Union of the Tormented: Part 1

Introduction to my Call of Cthulu original adventure

Welcome

In the early to mid 1890s, a combination of economic factors and monetary policies led to a severe downturn in the U.S. economy, now known as "The Panic of 1893." Failed investments abroad prompted European investors to withdraw funds from the U.S., triggering a run on the nation's gold reserves. Industry expanded rapidly but was highly speculative, eventually causing the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad to become insolvent. Overproduction in the agricultural sector drove prices down, leaving many farmers in financial ruin due to mounting debts.

Amidst these troubles, one railroad company in particular, "The George Pullman Company," struggled to maintain its relevance and profitability. George Pullman was a renowned manufacturer of railroad cars, especially luxury sleeping cars. His legacy endures in the Venice-Simplon Orient Express fleet, where the former Brighton Belle Pullman carriage continues to operate. However, during the Panic, his prosperity was far from secure. He imposed harsh pay cuts of nearly 25%, exacerbating the already difficult situation for his workers. Many of them were returning a significant portion of their wages to him as rent for housing in his company towns. Despite reducing wages, Pullman refused to lower rents, making life untenable for many residents.

These conditions led approximately 4,000 Pullman factory workers to walk off their jobs in protest. George Pullman refused to engage with grievance committee leaders and fired anyone who approached him with the workers' demands. With the involvement of the American Railway Union (ARU), the number of striking workers across the sector surged to 125,000, many of whom refused to handle Pullman cars. The strike escalated into violence, particularly in Illinois, where strikers derailed locomotives carrying U.S. mail and destroyed railroad property while clashing with law enforcement and strikebreakers. In response, 10,000 federal troops were dispatched to Chicago to ensure mail delivery and protect federal property. On July 7, national guardsmen fired into a crowd of protesters, killing up to 30 people and wounding many others.

This was the reported story of the Pullman riots. However, the true occult significance of the period was known only to a few direct participants. George Pullman was desperate to exploit his labor for every last penny, driven by a secretive spiritual guru with mysterious origins. His immense wealth granted him access to a vast personal library of ancient tomes and artifacts plundered from around the world. He indulged in both hedonistic pleasures and esoteric curiosities, surrounding himself with a bizarre circle of close associates, whom he regarded as authorities in these arcane matters.

Before The Panic began, Pullman’s neglect of his business and company towns took a darker turn. While crime rates in his properties were not unusually high, there were alarming waves of missing persons—women, children, laborers, even local socialites—all of which were ignored by Pullman and local authorities alike.

Rumor has it that some of Pullman’s closest associates were last seen with several of the missing. Some also believe that certain well-known labor organizers did more than just rally the workers; they intervened directly, risking both physical and spiritual danger to confront the untold horrors behind these disappearances. Delve into the story of their harrowing struggle in The Union of the Tormented.

About the Adventure

Union of the Tormented is my first attempt at creating a polished homebrew adventure for Chaosium's Call of Cthulhu tabletop RPG. The setting was inspired by a challenge from my brother, a Chicago native with a deep knowledge of its history, who suggested I set it during the Pullman riots. Unlike him, I am not a historian, so I will be taking significant creative license in crafting this adventure. In the tradition of humorous period pieces like Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter or Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, expect an entertaining but loosely historical narrative.

While meant to be whimsical and entertaining, this adventure is set in a time and place where racist and classist attitudes were prevalent, reflecting the historical reality of the period and the unapologetic views of H.P. Lovecraft himself. While I do not endorse these perspectives, I acknowledge Lovecraft's significant artistic contributions to the genre. This scenario is designed to immerse players in a historically authentic experience within the confines of a respectful and understanding community. I encourage all participants to approach this material thoughtfully, with an awareness of its context, and to prioritize a safe and inclusive environment for everyone involved.

This adventure is crafted with the assumption that you are already familiar with either the Call of Cthulhu or Chaosium's Basic Roleplaying ruleset. I will provide little to no guidance on these systems beyond character sheets, handouts, and occasional personal rulings. I intend for it to be a 2-4 session adventure alternating between stealth, social interaction, and occasional high stakes combat, finally culminating with a final confrontation with George Pullman and his mysterious guru.

I strongly recommend using the pregenerated characters for the full experience, as they are based on real historical figures from the period and contribute significantly to the adventure's charm and references. However, if you prefer to create your own characters, consider focusing on roles that emphasize the social dynamics between labor and capital during the conflict. Suggested roles include laborers, organizers, politicians, and journalists. In the links below, I will introduce the characters and provide guidance on how to create an original character that fits within these dynamics.

All that being said I am posting while drafting so expect ongoing revisions as I continue to post new chapters. I consider this an important practice project to hone my newfound interest in composing material for both players and fans of TTRPGS. All that is to say, everything posted here will still very much be a work in progress so you'd be well advised to read and reread sections as I continue into the project. I may use post notes indicating when previous long form notes of chapters have been altered as a basic change log. With all that in mind I sincerely hope you'll come with me on this journey and that you enjoy the ride.

On Posting with Substack

Since I've chosen to publish exclusively on Substack, I'll need to incorporate links to Google Drive for certain posts and resources. This will ensure that the entirety of each chapter is accessible within a single email. Below, I'll be posting the pre-generated characters and advice on creatures and NPCs.

I utilize a three-act structure, with Act 1 being particularly extensive. As such, I may break down the details of specific locations and interactions into separate posts for the sake of brevity. At the conclusion of this series of posts related to the adventure, I'll likely have refined a moderately more polished document, which I will then post in its entirety.

I'm the kind of writer who has always learned best through doing, even when the final destination isn't entirely clear at the outset (though I do have the vast majority of this adventure already drafted). Additionally, there's the potential for improvement based on input received while posting the individual parts before the whole.

Ultimately, this is all in good fun for me, and it simply brings me pleasure to share it with the world in this manner. My mind already feels quite full managing adventures and devouring rulebooks, so I won't be adding publication design to the mix beyond a straightforward service like Substack. It's the layout I enjoy consuming content in, so it's the one I'll keep in mind as I produce it. See below for those resources