Lucifer Airlines

I once ran a supernatural hunters game titled Unholy Preyer using the Fate Dresden Files RPG rules. Lucifer Airlines was a one-shot adventure idea I had that I never put to use. The adventure can work within any modern urban horror setting.

The adventure title comes the track Lucifer Airlines by Electric Six. While the Prince of Darkness is not actually involved with this adventure, the title was too good not to use.

While the player characters could be anything from Soldiers in In Nomine, World of Darkness characters, or Investigators in Call of Cthulhu; the adventure was written with characters in a Monster of the Week-type of game (Dresden Files, Buffy/Angel, Supernatural. With that in mind, player characters will often be referred to as “Hunters” in the write-up below.

Going Home Again

The Hunters need to get somewhere faster than a drive would take them. Perhaps a fellow hunter has called for aid or, if in high school, the hunters are taking a school-sanctioned class trip. To avoid suspicion about the trials the characters will soon face, the Lucifer Airlines adventure should be used as a “return flight.” Have the characters fly somewhere and enjoy RP on a relatively peaceful flight; have them deal with the annoyances of an airport. Ask how they might be traveling with their arsenal or magical goods. Include a lot of role-play opportunities in the airport and flight, but keep any tension to the mundane. While light, this could be an entire session in and of itself. Then, run an adventure (or more) in the new location. When the time comes for the Hunters to make a return flight, make things seem innocuous, as if they were going to have another “breather” session aboard a plane, but to make things feel somewhat different have the characters deal with the frustration of potential flight delays due to a thunderstorm. Also, did the hunters pick up any “souvenirs” that may cause difficulty going through security or in transit?

Background

Unbeknownst to the Hunters when it’s time to board the flight, this particular airplane is haunted. Years ago a former captain, Frank Glenn, was murdered by his co-pilot, Arnold Pickens. Frank had been sleeping with his co-pilot’s wife and the distraught Arnold couldn’t take it any more. Frank Glenn died at 37,000 feet in the air, with no passenger the wiser until the landing. Arnold Pickens was arrested and is currently in prison. The spirit of Frank Glenn, however, stayed aboard the plane. Sometimes the plane experiences sudden “blips” of power outages or unexpected turbulence in clear skies. Maintenance has never found any mechanical or electrical issues with the plane and have always deemed the airplane sky worthy after any inspections. The ghost of Frank Glenn has become angrier and angrier, trapped in the vessel and wanting nothing more than to gain control of his prison and use it to kill his murderer. It’s taken a while to build up the skill and power, but tonight—the night the Hunters happen to be aboard the flight—is his night.

Terror in the Sky

The Hunters and fellow passengers will be made aware that they’ll be flying through a thunderstorm and to expect some turbulence. The plane will be heading above the clouds and things should settle after that. The bumpy ride and thunderstorm will obscure the presence of Frank’s spirit as it inhabits the plane. In the midst of the turbulence the current captain, Charles Milner, will announce that they’re experiencing some minor technical difficulties and they may have to land the plane. Keen students of psychology might note a buried panic in his voice.

A strange chill will sweep through the cabins of the plane, cold enough to see one’s breath. But this last for only a moment. This is the ghost of Frank Glenn possessing the aircraft and wresting control from the crew. After this happens the interior will begin to rattle and the plane will make a sudden turn. Some overhead storage compartments may open, spilling carry-ons and coats onto the floor. Some passengers may become panicky and even flight attendants will be struggling to contain their calm and calm other passengers. The captain will be too busy attempting to regain command of the vessel to make any announcements.

Given the cold spell and any other indicators, the Hunters may be able to determine that the cause is a ghost. But of whom, and why? The purser (head of the cabin crew), Bethany Arvale, will know the story of Frank Glenn, but is busy dealing with keeping the passengers calm and in their seats. This includes the Hunters. WiFi is also available on the flight and does work, though the service reception is spotty due to the electrical storm outside and supernatural presence inside.

Against the Clock

The player characters will likely guess that time is limited. If they manage to discover Frank’s history and obtain current flight path information, they may be able to deduce that the airplane’s destination is the prison that holds Arnold Pickens. Based on the speed of the plane the flight will nosedive into the prison three hours from the point it was possessed.

The Hunters will need to exorcise the plane and rid it of Frank’s spirit. This will have to happen in the cockpit and, at the very least, will require salt and fire. This means convincing the crew of their experience and abilities. The Hunters may also utilize any of their own tools; but this could require an expedition into the cargo hold and a search through luggage during an extremely bumpy ride.

In Case of Failure

Not solving the mystery or ridding the plane of Frank Glenn’s ghost should not end the campaign. Crew will direct the Hunters and other passengers into crash positions at the back of the plane. There will be deaths of crew, passengers, and in the prison as well as injuries, but all PCs should be allowed to survive.

Bonus Monsters

If the Hunters had any sorts of supernatural prisons on board the plane, the turbulence or the spirit of Frank Glenn may have released them. This could mean dealing with other threats while defeating the ghost of Frank or it could lead to future scenarios, recapturing dangerous entities that were released in the chaos.