A No Security Horror Scenario

Caleb Stokes
Written by
Ean Moody
Art by
A Hebanon Games Product
xxx yyy (order #4907820) 93.136.48.50
The Fall Without End
INTRODUCTION
Te Fall Without End is a cosmic/survival horror sce-
nario focused on a summit attempt on the north peak
of Mount Mckinely. Set in 1931, four to six charac-
ters take on the roles of alpinists attempting to win a
mountaineering prize ofered by the U.S. Government.
Midway through the expedition, things go horribly
and inexplicably wrong. Tematically, the scenario
simulates the unpredictability and despair of survival
situations by burdening characters in the midst of an
already dire situation with an unimaginable threat.
Tis adventure starts with an overall description of
the setting and plot for the GMs use. Information the
players can reveal through roleplaying can be found in
the gameplay section.
1931: North Peak of Mount McKinely:
Mount McKinelyfrom base to peak, it is the tallest
mountain on land, and 3rd highest point above sea
level on the entire earth. At 20,320 feet tall, its twin
peaks dominate the horizon for much of the Alaskan
wilderness, prompting the natives to call it Denali,
meaning the tall one.
In 1910, the Sourdough expedition, stafed exclusively
with local alpinists, claimed the prize of First Ascent.
Teyd climbed the dreaded Wickershams Wall, a sheer
face of rocks and ice infamous for spewing forth ava-
lanches without warning. Tey claimed to have staked
a pole with their fag atop the North Summit.
An attempt to confrm the climb by looking down
from the taller South Summit failed in 1912. Tis Park-
er-Browne expedition turned back mere yards away
from the summit on account of an incoming storm.
Remarks about Parkers cowardice were short-lived
though; the very day the group arrived back in camp,
an earthquake struck the area and shook tons of rock
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INTRODUCTION
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and ice from the mountain in deadly waves. One year
later, Stuck and Karstans conquered the South Peak
from which Browne had been forced to retreat. Tey
claimed to have seen the Sourdoughs pole through
their binoculars.
In the dozen summits of the South Peak afer Stuck
and Karstans, not one expedition saw the pole on the
adjacent peak.
Nearly twenty years later, the Sourdough expedition
is considered highly dubious amongst mountaineers.
Teir names have been stricken from the record books,
and the 1928 Olympic Committee declared a success-
ful climb of the North Peak grounds for medal consid-
eration. Te North Summit of the greatest mountain in
America remains untamed, or at least it is convenient
to think so.
Te American government has seized on the oppor-
tunity. Tey need new Lingburghs in these trying
times, daring adventurers unafraid to tackle the great-
est obstacles and capable of inspiring a demoralized
nation. Quietly, a large sum of tax money has been
funneled to the McKinley or Bust project. Local
lodging has been reserved, a flm crew has been hired,
and the big newspapers stand ready to print photos of
the new American heroes as soon as they descend.
Te frst to the top can expect fortune as well as fame.
Rumors of a massive cash prize for First Ascent have
been quietly circulating amongst the alpinist com-
munity for months, with a bonus ofered for anyone
mad enough to drag a weighty camera to the peak
for a photo op. Te prize is enough to last any family
through the hard times, and for some desperate climb-
ers, Wickershams Wall might prove as much a test of
fnancial survival as physical.
All is prepared as the climbing teams await the start of
their expedition at the Denali Trading Post, enjoying a
lavish send-of amongst the government handlers and
journalists. Te locals have never seen such decadence
hauled so far into the wilderness, and their contempt
for the spectacle is as palpable as their need of the gov-
ernments funds.
Te old frontiersmen scof at the tourists, whispering
prophecies of doom and damnation. Are they merely
trying to scare their resented American visitors, or is
there some truth to the curse of Denalis North Peak?
Perhaps something lurks up there, older than lands
owners, older than the mountain itself.
GM INFORMATION
Te Monster: Vertiginous Horrors
Vertiginous Horror is as specifc a name that can be
devised for these creatures. Tey have no earthly cor-
ollaries and exist entirely outside our biosphere. Tey
evolved on another planet, and their presence on our
plane of existence is infrequent and little understood.
Te bridge which links the human world and their
own is inexplicable and intermittent (Location 10).
Its opening is announced with all sorts of strange
weather phenomenonsudden fogs, violent earth-
quakes, blinding snowand coincides with no known
environmental cycle or star chart. Te opening blinks
into existence on the interior of Denali (among other
places), hovering in the middle of the deep crevice
scored into the side of Wickershams Wall. Te portal
itself is a black pool atop a hollowed, truncated
pyramid with obsidian sides whose origin is any-
ones guess. Te stone is so smooth and hard so
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NPC List
Coot owner of the Denali Trading Post,
scornful of the climbers chances
Yuri Clevchynko old frontiersmen claiming to
have been part of the Parker-Browne expedition
Booker Hamlin director of the documentary
flm crew set to record the climbers homecom-
ing
Macey Sly put-upon newspaper reporter sent
to document the attempt
Ted Carpenter treasury department employ-
ee charged with monitoring the expedition and
awarding the prize
Kyle OShaughnessy local boy in charge of
maintaining base camp
Te Hutchison Brothers three local brothers
attempting to beat the players to the top
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as to provide the creatures no purchase once they burst
forth from the brackish water. Te worm-like Horrors
are lef to scramble for a grip on the side of the crevice
or crash into bloody heaps a kilometer below. Tose
that survive remain crawling atop the alien mountain,
forced to fnd whatever sustenance they can in the arid
heights until they starve or are called home by some
unknown force.
Te creatures themselves are roughly 9 feet in length
and shaped like grubs as wide as tree trunks. Tey
are armed on both sides with identical mouths that
can distend outwards with sucking proboscis ringed
with hundreds of teethmuch like a leech. Te dual
mouths are lined with three dexterous arms ending in
bone-hard talons strong enough to anchor in stone.
Te things have no eyes, and the means by which they
navigate the world is a mystery.
Both in their world and our own, Vertiginous Horrors
exist exclusively at high elevation and on the steep-
est slope possible. Tey move exclusively by folding
themselves end-over-end. One mouth will bite into the
rock face, securing the creatures weight by clamping
into the stone with its powerful jaws and talon-tipped
appendages. Ten, the creature will contract the other
end of its meaty body either up or down, bite the rock
face with its other jaw, and let go of the original anchor
before repeating the process.
Te creatures are lightning fast vertical climbers,
rolling up sheer rock faces as if unconstrained by
gravity. Tey are greatly slowed when moving hor-
izontally, having to resort to an up/down zig-zag
pattern due to limited horizontal fexibility. On less
steep slopes or fat ground, Vertiginous Horrors are
quite clumsy, but their yawning maws still make them
dangerous.
On whatever world that harbors these nightmares, it
appears there are only two directions worth going: up
and down. Whatever they eat, they appear to swallow
whole, dragging the prey into a meaty tube with row
afer row of clawing teeth. Cold and wind and scrap-
ping stone have no efect on their health. If they have
gender, it is unclear what distinguishes it. If they breed,
they must give birth through the same mouths they
eat, defecate, and move with. In short, Vertigi-
nous Horrors have the biological efciency only
found in nightmares. Tey eat and crawl, eat and crawl,
mindlessly. Perpetually.
Gotcha Gaming
Te horror in Te Fall Without End depends on the
idea that, despite the fact each character is knowingly
entering a survival situation, they are completely un-
prepared for what terrors they are about to face. Tere
are two ways to get players in the proper mindset for
this type of play.
Option 1 : Lie
When asked why the flm From Dusk til Dawn shifed
so suddenly from a noir thriller to a goofy monster
movie, Quentin Tarintino famously quipped that
the characters didnt expect the vampires to show up
either. Braver GMs might try to adopt this philoso-
phy. If not playing with a rules set blatantly known for
horror, sneakier GMs might claim they want to try a
mountain climbing scenario because watching Touch-
ing the Void or reading Into Tin Air inspired them.
Te bafement of the players will inform their role-
playing when giant, extra-dimensional creatures try to
eat them. Of course, this tactic requires a lot of trust
between the gaming group, and a lot of exploitation
of that trust by the GM. If it is even remotely possi-
ble some players might get pissed to come back from
the bathroom and suddenly fnd their characters in a
diferent genre, do not lie about the horrifc nature of
the scenario.
Option 2: Focus on Character Motivations
Tis is a sound idea for any gaming group, regardless
of whether or not the GM decides to be truthful. A
safer option for getting players invested in mundane
competition before all hell breaks loose is to make sure
their characters have a serious desire to win. Spend
some time talking with each player before beginning.
Why does your character want to be the frst to the
top? Do they need the money from the prize? Does it
fulfll a lifelong dream of Olympic gold? Do they want
to stick it to their former climbing partner on another
team? If characters have an explicit motivation for
winning the prize of First Ascent, the contrast with the
cosmic horror portion of the scenario will be all the
more dramatically interesting.
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Playing in Pairs:
Advanced mountaineering is almost always done in
pairs. Groups of three or more are sometimes used,
but that typically just means there are merely people
to hold the rope beneath the lead climber. Until they
were discontinued around WWII, Olympic medals in
mountain climbing were ofen awarded in groups of
two rather than to individuals, and the history of the
sports greats is one of successful partnerships.
As a result of this, no player can attempt Te Fall
Without End solo. A climber attempting to summit
Mount McKinely alone would be considered suicid-
al by the governmental backers, and other climbers
would likely view the madman as a dangerous liability
placing everyones lives in danger. If one of the players
insists on soloing to the top, allow it only if that players
knows that a single failed climb check means plum-
meting to certain death (and thats before anything
truly horrifc happens).
So players need to fnd a partner(s) before playing and
decide how their characters came to climb together.
Te bond of trust between climbing partners is said
to be deeper than that of family; at multiple points
throughout any climb, the life of one is literally in the
hands of the other. In terms of gameplay, this also leads
to an interesting dynamic; each pair starts the game
in perfect cooperation, but their goal is to beat all the
other players to the top.

Standard Climbing Procedure
Once players have partnered up, it would be a good
idea to inform them of the basic structure of team
climbing. Essentially, one is going to have to climb
Lead and the other Belay, or they are going to have to
take turns.
Lead climbers pave the way. Tey largely determine the
route of ascent and are the frst to encounter any new
obstacles. It is their job to hammer in anchor points
and cut holds into the ice. Tey have no rope to assist
their ascent, but they are kept somewhat safe from
falls by the rope attached to their belay partner and the
anchor points below. Even with this limited insurance,
Optional Rule: NPC Belay
In games that the GM plans to make especially
deadly or in groups that do not cooperate well,
NPC belay climbers are an option.
In this instance, each player would be essentially
controlling two characters: the lead climber of
the team, and the belay climber of the player to
his or her right. Te belay climber need not be
given stats yet, but each should have a feshed out
backstory detailing why he is partnered with the
other character and what their motivation for the
climb is.
Tis way, each player gets to compete individu-
ally for the prize and boss his belay NPC around,
but the player doesnt have to talk to himself
when speaking to his partner because the NPC is
controlled by the person next to him. Te player
also doesnt lose the chance for some interest-
ing roleplaying with his partner as they attempt
the climb. Te GM gets a helpless NPC to use as
cannon fodder for the monsters, and players have
a spare to take over in case their frst character
goes plummeting into an abyss or down a mon-
sters gullet.
Te downside of this rule is that when combat
comes around, certain players might try to exploit
their second half into becoming a mind-con-
trolled kamikaze. Belays can also fnd themselves
in the position to cut the rope: letting a climber
in an unrecoverable fall to his doom in order to
save the partner. Considering the competition
between teams, is this a decision the person in
charge of an NPC belay can be trusted to make in
character? If the group is sophisticated enough to
avoid this type of meta-gaming, the optional NPC
belay rule can help create a more brutal, uncom-
promising horror game while generously provid-
ing players with an extra life. If the temptation
will prove too great, leave it out and have players
climb in twos or threes.
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any fall could be potentially disastrous. A Lead Fall
means that the top climber will fall the distance to his
last anchor pointplus whatever slack is lef in the
ropebefore the line goes taut. If too much momen-
tum is built up, the anchor points could give way, even
up to the point where the Belay climber is pulled of
the mountain as well. As a Lead, one missed handhold
can mean the death of the whole team.
Te Belay climber (or belay slave, as they are some-
times called), climbs beneath the Lead. Going is easier
for a belay climber: they have a taut rope for support,
pre-cut handholds, and a tested route upwards.
However, Belay climbers are far from freeloaders.
Teir instructions can be vital for the survival of their
partner, as they are sometimes aforded a much more
strategic view of the rock face than the man above
them. Belays are in charge of spooling up spent line so
the pair doesnt run out of rope midway through an
ascent, and the easier nature of their climb means they
are typically given the responsibility of carrying sup-
plies. Tis is made all the more difcult by the constant
falling rock and ice caused by the Leads scrambling
for footholds. Most importantly, the Belays duty is to
operate as a counterweight preventing a falling Lead
from plummeting into the void. Te ability of a Belay
to hold on for a few more seconds has saved many an
expedition.
GAMEPLAY INFORMA-
TION
Character Creation
Since all the PCs in Te Fall Without End are expe-
rienced alpinists, their character sheets will be very
similar regardless of the system used. Every PC needs
to be capable in all mountaineering skills if theyre to
have any hope of surviving even the early stages of the
Climber Terminology
Adze: a thin blade perpendicular to the handle on
an ice axe that can be used for chopping footholds.
Anchor: An arrangement of one or (usually) more
pieces of gear set up to support the weight of a belay
or top rope.
Belay: to protect a roped climber from falling by
passing the rope through, or around, any type of
friction enhancing belay device. In the 30s, the
device was most ofen the belayers hips.
Belay of: called by a climber to confrm that a
belay has been removed from the climbing rope. Es-
sentially, dont fall, because the rope isnt attached.
Belay on: called by the climber to confrm belay
has been (re)applied to climbing rope. Essentially,
rope is back on, but please dont fall anyway.
Belay Slave: someone continually placed into belay
duty rather than climbing Lead.
Bivouac: camping overnight in the midst of an
ascent, sometimes in nothing more than a hammock
made of rope.
Carabiner: metal rings with screw-shut gates, used
with anchors. Usually oval or roughly D shaped.
Crampons: metal spikes attached to boots for in-
creased traction on snow and ice.
Deck: the bottom of the mountain
First Ascent: the term for the frst successful, con-
frmed summit of a mountain.
Free Climb: climbing without rope or other protec-
tive assistance.
Harness: a canvas webbing device worn around the
waist and thighs designed to allow a person to safely
hang suspended in the air
Haul bag: a larger, unwieldy bag in which supplies
and equipment are stored
Hold: any place to temporarily cling, grip, jam,
press, or stand in the process of climbing.
Ice Axe: an ice climbers primary tool. Tis hard-
ened pick can be used to cut holds out of ice and
rock or as a short walking stick. In desperate situa-
tions, it can sometimes arrest slides and falls down
icy slopes.
Lead Climbing: a form of climbing in which the
climber places anchors and attaches the belay rope
as they climb.
Lead Fall: a fall while lead climbing, meaning the
climber will fall at least the distance back to his last
anchor, plus any slack and rope stretch.
Pendulum: Swinging on a taut rope to reach the
next hold in a traverse.
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scenario. However, the basic premise is that of a moun-
tain climbing contest, so the race to the top wont be all
that interesting if all the characters have the exact same
stats and skills.
When making characters, GMs should give players a
list of skills organized into the following three cate-
gories. Te exact skills listed will vary depending on
the system used. Alternately, the GM can abstract the
various techniques of each set into a single skill of the
same name. For the purposes of suggesting skill checks
at specifc locations, this scenario will use the abstrac-
tion strategy.
Instinct:
Spotting the hold, predicting a change in the weather,
planning an efcient route, packing enough supplies,
hearing the creak of an impending avalanchethis
skill set entails all aspects of situational awareness and
preparedness that help a mountaineer get up and down
alive.
Ascension:
Tese skills determine how good the player is at doing
the physical work of climbing. How fast are they? How
far can they jump? How far can they stretch to reach
that next hold? How strong are their limbs?
Endurance:
No climber can survive ascending one of the largest
peaks in the world without a hefy amount of Endur-
ance. Skills in this category determine a characters
resistance to cold, exhaustion, and despair as the climb
progresses.

It is up to GMs to decide which skills will ft into each
category or if abstraction is the better option. Further-
more, the GM has to decide at what level all the skills
in that category will operate. Obviously, much of this
is dependant upon the system used. It is suggested the
all the skills within each group be set at one of three
levels: Exceptional, Profcient, and Adequate. GMs
might think of these levels as an 80%, 70%, and 60%
chance to succeed on tests, respectively. Alter ratings as
seen ft.

Tis yahtzeed version of character creation will allow
characters some personalization options while still en-
suring a chance of survival (however slim that chance
may be). Furthermore, the prioritization of skill sets
will make the competitive portion of the game more
interesting and allow for more dynamic team builds.
Example Character Creation:
Frank and Doug want to role up Te Dynamic
Ducoti Brothers, a pair of circus acrobats with
mountaineering experience seeking to cash in on
the government bounty being ofered for summit-
ing McKinely. Te players come up with back-
stories and buy a few skills to fesh out each
characters personality, but now it is time to
purchase climbing skills.
Doug decides that his character, Giuseppe, is the
younger and smaller of the two. Hes a bit of a
show of and decides he wants to climb Lead. To
maximize his chances, Doug takes the Ascension
category as his Exceptional skill set. Tis gives
him roughly an 80% chance to succeed on any
skill check the GM listed in that category. Doug
also wants to make sure Giuseppe can stand
whatever the mountain has to throw at him, so
Endurance is taken at the Profcient level. Finally,
his player fgures Giuseppe is a bit too hot-head-
ed for the Instincts skills, meaning it is lef as the
Adequate set. Chances to succeed in that category
are better than the average non-climber, but not
by much
Frank, wanting to compliment his climbing part-
ners abilities, makes his character the stable, older
brother type. Iago Ducati is a much more cautious
climber than his sibling, so he takes Instincts at
Exceptional level in the hopes he can warn of any
danger. As he will be climbing Belay and might
need to hold onto the mountain for both men in
an emergency, he takes Endurance as his Pro-
fcient set. Finally, Frank gives Iago Ascension
skills at Adequate because he fgures the character
would rely on his younger brothers trailblazing to
ease the way.
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Plot Hooks (Getting Characters Together)
Characters should start at the Denali Trading Post the
night before heading up to establish base camp. Tis
gives characters a chance to interact with each other in
a casual setting, dream about the prize money, ques-
tion government sponsors, and pose for a few pictures.
Locals can also provide a bit of the mountains history
and current events.
Afer reaching base camp, it is generally assumed that
players are going to split up in an attempt to gain the
lead. Tis is fne. Once they discover what lurks near
the summit, theyll be eager to get back together soon
enough.
LOCATIONS AND NPCs
GM Map versus Handout
Te fowchart on page 20 is a map for GM use. Tis
page provides a helpful reference as to the mountains
geographic features, the difculty of traversing them,
what threats might be found there, and other locations
accessible from that position. Tough players can be
informed of this information through play once they
arrive at a location, they should not be allowed to see
the GM version of the map until afer the scenario is
complete.
Te handout for players is located on page 19 and is
meant to represent a hand-drawn map torn from an
alpinists journal. Players are encouraged to look at
this handout whenever they please so as to plan the
fastest route to the top. However, they should be aware
that their information about the route up Wickersh-
ams Wall is possibly inaccurate due to a lack of proper
survey, untested navigational routes, local supposition
confused as fact, decreased visibility above the cloud
line, and a number of other factors (like the extra-di-
mensional portals and hellish nightmare creatures, for
instance).
When setting up scenes, the GM should describe each
portion of the mountain in such a way that highlights
the diferences between the reality of the situation
and the map.
1. Denali Trading Post
Te Denali Trading Post is shoulder to shoulder with
people. Local loggers and trappers have come from
miles around to see the spectacle of a Hollywood
movie crew, journalists, and the brave explorers. Te
tiny log cabin is crammed to bursting with the send
of party Ted Carpenter insisted on throwing at great
expense. Te booze and food is more for the press
than the athletes, as Ted is keen to remind his climbers
between the forced smiles of countless photo ops. Te
government has paid handsomely for this little adven-
ture, and it will not be pleased unless a noble Ameri-
can hero that can restore consumer confdence walks
of that mountain.
Coot couldnt be less pleased with the afair, despite
the money hes making of the spectacle. He hates all
these outsiders traipsing about his store, and any time
one of the locals scofs at the outsiders chances, he
cant help but snicker and righteously spit tobacco juice
in agreement. Curmudgeon that he is, Coot will be-
grudgingly respect any character he deems sufciently
tough. He might be persuaded to sell some last minute
crampons and provisions to such men. A really persua-
sive tough guy can coax the old man into revealing a
secret that only the locals know: the Hutchison broth-
ers, three local boys who have climbed on Denali their
whole lives, are damned if theyre going to let some
government pets take away the honor of First Ascent
from Alaskan men. Tey mean to beat the govern-
ments men to the top, and they have a one-day head
start. Its already night; any hope of catching up will
have to wait until daybreak.
Yuri Clevchynko would be at the trading post regard-
less of the proceedings taking place around him; it is,
afer all, the place where supply trucks drop of the
booze. Te leathery drunk is the closest thing Coot has
to a friend and regular. Tose curious enough to make
small talk with the old Russian fnd that he claims to
have climbed Denali many times in his youth, once
with Russian army buddies and many more times afer
he went native. He even claims to have been a guide
on the Parker-Browne expeditions failed attempt up
the South Summit. Clevchynko warns anyone who
will listen that Parker, fearing criticism, lef Yuri of
the expeditions records because he refused to lie about
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what happened. Te Russian claims that more
than a storm contributed to the teams decision to
turn back. Te group said weather had been acting
strangely for weeks, bafing all almanac predictions.
Teyd found strange droppings far above the death
line from no animal anyone could identify, as well
as bloodstains on the stone and carvings made by
no human tool. A mist of otherworldly persistence
obscured their view throughout the entire trip, and
each night at camp the men swore they could hear
a sound like crunching gravel in the dark. Te men
near hysterics, Parker turned only a few kilometers
away from the summit. Te man found himself
vindicated by the freak earthquake that struck upon
the expeditions return and immediately set about
swearing his men to secrecy about the fear that
really caused their return down the mountain.
If prompted, Yuri claims to know nothing about the
Hutichison brothers and denies any attempt to scare
the climbers away from their attempt. Clevchynko
will not tolerate accusations of dishonesty; hes had
his fll of that over the years, and quietly returns to
his drink rather than argue with fools.
Macey Sly disintrestedly goes about the tiny party,
gathering quotations and asking the minimum
number of questions. Her annoyance at being
dragged out to the wilderness to cover a silly pub-
licity stunt is palpable. If any climbers point out her
unprofessionalism, shell be keen to defend herself;
she does recognize the men are legitimately risking
their lives due to her long-term interest (romantic?)
in alpinists. She thinks the Sourdough expeditions
claim for First Ascent is legitimate and that this
whole thing is a ridiculous spectacle meant to dis-
tract the public from corruption on Wall Street and
Capitol Hill. Climbers who are honest about their
motivations for the climb, be it the prize money or
the glory, can earn her respect, and perhaps even a
date when they get back down the mountain.
Objective versus Subjective Danger
Mountain climbing is an insanely dangerous sport.
Mount McKinely alone has a documented kill count of
over 100 climbers as of 2012. Alpinists are aware of this
danger, even drawn to it, but they think of it in diferent
terms.
Mountaineering is divided into objective and subjective
danger. Objective dangers are threats presented by the
mountain itself: avalanche, rock fall, temperature. Sub-
jective dangers rest on the individual climber: fatigue,
equipment failure, unpredictable weather. In short,
objective dangers are considered when plotting a route,
but the only defense against subjective danger is training
and luck. Estimations of objective dangers for each area
are listed on the player map, and the actual danger level
of each is on the GM map.
In game terms, any failed climbing check should have
negative, possibly even deadly, consequences. Failed
checks in areas of heightened objective dangers will
have more extreme consequences. For instance, missing
a handhold on a gentle snow slope is less severe than
missing one while trying to mount the overhang over a
bottomless chasm.
Areas with higher levels of objective danger might
also require more frequent skill checks or checks with
a higher difculty rating. Te diferences between
extreme, high, medium, and low danger zones are up to
the GM and largely dependent upon the dice mechan-
ic used. Regardless of how difcult the climb is made,
GMs should exercise discretion when doling out con-
sequences. Te Fall Without End is designed to be an a
short scenario where death lurks around every ledge, but
dashing a characters brains out on the rocks with two
hours lef to play might not make a very fun experience
for that player. Failed checks could mean slowed ascent,
lost equipment, increased exposure, or dramatic near
misses. Save death for a climactic moment or a series of
unfortunate rolls.
Conversely, if climbers risk a dangerous route and
succeed, feel free to reward their bravery with speedier
times or bonuses on future rolls. Tese characters are
adrenaline junkies, afer all.
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Booker Hamlin pesters PCs throughout the entire
event, lining up imaginary shots and snapping fash
bulbs. Hes convinced his choice for shooting the doc-
umentary footage is based on his artistic vision, not
the fact that he comes cheap and is dumb enough to
drag his equipment into the Alaskan wilderness. Any
discussion inevitably leads to romanticizing the climb-
ers struggle against the mountain, the motif of man
against nature, the refusal of the American character to
submit to blah blah blah
Te scene ends when characters have had their fll of
the conversation and head to bed. Te march towards
basecamp starts in the morning.
2. Base Camp
Base Camp is to be set up the following morning. As
it is merely a hike to a basin where the camp is set up,
GMs should treat this scene solely as a roleplaying
opportunity. Players can get to know each other on
the trek, or they can use the opportunity to intimidate
their competition.
Kyle OShaughnessy is the local teen hired to maintain
the base camp in the absence of the climbers and the
only NPC accompanying them. Perceptive characters
might notice that OShaughnessy is feigning his loyalty
to the expedition and actually quite resentful of the
characters. Te boy is a friend of the Hutchison broth-
ers, and hes decided to do whatever he can to sabotage
the expedition to ensure their success. Tose aware of
the Hutchison brothers and suspicious of OShaugh-
nessys demeanor can try to intimidate him into telling
the truth.
If OShaughnessy is undetected, hell try to do one of
two things: sabotage equipment or dismantle camp.
His frst priority will be gaining access to the climbers
haul bags. Te original plan is to set up base camp,
relax for the remainder of the evening, and head out at
frst light. Once players sleep, OShaughnessy plans to
remove non-essential equipment from as many back-
packs as he can, stealing sleeping bags, extra rope, and
food. His intent is not to kill, merely to force the more
experienced climbers to turn back so that the Hutchi-
sons cannot be overcome.
If the players already know about the Hutchisons
already, OShaughnessy improvises in his panic to aide
his friends chances. He suggests the expedition let him
set up camp by himself so that the mountaineers can
immediately start their ascent. It will mean bivouack-
ing (camping) on the side of the mountain midway
through the climb once darkness falls, but its the only
chance to catch up to the locals. If players agree to this,
Kyle will wait until they are out of sight before leaving
with their stored equipment. Tough just a mild
inconvenience if the climb goes successfully, injured
or exhausted climbers returning to fnd their tents
gone might not survive a march all the way back to the
Denali Trading Post.
If OShaugnessy is caught in either plan, hell admit
his deceit and retreat back to the trading post without
much fght. Whether characters decide to forge ahead
or stay the night, the mountaineering skill checks
begin afer characters depart from Base Camp.
3A.Knifes Ridge (Low Objective)
Approach to Wickershams Wall is from the Peters
Glacier, but the valley surrounding the ice feld can
be traversed as well. Te western edge of the glacier
is known as Knifes Ridge and constitutes a massive
shale clif that steeply rises above the crevices of the
glacier. Crossing the ridge requires walking across
the narrow spine of the shale pile. Te loose, jagged
shale and narrow ridge prevent icing, so this is typ-
ically considered the safest, fastest path to the wall.
However, it is rarely travelled; the massive overhanging
rock face directly above this approach is considered
impassible and requires a lot of extra vertical climbing
to navigate around. Knifes Ridge is not without its
dangers. Rogue winds can strike from the West and
blow climbers from their narrow perch, and the loose
shale covering the rock face makes falls damaging and
difcult to arrest.
Climbers travelling along the Ridge will see a fgure
approaching from further ahead. Upon closer inspec-
tion, it appears to be a climber in extreme distress. Te
man is horribly frostbitten and blood-soaked from
lacerations across his chest and face. Coat in tatters,
he hunches and mumbles to himself, feeling his way
forward with an ice axe. Climbers with good Instincts
will recognize a man sufering from snow blindness.
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Te man doesnt respond to any greetings, merely
blindly continuing his desperate stumble down the
mountain. When he comes within a few feet of the
climbers, they become visible as blurry shapes and the
man enters a blind, feral panic. Tis is a combat: the
hysterical climber is armed with an ice axe, and the
narrow path prevents players from ganging up on him.
However, he is severely injured and nearly blind, so
even inexperienced fghters should have a chance to
best him.
If players can grapple him to the ground without
falling down the shale pile, the crazed man can be
knocked unconscious. Tis, of course, complicates
matters for the players; dragging the man back to base
camp will eat an entire days worth of time. Taken back
to base camp, the man can be revived enough to rave
madly about worms eating the mountain and ask,
Wheres Josh? Did they get Josh? Beyond that, the
mans mind is irreparably broken.
If players cant knock him out, the climber will keep
attacking until killed or the players fee. Successful
attacks against the assailant will either gut him with an
ice axe or send him on a fatal tumble down the shale
embankment. Victory should be damaging to the at-
tacking characters psyche; this outdoor adventure has
turned into a brutal murder in a matter of seconds.
Whether subdued or killed, the climber drops a nearly
empty haul bag monogrammed with P. Hutchison. It
is streaked with frozen blood.
3B. Peters Glacier
Te glacier is cross-hatched with deep crevasses in the
ice that could break mens legs or necks. Getting across
means winding around atop the ice slabs and avoiding
unstable snow bridges. Failing to tell the diference
between ice and a snow bridge can mean plummeting
straight down as the packed powder gives way, possibly
even dragging the fat-footed Belay in aferwards.
Good Instinct is necessary to tell when a snow bridge
is safe. For heightened suspense, GMs might roll these
checks in secret and tell players whether a bridge
seems safe depending on the result. Recovering from
a snow bridge fall requires an Ascension check from
the falling climber and an Endurance check from the
Belay. Tis recovery takes time and slows a team down.
Especially reckless teams can try to shave time of their
glacier trek by making an Ascension check to leap
across a crevasse rather than fnding a bridge. Failing
this kind of check would be a very bad idea; a missed
leap would mean not only a fall, but a hard slam into
both crevice walls.
3C. Snow Slope
Te other side of Peters Glacier is dominated by a
snow slope. While much easier going than the glacier
itself and free from the falling danger of the shale em-
bankment, this slope is where the Wickershams Wall
approach gains its infamy for avalanche danger.
Players foolhardy enough to try this approach must
deal with an avalanche sweeping down from the peak
of the slope and towards the glacier itself. As a snow
avalanche and not one composed of ice and rock, there
is little chance of the collapse killing anyone outright,
but the event can still be potentially deadly. Instinct
checks can recognize the tell-tale creak of snow about
to give way and allow climbers a chance to prepare.
Climbers that anchor themselves can weather the tide
and make Endurance or Ascension check to dig them-
selves out. Failed checks mean the buried climbers take
damage from sufocation and cold.
Isolation
As soon as players pick separate paths, they can
no longer communicate with each other. Separate
routes are too far away for any communication to
be heard; even shouts are snatched away by the
mountain winds. Climbing partners and groups
along the same route can speak to each other, but
only if no one is signifcantly ahead of the other.
Even visual communication between routes is in-
efective. If other climbing teams are even in sight,
they remain no more than indistinct shapes on the
horizon. Giving up the competition and regroup-
ing for safety is a major dramatic choice later in
the scenario, and the isolation of a separate route
should be apparent to other players at that point
in the adventure.
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If climbers are caught unaware, they will be swept
down the slope towards the glacier. Tey must make
an Endurance check to arrest their slide with an ice
axe. If successful, they stop and must make the checks
to dig out listed above. If failed, the momentum of one
climber drags the other down too, even if that climber
already braced or stopped his personal slide. Both
climbers must then make Endurance checks for one
last chance to arrest their momentum. Anyone failing
this check reaches the bottom of the snow slope and
slides into a crevasse, taking serious falling damage. In
addition, they must make the same checks to dig out of
the snow listed above least more damage be accrued.
Finally, any climbers in a crevasse must rescue them-
selves by picking holds into the ice and climbing out,
severely delaying the ascent.
4A. Skirting the Overhang
Due to its elevation, the Knifes Ridge meets Wickersh-
ams Wall mid-way up, saving alpinists a few hundred
feet of vertical climb. However, directly above is a huge
overhang at least 10 meters long. It would require a
Lead climber to travel that distance hand-over-hand
across ice-glazed rock before pulling themselves up
to the vertical face. Ten, the Belay would have to
perform the same impressive feat, or the Lead would
have to plant an anchor of sufcient strength to allow
the belay to swing out into the void and climb the rope.
Te route is rumored to be impassible, and the hun-
dreds of yards worth of horizontal shimmying required
to skirt the overhang negates any benefts of taking the
Knifes Ridge.
With a successful Instinct check, climbers under the
overhang recognize that if a climber could mount it,
the time saved would be immense. Climbing teams
must decide if gaining such a lead is worth the risk.
Either way, the lead must make at least one Ascension
check to get them to their destination.
4B. Mantling the Wall
Wickershams Wall presents a stark end to both Peters
Glacier and its parallel snow slope. Te climb doesnt
initially seem too daunting, but reports say that the av-
alanche danger and truly difcult climbing doesnt
start until nearer the cloud line.
A mountaineer with good Instinct recognizes two
things before mantling onto the wall. Firstly, there
seems to be a section of oddly colored rocks near the
base of the clif to the East. Secondly, the beginnings
of a fssure are visible high up the rock face, just below
the cloud line. Tis fssure isnt listed in any surveys of
the mountain, and there is no telling how far up it runs
past the mist.
Investigating the oddly covered rocks reveals them to
be painted in a splatter of frozen blood. Nearby is the
shockingly mutilated corpse of a fellow climber. Tose
that can keep their head afer seeing such a sight can
make an Instinct check to discover that the state of the
body cant be blamed on a fall alone. One entire arm
is missing, and the head is connected by no more than
a string of tissue. It looks like the poor bastard was
passed through a meat grinder before being dropped
of the mountain. Anyone with a stomach strong
enough to search through the pockets fnds a few spare
crampons and some mittens monogrammed with C.
Hutchison.
5A. Te Overhang
Mounting the overhang requires a series of three in-
creasingly difcult tests for a lead climber. Firstly, the
character must make an Ascension check to gain pur-
chase on the icy ceiling. Next, the climber must make
an Endurance test to keep their grip, then another
Ascension check. Finally, the Lead must succeed in
Instinct, Ascension, and Endurance to fnd a safe hold
across the lip of the overhang and muscle over it. Te
Belay climber can make the Instinct check at the last
minute if the lead fails; the lower perspective provides
a better view of what lies beyond the Leads vision.
If any of these checks fail, a Lead fall occurs. At that
point, both climbers better pray the Belay set good
anchors (Instinct) and can hold on (Endurance). Even
if disaster is averted, the prevention of a deadly fall
only means that the lead climber gets to smack against
the rock facehard.
If a Lead manages those three checks, they are con-
sidered safely perched on a ledge above the overhang.
If they dont want the Belay climber to have to go
through the same process, they can make an Instinct
check to secure an anchor strong enough to support
the partners full weight on the rope.
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While waiting for the Belay to catch up, the Lead
hears a strange crunching sound from above and feels
the tinkle of gravel. Looking up, the frst Vertiginous
Horror comes thrashing out of the cloud line, bar-
reling down at the Lead climber like some gigantic
hookworm. Te creatures goal is simple: consume the
climber in its free jaw.
If the climber manages to stay sane at the sight of the
thing, the GM can present them with options. Te
climber can try and fght the thing of with an ice
axe, risking consumption for every round the Horror
survives. If a hit is scored with the axe, the climber can
leap from the wall, dragging the wiggling thing into
the void before letting go of the handle. At this point,
the anchors set by the Belay would be the only thing
keeping the humans from a certain death as well.
Finally, the Lead could attempt to climb back down the
overhang, essentially reversing the checks made to get
up there in the frst place (this matter could be further
complicated by a very confused Belay climber trying
to head up at the same time). Tough fexible, the
Vertiginous Horror has trouble bending itself into the
complete circle required to get a grip on the overhangs
ceiling. In its zealous pursuit of prey, it may lose its
grip and fall to the jagged rocks below.
Particularly evil GMs could say that as its jaw is ripped
from the mountain side, the Vertiginous Horror slices
the anchor rope amidst its thrashing.
Surviving climbers might choose to head back at this
point, but doing so would require difcult climbing
checks to get of the clif face, or extremely difcult
checks to get under the overhang. For those that
skipped setting up base camp, night is falling as well.
Even if they could get of the mountain, it would just
mean sacrifcing the other climbers to whatever that
thing was without so much as a warning.
From this stage, a mountaineer can either ascend to
Parkers Rebuf, an ice slope within view of the South
Summit that has never been climbed, or move side-
ways towards a massive fssure. An Instinct role will
reveal that weather is going to come in from the South,
bufeting Parkers Rebuf with a storm. Crossing the
fssure, while dangerous, would provide shelter from
the winds to come.
Bivouacking
If players decided to rush through setting up base
camp and get straight to the climbing, it should
be getting too dark to continue around the time
they reach locations 5A and 5B. Night climbing is
nearly impossible, making it necessary to bivouac.
Tis involves securing oneself to the side of the
mountain via a harness and trying to get some
sleep while perched on whatever narrow ledge is
available.
Getting through the night requires Endurance
checks against exhaustion and cold. Each failed
check costs a climber health. If Kyle OShaugh-
nessy stole supplies, three Endurance checks are
required for each climber. If players have had
nothing stolen or lost but both fail an Instinct
check, two Endurance checks are required. If
someone succeeds an Instinct test, the climbers
are well-prepared and only make one Endurance
check for the night.
Bivouacking is made all the more uncomfortable
by the odd sound of crunching gravel echoing up
and down the mountainside. Climbers unfortu-
nate enough to have already encountered the Ver-
tiginous Horrors will recognize this as the sound
of freakish jaws biting into stone. Te creatures
are patrolling up and down the rock face, blindly
searching for prey in the dark. At any moment,
one could roll itself onto the camp and devour a
climber, or bite through a rope and send a sleep-
ing mountaineer tumbling to his death. Even
those lucky enough to avoid such a grisly fate risk
going mad with fear. Its gonna be a long night.
As it is a means to build tension, night should
fall at a dramatically convenient time for the
GM. Afer a group at 5A has faced a Vertiginous
Horror, but before the teams at 5B run into a
horde of them would be an opportune time, for
instance.
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5B. Wickershams Wall
Wickershams Wall is dangerous due to the length of its
sheer vertical ascent and the risk of avalanche. Ascen-
sion checks are dangerous and frequent. Belay climbers
dont have to make these checks due to the stabiliz-
ing rope, but they have the added danger of rock fall
sparked by the Leads movements. Every so ofen, large
stones come pouring down from the weak footholds of
the Lead. Te Belay climber must either make an As-
cension check to dodge out of the way or take damage.
Midway up the wall, an odd sound like the crunch of
gravel can be heard. Tiny pebbles start drizzling down
from somewhere above in the mist. Rock fall might
even threaten the Lead climber, dislodged by some
unknown source.
Instincts can lead climbers to an odd gleam in the
rock. Nearby, strange circular impressions can be
found on the clif face, concentric rings made from
hundreds of triangular cuts. Te gleam is from an ice
axe still embedded in the stone, a hand still clinging to
it, dangling an arm. Te etching in the handle reads C.
Hutchison.
As climbers approach the mists of the cloud line, the
frst Vertiginous Horror slinks into view. Followed by a
second. Tird
If climbers can suppress their revulsion long enough to
maintain a level-head, they can make an Instincts roll.
Success recognizes the descending doom. Te things
are huge and headed towards them almost as fast as
men fall. Since they have the high ground, there is no
way to out-climb or outfght the things. Traversing
sideways is the only hope.
Te way to the right leads to a sharp corner and the
void. Lef towards the fssure is the only option, but as
long as the climbers make a simple Ascension check
they can outpace the creatures. Te things dont seem
well-adapted to moving sideways, only able to do so
by stagger-stepping with their mouths in a movement
reminiscent of parallel parking.
Once reaching the fssure, teams can fnally get a
look at the massive scar inexplicably running up
the mountains side. Black, sharp obsidian stone marks
the inside of the crack as if it had been burned there.
Crawling inside it would cut ropes and hands to pieces,
and its a good 25 yards to the other side. Players are
faced with a choice: face certain death in the jaws of
the monsters, attempt a risky maneuver called a Pen-
dulum Traverse, or cut their ropes and try free-climb-
ing up and away from the Horrors.
Free-climbing is insanely dangerousone missed hold
means deathbut it greatly speeds up the laborious
process of anchor and belay climbing. It is the only
chance for characters to stay on Wickershams Wall and
outpace the monsters, hopefully fnding respite on the
ice slope of Sourdoughs Deceit
Players choosing to use the fssure as a stop-gap for the
beasts should look to location 6 for a description of
that process.
6. Pendulum Traverse
A Pendulum Traverse is a difcult maneuver at the best
of times, not to mention when being pursued by car-
nivorous monsters. Whether players are approaching
from the Overhang or Wickershams Wall, the process
is the same.
A Lead climbs high up on the fssure and plants the
securest anchor possible (Instinct check). He then puts
his full weight on the rope and prays the point holds.
Te Belay then puts their full weight on the rope, using
the Lead as a counter-weight. Te lower climber begins
running back and forth across the rock face, building
momentum. Te Belay then leaps into the void, hoping
to reach the other side.
Swinging across the fssure is an Ascension check.
Failing the check means the jumper slams against the
rock face on the return, taking damage. Te climber
above will also have to make an Endurance check to
hold on. Once the leap is successful, the Belay then
climbs up the other side of the fssure to the same
altitude as the Lead and inserts an anchor of their own.
Te Lead then removes the anchor, respools the rope,
climbs down to alleviate strain on the line, and makes
the swing.
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A second jumper in a rush (saybecause he is about
to be eaten?) can cut the rope to the original anchor,
falling until the remaining line snaps taut and sends
him hurtling to the other side. If the secured partner
can hold on (Endurance) and the anchor holds (In-
stinct) AND the crazy man can grab on afer smacking
face frst into a clif (Ascension), it just might work. If
this risky maneuver fails or the monsters grab hold of
one of the climbers, the dead weight of the suspended/
eaten climber will inevitably break the anchor and pull
both men to their doom. In this instance, both men
will certainly die unless the top climber makes the hard
choice and cuts the rope. If players take this option,
the GM should allow enough time for the characters to
make an appropriately cool fnal exchange. Needless to
say, a climber pragmatic enough to kill his best friend
to survive is not going to be mentally healthy anytime
soon thereafer.
7A. Parkers Rebuf
Parkers Rebuf is actually comparatively safe from
both climbing hazards and otherworldly nightmares.
Te slope is gradual and snowy, making it difcult for
the Vertiginous Horrors to maneuver. Still, moving
around the area is no less dangerous. Tere are dozens
of the creatures laboriously trying to reach their prey
by wrenching themselves upright, wavering like a
hollow, tentacled tower of meat, then crashing forward
and repeating the process. It is a horrifc sight, as if the
mountain sprouted a feshy forest with a need to eat.
So long as characters can keep moving, the real danger
is the incoming storm front. Te abrasive, whiteout
galescombined with the high altitude and panicked
fearcreates a murderous environment. At this point,
it takes successful Endurance checks just to incur
minor health damage. Failed checks cause serious
damage such as fngers, noses, and eyelashes lost to
frostbite. Anyone losing all their health points due to
these checks falls from exhaustion, unable to contin-
ue. Unless their partner is willing to take risk more
damage in an attempt to drag them to shelter, theyll
have to be lef to the Vertiginous Horrors.
Te only respite from the storm is a strange blue glow
in the distance (location 8). Te summit lies above that
point, ofering little solace in lieu of the monstrosities
around it.
7B. Sourdoughs Deceit
Sourdoughs Deceit is far steeper than its parallel path,
Parkers Rebuf. As such, the Horrors have a much
easier going than climbers. Mountaineers unfortu-
nate enough to be in this position will fnd themselves
trapped on both sides with monsters ascending Wick-
ershams Wall below and rolling down the ice slope
above. Te only glimmer of hope is a strange blue glow
near the summit (Location 8) that appears free of the
creatures, but there a lot of teeth between here and
there.
An Instinct check reveals a slim hope of survival. Te
ice slope faces the sun, causing a cycle of melting and
refreezing that makes the Wickersham route so dan-
gerous in the frst place. A climber mad enough to
rush at the descending Vertiginous Horrors and go
chopping with his ice axe might trigger a hard slab
avalanche.
Hard slab avalanches occur when entire sheets of
jagged ice break free of the mountainside and begin
sliding. Te friction of the moving sheets and the
sudden absence of decades old ice causes even more
sheets to fall until a cascade of gigantic ice sheets
rumbles downwards. In many ways, this event is a
climbers worst nightmare. Te sheets are so massive
and move so quickly they can easily cut a man in
halfbut the same could be said of a horrifc mon-
strosity.
Players should be given an opportunity to survive such
a desperate maneuver. How this is done is up to the
GMs discretion. Perhaps it is a simple as coming up
with the idea in the frst place, or maybe an Ascension
check is required to maneuver out of the way in time.
Games focusing on the true desperation of a survival
scenario might use some mechanic approximating
blind luck to see whether or not house-sized sheets of
ice pulverize the characters.
If the tactic succeeds, all the Vertiginous Horrors on
Sourdoughs Deceit go sliding of the peak of Wicker-
shams Wall. Tough some Horrors still climbing the
sheer face below likely survived the icy collapse,
they are too delayed to catch up. Shielded by the
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mountain from the incoming storm, climbers are lef
to hobble towards the strange blue glow above at what-
ever pace they can manage.
8. Strange Crevice
Scorched and surrounded by melted stone, the cave
cut into the side of the summit appears to have been
recently blasted there by lightening or some sort of
inexplicable volcanic activity. Te stone is still slightly
warm to the touch despite the icy maelstrom, and it is
unclear whether the blue glow from the cave is refect-
ing of of the glassy, blackened stones or coming from
the rocks themselves.
In the narrow confnes of the cavern, GMs can throw
a single Vertiginous Horror at the climbers. Te rela-
tively fat ground and the narrow confnes should give
characters a chance to slay one of the things with ice
axes. If the climbers are already barely alive, feel free to
leave the cave hauntingly vacant.
At the end of the hallway of melted stone, a narrow
chimney descends into the heart of the mountain. Te
climb down is easy (especially if a rope is sacrifced
to tie of up top), and a glimmer of light can be seen
emanating from the bottom of the shaf.
9. Summit
Tose with the determination (or insanity) to per-
severe despite being attacked by monstrosities from
another dimension can reach the summit. Tere, they
will fnd a blazing snowstorm obscuring any scenic
vista that may have rewarded them. Te last Hutchison
brother is there, frozen in a pool of blood from his own
raggedly-sliced wrists and staring blankly to the West.
In his lap rests a wooden pole with the tatters of a fag
frozen to it, a fnal insult from the North Summit actu-
ally conquered twenty years previously. Te Sourdough
expedition told the truth; the whole venture was for
nothing.
Bufeted by the storm, climbers face a choice: they
can descend their original route and try to seek refuge
from the creatures in the oddly glowing cave, or they
can risk the winter winds by descending the
opposite face. Doing the latter should require a
number of Endurance checks with health lost to frost-
bite, hunger, and exhaustion. If the players succeed,
they make it to a place suitable for bivouac and can
descend the rest of the way without incident the fol-
lowing morning.
10. Portal Chamber
Te strange crevasse empties down into a bizarre, inex-
plicable chamber. Te same jagged stone surrounds an
obsidian obelisk in the shape of a truncated pyramid,
topped with a lapping pool of what appears to be
motor oil. Te thing appears to be resting atop some
sort of pillar, but climbing downwards reveals that it is
hovering in midair. Te fourth wall of the chamber is
open to the air; this is the top of the fssure that makes
up the Pendulum Traverse (Location 6).
Te three walls surrounding the pyramid teem with
Vertiginous Horrors. Te creatures fght for position
on the walls, stabbing each other with their claws,
ripping junks from rivals with their distended jaws.
Te wet thumping of the falling worms punctuates the
constant gravel-crunch as the things cling to the walls.
Some fnd escape by shufing out of the fssure and
to Denalis exterior. Others try to crawl blindly across
the ceiling where the characters hang. Tese unlucky
creatures break of stalactites with their weight and go
crashing into the slick obsidian sides of the pyramid
before sliding into the abyss.
Upon entering, the origin of the creatures becomes
clear. One of the giant worm things comes crashing
out of the black pool, arching into the air like a leaping
whale before smacking into the glassy obsidian sides. If
its lucky, the thing will grab a clear spot on the fssures
sides and arrest itself. If its not, it goes falling into the
black to be dashed on the rocks far below.
Tere is no way to climb on the fssures walls without
getting eaten by the Vertiginous Horrors. Te only
chance to descend this route is the strange obelisk
itself. By tying on another rope to one secured atop the
chimney, climbers can descend and perch atop the lip
of the black pool. Any rope used this way will have to
be sacrifced. To determine if the climbers have enough
rope descend from the foating obelisk afer giving up
so much line, have players roll an Instinct check to
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determine how well they packed. Characters can still
proceed even if they dont have the line; they just have
to save the rope by leaping into inky waters of the pool
(Location 11).
Once balanced on the pools edge, climbers will fnd
that there is nowhere to tie of. In order to descend
without touching the ravenous walls, one character will
have to sacrifce himself by staying behind as a count-
er-weight. Alternately, they could swim to the bottom
of the pool and see if there is anything to secure the
rope to under the water(Location 11).
Once a rope is secured, characters can safely descend
the shaf (though the Vertiginous Horrors snapping at
them from all sides is certainly disconcerting). Near
the bottom, the fssure narrows to the point where the
things cannot maneuver. To reach fresh air, climbers
need only scale the mounds of still twitching Horrors
killed in the fall from the portal. Getting outside
means a safe descent from the mountain starting from
Wickershams Wall (location 5B), though at this point
death would likely be a mercy.
11. ?????
Entering the pool instantly causes characters to sink,
drifing through a disorienting, bottomless void. Just as
their breath is about to fail, they burst through a new
surface rather than settling to the foor. Afer reorient-
ing, a hellish new world on the other side insinuates
itself.
Another truncated pyramid of black obsidian hovers
beneath them, holding the inky pool that spans two re-
alities. Above, a canyon of unimaginable heights rises.
Out-of-place stars and too many moons shine through
a narrow slit as the immense canyon walls assault the
sky.
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The Fall WIthout End -
No Security
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Te entire gorge is completely obscured by a blanket
of Vertiginous Horrors fastened to the canyon walls
in crowded, feshy braids. Tey writhe on every side,
biting at each other for purchase. One creature falls of
just so another can vomit out wriggling spawn in its
place. In both directions, the clifs are lined with the
monsters, so much so that there is a constant rain of
gigantic, screaming worms plummeting into the abyss.
Tose that land in the pool fnd themselves on Denali.
Tose that dont, fallseemingly forever.
Witnessing the origin of the Horrors is enough to
fay most mens minds. Tose strong enough to hold
themselves together for a few moments longer notice
crude carvings of the creatures at the four corners of
the pool. A rope can be tied to these and strung across
the inexplicable nexus between worlds, thus saving an
otherwise stranded Belay climber.
Whether or not anyone wants to be saved afer seeing
the hell that waits on the bottom of the pool is another
question entirely.
ENDGAME
Afer characters reach the summit or make their
escape via the Portal Chamber, GMs should handwave
much of the descent. Tough climbing down is ofen
one of the more dangerous aspects of mountaineering,
it will reek of anti-climax afer fghting otherworldly
demons atop a wintery peak. Furthermore, even for
the most sadistic of gamers, killing the players for a
single failed climb check afer theyve conquered a
mountain and murdered hell beasts with their bare
hands is just a bullshit move. If dice must be rolled,
make the checks fast and quickly transition from scene
to scene.
Tat said, Te Fall Without End stays pure to its roots
in cosmic horror: survivors lives should be very nearly
shattered in the afermath. Tere is no hope of ever
discovering exactly what the hell just happened. Incur
health penalties for failed checks on the descent until
the characters are barely alive, especially if OShaugh-
nessy made of with the supplies at Base Camp (Loca-
tion 2).
Surviving characters should stumble back to the
Denali Trading Post broken men, covered in blood
and sweat, faces horribly mutilated by frostbite, raving
insane stories about impossible worms that no one will
ever see again. Tose characters that somehow manage
the whole ordeal unscathed are just up for criminal
charges; who would ever believe the Hutchisons were
eaten by monsters?
A GM that manages to get a lone survivor back to
campbarely alive and completely crazywill be
truly aligned with the scenarios themes of survival and
cosmic horror. Ideally, Te Fall Without End fnishes
up like many other horror scenarios begin: a crazy,
scarred old man rants and raves exposition disguised
as madness in a bar, warning a new set of doomed
protagonists about the monsters.
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ENDGAME
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