Through The Breach - Penny Dreadful One Shot - Voyage To The Moon [PDF]

Zitiervorschau

THROUGH THE BREACH BOOKS Core Rules Into the Steam Under Quarantine Into the Bayou Above the Law

THROUGH THE BREACH ADVENTURES In Defense of Innocence Northern Aggression A Night in Rottenburg Nythera The Bayou Games Fire in the Sky A Stitch in Time Northern Sedition The Obsidian Gate Days Without Accident

Wyrd Miniatures, LLC | wyrd-games.net

Customer Service - http://www.wyrd-games.net/contact This book is printed under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Contents copyright ©2005-2020, Wyrd Miniatures, LLC. All rights reserved. This book is a work of fiction; any resemblance to organizations, places, events, or actual persons – living or dead – is purely coincidental. Copies of materials herein are intended solely for your personal, non-commercial use, only if you preserve any associated copyrights, trademarks, or other notices. Wyrd Miniatures, LLC holds exclusive rights to this work. Unauthorized duplication is prohibited. You may not distribute copies to others for a charge or other consideration without prior written consent of the owner of the materials except for review purposes only. MALIFAUX is a trademark of Wyrd Miniatures, LLC 2005-2020. The Wyrd logo, the MALIFAUX logo, the Through the Breach logo, the Penny Dreadful logo, and all related character names, places, and things are trademarks and copyright ©2005-2020 Wyrd Miniatures, LLC. First published: August 2020. THROUGH THE BREACH - PENNY DREADFUL ONE SHOT: VOYAGE TO THE MOON

This text is protected by the copyright laws of the United States of America. Contents copyright © 2005-2020, Wyrd Miniatures, LLC. All rights reserved. This book is a work of fiction; any resemblance to organizations, places, events, or actual persons - living or dead – is purely coincidental. Copies of materials herein are intended solely for your personal, non-commercial use, only if you preserve any associated copyrights, trademarks, or other notices. Wyrd Miniatures, LLC holds exclusive rights to this work. Unauthorized duplication is prohibited. You may not distribute copies to others for a charge or other consideration without prior written consent of the owner of the materials except for review purpose only. MALIFAUX is a trademark of Wyrd Miniatures, LLC 2005-2020. The Wyrd logo, the MALIFAUX logo, the Through the Breach logo, the Penny Dreadful logo, The Other Side logo, and all related character names, places, and things are trademarks and copyright © 2005-2020 Wyrd Miniatures, LLC. The Malifaux game system is patent pending, serial no. 12/821,427.

CREDITS CR E AT I V E DIR ECT ION

Nathan Caroland WRITING

Paul Lippincott & Matthew Majarucon EDITING

Kyle Rowan TTB LOGO ARTIST

Patrick Guinane ART

Hardy Fowler, Nguyen Mai Diem, Alyssa Menold, Bram Sels, & Carlo Spagnola GR APHIC DE SIGN & L AYOU T

John Cason

2

CONTENTS ADV EN T UR E Prologue: Visit Scenic Delios.......................................................................4 Scene One: Book the Trip...........................................................................6 Scene Two: Arrive in Style...........................................................................9 Scene Three: See the Sights.......................................................................11 Scene Four: Enjoy the Night Life...............................................................14 Scene Five: Thanks for Visiting.................................................................18 Epilogue: Home Again...............................................................................20 Appendix....................................................................................................21 FAT EM A ST ER C H AR ACT ER S Professor James Vernon.............................................................................24 Millicent Welles..........................................................................................25 Moon Beast................................................................................................26 Deliosan Hunter.........................................................................................27 Deliosan Shaman.......................................................................................28

3

T

he Fated are offered the unprecedented opportunity to explore a moon of Malifaux. The journey is fraught with danger, and the world they discover is not what they expect to find.

Instead, an impatient page ushers you into a cramped side-room off a dusty, secondary corridor. Daylight reluctantly illuminates the space, no doubt unimpressed by the scent of old tobacco, old whiskey, and even older men.

PROLOGUE

A youngish woman sitting at a table stacked with books looks up, quite surprised to see you. Her huge glasses make her eyes look even bigger, and she blows a strand of frizzy hair out of her face.

Visit Scenic Delios The Fated receive word of a job offer: some kook at the Malifaux Exploration Society is recruiting for an expedition that’s either insane or suicidal. Strangely, details about the job are rather vague. Read the following: The Vanguard Hall at the Malifaux Exploration Society is undiscovered country for most members. Entry into that hallowed space is permitted only to those the Explorer’s Society recognizes as great pioneers (or greatly wealthy). But today, as the doors of that grand hall swing open, you realize that you… will not be going in either.

4

“Are you… here for the job?” she asks tentatively, then shakes her head and stands. “Sorry, yes. Of course you are, or they wouldn’t have even let you into the building. Sorry, it’s just that we’ve had so few respondents and they’ve all been… reluctant. So maybe you…” As she talks, she sidesteps over to the only door and locks it. You’re not sure whether it’s to keep people out or keep you in. She takes a deep breath and launches into what is clearly a prepared speech.

a dv e n t u r e

“Please, let me start again. I’m Millicent Welles, and I represent an entrepreneurial enterprise which, thanks to incredible technological advances, stands on the cusp of—” “Oh, what ho!” The new voice comes from beyond the back of an armchair you thought was empty. A spry old man stands up, wispy hair wrapped like a cloud around his head. “I am Doctor James Vernon,” he announces. “Professor

emeritus and fellow at Oxford University—no, not that one, the other one. The good one, in England. I am going to the moon, and if you value fame and adventure, you’ll come with me. The sign-up forms are there on the table.” If the Fated refuse, Professor Vernon sadly nods and says, “I understand.” He and Millicent quickly usher the Fated out. Before they can say another word, the doors slam shut, knockers in the style of the Explorer’s Society sigil clattering against the wood. The Fated are welcome to meander around the Society for a time before they’re escorted out; “visitors” are rarely allowed without a guide to ensure the safety and integrity of the exhibits. Should the Fated accept, or even just show interest, it takes a moment to register with Millicent and the Professor. They’ve had so many refusals that they don’t expect a positive response. Continue to Scene One.

a dv e n t u r e

5

SCENE ONE

Book the Trip Malifaux actually has two moons: bright Illios and dark Delios. Little is known about either. Delios, the Dark Stone, is associated with magic and deceit and features prominently in Neverborn rituals. It is treated as a harbinger of misfortune. Illios, its twin, appears much later in the evening. It is the Revealer, named for the light it casts upon the dark night. More information on these moons can be found in Into the Steam, pg. 10. Read the following: Professor Vernon unrolls a bizarre map: mountains ripple across a landscape that looks like it has been blasted by a thousand giant bullets. Parts seem smooth as glass, but other regions look like some celestial flame made the ground run like candle wax. Everything shares the same murky greenish color. The Professor explains, “This is Malifaux’s moon Delios, sometimes called the ‘Dark Stone’. I have constructed a craft that can journey to this strange world, bringing explorers keen to seek out whatever new life or civilizations might be there. I just need those with the courage to… ah…”

How are we getting there/back? “Ah! I’ve built a vehicle that flies like those wonderful Three Kingdoms fireworks, but without the big boom at the end. Hopefully.” The Professor launches into details too technical for most to understand (see The Capsule, pg. 7). What should we bring? “Only the necessities! Weight is an issue. Too heavy and we’ll run out of fuel. Nothing frivolous—this is not a grand day out! Well, it will be, but you get my point.” Millicent gives further guidance: weapons and personal gear should minimal, though Vernon expects everything should still work properly on the moon. Fated can bring subordinate characters, though anyone Living will need a moon suit. What do we get paid? “Well, I suppose I could name a mountain after you but a whole range is definitely out of the question.” At this point, Millicent steps in. All the money is tied up in the expedition but Fated can keep anything valuable they find on Delios, provided they donate a sample of their discovery for examination (or collect a finder’s fee off any extras). She also offers probationary membership in the Explorer’s Society. As full members, Professor Vernon and Millicent can sponsor applications (although any application submitted by Millicent will also require a fee from the Fated, as her position in the Society is not as high as Vernon’s).

“Bravely go where none have gone before,” Millicent adds. “Yes, exactly!” Professor Vernon cries, then turns back to you. “Well, go ahead, ask your questions. I’m sure you’re quite full to burst with them!”

Here are some sample questions and how the Professor might respond. Why Delios? “It’s dark and mysterious—the perfect destination for a scientific expedition. Besides, I can see Illios clearly through my telescope and frankly, it looks boring.” What’s it like on Delios? “Don’t ask me. Never been there. But I suspect it may not have air, at least not like Malifaux or Earth. I have protective ‘moon suits’ to wear, just in case anyone needs to breathe.” Are there any threats? “No idea. Come prepared! Delios is still Malifaux, so I expect everything will either try to eat you or steal your soul.” Is there water or food? “Maybe, but how would I know? We’re bringing our own supplies, which I have already acquired, just in case.”

6

EXPLOR ER’S SOCIET Y MEMBERSHIP Fatemasters can define exactly what membership entails, but the Society’s chief resource is knowledge. No organization knows as much about Malifaux, arguably not even the Guild. The Society’s libraries and archives could grant + to research-related Challenges. Margins of Success allow the Fated to learn additional things normally impossible to discover (at the Fatemaster’s discretion). There are no fees for this basic membership; members pay their dues by contributing knowledge and artifacts to the Society’s ever-growing collections, or might even nab a finder’s fee for particularly intriguing artifacts. Probationary members gain full membership by successfully undertaking a Society-sponsored expedition (and paying the exorbitant entrance costs).

a dv e n t u r e

Professor Vernon doesn’t care if the Fated are not human or not living (“More air for the rest of us!”). Millicent will help conceal those who cannot pass as human while they are at the launch site camp. In the morning, the Fated leave for the launch site camp at the edge of the Badlands.

Launch Site It takes the Fated three days to arrive at the camp, travelling by train and wagon well beyond civilization. Read the following: A smokestack in the distance marks the end of the long journey to reach the launch camp. Around you, soft sand hills covered in scrub roll lazily to the horizon. The closest town is a day’s travel eastward. It’s only during the last mile that you realize the smokestack is the barrel of a massive cannon, easily 50 yards long and surprisingly wide. A crew works on various mechanisms near the base. The Professor seems pleased. “My friends, we are just one big,” he stops, swirling his finger high in the air before making a little explosion noise, “away from making history!”

When the Fated arrive, things move very quickly. They see the Capsule and get fitted for moon suits; these events should be played as vignettes against a backdrop of activity building up to a night launch just a day or two later.

The Capsule Professor Vernon is delighted to show off the Capsule. Read the following: Professor Vernon’s flying vehicle looks like a massive bullet sitting atop large, round, metal containers and giant pistons attached to a thick metal plate. The Professor gleefully points out this and that, but the words tumbling out of his mouth only slightly resemble English. Still, you understand that the round containers hold fuel and the pistons are part of a system to keep you from being compressed to paste when the Capsule is shot from the launch cannon. Portholes dot the walls, doing little to illuminate the dark, cramped interior. Professor Vernon turns a dial and Soulstone dust lanterns flare to life, revealing reinforced seats which all face inward. Racks and equipment cupboards line the walls, and several fiendishly complicated instruments surround the largest seat. The only device you recognize is an aethervox—quite powerful, by the look of it.

Two more identical Capsules sit nearby. The Professor confirms that all three are fully functional and “ready to go”. Should the Fated ask why the cannon is necessary, the Professor explains that the Capsule can’t carry enough fuel for a round trip. The cannon shoots the Capsule to Delios, and then burns its fuel to return home.

Lunar Fashion Show Millicent invites the Fated to don their moon suits. Read the following: The moon suit looks like a deep-sea diving outfit: a heavily rubberized canvas body suit with armored boots and a massive helmet. However, a hose connects the helmet to a backpack-mounted steel cylinder. Milly gives it a tap. “That’s an air canister,” she says. “Air, under pressure, slowly released into the helmet. It should let you breathe for around 6 hours. It can be easily exchanged for a fresh canister.”

a dv e n t u r e

7

“But that’s not the best part—this is!” Professor Vernon’s voice rings hollowly out of the empty helmet, and you realize there’s a remarkably small aethervox inside. “It is fairly short range,” Milly adds. “A dozen yards, so don’t wander too far apart.” “Who wants to get all dolled up first?” invites Professor Vernon.

Millicent does not offer moon suits to constructs. Undead Fated technically don’t need suits either but may want them to help pass as human.

MOON SUITS The Vernon & Welles Full-Body Lunar Exploration Protection Suit (patent pending), usually simplified to ‘moon suit’ will help the Fated traverse the depths of space. A moon suit comes in two pieces: the helmet, and the suit itself. While wearing the full suit, the wearer gains Armor +1. So long as the air lasts and they are wearing the helmet, the wearer is also immune to the Suffocating Condition and any Poison Condition caused by a toxic gas. The Capsule carries extra air canisters for each moon suit. Swapping an air canister in Dramatic Time is a (2) Action.

Launch The big day is finally here! Read the following: Night is fully upon you. In the east, Delios climbs above the horizon, and the launch camp becomes a frenzy of activity. It’s time to board the Capsule. As you stride towards the craft in your moon suits, there is a flash as a photographer takes a picture and then hastily reloads for another shot. “Pictures—can you imagine!” Professor Vernon crows, then leans in and whispers, “I told them to come and document this historic moment for the papers. Try to look determined and purposeful!” You reach the Capsule, and one by one strap yourselves into the reinforced chairs with Professor Vernon taking the largest. With everyone secured, the hatch is closed and locked. The Capsule rocks gently as it is moved into the breach of the launch cannon. There is a final clank, and then the only noise is the clicking of the countdown clock. Three… Two… One… Zero…

Unfortunately, any Fated wearing the helmet suffer - to Notice Challenges thanks to their limited view. Fated with natural or built-in weapons cannot use them while wearing the suit but can talk freely to one another thanks to the built-in aethervoxes.

After an excruciating moment… nothing happens.

The suit is resilient, but it gets punctured if a Fated takes Severe damage. The Fated immediately suffers from any Suffocating any Poison Condition environmental effects. Repairing the suit requires a TN 10 Artefacting Challenge. If failed, this Challenge can be repeated until it is successful.

The Capsule rings with a deafening noise. A hammerblow force from below slams your chairs up. You fly into the heavens. The last thing you hear is Vernon whooping in excitement before you succumb to unconsciousness.

“Well, this is embarrassing,” Professor Vernon says through his moon suit aethervox. “Perhaps Milly left the parking brake on--”

Moon suits also have built in storage compartments, similar to backpacks. See Take Anything That Isn’t Broken, pg. 9, for more information.

8

a dv e n t u r e

SCENE TWO

Take Anything That Isn’t Broken

The Fated are still on Malifaux but should be led to believe they are on Delios. Fatemasters should be careful to avoid spoiling the surprise.

The landing dislodged most of the equipment. The Capsule isn’t small, but the Fated need to crawl past one another and try to figure out what is salvageable before they leave. This requires several different Skill checks. The amount of useable equipment is given in “spaces” so Fated can figure out what they can carry. Each moon suit has two spaces to carry supplies.

Arrive in Style The launch cannon misfired, sending the Capsule deeper into the Badlands. A rough landing detonated the fuel tanks and propelled the Capsule down through the fragile rock into a cave network, with the entrance tunnel immediately collapsing. The Fated are alive only because of Vernon’s rugged design.

Good News Read the following: “Oh, we’re all dead! …Oh, wait. I can see you moving. And I’m moving, what luck! Looks like we’ll be fine.”

Supplies: TN 8 Culinary or Wilderness Challenge. If successful, enough food and water is recovered to sustain each Living character for up to 5 days if severely rationed. A failure reduces it to 2 days. The supplies occupy 1 space per Fated. If the Challenge fails, the supplies instead occupy 1/2 of a space. Air Canisters: TN 8 Alchemistry or Artefacting Challenge. If successful, the Fated salvage an extra two air canisters per moon-suited character, or half that on a failure. Every canister occupies 1/2 of a space.

Professor Vernon sounds perfectly calm, but the Capsule’s interior sits in near-total darkness, with broken equipment and gear scattered everywhere. No light enters through the portholes. Surprisingly, the Capsule seems to have kept you all safe and sound. The Professor gestures around awkwardly and announces, “Well, for better or worse—no, definitely worse, from the state of things. I mean, look at the place… Sorry, what was I saying? Blasted seat restraints! I refuse to be imprisoned by some fiendish buckle! What? Was I saying something important? Oh, yes, I was! For better or worse, it seems we have arrived at Delios!”

The Fated are still strapped into their seats, with their moon suits intact. Despite the wreckage, the Fated can make a TN 10 Artefacting or Engineering Challenge to confirm the Capsule is in good shape from the inside. Shining a Soulstone lantern through a porthole reveals only thick, swirling dust. Should Fated decide to go outside, Professor Vernon yells “No!” and dramatically intervenes. He explains that the air outside could be deadly, if there even is any air. He suggests doing an inventory of undamaged supplies first, going outside only when ready. He then tries to lead the Fated in a rousing sing-along of a little ditty he composed (“we’re off to walk around on the moon, do do do do, do do do!) to raise their spirits.

a dv e n t u r e

9

Equipment: TN 8 Artefacting, Engineering, or Homesteading Challenge. If successful, the Fated find enough gear to create two Athletics Toolkits specifically for climbing. Each toolkit occupies 1/2 of a space. Regardless of success, the Fated’s personal gear is intact and useable, and there is one Soulstone lantern per 2 Fated to provide light (though the Soulstone dust within cannot be used or removed). The Fated also discover that the Capsule’s instruments are destroyed except for the powerful aethervox and its batteries. It works, but it receives only static.

Distress Call The cave walls block the aethervox signal. If the Fated get the aethervox outside, they should be able to contact Millicent. Professor Vernon plans to have her shoot an empty Capsule to Delios as a way home. The aethervox and its batteries can be removed from the Capsule with a TN 10 Artefacting or Engineering Challenge. If the check is failed, the aethervox breaks during removal. Repairs require a TN 10 Artefacting Challenge and an hour of work. On a failure the Challenge can be repeated, taking another hour. Fatemasters should note that Vernon is quite handy, and his Engineering Prodigy Talent will be very useful as the adventure progresses. The aethervox takes up 2 spaces by itself. Characters with less than Might 1 attempting to carry the aethervox suffer Speed and Walk -1, cannot Charge, and increase the TN of all Acrobatics Challenges by +2.

G R AV I T Y- F R E E F I T N E S S To help move the aethervox and other equipment, the Fated can carry them in packs built into their moon suits. If the Fated want to carry more items than they have space, they are free to do so. A Fated can carry 1/2 of a space worth of supplies in each arm, but they cannot wield weapons or perform tasks that would require two hands. A Fated carrying more than 1/2 of a space worth of supplies increases the TN of all Expertise and Training Skills by +2.

10

One Small Step With the inventory complete, Professor Vernon is ready to step outside. Fated who need moon suits are “on the clock” the moment they exit the Capsule. Each air canister lasts 6 hours before it must be replaced. Suited Fated should track what they use. Just as the Fated get to the Capsule hatch, Professor Vernon yells, “Wait! It’s very important we decide who exits the Capsule first, as that person will be the first to set foot on Delios!” He waits expectantly, an eager smile visible through the visor of his moon suit. The Fated can choose whatever order they wish. Vernon grumbles loudly if he isn’t first or second. Just as the Fated get to the Capsule hatch again, Professor Vernon yells, “Wait! I brought a flag! We have to plant a flag!” It takes a TN 8 Notice Challenge to find it. The flag features the Malifaux Explorer’s Society sigil, along with his own personal motto in script beneath (“Science is made of mistakes, so let us only discover the useful ones”). He becomes deeply saddened if the flag cannot be found. Just as the Fated finally reach the Capsule hatch again, Professor Vernon yells, “Wait! Woops, sorry. Old habit. Continue, continue.” When the Fated are ready, read the following: The hatch slowly swings open. Thick dust swirls, though it seems to be settling. The only light sources here are yours. You all exit the Capsule slowly, shining lights this way and that. The ground feels firm and beneath the dirt is solid rock. Remarkably, you seem to be in a cavern. Rainbow-hued stone arches high overhead and back down in the distance. It seems the Capsule crashed through a wall, which then collapsed behind it. Professor Vernon speaks up, “I have a small speech prepared for this auspicious occasion. I…” He begins to pat the belly of his moon suit. “Drat! It’s in my vest pocket! Hm, I’ll just improvise. Someone record this for posterity. I… Uh… On behalf of… all humankind… Say, that’s not bad! One of you write that down!” Vernon continues rambling on, misguided but genuinely enthused about his impromptu speech.

a dv e n t u r e

The Cavern It takes 30 minutes to explore the cavern and prepare for the exploration. While the Fated work, Professor Vernon opens a small phial and extracts the single strip of paper it contains. This “canary paper” becomes yellow if the air is breathable, red if not. The paper turns so red it appears black due to “Bad Air” (pg. 11). The Capsule: The passenger section is intact, but the rear half (with the rocket to get everyone home) is gone. Fated who make a successful TN 10 Explosives Challenge determine that the fuel containers exploded. This Capsule won’t ever fly again. The Cavern: It is large but empty. One end exits to a network of smaller caves. Fated who succeed on a TN 8 Alchemistry or Wilderness Challenge realize the rocks’ rainbow hues are from old volcanic activity. The Entry Tunnel: Tons of rubble and clouds of dust obstruct the way and cannot be moved by hand. Using explosives collapses part of the cavern, crushing the Capsule and burying any Fated within 10 yards of the blast. Trapped Fated suffer 4/6/8 damage and gain Suffocating +1 for every minute they remain buried but can be dug out with 5 minutes of work (though using a moon suit with an air canister alleviates the Suffocating Condition). The entry tunnel remains blocked. Fatemasters should make sure any Fated with explosive solutions to reach Delios’ surface are aware of the risks! SCENE THREE

See the Sights The Fated must navigate an unknown cave system in the hopes of finding a route to the surface. Locations are played in the order presented, starting with “Souvenirs” (pg. 12).

Navigating the Caves Fated should nominate one character to act as a guide. If that character succeeds on a TN 8 Wilderness Challenge, the Fated reach the next location after the listed “Base Travel Time” minus 30 minutes for each Margin of Success (maximum 1). On a failure, the Fated take the Base Travel Time plus 30 minutes, plus an additional 30 minutes for each Margin of Failure.

Marking the Trail: Fated may want to mark their route in case they need to backtrack to an earlier location. One Fated (not the guide) must make a TN 10 Homesteading or Wilderness Challenge. If successful, the path between the two locations becomes clearly marked. When travelling between these two locations, the Fated gain + on the Wilderness Challenge to navigate the caves. Backtracking: Fated must still nominate a guide and make the Wilderness Challenge noted above between each location that lies between them and their destination. If Fated need to cross the Waterfall crevasse again, they can find another suitable bridge, but this will take an additional 30 minutes of time (pg. 13). Bad Air: The caves up to the Sky Chamber are filled with Bad Air (see below). Fated in Moon Suits must track their air canister use there.

BAD AIR Air in the caves is not breathable in places. Any Living Fated who inhales Bad Air immediately suffers Poison +1 and Suffocating +2: “At the end of her turn, a character with the Suffocating Condition must succeed on a Toughness duel with a TN equal to the value of her Suffocating Condition. On a failure, the character falls unconscious. If the character is already unconscious, she instead suffers 3/4/5 damage that may not be reduced by Armor. A character reduced to 0 or fewer Wounds from this damage suffocates and dies. The Suffocating Condition ends when the character is once again able to breathe.”

Optional Hazards Fatemasters can torment the Fated with any or all these hazards, provided the Fated are not overwhelmed with Conditions and penalties.

CLAUSTROPHOBIA Every 4 hours a character spends underground, she must pass a TN 8 Centering Challenge or gain Claustrophobia +1: “This character suffers -1 to her final duel totals. For every 10 minutes a character spends on the surface under the sky (not indoors), reduce the value of this Condition by 1. Characters with the Spelunker Talent are immune to this Condition.”

a dv e n t u r e

11

DARKNESS Fated without lights who cannot see in the dark suffer from the Blind Condition: “A character with this Condition suffers -/- on all Challenges that rely on vision.”

Souvenirs Base Travel Time: 30 minutes from the Capsule Hazards: Bad Air Each Fated can make a TN 12 Notice Challenge. Should they all fail, skip this location. If even one Fated succeeds, read the following: Something sparkles in the darkness. Your light reveals a glittering streak across the rock wall. Professor Vernon peers at your discovery and waves a hand dismissively. “It’s just diatomaceous chorizite,” he says. “Not surprised to see it on Delios. It’s all over the place on Malifaux. Miners are always digging it out because it’s the kind of dirt where they find those blasted Soulstones. Makes a mess of the landscape!”

The sparkles are tiny speckles of Soulstone Dust; these hint at the presence of a possible Soulstone vein. Fated can dig in the cavern to try and uncover some of the vein. For each hour of work, each digging Fated can make a TN 13 Engineering Challenge. A success finds a Lade 1 Soulstone, with +1 Lade for each Margin of Success. Once the Fated reach a total of Lade 3, no more Soulstones can be found. Professor Vernon grows agitated after the first hour of digging, as he’s already taken all the samples he needs. At the end of the second hour, he warns the Fated about wasting the air supply and wanders off by himself to the Sky Chamber (or to a location in Deliosan Sightseeing, see below). Fated who stay behind are attacked by Moon Beasts (pg. 26, 1 per Fated staying behind).

The Sky Chamber Base Travel Time: 1 hour from “Souvenirs” (or the last location in Deliosan Sightseeing). Hazards: Bad Air The Fated find a place where they can rest. Read the following: Part of this tunnel’s ceiling has collapsed. As you explore a way around the debris, you look up through the broken ceiling and see the blue, pinprick glow of stars. Professor Vernon uses his canary paper again; it turns red, but much more slowly. The air is still bad but is getting more suitable for breathing.

The broken ceiling has formed a pile of rubble 4 yards high that block the tunnel. Fated need a successful TN 10 Athletics Challenge to climb over. Characters of Height 1 or 2 who fail suffer 0/1/1 falling damage and must take the Challenge again but can gain +1 to their final result (practice makes perfect!). If a Fated carrying the aethervox falls, the aethervox becomes damaged but can be repaired (see “Distress Call”, pg. 10). Once up, read the following: You emerge into a large, steep-sided depression. The night sky looks wonderful… and strangely flat. You shine a light up to reveal a ceiling of rock across the depression. It’s just another cave. The stars are small, glowing worms hanging from the ceiling by thin webs. Still, when you turn off the lights, you can easily imagine yourself outside.

The cavern is 20 yards wide by 40 yards long. There is no easy way in or out save the hole to the tunnel.

12

a dv e n t u r e

Waterfall Base Travel Time: 1 hour from the “Sky Chamber” (or the last location in Deliosan Sightseeing). The Fated encounter an underground waterfall. It begins with a faint rushing noise that leads the Fated to a large chamber. Read the following: You hear a roaring rush of water, yet the chamber ahead is dry. The downward-sloping floor is remarkably flat and clear of debris. Your lights reveal no source of water, but the chamber continues far beyond your illumination. Professor Vernon excitedly waves a yellow canary paper and proclaims the air is breathable.

The chamber is an ancient cistern for the underground city (see “The Underground City”, pg. 14). The floor has partially collapsed from Moon Beasts eating away its foundation. Water still pours in, but now flows out through a jagged crevasse at the bottom. The echoes make the waterfall sound like a mighty torrent. From this point on the caves will have clean, breathable air (unless the Fatemaster wishes to add in the Bad Air hazard, pg. 11). It takes ten minutes to reach the crevasse in the middle of the chamber. Read the following: The water grows louder the further down the large tunnel you go. The cavern floor eventually levels out. Gravel and dirt are the only things of note, but a forest of massive stalagmites and stalactites grown together into thick, mineral-crusted columns soon emerge. There is plenty of room to pass between them, and within, you see a curtain of water falling from some untold height into an enormous fracture across the cavern floor.

The waterfall is smaller than it sounds, but it still looks impressive in the Fated’s limited light. The water is crisp and clean, should anyone want a drink. The crevasse stretches from one end of the chamber to the other and is roughly 10 yards deep. Several smaller columns, which have fallen from the ceiling above, act as impromptu bridges across the crevasse. These seem to be the only way across. Fated may be suspicious of the columns’ strength, but a successful TN 10 Engineering or Homesteading Challenge determines they will hold weight, provided the Fated cross carefully. Fated who succeed also notice something else: a shattered column shows that beneath all the encrusted minerals there is a core of a different kind of stone which looks too round to be natural, marked with strange lines and carvings.

It takes a TN 8 Athletics Challenge to cross a column, or TN 10 if carrying more than 1/2 of a space worth of supplies or the aethervox (see Gravity-Free Fitness, pg. 10). If a rope line is set up, Fated gain +. The first Fated to fail this Challenge does not fall. Instead, she slips and lands hard on the column, which emits a loud crack. She can complete the crossing slowly, but the TN is now 12. Should someone slip again, the column breaks and tumbles into the darkness after the Fated crosses. If that Fated was carrying the aethervox, it is damaged. Those who still need to cross can move along to a second fallen column, which is traversed the same way as the first. Fated who shine a light into the crevasse see movement in the fracture. With a successful TN 8 Notice Challenge, the Fated make out dark, barrel-sized shapes delving into and out of the crevasse walls. These are Moon Beasts (pg. 26), feeding by burrowing through the rock and devouring its nourishing minerals. The Fated’s metal possessions attract the Beasts (2 per Fated). Moon suits do not contain enough metal to draw a Moon Beast’s attention, so Fated with pneumatic limbs and the like will be the first ones attacked. The Moon Beasts ambush the Fated at the midway point between the crevasse and the exit. The ground here is treacherous; the Beasts have eaten away the stone from below, which has allowed for water to pool and make the rock extremely slippery. At the end of each character’s turn, they must make a TN 8 Athletics or Acrobatics Challenge or fumble as they make their way across the damp floor. Characters that fail this Challenge become Prone. The Moon Beasts do not follow the Fated out of the cavern.

Impressions Base Travel Time: 1 hour from the “Waterfall” (or the last location in Deliosan Sightseeing). The Fated encounter archaic signs of civilization. Read the following: The tunnel gradually widens into a rectangular shape. There are odd patterns on the walls, and two large rocks that might have once been statues or icons. Professor Vernon examines the stone patterns. They have deteriorated from age, but there’s no mistaking the marks of ancient tools. “Remarkable,” he says. “The walls have deteriorated from age, but there’s no mistaking the marks of ancient tools. Wait—did I just say that twice?”

a dv e n t u r e

13

He shoots you a curious look. “I swear, ever since you all showed up, I’ve been hearing this strange, disembodied voice that occasionally narrates our journey. Hm.” He shrugs his shoulders nonchalantly, and meanders away down the hall.

Fated can make a successful TN 8 Art, Literacy, or History Challenge to realize the walls are timeworn frescoes of humanoid figures living and working underground. Any translations of the accompanying glyphs are impossible due to age and weathering.

The Charming Locals Base Travel Time: 1 hour from “Impressions” (or the last location in Deliosan Sightseeing). As the Fated progress, they can each make a TN 13 Notice Challenge. Those who succeed hear strange, faint clicking noises and distant scuffling that seems to come from all around. If anyone investigates, they find no traces or tracks. The Fated are free to backtrack or continue forward, but once detected they cannot elude the noises. The following area of the caves seems honeycombed with different tunnels and routes. Most are far above the Fated’s heads, and so the natural pathways for continuing are obvious. The remainder seems like they were carved out or expanded; the edges are uneven and jagged, a sure sign of digging and carving tools. As the Fated move down these tunnels, they should continue taking Notice Challenges, lowering the TN by -1 for every few minutes they spend walking. Fatemasters could throw the Fated off the scent by providing some small rewards for ‘failing’ Notice Challenges (a small amulet, a patch of bioluminescent fungus, additional frescoes/runes, and the like); each successful Challenge makes the clicking and shuffling noises grow in both volume and frequency. When the Fated are sufficiently frightened, the Fatemaster should read the following as the Deliosans spring their trap: As you walk, you undoubtedly hear something else echoing off the walls. Barely visible in the corridor ahead are multiple lithe, sinewy beings. They are hairless and nearly naked, with translucent skin displaying the outlines of muscles, organs, and bones. They hiss and click through mouths filled with thick, jagged teeth. They have no eyes whatsoever, as though their skulls have fused the sockets shut.

14

These are no mere cavern creatures. Some clutch chipped stones with winged claws. One wears coarse jewelry and seems to be a leader. It gestures sharply with an ear-splitting shriek. The others raise their weapons. Professor Vernon turns to you and says, “These Deliosans seem friendly. I’m going to make contact.” He takes a step forward.

These are Deliosan Hunters (pg. 27, 3 per Fated) and a Deliosan Shaman (pg. 28), stalking the Fated for food. Before the Fated can act, the Shaman uses the Bury Spell to snatch the Professor and immediately flees if the Fated attack it. Most of the Hunters surge forward to carve up their next meal, with the Shaman remaining if the Fated seem weak. The Deliosans retreat if they lose half their number; the Shaman will use its Pillar spell to block off any pathways. By the time the Fated clear the rubble, the Deliosans are gone with too much of a head start to be caught. Fated can follow their path without needing a Challenge, and after 20 minutes arrive at the underground city. SCENE FOUR

Enjoy the Night Life The entire cave system focuses on a lost and forgotten subterranean Neverborn city. Even if the Fated try to find some way around it, the caves eventually bring them back.

The Underground City The first time the Fated arrive, read the following: The tunnels have gradually widened as you walk, becoming broad enough for four carriages side-by-side. The walls and ceilings are covered with crumbling paintings and stonework, though whatever craftsman created them is long dead. Distant, echoing screeches warn of activity further down the tunnels. The air carries a scent of moldering decay mixed with a hint of animal stench. The tunnel exits into an enormous cavern. A patchwork of dim blue luminescence traces out avenues, buildings, and other structures of unknown purpose. It is a city, sprawling and ancient, but not quite abandoned. Towards the center is a large pile; the light is very dim, but the shine of bones picked clean is unmistakable.

a dv e n t u r e

The pale, blind creatures from the tunnel seem to live here. Small groups roam the ruins, climbing freely and easily as if the crumbling stone poses no challenge whatsoever. Some commotion echoes off the walls; most of it sounds very confused and academic, but quite far away. It seems Professor Vernon has gotten himself an involuntary tour of the city.

With a TN 8 Notice or Wilderness Challenge, Fated can see the blue luminescence is from an algae growing wild throughout the city, though some of the stones in the ceiling seem to glow with an equally strange illumination (a TN 12 Magical Skills or Notice Challenge reveals these are Soulstones). The light is dim, just enough to cast a deeply shadowed veil over the ruins. Near the tunnel exit, the Fated find Professor Vernon’s boot. It has been chewed, but there is no blood. The Professor’s kidnappers have definitely come this way. Travel across the city is handled with an Ongoing Challenge.

Self-Guided Tour Skills Allowed: Stealth, Wilderness (and Tracking if pursing the Professor) Target Number: 10 Duration: 5 minutes Success Requirement: 3 per Fated Failure Requirement: 1 per Fated

CIRCLING THE CITY During the Ongoing Challenge, the Fated will be trying to maneuver as quietly as possible around the city to avoid detection. It is a huge space, littered with ruins and rubble from the ceiling above to provide lots of alleyways and hiding spots. The Feasting Pile is in the center, just visible over the most razed portions of the underground city. When a failure requirement is earned, a few Hunters (pg. 27, 1 per 3 Fated, rounding up) appear 5 yards away, having tracked the Fated by sound and smell. The Deliosans will fight but also try to raise the alarm. This is quite difficult over the noises from the ritual being undertaken. The Fated can attempt to subdue the Hunters, though if even one is alive after 3 rounds of Dramatic Time, it escapes to warn its kin. Gunfire, explosions, or flashy magic will also immediately warn the Deliosans. After succeeding in the Ongoing Challenge, the Fated successfully reach The Stone Alcove (pg. 17). If the Fated fail the Ongoing Challenge, let the Hunters go, or if any alarm is raised (no matter what the cause), proceed to Dinner, Interrupted (pg. 17).

M Y LIFE FOR SCIENCE!

Fated can use Stealth and Wilderness to navigate the city, plus Tracking if they pursue the Professor and his abductors. Bonuses from the Spelunker Talent apply. If the Fated choose to rest (i.e., not travel), the Duration passes with no successes or failures. If the Fated are intentionally trying to avoid the Feasting Pile (the mountain of half-eaten bones in the center of the city), proceed to Circling the City. If they choose to go directly towards the Feasting Pile, proceed (logically) to The Feasting Pile. Every few successes see the Fated hear Professor Vernon’s voice louder and more clearly (“I say, the anthropologists at the Society will have a field day once we bring them up here!”).

If the Fated ever decide rescuing Professor Vernon isn’t worth it, they can simply proceed to Scene Five (pg. 18). If they were in the middle of the Self-Guided Tour Ongoing Challenge, they must achieve as many successes as they had already earned; this represents the group turning back and retracing their steps to escape.

The Feasting Pile If the Fated make directly for the Feasting Pile, they reach the ancient city’s ominous heart. Read the following: As you move through the ruins, you notice a remarkable number of bones. Some are moldering, discolored lumps that have clearly been here for ages. Some are quite new, still holding ribbons of moist flesh. Mixed in with all these bones are several skulls that look disturbingly human.

Ahead are the remains of the city’s center, which seems to have been transformed into a gathering area or temple. A few walls still stand, and more honeycomb-like entrances sit about a dozen yards of floor, with Deliosans

a dv e n t u r e

15

scuttling between them like insects. Beyond is a large, jagged pit made from the wreckage of the neighboring buildings. The truly enormous pile of bones and glistening flesh sits here and seems to be the source of the Deliosans’ food. Hordes of Deliosans occupy the city’s remains, perched atop the rubble or clinging to the damaged walls. They all focus on four shaman-like creatures that chant and sway a dozen yards back from the pit. Professor Vernon sits in a smaller alcove about 5 yards from the Feasting Pile, protected by a few Deliosans; he has gone quiet, as the reality of the situation seems to have set in. The Deliosans are not paying much attention to him. The innumerable Deliosans make a direct assault suicidal. To rescue the Professor, the Fated must move undetected along the city’s outer walls to access the holding alcove. There are only a handful of Deliosans guarding the new “food”; the rest are all focused on the shamans and the prospect of feeding. The Fated can free the Professor provided they can stealthily circle around the

16

Pile to reach him. Take the Self-Guided Tour Ongoing Challenge. The TN is increased to 12, but reduce the number of Success Requirements to 1 per Fated. As usual, succeeding brings them to The Stone Alcove, while failing brings them to Dinner, Interrupted.

HIDING THE GE AR There are many places where Fated can hide their equipment and the fragile aethervox before rescuing the Professor. No Challenge is necessary to find a location but Fated do need a successful TN 8 Stealth, Homesteading, or Wilderness Challenge to hide things well enough to avoid discovery. On a failure, the equipment is hidden from sight, but when the Fated return to claim it they find Hunters (1 plus 2 per Fated, pg. 27) lurking nearby. If the duel fails, the Fated have no time to try again.

a dv e n t u r e

THE STONE ALCOVE Once at the far side of the temple-city, the Fated can spot Professor Vernon in the little alcove. Stealth is not an issue; so long as the Fated refrain from making very loud noises (like shooting guns), the city’s collapsed masonry obscures them from the distracted Deliosans. The real trial is quietly taking out the Deliosan Hunters guarding Vernon (1 per Fated, pg. 27). When the Fated are 10 yards away from the alcove and the Professor, Dramatic Time starts. The Deliosans guarding the Professor will not be alerted to the Fated’s presence so long as a majority of the Fated (rounding up) can pass a TN 9 Stealth Challenge at the start of her activation. The guards will be alerted if:

The Shamans order the assembled Deliosan Hunters (3 per Fated, pg. 27) to charge. It takes them 3 rounds to reach the Fated but once there they can attack any Fated within range. In this instance, only one of the four Shamans has a charged Soulstone. When Dramatic Time starts, the Fated have 4 rounds before more Hunters (1 per Fated, per round) begin arriving. They should emerge 3 yards away from the Fated to simulate a chase!

• The Fated fail their Stealth Challenge or use flashy magic, guns, or any other action that produces a large amount of noise. • The professor is taken while any of the guards are still alive. • Three rounds of Dramatic Time after the Fated reveal themselves to the guards. Fated must get close enough to the Professor to grab him, or within Spell range if using magic. Physically pulling the Professor out of the alcove requires 2 AP and a TN 8 Stealth Challenge. The Professor has 1 Health and is semi-conscious. He does not react to being rescued and must be carried even if healed. If the Fated rescue the Professor without raising alarms, exiting the alcove requires only a repeat of the TN 8 Stealth Challenge described above. Proceed to Scene Five. If the Fatemaster wishes, they can also play through Dinner, Interrupted to add a bit more tension and excitement into the adventure.

DINNER, INTERRUPTED If the Fated are unable to make their way through the city stealthily (or if they intentionally reveal themselves), read the following: The Deliosans look up as one, alerted to your presence. One opens its maw and makes a strange sound, like a mixture between a shriek and guttural bubbling. The noise reverberates throughout the cavern. The shamans look up; one’s mouth pulls back. It gestures with a staff hung with a glittering stone and unleashes a higher, piercing cry of its own. The Deliosans quickly take up this call, and soon a swarm of pale, blind creatures start to rush towards you.

a dv e n t u r e

17

Running Out

SCENE FIVE

Once the Fated choose to leave, they may either get out of the city or hide if they need to recover and heal. To exit the city, the Fated must repeat the “Self-Guided Tour” Ongoing Challenge, although the TN is reduced by -2. On a success (or if the Fated are being actively chased), move to Scene Five. Professor Vernon’s physical injuries can be healed normally but the ordeal has left him shaken, quiet, and withdrawn. He has the Dazed Condition until he returns to the surface of Malifaux.

HIDING The Fated can hide in the ruined city. Each Fated must succeed on a TN 14 Stealth Challenge. If everyone succeeds, they are safe for 5 minutes plus 1 minute for each Margin of Success generated from all the flips. If anyone fails, they must all make another Stealth Challenge in 1 minute. If anyone generates a Margin of Failure, the Fated are immediately discovered by Hunters (pg. 27, 2 per Fated, though the Fatemaster can lower the numbers if the Fated are badly injured).

Thanks for Visiting Just as the Fated reach the edge of the city, read the following: A wide tunnel in the city wall looms before you. The safety of the caves is just minutes away. The blue light from the city’s heart silhouettes prowling Deliosan hunters. You have a head start, but they are coming after you.

Once back in the caves, the Fated can try to evade their pursuers. Each Fated can make a single TN 12 Athletics, Stealth, Track, or Wilderness Challenge. The TN does not increase if the Fated hid in the city. The Fatemaster should record the results, as they affect the number of attackers in “A Way Up” (below). Once the Fated are done avoiding the Deliosans and decide to permanently flee from the city, read the following: You find yourselves in a smaller tunnel, listening for signs of pursuit. This tunnel is like others you’ve seen, square and deliberately excavated. There is an odd pattern to the walls and ceiling, which you realize is formed by thick wooden beams. A draft of fresher air is blowing from farther down the tunnel.

Anyone who succeeds on a TN 8 Homesteading Challenge confirms this is exactly like a mining tunnel from Malifaux or Earth: heavy beams reinforce the walls and ceiling, with iron lantern hooks spaced evenly along the passage. Any Fated with mining experience automatically succeed. An additional TN 10 Notice or Tracking Challenge reveals old and faded human boot prints visible in the dirt.

A Way Up After the Fated advance a short distance, read the following: The tunnel widens into a larger, worked chamber. In the center, wooden beams form a wide scaffold that ascends through a square hole in the ceiling. That hole becomes a shaft that continues up beyond the range of your lights. Chains run down the shaft and connect to a partially disassembled manual winch bolted to a large skeletal box nestled within the frame. It’s a mining elevator.

18

a dv e n t u r e

The winch carries an inspection plate with an inscription: Dura Manufacturing, Malifaux City. The date is just over four years ago.

If Professor Vernon is here, he’s bitterly disappointed at not being the first to reach Delios (“They had a whole bloody mining operation up here!”). The elevator hasn’t been used in years, but a dust-covered, overturned toolkit sits nearby. Fated close to the elevator sense the fresh air is coming right down the shaft. With a TN 10 Notice Challenge, the Fated find deep scuffs in the dirt, claw-like gouges on the wooden beams, and dried blood spatters in the elevator. Winch repairs are handled with a simple Ongoing Challenge, which happens after (and during) the Deliosan attack.

The elevator is 3 yards wide and 4 yards across, with the elevator bolted into the far corner. The ceiling is 4 yards high. The chamber’s obvious exit is the elevator shaft. If any Fated climb into the shaft, they discover another, smaller hole 3 yards up, which is just 1 yard in diameter. If the Fated do well against incursions from the mining tunnel, a few Hunters use the smaller cave to sneak into the chamber through the elevator shaft. The Fated are attacked by Hunters (pg. 27) whose numbers depend on how well the Fated evaded pursuit at the start of this Scene (pg. 18). • Everyone succeeded: 1 per Fated. • At least one Fated succeeded: 2 per Fated. • Everybody failed: 3 per Fated

Milly, We Have A Problem

• Everybody had Margins of Failure: 4 per Fated

Skills Allowed: Artefacting, Engineering Target Number: 10 Duration: 1 Round of Dramatic Time Success Requirement: 4 Failure Requirement: Special The space around the winch is limited, so only one Fated can participate. Any Duration where nobody participates generates no successes or failures. If the Ongoing Challenge is successful, the winch is repaired and the elevator is usable. Each failure requirement lowers the accumulated success requirements by -1 to a minimum of zero. Optional: If the Fated are having too easy a time fixing the winch, each failure requirement eliminates all accumulated success requirements. Essentially, the winch was rebuilt incorrectly. It must be disassembled in order to start over again. Any Fated who succeeds on a TN 10 Notice Challenge finds enough scattered tools to make an Artefacting Skill Toolkit. Before starting the Ongoing Challenge, the Fated can make a TN 9 Notice Challenge to hear noise coming from the mining tunnel. If nobody succeeds, the Fated count as Slow for the first round of Dramatic Time as Deliosan Hunters stealthily attack.

Additionally, Shamans arrive at the top of the second round of Dramatic Time (pg. 28, 1 per 3 Fated rounding up). Adjust these numbers if the Fated are in rough shape to ensure they have a reasonable chance of fixing the winch. The attackers have only one goal: capture people and bring them to the city. So long as one Shaman lives, the Hunters fight to the death. If the Shamans are killed, the Hunters retreat once they lose half of their number.

Liftoff When the winch is repaired, the Fated can start ascending. Operating the manual winch during Dramatic Time requires 2 AP and a TN 8 Athletics Challenge. The elevator climbs 1 yard plus 1 yard per Margin of Success. If the Fated fail, the elevator does not move. There is enough room for a second character to make Assist Actions. Once the elevator has ascended 4 yards, the Fated are safe from Deliosans in the chamber and after another 3 yards, safe from the small hole in the wall above. The Fated might hear the creatures scrambling up the shaft and clawing ineffectively at the elevator floor. The noise stops after a few minutes.

a dv e n t u r e

19

Up, Up, and Away Once Dramatic Time ends, the Fated can ascend without Athletics Challenges. Read the following: A few minutes of winching brings you to the top of the elevator shaft. You lock the winch in place and exit the elevator into a dimly lit cave. The air is fresh but dry. Dusty mining equipment lines the walls: picks, hammers, shovels, lanterns, mining candles… all long disused. Beyond the tools is a large cave entrance. It is night, and hundreds of stars—real stars, not glowing worms— glitter in the sky. Rolling sand hills covered with scrub stretch to the horizon, illuminated by the unmistakable Malifaux moons Illios and Delios.

Beyond the cave, tattered tents and a pair of collapsed, empty wooden sheds huddle close together. The cave is part of an angled rocky outcropping that rises above the sand hills like the bow of a sinking ship. Apart from the tools described in the cave, there are no supplies in the wrecked camp. Fated familiar with the Badlands who make a successful TN 10 Wilderness Challenge realize they’re at the northern edge of a vast desert called the Kartakan Wastes. With a Margin of Success Fated estimate they are 15 or 20 miles from the launch site camp. A working aethervox can be activated with a TN 8 Engineering Challenge. Professor Vernon, if present, automatically succeeds. Contacting the launch site camp is straightforward and the signal is strong and clear. Millicent Welles is astonished to hear from the Fated. If anyone asks her what happened, read the following: Milly has a hard time talking through her sobs of happiness. “The launch cannon misfired,” she says. “The Capsule came down two dozen miles to the west. A rescue team found the impact site, but they said there was an explosion and… and…” She stops, catches her breath and calms a little. “I’m just so glad you’re alright!”

Millicent is heartbroken if Professor Vernon didn’t survive and believes whatever the Fated tell her about his fate. She is intrigued if the Fated reveal any details of their journey, but if they mention finding Soulstones, she hushes them and wants the details in person. She also asks the Fated for a detailed description of their

20

surroundings once the sun rises in order to help the rescue team. The night passes without danger. The collapsed sheds are dry and flammable, with enough wood to fuel a campfire until dawn. If the Fated call Millicent with details about the mining camp and the rocky outcropping, it’s enough for a rescue party to arrive late in the afternoon. The Fated spend one more night in the mining camp before returning to the launch site the next day. EPILOGUE

Home Again When the Fated return to the launch site camp, they see the launch cannon is heavily damaged. Nobody will be using it for some time. Millicent is eager to hear all about the adventure, especially if the Fated mention Soulstones. So long as none of the Fated are openly part of the Guild, Millicent quietly discusses the possibility of the Fated leading a new expedition back through the mining tunnel to locate the Soulstone vein and those illuminating the underground city. This, too, won’t happen for some time, as Millicent needs to gather the necessary resources covertly enough to avoid alerting the Guild. Should the Fated present any Soulstones collected from the caves, Millicent inspects them but knows little about judging quality. True to her word, she lets the Fated keep whatever they collected. Millicent will also do whatever she can to keep the Fated’s underground explorations a secret. Professor Vernon won’t be ready for another attempted moon landing for a long while. The camp (including the launch cannon) will be disassembled and everything shipped back to Malifaux City. This doesn’t dissuade him one bit; he sets off with his charts and telescopes, talking about the “potentiality of reintroducing the native Deliosan species to the Explorer’s Society and Malifaux at large.” Whatever that means. If he did not survive, there will never be another attempt from his crew. The Fated’s applications to the Explorer’s Society are submitted and, after a week of waiting, granted (if Vernon survived; there might be a hefty fee for the Fated to pay first if Millicent submits the applications instead, as she does not have the same standing as Vernon). The Fated need to visit the Explorer’s Society in the Southgate Slums to get their probationary membership cards. If they become full members, they can claim their coveted Society rings from the hall.

a dv e n t u r e

Nothing prevents the Fated from returning to the caverns on their own to excavate Soulstones. The mine entrance will not be guarded, because Millicent doesn’t know of its significance and the mine’s former owners have simply abandoned it. The Fated simply need to descend to the caves, cross the underground city, and defeat the hordes of Deliosans living there. Keeping things secret from Millicent is just temporary; if he survived, Professor Vernon eventually mentions the discovery of Soulstones, which prompts a new expedition… but that’s for another story.

Appendix DELIOSAN SIGHTSEEING If Fatemasters would like to immerse their players more deeply into the adventure, the following optional encounters can be added in between locations. Each one should have a Base Travel Time of 15 minutes from the last location the Fated visited. These should come after “Souvenirs” but before “The Charming Locals” (pg. 14).

ZERO G If the Fated need a little convincing that they’re on Delios, add this location for a new hazard and some floating fun. As you enter a smaller chamber, your limbs gently start to rise of their own accord. Each step feels much lighter. “Fantastic!” Professor Vernon cries as he walks, occasionally stopping to get an errantly floating limb under control. “It seems the gravitational consequences of Delios are far less great than those on Malifaux! Hmm… the ramifications are quite interesting. I wouldn’t breath this stuff in, though; more than not it means there’s less air available for all of us. Quite bouncy. Woo!” The Professor continues on. Strange as it seems, he really does seem to be hanging a bit longer in the air with every step. Lighter Than Air This location follows the rules for the Bad Air Hazard (pg. 11). However, while here, Fated increase their Speed and Charge values by +1, and may flip two cards for Acrobatics, Athletics, and Evade Challenges instead of one.

DELIOSAN FLORA This little encounter is great if the Fated have a particularly keen interest in joining the Explorer’s Society. Read the following: As you walk, the tunnels seem to become a bit lighter. Tiny patches of glowing fungus line the walls, illuminating them with soft blues, greens, and pinks. The examples get stranger; curling stems, oddly shaped caps, and frilly lace-like edges are certainly nothing like you’ve ever seen before. The Professor pokes one of the mushrooms, causing it to release a tiny cloud of glowing spores. He sighs. “Spores, molds, and fungus aren’t really my field, but I’m sure the botanists back at the Society would never forgive me if I didn’t get them the chance to grow a nice space garden or two.” Vernon shuffles around in his pack before producing tiny trowels and some bottles. “Who’s for salad?”

The Fated can spend an hour collecting samples from the cavern walls. If they do so, they gather enough specimens to make an impact back at the Explorer’s Society, especially amongst the botanists; these take up 1/2 of a space collectively in a moon suit’s compartment. Each Fated can attempt a single TN 12 Homesteading or Wilderness Challenge to gather one additional sample, +1 for each Margin of Success. Every sample acquired this way can be donated to the Explorer’s Society, or, with a bit of convincing, traded for a finder’s fee of 5 scrip per sample. It might also earn them especially good standing with the botanists; a good move if the Fated need a guide for exploring Malifaux’s wilderness.

THE HALL OF CRATERS This location is perfect for continuing the fun with Moon Beasts after “Waterfall” (pg. 13). Read the following: The sound of rushing water is soon replaced by a steady dripping noise. You all slide from the slippery ledge and into a larger space. The floor is pitted with crater-like formations, and water drips from the ceiling. Stalactites and stalagmites hang from the floor and ceiling, respectively. “Looks like those buggers already made a mess of this place,” Vernon says. He wipes a bit of water off the window in his helmet. “Or maybe it was good oldfashioned erosion. Maybe both. Probably both.” The Professor chuckles to himself, but you realize the hall does look like it was excavated by some hungry mouths…

a dv e n t u r e

21

The Fated encounter 3 Moon Beasts (plus 1 per Fated, pg. 26), arranged through a chamber that is 30 yards by 10 yards. While the Hall of Craters is pitted with holes and filled with slippery spots, there is enough flat and solid ground to maneuver without too much trouble. If a character fails an attack action by a Margin of Failure (or resolves the Charge action), they must make a TN 8 Athletics or Acrobatics Challenge or stumble across the damp floor. Characters that fail this Challenge become Prone. Players might be interested in the room itself. With a TN 12 Engineering or Literacy Challenge, a Fated can recognize that this place is indeed a hallway. Chewed up by Moon Beasts as it might be, the place holds evidence of being worked by tools. There are even some small murals on flat spots of the floor, and those columns not encrusted with mineral deposits do look very similar to those you saw near the waterfall. The markings on them are illegible, but definitely appear intentional.

THE STRANGE TOMBS After “Impressions” (pg. 13), this is a great way to softly introduce the possible threats of Delios and help the Fated realize they might not be alone. Read the following: The hall begins to narrow, and you feel yourself funneled down a smaller shaft. Vernon huffs and puts his hands on his hips, clearly displeased at the wall of stone in front of you. “Drat,” he says, “a dead end.” He turns around, but immediately spins back and lifts a finger. “However, that might not be a bad thing!” Vernon scuttles over to the wall and starts inspecting it. A squeak of excitement follows some moments later. “How grand! Our first example of possible Deliosan mortuary culture! I’m sure they wouldn’t mind if we borrowed a few bits and pieces for the Society’s exhibit.” On a closer inspection, you see the wall has been carved in bas-relief, depicting eyeless, semi-humanoid shapes surrounded by shells of rock. Smaller versions are nestled deeper into walls around the carved hallway. Empty sockets sit in specific areas. the edges chipped and devoid of whatever they once held. Stone figures lay tumbled about; in the gloom, they could have very easily been mistaken for rubble.

The Fated find one relic, plus an additional relic on a successful TN 10 Notice or History Challenge. Increase the number of relics found by +1 for each Margin of Success, to a maximum of +2. Each relic takes up 1 space (See Take Anything That Isn’t Broken, pg. 9). While not inherently worth anything, Vernon thinks the relics might be excellent additions to the Explorer’s Society upcoming exhibit on Delios (“They’ll have to have one!”) and will offer an additional 10 scrip finder’s fee per undamaged relic the Fated help bring back to Malifaux. A collector of antiquities might find them to be worth a bit more, or one of the relics could even hold stranger powers that tie into a Fated’s Destiny… Remember to keep track of where the Fated visited in case they want to Backtrack (pg. 11). You could also introduce alternate routes and forks in the road to make the journey more interesting and help your group’s amateur cartographers hone their skills.

22

a dv e n t u r e

T

he following pages contain the stat blocks for the Fatemaster characters that the Fated are likely to encounter over the course of the adventure. They have been created with an eye toward ease of use by the Fatemaster and include everything needed to run these characters in a combat situation.

Depending on the situation, Fatemasters more familiar with Through the Breach may want to adjust some of these characters’ Rank Values ahead of time to create more or less of a challenge for their players. In general, Fatemasters are cautioned against increasing the Rank Values of the characters in this adventure by more than a few points as it may create adversaries the Fated are unable to affect.

f a t e m a s t e r ch a r a c t e r s

23

Professor James Vernon

Professor James Vernon Enforcer (8), Living Might

Grace

Speed

Resilience

Charm

Intellect

Cunning

Tenacity

Defense

Walk

Height

Initiative

Willpower

Charge

Wounds

-1 2

2 (10) 4 (12)

0 4

4 4

-1 0

2

0

2

1 (9)

4

Skills: Alchemistry 2, Artefacting 3, Barter 1, Blacksmithing 2, Engineering 4, History 1, Literacy 3, Mathematics 3, Notice 2, Printing 1, Stitching 1

Despite being a few hypotheses short of a theory, Professor James Vernon is one of the Explorer’s Society’s most eccentric and intelligent members. Ever since he was a young boy, Vernon was obsessed with creating. Why did things work the way they did? Why was math so darn fun? Despite his talents in engineering, it would be the sky that captured Vernon’s attention. He dreamed of one day travelling to Earth’s moon and “seeing just what’s up there”. Most thought he was crazy. When he accepted an invitation to the Explorer’s Society in Malifaux, Vernon thought his dreams of going to the moon were over. But oh, did Fate smile upon him! Malifaux had two moons! Two! Illios and Delios became Vernon’s obsession. It was just a matter of time before he could put together a mission to the Dark Stone. With a few lucky volunteers and a bit of Society cash, he could be the first person to ever walk the moons of Malifaux! Or so Vernon hopes.

Armor +1: While this character wears a moon suit, reduce all damage suffered by this character by +1, to a minimum of 1. Engineering Prodigy: Whenever this character succeeds on an Engineering Challenge, he automatically gains one additional Margin of Success. Unthreatening: This character may not be the target of the Charge Action. (1) Ineffective Cuff (Pugilism) AV: -1 (7) Rg: y1 Target suffers 0/1/2 damage.

Resist: Df

(1) Astronomical Distraction The target must make a TN 8 Scrutiny Challenge. If failed, the target becomes Dazed and this character gains + to attack, damage, and Defense flips against the target. All effects last until the start of this character’s next turn.

24

f a t e m a s t e r ch a r a c t e r s

Millicent Welles Dr. Millicent Virginia Welles’ life has been, up to this point, fairly hectic. She graduated with honors from several prestigious universities but found herself a bit down on her luck. Despite being competent with a wrench and even better at calculus, she had no connections. There weren’t many job openings for astronomers; once an astronomer went up into their tower, they only came down when they died. Millicent cursed herself for not taking more workshopping classes during her schooling. So it was that the newly minted Dr. Welles took odd jobs and tried to do her best. When she received an invitation from one J. Vernon in Malifaux who had read her paper on combining astronomical theory and artificial propulsion systems, Millicent was thrilled to accept. Since then her days have been filled with more excitement than she could possibly imagine. Vernon has taken to implementing her designs and ideas with gusto… although that usually means he lets excitement get the best of him. It’s safe to say Milly is a bit more stressed these days. She’s come to care for her eccentric mentor, and always makes sure he hasn’t accidentally set himself on fire. That is almost a full-time job.

Millicent Welles Enforcer (7), Living Might

Grace

Speed

Resilience

Charm

Intellect

Cunning

Tenacity

Defense

Walk

Height

Initiative

Willpower

Charge

Wounds

-1 2

2 (9)

5 (12)

1

4

4

4

-1 1

2

0

1

1 (8)

4

Skills: Alchemistry 1, Artefacting 2, Convince 1, Centering 3, Engineering 3, History 2, Literacy 3, Mathematics 4, Notice 2 Unthreatening: This character may not be the target of the Charge Action. Research Assistant: This character may take the Assist Action as a (0) Action. (1) Ineffective Cuff (Pugilism) AV: -1 (7) Rg: y1 Target suffers 0/1/2 damage.

Resist: Df

(1) Astronomical Distraction The target must make a TN 8 Scrutiny Challenge. If failed, the target becomes Dazed and this character gains + to attack, damage, and Defense flips against the target. All effects last until the start of this character’s next turn. (0) Safety Precautions Select a character within 2 yards. Reduce the value of their Burning or Poison Condition by -2, to a minimum of 0.

f a t e m a s t e r ch a r a c t e r s

25

Moon Beast Earth Gamin are uncommon elementals, mostly because they’re so rarely seen. They dig through the earth and consume the delicious minerals and ore within. As they grow, the Gamin eventually grow a thick hide crusted over with ingots of metal. The specific Gamin Professor Vernon has dubbed “moon beasts” are gray in color thanks to the subterranean stone they eat. Because metal is rare, the moon beasts tend to feed from mineral deposits. This gives them a much more “alive” look than their cousins (and, to be fair, can make it easy to mislabel an Earth Gamin as a moon beast). They are mostly passive. A good crunchy bit of shale or some delicious metamorphic rock is all a moon beast needs to stay happy and healthy. But metal is a special treat. When a good bit of iron comes wandering around, the moon beasts start to salivate. Or they would, if they could.

Moon Beast Minion (5), Beast, Elemental Might

Grace

Speed

Resilience

Charm

Intellect

Cunning

Tenacity

Defense

Walk

Height

Initiative

Willpower

Charge

Wounds

2

-3

2 (7) 2 (7)

-1

-3 4 4

-1 0

1

2

0

1 (6)

5

Skills: Athletics 1, Notice 2, Pugilism 3 Armor +1: Reduce all damage suffered by this character by +1, to a minimum of 1. Burrower: This character may make Walk, Run, and Charge through solid earth and stone. However this character moves, it leaves behind a Height 1 tunnel marking its path. This character cannot pass through magically animated materials. Immune to Earth: Reduce all damage this character suffers from Ranged and Close Combat attack actions by half, rounded up, if the source of the damage is mostly or completely metal or rock. 1) Mineral Claws (Pugilism) AV: 5 (10) Rg: y1 Resist: Df Target suffers 1/3/4 damage that ignores Armor made mostly or completely of metal. t Iron-Rich Snack: After damaging, if the target is carrying any metal, this character heals 1 damage. If the target is a construct or has pneumatic limbs, it suffers a Weak Critical Effect.

26

f a t e m a s t e r ch a r a c t e r s

Deliosan Hunter

Deliosan Hunter Minion (6), Living, Nephilim Might

Grace

Speed

Resilience

Charm

Intellect

Cunning

Tenacity

Defense

Walk

Height

Initiative

Willpower

Charge

Wounds

2

-3

5 (11) 3 (9)

2

-2 6

7

3

1

2

0

1

5 (11)

6

The Deliosans are a species of Nepilim that have evolved to live underground. Their large ears can pick up sounds that echo around the cave walls. Hooked claws and small wing membranes let the Hunters rapidly move across rough stone and tunnels with equal ease. They also have no need for eyes. Echolocation serves the blind Deliosans perfectly. A footstep is like a bright light to a Deliosan’s senses. Any meal that accidentally wanders through their ruined caves immediately draws attention. The Deliosans have learned to wait until their prey is good and lost before closing in. It doesn’t take much to fuel their wiry, lithe bodies. One “meal” is enough to sate a brood for some time.

Skills: Acrobatics 4, Athletics 3, Evade 2, Melee 3, Notice 2, Thrown Weapons 2, Stealth 3, Toughness 2, Track 4, Wilderness 2 Crawling in Caves: This character may move its full Walk speed when climbing a surface, without needing to make Athletics Challenges. It ignores penalties for terrain while taking Movement Actions. Already There: This character is immune to the Blind Condition and does not suffer or take advantage from any effects that would require sight. Echolocation: Cover never blocks this model’s line of sight when it is determining eligible targets for a Charge. (1) Hurled Stone (Thrown Weapons) AV: 4 (10) Rg: z9 Resist: Df Target suffers 1/2/2 damage. (1) Gnashing Teeth (Melee) AV: 5 (11) Rg: y1 Resist: Df Target suffers 2/2/3 damage. r Tear off a Chunk: After damaging, this character heals damage equal to half the amount of damage it dealt, rounding down.

f a t e m a s t e r ch a r a c t e r s

27

Deliosan Shaman The carvings and collapsing tunnels around the underground city tell of people forced below the earth during a time of great strife. Their leaders tried to keep unity and culture alive in the dark. Starvation and isolation quickly saw those ideals slough away. Hunger had to be sated. The darkness became a haven, a cool and damp place where none dared tread. The Shamans tried to keep their broods alive. Monsters below were hunted and taken down. Tunnels were carved, first from tools and then from claws and magic. The Shamans had become elders, aware of what their people had become but unable to reconcile that reality in their broken minds. All joined together below the caverns. All rose to serve the Feasting Pile.

T R IBAL ELDER S If the Fated are not finding the Shamans to be enough of a challenge, any number of them can be changed into Elder Deliosan Shamans, gaining the following Talents and actions: Aspects: Defense 6 (14), Willpower 5 (13), Resilience 4 (+2 Wounds) Skills: Leadership 4, Necromancy 4, Sorcery 4t, Toughness 4 (+2 Wounds) Hard to Wound +1: Damage flips against this character suffer -. (1) Noxious Fog (Necromancy/Tenacity) AV: 6 (14)  TN: 11  Rg: 10 yards  Resist: Df The target suffers 1/2bbb/3bbb damage. All characters that suffer damage from this spell gain Poison +1 and Suffocating +2. Wearing a full moon suit renders a character immune to these Conditions. c Creeping Death: The area within a6 of the target becomes Severe and Hazardous Terrain for 1 round.

28

f a t e m a s t e r ch a r a c t e r s

Deliosan Shaman Henchman (8), Living, Nephilim Might

Grace

Speed

Resilience

Charm

Intellect

Cunning

Tenacity

Defense

Walk

Height

Initiative

Willpower

Charge

Wounds

0

-1

5 (13) 4 (12)

2

1

6 7

3

0

2

0 2

5 (13)

6

Skills: Acrobatics 2, Athletics 2, Intimidate 1, Leadership 2, Melee 2, Necromancy 2, Notice 2, Sorcery 3t, Stealth 1, Toughness 2, Track 3, Wilderness 4 Crawling in Caves: This character may move its full Walk speed when climbing a surface, without needing to make Athletics Challenges. It ignores penalties for terrain while taking Movement Actions. Already There: This character is immune to the Blind Condition and does not suffer or take advantage from any effects that would require sight. Echolocation: Cover never blocks this model’s line of sight when it is determining eligible targets for a Charge. Soulstone (Lade 2): Exhaust to add + or a suit of this character’s choice to a casting duel. Soulstone recharges if a Living character dies within 1 yard. Fully charged at start of Dramatic Time. (1) Bury (Necromancy/Tenacity) AV: 4 (12) TN: 12c Rg: 10 yards Resist: Wp The target is removed from reality for 1 round. When this spell ends, the target is returned to reality in a safe location within line of sight and 1 yard of the caster, without sensing that any time passed. (1) Pillar (Sorcery/Intellect) AV: 4t (12t) TN: 12t Rg: 10 yards Resist: Special The caster creates a solid pillar that is 2 yards in diameter. The pillar is Height 5 with Armor +5 and 8 Wounds. It lasts for 3 Turns, after which it crumbles away. (1) Bone-Covered Staff (Melee) AV: 2 (10) Rg: y1 Resist: Df Target suffers 1/2/3 damage. cc Feast of Bones: After damaging, all other friendly Deliosan Hunters within a12 can Push 3 yards directly towards the character that generated this Trigger. (0) Absorb Soul This character may exhaust a Soulstone to heal 1/2/3 damage or remove a Lasting Critical Effect on herself or another character within 1 yard. Requires a charged Soulstone.

f a t e m a s t e r ch a r a c t e r s

29

A

T

TRIP TO THE MOON!

he Fated respond to a call from the eccentric and exclusive Explorer’s Society. It’s a job unlike any other: Professor James Vernon (and his enthusiastic but frazzled assistant) are planning a trip to the moon! Well, one of them. Specifically Delios, the dark moon of Malifaux. The Fated must prepare themselves for a journey up into space. What they find while treading Delios may very well change the course of Malifaux forever… or might just make for a good story once they touch back down to solid ground. Voyage to the Moon is a challenging One Shot adventure for the Through the Breach roleplaying game. It requires the Core Rules to play.

© 2005-2020 Wyrd Miniatures, LLC