story seeds

[TheMouse]

I figured I'd start a thread where people could share story seeds. The idea isn't to post complete scenarios or lengthy write ups. Instead, this thread is for people to write out a handful of sentences that communicate the most basic ideas for a story. Then other people can fill in the blanks to personalize the seeds to their groups and their cities and grow their own complete stories.

I've come up with a rough sort of template that helps me to focus my thoughts for things like this. Use it or not for your seeds. Either way, resist the temptation to fill in all the blanks or get really specific. Here's the template, with my story seed contribution:

The Problem: A body is found with its heart removed. Various clues make it likely to have been part of a mystical ritual. Local authorities are very interested.

Life gets worse: The victim was part of the local White Court's feeding supply. There is some evidence to tie the murder to a pack of werewolves living nearby. This creates more than a little tension between the two.

Life gets even worse than that: A federal task force shows up to investigate the murder. The lead investigator and possibly more seem to know about the supernatural, and not in a happy, friendly way. After another body shows up, the feds really ramp up their investigation.

The twist: The murders were committed by a Scourge of Black Court vamps who are sacrificing to a dark and ancient god to gain his favour (and some serious mojo). Can the PCs stop the final sacrifice and prevent the ritual's completion?


As you can see, this is far from a complete story. It doesn't include a number of vital details, including exactly who everyone involved is. That's meant to be left to individual GMs, so they can fill in NPCs from their cities and put clues appropriate for their group into place.

Your turn.

[neko128]

The Problem:  Ley lines are being corrupted and mis-directed, causing unease, unrest and behavior changes in the local supernatural population.  At the same time, grizzly murders are occuring, the victims being vivisected and sacrificed in some form of ritual, in seemingly random locations around the city.

Life Gets Worse:  The Fae, more tightly bound to magic than mortals, are being driven crazy by the ley-line manipulation; local faeries and other magical beings go out of control and terrorize the population.

Life Gets Even Worse than That:  The Summer and Winter courts both decide this is an attack by the other; the White Council decides this was caused by the Faerie courts, not causing the Faerie courts' problems, and prepares to retaliate.

The Twist:  This is actually caused by a cult, wizard circle, warlock, or other power trying to bind a powerful local genius loci, and are warping the ley-lines using powerful sacrifice rituals.  Can the heroes stop them before they succeed, and gain almost total power over the city?

[Bubba Amon Hotep]

Here is a one shot plot I recently ran.  The formula works well for a seed.  Kudos.

The Problem
The group's vehicle has broken down in a small town while transporting a Dark Black Magic Relic to be destroyed.  The garage says it will take at least a day and a half to get the vehicle back on the road.  Meanwhile the Relic is attempting to tempt the players into using it.

Life Gets Worse
A teenage girl has been abducted.  Local authorities are searching the area, but it seems the whole town feels the "newcomers" are the guilty party.  All it would take is a simple search of their possessions to turn up an occult looking item, and place even more focus on them.

Life Gets Even Worse Than That
A huge party is planned at a local's Wizard's estate.  Free beer, and a sure fire good time.  Too bad the wizard has gone black and is planning to tap into the full moon, a planned earthquake, and the party goers wild night out to fuel a summoning that he hopes will bind his deceased wife's soul into the body of the kidnapped teenager.

The Twist
The wizard has been summoning a Demon regularly for advice on how to design his ritual.  Little does the wizard know the demon has been using the wizard to slowly weaken and dominate the town.  Nor does the wizard know the true effect of the ritual, his wife will not end up in the vessel, but the demon itself will.  An event that will allow the demon to remained in the mortal world until the vessel is destroyed.  Oh, and of course the demon just HAS to HAVE that relic the player are protecting.  It matches its shoes.

[TheMouse]

The Problem:
A strange and out of seasons storm comes in one evening. While it rages, five local youths simply get up and walk out of their houses, leaving behind cell phones, shoes, and in one case clothing. The storm cuts abruptly, leaving no sign of the missing youths.

Life gets worse:
Three days pass. The police have had no luck tracking the five down. Then their bodies are found, marked with ritual scars and drained of life. The local community freaks out, and a low key sort of witch hunt begins.

Life gets even worse than that:
Three days later another strange storm rages, and twenty five youths go missing. They slip out in the dark of night, showing no care for their possessions or loved ones. By the next morning, the witch hunt has dropped all pretenses of being low key.

The twist:
The storms and missing children have been caused by a sleeping being from the Nevernever. Someone carried its stone coffin out of the Nevernever before having their life drained. Now the dark being stirs in its quasi-dead slumber, instinctively drawing innocents to it to perform the rituals to free it from its prison. Can the PCs follow the clues to the coffin's location and draw it safely into the spirit world before this new batch of children die, possibly releasing the dark being?

On another note, stuff seems to be falling off the front page pretty quickly. More than half of it is taken up with stickies, and I can't seem to find a way to extend my view to more than 20 entries. Kind of irksome to see things fall off so quickly.

[DesertCoyote]

post removed until spoiler codes are working again

[SaintAndSinner]

The Problem
Queen Mab shows up at Harry's office right when you dropped by to see if he is ok.  He hasn't been around and your worried about him.  Mab indicates that Harry is dangerously close to defaulting on what he owes her.  She's given him the required notices at his accepted place of business and has even come personally, fulfilling all the requirements of the Old Laws.  She wants Harry to find a puppy and return it to a 9 year old girl in the lower east side.

Life Gets Worse
The girl is 'soul-less' and vacillates between screaming and rocking quietly in front of the TV.  Investigation indicates the dog was stolen last night by some guys in a beat up van.  About that same time she went into this state.  Mystical investigation indicates she will die by the morning if her soul is not returned. 

Life Gets Even Worse Than That
Tracing the van to a garage/warehouse up near the docks you are ambushed by a pack of lycanthropes.  After a tough, howling, battle you find the dog and the rest of the pack left in the van out the opposite side of the building.  Notes on the computer and paper indicate a meeting today at the old cemetery.  The meeting should be happening right now. 

Then...over the cell you hear someone saying to call Mav (if you lisp it a bit it can sound like Mab, do not repeat it for clarity) and tell her they are on their way and not to blow up.  You have enough time if you hurry.

The Twist
Mav (not Mab, is Mavra) she'll have just destroyed the lycanthropes right before the PC's get there.  She's hurt but not badly.  Her Renfield is pulling the dog (which she won't touch) and she's getting nervous since dawn is approaching.  If the players get in one good hit she'll run. 

The Denoument
You have to get the dog back before dawn.  There's just no way, outside of the Never Never. For some reason this sets off the Wild Hunt to chase them leaving them exhausted and collapsing into the house of the girl right before dawn.  The dog's presence revives the girl and the house's Father Patrick enhanced threshold is too much for any of the dangers to threaten them.   

Mab explains, if pressed that the girl is adopted, one of a set of twins.  The other is being raised in between the Summer and Winter Courts.  They are the Key and the Gate (whatever that means) and it was her responsibility to see to her well being.  The dog was provided to watch over the girl and keep her soul safe.  Bad luck (or worse) that it was stolen.  Today the twins become Summer's responsibility though so she's no longer interested in seeing after her. 

Since they have done this she offers them a boon 'since none may sleep with me in debt to them'.  No, Harry's debt is still his own.  You just made it so I did not need to call on him. 

Next Stories
Do you follow up on the girl?  Check in on the sister now recently sent to the Summer Court?  Find out what the heck happened to Harry...again.