Savage One Shot - The Laughter Of Death.pdf - SAVAGE WORLDS! - Maldaen

The Laughter of Death

Paul “Wiggy” Wade-Williams

Editing and Layout By: Paul Wade-Williams and Simon Lucas

Art: Chris Waller, Cheyenne Wright, Rich Yanizeski

Authors Dedications: Maggie (my wife and senior playtester)

Requires the Savage Worlds rules, available at www.greatwhitegames.com.

Savage Worlds, Smiling Jack, Great White Games,

Rippers, and all associated logos herein are

By:

Rippers: Horror Roleplaying in the Victorian Age

Introduction

This full-length adventure is set in the town of

Brasov, high in the Transylvania Alps, and introduces

the Circus of Death to the Rippers. Due to the

requirements of the adventure, it must take place in

the late summer of 1892. GM’s wishing to change the

year or locale should feel free to do so, but much of

the background will need reworking.

There is plenty of combat, almost all of it against

members of the Circus of Death (see page 14), but

clue hunting and investigation skills will also prove

beneﬁcial. Novice characters may have a hard ﬁght on

their hands, primarily due to the dangerous foes.

This adventure is independent of the Rippers Plot

Point campaign and can be run at any time.

The History of Brasov

No one knows when Brasov was founded. It is ﬁrst

mentioned in written texts dating back to 1235, when

the town was known as Corona. Over the centuries

it has had many names, but Brasov is the current one.

It lies near the borders of Moldavia and Wallachia,

making it an ideal trade centre. Brasov has always been

a trading town, and in the 16th century there were

more than 45 corporations, or guilds, based there.

Naturally, the guildmasters were very inﬂuential in

the running of the town.

Brasov’s defensive wall was started in the 14th

century in response to the presence of the Turkish

armies south of the River Danube. During this period, it

was the best-defended city in Transylvania. The various

guilds were each responsible for maintaining and

defending their own towers and sections of wall. Much

of the defenses still stand today, though the central

fortress and parts of the wall have disappeared.

The Renaissance came to Brasov in the 16th

century, when Deacon Coresi printed the ﬁrst books

in Romania there. Several schools, libraries, and

printing presses grew up in the city, making it a place

of culture as well as trade.

The year 1688 is one that will never be forgotten in

Brasov. As well as ﬁghting the armies of the invading

Austrians, a ﬁre almost razed the town to the ground.

If that were not enough, plague followed the ﬁre.

However, Brasov survived these disasters, and quickly

grew back to its former status.

The 19th century, the current epoch, has been

a time of great change. The city walls were partly

removed to allow for growth—factories replaced the

old guilds and trade grew. Transylvania is part of the

Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1892, not Romania. The

“Gazeta de Transilvania,” the ﬁrst political newspaper

in Transylvania, was ﬁrst published here in 1838.

Though the majority of inhabitants speak Romanian,

Hungarian is the second language and is spoken by

around a quarter of the population (1 in 4). German

speakers number some 8 per cent (1 in 12).

GM Overview

The adventure revolves around the machinations

of the Ring Master of the Circus Fabulosus (Latin for

“Legendary Circus”), a branch of the Circus of Death.

In 1688, the year of the Great Fire and plague, the Ring

Master, a man of many vices, made a deal with the

Devil by the light of the last full moon of summer.

In return for immortality and power, he swore to

deliver seven innocent souls to Hell every 51 years

(his age when he made he deal). The Devil, ever one

to make things difﬁcult even for his willing disciples,

forced the Ring Master to take his victims from a

certain town, and all must be killed within the space

of the last full moon of the 51-year period. In a bid to

distract attention away from his nefarious activities,

the Ring Master only sacriﬁces orphans or gypsy

children.

Since the circus was founded, the Ring Master

has attracted other demons to swell the ranks of the

performers. Worse still, he knows a ritual to actually

convert innocent souls into demons. Bearded ladies,

freaks, killer clowns, and worse, haunt the dark

boardwalks of the Circus Fabulosus. In Romania, evil

wears a smiling face.

It has been 51 years, less the current three days of

the impending full moon, since the last sacriﬁces. As

the curtain opens on this adventure, the Ring Master

begins his search for seven suitable souls. For the

Ring Master this is just another contract to fulﬁll; for

the heroes, this is guaranteed to be the performance

of a lifetime.

Act 1: The Circus is Coming

The characters are invited to attend a meeting with

Mrs Harker at the Hotel Royal in Bucharest. Meeting in

Bucharest is highly unusual, for it lies in the heart of

Dracula’s domain and is usually dangerous for Rippers

to visit. Whatever the reason, it must be important.

The Laughter of Death

Scene 1: Meeting in Bucharest

As the adventure begins, the heroes sit in a small

side room—Mrs. Harker has just entered.

adventure) or have Mina simply state that she does

not know the answer.

Q: How do we recognize Father Borescu?

A: “He is a well-built man in his late ﬁfties, with

short white hair and a beard. The little ﬁnger of his

left hand is missing the last joint. Ask him how this

happened. He will tell you that a dog bit it off when

he was a child.”

Q: Where is Brasov, exactly?

A: “Brasov lies on the north-west slope of Tampa

Mountain, at an altitude of 1800 feet above sea level.

The main road north from Bucharest runs through

Ploiesti and then through the mountains to Brasov.

Stay on that road and you cannot miss the town.”

Q: What is so special about this book?

A: “Father Borescu believes that it is an early diary

written by Count Dracula. If this is true, it may provide

an insight into our foes’ location and his diabolical

machinations. For reasons that are obvious, its safe

return is of paramount importance.”

“Thank you for your time,” she says, moving

a chair and sitting down. “Although meeting

here is risky, the matter at hand is most

serious. A contact in Brasov, a town high

in the Carpathians, has recently uncovered

a tome he believes contains information

relevant to our cause. Normally we would

have met in Budapest, but traveling the length

of Transylvania is too dangerous. Dracula will

not expect us to come from the south.

“Unfortunately, my husband and I leave

tomorrow on a hunt, and we do not place

our trust in others easily. Van Helsing has

vouched for your discretion and talents, and

I have faith in his judgement. Before I reveal

any further details, I must ask if you will

travel to Brasov immediately and return the

tome to the safehouse?”

Scene 2: The First Encounter

Brasov lies approximately 100 miles north of

Bucharest. The trip to Ploiesti is across the flat

Wallachian Plain, but the remainder of the trip involves

a long climb through the Carpathian Mountains, over

the summit, and halfway down the other side. In

total, the trip takes a little over eight days, the heroes

arriving in the late afternoon on the ﬁrst night of the

last full moon of summer. There is no need to draw

their attention to the latter fact, but any player who

asks about the moon should be told the truth.

On their way to the Black Church, which lies in the

center of town, the characters hear a child’s scream

from a nearby alley. On investigating, they see a giant

of a man, bare-chested with rippling muscles, carrying

a child over his shoulder toward a brightly painted

caravan. The giant is Atlas, a Strongman in the Circus

of Death, but his motives, at present, are benign.

Should the heroes call out, he stops and stares

at them for a moment before continuing toward

the caravan. If allowed to complete his journey, he

picks up a large piece of paper and carries it over

to a nearby wall. He hands the child a nail and uses

one vast hand to hold up the poster. The child places

the nail in one corner, and Atlas pushes it into the

brickwork using only his thumb.

Of course, some characters may opt to start a ﬁght

based on what they witness. Atlas tries to defend the

child with his own body and use his ﬁsts to inﬂict

Mina pauses while the heroes decide whether or

not to accept the undertaking. If they accept, she

continues.

“Thank you. Your contact is Father Anton

Borescu, the senior priest at the Black Church.

The church lies in the heart of the town and

is unmistakable. He is expecting someone

from our organization, but obviously he does

not know who.” Mina pulls a sealed envelope

from her clutch bag and hands it to you.

“This is a letter of introduction, vouching

for your identities and trustworthiness. Please

hand it to Father Borescu when you arrive.

In return, he will present you with a diary, a

very old diary. According to his description,

there is a bloodstain on the back page, which

should allow you to identify it.

“I have arranged for a carriage to be at

your disposal. A driver can be provided if you

require one. If there are no questions, I shall

bid you farewell and good luck.”

Chances are, the heroes have some questions.

Rather than second guess everything they may ask,

answers to the most obvious questions are provided

below. For questions not listed, either use your

knowledge of the town (gained from reading the

Rippers: Horror Roleplaying in the Victorian Age

Any character who speaks Latin understands the

circus’ name, which means “Legendary Circus.” Once

the mother and child are gone, Aitor doffs his hat and

calls Atlas into the wagon.

“If you will excuse us, gentlemen,” he

remarks, “we have many more posters to put

up.” He moves to the front of the wagon, picks

up the reins, and the wagon slowly trundles

off down the alley.

nonlethal damage on his attackers. On the third

round, the door to the caravan crashes open and a

tall man wearing a ring master’s costume confronts

the characters verbally.

 Aitor Nus: As Ring Master (page 16). Aitor Nus is

several hundred years old but looks like a man in his

early ﬁfties. He is highly intelligent, arrogant, totally

evil, and unwilling to let anyone stand in the way of

his continued immortality. He commands absolute

loyalty from his minions, whose fate is tied to his own

well being. His name is a stage name and a play on the

Latin word Aeternus, which means “Eternal.”

 Atlas: Strongman (page 16). Atlas is passed off

as a mute. An incredibly big mute.

“STOP!” he shouts in a loud, deep voice.

“What are you doing to my strongman?”

Scene 3: The Black Church

The Black Church is very easy to locate, being

visible from anywhere in town. As the characters near,

it is obvious why the church is so named—its walls

are blackened stone, as if scorched in a terrible ﬁre.

On entering, a young curate approaches and asks if

he can help. He speaks Romanian, Latin, and a little

Greek and English.

If the characters ask to see Father Borescu, the

curate, whose name is Cadin Marku, shakes his head.

Hopefully the characters cease their hostility at this

point. The ringmaster, Aitor Nus, demands to know

what is happening. If the characters suggest the giant

was harming the child, Aitor laughs.

“Atlas wouldn’t harm a ﬂy. The child is

helping him put up posters.” He reaches down

and grabs a large colored poster from the

rear of the wagon. He holds it up for you to

see. It reads, “Circus Fabulosus, Appearing in

Brasov for three nights only. Ringmaster Aitor

Nus presents strongmen, clowns, and bearded

ladies—spectacles to astound and shock.”

“So you see,” he continues, “there is nothing

to worry about. Ah! Here comes the child’s

mother now.” Glancing round, you see a

peasant lady approaching from the end of

the alley.

Atlas lowers the child to the ﬂoor and she

gives him a big kiss on the cheek. The mother

takes the child by the hand, curtsies to Aitor,

and then heads out of the alley. She pays you

little attention. As they turn into the main

street, you hear the mother say, “Be careful

in future. You don’t want to end up like an

orphan, do you?”

“I am sorry,” he says, “but that is impossible.

Father Borescu was called away yesterday

on most important business, He won’t

return for several days. Perhaps I can be of

assistance?”

Asking about the diary also proves futile—Marku

knows nothing about any book for collection and

refuses outright to allow the characters into the

father’s private chambers. Even if they decide to

break in, Borescu is no fool—he keeps the diary on

his person at all times.

Curate Marku apologizes for any inconvenience

Father Borescu’s trip has caused.

“He should be back soon. Why don’t you

stay over at the Black Knight inn? It’s just

The Laughter of Death

across the square. The circus is in town, so

you could spend a few days enjoying the

sights.”

Act 2: Stranger in the

Night

The ﬁrst night the characters spend in Brasov, no

matter where they stay, a strange event occurs. Pick

the character with the lowest Spirit to witness the

disturbing scene.

Marku can help if asked about the color of the

Church.

“Most unusual, yes?” he says. “The church

was built in the 14th or 15th century in the

Gothic style, though many of the murals

and tapestries are later additions. The outer

walls were damaged during the Great Fire of

1688. By some miracle, the church survived

the destruction, but it walls were forever

blackened. That is why it is called the Black

Church.

Scene 1: Strange Little Girl

As you sleep, you are dimly aware of the

town clock striking midnight. Suddenly you

shiver, as if the temperature had just dropped

several degrees. Without really knowing why,

you awake with a start. Standing at the end

of your bed, is a young girl, perhaps only

eight or nine years old, clad in rags and

clutching a rag doll.

She stares straight into your eyes and says,

“Seven little orphans armed with sticks, one

got murdered, then there were six.” She then

moves to the door and is gone. In the pale

light, you can’t be sure if she opened the door

or just vanished into thin air.

Marku is happy to give a guided tour. It lasts an hour,

and is both enjoyable and educational, but no useful

information is gained. A small donation to the upkeep

of the church is expected at the end of the tour.

Scene 4: The Black Knight Inn

The Black Knight inn is located just a few dozen

yards from the Black Church. Normally there are

plenty of rooms, but due to the arrival of the circus

many outsiders from neighboring towns and villages

have come to town. At present, there are just three

twin rooms available. Any umarried women in the

group must have a room to themselves or share with

another lady.

Mitru Bentoiu and his wife Voica run the inn and

employ six staff. Rooms are clean and aired daily, the

ﬁre is always lit, and only traditional Romanian dishes

are served. If your players are keeping track of money,

room and board costs £0.50 per night—prices have

gone up since the circus arrived.

During the day and early evening the main bar is

busy, serving peasants and workers, merchants and

visitors. A selection of beer and wine is available, as

well as some potent local spirits. Virtually everyone

is talking about the circus.

By and large, Romanians are friendly folk and happy

to engage in conversation with strangers (at least

during the day). No die rolls are necessary to learn that

the circus comes every 10-12 years, stays just three

nights, and then disappears west toward Budapest and

Vienna. Small wonder then, that when it does come, it

is so popular. The circus has set up camp a half mile

out of town, on the slopes of Mount Tampa.

The girl expects the character to follow. Chances

are, the character will wake his colleagues ﬁrst. If

there is some reluctance to follow, the girl can be

heard singing the single line outside their window.

On investigating, they see her dancing in the fog-

shrouded street.

If the characters follow the girl, proceed to Scene 2

below. Should they decide to be more cowardly, move

on to Talk of the Town at the end of Scene 2.

Scene 2: First Death

No matter how fast the characters run or what

shortcuts they try to take, they cannot catch the girl.

They come close several times, getting within a few

paces when suddenly she turns a corner. When the

characters follow, the girl has somehow managed to

reach the other end of the street, opening up a large

lead ahead of them.

After some ten minutes of running, the characters

follow the girl into a small cobbled courtyard. The girl

is gone, although there are no other exits. Lying in the

middle of the courtyard is a dead body.

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