Chapter 3: Pacific Ocean – Background

But more wonderful than the lore of old men and the lore of books is the secret lore of ocean. Blue, green, grey, white, or black; smooth, ruffled, or mountainous; that ocean is not silent. All my days have I watched it and listened to it, and I know it well.
―H.P. Lovecraft, “The White Ship”

Keeper’s Information & Background

The Pacific Ocean! Blue, tropical, glorious: strung with verdant archipelagoes separated by unimaginable distances; mother of storms, father of tsunamis; its submerged depths home to alien topographies ranging from vast mountain ranges to abyssal rift valleys. The Pacific Ocean is still being explored in 1845, and is neither completely mapped nor fully understood. What little Americans know was learned largely through the work of Yankee whalers, who began exploring the Pacific after the Emilia rounded the Horn in 1789 and discovered her waters teeming with sperm whales.

The Wilkes Expedition 1838–1842
In 1836 President Andrew Jackson authorized the United States Exploring Expedition. A massive undertaking consisting of seven vessels and 350 men, the “U.S. Ex. Ex.” was commanded by Lieutenant Charles Wilkes, and is often called the “Wilkes Expedition.” The Expedition rounded Cape Horn and spent three years mapping the Pacific Ocean and charting its myriad islands. It also produced the first extensive maps of the Antarctic continent. The Wilkes Expedition collected a trove of scientific data that took years to unpack. It also generated its share of controversy. At several points, friction with indigenous communities erupted into violence, particularly on Fiji, Samoa, and the Gilbert Islands. Wilkes himself was reputed to be a tyrant, lording over his subordinates and fond of the lash. Indeed, Wilkes was court-martialed upon his return to the States. Cleared of charges, he never lost his tyrannical reputation, and was one of Melville’s inspirations for Captain Ahab.

The Impact of Colonialism

As stated in the introduction to White Leviathan, there are two non-Mythos forces that infuse the game on a deep, inextricable level—the monstrous indifference of the ocean, and the corrupting influence of colonialism. Both are as pervasive and destructive the Mythos itself. The perils of the sea are self-evident, and are written into the scenario as distinct encounters: squalls, shipwrecks, sharks, wracking thirst upon the endless salt wastes. But the more human horrors warrant further elucidation.

White Leviathan is set during the twilight of indigenous sovereignty over the Pacific Islands; the last years before native cultures are finally crushed by the juggernaut of Western expansion. One the domain of sixteenth-century Spanish and Portuguese explorers, the British explorer James Cook ushered in a new wave of Europeans two centuries later. By the early nineteenth century, the Pacific Ocean has become an international trading ground, her waters crossed by ships bearing many flags—Great Britain, France, Russia, and the United States being the most prominent.

And where explorers, hunters, and traders lead, missionaries, naturalists, and settlers follow, and their impact upon the Pacific islands has been inexpressibly profound. Native populations have been forever changed, their systems of politics and religion altered beyond recognition or simply destroyed. Communities of merchants and missionaries have taken root in Honolulu and Maui, and Hawaii has been transformed from a “wild paradise” of self-governing natives to an expanding and “civilized” port-of-call, where indigenous rulers are cynically manipulated, often with the cooperation of their own competitive nobility. Tahiti has seen its share of corruption, bloodshed, and religious persecution, and the aboriginal populations of Australia and Oceania have been thoroughly subjugated by the British in the wake of James Cook.

While this Western advance brings modernity in the form of science, technology, and medicine, it also brings gunpowder, ecological exploitation, and disease—rampant disease responsible for the deaths of thousands. Whole islands have been depopulated by “ship sickness,” and venereal disease and infertility have permanently lowered indigenous birth rates.

Missionaries
The whites also bring another unappeasable force: Christianity. Utterly convinced they are “saving” and “improving” the natives, Christian missionaries have descended upon Hawaii and Tahiti, imposing a foreign system of morality constructed upon alien notions of shame and damnation. On the positive side, these missionaries have helped dismantle oppressive indigenous systems that revolve around rigid caste systems, enforced prostitution, and human sacrifice. Many Polynesian religions feature countless irrational tabus, with execution or dismemberment a common penalty for breaking arbitrary supernatural imperatives. On the negative side, Christianity has introduced foreign notions of sinfulness, teaching indigenous peoples that their own bodies are shameful. And needless to say, there’s few forms of social control more effective than religious indoctrination, something well-understood by the Jesuits of the sixteenth century!

The American Era
To bring us back to the campaign, White Leviathan unfolds during a specific period of transition within this imperial era—the rise of American supremacy over the Pacific. The influence of Spain and Portugal is exhausted, diminished by European wars and finally derailed by the independence of their American colonies. The Russian-American Company reached its peak with the fur trade sometime after the turn of the century. France is currently fighting a war to maintain control of Tahiti, and soon Britain will shift focus from Hawaii to her colonies in Oceania and Hong Kong. The United States is now the dominant imperial power, her relentless belief in free trade propelling her ships around the Horn and all the way to Canton. Her trappers and traders have developed the Pacific Northwest, pushing aggressively against the British, the Russians, and the Indian natives. The flood of American settlers is tipping the demographic balance of Alta California, another source of pressure pushing the country to war with Mexico. American seal hunters have ravaged the coastline from Alaska to Patagonia, backed by warships whenever a little “gunboat diplomacy” is required. But it’s the American whaleman who rules above all, driven by the requirements of capitalism to push forward at all costs. It’s whale oil that lubricates the gears of industry, fuels the lighthouses, and illuminates the homes of the upper class. Even the Wilkes Expedition followed the Nantucketer around the Horn, late by half a century!

Western Attitudes Towards Natives
Even a casual reading of nineteenth-century literature reveals much about contemporary Western attitudes towards Pacific natives. With very little dissention, Western explorers, sailors, and businessmen viewed “kanakas” much as they viewed American Indians—as savages. At best, they were nobles sauvages, eager to learn from the West and modernize their backward ways. This is best illustrated by the House of Kamehameha, and Hawaiians are among the few indigenous people singled out for praise by contemporary writers. However, most Pacific Islanders were feared; condemned as treacherous savages and bloodthirsty cannibals.

The pervasive corrosion of nineteenth-century racism is undeniable in most historical accounts, but that doesn’t mean there weren’t genuine points of contention, particularly where indigenous behaviors clashed with contemporary expectations of morality. Sailors’ logbooks are filled with stories of natives who promised a peaceful trade, only to use the transaction as cover for a surprise attack. Sailors, especially officers, were kidnapped and held for ransom. Requested payment usually included muskets, gunpowder, iron tools, and sometimes the ship itself! Pacific natives also warred against each other, taking prisoners for human sacrifice and forcing captive women into sexual slavery. Indeed, it was often these enslaved women whom were offered to sailors in trade. Not understanding the internal politics of the natives, many sailors were shocked by how “freely” native chieftains—and even “fathers”—offered their “daughters.” And finally, cannibalism was genuinely practiced by some indigenous people, a custom regarded by most Westerners as a unique form of moral horror.

Of course, an attentive reader doesn’t need to be an historian to see hypocrisy in Western accounts, and it’s fair to say many of those who viewed indigenous people as “savages” were hardly abolitionists and moral pioneers in their own society! Historical records reveal numerous narratives of Western perfidy as well, and when responding to native provocations, a heavy hand was used more often than not. For instance, in retaliation for the death of two sailors, the Wilkes Expedition killed nearly a hundred Tahitians and burned down their villages. In 1830, after a trading excursion turned violent, Captain Morrell of the Antarctic returned to Fiji with swivel guns, slaughtering the mendacious natives from a fortified encampment. As the captain’s wife Abby wrote in her journal: “I could not but deplore the sacrifice of the poor, misguided, ignorant creatures, who wore human form, and had souls to save. Must the ignorant always be taught civilization through blood?—situated as we were, no other course could be taken.”

Roleplaying the Era
While a wise Keeper should keep all these factors in mind, White Leviathan is not a thesis in postcolonial studies. As mentioned in “Notes on Sensitivity” in the campaign’s introduction, a Keeper should refrain from embracing the moral balm of presentism. The presence of Western colonialism should be part of the background noise, the all-pervasive product of imperial forces encountering civilizations with inferior technology and lacking the ability to defend themselves. It should not be presented as a didactic lesson in morality, where white equals “bad” and native equals “good.” People of all races in White Leviathan are capable of great charity and unspeakable horror, and the scenario works best if it remains focused on the actions of individuals. Violence, bigotry, hypocrisy, contradiction, and self-righteousness are the birthrights of all humans, whether a merchant captain from Innsmouth or a Kát warrior from Kith Kohr. Just play everyone as complicated individuals interacting within a field of different cultural values, and the rest takes care of itself: there will be moments of horror, ambiguity, and beauty in abundance. And in the end, remember this is a Call of Cthulhu scenario set in an impersonal, Darwinian world, with the Mythos itself as ultimate “colonizer.”

Chile, Peru and Ecuador

As many of the encounters in Chapter 3 occur on or off the coasts of Chile, Peru and Ecuador, The Keeper should be passingly familiar with these countries as they existed in 1845. All three are independent Spanish republics with strong Catholic backgrounds. They are listed in the order they are “encountered” by the Quiddity, moving south to north.

Chile
Having declared its independence from Spain in 1818, Chile is one of the most powerful nations in South America. Bolstered by its booming silver mines and supporting a wealthy aristocracy, Chile is aggressively expansionist, having recently annexed the Chiloé Archipelago and settling the Norte Chico. The port of Valparaíso has emerged as an important trading center, and competition with Peru is beginning to intensify. In 1845, the president of Chile is General Manuel Bulnes, a hero of the revolution with a reputation as an “Indian fighter.”

The population of Chile is mostly Spanish settlers, mestizos, and Mapuche Indians. Slavery was abolished in 1821, but Chile never had a large population of Africans—the forced bondage of Indians was more economical, although some Africans were enslaved in the gold mines. Aside from the “silver rush,” Chile is an important source of copper, wheat, and saltpeter—the latter used in fertilizers and explosives.

The Near Future
In the next few years, Chile will launch a drive for colonization, inviting thousands of Germans fleeing the revolutions of 1848 to settle the land near Lake Llanquihue. Although Chile’s relationship with the Mapuche is largely peaceful in 1845, soon the growing European population results in an agricultural push inland. This drives the Mapuche against the Argentines, igniting two decades of armed conflict between the Mapuche and their aggressive neighbors. In 1865 Chile will again fight Spain in the Spanish-South American War of 1865-1879. Shortly thereafter, Chile’s economic tension with Peru and Bolivia erupts in the Saltpeter War of 1879-1884.

Peru
Peru gained its independence in 1824 after Peruvian forces defeated the Spanish at the Battle of Ayacucho. In 1845, the country has just emerged from a period of civic strife. After an unsuccessful attempt to annex Bolivia resulted in the death of President Augustín Gamarra, Peru descended into anarchy. Various caudillos fought for power, resulting in successive coups followed by short-term presidencies. After defeating their political rivals, the faction led by General Ramón Castilla claimed power, installing Manuel Menéndez as president in October 1844.

Once the center of the Incan Empire, Peru is now populated by Spanish settlers, mestizos, Quechua Indians, and Aymara Indians. African slavery remains legal in Peru. The country’s main exports are silver and guano, but the silver mines have entered a period of decline. Along with Valparaíso and Acapulco, Peru’s Callao is among Spanish America’s most important Pacific ports.

The Near Future
In April 1845, Present Menéndez will be succeeded by Ramón Castilla, who’ll preside over a period of relative stability. Slavery will be abolished in 1854. Peru will fight in the Spanish-South American War of 1865-1879. Shortly thereafter, Peru allies with Bolivia and fights Chile in the Saltpeter War of 1879-1884.

Ecuador
Established on land wrested from the Incan Empire, the country that would eventually become the Republic of Ecuador passed through several stages of colonization and independence until settling its continental borders in 1830. Two years later, Ecuador annexed the Galápagos Islands. In 1845 the country is still politically volatile; indeed, on March 6, 1845, President Juan Jose Flores, “The Founder of the Republic,” will be deposed during a “March revolution” led by Vincente Ramon Roca. Although this places Roca’s marcistas in power, his coalition is fractious, consisting of Catholic priests, liberal intellectuals, and wealthy aristocrats.

In 1845 the population of Ecuador is a mix of Spanish settlers, mestizos, and Indians, mostly descended from the Incans. While slavery was formally abolished in 1822, many Africans remain impoverished, still working on Spanish plantations. Ecuador has several lucrative gold mines, and is an important source of cocoa, sugar, palm oil, and bananas.

The Near Future
The March Revolution triggers a lengthy period of political instability, with a rotating cadre of presidents attempting to prevent Flores from regaining power. Ultimately, they will be successful. After a year of anarchy known as El año terrible (1859), the Conservatives take power, and Gabriel García Moreno becomes president. Considered a dictator by the Liberals, Moreno will be assassinated by “secret conspiracy of Freemasons,” hacked to death by machetes on the palace stairs. History shall record Moreno’s last words as “¡Dios no muere!”—God does not die!

Los Caleuches

Although it would be cheaper to reprovision at Masafuera or Talcahuano, there’s an ulterior motive for the Quiddity to anchor at Valparaíso (Encounters 4-5). The port is a center for a Patagonian cult named Los Caleuches, a group of sorcerers who worship a Green Flame located in the Cueva de Quicaví, a cavern along the eastern shore of Chiloé Island. Representing a fusion of European witchcraft and Chilote mythology, Los Caleuches take their name from El Caleuche, a “living” ghost ship commanded by powerful brujos and crewed by undead sailors. Over time, the cult expanded into a larger organization called La Recta Provincia; but while the “outer republics” drifted towards more traditional forms of witchcraft, the “Comité Central” of Los Caleuches continues to follow more eldritch methods.

Los Caleuches and the Covenant
In 1820 Gideon Sleet made contact with Los Caleuches, and spent three months exchanging information with their kalkus, or evil shamans, in the Cueva de Quicaví. Both groups worshipped the Green Flame, but the Covenant’s understanding of its powers and origin was more advanced. The Chileans believe the Green Flame is the blood of Tenten Vilu and Caicai Vilu, primordial sea monsters who created the world. Lacking access to the Black Book texts, Los Caleuches have no deeper knowledge of Cthoaanesel, and consider the Deep Ones to be little more than the bastard children of El Pincoy and La Sirena, the children of Millalobo, the mythological king of the sea. Deciding the Los Caleuches were too “provincial” to be genuine rivals, Sleet established a loose alliance between the groups. The Bons pêcheurs taught Los Caleuches how to summon Byakhees—los basiliscos—and in return, the Chileans taught the Kingsporters how to create a macuñ, a vest made from the flayed torso of woman that conveys the power of flight.

El ídolo del invunche
In 1835, third mate William Pynchon of the Quiddity spent three days with Los Caleuches, meeting directly with their leader, the kalku known as El Rei. On his first day at the Cueva de Quicaví, the King showed Pynchon a statuette of the “invunche,” a mythological being created by Chilote brujos to protect their magic caves. Although the ability to create these guardians had been lost, the idol was of great importance. It was also quite curious in design, carved from a kind of resinous material said to be hacked from the body of a cherruves, a serpentine creature believed to summon comets and bring misfortune. This legendary creature was exposed by an earthquake in the eighteenth century, the idol crafted by the legendary machi Chilpilla herself.

Pynchon recognized the idol for what it was—an Azabhael, a shard from one of the forty-nine vessels that imprisoned Dagon’s sundered Kha, the Green Flame. Shocked that Los Caleuches were unaware of its true power, Pynchon spent two days bargaining with the kalkus. In the end he struck a deal: Los Caleuches would trade the idol for the Codex Dagonensis, a book that would give them the power to summon Deep Ones. The fact the book would also grant them a better awareness of the Green Flame was not a concern—surely Rowena Tuttle could edit the copy appropriately?

Sources & Notes

The author is greatly indebted to three principle sources for this chapter—Nathaniel Philbrick’s In the Heart of the Sea, Francis Allyn Olmsted’s Incidents of a Whaling Voyage,  and William Comstock’s The Life of Samuel Comstock, The Terrible Whaleman. All three have been tapped for colorful details about the Quiddity’s South American ports-of-call. David Igler’s The Great Ocean: Pacific Worlds from Captain Cook to the Gold Rush has also been invaluable, offering a portrait of the Pacific Ocean as an “international waterscape” brimming with conflict and opportunity.

White Leviathan, Chapter 3—Pacific Ocean I
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Author: A. Buell Ruch
Last Modified: 3 April 2024
Email: quail (at) shipwrecklibrary (dot) com
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