The Calling of the Blood is a modern day scenario set in Sweden. Inspired by movies including Midsommar, it wields horror like slowly descending guillotine blade. It begins when a group of Americans take a DNA test and travel to Sweden to learn about their history.
Klara Eriksson, a charismatic and charming woman acting as their tour guide takes them to an isolated village, Rödåkra which the locals stay away from. Additionally it allows the investigators to get to know each other and trust each other – before things escalate when they arrive within the village.
After being welcomed and treated like long-lost family they get the tour – and get immersed in the town and its deceptively welcome villagers. But they begin to see that everyone is very old and the investigators start feeling fatigued as their magic points are drained. Following a series of events including dinner the investigators get the chance to learn some gossip – learning about the mansion and perhaps about the terrible truth hidden in the cellar.
Invited to the ceremony it becomes a life or death (or insane) struggle for survival as they meet the cult leader Albert Nilsson and his mutated form which initiates the ritual and the investigators joining the town – by blood and by earth.
Overall, this is a creepy slow-burn convention scenario that ends with a tough-fought victory or massive sting in the tail. Recommended!
The Good Stuff:
- Very insidious and creeping horror
- Classic set-up
- Leans into isolated town with cosmic horror trope well.
- Ceremony leads to a nihilistic spiral of insanity if investigators fail
The Cons:
- Requires a good edit.
- Could use a timeline to help keepers plan out events within the village.
- Character Sheets are not easy to use for players.
- Uses flat % rolls on some occasions instead of skills like luck to determine scenario reactions
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