A Rifts RPG Adventure in South America
Within The Republic of Colombia is the fictional town of Humgan, a Nuhr Dwarven Stronghold born out of the height of the Vampire War some 150 years ago. Built 20 miles near the ruins of Valencia, Venezuela, and settled mostly by nearly 300 Nuhr Dwarves, they’ve been joined by Dwarves fleeing from La Fortaleza, Colombia. There is an additional population of Elves, Humans, and other D-Bees who’ve settled in the Stronghold, which acted for a long time as a Mercenary Training Camp. The current census places the population at 3000, but there are an additional 1d6x100 people traveling through Humgan’s ports weekly.
Piracy is the current dominant industry in Humgan, but the city also boasts a thriving industry of artisans and blacksmiths, armorsmiths, and weaponsmiths who sell premium products. Wealthy adventurers may be able to make connections to access the mythical Nuhr Rune weapons and armor, which do not come cheap.
The government of Humgan is described as an autocratic dictatorship with Hangrok Wordmaker as the Supreme Leader. Hangrok is the foremost expert in Nuhr Rune Smithing and a reputed Techno-Wizard. Additionally, Hangrok is a devotee of Vulcan (the Imposter God, A.K.A. Karid Ironspinner), which is the state religion. There is a shrine built to Vulcan at the heart of a Formal Garden that dominates the center of town. They accept all but refuse access to supernatural and magical creatures, including dragons. They have established money changers to exchange foreign currencies for their accepted local currency. They also accept barter and trade for local goods and services.
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Prominent people have gone missing. Is anyone looking for them?
Influential leaders from various Nation-States have gone missing. Reports suggested that they’d been abducted from their homes, their families annihilated and very little trace and evidence were left to give any clues as to who is behind the abductions. From the Republic of Colombia to Cibola, and from the Achilles Republic to the Southern Federation, over a dozen people have been taken. The real numbers are in the hundreds, but the wealthier families are looking for answers and those who’ve tried to figure out the mystery have either disappeared themselves or been found brutally murdered.
A True Atlantean investigator is on the case.
Kerk is a Spanish-speaking True Atlantean Monster Hunter from Manoa. He’s been investigating the activities of a suspected Vampire Cult he believes is active in the region. His belief is that Pirates from the Amazon’s Pirate Kingdom who traveled into Humgan are in some way aligned with a Master Vampire. He has his suspicions about which Master Vampire, but lacks proof (not that proof is really needed). At the top of his list is Hak-Talon. But he has also heard of two others active in South America. He knows of one who remains nameless but is famed for ruling the City of the Dead. The other, he’s also heard the name, Franz Devlin used a few times. There hasn’t been a lot on Franz, and so he’s been trying to do some more research and investigation. He’s in Humgan because he believes there are Pirates docked at the Stronghold who are doing the dirty work of moving bodies around with their cargo. He suspects some of these pirates are helping disguise the activities of these Cultists.
He’s got a name, Efrain Vargas, a psychic with a reputation for accurately telling people’s fortunes. Vargas has fallen off the map and Kerk’s last source assures him he can find the psychic in Humgan. Somehow, which isn’t yet clear to Kerk, Vargas will be a help to his quest.
Demons secretly hide among the people and they have powerful friends.
Mazer Nova and Lili Nova are a brother-and-sister duo taking the Republic of Colombia by storm. Their adult burlesque show is making a name for itself, and they are in high demand. What is unknown is that they are a team, one an Incubus, the other a Succubus. Their nature is disguised by a powerful amulet that they wear around their necks. They are in fact Vampire Cultists loyal to Baldur’s Ghost (Pantheon of the Megaverse; Franz Devlin.) Franz has his eyes on Humgan because of its affiliation with Vulcan, the Imposter Dwarf God. His operatives are busy working extorting the political elites of Humgan and seducing them to join Baldur’s ever-growing army of minions. They are accompanied by a female Pirate named Aracely Ochoa, Captain of ‘La Joya’. Ochoa is an accomplished duelist and cardsharp, and very much aware of ‘what’s been going on.’
Vargas has been seduced by the monstrous duo, but he has not been recruited into their secretive Cult. He has seen many of the town’s financial and political elites at ‘La Pequena Engano’ a nightclub known for its steady reputation and provocative entertainment, located near the docks. He’s been dosed several times by a Magical Potion called ‘Dream.’ In his hallucinations, Vargas has had a complete relationship with both ‘siblings.’ Creating a fondness for them. He’s at the point where he can no longer tell truth from fantasy, as he has constructed an entire fictional reality revolving around the two monsters.
Mazer and Lili have used Ochoa to dose and poison several other ‘operatives’ to help add confusion and intrigue to their mission. Having secured several crates of Nuhr Weapons and Armor, including Cannons and a Magic Barrier Generator for ‘La Joya’, they are about to move on. Should Kerk close in on them, they will use several ‘enforcers’ they’ve groomed (like Vargas) who will consume an Alchemical Elixir called, ‘The Transformer’ which will transform them into random Supernatural Monsters. Seeing humans (and D-Bees alike) be transformed before their very eyes, might prevent heroic characters from all-out murdering the monsters who’ve been duped and deceived into fighting for actual monsters. The adventurers are left to choose whether or not they will fight the monsters, allow the monsters to rampage through Humgan, or let the “La Joya’ escape port.