THE TATZELWURM OF ST ANTON
December 21st, 2014
A group of college students from Cambridge come to visit the small mountain town of St Anton am Arlberg, Austria for winter vacation, just before Christmas. Little did they know that once in a decade, the season's first blizzard brings about the Tatzelwurm and her brood, a feline serpent-like creature that stalks unsuspecting and weak alpine targets. The snow storm came early this season, so the town elders were caught woefully unprepared for the invasion this year.
The hunters will be alerted to the mystery on December 22nd, by the following events:
- The expected snowstorm in the area happens two weeks early.
- Three people go missing on the slopes.
-A green, foggy, malaise starts seeping from the mountains.
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COUNTDOWN |
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● DAY |
The Blizzard and the Tatzelwurm emerge early, and people get stranded on the slopes. |
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● SHADOWS |
Two younger black Tatzelwurms, Stollen and Bergstutz, begin consuming those stuck on the ski lifts. |
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● SUNSET |
Stollen and Bergstut are seen slinking into the town, securing a path to the town square for the Tatzelwurm. |
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● DUSK |
The Tatzelwurm makes an ominous whistle and bellows a thick poisonous fog over the town. |
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● NIGHTFALL |
The Tatzelwurm makes its home in the Cathedral, attempting to destroy the church bell as it waits for all to succumb to its poisonous breath. |
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● MIDNIGHT |
The wurms eat all that remain in the town and start slinking towards the next town. |
DESCRIPTION: The Tatzelwurm is an ancient and intimidating dragon-like creature. Her 17-foot long serpent-like body is covered in shimmering white scales, and her spine sprouts thorn-like bristles from the nape of her neck down to the tip of her long and flexible tail. Her four legs are short, well-defined, and scaled, with talon-like appendages sprouting from the ends. Her large head is feline in appearance, with sharp teeth, long, white fur , and yellow slitted eyes. Sprouting from her forehead are three crown-like scales, glistening an opalesque green-gold color in the alpine sun. Her breath smells like a mix of rot and sterilizing alcohol, reminiscent of a morgue; and on her fur are flakes of snow and dirt. She seems hungry.
TYPE: Monster / Devourer MOTIVATION: To Consume People
POWERS:
Poisonous Breath: The Tatzelwurm can expel a green, fog-like poison that spreads within a block radius from her. It is hard to resist, and if you breathe too much, you become sluggish and sedated, and eventually you pass out. If you lie unconscious too long, you perish.
Climbing: Being part cat and part lizard, the Tatzelwurm can scale almost any surface, no matter how sheer or smooth.
Burrowing: The Tatzelwurm is a largely subterranean creature and thus is able to burrow long distances with ease.
Natural Camouflage: Given her pale coloring, The Tatzelwurm can blend in easily with the terrain, with only her crown leaving hints of where she might be.
WEAKNESSES:
Bright Lights: The Tatzelwurm, being subterranean, is not equipped to handle direct light and will become blinded and disoriented.
Loud Noises: Her ears are finely tuned and sensitive, so loud sounds such as church bells will greatly diminish her powers.
ATTACKS:
Bite: 3-harm intimate, ignore-armor
Claw: 2-harm close, restraining
Poison Breath: 4-harm far, area, ignore-armor
ARMOR: □□ HARM CAPACITY: □□□□□□□□□
DESCRIPTION: This creature, being a bit shorter than her mother, slinks at a mere 10ft long, with all black scales and fur, which have a green opalesque sheen to them. Her eyes are bright green, her burgeoning crest a dull bronze, and her cat-like head stays close to the ground, betraying some kind of fear or nervousness the beast has with the outside world.
TYPE: Minion/Scout MOTIVATION: To make a path for The Wurm to St Anton
POWERS:
Poisonous Breath: Stollen can expel a green, fog-like poison that spreads within a small radius from her. It is easy to resist, and you feel sluggish when you breathe too much in.
Climbing: Being part cat and part lizard, Stollen can scale almost any surface, no matter how sheer or smooth.
Burrowing: Stollen is a largely subterranean creature and thus is able to burrow long distances with ease.
WEAKNESSES:
Bright Lights: Stollen, being subterranean, is not equipped to handle direct light and will become blinded and disoriented.
Loud Noises: Her ears are finely tuned and sensitive, so loud sounds such as church bells will greatly diminish her powers.
ATTACKS:
Bite: 2-harm intimate
Claw: 1-harm close, restraining
Poison Breath: 2-harm far, area, ignore-armor
ARMOR: □□ HARM CAPACITY: □□□□
DESCRIPTION: This creature, being much slimmer than his mother, slinks at 14ft long, with all black scales and fur, which have a green opalesque sheen to them. His eyes are bright green, his burgeoning crest a dull bronze, and his cat-like head is held high above his shoulders, signifying some kind of confidence he has towards his mission.
TYPE: Minion/Thief MOTIVATION: To steal trapped victims and bring them to his mother as she stirs.
POWERS:
Poisonous Breath: Bergstutz can expel a green, fog-like poison that spreads within a small radius from him. It is easy to resist, and you feel sluggish when you breathe too much in.
Climbing: Being part cat and part lizard, Bergstutz can scale almost any surface, no matter how sheer or smooth.
Burrowing: Bergstutz is a largely subterranean creature and thus is able to burrow long distances with ease.
WEAKNESSES
Bright Lights: Bergstutz, being subterranean, is not equipped to handle direct light and will become blinded and disoriented.
Loud Noises: His ears are finely tuned and sensitive, so loud sounds such as church bells will greatly diminish her powers.
ATTACKS:
Bite: 2-harm intimate
Claw: 1-harm close, restraining
Poison Breath: 2-harm far, area, ignore-armor
ARMOR: □ HARM CAPACITY: □□□□□□□
DESCRIPTION: St Anton is a small town with an elevation of more than 4000ft and a population less than 2,500 people, located in east Austria. It serves as a popular tourist destination and wonderful ski town, with lifts extending to peaks 9000ft high with numerous bed-and-breakfasts and bars dotting the ski bases. The town and slopes are decorated with wreathes and Christmas lights for the holidays, bringing even more cheer and community to the hamlet. The hunters are staying at a modern but rustic hotel at the east edge of the town called Hotel Kosslerhof, which is secluded by a large patch of woods from the rest of the town.
TYPE: Location/Hub MOTIVATION: To harbor tourists (and the hunters) and answer any questions about the town
IMAGE:
DESCRIPTION: This ski station, serving as a good starting point for beginners and a good place to start familiarizing oneself with Mount Valluga, hosts a number of lifts that take people around the mountain. The Gampen and Nasserein lifts are more simple and connect to different edges of the town, and the Gampen I and II lifts are slight slopes that serve as easy trails for beginners. The Kapall lift is the most intimidating one on this side, connecting you to some of the most treacherous slopes on this side of the mountain and a small restaurant for only the bravest of climbers.
The Gampenbahn Station itself also hosts a rest area, with a ski rental station, a restaurant, a bar, and a nice hearth to warm yourselves around the fire and familiarize yourself with your fellow skiers.
TYPE: Location/Crossroads MOTIVATION: To bring skiers and the players together.
IMAGE:
DESCRIPTION: Serving as the central church for the small town, it retains a simple appearance, with its only notable structure being its baroque styled, red-roofed belfry. Besides its wide and cavernous nave, the interior of the church remains cramped and rustic, with small shrines to St Anthony of Padua and Madonna flanking either side of the sanctuary. The Sanctuary itself has wonderful frescoes and carvings to Madonna, and hides a small corridor leading to the bell. The church itself sports very little in the way of holiday decor, with only a nativity scene present in the sanctuary.
If the hunters or town retain control of the church, it is easy to keep the Tatzelwurm inside, but if the Tatzelwurm and her brood control this, then there proves to be little chance of escape for the hunters.
TYPE: Location/Lab MOTIVATION: To constrain and prevent exit
IMAGE:
MOVES:
Ring the Bell: If the hunters ring the bell in the presence of the Tatzelwurm, the wurm temporarily loses her bearings and is defenseless for a few moments.
Use Magic: If a hunter uses magic within the space, they may choose “fortify the church’s exits” as an effect. This causes the windows and door to glow with a faint golden light for one hour, causing anyone to get -2 ongoing for any attempt to leave or enter the building.
DESCRIPTION: Close to the Gampen I and II Ski lifts, and now covered in a thick layer of snow, the Taztelwurm’s hibernation den rests buried somewhere between the pine trees If the hunters find the burrow, exploring the cavern will reveal to them the bodies of the missing skiers, skeletal remains of previous victims, and two large black and green spotted eggshells, with each of the shell pieces glowing green . The air is foggy and hazy inside, and continued breathing of the acrid, medicinal-smelling air leaves one woozy and sedate. Further investigation reveals that the skeletons were wearing winter gear from the 2001 Alpine World Ski Championships.
TYPE: Location/Wilds MOTIVATION: To contain the hidden layer of the Tatzelwurm
IMAGE:
MOVES:
Channel the Supernatural: If a hunter uses a piece of eggshells as a magical focus, they can perform the move Use Magic within the space, choosing “dispel fog” as an effect. This gets rid of the malaise within the den, and allows the hunter to Use Magic in this manner again, provided they hold a piece of the eggshell. The hunter suffers -ongoing for every subsequent attempt after the first.
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NAME |
DESCRIPTION |
TYPE |
MOTIVATION |
|
Sofia Winkler |
45/yo, F, stout build, light Red hair, kind |
Gossip |
To pass on rumors |
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Father Seilder |
67/yo, M, Tall, thin build. Bald, new in town, standoffish |
Skeptic |
To deny supernatural explanations |
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Melissa Binder |
39/yo, F, petite build. Dirty blonde hair, direct, but fair |
Witness |
To reveal information |
|
Sarah Vogl |
28/yo, F, athletic build. Short dark brown hair. Quiet, protective. |
Helper |
To join in the hunt |
|
Thomas Vogl |
30/yo, M, tall and heavy build. Long dark brown hair and short beard. Jovial, caring. |
Victim |
To put themselves in danger |
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Annika Vogl |
5/yo, F. Long braided dark brown hair. Possesses a great deal of wonder. Still a small child, Annika enjoys snowmen, hot chocolate, and all things snow. She recently watched Disney’s Frozen and her infatuation with the film hasn’t ceased for over a year. |
Victim |
To put themselves in danger |
|
Kieran Powell |
22/yo, M. Short build. Messy black hair and peach fuzz. Kind of a pushover. A college kid from Manchester University, studying Environmental Science. He came to the alps to study the wildlife as well as enjoy the scenery. He is willing to step up if he needs to to defend this area. |
Innocent |
To do the right thing |
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Mayor Helmut |
58/yo, M. Medium build. Balding blond hair and neatly trimmed short beard. Solitary and rude. Well aware of the periodic feeding schedule of the Tatzelwurm, the mayor tries to quietly reduce harm to his family and hide in the church while the town suffers. |
Official |
To be suspicious |
|
Pieter Jacobsen |
24/yo M. Short, very athletic build. Blonde hair, clean shaven. He is a bit of a meathead and he is lonely. A Dutchman and fellow patron of Hotel Kosslerhof, Pieter tries to join in on the group activities and generally steer the hunter toward a more hedonistic, unproductive direction. |
Busybody |
To interfere in other people’s plans |
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Oma Selma Theiler |
75/yo F. Stout, frail build. Wiry dark brown hair. She is very solemn and opens up to anyone who passes by her Having lost her son during the wurm’s attack a decade ago, she quietly prays for someone to save the town in the pews of the church. |
Victim |
To put themselves in danger |
