Miskatonic Monday #297: The Missing Fossil

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 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.

—oOo—

Name: The Missing Fossil

Publisher: Chaosium, Inc.
Author: Ashiki

Setting: Uvs Nuur, the Mongolian People’s Republic, 1925

Product: Scenario
What You Get: Twenty-four page, 32.05 MB Full Colour PDF
Elevator Pitch: The Mongolia that time forgot

Plot Hook: The chance to outdo Roy Chapman Andrews and make the find of the century

Plot Support: Staging advice, six pre-generated Investigators, two handouts, three maps, and three Mythos monsters.

Production Values: Adequate

Pros

# Rare scenario translated from the Japanese

# Not a hunt for the Mongolian Death Worm

# Decent pre-generated Investigators

# Eremophobia

# Scoleciphobia

# Batrachophobia

Cons

# Needs a good edit

# No investigation, no paleontology

# Long, messy set-up time

# Panama Canal

Conclusion

# Needs a better developed set-up or it should cut to the chase—which is what it becomes

# A scenario to do up rather than run from the page

# Reviews from R’lyeh Discommends