De Beulen Huis- het einde van verdriet

First off let me just preface this with the fact that everything herein is fiction. I am creating a factious graveyard for use as a possible location in a Call of Cthulhu scenario. I have selected a few words and point out some Danish history but other than that it is a complete fabrication.

The De Beulen Huis has its first mention in a document found in Kronborg Castle dating 1067. It is stated that a man only referred to as "the flayer", was sealed in a tomb at the location that is now known as the De Beulen Huis graveyard (Danish translation "The Executioners House"). The tomb in question sits on a small rise in the center of the graveyard. It is said that the tomb was the first structure in this desolate location and over the years other graves were created around it eventually becoming a legitimate graveyard that is no longer in use today. Unlike many graveyards in the region, there is no church or religious structure near the cemetery. It sits in a remote location several miles outside of the nearest town. There is only one road which leads to the ancient burial ground and it stops at the gate. The location is surrounded by bog and thick forest and is extremely difficult to reach from any direction save the one road that leads to it. The legend says that "the flayer" was entombed alive and remains so, sealed by dark magic that corrupted the souls of the five men who sealed him there.

It is also said that the five men who originally entombed "the flayer" were buried at five strategic spots around the center tomb. The positions of the graves are remarked to be in the precise positions needed to create a five-pointed star with the tomb of "the flayer" in the center. They are said to stand eternal vigil so that "the flayer" could never again walk in the land of the living. Great magic is said to have been performed upon the burial of each man, a ritual that would allow the deceased to remain conscious in their grave waiting for any sign of "the flayers" return. These five were said to carry with them into their grave's powerful artifacts needed to subdue the demon and reseal the tomb. It is impossible to determine the locations of these graves as most of the older graves in the cemetery are either unmarked or have no name or distinguishing coat of arms on the gravestones.

Due to its location far outside of the closest town's limit, it was an ideal place to bury the bodies of criminals who were executed or had died in prison. Most agree that this is how the cemetery got its name "The Executioners House". Because of the tales told about the first occupant of the graveyard and the many criminals buried around the original tomb the place gained a reputation for being not only haunted but considered a location at which one could enter hell itself. In a circumference of around 100 yards with the center being the tomb of "the flayer" are the graves of criminals of all types; generally the most grievous and heinous of crimes were attributed to them. These graves date from the early 1100s to the 1400s. In 1448, the war between Denmark and Sweden over who should be the new king after Christoffer the Third's death broke out, lasting 7 years. The war changed much of the surrounding areas and the cemetery was forgotten for a time. During this period, the graveyard went unused and unnoticed; many groups and individuals seeking dark power came to the graveyard believing it had a direct connection to the underworld. The first mention of De Beulen Huis in occult literature is an excerpt from the De Vermiis Mysteriis written in 1542 by Ludwig Prinn. The passage in question, as translated from ancient Latin, is as follows; "The Executioners House" holds a key component for the suspension of a soul in eternal darkness. The dust of the flayer can be used as a catalyst along with other components to suspend an enemy's soul for eternity in a vessel which has been anointed with a concoction created from these ingredients". The second mention of the cemetery comes from the Cabala of Saboth written in 1686 by an unknown author. It speaks of powerful magic performed in the "House of the Executioner" which allowed the souls of the "Five Guardians" to be held in an eternal watch, holding back the evil presence of "the flayer" from ever being loosed upon the world of men. Finally, the horrible Cultes des Goules by French author Francois-Honore Balfour written in 1702 speaks of catacombs beneath the graveyard by which one could directly enter the underworld. The passage translated to English is as follows; "An extensive system of burrows exists beneath the home of the flayer which, if traversed, leads to the underworld. This is one of several entrances in the waking world." The graveyard has also been spoken of in many less potent books about the occult and magical rituals past and present.

As we go further from the center of the graveyard the graves become more mundane. The outside perimeter is comprised entirely of normal graves of which the most recent dates 1736. The site is now considered a historical landmark and is visited frequently by those who have an interest in the darker past. Many ghost stories exist regarding the cemetery as well as notable folktales about some of the residents. Considered to be one of the most potent locations in regards to dark magic, it is very likely while visiting De Beulen Huis to see individuals and groups engaged in dark rites or rituals. It is well known that no one should ever visit De Beulen Huis at night. It is also said that groundskeepers and visitors to the site have found corpses of animals used in blood sacrifices frequently at the cemetery. As many as five murders have been committed as part of dark rituals performed in the graveyard in the darkest hours of the night, three of which are confirmed by police evidence collected at the scene. The other two murders alleged to have been committed in De Beulen Huis are more rumor than fact however some emphatically believe them to be true, even if the bodies were never found once the authorities reached the site for investigation.

Among many tales of evil demons, witchcraft and sorcery that are prevalent in almost every location of this charnel house there are four to which special note must be made. These stories, though considered to be folklore, have the particular quality of having historical records corroborate some of the details pertaining to the persons involved and the events that ultimately lead to their final resting place in De Beulen Huis. Of course the story of "the flayer" is the most popular and oldest of these and is the story to which the graveyard takes its name. The second oldest of these tales is that of Bernt Munken a man from a village twenty miles north of De Beulen Huis who was apprehended and convicted for the deaths of over thirty children from the area. Third in line was Ellory MontePellier, a French woman who was convicted of witchcraft in the middle 12th century. It is said she was buried alive because they were unable to kill her by conventional means. Finally, there is the tale of "The Lurker" which was written about in Vatican documents stating that priests were sent to the location in an attempt to cleanse the area of an evil presence. The four priests never returned to the Vatican but are credited with putting what was said to be, a creature burrowing beneath the town of Hutsbael, down. They tracked the creature to what was its den beneath none other than De Beulen Huis cemetery. Historians from the Vatican have stated that many of the older archives are written in a more symbolic nature and it is difficult to perceive them in a literal manner. They did not, however, deny the claims written in these testimonies.

In addition to the historical oddities in the location, several natural anomalies occur in the area as well. Most vegetation in De Beulen Huis seems to be unable to thrive, with the exception of a specific species of birch trees and several varieties of fungus, which grow abundantly throughout the cemetery. All other vegetation is unable to grow; it could be an issue with the soil in the area coupled with the near-constant and oppressive foul weather of the region or as some ancient tomes suggest, the blight of evil is so strong that nothing will grow. This leaves the location with a look of constant decay and dilapidation. It is said that to stand in De Beulen Huis is to stand within hell itself.

A notable landmark of the graveyard is the witch tree that stands in the northeast section, close to the dark forest that borders part of the north and most of the west sides. Beneath the tree lies the grave of Miss Ellory MontePellier, who, as the story goes, was buried alive after being accused of witchcraft and other heinous crimes. The tree that grows here constantly secretes a dark red sap that looks very similar to blood, and thus the tales of the bleeding witch tree have taken hold. Samples of the substance have been tested and do contain some properties of blood however it is not identified as human or any known animal and has also been found to not be any known tree sap.

One hundred yards north of the location that is reported to be the burial site of "the flayer" is what has become known as the wailing tomb. This tomb whose identifying markings have long since worn away is said to have a peculiar wailing sound that emanates from beneath it occasionally. The tomb stands eight feet tall, ten feet in width and fifteen feet in depth, most of which is covered by the accumulation of sediment, fungus, and moss, leaving it to look much more like a natural mound than a tomb. The wailing sound can be heard randomly, day or night, and has a very uneasy feel to it. Researchers have said that there is most likely a natural cavern beneath the structure that may have exposed itself, through which the passage of wind creates the unearthly howling sounds. Other less traditional texts identify this, as an entrance into the underworld, most notable of these tomes is the Cultes des Goules by Francois-Honore Balfour.

In the southwest section of the cemetery, there is an unusual series of pathways seemingly worn by a large dog or wolf that run a circuit around five particular graves. The pathways look much like animal paths however wolves or wild dogs have never been witnessed in the area, moreover, no paths are leading away from them suggesting that no animals are coming to or going away from the worn paths. It is also said that leaving any obstruction on the paths overnight will result in the obstruction being cast aside come morning. Due to the dangers of staying the night in De Beulen Huis, there are no recorded sightings of anything moving the obstructions during the night. Geologists hypothesize that this is some kind of geothermal phenomenon, which causes no vegetation to grow in the paths, as well as creates magnetic or thermal events that cast aside anything placed on the paths.

The most terrifying anomaly in De Beulen Huis has to be what is known as the Bolton Gate. In the northwestern section of the graveyard are two large standing stones of natural origin, each stand approximately ten feet high and are some 4 feet in diameter. They appear to be natural rock, which has been brought to the location and stood up, as the stones, which are a strange mix of granite and limestone, are not indigenous to the area. Between the stones is a clear pathway some 5 feet across which leads to a circular clearing of about a ten-foot diameter beyond the stones. Nothing will grow on the path or the circular clearing which is a near-perfect circle. The circle can be entered from the north and examined however if anything organic passes through the stones from the south heading into the circle it will immediately disappear. It is unknown where such material goes when it passes through the gate but it is said that it is transported to a parallel dimension and exists in De Beulen Huis on a different plane. Tests of this have been performed and confirmed and it is also said that several unfortunate souls have gone missing when tempting fate and passing through the Bolton Gate.

The story of the Bolton Gate is as strange as the behavior of the gate itself. The tale goes that a man named Cornelius Bolton arrived in a village just south of the cemetery asking about a book that was reported to have come from the region. The name of the book is lost in the annals of history however the story of Mr. Bolton has stood the test of time. The book was said to be buried in the grave of a much-feared and loathed wizard who was buried in De Beulen Huis after being hung for unknown crimes. The book, which was rumored to be his book of shadows, was buried with him in hopes that he and his terrible book would never again see the light of day. When Bolton heard the tale he immediately set off for the graveyard with a wagon of digging tools. The next morning he did not appear in town and the locals went out looking for him. Fearing the worst they traveled to the graveyard only to find the standing stones and no sign of Mr. Bolton. One of the search party, a Mr. Dundar Holtz walked between the stones to the circular clearing beyond and vanished from sight. The rest of the party fled in terror and the place was shunned for many years. Eventually, a bold soul who does not believe in the warnings would venture through the gate never to be seen again. To this day there is no clear explanation of the phenomenon and this area is now gated so that visitors do not mistakenly enter the Bolton Gate.

There are many tales of strange and terrifying things in De Beulen Huis and more are uncovered as time passes. There are tales of the cursed graveyard in many books and legends from past to present. Recently more interest has been shown in investigating and attempting to explain some of the strange phenomena which occur but much of it is, as of yet, unexplained. Whatever you believe and however you view this sinister location we can all agree that De Beulen Huis is one of the strangest and mysterious places in the known world.

The Witch Tree:
Ellory Montpellier is buried beneath the tree and was, in fact, a powerful witch. Her grimoire is embedded in the root system of the tree and is a very potent occult tome. A hard Spot Hidden at the base of the tree will reveal a portion of the book and a subsequent Idea roll will reveal that it must be a book embedded in the tree itself. It can be removed with a STR roll vs. the trees STR of 85.

The substance that is secreted from the tree is a mixture of the sap of the tree, the blood of the still-living but buried Ellory Montpellier and the potent magic found in the witch's book. The substance holds one magic point per five fluid ounces, and one fluid ounce per hour can be extracted from the tree if tapped. A spellcaster holding this substance can gain the additional magic points by applying the substance to the skin or empower an object by applying it to the object itself.

Grimoire of Ellory Montpellier
French
+1 Cthulhu Mythos
+10 Occult
Spells: Mind Blast, Contact Nyarlathotep, Send Dreams, Dominate, Summon/Bind familiar, Far Sight, Splendid Reflection

New Spells:

Summon/Bind Familiar: The caster selects an animal of size 15 or smaller. They then create a casting circle in which the animal must remain within throughout the spell. The caster then sacrifices 1d4 magic points and 1 hit point (of blood) and 1d4 SAN. A mixture of herbs and the blood is created in a bowl or cauldron and infused with the magic points. The mixture is then placed on the animal and the chant is repeated for approximately an hour keeping the animal within the circle. Once finished the caster can see through the eyes of their familiar and have them perform small tasks that could be accomplished by the chosen animal.

Far Sight: The caster can gain one piece of information that could happen in the future. Using a bowl of water or mirror the caster allows the light of a candle or the moon to reflect in the mirror or surface of the water and focuses on that point while meditating. The caster then spends a number of magic points equal to the number of days they would like to see into the future. One magic point equals one week.

Splendid Reflection: The caster spends magic points to increase their APP or Charm skills. One magic point for a 5% increase in APP or Charm.

The Wailing Tomb:
Inside this tomb is an entrance to Ghoul burrows that lead to the underworld of the dreamlands. Treat this as any Ghoul burrow with the exception that the exit of the tomb is a secret door that exits the back of the tomb and can only be noticed with an extreme Spot Hidden roll. Any Ghoul hybrid would be able to spot the entrance with a normal Spot Hidden roll.

Spectral Pathways:
It is unknown what exactly causes these spectral pathways. It has been written that it could be Hounds of Tindalos that are guarding something contained in the five graves that the pathways encircle. No one has yet attempted to see what is buried within the graves or spent the night to see what could be creating these paths.

The Bolton Gate:
This is, in fact, a gateway to the dreamlands, the exit of which deposits the traveler on a random location in the Plateau of Leng. This is a one-direction gate; there is no portal back on the other side. The traveler would have to find any of the usual exits from the dreamlands for a person who has physically entered.