scion - sas - wolfsheim.pdf - Scion - Dimzard

“Those who would trade liberty for

security deserve neither.”

— Benjamin Franklin

An adventure for Scion using

the Storytelling Adventure System

Written by Ric Connely and Drew Backer Developed by Eddy Webb Edited by Genevieve Podleski

Layout by Jessica Mullins Art: Abrar Ajmal, Sam Araya, Clint Langley, Brian LeBlanc,

Pat Loboyko, Adrian Majkrazk, Britt Martin, Dave Rapoza, Doug Stambaugh, and Rich Thomas

StOrytelling Adventure SySteM

MentAl OOOOO

PhySicAl OOOOO

SOciAl

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WHITE WOLF PUBLISHING, INC.

2075 WEST PARK PLACE

BLVD SUITE G

STONE MOUNTAIN, GA 30087

“Those who would trade liberty for

security deserve neither.”

— Benjamin Franklin

An adventure for Scion using

the Storytelling Adventure System

Written by Ric Connely and Drew Backer Developed by Eddy Webb Edited by Genevieve Podleski

Layout by Jessica Mullins Art: Abrar Ajmal, Sam Araya, Clint Langley, Brian LeBlanc,

Pat Loboyko, Adrian Majkrazk, Britt Martin, Dave Rapoza, Doug Stambaugh, and Rich Thomas

StOrytelling Adventure SySteM

SceneS

MentAl OOOOO

PhySicAl OOOOO

SOciAl

XP level

hero

OOOOO

WHITE WOLF PUBLISHING, INC.

2075 WEST PARK PLACE

BLVD SUITE G

STONE MOUNTAIN, GA 30087

© 2009 CCP hf. All rights reserved. Reproduction without the written permission of the publisher is expressly forbidden, except for the purposes of reviews, and one printed copy which may be reproduced for personal use only. White Wolf, Vampire and World of

Darkness are registered trademarks of CCP hf. All rights reserved. Vampire the Requiem, Werewolf the Forsaken, Mage the Awakening, Promethean the Created, Changeling the Lost, Hunter the Vigil, Scion, Storytelling System and Wolfsheim are trademarks of CCP hf.

All rights reserved. All characters, names, places and text herein are copyrighted by CCP hf. CCP North America Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of CCP hf. The mention of or reference to any company or product in these pages is not a challenge to the trademark

or copyright concerned. This book uses the supernatural for settings, characters and themes. All mystical and supernatural elements are iction and intended for entertainment purposes only. This book contains mature content. Reader discretion is advised.

Check out White Wolf online at http://www.white-wolf.com

“Run,” Christof said, “run home! I’ll… I’ll… just run!” It was the last

thing he had said to Gertie. Despite how much she loved him, she ran. She ran

as hard as she could, stray branches tearing at her clothes and whipping her

face, galloping over roots and rocks and through dips and hollows, not once

pausing to look behind her or slow her pace for any reason. She heard what

came after Christof’s inal words – the growling that overcome the horrid, wet

sound of lesh being torn over and over, the strangled scream that didn’t quite

make it out of Christof’s throat and the disturbing “shlurp” that accompanied

a spray of warmth on her back. Her vision had narrowed to the point where

she barely recognized her surroundings – all she knew is that she was running

away from the hairy thing that had ripped apart her boyfriend.

As if through a tunnel, a new noise started to break through to Gertie.

Though she couldn’t quite make it out, she instinctively followed it, ducking

under low-hanging limbs as she pushed through the brush. Slowly, her focus

seemed to expand as she realized she was only a few dozen meters from

town – the bright lanterns signaling her home. She rushed forward, a mix of

cheers and plaintive cries assailing her, growing stronger as she approached.

She felt rather than saw her father and threw herself forward, not daring to

slow her pace even when she was within his arms, nearly bowling him over.

He collapsed around her, crying, whispering her name over and over and

praising the Gods that she had come home safe.

She had made it. She had survived. But even though the shock of realization

had not fully set in, Gertie knew that she would never, ever feel safe again.

introduction

“May you live in interesting times” is a paraphrasing of an ancient

curse. Unfortunately it seems to hold more weight in the modern age

than ever. Over the last few decades, countries have fallen and economies

collapsed. Multiple disasters, both natural and man-made, rocked the

very foundation of numerous societies. Cowards of all sorts try to impose

their beliefs on others through terror and intimidation. These things and

more have left the average citizen wondering how safe and secure they

really are at any given moment. In some cases, this has led many to shore

up their defenses in the quest for peace of mind. The problem with this

lies in the delicate balancing act of freedom versus safety. When exactly

does the need for security begin to trample over liberty?

This was the root of the problem that initially faced the humble

inhabitants of the small German town, Wolfsheim. This town long

ago sold its independence to an iron-fisted tyrant in exchange for his

horrific protection. Wolfsheim literally traded one evil for another,

one that had disguised itself behind a veneer of civility and order. This

town has become a tragic example of a population giving into those

fears and of the price they must pay for doing so.

In Wolfsheim, the citizens are literally caught in the middle of a

supernatural turf war between the fae monsters known as goblins and

the Titan-serving werewolves of one Werner Krieger (originally seen

in Scion: Demigod , pp. 288-289, though he is reprinted within for

convenience). For untold years the citizens were forced by the goblins

to participate in a yearly ritual, a macabre version of trick or treat

called Kindernacht. When Werner Krieger came to the town’s mayor

with the promise to end the goblin’s reign of terror in exchange for

exclusive mining and industrial rights to the rich ore deposits nearby,

it seemed the perfect solution. What the mayor (or the townsfolk) did

not expect was to be dealing with yet another supernatural threat in

the form of werewolves. The werewolves partially upheld their promise,

only to steal the Kindernacht ritual and twist it into a yearly hunt of

the children of Wolfsheim. Now the two inhuman forces fight each

other for control of the town and its people, not caring who gets in

their way. The story of Wolfsheim can be utilized as a side adventure

in a long-running cycle, or as a stand-alone undertaking that can eas-

ily be modified from a modern setting to a WWII-era period piece (as

detailed in “The World at War” section of the Scion Companion ).

ABOUT THE STORYTELLING

ADVENTURE SYSTEM

If this is your irst Storytelling Adventure System (SAS) product, you’ve

chosen a ine place to start. To keep this story kit lean and focused, though,

we haven’t included a lot of the core premises and Storyteller suggestions

that are at the heart of the SAS. Whether you’re a new Storyteller or an old

hand, be sure to read the free SAS Guide , found at the SAS website:

www.white-wolf.com/sas

Here are some of the features available in Wolfsheim :

• Interactive links. Clicking on anything in gold will take you directly

to the section referenced or to an appropriate character sheet or prop. It

may also take you to an external website that could be useful.

• Scenes. Clicking on a scene name in the scene lowchart or the

page number in the scene card will take you to the full write-up of the

scene.

• Bookmarks. This PDF is fully bookmarked, so you can jump to major

sections at any time when the ile is open.

treatment

Wolfsheim is an adventure geared for hero-level Scion characters. The

Band travels to the town of Wolfsheim in the Black Forest area of Germany,

where an ancient battle between werewolves and goblins has led to the

humans becoming victims of a horrific tradition – the Kindernacht. The

sacrifice of several youths every year to the conflict between the werewolves

and the goblins keeps their village alive in the midst of a supernatural land

war. The Scions arrive in Wolfsheim the day before Kindernacht, encoun-

tering a goblin raid en route to the village, then discovering the werewolves

that run the town. Both the goblins and the werewolves see the Band as a

weapon to be used against the other side and will actively court the Scions.

However, the Scions should realize that supporting either side will likely

lead to the destruction of the human village, whereas doing nothing will

leave the barbaric traditions of Kindernacht firmly in place as the only way

for the village to survive. The Band is left with the unenviable choice of

leaving the village worse than when they entered or finding some way to

inspire the downtrodden populace to rise up against their oppressors.

Wolfsheim can be run as either a stand-alone story or as an en-

hancement to an existing chronicle. The scenes of this story include

hard-hitting conflict, difficult choices and the need to find solutions

others might overlook. It offers many opportunities for the players to

examine the roles of their characters not just as heroic children of the

gods but also as free-thinking individuals and sources for inspiration

to others, a prerequisite on their journey to divinity. The atmosphere

of Wolfsheim was inspired by movies such as The Prophecy and The

Untouchables and the short story “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson.

theme: turning desperation

into hope

There are no easy choices in Wolfsheim . The people of the village are

xenophobic, afraid more of the false hope that outsiders bring than the

horror which threatens to overrun their homes. In the beginning of the

story, the Band will likely see this in simpler terms – if they can drive out

the werewolves, they can stop the Kindernacht and liberate the town.

After a few interactions with the residents, they’ll learn that the town

has grown quite accustomed to being the stomping ground of supernatu-

ral powers and see little difference between the Scions and the various

monsters that plague them. The people are resigned to the thought that

removing one oppressor will just allow another to rise in its stead.

The challenges for the Band need not just be physical; they may also

try to find some way to restore the confidence of the people of Wolf-

sheim so that they will no longer need tyranny to feel secure. Simply

upsetting the balance will not be enough to prevent the village from

falling into ruin as the conflict escalates – only driving both factions

out or steeling the populace against future takeovers will ensure suc-

cess. Tradition is a hard thing to break, and only through the hope

and inspiration that the characters bring can the town truly liberate

its people.

Mood: the cost of Security

The isolation of the village of Wolfsheim has effectively cut it

off from modern thinking, and many villagers understand nothing

other than their traditions. The townspeople long ago gave up self-

determination in order to protect themselves from what they per-

ceived as a greater threat, and their way of life became irrevocably

changed as a result.

A chapter in your chronicle

Wolfsheim was initially designed to be part of a larger story, a

waypoint on the Band’s road to divinity. A simple way to incorporate

this story into your cycle is to have an oracle (such as the one in “The

Ragnarok Gambit” in Scion: Demigod ) owed protection by a God,

who is repaying the debt by having the Band assist her. The Oracle’s

daughter might even be a Scion herself and a member of the Band is

obligated to protect their kin. Optionally, the Band might not even

know about the Oracle at all, instead being in town to acquire some

artifact or relic when the Oracle approaches them for help.

A Story By itself

As a stand-alone story, Wolfsheim works best with heroes that

have around sixty experience points, although the story can be easily

scaled. There are a few possible scenarios for running this adventure

as a standalone story.

The Band receives a series of messages concerning an Oracle in

Germany who has had visions about the characters which she needs

to share with them in person. The visions actually relate to the Band’s

activities in Wolfsheim, and the message is the lure to draw them in so

that she can convince them to save her daughter. Alternatively, one of

the Band’s patrons may have given the visions to the Oracle specifically

to force their Scion to face the threat of Werner Krieger.

Backstory

In 1778, the War of Bavarian Succession saw the Prussian and

Austrian nations at war in and around the areas of the Bavarian Forest

and Bohemia. In a struggle to prevent the enemy from resupplying

and fortifying, both countries trod over the small hamlets and cities

which occupied the region, provisioning even the most meager of

supplies from the residents. Although the conflict only lasted through

1779, the number of dispossessed people grew exponentially due to

the frequent military incursions during that time. A small group of

refugees escaped into the deeper regions of the Black Forest, seeking

shelter from the political machinations of kings. Led by a man named

Otto Wolfsheim, the refugees led a nomadic existence, not able to

trust remaining in any one location for too long. Eventually, their

wandering brought them to the realm of another ruler: Der Koenig

Puck, The Goblin King.

Der Koenig Puck was a shrewd sort and saw a great deal of potential

to having his own “herd” of humans. In a show of force, Der Koenig

Puck appeared with hundreds of goblins but instead of a massacre, he

offered a bargain. In exchange for providing security and seclusion,

the people would establish their homes in goblin territory and pay a

yearly tribute to their goblin “protectors” – a tradition that became

known as the Kindernacht. The Kindernacht originally began much

like Halloween, where the children of Wolfsheim would go from door

to door, gathering tribute to present to Der Koenig Puck in the form

of sweets and small trinkets. Throughout the evening, goblins would

approach the children. If the child had a sufficient amount of tribute,

the goblins would escort the child home. Those who did not gather

enough tribute simply disappeared and the goblins acquired another

recruit for their ranks. For a while, the village was so thankful for the

protection offered by the goblins that the loss of one or two children

was seen almost as a fair trade by a silent majority.

Time went on and the goblins held to their end of the bargain,

creating rituals that kept the village of Wolfsheim out of the sight

of ordinary people, even preventing it from appearing on maps and

causing those few who were actually able to leave Wolfsheim for long

durations to have their knowledge of the town and its location fade

from memory. Most would eventually regard tales of a village in the

Black Forest to be little more than ignorant folklore, although every

now and then someone would stumble upon the village. This relative

idyll would be shattered during World War II, when groups of people

found the city in greater numbers as they fled the Nazi regime. It was

not much longer before someone with less altruistic purposes at heart

– the werewolf Werner Krieger – found the city.

Another scenario for this adventure is to set it during the World War

II setting detailed in the Scion Companion (pp. 199-271), with the

Band working for the Allied cause against the Axis powers. Intelligence

gathered by one of the Band’s patrons has revealed that an Oracle

sympathetic to the Allied powers has been trapped behind enemy

lines. This adds the element of a covert rescue mission complicated

by the Oracle’s refusal to leave without her daughter, who has been

chosen for the Kindernacht. In this case, remember to eliminate the

more modern references in the scenes.

If using “The Ragnarok Gambit” from Scion: Demigod as the back-

ground setting, the Gods are nowhere to be found, cut off from the

mortal world by the machinations of their enemies. Rumors reach the

Band that there is an Oracle who is still able to communicate with

the Overworld and is in desperate need of help. Following the trail of

rumors leads the Band to the German state of Baden-Wuttenburg and

the small town of Wolfsheim.

Backstory and Set - up

scion - sas - wolfsheim.pdf

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