Lazarus of Exeter
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BRIEFING - AUGUST 19th 7:30 AM
The Case Officer explains that approximately 36 hours ago in Exeter, Rhode Island, state police and emergency medical services responded to a 911 call reporting a suspected drug overdose at a party. Upon arrival, authorities found three victims who had been completely drained of blood.
A fourth individual, Gregory Benson, attacked the officers, attempting to bite them. Police shot him, and he was pronounced dead at the hospital. However, two hours later, Benson inexplicably revived without a pulse, or any memory of the past eight weeks. He is currently being held for observation at Rhode Island Hospital in downtown Providence.
The Case Officer instructs the Agents to visit Rhode Island Hospital and meet with Dr. Sylvia Khan, a Friendly. Dr. Khan has concealed the true nature of Greg Benson's condition from both hospital staff and law enforcement.
THE TRUTH
Greg is an IT specialist by day and an aspiring podcaster by night. His planned podcast, Mad Scientist, covered controversial research of disgraced infectious disease specialist Kurt Applewood. Applewood conducted illegal experiments centered on his theory of "Bone Prions"—a previously unknown type of prion found only in the soil near a small pond in Exeter, Rhode Island.
Greg visited the site and unknowingly became infected. The prions began to transform him into something alien and horrific. Convinced he was a vampire, Greg drugged his three friends and drank their blood. Overcome with mania, he later called the police himself.
The prions spread through direct contact with infected blood. As a result, the two responding state troopers and one of the paramedics are now infected, each progressing through different stages of metamorphosis.
There is no cure for the infection, once infected the subject suffers
- Flu like symptoms - Growth of a hard exoskeleton under the flesh.
- Bouts of violent behavior - Necrosis of Flesh
- Finally an eruption and shedding of Bone Prions.
STAGES OF INFECTION
| Stage | Incubation Period | Symptoms |
| 1 | 1 - 12 Hours | Asymptomatic |
| 2 | 12 - 18 Hours | Fever - Extreme Hunger and Thirst |
| 3 | 18 - 36 Hours | Indosketal Growth - Insatiable Hunger - Psychotic Episodes |
| 4 | 36 - 48 Hours | Memory Loss - Necrosis of Flesh |
| 5 | Post 48 Hours | Molting - Full Bloom of New Flesh - Eruption |
FRIENDLY SYLIVA KHAN - RHODE ISLAND HOSPITAL
Khan will grant the agents access to Benson and details about his condition. He is under armed guard by RI State Troopers who only know he is a sick homicide suspect.
- Benson was pronounced dead on arrival but inexplicably revived two hours later.
- He has no heartbeat, and no memory of the past eight weeks.
- He has a fever of 114.
- X-rays reveal that Benson's bones are beginning to fuse together, and an appropriate Science skill will identify that his skeletal structure is starting to resemble an invertebrate exoskeleton.
- His flesh is necrotic and is rotting off his body.
GREG’S VICTIMS
Tayla Murphy (25), Andi Dowe (30), Mathew Avcenio (28). The police report states that the three victims were friends with Benson. All were killed in the same manner, suffering from total hypovolemia (extreme blood loss). Each victim had a pair of large needles inserted into the carotid artery. Toxicology results reveal the presence of alcohol and ketamine in their systems.
GREG BESNON - PATIENT ZERO - CUSP OF STAGE FIVE
He lies on a hospital bed, a decaying mass of flesh. No machines are attached to him, but beneath the rotting tissue from stem to stern there is a hard, shell-like carapace that is partially visible at a cost of 0/D4 SAN. He is in a state of deep shock and unable to recall anything. Any attempt to breach the carapace will trigger a violent eruption.
GREG BENSON’S HOUSE
A small ranch-style home with dried blood staining the walls. The house is unremarkable, except for a makeshift recording studio set up in a spare bedroom.
- Agents can discover recordings for an unpublished podcast “Mad Scientist”, along with research notes. (Three Hours to Study)
- These materials vaguely cover Dr. Applewood’s experiments with “Bone Prions” the “New England Vampire Panic” and “Aster Pond”.
RESEARCHING DR. APPLEWOOD
Dr. Kurt Applewood was a fringe scientist, driven from academia in 1988 due to his controversial theory that a strain of prions may have contributed to the New England vampire panic of the 19th century. He believed that a rare prion found in the soil around Aster Pound in Exeter spread an infection that was mistakenly identified as tuberculosis by science and as vampirism by folklore.
Applewood conducted unauthorized experiments on primates, which led to his dismissal from Brown University. He died in disgrace in 1996.
An Agent with a Bureaucracy of 40%, Computer Science, Medicine or appropriate Science at 30% or higher can locate rare Xeroxed copies of his white papers online. Summarize how the Bone Prions spread and share the [[[#h.13oxywph6c1e | (Stages of Infection)]]]with the Agents.
ASTER POND
A tiny pond in a wildlife refuge. There is nothing of interest but a pond. The dirt surrounding the pond is teeming with Bone Prions (Viewed under a microscope).
INTERVIEWING POLICE OR PARAMEDICS INVOLVED
This small rural community operates under the authority of Town Sergeant Bobby Mullins. Mullins has a straightforward theory: Benson got high and killed his friends—nothing more complicated than that. He is cooperative and willing to share bodycam footage of the incident.
Mullins also notes that[[[#h.nr7j3w19pj91 | Troopers Lai]]] and [[[#h.3fappgfcupt8 | Swanson]]]are currently on paid leave while the shooting is under investigation. Paramedics [[[#h.bcoqtbtn9a26 | Amy Klot]]] and [[[#h.590zt22eb33e | Frank Gomez]]], however, remain active in the field. While Mullins is generally helpful and willing to provide contact information, he becomes defensive and uncooperative if pushed too hard.
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Body Camera Footage - Troopers Lai and Swanson Rhode Island State Police -
9:31 PM August 17th
In English. Study Time Minutes. Unnatural +1%. SAN loss 1
Description: Trooper Mark Swanson kneels beside a man in distress, checking his pulse. The man appears to be having a seizure. Meanwhile, Trooper Henry Lai, weapon drawn, moves to clear the back of the house. He shouts, “There are three bodies back here!”
The camera shifts back to Swanson as the situation turns chaotic. Both officers begin shouting commands, their words unintelligible. Suddenly, the man bolts upright and charges Lai from behind, dragging him to the ground and attempting to bite him. The man snarls and snaps his teeth like a wild animal as the officers struggle to subdue him.
Swanson strikes the man repeatedly with a baton, to no effect. Desperate, Swanson draws his service weapon and empties the clip. Blood sprays from the gunshot wounds with unnatural force, but the man continues to fight before collapsing into a wall.
A paramedic tends to the wounded man while another treats Trooper Swanson. Trooper Lai, covered in blood, wipes his face and his camera, while Swanson appears to do the same.
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AMY KLOT - PARAMEDIC #1 - STAGE THREE
Amy does not answer her phone, but the GPS on her ambulance shows it parked in the lot of an abandoned strip mall along the highway.
She reeks of rotting meat after having consumed four pounds of spoiled ground beef. She killed her partner, Frank Gomez, whose body lies in the back of the ambulance. She will pretend he called in sick.
She will smell bad but otherwise appear normal, careful roleplay or a successful HUMINT check can reveal she is worried about something in the back of the ambulance.
FRANK GOMEZ - PARAMEDIC #2 - UNINFECTED
His head has been crushed with a fire extinguisher.
TROOPER HENRY LAI - STAGE THREE
Trooper Lai is willing to answer his phone and openly discuss the shooting with anyone who asks. However, he refuses to leave his home but is fine with receiving visitors. He resides in a townhouse in East Providence.
He is shirtless, his torso covered in blood from his chin to his waist. He still wears his uniform pants, belt, and sidearm. Having already killed and partially devoured his neighbor, Lai is on edge.
When the Agents arrive, he will answer the door aggressively, prepared to fight to the death.
TROOPER MARK SWANSON - ACCELERATED STAGE FIVE
Swanson is nearing retirement and suffers from undiagnosed prostate cancer. His weakened immune system has made him particularly susceptible to the Bone Prions, accelerating the infection process. He lives with his wife, Angie Swanson, in a remote oceanside cottage in Southern Rhode Island.
Swanson will not answer the phone or the door, but Angie will. She explains to the Agents that Mark has been sick with the flu all day and has been resting in the upstairs bedroom.
With good roleplay or a successful Charisma or Persuade check, Angie shares her concerns.
- Mark’s condition is severe, possibly due to a combination of the flu and the emotional toll of the shooting.
- Mark has locked himself in the bedroom and refused all contact.
Unbeknownst to her, Swanson has fully transformed, he is nothing more than a swollen carapace shell filled with infectious gore. He lies on the bedroom floor, and the moment the Agents enter, he will erupt.
NPC STAT Blocks
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Greg Benson
STR 3, CON 3, DEX 3, INT 11, POW 11, CHA 10
HP 3, WP 3, SAN 24,
SKILLS: Computer Science 57%
ATTACKS: Eruption (50% or 0% if full PPE is worn)
ERUPTION: If the carapace beneath the rotting flesh of the trunk (spanning from the upper chest to the hips) is shot, stabbed, or punctured in any way, it erupts violently. This releases a spray of gore contaminated with bone prions in a 10-meter radius. Any contact with the skin carries a 50% chance of infection. Once infected, victims progress through the[[[#h.13oxywph6c1e | Stages of Infection]]], for which there is no cure or treatment.
SAN LOSS: 1/1D8 when he explodes.
Amy Clot
STR 14, CON 14, DEX 10, INT 11, POW 10, CHA 10
HP 14, WP 10, SAN 30, Addiction: Eating Raw Meat
SKILLS: Alertness 40%, Drive 60%, First Aid 70%, Medicine 30%, Melee Weapons 40%
ATTACKS: Eruption (30% or 0% if full PPE is worn) Knife (40%, 1D6 damage)
ERUPTION: If the carapace beneath the rotting flesh of the trunk (spanning from the upper chest to the hips) is shot, stabbed, or punctured in any way, it erupts violently. This releases a spray of gore contaminated with bone prions in a 10-meter radius. Any contact with the skin carries a 30% chance of infection. Once infected, victims progress through the [[[#h.13oxywph6c1e | Stages of Infection]]], for which there is no cure or treatment.
INDO/EXOSKELETAL: The skeletal structure has fused with the musculature making the infected unnaturally strong and sturdy.
Trooper Henry Lai
STR 17, CON 17, DEX 10, INT 11, POW 10, CHA 10
HP 17, WP 10, SAN 30, Cannibalism, Paranoia
SKILLS: Alertness 50%, Drive 50%, First Aid 30%, Firearms 52%, Melee Weapons 50%, Unarmed 60%
ATTACKS: Eruption (40% or 0% if full PPE is worn)Knife (40%, 1D6 damage) Medium Pistol (52%, 1d10 damage)
ERUPTION: If the carapace beneath the rotting flesh of the trunk (spanning from the upper chest to the hips) is shot, stabbed, or punctured in any way, it erupts violently. This releases a spray of gore contaminated with bone prions in a 10-meter radius. Any contact with the skin carries a 40% chance of infection. Once infected, victims progress through the [[[#h.13oxywph6c1e | Stages of Infection,]]] for which there is no cure or treatment.
INDO/EXOSKELETAL: The skeletal structure has fused with the musculature making the infected unnaturally strong and sturdy.
SAN LOSS: 0/1D4 for seeing him covered in blood with a partially devoured neighbor on the floor.
Trooper Mark Swanson
STR 1, CON 1, DEX 1, INT 1, POW 0, CHA 0
HP 1, WP 0, SAN 0,
SKILLS: Exploding 60%
ATTACKS: Eruption (60% or 0% if full PPE is worn)
ERUPTION: If the carapace beneath the rotting flesh of the trunk (spanning from the upper chest to the hips) is shot, stabbed, or punctured in any way, it erupts violently. This releases a spray of gore contaminated with bone prions in a 10-meter radius. Any contact with the skin carries a 60% chance of infection. Once infected, victims progress through thehttps:www-google-com-url-q-https:docs-google-com-document-u[[[#h.13oxywph6c1e | Stages of Infection,]]] for which there is no cure or treatment.
SAN LOSS: 1/1D8 for seeing him swell and then explode.
Credits
Lazarus of Exeter was written by Patrick Corcoran for the 2024 Shotgun Scenario contest.
Source: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1c_U1OGWwFw8SJm0VNZbJFFQInslqcLReCpQhm6ab1FI/edit