated 'Big Ben' is a classic possessor demon straight outta The Dragon issue #20. We follow the lead in from 'Demonic Possession in the Dungeon' by Charles Sagui. 

But after the events of House I everything is fine! Richard Cobb remarries his ex wife they move outta of state. And the house is clean?! Umm no not all.



 There's still the matter of the open dimensional door & the other deadites. What other Deadites?! Well for starters there's the demon children that 'play' with Roger Cobb's son. And then there Deadite Ex wife clone buried out in the backyard all cut up & pieced out. The Deadites  are demonic intelligent JuJu zombies from the Monster Manual II.  Could these demonic undead actually be connected to the underworlds of Hyperborea!? 

How are the PC going to be remotely drawn into this hook or set up?! Easy the player's PC's have a copy of the  the Necronomicon Ex-Mortis. Another version of Ash Williams could very well recruit the PC's into helping him seal up the door in the former Cobb house. BTW Ash Williams stats are located for Swords & Wizardry right over at 'The OSR Library' blog here. 

The big NPC becoming the  deciding factor has to  be Stephen D'Amberville & his agenda for the Wilderlands of High Fantasy From X2 Castle Amber by Tom Moldvay. The Necronomicon Ex-Mortis  very dangerous Lovecraftian book with its connections to ripping doors in reality?!  This might be a far too tempting target for Stephen D'Amberville to ignore.  The Ex - Mortis has several binding rituals for the crystal skulls written within them.  These could be merely traps written by the Ancient Ones.  Stephen D'Amberville  has appeared in several games already as a sort of agent of the crown of Dark Albion several times especially when dealing with matters of Chaos in that world.  In the Wilderlands the gloves would be off! 
When it comes to Hyperborea there's been a real issue with him & raids on dungeons  with the players PC's. The PC's have been bested several times by D'Amberville  already. So its only a matter of time till they cross paths again.