THE BUS HUNT

A Disturbance for Monster Hour: Absurdia (Arc 1)

The Disturbance

“We’re receiving several calls this morning from people around town claiming to have spotted a
bus roaming the streets of Somewhere. Observers claim it was a fully articulated model with an
old Transit Authority coat, and that it disappeared when looked upon directly - which buses are
known to do. It’s not clear if this noble behemoth escaped from the municipal auto barn or if we
have a rare wild specimen on our hands - but either way this is quite the development.”
- Sebastian Strange, WSOM: Radio Somewhere

Countdown
1. The Bus appears in town and begins to cause problems (traffic accidents, property
damage, etc.)
2. Factions in town begin to mobilize as awareness of the Bus spreads
3. Tensions escalate as factions become more aggressive in their pursuits, leading to more
incidents as the Bus attempts to escape
4. One of the town’s factions captures the Bus (or otherwise achieves its goal)

Threats

The Hunt (Conflict)

The Issue: For the first time in as long as anyone can remember, a wild Bus is loose in
Somewhere. Noble creatures known for their time-bending properties - along with their
penchant for unintentional property damage - the Bus’s appearance has drawn the immediate
attention of the town’s factions.

The Factions:
Involvement Resources Strategy

Bureaucracy The Bureaucracy wants A jury summons to hunt Since most of code
to capture the Bus to the Bus; a handful of enforcement is very
restore order to town code compliance busy, the Juror is
and to study it’s officers patrolling town primarily tasked with
quantum properties bringing the Bus back
to City Hall

Community The Community wants A volunteer search Use their numerical

to capture the Bus and party outfitted with advantage to fan out
 place it in the Municipal whaling gear, organized and cover as much
AutoBarn, where a by Normal Brewing ground as possible. As
variety of other vehicles Company soon as someone spots
are held in town the Bus, radio the rest
of the search party and
converge

Underbelly Engaged only by proxy n/a n/a

through Jackie’s
request that Max bring
her the Bus

Entropy Engaged only by proxy n/a n/a

through Walker’s
request that Claire
consume the heart of
the Bus

The Bus (Phenomenon)

● What is it?
○ An overlarge transit vehicle with the sentience of a large mammal, capable of
bending the “laws” of space and time. The Bus is the focal point of the conflict
due to both its quantum properties and its penchant for (unintentionally) causing
problems in town.
● What is its effect(s)?
○ Quantum Superposition - The Bus exists in a state of quantum superposition
when traveling: it is simultaneously early, late, and on-time all at once. While
moving, it can jump forward or back through its own timestream, allowing it to
teleport short to medium distances.
○ Distemporal Carriage - Because of its quantum superposition, the interior of the
Bus exists outside the ordinary passage of time; different segments correspond
to different points on the timeline. While the Bus is moving, these sections and
their passengers are generally frozen in time. When the bus stops, each section
opens to its relevant place in time.
● How does it behave?
○ The Bus generally wanders aimlessly around town, sporadically disappearing
and reappearing as it jumps back and forth randomly along its timeline. If
approached aggressively, it will defend itself by ramming or swallowing whole its
assailants. If imperiled, it will seek to escape to another position on its timeline.
○ If presented with a functioning bus stop, the Bus will seek to stop there.
● What can fix it, cure it, or stop it?
○ The Bus’s quantum superposition collapses into a defined space and time when
it arrives at a designated stop, rendering it vulnerable to conventional means of
capture (though it is still a dangerous 20-ton vehicle).
The Juror (Monster)
● What is it?
○ An ordinary resident of Somewhere who has been summoned for jury duty: a
Bureaucratic ritual that is part conscription, part possession, part transformation.
The Juror is given a task to complete (tracking down the Bus, in this case), and
imbued by the City Council with supernatural strength, speed, and bureaucratic
powers. The more they resist the summons or encounter resistance, the more
heavy handed the “direction” from the Bureaucracy becomes.
● What does it want?
○ To capture the Bus and deliver it to the Bureaucracy
● How tough and strong is it?
○ 4 harm total (1 for each red tape tendril); 0 armor
○ Red Lashing (2 harm close spread restraining)
● What are its powers?
○ Unnaturally strong and quick; red tape tendrils can attack and react
independently from the Juror
● What is its weakness?
○ Removing all four tendrils significantly reduces the danger presented by the
Juror. As its power is derived from the jury summons, finding a way to get the
host out of jury duty will end the possession.

NPCs

Absurdia GM Principle: “Give Everyone a Name, a Quirk, and an Agenda”

● Mina Redmond (Bureaucracy) – The city auditor of Somewhere and a senior member of
the Bureaucracy. Can “audit” people’s minds and read their thoughts. Seeks to advance
up the bureaucratic hierarchy and gain favor with the City Council. Claire’s rival.
● Stafford (Bureaucracy) – An investigator for the Bureaucracy, tasked with looking into the
many, many disappearances in town. Has a CCTV camera for a head and talks like a
hard boiled private eye. Seeks to root out the truth, no matter the cost. Duncan’s friend.
● Sebastian Strange (Community) – Co-host of Somewhere’s public radio station, WSOM:
Radio Somewhere. An inquisitive journalist with a gossipy streak, he endeavors to
always be in the know about what’s happening in town.
● Jeremy Dunlap (Community) – Owner and proprietor of Normal Brewing Company, the
most ordinary place in town. Big dad-who-homebrews energy. Wants Normal Brewing to
be a sanctuary against Somewhere’s surreal happenings. Duncan’s rival.
● Jackie (Underbelly) – A collector and antiques dealer with a market stall in the Backalley.
Possessor of many unique objects with peculiar properties. Always on the prowl for new
curiosities to add to her collection. Max’s friend.
● Elodie Saberhagen (Entropy) – A fellow time traveler currently residing in Somewhere.
She is periodically spotted in town, generally observing or investigating something. Her
exact motives are unclear, though she frequently states that her mission is to protect the
principal timeline. Max’s rival.
● Walker (Entropy) – An unofficial forest ranger who lives in the woods at the edge of
town. Was friends with the entropic entity known as Rudy during his time possessing
Claire’s body. Motives… unclear. Claire’s friend.