Secret Sci-Fi Santa: Blood in the Lodge

23 Dec, 2024

Introduction

A secret Santa gift for KingDunadd in the Sci-Fi RPG Server. The prompt, originally, was for a “particularly flavourful or interesting grounded/hard sci-fi setting, or something like a group of NPCs with interesting dynamics.” She also noted she liked “grounded settings, horror, and cozy stuff.”

From that, I put together “Blood in the Lodge”, a black ops/Delta Green-esque location-based scenario set in the modern day, in a picturesque resort high in the Canadian Rockies, where a monster is about to be unleashed on a corporate retreat. Should be perfect for a (Black) Christmas.

When developing this post, it started as just a couple of NPCs, escalated into a powder keg, and then developed into a full-on scenario. I decided to try to incorporate all three things she liked, punting on the overtly sci-fi setting (after all, what’s more grounded than modern Earth?) I spent much of my time focused on the group of NPCs at the heart of the scenario, trying to give them interesting dynamics. I focused on making sure that each NPC had at least one, ideally a few relationships with the other NPCs, and relationships that might strain or change as the scenario unfolded.

I have no idea if this is good or will run well at the table. I think this might be a bit of a “draw the rest of the owl” situation. I didn’t have the time or energy to make a map, handouts, or sketch the details of the environment beyond communicating the key locations; all of these might be helpful to someone trying to run it. The timeline is thin, there’s minimal guidance on what players should start with, and there’s no stats for most of the NPCs, and only minimal descriptive stats for the monsters. The NPCs and relationships themselves are not necessarily complicated, but there are a lot of them, they’ll likely be in motion, and I didn’t have a good or simple way for the GM to track it. This copy is still a little rough because I didn’t have time to edit before the deadline. Regardless, "'Good is the enemy of Perfect' is the enemy of DONE." I think there’s a good framework here and an experienced GM could adapt this for their system, perhaps with some slight tweaks.

Late-Breaking Christmas Miracle Edit: Friend of the blog Igneous has posted his Secret Santa gift to me, 50 Fun Things to Do on an Airless Moon. Check it out!

Background

Grenage Group A.G. is a multinational leader in industrial solutions, defense components, automotive and aerospace technologies, and monsters. They’ve found vat-grown, CRISPR-designed neogenic life forms graft better onto machinery than any human or animal (trust them, they tried.) These creatures were termed “Neogens” by the marketing team, though the final names will have to go through a few more rounds of focus groups. These creatures have the capability to revolutionize manufacturing and manual labor, but Grenage’s primary focus is on military applications.

It’s the management winter retreat and holiday party, celebrating the end of the calendar year and a strong start to Q1. It’s all going to go to hell.

The entire retreat is suffused with cutthroat corporate maneuvering. The ladder-climbers will be looking for opportunities to prove themselves and cut down their rivals. Into this tense atmosphere, a disgruntled former employee has decided to unleash one of their monsters during the first company dinner.

Player Background

Roll or choose one of the backgrounds below to explain who the players are and why they're here. Any of these setups should be useable. The default setup is listed first. In all setups, the players arrive or deploy Saturday afternoon in the lobby with their bags, twelve hours after a source confirms the Neogens are at the retreat, and three hours before the dinner where Edgar Wainwright releases Specimen 158-K. Because they are infiltrating, the players should only be lightly armed and carrying very few tools of the trade.

1. Central (or the CIA, or Delta Green, or the equivalent spook show for your setting) has just gotten word that Grenage Group will be privately showing off a secret project at its corporate retreat. Central is convinced that it poses a significant threat to U.S. safety and needs to be captured, intact, for study. Additionally, a whistleblower (Karolin Haugwitz) is willing to go public. They have drafted you, the players, into a joint U.S.-Canadian team to infiltrate the retreat, secure the samples, and extract the whistleblower. For God’s sake don’t make a mess. If you do, Grenage’s puppets in D.C. and Ottawa will destroy the investigation and your team.
2. Jonathan Tenenbaum, head of Internal Security at Grenage Group, knows that an event like this is too delicate to be left up to Vincente Coll. All of the leadership will be shifting and jockeying for position, and in the heat of the moment, rash decisions might break the careful balance holding Grenage’s corporate C-suite together. He has tasked your team with relieving Vincente’s team and taking over protection and security duties. Above all, prevent an incident form breaking out – the last thing Grenage needs right now is public scrutiny or God forbid, a death in leadership.
3. The conspiracy (the one of which Pierre Ganat is a member) has made its decision. While Grenage Group’s work has been excellent, its leadership has been getting too unruly. Your team, as a reward for its devotion, has been given the privilege to infiltrate Grenage’s corporate retreat and liquidate the major leadership. Make it look natural, or like an accident. Pierre Ganat and his agents are also to be liquidated. He has served his purpose. Only Derek Smith need be protected, as the conspiracy believes he will make an acceptable puppet. His survival is preferred, but not paramount to other objectives. Additionally, Neogen Manufacturing Data was extracted by an unknown person and traced to the retreat. Find it, so that the conspiracy can more quickly take over Grenage's monster-making factories.
4. You are just normal folks who work in Grenage and the Clearwater Lodge (see 1d20 Minor Characters below for character ideas). You’ve all heard the rumors that something dangerous has been brought here - the already-arrived Grenage employees/staff shift that left on Friday told you there's some spook shit in the Storage Room 11. Resort management has also been clear that a big announcement is happening too. However, your goal is just to get through the work day and complete your duties. You all know that if something does happen, you're all lowly enough that you're nobody's priority to rescue, and you'll have to figure out how to survive on your own.
5. SquabMerlCo., Grenage's largest competitor has hired your team to infiltrate their coprorate retreat and secure genetic data that is being used in some major new project Grenage is working on. SquabMerlCo. already has a woman on the inside (Amelia Carinci). If she has the data, extract her; if she does not have the data, get her to find it or find it yourselves. Once the data is secured, her extraction is not necessary. Any additional helpful items or information you find will be rewarded handsomely. Do not leave evidence of the theft or your true employer.
6. Your cell of freedom fighters and dissidents is finally ready to strike at the Great Satan/pedophile globalist elites/decadent western colonizers/bourgeois oppressors/what ever broad force your group opposes. You have managed to infiltrate the winter retreat of Grenage Group, a company that represents everything wrong with the world. You must stage an incident which disrupts their activities, terrifies their leadership, and which can then be broadcast to the world. That will show everyone you're serious, and that your enemies are never safe. That's why you've carried in cameras and broadcasting equipment. But remember, you have to show yourselves taking credit for it - it can't look like an accident or someone else's doing. Also, if you can get hostages, that's even better.

Dramatis Personae

This section lists out all the major characters in alphabetical order by last/family name. Each person will be vigorous and active during the crisis, and has general goals they want to pursue. All characters speak passable English. Each person has pronouns, the other languages they speak, and a description (with their background and general goals). Then, most characters will have a bulleted list of relationships determining how they feel and act towards the other characters. Players attempting to connect or convince someone will have an easier time if they speak the same (non-English) language.

Marc Beaufor

(he/him; French, Mandarin, Russian)

Description

CTO of Grenage Group and social media star. Fancies himself a self-made man, but he effectively inherited his position from his father (Michel, long-retired CEO and president of Grenage). He is responsible for research and development, but more in a big-picture goal sense – Dr. Tani is more responsible for the day-to-day scientific endeavors. His actual value (and the reason Kokichi and Karl tolerate him) is his skill in investor and customer relations. He is a showman and highly personable, always eager to communicate the new cutting-edge advancements that genuinely intrigue him. His personal smile and handshake secured hundreds of millions of dollars in investment for Grenage. He fervently defended the Neogen project at its most vulnerable moments. An artist at heart, he is primarily motivated by wit, whimsey, and achievement. He is highly involved with Neogen concept and design. He keeps designing larger and more elaborate creatures, each one more complex and advanced than the last. In his sleep, he dreams of Neogens the size of houses, the size of buildings, descending from the skies. In dreams their claws wipe away cities and reshape the earth. When he awakes, he feverishly tries to recapture the fleeting visions before they slip away. Every morning, he gets closer.

Relationships

• Karl Schmitz: Marc’s profligate spending on moonshots, artisan designs, and personal projects infuriate Karl Schmitz. Karl has worked to place limits on Marc’s ability to indulge his whims. This has led to more than one closed-door shouting match.
• Mononobe Kokichi: He views Mononobe Kokichi’s desire for a single grand military reveal to be passé, even vulgar. He feels like Grenage itself should demonstrate the Neogens’ potential. He also has no interest in meeting long, boring lists of military procurement requirements. His design instincts also run counter to Kokichi’s - Marc prefers his singular, self-sufficient terrors to stripped-down networked biodrones.
• Dr. Tani Eka: He is intimidated by Dr. Tani, but very attracted to her. He knows that she is smarter than him, but he views her dismissiveness as a challenge to be overcome. He wants to make their relationship official, as she feels like a brilliant, career-focused woman like her is the only one who can keep up with him. He is obsessed with trying to impress her. He doesn't realize that his showy, flashy acts drive her away. He is unaware of her relationship with Karl.
• Vincente Coll: He likes having Vincente around because he's a fan. Marc also resonates with the former bodybuilder on a personal level. He feels understood when he talks to Vincente; he feels like Vincente sees beyond the surface of the vapid social media posts and marketing stunts to the artistry Marc puts into everything he does.
• Radoslav Krasnov: He hates Radoslav, finding him personally distasteful and everything he detests about corporate "suits".

Amelia Carinci

(she/her; Italian, Arabic)

Description

A world-renowned Italian chef who is managing the meals for the entire retreat. She has decided to theme the meals around “Native and Wild Canada”, featuring her refined versions of bannock, venison, and other indigenous comfort foods. She has a big deer-based meal planned for the Saturday night dinner. She is actually here to steal the Neogen Genetic Template. Her brother got into deep gambling debts with the Russian mob, and through a series of criminal connections, SquabMerlCo. got her placed as the cook for Grenage's corporate retreat. They've promised to pay off her debts if she brings back that information, or even better, a sample product of Grenage's hottest new project. She doesn't actually know what she's getting, but she's been given enough information and keywords that she'll be able to know when she's found the Neogen Genetic Template.

Relationships

• Vincente Coll: She has mistaken Vincente's advances for suspicions. She believes that Vincente is onto her, and is just trying to stall and stonewall him. She is worried she may have to kill him, something she isn't sure if she is prepared to do - but something she is capable of.

Vincente Coll

(he/him; Spanish)

Description

Head of Executive Security for Grenage Group. He was a bodybuilder in his home city of Madrid, and leveraged his fame to get bigger and bigger security gigs. He’s used to getting his way through physical intimidation. Much of his success came from simply intimidating others into making sure they did things right. The subtleties of a good security strategy elude him; he leaves that to his subordinates anyways. In a crisis, he is the one that will start barking orders and physically compelling others to follow his directions – no matter how hasty and ill-conceived they may be.

Relationships

• Mackenzie Holloway: Vincente considers himself friends with Mackenzie. He finds it easy to talk with her, to share his burdens, and enjoy her company. He bonded with her over James Bond films. If Mackenzie second-guesses one of his decisions, he will hesitate - but she doesn't often second-guess him.
• Amelia Carinci: He was immediately smitten by Amelia the minute he laid eyes on her. He has been flirting with her, taking time to saunter into the kitchen and invite her to hang out with him on a break. Unused to being rejected, he believes her nervousness and evasiveness are not suspicious, but merely a "woman playing hard to get."
• Marc Beaufor: Marc is the only member of the leadership team that inspires loyalty in him. Karl is steel-faced and weak, and Kokichi's moves just confuse him. Marc's ambitious and daring grand gestures, however, make lots of sense to the former bodybuilder. He views Marc as brilliant because he is so eager to try new things, bigger things, daring things. He is generally deferential to Marc as a result, but sometimes preempts Marc in attempts to impress him.

Pierre Ganat

(he/him; French)

Description

A softly charming and affable older gentleman, whose thick Parisian accent gives him the air of a doting French grandfather. Representative of the Goldtower Trust, the largest private investor in Grenage Group. On his face he is a minor member of the Board and represents a large private investor. Secretly, he is part of a conspiracy that has been watching and encouraging the development of the Neogen project. The conspiracy doesn't want the Neogens sold, revealed, or publicized at all; they want to seize control of them to distribute to their own assets. Pierre is here leading a team to prevent the internal announcement from being leaked, and to secure Neogen samples for the conspiracy. He has a secret means of escape (two-person snowmobile hidden in a snow-covered tent ten minutes away from The Cabins); he also has placed 12 agents of the conspiracy among the staff (roll 1d6 every time they need to be revealed: food prep, housekeeping, facilities, delivery driver, clerk, manager). They are not supersoldiers, but they each have access to pistols and will lay down their lives unhesitatingly. They will work to prevent staff members or minor Grenage employees from getting into the announcement of the Neogen project.

Relationships

• Marc Beaufor: Pierre likes Marc on a personal level. He also likes Marc's push for bigger and more terrifying Neogens. He thinks this shows drive and creativity that is so often lacking in the conspiracy's puppets. This has put him at odds with other leaders of the conspiracy, who prefer a simple, pliable, and discrete leader to an asset like Grenage.
• Karl Schmitz: Pierre is disappointed with Karl's focus on frugality and bean-counting. He is also aware that Karl is starting to uncover the conspiracy, and will take an opportunity to dispose of him if it arises - but he won't order his death.
• Mononobe Kokichi: Pierre is disappointed in Kokichi. He expected someone with ambitions to have a more worldly outlook. He views Kokichi's goal of pressing his way back into the elite circles of the Japanese business community to be shortsighted and an obsession unbecoming of an upstanding young gentleman.
• Karolin Haugwitz: Pierre and Karolin do not have much of a pre-existing relationship. However, if she reveals she wants to go public, he will attempt to detain her (or get others to do so), and kill her once the Neogen Manufacturing Data and Neogen Genetic Template are found. Unlike the others, he recognizes the danger in her knowledge of the existence of the Neogen project.

Karolin Haugwitz

(she/her; German, Yiddish)

Description

Chief Legal Counsel for Grenage Group. A German attorney who worked extensively in banking and other anodyne sectors prior to joining Grenage. Currently, she is a guilt-wracked woman. Two weeks ago, she was shown the full Neogen manufacturing process, in full gory detail, along with the horrible human cost of Grenage’s slipshod safety and quality control. She has been having nightmares over the ethical and legal implications ever since. Her mask of professionalism is slipping. She plans to go public to regulators with the information she has gathered on a personal hard drive, stored in her room in the Executive Suites. She just wants to pull some last documentation from the sample Neogens that have been brought to the retreat (in Storage Room 11), which she plans to do after their presentation to leadership. Then, she plans to make her declaration to Marc, Karl, and Kokichi, giving them one last chance to shut down the Neogen project before she leaves the retreat and blows the whistle. The events of the retreat may accelerate her plans. Kokichi, Karl, Marc, and other executives don’t recognize the implications of her mere knowledge. They are thoroughly indifferent to the ethical minefield and humanitarian concerns around the Neogens and their environmental effects. They believe that the real danger is a leak of confidential data. They think mere knowledge of the Neogens by regulators or governments won’t trigger a response. (They are wrong). They will fire her on the spot, sending her home after seizing the evidence.

Relationships

• Radoslav Krasnov: Karolin trusts Radoslav, having worked with him for a decade and a half. She has no idea he was preparing to push her off a glass cliff. She hasn't revealed the location of the stolen When Radoslav betrays her, she will lose any trust in anyone at Grenage and fight for herself from then on.
• Karl Schmitz: She deeply respects her fellow German, and his professional demeanor. She finds him a comforting source of stability in the highly competitive and demanding environment of Grenage. However, she has absolutely misjudged his integrity. She overestimates his concern for a costly lawsuit over the Neogens.
• Pierre Ganat: They have no preexisting relationship, and so Karolin has no reason to suspect anything about Pierre's plans for her. However, she understands the danger of revealing her plans to an outsider (and a Grenage investor, at that), so she will try to keep her plans and the reveal from him. When he detains her, she will comply and not realize his true intentions until it is too late. However, if Radoslav has betrayed her before then, she will fight to the death to escape instead.

Mackenzie Holloway

(she/her; English only)

Description

Head of Marketing for the Grenage Group. The most attractive person (outside of Vincente, depending on the onlooker's persuasion) at the corporate retreat. A midwestern big fish from a small pond, now thrown into the ocean. She knows she is not the smartest person in the room, and is struggling with a massive inferiority complex. She believes she got to where she is by working hard and proving herself, but a big part of her still worries that she only got ahead because of her looks. This manifests in her trying too hard to prove she is a good and decisive leader. She is quick and responsive, but without her staff of VPs holding her back, she acts impulsively, rashly, and beyond her competence. In this crisis, she generally makes the worst of all possible choices unless actively managed.

Relationships

• Vincente Coll: Mackenzie likes Vincente as a friend. He is the only person (besides Kokichi) in Grenage's leadership who doesn't make her feel stupid, small, or provincial. They bonded over mutual enjoyment of James Bond movies, but she enjoys his company generally and will hang out with him if not being called upon by Kokichi.
• Mononobe Kokichi: She is being romantically led on by Kokichi. While they haven't done anything physical yet, she definitely thinks Kokichi reciprocates her feelings. She is enchanted by Kockichi's goal of breaking back into the elite Japanese business world, and encourages him in that endeavor. She views him as her prince, who will someday career her off to a castle and an aristocratic life she could only dream of. If his deception is revealed, she will be beyond devastated.
• Dr. Tani Eka: She doesn't understand why Dr. Tani hates her. She can feel the hate emanating from Dr. Tani on conference call, at every leadership meeting, and even here, in the hallways and rooms of the retreat. Not understanding the office politics, she believes Dr. Tani's anger is because Mackenzie coined the "Neogen" name. She thinks Dr. Tani's hatred is a little ridiculous in that light, because Neogen really is a much better name. She doesn't comprehend that Dr. Tani might just hate her for who she is, and that Dr. Tani actually does lack competence in Mackenzie's area of expertise.

Radoslav Krasnov

(he/him; Russian, German)

Description

IP counsel for Grenage Group. Every stereotype about a slimy lawyer rolled up into one man with a full head of hair and a good jawline. Ambitious and connected, but he overestimates his loyalty and favor among the c-suite. He intends to get promoted to Chief Legal Counsel once Karolin is out of the picture, and has been scheming to take her position for some time now. Karolin's plan to blow the whistle presents an opportunity for him, so long as he can secure the Neogen Genetic Template and Neogen Manufacturing Data before Karolin presents them to Karl, Marc, and Kokichi. If Karolin is removed (or killed), he will be passed for promotion over in favor of Derek Smith. Seeing his opportunity slip from his fingers will make him rash. There is a 50% chance he attempts the same thing as Karolin, but for a bribe; otherwise, he tries to sabotage the Neogen samples in frustration.

Relationships

• Derek Smith: He has noticed that Derek is acting a little strange and looks a little under the weather. He's suspicious that Derek may be hiding an illness from him. This worries him because if he loses Derek, he's lost his only confidant and the only person in the legal department he doesn't view as a threat.
• Karolin Haugwitz: He always viewed Karolin as weak and sentimental, and learning that she planned to blow the whistle on the Neogens only confirmed his views. He encouraged her to do so, and has all but written her off in his mind.
• Marc Beaufor: Radoslav is attracted to Marc's showmanship. He finds Marc's antics intriguing, and wants to learn as much as he can from him. He finds Marc charming, funny, and entertaining to be around.

Mononobe Kokichi

(he/him; Japanese, French)

Description

CEO of Grenage Group. Charismatic and vigorous executive and enthusiastic proponent of the Neogens project. Educated in French schools and attended Oxford, his English has the Oxford tinge and measured cadenance of someone extensively practiced. His grandfather effectively exiled his family from the Japanese business community in the 1980s due to a series of strategic miscalculations and personal offenses. The collapsed family business was easily subsumed into Grenage Group, allowing it access to the biomedical industry and the Japanese market. He believes that the Neogens are truly revolutionary, and wants to use their unveiling and distribution as his way to win the respect and awe of that community. To that end, he wants to secure a major military contract and set up a massive demonstration of their capabilities all at once, even if that means it’s a net loss. He is most excited to win a U.S. contract, but if that doesn’t work, the Russians also like showing off new military hardware.

Relationships

• Karl Schmitz: He is at odds with the profit- and cash-flow-minded Karl Schmitz, who wants to sell small confidential contracts to reliable suppliers willing to pay their full value.
• Marc Beaufor: He is also at odds with Marc Beaufor, whose dreams of singular, massive, impractical creatures aren’t conducive to building the sort of all-in-one fully functional force that Kokichi needs to sell to his prospective clients.
• Dr. Tani Eka: He was once in love when they were young; he has never forgiven her for spurning him. That resentment has turned his heart bitter. He takes what opportunities he can to stifle her, stymie her, and generally piss her off. Some part of him still wants her, but anything resembling love is long gone. He has incorporated her rejection and ongoing needling into his complex about being rejected from the business elite in Japan.
• Pierre Ganat: Pierre was once his mentor when he was just a young executive in Grenage's French subsidiary. However, as time went on, their relationship withered. Kokichi has no idea why Pierre lost interest in their professional bond. He has grown to see him as a relic of another time, another part of his life.
• Mackenzie Holloway: He sees Mackenzie as a tool and nothing more. He elevated her specifically because he knew that it would frustrate Dr. Tani during leadership meetings. Getting a puppet to help sway the leadership of Grenage and help with his big reveal is a bonus. He takes her out for work lunches and sets aside time to talk to her exclusively; he keeps the language on a delicate line between professionally kind and flirtatious, just enough to lead her on. This mask will not last if the pressure mounts in a crisis.
• Radoslav Krasnov: He sees Radoslav as a sniveling yes-man. Best tucked away in some department where he won't be annoying.

Karl Schmitz

(he/him; German, Romansh, French)

Description

CFO and minor shareholder of Grenage Group. Boring and taciturn financial organizer. Gruff, always serious, and often very sparing with praise. He wants to use the Neogens to usurp the defense industry, top-to-bottom. To this end, he has focused on further development of manufacturing and logistics-oriented Neogens. He wants to sell small packages of Neogens to any interested party, regardless of the scale, at a profitable price. He has also pushed for planned obsolescence and more complicated parts to sell more service and maintenance contracts, but so far has been unsuccessful.

Relationships

• Mononobe Kokichi: He is at odds with Mononobe Kokichi, whose desire for a massive reveal and huge single contract give Karl palpitations. Karl has watched the cash reserves dwindle and the cashflow dry up while waiting for the CEO to find the “perfect” opportunity to make a sale.
• Marc Beaufor: He is also at odds with Marc Beaufor’s constant tinkering, retooling, and artisan manufacturing. Karl wants simple, mass-manufacturable designs at reasonable scales, and has no time for Marc’s showmanship or dreams of ever-larger, ever-more-elaborate Neogens.
• Dr. Tani Eka: Karl enjoys his physical relationship with Dr. Tani, but otherwise doesn't care. He has no desire for a romantic relationship with her and does not romantically love her. He believes such a romantic, public relationship would put both of their positions at risk, and he cares about his position far more than her love for him. He is not aware of her relationship with Marc.
• Pierre Ganat: Pierre is the only man that can make Karl quiver in fear. Karl hates and resents Pierre, but would never dare move against him. He is only too aware how much of a stake Goldtower has in Grenage, and the connections that Pierre could use to bring it tumbling down. However, he has been checking the numbers, and something isn't adding up financially with Goldtower, Pierre, and Grenage. He doesn't know it yet, but the conspiracy is already using Grenage to move assets (financial and otherwise) around; Karl has begun to assemble evidence of this but has no idea of the scale or the cause.
• Karolin Haugwitz: He sees Karolin as a good coworker, but he overestimates her commitment to Grenage and good business over her own conscience. He has no idea that Karolin is having a crisis of conscience despite the signs. He thinks she is always to nervous about government litigation and the costs of regulation. After all, that's what the government relations department handles.
• Radoslav Krasnov: He sees Radoslav as too self-interested to be trusted with any meaningful responsibility.

Derek Smith

(he/him; French, Mandarin)

Description

Labor relations and human resources counsel for Grenage Group. A bit of an empty suit, but in the last few weeks he has suddenly gained a personality. He became welcoming, caring, and outgoing. During a visit to the Neogen manufacturing facilities, he was infected by an escaped experimental parasitical Neogen that is giving him compulsions – compulsions he doesn’t want to resist. Because of this, the Neogens see him as one of their own and won’t attack him. They will even intervene if he is threatened. Derek Smith bears few signs of infection; he mostly talks, moves, and acts like a slightly more energetic, gregarious version of himself. However, he has a large, pustuled fissure along his spine where the parasite entered. It is not actively bleeding or infected, but it healed over with the unmistakable flesh of a Neogen. He also has to excuse himself frequently (at minimum once every hour) to vomit up a handful of black, acidic bile. He will try to do this privately, in an otherwise empty bathroom or his own room. Derek's compulsions are subtle. His parasite was programmed as a logistics organizer and an army builder (one of the models that Karl Schmitz is personally proud of.) The parasite is encouraging him to take more control at the company, eliminate competitors, and intensify the production of Neogens, especially Neogens capable of manufacturing other Neogens. The parasite will then use Derek a command vehicle and build a self-sustaining, ever-expanding Neogen army.

Relationships

• Radoslav Krasnov: In the same way Karolin trusts Radoslav, Radoslav trusts Derek Smith. Previously, Derek hadn't really noticed. Now, Derek is paying careful attention to the plots Radoslav is spinning, and the plots Radoslav is monitoring. He knows what Radoslav is planning, and will let it play out or intervene in order to advance in the company.
• Karl Schmitz: The unparasitized Derek Smith admired Karl for his practical nature and no-nonsense attitude. Derek Smith now admires him for that, but the parasite is well-disposed to Karl because he wants to develop the manufacturing and logistics Neogens it needs for its plans.

Dr. Tani Eka

(she/her; Japanese, Mandarin)

Description

A world-renowned synthetic biologist and Grenage Group’s Head of Research & Development under Marc Beaufor. A far more private person than her superior, she is responsible for developing each model of the Neogens. She must do this from Marc’s designs, while meeting Kokichi’s requirements, on Karl’s budget. It is stressful but somehow she manages. She has raised serious concerns about feasibility, performance, and control of the Neogens, which are universally brushed off by Karl, Marc, and Kokichi. For example, she is concerned that Neogens may not perform well in extreme temperatures outside of the 5-25°C range they are tested and stored in. Dr. Tani is not a great team player. She is condescending to people she thinks are beneath her, and she thinks anyone who isn't smarter than her is beneath her. She is convinced she has the correct answer in any situation, or can get it. This makes her an excellent researcher. However, in a crisis, she'll freeze up while trying to assemble all possible options and optimizing her choices.

Relationships

• Marc Beaufor: She is trying to forestall his ridiculous demands for the Neogens by having a romantic relationship with him. She only enjoys him in small, infrequent doses, but she doesn't want him to know that. She knows she's much smarter than him, so she mostly finds him and his artistic whims exhausting. She is concocting a plan to oust him with the help of Karl.
• Mononobe Kokichi: She spurned Kokichi when they were younger. Kokichi bore his heart out to her, but she told him they could never be together and she was offended at the thought. She finds him (then and now) utterly grandeur-obsessed and tiresome. She knew that no matter what, she would always play second fiddle to his status obsessions. Additionally, while he's intelligent enough, she found his mind to be broad and shallow; worldly, but uncurious. Since then, each of them has taken time out to needle each other and try to drive the other nuts.
• Karl Schmitz: She is in love with Karl. She believes that they are perfect for each other: both career-focused, powerful, and very intelligent. She has a secretly sexual relationship with him, but desperately wants to make it real and public. She believes that together, they would control Grenage, they would be unstoppable. It breaks her heart every time Karl denies her what she's looking for, but she holds out hope in her hear that if she just keeps working on him, soon he'll change his mind and declare his love for her.
• Mackenzie Holloway: She hates Mackenzie, top to bottom. She hates her beauty, how she got ahead just by being eye candy, her airhead proposals and comments, and her general perceived intellectual inferiority. She knows that Kokichi only elevated Mackenzie to piss her off, and hates that fact. Also, though she'd never admit it in a thousand years, she does understand that Mackenzie actually does know a bit more about marketing than she does. She knows deep down that "Neogen" was better than her name, "Autonomous Cybernetic Organisms", and hates that too.

Edgar Wainwright

(he/him; English only)

Description

The inciter of the incident. For twelve years he worked in a Grenage satellite office providing technical support to Grenage’s American accounting center. Four years ago, right as his wife’s diagnosis deteriorated and Grenage’s subsidiary changed health insurance plans, Edgar accessed a few files he shouldn’t have: the dirty details of Neogen manufacturing and testing. His discovery consumed his thoughts, and only worsened his already depressed mental state. The resulting poor performance was noticed by his superiors, and they put Edgar on a performance improvement plan the same day his wife passed away. Broken, Edgar became convinced that every single misfortune he had experienced for years was actually an elaborate conspiracy perpetrated by Grenage (true only in a vague, roundabout way), up to believing they deliberately gave his wife cancer (they did not.) He emerged from his period of mourning with a single-minded obsession with making Grenage pay. This retreat is the culmination of his planning. He quickly got a kitchen job at the Clearwater Resort starting just two weeks before the retreat. In his personal effects is a single Neogen creature, Specimen 158-K. He plans to release it at the Saturday dinner in the Dining Hall, during management's speeches. Most people will pay attention to the speeches, ane Pierre Ganat's lackeys will keep all but the kitchen staff away. Edgar knows and accepts he will not survive once the specimen is released. He plans to take his handgun and shoot anyone who flees from Specimen 158-K, before turning the gun on himself. He is beyond desperate, and feels as if this act of revenge is the one meaningful thing he can accomplish in his miserable life. As a failsafe, he's wired Specimen 158-K's container with both: a deadman's switch he arms as the party arrives, so it opens if he is killed; and a timer so it will automatically open after the dinner starts. He transports it quickly, in bursts, from the Cabins to Kitchens, making sure it is hidden each time. If he is somehow stopped before the dinner starts, Specimen 158-K will begin its rampage from the Cabins where he was staying, or inside the Kitchens. In this case, the characters may not be on high alert until the bodies start showing up.

Relationships

• None of the other characters have any relationships with or suspicions of Edgar. His coworkers think he's a little odd and quiet, but that's all.

Other Character Notes

Marc, Karl, and Kokichi each stand to benefit if the other two are eliminated or incapacitated. If each of the other two are eliminated, the remaining one would secure full control of Grenage. They will not actively try to kill each other, but if they have the opportunity to let them get injured or die by a follower's hands, they will allow it to happen.

When Specimen 158-K is released, the entire corporate retreat will slowly splinter into three factions:

• Kokichi wants to rush for the helicopter and evacuate everyone immediately. Big dramatic moment that will allow Grenage to be seen as protecting its people and avoids disclosing presence of Soecimen 158-K until Internal Security can come clean it up. When pointed out that the helicopter only fits a few people, mumbles something about “orderly evacuation” and does not give an answer. Other groups will attempt to prevent Kokichi's group from leaving prematurely in the trucks and helicopter, surmising (correctly) that even if they did escape and return, they would not return quickly enough (or at all), and interfere with rescue or salvation of the others.
• Karl wants to sensibly barricade everyone into a safe location and wait for rescue. He will contact Grenage internal security and have them send heavily-armed teams to subdue the specimens. When it is pointed out that their arrival might be twelve or twenty-four hours away, he doesn't have a good answer. Other groups will attempt to break into Karl's group's secure area, because they guess (correctly) that he will hoard fuel, medical supplies, food, and weapons.
• Marc wants to hunt Specimen 158-K down and kill it. He sees this as an opportunity to really put his creations to the test. When it is pointed out that this will get people killed, he declares it is better than waiting around for death or letting a handful escape. He declares that anyone who joins him will be promoted, that this is the survival of the fittest. His group is aggressive towards the others, so the other groups strike preemptively to try and steal resources from his group. The group leaders will argue for one hour before the three groups split off. Paranoia, accusations fly because all three leaders believe this event was orchestrated by someone who had inner knowledge of the function. Anyone who tries to operate outside of these groups will immediately have all three groups' suspicions fall on them as the culprit.

The other major characters (if they are alive) split up among the groups:

• Mackenzie Holloway and Derek Smith join Kokichi.
• Dr. Tani and Karolin join Karl.
• Pierre, Radoslav, and Vincente join Marc.
• Amelia joins Kokichi's group if she's stolen the data. If not, she joins Marc's group to give her cover for searching.

1d20 Minor Characters

If you need a random character as a exposition device, an assistant to another, or to die messily under the knife of Specimen 158-K, roll 1d20 on the table below:

Neogens

Neogens are synthetic creatures created by the Grenage Group as weapons. They are specially vat-grown to interface with their mechanical chassis, allowing for a flawless synthesis between machine and flesh. Their hybrid nature makes them resistant to the common weaknesses of each.

In their final production forms, the mechanical and metal components are well-armored, covered in blast-resistant plating and flexible fabric armor at the joints. Typically the central thorax region has a few plexiglass plates to allow technicians to see inside and visibly monitor the biological components. The biological parts of a Neogen specimen are grown from a combination of arthropod and mammalian DNA, hybridized and tweaked to be able to work together. The meat looks like if a grub and a mole rat had a mutated child.

Specimen 158-K

Specimen 158-K is the single Neogen Edgar Wainwright managed to get his hands on. It is a standard urban combat model, a little guy about the size of a large human thigh. It has six mechanical legs, a carapace-like casing of steel and sensors, and two talons it uses to kill its prey. It is a hunter-killer type, optimized to hunt down enemy humans over time.

Statistics

The follow statistics are given in broad descriptions and will likely need some translation into your system of choice. As a guiding principle, Specimen 158-K should be able to instantly shred unarmed humans, and should be a stiff challenge for 1-2 armed and armored humans. It prefers to run rather than be killed, so it should either be made very hard to hit or have a lot of HP if your system uses that. Specimen 158-K has stats as a bear, unless noted otherwise. If your game uses armor, it has the equivalent of heavy armor because it is small, fast, and hard to hit, in addition to the armor of its mechanical components. Specimen 158-K's six legs allow it to move very fast (2x standard move) and climb up almost all surfaces. It is armed with two eviscerating talons, and can make 2 attacks per combat round with these talons. It counts difficult terrain as light cover, and light cover as hard cover. It receives a bonus to sneaking and stealth from its urban warfare programming and small size. Specimen 158-K can inefficiently heal its biological components with any random fresh (not frozen) meat. This lets it heal 1/8 of its total health per person-sized chunk of meat so consumed. However, it properly and efficiently heal itself by extracting human grey matter and cerebrospinal fluid. These two substances have the right amino acids and molecules to easily rebuild and repair its neuro-cyber interfaces and free up calories for healing other parts. When presented the opportunity, the Neogens will stop what they are doing to slurp up human brains. For each human spine and brain Specimen 158-K manages to eat, it heals 1/2 of its full health.

The Neogens in the Neogen Stasis Containers are identical to Specimen 158-K.

Neogen Tactics

Due to being prematurely removed from the production line by Edgar, it has no IFF systems except for the instincts that prevent Neogens from attacking each other. Therefore, once released, it will attempt to kill every human that remains in the lodge.

Speciment 158-K uses its small size to crawl into ducts, tunnels, and areas inaccessible to humans to set ambushes and avoid strong forces.

When Specimen 158-K goes on its initial rampage, it will slaughter until most of the humans have left the room, or if it is fired upon. Once this happens, it will retreat to the vents to plan its next move. In 20 minutes, it will detect the passive signals of the Neogen stasis containers, and seek them out to open them up. Once it has activated them, it will update their IFF systems to the same blank slate it has itself. Specimen 158-K will then direct them in ambushing and killing humans trapped in the lodge. They will prioritize isolated armed humans first, especially those with visible firearms.

Specimen 158-K uses vents, terrain, and its small size to set ambushes for humans. It is programmed to be able to lie in wait, silently, utterly still, for hours. It uses positional advantage to multiply its combat power. It does not like straight fights and if it determines that it is in an ambush, it will flee. It will also retreat when it faces overwhelming force (like two or three armed humans) or when it takes half damage.

Clearwater Resort

Mountain resort located in a remote part of the Canadian Rockies. It's like Banff but even more exclusive and almost entirely cut off from the outside world. Not truly remote, because it’s well-stocked with modern amenities, but remote enough that anyone trying to escape or enter on foot might freeze to death in a crevasse.

The lodge itself is a delicately balanced blend of rustic charm and modern elegance. Careful crafted wood paneling hides strong, well-insulated walls built with modern materials. Lamps are dressed in subtly archaic shade while having the most advanced energy-efficient lights. Upholstery and carpeting has patterns out of a 1900s Sears catalogue, but the fabric is gentle and soft (not to mention fire code compliant). It's December, so large Canadian pines are richly decorated with tinsel and ornaments in the main hall, while each room has a tasteful wreath. The whole thing looks like a Christmas cars inside and out.

Below, major areas in the lodge are listed.

Lodge Hall

Warm brick fireplace, cozy blankets, fine leather sitting couches. A self-consciously rustic room, except with wide-paned windows. Gives a view of the entire slope. Staff entrances and exits are hidden as much as possible between tchotchkes and pictures on the walls. Adjacent to the Ski Slope and the Main Kitchen.

Conference Rooms

The rustic air of the lodge is temporarily suspended for about a dozen conference rooms, ranging from a few two-seater temporary offices to one large conference room that can fit twenty people. They are built and decorated in a modern business style. Each has one main table, a cabinet, and lots of chairs. The larger ones are equipped with whiteboards, TV screens, and Polycom speakers. These rooms are soundproofed as well, and with their other attributes offer good hiding places as long as the doors stay closed.

Suites

On the first floor are the lodge suites. Each is a small bedroom (with either two twin beds or a single king bed), with pairs of suites sharing a connected bathroom and shower. It also has closets, a TV, and other amenities one would expect from a modern hotel. All of the rooms have at least one window outside. Derek and Radoslav have adjacent suites. A single suite takes 10 minutes to search thoroughly (revealing anything hidden), or twice that time if trying to do it quietly.

Executive Suites

The executive suites are on the second floor. They are like the first-floor suites but significantly larger. They all have double queen beds, extra closet space, separate bathrooms and showers, and a private balcony accessed by a sliding door. All of the named characters except Edgar, Derek, and Radoslav have an executive suite. Karolin has hidden the hard drive with the Neogen Genetic Template and the Neogen Manufacturing Data in a hidden compartment, in her second suitcase, locked in the large safe in her closet (code is 0451.) Dr. Tani also has the Neogen Manufacturing Data on her secure desktop computer. Cocaine and lots of other stimulants are hidden in the suites, shoved into drawers and safes. A single executive suite takes 20 minutes to search thoroughly (revealing anything hidden), or twice that time if trying to do it quietly.

Storage Room 11

There are many storage rooms scattered throughout the hotel, but Storage Room 11 is special. It is where 20 Neogens are being kept in the Neogen Stasis Containers to eventually be shown to a select group of leadership and investors. Storage Room 11 is on the business side of the lodge, up near the Conference Rooms. Storage Room 11 is guarded by 4 layers of security:

• The Security Office has cameras watching the inside and outside of Storage Room 11, on all approaches. If they see someone coming or trying to get in, they will sound an alarm and send reinforcements who arrive in 1d20 combat rounds. The cameras would need to be jammed/blocked without them noticing.
• There are two Grenage security guards outside the room door at all times. Shifts change every four hours. Each guard does two non-consecutive shifts a day.
• The room door has been replaced with reinforced steel door, hinge and frame. The walls of the room have received added protection in the form of prefab wall armor on the inside walls of the room, to soundproof and prevent drilling in. Only Marc's, Karl's, and Kockichi's passes (which they keep on them at all times, even sleeping) open the door.
• Finally, inside the room itself, the 20 specimens are each within a stasis container, all of which are mounted on a mobile platform and linked up to a IBM ThinkPad for monitoring. The container for the specimens and computer with all the data are locked with a password (“Ne0Ev0lut1on!”). Marc, Karl, Kokichi, Dr. Tani and Vincente all know the password. The password is also in plaintext in a file in the Manufacturing Evidence, though Karolin is not aware of this. Specimen 158-K, when freeing the Neogens, will enter through the vents, which are not protected. It has a marker chip which automatically unlocks the specimen container (a method to allow Neogens to assemble forces themselves if human controllers were killed before deployment completed.)

Dining Hall

A swanky and upscale dining area. Well lit, with lots of tables and chairs tastefully decorated. All of the major meals at the retreat will happen here. There is a large stage with a podium that juts out into the room, where management will make speeches and large discussions will be held. This is the room which will host the closed-door leadership meeting to introduce the Neogens. This is also where Edgar Wainwright plans on releasing Specimen 158-K. There are only four exits, two at the back, one behind the stage, and one to the Main Kitchen, which it is adjacent to. Adjacent to the Lodge Hall and the Main Kitchen.

Garage

The garage functions as a secondary staff entrance. It also contains power tools, emergency generators, and kerosene and kerosene lamps. It functions as a workshop as well for the janitorial staff. The garage has two trucks, one of which has a snowplow; each can hold two people in the cabin and seven in the bed.

Security Office

The normal security office has been completely taken over by Vincente Coll and his security team. They mostly monitor the lodge through cameras that are routed here. They have cameras trained on Storage Room 11, the entrances to key Executive Suites, and other important locations. Security personnel sweep the building and grounds every four hours starting from here. There has also been a small armory installed, mostly with nonlethal weapons (shock batons, tasers, flashbangs), and a few handguns.

Main Kitchen

The primary kitchen for serving guests at the lodge. Has lots of modern stainless steel equipment, and a dumbwaiter down to the larder in the Basement for easy, behind-the-scenes supply runs. Staff prefer to hang out here in the winter because it gets quite warm. It's also the main staff entrance, since it's just a short walk from The Cabins.

Basement

Contains the boiler room, where the old steam boiler sits unused. Instead, there are a number of smaller, advanced, electric heaters that pump warm air and water through the main lodge. The vents all route back to the boiler room. When Specimen 158-K travels using the vents (its preferred method), it will return here before hitting its next target. This makes it a good place to set a trap, but also it will always clear out this room before moving on. Separate from the boiler room, also in the basement, is the laundry and the larder.

Recreation Room

Modern treadmills and ellipticals sit next to antique ergs and weight sets. Notably for a gym area, the walls are not mirrored. The room also has a small enclosed area with one hot tub, but no full-sized pool. There are two small locker rooms (men's and women's) with a few lockers, bathrooms, and one shower.

Foyer

Main guest entrance to the lodge. It has a very tastefully rustic interior, a strong statement carried through by the rest of the lodge. It has a clerk station for guests to check in, heat generators near the doors to make sure it stays warm, and lots of cozy rugs and chairs. Most of the guests find it charming. It has the main stairs and elevators between the main and upper floor. The check-in desk is adjacent to the Resort Offices.

Helicopter Pad

One helicopter, fueled up and ready to go on the pad (with two pilots staying at the resort). Ready to leave in case of any emergency. It is desgined to fit four passengers, but it can maybe fit six as long as it’s carrying nothing else. In an emergency, there will be a fight to get aboard. There's a shed with a few power tools here, and enough fuel for one additional helicopter ride. The shed is locked, with security and the pilots having the key. Adjacent to The Cabins.

Ski Slope

It doesn't matter if it's a ski lodge, it's a corporate retreat. You’re not actually supposed to go on it, it’s just supposed to look good. The entrance to the slope and the lift is adjacent to the Lodge Hall.

Resort Offices

Small, cramped office space for resort employees to do paperwork. Lots of cover for people or the specimens to hide in - it's hard to detect enemies if they are actively hiding or sneaking. Adjacent to the stairwell to the Basement.

The Cabins

Where the staff and lower-down Grenage employees stay. Each has a basic bathroom (that freezes if it gets too cold), a basic shower (hot water lasts about ten minutes), and four beds per. It’s roomy for what it is. There is a short, unprotected walk to Main Kitchen and Foyer. Anyone going into the lodge must use these entrances, or take the long twenty minute walk to the Garage. The Helicopter Pad is on the other side of the cabins and adjacent to them.

Stanley Village

A small community at the bottom of the ski slope area, about two miles from the lodge. It’s where most of the seasonal workers’ families are. No services except a few phone lines, gas generators, and a general store. Still ten miles from the highway, through winding forest switchbacks.

Movement and Encounters

If areas are not noted as adjacent, assume it takes ten minutes of hustling to get from one place to the other. Every ten minutes (i.e. each time player-characters travel to another location) roll 1d6 for an encounter:

Key Items

Neogen Stasis Containers

Twenty stasis containers, which look like big, plastic boxes with tablets embedded in the side. Each box is about 2' x 2'. They are stacked two high, two wide, and five deep on a large platform. The platform can be lifted by a forklift or jacked up to deploy wheels. The stasis containers are also connected to an IBM ThinkPad bolted to the platform, which allows for access and control over all of them. Each contains a Neogen specimen, all the same make and model as Specimen 158-K. They are locked in stasis to prevent any damage in transport. The containers can be opened and the specimens released with the right password (see Storage Room 11 for details.) Specimen 158-K can bypass these safeguards and activate the specimens automatically.

Neogen Genetic Template

The basic genetic template that all Neogen models are built on. This won't give you a ready-made Neogen, but if you've already been researching down this path it will catapult you forward. Karolin Haugwitz has it on a hard drive in her executive suite. It is also in a secure, airgapped desktop computer in Dr. Tani Eka's room. Amelia Carinci is looking for this and will trade almost anything for it.

Neogen Manufacturing Data

Reams of data and technical know-how straight from the Neogen manufacturing line. A treasure-trove that accelerate any attempt at manufacturing Neogens or similar organisms by twelve to eighteen months. It also describes the horrific accidents and negligent destruction that has occurred, and perhaps even is necessary, to the Neogen's creation. Karolin Haugwitz has this on her hidden hard drive (see above) as well.

Pierre's Manifest

Pierre Ganat has a single sheet of paper containing instructions from the conspiracy hidden on his person at all times. It describes the name of many conspirators, Pierre's true purpose in monitoring Grenage, and exactly who the conspiracy wants to be their puppet in Grenage (Derek Smith.) If Pierre believes he is about to die or be unmasked, he'll attempt to destroy this paper, or have one of his lackeys do it for him.

Retreat Itinerary

The following are the events that will occur unless the players intervene to steer it away. All times are listed in local time.

Friday

18:00 The last of Grenage Group guests arrive and get settled in.

20:00 Cocktail hour for Grenage Group. The Dramatis Personae all meet and are introduced. Edgar's righteous anger is rekindled upon seeing all the rich assholes he believes ruined his life.

Saturday

14:00 The temperature drops and the wind picks up as a storm blows into the resort.

16:00 The player characters arrive on the last shuttle in. They start in the Foyer.

16:30 Edgar Wainwright moves Specimen 158-K from his cabin to a secured closet in the Main Kitchen where he's pretty sure no one will look.

17:00 Radoslav Krasnov searches Karolin Haugwitz's room for the data, but not thoroughly enough. He's unable to find anything.

19:00 First retreat dinner. Management gives speeches during the second and third course. Right before the third course, Edgar releases Specimen 158-K by throwing the open stasis container out into the Dining Hall from the Main Kitchen. If the players don't intervene, 1d12 people are killed before security manage to drive it off into the vents. Edgar is killed in the fight. At this point, begin the encounter rolls.

19:20 Sure that Vincente Coll's security team (or the player-characters) are taking care of it, management makes the decision to continue the retreat. The decision is made to move up the presentation of the Neogen Stasis Containers.

20:30 Karl, Kokichi, and Marc formally introduce the Neogens to the broader management team (including Karolin Haugwitz). There is a mixed reaction, but mostly curiosity. Privately, Dr. Tani Eka confirms that the specimens here and Specimen 158-K have no override - that element was cut at Marc and Kokichi's request, and she will rub it in.

20:50 Karolin takes Karl, Kokichi, and Marc aside to demand they end the Neogen project, thinking the attack at the dinner will convince them of the danger. To her shock and surprise, they are dismissive of her concerns and unmoved by her threat. They do tell her she'll have her devices confiscated immediately, and will prosecute her for accessing confidential data if she tries to say anything. She leaves in disgust.

21:20 Growing cornered and desperate, Specimen 128-K detects its comrades in Storage Room 11. it frees them and activates them, letting them spread throughout the resort for a shock attack.

21:40 Radoslav excitedly tells Karl, Kokichi and Marc about Karolin's plans, only to find out they already know, and they've already decided on Derek Smith for the next Chief Legal Counsel.

21:50 One of Pierre Ganat's lackeys informs him that Karolin knows about the Neogens and is planning to blow the whistle. He orders her capture, and when her evidence is recovered, her death.

22:00 A massive attack kills 2d12 lodge employees, security personnel, and Grenage peons.

22:30 The security team (or the player characters) manage to drive off the Neogens and gather survivors in the Lodge Hall. Management (Karl, Kokichi, and Marc) argue about what should be done about the specimen (see Other Character Notes).

23:30 Inconclusive, the three groups split up.

Sunday

00:00 The groups begin racing for medical supplies, fuel, and food. They pick up lodge employees along the way.

01:00 The snowfall intensifies and the temperature drops further.

03:00 The groups coalesce to allow members to sleep in safety; certain group members try to steal each other's supplies in the night. An attempt by a few people in Kokichi's groups to get to the trucks is thwarted when some in Marc's group attack them with improvised weapons. Paranoia intensifies.

08:00 Snowfall continues, wind picks up.

19:00 If the player characters have not managed to defeat or contain the specimens by this point, anyone who has not escaped (except for Derek Smith) will be dead through exhaustion and repeated attritional attacks. Killing or capturing a Neogen delays this outcome by twenty minutes each. If the specimens were allowed to escape, they move towards the village, and from there, test their synthetic adaptations against the cold Canadian wilderness. If Derek Smith is still alive, he will be miraculously discovered by first responders and gain widespread sympathy. Seeing no other viable option, he will be named interim CEO of Grenage, at which point he begin redirecting resources into the manufacturing of "self-replicating Neogens."

#horror #module #rpg