Miskatonic Monday #95: The Haunted Grove

Between October 2003 and October 2013, Chaosium, Inc. published a series of books for Call of Cthulhu under the Miskatonic University Library Association brand. Whether a sourcebook, scenario, anthology, or campaign, each was a showcase for their authors—amateur rather than professional, but fans of Call of Cthulhu nonetheless—to put forward their ideas and share with others. The programme was notable for having launched the writing careers of several authors, but for every Cthulhu Invictus, The Pastores, Primal State, Ripples from Carcosa, and Halloween Horror, there was a Five Go Mad in Egypt, Return of the Ripper, Rise of the Dead, Rise of the Dead II: The Raid, and more...

The Miskatonic University Library Association brand is no more, alas, but what we have in its stead is the Miskatonic Repository, based on the same format as the DM’s Guild for Dungeons & Dragons. It is thus, “...a new way for creators to publish and distribute their own original Call of Cthulhu content including scenarios, settings, spells and more…” To support the endeavours of their creators, Chaosium has provided templates and art packs, both free to use, so that the resulting releases can look and feel as professional as possible. To support the efforts of these contributors, Miskatonic Monday is an occasional series of reviews which will in turn examine an item drawn from the depths of the Miskatonic Repository.

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Name: The Haunted Grove

Publisher: Chaosium, Inc.
Author: Andy Miller

Setting: Cthulhu Dark Ages England

Product: Scenario
What You Get: Twenty-two page, 15.63 MB Full Colour PDF
Elevator Pitch: When your only refuge is a lonely house in the woods, sometimes it is better to stay lost. 

Plot Hook: Lost in the woods, and at least some of the family are welcoming...

Plot Support: Detailed plot, staging advice for the Keeper, one floorplan, three (one) NPC(s) and their associated photographs, and two pre-generated Investigators.

Production Values: Reasonable.

Pros

# Mythos Folkloric horror scenario

# Short, one-session scenario

# Three strong archetypes for the Keeper to enjoy roleplaying

# Suited to smaller groups of Investigators

# Easy to adapt to elsewhere or for Cthulhu Invictus

# Includes advice for adapting it to Cthulhu by Gaslight, Down Darker Trails, or modern day Call of Cthulhu

# Potential addition to the scenario, ‘The Dragon and the Wolf’, from The Bride of Halloween Horror Monograph

Cons

# Women (woman) as monster(s)

# Includes mature, thematically appropriate scenes

# Keeper needs to know her Mythos magic

Conclusion

# Isolated, Mythos Folkloric horror scenario

# Includes mature, thematically appropriate scenes

# Classic Mythos interpretation of a classic occult trinity