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Credits
An adventure by Steven S. Long

Editors
Nicole Heinrichs, Dominic Hladek

Editors-in-Chief
Dominic Hladek, Stefan Küppers

Cover Artwork
Thalia Brückner

Interior Artwork
Tim Brothage, Juha Makkonen

Map Artwork
Daniel Jödemann

Proofreading
Daniel U. Thibault

Layout
Daniel Bruxmeier

Special thanks to Aşkın-Hayat Doğan and Ingo Siekmann.

Space: 1889 is © 2017 Frank Chadwick. All rights reserved.

This edition is © 2017 Clockwork Publishing, under license of Frank Chadwick.
The Ubiquity Roleplaying System and logos are trademark of Exile Game Studio, LLC. All rights reserved.
Reproduction without the written permission of the publisher is expressly forbidden, except for the
purposes of reviews, and for blank character sheets, which may be reproduced for personal use only.
The mention of or reference to any company or product in these pages is not a challenge
to the trademark or copyright concerned.
This product is a work of fiction. Any similarity to actual people, organizations, places, or events is
purely coincidental.
This book contains mature content. Reader discretion is advised.

www.clockwork-publishing.com

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 Contents
Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Part One: The Storm and the Crash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Part Two: The First Part of the Journey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Part Three: Drums of the Ssunadi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Part Four: The End of the Journey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

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 Thunders of Venus
An Adventure for Space: 1889 by Steven S. Long

When an experimental liftwood ship intended to fly safely in the Kincaide field “harmonizes” with the Venusian magnetic field in
Venusian atmosphere crashes deep in the alien jungle wilderness such a way that liftwood treated in a “Kincaide bath” no longer
on a test flight, the adventurers and other passengers must find their decays after just a few days on Venus.
way across the planet to reach civilization and safety. Can they Liftwood ships could travel far faster and more reliably than the
cope with the myriad dangers of the Venusian jungle—and the fact ether dirigibles used by the Germans and other colonizers. Thus
that one member of their expedition is a spy for a foreign power? equipped, British explorers could easily open up huge swaths of
the planet previously not visited by humanity, found and build
colonies, and locate and exploit valuable resources. In practical
terms the British could outflank Germany in the struggle for Venus
and better prepare for the conflicts that will almost certainly result
Character Recommendations at some point in the future.
While the British have tried to keep Kincaide and his work
Nations: British or British allies; German charac- under wraps, naturally rumors (some accurate, others inaccurate)
ters could require some alterations (depending on of what he’s doing have leaked out. The possibility of the British
their political conviction and loyalties). gaining such an advantage on Venus has caused a great deal of
Characters: All; especially Adventurers, Report- consternation among the high officials of several governments
ers, and Engineers. (particularly Germany), while a number of industrialists wonder
how they could make use of Kincaide and his inventions for their
own benefit. More than a few nations, companies, and men of
power would like to kidnap (or kill) Kincaide and steal (or de-
stroy) his technology. For Germany, Russia, and Italy, this would
Adventure Background maintain (or improve) their current footholds on Venus; for others
it would give them a chance to establish their own footholds or
to reap enormous profits.
Despite their success as colonizers on Earth and Mars, the Brit- And the best opportunity to succeed with their nefarious schemes
ish have enjoyed no similar triumphs in their attempts to explore has just arisen. Roger Kincaide has reached the point in his experi-
and lay claim to Venus. Their first three expeditions to the jungle ments where work in the laboratory can’t take him any further—he
planet—Armstrong’s in 1873, the Royal Society-financed Collin- has to perform field trials of his equipment. With the assistance
gswood expedition of 1874, and the London Times-financed Stoat (and oversight) of the British government, he recently came to
expedition of 1876—all suffered crashes. In fact, to Britain’s Venus to construct a liftwood ship christened the Aphrodite. Now
embarrassment, the pitiful survivors of these disastrous journeys that it’s complete, he plans to make several trips around Venus to
had to be rescued by the Germans during the Heidelberg expedi- prove that the Kincaide process works. If all goes well, Britain
tion of 1878. will soon establish some major colonies on Venus, and Kincaide
The failure of the British expeditions wasn’t due to any incom- will become an immensely wealthy man.
petence on the part of their members, but to scientific facts of
which they were unaware: on Venus, liftwood rots with unusual
speed due to some as yet not clearly understood interaction with
the Venusian magnetic field. The success of the Heidelberg ex-
Adventure Summary
pedition resulted in part from the fact that it used ether dirigibles,
which don’t depend on liftwood. Germany’s advances with this The Aphrodite is ready to launch. Abteilung Z tried several times
mode of transportation have made it the leader in the colonization during its construction to sabotage (or steal) the project, but thanks
of Venus—indeed, it claims a strategically significant portion to sharp-eyed British security personnel, all these efforts failed
of the planet’s northern hemisphere as its territory, much to the miserably. Now the German intelligence service is down to one
chagrin and annoyance of the British (who believe they have a last chance: hijack or destroy the ship (and its inventor) during
strong claim since they landed the first “settlers” there: the three its maiden voyage.
failed expeditions of 1873–76). In an effort to drum up public relations support (and financial
The British have worked for over a decade to establish lasting investment) for his inventions, Kincaide is carrying a significant
colonies on Venus, with mixed success. Other than one large, number of passengers along on his first trip despite its experimental
well-situated colony based around Fort Collingswood, it has nature. His work has caught Britain’s attention, and competition
only a few outposts and trade enclaves to show for its troubles to be a part of Kincaide’s work has been fierce—obtaining a spot
(though the Germans don’t have much more themselves). But now on the ship is something of a social coup. The Player Characters,
it seems the tables may have turned, with Great Britain poised to naturally, are aboard (though depending on their social class and
take the lead in the race for control of the humid, swampy world. skills they may work with the laborers and sailors rather than
The key to this new advance is the “Kincaide field,” named for socialize with the passengers). Some of the other notables on
its inventor, the genius scientist Roger Kincaide. Briefly put, the board include:

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 For any salvage to occur, though, the survivors have to reach
civilization: the crash has stranded them hundreds of miles from
any human settlement, in the uncomfortable Venusian lowlands.
As they journey there, they have to work together to overcome
Liftwood On Venus the dangers of dinosaurs, the environment, and ultimately their
own mistrust if they’re to survive long enough to reach safety.
Being able to use liftwood on Venus could be a The survivors (including the PCs) must start by making some
real game-changer, especially for campaigns set difficult decisions. First, they have to figure out the best way to
on Venus. It has the potential not only to alter maintain a supply of food and potable water. Not everything in
the geopolitics of the planet, but to affect the the Venusian jungle is safe for humans to eat (and meat tends to
way characters go on adventures. If you don’t spoil quickly in the Venusian environment), and not every stream
want this to happen in your campaign, consider is safe to drink from. Keeping themselves fed may take several
the following: hours each day.
●● Just because the Kincaide Process works in the Second, do they try to reach the nearest human settlement—a
lab, and on this one test flight, doesn’t mean it German one—or head for the more distant British outpost? As
will always work. The test flight in the adventure discussed further below, most NPCs, as loyal British subjects,
may turn out to be a fluke—many inventions that prefer to head toward a British settlement, like Fort St. George
look good at first often turn out to be impossible or Fort Collingswood. But ultimately the Player Characters are
or unworkable for some reason. the ones who will decide (since they’re the protagonists of this
●● The Kincaide Process may turn out to have story), and Marcus’s arguments in favor of heading for the German
“side effects” that make it impractical to use. Protectorate may sway them. Further complicating the situation
Perhaps the Kincaide field poisons people after is the fact that it’s relatively easy to get to German territory from
sufficient exposure, for example. Or perhaps the the Venusian lowlands (at least if the group approaches from the
freak storm that wrecks the Aphrodite during north or east), whereas getting into British-held lands probably
the adventure isn’t a freak at all—maybe the requires climbing gear or other such equipment.
Kincaide field somehow caused it. Before they get to any colony, though, the Earthfolk find
●● Even if the Kincaide Process works, setting up themselves embroiled in a native conflict. Their journey brings
ships with it may be so hideously expensive them into the territory of the Ssunadi, a tribe of lizard-men simul-
that even major governments like Great Britain taneously involved in a war with another tribe (the HoJumi) and
and Germany can only afford to maintain one suffering from a period of internal dissent. The arrival of a group
or two liftwood ships on Venus at a time. That of humans in their territory only exacerbates matters and puts the
creates interesting tactical and adventuring PCs in a situation where they must choose sides and try to help
possibilities without radically changing the resolve the situation so they can continue their journey safely. If
Cytherean setting. they succeed, they can probably make it to civilization—though
they may have other dangers to contend with along the way. If
not, their bodies become more fertilizing muck at the bottom of
a Venusian swamp.

●● Andrew Robertson, an “old Venus hand” and expert hunter

who is along in case of trouble;
●● Colonel Everett Ashingham, one of the junior commanders
of the military force sent to Venus to protect Kincaide;
●● Lady Alice Asquith, a wealthy socialite who paid a great deal
of money for her spot on the Aphrodite’s first flight;
●● Randolph Marcus, a businessman with significant plans Non-British Player Characters
for Venusian commerce and a lot of top-level connections in the
British peerage and government; and Given the sensitive nature of the Kincaide project,
●● Sir Hugh Dudley Griffin-O'Dell, a British nobleman, trav- and its importance to the British government, the
eler, and adventurer. Queen’s officials on Venus are wary of any Player
Character who’s a foreign national (particularly
One of these five—the businessman Marcus—is actually a free- German, Russian, or Italian). They won’t abso-
lance spy. He intends to kidnap (or kill) Kincaide and steal the lutely forbid non-British characters to participate
Aphrodite for sale to the highest bidder (probably Abteilung Z, in the Aphrodite’s maiden voyage, for obvious
for whom he’s worked in the past). reasons, but they’ll check such characters’ papers
Unfortunately for both the Germans and the British (not to men- and references very carefully and keep a suspicious
tion the PCs), during the Aphrodite’s flight a particularly intense, eye on them at all times. After the officials decide
sudden storm occurs. A chance lightning bolt strikes the ship’s to let the characters on board, they talk about
steam engines and it crashes, resulting in the deaths of most of the “fostering good relations between our govern-
passengers aboard. Kincaide believes the test of his technology ments” and make similar diplomatic statements.
was a success, though—and more importantly, that he can salvage
the treated liftwood and the Kincaide stabilizers. Obviously this
also means enemies of Britain and greedy opportunists could find
and seize them as well.

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 Members of the Expedition
Besides the Player Characters themselves, the
following are the primary passengers aboard
the Aphrodite on her maiden voyage.

Roger Kincaide, Genius Scientist

Although he’s only 25 years old, Roger Kin-
caide—referred to by practically everyone,
including life-long friends, as “Kincaide” or
“Dr. Kincaide”—already seems destined for
greatness and success. A British subject of
Scottish descent, he’s the son of a butcher and
spent his early days assisting in his father’s shop.
During his spare time he tinkered with what-
ever he could get his hands on and developed
an interest in science and engineering. A local
nobleman took note of Kincaide’s talents and
saw to it that he received a proper education.
After finishing secondary school at age 16,
Kincaide went on to Oxford, where he studied
chemistry, physics, and various related subjects.
He graduated with honors and took a teach-
ing position that allowed him the freedom to
continue a project he began at university: the
development of liftwood for use on Venus. After
several years of continued experimentation, he
created a prototype of what’s now referred to
as the “Kincaide field” (or, more broadly, the
“Kincaide Process”). With examples of his work
in hand, he approached British officials about
his invention. Intrigued, Her Majesty’s govern-
ment not only agreed to fund further work (thus
allowing Kincaide to leave his teaching job), it
sent him to Venus for field trials.
For the past several years, Kincaide has
lived at the British outpost of Fort David. The ability to study Primary Attributes
the Venusian magnetic field first-hand, not to mention access Body: 1 Dexterity: 2 Strength: 2
to government funding to pay for expensive liftwood and other Charisma: 2 Intelligence: 6 Willpower: 2
materials, has allowed him to advance his work swiftly. At last Secondary Attributes
the time has arrived when he’s ready to prove that his inventions Size: 0 Move: 4 Perception: 8
work in practice, not just in the laboratory. Initiative: 8 Defense: 3 Stun: 1
Most of the time Kincaide is an easy-going, amiable person Health: 3
who can make friends with just about anyone. But stress from Skills Base Levels Rating (Average)
his work and his strong desire to protect and advance it has made Bureaucracy 6 2 8 (4)
him tense and edgy. He’s likely to seem fidgety and nervous at Diplomacy 2 2 4 (2)
first, and may snap at people who touch his devices or “get in Craft (Mechanics) 6 3 9 (4+)
his way.” Ironically, after the wreck he’ll become calmer, more Firearms 2 2 4 (2)
level-headed, and easier to get along with. Linguistics 6 1 7 (3+)
While Kincaide’s nigh-obsessive focus on his “great work” (as Science 6 5 11 (5+)
he calls it) has led many on Venus to think he’s a monomaniac, Talents
the truth is he has many other interests. He sings in his church Skill Mastery (Science)
choir back home. He collects butterflies, and hopes to branch out Resources
into whatever the Venusian equivalent is once he has a little more Contacts 1 (British government)
time on his hands. (He’s already made a few minor studies of Languages
Venusian insect life, building on the work of previous scientists.) English, French, German
He enjoys relaxing with a good book and his pipe whenever he Weapons Rating Size Attack (Average)
gets a few minutes to himself. He speaks French fluently and Punch 0N 0 0N (0) N
German haltingly. Webley Mk I Revolver 3 L 0 7L (3+) L

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 Colonel Everett Ashingham, Stalwart Soldier content with a life of society galas and country outings; she has
a certain thirst for adventure and new vistas. She’s traveled ex-
tensively on Earth, and has now expanded her horizons to Mars
A twenty-year veteran of the Queen’s military, Col. Ashingham (one all too brief trip) and Venus (it’s her first time on the jungle
is one of the junior commanders on Venus. He has the (perhaps planet). It cost her a lot of money and favors to get her ride on
dubious) honor of leading the detachment of soldiers providing the Aphrodite, but it will pay off handsomely in the stories she’ll
protection for Kincaide and his “great work.” Thus he finds have to tell in salons and around dinner tables back in London—
himself on the Aphrodite’s maiden voyage—and soon after that, assuming she survives.
marooned in the Venusian jungle. One thing about Lady Alice that may strike the PCs as odd:
Now in his late 30s, Col. Ashingham is the very embodiment she’s not married, and never has been. Among some parts of her
of staunch British devotion to duty. He accepts his orders with social stratum, her unmarried status is practically a scandal, and
good grace, no matter how difficult or humbling they might be, it certainly troubles her parents to no end. She has the confidence
and then does everything within his power to carry them out. and self-assuredness of a woman of far greater years, and decided
After the liftship crashes, he interprets “doing his duty” as “keep long ago she would marry only for true love—to someone whose
Kincaide alive and get him to safety in British hands, even at the heart sings in unison with hers, with whom she can share not
cost of my own life.” He sticks to Kincaide like glue, protecting just her life but her interests. Perhaps a male PC will fit the bill.
him from every threat, real or imagined. He gets along well with Unfortunately, Lady Alice doesn’t really bring any useful skills
anyone who agrees with (or at least tolerates) this attitude, but to the “expedition” across Venus. She’s never even gone hunting,
has stuffy disdain for anyone who has anything less than military- much less tried to survive in the wilderness, to fire a military-grade
level personal discipline. He naturally assumes command of the rifle, or to kill a dinosaur. Her innate sense for social situations
“expedition” to reach civilization without bothering to ask anyone. may come in handy when the group has to interact with the Ssu-
Underneath his hard shell, though, Col. Ashingham has deep nadi and the HoJumi, though. She also has a knack for picking
concerns about the “expedition’s” fate. He knows what Kincaide up languages. Her French, German, and Russian are all decent
and his “process” mean to the British Empire, but fears he will (though she’s never studied any of them formally for very long),
fail to get the scientist to safety. On a more personal note, he has and with enough exposure to lizard-man speech she’ll probably
a wife and two children back on Earth, and his heart aches at the learn to speak it as well (though her human mouth will have
thought that he might never see them again. If push comes to trouble with all the hissing and clicking, and her dignity with the
shove, there’s a tiny chance he might sacrifice Kincaide’s life to possibility of accidentally spitting).
save his own—but a far greater chance that he’ll nobly sacrifice
himself for Queen and country, consoling himself with the final Primary Attributes
thought that his son will know he died a hero. Body: 1 Dexterity: 2 Strength: 1
Charisma: 3 Intelligence: 3 Willpower: 2
Primary Attributes Secondary Attributes
Body: 3 Dexterity: 4 Strength: 4 Size: 0 Move: 3 Perception: 5
Charisma: 2 Intelligence: 2 Willpower: 3 Initiative: 5 Defense: 3 Stun: 1
Secondary Attributes Health: 3
Size: 0 Move: 8 Perception: 5 Skills Base Levels Rating (Average)
Initiative: 6 Defense: 7 Stun: 3 Academics (Literature) 3 1 4 (2)
Health: 6 Art 3 1 4 (2)
Skills Base Levels Rating (Average) Diplomacy 3 4 7 (3+)
Brawl 4 2 6 (3) Empathy 3 3 6 (3)
Diplomacy 2 2 4 (2) Linguistics 3 1 4 (2)
Firearms 4 4 8 (4) Performance 3 2 5 (2+)
Intimidation 2 4 6 (3) Talents
Melee 4 2 6 (3) Attractive 1
Stealth 4 1 5 (2+) Resources
Survival 2 3 5 (2+) Status 1, Wealth 3
Talents Flaws
Inspire Phobia (raptor lizards)
Resources Languages
Rank 4 (British Army) English, French, German, Russian
Weapons Rating Size Attack (Average)
Punch 0N 0 6N (3) N
Machete
Lee-Metford Rifle
2L
3L
0
0
8L
11 L
(4) L
(5+) L
Sir Hugh Dudley Griffin-O'Dell,
Noble Dilettante
L ady Alice Asquith, Wealthy Socialite The eldest son of a prominent British noble family of storied
and lengthy heritage, Sir Hugh carries on the family’s traditions as
Despite her relatively young age (27), Lady Alice is one of the best he can. He has no particular interest in matters commercial or
toasts of British society. Beautiful, intelligent, witty, vivacious, military, so instead he’s taken the route of becoming a world (now
insightful, gregarious, and with a memory like a steel trap when worlds) traveler, explorer, and adventurer. He takes a decidedly
it comes to names, faces, and social relationships, she’s the sort dilettantish approach to these pursuits—no sense putting one’s
of person everyone wants at their parties. But she’s not entirely self in danger or making one’s self uncomfortable, after all!—but

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he has seen some amazing things, explored many strange places,
and become a fairly skilled hunter (and a particularly good marks-
man and tracker). While he is in theory the head of his family’s
business enterprise, he leaves the management completely to his
sister Lady Martha, who showed far more aptitude with figures
and commerce.Sir Hugh acquired a certificate of land grant on
Venus through some dubious channels and is desperately work-
ing on making this investment pay, sometimes to the chagrin of
his sister who sees it as a waste of money. He also put a small
sum into the Kincaide Process back before Kincaide approached
the government, and that will entitle him to invest further, if he
thinks that’s a good idea (and he survives his latest adventure).
Beyond that, though, his eyes and ears remain open for promising
opportunities. If he thought he could get away with it and would
earn a strong return, he might even involve himself in investments
that are not entirely in the best interest of the British Empire but
would serve his family well.

Primary Attributes
Body: 2 Dexterity: 4 Strength: 2
Charisma: 2 Intelligence: 2 Willpower: 3
Secondary Attributes
Size: 0 Move: 6 Perception: 5
Initiative: 6 Defense: 6 Stun: 2
Health: 5
Skills Base Levels Rating (Average)
Diplomacy 2 2 3 (1+)
Firearms 4 5 9 (4+)
Linguistics 2 1 3 (1+)
Melee 2 2 4 (2)
Stealth 4 2 6 (3)
Survival 2 3 5 (2+)
Talents
- rise in British society has had as much to do with secret funding
Resources from his various “patrons” as with his business acumen.
Status 1, Contacts 1 Marcus’s latest scheme is easy to describe, but hard to ac-
Weapons Rating Size Attack (Average) complish: secure Roger Kincaide and his plans/designs (fail-
Punch 0N 0 0N (0) N ing that, he may try to kill Kincaide and destroy his work out
Knife 0L 0 4L (2) L of spite). Marcus thinks his best market for these “wares” is
Martini-Henry Rifle 3L 0 12 L (6) L Germany (and he’s probably correct), but he’d happily sell to
Russia, Italy, another inventor, or whoever else can pay what
he’s asking. (He might even keep the information for himself.)
Randolph Marcus, Shrewd Businessman Under the guise of investing in the Kincaide Process, Marcus
has stayed close to the young scientist since Kincaide arrived
Randolph Marcus stands out a bit from most of the passengers on Venus. Kincaide considers the affable businessman a friend
on the Aphrodite. He’s well-dressed, but in a somewhat simpler as well as a valued investor.
style than the lords and ladies around him. That’s because he’s Marcus visits other countries frequently (allegedly to look after
not a noble—he’s a businessman. Born to a father who worked his financial interests there), and during some of those trips has
in a shop and a mother who used to work in the same shop, you received extensive espionage training. He’s a crack shot, good
might say he has business in his blood, and he wouldn’t deny it. with disguises and forgery, an expert cryptographer, an experi-
He started working alongside his father when he was a teenager, enced outdoorsman, a talented lockpick/burglar, and adept in a
and through hard work and shrewdness eventually bought that wide variety of social situations. He won’t reveal any of these
business... and then another... and then another. Today he’s the abilities, though, unless they’re necessary to save his own life (or
owner of a small but profitable commercial empire. Now he’s get away with Kincaide in tow); as long as he can he’ll pretend
expanding that empire, and he’s come to Venus in search of to be an ordinary businessman.
business opportunities that will vault him from the ranks of the Once the crash occurs, Marcus tries to exploit the opportunity to
successful into those of the obscenely rich. his own benefit—ideally Kincaide can simply “disappear,” never
Or at least that’s what he tells everyone. The truth is more to be found, while he toils away in secret for the Kaiser. But to
complex. His father did work in shops, but it was after emigrating accomplish that, Marcus has to get rid of every other survivor of
to Britain from Germany, and he always retained his loyalty to the flight without raising suspicion. He looks for every chance to
his fatherland. He inculcated that same loyalty in his son. When be alone with one other person in the hope of arranging an “ac-
Marcus needed money for his early commercial dealings he cident.” He also volunteers to carry and use any of the guns the
became a freelance spy, selling his services (and the proceeds of group has access to, claiming to be a skilled shooter and hunter,
his illicit activities) to whoever was willing to pay for them. His all the while keeping his Derringer carefully concealed.

8
 Primary Attributes A superbly skilled hunter and guide, Robertson is the only per-
Body: 2 Dexterity: 3 Strength: 2 son (aside, perhaps, from the PCs) who foresaw the possibility of
Charisma: 4 Intelligence: 3 Willpower: 2 trouble and brought along useful equipment. He has his elephant
Secondary Attributes gun, a pistol, a machete, a canteen of fresh water, matches, and
Size: 0 Move: 4 Perception: 6 a few other small, potentially useful items stuffed in his pockets.
Initiative: 6 Defense: 4 Stun: 2 Furthermore, he’s the only one of the six major NPCs described
Health: 4 here who’s dressed as if he’s going to spend a lot of time slogging
Skills Base Levels Rating (Average) through the Venusian wilderness; everyone else looks like they’re
Diplomacy 4 2 6 (3) attending a garden party.
Larceny 3 2 5 (2+)
Con 4 4 8 (4) Primary Attributes
Brawl 2 2 4 (2) Body: 2 Dexterity: 3 Strength: 2
Firearms 3 3 6 (3) Charisma: 4 Intelligence: 3 Willpower: 2
Stealth 3 2 5 (2+) Secondary Attributes
Survival 3 1 4 (2) Size: 0 Move: 4 Perception: 6
Talents Initiative: 6 Defense: 4 Stun: 2
Agile Health: 4
Resources Skills Base Levels Rating (Average)
Contacts 2 Academics (Geography) 3 2 5 (2+)
Languages Athletics 3 2 5 (2+)
English, German Firearms 4 5 9 (4+)
Weapons Rating Size Attack (Average) Melee 3 1 4 (2)
Punch 0N 0 4N (2) N Stealth 4 1 5 (2+)
Pocket Revolver 2L 0 8L (4) L Survival 2 6 8 (4)
Talents
Danger Sense, Skill Aptitude (Survival)
Resources
Andrew Robertson, Skilled Hunter -
Weapons Rating Size Attack (Average)
Born and raised over fifty years ago in rural Scotland, Andrew Punch 0N 0 0 0
Robertson has hunted for food and also for fun ever since he Machete 2L 0 6L (3) L
was big enough to carry and shoot a rifle without falling over. Pistol 2L 0 8L (4) L
He developed a sterling reputation as a local hunting guide, and Elephant Gun 4L 0 13 L (6+) L
eventually travelled to Africa to ply his trade there and explore
the innermost reaches of the continent. After many successful
years guiding hunters around the East African savannah and
exploring ruins in the jungles of the Congo basin, one of his best
The Crew
clients offered him the chance to lead an expedition on Venus. He While the Aphrodite’s flight is Kincaide’s baby, technically he’s
jumped at the opportunity and soon found himself stalking the not in command of the ship. That honor falls to Captain Albert
swamps and forests of the jungle planet, looking for game and Fitzsimmons (“Bert” to his friends), a skilled member of Her
ancient ruins alike. More than that—he found himself at home. Majesty’s air-ship forces. He’s a tough, no-nonsense sort of captain
Something about Venus really appealed to Robertson and when who tolerates Kincaide’s peculiarities only because he realizes
his client left, he remained, and has resided on Venus ever since. just how important the scientist’s work is to British interests.
He has always been a Gentleman and even manages to keep his The rest of the crew are about a half-dozen experienced air-
good manners and care for his elaborate moustache in the thickest sailors. They keep everything running smoothly, get Kincaide
jungle—and furthermore, his age has brought him a calm that many whatever he needs, and so on. Unless you want to develop one
younger explorers lack. Nowadays he is far more crafty and wise of them through roleplaying, they’re nameless NPCs.
about endeavors rather than leaping into everything head-first as The “crew” also includes several armed soldiers that Col.
he did in his younger days. Ashingham has brought along as guards. Their main purpose is
The grey-haired Mr. Robertson is an ‘old Venus hand’ now, to provide a source of salvageable weapons, if you want to let
as knowledgeable about the planet as a human can be (he even the PCs arm themselves after the wreck.
speaks the lizard-man language, though he’s not necessarily good None of the crew lives through the crash of the Aphrodite,
with dialects). That’s why Kincaide hired him to be part of the test unless you want to add to the pool of survivors.
flight. In short, if you have to crash land on Venus hundreds of
miles from civilization, he’s just about the best person you could
have with you. On the other hand, at this point Robertson identi-
fies more as ‘Venusian’ than ‘Earthling’. Lacking any particular
Servants
loyalty to the British crown, he’d at least consider offers to assist Most of the notables on board brought at least one servant with
Germany (or some other power) if he thought their intentions them. After all, it just wouldn’t do for a highborn man or woman
were better for Venus than those of the British. But he’d really to have to get his own drinks or clean up after himself! Kincaide
prefer for humans to more or less leave Venus alone to chart its and Captain Fitzsimmons tolerate these people as a social neces-
own course. He knows that’s a pipe dream at this point, but he sity but don’t particularly like having them around. Again, unless
can’t help wishing. you have a reason for adding to the pool of survivors, all of them
should die in the crash.

9
 Part One: The Storm and the Crash
The launch of the Aphrodite takes place on (for Venus) a relatively The takeoff and initial stages of the flight go as smoothly as any
calm, sunny day. There’s a pleasant breeze that dispels some of loyal British subject could hope. Kincaide and Col. Ashingham
the usual humidity and everyone’s in good spirits. The launch site are both in good spirits as the flight progresses. Unfortunately
(which is open only to passengers, and heavily guarded by British things soon take a turn for the worse.
troops) has something of a festive atmosphere while everyone waits
for Kincaide and Captain Fitzsimmons to allow them aboard. This
is a good opportunity to introduce the major NPCs to the players.
Randolph Marcus, Lady Alice, and Sir Hugh in particular will
The Storm
all try to get to know everyone involved—Marcus for espionage
reasons, Sir Hugh because he’s on the lookout for chances to make After several hours, dark clouds begin to gather. Rainy weather
money, and Lady Alice because she’s a social butterfly. is a fact of life on Venus, and the Aphrodite is built and operated
After one final inspection, Kincaide announces that the Aphrodite to withstand most storms. But this is no ordinary storm. If any of
is ready to lift off and would everyone please come aboard. If any the PCs have skills pertaining to Science (Meteorology) or Pilot
of the PCs inspect the ship themselves, they notice that it doesn’t (Air Ships), you can allow them to roll (threshold 2) to analyze
seem to suffer from the usual “Venusian rot” one would expect to and react to the storm. Anyone who succeeds realizes it’s going
see in the liftwood; otherwise it seems like an ordinary air-ship. to be a monster.
Just as Captain Fitzsimmons and Kincaide realize they’d bet-
ter turn back, a tremendous clap of thunder sounds right over the
Aphrodite. Everyone on the ship is deafened for 8–BODY turns.
You shouldn’t allow characters to speak to one another—restrict
Player Characters communication to hand gestures, writing, and the like.
The wind picks up to the point where Fitzsimmons can barely
and Equipment keep the ship under control; it’s rocking back and forth wildly and
soon goes completely off course. The PCs see a minor NPC—a
As you can see from the main text, except for crewman or servant—get flung over the side to his death by the
Robertson none of the NPCs has brought along a turbulence. If any PC has Pilot, they can try to assist the captain
lot of equipment. You should encourage the same to control the ship, but even their combined efforts should only
approach for the PCs. have the slimmest chance of success, and in any event can only
It’s natural for Player Characters to expect ameliorate the disaster, not prevent it (see below).
trouble and want to go onto the Aphrodite “loaded The situation goes from bad to worse as lightning strikes the
for bear.” This makes perfect sense from a “meta” Aphrodite! One bolt hits the engines, others strike on deck (pos-
perspective, since the players know something’s sibly killing some minor NPCs). The ship begins losing altitude
going to go wrong and they want their characters at a disturbingly fast pace, all the while being blown wildly off
to be prepared for every possible contingency. course by strong Venusian winds. At this point everyone’s being
But in the context of the story being told in tossed around pretty strongly. More people will go overboard and
this adventure, that doesn’t make much sense. As die, though the PCs might be able to save some of them if they’re
far as anyone knows this is a short test flight of fast, strong, and clever. Play the scene for maximum excitement
an experimental aerial ship. It’s not an extended and dramatic impact.
expedition into the wilderness, so there’s no need Captain Fitzsimmons, realizing the futility of efforts to keep
for guns and gear. There are women on board, for the ship flying (or even on course), shouts as loudly as he can
heaven’s sake—how dangerous could it be? Leave for everyone to secure themselves to something sturdy and brace
all that ironmongery at home, please. for impact!
Furthermore, given the sensitive nature of the
project, the British military may look on anyone
who shows up carrying lots of weapons and gear
as a potential saboteur or thief. Colonel Ashing-
The Crash
ham won’t hesitate to order a PC off the ship if
he doesn’t like the look of the PC or he thinks the The ship smashes into the Venusian lowlands with a tremendous
PC is acting suspiciously. noise, crashing through trees and into rocks and stumps until its
Of course, from your perspective as GM, you remains finally come to rest. It breaks into three major pieces,
don’t want the PCs to have lots of weapons and strewing debris over a large area.
gear because it reduces the fun of the “struggle All unnamed NPCs and Captain Fitzsimmons die in the crash.
through the wilderness” aspect of the adventure. The PCs and the named NPCs described above walk away from
So do your best to persuade them to leave most of the disaster. They’re in a tough spot already; if you want to make
their supplies at home. As discussed in the main things even harder on them, roll on the accompanying Crash
text, if you want to provide them with weapons Injuries Table for each PC and NPC.
to increase their chances of survival, you can let
them salvage some from the ship’s wreckage.

10
 Capt. Fitzsimmons and/or a PC made a Pilot
roll in their last, desperate attempts to control
the Aphrodite). Whatever the distance to the
British outpost is, there’s a German outpost 40
miles closer.
Thus, the first thing for the group to decide is
where it wants to go. Colonel Ashingham immedi-
ately tries to assume control and head toward the
British outpost, but unless the PCs support him this
isn’t likely to work. Instead the group has a long
conversation/debate about what the best option
is. You should roleplay the various NPCs while
letting the players do all the talking they want.
Randolph Marcus argues strongly in favor
of heading toward the German outpost. He has
ulterior motives for this, of course—the sooner
he gets himself and Kincaide to safety, the sooner
he can try to capitalize on the situation. But he’s
absolutely correct that the group can reach the
German outpost more easily. As Robertson can
attest, 40 miles through the wilds of Venus is no
easy march, so reducing the trip by that much
increases everyone’s chance of survival.
On the other hand, Kincaide, Lady Alice, Sir
Hugh, and Col. Ashingham would all rather
add the 40 miles to the trip than go to a German
settlement. Kincaide and the Colonel are well
aware of what happens if the young scientist falls
into German hands. Lady Alice and Sir Hugh, as
loyal British subjects, wouldn’t think of letting
the Germans get their hands on a strategically
valuable “asset” like Kincaide even if it means
exposing themselves to discomfort and danger.
They realize that climbing the plateau to get
to Fort Collingswood may not be possible, but
they’d rather take the chance on finding a way
than go to the Germans.

Crash Injuries Table Taking Stock: Equipment

Every character has to make an Acrobatics or Athletics roll. You can The PCs probably want to know what sort of equipment they
adjust the difficulty of the Skill roll depending on how the players can scrounge up to improve the odds in the group’s favor. The
reacted during the crash. Talents might be used as well, according to Aphrodite is almost a total loss, though Kincaide believes he
your discretion as Gamemaster. For each 2 successes from Science can salvage equipment if he can return with a team of engineers.
(Meteorology) or Pilot (Air Ships) with threshold 2, add 1 die. Here’s what the major NPCs carry that may be of use:

Successes Result
0 Serious Injury: A character suffers 4 points of Lethal
damage and is wounded (e.g. a broken limb, concussion,
deep puncture wound to the torso and so on). Let’s get out of here!
1-2 Minor Injury: A character suffers 2 points of Lethal
damage. The adventure assumes that the “British faction”
3-4 Trivial Injury: A character suffers 2 points of Non-lethal among the surviving party will eventually assert
damage. its reluctance to enter German territory. Should
5+ No injury at all. the characters prefer to get out of the jungle as
quickly as possible and ignore the intricacies of
intercolonial affairs, you can proceed with the
The Aftermath adventure but may have to make amendments
in some parts. For example, Randolph Marcus
It doesn’t take long for it to sink in that the survivors are trapped could expose himself much earlier if he is trying
in the Venusian wilds. Robertson (and/or a PC with appropriate to contact a German outpost or to lure the party
Skills) estimates that the crash site is 300 miles from the nearest into an ambush.
British outpost. (Reduce this by 10 miles per point by which

11
 ●● Kincaide: some scientific tools; a box of matches could easily go from ordinary clothes, to tatters, to virtual nudity
●● Ashingham: a Webley Mk 1 revolver (fully loaded but without during the course of their journey if you want to emphasize this
any extra ammunition) “realistic” aspect of life on the jungle planet. If you don’t want
●● Asquith: a lady’s parasol to concern yourself with such details, assume that Robertson
●● Griffin-O'Dell: a pocketknife; a pocket watch; a box of matches knows of native saps and substances the characters can use on
●● Marcus: a two-shot Derringer that he keeps concealed their clothes and possessions to preserve them in decent (if not
●● Robertson: an elephant gun (use Buffalo Rifle stats) with 10 good) working order.
cartridges; a Colt Peacemaker (fully loaded and with another 6
rounds); a machete; a knife; a canteen of fresh water; a box of
matches; a pocketknife
●● Captain Albert Fitzsimmons (dead): box of matches; a pipe
Taking Stock: Useful Abilities
and some tobacco; a few log book pages; a set of heavily-damaged It also improves the group’s chances of survival if everyone has
maps of the surroundings, (as useless or useful as the GM wants a clear idea of what each member of the group can do. Here’s
them to be) a quick rundown of the useful skill sets the main NPCs have:
●● Soldiers (dead): a shaving knife; a few canteens of water; ●● Kincaide: his knowledge of butchering may come in handy
several Lee-Metford Rifles plus ammo. The GM should decide to get maximum meat yield from any animals the party kills;
how many of them are still in order and how many bullets can his studies of Venusian entomology may help the group avoid
be saved. dangerous insects and find useful ones.
●● Crew and servants (dead): a pocket knife; tools like a gripper, ●● Ashingham: the Colonel is a military man experienced at
a hammer, a partly-damaged toolkit leading small groups, at various sorts of fighting, and at “roughing
●● In the wreck: Delicious food for 2 days; rope (30 meters); it”/surviving in the wild.
chains; a few magnesium torches; a mostly broken mosquito net ●● Asquith: Lady Alice’s social skills and knack for languages
from one of the cabins; 1-2 rain coats; a few square meters of aren’t much good at first, but may prove crucial once the group
undamaged sailcloth; 2-3 sleeping bags encounters lizard-men.
●● Griffin-O'Dell: Sir Hugh has some skill as a hunter, tracker,
Be sure to keep close track of the bullets for all of the guns. The and outdoorsman.
group has very little ammunition, so the characters shouldn’t ●● Marcus: as far as the group knows, Marcus is a pretty good
shoot unless it’s absolutely necessary. shot/hunter, but that’s it. He conceals his espionage-related skills
However, you should keep in mind that the jungles and swamps (which aren’t likely to be of much use during the trip anyway)
of Venus are very dangerous places. Without the help of more unless he needs them to ensure his or Kincaide’s survival.
weapons, the PCs and NPCs may end up as dinosaur chow in very ●● Robertson: just the sort of person to have along on this “trip.”
short order. If you’re concerned about this, you can allow the PCs He’s an expert hunter/tracker, a superb shot, and an “old Venus
to salvage some guns and ammunition from soldiers killed in the hand” who knows how to survive on this planet and how to speak
wreck of the Aphrodite. to the natives.
Clothing and equipment on Venus tend to corrode quickly un-
less properly treated and regularly cleaned. As a result, the group

Part Two: The First Part of the Journey

The second part of Thunders of Venus focuses on the characters’
struggles to survive the harsh Venusian wilderness and make
Food and Water
progress toward the safe haven of the British outpost. As the The first concern for everyone in the group should be ensuring
GM, you need to adapt to the players’ plans, throwing obstacles an adequate supply of food and water.
and encounters at them to make the journey interesting but not Water is the more immediate concern, since humans can’t
overwhelmingly dangerous. Do what you can to convey the survive as long without it as they can without food (especially in
discomfort and frustration the characters feel. For example, at the Cytherean heat). Fortunately there’s lots of water on Venus.
first you might impose minor penalties to reflect how badly the Unfortunately, most of it isn’t fit for human consumption: it’s
intense humidity and extended physical effort affect characters full of particulates, bacteria, and other things the characters don’t
who aren’t necessarily used to such things. (“After a day of chop- want to ingest.
ping through the undergrowth with Robertson’s machete, your The most promising source of potable water is Venus’s rain-
arms are so tired and sore you’ll take a -2 penalty to all rolls that storms, which tend to occur at least once a day (if not multiple
require you to use them until you’ve had a full night’s sleep.”) times). But that means the characters need some way to collect
Here are some examples of problems—or opportunities—the rainwater, and better yet a way to store and carry it. Lady Alice’s
group might encounter: parasol turned upside down would catch some rain, but the play-
ers hopefully have plenty of other ideas. Let them discuss it for a
while and try to devise a solution. If necessary you can simply let
Covering the Basics them make some Survival rolls to see if they can come up with
something (if they can’t, Robertson probably can), but it’s more
fun to let them think and roleplay instead of just rolling dice.
Before they can head out across the face of Venus and try to make Food is also a concern, though less of one. Robertson can point
their way home, the characters need to consider some basic issues. out edible fruits and roots which grants the group a minimum

12
provision of 3 food rations per day, while Kincaide may know results indicate the group runs into obstacles that slow them down
of insect species humans can safely consume, but the PCs may (particularly thick jungle, a large swamp, a herd of dinosaurs they
add to this with good ideas and the appropriate (modified) Skill have to go around...), while high results mean things work out in
rolls (some PCs may be experienced hunters or survival experts; their favor (they can make good time rafting down a waterway,
if so, let them take the lead). Many of the dinosaurs that stalk the jungle gives way to plains for a while, or the like). Of course,
the Venusian jungles and swamps have meat that’s edible by any encounters the group has (see below) may affect their travel
humans (though as even Robertson admits, some of it’s not very for the day regardless of what the table indicates.
tasty to the human palate). Of course, the group only has so much
ammunition to shoot dinosaurs with, which raises the issue of...

Weapons Travel Table

An unarmed PC is an unhappy PC, generally speaking, so the At the beginning of each day, one PC hast to make
players will probably try to arm their characters as soon as pos- a Survival roll—other characters can assist them
sible. (Some of the NPCs may think along similar lines.) It’s not with the usual Teamwork rules (see Core Rules
too difficult to find sturdy fallen branches to serve as clubs, and p. 151). At the Gamemaster’s discretion, the PCs
rocks (or even appropriately-shaped sticks) they can use as missile might use Talents to modify the roll. The result
weapons. But those are literally the simplest weapons humans can gives the distance travelled that day, as detailed
wield, and the PCs will want something better. in the table below.
If characters succeed with appropriate Craft or Survival rolls,
you can allow them to fashion crude but serviceable weapons Successes Distance travelled
from the natural materials they find around them. These include: 0 A truly miserable day: the group travels 1 mile
●● hammers or axes with wooden shafts and shaped stone heads 1-2 A poor day: the group travels 1d6+4 miles
●● bows made from branches and vines that fire arrows tipped 3-4 A typical day: the group travels 10 miles
with shaped stone arrowheads, hard thorns, or dinosaur teeth 5-6 A good day: the group travels 2d6+10 miles
●● spears with sharpened wooden points hardened in a fire, or 7+ A great day: the group travels 2d6+15 miles
perhaps tipped with shaped stone heads
●● slings made from vines or strips of dinosaur skin

Robertson knows the lizard-men make

weapons from a reed-like lowlands
plant that hardens after harvesting,
but they’ve never taught him how to
do it. He can point out the plant (oma
jolima, the “mother of weapons”), and
maybe the PCs can figure out how to
make crude weapons (and even armor)
with them, but without knowing the Crash Site
lizard-man techniques they can’t make
truly effective equipment.
Of course, even if they can make
weapons, the characters may lack the
skills to use them properly, in which
case they suffer the standard Untrained
Skill Roll penalty. Even if they have
the skills, they may (at your option)
still suffer a -1 penalty on attack rolls
because of the crudeness of the weap-
ons. (You may also want to reduce the
range for fired weapons such as arrows.)

Rate of Travel Perils, Threats, and Dangers

For game purposes, assume the group can travel at an average The group sets off toward the British outpost using Robertson’s
rate of 10 miles per day across Venus, so it will take close to a knowledge and their own orienteering skills (if any) to guide them.
month to reach the British outpost. (This assumes they travel But this isn’t a walk in the park! Every meter of Venus is at least
each day, but in fact they may have to spend some days making uncomfortable to humans, and quite possibly deadly dangerous.
weapons, procuring food, or the like.) If you want to vary things Here are just a few examples of encounters you can spring on the
a little and are willing to track what happens day by day, you PCs whenever you like.
can roll each morning on the accompanying Travel Table. Low

13
 Dinosaurs Attack!
The most common (and perhaps exciting) encounter the group may
have is with dinosaurs. These range from small dinosaurs suitable Marcus Leaving the
for food, to large herbivores that pose a threat due to their bulk
or territorial nature, to carnivores that regard the little humans as Expedition early
tasty snacks. It’s entirely possible for the group to have multiple
run-ins with dinosaurs, so try to vary them a little—the PCs should Marcus has the opportunity to leave the rest of the
certainly be attacked by a tyrannosaur-like reptile at some point, party behind and strike out on his own at several
but make sure that’s not the only type of dinosaur they encounter. points during the adventure (assuming, of course,
For some inspiration, see the Flora and Fauna chapter in the he can take Kincaide with him). As the GM, you
Core Rules starting p. 106 or the Venus sourcebook starting p. 89. should manage this possibility for maximum
Dinosaurs aren’t necessarily just dumb brutes. They’re not intel- excitement and dramatic impact. Consider the
ligent, but the meat-eating ones at least have a predator’s cunning following:
and instincts. A particularly tough or tenacious one may stalk the ●● Marcus isn’t an idiot (far from it). He knows
group across the landscape, countering their brains and weapons his chances of surviving on his own are slim
with its stealthiness, knowledge of the wilderness, and fangs. unless something tilts the odds in his favor (such
Dinosaurs represent opportunity as well as danger. Besides their as stealing a warceratops from the lizard-men).
meat, they have teeth, claws, and perhaps spikes the characters can He’d rather stay with the expedition as long as
adapt for use as weapons, heavy bones that might make functional he reasonably can for safety’s sake, then make
clubs or weapon parts, feathers the lizard-men might prize (and a break for it at the best possible moment.
which thus serve the humans as trade goods), skin the characters ●● the longer you can build up the possibility of
can make various useful items out of, and so on. “is someone in the group a spy?” the stronger
its dramatic impact. (This assumes, of course,
that the players have such suspicions—but the
The Nighttime Predator odds are they will.)
●● if the PCs somehow discover early in the ad-
If you’ve allowed some nameless NPCs to join the group, now’s venture that Marcus is a spy, this forces his
their chance to fulfill their traditional role and become victims hand—but also creates additional dramatic
of threats that will soon come after the PCs. Here’s an example: possibilities. He could try to escape right then
One night, despite the fact that one or more humans stood watch, and shadow the expedition, waiting for an op-
some sort of reptilian predator crept up to the campsite, snatched portunity to strike. He could plead for his life,
a sleeping human away, and escaped without anyone being any claiming to know valuable secrets (or pointing
the wiser. All that’s left is an empty spot where the victim slept out that he has valuable skills). Having a known
potential traitor in the PCs’ midst could make
the game even more enjoyable than simply
suspecting that one of the NPCs might betray
them—assuming you can prevent the PCs from
killing Marcus right then and there.

and a few clawed footprints of a type the characters have never

seen before.
As long as the characters take no steps to hunt down and kill this
predator, it strikes again and again, night after night, eventually
taking victims from the ranks of named NPCs. The predator is
actually a pack of velociraptors, which are astonishingly intel-
ligent and extremely stealthy despite their size. Thus they can
avoid guards, traps, and other counter-measures with a devilish
cunning, and also leave false trails for the PCs to follow if they
pursue them.
This can only go on so long, of course, before the PCs decide
to tackle the problem directly. At that point you should start to
give them some indirect glimpses of the beasts to tempt them
into plunging into the jungles and swamps on their trail. Once
that happens, the creatures can try to lure them into traps and
dangerous areas so that they can safely ambush them. Eventually
the PCs should triumph, but it should take every ounce of their
skill, wits, and muscle to do so.
If Randolph Marcus can arrange to be on guard duty with one
other person, the nighttime predator encounter might be a good

14
way for him to remove someone from the picture—assuming great deal). Second, if they can figure out a way to bring down a
he can easily hide the body (and fake the creatures’ footprints large mushroom without damaging it, the cap could be hollowed
if necessary). out into a small boat for use on a nearby river that flows in the
general direction of the British outpost. (Alternately, they could
Velociraptor tie several mushroom stalks together with vines and make a raft.)
Felling a “Venus ’shroom” without breaking the cap is difficult,
Animal Companion 2 though. The task requires long-term rolls on a skill or any skill
Archetype: Dinosaur Health: 6 combination of Survival, Craft and/or Science (Engineering) with
Primary Attributes threshold 3 and 10 required successes. Every roll takes 2 hours
Body: 3 Charisma: 0 of planning, finding materials, or actual work.
Dexterity: 5 Intelligence: 1 But never let it be said that anything on Venus comes without
Strength: 3 Willpower: 3 a price! You can have some dangers lurking in the mushroom
Secondary Attributes forest if you want to keep the pressure on the PCs. Perhaps some
Size: 0 Initiative: 6 of the mushrooms are poisonous and an NPC dies horribly after
Move: 8 (16) Defense: 8 eating one—or maybe they give everyone (except Robertson)
Perception: 6 Stun: 8 stomach problems at first. Maybe an insect living in the forest
Skills Base Levels Rating (Average) bites someone, leading to problems later (see “A Minor Irritation
Brawl 3 5 8 (4) Becomes A Major Problem,” below). Or efforts to bring down a
Stealth 5 3 8 (4) tree-sized mushroom could result in an injury to a character, such
Survival 1 5 6 (3) as a broken arm or leg.
Talents If the group begins sailing down the river, it carries them for
Alertness 1 (+2 Perception rating) d6/2 days before petering out into a shallow swamp. If you’re
Run (doubles its movement when running) using the Travel Table, treat each day on the river as a “good day”
Weapons Rating Size Attack (Average) (3d6 miles, minimum of 11).
Bite 0L 0 8L (4) L
Tail 0L 0 8L (4) L
Quicksand
Hostile Lizard-men As an often swampy place, Venus is perfect for that old pulp
standby: quicksand. Unfortunately quicksand isn’t much of a
The sentient life on Venus can be just as dangerous as the bes- threat to a group of people, since it’s easy for anyone outside the
tial. Many tribes of lizard-men regard humans as invaders to be quicksand patch to help rescue the victim. So save this encounter
slaughtered, food to be captured and eaten, or both. Use the ac- for when just one or two PCs are off on their own (perhaps while
companying character sheet for a typical hostile lizard-man that they’re pursuing the nighttime predator or out hunting for food).
the group might encounter. To identify an area as quicksand a character has to be success-
ful with a Perception roll (threshold 3). They can then avoid the
Primitive Venusian quicksand area. If they fail, they are trapped and can attempt to
free themselves once every minute with an Athletics roll (threshold
Primary Attributes 2). If the roll fails, they sink deeper into the quicksand. If some-
Body: 3 Dexterity: 3 Strength: 2 body helps them, the rules for Teamwork apply (+2d for each
Charisma: 2 Intelligence: 2 Willpower: 3 helper with a value of at least 4 in Athletics). For each further
Secondary Attributes try after a fail, however, the character loses two dice (see rules
Size: 0 Move: 5 Perception: 5 for 2nd try). When three rolls have failed, they begin to suffocate.
Initiative: 5 Defense: 6 Stun: 3 They can hold their breath for a number of minutes equal to their
Health: 6 Constitution value (and can make that many rolls on Athletics),
Skills before they start swallowing sand and receive one lethal wound
Archery 5, Athletics 4, Brawl 4, Melee 5, Stealth 6, Survival 5 per round until they can breathe normally again, or die.
Talents
Combat Skills (Survival), Keen Senses
Weapons
Punch 4 N, Stone Knife 6 L, Bow 7 L, Slingshot 6 N
Storms
Storms are a fact of life on Venus. It rains on practically every
square inch of the planet every day, and many places get multiple
The Mushroom Forest rainfalls per day. Nor is it uncommon for a rain shower to turn
into a driving storm almost in the blink of an eye—the wind
The group crests a small ridge and comes upon an astonishing picks up until it bends the trees over, the rain comes down so
sight: a forest of giant mushrooms rather than trees! The tallest hard anyone caught out in it can barely see, the thunderclaps
of them is about three to four times the size of an adult human, are deafening, lightning blasts features of the environment into
with a proportionally-sized cap. Smaller, but still enormous by nothingness. (Emphasize the thunder at least once; it’s in the
Earth standards, mushrooms fill the ecological niches of saplings, title of the adventure, after all.) More dangerous weather, such
shrubs, and the like. as hailstorms, can also occur.
The mushroom forest is more a resource for the PCs than a threat. For the most part, storms are an inconvenience to the characters,
First, some of the mushrooms are edible (though unpleasant to and a source of fresh water. But a strong storm at the wrong time
the taste of everyone except Randolph Marcus, who likes them a can pose a serious problem, usually represented by penalties to

15
skill rolls and the like. For example, rain and wind make walk- 1-2 slips and nearly falls, but catches themselves (or is caught by
ing on a narrow cliffside (see below) much more difficult, or can those near him); anyone who fails by 3 or more falls, probably
churn up river waters until the characters’ boats capsize. Floods, to their death (or at least a severe injury). You should of course
in both regular and flash form depending on the topography, allow the PCs to attempt heroics to save someone before they fall.
will at the very least hamper the characters’ progress, and could Plains, on the other hand, mostly pose a threat due to what lives
threaten their lives. there: herds of large, herbivorous dinosaurs (and the carnivores
that prey on them, possibly in packs). This offers the PCs plenty
of opportunities to hunt for food, but also exposes them to the
The Venus Man-Trap risk of stampedes. If the PCs are in the way of a rampaging herd
of enormous reptiles, typically they have two options: get to
The Space: 1889 core rulebook’s description of Venus mentions some sort of high, protected ground (such as a rocky hill or up
that the natives have spoken of carnivorous plants large and fierce a tree); or the old chestnut of “shoot the lead animal dead at the
enough to catch and consume an adult lizard-man—or human. last minute so the rest of the stampede flows around it and misses
If you want these stories to be true, now’s the perfect time to the characters.”
prove it to the players by unleashing such a creature on the PCs.
What at first looks like typical jungle growth unfolds to become
a Venus flytrap-like plant six to eight feet tall—and it’s hungry!
This encounter isn’t likely to pose a serious danger to the group.
The Minor Irritant
It’s just one plant, it can’t run away or maneuver, and if it grabs that Becomes a Major Problem
someone in its “mouth” that probably prevents it from attacking
effectively for at least a turn or three. But the encounter can throw Last but not least, another trope of “dangerous travel” stories
a scare into the PCs, teach them that danger lurks around every that you can use in this part of the adventure is some sort of
tree and bush in Venus, and perhaps whittle down their health trivial problem that turns into a major difficulty because the
or resources a little. On the other hand, it might provide some characters ignore it at first. The classic example, a perfect one
useful resources, like hard, sharp thorns to tip arrows with, long for use on Venus, is an insect bite. It’s painful when it happens,
fibers to use as string/rope, or a plant part large enough, sturdy but has no immediate effect; it doesn’t even impose any pen-
enough, and properly shaped to serve as a shield or breastplate. alties on skill or attack rolls. But it soon worsens: the victim
doesn’t wake up the next morning because he’s deathly ill; the
affected arm or leg swells up to the point of uselessness; high
The Narrow Cliffside fever causes the victim to hallucinate, become unable to walk,
or suffer other handicaps.
While most of Venus is covered with jungle and/or swamps, that’s Unless the victim is an NPC, there’s no real chance of death from
not all there is to the second planet. In places, the swamps give way this—that would be mighty anticlimactic after everything the PCs
to relatively easy to travel plains; in others, the landscape rises, have survived so far during this adventure. The real hindrance is
forming hills and mountains. When your players tire of endless that this event (a) deprives the group of one character’s abilities and
descriptions of marshes and greenery, try throwing something help, and (b) forces the others to put in extra effort looking after
different at them. the victim. And if the victim’s vital to the group’s survival—for
But, of course, just because the terrain changes doesn’t mean it’s example, if it’s Robertson—the loss of his knowledge and skills
any less dangerous! Plains, hills, and mountains all possess perils could put everyone else in serious danger.
of their own. The classic example of this is a narrow cliffside that Please also see the Venusian diseases in Space: 1889 Core
the group has to traverse. Require each PC and NPC to make an Rules and in Venus page 105, which might occur for one or
Acrobatics roll at a Difficulty Rating of 4. Anyone who fails by some of the characters.

Part Three: Drums of the Ssunadi

Once you’ve run the group through enough of the above encoun- These are the drums of the Ssunadi, one of two large tribes of
ters to give them a real taste for the problems facing them, or you lizard-men who dominate the immense swamp that covers this
think the players are tiring of such “random” challenges, it’s time part of Venus. The other is the HoJumi. These two tribes are go-
to move on to the third stage of the adventure. ing to war—and the PCs are about to walk right into the middle
As the PCs proceed onward, they begin to hear a constant of the conflict.
rumbling of thunder. It’s not like the thunder in a storm; it’s faint
at first, but grows louder as they keep walking toward it. Some-
times it stops for a while (particularly whenever rain falls), but it
always resumes again. Soon this strange thunder is loud enough
The Roots of War
to become a serious distraction.
But it’s not thunder, of course. As the players soon figure out, For centuries the Ssunadi and the HoJumi have co-existed in the
if they haven’t already, it’s lizard-man war drums—huge instru- swamp, which is large enough and contains enough sources of
ments made by covering the hollowed trunks of enormous trees food to allow both tribes to abandon their formerly nomadic exis-
with dinosaur hide, played by two lizard-men at a time using tence and settle into village life. They’ve never been particularly
drumsticks the size of quarterstaffs. The characters will get to friendly; minor skirmishes and squabbles occur frequently, and
see them first-hand soon enough. the young warriors of both tribes make a game out of hunting the

16
fighters of the other. But all-out war never had to occur because Robertson learns that this group of lizard-men belongs to a tribe
the swamp had plenty of room and food for everyone. called the Ssunadi. They’re preparing for war with another tribe,
That’s no longer the case. In recent years the tribes have grown the HoJumi, so they’re guarding their territory closely. The leader
to the point where they exceed the swamp’s capacity to support of these warriors, a tall, strong-looking lizard-man named Five
the population, causing serious problems. Typically this sort of Stumps, is a wise and insightful person who recognizes that this
pressure would cause one tribe (likely the Ssunadi, as the smaller, group of humans may be just what the Ssunadi need to give them
weaker tribe) to emigrate. Unfortunately there’s no area nearby a tail up in the coming war. He invites the group to follow him to
that supports the combination of primitive agriculture and hunting/ the main Ssunadi “town” and enjoy the lizard-men’s hospitality,
gathering on which the Ssunadi have become dependent. So war provided they give him their word not to become hostile or violent
becomes inevitable...at least in the eyes of some. The HoJumi, (he’s willing to make the same promise in return).
a fierce and aggressive tribe, are united in their desire to go to
war and destroy the hated Ssunadi. The Ssunadi, however, are
divided. About half of them, led by the biggest, toughest warriors,
want to fight, even though they know the odds are against them.
The Ssunadi: A Brief Description
They feel that an honorable defeat is better than the cowardice
of seeking a peaceful resolution to the problem or fleeing the Once the PCs arrive in the Ssunadi town you can introduce them
swamp altogether. The other faction believes that surviving is to Ssunadi culture, and more importantly to the key members of
more important that maintaining honor, and prefers to seek a new Ssunadi society that they have to interact with during this part
home elsewhere. While the Ssunadi continue to debate and argue, of the scenario.
the HoJumi prepare for battle. Unless some miracle occurs, the
chances of the Ssunadi surviving as a tribe, other than as HoJumi
slaves perhaps, is very, very slim. Ssunadi Culture
The Ssunadi are a relatively advanced tribe of lizard-men. They
Enter One Miracle consist of about a thousand individuals scattered over half a dozen
villages of varying size (Five Stumps takes the PCs to the largest
one, the “capital” where the chief and most other key members
That’s the powderkeg the PCs and their friends walk into. The of society live). Until “our grandfathers’ grandfathers’ time”
drumming may alert them that something unusual is going on they were a smaller, typically nomadic lizard-man tribe. Then
(though even Robertson won’t recognize the sounds; he’s never they discovered their current home marsh and its vast bounty of
heard or seen two Venusian tribes enter into full-blown war this both animal and vegetable food sources. Rather than move on,
way, since most tribes lead a nomadic existence). they stayed and formed permanent settlements to take advantage
Not long after the group enters the swamp where these two tribes of the food (and for protection against marauding dinosaurs).
live, have all the characters make rolls on Perception (threshold They’ve even begun to develop the rudiments of agriculture by
2). Anyone who succeeds realizes the insects and small reptiles planting and cultivating a specific type of berry-growing bush.
have gone uncharacteristically quiet. Give them one turn to make Until their dispute with the HoJumi became serious, they led a
any preparations they want, and then a large group of lizard-men rather prosperous existence, for lizard-men.
ambushes them! Depending on how the characters are traveling, Unfortunately that existence is now threatened, both from
the Ssunadi warriors may swoop down from the trees or come without and within. The external threat is, of course, the ag-
paddling toward them in one-man boats (made of dinosaur skin gressive HoJumi tribe. The internal threat is dissent within the
stretched over an oma jolima frame). But in any case, their inten- Ssunadi themselves. Some, including most of the warriors, want
tions are defensive, not hostile. As a relatively “civilized” tribe, to fight to the last man (if that’s what it takes). Others prefer the
thanks to their shamanistic religion (see below), the Ssunadi path of peace—they think that the survival of the tribe is the
aren’t inclined to massacre the humans out of hand, but they’re most important thing, and that if they leave they can find another
definitely suspicious of them. home somehow. The two factions seem to split the people almost
This is a delicate encounter for the PCs. If they start shooting evenly, and the resulting paralysis may doom the tribe no matter
right off the bat, they ruin any chances of peaceful relations and what they decide. The arrival of the PCs throws a spanner into
an alliance with the Ssunadi (which in turn means they lose the the works, but could also be what preserves the Ssunadi from
Ssunadis’ help in completing their journey). So let them make destruction or the loss of their way of life.
Perception rolls (or an Empathy roll with a +2 bonus, if any
character has that skill); anyone who succeeds realizes the lizard- Leadership
man warriors take defensive, rather than aggressive, stances and For the most part, the Ssunadi don’t need an elaborate government.
aren’t immediately following through with their “attack.” If no Thanks to the communal nature of their society, the Ssunadi rarely
one succeeds, have Robertson shout “Wait!” in an effort to calm get involved in serious disputes with one another. But sometimes
the situation down and prevent hostilities. a quarrel becomes heated, or issues of interest to all Ssunadi arise,
Once the tension ebbs enough for the two groups to talk, Rob- in which case the tribe’s leaders step forth.
ertson begins a halting dialogue. The Ssunadi dialect is about In theory, the leader of all the Ssunadi, known by a title that
80% similar to the standard Buao he speaks, so he can hold a translates into English simply as “Chief,” makes the final decisions
conversation with them. (If any PC wants to learn the Ssunadi for the tribe when necessary. In practice, the Chief is just “first
dialect of Buao, you can let them spend Experience Points to among equals” of a council of elder lizard-men composed of the
do so, but perhaps at a slow rate [such as 1-2 points per day] to oldest, wisest tribesmen from all the towns. The Chief’s views
represent how they gradually pick up words and grammar from carry strong weight, but in nearly all cases if the council “votes”
exposure to lizard-man speech. Lady Alice is definitely doing against him, he does what the council prefers.
this, given her knack for languages.)

17
Religion respect differences of opinion among themselves; they favor tradi-
The Ssunadi used to have an entirely animistic religion that in- tional roles for males and females but don’t rigidly impose them.
volved propitiation of countless nature spirits. Shamans interpreted
omens, spoke to the spirits, provided healing, and in other ways Names
administered to the spiritual needs of the tribe. The Ssunadi give their children names based on the patterns
Since the Ssunadi settled into villages, their faith has changed they see on their belly skin. Five Stumps, for example, has five
slightly. They still believe in nature spirits, shamanic visions prominent areas of coloration that to Ssunadi eyes resemble stars.
of the future, and the like, but several spirits have ascended to Wild River’s skin striations look like a rushing river, while Flying
the status of true gods, with a mythology and a defined body of Pterodactyl’s resemble that creature in flight. There’s no differ-
religious ceremony and worship practices: entiation between male and female names, so it’s impossible to
●● HoOma, the creator god, chief of all gods and spirits tell a lizard-man’s gender from his name—a male’s name might
●● PeAsa, the mother goddess, wife of HoOma and goddess of involve something that humans consider “feminine” (like Green
women and childbirth Flower or Woven Basket), or a female’s name a “masculine”
●● Gorran, god of hunting and warfare phenomenon (such as Strong Spear or Dinosaur Claw).
●● DoKa, the goddess of sky, thunder, and storm, who wears a
mantle made of clouds and sometimes reveals the sun or stars to
her worshippers as a sign of her favor
●● Sorn, god of fire
The Ssunadi Warpacks
Until recently the Ssunadi had never engaged in an actual war,
The Ssunadi faith preaches a more peaceful, more civilized way only isolated skirmishing, so their “war machine” isn’t particularly
of life than the HoJumi lead. The Ssunadi don’t attack strangers large or elaborately organized. It consists of approximately 200
(they stop and question them, and perhaps befriend them); they warriors divided into four war-bands of 50 each: Tall Dragon;
Bold Heroes; Thorn Spears; and En-
during As Tree.
The Ssunadi warriors recognize
the leader of the Tall Dragon war-
band, Curling Vine, as their overall
“general” and chief commander.
The other war-band leaders—
Five Stumps, Large Spider,
and Big-Jawed Bug, respec-
tively—advise him (as do
the chief and elders when
possible), but ultimately he
makes the major strategic and
tactical decisions himself. See
below for more information
about all of these lizard-men.
Ssunadi warriors typically
carry spears, javelins, and
clubs, all made from oma jo-
lima. About one-third of them
also carry bows. Most of them
wear oma jolima armor.

The Warceratopses
The Ssunadi’s other major
war asset is a pack of three
creatures whose name Robert-
son translates as warceratops.
They’re triceratops-like dino-
saurs that the Ssunadi make
more intelligent, loyal,
and, when necessary, ag-
gressive by feeding them
a special combination
of herbs and potions
prepared by tribal sha-
mans. When fitted with an oma
jolima saddle, they’re easy to
ride and devastatingly powerful on
the battlefield. If not for the fact that

18
the HoJumi have six warceratopses, these three would give the
Ssunadi a decisive advantage in many confrontations. Notable Ssunadi
The three warceratops’s riders—Chartreuse Hand, Spear Point,
and Four Leaves—are practically inseparable. They do nearly Besides potentially meeting plenty of rank and file Ssunadi during
everything together, and even complete one another’s sentences. their time with the tribe, the PCs (and human NPCs) are likely
Naturally they’re all part of the “war” faction; they want a chance to interact with many of the leaders of Ssunadi society. Here are
to take their beloved beasts into battle. brief profiles of the Ssunadi “movers and shakers.”
The warceratopses represent an opportunity that Randolph
Marcus can’t overlook. Although they’re “war machines” rather
than draft or riding animals, the fact remains that riding one is
the fastest, most comfortable way to cross the surface of Venus
Black Jaws, Chief of the Ssunadi
that any of the humans in this scenario have seen so far. If he Once one of the greatest warriors the Ssunadi had ever known,
could kidnap Kincaide and one of the riders (or if the Ssunadi let Black Jaws retired from the life he loved—stalking HoJumi fight-
humans learn to ride the beasts), he could flee for the safety of ers, raiding their villages at midnight, and hunting the fiercest
the nearest German outpost and easily outdistance any humans dinosaurs—when a HoJumi spear pierced his left leg, leaving
on foot. Of course, he’d have to disable the other warceratopses him partly lame. His insightfulness and innate talent for conflict
and/or kill their riders so that the Ssunadi couldn’t pursue him... soon led him into the thick of Ssunadi “politics,” and within a
few years he ascended to the position of chief when the old chief,
Two Feathers, died of illness.
Warceratops Age and experience have tempered Black Jaws’s aggressive-
ness somewhat. In his heart he favors the war faction, but his
Animal Companion 2 mind tells him that the peace faction makes some points that are
Archetype: Dinosaur Health: 11 hard to dispute. He has yet to express a firm opinion for either
Primary Attributes side, which is one reason the debate continues. He continues to
Body: 6 Charisma: 0 listen carefully to all arguments, but he knows the time’s coming
Dexterity: 2 Intelligence: 1 when he’ll have to make a choice, and that his choice will likely
Strength: 6 Willpower: 3 determine what the Ssunadi will do.
Secondary Attributes Black Jaws won’t greet the humans very warmly at first. He’ll
Size: 2 Initiative: 3 treat them with the same sort of respect he’d give a visiting dignitary
Move: 8 (16)* Defense: 8 from another tribe, but he’ll remain suspicious of them until they
Perception: 4 Stun: 6 prove their friendship for the Ssunadi. He’s heard rumors of the
Skills Base Levels Rating (Average) despicable things humans have done elsewhere on Venus, so he
Brawl 6 6 12 (6) won’t hesitate to turn the “soft pink ones” out into the swamp, or
Stealth 2 1 1* (0+) even to order them served up as part of a feast, if they give him
Survival 1 2 3 (1+) any reason to. On the other hand, if the PCs help the Ssunadi,
Talents they’ll earn his eternal friendship and support.
Robust (Health +2)
Skill Aptitude (Brawl +2) Primary Attributes
Weapons Rating Size Attack (Average) Body: 3 Dexterity: 2 Strength: 3
Horns 4L -2 14 L (7) L Charisma: 4 Intelligence: 3 Willpower: 3
Trample 4N -2 14 N (7) N Secondary Attributes
*Animals with four or more legs double their Move rating when Size: 0 Move: 5 Perception: 6
running. Initiative: 5 Defense: 5 Stun: 3
**Warceratopses suffer a -2 Size penalty on Stealth rolls. Health: 6
Skills Base Levels Rating (Average)
Warceratops Rider Archery
Diplomacy
2
4
2
4
4
8
(2)
(4)
Primary Attributes Empathy 4 3 7 (3+)
Body: 3 Dexterity: 3 Strength: 2 Intimidation 4 2 6 (3)
Charisma: 3 Intelligence: 2 Willpower: 2 Melee 3 3 6 (3)
Secondary Attributes Survival 3 3 6 (3)
Size: 0 Move: 5 Perception: 4 Talents
Initiative: 5 Defense: 6 Stun: 3 Inspire
Health: 5 Resources
Skills Status 2 (Chief), Followers
Archery 5, Athletics 4, Brawl 4, Melee 4, Ride 9, Stealth 4, Survival 4 Flaw
Talents Lame
Animal Affinity, Finesse Attack (Melee) Weapons Rating Size Attack (Average)
Weapons Stone Dagger 1L 0 7L (3+) L
Punch 4 N, Bow 7 L, Slingshot 6 N, Spear 7 L Bow 2L 0 6L (3) L

19
 Upward Raptor, High Shamaness or question his judgment too openly. But despite his often harsh
exterior, he loves his people and would unhesitatingly sacrifice
his own life to save them if he had to. He rubs nearly everyone the
The chief shamaness and “high priestess” of the Ssunadi is wrong way sooner or later, but he isn’t a wrong person. If the PCs
Upward Raptor, a middle-aged lizard-woman who has been a interact with him enough, particularly through fighting by his side
shamaness ever since she began having prophetic dreams as a on the battlefield, they’ll earn his respect, and hopefully vice-versa.
child. She possesses a particularly strong gift for foretelling the Initially, though, Curling Vine is highly suspicious of the humans.
future based on omens or casting shells, and her knowledge of He’s a traditionalist through and through, and these strange new
the medicinal properties of swamp herbs is second to none. The beings, with their upsetting ways, roil his thoughts and make him
Ssunadi never do anything as a people without consulting her lash his tail with frustration. He won’t give them any slack at all;
first, and individual tribesmen often speak to her before making if they falter in the slightest or show any weakness, he’ll be right
important life decisions. there to take advantage of it.
Upward Raptor adamantly refuses to offer an opinion about war Not surprisingly, Curling Vine is the head of the war faction in
with the HoJumi. “I merely interpret the will of the spirits, and Ssunadi society. As far as he’s concerned, surviving by running
the spirits have not spoken to me on this matter,” is all she says away isn’t surviving at all; it’s just a way of dying slowly. Better
when pressed on the issue. But she admits the spirits have told to fall in battle, if fall the Ssunadi must, than to betray their long
her that a major, unexpected change is in store for the Ssunadi. history of valor, honor, and courage. Even if the tribe votes to leave
The arrival of strange beings—humans—seems to Upward the swamp, he’ll stay behind to fight a one-lizard-man guerrilla
Raptor to be the harbinger of that “unexpected change.” War war against the HoJumi. Once he realizes what powerful allies
brings easily-predicted changes, but who knows what effect the humans can be in a war against the HoJumi, he’ll definitely
humans may have on Ssunadi society? They could destroy it, start to warm up to them.
uproot it, or transform it with their strange ways and “magical
devices.” Thus she takes great interest in the humans, watching Primary Attributes
them openly or secretly nearly every waking minute, and talking Body: 2 Dexterity: 3 Strength: 4
to them whenever she gets the chance. Eventually she’ll come to Charisma: 2 Intelligence: 2 Willpower: 2
see them as the Ssunadis’ salvation. She’ll support whatever they Secondary Attributes
want to do as “the will of the gods”—provided they don’t offend Size: 0 Move: 7 Perception: 4
her in some way, or do something so monumentally stupid that Initiative: 5 Defense: 5 Stun: 2
they put the entire tribe at unnecessary risk. Health: 6
Skills Base Levels Rating (Average)
Primary Attributes Athletics 4 2 6 (3)
Body: 2 Dexterity: 2 Strength: 1 Brawl 4 5 9 (4+)
Charisma: 4 Intelligence: 3 Willpower: 3 Melee 4 5 9 (4+)
Secondary Attributes Stealth 3 3 6 (3)
Size: 0 Move: 3 Perception: 6 Talents
Initiative: 5 Defense: 4 Stun: 2 Agile, Flurry
Health: 5 Weapons Rating Size Attack (Average)
Skills Base Levels Rating (Average) Punch 0N 0 9N (4+)
Academics 3 2 5 (2+) Stone Dagger 1L 0 10 L (5) L
(Venusian Spirit World) Spear 3L 0 12 L (6) L
Performance 4 2 6 (3) Oma Jolima Club 3N 0 12 N (6) N
Diplomacy 4 3 7 (3+)
Empathy 3 3 6 (3)
Medicine
Melee
3
1
4
1
7
2
(3+)
(1)
Five Stumps
Science (Chemistry) 3 2 5 (2+) In contrast to his commander, Five Stumps, leader of the Bold
Talents Heroes war-band, is open to change and new possibilities. Noble
Skill Aptitude (Medicine) and intelligent, he sees in the humans an opportunity to save his
Resources people somehow—which is why he invites them to the town.
Status 2 (Shamaness) He doesn’t know how they’ll save the Ssunadi, but he has a gut
Weapons Rating Size Attack (Average) feeling they’ll do it somehow.
Punch 0N 0 0N (0) N Five Stumps supports the war faction, though he’s not as intense
Stone Dagger 1L 0 3L (1+) L about it as Curling Vine. He thinks death in battle is an honorable
death, but the idea of his people being wiped out or enslaved
troubles him. If he sees a third option, or a way to make the war
Curling Vine option more certain, he’ll take it, regardless of the cost to himself.

The leader of the Tall Dragon war-band also commands the Ssunadi Primary Attributes
warriors as a whole. He earned this prominent place in the tribe Body: 2 Dexterity: 2 Strength: 2
through a combination of fighting skill, tactical cleverness, and Charisma: 2 Intelligence: 3 Willpower: 2
defeating all of his rivals in one-on-one combat (often with fatal Secondary Attributes
results for his opponent). Size: 0 Move: 4 Perception: 5
Curling Vine has a reputation for ruthlessness and practicality, Initiative: 5 Defense: 5 Stun: 2
and it’s one he deserves. Most Ssunadi take care not to anger him Health: 4

20
 Skills Base Levels Rating (Average) If Randolph Marcus is the only one who finds out what Large
Archery 2 4 6 (3) Spider’s up to, he may try to use the situation to his own advantage.
Athletics 2 2 4 (2) When Large Spider learns something he wants to communicate
Brawl 2 2 4 (2) to his HoJumi allies, try to arrange matters so he can slip away
Diplomacy 2 3 5 (2+) and inform a HoJumi scout who lurks nearby at all times awaiting
Stealth 2 2 4 (2) him. That way he becomes a suspect when the PCs realize one of
Talents the Ssunadi is a traitor. If that’s not possible, assume he passes
Calculated Defense, Intelligent along his message by means of sisthu (see box below).
Weapons Rating Size Attack (Average)
Punch 0N 0 4N (2) N Primary Attributes
Sling Shot 1N 0 7N (3+) N Body: 2 Dexterity: 4 Strength: 3
Bow 2L 0 8L (4) L Charisma: 2 Intelligence: 2 Willpower: 2
Secondary Attributes
Size: 0 Move: 7 Perception: 4
L arge Spider Initiative: 6
Health: 6
Defense: 6 Stun: 2

The captain of the Thorn Spears war-band is almost the opposite of Skills Base Levels Rating (Average)
Five Stumps. Surly, temperamental, overbearing, and a martinet, Archery 4 5 9 (4+)
he’s not particularly popular with his warriors—or anyone else Athletics 3 1 4 (2)
among the Ssunadi (except for Black Jaws). Only his consummate Brawl 3 2 5 (2+)
skill as a warrior and scout earns him a place in Ssunadi society. Con 2 3 5 (2+)
Among other things, he’s his people’s best archer. The humans’ Melee 3 2 5 (2+)
firearms utterly fascinate him. Stealth 4 2 6 (3)
Unfortunately for all concerned, Large Spider is more than just Survival 2 2 4 (2)
an annoying bully—he’s a traitor. Having seen the HoJumi fight Talents
first-hand on many occasions, he’s convinced that the Ssunadi Robust, Skill Aptitude (Archery)
cannot win this war. The HoJumi simply have too many warriors Weapons Rating Size Attack (Average)
and are, as he puts it, “proper thinkers” on the question of war. Punch 0N 0 5N (2+) N
So he’s begun selling them information about Ssunadi plans. Bow 2L 0 11 L (5+) L
In exchange he gets useful objects and a promise that he’ll get Stone Dagger 1L 0 6L (3) L
a leading role in the HoJumi war pack. (The HoJumi actually
intend to kill him when he’s no longer of use, of course, but he
doesn’t realize that.) The need to keep the HoJumi informed about
the humans and their actions may strain his ability to maintain Big-Jawed Bug
secrecy. If captured he’ll be ashamed and (sincerely) offer to do
anything he can to make amends. One of the biggest, strongest, toughest lizard-men on Venus, Big-
Jawed Bug is a stolid war-band leader who doesn’t balk at even
the most dangerous orders. Other Ssunadi consider him humorless
and dull, but in private with people he likes or respects he’s often
Sisthu talkative and shows a penetrating intelligence.
Big-Jawed Bug supports the war faction. The idea of giving up his
These small, flying reptiles are able (a) to fly wonderful home and migrating into the wilderness to end up who
home like carrier pigeons, and (b) can memorize knows where terrifies him—he’d rather die fighting the HoJumi.
short messages like parrots. At some point Five
Stumps can show the PCs how the Ssunadi employ Primary Attributes
sisthu to send messages among themselves. This Body: 3 Dexterity: 2 Strength: 4
way their use by Large Spider won’t come as a Charisma: 1 Intelligence: 3 Willpower: 2
complete surprise to the PCs. For example, Five Secondary Attributes
Stumps could carry a sisthu in a wicker cage and Size: 0 Move: 6 Perception: 5
release it to inform Black Jaws that he’s bringing Initiative: 5 Defense: 5 Stun: 4
strangers to the town. Health: 7
To make a sisthu send a message, a character has Skills Base Levels Rating (Average)
to roll successfully on Animal Handling. Sisthu Archery 2 2 4 (2)
are very swift, but it is possible to follow them to Athletics 4 2 6 (3)
their destination with a successful roll on Athletics Brawl 4 4 8 (4)
(threshold 4). Catching a flying sisthu requires a Melee 4 3 7 (3+)
roll on either Athletics, Survival or Stealth with Survival 3 2 5 (2+)
threshold 3. Its message can then be found out by Talents
a roll on Animal Handling. To shoot one of these Iron Jaw, Robust
small animals, a successful roll on Firearms or Weapons Rating Size Attack (Average)
Archery with threshold 3 is required. A hit will Punch 0N 0 8N (4) N
kill or severely wound it. Spear 3L 0 10 L (5) L
Stone Dagger 1L 0 8L (4) L

21
 Broken Tree from ruined clothing, and the like. Since the Ssunadi probably
give them better weapons gratis (see below), the PCs can trade
for body armor (which the Ssunadi have to custom make to fit
Calm and composed in even the most trying circumstances, each human), food, tools, or even the services of a Ssunadi guide.
Broken Tree radiates tranquility and wisdom, bringing comfort
and insight to those around her. She’s a junior shamaness of the
Ssunadi, subject to the commands of Upward Raptor, but never-
theless is quite popular and has a large following. She leads the
Weapons
peace faction. From Broken Tree’s perspective, being wiped out Once the Ssunadi and the PCs realize they can trust one another, as
(or enslaved) just to make a point about honor and courage is a sign of good faith the Ssunadi provide them with better weapons
foolish. “We know our warriors are brave,” she says. “We know than the crude ones they made at the start of their journey. This
they have honor. They know this as well. There is no need for eliminates the -1 penalty for poorly-made weapons.
them to sacrifice their lives to prove the point. Let them come
with us and protect us from the dangers of the world beyond the
marsh until we find a new home. Better to have them alive among
us in a strange land than for all of us to die.”
Survival Training
Broken Tree claims the spirits have spoken to her and advised Assuming the Ssunadi and the PCs form an alliance, the lizard-men
her to take this course of action. Upward Raptor, who says they can teach them how to better survive the dangers and discomforts
have not spoken to her, refuses to offer an opinion about Broken of Venus. Robertson may already have done this, but if not this is
Tree’s claims (though privately she’s skeptical of them; she thinks a great opportunity for any character to spend Experience Points
Broken Tree believes what she says, but is hearing from the gods on Survival or similar skills. Alternately, you may assume that
what she wants to hear). More than a few Ssunadi wonder why the lizard-men’s training eliminates any Survival check penalties
the gods would talk to a junior shamaness but not the high shama- the PCs incur for being on a planet other than Earth.
ness, leading them to question the legitimacy of Broken Tree’s
statements. Others see this as proof that the spirits support the
peace faction and that until Upward Raptor openly declares her
opinion, the gods will have nothing to say to her.
Subjects of Prophecy
If and when you’re ready to ratchet up the emotional stakes a
Primary Attributes little bit, arrange a meeting between Upward Raptor and the PCs.
Body: 2 Dexterity: 2 Strength: 1 (You may want to assume she has refused to talk to them so far,
Charisma: 4 Intelligence: 2 Willpower: 2 instead sending junior shamans if she has a message to convey.)
Secondary Attributes The Ssunadi chief shamaness has said on many recent occasions
Size: 0 Move: 3 Perception: 4
Initiative: 4 Defense: 4 Stun: 2
Health: 4
Skills Base Levels Rating (Average)
Empathy 2 2 4 (2)
Medicine 2 3 5 (2+)
Performance 4 3 7 (3+)
Science (Chemistry) 2 2 4 (2)
Survival 2 2 4 (2)
Talents
Captivate, Charismatic

Interacting with the Ssunadi

Regardless of whether the PCs choose to help the Ssunadi (see
below) or not, they can still interact with the lizard-men before
continuing their journey. This can include:

Trade
The Ssunadi happily trade with the PCs—assuming the PCs have
anything worth trading. At this point the PCs’ clothes are prob-
ably a lost cause, and most of the supplies they have left are vital
to their survival as they continue their trip. But they may have
gathered dinosaur feathers or other things along the way that the
Ssunadi want. Furthermore, the Ssunadi value things the PCs may
not think have much worth at this point. This includes jewelry
(which commands a high price among the Ssunadi, who have
nothing like it), empty shell casings, leftover buttons and buckles

22
that the spirits have told her a significant, unpredictable change used to fighting in this environment. It’s true that a group of
is coming for the Ssunadi. When she first meets the humans, she humans isn’t likely to be of significant help in the middle of a
examines them closely (some of them, including Lady Alice and pitched battle, but they may underestimate their value as “special
Randolph Marcus, may even take slight offense at her attention). forces” soldiers to accomplish specific, crucial, missions for the
After she finishes her inspection, she proclaims, “The spirits have Ssunadi. You should let them discuss among themselves what
spoken! The forces of transformation have arrived in the form of they want to do and implement plans to do it, but some of the
the pink tailless ones. It is they who will lead the Ssunadi down possibilities include:
the path we must take. Treat them with all honor and courtesy!” ●● disabling, killing, or best of all stealing warceratopses: the
Then she falls silent. HoJumi have six warceratopses to the Ssunadi’s three. That’s a
Upward Raptor won’t explain her words or offer a further serious advantage. If the PCs can neutralize them somehow, that
opinion about the humans, saying that to do so would interfere not only weakens the HoJumi, it strikes a serious blow to enemy
with the will of the gods—the humans must make their own morale. The best thing to do would be to steal the beasts, thus
choices, “unfettered” by her wisdom. If asked whether this affects diminishing the HoJumi forces while strengthening the Ssunadi.
her views on war versus peace, she says only, “All debate now is But that’s also the most dangerous option, since riding a warcera-
meaningless. It is up to the pink tailless ones to choose our path.” tops when one isn’t its trained rider can quickly lead to all sorts
of problems (and hilarity).
●● kidnapping or killing HoJumi warpack leaders: the PCs may
HoJumi Attack have rifles (at least one NPC, Robertson, does), and that means
they can function as snipers, picking off important HoJumi from
If the PCs are on the fence about whether to help the Ssunadi a distance well beyond what lizard-men’s arrows can reach. If
against the HoJumi (see below), you can emphasize the fact that they’re ambitious, they might even try to kidnap some of the
the Ssunadi are good and honorable while the HoJumi are cruel HoJumi commanders for interrogation.
and aggressive by having the HoJumi stage a sneak attack on ●● raids on HoJumi positions: a small group of PCs can penetrate
the town one night. It’s just a raid, not a serious assault. But the HoJumi territory and make sneak attacks on their villages, waylay
viciousness of the attack (in which the HoJumi don’t hesitate to their messengers, steal or ruin their food stores, disrupt their sup-
kill women and children as well as warriors, and to set huts on ply lines, and so forth. The lizard-folk don’t have writing, so the
fire) should leave no doubt in the PCs’ minds as to who the good PCs can’t steal crucial military documents, but they may be able
guys and bad guys are in this situation. to deduce the HoJumi strategies by looking at pictures they’ve
drawn on the ground.
●● disabling the enemy army: by slipping poison into the food
The War supply to make soldiers sick (or dead), luring large groups of
soldiers into wild goose chases, using their superior scientific
knowledge and skills for the purposes of trickery, and the like, the
It doesn’t take long for Curling Vine, Five Stumps, and the other PCs can hamper the HoJumi warpacks in serious ways. This evens
pack leaders of the Ssunadi to realize that the humans could have the odds, making a Ssunadi victory much more likely because
two important effects: first, they could convince the Ssunadi to they’re no longer significantly outnumbered.
support the cause of war; second and more importantly, they can
help the Ssunadi fight—and win—that war. With that in mind, Unfortunately there’s a fly in the ointment the PCs aren’t aware
they make the humans an offer: if the humans join forces with of yet: Large Spider. The treacherous war-leader can inform the
the Ssunadi to fight and defeat the HoJumi, after the war is won HoJumi about every plan the humans come up with (assuming
the Ssunadi will provide the humans with (a) guides to see them they don’t keep their activities secret from all the Ssunadi). Thus
safely through the swamp and then to their ultimate destination the HoJumi will prepare ambushes, traps, and counter-attacks to
(since they hope to open up trade with the human settlements); take advantage of the information provided by the traitor. After
and (b) supplies to help them during the rest of their journey (food, this happens a few times, the PCs should realize there’s a serpent
extra weapons, and so forth). in their midst—though finding him won’t be easy. If the PCs
Colonel Ashingham and Robertson firmly support fighting don’t come to this realization on their own, have Five Stumps or
for the Ssunadi. Sir Hugh is less enthusiastic, but he sees real Upward Raptor hint at it until they do.
potential in “getting in on the ground floor” of trading with one Since the HoJumi have at least some knowledge of the PCs’
of the few “civilized” lizard-man tribes, so he’s willing to fight plans, preparations, and activities, there’s a strong possibility that
as well. Marcus hopes the fighting provides a chance for him they’ll capture the PCs at some point using nets, overwhelming
to kidnap Kincaide and escape, so he’ll opt to join the Ssunadi force of numbers, or similar methods. (Of course, there’s also a
cause. Kincaide and Lady Alice would prefer to keep traveling, chance they could seriously injure or even kill the PCs, but that
but if the vote goes against them they’ll pitch in as best they can. doesn’t make for a very enjoyable adventure, so try to substitute
(Kincaide, for example, might use his scientific skills to design “capture” for less pleasant fates.) If that happens, you should
Venus’s first “siege engine.”) run an adventure where the PCs have to cope with captivity and
eventually escape from the HoJumi stockade. This won’t be easy.
The HoJumi keep prisoners in deep pits covered with “doors”
Seal Team 1889 made from a bamboo-like plant. They enclose the pits area (which
is on an isolated island away from any of their villages) with a
The PCs may wonder what they can do to help. They’re only strong, tall fence made from the same material. Tough, well-armed
about a dozen among armies of hundreds, and they’re not even guards oversee the place at all hours.

23
 HoJumi Shamaness
HoJumi Warpack Leaders The Ssunadi don’t know this lizard-woman’s name, but she’s
frequently seen in the Great Chief’s retinue, offering advice and,
Some of the key figures among the HoJumi include: if necessary, the use of her shamanic powers. It’s said that she
commands a trio of powerful spirits who do her bidding—which
Usar, the Great Chief often includes slaying her enemies.
Among the HoJumi, a chief rules each village. Each of them is a
vassal of the Great Chief, who functions in effect as a king. Usar, The Scar-Faced One
the current Great Chief, is a greedy and unprincipled lizard-man The HoJumi’s greatest warrior and their leader, the Scar-Faced
who has no qualms about crushing the entire Ssunadi civiliza- One is the strongest, roughest, toughest, and ugliest lizard-man
tion if it gets him more land, wealth, slaves, and lizard-women. the Ssunadi have ever seen—he dwarfs even Big-Jawed Bug.
He’s easy to spot on the battlefield due to his well-made armor, His favored weapon is an enormous club studded with sharp
elaborate headdress, and bodyguard of elite warriors. bits of stone.

Primary Attributes Primary Attributes

Body: 3 Dexterity: 2 Strength: 3 Body: 3 Dexterity: 3 Strength: 5
Charisma: 3 Intelligence: 2 Willpower: 3 Charisma: 1 Intelligence: 1 Willpower: 2
Secondary Attributes Secondary Attributes
Size: 0 Move: 5 Perception: 5 Size: 0 Move: 8 Perception: 3
Initiative: 4 Defense: 6* Stun: 3 Initiative: 4 Defense: 6 Stun: 3
Health: 6 Health: 7
Skills Base Levels Rating (Average) Skills Base Levels Rating (Average)
Brawl 3 2 5 2+ Athletics 5 4 9 (4+)
Diplomacy 3 2 5 2+ Brawl 5 4 9 (4+)
Melee 3 4 7 3+ Melee 5 5 10 (5)
Intimidation 3 5 8 4 Survival 1 2 3 (2+)
Con 3 2 5 2+ Talents
Talents Flurry, Robust
Fearsome, Inspire Weapons Rating Size Attack (Average)
Resources Punch 0N 0 9N (4+) N
Status 3 (Great Chief) Spiked Club 2L 0 12 L (6) L
Flaw Stone Knife 1L 0 11 L (5+) L
Greed
Weapons Rating Size Attack (Average) Kassu the Spear
Punch 0N 0 5N (2+) N A bold and (by HoJumi standards) honorable warrior, Kassu is
Spear 3L 0 10 L (5) L known for his consummate skill with the spear (both thrown and
*Usar receives a +1 bonus on his Defense rating from his armor. in melee). He wears heavy necklaces strung with a finger-bone
from each warrior he’s slain.

24
 Primary Attributes battle—or so she thinks. So far the record seems to bear her out, but
Body: 2 Dexterity: 2 Strength: 3 she’s never confronted humans armed with guns and metal blades.
Charisma: 3 Intelligence: 3 Willpower: 2
Secondary Attributes
Size: 0
Initiative: 5
Move: 5
Defense: 4
Perception: 5
Stun: 2
Victory of Defeat?
Health: 6 It’s up to you to decide, with infinite GM wisdom, whether the
Skills Base Levels Rating (Average) Ssunadi or the HoJumi win this war, and what effect victory
Archery 3 4 7 (3+) or defeat has on the PCs and the other humans. If the Ssunadi
Diplomacy 3 3 6 (3) win—the most likely outcome, thanks to having the PCs on their
Melee 3 4 7 (3+) side—they’ll keep their bargain with the PCs. If only a few HoJumi
Stealth 2 3 5 (3) are left, they’ll incorporate them into the Ssunadi tribe; otherwise
Survival 3 1 4 (2) they’ll drive them from the swamp to find another home.
Talents If the HoJumi win, the PCs’ lives just got a lot more complicated.
Bold Attack (Archery), Guardian That probably means either (a) the HoJumi captured them in battle,
Weapons Rating Size Attack (Average) or (b) they had to flee when it became obvious the Ssunadi would
Spear (Ranged) 1L 0 8L (4) L lose. In the former case they lose their firearms and other posses-
Spear 3L 0 10 L (5) L sions, and then have to figure out a way to escape from captivity/
Stone Dagger 1L 0 8L (4) L slavery. Even if they get away from the HoJumi, if they have to
leave their guns and gear behind, the odds of their surviving the
Suchakk the War Shamaness rest of the trip to the British outpost are mighty slim.
Warrior and shamaness both, Suchakk invokes the dread spirits One way or another, though, the PCs and other surviving humans
of blood, violence, and weaponry to make herself unstoppable in eventually get back on the road.

Part Four: The End of the Journey

Whether they leave with Ssunadi help as victors, or flee in the as the rest of the group says it will head for the German outpost
wake of a disastrous defeat, the humans resume their trek to the without him if necessary.
British outpost. (If they have a Ssunadi guide, assume all travel ●● if he still has his Derringer and bullets for it (which is likely)
days are “Good” days, and possibly “Great” days instead.) By the and the rest of the group is out of ammunition (which is at least
time they leave the vast swamp where the Ssunadi and HoJumi a strong possibility at this point), he may try to kidnap Kincaide
live, they’re well over halfway to their destination. That doesn’t at gunpoint. In that case he’ll head for the German outpost with
mean they’re out of danger, though: Kincaide, hoping that if they don’t make it, at least they’ll both
Any of the encounters or incidents described in Part Two that die and at best the British will only get Kincaide’s fragmentary
you haven’t used yet, or that you’d like to re-use, could occur notes (he’s not as organized as he should be) and prototypes.
during this part of the scenario. In particular, dinosaur attacks ●● he might have learned something from the Ssunadi that he
shouldn’t stop being a potential danger until the characters reach could use to his advantage now. For example, perhaps they trained
a human outpost. Hopefully, now that the Ssunadi have provided him to ride warceratopses. If the PCs have a chance to catch a
better weapons (and perhaps training), the adventurers will have triceratops and tame it, he could then steal it and escape with
an easier time dealing with any carnivorous reptiles. Kincaide. Or, while spending time with the Ssunadi shamans, he
might have picked up some knowledge of Venusian herbal lore
that would allow him to poison the other humans and flee with
Marcus’s mission Kincaide as his prisoner.

Second, Randolph Marcus knows he’s running out of time. The

closer the group gets to the British outpost, the worse his chances
of completing his mission successfully become—and the more
New Perils
strongly he has to consider the final option of killing Roger Kin-
caide. He has a few cards left to play before he has to take that Besides using (or re-using) encounters from Part Two, you can
drastic step, though. For example: create some new threats for the group that are specific to this part
●● he can continue to argue that the group should head for the of their journey. These include:
nearer German outpost rather than push on to the British one. If
some of the humans have died or become weakened through injury
or disease, he can point out that their chances of making it another
forty (or however many) miles through the dangerous Cytherean
German Patrol
wilderness are dropping rapidly due to lack of manpower. (This is Neither the Germans nor any other colonizers of Venus regularly
especially true if Robertson is one of the casualties.) Eventually patrol the deep jungles and swamps; that would be dangerous and
he may convince enough of the NPCs to cause a serious discus- profitless. But if they have good reason to send a patrol out to look
sion, or maybe even a change of destination—though Kincaide, for something valuable—such as a lost scientist who’s developed a
at least, will insist on trying for the British outpost until such time way to make liftwood work on Venus—they’ll do so. Abteilung Z

25
or a powerful German business entity (such as Siemens & Hal- On the other hand, if things tilt in favor of the PCs too quickly,
ske) might order or persuade officials at Venusstadt (or another complicate matters. Perhaps a German soldier sneaks in close
German settlement) to send a patrol out to find Roger Kincaide. enough to snatch Kincaide and run for it. If worse comes to worst,
For that matter, if the British, Russians, or Italians get the idea remember Chandler’s Law: “When in doubt, have a man come
that Kincaide survived, they might send patrols out to look for through a door with a gun in his hand.” In this case that could
him as well. It’s possible that two or more of these patrols could mean a fourth patrol showing up to try to grab Kincaide, or better
get into a skirmish over Kincaide, with yet another side (possibly yet some rapacious dinosaurs attracted by the sounds and smells
even the Germans) swooping in as rescuers. (Though of course, of gunfire. It’s great when the Russian patrol suddenly stops fir-
the PCs and NPCs won’t necessarily realize that at the time.) ing at you—it’s less great when the three or four tyrannosaurs
If a German patrol gets close, Randolph Marcus makes his that just crushed the Russians come looming out of the mist and
move. He seizes Kincaide and holds him at gunpoint, shouting to gunsmoke and try to eat you too!
the patrol in German that he’s an agent of Abteilung Z and these
other people are enemies of the Kaiser. (He’s lying, of course, but
it’s the easiest way to get the Germans’ attention.) What happens
after that depends on the PCs’ heroic efforts and luck, but don’t
German Soldiers
forget that, unlike the PCs, the German soldiers are well-armed. Primary Attributes
The PCs may once again find themselves taken captive and have to Body: 2 Dexterity: 3 Strength: 2
find a way to escape (preferably with Kincaide) before they reach Charisma: 1 Intelligence: 2 Willpower: 2
a German outpost or town (at which point the chance of escape Secondary Attributes
becomes slim at best, and the chances of being summarily executed Size: 0 Move: 5 Perception: 4
so Germany can keep Kincaide’s fate secret rise considerably). Initiative: 5 Defense: 5 Stun: 2
Health: 4
Skills
HoJumi Vengeance Brawl 3, Firearms 6, Melee 4, Survival 4
Talents
If the PCs provided crucial help that allowed the Ssunadi to Rapid Shot, Vigorous Defense
defeat the HoJumi, a group of surviving HoJumi soldiers—pos- Weapons
sibly led by the Scar-Faced One or some other skilled, powerful Knife 5 L, Punch 3 N, Rifle 9 L
commander—may pursue them to seek vengeance. Dinosaurs are
plenty dangerous, but a bitterly enraged squad of skilled HoJumi
soldiers willing to give their lives to kill the people who helped
destroy their tribe make a tyrannosaur seem tame. These reptil-
Conclusion
ian commandos will stalk the humans without faltering and use
every trick and sneak attack they know to ensure that the HoJumi Barring tragedy or the players’ dice turning on them, you should
are avenged. now be able to bring the scenario to a happy conclusion. Either
the British patrol that arrived to help out can escort them back to
the outpost, or they can make their way to it without any further
The Final Dramatic Turn dangers rearing their ugly heads. Once the story of the group’s
adventures gets back to Earth, the PCs are sure to be lionized for
their heroics; newspaper stories and perhaps even book or lecture
Whatever new threats they face (and hopefully survive), the PCs tour deals may follow!
are now getting close to the British outpost, so you need to arrange
a final, climactic cliffhanger to conclude the adventure. Ideally
you should pace the end of the scenario to keep the dramatic
tension high and action almost non-stop, but that’s not always
easy to do when you have to juggle so many NPCs and events,
so plan ahead as best you can.
The key to the cliffhanger is having some form of help (most Bibliography
likely a British patrol) ready to come to the PCs’ aid. So the
PCs should face peril after peril—perhaps escaping a HoJumi Note: some of these titles were translated into English with the
vengeance squad, only to fall into the hands of the Italians, who help of Professor Hapworth’s Amazing Pan-English Stereopticon
in turn get cut down by a German patrol intent on acquiring Kin- Reader.
caide at any cost—to create a situation where things seemingly
couldn’t get any worse. Just as the situation looks inescapably Bentham, Thomas. Cytherean Insect Life—Cytherean Small
grim, the British show up and the final battle begins in earnest. Or Reptiles and Proto-Mammals
the two- or three-way battle discussed above could bring British McMurdo, Anderson. Venus: the Wonders of the Second Planet
rescuers on the run. Napier, Carson. Adventures on Venus
But of course it’s no fun for the PCs to have to depend on outside O’Neill, Sean. 100 Days on Venus: Being an Account of My
assistance too strongly. Arrange the situation so they have to risk Adventures on the Jungle Planet
their lives to help their rescuers as part of the confrontation, or Thomason, David. The Exploration of Venus
so that their skills prove crucial to the overall rescue somehow. Wingate, Charles. Dinosaurs of Venus

26
Everything Jules Verne could have written.
Everything H. G. Wells should have written.
Everything Arthur Conan Doyle thought of
but never published - because it was too fantastic.

Thunders of Venus
The exploration of Venus was ill-fated for the British right from the start.
All three of their Venus expeditions between 1874 and 1876 disappeared
without a trace. The surviving expedition members could not be rescued
until years later when—to the embarrassment of the Empire—a German
zeppelin recovered them. Ever since, the British have been searching for
ways to stop the decaying process the precious liftwood of their ships
is exposed to on the Morning Star. The British hope to regain air
supremacy on Venus now lies in the young and ingenious scientist
Roger Kincaide. Over the years he has developed the so-called
‘Kincaide Field’ and the day has come that he wants to field-
test his invention with the airship Aphrodite. The player
characters are invited to join the maiden flight. A day of
celebration, that could change the course of future history—
if it weren’t for the Thunders of Venus that turn the cruise
into a fierce struggle for survival…
This adventure is set on Venus. A test flight of an
experimental air ship ends in a catastrophe and the
player characters, surviving crew and guests find
themselves in the middle of the Venusian jungle. Will
they be able to fight their way through to the next
human outpost? Will they survive the threats of the
jungle or will they end up as raptor food? What are
they going to do when they are caught in the crossfire
of a conflict between two rival Lizard-men tribes?
And why can’t they shake the feeling that someone
might have sabotaged the whole thing…?
The adventurers should be favorable towards the
British Empire which in turn should trust them.
The events in this adventure are especially suited
for characters experienced in the wilderness. Be they
Adventurers, Explorers, Hunters, Survivors of all kinds,
Doctors or Soldiers, they will all be able to put their skills to
use. However, social skills will be useful as well, so that Celebrities,
Moneymen, or Academics, seemingly lost in the jungle at first, will
have their chance to shine too.

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