Notes

Credits
Written by: Sean Gore
Creative Director: Jeff Combos
Lead Developer: M. Sechin Tower
Lead Editor: Gary Thompson
Editor: M. Sechin Tower
Art Director: Jeff Combos
Graphics and Layout: Ginormous Industries, LLC.
Interior Art: Will Nichols
Playtesters: Bob Bretz, Tom Cadorette, Maureen
Carruthers, Mario Dongu, Melissa Goad, Daniel Jones,
Jody Kline, Robert J. “Joe” Lawrence, Andrew McGrady,
Rebekah McGrady, J. Simmons, Luke Woodke
Acknowledgement: Thanks go to Sean Gore, whose
energy and creativity moves with the unstoppable force of
the Amazon river. And to Jeff “Freakin’” Combos, who
took a chance on an unknown kid from the mean streets of
Everett. And to Katie “Daredevil Pilot” Tower, who often
had to rescue her husband from the Hollow Earth. And a
special thanks to all the gamers who have been so eager for
this scenario and so patient with us along the way. Without
you, too many Nazis would go un-eaten by dinosaurs.
©2010 Exile Game Studio, LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction without the written permission of
the publisher is expressly forbidden, except for the purposes of reviews, and for blank character sheets, which
may be reproduced for personal use only. Exile Game Studio, Mysteries of the Hollow Earth, Secrets of the
Surface World, Hollow Earth Expedition, Ubiquity Roleplaying System and logos are trademarks of Exile
Game Studio, LLC. All rights reserved. All characters, names, places, and distinctive likenesses thereof are
trademarks of Exile Game Studio, LLC. All characters, names, places, and text herein are copyrighted by
Exile Game Studio, LLC.
The mention of or reference to any company or product in these pages is not a challenge to the trademark
or copyright concerned. This product is a work of fiction. Any similarity to actual people, organizations, places,
or events is purely coincidental. This book contains mature content. Reader discretion is advised.
6
Explorer: Finding the legendary lost city of Paititi,
not to mention filling in yet another blank spot on the
map, would be a powerful call for any explorer
Missionary: Given the organizations at work within
the story and the nature of Paititi’s secrets and treasures,
those of the Faith will have driving goals and strong
cause to participate
Moneyman: Expeditions into the deep Amazon
are expensive, and sometimes the person footing the
bill will want to come along to ensure that they get an
appropriate return on their investment
Reporter: Artists of nearly any medium would have
a difficult time resisting the urge to involve themselves
in the expedition, either to record events for posterity, or
in a private search for muse and motivation
No Explorers Club?
For the purposes of this scenario, the Explorers
Club serves as patron and provider to the characters.
If desired, however, it is entirely possible to run this
scenario without the involvement of the Explorers Club.
The characters may come into direct possession of the
journal, perhaps mailed to them by a missing relative,
handed off by a mysterious contact, or discovered in
the course of another adventure. The Gamemaster will
need to alter several details, including transportation
and acquisition of gear, but this can allow the characters
to seek Paititi of their own initiative.
Motivations
The quest to uncover the lost city of Paititi is an
exciting story of exploration and discovery, peppered
with action, mystery, betrayal, and a great secret. The
following motivations are recommended for this scenario:
Faith: Personal beliefs can provide cause to endure
the dangerous unknown, band together against insurmountable
odds, and deal with unknown peoples
Greed: The opportunity for wealth, power, and
influence to be gained from the discovery of Paititi is a
powerful enticement for many people
Truth: Determining the veracity of the claims and
the extent of the involvement of the Church could draw
any adventurous truth-seeker into the dark rainforests
of the Amazon
Hook
As members of the Explorers Club (or hired freelancers),
the players have been contacted by none other than
the Club’s president, Walter Granger, with an important
assignment: they are to decipher and follow up on the
Higgins Journal, a thin, leather-wrapped diary purported
to recount Dr. Coleridge’s 1931 expedition, which uncovered
the location of Paititi deep in the Amazon. According
to Mr. Granger, Paititi (see Secrets of the Surface World,
p. 74) is the legendary Q’ero city rumored to have chambers
filled with gold, silver, and jewels. The Q’ero are said
to be the last Incas, believed to possess a secret formula
for maintaining youth and vigor, which helped them to be
the only people who successfully resisted the conquistador
incursions of the seventeenth century.
Unfortunately, the journal is written in code, and it
is likely impossible to crack it without the key word and
the shift, which are likely known only to the author. The
characters will need to interview Alfred Higgins, the
journal’s author and only surviving member of the expedition,
who now resides in the Praia da Suadade asylum
in Rio de Janeiro.
Rio de Janeiro
A bored receptionist tells you that Alfred Higgins’s
room is located on the second floor of the squalid,
decaying asylum. As you approach the door, you hear
the muffled sounds of a struggle followed by a sharp
cry. Trying the door, you find that it is jammed from
the inside.
Breaking Down the Door
(Standard action)
The door to Higgins’ room is made of sturdy wood,
and partially blocked from the inside. The characters
will have to break it down in order to enter the room.
Roll:
• Choose one: Brawl, Firearms, or Melee
Wooden Door
Defense: 4 Structure: 4*
*The door will splinter and the lock will break when
its Structure reaches zero. The way will not be clear until
its Structure reaches -5, however, although an Acrobatics:
Contortion check (TN:4) will allow a character to
squeeze through once the lock is broken.
(Read aloud...)
7
Higgins’s Room
As you step inside, you see Higgins crumpled in
the center of the floor, a pool of blood slowly collecting
beneath his head. You catch a fleeting glimpse of
a man wearing a charcoal-colored suit and red tie
before he disappears out the open window. Rushing
over to it, you see the man propel himself over the
low wall surrounding the hospital and onto the busy
streets of Rio de Janeiro. The assassin has a head
start, but he is heading into congested traffic, which
may give you a chance to catch him.
Higgins is dying, mortally wounded by a blow to the
back of his head. If the players try to save him, he will
swim back to consciousness long enough to whisper “Shift
of three, Risen is key,” before expiring. If the players abandon
him to chase the assassin, they will return to find that
he used his own blood to write this final message before
he died. No matter what they the players decide to do,
they will get what they need to decipher the journal.
Chasing the Assassin
Chasing the assassin should be exciting and dynamic,
so do not allow the challenges to become a simple series
of die rolls. Feel free to embellish and tailor any and all
of the challenge descriptions to better suit your group. If
a player proposes an intriguing and creative solution to a
challenge, grant him a bonus to his roll.
Assassin
Ally 2
Primary Attributes
Body: 2 Charisma: 2
Dexterity: 3 Intelligence: 2
Strength: 2 Willpower: 3
Secondary Attributes
Size: 0 Initiative: 5
Move: 6 Defense: 6
Perception: 5 Stun: 2
Health: 4
Skills Rating (Average)
Academics (Religion) 6 (3)
Athletics 6 (3)
Brawl 4 (2)
Larceny 4 (2)
Melee 4 (2)
Stealth 6 (3)
Streetwise 4 (2)
Talents
Focused Defense
Resources
Rank 1 (Ordo Umbra)
Flaw
Fanatical
Weapons Attack
Truncheon 6 N
Punch 4 N
How Far Away Are We?
Maps and measured movement can give an accurate
sense of distance between the explorers and the assassin,
but this can sometimes be cumbersome and slow
the action down. If you wish, you may instead track distance
using tokens such as pennies, beads, or anything
else that is small and easily counted.
If you decide to track distance this way, give every
player ten tokens. Each token represents five feet
between that player’s character and the assassin. For
each roll called out within the text below, for each successes
above 3 (the assassin’s average Athletics roll),
the player may remove one token from their pool, representing
the character closing in on the assassin. Likewise,
if the player rolls fewer than 3 successes, they
must add one token to their pool equal to the number of
successes they missed by. The addition or subtraction of
tokens is in addition to any additional effects described
for a given roll. For example, if a player scores 5 successes
on her “Into the Crowd!” roll, she removes two
tokens and receives a +2 to her next chase roll.
All characters are assumed to be at a full run during
this chase. If any character slows down to perform
an action (such as firing a gun), add six tokens to that
character’s pool (equivalent to the assassin’s Move rating)
before that action is completed.
If at any point every player has twenty or more
tokens, the assassin has given them all the slip. Proceed
to the next scene: Amazonia.
Into the Crowd!
(Standard action)
Roll:
• Choose one: Acrobatics, Athletics, Intimidation,
or Streetwise
• +2 bonus for having either Run or Swift Talent
0 Successes: The assassin escapes, losing you in the
crowd (Move on to the Legwork scene if all players fail
this roll)
1-2 Successes: The assassin is slipping away through the
crowd (-2 penalty on the next chase roll)
3 Successes: The assassin ducks and dodges through the
crowd, but you manage to keep up
4 or more successes: Unable to shake you, the assassin is
losing ground (+2 bonus on the character’s next chase roll)
(Read aloud...)
8
The assassin dashes through a crowded apartment
building and out the back door into an alleyway.
Finding the one end of the alleyway blockaded by a
black car and two men in brown suits, and the other a
dead end, he kicks in the door of the building opposite
the apartment and runs up the stairs to the roof.
Rooftop Run!
(Standard action)
Roll:
• Choose one: Acrobatics or Athletics
• +2 bonus for having either Run or Swift Talent
0 Successes: The assassin takes a tremendous leap down
from the roof and is out of sight by the time you get
there (Move on to the Legwork scene if all players fail
this roll)
1-2 Successes: The assassin bounds recklessly across the
rooftop, adding to his lead (-2 penalty on the next roll
in the challenge)
3 Successes: Despite the obstacles and break-neck pace,
you keep up with the assassin
4 or more successes: You speed across the rooftop, gaining
ground on your quarry (+2 bonus on the next roll in
the challenge)
As you reach the fire escape, you notice the black
car from the alleyway driving along the street below,
keeping pace with the assassin.
Fire Escape!
(Standard action)
Roll:
• Choose one: Acrobatics or Athletics
• +2 bonus for having either Run or Swift Talent.
0 Successes: The assassin scurries down the fire escape
and disappears into the maze of streets below. (Move on
to the Legwork scene if all players fail this roll)
1-3 Successes: The assassin scurries down the fire
escape, with you in hot pursuit
4 or more successes: As above, except with a +2 Initiative
bonus in the next scene
As the assassin drops to the ground, the black car
pulls to the end of the alleyway and blocks the last
hope for escape. Two goons in brown suits step out
of the car, shoulder-stocked Mauser broomhandles
already spitting a torrent of lead. The surprised assassin
crumples to the ground, bleeding and unmoving.
The blond, blue-eyed men then turn towards you and
one of them shouts “Tötet si alle!”*
*Characters who speak German can translate this
as “Kill them all!”
(Read aloud...)
(Read aloud...)
(Read aloud...)
9
Nazi Goons
There are two Nazi goons on foot and two more in
the car. They are plainclothes agents under the command
of Stellenleiter Wolfram (a Thule sorcerer the
players will encounter later in this scenario). They are
under orders to retrieve the journal and kill anyone associated
with this incident.
Plainclothes Nazi Goons
Ally 1
Primary Attributes
Body: 2 Charisma: 2
Dexterity: 2 Intelligence: 2
Strength: 2 Willpower: 2
Secondary Attributes
Size: 0 Initiative: 4
Move: 4 Defense: 4
Perception: 4 Stun: 2
Health: 4
Skills Rating (Average)
Athletics 4 (2)
Brawl 4 (2)
Drive 4 (2)
Firearms 4 (2)
Intimidation 4 (2)
Talents
Strafe
Flaw
Intolerant
Weapons Attack
Mauser M712 Rapid Fire 10 L (Strafe)
Punch 4N
Strategy: Each round, one of the Nazi goons will
strafe the player characters with autofire while the other
reloads (see Hollow Earth Expedition, p.118). If they
defeat the explorers, they will rummage quickly for the
journal and then jump into their black DeSoto Custom
Six Airstream (Secrets of the Surface World, p. 22) and
speed off. If the two goons on foot look like they are
about to be defeated, the black car races away.
Legwork
The assassin, riddled with bullets, will be dead by
the time the expedition members get to him. He has
no form of personal identification and the only possessions
he carries are a set of lock-picks, a truncheon, and
a rosewood rosary. Similarly, the Nazis carry no form of
identification, but their expensive Mauser M712 Rapid
Fire pistols are stamped with a swastika on the grip,
which will likely provide the only clue players need.
He’s Alive!
If the characters manage to catch up to and apprehend
the assassin before the Nazis do, he will speak
only in Latin and will only reveal that his name is
Brother Joshua Moretti. Brother Moretti is a fanatic
who will not respond to most threats because he values
his mission above his own life. However, if the
players devise extraordinary means to draw information
out of him (such as tricking him into thinking
they are here to help his cause or by making him fear
for his immortal soul), he will reveal that he is a member
of Ordo Umbra (see Secrets of the Surface World,
p. 61) sent here to assassinate Higgins in order to prevent
anyone from finding Paititi. As for the location
of lost city or why his superiors would be willing to
kill to keep this secret, he does not know—it is not his
place to ask such questions. He assumes Paititi and
Higgins (and likewise the player characters) are part
of some nefarious organization bent on using Paititi
to undermine the Church. If Father Creus’s name is
mentioned he will curse the man as a “blasphemer
and traitor” for his refusal to destroy the “heretical
demon-worshippers who live in the damned city.”
Shortly after the firefight, the local police will arrive
wanting to take all the participants in for questioning.
Unless the characters were extremely reckless during
their pursuit (such as by firing at the assassin as he ran
through the crowded streets) they will have little trouble
clearing their names. However, characters wishing
to retain evidence will either need to flee with it from
the scene now or find a way to retrieve it later.
Where Do We Go From Here?
This scene foreshadows upcoming events and
allows the characters to investigate the back-story.
If your players are more interested in getting down
to the action, you can simply have Walter Granger,
president of the Explorers Club, send instructions to
get the journal translated and then proceed to Father
Creus’s mission (and skip to the Amazonia scene). By
doing so, your players may lose the opportunity to
make a few discoveries on their own, but this might
be acceptable for a group which is less motivated to
run down leads or follow up with informants.
Now that the players have the shift and key to the
journal, it requires only time to decipher the code. If
none of the characters have the Skills required, or if
they simply wish to be free for other pursuits, they may
send word to the Explorers’ Club to find a local expert
who will decode it in approximately 24 hours.
10
Deciphering Higgins’ Journal
(Extended action; 1 hour per roll; Requires the code’s
shift and key)
Roll:
• Choose one: Linguistics (Deciphering) or Investigation
(Enigmas)
10 successes required: The journal details an expedition
of four explorers (including Higgins and Dr. Joseph
Coleridge) and eight porters who traveled from Manaus
deep into the Amazon. While the journal lacks sketches
or maps, its descriptions name specific tribes and local
landmarks, including an apparent burial chamber called
the “Soldier’s Tomb.” This tomb provided a map to the city
on the underside of one of the sarcophagus lids. Higgins
concludes: “Find the Soldier’s Tomb and you find Paititi.”
General Investigation
(Standard action; 1 hour per roll)
While the journal is being deciphered, other characters
may wish to spend some time doing legwork concerning
the Nazis, Paititi, or the Ordo Umbra.
Roll:
• Choose one: Intimidation, Investigation, or
Streetwise (Rumors)
Nazis: There is a lot of information to dig up on the
Nazis—they’ve left a trail all over Rio. What information
the players turn up depends on how well they roll
and where they are looking.
• Dockworkers (Difficulty 2): The German expedition
arrived by sea two weeks ago. They had crates
of military-grade equipment and weapons, along with
several large vehicles which were kept concealed until
their entire expedition vanished under cover of night one
week ago. The longshoremen who worked for them were
bullied into silence, but one of the younger men believes
that keeping silent on behalf of Nazis runs counter to his
Christian beliefs. He reveals that the Germans had two
airplanes and an experimental zeppelin, which is able to
be inflated from their ship.
• Merchants (Difficulty 3): The Germans are led by
a man named Stellenleiter Wolfram, who spent sizeable
amounts of money to purchase large quantities of
diesel fuel as well as enough food to feed a platoon for
months. He also purchased an ostentatious gold crucifix
and had it sent to the San Xavier mission, but the head
priest there, Father Creus, refused the gift and sent it
back unopened. With a little coercion, one shady-looking
pawnbroker reveals that Wolfram made several inquiries
on the black market about occult books and religious
artifacts, and he purchased several small satanic idols and
other materials for use in necromantic rituals.
• Foreigners (Difficulty 4): The foreign visitors and
expatriates found in the city know that Stellenleiter Wolfram
made numerous queries about a man named Brother
Moretti, whom Wolfram believed to be in possession of
a journal written by Alfred Higgins. In fact, Wolfram
was mistaken—Brother Moretti, the assassin who killed
Higgins, never possessed the journal. He simply had
copies of some of the pages from the Vatican library. A
drunken professor of history here on sabbatical will loosen
his tongue enough to say that European knights supposedly
fought alongside the Q’ero to defend Paititi. If true,
the identity of these knights is a mystery, but the conflict
might have stemmed from a conflict between factions
within the Church.
Ordo Umbra (Difficulty 4): Brother Moretti is the
only operative in the area. Few of Rio’s priests even
know of the existence of the order and none know any
specifics.
Q’ero/Paititi (Difficulty 3): The Q’ero were the
only group to evade destruction at the hands of the
Conquistadores during the sixteenth century, and some
believe this was because they received divine intervention
in their defense. Some even say that the residents
of Paititi can still perform miracles, while others say it
is demon worship, and still others dismiss the topic as
unfounded rumors and superstition.
Amazonia
If the characters do not seek out Father Creus on
their own, they will receive a telegram from Walter
Granger, the president of the Explorers Club. The wire
simply states:
Fly to Belém. Stop. Take boat to Manaus. Stop. Meet
Creus at San Xavier mission. Stop. All expenses paid. Stop.
Good luck. Stop. Granger.
Should characters investigate Creus before departing,
they may discover some useful information.
Roll:
• Choose one: Intimidation, Investigation, or
Streetwise (Rumors)
11
Father Creus (Difficulty 3): The Germans sought
out the services of one Father Creus of the San Xavier
mission. Creus, a former jungle missionary who knows
the Amazon as well as any man alive, flatly refused
their offer. This is not surprising given that all the clergymen
in this predominantly-Catholic nation despise
the Nazis, and Father Creus is no exception. It is also
rumored that Father Creus had, in his youth, sought out
Paititi and gotten at least as far as the waypoint known
as the “Soldier’s Tomb.”
Going Upriver
Your first stop, Belém, is a modern city along the
Amazonian estuary, with tree-lined streets, plazas,
and the massive, Gothic cathedral Igreja da Sé
gleaming white in the sun. Your stay is very short,
though, lasting only long enough to charter a tiny
boat further upriver to Manaus, a small, thriving
port town. From there, you arrange for a quick boat
ride to the San Xavier mission. On the way, a warm,
heavy rainstorm darkens the sky and swells the river.
Strange, ghostly shapes seem to float like smoke
behind and beside your boat, but always just on the
edge of view and screened by the precipitation.
Your rainy boat ride ends at San Xavier’s plain
wooden dock, where you are met by Father Creus,
who is thronged by the mission’s native occupants.
Creus is a healthy, robust man in his mid-fifties with
friendly brown eyes and short dark hair peppered
with gray. He wears a black cassock and clerical
collar, and smiles warmly. While several native
porters take your gear to your rooms, Father Creus
escorts you out of the rain and into the mission’s
main building.
Selecting a Victim
In this scene, one of the characters will be temporarily
possessed by a demon and forced to attack the
other player characters. The Gamemaster could randomly
select the victim or chose the character with
the lowest Willpower rating. However, many players
will not enjoy being forced into this role. Instead, the
Gamemaster should carefully consider which player
might be most willing to allow his or her character
to be possessed. If possible, privately speak to the
player ahead of time, and offer Style points as a compensation
for the inconvenience.
With a willing accomplice, the Gamemaster can set
up the possession with a symbolically-baited hook from
Stellenleiter Wolfram. Have one of the porters, Celito,
approach the victim and hand him a bowl of succulent
fruit, stating it is “a gift to ward off yellow fever.” As the
character eats the fruit, all seems normal, but after the
demon worm attacks, the remnants fall from the character’s
hand, turn black, and writhe with maggots. If
questioned later, Celito will admit that he traded with
outsiders for the fruit—men with swastikas on their
clothing.
Demon Worm
Upon entering the mission, Father Creus takes you
through a small vestibule lined with candles. When
your party passes through the room, the candles
flicker as if under a great wind, then extinguish. The
possessed character (see the “Selecting a Victim”
sidebar) spasms and coughs forth a sulfurous cloud.
In a snarling, otherworldly voice definitely not his
own, he says: “Death! Death to you all! Wolfram’s
eye is upon you!” Upon seeing the possessed character,
Father Creus orders the player characters to
stand back while he exorcises the evil spirit.
(Read aloud...)
(Read aloud...)
12
Father Creus
Mentor 3
Primary Attributes
Body: 3 Charisma: 5
Dexterity: 2 Intelligence: 3
Strength: 3 Willpower: 5
Secondary Attributes
Size: 0 Initiative: 5
Move: 5 Defense: 5
Perception: 8 Stun: 3
Health: 8
Skills Rating (Average)
Academics (Religion) 8 (4)
Athletics 4 (2)
Brawl 4 (2)
Con 8 (4)
Diplomacy 8 (4)
Focus 8 (4)
Linguistics 6 (3)
Melee 4 (2)
Stealth 4 (2)
Survival 6 (3)
Talents
True Faith
Resources
Rank 3 (Ordo Spectare)
Flaw
Fanatical
Weapons Attack
Punch 4 N
Strategy: Father Creus needs three turns to exorcise
the demon worm. The possessed character will attack as
soon as Creus begins his prayer, using bare fists or blunt
weapons to attack him (or anyone that gets in the way).
The characters may defend Creus by putting themselves
in harm’s way or attacking their fellow explorer. Any
character possessed by the demon worm is immune to
non-lethal damage, however.
When the exorcism is complete, the possessed character’s
body is wracked with spasms before collapsing
as an ethereal, worm-like thing wriggles out of the victim,
coalescing from vaporous tendrils that leak from
the mouth, nose, ears, and eyes of the character in a
stinking, oily smoke. The worm is about three feet in
length, with one end like a leech’s mouth, but with its
entire hollow body seems lined with razor-sharp teeth.
Exposed, it squirms and writhes as Father Creus shouts
for someone to douse it in holy water.
The basin of holy water is nearby, and dousing the
creature requires an Athletics Skill (Difficulty 3). When
this is done, with a hideous screech, the demon worm
evaporates back into the putrid smoke from which it
formed. If the attack fails, the infernal creature will try to
possess the closest character (see Demon Worm, p. 11 ).
If successful, the battle is repeated as above. If the demon
cannot attach itself to a new host within three turns, it is
forced to discorporate and return to the netherworld.
Father Creus tells you that the vile creature is
known as a “demon worm,”—a malevolent spirit
summoned only by the most depraved sorcerers. In
hushed, conspiratorial tones, he whispers that he
believes the leader of the Nazi expedition, who is
also after the journal, is just such a necromancer.
Helping Hands
Following the horrific encounter with the demon
worm, Creus leads you into the dry warmth of the
mission. An amiable man, he informs you that your
equipment has arrived and assures you it will be
loaded onto the boat as per the instructions from
the Club. Until then, Creus and the others at San
Xavier will provide you with food and shelter,
although the available accommodations are crude
to say the least.
Supply Drop
The successful completion of this expedition is of
high importance to the Explorer’s Club. No expense
has been spared to get necessary supplies delivered
to San Xavier. Characters with special needs (fuel,
ammunition, lab equipment, etc.) will be accommodated
within reason.
Basic equipment:
• Backpacks with Acme “Thunderer” whistle, Army
housewife, binoculars, blanket (survival), candles
(12), canteen, compass, flare (2), flashlight (batteries
included), first aid kit, hygiene kit, matchbox
(waterproof; holds 12 matches), mess kit, mosquito
netting, rain slicker, field rations (4 days), rope (50
feet), 50-page journal, 3 pencils, Eastman Kodak Baby
Brownie camera (8 shots), and explorer’s outfits (2) —
29 lbs. total weight
• Barrel, clean water (10 barrels; 40 gallons each)
• Bathtub, folding
• Box of batteries (40 spare batteries; for flas
lights and lanterns)
• Box of paper (200 sheets)
(Read aloud...)
(Read aloud...)
13
Along with speaking several of the local languages,
Father Creus is familiar with the territories
and customs of the neighboring tribes—including
those which kill strangers for encroaching on their
lands. He offers you his services as a guide under
the condition that you do everything in your power
to prevent the Nazis from reaching their goal. Additionally,
he insists that no other guide has the skill
and experience necessary to connect the landmarks
that are only obliquely mentioned in Higgins’s journal
and it is unlikely that you will find the Soldier’s Tomb
without his help.
Father Creus’s Secret
Father Creus is attempting to navigate a complicated
situation. As a member of the Ordo Spectare, he
is charged with maintaining Paititi’s secret. He was
assigned to San Xavier due to its proximity, granting
him the greatest amount of oversight and control.
Despite the sinister qualities this implies, Creus is a
kind and gentle man who truly believes in keeping
the peace. He will protect the secrets of Paititi at any
cost, including inflicting harm or death, but he will
not do so eagerly. For the moment, he plays the congenial
host, providing for whatever is needed. If he
can steer the expedition wrong at the outset, though,
more desperate acts may be avoided later.
Abatt oir on the
Amazon
The following morning, the native porters load
your gear and provisions onto San Xavier’s riverboat,
the Santiago. It takes several hours to get
everything secured and stowed, but before noon the
vessel is ready for a multi-week trek up the Amazon.
Yesterday’s rain is long gone, the morning mist has
evaporated, and the heat of the day is building as
you depart from San Xavier, leaving the last vestige
of civilization behind.
• Camp stove, folding
• Cot, portable
• Crate of field rations (30 days)
• Crate of rope (500’)
• Crate of tools (2 each of the following: bolt cutters,
crowbar, pickaxe, and shovel)
• Lanterns, battery-powered (3)
• Tent, 2-person (4)
• Typewriters (2)
• U.S. Medical Kit
Weapons and ammunition:
• Box of Mills No. 36 hand grenades (4)
• Browning Automatic Rifle M1918 with sling,
Lyman 3 stag-hunting scope, and 5 magazines of
.30-06 ammunition
• Smith & Wesson 1917 Army Model revolver with
holster, and 12 speed loaders of .38 ammunition
• Winchester Model 1912 12-gauge pump shotgun
with bandolier sling (holds up to 18 shells), and
a box of 50 shells
Questioning Creus
In addition to being a missionary on the fringes of civilization,
Father Creus is an anthropologist and historian.
If asked, he will happily relate some of his knowledge
concerning the Q’ero and the lost city of Paititi. What he
relates is textbook material that any other anthropologist
or historian among the expedition might know, although
his points are tainted by his own opinions.
Nazis: Father Creus confirms that Stellenleiter Wolfram,
the leader of the Nazi expedition, tried to recruit
the priest but he flatly refused, claiming that he could
sense the necromancer’s “corrupt, black soul.” Creus is
adamant that “whatever the Nazis are after, they must
be stopped.”
Ordo Umbra: If the Ordo Umbra or Brother Joshua
Moretti’s name is mentioned, Father Creus will shake
his head sadly and say that “some poor sinners go to
extremes to do what they think is right at great peril to
their immortal soul.”
Q’ero/Paititi: The Q’ero claim to be the last descendents
of the Inca. They practice a religion that combines
Christianity and shamanism and tell tales of their
ancestors protecting themselves from Spanish conquistadors.
Most of the Q’ero live in Peru, but it is rumored
that their legendary lost city of Paititi survives, hidden
within the Amazon and the Andes. Father Creus ends
by saying that “the Q’ero are a fascinating people, but
Paititi is nothing more than legend.”
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small puncture holes riddling its frail, thin body. Additionally,
its tail and one of its forelimbs droop near the
water, but they have been gnawed clean away from its
body. The loss of its foot is no mystery, as anyone glancing
into the water will see the darting shapes of hundreds
of piranhas that are eager to finish consuming the
jaguar or any other piece of meat they can get. Clearly,
the unfortunate jaguar was attacked by a swarm of
giant mosquitoes. Claw marks on the log indicate that
it backed out onto the limb to get away, but found itself
unable to escape into the river due to the piranhas.
Trapped, the poor creature died there, its still-warm
blood drained by vicious native insects.
The Santiago presses on, leaving the dead jaguar
behind, but picks up a school of piranhas that keeps
pace with the boat. A few minutes later a low buzzing
can be heard over the sound of the boat’s engine.
Before anyone has a chance to react, a swarm of huge,
blood-sucking insects explodes from the jungle canopy
all around you, filling the air with a cacophony of
buzzing so loud that it drowns out all other sound.
Note: This is an excellent spot for a cliffhanger ending if
you’re looking for a convenient spot to break up the adventure.
The Deadly Swarm
You are in deadly peril! Bloodthirsty, giant mosquitoes
descend on you from above, while flesheating
piranhas await you below, and the rainswollen
river offers no bank to secure the boat. To
make matters worse, the native guides panic at the
situation, creating even more havoc.
Santiago
The Santiago is the flat-bottom river barge owned
by San Xavier mission. It is forty feet long, thirty feet
wide, and despite its flaking paint and spots of rust, it
is very serviceable. A small wheelhouse consisting of
an eight-foot-square, corrugated metal shed with an
entrance cut out of the metal stands towards the aft of
the vessel. A large, boxy engine assembly is located
behind that, driving the blades of the propellers that
churn just beneath the water’s surface to push Santiago
along at up to 10mph. Four canoes “wall-in” the
barge, while a series of three-foot-tall poles line the
perimeter of the boat. There is no immediate shelter,
although there are tarps that can be stretched from
the wheelhouse and attached to the poles or canoes,
creating a makeshift, if very cramped, tent.
Vehicle Size Def Strc Spd Han Crow Pass
Mantis Style 4 4 14 10 -2 1 9
Life aboard Santiago is relatively easy, and the
first two days pass without incident. Father Creus,
the native guides, and any of you that express and
interest take turns piloting according to the crude
directions listed in Higgen’s journal, but only those
with any skill will be given time at the wheel without
supervision. On the second day, the lumbering shape
of a zeppelin is seen above the forest canopy, but it is
too far ahead to interact with and you soon lose sight
of it as the Santiago follows a bend in the river.
The Jaguar’s Remains
Midway through the third day on the Amazon,
after a steamy morning rain, you encounter a gruesome
sight. A thin log bobs low in the river, and
draped across it is the dull yellow-and-black spotted
corpse of a jaguar. The sight spooks several of
the native guides, although Creus silences any panic
before it rises.
If the characters choose to examine the remains
more closely, they may deduce more information.
Roll:
• Choose one: Investigation or Medicine
Jaguar Corpse (Difficulty 3): The animal died recently
but seems desiccated and bloodless, with numerous
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