Blood Angel of the Desert
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Author: Kitsune
Homepage: http://www.vabch.com/kitsune/index.htm
System: Rifts
Type: Hook
Category: Post Apocalypse
Requirements:

Simple adventure to stop vampires from moving north and to rescue a village. A village in approximately the middle of where the State of New Mexico used to be has been take over by a group of vampires. The leader of the vampires is a female master vampire that goes by the name Ophelia. She is from the vampire kingdom of Ixzotz and brought with her a group of 27 Secondary vampires, 20 Wild Vampires, a witch, and the non human mercenaries. They traveled up to the village in two mountaineer all terrain vehicles. After taking over the village that they moved into, they also terrorized the other local villages and created more vampires. A Murder Wraith was traveling around and joined due to enjoying the torture. Finally, the Master Vampire caught two brothers that were fairly western heroes and first seduced them and then turned them into vampires with the slow kill. So far, the vampires have only been in control of the villages for about four weeks.

The vampires consider all normal humans as cattle but will respect those with powers such as mages. They treat the villages as cattle and often torture or kill them for amusement. In addition to the master and secondary vampires in the village, there are a couple of dozen wild vampires wandering around the country side. The villagers have been warned that if they attempt to leave their villages, they will be killed by wild vampires wandering around. As well, the Master Vampire controls the leader of the village. The non human mercenaries and the witch act as the vampires defenders during the day and are well payed. The vampires use more technology than most vampires including light body armors by Ophelia orders and the wilderness scouts suggestion.

The physical location of the village is in a very secure location with adobe houses being built on the sides of a canyon. Behind many of the houses, there are many interconnecting deep caverns. These caverns were used as storage for winter food stocks but are now the daytime sleeping locations of the vampires. The village has a permanent deep well and has some fields, an fruit orchard, and a small number of sheep and goats.

The village has a population of 400 with the surrounding villages having a population of about 2000 total. Most of the population is Native American but there are also some Caucasian and those of African descent. There are even a few De Bee races. Before the village was taken over, they mined silver and created elaborate silver jewelry. The truth is that the village was getting wealthy from the silver products. If the party is able to save the town, likely they will want to pay the party in silver or silver jewelry. They produce a blessed silver amulet that gives the wearer +10% to save vs coma and death and +2 to save vs poison and disease.

There are several ways to attempt to get player characters involved in the plight of the village. One is to have a villager escape and ask the players characters for help. Another is to have the characters traveling though the are and br ambushed by wild vampires or have another group get ambushed by wild vampires and have the adventures attempt to rescue them. A third is to have the characters enter into the village and be shown what is going on in the village and be told by a vampire that they are just cattle. The last one works well with creatures the vampires would consider to be their equal. These ideas can be mix as well with different characters being snagged by different methods and arrange for the group to meet in one spot.

Vampires:
Master Vampire: Ophelia (8 th level vampire / 4 th level Saloon Girl), Miscreant, Age 80 but looks 20. Attacks: 6, PP: 21, PB: 26, Strike: +3, Parry: +6, Dodge: +6, Init: +3, HP: 140, Has skill of paired weapons. Has two magical Stiletto Daggers (2D6+6 MDC, +2 to Strike, and +3 to Parry), Two Wilks Laser Derringers, 9 mm Derringer with 5 silver rounds, Altarian Talisman of Armor, Cloak of Guises, and Jewelry worth 2 million credits. She is an ex saloon girl that became a master vampire. She is very seductive and will try and trick anyone instead of fighting them.
2 Secondary Vampire Lieutenants: Jack and Stan Langley (1st Level vampires but were 6 th level wilderness scouts), Miscreant, Age 25 Attacks: 5, PP: 18, Strike: +3, Parry: +6, Dodge: +6, Init: +2, HP: 100, Wilks 147, Triax Pump Pistols, .357 revolvers with silver rounds, Kenesite Sabres (2D6 MDC), 4 Silver Daggers, Branaghan Body Armor, and Robot Horse. Recent vampires but considered important by Ophelia. They were first seduced by her and were then turned to vampires by her.
38 Secondary Vampires: Miscreant or Diabolic, Attacks: 5, PP: 16, Strike: +0, Parry: +2, Dodge: +2, Init: +2, HP: 50. Have L-20 Rifles, 9 mm Automatic with 15 silver rounds, 2 silver daggers, and have 40 MDC plates armors protecting vital locations. Some are ex villagers.
24 Wild Vampires: Miscreant or Diabolic, Attacks: 5, PS: 27, PP: 24, SPD: 34, Strike: +5, Parry: +5, Dodge: +5, Init: +2, HP: 60.

Others:
Murder Wraith: Cain (Was an 8 th level Juicer), Diabolic, Attacks: 9, PS: 37, PP: 30, Strike: +10, Parry: +14, Dodge: +14, Init: +4, HP: 485, Has skill of paired weapons. WI-GL4, C-12 Rifle, Soul Drinking Long Sword (1D6x10 - Elemental Magic of Fire: Circle of Flame, Flame Friend, Mini-Fireballs, and Screaming Wall of Flame), Demon Dagger from Atlantis, and Dragonscale armor (150 MDC, immune to fire). Before becoming a Murder Wraith was a psychotic murdering juicer that few wanted to hire.
Witch: John White (2 th level Witch), Miscreant, Attacks: 4, PP: 13, Strike: +0, Parry: +2, Dodge: +2, Init: +0, HP: 25, SDC: 32. NG-57 Pistol, 9 mm Automatic with 15 silver rounds, Corrupted Millennium Staff (8D6 MDC, Spells - Invisibility (Simple), Telekinesis, Domination, Horrific Illusion), 2 Silver Daggers, and Crusader Armor with enchantments of Armor of Ithan and Impervious to Energy. PPE: 80 + 200 for familiar Spells: First: Blinding Flash, Cloud of Smoke, Death Trance, See Aura, See the Invisible, Sense Magic, Second: Befuddle, Chameleon, Fear, Mystic Alarm, Third: Armor of Ithan, Energy Bolt, Fourth: Blind, Carpet of Adhesion, Charismatic Aura. Very innocent looking and will use this to try and trick characters.
12 Non Human Mercenaries: Mostly headhunters, Anarchist to Diabolic, Attacks: 4, PP: 10, Strike: +0, Parry: +3, Dodge: +3, Init: +0, HP: 15, SDC: 45. Have L-20 Rifles (4 have WI-GL4), 9 mm Automatic with 15 silver rounds, 4 wooden stakes, and Urban Warrior Body Armor. Races include Goblins, Orcs, Ogres, and Trolls.