Heroes of the Secret War

By John Houlihan
Art by Chaim Garcia

Facing strange occult threats and fighting the myriad battles of the Secret War is a daunting enough challenge for any agent, but fortunately, many heroic allies have emerged to support them behind the scenes or on the battlefield itself. 

Herein, you’ll find character portraits of some of the most important personalities on the Allied side during the Secret War, who can give your agents help and guidance or perhaps feature as guest stars in any mission you run.  Britain’s Section M, the United States Majestic and the brave resistance forces under the command of heroes like Ariane Dubois combine to stand united against any and all occult threats. 

They’re a powerful and dedicated bunch, implacable foes of both Black Sun, Nachtwölfe and the Mythos horrors who seek to interfere in the course of the wider war. With these talented individuals on their side, agents shouldn’t be afraid  to take on all manner of challenges from the Axis occult and even tackle the malevolent minds of their Mythos masters themselves! 

Section M

Corporal Akhee "The Eye" Singh 

Feared by the Allies almost as much as he is by the Axis powers, Corporal Singh became infamous in his homeland after the Black Mist Incident. Whilst exploring a long-abandoned temple, he discovered the statue of a forgotten god, and was ‘rewarded’ with the distinctive amulet which has given him his nickname. Singh is only just beginning to learn to control its terrifying power which once unleashed, turns him into a whirling cloud of blades, spreading sinister tendrils of a deadly black mist, as the Eye on the pendant begins to open. Singh dreads what will happen if it ever fully awakens as he believes the world will end. His burden has made him gloomy and withdrawn, however he has served Section M with courage, distinction and bravery across a number of theatres and missions, often as a member of Badger Harris’ commandos.

"Mad" Jack McMasters

Lieutenant Colonel “Mad” Jack McMasters is a much decorated and ever-so-slightly deranged Allied hero, whose fearless nature, ability to inspire men and deep loathing of the Order of the Black Sun, has made him one of the Allies’ most potent weapons in the Secret War. McMasters has a profound fondness for ancient weaponry, often using his longbow on stealth and infiltration missions. He likes nothing better than duelling Black Sun canons or Mythos horrors with his broadsword Nelly. He is said to keep the head of the Black Sun canon who slew his brother preserved in a box and, when one of his occasional fits of madness overtakes him, can be heard talking to and even and crooning to this macabre trophy. 

The Right Hon. Alexander (Alec) Ward-Gray, Viscount Towton 

Alec Towton ran away to sea to find his fortune and, after many an adventure, returned home to set up his own business empire. He misses the excitement of commerce, but realises he has now embarked on the greatest challenge of all: helping Section M defend Britain against the might of the Nazi occult.  Towton has direct experience of its dangers, something happened to him on his travels and although he never speaks of it, the library at his ancestral pile at Clemens Park has certainly acquired some unusual reading material. He has also formed strong links with various academics at Oxford and Miskatonic Universities, notably one Professor Richard Deadman. Short, lithe, and charismatic, Towton is a driven and determined man who likes to work and play hard and has bent his considerable intellectual and resources to defeating Black Sun and all its unholy works.

The Resistance

Ariane Dubois

A stalwart member of the French Resistance, Ariane has been the bane of Wehrmacht officers across occupied France. Initially motivated by revenge for the death of her parents at the hands of the Black Sun, she was often in the forefront of resistance attacks, sprinting forward with her trusty Lugers whilst the terrifying creature that bonded with her during Operation Pandemonium prepares to devour the spirit of another Nazi. She tries not to dwell on what will happen once there are no more Nazis left to kill.  What began as simple blind revenge has changed Ariane over the course of the war. At first, she struck with pure hatred, but eventually came to realise revenge is a dish best served du froid and has risen to become a cunning and tough leader of the French resistance, co-ordinating and planning attacks against the hated occupiers. 

Majestic

Sergeant Brandon Carter

On secondment from the US Army, Carter is one of the few people to survive the “Stratford Affair”. Since that day he is never without his Elder Sign medallion, which causes his Thompson submachine gun to take on a life of its own, spitting out a hail of mythos-fuelled bullets. Some might dismiss Carter as a typical “loud mouthed Yank” and it’s true, his bluntness and lack of social graces, can rub many — especially officers and those who consider themselves his superiors—up the wrong way. However, there’s no doubting Carter’s courage and absolute commitment to the cause: he hates Nazis in general and reserves a special fury for the Black Sun and its many works. A natural soldier and a superb squad leader, the powers his medallion bestow mean he has few qualms about going toe to toe with even the nastiest Mythos horrors.

Professor Richard Deadman

“Pasty” Deadman, as he is known (much to his chagrin), is your classic hapless American professor who gets caught up and out in the action but who just might have sufficient knowledge to defeat the Nazis’ mythos magic. Instrumental in the establishment of both Section M and Majestic, he is a great asset to the Allied war effort and one of their strongest magical adepts. Deadman is able to access and learn a wide variety of spells, although he favours protective magics, and eschews the more sinister mind-warping ones, unless the need is absolutely critical. Deadman is capable of wielding many forms of arcane magic from different traditions and eras and his knowledge of the creatures and workings of the mythos is second to none.

Sally Armitage

The head of the US special occult force, Majestic, Armitage’s  father’s involvement in a series of strange events in the late 1920s, and her own childhood in the woods and fields along the Miskatonic River, have prepared her to deal with the baffling and bizarre cases that Majestic are tasked with solving. Direct and unfussy, Sally’s mind is highly analytical and she is an excellent judge of character. She has always worked hard to get what she wants and expects the same dedication from her staff. No practitioner herself, she both admires and is highly wary of anyone professing actual ability in the arcane arts. Even though her father’s health is now failing, she still consults him regularly regarding the more obscure minutiae of her current occupation. Quiet and watchful, she is an excellent listener and quite adept at leading people into telling her more than they probably should, with insightful yet apparently harmless questions.

You can find full profiles for all these heroes and many more including specialist units like Ghopal’s Gurkhas, Foley’s Furies and Badger’s Commandos in the Achtung! Cthulhu Gamemaster’s Guide.

 

Find out more about Achtung! Cthulhu’s amazing world of pulp adventure in the Achtung! Cthulhu Starter Set which launches today! This contains Basic Rules, an explosive three act campaign Among the Wolves, quick reference sheets, six pre-generated characters, six full colour maps, over 120 tokens, and an exclusive Elder Sign dice set! 

 

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