Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 MadStepDad Feb 21, 2009 13:07:44	Back to basics. Everything I know in life I learned from RAVENLOFT. I've lived it and loved it my entire gaming career. I've spread the affliction everwhere I've traveled - and desire to spread its cursed appeal anywhere RPGs are played. It’s been 3 years since our triumphant stomp through the Core with our GRAND CONJUNCTION series (Episode #25 – Roots of Evil coming soon). My mission then was to take a group of gaming veterans – yet RAVENLOFT novices – and sear the Dread Realms into their souls. I knew my mission was accomplished as I watched famed 0-level PC turned high-level Anchorite Wanderer ALEXUS DARKAGNON willingly sacrifice himself to prevent STRAHD & AZALIN (both locked in immortal combat themselves) from breaching the Mistz. From that moment on I declared D&D was dead. It was time for a radical change, yet blackened roots run deep. I wanted to do something different. A true back-to-basics approach. A resurrection of the funk. Last Halloween the seeds were sown. As is customary during this time of season in New England, the original I6 RAVENLOFT module gets dusted off for a one-night High Level romp. Classic players fluent with the game whipping up stat lines and crushing some dice. But this year, I wanted to do something different. A true back-to-basics approach. So I got together a handful of longtime friends who’ve only seen or heard of the game in passing. I mixed them with a touch of old school class and declared a new era of WHAT WOULD U DO Crew citizenship – MASQUE of the RED DEATH MILLENIUM version. D&D may be dead but RAVENLOFT lives forever. What I’d like to do here on this forum, is share this experiment with you. What I’m doing isn’t revolutionary, and it certainly isn’t going to reinvent the wheel. Instead it’s a real return to basics. I’ve purged the letters “D&D” from our vocabulary and have insisted D20 MODERN is our new home setting. Yet even as we stare past the millennium, the Mistz of RAVENLOFT, the infamous Dark Powers (and their notorious cousin the RED DEATH) remain more relevant than ever. What I’m doing here is simply affixing the official RAVENLOFT banner to an already-borderline duplicate in the Urban Arcana setting. I’ve invited a few one-timers to test the game with a couple of savvy veterans to hold their hands through it and we’ll see if we can spread the disease even further into the future. In this discussion, you will see I deviated very little from the core fundamentals presented in all written materials (from the BLACK BOX to d20 Modern Hardback) – PCs start off unaware of their existence, they’re brought together by a higher power, something traumatic happens, the shadows around them gradually come to the light and they decide whether to pursue it or ignore it. Works in any standard pilot episode or introductory campaign, a real back-to-basics approach. There’s no celebrating that. What we will do, is share in a continuations of the canon MASQUE of the RED DEATH setting while simultaneously embracing the ancient mythology of original RAVENLOFT. You’ll see how I kept the theme to MASQUE of the RED DEATH (and the secret war against RED DEATH), used traditional D20 Modern devices and kept an all-time favorite RAVENLOFT module as the script. Marvel at how I’ve taken an old Hyksosa riddle and upgraded it with new-school slang. Call this one – NIGHT of the WALKING DEAD (REMIX).
#2 MadStepDad Feb 21, 2009 13:09:09	KNIGHT of the MENTALLY DEAD The old school MASQUE of the RED DEATH boxed set has a very concise historical summary of mankind’s interactions with that faceless horror. It traces the origin point from the time of Imhotep all the way up to its current 1800’s setting. All I did was expand that general summary another 200 years. Magic reborn as technology (ala an average episode of FRINGE), parasitic corporations suckling from the teat of American consumerism (Gordan Gecko’s “greed is good” speech comes to mind) and of course enough Dread Possibilities to run a ticker-tape parade. I’m converting an all-time classic RAVENLOFT module (and one of my absolute favorites) into a D20 Modern session without the more literal translations people have made around here when discussing RAVENLOFT meets GOTHIC EARTH games. Count Strahd doesn’t wear dooky ropes and Azalin is not a CEO. Instead, I’m taking the general theme of RAVENLOFT (good is punished, evil rewarded) and using it to engulf more contemporary icons. Since the new players I’m using in this one-night scenario are big music fans I figured I’d use that industry as the crux of my campaign. Some of that old “’Red Death speaks to the people in their own language in order to subjugate them further” izh. So I’ve got the RED DEATH behind the scenes manipulating American pop culture, which has leaked into and influenced nearly every corner of the globe. I decided I’d put an emphasis on American musical history to pique my players interests and adjust the historical significance of that revelation accordingly. Now here’s where our paths diverge (reader and writer) – anybody can follow along with the game up to this point, substituting their own favorite musical genre. We enjoy the mercurial, mercenary, murderous world of Hip Hop culture so I’ve chosen that genre as my modus operandi. Hate me now. But before you dismiss me and look way, take heed. Rap is not the emphasis of this world, just the backdrop. I’m reimagining certain real-world incidents and giving them that RAVENLOFT-tinged black light effect. I don’t expect you to notice or care about these references specifically, but I do anticipate you will enjoy the subtle RAVENLOFT references I’ve sprinkled throughout. So follow along with the thread and I’ll show you how I remixed NIGHT of the WALKING DEAD to fit these new standards.
#3 MadStepDad Feb 21, 2009 13:10:10	THE CHARACTERS Everybody is first level (with one exception) and as basic and normal as you can possibly be. JOHNNY ACID – New player, 1st level Charismatic hero. Half Vistani vagabond wanderer who dabbles in criminal enterprises. Hustles mix tapes along his journeys to stay moderately funded. MARGUERITA DeVILLE – New player, 1st level Dedicated hero. Prized student and experienced Creative type. She’s a master flutist who tutors disadvantaged youth during her down time. AGENT BLOOM – New player, 1st level Fast Hero. He’s an agent of Department-7, as listed in the D20 Modern hardback. LENIENCE ELDERWOOD – Old player, unfamiliar with 3.5, 1st level Smart Hero. Finished schooling at an accelerated rate due to his exceptional intelligence, but currently labors as a low level cable TV technician. This is my Q-Monstah. ALEXUS DARKAGNON – Yes, him again. 3rd level Fast Hero whose player insisted on resurrecting his old RAVENLOFT character, albeit in a new school way. He’s a trained operative and member of the secret cabal known as the “Tribe of Hyksosa”. He will work with me (the GM) from within the game to help steer the newbies when things get complicated.
#4 MadStepDad Feb 21, 2009 13:10:45	THE SETTING Broken City, Massachusetts State, Summer of 1993. Bill Clinton just began his first inauguration as President, the Rangers won the Stanley Cup and Michael Jordan retired from basketball to play minor league baseball. The World Trade Center was bombed, Pablo Escobar was killed in Columbia and ATF agents raided Branch Davidian in Waco Texas causing the deaths of many cultists. POWER RANGERS started its run on TV, while CHEERS ended its own. JURASSIC PARK was at the theatres, white reggae artist SNOW dropped the #1 hit “Informer” and Andre the Giant passed away. In the streets of Broken City, a power struggle is at play. Here’s how I refereed the intro....
#5 MadStepDad Feb 21, 2009 13:11:25	INTRODUCTION (Scene One) First things first – new player AGENT BLOOM *****ed out on us. He’s a nerdy video gamer I met from work who expressed heavy interest in role playing. So much so, he even went out and bought his own dice set after I showed him my own. For a month we talked about this session every day and couldn’t wait to play. Then – day of the big show – his twisted wife forbids him from attending. We certainly can’t have players like that in our midst, so even though he insists he will play in the future I am revoking his invitation. Get your girl in check before you even think about rolling dice with the big dogs. Story begins with the introduction of JOHNNY ACID, breezing into Broken City for the first time. He’s a roving beat mercenary with nothing but a backpack and some mix tapes to his name. He knew he was in the right place when he found an old soggy flyer in the gutter advertising an album release party for a local act named DEEPTHOUGHT, hosted by Van Richten Records in Brockton. This was his first player handout ever, and I gave “Van Richten Records” a cool little logo (similar to an “X” with three bars on the top). Just then he’s besieged by local vagrant Charlie the Homeless Guy – who gets a chuckle from the players who all catch the real-world reference. “Spare change! Spare change?!” he calls out. I’m opening the game by allowing each player to describe their characters physical appearance, and one quick little “What Would U Do” situation to illustrate their characters personality. As such, when JOHNNY ACID is beseeched by Charlie the Homeless Guy to cough up some spare change, he harshly refuses. He dismisses the old bum and condescendingly blows him off. But as he walks away, Charlie the Homeless Guy tells him “you’re too late”. Too late for what? “The Millennium Martyr is already here” the wild-eyed, crazy homeless guy says. He gestures towards the nearby antique store where for a split second Johnny Acid thinks he sees his own reflection in the store window glass, only to find a similar looking man watching him from within. Same dress code, same cultural distinctions. But when the mans eyes meet with Johnny Acid, he disappears back into the shadows of the antique store. Johnny Acid’s player catches the drift, and he announces he will withdraw a Newport cigarette and linger outside the store window observing those within. Meanwhile Charlie the Homeless guy shuffles off down the street with his shopping cart of soda cans. At the same time, the BAT bus pulls up to the stop across the street (Brockton public busing). A few people get off, including a cute little 12 year old girl with braids and flute case. The little girl safely crosses the street to meet her musical mentor, Ms. MARGUERITA DeVILLE. Parked and waiting outside the antique store, MARGUERITA DeVILLE exits the car to welcome her precocious young student. Her introductory scenario comes when the delectable aromas of the neighboring Italian Kitchen restaurant (all landmarks the players are familiar with) call out to her young, impoverished pupil. Being the kind, generous, warm-hearted individual she is – MARGUERITA DeVILLE notices this and cheerfully offers to buy her student lunch. They can practice afterwards. So as they enter the restaurant (sharing the same building as the antique store) we scan upwards towards the telephone pole where our third player awaits his introduction. There, high atop a neighboring telephone pole, resides LENIENCE ELDERWOOD (aka the Q-Monstah). He’s up there fixing cable lines that were fried due to a recent power surge. Oddly enough, the surge seemed to emanate from the abandoned church right on the corner (again, all real-life landmarks even though that old church was plowed over years ago for a Walgreens). Seems impossible considering the church has been vacant and unused for years. Nonetheless, Lenience is on the pole fixing the lines and daydreaming about his future. He’s a young brother trying to find his way in the world. He came up through the system as a parentless drifter, but excelled due to his educational acumen. He accrued scholarship after scholarship to prestigious places like MIT, and graduated semesters earlier than his peers. As he sits on the pole today fixing the wiring, his mind drifts towards his future. Should he get his doctorate degree or keep working at the cable company and expand on his ideas for a digital informational stream? Thinking out loud to show the other players his train of thought, LENIENCE decides to pursue his own experiments and designs outside of the academic field. He wants to chart his own course. Just then, the catastrophic tragedy occurs. Lights turn green at the intersection, traffic flows freely and a blue Honda civic rolls by. Before anyone can react either way, the tinted windows slowly roll down revealing the double iron barrels of automatic weapons. Machine gun fire lights up the serene Broken City afternoon. Reflex checks are rolled, people scream, and the glass storefront windows of the old antique store and the Italian Kitchen restaurant (the apparent targets of the shooting) rain down in shards. Outside the antique store, JOHNNY ACID drops the cigarette and crashes to the cement, sparks and glass raining down on him. Returning to her table at the Italian Kitchen with a tray full of food, MARGUERITA DeVILLE is nearly blinded by the glass explosions as bullets rip through the store. On the telephone pole outside, a gigantic electrical detonation goes off propelling LENIENCE ELDERWOOD backwards out of his harness. As the shooters spray the store front, LENIENCE’s smoking, unconscious body careens down to the sidewalk and lands with a sickening thud. They all suffer damage. The area goes unnaturally quiet, as the blue Honda civic squeals off through the intersection. Then bursts of activity occur. MARGUERITA DeVILLE cries out in anguish as the body of her pupil lies on the floor beneath shards of glass, her left leg twitching uncontrollably. MARGUERITA rushes to her body and cradles it lovingly; the poor girls eyes open yet glazed over. Blood oozes from her fatal head wound. Outside JOHNNY ACID crawls to his feet, watching the Honda civic disappear around the bend. He’s completely stunned. Police sirens scream through the air. LENIENCE coughs on the ground and gasps for breath, the wind violently knocked from his lungs. ACID sees the young man struggling to breath and moves towards his side. They both hear MARGUERITA’s inconsolable sobs. The absolute horror of the situation is clear to all of them. Just then – the mysterious window shopper from the antique store arrives on the sidewalk beside JOHNNY ACID and LENIENCE. “They have come for us, exactly as you said they would…” the stranger began, addressing JOHNNY ACID the half-vistani directly. “I have what you’ve requested” he said, withdrawing from his trench coat a jade scroll case. As he does that, Acid and LENIENCE can clearly see the man has been mortally wounded as well. He hands the scroll case to ACID before dropping to his knees. “Please complete the mission, Messiah. Our destiny depends on it…” Before ACID can inquisition him further, the wailing sirens of a dozen police cars engulf the area. The mysterious brown-skinned man expires on the sidewalk beside ACID and LENIENCE.
#6 MadStepDad Feb 21, 2009 15:19:32	They were all questioned by police as to what they witnessed, MARGUERITA’s eyes filled with tears as the body of her pupil was wheeled into the ambulance under a white sheet. Yellow crime scene tape sprung up around the area, and news vans flocked to the scene like vultures. The players were taken to Brockton Hospital separately, where they would unwittingly meet up again hours later in the discharge room. Here’s where the game got interesting. I set the scene and left the players to their own devices. At this time, ALEXUS DARKAGNON’s player is silently observing; he is the wise Yoda of this game offering help to the newbies on where to find things on their character sheets and what dice to roll. Q-Monstah (aka LENIENCE ELDERWOOD) is a role-playing veteran, so he led the other players into conversation. Talk quickly swirled around “the mysterious symbol”. This was the tool I used to unite all the seemingly-unconnected players together. The “mysterious symbol” that appeared on the flyer JOHNNY ACID found on the ground (logo for Van Richten Records). It was also an engraving MARGUERITA DeVILLE has on her family heirloom flute, which is an undisputed classic. The same symbol dangles from LENIENCE’s neck in the form of a necklace. They discussed the oddness of the situation, considering that symbol had seemingly never been seen before. Then, JOHNNY ACID’s player remembered about the jade scroll case and opened the contents for the players. Inside – HYKSOSA’s Hexad, signed with the same mysterious symbol (again – it looks like an “X” with three horizontal lines over the top). ALEXUS’ player chuckled to himself at this revelation. What I did was quote some lines from Hip Hop records of the past; with Hyksosa’s mad scribbles aside each one. I kept all 6 of the original stanzas in place. Light of the Blue Sky shining over the dead Shall gutter and fail turning all to red (I added “blue” before sky hinting to the eternal death war between rival gangs the Bloods and the Crips). Hyksosa’s stanza was written beside the bars “Pumpin on my chest and I’m screamin, I stop breathin – damn I see demons/ dear God I wonder can you save me? I can’t die…” Obvious rap reference to those deeply indebted to the game. To anybody else, it could just be another of Hyksosa’s stanzas. At this point, the new players were at a virtual stumbling block. Q-Monstah (aka LENIENCE ELDERWOOD) kept the conversation flowing, but the newbies were at a roadblock as to what they should do next. So I ushered in ALEXUS DARKAGNON earlier than planned. I was saving him for the Electric Lettuce scene coming down the road, but figured they needed his help to keep the story on track. So as the three players went to the Chinese restaurant across the street to discuss these new developments, a black SUV made its way down the rain-slicked streets towards the Hospital.
#7 MadStepDad Feb 21, 2009 15:20:06	SCENE TWO (The Plot Thickens) ALEXUS DARKAGNON – Shadow Hunter of ill repute – had been waiting for the arrival of the scroll all week. It wasn’t hard to tell from the constant breaking news updates as to what actually happened to the scroll and its messenger (slain in the drive-by shooting). Investigative research led him to discover the scroll was erroneously handed off to a passerby (JOHNNY ACID) who was taken to the hospital to treat some minor wounds. At the hospital, he learned ACID took off with two other people to the restaurant across the street. So ALEXUS had little trouble tracking down the players – and the scroll they carried. He entered the Chinese food restaurant under cover of drizzly nightfall, and immediately noticed the only three patrons in the restaurant were the other players (JOHNNY ACID, MARGUERITA DeVILLE and LENIENCE ELDERWOOD). He wanted the players to come to him, so he approached the bartender and made small talk about the “tragedy across town”. Of course this piqued the interest of the others (especially Q-Monstah aka LENIENCE) who is eager to get ALEXUS into the game. He invites the stranger to sit down, and the first thing they notice is his strange tattoos (specifically the one with the three-headed dragon). They get to some small talk and ALEXUS finds the Hexad strewn about on the table. He is happy to finally see it. He then notices “the mysterious symbol”. The one on LENIENCE’s necklace engraved in MARGUERITA’s flute case and emblazoned across the Hexad itself like a signature. Apparently the connection is stronger than even he thought, and he begins to wonder if the three players were brought together for a greater reason. So he suggests the four of them travel together to get more information on the new questions that plague them. He will bring them to the address JOHNNY ACID first found on that soggy flyer – the location of VAN RICHTEN RECORDS.
#8 MadStepDad Feb 21, 2009 15:21:03	SCENE THREE (The Onion Unravels) This is the part of the game where the players are put on to the mysterious shadow world all around them, but invisible to the naked eye. After some brief small talk, intro and an icy reunion between VAN RICHTEN and ALEXUS (hinting towards some kind of past relationship) VAN RICHTEN takes the players into his confidence. The actual location is a small pharmacy store, almost nondescript in appearance. The October 1993 issue of THE SOURCE MAGAZINE (featuring Kriss Kross on the cover) can be spotted on a magazine rack. But behind closed doors, are the dusty remains of a small-time recording studio. VAN RICHTEN explains the significance of “the mysterious symbol” – the same one he has hanging in a giant portrait-sized frame behind the recording console. Turning the symbol clock-wise, its true importance is revealed – the Roman numeral “13”. As in the “13 Signs of the Hexad”. “Do you believe in God?” VAN RICHTEN asks the players. “Do you believe in magic?” He then proceeds to give them a brief history on the RED DEATH (I summarized the early chapters straight out of the MASQUE of the RED DEATH boxed set). It starts with the Egyptian magic of Imhotep and perversion of mankind in the centuries since. All the while, I got a slick little instrumental piece playing in the background giving the players that eerie “truth is out there” vibe. MotRD is heavy on cabals, and VAN RICHTEN is no different. He is part of a cabal called the “Fraternity of Fractured Thought”. They specialize in occult RED DEATH research and his influence on the American recording industry. VAN RICHTEN name drops Morrison, Hendrix and Lennon amongst others. It has been the Fraternity’s view that the RED DEATH’s most powerful tool of mind control will come from the woefully underprivileged ghettos of American inner cities. They’ve been monitoring the RED DEATH’s presence through the years, and have watched the burgeoning evolution of “Hip Hop Culture” very closely. Hence VAN RICHTEN’s decision to dabble in independent releases – he wants to gather first hand knowledge of the culture. He recruited a like-minded individual known in underground circles as DEEPTHOUGHT, a visceral shadow hunter in the vein of VAN RICHTEN who masquerades as an independent battle rapper. The two collaborated closely on the unraveling of Hyksosa’s Hexad, as it seems the first four signs have already come to pass... Sadly, as they got closer to uncovering an actual version of HYKSOSA’S Hexad, DEEPTHOUGHT was murdered at a downtown club called “The Electric Lettuce” (a by-product of VAN RICHTEN’s curse). Van Richten Records has been closed ever since, releasing only one DEEPTHOUGHT single (which JOHNNY ACID saw on the soggy flyer he found). The players have been bombarded with heavy information, and pepper the good Doctor with many questions. LENIENCE asks where he graduated from, MARGUERITA asks about the significance of that symbol on her family heirloom flute and ACID wants to hear DEEPTHOUGHT’s only recorded single (“Tried by 12” by East Flatbush Projects – download it now). At one point when LENIENCE and VAN RICHTEN were discussing doctorate degrees, LENIENCE suddenly felt a buzzing, stabbing pain in his cranium – like a sharp migraine. When the pain subsided, they found a small dusty microphone had actually levitated five feet off a table and crash landed just as suddenly. Shades of DEEPTHOUGHT’s spiritual presence, or something deeper? ALEXUS pored through some of VAN RICHTENS old manuscripts on the Fraternity’s research while MARGUERITA played VAN RICHTEN a flute solo (at his request). He was just about to make an announcement regarding her instrument… when spot checks were suddenly required...
#9 MadStepDad Feb 21, 2009 15:30:34	THE SHOOTERS RETURN MARGUERITA and ALEXUS saw it first. That same blue Honda civic slowly rolls by the store, casing the surroundings. They took quick note of that and sprang into action. VAN RICHTEN whispered “they’ve finally come back to finish what they’ve started…” then he broke out the secret firearm cache. Two 9mm’s and a 12 gauge shotgun. He passed the weapons out to the players and kept the automatic for himself. The players were ready for war. They quickly moved into position – MARGUERITA (with visions of her dead pupil fresh in her mind), LENIENCE and VAN RICHTEN taking cover in the store while ALEXUS takes JOHNNY ACID to the side alleyway outside. I allowed ALEXUS and JOHNNY ACID secret Listen checks as they moved into position, to notice the three blue-ragged creeps sneaking up on the rear of the store. They passed their rolls and were able to get the drop on the goons as they lined up against the backdoor. Reflex checks abound as the blue Honda civic comes screaming by again spraying the entire storefront with automatic gunfire. Inside, VAN RICHTEN, MARGUERITA and LENIENCE are well-protected and unharmed by the drive-by. In the back – almost on cue – the three goons blast off the dead bolt and begin to barge in. But before they can, ALEXUS and ACID get the surprise attack. Within moments two of the goons are slain at the hands of ALEXUS’ long sword (odd and archaic I know, but he insisted) and ACID’s quick burst of uzi fire. The third goon dives for cover inside the store, where ALEXUS and ACID quickly follow. Combat ensues. I really just used this opportunity to school the new cats on d20 dice rolls. ALEXUS’ player was a really big help, gracefully tutoring all the newbies from his side of the screen. JOHNNY ACID wound up in a hand-to-hand tussle with the dreadlocked banger who made in the back door while VAN RICHTEN covered him with his gun screaming for the ********er to give himself up (he wouldn’t so VAN RICHTEN popped him one in the chest). Three bangers broke in the storefront window which was opened up from the drive-by and shot it out with LENIENCE and MARGUERITA who were cowering for cover. Finally, ALEXUS came to their rescue – and though he was wounded in the gun fight – he killed two of the ********ers causing the third to flee. LENIENCE and MARGUERITA (no doubt surging with adrenaline) followed the hoodlum into the street where he went running towards the blue Honda civic. Unbelievably – even with an un-proficient attack against some serious cover – LENIENCE shot the hood as he was getting into the car, killing him instantly. The car peeled off down the street and the bangers dead body rolled into the gutter like a sack of potatoes. LENIENCE and MARGUERITA immediately got into her own vehicle and began chasing the Honda. As they took off around the corner, a wounded ALEXUS followed with VAN RICHTEN and JOHNNY ACID. They quickly hopped into ALEXUS’ suv and sped off after them. Car chase ensues. MARGUERITA loses control in a rainy intersection, allowing ALEXUS’ vehicle to blow past her and continue to chase the Honda. Zipping down side streets, the Honda blasts through the back parking lot of Jakes Hardware store and loses control trying to make a hard turn. It spins a complete 180 and winds up facing ALEXUS’ oncoming vehicle. Headlights shine on both vehicles like a spotlight, as a deadly game of chicken begins to take shape. ALEXUS has no mercy and orders VAN RICHTEN and ACID to buckle up! He guns the engine and the two cars collide in a fiery hail of sparks and debris. Damage is sustained by all, but especially the bad guys. ALEXUS slowly gets out of the car to check damage as MARGUERITA and LENIENCE roll up shortly after. ALEXUS spots some movement in the backseat, and reaches in to find a body under shards of glass from the back window. Suddenly, the figure leers at him with fiery red eyes clearly visible beneath his blue bandanna and sinks fangs into ALEXUS’ forearm! ALEXUS howls in pain as VAN RICHTEN lets off a fatal head shot from the other side of the car. Everything is silent as ALEXUS assess the wound to his arm. Undercover of night, the four players (and one NPC) search the car and the corpses for any information. VAN RICHTEN recognizes their “DPG’z” tag as belonging to the hoodlums at the Electric Lettuce nightclub that played a role in DEEPTHOUGHT’s death. But VAN RICHTEN warns them the Electric Lettuce is a very dangerous place, and the only people who can gain admittance are battle rappers and their entourages. Everybody looks toward JOHNNY ACID who grins widely like the Cheshire cat. END CHAPTER ONE
#10 MadStepDad Feb 21, 2009 15:32:04	CHAPTER TWO SCENE ONE (Live from the Lettuce) The “Electric Lettuce” is a fictional downtown club with a name based on ALEXUS’ and I favorite pastime (watch the movie if you don’t get the picture). It’s an underground club, almost literally. Large portions of the club reside beneath the sidewalk at basement level. So while from casual observation it may seem rather flat and bland, the insides reveal it to be much larger than expected. The players now knew these “DPG’z” killers congregate in and around this club, so it’s inevitable that a confrontation (or at least investigation) take place here sooner or later. Sooner rather than later, as its obvious these murderers will not rest with HYKSOSA’s Hexad in the players hands. But before the players venture into the pit of the beast, they wisely take some early precautions. Knowing the spot is a haven for war-tested battle rappers, JOHNNY ACID figures to play the role of point man – with the rest of the PCs being his entourage. He wanted to take this brief downtime to amass an “army of bums” as he called it. He scoured local street corners for ciphers and even hit the Brockton homeless shelter in hopes of finding somebody – anybody – with even a modicum of rhyming prowess. No dice for ACID. No followers or henchmen for him at this time. He must battle solo. Meanwhile, MARGUERITA – stirred by VAN RICHTEN’s words – researches the history of her family heirloom flute further. For all intents and purposes, it is a magical item capable of charming the living and turning the undead. I wanted something to distinguish her character from the rest, and also to offer a valuable tool for them as the adventure progresses. LENIENCE ELDERWOOD answered many inquiries about his necklace (the once crafted with Hyksosa’s symbol) but even he didn’t know the truth. He bought it from a panhandler in Boston months ago, no other information given. But more mysteriously – ever since the explosion that knocked him off the telephone pole – he’s been experiencing crushing migraines that yield stunning side effects. Much like the levitating microphone, he’s had books fall off of shelves, computer screens short out and pencils snap for no apparent reason. Is he haunted? No – I just took the cheap way out and decided to give him a “superhero origin”. LENIENCE – aka my Q-Monstah – will grow to become a burgeoning psionic. All the while ALEXUS was helping VAN RICHTEN clean up the mess back at his pharmacy. Oddly – after the players returned to the shop after the car chase, all the ********er corpses had been mysteriously removed. Nothing left but bullet holes and shattered merchandise. VAN RICHTEN and ALEXUS cooperated fully with Brockton Police, who deduced it had been a botched robbery (even though nothing of value had been looted – only destroyed). VAN RICHTEN cashed the insurance check and went on with his research, aiding the players in their quest to unravel the origins of the Hexad and avenge the death of DEEPTHOUGHT.
#11 MadStepDad Feb 21, 2009 15:32:46	BLOOD MARTYR Cue “Cool Like That” by DIGABLE PLANETS, nodding my head like it just came out. The Electric Lettuce is a blatant drug den. Most unsettling, the parking lot is seemingly full of blue Honda civics – similar to the ones involved in those fatal drive-by shootings. JOHNNY ACID signs up for competition under the alias “Nicholas Design” (his choice) – the other PCs are his entourage. So when he strolls into the spot for the first time with a rag-tag team of decidedly un-gangster acquaintances they all get the ice grill. Quick scenery check reveals a smoky lounge area with a slightly raised platform at the back operating as a stage. A DJ with a crooked hat spins hard on the wheels of steel and flocks of women dot the scene. The cult gathering of blue-ragged villains the players sought was noticeable, taking up an entire portion of the club hall. They are the DPGz. I gave the players a chance to digest the scenery and announce their intentions. LENIENCE stuck close to MARGUERITA, his being the lone pale face. ALEXUS and JOHNNY ACID catch sight of a few discreet gypsy-brand folk among the swarming masses, and make their way to that table. All the while, a particularly boisterous DPG holds court amongst his azure minions like a demonic puppeteer. In the background LADYBUG MECCA’s silky voice sets the ambiance (“Cool Like That” – DIGABLE PLANETS). I wanted them to feel a sense of danger as outsiders emerging into a world they never knew existed. Peril permeates the air and resonates with ruthless wolf pack aggression. Everybody in here is trying to prove something to someone; the extreme embodiment of High School peer pressure. God forbid you accidentally step on someone’s Nike Air Carnivores. The Vistani approached by ACID and ALEXUS were nonexistent by the time they reached the table. Vanished into the steaming sea of club goers. ALEXUS already told the players they would be no match for the killer’s man-to-man, so accruing allies was top priority. But as it is, these young upstart nobody PCs can’t catch a break. JOHNNY ACID failed on his earlier recruiting efforts and now they find themselves alone amidst a sea of unsmiling faces. I inserted a wedge of tension between LENIENCE and MARGUERITA when I had a barbaric DPG goon step to the white boy and try to steal his girl. Wisely – and hinting at her own potential of role-playing greatness – MARGUERITA DeVILLE diffused the situation by ditching LENIENCE and going with the bad guys. She had an ulterior motive anyway – remember VAN RICHTEN told her the magical possibilities of her heirloom instrument and she aimed to use those gifts to her advantage with this unruly DPG clown. I gave more shine to the most belligerent of the DPGz and announced to the players they could clearly hear him disrespecting the memory of DEEPTHOUGHT. Just some more salt for the wounds. Unbelievably (or more likely feeling heroic from the Tanqueray we were imbibing during the game) JOHNNY ACID takes himself right over to the table housing the largest Crip congregation and starts jawing with them over the DEEPTHOUGHT comments! ALEXUS, LENIENCE and MARGUERITA slowly start filling in behind ACID but the audacity of his actions can be read quite clearly on everybody’s faces. Things get heated really fast, and ALEXUS tries to play peaceful middleman but to no avail. JOHNNY ACID stepped to the wrong guy. KILLA TAY is a rail-thin Haitian who speaks with a guttural West Coast accent (pronouncing his “R’s” very hard) and it’s apparent by the psychotic glare in his eyes there are a few screws loose. Ain’t no metal detectors here, and it’s frighteningly evident the PCs are not only woefully undermanned – they’re dangerously unarmed. Just then, as the increasingly hostile confrontation bubbles to a frenzy – the house DJ shines the spotlight down on both bickering parties. A conglomeration of Crips led by KILLA TAY – and a ragtag group of PCs led by the half-vistani outcast JOHNNY ACID (aka “Nicholas Design”). With the house lights separating the two leaders in a golden halo from the rest of the club, the DJ implores the two to settle their differences the “Electric Lettuce Style” – with a microphone battle. Both parties accept, and KILLA TAY puts his fingers at ACID’s temples like a gun – threatening to blow his brains out. Had a little fun with the players here, especially as KILLA TAY clutched the mic and I let out an old BLOODSHED (R.I.P) verse from the surround sound speakers. We resolved the battle with a trilogy of “Perform” checks, each for a different facet of the delivery. It breaks down the art we love while adding some tension to the encounter (as players must succeed against opposing rolls best 2-out-of-3). In the end it was split down to the third die roll – and despite the heavy blue-rag affiliations within the audience – JOHNNY ACID (aka “Nicholas Design”) punctuated his performance by winning their approval with his crowd participation. The night ended with a bang. Literally. Somebody let off a shot in the back of the club and the entire place stampeded to the exits. Another quick WHAT WOULD U DO? Scenario to illustrate the growing weirdness of their investigation – the DPG goon who was seen tucking a gun shortly after the stampede was vaguely recognizable – as one of the dreadlocked shooters they killed during the shoot-out at VAN RICHTEN’s pharmacy! Luckily the PCs stayed united and used the cover of chaos to their advantage and slipped out into the Broken City night air unscathed. And all though many reports of blue Honda civics prowling the streets into the wee morning hours persisted, the players would have no further altercations that night. But they learned everything they needed to from JOHNNY ACID’s riot-inducing performance. They all met up later in the back of VAN RICHTENs store, now boarded up and closed for business.
#12 MadStepDad Feb 21, 2009 15:33:32	SCENE TWO (Revelations) MARGUERITA’s dazzling recital earned her admittance to that hardened DPGz innermost thoughts. He revealed that KILLA TAY arrived in Broken City from Los Angeles a month ago with a small army of goons claiming the Crip set. He blasted through the city absorbing many of the smaller crews and asserting the dominance of his new East Coast chapter. More importantly, he’s come to Broken City for a purpose – he’s scouring the city for a parchment that was lost from his family generations ago. Working on behalf of his kinfolk (who he refers to as the “Trey-Eight Reborn”), KILLA TAY has come to Broken City to reclaim the heirloom when it was reported to have resurfaced out here. The low-level scum MARGUERITA charmed didn’t know what the parchment was or said – only that it could bring “untold power”. But most importantly, MARGUERITA was able to learned Killa Tay’s government name – LUC TARASCON. This in turn allowed LENIENCE ELDERWOOD (aka my Q-Monstah) to do a background check on Mr. LUC TARASCON (aka KILLA TAY). What they learned was shocking in its implications. LUC TARASCON comes from a wealthy family of Haitian immigrants who migrated to the West Coast decades ago. LUC has two older brothers (twins JEAN & MARCEL) – both who have prestigious college degrees. LUC himself is a straight-A honor roll student with no criminal history. Most odd about LUC’s background is the fact he and his older brother MARCEL were officially listed as “missing” by the LAPD a month ago. ALEXUS quickly deduced that whatever made LUC vanish and reappear as “Killa Tay” on the East Coast can be traced back to Los Angeles. The players all knew that LUC TARASCON (aka “Killa Tay”) ultimately sought the HEXAD they held. ALEXUS summarized the history of HYKSOSA quite succinctly – he is the original prophet of which NOSTRADAMUS was credited as being when European historians white-washed his accomplishments. Nostradamus actually bit everything he knew and wrote from HYKSOSA himself. As to what “untold powers” this scroll could bring, even ALEXUS was unsure of that himself. Which is why he had dedicated his entire life to unraveling it. He was certain however – that the 5th stanza of the 13 part doomsday prophecy heralds the creation of a “BLOOD MARTYR” – something VAN RICHTEN concurs with. Every generation a BLOOD MARTYR must be created. This mythical figure symbolizes that generation’s decadence and crystallizes its appeal. Figures like ELVIS PRESLEY and JANIS JOPLIN who are sacrificed on a global stage so as to deify the RED DEATHs movement. “Light of the blue sky shining over the dead Shall Gutter and fail turning all to red” ALEXUS and VAN RICHTEN took this to mean a Blood Martyr is currently under construction. What this has to do with LUC TARASCON and his familial connections they could only guess. The players were now faced with two options, both of them grim – continue to hide out in Broken City while LUC TARASCON (aka “Killa Tay”) scours the streets looking for them. Even worse he now has vengeance written on his hollow-tips after JOHNNY ACID sonned him in the Electric Lettuce battle. Being low level, non-street affiliated characters – the players knew this was not a good idea. The second option would be to head straight to the heartland of gangster rap, Los Angeles CA to learn more of this “untold power” that drives KILLA TAY. ALEXUS has a couple contacts in LA that could help the players gain some ground. In the meantime, VAN RICHTEN would stay on the East Coast to monitor activities as they developed locally. Especially after the players told the good doctor of their run-in with the seemingly-deceased dreadlock at the Electric Lettuce. END CHAPTER TWO Whew. The intro went longer than I expected, but I accomplished the three key things I set out to do – introduce and personalize each new low-level character, connect them all and give them reasons to work together on a seemingly outlandish mission and most importantly – infect some new players with the craze! After concluding the session, the players had much to discuss. MARGUERITAs player was excited by the idea of a magical family heirloom and wanted to learn more about the history of her instrument. JOHNNY ACIDs player is now aware of some mystical connection between HYKSOSA and his own half-vistani bloodlines and seeks to learn more about that. LENIENCE continues to expand his own research into the powers of the human mind, where it seems his former uncertainty about his life’s goals has been given a newfound purpose. And of course ALEXUS DARKAGNON remains ever vigilant; aware they are rocketing towards a hellish descent but unsure as to why. On November 8th the game continues as the PCs pack up and head left where the sunny skies of California beckon. Somewhere out there, the mysteries of the Tarascon family will be found and the players will have part in the creation (or destruction) of this generations “BLOOD MARTYR”. Tune in next episode for the exciting conclusion. To be continued…
#13 MadStepDad Feb 21, 2009 15:36:36	Brief recap of the last session to refresh our memories. Game resumes on the small airplane taking the three remaining players cross-country to L.A. Tribe of Hyksosa affiliate ALEXUS DARKAGNON arranged the flight and assured the other PCs he would meet with them in L.A. (ALEXUS’ player was unable to attend the session due to personal issues). Gave the players a chance to break the ice and declare their characters motivations for such a drastic relocation. Role-playing veteran LENIENCE ELDERWOOD (aka my Q-MONSTAH) takes the reigns and considering the PCs are marked for death in their hometown, bound by a mysterious symbol and closing in on a doomsday prophecy the motivation is clearly there. MARGUERITA in particular is ravenous for revenge (after her pupil was slain and her apartment ransacked), something the Dark Powers should take keen interest in. Compound that with the mysterious origins of her family heirloom (musical instrument engraved with “the symbol”) and her path is set. JOHNNY ACID (aka “Nicholas Design”) is a born wanderer, and following his newfound bloodlines (a journey presented to him by ALEXUS after ACID came upon an original copy of HYKSOSA’s book of rhymes) has led him out West. He hopes to continue to make a name for himself in underground circles all the while avoiding the hollow-tip bullets with his name on them. The three PCs are escorted by an unnamed pilot arranged by ALEXUS. They have been given two contact names in L.A to aid them in their quest – DOCTOR BRUCIEN (to heal any injuries they may accrue) and DERUNO, the owner of a small corner market who also traffics in black market firearms (should they need to acquire some ammunition). After brief refueling stops in North Carolina and Texas, the PCs were on their way to their destination when they were enveloped by a mysterious bank of fog. Swallowed by the Mists, the PCs drifted for what seemed like hours. The pilot lost radio control and sensors and flight instruments went askew. PCs came to the creeping realization that something was going dreadfully wrong, when all of the sudden the Mists cleared – and they found themselves soaring directly into the mountain side! A titanic crash ensued, lessened only by the pilots last-second maneuvering. The plane was totaled, the PCs were scattered about like ping pongs and the pilot killed. They emerged from the wreckage battered, but alive. Amidst the smoldering wreckage they were able to gather their belongings and assess their surroundings. They were lost in a large field area surrounded by a wilderness of trees. It was nightfall, and the overhead sky was blackened with thick rain clouds. Thunder rolls ominously in the distance. Strangely enough, for such a deserted area, there were multiple sets of tire tracks in and out of the field area. The PCs followed the tracks on foot and emerged to find themselves stranded high atop the Hollywood hills. They could see the giant white letters, and off in the distance the sprawling city of Los Angeles just waking up. Heavy layers of smog blanket the city – ala the choking ring of fog around the Village of Barovia. The players were lost in a foreign land, with only two hastily-scrawled contacts for anchors. They knew they had to get down to the city where they would visit DOCTOR BRUCIEN first – he could tend to their wounds.
#14 MadStepDad Feb 21, 2009 15:40:25	Luckily for them, a tractor trailer truck was spotted winding down the Hollywood hills and the PCs quickly flagged him down for a lift. They gave him the address they needed to get to (DOCTOR BRUCIEN’s location) but the driver looked at them like they were crazy. Why on earth would you ever want to go to THAT part of town??? He did oblige their request, however half way there they ran into a snag. Particularly – an entire city block congested with traffic and blocked off by police barricades (cue “Dopeman” by NWA – the original version not the remix). A long, slow procession of blue-tinted low-riders and 1964 Chevrolets made its way down the crowded block. A few bounced with hydraulics, and the sidewalks teemed with blue-ragged youth throwing up their respective gang signs. Police stood dutifully around, redirecting traffic. The motorcade continued on like a car show or parade. As the trailer slowed to a stop near the police blockage, the driver was clearly rattled (the events of Reginald Denny’s beating no doubt fresh in his mind). Their final destination was just a few blocks beyond the blockage, but with this hold-up the driver refused to take them any further. Soon, the PCs saw what was causing the hold up – leading the pack of slow riding vehicles was the unmistakable site of a black hearse. The PCs were in the midst of a funeral procession. The kicker? The procession was being led directly to TARASCON FUNERAL HOME. Bam. PCs avoided the brouhaha and took a cab to DOCTOR BRUCIENs address. Surprisingly, the address led them to a cheap in-and-out two story motel complex in a very seedy part of town. The place was swarming with activity; hand-to-hands, homeless people lingering and dollar hookers in and out of the various rooms. Lurkers hung out along the second floor balcony, smoking cheap cigarettes and watching the PCs with hungry eyes. What kind of doctor frequents this kind of establishment? The answer was simple once he answered their knock – a disgraced former physician with a raging meth addiction. That’s who. DOCTOR BRUCIAN welcomed the PCs in once their affiliations had been revealed. DOCTOR BRUCIEN goes way back with ALEXUS DARKAGNON, although he was very vague on how the two actually met. In between shady backdoor dealings out of his little (and very messy) motel room, DOCTOR BRUCIEN bound the players wounds and gave them some background information. There has been a wave of gangland terror recently, even more so than normal. He has been treating countless gunshot victims. He was surprised to hear from ALEXUS that the PCs may be experiencing issues with LUC TARASCON (aka “Killa Tay”) and quizzed them about that. He reiterated that young LUC TARASCON and his older brother MARCEL have officially been listed “missing” by the LAPD. DOCTOR BRUCIEN was stunned to hear about LUC (aka “Killa Tay”) exploits in Brockton, as the entire TARASCON family is very cultured, mild-mannered and well educated. DOCTOR BRUCIEN was distracted by the arrival of his apparent dealer, and the PCs made their exit. They decided a stake-out of the TARASCON Funeral Home would be appropriate, and took up residence at a nearby motel that allowed them visual access to the home. At one point – JOHNNY ACID stepped out for a Newport break and caught sight of a promotional poster on a nearby telephone pole. It was advertising a small concert for a local talent called LIL’ SMOOTH. What caught ACID’s eye however, was the name of the locale LIL’ SMOOTH would appear at (“The Blue Sky”) and the name of his “hit” single – “The Blood Martyr”. He immediately tore it down and brought it to the rest of the players. Reflecting upon HYKSOSA’s book of rhymes, they caught the Blue Sky reference (“Light of the Blue Sky shining over the dead shall gutter and fail turning all to red”). LENIENCE deduced that this LIL SMOOTH character was the “Blood Martyr” VAN RICHTEN and ALEXUS had spoken of. He raced to a nearby payphone and reached out to VAN RICHTEN back home in Brockton. I used that conversation to once again reiterate the importance of a “Blood Martyr” in any musical generation (it cements the decadence of that era and ensures many more will follow down that path), and gangsta rap is this generations poison. Also important, VAN RICHTEN informed the players he had been doing a little research of his own. Apparently, when the TARASCON family migrated from Haiti generations ago they didn’t leave EVERYTHING from the old country behind… rumor has it there is still a deeply engrained spiritual connection to the Voodoo religion. VAN RICHTEN explained there is a process within that religion that generates zombies – enslaved to their creators. This explains the return of the dreadlocked ********er they seemingly killed in the shootout at VAN RICHTEN’s pharmacy. VAN RICHTEN suggested they tread lightly until he can gather more information. In the meantime, be on the lookout for this possible connection.
#15 MadStepDad Feb 21, 2009 16:24:58	After settling in at the motel, the players decided to hit up DERUNO’s GENERAL STORE (the last of their two given contacts) for some new gear. Braving the threatening storm clouds overhead, the three PCs crossed downtown L.A. to the given address. DERUNO – a short, stocky Italian man with a bushy beard (and pure Dwarven bloodlines) welcomed them graciously once their affiliations were revealed. “You’re here for the “eggs and milk” I presume?” he asked. His cache of street-level arms and ammunition was impressive to the players, who – aside from JOHNNY ACID – had never seen or gripped real weapons before the impromptu shootout at VAN RICHTENs pharmacy. He gave them discounted prices due to their connection to ALEXUS, but it still cost LENIENCE every last bit of spending money he had. They were reduced to about $1200 now, all on MARGUERITA’s various credit cards. Amongst the trappings of an everyday convenience store, JOHNNY ACID caught sight of a small stack of bootleg mixtapes for sale at the counter – all featuring LIL’ SMOOTH. He eagerly copped one and the three PCs quizzed DERUNO on LIL’ SMOOTH. A non-rap fan himself, DERUNO knew little of his actual music. All he knows is that copies of the tape sell like hotcakes, and every other week some of his boys come through and drop off more copies. DERUNO doesn’t know LIL’ SMOOTH personally but he knows his type – thugged out Crip ********ers. He has heard rumors on the street that LIL’ SMOOTH was involved in some real life shootouts, but other than that he can offer no other information. But a copy of that tape was good enough for ACID, and he eagerly popped it into his walkman and let it bump. Generic gangsta rap is how LIL SMOOTH’s mixtape could be described. Most notable on the tape – the song “Blood Martyr” is a thinly veiled stab at some other unnamed Long Beach crew that LIL SMOOTH sounds obsessed with. He chastises this unnamed LBC rapper as “not being real” and promises to “put one in (his) wig”. This is huge foreshadowing, but the only one who gets it is JOHNNY ACID’s player (a rap fanatic like me). On to more important matters – the TARASCON funeral home. Stake-out begins tonight. Nothing of note on the first night, but early editions of the L.A. Times newspaper the next morning report yet another gang-related shoot out. Five reported dead. This is “Day Two – Scene of the Crime” as detailed in the original NIGHT of the WALKING DEAD module. That day the PCs were free to do as they pleased. LENIENCE spent the day at the library researching his mysterious headaches, delving feet first into paranormal psychic studies and telekinesis reports. He thinks the explosion that blew him off the telephone pole opened up extra dimensional doors in his mind. MARGUERITA stayed at the motel to practice her flute and keep watch on the TARASCON Funeral home. She is getting to know their routine quite well now. JOHNNY ACID took his backpack full of mix tapes and headed off to the Blue Sky nightclub to peep the scene. The spot didn’t open for hours, but JOHNNY ACID caught the unmistakable odor of rancid, rotten meat permeating the air. He assumed it was coming from the Chinese restaurant nearby… little did he know it was “Night Two – The Odor of Death” creeping up on him! Meanwhile, storm clouds rumble ominously overhead. A car drives by with its windows down, stereo bumping. As it speeds by JOHNNY ACID clearly hears “The over shining sky the of light the dead, shall to all turning fail and gutter red” in a familiar voice emanating from the car radio. Just like that, the car is gone down the boulevard. BEHIND THE DM SCREEN (Interlude) The original module has the poor “lost one” LUC TARASCON following the PCs around like a puppy, spouting out twisted versions of HYKSOSAs HEXAD at random intervals. Obviously this was not possible in my game, seeing as “lost one” here translates to “trigger happy madman”. So I had to find a way to keep that original plot line fresh, considering LUC’s last stanza (thus far unrevealed) becomes the most important. So – enter POWER 106, an LA-based Hip Hop radio station.
#16 MadStepDad Feb 21, 2009 16:25:28	JOHNNY ACID had seen bus stop ads for POWER 106, so he knew it was the local radio station. After hearing that last bar come through over the car stereo he had to know more about it. So I painted the scenery around the Blue Sky nightclub and put a pay phone in the immediate vicinity… right on the corner of “Marie Laveau’s House of Voodoo”… owned and operated by CHICKEN BONE! ACID hits the payphone, calls up the radio station and enquires about that last song. It’s big in rotation now, a new song by a new artist named KILLA TAY – so ACID’s assumptions were correct. That is LUC TARASCON after all. Where can he get a copy of that song? It’s not available to the masses yet (remember it’s 1993 and Napster is light years away). Dejected but enlightened, ACID takes a quick Newport break… and a small, dark skinned man hollers out to him from the darkened interior of “Marie Laveau’s House of Voodoo”… JOHNNY ACID is cautious and skeptical when the man asks to read his fortune, but remembers VAN RICHTENs words (about a possible voodoo connection with the TARASCONs). So he accepts the offer and ventures into the dark recesses of the House of Voodoo. Again, dark storm clouds rumble ominously overhead. As I’m focusing primarily on JOHNNY ACID’s character now, I slip notes to the players of LENIENCE and MARGUERITA. I printed out a page of information on real life telekinesis and how it can be potentially used (for good or evil) and gave it to LENIENCE. For MARGUERITA, I detailed the arrival of a very conspicuous red-suited individual arriving at the door of TARASCON Funeral Home. He stuck out amongst the blue-clothed clientele like a red lion awash in a sea of blue sharks. She wrote back that she wanted to observe this closely, so I kept her dangling in the wind as the red-suited gentleman took his sweet time within the Funeral Home. Back to ACID… ACID was introduced to CHICKEN BONE, who keeps a very cluttered store. In the back, there are two caged frogs of the largest variety JOHNNY ACID has ever seen (There! I did it!) CHICKEN BONE sits him down and uses the dikesha dice to divine his future (dice from the FORBIDDEN LORE boxed set said to be unique to Har’Akir but I don’t care. I just wanted to use them). Basically, I played out the “Vistani Camp” scene from the opening of the module. CHICKEN BONE tells him “the lost one has called you! The dead will walk with the coming storm and you must find a way to put them to rest. If you cannot, the rain will turn to blood! It will drown you – and all of L.A.!” JOHNNY ACID asked some probing questions about the TARASCON family, and CHICKEN BONE admitted he was familiar with them. When asked about the voodoo process of zombification, however CHICKEN BONE played coy. “A magician never reveals his tricks – and a sorcerer never enlightens a non-believer”. He did recommend a nice book ACID could buy however, and swindled the half-vistani MC out of $12.95 for it. ACID took his book and fortune reading back to the motel to meet up with the other players. Time for “Night Three: The Madman Strikes…”
#17 MadStepDad Feb 21, 2009 16:26:11	That night LENIENCE ELDERWOOD volunteered to stay behind at the motel and continue their stake-out of TARASCON Funeral home. JOHNNY ACID on the other hand was eagerly anticipating LIL SMOOTH’s performance at the Blue Sky nightclub. So he asked MARGUERITA (and her perceived Hip Hop credentials) to accompany him there. She complied. The next few scenes race by, bouncing back and forth between the two split PC parties, both scenes unfolding at the same time. LENIENCE studies his books alone in the sanctuary of their motel room and begins experimenting. Like a superhero movie, LENIENCE is practicing his new found powers. He concentrates on a coca-cola bottle and the glass begins to vibrate. Just like the pulsing windows in and around the busy Blue Sky nightclub. The streets are lined with people, although the dress code is refreshingly conservative. Yet all along the relatively tranquil setting, packs of ravenous wolves prowl the peripheral. JOHNNY ACID and MARGUERITA can feel the tension as if any moment a fight will break out. The unnaturally tangy aroma of PCP can be sniffed in the humid air. ACID and MARGUERITA pay their cover charge and slink into the neon dimness of the Blue Sky. In the background, AARON HALL croons his hit single “Don’t Be Afraid” (from the JUICE soundtrack). Despite JOHNNY ACIDs accompaniment, MARGUERITA DeVILLE is quickly hit on at the club. A nattily-attired man with a shaved head and large diamond earring approaches her and whispers in her ear. She accepts his request to buy her a drink and the two head off to the bar. JOHNNY ACID is left alone to survey the scene. He notices a crew of rowdy hoods dominating one corner of the hall, scantily-clad women scattered amongst them. Contrast that with the near silence of LENIENCE’s study, as that coca-cola bottle vibrates in various frequencies under his steely glare. Back at the club, I introduced MARGUERITA to “MALIK” a big-boned specimen who had a tendency to color-coordinate his apparel with lots of blood red accessories. A self-described “body guard for hire”, MALIK is enjoying one of his rare off-nights. MARGUERITA bonded with MALIK as ACID kept a low profile. He stepped outside at one point for a Newport break and another car zipped down the block with its stereo pumping – “The over shining sky the of light the dead, shall to all turning fail and gutter red” it bumped. KILLA TAY’s song on the radio again. At around 1:00 am, it was announced LIL SMOOTH would be soon taking the stage. Just then – LENIENCEs efforts paid off and the glass coca cola bottle he concentrated so diligently on moved itself a quarter of an inch. LENIENCE was marveled – and exhausted. But his night was far from over. He noticed activity over at the TARASCON Funeral Home. LENIENCE had researched LUC, and the twins MARCEL & JEAN so he knew what they looked like. He was clearly witnessing JEAN TARASCON leaving the premises under cover of darkness. So LENIENCE hopped into the PCs rental car and followed JEAN TARASCON into the L.A. night. JEAN TARASCON drove into a crusty piece of town complete with ramshackle, crowded buildings and ample graffiti. LENIENCE tailed him to a dark alleyway where he parked and emerged to follow JEAN further on foot. JEAN parked his dark purple convertible in the alleyway and removed a duffle bag from the trunk. He was wearing a dark trench coat that nearly obscured his face entirely. LENEINCE wondered what he could be up to when JEAN strode off into the shadows across the street from where a group of blue-clad youths congregated near a series of parked cars (cue “Trigga Gots No Heart” by SPICE 1 from the MENACE II SOCIETY soundtrack). Unbeknownst to the group lingering on the porch and in the streets, JEAN TARASCON crept up on them from the shadows – revealed the contents of the duffel bag (several automatic weapons, handguns and a pump shotty) – and unloaded on them without hesitation. The night sky lit up with gunfire as the entire porch area and several parked cars where littered with bullet holes. Caught unawares, the kids could barely catch their breath before they were gunned down in horrific fashion. In moments it was over. LENIENCE watched on in shock and horror. JEAN TARASCON fled back across the street into the shadows of the alleyway, tossed the remnants of the duffle bag back in the trunk and zoomed off. LENIENCE was too stunned to move, but the approaching sounds of police sirens awoke him from his reverie. He ran back to his own car and headed back to the motel to tell the other PCs what he saw.
#18 MadStepDad Feb 21, 2009 16:27:09	ACID & MARGUERITA The Blue Sky nightclub scene is an unscripted diversion, placed here primarily as a foreshadowing for the ultimate “Blood Martyr” revelation. I wanted to create the image of LIL SMOOTH as potentially becoming this mythic figure in the player’s eyes. How a relatively unknown regional rapper can grow to encapsulate an entire culture is beyond their scope now – they’re still novice players. Suffice to say he is NOT the next coming of the fabled “Blood Martyr”, but he IS a real-life person who plays a real part in the RED DEATH’s next attempt. At the club I introduced the two important NPCs that are involved in this real-life incident – LIL SMOOTH and MALIK. I tinkered with their backgrounds obviously, to fit them into this scenario… but it’s all historical fiction. At the club I had JOHNNY ACID rub elbows with members of LIL SMOOTH’s entourage (and taught the kid some basic Gather Information rolls). Intriguingly, they too repped the “Trey Eight Reborn” set (a gang originally referenced by LUC TARASCON aka “KILLA TAY” in Brockton). LIIL SMOOTH’s single “Blood Martyr” is garnering some regional air play, but nothing like “The Hexad” by KILLA TAY (which ACID keeps hearing snippets of over the radio). But they are not associated with or know of KILLA TAY (the former LUC TARASCON) in any way. Urban legend says LIL SMOOTH came up with the concept for his “Blood Martyr” song after spending a night in the old “Grovetown Cemetary” across town. It is said that although the cemetery was closed sometime in the early 1900’s, it still harbors the bodies of old “Trey Eight Reborn” murder victims (what better place to hide a body than in a cemetery). They also said LIL SMOOTH has a big “future hit” planned. MARGUERITA on the other hand role played off of MALIK, the suave bodyguard for hire. He admitted to doing some light industry work with some less-established names but was in between jobs now. Most interesting, he knows of the TARASCON brood – particularly missing twin (and older brother to LUC) MARCEL TARASCON – who he worked with on a small job a few months ago. MALIK didn’t get into the details – although MARGUERITA certainly tried to make him – but the odd job he worked with MARCEL had something to do with a public funeral procession the family was hosting. He’s also heard MARCEL talking about a family heirloom that may have been misplaced in the old “Grovetown Cemetary”, but paid it no mind at the time. Towards the end of the night, MALIK was interrupted by a page from his beeper (who he identified as his agent “SIMON”) and parted ways with MARGUERITA. Again, a seemingly throwaway line and reference but it’s actually some heavy foreshadowing – I’m looking 12-15 sessions into the future with that one. At the end of the night, LIL SMOOTH came out to do his set culminating in the single “Blood Martyr” (where he chastises that same unnamed Long Beach County rapper) and the place got crunk. Midway through that last song however, gunshots ripped through the air dispersing the crowd and sending them stampeding for the exits. JOHNNY ACID and MARGUERITA DeVILLE got swept up into the madness and flushed out into the streets. JOHNNY ACID saw a dark purple convertible screeching away from the scene. By the time police arrived, ACID and MARGUERITA were reunited and heading back to the motel. On the way, they heard another snippet of KILLA TAY's song "The Hexad" blasting from a passing car's stereo. "Seven doth times rise, cries to an eternity the knave son of suns"...
#19 MadStepDad Feb 21, 2009 16:27:40	3:00 am in their seedy motel room and the three PCs are wired. ACID and MARGUERITA detail the near-riot at the LIL SMOOTH concert, and all the pertinent information they gathered. LENIENCE then dropped the bombshell of JEAN TARASCON’s involvement in a gangland mass murder. PCs had no idea what was going on, or how JEAN was connected to LIL SMOOTH or the Hexad – if he was connected at all. MALIK knew MARCEL TARASCON but how did that factor in? Are the TARASCONS attempting to create the “Blood Martyr”? Or is their mission to find the Hexad unrelated to the RED DEATHs pursuit? And what the hell was CHICKEN BONE talking about “the rain will turn to blood”??? Thankfully I had my Q-MONSTAH (aka LENIENCE ELDERWOOD) on the scene to take control of the game. He laid out two potential options for the players – check out the “Grovetown Cemetery” they heard about at the Blue Sky club – or take a closer look inside the TARASCON funeral home. They decided they would investigate the Funeral Home tomorrow morning under the guise of shopping for services. The Grovetown Cemetery could wait till afternoon. Meanwhile, thunder rolls ominously over the LA sky. The next day, the sky was nearly pitch black with thunder clouds. Humidity swelled in the air and clung to the PCs like a damp blanket. Front page of the L.A. TIMES referenced the shooting spree LENIENCE witnessed the night before. Of course, it was chalked up to raging gang warfare, and even the newspaper warned that retribution is expected. Guess where all those dead bodies are going to wind up? That’s right – TARASCON Funeral Home where business has been booming. All three of the PCs wore their dapper best and entered the TARASCON Funeral Home searching for answers. They got a quick look around the general area, and into the display room before being approached by the Director himself JEAN TARASCON. A skinny Haitian with seemingly permanent bloodshot eyes and impeccable fashion sense and manners, JEAN TARASCON warmly greeted the PCs. He was cordial in every aspect, yet all three of the players got a distinct chill from him. LENIENCE took the lead, saying they were in town for a great-aunts funeral and they were shopping for potential arrangements. JEAN TARASCON cheerfully offered to give them the grand tour. I kept it strictly business, even when LENIENCE “subtly” brought up the report on his missing brothers. JEAN TARASCON brushed it off like the module says and focused on floral arraignments and coffin prices. In the end the PCs told him they were still shopping around, but they may be back. He gave them his card and that was it. They didn’t learn anything earth-shattering, but had a newfound curiosity about the home when they found out JEAN TARASCON (like most Funeral Directors) lives directly above the Funeral Parlor. LENIENCE suggested a late-night return… Time for a gang of new angles and subplots. Waiting for the PCs at their motel was the disgraced DOCTOR BRUCIEN. He looked even more nervous and strung-out than usual. He anxiously told him that word on streets says a group of East Coasters has arrived in LA, and that members of the “Trey Eight Reborn” set have marked them for death! The PCs wondered aloud how their discreet cross-country jaunt could have been exposed, but BRUCIEN explained the remnants of their small airplane that crashed in the Hollywood Hills were found. Now the PCs felt pressured to get some results. Fast. Meanwhile, cats are talking about LIL SMOOTH getting jacked (robbed) at the Blue Sky nightclub. They say his chain was snatched and one of his boys got shot in the leg in the ensuing fracas. Word is LIL SMOOTH is seeking retaliation, and the robbery may have been a response to his “Blood Martyr” single (where he lampoons that thus-far unnamed LBC rapper). Now the PCs are thinking the RED DEATHs plan to create a new Blood Martyr is in action, and they will need to take the appropriate steps to prevent this apocalyptic catastrophe. All the while, gang warfare seems to be heating up despite a supposed gang “treaty” and the release of a Bloods and Crips compilation record called “BANGIN ON WAX” – that dropped this past March. First thing the PCs did was change locations. They packed up the motel they were staying at, and moved to a similar inexpensive spot. Next, LENIENCE debated on opening a safe deposit box to hide their copy of HYKSOSA’s Hexad in, but JOHNNY ACID promised he could keep it safe. He had been studying HYKSOSA’s book of rhymes since he acquired it in Brockton, and marveled at the prophetic stanzas and witty wordplay (again – I copied a lot of real-world rhymes that ACIDs player was very familiar with). Now as DM I’m thinking in my head “keep them away from the Grovetown Cemetery for now”. Ultimately that is where the climax will occur – as scripted in the module. So I used the potential TARASCON Funeral Home excursion and the “Blood Martyr” subplots as diversions. And now – with the Trey-Eight Reborn hot on the trail of these East Coast defectors I successfully infused the PCs with a high sense of urgency. The PCs will have to find out who is coming after them for the scroll and why. And they’ll have to do it NOW. With thick black thunder clouds hanging overhead, the PCs split the party into two and head off in their own direction. JOHNNY ACID and MARGUERITA DeVILLE wanted to head back to the Blue Sky Nightclub to gather more information on LIL SMOOTHs alleged chain jacking, while LENIENCE ELDERWOOD wanted to reach back out to VAN RICHTEN. Neither of these original ideas worked as planned. The Blue Sky Nightclub was temporarily closed after the shooting and LENIENCE was unable to reach VAN RICHTEN at the time. So both parties did something spontaneous. JOHNNY ACID and MARGUERITA were drawn back to the TARASCON Funeral Home late that night after they witnessed that same mysterious red-clothed figure secretly entering the home via the backdoor. This was the same red-clothed figure MARGUERITA had seen entering the home some nights prior – but never saw him leave. JOHNNY ACID volunteered to use his criminal background to pull a B&E on the Funeral Home (“Breaking & Entering”) and MARGUERITA agreed to accompany him. LENIENCE ELDERWOOD on the other hand randomly decided to hit up “Marie Leveau’s House of Voodoo”, the shop owned by CHICKEN BONE that JOHNNY ACID had recently visited. VAN RICHTEN’s previous discussions about a possible voodoo connection between the TARASCON’s were still fresh in LENIENCE’s mind and he wanted to follow up on that lead closer. So while LENIENCE ELDERWOOD crossed town to CHICKEN BONE’s place of business – ACID and MARGUERITA were slipping illegally slipping inside the TARASCON Funeral Home undetected. Time to bring this bad boy to a close…
#20 MadStepDad Feb 21, 2009 16:28:15	Once again I ran the next two scenarios simultaneously, alternating back-n-forth between the two split groups. I hadn’t anticipated the player’s actions but figured I could kill two birds with one stone on this. Freestyling as the PCs declared their actions, I figured I could throw in the “Dinner of Ghouls” scene with the “MARCEL as zombie lord” revelation (originally revealed by SHAMAN BRUCIAN in the module, but would come from CHICKEN BONE in my remix). I had seconds to prepare but I need the timing to be perfect. So I began with ACIDs break-in and all appropriate rolls of the die (as LENIENCE taxis across town to the store). I had printed out generic Funeral Home floor-plans prior to the session and I used those to build ambiance (and logic) into my descriptions. I slowly built suspense by having JOHNNY ACID and MARGUERITA DeVILLE enter the embalming chambers to find all of the coffins and gurneys strangely empty. The muffled voice of JEAN TARASCON himself drew them away from the chambers and onto the second level of the home, where they felt they could continue snooping unabated. Meanwhile, LENIENCE pulls up outside the voodoo store as dark storm clouds grumble overhead. He hustles out of the taxi and crosses the street, where he is surprised to see a dark silhouetted figure standing in the doorway of the store. CHICKEN BONE emerges from the shadows and says “I’ve been waiting for you…” LENIENCE ELDERWOOD got a chill up his spine. ______________ Back at the Funeral Home I gave ACID and MARGUERITA a few cheap thrills, with close encounters of ********ers who almost blindly stumbled upon their various hiding places. They did find it odd that reputed ********ers would be on the premises so late after business hours. I then threw them a hook when one of the passing hoods mentioned the name “Nicholas Design” as they walked by (again – “Nicholas Design” is the alias JOHNNY ACID coined for himself back in Brockton). That got the two PCs attention and they moved silently/hid in shadows to overhear more of the conversation. The two hoods led them to a small kitchenette area where I prepared to unleash the ghoul feast upon them. But before I did that, I took the opportunity to fill the players in a little on the TARASCON back story. Primarily the part about older brother JEAN banishing LUC from the abode for his involvement in MARCEL’s “accident” (so now the PCs knew why LUC aka “KILLA TAY” was in Brockton – because he was exiled from L.A. by JEAN). I enticed the players by dropping talk about a hit planned on NICHOLAS DESIGN (aka JOHNNY ACID). This made the PCs continue to spy on the bad guys as they entered the kitchenette area – where the main course for the evening was revealed – a human corpse. The PCs were rightfully disgusted and mildly shocked. Especially since the ********ers feasting on the corpse were clearly dead themselves! I had to egg the new PCs down the appropriate path by having them role Horror checks. ACID passed – MARGUERITA failed. Her squeamish reaction almost blew their whole cover, but they were able to flee before the ghouls caught whiff of them. ______________ Back at the store with LENIENCE and CHICKEN BONE I built ambiance by sparking some incense and playing by candlelight. CHICKEN BONE was waiting to cast bones for LENIENCE who specifically requested information regarding zombification. I had CHICKEN BONE give him cryptic comments about his burgeoning psionic powers, and how these unnatural gifts could bless or doom him. CHICKEN BONE continued to play with LENIENCE, offering him more of his pay-services but never clearly answering any of his enquiries. Finally CHICKEN BONE told LENIENCE to stop playing games - that he knew he was here for the prophecy. LENIENCE acted surprised but CHICKEN BONE told him his arrival was foretold by the dark clouds building over L.A. There is a disturbance in the natural laws of life and death – and only the chosen one can prevent this catastrophe. “Yes I know the twins JEAN and MARCEL…” CHICKEN BONE began. “I know them perhaps better than anyone. Those fools are cursed! And now their meddling has destroyed not only their own family – but threatens all of Los Angeles under its yoke! The truth is….” Cut back to the Funeral Home where MARGUERITA and ACID wait with bated breath for the results of their escape from the ghouls. ______________ In their horror, the PCs got hopelessly lost within the darkened hallways of the TARASCON Funeral Home as they scrambled to find an exit. As they came to another dead-end corridor with a locked door – they could hear the approaching sounds of what they could only assume was the ghouls. I gave JOHNNY ACID one pressure-filled moment to gather his bearings and attempt to break in to the locked room to avoid detection. He passed his check (all new PCs are getting more comfortable with the game mechanics by now) and the two of them snuck into the darkened room and closed the door behind them. They glanced around to size up their surroundings and found themselves in JEAN TARASCON’s private study. I stupefied them with descriptions of various voodoo accessories, ranging from shrunken heads to chicken hearts. It’s painfully obvious that JEAN TARASCON is into some weird stuff. They poked around a bit further and I laid it out for them as it described in the module. They found the second half of HYKSOSA’s HEXAD – detailing the remaining 7 of his 13 stanzas. They also found a personal diary penned by JEAN TARASCON that details the destruction of his family in further detail (LUC found the scroll, it drove him mad to watch MARCEL eaten by zombies, JEAN banished LUC and promised MARCEL he would find the scroll – but is hiding it from him in a twisted effort to “protect” his now-dead twin brother). The strangest thing about the diary entries – and something I added myself – was the addition of a mysterious person named “Simon”. This “SIMON” character is actually the one driving the TARASCON brothers into madness as it was “SIMON” who brought the scrolls existence to MARCEL’s attention to begin with. I never revealed it – and the PCs didn’t patch it together – but this “SIMON” character is actually the red-cloaked individual MARGUERITA caught glimpses of entering the funeral home. “SIMON” is a real-life person and will become a recurring character. Suddenly – to add even more stress to an already tense encounter – the study door gently creaks inward, as if blown open by an unseen breeze. The two PCs get up in arms…. As we cut back to LENIENCE ELDERWOOD in the back of CHICKEN BONE’s shop. ________________ I gave LENIENCE a tarot reading. A tarot reading – not tarokka. CHICKEN BONE explained that the dark powers that have orchestrated this curse move in mysterious patterns – patterns that can only be discerned by a tarot reading. Of course it will cost money, but LENIENCE is willing to pay. Basically, I used the tarot reading to brief LENIENCE’s character on the TARASCON family background (his player heard it all explained during ACID and MARGUERITA’s scene but his character did not. This allowed LENIENCE to play his character with the appropriate character knowledge). But at the end – as the thunder exploded louder than ever before – the power on the block was suddenly cut out. A real chill descended upon the two of them, the only light coming from the lone candle on the table before them. CHICKEN BONE suddenly lost all illusion of the “voodoo expert” role he was playing and suddenly looked like a frightened old man. As LENIENCE prepared to make his exit, CHICKEN BONE cried out “wait! There is more about this tale then I have let on… and now I fear my own errors may be the doom of me…” LENIENCE slowly sat back down to hear the rest of CHICKEN BONE’s explanation… as we cut back to the Funeral Home.
#21 MadStepDad Feb 21, 2009 16:29:49	JEAN TARASCON’s inevitable arrival came with a burst of activity. Seemingly out of nowhere, his huge bloodshot eyes appeared out of the shadows, the whites of his eyes and the white voodoo face paint the only things visible. He blew a handful of red choking dust at the surprised players and we’re off. Combat ensues. MARGUERITA failed her save and was temporarily blinded by the powder, so she’s down on the ground for 1d4 rounds while JOHNNY ACID grapples with the crazed JEAN TARASCON. He uses evil villain dialogue to describe exactly what he did for his brothers and what he will do to ACID once he finishes him off. JEAN outmatches ACID in practically every category. He’s more cunning, stronger, faster and knows the lay of the land much better than ACID. He slapped JOHNNY ACID around a little before withdrawing his ceremonial dagger and approaching him with a maniacal gleam in his eye. Finally MARGUERITA sprang to life and instead of immediately running to ACIDs aid, she withdrew her flute and began playing. I gave JEAN TARASCON (and JOHNNY ACID for that matter) equal opportunity to resist the charming effects of her playing but only JOHNNY ACID succeeded. JEAN TARASCON loomed over ACID with his dagger withdrawn, but lost focus when the mysterious music began playing. MARGUERITA is able to control the emanations of her instrument and threw the sound so it appeared to be originating from just outside the second floor window of JEANs study. Like a feline drawn to catnip, JEAN TARASCON moved away from ACID to the window where the ghostly, ethereal sounds of the flute could be heard. JOHNNY ACID is ****** from the beating he just sustained and rises slowly to his feet, his anger boiling within. As JEAN TARASCON searches futilely for the origin of the mysterious flute he hears, JOHNNY ACID presses his 9mm to JEANs temple – suddenly snapping him from his charm-induced reverie. But it’s too late. JOHNNY ACID squeezes the trigger like it’s the title of an old ICE-T song and spreads JEANs gray matter all over the desk. MARGUERITA stops playing the flute and looks away from the carnage. Within the Funeral Home however, ACID’s lone gunshot reverberates through the entire place – and in seconds JEAN’s army of ghouls is screeching up the stairs towards the study where ACID and MARGUERITA stand over JEAN TARASCON’s dead body. They look out the window to the alley below – and it’s a two story fall. A few parked cars, some scattered trash and graffiti mark the walls. With nowhere else to go, the two PCs take the jump just as the study door bursts open with the bloodthirsty ghouls in hot pursuit. The two PCs make the appropriate checks and use a parked car to break their fall and flee into the darkness. Through the open study windows, the glowing red eyes of the ghouls can be seen watching the PCs flee. Just then – a CRACK of lightning – and the sky opens up with rain. A tremendous and thunderous onslaught of rainfall batters the PCs as they flee back to their motel. They are convinced the man who ordered their hit in Brockton has been eliminated. As that fleeting thought of safety dances within their heads, we head back to the powerless city block where the “House of Voodoo” resides and CHICKEN BONE and LENIENCE discuss CHICKEN BONE’s dark secret… Originally in the module, “SHAMAN BRUCIEN” – the town cleric – is the one who confides in the PCs about the failed resurrection attempt on MARCEL TARASCON. In my game here – and in every version of NIGHT of the WALKING DEAD that I’ve ever run – CHICKEN BONE is the one who made this critical mistake. So here, he tells LENIENCE of that fateful night one month ago that JEAN TARASCON brought his (mortally wounded) twin brother MARCEL to CHICKEN BONES shop begging for a remedy. CHICKEN BONE was horrified by what happened to MARCEL, but since JEAN was so generous with the coinage, CHICKEN BONE did what he could to revive MARCEL. But his voodoo ceremony went wrong and something awoke in MARCEL that was pure evil – and from beyond the grave. All of the mysterious events that have transpired – the rash of gang violence, the emergence of LUC TARASCON (aka “Killa Tay” in Brockton), the Trey-Eight Reborn set – all can be traced back to that night. CHICKEN BONE fears that MARCEL is the cause of this nightmare and must be destroyed. Just then – BOOM – thunder, lightning and a downpour that floods the L.A. streets in minutes. CHICKEN BONE looks out the window in horror. “It has happened! The rain of blood that will wipe out the entire city! We’re too late!” LENIENCE darts out of the store into the rain, and runs immediately to the nearest payphone. He must speak with VAN RICHTEN. In the pouring rain, LENEINCE reaches VAN RICHTEN back in Brockton and hurriedly explains their dire circumstances. VAN RICHTEN was prepared for this possibility, and has taken the proper research precautions. Basically I used some info I pilfered from VRGtWalking Dead and some real-world voodoo knowledge to arm the PCs with some potent monster-hunting knowledge (I think I used salt as some of their main weaknesses). I also threw out another name for the PCs to latch onto – “MCKINLEY LEE”. VAN RICHTEN explained to LENIENCE that he’s been doing some corresponding with his fellow “Fraternity of Fractured Thought” brethren. There is a member of that tight-knit cabal working undercover in L.A. as we speak (the aforementioned MCKINLEY LEE). Unfortunately, VAN RICHTEN has not been able to contact MCKINLEY LEE as he is working deep undercover and is probably using an alias. But if there is any way the PCs can find MCKINLEY LEE he will be an invaluable ally. I never expected the PCs to find him (nor do they have the time) but I am planting the seeds for our final “Blood Martyr” revelation. Back at the motel the PCs are stationed in, LENIENCE finally comes face to face with a relieved MARGUERITA and JOHNNY ACID. Their relief quickly changes to horror when LENEINCE reveals what he learned at CHICKEN BONEs place of business. Just then – their motel door bursts open and DOCTOR BRUCIEN comes running in. “They’re here!” he cries! “The Trey-Eight Reborn are riding on the city! They’ll kill us all!” he exclaimed! The PCs knew what he meant. “We need to stop MARCEL!” LENIENCE calls out. But where is he hiding??? Just then – a brief power surge knocks out the power in the motel, but it quickly comes back on. When it does – it sparks to life the little clock radio they have in the motel room. Coincidentally – at the same time as the power surges back on – KILLA TAY’s underground single “The Hexad” is playing on the radio. It’s all the way at the end of the song where the hook repeats itself over and over again. “Where the 6 stars shine… Where the 6 stars shine… Where the 6 stars shine…” Grovetown Cemetery, the spot where LUC TARASCON brought his brother MARCEL to find the scroll – and the site of MARCEL’s untimely demise. The PCs had little time to spare, so they gathered up their arms and bounced in the rental car across town to the Grovetown Cemetery. Popped one random encounter on them during their drive through the torrential downpour – a lowrider filled with Gs blasting recklessly out the windows, not caring what they hit. ACID took the bait and licked a shot back at them, which only spurned them on further. Now I get to lead the PCs on a high-speed chase/shoot out in a blinding rainstorm. These would’ve been the moments AGENT BLOOM was designed for (he was the PC who never showed up to game). He was the expert marksman with all the Driving skills. As it was, LENIENCE was forced to take control of the wheel and only by sheer luck did they manage to evade the gunmen without suffering any mortal injuries. The sudden roar of ghetto birds (police helicopters) soaring over the palm trees comingles with the booming thunder to shake the ground like an earthquake. On the radio newsflashes abound of blood-crazed ********ers shooting it out in the streets. As the rain pours around them, newscasters conjure up images of the infamous L.A. Riots.
#22 MadStepDad Feb 21, 2009 16:30:33	They made it to Grovetown Cemetery and burst thorough the wrought-iron gates with their rental car. The car came to a crashing halt in the muddy marshes. Even with flickering headlights to spurn them on, the PCs could see little in front of them through the torrential rain fall. I ran them through the crypt scenario as detailed in the module (complete with dreaded musical accompaniment). Filled with fear and overdosing on stress, the PCs relied on VAN RICHTEN’s monster hunting advice. Upon entering the final dust-covered chamber, MARGUERITA began to play a funeral dirge on her flute. Just as they suspected, the lingering remains of deceased “Trey-Eight Reborn” killers remained inanimate. As if they were mannequins looming in the shadows, eyes flickering red with murderous intent. But in the chamber ahead, seated on a stone tomb like it were a throne – their master MARCEL TARASCON. Evil villain dialogue, as detailed in the module. MARCEL TARSACON knows his brother JEAN is dead (at the hands of the PCs) and has sent his waves of undead minions upon the city in response. He seeks HYKSOSA’s HEXAD which will give him untold power. The PCs go back-n-forth with him a little bit, JOHNNY ACID says he will slay MARCEL just like his slew his brothers (one literally – JEAN, one figuratively – LUC in Brockton). But not before MARCEL collapses his minions upon the PCs once LENIENCE revealed they held the scroll (suddenly his zombie cronies are immune to MARGUERITA’s enchantment). Combat ensues. When the PCs seem to be on the losing side of the skirmish, LENIENCE calls out for ACID to read the Hexad aloud (why I have no idea). Coincidentally, it’s time for the eclipse scene as detailed in the module. Through the sky roof they see a perfectly perforated hole in the thick curtain of thunder clouds above. Just beyond that, the full moon being swallowed bite by bite – as if being eaten by a giant monster. Just as ACID gets to the stanza about “The Light of the Blue Sky shining over the dead…” MARCEL and his “Trey Eight Reborn” goons pause awkwardly and stare upwards at the moons transformation. This allows the PCs enough time to disperse the rest of the salt to eliminate the corpses. MARCEL screams as the moon turns blood red and resumes his unholy attack. His is overmatched by the three PCs and in final, dramatic fashion LENIENCE ELDERWOOD severs MARCEL’s head with his final called attack. The PCs quickly make moves to have the corpse burned. As they set the body ablaze and flee from the mausoleum, they now see (under the bright orange glare of the flames) the entire crypt wall’s covered with graffiti. They appear to be tags of various players and gang members, signed with their seal of approval. Through the sickening black plumes of burning body fat the PCs see the most recent entry on the wall – “LIL SMOOTH… By Yerself Hustlers”. The Blood Martyr! On their way out LENIENCE pilfers a small leather-bound manuscript MARCEL TARASCON had in his possession. Outside of the crypt the world is eerily still. The rain has stopped, leaving a ground of sludge and streets rushing with gutter water. Black clouds continue to stain the sky, obscuring almost everything in sight. The three PCs flee the cemetery and pause under a streetlight to peruse the manuscript they just stole from MARCEL. It appears to be a very disjointed diary, similar to the one they found in JEAN TARASCON’s study. The handwriting gets increasingly erratic as the journal nears completion. It’s a very precise log of the events leading up to LUCs discovery of the HEXAD – which was subsequently stolen by JEAN (to “protect” his twin MARCEL). The odd part again, is that this mysterious “SIMON” character was the one who led LUC to the scroll in the first place. Not only that – judging by the last bits of writing in the diary – “SIMON” also had something to do with LIL SMOOTH and the “By Yerself Hustlers”. The “By Yerself Hustlers” are an un-affiliated group that does not share ties with the Bloods or the Crips. For all intents and purposes they are freelance. The diary also makes note of LIL SMOOTHs last known whereabouts – an apartment address listed shortly before a meeting was scheduled to occur between LIL SMOOTH, “SIMON” and MARCEL TARASCON (but then MARCEL had to go and get eaten by zombies). Clinging to this last bit of information, the PCs hailed a cab and head to the address listed. They needed to find LIL SMOOTH before the RED DEATH’s evil “Blood Martyr” plan comes to fruition.
#23 MadStepDad Feb 21, 2009 16:31:19	The address listed was deep in the hood, in a dilapidated ramshackle building. As DM I tried to cultivate some of those classic RAVENLOFT feelings of dread and revulsion by painting the location as one fraught with danger and death around the corner – shadowy figures lurking, watching with bloodshot eyes – burned husks of cars and the ever prevalent smell of marijuana smoke. As they entered the ****-stained project hallway they were accosted by the sounds of a wailing infant child followed shortly by its crack head mother who offered her “services” to the PCs for cash. Gross and disgusting and the players quickly got that point. LIL SMOOTH’s apartment appeared to be empty, nobody answered. But the door was unlocked so the PCs gained access. Background music builds to a crescendo as the PCs hit that final apartment room. There, they find an unholy shrine dedicated to one man – CALVIN BROADUS aka SNOOP DOGGY DOGG. As they scanned the huge, cluttered collection they quickly came to see how bizarre and obsessed LIL SMOOTH actually was. There was a date circled on the calendar in blood-red writing (or was it actual blood?) - August 25th, 1993. TODAY’s DATE! The players quickly picked it up without much prodding: this was the “big hit” LIL SMOOTH had been planning! All those disses to that unnamed LBC rapper in his song “Blood Martyr’ now made sense. This mysterious “SIMON” character has been using LIL SMOOTH like a loaded weapon, arming his mind with all kinds of twisted, perverted desires for fame, power and the almighty “juice” (hood respect). LIL SMOOTH is the pawn! The RED DEATH is using him as the tool to create the Blood Martyr! SNOOP DOGGY DOGG will be that sacrifice! The PCs prayed they weren’t too late. The park at the corner of Woodbine and Vinton was a reputed hang-out spot for LIL SMOOTH and his “By Yerself Hustlers”. The PCs quickly set out for that park. In the meantime, I’m cultivating an intense race against time vibe and I dropped the instrumental for “Deep Cover” in the background. Epic conclusions time. They raced to the park just in time to see the last scene play out… Just outside the apartment buildings across the street from the small park, the PCs spotted a blue 1993 Jeep Cherokee. The passenger window was rolled down for the occupants to converse with another man who was standing by its side in the street. JOHNNY ACID recognized this diversionary tactic immediately – the man standing in the street talking to the cars occupants was distracting them from an immediate ambush. MARGUERITA DeVILLE recognized the man standing in the street as one of the hoods in LIL SMOOTH’s inner circle at the Blue Sky Nightclub – a crew they now knew of as the “By Yerself Hustlers”. Coming around the corner just up the block, LENIENCE yelled out to the man standing in the street but he paid the approaching PCs no mind. On their run up the block – fresh Nike Airs splashing through muddy puddles – the PCs unstrapped the weapons and called out to the man in the street again. Still no response, and no sight of LIL SMOOTH anywhere. As they ran up to a street corner, a large public bus zoomed by – plastered with ads for POWER 106. By the time the bus zoomed out of view allowing the PCs to cross, LIL SMOOTH had suddenly appeared in front of the blue Jeep Cherokee across the street. JOHNNY ACID called out to LIL SMOOTH, but even from their distance they could see that all-engrossed dead eye stare in his bloodshot eyes and recognize him for what he truly was – one of the Mentally Dead. The PCs again attempted to fight against oncoming traffic to cross the street. LENIENCE brandished his pistol, but a car skidding to a stop right in front of him caused him to drop it in their near-collision. Once more JOHNNY ACID called out to LIL SMOOTH – but it was too late. LIL SMOOTH reached for the waistband of his pants and suddenly five shots echoed from within the blue Jeep Cherokee in front of him. His accomplice froze in the street as LIL SMOOTH collapsed from the five fatal gunshots – his pistol clattered lifelessly to the ground next to him. Just then – the passenger from the blue Jeep Cherokee (and LIL SMOOTH’s killer) leaned out of the window into view – it was MALIK from the nightclub! MARGUERITA recognized him immediately. The blue Jeep Cherokee then peeled out into a 180 turn and sped off up the block – beneath a baseball cap CALVIN BROADUS (aka “Snoop Doggy Dogg”) could be spotted driving. LIL SMOOTH’s accomplice in the street bent over to the corpse and removed something from his hand (the pistol) and something else from his back pocket (the PCs couldn’t see exactly what) and then darted off into the gray wasteland of Los Angeles. By the time the PCs actually reached the scene, all they were left with was LIL SMOOTH’s dead body between them and the sounds of LA police sirens growing deafening in the background. http://crime.about.com/od/famousdiduno/ig/celebrity_mugshots/snoopdoggydogg.htm THE END. Cue “California Sunshine” by GAME (from “L.A.X. Files” released 2008). A few months later on November 23rd, 1993 SNOOP DOGGY DOGG’s “Doggy Style” album would drop and earn $15 million dollars in sales within the first two weeks. It would be the first rap album ever to hit #1 on the charts in its debut. As public awareness of the LIL SMOOTH shooting continued to grow, the PCs gained further information. CALVIN BROADUS and his bodyguard “MALIK” were charged with accomplice to murder and murder respectively. Both of them would ultimately be acquitted by 1996. “MALIK’s” government name also came to be revealed – McKINLEY LEE. The PCs immediately knew of his affiliation from VAN RICHTEN’s early discussions (about a fellow “Fraternity of Fractured Thought” member working deep undercover). LIL SMOOTH aka PHILIP WOLDERMARIAN was revealed to be an obsessed fan, but his true affiliations where known only to the PCs – the general public was never aware of his demonic connection to “SIMON” and the cursed TARASCON family.
#24 MadStepDad Feb 21, 2009 16:31:50	As is typical with all my RAVENLOFT campaigns, at the sessions end I went about sowing seeds for the next big potential plot. I like to give the players an illusion of control. • LENIENCE ELDERWOOD spoke briefly with VAN RICHTEN shortly after the “Blood Martyr” revelation was exposed. VAN RICHTEN told him that “Fraternity of Fractured Thought” allies had reports of another necklace just like the one LENIENCE owned had recently surfaced. Again, LENIENCE wasn’t sure of the origins of his necklace or what it meant, but thought it may have something to do with the psychic tremblings he had been experiencing. The necklace had been spotted in New York City around the neck of a man named TUPAC AMARU SHAKUR… Can you spell QUAD STUDIOS???? http://allhiphop.com/stories/news/archive/2008/03/15/19471502.aspx • ALEXUS DARKAGNON returned to congratulate the players on their discoveries and to take control of the HEXAD (Johnny Acid was left only with a copy – not the originals). He told the players (JOHNNY ACID in particular) that the Tribe of Hyksosa is expanding their operations and opening up a new chapter of the secret organization down in the Dirty South (New Orleans, Atlanta, Memphis). Again, the Tribe has been following the developments of HYKSOSA’s HEXAD for many years now and believes “the South has something to say…” (That’s an infamous ANDRE 3000 quote). • VAN RICHTEN also informed the players – MARGUERITA in particular – that her family heirloom may actually be part of a set. Information is still scarce on that prospect, but word is there may actually be another piece of that collection right here in Los Angeles. What that could mean for the players is still unknown, but it’s clear these instruments come with great power… Also we have the longterm effects of MARGUERITA's failed Horror check to deal with. Will this strengthen her resolve to fight the darkness? Or will she succumb to its dark allure? • In addition to all that, the mystery of “SIMON” remains. Who is he and what are his ulterior motives? Crazy LUC TARASCON (aka KILLA TAY) disappeared from Brockton shortly after MARCEL and JEAN were killed. His whereabouts are currently unknown, which can’t bode well for the players. McKINLEY LEE had his “MALIK” identity ousted by the press but quickly disappeared again after the brouhaha over PHILIP WOLDERMARIAN (aka LIL SMOOTHs) death dispersed. The “Fraternity of Fractured Thought” had been on to the Blood Martyr revelation and sent the right man save the day. But the RED DEATH’s schemes haven’t been derailed – just postponed. The crystallization of this raw power requires human sacrifice, and the RED DEATH will not settle until its plans reach completion. See you again in three years…
#25 MadStepDad Sep 19, 2009 21:30:04	Look who's laughing now.