=Intro=Teaser==Send to the players before the game :
* All 28th of October 1347, Marseilles (Provence, Holy Roman Empire) His Magnum Opus cost him everything: his fortune, his family, his soul. Under the charactersunholy gaze frozen in clay of his demented masters he works tirelessly. The end is near, his pact is formal. Soon he will be the richest man in Marseille and probably in the whole Empire ! ⚜️⚜️⚜️💀💀💀
Pope - '''A Key/The book ??''' - http 28 Octobre 1347, Marseille (Provence, Saint Empire romain) Son Grand Oeuvre lui aura tout coûté ://wwwsa fortune, sa famille, son âme.lamortdanslart Sous le regard impie figé dans l'argile de ses maîtres déments, il travaille inlassablement.com/danse/France/Paris/dm_paris02 La fin est proche, son pacte est formel.htm Bientôt, il sera l'homme le plus riche de Marseille et probablement de tout l'Empire ! ⚜️⚜️⚜️💀💀💀
Emperor =Intro - '''Scepter/Sword ??''' - http://www.lamortdanslart.com/danse/France/Paris/dm_paris02.htm Cardinal - '''??''' - http://www.lamortdanslart.com/danse/France/Paris/dm_paris03.htm King - '''Crown''' - http://www.lamortdanslart.com/danse/France/Paris/dm_paris03.htm Patriarch - '''Crucifix''' - http://www.lamortdanslart.com/danse/France/Paris/dm_paris04.htm General (Connétable) - '''Banner''' - http://www.lamortdanslart.com/danse/France/Paris/dm_paris04.htm Archdeacon - '''Ring?''' - http://www.lamortdanslart.com/danse/France/Paris/dm_paris05.htm Knight - '''Sword/Armor ??''' - http://www.lamortdanslart.com/danse/France/Paris/dm_paris05.htm Deacon - '''Crosier''' - http://www.lamortdanslart.com/danse/France/Paris/dm_paris06.htm Squire - '''??''' - http://www.lamortdanslart.com/danse/France/Paris/dm_paris06.htm Abbot - '''Diptych''' - http://www.lamortdanslart.com/danse/France/Paris/dm_paris07.htm Bailly - '''Chains/Shackles''' - http://www.lamortdanslart.com/danse/France/Paris/dm_paris07.htm Scholar - '''Book''' - http://www.lamortdanslart.com/danse/France/Paris/dm_paris08.htm Bourgeois - '''Comb?''' - http://www.lamortdanslart.com/danse/France/Paris/dm_paris08.htm Chanoine - '''??''' - http://www.lamortdanslart.com/danse/France/Paris/dm_paris09.htm Merchant - '''Coin''' - http://www.lamortdanslart.com/danse/France/Paris/dm_paris09.htm Chartreux - '''Cilice''' - http://www.lamortdanslart.com/danse/France/Paris/dm_paris10.htm Sergent - '''Mace''' - http://www.lamortdanslart.com/danse/France/Paris/dm_paris10.htm Monk - '''Rosary''' - http://www.lamortdanslart.com/danse/France/Paris/dm_paris11.htm Usurer - '''Chest''' - http://www.lamortdanslart.com/danse/France/Paris/dm_paris11.htm Poor/Beggar? - '''??''' - http://www.lamortdanslart.com/danse/France/Paris/dm_paris11.htm Doctor - '''Vial''' - http://www.lamortdanslart.com/danse/France/Paris/dm_paris12.htm Lover - '''Necklace''' - http://www.lamortdanslart.com/danse/France/Paris/dm_paris12.htm Priest - '''loak clasp (Fermail)''' - http://www.lamortdanslart.com/danse/France/Paris/dm_paris13.htm Peasant - '''??''' - http://www.lamortdanslart.com/danse/France/Paris/dm_paris13.htm Lawyer - '''??''' - http://www.lamortdanslart.com/danse/France/Paris/dm_paris14.htm Menestrel - '''Psaltery (violin)''' - http://www.lamortdanslart.com/danse/France/Paris/dm_paris14.htm Cordelier (Franciscain) - '''??''' - http://www.lamortdanslart.com/danse/France/Paris/dm_paris15.htm Child - '''Toy''' - http://www.lamortdanslart.com/danse/France/Paris/dm_paris15.htm Clerc - '''??''' - http://www.lamortdanslart.com/danse/France/Paris/dm_paris16.htm Hermit/Madman ? - '''Walking stick''' - http://www.lamortdanslart.com/danse/France/Paris/dm_paris16.htm '''Chess game??'''Danse Macabre=
* Initial situation :
**Date : 28 October 1347
**Location : Marseilles (Provence, Holy Roman Empire)
Metaplot Previously, the players have found an invitation for a Masquerade (Bal Masqué) for the Toussaint 31 Oct 1347 !!!! (Fete des morts).There was a date, but no address on it.On the invitation, there is a drawing of the Saint Victor Abbaye in the background. https: //fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abbaye_Saint-Victor_de_MarseilleThis is a hint that the ball will happen in Marseille.And indeed, a ball is organised there, near the docks.
Possible villains :https://fr.wikipediaThe players find where the maskerade was supposed to happen.org/wiki/Gasbert_de_Vallehttps://frIt was supposed to happen in Marseille.wikipediaIn the cathedral.org/wiki/Louis_de_Tarentehttps://fr.wikipediaThey arrive few weeks before to try to investigate.org/wiki/Guy_X_de_Laval
Every year, a Masquerade (Bal Masqué) is organised in Marseille by the church. It happens in the cathedral : https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abbaye_Saint-Victor_de_Marseille
An alchemist found "the book"This book explain how to summon demons and gain riches beyond imagination.It also explains where to find the other artifacts."the book" gave the artifacts to lots fo people, including a noble The actual point of this masquerade is to whom he gave "gather all the sword"All artifacts bearers should make ritual deathsand ship them to Marseille.If they do that, they receive titles and money, and their artifacts gain power.Why ? He actually only need representatives of the dead bodies, but by making them do it in a particular way, he can then blackmail themdifferent Bone objects.
The point being to make the tower of Bones and summon the black plague.They succeed in 1347The rest of the campaign ball is to try to kill organised by "the bookBishop" and end the plague.The book or the sword is nicknamed "L." and he signs all contracts under this name.
During the ball, he will give them instructions on how to meet them for the final ritual : The burning of the tower.
Theplot happens just before the black plague 1347 in Marseille (change the dates Cathedral is a living place, lots of beggars and places of all previous scenarios)brough by "marin genois"Explain about Templars disappearingorphans. People sick and poor. But balls are organised there too.
The players go to the cathedral early. To prepare.The maskerade is organised every year it's not connected to "L"."L" know that if he wants to be rich, he has uses this venue as a way to secretly give instructions on the actual meeting place and time. The meeting will happen in the cathedral where they will do an unholy the final ritualof the bones. It has to happen in The deacon of the cathedral("Bishop") is corrupted as well.
https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gasbert_de_Valle wants to become the archdeacon of a united Marseille.The danse macabre masquerade"LThe cathedral is mostly closed." Promised him he could get that if he agreed to let his workers burn MarseilleBecause it's cathedral with in construction.All services are held in one wing which is still openThey build a tower spire of skeletons inside."L." also gave him an artifactbones, (the artifact related to be sure the archdeacon (archeveque)workers aren't aware that those are bones, they are hidden in word and straws
Two artifacts * Explanations :The Sword "L." and the CrosierThe Chastellain is a cousin of a noble in Marseille. That's why he makes a shipment of corpses. He is paid hansomely for it.
"the BookL" is an alchemist. He has been preparing a book made whose cover is made of bonesHe manipulates "the sword" and promise him reaches beyond imagination if he accomplishes ritual for a ritualvery long time.This For his ritual requires to succeed, he needed lots of sacrifices and teh construction skeletons of people killed in a chapel.The aim is to summon the black plaguecertain way.
That's why he recruited the Merchant "Coin", the Ministrel "Violin", the deacon "Bishop" etc...
They had the task to kill X people in a very specific way. "Coin" had to buy corpses or sell goods that would kill, "Violin" had to dance them to death, etc....
As a compensation, they got gold, support and a "Bone" item.
Every year, a Masquerade (Bal Masqué) is organised in Marseille by the church. It happens in the cathedral : https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abbaye_Saint-Victor_de_Marseille Bal des Ardents : https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bal_des_ardents tragic even All these corpses where a charivari ended shipped to him to marseille encased in a fire The point of this masquerade is to gather all the representatives bricks made of the different objectsflamable materials.
During the ball, he will give them instructions on how to meet them for the final ritual. The burning of the tower. Previously, the players have found an invitation for a Masquerade (Bal Masqué).There was a date, but no address on it.On the invitation, there point is to make a drawing of spire with all the Saint Victor Abbaye in the background. https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abbaye_Saint-Victor_de_MarseilleThis is a hint that the ball will happen in Marseille.And indeed, a ball is organised there, near the dockscorpses and burn it. * Explanations :
If successful, this ritual will multiply the virality of the plague and let it spread through europe.
* Unsolved mysteries :
Why triggering trigger the Black Plague ?Who organises and controls all of this is "L" ? (Where does those "bookBone" objects come from ? someone else ?)
* Historical themes :
Bal des Ardents : https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bal_des_ardents tragic even where a charivari ended in a fire
Cour des miracles
Orphans
Aumone
Hospital
The players find where the maskerade was supposed to happen. It was supposed to happen in Marseille. In the cathedral.They arrive few weeks before to try to investigate. Cathedral is a living place, lots of beggars and orphans. People sick and poor. But balls are organised there too. The players go to the cathedral early. To prepare.The maskerade is organised every year it's not connected to the lord.The lord uses this venue as a way to secretly give instructions on the actual meeting place and time. The meeting will happen in the cathedral where he will do the final ritual of the bones.The deacon of the cathedral is corrupted as well. The danse macabre masqueradeThe cathedral is mostly closed. Because it's in construction.All services are held in one wing which is still openThey build a spire of bones, to be sure the workers aren't aware that those are bones, they are hidden in word and straws
=Part 1 Cour des Miracles=
* '''Normal : Z_Normal-Cathédrale Silencieuse'''
{{Ambiance Track
| 5min = Visit of the cathedral and infirmary.
| 15min = There's an old man in his bed, with a lady sobbing at his side. She's a whore (she wears very bright colours) and he is her dying father. Her son was taken as well. Her left shoulder is bleeding a strange wound with a strange shape.
When interrogated, she will explain that she was forced to partake in satanic rituals. She remembers particularly the stench of sulfur and the heat. (more infos about her in the scenario track.
| 30min = A Leper come to them asking for Alms. He said he was refused in the Leprosy. He is an actual lepper. He tell the players that orphans are disappearing, he also tell them about people meeting at night in the crypt below the cathedral. When he goes there, he cannot find the door, he points to a wall (an actual wall). He just rememebr wrong. '''When he sees the wall Music : Alone in the Dark Mysteries'''
| 45min = They see a man counting coins. When approached he pretends to be blind. He is a thief. After they finished takling to him, their purse is gone. And so is he. '''When he sees the wall Music : Alone in the Dark Mysteries''' His left shoulder is bleeding a strange wound with a strange shape.
| 60min = They go to their room. The hostel owner have been killed. Stabbed at the left shoulder. '''When they see he is dead : Alone in the Dark Mysteries''' Their stuff have been stolen. When they leave the hostel, it burns. When it burns. '''When they see it burn : Berserk Behelith'''
| 75min = A riot between sailors (ville basse) and soldiers (ville haute) they fight against a new tax instored in the ville haute that tax goods coming from the sea and sold at ville haute. The Lepper is found dead in the riot. '''When they see the dead lepper : Berserk Behelith''' His left shoulder is bleeding a strange wound with a strange shape.
| 90min = They see a vallet feeding an orphan. He runs away and bring them to the trap. ''When they are attacked : Baston Bridgands !''
}}
==Ambiance track==
Cour des Miracles, Bandits, Beggars etc... Interaction with all the kind of people you cna find in an hospice.
XLeppers, Xold people, Xbeggars, Xorphans, diseased, Xwounded soldiers, madman, crippled, Xprostitutes.
Plotical tension in Marseille, some rebellions. https://journals.openedition.org/rives/4155
*0min Meeting with the deacon, description of the hospice
*15min There's an old man in his bed, with a lady sobbing at his side. She's a whore (she wears very bright colours) and he is her dying father. Her son was taken as well. Her left shoulder is bleeding a strange wound with a strange shape.
*30min A Leper come to them asking for Alms. He said he was refused in the Leprosy. He is an actual lepper. He tell the players that orphans are disappearing, he also tell them about people meeting at night in the crypt below the cathedral. When he goes there, he cannot find the door, he points to a wall (an actual wall). He just rememebr wrong. '''When he sees the wall Music : Alone in the Dark Mysteries'''
*45min They see a man counting coins. When approached he pretends to be blind. He is a thief. After they finished takling to him, their purse is gone. And so is he. '''When he sees the wall Music : Alone in the Dark Mysteries''' His left shoulder is bleeding a strange wound with a strange shape.
*60min They go to their room. The hostel owner have been killed. '''When they see he is dead : Alone in the Dark Mysteries''' Their stuff have been stolen. When they leave the hostel, it burns. When it burns. '''When they see it burn : Berserk Behelith'''
*75min A riot between sailors (ville basse) and soldiers (ville haute) they fight against a new tax instored in the ville haute. The Lepper is found dead in the riot. '''When they see the dead lepper : Berserk Behelith''' His left shoulder is bleeding a strange wound with a strange shape.
*100min They see a vallet feeding an orphan. He runs away and bring them to the trap. ''When they are attacked : Baston Bridgands !''
==Scenario Track==
The players arrive at the cathedral of Marseille. They are Greeted by the ex deacon (évèque) of Marseille : https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gasbert_de_Valle
THe current Deacon (évèque) stays in Avignon while the cathedral is being renovated.
The evil cult will pay some poor to take part of their rituals, part of the ritual is to wound them in the shoulder. The wound is the shape of a hare foot, it's the sign of the devil.
He The Deacon has a crosier (crosse épiscopale) made of boneswith a relic inside. A little chesspiece representing a skeleton Bishop.
He greets the players and they talk about the Masquerade that will happen.
As they meet him, he is playing chess against a canon.
The players can make one move.
The game pieces have their specific moves, which are also used for Byzantine (round) chess:
The King moves one square in any direction.
The Counsellor/Queen moves only one square diagonally.
The Elephant/Bishop moves exactly 2 spaces diagonally. It can jump over other game pieces. This means that its movement is restricted to only 8 places on the board.
The Knight moves like the modern chess knight: two spaces forward/backward or sideways plus one space at a right angle (an L-shape). The knight jumps over other pieces.
The Rook moves like the modern one: unlimited movement forward, backward or sideways until it has reached another piece. It cannot jump.
The Pawn moves one square forward when not capturing. Capturing occurs one step diagonally. Unlike modern chess, the pawn does not have the two-square step as the initial move. When pawns reach the other end of the board they are promoted to a counsellor.
He is very cooperative (he's a Trickster).
Action : Ask the orphans where they go beg. See that there is just one street with zero orphan beggars (because that's where they disappear)
Action : Ask the prositute where she met with the person that led her to the statanic ritual.
The prostitute has a lot to say. Her sould is broken since her son got caught and since she partook in the satanic ritual.
She remembers that she was paid by a very wealthy vallet wearing provins blue in a street in Marseille.
Little did he know the horrors she would have to commit to survive.
Then he put a blingfold on her and she walked on pavement, then grass, then some moving stone noise, then crawling underground, then a massive door unlocked and she arrvied in hell.
She cries as she describes hell : The heat, the sulfure. She was like inside a stomach.
There were statues decapitates with weird clay horrors instead of their heads.
There was an assembly of people in black robes. One of them was the master of the ceremony, he was the most cruel. Under his cape there was something like wings. His voice was sweet and seductive, sweet like a knife.
Most prostitutes, orfans and beggars who where brought there died if they refused to submit. She wishes that she had to courage to die, because now her soul is gone because of the horrors she commited.
They made her to horrible things and as a prostitute, she have done disgusting things in the past but nothing of this magnitude. There was rape, but not only, there was murder of childrens, but not only, there was canibalism but that wasn't event he worse of it. She refuses to say what was the worse of it because it broke her sould. (some kind of combination of the three in the wrong order. The point is not to describe gruesome things to the players but to suggest them.)
She cries and want to redeem.
Action : There is a vallet looking through his window all the time. For no reason.
* '''Normal : Psychlopean King in Yellow (put in the background with very very low volume : Vampire Dark Waltz)'''
==Ambience {{Ambiance Track| 5min ==*0min The ball starts with a feast in the cathedral. That draws all the poors. The meat tastes weird. Everyone wears a mask, even the poor. Lots of tables, from rich to poor. Different food on each tables. A very strong feeling of evil. Almost everyone have a wound at the shoulder.*| 15min = A strange noble come to them and ask for a Dance. He insist. If a player dance with him or refuse, he take off his mask and salute. He has the same face of a baron that died a long time ago. A splendid lady that radiates evil takes his hand to ask him to dance (she is the "Lover" of the danse macabre). Later on, the players cannot see him anymore.*| 30min = Their drink have been exchanged with blood. They spit. In their food. They find a card with a skeleton.
"Vous qui vivez: il est certain,"
"Quoique cela tarde, que vous danserez."
"Mais quand, Dieu seul le sait!"
"Réfléchissez à ce que vous ferez alors. "
*| 45min = Someone shouts start attacking someone else with his knife. He is a madman : "Is saw them ! Human bodies in the cathedral ! Hundreds of them ! ! I hear their screams ! Don't get any closer !" He is not wounded at the shoulder. He is quickly surrounded by guests with skeleton masks, in particular a monk face hooded with a rosary (chapelet in english) made of bones that radiate evil take his hand and take him away (it's the Priest (curé), also an artifact) and he is taken out of the ball. Never to be seen again.*| 60min = A man with a skeleton mask come to one of the players that have an artifact. He ask him to dance and the player cannot resist. This player is gone until the next phase. He is found unconscious on the way to the cemetry. With a wound on his shoulder.*| 75min = '''Music : Behelit Berserk''' Characters chained together and covered in feathers and oil arrive and scream like monsters.*100min | 90min = '''Music : Danse Macabre''' The fire starts and the maskerade stops, players are caught in the fire. ==Scenario Track==}}
The players attend the Masquerade / Charivari / Carnaval. All the Danse Macabre characters will attend.
Action : Either they steal the guy's bag discreetely or take the letter from an artifact bearer who is drunk.
The letter is a name and date in the past and a time. It's the name of a person who died. Raymond II des Baux 1237, he was the lord of Marseille a century ago.
Action : Tonight they should go to the grave of the person with the given name. It's a small crypt.
*'''Normal : Z_Flippant-Gyorgy Ligeti''' without '''01-GyrgyLigetiRequiem'''
==Ambience {{Ambiance Track| 5min ==*15min They hear a long scream echoing and then it's gone.*| 15min = As they crawl, there's some blood stains on the floor. It taints their clothes.| 30min = Scratching noise coming from a tomb. It's a rat inside.*| 45min = Blood dripping from the ceiling. No idea where it come from. They hear chanting. Something evil is happening upstairs.*| 60min = They see a man crawling in their direction. He was the victim of sacrificial rites, his skin is covered in cuts, his muscles are paper thin. Shortly after the players find him, he dies.*| 75min = Lots of Owl (Hiboux) arrive and look at the players. After a while. They all leave at the same time.*100min | 90min = The cultists found them and try to smoke them out. They are Wounded. '''Music : (fast start) Light of the Seven (EP 10 Trial scene)''' at 00:40 the gallery is full of smoke and they start to choke.}}
==Scenario Track==They enter the des Baux crypt, there is a secret passage that lead to the cathedral. There hear people talking and it resonates a lot.
The secret passage arrives in a strange building. (it's a forgotten part of the crypt of the cathedral)
It is locked.
Action : Put the dagger in the heart One of the deacon with statues is perfectly identical to the CrosierBone Chesspiece. It hides a if they pull it down, it reveals the keyhole. Then either lockpick or use the key.
===Undercrypt===
There is a very strong smell of sulfur that pours from the room behind.
The players puke.
Thé room is very warm. Because the blood pool de was boiling. They question wether they are in hell or on earth.
THe room is an ancient crypt with statues, all of which where mutilated. INstead of their heads there is an awful clay figure sqhowing horrible scenes (rodin gates of hell style)
There are 8 statues (Lucifer is missing) they represent the 9 archdevils of hell. [http://prima.wiki/images/1/15/3_Archdevils.png] [http://prima.wiki/images/7/7e/6_Secondary_Archdevils.png]
There are lots or alchemical equipments and a very strong stench of chemicals mixed with blood.
They find the tower of bones. Then a fire starts.
=={{Ambiance Track| 5min ==*0min The fire starts. The cathedral is on fire. There's a spark of fire on their clothes which start burning.*| 15min = The fire is unnaturally strong. They smell strong incense. They see some ritualists falling with candels they recognise some poor they saw before, for example the prostiture. Tha'ts how the fire started.*15min | 30min = The tower burns, revealing skeletal hands in the fire. An artifact bearer drops and starts drooling. The other players can wake him up.*30min | 45min = Incense smell intensifies. They hear souls screaming. they now see clearly that the tower is hiding a spire of entwined skeletons.*45min | 60min = The sound of souls screaming is strong and unbearable. Some heads open and scream fire then the skeleton falls. All the players who have artifact start walking toward the tower, the other players stop them, but they all temporarily insane.*60min | 75min = More and more skeletons start falling from the tower. THe ground is glowing red with skeletons crawling.*75min Parts of the roof caves in. They have to avoid it. *100min | 90min = The tower collapses. Same for the roof of the Cathedral. They are hurt.}}
==Scenario Track==
The ritual is accomplished, they start to burn the tower.
All the artifacts holders keep chanting, they are at the top of the cathedral.From times to time some people doing the ritual fall.
The players try to stop the ritual but to do so they have to climb the cathedral and "CrosierBishop" is there to attack them.
As the tower burns, it reveals all the corpses bound in a spiral.
Phase after phase the fire become more unnatural and stronger. Start to burn more and more of the cathedral.
BOSS fight against the deacon "CrosierBishop".
When they enter the cathedral, "CrosierBishop" happens to be there.
If they have any remo way to attacking him, they skip one step.
There's a very narrow stair. "CrosierBishop" ask a cultist to hold it with a spear. The "cultist" is a poor from before with a mark on his shoulder. He is clearly not himself.
Combat skills can work or any other way to kill him. Otherwise they are wounded.
They climb the stairs, "CrosierBishop" raises a dead cultist poor man corpse. His eyes burns. One of the players clearly see that it is only a big cultist with a skeleton mask. He has a Shield and a mace.
Action : Combat duel can work. Attacking the roof can work. Otherwise one player has to stay and let the others pass. He is wounded or killed.
If they reach this point fast enough, they can leave indemn. Or they are hurt.
if they manage to kill him they can keep the "Crosier"[[Bone Chesspiece]].
Either way, they are separated from the rest of the cultists who run away.
All the city is helping to clear the fire. In the remnants of the cathedral, they find an ocean of burned bones.
In the ocean of corpses, they see there a huge iron egg containing lots of half dead people. One of them only is one alive. It , it is an italian sailor. His body is almost entirely burned. He has a big commplicated pattern completely black on his left shoulder. His body is covered in black spots. He explains in latin that their ship was attacked and they where caught in this weird ritual.
He caughts a lot. He dies in the same day.
The pope is very embarrased that a person very close to him was a heretic, so he decided to change the date of his death, to make sure he couldn't be linked to this incident and made sure nobody could talk about this event. Since only the tower burned, he decides to rebuild it.
Next scenario : Black Plague The sailor is sent to a hospital and dies shortly after there. All the people in marseille, and killing "doctor" ? the hospital die of the plague. The black plague doctors are much later is releaseed in Marseille !! "Sword" is buying real estate 1 November 1347 ==Post Game Bonus== Send those to the players as a post game bonus : The Cathedral of the deseasedMarseille : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abbey_of_St_Victor, all _Marseille Actual picture of the poeple he loan from die from crypts below the plagueCathedral : [http://prima. Making him very richwiki/images/4/4e/Cathedral_Crypt.jpg]
There was an actual events where during a masquerade people coevred themselves in feathers and oil and caught fire (even though it was not at that period) it was later called the "Bal des Ardents" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bal_des_Ardents : [http://prima.wiki/images/4/46/Bal_des_Ardents.jpg]
[[Category:Scenario]]