The final chapter of the Apotheosis Campaign is now available from DrivethruRPG.com. It takes an inventory of the adventures that have come before it, suggesting ways in which to tie up any loose ends. For that reason, I've made it a Pay What You Want item.
-Nate
This is it--the final chapter in the Apotheosis Campaign, a series of linked scenarios for use with Treasure Hunter Adventures and the Savage Worlds RPG. It's a relatively short scenario, because it focuses on tying up any and all loose ends from the previous adventures. That's why I'm posting the entire text, so that potential purchasers know what to expect from it.
-Nate
Background
For a long time now a band of treasure hunters has been investigating clues to lost relics and lore, including ones that relate to an ancient mystery. As they have done so, they've found a number of allies, but also numerous rivals and even a few dedicated enemies. After a mystical expedition in which they saw glimpses of the past, present and future, they have mostly concluded their search. Not everyone is satisfied with the how that expedition ended, however, and a few people seek to do something about the grudges that they hold.
Introduction
This adventure begin for the heroes once they have finally discovered what they could beneath the shrine of the Sybil, and are now reacting to what they learned and moving on with their lives in the aftermath of those discoveries.
Scene 1: The Powers That Be
To begin, it's important to take stock of any allies and enemies the heroes have accrued during their adventures, along with the locations where they might be spending their time. The chart that is included below lists many possibilities from the scenarios in the published campaign; of course, there could be others if the GM has been modifying those scenarios or adding customized adventures. With that in mind, then, there are a few ways in which the action can proceed.
The NPCs Seek Revenge
This option is highly probable. Unless the heroes have neutralized all of the rivals and enemies whom they've faced during the campaign, there is probably someone who has a grievance against them. In this case, some or all of those people decide to strike out against the heroes. This could simply involve raiding the heroes' base of operations to steal what they can—especially if they believe the heroes claimed relics or lore which belong to them—or even to bring about a more permanent end to the matter.
The Heroes Seek Justice
On the other hand, the heroes might seek to bring their enemies to justice. This could easily happen if they have become involved with the Office for Strategic Services, or if any character has other connections to law enforcement. In this case, they are the ones who are staging a raid to recover illicit antiquities, looking to make arrests for crimes committed, and the like.
Adding Details from the Heroes' Own Stories
Finally, this is a chance for the GM to work in characters from the heroes' background details. For example, the enemy might kidnap one or more of the heroes' loved ones, if they are known, to use as leverage in exchange for valuable items or information.
Scene 2: Settling Scores
With all of those details established, then, it remains for the confrontation to begin. Here are some suggestions for how that might start.
The heroes are pursuing a lead that someone uncovered during the events of Past, Present & Future. In this case, the location related to that lead determines where this confrontation takes place; who else is involved depends on the inventory, as is detailed above. The villains might be monitoring the heroes' movements, and strike when they think the heroes are most vulnerable.
The villains kidnap someone who is important to the heroes, and thus they can choose the time and place for a confrontation. That might be on their own turf, in a place like Throckmorton's compound or Bob Anderson's storage facility, or in a neutral location. Whatever the case, they seem to have the advantage, and use it to pressure the heroes into meeting their demands.
The heroes and their allies stage a raid on one of the locations mentioned above, and so they decide when and where it happens. This is likely to be a villain's own domain, with the intention to find illicitly acquired relics along with evidence that can be used against them in court. Such action is especially likely if the heroes have become involved with the Office of Strategic Services, in which case they may be able to call upon additional agents to assist with this business.
Developments
While it is never possible to anticipate all of the twists and turns that this adventure can take, here are a few suggestions for some of the more likely developments.
If this is not already the case, then it becomes increasingly likely that the long arm of the law becomes involved in this business.
It is possible that the heroes stage multiple raids on different locations. In that case, the villains are likely to start working to remove items and information from those places that have not yet been raided.
There's always the chance that action taken by one side in the conflict provokes a counterstrike by the other side. For example, if the heroes and their allies raid Cyril Throckmorton's compound, then the charlatan's allies could send their own people in the hope of rescuing Throckmorton and recovering any valuable relics or lore that are hidden there before they are confiscated. Or, if the heroes suffer a setback, then their allies could send help to rescue them.
Evidence from a raid might provide clues to another lost treasure, setting the heroes off in search of it. That would be a fitting final quest for a hero who has long been trying to solve a particular mystery.
Finally, such a development could give the villains one last chance to ambush the heroes, since they would already have possessed the item or information and thus could position themselves to catch the heroes unaware.
Scene 3: Denouement
Once this business has been concluded, there are still questions that need to be answered. Here are a few possibilities.
What happens to each of the items that the heroes have discovered throughout the campaign? The old saying is that, “It belongs in a museum.” It is more appropriate for these items to be returned to people from their cultures of origin. This could lead to the heroes attending gala premiers of exhibitions, with the items in question being important parts of the displays.
There is also the question of what the heroes do now that this business is resolved. What is the next step for each character? They might work on writing a book about these adventures, help curate items or locations that were discovered, decide that it's time to settle down for a bit and start a family, or even continue their lives as globetrotting treasure hunters. This is a chance for each character to have a short scene—just like during the end credits of the movie—to show what happens next.
Conclusion
In this case, the events that are glimpsed during Scene 3 provide the resolution to the overall story. It has been a lengthy adventure, indeed, and hopefully one that has won the heroes fortune and glory, along with illumination and contentment.
This is a first for me. On Thursday I'll be joining J-M DeFoggi for a SWAGtember podcast episode over on Savage Universe! Here's a link to the announcement on the Pinnacle website, along with a screen capture of the site itself.
-Nate
