TEXT:  
   
  The Promise Ring
  The Promise Ring
  The Promise Ring
  The Promise Ring    
   
   
   
  An Adventure for Lost Souls 
   
   
   
  By Joe Williams & Kathleen Williams 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Copyright © 1993, 2007 by Joe Williams 
   
  Email me at: freeRPGs@comcast.net 
  
   
   
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  The Promise Ring 
  Central Character 
  This adventure requires the central player to 
  be an Arcane Scholar whose cause of death was: 
  “Swallowed unknown elixir to see what would 
  happen.” His unfinished business is: “Unable to 
  finish book you just checked out from the library.” 
  The other players can take any characters they 
  choose. The central player receives a copy of the 
  following background story. 
  Background Story 
  Life always seemed uncomplicated to you. An 
  only child, your mother doted upon you after your 
  father was killed in a hit-and-run accident. Since 
  you barely remember him, the loss was not such a 
  tragedy. Perhaps your mother was a little over 
  protective while you were growing up, but 
  nonetheless, you were happy within the small 
  seaside town of Baycroft. 
  One day was pretty much like another until 
  just a few months ago when you graduated from 
  Baycroft High School. Your mom cried at your 
  valedictorian speech. That made you proud, since 
  you were a little unsure about the part concerning 
  the aliens from outer space and the lessons we 
  could learn from them. Afterwards, you had a pizza 
  party with your friends. You decided to live a little, 
  so you didn’t get home until after midnight, the 
  smell of lemonade and pepperoni still on your 
  breath. Sneaking into the darkened house, you 
  were surprised to hear your mother’s soft voice 
  beckoning you from the darkness. 
  A nearby lamp illuminated your mother and a 
  small ratty cardboard box. “I’ve never spoken 
  much about your father,” she began slowly, “since 
  his life’s work always embarrassed me and kept us 
  poor. But after listening to your speech tonight I 
  realize that you are truly his child, and it would be 
  wrong to keep his legacy from you. 
  “Your father was a brilliant scholar, in his way. 
  His specialty was in the area of urban legends, 
  folklore, and the occult. His problem was that he 
  was just too naive -- he’d believe anything he 
  heard, and that made him the laughingstock of the 
  scientific community. 
  “Anyway, your father moved us to Baycroft 
  when you were quite young in order to write a 
  book. It had something to do with the history of the 
  area. I really didn’t get involved. Unlike his other 
  projects, he kept this one very quiet. He kept saying 
  that this book would open up a whole new epoch in 
  psychic research. I thought he’d gone crazy, so I 
  wrote to some of his old colleagues to try to talk 
  him out of his delusion. Professor Boris Banner, his 
  old history teacher, came to visit, and spent an 
  entire night talking to him in the study about his 
  theories. But Raymond just wouldn’t listen to 
  reason. After Banner left, Raymond got worse. He 
  began to make veiled references to a conspiracy 
  and how his life was in danger. He even accused me 
  of working against him! 
  “When he completed his book, he was so 
  worried that someone would steal it, he insisted 
  the printing be done here in town where he could 
  supervise every detail. It was a small run, only a 
  hundred copies, which he intended to send to his 
  cronies. When the first book came off the press, 
  your father scooped it up and told the printer he 
  would be back in just a few minutes, after he had 
  hidden the book in a safe place. He never returned. 
  On his way back to the printer, he was killed by a 
  hit an run driver.” 
  She sobbed quietly. “They never caught the 
  man who killed your father. Maybe he did have 
  psychic powers, for he was right, I did betray him!” 
  Bewildered, you asked her what she meant. 
  After a few moments, she went on. “All his life your 
  father was laughed at, and I didn’t want you to 
  grow up with that kind of stigma. The same day he 
  died, I had every copy of his book burned, and the 
  plates destroyed. The only copy I couldn’t find is 
  the one he hid before he died. 
  
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  “But who knows? Maybe his life’s work was 
  something great, something really important. Now 
  all that is left is this box of notes. I want you to 
  have it.” 
  You opened the musty old box and discovered 
  a bunch of loose papers. Picking up a few you begin 
  to read. It seemed to be written in some sort of 
  code, with a few scribbled notes here and there. 
  Excitement coursed through your veins. Maybe 
  your father did unlock the secrets of the universe! 
  You started pawing through the box a little more 
  frantically, and your hand brushed against 
  something cold and hard. Pulling it toward you, 
  you discovered a small ring set with a crystal. A 
  chain was threaded through it to form a necklace. 
  Noticing your interest, your mother said, “That was 
  your father’s. He called it his lucky charm and wore 
  it around his neck. He said it was his inspiration to 
  write the book. I don’t know why he liked it so 
  much. It couldn’t be very valuable. He bought it for 
  only a few dollars in one of the local antique 
  shops.” 
  You decided to wear the chain to inspire you. 
  Maybe it would help you follow in your father’s 
  footsteps. 
  After a sleepless night, you started your 
  research, but your father’s notes made little sense 
  to you. One page listed residents of Baycroft, 
  mostly fishermen, but they had all since passed 
  away. Another listed historical sites in the area. 
  You found yourself spending more time in the 
  Baycroft library than on the sunny beach. You read 
  so much about the occult, mysterious creatures, 
  and other dimensions, that your head began to 
  swim. 
  Miss 
  Gertrude, 
  the 
  librarian 
  was 
  sympathetic. “I used to work with your father,” she 
  said in her whispery voice. “And I know what his 
  work meant to him. I’ll help you in any way I can.” 
  Weeks went by, and you were no closer to 
  interpreting your father’s notes. You decided to try 
  a new tact. You wrote Professor Banner, the last 
  man to talk to your father about his theories. 
  Banner was more than eager to talk to you. He 
  arrived in town the next day, and you told him the 
  story your mother had related. He suggested you 
  try to find the one book that had been spared. Since 
  it hadn’t been found at the scene of the accident, 
  your father must have deposited some place safe, 
  and since he had only been gone a few minutes, it 
  must still be in Baycroft. 
  Professor Banner wasn’t able to enlighten you 
  any further on what your father was working on. 
  However, he and your mother hit it off fabulously. 
  He swept her off her feet, and after a whirlwind 
  courtship, married her in the little chapel on the 
  beach. You were a little worried about this sudden 
  romance, but mom seemed happy so you promised 
  to give your new stepfather a fair shake. It was a 
  little weird having a veritable stranger in the 
  house, but you got used to it. Sort of.  
  In any case, there was little time to worry 
  about your mother, so consumed were you in your 
  search for your father’s book. You posted wanted 
  signs on nearly every telephone pole in Baycroft, 
  but to no avail. Finally, just as you were about to 
  give up, Miss Gertrude called. “I found it! Your 
  father must have thought the book would be safest 
  surrounded by other books. It’s been in the stacks 
  all these years.” In a twinkling, you jumped on your 
  bicycle and pedaled to Baycroft Library. Sure 
  enough it was your father’s book: Mysteries of the 
  Past Explained Today. Flipping through it, your 
  eyes fell upon this sentence: “ . . . and so, the most 
  important secret of the occult world was revealed 
  to me on Peach Tree Island.” Suddenly you 
  remembered vacationing on nearby Peach Tree 
  Island with your family when you were quite 
  young. You and your father used to comb the beach 
  looking for . . . what?  
  Thanking Miss Gertrude, you hurried home, 
  the book clutched to your breast. Your thoughts 
  were far away when Boris interrupted them. 
  “Congratulations!” he boomed heartily. “I see you 
  found your prize. This calls for a celebration. Come 
  into my study, and let me give you a little 
  something.” Although you desperately wanted to 
  read the book, you went into the room with Boris. 
  It wouldn’t hurt to be nice to the guy. 
  “I know you are unlike most youngsters, and 
  never indulge in a drink,” Boris went on. “But I 
  really would like you to partake in a toast with me. 
  After all, you are eighteen, and legally able to have 
  a drink now and then, hmm?” Boris poured a 
  strange green liquor into two small glasses. He 
  handed one to you, and you noticed the glass 
  seemed very warm to the touch.  
   “I propose a toast to you and your future,” 
  Boris went on, raising his glass. “May you find 
  exactly what your father found.” And with that he 
  drank. You looked down at the drink in your hand. 
  What could it hurt? In one gulp you downed the 
  
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  drink. Instantly, your throat burned and your 
  stomach heaved. As you slumped to the floor, the 
  last thing you saw was Boris ripping open your 
  backpack and extracting your father’s book, 
  laughing maniacally all the while. 
  Possible Vows 
  In order to return to earth, the central player 
  must make a ghostly vow not to rest until 
  completing a task based on his backstory. Here are 
  some suggestions: 
   
  • 
  I will not rest until I find out why Boris 
  killed me. 
  • 
  I will not rest until I save my mother from 
  Boris. 
  • 
  I will not rest until I find out the secret of 
  Peach Tree Island. 
  • 
  I will not rest until I retrieve my father’s 
  book. 
   
  As part of his gear, the central character has 
  an ectoplasmic copy of the necklace-ring he was 
  wearing at the time of his death. Since the central 
  character knows Baycroft, he should be able to find 
  his way around the town and Peach Tree Island. 
  However, he does not know about the cemetery on 
  Lookout Mountain. 
  The other characters have been sitting around 
  Limbo, discussing the merits of rap music and 
  watching re-runs of The Brady Bunch, when their 
  mentor ushers in the central character. “We have a 
  new guest,” the mentor explains. “He’s looking for a 
  little help to fulfill a ghostly vow. Any takers?” By 
  the mentor’s tone, the other characters know it’s in 
  their best interest to agree.  
  The Banner Residence 
  The players find themselves in the living room 
  of the central character’s home. The sun shines 
  through the cracks in the firmly drawn shades. It’s 
  six o’clock, about two hours from sunset, on a very 
  sunny afternoon. 
  The house is utterly silent. Sheets have been 
  draped across the furniture and the closets are 
  bare. A note to the part-time maid is attached to 
  the refrigerator. It reads: “Dear Peggy, Mrs. Banner 
  is so distraught over the recent death of her son 
  I’ve decided to take her away for a few weeks. 
  Please continue your chores and forward our mail 
  to The Windswept House, Peach Tree Island. The 
  number is 555-1313, but please call only in case of 
  emergency. Boris Banner.” 
  The central character’s room is mostly intact, 
  but his father’s book, notes, and necklace-ring are 
  all missing. 
  The phone is still in working condition, so if 
  the characters wish to use a supernatural power to 
  call, they may. If the caller is successful, he will 
  contact Boris. Tipping Boris off at this time could 
  prove disastrous, allowing him to prepare for the 
  character’s pursuit. 
  A pile of letters is scattered under the mail 
  slot. The name “Miss Gertrude Pickles” is barely 
  visible in the upper corner of the bottom most 
  letter. To extract and open it, the characters will 
  have to use a supernatural power. Her letter reads: 
   
  Dear Mrs. Banner,  
  I was so sorry to hear about the death in your 
  family. The suicide of your son was a terrible thing, 
  but you cannot blame yourself. When I found a few 
  torn pages from your dear husband’s book in the 
  back of a bookcase, I knew your son must have 
  discovered the book I had given him was incomplete. 
  No doubt the strain of learning his long search had 
  been in vain caused him to snap. The pages make no 
  sense to me, but if you’d like them as a lasting 
  remembrance of your dear husband and child, just 
  stop by the library any evening before seven. 
  Sincerely yours,  
  Gertrude Pickles, Librarian. 
   
  If the characters wish to leave the house, they 
  will have to use their supernatural powers to 
  unlock the doors or pass through a wall. To reach 
  the library before it closes at 7pm, they will have to 
  contend with blistering sunlight outside. 
  Baycroft Library 
  Baycroft Library is about 15 blocks from the 
  Banner home. It is a small building run solely by 
  Miss Pickles. If the players manage to arrive before 
  
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  closing, they may be able to slip in along with a 
  patron. Otherwise, they will have to use their 
  powers to gain entry, and Miss Pickles will not be 
  present to assist them. 
  A few minutes before 7pm, Miss Pickles 
  announces over the intercom, “The Library is now 
  closing. Thank you.” She will lock up and leave 
  unless prevented from doing so by a supernatural 
  power. Miss Pickles keeps the two pages she found 
  from Raymond’s book in a filing cabinet inside her 
  tiny office. 
  The office is guarded by a barghest, who sits 
  atop the filing cabinet. It will attack any ghost who 
  enters the room, or else it will try to steal the pages 
  if they are taken from the filing cabinet. The 
  barghest has been sent by Boris Banners to find the 
  missing pages of the book. 
  Barghest 
  Type: Evil entity 
  Consistency: Incorporeal 
  Defense: Good 
  WTL: 18 
  Skills: Good Strength, Poor Intelligence, Great 
  Alertness 
  Appearance: A fierce dog standing 3 feet at the 
  shoulder with shaggy black fur, fiery red eyes, and 
  a set of six inch horns protruding from its forehead. 
  Personality: 
  Barghests 
  are 
  very 
  hostile 
  towards spirits of all sorts. 
  Motivation: To track down and drag ghosts to 
  the nether regions. 
  Combat: Barghests may attack with either 
  their bite or horns, but not both on a single turn. 
  Their bite does (Defense vs. Passable) x 4 damage. 
  Their horns do only (Defense vs. Poor) x 1 damage, 
  but if the victim takes any damage, he will also be 
  paralyzed for (Stamina vs. Poor) x 2 turns. The 
  barghest will then try to clamp his victim in his 
  jaws and teleport to the infernal regions. It takes 
  one complete turn to do this, and if the barghest 
  takes damage during this time it will drop the 
  victim and teleport alone. 
  Powers: Three times per day, a barghest’s 
  howl can summon a hell hound. The hound will 
  attack the barghest’s enemies to the death. See the 
  Lost Souls manual for information on hell hounds. 
  Miss Gertrude Pickles 
  Type: Good person 
  Consistency: Solid 
  Defense: Poor 
  Skills: Inferior Agility, Poor Strength, Superior 
  Intelligence 
   
  
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  Appearance: An older woman wearing her 
  long gray hair in a bun at the back of her neck. She 
  is a little deaf and never speaks above a whisper. 
  Personality: Helpful and alert. Although Miss 
  Pickles is a little old and slow, she is very aware of 
  her surroundings.  
  Motivation: To make herself helpful. 
  Combat: Miss Pickles has a hat pin in her 
  purse, and will use it to inflict (Defense vs. Poor) 
  damage in hand to hand combat. She cannot harm 
  ghosts. 
  The Torn Pages 
  Inside the filing cabinet, they find a file 
  marked “Mysteries of the Past Explained Today,” 
  and in it are two pages marked: “Chapter 10: The 
  Secret of Peach Tree Island.” They read: 
  “I originally came to Baycroft to study the oral 
  traditions of the seagoing folk. It seemed as though 
  the answer to all my questions could be found in a 
  local legend. Old timers speak of the days when 
  Peach Tree Island was settled by thieves and 
  pirates. They lurked there knowing that ships had 
  to pass close by on their way into the bay, and that 
  the treacherous waters often caused them to sink. 
  These settlers were expert sailors and would go 
  out in their dinghies to meet those who managed to 
  stay afloat. Alas for them, their rescuers would 
  quickly strip them of their goods and leave them to 
  drown. 
  “One day, a great passenger ship sank in a 
  storm. A beautiful lady was swept ashore and was 
  found by one of the citizens of the island. Looking 
  up into the cutthroat’s eyes, the woman must have 
  foreseen her fate for she tried to forestall it: “Good 
  sir, please do not harm me, for I come from a family 
  of wealthy courtiers, and I can promise you riches 
  beyond your dreams if ye spare my life!” 
  “The pirate might have listened to her, but 
  when she held up her hands to beseech him, he 
  saw a magnificent stone on her finger. Greed 
  overcame him and he sliced her finger off to gain 
  the ring! The woman shrieked and his next move 
  was to cut her throat. It is said that the ghost of this 
  woman still haunts the island, looking in vain for 
  her lost finger and treasured ring. 
  “When I heard this story, I knew I was close to 
  my goal. I bought a vacation home on Peach Tree 
  Island in order to facilitate my search. I knew the 
  ring must have been found and lost many times 
  over the centuries, until its significance would be 
  all but forgotten. Finally, I tracked it down to an old 
  woman in Baycroft, who willingly sold it to me for 
  fifty dollars. 
  “All the pieces began falling into place. Now all 
  I needed to prove my theory was to find the 
  location of the threshold, and the ‘Legend of the 
  Raven’ which had started me on this quest in 
  England, would be shown to be based on fact. My 
  excitement knew no bounds as I asked Max to ferry 
  me across one more time. If my calculations were 
  correct, the answer would be found at the . . .” 
  The second page ends here. 
  The Legend of the Raven 
  Information on this legend can be found at the 
  library in any number of books on English folklore. 
  It is also mentioned in Raymond’s box of notes. 
  “The Legend of the Raven is the story of a 
  princess who fell in love with a raven. The king 
  disapproved of their relationship, and plotted a 
  way to stop it. One night, the raven said to the 
  princess, ‘Your father is coming to imprison me. 
  But we will fool him. Use this key to release me, 
  and together, we will rule the kingdom.’ And he 
  gave the princess a silver key. 
  “Just as the raven had predicted, the king sent 
  his soldiers to lock the raven in a gilt cage. There 
  the raven waited until the princess came one night 
  to free him. She turned the key in the lock and the 
  raven flew out. ‘Free, free at last! he cawed. 
  “But the king was old and wise. He saw the key 
  still in the lock and he threw it into the cage. The 
  raven saw the glitter of silver and, as was his 
  nature, he flew down to pick it up. The door 
  slammed shut behind him, locking him and the key 
  inside, where his key could never do him any 
  good.” 
  Getting to 
  Peach Tree Island 
  Peach Tree Island is a small vacation resort a 
  few miles out to sea. It can only be reached by boat 
  or ferry. Max Cline has been running the ferry to 
  
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  Peach Tree Island for nearly 50 years and has 
  developed a reputation for being a crotchety old 
  man who drinks to excess. Max lives in a hovel on 
  the dock. If the players speak within his hearing, 
  Max Cline will answer. If asked why he has this 
  power, Max will say, “Started happening to me 
  right after the war. Had a steel plate put in. I can 
  pick up radio stations too.” It will become evident 
  that Max believes that he is listening to the voices 
  of aliens from other worlds rather than ghosts. 
  If asked about Raymond, Max will begin to 
  reminisce. “Sure, I remember the Professor. He was 
  real interested in my ability to hear voices. Loaned 
  me old copies of Fate Magazine. A real prince of a 
  fellow. It was a shame that he died so soon after his 
  discovery.” 
  If asked about it, Max will only shrug. “I dunno 
  what it was, only it made him real excited. One day 
  he came back from the island and he said, ‘Max, I 
  finally figured it out. At exactly three in the 
  afternoon, I went up to the place where the dead 
  can’t rest, and you’ll never guess what I saw: the 
  answer to all my riddles. Who would have thought 
  that the darkest secret of the afterlife would be 
  found only in the brightest sunshine? But I mustn’t 
  tell you any more. My knowledge could easily 
  destroy all life as we know it.’ I never did get the 
  rest out of him.” Max chuckles. “And they call me 
  nutty.” 
  Max will agree to ferry the players across.  
  Max Cline the Ferryman 
  Type: Good person 
  Consistency: Solid 
  Defense: Passable 
  WTL: 20 
  Skills: Passable Intelligence, Good Strength 
  Appearance: Crazy old duffer. 
  Personality: Genial, though a little nutty. 
  Enjoys chatting with those he ferries to the island, 
  or to the voices in his head. 
  Motivation: To do his job.  
  Combat: Max cannot harm ghosts.  
  Peach Tree Island 
  Soon after landing on Peach Tree Island, the 
  players will see a vaporous woman dressed in 
  white standing upon the beach. This is the ghost of 
  Lady Mary Sweetchild. 
  “Kind folk, you are my only chance to find rest. 
  I have been trapped on this island for three 
  centuries. When I was alive, I was falsely accused 
  of witchcraft. The magistrate banished me from my 
  home in England and sent me to the colonies with 
  little more than the clothes on my back. The only 
  valuable I owned was a ring my betrothed had 
  given me. My ship sank in a storm off this tiny 
  island, but I was rescued by a man named Rufus. 
  When I pleaded for mercy, he cruelly cut off my 
  ring finger and left me to die. I shall never rest until 
  the ring is returned to me. It is the only memento I 
  have of my lost love.” 
  If the central player offers her the ring on his 
  necklace, she will exclaim, “Yes, that’s it!” She 
  eagerly places it on her finger, and then scowling in 
  apparent disappointment, she takes the ring off 
  and hurls it against the ground. “This is just an 
  ectoplasmic copy of my ring! You must help me 
  find my real ring!” 
  If it’s pointed out that she wouldn’t be able to 
  wear a physical ring, she will curse soundly and 
  say, “Just help me find my ring, and I will worry 
  about the rest.” 
  After her conversation with the players, Lady 
  Mary vanishes into a cloud of slowly dispersing 
  mist. “If you find my ring, I shall return to retrieve 
  it,” she promises. “Bless you all for your kindness!” 
  Lady Mary Sweetchild 
  Type: Evil lost soul 
  Consistency: Incorporeal 
  Defense: Good 
  WTL: 30 
  Skills: Superior Cunning, Superior Charm, 
  Great Fate, Awesome Occult, Good Intelligence, 
  Good Agility, Poor Dexterity 
  Appearance: A woman of about 24. She is 
  dressed in the high fashion of the mid seventeenth 
  century. She has an English accent and is missing 
  the ring finger from her right hand. 
  
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  Personality: Very sweet and ladylike until 
  thwarted. The characters will be lulled into 
  believing that she is a helpful NPC. 
  Motivation: To retrieve her ring so she can 
  open the gate that keeps her demon lover Malphas 
  imprisoned. 
  Combat: Lady Mary carries a dagger which 
  does (Defense vs Poor) x 2 damage. 
  Powers: Compel (Uses = 4): Compels the 
  victim to perform a simple four word action, such 
  as “drop your weapon,” “jump off a bridge,” or 
  whatever. The victim must perform the action for 
  (Intelligence vs Great) turns. 
  Imprison (Uses = 1): The victim is imprisoned 
  in an inescapable coffin for (Fate vs Good) x 10 
  minutes. 
  Darkness (Uses = 4): Inky darkness surrounds 
  Lady Mary for 8 minutes per use. 
  Hallucination (Uses = 3): The target sees an 
  army of ghostly pirates bursting from the sandy 
  ground. The illusion lasts for (Sanity vs Great) x 3 
  turns. Only the target sees the hallucination, and 
  the hallucination cannot really harm him. 
  Reverse Intentions (Uses = 4): The target does 
  the exact opposite of what he intended to do that 
  turn, and will continue to do so for the duration. It 
  lasts for (Intelligence vs Good) turns. 
  Exploring the Island 
  As the players explore the island at night, they 
  come to a paved to the small town. There are a line 
  of streetlights here. Moths cluster around the 
  streetlights. The moths cluster around first one 
  streetlight and then the next, swarming so densely 
  the each light dims in turn. 
  Upon investigating, they find a hunched figure 
  carrying a large sack across his back. The weight of 
  the sack must be tremendous, for the figure 
  stumbles wearily along the path. 
  This is Rufus, the ghost of the pirate who 
  chopped off Lady Mary’s finger. He cannot stop 
  walking, and must always carry his ectoplasmic 
  sack. If someone tries to take it away from him, he 
  will fight to keep it. “I must carry it forever,” he 
  moans, “to atone for my evil ways.” 
  If the players ask him about his life, he will 
  sadly elaborate. “In life, I was a pirate, preying 
  upon the unfortunates who wrecked off Peach Tree 
  Island. One evening, a beautiful woman was swept 
  ashore. I didn’t kill her -- at least, not right away. I 
  was smitten by her beauty! She begged me to keep 
  her safe from the other ruffians in exchange for, 
  well, considerations. So I did. Then she confined in 
  me that she was a witch who had knowledge of the 
  dark arts, and if I helped her, her demon lover 
  would reward me. I didn’t actually believe her, but 
  I did as she asked, for more earthly favors. 
  “She had me swim out to her sunken ship and 
  find the body of the priest. I brought him ashore, 
  and she drained his blood into a bowl. Then she 
  made me build her a pentagram, while she painted 
  symbols with the priest’s blood. When I was done, 
  she laughed and said she didn’t need me anymore, 
  her demon lover would soon be by her side. She 
  pointed her finger at me and started mumbling an 
  incantation. I didn’t hesitate -- I cut off her finger in 
  one swoop. She shrieked and came for me, so I 
  killed her. I buried her in the graveyard, but kept 
  her ring for my troubles. 
  “But her half-finished incantation didn’t stop 
  with her death. Within a few days, I also died from 
  a wasting disease that left me looking like this. But 
  that wasn’t the end of the witch’s curse. I found I 
  was fated forevermore to carry my sins upon my 
  back.” 
  If the players ask Rufus where the pentagram 
  is located, he answers, “Why, that’s easy. It’s right 
  here on the island. It’s on . . .” 
  Rufus is cut off by a swarm of funeral 
  butterflies that alights on his ectoplasmic body, 
  while another swarm attacks one of the players. He 
  drops his sack in order to battle the butterflies. 
  Rufus will be reincarnated before the players can 
  rescue him. He screams horribly, assumes his new 
  incarnation as a maggot, and vanishes. Upon his 
  reincarnation, the funeral butterflies may continue 
  to attack the players or fly away, at the referee’s 
  discretion. The butterflies were sent by Lady Mary 
  to silence Rufus. 
  Even 
  after 
  Rufus 
  is 
  reincarnated, 
  the 
  ectoplasmic sack remains behind. If the players 
  peek inside, they discover the sack contains a 
  number of gravestones painted, in old blood, with 
  arcane symbols. The character who first touches 
  the sack will be cursed, his face erupting in open 
  sores. As long as he carries the sack in one hand, 
  the sores will get no worse. But should he set the 
  sack down, the pustules will bubble and he will 
  
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  lose 1 WTL, plus an additional 1 WTL every 5 
  minutes until the sack is again in his hand. 
  The only way to break the curse is to 
  reincarnate Lady Mary. Since she is the one 
  maintaining the sack, when she is reincarnated, the 
  sack will vanish. 
  Rufus 
  Type: Neutral lost soul 
  Consistency: Incorporeal 
  Defense: Good 
  WTL: 20 
  Skills: Good Agility, Great Strength, Poor 
  Intelligence. 
  Appearance: A seventeenth century pirate. He 
  carries a cutlass and wears a patch over one eye. 
  His skin is decayed and dotted with open sores. His 
  back is bent under the weight of a bulging sack. 
  Personality: Cunning, rather than clever. Rufus 
  is a bit of a coward. 
  Motivation: Rufus is still trying to atone for his 
  sins in life. 
  Combat: Rufus prefers to attack helpless 
  creatures, and will run away if he can, though his 
  sack slows him. He defends himself with his cutlass 
  for (Defense vs. Poor) x 3 damage. 
  Powers: None. 
  Funeral Butterflies 
  Type: Evil creature 
  Consistency: Unnatural 
  Defense: Passable 
  WTL: 20 (for the swarm) 
  Skills: Good speed 
  Appearance: Small white butterflies which 
  come out only at night. 
  Personality: Mindless insect. 
  Motivation: To reincarnate Rufus by nibbling 
  away his ectoplasmic flesh. 
  Combat: Funeral butterflies travel in swarms 
  of a hundred. A swarm is only affected by area 
  affect weapons. Killing individuals does little to 
  reduce their numbers. A swarm has 20 WTL For 
  every WTL lost, five butterflies are considered to 
  be slain. The WTL of the swarm determines the 
  damage it is capable of doing: 
  WTL Damage per turn 
  1-5 
  (Stamina vs Inferior) damage. 
  6-10 (Stamina vs Poor) damage. 
  11-15 (Stamina vs Passable) damage. 
  16-20 (Stamina vs Good damage). 
  Windswept House 
  This is a small vacation cottage on the far side 
  of the island. It is near the ocean and is well 
  secluded from other houses. Inside, Mrs. Banner is 
  lying in bed, clearly in a stupor. It is apparent that 
  she has been drugged. The living room is strewn 
  with maps of Peach Tree Island, books on the 
  occult and papers full of occult symbols. A tape 
  recorder lies prominently on a desk next to two 
  empty tea cups; a tape labeled “My Struggle to 
  Attain Greatness” is lying in the recorder. If the 
  players use a power to play the tape, they will hear 
  Boris Banner’s voice: 
  “. . . Raymond thought to outsmart me by 
  tearing key pages from the book. If they’re at the 
  library, my barghest will find them. The wretch 
  may have foiled me for now, but there is one 
  significant passage he missed. It reads: “I have 
  discovered the gate to the afterlife, which was built 
  sometime in the early 1600’s. I must keep the 
  secret from people who would misuse it, but I like 
  to muse upon my discovery, so I have a little 
  memento of it at my vacation home. I gaze upon it 
  and laugh at all those poor scientists who will have 
  to eat crow once I’ve published my book.” I must 
  find the clue. I will stop at nothing. After all, the 
  murder of two men was nothing to me . . .” 
  His voice is interrupted by Mrs. Banner’s 
  voice. “Boris, what are you doing? What do you 
  mean, you murdered two men?” 
  “Let me explain over a drink,” Boris replies, 
  oozing charm. And there then tape ends. 
  Mrs. Banner 
  If Mrs. Banner is revived from her drug 
  induced stupor, she will relate the following 
  information, provided the players can talk to her 
  without frightening her out of her wits: 
  “I was such a fool to love that man, and to let 
  me use me so. Now I know what a beast he really 
  is! When I came into the room, he was talking into 
  that recorder he always carries with him. I heard 
  him mention something about murdering two 
  people. He said he could explain, and he was so 
  
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  calm that I expected him to amuse me with a 
  reasonable explanation. I sat down and sipped the 
  tea he offered me as I listened to his story. 
  “He told me that when he learned of 
  Raymond’s important discovery, all those years 
  ago, he went mad with jealousy. He couldn’t stand 
  the thought of one of his students achieving 
  greatness in excess of his own, and so he came 
  secretly to Baycroft and ran Raymond down! He 
  didn’t care about learning Raymond’s secrets. He 
  only wanted him out of the way. 
  “It wasn’t until my son called him to ask about 
  Raymond’s work that Boris again started to dwell 
  on Raymond’s discovery. He decided to let my son 
  continue his research, and then steal it from him 
  when the time was ripe. To gain close access to the 
  boy, Banner courted me. I, the lonely window, was 
  easy prey for the cultured professor! I had no idea 
  of the monster I was allowing into our household. 
  “By this time, my mind was growing confused 
  and foggy. He must have put something in my 
  drink. I don’t know what would have happened to 
  me if you hadn’t rescued me!” 
  If asked about where Boris went, she will say, 
  “The last I saw, he was standing by the mantel, 
  looking at one of the pictures. Then I must have 
  passed out.” 
  The Memento 
  On the mantelpiece is a picture of Raymond. 
  He is standing next to a small stone grave marker 
  that looks to be over a two hundred years old. He’s 
  smiling broadly, an open can of paint at his feet. 
  The name on the stone reads, in fresh paint, “Here 
  lies Mary Sweetchild. May her secret rest with her.” 
  In the upper corner of the picture is “3:00 p.m.” 
  faintly written in pencil. 
  In the background, other gravestones are 
  visible, along with a glimpse of the sea, and far 
  beyond is Baycroft on the distant shore. By 
  checking the maps on the living room floor, the 
  players will discover there is an old cemetery atop 
  Lookout mountain. This discovery will come at 
  2:45 p.m., leaving the players just enough time to 
  reach the cemetery. 
  Lookout Mountain 
  This is actually a small ridge running down the 
  center of the Island. A small summer camp is on 
  one side and vacation homes on the other. Campers 
  often ride horses up the trail that leads to the top 
  of the Mountain. There is very little foliage, and 
  during the day, it is quite bright and sunny. 
  If the characters go to the top of Lookout 
  Mountain, they will see below them an valley 
  overgrown 
  with 
  hardy 
  brush. 
  Among 
  the 
  undergrowth, out of range of any supernatural 
  powers, they see an ancient cemetery where 
  victims of the pirates were buried hundreds of 
  years ago. The wind blows constantly along the 
  valley, blowing the sandy soil from the tops of the 
  graves and causing the grave markers to wiggle as 
  though those buried below were struggling to 
  escape. 
  The stones in the center of the cemetery are 
  laid out in a pentacle. At three in the afternoon, 
  runes drawn on the pentacles will glow faintly. An 
  Arcane Scholar will recognize it as a gate to the 
  nether regions. 
  From the ridge, the players see Boris standing 
  outside the pentacle, the ring on his finger glowing 
  brightly in the sunlight. His fist is raised, and the 
  runes shimmer with increased brilliance. 
  Next to Boris is a cloud of pitch blackness. 
  Inside the cloud is Lady Mary Sweetchild, the 
  witch. Unable to wield the material ring in her 
  incorporeal state, she has enlisted Boris’ aid by 
  promising him unsurpassed greatness heretofore 
  unknown to mortals. She whispers the incantation 
  to open the gate, and as Boris repeats the words in 
  his booming voice, a whirling dimensional gate 
  appears within the pentagram of tombstones. 
  Boris Banner and Lady Mary will fight the 
  players to keep the gate open. After a few turns, 
  Lady Mary’s demon lover, Malphas will step from 
  the gate. His demonic troops will soon follow him, 
  pouring out of the gate at the rate of one every 
  other turn. 
  The only way to close the gate is to throw the 
  physical ring (not an ectoplasmic copy) into it. Not 
  only will this permanently close the gate, but it will 
  also suck Malphas and his demonic troops back to 
  the nether regions! 
  
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  Boris Banner 
  Type: Evil person. 
  Consistency: Solid 
  Defense: Good 
  WTL: 23 
  Skills: Passable Agility, Good Strength, Great 
  Intelligence 
  Appearance: Suave man in early 50’s. Tall, 
  with just a touch of gray at the temples. Appealing 
  to women, most men find him a little too arrogant. 
  Personality: Boris has been involved in the 
  occult for many years. Once a reasonable 
  researcher, he has slowly grown mad over the 
  years. 
  Motivation: To attain greatness by performing 
  a great work of magic. 
  Combat & Powers: Boris is wearing a pair of 
  Mystic Glasses which allows him to see (though not 
  touch or hear) ghosts. Lady Mary has enchanted 
  Boris’ walking stick, turning it into a magic wand 
  with these powers: 
  Slow (Uses = 4): The target can only act every 
  other turn for (Agility vs Great) x 2 turns. 
  Freeze (Uses = 2): The target is paralyzed for 
  (Strength vs Passable) x 2 turns. 
  Magic Bolt (Uses = 6): Sends a bolt of magical 
  energy at the target, doing (Defense vs Poor) x 3 
  damage to material or incorporeal beings. 
  Malphas 
  Type: Evil entity 
  Consistency: Dual 
  Defense: Great 
  WTL: 50 
  Skills: Passable Agility, Superior Strength, 
  Superior Charm 
  Appearance: Normally appears as a eight foot 
  tall knight dressed in black plate mail. A plume of 
  raven’s feathers tops his helm, and his shield bears 
  a raven crest. He carries a two-handed sword. 
  Motivation: To keep the gate open so his 
  demonic troops can enter the physical world. 
  Personality: Malphas is a notorious liar. His 
  lies will be believed unless (Empathy vs. Great) is 
  achieved. Woman are particularly attracted to 
  Malphas. Any female character must roll (Will vs. 
  Great) or fall in love with him. 
  Combat: His two handed sword does (Defense 
  vs. Great) x 7 damage. Malphas prides himself on 
  his warrior abilities, and would rather fight than 
  use magic. 
  Notes: If an Aura of Powerlessness power is 
  used on Malphas, he will revert to his true form, 
  that of a giant raven. His armor and sword vanish, 
  reducing his Defense to Great and his damage 
  (from his beak) to (Defense vs. Great) x 2. 
  However, he gains the ability to fly. He can be 
  tricked into assuming his raven form by a beautiful 
  woman who makes a Superior Persuade roll. 
  As a demon, Malphas can easily see and 
  interact with the living and lost souls. Malphas is 
  not harmed by sunlight, and knows that lost souls 
  are. 
  Demonic Troops 
  Type: Evil entity. 
  Consistency: Dual 
  Defense: Passable 
  WTL: 20 
  Skills: Poor Agility, Good Strength, Poor 
  Intelligence. 
  Appearance: Squat, troll-like beings that walk 
  with a rolling gait. They have meat hooks for hands 
  and curved fangs that extend past their chins. 
  Personality: Brutal and violent. 
  Motivation: They will fight to help Malphas, 
  and to keep the gate open. 
  Combat: They fight with their claws, doing 
  (Defense vs Passable) x 3 damage. One demon 
  leaps from the gate every other turn. There is a 
  virtually unlimited number of demonic troops. 
  Rewards 
  With the destruction of Malphas and the gate, 
  the danger to the world is over. The players receive 
  +1 to +4 karma for accomplishing each ghostly 
  vow. Character do not gain any karma if they did 
  not make a vow. Some sample rewards: 
   
   +1 karma for destroying the barghest. 
  +1 karma for reincarnating Boris Banner. 
  +2 karma for reincarnating Lady Mary. 
  
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  +4 for closing the gate, thereby banishing 
  Malphas and his demonic troops. 
  +1 for finding out why Boris killed the central 
  character. 
  +1 for saving the central character’s mother 
  from Boris. 
  +1 for discovering the “secret” of Peach Tree 
  island. 
  +1 for retrieving the book of the central 
  character’s 
  father.
   
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Lost Souls (Marquee Press)/Lost Souls The Promise Ring.pdf