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Being a true account of the investigator
Freddy Cavendish
Regency Cthulhu · in the year 1814
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OccupationGentleman (Second Son)
NationalityBritish
PlayerJay
Age / Sex22 · Male
First AppearanceSession 6 (Vienna)
As OfChapter 4, Session 15
STR 40
half20
fifth8
CON 55
half27
fifth11
SIZ 50
half25
fifth10
DEX 60
half30
fifth12
APP 70
half35
fifth14
INT 65
half32
fifth13
POW 50
half25
fifth10
EDU 70
half35
fifth14
Move8
Build0
Damage BonusNone
Dodge40 /20/8
Personal DescriptionTwenty-two, fashionable, and possessed of the easy confidence that comes with a good name and better connections. Freddy carries himself with the unstudied grace of the English upper class — hair impeccably maintained even in crisis, manner unfailingly agreeable, and a knack for making himself useful in any room he enters.
TraitsAffable, instinctively brave, socially sharp, and possessed of a quiet resilience that reveals itself under pressure. He is not trained for espionage or combat, yet he has held his nerve beside bleeding officers and burning monsters alike. His courage is instinctive, not professional.
Ideology & BeliefsFreddy has no formal ideological commitments. He is a second son of the English gentry and operates within the social code of his class: loyalty to friends, courtesy to strangers, and the unshakeable conviction that knowing the right person is the solution to most problems. His recent exposure to forces beyond comprehension has not yet reshaped these beliefs, though the cracks are widening.
Significant PeopleHis father, William, Lord Cavendish — 3rd Baron Cavendish of Stanmere, who supplied the name, the allowance, and the minder. Pemberton — tutor, field operative, and the most dependable man in Freddy’s life. Leopold Fischbein — Viennese lawyer, recruited at the Goldener Hirsch and now a fully briefed ally. Adrien de Montferrand — fellow socialite and operational partner since Session 6.
Meaningful LocationsPalais Kinsky — former residence in Vienna; site of the Nightgaunt attack. Goldener Hirsch — the wine tavern where Fischbein was recruited. Palais Lobkowitz — the Grand Masquerade and the night everything changed.
Treasured PossessionsMasquerade invitations and masks secured for the party (Session 6). The Bauer brothers’ address at the Black Bear Tavern, pressed into his keeping by Fischbein at the masquerade — actionable intelligence on Colonel Moreau’s killers.
Investigator Skills ○ tick on a successful roll · coloured value = above base · all skills shown, untouched at base
Skillreg½⅕
Accounting0521
Animal Handling0521
Anthropology0100
Appraise0521
Archaeology0100
Art/Craft0521
Artillery0100
Astronomy0100
Charm603012
Climb20104
Credit Rating603012
Cthulhu Mythos0000
Dancing40208
Demolitions0100
Disguise0521
Dodge40208
Drive Carriage20104
Etiquette40208
Fashion40208
Fast Talk0521
Fighting (Brawl)25125
Fighting (Sword)20104
Firearms (Pistol)502510
Firearms (Rifle/Blunderbuss)25125
First Aid30156
Gaming40208
History0521
Intimidate1573
Jump20104
Skillreg½⅕
Language (German, Other)25125
Language (Other)0100
Language (Own)703514
Law0521
Library Use35177
Listen40208
Locksmith0100
Lore0100
Mechanical Repair1052
Medicine0100
Mesmerism0100
Natural Philosophy0100
Natural World1052
Navigate1052
Occult0521
Persuade30156
Pilot (Boat)0100
Psychology20104
Read Lips0100
Reassure1573
Religion1052
Ride35177
Sleight of Hand1052
Spot Hidden35177
Stealth40208
Survival1052
Swim20104
Throw20104
Track1052
Weapons
| Weapon | Skill% | Damage | Atk | Range | Ammo | Malf |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brawl | 25 | 1D3 | 1 | — | — | — |
| Pistol | 50 | 1D6+1 | 1 | 10 yds | 1 | — |
| Sabre | 25 | 1D8+1 | 1 | — | — | — |
| Improvised torch | — | Special (fire) | 1 | Melee | — | — |
The Investigator's Record
Background
Personal Description: Twenty-two, fashionable, and possessed of the easy confidence that comes with a good name and better connections. Freddy carries himself with the unstudied grace of the English upper class — hair impeccably maintained even in crisis, manner unfailingly agreeable, and a knack for making himself useful in any room he enters.
Traits: Affable, instinctively brave, socially sharp, and possessed of a quiet resilience that reveals itself under pressure. He is not trained for espionage or combat, yet he has held his nerve beside bleeding officers and burning monsters alike. His courage is instinctive, not professional.
Ideology & Beliefs: Freddy has no formal ideological commitments. He is a second son of the English gentry and operates within the social code of his class: loyalty to friends, courtesy to strangers, and the unshakeable conviction that knowing the right person is the solution to most problems. His recent exposure to forces beyond comprehension has not yet reshaped these beliefs, though the cracks are widening.
Significant People: His father, William, Lord Cavendish — 3rd Baron Cavendish of Stanmere, who supplied the name, the allowance, and the minder. Pemberton — tutor, field operative, and the most dependable man in Freddy’s life. Leopold Fischbein — Viennese lawyer, recruited at the Goldener Hirsch and now a fully briefed ally. Adrien de Montferrand — fellow socialite and operational partner since Session 6.
Meaningful Locations: Palais Kinsky — former residence in Vienna; site of the Nightgaunt attack. Goldener Hirsch — the wine tavern where Fischbein was recruited. Palais Lobkowitz — the Grand Masquerade and the night everything changed.
Treasured Possessions: Masquerade invitations and masks secured for the party (Session 6). The Bauer brothers’ address at the Black Bear Tavern, pressed into his keeping by Fischbein at the masquerade — actionable intelligence on Colonel Moreau’s killers.
Injuries & Scars
No injuries or scars recorded through Session 10. Freddy has emerged from the Nightgaunt attack (Session 6) and the Masquerade combat (Sessions 8–9) physically unscathed.
Phobias & Manias
None recorded through Session 10.
Encounters with Strange Entities
| Session | Entity | Encounter |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | Nightgaunt | Woke to the creature crawling face-first down the side of Palais Kinsky, frost crystallising in its wake. Recognised the harmonic vibration from the Imperial reception. Fired his pistol (no effect). Investigated the roof with Pemberton after the creature was destroyed. |
| 8–9 | Harmonische Wachter (x2) | Witnessed the first Wachter drop through the stained-glass window at Palais Lobkowitz and kill Mikhail (Russian Officers Volkonsky Detail). Took Vladimir’s blood across his face. Built an improvised torch from Varrio’s example and drove the creatures back with fire. Present for Varrio’s killing of two Wachter by flame. |
Arcane Tomes & Spells
None.
Fellow Investigators
- Adrien de Montferrand — Viscount, tactical leader, fellow socialite
- Emma Wentworth — Party’s social heart; wounded by Adler at the masquerade (Session 9)
- Georgiana Wentworth — Analyst, combatant, carrier of the Command Tuning Fork
- Katherine Ward — Order operative; arrived Session 7
- Varrio Harrowmont — Fire doctrine originator; medical expert; the man who punched a Count
Current Status
He walked past a line of colonels and majors into Colonel Blackwood’s office at Fort William, kept Renwick off the Nepal draft, and moved the mess dinner to Monday.
Location: The Cavendish Compound, Calcutta, late on Thursday night, 13 October 1814, with two heavy thumps just landed on the roof (Chapter 4, Session 15) Condition: Physically uninjured; Sanity 50/99 Carrying: Order pin (transferred from Varrio); the dark silk glove Sophia Surlish dropped at the ball, with her note found and read; Cartwright Proposal (read privately); pistol; sabre; Board of Control paperwork Open threads:
- The cylinder from the Zorab sale holds a dead man. At Thursday’s breakfast every fitting was seated and the brain gave no response at all; Meg put it plainly: there was a person in it, and the person is dead. It stays at the Cavendish Compound with Freddy and Katherine while the others go upriver. One Mi-Go escaped on Wednesday night, and the creatures got the instrument case
- Dr Venn was left drugged in his own study with his notes scattered round him, and the Zorabs have been told he is to blame for Gregor’s state
- Meg found the wrecked carriage at dawn on Thursday and holds the party responsible for the danger to her house and her unborn child. Pratap has it under repair, with the bill sent to the East India Company
- He told Hugh and Meg the truth at Wednesday’s breakfast, with the whole party backing him and their scars on show. Meg retired faint and Hugh panicked
- The Absentee Account Pattern is his. He found the 1791 temple subscription, the five-family pattern, and Sett’s name in the syndicate’s own ledgers via his Board of Control auditing authority. See Absentee Account Pattern, Temple Subscription Ledger
- Surlish gave him a second cold, mocking handshake at the ball and pulled Sophia away before an introduction could be made
- Major Renwick is off the Nepal draft. Freddy delivered Ashworth’s letter at Fort William on Thursday morning and Colonel Blackwood agreed at once, over sherry. The waiting officers took him for “the auditor”
- Ashworth asked, warmly but pointedly, why a Cavendish cares so much about one Company engineer — Freddy gave him the auditing appointment as an answer and left before it could be pressed further
- Cartwright Proposal reached him at breakfast under a plain red wafer, and he read it privately: Cartwright is waiting for an answer. The Fort William mess dinner is moved, at his asking, to Monday 17 October, with Adrien and Thomas
- Learned that Surlish sent Sophia home alone and went toward the river in a second carriage near one in the morning (via Pratap); the carriage-line men had murmured samapti — the end — as they walked into the river, matching the Gazette’s Found Drowned notice
- He asked Pratap Singh for a security detail on the compound; Pratap delivered it — sixteen to eighteen local youths, armed with clubs and farming implements, formed up outside the gate
- He spent an afternoon drunkenly kowtowing to Katherine to restore her standing with the household servants after they mocked her — it worked
- He told Hugh to think about moving his family out of Calcutta before the 25th. That evening the party overheard Hugh and Meg arguing about exactly that
- Surlish told him to start his audit with his own cousin — he started somewhere else entirely, and found more than Surlish likely intended
- Hugh’s question about what he is really doing in India is still live in that house
- The Board of Control question was asked across the Magistrate’s table and Calcutta has filed it
- One commission still out with Pratap: the measure of Surlish’s dealings
- Jumman came ashore with the crew; Rajan remains at the wadi in Abu Yusef’s keeping
- Holt walked off into Calcutta with nothing said between them
- Colonel Blackwood will have the muster rolls checked if Freddy brings him names of the missing soldiers. He puts the disappearances down to desertion and disease, and sees no conspiracy
- Sophia Surlish signalled him twice (a fan at the tournament, a dropped glove at the ball) and her note promised an answer. She gave it on Thursday night at the compound
- Sophia Surlish has left her husband and taken Meg’s offer of sanctuary at the compound. She told Freddy and Meg of Surlish’s Tuesday nights and the labourer whose arm ran like wax while he timed it, “spoilage” in his book, and that he means to take her to Baranagar for Ghosh’s festival on the 25th. Surlish threatened to cancel Hugh’s syndicate and ruin him
- Surlish challenged Freddy to meet at dawn on the Maidan (Friday 14 October), after knocking Freddy’s drawn blade aside with the flat of his hand
- Meg will not leave her house. She keeps the nursery barricaded with six armed maidservants and a safe room under way. She agreed to write arranging a morning call on Sophia; Sophia came to the compound that night instead
- Katherine burgled Surlish’s house off Clive Street on Thursday night and took his calf-bound pocket-book (entries on Tuesdays and spoilage, one page torn out) and a docket of seven legal petitions tied with red tape, the documents Lady Anne asked for
- Two heavy thumps landed on the compound roof late on Thursday night, as Katherine’s palanquin came back through the gates. The cylinder is in Emma’s room in the West House Knows (exclusive): What the inside of a cocoon is like. He was conscious throughout and nobody has asked him about it. Sophia Surlish’s account of her husband, told to him and Meg alone: his Tuesday nights, the charpoy timed on his watch, “spoilage”, and the 25th.
Portrait
Freddy in Egypt, September 1814 — the Order pin at his cravat, a glass of arak to hand. Original art; public-facing likeness.
Notes
{Player-facing notes. Protected — skills never modify.}
Gear & Possessions
- Pistol (carried since Session 6)
- Masquerade mask
- Formal evening wear (partially torn for torch-making material, Session 9)
- Bauer brothers intelligence: Black Bear Tavern, Taborstrasse, second floor
Wealth
| Spending Level | Comfortable (second son of a noble family) |
| Cash | not recorded |
| Assets | not recorded |
Campaign Route
Timeline
Connections
People
Family
- Hugh Cavendish NPC warmFirst cousins. Hugh named his son after Freddy.8 sessions, The Sterile Bay to The River of Rites and Ruin
- Lord William Cavendish NPC warmFather. Loves his second son in the inarticulate way of his class, and arranged his allowance, his tutor, and his freedom in that order
Courted by
- Sophia Surlish NPC warmDoesn't fall in love with him. Falls in love with what he represents: permission.6 sessions, Landfall to The River of Rites and Ruin
Employed by
- Pemberton NPC neutralFreddy's tutor; hired to keep an eye on him, finding it an almost impossible task7 sessions, Arrival in Vienna to The Morning After
Employs
- Pemberton NPC warmFreddy's tutor; hired to keep an eye on him, now drawn into field operations7 sessions, Arrival in Vienna to The Morning After
Enemy of
- Hawthorne Surlish NPC hostileKnocked aside Freddy's drawn blade and challenged him to meet at dawn on the Maidan, 13 October 1814, when Sophia refused to leave with him7 sessions, Landfall to The River of Rites and Ruin
Rescued
- Rajan NPC warmPaid Abu Yusef in Spanish silver to shelter and care for the masterless servant after Hewitt's murder (Session 6)1 session: The Locked Room
Trades with
- Manoug Aratoon NPC neutralChartered the party's passage to Calcutta for one hundred pounds at the Suez gangplank1 session: The Sterile Bay
Friend of
- Adrien de Montferrand Player character warmFellow socialite and field operative; Freddy accompanied him to brief Fischbein23 sessions, Arrival in Vienna to A Morning of Manners and Monstrosities
- Leopold Fischbein NPC warmFreddy's lawyer friend; recruited from the Goldener Hirsch (Session 6)7 sessions, A Bite in the Dark to The Morning After
Served by
- Havildar Pratap Singh Player character warmEngaged as the party's escort and fixer; holds Freddy's commissions to locate Renwick and investigate Surlish7 sessions, Landfall to The River of Rites and Ruin
- Leopold Fischbein NPC neutralImprovised contact made via Freddy's Luck roll in Session 6; primary client and conduit7 sessions, A Bite in the Dark to The Morning After
- Yusuf al Maghribi NPC warmAttaches himself to the party's most genial gentleman; gravitates to whoever pays and laughs at his patter2 sessions, Give Rest to The Road to Cairo
Knows
- Emma Wentworth Player character warmParty socialite; Freddy attended masquerade partly on her party's account23 sessions, The Opera and the Dead Man to The River of Rites and Ruin
- Georgiana Wentworth Player character warmFellow investigator since Session 623 sessions, The Opera and the Dead Man to The River of Rites and Ruin
- Thomas Wyndham NPC neutralFellow British gentleman in Vienna23 sessions, Arrival in Vienna to The River of Rites and Ruin
- Katherine Ward Player character neutralOrder operative; recent party member since Session 721 sessions, Whispers, Widows, and Wounded Warriors to The River of Rites and Ruin
- Varrio Harrowmont Player character neutralParty member; Freddy recruited Fischbein who secured Varrio's release10 sessions, The Opera and the Dead Man to The Morning After
- Elizabeth Ashby NPC neutralFreddy arranged her onward passage after the confession; she now travels with his party toward Calcutta8 sessions, The Locked Room to The River of Rites and Ruin
- Nikolai Volkonsky NPC warmRussian liaison; Freddy brought Nikolai to Palais Kinsky for the Hartley warning (Session 10)6 sessions, The Duel, the Diva, and the Demon to The Theatre
- Frederick Cavendish the Younger NPC warmNamed in his father's cousin's honour. They met for the first time on 8 October 18145 sessions, Landfall to The River of Rites and Ruin
- Jasper Endicott NPC warmGravitates to Freddy as a fellow Englishman of good family. Latches on for company.3 sessions, The Morning After to Give Rest
- Alan NPC warmPassed him the tip about the Shah Alam's arrival1 session: The Sterile Bay
- Jumman NPC warmFollowed Freddy about the ship; Freddy kept him supplied with drink; the two were cocooned in the same chamber1 session: The Sterile Bay
- Sam NPC warmTook his Board of Control paperwork and arranged the party's lodgings1 session: The Sterile Bay
- Tariq NPC warmThe one investigator he would speak to. Gave Freddy the testimony about the woman at the well that broke the case.1 session: The Locked Room
- Pew NPC neutralWarned him about a man named Ashworth in Calcutta
Places
Located at
- Thaliastrasse 12 Safehouse Location neutralCurrent base of operations as of Session 93 sessions, The Duel, the Diva, and the Demon to The Descent
Visited
- Cavendish Compound Location neutralLodges in the main house, not a guest house7 sessions, Landfall to The River of Rites and Ruin
- Fort William Location3 sessions, The Magistrate's Table to A Morning of Manners and Monstrosities
- Government House Location neutralAttended the Governor's Ball here on 11 October 18143 sessions, The Magistrate's Table to The Governor's Ball
- St Johns Church Calcutta Location neutralAttended St John's with the party3 sessions, Landfall to The Governor's Ball
- The Maidan Location neutralDragged over the line by a stirrup in the steeplechase3 sessions, The Magistrate's Table to The River of Rites and Ruin
- Auberge du Muski Location neutralLodged here with the party in Cairo2 sessions, The Road to Cairo to The Cairo Interlude
- Chandpal Ghat Location neutralCame ashore here at the landfall in Calcutta2 sessions, Landfall to By Command of His Excellency
- Garden Reach Location neutralDined at the Magistrate's table at the Ashworth dinner2 sessions, The Magistrate's Table to The Third Course
- Goldener Hirsch Location neutralLocated Fischbein here and recruited him to get Varrio out of police custody (Session 6)2 sessions, A Bite in the Dark to Whispers, Widows, and Wounded Warriors
- Locanda del Leone Location neutralLodged here in Alexandria; badly hungover with Thomas2 sessions, Give Rest to The Road to Cairo
- Sealed Anatomical Theatre Location neutralFought in the assault on the theatre2 sessions, Whispers, Widows, and Wounded Warriors to The Theatre
- Writers Building Location neutralUsed his Board of Control authority to pull the GoDown Syndicate's ledgers (11 October 1814)2 sessions, The Magistrate's Table to By Command of His Excellency
- East India Company Office Suez Location neutralHis calling card and Board of Control appointment got a hearing here1 session: The Sterile Bay
- Heuriger zum Rebstock Location neutralAttended the war council here on 11 August 18141 session: The Descent
- Shah Alam Location neutralSailed in her from Suez to Calcutta1 session: The Sterile Bay
- Socotra Limestone Caves Location neutralTaken by the spiders; cut free by Holt in the collapse1 session: The Sterile Bay
- Surlish House Location1 session: The River of Rites and Ruin
- Wadi al Tih Location neutralPresent for the murder investigation; paid for Rajan's keep afterwards1 session: The Locked Room
- Zorab and Sons Godown Location
Organisations
Employed by
- Board of Control Faction neutralHolds his junior correspondence appointment, the only Board post currently resident in Bengal
Events
Rescued by
- Socotra Cave Rescue Event warmCut down by Nathaniel Holt as the human pyramid collapsed beneath them
Witnessed by
- Carriage Line at Government House Event hostileCame outside and saw the men in the lamplight
Participated in
- Zorab Sale Event1 session: The Third Course
- Ashworth Dinner Garden Reach Event neutralWorked Cartwright; questioned on the Board of Control
- Assault Sealed Anatomical Theatre Event neutralTook part
- Breakfast Revelation 12 October Event neutralTold Hugh and Meg the truth, backed by the party's scars
- Compound Council 9 October Event neutralAsked for a security detail; urged Hugh to move his family
- Landfall at Chandpal Ghat Event neutralSettled the party's lodging on his cousin's estate
- Maidan Steeplechase and Tilts Event neutralDragged over the line by a stirrup; outshone by Sophia at the rings
- Renwick Located at Baranagar Event neutralCommissioned it
- St Johns Churchyard Hour Event neutralIntercepted Surlish and forced a handshake
- St Johns Presentation Event neutralTook part
- Sternberg Duel Linienwallgasse Event neutralWitness
- Surlish House Burglary Eventkept Surlish occupied at the Cavendish compound
- Wadi al Tih Murder Event neutralDrew the witness testimony; paid for the body's disposal and Rajan's keep
- War Council Heuriger Aug 11 Event neutralTook part
Papers
Owned by
- Ashworth Letter to Blackwood Document neutralCarries the letter; not yet delivered1 session: The Governor's Ball
Owns
- Ashworth Letter to Blackwood Document1 session: The Governor's Ball
Sought by
- Cartwright Proposal Document warmThe funding Freddy dangled over the port
- Sophia Note in the Glove Document warmNames no one, and names the churchyard, which only one man in the room asked a question in
Mentions
Sessions
- A Bite in the Dark
- A Morning of Manners and Monstrosities
- Arrival in Vienna
- By Command of His Excellency
- Give Rest
- Landfall
- The Becalming
- The Burning Ball and the Broken Baron
- The Cairo Interlude
- The Descent
- The Duel, the Diva, and the Demon
- The Duelling Ground
- The Fork in the Road
- The Governor's Ball
- The Locked Room
- The Magistrate's Table
- The Morning After
- The Opera and the Dead Man
- The River of Rites and Ruin
- The Road to Cairo
- The Sterile Bay
- The Theatre
- The Third Course
- Whispers, Widows, and Wounded Warriors
People
- Abu Yusef
- Andrei Volkonsky
- Arabella Fitch
- Augustus Bolt
- Caroline Hartley
- Charles Ashworth
- Colonel Arthur Blackwood
- Colonel Henri Moreau
- Edmund Courtney
- Edward Renwick
- Gerald Hewitt
- Harriet Courtney
- Harry Ord
- James Bennet
- Josiah Hartley
- Klaus Bauer
- Luca Mancini
- Lucas Pyke
- Marcus Hale
- Margaret Cavendish
- Nathaniel Holt
- Percy Cartwright
- Ramkanta Sett
- Reverend Arthur Jessop
- Sona Mia
- Stelios the Taverner
- Werner Bauer
- Yaqub ben Ezra
Places
- Calcutta City Map
- Gasthof Schwarzer Bar
- Giza
- Lal Dighi
- Renwick Embankment Works
- Socotra
- Suez
- The Watering Hole