TEXT:  
   
  The Bride of 
  The Bride of 
  The Bride of 
  The Bride of     
  Baron Samedi
  Baron Samedi
  Baron Samedi
  Baron Samedi    
   
   
   
  An Adventure for Lost Souls 
   
   
  By Kathleen Williams & Joe Williams 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Copyright © 1993, 2007 by Joe Williams 
   
  Email me at: freeRPGs@comcast.net 
  
   
   
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  The Bride of  
  Baron Samedi 
  Background 
  We were lounging around Limbo, debating 
  what Gilligan’s first name is, when she stumbled 
  into the waiting room. 
  She looked strange to us. She didn’t have any 
  wounds, but then neither does Nicky, and he was 
  torn limb from limb by an escaped gorilla. It wasn’t 
  until I helped her to a chair that I figured out what 
  was wrong with her. She was still warm. 
  A note pinned to her blue dress read, “This 
  medium was discovered wandering about Limbo. 
  Please see that she gets home safely.” It was signed 
  by our mentor. 
  Referee’s Introduction 
  This Lost Souls adventure is designed for a 
  group of spirits and one female medium, whose 
  last name is Torres. The medium is the central 
  character, around whom the story is based. The 
  referee may make the medium an NPC, though this 
  will reduce the player’s personal involvement in 
  the adventure. 
  The 
  medium 
  PC 
  is 
  bewildered 
  and 
  disorientated. She can remember nothing about 
  her trip to Limbo or anything about her life except 
  her name, her supernatural powers, and the fact 
  that she if she stays here any longer, she’ll be late 
  to meet someone. 
  The medium assumes she used her Astral 
  Projection power to escape her body, but 
  whenever she tries to return to her flesh, an icy 
  coldness blocks her. She must find her body and 
  remove whatever is blocking her, or else remain a 
  lost soul. 
  Before returning to earth, the PCs must make 
  ghostly vows. The obvious choice is: “I will not 
  return until the medium rejoins her body.” After 
  the vows are taken, a tunnel of light forms to whisk 
  the PCs back to earth. 
  The Tar Pit 
  It is twilight when the PCs arrive in a park in 
  the middle of a city in southern California. A wire 
  fence surrounds a large tar pit. On a bench in front 
  of the fence slumps a man in a trench coat, a hat 
  pulled low over his face. 
  Before the seated figure is an old man wearing 
  colorful, tattered clothing topped by a floppy hat. 
  He has a huge lower jaw, and grins constantly. This 
  is Daddy Bones. 
  Daddy Bones smiles at the medium as though 
  he can SEE her. If approached, the old man glares 
  at the medium and shouts: “I don’t like your dress!” 
  Then Blatt! he vomits green ectoplasm at her. The 
  medium must make a Good Dodge roll to avoid 
  being hit. The vomit is scalding, and does (Defense 
  vs Passable) damage per turn for every column 
  under Good the player rolled on her Dodge. 
  Daddy Bones takes a necklace from his breast 
  pocket, waves it at the medium, and says “Is this 
  what you’re looking for?” Before the PCs can react, 
  he hurls the necklace over the fence and into the 
  tar pit. On the next turn, he shouts, “Affa Miredo!” 
  and then laughing, he disappears. At his shout, two 
  skeletal saber-toothed tigers rise from the pit and 
  attack the PCs. 
  
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  Saber-Toothed Tigers 
  Type: Neutral creature under evil influence 
  Consistency: Incorporeal 
  Defense: Good. Missile weapons do only x1 
  damage to their skeletal forms. 
  WTL: 18 
  Abilities: Great Agility, Good Strength, Inferior 
  Intelligence 
  Appearance: Skeletal tigers with sandy-brown 
  coats and big fangs. 
  Motivation: To guard the tar pit. 
  Combat: Each turn, the tigers attack with their 
  claws for (Defense vs Passable) x 3 damage and 
  their bite for (Defense vs Poor) x 4 damage. The 
  tigers will not venture more than twenty feet from 
  the pit. 
  The Corpse On The Bench 
  The man on the bench is dead. A Good Medical 
  roll will show that he died of a heart attack. His 
  wallet identifies him as Brock Simpson, a police 
  detective. The breast pocket of his coat holds a 
  notepad. Reading it, the PCs learn that Simpson 
  was working on the Torres case. About three 
  months ago, Hernando Torres came to him and 
  told him that he believed his family was being 
  systematically poisoned. The superstitious folk in 
  the barrio believed the deaths were the result of a 
  curse, but Hernando didn’t believe it. A month 
  later, Hernando died. An autopsy did not show any 
  trace of poison, and the death was attributed to 
  natural causes. 
  The final entry in his notebook reads, “3 p.m. -- 
  Hernando’s sister called, says she knows how to 
  stop the curse. More Santeria crap. Will meet her 
  anyway, 6 p.m. at tar pit.” 
  The Necklace 
  It is imperative that the players retrieve the 
  necklace that is sinking in the tar pit. Since Daddy 
  Bones is no longer touching the necklace, it has 
  resumed material form, making it even more 
  difficult for the PCs to pick up. It will sink 
  completely in four turns. 
  An incorporeal PC who enters the tar must 
  make a Passable Aquatics roll to avoid plunging to 
  the bottom. 
  The long silver chain holds a blue enameled 
  ball with the figure of a snake etched around it. The 
  ball twists open. Inside are small pictures of the 
  medium and another woman who looks very much 
  like her. The medium recognizes her as Tina, her 
  sister. Both women wear red uniforms with 
  “Rainbeau & Ramon Uniforms.” embroidered on 
  their pockets. Inside the ball is a small quantity of 
  fingernail clippings (they belong to Jerome 
  Rainbeau). 
  The address of Rainbeau & Ramon Uniforms is 
  listed in any phone book. 
  The Sweat Shop 
  Rainbeau & Ramon Uniforms is located in a 
  brick 
  building 
  in 
  an 
  ethnically 
  diverse 
  neighborhood, predominately Spanish and African-
  American. Looking around, the PCs will see that 
  many of the shops carry the name Rainbeau: 
  Rainbeau Deli, Rainbeau Dry Cleaning, Rainbeau 
  Records and Tapes. 
  At the top of a narrow, enclosed stairway is a 
  locked steel door with a peephole. On the other 
  side of the door, a young Hispanic man sits on a 
  stool, smoking a cigarette. The punk is armed with 
  a switchblade and an attitude, but is otherwise 
  defenseless against lost souls. He guards the shop, 
  making sure the workers do not leave until the end 
  of their shift. 
  The sweat shop is filled with young women 
  sitting in front of sewing machines stitching the 
  words, “Nadine,” “Sally” and “Rochelle” on the 
  breast pockets of waitress uniforms. Racks of 
  uniforms line the walls, and large bolts of colorful 
  material - green, yellow, blue, and red - are 
  scattered throughout the building. The air is filled 
  with bits of cloth and the smell of machine oil. The 
  only windows are at the edge of the ceiling and are 
  covered with wire mesh. At the far end of the room 
  is a door with the sign “Office” attached to it. 
  Only one sewing machine is not occupied. Next 
  to the empty station, the PCs spot Tina working. 
  Though frightened by contact from the afterlife, 
  Tina will tell what she knows. “The men in red 
  robes took my sister. Go see Tizano the italero. He 
  
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  will read los caracoles of the Table of Ifa and tell 
  you her fate. I know only that I am doomed. I will 
  ask the saints and orishas to have pity on me so 
  that my death will not be so terrible as hers.” She 
  will also tell them Tizano lives in the Botanica on 
  Little Market Street, not far south of the uniform 
  factory. 
  As the players try to question Tina further, 
  Daddy Bones passes through the office door, blood 
  dripping from his mouth. “It’s you again!” he cries 
  as he wipes the gore from his chin. “Ramon has 
  paid for letting your soul escape. But I’ve no time to 
  play with you. Can you play with fire?” 
  Taking a deep breath, Daddy Bones blows 
  across the room, knocking the cigarette out of the 
  mouth of the punk guarding the door. The lit 
  cigarette flutters across the room until it lands in a 
  pile of greasy rags. With a whoosh the rags burst 
  into flames. Daddy Bones vanishes just as the shop 
  girls jump from their seats, screaming and racing 
  for the exit. 
  The Fire 
  The women swarm for the door, completely 
  overpowering the guard. Unfortunately, the bolt 
  mechanism is stuck (due to the machinations of 
  Daddy Bones) and they cannot open the steel door. 
  Many of them fall to the ground and are trampled 
  as the room fills with smoke. Tina is overcome by 
  smoke inhalation and must be carried to safety. 
  The characters must use their powers to prevent 
  the deaths of the women. 
  The Office 
  Lost souls are immune to natural fire, so the 
  PCs may wish to examine the office even as the 
  building goes up in flames. It contains a small cage 
  covered by a red cloth, a desk, chair, large trunk 
  and coat rack. The coat rack holds a baggy, white 
  suit streaked with blood. There is a desk calendar 
  on the table turned to today, where the notation, 
  “Wedding of Baron Samedi. Hounfour.” is written. 
  By looking through the calendar, the players will 
  note that the word Hounfour appears frequently. 
  On top of the cage is a card in the same 
  handwriting as the calendar. It reads, “To the Bride 
  and Groom.” A scratching sound comes from the 
  cage. If the players lift the cloth, they will find two 
  white chickens. 
  Inside the locked trunk is the body of Mr. 
  Ramon. His throat has been ripped apart. Around 
  his neck hangs a sign scrawled in blood, which 
  reads, “Best Man.”  
  The Botanica 
  Following Tina’s directions, the PCs go to a 
  small shop flanked by two bright blue pillars. The 
  window is dark, but the words Botanica seem to 
  glow brightly. The shop is crammed full of items. 
  Some 
  of 
  them 
  are 
  traditional 
  Catholic 
  paraphernalia - statues, crucifixes, rosaries - while 
  others are African in origin, such as rattles, herbs, 
  dried powders, drums and sea shells. Everything is 
  brightly colored. A red parrot sits on a perch in a 
  corner. There is a door directly behind the counter. 
  When anyone physical or incorporeal enters 
  the room, the parrot squawks, “Those who enter, 
  are those that pay; pay your toll, or rue the day.” If 
  the lost souls try to go behind the counter, the red 
  parrot will instantly block the door, repeating, 
  “Those who enter, are those that pay; pay your toll, 
  or rue the day.” If the PCs assault the parrot or try 
  to bypass it, it will turn into a handsome man 
  wearing a long red cape. This is a manifestation of 
  Eleggua, god of entryways, doors and roads. 
  Though he is not a nasty fellow, he will require 
  each person to give him something (even an 
  ectoplasmic item) before letting them pass. 
  Eleggua 
  Type: Neutral higher being 
  Consistency: Dual 
  Defense: Superior 
  WTL: 60 
  Abilities: Superior Agility, Great Strength 
  Appearance: A handsome man with dark hair 
  and flashing eyes. His nose is rather beak-like. He is 
  naked except for a red loincloth, a magnificent cape 
  of red feathers and a small pouch. He carries two 
  large machetes. 
  Personality: Dignified and stolid.  
  Motivation: Eleggua has been bound to guard 
  the Botanica and alert Tizano to visitors. He will let 
  
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  anyone pass who will give him a trinket or gift of a 
  personal nature, but otherwise he will fight them. 
  Combat & Powers: Eleggua is capable of 
  turning into a red parrot. He can fly as a man as 
  well, though the Botanica is a little hard to 
  maneuver in. He will attack twice per turn with his 
  machetes for (Defense vs Good) x 4 damage. Like a 
  bird, if his head is hooded he will immediately 
  grow docile and revert to his bird shape. 
  Gear: Eleggua carries a “master key” in his 
  pouch. If a player obtains it, she may use it to open 
  any three locks, whether material or ectoplasmic, 
  before it disappears forever. If Eleggua is defeated, 
  the key will remain behind. 
  Tizano the Italero 
  The door behind the counter leads to the top 
  of a flight of stairs. From the ceiling hang little dolls 
  made of black cloth. Crosses and hearts are painted 
  on every step in blue and white paint. A faint light 
  can be seen at the bottom, along with the hum of 
  voices on a television set. 
  The basement is the living quarters of Tizano, 
  an old Spanish gypsy. In the middle of the room is a 
  table covered with a woven mat. A number of 
  seashells are scattered on top of the mat. Tizano 
  sits on his cot, watching the small black and white 
  television. 
  Tizano 
  Type: Good person 
  Consistency: Material 
  Defense: Poor 
  WTL: 12 
  Abilities: Feeble Agility, Inferior Strength, 
  Superior Intelligence 
  Appearance: A wizened man with a long white 
  beard and tan skin. His brown eyes are quite lively. 
  He is lame in his left foot and walks with an ebony 
  cane. 
  Personality: Tizano sells a variety of occult 
  goods to the Santeria and Voudou population. He is 
  known as an italero - a reader of the Tablet of Ifa. 
  In other words, he is a fortune-teller.  
  Powers: Within his room, Tizano is immune to 
  all supernatural powers. He can sense the presence 
  of the lost souls, but he will not be able to contact 
  them since he is not a medium. He will be happy to 
  communicate what he knows should the PCs make 
  their needs known. 
  Tizano’s Story 
  Some years ago, there were two religious cults 
  gaining favor in the neighborhood. Both of them 
  had the same roots in African culture, but one of 
  them became Santeria and the other the cult of 
  Voudou. The leader of the Santeria cult was Mama 
  Torres, the medium’s grandmother. The Voudou 
  cult was led by a handsome black man named 
  Jerome Rainbeau who had just gotten out of jail for 
  mail fraud. He was very charismatic, drawing many 
  followers to him, some of them from Mama Torres’ 
  Church of the Little Angels. He grew wealthy from 
  the donations of his people, buying up property 
  and businesses until he became one of the most 
  important men in the area. 
  Mama Torres warned her people against 
  Rainbeau and his evil ways. She called him a 
  mayombero - a malignant being specializing in 
  revenge and destruction. It wasn’t long before the 
  Torres family began to die one by one. Mama was 
  the first to go, and her son Hernando soon 
  followed. 
  This morning, the medium came to Tizano for 
  advice. He had her toss the caracoles (sea shells) 
  and read her fortune. He learned Rainbeau had cast 
  a bilongo (an evil spell) on her family and that 
  within a year they would all be dead. The only 
  chance the woman had was to place an ebbo (a 
  counter-spell) on Rainbeau, but to do so she would 
  need clippings of his hair or fingernails. By burning 
  the clippings, she would interrupt his powers long 
  enough to defeat him. The medium felt she could 
  talk Juan the barber into doing her the favor of 
  giving her some clippings. 
  Tizano does not know the location of 
  Rainbeau’s Hounfour (a temple). But he does know 
  it is probably guarded by many powerful loa 
  (spirits). Tizano will warn the PCs that evil spirits 
  do not like blue, the color of purity, and the smell of 
  burning brown sugar and garlic are abhorrent to 
  them. Lastly, he advises them to never eat anything 
  offered to them by an evil one. 
  Tizano will refuse to go with the PCs. He is old, 
  and fighting Rainbeau would kill him. 
  
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  The Hounfour 
  After the PCs leave Tizano, the medium will 
  notice a strange protrusion growing from her 
  stomach. It looks like a piece of semi-material rope 
  extending about a foot from her body. A Passable 
  Occult roll will reveal that it is a silver cord, which 
  sometimes manifests when a astral medium draws 
  near her material body. 
  The cord points southeast, and after a few 
  minutes of traveling in that direction, the PCs 
  arrive at the front of a house surrounded by an 
  iron fence which is immune to supernatural 
  powers. 
  Inside the compound, the PCs find a one-story 
  building with an open courtyard. Women are 
  carrying all sorts of food from a kitchen to a large 
  table. A number of other people are milling about, 
  all dressed in red. A few goats and sheep are 
  tethered at one end of the compound. 
  At the far end of the courtyard is a magnificent 
  fountain standing in a large pool. Before it is a 
  stone altar stained with blood. Two burning 
  braziers are at either end. 
  If the PCs check, they will see that the 
  medium’s silver cord points to the fountain. The 
  medium’s body is hidden inside the shower of 
  water. The pressure of the water is so fast that any 
  lost soul trying to enter it must make a Superior 
  Aquatics roll or else be swept into the pool where 
  he will churn helplessly for 2 turns for every 
  column by which he failed his roll. The character 
  takes (Defense vs Great) x 2 damage from the 
  ordeal. The controls to shut off the fountain can be 
  found in the kitchen. A character needs a Passable 
  Mechanical roll to figure out how to overate the 
  valve. 
  The medium cannot return to her body so long 
  as the water shields it. Once the fountain is turned 
  off, she can freely rejoin her mortal shell. 
  “So you’ve come to the feast!” booms a familiar 
  voice. “Well, there’s nothing like a good wedding 
  for good food. Come, sample the whiskey and eat 
  some banana cake. You’ve never had anything 
  tastier!” Daddy Bones beckons them to the 
  ectoplasmic feast which is intermingled with the 
  real thing. The PCs will find themselves compelled 
  to eat for (Will vs Poor) x 2 turns. Those who fail 
  their Will roll voraciously cram food into their 
  mouths. Anyone who eats of the food will become 
  ill and suffer -1 column on all rolls for (Stamina vs 
  Good) hours. 
  The Wedding 
  A handsome man dressed in red robes steps to 
  the altar before the fountain. He holds a sword in 
  one hand and a staff in the other. The medium will 
  instantly recognize him as Rainbeau. 
  “We are gathered here to witness the joining 
  of the greatest loa, Baron Samedi!” Rainbeau says. 
  “Accompany me in calling him to our presence, so 
  he may claim his bride!” The musicians begin to 
  play and riotous dancing begins. With a wave of his 
  sword, Rainbeau motions to one of his cronies to 
  turn off the fountain. The crowd gasps as the 
  unconscious body of the medium is revealed. She is 
  dressed in a white chemise and is bound to the 
  central pipe of the fountain. 
  A loud crack of thunder startles the crowd. 
  The tile floor cracks apart and Baron Samedi steps 
  up to take his bride to the underworld. The voudou 
  practitioners flee, leaving only Rainbeau, Daddy 
  Bones, and Baron Samedi behind. 
  Brown sugar and garlic can be found in the 
  kitchen. If these items are thrown onto the 
  braziers, it will weaken all evil spirits in the area, 
  including Baron Samedi and Daddy Bones, giving 
  the players +1 column on all rolls to resist their 
  powers. 
  Daddy Bones 
  Type: Evil creature 
  Consistency: Dual 
  Defense: Great 
  WTL: 60 
  Abilities: Great Intelligence, Great Cunning, 
  Superior Strength, Good Agility. 
  Appearance: Ragged man with a large jaw and 
  big teeth. He wears colorful clothes. 
  Personality: Cunning and sadistic. 
  Motivation: To serve Baron Samedi 
  Combat: Daddy Bones’ touch drains (Defense 
  vs Great) x 2 WTL. 
  Powers: Daddy Bones may teleport back to the 
  underworld at any time, although he cannot return 
  
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  again. He can also vomit ectoplasm. The target 
  must make a Good Dodge roll to avoid being hit. 
  The vomit does (Defense vs Passable) damage per 
  turn for every column under Good the player rolled 
  on her Dodge. 
  Daddy Bones does not like the color blue, since 
  it is the color of spirituality and purity. He will not 
  be able to use his powers if he is swathed in blue. 
  Jerome Rainbeau 
  Type: Evil person 
  Consistency: Material 
  Defense: Good 
  WTL: 25 
  Abilities: Good Agility, Good Strength 
  Appearance: A handsome black man wearing 
  red robes. He carries an iron sword in one hand 
  and a staff in the other. 
  Personality: A sociopath who will stop at 
  nothing to achieve his ends. 
  Motivation: Rainbeau wants to gain favor from 
  Baron Samedi by sacrificing the medium’s body to 
  him. 
  Combat & Powers: For human foes, Rainbeau 
  carries a small .22 in his pocket which does 
  (Defense vs Passable) x 2 damage. His iron sword 
  does (Defense vs Passable) x 4 damage to the 
  material or incorporeal beings. 
  Notes: The PCs may have the locket containing 
  Rainbeau’s fingernail clippings. If they are burned, 
  Rainbeau loses control over Daddy Bones and 
  Baron Samedi. The loas will turn on him, carrying 
  him to the underworld and bringing a quick ending 
  to the adventure. 
  Baron Samedi 
  Type: Evil Demon 
  Consistency: Dual 
  Defense: Great 
  WTL: 80 
  Abilities: Great Intelligence, Great Cunning, 
  Superior Strength, Good Agility. 
  Appearance: An old man wearing a top hat, 
  dress coat and shaded glasses. He smokes a cigar 
  and carries a cane.  
  Personality: Although Baron Samedi is the 
  Lord of death, he is a rather jolly, if crude, fellow. 
  He enjoys whiskey and a good joke. 
  Motivation: To take the medium’s body to the 
  underworld where he plans to consummate their 
  horrific union. 
  Combat & Powers: The Baron strikes with his 
  cane for (Defense vs Good) x 5 damage. By blowing 
  cigar smoke, he can put a target into a death-like 
  coma for (Stamina vs Passable) x 2 turns. 
  The Adventure Ends 
  Once the medium returns to her body, she 
  remembers everything that happened. She recalls 
  getting Rainbeau’s fingernail clippings from Juan 
  the barber. She called Detective Simpson to seek 
  his help in fighting Rainbeau once she had broken 
  his powers. She was on her way to meet Simpson 
  when Ramon kidnapped her. She used her astral 
  projection power to escape his clutches, but 
  because of the trauma of her capture, she suffered 
  amnesia. 
  The referee should give the PCs 3 Karma for 
  saving the women in the burning sweatshop. They 
  also gain 1 Karma for destroying Rainbeau, 2 
  Karma for banishing Daddy Bones, and 3 Karma for 
  destroying Baron Samedi. The referee should 
  award additional Karma as appropriate for 
  completing ghostly vows. 
  Glossary 
  Santeria: This religion is based on ancient 
  African rites and Catholicism. It arrived in the 
  Caribbean aboard slave ships. Since the slaves 
  were not allowed to practice their religion, they 
  adopted the worship of saints as a cover for their 
  own gods. Santeria comes from the Spanish word 
  santo, meaning saint. Followers of the faith are 
  called santeros and santeras. The gods (or Orishas) 
  are embodiments of the force of nature. 
  The Table of Ifa: This is a method of fortune 
  telling. Santeros who specialize in Table readings 
  are called italero. Reading the Table is called 
  diloggun. Eighteen sea shells (los caracoles) make 
  up the Table, but italero only use sixteen. The 
  
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  unbroken sides of the shell are filed until serrated 
  edges appear. The shells look like mouths filled 
  with teeth. These are the “mouthpieces” of the 
  orishas. 
  During a consultation (or registro), the italero 
  prays to the orishas, rubs the shells together and 
  throws them on a straw mat called an estera. The 
  shells are read according to how many of them fall 
  with their “mouths” showing. The italero then 
  interprets the reading. 
  Voudou: Also known as voudou, voudoun, 
  vodoun or voodoo. Like Santeria, Voudou is a 
  combination of African religion and Catholicism, 
  which arose from slaves shipped to the Caribbean. 
  Many loas (spirits) equate to the Santeria orishas 
  and the Catholic Saints. 
  Hounfour: Voudou practitioners meet in a 
  temple called a Hounfour to sacrifice animals to the 
  loas and to bid them to join them. These 
  ceremonies are characterized by drumming, 
  dancing and chanting. Possession is a common 
  event, and loas can be recognized by their 
  behaviors. 
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Lost Souls (Marquee Press)/Lost Souls The Bride of Baron Samedi.pdf