expedition information

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Sanevi l le Histor ical SocietyPresents

The Arctic during the

months in which the expe-

dition takes place is not a

pleasant place to be. The base camp is established

well above the Arctic Cir-

cle. In the Arctic in gen-

eral, summer temperatures

average around fifty de-

grees Fahrenheit while in

the winter, people can ex-

pect to endure twenty de-

gree below zero tempera-

tures on a daily basis (this

does not include the wind

chill factor). While in the

summer the ice in theocean is broken up and

generally navigable, in the

winter the ocean freezes

and by the spring the ice

can easily be ten feet thick.

At the North Pole, where

the winter average tem-

perature is thirty degrees

below zero, the sun never

rises for ninety days before

or ninety days after De-

cember 21 (the shortest day

of the year). The reverse istrue for the same period of

time around June 21. Near

the Arctic Circle itself the

sun will not be seen for a

day or two, but before and

after this, the days are very

short. The result of this is

that during most of the

time the people of the ex-

pedition are likely to spendin the Arctic, they will not

have the benefit of sunlight

for much or any of the day.

They live in a world of

constant twilight, a major

obstacle to overcome.

Volume 1, Number 1

EX PE DIT IO N INFORMATION : TH E ARCTIC

13. February 1999

Items of interest:

• Arctic conditions

• Arctic daily life

• Secrets of the Inuit

• Potential dangers

• Field Medicine

• The Franklin Expedition

W H A T Y O U W I L L F I N D

I N S I D E T H I S G U I D E :

The Arctic 1

Flora and Fauna 1

Travel 2

Equipment 2

Injuries 3

Sickness and Hygiene 4

Surgery 4

Field Medicine 4

The Inuit 5

Inuit Life 5

Inuit Mysticism 6

Inuit Magic 6

The Haida 6

The Tlingit 7

Sir John Franklin 8

The Franklin Expedition 8

W A L K E R I N T H E W A S T E S

F L O R A A N D F AU N A

The Arctic north of the tree

line is characterized by

low, swampy plains con-

taining mosses, lichens,

low shrubs,

and grasses. Little in the

way of substantial cover

can be found. Despite this,

the region supports a large

amount of life. In the sum-

mer months, caribou herds

roam the region. Other

common life forms include

musk oxen, bears, foxes,

hares, squirrels, lemmings,

squaw ducks, eider ducks,

and willow ptarmigans. Po-

lar bears can be a great

threat, especially to those

who are untrained and/or

poorly equipped or pre-

pared. Inuit live off not

only these animals, but also

off seals, fish, and other

products of the ocean.

Arctic base camp with tarpaulin shelter and Fokker airplane



Walker in the Wastes

The experience of prior

Arctic and Antarctic ex-

plorers had proven by the

late 1920s that the most ef-ficient and reliable form of

transportation was the

sledge drawn by a well-

trained and healthy dog

team. Sledges used varied

in size and design, but the

one most likely used by the

expedition members is the

long, low Canadian sledge

known as the komatik . De-

signed for use on rough

tundra and sea ice, it could

carry heavy loads overgreat distances. An addi-

tional advantage possessed

by sledges is the ease in

which they can be repaired.

Siberian or Greenland hus-

kies are most commonly

used as propulsion and the

former is the larger of the

two breeds. They weigh

between sixty and one hun-

dred pounds and can each

pull an average of 120 lbs.,

twenty to thirty miles perday. Except in the most ex-

treme of condi-

tions (generally

only in the Ant-

arctic), they haveno need for shel-

ter. Rather, they

curl up in a ball

and permit snow

to drift over

them, covering

them completely.

Most notably, a

good lead dog

can give warning

of a crevasse

ahead. While Si-

berian ponies have beenused in some areas, none

are available to the investi-

gators unless they go out of

their way to obtain some.

In general, ponies require

more care and suffer more

from inclement weather

than do huskies. When nec-

essary, a person can haul

up to two hundred and fifty

pounds on a sledge, but at

the cost of becoming se-

verely exhausted veryquickly. Motor vehicles

previously used on polarexpeditions had a very poor

track record for perform-

ance despite attempts to de-

sign vehicles resistant to

the environment. For this

reason, none are available

to the expedition members

unless they go out of their

way to obtain some.

to malfunction in the cold.

Perhaps the most suscepti-

ble are firearms. In the

winter months, all firearms

have a chance of failing to

work dependent upon what

type is used. Semi-

automatic and automatic

weapons each have a 15%

chance per day of exposure

outside of shelter of freez-

ing up and becoming inop-

erable. Pump-action and

For the most part, the expe-

dition members should eas-

ily be well prepared for life

in the Arctic. Most of the

equipment is designed to

withstand extreme lows in

temperature and still work

at peak (or close to peak) performance. Much of the

clothing the expedition will

use, for example, is of Inuit

design and some is of Inuit

manufacture. The sled dogs

are bred to survive in the

cold and, with proper care,

will have no problem sur-

viving. Machinery is a dif-

ferent matter, however.

Generators, radios, and

other devices are suscepti-

ble to the cold and must be

constantly watched and

maintained. Anything with

moving parts is susceptible

lever-action weapons each

have a 10% chance per day,

revolvers and bolt-action ri-

fles have a 5% chance per

day, and break-open single

and multi-barrel weapons

(such as double-barrel shot-

guns and Derringers) have a2% chance per day. These

malfunction percentages are

halved if the weapon is regu-

larly cared for and main-

tained. A firearm that has

frozen requires a fairly ma-

jor effort at cleaning in a

relatively warm environment

(such as an igloo or base

camp) which is likely to take

a few hours.

TRAVEL

E Q U I P M E N T

”That is not

dead which can

eternal lie,And with

strange aeons

even death

may die.”

H.P. Lovecraft,

"The Nameless City" (1921); also,

"The Call of Cthulhu" (1926)

Polar explorer with Greenland Husky dogs infront of Basecamp.




The following are common

cold weather injuries that

may plague unlucky or

careless expedition members.

IMMERSION FOOT:

This is caused by immer-

sion in cold water usually

in excess of twelve hours at

temperatures below fifty

degrees Fahrenheit. Symp-

toms include aching and

stinging pain and shriveled

and soft skin.

TRENCH FOOT: This iscaused by exposure to wet-

ness and cold between

freezing and fifty degrees,

lasting hours to several

days. Symptoms include

aching and tingling of feet,

stinging, and gradual

numbing. The skin is soft,

red, and paling.

FROSTBITE: This is

caused by exposure to cold

at temperatures of freezingor below, for minutes to

several hours. Symptoms

include aching, tingling,

and stinging, followed by

numbing and a sense of

comfort. The skin is ini-

tially red, turning to a waxy

white. Frostbite may be

deep or superficial, and is

most likely to affect the

face and other exposed ar-

eas. While it may go unno-

ticed, returning to a warm place will produce symp-

toms (burning, tingling,

numbness, skin mottling,

and grayish skin color).

Deep frostbite generally

occurs in the extremities.In this case, the skin

turns white then turns

purplish-blue when

thawed. This produces

pain, skin blisters, and

gangrene. Treatment for

gangrene requires the

immediate surgical exci-

sion of the affected area(s),

which generally means am-

putation.

HYPOTHERMIA: This isthe general loss of body

heat, which frequently de-

velops with fatigue and

overexposure to cold and

leads to a loss of con-

sciousness and finally

death. Symptoms include

uncontrollable shivering,

dizziness, and drowsiness

and the victim is easily

overtaken by exhaustion.

There are four distinct lev-

els of hypothermia eachwith its own symptoms.

Mild Hypothermia: Bodytemperature drops to 95° to

98° F (35° to 36,6°c) and is

characterized by shivering

and loss of muscle coordi-

nation.

Moderate Hypothermia:

Body temperature drops to

89,6° to 95° F (32° to 35°

C) and is characterized bysevere shivering, slurred

speech, and amnesia.

Marked Hypothermia:


82,4° to 89,6°F (28° to 32°

C) and is characterized by

muscle rigidity, peripheralcyanosis, and, with im-

proper rewarming, signs of

shock.

Severe Hypothermia:


77° to 82,4° F (25° to 28°

C) and is characterized by

loss of

deep tendon reflexes and

ventricular fibrillation. The

victim of severe hypother-

mia may appear deceased,lacking pulse, heart sounds,

or deep tendon reflexes.

Pupils may dilate and the

body may appear to be in

rigor mortis. Death due to

cardiopulmonary arrest oc-

curs if the body tempera-

ture drops below 77° F

(25° C).

IN J U R I E S

”Never is it to be

thought that man is

either oldest or last of

the Masters of Earth;

nay, nor that the great'r

part of life and

substance walks

alone.”

H.P. Lovecraft and August

Derleth, ”The Lurker at the

Threshold”




Each day a character does

not take adequate precau-tions (requiring 2-3 hours

of free time, dry socks, and

medicine for his feet) he

must make a CON roll

starting at CON x5 or con-

tract trench foot. Each ad-

ditional day reduces the

modifier by one to x4, x3,

etc, down to CON x1 on

the fifth day. Once trench

foot is contracted, further

precautions will not help

the condition; only a suc-cessful Medicine roll and a

week of rest provide cure.

Each day a character has

trench foot, his maximum

move is reduced by one (i.

e. from 8 to 7, 7 to 6, etc.). Note that these penalties to

movement are cumulative

with encumbrance penal-

ties. Once a characters

Move (without load)

reaches 0, gangrene sets in

and the character will lose1D3 hit points per day until

death or until surgery is

performed. Gangrenous

feet will require 1D6 toes

to be amputated (a roll of 6

means the foot must go as

well). Characters need a

CON x5 roll for each week

spent in the interior, which

should be debilitating but

fatal only in extreme cases.

per week of rest (the 2D3

If practiced in the field, a

First Aid roll cannot boost

a characters weekly healing

rate or revive a character

who has just died, due to

lack of proper medical

equipment and technique.

Medicine rolls are impossi-

ble in the field. At a camp,

Medicine rolls are possible,and any character in camp

convalescing is assumed to

recover 1D3+1 hit points

rate just isn't possible in the

adverse conditions).

SURGERY

S ICK NE SS A ND H YGIENE

F IE L D ME DICINE

point per day from internal

injuries and general dete-rioration until surgery is

performed (these “wasting

points” cannot be treated

with First Aid). A character

must make a CON x5 roll

or die on the operating ta-

ble. If the roll is successful,

the character can begin

convalescing in the camp at

a rate of 1D3+1 hit points

per week of rest.Any single wound which

does more than half a char-acters hit points (or maims/

severs a hit location, if the

CoC hit location system is

used) induces bleeding at

the rate of one hit point per

round. A successful First

Aid roll is needed to stop

the bleeding (hence the

field dressings), but the

character will lose one hit

I Am The Ancient And my sorrow isgreat.

The cold wind of the farStars is the breath Idraw, And my veins are asice.

I am humbled; I amreduced.

But the keys of oldShall yet find doors ofyielding, And my fury shall findreleaseon the cold ice and theburning sands alike,and my voice shall

again be heardamong the stars,

and the spaces

between them…

In the interior and polar regions care-lessness quickly leads to death.

5 Explorers by snow igloo, illus-trating the adverse conditionsavailable to medical personnel.




When European and

American searchers arrived

in the area years after the

disappearances of the Brit-ish exploratory vessels Ere-

bus and Terror, one of the

most valuable sources of

information were the Inuit

since most records left by

the expedition were lost or

destroyed. Expedition after

expedition contacted the

Inuit over the next several

decades. Unfortunately,

there were problems com-

municating with them.

First, the Inuit sense oftime was completely un-

trustworthy.

When an Inuit was asked

how long ago men were

seen coming across the ice

with sledges, he might re-

spond by saying six months

ago. In reality, the event he

is describing may have oc-

curred thirty years ago. It

isn't that he is lying; rather,

they often don't understand

or relate to our rigorousstructuring of time. In a

land where the sky looks

the same for weeks on end,

how could they? The inves-

tigators will certainly en-

counter this problem. An-

other problem in communi-

cations is the likelihood

that the Inuit will say what

they think the questioner

wants to hear. In other

words, if an Inuit were

asked if any Europeans hadlived with them for a pe-

riod of time, his answer

would likely depend on

whether or not he

thought the questioner

wanted to hear the an-

swer ''yes'' or "no".Bribery will do nothing

to avert this and may

even aggravate the prob-

lem. Again, it is not that

the Inuit are maliciously

and intentionally trying

to lead the investigators

astray; they are just be-

ing over-cooperative.

Remember that many of

the questions that investi-

gators ask may involve in-

formation which the Inuithave only second- or third-

hand knowledge of as

many events of interest in

the campaign occurred in

the distant past. As with

any culture, stories get

modified and expanded as

they are passed from per-

son to person and genera-

tion to generation. This

will not help the investiga-

tors. Neither is the lan-

guage barrier which is dif-ficult to overcome, even

through the use of an inter-

preter. As if poor commu-

nication isn't bad enough,

the Inuit in this area are

known to help themselves

to any unattended items

which may be of use or

value. As a result, expedi-

tions know to lock build-

ings behind them and never

leave sleds or equipment

unattended for any lengthof time. Stealing is not con-

sidered a big deal among

the Inuit (after all, if some-

thing is left unattended, ob-

viously its owner assigns

little value to it), but aslong as someone is nearby

watching the gear, it is very

unlikely to be stolen. Fi-

nally, the term "Inuit" is

used throughout this cam-

paign rather than the term

"Eskimo" which is insult-

ing to some people.

"Eskimo" appears to be Al-

gonquin Indian for "raw-

meat eater" and was first

applied to the Inuit by early

French explorers. "Inuit"means "men" and is the ap-

propriate term to call the

natives which are still com-

monly called "Eskimos".

However, in the

1920s/1930s, the term

"Eskimo" was commonly

used and thus it is not inap-

propriate to use it during

the actual role-playing of

the campaign.

standing in the community.

The Inuit's beliefs that spir-

its inhabiting the world

could be beneficial or de-

bilitating depending on an

individual's or group's rela-tionship with them. Per-

haps the best example is

the way hunting is carried

Traditional Inuit life is a

very precise manner of ex-

istence. Harmony with na-

ture is vital and waste and

disrespect for one’s sur-

roundings is considered un-acceptable. It is not just

that an individual' s con-

duct could affect his or her

out. Weapons are crafted

with care and quality is con-

sidered important. The rea-

son is that it is a sign of re-

spect for the animals that are

to be slain. When game is brought down, the hunter is

supposed to treat it in a pre-

cise manner, all with respect

TH E IN U I T

I N U I T L I F E

”Kadath in the coldwaste knows them,

and what man knows

Kadath?”

H.P. Lovecraft and August

Derleth,

”The Lurker at the Threshold”

Inuit man and woman in typical dress.




for the creature in mind.

The hope is that the ani-

mal's spirit would be

pleased by this and would

allow itself to be killed

again after it is reincar-

nated. Exceptional hunters

are those who possess the

ability to earn the respect

of their quarry, who will

then allow the hunter to kill

them. Of course, during the

campaign, not all Inuit will

conform to these standards.

Some will have strayed

away from them and

adopted some of the tradi-

tions of the European and

North American settlers.

had dropped to 588. After

World War 1, they gradu-

ally recovered, but such

The Haida were once a

powerful tribe of greatly

feared warriors that occu-

pied the Queen Charlotte

Islands and part of the

Alexander Archipelago.

They fished and hunted and

were very active traders,

being the greatest slavers in

the region. Slaves were

generally war prisoners and

were used by many tribes

for heavy work. With the

arrival of Europeans came

problems for the Haida.

Before the American Civil

War, there were as many as

eight thousand, but a small-

pox epidemic in the late19th century decimated the

tribe. In 1901, there were

only nine hundred or so

Haida and by 1915, this

devastation could not help

but have a drastic effect on

them. Few now speak the

language, which is divided

into two dialects, Northern

and Southern. The language

itself is fascinating since it is

unrelated to any known lan-

guage. During the period

covered by this campaign,

the Haida have consolidated

into two major communities

in the Queen Charlotte Is-

lands.

Other Native Americans The Haida

This Inuit Eskimo, of

Nunivak Island off the west

coast of Alaska, would beat a

drum like the one picturedabove mostly during winter

ceremonies. These

instruments were made ofwalrus stomach or bladder

and varied in diameter from

30 to 150 cm (1 to 5 ft). The

one above measured about 1

meter (3 ft 6 in). The drums

were struck with a slender

wand.

Mortuary Totem Pole. The Haida people, a group living on theQueen Charlotte Islands off the coast ofBritish Columbia, Canada, carved the

single mortuary pole seen here. When ahigh-ranking member of the commu-nity dies, the Haida erect a mortuary

pole to commemorate his life. Totem-ism plays a large role in the culture andtradition of many of the Native Ameri-

can peoples of the Pacific Northwest.

Nunivak Island Drummer.

I N U I T M Y S T I C I S M

The Inuit have a rich and

varied culture, which is the

source of numerous leg-

ends, rituals, and so on.

Rather than

become a study of Inuit cul-

ture and religion, a short de-

scription/explanation will

be given for the relevant

elements.

I N U I T M A G I C

Inuit shamans are known to

practice ritualistic magic

which can be used to affect

other people, the environ-

ment, and almost anything

else. Rituals are character-

ized by the speaking of

complex magical formulae

and the use of usually

common materials such

as hide, flesh, fur, grass,

and clay.

3 renowned Inuit hunters nearthe Franklin Expedition cairn.

4 Inuit males in typical dress.




The Tlingit tribe is a much

larger group in southern

Alaska. Their population

has consistently been in the

tens of thousands and the

tribe is broken into several

separate sub-groups. Their

origins are evidently from

the interior though now

they are a coastal people.

Like many of the other Na-

tive Americans in the re-

gion, they were great fish-

ermen as well as hunters of

land animals. They traded

with their neighbors and

received andused slaves

from the

Haida. With

the arrival of

Americans,

this practice

faded away.

Unlike the

Haida, the

Tlingit popula-

tion remained

stable and even

grew in thelate 1920s and

early 1930s.

Thousands

could be found

scattered

throughout

southern

Alaska.

Like the Inuit, the Tlingit

have a rich culture, which

is demonstrated well by

their mysticism and magic.

It is similar in some waysto its Inuit counterpart,

possessing shamans that

commune with helping

spirits and have control

over supernatural forces.

Tlingits believed each spe-

cies had its own spirits and

each person had his or her

own spirit that tries to pro-

tect and guide its ward.

Spirits populated all as-

pects of nature, be it flora

and fauna or the air, theearth, and the water. While

good spirits were generally

considered harmless and

often ignored, evil spirits

were greatly feared and be-

came the recipients of gifts

and observances. Human

sacrifice was not unknown

with the most notable cases

being the killing of a slave

near a glacier (greatly

feared by the Tlingit) and

tossing the body or its

scalp into its path.

To deal with the multitude

of spirits romping through-

out the world were sha-

mans. Most were male with

female shamans generally

being beyond childbearing

age. Shamans provided a

number of “services” to

their respective villages.

They treated the sick, butnot in the physical manner.

Rather, they would drive

away spirits which caused

sickness, but only if the

family provided suitable

payment in goods. The sha-

man could also be an im-

portant advisor to the chief

and in times of war, he

would go into a trance and

send his helping spirit(s)

into the enemy camp to

learn their strength and plans. Many other services

could be performed includ-

ing finding lost items, un-

masking a thief, and re-

vealing a witch. The latter

were considered a great

threat by shamans, and

anyone accused of being a

witch was in great danger

of being slain. A shaman

used all sorts of materials

to assist their magic includ-

ing amulets, rattles, wands,

and live animals such as

mice. Tlingit shamans are

likely to use trances and se-

ances to summon the help

of spirits. Spirits can pro-

vide information, cure ills,

protect theshaman, and

in an extreme

case, a spirit

may be forced

into a victim,

causing un-

consciousness

for an ex-

tended period.

Tlingit sha-

mans are

likely to use

trances andseances to

summon the

help of spirits.

Spirits can

provide infor-

mation, cure

ills, protect

the shaman,

and in an extreme case, a

spirit may be forced into a

victim, causing uncon-

sciousness for an extended

period.

The Tlingit

Ritual Kwakiutl Dancers with

Totems.

The totem is an integral part

of the culture of the Kwakiutl

people of the Pacific

Northwest. Totems are

symbols of social standing

and of the achievements of

Native American nobility.

This “Wolf Cycle” is sung by

chief totem pole carver

Mungo Martin. It is believed

that the spirit of the wolf

dwells within the singer of

this song.

Ritual Kwakiutl Dancers with Totems.



Saneville Historical Society

C/o Morten Kjeldseth Pettersen

Schweigaardsgate 60b

0656 Oslo

Email: [email protected]


Presents

lished a college and scien-

tific society. In 1845 he

was appointed commander

of an expedition to dis-cover the Northwest Pas-

sage. The expedition, con-

sisting of the Erebus and

the Terror, with 129 offi-

cers and men, was last seen

by a whaling vessel on July

26, 1845, in Baffin Bay.

Between 1848 and 1859

numerous searching expe-

ditions were dispatched to

the Arctic. In July 1857

Lady Jane Franklin, Frank-

lin's second wife, outfittedthe Fox, which was finally

successful in discovering

the history of the ill-fated

expedition. The search

party obtained from the

Inuit (Eskimo) in Boothia

Peninsula many remains of

the Franklin expedition. A

record found at Victory

Point related details of

Franklin's expedition up to

April 25, 1848.

According to this record, in1846 the Erebus and Terror

had navigated Peel Sound

Franklin was born in

Spilsby, Lincolnshire, Eng-

land. He participated in the

battles of Copenhagen in1801 and Trafalgar in 1805

during the Napoleonic

Wars. In 1818 he com-

manded the Trent in an un-

successful voyage to the

Arctic, and from 1819 to

1822 he commanded an

overland expedition com-

missioned to explore the

northern coast of Canada

east from the mouth of the

Coppermine River. In a

subsequent Arctic expedi-tion (1825-27), Franklin

traced the North American

coastline from the mouth of

the Mackenzie River on the

Beaufort Sea in northwest-

ern Canada to about the

150th meridian in north-

eastern Alaska. In 1829 he

was knighted and awarded

the gold medal of the Geo-

graphical Society of Paris.

From 1836 to 1843 he was

lieutenant governor of VanDiemen's Land (now Tas-

mania), where he estab-

and Franklin Strait in a

southerly direction, but had

been stopped by ice be-

tween Victoria Island andKing William Island. The

two ships, icebound from

September 1846, had been

deserted on April 22, 1848.

At that time the total casu-

alties had been 9 officers

and 15 men, including

Franklin, who had died on

June 11, 1847. The surviv-

ing members of the party

left the ships on April 26,

1848, but apparently per-

ished some days later. Be-tween 1878 and 1880 a U.

S. expedition discovered

the wreckage of one of

Franklin's ships and skele-

tons of members of his

party. A monument com-

memorating Franklin was

erected in 1875 in West-

minster Abbey.


A horror campaignBy


”Carpe Occultem”

Walker in

the Wastes

S I R J O H N F R A N K L I N

T H E F R A N K L I N E X P E D I T I O N

In June of 1845, two Royal

Navy vessels, H.M.S. Ere-

bus and H.M.S. Terror ,

commanded by Sir John

Franklin, quietly departed

their harbor in the Shetland

Islands and sailed on a

quest to discover and chart

the long-sought Northwest

Passage. At first, the expe-

dition made excellent pro-

gress, but this ended when

they where beset by ice

north of King William Is-

land on September 12,

1846. On April 5, 1848, the

doomed vessels were aban-

doned and the remaining

crew members mad a futile

attempt to march south to

safety at trading posts in

Canada.

Unfortunately, their trek

failed and all succumbed to

starvation, disease, and the

elements. The local Inuit

tell stories of men who

came dragging sledges

across the ice, of aban-

doned ships stuck in ice

floes, of buttons and

spoons found on corpses.

But no detailed investiga-

tion has ever been made

into the history and loca-

tion of the disaster. Until

now...

Saneville Historical Society Presents:

Walker in the Wastes – a horror campaign©1994 John H. Crowe,III & Pagan Publishing, with additions by Morten Kj. Pettersen

Resource guide ©1998 by Morten Kjeldseth Pettersen & Saneville Historical Society

”Iä! Iä! Ithaqua! Ai! Ai! Ai! Ithaqua cf’ayak vulgtmm vugtlagln. Ithaqua fhatagn!” August Derleth, ”Beyond the Threshold”

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