[CLASSIC WHO] Adventure - Secret of the Jaguar

[etheruk]

I'm planning on running my first game of Doctor Who next weekend. I've written up an adventure that was partly inspired by the historical adventures of the 1st and 2nd Doctor's era.

I thought I'd post it here so that if any one spots any flaws or ways to improve it I can make the changes before we play.

SECRETS OF THE JAGUAR

INTRODUCTION

This adventure allows the player to explore an interesting historical setting mixed with an exotic supernatural mystery. The era the player characters will be exploring is one which we know only a little about, information gathered through the relics and ruins left behind. This lets the player characters to make discoveries that could not be obtained from a history book by experiencing the time period first hand.

WHAT'S GOING ON

There are other native species on Earth, other than humans. When humanity was just beginning to emerge their genetic code was cruelly altered by a variety of alien species, individually making adjustments over hundreds of years. The culmination was the human species as we know it today but there are throw backs, blood lines which are more bestial.

One such species is a race of half men, half jaguar. They live in northern Mexico, able to blend with the locals by repressing their bestial nature and appearing totally human. They have cross breed with humans for so long that most people in the area have some were-jaguar in their blood.

In 900BC the city of San Lorenzo is the heart of the Olmec culture, a predecessor to the Mayan and Atzec cultures. They are made up of a network of smaller villages that all meet and trade within the large city and are governed by a council of chiefs.

These chiefs feel threatened by the powerful jaguar people and see the birth of children who display their mark as either a curse or a sign that the jaguar people are raping their woman folk. To eliminate this problem they have been killing such children for the last few decades. They have also recently begun to root out the jaguar people living among them.

With this ethnic cleansing taking place the jaguar people who live in the nearby tropical jungle are becoming increasingly discontent with these savage acts. While some wish to keep a low profile until a more reasonable group of chiefs are in power some of their number believe they should strike, taking over the Olmec empire.

Into this tense situation stumble the player characters. Their actions will decide the fate of the Olmec people for centuries to come.

PROLOGUE

The TARDIS lands in the tropical jungle of Olmec heart lands, a few miles from San Lorenzo Tenochtitlan. It is mid day, birds singing in the gently swaying trees, while the sound of the Coatzacoalus river drifts from nearby.

Outside, amongst the undergrowth is a stone head, 3 metres (9ft tall) big and weighing 25 tons. It has been sat here for ten years and is still in good shape. It was placed here to act as a marker to indicate when people were entering jaguar people territory.

A difficulty 15 ingenuity+Knowledge: History check correctly identifies it as being made by the Olmec and an exciting find.

Before it can be examined much closer a jaguar leaps on top of the stone statue, using it as a perch from which to growl at the intruders. It is trying to work out if they are potential prey. This is a good opportunity to see whether they will fight, talk or flee in the coming conflicts.

Jaguar:
Awareness: 5, Coordination: 4, Ingenuity: 1, Presence: 1, Resolve: 2, Strength: 4
Fear Factor: A savage beast can be quite scary. A jaguar receives a +2 when actively trying to strike fear into people's hearts.
Natural Weapon: Claws provide a +2 to their strength when dealing damage.
Camouflage: Due to their speckled coat they gain a +2 to subterfuge checks when in a jungle environment.
Skills: Athletic: 2, Fighting: 2, Subterfuge: 2, Survival (jungle): 1
Story Points: 0

The first thing the jaguar will do in battle is to let out a roar, going on the talking round. The player characters must make a Resolve+Ingenuity check vs the jaguar's Resolve+Presence+Fear Factor (5 or above).

Trying to calm the jaguar requires a Presence+Convince skill roll (with a +2 bonus if they have the Animal Friendship trait). A success indicates that the jaguar will not attack and instead watch them with mild curiosity. It may still decide to attack depending on their actions. A Good result indicates that the jaguar leaves, satisfied that they aren't food. A fantastic result means that the jaguar has taken a liking to them and may turn up later to defend them should they find themselves in trouble.

A failure means that the jaguar ignores their attempt to calm it but decides to wait a turn to see if they will now attack or flee. A bad result indicates that it will now attack, satisfied they are not able to defend themselves. A disastrous result means that the jaguar is enraged by the noises they are making, receiving a +2 bonus on it's first attack.
When attacking the jaguar makes a strength+fighting check (a base of 6). The targeted character can resist with either a Strength+Fighting check (to block the strike) or a coordination+athletic to dodge out of the way.

If they run the jaguar assumes they are weak and thus are good prey. If they attack then it will see how good a fighter they are. It will defend itself but if it takes too much damage it will flee. Should they try to frighten it (requiring it to make Resolve+Ingenuity roll) then it might attack.

In a chase a jaguar can move 4 areas each round. For those pushing themselves (coordination+athletics) the terrain difficulty is 15. There are trees and ditches that can provide obstacles for the player characters to perform stunts with or places for them to hide. They can also attempt to reach the river (10 to 15 areas away) that they can jump in to stop the jaguar in it's tracks.

They might try to make it back to the TARDIS but this requires the door to be unlocked. This requires a co-ordination+resolve check with a difficulty of 12 (normal). A success indicates the door has been unlocked but not yet opened, a good result indicates the door is now open and a fantastic result means that they have been able to enter the TARDIS in the same action.

A failure means the door is still locked but the key is in the door, meaning the difficulty is reduced to 10 next turn while a bad result means that they have just not got the key in the lock. A disastrous result means they have dropped the key and it must be retrieved before they can attempt to unlock the door again.

The end of this prologue will either be either that the jaguar runs away or is killed, one or more characters are injured by the big cat or they escape into the jungle or into the TARDIS. Either way the end of the scene is that they hear a woman calling for help close to where ever they are.

[etheruk]

SCENE 1 – THE CUB

A woman, Yo Ki, is fleeing two warriors, cradling her unnamed baby in her arms. She is injured, bleeding from a stab wound on her back. She collapses as the time travellers arrive. Yo Ki only has time to explain that warriors are coming to kill her baby on orders from the council of chiefs at San Lorenzo and begs them to protect the baby boy.

A medicine check (normal difficulty: 12) confirms the woman's injuries and that she has lost too much blood to survive. The baby seems healthy and is five months old. As it cries it momentarily takes on the appearance of a jaguar, his jaw gaping much wider than normal, his eyes becoming more cat like and a thin layer of speckled fur appearing.

Two warriors are approaching, forcing the player character's to decide what they are going to do.

Warriors (Tu & Ap):
Awareness: 2, Coordination: 3, Ingenuity: 2, Presence: 2, Resolve: 3, Strength: 4
Athletics: 1, Convince: 2, Fighting: 2
story points: 0

The warriors have been assigned to kill the baby after it was witnessed transforming into a jaguar. Preferably they must capture the baby alive so it can be sacrificed by the shaman on an alter but if that is not possible they will simply kill it there and then.

Both warriors are armed, Tu with a jade axe (fashioned to resemble a eagle) and Ap with a stone dagger. They are bare chested and wearing breechcloth (a form of lioncloth with a strip of fabric acting as a belt and two flaps of material hanging at the back and the front). Their manner is aggressive but they are slightly taken aback by the time travellers appearance, enough to ask for the baby rather than just attacking straight away.

The character's only have moments to act before the warriors see them. They can try to hide (using a coordination or ingenuity+subterfuge vs the warriors awareness. If they get a success they manage to conceal themselves but the baby begins crying, making the guards continue to search the area. A good result means that they hide without upsetting the baby and fantastic result means that another noise in the jungle leads the warriors in the wrong direction.

A failure means that they haven't hidden but the baby is out of sight when the warriors reach them. A bad result means that no only have they failed to hide but the baby is crying so the warriors know exactly where it is. A disastrous result means that the characters become tangled up in their attempt to conceal themselves, catching their sleeve on a branch. This will mean freeing themselves before they attempt to leave.

If the baby is crying it will take a Presence+Convince to make it fall silent. A success means the baby falls quiet but it is still upset and might begin crying again. A good result means the baby is now content and will not cry for a while. A fantastic result means that the baby falls asleep.

A failure means the baby doesn't stop crying but it doesn't scream for the turn, making it momentarily quieter. A bad result means the baby wails, making it clear where it is. A disastrous result means the baby noisily vomits, the smell alone making it clear where the baby is.

If they engage in conversation the warriors say they have no quarrel with the strangers and wish only to have the baby because it is cursed with the mark of the jaguar and the chiefs demand they be sacrificed.

They can try to convince the warriors not take the baby or that they don't have it by making a Presence+Convince check vs the warriors Resolve. A success means they will agree not to take the child (as they are both bothered by the killing of babies) but will pass on the information about the travellers so they can expect to be hunted later, a good result means that they agree to leave and keep quiet. A fantastic result means that not only do the warriors agree to leave the baby in the time travellers care they are directed to the small village of Potraro Nuevo who are said to be in communication with the baby's kind.

A failure means that they don't convince the warriors but they will continue talking, willing to try and resolve this without fighting. A bad result means that the warriors have lost patience and try to take the baby by force. A disastrous result means that the player characters resolve is broken and they hand over the baby.

In combat the warriors use their strength+fighting (a combination of 6) making them quite formidable. They get a +2 due to their weapons when determining damage. They fight initially to cause injury, to knock the wind out of them, but then switch to trying to knock them out, concentrating on reducing their resolve to 0. They fight will some determination, not willing to be beaten by the strangers but will retreat if overwhelmed.

If the player characters are in trouble and they befriended the jaguar it will come to their aide now. It will chase the warriors away, letting the player characters decide what to do next.

The characters may instead just try to run away. The base movement of the warriors is 3 but when pushing themselves their coordination+athletics score is 4. Again the difficulty is 15.

Player Opportunities:

Once they have resolved their encounter with the warriors they will either have the baby or had it abducted by the warriors (who will take it to San Lorenzo). They will now need to decide what they are going to do.

The simplest thing for them to do is get back in the TARDIS either with or without the baby and leave but that is hardly in the spirit of things and they would leave without finding out the secret of the jaguar.

Examining the baby requires a Medicine check (difficulty 18). A success indicates that the baby has a slight fever but otherwise human. A good result confirms that it is human but with extra muscle mass which might be used to transform the baby, elongating limbs and stretching the jaw. A fantastic result reveals that the fever is actually the babies normal temperature, this extra heat is used by their body as energy when changing between it's two states.

Failure indicates that they haven't learnt more about the baby but the contact does make the baby bond more with the person examining them. A bad result means they learn nothing about the baby and a disastrous result means the character becomes ill.

It is important that the baby isn't just a plot point. It is something that will need to be cared for, fed and cleaned. It can become upset or come to like the characters and miss them should they leave. They should be encouraged to name the baby and care about what will happen to it.

They can decide to get more information from the locals. If they head in the direction that the warriors came from they will end up in San Lorenzo. If they follow the warriors directions or simply follow the jungle trails they will arrive at Potraro Nuevo.

Should the player character simply keep to the jungle, they can stumble across a tribe of Jaguar People.

It is likely that the characters will end up going to each of these locations in any order. Each location is treated as it's own scene.

[etheruk]

SCENE 2 - SAN LORENZO

Established in 1200 BC San Lorenzo sits alongside a river and surrounded by fields of farm land. There are 5,000 people living here with a drainage system using covered stones, acting as a pipe. Many of the square, stone buildings have ornamental figures, a furrow running along their backs to their open mouths so that when it rains it spills off the roof.

There are crafts men, woman buying food and children playing in the street with a rubber ball. The long streets all lead to a central stone palace where the chiefs reside and another leads out to the swamp where there is a sacrificial altar.

People won't pay too much attention to the characters, even if they have the baby with them. They will be noticed but no one wants to get involved or feels inclined to make a fuss. After all, they are used to living in close proximity to Jaguar people so in comparison the time travellers aren't so strange.

The player character may decide to question the locals about what they know about the Jaguar People and the killing of the babies. This is a presence+convince check vs the average citizens presence of 3.

A success gains them basic information about what is occurring. The Jaguar people can change their form to look human and occasionally children are born with their appearance, either through a curse or because they have used their trickery to bed a woman. The chiefs have decided that enough is enough and they must be rooted out. However, the player character's questions have roused suspicions and awkward questions start to be asked about them.

A good result provides the same information but the people being questioned don't get suspicious. A fantastic result means that in addition to the above information they are told that the chiefs have a way to identify who is a jaguar person. The person they are speaking to even confides with them that they have lived in peace with the Jaguar people for generations and the chiefs just don't like sharing the area with them.

A failure results in no information but they are directed to speak with either the chiefs or a shaman if they want to know more. A bad result means that people refuse to speak with the travellers. A disastrous response means that people suspect they are Jaguar people and alert a warrior to capture them.

They can also try to find out more details about the baby's dead mother, Yo Ki. People are more willing to talk openly about this so a presence+convince check is not required. They explain her husband was a trader by the name of Sa Ki, taking his boat down river to Potraro Nuveo to sell grain and vegetables and returning with jade.

He vanished three months ago, with Yo Ki already pregnant. It is hotly debated whether he drowned in the river, ran off with another woman or was killed by the Jaguar people. Yo Ki was devastated by his absence and some people say this sorrow is what caused the baby to be cursed. People saw her baby transform and alerted the chieftains.

The Palace
Going to the palace they will need to get past the elite warriors. The number of warriors depends on the size of the party. Two player characters should encounter four warriors at the entrance and increase the number of warriors by two for each additional member of the group. Simply fighting their way through should not be an option.

Elite Warriors
Awareness: 3, Coordination: 3, Ingenuity: 2, Presence: 3, Resolve: 3, Strength: 5
Brave: +2 bonus to resolve roll when character needs to show courage.
Athletics: 2, Convince: 2, Fighting: 3, Marksmanship: 1
story points: 1

They will not let just anyone pass by. It is part of their job that they need to keep outsider from infiltrating the walls of the palace for fear that they might be Jaguar people in disguise. Only if the travellers can convince them that they can either help with the eradication of the Jaguar people or increase the power and/or wealth of the Olmec people will they be allowed inside.

This is a regular presence or resolve+convince check vs the warriors resolve of 3 (+2 if the player characters are trying to frighten them. A success allows them to enter but only after they hand over any belongings the warriors recognise as weapons and only with the warriors escorting them. A good result lets them in straight away and a fantastic result means the warriors introduce the player characters in a positive manner.

A failure means they are turned away but the warriors agree to speak with the chieftains to see if a meeting can be arranged. On a bad result they are just turned away but on a disastrous result the warriors believe that the travellers are Jaguar people and attempt to capture them and bring them before the chieftains with their arms bond.

Each warrior is armed with a spear with a jade head, allowing them to engage in close combat or throw the spear at a distant opponent. They are used to fighting together and will give their lives to protect the chieftains. Fighting them should be the last resort for the time travellers.

Sneaking past them might be a better solution. A coordination+subterfuge check vs the warriors awareness of 3 will determine if they can slip by one of the side corridors or disguise themselves as servants. A success indicates that they get by undetected but run into a servant before they reach the throne room. A good result means they get to the throne room without meeting anyone and a fantastic result means they encounter a chieftain leaving the throne room who will therefore be much easier to approach.

A failure means they are spotted but the warriors see that the player characters are determined to get in and so arrange a meeting with the chieftains. A bad result indicates that they are seen and turned away while a disastrous result causes the warriors to attack these intruders.

The time travellers can attempt to provoke the warriors into chasing them, perhaps to allow someone else to pass through while the warriors are distracted. Normally only half of the warriors will chase, leaving the rest to stand guard but if a player character deliberately taunts them (with a resolve+convince check vs their presence of 3) and achieves a good or fantastic result they will all give chase.

The warriors have a move of 3 and if pushing themselves their coordination+athletics gives a base of 5 for their checks. The terrain modifier for the grounds of the palace is 9 and once they reach the short distance to the city itself it becomes 12.

If the group made a good impression with Tu & Ap or just frightened them by beating them in combat or with their words then they will be on the palace door, having been promoted after they claimed to have killed the baby. They will be willing to let the player characters inside to keep their silence about what really happened in the jungle.

In the throne room itself are four chieftains, each sat on a stone throne, arranged in a half circle. They are dressed in breechcloth, a head dress and have a shiny jade mirror hanging from around their necks.

The chieftains are Kala, Nu, Eia and Qi, men in their mid thirties and considered 'old' by the people but not yet elders or infirm. They are angled so that any one who stand before them is reflected in their jade mirrors and their image can be seen by the other chieftains but they can not see themselves.

Chieftains
Awareness: 4, Coordination: 3, Ingenuity: 3, Presence: 5, Resolve: 4, Strength: 3
Voice of Authority: +2 to presence and convince rolls
Athletics: 1, Convince: 3, Fighting: 2,
story points: 3

Any visitors to their court will be treated with suspicion. They view the Jaguar people as the only threat to their culture, a hidden enemy that could strike at any time. Worse still they see the birth of Jaguar babies as a threat to their continued existence.

They make no apology for their actions but if the travellers present themselves as people with power or good ideas then they will be recruited to eliminate the Jaguar people, who they portray as monsters who will cause the end of the Olmec.

The chieftains ask that the travellers locate the Jaguar people within the jungle. They suggest speaking with the villagers at Potraro Nuevo who seem to have dealings with them. Although their plan is eliminate the Jaguar People, if the travellers seem reluctant to kill them, the chieftains suggest that the travellers persuade them to leave through other means.

If further persuading is needed they can promise not to kill any more babies, instead letting the Jaguar people take the infants when they leave. When they are gone there should be no more cursed children to kill.

In truth the chieftains will have the Jaguar people killed once the travellers learn their location.

If the characters have already been to see the Jaguar people and speak on their behalf the chieftains will force the group to lead them there, accompanied by a number of warriors, to eliminate them. It is clear that there can be no peace between the two people.

Before they go any further they will have the travellers stand still so that they can be observed in their jade mirrors to insure that they are not Jaguar people themselves. They will have their warriors hold them still during this process.

The characters have nothing to fear as they are not Jaguar people, something confirmed by the mirrors. One of the warriors isn't so lucky, he doesn't know it but he has the blood of the Jaguar people, although he has never transformed.

The chieftains detect his hidden nature and even the time travellers will see the creature in the mirror. The warrior is named Pa, although if Tu or Ap if they are present you may wish to make it one of them. The other warriors are ordered to restrain this traitor and he is dragged away to the sacrificial altar where the shaman will carry out the required ceremony.

If the time travellers had been captured then this is a good opportunity for them to escape. They will be unable to convince the chieftains of the warriors to release their sacrificial victim even if they make a Awareness+Knowledge: Psychology check with a difficulty of 10 to identify that the man is truly unaware of his nature.

If questioned about the jade mirrors they explain that they are obtained from Potraro Nuevo but not let the travellers handle them for fear that they will be damaged. They don't know why but they reveal the true nature of the Jaguar people.

The Altar
In the swamp that lies on one side of the city is a stone altar with carved figures displaying the four supernatural figures of their faith. A dragon representing the earth, a bird representing the air, a jaguar representing rain and a fish presenting water.

It is here that the babies are being sacrificed, their bones discarded in the swamp around the shrine.
The shaman, Caz, can be found here. Caz is in his fifties and considered an elder. He wears a robe made of jaguar skin, claiming he has stolen the beasts power. He is never without his dagger which hangs from his side.

Caz
Awareness: 2, Coordination: 2, Ingenuity: 4, Presence: 2, Resolve: 5, Strength: 2

Convince: 4, Fighting: 2, Knowledge: Olmec religion: 4
story points: 2

Caz has little time for the physical world, spending his time at the shrine communing with his gods. He honestly believes that the city has prospered because of his actions, that the sacrifices insure that it rains, that the plants grow and that the river is bountiful.

When he was younger he was willing to bleed for these sacrifices, cutting or stabbing himself with ornate jade instruments. Now he can save his strength, sacrificing others. He believes that this is the future that the gods want.

Although suspicious of outsiders Caz is willing to explain these beliefs. He explains that it was the chieftains idea to sacrifice the Jaguar people he has seen positive results so believes the gods wish this to occur.

To sum up, an old man sits in a swamp surround by the bones of babies and believes that this is the way of the future.

Should Pa (or whoever you have decided if the unknowing Jaguar person) be dragged here to be sacrificed the travellers will witness the victim being bound to the stone slab of the sacrificial altar as storm clouds roll in. Just before Caz plunges his dagger into the man the victim transforms into a Jaguar person.

The time travellers only have a moment to act during the brief period of confusion this transformation causes. If they do nothing the dagger finds it's target, piercing the unfortunate man's heart. As his blood trickles off the altar on to the ground the heavens open and rain falls, dampening his fur.

If they act quickly they can push Caz away before he can strike and free the Jaguar man. The group can then try to escape, pursued by the warriors.

Player Opportunities:

Ball Game
On the way to the palace there is a court set up for the ball game that the Olmec play. It is edged with stone altering between four images (a dragon, a feathered serpent, a fish and maize). Two teams (designated by the colour of their belts) compete for ownership of a fist sized rubber ball, attempting to bounce the ball of each of the images in order to score their team a point. If they hit a image that has already been struck then they must start at the beginning. The other team attempts to intercept the ball or at least deflect it from striking the walls.

The player characters can become part of the game when one or more of the native players injure themselves.

When a round starts the ball is bounced into the centre of the court and both sides scramble to get the ball. This is a coordination+athletic roll against a difficulty of 12. If they succeed to any extent they get the ball. Repeat this process each time the ball is loose.

This is done primarily with Coordination+Athletic rolls. Hitting the first symbol is difficulty 9, the second is 12, the third is 15 and the last is difficulty 21. A success indicates the right symbols has been struck but it does not bounce back directly to the player, resulting in both teams attempting to gain ownership of the ball. A good result means the ball bounces back to the player and a fantastic result means the ball strikes two symbols before bouncing back to the player.

A failure means they have missed the symbol they were aiming for but it does not hit another stone and returns to them. A bad result means the ball misses and strikes another tile, forcing them to begin again. A disastrous result means it has struck the wrong symbol and bounces into the hands of the rival team.

When the team has the ball the player characters must make a difficulty 15 coordination+athletic check to capture it. You may also wish to have the team attempt to block the player characters, making a contested coordination+athletic (total 5) roll vs the players roll. If they roll higher than the player characters they have blocked the ball.

A player can also decide to organise his teams tactics, making a ingenuity+convince check vs a difficulty of 15. A success provides a +1 to a team mates roll, a good result adds +2 and a fantastic result adds +4.

A bad result imposes a -1 penalty and a disastrous result is an automatic failure.

Since the game is in progress you can decide the fate of the match after only a few points. Run the match only as long as it is exciting. The fewer the number of the player characters in the match the shorter it should be.

If the time travellers are on the winning side then they gain the admiration of the locals. This will earn them a +4 on all convince rolls, which even extends to the warriors at the palace and the chieftains as news of their sporting prowess spreads.

Jade Craftsman
At one of the simple shops a craftsman is selling jade needles and daggers, all carved to resemble dragons or humming birds. The craftsman complains that he used to sell them to Caz, the shaman, but he no longer believes in self sacrifice.

This will give the player characters some insight into the change of belief that is moving the Olmec religion towards human sacrifices.

[etheruk]

SCENE 3 - POTRARO NUEVO

This is a simple village with only 30 people. They are used to visitors who travel along the river. In exchange for selling the jade they mine from a nearby source they receive simple goods from San Lorenzo. They also fish in the river and hunt in the nearby jungle.

The village is on a raised area of land, their houses spread far apart. There is a communal garden at the villages centre where medicinal herbs and plants are grown. Crops are grown on the fertile bank of the river, tended by some of the villagers who are too old to mine or fish along the river.

The people of Potraro Nuevo live peacefully with the Jaguar People, even leaving food and gifts in the jungle for them. In return they are protected from wild animals, which are occasionally given to the villagers by the Jaguar people when their own food supplies are full.

The villagers disapprove of the chieftains plan to wipe out the Jaguar people but feel unable to oppose their will. They are guilty about the fact it is the jade mirrors they provided that reveal hidden Jaguar people and so won't bring up the mirrors in conversation.

The time travellers will be welcomed and giving much sympathy if they've been shown hostile treatment by the people of San Lorenzo. They can even find a childless couple who would be willing to look after the baby.

If the player characters want to see a jade mirror they must make a presence+convince check vs the villagers presence+resolve (6 in total). On a success they are shown a mirror but not allowed to take it. On a good result they are allowed to take one and a fantastic result means that they receive a jade mirror each.

A failure means that they are not shown the mirror but the villagers explain they were unaware of the mirrors properties when they sold them. On a bad result the villagers refuse to talk about it and disastrous result means they are asked to leave after they've stayed one night.

If the player characters ask about Yo Ki's husband Lo Ki they learn that he was regular visitor at the village and was well liked. One night he vanished although some of the villagers say they saw a Jaguar man exiting the hut he was staying in and walking into the jungle.

As long as the time travellers haven't given the villagers reason to mistrust them or expressed anti-jaguar people sentiment they will agree to give them directions to their secret allies. They can tell them where they leave food and make a good guess at the direction they are likely to be found in.

[etheruk]

SCENE 4 – THE JAGUAR PEOPLE

There are several ways that they can find the Jaguar People. They can learn the location from the villagers at Potraro Nuveo, which will lead them to the section of the jungle where food and gifts are left on a stone head, similar to the one they encountered when they landed. If they wait with an offering of food then one of the Jaguar people will approach and they can ask to speak with his people.

This requires a presence+convince check vs the Jaguar person's resolve (4). A success indicates that the jaguar person will take them to where they live but they must leave any obvious weapons behind. On a good result the Jaguar person feels that they mean no harm and leads them straight away. On a fantastic result the Jaguar person is so taken with them he agrees to take them straight there and speak on their behalf.

A failure indicates the Jaguar person is wary of them but does not believe they mean his people harm. He says if they return the next day to the same spot he will bring one of the elders of his tribe to speak with them. A bad result indicates that the Jaguar person refuses to reveal this information and attempts to leave, taking care to avoid them following him. A disastrous result means that the Jaguar person believes they are working for the chieftains and will try to kill them.

Alternatively they can track a normal jaguar to their location. The jaguars of the jungle have a close relationship with the Jaguar People, finding kinship with them and benefiting from their protection. Following a jaguar requires a ingenuity or awareness+survival (jungle) or subterfuge check verse a jaguar's awareness and subterfuge (7).

The higher their success the closer they come to the Jaguar People tribe, with a fantastic result leading them straight there and a disastrous result leading them on a wild goose chase before the jaguar slips away.

If they befriended the jaguar when they arrived it will happily lead them to the Jaguar people. This will put them in a good position with the tribe who will be impressed with this entrance.

A Jaguar person has an innate sense of where the tribe are. If the group are accompanied by such a person, for example the warrior who discovers his true nature in San Lorenzo, then he can lead them there.

If all of these options are exhausted or not explored you can simply have the player characters stumble across the stone head, covered with food. Hungry they might start to eat their fill only for a party of Jaguar people to find them. The Jaguar people will not be pleased that their offering has been eaten and attempt to capture them, taking them to their elders to be punished.

JAGUAR PEOPLE
Awareness: 5, Coordination: 6, Ingenuity: 3, Presence: 3, Resolve: 4, Strength: 5
Animal Friendship: +2 modifier to Presence and Convince skill roll to calm an animal.
Brave: +2 bonus to any resolve roll when character needs to show courage.
Quick Reflexes: Assumed to go first in action round phase if not surprised.
Tough: Reduces the amount of damage by 2.
Outcast: The Jaguar People are shunned from normal human society.
Fear Factor [2]: A humanoid jaguar, all teeth and claws, is a scary vision receiving a +4 bonus.
Climbing: Due to their claws they can climb more easily, receiving a +4 bonus to coordination and athletics rolls when climbing.
Natural Weapons: The jaguars have sharp claws, adding +2 to their strength when determining damage.
Shapeshift: The Jaguar People are able to hide their true nature, appearing completely human. This takes concentration and when angry they must make a presence+resolve check to avoid transforming back.
Athletics: 3, Convince: 2, Fighting: 2, Subterfuge: 2, Survival (jungle): 2
Story Points: 3-6

Physically the Jaguar people appear as humanoid cats. They have speckled fur covering their muscular bodies, feline pointed ears, whiskers and a tail. They have padded paws but retain their four fingers and opposable thumb, allowing them to hold objects and use tools as a man would.

They have both grace and power, coupled with a sharp sense of smell and hearing. Instead of weapons they use their sharp claws and are more than capable of chasing down anyone who tries to run away from them (with base movement of 6 and 9 if they push themselves.)

All Jaguar people are able to change into a human form. This is not an illusion but a physical change, shedding their hair and retracting claws, tail and ears. They appear as they would if they were completely human.

The Jaguar people fall into two camps. There are those who are full of anger, their instincts driving them to fight and eat, further fuelled by their discontent at being exiles. The only way they can reconcile their situation is to believe that they should embrace their savagery.

This group of kept in check by those who have lived in the jungle the longest, the elders of the tribe. They wish to live in harmony with nature, their human intelligence keeping their desires in check to prevent over hunting and protect the tribe from reprisals.

The way they react to the time travellers will depend on how they dealt with the jaguar when they first arrived. If they ran they will be seen as cowards, if they fought the jaguar but let it live they will be seen as warriors to be respected but if they killed it they will be viewed as murderers who deserve to be punished.

If they befriended the jaguar or rescued the jaguar person who was going to be sacrificed then they will be treated as honoured guests.

The Jaguar people explain that they have lived in the wild for generations. Their condition is not something new but something that has always been according to their oral tradition. They have always interbreed with humans.

Most of the time such a coupling produces a normal child and the Jaguar people feel that they have spared their off-spring the hardship of the wild. On those rare occasions that they are born showing the mark of the jaguar they are taken in by the tribe, even if this mark doesn't appear until later in their life.

There are also those humans who spontaneously change, when their parents did not belong to the tribe. The Jaguar people do not understand that their condition is a recessive trait that can re-emerge after several generations.

They only kill humans when they are attacked and so deny that they are monsters. They know that the chieftains are able to identify who is a Jaguar person, even when they are in disguise but don't know how as they are unaware of the jade mirrors.

If the time travellers tell them about the baby and the warriors who were to kill it this will be the last straw for Lo Ki, Yo Ki's husband. He learnt of his true nature while at Potraro Nuevo, finding the tribe on instinct. He is heart broken at the death of his wife and that the warriors tried to kill his baby. If the travellers have the baby with them he will accept it, giving it to one of the female members of the tribe to look after as he plans revenge. If they left it with the villagers Lo Ki will want to take the child back by force.

Lo Ki says that they can no longer hide in the shadows while their young are slaughtered. They must strike back. If the time travellers haven't yet been to San Lorenzo then one of the elders, Wa, asks them to travel there and see if they can persuade the chieftains that they mean no harm. If the characters have already been there and seen how dedicated the chieftains are to this crusade then Jav whips his people into a frenzy and they begin planning an attack.

The will be ready to strike in one day. The player characters have that long to find a way to avoid this blood shed.

Player Opportunities:

The Thorn in the Paw
One of the Jaguar people, Tep, is sick and the elders have not been able to cure them. They have eaten from diseased meat and currently fitting off an infection. A player character who makes a awareness+medicine with a difficulty of 15 can identify the problem. A ingenuity+medicine check with a difficulty of 18 can find a cure.

This act of good will provides a +2 on any convince roll made with the Jaguar People.

[etheruk]

SCENE 5 – THE JADE MIRROR

Once the time travellers have been to both San Lorenzo and met the Jaguar People they will know the opinions of both sides and have to decide what action they take now. A confrontation is inevitable and likely to change the lives off everyone in the area. A knowledge of history will not help as little is known about this era but this does mean they can act without fear of changing history.

They may side with the chieftains. The Jaguar people are certainly inhuman and they may worry what will happen if this race is allowed to continue to exist. Is it preordained that they be wiped out?

On the other hand the Jaguar people seem to be able to exist peacefully with the villagers of Potraro Nuveo and can exterminating a whole race ever be justified? Yet while the chieftans seem to deserve death the Jaguar people are now on the path to war, doubtlessly costing the lives of innocent before those in power are removed.

Either choice will bring the story to a conclusion, albiet a bloody one, but the time travellers have a third option, one that will spare many lives.

Through their course of their travels they will have learnt that many people are Jaguar people and don't know it. Centuries of interbreeding have mingled the two blood lines so any one could potentially make the transformation.

Not only that but the jade mirrors of the chieftains let them see the truth. If the player characters had jade mirrors of their own they could also identify who is Jaguar person. It wouldn't take long for them to find that 1 in 5 people is actually a Jaguar person, whether they know it or not.

The easiest way to obtain a Jade mirror is to get one from the villagers. Getting them to admit they made them may be tricky, as they are ashamed by their part in the chieftains extermination of the Jaguar People but if the time travellers can convince them that it will help their protectors they will.

Alternatively they can go to the jade mine and either craft it themselves or have the craftsman in San Lorenzo do it. Finally they could just steal a mirror from one of the chieftains although this will be seen as an attack and the player characters will have to face off against the palace elite warriors.

If enough people know that they are Jaguar people then they will turn against the chieftains. Even those who aren't Jaguar people will be less likely to agree with their extermination if it includes their friends, family and partners.

Two of the chieftains are also Jaguar people, namely Nu and Qi. Nu reacts angrily, proclaiming this to be a trick while Qi is shocked and realises that the Jaguar people are just like them. If the player characters are persuasive they can make the chieftains cease their campaign of death.

SCENE 6 – THE SUN SETS
Depending on the character's actions either the Jaguar People will be hunted to near extinction, the Olmec culture will be crushed by savage Jaguar people seeking revenge or the two cultures will be living peacefully after re-evaluating their understanding of the world.

No matter what they choose this marks the end of the Olmecs, things can't stay the same any more. In the coming years a series of earthquakes, droughts and other environmental changes will force them to disperse, leading to the Mayan and Atzec cultures to rise in their place.

Although this is inevitable the actions of the time travellers will determine the happiness of the people in between. Hopefully they will have found the happy middle ground and affected both people in a positive way.

More than that they will have shaped the world the baby will grow up in. They can only hope that Yo Ki will be pleased with the care they have shown her child.

In the future the time travellers may meet the Jaguar people again. If they sided with them or brought peace then they will have dispersed along with the Olmec culture, their blood line thinning further still as they travelled to new lands but every few generations a child will be born with the mark of the jaguar, and who knows, some may meet the characters again.

[Dr Steve]

I ran this adventure last night. It went very well. Well done on the scenarios presented. They are kind of a fast group and we went through it in 2 hours. They played the game for a bit until it was won, but the player could not make the final check, so the native players completed it. They almost shot the Jaguar, but the Dr was with them for this one and he told them to put their guns away. They were not keep to go to the town, so the doctor had them follow the jaguar to the village. Things progressed normally until they got to the Shaman. They shocked him by showing the face of one of the adventurers, who is a metal android, which they took for a god. They convinced both sides that the 'gods' wanted corn no blood and both sides worked out their differences and lived in peace together.