Company of Wolves

“And even the light died in the black pools that were its eyes… You can’t run, you can’t hide… it’s going to get you.”

Introduction

“Company of Wolves” allows the players to experiment playing with unaware Immortals. If the Chronicler is feeling daring, he might even have the players build the Cast Members without telling them what kind of game and creatures they will be playing and let them discover by themselves, step by step.

Running Company of Wolves

Cast Members: This is a short introductory adventure meant for a Cast of 2-4 players, all Himsati Immortals, who are still unaware of their true nature.

Location: The adventure can occur in any city in the world, independent of size, since there are no particular requirements for it.

Time: The adventure takes spreads over four days (starting on a Monday, preferably) beginning with the dreaming character’s awakening to the final confrontation with Lord Blind.

Setting: All the characters work (be it part-time or full-time) in an office, which is actually a front for a covert intelligence centre set up by the Court of Secrets. The office will be attacked by the Progeny, who are seeking a data disk that contains damaging information about their activities in the city. Most of the victims were loyal mortal servants of the Court of Secrets, who died rather than reveal the location of the disk. In fact, it was removed just prior to the attack.

It was Brinane, a Guardian of the Court of the Secrets who carried the disk away, by shifting into her wolf Himsati form as the Progeny attacked. She was run down by one of the dark Immortals, in his rottweiller form: Lord Blind.

 The Starting premise is that the characters don’t realize they are immortals many thousands of years old. They are living normal lives as humans without a clue that they possess supernatural powers or that they are refugees from an ancient society that predates the dawn of human civilization. As the story progresses, they will learn that there is something very unusual about themselves.

Scenes

The Dream

Choose one of the Cast Members and describe him the dream he is having: in a dark wood, is being stalked by something dark and menacing, The Cast Member also feels that something is wrong with himself, as, as he runs, he is doing it close to the ground, as if he was an animal himself. In a clearing, he turns and sees a dark, black creature spring over a rock and onto him. The beast’s features are indistinct, but the eyes seem so black that light dies when touching them.

Just Another Manic Monday

The Cast Member awakens in a pool of sweat. He is late for work and the boss is in a foul mood, so it does not take long for all entire Cast feel his wrath. After a few hours of sweating it up, find an excuse for the Cast to leave the office: one has the task of getting lunch from the deli across the streets, other has to take some parcels to the post office, or some other trivial errand ordered by the boss as a petty punishment .

As the characters walk down the street, they encounter a pair of dogs fighting in an alley. Watching for a moment, they notice that one of them looks very much as a wolf, the other like a black rottweiller. The Rottweiller is horrifyingly vicious, and within moments it has bitten the wolf dreadfully, perhaps mortally. The characters find themselves filled with an inexplicable rage and hatred for the black dog, stronger than any emotion any of them has known before. The beast’s eyes seem to swallow the light, and the alley seems unnaturally dim around the it. At this point, the Chronicler will wants the character to attack the Rottweiller, or at least to enter the alley (perhaps to try and aid the wolf): a good possibility is to describe the dog as leering arrogantly at the Cast, for instances (the Chronicler should mention that there are several boards and pipes lying about that can be used as weapons), or perhaps it has its teeth fixes on the wolf’s throat, ready to deliver a killing bite, but seems to be holding back, while it gazes defiantly at the Cast Member. It is, after all, only a dog. If the Cast (or one of the Cast Members) advances into the alley, the rottweiller immediately releases the wolf and snarls at the human. This incites an involuntary response from the character: he snarls back with a strange voice that seems to come from within the deepest recesses of himself. The rumbling reverberation of that snarl catches the rottweiller and throws it away from the wolf, smashing the dog so hard against a metal garbage dumpster that it leaves a deep dent. Its dark eyes blaze momentarily with hatred, and then it turns and flees.

The wolf is badly hurt and unconscious. The Cast may want to take the animal to his home to care for it, or to a vet, or call the City Animal Control. Even if they do nothing, they will see this creature later. If the characters leave without entering the alley, the rottweiller trails then for a short distance, then, disappears.

When the Cast returns to the office, they discovers to their horror that everyone in the office has been murdered (shot to death) and the office has been ransacked. There are no stray bullet holes on the walls, indicating that murderer(s) probably used handguns and were very methodical.

What Happens Next?

The Cast Members should feel that they’re in deep trouble, as they are the only persons alive in the office. They might want call the police or flee – this should bring interesting debate among them. If the other characters are not involved in the story at this point, encourage those who are into contact their friends (the rest of the Cast), for shelter, for example.

That evening’s news carries no mention of the massacre at the office, even if the Cast reported it to the police. If the Cast are not in hiding, however, the police will question them extensively about the crime. Any mention of supernatural happenings, will be scoffed at, as will the notion that the rottweiller or the wolf were connected to the shooting.

Brinane

If the characters brought the wolf home, it heals within a matter of hours, or the vet with call with startling news, and asks them to come and pick up “their” wolf. At any rate, try to get the wolf and the characters alone in someone’s home. The wolf trots into the bathroom, and a short time later, a very tall, very beautiful woman walks out, wrapped in a towel or robe, having most obviously just emerged from the shower. She has a compact disk on a fine chain around her neck. Her name is Brinane and she thanks the Cast Members for the help, adding she wants to call her people to come and pick her. It will be two days before the pickup can be arranged, however. In the meantime, if they can bring her some clothes and a sword; she will pay them back for any expenses when her people arrive.

When the Cast goes out to procure the items, they are confronted by thugs, who demand to know where Brinane and the disk are hidden. If they don’t get what they want, they will attack with knives, nunchakus, blackjacks  and a sword, in the hands of the apparent leader. These are mortals controlled by the Progeny, and should outnumber the character enough to make this fight look pretty one-sided.

The Attack

This fight will give the characters a second glimpse into their true identities. The thugs are good at this sort of brawling and ought to kick the characters around pretty easily until desperation and fear cause the characters to manifest some of their unknown immortal powers. The Chronicler should keep the players in the dark until the situation looks desperate, and then start making the strange things happen.

This apparently hopeless battle ends with the characters strengthened and victorious. If the Cast interrogates the thugs afterwards, the thugs will say only that Lord Blind sent them. They will say no more.

Climax

The characters should return to Brinane with a sword. She is not surprised at the news and appreciates their help.

Suddenly, as Brinane is admiring and cleaning the new sword, the rottweiller crashes through a window (or door, if the characters are above the ground floor). It moves directly to attack Brinane, unconcerned about anyone else nearby. The Cast can either help Brinane in the fight or stand back and watch. Brinane wields the swords with amazing skill and ferocity. In the end, the rottweiller falls, but only after a desperate fight, and when it dies, its body dissolves into a pile of salt.

Brinane thanks the characters and warns then that, in spite of its apparent death, the rottweiller may be back. If pressed for an explanation, she tells them that their world has just become a dangerous place. If they are smart, she adds, they will find another place to live. She warns them that a war is coming… the final war.

A very short time late, two men arrive in an unmarked van. One hands a paper bag to Brinane, who passes it to the characters. It is filled with $20 bills, totalling to about $10.000. Brinane exits with the men, leaving the characters with more questions than answers and dire warnings about the future.

Adversaries

Lord Blind (Rottweiller)
Main Villain and Member of the Progeny

Strength: 5                    Intelligence: 2
Dexterity: 5                   Perception: 2
Constitution: 5               Willpower: N/A

Life Points: 65               Endurance Points: 35

Speed: 20                      Essence Points: 44

Qualities: Himsati Immortal.

Skills: Dodge 6, Brawling 6

Natures: Natural Weaponry (Fangs) 3 levels.

Thugs

Strength: 3                    Intelligence: 2
Dexterity: 2                   Perception: 2
Constitution: 2               Willpower: 2

Life Points: 30               Endurance Points: 26

Speed: 8                        Essence Points: 13

Skills: Brawling 2, Dodge 2, Hand Weapon 2.

Supporting Cast

Brinane

Guardian of the Disk, and Unexpected Guest

Court: Court of Secrets

Calling: Guardian

Himsati Form: Wolf

Strength: 5                    Intelligence: 5
Dexterity: 6                   Perception: 4
Constitution: 6               Willpower: 5

Life Points: 70               Endurance Points: 53
(-20, when first found due to wounds)

Speed: 24                      Essence Points: 56

Qualities: Attractiveness +2, Himsati Immortal.

Skills: Brawling 6, Dodge 5, Hand Weapon (Sword) 7.

Natures: Natural Weaponry (Fangs) 2 levels.