Cthulhu: Death May Die - The Investigators
It takes an odd group of people to come together to face an enemy that could bring about the end of the world. A diverse set of skills comes in handy, but it can also mean that the team will have trouble gelling. Unlike the stories of H.P. Lovecraft, the Investigators in Cthulhu: Death May Die don’t have to waste time searching for answers to a mystery. The case has been solved, and the solution is terrifying. An evil cult is planning to summon one of the Great Old Ones, Elder Gods from another dimension. In fact, their plans are already in motion. The ritual has started, and the only chance for the rest of the world is if this motley crew comes together, disrupts the ceremony, and leaves the ancient creature vulnerable for a split second so they can kill it. All in a day’s work.
Lord Adam Benchley hails from Manchester, England. His twitching eye belies the torment that exist below his calm British demeanor. The other Investigators know to give him a wide berth, lest that twitch settle on them and become a steely glare. Years of battling cults has left Benchley quite mad, but despite that, he keeps a stiff upper lip, stoic resolve, and indulges in his psychotic tendencies against cultists every chance he gets.
John Morgan lived happily as a professional animal handler and safari master until he was hired to lead a cult into the heart of the jungle. He led them to the ruins they were looking for, and then the ritual began. That’s when Morgan brought the ruins down on their head. Since that day, he’s been seeking out cults around the world and fighting against their nefarious plots.
Killing is a nasty business, unless you’ve developed a taste for it. Borden actually loves murder, but luckily, her ‘hobby’ focuses on ridding the world of evil. While the other Investigators suffer the psychological toll of taking lives, Borden considers it a soothing exercise. She sees herself as the perfect weapon for sorting out the good from the bad in the world.
Not too much is known about Lea, or The Kid, as she’s referred to by the other Investigators. Aside from a gleeful cackle, she’s not known to make much noise, but her thousand-yard stare and knowing gaze belie a wisdom beyond the years her diminutive status would suggest. One thing is clear, The Kid doesn’t require a parent or guardian when she’s fighting cults. She embraces the battle with an enthusiasm that some might find… disturbing.
Growing up in Turkey, Ahmed Yasin was fascinated with the occult. He studied every piece of arcane knowledge that he could get his hands on. Through this magical learning, Ahmed became a bit of a healer, and while his medical qualifications wouldn’t earn him a degree in any recognized university, the rest of the Investigators are happy to have his skills on the team. He’s able to heal minor cuts and bruises, but he can also reattach severed limbs (something that comes in handy disturbingly often when facing Elder Gods). Magic comes with a cost to the soul, but he pays it gladly, seeing the sacrifice as both faith and fatalism.
Sister Beth learned all about faith as a youth in Colombia. Since an early age, she’s had a nervous nature. She made her way through hospitals and sanitariums before finding solace in the church. It was that piece of mind that allowed her psyche to survive the first run in she had with the Elder Gods and their cultists. Since that time, she’s studied the occult and become an expert on their practices. She’s secure that when she does fall, she’ll have found her ultimate salvation.
Rasputin was given the ‘gift’ of eternal life by a cult after he thwarted one of their plots. Their goal was to torture him to death and then immediately bring him back to life, so they could repeat the process again and again. Things rarely go as planned, and Rasputin managed to escape, killing the cult leader in the process. He’s continued his fight against the forces of evil and in the process, he discovered that immortality has stuck with him. However, the magic is decaying. He knows he’ll soon die one final time. In the meantime, he plans to use this power for the greater good.
Fatima Safar has the power of foresight. While anyone with knowledge of the occult can see signs in bones, stars, or Tarot, her abilities make these seems like children’s toys. She connects dozens of signs to create an accurate prophesy of things to come. The future is never set in stone, but even a few moments of warning can make the difference and change the course of events. A chance to prepare a proper trap can mean avoiding certain catastrophe, but sometimes running the other way has the same effect.
Elizabeth Ives has been on a lucky streak for, well, her entire life. There’s nothing magical about her skills, no blessing from above, or arcane powers. She simply has things work out in her favor. Even she has no idea how things always seem to fall her way, but a lifetime of good luck has left her confident it will continue, even when she’s faces off with Elder Gods from another dimension. These cults are hoping that the days are numbered before her luck finally runs out.
Sergeant Major Welles tells many different tales about how he lost his arm. For some, it was a casualty of an artillery shell in the Great War. For others, it was taken out by sniper fire. But for his fellow Investigators, there’s no need to lie. A cult-bourne monster swallowed it whole, along with the grenade it was holding at the time. His pain works as a way to focus his aim, and if the scars he displays are any indicator, his aim is lethal.
While their backgrounds might be wildly different, the Investigators are drawn together with a common goal in mind. They want to stop the cults and send back the Elder Gods to whatever twisted dimension they came from. They might not be obvious teammates, but with the fate of the world on the line, the Investigators are going to have to find a way to work together… or we’ll all pay the price.
Cthulhu: Death May Die is coming to Kickstarter on July 10 at 3PM EST. Stay tuned for updates.
Read our C:DMD Overview article here.
Read our C:DMD Design and Development article here.
Read our C:DMD New Take on an Old Mythos article here.
Read our C:DMD Art and Aesthetics article here.
