THE WAY HOME - a Scenario for the KULT Role-Playing Game

by Richard Fichera

Dedicated to the Counting Crows, whose music and lyrics contain an underlying tone of quiet desperation which inspired this scenario.

"Take the way home that leads back to Sullivan St., where all the bodies hang on the air."

Introduction:

The Way Home is the first of three scenarios that begin with two brothers caught in the living nightmares of their diabolic father and eventually develop into a world shattering event caused by the political maneuvering of the denizens of Inferno. It is intended for two to five players, keeping in mind that two of the characters must begin as the two brothers. It is not necessary for the boys to live to the end of the story; the other characters will find their own motives as things progress. Complete character profiles for Cameron and Jason Blake are located towards the end of the scenario; the GM should modify these characters or the scenario to fit the desires and playing styles of the players.

The Illusion:

Cameron and Jason Blake are brothers who have grown up in Boston. When their mother died in an unfortunate accident, they were left in the care of their sadistic occultist father, Victor Blake, who regularly tormented and abused them. As soon as Cameron was old enough, the two boys moved away from their father's home and tried to put the past behind them. The past, however, has different plans. Strange visions begin to haunt the two. They suspect their father, but Mr. Blake has disappeared. Then the nightmares increase, and the boys quickly realize that they must struggle together to preserve their sanity and their lives.

The Truth:

Victor Blake has a contact among the Death Magicians of Djeraba, Tunisia (see Legions of Darkness). through Francis Collins, the American initiate serving Luigi Cantorre. Francis supplied Victor with selected pages from the D'ktar Min manuscript and a relic called Abramelin's claw. With this relic and the instructions from the D'ktar Min, Victor has bound a Nepharite, Tzaphirin, to his service, to act as guide and tutor. Since this time, Victor has regularly called upon Tzaphirin to tutor him in advanced forms of Death Magic. The unfortunate side effects, however, are slowly transforming Victor into something distinctly non-human. His metamorphosis has progressed to a point where, if he is to continue without interference, it is necessary to find a more appropriate place to work. Thus, he has relocated to Metropolis.

After Victor moved, his first priority involved a murder that he had committed several years earlier, that of his first wife, Anna. Anna Blake, the mother of Cameron, interfered with Victor's studies, and consequently had an "accident" when Cameron was only six months old. She did not rest easily, however, and became a disembodied spirit determined to haunt her killer. After years of nightmares and torment, Victor is bent on revenge, and with his new powers, he has now trapped this woman's spirit in flesh to torture the soul that has plagued him for so long.

Anna has only a small, fragmented part of her mind left, but something draws her to her son once she comes under attack from the boy's father. Victor, reveling in his new powers, is taking advantage of Anna's weakness and is pulling their son Cameron into this spectacle of torture and death beyond the wall of Illusion.

Cameron does not remember his real mother and believes that he is the son of Victor's second wife, Carol. Victor and Carol were married for 9 years before Carol also had an "accident".

Notes for the Gamemaster:

Young Cameron found his mother at the bottom of the basement stairs with a kitchen knife through her chest. The police couldn't make sense of it, but in the absence of any other evidence, it was written off as an accident. This is the subject of Cameron's mental constriction.

The encounters in this scenario run on a well-defined schedule. After Cameron receives the phone call at work, he has eleven days to live. The events take place as follows:

Day 1: Monday (in late November) - The Subway Ride

Day 4: Thursday - A Quiet Evening at Home

Day 6: Saturday - A Night Out

Day 9: Tuesday - From Sparks to Fire

Day 11: Thursday - (Cameron dies unless Victor has been stopped)

During this time, the boys must locate their father. Unfortunately, this takes time--which is something that they are short of. As will be seen in the scenario, if Victor can be defeated before day 11, Cameron will survive the adventure. It is possible that Cameron will be in the hospital, but as long as someone ventures to Metropolis and stops Victor Blake, Cameron will live.

THE SUBWAY RIDE

It's 4:00, and the whistle at the warehouse howls, signalling to all its daily prisoners that they are free for the night. It's been a bad day. Your brother got a crank call from some woman. She must have been really cracked, just kept singing, almost like a lullaby. "...Four and twenty blackbirds backed in a pie...." Old nursery rhyme. She just sang it over and over. Cameron finally just got pissed and hung up. Weird, huh?

You go to your locker to put your stuff away for the night, then it's three blocks in the brisk afternoon glow to the "T" for your nightly subway ride back to your apartment. It gets dark fast towards the end of November. The sun's down by the time you get home. It hasn't snowed yet, but it won't be too many more days before it does. Maybe you should buy a car, but with what? Maybe you'll get a raise next year.

Before you realize it, you find yourself walking down the stairs to the underground station, taking your place among the faceless crowd that waits with you for the T. The station platform looks the same as always, grimy, littered, a little graffiti on the walls. Not as bad as what you hear about the subway in New York, but it could be better. You look at "Cam", but he's wrapped in his own thoughts. The call from that woman sure freaked him, although he says he doesn't really know why. Maybe it's just one of his moods. He'll be alright.

It's an innocuous Monday, just another work day, when Cameron gets a phone call. The woman at the other end of the line begins singing nursery rhymes to him over the phone. By the lilting sound in her voice, she is obviously not mentally stable. But while Cameron passes it off as a crank call, he can't seem to put the phone down. Something in the woman's voice reaches out to him hypnotically, and holds him on the phone. Cameron must make an EGO throw to hang up. Otherwise, the phone goes dead after five minutes.

The rest of the day will pass uneventfully. The GM may decide that Cameron is distracted after the phone call, in which case Cameron should make a PERx2 roll from time to time to see if he trips, steps out in front of a forklift, stumbles off the loading dock, or has some other small accident--nothing serious. Cameron should not take any damage from these encounters, but rather the player should begin to feel that the day's mood changed after the phone call.

After work, Cameron and Jason take the subway home as neither of them have cars. The subway will have several other passengers: old ladies with shopping bags, punks in black denim and combat boots, grimy factory workers. They should know that no one else on the car knows or cares about them. Trying to engage the punks or the factory workers will be met with abuse, threats, and possibly a fight. The elderly ladies will keep a stony silence, but a couple of the factory workers will step in if they think the ladies are being harassed. Refer to the diagram of the subway car.

Cameron normally gets off the subway three stations before Jason. This, however, is not a normal day. With three more stations to go before Cameron departs, the florescent lights on the subway begin to flicker, hinting that the old subway cars may break down soon. No one else on the subway looks around or seems to notice. A distant insect-like buzzing sound also becomes apparent, and as it grows louder, it sounds more like thousands of distant voices. Again, no one else seems to hear anything or react in any way.

Shortly after the noise starts, but before they reach the next station, a confused, elderly bag lady enters the subway car through the door that Cameron and Jason are facing. The strange noise becomes momentarily louder as she enters the car. She is wearing a filthy blue skirt, five sweaters of different colors, and an orange beanie cap from which her stiff brown hair sticks out at all angles from her forehead. Below her skirt, she wears torn nylons, a pair of dirty pink socks, and some black, battered, flat-soled shoes. Her hands are partially covered by a pair of purple, fingerless knitted gloves. She immediately notices Cameron and her eyes sparkle with delight.

She will then fall to her knees at Cameron's feet and flatter him with syrupy phrases of innocent romantic love. Her voice is surprisingly sweet and young, and in fact, she looks much younger from up close. She will sit at Cameron's feet and paw at his hand lovingly, promising to make him happy and take care of him forever.

Nothing they can do will get this woman off of her knees. She will grab hold of Cameron's legs and clothes if he tries to change seats, making it impossible to do so without doing the woman physical violence. If the player chooses this option, have the next attack come as he is walking away from her, with the woman standing in the aisle between the character and the door. The door to the next subway car opens again with a bang.

"I've got you now, you filthy bitch." You look up straight into the barrel of a 9 mm handgun. Boom! Fire and smoke from the barrel. The bag lady takes the slug in the back of her head. The front of her face violently explodes and brains splash all over the front of your face and clothes. Her half empty skull tumbles into your lap as her shoulders lurch forward.

The subway pulls into the next station.

A large, stocky man shoves through the door, aiming a large handgun at the bag lady's head. With a loud explosion, the front of her head blows apart, splattering Cameron with brains and gore.

As soon as the players try to do anything, the whole scene will disappear. No blood, no gun, no bodies, nothing. The other passengers never saw anything. It never happened. Both players roll EGO for terror with a -10 modifier (it happened so fast and disappeared so quickly that neither of them are sure it really happened).

As far as the players can tell, they were both awake and the whole thing seemed completely real. Both will be able to corroborate each other's story. If they try to recall the man with the gun, they will remember that he was tall and rather large, but not fat. He wore blue jeans, a plaid wool shirt, a dark gray jacket, and a black stocking cap. He had no facial hair, but the encounter was too brief to determine any other facial features.

Each brother can continue home without further incident.

Some players will immediately suspect that Victor Blake is involved. As the different encounters occur, here is some of the information that can be found.

At the old address where Cameron and Jason last lived with their father: Victor moved out several years ago, a couple of months after the boys left. There was a forwarding address at one time, but it has long since been lost.

At the docks: Cameron and Jason will remember that their father worked down at the docks. With this information, there is a 15% cumulative chance per day that they will locate Victor's last employer, Jergen Shipping Company, by going to the waterfront and asking a lot of questions. The dock foreman, Mr. Ross, will tell them that Victor quit two months ago, took the last of his pay in cash, and left. Their father was known as a loner and the other workers didn't like him, "but he did an honest day's work, so I kept him around. I'm not gonna say I'll miss him or anything--he gave me and everybody else the creeps, but he did his job. Better than what I can say for some of the slugs around here." Victor had been working for this company for about seven months.

Mr. Ross is not inclined to spend any time searching for Victor's address, but If the characters seem desperate or make a CHA roll, he will agree to dig through his personnel files. This will take a couple (1d3) days. The total number of days it takes the boys to find their father's employer and the number of days required for Victor's old address to be located, will determine how many more attacks Cameron must endure. Continue counting off the days and run the encounters that follow when appropriate.

Somewhere along the line, Mr. Ross will find Victor's old address. If this isn't happening fast enough, Cameron and Jason could get a call at work from Mr. Blumfield, the attorney representing Mr. Hendley, the superintendent of the apartment building where Victor once lived. (If you're the merciful type of GM, this will be before the evening that Shelly spends the night at Cameron's place.) If they do not immediately act upon this information, continue to mark the days, and run further encounters as necessary. Below is further information that will come to light.

Mr. Blumfield, the building superintendent's attorney: Mr. Blake still has not been heard from. Unless someone pays the rent soon, the contents of the apartment will be removed and put into storage for auction. The attorney has the superintendent's address and phone number, 562 Sullivan Street.

Mr. Hendley, the superintendent: He is very agitated at Mr. Blake, but if pressed, he will give the sons access to the apartment, especially if they say that they're going to arrange to pay the rent or move their father's possessions out.

Leonard "Leo" Ross

Leo Ross is the manager of the Jergen Shipping Company. He remembers Victor Blake as a good worker, although he kept to himself and was disliked by the other workers. Leo is an honest, if stern man, who will help if he can, but the company's business takes precedence, so his assistance may be a few days in coming.

Leo is a short, portly, balding man in his early fifties with a fondness for cigars. His office is generally cluttered with huge stacks of paper which often cascade off of his desk into piles on the floor. He seems extremely disorganized but, nevertheless, he gets the job done.

Theodore Hendley

Mr. Hendley is the superintendent for the building on Sullivan Street. He manages the place for his mother and has lived across the hall from Victor Blake for about two years. He has always regretted leasing the apartment to Victor. From the very beginning, Hendley found Blake intimidating, if not plain frightening. The few confrontations that they had, usually over strange noises coming from the apartment at late hours, usually ended with Victor delivering some vague threats that left Theodore's imagination running wild.

Mr. Hendley (his tenants don't know his first name) is a painfully thin man in his mid-forties with jet black hair and a generally unkempt look. He wears heavy-framed glasses with thick lenses that distort the view of his eyes. His high-pitched, nasal voice reminds some people of nails scratching across a chalkboard.

Mr. Blumfield

Joshua Blumfield is a young attorney in his mid-thirties who has been working for the Hendley family almost since he put out his shingle. The Hendley family owns several pieces of property in the poorer sections around the Boston metropolitan area, and there always seems to be an eviction, a property deal, or lease negotiation to resolve. One of his latest assignments was to start the paperwork to evict the missing Victor Blake from the property on Sullivan Street due to non-payment of rent. He has begun the filing process, and will probably have the contents of the apartment impounded in another two weeks.

Joshua is tall and thin with light brown hair, a thin mustache, and large friendly hands (his mother says that he has doctor's hands). He dresses very sharply when working in his well-appointed office. From the pictures on his desk, he is obviously married with two daughters and a son.

A QUIET EVENING AT HOME

Some greasy ground beef, some noodles, and a packet of chemicals from a pouch all tossed into a skillet--that's dinner. The TV has a basketball game tuned in, but you haven't been watching it. It's just background noise. It helps drown out the sound of the opera music that the jerk next door plays full blast. The Celtics have been losing lately anyway.

There are a couple days worth of dishes in the sink. Maybe you'll do them this weekend. The kitchen floor and counters have been slowly turning brown over the last couple of months. The floor hasn't been mopped since your girlfriend broke it off. Damn. Good thing you know how to do laundry.

What are they doing on that game? Or is the TV going out? Stupid thing is making some kind of bizarre sound. Like too many channels trying to broadcast on the same frequency, too many voices coming out of the speaker. It is the TV, isn't it?

Then you see her. It's the bag lady from the subway. Well, it looks like her before her face blew apart. She just stepped out of your bedroom door into the kitchen.

"Oh, my Prince, I'm so happy to be with you again. You and me, we were meant to be together, you know. It's been so long since you were in my arms." She presses against you, wrapping her arms around your waist. God, she smells horrible. Probably has lice too. Her hat's gone, and her stiff brown hair is sticking out in all directions, brushing against your face as she hugs you.

This scene occurs three nights later, on Thursday, when Cameron is at home alone cooking dinner. Only Cameron's player should be present. Refer to the diagram of Cameron's apartment.

Since the experience on the subway, everything has been completely normal. Tonight that changes. It starts when Cameron hears an odd buzzing sound, like the television is picking up static, or maybe too many voices are trying to squeeze out of the tiny speaker all at once. Then the bag lady steps out of the bedroom into the kitchen. She is dressed much as she was on the subway, but without the orange cap. Otherwise, she appears no different than she did when she stepped into the subway car with Cameron and Jason.

The woman will move to embrace Cameron, pushing him into the corner of the kitchen if necessary. At that moment, the killer from the subway will appear behind her, whispering profane curses. In a flash, he will plunge a long steel blade though her body with such force that it will knock Cameron off balance. Then both the man and the woman vanish.

Cameron will discover that the tip one of his kitchen knives is sticking between his ribs, and a light wound is leaking blood onto his shirt (give Cameron one scratch on the chest). Cameron must make an EGO roll at -5 for terror. He will need medical care to stitch up the wound, but shouldn't have any trouble getting to the hospital, possibly calling Jason, whose live-in girlfriend, Melanie, has an old clunker of a car.

AT THE HOSPITAL

Standard hospital emergency room, a doctor and nurse are present. They will clean the wound, suture it, apply a large gauze bandage, and administer a tetanus shot. The doctor will be curious, but won't push if met with cold resistance. If Cameron provides any details which sound unnatural, the doctor will pull Jason aside and inquire about a family history of mental imbalance. He will also add some comments about delirium in his report.

After treatment, Cameron will be sent on his way.

A NIGHT OUT

It's a dingy place in your neighborhood, but the beers are cheap and the music is loud. The people are all strangers, but at least they're local strangers. The dance floor is old, battered, and stained, but it's big enough for a good time. There's a large crowd tonight. You've been here for a few hours, and Cameron has met some woman. They've danced a lot together, and he's gotten her phone number. She's being cautious though--they won't be leaving together tonight.

This scene is an excellent place to introduce the other players into the game. It's Saturday night, and after the events of the week, Cameron is starting to feel a little unhinged. Getting out to Morgan's Tap , the local bar, for some drinking and dancing might be therapeutic. If they meet friends here, maybe they can find a dark corner and Cameron and Jason can talk about the bizarre happenings of the last week. Let the players play this out however they want.

Sometime among the events of the evening, Cameron will meet Shelly. They will get along very well and Shelly will be interested in seeing Cameron again. She will not be willing to go home with him this evening, but will continue to be friendly in every other way. If Cameron begins talking about supernatural occurrences, he will notice that she begins to shy away.

Shelly Duran

She's a struggling architect who graduated last year from Ohio State. She has a job, but since she's new, they aren't giving her much to do that's satisfying. Her attraction to Cameron is a little odd at first glance, since they really have nothing in common, but she's attracted to dark and somber men who look like they need somebody--psychological baggage that came from living with a morose father whose wife left him because he was too depressing.

She has come to this club because it's a local place, and her current salary doesn't afford her a better neighborhood yet. This is her first visit. She has been in Boston for only four months.

Shelly is 5'6", thin build, blond hair, green eyes. She is engaging and intelligent. Wearing jeans and a simple silk blouse, she has struck a balance between being chic and yet not overdressed.

AGL 14 EGO 15

STR 9 CHA 14

CON 8 PER 12

COM 14 EDU 16

Height: 168 cm (66 inches)

Weight: 54 kg (120 pounds)

Movement: 7 m/CR

Actions: 2

Initiative bonus: +1

Damage bonus: +1

Damage capacity: 4 scratches = 1 light wound

3 light wounds = 1 serious wound

2 serious wounds = 1 fatal wound

Endurance: 70

Mental Balance: 0

FROM SPARKS TO FIRE

You saw Shelly again tonight. Dinner in the pizza place down on Brooks, then a long walk around Boston Harbor. Shelly knew a lot about Old Ironsides, but it was already closed for the night. Too bad.

But the evening was far from a total loss. It took a lot of convincing, but you got her back to your place. It must be 2 in the morning right now; too bad tomorrow is Wednesday because you'll have to go to work. Maybe you should call in sick. Shelly's in the bathroom, but you can still feel the warm part of the bed where she was lying. Gorgeous babe! And a treat in bed, too, even if she's shy about a couple of things. Must be from growing up in Ohio.

Her shade in the dark, approaching the bed breaks into your revery, and she climbs in next to you. She must be feeling a little more aggressive this time, because she rolls over right on top of you, kissing your neck and chest. What a wild woman! Maybe this relationship will last.

She's whispering something to you, but you can't quite make it out. Is that her voice? Why does it sound so strange? You can't really see anything in the darkness, but something doesn't seem right. But hey, don't blow a good thing, right?

This encounter should take place on the Tuesday after Cameron and Shelly meet at Morgan's Tap. If Cameron isn't hot on the trail of his father by now, he's in big trouble! This encounter is his last warning.

Cameron has convinced Shelly to spend the night. They have been making love for the last couple of hours when Shelly retires to the bathroom for a few minutes. Cameron will then see her return to the bed and climb in next to him. She seems to have changed subtly however, giving up her coy, shy mannerisms for those of a passionate seductress. She immediately climbs on top of Cameron, charged with desire. Because of this, Cameron may not notice (roll PER/2) the dark shadow looming next to the bed until it is too late.

"That's incest, you stupid slut." That voice! You realize with horror that it's his voice. "Anna, you really shouldn't be doing that with our son!" The bed is suddenly doused with something wet. Shelly's starting to moan loudly. But it isn't Shelly; it's that bag lady from the subway. That smell. Is that gasoline?

The dark shadow of a hulking man stands next to the bed, berating someone named "Anna" and accusing her of incest. Cameron will now notice that it is not Shelly in bed with him, but the bag lady from the subway. With that, the man douses the bed and its two occupants with a large quantity of liquid, something that smells like gasoline. The player will no doubt try to escape now. Make a STR roll to see if he can get the bag lady off of him. If successful, he must now roll AGL to get past his attacker. If he makes both of these rolls, the man will attempt to fling Cameron back onto the bed; roll 13 or less (STR/2 - he can only use one hand for this attempt, his other hand has the gas can in it). If Cameron's rolls are successful, and his attacker's roll is not, Cameron manages to get off the bed and onto the floor across the room; the bag lady will be on the bed by herself.

In either case, a small flame will flare up in the darkness and then drop onto the gasoline-soaked bed. The bed will erupt into flames and a pair of screams will shatter the night, the bag lady's and Shelly's. Shelly is standing by the bathroom door where she has watched in horror as the scene unfolds.

The fire mysteriously extinguishes after two rounds and the two intruders vanish. If Cameron was still on the bed, roll for damage for each round (1-5 scr; 6-15 lw; 16-22 sw; 23+ fw, increase effect +3 for second round, roll against CON be able to take action after a light wound, serious wounds automatically knock the character out). Cameron must also make an EGO roll for terror, at +5 if lightly wounded, +10 if seriously wounded.

In her terror, Shelly will flee the apartment, but once she regains herself, will stop and call the police and an ambulance. If Cameron is conscious, he may also call for help.

Cameron will probably be burned over most of his body and will require hospital care (half week for light wounds, two weeks for serious wounds). The bed, the curtains, and the adjacent wall are also blackened and sooty, but there is no trace of gasoline, matches, or any other combustible. There are no signs of the bag lady or the man.

If Cameron managed to get off the bed before the fire started, he has a chance to stop Shelly from leaving the apartment (two rolls, STR and AGL to succeed against her panic-boosted abilities). She saw the man, the woman, and the fire. In her panic, she assumes that Cameron is responsible, that he is some kind of psychotic, or connected to the Mafia or drug dealers, and she will want to get as far from him as possible. If Cameron can make a CHA roll (not very likely), he can get her to calm down and convince her to talk to him about what she saw.

If Cameron makes an EGO roll, he will realize that the face and voice belong to his demented father, but the reference to incest and Anna will make no sense to him unless he has found the birth records in Maine. This encounter should cause Cameron to start questioning his family tree. If he decides to research this, the following information can be found:

At the County Recorder's office in Bangor, Maine: The official registered birth certificate lists Victor Blake and Anna Kraft as the parents of Cameron, who was born in Kenduskeag. There is also a marriage certificate for Victor Blake and Anna Kraft, dated June 25, 1970. There is no other record of Anna Kraft.

At the County Recorder's office in Boston, Massachusetts: The official registered certificate lists Victor Blake and Carol Clark as the parents of Jason, who was born in Boston, Massachusetts. There is also a marriage certificate for Victor Blake and Carol Clark, dated June 7, 1972. There is also a death certificate for Carol Clark, dated August 13, 1981.

After this encounter, Cameron has 48 hours to live. Unless he is in Metropolis or someone else has gone there at his behest and destroyed Victor, Cameron will be found brutally murdered under highly unusual circumstances that the police will eventually write off as an accident due to lack of evidence (maybe impaled atop a rod iron fence, ground to pulp by a large machine at the warehouse, etc). Whatever the cause, it should be bloody and graphic.

BACK TO THE HOSPITAL

If Cameron was injured in the fire, he will probably have to return to the hospital. If Cameron has not called Jason, the authorities will. Both the doctor in the emergency room and the police want to know what happened. Unless Cameron or Jason can convince them (with a CHA roll), Cameron will be contained in the psychiatric ward under observation. Assuming that nothing unusual occurs, he will be released when healed. As noted above however, Cameron cannot afford an extended stay in the hospital. If the other characters do not continue to Metropolis and kill Victor, Cameron will be found dead in two days in his hospital bed with his head crushed to pulp or something else equally horrifying.

Before that, the police will question Jason about Cameron's mental state. If anything was put on Cameron's medical report from his emergency room visit last week, the police will be extra suspicious (change roll above to CHA/2).

If Cameron escaped injury, the police will show up at his door in a half hour due to reports of screaming from his apartment. If the police smell smoke (roll on PER of 12, PER/2 if Cameron was smart enough to close the bedroom door after the fire), they will question Cameron about it and insist on checking things out. They will come back with a search warrant if necessary. If they find evidence of a fire, Cameron must make a CHA roll to convince them not to take him "downtown." If he is taken into custody, he will be given an opportunity to call a family member (Jason, of course), and Jason will have a chance to convince them (CHA roll) to release Cameron. Otherwise, Cameron spends the night at the hospital under observation.

After this encounter, the players may want to try calling Shelly. If Cameron or Jason calls and makes a CHA roll, Shelly will tell what she saw that night. She is trying to avoid Cameron and will speak to him only on the condition that he never call her again. This call can be made several times until the CHA roll is successful.

Shelly will say that she saw a wild-eyed woman in bed with Cameron, that she was climbing all over him. There was also a burly man standing next to the bed, who poured something out of a large metal can, and then threw a lit match onto the bed. She still has nightmares of the man laughing wildly as the bed burst into flames.

Eventually, the characters must go to their father's apartment.

THE WAY HOME - Boston

At 562 Sullivan street stands the house where Victor lived before he moved to Metropolis. The house is an older two-storied brownstone that has been divided into four smaller residences, two upstairs and two downstairs. Victor Blake lived in one of the downstairs units. The superintendent, Mr. Hendley, lives across the hall. The upstairs units are occupied by an octogenarian woman who is completely deaf (she lived above Mr. Blake), and a young couple who is very excited because the husband just graduated from law school.

None of the upstairs residents know anything about Mr. Blake. Mr. Hendley said that he used to complain to Mr. Blake once in awhile about strange noises late at night (singing, chanting, moaning, who knows?), but Mr. Blake would give him a very dark look, and quite ungently tell him to mind his own business.

Mr. Hendley will unlock the door to let the sons enter the unit, but will not go in himself, preferring to stand at the door and complain about the unpaid rent. Some dark memory of Mr. Blake keeps him from crossing the threshold. He will get very agitated if the characters insist that he join them, and will eventually return to his own unit if harassed enough.

Victor Blake's Home - Refer to the diagram below.

Room A - Living Area: Sparsely furnished. The fireplace on the south wall is filled with white ash and looks as if a large amount of paper was last burned there. On the mantel is a battered matchbook from a club called "the Back Door."

Room B - Dining Area: A card table and one folding chair serves as the eating area.

Room C - Kitchen: Very clean and tidy. The refrigerator is empty, and none of the cupboards contain any food except for a few odds and ends: salt, pepper, cooking oil, spices, etc.

Room D - Bathroom: Very clean. The medicine cabinet is half empty, and basic toiletries like a toothbrush and razor are conspicuously missing. (Victor threw these away after he got to Metropolis, realizing how useless they are to him, but some habits are hard to break.)

Room E - Empty: This room is completely bare. It looks like the plaster walls and hardwood floor were scrubbed clean.

Room F - Closet: This is the closet for room E. It is also empty except for a small cardboard box on the floor. Inside the box is a tarnished brass incense burner covered with ashes and tar, three small blocks of an earthy-smelling incense (patchouli), a small vial of metallic red fluid (dragon's blood ink, no not from a real dragon! Check your local occult supply shop), and a chicken's foot hung on a leather thong.

Room G - Closet: The closet has clothes in it, but half the hangers are empty. On the top shelf of the closet is an empty box from a common brand of 9 mm calibre bullets.

Room H - Bedroom: Furnished with a double bed and a four-drawer dresser. A few clothes are scattered on the bed, a couple of dress shirts, a pair of dark gray socks, and a light blue windbreaker. In the pocket of the windbreaker is a wad of twenty dollar bills totalling $500. The drawers in the dresser are half empty, as if numerous items have been removed.

Victor Blake left this place for the last time in the middle of the night about a month ago. He packed what he thought he would need, went to a bar called "the Back Door," and left Boston for Metropolis.

The players may explore this place at their leisure, although their memories of their father will make them slightly anxious. Aside from the money, the only useful item here is the matchbook cover, which is their only clue to their father's trail.

THE BACK DOOR

This place is bigger than it looked from the outside and warmer than it should be. Your senses are assailed by the odor of smoke, beer, and sweaty bodies. Three pool tables to the left and a bar on the right, and about 20 patrons, mostly bikers, punks, and other toughs. Two of the pool tables are occupied by five guys in black leather vests and jeans. Long scraggly beards hang down in front brushing against their exposed beer bellies. There's a woman with them that is too thin to be natural. Her eyes are glazed from heavy drug addiction. Three guys and two girls, very thin, all in black with partially shaved heads and psychedelic hair, sit closer to the back wall. A man and a woman stand at the bar together; she is handcuffed to a chain attached to his belt, but the chain seems extraordinarily long. Her quivering hands hold a tall glass with ice and a dark liquid. The rest of the crowd is scattered among the tables, talking quietly over dirty glasses filled with cheap draft beer.

The Back Door is located down a dusty street in the industrial section of Boston. It is situated in a district full of factories, smoke stacks, chain link fences, and steel tanks. Hidden between two processing plants is a small cinder block building with the windows boarded shut. Above the scarred door, in faded black paint, are the words "the Back Door." This place is only open between late afternoon and dawn, and at such times, there are usually three or four cars parked outside as well as a half dozen Harlies.

The clientele is a mix of bikers, punks, and other hoodlums, some of whom have contacts in Metropolis. Sometimes, even residents of Metropolis will stop in for a beer or two.

This should be a very intimidating place. The patrons here are thugs with no respect for anything, especially outsiders. Make sure the players feel the tension. They can try talking to the customers, but most of them will want to know what these two "pretty boys" are doing here. Unless they have brought several friends, their only (relatively) safe route is to talk to the bartender, Zeke Bronson.

Zeke is a large bald man with an enormous belly that is barely covered by his greasy, stained apron. His face is decorated with several scars, and his right eye does not always follow his left. His attitude is condescending, as if his every word veils an insult.

Zeke has the information that the characters want. If they order a drink, he'll grudgingly talk, but he won't talk about anything until they start drinking. If they're carrying firearms, he'll want them (roll PER of 15 if the weapons are concealed). He'll put them behind the bar, to be returned when the characters leave. Occasional snickers will be heard from the customers, and most of them will be openly staring at the characters. The two billiards games will continue, but the bikers will keep their eyes on the bar. At one point, the woman at the bar will whine that she needs to use the toilet. Her companion will grunt consent, and the players will discover that her chain is just long enough for her to disappear into the ladies' room. His response-- "I own her! You got a problem with that?" More snickers from the crowd.

When the players ask the bartender about Victor Blake, he'll be cautious, wanting to know why they're asking. Explaining that they are his sons will send a ripple of laughter through the crowd, but the bartender will just grin and ask the two how much money they have. If they offer him less than $100, twelve of the patrons will get up and attack the characters. They will all strike to knock out, not kill.

Bar Patrons - (average statistics)

AGL 14 EGO 10

STR 14 CHA 8

CON 10 PER 11

COM 7 EDU 8

Height: varies

Weight: varies

Movement: 7 m/CR

Actions: 2

Initiative bonus: +2

Damage bonus: +2

Damage capacity: 4 scratches = 1 light wound

3 light wounds = 1 serious wound

2 serious wounds = 1 fatal wound

Endurance: 80

Mental Balance: -10

Skills: Each patron will have a skill of 9 to 14 with one of the following: fists, chain, pool cue, blackjack, sawed-off bat, steel pipe, or brass knuckles.

Zeke Bronson

AGL 14 EGO 10

STR 16 CHA 9

CON 15 PER 15

COM 3 EDU 5

Height: 173 cm (68 inches)

Weight: 113 kg (250 pounds)

Movement: 7 m/CR

Actions: 2

Initiative bonus: +2

Damage bonus: +3

Damage capacity: 4 scratches = 1 light wound

3 light wounds = 1 serious wound

3 serious wounds = 1 fatal wound

Endurance: 100

Mental Balance: -40

Skills: Sawn off shotgun 15, Impact weapons 14, Net of contacts: Metropolis 10

After three rounds, Zeke will strike from behind the bar at one of the characters with the butt of a sawn off shotgun that he keeps behind the counter. The brawl will continue until the characters are either unconscious or can no longer defend themselves. Then they will be tossed out into the parking lot of the bar. If they come back with enough money, they can try again.

If by some miracle, they win this fight, the bartender will point the shotgun at them and tell them to get out until they can offer more money. It's in everyone's interest that no one gets shot and the boys survive to come back and try again.

If they offer the bartender $200 or more, Zeke will point them toward the steel door hidden in the shadows at the back of the bar. He will return their weapons before they leave.

"Alright. You want to find your daddy? You see that door back there? Just go through there. Take a left down the alley. Somebody will give you directions from there. And here," he says with a wide grin as he slides your handgun across the bar, "you'll need this."

DOWNTOWN

For all the years you've lived in Boston, this doesn't look familiar. The buildings are too tall. The streets are deserted. It looks like a modern-day ghost town--maybe New York or Los Angeles after some killer virus wiped everybody out. Scraps of paper and trash tumble down the street in front of a cold breeze. It's getting darker.

Stepping through the steel door, the characters will find themselves in an alleyway surrounded by large buildings of gray brick. The alley looks normal for an industrial area: a little trash, a touch of graffiti, tall windowless walls. It looks like twilight here, regardless of what time it was when they entered the bar. The buildings are so tall and close together that the characters will not realize right away that something is wrong. The door, which automatically latches from the inside, will slowly fade out of existence once the characters step away from it. The alley continues for about a hundred meters before it opens out to the street.

Once they reach the street, they will know that something is wrong. This does not look like Boston. The office buildings are too tall and there are too many of them. The characters can walk in either direction; it makes no difference. Towering office and commercial buildings pierce the darkening sky above them on every street. There are no cars, no people, no animals, no signs of life. The only sound is the whisper of the chill wind that pushes the trash along the street. There are no street signs and the buildings have no addresses. The lobbies are lit, but no one can be seen inside. All the doors are locked. As the darkness grows, a few lights illuminate on some of the upper floors of some of the buildings, but no one will ever be seen. Try to build a sense of foreboding, the feeling that they are totally lost to everything they know, and that there is no way back. If the players break into a building, all the rooms are empty, even the ones where the lights are on. Roll 1d20+50 for the number of floors in any building.

If the characters dig through the trash looking for a newspaper, let them find scraps from a variety of the major newspapers around the world, New York, London, Paris, Moscow, etc.

As the last of the light fades from the sky, the characters will begin to hear the faint sound of a woman crying. At first, they will not be able to tell if it's just the wind, but eventually they will hear her more distinctly. Between her sobs, she seems to be calling to her son, Tommy. Her voice will fade in and out of perception as they roam around, but seems to get louder if they are on an upper floor of a building.

If they go to a rooftop, they will have a view of the city skyline. This will confirm that they are not in Boston. Thousands of colossal buildings march all the way to the horizon in every direction. Have the players roll EGO with a -10 bonus to keep a grip on themselves.

When the players have had about enough, they see a cab turn slowly onto the street they are on. If they hail the cab, they will be greeted by what looks to be the archetypical New York cabbie.

"What are you'z two boys doin' here? You look like a couple a' virgins." An older man with a round face and a wizened expression sticks his head out of the cab.

The cabbie's name is Carlyle, a rather unusual Nosferatu who roams the streets, as he once did in his other life, trading rides for a quick meal, a useful weapon, or anything else that might be of use in Metropolis. He's friendly and talkative, and has an almost innate ability to twist the illusions to take himself and his cab anywhere either in Metropolis or in the illusion. Carlyle's statistics have been omitted from this scenario, since normally, they will not be needed. Refer to the Kult rulebook for more information on Nosferatu.

The characters are likely to have questions, and the following are some answers:

Where are we?: "Where are you? You are a couple of virgins! This place? This ain't nowhere. But it's everywhere. How can I explain? It's just elsewhere. You ain't no place you want to be, that's feh sure. But you'z can get here from almost anywhere. As far as I know, this place ain't got no real name. Some call it Metropolis. Lucky for you'z, thahz no food this side of town."

Food? "Food! Yah know, what yah eat. Prey. Somethin' to hunt. Ain't nothin' to hunt over here."

Where do you live, come from, etc: "I stay wherever I can. This city is like dat. You'z can stay any place that ya' strong enough to hold. Somebody bigger and badder comes along, yah move on. Find some udda place."

Can you take us somewhere: "I can take you'z any place you like as long as yah got something for the fare."

Do you know how to find Victor Blake: "Sure, I know where he stays. Not a bad place, but hey, not too many that would mess with him. Hey, you'z two look like you'z is related to him. You his sons?"

If they offer to pay him with money: "Money?! I ain't got no use fah that crap! What am I gonna do? Roll cigars with it? How's this? I'll tell you what I want, and you see if you can pay up.

"One of you'z makes a little cut on your finger, see. I got a razor in the glovebox. You let me have a little snack from that slice and I'll take you where you wanna go." He still has a friendly tone of voice, but the cabbie is licking his lips, and a hungry light illuminates in his eyes. "Don't be a couple of babies! The razor is real sharp. You'z ain't even gonna' feel it. Now, come on. You'z gonna pay for a ride or not."

For cab fare, Carlyle usually accepts 5 endurance points of blood, but he will also take weapons and ammunition, or anything that might make his life in Metropolis easier. Money obviously has no worth. Assuming that one of the characters consents to pay with blood, Carlyle takes out the straight razor. The characters can cut themselves or Carlyle will do it for them, but he will insist that they don't spill a drop, complaining loudly if they do. Once the finger is cut, he will jam it into his mouth and begin sucking hard. With his eyes closed, an orgasmic look will come over his face. He will hold the character's wrist with an iron grip until he has drained 5 endurance points from the character.

After satisfying himself, he will release the character. "Sweet, real sweet. Okay, boys, let's get outta here." He opens the cab door for them, jumps into the driver's seat, and pulls away from the curb. In a few moments, the characters will find themselves in a neighborhood very similar to the one that their father was living in before. The houses are arranged in the same way with the same architecture, but the condition of the neighborhood does not compare. The houses look deserted. Most of the windows have been broken, doors hang by single hinges or are missing altogether. The streets are littered with trash and the corpses of small animals rot in the gutters. The house that Carlyle takes them to is identical in construction to Victor's home in Boston, but neglected and run down. Carlyle will drop them off and promise to come by later to see if they need another ride, licking his lips with a smile.

If on the way to their destination, the players decide to threaten Carlyle, he will make a quick turn into a very dark slum of a neighborhood and stop the car. From the surrounding buildings, a large pack of wolven dogs with glowing red eyes will slink out of the shadows and surround the car. Carlyle will tell them that unless they quit acting like jerks, he won't drive the car. He informs them that these aren't ordinary dogs (that should be obvious) and that they will start breaking the windows, killing all the passengers if they don't start driving again soon. Carlyle will insist on more blood, from one of the other characters, in payment for being threatened, and he won't drive the car any farther until he gets it. Due to Carlyle's abilities as a Nosferatu, he knows that he will probably survive the attack of these dogs, but he will have to steal another cab from the Illusion.

If the car is still parked after five minutes, 1d4 dogs per combat round will begin hurling themselves at the windows of the car; roll 1d6 to randomly determine which windows (1=windshield, 2=right front, 3=right rear, etc, clockwise around the car). Roll 1d20; on a roll of 5 or less, the window will break. On the next round, the dog will then stick his head through the window to attack (fangs 15, -5 to attack through broken window, 1-8 scr; 7-14 lw; 13-19 sw; 20+ fw). Other dogs will continue trying to break other windows. Any dog that is wounded will retreat.

THE WAY HOME - Metropolis

Refer to the map of Victor's home in Boston. Once the characters enter the house, they will have one hour before their father returns. If spent wisely, they can free the bag lady in room E and set an ambush. If they free the bag lady and flee, their Victor will hunt them through the Illusion to destroy them.

Room A - Living Area: Sparsely furnished. Fireplace on the south wall is filled with dark ashes and is stained with dried blood. Two thigh bones are tossed among the blocks of charred wood.

Room B - Dining Area: Empty.

Room C - Kitchen: A nauseating smell fills this room, coming from a pile of decomposing offal in the sink. A swarm of flies buzzes and crawls all over this heap. Bloody organs, intestines and stomach, slices of skin and hair along with scattered bone chips have been tossed in, requiring characters poking around in this area to make a CON roll to keep from being sick. A bloody butcher's saw and a filleting knife are laying on the kitchen counter next to the sink. In the refrigerator is the head of something that looks half canine and half human, laying on one side with an expression of terror. Characters might make terror rolls if they explore this room, but the smell should be enough to discourage them.

Room D - Bathroom: The fixtures have been torn out and nothing but twisted plumbing and cracked plaster remains.

Room E - The Chapel: This room does not truly exist in Metropolis, but is actually located in Inferno. The characters may immediately notice that a room this size would not fit within the floorplan of the apartment.

It is a darkened room of rough mortared stone. The air is cold and damp, and the faint sound of dripping moisture and shallow breathing can be heard echoing off the dark walls. The air has a slight tang of urine to it. Two columns of ponderous stone pillars march away into the darkness, their capitals reaching high above to the sharply peaked ceiling. The other three walls are unmarked except for a single tall window of stained glass. The images are unidentifiable in the dark, but looking at the grotesque patterns and arrangements leaves one with a feeling of sinister discomfort.

In the center of the chapel is a stone cubical altar, about one and a half meters on each side. Scores of candles surround it to illuminate the grisly scene created here. Above the altar, a dozen long chains hang from the ceiling, ending in fist-sized barbed hooks. The bag lady is here, nude, hanging from those chains, her shoulders, arms, and thighs pierced by the hooks, her slack flesh stretched to support her weight. She looks like a perverse parody of a skydiver imperceptibly swaying mere centimeters above the altar. Piled atop the altar is a layer of shattered glass. Her pendulous breast and wrinkled belly and thighs have been deeply lacerated, and the edges of the glass are thickly coated with blood. She is obviously exhausted and in shock from blood loss, but she is still alive.

On the floor, to the left of the altar, carved into the stone floor, is a protective circle for casting Summon Creature of Death (see Kult rulebook).

The characters can remove the bag lady if they wish, but it will require one person to support her weight while the other tears the barbs from her tortured flesh. EGO rolls are seriously in order for these two people at least. The bag lady will be unable to assist in any way. She cannot walk or stand, but is kept alive by Death magic emanating from the cubical altar (see New Magic - Manipulate Death - Bind Life Force). Only decapitation or moving her at least 100 meters away from the altar, will allow her to die. She will begin muttering unintelligible phrases as soon as she senses the characters, although looking into her eyes will reveal that she is not aware of her surroundings or anything that is happening. She will say Cameron's name occasionally amidst her mumbling.

If they remove her and flee, Anna will die of her wounds and shock before they can leave Metropolis. Their father will hunt them down after they have returned to their own Illusion. His visits will be along the same lines as before, but he will seek to destroy the two brothers. It is extremely likely that he will succeed.

The wiser course is to set an ambush and await their father's return. He will arrive about an hour after they do, which should give them time to prepare. While there are certain risks to fighting their father here at the source of his power, they will have a sizeable advantage for the first few rounds of the encounter (see Encountering Victor in Metropolis).

Room F - Bedroom/Study: Furnished with a cot, a battered desk, a straight-backed chair, and boxes of large, leather-bound books. The characters are likely to recognize two or three of the books as those they saw in their father's collection when they were younger. One of the boxes also contains a packet of letters from a man named Francis. The letters discuss events and conditions surrounding a place or person named Cantorre; the references are so guarded and vague that it is hard to tell which. There are also some references to magical experiments. The envelopes all indicate that the letters were sent by Hugo LeCroix and are postmarked from Montreal, Canada. Hugo is actually Victor's point of contact for the international network of Death Magicians based in Djeraba, Tunisia, and all correspondence between Victor and Francis travels through this point.

Underneath the cot, hidden by some loose floor boards, is a small wooden crate. Inside are several black candles, a human skull, a dagger, and a chalice. There is also a roll of thick leathery parchment with numerous strange symbols and handwritten text. These are the pages from the D'ktar Min manuscript. There is also a small piece of folded paper with the word "Tzaphirin" written on it, which is the name of the Nepharite who is bound to Victor. Anyone reading the manuscript and making an EDU roll, will find references to an charm or talisman called "Abramelin's Claw" along with some references about how it will protect the conjurer from "the servants of Hell". Those who make an EDU/2 roll will discover that Abramelin's Claw allows a conjurer to permanently bind any summoned Creature of Death. Anyone wearing the Claw cannot be harmed in any way by the bound creature, and this protection extends to anyone else who is within two meters of the wearer. Those with knowledge of the Lore of Death may roll under their Lore rating instead of EDU/2. For more information on the D'ktar Min and Abramelin's Claw, see New Magic.

ENCOUNTERING VICTOR IN METROPOLIS

The doors of the chapel are thrown open roughly and a hulking figure moves toward the altar. As he comes within the light of the candles, you recognize him. His face is somewhat distorted, most of the flesh on the lower half of his face has turned to bluish scales and the long curved fangs protruding up from his lower jaw have changed his appearance, but the eyes are unmistakable. They possess the same angry fire that they did when Father was ready to punish. Putting his hands on the edge of the altar, you can see the nightmarish claws that have grown from his hands.

"So, my weakling sons have come to save you, eh Anna? Those sniveling little brats! The pain that I will teach them now will surpass anything they have ever suffered."

If the bag lady has been removed from the altar, Victor will immediately realize that his sons have been here. If Victor does not see the characters in the chapel, he will take out his 9 mm and hunt for them in the apartment. He knows that he is more than human and feels certain that he can take care of his two sons himself. If Victor discovers that there are four or more members in the group, or if Victor takes a serious wound or worse, he will retreat to the chapel to call for Tzaphirin while trying to avoid any further damage. The Nepharite will appear 1-5 combat rounds later, and that's when the fireworks will start. Tzaphirin will move everyone to an illusion of pure chaos where reality will warp and crack. Dark shades of kaleidoscopic colors will swirl toward the group from every direction. The floor and walls will disappear. All perspective of up, down, or sideways will vanish. Whips, chains, spinning disks of razor blades, insects, fire, claws reaching out of the swirl of colors, everything that the horror of the mind can imagine will tear the party to shreds. Victor will be present, but will seem unaffected by any of it; he will stand there in the whirling lights and shadows laughing maniacally. Several things could happen at this junction. Here are some possibilities:

If Victor dies in the time between calling Tzaphirin and her actual arrival, Tzaphirin will attempt to grab the body and the talisman and bug out back to Inferno. End of story.

If Victor is alive and the characters are not within the two meter radius of the talisman's effect, the party will suffer horrendously, dying in 2d4 combat rounds. The characters may realize that Victor is protected somehow and attempt crawl to him. If they can get there before they expire, they have a chance. Everyone makes an Ego throw at +5 in any case.

If Victor is alive and the characters are within the two meter radius of the talisman's effect, Tzaphirin will still put on the show as described above, but there will be no physical harm to the characters within the circle. The EGO throw is still required but without the modifier. If the characters can overpower Victor at this point, they will win.

If the characters have possession of Abramelin's Claw, Tzaphirin will still put on the show, but no one within the protective radius will be harmed. EGO throws are made with a -5 modifier. When the players have had enough, the character wearing the Claw can order Tzaphirin to take them back to Victor's apartment.

If Victor is ever outside the protective radius of Abramelin's Claw, Tzaphirin will make sure that Victor suffers indescribable torment, and will be sure to take Victor's remains with her.

Victor Blake has treated his bound tutor very poorly, taking every advantage his powers allow. Consequently, Tzaphirin despises Victor and would be more than happy to see him killed. This is not possible as long as Victor wears the Claw. However, while the Nepharite must execute the characters on Victor's orders, she might let them live a breath or two longer if they seem to be working their way toward Victor.

Victor Blake

AGL 22 EGO 13

STR 27 CHA 15

CON 29 PER 13

COM 6 EDU 15

Height: 188 cm (74 inches)

Weight: 109 kg (240 pounds)

Terror Modification Throw: 0

Movement 15 m/CR

Actions: 4

Initiative bonus: +10

Damage bonus +6

Damage capacity:

7 scratches=1 light wound

6 light wounds=1 serious wound

4 serious wounds=1 fatal wound

Takes 2 fatal wounds before dying

Endurance: 175

Natural armor: none

Skills: 9 mm handgun 15, Axe 14, Whips and chains 20, Unarmed combat 20, Search 15, Torture 15

Lore of Death (55)

Manipulate Death 20, Summon Creature of Death 55, Bind Creature of Death 55

Lore of Madness (20)

Unshroud Illusion 15, Madness Walk 12

Victor Blake is a solo-practitioner with his own brand of black occultism employing the Lore of Death. He is a very dark individual that all sane people will avoid. By his very nature, he gives off an aura that repels others. What he has become is the subject of this scenario. Francis Collins, a correspondent of Victor's, has for the last few years been trying to get Victor to come to Tunisia to join Cantorre, but Victor's disposition makes it difficult for him to work in groups.

Victor is a tall, heavily built man, taller and heavier than he was before his transformation began. His skin has turned a pasty white and is covered with open sores. He has lost all of his hair, both from his head and the rest of his body. The rims of his eyes are very red, and his irises have shrunk quite small, so that his eyes are mostly white with a very small, rodent-like iris.

Tzaphirin

AGL 31 EGO 21

STR 41 CHA 15

CON 41 PER 15

COM 3 EDU 15

Terror Modification Throw: 0 (initially) +5 (if she tears her skin off)

Movement 15m/CR

Actions: 5

Initiative bonus: +19

Damage bonus: +9

Damage capacity:

10 scratches=1 light wound

9 light wounds=1 serious wound

7 serious wounds=1 fatal wound

Takes 2 fatal wounds before dying

Endurance: 235

Natural armor: none

Skills: Dodge 25, Unarmed combat 20, Whips and chains 45

Ability to sense auras and mental balance, ability to affect time and space as someone with -300 mental balance.

Tzaphirin is a female Nepharite (if such beings have gender), who dresses in a short flaring dress with a Victorian bodice and a tall pleated collar that extends halfway to the top of her head. The outfit is made of black skin-tight latex and rubber, with various stainless steel details. If not for the purplish-blue cast to her skin, and the way her face seems to glow with a sickly inner light, she would be considered quite beautiful. Her legs are long and shapely, and she wears black hose and pumps. Six, evenly-spaced, stainless steel skewers pierce her delicate throat, forming a spiked collar around her neck. The above description is not her preferred form and she endures it only because Victor demands that she appear attractive while in his presence. If Tzaphirin is present when Victor dies, she will immediately flay herself, tearing off clothing as well as skin, to appear in her more natural state. Another EGO throw may be required.

EPILOGUE

With the death of Victor Blake, a measure of his influence will be removed from Anna. Her eyes will clear and she will become lucid. She will still be incredibly weak and in an enormous amount of pain, but the cubical altar will continue to keep her alive, although its power has been weakened. She will speak to Cameron as soon as she sees him. Her speech will be slow, broken, and painful.

If asked, she will tell the boys what she knows, which isn't much. She can tell how she was murdered, how her spirit haunted Victor Blake's dreams for years, that he recently gained the power to trap her spirit in flesh, and how he pursued, captured, and tortured her. She will then beg Cameron to kill her, releasing her from the body of the bag lady, so that she can find whatever peace may await her. If there is any ammunition left in the guns, a well-placed bullet will end her suffering. Alternatively, taking her out of the house, away from the altar, will release her.

When the boys are ready, Carlyle, the cabbie will pull up in front of their father's house and carry them out of Metropolis. Mysteriously, he will drive them to Cameron's apartment, although the characters will not be able to tell when they left Metropolis and entered Boston.

If the characters have Abramelin's Claw and the pages from the D'ktar Min manuscript, they can still exert an influence upon Tzaphirin (they are not likely to know this). While she will not be pleased by this, and will resist at every opportunity, this would be a big advantage in the later scenarios.

Character Profiles:

The following two characters are described in detail, as samples of the two brothers. The GM can use these characters, or any others they might find appropiate. The GM is also free to add characters for the other players. These could be co-workers or close friends of Jason (Cameron is not likely to have any friends at first), or anyone else that is likely to have more than a passing acquaintance with the two boys.

Cameron Blake

AGL 17 EGO 14

STR 13 CHA 5

CON 14 PER 16

COM 11 EDU 10

Height: 180 cm (71 inches)

Weight: 70 kg (155 pounds)

Movement: 8 m/CR

Actions: 3

Initiative bonus: +5

Damage bonus: +3

Damage capacity: 4 scratches = 1 light wound

3 light wounds = 1 serious wound

3 serious wounds = 1 fatal wound

Endurance: 100

Mental Balance: -20

Dark Secrets: None

Advantages: Intuition

Disadvantages: Depression, Forgotten, Mental Constriction (about his mother's death)

Skills: Automatic weapons 10, Rifle 15, Handgun 17, Sneak 14, Dodge 12, Throw 12, Impact weapons 10, Unarmed combat 13, Swim 5, Hide 10, Search 14, Read/Write 10, Change targets 5, Double shot 7, First aid 9

Home: Boston, Massachusetts

Born: October 13, 1971, in Kenduskeag, Maine

Although you were born in Maine, in a small town northwest of Bangor, you don't remember much about that place; your parents, Victor and Carol Blake, moved to Boston shortly after you were born. At age 10, your mother died in an accident at home; you don't remember the details.

Your father was an oppressive man who practiced some sort of devil worship or witchcraft. He sometimes convinced you to bring home stray animals, dogs and cats mostly, but hey would disappear after a couple of weeks. When you found the body of a disemboweled tomcat buried behind the back hedge, you stopped bringing the animals home. Your father rarely struck you, but he sometimes subjected you to harsh punishments, such as locking you in the closet or holding your head in the toilet. When he was in one of his rare beneficent moods, he claimed that you would one day become a very powerful priest.

At age 18, you got a job at Biscotti Importers as a security guard, and then packed up your younger brother and moved to the other side of town. Your father never came looking for either one of you. A short time later, you took some firearm classes which allow you to carry a handgun at work (and got you a raise). These classes sparked an interest for you in handguns, and you have since joined a shootist club at an indoor firing range. Your aim is very good.

You grew to be tall and thin, with your father's tendency to scowl. Most people, except your brother, avoid you, and although you don't feel that you chose your situation, everyone who knows you calls you a loner. You've had a few girlfriends, nothing permanent. Usually the relationship ends when she's had enough of your dark moods.

Jason Blake

AGL 12 EGO 13

STR 17 CHA 9

CON 15 PER 12

COM 12 EDU 10

Height: 175 cm (69 inches)

Weight: 82 kg (180 pounds)

Movement: 6 m/CR

Actions: 2

Initiative bonus: 0

Damage bonus: +3

Damage capacity: 4 scratches = 1 light wound

3 light wounds = 1 serious wound

3 serious wounds = 1 fatal wound

Endurance: 105

Mental Balance: 0

Dark Secrets: None

Advantages: Body Awareness

Disadvantages: Manic-Depressive

Skills: Climb 8, Rifle 7, Handgun 10, Sneak 10, Dodge 10, Throw 10, Impact weapons 6, Unarmed combat 12, Swim 7, Search 5, Read/Write 10, Karate: Strike 14, Kick 14, Block 9, Dodge 9, Budo Maneuvers: Knock out 8, Disarm 10, Meditation 10, Weight lifting 12

Home: Boston, Massachusetts

Born: August 5, 1973, in Boston, Massachusetts.

You are the second son of Victor and Carol Blake, born after your family moved to Boston from a little town in Maine. At age 8, your mother died in an accident at home. Because you were so young, everyone tried to screen you from your mother's death, but you know that your brother was the one who found her body in the basement; that's probably why he has such a dark personality.

Your father was an oppressive man who practiced some sort of devil worship or witchcraft. He rarely struck you, but he sometimes subjected you to bizarre punishments, such as locking you in the closet or cutting you with a razor. You never had pets as a child, even though your brother often brought stray animals home. Your brother tells you that your father was butchering the animals for his own sick religious rites.

You did not grow as tall as your brother, but your build is more solid and muscular. At around age 14, you discovered that you were stronger than him, but because he always took care of you, you didn't use it against him. Your personality varies. Sometimes you're really up and happy, then something seemingly minor will happen and you become very depressed. If it's bad, the depression can last for a couple of months, but you eventually swing back to normal, and then people enjoy being around you.

At age 16, your older brother packed up and moved the two of you to the other side of town. Your father never came looking for either one of you. A short time later, your brother got a job at Biscotti Importers as a security guard. With some of the money, he let you take karate classes at the "Y." You had an aptitude for it because of your strength.

When you turned 18, your brother helped you get a job at Biscotti Importers moving boxes. Your generally earnest and friendly attitude convinced the boss to teach you to drive a forklift, which is what you do now.

Currently, you live with your girlfriend, Melanie. The two of you have been living together for about four months, and things are going pretty well. She seems to understand when you're in a bad mood. She has a car, too, which is something you've never been able to afford.

New Magic

Manipulate Death (Lore of Death), Bind Life Force - This ritual is actually part of the Manipulate Death spell and allows a magician to bind the lifeforce of a being to a physical body after a successful Animate Dead or Control Reincarnation has been cast. The bound lifeforce cannot leave the body without destruction of the body or complete decapitation. If Bind Life Force is used after Control Reincarnation, the trapped lifeforce will cause the body to heal, even damage that would normally be irreparable. A more advanced version of this spell is used widely by the Nepharites to keep the subjects of Purgatories alive indefinitely while being tortured. For this lesser version, the magic of this spell requires a physical object which must be kept near the body where the lifeforce is to be bound. It could be a piece of jewelry, a stone, a room, a piece of furniture, or any item made of wood or mineral substance. Once Animate Dead or Control Reincarnation has been successfully cast, the magician must make another effect roll, which must be higher than the victim's EGO throw. The binding can be broken by decapitation of the body, destruction of the physical object used in the binding, or moving the victim at least 100 meters from the physical object used in the binding. Killing the magician who cast the binding will weaken the effect of the spell considerably.

Abramelin's Claw - This talisman looks like a child's hand that has been severed at the wrist and dried. It appears very old and the skin is yellowish-gray and brittle, and the nails are long and cracked. The Claw is attached to a leather thong which has been wrapped around the wrist several times. When used according to the instructions from the D'ktar Min manuscript, this charm allows a Death conjurer to bind a Creature of Death for an indefinite period of time, only expiring if the conjurer is killed or forced out of his body (at which time, the body and the charm are usually spirited away by the creature - vengeance is Hell, yes?). While bound, the creature cannot harm, directly or indirectly, the conjurer in any way. This protection also extends to anyone within a two meter radius of the wearer. The creature is bound to whoever wears the charm, so if someone other than the conjurer has the Claw, they become the new master; knowledge of the Lore of Death is not required once the initial binding has been cast. The other effects and restrictions of the Claw are identical to the spell Bind Creature of Death (see the Kult rulebook). Anyone wearing the Claw within a temple dedicated to Death Magic can call the bound creature with a 100% chance of success. Outside a dedicated temple, the chance to call the bound creature is a percentage equal to the ability of the Death conjurer to cast Summon Creature of Death (eg - Victor has a 55% chance to call Tzaphirin outside of the chapel).

The D'ktar Min manuscript - As it appears in this scenario, this manuscript is an English translation of the Latin text (obviously translated from something much earlier) which covers many procedures in the Lore of Death. The pages which can be found in Victor's home in Metropolis are only those pages concerning the summoning and binding of Nepharites, and the use of Abramelin's Claw. Any Death magician who thoroughly studies these pages will gain 10 points to their Lore rating, and 10 points to their ability to summon and bind creatures of Death. Mental balance will also drop by 10 points or to -1, whichever is greater.

Notes on Female Players

In play testing this scenario, some of the women who tested it wanted to run female characters. At first, I had trouble with the idea because I believe that the character motivations and reactions required by the storyline are distinctly male--that is, male players were more likely to react in a way that will keep the scenario running along design lines. I realized however, after much thought, of a simple change to the scenario that changes the character motivations and reactions to a feminine perspective. If you wish to run this scenario with two women, or with Cameron's character as a woman, change the bag lady to a homeless child of about 12 years of age, with a tall, willowy build. In all of the encounters, this child should interact with the female Cameron as if the girl has found her long lost mother. From there, the other required gender-related changes should be obvious to the GM. One warning, replacing the bag lady with a little girl in the ending chapel scene is nothing less than horrific and may be so disturbing for your female players that they will go right over the edge. If they never forgive you, don't say that you weren't warned.