Harlem (K)nights

Details

Scenario splash illustration

Pages: 33

Author: Chris Spivey

Artists: Philip Pierre, Nino Malong, Alex Mayo

Editor(s): Rachel Wolfe, Jill Spivey, Jeffrey Eaton, Jennifer Harlett

Setting: Harlem, New York, March 1921

Appears in: Harlem Unbound, 1st edition

Summary

Against a backdrop of racial tension and gang warfare, the investigators must stop a rash of ritualistic murders tied to an ancient evil.

Spoilers - Keepers Eyes Only

Players should not read any further.

Synopsis

 Spoiler Section (Highlight to Read)
The investigation begins along one of several parallel paths, as various factions ask them to look into rising gang violence in Harlem. All paths point to the Giovanni crime family, which has recently come under the control of Arturo Giovanni after his nephew, Orsino, fell ill. Eventually, the investigation uncovers that Arturo has made a pact with Zathog to find the Great Old One a human body, all while gathering a small cadre of Zarr cultists in the meantime and wiping out any members of the gang loyal to his nephew. The investigators must disrupt the ritual by preventing Arturo from undoing two ritual wards set centuries ago by the Wappinger Indians, or by rescuing Orsino Giovanni from his fate.

References

Player Handouts:

• Introductions (letter)
• Police Corruption (newspaper article)
• Harlem Slayings (newspaper article)
• Kidnapping and Clues Mystify Flatfoots (newspaper article)
• Reale Match Book
• Flyer for Albert Einstein Speech (one-page flyer)
• Mobsters Die in Flames (newspaper article)
• True Magick (book)

Locations:

• Chabad Synagogue
• Club Deluxe
• College of the City of New York
• Harlem Hospital
• Hawthorne Rowhouse
• Hotel Reale
• Mongoose Construction Company
• Mount Morris Park
• New York Amsterdam News
• Tanner Warehouse

Creatures:

• Golem
• Zarr
• Zarr Art Deco robots
• Zathog

Spells:

• Call for Spirit of the Air (Summon/Bind Star Vampire)
• Call Forth the One (Summon/Bind Servitor of the Outer Gods)
• Call Forth the Winged One (Summon/Bind Byakhee)
• Create Golem
• Speak with the Dark One (Contact Deity/Nyogtha)

Tomes and Artifacts:

• True Magick

Organizations

• Knights of Ouroboros

Comments

The author's note suggests that "Harlem (K)nights" is intended to be an introduction to Harlem as a setting. The scenario sends investigators to various Harlem neighborhoods, giving the Keeper the opportunity to highlight how they are different from one another.

Keeper Comments

The scenario is a sandbox designed to accommodate different types of investigators and offer several trails of clues. Several scenario starts accommodate Harlem locals, out-of-towners called in to look into Scott "Flip" Wilmore's disappearance, New York Jews tasked with investigating the disappearance of a synagogue regular by Rabbi Silverstein, independent journalists or detectives, or military veterans called in by retired Harlem Hellfigter Samuel Wright. Likewise, the trails of clues include looking into a stolen truck, a truckload of missing dirt, gang attacks, and a visit to Harlem by Albert Einstein. This open-mindedness gives investigators a great deal of freedom, but it also potentially makes the scenario complicated for Keepers to run.