Act 1 - The Occult Investigations Club of Takashi Senior High School.
Kaichou's Briefing:
Tokyo, Japan
Saturday, October 11, 2025
Called in by their Club Kaichou - Mio Takahashi, the Members of the Occult Investigations Club meet up at the East Exit of JR Shinjuku station connected to the LUMINE EST shopping center for the bi-weekly Occult Investigation.
Strange rumours have spread through October, all around the opening of a secretive bistro somewhere in Shinjuku, targeting exclusive clientele while under the guise of an abandoned storefront. Since then numerous Foodie imageboards, reviews and blogs have stopped updating. All coincidentally after mentioning plans to visit the mysterious locale.
The recent disappearances have reached thirteen. However Mio believes more go unreported, convinced it isn't just an urban legend. Having cross-referenced the locations of many final posts and statuses of the missing to triangulate the suspected location.
The LUMINE EST building was confirmed when a popular food reviewer vanished inside and released CCTV footage showed them entering and exploring the shops but never leaving. Simply disappearing amongst the crowds.
LUMINE EST:
A popular and stylish shopping center filled with people enjoying the weekend, brightly lit and sleekly modern. All of the shops share an oddly clashing festive mix of Halloween or Christmas displays.
Floor guide:
- Basement levels (B1-B2): Trendy fashion stores, accessories stalls, a simple drugstore and connection to Train Station.
- Floors 1-6: Women's and men's fashion brands, shoes stores and popular beauty products.
- Floors 7-8: A variety of restaurants and cafes.
- Floor 9: Rooftop access, small gardening and agriculture shop.
Childish Rituals:
Mio reveals the first steps to discover the abandoned store front. Proudly showing off a cryptic and creepy screenshot of a now deleted TikTok post.
“Clap twice then bow once on each floor, skip every fourth step and only turn left until you reach the 9th floor”
Mio believes it references the damned spirits of suicides, but couldn't find any reports to support the claim.
The ritual to find the haunted storefront isn't real. Yet Mio will insist the club take it seriously. Partaking provides a +10% bonus to any upcoming Rituals or POW Tests.
The “9th” floor up from the Lowest Basement is the 7th floor, the staircase leading up is on the right hand side of the stairwell allowing the ritual requirements to be met.
The 7th Floor:
Lined with bustling bakeries, cafes, restaurants, delicious smells and happy shoppers. The warm bright and calming lights melt away any apprehension.
That is until they spot a cobweb covered door and storefront window blotted out by newspaper stained with bloody handprints. Further examination reveals the Halloween props for what they are, a social media stunt to drum up excitement for the recently opened Cat Cafe. A chalk board outside explains the guidelines to posting and the month long 50% discount offered for those that do. Mio is stunned and disappointed by the failure of another Occult Investigation, but insists the Club go inside anyway.
Neko-NomNom-Nomicon:
The Halloween theme continues into the reception area. A tight yet cozy waiting room and desk, a rich wooden interior with plastic bats and spiders in the ceiling corners. The proprietor, a friendly middle aged woman - Mae Tomo greets them. Mio pays the entry fees.
A large open plan room is packed with antique furniture, carpets, standing lamps, oil portraits and cat stands. A smokey yet pleasant incense burning helps it feel like stepping back into a 1920s detective office. One inhabited by an impressive number of cats.
A corner bar is prepared for tea and coffee along with simple snacks. Magnificent wooden shelves hold books, manga and a collection of retro game consoles. The few windows are frosted. A plenty of customers are present, some read or drink tea and even nap with cats resting on them.
Mio treats them all to snacks and drinks. Once seated cats surrounded them. They do strange things, trying to walk on their hind legs, mimic human words and try to spill or spoil their food and drinks. Soon after they feel woozy and pass out.
Act 2 - Herding Cats.
A Lethal Purr-dicament:
Waking in dark cramped space, at first the world seems black but quickly their vision adapts. Better than ever before, the club finds themselves imprisoned in tight cages surrounded by countless cats. Some even whisper words they can understand. The cages line each wall, stacked atop one another in a grimy storeroom and office.
The truth becomes clear quickly, somehow they're now Cats.
Only the recently transformed make sense, those that have been imprisoned for over two days stare eerily motionless or mutter nonsense completely insane.
Mae hunches over a paper strewn desk, a dim lamp illuminating an ancient tome. The woman is enthralled studying it. In the center of the room is a ritual site, snuffed out candles circle a trail of alien alphabets carved into the wooden flooring. A customer lays unconscious below an altar of cat bones and tails. An eight faced trapezohedron black enough to appear as a three dimensional void in reality floats above.
The Cat Curse:
Unknown to most humans, Cats inherently rely on puns while speaking to one another: Failing to do so Reduces a WP.
- “Everyone paws!”
- “Hold on a meow-oment.”
- “I can't get no cat-isfaction.”
- “Purrfect!”
- “You gotta be KITTEN me.”
Sights no Cat should see:
Mae moves to the ritual site, lighting the black candles and sprinkles a handful of Cattail seeds onto the chest of the victim. Next Mae chants in a forgotten language, dancing around the Trapezohedron. The candles spit and flicker suddenly as something steps from the nonsensical edges of the shape. A nine tailed featureless cat made of the same void black material.
Nyan-rlathotep has arrived.
Nyan-rlathotep, an aspect of the crawling chaos, circles the customer watching the woman with benevolence. Not long after arriving it stands on its hind legs, joining the ritual by dancing on the customer’s chest and quickly speaking the same language. As the chanting crescendos a bright flash takes place, it fades to reveal a newly transformed Cat. Mae with practiced skill places it into a cage as Nyan-rlathotep stalks the room. Next she takes down some silent and crazy cats laying them around the altar as sacrifices. When Nyan-rlathotep comes into contact with them it absorbs them from reality like a black hole. After that Nyan-rlathotep returns to the Trapezohedron and the candles go out ending the ritual.
Cat-otage:
Exhausted Mae retreats to a small bedroom. Leaving the Cats alone at midnight every sane Cat wakes up. From the moonlight spilling in through a small window a silvery and grey Egyptian Mau steps out. The Cats all inexplicably recognize the goddess Bast, within their minds she warns them of their fate if they do not escape. Offering to aid them if they promise to avenge every sacrifice.
Bast explains that three Wards of the Black Pharaoh must be defaced before she can help further.
Bast telepathically reveals the Ward symbol and simultaneously injects two simple rituals into their minds. “Bast's Broken Mirror” and “Summon Cat Coterie.” With that done she leaves.
Act 3 - A total Cat-astrophe.
Mae wakes up early and sadistically examines the Cats, many are too agitated and manic to be useful. But those transformed yesterday are in the best condition and are selected to work in the cafe. Any aggressive Cats are dosed with exotic Catnip from Leng, the drug dulling their senses. Imposing a -10% negative to every test for the day.
Wards of the Black Pharaoh.
Performing Bast's Broken Mirror near a ward destroys it.
- Carved into the base of a Mug.
Smashing the mug destroys the ward.
- Sketched onto the back of a motivational kitty poster.
Tearing or burning the poster destroys the ward.
- Tattoo on Mae's lower back.
Burning or removing the tattoo destroys the ward.
Options:
The Cafe is small enough to find the Wards with three successes.
Distracting Mae, by spilling drugged drinks and food can help other Cats complete rituals without being caught.
Other Cats will be willing to help if successfully reassured.
Revealing the cruelty of the store room brings more mundane assistance.
Humans aren't able to understand anything a cat says.
Freaking out customers and getting caught will result in a Cat getting locked in a cage.
Now you're Hiss-story:
Once the Wards are destroyed, Bast mentally contacts the Cats, ordering them to carry out the summoning. Mae will try to stop them, but as long as one completes the ritual Bast and her coterie arrive.
Bast appears as a tanned woman with a cat's head, along with Four Cats from Saturn. Instantly rendering all humans besides Mae unconscious.
The Cats attack, quickly overwhelming Mae and rendering her defenseless. Bast gathers the survivors and commands them to feast on her face first. Instantly reaching breaking point and transforming back.
Outcomes:
- Failing to destroy the wards, the Cats are eventually driven insane and sacrificed to Nyan-rlathotep.
- Destroying the wards Human survivors carry the Blessing of Bast.
Teenage Occultist Pregens.
Nerdy Teenage Occultist
STR: 9 CON: 9 DEX: 9 INT: 11 POW: 11 CHA: 9
HP: 9 WP: 11 SAN: 55 BP:44
Bonds: Mom: 9 Online Friends: 9 Pet Lizard: 9
Skills:
Alertness - 60%
Athletics - 20%
Computer Science - 60%
Dodge - 30%
History - 60%
HUMINT - 25%
Occult - 65%
Persuade - 20%
First Aid - 50%
Melee Weapons 30%
Search - 60%
SIGINT - 45%
Stealth - 45%
Survival - 30%
Unarmed Combat - 25%
Unnatural - 1%
Sporty Teenage Occultist
STR: 11 CON: 10 DEX: 10 INT: 8 POW: 9 CHA: 10
HP: 10 WP: 9 SAN: 45 BP: 36
Bonds: Girlfriend: 10 Sports Team: 10 Other-Girlfriend: 10
Alertness - 65%
Athletics - 60%
Computer Science - 20%
Dodge - 65%
History - 20%
HUMINT - 50%
Occult - 45%
Persuade - 50%
First Aid - 45%
Melee Weapons 65%
Search - 40%
SIGINT - 20%
Stealth - 50%
Survival - 50%
Unarmed Combat - 65%
Unnatural - 1%
Chatty Teenage Occultist
STR: 9 CON: 9 DEX: 9 INT: 9 POW: 11 CHA: 11
HP: 9 WP: 11 SAN: 55 BP: 44
Bonds: Popular Kids: 11 Mom: 11 Elder Sibling: 11
Alertness - 40%
Athletics - 40%
Computer Science - 40%
Dodge - 60%
History - 50%
HUMINT - 65%
Occult - 50%
Persuade - 65%
First Aid - 40%
Melee Weapons 40%
Search - 60%
SIGINT - 30%
Stealth - 30%
Survival - 50%
Unarmed Combat - 55%
Unnatural - 1%
Spiritual Teenage Occultist
STR: 9 CON: 10 DEX: 8 INT: 10 POW: 13 CHA: 8
HP: 10 WP: 13 SAN: 65 BP: 52
Bonds: Weird Kids: 8 Dad: 8 Pet Cat: 8
Alertness - 65%
Athletics - 35%
Computer Science - 50%
Dodge - 40%
History - 60%
HUMINT - 50%
Occult - 65%
Persuade - 30%
First Aid - 45%
Melee Weapons 45%
Search - 55%
SIGINT - 40%
Stealth - 50%
Survival - 40%
Unarmed Combat - 35%
Unnatural - 5%
Transformation Cat Type:
Roll 1d5 or pick:
- Siamese Cat +1 DEX
- Maine Coon +1 STR
- Sphynx Cat +1 POW
- Korat Cat +1 INT
- Ginger Tabby +1 CHA
Cat Stats and Skills:
Half all Physical Stats (round down) and Skills.
Keep Stat Bonus from Cat when returned to Human.
Claw and Bite Attack - 25% 1 Damage
Cat Talents:
Cat's Eyes - Increase Alertness and Search +20%
Nine lives - When reduced to 0 HP roll a Luck Test:
- Succeeding the Cat Regains 1 HP..
- Failing, reduce 1WP and roll again until Success or 0WP remains and the Cat dies.
Lucky Cat - Spend 1 WP reroll a failed Test
Cat Rituals:
“Bast's Broken Mirror”
2 Turns - 1d4 SAN - 1HP 1WP
Hellish inhuman feline chanting while very close to a Hypergeometric Ward, Sign and Spell disrupts and disables the target for a day.
“Summon Cat Coterie.”
4 Turns - 1d10 San - 1HP 1WP
Hypergeometric yowling echoes out as a siren, drawing the attention of Cats of Saturn. 1d3+1 Cats of Saturn and 1d20 Normal Cats are summoned to Aid.
Items and Rituals:
Catnip from Leng:
Consumption of the catnip allows Humans and Any form of Feline/Cat to communicate. It is a powerful drug for cats.
Blessing of Bast:
Provides 40% language (Cat), +15% to Search and Alertness tests in the dark.
Credits
Lovecraft's Cat Herding was written by Lovecraft's Cat Herder for the 2025 Shotgun Scenario contest.
Source: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1TUkjbNN2LpeNw3DAGsd_VZptZJ3v2xqbtPLgwgMO1rQ/edit