My second Down Darker Trails: Bag of Nails scenario was completed last Saturday. This issue was titled Brass in Pocket and was a combination of a “day in the life” of the characters as well as a chase and possible inter-character combat. The following is both the scenario as I wrote it, a session summary, and lessons learned.
Scenario: Brass in Pocket
One Week Later…
A week has passed since the events of Issue #1: Baby Back Ribs. A small contingent of troops from Fort Ellis has arrived to examine the caves in question. The 20-man deployment, led by Major Franklin Swanson, is skeptical of their mission but has brought a case of dynamite to close off any tunnels. Major Swanson will question the PCs, asking them to recount their story and ensure he has the correct mountain and tunnel system selected on his maps.
Montague Tobias Pockets & His Calliope Shadow Play
As the troops depart, an entertainer arrives. Montague Tobias Pockets is an affable tall and slender gentleman with a flair for the dramatic. For one night only, M.T. Pockets will present a shadow play accompanied by his calliope at the Music Box. Tickets cost 50 cents and the unique experience promises to be a sold out show. While tickets will sell out fast, many of the town’s residents will stand outside the Music Box to at least listen to the music. The entertainer will begin the show with a brief recital of obviously well-worn patter:
Well my name is M.T. Pockets,
Consider yourselves Davy Crocketts!
Explorers in kind
Except in your mind,
So long as you open your ear sockets!
The shadow play is a dance (or perhaps a battle?) of faeries and demons while the calliope plays out a strangely haunting melody which can be heard across the town. Despite the volume of music, anyone inside the entertainment hall will not be disturbed by its loudness. And all who can hear the tune will need to make a POW roll–for those inside the building the roll difficulty Extreme, those directly outside: Hard, and those elsewhere in the city: Standard. There are no immediate or noticeable effects to failing this roll… yet. The show ends and everyone returns home or their standard late-night activities.
A Day In The Life… Humming.
The next morning M.T. Pockets leaves early, presumably heading north to Nevada City. While the day is relatively uneventful those that failed their POW roll will catch themselves occasionally staring into space and humming the tune from previous evening’s entertainment. Those who succeeded on their POW rolls will notice that much of the town is performing their tasks in a near dream-state from which any distraction will be merely temporary. Depending on the moral fiber of the character, some may take advantage of the less-than-lucid state of the citizenry.
The characters not under the spell of the calliope who investigate further might note that the citizens are taking some of their items and money to Boot Hill cemetery and putting them in an open grave. The affected aren’t going to the cemetery in droves or with large sacks of their possessions so it’s not particularly noticeable unless one is looking for it. The accumulation of wealth will occur throughout the day and night.
If the Investigators watch the open grave overnight they’ll spot a tall, slender figure appear out of seemingly nowhere, swiftly bag the items and vanish. If they are noticed or in any way disturb the figure, it will vanish with whatever goods it was able to bag.
Keeper’s note: It is possible that any unaffected Investigators will remove the wealth from the grave (for themselves or to return to the owners) or interrupt the collection of goods before they can be removed. If so, the knowledge they were hoodwinked in some way will still be enough to rile most of the populous to go after the entertainer.
Missing Items and an Angry Posse
Either due to the threat of or the actuality of missing items, the town will be in an uproar. Sheriff Gragg, with a broken leg on the mend, will quiet down most of the town by forming a smaller posse, under the leadership of one of his deputies (either PC or NPC, depending). He’ll also suggest the PCs assist, as they’ve proven capable in their rescue of the Lewes boy. While it might be odd for a school teacher to be part of a posse, he’ll also want scientific advisors to go along as what happened to people was clearly out of the ordinary.
The Trail Ends and Begins Again
A calliope is not a light device and the trail should be easy to follow. Along the trail, a flyer for Montague T. Pocket’s traveling calliope and shadow play show will be found half-buried in the snow, promising a show in Ellis in two nights–this despite being more northeast of the town than the closer and northwest Nevada City.
The posse will continue to follow the tracks for a mile or so out of town, then they simply stop; with no sign of the carriage or horses. Astute trackers will note that there are footprints from an individual coming off the carriage drive to the side of the wagon (where the calliope would be). Those footprints also simply stop in their tracks from the location. Following the clue that the next show will actually be in Ellis should prompt the Investigators to go towards Ellis rather than Nevada City, and from there they’ll find the tracks re-start, as if lifted across miles. The impossibility of this will require a SAN roll, failures resulting in a 1d4 SAN loss.
Showdown
Once back on the trail of the calliope wagon, M.T. Pockets is easily reached by the posse. If asked about the treasure he’ll reply that he doesn’t have it with him and, if given the opportunity to speak, he’ll engage in a new line of patter:
Well folks, I suppose I can tell
It’s the end and it’s been swell
But I’ll play one more song
And we’ll get along
Or, if not, I’ll see you in hell!
Even as he’s finishing his rhyme, the calliope will begin to play and everyone will need to make a POW roll at Hard difficulty. If the investigators brought a way to plug their ears the difficult will be reduced to Normal. Those that fail the roll will change their alliance and defend M.T. Pockets, starting a showdown between the posse and the new defenders of the hypnotist.
Optional: Not The TUNNELS! + Showdown 2
If everyone fails their POW roll, things will go “fuzzy” for them and they’ll regain their awareness in the midst of the tunnels many had traversed a week ago. The tunnels of the Nirumbee—which will soon be caved in by the army. The investigators will need to escape. Depending on time left in the session, they may have to fight the evil dwarves once more. Once back on the trail of M.T. Pockets, the investigators will need to be a bit more cautions in their approach, perhaps disabling the calliope or Montague from a distance. If directly confronted again, M.T. Pockets will simply whistle a brief tune and he and his belongings will vanish. He will not be found in Ellis and the investigators will have lost.
A Diary of Madness and a Treasure Map
If defeated, the investigators will not find the town’s goods in the wagon/calliope trailer. The only items stored in the wagon are tools for the shadow play, simple traveling provisions, and two books. One book appears to be a songbook for calliope, but written in a strange language—if taken to be translated, there will be repercussions. The other book is the diary of Dr. Montague Earl Haverford.
The diary begins as a normal accounting of a musical scholar from Boston, Massachusetts who purchased a unique calliope and strange songbook at an auction. Montague details how he painstakingly translated the songbook and how, with each song, he felt transformed. Montague Earl Haverford was a shy, solitary man but with the songbook he was changing into M.T. Pockets, a showman with a strange desire to collect the wealth of others. Not to spend or even use it, simply to horde it away. The diary discloses that he could not go back to being who he used to be and how this alter-ego has destroyed his life. He is cursed to travel and use the calliope to gain the money of others, even though he never wanted to be a thief and finds the whole situation of a treasure he can’t spend a complete useless waste. But there is no way out of his misery. The songs trapped in his head won’t allow him to die.
Inside the diary is also a map of southeast Montana—Crow Territory—marked with an X. Presumably where M.T. Pockets secured his ill-gotten gatherings. If the players so decide, the next session will be facing the dangers of trespassing in order to gain the treasure; otherwise anything lost to the town will continue to stay gone.
Rewards and Retributions
Suggest earplugs: +1d6 Sanity Points
Destroying the Calliope: +1d10 Sanity Points
Learning the Secret of Dr. Montague Earl Haverford: +1d4 Sanity Points
Keeping the Calliope Intact or letting M.T. escape: -1d8 Sanity Points
Translating the Calliope songbook: -1d20 Sanity Points
Session Recap
We were down to three players for the second session (with the missing players planning to return next session). The investigators included Ellis Gentry, Red Dove, and Arlene Hunnell. With fewer players there was a little less interaction—something I count on to help pad the game time and the players took very expedient approaches to the problems, so the scenario took almost half the time allotted for play (more on that in my lessons learned).
A week has passed since the investigators contacted the army following their last adventure. Finally, a contingent of troops from Fort Ellis entered the town. Major Franklin Swanson questioned the trio to clarify and verify their story and ensure he had the correct location of these “cannibal dwarves.” The investigators weren’t entirely convincing or cohesive in their story, but they were believable enough that the Major decided to press forward with his investigation. Unfortunately, Red Dove had issues reading the map (due to a botched roll) and pointed the military to a southern mountain rather than the actual location of the tunnels. The military left, presumably to collapse tunnels in a mountain—just not the desired mountain.
With the military on their way, the investigators were able to settle back into their daily lives. Arlene had sent her story to the Montana Post but thought she might be able to make more money and notoriety if she could be published in some of the bigger papers on the East Coast. She was also becoming fascinated by the unusual and arcane; the conflict against the Nirumbee had opened her eyes to a larger world—one that had stories no one else was writing. Ellis Gentry had begun to settle in Virginia City, there was just enough action at the Anaconda Hotel and the J. F. Stoer Saloon that he could make a decent living gambling without worrying about casinos (where the house always wins, in the end). While the gambler would almost certainly leave the city eventually, for now it was a decent home. Finally, with no current scouting or guide work at hand, Red Dove helped muck the stables at Rhodes Horseshoes. While it was a smaller business, Julius Rhodes was not only more honorable than Angus Smith, he also only charged a pittance for small room above the stables.
All three investigators had plans for the evening. A traveler had come into town, an entertainer by the name of Montague Tobias Pockets had ridden in with his calliope on wheels and promised a musical shadow-play for one night only at the Music Box for only fifty cents. Not only was the price a bargain, the entire town took what new forms of entertainment it could get. In a cramped theater, the three were each able to find a seat, while half the town simply crowded outside the building to hear the calliope. Not that anyone really needed to be that close to hear the music. The calliope was loud enough to be heard at the edge of town. The dance of shadows and the bellowing, but haunting tune affected Arlene’s mind, though she didn’t realize it. (Both Ellis and Red Dove spent luck points to turn minor failures into successes.) M. T. Pockets began packing his wagon with the intent to leave around first light.
The reporter slept fitfully, the calliope’s melody cycling through her mind. Due to the poor sleep she didn’t have her wits about her during the day. She, like many others, took their sentimental, yet valuable, belongings to Boot Hill and returned to their day-to-day lives with no recollection of the unordinary behavior. Though Red Dove was unaffected by the spell, she was too focused on her work in the stable to notice the change in the townsfolk (another botched roll for the scout). Ellis, on the other hand, was aware of the abnormalities and around him and, at first, used it to profit in card games as folks simply “weren’t all there.” Upon noticing people taking their belongings northerly and not returning with them, he decided to investigate further and approached Arlene to see if her keen reporter’s eye had spotted anything strange. Arlene had not, but the mention of it and the realization of her missing silver inkwell and a music box broke her from the spell. Not sure if they would need a tracker’s aid, the two enlisted Red Dove’s support.
The followed Bob Perkins to Boot Hill where he dropped a necklace into what would have been an empty grave if it were not half full of people’s belongings. Arlene questioned the man while Ellis hopped into the grave to retrieve Bob’s property, Arlene’s inkwell, and pocket a few other items for himself. Bob was rightfully confused about why he was in the cemetery and why he would have dropped his necklace in the grave. But the spell was not broken for him. Though Bob was directed to inform Sheriff Gragg, he had forgotten the events by the time he had reached main street.
If all this treasure was being dropped off in a grave then it was likely that someone would be coming to collect. The trio gathered their heavier weapons—acquired after dealing with the strange dwarf creatures—and wait at the cemetery to catch the culprit. The grave was almost full by the time the sun was setting and it seemed the tune was finally out of everyone’s head. Deep into the night, the trio waited. It was around midnight when the figure of a man in a top hat appeared from the edges of the cemetery and began to put the belongings in a sack. The investigators attempted to confront the stranger only for him to vanish in a flash of light. Only Ellis was able to note through the glare that the figure seemed to collapse in on himself, vanishing into a pinprick. Arlene, though startled and blinded, pulled the trigger on her shotgun. Once their eyes had settled, they confirmed the reporter’s shot was successful. Blood was spattered on the snowy ground.
Waking Sheriff Gragg, the investigators informed him of the would-be thief and vowed to chase after him at dawn. Gragg deemed his deputy, Julius Rhodes, should go with them to represent the law and provide added firepower if needed. At dawn, the posse of four set off on the trail to Nevada City, following the deep tracks of M. T. Pocket’s calliope as they were almost positive the stranger was behind it all. To avoid any possible assignment of involvement with the thief Ellis returned the goods he pilfered from the grave back to the cemetery.
Well outside of town the wagon tracks simply stopped and vanished. Red Dove was able to ascertain that a man limped from the driver’s seat to the side of the calliope and also disappeared in his tracks. On the ground was a flyer for a show in Ellis, rather than the expected Nevada City. The four changed their direction and eventually found the tracks again. It was late and the calliope wagon seemed to be moving slowly. Rather than face potential problems in the dark, the posse made camp. With limited gear, they were grateful they had Red Dove’s experience and wisdom to provide shelter on the cold January night.
Unsure if M. T. Pockets might vanish again, the investigators decided to ambush the calliope and disable it immediately. Deputy Rhodes took off his badge and was to serve as a distraction, sparking a “friendly conversation” with Pockets. Red Dove was to then pull the entertainer from the wagon and subdue him while Arlene and Ellis would climb on the calliope and either disable it or at least hopefully go with it if it vanished away. Their plan worked without a hitch and in short order Arlene had shoved her shotgun between two of the calliope’s pipes and pulled the trigger while Red Dove wrestled the wounded M. T. Pockets. Though he claimed otherwise, it was obvious to the investigators that his injured leg came from the reporter’s new favorite toy at the Virginia City cemetery. Not taking any chances, Ellis had his gun pointed at Montague’s head.
When M. T. Pockets said his second rhyme, he wasn’t given a chance to enact the spell. A bullet from the gambler’s gun entered his head and the reporter blasted the calliope once more with her shotgun.
There were no treasures to be found in the wagon, just general supplies and two books. Arlene read the sad story of Dr. Montague Earl Haverford and his demise; though it had come bloodily, perhaps the man was now at peace. As for the songbook with strange writing: they burned it along with the calliope. From Montague’s depiction of his descent into madness, it was clear the book and the music machine were both too dangerous. Rather than burning “M. T. Pockets,” the four buried the body off the side of the road.
There was some debate about what to do with the treasure map found in the diary, but the mystery surrounding of Haverford’s demise and the promise of wealth proved too great for the three. Though the “X” was deep in Crow territory, it was decided they would seek an audience with the elders for safe passage and a promise of half the pilfered “white man” goods. Whether this plan would actually work would remain to be seen… next session
Lessons Learned
One of the reasons I write my own scenarios is I feel it makes it easier for me to adapt to changes. While I want players to take the hooks, I don’t want them to feel like they’re on rails or have successes and failures forced upon them by the adventure. I try to write with some situations in mind, but try to be ready for the unexpected. There were a a few situations and challenges that I had planned in my write-up that were avoided by the players and the session ended in about half the allotted time.
This was not a fault of the players, but I did notice that between this and my previous run I was not as descriptive as I could have been and I tended to rush things along. Unlike many of my Chicago groups, these players come to game and there’s few asides or idle chit-chat once the game gets going. I think I’d gotten used to planning and running sessions based on a quarter or more of allotted time being used for socialization. So, my main takeaway is to not be in a hurry to get to the next scene and to take the time to be descriptive and make sure players know where they are and what they’re dealing with. …It wasn’t until near the end of the session that I was asked about the size of a calliope or to explain what it was.
Sometimes players will find a loophole or the hook might not work for them. This can also cut a game short. While I will bring a board or card game so we can use the table for our full four hours, my main focus will be to write “mini-scenarios” or more “day in the life” elements for the players to enjoy if the main adventure ends early.
Overall, though, I was pleased with the way the session went and the players really liked what I had written. Hearing “you should publish this” is probably the best praise I can get as a GM.
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