Palace of the Amazon Queen -- A1
Levels: 1-3
Objective: Rescue the mayor's daughter
Location: Queen Hippolyta's Palace
Time Limit: Before morning
Villain: Queen Hippolyta
Part 1
Players start by meeting at Lucky's Bar & Grill, a well-known establishment in the heart of Downtown. Unless otherwise noted by a player their characters are all residents of Patriot Springs, so they are familiar with their surroundings.
Lucky's is lively and full of patrons coming and going, everyone talking about the recent news of monsters invading Patriot Springs, trying to understand what the heck is going on.
The bar is owned and operated by "Lucky", a large happy man with a full grey beard and tattoos up and down his arms. He's familiar with all his patrons and is especially friendly with our players.
Lucky
Injury: +1
CP: 4
EP: 10
On a small stage a three piece band plays music to help lift everyone's spirits.
As our players and their characters are getting to know one another there's a loud disturbance coming from the bar, where a stranger seems to be fighting with Lucky. A cop, Officer Perkins, has arrived and is arresting the stranger.
Stranger
Injury: +1
CP: 3
EP: 12
Officer Perkins
Injury: +3
CP: 5
EP: 15
When the players investigate they are told that the stranger had too much to drink but was insisting he knew for a fact that Mayor Donaldson's daughter was abducted by one of these so-called monsters. If they want to know more they'll have to either ask Officer Perkins about it, or the Mayor's Aide happens to be here tonight, sitting alone with a bottle of bourbon.
(Darryl) Mayor's Aide
Injury: 1
CP: 2
EP: 6
Darryl tells them it's true but the Mayor's Office is trying to keep it out of the press. The Mayor sent the PSPD SWAT after her but the whole team went MIA. They don't think she's going to make it through the night if she isn't dead already.
If the players want to continue investigating, Darryl agrees to take them to the Mayor.
If players stay at Lucky's the bar is attacked by Phaegus Zombies. See Monsters – Levels 1-3.
Single Zombie
Injury: 1
CP: 5
EP: 20
Part 2
The Mayor lives in the gated community of Native Acres, which was formerly Indian Springs but changed because the citizens of Patriot Springs marched in the streets and looted Downtown. They also ransacked the affluent neighborhood of Whiteville and demanded equal rights for pregnant cows, or at least that's how Mayor Donaldson remembers it. He pays very little attention to the demographic of his constituents who do not live in affluent neighborhoods.
When Daryll and the players arrive there is a lovely young woman named Hannah who used to frequent Lucky's leaving out the side door. She wears a long fur coat and goes by the name Donna DeLuxe now, and she has no idea who Hannah is. She ignores them and leaves the Mayor's house in her brand new pink Mercedes.
The Mayor's house is a mansion straight out of the movie Scarface. Gold trim everywhere, white alabaster statues, velvet paintings of Al Pacino, and large stacks of money served to the Mayor on platters of shining mirror-like silver. The Mayor himself is short, pudgy, and bald. He wears a silk robe and speaks like a "tough guy" from the mob movies. His name isn't really Donaldson. It's Donald De Niro. But when he first ran his advisors told him no one would believe he was related to Robert De Niro, partly because his uncle told him, "Don't tell nobody you're related to me. I don't know you." So he changed it because he's Donald's son and Pop was always good to him.
Mayor Donaldson
Injury: 1
CP: 3
EP: 10
While the players are introduced to the Mayor he is watching a live news stream. An alien rocket ship has landed on Mt. Lincoln and four beautiful women emerged from the capsule. When local reporter Lisa Donavon attempted to get a quote from the four women she was pushed aside as they said, "Make way for Her Royal Highness Queen Hippolyta." A tall woman carrying a scepter and a ray gun strapped to her side then appears on screen and is escorted into a large palace atop Mt. Lincoln. Mayor Donaldson knows that palace because he vacations there with his wife and four children.
Speaking of children, the Mayor explains that his oldest daughter Gina had recently been "texting with a buncha whackadoo women claiming to be Amazons. Said theys gonna be comin' to the Eoith to free all their sisters from the enslavement of the patriarchy. Then theys gonna round up all the men and take them back to the Moon an' sacrifice them to their goddess. Sounds like complete bolony but Gina got her head all confused and let herself be abducted by some kinda monster* that carried her off to Mt. Lincoln. Hey, maybe that's got something to do with them rocket dames."
*The monster was a flying ape. It is at the Game Master's discretion to share this info or not.
A text was sent from Gina's cell which reads: Your daughter is under our protection now. By dawn this morning she will be the honorary guest of Queen Hippolyta aboard her Royal Star Cruiser. And if you send any more men they had better be attractive.
The Mayor can't make sense of the text or understand why the highly trained task force he sent to retrieve her hasn't returned yet, but if the players can do anything to bring his daughter back he'd reward them with more cash than they've ever seen.
If players do not accept the mission the Mayor's mansion is invaded by Phaegus Zombies.
Part 3
The players are escorted to the base of Mt. Lincoln and dropped off at "Mountain Trail Ave.", a road leading all the way to the top of the mountain and straight to the palace. There is a media circus set up with numerous media vans, both local and national. There are news reporters talking to cameras, police on guard, EMT trucks on standby, food vendors, a circus barker, a fire breather, the world's strongest man, a bearded lady, parking attendants in red vests, a guy taking bets on whether or not the players are going to die, a hotdog cart, and a food truck selling churros, popcorn, and cotton candy.
A guy walks by wearing a big sign which reads: REPENT. THE END IS NEAR. A woman walks by wearing a sign which reads: MEAT IS MURDER. In the back someone holds up a sign reading: AUSTIN 3:16, someone else has a sign that reads: WRESTLING IS FAKE! And yet another sign reads: I WENT TO THE APOCALYPSE AND ALL I GOT WAS THIS STUPID SIGN.
It's a long way to the top*, but eventually they get far enough from the media circus they left behind to enter a very dark wooded area. In the trees they hear creaking and rustling. They hear grunting. And then they are attacked from above by a group of flying apes equal in number to their own. See Monsters – Levels 1-3
Flying Ape
Injury: 4
Character Points: 6
EP: 30
After the battle they continue up the mountain and come to an abandoned post cabin with an official sign reading: LINCOLN MOUNTAIN PARKS POST 16. There is a handwritten sign in the window which reads: I QUIT!
If players do not investigate the cabin they are surrounded and attacked by Phaegus Zombies.
There are five rooms inside the cabin:
Front office, empty
Kitchen, 3 Phaegus Zombies
Dining room, 2 Phaegus Zombies
Bedroom, 4 Phaegus Zombies
Bathroom, the skeletal remains of a flying ape.
See Monsters – Levels 1-3
Single Zombie
Injury: 1
CP: 5
EP: 20
*A great song by AC/DC.
Part 4
Continuing on from the cabin the players start seeing signs on the side of the road. They read: FOR DINNER RESERVATIONS AT THE PALACE CALL THREE WEEKS IN ADVANCE, NOW APPEARING AT THE PALACE JO JO SIWA AND HER ALL GIRL REVIEW – NO MEN ALLOWED, DANGER AHEAD, TURN BACK NOW, IF YOU HAVE MADE IT THIS FAR IT'S TOO LATE TO TURN BACK, and finally: YOU STILL HERE?
Finally they reach the Palace. Just before them to the left is the big rocket they saw on the news and to the right is the palace itself. Just outside the entrance of the palace are two Amazon Women standing guard. And they are being harassed by a cameraman and field reporter.
Jeremy Fluenendorph (reporter)
Injury 1
CP 4
EP 10
Cameraman
Injury 1
CP 5
EP 10
Amazon Women (2)
Injury: 3
Character Points: 6
EP: 25
The field reporter is speaking into the camera:
"Jeremy Fluenendorph here for WPIS Patriot Springs News Channel 13. Since the landing of the mysterious rocket, lucky Channel 13 has learned its crew claim to be from the moon. Women from the moon. Specifically, Amazon Women from the moon. We're bringing you a live exclusive now, as I take you into this locally owned and famous palace sitting atop Mount Lincoln, which has been commandeered by the so-called Queen Hippolyta, where I intend to ask Her Majesty why she is here. If I can just squeeze by these plus-sized lethal beauties."
As the field reporter and the cameraman try to get by the Amazons one of them picks Jeremy up by the skull.
"What silly men good for on this planet? They squeaky and entitled. We take to Queen. She know what do."
The Amazons take up the field reporter and the cameraman with ease, turn and walk into the palace, leaving their post behind and the doors open.
IMPORTANT: On the off chance that the PCs decide to investigate and/or enter the rocket the hatch will slam behind them, trapping them inside. If they interact with any of the control panels they will activate a countdown, indicated by a strange beeping sound. Give the players every opportunity to escape the rocket but give them a time limit to do so. If they fail to escape the rocket by the end of your time limit (the countdown), the rocket will explode, killing them. If they are able to escape, give them a limited time to reach a safe distance from the blast, or shelter from the blast. When the rocket explodes every PC will suffer Injury Points equal to half of their current CP. The explosion will cause catastrophic damage to the palace and alert the Queen and her Amazons. The fight will then be brought directly to the players. If they wish to rescue the Mayor's daughter they will have to survive the battle, after which the military will appear and offer their better later than never assistance. Gina can then be returned to the Mayor. And so, it is in their best interest if you the GM dissuade them from the rocket and hurry them to the palace.
Description of the Palace interior:
Courtyard, outdoor dining, empty
Foyer, leading to interior, 2 Amazons
Rental rooms, mad man with 10 cats
Interior dining, Flying Apes (equal to party size)
Kitchen, a large Owl
Gallery, helpless man
Library, the Queen's court
Billiards, Mayor's daughter Gina
Courtyard: this is used as an outdoor dining area. There are tables and chairs strewn about and a maitre d station. Another set of doors on the opposite side lead to the interior of the palace.
Foyer: just inside are two Amazons (not the same from before) arguing over who the better archer is.
Amazon Women (2)
Injury: 3
Character Points: 6
EP: 25
Rental Rooms: there are 6 rooms. All are empty but the last one the players either check or pass by. Outside the last room is a playful cat. Two dirty hands reach out from the room and pull the cat inside and then slam the door. Inside is a Mad Man with 10 cats. He is the owner of the palace. The Queen is keeping him there as a prisoner because when she first arrived he told her she didn't have a reservation and there was a waiting list three years long. She plans to take him back to the Moon and make him wait three years for his death.
Mad Man
Injury 1
CP 3
EP 10
Interior Dining: on the ceiling of this room there are Flying Apes equal in number to the size of the party of players. They are sleeping in the rafters until the players disturb anything in the room.
Flying Apes
Injury: 4
Character Points: 6
EP: 30
Kitchen: when players enter the kitchen they see a large owl. It seems harmless. But once they start to leave the room the owl will screech very loud and alert 4 Amazons to that location.
Owl
Injury 2
CP 3
EP 10
Amazon Women (4)
Injury: 3
Character Points: 6
EP: 25
Gallery: this beautiful art gallery has been converted into a den of sacrifice! Players see the body of the cameraman from earlier lying dead on an altar, his body strapped down and his chest ripped open. Strapped down on a second altar is Jeremy, the field reporter. He appears to be narrating his own demise. If players try to interrupt him he continues narrating and ignores them.
"Jeremy Fluenendorph here for WPIS Patriot Springs, Lucky News Channel 13. Well, this is it, folks. Just moments after the gruesome death of Lucky News Channel 13's faithful cameraman 'You There', I await my own pitiful and just as gruesome demise. It all started for me at the age of 9, when I watched Ted Theodore Ruxbin hosting the Grammys. And I thought to myself, Jerry, ol' buddy, if a local news reporter such as Teddy could make it big, so can you. The very next day I went straight down to the breakfast table and I told my father, 'Father,' I said. 'I'm going to be the best news reporter this town has ever seen.' Father didn't take that so well. He clutched at his temples and said, 'No son of mine is going to embarrass this family by reporting garbage on a nightly basis.' He never made it out of the hospital. At his funeral Mother showed me all the support I needed. And on the anniversary of Father's death I was reporting the mass shooting at Patriot Springs General Hospital for the Criminally Insane. It was the best day of my life. I soon graduated early from the Chuck Yeager College of Journalism and in just under ten years, I was the lead news anchor at WPIS. That didn't work out after I blurted out some rather nasty remarks about cultural sensitivity and the native Americans live on the air. But I faked my death, changed my name, dyed my skin, and I was back on the air as this channel's best darn field reporter. And here I am now, waiting for the icy hand of death to reunite me with Father. It's been one long and crazy journey of irony and happenstance. Hey, did I ever tell you about the time I passed out at a Neo Nazi convention? That's how I got this Swastika on my left butt cheek. Man, that was embarrassing…"
There is one puzzle here. The way to the next room is sealed off by an invisible forcefield that will shock them with 1 point of Injury if they try to walk through it. To deactivate the forcefield players must first lift the cameraman's body off the altar, which is pressure sensitive and slowly lifts the altar that Jeremy is on toward a pendulum that drops from the ceiling. At that point the Game Master must activate a timer to 3 minutes real time and tell the players they have 3 minutes to set Jeremy free from that altar. To set the reporter free the players must each roll successfully under their Physicality. If just one player fails they must all start over. If time expires, before he dies the reporter says, "For WPIS Lucky News Channel 13, this is Jeremy Fluenendorph saying, oh drat." The altar slowly descends and the puzzle resets. Players must try again with both cameraman and reporter dead. Only when the body of Jeremy has been set free from the rising altar will the forcefield be deactivated.
Library: The Queen's court is occupied with 4 Amazons and Queen Hippolyta herself. When the players first see the Queen at a distance they notice she looks different than on TV. She appears heavier. In fact all the Amazon Women appear to be heavier, sitting around a large dinner table. They are quite bloated. As if they've just gorged themselves. The players then notice the Amazons are wiping their faces after having fed on the body of a young man, whose remains are at the table. The Queen lights a cigar and says, "Ah, nothing like a teenage American male. I sure am glad their girlfriends are stupid enough to bring us dinner." And the Amazons all have a good laugh.
Amazon Women (4)
Injury: 3
Character Points: 6
EP: 25
Queen Hippolyta
Injury 5
CP: 8
EP: 60
Billiards Room: when players enter this room they see Gina playing pool and talking to her "followers" on her cell. Whatever the players try she will refuse to go with them.
From outside they hear the sounds of large vehicles. Outside a window they can see military vehicles getting into attack positions and a General climbing atop a tank to speak into a megaphone.
"You inside the palace. This is the United States Military."
The General takes a woman captive in front of him like a hostage.
"Come out with your hands up and the woman gets it."
At this point the Game Master needs to announce to the players, "And now it's time for America's favorite game show… CHOOSE YOUR FATE!" Players are presented with two options.
Surrender to the US Military and walk out of the palace with their hands up.
Render Gina unconscious and try to sneak her out the Servants Entrance at the back of the palace.
(secret option): do whatever the heck they want.
Surrender: "Walking out to face the full force of the United States Military with your hands reaching for the stars and your heads held high, General Lee Simo greets you with both confusion and relief. He's glad to see you alive but confused that you're not the alien women attacking the sovereignty of these United States. After explaining your efforts to restore the Mayor's daughter back into the safety of her father the General declares you heroes. The very next day there is a parade down Main Street. The Mayor grants you the Key to the City, and General Lee Simo gives you both the Medal of Honor and the Medal of Freedom. There is great rejoicing. But at the top of Mount Lincoln the rocket ship of the Amazons has been forgotten, until it explodes and destroys the palace."
Sneak Gina Out: At the back of the palace there is a rather large garage that was once horse stables. There are a few cars and one van. The cars appear to have been stripped for parts. When the players get closer to the van they discover 3 Imps. There is a fire access road leading down the mountain. Players must battle the Imps first to acquire the van and escape with Gina. Once they have escaped they can return Gina to the Mayor.
Imps (3)
Injury: 3
Character Points: 5
EP: 30
Do Whatever the Heck They Want: Allow the players to devise their own plan. Next, set a timer to 5 minutes of real time, announcing to the players that they have 5 minutes to escape the palace. Once the clock has started players must execute their plan and escape the palace before the timer runs out. When the timer runs out the military storms the castle. Anyone caught alive is arrested. Roll with the punches on this one and use your best judgment. Be sure to award the players generously for a well executed plan, or be stingy if their plan failed.
EP: varied. Minimum 50.
Total EP Potential: 763
Level up: Lvl 4