Broken Compass - Season 01 - Golden Age [PDF]

Zitiervorschau

This manual is more what you’d call guidelines than actual rules

For Annamaria, a true woman of the Golden Age, with love.

A project by : Two Little Mice

Authors : Riccardo “Rico” Sirignano and Simone Formicola Art : Daniela Giubellini Graphic design : Antonio D’Achille Translation : Caterina Arzani Revisions : Jamie Peter Watkins Proofreaders :

Laura Cardinale, Michele Facco, Beatrice Riccabone e Alberto Zanini (Giano Academy - Accademia del Gioco di Ruolo).

Playtesters :

Arturo Benzi, Nico Borgogni, Marco B. Bucci, Enrico Buscaroli, Andrea Buzzi, Claudia Cirillo, Claudia D’Aniello, Eleonora Ferrarini, Daniela Giubellini, Francesco “Sisco” Panitti, Michele Paroli

Thanks to :

Claudia Cirillo, Gloria Comandini, Simone Maccapani, Riccardo Gallori e Yari Montorsi (Cercatori di Atlantide), Andrea Felicioni, Chiara Listo e Giuseppe Vitale (Morgengabe), Admin T e Sesso Droga e D&D, Andrea “il Rosso” Lucca, Lucandrea Massaro (Io non gioco da solo), Mauro Monti (Casa Kilamdil), Eugenio M. Lauro, Roberto Petrillo, Raven Distribution, Daniele Priore, Selena Sanesi, QCBN - Quelli Che Ben Nerdano, Michele Paroli and all our backers on Kickstarter

©2020 Two Little Mice. Any reproduction, even partial, of the manual or elements thereof without prior express authorization of the authors is strictly prohibited

Before we begin...

This manual is inspired by the great classics of Adventure, movies and books alike, and we aim to follow the typical tone and style of the genre. Since the classics were written in a different time, they sometimes portray outdated and skewed perspectives of the World that center the western man. In these stories, women are usually seen as the weaker, more frivolous counterpart to the male protagonist, who often needs to be saved from both others and herself. Similarly, “foreigners” are usually described as an exotic, ridiculous, backward-thinking people, even in their own homeland. But just as the classics follow the trends of their time, we are children of ours. As authors, we take a firm stance against this skewed perspective on the World, reaffirming how each person holds equal rights and dignity and no culture is immune from the need to learn from others. In order to keep with the original themes and tones of the classics we take inspiration from, we included some of the tropes they used to rely on, but we tried to underly how they are comedic figures and shouldn’t be taken seriously. We thought long and hard about what language to include and hope to have found a happy medium between our fond nostalgia for the great tales of adventure and the modern, hopefully more mature values of present-day society. Happy gaming!

Contents Section 1

8

WELCOME THE GOLDEN AGE THE CURSE OF TUTANKHAMEN UNEXPLORED TERRITORIES ADVENTURERS OF THE GOLDEN AGE NEW TAGS ALL ABOUT STYLE

10 12 16 18 21 28 32

Section 2

34

THE WORLD 36 REGIMES RISING 38 PROHIBITION 40 TECHNOLOGY 42 WEALTH 46 TREASURES 50 EXTRAS 64

Section 3

74

IT’S ALL TRUE SUPERNATURAL MENACES SUPERNATURAL RIVALS SUPERNATURAL ENEMIES SUPERNATURAL ADVENTURERS

76 78 80 90 92

Section 4

106

ON-DEMAND SEASON THE SERPENT THRONE THE RIVAL THE CHINTAMANI STONE THE NAGINI

108 116 118 120 124

Section 5

126

EPISODE 1 EPISODE 2 EPISODE 3 EPISODE 4 EPISODE 5 EPISODE 6

128 140 152 166 176 188

Section 1 Golden Age

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G o lden A g e

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Welcome What’s with the face? No, don’t tell me. You’re clearly one of those young’uns with great expectations, setting out to discover new civilizations as if it were nothing. Or maybe you’re one of the troublemakers who’re only itching to get their hands on a bunch of gold and become filthy rich. No, not a word. You’re a soldier without a war, a professor who’s only trying to do the right thing. Maybe you’ve decided today’s a good day to face a thousand-yearold curse and secretly save the whole world. Perhaps you think you can even make history, that future generations will remember your name? Close your mouth, young’un, before the wind changes. Shoulders back, straighten your tie and please use a comb. Dirty boots and torn-up shirts might be forgiven out there in the desert or jungle, but this is a place of civilization. You’re welcome to behave accordingly. Better yet, be quiet now, and you might even stand to learn something that’ll wipe that stupid smile off your face. I’ll give it to you, you have the makings of an Adventurer, but there are still many, many things you do not know. They call this the Golden Age, and they’re right: out there, the world is chock-full of people ready to fight to get their piece of a cake that’s yet to be discovered. We’ll see quite soon if you’re just another one of the lads and lasses full of great expectations that set out on a short, ugly road. Meanwhile, if you want a chance to get to my age, here’s my recommendation: pay heed to all legends you hear and punch any Nazi you meet right on the nose. Now, get your bag and keep up. You’ll thank me later.

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Golden Age is the first expansion to the Broken Compass Role Playing

Game. In this manual, you’ll find everything you need to travel through the era of sepia-hued photographs that sits in-between the two Great Wars, commonly known as the Golden Age. If you want to go on journeys like the ones of your childhood heroes, crack the whip like that lad in the hat, show that mummy that you’re not just here to get stepped on, or give chase to that stone to understand its mysteries, well, this is the right time. The Golden Age has much to offer, to those with the guts to explore it. If setting out to hunt Treasures, fight Rivals and their cronies is not enough for you, well, in this manual you’ll find some ways to add opponents with legendary powers to the mix. Ah, and forget about those insignificantly strange events and mysteries you heard about in 1999. In this era, the Supernatural is here with all it’s got and it’s no joke. I’m talking about magical rites, evil monsters, immortal blokes that control the four elements, ancient gods and a streak of other creatures rising from their tomb after some millennia just to ruin your day. Already afraid, are you? If that’s not enough for your liking, the last section of this manual contains the first Season of Broken Compass: six Episodes ready to be played on their own or strung together in an On Demand Season you can adapt to any group, Treasure or story. You’re welcome!

Golden Age is based on the Fortune System: a set of game mechanics

that use small pools of six-sided dice (from now on d6) to determine the outcome of any task that might entail risks or end in accidents. You can find the complete set of mechanics in the core rulebook Broken Compass: Adventure Journal.

G o lden A g e

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The Golden Age “This is not peace. It is an armistice for twenty years.” With these words, Marshal of France Ferdinand Foch described the Treaty of Versailles. And he was right, damn him. This Golden Age is really just a couple of decades down on their luck, crammed between one War and the next like a passenger who didn’t pay their ticket and who, in truth, didn’t even want to come. You’re young, you want to be an Adventurer and still have the smug expression of a fish that hasn’t yet realized it’s out of water, so you better get one thing through your thick skull: what created the perfect atmosphere for explorers in these years is the deep scar that History left on their backside. In the Golden Age, everyone has a complicated past. Everyone is looking for their place in the world. Then here comes Howard Carter, and he goes and digs a little way down, pulling out of the sand a tomb of solid gold, that holds a sarcophagus of solid gold, with a mummy wearing a mask of... Can you guess? Gold-plated wood? Humbug! Ten kilograms’ worth of twenty-two-carat solid gold. I’m absolutely serious. It’s History. That was the first day of this Golden Age, an era where everyone has a newspaper in their hands, and everyone, each in their language, is told about how, on the other side of the globe, there’s a bloke that came from nothing had found his fortune by moving four stones (didn’t matter that he had been working in the sector thirty years). Today, everyone’s an explorer, a grave robber and a treasure hunter, and everyone wants a piece before it’s too late.

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Then, right as everybody is ready to set off and the world is free of battlefields, here come airliners and great zeppelins crossing the skies and bringing things closer. Then one Charles Lindberg takes off from New York and lands in Paris as if it were nothing. The great fast ships. The rhythm of jazz and swing. It’s all begging you to get a move on. How could anyone say no? It’s no accident that the greatest explorers of all time lived in the Golden Age. This is the golden age of Adventurers, and if you’re worthy, rest assured that you’ll have your share of fame and fortune and glory, young’un. Fortune and glory.

A

good day to start What makes the Golden Age the best era for an Adventurer in search of their fortune like you, is that you can go around to explore a world that’s still different and unknown. You might be a typical westerner, setting foot out of the door for the first time and realizing that about 90% of the world doesn’t speak your language and that there are billions of “exotic” cultures to explore. You might have read about them in books, some might even call you “professor”, but there’s nothing like field experience. You might be a native of these lands, secluded for a long time and now, for the first time in their history, forced to meet with other peoples, different cultures and the problems that come from a wider world. They come into your home from each and every way, acting like tourist or wanting to take what’s not theirs, and for each individual with the best intentions, there’s a hundred of them that want to conquer and do as they please. Whatever your place in this world may be, now’s the moment to face the future that comes a-knocking and deal with a past that is at risk of being forgotten, lost, canceled or worse... manipulated by ruthless regimes. The Treasure might not be made of gold and silver: it could taste like justice and freedom.

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There is no Internet here, no satellite TV with two billion useless channels. They put color in motion pictures and that’s a revolution in itself. Experience is the best kind of information you can get, so if you want to make a difference, you better roll up your sleeves and get going. If you want to see something, you’ve got to do it with your own eyes, and if you want to learn anything, you better off asking someone with experience than relying on those books. And if you want to travel to far-off lands, you’d better know someone from the place. To be a true explorer, you need friends all over the world. This is an era of discoveries big and small alike. Young’un, you have no idea how lucky you are to have a chance to travel the world, see authentic places and meet authentic people who are still very in touch with their roots. After all that’s to come, the world will start flattening out, every country will become like the others... But not today. Today, every place is filled with the call of Adventure. Today is a good day to start!

G o lden A g e

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WHEN ARE WE When speaking of Golden Age, we typically refer to the 1930s, the decade in which a guy in a panama hat teaches the world how to do this job. You can generally rely on this manual as a reference for your great Adventures between 1919 and 1939, but you have to be flexible. This is not a history book: a lot of things have changed in twenty years. My back especially.

The Curse of Tutankhamen

In 1922, Howard Carter found much more than gold. He uncovered the mummy of the pharaoh Tutankhamen, who had lain untouched and unbothered for more than four thousand years without so much as a peep. Folk say that there was a reason that tomb had remained untouched for so long, and that maybe desecrating it was not a great idea. What’s more, it seems like Carter accidentally broke the golden beard of the pharaoh and later had to glue it back on. Now, I’m no expert in the field, but I’ll tell you one thing, young’un. If someone were to get into my tomb and break off my beard, I don’t think I’d be so pleased. And it doesn’t seem like “King Tut” was such a good sport either.

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Folk say the pharaoh put a curse on Carter’s crew, maybe on the whole world... And what have I taught you about legends? They’re all true, Jove strike me if they aren’t! Think what you wish, but it so happened that the man who funded the expedition, Lord Carnarvon, died months later because of a bloody mosquito. Coincidence? Well, in the twenties we were struck by an ugly pandemic, and the thirties saw the world’s markets collapsing into what will be known as the Great Depression. Just coincidences? So why, then, do I hear so many voices about inexplicable phenomena and unsolvable mysteries, as if we were back in the middle ages? The truth is that this is a strange era, inhabited by even stranger creatures. Cinemas are full of motion pictures about werewolves, vampires, mummies and big monkeys. They’re the true stars of Hollywood. It might be Tut’s fault, it might not, but the Golden Age is notorious for its many supernatural events and to me, that is clearly the consequence of a thousand-year-old curse. Think of it what you will, young’un, but do you think it’s a coincidence that this folly ends in 1939? Go on, look up when our dear doctor Carter left this world!

G o lden A g e

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IT’S ALL TRUE In these years, discovery and mystery go hand in hand, the ties between history and myth are stronger than ever. Maybe not all legends are true to the letter, but each of them has a kernel of truth ready to give the so-called science a clip round the ear. You better be ready to not believe your eyes.

Unexplored

Territories

Listen here, young’un, when was the last time you were truly alone in a place where you know you’d need to walk a thousand miles to find any civilization, with no radio and no person knowing where you were? In the Golden Age, Adventuring is a serious business. You’re just a childish rascal poking around among the dusty boxes in the attic, and Mother Nature will be sure to give you a spanking as soon as you get caught. Many of the places you’re going to will be truly unexplored, meaning no foreigner — no human, even — has ever set foot there in the last two to three millennia. When you’re out there, climbing snowy peaks or making your way through the jungle’s underbrush, you can rely only on yourself. Usually, you don’t even

have a map. Not because you lost it or left it behind: there are no maps because no one has ever been foolish enough to go where you’re going... And those who went, never came back. And they weren’t traveling with their colored pencils in any case. The wonder of delving through nature is that with just a couple of steps, you might find yourself completely separated by the bright lights of cities and you can even happen upon small rural populations that might still be living in accordance with ancient traditions. On the other hand, the nature of this era is really dangerous, wild and uncontaminated. Humans might have conquered the planet, but tigers clearly didn’t get the news, and neither did lions, gorillas, rhinoceroses, bears and all the other majestic beasts that rule in nature. So if you leave, don’t rely on refuges and rescue missions, and forget about satellites and GPS. If you choose to venture into the wilds, you do so at your own peril, relying only on your own legs and brains, and knowing that if one day you realize you have no way back, nobody’s going to notice.

I am Call me if you need a Places I call Home

Heritage Homeland Workplace



Words to live by

ACTION LEADERSHIP

co

Golden Age

k

LUCK

in

Lu c

FIGHT STUNT

GUTS COOL

I FEEL

DRIVE SHOOT

KNOWLEDGE CULTURE FIRST AID TECH

SOCIETY CHARM ELOQUENCE

POWERFUL

+

ACTION

BLEEDING

¯

DARING

+

GUTS

SHOCKED

¯

FOCUSED

+

KNOWLEDGE

DIZZY

¯

CONFIDENT

+

SOCIETY

FIERCE

+

WILD

BROKEN

¯

UNTOUCHABLE

+

CRIME

SCARED

¯



+



¯



+



¯

EMBARRASSED ¯

EXPERTISE

OBSERVATION

WILD

WEAPONS & GEAR

SCOUT SURVIVAL TOUGH

CRIME ALERT DEXTERITY STEALTH

Pockets

Backpack

Pockets

SCARS AND EXPERIENCES

Bag

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Mags

/2

Bag Backpack

/2

/9

Adventurers

of the Golden Age

If you’ve been paying attention up until now, you’ve probably already understood that there’s a lot of folk trying to get a piece of the action. After the misery of war, they’re after Treasure more than Adventure. There is, however, a small yet lively number of people who have what it takes to make great discoveries. I would even go as far as to say that they have the drive to face all the dangers they will meet along the way. You claim to be one of them, and I have really no understanding on how it occurred to you to become an Adventurer here, with all the better eras, where you get GPS, mobile phones and other high-tech gizmos... but let me guess. You might have decided to become an Adventurer because you were a soldier, have seen things you can no longer forget, and you might have no one to wait for you at home. Perhaps you’re one of the poor wretches from the Foreign Legion, hoping to make a new life for yourself. Otherwise you could be a professor, maybe a doctor in archaeology, and you’ve been waiting for the War to pass so that you could go back to your great discovery, the obsession of a lifetime. You could even be a woman, who’s frankly had her fill of academics, fathers and husbands telling you that your place is in the home and not a classroom, much less the middle of a forest. Or maybe, don’t tell me, are you working for the government? They say we are at peace now, but the truth is that nobody trusts anybody, and every country is itching to get a peek of what’s going on over the fence, to see what their neighbors have been up to. That could be a job for an Adventurer of the patriotic sort. Whatever your motivation may be, are you sure you’re in the right era, young’un? The Golden Age will chew you up and spit you out!

G o lden A g e

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W hy

are you here? If you’re a true Adventurer, you probably have luck on your side and a Treasure as your target, any motivation works just fine. But since I see you’ve turned up here, a bit out of your time, in one of the most complex eras of History, I still want to suggest a couple of ideas about how your journey might start. These are examples about the ways Adventure might call on you uninvited. They might require some tailoring to your circumstances, but I trust I have judged you correctly when I say you will know what to do with them.

The family heirloom One of your parents returned from the War with a mysterious artifact they later obsessed over for their whole life. Maybe they still do. After many years, the artifact has started to behave in odd ways, or a testament has revealed its true nature.

I’ve always believed it Folk at the university or museum think you’re a lunatic, but this hindrance won’t be enough to stop your research. Then, one day, a discovery is made, or perhaps a patron decides to sponsor you, and you finally have a chance to prove you were right.

The Country calls Two government agents come to your door. One is slender, the other a bit portlier. They say you are what your country needs to do something nobody else can, to go where they cannot. It’s a matter of national security!

Just an easy job You were hired to transport something or maybe escort someone. On the journey, you begin hearing worrisome things. When you realize there’s a Treasure in the picture, it’s too late. You’re in up to your neck.

Listen to me, they must not get hold of it It was just a day like any other, at work or at home. You were minding your own business when everything went to pot and a dying person gave you some ancient artifact. Now you have to defend it from who-knows-what.

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I know what I saw During your service in some place, you found an ancient temple or a buried tomb: you may even have witnessed a clearly supernatural event. Now you are the only survivor, but also the only one who knows the way to the Treasure.

The tribe needs me By chance or by choice, you find yourself in an isolated tribe, suffering far from the eyes of civilization. But you’re clearly an Adventurer, so they plead with you for help.

A gentleman’s challenge You were at the club when someone dared to publicly question you. Perhaps they have you under their thumb because of a debt, or a threat to your honor. Whatever the reason, you decided to settle the score with a ridiculous bet: now you’ll have to go who-knows-where or to find who-knows-what.

The wreck You were traveling by ship or plane when a storm hit suddenly and you found yourself fighting for your life. You regained consciousness on a desert island or in some unknown land. The survivors are few and finding a way back would be treasure enough, but there is far more going on around here.

This is my home A dictator, warlord, or some other authoritarian bully believes they can destroy the place where you were born and take for themselves a legend buried for millennia. You must stop them at any cost and save your people.

G o lden A g e

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Adventuring Women As you might have inferred, while Adventure in the Golden Age is no joke, it gets even more complicated if you happen to be a woman. Let us be blunt, women can be Adventurers just like everyone else, but there will always be someone trying to tell you otherwise. In the end, the biggest compliment some slimy creeps will have for you is how much better they like “a dame with grit”. The one positive note is that, even in 1930, there is equal Treasure for everybody, although the same can’t be said about salary. But let’s proceed with order. In 1920, things seem to be looking up. After many social struggles, women finally have the right to vote in many western countries, and they begin working outside their homes and enjoy a new level of freedom and respect. Then here comes the Great Depression, swinging the pendulum right back, smashing both hopes and work opportunities for all. All this, clearly, not addressing the situation in South America, Asia and Africa, where universal suffrage and equal rights are still unknown concepts. When it comes to education, the question is even more muddled. Women, especially well-born, rich women, do have the possibility to study, but if they aspire to attain a degree, that’s another story. I’ll have you know that, before 1920, women couldn’t even dream to set foot in Oxford, hence their academic status was little to none, especially in less developed countries. You are right to shake your head, but don’t lose heart. Even in this dark and difficult time, women found their place in the limelight as scientists and adventurers, their determination and discoveries gained the recognition of the world. Think, among others, about the two-time Nobel winner Marie Curie, about doctor Maria Montessori, about Arner Boyd, the explorer some papers named “the Girl Who Tamed the Arctic”, and the pioneer of aviation Amelia Earhart, who became the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic and later attempted to fly around the globe.

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After the War The Great War brought young people of every nation onto the battlefield, often to far-off, hostile fronts in foreign lands. Many of them gained a great deal of experience the hard way, making do as they could, facing frozen climbs and grueling marches, living in extremely dire conditions. Without even realizing it, some of them came back as perfect Adventurers, their spirit and body tempered by the adversities they had to overcome. For every ten men who, at the end of the War, only wanted to go back to their beds and live in peace, there is one who won’t or can’t go back to normality. They hear the call of Adventure

Thirty in the 30s As a general rule, if you are a thirty-year-old in the 30s, you have somehow fought or had an active role in the Great War. This is especially true for, but not limited to, men. For this same reason, any Adventurer with the Old Tag are combat veterans or actively lived through the Conflict. Adventurers with the Young Tag, on the other hand, have probably only heard stories about the War. Bear in mind, even if you’re under thirty, you could have served in the War. Many armies enlisted boys as young as fourteen for lesser duties, and in the British Army alone, more than two hundred fifty thousand underage children served. Some others, eager to serve their country and armed with courage and recklessness, lied to the officers about their age. But in truth, you only needed to be tall enough for them to give you a rifle, so if you were a child soldier, you are most likely on the tall side.

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The Foreign Legion The practice of assembling an armed force entirely of foreigners has roots that go back to the Roman Empire. Several countries still employ foreign legions filled with volunteers who fight for the promise of citizenship or gold, or for the good of their children. The most eminent of these branches is the French Foreign Legion. The French Foreign Legion played a pivotal role on the harshest fronts of the Great War and ascended into history for the great losses it suffered while reaching the highest honors thanks to its indisputable contribution. To enlist in this fearsome branch of the military, you faced a harsh training, that was both physically and even more psychologically challenging. And you probably didn’t do it just because you loved France so much. I find people more often take this harsh path to run from their past, since many trade their years of service for a new identity and new documents, or even for a chance to wipe their filthy criminal record and start with a clean slate. It might be that only your old Legion comrades know who you really are, or perhaps even they are in the dark.

New Tags To play in the Golden Age, you are free to use the eighteen Tags you can find in Broken Compass: Adventure Journal. If even this isn’t enough, as is always the case with you... Well, you’re in luck, young’un. I have an inexplicable feeling that behind those glassy eyes I’d expect from a tiger pelt in front of the fireplace hides some true potential. For this reason, I’ll give you six new Tags. You can thank me later.

On the next page you can find the Tags neatly organized with their Fields, Skills and Expertises, and you are welcome to use them in the way you already know, either here in the Golden Age or in any other era you’ll visit. First of all, we have the Tag Official, suitable for all officers, commanders and navy captains or, more in general, for all Adventurers with a strong discipline, who know how to inspire the best in their men and give orders. Up next, we have the Tag Gentleman for men and Lady for women. This tag is perfect for those who lived among the high society and always know which fork to use from a line of twenty. Completely opposite to these perfumed personages, we have those who fit the Tag Native. Adventurers born into the great old nations of this world, who live in accordance with cultures that haven’t changed for centuries or millennia, and still hold dear their ties to the past and nature. In general, we call Natives those people who live with strong ties to the place where they were born, the local folklore and traditions. This could be true of a Nepali Sherpa, an Inuit in Alaska, but also of a cowboy in Texas. Interesting and somewhat strange is the Tag Arcanist. It might sound ominous to some, but it fits all those men and women who study paranormal events and occult sciences, and maybe those who’d prefer to be called mediums, witches or fortune-tellers. Some of these folk study the occult for pleasure, some are seeking answers and some truly odd ones even believe in the existence of higher powers, or even claim to have them! Smugglers are more down-to-earth. People who adopt this Tag deal in material goods: most likely, those belonging to others. Couriers, artifact dealers and transporters help slaves and prisoners to escape from an even grimier destiny. These Adventurers know better than anyone else all the uncharted routes and roads. And finally, at the complete opposite end of the legality spectrum, we have the Detective Tag, as shiny as a police badge. This is the Tag for all government agents and private investigators who’ve made a career out of discovering truths.

G o lden A g e

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Arcanist

Detective

Field

Skills

Field

Skills

Knowledge (Crime)

Leadership Cool Culture First Aid Eloquence Survival Alert Stealth

Guts (Action)

Leadership Stunt Cool Shoot Culture Eloquence Observation Stealth

Expertise Occult

Expertise Investigation

Gentleman/Lady

Native

Field

Skills

Field

Skills

Society (Guts)

Leadership Cool Drive Shoot Culture Eloquence Charm Observation

Wild (Knowledge)

Fight Stunt Culture First Aid Scout Survival Tough Stealth

Expertise Etiquette

Official

Expertise Tradition

Smuggler

Field

Skills

Field

Skills

Action (Society)

Fight Leadership Cool Culture First Aid Eloquence Charm Tough

Crime (Wild)

Drive Tech Eloquence Observation Survival Tough Alert Stealth

Expertise Command

Expertise Contraband

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Expertises

In the Golden Age, some Expertises you encountered on Broken Compass: Adventure Journal are no longer viable options. For instance, you won’t be able to choose the Expertises “IT” or “Helicopters”. This is clearly due to the fact that some things have not been invented yet, so make your peace with it. But chin up, there are six additional Expertises here, each tied to one of the new Tags.

Command: Giving orders, coordinating personnel and subordinates, inspiring confidence and instilling courage in the weak.

Contraband: Knowing the ways and places to smuggle or hide goods, hiding cargo, work contacts and finding the best way to pass through roadblocks and customs.

Etiquette: Knowing good manners, navigating high society with confidence, having good taste in clothing, being formal and never inappropriate.

Investigation: Following leads, analyzing proof, gathering intel, interrogating and tailing people.

Occult: Knowing the practices and branches of the occult sciences,

having an understanding of supernatural forces and phenomena. Having studied alleged magical tomes, old beliefs and dark rites.

Tradition: Knowing and understanding the traditions, beliefs, legends

and religion of your chosen people (e.g. Cherokee, Maya, Zulu, etc.)

G o lden A g e

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All about Style

But enough chat. The first and last thing you need to know about the Golden Age, is that we are people who dress and behave properly. As you go traveling through the jungle, roaming through sandy deserts and rain forests, you might let yourself become disheveled and glistening with sweat, but to be among civilized folk, you will have to learn some manners. First of all, there are no first names. You may only call your brother, sister or childhood friend by their first name. You will address everyone else by their title and surname. So, if you’re dealing with one Jones fellow, you will call him MISTER Jones, and if he holds a degree, DOCTOR Jones. He is not a dog you can just address by their name, by Jove! If you’re a man, you will take your hat off when greeting someone, and whenever you enter a room. Women may keep their hats on, no need to unpin it. Now then, all cleaned and straightened up, you’re almost presentable. I might even mistake you for an Adventurer in the right light, but we’re not remotely done here. You must remember that here in the Golden Age, information and communication travel at a far slower pace than in 1999, so most people will know about you only what you yourself decide to tell and show. If you manage the hand you’re dealt well, you might even go some distance, and you’ll realize just how much this matters as soon as you see the price of a ticket. Another thing to keep firmly in mind is that we are far from the ghost of globalization. Each country is different from its neighbor, they have their culture, traditions and etiquette. What I’m trying to convey is, how difficult it is not to offend people who follow the same rules as you, think what challenge it will be when you don’t even know the sport you’re playing. The world is vast and varied, and you’re setting off on the right foot, but be careful of where you tread. Insulting the wrong people might be your last mistake, because in this era, people with power do as they please and you really don’t look like the shoe’s on your foot.

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These are times of social inequalities, where planes and ships are among the very few luxuries going around. In the 30s, with the Great Depression, things will only get worse, and the world is divided into those who can bathe in caviar and those who have never heard of it. Did you really think it would have been easy to live in a strict patriarchal society, dominated by a few ruthless big dogs and littered with rules and useless formalities? Well, young’un, you were wrong. It is, indeed, no wonder people go off looking for lost tombs among tigers, snakes and spiders, just for a chance of not needing to tip your hat to every Doctor Jones in a mile. There’s no need to stand there, nodding. Tuck your shirt in and for goodness sake, buff your shoes! This is not 1999, and whether you like it or not, here it’s all about style.

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Section 2 The Golden Age World

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The World Let me see... How can I explain it in a way that will be understood by your sort. Let’s put it this way. At the beginning of this century, each continent is like a lonely little boy who has never left his home. So, when he finally does manage to set foot out the door, he’s completely out of his depth and ends up starting the Great War. At the end of the scrabble, they all have bloody noses and scraped knees, cross their hearts, sign the Versailles Treaty and share the block. All the lads go back home to lick their wounds and mind their own business, but they can’t help looking out the window from time to time. Just a peek, enough to check what the others are up to and whether someone has broken the promise. When the dust has settled, they take heart and they step outside again, knocking at each other’s doors. Some are happy, some less so, but they all understand that from now on, they have to play together nicely.

D ivided,

together If there was ever a time for all nations to be divided, each locked in their own problems, each with the wounds of a War still unhealed yet ready for the next, and at the same time, all united by their search for allies and opportunities for cultural and technological growth, that time is the Golden Age. When you get out of here and go strolling through the World, you should expect to meet isolated people who had never met someone like you before that absolute mayhem struck, sending bombs and bullets flying every which way. On the other hand, the Great War left us with planes and airships that bring us dramatically closer together, allowing hands of every color from every land to shake. It is indeed a curious era. We have never been so close, but we still have to learn how to trust each other. That’s why we need people like you, someone who is willing to search for a common root and show the world how borders are just lines on a map.

Regimes

Rising

Let me cut to the chase: these are hard times. There are folk using wads of banknotes with no value to light the stove or level old tables. There’s misery here, an optimal breeding ground for all fruitcakes with heads full of manic ideas who were just waiting for someone to listen. To be a real Adventurer, be very wary of all mythomaniacs out there, pushing forth ideologies more deadly than arrows or bullets. These kinds of Enemies and Rivals will give you a hard time, since you can’t reason with that sort of folk. There will be nationalism, racism, censorship, secret police, and mass indoctrination, and you will have to deal with all these problems and more, because you are setting out in search of Treasure, which brings riches and power, and those folk are very interested in that. You have Fascists in Italy; Nazis in Germany; in Russia, Communism marches ever onward; while in Japan, the military has taken control of the state, pushing for expansion. What’s more, everywhere you look, you’ll find a new extremist movement, growing in popularity among the desperate who have nothing else to hold on to, and exploiting their control over the means of information. I will only tell you this once: if a person supports these perverse ideologies, they cannot be called an Adventurer. That is a core difference. These deranged regimes look to the past for ways to assert their dominance. They neither seek nor listen to the truth, since they are not ready to acknowledge it. They just want to manipulate history for their own personal gain, and this is unworthy of an Adventurer. They can’t even be called explorers or grave robbers: they are just vultures, circling above any carcass they can strip clean. You are better than that! If you’re an Adventurer, and I do hope I’m not wrong about you, you know that the past brings us together, history brings us near and each discovery of a thousand-year-old relic proves that borders and nations all crumble and lie forgotten, and in the end, all that is left are the people and the World they live in.

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N azis

On the topic of devious ideologies, I find there is no better or worse, so although I am going to tell you in detail about Nazis, be aware that it is not because they are the worst... Even though they arguably are. The reason Nazis are among the most fearsome Rivals in the Golden Age is because they had a whole branch dedicated to searching for Treasure. They were certain they could use it to conquer the world somehow. Be it the Thule Society or the Ahnenerbe, the World is filled with Nazis with a mania for the occult, who’ve decided to take a stab at being archaeologists and explorers and will do anything to take your Treasure. Some of them have close ties with the Society. If you ever have to deal with this riff-raff, I want you to remember one rule: the tolerance paradox. To put it bluntly, you can only try to reach tolerant people: intolerant folk only understand the language of fists.

Prohibition “The slums will soon be a thing of the past. Prisons and reformatories will be emptied [...] Again, all men will walk straight, all women will smile, all children will laugh. The gates of Hell have closed forever.” With these words, senator Andrew J. Volstead addressed the United States’ choice to completely ban all alcoholic beverages. But if you look just a tad closer, you will see that things did not go as he expected. During Prohibition, we saw one of the greatest waves of crime in the History of civilization. Apparently, forcing all citizens to stop consuming alcohol was a step too far, especially if we consider that those very citizens had just returned from the War and really wanted to go for a drink. To paint a clearer picture, I’ll tell you this: the amendment came into force on the midnight of January 16th 1920, and before the clocks struck one, in Chicago, an armed mob had stormed a train and stolen 100,000 dollars’ worth of whiskey. The whole affair went swimmingly, don’t you think? And not to overstate the situation, but I should tell you that during Prohibition, you could find bootleg alcohol in shops willing to risk the hefty fine, but also in many other places. The concept of a speakeasy was created, secret clubs to which you could only gain access if you knew the password. So, 15,000 bars were shut down in New York in 1920... and about 32,000 speakeasies opened to fill the void. I could bore you on the topic for hours, honestly. The situation was out of hand. What I mean to say is that, depending on when you are in Golden Age America, you could be someday after 1933, wake up and pop to the bar for a double bourbon without anyone batting an eyelid. Or you could be earlier and find yourself tangled in a giant complex web of alcohol bootleggers, managed by an army of gangsters. You can find these people anywhere, really, they make a fortune supplying speakeasies as employees of the mob and other underworld bosses. Many are Italian-Americans with a distorted idea of the American dream: chief among these is a fellow who goes by the name of “Scarface”, the legendary mob boss Al Capone.

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Why am I saying this, you ask? Young’un, you need to realize it is not just about Prohibition and alcohol. These gangsters have undisputed control over entire cities, nothing happens without their knowing. If you enter or leave the United States with something of value, if you ask too many questions, or if you get involved in a brawl in a speakeasy — don’t give me that look, I know you will — well, rest assured there will be a gang of Italian-American gentlemen in pinstripe suits, with slicked-back hair and a machine gun in hand, waiting impatiently to paint the town red. These people are not to be trifled with and if you get on their wrong side, you better be prepared, since they tend to take things oh-so-personally. And they carry grudges.

Technology After the Great War, the World moved forward in leaps and bounds, with technology leading the way. And by “World” I mean the great cities and developed countries that emerged from the conflict with the resources to do so. And by “leaps and bounds”, I’m referring to inventions and innovations that cost a fortune and very few could have: it will take a while for them to reach the public. But I’m getting ahead of myself. Above all, these are the years in which items such as adhesive tape and ballpoint pens are invented. Now, if these sound like trifles to you, it’s because you never had to do without. Additionally, electricity became truly accessible in the great cities, when the day before all we had were wood and coal. This means you can now get your hands on small electrical appliances that have a battery, like torches and portable radios. But you will have to scale up your concept of “portable”. Here, military-grade radios were at least as big as a backpack. Still, they were more convenient than walking to the next town to find a phone booth, just to spend your time arguing with the switchboard. What matters here is that the radio is your friend, it allows you to communicate with others and, on top of that, it is a great tool for entertainment and information. Its popularity skyrockets in these years thanks to the passionate rhythm of jazz and swing, which you can hear anywhere as if you had a record player, albeit without the possibility to choose when and what. You can forget about television, but the cinema has recently implemented talking pictures and even some color! At the end of this decade you could even catch Gone with the Wind. But we shouldn’t waste our time talking about the luxuries and commodities of the cities while you’re standing there, hunched over and with hands in your pockets like a crocodile with scoliosis at prom.

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You’re an Adventurer: what you really want is to travel. Very well, young’un, you’ve come to the right time. Automobiles have become widespread and they allow you to roar by at full speed, no cumbersome security systems, just an inch of metal separating you from the ground. For longer journeys, you could opt for a luxury ocean liner, as long as you can afford the ticket. Otherwise you’ll have to make do with third class, or find a job on board like the pleb you are. You might not be aware of this, but this Golden Age is also the golden age of aviation. You can have your pick of flying transport: you can travel wherever you want, either on the magnificent civil planes that have replaced those rusty wrecks from the War or even on the cutting-edge technology of zeppelins. Those sky giants are sometimes called “airships” and will reach their peak popularity in these years. They will take you from Europe to the United States in four to five days while you relax and explore over two hundred yards of cabins, parlors, bridges and luxurious reception halls. Pity they have the bad habit of exploding from time to time. So, as you can see, the Golden Age has everything you need. And despite the fact that the world is still far from globalized, people of every country can feel the breeze coming in through open borders: they can finally travel and do so safely. You only need to remember that technological development is slow and costly, so you won’t find the same commodities wherever you go. So long as you are in one of the European or American capitals, you can take certain luxuries for granted, but as soon as you get to a war zone or a less developed country, you will find that the majority of the planet is still living in the nineteenth century. That is good, since you are traveling to discover the past, right?

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O bjects

To play in the Golden Age, you are free to use most common objects you can find in Broken Compass: Adventure Journal, and those should suffice. A noticeable difference is that in this era, the radio is a useful yet cumbersome piece of equipment, that actively replaces a Backpack. But the truly fascinating thing you will meet while Adventuring between the Wars are the people and cultures you will encounter, so different from what you’re used to, each with their own typical objects. The best thing to do would be to open an encyclopedia and study some of the peculiarities you could encounter on your Adventure, deploying as many as you can to give your group of friends a chance to learn something new. If nothing else, you will find some nice trivia to share over a whiskey.

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W eapons & G ear

Traditional weapon: Special. Grants you an Advantage while fighting in a Brawl. Boomerang: Special. Silent. If you throw it and roll at least a Basic Success, it comes back to you. Blowpipe: Special. Silent. Allows you to put an unsuspecting target to sleep. During a Shoot-out, the blowpipe acts like a bow and arrow, allowing you to put Enemies under without killing them, but you can’t empty the mag with it. Shoulder holsters: Allow you to carry two pistols or revolvers and two extra Mags in your Pockets. Whip: Special. Allows you to catch things, swing from place to place, and avoid a Disadvantage while outnumbered. Diving suit: Allows you to breathe underwater. You have a Disadvantage for all actions.

Special Weapons When thinking about the Great War, your mind goes straight to pistols and rifles, but each country has national weapons, tied to its culture and still widely used. These Special weapons take on various forms, but they all share a key characteristic: they are deadly in the right hands, but when given to an untrained person, they become absolutely useless. To use a Special Weapon you need the relative Expertise, so if you want to crack your whip like a true cowboy or get your boomerang to come back, you will need the Expertise “Whip” or “Boomerang”. On the list of Special Weapons, you also see the catch-all “Traditional weapon”, which could represent any melee weapon requiring the user to perfect a technique to be wielded. Scimitar, nunchaku, and shotel are all good examples. These weapons will grant you an Advantage during Brawls so long as you have the relative Expertise and you are not fighting an Enemy who wields a Traditional weapon as adeptly as you.

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Wealth The Golden Age is a time of great economic and social disparity. For every person sipping a flute of champagne in first class, there are a thousand performing back-breaking work and still hardly making enough to feed their family. So, here’s what you need to do to better recreate this situation. Instead of the standard 6 Wealth Points, your group shall have to make do with 5, but the good news is that if even one of you chooses the “Rich” Tag, you get 9 shining Wealth Points where you would usually have 8. But this will also make it clear to everyone you are the prime targets for fleecing. Young’un, here in the Golden Age, everything comes at a price, even money itself. One additional thing you should not underestimate is how easily traveling costs add up. Few can afford to board an airship or train as first class passengers. So, to be blunt, even as Well-Off people, you will probably have to compromise, since you can only afford ground transportation. If you want to embark on a transatlantic ocean liner, you will probably have to settle for second class, and lose precious Time. Hiring passage by air will instead cost you one Wealth Point. If you are either Rich or Loaded, the situation doesn’t really change. The wealthy are always wealthy, in all ages. The most important difference is that your living standards won’t go unnoticed.

Vehicles

As more time passes after the Great War, the old rusty wrecks assembled on a wing and a prayer to get the troops to the front get dismantled and replaced by modern and more comfortable means. I already described to you how planes got to be nice and comfortable, but the same is true of automobiles, which lose their old tin-can nature and acquire a certain amount of style. Additionally, after the end of the War,

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motorcycles see a rise in popularity. From 1920 onwards, both Triumph and Harley Davidson dominate the market with their handy and comfortable bikes... Well, by contemporary standards. The evolution of vehicles brought along a rise in prices, and while everyone can afford an old clunker, modern vehicles are another matter entirely. If you want to buy a head turner of a Vehicle, the kind of thing that will earn you points in the upper echelons of society, you can clearly do so, but it will cost you two Wealth Points, maybe one if you are already Rich or Loaded. If, on the other hand, you find that to be a waste of money and you only need something to take you places and nothing fancy... You are welcome to do as you please, I am not your guardian. But when you will appear with the old clunker at a party or an appointment with the big wigs, you will be deafened by the noise of your credibility shattering into a million pieces. People are so vulgarly venal, I know, but what can you do?

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S addle EXOTIC ANIMALS Aside from horses, there are many other animals on which you can ride, their numbers and variety depend on where you are in the World. When an Adventurer is riding an exotic animal like a camel or even an elephant, the Fortune Master should take a closer look at their Sheet and determine whether their inexperience inflicts a Disadvantage. To avoid such Disadvantages, an Adventurer should have the Expertise “Riding” or a “Tradition” tied to it. Another way is for them to call home a country where that animals is considered quite normal and not “exotic”.

animals A very reliable way to travel through the wilder lands without worrying about going off-track or being stuck with an empty tank is to get yourself a good horse or camel. Saddle animals, after all, are still widespread all over the world. In most cases, the Skill you should roll for riding an animal is Scout. A good thing about saddle animals is that with a single Wealth Point you should be able to get enough of them for the whole group, and depending on the circumstances this could mean one each or one for every two people. Another good piece of news is that saddle animals are smart, they can travel even without being “piloted” and, unlike Vehicles, they can travel where there are no roads and rarely get bogged down. The bad news is that animals are more fragile than machines, and as such, horses and camels only have a single Luck Point. If you lose that, you clearly cannot repair them with a simple Critical Tech roll: you’ll instead need to roll for a Critical First Aid Task in the Wild Field. Additionally, if a mount with no Luck Points remaining should take damage and stand to lose an additional point, they cannot go Out of Commission like a car or bike: they simply die. It’s always sad when that happens.

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Riders If you are an Adventurer born and raised in a stable or on a farm and have the “Horse riding” expertise, your experience will make a great deal of difference. First of all, you start your Adventure with a horse, camel, or similarly saddled animal, depending on the circumstances. Additionally, you know how to best use your mount and as such, any animal you are riding can count on 3 Luck Points, just like a brand-new Vehicle.

Carriages A carriage is just like any other Vehicle, it has 3 Luck Points and can regain any lost Points with a roll for either the Tech or First Aid Skills. So long as a carriage is not Out of Commission, you can choose to unhitch the horses and use them as single mounts. In this instance, if the carriage had at least one Luck Point, the horses also have one. If the carriage was already down to zero Luck Points, then the horses will also have none, and you will have to bid them adieu after the first hit.

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WILD ANIMALS Usually, any saddle animal you will ride is properly trained to carry people here and there and obey orders. So, unless they get scared, you can ride easy with no fear of them bucking you off. Wild animals are another matter entirely. You might try to tame one at your own peril, or you can even try to ride one against its will. Gaining the trust and help of a peaceful animal requires a roll for Eloquence or Leadership in the Wild Field, whereas jumping on the back of a rearing beast could be a roll for Tough, Stunt, or even Cool in the Wild Field. The Fortune Master can always decide if the circumstances give you a Disadvantage or not.

Treasures I can hear the pages rustling from here. A hot-head like you doesn’t care about anything else, they only want to get hold of the Treasure. By now you’ll have understood this is a good time to be an explorer, and just like Howard Carter, you want to blow away the sand to discover solid gold with little effort. I can hardly blame you: the fire of youth makes one quite reckless. On the next page, you will find six mouth-watering Treasures, but hear me out first. Treasures in the Golden Age are lavish to say the least, they promise riches and more: wishes granted, knowledge, immortality and much more. And it seems like I was not mistaken about you. You might not show it, but you do have a brain, and you’ve already caught a whiff of a scam. Good. The problem is that in this day and age, since they set Tutankhamen off, all other baseless legends have become quite real, while still seeming nonsensical. Sadly, I can’t tell you any more on this regard because I myself do not know the truth; I can only join the dots... But there’s something strange in the air. Legendary Treasures are always surrounded by legendary problems, after all. Whether you want it or not, you will need to face the great curses that come from great riches. Enjoy!

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EL DORADO “Arrivals without end, he further said, Were there to make rich votive offerings Of golden trinkets and of emeralds rare And diverse other of their ornaments; And worthy credence these things he affirmed; The soldiers, light of heart and well content, Then dubbed him El Dorado, and the name By countless ways was spread throughout the world.” Elegías de varones ilustres de Indias, Juan de Castellanos

Once upon a time, a chieftain of the Muisca people, native to the Altiplano Cundiboyacense in Columbia, covered himself in gold dust and bathed in the Guatavita lake during an initiation ritual. The Spanish soldiers who witnesses this rite nicknamed him El Rey Dorado or El Hombre Dorado, later shortened to El Dorado. From this event is derived one of the most infamous legends in History. And as time went by, El Dorado changed shape time and time again, becoming first a city and then a whole kingdom. In 1536, stories about El Dorado brought the conquistador Gonzalo Jimenez de Quesada and his army of eight hundred men to Peru, where they wanted to search the Muisca land. On this expedition, Quesada captured a native, who told him about Metza, a kingdom that built a giant temple to the sun god and then filled it with what he called an “infinite” amount of treasure. Well, rest assured that the Spaniard searched everywhere for the treasure, yet they found nothing. A few years later it was up to Gonzalo Pizarro, who heard about a valley rich in gold ore in Ecuador and set off East with Francisco de Orellana and five thousand men. Needless to say, their search proved fruitless and they soon desisted. It appears that Orellana was the only one to find something of interest: according to his reports, he found a river inhabited by a tribe of female warriors, aptly named the Amazonian River. Meanwhile, during an expedition to the Andes, Quesada found the holy lake Guatavita. The conquistador Lázaro Fonte attempted to drain the lake in 1454 with a large group of men

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with buckets. As you may have guessed, they didn’t manage to empty the whole thing, but they still found a good amount of gold, so maybe there was hope yet. Forty years later, Antonio de Sepúlveda tried his hand at this by cutting a deep gash in the lake bank and successfully lower the water level by a good twenty meters... before the entire mountain side collapsed, taking several laborers with it. He still found a decent amount of gold, most of which went to the king of Spain, and in the end, Sepúlveda croaked and was buried in Guatavita with not a penny to his name. On the wave of the discovery, a company completely drained the lake in 1898, only succeeding in creating a mud pit that slowly dried, burying everything under a layer of rock-hard earth, possibly forever. I could go on for days enumerating all the people who tried to get their hands on El Dorado, but sadly, most of those stories simply end dead in the waters... literally, in this case. The truth is that it is still unclear if El Dorado was a person, a treasure or a whole kingdom made of gold... whatever it may be, it is surely worth searching for.

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BOOK OF THOTH “I, Thoth, have ever sought wisdom, searching in darkness and searching in Light. Long in my youth I traveled the pathway, seeking ever new knowledge to gain.” Emerald tablet, 5th tablet, Hermes Trismegistus

The ancient Egyptians revered a pretty numerous pantheon composed of deities with human bodies and animal faces. The main gods are Ra and his son, Horus, both represented with the face of a falcon, but there are others. A very interesting figure is the god with an ibis head: Thoth. Thoth was the god of knowledge and writing. Particularly revered by scholars and priests, his cult evolved over time and lasted for six thousand years without interruption: hard to believe, isn’t it? According to the priest Manetho, who lived two thousand years ago, Thoth himself had written 36,325 books, some of which had been found and were held safe, scattered in the “Houses of Life”, libraries within his temples. Later, in the sixth tome of his Stromata, Clement of Alexandria suggests that Egyptian priests guarded forty two books in which all their knowledge, hymns and rituals were gathered together with their construction techniques, medical, geographical and astronomical knowledge. According to Clement, these books were written by... no, not Thoth: by Hermes. Although to him and many others in his age, Thoth and Hermes were two different names for the same god, so it really doesn’t make much of a difference. As time went on, people continued to disagree on the exact number of books and which ones were to be considered the most important. And with the constant bickering between those who said thirty thousand and those who said forty two, some raise the hypothesis that the Book of Thoth could be a single artifact, holding all the knowledge in the World. The historian Gaston Maspero goes so far as to say that the Pharaoh Khufu was searching for it.

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The only one who claims to have actually held a fragment of the Book of Thoth (perhaps a translation, or a copy, even) is the Phoenician author Sanchuniathon, but we know little else. From then on, we can only offer conjecture on where this great Treasure could be held. Additionally, many say it could have a nice, solid-gold cover. A widely-accepted theory alleges the book was taken to a secret temple and locked inside a golden chest, and some even propose that this temple could actually be a secret temple, buried under the Sphynx, or close to the Giza pyramids, and that the key to access that place would be hidden in the ancient Egyptians’ knowledge of astronomy. Clearly nobody can say for certain where this book — or these books — are held. Nor do we know if it really has supernatural powers or if we are speaking only of an ancient encyclopedia, one that at the very least could teach us a great deal about the past. But there was also a certain Hermes Trismegistus, a Greek philosopher that apparently was the only one with a real grasp of this subject. Some even suggest he had critical information that could lead to the discovery of the book of Thoth. Those who heed this legend say that among the many secrets hidden in the book, there is also a way to obtain immortality. By now you should have learned enough to realize that ancient gods, Egypt, priests and immortality don’t add up to anything good. You’ve been warned.

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ALADDIN’S LAMP “And as Aladdin’s mother started polishing the lamp a Jinni appeared in front of her, and the Jinni spoke with voice of thunder: “Tell me your wish. Here, I am your servant and the servant of any who own the Lamp.” The Thousand and One Nights

Everyone knows the story of Aladdin, the ne’er-do-well poor boy who finds himself in possession of a magic lamp that is home (or prison) to a genie. With the help of this magical servant, Aladdin becomes rich and powerful, marries the princess Badroulbadour and, after a series of larks, manages to become a sultan. Still, as I said, this is only a fairy tale one can read while leafing through a storybook written centuries ago, right? Young’un, you might have learned a lot, but the road ahead is long. With a little research, you might find that the story of Aladdin and the lamp was added to the Thousand and One Nights by a Frenchman called Antoine Galland, who had heard about it in the early 1700s from Hanna Diyab in Aleppo. The story of the lamp is one of many that make up an ancient and almost completely forgotten oral tradition. It could hold a kernel of truth, since what we call “genie” is known in the Middle East as a Jinni, a relatively powerful supernatural entity that also appears in the Quran.

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If the legend is to be believed, the lamp is indeed a beautifully crafted oil lamp, hidden in some magic cave behind several traps. If someone managed to find and polish the lamp, they would become master to the Jinni living inside it, and be entitled to... no, not three wishes. Stop pestering me, you ill-mannered rascal, or you’re never going to learn. As I was saying, according to the legend, the genie will fulfill an infinite amount of wishes, much better than three. But don’t you get too excited, young’un, because according to the tradition, most Jinni are not really benevolent. Far from it, indeed. If you’re wondering where you can find this Treasure, well, you may be surprised to learn that according to Diyab, Aladdin finds this lamp “in a town in China”. Not what you were expecting, I suppose. The interesting fact is that every other part of the legend is clearly set in the Middle East, and there is no king or emperor, but a sultan. This incongruence led some to surmise the lamp can be found in the ancient Turkestan, somewhere between the Urals and the Gobi desert, or along the Silk Road. Another, plausible, hypothesis, says the China quoted in the legend could be different from what we think of today. As a matter of fact, the ancient people of Arabia used the word China to indicate any exotic kingdom that was far away and unknown to them. Look for it wherever you may, but if you ever find it, remember those who helped you in the beginning and, most importantly, be careful what you wish for...

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KING SOLOMON’S MINES “Happy is the mind that findeth wisdom [...] for the gain thereof is better than fine gold.” King Solomon

According to the Jewish Bible, Solomon was the third king of Israel, and he ruled for over four decades three thousand years ago. Under his reign, it is said that Israel prospered and expanded until it became a small empire in the Middle East. According to Scriptures, King Solomon was as wise as he was powerful, and above all, he was renowned for being extraordinarily rich. They say he had “all the gold you could wish for”. And let’s be clear, Solomon was not the understated type. His estate included three hundred shields covered in gold, and in his throne room in Jerusalem twelve golden lions and twelve golden eagles lined the path to his huge golden throne with ivory inlays... to break up the monotony, you know? We’re talking approximately five hundred tonnes of solid gold, not to mention the silver and copper used to decorate the First Temple in Jerusalem. One may wonder where all these riches came from, since they are so exorbitant that no other kingdom in any epoch can compare. Still, according to the ancient Scriptures, the precious metals were gathered in an endless mine in Ophir... Please stay seated, young’un. As I was about to say, nobody ever managed to figure out where this place might be, since it apparently must remain a secret. The one thing we know — almost — for certain is that King Solomon had sealed a pact with a Phoenician king who ruled over modern-day Lebanon, and the Phoenician masters of the sea set sail on the route to Ophir, bringing back tonnes of gold.

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The sad news is that the Phoenician actually were the best bloody navigators of their time. According to Herodotus, they even circumnavigated the whole of Africa in a voyage lasting three years. So, with this information, the legendary mines of King Solomon could be anywhere in Africa or Asia. You’ll just need to look around a bit. Clues gathered over the centuries suggest that the mine probably in Africa, with some theories claiming Ophir actually the capital of Zimbabwe, or the city of Sofala Mozambique. Although this is pure conjecture, it led to the creation the popular hero Allan Quatermain, who, in turn, seems have solidified this conjecture in western culture.

is is in of to

To be frank, I feel there are more exciting and mysterious Treasures in the World than a mine that was systematically stripped for forty years. And yet, it could be nice to wade through myth and legend and come out at the other end of the journey with the knowledge that there are no mystical artifacts or strange revelations, just a literal mountain of gold.

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THE HOLY GRAIL “And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; for this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.” Matthew 26, 27-29

Outside the walls of Jerusalem’s Old City, atop Mount Zion, you’ll find a small sanctuary that for centuries hosted the Order of Friars Minor for the Custody of the Holy Land. It is there that, according to tradition, the Last Supper was held, the final gathering of Jesus and his apostles before one of them betrayed him. According to the Gospel, at that time Jesus drank from a cup and asked all others to do the same, stating that the cup was indeed full of his blood, in a prophesy of his imminent sacrifice. In 1200, Robert de Boron wrote a poem speculating on how the cup was taken by Joseph of Arimathea, the man who, according to tradition, was responsible for Jesus’s burial. De Boron describes how Joseph of Arimathea used that cup from the Last Supper to gather the blood of Jesus, a man he believed to be the personification of God. The cup would later be sent off to Spain, where it became famous for eternity as the Holy Grail. From that moment onward, we can only speculate on what became of that legendary cup. Rivers of ink flowed in an attempt to narrate the legends and more than one knight of the Round Table set off in search of it. In the late Middle Ages, two cups competed for the title of Grail, and both were revered as holy relics. One was kept in the cathedral of Valencia, in Spain, and appears to be a cup of Egyptian or Palestinian origin from the right period. The other is in Genoa, in the cathedral, and is actually quite strange. It is a six-sided glass dish from Egypt, brought to Italy by Guglielmo Embriaco after his conquest of Cesarea in 1101. On top of it all, this alleged Grail was also

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damaged during a leisure excursion to France in the company of Napoleonic soldiers. Only later was it returned to the cathedral. Such is life for a relic. In truth, the cup could have ended up anywhere, since it was last seen for certain almost two thousand years ago, and in the meantime, we had quite a few crusades where people brought back an immense quantity of tat they passed off as great treasures of religion. What’s really interesting about the Holy Grail is that nobody has the slightest idea of what it is and what it does, and that’s unusual. Aside from its historic value, the Grail is of some importance only to Christians, and as such it is more of a religious relic than a Treasure. However, there are some who believe that the real Treasure is what’s in the cup: the blood of a god with the power to heal any ailment and even grant immortality.

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SHAMBHALA ”And the hermit asked: ‘Whereto do you travel?’ ‘To Shambala’, answered the youth. ‘Ah, that is very good - said the hermit - you shall not travel much far then, for you must know that the kingdom of Shambala is in your heart.’ Ancient Tibetan story

The Kālacakratantra refers to a legendary land by the name of Shambhala, which can be loosely translated from Sanskrit as “peaceful place”. In Tibet, Buddhists sometime see Shambala as a fictional place, more of an idea, but sometimes it is represented as a mystical kingdom hidden behind the densest fogs of the highest peaks of the Himalayas. A heaven on earth only the truly pure of heart can enter. Someone like you can only hope to enter Shambala by the back door. And even then, you’d have to face the snowy mountains that surround that place. Some call it the “Land with a Thousand Names”, because Tibetan people are not the only ones to tell of it: legends on this ancient and remote place, home to perfect men and women, can also be found in India, Russia and China. In Asia, it is also known as Shangri-La, a name that might have reached even your ignorant ears, but you should also know it’s called Beloboyde by the Russian and Āryāvarta by the Hindu people. The latter name might have caught your eye since its peculiarity managed to convince the bloody Nazis that it was the mythical land of origin of their so-called “Aryan race” and set them off on several creepy expeditions. What’s more, those fools thought that the people who lived in Shambala had the ability to control a form of spiritual energy they called Vril. And if this Jerry nonsense wasn’t enough, the Russians who set out searching for Shambala are no better! They went looking for the key to make the perfect man, or what they call “the perfect communist”. Believe me, I wish I was making this up.

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If this talk of Nazis and Russians didn’t scare you, and maybe gave you that Adventure itch, I will also warn you that, according to Tibetan legends, the entrance to Shambala is hidden in a remote, forsaken monastery, which is, in turn, obviously protected by the Guardians of Shambala. I’ll spell it out in case you haven’t understood: these Guardians are not peaceful monks, distilling alcohol on the highest peaks, but legendary creatures of unknown power. Additionally, the Kālacakratantra describes an invincible army defending Shambala, led by Rudrachakrin, the King of the World. According to the prophecy, when the fog shall rise, the army will leave the magical land and face in battle all the evil armies of tyrants and despots who’d try to conquer the world in the darkest day of humanity.

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Extras Here in the Golden Age everyone wants a piece of the cake: even more so if it’s a diamond encrusted, gem laden cake. So rest assured that the world out there is filled with Extras ready to hunt for Treasures. I’ll give you the contacts of about a dozen of them. They’re mostly upstanding folk, who will only betray you if strictly necessary. If you are still not satisfied, there’s no use pulling that face. The Extras from 1999 haven’t been born yet, but you can easily rewrite them for the time.

The Professor

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Brave, smart, determined, charismatic and unaware of her great beauty: Rachel Hunter is all this and much more. Born to an army official and a musician, she is a renowned Australian scholar, but in her veins runs the blood of legendary adventurer Conan Hunter, a rather cumbersome inheritance. If you happen to travel with Rachel Hunter, it might feel like walking side by side with an encyclopedia who speaks a considerable number of foreign languages, but her main specializations are Hindu mythology and Indian culture and traditions. It is believed that her grandfather disappeared in that corner of the World in his last attempt to find the World Tree, a Treasure he had obsessed over for his entire life.

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The D octor

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Isaac Subramani is the only son of an Indian colonel and a British dignitary who met some time before the Great War. After his parents’ divorce, the life and education of Isaac carried on partly in India, partly in England, to the point he feels at home both in London and Delhi. Trying to walk in his father’s footsteps, he enlisted as an official in the British Indian Army, as well as graduating from university in surgery and medicine. During the War, he operated on hundreds of soldiers on the field, losing more and more faith in the military, until he finally resigned at the end of the conflict. Today, his personal mission is to reach the most secluded corners of India to bring his medical expertise to people in need.

The Rascal

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Not everyone can get into trouble and make new enemies every single day while still finding their way out thanks to their cherub smile. But clearly Antony Cassani can. He has actually made quite a habit of it. His friends, as well as anyone who can’t pronounce Cassani, call him Cash because — need I say it? — he only cares about money. And I’m not saying he is a stingy money-grubber, more of a rascal who likes to spend his money, since that is what it’s made for, in his opinion. As such, he is often penniless, and the aforementioned friends know this very well. They know that each time he appears with a smile on his face it’s because he needs something to settle a debt, while the few times he has money to spend, he disappears before you can say “your round”.

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The N atives

A group of natives from a local tribe who live far away from society and know the secrets and perils of their home very well. Depending on their situation, they might talk the language of their colonizers, but usually they don’t. The one thing these people have in common is their vast wisdom and the near-religious respect for their traditions and culture. action guts knowledge society wild crime

When crossing through a wild and dangerous place, their guidance is the best you can hope for, but first you’ll have to persuade them of your good will. Otherwise, be prepared to be treated as an enemy and an invader.

The Cat

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Seti is a black cat who mostly keeps to herself, but she has a particularly keen nose when it comes to Treasures, especially the very cursed ones. She spends her days roaming in search of food or the coolest or warmest place in the palace, and this is pretty normal. What’s peculiar about her is that, whenever she goes exploring, she usually happens to find some ungodly artifact that someone kept on the highest shelf or hidden some place. It might be just a happenstance, but many have discussed the ties between cats and the supernatural. You might think this is pure nonsense, but I’ll tell you this. There are two kinds of people on this Earth: those who believe in the occult powers of cats and those who haven’t met Seti.

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The M an

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in the H at The man in the hat is a mysterious bloke who, according to some, was born for this job. And indeed, he has been doing this his whole life. Nobody knows his name, but since he always wears a hat and wouldn’t part from it for any price, everyone calls him “the man in the hat”. They say he’s a first-grade explorer, a playboy, an expert archaeologist, a former soldier, a frighteningly good shot and a pretty decent grave robber. But the oddest thing is that he walks around with a devilish whip that he cracks at his opponents, as well as using it as a grappling hook and rope from time to time, and a third hand. His technique is nearly unbelievable. I have never met him, but if you care for my opinion, he is either a blowhard or a great hero, perhaps even both.

The Climber

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Yahnaa Lohani, whose mother was also a famous explorer, knows Nepal like the back of her hand. They say that even at her young age, she’s already climbed to the summit of Everest — without making a big deal out of it or calling the papers. She’s dedicated her life to protecting the culture and independence of the local people. She spends most of her days searching for tourists and amateurs who thought they could take on the Himalayas and invariably become victims of their fury. Her great respect for nature, resolute character and an unparalleled climbing technique make her the kind of person you want nearby on any mountain.

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The Cook

Annamaria Ruggini fed many a regiment of Italian and ally soldiers during the Great War. To the best of my knowledge, those were the only soldiers that returned from the front complaining about how they ate better in the military.

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Annamaria is a brave, foursquare woman who faces Adventure with a smile. She constantly travels through Italy in search of new flavors and recipes for her book, her one true Treasure. Unlike many other Adventurers, Annamaria does not journey to find something for herself, but to leave a tasty legacy to future generations for centuries to come. A true Italian hero!

The G unslinger

action guts knowledge society wild crime

Not everyone would dare fight in the Great War among the ranks of the Foreign Legion, but for a man running from his past like Marc Donadieu, this might be the only chance to start again. Once upon a time, Marc was a young criminal who had the misfortune of being born amongst the wrong people. Just when he felt his time had already come, a priest came to his rescue, helping the young man escape from prison and giving Marc his faith. A wanted man, with neither friends nor home, Marc Donadieu decided to enlist. Now he has a new name, and he can face the world as a free man. But his past never stopped chasing him. For this reason, he hung up the weapons of death and swore he’d never hurt anybody ever again.

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The R eporter

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The unstoppable intrepid reporter Clarissa Morgenstern has worked for a great number of high-level newspapers, mostly because every second article rubs enough people the wrong way that she gets fired. By now, her dark clothes and red hair are infamous bad omens, and whenever a prominent VIP sees her coming, you can bet they try to run as fast as they can. Clarissa Morgenstern has a rare talent for bringing to light the worst, most rotten parts of people and she certainly doesn’t lack the courage to make it public for the sake of truth. She used to travel with a clique of professional photographers but, according to her, they were all spineless cowards. Hence, she now travels with her own camera and does it all herself.

The Technician

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Joseph Gabe is an engineering professor and an inventor known around the world for his bizarre creations. He wouldn’t call himself a man of Adventure, indeed, he takes every chance he gets to remark to his companions that danger is not his preferred field, but when it comes to experiments, Joseph often acts as his own test subject, taking extreme risks to prove theories or test machines. Professor Gabe is a true gentleman, impeccably dressed even in the middle of a jungle, and has a reputation as a forthright man whose blunt honesty turns to brazenness in his worst moments. He has the bad habit of offhandedly insulting people surrounding him without meaning to or realizing it. This has caused several unnecessary diplomatic incidents.

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The B ackstabber

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When the going gets tough, you may have to make do while one man down, because Benny probably left running a long time ago. You are welcome to hire him as a guide to the exotic city he works in, more or less honestly, and you better agree with payment on services rendered, if you don’t want to prematurely bid goodbye to both him and your money. The one redeeming quality of this lowlife is that he will always find who or what you’re looking for, and he has contacts (and creditors) everywhere. In everything else, he is despicable and servile, always ready to hop fences in order to follow the money. If you ever have the misfortune of facing dangers with him, you better be the first to tackle the situation, because he’ll never risk his life for anyone. You can only hope that by being an example, your strength might give him strength. Although I sincerely doubt it.

The Explorer

action guts knowledge society wild crime

George “Jay” Dreamer has always been true to his family name. He dedicated his life to exploration to never let go of his adventuring dreams. Born in Alaska to an Italian archaeologist and an American explorer, Jay developed a strong bond to the icy environment of his homeland. At the present day, he lives in Iceland and cooperates with the Reykjavík university to unravel an ancient mystery. After a whole childhood spent dreaming of great adventures like those his parents lived through, he received a gift from his mother: a mysterious book she had studied for a lifetime without making any headway. So now, George Dreamer roams Iceland in an attempt to solve this mystery and become worthy of his mother’s feats.

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The Veteran

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Professor Adrian Nash was born in Japan to English parents in 1895. Before graduating in archeology with a specialization in “Asian Cultures” and becoming chair of Archeology at the University of Edinburgh, he fought during the Great War. He spent his youth traveling through Europe and was in Paris when the war began. He volunteered for the Foreign French Legion, was assigned to the 1er Régiment étranger and went on to fight in Algeria. Due to a series of unfortunate events, he witnessed the battle of Ypres and then fought on the front line in Gallipoli and Verdun. After being honorably discharged at the rank of Lieutenant, he hung up his uniform to focus on his studies. Today, he is universally known as a distinguished professor, but Adrian is still a man of action at heart, and whenever Adventure comes a-knocking, he is ready to answer.

The G entleman Thief

action guts knowledge society wild crime

They say rich people have problems too, and Sir Daniel Montague III, last heir of a noble British family, knows this far too well since, in addition to the title and a run-down manor, his parents bequeathed to him a mountain of debt. And while Daniel loves dressing to the nines and taking part in formal receptions, the truth is that he is completely skint. So, in an attempt to marry his love for the good life with his lack of funding, Daniel began stealing art pieces, jewels and ancient artifacts from his former peers (who, anyway, have no idea of the value of such things) and even from the secret collections of rich criminals. And it is during one of these “operations” that he found the key that will grant him access to the greatest treasure of all time. There’s a thin line between thief and Adventurer.

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HABITAT OF THE CAPYBARA The Capybara is a hairy animal and yada-yadda-yadda... This is not 1999, young’un, people can’t listen in. This is the Golden Age, there’s only the two of us here and I am telling you this in confidence. So if word gets around, I know who’s to blame! I’m not sure how much you already know about the Society, but if you know nothing, maybe you should pick up your Adventure Journal and read up on the Capybara before coming back to me. Done? Very well, now you can forget everything you read and listen up. I told you already about how you should steer clear of those Nazi fruitcakes and maybe I wasn’t completely sincere on the reasons why. You should be aware that the Hiram Society has put deep roots in the third Reich, I can’t even begin to imagine how deep, or if the Nazi government knows anything about this. That said, keep your weather eye open and if you ever run into Nazis with the symbol of a tree on their arm or chest, remain calm and keep your guard up. Those are Hiram soldiers. If you were scared of the Thule Society and Ahnenerbe, well, you’ve seen nothing yet. Those are just smoke and mirrors, useful fronts the Hiram use to obtain and manage large amounts of capital while culling proselytes without coming out of the shadows. The truth is even scarier. The shadow of Hiram has taken a seat at the heart of Germany and from there, they have been extending their clutches to the rest of the world to gather strong allies everywhere. Their goal is to take as many legendary artifacts and Treasures as they can, and to use their power. There are tales of how the Great Master of the Hiram has taken hidden residence somewhere and ceased all communications. The seven Masters eye each other with suspicion, each trying to take command. Among the seven there is the leader of the Hiram division in the Nazi army, an SS commander by the name of Alexander Kruger. This ruthless individual has shown himself on many occasions to be obsessed by the thought of gaining eternal life and has already made several massacres in the pursuit of this foolish goal. I won’t spoil your appetite with the details but be on guard: his men call him “The Brunswick Butcher”.

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So, if even the head of the Nazi Hiram are off the rails, you can’t expect their troops to be a bunch of daisy planting, pastry baking folk. Truth be told, most people willing to adhere to a racist, national socialist ideology, and then go even deeper into the rabbit hole by joining a radical fringe to secretly serve a leader they’ve never seen and they probably will never know the name of are usually not the most rational, balanced types. If you ask me, if you’re ever looking for the perfect Christmas gift to them, you can just send a couple of screwdrivers, since they clearly have a few screws loose up there. The worst of these dangerous lunatics from the Society is an Austrian scientist, Doctor Stefan Göth. He may not be a Master yet, but he’s already cracking down as one, and his men are loyal to him. His goal in life is to find a way to control the people and unburden humanity of free will. To do so, he is poring over ancient texts and legends, convinced that some of the powers they describe must be true and they can be harnessed through some ancestral technology now lost. I wish I could help you more than this, but I have little time and information on my hands. I’ll tell you one thing: if you don’t want to meet a sticky end, maybe the best thing you can do is to steer very far from these folk and try to stay put. However, if I’m correct about you, you’re a true Adventurer, and you can act as a heartless grave robber however you like, but once all is said and done, you know that there are lines to be drawn and people to be stopped in this world. If someone raises their hand to salute “Heil Hiram!”, you should also raise your hand... and then bring it violently down on their nose. You know, those easy, polite gestures that make the World a better place!

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Section 3 The Supernatural Menace

It’s all true Have you ever been told the terrifying tale of a curse lingering around the Treasure? Or even one about the immortal guardians that stand guard over it for eternity? All cultures have their foolish myths regarding some sort of supernatural menace, and people really believe this humbug to be more believable than the fairy tales they tell their children at night. The problem is they’re right. Those ancient curses, magic powers, supernatural creatures and immortal beings are all real! In the Golden Age, the Supernatural is not something far away and hard to explain, something people can try to give a logical explanation to. Here, the Supernatural hangs in the air like a threat and a promise, it’s set in History like in stone and people pass it on in the form of legends. It might not be immediately manifest, but when it appears, it does so in full force and leaves no room for doubt. I’m not speaking about cold drafts, eerie whispers and eyes that shine in the night. I’m speaking about human faces coming out of a sandstorm, immortal knights carrying on their endless vigil and priests disturbingly taking the idiom “put fire into their hearts” rather too literally.

The B roken Compass

I can’t say for certain for what reason all these Supernatural events seem to have awoken right in time for the Golden Age, but if I were a betting man, my money would be on Carter dragging Tutankhamen out of bed. The one thing all these inexplicable phenomena and their locations have in common is their ability to set the travelers’ compass spinning. If you ever find yourself in close proximity to a cursed temple or a magical book, you’ll observe your compass behaving strangely. The closer you are to a Supernatural font of power, the stronger its influence, and the faster the needle will spin, to the point where sometimes the glass housing explodes, shattering the compass.

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Nobody knows what you’d find if you were reckless enough to follow a broken compass to the other side of the World: you might bump into strangeness of legendary proportions!

O ne

step at a time To clarify, although all the legends are true, they won’t all be waiting for you as soon as you set foot out the door. In the Golden Age, the Supernatural is actually real, and this means that when it shows up, it does so with all the bells and whistles. For this reason, the Fortune Master should choose the moment when they want to bring the Supernatural into play carefully, without rushing it.

WHAT THEY EXPECTED, BUT WITH A TWIST

For some Seasons, the Supernatural might be what sets things in motion, bringing the Adventurers together to face something inexplicable. But more often than not, the Supernatural theme will come into play later, when the group dynamics are already stable and the Adventurers are up to their necks in the journey. Another possibility could have the Supernatural lie low, hidden behind the legends for the whole Adventure, creating more and more suspense and anticipation to manifest itself in all its power for the last Episode or even just the last scene of the Season Finale. The important thing is to make sure that the Adventurers are always at the center of Adventure and they never become spectators of a legend coming into reality. For this reason, when the Supernatural comes on the stage, the Adventurers should have solid relationships and motivations or ideals to face it together.

As a Fortune Master, when you introduce a legend into the story, try to make sure to give the Adventurers something familiar they can latch onto to start with. Once everyone’s found their bearings, you can shuffle the cards again and let your imagination run wild.

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Adventurers go around thinking they know everything, and that’s actually quite good: if they were completely lost, they wouldn’t know where to start.

There is only one rule: give them what they want, but not the way they expect it!

Supernatural Menaces

Choosing a Treasure, setting out to search it, finally finding it after a long journey littered with Enemies, traps and your Rival... This kind of Adventure can happen in any time and age, so clearly you can follow a similar path here in the Golden Age and I won’t stop you. But there is more to Adventure. Something that calls on the responsibility we all share, our need to do what’s right and, ultimately, the World’s destiny. Young’un, these are strange times inhabited by strange people, and you might have what it takes to be more than a simple grave robber. I only hope you will be ready when the time comes. When you set off for a Season in the Golden Age, you have a Treasure to seek and a Rival with their cronies trying to get it before you. But sometimes, your challenges might bring you face to face with a Supernatural Menace, or you might even be the ones to awaken it. Once a Supernatural Menace is on the table, everything else ceases to be important, the only Treasure that really matters is vanquishing the Menace before it’s too late. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

The True Rival

Your Rival opens up a sarcophagus, awakens the mummy and becomes the victim of a curse; maybe they found the holy scepter before you, obtaining immeasurable power; perhaps they now have to answer for their crimes after bringing true Evil to Earth. However you get there, once a Supernatural Menace comes into play, your Rival loses their grit, and usually their life, or at least their mind. Whatever its shape, the Menace is now the real Rival you will face in the Season. Then things go south pretty quickly.

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The R eal Treasure

Once your plan has gone to pot and you are left facing a thousand-year old creature with powers beyond your understanding that has almost certainly set its mind to taking over the World, everything else gets put on the back burner, even the Treasure... I can’t believe what I just said! At this point, the one real Treasure is putting a stop to the Supernatural Menace and stopping their plan to wreak havoc on this earth. The good news is that there is usually an item with the power to stop the Supernatural Menace, often the same Treasure you set off searching from the beginning. In this perspective, the real Treasure is still the old Treasure, at least in the majority of cases, but you can bid farewell to your plans of selling it or doing whatever else you had in mind to do with it. Now you need it to defeat Evil. It’s for the best.

Like

nothing happened The last thing you should know is that once there’s a Supernatural Menace loose on Earth, anything can happen: entire cities could be destroyed by the fury of the elements, the Plagues of Egypt could come knocking, really, all sorts of craziness. But in the end, so long as you defeat the Supernatural Menace, everything will go back to normal. Don’t misunderstand me, it’s not like the cities will be magically rebuilt. All damage caused by the Supernatural Menace is real, and will remain as such. Quite simply, the World will shake the supernatural off its back one way or another. With a little help from the Government or Luck, people will never know what really happened and, I regret to say, very few people will ever know who saved the World or how. But remember, you are one of the fools that happen to live in this World, so it’s not like you have many other options.

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Supernatural Rivals

A Rival can have their own goals, they can be ambitious or not, personal or not, and for those reasons, they will stop at nothing until they have the Treasure for themselves. But a Supernatural Rival is worse. They have usually been courting their desire for power or vengeance for centuries or even millennia, and you are witnessing their first and maybe only chance at obtaining it. In addition to that, many Supernatural Rivals come straight out of a legend, and they have a painful reason for being imprisoned, hidden or forgotten, as well as for having such immeasurable power. Often, your Supernatural Rivals will be suffering from a deep wound or have been victims of great injustices that turned them into the monsters they are today. But do not let these legendary creatures fool you into believing they only want to bring their beloved back to life or taste freedom again. The lust for power corrupts everyone and turns them to Evil, showing the true face of all Supernatural Rivals. Whatever their motives or ties to your story, in the end, their final goal is to destroy or control the whole World. Some Supernatural Rivals were bloody bastards even before getting their powers, so do not hesitate to take them down.

The S ervant

If normal Rivals can rely on one or more Cronies to be willing to fight and risk their life to protect them and act as their armed wing, Supernatural Rivals are without equals: they don’t need a Crony to protect them, not once they’ve reached their full power. These super-human beings usually have an entourage of Servants, usually cowardly and ruthless, with no real talent as fighters. Their main role is to deliver messages in places their master can’t reach. When it comes to game mechanics, a Servant is just like a Crony, with the only difference that a Servant is never truly defeated before the Season Finale, because a Supernatural Rival always has the power to get them out of trouble. And they say Evil has no heart!

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The Legend

What do you really know about the Supernatural Menace, its motivations, goals and ambitions for power? It’s simple: you know everything the Legend tells you. The Legend is an epic tale on the origins of your Supernatural Rivals, telling about how they came into the powers that turned them into a threat to all of humanity. Before you set off on your first Episode, the Fortune Master should stand up and solemnly tell you of the Legend. This way, all Adventurers will have at least some knowledge on the topic, and they can focus on the Adventure without needing to ponder what they do and don’t know for too long. Additionally, after reading the Legend, the Fortune Master can choose to give additional information to those Adventurers with “Archeology”, “Tradition” or “Occult” as their Expertise, or any one they deem to be in the know. This can happen publicly or in secret. The beauty of Legend is that, similarly to a Pilot, it could be entirely written by the Fortune Master, or it could be the result of collective brainstorming among all Players. Additionally, a Legend might be completely or partially true, and there is no limit to the amount of secrets that you can unveil over the course of a Season. If you want to see what a Legend might look like and what we are talking about, just turn to the next page and enjoy the tale. You can thank me later.

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The Legend of Tuun Ohl K’inich Chichén Itzá was one of the largest and most beautiful cities of the Mayan empire. It was home to a great king, surrounded by sages and wizards. The most powerful among them was the warpriest Tuun Ohl K’inich, the most loyal ally and closest friend of the king. But the king didn’t know that Tuun Ohl K’inich longed to take the throne for himself, and that on full moon nights, he ordered his servants to bring him human sacrifices and worship him as a god on Earth. On one such night, he gathered a hundred younglings in a secret temple. Their terrible sacrifice would have allowed him to carry out the most unholy ritual, and if he had succeeded, Tuun Ohl K’inich would have gained the strength to challenge the gods themselves and rule over Chichén Itzá and the World for all eternity. Before the ritual could be performed, the king’s soldiers barged into the temple, killing all of Tuun Ohl K’inich servants, forcing him to escape into the night, as all of the king’s forces were ordered to hunt him down. The king couldn’t rest so long as the traitor’s crime against the gods went unpunished. Alone and defeated, the warpriest reached a hidden place at the heart of the jungle, where all the evil spirits exiled by the gods were thought to reside. Tuun Ohl K’inich made a deal with them, exchanging his own soul for great magical powers. Leading an army of evil spirits, Tuun Ohl K’inich marched back to Chichén Itzá, where he slaughtered the king and his soldiers and took control of the city. But his actions brought the gods’ wrath on the people, and they were all punished with great storms, droughts and more. So the evil spirits urged Tuun Ohl K’inich to take revenge by having the people build a great pyramid, to allow him to ascend to the heavens and face the gods.

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When the pyramid was complete, he ordered his soldiers to sacrifice every last man, woman and child, so that his power could feast on their blood and grow. But the people had always been faithful to the gods, and the pyramid was a trap. When Tuun Ohl K’inich was about to reach the altar set atop the summit and the sacrifice was about to be executed, the people all turned on the supports that held up the pyramid and it sank beneath the earth, burying Tuun Ohl K’inich, his army, and all the people of Chichén Itzá forever. But even then, trapped under the giant stone pyramid, Tuun Ohl K’inich was a man of great power, and all the blood spilled on that day managed to reach him, making him immortal. If anyone were ever to set Tuun Ohl K’inich free from his stone prison, then he would return, with an army of evil spirits, the full power of a god, and a single goal: to make the whole world kneel before his power and exact vengeance on the people who betrayed him.

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S upernatural Powers

I have not mentioned this yet, but I still hope you’re smart enough to understand it on your own. We call them Supernatural Rivals because they wield a whole arsenal of powers of the Supernatural kind. Besides being a real pain in the neck, these powers share two main characteristics. First of all, they become more and more powerful as the Season progresses, and secondly, they allow your Rival to survive anything you might throw at them, no matter how many mags you empty. The powers your Supernatural Rival can wield obviously depend on their nature and can be anything from the control of natural elements and human minds; to the ability to transform into any person, animal or mythical creature; they might be able to fly, summon loyal servants of any kind, and a number of other devilish tricks. If that weren’t enough, they usually can rely on strength, resistance and speed beyond those of any mortal.

The Fortune Master has to establish what powers your Rival wields. You can find some source of inspiration on how to do this further on, since in a few pages we will discuss several legendary creatures and their powers. If that’s still not enough, you better roll up your sleeves and have a look in an encyclopedia. After determining the nature of a Rival, the Fortune Master should also decide the conditions that need to be satisfied for their powers to grow. For example, some Supernatural Rivals need to gather lost pieces of themselves or magical items, others need to recharge in some way, while for others, it might be a mere question of time. This growth can simply be narrated over the course of the story without stressing it, but the Fortune Master might choose to use the Doomsday Clock and privately decide that the Rival will reach a set goal and unlock more powers when the Clock strikes a certain Hour.

Managing Powers Most Supernatural Powers a Rival can wield will manifest with great fanfare and special effects, but when it comes down to it, they are just Dangers, often of the kind that will inflict Bad Feelings to the target. Usually, any power that throws people away can cause the Bad Feeling “Broken”, those that involve blades and spikes can leave an Adventurer “Bleeding”, while other kind of strange unearthly apparitions can cause people to be “Shocked” or “Scared”. More peculiar powers can inflict specific Feelings. So if any power that relates to ice can cause Adventurers to become “Frozen”, others might require the Fortune Master and the Adventurers to create new Feelings.

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N ew B ad Feelings

As I said, here are some additional Feelings, all of the Bad kind, that you can suffer when you’re facing a Supernatural Menace, or dealing with traps and any other mischief the Fortune Master might be up to.

Confused: You’re hallucinating, the world suddenly started spinning. You see things and people that aren’t real and are a victim of the hallucination your Rival has created. You can lose this Feeling over time or by spending a full turn at rest in a Safe Place. Poisoned: You feel the blood in your veins growing cold, your throat closing up, or you are burning up and have cold sweats. You get a Disadvantage for all tasks in the fields Society and Guts. The only way to get rid of this feeling is an antidote. You can make a simple antidote with a Critical First Aid task, but for the rarer ones you’ll need to gather specific ingredients.

Cursed: You feel an evil force hanging over you. Your fate is sealed.

Each curse can inflict its own flavor of Disadvantage, while some give you no Disadvantage at all, but leave you more vulnerable to being “A Wreck”. Similarly, each curse requires its own ritual to be lifted. So long as you are Cursed you can only use Luck Coins to save yourself or a friend from Certain Death.

Terrified: The sight of a supernatural being has left you shaken to

your core. You have one Disadvantage for every roll that pertains to the supernatural creature that terrified you. To remove this Feeling, you need to talk openly with one of your friends as you would do when you are “Scared”.

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Mind Powers I swear, this is the last of the bad news. Possibly. I really don’t know how to explain it, but many Supernatural Rivals can rely on the ability to control people’s minds. This means that they often unleash wave after wave of unwilling Extras against you. The most powerful of these Rivals can count on mind Powers strong enough to affect even Adventurers like you. This is what should happen if you’re on the receiving end of such tricks: When the Fortune Master declares that the Supernatural Rival you are facing is going to use their mind Powers, the first thing to establish is which Adventurers are being targeted. Next up, the Fortune Master should take a piece of paper for each Adventurer and write a small note on every one of them. Now each Adventurer will receive a piece of paper and read it, without sharing the message to others. Going on, they must act in accordance with it. For example, if on their piece of paper they find a simple “x,” it means nothing happened to them; while if they find “You are at peace and do not wish to fight,” it means they should put all their fighting spirit aside and re-holster their weapons. And if on the piece of paper you read “Get your friends out of here,” things get even more complicated, because you will need to try to convince the others to do your Rival’s bidding without being discovered. Since the Adventurers have no way to escape from the mind Powers of a Rival, the Fortune Master has to be very careful in using them to ensure that the game remains fun for all and the Adventure doesn’t get corrupted by it. Mind Powers should not be used as a way to rail-road and limit the Adventurers freedom of choice. On the other hand, Adventurers may choose to use a Luck Coin to tear their message to pieces and ignore its contents. If they choose to do this, they need to immediately give up the coin to the Fortune Master without a chance to keep it. The effect of a Rival’s mind Powers end when the order is completed or when they are too far or distracted to maintain concentration on their influence. If an Adventurer is having fun by playing the involuntary double agent of the Rival, they can secretly agree with the Fortune Master to have the effect go on and to get a message at the beginning of each Episode. T h e S u pern atu ral M en ace

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D efeating S upernatural Rivals

The good news is that you can fight Supernatural Rivals the same way you’d fight any other Enemy, by hitting them in a Brawl or Shoot-out. The bad news is that although Supernatural Rivals can be hindered or chased off, especially if they haven’t yet come into their full powers, they can’t be completely defeated like a mere mortal. When you deal the final blow to a Supernatural Rival, they can often find ways to run with their tail between their legs or stop to take a breath and come back into the fray. Either way, the Adventurers might gain some time, but their impact may end there. In addition to this, Supernatural Rivals are worth at least 3 Critical Enemies before the Mid-Season and at least one Extreme Enemy afterwards, as well as being possibly immune to bullets.

Now, no need to pull that face and start whining: this is your Supernatural Rival and you will have to deal with them. Chin up, let us look for a solution. To get rid of a Supernatural Rival once and for all, you will have to find their weakness or to destroy the source of their powers. Some Rivals might require a magic formula or ritual, others you will need to strike with a specific weapon, and a third kind will only be defeatable once you lift the curse or break the artifact that is their font of power. During the Season Finale, you will have a chance to send your Rival back from where they came, but first you’ll need to discover how.

Key Clues During the Season you will gather the normal Clues on both your Treasure and Rival, and also a series of Key Clues that you should note down in your Travel Diary with a small key beside them. Once you gather a Key Clue it should never leave your Travel Diary, since they are essential pieces of information that will allow you to defeat your Rival. You need to gather as many as you can in order to have a chance at victory. Some of these Clues can suggest ways to avoid some of the supernatural powers of your Rival, others might say what weapons are most effective, or reveal pieces of the ritual to banish them. Examples of the Key Clues you could find when fighting a vampire could be “Sleeps at day” and “Stake through the heart”.

The Treasure is the Key Once you’ve gathered all the Clues and reached the Season Finale, you will be missing only one thing: the Treasure. As I explained before, the Treasure you set off to look for in the beginning, before meeting the Supernatural Menace, is usually the key to defeat them. So if you need to find an ancient ritual to imprison an evil spirit, the Treasure might be the book it is written in, or the staff you need to hold during the ceremony.

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Supernatural Enemies

Setting aside all this talk about Supernatural Menaces endangering the whole world, there are many other inhuman creatures around. They might be just keeping to themselves with no ill intentions toward the World, but still be far from friendly. Supernatural Enemies can be things such as an animated statue, a mythological beast, a ghost or an unearthly being summoned by your Rival to do their bidding. These creature act exactly like your normal Enemies with two small exceptions.

W hat

was that? Let’s say you are climbing a Himalayan mountain on your own and suddenly you hear a roar powerful enough to crack the ice and you find yourself face to face with a Yeti who doesn’t look like they’re in a hospitable mood. How do you think you’d react? And what if, as you are exploring a pyramid, all the sarcophagi open suddenly at once, and a line of mummies take their khopesh and start walking in your direction, slowly, without a word? Do you think your heart could take it? Usually when facing Supernatural Enemies of a certain type for the first time, you’ll have to roll a Cool task. If you roll anything less than a Critical Success, you will be left in a panicked daze, unable to do anything before the Enemies have taken their action. In addition to this, you also get the Bad Feeling Terrified, giving you one Disadvantage to all tasks that are somehow tied to the creature that just turned your knees into jelly. The one good news is that the Expertise “Occult” grants you a free Re-roll for all Cool tasks that would have you Terrified of a Supernatural Enemy.

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This

one keeps getting up ! The first time you face a Supernatural creature and defeat it, there are two possible outcomes. If you’re lucky, the creature was weak and falls down like any other Enemy. But often Supernatural Enemies will stand up a few seconds after being defeated and you have to do it all again. You’ll need to find the trick to actually defeating them either by searching for Clues or through trial and error. Some Supernatural creatures are weak to fire, others are immune to bullets but vulnerable to blades, others still need to be unburdened of their heads. Once you find the way to deal with a Supernatural Enemy, you just need to put it in practice. To do so, it’s important that the last hit be dealt the right way.

Supernatural Adventurers

Open your ears, young’un, and listen up closely. I can see it in your eyes that all this talk about great powers has you eager to have some of your own. Take it from me, that is not a good idea and it probably won’t end well. There’s always some kind of catch with these Supernatural Powers. It’s not worth it. However, some Adventurers have a peculiar bond with the Supernatural, one they might not even be aware of, but that has existed since before their birth. To properly manage these circumstances, I am about to disclose to you two secret Tags, that the Fortune Master can bestow without the Adventurers knowing, at least not immediately: Chosen One and Medium.

The Chosen O ne

The Tag “Chosen One” goes to the one Adventurer who is destined to destroy the Supernatural Menace and nobody else. If the Fortune Master chooses to bestow this Tag, this means that there is one Adventurer and one only, with the ability to deal the final blow to a Supernatural Rival. The Chosen One could be a member of some ancient order, be born in specific circumstances as foretold by a legend, be the descendant of a long line of important people or be the person who set this Evil free in the first place and as such, the only one who can banish it. The Chosen One is also the only Adventurer who can wield a Sacred Weapon.

The Sacred Weapon A Sacred Weapon is an artifact straight out of the legends, one of extreme strength when fighting a Supernatural Rival. A Sacred Weapon can never be a Key Item and as such, it can be stolen, lost or destroyed. However, so long as it is in the hands of the Chosen One, it grants them an Advantage every time they face the Rival.

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The M edium

The “Medium” Tag goes to an Adventurer who holds some deep connection to the Supernatural. They could be related to it, have the ability to sense spirits or be a fundamental part of a terrible ritual. If the Fortune Master chooses to bestow this Tag, it means the Adventurer is important and precious to their Rival, and the Rival will do anything to protect them. If the Medium is ever in danger of facing Certain Death, the Rival themselves or their servants will intervene to save the Medium and take them away. This Tag is given to people with a great hidden power, people who could be the reincarnation of someone important, or to people that are bound to the Rival by a pact, ritual or similar circumstances. For every group of Adventurers, there can only be one Chosen One and one Medium. The Fortune master can bestow both or either Tags depending on the story. In some rare circumstances, a single Adventurer could be both the Chosen One and the Medium, but be careful to always give all Players equal parts in the story!

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GREAT POWERS Supernatural Powers belong to Rivals and Enemies for a good reason: some secrets are best hidden. However, if the story calls for an Adventurer to gain Supernatural Powers, there are three very important rules to follow. 1: Only one Adventurer can gain and use Supernatural Powers over the course of one Season, never more. 2: The Adventurer can use their powers only in the Season Finale (and, if it comes to that, in the Mid-Season Finale) when fighting against the Rival. 3: Once the Menace is gone, so are the powers. No exceptions!

MUMMIES “Let me rise, let me be brought among the glorified. Open the nether world. Lo, I am ascended! Let me come forth on this day and be worshiped. Allow me to live and my opponents to be brought forth in shackles [...] Let me stand on my feet, golden scepter in hand, and cut their flesh. Let me live.” Book of the Dead, Spell 65

In ancient Egypt, they had a macabre custom of preserving the body of the dead thanks to a complex ritual and some frankly stunning mummification techniques. According to Herodotus, there were three different ways to mummify a body, each reserved for a specific social class, but the most “perfect” went something like this: First, they removed the brain of the deceased through a nostril employing a long hook or stick. Then they cleaned everything nicely and made a neat incision on the side to remove the contents of the abdomen and clean it thoroughly with palm wine, herbs and spices. They didn’t throw away the organs, though, but thoroughly processed them and put them in four canopic jars, each with a lid shaped like the head of one of the four sons of Horus. Once all this had been done, the body was dried out for seventy days, washed again and wrapped with the bandages we all know well. Finally, it was placed in a sarcophagus with important funerary prayers painted all over the inside. People clearly noticed the painstaking care the Egyptians took in preserving the mortal spoils of their departed. On top of that, many of the funerary prayers and invocations seem to give an eerie amount of importance to the topic of a soul coming back to its body. The most widely accepted legend tells how mummies awaken whenever their tomb is disturbed and how, in order to regain their full power, they then need to rebuild their old body by gathering all the organs that were taken from them.

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I’m not saying this just to scare you, but be aware that these mummies have the tendency to claim the organs of the people who opened the sarcophagus as their own. And they rarely stop at that! They aren’t even satisfied after taking their revenge, and go on to claim Egypt and the World: after all, they’ve come this far back from the dead. Among the most common Powers, Mummies tend to have the control of undead servants, insects, water, skies and the desert itself. Powers of biblical proportions! And one last thing, in case you were planning to just cross Egypt off your itinerary, I regret to inform you that it was far from the only place to use this type of burial procedure. It is quite common throughout Africa and you’d be surprised to know how many people around the World used it.

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NAGA “Pass me the torch... Snakes. Why did it have to be snakes?” The Man in the Hat

Hindu and Buddhist traditions tell of a whole race of mythological half-godly creatures who are half human and half snake. For this reason they are called Naga - a name that really lacks in creativity, since Naga is the Sanskrit word for snake, but that still gives you an idea of what these ancient these creatures were like. Despite the fact that they are snakes from the waist down, Nagas are usually considered beautiful and strong, and according to tradition, they can change their appearance to look either fully human or fully snake. Now this might surprise you, but these giant burly snakes aren’t necessarily evil: on the contrary, they tend to be benevolent to both humans and gods. Their women - also known as Naginis - have many virtues, including above all a celestial beauty, and many Indian dynasties claim to descend from them. If you ever meet someone that proudly declares to be the great-great grandchild of a snake, rest assured that they are claiming to be high class. The problem with Nagas is that they are territorial, clearly venomous and, as we already discussed, possess superhuman strength. Additionally, these creatures have a deep bond with water, with some even being able to control it. If I were you, I’d think twice before going for a dive with a Naga. Just my opinion, but it really doesn’t seem wise. You might, however, have to deal with Nagas, since they have been exiled to a subterranean kingdom called Naga-Loka. Aside from being extremely damp and dark, they say that place is also teeming with all sorts of riches, gems and decorative ornaments.

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The bad news here is that Nagas are legendarily jealous of their Treasures, and they are not known for their tolerance towards people trying to rob them. But the greatest treasures of Nagas are not the precious tat you can find littered throughout Naga-Loka, but those held by Nagaraja himself, the legendary king of all Nagas and Naginis. In his hoard, some say there is a magical jewel that could be what others call the Flaming Pearl capable of granting any wish, or even the Chintamani stone. I can’t tell you who is right there, but rest assured that if you go against the Nagaraja and his endless army you’ll probably need to ally yourself with the Garuda - a legendary race of demi-god bird-people who are sworn enemies of the snakes.

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SPECTERS “The stars were shining, and the leaves rustled in the woods ever so mournful; and I heard an owl, away off, who-whooing about somebody that was dead, and a whippowill and a dog crying about somebody that was going to die; and the wind was trying to whisper something to me, and I couldn’t make out what it was, and so it made the cold shivers run over me. Then away out in the woods I heard that kind of a sound that a ghost makes when it wants to tell about something that’s on its mind and can’t make itself understood, and so can’t rest easy in its grave, and has to go about that way every night grieving.” Mark Twain, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

There are ghost stories that go back to ancient Egypt or to the Maya traditions. So long as people have lived, they have told legends of those that are no longer alive, but cannot leave the Earth either because unwilling or unable to pass over. Specters are simply lost souls, usually stranded on this side of the veil because of some unfinished business keeping them on Earth. They are only partially alive and have no body to call their own, but they can still materialize, interact with the living world and be a bloody nuisance. Some specters have memories of their life and they try to communicate with the living, but most of them are simply stuck in a single — usually negative — emotion, and they lack a real form of conscience. Either way, they usually struggle to be understood, since their partial departure changed them radically and some strange process in their incorporeal brain makes them feel like it’s a good idea to slam doors and windows and shout to empty corridors... although that certainly garners attention. Specters can move through walls, physical objects and people and they can use the environment around them to fight their enemies. On top of this, the most powerful Specters can take control of a human mind and sometimes even possess the bodies of the living to use as they wish.

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Clearly, specters don’t have a body of their own, so they can’t be harmed if you are not using a specific weapon or ritual. Sometimes it’s best to just run away and lose them. The good news is that these Supernatural creatures are usually tied to a specific place they haunt, and they rarely leave it. I’d be surprised to hear about a specter leaving their house to keep following and haunting you, and if that were to happen, you have nobody to blame but yourself, so you better get thinking about how to be rid of them. The weakest ghosts can usually be dispelled in some way, at least temporarily, but the only way to be permanently rid of a powerful specter is to find out what is their unfinished business and finish it. In some cases, specters could be acting against their own will because someone is holding them prisoner and keeping them from passing over, scared and confused like a trapped animal. If that’s the case, you should find whoever is responsible and teach them not to meddle with the occult.

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WARLOCKS “Great is the power of Satan, by reason of the great sins of men. Therefore also the Magitians of Satan do perform great things, and greater then any man would believe: although they do subsist in their own limits, nevertheless they are above all humane apprehension, as to the corporal and transitory things of this life; which many ancient Histories, and daily Examples do testifie.” Arbatel de Magia Veterum, Seventh Septenary. Aphor. 43

Warlocks, wizards, shamans, cultists... whatever their name, these are strange folk. I know, I know, everyone is strange to me, but I mean it this time. These guys have more than a few screws loose. I’m talking about people with actual magic powers, not just those that can get free from handcuffs or that can guess what card you’ve drawn from a deck. I mean the real magic powers, those that are often used with less than honorable intentions. Warlocks can be found anywhere in the World, but they are very rare. Each of them came into their powers in their own different way: some study ancient forbidden texts, others use a thousand-year old artifact, some are victim of a curse and others simply sell their soul to someone bigger and more powerful than them. Empirical evidence suggests that the price for magic powers always includes giving up your sanity, because I’ve never met a wielder of Supernatural Powers that’s happy to just use them to become disgustingly rich or make friends. Oh no, they always want something modest, like changing the World, conquering the World, destroying the World, and so on and so forth. So if you happen to meet one of these lousy wizards, your best course of action is to find out where their powers come from and take that away from them. Do not try to take those powers for yourself, am I clear? I see that look, I know you’re thinking about it. Forget about it! Nothing good ever comes from that sort of thing, and only people who are already a few steps down the road to crazy town would think otherwise.

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The most common powers these warlocks can have include: control of the elements, creature and object summoning, and obviously, mind control. On top of that, they are usually extremely long-lived and all-around refractory to death. The silver lining here is that usually these third-rate occultists can only rely on a limited number of tricks. Whenever they want to achieve something really big, they need to prepare long rituals that take a whole day, which gives you a chance to come along right in the middle of things, if you are so inclined. Usually, these rituals need to happen on a specific date, one that casually happens to be about one week away from your first encounter... Don’t ask me, young’un, that’s just how this usually goes and you should count yourself lucky, because otherwise they could just do whatever they wanted without anyone, not even a lackluster Adventurer like you, to get in their way.

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VAMPIRES “They see, it is said, men who have been dead for several months, come back to earth, talk, walk, infest villages, ill use both men and beasts, suck the blood of their near relations, make them ill, and finally cause their death; so that people can only save themselves from their dangerous visits and their hauntings by exhuming them, impaling them, cutting off their heads, tearing out the heart, or burning them. These revenants are called by the name of oupires or vampires.” Dom Augustine Calmet, Treatise on Vampires and Revenants

Vampires are undead creatures that have come back from the afterlife with great powers and the illusion of eternal life. They are best known for being night stalkers that, in exchange for their immortality, must live only on human blood and as such are to be considered extremely dangerous. There are many legends about vampires, so many that it’s hard to tell the exact way for a mortal to become this strange creature with an eternal bloodlust. What we can say for certain is that a vampire can create less powerful vampires, but there has to be some sort of devilish ritual or pact to acquire the curse. Vampires are incredibly strong and fast, but they’re also immune to most weapons and, depending on the culture, they are said to be able to fly, control the minds of humans and animals, and transform into either a swarm of bats or a hungry wolf. On top of that, vampires can subjugate people by drinking their blood, transforming them into puppets at various stages of consciousness and forcing them to obey orders as if they were trapped in a nightmare. In exchange for all these powers, they forfeit their ability to live under the Sun. According to some traditions, sunlight strips a vampire of their power or even turns them into ash. The now-free vampire could have been trapped either under water or deep underground, or they could have been held still by a weapon stuck through their body that prevented their

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regeneration and escape. Perhaps your vampire lived for centuries in anonymity, awaiting the right moment or the right motive to become a threat to the World. And once again, if you think these walking leeches are all contained in a forgotten region of Romania, you are mistaken. Many nations around the world have stories about vampires. In southern Africa they are called Sasabonsam, in Madagascar, Ramanga. People in the Philippines know them as Mandrurugo, in Japan they are Nukekubi and in China, Jiangshi... To cut it short: wear a turtleneck. According to some legends, vampires cannot cross running water or the threshold of a house they have not been invited into. The one thing everyone seems to agree on is that there are three ways to kill a vampire for good. You set fire to them, you stick an ashwood stake through their heart, or you cut off their head. Preferably all three, just to be on the safe side.

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YETI “Unquestionably, the figure in outline was exactly like a human being, walking upright and stopping occasionally to uproot or pull at some dwarf rhododendron bushes. It showed up dark against the snow and, as far as I could make out, wore no clothes. [...] During the descent, two hours later, I suggested to go and inspect the place in which the “man” or “beast” was observed. I examined the footprints which were clearly visible on the surface of the snow.” N.A. Tombazi, Account of a Photographic Expedition to the Southern Glaciers of Kangchenjunga in the Sikkim Himalaya

The Yeti is a monstrous creature from Himalayan folklore that has become famous world over when western explorers that attempted to climb Everest brought back news of the so-called “Abominable Snowman”. The most interesting peculiarity of the Yeti is how little we know about them. Because we really know nothing about them. According to some they are huge, others say they are a little taller than a human. According to some they are dark and brown, others say they are as white as snow. According to some they are related to bears, to the point that some traditions call them bear-men; and others say they have opposing thumbs and naked faces, like those of the great primates. There is little more than speculation about their powers, but according to some explorers, they are creatures of great strength, capable of huge leaps and expertly climbing of the World’s highest and most treacherous mountains. What raises most questions is how a creature of such size and strange aspect can live secretly without ever being caught on film.

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True, they live in one of the least frequented, most unreachable places in the World, so they are rightfully shy and mostly unknown. However, the legends of the hidden temple guarding the entry to Shambala and the mythical guardians that nobody knows, who live to defend it are enough for more than one brainiac to come to the obvious conclusion. I can’t tell you if there is any truth to the story, but if there is, that means Yetis come straight from Shambala. This could explain why no similar creature has been found in Tibet. If you ask me, if you ever come face to face with one of these hairy giants, you better run and forget about being a hero. If, however, you really want to fight them, I am afraid bullets are very unlikely to work on the biggest of them, if any. To find a way to fight them without being turned in a pulp, I suggest you start searching through the Himalayan mountains.

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Section 4 The Awakening

On-Demand Season

Young’un, it’s been a pleasure, but we’ve chewed the rag long enough. If you’ve learned something, all the better! If something I said didn’t manage to make its way through that thick skull of yours, Adventure and the world out there will teach you better. From now on, you’ll have no more lessons or friendly suggestions. This is an On-Demand Season made up of six Episodes that will put you to the test. From now on, it’s the real deal! Ah, I almost forgot: on the next page, you can find four ready-to-roll Adventurers that might look very familiar. You will notice that they have a Birthplace and a Homeland as usual, but no Workplace. Whenever you face a Season with the help of ready-to-roll Adventurers, it is best to fill in this information after deciding where the Adventure will be set, otherwise you might end up without a friend who speaks the language. Anyway, if you’re not the Fortune Master, you better stop there — and don’t you dare read ahead! You’d run the risk of spoiling the whole Season.

The A wakening

Young’un, what did I just tell you? Unless you’re the Fortune Master, you’d better stop right here, because I’m about to lay down the whole Season. The Awakening is the story of a group of Adventurers in search of a Treasure. So far, nothing new. One of them got a hold of a mysterious Key and went to an old friend who could help them decode it. Once the group is assembled and the expedition ready, the Adventurers immediately meet their Rival, a rich, ruthless toff who wants to steal their precious Key. After several hard knocks, the Adventurers finally reach the ruins of a temple where their Rival is performing an evil ritual that awakens the Supernatural Menace. A creature straight from legend appears and immediately proceeds to dispatch the Rival from life, rallying an army to carry out their devilish plan.

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The Adventurers now have to find the Treasure and stop the Supernatural Menace, racing against the clock to save the World.

Your Season An On-Demand Season can be completely tailored to your liking through the usual array of customization options: Era, Treasure, Rival and so on. If you choose to plan “The Awakening” on your own, you’ll simply need to establish a couple of details to determine the context to the Season. If you prefer, you can always choose everything together with the other Players, as you’d do for a Pilot. Remember that the plot to “The Awakening” requires a Supernatural Menace, and therefore a Legend to be told to the Adventurers. The Legend should explain the origins of the Supernatural Menace, its promise for power or glory that led your Rival to awaken it, as well as a vague preview of its goals and how they’d lead to the end of the World. Once you’re all set and you’ve established the basic context for your On-Demand Season, you’ll just need a title. It should sound nice and memorable, like “The Serpent Throne”, but not quite that. That one’s already taken. Then, it’s straight to the Episodes you go. Every Episode begins with a brief list of what you need to establish to have it fit within your Season. Easier done than said.

On-Demand Episodes Let’s be clear: you can string together the six Episodes you find further along and get a magnificent Season, but they can still be full-fledged On-Demand Episodes. If you haven’t caught my drift yet, young’un, I’m trying to say that you can take any of these Episodes and play it on its own, no need to worry about building a whole Season out of it. Alternatively, you can use these Episodes to enrich your own Season, or whenever you didn’t have the time to prepare anything for the night and you need something easy and reliable to tailor to your needs. Now, that’s is really all I had to say: go face the Adventure as you prefer. Remember, these Episodes aren’t set parameters to follow, just tools you can use to build a great story together with your friends. Now roll up your sleeves: the Adventure is now! T h e A wa ken i n g

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Brendan O’Donnell

Gaspare “Gus” Montabate

Gunslinger Action Hero

Old Wingman Official

“Trust me, I know what I’m doing”

“I see no reason not to”

If all you need to set off on your Adventure is a couple of pistols and a smug weasel face, Brendan is here for you! Buckle your holster and jump into the fray.

If you think a kind word and a rifle will take you further than kind words alone, Gus is the one you’re looking for. Take a nip and stay ready.

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Victoria Vancroft

Clément Lestone

Lady Professor

Rebel Smuggler

“I can take care of myself”

“Everything has its price”

If you never, not even in the middle of a jungle, forgo your manners, and you believe in the power of knowledge, Victoria is in your corner. Be ready to ruin that dress and discover great things.

If you think the Adventure is a job like any other and feel like you’re always one step ahead of everybody else, pick Lestone. Get the engine going and let them eat the dust.

T h e A wa ken i n g

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Brendan O’Donnell

I am

Gunslinger Action Hero

Call me if you need a Places I call Home



Ireland

U.S.A.

Heritage Homeland Workplace

Trust me, I know what I’m doing Words to live by

ACTION LEADERSHIP

co

Golden Age

k

LUCK

in

Lu c

FIGHT

1

STUNT

GUTS COOL

I FEEL

DRIVE SHOOT

KNOWLEDGE CULTURE FIRST AID TECH

SOCIETY CHARM ELOQUENCE

POWERFUL

+

ACTION

BLEEDING

¯

DARING FOCUSED

+

GUTS

SHOCKED

¯

+

KNOWLEDGE

DIZZY

¯

CONFIDENT

+

SOCIETY

FIERCE

+

WILD

BROKEN

¯

UNTOUCHABLE

+

CRIME

SCARED

¯



+



¯



+



¯

HEROISM REVOLVER BRAWL

EMBARRASSED ¯

EXPERTISE

OBSERVATION

WILD SCOUT SURVIVAL TOUGH

CRIME

WEAPONS & GEAR REVOLVER

Allows you to shoot

REVOLVER

Allows you to shoot

SHOULDER HOLSTERS Carry 2 revolvers and 2 extra mags

ALERT DEXTERITY STEALTH

Pockets

Backpack

Knife

Revolver

SCARS AND EXPERIENCES

Bag

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Pockets

4

Mags

/2

Bag Backpack

/2

/9

Gaspare “Gus” Montabate

I am

Old Wingman Official

Call me if you need a Places I call Home

Italy

U.S.A.

Heritage Homeland Workplace

I see no reason not to



Words to live by

ACTION FIGHT

co

Golden Age

Lu c

k

LUCK

LEADERSHIP

in

1

STUNT

GUTS COOL

I FEEL

DRIVE SHOOT

KNOWLEDGE CULTURE FIRST AID TECH

SOCIETY CHARM ELOQUENCE

POWERFUL

+

ACTION

BLEEDING

¯

DARING FOCUSED

+

GUTS

SHOCKED

¯

+

KNOWLEDGE

DIZZY

¯

CONFIDENT

+

SOCIETY

FIERCE

+

WILD

BROKEN

¯

UNTOUCHABLE

+

CRIME

SCARED

¯



+

Old

¯



+



¯

EMBARRASSED ¯

COMMAND SUPPORT RIFLES MILITARY

EXPERTISE

OBSERVATION

WEAPONS & GEAR

WILD

RIFLE

SCOUT SURVIVAL

Allows you to shoot with an Advantage

TOUGH

CRIME ALERT DEXTERITY STEALTH

Pockets

Backpack

Pipe

I fought in the War (E)

Flask

SCARS AND EXPERIENCES

T h e A wa ken i n g

Rifle

Bag

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Pockets

2

Mags

/2

Bag Backpack

/2

/9

Victoria Vancroft

I am

Lady Professor

Call me if you need a Places I call Home



England

England

Heritage Homeland Workplace

I can take care of myself Words to live by

ACTION LEADERSHIP

co

Golden Age

k

LUCK

in

Lu c

FIGHT

1

STUNT

GUTS COOL

I FEEL

DRIVE SHOOT

KNOWLEDGE CULTURE FIRST AID TECH

SOCIETY CHARM ELOQUENCE

POWERFUL

+

ACTION

BLEEDING

¯

DARING FOCUSED

+

GUTS

SHOCKED

¯

+

KNOWLEDGE

DIZZY

¯

CONFIDENT

+

SOCIETY

FIERCE

+

WILD

BROKEN

¯

UNTOUCHABLE

+

CRIME

SCARED

¯



+



¯



+



¯

ETIQUETTE ARCHAEOLOGY SWIMMING

EMBARRASSED ¯

EXPERTISE

OBSERVATION

WILD SCOUT SURVIVAL

WEAPONS & GEAR ELEGANT CLOTHES Advantage to Charm

TOUGH

CRIME ALERT DEXTERITY STEALTH

Pockets

Backpack

Compass Archaeology tools

Binoculars

SCARS AND EXPERIENCES

Bag

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Pockets

Mags

/2

Bag Backpack

/2

/9

Clément Lestone

I am

Rebel Smuggler

Call me if you need a Places I call Home



Algeria

Algeria

Heritage Homeland Workplace

Everything has its price Words to live by

ACTION FIGHT

co

Golden Age

Lu c

k

LUCK

LEADERSHIP

in

1

STUNT

GUTS COOL

I FEEL

DRIVE SHOOT

KNOWLEDGE CULTURE FIRST AID TECH

SOCIETY CHARM ELOQUENCE

POWERFUL

+

ACTION

BLEEDING

¯

DARING FOCUSED

+

GUTS

SHOCKED

¯

+

KNOWLEDGE

DIZZY

¯

CONFIDENT

+

SOCIETY

FIERCE

+

WILD

UNTOUCHABLE

+

CRIME



+



+

CONTRABAND SABOTAGE LIES

EMBARRASSED ¯ BROKEN

¯

SCARED

EXPERTISE

OBSERVATION

WEAPONS & GEAR

WILD SCOUT SURVIVAL TOUGH

PISTOL

Allows you to shoot

HAT

Protects from the sun

CRIME ALERT DEXTERITY STEALTH

Pockets

Backpack

Knife Lock-picks

Pistol

SCARS AND EXPERIENCES

T h e A wa ken i n g

Bag

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2

Mags

/2

Bag Backpack

/2

/9

The Serpent Throne Context

to the

S eason “The A wakening”

Era : Golden Age Location : India Treasure : The Chintamani stone Rival : Samar Nagarani Supernatural Menace : Astika, the Nagini

Since I do have a sweet spot for you after all, let me do you a favor. The Serpent Throne is a context designed for “The Awakening” and has everything you need to live a great adventure without a single worry. Over the next few pages, you’ll find all the information you need to set up a season in a jiffy. There’s a Treasure, a Rival, a Supernatural Menace and even a correlated Legend ready to be read. As soon as you’ve gone through them all, you can turn your attention to the Episodes in the next Section. For each Episode, I included the context to the Serpent Throne, as well as everything you need to play the Episode within this season. Look for the pages with purple titles. I took care of everything, but don’t thank me yet. Adventurers are an extremely unpredictable sort, so as a Fortune Master you’ll need to be prepared. You might need to edit or expand an Episode or even add new ones in between to create your own personalized storyline. That is fine and expected, I won’t take offense to you adding notes on the episodes I provided, but you have to promise me one thing: no matter what happens, the Adventure must go on! I’m trusting you.

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Plot summary In ancient times there lived a king. He was old and ill and had no heirs, just a love-daughter named Astika, who was beautiful and wise. But the king didn’t want his successor to be a woman, and so he decided to wed her to the Emperor Kuru. Devastated, Astika went to her mother Manasa, who was a witch and descendant of the Naga, the snake-people of legends. Manasa helped her daughter flee and took her to the Temple of the Red Serpent. There, Astika sealed a pact with the god Takshaka, who offered her the Chintamani stone. Thanks to the stone’s powers, Astika could bring back the legendary city of Naga-loka and become queen of an endless army of Naga. But her ritual was interrupted by Emperor Kuru’s soldier, who killed Manasa and her followers and sealed Astika within the temple. Legend has it that Takshaka is still waiting for the ritual to be carried out, and he shall grant his great powers to whoever will take Astika’s crown. Centuries later, the Adventurers happen upon the Naga Shell, an ancient medallion thought to be the key to the Temple of the Red Serpent. In a secret room within the temple, the Adventurers hope to find the legendary Chintamani stone, a jewel of unmeasurable economic and historical value. At the same time, the ruthless Samar Nagarani, a wealthy arms dealer from India, is also tracking the temple. Nagarani believes that his daughter, Aloki, is the last pure descendant of the Naga bloodline. He hopes that once the crown of Astika has been placed upon Aloki’s brow, she will obtain great mystical powers and restore everlasting honor to their family. When the Adventurers reach the temple, they witness something terrible: as soon as the crown is placed on the girl’s head, the statue of Astika comes to life and her spirit takes possession of Aloki’s body. She kills Samar and claims control of his army. Now, Astika is a true Nagini, half woman and half snake, and the only way to stop her is to use the Chintamani stone set at the center of her crown. But all is not lost, as there is a second Chintamani stone with the power to summon Garuda and defeat the Nagini before she can lead Takshaka’s forces to march on Earth.

T h e A wa ken i n g

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The Rival Samar Nagarani and his army braved a long journey to reach the Temple of the Red Serpent where, according to the Legend, they hope to find Astika’s crown and the Chintamani stone mounted in it. Nagarani travels with his beautiful young daughter, Aloki, who, according to him, is the last pure descendant of the ancient Naga bloodline, the one destined to wear the crown and be bestowed by Takshaka with great powers. Samar can rely on near-unlimited funds, as well as the cooperation of local law enforcement and a large group of English and Indian soldiers. The leader of the elegantly black-shirted troops is Victor Campbell, a smooth-talking and extremely competent official, whose code of conduct sees the client and their mission as the top priority.

S amar N agarani,

the R ival The reputation of Samar Nagarani was completely ruined when he decided to sell his weapons to the British empire, but the choice that truly disgraced his family name forever was to marry a woman from the lowest caste. In truth, Samar was deeply in love with his wife, Padma, and he believed they were both the last descendants of the divine Naga bloodline.

So, when Padma died while giving birth to Aloki and the great families refused to attend her funeral, Samar made a promise to himself: he would force them all to see how wrong they were. Today, Samar Nagarani is a silent, uncompromising man who, despite his impeccable manners, feels no respect for anybody and believes he’s above everyone else.

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A loki N agarani,

the R ival’s daughter The young daughter of Samar Nagarani is an extremely beautiful girl very few people have laid their eyes upon, since his father keeps her constantly hidden and only lets her out in public by his side, covered in translucent veils. Aloki is extremely shy and introverted, and even if she weren’t, her father forbids everyone from speaking to her, so she’s never had a chance to hold a conversation. On rare occasions, she shows sensitivity and intelligence, and her eyes show the sad kindness of a daughter burdened with guilt for her mother’s death. She holds a deep respect and affection for her father, who accepted her and protected her despite everything. Aloki has no desire to wield the power of the Chintamani, but neither is she afraid of it. Her father Samar has been preparing her from the day she was born: this is just her destiny.

Victor Campbell,

the Crony Former lieutenant of the British Army Victor Campbell served in India for many years and, after taking his leave, he decided to take residence in a small estate near Bombay. As a first-rate fighter and expert soldier, he found employment as chief of security for several foreign dignitaries before being taken on by mister Nagarani for a staggering sum of money. Campbell is charismatic and amiable: outside of combat, he tries to avoid conflict whenever possible. However, he is fiercely loyal to his employer and won’t tolerate any attempt to compromise his mission. He might not be in agreement with every choice made by Nagarani, but Campbell has never spoken against his client and does his best to help him, even trying to polish his rough public image.

T h e A wa ken i n g

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The Chintamani stone The Treasure

According to both Buddhist and Hindu tradition, this gem can grant infinite powers to anyone who holds it, to the point of making all their wishes come true. This has led some to deem it “the philosopher’s stone of the East” and many suppose its legend is related to that of the flaming pearl from China, or even to the twin pearls of the dragon kings Manju and Kanju. Over the course of history, the Chintamani stone has taken many forms and claimed many masters, but according to the legends, its final resting place is on the crown of the Nagaraja, the king of Nagas. In ancient times, the Red Serpent Takshaka, the last Nagaraja, led an infinite army of snake-people and ruled over the city of Naga-loka. With the power of the Chintamani stone on their side, this kingdom was a threat to all of humanity. Only thanks to Garuda’s help could humans defeat Takshaka, and Naga-loka, together with its inhabitants, crumbled deep into the depths of Patala, the Hindu netherworld. But some of Takshaka’s servants managed to take the crown with the Chintamani stone, hiding it in the Temple of the Red Serpent, a secret place hidden at the heart of Bengala.

The two stones What the Adventurers will discover as the Season progresses, is that there are really two Chintamani stones, two pieces of an omnipotent gem. One of these has control over the water and seas and has been mounted in Takshaka’s crown. For these reasons, it is called the Nagamani. The other has control over the skies and winds and was entrusted by Garuda to a wise sage, so that he could use it to call on the bird-god should the Naga return to threaten the Earth. Finding the second Chintamani stone is the only way to prevent Astika from awakening the armies of Naga-loka.

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Chosen O ne

and M edium This Season doesn’t necessarily call for a Chosen One and a Medium, but if you wish to bestow these tags, here’s a suggestion on how to do it. The Chosen One is an Adventurer with the spiritual strength to use the full power of Gandhiva, Arjuna’s bow, which you can find in Episode 4. To be the Chosen One, an Adventurer should have some divine ancestry or be a member of the chosen people of the god Garuda. The Medium is an Adventurer from the Naga bloodline, someone Astika could use to bring either her mother Manasa or Takshaka the Nagaraja back to life during Episode 6.

The N aga S hell

The Naga Shell is the key Emperor Kuru used to seal the Temple of the Red Serpent for eternity on the day of Sarpa Satra. It has the shape of a metal disk as large as a human palm, with seven golden snakes set as rays slithering away from the center. These symbolize the seven tribes of the Naga people. The Naga Shell can be used both to gain access the Temple of the Red Serpent and to open the doors to the treasure room where the Adventurers will find both Astika’s statue and the Chintamani stone.

T h e A wa ken i n g

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Astika’s Legend In the time of Vedas, a beautiful baby girl was born to king Jaratkaru and a common woman, Manasa. Young Astika was brought up in the palace, far away from her mother, where she learned from the wisest of the elders, who treated her as a blessing from the heavens. As the years went by, the princess became the most beautiful and wise girl in all the kingdom, but her father and all the people still saw her as the child of an impure union. When the king was laid on his deathbed, his wife still hadn’t given him an heir, and thus, the king was forced to summon Astika in front of all the elders. The princess was heartbroken to see her father’s condition, but she had spent her whole life preparing for that day, and she was ready to inherit the kingdom. She knelt at his bedside, ready to receive his blessing, but Jaratkaru had chosen a different destiny for his daughter. He appointed his first general as his heir and announced that his daughter would be married to Emperor Kuru, who was already traveling to meet her. Astika locked herself in her chambers and began weeping bitterly. Her handmaiden, upon seeing such sadness, left the palace and went in search of the princess’s mother. Manasa was a powerful witch, a descendant of the Naga bloodline, and in her veins ran the blood of the legendary snake-people. She wouldn’t stand by and watch her daughter married off and robbed of her birthright. That night, a multitude of snakes appeared from the palace walls and killed both Jaratkaru and the elders while Manasa’s followers fought against the guards, allowing Astika to flee to the jungle, where she found the dark Temple of the Red Serpent. Guided by Manasa, Astika discovered her true origins, and she was led to the center of the temple, and there she saw a marvelous crown, sculpted by the river, worthy of the greatest king on Earth. And on the crown was mounted the Chintamani stone that once belonged to the Red Serpent Takshaka, last Nagaraja,

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banished by the god Garuda with his invincible army to the nether depths of Patala. More than everything, Astika wanted the throne she had been unfairly denied, she wanted vengeance against those who took it from her, but her mother reassured her: with the Naga crown’s power, she would be able to conquer much more than a kingdom, she could rule over the whole empire and force all those who denigrated her to their knees. At dawn, Emperor Kuru reached the palace and found Jaratkaru poisoned by a snake bite. A devout servant of Garuda, he was quick to recognize the Naga magic, so he set his whole army in motion to find the princess. At the end of an evil ritual, Astika was about to be crowned queen of all Nagas and the rivers were overflowing, for all the waters could feel the call of her great power. It was then, that an arrow, set loose from Kuru’s bow, killed Manasa, and his soldiers swarmed the temple, killing all the witch’s followers. Astika gathered her mother’s notes, trying to finish the ritual herself, but before she could speak the words, Kuru evoked the Sarpa Satra, a powerful curse, on one of his arrows. And when the arrow reached Astika’s heart, the princess was turned into a stone statue, and the ritual left incomplete. The emperor’s soldiers sealed and hid the Temple of the Red Serpent, so that nobody could ever enter. Only a pure descendant of the Naga bloodline wearing Astika’s crown shall be able to claim the power to command waters and rivers and bring Naga-loka back from the depths of Patala. And on that inauspicious day, the serpent people shall have a new queen.

T h e A wa ken i n g

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The Nagini When the crown is placed over Aloki’s head, the statue of the Nagini shatters and from it rises the spirit of Astika, ready to take control over the girl’s body. With a new body and the power of the Chintamani stone on her side, the Nagini can finally complete the long ritual that will bring back to Earth the city of Naga-loka and lead the Naga army to conquer the World. The Nagini only speaks ancient Sanskrit, but her servants can always understand her orders. In her original shape, she is a beautiful woman from the waist up, with a long cobra tail extending below. She shows empathy for nobody, perhaps only for the Medium, and her only wish is to conquer the kingdom she was denied in her previous life and to exact vengeance on the servants of Garuda who imprisoned her.

The N agini’s Powers

The Nagini is gifted with superhuman strength and agility, and anyone facing her in hand-to-hand combat suffers a Disadvantage. Like all powerful Nagas, she has the ability to shapeshift, taking either the form of her mortal vessel or that of a giant cobra. The Nagini is extremely venomous in all her shapes: her kiss or bite will inflict the Bad Feeling “Poisoned” on the victim. The only antidote to this Feeling is an herbal infusion that can be prepared by Garuda’s guardian in Episode 4. The mere gaze of the Nagini can enslave men and impose her will on them. Using this power, she may gain control over all male Extras. Adventurers are made of stronger stuff, but male Adventurers are still somewhat affected by this mental power, as seen in the chapter “Supernatural Rivals” in Section 3. If that weren’t enough, the Chintamani stone grants the Nagini the power to control water and cause the Hooghly River to flood, wiping away her enemies.

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If you choose to face the Season in Hardmode, all Enemies under Aloki’s mental control can inflict the Poisoned Feeling during a Brawl.

D oomsday Clock

If at the beginning of Episode 3 the Doomsday Clock is at 6, Nagarani has had time to send his vanguard to the doors of the Temple of the Red Serpent. If at the beginning of Episode 6 the Doomsday Clock is at 12, the Nagini has already come into her full powers and nobody can stop her from abducting the Medium, Extra or one of the Adventurers. At the final reckoning, the Adventurers will have to face two Supernatural Rivals: the Nagini and whoever she has awoken.

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Section 5 Episodes

Episode 1

A Tumultuous Journey

In Episode 1: “A Tumultuous Journey”, the Adventurers get a hold of a Key that will lead them to their coveted Treasure. To understand the mystery the Key hides, they go to an old friend by embarking on a journey aboard a great vehicle. There, they first get acquainted with their Rival, and need to face mysterious assailants trying to steal the Key. In order to play this Episode, you’ll need to know: Era: When the story happens. Old Friend: An expert on the Treasure that at least one of the Adventurers has met before. This could be the professor under which one of them studied, an old family friend, an archaeologist they met on the job, or a retired explorer. Key: An item the Adventurers need to reach or find the Treasure, or the key to opening the place where it is hidden. Treasure: The be-all and end-all of the Adventure. All the Adventurers are seeking it and, although they won’t find it in this Episode, it’s best to know what they’re looking for. Wild Place: The heart of the Amazonian forest, the snowy peaks of Nepal, the Sahara Desert. Any hard to reach and explore location filled with dangers is good enough! Large Vehicle: A ship, train, airship or any other large vehicle that could transport a substantial number of passengers with common areas and luxurious comforts. Rival: A shady individual that wants to find the Treasure for the worst possible reason. They have the means and the will to put up roadblocks on the Adventurers’ path. Crony: The Rival’s second in command. Assailants: A group of armed people that will stop at nothing to get a hold of the Key, either to get the Treasure themselves or to stop the Adventurers from getting it.

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Time

and W ealth During this Episode, the Adventurers might lose Wealth Points or Hours on the Doomsday Clock. If you are playing this Episode as part of a Season, you can use the Travel Diary to keep track of these assets. If, on the other hand, you are playing it as a stand-alone Episode, you can ignore Time as a resource. As far as Wealth is concerned, know that the Adventurers can only spend a Wealth Point once, so if they choose to bribe the conductors or the police, they won’t have enough money to also buy weapons or info from the bartender.

Playing E pisode 1 as part of a S eason

If you choose to play Episode 1 as part of a Season, you can easily adapt it to your needs by changing the context or defining things on the fly as if it were a Pilot. Either way, before you begin to play, you’ll need to prepare or improvise a Legend, as you already know. Remember that the Adventurers could be meeting for the first time in this Episode, so you should allow some space in Scene 1 for them to get acquainted and define their initial relationships.

EPISODE 1

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PREQUEL In this Episode, the Adventurers are already in possession of a Key that will lead them to the Treasure. You could choose to play with all or some of them, in order to find out how they got hold of it. Before you dive into a Season, a Prequel could be the perfect way to get to know the rules, making things smoother for the Players.

Episode 1

The Serpent Throne

Context

to

“A Tumultuous J ourney”

Old Friend: Prof. Upandra Chopra Key: The Naga Shell Wild Place: The Bengal jungle Large Vehicle: A steamboat on the Hooghly River Assailants: Nagarani’s goons

If you’ve decided to play through the On-Demand Season “The Serpent Throne”, the first thing you need to do as a Fortune Master is stand up and read Astika’s Legend to your adventurers. You could also share it a few days before Episode 1 if you feel like it. The Adventure begins in Prof. Upandra Chopra’s study in Calcutta, as his maid pours you all some delicious tea. Chopra is beside himself with excitement and can hardly wait to analyze the Naga Shell and prove all his theories correct. Amid his notes, you see one of the symbols from the Shell, the insignia of an ancient tribe that once lived along the Hooghly river. That’s no surprise either: the Hooghly is a dangerous river that regularly causes floods, to the point that it is known in India as “Bengala’s Despair”. Legend has it that the Nagas have power over water, so the Professor feels that the correlation is self-evident. Hoping to finally have found a lead to the Chintamani stone, Chopra gives the Adventurers tickets to a steamboat to Pakur. From there, they will easily be able to reach the jungle. The steamboat is surrounded by less wealthy passengers who just found out they won’t be able to travel, since Samar Nagarani has bought over half of the tickets for himself and his goons. Chatting with the barman or captain, you can get the same Clue: Nagarani is accompanied by his daughter, Aloki, who is kept locked in her room. Anybody who doesn’t want to end up in hot water — or river water — should

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avoid saying a word to her. The captain also has a second Clue regarding how natives attacked him with spears from the east bank of the river. If the Adventurers get this piece of information, they will know where to go when they leave the boat: otherwise, they’ll have to lose an Hour. At dinner, Aloki sits with Nagarani and Campbell, her face covered by a veil. There’s an empty chair on either side of the girl and she is not allowed to eat. If an Adventurer attempts to speak to her, Nagarani will stand up, annoyed, and lead her away. Campbell is the only one to keep up the small talk during dinner: he is charming and tries to fill in the silence of his standoffish employer. All the Adventurers can find out is that Nagarani and Aloki are also traveling to the heart of Bengala, where the girl is expected for an “important ceremony” regarding “inheritance business”. That night, Nagarani’s men attack the Adventurers and the final assailant between them and safety is Campbell, who clearly would rather have avoided the fight.

Prof. U pandra Chopra

action guts knowledge society wild crime

Professor Chopra is a portly man of almost sixty who has dedicated his life to studying the history and culture of his people. As a young man, he was even a capable explorer, and later was nominated for a chair in Calcutta University. After going public with his theories on the Chintamani stone and wasting his generous funding in a fruitless search for the Temple of the Red Serpent, Chopra was forced out due to his lost credibility and is now living in early retirement. When Adventure comes a-knocking, he is hesitant and worries about being too old for this. But if the Adventurers try to convince him to follow them, he does so with almost too much enthusiasm. He sometimes can’t keep his mouth shut and hardly notices the dangers around him. If the Adventurers try to point this out, he eagerly interrupts them to explain what a joy it is for him to finally be useful again after so many years. It’s impossible to stay angry at him for long. EPISODE 1

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SCENE 1 – STUDY – INT/DAY Outside the window, the sun shines down on a lively city. Someone very politely offers the Adventurers something to drink as soon as they arrive. The OLD FRIEND is absolutely speechless. Their eyes shine and a childish smile lights up their face as they examine the KEY one of the Adventurers brought. OLD FRIEND May I touch it? I can hardly believe it... Look at this handiwork! This is a big deal, huge I tell you! After handing back the KEY, the OLD FRIEND can’t sit still for the excitement and they start pacing around. After a moment of solitary contemplation, they turn abruptly to introduce themselves to any unknown Adventurers. If the Adventurers did not reach the studio at the same time, this is the moment their paths meet and they have a chance to get acquainted. What the Adventurers do know is that the KEY brings them within inches of the TREASURE, something that could be the discovery of a lifetime. Nevertheless, the OLD FRIEND is already restating this fact, giving a rambling speech about the TREASURE and how long they spent looking for it. Despite almost falling over themselves with enthusiasm, the OLD FRIEND also proves very useful because, after comparing the KEY to their notes, they burst into cheers: OLD FRIEND I knew it! I knew it, it had to be! They take an old map and start scribbling over it, circling a region in the middle of the WILD PLACE. As they offer a toast to the greatest Adventure of all time, the OLD FRIEND reveals to the Adventurers that they will soon receive tickets for a LARGE VEHICLE leaving the next morning for a city near the WILD PLACE, all expenses covered by the OLD FRIEND. From there on, however, the Adventurers will be on their own, as the OLD FRIEND says they won’t be able to travel with them. This is clearly a painful decision for the OLD FRIEND, and any Adventurer can appeal to their deep friendship or their Adventuring spirit to persuade them to set their fears aside, take hope with both hands and join them in their travels. [Extra: “Professor”].

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SCENE 2 – STARTING POINT – INT/DAY Once they reach the starting point, even before the LARGE VEHICLE is visible, the Adventurers can hear a small crowd shouting in protest. Right in front of the LARGE VEHICLE, there’s a group of people arguing with the conductors who won’t let them board. These are not extremely wealthy or important people, so at a first glance they might appear to be begging for a seat, but a keen Observation [BASIC Challenge] will reveal that they all appear to already have a ticket in hand, not unlike the one the Adventurers have. Asking around, they can learn that a rich, eccentric toff has paid an exorbitant amount of money to reserve half the capacity of the LARGE VEHICLE, despite the fact that the tickets had already been sold. Nobody knows the name or intentions of this person, although the Adventurers will later learn it is their RIVAL. For now, the Adventurers can only go up to the inspectors and hope that their tickets haven’t been resold. To do this, however, they’ll need to get through the angry mob. The Adventurer that leads the way can attempt to get through the easy way, either with their Eloquence or Charm [CRITICAL Challenge], but if they fail, they risk losing the tickets. Another option is to try the hard way and open up a path with their Tough [CRITICAL Challenge]. If they fail, they end up stepping on the wrong person’s foot and setting off a huge brawl [CRITICAL Danger]. If an Adventurer manages to reach the inspectors, they will learn that their tickets are no longer valid, but a few coins [1 Wealth Point] might distract the inspectors long enough for them to get on board. They are clearly lying and if the Adventurers won’t stoop to blackmail, they can once again try to have their way the easy way or the hard way [CRITICAL Challenge]. If they fail, they will be forced to pay up, or even start a brawl, if that hasn’t happened already. If at any time the Adventurers happen to start a brawl, at the end of the fight, law enforcement arrives and takes everybody into custody. The only way to still get on board is to pay a hefty fine that looks a lot like a bribe [1 Wealth Point].

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SCENE 3 – LARGE VEHICLE – INT/DAY Once they get aboard the LARGE VEHICLE, the Adventurers have time to get to their rooms [Safe Place], where the attendants ask them to leave all their luggage and weapons. The cabins are quite small, with room for only two people at a time, so the Adventurers will probably need to split up. After a while, they’re all ready to meet in the main hall and if anyone wants to carry their gun with them, they’ll need to use a good amount of Stealth [CRITICAL Challenge] to keep a low profile. On the LARGE VEHICLE, there are only a few people rich enough that not even the RIVAL’s bribe could keep them out, and they all seem quite happy to be traveling with no crowd. No sign of the RIVAL and their goons. In the main hall, there’s a corner bar managed by a formally dressed man. The broken cries of a woman come from the next room, and from time to time the captain of the LARGE VEHICLE makes an appearance, clearly jolly and drunk. The Adventurers can move around this scene and talk to the other people there, but as time goes by, more and more of the RIVAL’s goons board the LARGE VEHICLE, talking and having fun like any other passenger. The barman is a lazy man with a shifty look. By talking to him, the Adventurers can obtain important information, if they are willing to pay [1 Wealth Point]: he knows both the name of the RIVAL and a small Clue. He’s most unlikely to cooperate free of charge [IMPOSSIBLE Challenge]. However, if an Adventurer is willing to extort information with violence, he’s more easily persuaded [CRITICAL Challenge], but he will become an additional enemy. The Barman also runs a small smuggling business, selling weapons from a hidden cache in a private room [1 Wealth Point]. Alternatively, a Stealthy Adventurer [CRITICAL Challenge] can follow him to the weapons’ hiding spot at the end of his shift and then find a way to pick the lock to the door or sneak in. If they go looking for the woman, they find her shouting at one of the RIVAL’s goons because they forced her husband to leave the LARGE VEHICLE and she’s now alone with no way of getting in touch with him. She is quite battle hardened and seems to have no intention of letting the RIVAL’s man off the hook.

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On his side, the man is laughing at her and takes advantage of her husband’s absence to make lewd proposals to the woman. The Adventurers can choose to ignore the situation, but they can’t rely on the captain’s help, since they are clearly staying away from the situation, pretending not to see. They wouldn’t want to get in trouble with the RIVAL. If the Adventurers help the woman, they will have to deal with the goon and his standoffish disposition. If they put him in his place [CRITICAL Challenge], the man will retreat with a vengeful look on his face and, if they fail, they will set off a brawl with him and his colleagues [2 CRITICAL Dangers]. Either way, the woman won’t appreciate the meddling, and the Adventurer who stepped in will be EMBARRASSED by her words. Latching on to the captain, who is aimlessly wandering around the LARGE VEHICLE drinking straight from a bottle, the Adventurers will find them completely drunk and quite happy about the lump sum the RIVAL paid them. He eagerly offers a round of drinks to everyone. The liquor they’re so carelessly drinking is very strong and any Adventurer who takes a sip without being Tough enough [BASIC Challenge for the first round, then CRITICAL] will end up feeling DIZZY. The captain will spend a lot of time talking in circles about politics and propaganda, but if an Adventurer stirs the conversation and accepts at least a round of drinks, they can get one Clue about the RIVAL and one about the TREASURE. The second piece of information will only be revealed after the Adventurers mention the KEY more or less directly and is as such quite risky. Only by using the right amount of Charm [CRITICAL Challenge] can they convince the captain to see sense and not tattle to the CRONY. Late in the afternoon, the Adventurers will have gathered all possible information and the LARGE VEHICLE will be completely full of the RIVAL’s goons as they left their rooms to walk around. One doesn’t need to be particularly attentive [BASIC Challenge] to see they’re all armed.

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In this moment the CRONY will approach the Adventurers as they are talking, perhaps even interrupting their conversation with the last Extra they met. If the Adventurers mistreated either the barman or the goon who was harassing the woman, if the captain tattled on them, or if anyone wearing a gun failed their Stealth task, the CRONY knows all about them – and knows that they are also heading to the WILD PLACE. They might even know about the KEY. If the Adventurers start a brawl with the goons, the CRONY will intervene on the spot, stopping them from going in search of other Clues. Finally, if the OLD FRIEND is taking part in the expedition, they will get drunk the first chance they get and blab to the barman, revealing everything about the KEY. The CRONY approaches the Adventurers calmly, immediately making clear everything they know about their group, including (if they know) that they are carrying the KEY. After introducing themselves as the RIVAL’s assistant, the CRONY will encourage the Adventurers to join the RIVAL for a luxurious dinner for all the passengers of renown on the LARGE VEHICLE. After meeting the CRONY, the Adventurers can go back to their rooms and get ready for dinner, carefully pondering if they want to take their weapons and the precious KEY. Anyway, they have ample time to get cleaned up and take a Break.

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SCENE 4 – LARGE VEHICLE – INT/NIGHT That evening, the Adventurers have to attend the dinner, but before being let in, they will all be carefully patted down and any weapons will be removed. The Adventurer who chose to take the KEY with them can only rely on their Dexterity [CRITICAL Challenge] to hide it at the last moment. If they fail, the KEY gets noticed by one of the goons, who doesn’t really seem to give it much weight and immediately gives it back. The dinner hall is completely deserted. There’s no sign of the other guests: the only table that’s been set has only enough seats for the Adventurers and a couple of other people. After they have been seated, the CRONY joins the Adventurers, welcoming them and announcing the RIVAL will be there any moment. And so they come, fashionably late. As the dinner progresses, the wait staff does their best to perfectly set the lavish courses, and the CRONY and RIVAL try to keep a uselessly tense conversation going. It’s not entirely clear what they know about the Adventurers, so they might even seem menacing as they try to glean information about their journey. Of course, when the Adventurers try to pose some questions of their own, they immediately become taciturn and always try to change the subject. Despite it all, dinner is a great chance for the Adventurers to gather precious intel about the RIVAL. As dinner is coming to an end, the CRONY and RIVAL have a proposal for the Adventurers, offering a mind-blowing amount of money for their help in an expedition they are about to undertake. They’re clearly not taking no for an answer. If the Adventurers refuse, the RIVAL will feign disappointment and ask them to sleep on it, assuring them that they will have another chance to change their answer the next morning. If the Adventurers accept, on the other hand, the RIVAL will have a toast with them and, if they know about it, they will ask for the KEY. The only alternative for the Adventurers is to convince the RIVAL they will give up the KEY once they reach their destination, holding it as insurance.

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SCENE 5 – LODGINGS – INT/NIGHT As they are sleeping in their rooms, the Adventurers receive an unexpected visit. The ASSAILANTS are about to take them by surprise, and to notice this before it’s too late requires someone to be very vigilant [CRITICAL Challenge]. Any Adventurers sharing a room with another Adventurer get an Advantage to the roll. The ASSAILANTS in each room put up a fierce fight [CRITICAL Enemy] and the Adventurers who didn’t succeed in the Alert task will need to defend themselves with a Tough task and a Disadvantage on top of it, feeling SHOCKED if they fail. The ASSAILANTS don’t want to kill the Adventurers, they’re just after the KEY. As such, the Adventurer defending the KEY will have their work cut out [+1 BASIC Danger]. After leaving their room, the Adventurers will be attacked by the ASSAILANTS, shooting at them along the narrow corridors to impede their escape. If an Adventurer wants to get into another room, they’ll have to either face them or dodge the bullets, and to escape the LARGE VEHICLE, they will first need to defeat all the ASSAILANTS. After the Adventurers reach the main hall, the LARGE VEHICLE is heavily damaged or goes off course. The whole structure starts shaking. From that moment, all Adventurers have a Disadvantage to physical tasks. When it seems like the situation can’t get any worse, and passengers are running in every direction, an ASSAILANT [2 CRITICAL Enemies] blocks the Adventurers’ path. This ASSAILANT will do everything they can to fight in hand-to-hand combat, where they can inflict the BROKEN Feeling. After defeating them, or as the others are still fighting, an Adventurer can try to reach the control room, or look for an alternative escape route. The control room is almost out of commission, and after fighting the ASSAILANT guarding it [BASIC Enemy], the Adventurer can only stabilize the LARGE VEHICLE.

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A more expert driver [EXTREME Challenge] can steer the vehicle enough to stop the vibrations and put an end to the constant Disadvantage. Anyway, the malfunction makes it impossible to stop the LARGE VEHICLE. Finding an escape is also not easy [CRITICAL Challenge], but with a success, the Adventurers can leave the LARGE VEHICLE with ease and brave the path through water, air or earth that will take them to safety [CRITICAL Danger]. If they fail, the path or means they find to get out are also compromised and it’s going to be hard to get to safety [EXTREME Danger].

SCENE 6 – WILD PLACE – EXT/DAY As the LARGE VEHICLE meets its sad and spectacular end, night embraces the Adventurers. Those who succeeded in the last task are safe and sound, all together. Those who failed will lose everything but the contents of their Pockets, including weapons and gear, and will be separated from the others, each faced with a last weary ASSAILANT [BASIC Enemy]. If most Adventurers failed the task, they’ll need some time to find each other, hence losing an Hour. With or without the KEY, the Adventurers need to hurry to escape the RIVAL and the ASSAILANTS giving pursuit. After reaching a Safe Place, they can stop for the night and lick their wounds. End of the Episode.

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Episode 2

Uncovered Truth

In Episode 2 “Uncovered Truth” the Adventurers set camp in the heart of a wild place where they are seeking the Treasure. During their expedition, they happen to meet the hunters of an ancient tribe and are forced to take on a pilgrimage for a chance to uncover a long-hidden truth. Bad luck has it, that their Rival is currently looking for the Key. In order to play this Episode, you’ll need to know: Era: When the story happens. Wild Place: The heart of the Amazonian forest, the snowy peaks of Nepal, the Sahara Desert. Any hard to reach and explore location filled with dangers is good enough! Key: An item the Adventurers need to reach or find the Treasure, or the key to opening the place where it is hidden. Treasure: The be-all and end-all of the Adventure. All the Adventurers are seeking it and, although they won’t find it in this Episode, it’s best to know what they’re looking for. Natural Obstacle: A rock wall, a tumultuous river, a stretch of quicksand or any other natural roadblock. Tribe: An indigenous people, a small isolated village, a group of people living out of touch from the world. Guide: A seasoned explorer who knows the wild place like the back of their hand and can guide the Adventurers on a safe path. Shrine: An ancient place of worship such as an altar, a stone circle, a small chapel or the statue of a god. Truth: An important revelation about the Treasure. For example, its true origin or shape, or any details on the curse that befalls it.

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Monster: A gigantic bear, a yeti, a group of unbelievably fierce people,

a swarm of huge spiders or any other natural or supernatural creature that appears scary and hostile. Rival: A shady individual that wants to find the Treasure for the worst possible reason. They have the means and the will to put up roadblocks on the Adventurers’ path.

Time

During this Episode, the Adventurers might lose Hours on the Doomsday Clock. If you are playing this Episode as part of a Season, you can use the Travel Diary to keep track of this asset. If, on the other hand, you are playing it as a stand-alone Episode, you can ignore Time as a resource. However, if the Adventurers lose time trying to bypass the natural obstacle without facing the Challenge, the tribe can find their tracks and all future rolls to avoid traps have a Disadvantage.

Playing Episode 2

as part of a Season If you are playing this Episode as part of a Season, you clearly need to play off what happened in Episode 1 and adapt the plot where necessary. For example, if the Adventurers no longer have the Key, you can ignore all mentions of it, or you can say that the tribe captured one of the Rival’s goons or got a hold of the Key in some other way. Bear in mind that if the Adventurers already used their Safe Place turns at the end of Episode 1, they won’t get any during this one. Additionally, if in the previous Episode nobody stood guard successfully, the Episode 2 will begin with the attack on camp. If at the end of this Episode the tribe chief dies, the Guide will feel forced to remain with their people to help them survive the blow. On the other hand, if the chief gets saved by the Adventurers acting as heroes, the Guide might be persuaded to follow them in the next Episode, or they might even choose to do so of their own volition. In the last scenario, the Guide regains all Luck Points at the end of the Episode.

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Episode 2

The Serpent Throne

Context

to

“U ncovered Truth”

Wild Place: The Bengal jungle Key: The Naga Shell Natural Obstacle: Rapids Tribe: Vasuki’s servants Guide: Indrani, the first hunter Shrine: Naga sanctuary Truth: Astika’s awakening Monster: Giant cobra

After the disaster on the steamboat, when the Adventurers set up camp in the Bengal jungle, they need to keep watch to avoid falling prey to a pair of hungry tigers. Once they set off again the next morning, they reach a dangerous stretch of rapids that, upstream, become an almost impenetrable waterfall. Beyond the rapids there’s the land of Vasuki’s servants, a native tribe that almost appears to be suspended in time. The hunters, armed with bows and spears, wear on their bodies several ornaments representing a cobra, the symbol of Nagas. The native village is made up of no more than fifty huts, and the villagers live peacefully. The tribal chief is Cidananda, an elderly thin man with long, strikingly white hair surrounding a bald head, who only speaks ancient Sanskrit. Once he is informed about the Key, Cidananda insists to examine it and, despite the protests from Indrani, the first hunter, he seems positively disposed toward the Adventurers. As they travel, the Adventurers find out that the tribe worships the serpent-god Vasuki, a benevolent Nagaraja who stood against the evil Takshaka. Cidananda invites the Adventurers to follow Indrani for a pilgrimage that will open the way to the Treasure, hoping they will see reason and desist.

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The first hunter is a strong and steadfast woman with green eyes and long black hair gathered in a braid around her head. She doesn’t look too kindly to the Adventurers and would rather dispatch them rather than be their guide. Her view will become even worse if the Adventurers attack the tigers along the path. Once they pass the tigers, the Adventurers reach a group of statues: six huge Cobras bowing to the Red Serpent, Takshaka, who wears the king’s crown. If an Adventurer takes the time for a closer look, they can recognize the meaning of the monument: a celebration of Takshaka’s triumph over the other Naga tribes. This is a Clue on the Treasure that will be useful to solve the Riddle in Episode 3. The Sanskrit inscriptions tell about Takshaka, the Naga who killed the benevolent Nagaraja Vasuki and used the Chintamani to conquer all Earth with his invincible army. The inscription becomes harder to read, but the story goes on to tell of men praying to the bird-god Garuda, who turns Takshaka and his Nagas in stone statues and makes them sink to the depths of Patala, the dark netherworld, together with the city of Naga-loka. This shrine was built by Takshaka’s servants after they took his crown and brought it to the Temple of the Red Serpent in anticipation for his heir. After skipping through a series of unreadable panels, the Adventurers discover that whoever will wear the crown with the Chintamani stone will have all the powers of Takshaka but will also become the vessel for Astika to return and finish her vengeance. After centuries of resentment, Astika would have powers beyond imagination and she’d be able to open Patala’s door to bring back on Earth Naga-loka and the invincible army of Nagas. This information is an important Clue on the Rival. Some might say it’s all superstition, but Indrani believes them to be completely true, and just as the hunter is explaining her convictions, she is attacked by a giant cobra and knocked prone. The creature might look like a supernatural monster at first glance, but in truth it’s an ancient being of huge dimensions, that can inflict first the Bad Feeling Broken and then Poisoned with his bite. Upon their return, the Adventurers find the village ablaze and they will have to choose whether to go searching for Cidananda and the Key or follow Indrani who is desperately looking for her son, Odan, who got trapped in the collapse of their house. After getting the fire under control, the Adventurers will set off again on their journey. If Cidananda is dead, Indrani will reamain and take his place, otherwise she can choose to follow the Adventurers and fight the Rival with them. EPISODE 2

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SCENE 1 – WILD PLACE – EXT/NIGHT It’s the middle of the night before the Adventurers manage to set up camp in the WILD PLACE. Finally, they can hope to rest for a while in a Safe Place, but the noises and silence all around set them on edge. One of them could be holding the KEY to open the road to the TREASURE, but it’s impossible to press on with no light, so they can only wait for dawn. If nobody stands guard during the night or if the person doing it fails the task, the Adventurers are abruptly awoken by some angry beasts [2 CRITICAL Enemies] and, on the first turn of combat, they have a Disadvantage, plus an additional one if they fight with bare hands. After avoiding or defeating the beasts, the Adventurers can go back to taking a Break. CUT As dawn breaks over the WILD PLACE, the Adventurers can finally set off. The Adventurer leading the way need to find their bearings relying on their Scout skills [CRITICAL Challenge] or run the risk of running around the WILD PLACE in circles. If they succeed in their task, the Adventurers manage to find their way through a seriously perilous area and finally reach the NATURAL OBSTACLE. Navigating this obstacle will require even more of their strengths [2 CRITICAL Dangers] and they need to be on their guard not to lose their baggage [+1 BASIC Danger – losing the Bag or Backpack]. The only way around the obstacle that poses no Danger is a long trek off course that will take up an Hour. However, failing the initial Scout task will cause the Adventurers to take some roundabout route anyway and lose an Hour. If that weren’t enough, this route will take them to the NATURAL OBSTACLE from a very unforgiving angle, and making their way through will be a real challenge [EXTREME Danger]. They’ll need to choose whether they’ll take their chances or go back and lose another Hour.

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Whatever the circumstances, if an Adventurer fails against all dangers when facing the NATURAL OBSTACLE, their friends will have no choice but to look on powerlessly as they are overwhelmed by nature’s fury. The Adventurer will be out of action for a while, but in truth, they will be found and taken prisoner by the TRIBE. After overcoming the NATURAL OBSTACLE, the Adventurers will have to continue their journey or look for a safer way to find and retrieve their lost friends. Along the way, a careful Adventurer [CRITICAL Challenge] will be able to spot some unsettling tracks or small constructions, revealing a human presence. When all around the WILD PLACE seems to be shrouded in an unnatural silence, the Adventurers will need to be vigilant [CRITICAL Danger] if they don’t want to fall into the TRIBE’s traps. If all Adventurers successfully avoid the trap, they can proceed. They will go on to encounter another trap that they can spot with an Advantage. But if anyone falls into the trap, before the Adventurers have time to free them, they will be surrounded by a large group from the TRIBE [IMPOSSIBLE Enemy] who appear in the blink of an eye. The only way for an Adventurer to avoid capture is to hide immediately, without attempting to help their friends [CRITICAL Challenge]. All captured Adventurers will be searched and if the TRIBE find the KEY, they will visibly react with utter horror. Either way, the prisoners will be led to the village prison and any hidden Adventurer can easily follow the group without being noticed.

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SCENE 2 – VILLAGE – EXT/DAY In the deepest heart of the WILD PLACE, there’s a small ancient village, an oasis of rural civilization surrounded by hostile nature. By successfully avoiding the traps, following the TRIBE, or getting captured, the Adventurers can notice that the TRIBE uses and displays symbols that look much like the ones on the KEY. As such, they can attempt to gain useful information and possibly reclaim their own or their friends’ freedom. If the Adventurers enter the village with good intentions, they are surrounded, searched and later led to the chief. Sneaking in will require a nice dose of Stealth [CRITICAL Challenge] but the Adventurers are easily noticeable among the TRIBE and they will often need to stop to remain hidden. To reach the prison, they need to succeed on the task for three consecutive turns. Upon discovery, they are immediately searched and taken captive. If any TRIBE members find the KEY, they will instantly call upon the GUIDE, surrendering it with a scared question. The GUIDE does not show any fear, but a growing rage that will take them to first rough up the adventurers and then ask for a hearing with the village chief. Meanwhile, the prisoners are bound hand and foot in the village prisons, but nobody stands guard. A free Adventurer can easily untie the knots, but in order to break free, an Adventurer will need a good amount of Dexterity [CRITICAL Challenge] or Tough [EXTREME Challenge]. When the Adventurers get free and try to escape, when they give up all hope of escape or when an Adventurer enters the village openly stating their good intentions, the chief leaves their home and the whole TRIBE gathers around them to learn what will become of the intruders. Just like the whole TRIBE, the chief only speaks some ancient language that can only be understood by someone with the right Culture [CRITICAL Challenge]. When the GUIDE gives the

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KEY to the chief, the Adventurers don’t need to understand the language to see that they are suggesting getting rid of the intruders with no hesitation to protect the TREASURE. The village chief looks perturbed and they hesitate for a while before speaking up. VILLAGE CHIEF You are foreigners. You don’t know the TREASURE you are looking for. I can’t persuade you... but there may be one who can. The chief turns to the GUIDE and asks them to lead the Adventurers to a secret location where a great truth will be revealed to them. The GUIDE is vehemently opposed, but in the end, they can’t go against their chief’s orders and begrudgingly agree. The village chief decides KEY safe, waiting for the that, once they come back, TREASURE, the KEY will be freed from the village.

they will be the one to keep the Adventurers return, and promises if they still want to look for the returned to them and they will be

Only an Adventurer who understands the language can attempt to reason with the chief, who will also get an Advantage if at least one of the Adventurers willingly gave themselves up and a Disadvantage if all the Adventurers were captured by the TRIBE and are regarded as intruders. Speaking with the chief or the GUIDE is the only way for the Adventurers to retrieve their weapons. Otherwise, they’ll have to proceed unarmed or attempt a quick theft with their Dexterity.

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SCENE 3 – ROAD TO THE SHRINE – EXT/DAY The GUIDE [Extra “Climber”] proceeds quickly without so much as a word or a glance to the Adventurers, to the point it’s very hard for them to keep up the pace as they scramble up a trail in the most remote part of the WILD PLACE. After hours on foot, the GUIDE suddenly stops and begins looking at a confused group of tracks, visibly worried. As the GUIDE is distracted, the Adventurers can see out of the corner of their eyes a couple of wild beasts lying in wait and ready to pounce on them. The truth is different: the GUIDE is well aware of the beasts’ presence and stopped to let them through. No need for violence. The Adventurers with any Survival experience [BASIC Challenge] can easily understand the situation and remain still until the beasts have passed. If they fail, they might be convinced that the GUIDE is in danger and feel the need to step up. If an Adventurer attacks or scares the beasts, there’s no choice but to fight [2 CRITICAL Enemies]. At the end of the fight, the GUIDE will be sad and hostile to the Adventurers: they would rather have been respectful and let the beasts go their own way. The Adventurer who dealt the final blow can’t help but feel EMBARRASSED by their stern gaze. After the encounter with the beasts, the journey continues in silence and as the sun begins to set the WILD PLACE takes on a magical aura, making it equal parts majestic and eerie. As the tracks grow red and dark, the GUIDE’s silence becomes heavy and worrisome. It feels as if this journey will never end. With the final lights of dusk, the WILD PLACE opens up, revealing a beautiful scene: an ancient abandoned SHRINE, a place that has survived for centuries exposed to nature’s fury and made it to the present to tell its truths.

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SCENE 4 – SHRINE – EXT/NIGHT The Adventurers finally reach the mysterious location the village chief wanted them to see. And what they find is an ancient and majestic building. The GUIDE hangs back, gesturing towards the SHRINE and waiting for the Adventurers to return. Maybe out of fear, maybe out of respect. The SHRINE is a location suspended in time that looks even eerier in the oblique purple rays of dusk turning to night. Ancient inscriptions within the SHRINE reveal their secrets to any Adventurers with the right knowledge in Culture [BASIC Challenge]. As they read on, the Adventurers find out the TRUTH about the TREASURE, and the revelation could be a great EXPERIENCE for some or leave a deep SCAR for others. Now the Adventurers need to convene and decide what to do. Maybe the village chief was right and they should give up; maybe the discovery is worth more than anything else and no truth will ever change the Adventurers’ destiny. As they are having this conversation, the GUIDE steps forth and tries to reason with them. They seem to abandon their hard stance and plead with the Adventurers sincerely: the TREASURE must never be found. Just as they are saying this, the GUIDE is attacked from behind by a MONSTER and falls to the ground, unconscious. All the Adventurers that can’t keep their Cool [CRITICAL Challenge] will be TERRIFIED by the creature that seems to have come out of a legend. Fighting against the MONSTER won’t be easy [EXTREME Enemy], since the creature has the ability to inflict Bad Feelings. Alternatively, the Adventurers can choose to flee without looking back [2 CRITICAL Dangers for 3 consecutive turns]. Meanwhile, the GUIDE is still unconscious and only an Adventurer can try to carry them away [+1 BASIC Danger].

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SCENE 5 – VILLAGE – EXT/NIGHT After defeating travel back to Adventurers can on the horizon, them.

or losing the MONSTER, the Adventurers can the village. But even before arriving, the spot a tall plume of smoke and a red glare alerting them to the terrible sight awaiting

The village is on fire and the TRIBE is trying to douse the flames while taking the weak to safety. As the victims cry out, they are drowned by the shouting of assailants: the RIVAL’s goons, who found the village by following the Adventurers’ tracks and are looking to take the KEY. Faced with this apocalyptic scene, the GUIDE comes back to their senses and runs without hesitation toward the flames, shouting a name unknown to the Adventurers. The village is completely shrouded in clouds of smoke that make it almost impossible to keep one’s eyes open. The Adventurers who don’t know the right Survival techniques [CRITICAL Challenge] can’t help but be BLINDED by the dark smoke. Meanwhile, the RIVAL’s goons are everywhere, and wherever they turn, the Adventurers will need to fight some of them [1 BASIC Enemy]. Once they reach the center of the village, the Adventurers need to make a choice: they can follow the GUIDE that is still shouting desperately somebody’s name while looking at a burning building, or they can run to the village chief’s home, that is being stormed by the RIVAL’s goons in an attempt to retrieve the KEY. The Adventurers can also split up at this point: either way, they will need to fight some armed goons [1 BASIC Enemy] or run through both bullets and flames [1 CRITICAL Danger]. Following the GUIDE, the Adventurers reach their home, where a member of their family is trapped. The only way for an Adventurer to help the GUIDE is by calling on their Tough [EXTREME Challenge] and the first Adventurer will have an Advantage for each friend who helps them.

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The village chief’s house is also in flames and is being attacked by a large number of the RIVAL’s goons, who are now looking for the KEY. The chief will try to defend themselves as best they can, but are ultimately overpowered and wounded. The Adventurers who come to the Chief’s aid find them unconscious on the ground and have to face a group of very challenging foes [2 CRITICAL Enemies] in order to retrieve the KEY. If the Adventurers defeat the Enemies, they can save the village chief’s life, who will entrust them with the KEY as a sign of gratitude. If the Adventurers don’t make it in time or surrender, the Enemies run with the KEY and leave the village chief on the brink of death. All the Adventurers can do is hear their final words, thus learning of the location where their RIVAL will take the KEY. The village chief hopes the TRUTH was enough to persuade the Adventurers to do what’s right and asks them to stop the RIVAL before giving in to death. CUT The RIVAL’s goons leave the village in their vehicles and the flames start to recede, leaving everything in complete disarray and the TRIBE shocked and scared. If the Adventurers have the KEY, they can still hope to get to the TREASURE before the RIVAL, but they don’t have a moment to lose. If the KEY is already in the RIVAL’s hands, then it’s too late. The Adventurers lose an Hour and will need to sneak onto one of the goons’ vehicles or follow their tracks to stop the RIVAL from getting to the TREASURE. Among the blackened ruins of the village, the Adventurers can’t help but think about the TRUTH and ponder how much the search for the TREASURE has cost the poor TRIBE. End of the Episode.

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Episode 3

The Temple of Evil

In Episode 3 “Temple of Evil”, the Adventurers reach an ancient Temple in the hopes of stopping their Rival. However, they are late, and can only stand watch as the Supernatural Menace is awakened. But maybe there’s hope yet, for the Temple also holds the secret to defeat the Menace. In order to play this Episode, you’ll need to know: Era: When the story happens. Temple: A large building from a distant past. Whoever built it scattered traps and riddles at every corner to stop intruders from entering, or leaving alive. Wild Place: The heart of the Amazonian forest, the snowy peaks of Nepal, the Sahara Desert. Any hard to reach and explore location filled with dangers is good enough! Rival: A shady individual that wants to find the Treasure for the worst possible reason. They have the means and the will to put up roadblocks on the Adventurers’ path. Key: An item the Adventurers need to reach or find the Treasure, or the key to opening the place where it is hidden. Treasure: The be-all and end-all of the Adventure. All the Adventurers are seeking it and, although they won’t find it in this Episode, it’s best to know what they’re looking for. Riddle: A riddle the Adventurers need to solve in order to open a door, avoid a trap, or going on with their Adventure. Guardians: People or creatures that have pledged to defend the Treasure. They could be good- or ill-intentioned, but they don’t trust the Adventurers and are certain the Treasure doesn’t belong with them. Great Trap: A whole room that acts as a giant trap. This could be a corridor with a lowering ceiling, a bridge built to collapse or a room with fire-spewing holes on the walls. Unforeseen Event: The Rival knows something more about the Treasure or the Adventurers’ past; maybe he has more resources the Adventurers didn’t know about. One way or another, the unforseen

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suddenly happens and changes the entire game, turning the table against the Adventurers or even pitching them against one another. Map: An item that can be used or deciphered to reach a hidden location. Evil Ritual: The circumstances, wanted or not, that bring the Supernatural Menace back to the World. Supernatural Menace: A creature with supernatural powers and willing to use them for its evil gain. Cataclysm: An earthquake, a storm, a locust swarm, or some other off-the-chart display of powers.

Time

During this Episode, the Adventurers may lose Hours on the Doomsday Clock. If you are playing this Episode as part of a Season, you can use the Travel Diary to keep track of this asset. If, on the other hand, you are playing it as a standalone Episode, you can ignore Time as a resource.

Playing Episode 3

as part of a Season Episode 3 is a Mid-Season Finale. Before playing through this Episode, the Adventurers gain 2 additional Diamonds and a new Expertise. If the Adventurers got hold of the Key at the end of Episode 2, they begin this Episode in front of the Temple, before the Rival’s goons manage to reach it. However, if they give the wrong answer to the riddle, they fall behind, the goons reach them and avoiding a fight will be near-impossible. The riddle to gain access to the Temple should pertain a piece of information the Adventurers gathered in the previous Episodes, so that their experiences and the clues they found in the story can become useful and gratifying.

The Treasure The Temple in which this Episode is set should also be the location where the Treasure is hidden. However, if you are playing through a Season, there are possible developments to advance the plot. A first possibility is that the Treasure isn’t really hidden within the Temple, but in a different location found on the map hidden beyond the secret passage. Another possibility is that the Treasure is not what the Adventurers were looking for, perhaps it is split in half, or it pales in importance once the Supernatural Menace is awoken. If the latter is true, the map can lead to the other half of the Treasure or to a different Treasure with the power to defeat the Menace. EPISODE 3

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Episode 3

The Serpent Throne

Context

to

“The Temple

of

Evil”

Temple : Temple of the Red Serpent Wild Place: The Bengal jungle Key: The Naga Shell Riddle: The 7 Snakes Guardians: Takshaka’s servants Great Trap: A rapidly flooding room Unforeseen Event: The Old Friend was captured Map: Stone with gold veins Evil Ritual: Aloki’s coronation Cataclysm: Flooding of the Temple

When the Adventurers reach the Temple of the Red Serpent following the tribe’s direction, they find themselves looking at a set of stone doors that fell victim to both time and emperor Kuru’s soldiers centuries ago. The building was once painted red, but is now bare stone covered in moss, and it appears all the cobra heads decorating it have been beheaded. If the Adventurers lost the Key and followed Nagarani’s men, they find a number of soldiers that reached the Temple as a vanguard before the others and are attempting to open the doors. The Naga Shell needs to be inserted in a round hole cut to exact measure in the stone door. Once it is placed correctly, the seven serpent heads will spring outward in as many holes, becoming the bits of a key to open an ancient mechanism. Seven levers spring out of the wall beside the door, representing seven cobra’s heads. Each of the levers is a different color, the middle one is red. To solve the riddle, the Adventurers need to remember about the shrine and the six cobra statues bowing their head to the Red Serpent to symbolize how the Naga tribes bowed to the evil Takshaka. The solution is to lower all the levers except the red one, thus having six snakes “bow” to the Red Serpent in

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the center. The door will then spring open and the Adventurers can retrieve the Key. Otherwise, two giant boulders will fall rolling from the sides of the temple: after endangering the lives of the group, these also open a secondary passage in the wall with their impact. As the Adventurers proceed within the temple and reach the third trial, they come face to face with an extremely large and scary king cobra, whose tail is tied to a thin golden rope. The Temple’s guardians are fearsome individuals that look like the Nagas from legend: above their red tunics Adventurers can see flat noses, forked tongues, snake eyes, scales and claws. Upon meeting them for the first time, the Adventurers might mistake them for supernatural beings and feel Terrified by them. But, in reality, the guardians are humans that were trapped in the temple and are probably the descendants of Manasa’s followers. Their aberrant appearance is the consequence of genetic mutations passed down through the centuries and worn with pride as a symbol of their devotion to Nagas. Additionally, many guardians bear the marks and scars of ritual mutilations they underwent in order to transform their face and take it closer to a snake’s head. Coming face to face with such a sight, people can easily think they were the source of the legends about Nagas, and believe the stories to be nothing more than that, thinking to have found a scientific explanation to everything. After escaping the guardians, the Adventurers reach a large room surrounded by giant stone cobras that emit jets of water from their mouths. The room floods in few seconds. The door to the Treasure is a huge red stone disk that, upon further examination, has been painted with blood. There’s a round hole ready to greed the Naga Shell, but as soon as the Key is inserted, Nagarani, Aloki and Campbell enter the room at the head of a small army. Campbell abducted Chopra and holds him hostage: if the Adventurers don’t immediately surrender, he’ll kill the professor. If Upandra Chopra remained in Calcutta, Nagarani had him abducted before leaving and that’s how he finds out about the Adventurers. If Chopra set off with the Adventurers and later went lost over the past Episodes, Nagarani’s men saved and captured him. And if Chopra was still EPISODE 3

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with the Adventurers, a moment of distraction as they explore the temple is enough for him to have a gun to his head. Another option is for Nagarani to know about an Adventurer’s secret or something that ties them to him, anything he can use as leverage to force them to surrender. As he uses the Key and the seven snakes spring from the Shell into the door, Nagarani calmly speaks to Aloki, reassuring her that she shall soon receive the powers she deserves so she can redeem the family name. The shell clicks and opens, revealing an inscription in Sanskrit. In this crucial moment, the Adventurers might use the Clue on the Rival they got in Episode 2 and tell the truth to Nagarani: after her coronation, Aloki will have no powers for herself and will instead be sacrificed so that Astika has a body to possess. The revelation will confuse the enemies for a moment, giving the Adventurers time enough to reach the secret passage without needing to face a Challenge or Danger, but their Rival will choose not to believe them, thinking this was just a diversion. Beyond the passage, the Adventurers will find a large room with something that looks like a square pool filled with stagnant, muddy water in the center. Beyond the pool there’s a small shiny altar they can only reach by walking on two narrow gangways no wider than 5 feet. The guardian in this room is a particularly fearsome creature: an eight foot tall man whose face has been deformed to look like that of a snake, with scales covering his wide back ending in a hint of a tail. His teeth were sharpened and he has tiger claws grafted in his fingers. This creature does indeed look like a Naga, but was created through genetic malformations and crude body modifications from the other guardians. He waits for the Adventurers at the bottom of the pool and will only emerge to hit them. This guardian will inflict the Bleeding Feeling and, to those who are already Bleeding, the Broken Feeling. If an Adventurer were to fall in the pool with him, they’ll have to roll all tasks with a Disadvantage. Once they reach the altar, the Adventurers find a strange clear crystal through which run thin gold lines. At the center, they can see what appears to be a perfectly round sapphire. This stone is a map and there is no trap set to spring as the Adventurers take it, however, taking it sends a deep shudder through the whole Temple. Above the altar there’s a Sanskrit incision that clearly shows

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the Chintamani stone split in half. Reading on, the Adventurers will discover that there once was a single Chintamani stone, which was later split into two identical gems. The first, with the power to control water, was gifted to the serpent-god Vasuki, who had it mounted in his crown. This was later stolen by Takshaka. The second Chintamani stone had the powers to control the skies and was entrusted to Garuda, who brought it to earth and gave it to men, as a token to call onto him. According to the inscription, the sky stone is the only thing with the power to stop Astika, and the only way to find it is to decipher the map. But the Adventurers have no time to study the map, as they can hear Nagarani’s voice from a crack in the wall. The ritual is being carried out. An impenetrable wall stands between them and Nagarani, but the Adventurers can hear as their Rival intones a Sanskrit litany in front of the statue of a woman wearing a beautiful crown. As Nagarani speaks, the stone around the crown shatters, allowing Aloki to take the jewel and crown herself queen. In that instant, Astika’s statue completely shatters, and the spirit of a Nagini flies through the room, finally entering through Aloki’s back as Nagarani and his men look on in horror. When Aloki reopens her eyes, they are different. Astika awoke and took control over the girl’s body, annihilating her will. Faced with this sight, Nagarani deeply regrets sentencing his daughter to death, but before he can do anything, Astika kills him and takes control over Campbell and his soldiers with the mind Powers. Just as the situation can’t get any worse, Astika turns to the Adventurers, feeling the map’s energy. Doesn’t matter if they are hidden, she sees them. All men who meet her gaze are stricken by her powers and receive orders like “Don’t let them take the Map”, “Lead me to where they take it”, depending on the Fortune Master’s plan. Finally, with an evil smile on her lips, Astika joins her legs into a long snake tail and finally reaches her true form. Then, she uses the Chintamani stone to have the water rise from the floor, creating a terrible flood that will follow the Adventurers until the exit

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SCENE 1 – OUTSIDE OF THE TEMPLE – EXT/DAY The eternal silence of the WILD PLACE is broken by the sound of heavy trucks and heavily armed people coming through. A group of soldiers at the RIVAL’s orders leads the vanguard to the TEMPLE with no respect for the place they are desecrating. The Adventurers can easily sneak aboard one of the vehicles or follow them without being noticed. After driving for hours, the road becomes too narrow for the vehicles to proceed and the RIVAL’s goons will have to walk from that point forward. One of them is leading the expedition, bringing the KEY they’ll need to get to the TREASURE. GOON WITH THE KEY Get a move on, the RIVAL will be here any moment! From here on, the Adventurers will need to move with caution and will need to act with Stealth to go unnoticed [BASIC Challenge]. While they’re hidden, the Adventurers can see the goons reach the door of a TEMPLE that was left alone for centuries and start setting up the perimeter. The one with the KEY goes straight for the TEMPLE door and inserts the KEY at the center, but will have to face a hard RIDDLE to enter. The Adventurers can sneakily take out the RIVAL’s goons or face them openly [2 CRITICAL Enemies] to finally take the key. Alternatively, they can wait to see what happens. If they choose the latter, they lose an Hour and see the goon trying to solve the RIDDLE and failing, setting off a trap that takes the whole group of goons out. Once they pick up the KEY, the Adventurers can try to solve the RIDDLE and, if successful, they gain entry to the TEMPLE. If they fail, they set off the trap again [CRITICAL Danger] but a malfunction causes part of the front wall to be destroyed, revealing a secondary access. Before going further, they can recover the KEY.

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SCENE 2 – TEMPLE – INT/DAY By solving the RIDDLE, the Adventurers gain access to the TEMPLE from the main entrance, and that’s actually a stroke of luck as right in front of the door, over an arch is etched an important Clue that any Adventurers Cultured enough [BASIC Challenge] can interpret. CLUE Pilgrims proceed With open eyes With open ears With open hearts. If they enter through the opening created by the trap, the Adventurers find themselves in a side corridor and it’s impossible for them to see the Clue. As the Adventurers proceed, the TEMPLE grows darker and darker and the Adventurers need to have or find a source of light to avoid receiving a Disadvantage due to the darkness. Walking through winding corridors, they reach the first of three trials they’ll need to undertake. The Adventurers are in a large, empty, rectangular room, paved with large stone tiles on which three different kinds of faces are represented. These can be monsters, heroes or other characters from native legends. To make their way through the room safe and sound, the Adventurers need to correctly interpret the Clue and only walk over the tiles representing a face with open eyes. Otherwise, the mouths will open and spew columns of fire [3 BASIC Dangers]. In the next room, there’s a suspension bridge and only Adventurers who pay attention to the second Clue and keep their ears open [CRITICAL Challenge] will be able to notice that the bridge stands in the middle of a huge cave, where every noise produces loud echoes. To get through safely, the Adventurers will need to proceed with Stealth [BASIC Challenge] to avoid making any noise. If they fail, the echo of their movement will quickly bounce from wall to wall, building on itself to the point that whoever failed the check is DIZZY and huge stone spurs fall from the ceiling over the bridge [2 CRITICAL Dangers].

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Beyond the bridge, there’s a corridor, at the end of which a ferocious beast awaits the Adventurers. The beast has some food close by, as if someone was keeping it alive, and a sufficiently Observant Adventurer [BASIC Challenge] can also notice it is tied to the wall with a chain. Beyond the beast, the corridors proceed to the right. If the Adventurers try to move around the beast, it will spring forward to hit them, pulling on the chain and setting off a mechanism that causes sharp spurs to emerge from the floor [CRITICAL Danger]. After overcoming the trap, the Adventurers can only go on a long, winding route that will cost them one Hour. The same happens if the beast is killed and falls to the ground. The only way to avoid the trap, as the Clue suggests, is to keep an open heart and to free the beast from its chain with some Dexterity or Cool [BASIC Challenge]. In the last scenario, the chain is pulled back into the wall, revealing a shorter route to the Adventurers. After facing the three trials, the Adventurers see they have finally reached the holier part of the TEMPLE, as the rooms around them become more decorated and better preserved. But there are more surprises ahead: GUARDIANS waiting in the shadows. Only a vigilant Adventurer [CRITICAL Challenge] will notice that someone is watching them. Suddenly, as the Adventurers are walking in a dark and narrow room, the GUARDIANS jump to the attack and, if no Adventurers noticed them before, the entire group has a Disadvantage on the first round. The GUARDIANS are a small group [CRITICAL Enemy] but once the Adventurers defeat them, reinforcements are fast approaching [3 BASIC Enemies]. From there on, it feels like an uphill battle as any time one is defeated, more come to take their place. After each Basic Enemy is defeated, another joins the fray, so that at any moment the Adventurers are facing 3 Basic Enemies ready to fight. The battle continues until 10 Basic Enemies have been defeated or until the Adventurers flee from combat.

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Either way, after escaping the GUARDIANS the Adventurers still can’t feel safe as GUARDIANS seem to lunge in their direction from of every corner of the TEMPLE [IMPOSSIBLE Enemy]. Their only hope is to run desperately towards a large hall and close the door behind their back with a statue or something of similar weight. When the GUARDIANS give up their attempts to break through the door, the Adventurers can finally take a Break. The first Adventurer to do anything inside the large hall where they found refuge needs to immediately roll for Alert [CRITICAL Challenge]. If they successfully pass the task, they see that the room they’re in is actually a GREAT TRAP that the Adventurers trigger immediately [EXTREME Danger]. Faced with this danger, failure will cause a relevant Bad Feeling. If the Adventurer fails the Alert task, the whole group is caught unaware and will have to face what happens next with an additional Disadvantage. The Danger from the GREAT TRAP is repeated every turn until the Adventurers find a way to escape or deactivate it [CRITICAL Challenge]. If the Adventurers fail when facing the Danger of the GREAT TRAP for two consecutive turns, they end up losing all their weapons and gear. Anyway, facing the GREAT TRAP can easily leave a mark on an Adventurer, either as an EXPERIENCE or SCAR. Once they overcome the GREAT TRAP, the Adventurers can rejoice, as they are now facing the road to the door of the TREASURE room.

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SCENE 3 – DOOR – INT/DAY The only thing that separates the Adventurers from the TREASURE is a majestic door that has been sealed for centuries. To open it, they must use the KEY, but as soon as the Adventurers are one step away from victory, here comes an UNEXPECTED EVENT to turn the situation on its head. The RIVAL enters the scene thanks to the UNEXPECTED EVENT and captures the Adventurers, taking their KEY. As they open the door and can almost taste the TREASURE, the RIVAL orders his goons not to kill the Adventurers yet: let them live for a few moments as there might be another riddle they can help solve. After all, they’ve done all the heavy lifting up until now. RIVAL I really ought to thank you; I couldn’t have done this without you. Pity you’ll have to face a bitter end soon enough... With guns to their heads, the Adventurers need to think quickly about a solution. If they’re Observant enough [BASIC Challenge] they can easily notice a detail such as a shadow, draft or lever that shows the way to a secret passage. Making a break for the passage is quite risky [CRITICAL Danger; any additional Success can be used to retrieve weapons]. If the Adventurers try to flee as the RIVAL has their back to them to open the door, they have an Advantage. If they wait for the door to the TREASURE room to be opened, the RIVAL turns to look at them and gives orders to kill them. By then it’s too late and the escape is done at a Disadvantage. As the Adventurers reach the secret passage under attack from the RIVAL’s goons, the KEY is forever lost in the door and the TREASURE room is finally opened.

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SCENE 4 – SECRET ROOM – INT/DAY Beyond the passage, the Adventurers are safe and can take a Break. Left in absolute darkness, the Adventurers hear the unintelligible voice of the RIVAL performing the EVIL RITUAL through the crooks and crannies of the TEMPLE. They must act quickly and put a stop to it. There’s a literal light at the end of the tunnel revealing an exit way that leads the Adventurers to a large room with only the faintest of light coming through the walls. On the opposite side of the room, there’s an altar with a MAP over it. Beside it, a small fissure shines with the hope of an exit. But the accidents aren’t quite over yet, as in the room there’s a particularly fierce GUARDIAN hiding, almost completely invisible, in ambush. When the Adventurers try to reach the MAP, the GUARDIAN [3 CRITICAL Enemies] attacks, starting a fight of the most peculiar kind. To fend off the GUARDIAN, the Adventurers can rely on their Alert skill. Any Success means they avoid being hit, but it’s not enough to retaliate. In order to hit the GUARDIAN, an Adventurer needs to roll all necessary Successes they need to lose no Luck Points. Only then are they fast enough to react. Once this has become clear, the GUARDIAN comes out in the open and the Adventurers can face them as they would do for a normal Enemy. After defeating the GUARDIAN once and for all, the Adventurers can take a Break and get the MAP, while the RIVAL is uttering the last words of the EVIL RITUAL. From the opening, they can see into the TREASURE room and look on as the EVIL RITUAL has been concluded. Sadly, there are no other paths that could lead the Adventurers to the RIVAL in time to stop them. They can’t even attempt to shoot the RIVAL, as there never seems to be a clear shot.

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SCENE 5 – TREASURE CHAMBER – INT/DAY The RIVAL uses the TREASURE to complete the EVIL RITUAL and the SUPERNATURAL MENACE is summoned. From now on, it doesn’t matter what happens to the old RIVAL, but the SUPERNATURAL MENACE takes on their role as Rival completely. Just looking at the SUPERNATURAL MENACE can shake even the bravest of souls and the Adventurers need to keep their Cool [CRITICAL Challenge] not to run home feeling TERRIFIED. This is a moment of revelation, a great divide in the life of the Adventurers who might now be coming face to face with the Supernatural for the first time. The sight of a supernatural creature can easily justify either an EXPERIENCE or a SCAR. After basking in its return for a few seconds and either wiping out or subjugating the RIVAL’s goons, the SUPERNATURAL MENACE seems to be attracted to the Adventurers, as if it can feel their presence, or perhaps that of the MAP in their hands. One way or another, the SUPERNATURAL MENACE uses its power to reach the Adventurers, break down the walls or take them with it. Its goal is clearly to eliminate them once and for all, so they can no longer be a nuisance. Luckily, the SUPERNATURAL MENACE has just been awakened and hasn’t yet come into its full powers. The adventurers can fight it and its servants or force them to flee [2 CRITICAL Enemies]. After defeating the SUPERNATURAL MENACE, the Adventurers see it whither, but it’s pretty clear that things won’t be over so easily. With a last, desperate attempt, the SUPERNATURAL MENACE calls on its powers to unleash a CATACLYSM that sakes the whole TEMPLE and falls on both Adventurers and servants alike.

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SCENE 6 – ESCAPING THE TEMPLE – INT/DAY As the TEMPLE is crumbling, the CATACLYSM follows the Adventurers, who have no choice but to set off on a breakneck flight through the corridors and rooms that are turning to ruins after their centuries-long rest. The Adventurers need to escape the CATACLYSM in three steps before being safe for sure. First, the CATACLYSM hits the Adventurers as they are fleeing from the TREASURE room [3 BASIC Dangers, anyone with at least 2 failures is left feeling BROKEN]. During this step, the TEMPLE is crumbling behind them, burying both the TREASURE and the SUPERNATURAL MENACE, hopefully forever. After escaping the TREASURE room, the Adventurers need to make their way through the room with the GREAT TRAP, maybe just now realizing that they had blocked the door with a statue to keep the GUARDIANS out. To reopen the door, they need to succeed in a Tough roll [CRITICAL Challenge] and any Adventurer who isn’t already A WRECK can help by giving an Advantage. Succeeding on this task grants an Advantage on the next step to run from the CATACLYSM. After opening the door, the CATACLYSM is barely one step behind the Adventurers, but the GUARDIANS show no mercy and start swarming in their direction. If the Adventurers killed all the GUARDIANS on their way in, they now have only the CATACLYSM to deal with [3 BASIC Dangers]; otherwise, they’ll need to face the GUARDIANS as well [+1 BASIC Danger]. With the exit in sight, the Adventurers will need to escape the CATACLYSM a third and final time, making their way through the rooms full of traps they met entering the TEMPLE. As the CATACLYSM shakes loose blocks of stone that fall over the suspension bridge and pillars of fire erupt from the stone tiles, the Adventurers need to grit their teeth one last time [3 BASIC Dangers]. Once they make it outside, the Adventurers can finally stop while the TEMPLE crumbles behind them in a pile of rubble. End of the Episode.

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Episode 4

Theft at the Museum

In Episode 4: “Theft at the Museum”, the Adventurers are in a city and need to get the map that, according to their source, is now part of a museum exhibition. Once deciphered, the map will lead them to a secret location where the Treasure lies, protected by a guardian. In order to play this Episode, you’ll need to know: Era: When the story happens. City: A modern, lively city with many inhabitants. Source: A known or yet unknown individual who knows crucial information for the next step on the Adventure. Map: An item that can be used or deciphered to reach a hidden location. Rival: A shady individual that wants to find the Treasure for the worst possible reason. They have the means and the will to put up roadblocks on the Adventurers’ path. Museum: A rich collector’s manor, a large university, a private auction house, a real museum or any other place where precious items are stored and heavily guarded, but where the public is admitted. Treasure: The be-all and end-all of the Adventure. All the Adventurers are seeking it and, although they won’t find it in this Episode, it’s best to know what they’re looking for. Secret Location: A specifically hidden location that can only be found with the help of a map. Keeper: An individual tasked with the protection of a place or Treasure for a specific reason. They can either be friendly to the Adventurers or not. Weapon: A common or sacred weapon of any kind that will allow the Adventurers to fight against their Rival. This is usually obtained in the time of highest need, or when most significant to the plot, as it will become instrumental to the Adventurers’ success. It could be a Key Item.

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Time

and W ealth During this Episode, the Adventurers might lose Wealth Points or Hours on the Doomsday Clock. If you are playing this Episode as part of a Season, you can use the Travel Diary to keep track of these assets. If, on the other hand, you are playing it as a stand-alone Episode, you can ignore Time as a resource. As far as wealth is concerned, know that the Adventurers can only spend a Wealth Point once. This means that if they choose to buy any gear in the first scenes, they won’t have enough money to bribe the museum guards.

S upernatural Rival

If you are playing against a Supernatural Rival, the Weapon the keeper will give the Adventurers is a Sacred Weapon (Key Item). In the event there is a Chosen One among the Adventurers, in this Episode, the keeper will reveal to them their true nature and give them the Sacred Weapon. Otherwise, the keeper will entrust the Weapon to one Adventurer of their choosing, depending on the circumstances. Similarly, if among the Adventurers or Extras there is a Medium, the Rival will attempt to abduct them for the first time in this Episode.

Playing Episode 4

as part of a Season If you are playing Episode 4 as part of a Season, the Map the Adventurers are looking for is an item they need to decipher the map they found in Episode 3, or the second half of the same map. Since this is not the Season Finale, the Rival can’t really be defeated in this Episode. They can only be forced to flee in some hazardous way or to retreat strategically.

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Episode 4

The Serpent Throne

Context

to

“Theft

at the

M useum”

City: Calcutta Source: Prof. Upandra Chopra or his assistant Map: A map dating back to Astika’s time (Key Item) Rival: Astika, the Nagini Museum: Calcutta University Secret Location: Garuda’s Sanctuary Keeper: Vidur Khurana Weapon: Gandhiva, Arjuna’s bow

After the fall of the Temple of the Red Serpent, the Adventurers return to Calcutta, hoping that the Nagini died in the collapse. The only thing they have is a crystal with gold lines, their only clue to find the Chintamani stone of the sky. If an Adventurer understands that the lines are an actual map of the rivers and mountains, they clearly deserve a Luck Coin, but must also face a bitter revelation. Shining a light through the crystal, the gold lines will project their shadows on a table or wall, with the small sapphire as a single light blue dot in the center: the Treasure. The projection is a clear map of the region around Calcutta, but there is no exact match to overlap the lines to a modern map. They would need days of research to find the Treasure. The only way to speed up the research is to get a hold of a map from Astika’s time. Luckily for them, their source affirms there’s a map just like that at Calcutta University. If professor Chopra is still with the Adventurers, he himself will be their source in Calcutta; otherwise, his young assistant, a smart but insecure girl by the name of Bina Pandey will provide the information.

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Meanwhile, Campbell’s men are tracking both the Adventurers and the Chintamani. There is no talking to them, as they are controlled by the Nagini. They will ignore pain and nothing can stand in the way of their mission. Only contact with a flame can possibly awake them and maybe stop them. If an Adventurer notices this detail, they get an important Clue that will become useful if one of their friends falls victim to Astika’s mind powers. Once they decipher the map, the Adventurers learn that Garuda’s Sanctuary is not far from Calcutta and the secret door is at the end of the Hooghly river. With a short swim in an underwater tunnel, the Adventurers emerge in a small circular temple surrounded by pillars. At the center of the temple stands an altar with the effigy of the bird-god Garuda holding a golden egg in his hand. The egg is unfortunately empty, but there’s an old warrior standing guard with Gandhiva, the legendary bow of the hero Arjuna. Vidur Khurana is a servant of Garuna and a direct descendant of emperor Kuru, who called the Sarpa Satra on Astika and turned her into stone. As a sign of his heritage, he wears ceremonial robes and a white crown. Despite claiming to be almost two hundred years old, he still has the body of a young, muscular man. After her defeat, Astika uses her mind powers on the Adventurers and then calls on the river to flood the sanctuary. The same happens if she wins, but in this case, she will take the Medium with her, if there is one. Before dying, Vidur reveals that the Chintamani stone of the sky was lost long ago. The only way to defeat Astika is to use the Chintamani stone of water from her crown. As such, the keeper entrusts Gandhiva to a worthy Adventurer, as only an arrow from that bow can break the gem off the crown. If the Adventurer is the Chosen One, they also receive the words to the Sarpa Satra that will ensure his arrows are fatal to the Nagini.

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SCENE 1 – PUB – INT/DAY A crackling stream of merry music wafts through a pub that has seen better days. In the main room, there are only a few lazy regulars propping up the bar. The Adventurers sit together at a solitary table, waiting. Their SOURCE set up a rendez-vous there but is already running very late and things are starting to smell fishy. The Adventurers are impatient, but the pub owner is even more so and they come over every few minutes, insisting that they order something or get out. When it seems like the SOURCE will never turn up or the Adventurers start standing up to leave, the owner once again approaches: not to get any money out of them, though. They say the SOURCE just came in and is waiting for the Adventurers in a room in the back to avoid being seen. The pub owner doesn’t have any additional information and it appears that they don’t even know the name of the SOURCE. Things are getting more and more suspicious; the owner doesn’t seem to be of the trustworthy sort and it’s hard to even understand if they’re telling the truth [EXTREME Challenge]. If the Adventurers are too put off by the situation they’ll probably end up in a useless brawl with the patrons [3 BASIC Dangers], but, nevertheless, they are ultimately taken to the back to avoid further destruction of the front room. In a dusty room, the SOURCE is nervously pacing back and forth, almost as if they’re expecting a blow to the head any moment. Whatever the season, they wear a long trench coat, glasses and a hat in an attempt to remain anonymous. They’re clearly afraid of something or someone, but they cheer with joy when they see the Adventurers come in. SOURCE I know the location of the MAP that will lead to the TREASURE, but we need to be careful. Someone is following me, we’re not safe.

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SCENE 2 – STREET –

EXT/DAY

The MAP is kept in the CITY’s MUSEUM, but to reach it the Adventurers need a means of transportation. Luckily the SOURCE has a Vehicle [2 Luck Points] ready, parked behind the pub. Before exiting, a vigilant Adventurer [CRITICAL Challenge] can notice there are some of the RIVAL’s goon standing near the Vehicle, clearly armed with both bad intentions and guns. To reach the SOURCE’s Vehicle without being seen, the adventurers will need some Stealth [CRITICAL Challenge]; otherwise, they’ll have to fight the goons [2 CRITICAL Enemies]. Alternatively, they may find it easier to slip out the front door without being noticed [BASIC Challenge], but the Adventurers will then need to get another Vehicle by Dexterously stealing it. If they get a Basic Success, they find a Vehicle with one Luck Point, Critical Success means 2 Luck Points, and so on. If at any time the Adventurers attract the goons’ attention, they will jump into their own Vehicle to give pursuit [3 BASIC Enemies that can be lost in 3 turns]. During the chase, the Adventurers will need to try and keep a low profile, because shooting or any way alerting the authorities will add law enforcement to the chase [+1 CRITICAL Enemy]. Before arriving at the MUSEUM, the Adventurers can also choose to visit a friend of the SOURCE to gather some weapons and useful gear. Clearly, they’ll need to pay an honest price for them. When the Adventurers arrive at the MUSEUM, it appears that nobody’s following them, but they’ll need to be careful of where they park the Vehicle. If they’re in the SOURCE’s Vehicle there’s little they can do: the RIVAL’s men will notice it sooner or later. If they’re in a stolen Vehicle, they can try to hide it or park it in an isolated spot [CRITICAL Challenge].

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SCENE 3 – MUSEUM – INT/DAY In front of the MUSEUM, there’s an inner courtyard with a porter who has no intention of letting the Adventurers through. Maybe there’s an event going on inside, maybe the MUSEUM is temporarily closed: what matters is that the only way to get in is to settle things with the porter. The Adventurers need to decide whether they want to try to persuade them with Eloquence or Charm [EXTREME Challenge] or to cut it short and give him a bribe [1 Wealth Point]. Another solution could be to sneak in quietly [CRITICAL Challenge]. The MAP should be part of the MUSEUM exhibit, but even after fruitlessly circling the museum a number of times, the Adventurers can’t find it anywhere. However, if they keep their eyes peeled [BASIC Challenge], they can notice several guards keeping an eye on the exhibit. A more careful examination [CRITICAL Challenge] will reveal some of the RIVAL’s goons actively looking for the Adventurers. By asking around or looking for information in other ways, the Adventurers can learn that the MAP is in a locked room and not part of the ongoing exhibition. The only thing they can do is try to sneak away from the main halls and keep looking in the sections closed to the public. If the Adventurers draw any unwanted attention, the goons find their Vehicle, or the porter at the door was alerted, the Adventurers will need to deal with them. A group of goons [3 CRITICAL Enemies] will ambush them, pushing them into a deserted room for a good brawl without the risk of damaging any valuable items. In this fight, the Adventurers need to be careful not to use any firearms, as the noise will surely attract additional goons as well as the MUSEUM guards [3 EXTREME Enemies]. Independently of the brawl’s outcome, the setback will lose the Adventurers some precious time, costing them one Hour. After defeating or avoiding the goons, the Adventurers get to the room with the MAP and the only thing between them and their goal is a group of guards in charge of keeping unauthorized people out of there.

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The easiest way to get in is to fight the guards [CRITICAL Enemy], but doing this could set off an alarm. Alternatively, the Adventurers can sneak into the room through a window or an air vent [CRITICAL Challenge], set up some ruse to draw the guards away from the door, or even find some disguises. Inside the guarded room, the Adventurers finally set eyes on the MAP, but it’s still too early to crow. The MAP is protected by a safety mechanism that’s easily noticeable to any Observant Adventurer [BASIC Challenge]. To avoid setting off the alarm, an Adventurer needs to deactivate the mechanism with their technological prowess [EXTREME Challenge]. Alternatively, someone can try to take the MAP without setting off the alarm with a complex show of Dexterity [EXTREME Challenge]. If the Adventurers fail in either of the Challenges, they set off the alarm in the whole MUSEUM and they’ll have to flee the scene [2 CRITICAL Dangers for 3 consecutive turns]. If the Adventurers get the MAP without setting off the alarm, they won’t even have time to look at it as they immediately hear the door clicking open and they need to run from a side entrance. With the MAP safe in their pocket, they must get out of there quickly, but luckily, they can just walk out the front door without raising suspicions. As the Adventurers arrive in front of the MUSEUM doors and are about to get out, one of the RIVAL’s goons is alerted by the others and decides to act before it’s too late. They shoot at the Adventurers [CRITICAL Danger], inadvertently creating the perfect cover to let them run.

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SCENE 4 – STREET – EXT/DAY After escaping the MUSEUM with the MAP, the Adventurers will need to get their hands on another Vehicle to get away. Once again, they can either take the same Vehicle as before or steal another one as in Scene 2. On the road, they get a brief Break before getting down to deciphering the MAP and discovering the SECRET LOCATION of the TREASURE. Then comes a long chase in two steps. During the first half of the chase, the driver will need to try to lose the RIVAL’s goons [3 CRITICAL Enemies] while the other Adventurers can either open fire or attempt to decipher the MAP. If the Vehicle is destroyed, all passengers risk meeting a bitter end [CRITICAL Danger, +1 BASIC Danger with the MAP at stake] and they’ll need to hide, proceed on foot, or find a new Vehicle. There are no time limits for this step, since as soon as the Enemies are defeated completely, a new group arrives. The only way forward is to decipher the MAP [EXTREME Challenge] and discover that the SECRET LOCATION of the TREASURE is actually very near. Once they have a new destination, the second half of the chase can begin. For this stretch, the Adventurers must have a Vehicle if they don’t want to lose an Hour and be forced to deal with their pursuers a second time [2 CRITICAL Enemies] and with a Disadvantage at that. After defeating or losing the pursuers, when the Adventurers can almost taste the TREASURE, a roadblock forces them to stop. It might be by law enforcement or by the RIVAL’s forces, but it’s the only road the Adventurers can take to reach the SECRET LOCATION. Getting out to fight is a risky choice [2 EXTREME Enemies] but still feasible. A safer option could be to just keep going, but the driver will have a hard time keeping their Cool [EXTREME Challenge], with the chance to get an Advantage if they find a way to use the surrounding terrain, or if one of the other passengers Empties the Mag.

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SCENE 5 – SECRET LOCATION – EXT/DAY By passing the roadblocks, the Adventurers cause a great explosion and go off road. The only reasonable consequence would be their death. Instead, they find the entrance to the SECRET LOCATION as described by the MAP, one step away from the TREASURE. After a Break, they’re ready to head in. The SECRET LOCATION doesn’t need to be large or majestic, but it does instill a certain fear and reverence. With every step, the adrenaline keeps pumping stronger and stronger, just like the hearts of the Adventurers. The TREASURE is within reach: every detail in the SECRET LOCATION proves it. The Adventurers finally reach the central hall, where they find the container where the TREASURE is held. The TREASURE might be there, or this might be just another dead-end, but the Adventurers will soon notice that there’s a KEEPER, ready to fight them to protect the container. Fighting the KEEPER is a possibility [3 CRITICAL Enemies] but easily avoidable since they are open to talking it out with any peaceful and respectful person. After talking to or defeating the KEEPER, the Adventurers can open the container and discover the truth, but at that very moment, the RIVAL breaks in, inflicting a fatal wound on the KEEPER. The fight against the RIVAL, and possibly their goons as well, is unavoidable [EXTREME Enemy], and if the TREASURE is there, the Adventurers need to get their hands on it before the RIVAL. If the RIVAL gets defeated or gets the TREASURE, they’ll choose to play dirty by setting off a series of events to destroy the SECRET LOCATION [CRITICAL Danger]. This will cover their escape and block the exit. There’s no chance to save the KEEPER, but in their last moments, they reveal to the Adventurers a secret passage to escape, as well as giving them a WEAPON they wish to be used to protect or regain the TREASURE and to stop the RIVAL. End of the Episode.

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Episode 5

Race against Time

In Episode 5: “Race against Time”, the Adventurers need to infiltrate a moving train and reach the first coach to succeed in their mission before it’s too late. However, the other carriages are teeming with enemies and disaster is just around the corner. In order to play this Episode, you’ll need to know: Era: When the story happens. Train: A train, underground or any other long moving vehicle. The episode can also be adapted to work on a ship or in a convoy of vehicles. Objective: Retrieving the Treasure, Key or map; getting rid of the Rival; saving a hostage. Whatever mission the Adventurers need to accomplish. Rival: A shady individual that wants to find the Treasure for the worst possible reason. They have the means and the will to put up roadblocks on the Adventurers’ path. Crony: The Rival’s second in command. Treasure: The be-all and end-all of the Adventure. All the Adventurers are seeking it and, although they won’t find it in this Episode, it’s best to know what they’re looking for. Vehicle: A car, plane, heavy truck or any other working vehicle. Wild Place: The heart of the Amazonian forest, the snowy peaks of Nepal, the Sahara Desert. Any hard to reach and explore location filled with dangers is good enough!

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Time

During this Episode, the Adventurers may lose Hours on the Doomsday Clock. If you are playing this Episode as part of a Season, you can use the Travel Diary to keep track of this asset. If, on the other hand, you decide to play this as a stand-alone Episode, the Adventurers need to be careful to avoid being seen when boarding. If a fight ensues, the train will leave without them and the only way to reach it will be by stealing a Vehicle and giving pursuit.

Playing E pisode 5 part of a S eason

as

If you are playing Episode 5 as part of a Season, there’s the possibility the Adventurers are too late to infiltrate the train and they’ll have no choice but to give pursuit. If this is the case, you can find inspiration in Episode 4 or determine a default Hour on the Doomsday Clock when the train leaves the station. At the end of this Episode, neither the Rival nor the Treasure are aboard the train, so it is unlikely the Adventurers will manage to accomplish their objective. However, if they defeat the Crony, they can get valuable information and Clues that will give them hope and act as segues for the Season Finale.

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TRAIN OR NOT TRAIN This Episode calls for a train, a classic means of transport that can be adapted to many contexts. However, it could be forced in some stories. If you feel up to it, I can assure you that the plot can be easily adapted so that the coaches are individual trucks proceeding in line like a convoy, or the rooms or decks of a large ship or submarine. Easier done than said.

Episode 5

The Serpent Throne

Context

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“Race

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Time”

Train: Freight train belonging to Samar Nagarani Objective: Stealing the Chintamani stone from Astika’s crown Rival: Astika, the Nagini Vehicle: Light tank Wild Place: The Ganges Delta

After the destruction of Garuda’s Sanctuary, the Adventurers have one last objective: to find Astika and use Arjuna’s Bow to break the Chintamani stone of water off the crown. Sadly, Campbell and his men are gathering at the station, where they are setting up a freight train to reach the Ganges Delta. Nagarani’s soldiers are still under Astika’s mind control, and if the Adventurers lay in watch, they can see Campbell escorting a veiled woman aboard the train, although it will later become clear that this is only a diversion. If the Adventurers take the time to get new gear or regain their strength in a Safe Place at the beginning of the Episode, they lose one Hour. If the Doomsday Clock strikes 10, they are too late and the train leaves without them. They’ll need to find a Vehicle, or more probably some horses, and give pursuit. Once they get on the train, the Adventurers find many crates, mostly empty, bearing Samar Nagarani’s mark and initials. They can easily understand the train belonged to the arms merchant before the Nagini claimed it by using young Aloki’s face. It would be hard to persuade law enforcement agencies to intervene, since the train appears to be controlled by the lawful owners. The vehicle hidden beneath a tarp that fills up an entire coach on its own is actually a light tank intended for the British army. It is fully armed and the armor plating makes it completely bulletproof, only vulnerable to explosives. Anyway, if anybody tries to push it down from the moving train, the tank

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quickly rolls over, going completely Out of Commission. The only hope is to jump before it’s too late. In the head coach, the Adventurers find a girl seated with her back to them. She does look like Aloki, but once unveiled, she is clearly an innocent girl tied and gagged. If they fall for this trap, Campbell has the time to take the Adventurers by surprise and they all have to defend themselves before they can return fire. During the fight, it becomes clear that the Crony is not himself, and his green eyes reveal Astika’s mystical influence. Meanwhile, the Nagini is traveling to the delta with no hindrance on another vehicle. If at the end of the previous Episode the Nagini managed to take the Medium Adventurer hostage, they can be found here with Campbell and freed. The fight with Campbell is absolutely draining, since the Crony has the ability to inflict both the Broken and Bleeding Feelings. If an Adventurer rolls no Successes when fighting him, they also get the Poisoned Feeling, because the Nagini’s influence made Campbell’s bite venomous. This Feeling can be removed as normal with a First Aid roll. After his defeat, Campbell is ready to die, but wants to speak with the Adventurers. Back to himself, he wants the Adventurers to know that Samar Nagarani wasn’t an evil man. He tells them about his wife Padma, who died in childbirth, and about how the other families shunned him. In the end, Victor Campbell asks the Adventurers to stop the Nagini and save Aloki, who might still be freed and doesn’t deserve to die like this. But the odds are stacked against the Adventurers, as Astika has almost reached Naga-loka, the place where she can come into her full powers. Afterward nothing, not even Gandhiva, will be strong enough to take the Chintamani stone from her. All is not lost yet, since Campbell has one more truth to confess, a secret Samar Nagarani shared with him and that could save Aloki: the Chintamani stone of the sky was used by a hero of ancient times to defeat Takshaka and destroy Naga-loka. This last, desperate attempt was the death of the hero, and they fell with the city, taking the stone with them. If this is true, the Chintamani stone of the sky with the power to call onto Garuda and defeat Astika can be found in Naga-loka, where the final battle will take place. EPISODE 5

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SCENE 1 – STATION – EXT/NIGHT To get to their OBJECTIVE, the Adventurers need to get on a TRAIN that’s about to leave. Before arriving at the station, they can invest an Hour searching for weapons and gear, but they’ll risk missing the TRAIN. Once they arrive at the station, the Adventurers can spot from a distance the CRONY and the RIVAL’s goons as they load some heavy crates onto the TRAIN. If they manage to get close without being seen [BASIC Challenge], the Adventurers have the time to jump on the last coach before the TRAIN leaves. Anyone who fails the challenge will be stopped by a small group of the RIVAL’s goons [2 BASIC Enemies]. They need to hurry and attack the goons, risking attracting the attention of the other Enemies. Otherwise, they’ll have to remain hidden until the TRAIN leaves the station. One of the Adventurers can use their Scout skills [BASIC Challenge] to scan the area around the station and find a rise in the terrain. The Adventurers will need to run to get to that rise in time to jump on the roof of the last coach [CRITICAL Challenge in Scout or Tough]. If the first roll is a fail, the Adventurers will have a Disadvantage on the second one. If more than half the Adventurers fail at the task, the TRAIN has already gained enough speed for the jump to be even riskier than expected [CRITICAL Danger], and if the Adventurers don’t manage to get on the TRAIN in any way, they’ll need to look for a Vehicle [BASIC Challenge] and give chase. Getting to the TRAIN is easy, the rails are a clear set of tracks, but after reaching the back end of the TRAIN they’ll have to jump on the last coach [CRITICAL Danger]. If the person driving the Vehicle also wants to jump on the TRAIN, they’ll have to lock the wheel somehow and tackle the task with a Disadvantage.

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SCENE 2 – LAST COACH – INT/DAY In the last coach of the TRAIN, there are many piles of crates tied to the walls with ropes and nets. Among the crates, there’s only one small group of armed Enemies [3 BASIC Enemies]. If the Adventurers haven’t been discovered yet, the Enemies are lazily occupied with their routine duties and can be easily fought face to face or silently tiptoed around. If they face the RIVAL’s goons in open combat, the adventurers risk giving away their position. This means that if, after 3 rounds of combat, there’s at least one Enemy standing, the commotion will alert the people in the next coach and they’ll raise the alarm. To sneak around the Enemies, Adventurers can attempt to use their Stealth skill [3 BASIC Challenges] or use the heavy crates to cause a small “accident” [BASIC Tech Challenge]. If the Adventurers were seen before the TRAIN left the station, the Enemies have had time to set up an ambush. At the right moment, about half a dozen crates fall onto the Adventurers [CRITICAL Danger] and the RIVAL’s goons will take advantage of the confusion to strike, giving any Adventurers who didn’t avoid the Danger a Disadvantage. As a last resort, the Adventurers can choose to unhook the coach and use their technological wit [CRITICAL Challenge] or their Tough [EXTREME Challenge] to get rid of all the Enemies in one fell swoop. If at the moment of unhooking the coach they’re on the wrong side of the convoy, they’ll have to jump quickly [CRITICAL Danger]. After neutralizing or bypassing the Enemies, the Adventurers can either go on to the next coach through the door — which has a convenient window to let them peer in inside — or use the designated ladder to climb onto the roof of the TRAIN and try to gain access from there.

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SCENE 3 – TRAIN – INT/NIGHT By peering through the door, the Adventurers can make out what’s on the next coach. There are many Enemies [2 CRITICAL Enemies] and they appear to be much more alert than those on the last coach, and if that wasn’t enough, the space is almost completely clear, making it impossible to move sneakily. At the exact center of the coach, there’s an alarm system that can clearly reach the whole TRAIN. If the Adventurers haven’t been noticed yet, they can try to distract the Enemies with some kind of diversion or disguise themselves as the RIVAL’s goons to get close to the alarm. They just need to keep appearances up long enough to reach the alarm [CRITICAL Challenge, with an added Disadvantage if they don’t speak the Enemies’ language]. After reaching the alarm, an Adventurer can try to disable it [EXTREME Challenge] or unceremoniously destroy it, clearly giving up their identity and starting a fight. When inside the coach, any vigilant Adventurers [CRITICAL Challenge] can notice the TRAIN is about to enter a tunnel seconds before it happens, and thus take advantage of the darkness to gain an Advantage to any one task. If the Adventurers decide to pass the coach by going over the roof, they first have to be careful not to fall or lose anything despite the strong headwind [BASIC Danger + 1 BASIC Danger with their grip on a weapon at stake]. Once they come halfway through the coach, they notice the very low tunnel ahead, threateningly close. A quick dash could take them to the other end of the roof before it’s too late [2 CRITICAL Dangers] or back the way they came [1 CRITICAL Danger], but either way, the noise of their hasty footsteps alert the Enemies below, who sound the alarm. Additionally, if an Adventurer doesn’t get any Successes against the Dangers of the tunnel, they barely make it through and the tunnel grazes them, leaving them SHOCKED. If the alarm was sounded or the Adventurers were discovered, in the next coach they find a small group of the RIVAL’s goons with their guns drawn, ready to open fire [CRITICAL Enemy].

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These Enemies have had time to find the perfect position to shoot at the Adventurers while remaining behind cover, so returning fire will have a Disadvantage. Reaching the Enemies to start a brawl requires a dash through a narrow passage, completely exposed to enemy fire [CRITICAL Danger], but with a keen Observation [BASIC Challenge] the Adventurer can wait until the Enemies are busy recharging and get an Advantage to their dash. What the Adventurers can’t see is that these Enemies are actually covering for some of their allies, who are busy unhooking the coach from the rest of the TRAIN. If at the beginning of the second round of combat the Adventurers didn’t manage to surpass the Enemies, the wagon is unhooked. To keep going toward the head of the TRAIN, the Adventurers will need to jump before it’s too late [CRITICAL Danger + 1 BASIC Danger for each additional turn elapsed]. Since the TRAIN is still traveling inside the long tunnel, an Adventurer can attempt to take to the roof only if they are very careful and very reliant on their Cool [EXTREME Challenge]. However, if they succeed, they can get behind the Enemies who are waiting and even stop the two people who are about to unhook the coach [BASIC Enemy]. The next coach appears to be deserted and, if it didn’t happen already, the Adventurers can unhook the previous wagon themselves, successfully getting rid of any Enemy left in the tail. Whatever the situation, this is a good chance to take a Break. The head of the TRAIN gets closer and closer and with it, so does the chance for the Adventurers to get to their OBJECTIVE. As the vehicle rattles on into the night, there’s just a couple of coaches left, but we all know it ain’t over until it’s over.

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As they proceed, the Adventurers who are in full vigilance mode can notice and avoid a clever trap set up for them with explosives [CRITICAL Challenge]; otherwise, the charges will go off [3 BASIC Dangers] that, in case of failure, leaves them feeling DIZZY. A couple of the RIVAL’s goons emerge from the smoke of the explosion, and they’re clearly of a tougher sort than any seen before [2 CRITICAL Enemies]. The Enemies will do everything they can to stop the Adventurers from continuing, they wield Traditional Weapons that they’re clearly trained to use. Their weapons and their fighting prowess are enough to make them formidable opponents, and Adventurers fighting them in melee combat will have a Disadvantage as well as risk getting the BROKEN or BLEEDING Feeling. The good news is that defeating one of them in melee is worth getting the BRUTAL Feeling. Continuing to the head of the TRAIN, the Adventurers happen upon a coach that’s unlike all others. It’s an open platform, with no walls or ceiling, with a large VEHICLE in the center, hidden beneath a tarp. The huge VEHICLE is tied down with sturdy ropes and safety systems. There are several well armed goons standing guard at the VEHICLE [2 BASIC Enemies]. If the Adventurers attack these Enemies and start a brawl, they need to be very careful not to fall from the TRAIN as they fight [+1 BASIC Danger]. When one of the Enemies is defeated, the others detach the tarp from the VEHICLE, showing a state-of-the-art heavy weapon on top of it. Unless the Adventurers successfully stop the Enemies, one of them will get to the weapon and open fire [+1 CRITICAL Enemy] in the next round. Finally, when all the Enemies have been dealt with, two additional goons come into the fray.

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They both look positively mad and, with assault rifles in hand, they don’t hesitate to unleash a hail of bullets on the Adventurers [3 CRITICAL Enemies; anyone rolling at least 2 failures feels BLEEDING]. As if that weren’t enough, they’re also very tough and dressed in thick armor. As soon as an Adventurer tries to open fire against them, it becomes clear that normal weapons won’t work. Hiding behind the VEHICLE gives Total Cover, but to reach the weapon an Adventurer needs to come out into the open. To attempt this, they’ll need to be careful of enemy fire and they can only rely on the Advantages of Partial Cover. If the Adventurers manage to take control of the VEHICLE, they can use the heavy weapon to pierce through the Enemy armor. If this happens, the Adventurer attempting to open fire will have to succeed in a Tech task [CRITICAL Challenge] unless they have the “Military” Expertise. If they succeed, they get 3 resounding Advantages to Shoot; otherwise, something goes wrong and they need to Shoot with one Disadvantage. At the end of the fight, the Adventurers can easily notice the TRAIN isn’t doing so well, with many bullet holes and a couple of fires here and there. Looking back, they see how much ground they covered to get here, just a few steps from the head of the train. They have just enough time for a Break before stepping through the last door.

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SCENE 4 – FIRST COACH – INT/NIGHT After stepping through the doors of the first coach, the Adventurers are a few steps from their OBJECTIVE. But things don’t go as expected: the RIVAL is not in here. Instead, they find the CRONY, who was clearly expecting them. It’s an obvious setup. CRONY I was starting to worry you’d never come. I was getting bored. Reasoning with them gets the Adventurers nowhere, as they have no intention of telling the Adventurers what is going on or where the RIVAL is. The only thing that’s clear is that the CRONY is there to stop the Adventurers from succeeding in their OBJECTIVE. The TRAIN keeps going at full speed as the CRONY gets ready for the fight to come. At this moment, a particularly Observant Adventurer [BASIC Challenge] can notice that there’s no-one at the wheel and they are indeed traveling at a dangerous speed. With a CRITICAL Success, they can even notice how some of the controls have been tampered with, making it completely impossible to either stop or slow the TRAIN. The CRONY proves a formidable opponent [EXTREME Enemy] and if an Adventurer doesn’t roll at least a Critical Success when trying to defend themselves, they’ll be left feeling BROKEN. There’s no chance of convincing the CRONY to leave the first coach, as they’re apparently willing to risk their own life to follow the orders of the RIVAL. The first blow against the CRONY sends them crashing into the TRAIN controls, and it takes up speed with a jerk that could cost any Adventurer their footing [CRITICAL Danger; the grip on the weapons is at stake]. When the CRONY is hit a second time, a small fire erupts from the controls, quickly taking over the entire coach [+1 BASIC Danger for the rest of the fight].

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After being definitively defeated, the CRONY uses what little breath they have left to reveal the Adventurers an important Clue on the RIVAL. It could be a matter of honor, a way to counteract their guilt, or just another step in the RIVAL’s plan. There’s no time to celebrate or question it, as it’s clear by now that the TRAIN will derail any moment. If an Adventurer attempts to use the controls to slow or stop the TRAIN, they only risk being hit by a small explosion [2 BASIC Dangers]. If the Adventurers can accomplish their OBJECTIVE, this is their moment. What’s clear is that they’ll have to leave the TRAIN as soon as possible if they don’t want to risk their lives. Careful Observation of the WILD PLACE surrounding them [CRITICAL Challenge] shows the Adventurers the perfect spot to jump off the TRAIN without risking much. If they fail, the fire is worse than expected and a sudden blaze hits the Adventurers before the jump [3 BASIC Dangers]. Finally safe, the Adventurers can take a much needed Break as they watch the TRAIN continue in its breakneck run to a bend not too far away. There the coaches start to teeter, going off the rails and hitting against something nearby. The crash is deafening, and it immediately generates a large explosion that lights up the night sky. There’s nothing left to do but decide whether to run after the RIVAL with no further delays or invest an Hour to set up a Safe Place and rest before going on. End of the Episode.

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Episode 6

The Final Battle

In Episode 6: “The Final Battle”, the Adventurers reach a legendary location where they’ll face supernatural creatures in an attempt to put a stop to a dangerous ritual threatening the entire World. In order to play this Episode, you’ll need to know: Era: When the story happens. Legendary Location: A mysterious place you won’t find on any map, somewhere that belongs only in legends. Treasure: The be-all and end-all of the Adventure. All the Adventurers are seeking it and, although they won’t find it in this Episode, it’s best to know what they’re looking for. Supernatural Menace: A shady individual that wants to find the Treasure for the worst possible reason. They have the means and the will to put up roadblocks on the Adventurers’ path. Long Ritual: A full-fledged ritual that requires time or specific conditions in order to be carried out, and as such will occupy the Rival for most of the Episode. Creatures: Men or monsters with supernatural powers. Ally: An unknown Extra that will reveal their allegiance to the Adventurers.

Playing Episode 6

as part of a Season If you are playing Episode 6 as part of a Season, remember that this is the Season Finale. Before playing, the Adventurers have the right to see their Skills and Expertises grow appropriately. Additionally, since this is a Season Finale, you’ll need to take your time to experience it to its fullest and you might need to divide it into two parts depending on the circumstances.

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Chosen One and Medium If this Season involves a Sacred Weapon, only the Adventurer wielding it can deal the final blow to the Supernatural Menace to defeat them once and for all. The Chosen One will have all the Advantages the Sacred Weapon grants while wielding it. However, they don’t necessarily need to be the one to deal the final blow. If the Season involves a Medium and they haven’t been captured yet, the creatures will attempt to lead the Medium to the Supernatural Menace with great persistence. If the Medium reaches the Menace before the final battle begins, the Menace can use them to summon a Supernatural Enemy. Once this happens, an Extreme Enemy is added to the fight, but they can be defeated normally. However, if an Adventurer uses the Treasure to render the Supernatural Menace vulnerable, the power this unleashes will be enough to instantly destroy the second enemy.

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FINALE AND SEQUEL A Season Finale should be a worthy crowning of an Adventure... And the first step in the next. At the end of the Episode, take your time to draw conclusions and give the Adventurers the chance to hug it out, party, have a cry and say goodbye. Before you say the word “end”, remember to toss a line, maybe reminding the players of a loose end, and ensure you all have a good prompt to begin a new journey. The end of an Adventure is always the beginning of an even greater Adventure.

Episode 6

The Serpent Throne

Context

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“The Final B attle”

Legendary Location: The city of Naga-loka Rival: Aloki, the Nagini Long Ritual: The ritual to awaken the Naga army Creatures: Nagas Ally: Shesha

After passing through the Ganges Delta, Astika takes her Nagini form and parts the waters of the Bengala gulf with the powers of the Chintamani stone. In front of her, a stone staircase covered in algae is revealed. The stairs look like the back of a giant serpent, and they go down into a city of dark stone, only the roofs now cresting above the water from the bottom of the sea. On either side, an ominous wall of water is held up by the Nagini’s power. When the Adventurers arrive, they can see Astika quickly slithering down the stairs with a handful of Nagarani’s soldiers barely keeping up after her. As she gets closer to the city, her clothes change, gaining jewel after jewel, and her body gets covered in scales as the ancient Naga power shines through the Chintamani stone of water on her crown. It’s clear that the Nagini has reached her peak powers and the only hope of stopping her is to sneak into Naga-loka and get a hold over the Chintamani stone of the sky. When she enters the city, Astika is greeted by rows of statues representing Naga warriors. She only needs to caress the stones to bring them back to life and under her command. These terrible creatures are Supernatural Enemies who can inflict the Poisoned Feeling. Some particularly powerful individuals could also have the same mind powers as Astika. After walking through a large plaza, the Nagini shapeshifts into a giant cobra and slithers through a narrow opening the Adventurers can’t fit through.

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From now on, her only goal will be to carry out the ceremony and take the Serpent Throne. If she is successful, Naga-loka will rise from the depths of the earth with the entire Naga army. To proceed, the Adventurers need to venture beneath the city by following the stairs that lead them first underwater, then into the damp and eerie chambers of the ancient Naga-loka, where the Naga guards await, together with a multitude of their brethren sill dormant in stone. If the Medium is still with the Adventurers, the Nagas will do anything to capture them and bring them straight to Astika, who will lay them on a stone altar in order to call the spirit of either her mother Manasa or the Red Serpent Takshaka into their body. If she succeeds, the Adventurers will need to fight an additional Extreme Enemy during the final battle. If the Medium is an Adventurer, their Player can fill in Shesha’s Sheet and continue playing as them.

S hesha,

the rebel N aga Shesha can be either a Naga or Nagini, depending on the Players’ wishes. They have the sculpted body of a man or woman that morphs into a long snake tail below the waist. Since they are very old, their face looks more like that of a cobra than a normal human being. When Takshaka killed the Nagaraja Vasuki and stole his crown, a Naga tribe rebelled against him. Among them was Shesha the hunter, who was sealed in stone together with all their kin action after Garuda’s intervention. guts Shesha can only speak Sanskrit and is moved knowledge both by vengeful fury and a strong code of society honor. wild The Naga knows where the Chintamani stone of the sky is held and is willing to help the crime Adventurers, despite knowing that calling upon Garuda a second time could see them turned into stone again. If a Player wants to fill in Shesha’s Sheet, they can, but they’re locked into choosing the Native and Hunk Tags. EPISODE 6

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It’s 12 o’clock Before entering Nagaloka, the Adventurers can set up camp one last time, but doing so will cost them one Hour. If when they set foot on the staircase to Naga-loka the Doomsday Clock is at 12, Astika has already awakened the first Nagas, who wait to ambush the Adventurers (1 Critical Enemy). Irregardless of the result of the fight, a Naga manages to capture the Medium and the Adventurers will have no choice but to face either Manasa or Takshaka.

The city of Naga-loka goes deep underground in a series of flooded rooms and black stone halls decorated with statues of snakes and scenes from Takshaka’s ascent. To follow Shesha to the Treasure room, the Adventurers will need to move both in and out of water. If they fight any Nagas as they are submerged, they have a Disadvantage on every roll. The treasure room is at the heart of a palace which was ravaged by a terrible battle and submerged up to the broken dome at its summit. Here, the Adventurers need to wade through ankle-deep water. In the center, they find what looks like a giant statue representing dozens of Nagas, all coiled around one another in a fierce battle. Most of them have their arms extended, trying to reach the center of the room, while others are fighting against them. At the heart of the fight stands a burly Naga with an arm outstretched to the sky and hopeful eyes, surrounded on every side by evil Nagas with their knives, spears and arrows aimed at him as they try to take him down. In front of him, there’s a statue that’s larger than all others, an imposing and terrifying Naga whose face is contorted in rage and pain as he tries to stop the other one. It is clear these are not simple statues but the petrified bodies of Takshaka and his Nagas, fighting against the nameless hero who defeated them and that the Naga’s hand holds the Chintamani stone of the sky. With his ultimate sacrifice, he called onto Garuda and condemned all Nagas to the same fate, good and evil alike.

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Around the statue there are inscriptions in Sanskrit that seem to have been carved using magic. Shesha explains that by taking the stone to the Serpent Throne and uttering the magic words, the Adventurers can put a stop to the ritual and render the Nagini vulnerable. When the Adventurers get the Chintamani by climbing over the statues, the whole city shudders for a second and all the Nagas instantly know where they are. If Astika chose to awaken Takshaka, it is in this moment that his statue shatters with a crash and a flash of red light. From the statue emerges a scarlet ghost that slithers through the walls to claim his new body. The throne room is wide and majestic, carved from the blackest stone and adorned with gold and giant rubies. The Serpent Throne stands above a stairway, its pedestal carved in the shape of a thousand cobras coiled mid-fight. For the final battle, the Nagini takes the form of a giant cobra with the Chintamani stone in its forehead like a third eye. If she succeeded in awakening either Manasa or Takshaka, the other Naga will also shapeshift into a cobra: purple the former, red the latter. By uttering the words with the Chintamani stone of the sky in one hand, an Adventurer causes a beam of light to break through the ceiling, reaching the clouds above Naga-loka and unleashing a terrible lightning storm. The light blue flashes look like magical eagles that dive through Nagas and turn them into stone. They are strong enough to petrify either Manasa or Takshaka, but can only weaken Astika by returning her to her original form. Now the Adventurers can use Gandhiva to destroy with one final blow the Chintamani stone of water and transform the Nagini into a black stone block. After the battle, the water level lowers and the city sinks again. Before running away, the Adventurers have one last choice to make. By setting the Chintamani stone of the sky on Astika, Manasa or Takshaka’s crown, they can break the curse and bring either Aloki or the Medium back to life. Once they do, the stone grows black and loses all its powers. Another option is to give the stone to Shesha, who is slowly turning into stone. If they do this, the Naga will return to Calcutta and rebuild Garuda’s Sanctuary. Whatever their choice, they must act quickly, as in a few minutes, the city will sink back to the bottom of the sea and disappear forever.

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SCENE 1 – LEGENDARY LOCATION – EXT/NIGHT The LEGENDARY LOCATION opens its doors wide as soon as the SUPERNATURAL MENACE’s power comes close. The Adventurers can watch the scene unfold from a safe distance, the only ones who know that the World needs saving before it’s too late. Attempting to attack the SUPERNATURAL MENACE right now would be madness [IMPOSSIBLE Enemy]. Any Adventurers crazy enough to throw themselves into the fight headfirst can still rely on their lucky star to avoid facing a bitter end. If an Adventurer attacks the SUPERNATURAL MENACE, they lose 3 Luck Points directly as someone intervenes before they do irreparable harm. They might not even realize on their own that it’s a hopeless attempt. To get into the LEGENDARY LOCATION, the Adventurers have to keep their distance as they sneak behind the SUPERNATURAL MENACE [BASIC Challenge]. Otherwise, they might even find an unguarded secondary entrance [CRITICAL Challenge]. Beyond the doors of the LEGENDARY LOCATION, the SUPERNATURAL MENACE disappears to reach the place of the LONG RITUAL, and their servants are left with orders to keep the intruders away and avoid hindrances. Luckily for the Adventurers, the LONG RITUAL gives them time enough, although they’ll still have to get to the TREASURE if they want to defeat the SUPERNATURAL MENACE. There are four pairs of servants patrolling the area beyond the door to the LEGENDARY LOCATION. These guards can be completely avoided [EXTREME Challenge] or sneakily taken out [1 CRITICAL Challenge for each pair]. If the Adventurers are spotted or take a misstep, a fight is inevitable [1 CRITICAL Enemy for each pair]. After avoiding or defeating the guards, the Adventurers can go further into the LEGENDARY LOCATION and keep searching for the TREASURE as the SUPERNATURAL MENACE finalizes preparations for the LONG RITUAL.

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SCENE 2 – LEGENDARY LOCATION – INT/NIGHT Further in, the LEGENDARY LOCATION is not patrolled by simple servants: there are CREATURES that the SUPERNATURAL MENACE awoke or controls. The mere sight of the CREATURES could be enough to make even Adventurers feel TERRIFIED if they fail to keep their Cool [CRITICAL Challenge]. The first encounter with the CREATURES is a terrible ambush for the Adventurers as they’re attacked suddenly [2 CRITICAL Enemies]. Any Adventurer who’s less than vigilant [BASIC Challenge] will have a Disadvantage in the first round of combat. After the Adventurers defeat the Enemies, when two Adventurers are Out of Luck, or when one of them uses a Luck Coin, the floor collapses under their feet and everyone falls to a lower floor. They end in an almost completely impassable section of the LEGENDARY LOCATION, either because it’s collapsed, underwater or suspended over the void. Any Adventurer failing to find a grip on something to slow their fall [CRITICAL Challenge] will end up in the dangerous zone of the room and act with a Disadvantage so long as they’re there. If they succeed, they will either fall over one of the few free areas or find solid footing. The CREATURES, who fall from above or are alerted by the noise, are divided. A group will attack the Adventurers in the safe area [3 BASIC Enemies] and the other will attack those in the dangerous zone [3 BASIC Enemies]. During the fight or once all Enemies are defeated, an Adventurer can also notice there are several prisoners chained to the room walls, one of whom still looks alive. The ALLY will immediately show whose side they’re on by using their chains to choke the last CREATURE left standing, then they ask the Adventurers to be freed. After picking the lock [CRITICAL Challenge] or breaking the chains [EXTREME Challenge] the Adventurers can free the ALLY, who tells them the only way to stop the SUPERNATURAL MENACE is to use the TREASURE. Luckily the ALLY also knows where to find the TREASURE, telling the Adventurers they’ll lead the way through the LEGENDARY LOCATION. The LEGENDARY LOCATION is swarming with CREATURES, but the ALLY manages to guide the Adventurers undetected through their patrols.

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After making a long way through room after corridor and enemy ambushes, the ALLY points the Adventurers to a secret passage to the TREASURE. Not too far from the passage, there’s a small altar with an extremely valuable Traditional weapon is exhibited as if in a museum [2 Wealth Points if sold]. A couple of CREATURES are patrolling the room, but sneaking in and stealing the artifact without being noticed is relatively easy. If an Adventurer wants to take the weapon through stealth [CRITICAL Challenge], they risk finding themselves stuck behind the altar as the CREATURES walk towards them, still unaware [CRITICAL Enemy]. The weapon isn’t placed on a trap, but an Adventurer with the right technological know-how [EXTREME Challenge] can notice it is tied to a strange mechanism. Taking it will irreparably close the secret passage, separating the people who’ve come through from anyone who remained back, as well as closing in all those who are on the threshold, ALLY included. The same mechanism opens a second passage and the Adventurers have no other choice but to continue, even if separated. The two passages divide the Adventurers from their Enemies, giving them a Break while both leading to the TREASURE. In the first corridor, the ALLY explains to the Adventurers they’ll have to pass three traps with a cryptic Clue. ALLY Pilgrims proceed With closed fists With closed eyes With closed hearts The ALLY doesn’t know how to interpret the Clue, but they’re certain of one thing: better to face those than whatever is in the second passage. Continuing together with the ALLY, the Adventurers come to a long corridor with walls covered in jewels and precious artifacts that are actually all perfect imitations. At the end of the corridor there’s a portal with seven handles and seven levers on each side.

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If an Adventurer touches an artifact, lever or handle, the trap is set off, and the ceiling starts to loom lower and lower. The only way to escape is to stop the mechanism [EXTREME Challenge] or to break through the door [EXTREME Danger]. To pass the corridor safe and sound, the Adventurers need to follow the first part of the Clue and keep their fists closed. They must touch nothing and, when they come up to the door, simply knock. The door will swing right open to reveal the second room. Meanwhile, the Adventurers in the second passage are just faced with an endless series of stairs. After successfully passing the first trap, the Adventurers come to the second room, where they see a large stone disk representing a face with the eyes wide open in their direction and mouth agape. Inside the mouth, hidden in complete darkness, is a small lever. If an Adventurer puts their arm into the mouth to pull the lever, they come face to face with the empty stone eyes. As soon as they pull the lever, the mouth springs shut, almost cutting their hand off [CRITICAL Danger] and the face starts crying. Jets of water hit the Adventurer in the face and quickly flood the room. Once again to succeed against this trap the Adventurers need to follow the Clue and close the eyes of the statue while ignoring the lever. To do so, they just have to put a finger into the empty pupils and push to turn them around. This sets off a mechanism that will open a secret exit. Any Adventurer who knows the Culture [CRITICAL Challenge] will recognize the stone face to be the one of a blind mythological character, thus receiving additional information to solve the trap. If the room starts flooding the Adventurers have one last chance to close the eyes, scrambling out by the skin of their teeth [CRITICAL Danger]. Otherwise, they’ll have to hold their breath as they look for another way out [2 CRITICAL Dangers]. Meanwhile, the Adventurers in the other passage are still going down the endless staircase. However, they are now flanked by paintings or etchings on the walls representing scenes of war and massacres in front of a savage god. An Adventurer who is Cultured enough [CRITICAL Challenge] can notice that the one represented as a god is actually a huge CREATURE and

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the victims of the massacre are actually sacrifices to it. The etchings tell of a trial only the bravest warriors can face and of the “Red threshold” they have to walk through to reach it. This is an important Clue that will soon turn out to be instrumental to their success. The last room is completely dark, and the Adventurers will need to walk through blindly. First, they lose track of the ALLY, then they involuntary end up separated from the others until each of them is alone, surrounded by magical silence. Each Adventurer sees a small light at the end of the room, emanating from a mirror. But on the other side of the mirror they won’t see their reflection, but an image of a loved one, trying to persuade them to give up on the TREASURE. Each Adventurer will need to face this magical reflection putting their hand on the glass and asking them the same thing. A steadfast Adventurer [CRITICAL Leadership Challenge] can avoid falling for the deception and close their heart to the reflection’s plea. If they fail, however, they’ll have to comply. If an Adventurer lays his hand on the reflection, the mirror will show a monstrous creature trying to grab them, dragging them through the mirror [CRITICAL Danger], and if they fail, the Adventurer feels SHOCKED or SCARED. Adventurers who don’t fall for the trap and break the mirror can proceed to a lit room from where they can smash the other mirrors and free their friends. Once all the mirrors are broken, the Adventurers reunite with the ALLY and they reach the antechamber that will lead to the TREASURE. As the Adventurers face the three trials, those who were stuck in the second passage reach the end of the stairs and are faced with a red threshold, beyond which a huge room opens up. If an Adventurer learned the Clue, they’ll know that it’s best not to step on that threshold; otherwise, they’ll subconsciously put a foot there. Inside the room there’s a huge CREATURE with absolutely no ability to think, just waiting to attack the Adventurers. Luckily it’s chained up and can’t move freely [3 CRITICAL Enemies]. But if someone stepped on the red threshold, the beast is set free from the chains and it can fight with all its might [1 EXTREME Enemy + 1 BASIC Enemy].

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SCENE 3 – THRONE ROOM – INT/NIGHT After passing the traps and trials or defeating the CREATURE, the Adventurers can reconvene in the TREASURE room, where they can clearly see the item they’ve been seeking. In front of this beautiful vision, the Adventurers can take a Break. The ALLY or other clues in the room will reveal to the Adventurers how to use the TREASURE to defeat the SUPERNATURAL MENACE or interrupt the LONG RITUAL, this time with no additional riddles or traps to complicate matters. An Adventurer can just extend their hand to grasp the TREASURE they’ve so long coveted, but as soon as they do it a small shudder goes through the air, reaching the SUPERNATURAL MENACE. The SUPERNATURAL MENACE can’t stop the LONG RITUAL, but its rage is clear, as it sends a swarm of CREATURES to stop the Adventurers once and for all. The TREASURE room is assaulted by CREATURES wielding deadly Traditional weapons or monstrous natural weapons [3 BASIC Enemies]. The Adventurer with the TREASURE also needs to be careful not to lose it [+1 BASIC Danger]. Any Adventurers fighting without a weapon have a Disadvantage as a growing number of CREATURES swarms them. As the Enemies are killed, the Adventurers can use a Basic Success to take their weapons and fight with them. For each Enemy the Adventurers defeat, another one appears, and the fight looks endless. The only way they have to reach the SUPERNATURAL MENACE is to run from the CREATURES with a Disadvantage. But if the Adventurers manage to lose the first wave [10 BASIC Enemies], they have a few seconds before the CREATURES reach them, and can try to escape without a Disadvantage. After escaping the swarm, the Adventurers can bar the way behind them and continue without other impediments to the room where the SUPERNATURAL MENACE is about to finish the LONG RITUAL.

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SCENE 4 – RITUAL ROOM – INT/NIGHT In the ritual room, the SUPERNATURAL MENACE is declaiming an ancient litany and is ready to finish the LONG RITUAL. If the Adventurers don’t stop it immediately, they might never have another chance. Those who manage to sneak in [BASIC Challenge] will go unnoticed by the SUPERNATURAL MENACE, but any failure will attract the attention of the few CREATURES who have remained to guard the ritual room from intruders. Each Adventurer who’s been spotted will need to face a CREATURE [1 BASIC Enemy] and, as usual, whoever has the TREASURE runs the risk of losing it [+1 BASIC Danger]. When all the CREATURES have been defeated, the SUPERNATURAL MENACE is forced to interrupt the ritual to face the Adventurers on its own [EXTREME Enemy]. Using the TREASURE to render the SUPERNATURAL MENACE vulnerable will require the Adventurer holding it to use three turns to recite the formula, take aim at the menace or take whatever steps necessary. The three turns don’t need to be consecutive, but each of them needs to be carried out without losing Luck. If all the Adventurers managed to sneak in without interrupting the LONG RITUAL, after the second round of the TREASURE activation, the SUPERNATURAL MENACE will notice them and send some capable servants to attack whoever has the TREASURE [2 CRITICAL Enemies]. If the Enemies are defeated the SUPERNATURAL MENACE will enter the fray itself, and if the TREASURE is successfully used, all Enemies but the SUPERNATURAL MENACE are immediately dealt with and the ritual is stopped. With the TREASURE, the Adventurers can strip the SUPERNATURAL MENACE of its powers to face it as any other Enemy. After defeating the SUPERNATURAL MENACE, the ritual is broken and the magic permeating the LEGENDARY LOCATION dissipates. Victory gives the Adventurers a well-deserved Break. The TREASURE is lost or destroyed after being used by the Adventurers and they have to deal with it. Alternatively, they can take it with them, still running the risk of losing it [+1 BASIC Danger] since from now on it’s no longer a Key Item.

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Apparently, the LEGENDARY LOCATION was being held together by the SUPERNATURAL MENACE’s powers, or maybe the final battle shook it so deeply that now the entire structure is crumbling and the Adventurers will have to hurry out of there if they don’t want to be trapped under the rubble [CRITICAL Danger]. After leaving the ritual room, the Adventurers have to run through corridors literally crumbling under their feet until the destruction seems to take up speed faster than their legs, forcing them to jump in the void, looking for some miracle handhold if they don’t want to fall to their bitter end [2 CRITICAL Dangers]. Even with the abyss behind them, the Adventurers can’t celebrate their victory yet, as they’re still running as crumbling walls and falling ceilings come from all directions [3 BASIC Dangers]. All this just to be thrown out of the frying pan and into the gaping abyss that suddenly opens underneath them [CRITICAL Danger]. From there on the Adventurers just slip helplessly down and down as the LEGENDARY LOCATION falls apart [3 BASIC Dangers] to finally reach the ground. Just one last effort separates them from safety as the LEGENDARY LOCATION disappears and the way through snaps closed in front of them, with a last cinematic leap [CRITICAL Danger] making the difference between life and death. After surviving the destruction of the LEGENDARY LOCATION, the Adventurers realize they successfully defeated the SUPERNATURAL MENACE. They may even get to take the TREASURE, as well as some other souvenirs of their Adventure, with them. What’s for sure is that as they feel peace and quiet fall around them, the Adventurers can take a Break and finally add the word “end” to a very eventful chapter of their lives. End of the Episode.

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Hall Of Fame Adriano Delle Donne as Adrian Nash Alessio Scaccioni as Alex “ Mimmo” Stacciani Andrea Garrone as Adohorn, il Collezionista Bernardo Tacchini as Bernard “Bernie” Beauregarde Daniel Mulato as Sir Daniel Montague III Fabio Maria Piacentini as Fabius “Harlock” Teller Francesco Chirico as Francis Clarke Francesco Panitti as Francisco “Sisco” Navarro Giacomo Petrucci as Sir William Charles Briggs Giorgio Giuliani as George “Jay” Dreamer Iacopo Ciardelli as The Magnificent Manaraja Paolo Pigozzi as Paul McBear Sabrina Normani as Filomela Redmiller

T h an ks

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Luigi Coccia, Lukas Kreis, Luke, Lyttleton L Callender, MAC, Mack Schmaltz, Madita, Manlio, Manuel Raza, Marcel Hauptmann, Marco, Marco Camin, Marcus Overtoom, Mario Gauthier, Mark, Mark, Mark Finn, Mark Mekkes, Mark Solino, Mark Tresidder, Markus “Rhylthar” Busse, Markus Plötz, Martin, Martin Legg, Martin Průcha, Martin Rosales, Marty Chodorek, Marvin Langenberg, Mateusz, Matt, Matt Blanchet, Matt Good, Matt Gregory, Matt Holzman, Matt Martinez, Matt Sherman, Matt Wester, Matteo, Matthew B, Matthew Gray, Matthias Bolte, Matthias Janßen, MauriCave, Mauro Longo, Max Moraes, Max Motherway, Maxime Lemaire, MetalBeowulf89, Mgallimore, Michael Knoerzer, Michael Kosmatka, Michael Peter, Michael Schwartz, Michael Stevens, Microberust, Mike F., Mike Ratliff, Mike Trisevic, Mike Welham, Mirco, Miyagiyoda, MK, MMR, MoDragonf lies, MOLINET Régis, Mollie E. Reeder, Mr.Float, Murray Smith, naaba, Nasekunibert, Neale Carter, Nessalantha, Nicholas Clements, Nicholas Robinson, Nick Hopkins, Nicki, Nicolas “Gulix” Ronvel, Nicolò, nilo_core, Obstacle Kid, Oliver Korpilla, Ols Jonas Petter Olsson, Owlglass, P Tracy, pairatime, paolo0083, Patrice Mermoud, Patrick Alan DeMinico, Patrick Flood III, Patrick Romanet, Patrick Schwieren, Patrick Spedding, Paul, Paul Ippolito, Pedro R. Martínez Pérez, Peter Hollinghurst, Peter Lapp, peterwallis, PHedrick, Philip S. Bolger, Phillip Bailey, Phillip McGregor, Piergiuseppe, Pierre Waldfried, Pietro Federico Vergani, PPanda Piriya, Puchisty, Puckett, Questor Thorn, QuirkyAI, R.G., R1artwork, Randall Wall, Randall Wright, randomcitizenx, Rebecca Curran, Rebekkah, René Schultze, Rennarda, Revyl, Richard Barnhouse, Richard Bilsker, Ricky Broome, Rob Wieland, Robert Bull, Robert Cavric, Robert Cosplay, Robert Davis, Robert Murray, Robertgadling, Robineau Olivier, Ross, Ross Nendick, Ross Salerno, Runeslinger, Ryan Bond, Ryan Lester Isaacson, Sablons Paul, Sam Benke, Sam Blanchard, Sam Hing, Sam Steingart, Samantha Leigh, Samuel Larsén, Sandor, Sandrine FOUNGUI, Sarah, Sarah Dillon, Sarah Filkorn, Sarah Hayward,Sarah Williams, Scalpyonekenobi, Schaeffer Tolliver, Scott, Scott Allen, Scott D, Forsyth, Scott Maynard, Scott Rhymer, Sean Donnelly, Sean Jack, Sean McConeghy, Sean Nicolson, Sean Veira, Sean Walsh, Sebastian D., Sebastian Kehrle, Sebastian Padilla, secondrevan, Shane Stewart, Sheogorath, Sheri Bryan, Simon Boris Danielsen Christensen, Simone

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