This investigation is designed to transition the heroes from a standard Victorian "police procedural" into the surreal cosmic horror of the King in Yellow.
Investigation: "The Canary's Last Song"
1. The Hook: The Silent Serenade
The heroes are contacted by Inspector Tenebris of Scotland Yard. A prominent Member of Parliament, Sir Reginald Blackwood, has been found "dead" in his Kensington manor. However, the Inspector notes, "He isn't exactly dead; he's just... finished."
The Scene:
Sir Reginald is sitting in his study, staring at a blank wall.
He is alive, breathing, and his eyes are open, but he is completely unresponsive.
The Clue: Every surface in the room (books, furniture, even the floor) has been meticulously carved with a sprawling, fractal pattern that hurts the eyes to look at directly. This is the Yellow Sign.
2. The Investigation Leads
To solve the mystery, the heroes can follow three distinct "Victorious" paths:
A. The Path of the Socialite (High Society)
By questioning Sir Reginald’s distraught wife, Lady Blackwood, the heroes learn he recently joined an exclusive "Art Appreciation" group called The Salon of the Second Sun.
The Lead: They meet at the Grosvenor Gallery on Friday nights.
The Twist: Members wear yellow silk carnations. If a hero wears one, they are approached by a "Pallid Guard" in a tuxedo who hands them a gold-embossed invitation to a private performance of The King in Yellow.
B. The Path of the Supernatural (Occult/Magic)
A hero with magical senses or high Intellect can examine the carvings.
The Discovery: The carvings aren't just art; they are a Visual Resonance. A successful Save vs. Magic or Intellect check reveals that the carvings are "vibrating" at a frequency that matches the humming of the city's gas lines.
The Lead: Following the "hum" leads the heroes to the City Gas Works in the East End, where the vibrations are strongest.
C. The Path of the Gadgeteer (Science/Investigation)
Using forensic tools or magnification, a hero discovers a strange residue inside the carvings: Ochre Pigment mixed with Thames Mud and Human Tears.
The Lead: This specific clay-heavy mud is only found in a particular stretch of the riverbanks near the Isle of Dogs, specifically near an abandoned silk warehouse.
3. The Escalation: The Living Script
As the heroes gather clues, the Yellow Sign begins to follow them.
The Shadow: A hero looks at the fog and sees the Sign formed by the swirling mist.
The Paper: A newspaper headline suddenly shifts into the Sign for a split second before returning to normal.
The Attack: While the heroes are discussing their findings, the "Pallid Guards" strike. They don't try to kill the heroes; they try to brand them. One Guard carries a hot iron shaped like the Yellow Sign. If a hero is branded, they begin to "hear" the Gilded Maestro’s music in their dreams.
4. The Conclusion: The Warehouse of Veils
All leads converge on the East End Warehouse. Inside, the heroes find the "Canaries"—young street urchins and kidnapped artists whom the Maestro has forced to paint the Yellow Sign on thousands of silk banners.
The Goal: The Maestro plans to hang these banners across the route of the Queen’s Jubilee Parade.
The Horror: When the sun hits the banners, the entire crowd will see the Sign at once, instantly turning the population of London into a mindless "audience" for the King’s arrival.
Reward for Success
If the heroes stop the plot, they find a Tattered Manuscript (the first act of the play). This item can be used to track the Maestro, but any hero who reads it must make a Resolve check or permanently lose 1 point of Charisma as they become "melancholy and detached."
The Victorious RPG (based on the Castles & Crusades system) captures the gaslight era of "Victorian Steampunk Superheroes," while the King in Yellow (Robert W. Chambers) introduces a decadent, reality-warping cosmic horror that feels much more insidious than Lovecraft’s slimy monsters.
Here is a campaign framework titled: "The Gilded Masque."
Campaign Concept: The Gilded Masque
The year is 1894. A new play titled The King in Yellow has arrived in London from Paris. It isn’t just a piece of literature; it is a sentient infection. As the "Victorious" heroes (the Investigators/Protectors), the players must stop a supernatural social contagion that is slowly turning London into a suburb of the lost city of Carcosa.
The Tone
Aesthetic: Opulent decay. Think silk ribbons, fog-choked streets, golden masks, and "Pallid Signs" etched into the soot of Big Ben.
The Threat: High-society madness. Instead of fighting bank robbers, the heroes are fighting aristocratic cults and the literal erosion of reality.
The Three Acts
Act I: The Pallid Prologue
The heroes are called to investigate a series of high-profile "artistic" crimes. A famous painter has blinded himself after finishing a portrait of the Prince of Wales; a young debutante has disappeared, leaving behind only a yellow silk ribbon that seems to move on its own.
Key Conflict: The heroes track a secret society called The Chimera Club who are hosting private readings of the play’s first act.
Victorious Mechanic: Use "Social Standing" checks. The horror isn't in a dark alley; it's in a brightly lit ballroom where everyone is wearing the same unsettlingly realistic mask.
Act II: The Streets of Hastur
The play has been published and "Yellow Fever" takes over London. The sky begins to take on a strange, jaundiced hue, and the Thames seems to flow toward a city that isn’t on any map.
The Twist: The heroes’ own powers (Victory Points/Spells) start to manifest with "Carcosan" side effects. A fire-blaster might notice their flames are now a cold, flickering yellow.
Mission: A race across the city to find the original manuscript before the "Stranger" (the King's herald) can perform the final act at the Royal Opera House.
Act III: The Last Feast
The veil thins. The heroes enter the Royal Opera House, but the interior has transformed into the Lake of Hali. They are no longer in London. They must fight their way through the "Phantom of Truth" to confront the King in Yellow himself—or rather, the concept of him.
The Moral Choice: To defeat the King, the heroes must destroy the play, but doing so might erase the artistic soul of the century, plunging the world into a dull, grey industrialism.
Notable NPCs & Factions
| Name | Role | Description |
| The Castaigne Heir | The Antagonist | A wealthy socialite who believes he is the rightful heir to the "Imperial Dynasty of America." |
| The Pallid Mask | The Enforcer | A supernatural assassin who has no face beneath his porcelain mask. Immune to physical damage unless "truth" is spoken to him. |
| Inspector Tenebris | The Ally | A Scotland Yard detective who has seen too much. He provides the heroes with "Sanity Tinctures" (potions that restore Resolve). |
New Mechanic: The Yellow Sign
In Victorious, characters have Resolve. In this campaign, introduce a Tension Track:
Stage 1: Characters see "The Yellow Sign" in shadows. No mechanical effect.
Stage 2: Characters suffer a -2 penalty to Attribute checks involving logic or empathy.
Stage 3: Reality warps. The hero can use their powers without spending Victory Points, but they must succeed a Save or become a temporary thrall to the King.
Why this works for Victorious
The Victorious RPG thrives on the "Penny Dreadful" vibe. By adding the King in Yellow, you shift the stakes from "saving the Queen" to "saving the nature of sanity." It allows your "Supernatural" or "Steampowered" heroes to use their incredible gifts against a foe that cannot be punched—only resisted.
To fit the Victorious RPG’s blend of Victorian superheroics and the King in Yellow’s surreal horror, here is a primary antagonist: The Gilded Maestro.
He serves as the perfect bridge between the high-society glamour of London and the decaying madness of Carcosa.
Villain: Julian Vane, "The Gilded Maestro"
Background: Once a celebrated conductor at the Royal Albert Hall, Julian Vane’s career ended when he "heard" the music of the spheres during a trip to Paris. He didn't hear stars; he heard the screaming flutes of the Lake of Hali. He returned to London with a baton carved from a nameless bone and a mission: to turn the British Empire into a grand orchestra for the King.
Attributes (Victorious System)
Class: Magician / Socialite
Rank: 4-6 (depending on party level)
Prime Attributes: Intellect and Charisma
Signature Power: The Resonance of Carcosa. Vane can "conduct" the environment. By waving his baton, he can turn the sound of a ticking clock into a deafening thunderclap or make the iron girders of a bridge vibrate until they shatter.
Combat & Special Abilities
The Phantom Orchestra (Illusion/Minions): Vane can summon translucent, tuxedo-clad musicians who play discordant music. These shades act as a "Shield" (increasing his Armor Class) and can attack by emitting sonic blasts.
The Yellow Aria (Mental Attack): Once per encounter, Vane can sing a single note from the play. All heroes must make a Save vs. Magic/Madness. Failure results in the hero seeing their allies as masked monsters for $1d4$ rounds, causing them to attack the nearest creature.
Unmasking the Truth: Vane wears a silk mask. If a hero manages to grapple him and remove it, they find no face—only a swirling vortex of yellow mist. This forces an immediate Sanity/Resolve check.
Roleplaying the Maestro
Motive: He doesn't want money or world domination. He believes the world is "ugly" and "out of tune." He views the King in Yellow as the ultimate composer who will bring "perfect harmony" to the universe by destroying individual identity.
Tactics: He avoids direct fisticuffs. He prefers to stand on high balconies or stages, conducting the chaos while his "Pallid Guards" (mind-controlled constables or thugs) do the fighting.
The Hook: He might first appear as a patron of one of the heroes, offering to fund their gadgets or base of operations, only to slowly seed their headquarters with "Yellow Sign" iconography.
Lair: The Sunken Opera House
The Maestro operates out of a forgotten sub-basement of the London Underground that he has transformed into a miniature version of the Palace of Dim Carcosa.
The Trap: The floor is covered in a foot of black water (The Lake of Hali) that slows movement.
The Visual: Dozens of "wax figures" of London’s elite stand in the audience; however, as the fight progresses, the players realize these are real people paralyzed by his music.
Minion: The Pallid Guards
Description: Former Scotland Yard officers whose uniforms have been bleached white. They wear "The Pallid Mask" (a featureless white ceramic mask).
Special: They do not speak. They communicate through rhythmic tapping of their batons, which can disorient heroes (penalties to Initiative).
In Victorious, minions (or "Mooks") serve as the tactical muscle for the main villain. For the Pallid Guard, we want them to feel eerie, coordinated, and slightly "wrong"—moving with a mechanical, ballet-like grace that reflects the Gilded Maestro’s influence.
Minion: The Pallid Guard
Class: Soldier / Thrall
Level: 2 (Typical Minion)
Movement: 30 ft.
Attribute Value Note Armor Class 14 Reinforced bleached uniforms and ceramic masks. Hit Dice $2d8$ (Approx. 10 HP) Surprisingly resilient due to dampened pain. Attacks Baton (1d6) or Webley Revolver (1d8) They use standard police gear, now "purified." Saves Physical (Good), Mental (Poor) Resistance to pain, but vulnerable to psychic snaps. Special Abilities
The Rhythmic Tap: If two or more Pallid Guards are within 10 feet of a hero, they begin tapping their batons or heels in a hypnotic rhythm. The hero must succeed a Save vs. Mental or suffer a -2 penalty to Initiative and To-Hit rolls as their equilibrium falters.
The Silent Phalanx: The Pallid Guards gain a +1 bonus to AC for every other Guard adjacent to them (max +3). They fight with terrifying, wordless coordination.
Death Whistle: When a Pallid Guard is reduced to 0 HP, their ceramic mask cracks. Instead of a scream, a high-pitched, discordant flute note escapes their lungs. All heroes within 5 feet must make a Save vs. Stun or be momentarily deafened for 1 round.
Tactical Behavior
The Pallid Guards do not act like typical street thugs.
Formation: They move in geometric patterns (circles or lines), never breaking rank unless forced.
Silence: They never speak, grunt, or shout. Even when shot or struck with a "Super" power, they remain hauntingly silent.
The "Living Shield": If the Gilded Maestro is nearby, the Guards will reflexively throw themselves in front of attacks meant for him, sacrificing their HP to keep the "conductor" alive.
Variant: The "Leaden" Guard (Heavy)
For a tougher challenge (Level 4), use the Leaden Guard. These are larger men—former dockworkers or smiths—encased in heavy, yellow-tinted brass plating.
Armor Class: 17
Power: Heavy Vibration. Their strikes deal an additional $1d6$ sonic damage as their armor hums with the Maestro's frequency.
Encounter Hook
The heroes are investigating a fog-shrouded warehouse in the East End. They hear a steady, rhythmic thump-thump-thump. In the center of the room, six Pallid Guards are standing in a circle around a "Yellow Sign" painted in human blood. They aren't attacking yet—they are waiting for the heroes to step into the "orchestra pit."
In the Victorious RPG, a hero’s identity and willpower (Resolve) are their greatest assets. The Yellow Sign Brand is a metaphysical parasite. It doesn’t just burn the flesh; it burns the "Self," replacing the hero's history with the cold, alien logic of Carcosa.
If a hero is struck by the branding iron or touched by a "Pallid Guard" carrying the mark, the brand sears into their skin (usually the palm or over the heart) as a shimmering, jaundiced scar.
The Mechanical Effects: The Three Movements
The Brand progresses in stages, much like a musical composition. Each "Movement" triggers after a period of time or after the hero uses their powers.
I. The First Movement: Discordant Sight
Trigger: Immediate upon being branded.
Effect: The hero begins to see the "hidden geometry" of the world. Colors seem slightly too bright, and shadows look like ink spills.
Penalty: The hero suffers a -2 penalty to all Perception and Ranged Attack rolls as their eyes struggle to focus on "real" objects versus the shifting Carcosan overlays.
II. The Second Movement: The Song of the King
Trigger: 24 hours later, or after the hero spends a Victory Point.
Effect: The hero’s ears begin to ring with a faint, woodwind melody. They can no longer stand the sound of "normal" Victorian life (clattering hooves, bustling crowds, church bells).
Penalty: The hero must succeed a Resolve/Save vs. Magic to enter any crowded or noisy area. On a failure, they become Shaken, suffering a -2 to all Attribute checks until they find a quiet, dark place to hide.
III. The Third Movement: The Pallid Transformation
Trigger: 48 hours later, or if the hero is reduced to 0 Health.
Effect: The hero’s skin begins to turn a waxy, porcelain white. Their own face begins to feel like a "mask" that could be peeled off.
Penalty: The hero’s Charisma is halved (rounded down) as they become cold and alien to others. However, they gain Damage Reduction 2 against physical attacks, as their body is becoming less "human" and more like a construct of the King.
The "Benefit" (The Temptation)
The King in Yellow doesn't just take; he offers a terrible trade. A branded hero can choose to embrace the Brand once per session:
Effect: The hero automatically succeeds on any one roll or maximizes the damage of one power.
Price: Doing so instantly moves the Brand to the next Movement. If they are already at the Third Movement, they become an NPC under the Gilded Maestro's control until the brand is purged.
How to Purge the Brand
The Brand cannot be healed by standard medicine or basic Victorian science. To remove it, the heroes must find a "Pure" source of earthly reality:
The Alchemical Bath: A mixture of cold iron filings, holy water, and "London Gin" (representing the grit of the city).
The Act of Truth: The branded hero must perform an act of absolute, selfless honesty that reaffirms their connection to the real world, forcing the "Fiction" of the Yellow Sign to retreat.
Defeating the Brander: Killing the specific Pallid Guard who delivered the brand causes the mark to fade into a faint, non-magical scar.
A Note for the GM
When a hero is branded, describe their powers differently. If they have Super Strength, don't describe muscles bulging; describe the air around them cracking like glass. If they use Electricity, the bolts should be a sickening, pale yellow rather than blue or white.
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