Skull and Bones Campaign Help - Mind's Eyers Keep Out

[trilobite]

The Mayan Lords of Death, Lords of Xibalba

There are two Lords of Death, One Death and Seven Death, and under them, the Lords of Xibalba (place of fear, underworld). I found one reference naming these lords as: House Corner and Blood Gatherer, who draw blood from people; Pus Master and Jaundice Master, who cause people to swell, make pus come out of their legs, make their faces yellow (jaundice); Bone Scepter and Skull Scepter, who emaciate people or waste them away; Trash Master and Stab Master, who catch people who have trash on their door and puncture them until they die; Wing 4 and Packstrap, who cause sudden death on the road; and Bloody Teeth and Bloody Claws.

 

[trilobite]

Hell, I was one of the designers, and *I* want to play in his game!



GMS

Ah Shucks!!

 

[GMSkarka]

I know that this is a shameless plug, but you might want to take a look at the first issue of Buccaneers & Bokor, which features a random adventure idea generator which might come in handy...



GMS

 

[Kid Charlemagne]

Perhaps the Mayan Concubine Vampire was also Cortez's concubine back in the day - either as vamp or pre-vamp (the daughter of the mad Mayan Shaman?). The PC's could chance upon a book/journal detailing the original capture of the crystal skulls, including a sketch of the officers, and notice that the woman by Cortez's side is the same one they've seen with the Admiral...

 

[Kid Charlemagne]

Ooh, and if you end up having them take the skulls to Spain, I have an idea where they could be going. I forget the name of the Cathedral, but there is one place (just southwest of the Pyrenees Mountains) which is a major pilgrimage destination. If the skulls go there, and they are the Lords of Death are released, the plague could be spread throughout all of Europe... and the Mayan gods could get revenge on the Europeans for the devastations of the New World...

 

[Ian Sturrock]

I was one of the designers, and *I* want to play in his game!
GMS

That makes two of us!

 

[Byrons_Ghost]

Ooh, and if you end up having them take the skulls to Spain, I have an idea where they could be going. I forget the name of the Cathedral, but there is one place (just southwest of the Pyrenees Mountains) which is a major pilgrimage destination. If the skulls go there, and they are the Lords of Death are released, the plague could be spread throughout all of Europe... and the Mayan gods could get revenge on the Europeans for the devastations of the New World...

Well, it's not quite Spain, but there's a certain chapel outside of Lisbon that could house the skulls:

http://www.peterlyons.com/photogallery.pl?gallery=portugal&picture=evora_bones

It's constructed from the bones of 5,000+ people, who'd notice a few more skulls?

 

[Greyhack]

Just one nitpick here.

Cortez conquered the Aztecs, not the Mayans. Mayan society had pretty much imploded and declined by the time Cortez and his boys showed.

If you're going for a strong historical sense, that may be an issue, if not, it sounds fine to me.

 

[trilobite]

Just one nitpick here.

Cortez conquered the Aztecs, not the Mayans. Mayan society had pretty much imploded and declined by the time Cortez and his boys showed.

If you're going for a strong historical sense, that may be an issue, if not, it sounds fine to me.

That ok! But I did my homework on this one.

Cortez spent the next seven years establishing peace among the Indians of Mexico and developing mines and farmlands. In 1528 he went home and was received with great honor by Charles V, but he missed the adventure of the New World.

He returned to Mexico as a military commander. He explored Lower California from 1534 to 1535 and fought the pirates of Algiers in 1541. The same year he led an expedition against the Maya of Yucatan.

Cortez died near Seville on December 2, 1547.

So Cortez was in the Yucatan and did fight aganist the Maya. It is true that the Maya where long past the height of their civilization but I just needed for him to be in the area and actively campaigning against the Maya.

 

[barsoomcore]

Okay, here's my planned start adventure:

Distribute a handbill to the players announcing the departure of the Adventure Galley, under command of the famous Captain Eldar, to embark on a voyage of GUARANTEED riches under the protection of the King's Own privateering commission. They come up with characters who get themselves aboard the ship somehow.

Sail from Spithead for the West Indies but on the way the crew mutinies (I'm thinking led by a monkey) and the party has to choose to either fight the piratical crew (and the talking monkey) or join them and overthrow the mad Captain Eldar (I'm picturing Lieutenant Hornblower here). This coincides with an encounter with a zombified island where Our Heroes encounter not only strange magics and horrible creatures, but one of these crystal skulls and the suggestion that there are dark powers interested in them. They also encounter the Last Mayan Sorcerer who wants to make use of these doughty heroes to recover the skulls himself.

First adventure ends with the party either firmly ensconced with a pirate crew (and the talking monkey) or having won the loyalty of the better salts aboard, sailing the Adventure Galley across the Caribbean, but no prospects, no commission (privateering commissions going with captains and Captain Eldar not likely to survive the mutiny no matter what Our Heroes do) -- can a future "On the Account" be far off? And what can they do to thwart the evil power of the crystal skulls?

trilobite: when I said "stealing" I meant "stealing".

I'm also thinking of running this as a d20 Modern game, using the Backgrounds and Fortunes and combat rules from S&B. Any thoughts on that?