Galápagos Islands: Contact and Communion

22) Contact and Communion
Thal’n’lai, June 29-30, 1845

A) The Elder Thing
For the most part, the Elder Thing is mercifully concealed by its nutrient broth. However, anyone who peers into the tabernacle long enough may be rewarded by a tantalizing glimpse of a bioluminescent tentacle, a cartilage wing-tip, or even—oooooh—an eye stalk! Such glimpses require a Hard Spot Hidden roll, and may include a one-time 0/1 Sanity roll. Yes, that thing is definitely not human. The tank is unbreakable; but a character may desire, for whatever inexplicable reason, to slither inside for a better look. Actually coming into contact with the Elder Thing brings an immediate 1/1D6 Sanity roll. (This roll does not apply to Lowell, who’s already spent some time snuggling with Sarah.)

The Elder Thing itself is already half-dead, its flesh slowly rotting and its mind a fraction of its former capacity. It cannot act independently, and it cannot defend itself. Within easy reach of a harpoon or whaling lance, the creature may be put from its misery with a few dozen thrusts—something a whaleman might find quite satisfying! If freed—say hoisted from the tank by a system of pulleys and winches—it dies within hours, writhing and squealing, expiring with a final, mournful sound, a wet, bubbling honking…

But that’s not going to happen, is it Professor Lowell?

B) Contact
The tank filled with transparent gel is used to make Contact with the Elder Thing. This Contact—capital “C!”—is actually Phase 1 of a six-phase process called Metamorphosis, as described under “Lowell’s Metamorphosis” in “Player Character Secrets and Development.” (Phase 1, Contact; Phase 2, Possession; Phase 3, Coexistence; Phase 4, Alignment; Phase 5, Integration; Phase 6, Fusion.) Contact is the longest and most complicated phase in this process, and requires three stages to complete. These stages are described below from the perspective of a human “communicant.”

First-Stage Contact: Baptism
The subject is placed in the tank opposite the Elder Thing’s prison. The hatch sphincters shut as he sinks into the gel, which conforms to his body temperature and oxygenates to the amount required for stable respiration. This means the subject must overcome his drowning reflex and breathe the super-oxygenated fluid! The first time this occurs costs 1/1D6 Sanity points. If the communicant loses 5 or more Sanity points, he panics and attempts to escape the liquid, and cannot try again until he’s restored those Sanity points. Even if the subject maintains his calm, a Constitution roll is required for his body to pass through the initial shock unscathed, otherwise the attendant convulsions cause physical damage that permanently lowers his CON score by 1 point.

Healing of Body and Spirit
Once the subject acclimatizes to breathing the fluid, his body becomes more tranquil and the pain subsides. It’s around this time the tank introduces tailored neurochemicals into the gel, which stimulate a mild psychedelic experience akin to a moderate dose of psilocybin. There’s a sense of profound “opening up” as the self begins to dissolve and the body expands into the universe. As this is happening, the tank repairs cellular damage recently experienced by the communicant’s body. This restores all lost hit points, and cures diseases caused by invasive organisms such as bacteria, viruses, amoebas, fungi, parasites, etc.

Contact with the Elder Thing

The Elder Thing’s tank activates soon after the communicant’s tank closes, its globe of mercury revolving in the opposite direction. A pale green fire spills from the ceiling spike and arcs between the pair of spinning globes. The fire sheds no warmth, and emits a complex odor with notes of brine, corruption, and burning metal. Contact is sudden, startling, and brutal. The communicant is flooded by impressions of unbearable intensity: ancient pain and impossible solitude, the dizzying gulf between stars, a terrible feeling of sadness lasting 50 million years. This exposure to an alien mind brings a Sanity roll for a 1D4/2D4 loss.

Scenario 1: Low Sanity Loss
If the communicant passes the roll, or doesn’t lose enough Sanity to cause Temporary or Indefinite Insanity, he weathers the psychic barrage and enters a world of kaleidoscopic marvels. He immediately understands that the Elder Thing is an ancient alien, one with advanced scientific powers. And it’s dying, that much is certain—but it also wants to pass on its knowledge. After a few hours of basking in the Thing’s intelligence, the psychedelic wears off and the “Baptism” is complete. The communicant emerges from the tank with +3 points in Cthulhu Mythos and a new skill: Language (Elder Thing) 1%. He also receives 2D4 skill points to spread around any science, math, engineering, or medical skill.

Scenario 2: High Sanity Loss
If the Sanity roll results in Temporary or Indefinite Insanity, the communicant becomes overwhelmed by the experience and the Baptism fails. He emerges from the tank with his senses disordered and his mind in shock. It’s certain he experienced something, but it certainly wasn’t a “world of kaleidoscopic marvels!” This failure is permanent—there are no second chances. If forced back into the tank, all subsequent Sanity losses are doubled. Typically, repeated exposures deepen whatever madness has already taken hold of the communicant. Milo Bean fell in love, Steamboat Pete became a minotaur, and Carlos Moreno tried to open a Gate and invite Ariel’s friends to the party. The Keeper may also consider inflicting the character with the Call of Dagon, or advancing them one stage along the track.

Second-Stage Contact: Confirmation
Second-stage Contact may only be initiated by a communicant who’s been successfully Baptized. The communicant again enters the tank, but this time breathing the fluid seems natural. Having had time to process his experience, the communicant is better at managing the flood of impressions, information, and images. He emerges from the session with 1 skill point to spend on any science, mathematical, or engineering skill. Nevertheless, there is a price for this contact, and the communicant must make a 0/1D3 Sanity roll. He has started his “Confirmation.”

Confirmation is a prolonged process, and requires multiple sessions in the tank. This is determined by dividing the communicant’s Intelligence by 5 and rounding down. For instance, a communicant with INT 64 is allowed 64/5 = 12 sessions in the tank. Each session requires a 0/1D3 Sanity roll, but each bestows +1 science-related skill point. This number of Sanity rolls virtually ensures that Confirmation drives the communicant mad. Some deepen their sense of megalomania, others are crushed by the weight of sorrow, while a few become erotically fixated on the Elder Thing.

Eventually the communicant realizes that only so much can be learned using this “psychic” form of Contact—a full transfer of knowledge needs to occur on a physical level. Eventually the Elder Thing begins to whisper certain dark suggestions; intimations that become urges, urges that become compulsions—perhaps it would be best if the communicant came over into the other tank? As this concept is horrifying even to one who’s lost his mind, the Elder Thing begins preying on the communicant’s subconscious, strengthening perceived bonds and fostering delusional constructs. (For instance, Montgomery Lowell began to see his wife, Sarah, and completely repressed the idea that he was “communing” with an eight-foot tall cylindrical alien.)

Upon the final session of Confirmation, the communicant is rewarded with +1 Cthulhu Mythos and +3 Language (Elder Thing). At this point nothing further may be learned from the communicant’s tank. There’s only one way to complete Contact.

Third-Stage Contact: Communion
The final stage of Contact is “Communion,” which requires the communicant to lower himself into the murky, veined fluid of the tabernacle. What happens next depends on his sanity; or rather, how his mind interprets events. An objective observer would see the communicant enfolded by a dying monster, wrinkled and stunted wings curling around naked flesh; its starfish head enveloping the host’s face and thrusting a ribbed oxygen tube down his throat; basal tentacles coiling around his hips and shooting feelers into his spinal cord; and a series of whiplike tendrils penetrating the communicant’s body at nerve clusters along the genitals, umbilicus, vertebrae, neck, and eye sockets. Indeed, some of these “entry points” require modification of the communicant’s flesh, leaving seven fleshy receptacles lipped into the host’s body. These orifices appear to the human eye as small, puckered scars, but in the presence of the Elder Thing, they open like hungry mouths, awaiting the loving tongues of communion.

As said, this is what an objective observer might witness. Lowell believed he was making love to his wife.

Third-stage Contact needs eight sessions to complete. The first seven prepare the host by physically modifying his body, each session costing 1/1D4 Sanity points and producing a new orifice. The final session downloads the Elder Thing’s consciousness into the communicant’s brain. This transfer is preceded by an unimaginable amount of information flooding the communicant’s nervous system—like holding a bucket under Niagara Falls, the communicant gathers what he can, and is overwhelmed by the rest. What happens next involves the injection of long protein strands, the reorganization of the communicant’s neural pathways, and the transfer of the Elder Thing’s consciousness. If the process is successful, the communicant emerges from the tabernacle with 49 skill points to be spread across all science-related skills, +3 Cthulhu Mythos points, +3 Language (Elder Thing) points, and a +5 Dreaming skill. The experience also brings a 1/2D6 Sanity roll. The communicant is now host to the Elder Thing’s consciousness. Within a few weeks, the derelict husk of its body disintegrates, the protective field fails, and Thal’n’lai collapses under the unimaginable weight of the Pacific Ocean.

A History of Failure
Well, that’s what’s supposed to happen; to this date, every attempt at Communion has failed. The Deep Ones of Y’ha-n’thal had their minds erased and their bodies crippled. Unable to retain the Thing’s consciousness, these broken communicants were confined to a remote prison—Lowell’s oubliette. Their bodies wracked by parasites, neglect, and starvation, the creatures were employed as mindless oracles by a caste of fanatical priests. Each expression of unique suffering was interpreted and debated, and each agonizing death was analyzed for omens of the future. When it came time to flee the temple they were simply abandoned. Over time their flesh and bones transformed into soil, leaving only fragments of jewelry and a dissecting needle used to provoke oracular convulsions—Lowell’s so-called “stylus.”

Lowell was the first human being to attempt Communion. Unlike his fishy forerunners, he survived the eighth session; but before the Elder Thing could transfer its consciousness, Lowell’s mind shattered.

C) Lowell and the Elder Thing
Whether or not Lowell has been gradually unraveling the shroud of the Lacuna, coming face to face with Sarah triggers the final revelation. Sarah his estranged wife is in Severnford, attempting to secure an annulment to their marriage. Sarah his lover is a dying alien awaiting a final embrace. How Lowell behaves after this revelation is up to the player, but the amount of Sanity Lowell has lost since arriving on Albemarle Island should factor into his behavior. No matter what course of action he takes, Lowell definitely understands that one last session with the Elder Thing/Sarah will seal his Communion, restore his memories, and crown him as the greatest scientist of the nineteenth century. Of course, that means getting in there with the monster, awakening his drowsy orifices, and loving the alien one last time…

Pynchon’s Reaction
Pynchon is astonished by the Elder Thing—here’s something completely unknown to the Kingsport Cult! While he’s not crazy enough to initiate Contact himself, and would prefer his sailors remain sane, Pynchon is rather curious about the outcome of Lowell’s reunion. If worse comes to worse, they can always put a bullet in the Professor’s head. But what if Lowell could be tempted to reveal the creature’s secrets to William Pynchon himself?

Lowell’s Insights
If Lowell descends into the tank one last time, he gains all his memories back. Because he’s already undergone the first two stages of Contact, he only “earns back” 10 skill points to spread around any science, mathematical, engineering, or medical skill. (These represent a return of knowledge repressed by the Lacuna.) This comes with a restoration of +5 Language (Elder Thing) and a new +5 Dreaming skill. But even more important for the purpose of the narrative, Lowell is granted visions of what actually happened here—the K’th-thyalei, their attempts to steal power from the Elder Things, the cost of their failure, and the dismemberment of their god K’th-oanys-el. This is an excellent opportunity for the Keeper to reveal White Leviathan’s backstory, providing the characters with some insight as to the origins of the Deep Ones, the fall of K’th-oanys-el, and the rise of mammals and whales. The Keeper must not reveal that Dagon is the human name for Cthoaanesel, that the Kingsport Cult is attempting to “resurrect” him, or any hard information on Lothon, Kithaat, or Kith Kohr. (Although some of these things may already be known to the characters.) In other words, give them the ancient history, and let them piece together what’s going on in the present—after all, the Elder Thing only knows its own past.

If Lowell is not present, or decides to forgo Communion; and if the Keeper still wishes the players to know the history of the K’th-thyalei and K’th-oanys-el, that knowledge may be absorbed during an episode of first-stage Contact. And if no character is forced—or willing—to go into the communicant’s tank, that’s just too bad! How can you expect to learn eldritch secrets without a little body horror? (Well, a really nice Keeper—and there may be one or two out there—may allow the characters to glean this information from the murals and mosaics in the Great Hall. That this is pathetic should require no further comment. What, is there something wrong with the tank?)

D) Other Communicants
Whether or not Lowell is present, other characters may wish to establish Contact with the Elder Thing. Lowell’s character is free to have his own thoughts on this matter, which may range from eager camaraderie to hostile jealousy. In any event, the Quiddity is awaiting the party’s return, so even if there’s a volunteer, there’s only time for one session. Additionally, the Keeper is free to place technical limitations on the Cloven Pine to prevent multiple attempts—perhaps the Elder Thing is easily exhausted, or it takes time to replenish the necessary neurotransmitters?

Non-Lowell communicants must follow the guidelines for First-stage Contact, and are expected to roleplay success or failure with equal aplomb. As nobody but Lowell may benefit from directly entering the Elder Thing’s tank, the Keeper is free to discourage such experimentation with punishing Sanity rolls or through narrative prohibitions—“Oh, you need to be successfully Confirmed before you can breathe that toxic sludge, Redburn, and why the hell are you even interested to begin with? That’s Lowell’s girlfriend, buddy.”

Castro’s Reaction
As long as Castro isn’t forced into a tank, he maintains a cautious distance from the Cloven Pine, covering the eyeholes of his hood and cowering on the ground. If he catches glimpse of the Elder Thing he emits a bloodcurdling scream, then falls to the floor sobbing. Although el monstruo does not appear, strange forms bulge beneath Castro’s robes, rippling below the fabric as they yearn towards the tabernacle. If for whatever reason Castro is forced into a tank, el monstruo immediately appears to fight for his freedom.

Castro’s reactions to Quiring or Lowell depend on their actions. Even though they both caused him great harm, he bears them no malice, and genuinely mourns the death of Quiring. If Lowell completes his Communion, Castro understand that el maestro has become one with his wife, and reacts with abject terror—“Son una sola persona, hombre y mujer. Dios tenga misericordia de todos nosotros.” (They are one person, man and wife. God have mercy on us all.”) From this point on, Castro no longer fawns over Lowell, but regards him as a completely different person—“Perdido, perdido, mi maestro está perdido.” (“Lost, lost, my master is lost.”)

E) Leaving Thal’n’lai
Once the characters have finished their business with the tanks, there’s little else to do in Thal’n’lai. They may investigate additional murals, explore the ruins, or even dive for treasures in the lake. The Keeper is free to invent as many fascinating pieces of window dressing as she’d like; but all passages deeper into the temple—what little remains of it!—have been destroyed. If the Keeper is looking for a more dramatic conclusion, the completion of Lowell’s Communion may destroy the Elder Thing’s body, which terminates the protective field keeping the Great Hall intact. In time-honored pulp fashion, the temple begins collapsing around their heads, precipitating a dramatic escape on the whaleboat—“Paddle faster! The whole place is coming down!”

Prisoner Scenario: Contact and Communion

A cooperative Lowell is allowed to complete his Communion, a fascinated Quiring recording detailed notes in his journal. Although the Jesuit is eager to earn about Lowell’s experience in the tank, he’s canny enough to ensure the Professor remains under guard—who knows what powers he’s been granted? After their business is concluded, they return to Lowell’s cave, where Quiring renews his pitch to “convert” Lowell.

If a different player character has been selected to make Contact, he’s marched up the spiral stairs at gunpoint. Any attempts to struggle are met with violence, possibly served with a dose of Sycorax. Quiring knows the communicant’s tank heals all wounds, so he’s not afraid to shoot a reluctant candidate in the stomach. How this communicant is treated after the Baptism is up to the player character, who must roleplay the appropriate loss of Sanity.

White Leviathan, Chapter 4—Galápagos Islands
[Back to Encounter 21, The Cloven Pine | White Leviathan TOC | Forward to Encounter 23, Turning the Tables]

Author: A. Buell Ruch
Last Modified: 27 December 2023
Email: quail (at) shipwrecklibrary (dot) com
White Leviathan PDF: [TBD]