"A good friend will help you move, but a true friend will help you move a body."
Briefing
Agents meet at an isolated location, such as a parking lot, truck stop, motel, or underpass. The case officer is agitated, sleep deprived, and knows little about disposing of bodies.
Info Given:
- Tabitha Holland is dead, the Agents do not need to know how.
- Her address, a short drive away, where she lives with fiance Candace Cutter.
- Her body is in the burner car nearby, Agents receive keys for it.
Objectives:
- The body must be found at her apartment, staged so it appears she was killed there by Candace.
- Remove any evidence of the Unnatural in her home and nearby EasyStore rental.
- Dispose of the car when finished.
Reasons a simple disappearance cannot be used could include her social connections, avoiding a wider search, a need to discredit Candace, poor judgment, bad intel, or similar factors. The case officer does not consider these need to know.
The burner car was bought with cash under a fake name, registration in the glove compartment. Tabitha's body is in the trunk, with two full gasoline cans and the murder weapon (any gun).
Case Officer’s Manifestation
Some of this may be determined by investigating the body:
Apparently ~10 hours ago the case officer shot Tabitha, who they were cultivating as a green box custodian, in the back of the head with a gun registered to them - which was left beside the body. Her face is mostly exit wound. Discovering this in their home they cleaned the scene, filed identification off the gun, then contacted the Agents.
Manifesting
An infected individual manifests and discovers one corpse of a living acquaintance - friend, colleague, boss, relative, etc. - within 24 hours. Cause of death always implies murder with a crime scene, suited to the manner of death, that strongly implicates the manifester with sufficient evidence to convict. Time of death varies.
Manifestations are real, permanent, and must be dealt with appropriately. Physical evidence is genuine, having moved to the crime scene. This might be the knife from an Agent's kitchen back home, the car from their garage, work clothes, DNA, or anything else except for living creatures. The real 'victim' is still alive, but it's hard to explain these murders.
Those Adapted to Violence only manifest themselves, dead to apparent suicide.
Otherwise an individual with no close social contacts becomes a carrier, infecting others on touch and manifesting a corpse only after gaining a suitable acquaintance.
Methods of Infection
- Your corpse being manifested by anyone.
- Physical interference with a manifested corpse (eg. carrying it or checking for a pulse).
- Skin contact with an infected person who has not yet manifested a body.
You cannot be re-infected.
Manifestations
Corpses can manifest anywhere, but are always found at their own crime scene - with all the physical and forensic evidence ready to be found by anyone else who might stumble across it.
The person manifesting them must make the discovery, even if others see it at the same time, as it does not exist until then. The crime scene and body appear instantly but never while observed. This could mean waiting until they are the first to enter a room, walk around a corner, open a door, the car trunk, check the backseat or look in a container. A glance through a window is enough.
Agents might manifest corpses of Bonds, each other, their case officer, or any NPCs they have been friendly with in the past. They only get one each, choose for maximum impact/ comedy.
Realizing you're implicated in a manifestation is 0/1 SAN loss for Helplessness. Seeing yourself dead is 0/1D4 SAN for Unnatural. Other losses for discovering or disposing of bodies are listed in the Agent's Handbook (p. 67), with your own corpse treated the same as a Bond.
The Agent's Handbook guidelines for removing evidence and disposing of bodies may prove useful (p. 169-170). Though a spare corpse could be useful in the future if stashed somewhere. Successfully removing a manifested crime scene can generally be assumed to require time, supplies, and Forensics plus Criminology totalling 50% (or a roll against either).
The Apartment
- Two apartments per floor.
- Tall building, access via key fob. Oscar works the lobby concierge desk 6-10, am&pm.
- Elevator, stairs, trash chutes.
- Dumpsters & heating furnace in the basement.
- Fob access to underground parking, watched by cameras. Jake is often here.
Tabitha ’s curtains are always closed, at night her silhouetted figure can be seen moving around the apartment. Maria lives opposite. The bedroom door is closed, bloody footprints lead from it. Car keys, with parking access fob, are in a bowl near the front door.
Tabitha's phone is in Tabitha's car, parked below, with recent missed calls from Candace. A gun cabinet key and labeled EasyStore keys - “ gates ”, and “ locker #37 ” - are in the cupholder.
Tabitha:
If Agents' approach reasonably she talks on the intercom, phone, or through the door and acts normally - but 40% HUMINT or a roll detects signs of emotional shock. If Agents have reason to enter the apartment she invites them in.
In person it’s obvious something is wrong - she’s very bloody.
Yesterday Tabitha manifested Candace and suffered a mental break. She has not left home since - cooking, eating, watching tv, browsing the internet, and sleeping on the couch as if nothing was wrong. She has not changed her bloody clothes or bathed but is otherwise taking care of herself. She's been making a crotchet depiction of the crime scene.
Psychotherapy 20% or a roll can get her to address that she's covered in blood. Discovering the crime scene and confronting her about it has the same effect. She's then distraught and panicked, but co-operative. Tabatha can't remember killing Candace, who should be in Italy.
She last met the case officer yesterday, may believe the Agents have been sent to help clean up the scene or just to arrest her, and could call or face-time Candace to discover she is still alive, but likely won’t think to unless becoming aware of the duplicate bodies.
Tabitha's Manifestation:
Tabitha appears to have repeatedly stabbed the sleeping Candace to death yesterday. Her bed is soaked in blood from the body, the bedroom covered in splatter, and her bloodied kitchen knife is on the floor. Tabitha 's prints are everywhere. There may be flies. It reeks.
She has blood on her clothes from the scene and vomited in the bedroom more than once.
Calling Candace
Candace is in Italy for a week attending her uncle's funeral. The family don't know he faked his death with a ritual. He botched it. It echoed and spread among family and friends. Candace manifested, and buried, Tabitha.
She's helped bury others, and everyone only manifested one body. It's contained, but they thought it only spread by touch. She explains what she knows if she expects to be believed - Tabitha or HUMINT / Persuasion can help.
Traffic Stop
There’s many reasons to get pulled over by someone like Officer Stevens, some of them not even your fault. All of them are terrible when there's more than zero corpses in the car.
EasyStore
A self-store facility in a fenced lot on an industrial park with security cameras, and locked gate. Bobby is in the guard hut each night.
Locker #37 is registered to Tabitha. Steve knows this and is often here by day. Searching the EasyStore records, such as from the guard hut computer, will also show this.
Inside, a locked gun cabinet holds a few choice guns and ammo, a wardrobe has work clothes for different professions, a powered chest freezer contains wrapped chunks of raw deer meat and, also wrapped, the Tattooed Hand. There’s more cans of gasoline and a roll of plastic sheeting. A bloodstained metal table holds butchering knives.
Butchering a body here costs 1/1D6 SAN from Violence, or 1D4/1D8 if a Bond or yourself.
Home Scenes
If Sanity losses were not projected onto them, the Agent may add 1 to any non-zero Bond they manifested - the thought of losing them made them more attentive - in addition to their pursuit..
Infected Agents who make it to their Home scene without manifesting will manifest during whichever pursuit they choose. This needs dealing with or there could be consequences.
If an Agent manifested a Bond during the operation that Bond manifests a murder of their own.
A D10 roll lower than the Bond's value, or the Agent choosing Fulfill Responsibilities to improve that Bond, means they ask the Agent to Help Move a Body.
Directly refusing lowers the Bond value by D4 as they grow more distant.
Help Move a Body replaces any personal pursuit. Add 2D4 to the Bond's value, even if exceeding the Agent’s CHA, but they must then help dispose of the body and clean the scene.
Stat Blocks
The Tattooed Hand, Tome
In Gregg Shorthand (English). Study Time: days. SAN loss: 1.
A recently severed hand and wrist that sufficient examination may determine was severed by repeated blows from a fire axe. The back of the hand bears intricately tattooed symbols and occasional tiny pictographs, the palm has more. These tattoos, if deciphered, detail a ritual that may then be learned.The hand decays naturally and can be destroyed through all normal means except fire - every part of it is completely immune to damage from fire or heat.
SUGGESTED RITUALS: Call Forth Those From Outside (Ifrits), The Voorish Sign
Tabatha Holland, Prospective Green Box Custodian
An unemployed social introvert from a family of doctors, mousey and diffident.
STR: 10 CON: 9 DEX: 12 INT:10 POW: 9 CHA:11
HP: 10 WP: 9 SAN: 37 Hemophobia
NOTABLE SKILLS: Firearms: 35%, Craft (Crochet): 55%, First Aid: 40%.
ATTACKS: Shove: 40%, Bludgeon with Household Item: 30%
Candace Cutter, Concerned Fiance
A career-focused high-earner, usually practical but not a people-person.
STR:11 CON:10 DEX:10 INT:11 POW:12 CHA:6
HP:11 WP:8 SAN:38 Intermittent Explosive Disorder, Adapted to Violence
NOTABLE SKILLS: Guide Crime Scene Cleaning: 60%, Distrust Strangers: 60%.
ATTACKS: Hang up: 80%.
Oscar Bednarski, Dismissive Concierge
Snide and snooty, with an air befitting of a much grander building.
STR:10 CON:12 DEX:10 INT:10 POW:14 CHA:10
HP:12 WP:14 SAN: 65
NOTABLE SKILLS: Alertness: 50%, Persuade: 60%, Take Bribe: 60%, Comply w. Authority: 80%
ATTACKS: Dry Wit: 70%, Speed-dial Police: 70%.
Maria Camarino, Nosy Neighbour
A lonely spinster desperate to not be ignored or miss any interesting events.
STR:9 CON:8 DEX:11 INT:10 POW:14 CHA:9
HP:9 WP:14 SAN:52 Autophobia
NOTABLE SKILLS: Persuade: 50%, Craft (Cooking): 80%, HUMINT: 60%, Listen at Doors: 60%
ATTACKS: Pepper Spray: 40%.
Jake Denver, Biker Techbro
A rich, arrogant bully who works part-time from home and goes on multiple rides a day ‘to think’.
STR: 11 CON: 12 DEX: 13 INT: 15 POW:10 CHA:10
HP: 12 WP: 10 SAN: 49
ARMOR: 1+1, Riding Leathers (non-ballistic protection only) + Cycle Helmet (as Riot Helmet)
NOTABLE SKILLS: Ride (Motorbike): 50%, Disparage Your Car: 60%.
ATTACKS: Steel-toe Boots & Keys (as Brass Knuckles): 60%, Ride-By Strike (as Critical): 40%.
Bobby Kutcher, EasyStore Watchman
Lazy, sleepy and overweight. Looks like, and is, a man who gave up on himself.
STR: 12 CON: 9 DEX: 10 INT:10 POW: 8 CHA: 9
HP: 11 WP: 8 SAN: 40 Adapted to Helplessness
ARMOR: 4, Re-enforced Kevlar Vest
NOTABLE SKILLS: Firearms 50%, Alertness 40%, Go On Patrol 30%, Fall Asleep 40%.
ATTACKS: Stun Baton: 40%, Medium Pistol: 50%, Pump Shotgun (shot): 50% (+20%)
Steve Wilson, EasyStore Patron
An enthusiastic hunter and big talker who assumes everyone shares his interests.
STR:11 CON:12 DEX:10 INT:10 POW:11 CHA: 13
HP:12 WP:11 SAN: 55
NOTABLE SKILLS: Awareness 40%, Firearms 50%, Survival: 45%, Approach To Talk 60%
ATTACKS: Unarmed: 50%, Light Pistol: 50%
Officer Don Stevens, Badly Timed Cop
Serious and professional, besides suspecting everyone but him is high.
STR:10 CON:10 DEX:10 INT:11 POW:10 CHA: 12
HP:10 WP:11 SAN: 50
ARMOR: 4: Reinforced Kevlar Vest
NOTABLE SKILLS: Firearms: 50%, HUMINT 45%, Law: 50%
ATTACKS: Unarmed 60%, Baton: 40%, CED Pistol, Medium Pistol, Pump Shotgun (slugs): 50%
Credits
True Friends was written by Chompy Chomp for the 2023 Shotgun Scenario contest.
Source: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1byqIAS5aRfYpS71Qn1UQW02J7PxTa35HReNxEBn0QyU/edit