Note: This campaign was tuned for a party of five level nine players, leveling up to ten after issue 2.

Adjustments should be made for parties of different levels or sizes.

Story so Far:

To be read to players:

Some months ago, an ancient artifact was detonated on the Tokyo subway system, unleashing the Filth
and triggering occult disasters worldwide.

In Maine, an entire island was swallowed by mystical fog. In Egypt, the Black Pharaoh Akhenaten rose
from his tomb. The Vampire Queen Mara launched a bloody crusade across Transylvania.

Eventually, agents of the Secret Societies – including all of you – were sent to Tokyo to investigate the
source of this madness. There, you encountered the Black Signal, a malicious entity that was once John
Copley, the man who activated the bomb, and learned that it had been detonated as part of a power
struggle between Lilith, the Mother of Monsters, and her minions.

You were not present for the final confrontation with Lilith, but you know that she has been taken out of
play – for now. With her threat ended, attention now turns to other matters in the Secret World...

Intro:

Word recently reached the Council of Venice of a gruesome murder in the remote northern Ontario
hamlet of Blackwood. Mr. Edgar Mulholland was found hanging from a tree outside town, his tongue
and eyes missing. Suspecting occult activity, the Council dispatched a team consisting of four mortal
agents to protect the locals and preserve the secrecy of the Secret World.

That team has not been heard from since.

Now, a new team of Bees culled from across the Societies has been sent to Blackwood to find out what
went wrong.

Agartha:

The adventure begins in the familiar, anima-drenched realm of Agartha. Once any pre-adventure
business is concluded, the party can proceed to the Blackwood portal.

Northern Ontario:

The party emerges from a portal in a small gully in the woods outside Blackwood. The trees are mostly
stunted conifers. It is a bright, clear day in early autumn. This far north, it's already getting a bit chilly,
but the day is otherwise very pleasant.

The party knows from their briefing that there is a dirt road leading to Blackwood just to the north.
Upon arriving at the road, they encounter a small flock of crows, who scatter before them. It takes only
a short walk to reach Blackwood.

Blackwood:
Blackwood is a tiny community consisting of a few business and small homes. More homes are
scattered throughout the woods outside of town. The air is eerily still, and there is an unusual number
of crows perched on roofs and in nearby trees. Players approach from the east.

The first buildings they encounter from this direction are the LCBO (liquor store) on the north side of
the road and House 1 across from it on the south side. Past that is some empty space, followed by a
small “square” where the east running road meets one running north-south through town. This
intersection is surrounded by a Tim Horton's (coffee shop) on the southeast, House 2 on the southwest,
and Joe's (general store) on the northwest.

House 3 is located on the north road, and house 4 is located near the western edge of town.

The tree Edgar Mulholland was hung from is a tall spruce located on the southeastern edge of town.
The body and rope have been removed, and there are no clues to be found.

After investigating three buildings or at another moment the DM finds opportune, the party will be
attacked by three Scarecrows (one with a chainsaw, one wielding magic, and one with a shotgun) in the
streets of Blackwood.

If players turn on any faucet or flush any toilet in town, black Filthy water gushes out. Contact with the
water deals 1D4 Filth damage and triggers a wisdom saving throw (DC 8) to avoid the loss of sanity.

The LCBO:

A long, low building with one floor. There are three rooms: the store itself, a stockroom in the back,
and a small bathroom. The storefront appears to have been ransacked, with bottles smashed and
scattered everywhere. The air reeks of liquor. A successful Perception check (DC 10) will reveal traces
of blood in the mess.

The bathroom is very dirty, and the sink is lined by what appears to be a dark mould. A successful
Perception check (DC 12) reveals this to be a small amount of Filth.

The stockroom also appears mostly normal. It includes a small, open office area. A Perception check of
the stockroom (DC 14) reveals subtle signs of a struggle: scuff marks on the floor, and a dropped box
cutter that may have been used as a weapon. A high success (18+) reveals traces of brown cloth on the
blade. A successful Hack of the computer (DC 10) reveals ordinary business documents and a folder of
cat memes.

Tim Horton's:

A chain coffee shop with a drive-through window and a small parking lot outside. Judging from the
litter and cigarette butts, one gets the impression this is a hub for the community. The outside windows
have been broken.

Inside, the front half of the shop has obviously been trashed, with food and refuse littering the floor and
scattered tables and chairs.

Off the main room are a backroom filled with stock and food prep equipment, also trashed, and public
washrooms. The backroom connects to a staff bathroom that has obviously been infected with the Filth,
and a small office for the manager. A successful Hack of the manager's computer (DC 10) reveals
normal documents related to the running of the business and a number of emails from “Dorothy” to
“Ed,” all disgustingly romantic and signed with heart emojis. A photo on the desk depicts an
overweight couple in their sixties.

The public washrooms have been heavily infected by the Filth. Black ooze has crept from the faucets
and toilets and now covers the walls and ceilings in vein-like spiderwebs, as well as pulsating tumours.
Shortly after entering the shop, players will hear a strange whispering sound coming from the men's
room and will then be attacked by a Shade that was hiding within.

Joe's:

A general store offering mostly groceries, but also tools, toiletries, and other basic necessities. Like the
LCBO, the front of the store has been totally trashed. Food and other products litter the floor. In the
back is a stockroom and a small bathroom.

In the stockroom, every available surface – walls, boxes, shelves – has been entirely covered by manic
writing using marker, paint, and in some cases blood. The same few messages are repeated over and
again: “Eat our dreams,” “Eyes that glitter,” and “We are all made of stars.”

The bathroom has become so choked with the Filth you can't even fully open the door.

House 1:

A small bungalow with three rooms: a living room/kitchen, a bedroom, and a bathroom.

The living room contains a couch, a beat-up old tube TV, a small kitchen area, several shelves holding
books and nick-knacks, and many over-flowing ashtrays. The air smells strongly of cigarettes. A
successful Perception check (DC 10) uncovers mail (mostly bills) addressed to a “Joseph Cornwell”
and forms indicating Joseph operates a small store.

The bathroom has a toilet and a stained bathtub. The medicine cabinet contains the usual toiletries and
one dose of Extra Strength Painkillers.

The bedroom contains an unmade bed, a nightstand with a drawer containing a Bible and various
personal effects, and more ashtrays.

House 2:

A bungalow, slightly larger than Joe's house, with an attached garage. The front door opens onto a
narrow hallway that runs between the kitchen and the garage before opening into a living area with a
couch, chairs, TV, a computer desk, and video game console. A successful hack of the computer (DC
10) reveals the standard programs you'd expect from a home PC, and a poorly concealed folder full of
pornography. A successful Perception check (DC 10) reveals mail addressed to a Kitchi and Emily
Washkwatshenk.

The living room connects to the kitchen, the garage, and a second hallway. On the north side of the
hallway are a small bedroom and bathroom. On the south side is a larger bedroom.
The kitchen sink has a pool of black ooze (Filth) coagulating in the bottom. The master bedroom
contains a queen-size bed, a closet full of clothes, and a desk with a mirror probably used by the wife
when applying make-up. The bathroom sports small Filthy tendrils crawling out from the fixtures. The
smaller bedroom is very messy and filled with posters of rappers and other hip hop memorabilia. It
appears to have belonged to a teenage boy.

House 3:

A two story home located on the northern edge of town. White-paneled on the outside, wholesome
looking. The main floor boasts a main area featuring a sparse but tasteful dining area as well as several
armchairs placed around a low coffee table, a fairly modern kitchen, and a stairway upstairs. It's all
quite clean. The floors are all polished wood. A successful Perception check (DC 13) reveals used
Council of Venice ration packs in the kitchen trash.

Upstairs is a landing area, a bedroom, and a bathroom. The bathroom is clean and not Filthy, unlike
most others in the town. The bedroom contains a small bed, a dresser, and three Council of Venice issue
sleeping bags on the floor.

The floor on the landing has been inscribed with a pentagram symbol in white chalk. Four of the five
points contain a black feather. Players will be prompted to perform an Arcana check, with the
information they receive depending on the result.
 1-5: It's a ritual circle.
 5-14: It's a binding ritual of some kind.
 14+: It's a ritual designed to bind a Revenant. It requires a fifth feather to be complete, but once
complete it will bind the Revenant within the circle and allow it to be killed permanently.

Players must find the Revenant of Carrion elsewhere in the town, collect its feather, and use the feather
to complete the ritual. This will summon a weakened version of the Revenant that can then be slain for
good.

Behind the ritual circle is a small shelf with books and a radio. When the Revenant is slain, players
should be given a moment to collect themselves. Then, the radio will crackle to life, and a horrible
grating voice will be heard over the airwaves:

Ssssss... I am the mindbreak cipher – let me in.

This concludes Issue 1.

House 4:

An A-frame home at the western edge of town. All polished wood. Looks more recent than the other
homes in town. The blinds on all the windows are shut, and crows perch on the peak of its roof.

Upon entering, the players find an open concept room with a kitchen area to their left. Whatever else
was in the room has been cleared out and replaced by a scene out of nightmare: over a dozen bodies
hang from the high ceiling. The corpses are locals of all ages. They have all been horribly mutilated,
and it's unclear if these injuries were inflicted before or after their deaths. The air buzzes with flies and
reeks of decay.

Upon entering, all players must roll a wisdom saving throw (DC 18) or lose 1 point of sanity.

The back of the house is taken up by a bathroom (clean) and what was probably a bedroom but is now
a room for the assembly of scarecrows. Several tables are covered by straw, random bits of clothing,
and chunks of limbs and viscera in various states of decay.

Upon exiting the home, a flock of crows will swoop down before the party and form into a Revenant of
Carrion. A battle ensues. Upon reaching 0 hit points, the Revenant will disperse into crows, but leave
behind a single pristine feather.