Delphi Missions - Orrorsh [PDF]

Zitiervorschau

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Delphi Missions Orrorsh Team

Technical Assistance: Dr. Michael Fortner, Dr. George Exner Writing: Leamon Crafton Jr, Darrell Hayhurst, Shane Lacy Hensley, Miranda Horner, Steve Original Logo Design: Tom Tomita Kenson, Rhiannon Louve, Rachel Savicky, Bill Revised & Expanded Developers: Eric Gibson, Slavicsek, John Terra, Adam Thompson, John Jim Ogle, Gareth Michael Skarka, Nikola Vrtis, Watson Stephen Marsh, Talon Dunning Editing: Ron Blessing Art Direction: Aaron Acevedo, Alida Saxon

Torg Eternity Design Team

Writing and Design: Shane Lacy Hensley, Darrell Hayhurst, Markus Plötz, Deanna Gilbert, Ross Graphic Design: Aaron Acevedo, Jason Engle, Watson Maik Schmidt Contributors: Greg Gorden, Jim Ogle, Steve Cover: Ahn Le, Basith Ibrahim, Don Tantiado Kenson, Ed Stark, George Strayton, Henry Lopez, Interior Illustrations: Bad Moon Studio, Chris Aaron Pavao, Angus Abranson, Steven Marsh, Bivins, Bien Flores, Maurizio Giorgio, Gunship Patrick Kapera, Bill Keyes, John Terra, James Knevitt, Jonathan Thompson, Andy Vetromile, Revolution, Ahn Le, Alida Saxon, Dimitar Spasov Joseph Wolf, Jasyn Jones Playtesters: Colin Darby, J Sumner, Matthew Lutz, Art Director: Aaron Acevedo and Nicholas Guidotti Layout: Aaron Acevedo, Darrell Hayhurst

Original Design Team

Graphic Design: Aaron Acevedo, Jason Engle

Playtesting: Jimmy Macias, Michael Conn, Damien Coltice, Michael Mingers, Michelle Hensley, Ron Blessing, Veronica Blessing, Tracy Sizemore, Golda Lloyd, Andrew Harvey, Dale Davies, Ed Rugolo, Scott Walker, Darrell Brooks, Additional Concepts and Playtesting: Daniel Melvin Willis, James Dawsey, Brad Rogers, Jamal Scott Palter, Denise Palter, Jonatha Ariadne Caspian, Hassan, Jeremy Dawsey Michael Stern, Richard Hawran, C.J. Tramontana, Martin Wixted

Mythos and Game Design: Greg Gorden, Bill Slavicsek, & Douglas Kaufman, with Ed Stark, Greg Farshtey, Stan!, Brian Schomburg, Christopher Kubasik, Ray Winninger, and Paul Murphy

Torg, The Possibility Wars, and all unique characters, concepts, locations, and creatures are trademarks and / or copyrights of Ulisses Spiele. All rights reserved.

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THE THREE TRIALS OF TALMOUS SCRATCH4 by

Shane Lacy

The near Now... ��������������������������������������������������������� 4 Mission Briefing��������������������������������������������������������� 6 Scene One: A Dark and Stormy Night ������������������� 6 Scene Two: When Axioms Collide��������������������������� 7 Reluctant Heroes ������������������������������������������������������� 7 The Captain’s Cabin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 A Mess in the Mess . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 The Bloody Hold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

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LEGENDS OF THE SEA by

34

Adam Thompson

Mission Briefing������������������������������������������������������� 34 Scene One: Arrival��������������������������������������������������� 35 Scene Two: The Esteemed Professor �������������������� 36 Scene Three: Voyage into Doom���������������������������� 36 Scene Four: The Mysterious Captain ������������������� 37 Leaving the Nautilus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 We Need A Bigger Boat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Scene One: The Sleeping Sickness������������������������� 14

Eternity Shard: Haeana Rati ���������������������������������� 39 Aftermath ����������������������������������������������������������������� 40 Threats and Allies���������������������������������������������������� 40 Vehicles���������������������������������������������������������������������� 41

Scene Two: Into the Nightmare����������������������������� 15

KNIGHT TERRORS

by

Steve Kenson

Mission Briefing������������������������������������������������������� 12 Getting In . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Extending the Scene . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Getting Imaginative . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Fighting the Khapasa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Finding and Freeing Rayi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

The Aftermath���������������������������������������������������������� 17

THE DOLLHOUSE by

18

Miranda Horner

Mission Briefing������������������������������������������������������� 18 Characters and Religion����������������������������������������� 20 Scene One: Arlington’s Place���������������������������������� 20 The Guests���������������������������������������������������������������� 21 Scene Two: Cleanse or Banish? ����������������������������������������������������������������� 24 Defeating the Shade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

The Aftermath���������������������������������������������������������� 25

SANCTUARY IN PERIL by

by

42

John Watson

Mission Briefing������������������������������������������������������� 42 Scene One: Occult Knowledge������������������������������� 43 Scene Two: What Dreams May Come������������������� 44 Example Fears . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

The Storm Knights’ Nightmares���������������������������� 45 Scene Three: Knight’s Nightmare������������������������� 46 Aftermath ����������������������������������������������������������������� 47

DARK HARVEST by

48

Bill Slavicsek

Mission Briefing������������������������������������������������������� 48 Scene One: Contact ������������������������������������������������� 49 Abduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Other Methods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

26 Scene Two: Leh �������������������������������������������������������� 51

Rhiannon Louve

Mission Briefing������������������������������������������������������� 26 Scene One: Preparation������������������������������������������� 28 Monastery Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

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Things Go Wrong . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Complications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Threats and Allies���������������������������������������������������� 32

hensley

THE NIGHTMARE HARVEST

Scene Two: Executing the Plan������������������������������� 30

Approaching the Farm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 The Root Chambers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

Scene Three: Attack of the Spirit Caller���������������� 54 The Aftermath���������������������������������������������������������� 55

A PASSING DREAM by

56

John Terra

Mission Briefing������������������������������������������������������� 56 What’s going on?����������������������������������������������������� 58 Scene One: The Town of Cain’s Hollow �������������� 58 Town Locations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 Night Terrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60

Scene Two: Gardening at Night������������������������������������������������� 60 The Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 The Grove . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

Features of Desu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

Aftermath ����������������������������������������������������������������� 67

MYTHS AND MONSTERS by

Leamon Crafton Jr.

Mission Briefing������������������������������������������������������� 69 Scene One: Twisting Reality ���������������������������������� 70 Scene Two: The Drowning������������������������������������� 71 Scene Three: The Fate of a God ����������������������������� 73 Aftermath ����������������������������������������������������������������� 73

Aftermath ����������������������������������������������������������������� 61

BURY IT DEEP

ALL FOR A GOOD STORY

by

by

62

68

74

Darrell Hayhurst

Scene One: A cry in the Dark���������������������������������� 74

Rachel Savicki

Scene One: A City Street in Orrorsh���������������������� 62 Gospog Encounter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 Delphi Briefing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

Scene Two: The Haunting of Desu ����������������������� 64

Into the Dark . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Closing In . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Too Late? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bad Karma . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

75 76 77 77

Aftermath ����������������������������������������������������������������� 77

COMMON THREATS

78

GENER

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THE THREE TRIALS OF TALMOUS SCRATCH BY SHANE LACY HENSLEY 4

COSM: ORRORSH LOCATION: SOMEWHERE IN THE ARABIAN SEA

H

THE NEAR NOW...

is wounds were mortal, but it wasn’t the first time he’d died. The first had been much more painful. A fatal dalliance with a local girl or three…chemically induced…sealed his fate at the hands of angry townsfolk. They trapped him in a barn on Gaea and burned him alive inside it. Now that had been painful. This wound was killing him slowly. He wasn’t sure which of his enemies had caused it. The Storm Knights who tracked him to Malraux’s realm had attacked in such a fury he couldn’t be sure who dealt the lethal strike. He recalled only a flash of light and the timely intervention of his servants. Their sacrifice allowed him to crawl into a hiding space and eventually escape. Perhaps the wound was blessed by some sort of divine power because the damnable thing wouldn’t heal. None of Talamous’ potions, incantations, or even the technology of the Cyberpapacy could seal it. The attempts had at least prolonged his life, however. And the agony. Which he richly deserved. Even he knew that. The sorcerer-scientist chuckled at the carnage and mischief he’d gotten away with for so many blood-soaked decades. The Gaunt Man had pulled him from limbo after his first death, no doubt recognizing his genius and bankrupt soul. It wasn’t likely the High Lord would do so again—he despised failure so. And Scratch’s failures were many. He’d fled Orrorsh, red-coated Victorians hot on his heels, after failing the simple task of minding a gospog field. He’d fled to France and failed again when he plumbed the secrets of the GodNet and attempted to unleash a Black Plague upon its faithful users. So close. So close. Scratch would love to have seen Malraux’s rage.

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The wicked old man gazed out over a stormy sea. He was somewhere off the coast of Pakistan. He’d fled through the Mediterranean to Egypt, seeking a cure for the slow death he could feel eating away his insides, but despite some intriguing revelations, Mobius’ realm had no cures. He passed through Syria and the scorching deserts of Iraq before finally catching an Iranian freighter bound for India…for Orrorsh. The sinister embrace of the occult was the thread that would tie his last chance together. He would bind pulp magic and Cyberpapacy technology to the axioms of his home and bend reality to his awful will. But his life force was slipping away rapidly. He feared he would not make it. He would be dead before he crossed the boundary into Orrorsh. He could feel Death’s presence leering greedily from the shadows. It was a presence he knew all too well. Death had already feasted on the crew this night, but it was always hungry for more. Scratch smelled the salt sea, felt the tingle of lightning on his pallid flesh, and listened intently to the roar of the waves and the creaking iron of the freighter. His sordid, twisted life was coming to an end. At least as he currently knew it. The freighter charged onward, the captain’s dead hands holding steady on the wheel, directly into the raging reality storm…

MISSION BRIEFING This short tale of horror begins when one of the heroes receives an urgent call from a French member of the Delphi Council. “Bonjour, mes amis! I hope you have recovered after your most recent adventures. We and all the people of the free world appreciate your sacrifice and esprit de corps! We can never repay the debt we owe to you, but we must ask for your assistance once again. “I will be direct. Perhaps you have heard of an Orrorshan Nightmare named Talamous Scratch, no? He is a very dangerous sorcerer-scientist who committed a number of atrocities in both France and Orrorsh. We almost got him in New Culmont, but somehow he escaped and made his way across the Middle East to Basrah, Iran. There he boarded

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a freighter, the MV Multan, bound for Karachi, Pakistan and Orrorsh. “Sebastian wants him taken at all costs. He is most dangerous, and if he will not surrender, no one here will mourn his murderous hide. “One more thing. We know from various agents he has been seeking various healing methods from France to Iran. He may be mortally wounded. If he reaches Orrorsh, it’s likely his talents will allow him to recover. Perhaps even grow more powerful given all he learned in Malraux’s realm. We must prevent this tragedy, so we are sending a helicopter for you now. It will take you directly to the MV Multan somewhere in the Arabian Sea. We will give you Interpol credentials so you may search the ship and commandeer the crew.” Be very careful, mes amis. Talamous Scratch is as dangerous as they come.”

SCENE ONE: A DARK AND STORMY NIGHT

Standard Scene. Scratch murdered the freighter’s crew with a cruel and terrible poison that left their corpses twisted and contorted. Their lives fueled a dark ritual that allowed Talamous to merge his essence with the MV Multan, which soon after transformed into a 19th century sailing ship as it entered a fierce reality storm off the coast of Pakistan. The Multan and Scratch are now one—a living abomination of creaking wood, tattered sails, and black-hearted malice.

Night Landing

The Storm Knights are delivered to the last known location of the vessel by helicopter. It’s 10 p.m. and pitch dark except for occasional flashes of lightning. The pilot—a Storm Knight named Jawad—gives the group a limited window to find their target. Otherwise he says he must turn around and abort the mission. “It’s too dangerous!” he yells over the roaring winds and struggling rotors. “I’ve lost the Multan’s signal, and the winds are too strong to stay here much longer. I’ll give it one pass then we’ve got to head back.”

Jawad circles a patch of angry sea, searchlights blazing and electronic pings echoing in the heroes’ headsets. “I don’t see anything. I’m going to call it…” he shouts over the raging winds. Have the Storm Knights make a find test. Whoever gets the highest result just happens to catch a glimpse of a dark shape bobbing on a distant wave…a shape the size of a ship. Assuming they tell Jawad, he replies that it’s right on the edge of the storm and he’d best not risk it. If they don’t try to convince him otherwise, see the Reluctant Heroes sidebar. Hopefully, the Storm Knights attempt to persuade Jawad to take the chopper in low for a look. This requires a Challenging (DN 12) success. If they do, he reluctantly agrees and flies to the edge of the storm. There they spy a large, three-masted ship instead of a modern freighter! Jawad shines a spotlight on the ship’s upper deck but sees no one. Then he wheels around the side to its name. The words MV MULTAN are visible, but there’s a long, dark tear…or a scratch… right through the letters. “This is it. It’s transformed. Still want to go through with it?” asks Jawad. Assuming the party does so, he lowers a cable and they slide down to the deck below. He hands them a satellite phone and tells them to call when they want pick up. He warns it may take a couple of hours depending on how far he has to retreat from the storm.

SCENE TWO: WHEN AXIOMS COLLIDE Dramatic Scene. Talamous Scratch is a formidable sorcerer. Though he could not cure his wound, research into the Walking Gods of Cairo taught him he could forestall his death with a strange ritual that merged his essence with that of an object’s. In this case, the MV Multan! Scratch murdered the crew to provide the occult energy then waited on a powerful reality storm to transform the vessel. When it did, he completed his dark spell and became one with the ship.

RELUCTANT HEROES We tried to play nice and let the players feel like they had a choice, but if they let Jawad head away from the storm they’re in for some additional trouble. Read the following in this eventuality: Jawad gives you a smile and a thumbs-up. “Good choice! We don’t do any good to the resistance dead!” He slowly turns the helicopter around, away from the storm. As he does so, a flash of lightning briefly illuminates the vessel in the distance. It can’t be the Multan…what you see is a sailing ship! It has large sails—though a few seem to be broken—and is rising violently on the waves. Then all goes dark and it’s lost to the night. Jawad flips a switch and tries to radio back to his contacts. “This is DC-13. The weather is too rough. I’m turning around and aborting the…” Before Jawad can finish a massive bolt of lightning slams into the helicopter. The power goes out and you’re suddenly spinning violently in complete darkness. “HOLD ON!” Jawad screams as he attempts to auto-rotate the failing aircraft into the storm-tossed sea. The helicopter slams into the ocean with bonecrunching impact. The Storm Knights fade in and out of consciousness as the chopper fills with water. They remember flashes of light, Jawad slumped dead over the controls, then frantically smashing out the windows to escape into the frothing sea. Within minutes, all traces of their transportation—and Jawad along with it—have vanished. Allow the Storm Knights to flail around in the darkness a bit. Even those who can fly don’t know where they are or how to get back to land. This is truly a dire situation. Fortunately, perhaps, the transformed Multan is already on its way to them. When it arrives, a single dangling rope allows them to climb to the deck and resume the tale. Move on to Scene Two when they make it aboard.

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But that isn’t the end of Scratch’s plan. His time in the Cyberpapacy showed him how to siphon off the Possibility Energy of his enemies. With enough of it absorbed into the ghost ship’s black heart, he can live once again! Talamous has no special powers to avoid contradiction or disconnection—he’s just willing to risk it. He enjoys playing with the fires of reality and even savors the harsh lessons it often inflicts upon him. The vessel acts as a giant conduit, channeling Possibility Energy into the black heart beating in the hold. Every Possibility the Storm Knights spend while aboard the MV Multan gives Scratch another chance at the wretched life he lived before. Once he gets 10 Possibilities, his resurrection is assured. Best of all, the MV Multan will remain a living golem under his control. He’ll be able to prey on the innocent up and down the coast of Pakistan and India for years. To that end, he’s created three golems with what little energy he has left. Each is designed to be just enough of a challenge for the foolish heroes to spend their Possibility Energy. The first of these horrors is in the Captain’s Cabin.

After a few minutes in the cold rain, give everyone an Easy (DN 8) find roll. Those who make it hear two things. The first is a very faint, rhythmic thump—probably loose cargo rolling around somewhere below (it’s actually Scratch’s heart, but don’t clue the party in just yet). The noise is a strangely muffled cry for help from the rear of the ship (Area A). Anyone who makes an Easy (DN 8) water vehicles test knows this area usually contains the captain’s cabin. The port door in the hallway leading to the captain’s cabin is open but slams shut loudly as the ship suddenly pitches starboard. It remains open afterward and contains a couple of cots and random possessions rolling around the tilting floor. The starboard door and the center stern door are locked, requiring either a Hard (DN 14) lockpicking or Challenging (DN 12) Strength test to open. Scratch wants these to open so they do eventually…even opening on their own if the party can’t manage it. He just wants them to spend Possibilities to open them if they meet with initial failure!

Note that Scratch is the Multan now. He hears, sees, and senses everything the invaders do while aboard the vessel. That means he can’t be surprised, can open and close doors as he wishes, and can generally manipulate any part of the ship he wants as a maneuver or attack. Use this to push the party along as needed, terrify them with manufactured beings or visions, or even cause them to trip as they descend the groaning staircases into the lower levels.

The starboard door is the Captain’s meeting room. It contains a desk, charts, and five chairs for the senior crew. It also contains another door leading to the Captain’s Cabin (requiring lockpicking or Strength to open as above.

THE CAPTAIN’S CABIN

When the group finally opens the door, they see Talamous Scratch standing over a faceless young girl! She screams despite having no mouth, a tongue—or something—bulging at the taut skin where her mouth should be! She has long black hair and wears a tattered white dress. Her skin shines like the moon and her nails are broken and cracked.

The heroes stand atop the storm-tossed deck in the driving rain. Boxes of cargo, barrels of oil, and other transformed goods are lashed down on the Multan’s surface. A single crewman stands at the captain’s wheel. Closer investigation finds the broken corpse of a middle-aged Pakistani lashed to the wheel, his hands bound with rope to the handles. His eyes have rolled back in his head, and his mouth is

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locked open in an eternal scream. The insignia on his collar marks him as the captain if anyone thinks to look.

The cries for help turn into screams as the Storm Knights draw near. “HELP ME! HELP ME PLEASE!” someone screams. Despite the cacophonous storm it’s clear the voice belongs to a young woman.

Talamous cackles with glee as the rescuers enter the captain’s cabin. He’s a pale, bald man with a sharp nose and a frail figure. This version of Talamous

is 7’ tall and must stoop in the low cabin (the real Talamous is 5’6” on those rare occasions he stands up straight). He holds a black dagger and wears a worn black robe. He’s very much the image of an Orrorsh sorcerer…though he’s actually nothing more than a powerful simulacrum made from the ship’s own living flesh! The golem poses little danger to a party of Storm Knights—Scratch wants it to wreak some havoc but not kill the interlopers. He only wants them to struggle against his creations, spending Possibilities and feeding them into his still-beating heart in the Hold! The golem is clearly resistant to damage—the Storm Knights are likely to think it’s just magical protection. The thing doesn’t talk, though it cackles, gestures, and taunts the heroes if it has the opportunity. When it opens its mouth, its tongue has been bitten off and black blood pours out in grotesque rivulets. The girl is an amalgamation of all the victims Scratch has killed through the years. If she’s “rescued,” her savior sees a flash of faces on her featureless skull, almost like projections. Once the Orrorshan golem is defeated, she melts into a graywhite goo…perhaps in a hero’s arms…and seeps down into the floorboards.

TALAMOUS SCRATCH (ORRORSHAN FLESH GOLEM) Attributes: Charisma 5, Dexterity 8, Mind 8, Spirit 8, Strength 15 Skills: Dodge 9, find 9, intimidation 14, maneuver 9, stealth 8, taunt 13, unarmed combat 12 Move: 4; Tough: 17; Shock: —; Wounds: 3 Equipment: Sacrificial dagger (Strength +1/16). Perks: — Possibilities: 3 Special Abilities: • Armor +2: The golem’s flesh is dense and tough. • Cloak of Darkness: The golem gains a Toughness bonus equal to the current darkness penalty. • Construct: Constructs are immune to poison and other effects that require breathing, eating, or other living processes.

• Fear: Scratch is terrible enough in his actual appearance, but the golem version of him is slightly off, disturbing some who look upon its awkward form. • Insidious: When Scratch performs an Approved Action against a character, randomly discard a Destiny card from his pool. • Relentless: The golem ignores Shock damage.

The Telltale Heart, Part I

Once the scene in the cabin is resolved, have the Storm Knights make another Easy (DN 8) find roll. Those who make it hear the thumping again, just a little faster than before. A Good Success is sure it’s a heartbeat, beating at about the rate of a sleeping human.

A MESS IN THE MESS Soon after the last encounter is resolved, the party hears chanting from the bow of the middle deck. If they peer down through the cargo netting, they see the bodies of the Multan crew strewn about. A single lantern sways back and forth, casting dancing light and shadows on the grisly scene. The bodies are twisted and contorted awkwardly just like the captain’s. A Standard (DN 10) evidence analysis roll suggests they likely died from a poison that violently contracts the victim’s muscles. Standing before the bodies, toward the bow, is a figure they can’t quite make out through the cargo hole. They’ll have to drop through or sneak down the stairwells to get a better view. When they do, they note the figure is another version of Talamous Scratch! This time his bald head is laced with various cybergear and he wears black body armor clearly manufactured in Malraux’s realm! As the heroes approach, the villain turns to face them. Great, electric claws grow from his forearms, glowing and humming with power in the darkness. Scratch isn’t alone. At the most opportune moment, the undead crew of the MV Multan rise and attack! As before, Scratch’s goal isn’t to kill the heroes—at least not all of them. He just wants them to wade through enough fodder to spend Possibilities and fuel his desperate return! • Undead Crew: (3 per Storm Knight): see Hungry Dead on page 79.

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TALAMOUS SCRATCH (CYBER GOLEM) Attributes: Charisma 5, Dexterity 8, Mind 8, Spirit 8, Strength 15 Skills: Dodge 9, find 9, intimidation 14, maneuver 9, melee weapons 12, stealth 8, taunt 13, unarmed combat 12 Move: 4; Tough: 19; Shock: —; Wounds: 3 Equipment: None. Perks: — Possibilities: 3 Special Abilities: • Dermal Plating +4: The golem’s flesh is covered with patches of black dermal plates. • Construct: Constructs are immune to poison and other effects that require breathing, eating, or other living processes. • Electric Claws: Damage Strength +4(19), AP 1. The electrical charge causes an additional +2 Shock (+4 Shock with a Good hit, +6 with an Outstanding hit). • Fear: Seeing Scratch enhanced by cyberware causes a new Fear test, even for those who saw his previous form. • Insidious: When Scratch performs an Approved Action against a character, randomly discard a Destiny card from his pool. • Relentless: The golem ignores Shock damage.

The Telltale Heart, Part II

When the carnage finally ends, there’s a moment of silence broken only by the constant creaking of the MV Multan. Everyone now hears the unmistakable rhythmic beating of a heart somewhere down below. Anyone who heard it above notices it’s faster now…about the speed of a human’s heart if he were walking briskly.

THE BLOODY HOLD The heart beats firmly below. It’s clear that whatever lurks in this ship hides somewhere below in its dark belly. The party can enter from the stairs or they can drop down through the cargo hole between decks. Either way, it’s a descent into pure nightmare. The hold is flooded waist-deep with viscous black blood, sloshing back and forth as the Multan rocks

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in the churning sea. Veins and arteries pulse along the walls, ceiling, and floor, emanating from the stern and growing up and out toward the bow. Fleshy pockets have begun to manifest as well, dotted here and there with ugly black tumors and pustulent boils (remnants of the wound Scratch can not yet heal!). Clever parties might seek to sever these bloodlines, but it has no immediate effect on the overall health of the massive ship. The noise of the great heart is overwhelming in the enclosed helm. (If you have access to a sound track with a rapidly beating heart, play it now!) It beats faster and faster as the heroes approach, eager to consume their lives and Possibility energy! As soon as the adventurers step into the hold, Scratch’s final form rises from the blood at Area C. It’s pitch black down here, but one of Scratch’s eyes shines green, scanning the intruders as they approach. A single electric claw tears its way through his forearm and crackles with electricity. The light momentarily illuminates his form. He seems an amalgamation of Orrorsh and the Cyberpacy, axioms battling within his soul by its very existence. Scratch cackles and hurls a bolt of electricity at whomever’s closest before the fight begins, then battle is joined! This final form is Scratch’s most powerful. Once again it’s designed to draw Possibility energy from the heroes. Every time they spend one, allow them to make a Challenging (DN 12) find roll to notice the heart pulse slightly stronger and faster. Scratch wants to ensure the interlopers spend their precious Possibilities, so he’s created all-new horrors to plague his antagonists with. A number of death’s head wyrms swim silently in the waistdeep blood. Once the heroes are firmly in their midst, they attempt to ambush from behind. The hateful creatures are long, worm-like things with hardened scales and a human skull that eerily resembles Scratch’s. Each head is fitted with cybernetic eyes to see in the dark, what looks like a bear claw for a mouth, and six centipede-like legs it uses for locomotion or to rise up and attack. They crackle with electricity and are of course coated in thick, slimy blood.

Three of the deadly horrors lurk in the hold, plus one for every two Possibilities the heroes spent on board up till now!

TALAMOUS SCRATCH (CYBERNETIC FLESH GOLEM) Attributes: Charisma 5, Dexterity 8, Mind 8, Spirit 8, Strength 15 Skills: Dodge 9, energy weapons 15, find 9, intimidation 14, maneuver 9, melee weapons 12, stealth 8, taunt 13, unarmed combat 12 Move: 4; Tough: 19; Shock: —; Wounds: 3 Equipment: Sacrificial dagger (Strength +1/16). Perks: — Possibilities: 3 Special Abilities: • Armor +4: The golem’s flesh is covered with patches of black dermal plates. • Cloak of Darkness: The golem gains a Toughness bonus equal to the current darkness penalty. • Construct: Constructs are immune to poison and other effects that require breathing, eating, or other living processes. • Cyber Eye: The eye ignores all penalties for darkness. • Electric Claw: Strength +4 damage, AP 1. The electrical charge causes an additional +2 Shock (+4 Shock with a Good hit, +6 with an Outstanding hit). The claw can also hurl a bolt of electricity at a range of 10 yards (no range modifiers) and damage 16. • Fear –2: Scratch’s final, combined form is a horrific amalgamation of ghastly cyberware grafted onto pale flesh. • Insidious: When Scratch performs an Approved Action against a character, randomly discard a Destiny card from his pool. • Relentless: The golem ignores Shock damage.

DEATH’S HEAD WYRMS Attributes: Charisma 5, Dexterity 9, Mind 8, Spirit 8, Strength 10 Skills: Dodge 12, find 9, intimidation 10, maneuver 13, stealth 12, taunt 13, unarmed combat 12 Move: 8; Tough: 12; Shock: –; Wounds: 1 Equipment: Perks: -

Possibilities: None. Special Abilities: • Armor +2: The wyrms are covered in segmented chiton. • Construct: Constructs are immune to poison and other effects that require breathing, eating, or other living processes. • Cyber Eye: The eye ignores all penalties for darkness. • Electric Mandibles: Strength +3(13), +2 Shock. • Mindless: The wyrms obey Scratch’s mental commands. They’re immune to intimidation and taunt.

Rescue

Should Talamous win, the MV Multan becomes a living creature under his control. Scratch himself tears through the black heart reborn, restored to mortal life though still weakened by his efforts. He commands the ship to grasp any remaining intruders and hurl them overboard…a task it completes with ease. The survivors are eventually found after many days drifting in the reality storms of the Arabian Sea! What horrors might erupt from these dark waves before their rescue is up to you! If Talamous is defeated, the MV Multan begins to fall apart like rotting flesh. It literally dissolves into the surrounding sea, leaving a wash of cargo and other detritus. The Storm Knights must hold on for a couple hours until Jawad can return to retrieve them. If the helicopter crashed, exactly how they’re rescued is up to you. Quinn Sebastian himself might arrive in another helicopter, they might be picked up by a Pakistani or Indian freighter, a Victorian gunboat, or wash up on the storm-tossed shores of a strange and mysterious island where a new adventure awaits. Whatever the case, what remains of Talamous Scratch sinks to the sea floor, never to plague the world again. At least not this world…

“ORRORSH IS A PLACE WHERE A MAN CAN GET IMPORTANT THINGS DONE.” -TALAMOUS SCRATCH

11

BY STEVE KENSON

THE NIGHTMARE HARVEST

COSM: ORRORSH

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LOCATION: KABUL, AFGHANISTAN

MISSION BRIEFING Standard Scene. Rather than their usual briefing or mandate from the Delphi Council, the Storm Knights start this adventure with a desperate psychic message, sent to them by an Afghani boy trapped in the nightmare realm of a khapasa, an agent of the Gaunt Man. Read or paraphrase the following to the players. You run. You run for cover from the explosions roaring all around you, with the distant sound of gunfire. The air stinks of cordite and hot metal and blood and the dying rays of the sun paint everything orange and red. There are shouts and screams in the distance. Are they calling out to you? You’re not sure. All that you are sure of is the need to find someplace safe, if there is one. Bloody and broken corpses lie in the street, eyes open, fearful, and staring at you in death. You run down an alleyway and come up short, for the way is blocked by a tree growing up out of the pavement. It is black and skeletal, branches reaching for the bloody sky like bony fingers, casting long shadows over the ground. From the top of its trunk, a figure looks down at you. It is a brown-skinned, blackhaired boy, his limbs sunk into the black bark, as if the tree has grown over him. His dark eyes are pleading, desperate. “Please,” he says to you. “Please, help us.” Then you wake in a cold sweat. You can play out this nightmare scene for as long as you like, even running a full standard scene combat with some armed attackers or nightmare creatures. None of it is real, so none of the effects on the characters matter once they wake up (this time). It might be possible for the characters to dismiss the disturbing nightmare save for a few things: First, all of the Storm Knights had exactly the same dream, as they immediately learn if they

There’s something in the wood. Something rotten.

compare notes. Second, any of the characters with experience involving telepathy (or who are psionic themselves) feel what they experienced was not just a dream, but psychic contact with the boy they saw. Finally, the characters get a message from the Delphi Council as part of a regular update on known activity: Kabul, Afghanistan – Reports of a mysterious “sleeping sickness” causing people to fall into comas spreading rapidly. No detectable medical cause. Possible supernatural activity near Orrorshan reality front? Naturally, encourage the players to follow-up these leads and go to Kabul to investigate. If they do not do so, have the same nightmare reoccur every night for at least three nights. If nothing else, after another night or two, the Delphi Council might decide to dispatch the Storm Knights to Afghanistan themselves.

GETTING IN The Storm Knights should be able to travel to Kabul by whatever means they have at their disposal. The Delphi Council arranges transportation asneeded for their assignment. Afghanistan teeters on the edge of a fragile alliance between various factions within the nation, united solely by the threat of Orrorsh looming on its borders. Efforts by Core Earth forces from other nations (including the Delphi Council), and by Victorians from the Orrorsh realm to aid in the nation’s defense, have had limited success. Many Afghans treat the foreigners as occupying invaders and the coalition government is slow to make decisions and take action on anything. If you want, the Storm Knights may encounter difficulties with corrupt border or checkpoint guards or local bandits or warlords. Otherwise, assume they’re able to arrive without difficulty and begin investigating.

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SCENE ONE: THE SLEEPING SICKNESS Standard Scene. Of immediate concern to the characters is a recent wave of a “sleeping sickness” that has struck Kabul and the surrounding area. Hospitals are filling up with comatose patients who cannot be awakened, and there are many more people lying asleep at home, cared for by worried family members, who have been asleep for days. The sleep of all of the victims seems restless, and there are reports of many of them twitching, moaning, or even crying out as if they were dreaming or experiencing a nightmare, but even then they cannot be awakened. Allow the players to pursue whatever avenues of investigation they wish, whether it is interviewing people, talking to medical personnel, asking to examine medical records of a patient under hospital care, and so forth. The following things should become clear as they investigate: • There is no apparent medical cause for the sleepers’ condition: no signs of any infection or foreign body, nor any signs of brain injury. Medical science (even of higher Tech axioms than Core Earth) is baffled. • Some homes are warded by traditional kuchi and nazar amulets, intended to protect against curses and evil spirits, and those places seem particularly free of any malign influence. • The sleeping sickness is supernatural in origin. A detect magic spell shows any sleeper is under some type of curse, and an Outstanding Success with the spell gives the caster a glimpse of a gaunt, feral creature squatting on the victim’s chest before it whirls towards the caster, snarls viciously, and disappears. A similar thing happens if any hero examines the victims using psionic powers like psychometry or read mind. • A number of trees in open spaces and along streets in the city catch the characters’ eye. They are black almost as if burned, branches skeletal and bare of leaves regardless of the season, and look exactly like the tree from the Storm Knights’ shared dream. These are Orrorshan nightmare trees, which create a patchy mixed zone of Core Earth and Orrorsh reality, and are partially responsible for the plague of

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nightmares. If the characters question anyone about the trees, they discover locals have a difficult time recalling how long the trees have been there, or who planted them in the first place. • One of the victims of the sleeping sickness is familiar to the characters: A boy in one of the hospital wards in Kabul looks like the boy from the nightmare the group shared. Hospital records say his name is Rayi Rehimi. See Into the Nightmare (page 15) and Rayi’s description on page 17 for details. You can ask the players for appropriate skill tests, particularly find, evidence analysis, persuasion, and streetwise, as they go about their investigations, or simply provide the previous information to the characters with the highest adds in those skills, as the information is fairly important for the Storm Knights’ efforts.

EXTENDING THE SCENE If you want to extend this scene or add some variety to the investigation, you can include one or both of the following optional characters. • Dr. Leslie Grace: Dr. Grace is a Victorian with an interest in the occult (like many of her people). She has used her medical skills to aid investigations into mysterious ailments and deaths, some of which led to threats by supernatural creatures. She is primarily interested in saving lives and sparing people pain, and became a missionary to Core Earth to offer her assistance. Her efforts in Afghanistan have met with skepticism from the locals on a number of fronts, but Dr. Grace can be a helpful ally for the Storm Knights in pointing out useful medical and occult information in Kabul. • Darman Nazari: Darman Nazari is an Afghani man who has been taking more and more powerful stimulants to avoid sleeping out of fear of the “sleeping sickness.” After several sleepless days, he is edging over into paranoid psychosis, seeing hints of the Orrorshan incursion, which is only deepening his fear and paranoia. Nazari tries to steal drugs from a local hospital or clinic during the Storm Knights’ investigation, and sees anyone

who tries to stop him as “agents of the enemy.” The characters may be able to talk him down, otherwise they might have to fight him. Nazari has abilities of 7 and no real noteworthy skills, but his current state of mind does give him a +3 to willpower when it comes to resisting interactions, and an additional 3 Shock and 1 Wound (for a total of 10 Shock and 2 Wounds to take him out). Talking to Nazari reveals that he has seen a goblin-like creature he calls “khapasa” crouching on the chests of victims of the sleeping sickness, “feeding on their fear.”

SCENE TWO: INTO THE NIGHTMARE Dramatic Scene. At night after the characters arrive in Kabul, Rayi reaches out to them telepathically again. This time, he is able to draw the Storm Knights into his nightmare with the khapasa, allowing them the opportunity to help the boy confront the horror and overcome it. This may happen while the characters are asleep, during a visit to Rayi at the hospital, or another suitably dramatic time. The characters find themselves together in a wartorn, bleak, nightmare version of Kabul under a blood-red sky, with the psychic voice of Rayi calling out to them to find and help him. Once they arrive, the race is on for the characters to find the boy and free him from the khapasa’s clutches before the Orrorshan horror can destroy them. Storm Knights in the khapasa’s nightmare realm have the normal abilities, save that their Toughness is equal to their Spirit and they gain no benefits from armor. They have dream-analogues of their normal weapons and equipment and it all functions as if it were real.

GETTING IMAGINATIVE Since the nightmare realm is a place of mind and imagination, reality-rated characters there can potentially do amazing things, if they choose to imagine—and believe—them. Essentially, a character can roll a faith or willpower test to summon up any effect, item, or ability that is within the axioms of their reality. This may be an item of

equipment or technology, or a spell, miracle, or power the character doesn’t normally have. The Difficulty Number for the test is the effect rating of the desired item, such as the damage of a weapon, or the requires skill level of a spell, miracle, or psionic power. If successful, the character gets to use that thing as if they possessed it for the duration of the scene.

FIGHTING THE KHAPASA The khapasa is a powerful horror in the nightmare realm it has created. It has an effective Strength equal to its Spirit (11) and Dexterity equal to its Charisma (9) along with all of its listed skills and abilities. The creature usually appears as a goblin-like figure that crouches on victims’ chests, but it can take on any appearance in the nightmare realm, and will often appear as things the Storm Knights fear in conjunction with its Fear and Gloater abilities. What is worse, the khapasa is essentially invincible within the nightmare it has created: Its Relentless ability not only allows it to ignore Shock and Fatigue, it also means that being KO’ed by Wounds only lasts for a round. Then the creature returns, completely restored. Only by getting the dreamer to completely reject the fear the khapasa represents can banish it. So it is only a matter of time before the khapasa wears-down the heroes and destroys them. Their only hope is finding and freeing Rayi and helping him to eject the monster from his dreams.

FINDING AND FREEING RAYI While dealing with the khapasa’s attacks, the Storm Knights have to find Rayi and free him. His dreaming form is trapped within a representation of a nightmare tree, and following his psychic calls and helping to free him is a Dramatic Skill Resolution with the following steps: • Step A: Follow Rayi’s psychic “voice” to find him in the confusion of the nightmare. This is a Hard (–4) find test. Psionic characters may substitute precognition or telepathy while spellcasters can substitute divination. • Step B: Reach Rayi where he is trapped within a nightmare tree. This is a Hard (–4) find or streetwise, or tracking test. At the Game Master’s

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option, characters may be able to substitute a vehicles skill or apportation, even conjuring up an imaginary vehicle or portal to their destination. • Step C: Pull Rayi free of the nightmare tree. This is a Hard (–4) Strength test or a character can use faith, willpower, or Spirit, representing their inner strength. • Step D: Give Rayi the hope and personal strength to reject the khapasa’s nightmare, breaking the creature’s hold and banishing it back to the Orrorsh realm—for now. This is a Hard (–4) persuasion or faith test. An Outstanding Success in the battle against the khapasa also counts as success on this Step, and a Glory result definitely does so. Dilemmas that may occur include the following: • Possible Setback: The Storm Knights become lost in the maze of streets and alleys of nightmare Kabul, losing sight of Rayi and having to regain their bearings, going back to Step A. The nightmare tree grabs Rayi and pulls him back in, forcing the characters to start back at Step B. • Complication: The khapasa fills the characters with despair, subtracting 1 from all of their further tests, unless one of the Storm Knights

is able to succeed on a Challenging (–2) faith or persuasion test to inspire everyone to overcome it. • Critical Problem: The nightmare tree not only grabs and pulls Rayi back in, it also seems to pull itself into the earth and disappear, leaving only the psychic “echo” of the boy’s calls for help sounding somewhere in the distance. The nightmare tree has shifted elsewhere in Rayi’s dreamscape and the Storm Knights have to start looking for him at Step A all over again!

THE KHAPASA The khapasa is a malevolent spirit that invades victims’ dreams, turning them into nightmares in order to feed off their fear. It is incorporeal and exists solely in the spiritual realm of dreams, where it can take on virtually any form or appearance, although it often manifests as a goblin- or haglike creature sitting on its victim’s chest, causing feelings of paralysis and difficulty breathing. It has been able to act largely undetected and unopposed thanks to the spread of the Orrorshan nightmare trees, working to “soften up” Kabul for the horror reality and harvesting fear and possibilities for its master. Quote: “You should not have come into this dream, for you can die here—and you will.” Attributes: Charisma 9, Dexterity —, Mind 7, Spirit 11, Strength — Skills: Dodge 14, intimidation 14, reality 14, stealth 12, taunt 13, unarmed combat 13, willpower 14 Move: 11; Tough: 11; Shock: —; Wounds: 4 Equipment: — Perks: — Possibilities: 3 Special Abilities: • Fear: When characters first encounter the khapasa, they must succeed on a willpower or Spirit test or be Very Stymied by its fearsome presence. • Gloater: Khapasa use fear as a weapon to undermine the victims’ confidence. Any time intimidation or taunt are the Approved Actions, the khapasa may affect all of the player characters at once without Multi-Target penalties. If successful, this results in both an interaction effect and takes a Destiny card at

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random each player’s hand! • Incorporeal: A khapasa is a nightmare spirit— it has no physical form or abilities but uses its mental and spiritual abilities in their place in the dream realm. It can perceive the waking world anywhere near one of its sleeping victims, and even speak through them like mediums, if it wishes. Supernatural senses may perceive the presence of a khapasa on or near its victims. • Nightmare: Khapasa can assume any forms or appearance they wish in the dream realm, and have the ability to provoke nightmares specifically tailored to their victims. Each turn, the khapasa can choose to focus on a particular victim. When it does so, its form and the surrounding dream take on elements of that victim’s fears and the khapasa gains a +2 bonus to initimidation and taunt tests against that victim, while they are at –2 on tests against the creature’s Fear. • Multi-Attack: In the dream realm, khapasa can attack all of the player characters at once without Multi-Target penalties. Such attacks often appear to involve dream “minions” or other figments, multi-branching strikes, the creature momentarily duplicating, or the like. • Relentless: In the dream realm, khapasa ignore Shock and Fatigue completely. Wounds can KO them, but only for one round, after which the creature returns, completely restored. Only driving them out of a dream can remove them as a threat. • Undead: Khapasa are not living creatures, and are unaffected by spells and powers that affect the living. They are considered Supernatural Evil for Perks and powers affecting them.

Attributes: Charisma 7, Dexterity 6, Mind 6, Spirit 8, Strength 5 Skills: Faith (Islam) 9, find 8, telepathy 10, willpower 10 Move: 6; Tough: 5/8*; Shock: 8; Wounds: 3 Equipment: — Perks: Overcharge, Psionic Possibilities: 3 Special Abilities: • Psionic: Rayi is a newly awakened telepath with the clarity, mind sense, read mind, and telepathy powers. *In the nightmare realm.

THE AFTERMATH Stopping the Khapasa and saving its victims is only a first step in blunting Orrorsh’s eventual offensive along the Afghan front. The Storm Knights will want to ensure as many of the nightmare trees in Kabul are uprooted and destroyed as possible, and may be able to encourage and coordinate local authorities to do so. Of course, Orrorsh won’t necessarily make that easy, and other horrors may be dispatched to interfere with the effort and protect the realm’s tactical advantage in having a mixed zone over Kabul.

RAYI RAHIMI Eleven year-old Rayi Rahimi has never known a world without war, and senseless violence haunts his dreams. Before the sleeping sickness, Rayi was orphaned and alone, but being trapped in nightmares has awakened his latent telepathic potential and now Rayi senses he is not alone. He is reaching out with his mind, calling for help, and will do what he can to help his rescuers in return. Quote: “Please help me. I can’t fight the nightmares alone!”

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BY MIRANDA HORNER

THE DOLLHOUSE

COSM: ORRORSH

18

LOCATION: JAKARTA, INDIA

H

aunted houses—and threats—come in all sizes. The Storm Knights are called upon to investigate a potential haunted house. Unfortunately the house in question is a doll house, which poses several difficulties.

MISSION BRIEFING Standard Scene. An Alpha Clearance, urgent missive from Major Alaine Blackmere of Kolkata asks the Storm Knights to discreetly meet at a small residence on the outskirts of Kolkata—a Miss Lavender’s house. A middle-aged woman in Victorian garb greets them and welcomes them inside, calling each by name as they arrive. She introduces herself after they gather in her parlor, briefly gesturing at a tea service, saying: “I know that Storm Knights are a varied lot, and some of you may scoff at what I’m about to tell you, but please take it seriously or you may fall prey to a cunning new agent of the Gaunt Man. “Within the past week, every card spread I’ve set out includes The Doll, a card that has symbolic meaning in fortune-telling. Then, after arriving at Major Arlington’s house last night for a dinner party, I saw something that made me understand the card is literal, not symbolic: his daughter’s dollhouse. And, worse, it felt wrong somehow. Tainted. I immediately feigned a nasty headache and left. “I went to check on them this morning but discovered Major Arlington, his daughter, and his dinner guests had disappeared. Among his guests were some Delphi Council agents I’ve aided with my readings. After I reported my fears to my friend Major Blackmere, she set up this meeting.” Miss Lavender answers any questions that the Storm Knights have:

Time for an unfortunate change in perspective.

What

do you think happened to everyone?

“I’m not entirely sure, but my sense is it has something to do with that dollhouse. It felt like it had a life of its own. I’m to take you to the house and let you in so you can examine the scene of the disappearance for yourselves. Just be careful.”

Do

you think anyone specific is behind the disappearances?

“I’m not sure. I’ve known Major Arlington for a long time, so I doubt he has turned traitor. And given the dollhouse belongs to his family—his daughter—I’d be more inclined to think she has fallen under the Gaunt Man’s corrupting influence.”

Tell

us more about this daughter.

“Emily turned 18 a few weeks ago, and her family held a party for her—I went. She has always seemed

like a soft-spoken and generous person, so it’s odd she’d fall under the Gaunt Man’s sway. In fact, I heard she wanted nothing more than to fight the Gaunt Man. I believe her father told her to wait a few years before going into training, though.”

Can

your cards tell us anything more about this situation?

Miss Lavender takes out her deck and spreads them face-up on a table in front of the Storm Knights. Each one is The Doll. “I’m afraid this is where we’re at. Again, please be careful. Anything that can affect my cards so dramatically … well, it’s powerful. I wish I could tell you more about what you plan to face. My only sense of it is this: It may take a miracle to cleanse either the dollhouse or whoever caused it to become tainted. If it’s Emily, look to help her.”

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CHARACTERS AND RELIGION Because Orrorsh features miracles, religion and spirituality may have a stronger role in the game while Storm Knights deal with any of the horrors brought about by the Gaunt Man. As a result, you may wish to pause before running this adventure and ask your players some questions. Bear in mind religion and spirituality can be a sensitive topic, so gauge your table and players accordingly. • What religion, if any, does your character follow? • How does religion impact your character’s beliefs? (Even characters who are not religious or spiritual can be impacted by the beliefs and viewpoints of others.) • As you’ve played your character, have you had cause to change any beliefs they held? If so, how did they change? What would that look like in a realm like Orrorsh? If the characters going into this adventure have strong beliefs, make sure to provide avenues for expressing those as they go. In fact, we recommend you allow the characters to provide a more direct solution to freeing those trapped within the dollhouse through use of any rituals or ceremonies that seem appropriate to cleanse an item or area, or that could lay a ghost to rest.

SCENE ONE: ARLINGTON’S PLACE Standard Scene. Built outside of Jakarta, Arlington’s bungalow is typical of colonial Victorian architecture, making it somewhat indistinguishable from the others around it. Though dense foliage provides privacy to this residence, the front door is clearly lit. A stone path leads to it, bordered by dark green shrubs with inch-long thorns.

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“Oh, dear,” Miss Lavender says as she joins you outside the house. “I don’t know why that light is on, and the vegetation here seems, well, thicker than it was yesterday. I think I’d best just give you the key, compliments of Major Blackmere, and leave you to it. Emily’s room is on the second floor. Miss Lavender hands over the sturdy key and gives the place one last look before walking back to her house. The Storm Knights can begin their investigation of the area in earnest.

The Garden Path

The dense foliage that makes up the garden smells acrid. Thorns jut from shrubs, flowers that smell faintly like metal droop down from trees, and rotting fruit litters the area. The flora, along with its threatening thorns, fills most of the yard and is encroaching on the stone path that leads up to the front door. Storm Knights could potentially survey the area, but if they do, the vegetation provides a minor hazard. A Standard (DN 10) Dexterity test avoids the stickers, but a failure deals one (Soakable) Wound from particularly nasty, oversized thorns. Just off the porch, if the characters do explore, is a cloth doll pierced on a thorn. A two-inch-tall cloth doll hangs limply from a thorn longer than it, dripping a viscous fluid. It wears evening finery. This was once Lord Hawthorne, who somehow jumped from the dollhouse and ended up here. The moment the doll is touched by a character, it changes into the full form of the now-dead man. Searching his body turns up a metal case filled with calling cards identifying him. With an eerie silence, the doll morphs into the form of a man in his 40s. Though the thorn that once impaled him is no longer visible, the wound it created left a large hole in his gut. His eyes remain open, and his face remains fixed in an expression of both terror and resolution. Each house area entry below describes both the actual bungalow and the dollhouse version, which has morphed itself into a replica of the bungalow. Any details that differ are noted in the entry for the dollhouse version of the area.

The Foyer

This well-appointed entry room leads into the rest of the house. A side table with a silver tray holds several calling cards. A stack of invitation responses is next to it. The following cards are on the tray: Miss Augustus Lavender, Lord Reginald Hawthorne, Colonel Indra Patel, Major Forsythia Blackmere, and Major Obi Musa. The invitations, all positive responses to an RSVP for the get-together the night before, provide a clue about the attendees: Miss Augustus Lavender, Lord Reginald Hawthorne, Colonel Indra Patel, Father Luis Alves-Dias, H. Natanael Pekkala, and Ms. Sara Latifi. • The Dollhouse Foyer: Nothing of interest is in the dollhouse foyer. Major Alfred Arlington, the host of the party, lost his wife before coming here to help against the Gaunt Man. He brought his daughter with him to fulfill upon his wife’s last wish, but he can’t keep regrets, fear, and longing for his dead wife from his mind. Miss Emily Arlington, the daughter, wishes to follow in her parents’ footsteps to vanquish the Gaunt Man and his forces. She misses her mother dearly and is very aware of her father’s fear for her safety. She brought the dollhouse with her because it reminds her of the hours she spent playing dolls with her now-dead mother. Major Theodora Arlington, deceased, remains a presence of sorts in the lives of both her husband and daughter. Her body was never found after a battle with gospogs, leading to no sense of closure for those she left behind. The intertwining of her husband’s and daughter’s strong emotions recently morphed after a heated argument between those two, giving life to a twisted shade with her form. This form attached itself primarily to the dollhouse, which Theodora built for her daughter years ago. The Gaunt Man summons the shade now and again, forcing it to reveal any secrets it has learned. When he learned of the party with its guests, he granted it a strange ability: one that pulls beings into itself, trapping them in the form of dolls. He plans to have agents collect the house and its newly entrapped dolls soon enough.

THE GUESTS The previous night’s guests are businessoriented contacts Arlington wished to have meet each other. Brief biographies below give you an idea of how to roleplay the remaining living ones if encountered: • Colonel Indra Patel works with the Victorians in the effort to push back the Gaunt Man. A native to Jakarta, she joined the ranks of their military recently after leading a successful effort to thwart one of the Gaunt Man’s plans. • Father Luis Alves-Dias is a Storm Knight and Delphi Council agent. He was here to coordinate an effort to find out who was leaking Victorian plans to Gaunt Man agents. • H. Natanael Pekkala was a tourist in Jakarta when everything changed. A religion historian by trade, Pekkala’s insights into how to push back against the Gaunt Man’s corruption could prove invaluable to the Delphi Council and the Victorians. • Ms. Sara Latifi can, simply put, perform miracles of cleansing. She is a Storm Knight and Delphi Council agent who has been working in the area since her specific skills became known. Of everyone in this mess, she is most likely the one to provide insight into how to free those trapped in the dollhouse.

The Parlor

Elegant, if slightly worn, furnishings fill the parlor, creating a comfortable seating area. Glasses in various stages of use remain on the tables in this area, along with some appetizers. These liquids and foods smell rotten already. A page torn from a notebook reads: May I talk to you alone upstairs?—E

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• The Dollhouse Parlor: Colonel Indra Patel is here, stretched out on the sofa and holding her stomach. The Storm Knights can learn the following from her: • After doing her own investigation into the source of recent leaks, she believed that either Emily or Alfred was leaking sensitive information to the Gaunt Man. She had planned to ask Father Luis to speak with her alone after the gathering. She truly hopes she can find another answer, though, because she considers Arlington to be a good friend. • She doesn’t know why her stomach hurts, but it does. She’s tried her medicine, but it only seems to make things worse. • She doesn’t know that she’s trapped in a dollhouse.

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The Study

Bookcases line the wall of this room, which is dominated by a large desk. Papers are spread out on the desk. The papers on the desk are various religious ceremonies that Arlington was reviewing, thanks to the research of Pekkala. • The Dollhouse Study: Pekkala is sitting at the desk here, reading through the papers about religious ceremonies and muttering. He shares the following information if asked: • He knows he’s trapped in a dollhouse because Father Luis told him. He’s trying to figure out which ceremony he should ask Father Luis or Ms. Latifi to perform to help free them from the place.

• He doesn’t remember how he got here, but he thinks it happened when he went upstairs for some reason, and he’s pretty sure it involved a ghost somehow. • He currently thinks the following will help free them: a séance in the style of the spiritualists to gather more information, then either a roomby-room blessing of the house in the Catholic tradition or a Muslim house-cleansing prayer.

The Dining Room

A large table stands in the center of this room, laden with half-eaten food and drink. It smells both delicious and terrible in here. The food and drink in this room look perfectly fine, but have an aroma of spoilage. • The Dollhouse Dining Room: Major Alfred Arlington sits at the head of the table here, his head in his hands and his food pushed away. The Storm Knights can learn the following from him: • He has seen his wife’s ghost in other parts of the house, but not here. Yet. • He’s not aware that he’s stuck in a dollhouse. If told he is, he just shakes his head and expresses regret that he and Emily ever came to help. • He’s very afraid for his daughter and is currently trying to figure out how to mend a break that happened on her birthday, when he flat-out told her that she could not enlist to help against the Gaunt Man. He is also trying to figure out how to send her to safety somewhere. • Mostly, Major Arlington seems wrapped up in his fears for his daughter, grief at the loss of his wife, and anger at himself for ruining his relationship with his daughter. Those emotions are feeding on him currently, making it hard for him to focus on anything. • If asked about servants, he says he gave the staff the night off.

The Kitchen

The kitchen is strangely pristine, as if whoever cooked the food did so beforehand and then cleaned up entirely before serving it.

• The Dollhouse Kitchen: The cutting board here has every single knife in the kitchen stuck into it. When the Storm Knights enter, these knives swirl around and then try to strike them. • Kitchen Knife (1 per hero): See below.

KITCHEN KNIVES Attributes: Charisma 4, Dexterity 8, Mind 4, Spirit 4, Strength 8 Skills: Dodge 10, find 8, intimidation (12), melee weapons 10, stealth 8, taunt (9), trick (9) Move: 8; Tough: 8; Shock: 4; Wounds: — Equipment: — Perks: — Possibilities: Never Special Abilities: • Flight: Move 8 through the air. • Stab: Damage Strength +2 (10). Uses melee weapons. • Very small: Attacks against the knives suffer a –6.

The Servant’s Quarters

This room is kept neat as a pin. A personal shrine to Buddha stands next to the bed. Other than an absent servant’s belongings, this room is well-kept and empty. • The Dollhouse Servant’s Quarters: The Buddha in the shrine has crumpled to dust.

Father Luis’s Guest Room

This nicely appointed room is decorated in shades of ivy green with touches of gilt. An open suitcase sits on the bed. Father Luis was to stay in this room the evening of the party. If the Storm Knights poke through his belongings, they find his vestments with some options for lay clothes to blend into Jakarta better. • The Dollhouse Father Luis’s Guest Room: Father Luis is flipping through his Holy Bible here, along with a well-worn leather-bound book with no title. The Storm Knights can learn the following from him:

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• He had hoped to work with Arlington to learn where leaks of sensitive information were coming from and put a stop to them. • He is very aware that he is trapped in a dollhouse; he is looking at how to free them right now. He has an idea that perhaps cleansing the house would work. • He briefly spoke with Major Arlington earlier and was disquieted to learn that the major thinks he sees his dead wife’s ghost. He’s not quite sure what to do if a corrupted ghost is involved—Orrorsh is a recent assignment and he is new to the Delphi Council, so he’s still getting a sense of what works and what doesn’t here. • Emily seems to be caught in a trance of some sort, sitting in front of the dollhouse and unable to be roused, so he’s worried about that, too.

Latifi’s Guest Room

Hues of soft blue contrast with dark woods in this guest bedroom. A suitcase stands in the corner. Sara Latifi already put away her clothing upon arrival, so it’s either tucked away neatly in drawers or hanging in the wardrobe. The Dollhouse Latifi’s Guest Room: Sara is performing the salat when the Storm Knights come across her. If they ask her questions, they can learn the following: • She’s aware that she’s trapped in a dollhouse. She can almost sense the boundaries of it—and they are somehow growing, she thinks. • She’s familiar with working miracles and was about to perform a cleansing of the house to see if that works, then suggests Father Luis do the same. She’s glad of any assistance that the Storm Knights can provide, though, because she senses she’ll need all the help she can get. • She has seen a woman’s ghost wandering the house, touching things. She’s very afraid of it.

Master Bedroom

Grays and black mix together in this room, creating a serene bedroom. An oil portrait hangs over the fireplace with the two majors and a much younger

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Emily in it. Joy and love surround the three, lending a sense of peace and comfort to the room. Nothing else of note is in the room. • The Dollhouse Master Bedroom: The painting above the fireplace has a haggard and fearful Alfred in it. Theodora is completely missing, and Emily stares blankly out from the canvas, her eyes completely white.

Emily’s Room: The Dollhouse Entrance

Bright reds and rich mahogany wood should make this bedroom a vibrant and warm space, but instead disquiet reigns. Emily stands in front of an empty table, staring down at it with white-cowled eyes. A pencil is in her left hand, and a large pad of paper rests under it. By opening the door, the Storm Knights are transferred inside the dollhouse, where they can begin to interact with its trapped inhabitants and work to free them. If they begin by trying to talk to Emily, she remains silent. She’ll instead write out her answer. Before they start interacting with her, the only words on it, written multiple times and in multiple sizes, are these: Cleanse or banish? Banish or cleanse? If interacted with in any way, Emily’s only written response is this: Please free us.

SCENE TWO: CLEANSE OR BANISH? Dramatic Scene. In the end, any action the Storm Knights take to learn more from the ghost (if they do a séance with Pakkola’s help) or cleanse the place (with either Father Luis’s or Sara’s help) provokes the shade of Theodora.

DEFEATING THE SHADE Though originally formed from the strange mix of heightened emotions provided by both Alfred and Emily, this shade started taking on the form of Theodora, hoping to use that identity to further influence the two into greater heights of emotion,

which lends it power. Any of the following ideas work to weaken or defeat the shade, causing its ability to entrap people as dolls within it to immediately end. Additionally, any player-driven ideas could also free everyone. • Outright fight the shade in combat. This could be a longer combat than the other options as the shade moves from one room to the next and recoups resources momentarily. • Cleanse the house using the NPCs while the Storm Knights keep the shade from interfering with the cleansers. Upon completion of the cleansing, the shade’s ability to trap anyone vanishes, thereby freeing everyone. (A combat could ensue after this to utterly destroy the shade.) • Banish the shade using a ritual or ceremony, such as an exorcism miracle. Any Storm Knights not immediately involved in the banishment would need to keep the shade contained somehow. • Distract the shade via séance while others purify the house room by room.

THEODORA’S SHADE Attributes: Charisma 8, Dexterity 8, Mind 6, Spirit 12, Strength 8 Skills: Dodge 10, find 8, intimidation 12, maneuver 9, melee weapons 10, missile weapons 10, reality 14, stealth 12, taunt 9, trick 9, unarmed combat 10 Move: 8; Tough: 8; Shock: 12; Wounds: 3 Equipment: ­­— Perks: Vengeful Possibilities: 2 Special Abilities: • Cloak of Darkness: Shades gain a bonus to Toughness equal to the current Darkness penalty. • Disturbance: A shade can hurl objects within a Large Blast. This is an unarmed combat attack that deals Strength +1 (9) damage. If unattended weapons are within the disturbance their properties apply to the damage as well. • Ethereal: A shade may move through walls and solid objects, and is immune to physical attacks unless the weapon is magical or has a property that allows it to affect ethereal beings.

Magic, miracles, and psionic powers affect ethereal beings normally. • Fear: Upon first seeing a shade a hero must test willpower or Spirit or become Very Stymied. • Undead: Shades are immune to effects that require breathing, eating, or other “living“ processes.

THE AFTERMATH After the Storm Knights break the shade’s entrapment ability, they all show up in the real house in whatever room they’d been within. None of the strange decay has taken root as when they first investigated the area—only normal spoilage. All sense of unease has vanished. The dollhouse still exists, but it now looks like the house they all stand within, including the furniture. One doll remains within it—it resembles Theodora. Emily snatches it up and hugs it to her chest. That’s when everyone hears a woman’s voice and feels a warm and joyful presence: Please, Alfred. Emily. Fight the Gaunt Man together. You’re stronger together. People need your skills … and your love. And let me go. My time is done. The presence departs. At this point, while Alfred and Emily process what just happened, Sara thanks the Storm Knights for their help. The others also add their thanks, with Sara stating: “We have worked several miracles here today, I think. Not only are we freed from the Gaunt Man’s agent, but I think a family has grown closer and started healing from a terrible grief, yes? And there is power—and hope—in that.”

“IT TURNS OUT DOLLS ARE EVEN CREEPIER WHEN YOU ARE ONE.” -AIDAN MCALLISTER

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COSM: ORRORSH

BY RHIANNON LOUVE

SANCTUARY IN PERIL

LOCATION: ODISHA, INDIA

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spiritual community has cut itself off from the outside world, and Storm Knights are being asked to break through the community’s wards to rescue anyone trapped inside. However, if they assume this tale to be as simple as it appears, they might encounter the truest horrors Orrorsh has to offer. This request comes from trusted Victorian allies, who are concerned for the safety of some of their own agents. They describe a dangerous cult that has been gaining popularity at a Core Earth soft point, and they express fear that this cult seeks to destabilize the zone, and to ultimately occupy it for the Gaunt Man’s sake. The Storm Knights are being asked to prevent the cult’s nefarious plans.

MISSION BRIEFING The request for this assignment comes from the local commanding officer of Victorian forces. Sir David Truhart (see page 32) has long been seen as a hero of the Victorians’ conflicts with the Gaunt Man’s monsters. Son of an English knighted veteran and an Indian mother, he has also had greater success than average at reaching out to rural and Core Earth people in resistance organization efforts, showing a talent for gaining trust in even these frightening times. Having quickly followed in his father’s footsteps to earn a knighthood at a young age, Sir David has been the commanding officer in the rural northern Odisha area for nearly a year. He is friendly and helpful toward the Storm Knights assigned here. Sir David explains the situation to the team who has come to aid him: A spiritual leader, long believed to be a bastion of stability at this Core Earth soft point, began exhibiting uncharacteristic and misanthropic behavior. Soon after, she and her followers closed themselves in behind the walls of the soft point’s

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The Victorians have great strength, but have also been exposed to great corruption.

central structure, in an ancient monastery. They have since cut off all communication with the outside world. After repeated refusals of contact with Victorian forces, an attempt was made to rescue any community members who might be imprisoned within, but said efforts were rebuffed by what seemed to be a magical barrier. Victorian miracle-worker priests have attempted to take the barrier down, but to no avail. The Storm Knights are being asked to lend their aid to the next assault. The monastery in question is called the Vishvadhaya Sanctuary, a large and self-sufficient complex, with its own plentiful well and extensive farm within its outer walls. It could house up to 500 people indefinitely, and is believed to currently contain just under that number, plenty to both till the fields and maintain the defenses. Sir David confides to the Storm Knights a fear that only the leader and her local military supporters have

chosen this self-isolation of their own free will, and that the others are being forced into slave labor to maintain the monastery-cum-fortress. If the players draw him into conversation, Sir David might also admit that his own headquarters are currently understaffed, in part because half the staff is inside the monastery. The leader of the monastery is Sri Anisha Devi (see page 32). From an excellent drawing provided by the Victorians, she looks plumpish and motherly, with a compassionate gaze. They have no photos of her. Sir David and explains that she has changed so much in temperament and bearing that one would no longer recognize her from this drawing. If able to catch any of the characters privately, a shy and nervous member of Sir David’s Victorian staff (Mary) tells the team she finds Sir David’s claims very difficult to believe. “Mama Devi”, as

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she was often nicknamed, was so kind and purehearted, and so even-tempered in all things that, “If even she has fallen to the Gaunt Man’s evil,” the woman asserts, “then none of us are safe. None of us are strong enough.”

SCENE ONE: PREPARATION Standard Scene. Unless they prefer otherwise, the group is asked to take point on formation of the plan to enter the monastery. It should be assumed the Victorians can provide personnel to cover any weaknesses in the party’s capabilities, albeit at a lesser level of competence than a Storm Knight might have available. The Victorians seem eager to be agreeable and to work with the Storm Knights come what may, especially Sir David. They do advise a nighttime operation, for the reasons described in Scene Two: Executing the Plan. If the characters attempt to gather information from non-Victorian locals, they will find the populace to be reticent and suspicious of them. The Victorians would discourage any heroic efforts to win the locals over, advising this would only frighten them more and drive them further away. If the group persists anyway, they will find the Victorians are incorrect, and it’s really just the Victorians the locals don’t trust. Some of these villagers actually appreciate the Delphi Council’s efforts to reach out. If the characters win any local people’s trust, they agree with Mary that corruption of Sri Anisha Devi is difficult to believe and very discouraging. Several suggest corruption among the Victorians seems more likely. These people are under a great deal of stress, terrified for their own safety and that of their loved ones, and many are survivors of recent trauma in the surrounding region. Some are quite odd in bearing or manner, or horribly disfigured. None of them act very normal, but under the circumstances, what more could one expect? Their testimonies run the gamut as public testimony is wont to do, including both tales of gross misconduct by members of Mama Devi’s guard forces, and tales of gross misconduct by Victorian

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soldiers and officers. In general, both Mama Devi and Sir David are respected as individuals, but this conflict between them is having a severe destabilizing effect on local resistance efforts. The more time the characters spend with the local populace, the more annoyed and impatient the Victorians become. They believe this is an urgent concern and innocent townspeople’s lives are at stake within the monastery. If the group is inclined to ignore these warnings and continue to question the populace, they might discover “The Truth” (see Complications) through diplomacy with local people, possibly avoiding much bloodshed.

MONASTERY OVERVIEW The outer monastery wall encompasses nearly 600 acres of advanced permaculture technologies, built into and alongside farm facilities that have existed on this land for hundreds of years (at least). Its food production includes mature orchards, pasture for two dairy cows, and free range egg-laying facilities for over a hundred chickens, alongside state-of-the-art hydroponic vegetable farms and waste reclamation processors. The residents eat a mostly-vegan and all-vegetarian diet, and have been food, water, and financially self-sufficient for generations out of mind. Not long before the Gaunt Man’s invasion, the farm was also updated to include self-sufficient electricity in key systems as well, which continues to function in the Core Earth soft point that the ancient monastery’s spiritual history provides. Life within the monastery is simple and demanding, with few luxuries of any kind, but a siege of the place could take years before forces inside the walls would be weakened. The amount of information depends on the different avenues the team explores and the overall time and effort put into investigation—GM’s call. Basic information: The most vulnerable section of the Vishvadhaya Sanctuary is the orchard. Even without the supernatural ward keeping out intruders, the main monastery could be defended by very few people for a long time, due to its ancient, close design. The pasture and farm areas have high visibility and little cover, so a handful of guards could defend them a long time as well. It is the vast

food orchard making up most of the monastery’s lands that is the hardest part to defend, and would be easily infiltrated if the ward fell. Even if civilian guards are used, residents simply don’t have the personnel to cover every possible pathway through these trees. On the other hand, visibility will be poor under the trees—to some extent even in broad daylight, due to the cover provided by tree-trunks and low branches. For this reason, traps and pitfalls erected throughout the orchard could become a major threat during entry. Of course, all preparation must revolve around finding a way to bring down the mystical ward, which supplements the monastery walls. Intermediate information: It is unknown what Core Earth weaponry the monastery soldiers may possess, or to what extent it will retain its function, here in the soft point. If all of the soldiers’ Core Earth weaponry is functional, it is likely that 30 or more assault rifles of unknown ammunition supplies, and any number of grenades and mines may be in play, in addition to the cult’s mystical abilities. However, it is well documented that in the Gaunt Man’s territory, modern weaponry does not function. As such, for all the threat it would pose, the use of modern weaponry on the part of the monastery residents could well be a positive sign, that the soft point remains strong, and that a majority of cultists are merely radicalized, rather than supernaturally corrupted. Also of interest is the nature of the monastery’s outer ward. It is consistent with miraculous defensive wards of many major religions, and in itself gives no overt sign of corruption. It causes no harm to innocents, merely passively repelling entry. This, too, could be a sign that corruption of the residents is incomplete, and that negotiation and rescue may still be possible, as well as the full prevention of damage to this obviously-vital food source for local resistance operations (the monastery self-supports monetarily by producing far more food than it needs, after all). Indeed, defense of this soft point and its orchards from the Gaunt Man’s corruption is vital to the

continuation of resistance efforts for this entire region. Therefore, the least destructive possible means of entry is called for, in hope that both the soft-point-generating historical structure and the food supply from this farm can be preserved. Advanced information: If players manage to acquire advanced-level information during this planning phase, they are very likely to stumble across “The Truth,” as described in the Complications. In addition, it can be discovered that, in fact, the supply of food from this monastery to the surrounding community has not ceased during the cult’s so-called isolation. The local people are still eating just as well as they were before the wards went up, and there is no other plausible source for the particular fresh supplies that can be found in local pantries. More important still, there is no sign of corruption, disease, or toxicity in the food in question. Whatever is going on inside that monastery, hungry people outside it are still being fed wholesome food from its stores. Looking into its history, the Vishvadhaya Sanctuary has a long tradition of quietly supporting various resistance efforts over the course of its centuries of operation. As such, its structure and outer walls may contain any number of secret doors and passageways—means of smuggling supplies out to allies. This means at least one person among the local populace must have, at minimum, some means of communicating with those inside. Find that person and whole new avenues open up.

Key Monastery Figures

Sri Anisha Devi: She was a local spiritual leader long before the Gaunt Man’s arrival in India. Her primary mission was to provide food for the poor, and while small-scale and hardly famous, she was well respected in her local community. Since the world’s terrifying transformation, she has learned to work objectively undeniable miracles, primarily as a healer, with some defensive and support abilities as well. She exhibits no outward signs of corruption. Major Ankit Choudhury: Formerly of the Indian army, he leads the monastery guard. He is a decent officer in most regards, but is very much out of his depth in Orrorsh. Having survived the Night of Screams and succeeding terrors by luck as much

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as skill, he has brought the tattered remains of his unit to the Core Earth soft point of the Vishvadhaya Sanctuary and devoted himself to its defense— mostly because that gives him an excuse to take orders from Mama Devi, and to never leave the shelter of the soft point. That said, it isn’t as if his chosen mission is in any way a bad one, and he’s a pretty decent guy. His unit is fond of him. His abilities are typical of a Core Earth officer, but somewhat more advanced, due to his extensive combat experience since his reality fell apart. Other soldiers and minor miracle-workers will also guard the monastery, under the instructions of these two. Via either persistent diplomacy or skillful espionage, the Storm Knights might also discover that Naik Shailaja Das (see page 33) is the

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monastery’s rep on the outside. Naik is equivalent to a corporal. She is a woman of few words, calm and practical, and difficult to fool. She dresses in typical local garb, not a uniform.

SCENE TWO: EXECUTING THE PLAN Dramatic Scene. The group can choose to fight or talk their way into the monastery in any number of ways, and the Victorians play like they are in full support no matter what the Storm Knights decide. They will, however, urge strongly that the plan take place at night. They feel that cover of darkness will be vital to the rescue of captives, and that the corrupted and uncorrupted will be easier to tell apart at night as well. If asked about the dangers of

Orrorsh at night, they are sure this will be kept to a minimum, due to the soft point. The three main methods of entry would be: • Diplomatic: talking the monastery residents into letting down the wards to allow for negotiation. While communication is possible through the barrier, the residents are cagey and everyone needs to shout. It’s hardly a peaceful round-table. • Covert: if the monastery’s secret pathway can be discovered, this hole has been deliberately left in the barrier to facilitate the movement of goods back and forth with the local population. The hole is a dangerous bottleneck, but with proper stealth may prove sufficient for entry. • Brute Force: If the Storm Knights are able to muster significantly greater spiritual capabilities than the Victorian Sacellum priests have available (or similar), they have the option of simply shattering the outer ward and forcing entry. Players should be encouraged to use any of these routes, or a combination, or to invent creative alternatives.

THINGS GO WRONG No matter what plan the operatives make, the Victorians, despite having agreed to it, diverge from it as soon as the barrier keeping them out goes down. The Victorians’ goal is to burn down the food orchard and destroy the farm equipment. If questioned about such behavior, the average Victorian soldier has been convinced that these food sources have become corrupted and will poison anyone who eats from them (this is not true, but any soldiers following the destruction orders believe it). In order to protect this precious food supply, the Storm Knights must either convince the monastery guards to ally with them against the Victorians, or they must somehow fight off both the Victorians and the Indian soldiers at once. If the characters have figured out “The Truth” ahead of time and adequately planned to keep the Victorians from causing trouble, then the Victorians will attack on their own at their first opportunity, with the common soldiers and Sacellum priests

having been told that the Storm Knights have already fallen to corruption and joined the enemy. If the Storm Knights choose to help the Victorians to destroy the “corrupted” orchard, they will become partially responsible for the impending starvation of hundreds and the likely loss of a vital Core Earth soft point to the Gaunt Man’s forces within a year (possibly leading to more adventures as they attempt to clean up their mess).

COMPLICATIONS The Truth

The biggest complication to this entire scenario is that it is based on false premises. Thorough investigation within the local community and among the Victorians can reveal this information (though the Victorians will consistently urge the Storm Knights to hurry and cut corners in this regard—they are in a rush to “rescue” the monastery). If the group fails to uncover this data before executing their plan, it should all become obvious in the course of fighting perfectly ordinary Core Earth Indian soldiers and monastery residents, and observing the traitorous action of the Victorians seeking to burn down the orchards. Basic information: The Victorian officers are keeping secrets from their aides, priests, and troops. They are conflicted about something and behaving suspiciously. The Victorians also lack intelligence they should have, if Sir David is as good with the locals as his reputation suggests. It seems that the Victorians may have lost local trust recently. This situation, therefore, is probably not as clear-cut as Sir David is claiming. Intermediate information: Whatever may or may not be going on with Mama Devi and the monastery, there is definitely something wrong with Sir David. He’s going out at night, by himself, which is patently insane. He shouldn’t be coming back alive, and it’s very suspicious that he seems to be fine. In fact, rumor has it that people who speak ill of him or accuse him of anything seem to coincidentally disappear before their claims can be investigated. Advanced information: Sir David is not to be trusted. No one has proof yet, but given the nature

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of Orrorsh and its tactics, it’s looking very likely that David has made horrifying deals with evil forces and is probably working toward the destruction of this soft point (or at least its food supply). Many of those in his command are probably innocent (or well-intentioned at worst), but David Truhart and perhaps a few of his closest advisors have likely become quite evil. They are extremely dangerous. And, in fact, upon full investigation, there doesn’t seem to be a lot wrong with the monastery residents. Not with Mama Devi or the food supply at any rate. Orrorsh is full of corruption so it’s perfectly plausible that at least a few within the monastery are slipping toward evil and horror, but the bad guys are not the ones in charge—not within the monastery walls. It seems likely that they withdrew behind their barriers not because they were corrupted but because they suspected and feared corruption among the Victorians.

Reinforcements

Unless the final conflict takes place during the day (which the Victorians discourage, as stated under “Executing the Plan”), near the end of the fight, just as one side begins to lose, terrible reinforcements arrive. If the monastery residents are losing, one of the background Indian soldiers will, after taking an apparently deadly wound, turn out to have succumbed to lycanthropy. Rising as a werewolf, he will proceed to wreak havoc on anyone he can reach, more or less protecting the monastery, but to some extent by accident of placement. (GMs should feel free to add more werewolves or a more powerful werewolf as needed to present an adventure-appropriate challenge). Regardless of how the battle goes from that point, the werewolf (or wolves) will need to be dealt with. If, on the other hand, the Victorians are losing, Sir David will finally reveal his true colors and (perhaps with help from a close advisor or two) summon one or more Ravagons to battle on the side of destroying the orchard and soft point. Once this occurs, many uncorrupted Victorians may surrender to Indian forces or switch sides in horror, but the Ravagons and Sir David must still be dealt with.

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Sir David’s Forces

• Sr David Truhart: See below. • Victorian Soldiers (40): See page 80. • Sacellum Priests (5): See page 33. • Ravagons (2): See page 79.

Mama Devi’s Forces

• Mama Devi: See below. • Major Choudhury: See page 33. • Naik Das: See page 33. • Core Earth Soldiers (30): See page 33. • Werewolves (5): See page 80. If lycanthropes appear, they fight against Sir David’s forces but are not welcomed by Mama Devi.

THREATS AND ALLIES SIR DAVID TRUHART Attributes: Charisma 10, Dexterity 8, Mind 8, Spirit 10, Strength 10 Skills: Alteration 14, beast riding 9, dodge 12, find 10, fire combat 14, intimidation 12, maneuver 10, melee weapons 14, persuasion 14, stealth 10, survival 10, taunt 14, unarmed combat 12 Move: 8; Tough: 10; Shock: 10; Wounds: 3 Equipment: Saber (Strength +2/12), Webley Pistol (Damage 14, Range 10/25/40) Perks: Bolster, Diabolist, Medal (Possibility Wars Campaign Medal), Rally, Spellcaster (diminish, enhance, fear)Whirlwind Possibilities: 5 Special Abilities: • Gloater: When taunt or intimidation are Approved Actions, the villain may affect the entire party without a Multi-Target penalty. Affected heroes lose a random card from their hand.

SRI ANISHA “MAMA” DEVI Attributes: Charisma 10, Dexterity 8, Mind 10, Spirit 11, Strength 6 Skills: Dodge 9, faith 14, find 11, fire combat 10, first aid 10, intimidation 12, maneuver 9, melee weapons 9, persuasion 9, stealth 10, taunt 11, trick 10, unarmed combat 9, willpower 11 Move: 8; Tough: 6; Shock: 11; Wounds: 3 Equipment: ­—

Perks: Bolster, Miracles (bless, healing) Possibilities: 3 Special Abilities: • Minions: Mama Devi may transfer any hit to a true believer within a few meters if she succeeds at a reality test.

MAJOR ANKIT CHOUDHURY Attributes: Charisma 8, Dexterity 8, Mind 8, Spirit 9, Strength 8 Skills: Dodge 10, find 9, fire combat 12, first aid 9, heavy weapons 10, intimidation 12, land vehicles 9, maneuver 9, melee weapons 10, persuasion 11, stealth 9, unarmed combat 9 Move: 8; Tough: 12 (4); Shock: 9; Wounds: 3 Equipment: Ballistic vest (+4), Glock 9mm (Damage 13, Range 10/25/40) Perks: Double Tap, Rally Possibilities: 3 Special Abilities: —

NAIK SHAILAJA DAS Attributes: Charisma 7, Dexterity 8, Mind 8, Spirit 9, Strength 8 Skills: Dodge 10, find 9, fire combat 10, first aid 9, heavy weapons 9, intimidation 10, land vehicles 9, maneuver 9, melee weapons 9, persuasion 9, stealth 9, unarmed combat 9 Move: 8; Tough: 12 (4); Shock: 9; Wounds: 1 Equipment: Webley Pistol (Damage 14, Range 10/25/40) Perks: Double Tap Possibilities: None Special Abilities: —

CORE EARTH SOLDIERS Attributes: Charisma 6, Dexterity 8, Mind 7, Spirit 8, Strength 8 Skills: Dodge 10, find 8, fire combat 10, first aid 8, heavy weapons 9, intimidation 9, land vehicles 9, maneuver 9, melee weapons 9, stealth 9, unarmed combat 9 Move: 8; Tough: 12 (4); Shock: 8; Wounds: — Equipment: Ballistic vest (Armor +4), M4 assault rifle (Damage 13, Short Burst, Range 50/100/200). Perks: Double Tap Possibilities: Rare (2) Special Abilities: —

SACELLUM PRIESTS Attributes: Charisma 9, Dexterity 7, Mind 7, Spirit 9, Strength 7 Skills: Beast riding 8, faith 12, find 8, first aid 8, intimidation 11, scholar 9, taunt 10, willpower 12 Move: 7; Tough: 7; Shock: 9; Wounds: — Equipment: Crucifix, Sacellum Bible Perks: Miracles (banish, fear of god, plague of locusts, presence of god, repel, ward enemy), Puritan Possibilities: Rare (2) Special Abilities: • Gloater: When taunt or intimidation are Approved Actions, the villain may affect the entire party without a Multi-Target penalty. Affected heroes lose a random card from their hand.

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COSM: ORRORSH

BY ADAM THOMPSON

LEGENDS OF THE SEA

LOCATION: CHENNAI, INDIA

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his adventure is meant for mid- to high-level Alpha characters but will lend itself well to Beta characters. GM’s should remember to make appropriate adjustments to threats to include reality ratings and number of threats appropriate to the party size and skill level. Remember this is set in a Victorian-like setting and you would not want Stoker or Verne’s characters to have a harder time than your players. While not required for enjoyment a good mix of skills to include water vehicles could be useful for the Storm Knights to have.

MISSION BRIEFING The storm knights are assembled for a briefing with Spartan Division and US Navy Special Operations. “Good morning, I’m Commander Marsden. We have been receiving reports from the coast of India that merchant shipping is being targeted by someone or something. Large amounts of tonnage have been sunk. Whatever is responsible it’s harming civilians and could represent a clear and present danger to our surface craft as well. We want you to investigate, and deal with the threat at your own discretion. Seamen around Chennai may have witnessed something. Another potential lead is an eccentric Victorian named Peter Arrington. He’s planning an expedition himself and reached out for support.” The Storm Knights are provided with clothing appropriate to Orrorsh to blend in with the local surroundings. On request each character receives a Delphi council survival kit. The group is also issued one backpack-sized inflatable raft. One storm knight is given an old signal device to signal a friendly ship for pick up at the conclusion of the mission. The US Navy drops the characters with a small boat in the Bay of Bengal, near the Indian port of Chennai.

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The Malkavon is a terror of the seas.

SCENE ONE: ARRIVAL Standard Scene. When you arrive in Chennai you find the once bustling capital of information technology is worn and weary. The ports are still busy with fishermen and ships moving cargo along the coast and to Sri Lanka as the roads have deteriorated with the axiom shift­—or worse been destroyed by the never-ending nightmares that have befallen India. The docks seem different, even for those familiar with the realm. The people on the docks fear something, but not something usually found in Orrorsh. As night falls you notice activity picking up at the dockside taverns. If the players go to a tavern, after a time there have them roll a streetwise check. On a success they overhear that sailors have been disappearing, on a Good Success they are told a whale or narwhal is

destroying the ships that leave the port of Chennai and that a whaler named the Essex has gone out in search of the offending creature—but has not been heard from since. An Outstanding Success reveals a Professor Peter Arrington has been asking questions about the incidents. Rumor is he’s quite wealthy, and several men are plotting to either trick him out of money or outright rob him if they can catch him alone. Direct questions result in no additional information but do draw attention. If the Storm Knights are noticed by patrons in the bar a group of suspicious looking fellows follows out when they leave. • Rough Sailors (2 per Storm Knight): See page 41. These men aren’t interested in killing the Storm Knights but won’t hesitate to take valuable items from them if they get a chance.

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SCENE TWO: THE ESTEEMED PROFESSOR Standard Scene. Within a day of investigating the Storm Knights team receive a handwritten letter, either at breakfast if they eat at the hotel or as they walk out of the door. “I am of the understanding you are seeking information on the mysterious creature, believed to be a large whale, that is sinking ships. I would like to meet with you to discuss. Please attend me for luncheon at 1pm. Directions enclosed. Professor Peter Arrington The envelope contains directions to the house and a well-drawn map of the area. The professor’s home is in an upper-class area of Chennai. Upon arrival you notice the wellmanicured garden and meticulously kept outdoors. You are met at the door by a man who introduces himself as Conseil, the Professor’s manservant. Conseil shows you to the dining room and invites you to take a seat, stating the professor will be along shortly. The dining room holds several carvings of sea creatures and various paintings, giving you a clue to the professor’s primary studies. A man walks in and ask you to take your seats, as he sits, he says “Welcome, I’m Professor Arrington. I appreciate you taking the time to join me.” Conseil walks in and starts serving the meal, and Arrington continues: “I am of the understanding you are looking for the great whale that has been terrorizing ships that have left from this port. I have heard rumors it is a monster that creates fire and not a whale at all. I would very much like to get a look at it myself.” He pauses to take a bite: “The problem is in the logistics of travel. A fellow adventurer suggested I use a balloon, but I wanted to be up close. I doubt a commercial steamer Captain would risk his ship and passengers veering off course for my curiosity. Since I believe we are of the same interest, perhaps you can secure us passage on a

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reliable vessel. I will cover any costs. I’d go looking myself but recently the docks have become rather untrustworthy for Conseil and myself.”

Official Interest

Upon leaving the Professor’s house a Challenging (DN 12) find test to notice the group is being followed. If confronted they turn out to be Chennai police. If not they follow the group back to their safehouse or hotel and then announce themselves. These are Victorian officers working the same case, and they suspect Arrington is somehow involved and the Storm Knights are his minions. The police attempt to question the players about their interest in the sea monster and everything they know about Arrington. Resistance triggers an attempt to take the Storm Knights into custody. A standard persuasion test calms things down and prevents arrest. A Good Success gains a lead on the Antelope as a candidate ship—after all the police want this issue resolved too! An Outstanding result builds enough trust that they don’t try to place a man aboard the ship themselves. If the players are taken into custody, they are questioned about their knowledge of the monster destroying the ships. With a streetwise roll they can talk themselves out of the situation, at least enough to be released that night. Failure results in an accusation that they are in league with the Gaunt Man, and some kind of jailbreak becomes in order. • Victorian Soldiers (2 per Storm Knight): See page 80. • Victorian Sergeant (1): See page 41.

SCENE THREE: VOYAGE INTO DOOM Standard Scene. The docks of Chennai are busy as the afternoon tide rolls in. Word may have gotten out that the party is looking for a ship to go monster hunting, and most crews go out of their way to avoid contact. Eventually the search turns up a man named Rogers who says he is the mate of the sloop Antelope, and he would be happy to introduce you to Captain Barrett.

“I’m not sure if the Captain would be keen on passengers” he says “but I’m sure he will at least discuss it with you” Captain Barret is an older man. Obviously grizzled enough to be an experienced sea captain. Negotiations to convince him to go looking for the creature require a Hard (DN 14) persuasion test. On a failure he still takes the mission, but his price is beyond Arrington’s means to cover alone and the operatives must trade some fancy gear or promise favors to seal the deal. The Antelope is powered by a combination of sail and steam. Its wooden decks look like they have seen better days. “Is this all you could find? And at that price?” Professor Arrington ask disappointedly. A man you recognize as Rogers, the ship’s mate, offers to show you to your quarters. Once underway, the waters are choppy and uncomfortable. The Storm Knights must test to avoid becoming sea sick. Use water vehicles skill adds but based on Strength instead of Mind for this purpose. Failure means Fatigue that isn’t recovered until the character rests on dry land! A few days into the journey read the following aloud: The salty smell of the sea air fills your nostrils and, in the distance, you see the red and blue lightning that signifies a reality storm. As the sun starts to slip out of the sky you each find yourselves wondering if the Gaunt Man has taken control of the sea creatures as well as those on land, and how a boat full of Core Earth Ords, even a combat vessel, has survived all this time in the new and horrific reality that has been imposed on them. You are below deck following afternoon tea and hear activity on the deck. “Professor! Professor!” A sailor’s voice yells. You go above and see massive waves on the sea and the ship’s company moving to battle stations. At that moment you feel the Antelope rock and see what appears to be a giant squid. “I told you it was a sea monster!” Arrington exclaims. The squid is black as night and a feeling of foreboding comes over you, the presence is pure evil, an evil only felt in the presence of servants of the Gaunt Man. The appearance of the Malkavon strikes fear into the ordinary crew—they are of no help against this beast. If the creature isn’t driven off within

five Rounds it destroys the Antelope and then withdraws leaving the players adrift. In the likely event the Storm Knights find themselves without a vessel, a Very Hard (DN 16) survival test using Strength as a base instead of Mind keeps the Storm Knight conscious and clinging to wreckage until rescue comes, see The Mysterious Captain. On a failure the character is KO’ed and suffers a Wound in the cold and dangerous waters of the Indian Ocean. If the heroes manage to defeat the creature before it wrecks the Antelope it would seem the threat to maritime vessels is ended—and indeed attacks are reduced dramatically for months afterward. There may be other such creatures or strange vessels in the dark waters around Orrorsh, but that becomes a tale for another time when the group is cast adrift. From the Antelope they can signal for extraction and meet the Perth (see Aftermath on page 40) for debriefing and celebration.

SCENE FOUR: THE MYSTERIOUS CAPTAIN Dramatic Scene. If the Antelope was destroyed this scene begins with the strange circumstances of the Storm Knight’s rescue. Anyone conscious sees what looks like a pair of luminous green eyes approaching in the dark water below. A massive shape rises up in the water around them and a sudden electric shock KO’s anyone who was still awake. When everyone regains consciousness all Shock (including Fatigue loss from being sea sick) is recovered, but Wounds still remain. Read the following aloud: You awake to find yourselves in a room with a bed in each corner, a shaving basin on a vanity and small tables by the bed. You are dressed in your underclothes and see your clothes by a stove in the room. The doors to each of your rooms open to a small central room. The central room has chairs and a table, as well as two doors, one at each end of the room. One door is the head shared by the 4 cabins and the other is the exit. A knock at the door precedes a swarthy but welldressed man walking into the room. “Call me Ikesh!”

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he begins “The Captain insisted we pull you out of the sea. How are you finding your accommodations? Good I hope.” Ikesh will answer basic questions then excuses himself. He does not name the ship they are on nor the Captain—that is for the man himself to share. He assures the group they are not prisoners, but are currently confined until the Captain has time to interview them and determine if they are threats to the ship or not. This vessel witnessed the destruction of the Antelope from afar, and rescued the Storm Knights after investigating the wreckage. The only other survivor they managed to pick up was Professor Arrington, whom the Captain is speaking with right now. As he is leaving, he says “If you are hungry, the guard will show you to the galley. The Captain will be along to meet you shortly.” The players are not followed by the guards beyond showing them to the galley. Upon entering the galley the Storm Knights find an athletic Indian man dressed in finery and wearing a turban. He puts down his tea and introduces himself. “I am Rajesh Dakkar, the Captain of the Nautilus. You did not look well when we found you. I trust you find yourself in better health now?” Dakkar is formal and polite, and answers most questions evasively unless treated with similar decorum. A careful discussion with the Captain may yield the following tidbits of information: • Dakkar was originally from Gaea, but he is no Victorian. His nation, and his family with it, was destroyed by the Gaunt Man long ago. • It’s no secret he was very rich, and managed to bring several treasures here to Core Earth. These funded the creation of the vessel. Only the most astute and persuasive Storm Knights may discover he was a prince of the nameless, lost nation he refuses to name. • Dakkar was a Storm Knight, but transformed after his arrival here and now lives under Core Earth axioms. He was something of an inventor before, and feels even more so now. • His Nautilus is indeed inspired by the writings of Jules Verne. He finds the Captain Nemo described by the book a kindred spirit.

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• He uses his resources and his ship to battle the servants of the Gaunt Man at sea. His men are like-minded, and all have lost family to the horrors of Orrorsh. If the Storm Knights are rude or threaten Dakkar, his ship, or his crew, he curtly dismisses them and orders his men to set cut the ruffians loose on a lifeboat. (He is no monster, after all.) The group is missing their weapons and armor, but may still overpower the Captain and his crew—at which time the Malkavon returns for a second attack. Otherwise he invites the Storm Knights to explore the ship and speak to his crew. He won’t invite anyone to join unless—like everyone else aboard— all their loved ones were lost to Orrorsh’s monsters. He is also reluctant to join the Delphi Council, trusting only his own men and his own genius. With enough persuasion he may eventually agree to a tentative alliance. As the guests explore the Nautilus they find it as impressive as the Antelope was sketchy. All the signs are written in Hindi—the language or Linguist Perk identifies the script and reads the signs, otherwise the crew are happy to translate. Each of the compartments is well equipped. The library is well stocked on many subjects and the laboratory seems capable of conducting any experiment up through Tech 23 science. The lab contains preserved specimens or components from many of Orrorsh’s most notorious monsters. The crew themselves are quiet and courteous. They are especially deferential to anyone who has the Wealth Perk or some signs of aristocracy about them. They answer basic questions about the vessel, the Captain, or Ikesh in halting English. Most are expatriates from Gaea like Dakkar, but Ikesh himself is a newer arrival who was allowed to join the Nautilus because his story was exactly the same as theirs.

LEAVING THE NAUTILUS Whether on friendly terms or not, eventually the time comes where the Storm Knights must leave the Nautilus. If Captain Dakkar has taken a shine to the heroes he offers to put them off on a lifeboat close enough for their flare to be seen by a Delphi

Council ship. He won’t get too close—even if he trusts the group he doesn’t yet trust anyone else. If diplomacy failed and the crew forces the group into a lifeboat they are far out at sea with no idea where to find help or land. If they battled the crew and defeat seems inevitable Dakkar or one of his crew skuttle the ship, which still forces the heroes to race for the lifeboat unless they wish to join the Captain in his watery grave. Before they go Dakkar (or Ikesh if Dakkar isn’t friendly with the party) offers a parting gift: an Eternity Shard! The shard is an old hand-thrown harpoon known only as the Haeana Rāti (see the sidebar below). “Take this. They say it kills monsters, your hands may make use of it sooner than ours would.” Professor Arrington asks to stay with the Nautilus regardless of the circumstances of departure. He’s become enamored with the vessel and Dakkar himself, and believe he has the qualifications necessary to permanently join the crew. It’s up to the Storm Knights if they choose to dissuade him or leave him be. In truth, even if the Storm Knights made a good impression Dakkar has an ulterior motive for dropping them off. He too hunts the Malkavon, and it’s learned to keep quite a distance from the Nautilus. A lifeboat however could draw it into an attack, which in turn allows Dakkar to strike at the beast before it devours the bait—hopefully.

WE NEED A BIGGER BOAT After an hour at sea you hear across your emergency radio in a thick Australian accent: “Storm Knights….this is HMAS Perth; we saw your signal, help is on the way.” The voice gives you a bearing to head along to move out of Orrorsh waters so the Ord ship can recover the lifeboat without risk of transformation. The boat moves along the course the sea starts to get rough without a storm in sight, and then a massive tentacle then breaks the surface. It’s the Malkavon back for more! The creature retains any Wounds dealt in the previous scene, but has recovered all Shock. Most

ETERNITY SHARD: HAEANA RATI Cosm: Orrosh Possibilities: 10 Tapping Difficulty: 18 (Favored if the user has adds in water vehicles) Damage: Strength + 4 Description: A handheld whaling harpoon that is incredibly well made. It looks like a Maori design, with engravings offset in red and blue. Powers: When used as a weapon against a Very Large (or bigger) foe it deals +1BD damage. A user may Tap the harpoon to spend a Possibility and add another +1BD to damage against such a creature. When thrown, the harpoon always returns to the user’s hand. Restrictions: Possibilities may only be spent on missile weapons and water vehicles.

significantly this attack probably occurs during the day, while the Antelope was sunk at night within the protection of the creature’s Cloak of Darkness. The attack of the Nautilus occupies much of its attention and prevents it from devouring the lifeboat all at once, but it still attacks the occupants with two tentacles each round. The heroes can stand and fight, or attempt to flee towards the Perth and relative safety. The latter is a Chase using water vehicles against a DN 12. The Malkavon itself may roll to gain Steps independently of the actions of its tentacles, and if it completes Step D it devours the lifeboat! If the Storm Knights complete Step D the Perth grows close enough to land a barrage of missiles into the beast and finish it off for good. If the group chooses to stand and fight instead the battle automatically ends if they survive five rounds as Nautilus finally manages a full speed ram to the creature and activates its electrical defenses. Both the submarine and the shrieking creature disappear under the waves, leaving the Storm Knights clear to reach the Perth with a very wild tale.

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AFTERMATH Once you are aboard the Perth transports you to the Delphi Council operations base at Diego Garcia. The council representatives listen with interest to tales of the Malkavon, Captain Dakkar, and the Nautilus. They gasp in horror and disbelief after learning that the Gaunt Man controls what is under the ocean as well as what is on land.

THREATS AND ALLIES PROFESSOR ARRINGTON Attributes: Charisma: 9 Dexterity: 9 Mind: 11 Spirit: 7 Strength: 6 Skills: Dodge 10, find 12, fire combat 10, land vehicles 10, language (Hindi) 12, reality 8, scholar 20, science 16, water vehicles 10. Move: 9; Tough: 6; Shock: 7; Wounds: 3 Perks: Mastery (Scholar), Linguist Possibilities: 2 Special Abilities: —

CAPTAIN RAJESH DAKKAR Attributes: Charisma: 8 Dexterity: 9 Mind: 10 Spirit: 10 Strength: 8 Skills: Dodge 12, faith 11, find 11, fire combat 12, land vehicles 10, language (Hindi) 15, language (English) 14, melee weapons 12, persuasion 12 reality 15, scholar 15, science 14, unarmed combat 13, water vehicles 19 Move: 9; Tough: 8; Shock: 10; Wounds: 4 Perks: Axiom Increase (Tech 24), Wealthy, Followers (Nautilus Crewmembers), Natural Leader, Linguist, Mastery (Water Vehicles) Possibilities: 5 Special Abilities: • Minions: The captain may transfer any hit to a lackey within a few meters if he succeeds at a reality test.

IKESH Attributes: Charisma: 6 Dexterity: 9 Mind: 7 Spirit: 9 Strength: 10 Skills: Fire combat 11, melee weapons 11, missile weapons 12, reality 11, water vehicles 16 Move: 9; Tough:10; Shock: 9; Wounds: 3

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Equipment: Harpoon (Strength +2/12) Perks: Mastery (Water Vehicles) Possibilities: 3 Special Abilities: —

MALKAVON Resembling a giant squid, these are the kings of the deep and the maritime servants of the Gaunt Man. They target large objects and animals for the sole purpose of keeping the denizens of Orrosh afraid of deep water. Attributes: Charisma: 4 Dexterity: 12 Mind: 6 Spirit: 18 Strength: 18 Move: —; Tough: 20(2); Shock: 18; Wounds: 5 Perks: Vengeful Possibilities: 5 Skills: Reality 20, Unarmed Combat 16 Special Abilities: • Armor: +2 thick, blubbery skin. • Cloak of Darkness: The Malkavon gains a bonus to Toughness equal to the current Darkness penalty., and it normally attacks at night. • Dread: All scenes when this creature is present become dramatic. • Fear –4: Very little is more terrifying than the sight of this creature rising above the waves to pull a ship down under. Test willpower or Spirit with a –4 penalty or become Very Stymied. • Mindless: The Malkavon is immune to intimidate, taunt, and telepathy. • Swim: Speed 14 in the water. • Tentacles: The beast has no fewer than 10 thrashing tentacles, although two are much larger than the others. Usually the majority of these appendages grapple a ship or threaten crewmen, while one tentacle per two Storm Knights is free to attack the heroes. The tentacles operate independently without Multi-Action penalties for one another. • Very Large: The Malkavon is over 50 meters long when stretched out—larger than most Victorian frigates! Attacks against it gain +4 to hit.

NAUTILUS CREWMEMBER Captain Dakkar’s men hail from many nations, and all owe the captain their lives.

Attributes: Charisma 6, Dexterity 9, Mind 7, Spirit 6, Strength 9 Skills: Dodge 10, find 8, fire combat 12, heavy weapons 11, melee weapons 11, streetwise 8, water vehicles 12 Move: 9; Toughness: 9; Shock: 8; Wounds: — Perks: Endurance Possibilities: None Equipment: Harpoon (Strength +2/11) Special Abilities: —

Equipment: Club (Strength +2/10), Webley Pistol (Damage 14, Range 10/25/40) Perks: Endurance, Vengeful Possibilities: Rare (2) Special Abilities:

ROUGH SAILORS

This advanced submarine is technically only Tech 18, but verges on Weird Science in places. Its most important feature in the dark waters of Orrorsh are the powerful lamps which illuminate the water around it with an eerie glow.

These tough customers spend their time between voyages in seedy bars, drinking and fighting to pass the time. Attributes: Charisma 6, Dexterity 9, Mind 7, Spirit 6, Strength 9 Skills: Dodge 10, find 8, fire combat 12, melee weapons 11, streetwise 8, unarmed combat 11, water vehicles 12 Move: 9; Toughness: 9; Shock: 8; Wounds: — Equipment: Brass knuckles (Strength +1/10) Perks: Endurance Possibilities: None Special Abilities: —

VICTORIAN SERGEANT Attributes: Charisma: 8 Dexterity: 8 Mind: 7 Spirit: 8 Strength: 8 Skills: Beast riding 10, dodge 11, faith 9, find 9, fire combat 11, intimidation 10, maneuver 9, melee weapons 10, stealth 10, survival 9 Move: 8; Tough: 8; Shock: 10; Wounds: 1

VEHICLES THE NAUTILUS

Speed: 40 kph (10); Tough: 30 (6); Wounds: 4 • Armament: Torpedoes (Damage 20, AP 6 Range 100/250/500), Ram Plate (–1/+1 BD collision damage). • Library: The Nautilus has a well-equipped library and laboratory. Science and scholar rolls are Favored using the vessels facilities. • Navigation Equipment: Water vehicles tests are Favored. • Sick Bay: First aid and medicine tests are Favored. • Fast: Speed grants a +2 bonus to complete steps in a Chase or a −2 penalty to be hit. • Very Large: Attacks against the vehicle gain a +4 bonus due to its size. • Maneuverability: −4 penalty to water vehicles for defenses or chases. • Passengers: 28.

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BY JOHN WATSON

KNIGHT TERRORS 42

COSM: ORRORSH LOCATION: CHOUDDAGRAM, BANGLADESH

A

Storm Knight has fallen into a deep slumber while on assignment in Orrorsh. The Storm Knights are sent by the Delphi Council to find a way to wake him. There, they discover he is in the grasp of a supernatural horror—the Bobaay Dhora—that will not allow him to wake. They must enter the Storm Knight’s nightmare to save him.

MISSION BRIEFING Standard Scene. While within the cosm of Orrorsh, the Storm Knights are approached by a skeletal looking woman of Indian descent who speaks in a monotone voice. The woman confirms she is a representative of the Delphi council. She informs the Storm Knights she has mission details from the Delphi Council. “One of your fellow Storm Knights, Johnathan Strong, is in grave danger. After he went silent, the Delphi Council was able to track Johnathan down to his last known location, in Chouddagram, Bangladesh. He was discovered in the local hospital under their care. It was thought he was in a coma, but upon further investigation something much more horrifying has happened. Johnathan is trapped in a nightmare from which he cannot awaken. “A creature, known as the Bobaay Dhora, has Johnathan in its grasp. The Bobaay Dhora will kill him if he is not saved soon. You are to go to the hospital in Chouddagram and meet with an Occultist named Madam Raman. She will help you in saving Johnathan Strong from his nightmare.” After she finishes her brief monologue, the ill and emotionless looking woman leaves without saying a word. If the Storm Knights have more questions for her, she ignores them and continues to walk away. If the Storm Knights pursue, she turns down a corner just before they can reach her. When the Storm Knights round the same corner, the mysterious messenger is nowhere to be found.

Orrorsh contains threats to the mind and the soul as well as dangers to the body.

SCENE ONE: OCCULT KNOWLEDGE

of Gaea and while not a member of the Delphi Council, is one of their allies. She is soft spoken and direct.

Standard Scene. The Storm Knights are a short journey away from Chouddagram. As they arrive in town, there are ominous looking clouds overhead and it is drizzling. The hospital is clearly visible off the side of the main road. There is a strong breeze that has a bitter chill to it. Things appear to be dreary in Chouddagram. The Storm Knights can easily find Madam Raman after entering the hospital.

The Occultist will stand and greet the Storm Knights returning gestures of proper etiquette in kind. After introductions are made, she takes the Storm Knights to where Johnathan Strong is being cared for and informs them about what she knows. Read or paraphrase the following to the Storm Knights.

Madam Raman is a sharply dressed Indian woman in her mid-30s. She is wearing a fashionable dark grey dress with a high neck. It has unique looking designs. These designs are protective spells that Madam Raman has woven into her dress to shield her from the creatures of Orrorsh. She is a native

Madam Raman leads you into a room where a dark-skinned man lays in a hospital bed. He is of athletic build with short dark hair. His brow is furrowed, and his eyes rapidly move under the closed lids. His body occasionally moves as if he is struggling against something. “As you can see, Mr. Strong is in turmoil.”, Madam Raman says as she motions to the sleeping Storm

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Knight. “Though Mr. Strong is powerful, the Bobaay Dhora is winning. It is only a matter of time before it extinguishes his light.” The Occultist produces a pipe as she says this and lights some strange smelling herbs, takes a long draw, and exhales the smoke just above Johnathan Strong’s body. The smoke outlines something hovering just above Johnathan. The creature is humanoid with long hair, large eyes, and sharp talons. It has a wicked-fanged smile and reaches down to scratch at the Storm Knights face. Johnathan’s cheek turns as the smoky figure touches it, just before the form fades away. “The creature is here and draining Mr. Strong’s life force. He does not have much time and there is only one way to save him. You must enter his nightmare and banish the creature.” Madam Raman explains the Bobaay Dhora is a creature that feeds off nightmares. It is attracted to those who have experienced horrible things in life and waits until they sleep to feed. It draws out the death of the victim as it slowly drains their life force. She knows a ritual that will allow the Storm Knights to travel into Johnathan Strong’s nightmare. There, they can face the Bobaay Dhora, banish it, and free the dying Storm Knight. During this preparation period, allow the Storm Knights to test scholar to call upon any information about the Bobaay Dhora. On a Standard Success the Storm Knight can confirm what Madam Raman has explained about the creature. On a Good Success, the Storm Knight comes up with a way to make a charm to help protect him from the Bobaay Dhora’s influence (granting a +2 on their test in the nightmare during scene two). On an Outstanding Success, the Storm Knight is further able to stretch his resources to make a second charm for another Storm Knight. Before the Storm Knights agree to go through with the ritual, Madam Raman warns them they will likely face shades of their own nightmares within the nightmare she is sending them into. They will be in the Bobaay Dhora’s realm where it has extreme power. If possible, it will turn them against each other. It is a master of fear, illusion, and suffering. Once the Storm Knights are ready, Madam Raman has them all drink a foul-tasting tea and then place their hands on the distressed body of Johnathan Strong. A few minutes later, the Storm

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Knights begin to grow very drowsy and drift off to sleep. Just before sleep takes them, they hear a final warning from Madam Raman, “Be on your guard, brave knights. Nightmares are devious and dangerous things.”

MADAM RAMAN Attributes: Charisma 8, Dexterity 7, Mind 10, Spirit 9, Strength 6 Skills: Alteration 11, Divination 13, Evidence Analysis 11, Find 11, Land Vehicles 8, Medicine 12, Melee Weapons 8, Reality 11, Scholar 12, Trick 11, Willpower 10 Move: 7; Toughness: 6; Shock: 9; Wounds: 3 Equipment: Ceremonial Dagger Damage Strength +1 (7), small; Mystical Herbs Perks: Occultist, Spellcaster (gain alarm, protective circle, and scry) Possibilities: 3 Special Abilities: None

SCENE TWO: WHAT DREAMS MAY COME Standard Scene. The Storm Knights enter fellow Storm Knight Johnathan Strong’s nightmare to free him from the clutches of the dark creature which has him trapped there. Upon arriving, the Bobaay Dhora immediately senses the presence of the other Storm Knights and manifests some of their own nightmares. The Storm Knights must face their nightmares before moving onto free Johnathan Strong. As the Storm Knights enter the nightmare, read or paraphrase the following aloud. The familiar sensation of falling asleep takes over. At first, all is black as you rest. Then, you hear something in the distance, a scratching noise. Your fellow Storm Knights take form in the darkness around you. Seeing one another, you recall what you are doing and your goal—you have entered the nightmare of Johnathan Strong and must rescue him from the Bobaay Dhora. The distance scratching sound grows closer. As it does, shapes begin to form in the darkness! The Bobaay Dhora uses its power to attempt to sink its talons into each of the Storm Knights

as they enter the nightmare. Ask each player to describe his or her character’s worst nightmare. The Game Master should decide which attribute the Storm Knight must test to face his or her fear. Using this information, consult the below chart for ideas of what sort of nightmare the Bobaay Dhora sends to confront each individual Storm Knight. If a Storm Knight fails, they immediately take 2 Shock as they currently battle through their own personal nightmare. Each round, a Storm Knight who failed to fight their way out of their nightmare must make the same test, but at a –2 penalty. On failure, 2 more Shock is taken. If a Storm Knight passes out due to Shock, she awakens from the nightmare back inside of the hospital leaving her fellow Storm Knights to face the Bobaay Dhora without her. While they are in their own personal nightmare, the Storm Knights may not use Destiny cards on other characters, have Destiny cards used on them by other characters, nor trade cards.

• Madness (ex. being driven crazy, sub coming to mental illness, etc.): A familiar darkness creeps into the Storm Knight’s brain as he faces an emotionally traumatic experience such as being driven mad by the sight of a horrible creature or having an extreme mental breakdown. The Storm Knight must make a Challenging (DN 12) Spirit test.

Once a Storm Knight breaks free of his or her own nightmare, she immediately moves on to the next scene to face the Bobaay Dhora.

The Game Master should tweak the above guidelines as best as possible to fit each Storm Knight’s fear. If a skill test would be more appropriate (example: The Storm Knight has a deep fear of being unable to save a life so she must make a first aid test to save one of her dear friends) increase the difficulty of skill tests to Hard (DN 14) to keep the challenge at the same level. The Bobaay Dhora is a powerful creature and they are in its realm, after all.

EXAMPLE FEARS • Deprived of sustenance (ex. Asphyxiation, dehydration, and starvation): The Storm Knight must face a nightmare of losing a resource his body needs – being strangled by a powerful foe, running out of water in a desert, or feeling the gut wrenching pains caused by not eating for days. The Storm Knight must make a Challenging (DN 12) Strength test. • Extreme bodily harm (ex. falling, vehicular crash, and all other tragic accidents.): The Storm Knight experiences the nightmare of dying by a horrible accident or occurrence such as falling off a cliff or being hit by a train. The Storm Knight must make a Challenging (DN 12) Dexterity test. • Lack of knowledge (ex. forgetting crucial details, not knowing something, etc.): The Storm Knight is thrust into a situation where a lack of knowledge or mental hesitation is detrimental to his survival. The Storm Knight must make a Challenging (DN 12) Mind test or fail in this task.

• Ostracized (ex. banished, facing prejudice, and being an outcast): An entire community or more intimate group such as loved ones turn against the Storm Knight and cast her out, due to some falsely cast judgment. The Storm Knight must make a Challenging (DN 12) Charisma test.

THE STORM KNIGHTS’ NIGHTMARES

Each Storm Knight faces his fear individually without the help of the characters. Storms Knights appear alone during this brief encounter (though it may seem longer as time flows differently in the Bobaay Dhora’s realm). If the Storm Knight passes the respective test, he overcomes the nightmare without any consequences. If the Storm Knight fails the test, the worst possible outcome happens in the nightmare which could be the Storm Knights. However, just like the Storm Knights who passed the test, he is reunited with his companions immediately after and unscathed, though he has the feeling he is being watched by something. Unknown to the Storm Knight, he has been marked by the Bobaay Dhora.

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SCENE THREE: KNIGHT’S NIGHTMARE

Knights. From the shadows, the Bobaay Dhora also influences the combat, but it does not directly attack the Storm Knights.

Dramatic Scene: After facing their own fears, the Storm Knights must rescue Johnathan Strong from his nightmare. They will need to defeat the Bobaay Dhora, in its own realm—not an easy task to accomplish. The Bobaay Dhora will use the Storm Knights’ fears against them. Strong, in his confused state, may even attack his rescuers.

At the start of each round of combat, special attention must be made to the Dramatic Skill Resolution on the Drama Card. If any Dilemmas are listed on the Dramatic Skill Resolution of the Drama Card another loud cannon blast can be heard and Johnathan Strong, completely submerged in his nightmare, attacks the Storm Knights that round, convinced they intend him harm. Otherwise, Strong stands terrified, shifting between his current state and his childhood form each round taking no action. The candle burns slightly brighter when this happens and the shadows around the Storm Knights dance even more. Have each of the Storm Knights make an Easy (DN 8) find test. If they succeed, they catch a brief image of the Bobaay Dhora.

As the Storm Knights’ individual nightmares disperse, read or paraphrase the following aloud. The nightmares fade and you once again stand in a vast blackness. The pitch-black shifts to lighter shades and grays until your surroundings change into a dulllooking Victorian style room. A lone candle flickers on the far side, sitting atop a table. The light it casts only illuminates some of the room in a light gray. The scene is completely void of colors. Not far from the table with the candle stands the Storm Knight you have been seeking, Johnathan Strong. He has a terrified look on his face and his eyes are fixed on a lean man wearing a deep black trench coat. The man has thin dark hair, is clean shaven, and has a crazed looking smile on his face. His eyes are impossibly wide with the whites clearly visible. He brandishes a large knife with a black substance dripping from it. He holds the blade in an underhanded grip. Strong begins backing away from him. The silence of the scene is broken by a loud “boom” from somewhere beyond the room. The noise startles you and makes your ears hurt. Strong jumps at this sound, and in that instance a boy is now standing in the place of Strong. The boy shares similar features (though younger) with your fellow Storm Knight. The madman with the knife seems unmoved by the loud noise. He creeps closer to the child as forms dance around in the candlelight at the edge of the darkness. The madman raises his knife and attacks young Johnathan Strong. Immediately have all the Storm Knights make a Standard (DN 10) willpower test to see if they are shocked by the extremely loud cannon fire beyond the room and borders of the nightmare. Any who fail are Stymied as combat starts. Initiative begins as the nightmare creature (in the guise of the madman) attacks Strong and the Storm

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It is an extremely skinny naked humanoid creature. It has long claw-like fingers that flick back and forth, manipulating the shadows and the nightmare creature. It has thick black hair and large owl-like eyes that are almost completely white with a small black iris in the middle of each. It has a mad grin on its face as it glances at the Storm Knights before quickly fading back into the shadows of the nightmare.

NIGHTMARE CREATURE The nightmare creature is a servant of the Bobaay Dhora. It takes on whatever form the nightmare eater wishes. In this case, it has taken the form of a terrifying memory from Johnathan Strong’s childhood on Gaea, a knife wielding maniac who found young Johnathan Strong, alone at this families estate, during a battle between the Gaunt Mans forces and the Victorians. The madman nearly killed him. Johnathan Strong still bears the scars, both emotional and physical, from this encounter. Each nightmare creature is different. It takes on the characteristics of the nightmare of its target. Attributes: Charisma 7, Dexterity 10, Mind 6, Spirit 10, Strength 8 Skills: Dodge 12, Find 8, Intimidation 13, Maneuver 11, *Melee Weapons 13, Stealth 13, Taunt 9, Trick

(10), Unarmed Combat 12, Willpower 13 Move: 10; Toughness: 8; Shock: 10; Wounds: 4 Equipment: Bloody Knife Damage Strength+2 (10, AP 2) Perks: Demoniacal Frenzy and Whirlwind Possibilities: 3 Special Abilities: • Creature of Fear: Being an embodiment of fear, the nightmare creature is immune to all effects that would frighten it and intimidation. • Nightmare Stare: All those who engage (melee range) with the nightmare creature are drawn to its eyes. Terrifying images of their worst nightmares dance within. Storm Knights must test willpower or become Very Vulnerable as they tremble with fear of their worst nightmare. • Weapon of Dread: The Nightmare creature wields whatever weapon the Bobaay Dhora directs it to. If it is something that terrifies its target. The nightmare creature always has 3 adds in the skill used to wield that weapon. This nightmare creature is skilled with melee weapons and wields the bloody knife. The damage and AP are always the same.

JOHNATHAN STRONG Johnathan Strong is a native of Gaea who has fought against the Gaunt Man since he was young. Ironically, the form the nightmare creature has taken is the man who caused Strong to have his Moment of Crisis that transformed him into a Storm Knight. Even this transformation was somewhat tainted and the Bobaay Dhora has used this against Strong. Strong is an athletic man in his early 30s. He has dark black skin, marked by scars—a large one on the inside of his left forearm, four on his chest and an exceptionally sinister looking one on the right side of his neck. All appear to be from a blade. He consistently has a stern look on his face and has a profoundly serious nature. Attributes: Charisma 6, Dexterity 9, Mind 9, Spirit 9, Strength 7 Skills: Beast riding 10, dodge 12, find 10, fire combat 10, first aid 10, intimidation 10, melee weapons 10, missile weapons 12, reality 10, scholar 10, trick 11

Move: 9; Toughness: 7 (9); Shock: 9; Wounds: 3 Equipment: Multi-Crossbow (damage 13, range 10/25/40, ammo 3, reload); Dagger (damage Strength +1/8); Chain Mail Vest (+2 Armor, Torso) Perks: Medals (Possibility War Campaign Medal) and Trademark Weapon (Multi-Crossbow) Possibilities: 3 Special Abilities: None

AFTERMATH Once the nightmare creature is defeated, its form becomes an inky darkness that is absorbed by the shadows just outside of the candlelight. Johnathan Strong stands cowering near the table, changing once more from man to child and back again. Behind him, the form of the Bobaay Dhora flashes and then fades away. He looks around as if regaining awareness and the nightmare slowly fades. The Storm Knights awaken inside the hospital, sitting around the resting body of Johnathan Strong, who is now awake and with Madam Raman standing watch over them. None of the Storm Knights have physical wounds, but they still do feel aches and pains from the fight with the nightmare creature. Johnathan Strong is thankful to his saviors and explains the final nightmare they faced. He swears to help them however he can and declares “I owe you a life debt” in a serious tone. Madam Raman goes to each Storm Knight and looks them over. If any of them failed the battle with their personal nightmare, she briefly frowns while looking them over. After she inspects the entire group, she asks those who failed in the confrontations with their nightmares to speak with her in private. Once alone, she explains that the Bobaay Dhora has marked them. It will, eventually, come for them in their dreams. They must be prepared to face it. She does not know when, but the Bobaay Dhora is a cunning creature, and it will wait until they are at their most vulnerable moment before it feeds on their nightmares. Stopping and truly defeating it is an epic undertaking and an adventure in and of itself.

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BY BILL SLAVICSEK

DARK HARVEST

COSM: ORRORSH LOCATION: LEH, LADAKH REGION, INDIA

P

eople go missing all the time. When dozens of people disappear from the streets of Jaipur in northwestern India in a single evening, however, a concerned Victorian reaches out to the Delphi Council for assistance. Usually reluctant to send Storm Knight teams into the depths of Orrorsh, the Council nevertheless determines that all signs indicate something terrible and dangerous is brewing in the Gaunt Man’s dark realm. The Council dispatches a team to Jaipur with orders to learn the fate of the missing people—by any means necessary. The missing people have been captured and transported to the isolated Ladakh region in northern India. Here, on the border of Tibet, Abdul al-Sural, the Spirit Caller, works to perfect a new type of gospog, grown from living humans instead of fields of corpses! The Spirit Caller believes these new gospog will be stronger and more powerful than those grown in the traditional fashion. The Storm Knights must investigate the disappearances, find the Spirit Caller’s hidden gospog farm, save the unwilling gospog seed hosts, and stop this dark harvest before it blossoms.

MISSION BRIEFING The Storm Knights receive orders to go to Jaipur, India, in the heart of Orrorsh, to investigate the disappearances of scores of city residents. The communique reads as follows: Investigate ongoing incident in the city of Jaipur, in India. Citizens disappearing by the dozens. More than one hundred missing to date over the course of several nights. Determine cause, locate the missing citizens, and rescue if possible. In all cases, put an end to whatever evil is behind these abductions. Local contact: Sir Reginald Cleese

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Gospog are often full of unpleasant surprises. Not even hardened heroes grow comfortable battling them.

of the Royal Victorian Brigadoons. He can be found at the Rambagh Palace Hotel. Recommend allowing yourselves to be abducted to discover the truth, but you are free to proceed as you deem necessary. Despite the recommendation of the Council, allow the Storm Knights to approach their investigation as they see fit. Jaipur is known as the Pink City because of the dominant color scheme of its buildings. If the Storm Knights attempt to meet with their Victorian contact, they discover he’s been missing for two days (see Scene One: Contact). They can use the entire team or part of the team as bait, attempting to get themselves abducted. If so, see “The Abduction” on page 50. If instead they decide to try to track a local abductee or have a different plan, see “Other Methods” on page 50.

SCENE ONE: CONTACT Standard Scene. The Storm Knights approach the Rambagh Palace Hotel to meet with Sir Reginald Cleese. The entire city seems to be frightened and in mourning: Frightened the remaining citizens will be taken next, mourning the people who have already disappeared. When the Storm Knights reach the hotel and inquire about Sir Reginald, read: You ask at the desk to see Sir Reginald Cleese, but before the clerk can respond, a young woman dressed as a Royal Brigadoon officer approaches you. “The Council sent you?” she asks, but it comes out more as a statement than a question. “Let us speak privately,” she suggests and leads you to an empty chamber off the hotel lobby. The young woman is Elizabeth Brooks, a lieutenant in the Royal Victorian Brigadoons. She

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“ETERNAL DAMNATION IS MAN’S NATURAL STATE.” -THE SPIRIT CALLER seems troubled, and the Storm Knights soon learn why: Sir Reginald disappeared two nights ago during the last series of abductions. “He was trying to discover who is taking the people of Jaipur and he never returned,” she explains. “I fear he has succumbed to the same fate as the rest of these poor souls.” The Storm Knights can ask her to tell them about what’s been happening here. She explains it started twelve days ago. Every other night, a strange mist or fog rolled in. When it cleared, people were missing. Five occurrences so far, with more than one hundred people missing. If it continues as it has, tonight another group of people will disappear when the fog rolls in. She shows them a map of the city, indicating where each set of disappearances took place. The pattern is clear to see. She believes the next abductees will be taken from the Vaishali Nagar neighborhood, about seven kilometers due west of the hotel. Lt. Brooks can offer advice, information about the area, and rooms at the hotel, but other than that, her options are limited. Her commanding officer has disappeared, and she doesn’t have more than a handful of Brigadoons in the vicinity. They were here on an exploratory mission when the current events began to unfold.

THE ABDUCTION If the Storm Knights decide to go along with the suggestion that they get themselves abducted in order to find the missing citizen, use this scene. Adjust the narrative accordingly, as this assumes that one or more of the Storm Knights offer themselves up as bait. Read: You wander the streets of Vaishali Nagar, mingling with the locals who go about their business despite the danger. After full darkness sets in, a light fog begins to rise from the sidewalks. It billows and spreads, growing thicker with every passing second. It feels

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clammy and moist, and visibility drops to barely a few feet. Suddenly you see glowing shapes in the mist, darting in all directions. Indistinct at first, the shapes take on human form as they fly toward you and the others caught in the fog. These spirit forms surround a woman near you. She screams as the spectral hands take hold and whisk her away. Before you can react, the spirit forms are all around you. Cold, incorporeal hands grasp you. Then you are moving through the mist as if through a long tunnel, very fast. Then everything goes black. If all of the Storm Knights allowed themselves to be abducted, they fall unconscious as the spirit forms steal them away. Go to “The Silo” on page 53. If one or more of the Storm Knights remains behind to track their abducted companions, go to “Approaching the Farm” on page 51.

OTHER METHODS This approach to tracking the abducted people of Jaipur assumes the Storm Knights are observing events from a distance and have some plan on how to follow one or more of the abductees. Read: From your location, you can see the width and breadth of the Vaishali Nagar neighborhood. Despite recent events, a good-sized crowd of locals moves to and fro, going about their business on this pleasant evening. After full darkness sets in, a light fog begins to rise from the sidewalks. It billows and spreads, growing thicker with every passing second. It appears clammy and moist, and visibility drops to barely a few feet. Suddenly you see glowing shapes in the mist, darting in all directions. Indistinct at first, the shapes take on human form as they fly toward the people caught in the fog. These spirit forms surround a man you can barely make out in the growing cloud. He screams as the spectral hands take hold and whisk him away. The Storm Knights can use various techniques to follow their intended target, though anything with a tech rating higher than 18 can cause a contradiction and malfunction. Magic and more mundane tactics have a greater chance of success in areas where the reality of Orrorsh has taken hold. Still, let any reasonable plan succeed so the Storm Knights can track the abductees to Abdul al-Sural’s “farm” in Leh.

SCENE TWO: LEH Standard Scene. Whether the Storm Knights follow their abducted teammates or locals captured by the strange, spirit-filled mist, the trail leads them north to the Ladakh Region and a farm outside the town of Leh. If the Storm Knights decide to explore the town before checking out the farm, they find an old settlement expanded by newer construction and surrounded by mountains. When they arrive, they encounter a town gripped by fear. Something strange and terrible is going on at the farm in a valley to the west and north of the town. Most of the locals don’t want to discuss the topic and are wary of strangers. Good persuasion checks can get a few locals to open up and share the following rumors:

Persuasion DN 12

“Someone bought the old, abandoned farm in the valley north and west of the town.” “They brought their own workers and rarely come to Leh for supplies.” “We do not talk about the place or what goes on there. You should avoid it at all costs.”

Persuasion DN 14

“When the wind blows in from the west, you can hear the moans and cries of pain. Whatever happens at that farm, it is not a good place.” “They say whoever owns that farm, they torture their workers. Beat them, whip them.” “The town sent someone to investigate the farm. They never returned.”

Persuasion DN 16

“They have prisoners at that farm. Some say they force them to work. I think the truth is even more terrible than we can imagine.” “The man who owns the farm, Abdul al-Sural, he is a bad man. They say he can summon the spirits of the dead!”

APPROACHING THE FARM Abdul al-Sural’s farm sits in a secluded valley nestled between the mountains to the west and north of the town of Leh. It consists of a ranch

house, a barn, a silo, and four plots of land for crops, divided into rectangles delineated by wire fencing. Each location and what can occur there is described below. Note that after transporting the abductees from tonight’s raid to the farm using his ability to control and manipulate spirits, Abdul al-Sural heads into the nearby mountains to rest and recover his strength. For this reason, he’s not around when the Storm Knights begin their assault on the farm. Instead, he returns to deal with them later in the adventure.

The Ranch House

This old ranch house serves as Abdul al-Sural’s base of operations and the living quarters for his guards and laborers. He has six laborers to tend to the gospog fields. These men and women are ords without any combat experience. They flee and hide at the first sign of trouble. The eight guards, on the other hand, are outfitted with serious weapons and engage hostiles without hesitation. Four guards perform constant patrols around the property in pairs, while the remaining four are off duty. One guard is the guard captain, who carries the key that opens the concealed door in the floor of the barn. He is reality-rated, and happens to be on duty when the Storm Knights strike. All guards rush to defend the site if an alarm sounds. • Ranch House Guards (8): See below. • Ranch House Guard Captain: See page 52.

RANCH HOUSE GUARDS Attributes: Charisma 6, Dexterity 8, Mind 7, Spirit 8, Strength 8 Skills: Dodge 10, find 8, fire combat 10, heavy weapons 9, intimidation 9, land vehicles 9, maneuver 9, melee weapons 9, stealth 9, unarmed combat 9 Move: 8; Tough: 12 (4); Shock: 8; Wounds: — Equipment: Boilerplate hauberk (Armor +4), Sabre (Damage Str+3), Lee-Enfield MK1 rifle (Damage 14, Range 50/100/200). Perks: Double Tap Possibilities: Rare (2) Special Abilities: —

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RANCH HOUSE GUARD CAPTAIN The Barn Attributes: Charisma 6, Dexterity 8, Mind 7, Spirit 8, Strength 8 Skills: Dodge 12, find 10, fire combat 12, first aid 8, heavy weapons 11, intimidation 11, maneuver 11, melee weapons 11, stealth 11, unarmed combat 11 Move: 8; Tough: 12 (4); Shock: 8; Wounds: — Equipment: Boilerplate hauberk (Armor +4), Sabre (Damage Str+3), Lee-Enfield MK1 rifle (Damage 14, Range 50/100/200). Perks: Double Tap, Rally Possibilities: 2 Special Abilities: —

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The barn appears even older than the ranch house, dilapidated and in need of maintenance and repair. The doors hang loosely on rusted hinges, and great holes can be seen in the walls and roof. Currently, the barn houses the alchemically-altered gospog seeds in large sacks, where they await planting in the fallow fields once enough hosts have been acquired. If the Storm Knights spend some time to investigate the barn, have them make find tests (DN12) to spot a shiny metal door in the floor, concealed beneath sacks of gospog seeds. The locked door appears new and well cared for. It takes a lockpicking test (DN16) to open, otherwise explosives can do

the job, or the characters can acquire a key from the guard captain at the ranch house. Once the concealed door is opened, it leads to the gospog root chambers beneath the four planting plots.

The Silo

The silo contains the latest group of prisoners: those abducted this same evening off the streets of the Vaishali Nagar neighborhood. If any of the Storm Knights allowed themselves to be captured, they wind up here, locked in with the rest of the latest crop of prisoners, about 24 people in all. Frightened, confused, and disoriented, the prisoners are packed into the silo without food or water to await the planting ceremony that will occur at dawn’s first light. Two guards stand watch at the silo doors, ready to bang the alarm gong set up nearby at the first sign of trouble. Nearby, low moans and whimpers can be heard emanating from the nearest gospog field.

The Plots

of

Land

Four fields have been delineated by wire fencing, carved into rectangles of exactly 30 feet by 100 feet. Two of these fields have already been planted. The first contains 15 Ultra-Gospog of the First Planting, ripe and ready to harvest. Ten others have already come to term: eight guarding the gospog roots in the chamber beneath the fields, and two patrolling the perimeter of the plots of land. The second contains 25 men and women abducted from the streets of Jaipur. They are alive and in agony as the gospog roots grow into and through their flesh. Sir Reginald Cleese is among this group, tied to an x-shaped cross as he endures the ever-growing shoots and tendrils emerging from the dirt to snake into his flesh. These captives can still be saved, provided the Storm Knights hurry. The remaining two fields are fallow, waiting to be planted with human captives and the alchemically-altered gospog seeds. As the Storm Knights approach, if they identify themselves, Cleese calls out, pained and suffering but determined to warn them, “The roots, man! You need to get below and deal with the roots!” To save Cleese and the prisoners, the Storm Knights must descend into the root chambers and destroy the root cluster beneath their field. Once destroyed,

the tendrils holding them die and they can be freed. Note that destroying the root cluster beneath the field that is ready to be harvested destroys any gospog not yet disconnected from the roots. If the Storm Knights linger around the plots of land for any amount of time, they eventually draw the attention of the two ultra-gospog roaming the perimeter. When the ultra-gospog appear, read: The creatures rushing toward you appear to be an amalgamation of human flesh and intertwined, thorny vines. Unlike gospog you’ve dealt with in the past, these seem more vital, more alive. They move with speed and purpose, possessed of an intensity that indicates they are more aware and cunning than the mindless creatures you’ve battled before.

ULTRA-GOSPOG OF THE FIRST PLANTING Unlike traditional gospog, this new creation consists of living human hosts entwined with vibrant, thorny vines and vegetation. They are predatory, with a natural cunning and a violent intelligence born from the pain and suffering endured by the host through the harvesting process. Attributes: Charisma 6, Dexterity 9, Mind 9, Spirit 8, Strength 10 Skills: Dodge 10, find 10, maneuver 10, stealth 10, unarmed combat 12 Move: 9; Tough: 10; Shock: —; Wounds: 1 Equipment: — Perks: — Possibilities: Never Special Abilities: • Claws: Damage Strength +2 (12) • Thorns: Once per combat scene, an ultragospog can unleash a flurry of sharp thorns that shoot in all directions to a distance of 20 feet. Any non-gospog in the area suffers damage Strength +4 (14). If this attack deals damage equal to or greater than the character’s Toughness, the character is poisoned. At the start of every round, the poison deals 3 Shock for the duration of the poison effect. • Fear: These horrific amalgamations of living flesh and evil-looking, thorn-covered vines and vegetation strike fear in even the bravest hearts. The first time in a scene that a character sees

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an ultra-gospog, they must make a willpower or Spirit test or become Very Stymied. • Indomitable: While not as mindless as regular gospog, Ultra-Gospog of the First Planting are nevertheless immune to intimidation and taunt interactions. • Relentless: Gospog ignore Shock. • Living Dead: Ultra-gospog are created using a special procedure that gives them attributes common to both living creatures and undead monsters. As such, they are immune to poison and illness, but do need to breathe and eat. They draw sustenance by consuming their victims— preferably while those victims are still alive.

THE ROOT CHAMBERS A concealed door in the floor of the barn leads to the gospog root chambers. The complex consists of four chambers, each situated beneath one of the plots of land where the ultra-gospogs are grown. The chamber walls are made of worked stone, while the floor and ceiling are hard-packed soil. Twists of thick, thorny roots fill each chamber,

growing up from the corpse-littered floor and into the dirt-packed ceiling, where they snake their way up to merge with the prisoners staked out to serve as hosts for the ultra-gospogs. Eight ultra-gospog have been let loose in the underground complex to protect the four root clusters. The Storm Knights must deal with the pair defending each root cluster before they can attempt to destroy the roots. Once the gospog no longer pose a threat, fire can be used to burn a root cluster to ash. When set aflame, the root cluster seems to cry out in a thousand, tiny voices. If the Storm Knights have too easy a time with the ultra-gospog, increase the number by one or two per root cluster.

SCENE THREE: ATTACK OF THE SPIRIT CALLER Dramatic Scene. At some point during their assault on the farm and the root clusters, Abdul alSural returns from his time of rest in the nearby mountains and turns his anger on the Storm Knights for daring to disturb his operation. When you decide to introduce the Spirit Caller, a new scene begins. It is recommended this occur after the Storm Knights have dealt with the ultra-gospog and the root clusters in the chambers beneath the farm. Read: A mist begins to rise from the cold ground, quickly billowing into a thick, concealing fog. Shapes begin to form in the fog, reaching, threatening, deformed shapes that don’t appear at all to be friendly. Then a voice calls out. “You dare interfere with my creations? You will pay dearly for destroying my gospog. Now you will learn why Abdul al-Sural is known as … the Spirit Caller!” The Storm Knights must survive an attack by the spirits under the command of Abdul al-Sural. Then they need to get clear of the cloying fog and confront the Spirit Caller directly before he can escape to start his ultra-gospog project anew in a different location. If Abdul al-Sural feels that he cannot handle the Storm Knights, he will attempt to escape, using the fog and his summoned spirits to hinder the Storm Knights as he does so.

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ABDUL AL-SURAL, THE SPIRIT CALLER Abdul al-Sural is a tall, thin, dark-skinned male with piercing eyes and a stern expression. He has served the Gaunt Man faithfully in numerous campaigns, winning countless victories for the master of fear and the purveyor of nightmares. The appellation of the Spirit Caller attests to Abdul al-Sural’s ability to summon the spirits of the dead and command them to do his bidding. Not only can he control spirits, but he has the capability to absorb their ethereal essences to enhance his own power, perform miraculous acts, and even heal his own wounds. Attributes: Charisma 15, Dexterity 10, Mind 11, Spirit 15, Strength 11 Skills: Dodge 12, faith 17, find 12, fire combat 12, intimidation 17, maneuver 11, medicine 13, melee weapons 13, persuasion 17, reality 16, scholar 13, science 15, willpower 17 Move: 10; Tough: 11; Shock: 15; Wounds: 4 Equipment: Webley revolver (Damage 14, ammo 6, Range 10/25/40), saber (Damage Strength +3 (14) Perks: Alchemy, Occultist, Spirit Bane Possibilities: 3 Special Abilities:

• Spirit Army: Abdul al-Sural can summon the spirits of the dead and wield them as weapons against his foes. He can direct up to three spirits per turn to rush a target and explode with spectral energy, using his Spirit score (15) to attack and dealing Damage 17 if he hits the target. • Spirit Energy Boost: Abdul al-Sural can sacrifice up to three spirits per turn to increase any of the following by +3 until the end of his next round: Toughness, dodge, fire combat, melee weapons, persuasion, reality, willpower, or Spirit. • Spirit Healing: Once per round, Abdul alSural can absorb a spirit to restore 3 Shock and 1 Wound.

THE AFTERMATH The Storm Knights’ primary goal in this adventure is to save the surviving prisoners (those in the silo as well as those in the field yet to be harvested, including Sir Reginald Cleese) and destroy the ultra-gospog root clusters. If they can also take down Abdul al-Sural, they will inflict a powerful setback on the Gaunt Man and his plans for India. Regardless of what happens to Abdul al-Sural, the Storm Knights must get the prisoners back to Jaipur and make sure this gospog farm is utterly destroyed.

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COSM: ORRORSH

BY JOHN TERRA

A PASSING DREAM

LOCATION: NEAR THE PAKISTAN-AFGHAN BORDER, KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWA

S

omething dark is afoot just across the border inside Pakistan.A transformed town—now home to a small colony of Victorians—is at the center of a web of Orrorsh horror.

MISSION BRIEFING Standard Scene, Orrorsh Dominant Zone. The location: Approximately 40 kilometers west of the city of Pashwar, Pakistan, along the Khyber Pass that eventually leads into Afghanistan. The group has been ordered to hold station at a designated crossroads and await orders from the local contact, a woman named Maya. It’s seven o’clock at night, local time. Read or paraphrase the following: The crossroads is deserted, and a feeling of suffocating dread fills the unusually chilly night air. Occasional banks of cold mist swirl and roil, often obscuring vision. A figure emerges from the mist to the west, holding a lit oil lantern. It’s Maya, your contact. Wordlessly, she gestures for you to follow, and reenters the mist. Actually, Maya was killed by an Orrorshan horror, but her ghost is keeping her meeting with the Storm Knights out of sheer willpower and dedication to the mission. She does not interact with anyone nor attack, as she is not hostile. She leads them to her body but always tries to keep at least 10 meters away from the group. The mist hampers vision enough that it’s not obvious she’s a ghost, but anyone who suspects something’s “off” about her can make a find test to realize she’s in fact a ghost. Also, anyone making a tracking test notices she doesn’t leave footprints. After five minutes of walking, Maya’s ghost stops and points to a heap lying on the side of the road. She backs away from it if the Storm Knights approach, but keeps pointing. It’s Maya’s body,

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The surroundings of Cain’s Hollow.

mutilated by an unknown creature, but one clearly with talons. Her face is frozen in a look of horror. If anyone checks her body, they find a Webley pistol with 24 extra bullets, a machete, full canteen, silver dagger, compass, and a backpack. The latter contains a significant amount of Victorian money, and an envelope with the Delphi Council seal. The sealed message reads: “This is an official DC Central Asia Division authorized mission. Unusual paranormal activity and disappearances have been reported along the PakistanAfghanistan border, presaging a possible Orrorshan incursion into Afghanistan proper, possibly even an upcoming stela planting. “Your team is being sent to get a first-hand report of what’s going on. If we get accurate information, we can not only devise a response but also help dispel rumors and hearsay, things which often sow the seeds of doubt and fear, and that’s the last thing we need.

“Proceed to the village of Charsadda, due west down the Khyber Pass, and rendezvous with our local Delphi contact, Bilal Kalmati. He runs a business selling flowers, plants, and herbs, and has been keeping tabs on comings and goings, and any unusual supernatural activity. He can give you a better idea where the manifestations are occurring. “Ascertain local conditions, and, if possible, deal with any threat you discover. If the opposition is too great, report your findings to Bilal, and leave the area, returning to our safe house in Pashwar. “This mission is classified as Moderate Priority, Beta Clearance Level. Maya will give each of you $500 worth of Victorian money for any incidentals. Regrettably, we have no other gear to assign you at this time. Good luck, stay safe.” As the Storm Knights finish reading the written briefing, have everyone make a Challenging (DN 12) find test to notice two things: first, Maya’s spirit

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has vanished into the mists forever, and second, the sounds of rustling near their feet. Maya’s corpse, her face still frozen in a silent death scream, rises and moves towards the Storm Knights, with murder on her mind. This is not Maya, just her mortal remains, reanimated by the dark power of Orrorsh. • Maya: Use the statistics for a Ghost on page 78. She doesn’t attack, but flees towards her body out of instinct if attacked. • Hungry Corpse: Maya’s body is now a separate—and hungry—entity. See below.

HUNGRY CORPSE Attributes: Charisma 6, Dexterity 11, Mind 5, Spirit 8, Strength 11 Skills: Dodge 13, intimidation (13), maneuver 13, stealth 10, taunt (11), unarmed combat 13 Move: 5; Tough: 11; Shock: —; Wounds: 1 Equipment: — Perks: — Possibilities: None Special Abilities:

WHAT’S GOING ON? However bad the Storm Knights think things are, they’re far worse. A Yaksha, a malevolent spirit from folklore empowered by Orrorsh’s axioms, has murdered Bilal Kalmati and taken his form. The Yaksha planted a nightmare tree nearby and is trying to prepare the area for an eventual Orrorsh zone expansion into nearby Core Earth Afghanistan. Although the village lies near the border of Core Earth and Orrorsh realities, the nightmare tree has extended the latter reality about two kilometers further, as well as broadcasting nightmares to everyone in the immediate area, including the village. Meanwhile, the Yaksha delights in spreading fear and nightmares, and looks forward to playing with the Storm Knights. It could try to kill them outright, but it would rather milk as much fear from them as possible first and savor their despair.

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• Bite/Claws: Damage Strength +2 (13). • Fear: On first encountering this creature test willpower or Spirit or become Very Stymied. • Undead: Hugry corpses are immune to poison and other effects that require breathing, eating, or other “living“ processes.

SCENE ONE: THE TOWN OF CAIN’S HOLLOW Standard Scene. When the axiom wash initially hit this area, it hit hard. Charsadda, population 2,000, has gone from a typical village on the Afghan-Pakistani border to a picturesque Victorian community. A newly altered sign on the outskirts of town reads “Welcome to Cain’s Hollow”. Someone has scrawled the word “Charsadda” over the new name. By the time the Storm Knights arrive at the village, it should be late evening, approximately 9 p.m. The streets are lit by Victorian-style gaslights. Though Bilal is home, he refuses to get into any prolonged discussion with the group until morning and advises them to get some rest at the Ha’Penny, because “there’s a lot of work to be done, and you’ll need to be at your best.” The residents of Cain’s Hollow, or Charsadda, are naturally suspicious of strangers, especially at night. These suspicions can be somewhat alleviated if the Storm Knights make successful friendly overtures. Most of the villagers are resentful of the axiom changes, although many are finding they are forgetting their past lives. Also, the Victorians do a reasonable job of keeping dark things away, and that counts for a lot. There is a curfew of 11 p.m.

TOWN LOCATIONS • 1: Garrison Quarters. A half-dozen Victorian soldiers live in this barracks. They are commanded by Sergeant-Major Bernard Tomlinson, a stocky, red-faced walrusmustached blowhard who enjoys shouting his orders, even when he doesn’t have to. It used to be a government office.

• 2: Sacellum Church. The axiom wash turned the village’s small mosque into a Sacellum church, something that has antagonized the populace. The church has a small parsonage, home to the Right Reverend Carroll Robinson, the Sacellum minister in charge. The church steeple has a clock which chimes the hour, and a small Victorian cemetery around the side.

get most standard goods and gear, except for firearms or other weapons of destruction.

• 3: The Bent Ha’Penny. This is the village pub, which offers food, drinks, and rooms for weary travelers. It used to be three different buildings: a boarding house, a Pakistani restaurant, and coffeehouse. The fare is overwhelmingly Victorian (e.g., bangers and mash, steak and kidney pie, etc.) though the locals keep trying to bring back their native meals. It costs five shillings for an overnight stay, and this is where the Storm Knights should bunk while waiting for their meeting with Bilal. Game Masters should feel free to use the Ha’Penny as a place to release rumors and news at their discretion.

• 6: Constabulary. The headquarters for a dozen “bobbies” who keep the peace in town. Half are Victorians, half are locals slowly adopting the mannerisms and attitudes of Victorians. The building used to be the local law enforcement headquarters, so most of the changes are merely cosmetic.

• 4: The Emporium. What was once a large open-air market with stalls has turned into a large Victorian mercantile, where you can

• 5: Bill the Greengrocer. Bilal Kalmati’s shop. Before the War, the store offered flowers, plants, exotic spices, and some vegetables. Now it appears more like a Victorian fruit and vegetable store. Even Bilal’s name got changed! He lives in a small apartment above the store.

• 7: Smithy and Ironmonger. The village gas station and auto repair garage has transformed into a blacksmith’s shop, complete with tools, a forge, and raw materials. • 8: Charnel House. Recent attacks and other disasters in the surrounding countryside have resulted in many dead bodies, which made the villagers devote a building to corpse storage.

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It’s kept cool with ice, and currently has 53 dead people awaiting proper burial. • Victorian Soldiers (7): See page 80. • Victorian Constables (12): See below.

VICTORIAN CONSTABLES Attributes: Charisma 7, Dexterity 8, Mind 7, Spirit 8, Strength 8 Skills: Dodge 9, evidence analysis 8, find 8, intimidation 9, melee weapons 9, unarmed combat 9 Move: 8; Tough: 12 (4); Shock: 8; Wounds: — Equipment: Club (Damage Strength+2/10) Perks: — Possibilities: None. Special Abilities: —

NIGHT TERRORS During the overnight stay at the Ha’Penny, the sleeping Storm Knights are attacked in their beds by a half-dozen shrieking ravagons. To be accurate, the sleeping Storm Knights dream of being attacked by shrieking ravagons, but they don’t know that. The creatures smash through the bedroom windows and immediately tear into the Storm Knights, initiating combat. Any attempt to spend Possibilities fails without the Possibility being spent, and the Ravagons may always successfully Soak any damage. It’s a fight they’re meant to lose as they’re killed horribly, one by one. When the last Storm Knight dies, everyone wakes up, bolt upright, screaming in their beds. Although no one is actually hurt, each dreamer is Fatigued for the rest of the adventure, unless the group has a means of removing the condition. The time is 2 a.m. During the dream-fight, there is a chance the Storm Knights can figure out they’re only dreaming. If anyone makes a reference to dreams or nightmares, let them make a Heroic (DN 18) scholar test. Any success reveals the truth. Also, if anyone outright asks if this is a dream, allow the test. However, each Storm Knight only gets one chance. If the Storm Knights realize that they’re dreaming they can wake themselves up with an Easy (DN 8) mind test, and they incur no Fatigue. They can then wake

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up their still-sleeping allies. Regardless of how they wake up, the Storm Knights hear noises outside in the village below. If they go to the windows and check out the disturbance, things move to the next scene. • Ravagons (1 per hero): See page 79.

SCENE TWO: GARDENING AT NIGHT Dramatic Scene. Read the following aloud: As you stare out of the windows of your rooms, you see a crowd of villagers, expressions blank, moving stiffly through the gas-lit streets. They move in a procession, first to the charnel house to fetch dead bodies, then carrying the corpses going north, out of the village. Like the Storm Knights, the Ords are experiencing nightmarish activity, but in their case, it’s manifested as sleepwalking, and a compulsion to plant a gospog field a half-mile north of Cain’s Hollow. If the Storm Knights follow the procession, they will find the field and the grisly task in full swing, and a large sack of the gospog seeds needed for the planting. There is a total of 72 Ords involved, all attributes at 6, but they won’t attack or resist. The Storm Knights’ presence won’t even be noticed if they do nothing to inhibit the sleepwalkers. However, the yaksha will be aware of any interference with the planting rites. Speaking of the yaksha, it is skulking around the village, staying hidden, discreetly overseeing each stage of the planting. It will not engage in combat even if the planting is disrupted. The best way to free the villagers is to either awaken them with a severe shock (like dousing them with cold water) or knocking them out. When they awake, the villagers have no recollection of what they’ve done. However, everyone has one common element in their nightmares: each saw a grove of trees located a kilometer further down the Khyber Pass, somewhere across the Afghan border. The grove lies about half a kilometer to the south of an odd stone monument set up at the side of the road.

THE PASS The Afghan border is about 100 meters west of the outskirts of Cain’s Hollow. At this point, the group should be in Core Earth reality, but somehow, it’s still an Orrorsh Dominant Zone! When the Storm Knights reach the “odd stone monument,” they discover it’s actually a monument to the Indian British Army, 4th Division, built in 1946. Note the monument is a Core Earth hardpoint, radiating that reality in a 100-meter radius. The yaksha will attempt to follow the Storm Knights to the grove, tailing them discreetly, curious as to what they’re up to. Note: If there is a need for an extra encounter, such as additional forces entering a fight or some other kind of setback, feel free to throw in a dozen Afghani Taliban raiders. Use a dozen Core Earth Soldiers found in Torg Eternity, armed with AK47 rifles. If circumstances permit and the Storm Knights play their cards right, the raiders could even become allies!

THE GROVE Once the Storm Knights reach the grove read the following aloud: Finally, you come to a grove of Morinda spruce and blue pine trees. Although the area looks like a peaceful wood, there’s something not quite right. That’s when you realize there are no insects, no birds, no woodland creatures. Just a sick feeling of cloying, oily darkness and wickedness in this otherwise peaceful grove. The nightmare tree is easily found with the Sense Stelae Perk. Optionally, allow any Storm Knight who is searching for the tree to make a Near Impossible (DN 20) survival test. If the Storm Knights attack the tree, the yaksha finally reveals itself and directly attacks. • The Yaksha: see below.

THE YAKSHA

the Gaunt Man. Cruel, calculating, and sadistic, it enjoys tormenting innocents and corrupting Storm Knights. Good yaksha can probably be convinced to help the heroes and their allies, while evil yaksha are dedicated to the Gaunt Man and his dark forces. Attributes: Charisma 11, Dexterity 8, Mind 10, Spirit 11, Strength 7 Skills: Dodge 11, find 12, intimidation 14, persuasion 13, reality 13, stealth 13, survival 12, taunt 13, trick 12, unarmed combat 12, willpower 12 Move: 8; Tough: 7; Shock: 13; Wounds: 4 Equipment: — Claws: Damage Strength +2 (9) Perks: Endurance, Hard to Kill Possibilities: 5 Special Abilities: • Immunity: Immune to normal weapons, except blessed or silver • Cloak of Darkness: The yaksha gains Toughness equal to the darkness penalty for any attacks against it. • Sensory Link: The yaksha links with a designated tree or other large plant. It can use the plant as an extension of its own senses, seeing and hearing everything in a 60-meter radius of the plant. • Shapechange: The yaksha can assume the form, and voice, of anyone it has met, at will.

AFTERMATH If everything goes well, the Storm Knights have destroyed a nightmare tree, freed the village from its nightmares, and put a halt to the Gaunt Man’s attempt to expand Orrorsh into Afghanistan. Cain’s Hollow could be used in the future as a launching point for further operations in the region. If the Storm Knights succeed, they will have certainly made some good contacts and allies among both the Victorians and the Pakistanis!

The yaksha is a nature spirit from Hindu legend. These spirits are either good or evil, and have a connection with plants, especially trees. This yaksha killed the Pakistan villager Bilal Kalmati, assumed his shape, and now protects the nightmare tree for

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COSM: ORRORSH

BY RACHEL SAVICKI

ALL FOR A GOOD STORY

LOCATION: NEAR DESU, INDIA

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W

hile most Delphi Missions begin with an explicit briefing from the Delphi Council, All for a Good Story is designed to begin in media res with an encounter in a dark, empty street somewhere in Orrorsh. This means that in addition to being able to be played as a stand-alone adventure, All for a Good Story can be played as a follow-up to most other Orrorsh adventures, or as a self-contained interlude in another story. The only unique requirement of this adventure is that one of the characters have a radio in their possession.

SCENE ONE: A CITY STREET IN ORRORSH Standard Scene. Fate finds the heroes passing through a city somewhere in Orrorsh. Darkness is quickly approaching and anyone with any sense has sequestered themselves indoors in anticipation of the night’s horrors. Those who dare to be outside dart quickly from place to place, eager to conclude their journeys as quickly as possible. As the characters travel through the city, they hear a set of running footsteps rapidly approaching, and the character in the lead is nearly knocked to the ground as a red-faced, exhausted woman rounds the nearest corner at a full run. The woman stumbles, then pulls herself to her feet, “Run! If they value your lives!”

AVA HARRINGTON Ava Harrington is a Victorian newspaper reporter who took up residence in the city several months ago in hopes of revitalizing her career in a place where there is still news worth reporting. As far as she is concerned, the situation in Gaea has gotten so bleak the news there simply isn’t worth her time. She recently accepted a staff position with

The area around Desu. The boundaries represent the rising water level at each stage of the adventure.

The Modern Review, a prominent daily publication covering local news and politics. Her articles, which generally highlight the horrific changes in the city, have drawn both admiration and scorn from the public, depending on whether the reader in question believes them to be truth or merely spectacular fiction.

Equipment: Notebook, two-way radio, Webley revolver Perks: Indomitable, Rally Possibilities: 2 Special Abilities: —

Recently Ava teamed up with Marjorie Thornberg, a photography student from Core Earth. The two have been covering a series of bizarre local occurrences.

A moment after Ava stumbles into them, a tall, lumbering figure rounds the corner—an Orrorsh Gospog of the Second Planting (see page 79). Ava had the misfortune of being bit by one of the mosquitoes nesting in the gospog’s chest cavity during a recent investigation. While Ava is its main target, it gladly attempts to kill anyone else in its path as well, including the heroes. Ava, who has been hunted by this creature for several days, is focused on her own survival above all else and flees to a safe distance while the heroes fight the monster.

Quote: “Where the news goes, I go.” Attributes: Charisma 11, Dexterity 6, Mind 12, Spirit 10, Strength 5 Skills: Dodge 8, evidence analysis 14, find 14, persuasion 14, profession (reporter) 16, reality 12, streetwise 14 Move: 6; Tough: 5; Shock: 10; Wounds: 2

GOSPOG ENCOUNTER

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DELPHI BRIEFING Once the gospog is defeated, Ava returns, introduces herself, and fervently thanks the heroes for the rescue. As she concludes her thanks, the heroes’ radio crackles to life. “This is DC Outpost Theta to all agents within the broadcast area. Recent reports of mass civilian disappearances near Desu confirmed. Repeat: Mass disappearances confirmed. We suspect the disappearances are merely phase one of a larger operation. Local contact has gone silent. Immediate investigation required to locate and recover the missing civilians. All available agents to report to Desu immediately.” As the transmission concludes, Ava’s eyes go wide for a moment. She begins speaking excitedly about the disappearances in Desu, which she had been writing an exposé about before the gospog began stalking her. Ava reveals the following pieces of information while speaking with the heroes: • Desu is a small rice farming town about an hour’s ride north of town by horseless carriage. It is so remote that it isn’t even marked on most maps. • Two weeks ago, an old man disappeared from Desu. Despite a brief investigation by the city authorities, the man was never found. • Since then, two or three people have gone missing from Desu every night. Reports seem to suggest that they each just walked outside without explanation and were never seen again. • Two days ago, Ava and Marjorie, her photographer, went to Desu to investigate the disappearances. However, the mosquitoes were so horrible that, after a few cursory interviews, Ava hired a driver to take her back to the city early. Marjorie insisted on staying to finish her work, planning to return with their horseless carriage later that evening. • Since her visit to Desu, Ava has felt like she was being followed. She’s seen shadows lurking around dark corners and heard footsteps following her when she seemed to be alone. • Both Marjorie and Ava carry radios, which they use to communicate over long distances. Every few hours since leaving Desu, Ava’s radio has crackled to life, and a scratchy whisper—

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presumably Marjorie—has begged for help, asking why Ava abandoned her. • Marjorie is supposed to meet Ava the following day at the offices of The Modern Review to finalize their story, but Ava is convinced that something horrible has happened and, upon hearing the heroes are going to Desu, begs them to take her along, or at least to look for Marjorie while they’re there. If the heroes wish to investigate Marjorie’s whereabouts, she keeps a cheap flat near the local university. However, the flat is dark. A Challenging (DN 12) find test reveals it has not been used in several days. Marjorie also does not appear at The Modern Review the following day, should the heroes decide to try to meet her there. A Hard (DN 14) science test allows a character with a radio to triangulate the location of “Marjorie’s” next transmission and confirm that it is coming from Desu. While the heroes find it easy enough to hire a horseless carriage to take them to Desu. However, the driver insists he will not stay out past dusk. Ava offers to accompany the heroes back to Desu, since she feels responsible for Marjorie’s disappearance. However, her recent run-in with the gospog makes it easy to talk her out of coming if the characters prefer to proceed without her.

SCENE TWO: THE HAUNTING OF DESU Standard Scene. A soft rain is falling as the characters approach Desu. The village is little more than a collection of thatched houses on a raised spit of land. The driver pulls the car aside where an elevated dirt road winds off the main thoroughfare, twisting through fields of rice paddies before leading to the village itself. He turns apologetically to his passengers. “I beg your pardon, but I can’t risk going much further in this rain. If we get stuck in the mud out here, we’ll be staying stuck until the rain lets up. Glad to wait for you folks here, but I’m afraid you’ll have to go the rest of the way on foot.”

As the heroes make their way toward Desu, the rain grows harder, quickly obscuring their waiting driver in the distance.

FEATURES OF DESU Desu is surrounded on all sides by rice paddies. In the current rainstorm, the thickening mud makes it impossible to run through the rice paddies or any flooded areas. Characters who look out across the rice paddies from Desu see silhouettes of large, humanoid figures tending their crops in the storm. A Standard (DN 10) scholar test identifies these figures as Orrorsh Gospog of the Second Planting. However, unless they are disturbed, the figures in the distance leave the heroes at the mercy of Desu’s other horrors. Throughout the storm, the waters around Desu will continue to rise, giving the heroes less and less space to occupy until they are forced into a final confrontation with the village’s true horror. The map below shows the dry land available to the heroes at each stage.

Stage 1: The Approach

The walk to Desu is not a short one, nor is it made easier by the rain, which rapidly begins turning the little dirt road to mud, leaving the heroes only a few inches from the rising waters of the rice paddies. A character who succeeds on a Standard (DN 10) find test notes that, while a few black, rotting sprigs of rice are still rooted in the mud, the fields around Desu are surprisingly empty. An Outstanding Success reveals corpses half-buried in the mud, just below the dark surface of the water. The rice paddies around Desu are teeming with Gospog of the First Planting ready to prey upon hapless travelers. Once the heroes are out of sight of their driver, or whenever one of them strays too close to the water, a moldering, waterlogged hand shoots out of the depths and attempts to grab them. The targeted character must succeed on an Easy (DN 8) maneuver test to avoid becoming Very Vulnerable as they are dragged into the nearest rice paddy. Four Gospog of the First Planting, led by an Orrorsh Gospog of the Second Planting, then emerge from the rice paddy to attempt to pull the rest of the group in.

When the fight has concluded and the heroes once again look toward Desu, they can see a signal lantern swinging back and forth at the edge of town. A distant yell, urging the heroes to hurry, can just barely be heard. • Gospog of the First Planting (4): See page 78. • Orrorsh Gospog of the Second Planting (1): See page 79.

Stage 2: Arrival

A young woman waiving a lantern meets the heroes on the outskirts of Desu. “I’m so glad to see other people!” she exclaims upon seeing them. “I was beginning to think I was going to be stuck here forever!”

MARJORIE THORNBERG Before she met Ava, Marjorie Thornberg was a talented but under-appreciated photography student at the local university on Core Earth. People often shied away from the gritty subjects of her work. The Night of Screams, and the subsequent need for images of the horrors of Orrorsh, was an unexpected career break for her. When she teamed up with Ava—coupling her powerful artistic views with the reporter’s edgy writing—her work finally got the recognition it deserved. The two became fast friends, and Marjorie was eager to accompany Ava to Desu to investigate the suspicious disappearances. When Ava decided to return to the city early, Marjorie was nonetheless determined to stay and finish her work. After all, some of the most moving shots wouldn’t be possible until close to dusk. Marjorie’s bravado was her undoing. A horror lurked within Desu, and Marjorie’s connection to Ava via radio gave it an opportunity to sow fear on a greater scale than it had dared to hope. Over the past few days, it has orchestrated the deaths of the remaining villagers, making certain that Marjorie witnessed each one and telling her that she would only escape alive if she lured another victim to it in her place. The horror expected Marjorie to convince Ava to return; it was not anticipating the heroes.

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Marjorie, driven to madness by what she has seen and heard, is not eager to do harm, but is convinced that the newcomers must die within Desu if she is going to escape alive. Quote: “Death has its own beauty, but – oh god – I’m not ready to die!” Attributes: Charisma 6, Dexterity 10, Mind 10, Spirit 6, Strength 8 Skills: Dodge 11, find 11, land vehicles 11, maneuver 13, persuasion 9, profession (photographer) 13, reality 7, trick 13 Move: 10; Tough: 8; Shock: 6; Wounds: 1 Equipment: Camera, notebook, gas lantern, taser Perks: Endurance, Negation Possibilities: 1. Special Abilities: — Marjorie greets the heroes, hurrying them inside the nearest building, away from the storm and the monsters outside. Grisly images of the deaths around Desu are pinned up along the walls, each with a date. Careful observation reveals most of the deaths took place within the first day after Marjorie arrived. Marjorie does her best to appear hospitable and answer the heroes’ questions, but remains insistent that attempting to leave before the storm abates would merely make them prey for the gospog in the fields. In reality, a Very Hard (DN 16) streetwise test reveals her true motive is to distract the heroes until the flood waters have them thoroughly trapped.

Stage 3: Unraveling

As the heroes chat with Marjorie, the storm continues to worsen and the flood waters continue to rise. The house Marjorie has chosen has no windows, but characters who look outside easily see the road become overwhelmed by the waters. After the characters have had sufficient time to speak with Marjorie and begin to believe they may be safe, they hear a thumping at the door. The house

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is beset by three successive waves of Gospog of the First Planting. Each wave consists of one gospog per hero, or more at the GM’s discretion. The first wave approaches from the direction of the road, attacking the door the house. The second wave approaches from behind the house and begins breaking through the thatch walls. At this point, Marjorie begs the heroes to move to a safer location. The only building in town with sturdier walls is a small shrine in the center of town. The third wave of gospog pursues the heroes through the town, stopping a short distance from the shrine. They dare not approach the shrine itself, but linger outside waiting for the heroes to attempt to leave. • Gospog of the First Planting (3 waves, each wave is 1 per hero): See page 78.

Stage 4: End Game

The shrine once held the bones of the ancestors of Desu’s prominent families. Its ancient stone walls have been augmented with a corrugated steel door. The dirt floor inside has been covered with a fresh layer of rice straw, giving the building a pleasant, grassy smell. Despite recent events in the town, the shrine smells of incense, and a candle remains lit inside. A Hard (DN 14) find test reveals the straw has recently been disturbed. In truth, it is merely there to conceal the The Horror Beneath the Floor, a corrupted version of the ancestors the shrine once venerated. Once the door to the shrine is closed, The Horror Beneath the Floor awakens from its slumber, reaching up through the straw to surprise the nearest hero with its first attack. At its appearance, Marjorie’s unhinged laugh rings out through the shrine. She believes she will now finally be free of the horror’s hold. Marjorie is content to cower in the corner and wait for the

battle to play out, certain the horror or the gospog outside will finish off the heroes. However, she can be reasoned with. A successful Very Hard (DN 16) persuasion test convinces her to join the fray on the side of the heroes.

THE HORROR BENEATH THE FLOOR Read or paraphrase: The Horror is a damp, putrid mass of rotting sludge that was once decomposed flesh. Prior to Marjorie’s arrival, it was content to whisper nightmares to the local residents, luring them out to their deaths and allowing the gospog tending the rice paddies to add them to their fields. The reporters’ arrival forced it to change its tactics. A choking stench of decay fills the shrine as soon as it emerges from the straw, and it can reach out with its rotted tendrils to attack anyone within the shrine. The Horror can speak in a rasping whisper, but does so only to increase the terror of its victims. Quote: “Bring them to me!” Attributes: Charisma 13, Dexterity 5, Mind 13, Spirit 13, Strength 8 Skills: Alteration 14, conjuration 14, intimidation 16, maneuver 6, persuasion 16, precognition 14, stealth 7, taunt 15, trick 16 Move: 5; Tough: 10 (2); Shock: 15; Wounds: 3 Equipment: — Perks: Endurance, Spellcaster (dispel magic, fear, mage dark) Possibilities: Common (3). Special Abilities: • Armor: Malleable form +2. • Cloak of Darkness: The Horror gains a bonus to toughness equal to the current Darkness penalty. • Dread: While The Horror is present, a Standard Scene becomes a Dramatic Scene instead.

• Fear: All creatures who see The Horror must test willpower or Spirit or become Very Stymied. • Poison: When The Horror deals damage greater than a creature’s Toughness, the creature must make a Challenging (DN 12) Strength test or become Very Vulnerable for the next minute. • Undead: The Horror is immune to poison and other effects that require breathing, eating, or other “living” processes. If the heroes flee, The Horror does not pursue them, but they must still fight their way past the gospog outside. Furthermore, unless Marjorie has been reasoned with, she pursues the heroes and attempts to drag at least one victim back to the shrine. If The Horror is defeated, the heroes hear the crackle of a radio. An Easy (DN 8) find test reveals Marjorie’s missing radio beneath the straw.

AFTERMATH With The Horror defeated, the storm abates and the heroes glimpse the lights of their horseless carriage in the distance. They are able to carefully make their way back along muddy road and avoid any further encounters with the gospog. Their driver, for his part, has seen little more than the heavy rain, but is nonetheless happy to return them to the city. If Marjorie was rescued, she and Ava continue their tag-team reporting for The Modern Review, and may appear as informants or contacts for the Storm Knights in future Orrorsh adventures. If Marjorie perished, Ava continues without her, but with less success. In any event, the village of Desu and its residents are lost. They were killed and planted in their own fields as fertilizer for the next planting of gospog. The heroes, or others like them, will have to deal with them another day.

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COSM: ORRORSH

MYTHS AND MONSTERS

BY LEAMON CRAFTON JR.

LOCATION: PUNJAB, PAKISTAN

I

n the small town of Mong located in the Indus Valley of Pakistan, mid-way between Islamabad and Faisalabad, a Nightmare has taken residence. It is an ancient, but minor Nightmare that was created by the Gaunt Man’s destruction of a world similar to the one mapped by the Greek historians Herodotus and Strabo, Olumpus. On that world, Greek gods walked amongst mortals. But even they were not powerful enough to keep the Gaunt Man from corrupting that cosm and draining it of Possibilities. On that world, Corruption germinated from the suffering of a mother and it used her grief to tempt her further. The mad goddess, Thetis, had been driven to insanity after losing her son Achilles in the Trojan War. The Orrorsh Maelstrom bridge landed on that world at the exact moment that Alexander the Great, crossed the Bosporus into Asia Minor. In the madness that followed Thetis came to believe that Alexander was Achilles and she followed him, protecting him as he went through the Persian Empire and into the Indus Valley. Along this path. Alexander was also corrupted. Those slain by his army became undead and fear gripped those who were in his path. Thetis herself did everything in her power to help; summoning the wrath of waters and even bringing the Briareus to bear against his foes. And as gods warred with horrors, Nightmares, and each other, they fell. In the end, the Gaunt Man stood victorious and even those gods who had been corrupted were destroyed as he did not want any deity to ever think they might one day outmatch him, but kept Thetis as a Nightmare, her madness keeping her from grand plans of her own. Her insanity has kept the fate of Alexander from her and she searches to find him. As a Nereid, she was drawn to the Arabian Sea and from there felt a pull up the Indus River, to the Chenab, and finally to the Jhelum. She searches around the area between Jhelum and Phalia, looking for her “son.”

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Hunting monsters requires quick wits more than a quick draw —although the latter doesn’t hurt.

MISSION BRIEFING Standard Scene, Core Earth Dominant Zone. The Storm Knights meet in Quetta, Pakistan, just outside Orrorsh. Thomas Brownstone, a monster hunter from Gaea presents himself to the Storm Knights. He is a dour and gruff looking man with gray hair and goatee, bearing a scar across his right cheek. He wears a light brown leather duster and a bandoleer with pouches over it. He looks at the everyone with a discerning eye and without motioning to sit, he beings the briefing (if any Storm Knight is from Orrorsh, ad-lib something about how he hopes they haven’ grown soft): “I’ve been given the task of trying to whip you pups into shape. You Storm Knights are all volunteering to be heretics in France, play knights in England, and hunt dinosaur men in America, but when something serious needs to be done…. Crickets. All of that stuff is a picnic. Those invasions mean nothing when compared to the real threat.” He looks out a window towards

the realm of Orrorsh and points before continuing, “What the lot of you all seem to not understand is that is what needs to be dealt with. But your heroics and grandstanding mean next to nothing in there. There, Death is going to slap you upside your thick skull if run into a fight half-cocked. And unlike the Nile Empire, the only ones who come back from the dead work for Ol’ Bones himself. “Teams of you all go in thinking what works elsewhere is going to work there as well. The few individuals who return are the ones that learned the hard truth. The Delphi Council gave me the impossible mission of making you into a group of people who can succeed in there. So, we’ve got a Nightmare to hunt and I’ve got to make sure you’re up to the job. Come on, we’ve got to get going.” Unlike other missions, there is nothing to requisition. If asked, Brownstone simply points around the area; the city itself is old crumbling buildings and outside is an almost barren expanse of grassless earth, with mountains in the distance.

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“What supplies do you think we have here? You got to learn how to deal with things with what you have.” The Storm Knights might be surprised, but Thomas Brownstone himself accompanies them on this mission. If questioned, he’s there to try to teach and guide, but he’s not going to hold their hands and do everything for them. This is a learning mission. It is serious and involves a possible Nightmare, but the goal is for the Storm Knights to understand that different tactics are needed in Orrorsh, but it is survivable if they follow the rules of horror and don’t try to be action movie characters. The first five hours of the journey is by an old van driven by a local. The road winds around the base of the mountains that separate the barren west with the more fertile Indus Valley. Brownstone finishes the briefing: “There’s been a report of strange activity in the Punjab region. Victims dead without marks, but some showing signs of drowning, even when they weren’t close to one of the rivers or streams in the area. This has been going on for a few weeks. And looking into it, the same happened in the previous weeks up along the Indus and the Chenab. But the reports for those are a trail. Not more than one per incident in the same place. But now it seems whatever is out there has taken up residence around Mong. It’s a small town, nothing of importance. So there has to be some type of tie or bond. That’s your first lesson. Places sometimes have importance to creature. Finding out the why is as important as equipping the right cartridges.” They stop shortly at a small abandoned village on the border with Orrorsh, its residents having fled – too many terrors close. A “supply” team meets them there, fear in their eyes and with trembling movements they quickly pass horses to any characters with beast riding and they have also brought wagons with horses for those without. They then cross into Orrorsh.

SCENE ONE: TWISTING REALITY Standard Scene, Orrorsh Pure Zone. The Storm Knights need to travel 4 days by wagon and horseback to get to the area around Mong. There should not be anything very dangerous happen

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during this part but use this time to convey the strange atmosphere of Orrorsh gaslighting. You can use the following to set up something small for each day: One night they take shelter in a small village at an inn. The innkeeper is nice and welcoming of guests; there are very few these days. He is clean shaven with a round face. The next morning, he has a full beard that reaches halfway down his chest and his face is sharp and thin. He remembers everything the Storm Knights did and discussed with him as if nothing was different. If asked, Brownstone shrugs and mutters, “normal.” The party is going down the road and a thick fog rolls in. There is a fork in the road and just when they must decide which way to go, left or right, the fog obscures vision, they hear the sounds of flying bats and when the fog lessens enough to see, they are on a right branch that is now merging with a left branch. Forward is their destination, behind is where they were, and the other branch is going off to a place not previously connected to this road. Three times in the same day they pass the same group of refugees, trying to make their way West. The second time they are passed, Storm Knights can make a find test to recall them. The third time, everyone remembers them. The refugees themselves have no recollection of the Storm Knights and seem afraid the more they are pressed about the matter, thinking the group is mad. Anyone with scholar can make a test to recall that the Punjab area has a history of important violent cultural meetings. Alexander the Great fought Porus here, and in the mid-1800s, the Battle of Chillianwala was fought between the British East India Company and the Sikhs in the Second Anglo-Sikh War. If they succeed and mention this, Brownstone nods. If they fail, he brings it up and chastises the party for failing to research into an area in which they are going. You can draw the travel out as long as you want. The group can encounter lesser threats of Orrorsh, maybe even some easy ones. This both makes the Storm Knights more confident as well as frustrating Brownstone if they mention it being “easy.” “You still don’t understand. This is the cheese on the rattrap.”

SCENE TWO: THE DROWNING Standard Scene, Orrorsh Pure Zone. The Storm Knights reach Mong and can begin to question locals. A scared village elder, Gurjas, recounts to the group than as more victims are found, there does not seem to be any pattern. Women, men, boys, and girls, locals and passerthroughs have all be found dead. There are no marks and after it was first noticed, there is always water in the lungs. No animals, wild or domesticated, have been harmed in this manner. If the group doesn’t start trying to put clues together, Brownstone shakes his head. “You got to use your head. No pattern is a pattern. We might not see it now, but it is there. Any human can be a victim, so there’s a connection to people as a whole, not a type, sex, or age.” The Storm Knights can examine a newly deceased body, any previous ones have already been buried and had last rites performed on them. The only thing found is that they all have seemed to die by drowning. You can have the Storm Knights spend as little or as long as you need them to look around, asking questions, and possibly encountering minor threats. Be sure to use gaslighting and reality shifts to make things seem eerie and untrustworthy. If the group is up for it, have them all make reality tests. On a failure something changes about them. Hair color, eye color, right-handed to left-handed. Nothing mechanical, just different. If not, Have Brownstone’s scar switch to his left cheek. Don’t simply state it, instead add it something already being described such as, “As he looks at the corpse of the grave ghoul you’ve just slain, Brownstone unconsciously touches the scar on his left cheek.” If they ask around about the history of the area or try to research it or look around for monuments in the nearby area, have the Storm Knight make a streetwise, scholar, or evidence analysis test. On a success, they find out that the local belief is that Mong is built on an ancient city of Nicaea founded by Alexander. On a Good success they learn the

“YOUR WORLD ISN’T DEAD. YET.” -THOMAS BROWNSTONE nearby town, Phalia, is located on the site of ancient Bucephala, a city Alexander named after his horse as a tribute to its death. On an Outstanding success they find out that a youth had spotted a beautiful woman at dusk three nights before talking to another woman. The second woman shuddered and spasm, and the boy ran away. The woman was found the next morning dead. At some point within a few days, the Storm Knights encounter Thetis. They see a beautiful woman talking to a local from the distance. They can’t hear words but see a concerned and questioning expression on her face twist and become one filled with rage and anger: You witness the woman lash out and her hand forms into a watery appendage. She shoves it down the man’s throat. She grabs the back of his head with her other hand to pull him forward, as he tries to push her away in vain. He spasms and after a short while slumps to the ground. The Storm Knights probably want to jump into battle, and if they do, let them. If they don’t, Thetis notices them and calmly walks over to them, once again a concerned look upon her face. She asks a simple question, “Where is Great Alexander?” If the Storm Knights do not answer correctly (and likely don’t), she grabs the closest one and tries to drown them with her watery arm. Whenever the fight gets to a point where a Storm Knight or Thetis might die, Brownstone intercedes, otherwise he only watches, interfering only when the situation is about to become permanent. “Great Alexander Lives and Reigns!” Brownstone shouts at Thetis. The Nightmare nereid disengages and calmly begins to walk away, “Don’t continue the fight. Did you notice how it refilled itself with Possibility energy? That’s a Nightmare. If we kill it now, it’ll only come back stronger. We have to learn what binds it and how to undo it first.”

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THETIS Attributes: Charisma 5, Dexterity 13, Mind 10, Spirit 11, Strength 14  Skills:  Dodge 15, Find 12, Intimidation 15, Maneuver 15, Reality 15, Tracking 12, Unarmed Combat 17, Willpower 14.  Move: 13; Tough: 17 (+3); Shock: 11; Wounds: 3  Equipment: —  Perks: —  Possibilities: 3 (Refresh 1, see below)  Special Abilities:  • Cloak of Darkness: Thetis gains a bonus to toughness equal to the current Darkness penalty.

• Watery Appendage: On a Successful Grapple, Thetis can shove her arm down someone’s throat doing Strength+3/17 damage to their lowest armor value against anyone who needs to breath. The victim can break the grapple and pull her arm out. • Water Skin: +3 toughness. Additionally, All non-magical damage (including psionics and miracles) done to her is reduce by half.  • Dread: While Thetis is present, a Standard Scene becomes a Dramatic Scene instead.  • Water Nymph: Water spells, miracles, and other dangers do not affect to Thetis. Damage effects of cold/ice gives her an additional +2 toughness (stacks with Water Skin). Cold/Ice effects, if used when she is using her watery arm causes the arm to freeze inside the victim! The victim must make an immediate Defeat test (Brownstone admonishes them for their mistake). • Refresh 1:  Thetis begins with at least 1 possibility every round. Refresh reduces by one for each secret those in his presence have discovered and confronted her with. (See below).  • True Death: Thetis’ True Death can only occur after she accepts that her son, Achilles, is dead. (See below) 

THOMAS BROWNSTONE (ß (ß) Attributes: Charisma 5, Dexterity 9, Mind 8, Spirit 10, Strength 8 Skills: Dodge 8, evidence analysis 9 find 9, fire combat 14, intimidation 13, maneuver 11, melee weapons 12, reality 12, scholar 10, science 11, tracking 10, trick 9, willpower 11 Move: 9; Tough: 10 (2); Shock: 10; Wounds: 3 Equipment: Monster Hide Duster (armor +2), Slayer’s Gun (damage 14, range 50/100/200, Carbine), Webley Revolver (Damage 14, Range 10/25/40, Pistol), Silver Dagger (Damage Strength +1/9), Caltrops, Torches. Perks: Bulletsmith (Adamant, Explosive, Giant Killer, Holy Water Shells), Medals (Campaign: Orrorsh, Dragon Slayer), Sniper Possibilities: 3 Special Abilities: —

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SCENE THREE: THE FATE OF A GOD Dramatic Scene, Orrorsh Pure Zone. Thomas Brownstone takes the Storm Knight back to Mong. If asked about the phrase that made Thetis turn away, he answers: “In the monster hunter business, you need to understand myths and legends. Some have kernels of truth while others might be all truth on a different cosm. On Gaea, there is a legend of a nereid, would ask sailors where Alexander the Great was. To prevent them from coming to the surface world, to keep them in check, sailors needed to answer, ‘He lives and reigns.’ Even though he had been dead for centuries. Who would have thought that crazy story would one day have meaning? But that’s a key – you can’t discard information. It might prove useful later. I have a suspicion this isn’t just a water nymph. Nightmares aren’t usually a mundane sort. Now that they have more information, they can be more precise in looking for information in local book collections, museums, etc. A scholar test needs to be made. On a standard success, the group learns that Alexander was called the “second” Achilles and Achilles was the son of the nereid goddess Thetis. The Nightmare is probably Thetis from another cosm. On a Good Success, the Storm Knights realize that Thetis is not Alexander’s mother and is very confused. She needs to be confronted with the fact

that Alexander was not her son. This stops her Possibility from being refreshed. On an Outstanding Success, they understand that her true death must be after she accepts that Achilles himself died ages before Alexander was even born. Relating the story of Paris’s killing of him by an arrow in the heel confirms the story. If that did not happen, no one would realize that was the place she held him when trying to make him immortal. With this knowledge the Storm Knights with Brownstone are able to track the Nightmare and fight her to a (hopefully) True Death. Again, Brownstone watches and observes during the fight, unless something threatens the life of a Storm Knight.

AFTERMATH Depending on the result; did any Storm Knight die? Was Thetis killed? Was it by her True Death? How did the Storm Knights behave? Were they looking for clues and information or were they just spending the whole time itching for battle? Thomas Brownstone’s reaction and report are based on what he observed. Quiet disdain with a shake of his head and muttering about the Delphi Council being doomed if this is all they have to work with to grudging approval and a reminder that when in Orrorsh, remember knowledge is the key. You’ll die of course, but it’ll be later rather than sooner. And maybe the Delphi Council has a chance to pull this off.

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COSM: ORRORSH

BY DARRELL HAYHURST

BURY IT DEEP

LOCATION: MEGHALAYA, INDIA

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his isn’t an official mission the Delphi Council assigns, but a mysterious encounter that occurs on the way to another mission. Meghalaya is the default location, but thanks to the phenomenon creating previously undiscovered cave systems across Core Earth this could technically happen anywhere! The situation is relatively simple. A local child has fallen and become lost while playing in a cave. The Storm Knights can risk exploring the dark underground hoping to find him, or leave him to his fate. The latter course is certainly safer, but Storm Knights are heroes!

SCENE ONE: A CRY IN THE DARK Dramatic Scene, Orrorsh Pure Zone. While traveling the rocky hills or during a break the Storm Knights hear a muffled cry, perhaps from a child. A standard (DN 10) find test traces the sound to a small cave entrance. There are multiple small openings around, so a failure draws the Storm Knights to one of them where the sound still echoes, but it may not be the closest one. If the heroes just listen at the cave entrance they can hear faint sobbing from within. Shouting into the darkness brings a hopeful—if distant—reply. • The child’s name is Nourin, and he’s from Wahrisain village a few miles away. He’s thirteen years old. • He was playing in the caves when he slipped and fell. His leg is hurt (possibly broken) and he has lost his flashlight. • Entering the caves is forbidden now, but he snuck away on a dare to prove his courage. He used to do the same when he was younger. • He begs for the Storm Knights to go get his parents. He’s long past worried about getting

It’s a dark hole in the ground inside Orrorsh. What could go wrong?

caught sneaking out and is now terrified that he is going to die in these caves. He tries to sound brave, but sniffles and cries quietly hoping the Storm Knights don’t hear. • After he fell he thought he heard something moving around in the caves with him. The Storm Knights have a difficult choice to make here. This is Orrorsh, so there’s no guarantee that the voice inside the cave is actually a child and not some monster trying to lure them to their doom. Nourin is very real, and a trip to Wahrisain reveals his very worried parents—but by the time the characters return Nourin has permanently fallen silent. Unless stopped, his distraught father tries to crawl into the cave himself and promptly gets lost himself as described in “Into the Dark” below. The other option is for one or more Storm Knights to wriggle into the caves themselves and try to reach Nourin before it’s too late.

INTO THE DARK The entrances into the cave system are small and tight. A character must crawl on his belly to fit inside, and the passage twists and turns so it’s impossible to keep sight of the person ahead of you or behind no matter how close you try to stay. One person always slips down pulls up a steep ledge enough to get out of sight, and from then on characters can hear one another nearby ahead or behind, but they can’t actually see each other. Within a few minutes the first explorer in reaches a wider chamber where he can stand and look around. He can shout his location back to others who plan to enter, or give status updates to those waiting at the surface. There are multiple exits from this chamber, but Nourin is still audible and sounds much closer. The true problem is revealed once the next person crawling through the tunnels reaches the first

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chamber. She is in a similar more open space with multiple tunnels coming in and out, but the first character isn’t there. His voice is echoing through one of the other tunnels. She can also hear Nourin, and those on the surface or who are crawling behind. Each person who enters emerges in a different chamber. One of the chambers has Nourin’s broken flashlight in it. A different one has a small pool of blood. If a Storm Knight tries crawling back the way they came they end up in a completely different chamber instead. Paranoid explorers (and it’s Orrorsh, so paranoia is justified) may go as far as tying themselves together with rope. The rope seems intact for the twisty journey inside, but once a character reaches the first chamber the ends go slack. A standard (DN 10) evidence analysis of the ends of the rope leads to the unsettling discovery that it was chewed off by something with very small, sharp teeth. Give any Storm Knights in the tunnel time to talk through their situation with the others and check in on Nourin. Depending on their precautions this could just be a confusing cave system, or it could be clear that sinister powers are at play here.

CLOSING IN Once everyone who is committed to entering the cave has reached the first chamber, the clock starts ticking on Nourin’s life. The boy screams that he heard something move, and it’s getting closer. Rescuing Nourin in time is a Dramatic Skill Resolution. Completing Step D before five rounds brings the boy—and the Storm Knight—safely outside of the tunnels. Each character inside the tunnels tests and gains Steps separately, at least at first. • Step A: The character needs to pick the correct tunnel to move closer towards Nourin. Treat this as a Difficult (DN 12) test of find or survival. On a failure the delver picks an exit and crawls through tight spaces, only to emerge back in the same exact chamber. • Step B: The passage becomes extremely tight, requires a steep climb, a leap over a chasm, or even a short stretch completely underwater.

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Whatever the obstacle, a Difficult (DN 12) maneuver or Dextierty test overcomes it. • Step C: This is another Difficult (DN 12) find or survival test to finally reach the boy. Nourin has scrapes, cuts, and a broken leg that he can’t walk on. He’s very afraid, but cries out in joy when he sees the light of an approaching Storm Knight. Every Storm Knight who completes Step C meet back up, and may tackle Step D together or even wait for others to complete Step C and join them. • Step D: The final escape from the tunnels is a Very Hard reality test, rather than anything related to caving. Completing this step brings everyone who is past Step C out of the caves together. Anyone who hasn’t resolved Step C is still lost inside—and the clock is still ticking towards round five even if Nourin is safe! Characters who haven’t entered the cave once it becomes clear everyone who enters gets separated can remain outside if they wish. They can even attempt to help those inside (one at a time) by shouting to establish the direction of the outside. Treat this as a Combined Action using persuasion or survival. During the second round the Storm Knights inside hear something else moving through the tunnels. It’s hard to tell if it’s getting closer to one of them, or the position of the child they are moving towards. Each character in the tunnels must roll a Fear test as they hear whatever it is stalk closer. Nothing else occurs until fifth round, when suddenly it reappears and starts moving very, very quickly towards anyone who hasn’t resolved Step D!

Dilemmas

• Critical Problem: A solid stream of screeching, frightened bats pours over the Storm Knights, threatening to separate them and physically push them into new and unknown places within the cavern like a fleshy, rabid, wave. • Possible Setback: A rock slide or rising water threatens to cut off the passage and force the Storm Knight to backtrack to find another route. • Complication: All light in the cave dims, including sources of magical light.

TOO LATE? After the fifth round the Dramatic Skill Resolution is over. If Nourin hasn’t been found he shrieks in terror and then falls totally silent. If someone is with Nourin when this happens he simply dies of fright in their arms—although the sounds of something approaching them are clearly audible. No further motion is heard, and the disappointed heroes each suddenly find their way to the exit without further issues. Nourin is gone. If Nourin was successfully rescued but someone is still in the tunnels they hear the sounds of movement getting louder and closer. Scraping footsteps echo louder and louder until the sound is overwhelming. Then everything goes dark. Cut to the outside exit where the others are waiting when any stragglers finally emerge. They look no worse for the wear, other than perhaps being a little pale and unsettled from the experience. When quizzed about what they experienced, the only answer is the noise wasn’t anything at all. The stragglers finally found a way out on their own. Magic such as detect curse finds lingering traces of corruption, but it doesn’t have a tangible effect.

BAD KARMA If the GM desires, a host of monsters descend on any Storm Knights who waited outside the caverns. A roving pack of Gospog of the Second Planting (page 79) or Werewolves (page 80) work for this. The attack is completely unrelated to what’s happening in the cavern below, it’s just bad luck and bad timing that the creatures happen upon part of the group while they’re split up.

AFTERMATH If Nourin was rescued and delivered to his parents in Wahrisian they are ecstatic to see him— mixed with a firm admonishment that he is to be grounded until he’s eighteen years old. The family offers anything they possess to the Storm Knights as a token of gratitude. If the group declines any payment treat them as having an Outstanding Ward Enemy miracle cast on them for the next scene. On the other hand, if any Storm Knight was lost in the caves after the fifth round when everything went dark, the experience sticks with them. In the future they sleep restlessly, usually having nightmares. Most of these dreams they can’t remember, but the ones they do are all the same: they are still down in those caves, in the dark, looking for a way out which no longer exists. They are only dreams.

“YOU LEFT ME DOWN THERE. IN THE DARK. BURIED. HOW COULD YOU? AM I REALLY HERE, OR AM I ACTUALLY STILL DOWN THERE?”

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GHOST

COMMON THREATS

Ghosts are the echoing spirits of the dead, ethereal creatures of pure emotion. Many are lost or mindless, haunting places that were meaningful to them when they were alive. The most dangerous ghosts are pure rage. Attributes: Charisma 7, Dexterity 7, Mind 5, Spirit 10, Strength 5 Skills: Dodge 8, find 6, intimidation 12, maneuver 9, stealth 12, taunt 8, trick 8, unarmed combat 8 Move: 7; Tough: 5; Shock: 10; Wounds: — Equipment: ­­— Perks: — Possibilities: Never Special Abilities: • Cloak of Darkness: Ghosts gain a bonus to Toughness equal to the current Darkness penalty. • Disturbance: An upset ghost can pick up and hurl objects within a Large Blast, with the ghost at the center of the disturbance. This is an unarmed combat attack that deals Strength +1 (6) damage. If unattended weapons are within the disturbance their properties apply to the damage as well. • Ethereal: A ghost may move through walls and solid objects, and is immune to physical attacks unless the weapon is magical or has a property that allows it to affect ethereal beings. Magic, miracles, and psionic powers affect ethereal beings normally. • Fear: Upon first seeing a ghost a hero must test willpower or Spirit or become Very Stymied. • Undead: Ghosts are immune to effects that require breathing, eating, or other “living“ processes.

GOSPOG OF THE FIRST PLANTING Gospog of the First Planting are human corpses entwined with rotting vegetation and putrid flesh. They are common to all realms, a gracious gift of death from the Gaunt Man to his fellow Reality Raiders. They are strangely adaptable and function without Contradiction in every realm. Attributes: Charisma 5, Dexterity 7, Mind 7, Spirit 7, Strength 8

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Skills: Dodge 8, find 8, maneuver 8, melee weapons 8, stealth 8, unarmed combat 10 Move: 7; Tough: 8; Shock: —; Wounds: — Equipment: — Perks: — Possibilities: Never Special Abilities: • Claws: Damage Strength +2 (10) • Fear: Gospog are horrific amalgamations of a corpse and rotten plant matter. Test willpower or Spirit or become Very Stymied. • Mindless: Gospog are immune to intimidation and taunt interactions. • Relentless: Gospog ignore Shock. • Undead: Gospog are immune to poison and other effects that require breathing, eating, or other “living“ processes.

GOSPOG OF THE SECOND PLANTING The second planting gospog from Orrorsh’s soil grow strong, swift, and more cunning. The mass of at least two bodies goes into each, and the result is tall and broad-shouldered. Each dessicated face covered with a bone mask made from fragments of buried skulls. A strange feature of this planting is they draw mosquitoes to nest inside their body, usually in a hump on the creature’s back or its chest cavity. These sickly insects spread out for miles. If one bites an intruder and returns, the gospog gains a sense for his blood and can follow him anywhere. Many of these mosquitos carry malaria or other diseases, adding an extra element of danger. Attributes: Charisma 5, Dexterity 10, Mind 8, Spirit 8, Strength 11 Skills: Dodge 12, find 11, maneuver 11, stealth 12, tracking 10, taunt (10), trick 12, unarmed combat 13 Move: 9; Tough: 12 (1); Shock: —; Wounds: — Equipment: — Perks: — Possibilities: Never Special Abilities: • Armor: Bone and clothing +1. • Bite/Claws: Damage Strength +2 (13) • Blood Sense: Tracking against a target becomes Favored once a gospog deals a Wound or if a hosted mosquito draws the target’s blood.

• Fear: Gospog are horrific amalgamations of a corpse and rotten plant matter that emit a horrid shriek when encountered. Test willpower or Spirit or become Very Stymied. • Nest: These gospog bodies teem with mosquitoes. Anyone within 10 meters willpower or Spirit each round or become Stymied. • Relentless: Gospog ignore Shock. • Undead: Gospog are immune to poison and other effects that require breathing, eating, or other “living“ processes.

HUNGRY DEAD Some corpses just can’t lay still forever. These decomposing bodies animate and attack anything that moves and makes sound. Meat does them no good, but they still rend and feast as if it did. Attributes: Charisma 4, Dexterity 6, Mind 4, Spirit 6, Strength 9 Skills: Find 6, trick (6), unarmed combat 8 Move: 6; Tough: 9; Shock: —; Wounds: — Equipment: — Perks: — Possibilities: Never Special Abilities: • Bite/Claws: Damage Strength +1 (10) • Horde: Hungry dead usually appear in large numbers. Apply any bonus from a Combined Action to Damage as well as the attack itself when multiple dead attack a single target. • Mindless: The hungry dead are immune to intimidation and taunt interactions and telepathy powers. • Relentless: Hungry dead ignore Shock. • Undead: Hungry dead are immune to poison and other effects that require breathing, eating, or other “living“ processes.

RAVAGON Tall and fearsome, these winged hunters are armed with sharp claws, powerful wings, and a savage lust to shred their foes. They serve the Gaunt Man, and act as his eyes and hands in all the realms. Attributes: Charisma 5, Dexterity 9, Mind 7, Spirit 11, Strength 12 Skills: Dodge 12, find 12, intimidation 13, maneuver 15, reality 12, stealth 12, taunt 10, tracking 12, trick 10, unarmed combat 15

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Move: 9; Tough: 15 (3); Shock: 11; Wounds: 3 Equipment: — Perks: Vengeful Possibilities: Common (3). Ravagons without Possibilities don’t survive to adulthood. Special Abilities: • Armor: Thick hide +3. • Claws: Damage Strength +2 (14). • Dread: When a ravagon is present Standard Scenes count as Dramatic Scenes instead. • Flight: Move 11 in the air.

VICTORIAN SOLDIER This entry represents a typical soldier from Gaea. These hard troops are,used to facing the nightmares of Orrorsh with grim perseverance and a stiff upper lip. Attributes: Charisma 6, Dexterity 8, Mind 6, Spirit 8, Strength 8 Skills: Beast riding 9, dodge 10, faith 9, find 8, fire combat 10, intimidation 9, maneuver 9, melee weapons 9, stealth 9, survival 8 Move: 8; Tough: 8; Shock: 8; Wounds: — Equipment: Saber (Strength +2/10), Lee Enfield (Damage 14, Range 50/100/200) Perks: — Possibilities: Rare (2) Special Abilities: —

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WEREWOLF Werewolves are people cursed to become rampaging beasts as darkness falls. The transformation occurs on random nights, and never on demand. During the day a werewolf appears human (use the Victorian soldier’s statistics), but retains the Lycanthrope Special Ability. Attributes: Charisma 5, Dexterity 11, Mind 5, Spirit 8, Strength 14 Skills: Dodge 12, find 10, intimidation 12, maneuver 11, stealth 11, taunt (10), tracking 9, trick (10), unarmed combat 14 Move: 11; Tough: 17 (3); Shock: 8; Wounds: 1 Equipment: ­­— Perks: — Possibilities: Rare (3) Special Abilities: • Armor: Thick furry hide +3. • Bite/Claws: Damage Strength +2 (16). • Cloak of Darkness: Werewolves gain a bonus to Toughness equal to the current Darkness penalty. • Lycanthrope: Silver weapons deal +4 damage against this creature. Wounds inflicted by other types of weapons automatically heal at the end of each scene.

THE DELPHI COUNCIL NEEDS YOU! Delphi Missions: Orrorsh is a set of adventures to enhance any ongoing Torg Eternity campaign. Ten missions inside are suitable for an evening of play, plus one that can be mixed with any of the others for added flavor. Each adventure may be dropped into an existing story, or played on its own. Horrors, Nightmares, and dark rituals await! This product contains adventures suitable for Alpha and Beta Clearance Storm Knights written by Torg heavy hitters Bill Slavicsek, Steve Kenson, Shane Lacy Hensley, John Terra, John Watson, and others.

INSIDE YOU‘LL FIND: • Eleven different adventures, all set within different parts of Orrorsh. • Great for a one night fill-in, or to extend an act that ends too early. • New foes to battle and new challenges to face!

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This game requires the Torg Eternity Core Rules and Drama Deck to play.