Orphans v1.0
Orphans v1.0
ORPHANS
For the MOTHERSHIP® Sci-fi Horror Roleplaying Game
4
Station Key
01.
01. Dock
DOCK Interior
INTERIOR
02.
02. LobBY
LOBBY
03.
03. Management
MANAGEMENT
04.
04. Mall
MALL
05.
05. Residential
RESIDENTIAL AREA
TOP VIEW 06.
06. MAINTENANCE
MAINTENANCE BAY
07.
07. Engineering
ENGINEERING
2 08.
08. Generators
GENERATORS
09.
09. ATMOSPHERICS
ATMOSPHERICS
10.
10. Fuel
FUEL Refining
REFINING
3 5
FUEL REFINING
TOP VIEW
4 3 2 5
1
DOCK
DOCK EXTERIOR
6
EXTERIOR
8 9
10
FUEL REFINING
SIDE VIEW
SIDE VIEW
2 If the crew can download a map or remove the jamming, give them this map.
ORPHANS
For the MOTHERSHIP® Sci-fi Horror Roleplaying Game
Change out TriSun for an already established company or faction in your game. 3
4 Don’t describe all of Auntie at once. Emphasise specific elements one at a time.
AUNTIE AUNTIE
The entity using Charis and Luca is called Auntie. [C:85 5d10 DMG I:60 W:1(100)]
It belongs to a different order of matter, where
force of thought and feeling dictate physical law, + YL’SOM LDY TR TR: This guttural
and can channel some of this into the material invocation emanates from within
plane. Each time Charis and Luca invoke this Auntie’s body. All in Close Range able
being, more of Auntie punctures through and to hear it make a Sanity Save or gain
materializes. It draws upon old human memories, a Wound as their flesh transmogrifies
which stand like landmarks in that Other Place. into soil. Auntie speaks this dire
Auntie manifests as a 12′ tall hunched form, syllable every 1d10 rounds.
humanoid but with wide shoulders tapering + UMMON SHA KON HAMMNASH:
down to a narrow waist. Mossy loam and roots Auntie manifests 1d5 Hanging Vines
make up the bulk of its body. Gnarled wood [C:45 1d10 DMG I:10] to aid their attack.
forms a mock-ribcage. Set low, a gnarled skull, + GRUNNUT INFT STALL: Auntie
yellowed and dirty, supports a huge pair of summons a thick clod of rootbound
antlers, red and shedding their velvet material. earth. It bursts from the walls, floor,
The arms terminate in clubs of stone wrapped and ceiling, enough to block a corridor.
in root-fingers. The legs are stolen from a horse, Blockages take 30 minutes to dig
the hooves removed, leaving only the delicate, through by hand.
raw bloody fins squelching beneath the weight
of the body. When set to violence, tiny glittering Auntie does not just immediately
flames dance in the empty sockets of the skull. manifest and start attacking the players.
Moving physically, Auntie shambles, an unstoppable Use the Encounters on page 20 to slowly
force. In each bloody footprint sprouts new amp the tension, demonstrating Auntie’s
growths, roots writhing and struggling to find influence before the attacks begin.
purchase on cold steel floors.
Auntie’s disembodied form haunts the station, Figments
observing all that occurs. It waits until targets [C:30 I:15 W:2(20)]
are isolated, either an individual or a pair of the Auntie can form Figments from soil,
injured. Once they are split off, it appears in puppets which appear as those seen
a cloud of thick black smoke. It will first work by Auntie, but which dissolve into soil
to ensure their isolation, summoning clods of when touched. Auntie uses this to divide
thick earth to separate any help. Then it will set assailants and spread fear.
about killing the victims, transforming them + Until touched by a living being,
into Figments. This done, Auntie retreats once Figments can interact with the
more into that Other Realm and waits, using the physical world.
Figments to sow paranoia and division. + Figments wrapped in armor
Auntie at first tries to eliminate the crew. If the can use tools and pull triggers.
crew reaches Charis and Luca, the attacks stop. + Auntie is aware of everything
Auntie is happy to let the children escape with the Figments experience.
the crew, then ambush and kill the crew en route
later. If physically destroyed, Auntie reappears in
33 minutes. Those doing so can feel nearby soil as if it
As Auntie is destroyed, the slayer experiences was an extension of their body. They are able
external thoughts: visions of earth and stone, to move up to 20kg of soil a day, like flexing a
the slow grinding root consuming a mountain. muscle. Each time, they must make a Sanity
They may accept +3 Minimum Stress. Save. They dream only of living in caverns
deep within a planet, lightless and dark.
Auntie can show up unnannounced. Be sure to read the back cover for random encounters. 5
> STATION IN LOW POWER
> ALL LIGHTS EMERGENCY RED
> wireless comms jammed (pg. 7)
DOCK EXTERIOR
Two large docking claws sprout from the hull.
Warning lights are on low power mode.
+ All automatic systems are offline.
IMUEN STATION + Docking requires use of a manual
A refuelling station orbiting an officially umbilical, guided by hand.
unnamed gas giant, known to the staff + The leftmost claw has a device wired
as Big Red. into the control panel.
+ No outgoing communications are being + Marines: quickly recognize this as
broadcast. It does not respond to hails. a localized override device, used
+ Scans show the station is running on to breach ships without explosive
emergency power, and that something decompression.
is jamming all signals.
+ The station is pressurized, and has a Î thoroughfare to Dock Interior [01]
breathable atmosphere. and industrial airlock (see below)
+ There are some signs of life, but the
jamming makes it impossible to pinpoint Industrial Airlock
where they are located. Surrounded by struts and clamps. The manual
+ The source of the jamming is controls are broken, requiring repair or a
The Vampire Squid, but this cutting tool to open.
is intially unclear.
Î leads to Maintenance Bay [06].
Emphasise the weirdness of soil and plant growth in a space station. Check the back cover for ideas
8 on how to incorporate crewmembers’ skills with these revelations.
Steve Katia
[C:10 1d5 DMG I:30 W:2{15)]
A man in his 60s, he speaks in a confused slur.
Large Door
Marked STORAGE, behind it an industrial set of
03. MANAGEMENT stairs leads down to a dark, cluttered basement.
A devastated cubicle space, filled with smashed Leaning against the wall beside the door is a
computers and strewn chairs. Broken glass figure in ABD, its face hidden behind a mirror-
windows gape, revealing private offices. chrome visor. It holds an SMG and has a stun-
+ Amongst the debris: spent 12mm caseless baton on its belt.
squash-nose rounds. + A Figment. [C:10 SMG 2d10 DMG I:30 W:2(15)]
Entirely silent. it opens fire after 1d5 crew
Garbage Bin pass through. Within the suit is nothing but
Inside is Steve Katia, half-delirious with fear. rich soil and human bones.
He has not left the bin since the Retrieval Team
began their assault. If calmed, he can give Î corridors to Mall [04],
some details: Residential Area [05]
+ 3 hours ago, the Retrieval Team arrived
and began executing staff. He heard a lot
of gunfire. Using Figments
+ Since then he has seen people walking Figments (pg. 5) are the eyes and ears
around, their faces slack. He believes he of Auntie. They are interested in gathering
is hallucinatinating. information, sowing fear and slowing down
He forgets to mention anything about Charis any who might harm Charis and Luca.
or Luca. If asked specifically about them he Run them like strange, possibly traumatized
grows furious, assuming they are somehow people. If they are about to be revealed
responsible. (i.e. touched) they will lash out with sudden
+ If taken to Charis or Luca, Steve foolishly violence. This ramps up the paranoia for
tries to enact revenge. when the crew meets real people.
Play up the corpse nature of the armored figment. Describe any motion explosively. 9
04. MALL
Inert vending machines and empty storefronts
watch over 17 bodies in station uniforms.
Smashed glass mingles with blood.
+ 7 shot in the head, hands are zip-tied.
10 shot in the back, multiple times.
+ All shot with same kind of caseless
12mm squash-nose rounds.
+ Nametags: M. ROSWITHA, C. LESTYN, C.
ROSAMUND, S. SILVIO, S. CUA, V. NICOLASA, C.
OGNJEN, N. SANDA, L. SLOBODAN, D. BIBORKA,
B. FAZL, O. BESSARION, A. BAAL, C. FAUSTA,
K. SOULEYMANE, A. ARISTODEMOS, I. MERRY.
+ The oldest is 2 hours old, the newest 1 hour.
10 If the players are struggling, leave some muddy footprints leading to Alia Guar.
A picture is worth a thousand words. Show the players this one. 11
12 Lean into chaos and mess. Lay it on thick. This place is trashed.
05. RESIDENTIAL AREA
Reception Desk
Plugged into a small terminal atop is
a ruggedized military cyber-deck.
+ It is out of batteries: If charged, the last
commands run were “EXTRACT ROOM
USAGE DATA.”
+ If run again (requires a Staff ID): This data
reveals a map of all the rooms to members
of staff, except for two rooms marked
“ANONYMOUS.”
Maze of Corridors
Numbered rooms, all of them trashed.
+ Bloodstains mark the walls.
+ The doors have been kicked open.
+ Some have soil on the floors and ceilings.
+ Occasional calls for help echo throughout.
+ The calls come from Figments of Carlos
Rosamund and Ivan Merry. They call Carlos Rosamund
for help, then move to a new room. [C:10 1d5 DMG I:30 W:2(15)]
+ They are trying to separate and trap Figments (pg. 5) of a middle-aged man hidden
the crew. behind his truly impressive mustache. Wearing
+ If found, both say the assault team a maintenance staff jumpsuit, bereft of tools.
released some sort of creature which
is now haunting the station.
+ Towards the back of this warren is a kicked-
down door marked STAFF ONLY.
14 Leave a lot of clues about the bombs in the repair tugs. Let them remove the bombs and use them.
They’re on the final stretch now. Ramp things up. Roll more on the encounter table if you need to. 15
10. FUEL REFINING
Huge reinforced pipes emerge from the flooring
like whales studded with inspection consoles.
+ Signs everywhere: NO SMOKING. ANTI-STATIC
WRISTBANDS MUST BE WORN AT ALL TIMES.
+ Gauges indicate tanks 1 and 3 are full.
Î Tank 1 Door
Î Tank 2 Door
Î Tank 3 Door
Î Corridor to Engineering [07]
16 REMEMBER: Auntie wants Luca and Charis to survive (and not be harmed) so she can spread her will.
How do they get out?
It’s very possible that the players get
trapped inside the fuel tanks by the
orphans. This then becomes a negotiation.
The crew needs to convince these scared
children to trust them before Auntie
appears. Have the manifestations of
Auntie begin to slowly fill the tank before
it fully appears, only to disappear if the
children open the tank back up.
Fighting Auntie here would be devastating. Any hit could send someone tumbling down the fuel tank. 17
18
FALLOUT & CONSEQUENCES If Charis and Luca are taken...
For longer campaigns, you can weave the Auntie bides its time, having learned that naked
consequences into your game, having them violence will not serve its purposes. It waits until
unfold slowly. The immediate decision is where Charis and Luca are among people again before
to take Charis and Luca, and how Auntie trying to manifest.
interacts with that. It desires worship and subjugation, and through
For one-shot campaigns, these consequences Charis and Luca’s dreams it subtly guides them
can act as epilogues, giving the players a sense to find a backwater world.
of the large scale ramifications of their actions. Any time someone tries to separate or harm
Charis and Luca, Auntie appears and defends
them, causing another bloody massacre.
19
Encounters with Auntie: While aboard Imuen Station, roll 1d10 every 10 minutes
(or location change) and reference the table below. Keep a running total, and increase
the number after each roll. Using this table will help make Imuen Station stranger
and increase the tension as Auntie approaches.
Fresh clods of earth track across the floor (Wilderness Survival: Tracks of a 12′
00-09
tall creature).
Puddles of stagnant water, greenish with algae. (Botany: Prasinoderma coloniale,
10-11
a long-extinct algae strain. Sample worth 100kcr.)
Green shoots emerge from the cracks in the floor and walls (Botany:
12-13 Reynoutria japonica, Japanese knotweed. Given time, this fast-growing
plant would tear the station apart. Edible.).
14-15 A low mist shrouds the floor. It is cool to the touch.
The croaking of frogs echoes in this space (Zoology: “Actually, those are
16-17
toads. They’re doing a warning signal.”).
A proliferation of mushrooms sprout from a single point on the bulkhead,
straining upwards towards the emergency lights (Botany: Mushrooms are
unknown species. With a Science Lab: Mushrooms are a powerful psychotropic.
18-19
If eaten: increase Sanity and Fear Saves by 1d10, replace entry 04 on the Panic
Table with: “Psionic Emanations: Those in Close Range make a Sanity Save
or take 1d10 psionic Damage.”).
Tight-bound ivy obscures the bulkhead, visibly growing from where the wall
20-21
meets the floor (Sanity Save).
22-23 Limp vines suddenly drop from the lights, heavy with leaves (Fear Save).
Gnarled roots twist atop the floor. Fast movement here risks tripping and
24-25
falling (Body Save to avoid).
26-27 Extremely pungent smell of fresh meat and blood (Body Save or wretch).
Water, ankle deep, floods the area. The water is muddy and carries leeches
28-29
which stick to any passing through (Fear Save or 1 DMG, Bleeding +1).
30-31 A thick mist obscures the area, reducing visibility to an Adjacent Range.
32-33 A heavily mossed boulder stands proud and incongruous (Sanity Save).
34-35 The chirp of insects nearby.
Biting insects swarm the area, descending upon exposed flesh (Body Save
36-37
or [-] on all rolls for the rest of the day).
Hanging vines [C:45 1d10 DMG I:10] coil around the weapons of those
38-39 passing, pulling them up out of reach. Body Save to snatch them back before
they are lost in the thick vegetable coils. They attack if fought.
Heavy rain impossibly falls from the ceiling, drenching everything and quickly
40-41
flooding the area to knee-height (Sanity Save [-]).
42-43 Hanging vines [C:45 1d10 DMG I:10] whip anyone who passes beneath them.
Thick, knee-deep mud fills the room, sucking greedily at those attempting to
44-45
pass through it. Movement speed is halved. Speed Checks at [-] in this area.
Auntie manifests and attacks the weakest member of the crew, fleeing after
46+
1d5 Rounds. Reduce running total by 3d10.
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