|
This is a straightforward and simple adventure that begins with a classic (slow) zombie
attack in a public place, followed by a rather obvious "investigation", culminating in
a boss fight. It is meant to serve as an excellent first adventure
for a budding group of Hunters.
|
|
Summary
|
|
A descendant of an ancient family of black arts practitioners originating back in Medieval Spain is trying
to resurrect long dead ancestors.
|
|
Setup
|
|
Tierrasola is a secluded suburb near any city in a part of the western United States that used to be under Spanish rule back in the day,
such as Texas, California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, or New Mexico.
The hunters (or potential hunters) just need to be at or near the Tierrasola Town Center Shopping Mall when a zombie
outbreak occurs to get involved in the story.
|
|
The Carrot
|
|
The main benefit of this adventure is to introduce one or more hunters to each other in a learning-friendly scenario.
|
|
The Stick
|
|
If the player characters get overwhelmed, a different team of more experienced Hunters will eventually show up and end the threat.
However, in the interests of engaging the players with the campaign, this can be turned into an opportunity for the experienced Hunters
to become mentors for the player characters. Alternately, the player characters might feel humilated by the intervention and form an
intense rivalry with the experienced Hunters that drives them to do better next time.
|
|
The People
|
|
|
- Joe Revenant: a basic slow-moving non-infectious zombie write up, used for all the members of the zombie horde.
- Antonio Aguilar: a modern day descendant of the Aquelario / Aguilar family, determined to restore his family line to prominence in the supernatural world.
- Garrett: leader of an experienced team of Hunters operating in the region of the city Tierrasola is a suburb of.
- Joe Tactical: a basic Professional Hunter with a military or para-military background. Use them to fill out Garrett's team, if needed.
|
|
The Setting
|
|
Rancho Aguilaro en Tierrasola
|
|
Historically, Tierrasola was a single ranch granted to the Aguilar family long ago during the time of Spanish rule.
The Aguilars presented as an influential family of aristocratic Castilian lineage, and were comfortably wealthy landowners
in their day.
|
|
Secretly however, the true name of the family was Aquelario, with an arcane heritage dating back to
Medieval times. The family left the old world to avoid detection by the Spanish Inquisition and the Basque Witch Trials.
Remnants of the family eventually ended up in Mexico City
and after some further belaborment bought favor and was awarded a tract of land during the time of Spanish Colonial expansion into
North America.
|
|
The Aquelarios continued to practice their family variety of the arts arcane in secret in the new world,
and among other things worked a powerful ward into the very earth of their Rancho to discourage visitors...
a Parma Obscura. That old magic persists, passively and insidiously causing people to forget about this place.
|
|
To be fair, there is no reason for someone to go to Tierrasola other than because they live there or are visting someone
who does. But well beyond the bounds of ordinary obscurity, even though it is a suburb
that is very close to its host city, thanks to the influence of the Parma Obscura people
who don't live there tend to forget it even exists unless directly reminded or invited there by a resident.
|
|
This odd effect is entirely ambient; no one living in the community is aware of nor would credence such a supernatural
idea. Someone with an appropriate supernatural awareness can passively detect the existence of this effect when exposed to it,
but suffer a -5 penalty to their PER check (if relevant) to do so.
|
|
Modern-day Tierrasola
|
|
Tierrasola is a secluded suburb near any city in a part of the western United States that used to be under Spanish rule back in the day,
such as Texas, California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, or New Mexico. It's a quiet, idyllic suburb comprised almost entirely of residential developments
ranging from lower middle class apartments to upper middle class large homes.
|
|
The suburb is approximately 5 miles long north to south, and 3 to 7 miles
wide east to west.
|
|
The south and east borders melds jaggedly with rugged hills and canyons which form a natural barrier
preventing direct connection to neighboring communities.
|
|
The west border has two exits off of an interstate highway about two miles apart; the northernmost of which is Mesa Drive
and the southernmost of which trims the southern edge of the community and is called Tierrasola Boulevard.
|
|
There are two elementary schools, a middle school, and a high school with above average reputation, and
half a dozen churches of various denominations. Local crime is very low, and the police presense is minimal but
calls are promptly responded to by the Police Department of the nearby city which Tierrasola is a suburb of.
|
|
Several of the churches, one of the elementary schools, and the middle school are on Mesa Drive, along with several residential complexes;
it terminates into a gated residential community in the hills.
|
|
The high school, Town Center shopping area, branch library, fire department, and the other elementary school are on Tierrasola Boulevard,
along with more residential areas. The road narrows from four to two lanes towards it's eastern end,
finally giving way to an older access road that winds up into the hills a short distance
to terminate at the gates of the local cemetary, Tierrasola Hills Memorial.
An old sprawling ranch house used to exist at the foot of the cemetary road at the base of the hills,
but it was long ago cleared and built over; a couple of apartment complexes and a townhouse development occupy the area where it once stood.
|
|
The north border has one exit off of a state road onto Saints Row
which runs south the entire length of the community, crossing Mesa Drive, and terminating in a "T"
juncture with Tierrasola Boulevard.
|
|
A two lane north-south road called Rancheros Lane connects Mesa Dr and Tierrasola Blvd roughly midway
along their lengths, giving access to several residential developments.
|
|
There are almost no businesses in the suburb other than a couple of strip malls
which each features a grocery store, a pharmacy, one or two casual dining restaurants or a bar / grill,
a gas station, and a couple of bank outlets.
|
|
The Tierrasola Town Center is the larger of the two malls and is in the southern end of town;
it features a Golden Arcs fast food chain, a hardware store, a major coffee chain, a donut shop that the
locals swear by, two hair stylists at opposite ends, and a local real estate agent office. Next to
the Town Center is a small local library and a small two-truck plus EMT van fire department.
|
|
The Sunny Hills Mall is the smaller of the two shopping areas and is in the northern end of town right off the
state road off ramp onto Saints Row. It features a barber shop, a local cafe, a post office, and a semi-respectable
looking Asian massage parlor and a nail salon (owned and operated by the same extended family).
|
|
GM's Note: This area can become part of a larger campaign after the vignette is concluded, particularly if
one or more the Hunters in the party originate or reside here.
|
|
The Spiel
|
This is a Three-Act Play starting when the first player character observes or hears about the
ongoing zombie attack at Tierrasola Town Center.
- Act 1: The Revenants Revolt - Tierrasola Town Center (Shopping Mall) - Joe Revenant
- Act 2: The Cemetary Centenary - Tierrasola Hills Memorial (Cemetary) - Player Character Roleplaying
- Act 3: The Aquelario Ancestry - Aguilar Family Crypt (Cemetary) - Antonio Aguilar
|
|
Each Act should flow from one to the next. Immediately after the zombie attack is contained (Act 1), following
the trail of zombies back to their origin leads unsurprisingly to the local cemetary, which is actually built around the original
Aguilar family Crypt from the original owners of the land, back when it was Rancho Aguilaro (Act 2).
|
|
Once there, a few more Revenants are rising or got stuck and couldn't figure out how to get out of the cemetary;
a quick fight should ensue. After which the player characters will end up in the oldest part of the cemetary, the Aguilar / Aquelario Crypt
(Act 3).
There they will encounter Antonio Aguilar fevereshly working a large necromantic spell in a thus-far unsuccesful attempt to raise his
ancestors from the dead.
|
|
Act 1: The Revenants Revolt - Tierrasola Town Center (Shopping Mall)
|
|
In this act, a shambling gaggle of Revenants trickles out of the cemetary in the hills, slowly shuffling into
the populated parts of town and attacking the living in their homes and shops. The Hunters call to action is
obvious...contain the outbreak.
|
|
This can happen at any part of the day, but thematically it might work best if it starts at dusk, as the sun is setting and people
are settling down to dinner at home and at local eateries.
|
|
Eventually, when the players get tired of killing Revenants, they can easily follow
the trickle of them back to their origin in the cememtary, which starts Act 2.
|
|
GM's Note: It should be noted that the Revenants are not infectious, but the Hunters don't know that up front and
will likely have some concern that those bitten might rise again.
|
|
Act 2: The Cemetary Centenary - Tierrasola Hills Memorial (Cemetary)
|
|
When the Hunters arrive at the cemetary, at the end of a series of switchbacks
leading up into the hills, they discover a surprisingly large area...approximately half a mile tall north to south
and a third of a mile deep east to west.
|
|
The newer parts of the cemetary are closest to the gate while the very oldest are towards the northeast corner.
The older parts particularly feature many family crypts and tombs rather than simple graves or headstones,
some of which are dug back into hillsides like barrows.
|
|
The main cemetary road winds through the hils via a series of switchbacks, connected to in places by footpaths
that grant access to harder to reach burial areas. A variety of reventants populate this area, making their way down
towards the town.
The Hunters can attempt to sneak around and avoid fighting more Revenants, but if they stick to the main road there
will be periodic combat with hungry Revenants.
|
|
Hunters with special senses will be drawn to the oldest part of the cemetary in the far north east corner, but a team of
Hunters lacking such capabilities will have to either explore or do something creative to find their way to the
original Aguilar Family Crypt to get to the third act.
|
|
Act 3: The Aquelario Ancestry - Aguilar Family Crypt (Cemetary)
|
|
Eventually the Hunters will discover a very large marble Crypt entrance in the oldest part of the cemetary,
made of fine marble but weathered by many centuries, with the name AGUILAR carved into the lintel in a fine looking
classical script. It is built directly into the side of a rocky hill.
The Crypt entrance is normally blocked off with a ancient rusted wrought iron barred door.
However someone has oiled the lock and opened it...the door is unlatched and open currently, though
it will need to be swung open on squeaky hinges for a man-sized person to enter the Crypt.
|
|
Those with good hearing can hear the faint echoes of a mystical incantation emanating from inside the Crypt, in a hodgepodge of corrupt Latin with
Spanish and Basque influences. Those with mystical senses feel strong necromantic energies surging forth from this
area in pulsing waves.
|
|
The inside of the Crypt is classically opulent...but very old. Dust and dirt has seeped in over the years,
covering the marble with a carpet of particulate matter...in which a pair of footprints (size 10's, male)
is clearly visible. The antechamber is empty aside from a 5 foot tall pedastal upon which a large stone-carved
stylized eagle or falcon sits (think Maltese Falcon, but larger) which occupies the middle of the room. A normal
man-sized person can go around this on either side, and steep marble stairwell descends down and back into the earth.
|
|
The stairwell is wide enough for a broad coffin and pallbearers to walk down and descends at a 35 degree angle
for nearly 100 feet, before ending in a proper old-world burial crypt, with side hallways fingering away from the central hallway.
Everything down here has been dead a very long time and only bones and rags remain...these corpses were too far
gone to be raised as Revenants. The hallway ends at a large arch into a 15 x 15 foot chamber with two large stone coffins at the back.
|
|
Antonio Aguilar is in this room, inside an elaborate magical circle that is producing a glowing blue dome of
mystical energies. Inside the dome with him are two bundles of bone, presumably taken from the opened stone coffins
against the back wall of the chamber, and laid out on the floor side by side in repose. Antonio chants the same
mantra over and over again, which produces a pulse of necromantic energy cyclically. At each pulse a weird double-vision
effect causes observes to see the bundles of bone as they once were at their time of death, an aristocratically dressed and coiffured
man and woman in expensive Spanish colonial era clothing.
|
|
Antonio will ignore the Hunters until and unless they manage to break his spell...he doggedly will continue to 0 DCV Concentrate
on what he is doing, confident in the protection of his magical circle and personal protective magics.
|
|
The magical circle that protects Antonio and the corpses of Alonso and Violante is a paper thin dome 10' in diameter.
It is considered to be a 15 DEF Barrier vs every type of attack with 5 Body, Hardened and Impenetrable.
Additionally, anything that comes into contact with it suffers 2D6+1 Killing Attack Versus Alternate Defense (Supernatural Resistance).
If Antonio is moved from where he stands, the circle is broken and the dome collapses.
|
|
For the purposes of dramatic tension, once they enter the Crypt the Hunters have approximately five minutes of in game time to come up with a way to
disrupt Antonio's incantation. After that, he will complete the incantation and successfully resurrect his ancestors,
Alonso and Violante Aguilar, who are both very powerful Black Wizards. This would be bad for the Hunters.
|
|
GM's Note: It should not come to this, as the Hunters have ample time to figure out a way to stop the ritual, but if Alonso and Violante
are raised, use Antonio's write up for purposes of combat...these Black Wizards practice the same style of magic and are similar enough
to not require separate character sheets for purposes of a one-off. If Alonso or Violante become recurring NPC's in your campaign,
separate personalized character sheets can be adapted for them later.
|
|
Outcomes
|
|
Either the Hunters succeed in stopping Antonio's ritual or they don't. Either way, if a campaign develops
around the Hunters, it is a "successful" outcome in the larger scheme as the main purpose of this vignette is to introduce
Hunter player characters to one another and provide a premise for them to start working together. Assuming the Hunters do go on to
further adventures, the main reward will be getting paid bounties for the supernatural threats they dealt with.
|
|
If the Hunters track Antonio down in the Aguilar family Crypt and stop him from finishing his incantation,
there is of course an aftermath to deal with in the suburb, which will have suffered casualties and property damage,
but that and the cover up are Section M's responsibility. The Hunters will get paid (eventually) for their efforts...
$150 per Revenant. If they also managed to kill or capture Antonio before he managed to resurrect his ancestors,
the Hunters will also eventually receive $45,000 to split among themselves. If they capture the Tears artifact and turn it over to Section M
that's worth another $15,000 to split among themselves.
|
|
Every civilian that the Hunter's definitively saved from direct harm from the Revenants can be filed for, for an additional $150 per person saved.
However, the bursars tend to be sticklers about that sort of thing, only paying out in clear cut cases backed up by
independent evidence.
|
|
If the Hunters manage to contain information seepage about the outbreak, such as by eliminating video evidence,
preventing the spread of conflict into the wider community, and so forth (but NOT by eliminating witnesses!) they may be paid
out an additional $2,000 per Hunter who took effective action to that end at the GM's discretion.
|
|
If Antonio managed to resurrect his ancestors, but the Hunters manage to kill or capture any of the
Black Wizards (Antonio, Alonso, or Violante), they are worth $15,000 each.
|
|
Failure to Launch
|
|
If the Hunters don't stop Antonio, he successfully resurrects Alonso and Violante, and two
additional powerful Black Wizards are loose upon the world. They also have the Tears artifact and
may attempt further necromantic hijinks using it. The Revenants drop inert whenever Antonio finishes the
ritual, but whatever damage they had managed to do to the local community remains.
|
|
Origin Story
|
|
This is a great scenario to introduce one or more Hunters to a campaign. Though Antonio Aguilar is
powerful, the overall danger level of this adventure is medium-low, allowing a new player or new
player character to be broken in gracefully.
|