Wizards of Azatoth

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Background

Wizards of Azatoth is a classic Call of Cthulhu campaign set in the Sixties and operating out of Britain. It was launched on 1st August 2002. To date, the players have not uncovered the true mystery.

Party members: Jones, Captain Josephine (Bridget Davidson); Pierrepoint, Professor Cedric (Bill O'Neill); Wallace, Father Martin (John Cudmore).

Resources for party members : hand-outs and other information
Secrets of Azatoth : the hidden part of the campaign

See also Bill's Wizards of Azatoth page, best seen in its proper frame.

Expedition Log, 1961

Date Time Location Log entry
Friday, 27th April 20.30 Sahel RAF Comet en route from Aden disappears 130 miles NNW of Khartoum, Sudan, at 22.1°N 32.2°E. Cause unknown.
Monday, 8th May 10.30 London Party assembled in Whitehall offices of Sir Andrew McIlloy for briefing. Advised of the need for an urgent "inspection" of archaeological excavations at Meroe, to provide cover for a reconnaissance of likely area of crash site (co-ordinates supplied)
  Afternoon   Party planning and acquiring provisions
Tuesday, 9th May 11.00   Meeting with Sir Percy Ellis at Westminster Palace, party briefed on Al-Zif
  Afternoon  
  1. Josephine Jones visits British Library to research news archives of Al-Zif's former activities, without result
  2. Rest of party continue acquiring provisions for journey
Wednesday, 10th May Morning  
  1. Professor Cedric Pierrepoint pursues superficial research on Sudanese archaeology at British Museum, studies the 1905-6 Breasted expeditions to Upper Egypt and Nubia
  2. Others rest
  15.00   Party embark BEA flight to Rome, sleep over in airport
Thursday, 11th May 04.30 Rome Party embark onward flight for Khartoum
  Midday Khartoum Party arrive, met by consulate emmissary Harry Giddens, transfer to hotel
  19.35   Party leave hotel by taxi to attend drinks at Al-Zif's villa in Street of Lampmakers
  19.37   Party arrive by taxi at Al-Zif's villa in adjacent street
  Evening   Entertained at lavish feast in gardens of Al-Zif's villa. Several opportunities to talk with Al-Zif. Subjects include his dig, the occult and the origins of Masonic symbols.
  23.20   En route back to hotel, Father Martin Wallace assaulted in street, and vehicle narrowly avoids hitting him.
Friday, 12th May 08.45   Assasination attempt on Professor Cedric Pierrepoint as party load Land Rovers. Father Martin Wallace locates sniper on single-storey hovel neighbouring hotel, and kills same by pistol-shot and a blow from the assasin's own rifle (having gained access to roof from inside hovel). Angry mob subsequently assembles at Souk and drives party west from Khartoum. Party obliged to abandon one Land Rover and some minor personal items at hotel.
  09.50   Having fled north of city, party re-enter Khartoum from east to visit British consulate. Are advised to leave the area amidst signs of rioting in downtown area. Party flee north (but briefly return to dispatch telegram to London).
  19.40 Shendi Heading for Al-Zif's excavations at Meroe, party reach Shendi via desert route and arrange "rent" of hovel for overnight accommodation via elderly local.
Saturday, 13th May 06.30   Wake at dawn and find adventure in lighting a fire. Josephine succeeds on 3rd attempt at carrying lighted twig 30 yards without it being extinguished. Negotiate payment for rent of hovel with elderly local, and also provision of a means of transport across Nile (to include Land Rover) within 2 days.
  08.20 Meroe Reach Al-Zif's dig, meet the Moroccan, Gomez. Spend day in tent awaiting evening interview with Al-Zif.
  19.40   Entertained outside Al-Zif's Bedouin tent. Al-Zif carries telegram for party, sent to Khartoum.
Sunday, 14th May 04.20   Party slip away from camp in Land Rover, re-tracing route to Shendi.
  05.45 Shendi Reach Shendi at sunrise. Prepare breakfast of dates and spam.
  06.15   Meet Evengiyab, his friend, and then Masoud (Evengiyab's grandson). Introduced to local Wise Woman by Masoud, and warned of ill-luck. Masoud promises to return with raft for Land Rover by night fall.
  08.00   Taken to empty hut to rest during day.Masoud departs south to collect raft. Insomniac CP can't sleep.
  11.00   Gomez arrives in Shendi with six men on horseback, all carry rifles. Seek party. Locals hide Land Rover under sheets and sand, Evengiyab convnces Gomez it is a burial mound, and directs Gomez south.
  18.00   Masoud returns with raft. Tells story of an earlier expedition lead by a man called Cale, who was brought to the village dying one night when Masoud was "not yet a man, but no longer a boy". Hands party a rough sketch map given him by Cale. Also tells how Al-Zif and Gomez know about the Cale exepdition through a survivor, Eugenie. Masoud has learnt much by ferrying Al-Zif down river.
  19.10   Try to get Land Rover on raft, sticks margins at rivers edge.
  19.30   Cedric Pierrepoint gets lost in desert while seeking wood.
  21.20   Josephone Jones has got Land Rover across river with Masoud. Pierrepoint found by Father Martin Wallace and local boys, and group re-assembles on west bank. Arrange for Masoud to have telegram sent to London when he next visits Khartoum.
  23.10 Sahel Sleep in desert, 10 miles NNW of crossing.
Monday, 15th May 06.30   Start early, heading NNW. Stop only during hottest part of day.
  16.40   Overtaken by sandstorm from SSE. Use tarpaulin to shield Land Rover. Hint of some noises in the storm?
  21.00   Tell stories of past adventures while falling asleep.
Tuesday, 16th May 02.00   Cedric Pierrepoint sees something in sky during his watch? Falls asleep.
  05.30   Start drive for day, continuing NNW.
  13.45   Forced to stop, overcome by heat exhaustion. Father Martin Wallace suffers badly.
  18.10   As stopping for night, spot what might be bats on horizon above narby ridge to west. Plan to investigate tomorrow.
Wednesday, 17th May 09.30   Find valley beyond ridge, and wreckage of Comet aircraft in desert beyond mouth of valley. Also discover ruins of a town in valley, caves in the valley walls, and a lone pyramid. Strange mist or miasma on valley floor.
  10.50   Land Rover fails as approaching valley. Intermittent problem, which also affects torches and compass. No immediate explanation.
  11.25   Reach plane on foot, rest in shade of wing.
  15.15   Commence search of plane. Search hold and find some provisions. Search cabin and find crew and most of passngers, but some missing? No attache case. One has had hand severed. Decide to seek survivors in valley tomorrow.
  18.30   Return to Land Rover.
Thursday, 18th May 08.50   Reach largest cave and enter. Some form of plant life evident. Caves appear unstable in places - suffer injuries as floor subsides. Discover strange paintings on wals, including one which appears Egyptian but shows what looks like an aircraft broken in two. Probe further into caves, and confirm Cale's map seems to be of these caves. But no signs of survivors. Depart caves.
  11.30   Father Martin enters pyramid through small gap under lintel. Discovers body and attache case, plus two pages of a document. No sign of rest fo document, or other survivors. Ascends steps, discovers rooms and some artefacts. Enters a strange room uppermost in pyramid. Approaches large unsupported orb, but does not touch.
  12.45   On leaving uppermost room, overcome by weakness. Collapses on stairs. Cedric Pierrepoint enters pyramid having heard cry for help.
  13.15   Cedric and Josephine succeed in getting Father Martin out of pyramid, and help him towards the cave to avoid heat of day. Father Martin overcome with coldness and weakness. Appears worse further from pyramid.
  13.40   Father Martin insists on return to pyramid. Cedric follows him into pyramid and to uppermost room. Leaves Father Martin sitting on floor while returning to seek advice from Josephine.
  14.45   Father Martin touches orb. Strange events overtake the party which cannot be repeated here.
  15.35   Party flee SSW into the desert in extreme terror. Destroy Cale's map.
  16.15   Father Martin convinced he is in mortal danger. Party elect to return to site and seek refuge in caves.
  17.25   Party re-enter larger cave, armed with makeshift torches.
  18.15   Following Father Martin's memory of the Cale map, navigate to a large vault in which they discover a strange vegetable mound covering human skeletons. Among the bodies they find a staff and a pyramid of metal.
  18.40   Unidentifiable creatures enter vault. Party retreat.
  19.20   Hide artefacts in wreckage of aircraft, and flee SSW heading for Shendi.
  21.10   Party attacked in desert by large unmentionable beast. Father Martin wounded by beast, but it is slain by Cedric Pierrepoint's shotgun, assisted by Jospephine's revolver. Josephine applies first aid to Father Martin.
  23.55   Return to aircraft wreckage and recover artefacts. Father Martin hears horses in distance to East.
Friday, 19th May 05.00   Party make camp in desert, having driven 10 miles west of previous tracks to discourage pursuers. Only 8 gallons of petrol remain.

Revision History

  1. To end of 12th May, played Thursday 1st August 2002, at St Martin nr Sarzeau, France
  2. To return to Shendi on 14th May, played Saturday 3rd August in cabin on Brittany Ferries ship Bretagne en route St Malo - Portsmouth
  3. To 5.00 Thursday 18th May, played in Bristol.


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