Ssathasaa
snake in sheep's clothing
(a.k.a. Bertha Shipley or Arthur Cotting)
Ssathasaa’s great plan involves imbuing
Shipley’s paintings with Gate magic.
If enough magical paintings of the
historic reign of the serpent people are
created, Ssathasaa can open the Gates
to enable his kin to journey from the
past to the present. Having completely
engineered the situation, Ssathasaa has
systematically driven Shipley insane and,
consequently, has complete dominance
over him.
Ssathasaa has but three forms. When he deals
with callers at the house, or while he basks in the
garden, he takes the form of Bertha Shipley, Miles Shipley’s
mother. At other times, when necessary, he takes the form
of Arthur Cotting, a man he consumed when he awoke
from his centuries of slumber—it was in this form that he
first met Shipley. In the house and in his secret basement
room, Ssathasaa goes about as a serpent man. He can
switch from human to serpent form in about 20 seconds.
For him to appear as Bertha Shipley or Arthur Cotting
involves a ritual lasting 1D3 minutes (see the Consume
Likeness spell, Call of Cthulhu Rulebook, page
250). If damaged while in human form (loss
of 1 or more hit points), the shock reverts
him to his original serpent form. In such
an event, Ssathasaa attempts to capture
or kill any witnesses.
Despite Ssathasaa’s magical disguise,
his shadow remains that of a serpent
person and could betray his true nature
to observant onlookers. Consequently, he
never goes abroad in daylight and rarely enters brightly lit places. Though they are cold, he loves
the London fogs, for they dispel precise shadows. The
Keeper may allow investigators to notice “Bertha’s” odd
shadow with either a successful Spot Hidden or Luck roll,
dependent on the location and circumstances.
When the investigators pop up and start asking questions,
Bertha/Ssathasaa gives a wonderful performance of a dotty
old lady, whose memory isn’t quite what it used to be.
Ideally, as Bertha, the serpent man can sell a painting
or two to interested visitors, which helps to maintain a
sense of normality and respectability with the locals. If he
believes that the investigators know of his true existence,
Ssathasaa attempts to capture them (as they could be useful
tools and a handy food source) and only resorts to killing
them if he has no other choice.
While unlikely, should the investigators meet Ssathasaa in
the form of Arthur Cotting, he appears as a local resident,
eager to provide assistance. If Shipley’s name is mentioned,
Arthur/Ssathasaa can remark that Shipley is known to
him: would they like to accompany him to the home of
the artist, who also happens to be his good friend?
Comments