TEXT: © 2015 Pinnacle Entertainment Group. Savage Worlds, Deadlands, and 
  all related original characters, marks and logos are trademarks of Pinnacle 
  Entertainment Group. All rights reserved.
  THE STORY SO FAR
  Just a few nights ago, Ms. Applewood—schoolmarm 
  in Coffin Nail, Arizona and accomplished scientist—
  finally perfected a clockwork invention she’d been 
  working at for years: the Icarus Wings. She’d received 
  the inspiration in strange and haunting dreams, in 
  which she heard cold whispers in whirring gearwheels.
  But when she looked out the schoolhouse window 
  she saw something that made her blood run cold. 
  Looming tall over Coffin Nail’s mining district stood 
  a new geological formation that hadn’t been there 
  the day before—a mound. Worse, closer inspection 
  revealed it to be more anthill than rock, although few 
  cared to guess how big the ants might be...
  In truth, the Hunting Grounds’ nocturnal manitous 
  that gave Ms. Applewood her eerie scientific insights 
  also drew fearsome, unnatural predators from deep 
  underground—a highly intelligent mated pair of 
  rattlers. Turns out Mama Rattler was just about to birth 
  the brood. Now the mound’s interior swarms with 
  rattler young ’uns, and every living person in Coffin 
  Nail’s in grave danger of ending up their next meal!
  THE SETUP
  Run this tale of creeping fear when the posse passes 
  through Coffin Nail. The town is a flyspeck mining 
  burg without amenities, but its saloon—the Gilded 
  Cactus—is rumored to stock quality whiskey.
  The first thing you notice when you ride into town 
  is an 80-foot-tall, conical mound of sand, soil, and 
  rocks looming over the town’s mines. One thing’s for 
  sure: You’ve never seen a mining operation result in a 
  mound of earth like this one!
  Just then a prim-looking woman in a dress approaches 
  you in the street. She says in an English accent, voice 
  quavering slightly, “Good day, strangers. I am Ms. 
  Applewood, schoolteacher in this town. And we...we 
  have a problem with the children. My students, to be 
  exact. Not to mention the miners. I need your help.”
  It’s up to your cowpokes to decide whether they 
  ignore Ms. Applewood’s plea. It’s clear from her 
  demeanor she’s not a damsel in need of rescue, but 
  Coffin Nail seems to be in a fair sight of trouble.
   Ms. Elenora Applewood: See opposite page.
  MOUND OF DOOM
  A Savage Worlds One Sheet™ by Matthew Cutter
  for use with Deadlands: The Weird West
  Wherein a terrifying infestation threatens Coffin Nail, Arizona...and Ms. Applewood takes action!
  Coffin nail, arizona
  Fear Level: 3
  There ain’t much to Coffin Nail, but its people are 
  tough as leather. With all the mining families putting 
  down roots to dig for copper and ghost rock, Ms. 
  Applewood has a full classroom. The mound’s sudden 
  appearance has boosted the Fear level all around the 
  area. If you’re using this One Sheet with Stone and a 
  Hard Place, the town’s located just east of Tombstone.
  • Gilded Cactus: Sadly, the rumors are false. Barman 
  and owner Vance Kremkin sells watered-down 
  liquor and hasn’t seen any of the good stuff in years.
  • Miners’ Union Hall: The miners meet here to 
  discuss policies. Land records are stored here too.
  • Swembrough Mining Supply: This general store 
  specializes in mining tools and supplies.
  • Schoolhouse: Ms. Applewood teaches the town’s 
  children here, and has a workshop and apartment in 
  the back. She has 17 students in all.
  
  BAD FOR BUSINESS
  Once the posse members agree to help, Ms. 
  Applewood takes them to the Miners’ Union Hall, 
  where the locals are having an emergency meeting. 
  After living with the eerie mound for two days, they’re 
  relieved to have any outside aid they can find. Union 
  chief Orville Hopper explains the situation:
  “I reckon we got some trouble with that mound, 
  strangers. The first day, a few miners up and vanished. 
  The next day Zeke Gephart went missin’. But he left 
  behind an arm and a whole mess o’ blood. Today, we 
  got some children missin’ up in the hills. But we need 
  that mound checked out pronto. If there’s any critters 
  in there, we need you to exterminate ’em!”
  Needless to say, the miners are also concerned with 
  the mound’s appearance cutting into profits. Orville 
  offers to hire the cowpokes to handle the problem 
  pronto, and he’s willing to pay each hero $1,000—
  inclusive of hazard pay—to see the job done.
  • Orville Hopper, Miners (12): Use the Townsfolk 
  profile in the Deadlands Marshal’s Handbook.
  We’ve Got tWo Problems, amiGo
  The posse has to split up if they want to investigate 
  the mound and search for the missing children at the 
  same time. That’s when Ms. Applewood exclaims,
  “Pish posh, there’s no need for you to delay in 
  investigating the mound and its tunnels. I have just 
  perfected a new invention...one that will allow me to 
  soar upon winds in search of my students, the children.  
  Never fear. I shall find them.”
  Ms. Applewood assures the heroes of all the aid she 
  can proffer, just as soon as she returns. Until then, she 
  asks them to reconnoiter the mound.
  INFESTATION O’ WORMS
  The mound is infested all right—with worms. 
  Except these varmints are of the Mojave rattler kind! 
  The upsurge of earth into a mound was caused by the 
  adults rattlers, which made the inside into a nest. Most 
  of these young are fated to die off, but plenty more 
  survive if they reach those tasty miners.
  The 80-foot-tall mound is pocked with about a 
  dozen tunnel entrances. Every one of them arrows 
  straight for the center, where they all meet in a large 
  cavern whose walls and ceilings are held in place by 
  gluey secretions of rattler slime. In the pit at the center 
  squirm hundreds of hungry rattler young ’uns.
  The heroes should tread carefully. Any attack on the 
  young stirs them into an attacking frenzy. Plus mama 
  and papa—a mated pair of full-grown rattlers—join 
  the fracas 1d6 rounds later.
  • Rattler Young ’Uns (5 per hero): See the Deadlands 
  Marshal’s Handbook.
  ...but they Don’t CheCk out
  The biggest problem the heroes have is the adult 
  rattlers, who are far smarter than the average worm. A 
  large enough explosion inside the mound kills all the 
  young, but the trick is placing explosives. Mama and 
  papa do all they can to stop that from happening.
  If the heroes survive their first trip into the mound, 
  Ms. Applewood returns later that day with the children, 
  all safe and sound. Hearing the situation, Elenora 
  suggests that she could build a clockwork “clicker”—a 
  ground spike designed to draw the adults away from 
  the mound—so the posse can plant dynamite charges.  
  (She uses her Gadgeteer Edge to do so.) This plan 
  succeeds, but mama and papa come back angrier than 
  hornets...and bent on destroying Coffin Nail!
  • Rattler Papa: See the Deadlands Marshal’s Handbook.
   Rattler Mama: See the Deadlands Marshal’s Handbook. 
  Mama’s got Smarts d12, and the Vengeful (Major) 
  Hindrance. She uses her demonic cunning to keep the 
  young ’uns safe. And you read that right, Marshal—
  she’s a Wild Card!
   ms. elenora aPPleWooD
  Elenora is a an English mad scientist, although she 
  prefers the term “clockworkist”—which is appropriate 
  because the ghost steel she uses for her spring work 
  has sent her a little cuckoo! She stayed in the West after 
  her father’s death to become a beloved schoolteacher 
  in Coffin Nail, Arizona.
  Elenora is tenacious and forthright but she tends to 
  get her head in a muddle worrying about protecting 
  the children. The West is no place for the young, as 
  she likes to say. To good friends she’s known as Nora; 
  aquaintances may address her as “Miss Applewood.”
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d12, Spirit d8, Strength 
  d4, Vigor d6
  Skills: Driving d6, Guts d8, Intimidation d6, 
  Knowledge (Science) d8, Notice d4, Persuasion d6, 
  Repair d10, Shooting d6, Taunt d6, Weird Science 
  d12+1
  Cha: 0; Grit: 5; Pace: 6; Parry: 2; Toughness: 5
  Hindrances: Curious, Dementia (Phobia, Major—
  Can’t allow children to be harmed)
  Edges: Arcane Background (Weird Science), Brave, 
  Gadgeteer, Improved Level Headed, New Powers, 
  Professional (Weird Science), Power Points, Strong 
  Willed
  Powers: Fly (Icarus wings), quickness (Acceleration 
  armature) stun (Static charger); Power Points: 25
  Gear: Gadgets, tool kit, steam wagon.
  “Elenora Applewood” created by Tanya Beeson.
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Savage Worlds System (SWADE) [multi]/Deadlands Reloaded/Deadlands Reloaded - One Sheet - Mound of Death.pdf