TEXT: For All Things Savage
  Tales of the Weird
  Issue #9
  July 2013
  Derek Tyler (order #9232471)
  
  Derek Tyler (order #9232471)
  
  1
  FEATURES
  6 
  Great Stories: The Enemy in the Shadows - As World War II wages
  across Europe and into Russia, mysterious forces are killing soldiers on
  both sides of the line. Will you mourn for Mother Russia?
  16 
  Equipment Corral: The Mask Peddler - Fantasy horror has all types of
  creepiness, including the equipment one turns to. The Mask Peddler has
  an interesting collection of masks that can help, or possibly hinder, you on
  your adventures.
  20 
  Great Adventures: The Asylum - This issue’s flagship article features an
  abandoned asylum given over to a doctor from its past and his horrible
  experiments. Watch out, danger lurks everywhere!
  38 
  Divine Intervention: The Thule Society - The Nazi Party frequently
  delved into occult investigation, and one group, the Thule Society, was no
  stranger to the world of secret societies.
  42 
  Expanded Mechanics: Combat Deadliness - Is your combat not deadlly
  enough? In the horror and fantasy horror genres, sometimes you want to
  really threaten the PCs with the risks involved in fighting the unknown.
  44 
  Great Stories: The Ministry of Decisions - It might given you a good
  answer, but you might not like how they get that answer. Just remember,
  the answer is control!
  48 
  Great Adventures: Dust to Dust - For the residents of a remote, rural
  county, it might as well be the start of Armageddon. Cut off from the rest
  of the world and dealing with untold numbers of neighbors having turned
  murderous before they drop dead, the survivors must figure out what is
  going on before they themselves are among the deceased.
  54 
  Mechanics Wise: Semi-Divine - Curtis Lyon takes us through the ins and
  outs of playing a Demigod in the Suzerain universe.
  58 
  Product Preview: Accursed - In development from Melior Via, here’s a
  look at a new dark fatnasy setting from the minds that brought us the
  Warhammer 40k RPG line.
  COPYRIGHT
  This magazine references the Savage Worlds game system, available from Pinnacle
  Entertainment Group at www.peginc.com. Savage Worlds and all associated logos
  and trademarks are copyrights of Pinnacle Entertainment Group. Used with
  permission. Pinnacle makes no representation or warranty as to the quality,
  viability, or suitability for purpose of this product. Judgment Day is © Mystical
  Throne Entertainment. Savage Insider is published quarterly by Mystical Throne
  Entertainment.
  © 2013 Mystical Throne Entertainment. All rights reserved.
  MTESI009 Savage Insider Issue #9
  1st Edition July 2013
  Permission is granted to print this ebook. No site license is provided.
  REGULARS
  2 
  From the Designer
  3 
  In the News
  60 
  Book Reviews
  64 
  Calendar of Events
  CONTENTS
  20
  42
  Derek Tyler (order #9232471)
  
  2 | For All Things Savage
  Tales of the Weird
  FROMTHEDESIGNER
  Savage Insider
  JULY 2013
  ISSUE #9: Tales of the Weird
  DESIGNER
  Aaron T. Huss
  EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
  Aaron T. Huss
  ASSISTANT EDITOR
  Vickey A. Beaver
  MARKETING ASSISTANT
  Vickey A. Beaver
  CONTRIBUTING AUTHORS
  Vickey A. Beaver, Brett Boyko, Steve
  Dean, John Dunn, Aaron T. Huss, Curtis
  Lyon, Mariah Malczewska, Jason
  Marker, A.J. Preece, Ross Watson,
  Charles White, Bayden Woodland
  COVER ARTIST
  Unholy Vault
  Designs/Shutterstock.com
  INTERIOR ARTISTS
  Aaron Acevedo, Kevin Childress, Simon
  Powell, V Shane
  CARTOGRAPHY
  Simon Powell
  SUBMISSIONS
  Send submissions to:
  aaron@mysticalthrone-ent.com
  ADVERTISING
  Send advertising inquiries to:
  aaron@mysticalthrone-ent.com
  ONLINE
  savageinsideronline.com
  mysticalthrone-ent.com
  covering the Victorian Era through
  World War II.
   Being a genre I’m very interested in, I
  grabbed hold of the flagship article, an
  adventure called The Asylum. I wanted
  to present Victorian fantasy horror
  within a location that embraces horror:
  an abandoned asylum! After writing the
  adventure, I called upon my friend
  Simon Powell for a map commission.
  Fortunately for me, he already had a
  Victorian mansion map (that became
  the asylum) and was looking to finish it.
  Now he had the chance!
   To go along with this adventure, we
  turned to our licensees and freelancers
  to fill that historical fantasy horror
  content and got back some great
  fiction, an awesome collection of
  creepy masks, a very interesting delve
  into the Thule Society, and more! I’m
  very pleased with the results of this
  magazine and can’t wait to launch the
  new format in Issue #10: Make it Epic.
  This upcoming issue, due out in April
  2014, focuses on fantasy in numerous
  aspects. The articles have already been
  comissioned, and it’s going to be
  fantastic!
  Welcome to the last
  issue of the old
  publication model for Savage Insider.
  Tales of the Weird marks a turning
  point in the magazine where we move
  from the free plus premium model to a
  standard magazine. As was previewed
  in Savage Insider Deluxe #1: Modularity,
  this issue features our new layout and
  formating methodologies and is
  designed to be a lot more professional
  and presentable from a magazine
  standpoint. We wanted to move away
  from looking like just another collection
  of content to a full-fledged magazine
  that Savage Worlds fans turn to on a
  regular basis.
   When we asked our fanbase what they
  wanted in the next issue (for this issue),
  they said pulp horror. When I turned to
  the licensee community, few of them
  really new how to recreate pulp horror.
  Being a fan of historical fantasy horror,
  and fantasy horror in general, I decided
  we would focus on the pulp era and
  turn it into weird (fantasy horror). Thus
  Tales of the Weird presents fantasy
  horror during the pulp era and more
  CONTRIBUTORS
  By Aaron T. Huss
  Fantasy horror from the Victorian Age through World WarII
  BRETT BOYKO
  Brett Boyko, and Mariah Malczewska,
  are the designers behind Dark Smile
  Games. They are currently developing
  the Fae Nightmares urban fantasy
  setting for Savage Worlds.
  CURTIS LYON
  Besides his duties with Mystical
  Throne Entertainment, Curtis Lyon is  a
  line developer for Savage Mojo along
  with being one of the three sages from
  Three Sages Games.
  CHARLES WHITE
  Charles White is one of the minds
  behind Fabled Environments. He has a
  degree in religious history and is
  essentially the owner of the Divine
  Intervention article series.
  Derek Tyler (order #9232471)
  
  3
  ACCESSORIES
  METACREATOR SAVAGE
  WORLDS
  AlterEgo Software, creator of
  the 
  Metacreator 
  RPG
  Character 
  Management
  software, has added new
  hooks to handle the options
  available 
  in 
  the 
  Savage
  Worlds Horror Companion.
  This is in addition to the
  updates 
  they 
  made 
  for
  Savage Worlds Deluxe and
  the 
  new 
  edition 
  of
  50
  Fathoms.
  ADAMANT
  ENTERTAINMENT
  THRILLING TALES
  Adamant Entertainment has
  released 
  two 
  new
  publications 
  for 
  Thrilling
  Tales, their pulp setting. The
  first, The Red Menace, is a
  Pulp 
  Villain 
  supplement
  detailing the Soviet Union up
  to the 1930s and providing a
  number of NPC archetypes.
  The second,
  They Kill by
  Proxy, is an extended three-
  part adventure for 4 – 6
  Seasoned characters, with
  scaling for higher ranks.
  ATOMIC OVERMIND
  PRESS
  THE DAY AFTER RAGNAROK
  ONE-SHEETS
  Following 
  a 
  slightly
  unconventional model for
  one-sheet 
  adventures,
  Atomic 
  Overmind 
  Press
  posted a call-out for those
  wishing to write adventures
  for The Day AfterRagnarok.
  Thus, instead of the free
  download one-sheets, they
  are releasing low-cost one-
  sheet 
  adventures 
  from
  freelancers abroad. Two new
  adventures 
  have 
  been
  released 
  in 
  this 
  style:
  Hollerin’ Pines and Wheels-up
  Landing.
  EVIL BEAGLE GAMES
  SHAINTAR: LEGENDS ARISE
  After years of waiting and
  several 
  months 
  of 
  Beta
  testing, the Shaintar: Legends
  Arise 
  core 
  setting 
  and
  player’s guides are now
  available from Evil Beagle
  Games. These new books
  present this epic fantasy
  world 
  for 
  characters 
  of
  Novice through Veteran rank.
  FUN SIZED GAMES
  STREETS OF BEDLAM: FIVE
  STORY DROP
  Fun Sized Games has released
  a collection of five new
  scenarios 
  for 
  Streets 
  of
  Bedlam.
  Five Story Drop
  brings the neo-noir world of
  Streets of Bedlam to life.
  GRAMEL
  SWORDS, SORCERY, AND SCI-
  FI
  GRAmel has been busy these
  past few months with new
  content for both Beasts &
  Barbarians 
  and 
  Nemezis.
  Starting 
  with 
  their 
  sci-fi
  action and adventure setting
  Nemezis, GRAmel is growing
  this universe through two
  new sourcebooks with Ash:
  Dying Planet and Bariz: The
  Light that Blinds.
  MEGA HELLFROST ADVENTURE TOME
  Most people know that Triple
  Ace Games has a pretty solid
  publication models whereas
  their major releases consist
  of printed formats, typically
  hardcover, to support the
  core of their settings with a
  couple series of supplements
  and adventures (sometimes
  campaigns) in PDF format
  with 
  print 
  compendiums
  after a certain amount of
  time.
  In an interesting twist of
  Hellfrost 
  epic 
  fantasy
  goodness, Triple Ace Games
  has pulled together their
  Hellfrost PDF adventures and
  compiled them into a single,
  limited edition hardcover (it’s
  really more of a massive
  tome at 580 pages). Titled
  Adventure Compendium, this
  new hardcover was available
  for pre-order through the
  Triple Ace Games webstore,
  and most likely will not be
  available outside of this pre-
  order (maybe the occasional
  convention?). 
  For 
  those
  interested in campaigns, the
  Saga of the Frost Giants mini-
  campaign is included.
  As Triple Ace Games winds
  down on the first continent of
  Hellfrost and gears up for the
  second, 
  a 
  couple 
  more
  supplements have straggled
  in including a new Creature
  Guide, covering Frost Giants,
  and 
  a 
  new 
  Player
  Supplement, presenting an
  Organization Guide filled with
  organizations for the PCs to
  join.
  Addition
  ally,
  Triple
  Ace
  Games
  continu
  es their
  support
  of 
  the
  Showdown Savage Worlds
  war game with their fifth
  Faction Pack for
  G-Men&
  Gangsters, 
  detailing 
  the
  Chickago Bunnies.
  INTHENEWS
  Derek Tyler (order #9232471)
  
  4 | For All Things Savage
  INTHENEWS
  HISTORY WITH A TWIST
  released. Further content for
  Faith & Demons: The Rising
  will be moved until after the
  re-launch. To support the
  release of the
  Shadowed
  Earth core setting guide, a
  new website has been put
  together, as a place to find
  great new Shadowed Earth
  along 
  with 
  all 
  free
  downloads. Visit:
  mysticalthrone-
  ent.com/shadowedearth
  Finally, our latest Ultimate
  Guide 
  supplement 
  is
  available with a delve into
  ancient China in the Ultimate
  Three 
  Kingdoms 
  Guide.
  Written 
  by 
  historian
  Christopher J.N. Banks, this
  new Ultimate Guide is akin to
  the Ultimate Roman Legions
  Guide with a look at military
  history during the Three
  Kingdoms era.
  EXPANDING THE SUZERAIN UNIVERSE
  Possibly not as widely known,
  but no less important, are the
  releases of two other new
  settings based in Suzerain:
  Set Rising and
  Clockwork
  Dreams. Tempted to find out
  more? Both of these settings
  have free Primers available
  from 
  the 
  Savage 
  Mojo
  webstore and DriveThruRPG
  / RPGNow.
  Clockwork Dreams appears to
  be a fantasy steampunk
  setting with clockwork and
  alchemy elements. Set Rising
  is a bit more difficult to
  describe, but the best I can
  see is that it’s sci-fi fantasy
  with a mixture of Egyptian
  mythology. Download the
  Primer releases for more
  information, and watch for
  additional releases from
  Savage Mojo covering both
  of these settings, and the
  upcoming
  Dungeonlands
  core setting guide.
  content for players and GMs,
  serving 
  as 
  an 
  excellent
  companion. Additionally, the
  first two
  Shadow Journal
  PDFs have been released,
  with an extraction of The
  Burning Crow and Of Orchids
  and Oaths, both for Judgment
  Day and any other modern
  Shadowed Earth setting. The
  former offers a beast cult
  while 
  the 
  latter 
  is 
  an
  adventure set in the 1930s.
  As 
  Mystical 
  Throne
  Entertainment prepares to
  launch Shadowed Earth and
  re-launch Faith & Demons:
  The Rising and Judgment Day,
  the 
  last
  Nation 
  Guide,
  detailing Croatia, has been
  The collaborative minds at
  Savage Mojo have been busy
  lately with their continuing
  expansion of the Suzerain
  Universe. For starters, the
  Kickstarter-backed
  Dungeonlands 
  setting, 
  an
  epic fantasy setting, has been
  seeing multiple releases. As
  of late, the big release is the
  Tomb of the Lich Queen
  campaign, part 1, and its
  associated accessories. These
  accessories include map tiles,
  encounter 
  cards, 
  and
  gamemaster cards.
  We 
  at 
  Mystical 
  Throne
  Entertainment have been
  very busy these past three
  months. 
  After 
  releasing
  several 
  Savage 
  Insider
  Premium extractions, such as
  the
  Hastilion 
  Expanse
  Compendiums, 
  we 
  have
  decided to pull together all
  non-extracted content into a
  single, deluxe issue along
  with releasing some of the
  last pieces for extraction.
  With that in mind, Mystical
  Throne Entertainment has
  three 
  new 
  publications
  including the 100+ page
  Savage Insider Deluxe Issue
  #1: Modularity, packed with
  all types of Savage Worlds
  Derek Tyler (order #9232471)
  
  5
  By Aaron T. Huss
  GRAmel has also launched a
  new adventure series for
  Beasts & Barbarians called
  Heroic Tales. The first Heroic
  Tale, The Crying Mother, is
  placed within Jalizar and is
  supported 
  by 
  a 
  free
  download: Archetypes of the
  Dominions and Jalizar.
  GUN METAL GAMES
  INTERFACE ZERO 2.0 BETA
  HACKING
  After a successful Kickstarter
  campaign, Gun Metal Games
  has been busy hacking [pun
  intended] away at getting
  Interface 
  Zero 
  2.0 
  put
  together. Besides the various
  releases, 
  they 
  have 
  put
  together 
  a 
  Beta 
  testing
  version of the new Hacking
  rules 
  for 
  everyone 
  to
  download.
  JADE TOWER STUDIO
  GROG SAY “BUY THIS”
  In an interesting twist of the
  Savage Worlds license, Jade
  Tower Studio has launched a
  prehistoric fantasy setting
  called
  Sticks 
  & 
  Stones,
  including a core setting guide
  and 
  figure 
  flats. 
  This
  prehistoric setting takes a
  lighter look at the world of
  gaming and adds a little fun
  into your Savage Worlds
  games.
  KICKSTARTER
  CHARACTER SHEET PAD
  Something commonly found
  in RPG games for the past 30
  years, and missing in Savage
  Worlds, is a pad of character
  sheets. 
  Gold 
  Piece
  Publications, 
  a 
  frequent
  visitor in the OSR realm, ran a
  successful 
  Kickstarter
  campaign for a pad of 25
  character sheets. Hopefully
  we’ll see these in general
  release.
  MODIPHIUS
  ENTERTAINMENT
  THE TRELLBORG
  MONSTROSITIES
  Modiphius 
  Entertainment
  continues to delve further
  into their Acthung! Cthulhu
  setting, for use with Realms
  of Cthulhu, by breaking away
  from the regular campaign
  series 
  and 
  releasing 
  a
  standalone 
  adventure
  module.The 
  Trellborg
  Monstrosities 
  is 
  a 
  new
  adventure based on the novel
  of the same name, written by
  John Houlihan.
  PINNACLE
  ENTERTAINMENT GROUP
  GRIM PRAIRIE TRAILS
  Pinnacle 
  Entertainment
  Group is breathing extra life
  into 
  your 
  Deadlands
  adventures and campaigns
  with 
  its 
  new 
  adversary
  supplement,
  Grim 
  Prairie
  Trails. This new supplement
  contains a host of new
  adversaries along with a
  Savage Tale for each of those
  adversaries.
  PLAIN BROWN WRAPPER
  GAMES
  THE STING OF DEATH
  Plain Brown Wrapper Games
  has released a Savage Worlds
  edition of their The Sting of
  Death 
  superhero 
  mini-
  campaign. This 7-part epic
  adventure is setting agnostic.
  REALITY BLURS
  RAVAGED EARTH, 2ND
  EDITION
  The long-awaited
  Ravaged
  Earth core setting guide 2nd
  edition, from Reality Blurs, is
  now available. This expanded
  and 
  revised 
  version 
  of
  Ravaged Earth includes a 12-
  part plot point campaign,
  expanded Edges, and more!
  STORYWEAVER
  HISTORICAL HORROR AND
  HIGH-SPACE
  StoryWeaver continues its
  standard releases with two
  new one this past three
  months. The first is the
  continuation 
  of 
  their
  historical horror adventures,
  set during the Vietnam War,
  with 
  the
  Blood 
  of 
  the
  Innocent follow-on module,
  InfestAsia. This new module
  is playable as a standalone or
  as a continuation of the
  previous module.
  Additionally, 
  StoryWeaver
  continues their support of
  their High-Space sci-fi setting
  with 
  a 
  new 
  adventure
  module called Euphoria. This
  module 
  is 
  a 
  type 
  of
  introductory 
  adventure,
  called Game-in-a-Can, which
  aids 
  in 
  establishing 
  The
  Lantern setting of High-Space.
  SUPER GENIUS GAMES
  NEW STRIKE FORCE 7 GEAR
  In a similar fashion to its
  many Pathfinder releases,
  Super Genius Games has
  launched a series of mini-
  supplements supporting their
  Strike Force 7 setting for
  Savage Worlds. This new
  series, called Airdop, kicks off
  with 5 Pieces of Retaliatory
  Gear, 
  offering 
  new
  equipment 
  for 
  team
  members.
  Derek Tyler (order #9232471)
  
  6 | For All Things Savage
  GREAT STORIES
  GREAT STORIES
  The Enemy in the Shadows
  Herr Schroeder looked impassively at
  the scenes of horror that surrounded
  him. The torn and bloody, and in some
  cases partially pulped, remains of bodies
  lay strewn across the floor of what had
  once been a factory workshop.
   The now silent machines were bathed
  in gloomy half light that struggled to
  make its way through the boarded up
  windows. He sighed as he knelt over the
  remains of what had once been a
  German stormtrooper. The face was a
  mask of crimson and the body from the
  shoulders down had been sliced open;
  the ribs and organs were exposed.
   He clamped his mouth shut and
  fought back the bile rising in his throat.
  He was a war veteran, and he had seen
  men who had suffered terrible injuries
  from being riddled with bullets or ripped
  apart by shrapnel, but there was
  something decidedly unnatural about
  what had happened to these brave men
  of the Fatherland.
   He turned on his heel and headed to
  the relative calm of the outside world.
  Two men fell in beside him as he
  ascended the stairs and walked out into
  the war torn street. Snow crunched
  under his boots as he took a deep
  lungful of the cold, crisp winter air. His
  stomach lurched right then.
   Schroeder managed to find the ruins
  of a wall to vomit behind, retaining
  some 
  dignity. 
  Once 
  the 
  heaving
  convulsions had ceased, he produced a
  hip flask and took a cleansing swig of
  Schnapps. It was as he walked out from
  behind the wall that something struck
  him: of the twelve or so bodies in the
  factory, some of them had been Russian.
  By A.J. Preece
   Whatever struck down the men from
  the platoon also took out the Soviets
  that had been fighting to stop the area
  from falling into the hands of the Reich.
  Something was killing indiscriminately
  and that worried him to the core of his
  being.
  ---
  The staff car wound its way through the
  streets of Stalingrad. The men sat in the
  back and watched the war torn
  landscape scrolling past, each lost in his
  own thoughts.  Herr Schroeder sat
  looking wan, his hands resting on the
  right knee of his crossed legs.
   He regarded the men seated either
  side of him through the corners of his
  eyes. To his left sat Dr. Max Hellinger, a
  thin vulture of a man with cheekbones
  that looked sharp enough to slice paper,
  and a prominent hooked nose. When he
  smiled, he displayed yellowed teeth that
  reminded 
  Schroeder 
  of 
  crooked
  tombstones in an ill kept graveyard.
   To 
  his 
  right 
  sat 
  Commandant
  Kerchner. Short with closely cropped
  dark hair, his face was marred by a
  jagged scar that resembled an SS
  lightning bolt in reverse; one eye was a
  milky grey, the other a piercing icy blue.
  Like the Fuhrer, he was of Austrian
  descent, but lacked his electrifying
  charisma.If 
  he 
  was 
  honest, 
  that
  charisma was beginning to wear thin;
  the impassioned words carrying slightly
  less conviction with every month this
  war dragged on by.
   A smart man like Schroeder had
  recognized a basic fact, brutal in its
  simplicity: they could not win the battle
  for Stalingrad. Germany was taking
  heavy 
  casualties 
  in 
  Moscow 
  and
  Leningrad andonly in Saint Petersburg
  had the Reich made any advances, but
  that was a tortuously slow process. With
  this revelation came another stark dose
  of reality: they could not win this war.
   The scales had shifted against them
  some time ago. Rumor had it a secret
  communication had been sent to Berlin
  some six months ago, offering Hitler the
  chance to surrender. The offer had been
  met with scorn. Schroeder now began to
  wish Hitler had acquiesced.
   Schroeder longed to be back in the
  family home that nestled in the hills
  overlooking the River Rhine. He missed
  his charming wife and bright young son,
  Eric, and his daughter, Elsa. He fought
  back the temptation to reach for his
  wallet and study their photographs.
   Kerchner would not hide his contempt
  at what he would see as a sign of
  weakness toward Shcroeder, and he did
  not know or care what Dr.Hellinger
  would make of it. Instead,Schroeder
  closed his eyes and imagined holding his
  wife close and ruffling his children’s hair.
  For a brief moment, he thought he could
  actually hear them laughing before a
  sharply spoken word snapped him back
  to reality.
   Hellinger was looking at him, with a
  frown, “Are you alright?”
   Schroeder smiled thinly, “I’m tired
  and have a slight headache. I’ll be fine”
   “I can give you something for the
  headache, if you wish?”
   “Thank you, Herr Doctor, but no, I’ll
  be alright”
   Hellinger nodded slowly. Schroeder
  ignored the slight grunt that came from
  Kerchner. ‘Go to hell,’ he thought, but
  Derek Tyler (order #9232471)
  
  7
  GREAT STORIES
  then almost smiled as he provided his
  own counterpoint, ‘no need, we are
  already there.’
  ---
  The car swept into a courtyard of what
  had once been some sort of municipal
  building;it was now the headquarters
  for his superiors. These men had been
  sent 
  to 
  supervise 
  the 
  taking 
  of
  Stalingrad. Perhaps they had been sent
  here as some sort of punishment,
  Schroeder mused silently to himself.
   He had encountered a squad of
  soldiers comprised of convicts sent here
  from the prisoner of war camps. One of
  them had been Polish, and there had
  even been a black man in the troop.
  Incredible, he thought; that was how
  bad things truly were, how desperate
  things were getting as a whole.
   Hell’s bells! He tried to stop himself,
  but a short bark of laughter escaped his
  lips. One of those soldiers had been
  spared from the firing squad.
   This time both the doctor and
  Kerchner scowled at him openly.
  Schroeder said nothing. He merely fixed
  his gaze straight ahead and ascended
  the stairs leading to the brass handled,
  dark wooden doors. One of the two
  guards flanking the doors snapped off a
  salute and pushed one of the doors
  open. 
  Schroeder 
  nodded 
  in
  acknowledgment and picked up his pace
  as he approached the office at the end
  of the marbled corridor.
   His boots clicked hollowly as he
  walked down the black and white
  checkered 
  floor. 
  He 
  ignored 
  the
  portraits that stared down at him
  impassively 
  from 
  the 
  walls 
  and
  disregarded the statues that were set on
  pedestals in recessed alcoves.
   He glanced up at the chandeliers
  hanging from the ceiling, casting
  miniature rainbows on the walls of the
  corridor. Through a window, he noticed
  snow falling again in a light flurry.
  Judging by the way the wind was
  keening, it would, once again, practically
  become a blizzard by late afternoon or
  early evening. He felt sorry for all the
  men 
  still 
  out 
  on 
  the 
  streets
  fighting,quickly 
  realizing, 
  with
  something tantamount to shock, he also
  felt the same for the Soviets defending
  their city.
   Schroeder entered the office and
  snapped a sharp salute, bringing his
  heels together with a crisp click. The
  man behind the table grunted and
  waved a hand at him to sit down.
   Schroeder watched as the man
  rubbed his unshaven jowls with the
  palms of his hands, bunched his fists,
  and knuckled his pale, rheumy gray
  eyes. He shifted his bulk in the seat and
  perched a pair of spectacles on the
  bridge of a bulbous nose, which looked
  as if it had been broken at least twice
  and had not been set correctly either
  time.
   Some scrap of memory reminded
  Schroeder that before the wall, Klaus
  Heidenreich had been a talented
  heavyweight boxer. Now it looked as if
  he would not be able to physically get
  through the first round of a fight with a
  school boy. Still, appearances could be
  deceptive and so often were.
   “Report” Heidenreich commanded.
   Schroeder sighed, “It’s the same as
  the last two times. Both Soviet and
  German soldiers torn to pieces by an
  unknown third party. There is no way
  that it can be the work of a single man;
  it must be a group of men. “Maybe it’s a
  bunch of escaped psychopaths from an
  asylum, or a group of real desperate
  convicts. I really have no idea.”
   “It’s about time you did!” snapped
  Heidenreich, 
  accentuating 
  his
  statement with a hard slam of his fist
  upon the table.
   Heidenreich 
  sat 
  back 
  looking
  perplexed. “Two times? This is the
  third? Why wasn’t I informed of this
  when they sent me to this frozen
  hellhole? Tell me about the first two
  incidents!”
   Schroeder 
  frowned. 
  This 
  was
  something he did not relish doing. The
  first time this came to light was after a
  survivor of an assault on a Russian
  rocket 
  emplacement 
  had 
  willingly
  surrendered to German soldiers.He told
  some barely coherent story of how they
  had come under attack from something
  that came out of nowhere, howled like a
  banshee, and ripped apart anything or
  anyone that got in its way. He could not
  describe the thing exactly; he only said it
  was as black as pitch, with eyes that
  shone like rubies, even in the darkness
  of the night.
   They held him in the cells for several
  nights, and that had been a mistake.The
  prisoner spent the entire night shivering
  and crying, or howling, like a beaten
  hound. He soiled the sheets and gouged
  his flesh with his nails. This went on for
  three nights until, on the morning of the
  fourth day as they tried to beat more
  information out of him, he lunged for a
  guard.Before anyone could stop him, he
  placed the guards loaded gun in his
  mouth and blew the back of his head off.
   The second time, Schroeder himself
  had been close to the truth, a little too
  close.
  ---
  It had been an impasse. The Russian
  troops had been ensconced in an
  abandoned residential building. Snipers
  positioned at windows and on the roofs
  picked off any German soldier that
  dared show himself, either accidentally
  or at the orders of his superiors.
   If that didn’t stop them from
  advancing, there was the threat of at
  least one heavy machine gun that raked
  the street in devastating arcing sweeps.
  The Russians were more than content to
  just sit there and let the Germans
  advance on their position.
   It 
  reminded 
  Schroeder 
  of 
  the
  stalemate at the hillside monastery of
  Monte Casino. He was only too glad he
  had not been there, but had read the
  reports afterward and was sad for some
  colleagues transferred there. Many
  good men lost their lives in that battle.
   On the day it happened, the weather
  was alternating between cold showers
  of sleet and snow flurries. It was not just
  cold, but literally freezing. Men had
  tears frozen to their eyelashes, or mucus
  Derek Tyler (order #9232471)
  
  8 | For All Things Savage
  GREAT STORIES
  hung like crystal glass pears from their
  nostrils.
   It was hard to breathe, each
  inhalation cutting them to the core.
  Their hands were constantly numb, even
  wrapped up or gloved. They dared not
  touch bare metal with exposed skin, lest
  they freeze to the barrels of their guns
  or the side of any vehicle.
   Several men knew they had frostbite,
  and toes and fingers were under
  constant threat of amputation. Indeed,
  one man already lost two fingers from
  his left hand, and one was in serious
  jeopardy to his right.
   Schroeder checked his gun for what
  must have been the twelfth time in at
  least half as many minutes. It paid to
  continually work the mechanism or the
  damned thing could freeze. Even gun oil
  wasn’t safe from the sub-zero weather.
   He looked up as a large hulk of a man
  hunkered 
  down 
  beside 
  him.He
  acknowledged the man’s presence with
  a slight nod of the head.
   “Cigarette?” the big man asked.
   Schroeder shook his head.
   “Suit yourself,” the big man grunted.
  “The good captain thinks we might be
  able to make an attempt on taking the
  building across the street tonight. Seems
  there’s a chance of fog. We could use
  that as cover.”
   “If it’s as thick as it was the other
  night, we won’t be able to see where the
  hell we are going”, Schroeder mumbled.
   “True, but it does mean the bastards
  can’t see us.”
   Schroeder smiled, “Why didn’t he
  think of that the other night?”
   “He’s 
  our 
  commanding 
  officer
  because the last two squad leaders all
  ‘bought it’ as the Americans would say.
  It’s not our fault he’s twice as stupid as
  he is ugly.”
   ‘Speak 
  for 
  yourself,’ 
  Schroeder
  thought but kept quiet.
   The large man struck a match and lit
  his cigarette. Schroeder regarded him
  casually and, to his shame, struggled to
  remember the man’s name. He had
  been a survivor of a platoon that
  encountered a Russian foot patrol four
  night’s previously. Schroeder’s unit had
  taken them all in to help bolster their
  numbers.
   Schroeder realized the cover of fog
  could be a godsend though. He doubted
  it, but yes, it might work. Even now he
  could see a mist descending that
  promised to thicken nicely within the
  next hour or so.
  ---
  Schroeder checked his weapon while
  the big man took a whetstone to the
  edge of his military dagger. He suddenly
  recalled the man’s name: Kessler, yes,
  that was it. Kessler blew a smoke ring
  and reached into his pocket.
   “Maybe some chocolate?”
   “Where the hell did you get that
  from?” Schroeder asked while nodding
  the affirmative.
   “Found it on a dead Russian. Keep it
  quiet, we’re not supposed to take stuff
  like this off them.”
   Schroeder sat back, accepting the
  offer and savoring the bitter sweet
  taste. It would be some time before he
  would experience a luxury like that
  again.
  ---
  The call to arms came just after
  midnight. Schroeder had dozed off, as
  had Kessler who, for some reason, had
  decided that Schroeder was the best
  company he could find that night.A not-
  too-gentle 
  nudge 
  from 
  their
  commander’s boot woke them both.
   “If we are going to do this, we might
  as well do it now. We’ll split into two
  squads, and move in as quietly as
  possible. The fog has lifted slightly, but I
  think it’ll hold long enough. Besides,
  once we’re in that building, it won’t
  matter.Chances are it’ll be hand-to-
  hand fighting, which suits me. We’ll
  salvage what ammunition we can from
  them, seeing as our own stocks are so
  low.
   “You and Kessler here will be in the
  second squad, hitting the building from
  the left flank.Klaus has worked out that
  there’s a way through via the building
  next door. Chances are the Russians may
  have thought about that. They have
  many faults, but stupidity isn’t one of
  them. Even if there are no troops in that
  building, they may have laid traps, so
  watch for trip wires.
   “The first squad will hit from the right
  flank. They have to be in the open, so
  consider yourselves lucky. If it works, we
  can hit them hard and fast and have that
  building secured within a half hour.”
   Kessler stretched and flexed his neck.
  It cracked with a sound that made
  Schroeder 
  wince.“What 
  strategic
  difference will this make?”
   “I should report you for insolence! The
  strategic difference is that we’ll be alive
  when the sun comes up to burn away
  the rest of the fog!”
   Kessler at least had the decency to
  look abashed at the reprimand.
   “Get ready to move. We go in ten
  minutes.”
  ---
  To say the next ten minutes were
  amongst the longest in Schroeder’s life
  was an understatement. Even worse
  however, 
  was 
  the 
  slow, 
  stealthy
  approach they had to make as they
  crossed the street. The Russians may not
  be able to see them, but the slightest
  noise would alert them on a night as still
  as this.
   They could still do some very serious
  damage with the heavy machine guns,
  even if the Germans were more or less
  invisible.
  Schroeder’s nerves were on edge. He
  wished he could ask for a cigarette to
  calm them, but it was too late for that. A
  subdued torch glimmered twice. That
  was the signal to go.
   They kept as low and moved as quietly
  as they could. Kessler, for a man of his
  size, was as silent as a cat. Schroeder
  could not help but be impressed. Kessler
  smiled to him from over his shoulder,
  and in his eagerness to engage the
  enemy, pulled ahead.
   Schroeder flicked the safety catch of
  his pistol to the off position and eased a
  round into the chamber. He suddenly
  Derek Tyler (order #9232471)
  
  9
  GREAT STORIES
  heard Kessler give a bull like roar and
  followed the staccato rattle of his MP3
  machine gun. To his left, a fellow soldier
  snapped off two rounds from his Luger
  and a shadowy figure dropped out of
  sight, a red haze forming a halo around
  his head.
   A bullet pinged off the brickwork close
  to Schroeder’s face causing him to flinch
  as fragments of brick and plaster
  showered him. He fired back blindly at a
  form in front of him that rose out of the
  gloom. Its arm was raised and he saw an
  entrenching tool swinging towards him.
   He shot the Russian in the belly and
  put a second round through his chest.
  More shots shattered the night, muzzle
  flashes flashed briefly, parting the
  gloom.
   Suddenly, it all became deathly quiet.
  ---
  Schroeder felt as though he was
  submerged in icy cold water. He seemed
  to be moving in slow motion; sound
  seemed muffled and distorted. Reality
  itself seemed to
  shift.He couldn’t
  explain it as he was suddenly frightened
  beyond reason.
   His fellow soldiers disappeared from
  his view.He couldn’t hear the gunshots
  or battle cries anymore.The sounds of
  the wounded and dying were now
  nothing but echoes receding into the
  distance.
   Schroeder tried to call out, but his
  voice died in his throat as something
  drifted into his line of sight.A black
  amorphous shape vaguely resembling a
  human being stood in front of him.He
  could discern no facial features apart
  from two ruby red flames that may have
  been its eyes. Its head was framed by
  tendrils of long black hair that floated in
  the air. It was like looking at the
  shadowy form of a drowning woman.
   And then he heard it, “Who mourns
  for Mother Russia?”
   He couldn’t form an answer, couldn’t
  think clearly, and couldn’t move. The
  figure suddenly rushed towards him.The
  only sound he heard was his own scream
  echoing in the darkness.
  ---
  When he came to, Schroeder could not
  tell how long he had been unconscious.
  His watch had somehow broken during
  the battle. His head was spinning; his
  heart was pounding in his chest. ‘At least
  I’m alive,’ he thought.
   He fought a wave of nausea, and
  opened his eyes,immediately wishing he
  hadn’t.  He saw the body of Kessler,
  laying like a marionette whose strings
  had been cut. His neck, legs, and arms
  twisted into impossible angles, and that
  was not the worst of it. His stomach had
  been slashed open; his insides had
  spilledonto his lap.
   Schroeder shut his eyes against the
  sight and attempted to ascertain if he
  was the only survivor. The man to his
  right had gotten off lightly compared to
  Kessler; he had only been decapitated.
  Then it dawned on him; the next two
  bodies he saw, that only bore the
  vaguest resemblance to human beings,
  were Russian. “What the hell?” he
  muttered.
   He stopped dead in his tracks,hearing
  movement up ahead. Had someone
  survived this slaughter? Or had the
  shadowy figure returned to take his life?
  Schroeder went to draw his pistol and
  then swore softly; his gun was missing.
  He reached for his knife, finding it still
  there.
   Schroeder unsheathed the blade as
  quietly as he could and took a tentative
  step forward. Another step, and again
  he swore as a stone turned under his
  boot, or a piece of glass broke as he
  stepped on it, which one he could not
  tell. But the other person, if it was
  actually a person, halted. Schroeder
  kept as calm as he could even though he
  expected to feel the impact of a bullet at
  any moment.
   The voice that called out to him spoke
  in German.
   Relief washed over Schroeder as he
  stepped forward, his arm raised in
  greeting. He saw the tall, gaunt, blond-
  haired man in front of him, looking at
  the scene in abject horror. His uniform
  was red, not field grey. Schroeder could
  not tell if the blood was his or that of the
  others around him.Had this man gone
  mad and turned on his comrades? No, it
  was that shadow thing, of that he was
  sure of. He had not imagined it, though
  he had hoped to God that he had,but
  the two men were not alone.
   They turned as two Russians came
  into view. For a moment they all stood
  there, frozen like figures captured in a
  photograph. None were in a fit state to
  fight.One was missing his arm from just
  below the elbow, the stump wrapped in
  some sort of makeshift bandaging.They
  looked at the Germans, then at the
  corpses around them, and raising hands
  in placating gestures, backed away.
   “Wait!” Schroeder called out.To his
  surprise they actually stopped and
  regarded him with suspicion.
   “What the hell happened here?” he
  asked in a coarse voice. His English was
  not good, but good enough.
   “She came,” one of them replied.
   “Who? Who came?” Schroeder asked.
   The man with the missing arm
  answered this time, and to his horror, he
  had heard the words before. “Who
  mourns for Mother Russia?” With that
  they turned and stumbled away out of
  sight.
  ---
  Two days later, a passing patrol found
  Schroeder and his fellow soldier. They
  were closer to their own lines than they
  had 
  thought. 
  Schroeder 
  readily
  accepted the offer of dry rations and
  water, but insisted that he would take
  neither until he had reported to
  someone of superior rank.One glance at
  the haunted look on his face convinced
  the captain of the patrol to comply with
  his demands.
  ---
  Heidenreich 
  listened 
  to 
  the 
  tale
  impassively. He sucked air through his
  clenched teeth and exhaled loudly. “Let
  me get this straight. This thing, for want
  of a better word, is not only killing our
  men, but the Russians too?”
   “Ja,” Schroeder replied softly.
  Derek Tyler (order #9232471)
  
  10 | For All Things Savage
  GREAT STORIES
   “Why? It makes no sense at all,” said
  Heidenreich.
   “And my idea as to how we might be
  best able to solve this problem will make
  even less sense.” said Schroeder,a cold
  ball of ice settling in his stomach.
  Heidenreich was not going to like this,
  not one little bit.
   “Go on,” Heidenreich said.
   “We work with the Russians. We hunt
  this thing down, flush it out of hiding,
  and kill it.”
   Heidenreich looked thunderstruck
  and began to laugh. He paused just long
  enough to tell Schroeder to get the hell
  out of his office.
   Schroeder walked into the pale,
  insipid sunshine and took in the cold,
  still air.He turned as he heard the
  crunching of gravel under the heels of
  approaching boots. The figure that
  walked towards him was tall and
  slender, and it took him a few moments
  to realize that the figure was a woman.
   She wore a long gray trench coat that
  covered a well made jacket. Beneath it,
  she 
  wore 
  a 
  snow 
  white 
  blouse
  accompanied by a narrow black tie. A
  skirt that ended just below the knee
  completed the ensemble. A furry cap
  was perched on top of her auburn hair.
  Schroeder noted that she was striking
  rather than attractive. Her cheekbones
  were sharp; her eyes the color of slate.
  Her lips were thin and when she smiled,
  her teeth were as straight as a picket
  fence and as white as the fresh snow on
  the ground.
   “Captain Schroeder,” she said with a
  trace of a smile playing across her face.
  It was a statement, not a question.He
  nodded curtly in response.
   “My name is Maxine Fleischner.” She
  paused to take a small silver case out of
  her pocket,producing a cigarette and
  offering one to Schroeder. He declined
  the offer.She lit the cigarette and took a
  drag, exhaling slowly. “We need to talk.”
   “We do?” he replied, as a strange
  feeling of apprehension began to creep
  over him.
   “Yes we do. I’m from the O.S.S.” she
  said as if this would explain everything.
   Schroeder frowned. The name O.S.S.
  was familiar to him somehow; he just
  couldn’t put a finger on why.He felt
  awkward as the silence lengthened.
   “Follow me. We can talk while we
  walk.”
   She smiled, butthe lack of warmth in it
  made Schroeder wish he was anywhere
  but here. A small voice in his mind said
  that being with someone like Himmler
  would be preferable to this.
   Fleischner continued to smoke as she
  walked beside Schroeder. She tried to
  get a little closer to him but Schroeder
  edged away from her. He neither knew
  nor cared if his behavior offended her.
   “The O.S.S. was established by the
  Fuhrer just after the outbreak of the
  war. He has a belief that there are
  powers that exist beyond our world that
  could aid us in securing a victory and
  ending this war.”
   He had heard rumors that Hitler had
  been consulting psychics and so-called
  mediums and had a library of occult
  works locked away somewhere in Berlin.
  There apparently was an officially
  recognized astrologist on his war
  cabinet. So Hitler believed in rabbits’
  feet and not walking under ladders,
  Schroeder thought. Just what in the
  name of hell did any of that have to do
  with him?
   He waited for this strange woman to
  carry on speaking. She took a deep
  breath before continuing. “The O.S.S.
  specializes in researching the occult,
  Captain. Such powers as our beloved
  leader believes in do exist.”
   Schroeder snorted involuntarily. In
  response, she stopped dead in her
  tracks and rounded on him.
   “I would have thought that, with your
  current experiences still fresh in your
  mind, Captain, you would at least be
  more open to what I have just said. I
  didn’t think you would have a closed
  mind.”
   “I don’t,” he replied calmly. She
  started to say something. “No, please do
  not interrupt me, Fraulein. I am a God-
  fearing man. I was a regular church goer,
  and I pray every morning and night.
  Once back home, I will fall on my knees
  and offer praise to the good Lord above
  that I have made it through this hell. But
  when you start talking about fortune
  tellers, stargazers, and people who can
  talk to the dead, I find it hard to accept.
  And yes, I did encounter something
  strange and yes, I cannot explain what it
  was that I saw.
   “I am certain that whatever it was can
  be explained away by natural means.
  Maybe it’s a mentally scarred survivor, a
  refugee, an escaped prisoner of war
  with mental health problems. Maybe
  it’s…”
   She placed the palm of her hand on
  his chest, stopping him from taking
  another step. “There is a man walking
  beside you now. No, let me continue. He
  is tall and walking with the aid of a stick.
  His right leg was injured by shrapnel
  during the Great War, but he died
  between the wars. He had respiratory
  problems towards the end and hated
  the fact that his sight was so poor that
  he could no longer enjoy his Charles
  Dickens 
  collection. 
  His 
  name 
  is
  Gerhardt.He called you ‘his little apple’
  as a boy. He says it’s because your
  cheeks were so red.”
   Schroeder brushed away her hand.
   “Please wait! There is more!”
   “Get away from me!” he yelled. “Just
  get the hell away from me!”
   She threw back her head and hissed.
  “We’ll meet again Captain” she called
  out.
   “Oh? And who told you that? A deck
  of cards, chicken gizzards, or your black
  cat?”
   She hurried after him; “No, our sector
  chief here in Stalingrad. Like it or not, we
  have to work together, otherwise more
  brave German men will have to die than
  is necessary.”
   He wheeled abruptly, “That hasn’t
  already happened? Leave me the hell
  alone. I don’t care who sent you. I’ll sort
  this out. I don’t need crucifixes and Holy
  Water. I am sure that a bullet right
  between its eyes will put an end to this
  once and for all.”
  Derek Tyler (order #9232471)
  
  11
  GREAT STORIES
   She sighed and indicated that he could
  carry on. Through clenched teeth she
  muttered, “We will meet again, my
  friend.”
  ---
  Schroeder walked away, his mind
  reeling and his stomach churning. She
  had described his dead grandfather. She
  had somehow known his grandfather’s
  nickname for him as a child.How? How
  the hell had she known that? Could she
  really see dead people? Was his
  grandfather walking beside him now?
  He turned to his left and feeling a little
  foolish, addressed the empty air.
   “Give me a sign,” he said softly.
  “Speak to me. Prove to me here and
  now that you are here.”Nothing;not a
  sound, no strange lights in the air before
  him. No sudden apparitions appearing
  out of the ether.
   “Just as I thought.” He reached for his
  own packet of cigarettes, and paused.
  For just a moment, a strong, bitter
  sweet, pungent odor wafted across his
  face: the smell of his grandfather’s
  favorite pipe tobacco. He thought he
  had imagined it, but a second waft of it,
  stronger and sharper than before, hit
  him head on, as if someone had exhaled
  it full into his face.
  ---
  Four days later, Schroeder was with
  another group of brave young men.
  These men were gaunt, pale, and
  disheveled, but there was no doubting
  that the fire that fueled their desire for
  victory 
  was 
  still 
  burning 
  strongly
  within.He envied their youth,but he only
  wanted to get out of here.He just
  wanted this war over and done with.
  Schroeder had to mask his despair, hide
  his disillusionment for the sake of these
  boys, and for perhaps his own safety.
   One of the young men had a fervent
  belief in the Reich, the war, and that
  victory would be theirs. He was the kind
  of man that would report Schroeder to
  the S.S. at any given excuse. The young
  man’s passion meant he would be as
  dangerous as any Russian soldier.
  Schroeder would have to watch his step
  very carefully indeed.Even now the
  sullen looking man, with dark hair and
  deep brooding eyes, was watching him
  as they ate their rations. Schroeder
  refused to turn away, even though
  meeting the man’s eyes made him
  squirm internally.
   This Corporal Kleitz scared him and it
  was obvious to anyone that he worried
  others in the platoon as well. And just
  when he thought it couldn’t get any
  worse, the sound of an approaching
  motor vehicle broke in on his thoughts.
  A small black saloon car, with blackened
  windows, had pulled up on the other
  side of the street. It was under the
  escort of two motorcycle outriders. As
  the car door opened, several heads
  turned towards it.
   Schroeder was certain who was in the
  car, long before the woman swung her
  legs out of the vehicle. Maxine
  Fleischner looked right at him and gave
  a thin smile.A cold block of ice formed in
  the pit of his stomach. A soldier gave a
  wolf whistle and abruptly stopped as if
  having belatedly thought better of it.
   Without hesitation, Maxine walked
  across the street and addressed the
  leader of the squad. His new squad
  leader’s back stiffened as if scalded and
  turned angrily away from her. He
  approached the squad. “Gentlemen, we
  are now under Fraulein Fleischner’s
  command.” This statement was met
  with stunned silence. What followed hit
  Schroeder like a physical blow.
   “And you, Schroeder, are promoted to
  second lieutenant, and will only take
  orders from the Fraulien. Is that clear?”
   He nodded dumbly and did his best to
  ignore Kleitz’s withering glare.
  ---
  A couple hours later, Schroeder and his
  squad were moving with extreme
  caution through a twisting, narrow back
  alleyway. The squad had been briefed by
  Fleischner, but she had taken Schroeder
  to one side and told him what she
  couldn’t and wouldn’t tell the rest of the
  squad.It had not made him feel at ease
  at all. He wanted to run, to hide, but he
  could not. He replayed the recent
  conversation in his mind.
   They had been sitting in the doorway
  of an abandoned shop. She had
  produced a black leather bound book
  from inside a satchel that she had been
  carrying slung over one shoulder.
   “I think we have made a significant
  discovery. After our last meeting, a
  group of soldiers encountered a group
  of Russian resistance fighters. The fact
  that our problem leaves witnesses to its
  attacks seems to have, for once, worked
  in our favor.We questioned both groups
  of survivors and it took time, but we
  managed to piece together the tale of
  what happened. To be short, they came
  upon each other purely by chance.
   “Both groups found cover, where they
  spent 
  several 
  minutes 
  futilely
  exchanging fire. Our men got taken by
  surprise as they came under a head-on
  attack.The Soviets were brutal by all
  accounts, but our men gave as good as
  they could. Then something unexpected
  happened.
   “The attack happened in the early
  afternoon, but all of the soldiers swear
  on their mother’s deathbeds that the
  light faded, until it seemed they were
  fighting at dusk.”
   He nodded. “That’s what happened
  with us. Although the one attack was
  after the sun had set, it did seem to get
  darker.”
   She opened the book to a place
  marked by a broad green leather
  bookmark.Despite himself, Schroeder
  craned his neck to see what was on
  display. 
  One 
  page 
  was 
  full 
  of
  indecipherable text, the other full of
  illustrations. He looked at it and again,
  that icy feeling of dread settled in his gut.
   The image was that of a female
  floating above a field, terrorizing
  peasant farmers armed with pitchforks.
  The body was small, indicating a child, or
  at least a girl in her early teens judging
  by her physique, but what drew him,
  and repulsed him at the same time, was
  the woman’s face.
  Derek Tyler (order #9232471)
  
  12 | For All Things Savage
  GREAT STORIES
   It was the face of a gap-toothed,
  deeply wrinkled and wart encrusted hag
  looking back at him from the page. The
  face was not framed by white or silvery
  grey hair; it was surrounded by a halo of
  lustrous black hair.Its slender and
  graceful arms ended in gnarled fingers,
  tipped with vicious talons rather than
  nails.
   “Mein Gott,” he hissed. “That’s what
  we saw, or something very much like it.
  What is it?”
   “Not what. Who?” she said.
   He looked up sharply at her, and met
  her eyes.
   “Look at the text under the picture.
  We have penciled in a translation for
  you.”
   He turned his eyes with great
  reluctance, back to the illustration.
  “Mother Russia,” he read aloud. “Or
  Baba Yaga”
   “She protects the country,” she said
  softly. “But she doesn’t only appear in
  Russian texts. This book comes from
  Yugoslavia. There are similar tales of
  such a creature throughout Eastern
  Europe. We even have a similar entity in
  German folklore. She’s both revered and
  reviled in equal measure in the
  mountains of Bavaria.
   “She protects the country like the
  English legend of Britannia, but unlike
  that noble woman, she punishes those
  she feels has let the country down. And
  that is what she is doing; at least that’s
  the theory.”Fleischner paused letting
  Schroeder mill over the information.
   After a while he spoke. “So this
  Mother Russia, or Baba Yaga, is
  punishing us for invading her country,
  and shedding the blood of her children
  as she sees fit?”
   A nod. She waited in silence and he
  realized she was encouraging him to
  carry on.“And she is reprimanding her
  people for failing to drive us out of
  Stalingrad?”
   She smiled, but the smile held no
  warmth. “Not just Stalingrad. There
  have been similar incidents in Moscow,
  Irkutsk, and St.Petersburg. There have
  also been strange reports submitted
  from our units in more isolated
  locations.”
   Schroeder grunted. “She sure gets
  around”
   “Yes she does,” she replied.
   “So what do we do about this? I
  suggested we work with the Russians.”
  Derek Tyler (order #9232471)
  
  13
  GREAT STORIES
   “I know. Not a bad idea in some ways,
  but surely you knew that was never
  going to happen,” Fleischner replied.
   “I was desperate, I admit it,” he said,
  almost apologetically.
   “Don’t be sorry. We are aware that we
  had to cooperate with the French
  Resistance against something that was
  making life difficult for all concerned in
  Paris.”
   He felt his eyebrows rise in surprise.
  He almost sat there gaping when she
  added, “Never mind the fact that
  German 
  and 
  British 
  planes 
  were
  bothered by something that had been
  unleashed over the English Channel
  during the Battle of Britain, as they are
  now calling it. We cooperated with the
  R.A.F and dealt with it.”
   “But the Russians are-”
   “Too proud to consider helping.” She
  finished the statement for him.
   “But what choice do they, or we,
  have?” he asked.
   Fleischner stood up straight and put
  the book away. “None at all,but the
  solution is not the obvious one.”
   He didn’t like the sound of that.
  ---
  They walked back slowly towards the
  squad, their heads close together in
  conversation. Kleitz leered at them.
  Maybe he thought they were arranging
  a tryst, Schroeder thought, but he didn’t
  give a damn what Kleitz or anyone else
  thought or imagined.
   Fleischner had just given him a
  solution to their problem and he hated
  what he heard. They had concocted a
  plan in the last few minutes, and with it
  a cover story for what was to come. If
  they told the unit the truth, he
  wouldn’tbe 
  surprised, 
  or 
  indeed
  wouldn’t be able to blame them, if they
  opened fire and cut them both down
  where they stood.
   Schroeder heard what Fleischner said
  and took it in the best he could in the
  time allowed. She explained that she
  was what was known as a Blood Mage
  and Baba Yaga needed a sacrifice to
  placate 
  her.Schroeder 
  had 
  been
  incredulous at this statement and
  understandably so.
   “The 
  dismemberment 
  and
  decapitation of men from both sides
  isn’t enough for her?”
   “No,” Fleischner said simply. “Had this
  come to light earlier, then we may have
  been able to avoid it with what we call a
  level one intervention, a banishing ritual
  if you like. Mind you, that may have only
  been a temporary measure, but it would
  have given us some breathing room to
  prepare for a possible return.”
   He nodded grimly. “I understand.
  Anyone reporting this may have found
  themselves where doctors would have
  started picking their brains apart,I
  suppose.”
   Fleischner smiled without humor.
  “Something like that.” She did not
  elaborate, and for that he was grateful;
  he was not at all grateful for what was to
  come.
   “We now need an exorcism. More
  than a simple banishment, we need to
  send it back to whatever hell it came
  from. To do that we need, or should I say
  I need, to perform a level three ritual. It
  will mean a lot of men will have to
  endure pain while I perform the ritual.It
  must not be allowed to get to me. Is that
  clear?”
   He nodded. The squad would have to
  be a human shield for Fleischner. It
  means these men have to be the
  equivalent of a Judas Goat, and he hated
  that more than anything. It even galled
  him that the Russians would be part of
  the ritual and ignorant of the fact. It was
  the ultimate irony: an invading army
  would have to do something terrible to
  save the countrymen of the nation they
  had invaded for the sake of a man who
  wasn’t even German. They said that war
  was the ultimate form of madness; this
  was the definitive proof of that.
  ---
  The plan was to be implemented in two
  stages. Fleischner needed Schroeder to
  draw the Russians out of hiding and lure
  them to an area she had prepared
  before rendezvousing with the unit. The
  battleground would be (and this in itself
  seemed sacrilegious) the ruins of an old
  church she had found. Fleischner had
  already performed some minor ritual of
  some sort that would, in theory at least,
  trap the enraged spirit and bind it to the
  church and its grounds.
   He had taken in as much information
  as he could absorb. She had sanctified
  the area again, with some sort of circle
  marked out in chalk. She said something
  about runes and a star, or some such
  shape; he hadn’t totally absorbed all of
  what she had described.
   All they had to do was find the Soviet
  soldiers and lure them to the church.
  That would be the easiest part; the hard
  part would be making sure not too many
  people lost their lives before the ritual
  could be completed.
  Derek Tyler (order #9232471)
  
  14 | For All Things Savage
  GREAT STORIES
  ---
  Corporal Volkoy rubbed his hands
  together in a vague attempt to keep the
  cold at bay.His men sat huddled
  together under thick blankets or coats.
  They had built a fire and were now
  drinking melted snow from tin cups.
  Some had fallen asleep and Volkoy had
  just started contemplating the same
  when an explosion shattered the
  silence.
   A second explosion erupted, sending
  gouts of flame and fragments of earth,
  dust, and stones skywards. These
  showered the men in their makeshift
  camp, and with that they rose as one
  and yelled a battle cry as someone
  started shooting into the surrounding
  darkness.
   Volkoy bellowed, “Wait until you have
  a target!”
   Their unseen foes started returning
  fire. Someone yelled they should
  extinguish the fire, and someone else
  responded with a cry of, “It’s too late for
  that, idiot!”
   Volkoy led them out and ordered his
  men to fan out. Even as he spoke, a
  young man with short cropped red hair
  crumpled to the ground with a neat hole
  between his eyes; the back of his head
  was a gruesome ruin of bone and
  brains.They 
  moved 
  forward 
  as
  cautiously as they could.
   “There they are!”But too their
  bemusement, even as they spied the
  enemy who had clearly taken them by
  surprise they were falling back, not
  charging in.
  ---
  Schroeder thought they were not going
  to be lured into the trap, but to his relief
  he saw them starting to advance. Kleitz
  ducked as a bullet passed dangerously
  close to his head. To his left, a young
  man cursed as a bullet slammed into his
  forearm, but he still managed to snap off
  a shot or two in response. They fell back
  slowly and cautiously.The Russians
  however, were coming forward with
  more determination.
   More shots rang out and Schroeder
  saw several men ducking for cover. One
  man screamed as a round caught him in
  the right thigh. He hobbled towards
  cover but was picked off by a second
  round that caught him in the side of the
  neck.Another grenade sailed through
  the air; again it deliberately fell short of
  its mark, but still wounded a couple of
  Soviet soldiers. Slowly, steadily, they
  lured the Russians out of hiding.
  ---
  Fleischner knelt by a makeshift altar.
  Two red candles burned brightly as she
  took a knife and drew it across the palm
  of her left hand,allowing the blood to
  flow into a copper bowl.If anyone could
  see her hand, they would have noticed
  this was not the first time she had done
  this to herself.
   She started to chant an eerie,
  undulating wailing evocation. The air
  around 
  her 
  thickenedas 
  a 
  pale,
  shimmering silvery-white light glowed
  around the boundaries of the circle she
  had drawn in the church.
   She was on a raised platform of
  ground, looking down at the church. She
  produced a bag of sulfurous powder
  from her waist and added it to the bowl
  of blood.A cloud of sickly green smoke
  rose into the air. She could now see the
  soldiers appearing on the edge of the
  circle.
   She noted, with satisfaction,how they
  took care not to erase the chalk circle. A
  few moments more and it would not
  matter anymore. Fleischner saw the
  advancing Russians, moving at speed,
  effused with bloodlust.
  ---
  Schroeder’s unit took cover behind
  pews, stone columns, and whatever else
  they could find. Kleitz tucked himself
  into the pulpit, turning it into a
  makeshift sniper’s post.
   Schroeder ignored him as he fired
  shots at the Russians, taking care not to
  spill too much blood too soon. A bullet
  smacked into the stonework to his right,
  another tore through the air above him.
   Kleitz took a man through the arm,
  and another through the left leg.
  Schroeder had to begrudgingly admit
  the surly man was a good shot.
   Both sides fiercely exchanged shots,
  and a vaporous shadow began to form in
  the air above them.
   “She’s here,” muttered Schroeder.
  ---
  To Fleischner’s eyes, all that transpired
  in the church seemed to be moving in
  slow motion. She could see bullets
  carving their passage through the air.
  The sounds of battle were muffled as if
  obscured by filters. Grenade explosions
  looked like slowly blooming flowers of
  orange, red, and yellow. Cartridge cases
  fell to the ground in slowly falling
  cascades.
   The figure became steadily more solid
  in the air above. Fleischner threw back
  her head and began to chant faster, with
  more passion.
  ---
  “Come on you bitch!” hissed Schroeder.
  Was it aware of their plan? Did she
  suspect that this was a trap? But she
  materialized at last, and screaming like a
  banshee, fell with bloodthirsty glee
  upon the soldiers.
   Kleitz yelled and took aim. He ignored
  the Soviets and fired at the female form
  floating above them. His bullet would
  have struck her in the face, but the shot
  seemed to lose momentum. His eyes
  widened in horror, as with mouth open,
  she flew straight towards him.
   “Who mourns for Mother Russia?” it
  screeched. Kleitz was picked up and
  thrown with spine shattering force into
  a stone pillar.
   She turned with lightning quick speed
  and attacked both Russian and German
  soldiers, apparently picking targets at
  random. Schroeder tried to shut out the
  screams of the wounded and dying, and
  concentrated on shooting at the
  shadowy figure of the woman.
   She attacked with head thrown back
  in laughter, talons dripping with fresh
  blood. Schroeder felt sick as he watched
  Derek Tyler (order #9232471)
  
  15
  GREAT STORIES
  her licking the blood off her fingers,
  before whirling like a dervish and
  disemboweling a young German.
   “Hurry up!” Schroeder grumbled,
  wondering what the hell Fleischner was
  doing.
  ---
  Fleischner poured powder into the bowl,
  mixing it with hair, taken from a child,
  and her own blood. Another mushroom
  cloud of smoke rose skywards, bearing
  with it a foul odor. Sheincreased the
  volume of her chanting and reached for
  one last item, which she produced from
  a leather pouch hanging from the belt of
  the robes she now wore in place of her
  normal uniform.
   The last item was a wax effigy, crudely
  made and bearing no resemblance to
  the figure it represented. She cast her
  eyes upon it, and held it in the palm of
  her left hand.In her right hand, she held
  the dagger once more.
   She placed the tip of the dagger over
  the effigy’s midsection. She closed her
  eyes and stopped chanting. “I’m sorry.”
  she whispered, before stabbing the
  effigy.
  ---
  Schroeder fired another shot at the
  floating, wailing creature, and cursed as
  his rifle jammed. He dropped it and
  drew his Walther pistol. Holding it in
  both hands, he extended his arms to
  their full extent and fired a rapid salvo at
  it.
   He yelled incoherently as he emptied
  the magazine, trying to goad the
  creature into attacking him alone. It
  wasn’t working. She picked up another
  Russian and slammed him head first into
  a wall. There was a sickening crunch,
  and the figure slumped to the ground,
  leaving a hideous crimson smear in its
  wake.
   “Whatever it is you are going to do,
  hurry up and do it!” he yelled to nobody
  in particular.
   And then pain exploded in his
  abdomen.
  ---
  The knife blade sunk deeper into the
  effigy asit began to bleed.
  ---
  Schroeder screamed as the pain became
  intolerable. He collapsed to his knees
  and fought to catch his breath. He could
  no longer aim properly; his eyes were
  streaming with tears.Another wave of
  pain crashed over him and in a deluge of
  agony, 
  Schroeder 
  found 
  himself
  collapsing face forwards onto the
  ground. Before darkness claimed him,
  he could have sworn he smelt his
  grandfather’s tobacco smoke one more
  time.
   “It’s alright, Little Apple. You are
  coming home.”
   The voice was in his head, his
  imagination, that’s what he told himself
  before 
  he 
  finally 
  drew 
  his 
  last,
  shuddering breath.
  ---
  The monstrous female whirled to face
  Schroeder, a strange expression on her
  face. She seemed to be puzzled, as her
  head tilted like a curious puppy. She
  drifted slowly towards Schroeder and
  hovered over his prostrate body.
   She opened her mouth and emitted a
  loud ululating cry that sounded like the
  keening of a mother for a lifeless child.
  The noise was unbearable.All shooting
  had stopped as Russian and German
  alike observed this bizarre tableau.
   They 
  questioned 
  what 
  was
  happening, but no answers were
  forthcoming.  Slowly, they lowered their
  weapons and left the battleground.
   Murmuring to herself in Russian, the
  creature knelt down and cradled
  Schroeder’s body in its long, thin arms.
  She lowered her head and kissed his
  forehead. With the contact of her cold
  lips upon his cooling flesh, she vanished,
  taking Schroeder with her.
  ---
  Three days later, Fleischner dropped a
  manila envelope on the desk of her
  superior.
   “It’s over?” he asked.
   “Seems to be. There’s been some
  fierce fighting in the last couple of days
  with no further sightings.”
   He nodded and took a sip of brandy
  from the crystal cut glass in his left hand.
   She paused before she spoke again.
  “Can I recommend that Schroeder gets a
  posthumous promotion?”
   Heidenreich nodded. “That seems a
  reasonable request. I shall see to it
  personally. It’s the least we can do. He
  was very brave”
   “He might have not been so brave had
  he known what the banishment ritual
  involved. I wasn’t even sure that it
  would work. It seems to have, but I
  cannot guarantee it.
   “I must admit, it doesn’t make sense,
  but the fact that he had encountered
  her three times and not been taken
  seemed relevant. It appears Baba Yaga
  can take a shining to someone, and
  spare them.
   “Losing that person reminds her of the
  pain she felt losing her child in life. Not a
  child of Russia, but her child. Baba Yaga
  takes the soul to its final resting place
  where a mother can give the spirit the
  love that only a Mother can provide.”
   With that she turned briskly on her
  heels and left the office. Heidenreich sat
  back and drained his glass, silently
  toasting Schroeder.
  ---
  Fleischner walked down the steps
  towards the waiting car and paused long
  enough to flex the fingers on the hand
  she cut during the ritual. She went to
  open the door of the car and froze.
   In the reflection of the window, she
  saw a tall, skinny girl or woman with
  long flowing black hair standing on the
  steps of the building behind her. She
  spun around, her eyes widening in fear.
   There was nobody there. She hastily
  opened the door and got into the
  vehicle, ordering the driver to get away
  from here as fast as he could. She tried
  to shut out the whispering voice in her
  head that said again and again, “Who
  mourns Mother Russia?”
  Derek Tyler (order #9232471)
  
  16 | For All Things Savage
  EQUIPMENT CORRAL
  The Mask Peddler
  By Brett Boyko and Mariah Malczewska of Dark Smile Games
  The wheels creak on the rough stone and
  a withered, feminine voice calls out,
  “Masks for sale! Each with gifts of its
  own! Come, look, and claim that which
  calls to you.”
  The cart’s paint, once done up in bright
  colors and garish patterns, is now peeling
  off the brittle wood. Many varied masks
  hang from hooks driven into the cart,
  with no apparent order to their display.
  An iron mask, with the eyes nailed shut,
  weeps tears of blood. A grinning Jester’s
  mask, of enamel and gold gilt, promises
  brilliance, and madness. The last person
  to claim the Plague Doctor’s mask died
  with tumor-like growths and bubonic
  plague. Baast’s Mask and the Demon
  snarl at each other from opposite ends of
  the cart, while the Ghost and Medium’s
  masks eerily gravitate towards each
  other.
  The peddler is an elderly woman thick
  with wrinkles and wearing an impossibly
  largesmile. Her clothing appears to be
  hand-spun with brightly colored wools
  and fabrics sewn together in a cavalcade
  of color.  A small monkey, Robert, runs
  along her cart, performing tricks and
  fetching things in return for cashews.
  Most barely give the cart and its owner a
  second glace, but to some it exerts an
  irresistible pull, drawing them towards a
  particular mask. For those the masks call
  to, the peddler will ask for a pittance,
  surprising, given the unusual nature of
  these items.
  Little is known about the peddler. Always
  in a hurry, she seems to simply vanish
  after selling her masks. There are rumors,
  stories, and conjectures drawn from the
  tales of those who’ve met her, but who
  she is or why she sells these wares is
  unknown.
  This gear list is a mix of items designed for
  PCs and NPCs; be careful which masks
  you allow your players to have. Unless
  otherwise stated, effects of the masks
  last only as long as they are worn.
  THE JESTER’S MASK
  The Jester’s Mask is brightly colored in
  red and green enamels, and garishly
  lavished with gold gilt. It has a wide,
  mocking smile, and is attached to a
  Jester’s cap adorned with small bells.
  Those who wear the Jester’s Mask
  develop an intuitive grasp of politics and
  wit, but also insanity. This infection of the
  mind with madness often changes what
  would have been a considerable blessing
  into a dangerous curse. Wearers of the
  mask have been known to perform for
  empty auditoriums, speak only in cryptic
  riddles, or leap from heights, expecting to
  fly.  The Jester’s Mask was first recorded
  during the medieval period, often
  heralding regicide and a new political
  power. The mask cannot be removed
  from its wearer until this transpires, or
  the attempt is rendered impossible.
  ·
  Increase Smarts by 2 die types
  (+1 for every increase over d12).
  ·
  Increase Knowledge (Politics) by
  3 die types.
  ·
  Sharp Wit: Charisma +2.
  ·
  Gain the Acrobat Edge.
  ·
  Gain two Quirks, and three
  Minor delusions, or one Minor
  and one Major.
  ·
  When on, the mask disappears,
  leaving 
  the 
  wearer’s 
  face
  decorated with the patterns of
  the mask, and the hat.
  ·
  The mask is removed once the
  regicide either occurs, or will no
  longer occur (GM’s call). Once
  the mask is removed, all gifts
  and burdens that were granted
  by it are gone.
  THE DEMON
  It doesn’t take much to see the
  sadomasochistic nature lurking under the
  surface of the Demon Mask.  The horned
  brow and narrow eyes sit above a sharp-
  toothed grin. There is an unholy grace
  about this mask; the serrated horns curve
  into strange shapes both beautiful and
  threatening. Unlike some other masks,
  there is no mistaking what the Demon
  Mask demands, and offers.
  ·
  Strength +2.
  ·
  Gain a d6 in Unholy Miracles
  (Mask).
  ·
  Arcane 
  Background: 
  Unholy
  Miracles: 10PP, damage field,
  and bolt, trappings: flammable.
  ·
  Vicious Horns: Str+d6
  ·
  Voices: The demon whispers,
  cajoles, and harasses constantly.
  Goading towards violent and
  horrific 
  acts. 
  Refusing 
  the
  voice’s suggestions counts as a
  Derek Tyler (order #9232471)
  
  17
  “sin” for the purposes of the
  Arcane Background.
  ·
  Distracted: (-2) to Notice, may
  not buy the Alertness Edge. If
  the wearer already has the
  Edge, the level may be re-spent.
  ·
  When 
  worn, 
  the 
  mask
  disappears, leaving the wearer
  with the mask’s horns and teeth.
  ·
  Once 
  worn 
  it 
  cannot 
  be
  removed until the death of its
  wearer, or an act of great
  sacrifice from the wearer.
  BAAST’S MASK
  The Goddess, Baast, was worshiped in
  Egypt as a warrior, protector, and
  mother. Made centuries ago, this cat-
  faced mask is papery to the touch, and
  smells faintly of spices. The inside is
  painted with the face of a lioness.This
  mask calls to a protector only after one or
  both of the Demon and Jester Masks are
  donned, and prefers female warriors and
  hunters.
  ·
  Increase Agility by 2 die type (+1
  for every increase over d12).
  ·
  Increase 
  Fighting, 
  Stealth,
  Survival, and Tracking by 1 die
  type.
  ·
  Bodyguard: 
  the 
  ability 
  to
  intercept 
  attacks 
  aimed 
  at
  another within 1” with a
  successful Agility Check.
  ·
  Gain the Alertness Edge.
  ·
  9 Lives: +1 Bennie
  ·
  Tied life-force: You are to
  protect an individual, of the
  mask’s 
  choosing.Should 
  the
  individual you are supposed to
  protect die of unnatural causes,
  so do you. Bennies may be
  freely shared between you.
  ·
  When 
  worn, 
  the 
  mask
  disappears, leaving its wearer
  with the jewelry decorating the
  mask, and the faint smell of
  exotic spices.
  ·
  This mask can only be removed
  when the Demon Mask and
  Jester Mask are both contained
  –either unworn, or on dead
  wearers. Once removed, the
  wearer retains a small blessing
  from Baast. The player may also
  choose between keeping the
  Bodyguard 
  Edge 
  described
  above, or choose between the
  Alertness, Luck, or Common
  Bond Edges.
  TEMPTATION’S FACE
  A half mask made of porcelain and
  accented with tasteful applications of
  gold leaf and pearls, which smoothly
  adapts its form to suit the wearer. What
  some accomplish through power and
  strength, this mask will seek through
  subtle 
  seductions 
  and 
  casual
  manipulations. 
  The 
  Mask 
  of 
  the
  Temptress 
  whispers 
  words 
  of
  encouragement to its wearers and guides
  them in interaction with others, offering
  the right things to say, which questions to
  ask, and what answers to give. It also
  pushes the wearer to take greater risks
  and fill desires better left unmet. Despite
  the social graces this mask provides, it
  lacks the power to make its wearer
  immune from the consequences of his or
  her actions. This mask is fickle and leaves
  its wearer when it deems them no longer
  interesting; unfortunately, often when
  they need the mask most.
  ·
  May not be worn by those with
  the Cautious Hindrance, favors
  those with Curiosity.
  ·
  The Right Word: Charisma +4
  ·
  Grants 
  the 
  Overconfidence
  Hindrance, particularly in social
  situations.
  ·
  When worn the mask appears
  and disappears as appropriate;
  the wearer always has jewelry
  and ornamentation of gold
  inlaid with pearls.
  ·
  The Mask chooses when it will
  be removed.
  THE IRON MASK
  Forgotten after its latest appearance in
  the French Revolution of 1789, the Iron
  Mask has made its way through the years
  in bloodshed. The mask is a simple
  faceplate, blood staining the metal below
  its narrow eye slots. The strap is heavy
  leather, with an iron lock on the back.
  Once on, the mask grows spikes, rending
  flesh, blinding the eyes, and fusing with
  the wearer, granting incredible strength.
  ·
  Increase Strength by 4 die types
  (+1 for every increase over d12).
  ·
  Increase Vigor by 2 die types (+1
  for every increase over d12).
  ·
  Fighting +6
  ·
  Iron Skin: Natural Armor 4; may
  stack with worn armor.
  ·
  Gain the monstrous ability:
  Hardy.
  Derek Tyler (order #9232471)
  
  18 | For All Things Savage
  EQUIPMENT CORRAL
  ·
  Gain 
  the 
  Bloodthirsty 
  and
  Blindness Hindrances, without
  the free Edge.
  ·
  When on, the mask remains
  visible.
  ·
  The mask cannot be removed by
  the wearer, and requires the
  correct key, or the wearer’s
  death. 
  Once 
  removed, 
  the
  Blindness hindrance remains, as
  does 
  heavy 
  scarring 
  (-1
  Charisma).
  THE PLAGUE DOCTOR’S MASK
  Plague 
  doctors 
  are 
  hired 
  during
  epidemics to treat the diseases other
  doctors will not go near. This mask
  originates from the time of the Black
  Death plague that ended in 1348, with
  the wearer’s suicide. This mask has the
  long curved beak of a bird, and glass
  lenses through which the wearer can see,
  topped with the wide-brimmed hat that
  marks the profession. In the mask’s beak
  is a respirator filled with strange herbs
  and flowers to protect the wearer from
  toxins, poisons, and diseases. Many have
  chosen this mask, hoping to heal the sick,
  when instead it spreads death and
  disease to all it touches, save its wearer.
  Should the mask be removed, the wearer
  becomes one of its victims, and its curse
  remains in effect.
  ·
  Highly Infectious: Those who
  come into contact with the mask
  or hat catch a vile and deadly
  illness.
  ·
  When on the mask remains
  visible
  ·
  The mask may be removed at
  any time, but the wearer is no
  longer immune to its effects.
  MEDIUM’S GUISE
  Carved from age-streaked ivory, the
  Medium’s Guise is almost skeletal
  looking, with large opal eyes. When
  worn, the mask opens the wearer up to
  the realm of the dead—all manner of
  dead and undead are visible, tangible,
  and may be communicated with. With
  practice, those who use this mask may
  seek out specific entities to interact
  with.However, each time the mask is
  used it extracts a toll from the wearer’s
  life force, and as long as it is worn the
  mask calls out to all who have passed,
  alerting them to your location.
  ·
  The wearer may interact and
  communicate with the dead and
  undead as if they were fully
  corporeal.
  ·
  While worn, the mask uses the
  life force of the wearer to call
  the dead and undead to you.
  ·
  Each time the mask is put on,
  taken off, and for each hour of
  use, the wearer must make a
  Fatigue check. On a failure they
  take one level of fatigue; on a
  critical failure, they take one
  level of fatigue and a wound.
  ·
  When worn, the wearer appears
  to have aged, and has an
  ostentatious turban styled hat.
  ·
  May be removed at will.
  THE GHOST
  Clear, hand formed glass, this mask
  covers the wearer’s entire face, warping
  it with subtle distortions in the glass. Soft
  colors of blues, grays, and violets cast a
  pale on the skin making the wearers face
  appear as ghostly as the mask itself. Even
  the peddler admits a chill runs down her
  skin when she touches it.  Once the silken
  straps are fastened at the back, the
  wearer becomes ghost-like: invisible,
  intangible, inaudible. Like any true
  undead, this mask allows its wearer to
  interact with the Medium’s wearer, and
  alerts them when the Medium’s Guise is
  worn.
  ·
  Incorporeal: 
  permanently
  inaudible, 
  intangible, 
  and
  invisible as per the spells of the
  same names.
  ·
  Feels the pull of the Medium’s
  Guise, and knows the last
  location it was worn.
  ·
  To those who can see the
  wearer, the mask is visible as a
  distortion over their face
  ·
  Cannot be removed by the
  wearer
  THE GREEN MASK
  Carved from thin green wood, the mask
  appears to still be newly made and
  growing. The face’s wide features seem
  almost as an afterthought, at odds with
  the abundant leaves decorating the
  mask. Those who choose the Green Mask
  are often men uncomfortable in cities
  and fields, preferring the forests to the
  company of others. Once worn, these
  individuals find they are no longer just at
  peace with the woods, but a part of
  them.
  ·
  Of the Forest: +1 to Tracking,
  Stealth, Notice, and Survival in
  the woods.
  ·
  Beast Master Edge; the animal is
  a minor plant elemental.
  ·
  Urban environments, tainted
  wildernesses, and anywhere
  with few plants, feel unclean
  and foul. The character feels
  unease and suffers a (-1) penalty
  to Notice and Charisma.
  ·
  Appears on the wearer as a
  collection of leaves in the hair,
  and, as time progresses, the
  leaves become more prevalent,
  and the wearer’s skin becomes
  bark-like.
  ·
  This mask may not be removed.
  Derek Tyler (order #9232471)
  
  19
  EQUIPMENT CORRAL
  Derek Tyler (order #9232471)
  
  20 | For All Things Savage
  The Asylum
  Nestled quietly 25 miles southwest of Rochester, New York sits
  the lair of a madman. It wasn’t always a madman’s lair; it was
  once a large, prominent asylum for the psychotically
  challenged. Some may call it a home for crazies, but the doctors
  who resided there considered it an opportunity to test new
  theories and treatment for the curing of psychosis. This was 21
  years ago as the facility was shutdown in 1875 and only the
  echoes of its past remain.
  The Asylum is a Victorian fantasy horror adventure for 4 – 6
  Seasoned characters, usable within historical fantasy horror
  settings such as Judgment Day. It is based in Rochester, NY in
  the year 1896. If you are a player in this adventure, stop reading
  now to ensure your sanity is not broken. If you are the GM,
  continue reading and beware that you may become corrupted
  by the time it’s finished.
  BACKGROUND
  The Asylum takes place in a long-abandoned medical facility in
  the New York countryside outside of Rochester. The medical
  facility, Healthy Minds, was used to treat patients suffering
  from psychosis. Healthy Minds, however, was not a traditional
  medical facility where doctors used only known methods of
  treating their patients. Instead, these doctors also incorporated
  experimental techniques that many would consider dangerous
  and maddening. One doctor in particular, Dr. Bartholomew
  Strange, took these experiments one step further by creating
  his own techniques instead of using ones that have already
  been tested a few times elsewhere.
  Dr. Strange kept charge of his own ward on the fourth floor of
  the facility. His doors were often kept locked and unwanted
  patrons were kept far away. Many doctors reported horrible
  screams coming from Dr. Strange’s ward, but no one acted
  upon the reports. Healthy Minds was, after all, a facility filled
  with psychotic individuals and the doctors who sought to cure
  them; screaming was just another regular occurrence.
  However, if one were to spend enough time in Dr. Strange’s
  ward, they would have realized the screams of his patients
  were much more terrifying than those of patients elsewhere.
  Illustration © Robert Spriggs/Shutterstock.com
  Derek Tyler (order #9232471)
  
  21
  Lucky for him, no one was allowed in the ward when these
  experiments were being performed.
  Dr. Strange was what many would consider a mad scientist. His
  theory of curing psychosis lain within the brain physically and
  not just mentally. In other words, to cure the truly psychotic
  one must remove the psychosis from the brain. While this may
  seem innocent enough given the era, it was the acts of
  experimentation performed afterward that would give
  onlookers the most pause. After cutting open a patient’s skull
  and removing part of their brain, Dr. Strange would then
  preserve that part of the brain and perform various
  experiments on it using various cadavers and “willing”
  volunteers (willing in that they were too drugged-up to fight the
  procedure). In Dr. Strange’s mind, one cannot fully understand
  the effects of a “tainted brain” unless you put that “tainted
  brain” in an untainted body.
  Dr. Strange had primarily kept his experimental technique quiet
  outside of a few trusted professionals. Upon explaining his
  experiment, these professionals became very distant,
  attempting to remove themselves from the debauchery of Dr.
  Strange’s mind. As was common in the medical industry,
  doctors would not inform the greater community about
  undesirable practices, but would instead shun the practitioner
  in hopes of keeping themselves away. They may have looked
  down upon Dr. Strange and his theories, but they would never
  vocally share their thoughts. After all, they were all doctors and
  during that era, experiments and theories were the norm.
  Dr. Strange’s psychotic patients rarely lived to see the outside
  of Healthy Minds. They did not die from the surgery, but all
  became vegetative afterward. Healthy Minds could not afford
  to care for that many such patients and would allow them to
  die. However, Dr. Strange’s recipients of the “tainted brain”
  pieces had extremely adverse side-effects. Those who were
  alive became psychotic killers, and those who were already
  dead rose to become something akin to a zombie. While
  transference of brain material should not cause this, Dr.
  Strange was more than just a medical doctor, he was also a
  necromancer.
  Dr. Strange was fairly unfamiliar with the concepts of the
  occult. He was not particularly versed in the goings on of the
  occult, nor was he very involved in any occult activity. Instead,
  he came upon a book of dark mysteries in a curio shop during a
  visit to New York City. Using a ritual inside the book, Dr. Strange
  called upon a demonic force to grant him dark powers. Being
  unable to properly handle the powers and generally unable to
  perform the ritual properly, a demon appeared in the shadows
  and decided to humor itself. Instead of just granting Dr. Strange
  powers of the occult, the demon gave the twisted doctor a
  taste of demonic powers in the form of near-immortality and
  influence over the undead.
  Dr. Strange had very mild necromantic abilities, and continually
  studied books on the occult so he could apply dark powers to
  his medical studies. Despite his limited necromantic abilities, no
  one in the occult would possibly acknowledge Dr. Strange as a
  necromancer. What he didn’t truly realize is that his dark
  powers were being transferred into his recipient patients
  during his experiments. Because his abilities were completely
  uncontrolled, Dr. Strange was unable to stop this transference
  of dark powers.
  Unbeknownst to Dr. Strange, he was not actually the cause of
  this transference of power. He gained his necromantic powers
  from a demon who watched his experiments from the
  shadows. The demon was so elated by the debauchery of these
  patients that his enjoyment of witnessing the procedures
  would bleed dark energy into the recipients, causing adverse
  side-effects.
  However, the demon was not controlled by Dr. Strange and
  instead wanted to revel in his misuse of these demonic powers,
  purely for pleasure. The demon hid in the shadows of Dr.
  Strange’s ward and witnessed the horrid experiments that
  doctor conducted. Dr. Strange thought his experiments were
  causing the transformation from cadaver to undead servant
  and that the dark being granted him occult powers to sire the
  undead; Dr. Strange was unaware that he was dealing with a
  demon. While he was correct about his control over the
  undead, it was the demon bringing them to “life.” As long as Dr.
  Strange performed his experiments in that ward, the demon
  continued animating the cadavers. After a while, the undead
  servants overran Healthy Minds and the facility was abandoned
  by all, including Dr. Strange.
  After Dr. Strange fled to the country to continue his
  experiments, he was shocked the cadavers no longer animated.
  Unsure of why, but knowing this always occurred back at his
  ward, Dr. Strange returned to the abandoned asylum to
  continue his work. With the immortality he gained, he has been
  able to continue his work without succumbing to old age; he
  was 64 when the asylum was shut down. Dr. Strange still looks
  like he did when he first contacted the demon at the age of 60.
  Dr. Strange continues his experiments, although now in the
  name of pleasure and not science. However, because Healthy
  Minds was shut down, Dr. Strange, and his demon associate,
  must resort to kidnapping to get new “volunteers” for his
  experiments.
  GREAT ADVENTURES
  By Aaron T. Huss
  The Asylum utilizes a battlemap set © DramaScape 2013, used with permission,
  and available at: http://www.rpgnow.com/product/114471/The-Asylum
  Derek Tyler (order #9232471)
  
  22 | For All Things Savage
  GREAT ADVENTURES
  OVERVIEW
  After returning to Healthy Minds 17 years ago, four years after
  it was shut down, Dr. Strange has run out of brain pieces
  extracted from patients while the asylum was open. To bring in
  new patients, he has enlisted the help of a horde of undead
  minions he controls, created by the bleeding dark magic of the
  demon while it witnessed the experiments. Even though some
  of the minions don’t make it back to the asylum, Dr. Strange has
  more than enough to replace them with. In fact, he could easily
  have four dozen, or at least enough to make the scenario
  interesting.
  Due to his newfound immortality, Dr. Strange no longer needs
  to worry about the drawbacks of being human, such as eating
  and social interaction. As such, he and the demon do not leave
  the asylum and instead rely on the undead minions to do all the
  dirty work, such as kidnapping people from the surrounding
  region and digging up bodies in the cemetery. These
  kidnappings and the sight of the undead minions have made
  the residents in and around Rochester extremely scared,
  looking to the PCs for resolution.
  The PCs could follow the tracks of the minions back to the
  asylum, fall victim to one of the kidnappings, or encounter a
  small horde in process of finding a new victim. Regardless of
  how they get to the asylum, the PCs encounter a countless
  number of undead minions, spirits of past Healthy Minds
  patients, sounds that drive terror deep into their minds, and
  finally Dr. Strange and his associate demon. If properly
  equipped, the PCs could clear the asylum and rid the land of
  this plague. If not properly equipped, or the scenario is the
  investigative type, they may find a way to banish the demon,
  ending Dr. Strange’s ability to create new undead minions.
  Regardless of the PCs intervention, Dr. Strange will not
  complete his experiments until coming to a satisfactory
  conclusion, which will never happen.
  Dr. Strange’s near-immortality means he never ages, but he can
  be killed. He thinks he has immortal powers due to the occult
  ritual, being completely unaware that he can be wounded like
  any other human. As such, when confronted by the PCs, he
  fights with complete disregard to his health. However, he is
  wary of the PCs being in his lab and instead of confronting them
  there, he lures them outside.
  Getting the PCs Involved
  The Asylum is designed to be dropped into any setting based in
  the Victorian era or utilizing Victorian styling. It is fantasy horror
  and the applicable setting should have some type of emphasis
  on horror. If running the adventure in a setting like Judgment
  Day where the PCs are hunters of supernatural beings, they
  have been assigned to investigate the goings on outside of
  Rochester after receiving reports of mutated human sightings
  during the kidnappings. The goal of the team is simple:
  eradicate the threat at all costs.
  If The Asylum is being placed in an investigative setting, the PCs
  will be assigned to investigate the sighting, in a similar fashion,
  but their goal should be one requiring extreme caution.
  Unaware of the dangers that lie ahead, the PCs may wish to
  monitor the asylum and find an occult spell to handle whatever
  beings lurk inside.
  However the PCs get involved, they are completely unaware of
  what lies ahead. Reports from Rochester are sketchy at best
  and no one has prior knowledge of Dr. Strange’s newfound
  residence within the abandoned asylum.
  INVESTIGATION
  There are two obvious ways to gather information regarding
  the reported sighting: speak to the people of Rochester or read
  their local newspaper, the Democrat and Chronicle. When
  speaking to the people of Rochester, good role-playing can lead
  the PCs to finding the information they need, otherwise have
  them make Streetwise rolls with a cumulative (-1) modifier for
  each additional piece of information they are attempting to
  find (to symbolize how uncommon subsequent facts are to
  locate). There is no time limit on the adventure, so PCs are
  welcome to make Streetwise rolls until they can no longer
  succeed. When looking through the newspaper, Investigation
  rolls are required with the same cumulative (-1) modifier for
  each piece of information they are attempting to locate.
  Streetwise and Investigation rolls can be Cooperative and the
  GM can rule that the people of Rochester become
  uncomfortable around the PCs as their investigation continues,
  fearing what horrors the PCs may uncover.
  Where do the Cadavers Come From?
  Healthy Minds was open for a very long time and had no
  shortage of patient deaths. They have a cemetery next to
  the facility that is used for these patients along with anyone
  else who cannot afford a burial plot elsewhere (an
  arrangement orchestrated by Dr. Strange when the asylum
  was open). Because Healthy Minds was so well-known as a
  medical facility to treat psychosis, patients would come
  from all over the United States. Thus, the cemetery is well-
  stocked for Dr. Strange’s experiments, although he will
  eventually run out.
  Derek Tyler (order #9232471)
  
  23
  GREAT ADVENTURES
  Talk to the People
  If talking to the people of Rochester, or the surrounding lands,
  through role-playing or Streetwise rolls, the PCs may discover
  the following:
  ·
  Five mutated humans came into Rochester and
  kidnapped the local baker, a man named David
  Worcheski. He was forcibly removed from his bakery
  after closing it at 7:00 PM on Friday, March 20.
  ·
  The mutated humans moved very quickly and their
  speech 
  pattern 
  was 
  completely 
  indiscernible,
  consisting mostly of loud grunts and screams.
  ·
  The mutated humans crashed through the front
  window of Worcheski’s Bakery to kidnap David.
  ·
  David Worcheski’s bakery was the only shop on that
  block with the lights on.
  ·
  No one actually saw the faces of the mutated humans,
  but their bodies were misshapen and they moved at
  incredible speeds.
  Newspaper Headlines
  By looking through the newspaper, the PCs can find a number
  of headlines. These headlines assume the PCs arrive five days
  after the kidnapping.
  ·
  Saturday March 21, 1896: David Worcheski, of
  Worcheski’s Bakery, was forcibly removed from his
  store shortly after closing at 7:00 PM. Witnesses say a
  band of thugs, dressed in tattered clothing, sprinted
  into town, screaming and grunting, scaring many of
  the locals, and broke into the bakery through the front
  window. The police have launched a full investigation.
  ·
  Sunday March 22, 1896: Robert Hutchington, a local
  rancher southwest of Rochester, was found murdered
  outside of his home. His face was violently scratched
  and a large bite wound was found in his abdomen.
  Police fear a mountain lion may be in the area.
  ·
  Monday March 23, 1896: Rochester detectives have
  concluded that David Worcheski was kidnapped in a
  fashion similar to that of Katherine Laye nearly six
  months prior. Both were forcibly removed, although
  Katherine appeared to have been taken through a
  damaged doorway.
  ·
  Tuesday March 24, 1896: The Rochester police have
  advised that all citizens stay indoors after sunset until
  the culprits of the kidnapping are found.
  Follow the Trail
  Although it may not be obvious at first, the PCs need to travel
  southwest of Rochester to find the abandoned Healthy Minds
  asylum. Robert Hutchington was murdered by the undead
  minions simply because he was in the way while they were
  heading back to the asylum. If the PCs do not follow this lead,
  they should be able to follow a track of environmental disorder
  as the undead minions broke bushes, farm fences, created
  paths in the mud, or maybe even killed a horse on their way
  back to the asylum. It should be relatively easy as the minions
  are by no means careful, but if necessary, have the PCs make a
  Tracking roll to spot the chaos.
  After traveling 25 miles southwest, the PCs come upon the
  Healthy Minds asylum, with a large sign claiming as such on the
  edge of the property line. A frontal assault is probably not the
  best idea as there are dozens of undead minions mingling about
  outside and inside. The PCs thus have a few options for moving
  forward, and here are a couple ideas:
  ·
  The PCs could attempt to lure small groups of minions
  and dispose of them easily. If this method is chosen,
  two minions per PC engage in combat.
  ·
  The PCs attempt to investigate the facility better by
  observing the activities and traveling back to
  Rochester for more answers.
  ·
  The PCs could attempt to distract the minions by luring
  them away from the asylum to create an opening to
  get inside.
  While these are not the only possible solutions, they are the
  three that this adventure expands on for simplicity’s sake. If the
  PCs come up with other creative means of gaining access into
  the asylum or eradicating the undead minions, allow them to
  Regarding the Asylum
  Healthy Minds was built in the early 1800s before electricity
  was available. Although there were plans to upgrade the
  facility to electrical lighting, this was neglected due to the
  abandonment of the facility. Thus the lighting inside is gas
  lighting, which has run out. Traversing inside the asylum
  must either be done during the day to allow for natural
  lighting or during the night with portable light sources.
  Otherwise the entire facility is considered Dark while
  windows provide Dim lighting for an area equivalent to a
  Medium-Burst Template centered on the window. Outside
  the asylum the moon and stars provide Dim lighting.
  Derek Tyler (order #9232471)
  
  24 | For All Things Savage
  GREAT ADVENTURES
  run with their idea using the rest of the content within the
  adventure as guidance.
  Ø
  Undead Minions: Two per PC
  Minion Hordes
  Dr. Strange’s undead minions prefer to travel in small hordes.
  At the Seasoned rank, this equates to two minions per PC. At a
  higher rank, adjustments should be made. The minions are
  essentially very feral and travel like this instinctually. They can
  easily best a human alone, but prefer to “hunt” together to
  more easily overwhelm their victim. As they are undead, they
  do not need sustenance to survive, however they do “hunt” the
  surrounding lands to catch animals for sporting mutilation.
  Should a wary traveler happen upon the asylum, the undead
  minions will instead choose the human as their next prey. They
  prefer a victim that will give chase over one that simply lies
  down to die.
  The PCs should have to face at least two hordes of undead
  minions to gain access inside the asylum. If the PCs easily
  overcome the minions, have the second horde arrive during
  combat with the first horde. Another option is to throw a third
  horde at the PCs, but don’t make this an undead-hunting
  adventure as they are merely meant to slow the PCs down and
  act as an obstacle. The true horror is inside the asylum.
  Ø
  Undead Minions: Two per PC
  Asylum Investigation
  Instead of simply running in to blow away the minions, the PCs
  may choose to further their knowledge of the asylum. If they
  choose this route, traversing the asylum to find Dr. Strange and
  his demon associate should be much easier as the PCs are
  familiar with the layout of the asylum; compared to if they
  neglected further investigation. With little more needed than
  the name on the sign, Healthy Minds, the PCs can travel back to
  Rochester to find the information they need.
  Once again, there is no time limit on this investigation and a
  cumulative (-1) penalty should be applied to each subsequent
  die roll after the first. Either through role-playing, Streetwise
  rolls, or Investigation rolls using Rochester’s newspapers or city
  documents, the PCs can discern the following:
  Ÿ
  The Healthy Minds medical facility was built in 1820 as
  a place to treat those suffering from psychosis.
  Ÿ
  Healthy Minds was renovated in 1865, doubling the
  size of the institution.
  Ÿ
  Healthy Minds came under a horrible incursion of
  psychotic outbreaks and was closed in 1875.
  Derek Tyler (order #9232471)
  
  25
  GREAT ADVENTURES
  Ÿ
  To accommodate the many patients that died during
  treatment, a cemetery was built next to Healthy Minds
  as a final resting place for the sick.
  Ÿ
  Dr. Bartholomew Strange commissioned the cemetery
  and deemed it available to those who could not afford
  their own burial plot.
  Ÿ
  Healthy Minds became renowned as a place to send
  family members suffering from psychosis. Their
  revolutionary means of treatment were second to
  none.
  Ÿ
  Although records show that most doctors from
  Healthy Minds moved away after the facility closed,
  there are no records of Dr. Strange’s whereabouts.
  This information comes in the form of an article that
  most doctors from Healthy Minds took transfers to
  New York City.
  Note that Dr. Strange’s experiments are not documented and
  cannot be located through any means other than speaking to
  Dr. Strange or one of his long lost coworkers (who mostly refuse
  to speak about their time at Healthy Minds). However, Dr.
  Strange’s former coworkers would be in their 70s or 80s.
  Through their investigation of the asylum, back in Rochester,
  the PCs come upon some type of description of the facility. This
  description is mostly vague but shows there are three floors
  with different wards on each floor and a stairwell that connects
  them all. With this information, the PCs can quickly locate the
  stairwells once inside the asylum; otherwise they’ll have to
  search for them.
  Distraction
  The PCs could create a distraction for the undead minions to
  draw them away from the doors of the asylum. Doing this
  means they will still have to be dealt with later, but possibly on
  the PCs’ terms. Because the minions are essentially feral, they
  BASEMENT
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  are easily distracted by unnatural sounds (such as the sound of
  gunfire), possible prey (the sounds of animals in the distance),
  or even a display of awe (such as a PC with powers that can
  create an explosion in the distance).
  Should a distraction be created, at least one horde of undead
  minions spends hours trying to find its source. At least one
  other horde will advance toward the distraction, hanging out
  near the end of the cemetery with their backs toward the
  asylum’s front door. The PCs could thus gain passage into the
  asylum and because there are so many sounds within, the
  undead minions outside will not be a threat again until the PCs
  exit the asylum.
  If desired, the PCs could then distract the undead minions again
  once they are leaving the asylum. Of course, ignoring the
  undead minions means they can rampage the countryside
  without the direction of their sire, Dr. Strange, once he is dead.
  The PCs would then need to address that after the adventure
  ends, possibly leading to another adventure. Keep in mind, the
  final confrontation with Dr. Strange and the demon occurs
  outside within the hearing range of the undead minions.
  INSIDE THE ASYLUM
  After the PCs are satisfied with their initial investigation, they
  need to enter the asylum to find the kidnapped Warcheski and
  confront Dr. Strange and the demon. Traversing the inside
  should be relatively easy, but it is filled with spirits of past
  patients and wandering groups of undead minions.
  Either whenever it’s convenient for the storyline or at an
  inopportune moment, the PCs happen upon some resistance.
  The minions inside the asylum have not grouped-up as much as
  the ones outside, but they are not nearly as dangerous as the
  psychotic spirits that haunt the asylum. Choose one of the
  following for random encounters throughout the asylum:
  Ø
  Undead Minions: One per PC
  Ø
  Psychotic Patients: One per two PCs
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  These encounters are meant to augment the overall storyline
  and provide tension inside the asylum. If the PCs become
  overwhelmed, have the assailants cower from the PCs and
  never appear again. If the adventure needs to be quicker,
  ignore these random encounters. If the PCs are having an easy
  time and want to destroy as much as possible, run the random
  encounters frequently. Additionally, if the PCs do not have any
  magical attacks to overcome the psychotic patients, they can
  simply travel to a different ward and the psychotic patients will
  not follow.
  Nurse Burkhart
  Eva Burkhart was a nurse at Healthy Minds during the 1850s
  and 1860s. Nearing her 20th anniversary, she was assigned to
  tending to the patients in solitary confinement, in the
  basement. To her, this was a mostly relaxing move as it meant
  she spent most of her time checking to see the patients were
  still alive and not having to worry so much about working with
  the doctors to treat their psychosis.
  Nurse Burkhart came under the lustful eye of patient David
  Morrison, whose psychotic outbreaks always led to violence.
  After spending many months in treatment, Morrison was
  locked away in solitary confinement for two weeks to calm him
  down. Even though Morrison lost contact with anyone outside
  of Nurse Burkhart, it did not help to quell his anger and instead
  filled him with rage.
  One afternoon, Morrison had managed to free himself of his
  straight jacket and pick the lock to his door prior to Nurse
  Burkhart checking on him. When she came upon his room, he
  threw the door open, slamming her against the wall in the
  hallway. Morrison was enraged with lust and anger, raping and
  killing Nurse Burkhart. Guards were quick to react, but not
  quick enough. They shot Morrison in the head, but not until
  after he had crushed Burkhart with his knees in the process of
  the attack.
  As the PCs enter the asylum, the cacophony of the attack on
  Nurse Burkhart can be heard in ghostly tones. Notice checks
  may be required, but the sounds are trapped with the spirits of
  Morrison and Burkhart and can be heard as if they were faint
  but nearby. The PCs can easily follow the sounds to the
  stairwell, following it down into the basement.
  Upon coming out of the stairwell and entering the hallway, the
  PCs witness the decrepit, ethereal bodies of Morrison and
  Burkhart locked in this endless struggle of mutilation. Unlike
  the attack when both were alive, the spirits of the two have
  fallen into an eternal fight where each one becomes horribly
  disfigured and eventually dismembered by the other. Once
  both spirits are completely mutilated, the scene fades away
  and returns again the following day.
  Neither Morrison nor Burkhart acknowledge the PCs. They are
  completely oblivious to intrusions, playing out their skirmish as
  if they were the only two around. Witnessing this gruesome act
  forces a Fear -2 roll to be made as the two deface each other’s
  bodies. 
  Possible 
  descriptions 
  of 
  the 
  scene 
  include:
  decapitation, castration, amputation, and evisceration. It is
  truly a horrendous site to see.
  The only way this eternal skirmish will ceaseto appear every
  day is if someone uses a magical attack, aimed at Morrison’s
  head, that causes at least one Wound. This encounter is a red
  herring, but if any PC discovers how to end the cycle, award
  them with an extra Benny for allowing Nurse Eva Burkhart to
  finally achieve eternal peace.
  Crazy Sam
  Samuel Redding was a well-known man in Rochester, New York.
  He served as mayor for eight years and spent his time before
  and after that performing various duties for the city and county.
  Gunfire
  Dr. Strange and his associate demon ignore the sounds
  throughout the asylum, knowing there are many trapped
  spirits there that do all types of crazy things. Their attention
  is not drawn by gunfire. However, large explosions that
  could potentially shake the house would be noticed, causing
  them to investigate.
  The undead minions are not as controlled as Dr. Strange and
  frequently investigate any noises they hear. They are still
  too dumb to understand that the same spirits are making
  the same noises due to their eternal captivity.
  CRAZY SAM
  Crazy Sam is eternally trapped in the asylum until
  someone frees him by killing him.
  Attr: Agility d6, Smarts d4, Spirit d8, Strength d6, Vigor d6
  Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 5
  Skills: Fighting d6, Intimidation d10, Notice d8, Stealth d6,
  Taunt d10, Throwing d8
  Armor: None
  Weapons: Thrown Objects (Str+d4)
  Special Abilities:
  ·
  Ethereal: Crazy Sam is immaterial and can only be
  harmed by magical attacks.
  ·
  Fear -1: When Crazy Sam becomes enraged, his
  form changes to that of a lunatic spirit, disfigured
  by time.
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  Unfortunately, Redding was a bit hysterical at times and
  frequently checked himself into Healthy Minds for two- to
  three-day stays. He always felt better after his stays, but when
  he felt his mind beginning to crack, he would hurry to the
  asylum for his regular therapy.
  Samuel Redding suffered from post-traumatic stress due to an
  incident that occurred when he was a young boy back in 1825.
  He was outside with his brother Frederick who he witnessed
  slipping on mud and sliding down an embankment, impaling
  himself on a set of large broken branches. While Redding was
  mostly able to shut out the memory during his youth, the scene
  would replay itself periodically during his adulthood. When this
  happened, he would become extremely stressed, suffering
  from anxiety, nightmares, and suicidal thoughts. He would then
  check himself into Healthy Minds to be free from his memory
  for an indefinite period of time.
  When Dr. Strange had culled together a horde of undead
  minions and accidentally unleashed them throughout the
  asylum, Redding was one of the victims, and a reason why the
  asylum was closed.
  Redding was nicknamed “Crazy Sam” due to his outbreaks.
  Although he was not clinically defined as crazy, should he not
  have sought treatment, he may have crossed that threshold.
  His restless spirit now haunts the first floor of Healthy Minds
  where short-stay patients were. He cowers from the undead
  minions and shouts for help whenever Dr. Strange comes near.
  Unfortunately for him, Dr. Strange, and his demon associate,
  completely ignore the spirits that haunt Healthy Minds,
  becoming accustomed to their presence.
  When the PCs enter the first floor, Crazy Sam sees them and
  starts yelling for help. He has turned the nurses’ stand into his
  eternal home and desperately seeks a way to leave the asylum.
  However, Crazy Sam is only sane for brief instances and lashes
  out at the PCs as soon as they draw near. He is most likely
  seeing the PCs as part of a nightmare, or his spiritual mind has
  completely gone insane due to his lack of treatment.
  As with the psychotic patients, Crazy Sam is confined to the
  area he lives in. He cannot leave the first floor and cannot enter
  the stairwell.
  Second Floor
  The second floor is one of two floors dedicated to the bulk of
  Healthy Minds’ purpose. This is where the patients would
  reside, and if full, new patients would be sent to the third floor.
  The second floor has thus seen no shortage of psychotic
  outbreaks and attempts to cure the patients with psychological
  and physical treatment; on the second floor, this was mostly
  psychological. While there can potentially be any number of
  undead minions and psychotic patients on this floor, it is always
  ripe with ghastly sounds, smells, and spiritual scenes. In
  general, however, the undead minions tend to stay away from
  the second floor due to the psychotic serial killer Geoff Mueler.
  If the GM wishes to extend the length of this scenario, the
  second floor is an optimal place for random encounters.
  Otherwise, simply continue by describing the spiritual presence
  on this floor without the need for combat encounters.
  Regardless, read or paraphrase the following once the PCs
  arrive at the second floor:
  You have come upon the asylum’s second floor. While
  the first floor seemed somewhat inviting to visitors, at
  least when the asylum was functioning, this floor is
  very grim and disturbing. Very little light breaks
  through the windows, and upon inspection this
  appears to be deliberate. From the hallway (or
  stairwell if the PCs are still in the stairwell), you can
  hear a cacophony of screams, moans, clatters, and
  general chaos.
  The second floor is filled with spirits locked in an endless loop
  of dealing with their psychosis. Some were victims of the
  undead minions when they were unleashed upon the facility,
  some were victims of Dr. Strange’s experiments, and others
  were simply unable to break their mental instability and thus
  were “put to sleep.”
  The number of encounters on the second floor should be
  determined by the GM before reaching this floor. Like the
  undead minions, these encounters are meant to serve as a
  distraction along with attempting to break the minds of the
  PCs. If using a setting with Sanity or Corruption, this is a good
  place to take those mechanics into consideration.
  A number of possible spiritual encounters are available on the
  second floor. Choose a couple for the PCs to come across, no
  matter where they are on this floor. Too many may get
  repetitious and too few may soften the tension of the scenario.
  If the PCs choose not to investigate the second floor, stress that
  there is a kidnapped victim who could possibly be on this floor
  (due to screams for help). Otherwise, run one of these
  encounters in the stairwell where the PCs stand.
  Fleeing Spirit
  During the madness of the undead minions’ attacks, many
  patients were fleeing for their lives right before they met a
  horrible death. They now spend their eternal lives repeating
  the horror they felt on that day within the hallway of the
  second floor.
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  Many panicked spirits can be seen fleeing out of their rooms
  and down the hallways, attempting to make it to the stairwell,
  a completely fruitless effort when the event occurred.
  Periodically, these spirits can be seen duplicating their terror-
  stricken sprint away from the undead minions that are no
  longer there. Some make it to the stairwell and can be seen
  falling onto the floor with large tears in their backs. Some only
  make it halfway down the hallway, only to have their faces torn
  apart. The rest failed to make it out of the rooms and are
  tackled to the ground and beaten to death.
  All of these scenes are horrific to witness, forcing a Fear -1 roll
  to be made, although only the spirits are involved. Each spirit is
  clearly attacked by someone or something, but whatever is
  attacking them never appears as they are not a part of the
  spiritual replaying of the events. These spirits are eternally
  trapped and can only be freed once the last undead minion is
  killed, at which time the spirits’ eternal shackles will fall away.
  Favorite Nurse
  The long term patients of Healthy Minds had one nurse in
  particular they all liked. Nurse Gretchen Williams had been
  working at the asylum for almost 40 years when the undead
  minions attacked. She was easily every patient’s favorite nurse
  due to her extreme patience and soothing voice. Nurse
  Williams was well-known for her ability to calm the patients
  when they would wake up with night terrors.
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  Unfortunately for all, Nurse Williams was working the day the
  undead minions attacked and became one of their victims.
  Although her ghost is trapped on the second floor, it is the only
  calm spirit around. Additionally, Nurse Williams is able to
  interact with the PCs. Her duty was always to see to the health
  of the patients and she continues her duty even as a spirit.
  Instead of being trapped in some endless loop of horror, her
  spirit still tends to the ethereal patients who now reside on the
  second floor.
  Nurse Williams is an excellent source of information for the
  PCs. Although she is a ghost, her persona is one of tranquility
  and gives off an aura of peace. Even without powers, the PCs
  should be able to detect this emotionally as they draw near.
  She does not become startled by the PCs’ presence and
  assumes they are new doctors working in the asylum. As the
  PCs get within ten feet, Nurse Williams turns her attention to
  them and calmly states, “You folks look like you are lost. Is
  there anywhere I can direct you?”
  Nurse Williams can be harmed by magical attacks, although she
  will never fight back. If the PCs get violent, she will simply
  scream out “Why?!” until falling to the ground (treat her as a
  Wild Card). After one hour, her spirit will return with the same
  tranquility as before. If the PCs speak with Nurse Williams, she
  has many stories to tell about Healthy Minds since starting
  there in 1837.
  If asked, Nurse Williams tells the PCs about the undead minions
  that attacked her and the other patients. She no longer fears
  them as they rarely step onto the second floor, but she fears for
  the solitude of the patients she cares for (even though they are
  spirits). She is fully aware of her ethereal state, and the state of
  her spiritual patients, but claims it is her eternal duty to keep
  these patients healthy. As long as a second floor patient’s spirit
  remains in the asylum, Nurse Williams will continue her duties.
  This means her spirit will not be freed until the last spirit of her
  patients has been set free.
  Nurse Williams describes how she has chosen to spend her
  eternal days within the walls of the asylum. She has a sworn
  duty to her patients and will not leave them behind. Her “oath”
  has shackled her spirit to the asylum, even though she could
  have been free from the beginning. If pressed further for
  discussion, Nurse Williams admits her choice for staying is only
  partly due to her sworn duty for her patients.
  Nurse Williams had a son when she was 18 years old. After a
  short youth of only 10 years, her son went insane and was
  committed to Healthy Minds. Williams was already a nurse
  when her son was born, but as soon as he was committed, she
  transferred from Rochester to Healthy Minds to care of her son
  and the other patients, who she then felt sorry for.
  Both Nurse Williams and her son, Patrick, were killed by the
  undead minions. She was 66 when it happened and her son
  almost 48. His mind had mostly left him and Patrick was little
  more than a mindless drone during his days at Healthy Minds.
  No one figured out why he was like this, or why he would have
  periodic outbreaks of psychosis, but Nurse Williams was
  determined to never let her son out of her sight.
  Nurse Williams’ spirit spends most of its time caring for the
  spirit of her son Patrick, although the other patients are never
  neglected. Patrick’s spirit does not interact with anyone and is
  essentially in an eternal vegetative state. Like many others, his
  spirit will not be freed until the last undead minion has been
  killed.
  If asked about Dr. Strange, Nurse Williams knows very little. He
  was a reclusive man while the asylum was open and knows
  nothing of his current whereabouts (he never steps foot on the
  second floor). She has definitely heard of him and that he kept
  a lab on the fourth floor, deemed as private and few were ever
  allowed inside. Nurse Williams spent most of her time on the
  first and second floors with a little interaction on the third floor.
  She had never been to the fourth floor or the basement.
  Optionally, if the PCs attack Nurse Williams, Patrick’s spirit will
  awaken and attack the PCs. Use the same stat block as Crazy
  Sam’s. Patrick cannot leave the second floor. If he is killed, he
  reappears with his mother after one hour in the same
  vegetative state. Neither one retains the memory of being
  attacked in their spiritual form.
  Rowdiness
  Healthy Minds’ long term patients all suffer from some type of
  psychosis or mental instability. As such, there was always a case
  of rowdiness that would breakout maybe once a month,
  sometimes twice a month. When one patient would start to
  crack, another would join in on the cacophony. After seeing two
  patients going crazy, a whole room would quickly follow.
  The discordance of patients was one thing Nurse Williams
  attempted to calm, but was usually only successful in keeping it
  from bleeding into the hallway and infecting the entire floor.
  Thus, in a room other than Nurse Williams’ a fit of rowdy spirits
  breaks out. The PCs cannot see this from the stairwell and must
  enter the room to witness it.
  The rowdy spirits are mostly oblivious to the PCs’ presence, or
  at least they simply ignore them until being acted upon. They
  always remain in the room, but their rowdiness results in
  furniture being thrown about. The PCs can attempt to kill the
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  spirits using the psychotic patients’ stat block, at one per PC.
  These rowdy spirits are generally afraid of confrontation and
  only engage the PCs two at a time until all are dead.
  Ø
  Psychotic Patients: One per PC
  If the PCs simply watch the rowdiness, they risk being hit by
  furniture. Roll a d6 and on a roll of 5 or 6, at least one PC has a
  bed frame hurled at him that does 2d6 damage. The PC is
  allowed an Agility roll to get out of the way and completely
  avoid the damage. If these spirits are killed, they do not
  reappear but are freed from the asylum’s eternal shackles.
  Otherwise they are not freed until the last undead minion is
  killed.
  Deadly Haunt
  There is one horrific spirit on the second floor that haunts it
  constantly, so much that even the undead minions are afraid of
  it. This spirit is that of a serial killer named Geoff Mueler who
  was going through extreme therapy to “cure” him of his
  homicidal tendencies. The treatment was never successful and
  Mueler was instead handed over to Dr. Strange for something
  more radical.
  Dr. Strange removed what he believed was the tainted part of
  Mueler’s 
  brain, 
  hopefully 
  placating 
  him 
  for 
  good.
  Unfortunately, Mueler was much too psychotic to be pacified
  with this experiment, unlike many others of Dr. Strange’s
  patients, and instead he went completely psychotic upon
  returning to the second floor.
  When Mueler returned to the second floor, he waited until the
  nurses had left the room and splintered part of a wooden
  drawer stand, thus acquiring a sharp weapon. He proceeded to
  attack the three other patients in his room by stabbing them in
  the throat with the wooden “dagger,” killing them all. Because
  the others were napping, he was able to do his heinous deed
  without any unnecessary sounds being created. Mueler then
  proceeded to bathe in the blood of his victims as the nurse
  walked up to the door. The nurse looked inside the room and
  immediately locked the door, to trap Mueler inside. She ran to
  get two guards and allowed them access to the room.
  Mueler fought hard by throwing furniture and bodies around,
  hoping to distract the guards long enough for him to strike. He
  attempted to stab one in the throat, but was caught mid-flight
  by a gunshot to the stomach. A second gunshot followed with
  a bullet to his heart. Mueler dropped the wooden dagger and
  fell to the floor. His spirit now haunts the second floor and is so
  violent that the undead minions give it whatever space it
  requires.
  Geoff Mueler’s spirit can’t attack the other spirits as his attacks
  do nothing. He can attack material beings and has been known
  to kill wandering undead minions (maybe their bodies still
  remain in the corner). He can’t leave the second floor, and if the
  PCs spend five minutes on the second floor, wander into the
  rooms opposite the stairwell, or whenever the GM deems
  necessary, Mueler’s spirit attacks. Mueler can enter the
  stairwell and waits for the PCs there should they flee instead of
  fight him. Of course, they can always flee in a second encounter.
  Third Floor
  On the day the undead minions attacked the patients and
  employees at Healthy Minds, the third floor was all but empty
  with the patients either in treatment on the second floor,
  eating in the cafeteria on the first floor, or just out socializing.
  After the dust settled, only a couple employees lay dead on the
  third floor, but without any lingering spirits. Because of the lack
  of spirits on the third floor, the undead minions have turned
  this into their home. Although they don’t necessarily sleep, this
  is where they spend most of their time during the day with
  GEOFF MUELER
  Geoff Mueler is a psychotic serial killer and a patient
  of Dr. Strange’s that got worse after the experiment.
  Attr: Agility d10, Smarts d6, Spirit d10, Strength d8, Vigor
  d10
  Pace: 8; Parry: 7; Toughness: 7
  Skills: Fighting d10, Intimidation d12, Notice d12, Stealth
  d12+2, Taunt d12, Throwing d10
  Armor: None
  Weapons: Thrown Objects (Str+d4), Splintered Wooden
  Dagger (Str+d4+1; AP 1)
  Special Abilities:
  ·
  Fear -2: Geoff Mueler is the epitome of psychosis
  and his spirit is horribly disfigured with an aura that
  radiates rage and fear; a truly horrific sight to see
  and emotion to feel.
  ·
  Fearless: Immune to Fear and Intimidation.
  ·
  Fleet-footed: d10 running die instead of a d6.
  ·
  Semi-Ethereal: Although Geoff Mueler is mostly
  ethereal, his spirit is trapped in some type of in-
  between state due to Dr. Strange’s experiment.
  Until engaging hand-to-hand combat with his
  splintered wooden dagger, Mueler is considered
  ethereal and can only be harmed by magical
  attacks. Once he moves to attack with the dagger
  (as soon as he gets close enough), he becomes
  semi-ethereal and takes half damage by all non-
  magical attacks along with full damage by magical
  attacks.
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  many spending the night here as well, although many prefer to
  spend their nights outside.
  The undead minions are feral and curious, but ultimately naïve
  to what’s going on around them. They are accustomed to the
  noises coming from the second floor due to the trapped spirits
  and thus ignore any encounters the PCs have already had.
  When the PCs arrive on the third floor they are spotted
  immediately. It is packed with undead minions.
  Ø
  Undead Minions: Four per PC
  It should be clear that the PCs are horribly outnumbered and
  can easily become overwhelmed in a direct confrontation.
  Unless the PCs are strong enough to face the minions head-on,
  tactics have to be employed. Although a number of options
  exist, here are a few examples to keep the action moving:
  ·
  Lure them to the Second Floor: Geoff Mueler hates
  the undead minions and wants nothing more than to
  kill as many as he can. As long as there is an undead
  minion on the second floor, Mueler ignores the PCs.
  Once there are no more undead minions on the
  second floor, Mueler moves in to attack. If he is still
  alive, or if the GM decides that he reappears even
  after being killed, the undead minions can be easily
  lured down the stairwell to be taken out by Mueler.
  The undead minions can be lured down the stairwell
  simply by getting their attention and fleeing down the
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  stairs. Upon engaging in combat, Mueler serves as an
  ally until no more undead minions remain, at which
  time he becomes an enemy of the PCs and moves to
  attack them.
  ·
  Split the Horde: If the PCs get the attention of the
  undead minions, a single horde moves in to attack
  (equal to one per PC). The PCs may then lure that
  horde down to a different floor and deal with them
  without the rest of the horde being a factor. They can
  do this a number of times necessary until the third
  floor is cleared.
  ·
  Cause a Distraction: If the PCs have the ability to
  create a distraction on the far end of the third floor, at
  least half the horde will be too enthralled with their
  investigation to engage in combat until the first half of
  the horde is dead. This can also be done if the PCs have
  the ability to create a distraction outside, causing the
  undead minions to stare out the window while their
  compatriots are being taken out.
  ·
  Create an Explosion: If the PCs can create an
  explosion, such as one using the Medium or Large
  Burst Templates, the undead minions start to panic.
  Instead of moving to engage the PCs, they run around
  aimlessly, acting as easy targets. If this is done, the
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  undead minions only attack once they are attacked
  first. However, an explosion capable of causing this
  mayhem alerts Dr. Strange and his associate demon,
  causing them to investigate.
  ·
  Hide and Seek: The PCs could opt to use the furniture
  within the various rooms on the third floor to play a
  game of hide and seek. If they succeed on a Stealth
  roll, modified by whatever furniture they are hiding
  behind, they may then make ranged attacks as they
  please, and each undead minion has to succeed on a
  Notice roll before attacking a PC.
  As long as the PCs do not create an explosion, they will have to
  travel to the fourth floor to find Dr. Strange, his associate
  demon, and what remains of the kidnapped David Worcheski.
  Fourth Floor
  The fourth floor is only about half the size of the other floors
  and was long ago turned into Dr. Strange’s personal “domain”
  where he performed all his experiments and research. After
  returning to the asylum, Dr. Strange turned the fourth floor into
  his eternal “home” and primarily spends all his time here
  except when giving orders to the undead minions.
  Dr. Strange is enthralled in his latest experiment, inside the
  second operating room, and only hears the PCs as they come
  up the stairs and into the hallway. He yells out, thinking they
  are an undead minion, how he has told them numerous times
  to stay downstairs to wait for his command. Without hearing
  the proper grumbling response, he looks into the hallway to see
  the PCs standing there.
  Dr. Strange quickly jumps back into the operating room, yells
  out something in Latin, and a large cloud of black smoke fills the
  operating room. When the smoke dissipates, all that’s left is
  David Worcheski, or what’s left of him as Dr. Strange’s twisted
  experiments have left him mutilated. Dr. Strange’s associate
  demon has animated David Worcheski, turning him into what is
  essentially a revenant.
  DAVID WORCHESKI
  David Worcheski has been mutilated by Dr.
  Strange’s experiments and subsequently reanimated
  into a violent undead creature.
  Attr: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d8, Strength d10, Vigor d8
  Pace: 8; Parry: 7; Toughness: 8
  Skills: Fighting d10, Intimidation d10, Notice d8, Throwing
  d10
  Armor: None
  Weapons: Bite (Str+d6), Claws (Str+d8)
  Special Abilities:
  ·
  Fear -2: David Worcheski’s mutilated body is
  horrific to see.
  ·
  Fearless: Immune to Fear and Intimidation.
  ·
  Fleet-footed: d10 running die instead of a d6.
  ·
  Undead: +2 Toughness; +2 to recover from being
  Shaken; called shots do no extra damage.
  Illustration © Slava Gerj/Shutterstock.com
  Derek Tyler (order #9232471)
  
  35
  GREAT ADVENTURES
  After this, the PCs must travel back through the house to
  encounter Dr. Strange and his associate demon in the cemetery.
  CEMETERY
  The cemetery outside Healthy Minds is a dismal place. Right
  now, it is shrouded in a black smoke as Dr. Strange stands on
  the edge of the obstruction being created by his associate
  demon. Neither one knows why the PCs are there, although
  they have their suspicions due to the kidnappings Dr. Strange
  has ordered. If the PCs are particularly curious about the
  cemetery, with a successful Notice roll, they find that every
  single burial plot has been disturbed. In fact, all but one per PC
  is empty (for the minor demon to summon as zombies using the
  standard Savage Worlds zombie stat block).The deceased have
  become part of the undead minions’ army.
  Dr. Strange does not move to attack as he is uncertain of the
  PCs’ goal. If they attack first, he reciprocates. If they want to
  talk, he gladly discusses his lifelong experiments and how he
  wishes to discover a cause of psychosis and ultimately a cure.
  Should the PCs attempt to capture or subdue him, he attacks. If
  they stick with their diplomatic ways and move on, he watches
  until they are out of sight and goes back into the asylum.
  Dr. Strange’s associate demon does nothing unless Dr. Strange
  does first. He has nothing against the PCs and will only serve to
  protect Dr. Strange as they have become partners. If the PCs
  find a way to banish the demon, Dr. Strange moves to attack as
  he does not want to see his partner gone (although he is still
  completely unaware that the demon is the one causing the
  undead to rise). The PCs could optionally find a way to sneak
  back into the asylum and banish the demon without Dr. Strange
  knowing. Once Dr. Strange becomes aware of this, he hunts
  down the PCs (possibly leading to a campaign nemesis) and will
  not stop until they are dead. However, his undead minion army
  fails to grow and if they are all dead, he will hunt the PCs alone.
  If the PCs engage in combat, both Dr. Strange and his associate
  demon engage and fight to the death.
  DR. STRANGE
  Dr. Strange was a doctor of psychotic patients who
  frequently implemented experimental treatment. His
  interests in the occult led him to summon a demon who granted
  Dr. Strange very minor necromantic abilities.
  Attr: Agility d6, Smarts d10, Spirit d8, Strength d6, Vigor d6
  Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 5
  Skills: Fighting d6, Healing d10, Invocation d8, Knowledge
  (Occult) d6, Knowledge (Psychology) d10
  Armor: None
  Weapons: Dagger (Str+d4)
  Special Abilities:
  ·
  Hardy: The magic that keeps Dr. Strange from aging
  also enhances his Toughness; he does not suffer a
  Wound for being Shaken twice.
  ·
  Immunity: Immune to Poison and Disease.
  Powers: Dr. Strange has 15 Power Points and knows
  the following powers with a necromantic trapping:
  puppet and summon ally
  Illustration © Slava Gerj/Shutterstock.com
  Derek Tyler (order #9232471)
  
  36 | For All Things Savage
  GREAT ADVENTURES
  MINOR DEMON
  Dr. Strange’s demon is a lowly demon with little power
  in the chaos realm. It is able to grant Dr. Strange a small
  amount of power and has the ability to animate the dead.
  However, in the chaos realm, he is little more than a pion.
  Attr: Agility d8, Smarts d10, Spirit d10, Strength d12, Vigor d10
  Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 10 (1)
  Skills: Chaos d10, Fighting d8, Intimidation d10, Notice d8,
  Taunt d10
  Armor: Thick skin (All 1)
  Weapons: Claws (Str+d6)
  Special Abilities:
  ·
  Demon: +2 to recover from being Shaken; only suffer
  half-damage from non-magical attacks except from
  cold iron and palladium.
  ·
  Fear -2: David Worcheski’s mutilated body is horrific to
  see.
  ·
  Fearless: Immune to Fear and Intimidation.
  ·
  Immunity: Immune to Poison and Disease.
  Powers: Minor demons have 20 Power Points and
  know the following powers with a dark, chaotic
  trapping (using the Chaos arcane skill):
  bolt,
  growth/shrink, havoc, obscure, shape change, and
  zombie
  ·
  Size +2: Minor Demons are about ten ft. tall.
  ·
  Weakness (Cold Iron):Demons take full damage from
  cold iron weapons.
  ·
  Weakness (Palladium): Demons take full damage from
  palladium weapons.
  WRAP-UP
  If the PCs were sent to rescue David Worcheski, it should
  become somehow obvious that he no longer lives and was the
  revenant they fought in the operating room. If the player’s miss
  it, allow the PCs a Common Knowledge roll at (-2) to figure it
  out. They should relay this information back to whoever “hired”
  them to do the investigation, or at least provide some type of
  follow-up so the case can be closed.
  If Dr. Strange and the demon were left alive, because maybe
  the investigation was only to find the whereabouts of David
  Worcheski, another kidnapping occurs in six months. If all the
  undead minions were killed, the asylum no longer serves as an
  anchor point for the trapped spirits and all are set free. If both
  cases are true, Dr. Strange finds another cemetery to continue
  his work, building another undead minion army with the help
  of his associate demon.
  Unless the asylum is completely emptied, the trappings of this
  scenario can be used in multiple ways as continued adventures
  or even as plot hooks for a full campaign.
  Troubleshooting
  The PCs should never be forced to perform the investigation,
  unless it’s the focus of the scenario in consideration to how it’s
  being run. Much of the investigation is meant to provide the
  PCs with the information they need to proceed through the
  asylum faster, anticipate what’s to come, or simply provide a
  reference point for who they are dealing with (Dr. Strange). The
  PCs are welcome to wind their way through the asylum and
  surrounding lands without worrying about investigating.
  However, if the PCs do a full investigation, they may come up
  with creative ways to handle the encounters without having to
  always resort to combat, or at least resorting to combat
  without allies. The focus of the scenario is to determine the
  whereabouts of David Worcheski and hopefully end the
  kidnappings. How the PCs go about doing this is pretty much up
  to them.
  Illustration © KUCO/Shutterstock.com
  Derek Tyler (order #9232471)
  
  37
  GREAT ADVENTURES
  ASYLUM DENIZENS
  PSYCHOTIC PATIENTS
  Psychotic patients are those that died from experimental
  treatment while Healthy Minds was in operation. Their spirits
  haunt the wards they died in, attempting to break the mind of
  anyone who comes near.
  Attr: Agility d8, Smarts d4, Spirit d10, Strength d6, Vigor d6
  Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 5
  Skills: Fighting d8, Intimidation d12, Notice d10, Stealth d12,
  Throwing d10
  Armor: None
  Weapons: Thrown Objects (Str+d4)
  Special Abilities:
  ·
  Ethereal: Psychotic patients are immaterial and can
  only be harmed by magical attacks.
  ·
  Fear -2: When a psychotic patient allows themselves
  to be seen, their deformed figures are horrific to see.
  ·
  Fearless: Immune to Fear and Intimidation.
  UNDEAD MINIONS
  Dr. Strange’s undead minions are cadavers with “tainted” brain
  pieces inserted. The bleeding dark powers from his demon
  animate the corpses, turning them into frenzied undead.
  Attr: Agility d8, Smarts d4, Spirit d6, Strength d6, Vigor d6
  Pace: 8; Parry: 6; Toughness: 8 (1)
  Skills: Fighting d8, Intimidation d8, Notice d8
  Armor: Leathery Skin (All 1)
  Weapons: Claws/Bite (Str+d6)
  Special Abilities:
  ·
  Fearless: Immune to Fear and Intimidation.
  ·
  Fleet-footed: d10 running die instead of a d6.
  ·
  Undead: +2 Toughness; +2 to recover from being
  Shaken; called shots do no extra damage.
  Derek Tyler (order #9232471)
  
  38 | For All Things Savage
  DIVINE INTERVENTION
  Thule Society
  What’s Behind Door Number One: Secret
  Societies in Germany at the Turn of the
  20thCentury.
  As the book began to close on the 19th
  century, Europe and the United States
  were on fire intellectually, spiritually,
  and morally. As a result, society became
  more and more polarized. Changes in
  technology, religious movements, and
  philosophical 
  thought 
  strongly
  contributed to this new world on fire.
  The world seemed to be one big
  experiment as technology grew at an
  incredible rate, providing it with such
  great advances as the telephone,
  incandescent electric lights, and radio.
  However, with all of this came a dark
  side. Poverty was an issue, despite the
  rise of the middle class. Many industrial
  centers took advantage of this new,
  readily available, cheap, unskilled labor.
  Drugs changed the fabric of society.
  While some were incredibly beneficial,
  such as antiseptics, others had a
  devastating effect on individuals and
  families. Morphine, heroin, opium, and
  other drugs were easily obtained, along
  with the most common drug of choice:
  alcohol. 
  Alcohol 
  and 
  drug 
  abuse
  fractured families and stressed their
  fragile financial resources.
  Reactions to these ills took many forms.
  However, the most famous was the
  Social Gospel Movement. This was a
  progressive, 
  religious 
  movement
  By Charles White
  designed to preserve the sanctity of the
  Sabbath and combat growing social
  issues. Prohibition in the United States
  grew out of the work of the Social
  Gospel Movement, as did the banning of
  certain activities at certain times and
  days that were felt to counter religious
  tenants. Many southern states still ban
  the sale of alcohol prior to noon on
  Sunday.
  Humanistic thought was also on the rise.
  Although originally having religious
  roots, humanism eventually shed its
  religious skin and became a movement
  centered in the human experience.
  Philosophy replaced theology, while
  ethics and justice replaced religious
  codes 
  of 
  conduct 
  for 
  humanistic
  adherents.
  Progressivism 
  became 
  firmly
  entrenched as a part of the political
  landscape during the early 20th century.
  This movement stressed the individual
  over the corporation. There was a
  strong feeling amongst this group that
  corporations had too much influence
  over government and were therefore
  responsible for the subjugation of the
  working class. In the United States, this
  group actively campaigned against child
  labor, for safer conditions for mine
  workers, and a living wage. One of the
  biggest victories for progressives in the
  US in the early 1900s was the passing of
  the Seventeenth Amendment, which
  mandated the election of Senators.
  Prior to this amendment to the US
  Constitution, senators were chosen by
  the state legislatures.
  This is the dirt in which the root of the
  secret societies of the early 20th century
  was planted. The old religious, scientific,
  and cultural norms were no longer set in
  stone. 
  Self-discovery 
  and
  experimentation threatened to replace
  religious ideology and cultural rigidity.
  Out of the morass of progressivism and
  secular humanism was born the need by
  some to look far beyond current
  religious 
  traditions 
  for 
  spiritual
  fulfillment. They sought to attain a
  secret gnosis that would help them gain
  power and reach a level of spiritual
  advancement they felt was beyond the
  capabilities of organized religion.
  This led to the birth of secret societies
  that dabbled in the occult, pseudo-
  history, and fringe religions. One of the
  most infamous of these secret societies
  was the Thule Society. Founded in
  Germany in1917 by Walter Nauhaus,
  this group was originally named “The
  Study Group for German Antiquities”
  and had its roots in the secret society
  Germanenorden or Teutonic Order of
  the early 20th century.
  Germanenorden pre-dated the Thule
  Society and is important because of
  both 
  their 
  emphasis 
  on 
  extreme
  nationalism and their adherence to
  occult practices and teachings. Most
  Derek Tyler (order #9232471)
  
  39
  notable is their strong anti-Semitism and
  a proclivity toward the teachings of
  pseudo-historian Madame Blavatski,
  who first proposed the existence of a
  race of supermen known as the Aryans.
  As Madame Blavatski describes it, there
  was a superior race know as Aryans.
  These 
  people 
  originally 
  inhabited
  Atlantis and possessed a vastly superior
  intellect with access to incredible
  technological advances. This was a
  concept that was hijacked by Giudo von
  List, 
  who 
  attached 
  a 
  German
  nationalistic component to her writings.
  The result was the theory of the master
  race that resided in pure blood
  Germans, who List believed were the
  descendants of the original Aryans. It
  was this master race that would make
  Germany powerful again.
  The pseudo-history and theosophist
  writings of both Blavatski and List might
  seem fanciful to most, but to some of
  the citizens of a post-WWI Germany,
  this was a ray of hope. Germany was a
  shell of its former self. It was no longer
  the powerful Prussian Empire of old.
  While WWI decimated a large portion its
  population and resources, thousands
  more Germans died during the eight-
  month blockade by the Allied Forces
  from the period between the armistice
  and the signing of the official peace
  treaty with the Allies, following the end
  of the war. Many Germans began to
  think that the Germany they knew was
  slipping away.
  Enter the Germanenorden and, later,
  the Thule Society. The Germanenorden
  was a secret society with a structure
  strikingly similar to Freemasonry. It had
  deep roots in occult and magical
  philosophies, as well as Aryan beliefs.
  This order attracted some of the top of
  German society, many of whom would
  either simply influence Adolph Hitler or
  have active roles in the Third Reich.
  The order’s initial activities were fairly
  harmless. These consisted of bizarre
  initiation rituals, which are seen by
  some as quazi-masonic in nature,
  celebration of the solstices, study of
  occult and magic philosophies, and an
  intense grounding in Germanic purity.
  Occult and religious influences ranged
  from Runic Magic and Sufi Thought to
  German Mysticism.
  Following WWI, this group added
  political assassination and intimidation
  to 
  their 
  impressive 
  résumé.
  Germanenorden sought to assassinate
  numerous public figures within the
  Weimar Republic, whom they saw as
  having betrayed Germany. The most
  famous of these murders was that of the
  former finance minister of the Weimar
  Republic and one of the signatories of
  the armistice with the Allied Forces.
  They also attempted to assassinate the
  author of the new German republic of
  post-WWI.
  Given their secretive nature, occult
  beliefs, and ultra-nationalism (colored
  by the concept of Aryanism), this group
  was seen as a dangerous, subversive
  organization. Hence the need arose to
  cloak themselves in another garment.
  From this need was born the Thule
  Society.
  The Thule Society became a group
  within a group. Officially this group was
  known as a “literary-cultural group.”
  While this was the stated focus of the
  group, members of the Thule Society
  maintained a strong focus on German
  racial 
  purity, 
  pseudo-history, 
  and
  mysticism. It has been said that the
  inner circle of the Thule Society
  maintained a strong connection with
  the writings of psuedo-historians like
  Blavatski and List. Members sought to
  re-connect with the lost race of
  intelligent 
  beings 
  that 
  Blavatski
  described as originating in Atlantis,
  known as the Aryans.
  Through rituals and mystic teachings,
  this 
  group 
  believed 
  they 
  could
  reconnect with this lost race and
  become endowed with supernatural
  abilities. From the power of this ancient
  race would be born a new race of
  supermen drawn from the pure German
  bloodline that stretched all the way back
  to this lost civilization.
  This is not surprising given the number
  of Germanenorden initiates that were
  active in the Thule Society as founding
  members. It was suggested by one
  historian that it was very likely that no
  one was fooled by the thinly veiled
  disguise the Thule Society offered.
  In 1919, members of the Thule Society,
  along with members of other right-wing
  workers groups, formed the German
  Workers Party. It was through this party
  that Adolph Hitler met several Thule
  Derek Tyler (order #9232471)
  
  40 | For All Things Savage
  DIVINE INTERVENTION
  Society members, who became advisors
  and eventually high-ranking members of
  the Nazi Party. It was also this same
  workers 
  party 
  that 
  led 
  a 
  failed
  overthrow attempt of the Weimar
  Republic a few years later, but
  ultimately triumphed and launched the
  Third Reich.
  While history books state the Thule
  Society had a hand in the expulsion of
  the Red Army from Bavaria in the late
  1910s, the crushing defeat of the
  attempted overthrow of the Weimar
  Republic by Hitler and members of the
  German Workers Party in an event in
  1923, known as the Beer Hall Putsch,
  proved too much for the order. It had
  already suffered numerous losses at the
  hands of Red Army, who rounded up
  and killed suspected members of the
  order. The Thule Society continued to
  exist until the mid-1920s when Hitler
  severed ties with it, causing the order to
  wither away and dissolve.
  In many respects, the core of the Thule
  Society and the Germanenorden lived
  on after its death as high ranking
  members of the Nazi Party, in particular
  Rudolph Hess, Deputy Fuhrer, and
  Heinrick Himmler, the leader of the SS,
  who were both members of the Thule
  Society and deeply interested in the
  occult.
  Himmler especially was instrumental in
  bringing the occult into the Third Reich.
  Himmler, a member of the Thule Society
  along with Hess and Hermann Goring,
  adopted many occult practices and
  symbols as he crafted the SS. He also
  green-lighted 
  numerous 
  bizarre
  research projects aimed at discovering
  the lost knowledge of the ancients
  detailed in the writings of Blavatski and
  List.
  It has been said that truth is stranger
  than fiction and nothing could be more
  evident when looking at the history of
  secret societies at the turn of the 20th
  century. Whether looking at the Thule
  Society in Germany or The Hermetic
  Order of The Golden Dawn in Great
  Britain, the most striking about these
  societies 
  is 
  their 
  incestuous
  relationships with other occult and
  secular organizations and their ability to
  reinvent themselves to both hide and
  thrive.
  So how can this add depth and
  enjoyment to your game? Secret
  societies are the monsters under the
  bed. They are the things that hide in the
  dark recesses of your attic. They are
  enigmas wrapped in a question mark.
  From the mystery religions of Rome and
  Vehimic Courts of the Middle Ages to
  the Thule Society, a secret society can
  be the perfect tool to aid, oppose, or
  manipulate your players: just when they
  think they’ve discovered a secret
  society’s true nature, they find that they
  have only seen a mirage.
  The great thing about secret societies is
  that their membership is made up of
  both average citizens and those from
  the higher echelons of society. Each
  secret society has its own agenda and
  how it seeks to further this agenda
  varies. Some use assassination and
  intimidation while also resorting to
  blackmail to extort and further their
  goals. Many have incredible power and
  their reach is the stuff of legends.
  The other key to understanding most
  secret societies is their need to discover
  hidden knowledge. This could be good
  or bad. Many have a religious quality
  that binds their membership and drives
  their efforts. This could be the search for
  a lost knowledge that offers power,
  while others seek hidden knowledge
  tobring 
  them 
  closer 
  to 
  spiritual
  fulfillment.
  Perhaps the secret society in your game
  is convinced that by replicating a device
  or ritual they discovered in the writings
  of a lost race will allow them to travel
  through time. However, what if that
  device or ritual simply opens a gate to an
  extremely hostile dimension and was
  the actual reason for the downfall and
  disappearance of that particular lost
  race?
  What 
  if 
  the 
  philosophical 
  and
  theological beliefs of a secret society are
  at odds with the cultural norms of the
  country where they find themselves? To
  what lengths will they go to reshape the
  political and cultural landscape to fit
  their philosophical milieu?
  Your party might be chased by local law
  enforcement only to find out that their
  commissioner is also a member of the
  secret society that hates their guts.
  What if your group is framed for a
  heinous crime by a secret society in an
  attempt to get them to retrieve
  something of value for the society?
  Wouldn’t it be fun for them to figure out
  who is ruining their lives?
  In the end, the way you use secret
  societies is only limited by your
  imagination. Just remember that these
  secret societies never really die; they
  only mutate, or at the very least live on
  in surviving members. If you want an
  example of just how brutal, bizarre, and
  calculating these groups could be, all
  you need to do is read history.
  Derek Tyler (order #9232471)
  
  41
  DIVINE INTERVENTION
  Derek Tyler (order #9232471)
  
  42 | For All Things Savage
  Combat Deadliness
  In the horror genre, there is one prominent component: fear.
  Although it may sound simple enough to create fear, it can be
  difficult for a GM really put her players on edge. The mere
  description of frightening situations around the game table is
  hardly enough to concern most players. Horrific monsters and
  gory scenes are already staples of many non-horror RPGs and
  barely convince a player to play his character as though they
  were afraid. While Savage Worlds has very adequate rules to
  deal with fear mechanically, these rules only come into effect
  when the PCs finally face the monsters. However, the players
  can always make changes to the momentum of the storyline to
  avoid the horrific beast in the first place.
  In reality, it's typically fear for one's safety at the root of
  character decisions. PCs in Savage Worlds walk into dangerous
  situations three wounds and bennies away from harm. GMs
  may find it difficult to put the PCs into dangerous situations
  without the players feeling somehow cheated, as though the
  GM is working against them. Groups may thus detest facing
  monsters or dangers that are 'unfair' where a large statistical
  gap remains between the PCs and their foes or obstacles.
  Presented hereinis an optional mechanic to adjust the horror
  factor and overalldeadliness of your game, which can
  subsequentlyincrease the fear factor the PCs experience. By
  using these rules, applicable characters, Wild Cards, and Extras,
  PCs and NPCs, become more vulnerable to horror. Increasing
  the chances of mortality can produce more exciting combat
  situationswhereas random elements, such as initiative, and
  tactical elements, like The Drop or Wild Attacks, make a
  difference. With these changes, every round of combat has the
  potential to be very important and frightening, not just the first
  round.
  Illustration © Fotokostic/Shutterstock.com
  Derek Tyler (order #9232471)
  
  43
  Deadly Attacks
  Deadly Attacks are similar to gaining a Raise on the attack,
  although the extra damage applies every time, whether a Raise
  was achieved or not. This variation on damage also changes
  depending on the weapon being used. For horror settings, or
  horror-infused settings, this symbolizes the ability of a weapon
  designed to inflict damage to easily pierce a foe’s skin.
  When rolling damage for an attack that hits, the attacker deals
  an additional die of damage equal to the highest damage die of
  the weapon being used.These rules do not apply to inanimate
  objects.
  For example: a young investigator, with d8 Strength wielding a
  d4 damage knife, attacking a zombie would deal 2d8+d4
  damage. Additional damage from Acing the roll still applies,
  meaning a single blow can be very decisive and take the life of
  even a Wild Card. Another example is a Nazi officer firing his
  pistol on a PC from behind.  Assuming he wasn't detected and
  had The Drop, he would deal the regular 2d6+1 damage for a
  pistol, an additional d6 for Deadly Attack, and +4 damage for
  The Drop for a total of 3d6+5 damage.
  Tips for Deadliness
  When using the rule listed above, combat becomes very
  different; it may not seem like it, but an extra die of damage can
  make a huge difference. For GMs looking to add an even deeper
  level of tactics to combat, try combining Deadliness with the
  optional Gritty Damage rules listed in Savage Worlds Deluxe.
  It's important to avoid total party kills,and adventures will most
  likely play out differently when using the Deadliness option
  rule. Even a battle with a few Extras can be much more decisive.
  It's also important to remember that a monster with high
  Strength will do much more damage than before. An option to
  avoid this would be that only the PCs benefit from this increase
  to damage, as a show of heroism on the PCs’ part.
  As written, the PCs will be in more danger, but so too will their
  foes. Big boss fights can subsequently end prematurely and
  clever PCs may gain an advantage in combat. PCs that make use
  of cover, ganging up, Wild Attacks, and the Defend maneuver
  may benefit from these tactics much more than before.
  However, Deadliness can make battles shorter and harder to
  predict, which may accommodate a horror game appropriately.
  Deadliness Options
  Deadliness is an optional rule; there are many different ways a
  GM could tailor this rule to fit into her game. If she wanted to
  create rules for a glancing blow, she could rule that Deadly
  Attacks only function if the attacker surpassed the target
  number by one or more or on a Raise, ruling that merely
  equaling the target number is the glancing blow.
  Another option is that Deadliness only applies to attacks dealt
  with specific weapons whereas if that weapon is unable to
  pierce the skin, such as a club, it cannot benefit from the
  additional damage. If running a game where martial arts are an
  important factor, unarmed attacks could be deemed as very
  dangerous and deal an extra die for the character's Strength.
  A third option is to assign the Deadly Attack die a d4 or d6
  instead of adjusting it according to the normal damage roll
  being made. This could also balance Wild Card creatures that
  have a very high Strength.
  A fourth option is to only allow the extra Deadly Attack damage
  on a Raise, replacing the standard Raise damage bonus.
  It is imperative for GMs to play around with the rules to find
  what fits their game. However, Deadliness is not just good for
  horror as it can work just as well in games where ingenuity and
  peaceful solutions are meant to be key. Any setting can become
  more dangerous by usingthe Deadliness optional rule, so try it
  out in a Savage Tale and use what works for you.
  EXPANDED MECHANICS
  By Bayden Woodland
  Derek Tyler (order #9232471)
  
  44 | For All Things Savage
  GREAT STORIES
  The Ministry of Decisions
  On this particular day, Mr. Brownlow
  kissed his wife goodbye as usual, but
  didn't head off to work. He wore his
  normal suit and tie, put on his bowler
  hat, donned his shiny leather shoes, and
  picked up his umbrella. Instead of
  turning right towards Hillman-Downs
  and Figgis, he turned left and headed
  towards the local Decision Engine.
  The previous evening, he had told his
  boss, Mr. Hillman-Downs, Jr., that he
  had a hospital appointment and would
  be absent for one day. Mr. Hillman-
  Downs, a kind, modern employer, told
  Mr. Brownlow he would only stop him a
  half-day's pay, and wished him well.
  It was fair to say that Jeremy
  Brownlow was a boring man. He would
  even have agreed with you if you'd told
  him so. He'd reply, with a good-natured
  laugh and a nod of his head, “Yes
  indeed.”
  He was a bookkeeper's clerk. Not a
  bookkeeper, a job in itself both tedious
  and menial, but just a bookkeeper's
  clerk. He was thirty four years old and
  only one step up the ladder from general
  assistant. He was a full two years older
  than the very bookkeeper he clerked for.
  But something festered inside Mr.
  Brownlow, a fierce curiosity that just
  wouldn't go away. Maybe it was the
  boring life he led that allowed what
  started as a minor question to turn into
  such a raging obsession.
  During his time off, he visited his
  elderly mother-in-law, or other equally
  dreary and bitter relatives, or sat at
  home listening to the radio as the gas
  lamps hissed and sputtered. His wife
  was no comfort at all. She cooked the
  same old meals every evening, went to
  By Steve Dean
  bed at sunset, and had denied him his
  rights as a husband for the last eight
  years, blaming him for her lack of
  pregnancy.
  As he walked purposefully towards
  the Decision Engine, he felt a slight
  tingle of excitement for the first time in
  years, but was terrified someone would
  see him not going towards the hospital.
  He soon arrived at the huge building, its
  many chimneys spewing smoke and
  steam into the cool morning air. The
  queues for the individual booths were
  quite long at this time of the day, but he
  hadn't come to ask it a question, not this
  time.
  On his previous visit, something of a
  monthly tradition, he and his wife had
  queued for some time, he remembered,
  but it was a pleasant day, with a light
  breeze. His wife had been in one of her
  quiet moods, which was something of a
  blessing, and hung onto his arm as they
  walked. First they visited the shop to
  buy a card each, one shilling for the pair,
  a lot on his wage. Then, as was the
  protocol, they separated and each
  entered a booth alone. Inside, there was
  a desk and a selection of pens and ink
  with which to write out your question.
  The booths smelled of oil and smoke
  and brass polish, and were strangely
  silent.
  Mr. Brownlow had written on his card,
  “Should I push myself to earn a
  promotion, or leave the company and
  search for work elsewhere?” The card
  was then inserted into a slot on a brass
  fascia at one end of the booth. After a
  few 
  minutes, 
  sometimes 
  longer,
  another card would appear, hopefully
  giving the questioner the answer they
  sought, or needed. Sure enough, after a
  short wait, a card dropped from the
  same slot and into a mesh basket placed
  underneath.
  “The labor market,” it read, “is
  saturated with unskilled workers.” Well,
  that was a bit rude, but Mr. Brownlow
  had to concede it had a point. “Those
  without a trade are advised to learn one,
  or be content with their station,” it
  continued.
  Mr. Brownlow walked from the
  booth, the card torn up and disposed of
  in the waste basket. Many thoughts
  went through his head as he escorted
  his wife back to their home, but the one
  that caused all the trouble came some
  hours later.
  The radio was playing softly in the
  background; Mrs. Brownlow had gone
  to bed without a word. A single gaslight
  was burning, turned low to provide only
  enough light to exit the room. Mr.
  Brownlow was thinking about the
  answer he'd got from the Decision
  Engine, pondering whether he should
  take the advice. As if from nowhere, he
  suddenly thought, “How does it work?”
  All night and the next day he
  contemplated the question. His tasks
  that day, indeed every day, revolved
  around 
  fetching 
  and 
  carrying,
  sharpening quills, and refilling ink wells.
  This was something he could do in his
  sleep, which left time for his mind to
  wander. At first it was just a general
  question, then speculation entered the
  process, and his thoughts went wild.
  A few days later he'd formed the
  opinion that there was a person inside
  who took your card, read it, and gave
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  45
  you an answer based on their opinion.
  And he was satisfied with this for a while.
  Then someone told him they asked a
  very specific question, and received a
  very specific answer, one personal to
  them. And that started him off again. No
  one could know in advance what
  questions would be asked, nor know the
  details of every questioner. So how did
  it work?
  And another thing, he thought, why all
  the steam, why the huge building and
  the smoking chimneys? And what was
  that noise, a sort of low hum you could
  hear from the outside? Why did they
  need a warehouse sized building full of
  machines if it was just people writing
  down the answers?
  And around it went; questions and
  theories, over and over until curiosity
  became preoccupation. He had to know,
  and the only way to find out was to go
  inside the Decision Engine and look. And
  so it came to the day when he put his
  plan into action.
  It was no good going around the front;
  there was no entrance there, just a
  blank, red brick wall with the polished
  brass and glass and wrought iron
  booths. So he headed around the side,
  walking smartly and trying not to look
  like he was examining the building for
  another entrance.
  The east side of the building was one
  continuous wall, as was the rear and
  west side, which brought him back
  around the front. This was decidedly
  odd, as the chimneys on the roof were
  clearly belching smoke and steam and
  who knew what else. If they were
  burning fuel in there, how did it get in?
  How did the people get in, come to that?
  For a bookkeeper's clerk, the answer
  came surprisingly easily. Using his
  imagination, which he thought had died
  many years ago, he worked out the fuel
  and people were entering from one of
  the other sides of the six-sided
  warehouse. That was, from the roof, or
  under the floor. The roof was full of hot
  chimneys and in full view of any
  observer, so that left the floor, and
  some kind of tunnel.
  A trip around the nearby buildings
  also drew a blank, until he noticed a coal
  wagon emerging from the lower floor of
  a fruit wholesaler. The wagon was
  empty, and the two horses had no
  trouble pulling it up the slope and away.
  Not stopping to think or look around,
  Mr. Brownlow headed for the still-open
  door and slipped inside.
  The first thing he discovered was the
  darkness, and next that it didn't smell at
  all of fruit, but of smoke, coal dust, and
  brass polish. He was definitely in the
  right place. When his eyes had adjusted
  to the lower lighting, he followed the
  trail of spilt coal down a ramp and into a
  large cellar, filled from end to end with
  piles 
  of 
  coal. 
  Feeling 
  somewhat
  conspicuous in his attire, Mr. Brownlow
  continued on his quest, heading deeper
  into the cellar, brandishing his umbrella
  like a weapon.
  He heard a scraping sound as he
  moved farther in. Rounding a pile of the
  black fuel, he stopped as he saw a
  couple of soot-covered men shoveling
  coal onto a spinning belt covered in
  metal chevrons. The device conveyed
  the coal upwards, to, he assumed, the
  machines of the very Decision Engine.
  His heart was beating rapidly as he
  bypassed the stokers and headed for an
  iron ladder fixed to the wall. He'd never
  done anything remotely like this before.
  The thought of all the laws he was
  breaking made his heart rate increase
  even 
  more, 
  and 
  the 
  feeling 
  of
  excitement intensified.
  The rungs of the ladder were warm to
  the touch, and grew hotter as he
  ascended. 
  The 
  noise 
  level 
  also
  increased, until a pumping, thumping,
  whirring cacophony of machines in
  motion filled his head. He didn't know a
  lot about machines of course, but he
  wondered if the Decision Engine really
  needed all this power to function.
  He pushed on, between the rows of
  gleaming, moving metal. A figure
  appeared between two of the machines,
  a dark shadow against the smoky
  background. Whoever it was didn't see
  him, so he carried on, moving in the
  direction he hoped would take him to
  the side of the building that housed the
  booths and the mysterious slots.
  More figures moved around in the
  smoke, but none approached him.
  Finally he had gone as far as he could,
  discovering a plain brick wall with a
  single door in it. This was it! He knew it,
  the final answer to his question. He
  reached for the door handle, his heart
  practically vibrating now, and opened
  the door, stepping through into a
  carpeted office.
  “Ah, a visitor. Come in, Mr..?”
  Brownlow closed the door behind him
  and took a faltering step towards the
  voice. The man was very tall, wide
  shouldered 
  with 
  blond 
  hair 
  and
  sparkling blue eyes. He was the most
  handsome man Jeremy Brownlow had
  ever seen, and felt sure this man's wife
  wouldn't deny him in the bedroom. He
  was seated on what Mr. Brownlow could
  only thought of as a throne. Despite his
  size, the chair was larger, almost
  wrapping the man in its metal embrace.
  A similar desk sat in front of the throne,
  wire baskets arranged neatly around the
  sides, leaving a space in the centre on
  which the man leaned his huge arms.
  “Take a seat, please, Mr..?” The man
  tried again.
  “Oh, er, thank you. Brownlow, Mr.
  Brownlow.” He sat on the ordinary chair
  placed in front of the huge desk,
  perching nervously on the edge.
  “Mr. Brownlow, of course. I'm sure
  you have many questions. Ask away, we
  have plenty of time.”
  Brownlow asked, his voice almost
  inaudible, “Who are you?”
  “I'm sorry, I should have introduced
  myself. I'm the overseer, I run this place.”
  “The Decision Engine?”
  “That's one of my duties, yes.”
  “How does it work?”
  The overseer laughed. “A good
  question! Not original or surprising, but
  very good.
  “It's quite simple really. The cards
  come in through the slots and get read
  by the Engine. It picks out key words,
  and selects an answer at random that
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  46 | For All Things Savage
  GREAT STORIES
  matches those words, then spits out the
  relevant card.”
  “Random? That can't be right. I spoke
  to people. They said you answered them
  very specifically.”
  “Ah, yes. Most of the answers just give
  broad advice, some more specific, and
  some are tailored to the individual.”
  “How, how do you know what to say?”
  “We watch them Mr. Brownlow,” he
  leaned into his desk adding,“We follow
  them and watch what they do.”
  “Why?”
  “To maintain the illusion that the
  Decision Engine works, of course.”
  “What do you mean? Of course it
  works.”
  “And I'm glad you think so, Mr.
  Brownlow. That is the effect we were
  after.”
  “You mean it doesn't work?”
  “Of course it does, Mr. Brownlow, you
  just said so.”
  Brownlow was very confused now.
  People lived their lives by the answers
  they got. They changed careers because
  the machine told them to, they had
  children, or didn't have children, even
  chose their partners this way.
  “I'm sorry, I'm very confused. So it
  does work?”
  “Do you know what a placebo is, Mr.
  Brownlow?”
  “Yes, it's a fake pill.”
  “Exactly. If you give a sick man a
  placebo and tell him it will make him
  better, nine times out of ten it will make
  him better. At least he will believe it
  made him better, so what's the
  difference? No placebo, no cure. With
  the fake pill, a cure. So, the pill, fake or
  not, affected the outcome. This is what
  the Decision Engine does.”
  “But why?”
  “Ah, another good question,” he
  leaned back then answered, “Control,
  Mr. Brownlow, control.”
  “Control of what?”
  “Have you seen the booth marked
  with a '1', with the silver metalwork and
  the plush carpet?”
  “Yes, of course, it's the one the council
  members use.”
  “And 
  that's 
  your 
  answer, 
  Mr.
  Brownlow. Council members make
  decisions on what the Decision Engine
  tells them, and we give those answers.”
  “But, is that legal?”
  The huge man laughed, a deep
  rumbling roar that echoed around the
  office. “Mr. Brownlow, what a product
  of your age you are.”
  “I'm sorry, I don't understand. Why
  have a machine at all; why not just be on
  the council?”
  “Mr. Brownlow, if I told you to run at
  a man with a knife and stab him with it,
  would you?”
  “No! Of course not!”
  “If I said to you the man was a foreign
  soldier come to kill you and steal your
  land, then what?”
  “Well, I'd have to defend myself and
  my country.”
  “Exactly. And that's what happens in
  every war. Order men to fight and they
  will almost certainly run away when the
  lead starts flying. Ask them to fight, ask
  them to volunteer, and they'll charge
  the enemy in their thousands. We
  learned long ago, Mr. Brownlow, that if
  you convince a man he has a choice, and
  that the choice was his, he will follow
  that choice to whatever end. And I'm
  not just talking about war here, but daily
  life.”
  “So the Decision Engine is just a way
  of making people do as they're told?”
  “For most of the populace their daily,
  humdrum 
  existence 
  is 
  of 
  no
  consequence to the world. It matters
  not what they do or don't do. It's those
  in power we control, the so-called
  decision makers. But the whole scheme
  has to be seen to work, much like
  justice.”
  “And you need all of this machinery to
  move those small cards around?”
  “Oh no, not at all. But this Decision
  Engine also makes other Decision
  Engines, each capable of making further
  copies, and so on. Soon they will cover
  the world. And then we can have some
  proper fun!”
  “But what makes you think people
  won't find out? I'll certainly tell them.”
  “It would be of little consequence if
  you did; people would simply think you
  mad. But you won't be leaving here, so
  the matter is moot.”
  Mr. Brownlow leapt up and spun
  towards the door, only to be confronted
  by a monstrosity. The thing was hanging
  from a bar by the door, gripping the
  overhead 
  racking 
  with 
  two 
  long
  tentacles. Under this was a sack-like
  body, and a humanoid head at the
  bottom. Two arms protruded from the
  sides of the head, and these grabbed
  Mr. Brownlow in a grip of iron. He struck
  out with his umbrella, but the flimsy,
  make shift weapon had no effect at all.
  “Come Mr. Brownlow, calm yourself.
  You came here to find out how the
  Engine works, and you did. You can die
  happy.” The overseer laughed, standing
  with a hiss of steam. Brownlow was
  spun around to face the overseer, and
  discovered that man, throne, and desk
  were a single entity.
  He tried to speak, but it was all too
  much for his stultified, middle class
  brain.
  “Wh... wh...”
  “Why? Is that what you're asking?
  Because 
  we 
  can, 
  Mr. 
  Brownlow;
  because we enjoy manipulating your
  species. You have so many buttons to
  press!” The overseer laughed loudly.
  “And when there is a Decision Engine
  in every city in every country, when we
  have full control of humanity, we will
  start wars, create famines, build huge
  dynasties and tear them down. And
  humankind won't even suspect. You'll
  carry on doing it, over and over for
  millennia, because you think it's your
  own free will. Now, off you go to the
  furnaces, Mr. Brownlow, just like all the
  other inquisitive humans. Intelligence
  and imagination are not something we
  want to encourage in your kind.”
  Mr. Brownlow fainted, but awoke as
  he was thrown head first into a white
  hot fire, umbrella and all.
  Derek Tyler (order #9232471)
  
  47
  Derek Tyler (order #9232471)
  
  48 | For All Things Savage
  Dust to Dust
  In this 1930s adventure, players can choose characters with any
  background. Some that would work particularly well would be
  a soldier, medical personnel, police officer, athlete, arbitrator,
  and academic with a biology background. Those examples
  provide for a variety of helpful skill sets covering the gamut of
  physicality, intellect, and social prowess. This is one scenario
  where a mix of Ranks would be reasonable should the party not
  be evenly matched. The party can be composed of family and
  friends, neighbors, complete strangers, even passersby, or a
  mix – whatever suits your players.
  Staged Epidemic
  A whole county has been isolated for a weird government
  experiment. The residents believe the illness has killed most of
  the people. In reality, it has, but some are simply paralyzed. In
  the end, the survivors bury some of the dead only to find out
  later that not all of them were dead. The Twilight Zone effect is
  that they find out that someone redirected the experiment to
  their own counties, so they killed their own families and friends.
  The Ground on Which We Walk
  The scenario takes place in a remote, rural county without any
  significant towns within an hour’s drive in any direction from
  the county’s border. The state and country are irrelevant, but if
  you want to give it a name, you can use something popular like
  Washington County, in the U.S. The location is one of a handful
  in the region that experienced a short-lived boom with
  dangerous factory work, courtesy of government contracts, but
  the work was deemed too volatile after a deadly accident, and
  the plants closed.
  The county encompasses 500 square miles with around 15,000
  residents scattered throughout. The largest concentration is
  near the old fertilizer plant, it being where most of the
  infrastructure was needed and having the closest access to
  anything resembling a major thoroughfare. There are 1,000 or
  so people there.
  There is only one major road through the whole county. There
  are some creeks and a handful of ponds, but no rivers or lakes
  Illustration © Chris Harvey/Shutterstock.com
  Derek Tyler (order #9232471)
  
  49
  running through the land. There are no sewers or public water
  lines, which means folks deal with septic tanks and well water.
  There are only two convenience stores in the whole of the
  county: one smack dab in the middle and one northwest in the
  direction of the nearest major thoroughfare where the only
  true housing development, Pine Hill Estates, is (it’s owned by
  some company, Advance Co. – if anyone recalls that).The
  second one is owned by the same family who runs the All-
  Market. Besides a few, small, volunteer fire departments, there
  is one medical clinic, which has limited pharmaceuticals,
  supplies, and equipment and is halfway between the middle
  convenience store and the housing development.
  Ground Zero
  It’s been one week since the explosion at the old fertilizer plant,
  but it might as well have been one year. Nothing is the same.
  Nothing seems real. Five hundred square miles and no way out.
  Yet.
  The party has been holed up in a house – it can belong to
  anybody, including one of them – for the last three days. They’d
  come together after being on their own for the first four days.
  During that time, much has happened. They saw the area fire
  companies collaborate to deal with the explosion and other
  damage, the electricity and phone lines stop working. Then
  there are the dead.
  Those who weren’t taken out by the explosion or subsequent
  damage seem to be either affected or unaffected; that’s how
  the party has started thinking of the survivors. Some of those
  affected have gone mad. They develop hallucinations,
  paranoia, and a heightened state of aggression leading them to
  attack any person or animal around them. The party’s
  witnessed four murders and had to help save one of the
  neighbors two days ago. Yesterday, Jamie, the woman who
  attacked Elizabeth, stopped breathing after being unconscious
  since the night before. They know of a few dozen deaths by
  accident or of an undetermined nature.
  The party puzzles over why state authorities and others hadn’t
  shown up. Firefighters initially had reports regarding toxic
  fumes and should standby, keeping up with the situation as
  best they can while experts contemplate the situation. Running
  out of supplies and with irrational, murderous behavior on the
  rise, they’ve gotten scared enough to flee anyway.
  In Search of Safety
  No matter which part of the county they head to, the party runs
  into a blockade. The area has been secured by armed forces.
  Some are dressed like soldiers, others like guards. They spot
  several official-looking vehicles on the border.
  When they approach, the forces raise weapons at them. Once
  they get out of the vehicle, they’ll be commanded to stay back
  about ten feet. Allow whatever talk is needed to lead to
  someone in charge, coming out having an exchange along these
  lines:
  “We’ve examined some of the bodies retrieved earlier (pointing
  to a sealed, white tent with security surrounding it). The
  explosion must have released something. Researchers are
  trying to get it under control. Right now, we’re trying to figure
  out what it is and how it’s contracted. One of ours has already
  died after being exposed, and we’re not exactly sure how that
  happened. For the time being, I’m sorry, but you have to stay
  where you are. We don’t have the man power or facilities to
  transport everyone in the county. It’s best to quarantine it.”
  If the party goes on to talk about freaked out killers, they’ll be
  accused of blowing the situation out of proportion. However, a
  contingent of armed agents accompanies what looks like
  doctors – all in hazardous materials suits – on an expedition to
  retrieve some of the people, both dead and alive, but affected.
  The party is instructed to stay out of the way. There will be an
  NPC who rushes to get across the containment zone and who
  gets shot dead. No one moves to address the body. If the party
  reacts, they’ll be warned that the NPC could be affected. As
  long as they don’t try to get across the zone, the authorities
  won’t stop them from dealing with the body. If they do, well,
  this scenario might end abruptly. Use the Security Enforcer
  stats in NPCs Stats. Have one of them fire a warning shot at the
  PCs. If that doesn’t do the trick, engage in combat.
  Enemy Under Cover
  The authorities split off from the party in short order. On the
  way back, one of their front tires seems to blow. Whoever is
  driving has to fight for control of the vehicle. The only safe thing
  to do is get to the side of the road and stop. When they do,
  someone might roll well enough on Notice to see the tire was
  shot. About that time, a woman comes out from the side of the
  road in camouflage.
  “Ya just stop right there. I know who ya are. Ya’ve come to get
  Max. He ain’t goin’ with ya.” She takes a shot at the car’s hood
  with her rifle then points at one of the party. “Ain’t noboday
  gonna go with ya if ya makes one wrong move.”
  The woman is about 40, slightly heavy, and has a good aim.
  Sweating profusely despite it being only a little warm and
  having a slight breeze, she wipes her brow, lowering her
  weapon just a little. If anyone tries to take her, she just used her
  GREAT ADVENTURES
  By Vickey A Beaver
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  50 | For All Things Savage
  GREAT ADVENTURES
  last bullet. She doesn’t stop attacking until subdued or dead.
  See Sally in NPCs Stats.
  If she survives the party’s defense, roll a d6. On a 1-3, she is in
  a coma for the next 12 hours, but is alive. On 4-6, after 12
  hours, she dies. They won’t know the difference unless they try
  to bury her more than 72 hours later and notice a change in her
  appearance.
  If you wish, you can play this out longer to deal with Sally’s
  family. They’re in a cabin in the trees 300 feet off the road. Her
  cousin, Wayne, is sick and hiding in a closet, refusing to come
  out. Max is bound and gagged with a few bruises and a broken
  leg, but looks otherwise healthy.
  Days on End
  People are starting to get desperate. Many are afraid to
  approach other survivors with civility as they aren’t sure if they
  are sane or not. They don’t want to risk getting whatever seems
  to be going around, nor do they want to be killed because
  someone is experiencing delusions. As a result, everyday
  citizens are turning to looting. It started with easy targets like
  abandoned cars, but now houses are on the docket.
  You can play out some of the shortages and problems the party
  might experience. With no electricity, there’s no fresh meat.
  That also means refrigerators and freezers are going to be rank.
  Some affected are more delusional than others, being almost
  animal-like. The party should be on the lookout and avoid
  them. Otherwise, use the stats for Sally as needed for other
  affected NPCs.
  At some point, the party’s house is prime for looting. They have
  two floors above ground and a cellar.
  The cellar has several pounds of potatoes and onions, five
  5-gallon water containers, a couple of bags each of sugar and
  flour, and a few dozen jars of tomatoes, peppers, pickles, eggs,
  jam, and jelly. There is a cellar exit in case of emergencies.
  They’d have to climb up a rickety ladder and pop open rusted,
  slightly angled doors that are at the level of the ground outside
  to do it. It locks from the inside.
  The first floor has a two dozen pillar candles of various widths.
  It’s also well-stocked with wine and dry storage items for
  average cooking and backing supplies. There are two doors to
  outside and several windows.
  The top floor hosts some nice paintings, heirloom jewelry, a
  fancy mirror, a small safe in the master bedroom closet (needs
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  51
  GREAT ADVENTURES
  a key and contains $20 cash, a small photo book, a marriage
  license, and other documents), and a pair of shotguns in a
  display case. There is space for two more shotguns and a pair of
  handguns. There’s enough ammunition to hold off home
  invaders and to go hunting. There are several windows to the
  outside, two of which someone could possibly access from the
  covered front porch.
  Out back, there’s a shed that’s well-equipped for preparing any
  deer, rabbits, or other game they might bring back.
  With a successful Notice roll, someone in the party hears the
  noise of someone breaking in. They can try to persuade the
  looters to stop. It could easily turn into a fist or fire fight. This
  one’s really quite open-ended. The PCs could turn the break-in
  into an opportunity to gather information and make an alliance
  or they can see it as an attack on their stronghold and defend it
  with everything they’ve got. See Looter for details in NPC Stats.
  More Than Meets the Eye
  By now, it’s been three weeks of isolation. The party has buried
  at least two people who were affected. If needed, one of them
  thinks about history lessons regarding diseases carried due to
  unburied dead bodies (mostly folklore). You can run random
  encounters with Looters, affected, and patrols of Security
  Enforcers to bulk up the time spent. For even more substance,
  you can have the PCs have to deal with hunting, rationing
  water, encountering other survivors who risk conversations,
  and all manner of situations that could take advantage of their
  skills, Edges, and Hindrances. For them, civilization has ceased
  to exist. With bits they gather from others or see for
  themselves, they can start putting the pieces together.
  This segment is mostly investigative. The party has probably
  decided that, in spite of or because of the break-in, they need
  to find out what other people have seen, heard, or done.
  Between their own experiences and observations and what
  they learn from others, they’ll come up with the following
  information:
  They’ve been cut off from everyone the rest of the world:
  ·
  They are told they are under quarantine and the
  perimeter is secured with armed forces.
  ·
  Tidbits gleaned from the radio, while power lasted,
  indicated the world outside has only been told there
  was an explosion and it’s believed the whole county
  has succumbed to the toxic mixture of chemicals;
  they’ve ordered evacuation of everything within 30
  miles of the county in case the winds spread the
  chemicals. They think it will be completely contained
  in the next week. It’s being heralded as the biggest
  man-made tragedy the country has had in recent times.
  ·
  The explosion took out a bridge on the main road, but
  it’s still guarded.
  ·
  Three of those affected, who were thought to be dead
  from the toxins, woke up after being left unburied
  about 96 hours after falling unconscious. (This should
  make them wonder how many were buried alive.)
  ·
  Something flew over the area releasing something
  shortly after the explosion, one was seen first by the
  explosion, the other was seen first by Pine Hill Estates.
  ·
  Those who were fighting the fire or at the estates were
  the first to go insane and die, although a few from
  each area beat the odds (a dozen people each).
  ·
  The people in Pine Hill Estates are all tied to the same
  company: Advance Co. It’s a research facility 90
  minutes away; none of the workers have been there
  since two days before the explosion – every single one
  of them was involved in a project and told their
  families and friends they’d be out of touch for an
  entire month.
  ·
  They find the families don’t know much about the
  employees’ actual work, but it becomes clear that the
  company stationed them all in the complex and they
  are a mix of doctors, scientists, and information
  technologists.
  This information should be enough to get them thinking the
  whole thing has been some sort of set-up by Advance Co., even
  if their own families fell victim.
  Fight for Survival
  By now, the party probably put the time line together, realizing
  they’re getting near the end of that month the Advance Co.
  people were to return and a tidbit on the radio about it being
  under control in a week now sounds ominous. They realize they
  need to take their chances getting out or face a nearly certain
  death.
  They can try a head-on approach, facing the command post
  they first found, try to make their way out by the bridge that’s
  out, or attempt negotiating and navigating the woods and rocks
  to make it to another county.
  If they go the first route, they’ll end up fighting the Security
  Enforcers, using those stats in NPC Stats. Advance Co. has set
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  52 | For All Things Savage
  GREAT ADVENTURES
  up hazards across the road and on the ground nearby for such
  an eventuality. The party is forced out of the car.
  If they go the second route, they’ll need to sneak around the
  guards posted at the bridge by climbing down the gorge,
  swimming across the creek (it’s deep enough that they can’t
  wade the whole thing), and climbing up the other side before
  following the road or shadowing it. They’ll likely get spotted by
  a driving patrol then, which results in a foot chase.
  If they go the last route, they need to use all manner of Survival
  skills to deal with the woods. There’s not an established hiking
  trail to neatly lead them out. There are dangerous animals and
  other creatures in the woods as well as poisonous plants. They
  need to take ample food, water, and related supplies, too.
  Meanwhile, they have to dodge the perimeter patrol.
  The party’s ultimate destination is up to them. They can try to
  find police, a hospital, a reporter, a politician, anyone they think
  will listen. If they make it out, they find someone.
  How Could They Do This?
  In the aftermath, the PCs are left with a burning question: how
  could they do this? The severity of the situation prompts the
  authorities to take some unusual measures.
  A hardened-looking man about 50 with neat hair, a well-cut
  suit, and a no-nonsense demeanor begins a conversation with
  a man in his 40s dressed in a lab coat over dress clothes. His
  questions are general for a while, asking about the man’s
  vocation, his working for Advance Co., and his personal life.
  He’s prompted to ask, “What made a man like you want to
  bring his wife and two kids to the middle of nowhere?”
  The researcher responds, “Well, it was a dream come true.
  Company housing, private educators, the peace and quiet of
  the rural land. The money couldn’t be beat on top of that.”
  The agent looks him dead in the eye, “So what went wrong?”
  The research looks surprised. “What do you mean?”
  The agent leans forward, “Why did you help them do what they
  did when Pine Hill was right there?” The man starts to sweat,
  hyperventilating. The agent asks more questions, but the man
  falls to the ground.
  In the coming weeks, the party learns that none of the Advance
  Co. staff knew their own community was the target. The
  director had it all planned.
  The experiment was designed to gain them additional contracts
  from the government. They were testing to see how the
  general populace would react to a biological agent and
  infrastructure breakdown. The goal was to use what they
  learned to create and manage a program to handle that
  eventuality, which the director genuinely believes will happen
  in the relatively near future.
  Advance Co. got the staff to go along with a mix of techniques
  ranging from giving them a spiel about the greater good and
  the necessity of collateral damage, convincing them there was
  an imminent threat, offers of expanded research resources,
  and waving around good old-fashion promises of money.
  However, Director Vanes wasn’t satisfied that would be enough
  to keep them quiet long-term. He figured once they discovered
  their own community was dead, no one would dare come
  forward, either for shame of admitting to killing their own
  families or for fear they’d be next. He worked covertly with an
  Advance Co. employee who had no ties to the experiment’s
  staff to disguise the true location data and pertinent reports.
  He had him go the extra step of manipulating visual evidence to
  look as they expected it to.
  Affected Specifics
  Not everyone wants to go into the details of what happens to
  the affected. For those of you who do, this is what you need to
  know.
  Airplanes dumped the real agent on the county. The explosion
  was deadly on its own, but the chemicals had been inert for
  more than a year. The compound acted much like a disease in
  that it could be activated either by being inhaled in the
  concentrated air-dispersal form or by a person getting infected
  blood in eyes, noses, mouths, or open wounds. After an
  affected has shown symptoms for more than 24 hours, the
  blood carries no contagion.
  Between 24-72 hours after exposure, unless immune, the first
  symptoms will show. Once the first symptoms show, the
  affected has 72 hours before falling into a coma. Twelve hours
  after that, the affected looks dead; another 24 and they either
  are dead or start showing signs of coming out of the coma.
  Those who come out of the coma make full recoveries in two
  weeks, although testosterone levels are permanently slightly
  elevated.
  The symptoms progress until all are in place:
  ·
  Excessive sweating
  ·
  Hallucinations
  ·
  Erratic behavior
  ·
  Paranoia
  ·
  Fatigue
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  Once they reach fatigue, a coma follows shortly thereafter
  (mere hours). That’s when their bodies start to shut down.
  There was a remedy, but only enough for 20 people. After all,
  they didn’t plan on giving it to the test subjects. They’d
  planned on finishing off any survivors one way or another. Any
  who recovered on their own were to be studied until no longer
  needed.
  NPC STATS
  SECURITY ENFORCERS
  These are reasonably experienced security forces. If
  encountered at the main perimeter, there are eight of them. If
  elsewhere, they are in teams of two, up to six in a group. Give
  one the Marksman Edge, if needed.
  Attr: Agility d10, Smarts d8, Spirit d8, Strength d8, Vigor d6
  Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 7 (2); Charisma: 0
  Skills: Climbing d4, Driving d8, Fighting d8, Notice d8, Shooting
  d10
  Armor: Leather Vest
  Weapons: Assault Rifle (24/48/96; 2d8+1; RoF 3, Wt 10), Pistol
  (12/24/48; 2d6; RoF 1, Wt 3), Knife (Str+d4)
  SALLY
  Sally is about 40, average height, slightly heavy. She’s wearing
  a plaid shirt, jeans, and hiking boots. She’s affected and in the
  paranoia and aggressive stage.
  Attr: Agility d6, Smarts d8, Spirit d6, Strength d4, Vigor d6
  Pace: 6; Parry: 4; Toughness: 5; Charisma: 0
  Skills: Driving d6, Fighting d4, Notice d6, Shooting d10
  Gear: Pockets full of bullets, empty back pack or laundry bag.
  Weapons: Rifle (24/48/96; 2d8; RoF 1, Wt 10)
  LOOTER
  Looters are usually just desperate, unaffected survivors. Most
  are average folks. Some know how to shoot. Only apply the
  shooting skill if you want your looter to have a gun. Most folks
  come in pairs, given the danger out there, but some come
  alone or in a larger team. Figure two per PC for the most part.
  Attr: Agility d4, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Strength d4, Vigor d6
  Pace: 6; Parry: 4; Toughness: 5; Charisma: 0
  Skills: Driving d4, Notice d4, Shooting d4
  Gear: Pockets full of bullets, small backpack with food, water,
  and pain medicine.
  Weapons: Rifle (24/48/96; 2d8; RoF 1, Wt 10)
  Hindrance: Delusional: Paranoia (Major)
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  54 | For All Things Savage
  Semi-Divine
  The Demigod Rank in
  Curtis Lyon is a line developer for Savage Mojo's "Suzerain"
  setting and has contributed to several "Suzerain" sourcebooks,
  including the ENnie Award-winning "Shanghai Vampocalypse,"
  a campaign written specifically for Demigod Rank characters.
  So what's all this about Suzerain and this 'Demigod Rank'
  anyway?
  Suzerain has actually been around for many years in one
  iteration or another, although it was only formatted for the
  Savage Worlds engine back in 2010 (well, the beta playtest was
  available the prior year, but we're talking 'officially'). But from
  the get-go, Suzerain was intended to have a 'tiered' system of
  progression (Adventurer, Hero, Demigod) that was aptly
  reflected in Savage Worlds' system of Ranks.
  But something was missing.
  Suzerain is a setting in which the characters are agents of The
  Powers That Be. They may not always know it, and who or what
  those 'Powers' might be is less important than the ideal they
  serve. Characters are generally assumed to work on behalf of
  'The Chosen' – those divinities that work to prevent The End
  Times and the destruction of the universe, while they're
  sometimes pitted against agents of 'The Forgotten' – those
  beings which seek to bring about The End Times and rewrite the
  universe in their own fashion.
  The Legendary Rank in Savage Worlds can be pretty awesome,
  from both a player and a character point of view, but it doesn't
  quite capture the sheer power of a being on the verge of
  godhood – which is where the player characters in Suzerain end
  up.
  The existing Ranks were lumped into two of the existing
  Suzerain tiers ('Adventurer' became covered by the Novice,
  Seasoned and Veteran Ranks, while 'Hero' was covered by the
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  55
  Heroic and Legendary Ranks), and the final tier, Demigod,
  became a new Rank in its own right, available to characters
  when they hit 120 experience points.
  Suzerain ramps up the characters' innate abilities a bit (starting
  at the Heroic Rank, for example, they get a +1 bonus to Soak
  damage or remove a Shaken status), and when a character hits
  Demigod Rank, those innate abilities are ramped up just a little
  further so the character 'feels' more like an entity who's
  approaching apotheosis. In addition to all those increased
  bonuses and extra Bennies ('Karma' in the Suzerain lingo), a
  Demigod gets to use a d8 for the Wild Die, for example.
  In short, about the only thing that can stop a Demigod is a
  horde of Heroic or Legendary beasties, other Demigods, or
  perhaps something more powerful.
  The idea in Suzerain is to allow a character to 'grow' into this
  semi-divine state of being.
  A character starts as a Novice adventurer who only knows and
  understands the basic reality he's seen throughout his life,
  however long that's been, and (hopefully) rises up to the
  challenge of being a hero by averting some sort of potentially
  world-shattering disaster.
  At this point in his life, the Heroic character now understands
  there's a deeper reality: times and places out of myth and
  imagination still exist in the Maelstrom – the place gods and
  other things call home. A character at this level can either stay
  in his home realm, becoming part of the greater mythos of his
  people and culture, or move to other places and other
  experiences. In either case, he'll (again hopefully) rise to even
  greater challenges until he's on the edge of being divine.
  Now the character is a Demigod, and all that remains is for him
  to rise up into deity (either joining the pantheon of his patron
  deity, if any, or becoming part of the foundation for a new
  pantheon). And this is where Suzerain can truly come into its
  own – when the characters become Demigods.
  That also leads to one of the big questions I often hear
  regarding Suzerain: What's it like to play a Demigod Rank
  character?
  Let me see if I can put this into some perspective.
  I've played in enough Savage Worlds campaigns for long
  enough to raise a character or two from Novice to Legendary,
  so I have a fair grasp of how the different Ranks 'feel' in play. I
  know that Legendary characters are pretty bad ass, and can
  look cool while doing some awesome things.
  Legendary characters got nothing on Demigod characters.
  Maybe it's not the right analogy, but the closest I've ever come
  to feeling like I was playing a proper super hero was when I
  finally hit Demigod Rank with a character.
  More perspective: I've been playing various Super Hero RPGs
  since the days of Villains & Vigilantes (to be fair, it was 2nd
  edition, but that would still be back in 1983). Since then I've
  tried almost every super hero RPG that's hit the market, with
  some systems hitting the mark better than others.
  But three or so adventures into Shanghai Vampocalypse, I had
  my epiphany. My character had survived an earlier campaign,
  and worked his way up to his Demigod Rank. But the bad guys
  in this campaign had tech my character hadn't encountered
  before – body armor and high-tensile blades that cut through
  my character's armor like butter, for example – and I realized I
  needed fire to fight fire.
  When my character grabbed the nearest nano-engineered
  vampire, broke its arm and took its blade, then, in the next
  round, proceeded to cut down two more vampires with that
  blade while blowing a hole through a third with his handgun, I
  realized my character was better than Legendary.
  Okay… I suppose a Legendary Rank character might be able to
  do that sort of thing as well, but it was the ease in which it
  happened – something that made me realize just how tough my
  character had become. The hordes of genetic horrors he and
  his companions were facing weren't nearly such a threat to us
  as the mad god who was driving events along.
  I realized my character was a Demigod.
  He could cut through hordes of lesser beings. He could call
  down lightning on his foes. He could bend reality to some small
  degree to do his bidding.
  I can't exactly speak for everyone else in the group, but I can
  note they all were eventually echoing the same sort of
  sentiment. These characters weren't just badass; they were
  badass plus an octave. If you can visualize the scene in the 2012
  movie The Avengers when all of the Avengers were fighting off
  MECHANICS WISE
  By Curtis Lyon
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  56 | For All Things Savage
  MECHANICS WISE
  an army of invading extra-dimensional aliens, you can visualize
  how the battles felt when our characters were fighting off the
  hordes of vampires.
  Yes, it was, in fact, that awesome.
  It didn't take long before every player had announced his or her
  character to be the Demigod of something’ (For the record,
  mine was the Demigod of Justice, although he never found out
  for certain who his patron deity was. His suspicion was Astarte.)
  But all this invariably leads to the next question I'm often asked:
  Doesn't it break the Savage Worlds engine if you use the
  Demigod Rank?
  The short answer is, “Not that I've noticed.”
  First of all, things sort of balance themselves out. Sure, at
  Demigod Rank (and to a lesser degree, Heroic and Legendary
  Ranks in Suzerain), player characters have special abilities. But
  so do the NPCs and monsters, if they're equivalent in stature
  and ability. A Demigod in a fantasy setting isn't likely to spend
  much time fighting ordinary goblins; instead, he'll be fighting
  goblin Heroes or the Demigod of all goblins.
  Second of all, things are scaled so the progression isn't sudden.
  You don't simply move from a Savage Worlds Legendary Rank
  character to having Demigod perks in Suzerain. More
  importantly, perhaps, is that those perks are, for the most part,
  built into the mechanics of Suzerain, which means a Heroic
  character coming out of, say, Shadowed Earth to start playing
  Noir Knights wouldn't suddenly find himself lacking the most
  basic Heroic perks.
  What are those perks?
  Well, I touched on them earlier, but here's a slightly more
  thorough (but not necessarily exhaustive) run down:
  At Heroic Rank, a character gains a +1 bonus to Vigor rolls Soak
  damage or remove a Shaken status. This becomes +2 at
  Demigod Rank.
  At Heroic Rank, a character starts each session with 1 additional
  Karma (Benny). At Demigod Rank, a character starts with two
  additional Karma. Similar bonuses apply to the Suzerain
  Adventure Deck, a deck of cards much like the standard Savage
  Worlds Adventure Deck, only it's designed specifically to mesh
  with Suzerain.
  At Heroic Rank, a character can make a natural Healing roll
  every three days instead of five, and at Demigod Rank it can be
  made daily. Power (called 'Pulse' in Suzerain) also recovers
  more quickly at higher Ranks. For that matter, all characters
  have Pulse, which increases with Rank as well.
  Some Edges are only available to Demigod Rank characters (as
  well as more that are available from Heroic Rank and onward).
  Additionally, some Edges and Powers scale with rank; a
  Demigod character can accomplish more things than a lesser
  being.
  Demigod Rank characters use a d8 for their Wild Die and can
  use Karma to open Portals and bend reality. Once a character
  in Suzerain hits the Heroic Rank, he can begin hopping from
  realm to realm (or to various dimensions, if you prefer to think
  of it that way), but only with the assistance of Gates or
  Divinities. Once a character becomes a Demigod, those things
  can be done on his own.
  There are also fixed' points in time and space. Each of these is
  called a Nexus, and a Demigod has the power to slightly warp,
  or flex a Nexus, temporarily changing its parameters for a brief
  time (about five minutes). There are potential dangers in
  flexing a Nexus, and it gets harder to flex them repeatedly or if
  they're solid and important points in the time stream, but it is
  a powerful tool for Demigods.
  There are a few other details, but those cover the essentials.
  In summary, I can say as both a designer and a player that
  Demigod Rank adds a whole new layer to Savage Worlds
  characters when playing in a setting like Suzerain without
  breaking the game. If you've ever had an itch to play a character
  like Hercules or Blade, someone who's larger than life and can
  do super-heroic things, Savage Worlds is a great starting point;
  Suzerain let's you take the leap.
  If you are interested in learning more about Demigod Rank
  characters or Suzerain, you can check out Savage Mojo
  (www.savagemojo.com), or you can contact Curtis directly at
  curtis@threesagesgames.com, and he'll do his best to answer
  any questions you might have.
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  MECHANICS WISE
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  58 | For All Things Savage
  PRODUCT PREVIEW
  Accursed
  By Ross Watson, John Dunn, and Jason Marker
  An upcoming dark fantasy setting from Melior Via
  WITCHMARKS
  In Accursed, player characters take on the role of beings
  afflicted by a witch’s curse. These curses take physical form on
  the accursed’s body as a symbol or glyph named a witchmark.
  Witchmarks have many common designs based on the
  individual witchbreed. For example, dhampirwitchmarks have
  many elements in common with each other, but look quite
  different from the witchmarks of the vargr. The individual
  elements that make up a witchmark represent not only the
  nature of the witch’s curse, but also of the accursed.
  The witchmark displayed in this article belongs to the accursed
  witchbreed known as revenants. Creations of a witch, the
  Morrigan, revenants are humans who enter the Morrigan’s
  dark cauldron and maintain a strong focus on one individual
  ideal or desire above all others. Most commonly, this desire is
  focused on revenge and enables the revenant to retain their full
  sentience and free will when clambering out of the cauldron.
  The New Moon
  This symbol in the witchmark’s inner ring represents the
  accursed’s preference for subterfuge and stealth. He is skilled
  at moving unseen and evading detection. Some accursed have
  learned to use their witchmarks to sense their kin, but this
  witchmark is proof against such.
  The Skull
  The emblem of the skull ascendant represents both the death
  magic of the Morrigan’s witchcraft and the accursed’s journey
  through the dark cauldron from life to undeath.
  The Book
  The inner ring of the witchmark contains symbols of special
  significance to the accursed – the book means he emphasizes
  knowledge. Clearly this revenant values learning and
  intelligence over brawn and swift action. The accursed may
  have learned charms of witchcraft to use against the witches
  and their banes.
  The Triskelion
  The triskelion is a symbol common to the Cairn Kainen
  highlands of rebirth and change. Many revenants were created
  in or near Cairn Kainen, so it is no surprise that this
  accursed’switchmark bears symbols of that region.
  The Kainen Knot
  The kainenknot, as is obvious from its name, also originates
  from Cairn Kainen. Unlike the triskelion, the knot is a
  representation of revenge. Most commonly, the knot is used to
  seal a feud between clans of the highlands, but in the case of a
  revenant, it epitomizes the driving goal he clings to in order to
  maintain his sanity and free will.
  Unlocking the Witchmark
  A witchmark grows more baroque and complex over time as
  the accursed learns more about himself and the nature of his
  curse. In Savage Worlds, this is represented by going through
  the stages of Ranks. A Novice accursed, for example, has a
  rather basic witchmark that may simply involve his curse and
  witchbreed, while an accursed of Veteran or Heroic Rank may
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  59
  have distinct representations in his witchmark for particularly
  significant Edges, Hindrances, or other events in his life.
  Whenever a player character in Accursed reaches a new Rank,
  he unlocks a new portion of his witchmark to signify his growing
  understanding and experience.
  Some accursed have either embraced their curse completely or
  found a way to utterly reject it, ridding themselves of their
  witchmark in the process. This is a very rare turn of events in
  Accursed, but it does represent the ability for a player to take
  advantage of attaining a new Rank and unlocking his witchmark
  to change the direction of his character’s nature. For example,
  if the player finds swordplay and firearms unfulfilling, he may
  choose to have his character learn witchcraft and exchange
  certain skills and Edges to make this happen. In-game, the
  character’s witchmark unlocks previously-unknown abilities in
  the accursed, and he finds himself drawn to this new course in
  his life.
  Using the Witchmark
  As an accursed grows more familiar with his witchmark and
  unlocks its powers, he may find ways to harness its unique
  nature to his benefit. Some accursed have learned to use their
  witchmarks to communicate across long distances with their
  companions, while others have channeled power into their
  witchmark to sense others of their kind and even detect the
  presence of banes – monsters created by the same witch
  responsible for the accursed’s monstrous state. The accursed’s
  desire for redemption may become so strong and
  overwhelming that the accursed finds himself drawn to those
  in need by his witchmark, feeling an undefinable pull or urge to
  seek out regions of Morden where the might of the witches can
  be challenged and overcome.
  Stigmata
  Witchmarks take many forms, from the gold-etched cartouches
  common to mummies to the sewn-in scar tissue of the
  mongrels. No matter its nature, witchmarks are sometimes
  given to revealing themselves. When a witchmark is exposed to
  certain stimuli, including the presence of a powerful minion of
  the witch who created that particular accursed or when
  confronted with powerful witchcraft, it makes its presence
  known. This display is known as stigmata, and it can vary wildly
  in its appearance depending on the stimuli. Some witchmarks
  bleed freely, while others glow with a pale, disquieting
  radiance. Still others pulse with heat or faintly writhe,
  squirming beneath the accursed’s skin.
  THE CREATORS
  The minds behind Accursed are Ross Watson, John Dunn, and
  Jason Marker. They are the creators who brought you into the
  grim darkness of the far future with the Warhammer 40,000
  Roleplaying series. They are the scribes who chronicled a galaxy
  far, far away in Star Wars: Edge of the Empire. They have
  sharpened the cyberpunk edge where man meets magic and
  machine for Shadowrun. Accursed is their newest creation, a
  dark fantasy RPG that explores a world where faerie tales went
  very wrong, and to fight evil, monsters must become heroes.
  What is Accursed?
  Accursed is a dark fantasy setting for Savage Worlds. It is a
  world of perilous adventure where the forces of evil have all
  but triumphed.
  In such a world, those who remain uncorrupted by
  wickedness must rely on monsters to fight against the
  darkness. Witches have ruled the land since the last battles
  of conquest, but their Grand Coven has been sundered,
  leaving behind remnants of a once-mighty army. The
  remnants of the horde include captured citizens of the
  conquered nations that fought as the witches’ shock troops.
  These are the accursed, the witchmarks burned into their
  flesh and souls transformed these men and women into
  monstrous forms. Now, unable to return to their former
  lives, the accursed wander the land, giving aid to those in
  need in an attempt to atone for past sins. Some have joined
  the Order of the Penitent, an organization devoted to
  ridding the world of witches and their evil influence. Others
  offer their skills as warriors, alchemists, and spies to the
  highest bidder. Yet others have succumbed to corruption,
  greed, or insanity.
  Light has failed, darkness is ascendant; only those bearing
  the forms of monsters can stand against the tide of the
  witches’ evil. The accursed are this world’s only hope; they
  must learn to embrace their curse or fight against it, and
  find some way to forever free themselves of their
  witchmark.
  Accursed is scheduled to launch in September of 2013.
  To find out more go to:  www.accursedrpg.com.
  Derek Tyler (order #9232471)
  
  60 | For All Things Savage
  BOOK REVIEWS
  Book reviews are a great way of
  highlighting some of the products
  available for Savage Worlds and from its
  licensees. So that Savage Insider isn’t the
  only one reviewing products, we turn to
  the Savage Worlds community to
  provide their opinions.
  Rippers (Core Setting Guide)
  Publisher: Pinnacle Entertainment
  Group
  Authors: Christopher W. Dolunt and
  Simon Lucas
  Artists: Max Humber, Pawel
  Klopotowski, Chris Waller, Cheyenne
  Wright
  Reviewed by Aaron T. Huss
  Rippers is one of those unique settings
  where you have to have a desire to play
  it. Because it’s so era and genre specific
  (Victorian fantasy horror), it may not be
  for everyone. For me, it’s a setting that
  is extremely interesting and fills its niche
  nicely.
  Rippers 
  takes 
  the 
  concept 
  of
  supernatural hunting in an interesting
  direction by playing off gothic horror
  tales placed in the Victorian era (such as
  Jack the Ripper) and writing with a
  Victorian style. Characters are very
  similar to those found in the Cthulhu
  Mythos, although they are properly
  equipped to fight the horrors, which are
  slightly below incredibly difficult to
  defeat. In other words, the characters
  are given an opportunity to become
  supernatural hunters alongside the
  basic exploration and investigation that
  comes with horror role-playing (that and
  the insanity and psychosis).
  While the setting and characters are
  intriguing in their own ways, I feel the
  actual core setting guide can use
  significant improvements. For starters,
  reading through the book (keep in mind
  this core setting guide is fairly old in
  regards to Savage Worlds) proves a little
  tricky at times as the page background is
  very distracting, consisting of light red
  blood splatter that is a bit too
  noticeable. The formatting and layout
  are really nice otherwise, but the
  background is unfavorable.
  The content of the book is another issue.
  While there is a boat-load of great
  content for the GM, the character
  section falls short. Everything regarding
  “Becoming a Ripper” looks great along
  with the equipment and Rippertech, but
  the “Setting Rules” covering status and
  lodgings 
  could 
  be 
  significantly
  expanded.
  My biggest concern regarding the
  Rippers setting is how factions are
  explained. There are Edges associated
  with being a part of a specific faction
  (such 
  as 
  Rosicrucian), 
  but 
  the
  explanation of how those factions are
  incorporated into the setting is only
  given in a couple of sentences. I didn’t
  feel very engaged in the setting while
  reading through these aspects of
  Rippers, especially since they seem to be
  important enough to warrant their own
  Edges.
  Rippers is a great setting and the flavor
  of that setting is one that truly stands
  out on its own. I’m not overly impressed
  with the character section as I feel there
  are so many aspects of the setting that
  are not fleshed out, such as factions and
  a better understanding of how rippers
  are incorporated into the world around
  them (lodges, status, etc.). It’s definitely
  a book that has a lot of great character
  options, 
  an 
  engaging 
  plot 
  point
  campaign, interesting adversaries, and
  loads of potential. However, I am more
  enthusiastic about seeing an updated
  version than delving into the current
  one.
  Jalizar (Beasts & Barbarians)
  Publisher: GRAmel
  Authors: Umberto Pignatelli, Andy Slack
  Artists: Marta Poludnikiewicz, Magda
  Rudzińska, Bartłomiej Fedyczak,
  Anthony Cournoyer, Tomek Tworek,
  Derek Tyler (order #9232471)
  
  61
  The next section covers making local
  residents of Jalizar. Like most Savage
  Worlds books, it has a handful of new
  Hindrances that fit the feel of the city; a
  good number of new Edges are
  introduced, with a few being very
  oriented to living in Jalizar. An optional
  rule for handling these city-based Edges,
  should 
  a 
  character 
  leave 
  on 
  a
  permanent base, is presented.
  Magic is the next section and expands
  details for Lotus Masters, Sorcerers, and
  Enlightened. It provides a good detail on
  how they interact with the city and also
  a few new trappings for different arcane
  backgrounds. There is a twist to the
  sorcery path, called Sewer Sorcery,
  along with a new backlash table.
  A section on gear covers new weapons,
  armor, and mundane gear. Nothing
  special, but good to see some localized
  items.
  The Setting Rules section is well written
  and adds a bit of additional content. I
  particularly like the direction the author
  has taken on some of the more harsh
  Hindrances like Blind, Lame, One Arm,
  etc. It provides an incentive for taking
  these Hindrances. Most of the new rules
  in this section seem to deal more with
  thieving tasks, such as shadowing, traps,
  picking pockets, etc. The author did a
  good job of integrating the new rules
  with existing subsystems of Savage
  Worlds, such as dramatic tasks. The
  rules flow smoothly without having to
  worry about a new mechanic.
  The Game Master section then takes up
  about half the book. Part of it is
  dedicated to the various factions of the
  Tamas Baranya, Peter Temesi, Peter
  Szabo Gabor, Storn Cook
  Reviewed by Thomas Shook
  Once again, GRAmel has outdone
  themselves. Jalizar, City of Thieves is a
  great add-on to the
  Beasts and
  Barbarians line.
  The book is broken down into several
  sections. The first is the Book of Lore,
  which covers the history of Jalizar. It is
  well written and provides a nice
  historical overview of the city and how
  most of the powers came into play. It
  also covers recent history and customs
  that help bring the city to life. It briefly
  covers the various cultures that can be
  found in the city and why they migrated
  here. Finally, it covers the technology
  and day to day life.
  Derek Tyler (order #9232471)
  
  62 | For All Things Savage
  city, and suggestions on how to use
  them to make the city come alive.
  Included is a detailed section on the
  sewers and how to use them to give an
  urban-based campaign a chance to do a
  bit of dungeon crawling and exploration.
  There are several tables to quickly
  generate NPC encounters, different
  traps, and help for those that might be
  stuck.
  The final part of the book is an expanded
  bestiary covering the denizens of the
  city and the sewers beneath it.
  Overall the book is well written with a
  mix of art styles, using the standard
  black and white layout that GRAmel has
  used for other products in this line.
  Though written and based in Jalizar, this
  book contains a wealth of usable
  information, for any fantasy urban
  campaign.
  The Savage World of Solomon
  Kane (Core Setting Guide)
  Publisher: Pinnacle Entertainment
  Group
  Authors: Paul Wade-Williams,Shane
  Hensley, Randy Mosiondz, PiotrKorys
  Artists: Aaron Acevedo, Alec Acevedo,
  Davi Blight, Niklas Brandt, Julie
  Dillon,Neal von Flue, Nina Garncarczyk,
  Diego Gisbert Llorens, Chris Malidore,
  Slawomir Maniak, Andreas Rocha,
  Daniel Rudnicki, Isaiah Sherman, Bob
  Stevlic, Christophe Swal, Frank Walls,
  Cheyenne Wright, Matt Wilson
  Reviewed by Nick Clayton
  The Savage World of Solomon Kane is
  aptly named, for Kane’s world is indeed
  savage. It is based on the writings of
  Robert E. Howard and set in a dark and
  gritty alternate history of the late 16th
  and early 17th century. It was interesting
  and fun to take maps of the Old World
  and find places to pin the points of
  interest from Howard’s writings. This
  world is full of evil demons and wicked
  men. Magic exists within this world, but
  the fear and prejudices of the people
  make it a dangerous gift to possess.
  The characters, having directly or
  indirectly committed some mortal sin
  that haunts them every waking and
  sleeping moment, are drawn together
  by visions. They begin dreaming of a
  shaman that speaks to them of a
  Puritan, 
  of 
  redemption, 
  and 
  of
  Torkertown. This is the beginning of the
  path 
  of 
  Solomon. 
  Character
  development delves deeper into the
  psyche and motivations of your players’
  characters, having them explore the
  darkest depths of their characters’ souls.
  To better fit the setting, the system for
  casting spells is different from the core
  rules. With the dropping of Power
  Points, the removal of several powers,
  and the addition of powers straight from
  the source material, it provides a more
  ritualized approach to casting with much
  more dangerous backlash for failing to
  properly cast a spell. Speaking of
  dangers, players should probably not
  get too attached to the pristine
  condition of their characters, as the
  potential for maiming, scarring, and
  death are much greater in this setting
  than others.
  There are topics within the source
  material - such as slavery and racism -
  that may be unsettling or offensive to
  some players and isn’t really brought up
  or focused on within the setting. If you,
  as a GM, decide to include these
  elements in your game, be sure to check
  with your players to make sure they are
  ok with these details. There is still more
  than enough savagery and grit without
  those elements.
  This setting was released prior to the
  release of
  Savage Worlds: Deluxe
  Edition, but a new mechanic that it
  introduces – Interludes – would work
  well to enhance the gaming experience.
  It’s beyond the scope of this review, and
  isn’t required to enjoy the game, but it
  would be a nice bonus. However, the
  setting book includes everything needed
  to get started taking characters down
  the Path of Solomon Kane, including
  descriptions of key locations within the
  Old and New Worlds with adventure
  outlines in many of those locations,
  Adventure Generators, setting specific
  rules, and a bestiary.
  Being a fan of Robert E. Howard, I enjoy
  the attention to detail and the ability to
  visit and expand upon places and events
  that took place within The Savage World
  of Solomon Kane.
  BOOK REVIEWS
  Derek Tyler (order #9232471)
  
  63
  Derek Tyler (order #9232471)
  
  64 | For All Things Savage
  CALENDAR OF EVENTS
  Calendar of Events – July to
  October 2013
  Descriptions are as described
  on event websites and were
  accurate as of this printing.
  Events with [SW] are those
  where Savage Worlds games
  are expected.
  UNITED STATES
  CONVERGENCE -
  WWW.CONVERGENCE-CON.ORG
  CONvergence is an annual
  convention for fans of Science
  Fiction and Fantasy in all
  media, held each July at
  the DoubleTree by Hilton in
  Bloomington, MN. We are a
  4-day event with more than
  5,000 attendees, and the
  premiere event of our kind in
  the upper mid-west.
  Bloomington, MN
  7/4-7/13
  FLORIDASUPERCON -
  WWW.FLORIDASUPERCON.COM
  South Florida's Comic Book,
  Anime, Animation, Video
  Game, Fantasy, Sci-Fi and Pop
  Culture Convention is July 4-7,
  2013. It's 4 days of fun
  featuring celebrity guests,
  comic book creators, voice
  actors, industry guests,
  cosplayers, artists, writers,
  panels, Q&A's, films & shorts,
  costume & cosplay contests,
  vendors, parties, anime,
  workshops, video gaming and
  more!
  Miami, FL
  7/4-7/13
  KANTCON – WWW.KANTCON.COM
  KantCon is a gaming
  convention for tabletop
  hobby gamers in the Kansas
  City area, created by tabletop
  hobby gamers in the Kansas
  City area. The only available
  gaming conventions and large
  gatherings of gamers in the
  Kansas City area are limited to
  the beginning of the year, and
  the end of the year, in March
  and November, respectively.
  As most gamers are
  increasingly busy, in school,
  or have children in school,
  there is a void of a centralized
  gaming convention in the
  summer months in Kansas
  City. KantCon will fill that void
  with three days of tabletop
  fun in the form of tabletop
  role-playing games, card
  games, board games, and
  miniatures games.
  Lenexa, KS
  7/5-7/13
  PAIZOCON -
  HTTP://PAIZO.COM/PAIZOCON
  PaizoCon returns in 2013 for 3
  days of all the hot Pathfinder
  action you can handle, now in
  a new location! Gaming,
  panels, workshops, costumes,
  and loads of Pathfinder fun
  await you at PaizoCon 2013.
  Meet-up with community
  members from around the
  world, as well as Paizo staff,
  and dozens of hobby gaming's
  veteran authors, artists,
  publishers and designers.
  Seattle, WA
  7/5-7/13
  CONECTICON -
  WWW.CONNECTICON.ORG
  ConnectiCon is a
  membership-based
  organization, run by a very
  dedicated volunteer staff.
  ConnectiCon is New England's
  ONLY massively, multi-genre
  pop culture convention. The
  convention's focus is on all
  things pop culture and does
  every genre of pop culture in
  as big a way as possible. The
  event attracts over 10,000
  people to the Hartford area
  annually, and plans to expand
  to other venues in downtown
  Hartford.
  Hartford, CT
  7/12-14/13
  MICHICON -
  HTTP://METRODETROITGAMERS.W
  ORDPRESS.COM
  Since 1972, the Metro Detroit
  Gamers (MDG) has hosted a
  series of gaming conventions
  for the enjoyment of gamers
  everywhere! MDG is proud to
  continue this tradition by
  welcoming those who enjoy
  playing games of all stripes:
  wargames, board games,
  chess, card games, train
  games, naval, space and army
  miniatures, role-playing
  games and more!
  Rochester, MI
  7/12-13/13
  FANDOMFEST -
  WWW.FANDOMFEST.COM
  Fandomfest is the largest
  Comic-Con or multi-platform
  convention in the Mid
  America region. Over 16,700
  people attended in 2012 and
  the 2013 convention looks
  like it will top 20,000. We are
  a Comic-Con that includes
  Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Steampunk,
  Horror, Anime, Literary,
  Technology, Film, Gaming,
  Vending, Cosplay, Costuming,
  LARPing, Parties,
  KIDPALOOZA, seminars, Q and
  A's, Celebrities from TV,
  Movies and more. It's just like
  Comic-Con in California as far
  as what you will find there.
  Louisville, KY
  7/26-28/13
  ROUNDCON -
  WWW.ROUNDCON.COM
  RoundCon Expo is Columbia,
  SC's premiere convention
  with three tracks of
  programming that include
  anime, creative pursuits and
  table-top gaming.
  Columbia, SC
  8/2-4/13
  CHICAGO COMIC CON -
  WWW.WIZARDWORLD.COM/HOME
  -CH.HTML
  Join tens of thousands of fans
  as they converge at Chicago
  Comic Con 2013 Wizard
  World Convention to
  celebrate the best in pop
  culture. Chicago Comic Con
  brings it all - Movies, Comics,
  Toys, Video Gaming, Games,
  TV, Horror, Wrestling, MMA,
  Original Art, Collectibles,
  Anime, Manga & More!
  Chicago Comic Con is brought
  to you by the group who
  produces the most widely
  attended Comic Con tour!
  This is Chicago’s largest and
  longest-running Comic Con!
  Chicago, IL
  8/8-11/13
  DRAGONFLIGHT -
  WWW.DRAGONFLIGHT.ORG
  Dragonflight is a community
  organization dedicated to
  promoting all manner of
  gaming from board and card
  games to LARP to computer
  games throughout the Pacific
  Northwest. Since 1980,
  Dragonflight Conventions
  have been a mainstay of the
  northwest convention scene
  and game community.
  Seattle, WA
  8/9-11/13
  Derek Tyler (order #9232471)
  
  65
  GEN CON - WWW.GENCON.COM
  [SW]
  Featuring game industry
  veterans, award-winning
  authors and artists, jaw-
  dropping costumes,
  thousands of events, a
  growing Family Fun Pavilion,
  and the newest games on the
  market, Gen Con truly is The
  Best Four Days in Gaming™!
  Indianapolis, IN
  8/15-18/13
  GEEK.KON – WWW.GEEKKON.NET
  Geek.Kon is Madison
  Wisconsin's very own anime
  convention, sci-fi convention,
  and gaming convention all
  rolled into one! Geek.Kon is a
  place to celebrate all that is
  geeky.
  Madison, WI
  8/23-25/13
  GUNS OF AUGUST -
  HTTP://WBCONVENTIONS.ORG
  Our goal is to host a
  convention that is both family
  friendly and appealing to a
  wide variety of gamers.  We
  primarily feature historical
  miniature wargames, but we
  also showcase a board-
  gaming room with many of
  the most popular titles
  currently on the market, as
  well as science-fiction based
  and role playing games.
  Williamsburg, VA
  8/23-25/13
  MECHACON -
  WWW.MECHACON.COM
  MechaCon was conceived as a
  revolutionary Anime
  convention experience,
  utilizing a unique three-fold
  approach focusing on
  Japanese animation, Japanese
  culture, and Transformers.
  New Orleans, LA
  8/23-25/13
  DRAGON*CON -
  WWW.DRAGONCON.ORG
  Dragon*Con is the largest
  multi-media, popular culture
  convention focusing on
  science fiction and fantasy,
  gaming, comics, literature,
  art, music, and film in the
  universe!
  Altanta, GA
  8/30-9/2/13
  GATEWAY -
  WWW.STRATEGICON.NET
  Our conventions offer the
  chance to play, watch and buy
  a variety of board games, card
  games, miniatures,
  roleplaying, collectables, and
  computer games.
  Los Angeles, CA
  8/30-9/2/13
  MAGE CON SOUTH -
  WWW.MAGE-PAGE.COM
  In honor of the 30th
  Anniversary this year's
  convention admission is FREE!
  Great games, contests,
  miniatures, costumes,
  seminars, artwork, and
  special guests.
  Sioux City, IA
  8/30-9/2/13
  PAX PRIME -
  HTTP://PRIME.PAXSITE.COM
  In 2004, the folks at Penny
  Arcade decided they wanted a
  show exclusively for gaming.
  From that idea spawned an
  event focused on the culture
  and community that is
  gaming.
  Seattle, WA
  8/30-9/2/13
  QUEEN CITY CONQUEST –
  WWW.QUEENCITYCONQUEST.COM
  [SW]
  We welcome all types of
  gaming, including Role Playing
  Games, War Games, Board
  Games, Collectible Card
  Games, and more.
  Buffalo, NY
  8/30-9/1/13
  TACTICON -
  HTTP://DENVERGAMERS.ORG
  [SW]
  The Denver Gamers
  Association is a non-profit
  organization which promotes
  and supports table-top
  gaming of all kinds.
  Denver, CO
  8/30-9/3/12
  OHIO COMIC CON -
  WWW.WIZARDWORLD.COM/WIZC
  ON.HTML
  Join tens of thousands of
  fellow fans as they converge
  at the Greater Columbus
  Convention Center at Ohio
  Comic Con to celebrate the
  best in pop culture.
  Columbus’ Comic Con brings
  it all - Movies, Comics, Toys,
  Video Gaming, Games, TV,
  Graphic Novels, Horror,
  Wrestling, MMA, Original Art,
  Collectibles, Anime, Manga, &
  More! This is Ohio’s longest
  running and most widely
  attended Comic Con! Brought
  to you by the group who
  produces the most widely
  attended Comic Con tour!
  Columbus, OH
  9/20-22/13
  BARBECON -
  WWW.QUINTECONS.COM
  Board, role-playing, and
  miniature gaming under two
  massive tents; rain or shine.
  Amazing catered barbecue
  from a local, award-winning
  restaurant.
  Clarkston, MI
  9/21/2013
  GRANDCON – WWW.GRAND-
  CON.COM
  GrandCon features tabletop
  gaming in all its forms, as well
  as comic books and the
  creators behind them. We
  provide an atmosphere that
  will allow gamers and comic
  book fans to mingle and
  appreciate their shared
  interests.
  Grand Rapids, MI
  9/21-22/13
  HURRICON - WWW.HMGS-
  SOUTH.COM
  Over 100 games from
  experienced game masters:
  some of the best historical
  gaming around, historical
  miniatures gaming & tabletop
  games of all kinds.
  Orlando, FL
  9/26-29/13
  NUKE CON - WWW.NUKE-
  CON.COM
  Nuke-Con is a not-for-profit,
  all volunteer organization
  dedicated to promoting the
  positive educational, social,
  and entertainment aspects in
  all types of gaming hobbies.
  Omaha, NE
  10/4-6/13
  REALMS CON
  Realms Con is a multi-genre
  convention that has been
  around over eight years and
  will cater to the public in the
  form of celebrities, celebrity
  anime voice actors, artists,
  gaming rooms, movie room,
  By Vickey A. Beaver
  Derek Tyler (order #9232471)
  
  66 | For All Things Savage
  CALENDAR OF EVENTS
  costume contests, workshops,
  panels, and much more.
  Corpus Christi, TX
  10/4-6/13
  COUNCIL OF FIVE NATIONS -
  WWW.SWA-
  GAMING.ORG/COUNCIL [SW]
  As with all the Councils over
  the years, our goal is a nice
  balance between role-play
  games, miniatures, board
  games, and other stuff.
  Schenectady, NY
  10/11-13/13
  CON ON THE COB -
  WWW.CONONTHECOB.COM [SW]
  Four days of geeks, games,
  and madness.
  Hudson, OH
  10/17-20/13
  CHARCON - HTTP://CHARCON.ORG
  There will be a variety of RPGs
  at this year's convention. We
  have game masters running
  D&D 4th Edition, RPGA
  events, Post Apocalypse
  themed games, Superhero
  events and many others.
  Charleston, WV
  10/18-20/13
  NASHVILLE COMIC CON -
  HTTP://WWW.WIZARDWORLD.CO
  M/WIZCON.HTML
  Join tens of thousands of
  fellow fans as they converge
  on the Music City Center at
  Nashville Comic Con to
  celebrate the best in pop
  culture. Nashville Comic Con
  brings it all - Movies, Comics,
  Toys, Video Gaming, Games,
  TV, Graphic Novels, Horror,
  Wrestling, MMA, Original Art,
  Collectibles, Anime, Manga &
  More! Nashville Comic Con is
  brought to you by the group
  who produces the most
  widely attended Comic Con
  tour!
  Nashville, TN
  10/18-20/13
  NECRONOMICON -
  WWW.STONEHILL.ORG/NECMAIN.H
  TM
  Florida's science fiction,
  fantasy & horror convention.
  Tampa, FL
  10/18-20/13
  CRYSTAL COAST CON -
  WWW.CRYSTALCOASTCON.COM
  The sci-fi, fantasy, and gaming
  experience will be a one day
  wondrous event.
  Cape Carteret, NC
  10/19/2013
  GIRLGEEKCON -
  WWW.GEEKGIRLCON.COM
  GeekGirlCon is a non-profit,
  volunteer-powered
  organization dedicated to
  recognizing and celebrating
  the contribution of women in
  all aspects of geek culture.
  Seattle, WA
  10/19-20/13
  KOKOMO-CON -
  WWW.KOKOMOCON.COM
  Indiana's premier comic
  convention.
  Kokomo, IN
  10/19/2013
  FLATCON - WWW.FLATCON.COM
  Central IL's premier gaming
  event. Card games, board
  games, RPGs, historical minis,
  Warhammer, and more!
  Bloomington, IL
  10/25-27/13
  ROCK-CON - WWW.ROCK-
  CON.COM
  The convention features
  historical and fantasy
  miniature gaming, collectible
  miniatures, role playing,
  collectible card and board
  gaming events covering the
  entire spectrum of adventure
  gaming.
  Rockford, IL
  10/25-27/13
  CANADA
  FAN EXPO CANADA -
  WWW.FANEXPOCANADA.COM
  Considered by many to be the
  “Comic Con” of Canada, Fan
  Expo Canada™ humbly began
  as the Canadian National
  Comic Book Expo in 1995.
  Growing from one genre with
  1500 fans to a multifaceted
  show connecting over 90,000
  fans, Fan Expo Canada™ is
  currently the 3rd largest pop
  culture event in North
  America!
  Toronto, Canada
  8/22-25/13
  ENGLAND
  RAIDERS OF THE GAME CUPBOARD
  -
  WWW.RAIDERSOFTHEGAMECUPBO
  ARD.CO.UK
  One day gaming convention
  featuring board games,
  roleplaying, CCG, and many,
  many more.
  Staffordshire
  9/28/13
  FURNACE -
  HTTP://RPGFURNACE.COM/
  Furnace is a tabletop
  roleplaying game convention.
  Sheffield, England
  10/19-20/13
  IRELAND
  GAELCON -
  WWW.GAELCON.COM/GAELCON
  Gaelcon is Ireland's premier
  games convention which is a
  gathering of gamers, who all
  come together in a certain
  place at a certain time for the
  same reason: to play games
  and have fun.
  Dublin, Ireland
  10/25-28/13
  ISRAEL
  ICON -
  HTTP://ICONFESTIVAL.ORG.IL/20
  13/
  ICON is an annual national
  festival of science fiction,
  fantasy, and role-playing
  games.
  Tel Aviv, Israel
  9/22-24/13
  ONLINE
  JACKER CON -
  WWW.CONPLANNER.COM/CONVE
  NTIONHOME.ASPX?C=122
  A first of its kind for the
  Happy Jacks listeners (and
  hopefully some hosts) to get
  together online and play
  various RPG'S.  We will plan
  on using Google + and
  probably some rolld20.  If it’s
  successful maybe will make it
  a twice a year event!
  Online
  7/19-21/13
  MONKEY CON -
  HTTP://WWW.CONPLANNER.COM/
  CONVENTIONHOME.ASPX?C=127
  MonkeyCon Two is a virtual
  convention for roleplaying
  games.  It is a celebration of
  the Monkeys Took My Jetpack
  podcast and homage to what
  they and the GutterSkypes
  have done for role playing
  games via Skype. The event is
  ticketless and free.
  Online
  10/18-19/13
  Derek Tyler (order #9232471)
  
  Derek Tyler (order #9232471)
  
  Savage Insider Issue #9: Tales of the Weird is all about fantasy horror during the Victorian Era through
  World War II. The flagship article, The Asylum, presents a lengthy Victorian adventure in an abandoned
  asylum where the dead are quite restless. This adventure can be utilized in a number of settings and even
  combined with The Mask Peddler equipment corral article by purchasing a mask that can help, or
  hinder, your PCs while the GM can take some hints from Combat Deadliness to amp up the horror of the
  adventure.
  Tales of the Weird is mostly an alternate history issue that takes different decades and combines them
  with fantasy horror (or weird). There is a mixture of content formats with a leaning toward the creepy,
  such as what you'd find in Tales from the Crypt.
  Tales of the Weird includes:
  ● One full-length adventure.
  ● One investigative / survival adventure.
  ● Two fictional pieces.
  ● Weird masks.
  ● New options for combat.
  ● ... And much more!
  Derek Tyler (order #9232471)
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Savage Worlds System (SWADE) [multi]/_Misc/Savage Insider/Savage Insider #09 - Tales of the Weird.pdf