T H E S E E D O F E V I L by Roberto di Meglio translated into English by (you guess it!) Claudia Rege Cambrin (cregecambrin@list.it) & Marco Bizzarri (gemelli@sssup1.sssup.it). This adventure was written for a group of characters at the beginning of their first career. The Seed of Evil requires the use of the rules published on KAOS 21 (Translated as WH40K-RPG), and it features the possibility to be inserted both in a `normal' WFRP campaign and in a campaign set in the WH40K universe. Because of this, the adventure will be presented in a way slightly different from the usual one. First of all, we'll give antecedent facts, and we'll describe places and characters of the scenario; next, we'll give information for playing, which will differ according to the setting (fantasy or WH40K) of the campaign. Anyway, we suggest the Game Master to read the whole adventure, for a better understanding of what is happening. Since on the set there are two groups of characters, one coming from the world of WFRP, and one from the WH40K's one, in the end of the scenario we describe fantasy and sci-fi characters which can be used either as PCs or as opponent NPCs, run by the GM. An interesting possibility is to play two parallel game sessions, with two GMs, in two different rooms; the GMs of course, would have to exchange from time to time information about what each group is doing. ANTECEDENT FACTS Kasperwold Our story starts on Kasperwold, a hive planet on the borders of imperial space. Of twelve thousands millions of inhabitants only swirls of radioactive dust are left: the planet has been purified by the intervention of the Imperial Inquisition. The exact motivation of the intervention has not been released, but the most common opinion is that the planet had become a receptacle of daemons worshippers, and that the Governer himself was at the head of the chaotic cult. Actually, Kasperwold has been victim of a Genestealer invasion, horrible alien creatures which infiltrate into the human society, breeding within it until they completely take the control of the planet. Although a Genestealer is easily distinguishable from an human, Hybrids born from the fecundation of human females (which requires the intervention of an human male as the carrier of Genestealer seed) become, generation after generation, more and more similar to humans, until, in their fourth generation, they pratically cannot be distinguished from them. Fourth generation Hybrids can mate as humans, and their children can be normal humans, Hybrids, or pure Genestealers. Once a planet has fallen victim of the invasion of these creatures, the only possible way to extirpate them is a definitive purge. Among the many spaceships escaping Kasperworld, we are interested in a shuttle stolen and piloted by Haazir Hauser, a fourth generation Hybrid. After a blind jump into the Warp, the extradimensional space that allows to travel faster than light, Haazir Hauser detected a badly working Warp Gate; since this is probably the sign of the presence of a planet in the surroundings, Haazir entered the `real' space. The spaceship, damaged by a storm met in the Warp, could hardly resist the passage; after emerging near the Northern Pole of the Warhammer world, it was forced to an emergency landing after flying South for thousands of miles. And it is in the forest of Reikwald, in an unspecified place between Altdorf and Bogenhafen, shortly before the dawn of a springtime morning, that the spaceship piloted by Haazir Hauser fell to the ground. A short time ago... Although his vehicle is totally unusable, Haazir Hauser can thank his lucky star; the world he has reached looks inhabitable, and, even though the northern region was contaminated by the presence of the broken Warp Gate, the zone he is in now looks quite thriving. Furthermore, Haazir, by mean of psychic powers typical of his race, detects the presence, some hundred yards away from him, of a creature with psychic powers too. He follows that direction and so, hidden in a bush, he sees with astonishment a house in the forest; near it, a figure... humanoid shape... doubtlessly female! All at once, what seemed to be a disaster turns into an unexpected opportunity: "If this planet is inhabitated by humans" Haazir thinks, "I can breed and establish a new large colony... Our presence here will become a psychic lighthouse for the Tyranid fleet and I could even become a Patriarch of my brood..." But Haazir's thoughts are broken in an acute pain: a curve rusty sword plunged in his back by a creature behind him: "Diedie, manthing," the rat-man mutters rejoicing while his fellows are inciting him. The woman, busy at cutting some wood, hears the noise. Raising her hand and singing loudly an arcane chant, she summons a light that shows the figures of the rat-men ready to give the final blow to Haazir Hauser. The Skavens hesitate for a moment and then run away, muttering obscure menaces: "We comecome back, witchthing. Manymany. Houseburn. Witchburn." THE PRESENT SITUATION When the characters come to the scene these facts have happened a few hours ago. Haazir Hauser, close to death, has been brought to the house by the "witch", Ilsa Weisshaus. The wound was too serious for him to survive, but in spite of this he managed to use his psychic powers to hypnotize and fertilize Ilsa, before he died. Ilsa, conscious of what has happened, but happy in her hearth for the being she feels in her womb, buried Haazir in the wood, near her house, to return then to her lonely life. The zone where Ilsa lives, unfortunately for her, is not too peaceful. Indeed, the shipwreck of Haazir's spaceship, that looked like a meteor from the Chaos Wastes, attracted a Skaven band, who erroneously believed it a warpstone meteor, a substance these creatures mostly look after. Meanwhile, a Chaos Champion, with his followers, is coming to the place, to realize the dark plots of the inscrutable Tzeench. THE PLACES In the following we describe the places where the action takes place. They all are in the map. 1-Haazir's spaceship The fall of the spaceship produced a crater about 20 yards wide; the plants in the surroundings suffered from the crash and are crushed, burnt, broken. The night dampness of the wood prevented a large fire to take place. The ship was almost completely destroyed, with metal fragments bursting all around, and now it is almost impossible to understand what it really is. In the center of the crater, however, there is the life capsule that protected the pilot, a nearly undestructible shell. The capsule, now opened, is a metal egg-shaped object, approximately two yards tall. The interior is shaped like an armchair; the fluid protecting the pilot poured out when the capsule opened, leaving some crimson streaks that at a first glance could be mistaken for blood. On the right arm there is a metal disc that, if touched by human hands, opens a panel in the shell; the panel contains a respirator (describe it to the fantasy characters as "a hose made of leather-like, but apparently artificial, stuff; at one end there is a small bag; at the other end, the hose becomes wider, triangle-shaped, approximately wide as the palm of your hand"), which allows to survive in toxic atmospheres, provided that they hold oxygen; a sealed bottle with a liter of water and a straw; a small airtight closure box, containing a number of edible bars (twenty), each one substituting a complete meal; a catether with a recycling equipment (describe it as "a very thin hose, similar to the other one for the material; at one end the hose widens out in a small hood, lighter and more flexible; in the centre it widens out into a metallic spheroid; the thickness of the hose is identical to the one of bottle straw"). Last, within the panel there is a Boltgun (to hit +10/0, dam 4 + 1d6 [+1]) with 40 rounds, and an additional charger with other 40 rounds; the nature of the weapon can be easily identified even from the fantasy characters, even if it is clear that the fire weapon is much more technologically advanced than the ones existing in the Warhammer World. Of course, all these objects can be easily recognized by the WH40K characters, which will immediately understand the function and mode of employment. Embedded in the caspule there is also an automatic ultra short wave transmitter, which cyclically emits an help request signal. Of course, the signal can be perceived only in the conventional space, not in the Warp. Haazir, which isn't very familiar with the spaceship he stole, didn't know the presence of the trasmitter, otherwise he would have almost certainly disabled a signal able to guide on his trail possible pursuers. 2.The house of Ilsa The house of Ilsa is a simple wooden hut, built with great effort by the girl, along the years, thanks also to the help of some huntsman or of some woodsman with whom, for some time, she has shared her loneliness. The girl notoriety, her wariness and the complete isolation where she lives have prevented her from retaining these bonds and, until now, she has never had childs. Her house is divided in three rooms: in the entry room Ilsa cooks, eats, sews up the hides and spends most of her time; it is the only room with a fireplace, but it is enough to heat the whole house. A small adjoining room is used as a store: here Ilsa keeps a supply of wood for the winter, smoked meat, dried fruit, some hides and other things indispensable to survive in the long and chilly winter of the Reikwald. Bandages and a sheet, bloodstained, are in a basket in this room. In the third room there's a large bed made of hides (where often Blackeye, the cat of Ilsa, sleeps), a table where Ilsa keeps her herbs, in dozen of small jars labelled in a way which she only understands, and where she prepares the mixtures for her potions, and a chest; the chest contains her poor clothes, almost all made of leather or of fur, a bow with some arrows (which Ilsa uses to hunt) and some bags where Ilsa keeps the components for her spells. A larger woodshed is at the back of the house, and opposite to it there is a wooden stumb on which an hatchet is planted. Close, at the threshold of the wood, the body of Haazir has been buried; the soil is recently turned, and the point can be easily detected. Between the house and the woodshed there is also a small covered fence, where Ilsa keeps two kids. A great number of white doves nest on the woodshed. Ilsa Weisshaus, the witch (Elementalist, Level I) Banned from the village of Heiligen at the age of 13 years, when she was suspected of wizardry, because of the rising of her uncontrolled psychic powers, Ilsa has been living alone for ten years in the wood; from time to time someone asks an herb or a advice of her, but most of the time everybody avoids her. Ilsa has grown up learning to rely only upon herself, and has developed a great strength of character and many skills. Even though she is not beautiful, her body is thin and well shaped, the strong face tanned by the sun; she has long brown hair, almost always gathered up into a braid, and light golden eyes. The loneliness has made her wary, also because people look for her only for their self-interest; however she is a kind-hearted person, ready to help even a stranger. During the years, Ilsa has had many short-lived loves, with huntsmen and woodsmen, that have always left her frustrated. She has no children, and the desire to have a creature to share her loneliness is immense. The only living creatures she deals with are her cat, Blackeye, and Bebi and Debi, her two kids; she loves these creatures immensely, as if they were human beings. In these years, she has also improved her magickal skills, which thanks to her familiarity with the nature spontaneously took the way of Elementalism. Even though she hasn't had a real magickal training, her great ability has allowed her to develop many talents. Ilsa always brings with herself a long knife, which she can wield quite well, if necessary. She will be wary with the PCs (she is not used to have visitors, these are dangerous places, and her notoriety could attract some overzealous witchhunter), but not hostile. If the PCs ask her about a visitor, her reaction will depend on their attitude. If they are friendly, she will say them that indeed a man has been attacked by a group of Skavens near her house; she helped him, but he was wounded too seriously, and he died a few hours later; from his delirium, she understood that he was chased by some terrible enemy. She finished burying him a few time ago, near the house. If the characters are hostile or harsh, Ilsa will deny having seen anyone in the surroundings; if she is asked about the fight, she will say that the killed man was her husband; she just finished burying him and she only wants to be left in peace, quietly weeping him. She knows nothing about the meteorite: with his husband dead, sure she had no time for the explorations. M WS BS S T W I A Dex Ld Int Cl WP Fel 3 28 39 3 4 8 36 1 29 21 41 38 43 27 Skills: Animal Care, Arcane Language (Magick, Elementalist), Cast Spell (Petty, Battle Magick I, Elementalist I), Concealment (rural), Cure Disease, Follow Trail, Heal Wounds, Herb Lore, Hunting, Identify Plants, Magick Sense, Manufacture Poisons, Reading/Writing, Secret Signs (woodsmen), Set Traps, Silent Move (rural). Magick Points: 21 Spells: Petty: Create Small Creatures (dove), Curse, Gift of Tongues, Sleep, Zone of Warmth. Battle Magick I: Aura of resistance, Cure Light Injury, Immunity to Poison. Elemental I: Assault of Stones, Blinding Flash. 3.The camp of the Skavens The Skavens left from here, last night, looking for the meteorite. Rat-men did not light fires: the only signs of their presence are the escrements, the traces and the carrion of an meat-stripped animal which they ate. Ssikitz Sshirtaz, Grey Seer (Mage, Level I) He has been sent in charge of a small band of Skavens to investigate on the meteorite that hurtled in this zone; Sskitz emerged from the subsoil hoping to find a large quantity of Warpstone to raise his reputation, because he entered a few time ago in the ranks of the Seers, and he's eager to make his way. The disappointment for the failure was immense, and Sskitz is well determined to return with some result, trying to gain some interesting loot from the manthings which got into his clutches. However, dying is not one of his immediate objectives, especially by stupid manthings' hand. M WS BS S T W I A Dex Ld Int Cl WP Fel 5 48 25 4 4 9 50 1 24 34 34 28 29 24 Trappings: Sskitz does not use armour, but wears a Three Times Blessed Copper Amulet (see WFRP, page ???). He is armed with a large staff reinforced with metal, which he wields as if it was a two handed flail (-20 I, -20 WS, +3 Dam, -10 Parry). Magick Points: 16 Spells: Petty: Curse, Alarm, Reinforce Doors, Sleep. Battle Magick I: Aura of Resistance, Cause Animosity, Steal Mind, Wind Blast. Togheter with Sskitz, as his retinue, there are 5 Skavens, 4 of them with standard profiles (see WFRP, pag. ???). One is a large black furred Stormvermin (+10 WS, +1 S, +10 I). All the Skavens are armoured with leather jackets, (0/1 AP Body and Arms), helmets (1 AP head), and shields (1 AP). 4.The camp of Kurgar `the Good'. In this point Kurgar `the Good', Champion of Tzeench, has stopped with his gang of beastmen. A wanderer, catched on the road, has been eaten (raw) by the beastmen, while Kurgar, more sophisticated, cooked and ate an arm and the liver. The meat-stripped bones can be found spread in the surroundings, togheter with the remains of a fire. The head has been planted on an improvised pole and has been used for a spitting contest by the beastmen. Kurgar the Good, Champion of Tzeench (Mage, Level I) Kurgar the Good is a Champion of Tzeench, the Great Conspirator, Master of Plots. Apparently, Kurgar is still completly human: indeed, one of his mutations is an illusion of Normality, which hides his hideousness until he enters battle. Kurgar wears an armour colored with blue and rose geometric patterns, but he does not carry any other visible sign of his devotion to Tzeench. The mark of Tzeench is clearly impressed on his beastmen forehead, a symbol like a flaming halfmoon. Kurgar, while sleeping, received a vision from Tzeench, who ordered him to "Look for the woman of the wood, which carries a child that will be able to have a great role in the changing of this land", to find her and make sure she gives birth to the creature. M WS BS S T W I A Dex Ld Int Cl WP Fel 4 52 23 5 5 12 55 2 28 45 32 33 41 29 Skills: Disarm, Dodge Blow, Strike Mighty Blow, Strike to Injure. Trappings: Kurgar wears a Chaos armour, which gives him 2 AP on all the body, and makes him immune to all the psycological effects; the armour does not interfere with spellcasting. Moreover, Kurgar owns a daemonic weapon, that only a follower of Tzeench can wield; the sword, which inflicts +1 damage, sings with a shrieking and metallic voice when it is drawn. Depending on the song, the induced effect can be different: fundamentally, the sword can cause any psychological effect on friends or enemies, or it can cause Drowse (see WFRP, pag. ???). This power can be used only once a fight and victims are allowed a WP test to resist the effects. Kurgar has also a Warpstone talisman (which gives to its wearer the Luck skill). Fate Points: 1 Magick Points: 15 Spells: Cause Animosity, Gift of Tzeench (it requires 1d3 magick points; it allows the spellcaster to randomly determine a spell of level equal or inferior to his one, which he automatically learns, and, for the first time only, he can cast it without spending MP), Fireball, Fly. Mutations: When the illusion of Normality disappears, the face has the appearance of a Flaming Skull (cause Fear when it is revealed) and his arms have Multiple Joints (+10 I, already taken into account above). Moreover Kurgar has the Withering Gaze, as a demon of Tzeench: anyone who faces him in melee must roll a Cl test; if he fails, he is unable to stare at the Champion and has a -10 penalty to hit rolls. The gang of Kurgar is composed of 7 beastmen. They have standard profiles (see WFRP, pag. ???) and are armed with hand weapon and shields. One of the beastmen has Tough hide (2 AP on the whole body), while other two are subject to Frenzy. T H E A D V E N T U R E The development of the adventure will be different depending on whether the GM is mastering a fantasy campaing, or he wants to play in the WH40K universe: the prologue is completly separated (see below), while starting from the finding of the spaceship wreck the scenario develops pratically in the same way in both settings (see the section "The events develop", below) WARHAMMER FANTASY ROLEPLAY: PROLOGUE This adventure has been written so that it can played during The Enemy Within campaign, when the character are travelling from Aldorf to Bogenhafen. In any case, it shouldn't be difficult to insert this scenario within any WFRP campaign: you will only have to change the names of the villages, adapting them to the region where you are playing. The night before arriving to the small village of Schlafebild, a hamlet with about forty inhabitants (halfway between Altdorf and Weissbruck, if you are playing The Enemy Within), the characters will see a flaming train of a meteorite crossing the sky, from NW to SE; it flies over the Weissbruck channel and the forest until it disappears beyond the horizon. At Schlafebild If the natural curiosity of the characters is not enough for them to decide to investigate, let them hear many stories about the apparition of the comet, when they arrive at the next village, Schlafebild: "It is a sign of ill omen," "When there are apparitions like these, it's because the forces of darkness are going to hit us," "A woodsman said that last night he was in the wood and the meteor was made of pure gold and silver". Indeed the woodsman, Kurt Wrecker, was in the wood, near the place where the shaceship has fallen. He felt like it was not a simple metorite, but prey to the terror he fled without investigating. If characters look for him and talk with him, he is ready, for a small fee (1 GC or more), to indicate them the zone where the metorite has fallen. If he is asked to take them, he refuses: "It is too dangerous, going in those places. There are bad things wandering in the wood, and these supernatural things seem to attract them like flies. I would not return there even if the thing that fallen was made of silver, as it looks like. If the PCs insist, Kurt will better make clear what he refers to: "I saw the sign of their camp. We aren't dealing with goblins, certainly not. I know the tracks of the goblins and their similars. Those are blasfemous things, carrying the Chaos sign. They walk like men, but they leave footprints of beasts." If the PCs ask Kurt, or others in the village, about someone else living in that zone, the first answer will be: "It is deserted," even if an Int test will allow to spot some coldness and reticence. To more pressing questions, they will reveal that: "Well, there should be Ilsa, the witch, who is said to have her house in that zone of the wood. But no one has been seeing her for years..." (actually some of the inhabitants of the village from time to time have had contacts with Ilsa but no one will admit to know her). Further questions about Ilsa will allow the PCs to know that she has been banned from the village of Heiligen ten years ago, when she was just adolescent because she was suspected to traffic with daemons. In the wood Every self-respecting adventurer should, now, decide to investigate (if the PCs just continue for their way the adventure ends here... at least until the consequences of their laziness will reappear as a Genestealer invasion in Altdorf, some years later. If you are playing The Enemy Within, we suggest Adolphus Kuftsos to lose temporarily the trails of the PCs, finding them again at the end of the adventure (unless you want to add another complication). In the forest, heading to the zone indicated by the woodsman (or simply trying to reconstruct the trajectory of the meteorite), the PCs shouldn't have difficulty to locate the crash point of the spaceship, which is about ten miles southest of Schlafebild, to the northwest of the road connecting Altdorf to Bogenhafen. While approaching, they will start detecting the first signs of what has happened: bent trees with burned leaves, broken branches and trunks along a streak some tens of meters long, which goes from the point where the spacecraft hit the leaves of the trees to the point where it took land. Go to the section The Events develop, below. WARHAMMER 40,000: PROLOGUE To play this adventure, it is necessary that at least one of the PCs has the Warp Navigation skill (see the article from KAOS 21); if possible, the PCs should have a small spaceship, or they should be able to provide themselves with one. The story starts on Kasperwold: the characters, a group of adventurers free of any bond of fidelty or alliance, are passing on the hive world when they hear that Hoofar Skanderberg, a local merchant, has been robbed of one of his spaceship, a small single-seater cargo, equipped with a Warp engine. The merchant will reward with 10000 Imperial Credits (briefly IC) anyone able to bring him back the stolen vehicle, worth 1 million IC. The stealing of a spacecraft in the spaceport is quite surprising, because of the strict surveillance (Haazir used his psychic powers to fool the guards). The PCs are almost completly out of money and the reward is fair. By talking with Hoofar, some information will emerge which seems to make the task quite simple: the spaceship indeed, which he named Eclipse, is equipped with an automatic radio beacon, which allows to identify the position both in the Warp and in the real space (however, the signal can't pass from the Warp to the real space, and viceversa). He is sure that the PCs, if they move quickly, could intercept the spacecraft during a jump. Since the spacecraft is easily identifiable, the merchant suspects that the thief could have headed for the oriental zone of the Galaxy, a region of the space quite unknown, out of the routes coverd by the earth's Astronomican, the psychic beacon guiding the navigation of the spaceships of the Empire. In the pursuit. If the PCs accept the job (as we hope for, because otherwise they will be wiped out by the Purification which is going to hit the planet...), the pursuit of the Eclipse will be quite simple: just when they enter the Warp, the instruments of the PCs spaceship will identify the radio-beacon signal for a short time, just before the Eclipse leaves the normal space; a time long enough, however, to follow it in the jump and to come out at a short distance. Returned in the normal space, PCs are going again to identify the position of the pursued when the stern face of an high priest of the Adeptus Terra, shining in his youthful handsomeness (miracles of the imperial propaganda...), appears on the display of the video-transmitter of their spaceship "A great victory has been achieved today by the entire human race. The Chaos rot, the heresy menacing the foundations of the Empire, has been extirpated from the blasfemous world of Kasperwold. The fire of the Emperor hit Kasperwold, purging it up to its foundations from the treason lurking there. So the enemies of Humanity die. May the Empire last forever!" The priest disappears, substituted by an old man, which could be a very high ranked Adeptus Arbiter. "May always be praised the Emperor and his wisdom! Every good citizen of the Empire must engage himself in our battle. The flail of the Chaos will be driven back into the Void! Some traitors have fled the Fire of the Emperor. An adequate reward will be given to anyone catching and handing over to these infamous corruptors, enslaved by the Heresy, and any person all togheter with them. The power of corruption of these perverse individuals is immense: even a brief contact with them can be enough to contaminate the unwary. Be proud to be allowed to serve the Emperor with your own lifes. Long life to the Emperor!" Even though the purification of Kasperwold has been completed, the unerring Inquisition suspects that some individuals could be escaped from the planet in the days immediately before the attack. Because of this, they set 5000 IC as a reward for every person coming from Kasperwold, living or dead, and 100 IC for each person who has had prolonged contacts with them (of course, some sort of proof or documentation would have to be showed). Suddently the situation of the characters undergoes a considerable change: their reward has vanished (togheter with their employer...). However, even the thief can be properly considerered a runaway from Kasperwold (and even the characters could be considered in the same way... the GM should decide the possibility that the characters are wanted!); his capture, therefore, can bring a good reward, without taking into account the value of the Eclipse, which has no more an owner. Probably the PCs will decide to continue the pursue... No problem, but the signal of the Eclipse disappears: the thief must have jumped again in the Warp! Once more the PCs must jump to identify it, but this time the things are more complicated. Indeed, after a few minuts of navigation, the spaceships starts to tremble, while the Warp becames wildy instable; the navigation systems fail... A storm in the Warp! The dangers of the Chaos The Warp isn't an empty space: it is an universe of psychic energy, ever changing and uncontrollable; it is not deserted, because horrible unliving creatures inhabit it, beings of pure energy, who yearn for entering in the real space, and hate all the living creatures: entities of pure Chaos, daemons. Even the storms of the Warp have an alien nature: they can last for fractions of second or forever, they can spread whole regions of space or they can be microscopic. The one the PCs run into seems to be unforgettable: the spaceship is frenziedly shaken , the power systems fail. The Navigator must roll three WP test to verify how it will be able to orient himself in the storm; for each failure, one of the following spaceship systems fails: Warp navigation sistem, Warp jump system, main power system (even if the secondary power system is enough for the functioning of the spaceship). Faults can be repaired, in some hours, by a character with the Repair Vehicles skill. Until then however, the spaceship is unable to jump out in the normal space or to orient in the Warp. While the storm sweeps away the spaceship, a Warp entity assails the PCs mind. The entity can attack one PC each time: if the PC fails a WP test, he enters in a bloodlust, and he starts attacking his fellows. If the PC becomes unconscious or dies, the entity can try to control another one. After 5 failed control tries, or if all the PCs succeed in the WP test, the entity looses strength and disappears. In the meantime they lost the signal of the radio-beacon of the Eclipse. Soon after the attack of the entity is finished, the Navigator detects an hole in the Warp: since it is the only way out of the storm, the spaceship of the PCs should head for there (otherwise, you can suppose the storm to drag it in that direction). It is, of course, the gate over the northern pole of the Warhammer world, where the Haazir spaceship emerged a few before. Coming out from there in the real space, PCs will be orbiting around a world with clear signs of life, even though the northern region is devasted and deserted because of the influence of the gate. Of course, PCs will not understand it is the Warhammer world, which is out of the imperial space: describe them as it should appear to visitors seeing it for the first time, so that the characters do not understand where they are. The signal of the radio-beacon of the Eclipse is no more perceived by the instruments; after a few minutes, looking on other frequencies they intercept a new signal; it is a may day signal automatically sent from the Haazir spaceship after his wreck. Triangulating and locating the source of the signal requires however a few hours; eventually, the PCs could locate the crash point of the capsule: over an artificial channel, with a small village on his sides, in a region full of forests, the clearing created by the crash to the groud of the Eclipse can be seen... THE EVENTS DEVELOP The development here described is the most probable, even though, of course, it could be different because of the actions of PCs; by taking into account the motivations of the NPCs described above, the GM will be able to determine the alternative developments of the plot. Where required, notes specific for each settings have been inserted, preceded by the initials WFRP or WH40K. Fight in the clearing. While the PCs are approaching, secretly roll a Hear Noise test (base 30%) for each of them. If any of them succeeds in the Test, the PCs will become aware that near, in the brush, there is someone who is stealthly moving; otherwise, they will be surprised by the group of Skavens led by Ssikitz Sshirataz. The Grey Seer will cast on them (if there is an Elf and a Dwarf in the group) Cause Animosity, otherwise a Stealmind powered with 3 MP on the mage of the group (if there is a PC identifiable as such), or on the most dangerous looking PC. The Skavens, now, will attack: they just realized that the spaceship is not what they thought and, not willing to return without anything to their clan, want to collect some other kind of loot. If the rat-men sustain more than the 50% of casualties, they will try to retreat in the forest; if the Grey Seer does not die, he will look for reinforcements (1d6 more Skavens) to prepare in the following an ambush to the characters (free choice of the GM). You could give some hints to the PCs, if you want, as curses of the Grey Seer, like: "No Warpstone starstone, manhead bringbring. Killkill manthings." Once defeated the Skavens, the PCs will be able to approach undisturbed to the crashpoint (see the section 1 - The spaceship of Haazir, above, for the description). WH40K - Depending on the judgement of the GM, the PCs could find intact components useful to repair their damaged spaceship among the remains of the Eclipse. On the tracks of a stranger A PC with the Follow Trail skill can easily spot the footprints of a man (dating back approximately twelve hours, if the PCs didn't loiter) heading out to east. The trail can be followed also by a PC without the skill, if he succeeds in an Observation Test with a -10% modifier. After a few hundred of meters, the trail stops: there are clear signs of a fight (many confused footprints, a bloodstain on the grass...); an old rusty sword left here by the Skavens lies near, bloodstained. From here a blood trail starts, togheter with the marks of a dragged man, heading out to a near clearing, where stands a modest little wooden house (see the section 2 - The house of Ilsa, above, for the description). WFRP - The PCs, even if they do not follow this trail, could anyhow look for the house of Ilsa, following the indications received in the village; in this case, they will not see the signs of the fight before arriving to the house of the witch. A house in the wood WFRP - At this point, what drives the PCs should mostly be the curiosity (there is no reason why they should be hostile). It is possible they have been told, in the village, about Ilsa as a witch, and therefore they are wary towards her (for the reactions of Ilsa, see the description of this NPC previously given). While the PCs are talking, unexpected visitors will arrive... They are the group of bounty hunters (see below the section PREROLLED CHARACTERS) which are pursuing Haazir. The newcomers, altough human, wear clothes of unusual style, carry unknown weapons and speak an uncomprehensible tongue; one of them, tall and with Elven features, talks to the PCs with metallic voice (he is using an automatic translator; otherwise, assume that what the Eldar says is incomprehensible until a Mage or Ilsa uses the Gift of Tongues spell) "Do not react, primitives, and we will not harm you. We are looking for the man precipitated here last night." WH40K - The PCs will suspect Ilsa to host a `dangerous wanted man', therefore they will most probably be hostile or suspicious. Just when they come to the house, they find Ilsa involved in a heated conversation with a group of creatures armed and quite suspicious looking. They all, of course, speak a stranger tongue: the only way to understand it is that Ilsa or a mage uses a Gift of Tongues spell, unless you suppose one of the PCs to have a some sort of translator/communicator. What will happen now depends mostly from the reaction of the PCs and of Ilsa (which the GM should roleplay according to the information in the description of this NPC). Quite easily, the cultural differences between the two groups and the difficulties of comunication will bring towards an open fight; in this case, Ilsa will use her Blinding Flash spell to flee. If you don't want to push the things too far, make one of the PCs realize the grave near the house, drawing the attention of the others. WFRP - After having exhumed the body, the bounty hunters from the space will realize that he is the man they were looking for, and they will interrogate Ilsa and the characters, to understand which kind of relations they had with him. The PCs, quite probably, will not understand anything on what is happening; the bounty hunters, while interrogating them, will give some explanations. The creature they were pursuing is a dangerous criminal, a perverse slave of the Chaos, suspected to have contacts with dark creatures of the Warp. Anyone who had contacts with him has been contaminated and cursed, and must be neutralized. At this moment, Ilsa will give way and will go into hysterics, crying: "No! You will never have my child!" and, raising the arms to the sky, she will rouse a flash of light, which, for a moment, will blind all (her Blinding Flash spell, indeed). Ilsa will then flee running in the wood. WH40K - By exhumating the body of the thief, the PCs will immediately realize which kind of creature they are facing. The sign are light, but clear: the hyperdeveloped skull, with promiment frontal lobes, the almond-shaped eyes, the sharp teeth... It is a Genestealer Hybrid, likely of fourth generation. This can help the PCs to understand what has really happened on Kasperwold (the Empire preferred to accuse the planet of chaotic plots, because no Imperial Governor would signal the presence of these creatures on his planets, if the methods which the Empire employes against them were known), and they will understand the real nature of the threat of `contamination': the Hybrid could have fecundated a female creature or a male host, laying the foundations for a new invasion of this planet... By using a bio-scanner, or with a medical examination, they can ascertain that, actually, Ilsa has been recently fecundated. Now, of course, is the PCs' business to decide what they do. However Ilsa, as soon as she is in dire straits, or even just for precaution, will use her magical powers to get out of the questions and the `attentions' of the PCs, fleeing in the wood. When Ilsa flees, the fantasy characters and the bounty hunters will have to decide what to do (they can cooperate, they can fight among themselves or other, depending on how the things have gone until this point). In any case, it will not be difficult to find the trail of Ilsa (automatic for a character with Follow Trail skill, otherwise an Observation test is required). The girl fled in the thick of the forest, but she knows the place very well; the characters will reach her only after a few minutes, but the witch is not alone... The hand of the Chaos Running Ilsa has straight fallen in the arms of the last protagonist of our story, Kurgar, named `the Good', Champion of Tzeench. The powerful figure of the Chaos Champion (see above for his description) towers over the girl which, exhausted, has fallen to his feet. Among the trees, all around, the presece of humanoids shapes can be seen, lurking. "This woman has put herself under my protection," Kurgar will say, drawing the sword (which immediately will start singing with a shrieking and metallic voice a lullaby; all those present must immediately roll a WP Test or they will become Drowsy (see WFRP, pag. ???). "Does anyone of you disagree?" WFRP - The reaction of the bountyhunters against the Chaos Champion will automatically be hostile; the PCs, which could not soon realize the nature of Kurar, will have to decide where to side. WH40K - The fantasy characters seem doubtfoul about what they should do: they have nothing against Ilsa, and this man which they do not know wants to protect her against these strangers from the stars. If the PCs fight Kurgar to get back the girl, the fantasy characters can side with them or against them, depending on development of things until now (if you're not sure, let the spokesman PC roll a Fellowship Test). In the following round, the beastmen of the Chaos Champion will come out from the wood (and, at this point, the fantasy character should have second thoughts if they sided with him). The battle is wild; suddenly, Ilsa will try to flee only to be grabbed and grounded by a beastmen which, at the right moment, will come out of the brush. Kurgar isn't a fool; if he thinks to be in danger, he will not hesitate to leave his beastmen fighting for him, fleeing to continue to serve the cause of the Lord of Deceit. EPILOGUE If the PCs fought on the side of the Chaos Champion, and he is the winner, Kurgar will turn towards them softly: "You helped me, and I don't want to fight with you. You can join my retinue, and fight with me the eternal battle to which I dedicated myself. Or you can go away, and I will not stop you. But this woman, which has a role in the plots of my Lord, remains with me." At this point, Ilsa realizes the risk which she is taking, and implores the PCs to save her. The PCs can try to face Kurgar, or they can desert her in the hands of the Chaos Champion (and, in this case, the Lord of Change will invest her inhuman spawn, when it will be born). If the PCs leave Ilsa in the hands of the servants of the Chaos, Kurgar could actually let them go; however, if the Champion estimates his forces enough to eliminate the PCs in an ambush, he will waylay along the road to the village or to the spaceship (so the Changer of the Ways operates...). Finally, if the PCs save Ilsa, killing or putting Kurgar to flight, they could be in doubt on what to do: will the fantasy characters listen to the advices of the men from the space, to their worries about those who had contacts with Haazir? Will they force Ilsa to abort (since the girl, psychically influenced by the fetus, will never do it spontaneously)? Will they kill her? If they do not interefere with the birth, Ilsa will give birth, four months later (Genestealers have a gestation shorter than humans) to a kind couple of twins: one is a pure Genestealer, with his four clawed arms, the mouth full of teeth, the short tail, the indestructible carpace; the other is an Hybrid, still able to fertilize new human females, to give birth to new creatures... in the thick of the wood, who will prevent them from growing and bringing elsewhere the seed of evil? PREROLLED CHARACTERS Following here we give the descriptions of characters ready to be used, as PCs or NPCs, depending on the setting you are playing. If you instead choose to use already existing characters, make sure that WFRP PCs have with them a Wizard Apprentice with the Gift of Tongues spell, and that WH40K PCs have a spaceship and one of them has the Warp Navigation skill. WARHAMMER FANTASY ROLEPLAY As a group of fantasy adventurers, you can use those in The Enemy Within or those in the Oldenhaller Contract, contained in Warhammer Fantasy Roleplaying book. To use them as NPCs, choose a number equal to those of the PCs, making sure to keep at least a Wizard Apprentice in the group and adding to his spells the Gift of Tongues. WARHAMMER 40,000 The group of bountyhunters from the space, in the case you do not use already existing characters, is composed as follows: Marcus Apollo Karonte Human, Male, Explorer (Settler), 36 years. His first love is his spaceship; he is a detached and quite peaceful man, but he doesn't feel any special bonds of loyalty or of duty towards his adventuring fellows. M WS BS S T W I A Dex Ld Int Cl WP Fel 5 35 22 4 3* 7 42 1 34 35 34 34 32 30 * Free advance Skills: Astronomy, Cure Disease, Haggle, Legend Lore, Lightning Reflexes (already considered), Luck, Metallurgy, Operate Special Vehicles, Orientation, Pilot Aircraft, Reading/Writing, River Lore, Sixth Sense, Warp Navigation. Trappings: Flak Armour, Laspistol, 3d100 Credits, Spaceship with Warp navigation system (6 people, 5 tons loading bay). Fate Points: 3. Erich Deckardt Human, male, Rogue (Bounty Hunter), 41 years old. He is secretly an `external' member of the Imperial Inquisition, and he knows about the incoming distruction of Kasperwold, even though he does not know the exact motivations. He is a cold man, completely amoral and with no scruples, but also able of unpredictable impulses of generosity. His only loyalty is to his mission to extirpate the Chaos. M WS BS S T W I A Dex Ld Int Cl WP Fel 4 35 43* 2 4 7 25 1 29 31 33 35 38 34 * Free advance Skills: Cultural Classification, Drive Byke, Dodge Ranged Weapons, Excellent Vision, Follow Trail, Markmanship (already considered), Shadowing, Silent Move (rural and urban), Specialist Weapon - Web Pistol, Strike to Injure Trappings: Bolter, Carpace Armour, Power Sword, Web Pistol. Fate points: 3. Gauen Perfeuen Gauen started following the way of the Harlequin, but his way soon separated from those of his fellows, because of a tragic event which he does not talk about. His manners are completely alien and sometimes almost chaotic. Eldar, male, Academics (Harlequin Artist), 66 years old. M WS BS S T W I A Dex Ld Int Cl WP Fel 5 51* 36 3 3 5 72 1 41 37 49 52 41 41 * Free advance Skills: Acting, Ambidextrous, Dancing, Excellent Vision, Flee!, Lightning Reflexes (already considered), Mimic, Music, Silent Move (rural), Singing, Sixth Sense, Taunt. Trappings: Laspistol, Power Sword, Refractor Field. Fate points: 2. Jose' Cuervo Jose' is a pirate, but the gang he belonged to has been recently destroyed by the Adeptus Arbiter and he has found shelter on the hive world of Kasperwold, where he managed to make his trail to be lost. He joined the group of bounty hunters, hoping to find a way to leave Kasperwold, since he's afraid to remain too long in the same place. Human, male, Rogue (Space Pirate), 27 years old. M WS BS S T W I A Dex Ld Int Cl WP Fel 5 30 41* 4 3 7 32 1 31 33 30 27 23 27 *Free advance Skills: Ambidextrous, Corrupt, Disarm, Flee!, Fleet Footed (already considered), Pilot Aircrafts, Secret language (pirates), Space Navigation, Specialist Weapon - Flame weapon, Strike Mighty Blow, Sixth Sense. Trappings: Bolter, Chainsword, Flak armour. Fate points: 3. EOF