---The Stalingrad Plexus---
Summary :
In the earlier chapters players learn that Karotechia transfers special
machinery to Odessa. After a brief investigation, it's found out these
parts can be used in cryogenic tanks. If the players choose to visit
Russia then the following events may be encountered.
Odessa:
Russian branch of Karotechia imports the mentioned parts and exports the
cryogenic tanks which contain the corpses of fallen men of German Sixth Army.
Also with the same ships, Karotechia smuggles out parts that can be used to
assemble nuclear weapons under the disguise of unwanted nuclear or biological
wastes that are sold to third-world country. This may be a fine link to the
South East Pacific chapter.
In Odessa, SD8 contacts the players. How this can
happen I'll think about later. SD8 is excited to learn what their American
counterpart knows about the Mythos and also when things fuck up, they will have
American spies to blame. With the help of SD8, the players raid or infiltrate
the ship on the Odessa port and learn what's hidden in the tanks. Seeing some
corpses still has their uniforms on or after some interrogation or rolling an
Accounting die on the ship's logs, it's likely that their next stop will be
Stalingrad. It'll be the keeper's duty to get Boris, captain of the SD8 team to
gain players' trust.
Stalingrad
Karotechia :
Bischofe Gunther Staatsrat owns an old hospital in Stalingrad which is now a
rest house for the old and the weak. Deep under the hospital, ghouls bring the
soldiers' corpses and bones and Karotechia places them in Cryogenic tanks. Also
there is a gate of oneirology unknown to Karotechia deep in the tunnels. Under
Karotechia's order, Renegade Ghouls search for Crazy Ivan's library in the
network of thousand tunnels under Moscow in the hope of finding Gothic
Necronomicon. They found and sent some books to Gunther. Black Book of Eibon was
one of them. Gunther works on these book. He wants to possess the power of
raising the dead as Die Drei Triumvirate did.
Renegade Ghouls :
They rebelled against the traditionalist ghouls of Mordiggian
and escaped to the real world. The Russian arm of the renegades chose
the Karotechia as an ally in the real world and Eibon's Iron Army in
Dreamlands. They support Iron Army because their success will eventually
be Traditionalists' demise. Iron Army forces them to steal the black
book of Eibon from Gunther but fearing to loose their only ally in real
life they don't show any effort about this. They hide the fact of
stupidly giving the book by their own hands to Gunther.
Dreamlands :
Dreamlands is burning. The Iron Army conquers city after city,
massacres and razes. Rumours of magically mutated animals and humans
reach Calephais. (Eibon finds out nuclear power. He needs to perfect his
magic to take this infinite energy under control. He manages to keep his
army and animals under radiation from his experiments but can't stop
their mutation. Also by the help of an Oriental weapon expert, they
started to produce cannons.) King Kuranes of Calephais musters armies
and reinforces his defenses as Iron Army gets closer. He asks the
Dreamers of real world to seek and get the Black Book of Eibon.
Traditional Ghouls :
They watch Iron Army advance in worry. They know that
their offer of help will not be accepted by humans so they do this under
disguise. They infiltrate and sneak and gather info and give this info to
Kuranes. They also track the renegades and want to destroy them. More
experienced in the art of infiltration they gained a place in SD8.
Consuming a SD8 operative called Boris, they entered in SD8. Boris found
and killed many renegades and succeeded in a few more ghouls in SD8. His
success got him promoted. One day when he passed to Dreamlands, he was
caught by Eibon's agents. Commander of the Iron Army killed and replaced
him, so that he can be safe in real world and grab the Book.
SD8 :
SD8 is paranoid about a possible ghoul infiltration. Every agent who
act irrationally or suspiciously is interrogated severely. This is why
Boris just can't raid Karotechia's hospital and get the book. This was
so when the ghoul was Boris, still so with Eibon's commander. Boris and
his team watches the hospital day and night after the players got lost.
He knows that eventually the players will show up in the hospital and
he'll get his chance to get the book.
Fate :
Fate wants Eibon's book. Knowing Boris true identity, Alzis arranged
a trap to separate the players from him. After this, he makes a deal
with the players in exchange of a certain book. He'll help the players,
find resources and cannon fodder and get them out of Russia. He'll only
be present at the first time. Then someone named Igor will be his
representative.
Dreamers :
All over the world, good dreamers search for the book The
group in Russia is the one who get close to find it. Mostly consists of
bibliographs and historians heard that a German named Gunther in
Stalingrad is asking too much questions for old tomes. One member of this
group is in fact a Traditional Ghoul and she directs to group to the
hospital. While investigating the hospital they come across to another
group, World War II Surviving Veterans.
World War II Surviving Veterans :
These old men were the members of Russian Army in WWII and defended their city
against Germans. They still remember the resuscitated German casualties. They
formed this group when they met each other years later and each realized he's not
the only one who saw the horror. These retired men focused on solving this
mystery. In their investigation they met the dreamers. Dreamers teach them about
occult and old men provide a safe place to sleep and dream.
Tolga Yanasik