Hudson & Brand¸ Inquiry Agents of the Obscure - A Call of Cthulhu Setting for Cthulhu by Gaslight
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Hudson & Brand
The first in Stygian Fox's 'Safe House' series for 7th edition Call of Cthulhu™¸ Hudson & Brand¸ Inquiry Agents of the Obscure is an official Cthulhu by Gaslight™ consulting detective agency in the style of extravagant freelancers¸ such as may be found in the stories of the great Sherlock Holmes or Hercule Poirot. However¸ instead of being a source for the Investigators to plumb for information whenever the situation gets too tough¸ or if they need a nudge in the right direction¸ it is somewhere they can actually inherit¸ utilise in their own investigations¸ or use as a safe haven from the outré horrors of the outside world. It is a starting platform¸ if you will¸ for adventures into the dark and fog-shrouded streets of Mythos-infested London.
Taking its inspirational cues from The Murders at the Rue Morgue¸ A Study in Emerald¸ This House Is Haunted¸ and the stories of Sherlock Holmes¸ the book takes a mature look at the horror of human nature in the capitol of empire and its ability to turn a blind eye to the evil reaches of the Old Ones and their minions.
Inquiry Agents of the ObscureChapter 1: The World of Hudson & Brand briefly covers life in Victorian London and includes a timeline of London as well as ideas for running a Cthulhu by Gaslight campaign and new occupations for 1890s' investigators.
Chapters 2-5: The Beginning of the Agency is split into 4 parts¸ beginning delves into the pasts of Captain Albert Henry Hudson¸ Ulysses Victor Brand¸ how they met¸ and their fateful decision to found the inquiry agency that still bears their names. The following 3 parts details The Early Years¸ The Prime Years¸ and The Later Years of the agency¸ under their stewardship.
Chapter 6: Golden Square & Its Environs covers the agency's physical location¸ 33 Golden Square¸ in Soho. A beautifully crafted map of the agency and it's apartment is rounded out with descriptions of the various rooms and resources available to investigators. This chapter also details nearby points of interest¸ ranging from hospitals and asylums to law enforcement¸ and even the more mundane necessities such as grocers¸ transportation¸ and clubs.
Chapter 7: The Curious Case of Bare-Knuckle Bill is the first of two Cthulhu by Gaslight scenarios. The investigators get an earnest plea for assistance from an urchin who fears his pugilist friend¸ William Hawthorne¸ aka 'Bare Knuckle Bill'¸ has been waylaid and may be dying in a ditch somewhere. The case soon reveals itself to be more than a mere missing person case as Fenians¸ Ruffians¸ and a mysterious woman all begin to hamper the Investigators inquiries.
Chapter 8: Ophelia Rising¸ the second scenario¸ sees the investigators taking a closer look at one of Hudson & Brand's early cases¸ and investigating the Heliogoland Company and their occult dealings.
Chapter 9: Populating London provides Keepers with a myriad number of heroes and villains¸ some mundane¸ and some far more mysterious. Many are named in the case files of the Hudson & Brand agency¸ while others are presented as potential hooks (or foils) as needed. In addition to the NPCs¸ various organisations are referred to and a short bestiary of horrors round out the chapter.
Chapter 10: The Weapons of Hudson & Brand provides writeups and stats for the battery of weapons kept at the agency¸ including several from Hudson's previous life as a Captain in the 42nd (Highland) Regiment of the Foot.
Chapter 11: Artefacts & Curios explores the various baubles and artefacts accumulated by the inquiry agency during Hudson & Bra