Unusual Suspects in Central America ?

[rust]

Some of the research material for my West Africa setting mentioned elsewhere

will be sent to my new address (yep, I am moving) and is currently out of reach,

so I am now again working on one of my other settings, a fictional country (re-

placing El Salvador) in Central America.

In this setting the Mythos has only a minor role and will only be a part of com-

paratively few adventures. So far I have decided that there will be remnants

of a native cult of Yig, disguised as a cult of the Feathered Serpent, and that

Chthonians are responsible for earthquakes which could result in an eruption of

the country's volcanoes.

The third mythos influence is connected with an archaeological site, Mystery

Hill, which predates the Maya civilization by at least thousand years. However,

I have no idea which deity, servitor race or cult could be behind this one. It

should fit into the general Mesoamerican theme, but I would prefer to avoid

more cliches (the Feathered Serpent cult is enough of this, so no vampire bats)

and would much prefer something plausible, but unexpected.

Unfortunately most of my Cthulhu material is already packed for transport to

my new home (no, not the asylum - at least that's what I was promised ...),

and so I would like to consult you instead.

Any ideas will be most welcome.

[seneschal]

Why not ditch Lovecraft on this one and embrace a real-life mystery? My father has traveled to Central and South America many times while working for various charitable and missionary organizations. It was in Peru, I believe, that he witnessed a strange procession through the center of town. Just as Latin American Roman Catholics parade statues of Jesus, Mary, or various saints, down the street during festivals, Indians (as opposed to those of Spanish or mestizo birth) were carrying an ancient pagan image topped with a straw cowboy hat and so swathed in flower garlands (and possibly a cowboy shirt or some sort of cloak) that its features couldn't be made out. I don't know the correct spelling, but in English the name of the deity sounded something like "Masha-moan." The Indians would pause periodically to give the idol a swig of the local alcoholic beverage, and the idol was drenched in booze. No non-Indian was allowed to actually get a good look of the idol, and the worshipers were generally unwilling to discuss who Masha-moan is or what they believe about him. He's apparently a holdout from before the Indians were converted by force to Christianity by the conquistadors, and his worshipers preserved his sect by couching it in Catholic symbolism and terminology.

Who is this Masha-moan? What does he really look like? What is his religion all about? Why the booze and the procession? What's the deal with the cowboy hat? Does his "thirst" tell us anything about what he is like or what his followers are like? Why is his cult so secretive? Presumably his followers, cleaned up and perhaps a bit hung over, would be at Mass the following day, maintaining their facade as devout Catholics.

[rust]

Yep, the setting has two cultures with religious traditions of that

kind, one based on remnants of the Aztec culture and one on rem-

nants of the Maya culture (both cultures existed in the real world

history of El Salvador). It is a good idea to add a third, unrelated

(and unexplained) religious tradition with strange ceremonies for

the Mystery Hill site - thank you for this.

However, this still leaves me with the problem who built the Mys-

tery Hill structures (now overgrown ruins) about 3,000 years ago,

and what deity (or whatever) was originally worshipped there.

Using your idea, this would have no direct connection with the re-

ligious ceremonies held there in the present by the natives, the

original purpose of the site would probably have been forgotten

millenia ago, but I would prefer to have something specific for the

archaeologists (and other grave robbers) among the characters to

discover there.

Of course, "unexplained remnants of unknown culture" would also

work well enough.

[seneschal]

Yep, the setting has two cultures with religious traditions of that

kind, one based on remnants of the Aztec culture and one on rem-

nants of the Maya culture (both cultures existed in the real world

history of El Salvador). It is a good idea to add a third, unrelated

(and unexplained) religious tradition with strange ceremonies for

the Mystery Hill site - thank you for this.

However, this still leaves me with the problem who built the Mys-

tery Hill structures (now overgrown ruins) about 3,000 years ago,

and what deity (or whatever) was originally worshipped there.

Using your idea, this would have no direct connection with the re-

ligious ceremonies held there in the present by the natives, the

original purpose of the site would probably have been forgotten

millenia ago, but I would prefer to have something specific for the

archaeologists (and other grave robbers) among the characters to

discover there.

Of course, "unexplained remnants of unknown culture" would also

work well enough.

But, that's kind of the point. CoC is too pat, too neat. A little diligence and a good Library Use roll and investigators can find out the entire history of a cult, a convenient map of the lost city, plus the cell phone number of the Mother Goddess' OBGYN physician. What if there are no answers, no certainty? Weird stuff is happening, the heroes are being pursued by something, they've discovered unique structures/objects/writings ... why should there be a meaning mere humans can comprehend if they're dealing with hoary cosmic forces?

On the other hand, perhaps the modern ceremonies are connected to the ancient site, carefully handed down from shaman to acolyte over generations. That's why they're so secretive. Cult members parade the god down the street in defiance of conventional religion, then sneak it back into its venerable temple, the location of which no white man knows. Take that, you stupid conquistadors! Except now those nosy PCs are poking around near the ruins two days after they were seen observing the annual festival. Obviously the idol's followers aren't going to be too happy about this, and won't believe the adventurers' presence is coincidental even if it really is. Who needs a gloppy monster, since the worshipers know the jungle like the backs of their hands and retain their expertise in headhunting and cannibalism, even if they do drive beat-up Japanese pickup trucks when they happen to visit town?

Edited October 27, 2011 by seneschal

[rust]

Except now those nosy PCs are poking around near the ruins two days after they were seen observing the annual festival. Obviously the idol's followers aren't going to be too happy about this, and won't believe the adventurers' presence is coincidental even if it really is.

This is the plot of one of the adventures for my setting, except that the

characters are actively searching for the cult's secret jungle hideout, be-

cause the country's government considers this specific cult as a serious

hindrance for the country's development and wants to exterminate it with

the help of the characters - who are not aware that their search for a

couple of ancient ruins as a possible site for a future archaeological dig is

actually a highly political operation with potential consequences for the

country's future. Needless to say, the cult's members are not exactly sup-

portive of the characters ...

[filbanto]

We're looking at Pre-classical Maya. Several years ago archaeologists discovered a pretty large city in this time period. I think it was Dzibilchaltún, but not sure. Alternately you can look into the Olmec culture which seems to fit the time frame for your ruins.

IMHO the Mesoamerican gods outshine Cthulhu and his buddies for pure terror. If you want some scary gods take a look at:

- Xipe Totec: "The Flayed God" whose priests dressed up in human skins.

- Tlaloc: The rain god who demanded a sacrifice of infants - if they cried it signified the rains would come.

I'd be willing to bet old Tlaloc is still getting some love these days. Had an archaeology professor 20-odd years ago who found shrines to Tlaloc that were still in use. Of course the locals denied it - "must have been the people in the next valley"... Tlaloc was worshipped across Mesoamerica and I think they found evidence of him back in pre-classical times as well.

[rust]

Thank you very much for that idea.

A temple to an Olmec or pre-Olmec version of Tlaloc, with a nearby cenote

filled with sacrificial offerings and the bones of sacrificed humans, would fit

my general ideas for the role of the Mystery Hill site in the setting very well

- especially since the depictions of this early Tlaloc version could be some-

what different from his known images and could look more like any of the va-

rious Cthulhu deities, frightening the characters into believing that there is

more to this than some ruins and mostly harmless remnants of a cult.

A nice scary mystery without any actual appearance of Mythos creatures.

[seneschal]

"... frightening the characters into believing that there is

more to this than some ruins and mostly harmless remnants of a cult.

A nice scary mystery without any actual appearance of Mythos creatures. "

Remember King Kong and Varan the Unbelievable. Just because the natives are superstitious doesn't mean there isn't something huge and scary lurking out there in the woods.

[rust]

This could well be a job for the undisputed master of the rainforest,

famous for a skill in stalking and killing which often seems almost un-

natural - small wonder if the characters mistake him for something

far more sinister ...

[seneschal]

El Tigre!

Check out the old adventure module Temple of the Jade Jaguar for more ideas and critters. Different Worlds also did an article on how to run it as a GM'd adventure rather than solo.

[rust]

Thank you very much, I will take a look at it.

Right now it seems the most difficult adventure I am working on for this setting

will have no Mythos connection at all.

The background is the country's recent land reform, a decision by the liberal go-

vernment to return all the land owned but not used by the rich land owners of

Spanish descent to the Indio communities which originally owned the land.

As a result the country's richest and most influential land owner has dug in on

his ranch with his extended family, friends and loyal retainers and has vowed to

shoot any Indio who dares to step onto his expropriated land. The Indios reac-

ted by threatening to storm the ranch and kill everyone there in retaliation for

any Indio wounded or killed on their ancestral land.

Both sides are convinced that they are right, armed to the teeth and willing to

shed blood, and the tense situation is very likely to turn into the beginning of a

civil war.

The government has no idea what to do, mostly because its members are not

sure whether they can trust the army under these circumstances and fear that

sending in the troops would only escalate the situation one way or the other.

Instead of the soldiers the government therefore sends its trusted troubleshoo-

ters, the characters.

Of course, common sense and wise words will lead nowhere, and the fanatics of

both sides want the characters killed in a way which puts the blame on the other

side ...

[seneschal]

Range war! Sounds very Western. Except it's waaaay South of the Border. Maybe you could throw in a pair of star-crossed lovers ... the rancher's daughter is in love with the most influential tribal chieftain's son, or vice-versa. Or maybe there's something each side feels it absolutely needs (in addition to the land, of course) that the other side possesses. The rancher has fortified his holdings, but the Indians can control access to essential water. The Indians would love to burn the rancher's mansion and farm buildings, but they don't know which ones he's stashed their precious ancestral relics in. Or the most logical place to engage his retainers happens to be sacred. Both sides are searching frantically for the 500-year-old documents that granted the land to the rancher's family in perpetuity, which have somehow become misplaced. Whoever can get their mitts on them (even the PCs!) can legitimately claim ownership and will have the government's backing.

[rust]

Exactly, such complications are what I intend to use to make this adventure

a true (non-Mythos) nightmare - thank you for some additional ideas to work

with.

One major complication not yet mentioned will be the church, with Franciscan

monks of Indio descent quite willing to become martyrs of their peoples' cause

and a bishop who tends to back the rich land owners' side (he knows where the

donations come from), but will not hesitate to smite each and every one who

dares to aim a gun at a monk, Indio or not.

By the way, I have now "sanitized" the setting, which happens to almost all of

my settings of that kind - there is no more Mythos left, the ancient cults are

mysterious and frightening enough without any Mythos creatures involved, and

the idea with the Chthonians and the earthquakes and volcanoes has been de-

leted after all my ideas for the details of that adventure felt far more ridiculous

than horrific. Now earthquake and volcano remain, probably as the background

for a rescue mission, but the Chthonians retreated to Arkham.

[rust]

Looking at my third adventure outline for this setting, it really has a bit of

a Wild West feel.

This one will be about the consequences of a guerilla war in neighbouring

Guatemala, with refugees as well as guerilleros and government soldiers

in pursuit of the guerilleros crossing the badly marked border and causing

lots of problems: The refugees need food and shelter and medical treat-

ment, the guerilleros steal from the locals or attempt to press them into

the service of their revolution, the soldiers arrest innocent locals as sus-

pected supporters of the guerilleros, smugglers and other criminals use

the situation for their business - you get the picture.

The army can protect the major settlements along the border, but some-

one has to look after the inhabitants of the small villages in the jungle, to

convince or force the guerilleros and the foreign troops to return across

the border, and to prevent the criminals from making a bad situation even

worse. Obviously another job for the government's best troubleshooters,

the player characters, probably supported by the local "Voluntarios", the

country's rural Indio militia.

Of course, there are still some remnants of the ancient Indio cult which

the characters destroyed during the setting's first adventure in the area,

and these people would welcome an opportunity to take revenge, and it

is quite possible that some of the refugees brought with them an epidemic

of a nasty tropical disease - to name just two of the many possible com-

plications on my list ...

[seneschal]

Naturally, the guerillas will hole up in a cave/river ox bow/lake/island that the locals have avoided for generations. They're contemptuous of local superstition, of course, confident that the PCs can do nothing to stop them, and generally noisy and disrespectful. Funny, some of those cavern wall/half-buried ruin glyphs look similar to the ones used by the "destroyed" Indio cult in Episode One. Is this the site of the former temple, the real headquarters of which the cult's previous premises were a mere copy? That bubbling, gurgling sound from deep in the cave/beneath the water -- with a little imagination -- could sound like the breathing of some giant, slumbering beast. Naaaaw, don't be silly.

But it's too bad the NPCs haven't seen King Kong, Varan the Umbelievable, Monster From a Prehistoric Planet, etc.

[rust]

Thank you for some more ideas to play with.

Edited October 29, 2011 by rust

[rust]

By the way, this is what my fictional replacement for El Salvador, named

San Juan de Pipil, looks like, and its flag, the Central American colours with

a Feathered Snake:

[rust]

My settings usually have a title melody, and I think for this setting

this piece could fit quite well:

[seneschal]

Three words:

"Publish ... finished ... scenario!"

[Mankcam]

My wife is from El Salvador, so we have visited the country several times. My Spanish is poor (much worse than the average US citizen, as down here in Australia we're not as bilingual as USA or Europe...), so the language barrier can be played up to pose major communication issues for the PCs. Given the fact that the police are generally corrupt and need to be bribed every 5 minutes then getting from A to B is even an adventure scenario.

Many parts of the capital are dangerous after dark, and the threat of civil war has now become the threat of gang war, which is not as prominent as the danger inherent during the civil war, but tends to be more brutal when it spills over on the streets - not uncommon in many areas. Many villages outside the capital still don't have electricity, and its like jumping back in time in many ways. Even the ramshackle capital has an inconsistent electrical and water supply, so its wild west at times.

Anyway the El Salvador-esque setting is a great concept for a rpg game, I do remember a mountain called 'Puerta Del Diablo' (The Door Of The Devil), which was important to the Pipli peoples from pre-colonisation times. There was a little village near it's base which was quite a step back to earlier times, and the villagers were pretty wary of outsiders. My wife told me that it was rumoured that a minority of the people in that village still practiced secretive cultist traditions from the early times, very voodoo-like in some ways where there was animal blood sacrifices for divinations and blessings. Some americanos went missing in the region, and the rumour mill was that they had been sacrificed on The Devil's Door mountain, possibly to appease rumbling volcanic activity.

Google 'Puerta Del Diablo' and you may find some juicy stuff I reckon.

Anyway it makes for a great horror setting, good luck with your work on this (I'ld love to see this setting published).

Edited October 30, 2011 by Mankcam

[rust]

Thank you very much for these informations.

They fit in very well with my concept of the setting. Although I have changed the name

of the country and much of its history and geography, because I wanted to make it diffi-

cult for the players to use the Internet or the local library to look up useful informations,

my San Juan de Pipil is still very close in "character and feeling" to what I could find out

about the real world El Salvador.

The main differences are that the population is much smaller, because there never was

much immigration of Europeans, and that the historical massacres of Indios never took

place, so that the huge majority of the inhabitants are still Indios who kept most of their

cultures and traditions alive, related to the Aztec culture in the west and the Maya cul-

ture in the east (and tribal conflict along the river separating their settlement regions).

Since there are two volcanoes in my fictional country, in the western part of the coun-

try where the Aztec-like Tayot live, a remote village where foreigners might end up as

sacrifices to a volcano god or spirit is a welcome addition ...

As for publishing the setting, if I should decide to do that, it would almost certainly be

in German.

[Mankcam]

German...? Noooo, my Bilingual Skill fumbles yet again!

[rust]

Sorry, but an attempt to translate 30+ pages of setting and game

stats into English and the English version of the Call of Cthulhu ru-

les would seem too much like work instead of hobby ...

[seneschal]

Grrrr! That's what you always say! But at least publish the German version. Then use the mound of wealth acquired thereby to pay a friend to do an English translation. Double the profits. Double the fun.

[seneschal]

http://paizo.com/store/games/roleplayingGames/c/callOfCthulhu/paganPublishing/v5748btpy83ix

Apparently Pagan Publishing has done a lot of the work for you. See Mysteries of Mesoamerica.