Mirages & The Crown of Herod - A Campaign For The Wretched Interbellum Campaign Setting By The Red Room For The Wretched Rpg System

 

In the New England town of Hudsonville New York state in 1923 Gravus Hudson last of the Hudson family line passes on. Gravus was a seeker after forbidden and weird collector's items. Gravus has collected the Crown of Herod a piece dating back to the time of Christ. The crown was supposedly worn by King Herod himself & allows the owner to return a person to life via Wretched Folklore page 15 three times per week. The crown also has has several other minor powers but counts as a minor relic ala Raiders of the Lost rpg relic.  Night Owl Workshop's Raiders of the Lost Artifacts rpg has a ton on the background of relics for OSR games. 

Gravus recovered the crown from the remains of a death cult in the Middle East. And while he has out run the curse of the cult, the Crown of Herod has attracted the attention of the Mortican. The Mortican is a vastly powerful entity of the Beyond a literal lord of Death. The Mortican wants the crown because it has the ability to disrupt his hold over Hudsonville. Hudsonville has had an incredible loss of life during World War I. The Mortican wants all of the dead for interdimensional slaves and conqueror all of Hudsonville. 

Characters using any psychic or psionic abilities will have visions of mounds and piles of corpses with the oncoming World War II looming in the background. The dead's reflection in the Beyond have called the Mortican and his attachment to the crown. 

Add in the fact that German agents have been tracking the crown ever since it was sold on the Berlin black market. These are 3rd level PC's who will stop at nothing to recover the crown. At night the murder balls of the Mortican will stop at nothing to track down the crown. 

AC: 18 (natural armor + dexterity)

HP: 24 (8d4+8)

Speed: 60’ fly

STR: 4 (-3), DEX: 20 (+5), CON: 12 (+1), INT: 6 (-2), WIS: 16 (+3), CHA: 6 (-2)

Saves: Dexterity +7

Skills: Perception +5, Stealth +7

Damage Resistances: Bludgeoning, Slashing, Piercing from non-magical non-adamantine weapons

Damage Immunities: Cold, Lightning, Fire, Poison

Condition Immunities: Charm, Exhaustion, Frightened, Paralyzed, Petrified, Poisoned

Senses: Darkvision 120 ft., Passive Perception: 15

Languages: Understands Deep Speech, cannot speak

Challenge: 2 (450xp) Spike 1d6+3

Laser blast 1d8

Drill. While attached to a target, the Murder Orb can use its action to drill into its victim’s flesh. This causes an automatic 2d6 damage. Murder Orb Stats by Bernie The Flumph's blog entry here.

The PC's can recover the Crown of Herod and send the Mortican back his realm in the Beyond. But it is doubtful that they can learn the full exent of the crown's powers. The Mortican can summon 1d6 zombies or other undead five times per day. He is more like a force of nature then an actual supernatural entity bending time and space to his will.