A Valentine in Red & Black

Suitable Campaign Age: Golden, Bronze, Dark, or Cinematic

Adventure Tone: Macabre Action

Recommended Power Level: Classic

Content Warning: The following adventure contains occult and supernatural elements. The cosmology represented in this adventure is not intended to advocate or endorse any religious or spiritual belief. Imagery may be inappropriate for young readers.

Overview

The original feast of Saint Valentine began in the late fifth century. Yet, there does not seem to be a single Saint Valentine, rather they are a composite of three different martyrs living in the second and third centuries. During the renaissance, the meaning of Valentine’s day evolved from the remembrance of these martyrs to a celebration of romance and courtship. Perhaps, the heart was a throughline as times and meanings changed.

Today, few remember the bloody origins of this romantic holiday. There is one though, old enough to remember, and to draw on the power of these bloody origins to fuel their powers. Come this Valentine’s Day, the power of love will be harnessed to overcome death.

As others celebrate their love around the world, the Queen in Red has crafted a ritual to steal that power to open a portal to the underworld and resurrect her most powerful servant, once again, Mordred, the Hell Knight. And, when she is done, the world will be forever changed by their combined will.

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Foreshadowing

The morning of Valentine’s Day, 3 AM, dark clouds roll in, deep red bolts of lightning skip across the sky, as if they do not dare touch the ground. At the epicenter, the world begins the shift, in strange and nightmarish ways. The city’s architecture warps, as everyday buildings take on gothic arches and windows, steel turns to heavy black stone supporting these impossible structures. Steam vents, and drains become flaming pits reaching out from some unseen abyss. The event lasts for only an hour, before the clouds part and city return to their natural state.

Personal Scenes

Check in on the heroes, if any were on patrol the night before they may have witnessed the transformation otherwise find out how each of them react to the change as their day starts, and how that impacts their original plans. Heroes with a Supernatural Origins, or with some kind of arcane connection, may find themselves awoken abruptly by the presence of powerful magic.

Optional: A Touch of the Abyss

GMs may request a Sanity Roll (See the Beta Bullpen: Sanity Rolls) with a Expert (20) Difficulty from any hero affected by the magic swapping through the city.

Added Effects:

• The Unending Cold: Any result with less than 1 Degree of Success leaves the hero in pain from an intense burst of heat, followed by a cold they cannot shake off until any Damage is healed.
• Blinded By Darkness: Heroes suffering an injury may opt to take a temporary Drawback: Darkness From Fire (The hero suffers a -20 to any sight based rolls) This is due to light from the fires in their visions. Embers still burn in their place. This will last until after the end of the story, regardless of if the hero can receive healing.

The Story of 3 AM

Here are some of the various ways they may investigate the overnight anomaly:

Why 3 AM (Wisdom + Occult, Simply (10) Difficulty)

• Failure: The time means nothing.
• Partial: There are few people out during this, but that seems unrelated, other than a lack of witnesses.
• Success: While movies and television often depict midnight as the witching hour, it’s actually between 3 and 4 AM.
• 1 Degree: It’s believed that this is the time when the bond between the physical and spirit realms are the weakest.

Has It Happened Before? (Wisdom + Study: Metahuman History, Expert (20) Difficulty)

• Failure: As Partial but it will take several hours of research. (The player can decide if they want to commit the time.)
• Partial: An event close to this happened thirty six years ago in Boston.
• Success: In the 80s there was an event called the Dark Advent that reshaped the Charleston district of Boston.
• 1 Degree: Although it’s not official, the locals call the neighborhood Hellsport.
• 2 Degrees: There was a battle between heroes and a pair of villains called the Queen in Red, and Mordred, the Hell Knight.
• 3 Degrees: The Queen was said to be a powerful sorceress, and Mordred a deadly warrior, requiring the help of multiple heroes to defeat.

The Epicenter (Sense + Forensics, Advanced (25) Difficulty)

• Failure: Everything appears to have returned to normal.
• Partial: The area feels somehow disconnected, like the calm after a storm. There are no signs of old litter. More so, any emotion, or feeling the heroes may have are somehow diminished, as if drained away.
• Success: All the reflective services seem to have been blacked out, or otherwise marred. Etched into the corners of some buildings are arcane sigils.
• 1 Degree: Looking at the sigils, there are a total of thirty six, and they seem to make a larger symbol.
• 2 Degrees: The heroes can pinpoint the exact epicenter of the event. There is a small, quarter-sized shadow that seems burned into the ground.

Magical Leftovers (Intelligence + Occult, Advanced (25) Difficulty)

Note: Requires a Success at the Epicenter, gain a Free Degree of Success if the heroes had 2 Degrees in the Epicenter. Research may be used instead of Occult, increasing the Difficulty by 10.

• Failure: The heroes cannot decipher the script.
• Partial: The sigils appear to be a mix of Qabalistic and Sumerian symbols.
• Success: There are a number of symbols that represent death, or an incarnation of death.
• 1 Degree: The outer ring appears to focus on protection, or warding,
• 2 Degrees: The inner symbol focuses more on gateways or bridges.

Dour Valentines

Other than the early morning strangeness,, nothing seems too off about the day. However, spirits seem low, and there do not seem to be that many people celebrating Valentines. Heroes with 2 Degrees of Success on the Epicenter, or a Success on Magical Leftovers can feel the a kind of arcane longing in the world, as if the spirit of the holiday had been siphoned away.

Heroes with Drives that represent loved ones have the Value reduced by 1. If the hero attempts to interact with these people, they will be distant. GMs should allow the heroes Personal Scenes to try and take steps to strengthen their bonds if they want to reach out to their loved ones. Regardless of how the scene plays out, the hero gains 2 Willpower.

Note: Heroes who failed on Has It Happened Before and opted to commit the time may not have the time to spend on a personal scene. 

One Hell of a (K)Night

At 3 AM, the Queen in Red will return to the epicenter to begin her ritual. She appears as a red mist congealing into the form of a body. Tall and slender, she wears a red lace gown, a white corset and collar, black hair flowing over it. White gloves hide delicate fingers, while her bare feet hint at freshly trod soil. 

The magical circles she has created will protect her as she opens a gate to the Abyssal Realm to pull back the soul of Mordred, the Hellknight. 

At the center of the circle is a set of blackened armor, charred from some unseen flame. As the ritual begins, the armor will warp into a nightmarish version of itself, and as the magic grows stronger, this spreads across the nearby city. Once complete the armor, now animated with Mordred’s soul will rise, ready to serve his Queen once more. 

The Summoning Ritual 

The ritual will take 5 Turns to complete.

Heroes who are not in the area will arrive with only 3 Turns remaining. 

If the heroes stake out the area they will arrive with 4 Turns remaining. 

If the heroes stake out the epicenter (2 Degrees of Success) they will have the full 5 Turns to try and stop the ritual. 

During the ritual: 

The Queen in Red is protected as the Impervious Armor Advancement. If the Queen in Red is reduced to 0 Stamina in that time the ritual is broken and she will immediately lash out at the heroes attempting to recover the Damage, add 1 Additional Willpower for each hero. Anyone with the Blinded By Darkness Drawback can see the magical energies around her, allowing them to move through the ward, ignoring Impervious (but not her Armor). The hero can share these gaps with other team members if both spend 1 Action.

The landscape around the ritual begins to transform again. At the start of Turn heroes should make a Fortune Roll with an Average (15) Difficulty + 5 per Turn. On a Failed roll, the hero is knocked prone (requiring 1 Action to stand) by the shifting landscape. Note: Note even flying heroes are immune to this as pillars erupt from the ground and buildings are reshaped. 

At the end of the ritual the following happens: 

1. The Queen will suffer 12 Stamina loss (not resisted by Armor). 
2. Mordred is reanimated with full Stamina. 
3. The landscape is permanently transformed. 

If the heroes are present, read or adapt the following passage to the narrative: 

Rising, the armor takes on an eerie glow from within. The helmet twists into something resembling a face as it howls with a new supernatural life. Taking a knee before the Queen in Red, Mordred removes his helmet, revealing a burning spectral skull. 

“I am returned my Queen. What is thy need?” 

“It is time for my throne to be restored, and for you to reclaim your home. Destroy the interlopers and we shall be done with this miserable place. 

With that Mordred stands as if shrugging off the weight of the world Appearing in his hand is a edged plane of black metal that could only barely be called a sword. When he moves, it is with an intent that seems it could shatter anything that stood in his way, even without his blade. 

Once Mordred has chosen his first target, the Queen in Red will immediately target one of them to restore her lost Stamina. She will spend a Willpower to explode her dice, allowing her to use The Hunger to Feed. When she attacks, she will target anyone with visible reflective surfaces first. 

Heroes with a Successful roll at The Epicenter seeing this can attempt the following roll.

Why the Shiny? (Intelligence + Forensics + Social Science, Very Advanced (30 Difficulty) 

• Failed: Something feels off about her choices. 
• Partial: All reflective surfaces were destroyed before. 
• Success: She is clearly targeting anyone with armor that reflects the light. 
• 2 Degrees: Eisoptrophobia! The Queen in read may be afraid of her own reflection.  

If no heroes are present, she and Mordred will leave, so that she may recover.

Aftermath

If the heroes stopped the ritual before it was completed, the cityscape will revert to normal without further Damage. Otherwise, the heroes may have a brand new set of problems that are only just beginning. The Queen in Red will not take kindly to being subverted, and the heroes can take her as a new Enemy Drive.

If Mordred was pulled back from the abyss he and the Queen in Red will be able to regroup for whatever their next scheme may be.

The Queen in Red

Power Level: High

Concepts

Youth is spent on the young, and there may be no greater tragedy.

Pain is fleeting when beauty is forever.

Blood is the only currency that matters.

True beauty is forever, and there is no price too high.

Secret Origin

There is a kernel of truth in every legend, or so they say. While that may be true for a select few though, the truth far outshines the legend. The story of Erzsébet Báthory (Erze-Bet Ba-Tori) begins in 16th century Hungary. It can be seen as a tale of how power corrupts, as even the history books count Bathory as one of the most prolific mass murderers to have ever lived. However, her story only begins with murder.

The official record holds that six-hundred and fifty women and young girls were killed to fill her baths. It is because only she knew the true number, and even if the truth was known, it would be too horrible to share. Six-hundred sixty-six, a mathematically perfect number: Sum of the first thirty-six numbers or the first seven prime squares, it is a doubly triangular palindromic number that creates a prime reciprocal magic square. Known as the number of man, and the number of the beast, it is seen as a link between the two. This is partially correct.

With the ritual completed, Erzsébet Báthory was reborn, or she would be, eventually. The blood of six-hundred sixty-six virgins infused her body. Their souls used to open a portal to the abyss, seal a pact, and ensure her eternal youth. All she had to do was die first.

Of course, fate has a way of working against the best laid plans. Before Erzsébet could complete her transformation the murders were exposed. Much of the truth was kept from the general public, but enough was revealed to those in power that she could not be allowed to die.

Sealed in a room of Csejte castle she was fed daily to prevent her evil from spreading as long as possible. Some accounts claim that she was free to roam the castle. However, this is not entirely true. Even before her death, her powers were growing. Wherever blood was spilled, the countess could project herself, if only for an instant. While unable to harm any in this state, her years of imprisonment loomed long.

After her death, many feared the foul magic her body may still possess, moving it to consecrated grounds. However, it’s very presence seemed to taint the land around it. For the protection of others, her final resting place was kept from the public. Only evil finds its own path, and when blood was spilled upon her grave, the ritual begun so many years prior was completed, and the countess was remade as the Queen in Red.

Attributes

History 12 Strength 8 Dexterity 8 Constitution 10 Sense 8

Fortune 8 Wisdom 8 Intelligence 8 Mental 18 (1 AP) Expression 11 (1 AP)

Backgrounds

Reborn in Blood (Supernatural) 12

Rebuke the Ravages of Time 10

Forever Young 8

Drive: Bound to Mordred 1 (1 AP)

Background: Fallen Noble 5

Talents

Area of Influence (Vampiric Courts) 2 Beauty 20 (3 AP) Concentration 11 Education 5 Etiquette 11 Intuition 11 Negotiation 5 Occult 11 Perception 11 Research 5 Stealth 11 Subterfuge 11 Wealth 11

Boons

Instant Teleport (Critical Skill: Stealth) MA

Beauty Supports Defense MA2

Occult Supports Power Trick MA

Tricky TY

Tools: Actual (Magical) Tools, Bug, Escape Clause, Hidden Weapon MA (Free w/Wealth)

Waypoints (Dynamic Point: Csejte castle) MA2Cost: 2 + 4 + 2 + 1 + 0 + 4 = 13 AP

Drawbacks

Limitation: Eisoptrophobia (Seeing her reflection sends the Queen in Red into a fit. -20 to all Actions.)

Powers

Blood Sorcery 18 (1 AP)

Parent Attribute: Mental

Primary Role: Offense

Ranged TY

Lingering MA

Devastating (Boost Devastation) MA2

Defended By: Psyche MA

Drain: Constitution (Split Effect) (Siphon, Boost Siphon 2) MA4

Secondary Role: Defense MA

Evasion MA

Secondary Role: Support: Constitution (Full Role) MA2

Control: Victims of Drain MA

Healing (Boost Healing, Healing Surge, Regeneration, Resurrection) MA5

New Movement: Blood Teleport (Boost Speed, Rapid Acceleration) MA3

Locked Power: Drain can only be used with Defended By.

Limited Power: Drain may only be used on living organic Targets.

Cost: 1 Power + 20 Selections + 22 AP

Starting AP

Attributes 2 + Talents 4 + Boons 13 + Powers 22 – Drawbacks 1

Stamina 17

Willpower 9/12

Initiative: 30 (Intelligence 8 + Intuition 11 + Perception 11) Dice 3

Surprised Defense: 8 (Fortune 8) Dice 2 Armor 1

Normal Defense: 44 (Mental 15 + Secondary: Blood Sorcery 9 + Beauty 20) Dice 4 Armor 3

Mental Defense: 15 (Mental 15) Dice 2 Armor 3 (Negotiation, Research)

Defense Notes:

Evasion: On an Active Defense, the character avoids normal Attacks until the start of their next turn. This does not protect the character from Area Attacks. Usable once per session. Additional uses Cost 1 Willpower.

Regeneration: At the Start of each Turn heal 5 Stamina automatically. Heal 10 Stamina Once per Session.

Etiquette: Once per session, use Etiquette (11) as a Supporting Characteristics when Defending against Mental Attacks that bypass normal Defenses.

Intuition: Once per session, use Intuition (11) with Surprised Defense.

Perception: Once per session, use Perception (11) as a Supporting Characteristic for Normal Defense.

Favored Attack: Exsanguinate 36 (Mental 18 + Blood Sorcery 18) Dice 3 Range Medium Damage 6 Notes Defended By: Psyche. Heal Stamina equal to the Damage After Armor. Apply the Damage after Armor evenly between Stamina and Constitution.

Secondary Attack: Arcane Blast 36 (Mental 18 + Blood Sorcery 18 ) Dice 3 Range Medium Damage 13 Notes

Additional Attack: The Hunger! 37 (Mental 18 + Blood Sorcery 18 + Occult 11 – Heavy Blow 10) Dice 4 Range Medium Damage 9 Notes Explosive Dice (Double the Die Results) Defended By: Psyche. Heal Stamina equal to the Damage After Armor. Apply the Damage after Armor evenly between Stamina and Constitution. Cost: 1 Willpower

Additional Attack: Surprise Hunger! 37 (Mental 18 + Blood Sorcery 18 + Occult 11 – Heavy Blow 10) Dice 4 Range Medium Damage 14 Notes Attack Vs Surprised Defense. Explosive Dice (Double the Die Results) Defended By: Psyche. Heal Stamina equal to the Damage After Armor. Apply the Damage after Armor evenly between Stamina and Constitution. Cost: 1 Willpower

Offense Notes:

Beauty: Once per session, use Beauty as a Meddling or Control Power. The player must explain how their character’s Beauty distracts the Target.

Occult: Add 8 Damage when dealing with Supernatural Threats or Magical Creatures.

Stealth: Hide from Opponents in Combat. The character rolls Dexterity (8) + Stealth (11) versus the highest Sense + Perception + Tracking. On a successful roll the combatants lose track of the character If the character follows up with an Attack, they use the Target’s Surprised Defense. This may be done multiple times. However, using a power with a visual component increases the Target by 10, unless the Opponent is first distracted by something else.

Critical Skill: Trade the Damage Bonus from rolling two 6s to treat your Attack Roll as a Stealth Roll.

Subterfuge: Add 2 Damage when attacking a foe using their Surprised Defense.

Mordred, the Hellknight 

Power Level: High

Concepts 

Fallen Knight of the Realm of Avalon 

Wielder of the Brother’s Blade, the Curse Bringer Clarent, the Coward’s Blade

Bears the fatal mark of Camlann

He has bested Death to reclaim Clarent’s mate Caliburn and the Throne of Avalon 

Once ruler of Avalon, Mordred is a tactician as well as a knight, mindful of the battles he fights 

No spirit may follow him, but he may call upon the Mother Three, Anna, Morgause and LeFay

Secret Origin 

Rome’s legions had risen up once more to threaten the Isles of Avalon and so it was that Arthur rode with his most trusted knights, save one to defend his lands. To one, his most trusted, Mordred, he entrusted the preservation of providence, Queen and country.

When Arthur returned to a land purged of his name. The fields of Avalon were sealed with black wards. The heads of loyalists piked and placed along the King’s road home. In his absence, Mordred had tended the fields with blood claiming them as his own and quelling voice by the tip of a lance. Though she had fled to London, rumors reached the returning King that even his wife, Guinevere, had been corrupted by Mordred’s touch.

As he marched to reclaim his lands and love so too did the forces of Mordred. In the year 437 the two kings met at the Battle of Camlann. Arthur with his Knights of the Round Table, Mordred with his mother’s three. Armies clashed and the sky fell black as the fallen knight called upon foul powers to overwhelm Arthur’s men. Yet, no sorcery that could dissuade Arthur from his charge. Inside the hill fort of Somerset the two men met.

In the year 437 Arthur met his folly. Betrayed by a man who may have been his nephew or his son, he was struck by the Brother’s Blade, Caliburn’s twin, Clarent.  Before his own demise he would see Mordred’s head fall from his body. The betrayer’s last words being that he would return for his kingdom. 

It is written that Arthur spirit found respite in Avalon, and his realm disappeared into the mists of the Summerlands. The same could not be said for the usurper Mordred. Cast into darkness he found no hero’s welcome on the shores of Hell. Where other men’s minds would be lost to the horror’s of the void Mordred saw only a kingdom abandoned. As his body was flayed by immortal torments his convictions never wavered.

A knight’s word is one never to be taken lightly, even in death. Although it would take over a thousand years, in 1614 Mordred pulled himself back from eternity. No shambling corpse Mordred had stolen the secrets of pain from the darkness. Secrets he shared with a soul as corrupt as his own to ensure their mutual immortality. The man that returned held more in common with the demons of the void than the mortals that walk the earth. 

Whatever flames of compassion he may have once felt were long extinguished. It may take another millennia but he would unlock the secrets of Avalon and reclaim his kingdom. 

Attributes

History 12 Strength 10 Dexterity 8 Constitution 12 Sense 8

Fortune 5 Wisdom 10 Intelligence 8 Mental 15 Expression  5

Backgrounds

Fallen Knight of Avalon (Immortal) 12

Vows Beyond Death 10

Reclaim Camelot 8

Bound to the Queen in Red 1 (1 AP)

Background: Secrets of the Afterlife 5

Talents

Discipline 10 Courtier (Etiquette) 8 (1 AP) Intimidation 14 (2 AP) (Middle Age) Law 5 Manual Labor 6 (1 AP) Negotiation 5 Never Back Down 8 Occult 15 Perception 6 (1 AP) Perseverance 10 Religion 12 Riding 3 Tracking 3 Study: Middle Ages Warfare 3 Subterfuge 5

Boons 

Combo: Relentless Assault: Heavy Blow – Heavy Blow – Heavy Blow – Heavy Blow TY

Critical Skill: Intimidation MA 

Gear MA5TY

Occult Supports Offense MA2

Cost: 1 + 2 + 11 + 4 = 18 AP

Fighting Styles 

(Fallen) Knight of the Round 10 (1 AP)

Parent Attribute: Strength 

Primary Role: Offense 

Secondary Role: Defense MA 

(S) Combo  10 (4 AP)

(S) Cowed/Intimidated Foes 10 (4 AP)

(S) Heavy Blow  10 (4 AP)

Cost: 1 (of 2) Powers + 2 Selections + 13 AP 

Powers

Hell Knight  15 (3 AP)

Parent Attribute: Mental 

Primary Role: Defense 

Armor (Boost Armor) MA2

Defends Against: All MA 

Passive Defense MA 

Resist: Fire MA 

Secondary Role: Offense (Full Role) MA2 

Devastating (Boost Devastation) MA2 

Cost: 2 (of 2 Powers) + 18 Selections + 3 AP   

Gear

Clarent 12

Parent Attribute: Strength 

Primary Role: Offense 

Alternate Source: Poison MA 

Lingering (Poison Damage) MA 

Devastating (Boost Devastation) MA2 

Extra Stamina MA 

Cost: 14 + 6 + 6 + 12 + 6 = 44/Gear = MA5TY

Starting AP 40 

Attributes  + Talents 6 + Boons 18 + Powers 16 – Drawbacks 

Stamina 25 

Willpower 9/12

Initiative: 14 (Senses 8 + Perception 6) Dice 3 

Surprised Defense: 20 (Fortune 5 + Hell Knight 15) Dice 3 Armor 9 (+ 4 Versus Supernatural Attacks)

Normal Defense: 40 (Mental 15 + KotR 10 + Hell Knight 15) Dice 3 Armor 10  (+ 4 Versus Supernatural Attacks)

Mental Defense: 30 (Mental 15 + Hell Knight 15) Dice 3 Armor 10 (Negotiation) 

Defense Notes:

Etiquette: Once per session, use Etiquette (8) as a Supporting Characteristics when Defending against Mental Attacks that bypass normal Defenses. 

Law: Once per session, use their Law (5) as a Supporting Characteristic when resisting or breaking free of any form of mental control. 

Manual Labor: ignore the effects of Injuries for 1 Turn.  

Perception: Once per session, use Perception (6) as a Supporting Characteristic for Normal Defense. 

Perseverance: Add Perseverance (10) to any Normal Defense roll after suffering 10 Damage. This lasts for 1 turn and may be used once per session. 

Tracking: Once per session, use Normal Defense instead of Surprised Defense in any Combat where the character has already seen their Opponent. 

Favored Attack: Relentless Assault 17 (Mental 15 + KotR 10 + Hell Knight 15 + Clarent 12 + Occult 15 + (S) Combo 10 + (S) Heavy Blow 10 – Maneuver Penalties 70) Dice 5 Range Close Damage 30/30/30/30 Notes Hits 4 Times. Lingering Half Damage (After Armor) for 6 Turns.

Secondary Attack: Obliterate The Weak 27 (Mental 15 + KotR 10 + Hell Knight 15 + Clarent 12 + Occult 15 + (S) Combo 10 + (S) Heavy Blow 10 (S) Cowed/Intimidated Foes 10 – Maneuver Penalties 70) Dice 5 Range Close Damage 32/32/32/32 Notes Target must be Intimidated. Hits 4 Times. Lingering Half Damage (After Armor) for 6 Turns.

Offense Notes: 

Discipline: Add Discipline (10) to any Strength roll or Physical Attack roll after suffering 10 Damage. This lasts for 1 turn and may be used once per session. 

Intimidation: Spend an Action to Intimidate a Target, rolling against their Mental + 10. On a successful roll, the Target is Meddled (-7 to All Rolls) for 3 Turns. 

Critical Skill: On an Attack with two 6s on the Dice, trade the Bonus Damage to treat the Attack Roll as an Intimidation Roll. 

Occult: Add 6 Damage when dealing with Supernatural Threats or Magical Creatures.

Subterfuge: Add 1 Damage when attacking a foe using their Surprised Defense.