TEXT:  
  Adventure: 
  The River of Death 
  -written by Quinchris, Giant Octopus by Andrew “Wolverine” McColl 
   
   
  Plot Summary 
  While traveling down river the adventurers 
  discover a hidden temple which guards a 
  dark secret. 
   
  Set Up 
  This adventure assumes a mix of physical 
  ability and knowledge skills that should be 
  available in a well rounded group. 
   
  The party needs to be traveling down river 
  on a raft. How this is set up depends on the 
  GM. There is nothing wrong with simply 
  opening with the scene below however a 
  GM so inclined could role play encountering 
  an Ape Man village and stealing their raft.  
   
  If playing this as a one off adventure then 
  one of the characters is looking for their 
  father who was exploring in this area. He 
  has been missing for months and they have 
  come looking for him. All that they know is 
  that he was seeking an ancient temple that 
  was supposed to be somewhere along this 
  river.  
   
  Twixt a Rock and a Hard Place 
  You are grateful for the chance to sit and 
  rest for a while after what feels like weeks of 
  hacking your way through the jungle. It is 
  pleasant sitting there with a gentle breeze 
  blowing and trees overhanging the waters 
  edge. Herds of large dinosaurs come down 
  across wide grasslands to drink. A flock of 
  colorful parrots fly past. Occasionally a 
  massive school of tiny silver fish passes 
  under the raft. Off in the distance ancient 
  ruins rise up out of the jungle.  
   
  The only thing spoiling this idyllic situation 
  is the war band of savage Ape Men (HEX pg 
  211) who are now hurrying to keep pace 
  with you as the raft drifts down river. Every 
  so often one of them shakes a spear at you 
  futilely or throws a rock in your direction 
  but you are far out of range. For some 
  reason they do not swim out to attack you.  
   
  On the other side of the river is a large 
  family of Velociraptors (HEX pg 218). They 
  eye you hungrily as they follow you 
  downstream. Only a handful of the vicious 
  creatures are visible at any one time but you 
  just know that there are dozens of them 
  hidden in the thick, dark jungle.  
   
  GM Suggestion: You might allow players to 
  discuss how to get out of this situation. This 
  is a chance for players to role play their 
  characters flaws and motivations. 
   
  If anyone thinks to ask, the gently moving 
  river is about five hundred yards wide and 
  very deep. A Zoology or Survival roll (target 
  2) can identify the school of fish as a type of 
  piranha. The raft is about ten feet by ten feet.  
   
  If characters land on the jungle side of the 
  river the Velociraptor will either attack them 
  while half the party is waist deep in water 
  before melting away into the jungle and 
  continually attacking from ambush. There 
  are three Velociraptors for each PC within 
  shouting distance although no more than a 
  few will be in sight at any one time.  
   
  If the characters attempt to land on the grass 
  side the Ape Men will throw a barrage of 
  sticks, stones and spears at them. Anyone 
  hit must make a Balance roll (target 2) in 
  order to avoid falling into the water with the 
  piranhas. There are five Ape Men for each 
  PC.  
   
  Neither group will be silly enough to stand 
  out in the open while characters mow them 
  down with modern firearms. They will take 
  cover although one or two could be hit. If 
  1 
  
  one is wounded he should fall into the water 
  to be consumed by the piranhas.  
   
  One of the players will inevitably hit on the 
  most obvious idea of outrunning everyone 
  by paddling the raft faster. The GM should 
  allow any creative way of creating paddles. 
  If players do not come up with this idea 
  then just let them enjoy drifting down 
  stream. As soon as the dinosaurs see the 
  canyon they will race ahead in an attempt to 
  beat the characters there.  
   
  The Race 
  Characters have to paddle quickly to get 
  ahead of their pursuers. The Ape Men, the 
  Velociraptors and those heroes paddling 
  must make Athletics rolls. The idea is to 
  accumulate more successes than the other 
  party. The target number is 2 for the 
  hunters. For convenience the GM could just 
  make one roll for the Ape Men and one for 
  the Velociraptors. They will not attempt to 
  overtake the characters no matter how many 
  successes they get until the next scene. The 
  GM should describe the speed increasing 
  round by round. The water and the trees 
  rushing by, that sort of thing. 
   
  GM Suggestion: You should build up the 
  drama of the race. It should be exciting as 
  they go neck and neck down the river. It 
  will also help with the later scenes if there is 
  a feeling for breakneck speed 
   
  The player characters require an Athletics 
  roll (target 2) to paddle the raft. Successes 
  are accumulated as a party. If any of the 
  characters has any sort of seamanship or 
  Pilot Boats skill then they can attempt to 
  guide the raft into a faster current. This can 
  also be defaulted from any other Pilot skill. 
  If successful (target 2) then the target 
  number for paddling is reduced to one. If 
  the Pilot Boat skill roll gets 4 successes then 
  the target for paddling is reduced to one for 
  the round. If the Pilot Boat skill roll gets to 6 
  then he has found a fast flowing current. 
  The target number for the paddlers lowers 
  by one for the rest of the scene. An 
  incredible skill roll of 8 will reduce the 
  target by 2 for the rest of the scene as the raft 
  surges ahead.  
   
  If the Velociraptors botch the roll then 
  describe how one of them trips over a 
  rotting log. When the Ape Man roll botches 
  one of them falls away from the race 
  winded. If a character botches then the 
  others must act fast to pull them out of the 
  water before they are eaten alive! The 
  piranhas will not approach the canyon (see 
  below).  
   
  Once our hero’s get to a lead of twenty 
  successes over their pursuers half of each of 
  the chasing groups will fall away leaving 
  only the fittest, most aggressive and most 
  determined! The DM should assume that the 
  remaining pursuers have an extra athletics 
  skill rank over their fellows.  
   
  The party may hit on the idea of letting the 
  Ape Men win and then pulling over and 
  making a run for it. In this case have them 
  run into a vast escarpment. Describe a huge 
  waterfall off to one side. Then move onto 
  the Stairway scene after describing the dais 
  (see below). 
   
  The Canyon  
  As the weaker pursuers fall behind the 
  characters will notice that the river current is 
  getting faster and faster and the river bank 
  is rising upwards. Up ahead they can see 
  that the river narrows to pass through a 
  rocky canyon. High overhead a few ptero-
  dactyls soar on rising thermals.  
   
  The Velociraptors and Ape Men had been 
  content to just keep up with their prey but 
  now they see their chance and they race 
  ahead, desperate to reach the top of the 
  canyon first. If they can beat the characters 
  they can jump down onto the raft as it 
  passes by.  
   
  Athletics rolls are required as before. Pilot 
  Boat rolls will no longer provide any 
  assistance 
  to 
  paddlers. 
  It 
  takes 
  15 
  accumulated successes to reach the canyon. 
  A Pilot Boat roll (target 2) or an Athletics 
  2 
  
  roll (target 3) is required for the characters 
  to enter the canyon without crashing into 
  the rocky walls. A crash or a botched roll 
  will result in being knocked overboard to be 
  washed downstream.  
   
  GM Suggestion: You should feel free to 
  fudge the Velociraptors and Ape Men’s rolls 
  so that they arrive at the canyon seconds 
  after the characters pass through. Players 
  will appreciate feeling as if they made it 
  through by the skin of their teeth! 
   
  One of the Velociraptors and two of the Ape 
  Men will make the jump onto the raft 
  regardless. This should make for an 
  interesting three way fight as characters 
  attempt to navigate ‘the slot’.  
   
  The Slot 
  The river is forced down the narrow canyon 
  at a great speed. The jungle crowds the top 
  of the canyon with lush vegetation hanging 
  down over the edges. Small swarms of 
  colorful butterflies flutter about in the 
  perennial sun light. Every few seconds a 
  spray of white water crashes over the raft.  
   
  For the first three rounds, any character 
  standing, 
  such 
  as 
  those 
  fighting 
  Velociraptors or Ape Men, must make a 
  Balance check (target 2) every round to 
  remain standing. Botches are knocked 
  overboard and washed away unless saved 
  by another character. Prone or sitting 
  characters do not have to make the Balance 
  rolls. 
   
  After the third round someone on the raft 
  must make a Pilot Boat roll (target 2) every 
  round to keep the raft from hitting the rocky 
  canyon wall. If the roll fails then all 
  characters on the raft must make a Balance 
  or Athletics roll (target 2) to remain on the 
  raft. A critical failure will result in a large 
  boulder being dislodged when the raft hits 
  the canyon wall. All characters must make 
  Defense rolls against the boulders Damage 
  of 5. 
   
  On the fourth round after entering the 
  canyon the characters spot a fallen branch 
  wedged across the canyon. Characters must 
  move quickly or they will be swatted into 
  the water. If they are standing they need to 
  make an Athletics or Acrobatics roll of two 
  to dive under it or a roll of four to jump 
  over. Characters that dive will have to take a 
  Move action to stand next round. Jumping 
  means the character can remain standing. 
  Characters already lying down do not need 
  to make a roll. 
   
  The fight will continue as long as any 
  Velociraptors or Ape Men manage to remain 
  on the raft.  
   
  On the seventh round there is root 
  protruding from the canyon wall across the 
  river. It is too low to duck under so all 
  characters on the raft must jump. This 
  requires an Athletics roll (target 2).  
   
  On the ninth round all characters can hear a 
  low roaring sound coming from up ahead. 
  Nothing can be seen as a heavy mist 
  conceals the end of the canyon. The raft 
  picks up even more speed as the river 
  hurtles it towards the heavy spray. As the 
  raft gets closer the roaring sound rises to a 
  crescendo.  
   
  Players should have no difficulty realizing 
  that the river is about to become a waterfall. 
  A very tall waterfall. 
   
  GM Suggestion: This would also be an 
  excellent time for an end of session cliff 
  hanger! 
   
  The Waterfall  
  Characters will have about thirty seconds to 
  make a decision as to what they are going to 
  do. 
   
  There are several options available for 
  characters. About nine feet overhead there is 
  a root sticking out of the canyon wall. If a 
  character is already standing on the raft then 
  an Athletics roll (target 2) can be made to 
  jump for it. 
  3 
  
  A character could also jump for the canyon 
  wall. While there are a considerable number 
  of handholds available the raft is going very 
  fast so a good Athletics roll will be required 
  (target 4). No matter what the player rolls 
  the 
  jump 
  will 
  automatically 
  succeed 
  although one point of non lethal damaged 
  will be taken for each point below the target. 
   
  If someone has a rope and grapple they 
  could attempt to hook on to something. A 
  failure on any of these rolls will result in the 
  character falling into the water and being 
  swept towards the waterfall.  
   
  The GM should time this. Give each 
  character no more than fifteen seconds to 
  declare their action.  
   
  The final chance for characters, either on the 
  raft or in the water, is a huge boulder 
  forming a small island in the middle of the 
  river, perched on the very edge of the 
  precipice. Either an Athletics or Survival roll 
  (target 2) is required to grab on. If another 
  party member is already on the rock and is 
  able to provide assistance then this roll 
  automatically succeeds.  
   
  What happens to characters that are swept 
  over the edge is really up to the GM’s 
  imagination. 
  Perhaps 
  have 
  them 
  miraculously saved by a protruding rock 
  about twenty feet down. The character 
  should, however, be rendered unconscious 
  in the process.  
   
  So, What Happens Next?  
  From the rock at the top of the waterfall 
  there can be seen a magnificent vista. The 
  characters are on the edge of a vast 
  escarpment stretching to the left and right as 
  far as the eye can see. Hundreds of feet 
  below the rim the ground is covered in a 
  thick blanket of green. The river tumbles 
  down into a deep blue lake. This wide lake 
  feeds another river which winds off under 
  the heavy jungle. Far off in the distance an 
  ocean or sea is visible. Pterodactyls screech 
  out as they dive and chase each other along 
  the cliff face. 
  The rock the some characters may be 
  standing on is actually a carved stone dais. 
  Carved around the edge of the dais is a 
  series of Grecian numbers. (31, 37, 41, 43, 53, 
  59) There is no clue as to what these are for. 
  Engraved onto the top surface is a strange 
  circular design. A relevant Science skill 
  (target 2) or a high Navigation (target 5) can 
  identify the pattern as a particular planetary 
  alignment that comes every few thousand 
  years. The next one is not due for 367 years. 
  If this was the surface world the characters 
  would be identifying the dais as a primitive 
  observatory. What use could it be here in the 
  Hollow Earth where the stars cannot be 
  seen? 
   
  Far below (300 feet), by the shore of the lake 
  characters can see a number of things. All 
  conscious 
  characters 
  should 
  make 
  Perception rolls; 
   
  1 success: A set of ancient steps have been 
  carved from the rock of the escarpment. 
  While large stretches of it have decayed into 
  ruins it will be a lot easier than climbing 
  down the cliff face itself.  
  2 successes: There is a ruined circular 
  building by the shore of the lake. From the 
  columns it looks a lot like an ancient Grecian 
  temple.  
  3 successes: A number of fruit trees can be 
  seen growing near the temple.  
  4 successes: There is a momentary flash of 
  gold in the centre of the temple.  
  6 successes: On the steps of the temple there 
  is a body. It is not moving.  
  8 successes: The body is dressed in modern 
  looking clothing.  
   
  The GM should allow characters to talk 
  about whether or not they are going to climb 
  down. There are details that should appeal 
  to a number of different Motivations and 
  Flaws. Style Points should be given for 
  players who can relate the details visible 
  below to the own character’s Motivations 
  and Flaws.  
   
  If players delay for too long the GM should 
  tell them that they can now hear calls and 
  4 
  
  bellowing coming closer. The Velociraptors 
  and Ape Men are obviously still in pursuit. 
   
  The Stairway 
  The elaborately carved steps head down-
  wards at a gentle slope. They are 16 feet 
  wide and every 60 steps there is a 180 
  degree 
  switchback. 
  Someone 
  with 
  Archeology or History can identify the 
  stairway as Grecian or early Roman in 
  design. There are no handrails. There are 
  also a number of hazards to be faced on the 
  way down.  
   
  The first flight of stairs is blocked about 
  thirty steps down by hundreds of flowering 
  creepers that have grown down from the 
  jungle above. This will require either a very 
  difficult scramble or someone to hack a path 
  for the others. In the middle of the mass of 
  vines and creepers there is a monstrous 
  Stranglevine (HEX pg 231).  
   
  The second flight of stairs is a little crumbly 
  but otherwise safe.  
   
  The third flight of steps is missing the 
  middle twenty feet. It will have to be 
  jumped or otherwise negotiated. Failure will 
  result in falling 50 feet to the middle of the 
  next flight of steps. A Style Point should be 
  given to any character who thinks to go back 
  and get the vines for use as a rope or bridge.  
   
  The fourth flight is itself safe but a number 
  of small rocks fall down from the unstable 
  flight above. A Defense Roll (target 3) is 
  required or damage is suffered.  
   
  The fifth and sixth flights are safe although 
  they are strewn with rubble. This is the 
  remains of the third flight of stairs. A few 
  pebble start to fall as characters pass by.  
   
  At the switchback of the seventh flight, a 
  mated pair of Pterodactyls has set up a nest. 
  They will vigorously attack any creature 
  that approaches. They will swoop in and 
  attempt to knock one of the characters off 
  the stairway. See HEX pg 119 for the 
  Charging Shove rules. Any Successes over 
  Strength will result in the character being 
  knocked from the stair. 
   
  On a stairway about eighty feet from the 
  bottom of the escarpment the heroes come 
  across a large snake climbing upwards. An 
  easy Biology roll will deduce that the snake 
  probably lives on Pterodactyl’s eggs and 
  hatchlings. It will make a brief show of 
  aggression but will slither away once 
  intimidated. 
   
  At the bottom of the last flight of steps there 
  is a wide field covered in flowers. They each 
  have an impressive 15 inch stalk with about 
  5 large trumpet shaped blooms in a glorious 
  deep red color. As the characters reach the 
  ground the gently swaying flowers all turn 
  to face them. As people watch they realize 
  that the flowers are swaying against the 
  breeze. Any one who has read Day of the 
  Triffids should be a little worried. In fact 
  these flowers are harmless. 
   
  Biological Note: The flowers are in fact 
  Amaryllis (Hippeastrum). These ones are a 
  deep red color but they also come in pink, 
  orange, red and white striped and pink and 
  white striped. They are readily available in 
  most 
  garden/plant 
  outlets. 
  Of 
  course 
  normal Amaryllis does not, in general, move 
  about. 
   
  The Temple  
  The waterfall crashes into the lake sending 
  spray out for hundreds of feet. Away from 
  the waterfall the sound reduces to the 
  lapping of the ripples against the marble of 
  the temple.  
   
  This ruined building is a round structure 
  and is visibly decayed by the passage of 
  centuries. The white marble is chipped and 
  cracked by the powerful roots of trees from 
  the jungle edge hundreds of feet away. The 
  now missing roof was obviously once 
  supported by rows of carved columns. The 
  white marble shines brilliantly in the 
  continuous midday sun.  
   
  5 
  
  On the wide stairway leading up to the 
  temple is the body of a man. He is dressed 
  in rugged clothing suitable for the jungle. 
  He has a backpack and off to one side is a 
  rifle. In the backpack there is a first aid kit.  
   
  GM Suggestion: You should be generous 
  with the deceased’s possessions as this is 
  intended as an opportunity for player 
  characters to restock with ammunition and 
  medical supplies. The entire scene is where 
  tired and injured characters can rest and 
  recuperate. Give Style Points to those 
  players who role-play relief and exhaustion 
  after their harrowing experiences. 
   
  A Medical skill roll will determine that this 
  man died from a gunshot in the back about 
  a month ago. Nearby a pistol casing can be 
  found. A Firearms roll (target 3) can identify 
  it as having come from a German Luger. 
   
  A note book hints that this man was a 
  member of a group called the Terra 
  Arcanum. He had been sent here to 
  investigate a massive temple complex. He 
  was a part of a much larger party racing 
  against Nazis to find something called the 
  “4 Keys to Infinity”. While he was unable to 
  find the sanctuary itself he believed there 
  was a clue in the floor of the temple but he 
  was unable to decipher it. He was planning 
  on hiking back to the coast where a 
  submarine was waiting for him. 
   
  There is a map showing a 100 mile route to 
  the coast of a large ocean. There is a date 
  marked for five weeks from now. Another 
  note indicted that if this rendezvous is 
  missed the submarine will return in 6 
  months. This may be a way out for 
  adventurers trapped in the Hollow Earth. 
  Experienced explorers will realize that they 
  will be lucky if they can travel 2 or 3 miles a 
  day through jungle and that assumes there 
  are no difficulties, like giant dinosaurs. 
   
  In the open area between the towering 
  jungle and the ruined temple there is a 
  scattering of fruit trees laden with strange 
  yellowish green oblong fruit about 7 inches 
  long and covered in rigid spines. In times 
  past this was obviously once a carefully 
  tendered orchid.  
   
  Biological 
  Note: 
  The 
  marang 
  (A. 
  odoratissimus), 
  also 
  known 
  as 
  tarap, 
  resembles both the jackfruit and the seeded 
  breadfruit in appearance. This stately tree is 
  of South East Asian origin. Its large leaves 
  are similar to the breadfruits, but they are 
  less lobed. The Latin name indicates that the 
  fruit is fine smelling. Contrasting the 
  marang's robust aroma, the fruit is succulent 
  and mildly flavored, quite suiting the palate 
  of uninitiated Westerners. 
   
  Inside the temple there is an elaborate 
  circular patterns set in the floor. A number 
  of large golden rings marked with Greek 
  numbers and letters have been set flat into 
  the weathered floor. Other symbols are 
  engraved into the marble floor surrounding 
  the rings. The rings will pivot. The use of 
  any relevant Science skill will identify that 
  these rings conform to the movement of 
  certain stars and planets. Clever players will 
  guess that the rings can be moved to form a 
  pattern as a particular planetary alignment 
  that comes every few thousand years. If it is 
  arranged to conform to a date 367 years 
  from now an incredible event occurs. 
   
  Open Sesame  
  There is a sudden grinding sound that 
  makes the earth shudder, a flock of terrified 
  birds burst from the undergrowth, massive 
  trees sway. As your eyes are drawn 
  upwards you see the waterfall part like a 
  massive curtain to reveal a giant statue 
  hundred of feet tall previously hidden 
  behind the impenetrable wall of water. 
  What technology is there that could do a 
  thing like this you wonder!  
   
  The 200 feet high statue has obviously been 
  carved from the cliff face itself. It depicts a 
  bearded man wearing a classical Greek or 
  Roman toga, reclining on a throne with an 
  arm resting on a stream-gushing amphora. 
  Between his carved sandals there is a square 
  opening with steps leading up to it. Some 
  one with a relevant skill (such as History, 
  6 
  
  Archeology, or Anthropology) will identify 
  the figure as one of the Potamoi.  
   
  Historical Note: The Potamoi were the gods 
  of the rivers, sons of the great earth-
  encircling river Okeanos. Their sisters were 
  the 
  Okeanides, 
  goddesses 
  of 
  springs, 
  streams, clouds and rain. The River Gods 
  were depicted in a variety of forms. In 
  Greek vase painting they appear as either 
  man-headed bulls or horned men with the 
  body of a serpentine fish below the chest. In 
  sculpture and mosaics they were usually 
  depicted as the figure behind the waterfall. 
   
  As the earthquake fades away you see some 
  of the water from the waterfall has been 
  diverted to flow through new channels. You 
  can hear ancient machinery beginning to 
  move and turn deep within the escarpment.  
   
  GM Suggestion: This also would be a good 
  spot for a session to end. Always try to leave 
  players eager to play the next portion of the 
  adventure. It will help bring them back for 
  the next session. 
   
  Tomb Raiding  
  As our heroes pass underneath the massive 
  stone statue they realize how a bug might 
  feel just before it gets stepped on.  
   
  The opening is eight feet high and eight feet 
  wide. A cold breeze blows into the 
  character’s faces smelling of dampness. 
  Beyond it a damp passageway vanishes into 
  the 
  darkness. 
  After 
  many 
  weeks 
  of 
  perpetual daylight the complete darkness is 
  very intimidating. The walls of the passage 
  are wet and water drips from the ceiling to 
  puddle on the floor.  
   
  Far up at the top of the escarpment our 
  heroes can see people starting to move 
  down the stone stairway. They should guess 
  that the Ape Men have found out how to get 
  down. They will be at the bottom in three or 
  four hours so there is no time to waste. 
  Torches can be easily improvised from 
  branches and other undergrowth.  
   
  The First Hazard  
  About thirty feet down the passageway 
  characters hear a grinding noise. As they 
  move forward they see a deep pit blocking 
  the entire width of the passage. At the 
  bottom of the pit a set of sharp circular 
  blades spin about in a blur of movement.  
   
  The walls are smooth carved stone and are 
  very slippery from the water-laden air. It 
  will take an Athletics skill (target 2) to climb 
  across, or heroes can just jump the 8 foot 
  distance to the other side. If any one fails the 
  jump they are hanging by their finger tips 
  while their feet are tickled by the spinning 
  blades. Swift action by teammates can 
  rescue them before they fall to certain death. 
  Suffering a botch will require heroic action 
  by teammates but that is what they are there 
  for!  
   
  This obstacle is designed to be dangerous 
  not difficult. 
   
  The Second Hazard  
  A grinding noise followed by a crashing 
  bang warns of the next trap. The stone walls 
  of the next 45 feet are each ramming 
  inwards to collide with the opposing wall in 
  the middle of the passage before sliding 
  back again. Each of the moving blocks is 
  eight feet high and eight feet deep. There is 
  a two foot wide clear spot between each pair 
  of crushing blocks. 
   
  Running or diving through will require a 
  Defense or Acrobatics roll (target 8). 
  Damage is suffered for failure. A botch will 
  result in the character being pinned while 
  the blocks pull back before rushing towards 
  each other! Heroic action will be required to 
  save them from being turned to jelly.  
   
  Any character with the Mathematics or 
  Engineering skill (target 4) can determine 
  that the first set of blocks moves on a 6 
  second cycle, the next on a 5 second cycle 
  and so on down the fifth set which are on a 
  two second cycle. Discovering this will 
  result in the target number for the Defense 
  7 
  
  roll being reduced to 2. Or you could role 
  play through the trap. 
   
  The Third Hazard  
  The long corridor ends in a thirty feet wide 
  shaft. In the far wall of the shaft, about sixty 
  feet up, is a ledge leading to another 
  corridor. Hanging the length of the shaft, 
  about ten feet away, are two vertical chains. 
  These chains are hanging ten feet apart. The 
  tops of the chains vanish into the darkness 
  overhead. The bottom of the chains are 
  concealed by the water filling the lower 
  portion of the shaft about twenty five feet 
  down. The water spins about in a whirlpool 
  powerful enough to drag anything under.  
   
  Unknown to the characters this is a single 
  chain that has been looped over an unseen 
  giant wheel at the top of the shaft. Any 
  weight on one of the chains will cause that 
  chain to descend towards the swirling water 
  while the other rises. The weight of a normal 
  human will cause the chain to move about 
  twenty feet a round. The chains are wet and 
  very slippery. 
   
  The suggested way of getting through is for 
  one character to jump to the first chain. 
  Then, as it descends towards the deadly 
  whirlpool, he needs to jump to the second 
  chain before he is sucked under. At the same 
  time someone else needs to jump to the first 
  chain. If the weight is evenly distributed the 
  chain will stop moving. It can then be easily 
  climbed. Of course when the first character 
  then jumps to the upper ledge the chain will 
  be once more unbalanced.  
   
  Jumping onto and off of the chains is not 
  difficult (Athletics target 2) but is does 
  require teamwork. Any character that falls 
  into the whirlpool will be dragged at great 
  speed down a water filled tunnel only to 
  surface in the lake underneath the waterfall. 
  They will be exhausted, terrified and half 
  drowned but they will be alive (having 
  suffered 4 non-lethal damage points). 
   
  Imaginative players may be able to conceive 
  other ways to get to the upper ledge. 
  From the upper ledge the ten feet wide 
  wheel can be seen with the chain looped 
  over it. It is twenty feet away. About twenty 
  feet beyond that the shaft ends at a done 
  made of pieces of fitted stone. A character 
  with Engineering can tell from the water 
  dripping through that the dome is probably 
  holding the river back. If it gives way the 
  entire temple could be flooded in minutes!  
   
  The Fourth Hazard  
  Blocking the upper passageway is a massive 
  stone door. Imbedded in the portal are six 
  dials, each with nine symbols. The dials spin 
  easily to the touch. Obviously this is a 
  combination lock. To open it requires the 
  use 
  of 
  Linguists, 
  Ancient 
  History, 
  Mathematics or Physics. Eight successes in 
  an Extended Action (Difficulty 2) must be 
  achieved to open the door. Or they could 
  just use the combination which is 31, 37, 41, 
  43, 53, & 59. See HEX pg 106 for a 
  description of Extended Actions. 
   
  The door is solid stone and weighs many 
  tons. If explosives are used the dome at the 
  top of the shaft will rupture.  
   
  GM Note: This is designed to encourage the 
  action 
  orientated 
  adventurers 
  not 
  to 
  abandon their more cerebral companions. If 
  a party is so narrowly focused that they do 
  not have the skills necessary to open the 
  door then remind them of the strange series 
  of Grecian numbers from the dais at the top 
  of the waterfall. 
   
  The Guardian’s Chamber  
  As the stone door rolls silently to the side 
  the characters are overwhelmed by the smell 
  of rotting fish. The characters torches and 
  flashlights reflect off of a vast reservoir of 
  still, black water. The chamber stretches out 
  for at least a hundred feet. Running around 
  the edge of the reservoir is a path a few feet 
  wide. At the far side of the chamber, too far 
  to be see with carried lights, can be seen a 
  faintly glowing green light.  
   
  This is actually a great big tank with a giant 
  octopus in it. The tank is hundreds of feet 
  8 
  
  deep. The beast has been kept alive through 
  the centuries by the magic of the artifact. It 
  is also very hungry. As soon as the 
  characters enter the chamber the ravenous 
  octopus will attack in a swirling frenzy of 
  tentacles. 
   
  At the far side of the pool there is a large 
  statue (10 feet tall) of a seated man similar 
  the one under the waterfall. The statue is of 
  a green marble like stone that almost seems 
  to move under the torch lights. Resting the 
  statue lap is a large green emerald, carved to 
  be an exact replica of a life sized human 
  hand. It glows faintly in the darkness. The 
  first character to touch it feels a shiver as 
  some strange energy runs through him. If 
  the Hand is removed the octopus dives to 
  the bottom of the tank and the next scene 
  unfolds.  
   
  Getting Out  
  As the Emerald Hand is lifted from its 
  pedestal there is a grinding, the ground 
  shakes and there is a roar of rushing water. 
  Back at the shaft the dome at the top is 
  opening! Hundred of gallons of water are 
  pouring in every second. The volume is 
  increasing as the dome slowly opens up to 
  let the river in.  
   
  Characters must run very fast. All of the 
  previous obstacles must be negotiated at 
  great speed. Characters who have worked 
  out what the whirlpool does can use it as a 
  fast escape from the swiftly flooding temple. 
  It would be very cinematic for a hero to dive 
  gracefully from the upper ledge into the 
  swirling water far below.  
   
  GM Suggestion: This should be staged for 
  dramatic effect. If the characters got this far 
  relatively easily then you should feel free to 
  raise the target numbers on the hazards by 
  one or even two in order to make this an 
  exciting sequence. Describe water pushing 
  them towards the traps. Waves crashing into 
  them, washing their gear away. 
   
   
   
  OK, Now What?  
  As the characters pull themselves from the 
  lake or stumble from the passageway 
  between the statue’s legs they can only stare 
  in awe as the waterfall slowly reforms to 
  once again protect the ancient statue and its 
  secrets behind hundreds of tons of crashing 
  water. 
   
  As they pick themselves up they realize that 
  they are surrounded by black clad figures 
  pointing submachine guns and Lugers at 
  them. A German-accented voice says, “I 
  believe you have something that belongs to the 
  Reich.” The Nazi boasts how he killed the 
  other explorer on the steps of the temple 
  before he could decipher the engravings. 
  How lucky is it for him that he returned just 
  as you were exiting with his artifact. If the 
  characters have made any enemies amongst 
  the Nazis them this would be a good place 
  for them to make an appearance. 
   
  As the Aryan bully continues on his self-
  important soliloquy, the characters can see 
  behind him and his men dozens of Ape Men 
  charging forward from the carved stairway 
  while a pride of Velociraptors melt out of 
  the jungle. 
   
  Just as the players are wondering whether 
  they should warn their fellow humans of the 
  danger behind them the giant octopus from 
  inside the temple (if it is still alive) surfaces 
  in the lake! 
   
  As the five way fight breaks out characters 
  have several options. Fight everybody at 
  once (and probably die), join the Nazis 
  while they fight everybody or run away 
  with the treasure while everyone else is 
  distracted by killing each other. 
   
  The End – for now 
   
   
   
   
   
   
  9 
  
  New Rules 
   
  Giant Octopus 
  A cunning and stealthy predator, a single 
  giant octopus is more than a match for most 
  opponents in one-on-one combat. 
   
  Giant Octopus 
  Archetype: Animal 
  Style: 0 
  Motivation: Survival 
  Health: 12 
  Primary Attributes 
  Body: 6 
  Charisma: 0 
  Dexterity: 4 
  Intelligence: 1 
  Strength: 6 
  Willpower: 4 
  Secondary Attributes 
  Size: 2 
  Initiative: 5 
  Move: 10 (20)* 
  Defense: 8 
  Perception: 5 
  Stun: 6 
  Skills 
  Base 
  Levels 
  Rating 
  (Average) 
  Brawl 
  6 
  4 
  10 
  (5) 
  Stealth 
  4 
  4 
  6** 
  (3) 
  Survival 
  1 
  3 
  6 
  (3) 
  Talents 
  Dual Wield (ignore off-hand penalty) 
  Skill Aptitude (+2 Survival rating) 
  Resources 
  None 
  Flaw 
  Bestial (Character cannot communicate or use tools) 
  Weapons 
  Rating 
  Size 
  Attack 
  (Average) 
  Bite 
  0 L 
  -2 
  8 L 
  (4 L) 
  Tentacle 
  2 N 
  -2 
  10 N 
  (5 N) 
  * Giant Octopi double their Move rating when swimming 
  ** Giant Octopi suffer a -2 Size penalty to Stealth rolls and 
  automatically fail unless underwater or camouflaged 
   
   
  Hollow Earth Expedition TM and © 2006 
  Exile Game Studio, LLC 
   
   
  10 
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Hollow Earth (ubiquity) [multi]/Hollow Earth Expedition The River of Death.pdf