Basic idea, I am toying with... this is just
for a good old fashioned action/horror
type thing... not much thought into the
Kult Cosmology at this time.
A Private Organizations Hospital Ship
steaming along in circles a few hundred
miles off the African Coast. PCs are sent
in to investigate it or somehow come
across the vessel. (South America, The
Bermuda Triangle - whatever)
When they get on board something is
immediately wrong... the ship seems
deserted and power is fluctuating. The
life boats are missing or destroyed. Maybe
there are crewman ripped apart of half
eaten or something nasty like that.
When they get to the Bridge there is
blood splattered about and most of the
Navigation systems are destroyed or
heavily damaged. Manual Operation from
the Engine Room may be possible by
remaining guages or indicators...
Below deck most of the ship is dark. Bulbs
broken or lighting off, fuses missing or the
fuse boxes destroyed or damaged. Some
areas might be gutted by fire. Other
areas barricaded with furniture and so
forth. Bullet holes from personal arms
are evident (marks on bulk heads and
what have you). Some portals are welded
shut hastily.
Captains log... reveals the ship was on
a mercy mission to help some people
with an outbreak that caused false death
like symptoms and brain damage or
something in a small or dirt poor country
or native people (nocturnal cannibals?)...
{essentially CoTN types} Captain and
others witness people who died returning
from the dead from the mutated virus.
They return brain damaged and violent.
Medical log... it is discovered these people
live extremely long times and evidence
of a virus and drug combination (used
in rituals or ceremonies) are causing the
Zombie-ism by mutating this virus. The
drug seems to alter their DNA slightly. The
Chief Medical Officer decides to experiment
with it. On the return trip some crewman
become sick or contaminated somehow.
Maybe the Medical Officer is interested
in Voodoo or Death Magic (his Quarters)
or his lab might have a cure if taken in
time before Death transformation.
The fuel tank is about to run dry and
needs to be switched to the auxillery to
keep the power on. This means a trip
down to the engine room in some kind
of time frame. Maybe the safer route
with take too long.
Some survivors from the crew can be
found... half crazed with tales of zombies
and living dead... last they heard the
engine room was sealed off but their
were injured and communication has
been lost. Creatures seem to only
attack in darkened areas (light sensitivity)
maybe some native peoples were taken
on board to be experimented on. Maybe
the ship went there to spread disease
as a Gov't secret test or Archons/DA plan.
Whatever you deem fit.
The crewman can take over the PCs
vessel if need be and strand them there
thinking it is a living hell and the PCs
can take their places... whatever is
needed to raise the stakes and strand PCs.
Close to the engine room are large bugs
in greater numbers (Nachtkafer)... the
engine room and ship are drifting toward
Metropolis or maybe inferno depending
on how you want to play things out.
Maybe use Metropolis standards for
crewman in the Engine Room areas...
time distortions or something.
To get to the Engine Room PCs will need
get through some of these Living Dead.
Maybe get infected and need to find a
cure in time... add tension.
Ship status... Bridge systems unresponsive
Gauges might still work to show fuel
in other tanks or something. Or power
failing... but force PCs to go below
and encounter the creatures.
Engine Room largely okay but Nachtkafer
and the crewman are now Metropolis
like standard beings of various strength.
Maybe have a Cairath in the water treat-
ment center of the ship. The ship can be
operated manually.
It could be if power fails it slips into
Metropolis but if power is restored
and steered away it will be saved.