#1: Assault on the Nerian Nexus

by John Polojac

A mystical Adventure
for 4-6 heroes of PL 10
 1: ASSAULT ON THE NERIAN NEXUS
Suggested PL: 10
Required Books: M&M Deluxe Hero’s Handbook,
M&M Deluxe Gamemaster’s Guide
Suggested Books: Freedom City, Rogue’s Gallery, Threat Report
Earth-Prime is without a Master Mage to provide its arcane energies
with focus and defend it from mystical corruption. Ever since Adrian
Eldrich’s death and the departure of his successor—the youthful her-
oine Seven—a rising tide of supernatural darkness has slowly seeped
into the souls of the world’s villains. Yet for a time, Eldrich’s former
abode—the Nerian Nexus—still stood as a symbol of the Master
Mage’s guardianship over Earth-Prime. The edifice’s existence safe-
guarded innumerable arcane secrets and dangerous relics, while also
slowing the encroachment of malignant entities from beyond. These
barriers held firm despite occasional attempts by powerful forces to
breach its wards and plunder the treasures within.
The sanctum could not stand inviolate forever, for the Nexus is too
tempting a target. Medea, one of Earth’s oldest and most cunning
witches, has coveted the treasures within and only recently encoun-
tered a mysterious patron eager to provide her with the missing bits
of lore that could help her shatter the seals keeping her out of Eldrich’s
former home. While she is wary of her benefactor’s guidance, the pow-
er and secrets of the Nexus are worth any risk.
Assault on the Nerian Nexus is a one-shot adventure for four to six PL 10
heroes, although it may be scaled for larger or smaller hero teams by
adding to or subtracting from the villains’ ranks. While the adventure’s
premise centers around a Freedom City landmark, the story can be set
in any metropolitan area, simply relocating the former Master Mage’s
home to the heroes’ campaign city.
SECRET ORIGINS
Lady Una, Dark Lord of dark lords, had grown weary of her immortal
existence and conquests and began studying how she might ascend
to godhood, becoming a dark deity who could spread her influence
not only through physical might, but the very substance of magic it-
self across the omniverse. Her ritual for ascension requires the con-
quest of a thousand worlds and tying her life force to the magical en-
ergy of each—and Una made it a point of pride to take Earth as the
thousandth world to complete her transformation. Her plan requires
the sacrifice of her mortal body, consumed in the flames of another
world’s purest magic.
With Adrian Eldritch gone, Una designed a plot to trick the Master
Mage’s young successor into destroying her and bringing her plan to
fruition. She staged an invasion, knowing Seven would arise to stop
her, and in the pivotal moment of their duel, she let the new Master
2

Mage’s magic annihilate her body, merging her spirit with Earth’s mag-
ical essence.
Eldritch foresaw Una’s plan before his disappearance, however, and
spent the last ten years creating several powerful talismans to bar her
spirit from connecting Earth’s magical essence with that of her 999
netherworlds. He used the power of existing artifacts to craft these
wards, trusting the power and legacy of the artifacts would prevent
anyone from destroying them.
Una made her move after orchestrating Eldrich’s death, and thanks
to his talismans, she is now trapped as a disembodied and largely
powerless spirit. In this form, she can make subtle contact with other
magic users—particularly in their dreams—as well as those with a
powerful fixation or fear. She coaxed many magical villains into ser-
vice over the years, helping her locate the wards Eldrich left behind,
but her most powerful connection is to Desmond Lettam, the vil-
lain called Toy Boy. Lettam’s contempt in the face of death and the
weakening bond between his body and soul placed him in a unique
position to communicate with Una’s spirit, and Una used her remain-
ing power to wrench Toy Boy free from his mortal shell, transforming
him into a poltergeist whose fixation on playthings lets him influ-
ence the living world.
With Toy Boy as her eager hands, Una has since stepped up her cru-
sade to undo the protections Eldrich created. Through her puppet,
Una approached the sorceress Medea and offered her the knowledge
to finally open the Nerian Nexus, granting Medea access to the trea-
sures within while allowing Toy Boy to enter the Master Mage’s library
and search for clues that will lead him to Eldrich’s talismans.
IN THIS EXCITING ISSUE…
In this unpredictable new mystic environment, the immortal sorceress
Medea seeks to gain advantage—and what greater repository of lore,
power, and weapons exists than the former sanctum of Adrian Eldrich?
Medea has been surreptitiously striving to overcome the wards of the
Nerian Nexus for months, eager to plunder its treasures. The final piec-
es of the needed incantation came from an unlikely ally: an unsettling
magical doll claiming to serve “The Dark Lady.” While Medea recogniz-
es manipulation when she sees it, she found the entire arrangement
too entertaining and useful to ignore and has so far profited.
Bringing along fellow Crime League member Tom Cyprus for muscle,
the sorceress schemed to loot the sanctum for arcane lore and weap-
ons, increasing her own might. She hopes to seize the Alterity Atlas, a
mystic map of the multiverse and the paths between worlds—as well
as the hiding places of many fabulous artifacts. But Medea’s Crime
League ally, Devil Ray, learned of her efforts, and through him many of
Freedom City’s magically empowered rogues have done the same. As
Medea finally began to crack open the Nexus, a horde of super-villains
descended, all hoping to plunder the sanctum’s secrets. The villains
almost immediately fell to blows, battling each other in their efforts to
get inside! Medea and Cyprus fought their way past the scrum, march-
ing through the opened doorway.
A full-scale super-battle brings a corresponding response from au-
thorities, while calls go out for super-powered assistance to quell the
crisis. By the time the heroes reach the scene, the situation outside
the townhouse has degenerated into anarchy. Damage mounts as the
villains overwhelm police, curse terrified civilians, and destroy proper-
ty. The Devil’s Advocates circle the building on their hellish motorcy-
cles, Abracadaver performs ghoulish magical theater, and Sandstone
smashes things. After a short skirmish, the heroes can follow Medea
and other villains into the Nerian Nexus and explore the ever-shift-
1: Assault on the Nerian Nexus
THE NETHERWAR
Assault on the Nerian Nexus is the second episode in the Nether-
War adventure series, but the adventure also works as a stand-
alone story with only minor adaptations. You can eliminate ties
to a larger conspiracy by removing Toy Boy from the story, and
simply allow Medea—with her ten millennia of lore and experi-
ence—to breach the Nexus’s seals on her own. You can instead
keep Toy Boy and make him a more active participant in the ad-
venture, serving as Medea’s ally in breaching the Nexus’ walls,
but motivated to fully restore Desmond Lettam to life and health
using the lair’s magic. The heroes won’t necessarily find Seven’s
magic mirror as a conduit for advice, so they’ll need to rely on skill
checks and knowledge provided by other characters. Eliminate
the clues sprinkled throughout the adventure hinting at Una’s in-
volvement, but the actions and motivations of the other villains
remain the same.
ing pocket dimension Adrian Eldrich once called home. They must
race through hazardous corridors and overcome terrible adversaries
before finally stopping Medea and her cohorts from making off with
treasures that could augment their evil arcane power tenfold!
INVOLVING THE HEROES
Heroes can become involved with Assault on the Nerian Nexus in a
number of ways:
•
If you are running this adventure as part of the larger Nether-
War story arc, the heroes may already begin with ties to Adrian
Eldrich’s legacy, and receive a mystical vision guiding them to
the Nerian Nexus just as Medea shatters the wards and enters. If
they are instead allies of Lady Seven (see Freedom City), she may
magically reach out to the heroes, asking them to investigate the
townhouse when she feels its protections fall.
• As a major brawl between multiple supervillains, the scuffle out-
side the Nerian Nexus draws police and media attention within
minutes. Local heroes may learn about the incident from local
news, listening in on the police scanner, or on social media before
they ever realize the larger scope of events.
• Independent heroes may be alerted to the impending danger af-
ter confronting a small-time magical villain robbing a museum or
antique shop. The culprit offers some juicy underworld gossip in
hopes of leniency. He heard rumors about the upcoming attack
on the Nerian Nexus through the dark-magic grapevine; the word
is Medea knows how to dispel the wards sealing Adrian Eldrich’s
sanctum, and is poised to do so at any second! Multiple villains
are massing in anticipation. He was trying to steal an enchanted
object to better his own chances.
• In campaigns based outside Freedom City, the spell that throws
opens the sanctum’s doors may also unstick the Nerian Nexus
in space, launching it and everyone in the vicinity to the heroes’
location. The sanctum appears in a downtown neighborhood,
magically integrating into the surroundings and accompanied
by the villains. The sanctum’s sudden appearance should warrant
investigation even prior to the massive brawl outside. Reports
about the situation flood every media channel across the city.
Even if the characters are unfamiliar with the Nerian Nexus’ his-
tory or the specific villains involved, the obvious menace to their
home should send the heroes into action.
3

SCENE 1 CONFLICT SCENE
WELCOME TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD
As the adventure begins, read or paraphrase the following:
“This is Jenny-Lynn James reporting live from Ditko Street, out-
side the police line now surrounding the former home of the
late Adrian Eldrich, rumored by some to be the so-called Master
Mage. Earlier this evening, notorious Crime League members Me-
dea and Tom Cyprus arrived here, and after what witnesses called
an “incantation,” entered the property. Perhaps a dozen other su-
per-villains arrived moments later, fighting each other to be the
next inside. Police are currently overwhelmed. The mayor is call-
ing on all available heroes for help.”
A swirl of ghastly green and black vapor washes over the reporter.
It parts to reveal a lifelike stone statue of Jenny-Lynn, face frozen
in fear. After a moment of tense silence, a corpse-grey face leans
into frame. Garbed like a birthday stage magician, his face fixed in
a rictus grin, he speaks in a deathly rattle.
“Sorry, folks at home, but I don’t do ‘live’ television. If you want to
see my command performance, roll on down and pick yourself up
a ticket for the show. I still need plenty of audience volunteers.” He
levels a black wand at the camera and the feed abruptly… dies.
Once the heroes actually arrive on-scene, read or paraphrase the fol-
lowing to set the scene:
Several villains and at least a dozen police officers lie injured on
the street outside a police barricade. Beyond it, several figures
still menace the crowd: A zombie in a tuxedo and cape holds
several bystanders captive, bound in various magical props as he
prepares an array of swords. Nearby, the figure of an eight-foot
woman made from living, shifting sand delivers a punch so bru-
tal you can feel the impact in your bones. Her blow knocks an
orc-faced biker to the street, minus several teeth, but already two
more mounted motorcyclists circle her, brandishing wicked-look-
ing weapons.
Beyond the fracas stands an unassuming brownstone with its
door standing open, notable only for the stained glass window
on its second floor. It’s so unremarkable, your eyes almost refuse
to linger on it or pay it any real attention.
The scene on the street is the aftermath of the villains’ first few rounds
of brawling. Those focused enough have already run inside, but Sand-
stone and the Devil’s Advocates love a good fight, and the undead
magician Abracadaver just can’t bring himself to ignore the ready-
made audience. The identities of the various unconscious villains are
left up to the GM, but might include Doc Holiday, Hell-Queen, and
members of the Brotherhood of the Yellow Sign from Freedom City, the
Factor Four or the minions of Doc Azathoth from Threat Report, and/or
Apocalypsette, the Dealer, or Shatter from Rogue’s Gallery.
The neighborhood is a historic, middle-class residential street near
Riverside Park, lined with brownstone-style townhouses. Ditko Street
is usually closed to traffic and is still paved in cobblestones, many of
which have been broken or animated as part of the brawl. Twisted iron
fences, smoking trees and shrubs, and upended streetlights likewise
speak to the damage, but enough police floodlights and streetlights
1: Assault on the Nerian Nexus
PROBLEM POWERS
The interior spaces of the Nerian Nexus have high ceilings (8-
12 feet), but are otherwise ordinary rooms and limit effects like
Growth and Flight. Because the walls are magical folds in reality
and don’t necessarily connect adjacent spaces, attempts to use
effects like Insubstantial, Movement (permeate), Summon, or
Teleport beyond a wall or barrier must succeed at a DC 15 power
check or trigger random magical feedback. Senses that normally
penetrate concealment likewise cannot see through the walls, as
there is nothing “beyond” them.
A character failing a power check is subject to one of the follow-
ing effects (roll 1d20):
RESULT INFORMATION
Curse of Guardianship: Affliction 15 (Controlled, 3rd
1–5 degree only, resisted by Will, controlled characters
battle any “intruders” for one round, Instant Recovery)
Eldritch Recoil: Reaction Damage 10 (Affects Insub-
6–10
stantial, Penetrating)
Magic Intercession: Move Object 10 (Affects Insub-
11–15
stantial, Only to push backwards)
Arcane Drainage: Affliction 12 (Dazed, Stunned,
16–20
Asleep, resisted and overcome by Fortitude)
remain to illuminate the scene. If heroes take time to protect, heal, or
rescue injured bystanders, reward them with a Hero Point.
Characters with appropriate super-senses detect powerful magical
energy from the gathered villains and the house itself. Heroes with Ex-
pertise: Magic (or other appropriate Expertise, such as Urban Legends
or Freedom City) can learn the following with a successful check.
EXPERTISE: MAGIC
RESULT INFORMATION
As the home of the late Adrian Eldrich, the Nerian Nex-
us probably contains a wealth of spellbooks, enchant-
DC 10
ed objects, and esoterica gathered by the Master Mage
during his long career.
The sanctum has been sealed and left undisturbed since
DC 15
Eldrich’s mysterious death several years ago.
The sanctum isn’t constrained by physics or geome-
DC 20 try; gateways to other realities and timelines may be
opened here.
In addition, heroes can identify any of the villains present with a suc-
cessful DC 15 check using an appropriate Expertise skill (such as Free-
dom City or Villains, Soldier to recognize Sandstone, or Streetwise to
recognize the Advocates).
ABRACADAVER’S FOLLIES
Two major threats remain on the streets: the undead magician, Abra-
cadaver, is torturing captive bystanders and the brawl between Sand-
stone and the Devil’s Adovcates currently blocks off access to the Neri-
an Nexus. While these are presented as distinct encounters, the heroes
may split their attention between both, and with some clever tactics
might even turn the villains against each other.
4

Abracadaver conducts a gruesome magic act with four terrified “audi-
ence members” captured by his zombie servants, who now watch and
clap mindlessly. He has three zombie minions for every hero present;
the remainder have been destroyed by the police. The zombies attack
in groups of three, with two using the Aid action to improve the third’s
attempt to Grab heroes.
One victim is surrounded by flaming rings, smoke tendrils are pulling
another into the magician’s hat, and two are trapped inside transpar-
ent boxes, their torsos switched between them. Ever the showman,
Abracadaver’s hammy gestures delay the start of the “act”, giving the
heroes a chance to intervene before any captives are harmed. The cap-
tives can be freed by destroying or unlocking the contraptions holding
them (Toughness 8, DC 20 Sleight of Hand or Expertise: Stage Magic
to disable); doing so restores them to normal and allows them to flee.
Abracadaver attacks any heroes interfering with his “grand show.” If a
hero frees an audience member, award them a Hero Point.
1: Assault on the Nerian Nexus
ROLEPLAYING ABRACADAVER
A frustrated former stage magician who turned to dark magic, Ab-
racadaver yearns to uncover secrets like those contained inside the
Nexus. Both a necromancer and a ham, he could not resist putting on
a “show” amidst the sudden crowd and media attention. Abracadaver
has no qualms about harming captives—he planned to drain their life
essence regardless—and will use them as leverage against the heroes.
Abracadaver plays to the crowd and tries to draw out the drama. If he
has a clear advantage over a hero, he’ll heckle them for a round with
his Startle advantage. In combat, the lich first tries blinding the heroes
with his Dead of Night effect—both he and his zombie minions he
can see in the darkness—then alternates Dark Blast and Dark Tendril
attacks. The criminal corpse uses his zombies as cannon fodder, com-
manding them to grapple and serve as inhuman shields. Abracadaver
will “exit stage left” if he takes significant damage or the Dazed condi-
tion, teleporting out via his Death’s Door spell.
ABRACADAVER PL 11
See the Cast section.
COMBAT INITIATIVE +1
Dark Bolt +11 Ranged, Damage 11
Dark Tendrils +7 Ranged, Cumulative Affliction 7
Life Drain +11 Ranged, Progressive Weaken STA 5
Unarmed +8 Close, Damage 8
DODGE PARRY FORTITUDE WILL TOUGHNESS
+6 +6 — +11 +16*
*Fades 1 rank after every Toughness check; minimum 4
ABRACADAVER’S ZOMBIES PL 5
See the Cast section. These characters are minions.
COMBAT INITIATIVE +0
Unarmed +6 Close, Damage 4
DODGE PARRY FORTITUDE WILL TOUGHNESS
+2 +4 — — +6
OIL AND SAND
Sandstone and two remaining members of the Devil’s Advocates
brawl directly in front of the entrance to the brownstone. Sandstone
is mildly hurt, and has already knocked Buddy—the rider of plague—
unconscious, leaving only a bruised Born Loser and as-yet unhurt Cue-
ball in the fight (the riders of famine and war, respectively). Angel lies
unconscious on the street nearby after being waylaid by Devil Ray (see
Scene 4). The three continue fighting at the Nerian Nexus’s only door
even when the heroes arrive, and heroes can catch them still Vulner-
able if they attack before taking on Abracadaver (or split up to attack
simultaneously). The three rogues put aside their squabble once at-
tacked, turning to counterattack the heroes.
Despite their momentary alliance, the bikers and the solid stone mer-
cenary are far from friends, and heroes using maneuvers like Trick to
get the villains to attack one another can goad them into turning on
each other again. After this, the villains alternate attacking heroes and
one another each round.
5

ROLEPLAYING SANDSTONE
Sandstone lives for excitement and boils over with confidence and
condescension. She loves teasing and goading opponents so she can
justify beating them down harder when they get mad… not that she’s
ever needed an excuse for a fight. Despite her violent tendencies, she
neither kills opponents nor threatens hostages. In combat against
multiple foes or powerhouse brawlers, she prefers to use her sand
form, unleashing her area attacks, but against “softies,” she’s happy to
shift to her invulnerable stone form. If she is shaken, Sandstone tries to
assume her sand form and flee into the air.
Sandstone arrived at the Nerian Nexus hoping to learn more about
the magical gemstone that granted her powers and possibly how to
augment them.
ROLEPLAYING THE DEVIL’S ADVOCATES
The Devil’s Advocates are an anarchistic doomsday cult born from an
already violent biker gang. Born Loser was a pill-pusher and failed mu-
sician—easily bored, talkative, and crass—with the powers of Famine.
He eagerly unleashes his Mass Starvation Power without regard for
bystanders or even allies. Cueball, already confrontational and violent
before channeling the power of War, is a dyed-in-the wool killer, all too
happy to unleash the sum of his powers against anyone within reach.
While the pair are powerful, they aren’t tacticians, and don’t coor-
dinate their attacks. They like to trash talk and throw their weight
around, but otherwise just press the attack until beaten unconscious
or restrained. If one hero seems especially problematic, they resort to
their only strategy—Born Loser uses his Teamwork feat while Cueball
applies his Power Attack—but Loser hates playing second fiddle to his
teammate and won’t help unless clearly outmatched
The Devil’s Advocates aren’t antiquarians. They arrive simply hoping to
loot and trash the Nerian Nexus.
SANDSTONE
See the Cast section. Sandstone currently suffers a –1 penalty on all
PL 12
Toughness checks.
COMBAT INITIATIVE +6
Sand Blast — Close, Cone Area, Damage 12
Sand Burst — Close, Burst Area, Damage 12
Unarmed +12 Close, Damage 10*/12‡
DODGE PARRY FORTITUDE WILL TOUGHNESS
+10 +10 +12 +8 +6*/12‡
* Sand Form; immune to ballistic and bludgeoning damage
‡ Stone Form; immune to heat and cold effects
BORN LOSER PL 10
See the Cast section. Born Loser currently suffers a –2 penalty on all
Toughness checks.
COMBAT INITIATIVE +6
Mass Starvation — Close, Burst Area, Affliction 10
Unarmed +9 Close, Damage 8
DODGE PARRY FORTITUDE WILL TOUGHNESS
+7 +9 +11 +7 +11
1: Assault on the Nerian Nexus
CUEBALL PL 10
See the Cast section.
COMBAT INITIATIVE +11
War Axe +9 Close, Damage 11
Unarmed +12 Close, Damage 8
DODGE PARRY FORTITUDE WILL TOUGHNESS
+9 +9 +11 +9 +11
WRAP-UP
While the villains put up a fight, the characters should be able to over-
come them relatively easily. After the heroes subdue the various vil-
lains or drive them to retreat, several AEGIS vans arrive with backup to
help detain villains and tend to injured citizens (or heroes). The rank-
ing AEGIS officer, Alex Vezini (see Freedom City, p. 148) informs the
heroes that police video shows Medea and her cronies entered Adrian
Eldritch’s domicile twenty minutes prior and have yet to emerge. Sev-
eral other villains entered as well.
If the heroes struggle against this first round of villains, you can have
AEGIS arrive early to provide back-up in the form of Aid actions and
Treatment checks. You may also decide that Agent Vezini’s telepathic
abilities let him use the Inspire 2 Advantage.
If the team lacks mystic knowledge/senses, Agent Vezini is a low-level
telepath and the agency’s expert on mystic and psychic phenomenon.
He admits not knowing the villains’ motives, but imagines anything
they recover from the home of a former Master Mage will spell big
trouble for the city.
At this point, the heroes must cross the threshold and journey into the
Nerian Nexus.
SCENE 2 ROLEPLAY SCENE
INTO THE NEXUS
Once the heroes enter the Nexus, read or paraphrase the following:
The mansion is a well-preserved three-story townhouse, built
in the Queen Anne style of Victorian revival. The building sports
an asymmetrical facade, arched doorway, and oriel windows set
among round towers. Stepping inside the antechamber reveals
wood-paneled walls and floors set with colorful tile patterns. The
half-glazed doorway inside the vestibule leads to a sitting room,
used to entertain invitees. Just inside the antechamber, four un-
conscious figures lie scattered on the floor. They are clad in ochre
robes, still clutching curved daggers in their hands.
A older gentleman in a charcoal suit with salt-and-pepper hair
slides down the far wall, losing his balance until he rests sitting on
the floor. Blood pours from a wound on his arm. He mumbles, ap-
parently to himself, “That… that is why we always phone ahead
before a visit, yes?”
The man slumped to the floor is Sallah, Adrian Eldrich’s former partner
and the caretaker of the Nerian Nexus . The heroes can identify him
6

with a successful DC 20 Expertise: Magic or Freedom City check, and
also recall rumors that he left the estate after Adrian’s death to mourn
and find himself. While nearly 100 years old, Sallah appears to be in
his early 60s. He is succumbing to the venom from the wound to his
arm. For now he’s confused and quickly losing consciousness. Heroes
can staunch the bleeding and mitigate the worst effects of the ven-
om with a successful DC 15 Treatment check or an application of the
Healing power, but he needs rest before he can recover consciousness.
Sallah holds a small silver hand-mirror. If the heroes take the time to
examine it, it reflects a strange and sinister-looking throne room rath-
er than the cozy foyer.
A cursory examination of the cultists reveals reptilian heads and long
fangs: serpent people. All four are members of the Brotherhood of the
Yellow Sign, a cult dedicated to bringing an unspeakable dark god to
Earth. None show any sign of harm, appearing to be in a deep slum-
ber. A few paces beyond the slumped figures, curious markings adorn
the walls and door. They appear to be hastily scrawled pictographs.
A successful DC 20 Expertise (Magic) or the ability to read Egyptian
hieroglyphics reveal them to be protective wards. When Sallah re-
ceived word the wards on the Nerian Nexus were nearly breached, he
returned to the sanctum via magic and quickly scrawled protective
wards to stem the tide of intruders. His wards stopped the cultists, but
not before one of them could land a bite.
As the heroes investigate the scene, a woman’s voice calls out from
the hand-mirror. “Sallah? Sallah! Are you alright? What’s happening?”
A FRIEND INDEED
If the heroes gaze into the mirror, they see a young Hispanic woman
with black hair. A successful DC 15 Expertise: Magic or Freedom City
check identifies her as Seven, apprentice to Adrian Eldrich and briefly
the Master Mage of Earth, and she’ll admit as much if asked. If the he-
roes ask for details or ask about the old man, she explains:
“My name is Seven, and I was the Master Mage of Earth briefly af-
ter Adrian’s death. I still have some connection to the Nerian Nex-
us, and when I felt the wards begin to crumble, I contacted Sallah
to investigate. I should have known better, shouldn’t have put
him in danger like that, but I never thought he’d rush in to fight
cultists by himself. I’m so stupid! How did I NOT know he would
risk himself? And now there are evil mages running around inside
the Nexus!
“This is all my fault,” she takes a slow breath to calm herself. “And I
can’t return to Earth and fix it. I need help.”
The heroes can question Seven to learn more about the situation:
Who is inside the Nerian Nexus?
“I’m not sure. My connection to the Nexus isn’t that strong any
more. I can sense an ancient vampire, and someone trapped with-
in a powerful curse, and something… something strange and
powerful. But I know exactly who broke the wards: Medea! She’s
after something powerful… If she’s smart—and let’s be honest,
she’s as tricky as they come—she’s after the Alternity Atlas.”
If you are running Assault on the Nerian Nexus as part of the Nether-
War arc, she adds: “There’s something else wound through them all,
though… distant but overwhelming. Something unnatural provided
Medea the keys to the castle.”
1: Assault on the Nerian Nexus
Who is Medea?
“Medea, like from the Greek myths? A demigod sorceress who
killed her own kids to drive her cheating husband mad? Not a
nice lady. She’s never been Master-Mage-level in terms of raw
power. She’s a trickster, a parasite who relies on others’ strength
to get what she wants. But with treasures the Alternity Atlas could
lead her to, she could stand on her own. Maybe even take the title
of Master Mage, if she wants.”
What’s the Alternity Atlas?
“The Atlas… that was a crazy story. It’s… sort of map to all the
secret doors between worlds and the treasures hidden in the
cracks of creation. You want to master space or find some terrible
trinket? The Alternity Atlas can guide you. A clever person could
cause a lot of trouble with it.”
Why is this your fault? Why can’t you come to Earth?
“I’m stuck in the Netherworld. This evil sorcerer called Una used
to be this big, bad dimensional conquerer—the worst mage who
ever lived. When Adrian died and I ended up Master Mage, she
tried to conquer Earth. I lost it, and I… I destroyed her. I didn’t
know it then, but destroying her in a wizard’ duel meant I inherit-
ed everything she had. And Netherworlds are weird reflections of
their master’s will. This one will crumble if I leave, and kill billions.
“So I had to give up being Master Mage of Earth to save this world
and try to reform it.”
These halls make no sense/How do we find our way?
“The Nerian Nexus is a space outside space, built across the inter-
sections of reality. It’s… it’s so much larger than it looks, and the
rooms drift a bit if you don’t know where you’re going. But if you
can keep focused on where you need to be, or what you need
to find, it should give you the path to get there. Of course, it’s
been deteriorating a little without a Master Mage to control it, so
things might get… weird?”
Is their anything we should watch out for?
“Don’t go looking for trouble, or the house will provide it. And be
wary. There might still be things trapped inside beyond the trespass-
ers. And if you use up the toilet paper, replace it. Sallah will chew you
the hell out if he comes to and finds out there’s no toilet paper.”
What happened to Adrian Eldrich?
“Dead… assassins. I wasn’t… I couldn’t help him when the time
came. I have suspicions, but a man like Adrian, long-lived and ac-
tive… he had so many enemies. Normally I… we should be able
to contact him. His spirit should be on the Astral Plane, but some-
thing… something powerful is blocking him from our realm, and
the Netherworld. Sallah was visiting with Gatekeeper to learn
more, but apparently he had his hands busy with his own crisis.”
Seven encourages the heroes to keep the silver hand-mirror—she
calls it a Cheval Eye—so they can contact her if they get lost or need
guidance, and she can answer any future questions the heroes didn’t
think to ask yet.
7

Heroes can learn any of the above information from Sallah as well
using Mind Reading or a similar effect, but the troubling nightmares
induced by the venom act as a Reaction Mind Blast 8 hazard to any
attempts to reach him psychically.
WRAP-UP
This scene exists to gives heroes some insight into the sanctum’s na-
ture and who they’re up against. With Sallah unconscious and the he-
roes in possession of the Cheval Eye, there is little more to do in the
foyer. The unconscious attendant will be fine on his own if the heroes
tended to his wounds, but concerned heroes can carry him outside
and entrust him to the care of AEGIS before proceeding.
SCENE 3 CHALLENGE/ROLE-PLAYING
A LITTLE KNOWLEDGE
Read or paraphrase the following:
A long, curving hallway eventually opens into a massive library.
Walkways line the wall-mounted shelving three stories tall, while
desks, tables, and overstuffed chairs fill the floorspace.
The library contains thousands of volumes written in multiple lan-
guages, modern and archaic, mundane and arcane. Spacious desks
and chairs are spaced among the stacks, littered with reading mate-
rials, games, and puzzles. An old-style card catalog cabinet occupies
most of one wall, though the exact classification system is hard to de-
cipher for anyone unstudied in the arcane.
The trail ends here for a time. The library has not had readers for quite
some time and is eager for use. Any attempt by the heroes to exit in-
evitably leads them, via twisting hallways, back to the library. Heroes
with any ability to sense magic or emotions can feel a sense of loneli-
ness and eagerness from the room itself.
As the heroes move about the room, fleeting, semi-transparent imag-
es appear, enduring just long enough to be noticed before fading out.
A young Adrian Eldrich playing 3-D chess against golden age crook
Magnifico the Magician; a skeletal T-Rex stalking behind the farthest
aisles; an almost dapper-looking Tom Cyprus pushing a cart towering
with volumes; a bow-tied, blond tyke crouched behind several stacks
(this last is Toy Boy’s human guise—the Nexus’s magic sometimes re-
veals momentary glimpses of his living form).
INVESTIGATING THE LIBRARY
As the heroes wander the library, tomes slide from the shelves and
books out on the tables flutter their pages, beckoning new readers.
Like the rest of the sanctum, the library reacts to the thoughts of visi-
tors and tries to offer them information related to their needs and in-
terests. Some of these books may be related to the heroes’ skills and
interests, but others describe the Nerian Nexus in greater detail and
provide deeper insights to the strange dimension and arcane theory
in general.
Understanding the usable information in the texts that present them-
selves requires a successful DC 20 Expertise check (appropriate focus-
es include Magic, Philosophy, Psychology, and Theology). Every hero
may attempt a single check, and must decide either to study the text
or to assist another character. Heroes reading from the grimoires ob-
1: Assault on the Nerian Nexus
THE NERIAN NEXUS
The Nerian Nexus is a small limbo dimension that served as the
sacred sanctum of Earth’s Master Mage off and on for thousands
of years. It is a mobile intersection of several ley lines, making it
a powerful reservoir of arcane energy, infusing most of the realm
with minor magical properties like speaking portraits and danc-
ing teacups. The interior reflects the owner’s tastes, in this case
Adrian Eldrich’s old world sensibilities.
Thirteen hours pass within the Nexus for every twelve hours that
pass outside, and the clocks within count to thirteen. The strange
way time flows within the dimension means the heroes may
sometimes see echoes of the past or possible futures, watching
the reflections of various rogues pass in mirrors or their shadows
cross doorways, possibly providing additional clues about who
stalks the townhouse and what their objectives, plans, and weak-
nesses might be (especially with the expenditure of a Hero Point).
The Nexus is intelligent but not sentient, much like a computer.
It can help guide the heroes in locating their foes. The corridors
configure to lead the team in the proper direction, moving away
dangerous rooms. However, the long absence of a Master Mage
to tame the realm is causing this property to unravel and the
characters encounter a few areas that present minor hazards.
Physical reality inside the Nerian Nexus can be manipulated
through force of personality. This requires spending a Hero Point
to modify the scene, or succeeding on a DC 20 Presence check
made as a Move action. Doing so allows one of the following:
1) Alter geometry inside the sanctum to make rooms larger or
smaller to accommodate powers such as Flight or Growing, or
else prevent their use.
2) Change conditions to benefit from the Favored Environment
advantage for one round.
3) Use up to 5 ranks of a 1-point Environment effect.
tain greater knowledge of the Nexus’s workings and even gain one-
time uses of certain Advantages. Total all the Degrees of Success ac-
cumulated by every hero participating in the research. Heroes gain all
the rewards for lower results in addition to their primary reward:
RESULT BONUS
The heroes learn the basics of navigating the Nexus. In
One
the Medea’s Mastery section (see Scene 6), reduce the
Degree
hero’s delay by one rank.
Two
In the Medea’s Mastery section (see Scene 6), reduce
the hero’s delay by one additional rank. The heroes
Degrees also learn that reality inside Nexus can be manipulated
through willpower if they haven’t already.
Gain Favored Enemy (Trespassers in Nexus) for one
Three
round during Scene 4; add a +2 circumstance bonus to
Degrees
a single Presence check to manipulate the Nerian Nexus.
Four Gain a +5 circumstance bonus on Initiative during
Degrees Scene 6.
A failed check means the heroes discover nothing useful, while fail-
ing by two or more Degrees adds one additional rank of delay in the
Medea’s Mastery section of Scene Six. The Gamemaster should tally
results for each hero, recording the highest degree of success and sub-
tracting any degrees of failure from the total.
8

WORDS TO LIVE (AND DIE) BY
The library presents the information the heroes need by reading their
thoughts and desires, but this ability is unintelligent and responds to
all aspects of the human psyche. In undisciplined minds, the library
also reads their fears and doubts and presents magical books that
may amplify those traits. Any hero who helps in the research, above,
begins to experience realistic, terrifying hallucinations of their loved
ones’’ deaths, public humiliation, personal failure causing tragedy, and
other terrible potential futures as the magically detailed texts open up
frighteningly real visions in the reader’s mind. The GM should invoke
Complications or appropriate details from the heroes’ histories, but
make sure to respect players’ boundaries and comfort levels in these
descriptions. These are only psychic illusions, but amplified by each
hero’s personal faults and fears.
Players can decide whether to embrace the visions or to pull away. If
they chose to pull away, their character succeeds automatically and
suffers only a brief vision. Characters accepting the challenge of facing
down their inner doubts/fears gain a Hero Point, but the experience is
unsettling and leaves them Impaired for the duration of Scene 4.
OTHER PATRONS
As the heroes walk through the library, they can see clear evidence
that someone has been sorting through it—open books lying on
desks, ledgers pulled half from their shelves, journals tossed haphaz-
ardly onto a chair. A successful DC 15 Investigation check reveals all
these texts relate to cataloging Adrian Eldrich’s experiments and the
artifacts he collected. Two Degrees of Success on this check discovers
some spilled ink on one table is still wet, suggesting this research was
still being conducted just before the heroes arrived—that the heroes
themselves may have interrupted the reader. Three or more Degrees
of Success also finds a discarded plastic figurine of a soldier, a cheap
children’s toy (one of the animated servants Toy Boy used to comb the
library for information).
The heroes aren’t alone in the library. This vast archive was Toy Boy’s
target. After providing Medea with the final incantations that broke
the seals, the invisible spirit hopes to discover how Adrian Eldritch
managed to prevent Una from bonding with Earth’s magical energy
even after his death. He soon learned from Eldrich’s journals that the
Master Mage feared a powerful spellcaster like Malador or Una would
attempt to wrest control of Earth’s magic if he died before Seven was
powerful enough to battle them, and created several magical wards—
the Eldrich Talismans—from existing artifacts in his collection and dis-
persed them around them world. Now Toy Boy’s research is devoted to
learning what and where the Eldrich Talismans are.
Toy Boy avoids confronting the heroes at all costs, and—having al-
ready read several books—is allowed to leave the library even as it
returns any pursuing heroes back to the stacks.
WRAP-UP
The library only wants to be of service and allows visitors to leave
freely after reading anything from its collection. Ideally, the heroes
use this opportunity to research the Nexus itself, but they can also
research Medea or any other magical villains (Eldrich has extensive
notes on all the villains here, save Devil Ray, who acquired his mysti-
cal curse after the Master Mage’s death), read a favorite book, or take
a few minutes to peruse Adrian’s extensive collection of Golden Age
comic books.
1: Assault on the Nerian Nexus
SIDE TREKS
In addition to the rooms presented as part of this adventure, the
heroes may wander into other rooms in they lose their way, need
a break, or need an additional challenge.
Guest Quarters: Modest in size, but sumptuously decorated,
these rooms feature ornate chairs, executive writing desks,
lavish beds—everything to make guests comfortable. If the
heroes rest, it adds one rank of delay in the Medea’s Mastery
section of Scene 6.
Hall of Champions: An expansive area displaying portraits, busts,
and monuments celebrating the Master Mages of earlier eras,
such as Violet Pennyworth and Broken Crow, alongside their al-
lies, from Arthurian knights to the Freedom League. Great deeds
are recreated through artistic displays, along with replicas of the
power-objects used by these worthies in their victories.
Hall of Infamy: Depicted in these room are the most dire threats
faced by Master Mages throughout the ages; glowering stat-
ues, broken fragments of once fearsome weapons and armor,
weathered records of their evil deeds. If you are running As-
sault on the Nerian Nexus as a part of the NetherWar adventure
series, this can provide heroes with their first chance to learn
about upcoming foes like Hell-Queen, Malador, and Una.
Pantry: Modest in size, but stocked with incredibly satisfying re-
freshments, the pantry magically replenishes itself. Partaking of
the victuals immediately dispels fatigue and also grants those
who do so a one-time +2 bonus on their next Fortitude check.
SCENE FOUR CONFLICT SCENE
ROGUES ALLIANCE
After the heroes leave the library, the Nexus hallways lead to the aer-
ary, where precious objects are displayed. Read or paraphrase the fol-
lowing to the players:
Beyond a heavy pair of double doors—the lock smashed to
flinders—lies a museum, with glass cases and shelves ranging
from small figurines and bottles to massive stone heads. Paint-
ings, framed scraps, and broken bits of relief carvings cover the
walls in a chaotic mess. Broken glass lies scattered on the plush
rug, and you hear the sound of shattering glass ahead from some
unseen source.
This area serves as both a trophy room and a trove of legendary ob-
jects, displayed in cases adorned with potent runes and secured with
enchanted locks. Obsidian swords, books bound in demon-hide, in-
struments of patina-ed copper, a battered golden helmet worn by
warrior-kings—all these and more can be found within. But the heroes
are not the only outsiders inside the chamber.
Two villains—the Crime League’s Devil-Ray and Lord of Vampires
himself, Dracula—agreed to a truce when they discovered they both
sought different relics hidden within the Nerian Nexus. Fighting their
way past the Nexus’s defenses, Vlad’s knowledge and Devil Ray’s pre-
ternatural instincts led them to their intended destination. Once in-
side, they overcame the already-weakened binding spells and took
possession of their prizes!
9

A TREASURE TROVE
The museum ceiling rises to 25 feet, with a walkway running around
the outer wall halfway up. The many display cases provide easy cov-
er as well, if heroes decide to use them. The cases themselves are su-
pernaturally sturdy and heavy (Mass rank 5; Impervious Toughness 8;
Expertise: Magic or Technology DC 25 to unlock) and create a mag-
ic-suppressing effect within so long as they aren’t broken (equivalent
to Sustained Simultaneous Nullify Magic 8 [limited to objects]).
The many magical artifacts stored in the museum provide heroes with
a unique opportunity for spending Hero Point to Edit the Scene, grant-
ing them access to magical knickknacks they can wield for a round
or two in combat. The weapons and artifacts shouldn’t be worth any
more Power Points than the hero’s primary attacks, but might allow
heroes to exploit the villains’ weaknesses, such as Dracula’s vulnerabil-
ity to holy weapons.
TACTICS
Devil Ray and Dracula teamed-up to defeat the house’s defenses and
locate their prizes: For Carl Mattus, it is an ancient idol he believes will
halt his inhuman transformation, while Dracula seeks a legendary
vampire weapon, Slake, which can protect him from the light of day.
1: Assault on the Nerian Nexus
spear. If Devil Ray is in danger of losing the Idol of the Soulbinder, he
instinctively taps into the malleable reality of the Nexus, flooding the
room with water for one round and gaining the benefit of his Favored
Environment (underwater) Advantage. Grant any hero he targets a
Hero Point, as the villain “edits the scene”.
Either villain flees if he fails three or more Toughness checks, unless
Dracula’s need to feed overwhelms him. If Dracula flees, he simply
escapes the house with his new prize, but Devil Ray doubles back to
locate and assist Medea in Scene 6, still needing her magic to purge
him of the curse (even if the Idol keeps it at bay).
ROLEPLAYING COUNT DRACULA
Vlad Drakul is more cool and aloof than his temporary
partner, fighting to win a prize rather than save his
immortal life. He has centuries of
combat experience, and relies
on tried-and-true tactics like
unleashing his Mesmerizing
Gaze on the largest foe, trans-
forming them into a body-
guard. The enchanted spear
gives Dracula extra reach

The adventure assumes the heroes arrive just as Devil Ray finishes
smashing open a display containing his prize—the Idol of the Soul-
binder—and Dracula has already claimed the spear Slake. If the he-
roes have had a rough time of it so far, you might instead have them
arrive when only one or neither villain has broken open the appropri-
ate case, forcing them to use a standard action to claim their prize in
combat. Unless the heroes are particularly stealthy approaching the
museum, Dracula notices their approach and the pair hides among
the displays to try and take the heroes by surprise (opposed Stealth
vs. Perception checks).

Both villains are more interested in escaping with their booty than
scoring a victory, but if Dracula succeeds in drawing blood against
an opponent (any hero failing a Toughness check by two or more
Degrees against his attacks), his thirst takes over and he refuses to
break off combat before “feeding” on the target. The Transylvanian
is armed with Slake, an unholy spear he crafted during the Crusades.
While grasping the weapon, Dracula does not need to grab targets to
drain Stamina ranks (which also allows him to regenerate), and has no
particular weaknesses to non-holy magical weapons or sunlight. The
vampire lord avoids shape-shifting because that means abandoning
Slake; he will only do so if he fails three Toughness checks (or fails any
single check by 10 or more).

Devil Ray holds a bizarre totem carved with indecipherable markings,

belonging to a forgotten alien cult. The idol is anathema to Dagon,
the ancient god who cursed Carl Mattus, and it halts his transforma-
tion into a Deep One, but also grants Devil Ray “the Gaze of the Soul-
binder”, a Distracting Perception Reaction Damage 8 effect affecting
anyone looking directly at him; Devil Ray can only maintain the effect
by holding the statue above his head, leaving him Vulnerable, but the
heroes can only avoid the effect by not looking directly at him, grant-
ing Devil Ray Concealment.

The villainous pair are allies of convenience. While both are too profes-
sional to turn against the other, they do not coordinate their attacks.
Once combat begins, Devil-Ray prefers targeting heroes with his
blasters, while Dracula immediately charges the nearest hero with his

10

and the ability to regenerate every time it draws blood. Unable to con-
jure creatures of the night to aid him inside the sanctum, he tries to
keep combat close, using his Spider Climb ability to reach flying op-
ponents. The Vampire Lord is reluctant to hurl Slake, as he spent years
tracking down the weapon and is hardly eager to see it pass from his
hands.
DRACULA PL 11
See the Cast section.
COMBAT INITIATIVE +6
Mesmerizing Gaze — Perception, Affliction 11
Slake +12 Close, Damage 10 (Crit 19–20)
Unarmed +12 Close, Damage 8
Vampiric Bite +12 Close, Weaken STA 8
DODGE PARRY FORTITUDE WILL TOUGHNESS
+11 +12 — +11 +8*
SLAKE 8PP
Unholy Spear: Strength-Based Damage 2 (Improved Critical, Reach
1), Blood Conduit (Feature 1 [counts as contact with blood for vampire
regeneration], Feature 9 [Removes the Grab-Based flaw of a vampire’s
Vampiric Bite]); Easily Removable
ROLEPLAYING DEVIL RAY
Carl Mattus is a desperate man who believes he’s found a cure for a
condition consuming his life, and he is unwilling to relinquish the Idol
of the Soulbinder. He is essentially fighting for his life, and won’t shy
away from brutal attacks in the hopes they will scare away the other
heroes or distract them with aiding an injured friend while he escapes.
Despite fighting to get his life back, Devil Ray can’t shake being a pet-
ty bully, and generally targets whoever he thinks looks weakest. He
doesn’t quite understand the power his new artifact grants him, and
only attempts to use it after a round or two of combat.
DEVIL RAY PL 12
See the Cast section.
COMBAT INITIATIVE +2
Devil Rays +10 Ranged, Damage 10 or Affliction 10
Mindrending Gaze — Reaction Perception Damage 8 (Will)
Unarmed +9 Close, Damage 11/2*
DODGE PARRY FORTITUDE WILL TOUGHNESS
+8 +8 +9 +7 +12/3*
*without armor
IDOL OF THE SOULBINDER 20PP
Mindrending Gaze: Perception Reaction Damage 8 (Alternate Resistance
[Will]; Distracting [must hold idol over head], Sense Dependent [Sight]);
Easily Removable
WRAP-UP
If the heroes defeat the villains, they must decide how to deal with
them. They might find a magical device to contain a defeated or slain
Dracula, such as a silver-lined coffin or blessed urn for his ashes, and
1: Assault on the Nerian Nexus
Devil Ray can be removed from his power armor once incapacitated,
revealing his partial transformation into a Deep One, if the heroes
were not already aware of it. If the heroes take the villains with them,
or take the time to guide them out of the Nerian Nexus and hand them
over to AEGIS, they may give Medea more time to reach her goal.
The heroes can interrogate Devil Ray about his Crime League cohorts
with a successful Intimidate or Persuasion check, but his knowledge
is limited—he’s been chasing a cure, and only knows that Medea has
mumbled the name “Dark Lady” to herself while working on her ritual
to break open the sanctum. If the heroes swear to let him keep the
Idol (or threaten to destroy it), they gain a +2 circumstance bonus to
influence him.
If Devil Ray escapes (or is released after questioning), he joins Medea
and Tom Cyprus in the final confrontation with the heroes in Scene 6;
Medea can use her mastery of the Nerian Nexus to bring his armor to
him if the heroes kept or destroyed it. If the heroes restrain Devil Ray
and take him along, he attempts to escape, but won’t throw in with
the other villains unless he sees the conflict tipping in their favor.
SCENE FIVE CHALLENGE SCENE
MIRROR MOSAIC
Read or paraphrase the following to the players:
Almost too subtly to notice, the details of this mirror-lined hall-
way drift into simpler and simpler forms until only the mirrors
remain, held motionless in a white void. They still form a corridor,
maybe 10 feet wide, but everything else—the walls, the floor, the
ceiling—seem entirely absent as far ahead and behind as the eye
can see.
The mirror mosaic is a “backstage” area of the Nerian Nexus, a conduit
linking the communications and scrying mirrors scattered throughout
the house (such as the one Seven reached out to the heroes through
in Scene 2) . Normally this area would be extremely difficult to access,
but the lack of a Master Mage on-premises has caused bits of the
structure to “decay,” allowing the heroes to wander into it. A successful
DC 20 Expertise check (with specialties such as Magic or Science) can
recognize that much, and that the heroes have essentially stumbled
into the Nerian Nexus’s crawlspace.
The white void extends in every direction, and attempting to travel in
one direction soon leads a character back to where they started. The
only distinguishing feature lies at the end off the corridor: multiple
tall, glittering mirrors set in a semi-circle. These mirrors constantly shift
places, blurring their positions. Gazing at the mirrors on either side
reveals not the heroes’ reflections but images from parallel worlds and
timelines that roughly mimic the characters’ own adventures—the
heroes view alternative versions of themselves, their allies, and their
enemies, all reenacting familiar exploits. Most depict characters and
events with minor alterations—costume changes, shuffles in roster,
different background architecture. Others vary wildly, changing the
heroes’ identities, setting their adventures against alien landscapes,
or seeing worlds where their victories were instead defeats. If you are
running Assault on the Nerian Nexus as a part of the NetherWar story
arc, you can use these mirrors to foreshadow future events, appearing
as bits of alternate reality, such as the heroes dealing with a wounded
Warden or leaping into battle against Seven.
11

Another quirk of the “mirror mosaic” is an indistinct figure, fleetingly
visible among the glass, accompanied by a low voice murmuring ”Pos-
sibilities. SO. MANY. POSSIBILITIES”.
EXITING THE MIRROR MOSAIC
Once the heroes reach the semicircle of large mirrors at the passage’s
end, they face a daunting challenge; all the “doorways” are nigh-iden-
tical, but each reveal different versions of the corridors outside, with
only one corresponding to the architecture of Earth-Prime’s Nerian
Nexus. Characters trying to leap through the correct doorway before
it shifts again must succeed on a DC 35 Athletics check. Failing the at-
tempt results in entering the “wrong” reality, then being pushed back
into the mirror-dimension. One unsuccessful check results in being
Dazed, while a subsequent failure leaves a hero Stunned. Note only
two normal-sized characters can move through the gate at once. The
heroes can identify a pattern in the mirrors’ shifting with a successful
DC 25 Expertise: Math or Perception check; recognizing the pattern
grants a +5 circumstance bonus on Athletics checks made to leap
through the correct exit. Heroes may add ranks of Quickness or Rapid
Visual senses to their Athletics check as well.
THE GLIMPSE
After the first failed attempt, a hissing voice speaks slowly and delib-
erately: “We. Can. Help. Help. You. GET OUT. Help Us. Exit. As Well.” A
blurred outline of a humanoid figure stands in the nearest glass, never
coming into focus. The being speaks in halting but clear tones.
The creature is the Glimpse, a chronozoid (see the Time Traveler’s
Codex) from outside time who seeks to understand possibilities and
branches in timelines. Trapped into the Mirror Mosiac by accident,
they spent years trying to understand three-dimensional beings well
enough to communicate when Adrian Eldritch died, leaving them
with no one to communicate with. Stuck within a single enchanted
mirror, a condition they describe as “Heinous. To my Kind,” the creature
offers to guide the heroes back to “the real-real” in exchange for being
carried out as well. All the heroes need do is “Pluck. Any mirror. March
Through. Any portal—Glimpse guide home.” While the heroes are like-
ly skeptical of Glimpse’s offer, the entity is genuine in their desire and
isn’t overtly a threat, just alien. A successful DC 20 Insight check intuits
that the creature is sincere but intrinsically capricious.
Glimpse wants to escape more than anything and grows increasingly
angry and frustrated if heroes delay or negotiate, perhaps even threat-
ening, but the chronozoid lacks a physical body and can’t attack.
Should the heroes accept the bargain, they only need to pull a mirror
off the “walls” and carry Glimpse through any of the exit mirrors. The
Glimpse proves good as their word, adjusting probability so the he-
roes exit into the Nerian Nexus. Whatever mirror they brought along
shatters, breaking into one fragment per team member and releasing
the entity. The Glimpse is an oddly-angled humanoid silhouette com-
posed of flickering colors. The entity waives a limb over the fragments.
“Use these. Once. Show truth. To self. Then show truth. To another.” The
creature then dissolves into light-motes, scattering across every sur-
face before vanishing without trace.
THE POSSIBILITY SHARDS
The shards of mirror left in the Glimpse’s wake are a sort of thank you.
Each is charged with chronal energy and allows a hero to channel an
1: Assault on the Nerian Nexus
alternate version of themselves from a parallel timeline, changing their
memories and even physical form. If used outside an adventure, when
a hero has time to focus on the shard and rifle through the infinite
possibilities they can embody, a Possibility Shard lets them rebuild
their character as they like, so long as they keep the same number of
Power Points and maintain at least a few common threads (such as
their secret identity or power source), essentially transforming into an
alternate version of themselves.
A Possibility Shard can also be used in the heat of the moment, but its
changes are more unpredictable and temporary. A character can stab
themselves (or another character) with a shard to trigger a random,
instantaneous transformation. A willing character gets no resistance
check, but an unwilling character treats this as Affliction 15 (Resisted
by Fortitude; Transformed; Limited to third degree).
Roll 1d20 on the following table to determine the effects of this ran-
dom transformation:
RESULT CHANGE
Faster: Reduce the character’s Toughness, Fortitude,
1–3 and damage/effect ranks by –4, but increase their
Dodge, Parry, Will, and Attack ranks by +4.
4–5
Tougher: Reduce the character’s Dodge, Parry, Will, and
Attack ranks by –4, but increase their Toughness, Forti-
tude, and damage/effect ranks by +4.
Popular: Increase the character’s Presence by +5, but
6–7
reduce their Awareness and Intellect by –2.
Jump-Start: The character de-ages (1–10) or ages (11–
20) by d20 years. A change of 5-15 years leaves the char-
8–10
acter Impaired for the duration of the change, while a
change of 16-20 years leaves them Disabled.
Radically Altered Body: The character’s body changes
radically, gaining or losing major injuries, altering sex,
or developing a different build that leaves them off-bal-
ance and inexperienced with their new body, but comes
11–15 with a handful of skills known to their alternate-universe
counterpart. Acrobatics and Athletics skills are disabled
(–5), but the hero gains the Beginner’s Luck Advantage;
they can use this Advantage up to five times without
paying the Hero Point cost.
Modified Powers: Alter the hero’s power descriptors
(or exchange them for similar powers); A character with
16–20 fire-control may suddenly find themselves controlling
water or electricity, or a speedster might find them-
selves with teleport powers.
This transformation effect lasts for one scene before the character re-
verts to normal. Once a Possibility Shard has been successfully used
for either application, it loses all power.
WRAP-UP
Once the heroes exit the Mirror Mosiac, they find themselves back in
the halls of the Nerian Nexus near the observatory. Reward clever her-
es who specifically ask the Glimpse to bring them to the observato-
ry with a Hero Point, otherwise the chronozoid, much like the Nerian
Nexus, reads their intent and futures and at least deposits them on the
path toward where they need to be.
Glimpse doesn’t reappear in this adventure, but may be a useful ally
heroes can contact for advice by spending a Hero Point.
12

SCENE SIX CONFLICT SCENE
THE OBSERVATORY
Read or paraphrase the following:
After passing through the wide bronze doors, you find yourselves
standing in a windswept field, near a short, archaic stone plat-
form, thirty feet high and sixty feet across—an ancient observa-
tory. A winding stairway around its perimeter leads to the top,
where stone columns ring the outer edge. A black-haired woman
in Greek dress dances above platform, the stones of the tower
rising up to meet her feet with every step.
While this space seems to be outside—showing a cloudless night
skyline no matter the time of day or night—it is actually still within
the Nerian Nexus. A domed stone ceiling sits unseen 80 feet over-
head, beyond the illusion of the sky, while the room itself is 120 feet
across. The tower itself is little more than a raised platform with a
winding staircase around its perimeter. A ten-foot wide reflecting
pool in the center of the platform is only a few inches deep, and mir-
rors the sky above. Using an orrery embedded in the tower, visitors
can adjust the view to show the sky overhead at any point on Earth,
allowing a thorough study of the heavens and any portents a Master
Mage should be aware off.
Adrian Eldrich kept the Alternity Atlas—an ancient book made of cir-
cular, brass pages—locked up in the aerary, but Sallah has been keep-
ing it here to aid his studies of the night sky. Now that Medea has the
book, she is taking a few minutes to revel in her newfound insights
while she weighs whether to set out immediately to find lost treasures,
or the use the Atlas to master the Nerian Nexus and make it her own
semi-divine realm.
Though Medea is distracted, Tom Cypress—crouched by the reflecting
pool and scooping water into his mouth with his enormous hands—
eyes the entrance carefully and bellows a threat if anyone enters. Once
warned, Medea looks down condescendingly at any would-be super-
heroes and announces “Oh-ho, what’s this? Unannounced visitors in
my new home? Children these days can be so rude. But I suppose I can
find it in my heart to forgive you if you’re here to worship me.” Medea
loves banter, especially when she feels like she has the upper hand,
and is happy to trade barbs with the heroes. If they seem rude, she
uses her Fascinate Advantage to distract them while Tom Cypress lum-
bers into position behind them, letting him catch them Vulnerable for
the first round of combat. Once Tom is in position, the heroes attack,
or Medea simply grows bored, she orders Tom to “Eject these heretics
from your goddess’s house.”
MEDEA’S MASTERY
The Alternity Atlas is a mystic guide to the strange intersections of
time and space, and the Nerian Nexus just happens to be a strange
intersection in time and space. Ever ingenious, Medea’s first task upon
finding the book was study all she could about the sanctum itself. The
more time she has to study the tome, the greater her mastery and the
more it influences this fight. Her study automatically allows her to by-
pass the sanctum’s dimensional wards, letting her use her teleport,
scrying, and summoning spells without hinderance within its walls.
She also gains Flight 1 (4 MPH; Platform) within the Nexus, as the ter-
rain reflexively reshapes itself to support her wherever she steps.
1: Assault on the Nerian Nexus
THE ALTERNITY ATLAS
An ancient Babylonian tool for studying the movement of the
heavens and the lines of magic on Earth, the Alternity Atlas has
been adjusted and modified over the eons into a definitive guide
to the secret doors between worlds, much like those employed
by the Door Wardens. The book also contains many secrets for
navigating limbo realms like the Nerian Nexus, though this func-
tion is largely a plot device.
ALTERNITY ATLAS 8PP
Door Between Worlds: Movement 2 (Dimensional 2 [mystic
dimensions]; Check required 5 [DC 16 Expertise: Magic]), Maps to Lost
Power: Senses 8 (Ranged Extended 6 Detect Magic Artifacts); Favored
Environment: Nerian Nexus; Easily Removable
If the heroes delayed in reaching Scene Six, Medea has time to gain
additional advantages. Consult the following table to determine the
“ranks” of delay:
• Scene One: Tending to wounded civilians after the fight ends
adds one rank.
• Scene Two (and all interstitial scenes): Tarrying too long in Q&A
or exploring side-rooms adds one rank, at GM’s discretion.
• Scene Three: Consult the appropriate table in that scene, adding
or subtracting ranks.
• Scene Four: Escorting a captured Devil Ray through the sanctum
adds one rank. Taking Devil Ray and/or Dracula out of the Nexus
to turn them over to AEGIS adds two ranks.
• Scene Five: Escaping through the Mirror-Mosaic portal after 3-4
failed attempts adds one rank, while taking five or more attempts
adds another rank. If the team escapes with no failures, subtract
a rank.
Add up the cumulative ranks of delay. Medea receives a Mastery point
for each rank of delay. She may spend a Mastery point as a free ac-
tion to alter her surroundings within the Nerian Nexus. This allows her
to (among other things), cause an incoming attack to automatically
miss, invoke an ally’s Favored Environment Advantage (such as Tom
Cypress’s affinity for and regeneration within swamps or Devil Ray’s
underwater grace), or invoke a hero’s Complication.
Even though Medea still carries the Alternity Atlas, all these abilities
are the result of insight and study, not the book directly. She doesn’t
lose these abilities if the heroes take the Atlas from her.
TACTICS
Once combat begins, Tom Cypress and Medea burst into a flurry of ac-
tion. Tom launches himself at as many opponents as he can while Me-
dea summons a horde of eight erinyes. The villains work tactically to
each other’s advantage, with Tom targeting whichever hero seems to
have an edge on Medea or those stunned by Medea’s magic, and Medea
directing at least two of her summoned demons to Aid Tom’s attacks.
Medea also keeps two demons by her to Aid her defenses against the
heroes, while siccing the rest on any heroes that seem to rely on powers
the demons are immune to, such as fire, ice, or acid-based attacks.
If Devil Ray escaped during Scene Four, he rejoins his Crime League
cohorts for the final confrontation.
13

ROLEPLAYING TOM CYPRESS
During the first round, Tom Cyprus’s massive figure looms right be-
tween Medea and the heroes, providing Medea with partial cover
from ranged attacks. The behemoth has little in the way of genuine
tactics, and simply attacks whatever target is closest. He flails away
with his mallet-like fists, but is smart enough to yank columns from
the ground, throwing them or wielding one as a giant-size club. He
responds to Medea’s commands if the sly sorceress directs him to
go after specific opponents or employ slightly more sophisticated
maneuvers, such as digging out a massive paving stone to use as a
makeshift shield.
1: Assault on the Nerian Nexus
ROLEPLAYING MEDEA
A confident trickster always ready with a new angle, Medea has sur-
vived millennia by never underestimating others and never going
into a confrontation without a backup plan for her backup plan.
While she plays at being overconfident, she considers every adver-
sary a potential threat and is happy to fall back, hide, or leave others
to do the fighting for her. Medea does everything she can to keep
the heroes from closing on her, recognizing her vulnerability in me-
lee combat. She loathes men and attacks male heroes preferentially,
but has no particular animus against women or nonbinary heroes.
Medea can’t use any of her other magic spells while maintaining her
summoned demons, so while they remain useful she busies herself
with Taunt attempts to demoralize heroes and Aid checks to improve
her allies’ active defenses. After the heroes defeat at least four of her
demons, she releases the rest and unleashes her Curse of Circe, target-
ing any heroes who seem weak-willed. If Tom Cypress is incapacitated
(or Devil Ray, if he’s present), Medea knows better than to give into
vanity and teleports away, even if she’s forced to leave her treasures—
both the Atlas and Cypress—behind.
So long as she holds the Alternity Atlas, Medea has the Favored Envi-
ronment (summoning chamber) Advantage. She prefers using this to
augment her defenses.
If Medea has at least 3-5 Mastery Points, she has enough time to stage
a single-use magical trap. When a living creature sets foot on the plat-
form, the waters of the reflecting pool animate into tentacles, lashing
out to grab anyone on the platform.
WATER TENTACLE TRAP
Burst Area Affliction 10 (Resisted by Dodge, Overcome by Damage
or Sleight of Hand check; Hindered and Vulnerable, Defenseless and
Immobile; Limited Degree)
If Medea has 5 or more Mastery Points, she has ample time to set a
second trap, which conjures pillars from the ground with a snap of her
fingers (a free action). She can use this ability once.
ERUPTING PILLAR TRAP
Perception Burst Area Damage 10 (Selective)
ROLEPLAYING DEVIL RAY
If Devil Ray is present, he stays close to Medea, fending off
any heroes trying to close with the sorceress and using his
blasters to Team Attack with Medea’s ranged attacks. While he
knows Medea is using him, he also sees the witch as the most
likely cure for his curse now that the Idol is gone. Unlike the ca-
vorting Medea, Devil Ray is all business during this final conflict.
The reflecting pool is too shallow to offer Devil Ray much advantage
in combat, but he or Medea may attempt to manipulate the Nerian
Nexus to let him use his Favored Environment.
Should Devil Ray perceive the heroes are gaining the edge (such as
Tom Cyprus going down or Medea getting stunned), he surrenders
and pleads for mercy from the characters in curing his “condition” after
being taken back into custody.
14
 1: Assault on the Nerian Nexus

WRAP-UP
The ultimate goal of Assault on the Nerian nexus is to re-secure the
magical abode. The heroes triumph if they defeat the villains inside
and get the Alternity Atlas away from Medea—ideally defeating the
sorceress before she can teleport away with her bag of looted artifacts.
Once the villains are subdued, a crackling and clanking sound echoes
through the chamber as the entryway transforms into a massive, iron
door. It swings wide to reveal the villain Warden (see Freedom City).
After identifying himself, the arcane jailer thanks the heroes for
thwarting the “criminal scum,” and apologizes for not arriving
sooner. He intends to transport any captive villains to his Dun-
geon Dimension for “indefinite detention.” A DC 10 Insight
check confirms the Warden is speaking the truth, without
ulterior motives. If the heroes refuse, Warden will not fight
them, but argues that AEGIS has never been able to hold
Medea or Tom Cypress long. She will likely escape, even if
her Crime League compatriots don’t rescue her from
prison. He departs without a fight if they remain
adamant, and flees entirely if the heroes at-
tempt to capture him. But he remembers this
interaction with the heroes when they meet
again later in the NetherWar series.
Heroes who search the chamber come across a seemingly random
teddy bear—a silent observer for Toy Boy as he watched the events.
MEDEA PL 10
See the Cast section.
COMBAT INITIATIVE +1
Curse of Circe — Perception, Affliction 10
Mystic Blast +9 Ranged, Damage 11
Unarmed +5 Close, Damage –1
DODGE PARRY FORTITUDE WILL TOUGHNESS
+9 +9 +7 +12 +11/1*
*without Sorcerous Aegis
ERINYES PL 6
See the Cast section. These characters are minions.
COMBAT INITIATIVE +1
Claws +5 Close, Damage 6 (Crit 19–20)
DODGE PARRY FORTITUDE WILL TOUGHNESS
+5 +5 +7 +5 +7
*without Sorcerous Aegis
EPILOGUE
Following the departure of Medea and her allies (how-
ever they are escorted out), the Nerian Nexus again
becomes stable, and the eldritch edifice once more an-
chors itself in mundane space-time. The spells warding
the sanctum against unwelcome visitors remain
largely disabled, but Sallah and Seven can rebuild
them with time (or assist a mystic hero in doing
the same). The involvement of the heroes sends
a clear message to arcane villains that the Ner-
ian Nexus is protected, and that those who want
to plunder it will need to battle its new champions.
If the heroes tended to Sallah’s wounds, he awakens after
a few hours with a terrible headache, but is pleased to hear
other heroes helped protect Adrian’s legacy and safeguard-
ed the city from evil. If the heroes didn’t tend his wounds, his recovery
takes several days but he remains grateful that the heroes focused on
resolving the crisis. He is happy to teach any of them about magical
lore or answer questions about Adrian Eldrich, Seven, Medea, or Una if
the heroes are still unclear.
While Medea failed in her goals, Toy Boy succeeded in his aims for Una,
reading through Eldrich’s writings and learning of the Eldrich Talis-
mans he crafted to bind any evil-intended Master Mage from bonding
with Earth’s magical energy. Next is finding the right strings to pull for
eager puppets to destroy those talismans on his Dark Lady’s behalf.

TOM CYPRESS PL 10
See the Cast section. GUARDING THE NERIAN NEXUS
Given the continued absence of a Master Mage, the heroes may be
COMBAT INITIATIVE +5
concerned about the future security of the Nerian Nexus. The simplest
Thrown Object +3 Ranged, Damage 15 resolution is for a recovered Sallah to resume his role as caretaker, re-
Unarmed +5 Close, Damage 15 cruiting other spell-casters to fortify or sanctum (or to banish it from
Earth-Prime for the time being).
DODGE PARRY FORTITUDE WILL TOUGHNESS
+5 +5 +15 +5 +15 Another option is for the heroes themselves to take charge, claiming
the sanctum as their headquarters, perhaps with Sallah as an adviser.
The team can spend the Power Points they earned on this adventure
DEVIL RAY PL 12 to gain full access to the Nerian Nexus, or claim it in name only and
See the Cast section.
find themselves having constant problems navigating and controlling
the willful structure. You can also allow heroes to spend future earned
COMBAT INITIATIVE +2 Power Points to upgrade the structure’s features from time to time.
Devil Rays +10 Ranged, Damage 10 or Affliction 10 The most surprising alternative is Tom Cyprus. Heroes had the chance
Mindrending Gaze — Reaction Perception Damage 8 (Will) to glimpse at least one alternate reality where an erudite version of
Unarmed +9 Close, Damage 11/2* the swamp creature—a being animated by powerful magics—served
as caretaker for this wellspring of magic energy. If they subdue Tom, a
DODGE PARRY FORTITUDE WILL TOUGHNESS successful DC 30 Persuasion check can coax some curiosity out of him,
+8 +8 +9 +7 +12/3* and the heroes can awaken that potential with one of the Possibility
*without armor Shards gifted to them by the Glimpse. If the heroes seek this possi-

15

bility, Tom Cyprus’ abilities improve to INT 0 and AWE 3 and he gains
Expertise: Magic 4 (+4), Insight 6 (+9), and Perception 6 (+9), along
with the Artificer, Jack-of-All-Trades, and Favored Enemy (trespassers
in the Nexus) advantages.
REWARDS
The heroes receive three Power Points each for completing the adven-
ture; Gamemasters may award an additional Power Point for heroes
being exceptionally heroic, clever, or brave.
If you played through Assault on the Nerian Nexus as part of the Neth-
erWar story arc, the heroes can keep the Cheval Eye—a silver-hand
mirror that acts as a magical communicator—as a plot device to help
them reach out to Seven in future adventures. Seven may even be
willing to train magically-inclined heroes, though they’ll need to visit
her palace in the Netherworld for lessons, as the Dark Lord can’t leave
without her people paying a heavy price.
The characters gain Sallah’s thanks, giving them an occult contact to
call upon. They also gain the attention of the city’s benevolent super-
natural community (and the enmity of the villains they halted), poten-
tially opening doors for future adventures in aiding magic users allied
with the forces of good. Heroes can spend Power Points to acquire
any of the magical tools they encountered during this adventure, and
they also have the opportunity to gain a Bequest, a legacy tied to the
Master Mage of Earth: Willing heroes may spend the Power Points to
claim ownership of the Nerian Nexus as a headquarters (see sidebar). If
they do, they find it begins reshaping itself to fit their particular needs
and preferences.
If any players wish to redesign their characters, the Possibility Shards
provided by the Glimpse allow them a perfect opportunity to do so
in-between adventures while still retaining a thematic link to every-
thing that has happened. While point totals and level limits remain the
same, anything else is fair game!
CONTINUING THE ADVENTURE
There are several ways to extend this adventure into a longer adven-
ture or story arc:
HARROWING HALLWAYS
The easiest way to extend the adventure is to add more encounters
within the Nerian Nexus. The heroes may come across SHADOW troops
looking for a specific cog for Overshadow’s next scheme, Morlocks
displaced from a sub-realm inside the Nexus, Eight-Fold Path cultists,
more serpentfolk arcanists, magical villains like Arcanix or Red-Teeth
Sven, or virtually any beastie from the Deluxe Gamemaster’s Guide or
Supernatural Handbook. Most will be hostile, as they seek to pillage
the sanctum and or else escape imprisonment. Alternately, the team
may stumble upon wounded villains, laid low by other malefactors;
the characters might render aid and, in gratitude, receive information
on the major villains inside the mansion.
Not every encounter need be adversarial; there may AEGIS agents
who pursued Medea, or civilians who took refuge during the mayhem
outside. If the heroes fared poorly in a battle, they might chance on
a helpful spirit with healing abilities. They may also happen across
strange magical puzzles or riddles that must be solved before they can
proceed deeper into the Nexus.
1: Assault on the Nerian Nexus
BEQUEST: HEADQUARTERS
The Nerian Nexus is a headquarters built into an unassuming
brownstone at 110 Ditko Street in Freedom City, but its interior is
far more ancient, a mystical fold in space and time that has exist-
ed in many different places and in many different forms over the
millennia. Its interior slowly reshapes itself to reflect the tastes of
its master, and inanimate objects within animate on their own to
clean and tidy the halls and buildings.
NERIAN NEXUS 20 EP
Size Medium, Toughness 16, Features Concealed, Dimensional Portal,
Dual Size (Huge interior), Laboratory, Library, Living Space, Personnel,
Security System 2 (DC 25), Self-Repairing, Workshop, Powers Extended-
Only Teleport 10 (1,000 miles; Portal; Check Required (DC 21 Expertise
[Magic], Medium [ley lines])
ARCANIC PANIC
The sheer magnitude of the night’s violence between mystic villains
leaves the city’s population on edge. Any villains who escaped the
confrontation wreak further havoc in the days and weeks that follow
until apprehended or driven away, spreading more dread and para-
noia. Continuing media coverage keeps the anxiety heightened, and
the events of one night become a warning of potential dangers hiding
all around us. The fear builds on itself, as newspapers, television, and
social media continue to cover the events of that fateful evening, and
soon citizens groups form to purge “unnatural” influences from their
neighborhoods and schools. Innocent or even beneficent magical
practitioners may get caught up in this literal witch hunt, and it isn’t
long before the hatred and moral panic turns to age-old targets like
religious minorities, racial minorities, and the LGBT population.
The heroes are the only ones who were inside the Nerian Nexus and
know the truth, but is that enough credibility that people will listen to
them, or does it make their motivations suspect? Is some sort of anxi-
ety-inducing villain—perhaps Fear-Master or Knightfire—stirring and
directing this outrage? Or is this just another tragic example of people
turning on one another in a crisis?
DRACULA RISES FROM THE NEXUS
While all the villains defeated by the heroes have scores to settle, one’s
defeat likely resulted in his destruction: Count Dracula. But the ancient
vampire is a tricky foe, and never gone for long. Slain in the Nerian
Nexus, he may eventually reform with an instinctual understanding
of its power, access to Slake or a fantastic new magical device. With
the Nexus’s nature as a junction of leylines and portals, he may also
find connections and new allies in mystic dimensions like the Realm
of the Fey.
With his new toys and allies, Dracula can corrupt the power of the Nex-
us from within, plunging Freedom City into eternal night and throw-
ing open doors to mystical realms. Undead servants, dragons, or fey—
or undead hybrids of all three—flood out from the Nexus. And Dracula
guides his troops and directs assassins, ready to rule over the chaos
that ensues. Use the Vampire template (Deluxe Gamemaster’s Guide,
page 141) and various monsters from the Supernatural Handbook as a
jumping-off point for the monsters in Dracula’s army.
16

CAST
The following are the major characters encountered in Assault on the
Nerian Nexus, including their backgrounds and game stats.
ABRACADAVER
As a floundering stage magician, Mortimer Coffin was a frustrated fail-
ure, but his depressive withdrawal drove him to study the secrets of
old magicians, then mages, and finally brought him to a mysterious,
untitled black tome. His study of the black book drove him to obses-
sion, neglecting his life and health until he worked himself to death
to master the secrets of the mysterious spell-book, only realizing as
he died that its powers weren’t meant for the living. Mort arose as an
unliving lich, invested with powerful necromancy, but also ironically
found his spirits lifted and his flair for the dramatic restored. He em-
barked on a criminal career as the necrotic Abracadaver to master
more secrets of the arcane and win the fame and fortune he was de-
nied in life. More information on Abracadaver can be found on page
6 of Threat Report.
ABRACADAVER’S ZOMBIES
Abracadvaer’s mastery of necromancy allows him to raise more pow-
erful undead servants than average. His zombie stagehands are strong
and powerful, and latch on to victims they lash out at in combat. They
can also see in the shadowy gloom their master creates.
ABRACADVAER’S ZOMBIES PL 5
STR 4 STA — AGL 0 DEX 0 FGT 3 INT — AWE 0 PRE —
Powers: Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects), Protection 6, Senses 2
(Darkvision).
Advantages: Close Attack 3, Fast Grab, Improved Hold.
COMBAT INITIATIVE +0
Unarmed +6 Close, Damage 4
DODGE PARRY FORTITUDE WILL TOUGHNESS
+2 +4 — — +6
Totals: Abilities –16 + Powers 38 + Advantages 5 + Skills 0 (0 ranks) +
Defenses 3 = 30
SANDSTONE
Alexandra Flint knew a hard life of poverty and abuse growing up, and
managed to escape the cycle by putting her rage to constructive use
as a soldier. But when separated from her unit in the Middle East, she
sought shelter in a forgotten temple where she discovered a glittering
jewel. Touching it unleashed a magical storm that bound Flint to the
stone and sands of the dessert, and soon after she began a career as
Sandstone, a mercenary who could be as ephemeral as a sandstorm
or deliver a rock-solid beating. Thoroughly in love with her own pow-
ers, Flint still remembers what it was like to be helpless, and is one of
Freedom City’s more measured supervillains. She never deliberately
injures people weaker than her and even watches out for kids when
she can. But at her core she loves what she does: fighting cops and
superheroes for money. More information on Sandstone can be found
on page 284 of Freedom City.
1: Assault on the Nerian Nexus
THE DEVIL’S ADVOCATES
A Satan-worshiping biker-gang leader and his three lieutenants, the
Devils Advocates signed a diabolic pact to become hellish horsemen,
riding steeds of iron. Jumped-up thugs who work for drug money,
they have attempted to raid the Nerian Nexus in the employ of the
House of Usher crime family to retrieve an ancestral shield, but got
caught up in the brawl. More information on the Devil’s Advocates can
be found on page 136 of Rogues Gallery.
Only the Born Loser and Cueball appear as active antagonists in this
adventure, but you may increase the danger in Scene 1 by adding one
or both of the remaining members of the Devil’s Advocates to the me-
lee. You may also have the heroes meet Angel and/or Buddy—with or
without their biker minions—inside the house to increase the danger
of other encounters.
THE BORN LOSER
A struggling musician and tweaker, Danny Carmody became the ves-
sel of the Horseman of Famine and has the power to drain vital energy
from anyone nearby. High-energy but odious, he is the loudest of the
Devil’s Advocates and the most eager to goad his partners into fights.
CUEBALL
Loud, arrogant, and violent, Jake Duncan has no place in modern soci-
ety. He solved his problems with a fist or a knife long before channel-
ing the Horseman of War, and his devil’s bargain has only made him
more dangerous.
DEVIL RAY
An ambitious criminal opportunist, Carl Mattus stole an experimental
powered diving suit and made a name for himself as seagoing outlaw
Devil Ray. His notoriety gained him entry into the Crime League, but
he wanted more. Turning to arcane relics of the sea-god Dagon, he
gained the power to control ocean life, but also a curse that is slowly
transforming his mind and body into a true servant of Dagon. Devil
Ray invaded the sanctum searching the Idol of the Soulbinder, which
halts the corruption and, he hopes, can reverse the effects.
Dracula unnerves him, but Mattus fights fiercely beside his ally, as
Devil-Ray is desperate to escape with the idol. If the heroes let him
pass without a fight, he’d much rather escape with his prize than
brawl. More information on Devil Ray can be found on page 206 of
Freedom City.
DRACULA
Lord of the vampires, Dracula was born Vlad Dracul, the prince of the
15h-century nation of Wallachia. He was already a leader of legendary
bravery, cunning, and cruelty before he became a vampire in a desper-
ate bid to survive grievous battlefield injuries. His transformation into
an undead creature of the night blessed him with a variety of pow-
ers, augmented by his confidence and years of eldritch study. He has
spent the centuries since learning to refine his new undead powers
and combine them with the folk magic of his people.
While a brutal warlord in life, in death he has become a suave and in-
sightful man with the patience to outlast his foes, fake his death, and
17

build plots over the course of decades. Like Devil Ray, Dracula is more
interested in escaping with his new prize and is willing to negotiate
with the heroes if it means leaving with Slake—even if he must take
one of them hostage to encourage them to parley.
More information on Dracula and his servants of the night can be
found on page 46 of Threat Report.
1: Assault on the Nerian Nexus
TOM CYPRESS
A simple-minded creature, Tom Cyprus is without a place in the world,
a being born from mystical swamps and known mostly by legend.
Childish and impulsively violent, he is easily manipulated by more
insightful villains like Medea to much greater ends than the violent
rampages he was once known for.

MEDEA OF COLCHIS
The demigod and sorceress of Greek legend, Medea boasts an impres-
sive repertoire of spells coupled with millennia of practical experience
manipulating humans to get what she wants. She especially loathes
men due to the abuse and betrayal in her formative years, culminating
in the cold-blooded murder of her two sons, but finds humanity as a
whole alternately disappointing or infuriating. There is nothing sweet-
er to the divine witch than exposing a person’s high-minded ideals for
the self-serving hypocrisy they inevitably turn out to be.
Tom is utterly convinced that Medea is his “best friend,” after she re-
stored him from apparent destruction at the hands of the Centurion.
Cyprus follows Medea’s orders without question, but he is equally sus-
ceptible to charismatic heroes—provided they don’t speak ill of Me-
dea. More information on Tom Cypress can be found on page 219 of
Freedom City.

Medea is all too aware that the poltergeist visiting her with tidbits of
arcane knowledge is attempting to manipulate her on behalf of an un-
seen master, and while she has suspicions about who her mysterious
new partner may be, she doesn’t yet have enough evidence to act on.
For now, she’s happy to see where this new drama leads, while prepar-
ing her own plans for when her patron inevitably betrays her. More
information on Medea can be found on page 214 of Freedom City.

MEDEA’S DEMONS
Medea can call forth creatures from Hades to serve her bidding, with
a particular fondness for furies. Also called erinyes, these powerful
women warriors carry out divine wrath and fulfill curses. Erinyes use
the statistics for a Warrior Demon found in the Deluxe Gamemaster’s
Guide, with the additional power of Flight 6 (Wings) and the Improved
Critical (Claws), Instant Up, Interpose, and Tracking advantages.

Medea’s Erinyes are minions.

ERINYES PL 6
STR 6 STA 5 AGL 1 DEX 0 FGT 5 INT –1 AWE 1 PRE 0
STR 6 STA 5 AGL 1 DEX 0 FGT 5 INT –1 AWE 1 PRE 0
Powers: Claws Strength-Based Damage 1, Flight 6 (120 MPH; Wings),
Immunity 18 (Acid Damage, Aging, Cold Damage, Disease, Fire Damage,
Poison), Protection 2, Senses 2 (Darkvision).
Advantages: Improved Critical: Claws, Instant Up, Interpose, Tracking.
Skills: Intimidation 4 (+4), Perception 4 (+5).

COMBAT INITIATIVE +1
Claws +5 Close, Damage 6 (Crit 19–20)

DODGE PARRY FORTITUDE WILL TOUGHNESS

+5 +5 +7 +5 +7
*without Sorcerous Aegis
Totals: Abilities 34 + Powers 29 + Advantages 4 + Skills 4 (8 ranks) +
Defenses 10 = 81

18
 1: Assault on the Nerian Nexus

ABRACADAVER PL11
STR STA AGL DEX FGT INT AWE PRE
8 - 1 3 4 3 1 2
POWERS
Cadaverous Body: Enhanced Strength 8; Immunity 30 (Fortitude effects);
Protection 12 (Fades) • 52 points
Dark Aura: Sustained Protection 4 • 4 points
Death Magic: Array (22 points)
• Dark Bolt: Ranged Damage 11 • 22 points
• Dark Tendrils: Ranged Cumulative Affliction 7 (Resisted by Dodge;
Hindered and Vulnerable, Defenseless and Immobile), Extra Condition,
Limited Degree • 1 point
• Dead of Night: Burst Area 2 (60 feet) Visual Concealment 4 Attack (All
Visual) • 1 point
• Death’s Door: Teleport 5 (900 feet; Portal) • 1 point
• Life Drain: Ranged Progressive Weaken Stamina 5 • 1 point
Grave Sight: Senses 5 (Darkvision, Magical Awareness, Ranged Detect Life) DEFENSE
• 5 points DODGE 6 FORTITUDE Immune
The Walking Dead: Summon Zombies 2 (Sixteen 30-point minions), PARRY 6 TOUGHNESS 16
Controlled, Horde, Mental Link, Multiple Minions 4, Sacrifice, Variable
Type: Zombies • 28 points WILL 11

SKILLS POWER POINTS

Deception 10 (+12), Expertise: Magic 10 (+13), Expertise: Medicine 4 (+7), ABILITIES 18 SKILLS 36
Expertise (PRE): Perform 4 (+6), Expertise: Theology 2 (+5), Intimidate 10 POWERS 115 DEFENSES 17
(+12), Perception 6 (+7), Ranged Combat: Death Magic 8 (+11), Sleight of
Hand 8 (+11), Stealth 6 (+7), Treatment 4 (+7) ADVANTAGES 8 TOTAL 194

ADVANTAGES COMPLICATIONS
Close Attack 4, Daze (Deception), Fascinate (Expertise: Perform), Ritualist, Startle Motivation – Power: Abracadaver desires power. He always used to say
that he would find a way to get power, even if it killed him. Well, it did. And
OFFENSE still he wants more.
Prejudice: Few people feel comfortable being in the company of the
INITIATIVE +1 walking corpse. As a result, Abracadaver is feared by most.
Dark Bolt +11 Ranged, Damage 11 Recognition: Abracadaver wants to be remembered as the greatest
Dark Tendrils +11 Ranged, Cumulative Affliction 7, Resisted by magician of all time, and he doesn’t seem to care how he accomplishes that
Dodge (DC 17) feat.

Life Drain +11 Ranged, Progressive Weaken Stamina 5 Rivalry: Part of Abracadaver’s desire to be recognized as a master magician
involves his pathological need to outdo all other living magicians. And if he
Unarmed +8 Close, Damage 8 can outdo the dead ones too, even better.

NOTES
Damage Dazed?
One standard action each round

Staggered?
One standard action, –1 movement

Incapacitated?
Defenseless, Stunned, Unaware

19
 1: Assault on the Nerian Nexus

SANDSTONE PL12
STR STA AGL DEX FGT INT AWE PRE
12/2* 6 2 0 8 2 0 1
POWERS
Sandstone Forms: Array (84 points)
• Sand Form: Burrowing 6; Growth 8, Increases Size Only; Elongation 4;
Flight 4, Gliding; Immunity 30 (Ballistic Damage, Bludgeoning Damage,
Life Support); Insubstantial 1; Movement 1 (Slithering); Sand Blast:
Cone Area Damage 12, AE: Sand Burst: Burst Area Damage 12, AE: Sand
Strike: Strength-based Damage 8 • 84 points
• Stone Form: Enhanced Strength 10, Immunity 32 (Cold Effects, Critical
Hits, Heat Effects, Life Support), Impervious Toughness 10, Massive:
Feature 4 (adds rank to mass), Protection 6 • 1 point

SKILLS
Close Combat: Unarmed 4 (+12), Deception 6 (+7), Expertise: Soldier 9 (+11),
DEFENSE
Insight 6 (+6), Intimidation 11 (+12), Perception 8 (+8), Ranged Combat: Guns DODGE 10 FORTITUDE 12
4 (+8), Stealth 6 (+8), Vehicles 8 (+8)
PARRY 10 TOUGHNESS 6/12*
ADVANTAGES WILL 8 *In Stone Form

All-out Attack, Connected, Defensive Attack, Improved Grab, Improved

Initiative, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 4, Takedown
POWER POINTS
ABILITIES 42 SKILLS 31
OFFENSE POWERS 78 DEFENSES 24
INITIATIVE +6 ADVANTAGES 11 TOTAL 186
Sand Blast — Cone Area Damage 12
COMPLICATIONS
Sand Burst — Burst Area Damage 12
Motivation—Mercenary: Sandstone is out for profit and nothing more.
Unarmed +12 Close, Damage 12 (stone form), 10 (sand form)

NOTES
Damage Dazed?
One standard action each round

Staggered?
One standard action, –1 movement

Incapacitated?
Defenseless, Stunned, Unaware

20
 1: Assault on the Nerian Nexus

DEVI’S ADVOCATE: BORN LOSER PL10

STR STA AGL DEX FGT INT AWE PRE
8 11 6 8 9 1 3 4
POWERS
Hell’s Blessings (Immunity 5 (Aging, Disease, Cold, Heat, Poison) • 5 points
Mass Starvation (Burst Area Progressive Selective Affliction 10 (Resisted
and Overcome by Fortitude; Fatigued, Exhausted, Transformed)) • 50
points

EQUIPMENT
Motorcycle (Medium; Str 1; Spd 6; Def 0; Tou 8)

SKILLS
Deception 2 (+6), Expertise: Music 6 (+7), Expertise: Streetwise 5 (+6),
Intimidation 2 (+6), Perception 3 (+6), Vehicles 4 (+12)
POWER POINTS
ADVANTAGES
ABILITIES 100 SKILLS 11
Equipment 2 (motorcycle), Teamwork
POWERS 55 DEFENSES 5
OFFENSE ADVANTAGES 3 TOTAL 174
INITIATIVE +6
COMPLICATIONS
Mass Starvation — Close, Burst Area Progressive Affliction 10
Motivation—Greed: The Born Loser sold drugs and his very soul for
Unarmed +9 Close, Damage 8 Earthly profit.
Weakness: Contact with supernatural “Good” things, such as blessed
DEFENSE weapons, holy water, or consecrated ground, repels the demonically
DODGE 7 FORTITUDE 11 tainted Born Loser, causing him tremendous pain. He resists this torment
with Fortitude (rank depending on the size of the item and supernatural
PARRY 9 TOUGHNESS 11 potency, consecrated ground is DC 15, for example), with failure leaving
WILL 7 him stunned, dazed, or incapacitated as long as he remains exposed.

NOTES
Damage Dazed?
One standard action each round

Staggered?
One standard action, –1 movement

Incapacitated?
Defenseless, Stunned, Unaware

21
 1: Assault on the Nerian Nexus

DEVI’S ADVOCATE: CUEBALL PL10

STR STA AGL DEX FGT INT AWE PRE
8 11 7 9 9 1 3 5
POWERS
War Axe Strength-based Damage 3, Reach (ranged); Advantages: Improved
Critical, Weapon Break; Easily Removable • 4 points
Hell’s Blessings Immunity 5 (Aging, Critical Hits, Cold, Heat), Impervious
Toughness 11) • 16 points

EQUIPMENT
Motorcycle (Medium; Str 1; Spd 6; Def 0; Tou 8)

SKILLS
Close Combat: Unarmed 3 (+12), Expertise: Streetwise 5 (+6), Expertise:
Tactics 9 (+10), Intimidation 5 (+10), Perception 3 (+6), Vehicles 3 (+12)

ADVANTAGES
POWER POINTS
All-out Attack, Equipment 2 (motorcycle), Fearless, Improved Critical (War
Axe), Improved Critical 4 (Unarmed), Improved Initiative, Improvised ABILITIES 106 SKILLS 14
Weapon, Leadership, Power Attack, Startle, Takedown 2, Teamwork, Weapon POWERS 20 DEFENSES 8
Break
ADVANTAGES 16 TOTAL 164
OFFENSE
COMPLICATIONS
INITIATIVE +11
Complications: Motivation—Greed: Cueball is a total mercenary.
War Axe +9 Close, Damage 11 (Crit 19–20)
Hatred: Duncan despises peacemakers, pacifists, and antiwar activists.
Unarmed +12 Close, Damage 8
Temper: Duncan’s frustrations inevitably lead to violence.

DEFENSE Weakness: Contact with supernatural “Good” things, such as blessed

weapons, holy water, or consecrated ground, repels the demonically
DODGE 9 FORTITUDE 11 tainted Cueball, causing him tremendous pain. He resists this torment
with Fortitude (rank depending on the size of the item and supernatural
PARRY 9 TOUGHNESS 11
potency, consecrated ground is DC 15, for example), with failure leaving
WILL 9 him stunned, dazed, or incapacitated as long as he remains exposed.

NOTES
Damage Dazed?
One standard action each round

Staggered?
One standard action, –1 movement

Incapacitated?
Defenseless, Stunned, Unaware

22
 1: Assault on the Nerian Nexus

DEVIL RAY PL12

STR STA AGL DEX FGT INT AWE PRE
11/2 3 2 1 5 0 0 0
POWERS
Dagon’s Call: Summon Aquatic Creatures 4 (preternatural), Horde, Mental
Link, Multiple Minions 4 (16 minions), Variable General Type, Limited to
in or near water, Self-Powered (creatures arrive on their own) • 41 points
MANTA Suit: Removable (–16 points); Devil Rays (Ranged Damage
10; AE: Stun Setting (Ranged Affliction 10; Resisted and Overcome
by Fortitude; Dazed, Stunned, Incapacitated)); Enhanced Strength 9,
Immunity 10 (life support); Movement 1 (Environmental Adaptation:
Aquatic); Protection 9; Senses 8 (Accurate Hearing (sonar), Darkvision,
Radio, Ultra-hearing); Turbo-propulsion (Swimming 9 (250 MPH), AE:
Flight 4 (30 MPH)) • 62 points
Idol of the Soulbinder: Mindrending Gaze: Perception Reaction Damage
8 (Alternate Resistance [Will]; Distracting [must hold idol over head], DEFENSE
Sense Dependent [Sight]); Easily Removable • 20 points
DODGE 8 FORTITUDE 9
PARRY 8 TOUGHNESS 12/3*
SKILLS WILL 7 *without armor
Athletics 4 (+15), Close Combat: Unarmed 4 (+9), Expertise: Diving 8 (+10),
Expertise: Magic 2 (+2), Intimidation 4 (+4), Investigation 4 (+4), Perception POWER POINTS
6 (+6), Ranged Combat: Devil Rays 5 (+10), Technology 8 (+8) ABILITIES 26 SKILLS 23
POWERS 123 DEFENSES 22
ADVANTAGES
ADVANTAGES 6 TOTAL 200
Favored Environment (Aquatic), Move-by Action, Ranged Attack 4
COMPLICATIONS
OFFENSE
Dagon’s Curse: Devil Ray is slowly mutating into an aquatic creature.
INITIATIVE +2 Regular treatments hold his condition at bay, but he is constantly searching
Devil Rays +10 Ranged, Damage 10 (or Affliction 10) for a cure.
Mindrending Gaze — Burst Area Damage 8 (Will) Motivation—Greed: A true pirate at heart, Devil Ray has always been
motivated by what he can take and get away with.
Unarmed +9 Close, Damage 11

NOTES
Damage Dazed?
One standard action each round

Staggered?
One standard action, –1 movement

Incapacitated?
Defenseless, Stunned, Unaware

23
 1: Assault on the Nerian Nexus

DRACULA PL11
STR STA AGL DEX FGT INT AWE PRE
8 - 2 2 12 3 3 4
POWERS
Children of the Night: Summon Animals 2 (Bats, Rats, or Wolves; Horde,
Mental Link, Multiple Minions 6 (64 minions)) • 31 points
Creatures of the Night: Morph 2 (Bat or Wolf form, Metamorph 2) • 12
points
Form of Mist: Insubstantial 2 • 10 points
Mesmerizing Gaze: Perception Range Affliction 11 (Resisted and
Overcome by Will; Entranced, Compelled, Controlled), Sight-Dependent
• 22 points
Spider-Climb: Movement 1 (Wall-crawling) • 2 points
Vampiric Bite: Weaken Stamina 9 (Resisted by Fortitude), Limited to
Draining 1 rank per round, Grab-based • 3 points
OFFENSE
Vampiric Invulnerability: Immortality 10 (Limited: Not When Staked or INITIATIVE +6
Beheaded); Immunity 30 (Fortitude); Impervious Protection 8 (Limited: Mesmerizing Gaze — Perception, Affliction 11 (Will DC 21)
Not Versus Blessed, Magical, or Silver Weapons); Regeneration 10
Slake +12 Close, Damage 10
(Source: Blood) • 53 points
Slake: Strength-Based Damage 2 (Improved Critical, Reach 1), Blood Unarmed +12 Close, Damage 8
Conduit (Feature 1 [counts as contact with blood for vampire Vampiric Bite +12 Close, Weaken Stamina 9
regeneration], Feature 9 [Removes the Grab-Based flaw of a vampire’s
Vampiric Bite]); Easily Removable • 8 points DEFENSE
DODGE 11 FORTITUDE Immune
PARRY 12 TOUGHNESS 8
EQUIPMENT
WILL 11
CASTLE LAIR • 10 POINTS
Size: Huge • Toughness: 10 • Features: Holding Cells (dungeon), POWER POINTS
Laboratory, Library, Living Space, Personnel
ABILITIES 58 SKILLS 32
SKILLS POWERS 141 DEFENSES 17
Deception 8 (+12), Expertise: Magic 4 (+7), Insight 8 (+11), Intimidation 9 ADVANTAGES 19 TOTAL 267
(+13), Perception 8 (+11), Persuasion 10 (+14), Ranged Combat: Throwing 8
(+10), Stealth 8 (+10) COMPLICATIONS
Dependence: Dracula must feed on blood or weaken and eventually
ADVANTAGES perish.
Animal Empathy, Attractive, Benefit 5 (Lord of Vampires), Daze Weaknesses: Exposure to sunlight or a stake through the heart can destroy
(Intimidation), Equipment 2 (Castle Lair), Fascinate (Deception), Fearless, Dracula and religious icons (when wielded by a true believer in that faith)
Improved Grab, Improved Hold, Improved Initiative, Move-by Action, Power repel him.
Attack, Ritualist, Startle

NOTES
Damage Dazed?
One standard action each round

Staggered?
One standard action, –1 movement

Incapacitated?
Defenseless, Stunned, Unaware

24
 1: Assault on the Nerian Nexus

MEDEA PL10
STR STA AGL DEX FGT INT AWE PRE
-1 1 1 1 5 2 4 7
POWERS
Dark and Ancient Sorcery: Array (67 points)
• Curse of Circe: Perception Ranged Affliction 10 (Resisted and Overcome
by Will; Fatigued, Stunned, Transformed), turns humans into beasts • 1
point
• Hecate’s Crushing Will: Perception Ranged Damage 10, Alternate
Resistance (Will) • 1 point
• Hecate’s Puppet: Perception Ranged Cumulative Affliction 10 (Resisted
and Overcome by Will; Entranced, Compelled, Controlled) • 1 point
• Hermean Stride: Teleport 12 (16 miles), Accurate, Increased Mass 5
(1,600 lbs.) • 1 point
• Legions of Hades: Summon Demons 6, Broad Type, Continuous, Mental
Link, Multiple Minions 3 (8 demons)
• 67 points
• Mystic Blast: Ranged Damage 11, Accurate 4, Multiattack, Penetrating 1,
Variable Descriptor (any magical damage effect) • 1 point
• Sorcerous Scrying: Remote Sensing (Visual and Auditory) 22 (16000
miles), Concentration • 1 point DEFENSE
• Shadow of Life: Summon Animated Object 11, Broad Type • 1 point DODGE 9 FORTITUDE 7
Immortal: Immunity 3 (Aging, Disease, Poison) • 3 points PARRY 9 TOUGHNESS 11/1*
Sorcerous Aegis: Impervious Protection 10, Sustained • 20 points
WILL 12 *Without Sorcerous Aegis.

SKILLS POWER POINTS

Deception 10 (+17), Expertise: History 10 (+12), Expertise: Magic 12 (+14),
ABILITIES 40 SKILLS 34
Insight 8 (+12), Intimidation 4 (+11), Perception 4 (+8), Persuasion 8 (+15),
Stealth 4 (+5), Treatment 8 (+10) POWERS 97 DEFENSES 26
ADVANTAGES 13 TOTAL 210
ADVANTAGES
Accurate Attack, Attractive, Defensive Attack, Diehard, Fascinate COMPLICATIONS
(Deception), Languages 5 (English and up to 11 others, Ancient Greek Motivation—Revenge: Medea is hateful and embittered, which she
native), Ritualist, Taunt, Trance directs at the world and a progression of targets in turn.
Misandrist: Medea’s experiences have twisted her feelings so that she
OFFENSE particularly hates men.
INITIATIVE +1 Power Loss: Sorcery and Sorcerous Aegis, when unable to speak and
Curse of Circe Perception Ranged Affliction 10 (Will DC 20) gesture to cast her spells.
Sadist: Medea loves to watch her enemies suffer emotional pain and
Crushing Will Perception Ranged Damage 10 (Will DC 25)
distress.
Mystic Blast +9 Ranged Damage 11, Multiattack Unforgiving: Medea can literally hold a grudge forever and never forgets
Puppet Perception Ranged Affliction 10 (Will DC 20) (or forgives!) a slight against her.

NOTES
Damage Dazed?
One standard action each round

Staggered?
One standard action, –1 movement

Incapacitated?
Defenseless, Stunned, Unaware

25
 1: Assault on the Nerian Nexus

TOM CYPRESS PL11

STR STA AGL DEX FGT INT AWE PRE
15 15 5 3 5 -3 0 0
POWERS
Huge: Enhanced Strength 2, Limited to Lifting; Growth 4, Permanent,
Innate • 11 points
Inhuman Mind: Immunity 10 (Mental Powers), Limited to Half Effect • 5
points
Not Truly Alive: Immunity 11 (Aging, Life Support) • 11 points
Swamp Walk: Movement 1 (Water-walking) • 1 point
Unkillable: Immortality 5 (1 day), Limited (killed permanently by
cremation); Impervious Toughness 15; Regeneration 10, Persistent,
Source: Swamps • 30 points

SKILLS
Athletics 3 (+18), Intimidation 9 (+11)

ADVANTAGES POWER POINTS

All-out Attack, Chokehold, Diehard, Favored Environment: Swamps, ABILITIES 64 SKILLS 9
Improved Grab, Power Attack, Startle, Takedown 2 POWERS 58 DEFENSES 9
ADVANTAGES 9 TOTAL 146
OFFENSE
INITIATIVE +5 COMPLICATIONS
Unarmed +5 Close, Damage 15 Motivation—Acceptance: Tom Cypress wants to be left in peace, but also
longs for acceptance from outsiders, something those looking to exploit his
DEFENSE power have been all to willing to offer.
Monstrous: Tom Cypress’ monstrous origins and appearance further
DODGE 5 FORTITUDE 15
complicate his attempts at finding acceptance.
PARRY 5 TOUGHNESS 15 Temper: The creature’s simple mind is often consumed with rage when
WILL 5 challenged or threatened.

NOTES
Damage Dazed?
One standard action each round

Staggered?
One standard action, –1 movement

Incapacitated?
Defenseless, Stunned, Unaware

26
 1: Assault on the Nerian Nexus

CREDITS & LICENSE

Mutants & Masterminds Astonishing Adventures: Assault on the Nerian Nexus ences to other copyrighted material in no way constitute a challenge
to the respective copyright holders of that material. Mutants & Mas-
Writing: John Polojac
terminds, Super-powered by M&M, Green Ronin, and their associated
Design: Crystal Frasier
logos are trademarks of Green Ronin Publishing, LLC.
Editing: Steve Kenson
Proofing: Jaym Gates The following is designated as Product Identity, in accordance with
Art Direction: Hal Mangold Section 1(e) of the Open Game License, Version 1.0a: hero points,
Graphic Design: Crystal Frasier power points. All characters and their associated images, descriptions,
Interior Art: Anthony Castrillo. Alberto Foche, Scott James, and backgrounds, and related information are declared Product Identity.
Ramon Perez The following text is Open Gaming Content: all game system rules and
Publisher: Chris Pramas material not previously declared Product Identity.
Team Ronin: Joseph Carriker, Crystal Frasier, Jaym Gates, Kara
Hamilton, Troy Hewitt, Steve Kenson, Ian Lemke, Nicole Lindroos, Green Ronin Publishing
Hal Mangold, Chris Pramas, Evan Sass, Malcolm Sheppard, 3815 S. Othello St., Suite 100 #304
Will Sobel, Owen K.C. Stephens, and Dylan Templar Seattle, WA 98118
Email: custserv@greenronin.com
Mutants & Masterminds Astonishing Adventures: Assault on the Nerian Web Sites: www.greenronin.com
Nexus is ©2020 Green Ronin Publishing, LLC. All rights reserved. Refer- www.mutantsandmasterminds.com

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Open Game License v 1.0 Copyright 2000, Wizards of the
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System Reference Document, Copyright 2000, Wizards of
the Coast, Inc., Authors Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip
Williams, based on original material by E. Gary Gygax and
Dave Arneson.
Modern System Reference Document, Copyright 2002-2004,
Wizards of the Coast, Inc.; Authors Bill Slavicsek, Jeff Grubb,
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Green Ronin Publishing, LLC; Author Steve Kenson.
Mutants & Masterminds Astonishing Adventures: Assault on
the Nerian Nexus, Copyright 2020, Green Ronin Publishing,
LLC; Author John Polojac.

27