Session 4 – Peru – Arriving at the Temple

This is the 4th session of our adventure. If you want to get Masks of Nyarlathotep, please click the links below. It helps the channel out if you buy from these links!

Masks of Nyarlathotep Adventure: https://amzn.to/3B0Ztt0

Call of Cthulhu Investigators Handbook: https://amzn.to/4fHaRdi

Call of Cthulhu Keeper Rulebook: https://amzn.to/4dilnpG

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In this session, the investigators continue their journey through the treacherous Peruvian wilderness. After surviving the Kharisiri attack in Puno, they trek towards a mysterious pyramid deep in the jungle. Along the way, they encounter an injured boy and a wary farmer, Julio, who is helping to save the boy’s life. The group presses on toward their destination, but the journey proves more dangerous as strange creatures and unsettling discoveries emerge.

Key Characters Introduced

• Julio Cespedes: A Peruvian farmer whose son was nearly killed in a Kharisiri attack. Grateful for the group’s help, he provides them with food and shelter, warning them of the dangers ahead, especially the cursed pyramid.
• Domingo Cespedes: The farmer’s boy, who had bite marks on his chest, was at the death’s door when the party found him.

Key Events

• Helping Julio’s Son:
  • The investigators encounter a young boy gravely injured from what appears to be a Kharisiri attack. Bessie expertly tends to the boy’s wounds, using the last of her medical supplies, saving his life. Julio, the boy’s father, is profoundly thankful and offers the group food and shelter for the night. During their stay, they learn more about the Kharisiri and the cursed pyramid they are approaching.
• The Journey to the Pyramid:
  • After a restful night, the group resumes their journey toward the pyramid. Along the way, they face the challenges of altitude sickness, hunger, and a growing sense of dread as they witness the aftermath of the Kharisiri attacks.
• The Creature at the Pyramid:
  • Upon arriving at the pyramid, the group spots a terrifying figure with a grotesquely distended stomach. The figure vomits a putrid white fluid into a crack in the pyramid’s structure before disappearing. Those who witnessed the sight struggled with their sanity, shaken by the strange ritual they had just seen.
• Exploring the Pyramid’s Exterior:
  • The investigators approach the pyramid cautiously. They observe strange wind patterns, causing eerie whistling sounds as they pass through gaping mouths carved into the stone. Omar and Emerson make a disturbing discovery—a pit filled with bodies, some only a few days old, and a hidden tunnel at the bottom that appears to lead deeper underground.
• Descent into the Pyramid:
  • The group enters the pyramid, some climbing down through shafts and some through the pit of dead bodies they found. As they make their way inside, the structure proves to be as treacherous as it is mysterious. Some fall through concealed shafts, landing in a short hallway within the pyramid’s depths.
• Discovering the Kharisiri on their Beds
  • As the group ventures deeper into the pyramid, they come across a chamber that looks like a resting area filled with artifacts and gold. To their horror, they find two Kharisiri lying on makeshift beds, their grotesque, pale bodies still and silent, as if in some form of hibernation. The investigators are torn between wanting to kill the creatures before they awaken and the fear of alerting anything else in the pyramid. After tense deliberation, they decide to kill them before they wake.
• Encounter with the Larva:
  • Inside the pyramid, the investigators come face-to-face with the larva of the Kharisiri. These grotesque, worm-like creatures attacked Bessie as she entered the pool of fat. The investigators realize these larvae are likely responsible for the Kharisiri’s ability to spread their parasitic curse.

Standout Moments

• Bessie’s calm and collected demeanor while tending to Julio’s son demonstrates her medical expertise. She earns the group the trust of the locals, who become an ally in their journey.
• The grotesque sight of the distended creature vomiting white fluid into the pyramid’s crack was a moment of sheer terror, forcing multiple investigators to make sanity rolls.
• Omar’s discovery of the hidden tunnel beneath a pit of bodies was a chilling realization, signaling they would face even darker horrors ahead.
• The group’s entry into the pyramid’s lower chambers is tense, especially as they come into contact with the sleeping Kharisiri and grotesque larva wriggling in the pool of fat.

As the investigators navigate the labyrinthine depths of the cursed pyramid, they face horrors beyond their imagination—from grotesque larvae writhing in the pool of fat to the unsettling sight of dormant Kharisiri. With every step deeper into the ancient structure, the danger increases, and the group realizes that the true heart of this mystery may be far darker than they had ever anticipated. What other secrets—and terrors—lie ahead, waiting for them in the shadows? Only time will tell, but the investigators know that retreat is no longer an option.