Hook

A red star has been in the sky for the past three weeks but, last night it fell. Last night, the Reznor gang hit a merchant wagon. The only issue is that the Reznor gang were hanged two years ago. Could there be a link?

Twist

The Reznor gang is being reanimated by the red star. How do you stop an immortal gang?

Outline

This adventure starts in a safe place where the party catches wind of the need for adventurers to solve a problem for some merchants. This could be through an old fashioned job board posting but due to the immediacy, is more likely a situation where they may overhear some merchants talking about their problem. The merchants aren’t hiding anything and are afraid due to the violent nature of the attack. However, they are more likely to believe that the attack was the work of the local wildlife. They will frame the issue as hunting down the creatures that attacked the merchants in order to make the roads safe again.

Meeting the victim

At the home of the wealthy Merchant Erik Wilkesboro, a young man sits at the dinner table traumatized. The young man is Willis Redfoot. Willis is greatly (+4) Shaken and doesn’t want to talk.

Aspects

• Daylight Horror
• Flickering candle
• The trappings of wealth

Erik Wilkesboro

(Head of a trade empire, Pompous ass, richer than you are)

Standing 4′ 11″ tall, this golden-brown skinned man has a quick tempered feel about him. A particularly notable feature is his long eyelashes, and he has a small wound on his forehead which he always tells the story for. His shoulder-length, curly, brown hair keeps finding its way into his mouth as he talks. It is falling out due to stress. He has vibrant, prominent, dark green eyes, ears that stick out, a round chin and a wide face. He has narrow shoulders, short arms, and a slender neck. He has tattoos fully covering his upper back, left foot and lower back.

What he knows

• Willis was found gibbering to himself
• walked several miles covered in blood before he arrived in town
• The Site of the attack is a couple miles away and the bodies have already been buried but the site may still have clues.

Willis Redfoot

(traumatized carriage driver, haunted, too old for this)

He is well-built, this dark skinned man has a self-sufficient feel about him. A particularly notable feature is a burn on his torso which he is ashamed of. His short, coiled, brown hair is pulled into a ponytail. It is turning white. He has a medium-length goatee that is two shades browner than his hair. He has a perceptive, close set, light brown eyes, ears that stick out, a hooked nose and an oval face. He has gentle hands, strong legs, wide shoulders, large feet, and a wide torso. He wears casual clothes that are mostly light-coloured and revealing.

What he knows

• We was making camp for the night and Jethro made a crack about going to snuggle up to some lass when we made it back.
• I never heard them. The whole time. They never made a sound. 
• Their eyes… those eyes gleaming in the night like they was lit inside with hellfire.
• I hid under Jethro’s body… I’m such a coward. I heard the ripping noises…
• They did it with their bare hands! They was gettin revenge for what we done to ‘em.
• When they left, I waited ‘till morning light and then I walked to town.

The Scene of the Attack

The path winds around a hill to reveal an overturned carriage and bloodstained grass. At the top of the hill are 3 recently dug burial mounds, the shovel still embedded in the dirt.

Aspects

• Overturned carriage
• Blood everywhere

The Scene, Obstacle

A carriage lay overturned and split in half. The area is covered in flootprints and bloodied handprints. An investigation will reveal more information.

• Fair (+2) attack scene
  • Done with bare hands
  • Four individuals did all of this
  • Trail of bloody footprints into a nearby swamp

Into the Swamp

The swamp is eerily quiet and devoid of life. Instead, several dead fish can be seen floating in the pools of water. The swamp grasses are growing wildly however, making visibility difficult. The trail is still easy to follow.

Questions

• What time of day is it?
• What phase is the moon at?

Mouth of the Cave

The trail leads to the mouth of a cave. At the mouth of the cave are four corpses. These are the perfectly normal corpses of the Reznor gang. It is easy to (+1) that some of them have flesh in their teeth and blood under the nails.

If the players said that it was night time in the last scene, the corpses are becoming animated and will immediately attack the party. Otherwise, insist that the corpses are perfectly normal.

Aspects

• Damp and Dark
• Bloody trail
• Perfectly Normal Corpses

Perfectly Normal Corpses

If they aren’t animated, the easiest way to do this is to set them on fire. They burn easily and as perfectly normal corpses, they offer no resistance.

Tara, Trent, Timothy and Terry Reznor

• These are reanimated corpses, husks that don’t actually contain the intellect of the Reznor clan. They only hunger for flesh now. They fight almost as one and grant each other the group up bonus.
  • Fight (+2)
  • They have two stress boxes each.

The Mutant Wolf

While traveling deeper into the cave, it opens up to a domed area. While exploring, they may notice (+4) symbols etched into the walls. These symbols will glow if exposed to blood. (If anyone in the party takes a consequence here, illuminate the place with the symbols.) If the blood belongs to one of the player characters, they will become fatigued and slowly become more and more sick unless the source of the sickness is dealt with. If not, they will die and rise again as mindless monsters, just like the Reznor Gang. As the party explores here, they may experience a Hallucination Event.

While exploring, they are attacked by a Mutated Wolf.

Aspects

Hallucinations

Roll 1d6 whenever there is a lull in the conversation. Also, once the party is fighting the Mutated Wolf, roll 1d6 at the top of the round if you want to increase the pressure.

1. The other player character’s notice that one of them is crying.
2. One of the players may notice a crack in the wall throb and grow.
3. There is a neat pile of fingernails and teeth.
4. A player character’s nose begins to bleed and won’t stop.
5. The cavern shakes violently and then suddenly stops.
6. One of the player characters is lifted into the air by their necks. visible ropemarks imprint themselves on the neck of that character. They are suddenly let down and no marks are left.

Mutated Wolf

(Mutated wolf, frenzied in pain)

A lone wolf wandered into this cave, dying and was changed into the misshapen wolf that encounters the party.

• Fight (+3)
• Athletics (+1)
• It has three stress boxes.

An Otherworldly Confrontation

The cave narrows greatly and begins to go downwards. Hallucination events can still happen. Eventually, it comes to an underground grotto with a lake surrounding a small island. In the island is a woman and a pulsating, beating, red rock that seems to be leaking something into the lakewater. There is a hole at the top of this part of the cave where the sky can be seen. (Remember to increment time. This cavern is fairly large and goes deep underground)

Aspects

• Glowing Mushrooms
• Ankle-deep lake

Mama Reznor

(Matriarch of the Reznor Clan, plagued by visions, Incredible strength and speed)

The Matriarch of the Reznor clan never wanted her kin to be criminals but once they did, she could do nothing more than support them. Eventually, the law caught up with them and they were hanged. The bodies were released to her and she buried them in this cavern. When the red star fell nearby, it called to her. She brought it to the cave and it gave her what she wanted. It brought her children back and gave her incredible strength and speed.

She will do anything in her power to protect the Red Star because it brought her children back to life. The stone isn’t controlling her mind, though it is sending her visions constantly. She can be reasoned with a superb (+5) argument. If successfully convinced that those are not her children, she will accept that it’s true and will allow the party to destroy the stone. Otherwise, she will defend it.

• Fight (+6)
• Athletics (+4)
• Stunt:
  • One more time – she can spend a fate point to make another attack against any nearby target.
  • Weapon: 2
• She has three stress boxes and one mild consequence slot.

The Red Star

(Otherworldly Stone, Can’t communicate properly, Lost and scared)

The red star is an otherworldly stone that somehow reanimates the dead. It is also capable of sending illusions into the minds of living things. It is also the source of Mama Reznor’s powers. It has an animal level of intelligence and will focus on whomever seems to be the greatest threat. If violence breaks out, the stone will levitate out of reach of the player characters and attempt to stay there. It cannot do much during the fight other than send powerful illusions to defend itself.

• Defend (+2)
• Send Illusion (+4)
• It has three stress boxes.

Aftermath

If Mama Reznor was convinced to help, she will tell you that she knows where the Reznor’s have hidden some of their ill-gotten goods. Otherwise, there is nothing else here. Erik Wilkesboro won’t believe it if he’s told that the Reznor gang was reanimated but Willis will vouch for the party. He will pay the party a fair amount of cash as a reward. The Local merchants will also be grateful and may provide a small discount.

What if the Party doesn’t Stop it?

If the party didn’t go deeper into the cave, the Reznors will eventually begin gathering victims and take them to the Red Star to be reanimated. Given enough time, the Red Star will begin influencing Mama Reznor to protect it during the day while it gathers more forces at night. It wants to be safe but is so terrified that it will attack nearby towns and other travelers to “protect itself.” Eventually, it will have to be stopped or a full zombie outbreak of sorts will happen.