CoC - Aspirations of Ascension

[fatolaf]

The public first learned of it in February, when a vast series of raids and arrests occurred, followed by the deliberate burning and dynamiting - under suitable precautions - of an enormous number of crumbling, worm-eaten, and supposedly empty houses along the abandoned waterfront. Uninquiring souls let this occurrence pass as one of the major clashes in a spasmodic war on liquor.
     - H.P. Lovecraft, The Shadow over Innsmouth

The setting of Call of Cthulhu: The Card Game is not only about cosmic horrors running rampant on the countryside. A lot of the terrible situations that drive the action forward result from the actions of Arkhams' human inhabitants. The game is roughly set in the early 30's of the 20th century, a part of history known as the Prohibition. With The Volstead Act in place, it became very interesting for enterprising business men to take advantage of the fact that alcohol is easy to make and high in demand. The fact that booze is now illegal only serves to drive the price up.

Most of this nasty illegality is presented in the game by The Syndicate, a loose amalgamation of rum-runners, corrupt politicians and sleazy journalists, centered around the Clover Carthage Company – an Irish truck company that forms the front of a large smuggling and bootlegging network and the Clover Club, their flagship speakeasy. For organized crime however, the faction lacks any true organization. Other groups have a central figure.

There are subtypes that have a central character that exemplifies how their group functions. Serpents have Yig (Screams from Within, F85) for example. A wide-spread subtype like "criminal" had to do without it, so far. They're just a semi-loose collection of cheap characters. The Irish will get some backup now, at the top of their resource curve.

Reorganization

Johnny Valone (Aspirations of Ascension, F76) is a criminal of French/Italian descent that went through the ranks quickly and now tries to take over Arkham's underworld, being particularly adept at the Syndicates' ability to Intimidate (Secrets of Arkham, F16) whoever stands in the way. This ability is also tied into the skill reduction ability of the faction.

With Johnny V on the table, Clover Club Torch Singer (Core Set, F66) can do double duty, not only reducing skill, but also keep others in lockdown. Even a character like Demented Caretaker (Ancient Horrors, F8) will have some use after the 'comes into play' ability has been used.

Get On Yer Feet! (Core Set, F78) has amazing synergy with Mr. V, especially when combined with Gregory Gry (Twilight Horror, F5) – exhausting at least 4 characters, including most Ancient Ones is enough to shatter anyone's' dreams. The last time we looked at Syndicates rum-running operation they were starting to run things from the Atwood Science Hall (Core Set, F35.) This place is non-unique and turns your average Extortionist (Core Set, F71) into a highly skilled operative.

There are a lot of options opening up for syndicate, now that their most used subtype has a new function, as Valone is for all intents and purposes Syndicates' own Ancient One card.

[fatolaf]

Something to warm the cockles of Yog players...

From an oval body protruded countless thin, pointed spines of multi-colored metal; at the more rounded end of the oval a circular, thick-lipped mouth formed the center of a spongy face, from which rose three yellow eyes on thin stalks. Around the underside of the body were many white pyramids, presumably used for locomotion. The diameter of the body must have been at least ten feet at its least wide...
     -Ramsey Campbell, The Inhabitant of the Lake

Like a Moth To a Flame

There is something about the Great Old Ones created by Ramsey Campbell that draws you right into the story. Take Y'Golonac (Core Set, F122) – Characters are hard-pressed to resist his lure. Entranced they walk blindly to their doom and when they meet the horror it's already too late. Even if they survive the encounter with mind and body intact, most characters can be only in one place at a time, so they'll miss any appointments they had planned at other stories.

Making things worse, there are some cards that reduce the effectiveness of these misguided souls, like the soon-to-be-reprinted Cthuga (Ancient Horrors, F15) who, as a sentient conflagration brings a whole new dimension to that moth/flame relationship.

Flies, Honey, Vinegar

At the other side of the spectrum, it's possible to keep characters away from stories. Both The Sleepwalker (The Antediluvian Dreams, F52) and Unfathomable Elder Thing (The Horror Beneath the Surface, F33) can keep away certain subsets of characters. Combining drawing things in and pushing them away can give you a good control over the ebb and flow of the story phase, setting up encounters so the outcome is favorable to you.

The Aspirations of Ascension Asylum Pack contains another Ramsey Campbell deity: Glaaki, The Inhabitant of the Lake (Aspirations of Ascension, F78) who brings together the power of Y'Golonac and Cthuga in a deadly cocktail of destruction. Characters that are captivated by the summons of Glaaki can only hope to have some friends at their sides or go horribly insane, or worse, being helpless alone without their icons...

Shockingly, it doesn't even matter if you're a puny mortal or a full-fledged Ancient One. It's all the same to Glaaki.

The Followers of Glaaki

Those who aspire ascension through the Inhabitant of the Lake are promised eternal life. The spiny slug can choose to inject it's victim with a strange fluid, transforming the misinformed subject into an undead Servant of Glaaki (Aspirations of Ascension, F79) enslaving them forever.

These servants join in with the Seekers of Mysteries (Secrets of Arkham, F47) in raising their master. Being in the same faction as Doppelgänger (The Wailer Below, F79) it's easy to raise an undead army in no time. Should they fall to overeager government agents or should The Green Decay destroy one of these servents, more can be induced on the spot.

Fusion Powered

Like Glaaki fuses the power of two other Ancient Ones together, his Initiation of Glaaki (Aspirations of Ascension, F80) is a combination of A Single Glimpse (Core Set, F117) and Unspeakable Resurrection (Core Set, F119) as the sacrifice is turned into another servant. If there wasn't a Servant from Out of Time (Core Set, F102) around to set up a Servant in your discard pile, don't worry, the sacrifice is still made even when you'll have to make do without an extra zombie on your side. As all sacrifice effects make each other stronger, that's not all is gone to waste.

Glaaki is more than a card or an Ancient One; It's a module that can be added as a support strategy to any Yog-Sothoth deck. Being the third Ancient One available in this faction and having the ability to do some crowd control makes Glaaki ideally suited for your Things in the Ground (Secrets of Arkham, F31) deck. Just make sure you're not lured in too closely.