The "Tales of Terror" were created by Steve Hatherley back in the early 1990s,  giving Keepers short ideas from which they could build instant scenarios. Each TOTs (as Steve abbreviated it) starts with a general situation followed by three different possibilites for that situation.  It was from Steve's TOT idea that I came up with my TOT generator known as "The Stones of Doom". This version of "Stones" was published on Steve's website and was translated into French.

The investigators are spending an uneventful night in a supposedly haunted house (it’s not). At two in the morning they hear the drum of heavy rain, then the clattering of hail. This soon changes to a heavy thumping sound as windows are smashed by severe hail. While trying to block up the broken windows, the investigators see that the hail is not melting on the floor but sinking through it! One investigator grabs a newspaper, attempts to capture some of the weird hailstones. These sink right through the paper and into the floor. Another investigator uses a silver tea tray from the table. The hail stones melt away normally, leaving three small stones which are of uniform color and close in size. There are strange markings on the stones...

1. While investigating the stones, the investigators will come across the name of Ormand Blecht, a self-proclaimed witch and maker of stone charms. While visiting his remote home, the investigators will be attacked by his large black dog, his familiar. They will be forced to kill it or be severely maimed. This act will make Blecht lie to them about the stones. He says that they are very dangerous in their present state. He recommends the stones be re-assembled during a full moon then buried, so that their power may be neutralized. Doing so will cause the stones to hum loudly and bring two shantaks to the investigators’ home.

2. If the investigators re-assemble the stones, the fragments will join, creating a solid crystal. This crystal as such is harmless. Investigation will bring the investigators to Dr. Hamilton Crabtree, researcher at Miskatonic University. Crabtree will offer to expose the crystal to his “light cannon”, a primitive laser. (If the investigators refuse, he will steal them.) Doing so will create a Field of Silence from the Plain of Sound. (The players will then have to proceed without speaking to each other.) The Field of Silence will continue to expand until the crystal is destroyed. The Beings of S’ghluo will send three dimensional shamblers to guard the gateway of their invasion.

3. The investigators notice immediately that the stones are attracted to each other, almost if they were magnetic. As they near joining they begin to give off a wicked energy. They should not be allowed to join or a great explosion will occur(20D8). Research on the hieroglyphs proves them to be of Atlantean origin, a time when many wizards fought battles against each other using such devices. If they stones are placed in separate areas, for example, a safe, a drawer and a pocket, they will escape and begin to creep together again. The stones can melt through any non-living material to rejoin. If the investigators decide to allow the stones to join in a remote place, the explosion will occur to be followed by the arrival of Ghouls (if on land) Deep Ones (if in water) or Hunting Horrors (if in the air).

Copyright G. W. Thomas 1996