The Verne Chieftain

The Verne Chieftain

Scene 1 - The Refugees’ Camp:

It is 2018, the 15th Anniversary of The Event, when this world born from the scraps and ashes from the Old World. The Breakthrough phenomena has bring some chaos, and just recently the world had found some peace, even considering the rising of Eretz Israel and the fall of Calliphate and China.

Africa has always been somewhat a powder barrel, and The Event only make things goes worse, with Warlords and Tribal Kings going into the Breakthrough and at the same time fighting without West support against the Calliphate. In the chaos and civil war many of the African countries are, the last respected institutions are those supported by Doctors Without Borders, actually almost the last really neutral institution in the world. One of those is Heroes Without Borders, that is supporting the last efforts from UNESCO, UNICEF, World Health Organization and other UN initiatives (now very weakened with the dissolution of NATO and the rising of League of Democratic States).

One of the objectives for Médicins Sans Frontières e Herós Sans Frontières (HSF) is to support and maintain the safeness on the refugee’s camps all around the world: with Eretz Israel rising, and other events, lots of people are now away from their original countries (some of them that no more exists, like Gaza and West Bank).

Sierra Leone was taken into the post-Event turmoil and had a quick, but bloody, Civil War until one of the most powerful breakthrough, Bengela (real name: Nelson Tshabalala) expelled the corrupt president from it and was elect some time after with promises of democracy. However, there’s lots of refugee’s on the big camp, nicknamed as Roque Santeiro (in honor of the biggest informal market in the world, established in Angola and closed shortly after The Event, that was by itself named based on an old pre-Event Brazilian soap opera). At least 10 thousand families lives there, with the support of many volunteers, breakthrough or not. The place is maintained by United Nations via UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees), with support of all UN Commissioners and NGOs possibles, from UNESCO and UNICEF to MSF and HSF.

In this scenario the PCs arrives as newly-trained HSF recruits. They are taken in the Freetown airport and brought to Roque Santeiro by helicopter: Atlas, Vernes and other flying heroes as advised to not fly to avoid any uneasiness local military. Their contact is Corin Phakathwayo, one of the fixed HSF in the region. He’s known as his main perk to has no costume, nickname or crest: he feels herself as the modern Lothar, and is somewhat a good comparison, as he is a C-Class Ajax and is the first-in-command of the local captain of HSF.

When they get into Roque Santeiro, they feel the real problem: is a big sea of UN-tents, improved by Vernetech, and some generators maintained by a team of UN and HSF Vernes for power and communication. Time after time people came for Roque Santeiro and, although some of them obtain refugee visas for LDS countries and leave the camp every day, many more came.

In the main structure, they are received by the local fixed team of HSF and presented to the HSF captain in place. Diana (real name: Diana Souza) is half-Brazilian (father)/half-South African (Sotho lineage, by mother) A-Class Ajax, but don’t look as one: she’s very pretty with a big afro and somewhat slim, looking like a very beautiful woman from pre-Event films. However, she’s very serious and his look looks like she’s really business

She says:

“Alright, chaps, think you had the basic training at Genebra, but now it’s real life. Hope you are able to use your powers and more for something better than your own benefit.

Roque Santeiro is the biggest refugee camp in the world. Some countries has less people than we have here. There we have people from all the Africa, and from all the main tribes: nago, nubians, belize, sotho, xhosa, zulu, hutu, you name it. Also there’s lots of backgrounds and religions.

Our mission here is simple: help maintain security and order, provide support for UN forces, and general help. People here tends to be okay, but sometime things turns really grim because of the shortages on resources. Food and clean water are sometimes difficult to get, and the sanitary infra only didn’t collapsed thanks to our Vernes that works on the infra.

We have also some guys from other organizations to help us, mainly our “mother” so-to-speak MSF, some guys from World Health Organization, some Blue Berets from UN and so.

Well, enough about me: I’ll present you for our local team and you’ll present yourselves for them”

Although she’s very harsh, she also is very competent and feels the responsibility of local HSF leader.

The local HSF team main members are Corin, Diana and:

They are after granted his clearance levels, positions and so. They are also presented to their quarters: between people from HSF there’s only common quarters. Each quarter is for one team and, although very simple, they’re comfortable enough. They also have their communication links (although not private). The bunk beds are very simple, but made on a structure sturdy enough to resist to almost all kind of people, even the biggest A-Class Ajaxes. There’s also wardrobes where they can put their gear. They receive the common crest of Roque Santeiro’s teams (a Q letter styled on an angel halo).

During that day, they could be called for some simple missions, like escort some food convoys in and out Roque Santeiro (good mission for Ajax, Atlas and Projectors) or helping improving infrastructure at Roque Santeiro (for the Kinesis, Merlins, and Verne). There’s lots of things they could help: remember that, as a refugee’s camp, Roque Santeiro is in need of almost everything. There’s lots of simple actions that the PCs can do and, even being little things (like helping building a new camp hospital using Kinetic powers) they’ll have the chance to shine out before the refugee’s before going into a dinner, shower and bedtime.

During the night (their shift or not), they hear the sirens hearing. People came and ask them for help, and Diana goes for them, dressed into his equipment and holding his Longinus’ Spear, custom built to her by a HSF Verne. They will go for the camp front and see some guys coming. They are part of the local war-chief militia, a guy called Kwazani that wants to remove Bengela from power. They are considered a pesky problem, but this day they are strong: there’s lot of goons on them, equipped with black marked military weapons and, worst of all, lots of D-Class and even C-Class breakthroughs, especially Ajaxes and Metamorphs, with some Atlas and Projectors between them.

The PCs will fight one team of Goons (1 per PC) and another of Super-Goons (1 per 2 PCs). If things are getting easily, put some more, or split the PCs into fight the goons and protect Roque Santeiro: sounds like they want to abduct some people and rob part of the equipment, specially weapons and supplies.

This sounds like easy, but as soon the PCs show having an edge, the Kwazani Elite Team will show: Magog, Ianshan, Panther and Kilimanjaro

They’ll be a lot worse problem for the PCs and they maybe should give in. Specially Kilimanjaro and Panther are very strong on their powers and they are not too much for hurting the PCs. They’ll not kill the PCs, because, if they are taken out, they’ll be Shamefully rescued by the HSF team, including Diana, Corin and Lesley. If the PCs, however, are having some edge in them, make them run away, giving in the conflict, and putting them as Enemies of the Kwazani Elite Four

Any way, they’ll be presented with the main problem: Kwazani and his four elite goons.

Scene 2 - Dealing with Kwazani Four

In the next day, while UN soldiers does the protection and the Vernes does the best to repair Roque Santeiro, Diana call all the HSF heroes into the conference room.

“Okay, everyone. I’ve talked with the big bosses from Genebra and they decided that it was the last straw: it was the tenth attack in the last three months. We are under Clause B Intervention Rules, authorized by UN and LDS.

I want to make very clear: Clause B Intervention Rules still don’t authorize catching tangos using civilians as meat shield. We’ll need so to split you into teams to investigate some targets and try to find Kwazani’s HQ. We already have some local guides to help you with some of the chieftains and into the local cities, and find maybe some clues.

Now the characters can follow some ideas or receive from Diana some clues to some ways to solve the problem, to find Kwazani HQ Location (DR Supreme (+10)). Some clues can be found on those ways:

The Chieftains:

some of the local chieftains has A grudge with Kwazani, as he doesn’t, in their vision, give the proper respect to elders and wiser people. H, they are Somewhat hostile with the foreigner (DR Good (+4)). If people can provide them electricity, water or other things, they could Gain their hearts, what can help them to find clues about the Kwazani HQ

The Elite’s relative:

Although “evil”, the Elite Four have some parents. Especially Panther could get into a double-cross against Kwazani, because he have a daughter with AIDS: his deceased wife had AIDS and even Kwazani being a A-Class Verne could not heal AIDS. It’s a known fact that even some of the Ultra-Class Verne had not found a cure for AIDS, although thanks for the Medicine-focused Verne many of the worst diseases now have treatment that could avoid evolution and improve health stats and life quality. Use the rules for Negotiation or Contest rules. If the PCs are Successful, Derek and Lesley would work on those, bringing Panther as a Double-Cross.

Another one that could have a weak spot at GM Discretion is Kilimanjaro: she’s from an old lineage of witch doctors and sage man and (specially) women. Although uneasy with foreigners, she and them could be convinced to work with them and explain somewhat the problem: Kwazani had discovered a drug that could provoke the Breakthrough. And many are attracted on this, but just a few had a permanent breakthrough, all the other just having powers as long they use the drug, called Breakthrough Enhancer Drug. They’ll also say that the Breakthroughs that use this had an increasing into their powers, but at the cost of their sanity: with time, their mind are destroyed by the addiction.

A City in need:

Local cities are in need of all kind of things, specially shelter, food and water, and security against some gangs of BED Addicted (uses the Super-Goon mook to emulate). If they can put their powers on a good use for the local people, they could give the location of a BED Smuggler, a Witch Doctor (D-Class Merlin) that sells this to the local kids. He’ll have, obviously, his support team of Super Goons into a BED Overdose (+2 on their Power-related checks, -2 on everything else). If defeated, the Smuggler will put himself under HSF hands, knowing that the city people would try to kill him as soon as he could put their hand on him.

Shadowing the Shadow:

Obviously Kwazani will not left the HSF do their job that easy. Sometime a shadow will be follow them. Either could be a Super-Goon from Metamorph-type or even Panther. They could, if searching, finding them in the middle of local animals, like birds, meerkats, possums and even into the form of urban animals. It’ll be a DR Superb (+5) Investigate opposed check, because they are very skilled as passing as animals, but if they are found, they’ll run. If captured (treat as a Contest) they’ll reveal that Kwazani sent them and their families are hostage. Treat this as a negotiation, with the PCs Swearing they’ll rescue his families (in case of Success).

Each time they do one of those “missions” (City in Need and Elite’s relatives can repeat as many as make sense) grants an Aspect of some kind, that can be used to reduce the check for changing the Kwazani HQ Location Aspect into Found the HQ Aspect. If they Fail Epically into a check, or accept a Success with a Cost, make them be attacked by some Goons or Super-Goons and, if Epic Fail, lose all the Aspects they accumulated.

As soon they Found the HQ, they’ll be sent for to fight against Kwazani.

Scene 3 - Kwazani’s Fortress

Kwazani’s fortress is not that far from Roque Santeiro: it’s on a local mountain, with an access for it inside.

The base looks like somewhat from the pre-Event 007 shows: lots of Chemical Supplies and Weird Equipment. Goons, dressed into QBR suits without the head piece can be seen.

It’s up the GM to trace the route into the Fortress to the Kwazani Room (final DR: Superb (+5)). As a suggestion, treat this as a Contest between the PCs and the Room DR. Each victory the Room have give it a chance of a separated Conflict or for a Create Advantage that would mean the PCs were Trapped or Blocked on some way.

As far the PCs found Kwazani Room, they’ll be received by him, with a nice smirk and kind of Laser Gun in his hand.

“Oh, so at least we’ll be acquainted to each other. I’m Derek Kwazani, and, to put all the cards in the table, I’m what your Barlow guy call an Verne, A-Class. And if you are into that old-fashioned style, you maybe will cry something about surrendering”

Let the PCs do their show: in fact, stimulate them by Compel their Hero Aspects and so. But they’ll be surprised by a Energy Barrier capable to hold even an A-Class Ajax! (DR Mythic (+9)).

“Now, let us stay into the trope: now it’s time to me to say my ‘evil plan’, right? Oh, well, my plan is simple: bring power back to Africa. You see, no matter all the balderdash they talk about Europe or Asia or America being the civilization birthplace, Africa is the humanity birthplace. And before even Genghis Khan, there was big empires in Africa, not just Egypt, but also the Abyssinian, and many others. No matter what Israel calls, Egypt was stronger them then in the past. My objective is simple: bring Africa to their past glory.

And, to stay on our so called Journey’s Hero: how I would want to deal with this? Well, in my researches about the breakthrough I found some interesting common triggers that could be used to provide powers for anyone. And it’s this the way: by creating my own heroes, so to speak. After all, the hero of someone is the terrorist of someone else.

Alright: think I had my part in the trope. So it’s yours: die or run away.

When he say this, he opens a Black Hole trapdoor that sent them to the next level below. In there, they can see a lot of Monsters (treat them as Super-Goons, 2 per PCs, with an Reduced to Animal Intellect Aspect over them). By the sides, they’ll see the fabric line for BED.

There’s some ideas for the PCs:

  1. Fighting the Monsters could be something very strenuous even for the toughest Ajax or Atlas, but someone with mind control or manipulation could try to control at least some of the Monsters, reducing the number to be fought out and providing some extra muscle;
  2. There’s a Failure in the place that could provide a way to contour and fight Derek directly. Although he have their Elite Four (imagine they don’t convinced Kilimanjaro and Panther to double-cross Derek) to defend him, they could deal with them, at least with some difficult.
  3. If the PCs were smart enough (or want to pay 1 FP to declare as a Flashback), they could be hooked up or the can hack a way to communicate their final position and provide HSF/UN/LDS forces with ways to invade the installation and fight the minions, freeing the PCs (maybe with Diana, Corin and/or Lesley support) to fight the Elite Four and Derek;
  4. They could convince the workers (all of them Addicted) that Derek is a bad guy. Although not that easy (DR Great (+4)), a good Mentalist or Merlin, or other kind of hero with mind manipulation powers, could work this and make people revolt against Derek. Although this could be a bad way to solve things (and all that against meat shield thing from HSF?), they could at least stop Derek this way;
  5. If they convinced either Panther or Kilimanjaro to Double-Cross Derek, they could made this into a way they could do on a good timing. This can result into the Elite Four splitting, specially Magog, that is totally loyal for Derek. Ianshan can be convinced by the other Elite Four during the fighting, or when she notes that Derek is using her as cannon-fodder.

No matter what happens, the PCs should be (being smart, lucky, or both) able to catch Kwazani alive, and their notes about BED being destroyed or used for good objectives (like Lesley using it to analyze and obtain extra info into breakthrough and the potential PTSD resulting from).

Epilogue and Hooks

The PCs should be appraised according their actions. Remember that HSF don’t like heroes that use civilians as cannon fodder.

Consider this a Minor Milestone.

The PCs then could still be at Sierra Leone or go after other things all around the world.

Some hooks:

Appendix 1 - Heroes Without Borders Team

Aspects

Type Aspect
Organization Type Just a small part of Heroes Without Borders
Mission Statement Super-help for Super-Needs
Background Aspect Genebra still don’t trust us totally
Background Aspect Just don’t mess refugee’s camps

Skills

Skill Level
Espionage Fair (+2)
Information Good (+3)
Investigate Fair (+2)
Legal Resource Average (+1)
Public Relations Fair (+2)
Transportation Great (+4)
Security Average (+1)

Resources

Skill Level
Contacts Average (+1)
Reputation Good (+3)
Wealth Average (+1)

Stress and Consequences

Appendix 2 - HSF Faces

Diana Souza (Diana)

Aspects

Attributes/Skills/Resources

Level Attributes/Skills/Resources
Superb (+5) Discernment, Willpower, Physique
Great (+4) Academics, Athleticism, Reputation
Good (+3) Provoke, Presence, Fight
Fair (+2) Shoot, Rapport, Drive
Average (+1) Aid, Wealth, Contacts

Stunts

Derek Styles, MD

Aspects

Attributes/Skills/Resources

Level Attributes/Skills/Resources
Superb (+5) Discernment, Aid, Academics
Great (+4) Reputation, Rapport, Empathy
Good (+3) Willpower, Contacts
Fair (+2) Provoke, Deceive
Average (+1) Wealth

Stunts

Lesley Dimantas, MD (Daughter of Gaea, Squirrel Girl, and others)

Aspects

Attributes/Skills/Resources

Level Attributes/Skills/Resources
Superb (+5) Discernment, Shapeshifter, Academics
Great (+4) Empathy, Deceive, Provoke
Good (+3) Willpower, Contacts, Fight
Fair (+2) Rapport, Shoot, Drive

Stunts

Corin Phakathwayo

Aspects

Attributes/Skills/Resources

Level Attributes/Skills/Resources
Superb (+5) Discernment, Academics
Great (+4) Physique, Willpower, Fight, Shoot
Good (+3) Contacts, Reputation, Empathy, Rapport
Fair (+2) Drive, Provoke
Average (+1) Deceive, Larceny

Stunts

Appendix 3 - Antagonists

Derek Kwazani

Aspects

Attributes/Skills/Resources

Level Attributes/Skills/Resources
Superb (+5) Discernment, Wealth
Great (+4) Academics, Willpower
Good (+3) Rapport, Reputation
Fair (+2) Provoke, Presence
Average (+1) Fight, Shoot

Stunts

Kwazani’s Goons (Average Extra)

Kwazani’s Super-Goons (Fair Extra)

Kwazani Elite Goons (Good Extras)