Danse Macabre Part 5

Teaser

Send to the players before the game :

 10th of November 1347, Marseilles (Provence, Holy Roman Empire)
 A strange curse has fallen on Marseilles in the last few days.
 Many shopkeepers have been found dead from a strange disease.
 Doctors are positive: it is a benign ague, but the population suspects that the wells have been poisoned.
 Fortunately, the archbishop will soon organise a mass to calm the spirits.
 ⚜️⚜️⚜️💀💀💀

 10 Novembre 1347, Marseille (Provence, Saint Empire Romain Germanique)
 Une étrange malédiction s'est abattue sur Marseille ces derniers jours.
 De nombreux commerçants ont été retrouvés morts d'un étrange mal.
 Les médecins sont formels : il s'agit d'une fièvre de ventre bénigne, mais la population soupçonne que les puits ont été empoisonnés.
 Heureusement, l'archevêque va bientôt organiser une messe pour calmer les esprits.
 ⚜️⚜️⚜️💀💀💀

Intro - Flagellum Dei

Disclaimer : This scenario is so hard, that it's ok if the players act a bit using their 20th century knowledge. For example if they all take Immune (diseases) before the scenario, that's ok. Or if they have the reflex to order lockdowns early on.

Also, explain them that since they start to have a lot of Feats, the right development strategy is to gather as many Prowesses as they can. Relic or Background allows them to skip some of the requirements and some Prowesses like Guards ! don't have any requirements. Then get as many Miracle as they can, because the "Prayer" feature of the Miracle becomes very powerful if they have a lot of Prowesses. Allow them to modify their entire Feats list if they aren't satisfied with their current character.

• Initial situation :
  • Date : 10 November 1347
  • Location : Marseilles (Provence, Holy Roman Empire)

Robert de Mandagout, the actual Deacon of Marseille is back in his city. It's the 10 of Nov, it's been a week and a half since the fire in the cathedral. Rumours start to spread of a curse, so he has to make a speech. He summons the crowd in front of the Cathedral to make a speech. The young lord of Marseille is there too Hugues IV des Baux de Marseille

In his speech, he explains about the fire that happened and dispell any rumours of witchcraft.

He interrupt his speech and kneel make a sign of cross.

He yell there's a miracle and he sees an Angel : Gabriel.

Then he shouts as the angel with black wings, no you are not Gabriel take his sword and strike him.

Music : The Ringed City - Dark Souls III

Robert de Mandagout is on the central place with Hugues IV des Baux de Marseille Hugues is wearing an elaborated red dress with their crest : A sun with a red backrgound.

: "Brave brave people of Marseille, foul rumours have been spreading lately.

God is and always have been blessing our sacred city, the recent fire in the cathedral is a pure accident and the culprits have been sevrely punished." / "Brave peuple de Marseille. De terribles rumeurs se sont répendu récemment. Dieu béni et a toujours béni notre chère cité. Le récent incendie dans la cathédrale n'est que pur accident les coupables ont été punis sévèrement.."

"It's the jews, we saw them !"/"c'est les juifs, je les ai vu !" shouts someone in the crowd. "It's a curse"/" nous sommes maudits, dieu nous a oublié !" shouts someone else

"Your lord protector Hugues IV des Baux de Marseille and myself come before you to demonstrate that god's will is on our side and protects us." / "Votre seigneur et protecteur Hugues IV des Baux de Marseille et moi meme sont venu témoigner de l'amour de dieu et de sa miséricorde."

Music : Lacrimose

He stops and fall on his knees.

"My Lord, it is a miracle !"/"Mon seigneur, c'est un miracle !" "Holy of the most holy, the angel Gabriel himself descends upon us. Yes my lords, you heard our prayers, we are not worthy of you most holy presence"/ "Par tous les saints, l'ange Gabriel lui meme nous rends visite. Oui mon seingneur avez entendu nos proières, nous ne sommes pas dignes de votre sainte présence." "No, you are not Gabriel. My lord, what have we done to suffer your wrath. Sheathe your sword. No. No. Nooooo." / "Non, vous n'êtes pas Gabriel. Mon seigneur qu'avons nous fait pour mériter votre courroux. Non, ne porte pas ton épée sur nous. Non. Non. Noooon". He then tries to draw a guard's sword and start attacking the lord of Marseille. He yells "the destroyer angel is upon us. Good people of Marseille. Repent ! Repent !" / "L'ange exterminatteur est sur nous. Peupel de Marseille repnts toi ! Repentez vous tous !"

• Explanations :

Hugues IV des Baux de Marseille 1311-1351 is 36 yrs old. He is the Viscount of Marseille and lords of les Baux.

Agout des Beaux is very jealous. His seal : http://jean.gallian.free.fr/comm2/Images/sceaux-dauph/Baux1.jpg DESCENDANTS DU ROI MAGE BALTHAZAR !!! Seigneur de Caromb Sénéchal Beaucaire, Nimes et Toulouse Cap. gén. en Languedoc

He has been trying to assasinate Hugues for years, because if he died, he would become the lord of Marseille.

By searching in the history of his family,

Devise : A l'asar Beautezar http://jean.gallian.free.fr/comm2/fam_fich/b/baux.htm

https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liste_des_seigneurs_des_Baux

https://en.calameo.com/read/001513011c76c5b895e08

His uncle Agout is very jealous. If he could kill him, he would become the most powerful noble of Provence. That's why he became "L" His full name. Agout Louis des Baux. Hence his nickname : "L"

Their crest : A sun with red background.

3 courbes : (Actual 20 June - 20 July) : Few death 1 Nov 24 Nov 7,5x increase 0 - 150 24 Days (Actual 20 July - 13 Aug) (Quanrantaine pour les villes alentours 31 July) 24 Nov - 15 Dec 85x 13-23 150 - 1000 10 Jours (Actual 13 Aug - 23 Aug) 15 Dec - 25 Dec Birth of the Antichrist ???? (Actual 23 Aug - 13 Sept) : Stagne 1000 3 Jan - 23 Jan (Actual 13 Sept - 3 Oct) : Chute du nombre de morts 23 Jan - 13 Feb 13 Sept, Entry exit of the city completely banned.

The apocalypse's Dragon = Satan = The Plague. The apocalypse beast from the sea = The relic owners. TThe apocalypse beast from the land = the Antechrist = The relic owner, the "pope"

• Unsolved mysteries :

What do the abraxas with ten crowns means ? What was Agout's "legacy" ? Where did the philospoher stone go, how did it attract so much money ?

• Historical themes :

-Plague in Marseille -Apocalypse

Part 1 The Rumours 10 Nov - 24 Nov

• Normal : Z_Normal-Département Nécrologique

Ambiance Track
5 min	The Bishop wakes up. Two doctors argue doctor says he has "ague", or "smallpox" or perhaps he was poisonedn (fièvre de ventre, fièvre charbonneuse ou trousse-galant, bosas, carboncles en français). His simptoms : Fever, bubon rouge et chaud sous l’aine les aisselles ou les genoux, le cou Tres soif.. Lots of sweat. Delirium and dellusions. He shit himself, smells bad. He say repeatedly : "Behold, I have sinned, and I have done perversely; but these sheep, what have they done? Please let your hand be against me, and against my father's house." "Regarde! C'est moi qui ai péché, c'est moi qui suis coupable. Mais ces brebis, qu'ont-elles fait? Porte donc la main contre moi et contre ma famille!" People know the bible and they make immediate paralelw tih the King davivd plague.
15 min	The ashes in the cathedral have been cleaned. And the molten metal have left the marks in the ground of a dragon with seven heads. When a priest see this, he make a sign of cross and say : "And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great, fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads." "Un autre signe parut encore dans le ciel; et voici, c'était un grand dragon rouge, ayant sept têtes et dix cornes, et sur ses têtes sept diadèmes." Music : Lacrimosa
30 min	A person in the hospital or in the streets took his weapon and start fighting back the angel. He starts attacking foreign merchants. His Symtoms : Pink Cough, black spots on fingers and neck.
45 min	The players notice everyone is wearing a chapel with a black angel with a sword. Some random commoner offers one to the players for protection. We have to repent and pray god's mercy.
60 min	Riche fuyant marseille déguisé en paysant en enfouissant des richesses dans des jarres d’huile d’olive
75 min	A Crazy priest is yelling that people should repent, the angel with the black wings will come. He is followed by one or two flagellans.
90 min	Final scene with the riot of diseased people. Players roll 5-6 or are ill. THey lose all 50 Soliders.

The lord says that similar cases have appeared few days back. So he will be in charge of stopping the disease. But he asks the church to help him fight rumours. If the players start to try to fight the disease, he will tell them to stop and focus on the panic.

The players start with 50 soldiers working for them.

PEOPLE BLAMED : les juifs, les bergers, les sorciers, les marchands, en particulier ambulants

Knowledge apothecary, they can make perfume if they want, enough to protect them.

Rumour 1 : The de Baux family is cursed - 10 Nov

That's why the cathedral burned, and god sent a message. All victims where linked to the family one way or another. Which explains the black angel.

Action : Organise a big mass to sanctify the lord or organise a fake miracle. Action : Blame someone lese (like the Bishop)

Rumour 2 : The Ville Haute is poisoning people from Ville Basse covering it up like a disease - 14 Nov

A Civil war is starting where the Ville Basse (the port) wants to attack the Ville Haute (under Bishop authority) because most cases where in Ville basse, so they think it's the Bishop who is trying to spread fear.

Useless Action : Make a Speech. People don't believe.

Action : Raid the rioter's HQ Combat (squirmish)

Action : Ville Haute make some kind of Donation or strong monetzary gesture.

Action : Pay the merchant leaders / promise them to have better access to the ville haute market

Rumour 3 : Jews are poisoning the wells - 18 Nov

It start with some Jews being hanged. Because at least two or three christians died near the Jewish quartier and no jews died.

Action : Drink publicly from the well. Or show some Jews are actually ill (make some fake Jew if need be)

Riot against the Jews - 22 Nov

Music : Baston Brigands A riot is happening against the Jews of one quartier, they are all getting killed. Other jews are scared.

Action : Sneak the jews out. Action : Barricade them

Rumour 4 : Soldiers are slaughtering people in the port - 24 Nov

Music : Lacrimosa The players check, it's true.

Final scene : They are walling an entire part of the city. Ils embarrciadent et condamnent les maisons en secret juste quelques patés de maisons. Ils transpercent les gens qui essaient de d'enfuir. Il ne les nourrissent pas pour qu'ils meurent plus vite. Des gardes tuent un malade qui a réussi a sortir. Puis c'est une émeute de gens qui s'enfuient.

Part 2 The Plague 24 Nov (10 death) - 15 Dec (150 death)

• Normal : Z_Normal-Cathédrale Silencieuse

Ambiance Track
5 min	All markets closed people angry about it. Small Riot. People go drink at the river because they don't trust the wells.
15 min	Apoticaires vendant des faux remèdes pour se protéger la fièvre de ventre, he also sell fake relics and phylacteries. "Carbuncle gems"/"Escarboucles" à porter sur soi. Albert le Grand says i protects against poisons. Lots of boats leaving, lots of people leaving. One rich priest was found dead. All of his money gone. His Eyes are terrified on his face. The population is terrified to see that priests are not immune.
30 min	Most Rich Houses are Empty - Lots of Thiefs. Port closed. All "Gouvernails" on all boats are removed. Someone runs in the streets yelling "The angel with the black wings is coming"
45 min	Poeple Forbidden to leave the City. Riot at the gates, people killed. Minus 40 soldiers. One quartier wall themselves in and organise a clandesitne theater.
60 min	Forbidden to bury people. Corpses burried in Charnier with chaux vive. Thief loot houses and corpses. Minus 40 soldiers. Another noble found dead, all of his money gone.
75 min	Everyone who has the disease, alive or not is thrown to fosse commune. Minus 40 soldiers. Drawings on the walls of an angel with black wings and a sword. Another Quarier wall themselved in.
90 min	Church Close. No more Thieves dare to loot anything. No more beggars also. Streets empty. All players see the shadow of the winged angel. Roll of catch the disease. They loose all soldiers and doctors.

The lord begs the players to help him in his fight against the disease, because his attempts have been unsuccessful.

It's been a bit less than a month, they had one or two death per day. But yesterday they had 10 in one street and tried to quaranteen the part, but couldn't.

Problem 1 : Different people trying to help are disorganised 24 Nov - 10 Death / day

Action : Rule that they have to obey to the players. Or create a daily meeting with them.

The players have the previous soldiers plus 200 and 10 doctors They have the help of doctors with museau de cuir (pas un bec à cette époque)

Problem 2 : Basic rules 29 Nov - 15 Death / day

Actions : Some quartiers quaranteened. Walled ?

Actions : Forbid people to leave their home.

Action : Clean the streets

Action : Close restaurants and all public places

Problem 3 : No place for hospitals 2 Dec - 24 Death / day

Action : requistion businesses Action : Requisition market places Action : use churches

Problem 4 : Lots of Thieves spreading the disease. 6 Dec - 37 Death /day

Action : Pay the thief guild.

Action : Death penalty for thieves.

Action : Mettre Des croix blanches/noire/rouges sur les portes ? pour éviter que les voleurs attrapent la maldie

Useless Action : Publicly explain that the disease is contagious.

Problem 5 : Too many corpses to burry individually. 10 Dec - 57 Death / day

Action : Fosse commune.

Action : Burn corpses on the streets not accepted at this point.

Problem 6 : Lots of people hungry, total shortage of food. Merchants refuse to go into the city. 13 Dec - 89 Death / day

Action : Commerce without contact. The merchant arrives, drop the goods and a bag of coins is thrown at him. COins are perfumed to purify it.

Problem 7 : A random noble require the right to leave 15 Dec - 138 Death / day

Action : Kill him discretely Action : Give him a letter of health Action : Any other ways to make him shut up

Problem 8 : Lack of money.

Action : take money from the deceased Action : Borrow money from rich people in the city

Part 3 The Horror 15 Dec (150 death per day) - 25 Dec (1000 death per day)

• Normal : Z_Flippant - Quake

Ambiance Track
5 min	Permanent stench of death. Church full of bodies Are scealed. Complete silence all stray dogs died.
15 min	Music : Procession Of The Flagellants from The Seventh SealA massive protest of Flaggelands yelling and chanting everyone kneel in their wake.
30 min	Baby crying in a house. His mother just died, he is alone in the world. Minus 50 conscripts. Archers at the city gates. Anyone leaving the city killed on sight. Minus 50 conscripts. Very rich man in Marseille found dead. All of his money Gone, a tall man hiding wings below his cape was seen leaving the scene, a burned contract signed by L can be found in the chimney.
45 min	Orgies of Horse Meat killed all the horses. Minus 50 conscripts.
60 min	Canibalism. Minus 50 conscripts. The Richest man in Marseille found dead. All of his money gone. His last words. I expected you. The destroyer angel. A tall man hiding wings below his cape was seen leaving the scene, there was an L etched on his cape.
75 min	Streets are Empty All houses are nailed. Corpses pile up in the streets, no more burning. Minus 50 conscripts.
90 min	Guards stop obeying. Doctors also. Stop counting. Total Chaos. All consripts and guard and doctors are dead or left.

15 Dec 138 Death / day 
17 Dec 189 Death / day 
19 Dec 259 Death / day 
21 Dec 354 Death / day 
22 Dec 486 Death / day 
23 Dec 666 Death / day 
24 Dec 912 Death / day 

The players have all previous soldiers and doctors plus 400 unarmed conscripts.

Problem 1 : 100 dead. Too many corpses to carry by hand. 15 Dec 138 Death / day

Action: Use carts. (unless done laready)

Nobody wants to pull the corpse carts. Because they die too fast.

Action : Use the prisoners.

Action : Motivational speech or Charmisa or Deus veult.

Problem 2 : A Crazy monk nails black feathers on a lot of doors. 19 Dec 259 Death / day

It terrifies the local population.

Action : Offer food reward to anyone who saw him. Then burn him at the stake.

Problem 3 : People sneaking int he royal palace to sneak out food and water. One deseased died in the food storage. 22 Dec 486 Death / day

Action : Put the food in the dungeon.

Action : Purify it with smoke.

Most people in the council left.

Problem 4 : Too many corpses to put on carts. 23 Dec 666 Death / day

Action : Burn corpses directly in the streets. Stench in the streets of bruning corpses. Almost nobody in the council. Hugues is ill.

Problem 5 : Quartier de la Tourette too hard to remove corpses. 100% of people died theree. 24 Dec 912 Death / day

Action : Burn the whole Quartier. Or anything else that makes sense.

Just two people in the council.

Part 4 Hell - 25 Dec

• Normal : Z_Flippant - Dark World

Ambiance Track
5 min	They realise that it's quite cold in the palace (servants stopped heating) and the streets are perfectly quiet. They are in a dead city. The head of guards decides to wall the entrance of the palace. Outside the only noise is a person lying in front of the palace coughing.
15 min	They hear footsteps and grinding stone noise in the Castle. One of the feverish servants of the lords tries to asassinate him he wield a human bone. Roll or get disease. The Bone is old. It's unclear where it come from.
20 min	They hear footsteps and grinding stone noise in the Castle.
30 min	At some point the light is off, then the angel arrive, one player need to roll. From this point on, they have to keep light on. They see fire burning in the distance with a clear stench of burned bodies.
40 min	They hear footsteps and grinding stone noise in the Castle.
45 min	At some point the diseased in the street stop coughing. There's absolute silence. They hear a silent sound. That's when the Angel visit the players until the player make some noise, one player need to roll if he doesn't make noise fast enough. From this point on, they have to keep noise and light on. In the distant they hear a Kyrie Eleison.
60 min	One of the soldiers fall asleep, the angel visit him in his sleep, from this point on they have to stay wake, light on and noise. In the distant they see an ocean of people fleeing in the streets, they don't know what or why. If they haven't found it yet, a door stay open.
75 min	Crowd of people try to bash the wall down, they are starving and crazed. Time is running out.
90 min	The disease flock in he castle, the player have to fight and all roll for disease. They run to a random door and land in the final church.

The Lord of marseille's staff has fever. The lords, the players and his personal guards are the only ones in the palace who are healthy.

He begs the players to ensure his safety. After that event, he has fever too and can't leave bed.

The player's role is to protect him.

Survive the plague themselves and save the lord of marseille who can't move

He is worried because his uncle Agout disappeared of his room.

Make Noise, then keep light, then stay awake

Step by step they will have to keep noise, light and stay awake to keep the angel at bay. As soon as there's a long enough moment of silence, the angel comes. So they have to make noise. The players need to find a solution to keep the noise. Same for light and sleep depending on the timing.

Secret passages

The Lord doesn't know of secret passages, that he is aware of. Studying the map of the castle is useless, because it doesn't tell where is the entrance. Solution : Put some dust/flour on the ground until they find where the footsteps come from. Solution : Check for cold wind below furnitures.

The Templar Cupboard

The steps come from a cupboard. The players could easily destroy it, but it would sound the alarm. That's one way of doing it though.

On the cupboard there are pedestals for swords. One is missing. The name Barral 1er des Baux is written on this pedestal. If they ask tthe lord, he will reluctantly say that he has a dark reputation because he was pasionnate about alchimie and the occult and he was close to the templars. I'ts possible to find a templaer sword sowhere else in the castle, on a mannequin. Puttting there a templar sword unlocks the door.

Templar Hideout

If the players are all immmune, the lord come with them.

Lost of books about templars, lots encyphered letters. Some gold lots of armors. Spiderwebs everywhere. They learn about the past of this family.

Where did he go ? Spiderwebs everywhere, except one place.

Also, there's only one place with bones.

They learn that Barral 1er des Baux was excommunicated five times. Excommunié à cinq reprises, n'hésitera pas à s'exclamer: " Tous les absous sont mes ennemis et tous les excommuniés mes amis."

Hell

Music : Gyorgy Ligeti - Lux aeterna (2001- A Space Odyssey) They have until the end of two times the music to figure it out.

A place full of skeletons. Tomb of Barral 1er des Baux. Lots of Crows in the room looking at them. That's where the bone sword was kept. (perhaps other artifacts as well ?)

In the middle of the room, there is a pedetals that used to have a black oily stone on it. Around it is an unbelievable fortune.

One of the players is attacked by the Destroyer Angel. If the players are all immmune, the lord come with them. The angel has black wings.

Barral 1er des Baux has a tomb, only his tomb is not opened.

Action : The player should open his tomb. They see his corpse, but his sword is missing. Once the angel of death is gone, they can keep following the destroyed spiderwebs.

The Lord remember a story. That he was afraid of crows and he died when a crow landed in his window.

Killing L

Music : Z_Baston-Skeleton Dance They arrive to a nearby church full of bodies. Danse macabre fresqueses in the church. Statue of an angel with a sword. He is in tthe church top floor. He is tall, has a big cape and a templar shield in his back, so it looks like he has wings.

He acuses the players of having stolen his philosopher's stone. With a wave of his sword peiple who are still alive in the piles of bodies will get up and attack the payers. Roll for disease. Up to the players to kill him remotely. They have to kill him TWICE. The first time is not enough, it makes him use his rage. There's a statue above him of an angel with a sword. It's unstable, possible to make it fall. His platform is unstable as well. players might have a remote atack, all is ok.

Epilogue

Epilogue musics :

• Epique entre-scenart gagant 12-Pista de audio 12.mp3
• Epique entre-scenart gagant 12-Pista de audio 12.mp3 (put it twice)
• Fin epique glorieuse 06-Final
• Then loop this Playlist Normal-Prima

While searching the cache, they find a letter signed between L and "the Pope" who explains they will use L's legacy to make the philisopher's stone. This letter is sealed by L's seal.

On his corpse they find a signet ring. The letter L with on the background an Abraxas with ten crowns. http://prima.wiki/images/c/ce/Abraxas.jpg "rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. The whole earth was amazed and followed the beast. And they worshiped the beast, saying, Who is like the beast? Who is able to wage war against it? " "je vis monter de la mer une bête qui avait dix cornes et sept têtes, et sur ses cornes dix diadèmes, et sur ses têtes des noms de blasphème. Et toute la terre était dans l'admiration derrière la bête. ils adorèrent la bête, en disant: Qui est semblable à la bête, et qui peut combattre contre elle ? "

It's Christmas 1347, the Beast is released on europe. Danse Macabre

100 000 inhabnitants in marseille, half are dead.

Decisions :

What to do about Hugues IV ?

What do they recommend about ville haute vs ville basse ?

What do they recommend the Sword ?

What do they do about the gold ?

Historic context : After the plague all the population leave on the hills near Marseilles for a while before returning to the city. Few days later, the Queen Jeanne will unite the ville haute and ville basse.

Post Game Bonus

Send those to the players as a post game bonus :

As a bonus, here is the Emblem of Agout des Baux : http://jean.gallian.free.fr/comm2/Images/sceaux-dauph/Baux1.jpg

The Emblem of Barral 1er des Baux : http://thierryhelene.bianco.free.fr/drupal/sites/default/files/barral2.jpg

An article about Barral 1er des Baux (automatic translation) All is historical, he was indeed excommunicated 5 times, and died when a crow landed on his window : https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barral_Ier_des_Baux

http://translate.google.com/translate?sl=fr&tl=en&u=https%3A%2F%2Ffr.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FBarral_Ier_des_Baux

http://prima.wiki/images/b/b1/Agout_des_baux_biography.png

An article in French about Barral 1er that explain his link to the templars : http://www.lesfilsdelavallee.fr/index.php/fr/les-statuts-secrets-de-lordre-des-templiers

Here is the scene from the movie "the Seventh Seal" with the Flagellants during the black plague : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_bhj-_LRY8

The "Beast from the Sea" of the Tapestry of the Apocalypse : https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f0/PMa_ANG036_F_Angers.jpg