The Shifting Sands Scenario Notes

The once stable desert town of Azur has been experiencing strange
and alarming changes in the environment.

The sand dunes are shifting at a disturbing rate, revealing ancient

ruins and strange artefacts.

The town's water supply has become tainted, leading to strange

illnesses and mutations in the local wildlife.

As the situation worsens, authorities have become increasingly

desperate, with some willing to do whatever it takes to hold on to
power and stability.

A town facing such tumultuous times is ripe for opportunities for

those ready and willing to seize them …

● Experienced group of accidental archaeologists, treasure

seekers or tomb raiders, depending on your perspective.

● Worked together on many field trips and vanity expeditions

for one patron of the ancient arts or another, for which you
are amply compensated.

● Some familiarity with Azur - one of the oldest and most

prosperous hubs of the land, an unlikely oasis in the
dunsescape.

● Been away on field trips for several years, news of the

shifting sands has reached you and you are drawn back to
the town by the opportunities that may be had from the
ancient ruins that have been uncovered.

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 ● You have been travelling for a few days and reached the
town late last night, just as the sand gates were being pulled
shut.

● The town guards urged you to take shelter before curfew

takes effect and direct you to the main square where you
take board at the Crescent Moon. It’s a middling
establishment overlooking the forum, and the only one still
open before the town goes into its nightly lockdown. The
proprietor - a jovial, pot bellied man who introduces
himself as Ashram Ibn Habi - welcomes you in before
slamming shut the storm shutters.

● Exhausted by your journey - the latter stages of which has

been dogged by especially harsh weather, with scorching
heat and freezing nights that have taken a toll on you and
your gear - you check in and retire, rising the next morning
refreshed after a welcome night under a solid roof and
proper beds.

SCENE 1: MONTAGE / FLASHBACK

● You have some time to do your own thing in the morning

before re-grouping for lunch.

● Quick montage / flashback scene to introduce and give a

flavour of your characters, focusing on what you get up to
that morning.

● For example, restocking damaged supplies, exploring the

town, meditating, fraternise with the locals, visit a gallery
or temple, and so on.

● Feel free to tap into a specialisation, your bad habits /

weaknesses (to boost survival points), or spend a point to
acquire some special gear.

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The Shifting Sands Scenario Notes

SCENE 2: MARKET SQUARE

● Al fresco dining at the front of the Crescent Moon. It’s hot,

but sheltered from the afternoon sun, and there’s a brisk
breeze that keeps you cool.

● From your seat you see the town alive. The market square is
replete with hawkers and bustling trading stalls. Pockets of
people gather around assorted street preachers and
demagogues, scattered around the place. Pairs of town
guards roam amongst them exerting an air of authority.

● Diagonally opposite is the Temple of the Guardians, which

famously is also the site of the town’s main water tower.
More guards - better equipped than the town guards you
saw last night - are stationed there.

● As you take it all in, Mustafa - your waiter - brings you your
lunch. He has the practiced civility of an experienced host,
and makes light conversation as he tops up your drinks.

● “What plans have you for the afternoon in our beautiful

town, if I may be so bold as to ask?”

● ...

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SCENE 2.5: STORM

● A siren rings, and your hear cries of “sandstorm”, just as

you feel the wind picks up, lifting up your tablecloth to
knock over your jug and plates.

● Around the square, traders batten down their stalls, and

people start to gather their chattels and scatter for safety.

● A preacher fervently prays to the skies as the sand starts to

envelop him. The demagogue’s placards bobs above the
crowd, heading towards the Temple. Guards there close
ranks and more appear to barricade and secure it. Behind
you there is a loud bang, as the storm shutters to the
Crescent Moon are slammed closed.

● What do you do?

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SCENE 3: CATACOMBS

● The Catacombs are a network of passages under the city.

More people are becoming aware of and using them to get
across the city since the fierce storms that have started to
occur.

● In many places the passages are wet, as groundwater rises

from below, which provides potable water for the town.

● Around the Temple area in particular, there is evidence of

mutated underground flora and vermin. The water is tainted
and glimmers with a deep reddish hue.

● Following the network of passages out of the city, towards

the ruins, reveals a chamber that is being used for some
kind of congregation.

● Geometric patterns are marked out on the floor, and

intricately carved into a frame on a polished slab of wall.

● On that is an etched scene depicting members of a tribe, a

temple, a bustling market and some kind of ancient ritual.
Interpreting this, it shows the sacrifices, the prospering
town and the site of the ruins.

● An ancient looking artefact sits on an altar / plinth in the

centre of the chamber. It is made from a dense obsidian
material, carved into the shape of a small skull, and etched
with a familiar repeating pattern of the town’s seal.

● On close inspection, there is a ridge on the ground around

the plinth and the ground slopes inward, allowing fluids
(such as ritual blood) to drain cleanly away underneath the
plinth. This area is stained with a dull reddish hue.

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SCENE 4: RUINS

● The Ruins are the burial site of the sacrificed first borns.

● The underground passage from the town that eventually

reaches here is a fairly direct route, once it gets past the
town perimeter. Inspection shows that it is recently used, in
both directions.

● It is clearly an intentional route that ends in a sturdy locked

door. The key is held by the leader of the Cult of the
Forgotten Sons.

● If not opened with a key, a trap is triggered that unleashes a

swarm of scurrying roaches and beetles (LEGION: Risk
Check to evade).

● The passages quickly become lined with skulls and bones.

The ruins are clearly an ossuary. The bones are all of
children.

● The passages lead to a central chamber which is lined with

obsidian skulls. The floor has the texture and sound of
crushed bone. The presence of the Forgotten Sons is intense.

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SCENE 5: RITUAL

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SCENE 6: SHOWDOWN

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VICTIM NAME Layla Bhatura

Identify 4 / 4 Obscure CONCEPT / NOTES

A seasoned tracker who has
8 Keen Senses spent years exploring the
shifting sands of the desert.
Persuade 5 / 3 Dissuade Tough, practical, with a sharp
eye for detail. Fiercely
7 Resourceful independent and sometimes
cold and distant.
Escape 5 / 3 Pursue
BAD HABITS / WEAKNESSES
9 Pragmatic Survivalist Trust Issues, Traumatized by
past losses, Hardened to the
Assault 5 / 5 Protect plight of others.

Do not roll for INITIATIVE. Declare your action first to claim it.

Spend Survival Points Gain Survival Point

● Flip an attribute pair for a ● Roll a double
scene ● Play to Bad Habits and cause
● Re-roll a check yourself problems
● interrupt another character ● Run with clichés
or gain initiative ● Describe your actions
● Introduce a story element evocatively
● Acquire a useful item ● Rest for a scene
● Add a specialisation ● Monster gains Survival Point
on roll of 13

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VICTIM NAME Father Marco Rotli

Identify 5 / 3 Obscure CONCEPT / NOTES

Aging former priest who had
9 Soaked with Wisdom & served the people of Azur for
Lore many years. Wise,
compassionate, with a deep
Persuade 3 / 5 Dissuade understanding of human
nature. He's also plagued by
7 Dripping with Empathy doubt and haunted by the sins
of his past.
Escape 6 / 4 Pursue
BAD HABITS / WEAKNESSES
Doubtful, Grieving, Addicted
Assault 4 / 4 Protect to medication.

8 Next to Godliness

Do not roll for INITIATIVE. Declare your action first to claim it.

Spend Survival Points Gain Survival Point

● Flip an attribute pair for a ● Roll a double
scene ● Play to Bad Habits and cause
● Re-roll a check yourself problems
● interrupt another character ● Run with clichés
or gain initiative ● Describe your actions
● Introduce a story element evocatively
● Acquire a useful item ● Rest for a scene
● Add a specialisation Monster gains Survival Point on
roll of 13

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VICTIM NAME Amir Naahn

Identify 4 / 4 Obscure CONCEPT / NOTES

Shrewd merchant who has
8 Eye for Profit made his fortune selling
exotic goods in the markets of
Persuade 3 / 5 Dissuade Azur. He's cunning and
charismatic, with a quick wit
9 Charismatic Wit and a keen eye for profit. He's
also deeply superstitious and
Escape 5 / 3 Pursue has a secret fear of the
supernatural.
7 There’s Always a Way
BAD HABITS / WEAKNESSES
Assault 3 / 7 Protect Superstitious, Greedy, Easily
Intimidated.

Do not roll for INITIATIVE. Declare your action first to claim it.

Spend Survival Points Gain Survival Point

● Flip an attribute pair for a ● Roll a double
scene ● Play to Bad Habits and cause
● Re-roll a check yourself problems
● interrupt another character ● Run with clichés
or gain initiative ● Describe your actions
● Introduce a story element evocatively
● Acquire a useful item ● Rest for a scene
● Add a specialisation Monster gains Survival Point on
roll of 13

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VICTIM NAME Marisol Paratha

Identify 3 / 5 Obscure CONCEPT / NOTES

A skilled thief who has made a
8 Keen Instincts living ‘redistributing’ assets
of the wealthy. She's agile and
Persuade 4 / 6 Dissuade stealthy, with a sharp mind
for strategy. She's also
reckless and impulsive, with a
tendency to act without
Escape 4 / 4 Pursue thinking.

8 Spirit of the Tomb Raider BAD HABITS / WEAKNESSES

Impulsive, Short-tempered,
Assault 3 / 5 Protect Secretly Desperate.

9 Impulsive Strike

Do not roll for INITIATIVE. Declare your action first to claim it.

Spend Survival Points Gain Survival Point

● Flip an attribute pair for a ● Roll a double
scene ● Play to Bad Habits and cause
● Re-roll a check yourself problems
● interrupt another character ● Run with clichés
or gain initiative ● Describe your actions
● Introduce a story element evocatively
● Acquire a useful item ● Rest for a scene
● Add a specialisation Monster gains Survival Point on
roll of 13

Dead of Night is a game of campfire horror by @andrewkenrick of steampowerpublishing.com

The Shifting Sands Scenario Notes

TENSION 4

5 10 15

Circumstances Intensity
● Only Obscure and Escape Cap at T/5 (rounded up)
checks by players
● Any Risk check Mood
● Any Monster Limited Cliches
Specialisation check

AT 5 (Max Spend: 1)
Sandstorms assault the town, forcing people to take cover and
creating a cloud of obscurity, under which both the Cult of the
Forgotten Sons and the Authorities seek to exert their positions.

AT 10 (Max Spend: 2)
A necrotic stench hangs in the air across the town, seeping out
from the ground. It is especially palpable in the catacombs and
around the Temple and ruins. Haunting sounds of mourners
wailing and children crying can be heard around the place.

AT 15 (Max Spend: 3)
The legion of Forgotten Sands erupt out of the ancient ruins and
charge across the dunes to lay waste to the town, targeting the
seats of power. A massive sandstorm cloud from the eruption can
be seen from town as can the rapidly encroaching dust in the
legion’s wake. A sonic resonance steadily rises as they approach.
Cultists of the Forgotten Sons kick off inside the walls.

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Forgotten Sons Vengeful Dead

The spirits of the generations of first born sacrificed by the Founders of

Azur and their bloodlines to bring prosperity to the town and maintain
power. They are stirred to seek their vengeance on the ruling families
in particular and to raze the town so they can rest in peace.

5 SURVIVAL POINTS

Identify 3 / 5 Obscure 8 Sandstorms

Persuade 2 / 6 Dissuade 8 Anguished Screams

Escape 5 / 5 Pursue

Assault 2 / 4 Protect 7 Cult of the Forgotten Sons

7 Legion of the Forgotten Sons

VULNERABILITY. Dormancy / Inhibition (Sacrifice)

If blood of a first born is ritually spilled, and the life snuffed out in the name of Azur, the Forgotten
Sons retreat in grief. They are reduced to 1 Survival Point.

CULT OF THE FORGOTTEN SONS (PROTECT).

Many of those turned by the Anguished Screams have organised into the Cult of the Forgotten
Sons, sworn to bring to the open the spirits of the sacrificed to destroy the town of Azur and its
legacy.

ANGUISH SCREAMS (PERSUADE)

The haunting screams of generations of sacrificed first born penetrate the psyche of those who are
targeted. They are moved to halt any attack, or, if not attacking, act in empathy for the sacrificed.
Replace 1 Survival with 1 Corruption Point. If a character is fully converted, they become one with
the Cult of the Forgotten Sons - and the Forgotten Sons gain 1 Survival Point.

LEGION OF THE FORGOTTEN SONS (ASSAULT)

The spirits manifest that are brought about by the awakened ghosts. Every opponent present loses
a Survival Point when successful in a Risk Check.

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The Shifting Sands Scenario Notes

TENSION 4

5 10 15

Circumstances Intensity

Mood

AT 5

AT 10

AT 15

OPENING SCENE

Exterior. Forum. Morning.

The party is taking lunch, having spent the morning doing … what?

INTRODUCTORY BANTER.
Wind picks up. People start to take cover. Pace picks up.
Good connections? Invited to go underground. No? See others
scatter and some go under.

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Dead of Night is a game of campfire horror by @andrewkenrick of steampowerpublishing.com
LOCATIONS
● The Forum / Guest House

● The Water Tower

● Catacombs

● Temple of the Guardians

● Tomb of the Ancestors

● The Dunes

SECRETS & CLUES

● The Catacombs are a network of passages under the city.
More people are becoming aware of and using them to get
across the city since the fierce storms that have started to
occur..

NON-PLAYER CHARACTERS

Dead of Night is a game of campfire horror by @andrewkenrick of steampowerpublishing.com

Dead of Night is a game of campfire horror by @andrewkenrick of steampowerpublishing.com
The Shifting Sands Secrets

Dead of Night is a game of campfire horror by @andrewkenrick of steampowerpublishing.com

The Shifting Sands Secrets

Reference Prompts | Character Concepts | NPCs | Scenes

● Monster - why does it act? Vengeful spirits, especially

against the dynasties of the powerful. How does it act?
Maybe they’ve always been there, psycho-geological but
increasingly feeding off the resistance to authority in the
town. It uses psychic forces to manipulate the environment.
What can it control? It’s taken control of a group of people
in the deserts, the guardians of those spirits whose job it is
to keep spirits in check.

● Guardians - there are some trying to use the artefacts from

below to help the living over their duty to support the dead
and through this bring about a catechism.

● Guardians are born not made. Selected on their 7th birthday

and taken to a training camp in the mountains. These elite
members of society are raised in harsh conditions to
prepare them for battle survival. However, their reward for
this role is access to any and all areas of society from the age
of 25. Trained in martial and spiritual arts their role is to
monitor the metaphysical borderlands for signs of unrest.
Many Guardians experience a mental and physical
flabbiness on reentry to society - the final test is their
ability to reconnect to their training even in a world of
excess.

● 7 couples founded the city, drawn from the seven continents

of Earth. They founded it on noble goals of community
endeavour, crops to feed a nation and creating a vibrant
culture that celebrated their diverse roots. Drawn to a
society founded on hope and diversity their community

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 grew rapidly. However, people are people and factions,
divisions and politics were always going to come to the fore
eventually. A coup ensued and only 3 families survived, the
remaining community swore allegiance to them.
●
● Unbeknownst to them, Linara, the heavily pregnant,
youngest wife (now 30s, just 16 when they established their
brave new world) of the founding couples escaped into the
surrounding forest with Arul, her counsel. They created a
small safe space to watch developments from occasionally
returning to steal much needed food. Linara gave birth to a
daughter (one of the Victims?)
●
● On her daughter’s 7th birthday, Linara was taken by a fever.
Her daughter pleaded with the spirits of the forest and
founders to save her but the plea failed. In her anguish at
her mother’s death, she cursed the remaining founders to
death in torment that would only be relieved by offerings
from the society they created. As the society grows further
away from the ideals and allegiances, so the founders spirits
would be awakened and tormented.

Dead of Night is a game of campfire horror by @andrewkenrick of steampowerpublishing.com