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 the youngest readers.
Overview
Love is in the air, and it’s being used to control people. The Red Queen returns, feeding not just on blood but on the passions of others. Enslaving the local police and military forces, she is rounding people up through the city. What her endgame is remains a mystery, but those brought to her are willing to follow her to the ends of the earth.
While it’s not necessary to have played, this Adventure references the following Adventure Seeds:
Personal Scenes
It’s Valentine’s Day, spotlight each of the heroes and how they are spending the holiday. As the day progresses, note the dwindling number of people out and about. By sundown, the streets are all but empty. However, there are police and military vehicles that seem to be moving through the city with increasing frequency. Roads leading out of the city have police checkpoints set up as well.
Patrol Stop
As an extension of the personal scenes, the patrol stop can happen one of two ways, depending on if the hero is in or out of costume.
Out of Costume
The police will pull over, stop next to, or otherwise stop the hero, and whomever they may be with at the time. After asking some basic questions, and checking their ID, they will ask the hero, and those accompanied to come with them, as they match the description of a suspect(s) in the area.
Something Off? Roll: Expression + Subterfuge + Forensics versus a 32 Difficulty
- Failure: This seems like a routine stop.
- Partial: The police do not seem to actually be that concerned, and in good spirits.
- Success: Through the conversation, the police don’t actually check anything, it is more as if they are reciting a script.
- 1 Degree: During the stop, the officers did not reference a description, but rather looked at the clothing the hero and others were wearing to describe them.
If the heroes go with the police, please see: Love’s Lineup. If the heroes resist, the police will attempt to apprehend them. The GM can use the Mob Enforcers (Pg. 138) if they want to play out an action scene. There are only two of them though and this should be an easy encounter for most Low Powered or Classic heroes.
In Costume
If the heroes are patrolling, or otherwise in costume when the police sport them, they will signal as if there is a problem. Here, the police will tell the heroes that something has happened at the police station, and they need their help containing it.
Something Off? Roll: Expression + Subterfuge + Forensics versus a 32 Difficulty
- Failure: There’s always something going on in this city…
- Partial: The story the police tell is short on detail, but they may just be rushed after trying to find them.
- Success: The police are surprisingly casual if there is an emergency that requires superheroes.
- 1 Degree: The police have other resources and means to contact superheroes, whereas this falls more into random chance.
If the heroes refuse to go with the police, they will not push the issue.
In either scenario, if a hero attempts to probe the officers’ minds, see Breaking The Spell.
Where Is Everyone?
There are a few paths to locate the missing people.
Cold Tracking, Roll: Sense + Tracking versus a Very Advanced (30) Difficulty
Following The Police: Wisdom + Stealth versus an 32 Difficulty
Hack The Red Light Camera Feeds Intelligence + Computers versus a Challenging (45)
- Failure: It’s as if everyone’s disappeared.
- Partial: The only people left on the streets seem to be the police.
- Success: The hero sees people being taken to a police station.
- 1 Degree: It’s not just one police station, but all the stations in the city.
- 2 Degrees: From there, people seem to go willingly to the local military base.
Love’s Lineup
If the heroes are taken into custody by the police, they will be brought to a station and eventually placed into a lineup. This takes time though, as the building is packed to capacity, and more people are being brought in.
Liberating The Police Station
- Stakes: Police and mind controlled civilians swarm the hero and those not yet controlled by the Queen.
- Size 2 – Police Station
- Ferocity 2 – The officers have no supernatural abilities.
- Target 35
- Damage 4
- Success Threshold 9
- Starting Advantage 4
Once taken into the lineup, it is obvious that the police are just moving people thought like a feed line with no regard to who is in the lineup.
A Fun Way to Say, I Love You. Roll: Sense + Perception versus an Expert (20) Difficulty
One a Successful roll the hero will notice arcane sigils drawn around the room of the lineup.
Once everyone is in place, they will have them face forward and say:
“My love, my immortal, Báthory”
The room will flood with a red light at this point and the hero will feel a pressure building in their head.
A Call For Obedience. Control (Minds) Value 46
Compare the Value to the heroes Constitution or Mental, whichever is higher. If the Value is greater, offer the hero 1 Willpower + 1 Willpower for each 10 points the Value is above their Attribute. If they agree, they are now enslaved to the Queen In Red, until they can break free.
After the lineup, the group is told to make their way to the local military base and await further instructions, see The Queen In Her Castle.
Note: The player must agree to be mind controlled, but is allowed a roll to resist when given an order later. The Target to resist is 46.
Blending In? Roll: Expression + Subterfuge versus a 32 Difficulty.
Heroes not under the Queen’s control can attempt to blend in.
- Failure: The deception fails. If the hero attempts to escape or subdue those under the control of the Queen in Red, use the Liberating The Police Station disaster.
- Partial: Once reaching the military base, the hero will need to make another roll, as above, or trigger Tide of Innocents disaster, see The Queen In Her Castle.
- Successful: The hero is able to infiltrate the military base.
- 1 Degree: The hero can send a short message to team members, no more than 5 words, as they are moving towards the base.
- 2 Degrees: The hero can communicate with the team while in the procession to the queen.
The Queen In Her Castle
There is a high fence, lined with razor wire, around the perimeter of the base. People stand in front of and behind it in rows blocking the view of what may be occurring beyond. Joint Light Tactical Vehicles (JLTVs) patrol the grounds just beyond the fence line. A cluster of police and soldiers wait by the gate checking people in.
If the heroes attempt to bypass the guards, or fail to bluff their way in, the mind controlled people will swarm them. Many are armed with guns, others have whatever they could find, bats, tire irons, and knives are common.
Don’t Be Suspicious Roll: Wisdom + Stealth versus a 32 Difficulty.
Keep Blending Roll: Expression + Subterfuge versus a 32 Difficulty.
- Failure: Trigger the Tide of Innocents disaster
- Partial: As above, but reduce the Starting Advantage to 2 as the heroes are already inside.
- Success: The heroes are able to slip past the guard without detection.
- 1 Degree: Following a group of brainwashed the heroes are effectively taken to the Queen in Red. Reduce the Starting Advantage of the Transcendence Disaster by 1 + 1 per 2 additional Degrees of Success.
Tide of Innocence
- Stakes: Subdue the hordes of people under the control of the Queen in Red, or at least enough to escape inside the base.
- Size 4 – Military base, increased due to the number of people the Queen has under her control.
- Ferocity 3 – There are hundreds of people all under her control.
- Target 45
- Damage 7
- Success Threshold 13
- Starting Advantage 5
- Complication: The heroes may opt to take 4 Penetrating Damage each Turn, but avoid harming any of the innocent people under the Queen’s control.
Once inside, the heroes will need to locate the Queen in Red. This is not hard as it is protected by a ring of guards. If the heroes have already successfully snuck into the compound, there is no need to make another roll. Also, the location would be revealed during the Tide of Innocence disaster.
A Palace Fit For A Queen
The base’s auditorium is filled with mind controlled citizens, they hold daggers at their own throats. If a hero was controlled in Love’s Lineup they can be placed here for the team to try and break them free.
One the stage, the Queen in Red stands inside of a circle of runes, a red gem, in the shape of a heart, floating above her. If the heroes are able to sneak in, they can catch her monologuing. The Successes listed below represent the heroes roll on Don’t Be Suspicious or Keep Blending.
5 Degrees of Success: “The Heart of Eros, how is it that after centuries you would find your way to this banal land? Carved from desire itself, it is no surprise that you would be forgotten here and dumped in some merchant’s door as just another bobble that has fallen from favor. The blind masses know only of fleeting want, and greed in its most simplistic form. Sweet Eros, you have given so many over to the purest forms of desire, and now I shall see my kingdom reborn from your eternal thirst.”
The Queen in Red turns to those gathered in the audience.
3 Degrees of Success: “Oh my sweet loves, I know that you would give the world to me. Thankfully all that I ask is for your lives. At the apex of the litany, be kind and run the blades you now hold across your throats, it is a simple request from me, your loving queen. This, your so trivial a sacrifice, will provide the fuel for me to transform not just this simple hovel, but the city itself into a home you would find suitable for me. Surely, this is not too much to ask, is it?”
1 Degree of Success: “Of course my love.” The crowd says in unison. Drawing a blade from her dress, the Queen in Red holds it to the floating gem.
“To the forgotten, here me now! I am your queen, and by the blood of man I shall rule again! Come to me, give me the strength you promised me in life, so that your deaths can once again have meaning.”
With that she begins the ritual.
Transcendence
- Stakes: Prevent the death of everyone in the auditorium and the conversion of the city into something the Queen in Red find’s fitting.
- Size 5 – Impacts the entire city.
- Ferocity 4 – The Queen in Red’s magic along with the spirits of those she has killed that are now bound to her. She is protected by the circle of runes on the floor.
- Target 50
- Damage 9
- Success Threshold 15
- Starting Advantage 10
- Notes: Gain an extra Success on actions that target the gem. Heroes should need at least one Turn to reach the gem without a boosted movement.
If the Queen maintains 5 or more Successes for 3 Turns the base is reshaped. The GM should take the opportunity to describe a gothic throne room that replaces the drab, boring, auditorium the heroes had been in with the resplendent glory fitting the Queen in Red.
If defeated, the Queen will turn to mist fleeing the area.
The Heart of Eros: Heroes who played the Adventure Seed Anteros And Eros may have the Contact: Love and Desire. If they learn that the gem is the Heart of Eros, they may attempt to have Eros aid them.
True Desire! Roll: History + Contact versus an Expert (20) Difficulty
- Failure: Drawing the god’s attention, he’s happy to feel the worship of others again. Increase the ferocity of Transcendence by 1, this increases the Damage and Starting Advantage accordingly, as he tips the scales in the Queen’s favor to see what she will do in his name.
- Partial: These are the affairs or lesser beings and Eros takes no notice.
- Success: Amused by the interaction, Eros will offer the heroes a minor gift. The hero gains a +5 to any roll that attempts to take the Heart from the Queen without harming it.
- 1 Degree: Unhappy with how his name is being used, Eros will appear momentarily to fire an arrow at the Queen as a message. The heroes gain 1 Free Success.
- 2 Degrees: Eros will aid the heroes, appearing as above, he will battle the Queen. Gain 1 free Success every Turn.
- 3 Degrees: Infuriated by the corruption of his Heart, Eros will destroy the artifact. Gain 3 free Successes the first Turn and 1 additional Success each following Turn.
Aftermath
With the power of the gem mitigated, the people under her control will return to normal. If the battle for Transcendence went over 3 Turns, the military base got a palatial makeover. With ramparts sporting gothic horrors that fire warped missiles from their mouths and other monstrosities. If the disaster went over 5 Turns, this change is permanent, otherwise the base will return to normal shortly after everyone gets a good look at it.
In addition to the normal rewards, the heroes gain either:
- Area of Influence: Local army base 1
- Contact: Base Commander 1
- Drive: Enemy: The Queen In Red 1
Any option a hero doesn’t select may be purchased with experience.
