Curse Suggestions

[Blake_Alexander]

I'm working on a plot for a Gothic Earth adventure, that may even eventually end up as an adventure I share with this forum, and I need some help brainstorming. The adventure involves a Gypsie Curse on wealthy business owner of a flurishing entertainment business in 1892. I want the curse to draw the PCs into the adventure, and I want it to stem from the Gypsie being run off by the business owner (Obviously rahter rudely, and pehaps either violently, or with threat of force)

To help focus the brain storming, I'll share the following details:

1. The real world business I'm basing this adventure on will be sold in 1897 to new owners due to financial problems (thus the tie in to the curse)

2. The business only accessable by means of water craft at this time, so it I'd plan on having something affected by the curse strand the PCs at the location for at evening, or weekend (Perhaps a storm, or the break down of the boat, or perhaps both)

3. Before the coming of the European settlers, the area was used as a hunting ground by Native Americans.

Right now, the best I'm coming up with is having the owner transform into a Wererat, but I'm not totally satified with this.

I'd appreciate any help that the members of this forum could give.

[Jasper]

One curse i've allways wanted to use but never got around to it was this:

"May the earth fight your every step
With claw and bone and fang and tree
Till all your sins are washed away
Beneath the blood red sea."

I would have the owner of the entertainment company (I thinking Casino?) evict the gypsy from her small shack on the isalnd to build the casino. As this has been her home for years she is rightly angry and curses the owner before being drug away and tossed into the icey cold water where she drowned. Quickly the owner learned of the effects of his curse as the moment he steped upon the island the land flock of ravens attacked him and his crew. They were able to fight off the birds but not before one of the workers lost an eye. The attacks by animals continued throughout the construction untill the site gained a reputation as being cursed. Guards had to watch the site at all times and only the most hardened of workers would sign on.

Dispite the attacks and the growing reupation the casino opened its doors a year later and within months it was one of the most poular night spots on the east coast. The attacks however did not stop and the owner has called on the PCs to help guard the casino on the night that a powerfull offical is comming to enjoy himself.
The island however has upped the anti by calling upon the spirits of the native americans who once hunted on the island As the blood red hunters moon turns the sea a deep crimson the ghosts have amassed outsdie of the casino along with swarms of rats, bats and insects. They attack in waves hurting and scarring the guests.

The curse does have a exacpe clause. If the owner tosses all the money he has made into the sea (conveniently located in a hidden vault under the casino due to the owners paranioa and greed) during the full moon the curse is lifted but the owener is left pennyless. If the PCs are unable to convince the owner to dump the cash the ghosts attack enmass killing nearly all the guests. At the same time a stroke of lightening hits the casino castching it ablaze and gutting it. From then on the ruins of the casino are thought to be haunted by those who died in the fire and the owner takes a huge loss selling it to a new woner who restores it and reopen the casino.

[Blake_Alexander]

Thanks for the suggestion, Jasper. I do really like the idea

To clarify things for you and for anyone else reading the thread, the business I speaking of isn't actually a casino. Rather an amusement park. The park is located on a peninsula that jet out three miles into Lake Erie (For anyone familiar with the area, it is Cedar Point Amusement Park. In 1892 it is not the "America Roller Roast" of today, but rather the "Queen of Watering Places"). It does have one "rollercoaster" called the switch back, as well a bath house, shooting gallery, bowling alley, Grand Pavilion, theater, and water slide. It also has a board walk that connects all the rides/attractions as well as a series of nature trails. At the every end of the peninsula there is a light house as well (I have a map of the park from 1892 that I plan to use witht he adventure).

With a little work, I think the curse you gave might work very well, Jasper.

Any additional thoughts or comments would be greatly appreciated.

[Blake_Alexander]

Another possiblity that I've been toying with is having the employees of the park suffer a curse originating affliction similar to the contion that the Quevari suffer from. Regular "arnival operators"until the full moon (or in this case the trigger for the curse, which mgiht just end up being the full moon), then suddenly they are "ravenous cannibals." Interesting, especailly if the PCs have developed any attachments to the employees (friendship or romantic interests) before thsi point.

If I use this alternate curse, then I'd probably have the Gypsie be in the story as a variation on the Aquatic Remnant.

This possibility leaves out the native American element, but that isn't necessarily essential to the storyline.

[Luke Fleeman]

I don't know if it helps, but the newest issue of Dragon has extensive coverage of curses in an article.