The Raid On The Grand Canyon Horde - A Dragoon Adventure Encounter From The Outlanders Books For Mutant Future Or Your Old School Post Apocalyptic Campaign

Elements of this encounter can be found in this series of blog entries right over
HERE

Set up 
This encounter works if the PC's gate into the local area, have relations around the Grand Canyon area or have business around the area. Several of the smaller settlements in the area have not been heard from recently. Important trade routes specializing in post holocaust materials have recently not been heard from for two weeks. Rumors of a new military power operating in the Grand Canyon area are building, residents are fleeing from the surrounding settlements, and the region is growing unsettled by the day.
There are posters all over one of the small settlements calling for adventurers and a scouting party in the area. to look into the matter. A reward for trade or relic goods has been posted. 

In the meantime the aggressive and opportunistic Mutant Future animal life has taken full advantage of the situation and moved in on the abandoned settlements. The PCs might run into a dangerous random encounter with some mutant beastie.
 These monsters have become attracted to the settlements due to the weird energy weapons used by the town raiders.

1d10  Random Desert Trail Encounters 

1. 1d4 Giant Scorpions with really odd skull like patterns on their carapaces 
2. 1d8 fist sized tarantulas that glow with weird energies 
3. Pack of 1d6 Rot Dogs feeding on a week old corpse. 
4. A Serpentoid tradesmen wondering what the hell has happened to the three local towns and why the areas smell wrong. He and his wife are moving on. 
5. 1d6 Giant Rats have infiltrated the grain stores of several settlements and are spreading themselves among the hills. 
6. There are several giant rattle snakes with strange patterns across their backs hunting through the desert. There is something not quite right about them. They're very cunning and quite evil in some respects. They take the youngest prey and strike most often in the dark of the night if possible. 
7. A desert stalker plant will follow the PC's at a distance 
8. 1d4 ghostly presences can be seen in the distance only to vanish as the PC's approach. 
9. Mutant desert vultures fly over head. They cry weird cries and will lead the PC's to the corpse of a mutant settlement dweller. The dwellers corpse is covered with mutant pill bugs who worm their way through the poor damned soul's decayed flesh 
10. A Dragoon patrol with 1d8 soldiers on horse back armed with machine guns and a single sniper rifle.
    
    There are six settlements around the Canyon and most of these have been abandoned or raided over the last two months. There is an air of loss and tragedy hanging over these places and those with psionic mutations will be fully aware of this atmosphere. 

The Grand Canyon Horde

An ancient horde has been uncovered but there are somethings in the desert that should not be disturbed. The PC's are about to find out who and what has been awakened in the canyons 

After 1d8 days of trailing through the desert and the PC's will stumble upon the base camps of the Dragoons.
A troop of mercenary Dragoons has infiltrated the nearby settlements about three months ago and after divining the location of one of the greatest secrets of the local tribes of both PS humans and mutants. The Dragoons infiltrated the local militia conscripting its best and brightest as recruits. This was done to access an ancient treasure trove of relics that dates back thousands of years. 
The Grand Canyon Horde dates back to the time of the Templar Knights. The Horde was kept by the Native American Tribes and later secured by the Pre holocaust United States government. Its legends have come down through the ages and its guardianship as well.
 
Photo by Mort The Gorn 
 The horde consists of a combination of Templar technology as well as gold, Native American sacred relics, artifacts dating all the way back to the Aztecs and Atlantis. And most importantly an Annunaki relic pod.
The Dragoons are about to unleash an ancient god king of their own.
There are over Fifty Dragoons in charge of this base camp and they are led by religious fanatic of a Commandant Known as Resbreti. A being who serves a what he considers a 'holy agenda'. 

More Details Right Over At Chris Van Deelen's Site
HERE

No. Enc: 3d10

Alignment:  Neutral

Movement: 120’ (40’)

AC: 4 or by Armor

HD: 12+40 hit points

Attacks: By weapon (+4) or +9 with melee weapons

Damage: By weapon plus 1d6, +5 damage when using melee weapons

Save: L12

Morale: 8

Hoard Class: Always 1d3 High Tech or Primitive firearm, Always 1 suit of high tech armor, V, VIII (90%), XV, XVIII

Mutations: Bizarre appearance (d), increased physical attribute (Dexterity, Constitution), increased caloric needs (d), natural armor (moderate), regenerative capability, thermal vision, vulnerability to cold (d)

Source: Outlanders  by Mark Ellis

Complications of the Adventure 

• The horde has ancient materials including Atlantian energy weapons that play marry havoc with the local space time continuum. Mutant animals and monsters are instinctively attracted to areas where they've been used. Long term use by humans or Dragoons will result in various low grade cancers affecting the user after 1d6 months. Even low usage will leave the user feeling drained and dizzy unless saving throws are made. 
• The site is powered by a fusion/wind generation system that is cooled by the river below. This is a clean system but any interference by outsiders may upset the balance of the system. Caution is advised. 
• Many of the Dragoon agents operating in the area have a diamond back rattle snake style pattern upon their hair and persons. Many see this as a sign of divine favor. 
• There is a deep and abiding hatred between these Dragoons and the Hybrids of Death Valley.
  The Hybrids and Dragoons have battled over local resources sometimes in open blood shed between the two. They have clashed several times over the decades and the Hybrids will not be pleased with events taking place in the Grand Canyon. 
• The energy form of a Templar Knight still guards the horde. The Dragoons have used a special 'energy sink' to trap the form of the knight. Should he be free he will awaken his brethren from beyond the grave. The end result will be spectacular and quite violent for the Dragoons. 
• A small band of 1d20 mutants is planning a raid. They're women and children were taken as slaves by the Dragoons and have been converted into the work force of the camp through the implantation of mind control links. These fools will become a sacrifice to the Annunaki when it awakens from its slumber. Unless the PC's find and stop such action. 
• The horde base camp sits on a special type of ley line nexus. Some mental and psionic mutations will not function here 
• There is a nearby cache of military weaponry that neither the Dragoons or their agents have found. One of the slaves of the Dragoons knows where it is. 
• The area is rife with mutant species, especially mutant serpents, scorpions, and several giant variants of desert reptiles because of the eldrith energy aura surrounding the place. 
• The Dragoons are also searching for the resting place of a Reptilian sorcerer/scientist thousands of years ago. The local Indians imprisoned this being someplace in the Canyon and the Dragoons (so far) have been unable to locate this being.  Resbreti thinks he is the reincarnation of this being. This priest may have been a servant of the Annunki.
• Several giant mutant eagles or bird like mutant horrors have destroyed various operations of the Dragoons in the Canyon over the past two weeks. 
• The Dragoons are fearful that their poking and probing in the Canyon may have awakened something else that guards the place. 
• The Dragons have a modified ecology bot that seems to feed the commandant information. This robot knows far more then it should. There are rumors among the top echelon of the Dragoons that the thing is possessed by the 'spirits' of the ancients or perhaps even the Annunaki itself. They hold the thing in a bit of superstitious awe.  
• The Dragoons are planning on expanding operations should they find the cache of military weapons from the former American forces.