The Dog Days Are Over

The Dog Days Are Over is the seventh Mystery in the Saint Mary Vincent Campaign.

## CONCEPT

A certain person has allied himself with his in-laws in a big way, agreeing to become a Vampire and help them take out The Red Council presence in St. Mary Vincent once and for all so that the Sterling Clan can once again establish themselves as the glorious Clan they used to be.

Meanwhile, the hunters’ allies are coming to terms with having been stuck in a five year time loop only a few weeks after learning from the hunters that the past that they have experienced is notably different from the one the hunters came from.

## HOOK

A series of monster attacks plagues the town on the day of the biggest party of the summer at Big Chonk Lake. The targets appear to be the Hazard Pack and some of their closest associates. Unfortunately, the latter group seems to include the Hunters themselves.

## COUNTDOWN

 Shadows
 Sunset
 Dusk
 Nightfall
 Midnight

### EXPANDED COUNTDOWN

#### *Eighties Training Montage Karaoke Night*

Since he’s now a member of P.I.E.,the present 5 years gang (Nana, Hector, Shira, Goro, Duke, Buck, and Wadim) got together and got Jarsten a fool-proof fake I.D. that says he’s 22-years-old. They’ve all really become attached to him.

Erin Diskin comes by with an envelope for Hector (hands it to a hunter to give to him). Her police radio goes off for a home security alarm and she prepares to leave. Sheriff Bonk, who is sitting at the bar drinking a virgin flirtini, waves her off, telling her he’ll take it since he’s about to go on duty, and that home has been having false alarms all week anyway.

-Vampire!Ava will arrive at Hemlock Creek Drafthouse to ensure it is Sheriff Bonk who goes to the scene.

Vampire!Ava (who appears to be a teenage girl) attempts to get into karaoke night. Hector is at the bar taking IDs. He appears to recognize her immediately, and breaks out in a cold sweat. He demands an ID from her, and when she gives him her ID, he tells her that it must clearly be fake, as it states that she is over 100-years-old, which is obviously wrong. Ava asks him if he can make an exception for her, since they’re “family now”. Hector tells her that she needs to leave, and escorts her outside in an extremely rough manner. He warns her that she shouldn’t be there, and that she had better keep her pet on a very short leash if she planned on sticking around. Ava assures him that she came to town on her own this time.

When Hector returns to the bar, he makes a phone call and asks another bar employee to take the door. He spends the rest of the night close to the Hazard siblings, and seems particularly concerned about Nana.

Though his mood seems to lift as the night goes by, it is apparent that he’s on high alert about something.

After the bar, Hector can be seen sitting in the southwest corner of Sterling Park with Simon Tagrid, eating donuts with very serious expressions on their faces as they watch Sterling Mansion and Hazard House intently.

-Ghoul!Linda kills Sheriff Bonk when he is called out to a false alarm, and takes on his form and memories

#### *Afternoon Coordinated Attacks*

-Eater!Debbie attacks Wadim while he is in the forest with Taffy

Wadim and Taffy are on the bike trail that leads to Big Chonk Lake practicing Subjugation on unwitting joggers. Wadim warns Taffy to never side with a Clan vampire, and tells her that he recently lost an old friend because of this.

When the Eater attacks, Wadim compels Taffy to run back to town without looking back and not to stop running until she finds another member of her own squad.

Wadim turns into a flock of bats and flees from the Eater.

-Melusine!Judy attacks Duke while he is loading up inner tubes at the boat ramp

Duke is being assisted by Jarsten Kimblew at the ramp. Although Duke can hold up pretty well against the Melusine, she is about to attack him with her poisoned claws when Jarsten jumps on her back and steals one of her eyes. They both run for it, in opposite directions, when she retreats. Jarsten runs toward the ritual location, while Duke heads for Simon Tagrid and Stone Row to have a bite treated.

-Hala!Sharon creates a giant storm which wipes out communications, causes blackouts, and traps the coven at the ritual site.

           Millicent and the Hazard Pups (Benji and Scout), fresh out of P.I.E. academy, have been volunteered to help out with the annual Casting of the Protective Circle by the Coven of the Golden Hand. Just as last year's protective circle is dismissed, a massive storm begins to brew, seemingly centered right over the ritual area.

           While the coven does their best to take cover, the temperature begins to drop and hail begins pelting them from the heavens. Branches break, electrical lines are broken, cell service is lost. Just when it looks like they’re screwed, Nana arrives with supplies and proceeds to guide them safely to a nearby cave.

           But what was that awful howl echoing off the mountain just now? Benji and Scout are immediately suspicious of their big sister’s perfect timing and, along with Millicent, fall to the back of the large group being led to the cave to quickly formulate a plan.

-Werewolf!Stormy attacks Nana while she is running in the forest

Hector picks up Delia (and Henry?) from the library on his way to Big Chonk Lake. As they are driving on the forest road, a shrieking howl erupts from the forest and Hector slams on the brakes. He rushes out of the car so fast that he rips the door halfway off.

When he emerges from the forest, throws something large and dead into the trunk with a huge thud (Wolf!Stormy) and emerges carefully carrying another wolf (Wolf!Nana), who seems severely injured. Hector orders Delia to drive the car, telling her to head directly to Simon Tagrid at Stone Row.

-Empusa!Joyce attacks Buck while he is mowing Edna’s lawn

Buck came to help out since he’s a good dude and he knows Edna *appreciates* him helping with the yardwork. While Edna and Mariah are packing up the car to prepare for the picnic, a woman approaches him and they engage in unarmed combat on Edna’s front lawn. He pins her down, but gets worried by all of the attention the fight is getting from the neighbors. Joyce uses the distraction to land a swift kick to the side of his head, and for only a moment, Buck blacks out, giving her the chance to get away.

He asks Edna to drive him to Simon Tagrid at Stone Row, not because he’s particularly badly injured, but because it wouldn’t be a good idea to be diving into Big Chonk Lake with an open wound.

-Jorogumo!Pam seals Veronica in the Inverted Spring and guards her there

-Dhampir! Eliza will subdue Dhampir!Selena by convincing her that The Red Council is attacking the Sterling Clan, and that she must stay hidden in the cold cellars. She will “confide” in her that Hugo is being held hostage to keep the enemies from storming the mansion, and that if the attack isn’t called off, Ava plans on turning Hugo.

#### *Cops & Doctors*

-Ghoul!Sheriff Bonk arrests Hector for Nana’s “murder”

Hector’s truck is suddenly surrounded by as many police cruisers as will fit on the narrow road and they surround Hector, Delia (and Henry?) in full riot gear. Sheriff Bonk announces that Hector is being arrested for murder, and that the other two will be taken in as witnesses, or arrested as accomplices if they prefer. Hector has covered the bodies of the wolves with a blanket (Nana) and garbage (Stormy), so that they are not immediately apparent. When Erin Diskin arrives, she seems very confused about what is happening, but begs Hector to keep himself under control, and Delia to cooperate with the officers until she can figure out what’s going on.

The Sheriff seems very confused when Erin asks him *what* murder he’s actually referring to, as no reports have been received and no bodies have been discovered. When she peeks into the back of the truck and sees the now reverted Nana, she assures him that she will take care of “securing the vehicle as evidence” while the other officers scour the woods for “the body”. Erin takes the truck directly to Simon Tagrid.

-Eater!Debbie returns to Vampire!Ava and Vampire!Hugo, who feeds on her receiving Wadim’s powers

-Buck arrives at Stone Row with Edna and Mariah. Simon takes him into Room One and tells Edna to guard the door in case the Empusa follows them.

-If she has not made it to the other hunters yet, Eliza tries to stop Taffy and bring her to the Sterling Mansion. If Taffy is resistant, Eliza will tell her that Wadim is gone now, and she’s going to be all alone if she doesn’t find herself a clan. Taffy will have to roll if she wants to keep control of herself. (Hint: If Wadim were completely gone, Taffy would not still feel compelled to keep running until she finds her squad) (If Edna isn’t playing, Duke will interrupt this conversation and take Taffy with him)

-Erin Diskin arrives at Stone Row and brings Nana and Stormy in. Simon has a visceral, traumatic reaction to seeing Stormy and seems momentarily unsteady on his feet. (This is probably the first time that Stormy’s name is mentioned). He tells Erin to put Nana in Room One with Buck. Erin tells the others in Room One that Hector, Delia and Henry have been arrested, apparently for Nana’s murder.

Simon takes Wolf!Stormy into another room and bars the door behind them. He then calls shakily for Sylvester.

-A very soaked Jarsten peeks out from behind a bush and calls to Millicent and the pups. He tells them that there seems to be a lot happening in the town and shows them the Melusine eye, as well as telling them there was some sort of giant lady in a tree (Hala) conjuring the storm. He also confesses that he received a scratch from the Melusine while trying to protect Duke, and he thinks he’s been poisoned.

-Ghoul!Sheriff Bonk sends officers to arrest the remaining Hazards (Pixie, Rex, Ginger and Dodge) at Big Chonk Lake for underage drinking. Werewolf!Stormy will arrive to take custody of them and bring them to Sterling Mansion.

           He doesn’t seem terribly interested in interrogating Henry or Delia, and just ties them to a bench with zip ties.

-Duke arrives at the Stone Row to be treated just as Buck steals Erin Diskin’s gun. Buck tells Duke to stay there and apologizes to Erin, telling her he promises he’ll leave it on her desk to pick up later, then apologizes to Edna for not finishing the edging on the walkway. He then takes off towards the police station.

-Buck storms the police station and demands at gunpoint to be taken to Hector, as he intends to make him answer for what he’s done. G!Sheriff Bonk, seeing this as an easy way to get rid of Hector, complies. As he passes, Buck tells Delia to get to the Stone Row, as he can take care of Hector himself. Meanwhile, Henry has managed to release Delia. If she doesn’t run immediately, she will see that Hector has gotten himself out of his cell, and that Wolf!Buck is attacking Ghoul!Linda in Sheriff Bonk’s uniform. While the Ghoul is temporarily knocked out, Buck stops to say something unintelligible to Hector, who then leaves the police station quickly.

-If Stormy is somehow still alive in the other room, Nana will find the largest, sharpest, silver scalpel in the Stone Row and break down the door of Room Two, putting it through the wolf’s skull. Dead, the wolf will then revert to her human form.

#### *Evening Attacks: The Little Guys*

-Empusa!Joyce starts a fire at Hazard House, knowing that the most likely place they (Chase and Buzz) will flee to is Sterling Mansion

-When Stormy does not arrive at the police station to collect the Quads, and she loses contact with the Ghoul, Eliza postpones her attempt to recruit Taffy to collect them herself. Blindsided and stunned by the empathic reverberations of their mother’s death, the kids aren't able to think clearly enough to resist, and find themselves taken to the Sterling Mansion. As their minds clear, they tell Eliza that Stormy is clearly deceased.

-The Volsungs, having stumbled upon the Hazard kids getting arrested but not sure if they should interfere, rush into town to seek out the elder Hazards and offer their help.

-Banshee!Nessie, who is ordered to free Hector and brings him to Sterling Mansion under the pretense that Hugo is in danger, doesn’t comply.

-Not realizing that Nessie is only beholden to the *human* members of the Sterling family, a group which only very briefly included Hugo, Nessie instead recruits Millicent (if available) to go with her to fight the Jorogumo and release her only actual ward, Veronica.

-On Duke’s request, Erin Diskin escapes the Stone Row and uses her connections to get Hector out of St. Mary Vincent.

-Vampire!Ava uses Wadim’s power to subjugate the Acadian werewolves (Chase, Buzz, Dodge, Rex, Pixie and Ginger) and commands them to fight against anyone associated with the Red Council, including their Ossonian siblings.

#### *The Showdown*

-Upon learning that Stormy is dead, Eliza absolutely loses her shit and orders the Empusa, Melusine and Ghoul to bring the hunters to the Mansion so that they can assimilate them into the Clan as quickly as possible.

-Ava orders Chase and Buzz to attack the inhabitants of Stone Row, kill Nana and Hector, capture the others, and return Stormy’s body to Sterling Mansion.

She orders the Quads to guard the tomb in the basement where Hugo is being kept.

-Dhampir!Selena “escapes” the mansion with Dhampir!Eliza’s help, and runs to the Inverted Spring to free Veronica, warning her that Hugo is in danger and that she needs to intervene and set up an alliance between the Council and the Sterling Clan before he is killed.

-Instead of conforming to her sister’s plan. Selena escapes from the mansion using a tunnel Eliza knows nothing about (that’s what you get for never being around) and goes into the forest to negotiate with the Hala to end the storm. She then contacts the Red Council herself and summons them to SMV.

-The Hunters and others arrive at Sterling Mansion in order to rescue Hugo and free the kids.

#### *The Daring Rescue*

(-Nana escapes with the Volsungs and heads to Denmark to recover. She will be fine in just a day or two, but she can’t transform at all with broken arms.)

- An old intelligence agency associate of Erin’s delivers Hector to the safety of the Red Council headquarters in France, where the situation is finally explained to him in detail.

           -Regular Monsters (as available): Empusa, Ghoul, Melusine, Jorogumo, Eater

           Will get you to Eliza

           -Eliza

Will get you to the tomb where Hugo is being kept

           -The subjugated werewolves

           Will get you to the tomb where Hugo’s very dead body is

           -Hugo

Will try really really hard to convince you to join the Sterling Clan and help them to defeat the Red Council

-If you beat Hugo, you’ll get a shot at Ava, but only if you really want one.

#### *Resolution*

           -If the group fights against Hugo, they will receive assistance (appearance as needed) by the freshly arrived members of the Red Council, which include Healer!Mnemosyne Fletcher, Werewolf!Max Hazard, Immortal Warrior!Jerry Lansing-Smith and their boss, CurrentlyJustATinyBat!Wadim

           -If the group decides to join Hugo, they will have to fight off all remaining allies, saving Hector and Nana, who are gone.

-      Hector and Nana will reunite sooner than they expected a few days later when they both independently travel to Sassnitz, Germany to seek the help of Relic Von Waldstein in locating one another. They will continue to travel together from this point on out.

## Threats

### MONSTERS

Banshee: Nessie MacDonal

Description: An Irish guardian spirit and psychopomp ties to the lives of the human family it serves.

Type: guardian

Motivation: to bar a way or protect something

Powers:

Semi-immortality

Death Premonitions

Wail of Sorrow: able to cause paralyzing fear in those who hear it

Flight: Banshees can fly at night

Regeneration: As a fey-type, any injuries done that are not mortal injuries will heal over the course of a day or so, though the Banshee will be very weak during that time.

Dissipation: Can disappear into a mist, accompanied by the sound of flapping wings

Weaknesses:

Salt; Cold Iron

Attacks:

Wail of sorrow: able to cause paralyzing fear to those who hear it. Roll to resist. On a 10. You resist successfully. On a 7-9 you aren’t paralyzed, but you are shook. Take -1 forward. On a 1-6 you are momentarily paralyzed and may need assistance to snap out of it, then take -1 forward

Banshee Scratch: 2 harm, hand. Likely to scar

Armor: 0

Harm Capacity: 20, but will generally disappear after 5

Dhampir: Selena Hunt, Eliza Sterling

Type: Right Hand

Motivation: To back up the monster

Powers:

Supernatural Sense- can sense supernatural creatures up to 1 mile away. Power is more intense and specific up close (akin to being within visual range) than it is at far distances.

Regeneration: Can heal much faster than the average human

Acute Senses: Can see and hear much better than the average human

Animal Control: Can control non-supernatural animals within visual range.

Decelerated Aging

Weaknesses:

Like a regular human, can be killed with force or supernatural abilities, but if the kill is not completed quickly, she may regenerate.

Attacks:

Vampire Punch/Throw: 2 harm, hand 9mm: 2 harm, hand, loud Big Knife: 1 harm, hand, messy

Armor: 1

Harm Capacity: 9

Empusa: Joyce

Description: Greek. A demonic woman with fire for hair, one leg of bronze and the of a horse

Type: brute

Motivation: to intimidate or attack

Powers:

Eats People: specifically virgins and children

Arson

Weaknesses:

Distracted by insults and cursing

Attacks:

Big Kick (horse leg): 1-2 harm

Branding (bronze leg): 1-2 harm

Armor: 2

Harm Capacity: 9

Eater: Debbie

Description: Canadian. A human who has eaten one or more vampires, just because she can

Type: thief

Motivation: to steal and deliver to the monster

Powers:

Enhanced Physical Attributes & Regeneration Abilities

Acquired Vampire Powers (only work on ‘lesser’ life forms)

Transference: If a vampire drinks from her, they will acquire all of the powers of the vampires she has eaten

Incognito: Eaters are not detectable to vampires

Weaknesses:

Recognito: Detectable to werewolves

Not immortal

Easily Manipulated: A*Debbie* problem

Fork and Knife: Vampires 2 harm, People 0-1 harm

Punching: 0-1 harm

Armor: 2

Harm Capacity: 6

Ghoul: Linda

Description: Arabic. A desert dwelling, bipedal, corpse eating pickpocket

Type: renfield

Motivation: to push victims towards the monster

Powers:

Brains!: takes the form of the person most recently eaten, accessing their memories

Fast: runs on four limbs

Regeneration: must be completely destroyed to prevent regeneration

Weaknesses:

Decapitation: using sword (must be done in one blow, a second blow will resurrect the creature))

Attacks:

Punch: 2 harm-hand

Bite: 1 harm

Infect: .5 harm

Armor:  1

Harm Capacity: 9

Hala: Sharon

Description: A Bulgarian bad weather demon who can take on many shapes

Type: renfield

Motivation: to push victims toward the monster

Powers:

Weather Control: Can bring on giant storms, hail and powerful winds

Possession: Can possess a person’s body

Shapeshifting: anything

Whirlwind: a whirlwind, turning like a drill, those who get exposed to it go mad (roll +cool or +weird. On a 10, you resist and take no damage, on a 7-9 you are shaken and take a minute to collect yourself, on a 1-6 you take -1 to your chosen stat until the storms are stopped)

Weaknesses:

Ala’s Herbs: Picked from levees and placed on the area of a field where the plow turns while calling her name

Table Spell: Set out a table with bread, salt, a knife with a black sheath, and an ax with its edge turned skyward to end her weather control

Attacks:

Hail: 1 harm, repeating every 5 minutes

Wind: 1 harm, repeating every 20 minutes

Armor: 2

Harm Capacity: 12

Jorogumo: Pam

Description: Japanese. A 400+ year old golden orb weaver spider that has acquired human form. Ensnares humans in her sticky threads, then devours them alive. In spite of her giant size, can freely climb walls and ceilings. Her arachnid legs are covered in a thick shell, making them highly resistant to damage.

Type: guardian

Motivation: to bar a way or protect something

Powers:

Threads: strong silk thread that can easily entangle a human (roll +tough. On a 10, avoid the threads and take no damage, on a 7-9 if you have appropriate means, such as a blade, free yourself but take -1 cool to your next roll against her since you're still covered in sticky web, if you have no means you spend some time wiggling free and take 1 harm, on a 1-6 you take 1 harm and continue to try and free yourself)

Venom: as low acting, weakening venom, 10 hours afterward, and every ten hours after, take -1 tough until treated.

Subservient Spiders: can command lesser spiders

Weaknesses:

Mirrors: reveal true form

Cold Iron

Holy Magic: specifically Buddhist Sutras, disintegrate body

Terrible Eyesight

Attacks:

Fanged Bite: 1 harm, venomous 50%

Claws: 1 harm

Spider Punch: 1 harm, piercing

Armor: 2

Harm Capacity: 6

Melusine: Judy

Description: French.  A child-eating, prophetic snake woman with removable eyes

Type: assassin

Motivation: to kill the hunters

Powers:

Constriction: strangulation with snake tail (roll +tough. On a 10, you break free and take no damage, on a 7-9 you take one damage but manage to free yourself and get away,, on a 1-6 you either take strangulation damage plus -1 to tough until the fight ends, or take 1 harm and continue to try and free yourself)

Weaknesses:

Silver: The use of a silver knife blessed by a priest possesses the ability to kill Lamia.

Rosemary, salt and fire: Covering the Lamia in salt, rosemary and then setting it on fire also can kill it.

Attacks:

Bite: bigass retractable fangs, 2 harm

Claw: poisonous, 1 harm, -1 harm ongoing after 2 hours unless treated (with antivenin)

Armor: 1

Harm Capacity: 9

Vampire: Ava Sterling, Hugo Paxton-Sterling, Wadim Yonescu

Type: Queen

Motivation: to possess and control

Powers:

Immortal

Mesmerism (Wadim): When he commands you, roll + Cool. On a 10+ you can choose whether to do it or not. If you do, mark experience and take +1 forward. On a 7-9 you can choose whether to do it or not. If you do, mark experience, if you don’t, take a +1 on the next time he tries to mesmerize you. On a miss, you do what he asks.

Transform: Wolf, Bat or Shadow

Super Strength

Stealth (Ava): Not detectable by other vampires or werewolves

Bite: Victims bitten three times become vampires themselves

Master: Controls all the vampires he’s created

Animal Control: Can control non-supernatural animals within visual range.

Weaknesses:

Needs Human Blood

Needs Homeland Soil

Wooden Stake

Decapitation

Attacks:

Punch/Throw: 4-harm hand

Bite: 3-harm intimate vampiric

Armor: +1 natural toughness

Harm Capacity: 9

Werewolf, Acadian: Stormy, Chase, Buzz, Dodge, Rex, Ginger, Pixie

Type: beast

Motivation: to run wild, destroying and killing

Powers:

Transformation: semi-voluntary

Supernatural Physicality & Senses

Breed Telepathy

Weaknesses:

Emotionally Induced Transformation

Silver, wolfsbane

Attacks:

Punch: 1 harm

Wolfstrike: 2 harm

Bite: 1 harm

Rend: 2 harm, messy

Armor: 1/1

Harm Capacity: 8/14

Werewolf, Ossonian: Max, Nana, Buck, Duke, Benji, Scout

Type: executioner

Motivation: to punish the guilty

Powers:

Transformation: voluntary

Supernatural Physicality & Senses

Resistance to Magic, Immunity to Subjugation

Weaknesses:

Lowered human consciousness in wolf form

Silver, wolfsbane

Attacks:

Punch: 2 harm

Wolfstrike: 3 harm

Bite: 2 harm

Rend: 3 harm, messy

Armor: 1/2

Harm Capacity: 8/19

### BYSTANDERS

Henry Elkwind

(Shaman)

gossip

Motivation: to pass on rumors

Jarsten Kimblew

(Empath)

helper

Motivation: to join the hunt

Erin Diskin

(Cop)

innocent

Motivation: to do the right thing

Simon Tagrid

("Doctor")

witness

Motivation: to reveal information

Grayson Larson

(Witch)

busybody

Motivation: to interfere in other people's plans

Nana Hazard

(Werewolf)

victim

Motivation to put themselves in danger

Buck Hazard

(Werewolf)

victim

Motivation to put themselves in danger

Duke Hazard

(Werewolf)

victim

Motivation to put themselves in danger

Hector Paxton

(Bartender)

victim

Motivation to put themselves in danger

Veronica Sterling

(Dhampir)

victim

Motivation to put themselves in danger

Wadim Yonescu

(Vampire)

victim

Motivation to put themselves in danger

Todd Bonk

(Sheriff)

victim

Motivation to put themselves in danger

Hugo Paxton

(Hunter)

victim

Motivation to put themselves in danger

Mnemosyne Fletcher

(Healer)

helper

Motivation: to join the hunt

Max Hazard

(Werewolf)

helper

Motivation: to join the hunt

Jerry Lansing-Smith

(Immortal Warrior)

helper

Motivation: to join the hunt

Agnarr

(Werewolf)

helper

Motivation: to join the hunt

Brynjarr

(Werewolf)

helper

Motivation: to join the hunt

Hreidarr

(Werewolf)

helper

Motivation: to join the hunt

Ragnarr

(Werewolf)

helper

Motivation: to join the hunt

Ashildr

(Werewolf)

helper

Motivation: to join the hunt

Grimhildr

(Werewolf)

helper

Motivation: to join the hunt

## LOCATIONS (Refer to SMV terrain map)

Stone Row #8: Crossroads (to bring people together)

Police Station #9: Prison (to constrain and prevent exit)

Sterling Mansion #96: Den (to harbor monsters)

Hazard House #97: Deathtrap (to harm intruders)

Inverted Spring #G: Prison (to constrain and prevent exit)

Ritual Location #E: Maze (to confuse and separate)

Bike Path Compulsion Practice #D: Wilds (to contain hidden things)

Werewolf Pickup #B: Lab (to reveal weirdness)

Library #29: Hub (to reveal information)

Big Chonk Lake Party Location #A: Maze (to confuse and separate)

Blockade #C: Fortress (to deny entry)

Tube Pickup #F: Deathtrap (to harm intruders)

Hala Location #H: Den (to Harbor monsters)