WH:DP1-01 Storm Tide Page 2 of 24

Credits

Author: Brian Schoner
Editor: Gail Reese
Thanks to all the playtesters!

Introduction

Storm Tide is an introductory adventure, intended
for a group of three to six players and a judge. While
the players need never have played Witch Hunter
before, the judge should be familiar with the rules
and setting as described in the Witch Hunter core
book. Judges should also have some familiarity with
the Witch Hunter: Dark Providence Campaign
Guide, though it is likely that players have not
played many (if any) Dark Providence adventures
before this one.

Since the players are probably new to the game, the
judge should be prepared to spend some time
teaching the basics of the rules to new players. Time
should also be allotted for character creation,
although having pre-generated characters for players
who would prefer that route is recommended. The
adventure itself is relatively short by convention
standards, so players should be able to learn the rules
and create characters and still finish the story.

While the players are creating or choosing their
characters, it's a good idea to give them a basic idea
of what Witch Hunters are and what they do. Feel
free to do so in your own words; if you need ideas,
here is a sample.

Witch Hunters are ordinary people who have
had a brush with the supernatural and decided to
fight against it. Perhaps your village was attacked
by werewolves, or your child was abducted by
fairies, or you were haunted by a vengeful spirit or
cursed by a malicious neighbor. But instead of
running away or giving up, you stood your ground,
and ever since then, you have been working against
the evil plans of the Adversary and his minions.
Signs and omens seem to lead you where you need
to go, and your courage and faith have seen you
through your trials so far; but just as you know evil
when you see it, the servants of the Adversary can
recognize and target you as well.
While working on your character, think about
what kind of supernatural encounter might have
led your character to take a stand against evil, as
well as what kind of omens or portents might have
led you to board a ship for Port Royal, in the
English colony of J amaica.

Having some extra ten-sided dice for players to
borrow is also a good idea.

Adventure Summary

Storm Tide begins with a group of Witch Hunters
meeting in the city of Port Royal, the capital of the
English colony of Jamaica. Each of them has been
drawn to the city by some strange omen, vision, or
simply a sense of urgency, and all of them have
come across a handbill in which Sir Henry Morgan,
the Lieutenant Governor of Port Royal, is asking for
brave individuals to deal with an unusual series of
pirate attacks that have been devastating local
shipping recently. Scene 0 brings the characters to
Port Royal, shows them the handbill, and lets them
meet one another as they await their audience with
the Lieutenant Governor.

In Scene 1, they meet Sir Henry, who introduces
them to William Penney, the only known survivor of
one of the recent attacks. Penney proclaims that the
pirate in question is none other than the infamous
Roc Brasiliano, who apparently performed some sort
of ritual at an Indian village in Central America
twenty years ago. Penney gives rough directions to
the village, but as he does, a bizarre and obviously
supernatural transformation kills him and threatens
the characters and Sir Henry.

Having dealt with that attack, the Witch Hunters
travel to the Indian village in Scene 2. The journey
itself is uneventful, but once there (Scene 3), the
characters must negotiate with the local shaman,
whose predecessor performed the ritual that gave
Brasiliano his immortality by removing and burying
his soul. If they can get the shaman's consent, he will
tell them precisely where the soul is buried and how
to bypass the magical curse on it. If not, they must
find the soul themselves in a rising storm, and risk
an unpleasant Indian curse by digging it up.

In Scene 4, the characters reach the small island
where Brasiliano's soul was buried, but upon
reaching the burial site, it has clearly already been
dug up. The explanation of this is immediately
WH:DP1-01 Storm Tide Page 3 of 24
apparent, as Roc Brasiliano himself appears and
smugly announces that he beat them to it. Brasiliano
and his undead crew then attack the PCs as the tide
floods in, threatening to overrun the entire island.
The Witch Hunters must survive the cadaverous
crewmen and the rising waters while trying to
destroy Brasiliano's soul and thus the pirate once
and for all.

Scene 0:
Setting the Hook

Once you are ready to begin play, start by asking
each of the players, one at a time:

Tell me a little bit about your character
where you're from, what you did before becoming a
Witch Hunter, and what drew you to Port Royal.

This should help new players get into character, and
start getting a feel for the Witch Hunter universe; it
will also help you adapt the story you tell to the
characters present. At a minimum, you should know
where each character is from (what county/colony, at
least) and what they did in their "mundane" life (in
game terms, their Background).

You should also help the players determine what
sort of omens or signs brought their character to Port
Royal. God (or whatever higher power the character
believes in) has obviously brought them here for a
purposebut how do they know that? If the players
are stuck for ideas, here are some suggestions:

They dreamt of a port town being flooded in
tides of blood; investigation revealed that
the town in their dreams exactly matched the
description of Port Royal.
Walking along the docks in another port,
they saw a ship named Divine Salvation, or
[character's first name]'s Calling, and felt a
strong urge to book passage aboard her; they
did, and this was the ship's next port of call
While looking at a map of the Caribbean,
they noticed a wisp of smoke rising from the
dot marking Port Royal; moments later, the
smoke spread into a fire, which quickly
consumed the entire map.
An envelope was delivered to them
wherever they were; it contained only a
single bloodstained coin. The return address
was simply, "Port Royal, Jamaica."

Whatever you and the players work out is fine; it
should be clear, however, that their characters have
been called here for a reason, albeit one that they do
not yet know.

Once you have an idea of who the characters are and
why they're here, read or (preferably) paraphrase the
following:

Port Royal, J amaica, has been called "the
wickedest city on Earth" and "the Sodom of the
New World," but as you look at it from the deck of
your ship, it looks much like any other colonial
seaport grimy, run-down, and smelling of fish.
The pirates, thieves, and prostitutes who gave this
city its reputation in decades past are nowhere to be
seen. Perhaps the strict anti-piracy laws of
Lieutenant Governor Sir Henry Morgan himself
a former pirate have driven them off, or perhaps
they are merely sleeping off the previous night's
drunken debauchery and waiting for evening to
come before they emerge again into the streets,
alleys, and gutters of Port Royal.
Regardless of the reason, the wide sand-
covered streets are calm and quiet this afternoon
perhaps a bit quieter than you would expect in one
of the busiest ports in the Caribbean Sea. The
rising winds and darkening skies suggest that a
storm is brewing; perhaps that accounts for the
quiet. As you make your way off the ship that
brought you here, seeking a place to shelter from
the impending rain, one particularly brisk gust of
wind snatches a printed handbill from the wall
where it was tacked. The breeze blows the paper
across the street until it wraps around your leg,
fluttering gently in the wind.

Give the players Handout 1. If none of the
characters can read English, they can certainly find a
local resident who will read it to them. For your
convenience, it reads:

Lieutenant-Governor Sir Henry Morgan seeks
Individuals of stout Heart and abiding Faith to
undertake a Task of grave Importance to the Colony
of Jamaica and its Citizens, and to all good
Christians dwelling in these Lands and Waters. Any
Man or Woman desiring to render Service to the
Crown in this matter, which promises both great
WH:DP1-01 Storm Tide Page 4 of 24
Danger and corresponding Reward, should present
themselves at the King's House on Thames Street no
later than Three of the Clock on Wednesday, the
22nd of March, to discuss the Deeds requir'd of
them..

As it happens, it is about two o'clock in Wednesday,
March 22 when the characters arrive in Port Royal.
It should seem obvious to them that this is somehow
connected to whatever brought them here, but if they
don't seem too interested, you may need to nudge
them a little.

Presumably, the characters will ask directions and
head towards the King's House; if they make any
stops to ask questions, shop, arrange, lodgings, etc.,
handle them with the information in Appendix 1.
Once all the characters have decided to go to the
King's House, read or paraphrase the following:

Like the other streets of Port Royal, Thames
Street is wide and paved only with sand. There is a
steady stream of traffic between the ships docked
on one side and the warehouses on the other, as
sailors rush to finish loading or unloading their
ships before the storm hits.
The King's House is certainly the largest
building you've seen in town, a three-story manor
house surrounded by a brick wall. As you look
closer, however, it is apparent that the building has
not been well maintained; the paint is peeling and
more than one window-pane is cracked.
A young serving-man opens the door at your
knock, and politely escorts you to a large but
slightly dingy parlor. He says, His Honour will be
with you presently, and then excuses himself. An
open bottle of Madeira wine and a pitcher of
lemonade sit on the side-board beside several
glasses.
Several other individuals are in the room as
well, all apparently here to learn about Sir Henrys
mysterious task

At this point, go around the table and have each
player describe their characters physical
appearance, and then give the players a few minutes
to roleplay with each other. Once theyve gotten a
feel for it or if it looks like theyre going to get
carried away and derail the adventure proceed to
Scene 1.
Scene 1:
A Curse Comes Home

Read or paraphrase the following:

A church-bell begins to strike three oclock in
the streets nearby, and before it has finished, the
servant you met earlier is back. Opening the double
doors on the far side of the room, he leads you into
a cluttered study, dominated by a large oak desk
and the man sitting behind it, who the servant
unnecessarily announces as "Lieutenant-Governor
Sir Henry Morgan."
Sir Henry is a large man, both in height and
girth. I n his youth, he was doubtless a formidable
fighter, but he is now over fifty, fat, and showing
the effects of a lifetime of hard drink. Still, he has
an aura of command and intelligence about him,
and you can see traces of the renowned captain he
once was. He looks you over thoughtfully, then
speaks.
"Right, then," he says. "Thank you for
coming. I f I might have the honour of your
names?"

Once the characters have introduced themselves,
Morgan continues:

"I 'll get right to the point," Sir Henry says.
"My men hunt pirates; it's their job, and they're
good at it, if I say so myself. We've hung enough
men at Gallows Point that the rest think twice
before coming near J amaica. But in the past few
months, there's been one rogue we haven't been
able to catch. He strikes like a snake and vanishes
like a phantom, and he's plundered and sunk
enough ships that now honest captains are
thinking twice about coming to J amaica and if
the trade-ships stop coming here, Port Royal is like
to dry up and blow away. And to top it off, he's just
taken the Assistance, the largest English warship
in the Caribbean, and one of the few Navy ships I
had."
He takes a mouthful of wine before
continuing. "Now, I 'm not the sort of man who'd
gather a bunch of strangers together to take on a
task that the Navy can't manage. But I had a"
He trails off, looking slightly embarrassed. "A
dream," he says, "and if you're the right sort of
people, mayhap that won't sound as mad to you as
it does to me. But I dreamed that if I asked for aid,
WH:DP1-01 Storm Tide Page 5 of 24
it would come; and so I posted those hand-bills,
and here you are.
"And this very morning, I got word from a
sailor, a survivor of the Assistance, who says he
knows who our phantom is, and mayhap how to
stop him, if I can find a few folk with the courage
and faith to see it through. I'll warn you, though; if
what he says is true, it's a problem of witch-craft as
much as one of piracy. I f you're still willing to
listen, I 'll bring him in and he can tell you what he
told me. If notwell, best that you be on your
way."
He looks levelly at your group, waiting to see
if anyone intends to leave.

If any character does show signs of leaving, you may
want to remind them of the very omens that brought
them to Port Royal; surely this is the very purpose
for which they were called here! If they insist on
leaving after this reminder, thank them for playing
and give them their Adventure Record (which will
have no rewards on it such is the price of
cowardice!).

Once it is clear that everyone who remains is willing
to proceed, read or paraphrase the following:

Sir Henry nods, satisfied, and rings a small
brass bell on his desk. When the servant reappears,
Sir Henry simply says, "Fetch Penney." The
servant nods and withdraws, returning a few
moments later with a wiry man in the clothes of a
common sailor. He looks to be perhaps forty years
old, though his hair is the stark white of a much
older man. He seems nervous and jumpy, bowing
awkwardly as he enters the room.
"This is Seaman William Penney," Sir Henry
says. "Go on, tell them what you told me."
"Aye, sir," Penney replies in a cracking voice.
He's obviously uncomfortable speaking before a
group, and spends most of his time looking at the
floor.
"We was hunting pirates on the Assistance,
three days out of Port Royal. We hadn't found
nothing but the flotsam of a Spanish galleon, but
then one night a week ago last night I wake to
cannon-fire, and hear the mate calling out to
prepare for boarders. So I grab my hanger and go
up on deck, and we're already being boardedbut
there was somethin wrong with the men coming
over the gunwales.
"They didnt move right, all slow and stiff.
Their eyes were all flat and dead, and it looked like
they all had their mouths sewed shut. The
Assistance's crew managed to take a few down, but
they didn't seem to feel no pain, and they wouldn't
stop coming.
Some o' the crew tried to fight 'em off, but
most just ran, and I 'm not ashamed to admit I was
one of the runners. Some jumped overboard; I hid
under the foredeck stairs and watched the fight
or the massacre, I should say. I was getting ready
to jump overboard myself when a shadow falls
across my eyes and I hear a voice say, 'Well, if it
ain't Bill Penney.'"
"I looked up, and it was the captain of the
other ship and I knew him. I t was Roc
Brasiliano, that I hadn't seen for near twenty
years, and he wasn't like his crewbut he was
changed. His skin was almost black, like old
leather, and scarred from head to heel; and his
eyes had gone yellow.
"Well, at the sight of him, I screamed and ran
without a thought in my head. I heard him yell, 'No
man leaves my service, Penney!', but somehow I
got to the rail and overboard before any of them
grabbed me. Sharks and storms be damned; I 'd
sooner swim back to J amaica alone than face those
yellow eyes again.
"The next morning, the crew of a trader
hauled me out of the sea and brought me back
here, and as soon as I touched land, I figured Sir
Henry here needed to know what I seen. And, I
guess, he figured you need to know too. So now
you know."

Characters who make a D3 Myth and Lore or a D3
Occult Knowledge check may recall hearing that
dead men who have been brought back to life
sometimes have their mouths sewn shut to keep their
souls (or other spirits animating their bodies) from
escaping.

At this point, Penney will try to answer any
questions the characters have.

Can you identify the ship that attacked you?
"I never got a good look with the dark and the
fightingbut I'll wager it was the Storm Tide, the
ship Roc had when I sailed with him. She was a 14-
gun brig."


WH:DP1-01 Storm Tide Page 6 of 24
What can you tell us about Roc Brasiliano?
"I sailed with him for a bit almost twenty years
ago, when I was a lad. He was just a man then,
though the cruelest one I ever met. Especially to
Spaniards; more than once he roasted a Spaniard
alive, on a spit over a fire, like a pig." Penney
shudders at the memory.
"He was a Dutchman by birth, lived down in
Brazil for a while before the Portuguese kicked all
the Dutch out; that's why they call him
'Brasiliano.' Never did learn his real name I
don't think any of the crew knew it. Anyway, I
sailed with him for about two years, until"
Penney trails off, then simply says, "I left."

How many of the attacking crewmen were there?
"I 'm not sure; twenty or thirty at least, I 'd
think."

Were they hurt by swords or musket-fire?
"Well, it looked like they were; they went
down if you shot them, at least, but a few times I 'm
sure I saw one get up again."

What kind of ship is the Assistance?
"A two-deck, fifty-gun frigate; not quite a ship
of the line, but I 'd put her up against any ship in
the Caribbean. Or I would have, anyway."

If the characters run out of questions, Sir Henry will
ask, "You said earlier that you might know how to
stop Brasiliano. What was that all about?" When
this happens, continue with the boxed text below.
You should also proceed to this section if the PCs
ask any questions about why Penney left Brasiliano's
service, or if he has any ideas about how Brasiliano
became whatever he is.

NOTE: There is a rather bloody and grotesque event
at the end of this passage, in keeping with the horror
theme of Witch Hunter. When describing it, bear in
mind the age and maturity level of your players; if
there are young players (or observers) nearby, or
those who might be offended, tone the description
down appropriately. Suggest the horrific elements,
but do not state them outright.

"I t all started one day in seventy-one, when we
caught a slave ship out of Trinidad. One of the
slaves Guinee Tom, they called him knew some
Dutch, and started talking to Roc in it, and he said
something that made Roc real interested. They
went below-decks for a long time, and then Roc
came up and had us set course south and west.
There was nothing to be found there no ports, so
no ships, so no plunder but we all knew we'd be
feeding the sharks if we argued with Roc, so we did
as he said.
"When we reached the coast, we anchored
offshore of a little I ndian village. Roc had us wait
until dark, then he rowed in. He had us light two
torches on the starboard side of the gig-boat, and
one on the larboard sidehe was real particular
about that. Said he might be gone a day or two, and
we should just stay put and wait for him. Then they
rowed in to the villagejust Roc, and Guinee Tom,
and Bowen, the first mate.
"A while after that, a big fire springs up in the
middle of the village, quick enough that I thought
Roc might have torched the place, but it was just a
bonfire. Couldn't see much, but there was folks
dancin' around it for a while, and sometimes the
fire would burn blue or green for a spell.
Eventually it died down, and it was quiet for the
rest of the night.
"The next day Bowen comes back to the
Storm Tide, and he says Roc will be gone longer
than he thought, and we're to sail back to J amaica
for supplies, and then come back for him. Well,
there was some grumbling at that, but Bowen said
Roc would have all of our heads if we didn't do as
he saidand I could see in Bowen's face that he
was terrified. He'd never been afraid of Roc before,
crazy as he was; but I could tell that the thought of
Roc coming after us then scared him to the bone.
"So we sailed back to Port Royal, and I
jumped ship there; something about that little
village didn't sit right with me, and I didn't relish
the idea of going back. Most of the crew stayed
with the Storm Tide, though, and I never saw any
of them againuntil they climbed over the
gunwales of the Assistance, all stitched up and
stiff.
"So I figure whatever Roc did at that little
I ndian village might be what made him into
whatever he is now, and if there's any way to find
him and stop him, them I ndians might know it. I
don't know exactly where that village was, but I
remember it was right on the fifteenth parallel, so
if you go due west on that, you shouldy-you
should"
Abruptly, Penney's head jerks back as though
he had been grabbed by the hair. His eyes grow
wide with terror, and spots of blood, like tiny
WH:DP1-01 Storm Tide Page 7 of 24
wounds, begin to appear all over his body. He
coughs thickly and then speaks, but the voice that
issues from his throat is not his. "I told you no
man leaves my service, Penneyat least not alive."
Penney screams as his skin begins to rip open; his
blood seems to be forcing its way out through his
flesh, oozing out and flowing over his body. I n
seconds, he is literally covered in blood from head
to toe, and you can see it already beginning to scab
over. I t covers his eyes and begins to flow into his
mouth, choking off his agonized screams.
"My God," Sir Henry bellows, "do
something!"

The characters have a few moments to react here,
although there is unfortunately nothing they can do
to save Penney. If they try to help him, all it will do
is get them closer to the creature that has taken over
his body; if they attack, either to put Penney out of
his misery or to destroy his supernatural attacker,
they will gain a round of free attacks before
initiative is rolled. Either way, once they have taken
a round's worth of actions, read or paraphrase the
following:

Suddenly, an enormous spasm shakes
Penney's blood-covered body. For a moment, he
remains absolutely still. Then he lurches forward,
clawing at [nearest PC]'s face. Despite the fact that
his eyes are scabbed over with dried blood, Penney
or whatever he has become strikes with
unnatural accuracy.

Combat ensues. The blood creature that was once
William Penney will attack without fear or tactics
until it is destroyed.

Blood Creature (Accursed)
Init Def Melee Ranged Extras
5 NP+3* 6 (8) 5 (7) 5
Faith Damnation HP Cost
0 6 0 405
Health Track: 7/6/4/4/3
Attack: Claws (8d, DM +4)
Powers: Armor (3), Fury (1), Monstrous Form (2)
(included above in parentheses)
Prices: Damage (alcohol), Vulnerability (cold iron),
Weakness (sacramental wine)
Talents: Attack Focus: Claws, Attack Specialist:
Claws, Claws
*NP=Number of Players at the table; +3 means the
creature gets 3 automatic success in addition to the
dice (due to its Armor power)
Sir Henry will stay out of combat unless things look
desperate (for example, if one of the heroes drops);
if that happens, he will pull down a cutlass from the
wall and attack the creature.

Sir Henry Morgan (Mortal)
STR 2 EDU 3 COU 4
AGI 2 REA 4 INT 3
TOU 2 WIL 3 PER 4
Health Track: 4/3/2/2/1
Attack: Cutlass (3d, DM +3)
Skills: Command 3, Dodge 2, Endurance 1,
Firearms 2, Hand-to-Hand 2, Notice 2, Parry 2,
Reflexes 1, Resolve 1, Throw 1
Initial Disposition: Responsive

The blood creature is dangerous and hard to hurt, but
the characters have the advantage of numbers, so
they should be able to destroy it before they take too
much damage. If it ever fails a Toughness roll to
remain conscious, it collapses to the floor and drains
away, leaving no body behind.

When the creature dies, read or paraphrase the
following.

One last blow seems to stop whatever drives
the blood-creature; it totters for a moment, then
collapses to the floor in a huge splatter of blood.
There does not seem to be any of Penney's body
left, just a large pool of blood draining slowly away
through the floorboards.
Sir Henry looks both frightened and angry as
he surveys his blood-drenched study. "I no longer
have any doubt that Penney was telling the truth,
God rest his soul," he says quietly. "I f Roc
Brasiliano or whatever he's turned into can do
that to a man, then he has to be destroyed."
He turns to face you. "I 've one Navy ship in
port today, the Drake. She's small but sturdy, and
her captain's a good man. I f you're willing, I'll
have him set sail in the morning to take you to this
I ndian village Penney spoke of. I 've no idea what
you may find there, but if there's anything that
might stop Brasiliano, do it. Otherwise, no ship in
the Caribbean will be safe, and I expect it's just a
matter of time before he comes here."
The study door creaks open, and the
frightened face of his manservant peers around the
edge. "I t's over now, Collins," Sir Henry says.
"Though I 'm afraid there's a good bit of cleaning
up to do."
WH:DP1-01 Storm Tide Page 8 of 24
Sir Henry will answer any additional questions the
PCs have, though he has little more information to
give them.

What do you know about Roc Brasiliano?
"I know him by reputation, though he never
sailed under me. As Penney said, he was a cruel
and vicious man, but a successful captain for all
that. He'd gladly sail against the Spanish under a
letter of marque if he could, but if not, he'd just as
gladly turn pirate."

What will you give us if we manage to stop him?
"Port Royal is hardly rich, particularly with
the ships we've lost. Still, I can find twenty pounds
apiece for you, I should think. And the good will of
the Governor of J amaica, which is not to be sniffed
at."

Sir Henry will go up to twenty-five pounds per
character with a successful D3 Charm check. He
will not pay any of the money in advance, saying,
"There's no point in giving you coins that may well
end up at the bottom of the sea if you fail. But I'll
have the money for you if you return and are
successful; you have my word on that."

If Sir Henry is asked to provide equipment or
supplies, a D2 Charm check will convince him to
give the characters a letter of credit for up to half the
promised payment, which Port Royal merchants will
accept as readily as cash. Sir Henry will receive an
account of anything bought in this fashion, and will
subtract the price from the reward the characters
receive at the end of the adventure.

Once negotiations are complete, Sir Henry tells the
characters to meet Captain Spragg of the Drake
tomorrow morning at dawn at the King's Wharf.
Then, wishing them Godspeed and good luck, he has
his servant escort them out.

At this point, the PCs have an hour or so for
shopping before the stores close for the night. They
can buy anything from the "Goods and Gear" section
of the Witch Hunter rules except for vehicles,
animals, and archery weapons. They can also amuse
themselves in the various taverns and brothels in
Port Royal; characters with appropriate Sins can find
opportunities to indulge in them if they so desire.
The characters can sleep in any of several taverns for
a farthing each.
Unless you have a lot of time and enthusiastic
players, it's best to gloss over the evening quickly
and move on to the rest of the adventure. When
morning comes and the characters are ready to meet
Captain Spragg, proceed to Scene 2.

Scene 2:
A Heading and a Prayer

Read or paraphrase the following:

The morning dawns overcast and gray as you
approach the wharf where the Drake's longboat
waits to take you out to the ship. Before long, you
are aboard and meeting Captain Charles Spragg, a
wiry middle-aged man who is obviously not happy
about this mission.
"God send that you and Sir Henry know what
you're doing," he says sourly. "I have only a
heading and a prayer, and sixteen guns. The
Assistance had fifty, and this pirate, whoever he is,
either sank it or captured it. I 'll take you where
you're bound, by Sir Henry's orders; but I 'll not
risk my ship if we're so badly out-gunned.
"We'll be three days sailing to the fifteenth
parallel, and who knows how much longer from
there. I 'll send for you when we see land, or a ship
that might be hostile; until then, just stay out of the
way of my crew."

The PCs will be sailing for a total of six days before
reaching the Indian village. Depending on how
interested the PCs are in the journey and the ship,
and how much time you have available to play, this
can be role-played out extensively or glossed over in
a few sentences. Further information on the Drake,
its captain and crew can be found in Appendix 2.

On the first day of sailing, a few other ships are seen
heading to or from Port Royal. After that, however,
the seas seem empty; the Drake is clearly headed
away from civilized lands, and into the little-known
and less-traveled waters of the western Caribbean.
The crewmen are clearly used to long journeys with
no sign of land, but they begin to grow nervous the
farther west the Drake sails; they are approaching
Aztec waters, and none of them relish the idea of
meeting those bloodthirsty heathens.

In the late afternoon of the sixth day out of Port
Royal, read or paraphrase the following:
WH:DP1-01 Storm Tide Page 9 of 24

Finally, nearly a week after leaving Port
Royal, the look-out's cries signal that land has
been sighted. The crew crowds the rail to see, but
once Captain Spragg sets them back to work with a
few sharp commands, you can see that the Drake is
approaching the end of a long, wooded peninsula.
A few small huts can be seen in a cleared area
along the shore; whether or not it is the village
Penney spoke of remains to be seen.
"Well, if that's where youre bound, I'll have
my men row you ashore when you're ready,"
Captain Spragg says. "We'll be here keeping an
eye out for other vessels, pirate or otherwise; fire a
pistol when you want us to send the boat back for
you."

The PCs have a few decisions to make here. They
may decide to immediately row in to the village, in
which case you can immediately proceed to Scene 3.
However, if they remember Penney's story, they may
wait until nightfall and/or light a few torches on the
boat in a particular configuration. If they remember
that Penney said something about the torches, but
not exactly how they were to be set up, a successful
D1 Reason check will enable them to remember that
Penney said Brasiliano had them light two torches
on the starboard (right) side of the boat, and one on
the larboard (left) side. PCs who remember and
duplicate this signal will have an advantage in
negotiating with the Indians in Scene 3.

Captain Spragg himself has no intention of coming
ashore, nor will he risk more than a minimal number
of his crew on what he considers to be a "fool's
errand." He intends to send four sailors with the PCs
to row them ashore, and then have the sailors
immediately return to the ship until they are needed.
A D3 Charm check can convince him to have the
boat and the oarsmen stay ashore with the PCs.

If by chance the characters do not have any firearms
to signal for the boat, Captain Spragg will
begrudgingly loan them a single pistol and two shots
worth of powder (which he will immediately reclaim
when they return to the Drake).

Once the characters are ready to head ashore,
proceed to Scene 3.
Scene 3:
Spirits of the Past

If the characters row ashore during the day, read or
paraphrase the following:

As your boat approaches the shore, several
brown-skinned natives stop their fishing to watch
you from their long reed boats. Their expressions
are unreadable, but they do not appear to be taking
any hostile action. As you pass, they gather in their
fishing gear and begin to paddle in to shore behind
you. Are they trying to surround you, or merely
curious about strangers?
Once you reach land, you are the focus of
many dark eyes, though few of the I ndians are
willing to come close to you. They are short of
stature; their skin is a reddish brown, their hair
black and straight, and their clothing consists of no
more than simple loin-cloths. As you get a closer
look at them, many of the savages appear to be
recently wounded, and you realize that there are no
children or young adults among them. Most of the
huts look as though they have been severely
damaged, perhaps by storms, and the people here
are apparently trying to rebuild them. All of their
activity stops as they watch you, however.
After a few minutes, two men emerge from one
of the more intact huts, carrying a third man
between them. His body shows signs of a terrible
beating, recently given, and his face is puffy and
swollen. Despite this, he speaks with an air of
command, and although you cannot recognize his
language, his tone and expression suggest that he
has asked you a question.

If the characters row ashore at night, read or
paraphrase the following:

The crewmen row the boat towards shore in a
nervous silence, broken only by the slap of oars
against water and the lapping of waves on the
shore ahead. The grinding of the boat against the
sand of the beach seems intolerably loud as you
finally reach land.
The sleeping village is quiet, though it is
clearly still occupied, or has been very recently.
The dim moonlight reveals that many of the huts
are badly damaged, perhaps by a storm, although it
appears that someone has been trying to repair
them.
WH:DP1-01 Storm Tide Page 10 of 24
After a moment, you see torchlight
approaching. A small knot of short, dark-haired
savages in loin-cloths approaches you warily. Most
of them appear to be wounded in some fashion or
another. I n the midst of the group, several of the
I ndians are carrying another, and even in the
flickering light, you can see that he has been badly
beaten.
Despite this, he speaks with an air of
command, and although you cannot recognize his
language, his tone and expression suggest that he
has asked you a question.

Regardless of when they arrive, the players have just
met Aiwanisa, the shaman of this Miskito Indian
village. He initially addresses them in the Miskito
language, which is almost certainly unfamiliar to all
the characters. If he does not get an answer, and is
not attacked outright, he will try a few words of
Nahuatl (the Aztec language), Spanish, then Dutch,
and finally English. He does not speak any of these
other languages very well, but can probably get his
point across. His initial question is, "Who are you,
and why have you come here?"

Aiwanisa's village has suffered a great deal at the
hands of its neighbors, for reasons that will be
explained below. That said, he is not willing to bend
his knees to Europeans or anyone else, even though
his people could probably be wiped out by the PCs.

Aiwanisa (Mortal)
STR 2 EDU 2 COU 3
AGI 2 REA 3 INT 4
TOU 3 WIL 4 PER 3
Health Track: 6/5/3/3/2 (currently at 12 wounds)
Skills: Concentrate 3, Empathy 1, Grapple 1, Heal
1, Intimidate 3, Myth and Lore 2, Notice 1,
Pantomime 1, Perform (Singing) 3, Resolve 3,
Speak Dutch 1, Speak English 1, Speak Miskito 3,
Speak Nahuatl 1, Speak Spanish 1, Stealth 1
Initial Disposition: Indifferent (but see below)

The remaining villagers (about a dozen of them) will
generally follow Aiwanisa's lead in dealing with
strangers; they will be shy and uncomfortable at
first, and quick to repay violence with violence, but
will accept strangers readily if Aiwanisa seems to be
friendly with them.

Miskito Tribesman (Mortal)
Minions, TR 2

Once he has received an acceptable answer to his
initial question, Aiwanisa will be willing to discuss
the past with the PCs. Here is a list of the ways in
which the PCs can make Aiwanisa more (or less)
cooperative, as well as a summary of the information
he knows and may be willing to share.

Changing Aiwanisa's Disposition

By default, Aiwanisa's Disposition starts at
Indifferent.
If the PCs approached at night with the
correct torches lit, Aiwanisa's Disposition
will improve by one level. This is a signal
used by those few European traders with
whom the Miskito have had good relations,
and Aiwanisa assumes that those using it
have peaceful intentions.
If the PCs attempt to intimidate him, or treat
him or his people with disrespect, it will
worsen by one level (or more, if the PCs'
actions are particularly severe).
Gifts may improve his Disposition by one
level, but they must be presented as gifts,
not bribes or payment for information.
Money and firearms are worth little or
nothing to the Miskito, but good-quality
tools, hand-to-hand weaponry, or clothing
will be well received.
Working to help the Miskito rebuild their
village, heal the wounded, etc., will improve
his Disposition by one level. Significant
work in this regard (e.g., a day or more of
labor by all the PCs) will improve his
Disposition by two levels.
Offers to go rescue the village's young
adults and children will be gratefully
declined; Aiwanisa feels, but will not say,
that this is a just punishment for what
Kaikisa did. (OPTIONAL: If you have
enough time in the slot, you may wish to
play out a rescue mission (see Scene 3A). If
so, Aiwanisa will gratefully accept any
offers of help, and successfully rescuing the
Miskito will raise his Disposition by two
levels.)
The Charm skill can be used to win
Aiwanisa over as usual.
WH:DP1-01 Storm Tide Page 11 of 24
The Command, Deceive, or Intimidate skills
may also work, but treat Aiwanisa as if his
Disposition were one level worse for
purposes of these skills.

Dislike or better:
His name is Aiwanisa, and he is the spirit-
talker of this village.
The people here call themselves Miskito;
there are many other Miskito villages near
here.
Eighteen years ago, he was young and still
not a man. The shaman then was Kaikisa,
Aiwanisa's teacher.
Kaikisa is dead now; he died several full
moons ago.
The village has recently been attacked by
other Miskito villages, and most of the
young men and women have been taken
away.

Indifferent or better:
There was a time, eighteen years ago, when
two pini (white men) and one siksa (black
man) came to see Kaikisa.
The strangers talked to Kaikisa for a long
time, and there was a lot of bargaining.
One of the pini was called Rak (Roc).
After the bargaining, Kaikisa performed a
great ritual for Rak.
Rak was sick for almost a month afterwards,
then got better.

Responsive or better:
Rak wanted to live forever and not die.
Kaikisa could do this, but it was very
dangerous and required much power.
The ritual involved taking Rak's soul from
his body and sealing it in a pottery jar,
which would then be taken and buried in a
safe place. After that, Rak could not die
unless his soul was released from the jar.
The jar was buried on a small, empty island
known only to the spirit-talkers.
The price of the ritual was for Rak and his
men to serve Kaikisa until Kaikisa died.
When Rak told his men, they did not want to
pay this price. They tried to kill Rak, but he
could not die, and so he killed all of his men.
Kaikisa still demanded their service as part
of his price, and he used his magic to make
the dead men walk again.
With Rak and the dead men serving him,
Kaikisa became very powerful, and soon he
ruled all of the Miskito for several days'
travel in all directions.
Aiwanisa does not know the ritual that
Kaikisa used to make Rak live forever, or
the one he used to make the dead men walk.

Friendly or better:
Aiwanisa and the other villagers did not
want all the dead men in the village, but they
were too afraid to speak against Kaikisa.
After the rituals to raise the dead men,
Kaikisa became crazy and did many evil
things with his power.
When Kaikisa finally died, Rak and the dead
men took their ship and went away, and the
other Miskito came and attacked this village
to punish them for the things Kaikisa had
done.
Aiwanisa can lead the characters to the
island where Rak's spirit was buried.
There is a curse placed on the island so that
the unworthy cannot go there, but Aiwanisa
can lift the curse temporarily so the PCs can
retrieve the soul jar.

Affectionate or better:
Aiwanisa killed Kaikisa himself when he
could no longer stand the horrible things
Kaikisa made his dead men do to the other
Miskito.

Hopefully, the Witch Hunters will have a peaceful
conversation with Aiwanisa and convince him to
lead them to where Brasiliano's soul is buried. When
this happens, proceed to Scene 4. However, players
sometimes make poor decisions.

If interactions with Aiwanisa go poorly enough that
his disposition slips to Enmity or below, he will
simply break off negotiations and return to his
sickbed. Hopefully, the PCs will realize that he
represents their only lead, and will approach him
again later with a more humble attitude.

If the situation devolves into a fight, let the dice fall
where they may. In all likelihood, the PCs will begin
soundly defeating the Miskito. If this happens,
WH:DP1-01 Storm Tide Page 12 of 24
Aiwanisa will beg them to stop before they wipe out
his tribe, offering to tell them where Brasiliano's
soul is. He will live up to his end of the bargain;
however, he will not tell them about the curse on the
island, nor will he free them from its effects.

If Aiwanisa is somehow killed before leading the
PCs to the island, a search of his hut will reveal
some unusual drawings. A D2 Navigation check
will indicate that these are directions to an island;
this will enable the PCs to complete the adventure,
but they will be subject to the full effects of the
curse.

When the PCs are ready to go to the island, proceed
to Scene 4,

Scene 3A:
Rescue (OPTIONAL)

This Scene should only take place if there is enough
time in the slot for an extra combat, and the PCs
decide to go rescue the captured Miskito Indians
from Aiwanisa's village.

If the four oarsmen from the Drake have remained
ashore with the PCs, a D3 Charm check is required
to convince them to go along on the rescue mission.
If they do so, use the statistics found in Appendix 2.
If the PCs contact Captain Spragg for assistance, he
will not provide any, nor will he let any sailors
accompany the PCs; he won't risk any of his crew
for what he calls "damnable savages."

The Miskito who raided Aiwanisa's village live
about two hours' walk to the west along the coast.
There are about fifty Miskito in the other village,
although only half of those are warriors; the others
are either non-combatant women or too young or old
to fight effectively. Use the statistics for the Miskito
tribesmen in Scene 3, except that these are not
wounded. The non-combatants will flee immediately
if a fight breaks out. If more than half of the warriors
are killed or taken out of combat, the remainder will
stage a fighting retreat, leaving the prisoners behind.

The PCs may wish to try a diplomatic approach
rather than an attack. If that is the case, these
Miskito start with a Disposition of Enmity, since
they do not want to give up their new slaves. To get
the prisoners released, the Disposition will need to
be brought up to Friendly either through Charm,
Intimidation, or Deception. The chief who is leading
the negotiations has the following statistics:

Lapta, Miskito Chief (Mortal)
STR 3 EDU 1 COU 4
AGI 3 REA 3 INT 3
TOU 3 WIL 2 PER 3
Health Track: 6/5/3/3/2
Attack: Club (6d, DM +2), Spear (5d, DM +2)
Skills: Dodge 1, Grapple 1, Hand-to-Hand 3,
Reflexes 2, Speak Miskito 3, Speak Spanish 1,
Stealth 2, Survival 2, Swim 2, Throw 3, Track 1
Initial Disposition: Enmity

Once the rescue is resolved, either through combat
or diplomacy, return to Scene 3 to resolve the
interaction with Aiwanisa.

Scene 4:
Storm Tide

Presumably, the PCs will signal Captain Spragg
once they are ready to head to the island where
Brasiliano's soul jar is buried. Returning to the ship
(with Aiwanisa, if applicable) is a simple matter,
though Spragg is not pleased by the idea of
following a "savage's" directions.

If the Drake sets off for the island with Aiwanisa
aboard, read or paraphrase the following:

For several hours, you sail south and east,
propelled by gusting winds that promise a storm
before long. Aiwanisa sits in the bow of the Drake
watching the waters and singing quietly in his
strange language. Occasionally he directs you to
have the ship change course slightly, which the
captain grudgingly does.
As sunset approaches, the look-out signals
that land has been seen, and indeed the ship is
approaching a small, flat island that looks more
like a half-submerged copse of trees than actual
land.
"There," Aiwanisa says. "J ar buried there, in
middle of island."
Captain Spragg eyes the island sourly. "Tide's
rising," he says. "The whole thing will be
underwater in a few hours, even if the storm holds
off. I f you have something to fetch off that island,
best be about it now; I 'll have the lads row you
over."

WH:DP1-01 Storm Tide Page 13 of 24
If the Drake sets off for the island without Aiwanisa,
read or paraphrase the following:

For several hours, you sail south and east,
propelled by gusting winds that promise a storm
before long. The I ndian's directions are vague and
difficult to decipher, and you do no small amount
of backtracking and sailing in circles to find the
proper landmarks. Captain Spragg is obviously
getting frustrated as nightfall approaches.
However, just before sunset, the look-out
signals that land has been seen, and indeed the
ship is approaching a small, flat island that looks
more like a half-submerged copse of trees than
actual land.
Captain Spragg eyes the island sourly. "Tide's
rising," he says. "The whole thing will be
underwater in a few hours, even if the storm holds
off. I f you have something to fetch off that island,
best be about it now; I 'll have the lads row you
over."

The island itself is basically a cluster of mangrove
trees around which a thick clump of soil and sand
has gradually accumulated. The whole thing is no
more than eighty yards long and perhaps forty wide,
and the "land" is nothing more than thick mud even
at low tide. It is, in short, a small, barren, and
miserable spot in the middle of nowhere.

Captain Spragg has no intention of providing the
PCs with more than the minimum number of men
needed to row them to the island and back. He plans
to keep the Drake safely in deep water, making
preparations to ride out the storm and sail away as
soon as the PCs have returned. He will urge the PCs
to make their preparations quickly and be on their
way, since he would like to be underway before the
storm hits.

Aiwanisa is in no condition to accompany the Witch
Hunters to the island due to his injuries (and even if
he has been magically healed, he will not set foot on
the island; it is forbidden for him to do so).
However, if he is on good terms with the PCs, he
will sing a song over them before they head over to
the island; this will render them immune to the
effects of the curse while on the island (see below).
He will also tell them that the jar should be buried
beneath a flat white stone near the middle of the
island.

Once the PCs have made all their preparations and
are ready to set off, read or paraphrase the following:

The wind whips at your cloak as the sailors
row you over to the miserable little island. The
rowboat, and then your boots, sink into the thick,
mucky soil between the countless mangrove roots,
and each step produces a loud sucking sound as
you wrench your feet free from the clinging mud.
As the first drops of heavy, warm rain spatter over
you, and distant thunder rolls from the sky, you
begin your search.

The Curse: Characters who have not received
Aiwanisa's blessing are subject to a curse placed on
this island by generations of Miskito spirit-talkers.
While these characters are on the island, each roll of
1 on any action roll subtracts one success from their
total. For example, a roll of 1, 3, 5, 7, 7, 9 would
result in two successes instead of the usual three.

Note that the oarsmen from the Drake will remain
with the boat, and will not participate in the search
or the combat that follows.

See GM Aid 1 for a table summarizing the process
of the search. Each character should make a Notice
check; the cadre needs a number of successes equal
to the number of PCs to find the burial site of
Brasiliano's soul jar. If they do not find it after the
first set of rolls, they have spent half an hour in
fruitless searching; the water level has gone up
slightly, and the storm has gotten worse. They may
roll again, adding their new successes to any
previously obtained, but this time each character's
first success is ignored (i.e., a character who rolls 3
successes only adds 2 to the total). If they still have
not succeeded, they may make one more set of rolls,
this time ignoring the first two successes for each
character. If they still have not accumulated enough
successes, proceed to Brasiliano's attack, but treat
the PCs as if they had been successfully ambushed
(Brasiliano's men have had enough time to surround
the PCs while they searched fruitlessly for the jar).

If and when the characters have accumulated enough
Search successes, read or paraphrase the following:

As the tide rises and the rain grows stronger,
your search becomes increasingly difficult.
Visibility is almost nonexistent, and the roots and
WH:DP1-01 Storm Tide Page 14 of 24
mud make simply moving around the island a
painfully awkward process.
Suddenly, [name of PC who made the best
Search roll] slips and nearly falls as his/her boot
skids on a piece of smooth white stone, almost
completely buried in the muck. Perhaps this is the
goal you seek
After a moment, though, you realize that the
stone slab is resting next to a deep hole in the mud,
which appears to have been very recently dug. A
flash of lightning reveals that what you thought
was an unusually straight mangrove root is
actually the handle of a broken shovel, discarded in
the muck.

Give the players a moment to realize that they have
been beaten to the punch; perhaps they may reach
down into the hole, or dig further, in the vain hope
that their prize is still there. Once they realize that
the jar is gone, continue with the following:

"Looking for something?"
The voice, thick with menace, somehow cuts
through the noise of the rising wind and waves.
Another flash of lightning reveals the tall figure of
a man, with skin as black as old leather, and yellow
eyes that seem to glow with an unnatural light.
Behind him, a line of sailors heft their cutlasses,
their lips sewn together and their eyes flat and
lifeless.
"Lucky for me I beat you to it, eh? I should
have known those damn I ndians couldn't keep
their mouths shut," he hisses. "Should have killed
them all before I left. Well, there's time for that yet;
I have all the time in the world. But your time has
run out." He raises his voice in command. "Kill
them, lads!"

Naturally, combat ensues.

Roc's Crew (Undead)
Minions, TR 2

Roc Brasiliano (Accursed)
Init Def Melee Ranged Extras
8 2+NP 8 8 5
Faith Damnation HP Cost
0 8 0 530
Health Track: 20/8/6/4/4/2
Attack: Cutlass (7d, DM +5), pistol (7d, DM +2)
Powers: Durability (5), Regeneration (1), Weather
Control (2)
Prices: Obvious Appearance, Soul Outside,
Vulnerability (Bone)
Talents: Attack Focus: Cutlass, Attack Specialist:
Cutlass, Night Vision, Veteran Warrior (included
above)

There are five undead crewmen per PC, plus Roc
himself. The crewmen will mindlessly attack until
destroyed. Roc, on the other hand, is quite cunning.
He will wade into close combat, knowing that he
cannot be killed, and will attack recklessly, with no
thought for defense. Roc's Durability and
Regeneration powers mean that he can take an
enormous amount of damage before falling.

However, all is not lost. Any character that is in a
melee involving Roc should make a D1 Notice
check (-2 dice for darkness and weather) each round.
Success means that they notice a bag, which appears
to have something large and heavy in it, hanging
from Roc's belt. This, as the characters may guess, is
the pottery jar containing Roc's soul. (Any character
that spends an action specifically looking for the jar
can make the check without the -2 dice penalty).

Once they have spotted the jar, characters may
attack it. This can be done using the Break action in
melee (2 successes will break the jar), or by hitting it
with a firearm or thrown weapon. In either case, Roc
is trying to protect the jar, so Roc can spend his own
defense successes to defend the jar. Once he realizes
that the characters are attacking the jar, Roc will
abruptly begin to retreat in a defensive manner,
leaving his crew to deal with the PCs.

Imaginative characters may attempt to grab the jar
off Roc's belt. This requires a D3 Subterfuge check
which Roc can use his Defense successes to counter.
If the attempt succeeds, Roc will attack the character
with the jar in a desperate attempt to retrieve it. If a
PC with the jar threatens to break it, Roc will call off
the attack and begin to parley; he knows that the jar
is the only thing keeping him alive, and he will
literally promise anything within his power to get it
WH:DP1-01 Storm Tide Page 15 of 24
back. However, he has no intention of keeping his
promises, and if the Witch Hunters try to leave with
his soul jar, he will launch a desperate (and probably
doomed) attack in order to get it back. (Note that this
means the PCs cannot get their own personal
immortal pirate captain slave, a crew of undead
sailors, an English war frigate, etc. Sorry.)

Circumstances: Note that the flooded terrain, heavy
winds, and rain give a -1 die penalty to all combat
rolls (this affects both sides). Also, the water reduces
all movement to half normal speed. While the water
is not deep enough to swim in, characters that climb
the trees, swing from branches, or clamber across
exposed roots will not suffer any movement
penalties. Such characters need to make an
appropriate skill check (Acrobatics, Climb, or
Jump) each round; if they score no successes, they
have fallen down, and must spend their action
standing up.

After the first round of combat, read or paraphrase
the following:

Above the wind and the sounds of battle, you
hear what sounds like thunder, but much louder
and closer than before. I n the waters near the
island, you see blasts of cannon-fire far more
cannon than the Drake carries.
I n the next flash of lightning, you can see a
much larger ship looming over the Drake, which
has been badly damaged by the other vessel's
broadside attack. The attacking ship is manned by
dozens of stiffly-moving sailors, and the name on
her stern is clearly visible in the momentary flash
of light Assistance.

Roc has indeed captured the Assistance and taken it
as his new flagship. His undead crew have done
significant damage to the Drake; however, they are
very slow at reloading the cannon, and do not fight
well without Roc there to personally direct them. If
the PCs can finish off Roc in a timely fashion, the
Drake will emerge battered but intact.

If and when the jar is destroyed, read or paraphrase
the following:

The crunch of breaking pottery is barely
audible over the sounds of the fight and the storm,
but its effects are dramatic. A cloud of what
appears to be gray smoke emerges from the sack at
Brasiliano's belt and hangs in the air before him,
seemingly unaffected by the wind and rain.
Somewhere near the center of the cloud is the tiny,
misty figure of a man.

Outside the protection of the jar, Roc's soul is
defenseless and can take only 1 hit before being
destroyed (which also destroys Roc). Once the jar is
broken, Roc will desperately attack anyone who
appears to be threatening the soul.

When the soul is destroyed, read or paraphrase the
following:

The tiny, smoky figure offers no resistance at
all to your attack, breaking apart like a cloud on a
windy day. Roc Brasiliano stares at you in horrified
confusion for a moment before the glow in his
yellow eyes fades and he collapses face-down in the
mud. One by one, his undead crewmen follow suit,
both on the island and on the Assistance, while the
cloud of gray smoke wafts away on the wind. After
a few moments, the only sounds are the rain and
thunder.

Go to Conclusion A.

If Roc manages to escape with the jar intact, he will
return to the Assistance and flee, enabling the PCs to
return to the battered Drake and limp back to Port
Royal. If this happens, go to Conclusion B.

Conclusion A:
Victory at Sea

Read or paraphrase the following:

With Brasiliano and his crew now truly dead,
you return to the battered Drake. Captain Spragg
is clearly shaken as you climb aboard. "My God,"
he says, "I've never seen the like. I 'm sorry I ever
doubted you," he says, as he looks upon you with
newfound respect.
"Now, let's see what's left of the Assistance;
we may need her to ride this storm out and get
home."

The Assistance is drifting now, with no crew to man
her. A boarding party is swiftly sent over (including
the Witch Hunters if they wish). All of the undead
are dead now, but the party quickly discovers two
WH:DP1-01 Storm Tide Page 16 of 24
dozen members of the Assistance's original crew
barricaded in their quarters below decks. (Roc
intended to take them back to the Miskito village
and have Aiwanisa turn them into more undead
crewmen, assuming that Aiwanisa had the same
powers that Kaikisa did.) The grateful crew will
quickly move to secure the Assistance from the
storm, and both ships will be able to get back to Port
Royal without further incident (with a stop at the
Miskito village to drop Aiwanisa off, if necessary).

The crew of the Assistance will be amazed that the
PCs and the Drake managed to find them in the
middle of nowhere, and will ask how the characters
knew where they were. If any of the PCs mention
William Penney, they will be met with blank stares
and confusion; none of the Assistance's crew have
ever heard of Penney, nor do they recall a man
matching his description serving aboard their ship.

The crewmen from the Assistance do not know what
happened to the Storm Tide after their ship was
captured.

The return to Port Royal will pass without incident.
Sir Henry will be troubled by the news that Penney
was an impostor, but will still be grateful to the
Witch Hunters for their destruction of Roc
Brasiliano. He will give each character the payment
he promised (less any supplies purchased on his
letter of credit), and will also write them a letter of
gratitude that may be useful if presented to figures of
authority in other English colonies.

Conclusion B:
Delaying the Inevitable

Read or paraphrase the following:

Brasiliano and his undead crew have fled, but
for how long? He is at the helm of the largest
English warship in the Caribbean, and he still
cannot be killed; whatever the significance of the
pottery jar he unearthed, he will certainly be able
to conceal it somewhere safe now.
As the Drake limps back to Port Royal, you
have one small consolation; Captain Spragg no
longer believes that your mission was one of
superstitious nonsense.

The return to Port Royal, though slow, is uneventful.
Sir Henry will be very disappointed at Brasiliano's
escape, though if the Witch Hunters explain what
they were up against, he will find it difficult to
blame them for failing. He will not offer any
monetary rewards, though he will also not make the
characters repay any expenses they incurred before
leaving Port Royal.

The End

SP Rewards
Characters who survive the adventure receive 1 SP
for defeating William Penney, 1 SP if they gain
Aiwanisa's support, 1 SP if they destroy Roc
Brasiliano, and 1 SP if they role-played well, for a
possible maximum of 4 SP per character.

Possible Treasure
Up to 25 depending on how the Witch Hunters
negotiated with Governor Morgan and what they
spent on supplies and/or equipment. This money will
be paid upon successful completion of the mission
only.

No, the PCs can not keep Rocs soul or any of the
ships.

Possible Contacts
Sir Henry Morgan, Lt. Governor of Jamaica.
Whether the Witch Hunters succeed or not, Lt.
Governor Morgan will be grateful for their attempt.

Adventure Codes
Adventure Codes represent things which the
characters did that may impact them in the future,
though the PCs are not aware of exactly how. Circle
the appropriate codes on each character's Adventure
Journal according to the guidelines below; not all
characters will necessarily have the same codes. Do
not tell the players what the codes mean!

If the players parted from Aiwanisa on good terms,
circle Adventure Code 1 on their Adventure
Journals.

If they parted from Aiwanisa on unfriendly or hostile
terms, circle Adventure Code 2.

If they killed Aiwanisa, circle Adventure Code 3.

WH:DP1-01 Storm Tide Page 17 of 24
If they rescued the Miskito captives in Scene 3A,
circle Adventure Code 4.

If they defeated Roc Brasiliano, circle Adventure
Code 5.

For characters who personally destroyed Roc's soul
jar and/or his soul, circle Adventure Code 6.

Appendix 1 Port Royal

Port Royal is the capital of Jamaica and the most important British city in the Caribbean. Its current population is
approximately 6,000, roughly one-third of whom are black slaves. The free population is about evenly divided
between men and women unusual in New World colonies and there are a surprising number of children being
raised in the town. Port Royal itself does not produce much of anything; its importance is as a center of trade and
a defensible port.

Places of Worship: Despite its reputation as a rowdy and sinful city, Port Royal has no shortage of churches. In
addition to a large Anglican church under the ministry of the elderly Dr. Joseph More, the town also includes a
Roman Catholic chapel (under Father Thomas Churchill), a Presbyterian meeting-house (under Francis Crow),
and a Jewish synagogue (under Jacob Lopez Torres). Several dozen Quakers meet regularly in the home of one
John Pike, but like all Quaker groups, they have no fixed pastor or preacher.

Taverns: A wide variety of taverns and ale-houses, ranging from the quiet and respectable to the raucous and
rowdy, populate the streets of Port Royal. The Three Crowns is the largest tavern in town, and has a dedicated
space in the yard for bull- or bear-baiting; cockfighting is popular in smaller establishments such as The Windmill
and The Catt and Fiddle. Those inclined to quieter pursuits may prefer The George or The Feathers, both of which
have dedicated billiards-rooms. The Sign of the Mermaid and The Sign of Bacchus are taverns that double as
brothels.

Food: A wide variety of foodstuffs is available in Port Royal, though most of it is very expensive (since almost all
of it needs to be imported). The central market on High Street sells fruits, vegetables, and poultry, while another
market at the west end of High Street sells beef, veal, mutton, pork, and turtle flesh. A third market, on the
northern edge of town, sells both locally-caught and imported fish.

Drink: Madeira wine, brandy, and various alcoholic punches are the most popular beverages in town. Lemonade
and various drinks sweetened with sugar or molasses are popular in the warmer months. Fresh water is hard to
obtain and often of dubious quality.

Goods: Many craftsmen ply their trades in Port Royal, including three blacksmiths, two gunsmiths, and a half-
dozen tailors. More sophisticated goods and fine quality clothes are regularly imported from England for the
wealthy merchants of the town.

Services: Two chirurgeons, Dr. Thomas Trapham and Dr. Nathaniel Doggett, tend to the town's ill and injured,
and one William Mathews compounds medicines for them as required.

Law Enforcement: Provost Marshal Brian Kelly is in charge of keeping order; while he has no standing watch,
he can call on any of the city's volunteer infantry (nearly a quarter of the city's population) to help arrest
miscreants. Prisoners may be taken to the Marshallsea prison if male or Bridewell if female, or deposited in the
stocks, pillory, or other public places of punishment. For the most extreme crimes, hangings are conducted on
Gallows Point.

Appendix 2 HMS Drake

The Drake is a small frigate of sixteen guns, with a crew of fifty men (not counting the PCs). It is nearly forty
years old (built in 1652), and is showing its age, though it is still quite seaworthy.

Captain Charles Spragg (Mortal)
STR 3 EDU 3 COU 3
AGI 3 REA 4 INT 3
TOU 3 WIL 3 PER 2
Health Track: 6/5/4/4/3
Attack: Cutlass (5d, DM +3), pistol (4d, DM +5)
Skills: Balance 1, Climb 1, Command 2, Firearms 1, Hand-to-Hand 3, Navigation 2, Parry 1, Reflexes 1, Row 1,
Sail 1, Speak Dutch 1, Speak English 3L, Speak Spanish 1, Swim 3
Initial Disposition: Dislike

Captain Charles Spragg is not a bad man; he is an excellent sailor and a loyal servant of the Crown. However, he
believes that this entire mission is a fool's errand that Sir Henry came up with in a drunken stupor (though he
would never say so). His sole purpose is to complete the mission with as little risk to his ship and crew as
possible. If anything arises which seems to indicate that the mission cannot be accomplished, he will use it as an
opportunity to suggest turning back to Port Royal. That said, he is not a coward, and will fight bravely when the
situation calls for it.

Drake Crewman (Mortal)
STR 3 EDU 3 COU 3
AGI 3 REA 4 INT 3
TOU 3 WIL 3 PER 2
Health Track: 6/5/4/4/3
Attack: Cutlass (5d, DM +3), blunderbuss (4d, DM +4)
Skills: Balance 3, Charm 1, Climb 3, Firearms 1, Gamble 1, Hand-to-Hand 3, Parry 1, Row 3, Sail 3, Speak
Dutch 1, Speak English 3, Speak Spanish 1, Swim 3
Initial Disposition: Indifferent




GM Aid 1
The Search for the Soul

1. All searching PCs make a Notice + Intuition check; count total successes.

2. If total successes equal or exceed the number of PCs at the table, STOP; the search is successful. Otherwise:

3. 30 minutes pass; tide has risen and storm has worsened. Make another set of Notice + Intuition rolls, but each
character must discard his or her first success. Count total successes and add to those gained in Step 1.

4. If total successes from BOTH searches equal or exceed the number of PCs at the table, STOP; the search is
successful. Otherwise:

5. 30 more minutes pass; tide has risen and storm has worsened. Make another set of Notice + Intuition rolls, but
each character must discard his or her first two successes. Count total successes and add to those gained in Steps 1
and 3.

6. If total successes from ALL searches equal or exceed the number of PCs at the table, STOP; the search is
successful. Otherwise, the search still succeeds, but Brasiliano and his men ambush the PCs (villains get +2 dice
to initiative rolls, heroes are at -2 dice and have 0 Agility for first-round Defense rolls).

Note that the penalties assessed for failing the early Search rolls ONLY apply to the search, not to any other
actions on the island.

GM Combat Tracking Sheet
Scene 1
Init:
Init:
Init:
Init:
Init:
Init:
Init:
Blood Creature (Accursed)
Init Def Melee Ranged Extras
5 NP+3* 6 (8) 5 (7) 5
Faith Damnation HP Cost
0 6 0 405
Health Track: 7/6/4/4/3
Attack: Claws (8d, DM +4)
Powers: Armor (3), Fury (1), Monstrous Form (2)
(included above in parentheses)
Prices: Damage (alcohol), Vulnerability (cold iron),
Weakness (sacramental wine)
Talents: Attack Focus: Claws, Attack Specialist:
Claws, Claws
*NP=Number of Players at the table; +3 means the
creature gets 3 automatic success in addition to the
dice (due to its Armor power)

Healthy Light Mod Hvy Dying
0000000 000000 0000 0000 000

Scene 3
(Only if combat ensues)
Init:
Init:
Init:
Init:
Init:
Init:
Init:
Aiwanisa (Mortal)
STR 2 EDU 2 COU 3
AGI 2 REA 3 INT 4
TOU 3 WIL 4 PER 3
Health Track: 6/5/3/3/2 (currently at 12 wounds)
Skills: Concentrate 3, Empathy 1, Grapple 1, Heal
1, Intimidate 3, Myth and Lore 2, Notice 1,
Pantomime 1, Perform (Singing) 3, Resolve 3,
Speak Dutch 1, Speak English 1, Speak Miskito 3,
Speak Nahuatl 1, Speak Spanish 1, Stealth 1
Initial Disposition: Indifferent (see Scene 3 for
detail)

Healthy Light Mod Hvy Dying
000000 00000 000 000 00

Miskito Tribesman (Mortal) 12 warriors
Minions, TR 2

Group 1 Group 3
Group 2


Scene 3A (Optional)
(Only if combat ensues)
Init:
Init:
Init:
Init:
Init:
Init:
Init:
Lapta, Miskito Chief (Mortal)
STR 3 EDU 1 COU 4
AGI 3 REA 3 INT 3
TOU 3 WIL 2 PER 3
Health Track: 6/5/3/3/2
Attack: Club (6d, DM +2), Spear (5d, DM +2)
Skills: Dodge 1, Grapple 1, Hand-to-Hand 3, Reflexes 2, Speak Miskito 3, Speak Spanish 1, Stealth 2, Survival 2,
Swim 2, Throw 3, Track 1
Initial Disposition: Enmity

Healthy Light Mod Hvy Dying
000000 00000 000 000 00

Miskito Tribesman (Mortal) 25 warriors
Minions, TR 2

Group 1 Group 4
Group 2 Group 5
Group 3

Scene 4
Init:
Init:
Init:
Init:
Init:
Init:
Init:
Undead Crew Minions 5 per PC
Threat Level 2

Group 1 Group 4
Group 2 Group 5
Group 3 Group 6

Roc Brasiliano (Accursed)
Init Def Melee Ranged Extras
8 2+NP 8 8 5
Faith Damnation HP Cost
0 8 0 530
Health Track: 20/8/6/4/4/2
Attack: Cutlass (7d, DM +5), pistol (7d, DM +2)
Powers: Durability (5), Regeneration (1), Weather
Control (2)
Prices: Obvious Appearance, Soul Outside,
Vulnerability (Bone)
Talents: Attack Focus: Cutlass, Attack Specialist:
Cutlass, Night Vision, Veteran Warrior (included
above)

Durability Healthy Light Mod Hvy Dying
0000000000
0000000000
0000
0000
000
000
0000 0000 00

Tactics: There are five undead crewmen per PC,
plus Roc himself. The crewmen will mindlessly
attack until destroyed. Roc, on the other hand, is
quite cunning. He will wade into close combat,
knowing that he cannot be killed, and will attack
recklessly, with no thought for defense. Roc's
Durability and Regeneration powers mean that he
can take an enormous amount of damage before
falling.





However, all is not lost. Any character that is in a
melee involving Roc should make a D1 Notice
check (-2 dice for darkness and weather) each round.
Success means that they notice a bag, which appears
to have something large and heavy in it, hanging
from Roc's belt. This, as the characters may guess, is
the pottery jar containing Roc's soul. (Any character
that spends an action specifically looking for the jar
can make the check without the -2 dice penalty).

Once they have spotted the jar, characters may
attack it. This can be done using the Break action in
melee (2 successes will break the jar), or by hitting it
with a firearm or thrown weapon. In either case, Roc
is trying to protect the jar, so Roc can spend his own
defense successes to defend the jar. Once he realizes
that the characters are attacking the jar, Roc will
abruptly begin to retreat in a defensive manner,
leaving his crew to deal with the PCs.

Imaginative characters may attempt to grab the jar
off Roc's belt. This requires a D3 Subterfuge check
which Roc can use his Defense successes to counter.
If the attempt succeeds, Roc will attack the character
with the jar in a desperate attempt to retrieve it. If a
PC with the jar threatens to break it, Roc will call off
the attack and begin to parley; he knows that the jar
is the only thing keeping him alive, and he will
literally promise anything within his power to get it
back. However, he has no intention of keeping his
promises, and if the Witch Hunters try to leave with
his soul jar, he will launch a desperate (and probably
doomed) attack in order to get it back.

Circumstances: Note that the flooded terrain, heavy
winds, and rain give a -1 die penalty to all combat
rolls (this affects both sides). Also, the water reduces
all movement to half normal speed. While the water
is not deep enough to swim in, characters that climb
the trees, swing from branches, or clamber across
exposed roots will not suffer any movement
penalties. Such characters need to make an
appropriate skill check (Acrobatics, Climb, or
Jump) each round; if they score no successes, they
have fallen down, and must spend their action
standing up.




Player Handout 1


Lieutenant-Governor
Sir Henry Morgan
eeks Individuals of out Heart and abiding
Faith to undertake a Tak of grave
Importance to the Colony of Jamaica and its
Citizens, and to all good Chriians dwelling
in thee Lands and Waters.

Any Man or Woman deiring to render
Service to the Crown in this matter, which
promies both great Danger and
correponding Reward, ould preent
themelves at the King's Houe on
Thames Street no later than
Three of the Clock
on
Wedneday, the 22nd of March
to dicus the Deeds requir'd of them.